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Aqua had been walking in the dark for so long that it almost seemed normal. It was the warmth of the sun and peaceful afternoons with her friends that felt more like something that she’d dreamed up one night.
But then she would come across signs of civilization, remnants of worlds taken by the Heartless, and she remembered that there was life outside of the Realm of Darkness. Sometimes they were entire worlds, like the one where Cinderella once lived. Sometimes they were simply uprooted trees or steps leading to nowhere, stripped from their homes as she’d been stripped of hers.
She saw the shadowy outline of a building hanging over a cliff and decided to check it out. A broken sign told her that she’d reached “The Benbow Inn.” But there were no innkeepers or guests inside. Aqua could only guess where they’d ended up, but at least they weren’t trapped in the same way that she was.
The wooden tables inside were still set for dinner and an artificial tree stood next to one of the bay windows overlooking the cliff. A banner stretched over the bar wished visitors a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” Aqua took a closer look underneath the tree - sure enough, there were packages wrapped in all kinds of bright colors waiting to be opened.
“This brings back so many memories…” she murmured out loud. For a split second, she saw the golden outlines of Terra and Ven seated at one of the round tables.
“C’mon, I know you’re making this up!”
Terra was laughing. “No, no, I’m telling you, Santa’s real. I’ve met him.”
“But how do the reindeer fly?” Ven pouted. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you? I’m not a little kid, Terra!”
“Don’t believe me? Put your stocking out tonight. I guarantee you it’ll be full of presents tomorrow.”
The look on Ven’s face when he’d come down the following morning had been priceless. And after that, he begged Terra and Aqua to take him to see Santa. But Master Eraqus insisted that he stay home and train, and he wouldn’t make any exceptions for a simple excursion.
“I wish you had let us take him at least once, Master,” Aqua sighed. “I’ll take you Ven, one of these days. We both will.”
The illusions of Terra and Ven vanished, leaving nothing but an empty table and some menus. Aqua took a glance at one of the menus, always curious to know how the people in other worlds lived their lives. The "Allponian chowder" sounded delicious. She doubted there was any left now, but perhaps some ingredients could still be found in the kitchen.
She pushed the swinging door open and walked past large ovens, dusty pots and pans, and dried-up sinks. The taps still worked - a small miracle of its own. She found an empty cup and took a long, refreshing drink of water.
But as Aqua finished refilling it, the water vibrated in her cup.
She groaned. They could never let her have a moment to rest. Her Master's Keyblade felt heavy as she called it back to her and her legs cramped as she ran outside. A Heartless crouched on the ground, its claws digging into the dark sand, chains trailing off its legs, as it waited to pounce on the inn. It was a type she'd fought before, a hunter with spikes coming out of its back and tail.
Though there were no people to defend, Aqua charged anyway. The inn had once belonged to someone. Someone had put their hopes and dreams into the place, called it home. Others had taken refuge here, or simply stopped to enjoy a warm meal. She might not be able to see them, but she knew that the Benbow Inn held precious memories. In the slight chance that the owner was still out there somewhere, Aqua would fight to protect that person's home. Just as she hoped that someone was protecting hers.
The hunter pounced. Aqua threw up a Barrier spell that knocked it off its feet. Then she launched into Spellweaver. The quicker she could take it out, the better, which meant powerful attacks early on. It sprang up and leapt out of the way after taking several hits.
Aqua clenched her teeth and spun around to follow its progress. It tried to attack her from behind. She turned in time and blocked it again. It sailed over her head and lashed out with its tail. One of the spikes caught her sashes as she cartwheeled out of the way.
"Freeze!" Icicles launched from her Keyblade like frozen missiles. They embedded themselves in the hunter's back legs. It roared and shook itself out. The icicles came loose and flew towards their caster instead. Again, Aqua threw up a Barrier spell, and only just in time.
She glared at the Heartless, and it seemed to glare back. They both crouched. Both got ready to spring at the other. And then -
"There you are, you little menace!"
A small figure reached the top of the cliff. Only then did Aqua notice the grappling hook in the sand. Its owner was…a duck. A duck wearing a pilot's gear and goggles that kept her feathery white hair in place. "Alright, beastie!" she shouted. "Ready for Round Two?"
The Heartless swept out its horned tail to deal with the new threat coming from behind.
"Aw, phooey."
Its tail slammed into the duck. But, as it turned out, she was prepared for the attack. Rather than fly off the cliff, she managed to grab one of the spikes and held on tight.
Aqua gasped. "Don't worry!" she shouted. "I'm coming!"
The duck heard her and smiled. "Oh, hey! Glad to see another…!" The hunter's tail came down. The duck's eyes rattled. But she held on. "What's your name?" she called out, as the tail went up in the air again.
"What?" How could she be trying to make small talk at a time like this?
"I said, 'What's your - ahhh!" The tail broke the surface of the sand. Aqua rushed forward and threw her Keyblade at the Heartless' face. While it was distracted by her, her ally climbed from one spike to the next until she reached its back.
Then, to Aqua's shock, the duck summoned her own Keyblade. She must be a beginner, as it was a simple Kingdom Key with no other adornments. But she didn't fight like a beginner. "Ha-ha! Take that! And that!" Between the two of them, they soon had the Heartless on its knees.
The duck took one last strike at its head, then leapt down next to Aqua and brushed herself off. "Woo-hoo! Nothing can stop Della Duck!"
"That's your name?" guessed Aqua.
"The one and only!" said Della brightly. "And what's yours?"
"I'm Aqua." She gave her partner in battle a respectful bow. "You're very talented with that Keyblade. Who taught you to wield it?"
"Me?" Della scratched her head and laughed sheepishly. "I guess you could say I kinda taught myself. I saw my brother's best friend with one and I just had to go out and save the universe too! So I secretly watched him practice and copied the moves with the sword I use for adventuring. And then one day, as I was working on it, the sword changed…"
As she spoke, she stretched out her hand, calling the Keyblade back to her. "I was so shocked the first time it happened that I let go of it and it disappeared. But now, it always comes back whenever I want it. Pretty neat, right?"
"That's incredible!" exclaimed Aqua. "I've never heard of anyone using the Keyblade without a Bequeathing Ceremony. You must have a very strong heart."
"Yeah, well, I guess my strong heart didn't know what it was doing. First time out, instead of saving the worlds, I got sucked down here instead." She didn't elaborate on how she'd gotten herself stuck in the Realm of Darkness. Aqua understood; she didn't feel like going into what happened to her either.
Terra…I hope you made it back safely. Have you taken over protecting Ven?
"So!" Della looked around. "What is this place? Are there any other people inside the…" She squinted at the sign. "…Benbow Inn?"
"None that I've been able to find. Just you," said Aqua. "You don't know how happy I am to finally see another face down here."
"Same!" said Della. "Is there anything to eat in there?"
Aqua led her new friend back inside and over to the kitchen. "I was just looking when the Heartless attacked."
"Yeah, that figures. Lousy monsters. Can't even let us enjoy a good snack."
Suddenly, Della gasped. Aqua followed her gaze; she was pointing to the Christmas tree and the unwrapped gifts. "Hey, how about that? It's Christmas!"
"It might be. It's been so long since I found myself in the Realm of Darkness that I don't know what people are celebrating in the light," Aqua admitted.
Della rubbed her feathered hands together. "Whaddya say you and me have ourselves a Christmas party here? We'll make a feast out of whatever's in the kitchen, and…" She hesitated as she reached for one of the gifts. "…No, wait. Can't open someone's else's present. That'd be rude. We'll just imagine it's something we've always wanted. And we have to tell the other one what that something is. Are you in?"
Aqua frowned. "But how do we know if today is Christmas?"
"Who cares?" replied Della, with a shrug. "It's gotta be Christmas somewhere, am I right?"
She had a point. "Okay. Count me in."
Della took over the task of scrounging for food, while Aqua went to each table to light the candles with a bit of fire magic. It gave the room a much cozier feeling than it had before. Better still, the windows had a unique shade setting that changed the view from the actual darkness outside to a sunny meadow. Aqua flicked through the various settings: beaches, jungles, deserts, underwater cities, and finally settled on a snowy forest.
On the second floor, unfinished beds waited for nonexistent guests in every room. Aqua removed the blankets and pillows. She brought them back downstairs and created a little circle around the tree, just as they used to do in the Land of Departure.
Master Eraqus always sat in a chair. But Terra and Aqua had preferred the floor, even as they got older. Ven would squirm in between them. "Is it time yet? Is it time?" But he wasn't waiting to open his own presents. He was so excited to give everyone in his family the gifts that he'd made for them.
"…We've got a barrel full of purps in here…whatever those are…" Della called out from the kitchen. "…Some leftover Allponian chowder in the fridge…might as well give that a try…cerulean jelly worms…? No, thank you. And…oh! Hey! Marshmallows!"
"Marshmallows? Really? I'll see if I can find some sticks for toasting them!"
Soon enough, they had everything they could find assembled for a little celebration. Not much, but better than Aqua would have expected. There were no toasting forks, so Aqua levitated them over the fire that she'd cast in the fireplace. Around and around they spun, until they turned nice and brown. When she took her first bite, Aqua felt the sweet warmth of home filling her up inside.
"It's called a s'more. They were making them at the beach in Twilight Town. You take two graham crackers, a bar of chocolate, a toasted marshmallow, and you make a sandwich out of it. They call it that because they say when you eat one, you always want 'some more.'"
"Oh, I get it!" Both of Ven's hands were outstretched. "Can I try it?"
Terra stretched out with his feet pointed towards the fireplace. "I don't see what the big deal is."
Aqua nudged him. "That's only because you don't like sweets."
She felt someone nudging her back, and turned to playfully swat Ven away. "You can have another one after…" She stopped; it was Della nudging her.
"Huh?"
Aqua turned back to the fire. "Never mind. You want another marshmallow?"
Della didn't answer. She held her hands up to the fire, then said, "You talk to people too, don't you? Back home?"
There wasn't much of a point in hiding it from a fellow wanderer. "Yes. My best friends, Terra and Ven. I wish I knew how they were doing." Aqua savored the taste of another marshmallow. "What about you?" she asked, once she'd swallowed it. "Who do you talk to?"
"My boys." Della pulled out a picture from inside her jacket. Aqua leaned over, expecting to see some more ducks. Instead, she saw a cluster of three large eggs. "They were just about to hatch when I got stuck down here. I've never even seen their faces, and they've never seen mine. I know their Uncle Donald is taking good care of them, but I can't stop worrying."
Aqua drew her knees together and moved closer to Della. "I'm so sorry." At least she had memories of time spent in Terra and Ven's company to fall back on when she'd lost all hope. "How long ago was it? If they were about to hatch, maybe I met them when I traveled to other worlds." Now that she thought about it, there were those three little ducklings that ran the Ice Cream Beat in Disney Town…
What were their names again? Huey, Dewey, and Louie…?
"Jet, Turbo, and Rebel," answered Della. "At least, that's what I told Donald. He better not have changed them on me."
Oh. Never mind. Aqua shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know anyone by those names."
"Eh, it was worth a shot."
"But you'll see them again. I'm sure you will. We'll both find our way out of here."
Aqua wasn't sure if she actually believed that. But saying it to another made it feel possible.
Whether it was possible or not, her words cheered Della up. She jumped to her feet. "That's right! We will! Nothing can stop Della Duck…and Aqua…what's your last name?"
She blinked. "I'm just Aqua."
Della took it in stride. "Nothing can stop Della Duck and Aqua! Alright! Ready for presents?"
Aqua giggled. She had to hand it to Della; her spirit was becoming infectious. "Alright. You go first." They sat in front of the Christmas tree, and Aqua handed her new friend a small box with a sparkling blue bow. "Merry Christmas."
"What? For me? Oh Aqua, you shouldn't have!" Della gushed. She rattled the box for a minute. Terra used to do that too. "Let's see here…oh my goodness…"
Holding the unopened package up to the light, she cried out, "The keys to a brand-new Rumble Racer? How'd you know?"
Aqua laughed. "You mean like the ones that they use in the races at Disney Town for the Million Dreams Festival?"
"Oh yeah, baby." Della placed the box back under the tree. "You're looking at the champion three years in a row!" She dragged out one of the larger packages in the back. "Here you go! Merry Christmas, Aqua!"
She hesitated, not quite sure what to say. Using her imagination in a game like this one wasn't one of Aqua's strong suits. And what she currently wanted most wasn't easily wrapped in a box with pretty ribbons. "A magic mirror that can take us back to the Realm of Light…?"
Della played right along. "Hey, only the best for you, bestie."
"That's so nice of you! Thank you, Della!"
"We'll save the rest for my boys and your friends." Della pushed the package back under the tree. Looking at the many ornaments and lights on its branches, her smile faded. "I wonder what they ask Santa for every Christmas? I…don't even know what they like."
Aqua wasn't sure what to say to that. What would Ven or Terra say?
"Well…" she tried, "…They probably wouldn't want the cerulean jelly worms."
It worked. Della laughed. "Actually, I don't know. They're starting to look pretty tasty to me." Aqua winced as she slurped a few down and sighed. "I was right. They're not bad. Wanna try?"
"I'll…I'll pass…" Aqua's next words were stifled by a yawn. "I don't believe this. I'm actually getting sleepy in here. I guess it's this inn. It's not like sleeping out there in the darkness."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Della yawned too. "And now you've got me doing it. How about we take turns sleeping, and the other one can keep watch?"
An actual chance to sleep was a Christmas gift that Aqua had never expected to get in the Realm of Darkness. "That would be wonderful. I'll let you go first."
They switched places after a few hours, and Aqua finally let herself close her eyes and truly drift away.
But an hour before Della was supposed to wake her up, she heard her new friend scream, "Aqua!" And then the floor began to quake underneath her.
Aqua scrambled up. It wasn't a Heartless this time. The Realm of Darkness was shifting again. A fissure opened up in the middle of the inn. Della was on the other side. "Here! Hop over it, quick!" she shouted. Aqua did so, and only just in time. The fissure widened and swallowed up the tree and presents.
"We have to move!" cried Aqua.
"Right behind you, new bestie!"
They made it out of the inn as it toppled off the cliff, but more cracks were appearing. Aqua reached for Della's hand, but her new friend slipped.
"Della!"
Aqua reached for her hand a second time, and this time she caught it. But the ground had crumbled underneath her too.
"Hang on!" Della reached for her grappling hook and snagged what remained of the cliff.
For a split second, they hung suspended in midair. Just as Della let out a cheer, the rest of the cliff disintegrated. "Aw phooey," she muttered instead.
Aqua screamed. Her hand slipped from Della's. She could hear her friend letting out that defiant cry as before, "Oh no, you don't! Nothing can stop…!"
The darkness swallowed Aqua before she could hear the rest.
When she awoke, there was no sign of Della.
"Della? DELLA!"
No answer. Aqua was alone.
Again.
A scream of frustration erupted from the back of her throat. She pounded both of her fists against the dark sand and felt tears sliding down her face. She hadn't even gotten a single night's rest. Barely a few hours to enjoy someone else's company and the illusion of safety.
She struck the ground again, and that was when she noticed some pine needles intermixed with the sand.
Aqua looked up. They weren't real pine needles. They were bits and pieces of the artificial Christmas tree at the Benbow Inn. It had landed right-side up in front of her. A few lights still glowed within its branches.
It had been uprooted, but not defeated.
Aqua pushed herself up. Though she could no longer hear Della's voice, those final words rang loud and clear in her heart: "Nothing can stop Della Duck!"
She smiled and wiped away the last of her tears. "And nothing can stop Master Aqua," she decided. "Terra, Ven: don't worry. I'm going to find my way back to you. And Della, I'll find my way back to you too."
With one last glance at the tree, she walked forward into this new section of the Realm of Darkness.
"Merry Christmas."