Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Story

Here are all the in-game texts relating the story of Birth by Sleep for each character. Spoilers ahead, be warned!

Timeline

Terra

The Land of Departure

Terra, an aspiring Keyblade Master, had been training diligently under Master Eraqus along with his best friends Aqua and Ventus (whom they called Ven).

The night before the Mark of Mastery exam that would determine his future, he joined his friends on the summit for one last practice, and received a good luck charm called a "Wayfinder" from Aqua.

But during the exam the next day, when he and Aqua fought and she gained the upper hand, part of the darkness within Terra emerged unbidden. The consequences: Aqua passed the exam and was recognized as a true Keyblade Master. Terra, however, was not.

As Terra agonized over this weakness of his that had been exposed, Master Xehanort comforted him by explaining that darkness cannot be destroyed—only channeled. All Terra needed to do was supplant it with a greater power.

Soon after, Eraqus received word from the great sorcerer Yen Sid that the Princesses of Heart were in danger from a new menace called the "Unversed." He ordered Aqua and Terra to hunt these creatures down and eliminate them—and also to find Master Xehanort, with whom all contact has been lost.

Terra's journey had begun.

Enchanted Dominion

Terra crossed paths with a woman with magical powers named Maleficent. She spoke of a man leaving the castle after "imprisoning the light."

In a room high in the castle, which seemed to have been placed under some sort of spell, Terra happened upon a maiden in a deep sleep. Maleficent appeared again and explained that seven hearts of pure light were the key to ruling all worlds—but only the Keyblade could release those hearts.

Suspecting that she and Master Xehanort must have spoken, Terra confronted Maleficent. She offered to reveal more—but only if Terra released the heart of the sleeping maiden, Princess Aurora.

Though Terra refused, Maleficent's magic won over him; when he regained his senses, he was horrified to realize he had unconsciously extracted Aurora's heart anyway. "I simply whispered to the darkness you already held inside," Maleficent said. And as the castle bgan to shake, she slipped away, paying the angry Terra no mind.

Terra defeated the Unversed which has caused the tremors, but his own weakness troubled him. He had stolen someone's heart. And Master Xehanort seemed to be looking for hearts of pure light. Terra set off to find more such maidens, hoping they would lead him to the Master.

Dwarf Woodlands

As he searched for more information about Master Xehanort, Terra stumbled upon a dark castle chamber. Inside, a vain queen stood before a Magic Mirror that answered all her questions with the truth. Upon learning Snow White was the fairest one of all, the Queen demanded Terra bring her the princess's heart, offering in exchange to ask the mirror where he might find Master Xehanort.

But Terra had his own idea. Snow White might be one of the hearts of pure light Master Xehanort sought; if so, he could find out what he needed without the Queen's help. But when Terra drew close to Snow White, Unversed attacked, frightening her off into the forest.

When Terra returned to the Queen without Snow White's heart, she was furious, and threw a potion at the mirror. The Spirit of the Magic Mirror transformed into an Unversed, and pulled Terra into his realm to do battle.

Terra emerged victorious, however, and demanded the Queen ask the mirror where Master Xehanort had gone. But the only answer Terra got was a riddle, so he journeyed on, left to ponder it.

Castle of Dreams

Cinderella's dress for the ball had been torn to shreds by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and she was heartbroken—but then the Fairy Godmother appeared and gave her a lovely dress and coach, and she was off to the ball after all.

Terra was surprised by the light he suddenly sensed within the maiden's heart. The Fairy Godmother told him it was Cinderella's unfailing belief that dreams come true which have her heart strength, so Terra went to the palace to find out more.

He helped Cinderella reach the ballroom, where the Prince immediately asked her to dance. Terra smiled as he looked on. "Maybe just believing is enough," he murmured.

An Unversed tried to crash the ball, but Terra defeated it, much to the Grand Duke's relief. These monsters, he explained, had appeared at the same time as a boy wearing a mask.

Just then, the clock began to chime, and Cinderella ran off, leaving a single glass slipper behind. The Grand Duke rushed after her, to no avail. In the foyer, Terra ran into Aqua, and told her what he had learned about Xehanort's search for the hearts of pure light. Aqua, in turn, told him that Ven had run away from home and was looking for him. Terra remembered that Ven had tried to tell him something before he left. Now, he wished he had listened.

The Mysterious Tower

Just as Terra approached the great Yen Sid's tower, Mickey came crashing through the front doors holding a "Star Shard." It began to shine, and a moment later he was whisked off in a burst of light.

Mickey was Yen Sid's apprentice, and had abandoned his training and run off upon learning the worlds were in danger.

Terra told Yen Sid about the masked boy controlling the Unversed. In reply, the sorcerer conjectured that the Unversed's appearance and Master Xehanort's disappearance may, in fact, be connected—and bade Terra find the Master.

The Badlands

Terra followed the sound of Master Xehanort's voice to a vast wasteland, and on a precipice stood the Master himself.

When Terra asked him his true intentions, Xehanort confessed his greatest mistake: having created Vanitas, the boy in the mask. There had been an accident while training with Ventus; to save the boy, Xehanort had been left with no choice but to remove the darkness which threatened to overtake him. That darkness became a being in itself, Vanitas. Ashamed by the stultified state he had left Ventus in, Xehanort chose to leave the boy in Master Eraqus's care.

Terra remembered that day. Ven's eyes had been lifeless when he and Master Xehanort came in. He took unsteady steps, and Terra's and Aqua's eager questions had cause him to start screaming and pass out. He had lost his memory.

Master Xehanort went on to explain he had tried to contain Vanitas—but the monster had escaped, and now he was unleashing his darkness, the Unversed, upon world after world. Xehanort implored Terra to set things right, sending him to the city of light, Radiant Garden—to which Vanitas would undoubtedly be drawn next.

Radiant Garden

Terra spotted Master Xehanort in the streets and tried to go after him, but he was sidetracked when he met a wizard named Merlin. Terra had found a book, one he soon learned had the power to awaken his inner strength.

Next, a giant Unversed appeared. Terra cornered it and found Aqua and Ven, who had been chasing Unversed of their own. The three Unversed combined into one massive form, and it took Terra and both his friends fighting together to bring the giant down.

Their happy reunion was spoiled, however, when Aqua accused Terra of putting himself too close to the darkness. Realizing she had been sent by Master Eraqus to spy on him, Terra stormed off, shocked and hurt.

A man named Braig approached him. He coveted Terra's Keyblade, and had captured Master Xehanort in order to get it. Though Terra managed to free the Master, there was a price: he had to call upon the powers of darkness to win. Terra was ashamed, and afraid he would now be cast out of his home. But Master Xehanort offered him another choice: become his pupil. Terra felt redeemed, and renewed his vow to hunt down Vanitas.

Just before leaving, Terra ran into Ven. He struggled for the right farewell, uncertain when or if the two of them would meet again.

Disney Town

When Terra arrived in Disney Town, the annual Dream Festival was already in full swing. He was soon confronted by a rogue racer going by the name "Captain Dark," whose reckless driving and blatant disregard for the rules was causing Queen Minnie and racetrack organizers Chip and Dale an endless amount of grief. They asked Terra to enter the races and teach Captain Dark—whose real name was Pete—a lesson before he completely tore the track apart. And not just him—the Unversed were also ravaging the races.

Terra finished first and put them all in their place, learning a vital lesson in the process: it may be easier to bend the rules, but it's not always for the best. Darkness was not the only path left to him.

***

The Million Dreams Award for good citizenship went to Ventus, Aqua, and Terra—a three-way tie. Furiously, Pete stormed the stage—he had expected a landslide victory in his favor—but in the end, Queen Minnie banished him from Disney Town until he'd had time to cool off.

During his exile, however, Pete was called upon by Maleficent, who offered to free him in exchange for his help conquering all worlds. Reluctantly, he agreed, and vanished into the portal she opened.

Olympus Coliseum

After rescuing a boy named Hercules who was being attacked by Unversed, Terra learned about the Games, a competition where he might test his strength. Intrigued, Terra made his way to the Coliseum where the Games were being held, and outside its doors he met Hades, god of the Underworld. Hades insisted on entering Terra in the Games, promising to teach him how to conquer the darkness inside him and gain great power.

Terra fought his way through the brackets, but much to Hades' displeasure, he did so without relying on the darkness inside him. Annoyed, Hades enslaved Terra's opponent in the finals, Zack, turning him into a warrior of darkness. It was a brutal fight for Terra, but in the end he prevailed and set Zack's heart free, without calling upon the darkness.

Hades muttered about how he bet on the wrong "dark horse" and disappeared—while Zack, awed by the young man who had saved him, proclaimed Terra hero of the whole town.

Deep Space

Terra passed a spaceship in the Lanes Between and was taken into custody for suspicious activity. When Unversed appeared outside his cell, however, he broke out. After neutralizing the threat, he met Dr. Jumba, creator of the most powerful being in the universe—so powerful, in fact, that he could even take on the Unversed. Unfortunately, this feat of "genius" had landed both Dr. Jumba and his creation, Experiment 626, in the slammer.

626, Terra discovered, was a small but vicious monster that destroyed everything he touched. The second Dr. Jumba freed him, he lunged at Terra and grabbed his Wayfinder.

"No, stop! My friend gave me that!" Terra cried out, only then realizing how much this symbol of his friendship really meant to him.

Before he could go after 626, Dr. Jumba unleashed another of his creations. Fortunately, Terra was the stronger of the two.

626 returned after the fight. He seemed different somehow. Terra told him about friendship, and 626 tried to communicate back. But this simple act of reaching out was cut short when the alarm sounded to announce the prisoner's escape, and Terra knew he had to go on.

Never Land

A boy named Peter Pan was after the "light" that filled Captain Hook's treasure chest, so Terra agreed to escort Hook to a nearby cave and help keep the light safe.

The two of them reached Skull Rock without incident. But not long after Hook left to go search for a shooting star, Peter Pan appeared.

He and Terra dueled, but when the contents of the treasure chest came spilling out—revealing Hook's "light" to be nothing more than shiny medallions and jewels—Terra realized he'd been had. He told Peter Pan where Hook had gone, and the boy raced off at once to help Tinker Bell the pixie, who had gone looking for the same shooting star.

Terra had only just left the cave himself when a swarm of Unversed drew him back inside. After he had dispatched the last of them, Captain Hook returned with a lantern. Inside was Tinker Bell.

Unaware Terra's allegiances had changed, Hook handed over the lantern. He was still grinning at his own good fortune when Tinker Bell kicked him square in the nose; Terra had let her out! Hook was furious—but fled the scene in terror when he heard the crocodile approach.

Much to Peter Pan's friends' disappointment, the gold and jewels in the treasure chest had been lost. What were they going to do with an empty chest? Terra suggested they fill it up with their own treasures: things special to them. But all the while, he wondered what he would pick if asked to do the same.

Destiny Islands

Beckoned by a warm light, Terra arrived at a small island surrounded by endless ocean. He saw a tree with star-shaped fruit, just like the one Aqua had told them about. Terra clutched his Wayfinder and wondered what purpose this island might hold for him.

Two boys came running by. One of them, a boy with silver hair, radiated with light. He longed to journey to the outside world and find the strength to keep his friends safe. Terra saw some of himself in the boy; there was a time when brute strength was all that mattered to him. Sensing a kinship between them, Terra decided to bequeath the Keyblade's power to the boy in a simple ceremony. The child listened quietly; then, a tiny hand closed around the enormous Keyblade's hilt.

Terra's uncertainty had left him. It was not too late to go back to his friends, to keep them safe. He could still be the person he had set out to be.

The Badlands

Master Xehanort summoned Terra to the Badlands to warn him that Ventus had learned the secrets of his past and was on his way to force the truth out of Master Eraqus.

Terra knew it was unlike Ven to force anything out of anybody. Concerned, he raced after his friend.

The Land of Departure

The first thing Terra saw upon returning to his beloved home was Master Eraqus attacking Ven. Terra quickly jumped between them. The Master ordered him to step aside—and though he refused, neither could he hold off his Master's formidable attacks forever. Pushed to the limit, Terra released the powers of darkness inside him, enraging Eraqus.

At the first chance he got, Terra opened a portal to the Lanes Between and tossed Ven inside. Then he and Eraqus clashes, fighting until they both hardly had the strength to stand. Only then, battered and wounded, did Terra calm down and realize what he had done. He stepped closer to his Master to beg forgiveness, but Eraqus slumped forward and faded away, leaving only his Keyblade behind. Terra looked up, stunned, and saw Master Xehanort.

The old man dared him to come to the Keyblade Graveyard, where all Keyblade wielders leave their mark on fate. There, he said, Terra would watch Ventus and Aqua meet their ends, and the last light within him would die. His true intentions finally unmasked, Xehanort proceeded to tear the Land of Departure asunder.

As the world he had grown up in collapsed around him, Terra rushed into the Lanes Between, swearing to protect his friends.

The Keyblade Graveyard

In a barren clearing, amidst countless Keyblades reduced to rust and ruin, stood Terra. Aqua appeared and questioned him about Master Eraqus's demise. Terra's face went dark as he admitted Xehanort had used him to strike their Master down. But Aqua told him hate and rage would only feed the dark fires within him; if he had come to fight for vengeance, then Xehanort had already won.

Ven walked up to them. He explained that Xehanort needed him and Vanitas to clash, thereby forging a "χ-blade" that would plunge all worlds into darkness. He asked his friends to put an end to him if it looked like that were going to happen.

Master Xehanort approached with Vanitas at his side and announced the χ-blade would be his.

Almost instantly, Terra had donned his armor and was charging toward Xehanort, but with a single twitch their foe bent the very earth; with a flick of the wrist the Keyblades embedded in the ground freed themseves and formed a violent vortex of metal that spiraled skyward. Try as he might, Terra could not break past the walls of stone and steel to reach Xehanort.

Ven had crept up on Xehanort from behind, but when he moved to strike, he found himself caught; a moment later he had been turned to ice. Xehanort flashed a crooked smile as he changed his Keyblade into an orb of light which raced into the sky, parting the thick clouds above and revealing Kingdom Hearts.

To fuel Terra's growing rage, Xehanort commanded Vanitas to end the lives of Ventus and Aqua. Rage transformed to power, and Terra knocked the old man to the ground. But it was too late; a vast column of energy had risen from where Terra had left Ventus.

"The χ-blade has been forged!" Xehanort cried. And the next moment, he had released his heart from his body and possessed Terra's.

Xehanort shook with glee in his new body. But nearby, the pieces of Terra's armor gathered together and took form; Terra was still fighting back. With the last of his free will, he defeated Master Xehanort. Meanwhile, the χ-blade had gone haywire down in the ravine below, releasing a torrent of energy that devoured everything. By the time the lightstorm subsided and Kingdom Hearts had vanished from sight, Terra's armor lay still as the darkness took it.

Ventus

The Land of Departure

Ventus, a Keyblade wielder, had been training diligently under Master Eraqus along with his best friends Terra and Aqua.

One night, Ventus—or Ven, as they called him—was up on the summit watching a meteor shower when Aqua arrived and gave him a good luck charm called a "Wayfinder."

At the Mark of Mastery exam the next day, Aqua passed the test and was recognized as a true Keyblade Master. But Terra, Master Eraqus decided, was not ready for the same honor.

Ven was already fraught with concern for his friend when suddenly, a boy in a mask appeared out of nowhere and claimed that Terra was leaving; by the time Ven caught up with him, he would be a different person. And without any further explanation, the masked visitor vanished.

Sure enough, Ven could not stop Terra from leaving. Scared he had just lost one of his best friends, Ven donned his armor the same way Terra had done, and flew off to go find him.

Dwarf Woodlands

Ven could not contain his excitement as he took his first glimpse of another world. Here, in the mountains, he met seven dwarfs mining for jewels. He asked them if they'd seen Terra, but the dwarfs mistook this strange visitor for a thief and sent him on his way.

As he was walking through the woods, Ven heard a scream. It was Snow White, who had been frightened by the shadows of the woods. She was looking for a place to rest, so Ven took her back to a cottage he had seen along the way.

The cottage belonged to the dwarfs, who treated Snow White much more cordially than they had Ven. Strange monsters had attacked her, she explained, after she met a man with a sword like a key.

Convinced this could only be Terra, Ven rushed off to find him—but Terra had moved on to other worlds.

Castle of Dreams

Soon after arriving in the chateau where Cinderella and Jaq lived, Ven noticed something strange: for some inexplicable reason, he had shrunk!

It wasn't long before he learned of Cinderella's plight: no matter how hard she worked, it was never good enough for her stepmother Lady Tremaine. Tonight, she wanted to go to the ball more than anything, but the way Jaq saw it, "Stepmuddy" would make sure Cinderella never had time to make a dress.

Ven and Jaq decided to scavenge for materials and make the dress themselves, braving even the claws of Lucifer the cat to collect the last item they needed, a beautiful pearl.

Cinderella was delighted with the lovely pink dress they had made for her. She thanked them and got ready to leave for the palace. Dreams do come true, Ven thought, as he remembered his and his friends' own dreams of becoming Keyblade Masters.

Enchanted Dominion

Princess Aurora had fallen into an eternal slumber from the evil fairy Maleficent's curse. Now, her heart had been stolen as well, and it fell upon Ven and the three good fairies watching over her to go to the Forbidden Mountain and get it back.

When they freed the princess's heart, a memory played back before their eyes, of the day Aurora and the prince of her dreams were finally brought together and fell in love.

Before Ven and the good fairies could escape the castle, they were confronted by a furious Maleficent, who informed them Terra was the one who stole Aurora's heart. Ven found himself torn; the friend he knew would never do that, but hadn't the masked boy said Terra was on the way to becoming a "different person"?

It was Aqua who showed up to put an end to his fears. But when she insisted Ven return home with her, he ran off; there was no way he could go home until he had tracked Terra down.

The Badlands

On the Badlands, Ven once again found himself face-to-face with the masked boy. He asked how exactly Terra would be a "different person."

"The Terra you know will be gone forever," the boy explained. And much to Ven's surprise, he summoned a Keyblade.

Not only was the masked boy a Keyblade wielder, but a vastly superior one. With disdain, he prepared to finish Ven off—but Mickey arrived just in the nick of time. The two joined forces and managed to drive the assailant off.

Mickey, too, was a Keyblade wielder. He had been training under the great sorcerer Yen Sid, but ran off without permission when he learned the worlds were in danger. Ven smiled at how much they had in common.

But when Mickey tried to show Ven the "Star Shard" he had been using to travel from world to world, it erupted in an unexpected blaze of light that engulfed the both of them and whisked them off to destinations unknown.

Radiant Garden

Ven followed Mickey as far as the castle doors, but the guards, Aeleus and Dilan, prevented him from pursuing his new friend any further.

Instead, he wound up chasing an enormous Unversed through the city. Along the way, he rescued Scrooge, who thanked him with three lifetime passes to Disney Town; apparently, Ven was not the only one to hail from another world.

Next, Ven met the great wizard Merlin and learned about a special book with the power to waken one's inner strength.

When Ven finally managed to corner the Unversed, he found Terra and Aqua, who had been chasing Unversed of their own. The three Unversed combined into one massive form, and it took Ven and both his friends fighting together to bring the giant down.

While searching for his friend, Ven rescued a little boy—an orphan named Ienzo—from the Unversed. The boy's guardian, Even, thanked Ven for his heroism and pointed him towards Terra.

Terra seemed distant; his words had the ring of resignation. Ven felt uneasy going after him this time; instead, he went to tell Aqua. But she brushed him off—again insisting he return home to the Land of Departure—and left him there alone.

Ven took out a battered wooden sword Terra had given him back in better days. Terra had even performed a mock ceremony, pretending to pass the power of the wooden "Keyblade" on to Ven. It was a happy memory.

He remembered the talk the three of them had that night. "Being a Keyblade Master is all I've dreamed about," Terra had said. "Well, you're not the only one," replied Aqua. They were all of one mind, working toward a single goal.

Ven was still reliving these memories when a boy named Lea showed up and, out of nowhere, demanded the two of them fight. Baffled, Ven agreed—but Lea only ended up wearing himself out before their "battle" had begun. As Lea and his friend Isa started taking digs at each other, Ven watched in envy, missing the days when friendship was so simple to define.

Disney Town

When Ven arrived in Disney Town, the annual Dream Festival was already in full swing. Captain Justice, the town's "fearless defender and hero," turned up to greet him. But the only reason Captain J—whose real name was Pete—had suddenly grown a conscience was to win a prize for good citizenship. As a result, he had been rushing to people's rescue when, if anything, they needed rescuing from him.

At Huey, Dewey, and Louie's ice cream shop, for example, he offered to fix their new ice cream machine—but when it proved more difficult than expected, he decided to "fix" it with his firsts instead.

Fortunately, Ven was there to intervene. He got the machine up and running, and Captain J fled the scene in a huff—foiled yet again.

***

During his exile, however, Pete was called upon by Maleficent, who offered to free him in exchange for his help conquering all worlds. Reluctantly, he agreed, and vanished into the portal she opened.

Olympus Coliseum

A young aspiring hero named Zack had been chasing Philoctetes, trainer of heroes, all around town, hoping to become his next student. Phil had already taken Hercules under his wing, but he agreed to rethink which of them he'd train based on their performance in the upcoming Games.

Naturally, Phil's decision dampened Hercules' spirits. He had been born a god, but someone had kidnapped him as a baby and made him mortal. Training with Phil and becoming a true hero was the only way he could rejoin his parents on Olympus. Ven offered to help him practice.

Both Hercules and Zack made it to the final. However, no sooner had their match begun than a swarm of Unversed attacked the town, threatening to cut the Games short. Ven didn't want their hard work to go to waste and ran off to face the Unversed alone—but Hercules forfeited the match anyway, and together, they drove off the Unversed.

Zack showed up to help afterwards, but Phil explained that being a true hero takes more than muscle; you've got to have heart and care about people. This time, only one of them had cared fast enough. The whole competition with Zack had been so Hercules would make a new friend and rise to the challenge.

Ven said his farewells and promised to come back and visit Hercules and Zack once they'd become true heroes.

Deep Space

After Ven battled with an Unversed in the Lanes Between, it took refuge in a passing spaceship. Ven decided to board the ship and finish it off.

There, he met Experiment 626, who knew Terra's and Aqua's names and carried a trinket just like Ven's Wayfinder. More interesting still, 626 kept trying to follow him. Ven didn't want this friendly creature to get hurt, so he told him to stay behind, then went to the machinery bay to fight the Unversed alone.

But Ven hadn't been there more than a moment before 626 burst onto the scene. He was like a different creature, and his face was twisted in a violent snarl. Together they destroyed the Unversed, but 626 continued to lash out at everything. Only after hitting Ven did he finally return to his senses.

With a sad expression, 626 held out his "Wayfinder." It had been smashed to pieces. Ven cheered him up explaining that real friendship can't be broken so easily.

Just then Captain Gantu appeared with blaster drawn, accusing 626 of only knowing how to hurt and destroy. Ven and 626 seized an opportunity to escape the spaceship, but as pursuers closed in, the hyperdrive on 626's patrol ship malfunctioned, sending Ven hurtling off to the far corner of space.

Never Land

Slightly and Cubby were helping Tinker Bell hunt for a shooting star which had landed in Never Land the night before, so Ven decided to join them.

Along the way, they ran into Peter Pan, a boy who could fly. He talked Slightly and Cubby into helping him steal pirate treasure instead.

Ven, however, decided to stick with Tinker Bell, and they found Mickey's Star Shard in the Indian Camp. Tink was delighted to get her hands on the "shooting star," but Captain Hook showed up and nabbed Star Shard and pixie alike. Ven found Peter Pan, and together they set off for Mermaid Lagoon, where they knew Captain Hook was lying in wait.

As cannonballs from the pirate ship rained down on them, Tinker Bell appeared. She told Peter Pan she had escaped with the help of a man carrying a large sword.

The cannon fire ceased, and Captain Hook gleefully assumed he had won. On the contrary, Ven and the crocodile had both come for him. Defeated, Hook plummeted into the sea, screaming as the crocodile chased him off into the horizon.

Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, who had put a stop to the cannon fire, returned with an empty treasure chest. Slightly suggested they fill it with their own treasures, so when Ven's turn came, he placed the wooden Keyblade Terra had given him inside the chest. Tinker Bell was next, and was about to put the Star Shard in when Ven explained it might belong to his friend. But no sooner had she handed it over than a burst of light whisked Ven off into the sky.

The Mysterious Tower

The Star Shard sent Ven to the tower of the great sorcerer Yen Sid, where he met a magician named Donald and a knight named Goofy. Both were very worried about Mickey, who turned out to be their missing king.

Yen Sid knew Ven had left home without Master Eraqus's permission, but let the matter rest; how own apprentice Mickey was never one to follow directions either.

When Yen Sid used his magic to locate Mickey, they discovered him lying hurt on the Badlands. Darkness soon clouded the image. Ven immediately set off to help his friend—once he had convinced Donald and Goofy to let him go alone.

The Badlands

Soon after coming to Mickey's rescue, Ven found himself face-to-face with Master Xehanort, triggering a sudden, traumatic recall of Ven's lost memories.

Should Ventus's light ever clash with Vanitas, the darkness he had lost, the "χ-blade" would be forged—the ancient letter in its name a symbol of death and endings. Master Eraqus feared this, which was why he had kept Ven from leaving home. Ven found himself accepting this explanation for all the distrust that had been festering inside him.

"Learn the truth," Xehanort commanded, before casting Ven and Mickey alike into the Lanes Between.

The Land of Departure

Ven was greeted by Master Eraqus, and immediately confronted him about the χ-blade. The very mention of the name confirmed Eraqus's worst fears, that Xehanort had not truly abandoned his old ambitions.

***

Once, Xehanort's fascination with the legend of the χ-blade and the Keyblade War had been so great that he had sought to recreate the war, plunging the world into darkness just to see what new light would dawn. Master Eraqus tried to stop him, but his face was scarred by the wave of darkness Xehanort unleashed.

***

Unwilling to repeat this failire, Eraqus prepared to put an end to Ven and prevent Xehanort's ambitions from being achieved. But before he could, Terra arrived and rushed to Ven's defense. Their teacher's power was formidable, and the only way to hold it off was for Terra to release the darkness inside him.

Ven watched his best friend and Master square off, and then Terra picked him up and tossed him back into the Lanes Between.

Destiny Islands

A portal to the Lanes Between opened and Ven came tumbling out onto a beach, where he was confronted by Vanitas.

Ignoring him, Ven trudged off to find his way back to Terra. When Vanitas insisted they join and create the χ-blade, Ven flatly refused, knowing he could prevent the blade from being forged if he did not fight.

***

Years before, Master Xehanort had tried to draw the darkness out of Ven, intending to pit the boy against one of Master Eraqus's students of light and create the χ-blade. But though countless monsters had closed in on Ventus, he had refused to fight, let alone rely on darkness, and soon lay on the ground in defeat.

Xehanort's patience had finally run out, so he extracted the darkness from Ven by force, thereby creating Vanitas.

***

Now Ventus's two halves faced each other again on the beach. Vanitas beckoned Ven to the Keyblade Graveyard, where he could either fight, or watch as Terra's and Aqua's lives were snuffed out.

The Keyblade Graveyard

Master Xehanort approached with Vanitas at his side and announced the χ-blade would be his.

As Aqua cradled Ven in her arms, she was confronted by Master Xehanort's accomplice, Braig, who had come to destroy her and push Terra even further toward darkness. He was outmatched, however, and slipped away, leaving the task to Vanitas instead.

Frozen and unable to move, Ven watched as Vanitas struck Aqua down. Furiously, he broke free of the ice that held him, and in an intense clash, defeated Vanitas. But that was exactly what Xehanort had planned for him all along.

Darkness poured forth from Vanitas's body, spawning a swarm of Unversed which pinned Ven down. All of the Unversed had begun in this darkness. Helplessly, Ven watched as Vanitas crept closer. As the two fused, an enormous column of energy burst skyward. Ven was engulfed in light, and passed out.

***

When he regained his senses, he found himself inside his own heart. Vanitas was there too, and possessed the χ-blade, but it was damaged; their union had not been finished. Vanitas sought to correct this; Ven sought to destroy the χ-blade once and for all. They clashed again within Ven's heart, and in the end both the χ-blade and Ven's Keyblade desintegrated. Ven smiled, knowing his friends were finally safe from Vanitas, and then slowly faded away.

***

Ven's body was drifting through the Lanes Between; Aqua was next to him, unconscious. Mickey found them and used the Star Shard to spirit them all to safety.

Aqua

The Land of Departure

Aqua, an aspiring Keyblade Master, had been training diligently under Master Eraqus along with her best friends Terra and Ventus (whom they called Ven).

The night before the Mark of Mastery exam that would determine her future, she joined her friends on the summit for one last practice, and gave Terra and Ven good luck charms called "Wayfinders".

The next day, Aqua passed the exam and was recognized as a true Keyblade Master. But Terra, Master Eraqus decided, was not ready for the same honor.

As she made to leave, Aqua saw Ven take off into the Lanes Between. Master Eraqus ordered her to bring him back, and she raced off to try and catch him.

Castle of Dreams

Aqua ran into Terra straight away, and learned that Master Xehanort was looking for pure hearts filled with light.

Before leaving, Terra also told her he had learned a thing or two in this world about the power of dreams. It comforted Aqua to hear he had found something to keep the darkness at bay.

The negative vibes she got from a woman named Lady Tremaine eventually led Aqua to a chateau. But as she prepared to confront the woman, the Fairy Godmother appeared and cautioned her against it: "It's dangerous to fight the darkness with light." Aqua agreed to help Jaq the mouse instead. He was inside the chateau, fighting to free Cinderella, whom Lady Tremaine had locked in the attic.

Meanwhile, the Grand Duke had arrived on royal business. He was searching for a girl the Prince had danced with at the ball the night before. She had run off without a word, leaving only a single glass slipper behind. The Grand Duke saw it did not fit Lady Tremaine's two daughters, and was content to move on to the next residence—but then Cinderella appeared. And though the glass slipper broke before she could try it, she quickly produced the matching slipper, much to the Grand Duke's delight.

Lady Tremaine was furious. These dark feelings created a horrible Unversed, but Aqua vanquished it, and Cinderella was at last reunited with her prince.

Dwarf Woodlands

Deep in the woods, Aqua found seven dwarfs who were grieving the loss of Snow White. The Queen had been jealous of her beauty, and tricked her into taking a bite of a poisonous apple.

Aqua decided to brave the Queen's castle and searched for a way to save Snow White. In the courtyard, she met the prince of a neighboring kingdom. He had chanced upon Snow White once before, and she had remained in his thoughts ever since. When Aqua told him of the princess's fate, he rushed off to the woods to find her.

As for Aqua, she pressed on and discovered a chamber with a large mirror. The Queen had used her potions to transform the Spirit of the Magic Mirror into an Unversed, and now he dragged Aqua into his realm to wage battle. But she emerged victorious, and the Spirit of the Magic Mirror vanished into oblivion.

With no other leads, Aqua returned to the woods, where she found the dwarfs and the Prince grieving. The Prince leaned down to kiss Snow White farewell; no sooner had he done so than her eyelids drifted open. The dwarfs had given up hope, and were relieved beyond words. Aqua knew how they felt. Once, Ven had slept and slept, and she thought he would never wake. She would never forget how happy she felt when he finally opened his eyes—a miracle.

Enchanted Dominion

"There's no way Terra would hurt somebody like that!" Aqua followed the echo of Ven's voice and found him face-to-face with Maleficent. The evil fairy had told him Terra had stolen someone's heart, but Aqua quickly stood up for Terra. Ven was reassured, but the second she asked him to return home with her, he ran off.

Aqua turned to face Maleficent, but had walked right into a trap; she was sent plummeting into the dungeon below, and there she met Prince Phillip. He was trying to save his beloved Princess Aurora, who had fallen into an endless sleep as a result of Maleficent's curse.

Together, they escaped the castle, but Maleficent was so enraged, she transformed into a dragon and attacked. A fierce fight ensued, but the three good fairies cast an enchantment on Phillip's sword, which flew, swift and sure, into the dragon's heart. With a shriek of agony, Maleficent vanished.

Phillip walked up to Aurora's bedside. He leaned down and kissed her gently; slowly the princess's eyes opened. True love's kiss had broken the curse.

Outside, Aqua once again encountered Maleficent, but could not convince her of the power of love. So long as people like Terra could be bent toward darkness, others would arise to serve her. And with that, she disappeared from sight.

Radiant Garden

A little girl named Kairi was in trouble. The strong light within her had made her a target of the Unversed. Had another Keyblade wielder named Mickey not appeared out of nowhere to help, Aqua might not have been able to fight them off.

She and Mickey had a lot in common and would have talked longer, but after just a few seconds Mickey's "Star Shard" began to glow and sent him rocketing off to another world.

Kairi's grandma had come to get her, and as they went home together, the old woman told her a story about a war that was fought long ago over the light.

Suddenly, an enormous Unversed appeared. Aqua cornered it and found Terra and Ven, who had been chasing Unversed of their own. The three Unversed combined into one massive form, and it took Aqua and both her friends fighting together to bring the giant down.

Aqua tried to track them down, but was sidetracked by an old man named Merlin, who told her about a special book with the power to waken one's inner strength.

She continued her search, but was confronted by Vanitas. A fight ensued, and she had only barely managed to drive the masked boy off when Ven came running up. Realizing now that they faced greater dangers than ever, she insisted he go home to the Land of Departure for his own safety. Then she vanished into the Lanes Between.

Disney Town

When Aqua arrived in Disney Town, the annual Dream Festival was already in full swing. Captain Justice, the town's "fearless defender and hero," turned up to greet her. But the only reason Captain J—whose real name was Pete—had suddenly grown a conscience was to win a prize for good citizenship. As a result, he had been rushing to people's rescue when, if anything, they needed rescuing from him.

And when somebody really did need his help—Horace, whose Fruitball court had been taken over by Unversed—Captain Justice ran off, citing schedule conflicts, and left Horace up the creek without a hero.

Thankfully, Aqua got rid of the Unversed for him, earning his admiration and the thanks of Queen Minnie.

***

During his exile, however, Pete was called upon by Maleficent, who offered to free him in exchange for his help conquering all worlds. Reluctantly, he agreed, and vanished into the portal she opened.

Olympus Coliseum

A young aspiring hero named Hercules and his trainer, Phil, couldn't stop talking about Terra. Apparently he was the Coliseum's reigning champ. Phil, having taken a shine to Aqua, convinced her to enter the Games by suggesting Terra might come back to defend his title.

She fought her way through the bracket without too much trouble, but there was still no sign of Terra. Disappointed, she considered withdrawing from the competition, but changed her mind when she met Zack, Terra's final opponent in the last Games. Zack recounted how Hades' attempts to lure Terra toward darkness had been thwarted at every step.

After defeating Zack, Aqua expected to face Terra in the finals. Instead, she was pitted against Hades and a fiant monster under his control. But despite Hades' taunts and jabs at Terra's character—not to mention the unfair odds—Aqua emerged from the match triumphant.

What did catch her off guard was when Zack asked her on a date. Flustered, she bid him farewell, and continued her journey with thoughts of Terra in her heart.

Deep Space

Within minutes of arriving on the spaceship, Aqua had been accused of trying to stow away and taken prisoner. But when she learned the Grand Councilwoman was dealing with an infestation of Unversed, Aqua volonteered to exterminate them—and also search for two fugitives in the process: a "dangerous" creature called Experiment 626, and his creator, Dr. Jumba.

Aqua soon stumbled across 626. He was desperately searching for something, and upon seeing Aqua, surprised her with what he said: "Terra." She would have asked him more if a swarm of Unversed had not gotten in her way.

Aqua was hunting outside the ship when she discovered something floating through space. It was the pretend Wayfinder 626 had been carrying when she first met him.

She found him again on the launch deck, squabbling with Dr. Jumba. Before she could take them into custody, 626 lunged at her and snatched the "Wayfinder" from her hands. It was a copy of Terra's good luck charm, Dr. Jumba explained, and Terra had been just as protective of his. Aqua was relieved to hear Terra still thought of her as friend.

Captain Gantu appeared and, against the Grand Councilwoman's wishes, drew his blaster and pointed it at 626. Aqua knew now that 626 was more than just some violent creature, so she fought Gantu off until the Grand Councilwoman arrived. Aqua implored her to spare 626, and the Grand Councilwoman, impressed by Aqua's sincerity, agreed to give his sentence further thought.

Relieved, Aqua turned to Experiment 626 and welcomed him into her circle of friends.

Never Land

When Aqua picked up the treasure map, she had no idea she had effectively become leader of Peter Pan's treasure hunt. She refused at first, but the Lost Boys Slightly and Cubby looked so sad at the thought of their "expadition" being called off, she finally relented and agreed to lead the way.

They followed the map, swashbuckling with Peter Pan's archenemy Captain Hook along the way. Finally, they reached a waterfall so tall they couldn't even see the top. The Lost Boys started to have second thoughts, but a pep talk from Peter Pan gave them the courage to fly up to where the treasure was waiting.

However, more than just treasure was waiting for them. Captain Hook had headed them off and claimed it for himself. He sneered with delight; at last he had beaten Peter Pan to the punch! But his grin vanished when he opened the chest and found only junk inside. The whole treasure hunt was just a game Peter Pan had devised.

Before Hook could retaliate, the crocodile approached. With a shriek, the captain took off as fast as his legs would take him.

Inside the chest was Ventus's wooden Keyblade. So Ven had been here too, she thought—but then a dark presence clouded her mind. Someone else was here right now.

It was Vanitas. Somehow he had gotten ahold of Ven's wooden Keyblade, which he broke clean in two. It took all of Aqua's strength to defeat him, and then she passed out.

***

Aqua woke to the sound of Peter Pan's voice. It was time for her to leave, but she promised to return to Never Land one day.

Destiny Islands

The light guided Aqua to a small island surrounded by endless ocean. She saw a tree with star-shaped fruit, just like the one she had told her friends about.

After meeting two remarkable boys, Sora and Riku, Aqua considered bequeathing the Keyblade's power to one or the other. But when she sensed Terra had already chosen Riku, she decided against it.

Instead, she asked Sora to watch over his friend if he ever lost his way.

"One Keyblade is enough for any friendship." She would never wish the things she and Terra had been through onto these children.

The Mysterious Tower

In the Lanes Between, Aqua found Mickey. He was hurt, and she could tell from his murmurs that he needed to get back to Yen Sid.

But when she took him to the sorcerer's tower, she was greeted with shocking news: Master Eraqus had met his demise at the hands of Master Xehanort...and Terra. Unwilling to believe it, Aqua set off for the Keyblade Graveyard to confront her friend and find out the truth.

The Keyblade Graveyard

Master Xehanort approached with Vanitas at his side and announced the χ-blade would be his.

***

Aqua woke in Mickey's arms. Vanitas had caught her off guard and knocked her out. They saw Ventus nearby, but in his hand was the χ-blade. It was too late; Vanitas had already seized control of Ven's body.

She tried with all her might to free Ven's heart, but against the χ-blade, all her might was nowhere near enough. Aqua clutched the Wayfinder. As love for her friends filled her heart, light filled her Keyblade. She summoned the last of her strength and brought the Keyblade crashing down on Vanitas, cracking the χ-blade and releasing a torrent of energy that spilled out into the Keyblade Graveyard, swallowing Aqua and everything else.

***

When she next woke, she was inside Yen Sid's tower. Mickey had found her and Ven drifting through the Lanes Between and brought them to safety.

Ven was sleeping next to her. She called his name, but the boy's eyelids remained closes. Yen Sid explained that his heart was sleeping. And so it was that Aqua lifted her friend into her arms and set off on a new journey to find Terra, who had been missing since the lightstorm.

The Final Episode

Guided by Ven, Aqua found herself returning to the beloved home the three of them had shared. But all that remained were ghastly ruins: a mass of twisted earth and buildings.

Aqua did as the late Master Eraqus had instructed her, activating a certain "trick" devised to protect their land from being used for evil purposes. As she did, a blaze of dazzling light transformed everything—the hall, the earth, and even the sky—into a new world that would draw all who visited into the depths of oblivion. She left Ven in one of the rooms, then departed.

The faint sound of Terra's voice led her to Radiant Garden, where she found a man who looked just like him. The man was struggling to dig through the morass of his own memory and remember who he was.

The darkness emanating from this stranger could belong to only one man: Master Xehanort. Aqua challenged him, determined to win back Terra's heart. Xehanort lost the fight and began to writhe; Terra's heart was fighting back from the inside.

In a desparate move to rid himself of Terra once and for all, Xehanort turned his own Keyblade on himself, and began to sink into the pool of darkness that spilled forth.

Aqua dove into the darkness to pull her friend out, but soon realized only one of them would be able to return. She chose to sacrifice herself and sent Terra back to the realm of light. Down, down, down... Aqua's last thoughts before vanishing from sight were of Ven, and who would care for him once she was gone.

***

Night had fallen on the Destiny Islands. Sora was gazing up at the stars when suddenly, grief overcame him. But why, when he had no reason to be sad? Riku suggested someone else out there was hurting and needed Sora to listen. So Sora closed his eyes and tried.

***

Meanwhile, in Radiant Garden, Braig led Ansem the Wise to a man who had collapsed in the square. Aqua's armor and Keyblade lay on the ground nearby. Ansem asked the man his name. Delirious, the man replied:

"Xehanort."

***

Elsewhere, Aqua was trudging through endless darkness. Sinister monsters surrounded her, and she could no longer fight the urge to bring her struggle to a close. But as she lowered her Keyblade in resignation, light came pouring into the darkness. It shifted and changed, becoming two Keyblades: Terra's, and Ven's. In a flash, they had destroyed the monsters around her. Aqua realized her friends had found a way to reach her—and in the deepest darkness, she had found light.

***

Ven was drifting through his own darkness when he heard a familiar voice. Exhausted from the long journey, Ven's heart decided he belonged with the voice's heart. He was going home.

Secret Episode

After sending Terra back to the realm of light, Aqua found herself in the Realm of Darkness, stripped of her Keyblade.

Wayfinder in hand, she wandered through the darkness, searching for a way out. Suddenly, the world around her began to shift. As she rushed to find out what was going on, she encountered a monster hiding within the darkness. It was not an Unversed, but it was powerful, and Aqua barely managed to escape with her life.

As she continued her search, she came across a vision that made her stop dead in her tracks. Before her unfolded a world she had visited before—Castle of Dreams.