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foreteller-ava · 2 years ago

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Raft

AO3 | FFN

Summary: Riku and Kairi continued their bickering as they emerged back onto the beach. As they walked to the docks, Sora stopped. He looked at the boats, an idea starting to form. “Hey guys,” he said. “What about a raft?”

[Or, how Sora, Riku, and Kairi decided to build a raft to leave the islands.]

A/N: Written for @destinytriofanzine. Leftovers are now available so go grab a copy while you still can!

The day on the islands had been hectic as Sora and Riku began to head back in. Even as things started to wind down, the smile hadn’t left Sora’s face from the games they’d been playing on the beach to mark the end of the school year and beginning of summer. But as the others had returned home, even Sora’s boundless energy had started to fade, and it was time for them to return home for the night.

As they got to the docks, he and Riku paused, noticing a third boat still sitting next to theirs. Sora frowned. “Kairi’s still out here?”

“Seems so,” Riku said, a frown on his face. He turned to face Sora. “I thought something seemed off when she said she was sick.”

“You don’t think something happened to her, do you?” Sora asked.

Rather than answer his question immediately, Riku turned around. “I don’t know…But we should probably look around and see if we can find her, just to make sure.”

Sora nodded. “Right.” He followed Riku’s gaze to the Secret Place, understanding without words.

If there was anywhere that Kairi would choose to hide, it would be there. In their hideaway from the others, where they played games just the three of them.

Sora led the way, Riku not even a step behind him as they made their way across the beach to find their missing best friend. Whatever was actually wrong with Kairi, Sora would make sure to find out. He had to do whatever he could to make sure she was okay.

The moment they entered the cave, it was obvious they had come to the right place. There was a clattering sound, as though somebody was hitting the walls of the cave with another stone. Once they entered through the corridor, they saw Kairi doing just that. She was etching a new picture on the wall of a bird.

When she heard their footsteps, she stopped. “Sora? Riku?”

Sora smiled and waved. “Hey Kairi.”

She gently put the stone down, turning away from her drawing to face them. “I’d have thought you guys would’ve gone back by now.”

“When we saw your boat at the dock, we got worried,” Sora explained. “So we went looking.”

“Besides, we couldn’t leave here without you.” Riku extended a hand to her. “You should know us better than that by now, Kairi.”

Kairi gave a small smile, though she hid it behind her hands. “Sorry for worrying you. I just needed some time alone.” She brushed past both of them, heading for the cave’s entrance. “Come on, let’s go back!”

“Hang on.” Sora grabbed Kairi’s wrist before she could continue onward. Despite her insisting she was okay, this wasn’t normal. Not for her. “You didn’t tell us what was wrong.”

Kairi stood still, not saying anything. She remained quiet long enough that Sora wasn’t sure that she would tell them what was wrong, but before he could ask again, she spoke. “It was the comment Selphie made.”

“The what…?” Sora frowned, trying to think of something she had said that could’ve upset Kairi.

“The one about your memories?” Riku asked. Kairi nodded. “You seemed a little off after that.”

“It wasn’t meant to be such a big deal, just…” She trailed off, as though trying to decide how much she wanted to let Sora and Riku know. “Sometimes, I wonder about what my life was like before I came to the islands. About my old homeworld, and about the friends and family I had before I came here.” She looked towards them. “I know there isn’t anything that can be done about it, and normally I try not to let it bother me. What she said just brought all of it back up.”

“Oh.” Admittedly, there wasn’t a lot that Sora could do to help reassure her. There was no way for Sora to help her access those memories and remind her of what they contained, and so it was a problem with no real solution to be had. “Well, I know we can’t really make up for the memories you’re missing, but there’s all the memories you’ve made with us. And the home you have now.” He grinned, letting go of Kairi’s arm to put his hands behind his head.

Kairi nodded. “I know, and I wouldn’t trade getting to know you guys for any amount of time on my homeworld, but still…”

“You wonder about the life you used to have out there, and about the world you left behind.” Riku filled in the silence Kairi left behind.

“I had to have a family before I was here. They must be so worried about whether or not I’m okay.” Kairi rocked on her feet, smiling despite the small amount of hurt in her voice. “But I’ll be fine. It’s not like I remember them anyways.”

“Then that means they’re out there looking for you, right?” Sora asked. “They’ll have to come across our islands so long as they keep looking.”

Riku shook his head. “We don’t need to wait for them. Maybe instead of that, we could go to the other worlds. We could find your homeworld, Kairi!”

The idea had merit. The three of them were decent at fighting if they ran into anything dangerous, they were smart, and they were experienced in traveling at least the short distance between the main and play islands. They could handle themselves long enough to make it off the islands and find another world. And then they could keep exploring the worlds as long as it took.

“I’d like to try.” Sora nodded, turning to Kairi. “What about you, Kairi?”

“What if it’s dangerous? I don’t want you getting hurt for me.” Kairi bit her lip and frowned, almost as though she held a memory of a threat she wished she could forget. A threat that could put them all in danger.

“We won’t.” Riku insisted, trying to put her mind at ease. “You don’t have to worry about a thing, Sora and I will stay safe, and we can help protect you too.”

“You sure?” Kairi asked. Riku nodded, and just like that, the worried expression vanished before Sora could ask why. “Then in that case, let’s do it!”

“Hold on, aren’t you forgetting something?” Riku asked. Kairi tilted her head. “We still need to figure out how we’re going to get there.”

That was a part of the plan Sora hadn’t thought out yet. He looked around the walls of the cave, searching for any sort of inspiration before his eyes locked on the picture of the bird. “We could fly there!”

“Fly?” Kairi smiled, much more genuine than before.

“Yeah! On a ship. Like a rocket.” Sora could see it now. Obviously, they would need to fly to get off the different worlds. It wouldn’t be that hard to navigate the stars above if they could fly.

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to get a rocket.” Riku shook his head and crossed his arms, clearly doubting Sora’s plan for them to get off the islands. “We can’t make one either, we don’t have the materials.”

Sora pouted. “So what’s your idea then?”

“I think we could make a portal. It couldn’t be that hard.” When Riku mentioned the portal, Sora saw a brief glimpse of a woman flying away in armor from the islands in a light portal in the sky. A memory from a long time ago.

“Do you know how to make portals?” Kairi asked.

Riku hesitated. “Well…no, but it can’t be that hard to learn, right?”

“Well…considering we don’t have any magic books…” she pointed out. Riku frowned, as though bothered by the lack of knowledge, or possibly trying to remember something from long ago.

“Okay then, fine. What’s your great idea?”

“Well, I think there’s some merit to your portal idea. Just… rather than summoning it, we could find an item to open one, or maybe teleport us around them.” Kairi started to walk out of the cave, causing Sora and Riku to follow her back out onto the beach. “But I’m not really sure we could find something like that here…”

Kairi was right. If such an item did exist in their world, it would be well hidden and hard to find, and somebody would have likely found it by that point, making the idea unlikely to work.

“It still seems like my method is the most likely then. I’m sure it can’t be that hard to learn how to summon one.” Riku smirked. Kairi shook her head. “What?”

“You’re just saying that because it’s your idea, aren’t you?”

“What, no, I’m not!”

Riku and Kairi continued their bickering as they emerged back onto the beach. As they walked to the docks, Sora stopped. He looked at the boats, an idea starting to form. “Hey guys,” he said. “What about a raft?”

Kairi and Riku stopped, turning to face him. “A raft.” Sora nodded. “Of course.” He ran up to the dock’s edge, looking over the ocean into the horizon. “The ocean can’t go on forever, no matter how big it looks. If we just keep sailing, we’ll hit the end of our world, and then…”

Riku and Kairi caught on, both of them running up beside him to overlook the ocean.

“Then we’ll be in another world.” Riku’s voice was hardly more than a whisper, almost as though he couldn’t believe the idea Sora had said might actually work.

“And then once we’re there, I bet we can find a better mode of transportation to keep going.” Kairi grinned. “It wouldn’t take much to make it either. Just some logs, rope, and tarps.”

“All of those are things we have here!” Sora turned away from the horizon towards Riku first, and then Kairi, all too excited about the plan he was starting to form. “It wouldn’t take long to build it either, if we’re all working together.”

“How far do you think it is?” Kairi asked. “What if it’s a long journey ahead?”

“Then we gather food and water from the island before we go.” Riku jumped into the planning, now just as enthusiastic. “If Sora and I hunt for supplies together from here, and we grab some things from home, we should be able to gather more than enough food to last the journey.”

“What will I be doing while you’re doing that?” Kairi asked, pouting.

“The most important job, of course. You’ll put together the raft for us,” Riku answered. “You are the one best at making things.”

Kairi laughed. “Are you sure I’ll be able to do it alone?”

“You won’t know until you try,” Riku said. Sora nodded in agreement.

“Alright, I’ll try.” Though judging by the sounds of suppressed laughter, it seemed as though Kairi still doubted she’d be able to do it without their help.It wasn’t a problem to Sora though. All three of them would gather the materials, then they would build the raft and gather the supplies, and then after that, they could sail to the edge of the world right until they found a new one.

It was such a simple plan, and yet Sora knew it would work. The three of them would be able to use it to make it off the island. “We should start working tomorrow!”

Riku and Kairi nodded, and there was an excitement buzzing between the three of them as they continued discussing everything they would need.

The raft would take them where they needed to go, and then they would find Kairi’s home world.

Their adventure was about to begin.

#Kingdom Hearts #Sora #Riku #Kairi #Destiny Trio #Heather Writes

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willfulwayfarer · 5 months ago

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He'd arrived too late. As he held Riku in his arms, he saw the blood that leaked from his body. He tried with everything he had to help, but he can see Riku growing weaker and paler by the moment. Those bright eyes had grown so dim in the mere moments that it had been since he's found Riku.

"I don't make empty promises. You're going to live. You... you have to live." Though there weren't tears yet, Terra's voice betrayed how scared he was. His hands shook as they held onto Riku.

"Please. You can't die before I do. You have so much to live for."

As sad as he felt, he also felt that primal anger boil inside him again, the kind that had turned him into The Lingering Will. Whoever or whatever had done this to Riku was going to pay.

He stifled that emotion, taking a deep breath. He had to focus. He needed to make sure his successor did not die.

Unfortunately, no matter how many healing spells he cast or how much pressure he put on the wound, the bleeding just wouldn't stop.

"No..." Tears welled up in Terra's eyes. He couldn't breathe, the panic was threatening to overtake him. The shaking turned into trembling as he realized there was nothing he could do. There was no body nearby he could go to for help, and it'd be inadvisable to move Riku's body. He truly was at a loss.

The thought of losing Riku, of losing his successor to whom he'd passed the keyblade onto, tore his heart to pieces.

As Riku slipped away, Terra let loose gut wrenching sobs and held him close.

"I'm sorry. As your mentor I was supposed to protect you. I wish I could have been there. You were.." His voice cracked, "You were like a little brother to me, Riku."

An image flashed through his head, one that stirred his anger at the mere thought of it. It was from his clash with Xehanort in the Keyblade graveyard. An image of the man using his own keyblade to rip his heart from his body.

Terra glanced at Riku's face, barely able to see it through the tears. He looked so peaceful, if it weren't for the blood trickling down his chin, Terra would have thought he was sleeping.

He held out his left hand, summoning Ends of the Earth to his side.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you. This is the only way..."

Gently, he placed Ends of the Earth on Riku's chest and pushed in.

"Please... please work..." Terra whispered, desperation in his voice.

A bright light emanated from Riku's heart. Terra willed his Keyblade to disappear and gently laid Riku down before reaching out and scooping up the light with both hands.

If he peered into the light he could start to see it, Riku's heart.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, but... you'll be safe here. I promise. I'll protect you with everything I have, everything I am."

Terra held the heart close to his chest, letting it get absorbed. If Sora can have multiple hearts inside him, and if Eraqus was able to take shelter inside his heart, then there's no way he wouldn't have room for Riku.

The heart sank easily into his chest and Terra felt his own heart beating a mile a minute with all the adrenaline running through it.

He watched as Riku's body dissipated in the same way Xehanort's had.

Terra stood, but was forced back to the ground when he realized his legs were shaking too much to stand.

He had to make a connection with Riku's heart, had to talk to him first before he went anywhere.

He placed a hand on his heart and attempted to reach out.

x. @willfulwayfarer continued from HERE.

Riku was fine with battles , at this point , he was a PRO at them ; yet , every now and again something will get to him out of the blue that will completely TEAR him to his core . This was one of those times . The fight was fine , a few cuts and bruises but he could survive , he could make his way through it in one piece until he found himself HURLED across the battlefield . The keyblade he often clutched in his hand went one direction and his body went [ [ a n o t h e r ] ] .

For a moment , he laid against the dusty ground completely [ [ m o t i o n l e s s ] ] , just struggling to breathe . His head throbbed at a mile a minute as he could hear his heartbeat in his hears . It wasn't a lot that took him down , but that didn't mean he was INVINCABLE . A trembling hand reached down to his waist where he felt cool liquid quickly pooling . He didn't have to look , he knew what it was just by the tackiness of his fingers . Riku's eyes fluttered as his head turned to rest against the ground .

DARKNESS .

He felt his body move but not by his own movements . No , but he recognized this touch and that [ [ v o i c e ] ] . He laid against Terra's bicep as his normally bright eyes started to fade in colour . He tried to smile , offer Terra that bit of [ [ h o p e ] ] that he was right , but it was hard to be believable when blood was trickling down his chin .

" I- . . . I thought you didn't make empty p-promises . . .? "

He fought to say , resting his hand against his stomach . While he wouldn't tell Terra , internally . . . Riku was counting every RAPIDLY slowing heartbeat .

Any minute now that heartbeat would be his last .

#darkheartedprince #RP #tw: death

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beth-and-bands · 5 years ago

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The gangs back together💗

#So glad i waited for kh3 kairi #i was so tempted to buy her kh2 pop so i had the whole trio #I've had her since Christmas but haven't had anywhere to put her #now she can finally stand with the boys #they look so cute #kind of wish she had her keyblade though #but the paopu fruit is cute too #kingdoms hearts 3 #kh3 #kh riku #kh sora #kh kairi #kingdom hearts

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phoenix-downer · 3 years ago

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A Steady Wish Chapter 1

675 words. Sora/Kairi. Set during KH4. Memory Loss, Angst, Romance, Fluff, Longing, Pining, Hurt/Comfort. Updates Weekly on Fridays.

Summary: Kairi arrives in Quadratum and reunites with Sora at long last. There's just one problem: he doesn't remember her. But there is more to love than memory, more to the heart than fleeting feeling, and a steady wish is all it might take to defy fate.

Kairi rounded the corner, panting for breath. This city was the biggest, most bustling place she’d ever been. She’d gotten lost in Shibuya Station for a good hour trying to find the right exit, and there were so many people everywhere it was kinda overwhelming. Music blared from one of the stores she walked past, multiple videos jostling for her attention, blaring their ads in a chaotic cacophony of choruses and medleys.

What she wouldn’t give for the quiet of home, the steady sound of the waves crashing against the shore. There were just so many people and noises that it made it hard to focus on—

There. A glimpse of brown hair. Her heart leapt in her chest. Could it be, or was her imagination playing tricks on her?

“Sora?” she called, but the hustle and bustle drowned out her voice. She couldn’t lose sight of him, no matter how thick the crowds got. Craning her neck, she thought she saw a red hood. Red was one of his favorite colors, maybe it really was him—

Someone bumped into her and issued a very apologetic “excuse me.” Carried along by a sea of people, she treated that brown hair and red hood like a buoy as she crossed the busiest intersection she’d ever seen. The people crowding around her bobbed and ebbed like the waves, and she knew she didn’t dare stop walking. When at last she was to the other side, the crowds thinned out a little and she could finally see her target.

“Sora!” she called out, reaching a hand towards him and raising her voice in the hopes he might hear her.

“Kairi?” It wasn’t Sora’s voice that responded but Riku’s.

“Riku!” she cried as she whirled around, glad to see him safe and sound. He wore a new outfit too, very modern and urban-looking with a leather jacket, white shirt, and black pants. She supposed this reality gave them all appropriate outfits to blend in. She had on long black boots, a skirt, and a pink coat over a white top, and she’d just… come to like this.

“Kairi, you’re really here?” Riku said, his eyes lighting up, then frowning slightly. Sure, it was risky for her to be here, but she couldn’t stay behind forever.

“Yes!” She put her hands behind her back. “For some reason, I woke up here. In… in Shibuya.”

He gently pulled her aside to a less-crowded alley. “You know this reality is only meant for people who have died in our reality, right? Under unusual circumstances?” He searched her face, his brows knitting together. “You didn’t die, did you?”

Was that what he was worried about? She shook her head and smiled. “Everything’s fine, Riku, I’m fine. But that reminds me, I thought I just saw—Sora.”

There he was, staring at them from the other end of the alley. She felt her cheeks flushing hot. His hairstyle was different, his chest and shoulders were broader, his legs were longer and he looked taller. Was it possible he’d grown even more attractive? Well, she supposed it had been a year. A person can change a lot in one year. His eyes were as blue as ever though, and she’d know them anywhere.

“Sora!” she cried. She hardly registered Riku telling her to wait; she just raced to Sora and threw her arms around him. She’d missed him so, so much. His warmth, his scent, his smiles, how she never felt safer than when she was in his arms. Over a year of separation was over at long last. The distance between them was finally done for.

But as the seconds ticked by, something felt… wrong. Instead of hugging her back, he just stood there stiffly.

“Sora?” she asked, trying to keep the hurt and confusion out of her voice as she leaned back to search his face. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine, thank you for asking.” He scratched the back of his neck and smiled awkwardly. “It’s just that… um, do I know you?”

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A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for reading! This story is going to be about 25,000 words and 13 chapters total, and just like old times, I'll be uploading a new chapter every week on Fridays.

The KH4 trailer really inspired me, as did the TWEWY-esque headcanon that Sora will have to give up his memories of Kairi to play a game that gives him a second chance at life (and a shot at reuniting with her). In particular, Hallsth-eien's art and comics really sparked my imagination, and my friends @scoobysnack1107 and @angel-with-a-pipette honestly deserve co-writing credits for helping me brainstorm so much of the dialogue. @scoobysnack1107 also beta read this story and provided me with so much wonderful feedback.

I'd also like to thank @kingdomholly for the inspiration re: Sora's characterization in this, especially some of the later chapters--things get a bit philosophical as he reflects on the nature of love and what it means to be true to himself, and I drew heavily on our conversations for some key scenes.

Oh and that Oathkeeper-in-a-chest clue at the Tokyo Ambassador Hotel (where Kairi's lucky charm is a different color than normal and Sora's face in the middle is missing and replaced by a gold gem), as well as all the speculation surrounding that, also inspired this story lol. Ah what is Kingdom Hearts even, a single prop Keyblade gets us all buzzing for months, haha. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the upcoming chapters! See you next week!

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cloudofash · 3 years ago

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Chain of Memories: The Case of Naminé and Her Ability to Manipulate Memories

I've been replaying the entire series over as of late for the Kingdom Hearts Anniversary. Coming up to Re:Chain of Memories my head has been spinning with thoughts. I tried scouring the internet for answers but I haven't even seen the topic discussed anywhere. When people offer a discussion on Chain of Memories it's usually to recap the story and explain how Naminé and Repliku came to exist but not many look at the story beyond that. So I'd like to open this post for further indepth discussion.

Ever since my very first playthrough of Chain of Memories my mind has been plagued with questions about Naminé. I understand that she was born from Kairi's heart when Sora released both his and Kairi's hearts with the Keyblade. I understand she has the power to manipulate Sora's memories and those close to him due to being born of Sora's body (instead of Kairi).

But why? Why specifically memory manipulation? That's such an odd power to give to a character, let alone one that is supposedly not even capable of being evil (given that Naminé is the Nobody of a Princess of Heart and therefore has no Darkness within her). Naminé was acting under the Organization's threat and not of her own free will, therefore her actions aren't a reflection of her nature. There isn't much good that comes from her powers (with the exception of one characteristic that will be mentioned later) and it's surprising considering Naminé is supposed to be a pure Light.

Another question that plagues my mind: Who did Naminé get her power from?

As stated, Naminé was born of Sora's body so she doesn't have any of Kairi's memories and can influence Sora's memories and those close to him (including Kairi herself). It makes sense when you take a one-dimensional look but once you factor in Roxas it no longer makes sense. Roxas is the complete Nobody of Sora, though his appearance was clearly influenced by Ventus it's said he was still formed from Sora's body just as Naminé was yet Roxas has no influence over Sora's memories. However, just as Sora can dual-wield Keyblades, Roxas can as well. It stands to reason that the Nobodies carry the traits of their Somebodies.

So if Roxas, Sora's complete Nobody, can't manipulate his memories but an incomplete Nobody like Naminé can it tells me that Naminé's power didn't come from Sora himself but rather Kairi. Kairi being a Princess of Heart is already confirmed to have powers hidden within her, as shown in KH1 where all the Princesses of Heart had the power to summon The Final Keyhole and open Kingdom Hearts. It would make sense if they had an arsenal of powers alongside opening Kingdom Hearts, including the power to influence or "manipulate" others.

This doesn't mean that having a power that can be used for evil makes the ones with that power evil. Naminé's power was used for evil but she also had the ability to use it for good such as putting a lock on Riku's heart so he can permanently repel Ansem. Kairi is the same, in Kingdom Hearts 1 she and the other Princesses' power to summon Kingdom Hearts was used by the villains. But to me, there is a big difference between being able to summon the Heart of All Worlds (Kingdom Hearts) versus manipulating the memories of someone and all of their friends. Having access to the Heart of all Worlds is a rather neutral power, someone with good intentions can use Kingdom Hearts for good while someone evil would use it for evil. Memory manipulation in itself doesn't have a good connotation. As per Kingdom Hearts III Naminé can sift through memories and trace connections between people (not sure what the extent of this power is) which seems to be a "good" characteristic of her power. Aside from that and locking away Darkness, that's about it on the list of good. Beyond that, her powers cause Sora and friends to lose important memories, seem to cause aggression in Sora, she can shatter the mind of someone whose memories she completely altered as she did with Repliku, she can re-arrange memories per her own words and she can insert herself into peoples' memories at will. None of which are particular good or can be used for a good cause. Shattering peoples' minds certainly isn't good. Neither is inserting herself into memories she doesn't belong. Causing people to forget important memories and even forget that Sora's existed is inherently bad. Why would someone devoid of Darkness have a power that is honestly....incredibly dark?

And what does the dark side of her powers say about Kairi? Does Kairi actually have the power to manipulate Sora and those close to him (something more neutral like "influence"). We'll never know unless it's explored further in the games or until Nomura gives an interview but at least we know as of KHIII Naminé's powers are still relevant. All we can do is speculate and see.

#kingdom hearts #namine #kairi kingdom hearts #kairi #chain of memories #memory manipulation #ramblings #midnight thoughts

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mushroom-winners-proof · 3 years ago

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Ok ok so Repliku is a robot clone of Riku made by Xemnas’ company as an experimental prototype to their overall goal of making robot bodies (since the entire Nort corporation seems to focus on immortality and healthcare)

The reason they made a replica of Riku I’m not sure yet. Maybe Luxord was talking to one of his regulars about Ansem’s new PA and word reached Vexen who got curious and with the help of Zexion he created a robotic replica of him. He employed it as *Naminé’s bodyguard and one day Riku just sees it and is like •-• and they have the “I’m me he says” conversation

*I think Naminé should be the daughter of one of the high ranking employees. One of those “business princesses” who is always doted on, ya know? She can’t leave anywhere without a bodyguard and she can’t have any freedom, that kind of situation. Maybe she befriends the real Riku at some point

I’d like to think that she met Kairi at the flower shop when going in to purchase forget-me-nots, which google tells me are also called “mouse ears” which is hilariously on brand. I just wanted to make a memories pun but look it’s a Mickey Mouse pun too

dawg im putting the rest of this ask under a read more this shit LONG

def could see vexen overhearing about riku and just being like Wait He’s Like Ten and then wanting to know whats so great about him that ansem was willing to have him work so closely with him and i mean kidnapping isnt EXACTLY on the list so. Clone Time (plus it’d be a great chance to see just how accurate their robots really are to their real counterparts)

namine having some kind of tie with xemnas’s team does make sense, though rn i wouldnt know exactly how that would be. maybe when larxene and marluxia were with xemnas they just found her and went Wow A Free Kid and thought to use her for making advertisements since she was so talented at storytelling and drawing or something. def gon have to put a pin in this one

and i for one am a great appreciator for puns thank you i didnt know they were also called mouse ears !!

anonymous: Got a coupla scenes in my head with robo!Repliku.

one: he's going to the ice cream place to pick up a milkshake for Vexen and he runs into Sora. "Riku! How's it goin?" - "Who's Riku? The name's Rocky." - "Ha ha yeah right :) huh, I didn't know your boss likes pistachio key lime" - "That's what he always gets... not like you need to know. Now outta my way." - "Wow, rude much? Guess I'll catch you later..." And Xion's standing behind the counter looking :( because that's her replacement heading out the door - the spitting image of the guy who got her TERMINATED.

two: to test how the synthetic personality holds up, they send the replica to Even the psychologist since he can be trusted with the hush-hush circumstances surrounding the prototype. At his office Namine is doing an internship as an art therapist, so she becomes the person Repliku talks to the most. Sometimes his memory gets rolled back for whatever reasons and it's terribly deja vu to rehash the same hangups and insecurities and effed up themes that vary so little week to week. She really wants to help him out, but he can't escape from the company that OWNS HIM body and soul, that DOES NOT have his best interests at heart

repliku a whole rude ass and for what- probably because he’s a replica and it’s of a shitty intern at that

inch restin inch restin approach ! i’m certifiably likin the idea that namine helps test running repliku’s memories and personality via psyche tests and therapy and repliku gaining self awareness for the fact the company really doesn’t care much for him as an individual

@coffeetime88: “Intern au: Repliku is just another kid who looks like he could be related to Riku, so everyone at the office just gave him the nickname ‘Repliku’”

imagine walking into work one day and you find some kid that looks and sounds exactly like you and it aint even anythin supernatural it just happened like that

kid just a regular dude

#'long post #intern riku au #snap chats #glad we all came together to talk about repliku LMAO #but i am starting to like the robot approach more and more this is all very good #very happy with what we all discussed today this is very good for my brain

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destiny-islanders · 4 years ago

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So I haven't been on the kingdom hearts side of the internet since KH3 came out (minus looking at some fan art occasionally) and I feel like I've missed something but I don't know it's it's a whole game or like a dlc or what so what exactly has happened since KH3? (Plot wise or game release wise works, I can just Google the other if I have a starting point)

Let’s seeeeee...

KH Re:Mind explains how Sora used person-disappearing time travel (?) to save Kairi

Using his friends’ hearts as points to jump through space and time, Sora witnesses his allies’ battles with various members of Organization XIII (enduring combat where Cure is assigned to the triangle button, an offense most egregious)

He eventually finds a way to save Kairi... at the cost of. Y’know. Having A Corporeal Form

Fast-forward one year into a Sora-less future. Everyone’s trying to find Sora. Donald and Goofy are on a world tour to see if he’s popped up anywhere. Riku’s visiting the Radiant Garden crew to see if they can be of any help. Kairi is sleeping. So. Everyone’s contributing on brand.

Cid is hoping that through analysis of data of Organization XIII’s members, the group may be able to uncover some clues about where to find Sora. The method of analysis: Data Sora must engage in data battles that are almost prohibitively hard if you’re playing on any difficulty above Standard mode. (So, again. On brand.)

After hundreds of attempts and Data Sora bodies getting scraped off of the floor with a Keyblade-shaped spatula, the day is won.

Jump over to disappeared Sora, who’s stuck walking on water in the moonlight. A figure walks towards him in the darkness. No, Destiny, it’s not Noctis like you let yourself get worked up over when you heard his voice in the trailer. It’s Yozora, the main character of Verum Rex from Toy Box and decidedly not voiced by Ray Chase. And he wants to kill you. Suddenly they’re on the roof of a skyscraper in the middle of a busy town that looks like Shibuya but it isn’t, shut up, nerd.

Unless you have the skills of a KH god, Yozora does indeed kill you the first time. Sora becomes an exquisite ice sculpture and Yozora promises to protect... either him or someone else. If he’s talking to our Sora, he has some work to do.

When the player finally beats Yozora (it took me 150 tries on Proud and that’s not an exaggeration-- I COUNTED), it’s Sora’s turn to witness his opponent get put on ice.

Not-Noctis wakes up in the back of the Not-Regalia where Not-Ignis says cryptic words. Not-Ignis sounds just like Luxord.

Melody of Memory explains why Kairi was sleeping during KH Re:Mind. She’s delving into her memories in the hopes of finding a key to Sora’s whereabouts.

Enduring such hardships as listening to tracks like the Mickey Mouse theme and Bibbidy-Bobbidi-Boo in their entirety, she recaps the entire KH story so far (unless you have a mobile phone and still play KHUX and Dark Road).

She eventually ends up in the Final World. Xehanort is there. They fight. It’s very exciting. Until it’s not. Xehanort knocks Kairi on her ass. He’s about to strike her down, but then Kairi uses the Kingdom Key to defend herself. Which is awesome. But then she turns into Sora. Which is unawesome. You fight Xehanort as Sora and win.

Kairi sees a glimpse into her past, where Xehanort, during his time as Ansem the Wise’s apprentice, captures her and prepares to send her into the outside world. He says some cryptic shit about what should happen if she fails.

Kairi wakes up and reports what she’s found to the others. We are reminded by Ansem the Wise about the many different realms we’ve explored throughout the Kingdom Hearts series. The world of memories, dreams, data... and now, based on Kairi’s experiences, we’re faced with the world of ~fiction~.

The Fairy Godmother appears and accompanies Riku and Kairi to the Final World, where they meet up with the nameless star that Sora had spoken with before he un-appeared.

The nameless star turns out to be a girl from a different reality-- most likely the world of fiction that Sora has disappeared to. It’s called Quadratum.

With the star’s help, Riku gets to embark on an adventure to save Sora while Kairi is left behind again :)

Kairi goes back to Yen Sid to continue her training so she can finally join the Cool Kids Doing Stuff Club. She decides she’s going to train under Aqua which is cool but there’s too much salt on this table for me to forget the taste.

Mickey, meanwhile, is sent on a mission to learn about the ancient Keyblade masters. If you strain your ears, you may still hear the groans of everyone who still hasn’t played or at least brushed up on KHUX’s storyline.

#destiny answers #long post #text #kh mom spoilers #Anonymous

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star-sworn · 3 years ago

Text

Savior

Here’s my third fic! It’s an unrequited Vanitas/Kairi fic. Yes, even I was shocked by that! It was one of those fics that just came out of the ether, and here it is. It has established Sokai but the bulk of the fic is Vanitas interacting with Kairi. Feel free to check it out (and my measly library of fics) here on AO3 as well. Anyway, please enjoy. Cheers!

------

As the Guardians of Light made their way to the open plain of the Keyblade Graveyard, suddenly, an inky cloud of darkness began materializing a few yards in front of them— the sign their next adversary was surely arriving. The Guardians braced to meet the threat, sinking into battle stances and drawing forth Keyblades. As the cloud began to dissipate, a black-coated figure (was there any doubt?) emerged. The figure removed their hood to reveal Vanitas, identifiable only by his telltale black helmet.

‘We’ve already beaten two of your buddies,’ Axel jibed. ‘So, have you come for your thrashing?’

Without replying, Vanitas summoned his Keyblade and raised it up by the hilt, its end pointing toward the ground. The Guardians prepared to spring into action. Then, Vanitas did the last thing any of them expected: he dropped his Keyblade. It fell to the ground with a clang that seemed to ring too loudly in the silence, its noise amplified by the vastness of the Graveyard. The Guardians all froze in confusion. Then Vanitas kicked his own Keyblade away. It skittered across the ground toward Riku, kicking up a trail of dust until the silver-haired boy halted its movement by catching the weapon under his foot.

‘I’m not here to fight. Just to talk,’ Vanitas finally said.

None of the Guardians moved an inch. They all were thinking the same thing: this has to be a trick, right? A feint? A diversion?

‘Enough with these games, Vanitas!’ Ven called out. ‘Tell us what you want.’

‘I already told you, brother,’ Vanitas said coolly. The boy removed his helmet, finally revealing his face. His brows were furrowed, but his expression wasn’t malevolent, just determined. That somehow unnerved Sora even more. He tightened his grip on his Keyblade.

Vanitas locked his eyes onto the newest Guardian, who stood just beside Sora, meeting her gaze. ‘I need to talk to Kairi.’

Sora’s nerves were as taught as a bowstring; so when he heard Vanitas’s request, he reacted immediately, viscerally, stepping in front of Kairi and countering, ‘Like hell you do! How can you even—’

‘I really don’t have time for the theatrics, brother,’ Vanitas shot back. ‘I know you won’t believe me, but I’m here in your interest.’ His eyes moved back to Kairi again. She’d lowered her weapon and relaxed her stance, but remained silent, studying Vanitas carefully. ‘I think Kairi might be in danger.’

‘The Organization is what’s putting her in danger!’ Sora spat. ‘Which is why she’s not going anywhere near you.’ But as Sora protested, Vanitas’s gaze never left Kairi, his eyes asking her a silent question. Her answer was the only one that mattered to him.

‘Why don’t you let her decide for herself?’ Vanitas countered. ‘Or can your ego not take it? Is she still a helpless damsel to you? Always needing you to think and act for her?’

Sora snarled in frustration. Vanitas’s words had struck a chord— and Sora hated it. But he wasn’t going to take the time to parse it out now, not when Vanitas was within fifty miles of Kairi. Then, from behind him came the gentle touch of her hand on Sora’s shoulder.

‘Sora,’ Kairi said, her voice soft but steady. ‘I’ll be fine.’

‘You’re not actually—’

‘I think I should at least hear what he has to say. Then we can all decide what to do.’

‘This has to be some sort of trick, Kairi. What if—’

‘I don’t think it is.’

Only now did Sora turn away from Vanitas and back toward Kairi. It was at that moment Sora felt like he was seeing her in a new light. They’d spent so much time apart lately—him searching for the Power of Waking, her training with Merlin—that he hadn’t realized how distant he’d grown from her. And though they were reunited, in the lead up to today’s battle, and in the heat and chaos of each fight in the Graveyard, he hadn’t had the time to dedicate to reconnecting with her. So now, of all times, Sora felt like he was really looking at her. The Kairi he’d known was so gentle and kind, so unassuming. Brave, to be sure, but always deferential when it came to her safety. And while she’d been holding her own just fine in the Keyblade Graveyard so far, Sora would be lying if he said he wasn’t constantly watching her out of the corner of his eye, quick to block an incoming Heartless or cast a Curaga in her direction.

She was so precious to him. She was so precious, that Sora realized deep down, it wasn’t that he didn’t trust Kairi to take care of herself— it was that he didn’t trust the world with the one person that mattered to him more than anything else.

But looking at her now, Sora could tell she was determined. She’d taken in the situation and made up her mind. Sora’s chest was gripped tight in a vice of worry, unease, and anger: worry for Kairi’s safety, for everyone’s safety. Unease in their steady march toward the final battle, toward their destinies. And above all, Sora felt bright, burning anger at the world—for taking his Kairi from him again and again, forcing him to be always away from her. But Sora knew that no matter how hard it was for him, he had to stand back and let her go, let her make her own decision. He owed her that much.

‘Okay. I trust you, Kairi.’

But even as she nodded and took a step forward, Sora’s body instinctively reacted. His hand shot forward to grab her arm before Sora forced himself to lower it, clenching it into a fist at his side. It took all his will to stop himself from holding her back. So instead he said, ‘Just be careful. Don’t let your guard down. Just call out, and I’ll be there, I—I’ll be there in a second,’ his voice breaking slightly as he spoke.

Kairi gave him a soft smile and a nod that said, I know you will. And with that, she dismissed her Keyblade and began the lonely walk across the plain toward Vanitas, his golden eyes watching her the entire way. The subtle expression of amusement on the boy’s face told Kairi he’d been watching the whole interaction unfold, and perhaps had taken some pleasure in it.

Once she’d reached him, Vanitas began: ‘I’m surprised Lover Boy let you come at all.’

‘He’s not my keeper. He’s just worried about me. Can you blame him?’ Kairi countered, suddenly feeling the need to defend Sora. After a pause, she asked, ‘So, why do you think I’m in danger?’

Vanitas cut straight to his point. ‘I overheard Xehanort talking with Xemnas a few days ago. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but they mentioned you by name. Xehanort said you were essential to his plan’s success, and that Xemnas was to keep a close eye on you. The old man called you his ‘gem,’ something about being ‘prepared for every eventuality’. That was all I got before Xigbar showed up and I had to bail.’

‘His gem?’

‘I don’t know what it means. But you’re not just a Guardian— you’re a Princess of Heart, too. That means you’ve got an even bigger target on your back than the rest of your motley crew. That’s probably got something to do with it.’

Kairi studied Vanitas’s face as he spoke, trying to judge the veracity of what he said. The teenager's face bore his usual hardness and intensity, but his voice was level, his expression earnest— more earnest than Kairi had ever seen him.

After a pause, she asked, ‘Does Xehanort know you’re here? How do I know he isn’t watching through you right now?’

‘He hasn’t actually taken possession of his vessels yet,’ Vanitas answered. ‘But it won’t be much longer, another day at most. This is the last chance we’ll have to talk, the last time I’ll be me.’

The frankness in his tone unnerved Kairi a little. How could he be so calm when he was talking about losing his free will, his body, his identity? Kairi guessed it was because he’d known this was his fate from the moment Xehanort had ripped him out of Ven’s heart— he’d never known another life. He was always destined to be a tool for Xehanort's use. Suddenly, Kairi realized that actually, just maybe, she felt sort of bad for Vanitas.

Kairi briefly looked back toward her friends. They were no longer in their combat stances, but she could tell they weren’t at ease either, as they watched her and Vanitas in tense silence. Sora was the only one with his Keyblade still drawn, his knuckles white from the force with which he was gripping the weapon. Their eyes met, and Kairi gave him a small nod to indicate that she was okay. The intensity of Sora’s gaze didn’t waver, but his shoulders relaxed the slightest amount. Kairi turned back to Vanitas.

‘It’s not too late, you know,’ she said, more gently than she meant to. ‘You could run away. There’s got to be somewhere he couldn’t find you. Or you could join us and—’

“You really think Lover Boy and company would let me stay for even a single second? Don’t be so naïve, Princess,” Vanitas shot back coldly.

‘Master Yen Sid would offer you sanctuary. Look at Lea— he was part of the old Organization, and now he’s with us. And Xehanort has other vessels. And once we win, he won’t be around to come looking for you. You still have a choice.’

He gave her a sneer. ‘All I am is darkness. There was never any other path for me.’

‘You and I both know that’s not true. And just because you have darkness doesn’t mean you can’t fight for what’s right. That’s what Riku did.’

Vanitas scoffed. ‘You can hardly compare me to him. He’s a Guardian of Light.’

‘And he wields a Keyblade, just like you do.’

Vanitas had no reply to that.

‘A Keyblade chose you, Vanitas. Maybe it knows something you don’t. Something even Xehanort can’t see.’

‘What do you see?’ He asked abruptly.

Kairi stared into his amber eyes, considering. He’d shown her the tiniest fragments of humanity lurking inside him, even if he couldn’t see it– even if didn’t want to. Whenever they met, he never attacked her, never outright drove her away. But as soon as he would show her a glimmer of the boy behind the black helmet, his derisive comments and coldness would return, and the real boy would slip away again. And yet, he wouldn't be here, helping his enemies, if he didn't care. Try as he might to act otherwise, she knew he cared. From all their interactions, Kairi could tell that Vanitas was desperate— but for what exactly, she wasn't sure. All his vitriol and bluster, it seemed to Kairi to be a way to get people to look away, to ensure they wouldn't pause long enough to study him, for fear they would see him for what he really was. He was desperate to be seen, really seen. But he was also desperate to hide behind his cold exterior, which was as opaque as his black helmet.

But she could see him. She could see how Xehanort had warped him into hating the world, hating himself. He had darkness, to be sure, and he'd done things that made Kairi angry, things she couldn't disregard. But she also believed in second chances. Kairi could see the lonely, broken boy he was. No one had ever given him a chance, least of all himself. If he had a little more time, if he would listen to anyone other than Xehanort, then maybe… maybe things could be different. Maybe they could even be friends. If he’d just give himself a chance.

But before she could answer, Vanitas cut the question off. ‘Forget it. I’m not here to be saved. I came to warn you, Princess, and I have.’

‘What do you think I should do?’ Kairi asked.

Vanitas let out a sharp laugh. ‘You’re asking me? I’m kind of your sworn enemy, remember?’

‘You know Xehanort better than almost anyone,’ Kairi continued. ‘And you came to warn us, so you care more than you’re willing to say.’

Screw the rest of them, Vanitas thought. I came to warn you.

Vanitas didn't have many people in his life. The other Organization members were cold and indifferent comrades, certainly not friends. And to Xehanort himself, he was a means to an end, a blunt instrument at best. And when he made even the slightest mistake, questioned Xehanort's authority in any way, Vanitas's creator had no reservations in punishing him with brutal malice. And that was just those on the side of darkness: even Ventus, the other half of his heart, had nothing but hatred for him. Everyone on both sides—light and dark alike— only regarded him with contempt.

Everyone except her. She was the only one. The only person in the world who’d ever tried to reach him, the only one who didn’t think he was completely hopeless. Here she was, a Princess of Heart, a bastion of light, asking him what she should do. No one had ever asked Vanitas for his thoughts on anything. He felt like she was the only person who looked at him and saw him— not a vessel, or an enemy, or a broken toy that had outlived its use. Sure, if he did have to face Kairi in battle, he would do what he had to. He wasn’t anybody’s savior— but if he could save her from all this, he had to try. He owed her that much.

Then she said, ‘I don’t think darkness has to mean evil. I don’t think you’re evil.’

Instead of responding to that perilous statement, Vanitas said gruffly, ‘You should leave. Guardian or not, it’s too dangerous for you to be here, knowing Xehanort has his sights set on you. Let Lover Boy handle this.’ But even as he spoke, Vanitas knew she’d never agree. He realized he kind of admired that about her.

‘Out of the question. My friends need me.’

‘Then be especially wary around Xemnas. Xehanort made it sound like it’s going to be his job to carry out whatever the old man has planned for you.’

‘I will.’

They stood there in silence, the conversation seeming to reach its natural end. Kairi moved as if to walk away, but then she seemed to reconsider, and turned back to meet his eyes one more time. Vanitas’s words echoed in her mind.

This is the last chance we’ll have to talk. The last time I’ll be me.

‘I meant what I said before,’ Kairi said. ‘You're more than a vessel. You’re more than just darkness, more than just half of an incomplete whole. You’re your own person. You've made mistakes in the past,' she went on, 'done things I can't condone...' Her voice grew more determined. ‘But it’s never too late to choose a different path. You can make amends. You can decide who you want to be.’ Then she gave him a small, reassuring smile. Vanitas couldn't remember the last time anyone had smiled at him. Without realizing it, Vanitas clung to her smile, desperate to commit every detail of it—of her— to memory: the warmth in her gaze as she looked at him, the faint lines that crinkled around her eyes, the way her delicate pink lips curved up at the corners. What had he ever done to deserve a smile like that?

Without having fully thought it through, Kairi reached out a hand, placing it gently on Vanitas’s upper arm. Kairi had every expectation that he would protest, recoil, slap her hand away– but Vanitas didn’t do any of those things. He just stared at her, his eyes wild, like he wasn’t sure what to do, wasn’t sure what he wanted.

‘Thank you for coming to warn me, Vanitas. When this is all over, maybe… maybe we can be friends. That’s up to you.’ Kairi gave Vanitas one last poignant look before she withdrew her hand. Then she turned and walked back toward her friends. All Vanitas could do was watch her go.

When Kairi returned to Sora, Vanitas saw the boy let out a tense breath as he scanned her face with visible relief. Kairi gave Sora a soft smile, and they exchanged a tender look between them. When Vanitas saw the way she looked at Sora—the adoration and affection in her eyes, the way Vanitas just knew that look was reserved only for him—the black-haired boy quickly put his helmet back on, because his cheeks were burning and he didn’t want the others to see them grow red. And when Sora gently took Kairi’s hand in his, Vanitas couldn’t help but notice the sting of envy in his own chest, and the pang of anger at Sora for making him feel it— for all the things Sora had, and Vanitas never could.

The boy in the black helmet didn’t waste any time in conjuring a dark portal– he knew he wasn’t welcome. ‘Until tomorrow then,’ Vanitas sneered. He opened his arms in a false bow before stepping backward, letting the dark mist envelop him. Try as he might to dismiss them, Kairi’s words kept ringing inside his head.

You’re your own person.

It’s not too late to choose a different path.

I don’t think you’re evil.

Vanitas had always known he was a lost soul, a hopeless cause. Everyone else could see it— so why couldn’t she? He hadn’t asked to be saved. He hadn’t asked her to give him hope, when he knew there had never been any for him. But as he stared into Kairi’s eyes, Vanitas thought that if she were his savior, then maybe redemption might not be so bad after all.

He kept his eyes on Kairi as long as possible, until she, like everything else, faded into darkness.

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#kingdom hearts #vanitas #kairi #vanikai #sokai #established sokai #holly writes #unrequited vanikai #everyone loves kairi and they are right to do so #its about the yearning ya know #protective sora #this is completely non canon thanks to kh3s ending and UX but here we are #my fics

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themadauthorshatter · 3 years ago

Text

... I think you guys are going to like this.

358/2 Days REWRITE Part 2

Riku is around, but he's all over the place, and he has a mission: Find and capture either Roxas or Xion, unless he CAN manage both, so DiZ can use them to help Sora recover. He's on a time limit, though, because Sora's heart is damaged and the longer Roxas and Xion are around, the less likely Sora is to waking up or even sleeping; I mean, he'll BE sleeping, but it'll be much quieter and it will be absolutely pointless to try waking him up.

For the first few days or months, he keeps his distance, trying to decide who he's picking, sadly.

Pros of bringing Roxas to DiZ: He has the closest connection to Sora, being his nobody, he's got the keyblade, Riku can probably take him one v. one, if there are any problems, he just needs to get a reaction out of 'Sora.'

CONS of bringing to Roxas to DiZ: Have fun trying to run from the remaining Organization members, he'll have to avoid Non-form or he'll get beaten all to Hell, he runs the risk of hurting his friend for reals, Roxas is rarely alone, Roxas is one hell of a runner and fighter, he'll just feel bad.

Pros of bringing Xion to DiZ: She has more 'keyblade' potential, maybe her voice will help wake up Sora(?), she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé gets a new friend(as long as DiZ doesn't decide to throw her away).

CONS of bringing Xion to DiZ: She looks and sounds like Kairi, she's crazy skilled, she hits hard, she's laughable when she's mad, but it's gut wrenching to see her cry or be hurt, she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé is probably getting Thanosed when DiZ is done with her because he's a dick right now, so giving Xion to her as a friend will mean nothing, the connection to Kairi, he'll feel bad.

As you can tell, Riku is great at making decisions(sarcasm)

While he's too caught up to do anything, let's check on the sea salt trio, who are getting closer as friends, i.e. seeing Hayner, Pence, and Olette do stupid stuff a KH equivalent of TikTok, which the trio repeats on their own without a phone recording them, eating ice cream, talking, and exploring the Disney worlds for fun, both old ones and new ones that will appear in future games.

In this time, Xion becomes a mix of Kairi and Naminé, outspoken, but careful with who she runs her mouth to, smart, but still open to learn, protective and still needs something if a protector, etc. She is also a wickedly fast learner.

We also get organization shenanigans like Demyx being lazy on missions, Roxas getting annoyed at Xigbar for calling him tiger, dealing with Saïx, trying not to annoy Xaldin, even getting head pats from Xemnas, and, for fluff, Roxas and Xion finding Axel asleep on the floor of the clock tower and the two scaring him away for shits and giggles.

Yes, a lot of time passes, about 9-11 months, give or take.

Roxas and Xion also become closer as well with Axel being something like their chaperone, only he reports to Xemnas and Saïx.

Speaking of Saïx, he meets up with Axel one day and expresses disdain with the fact Axel would rather be friends with an unstable Roxas and a literal puppet that doesn't even exist.

Axel, on edge already with Xemnas on his back, tells Saïx to put a cork in it. Saïx only pushes back, asking if Roxas even KNOWS what Xion is, even what HE is. To both their credit, the two are wonderful at playing make believe and Axel, being the child he is, is a great at being their playmate.

Axel shoves Saïx back, snapping for him to shut his mouth before he says something he'll regret. Saïx, losing his composure, shoves back, asking if he should because Axel can't handle the truth; he never has been good at it, so it's not surprising.

Ring a bell, someone, please, because Axel throws a punch into Saïx's cheekbone. Saïx returns with a left hook directly to the side of the neck and knees Axel, who grabs his leg under his knee and rolls, making them both fall and throw more punches on the ground, bruising and bloodying each other in full view of the remaining organization members. Maybe we get a gag of Xigbar and Luxord placing bets on who will win, Demyx worrying because they should probably be stopped, Xaldin scoffing at the immature display, and then Roxas and Xion walking in and instantly getting worried because Axel is not winning this fight, as evidenced by Saïx slamming his head into the floor.

When the two stand up to keep fighting, Roxas and Xion race between them, the boy in front of Saïx and a very nervous Xion in front of Axel, who tells her and Roxas to stay out of this or they'll get hurt.

Roxas obviously refuses, but Xion leads Axel away from Saïx, who asks if Axel really needs children to protect him.

No, he needs to protect these two idiots, especially Roxas, who hasn't moved and his eyes have gone Non-form-y, like he's about to transform.

Saïx returns with berserker eyes and smashes Roxas into the wall by his neck, daring him to try it.

It draws a gasp from EVRYONE, even Xaldin, but Saïx scoffs that they shouldn't try pretending to be worried, what with how unstable and how much of a nuisance Roxas is, not too mention weak, which he says while watching Roxas try to break free. He kicks at Saïx, and misses, but Saïx smirks and summons his claymore, wanting to see how tough Roxas really is.

There's a reason Xion pulled Axel away and is so nervous, because said reason puts a hand on Saïx's shoulder and asks him if he enjoys this façade of a life and would rather not disappear.

Yep. Xemnas is here, and everyone backs down, including the the bet making Xigbar and Luxord, who so they can have deniability.

Saïx snaps out of berserk mode in the blink of an eye and begrudgingly lets go of Roxas, i.e. lets him drop down.

Axel and Xion start toward him, but freeze when Xemnas eyes them, like scary eyes.

He has an announcement: There's an imposter and he could be anywhere. He's in a coat just like everyone else's, but his hood's usually up. When he's not wearing it, he's a silver haired teen. Oh, yeah, and his name is Riku.

Axel, Roxas, and Xion all gasp, Axel because Riku was in Castle Oblivion and probably knows where Sora is and Roxas and Xion because it brings back memories from Sora.

Xemnas sees the reaction, but only focuses on Roxas, asking softly if he's okay and if he was hurt.

He's fine and he wasn't and he shakes his head to chase away Non-form.

Xemnas still helps him up and orders everyone to keep their eyes open and report ANYTHING on this imposter because the sooner they catch and... well, just catch him, the better, that part being Xemnas not wanting to upset Roxas, make him go into Non-form, and have everyone need to knock him out to calm him down.

Xemnas takes Roxas away to be checked on, in case he was really hurt and doesn't know it, and Roxas asks what will happen to Saïx and Axel for fighting. He didn't see a lot of it, so he’s not even sure who started it.

They’ll be 'interviewed' and reprimanded accordingly, but they won't die, so relax.

What about the imposter? Who's Riku? And who's Sora??

Xemnas stops checking on Roxas and puts a hand on his head, which he doesn't need to worry about because the organization can deal with it. All he needs to do is keep doing missions and giving his 100%. Roxas sighs that he IS, hell he's giving 150% because Non-form's acting up, but he's kept it calm, even with the hallucinations of Sora, Ven, and now Non-form.

Xemnas finishes checking for any wounds and commends Roxas, saying that is why he chose him. Before Roxas can ask, Xemnas tells him to go in the lobby because he has a mission with Xaldin.

Roxas does so and passes by and reassuring Axel and glaring Saïx, though Roxas glares back.

Xemnas has the two sit down and that warmth he had with Roxas is GONE IN A SECOND, asking both of them what they were thinking, picking a fight in front of everyone and endangering the two most vital components to the plan. Saïx jabs that Axel is letting himself be distracted while Axel states he's doing his job and doesn't want either of them to get upset or angry to the point of dysfunctionality. Besides, He did not start that fight, which he didn't even WANT to partake in.

Does Axel have legs? For now he does, yes. Can he stand? Yes. Can he DEMONSTRATE that he can stand? This is getting tedious, but sure, and Axel stands. Now can he walk from where he is to the far wall? Again, this is tedious, but yes.

If he did ALL OF THAT, why didn't he actually do it?

With no words, Xemnas dismisses Axel, telling him to accompany Xion on their mission.

Axel nods and leaves Saïx to be scolded.

We cut to Riku as he watches Roxas and Xaldin fight of heartless and some knights in Beast's Castle, maybe even go toe to toe with Beast himself, who manages to catch Roxas off guard and momentarily confuses him with Sora.

Xaldin knocks him away and the two leave, Riku coming out and asking if that smaller nobody really was Sora.

Beast admits it was a spur of the moment, but he could have sworn it was Sora.

Meanwhile, Xion and Axel fight hard in Hollow Bastion, squaring off against Squall, Yuffie, Tifa, and Cloud, where we see both more of Axel's gymnastics and Xion's ability with a keyblade.

The fight ends when Xion stops who she believes is Riku the imposter and chases after him, Axel following her in case shit hits the fan.

Xion follows Riku to a cliffside and he gives her an offer and a warning: either give him Roxas or hope that they never meet face to face again. Xion arms herself and demands to know what that means, but Riku also arms himself right as Axel throws a chakram between them and tells Riku to fuck off before he gets hurt.

Riku gives Xion one last glance before falling off the edge and leaving through a dark corridor, making it look like he just disappeared like a badass. They’re both confused, but still call it a day, Xion asking if Axel is okay after that fight with Saïx, because he’s still a little banged up. He expresses he’s fine(he’s a big boy!!) and tells Xion not to worry.

She’s going to anyway because Riku is after Roxas, and threatened her with a fight if she didn’t bring Roxas to him. Axel, although he’s shook, tells her everything will be fine.

LIES, because Xion is sent on a mission to defeat Riku. All she needs to do is knock him out and they’ll come collect him, no problem.

Xion IS strong, but not strong enough because Riku wipes the floor with her and is about to take her to DiZ when dusks, samurai, and Non-form Roxas, who also gets whooped, but at least fairs a little better.

The two wear Riku out enough for a lance to graze his arm, an arrow/bullet to hit his leg, and a few cards to distract him.

The rest of the organization arrive, even Saïx and Xemnas, the latter using thorn/vine things to bind Riku’s hands behind his back.

He remarks that Riku’s a lot bigger than he thought he would be, stronger too, and we get one of those creepy manga Xemnas moments as he grabs Riku, pulls him close by the jaw, and states he’ll have fun seeing just how strong he is; he knows that Riku is hiding Sora, Kairi, DiZ, and his witch, and will tear him apart with his bare hands to know where they are.

With Riku thoroughly freaked out, Xemnas stands and everyone returns, all tired and ready to find Sora.

Xion, however, isn’t. Because Riku said some very interesting things to her during their fight.

She considers telling Roxas, but he’s too worried making sure she’s okay, because Riku was tough. She goes to Axel instead, knowing he has a key to the dungeons, and he’s instantly skeptical; she asked if he could take her to see Riku. Xion lies through her teeth and says she just wants to rub in Riku’s face that they won and he lost.

Axel agrees, but decides he’s going to follow her, just in case.

They arrive as Xigbar leaves, asking if they’re going to welcome the new arrival and need help in doing so.

Xion counters that she’s actually going to return a favor and would like to do it alone.

Axel’s surprised and Xigbar whistles for her to stand down; he was just asking because she got kicked like a soccer ball, no harm in asking for help.

He leaves and Xion goes toward Riku’s cell, asking Axel to stay by the door until she’s done.

He does so and Xion walks towards Riku’s cell, where she and we the audience see Riku is banged up from being interrogated; looks like Xemnas is taking his time.

Riku asks what she wants and Xion responds with a deal:

Tell her about Sora and she’ll give the organization a good enough lie to let him go so he can help Sora. During their fight, the two had an argument, Xion saying she was going to protect her friend and Riku snapping she had no idea what friends were because she’s a nobody and a replica, and the reason Sora can’t wake up.

Spark Notes of the deal: If Riku tells Xion about Sora, Xion will give the organization an answer that will buy Riku enough time to get back to Sora.

Fair, but he has one condition: If he tells her, she was to decide what she will do; he’s not refusing because she genuinely wants to know more about Sora.

Xion agrees and Riku tells her to take a seat, because they’re going to be here for a while.

#kingdom hearts #kh roxas #kh axel #kh xemnas #kh xion #sea salt trio #kh riku #kh saix #kh 358/2 days #rewrite #there will be a part 3 #violence tw #picking on the little guy

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luxwielder · 3 years ago

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hello and welcome to my long rambling post about Keyblades! I just had a lot of thoughts I wanted to put on paper, and I figured I might as well post them, because maybe someone else has answers.

I did minimal editing on this, and there’s no concise points anywhere tbh, I was just rolling with my thoughts. I’m one of the unfortunate players who only ever had one or two consoles, so I’ve had to keep up with the series other ways, and I’m only just now getting to play the entries I missed; please forgive me if I overlooked any obvious information. And on that note, there’s definitely spoilers in here somewhere lmao

So. Keyblades.

[counterparts]

Obviously the first one we see is Sora’s, and as the protagonist for most of the series, his is kinda forefront. The Kingdom Key.

From what I remember, the only other time we see anyone using a Kingdom Key is Roxas and Xion, which makes perfect sense because they’re both extensions of Sora. Roxas’s Keyblades go on to evolve into their new default forms, and it seems like Xion’s Kingdom Key as of KH3 is explicitly classified as a replica, implying it’s not considered a true Kingdom Key— maybe even not a true Keyblade?

And then we get to the Kingdom Key D.

Apparently the D stands for “darkside,” and this Keyblade— used by King Mickey in KH1, and then across multiple games— is explicitly a Realm of Darkness counterpart to Sora’s Kingdom Key.

I guess the main thing I’m thinking with this is like. Are there Light and Dark counterparts for every Keyblade? I could easily see something like Oblivion or Rejection of Fate being Realm of Darkness Keyblades. Actually, several of Roxas’s keychains could suit that aesthetic, which I think would’ve been really cool given that he’s Sora’s Nobody.

Anyways, is there any reason that the Kingdom Key is the only one so far with an explicit counterpart, beyond “protagonist weapon?” I just think it’s an interesting concept.

[obtaining]

Bequeathing. I just think this is really interesting and we don’t see it apart from this one game, right? Terra made the active decision to grant Riku a Keyblade— but Kairi’s receiving one was accidental. I think my main question here is. . . can the Bequeathing be done with anyone? Or does it have to be someone who has the innate potential or strength of heart to earn a Keyblade on their own?

Also in the process of looking around for information while I wrote this big thing, I rediscovered an old interview with Nomura, and that kinda headed off my questions about Sora being chosen by Riku’s Keyblade. Since that’s a LiveJournal link I’m also just going to include an image here.

This does also have me thinking a little bit more, though; what are the “right qualities” for wielding a Keyblade? It’s very easy to think “it’s a hero’s weapon,” but Xehanort and Vanitas have Keyblades of their own, and Riku is able to regain one despite his stint in the darkness. Is it simply a matter of conviction? Strength of heart?

I also wonder a bit about Lea’s Keyblade, since we don’t get to see much of the process of him earning it. When we meet him as Axel, he’s no doubt a villain, and he seems to enjoy his role— it’s difficult to imagine that an attitude like that could earn a Keyblade. When he went off to train in Dream Drop Distance, as a reformed human instead of a Nobody, did he have to start at the very beginning? Or would his previous growth as a Nobody still be influential and contribute to a Keyblade, since he was growing a new heart?

[sharing]

One thing that really stands out to me is like. Under most circumstances, Keyblades seem to be individualized, reflecting specific aspects of their wielders. The main exceptions I’ve seen to that are:

1: Oathkeeper and Oblivion are both keychains Sora can obtain starting from KH1, and they go on to become Roxas’s default Keyblades. However, as Sora’s Keyblade clearly still uses Kingdom Key as its default form, I don’t really consider these shared Keyblades; I think Sora’s other Keyblade options are simply for the player, and he as a person only seems to use one form.

2: In BBS, Terra, Aqua and Ventus share a few keychains and can wield the same kinds of Keyblades across the three of them, but as with Sora’s keychains, that seems to be purely for the player, and in-story their Keyblades never seem to change from their defaults— except for when Terra becomes Lingering Will. The Lingering Will uses the Ends of the Earth Keyblade, as opposed to Terra’s default Earthshaker.

Anyways all this to say. Why do so many of the KHUX wielders have Starlight?

I don’t remember if it’s ever addressed, but it’s obvious that many other keykids have the Starlight Keyblade, and I only really think about it because it’s a protagonist Keyblade— in the same way the Kingdom Key is unique to Sora. Even if we ignored all the minor background characters, just under the impression they reused assets,,, Ephemera, Skuld, and Strelitzia use Starlight. I don’t believe they’re ever seen using other keychains, either.

We also see other keykids using the same Keyblades we could earn by progressing through the game— in that final image alone, one girl has Lady Luck, and the moogle boy, Mog, appropriately has Moogle O’ Glory. So clearly those Keyblades can be earned by multiple people— I assume they’re mostly tied to the worlds themselves, instead of depending entirely on the wielder— so. . . could we assume Starlight is the Daybreak Town Keyblade? In the same way you always earn Lady Luck from Wonderland, or Olympia from Olympus? That would explain why so many people have it.

[change and growth]

Another thing I wanna talk about, although I know it’s been covered by others before; as I’ve mentioned several times, some Keyblades have gone on to change over the course of the series. Roxas goes from one Kingdom Key to dual-wielding Oathkeeper and Oblivion; Riku goes from Way to the Dawn to Braveheart. I don’t recall it being extrapolated on in-series, but these changes clearly correlate with character growth.

So Ven’s Keyblade. In BBS and KH3, he uses Wayward Wind, and it’s obviously the current default form. But in KHUX, he uses Missing Ache.

That appears to be its third form as well, implying that he’s had it for quite some time. Do we still not know anything about this? Has it been acknowledged anywhere yet that his Keyblade changed? Also, and I’m adding this part way after I wrote this full section, I can’t believe Ventus has a Keyblade called Lost Memory lmaooo

In other instances, the transformation is an important one— I believe Roxas is first shown dual-wielding in Deep Dive, when he’s attempting to storm the castle and take down the Organization on his own. Riku’s new Keyblade in 3 is clearly representative of all the growth he’s gone through, as the same game also brings his storyline with Ansem to a close. After Terra is possessed, Lingering Will uses a new Keyblade instead of carrying on with Terra’s default keychain.

Maybe Missing Ache became Wayward Wind after Ventus appeared in the modern era? He’s explicitly amnesiac, so is it possible that his heart “regrew” a different Keyblade to match who he is now?

I’m going to assume this is part of Ven’s Mysterious Backstory, and given the character’s circumstances, I’d say we can also safely assume we’ll be getting more information. I’d just like to know why his Keyblade changed over time

[etc]

The only thing I could think of in terms of this section is just the idea of “alternate keyblades,” and I know that sounds really similar to some of what I’ve rambled about above, but I’m really just thinking about things that don’t suit the “standard,” even though that standard is so flexible.

Xion’s Keyblade. In both her original existence in Days, and her revival in 3, Xion inhabits a Replica body, but obviously her heart is her own now. So why is her Kingdom key still considered a replica as well? It does make sense to call it a replica during Days, but now that she’s returned and been through so much, has she not earned a true one? And any Keyblade she obtains next— would that be a replica too?

Vanitas is explicitly created from darkness, but he manifests a keyblade of his own despite not having a complete heart. The idea of Keyblades being restricted to the Light is obviously incorrect— Xehanort being the prime example, but also the previously mentioned Kingdom Key D that I talked about all the way back at the top of the page.

Ven doesn’t have a complete heart either, but I kinda chalk his Wayward Wind up to the fact that, as mentioned, he’s an ancient Keyblade wielder— he’s had one for centuries. But Vanitas doesn’t quite have the same excuse. Back in KHUX, we see that one of the Darknesses uses Ventus as a vessel; Darkness doesn’t have a Keyblade of its own, but if this one resided in Ventus for centuries and then was used to create Vanitas, is it possible that granted him a Keyblade? Simply through prolonged close proximity to a Keyblade-wielder’s heart?

And then,,, the Keyblade of Heart itself.

Apparently Keyblades of Heart are a given category of Keyblade, which implies that there’s more than just the one we see in the first game. One thing that stands out to me is this is the only Keyblade we see that manifests from people who aren’t Keyblade wielders; yes, the Princess of Heart are special in their own right, but apart from Kairi we have no indication that the other Princesses could ever wield a Keyblade of their own. Is that what sets this Keyblade’s origin apart from others?

It’s apparent throughout the series that Keyblades “originate,” for lack of a better term, within their wielders. Even after the Bequeathing in BBS, Terra and Aqua keep their own Keyblades— they simply passed on the ability for Riku and Kairi to manifest Keyblades of their own.

So. . . the fact that the Master of Masters explicitly creates the Foretellers’ Keyblades. I feel like that’s really glossed over. As mentioned, apart from the Keyblade of Heart, all other Keyblades have been manifested by their users— the fact that this presumably human man is able to draw Keyblades out of people’s hearts is absolutely crazy. Does this mean the Foretellers’ Keyblades can be considered Keyblades of Heart? They originate from the Foretellers, but not in the traditional way, being dragged out by a third party. And on that note, could the Master create a Keyblade from someone who wasn’t intended to wield one?

And then I think I’ll end this long thing by mentioning the Keyblade Graveyard.

We’ve seen throughout the series that Keyblades vanish, effectively. They’re summoned weapons— they can be dismissed, and it seems like whenever the wielder is disarmed, that’s exactly what happens. The Keyblade does not seem to be an item that can even be held by just anyone. So the fact that these Keyblades are all here, centuries after their wielders have passed. . . it’s striking. I assume it’s because now that the wielders are dead and gone, the Keyblades themselves effectively have nowhere else to go?

anyways. there’s my long and completely random thoughts on Keyblades. If you read this far then I’m going to be very 2005 and offer you a cookie. Thank you for your time!

#I have no idea how to tag this #kingdom hearts #keyblades #thoughts #analysis

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mimiplaysgames · 3 years ago

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Terra Week Day 7 (Courage/Legacy/Self-Reflection)

Word Count: 2,674

Summary: Terra’s abilities grow beyond his imagination. Finally, he sees his strength.

Read on AO3

A/N: This is for Terra Week 2022!! You can find the event on Twitter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Scar Tissue, Ch. 7

“See? I’m back,” Terra says. He’s holding his arm still for Aqua so she can run her hands over and heal him. She’s already worked on Riku and Isa, who were worse for wear. A calming rush sweeps across his skin like a sigh after coming home from a long day. “I didn’t break my promise.”

She scowls at him. He’s always found that funny. “And Ven? You don’t seem too concerned, so I imagine he’s—”

“Safe.”

Aqua finishes his arm and drops her hands to her lap. “What does that mean to you?”

“I wanted him safe,” Terra softly says. “And”—he shrugs one shoulder—“I think the Guardian responded to that.”

She blinks, absorbing this information. Her brows wrinkle. “That’s why it kidnaps us?”

“I guess you can call that affection.”

She slaps his bicep. “Where did Ven go? He disappeared when he made contact with the Guardian. It was similar to…” She pauses, bringing her fingers to her chin. “To Xehanort.”

Terra understands. Xehanort has become easier to read, once Terra understood more of his written word. “When he made a portal out of himself to Scala.”

“Yes.”

“When Sora made gateways into his own heart.”

Aqua bites her lip. “Do we all have that capability?” She looks hard into Terra’s eyes. “Don’t they technically fall under powers of Darkness?”

Terra smiles, but it doesn’t reassure her. Riku and Isa stand in the background, keeping their distance and giving Terra and Aqua their space. Still, they throw anxious glances.

“Do you not feel safe in the castle?” Aqua quietly asks. She’s disappointed.

Terra doesn’t answer—after all, Aqua is the one putting up wards every night. Terra places a hand over his heart. “They’re somewhere they can’t get hurt. Not even by broken glass.”

“And that…” It almost sounds like she was going to say “that Thing,” like a condescension. “The Guardian. Is it going to stay?”

Terra scoffs. “It doesn’t want to leave.” At the way she deflates, Terra says, “It’s here to help.” She doesn’t seem convinced, nodding without enthusiasm. “I’ll make sure of it. There was so much that I saw.” He pauses. He doesn’t know how to make her see. “I understand what it’s going through,” he continues, and looks up at the sky. The sunset is so potent that there are no stars. It’s a lonely experience. “It wants what I want, and I want to guard those who really matter to me.”

Aqua brings her eyes to meet his. She’s crying, but she doesn’t dry them. “Do you know what it did to me?”

Terra takes her hand as a reflex. No, no, I didn’t, but I do now. “Aqua, you know I would never.”

“I know.”

“I want to fix that.” But I can’t, can I?

“I know.” Aqua wipes her eyes, but it does little to stop the rivers. “But what does it matter? If we vanquish it for good, a part of you would go missing.”

And to lose those pieces, piece them together, lose them again, could spell the same fate as what happened to Sora. Terra decides not to respond to that. I know, I know, I know. There’s nothing he can do except to distract, focus on the silver lining. He jerks his head in the direction towards the armor and taps her arm. “Let’s get them back.”

His armor is erect, with its arms slack, looking vaguely unfinished without a weapon. If it wasn’t so recognizable, so personal to Terra, it would have looked like an abandoned statue, out of place in the wilderness.

“It came on its own here,” Aqua says, crossing her arms.

“It’s not done with its job.” Terra caresses the chest place. It’s cold. “I asked it to look after you in case something happened to me.” Terra exhales. “The only thing left I need to do is knock.”

“You mean on a door?”

“Of a type.”

If the Guardian were to place Ven and Naminé anywhere in the worlds or the in between, it would be a place where Terra felt sure of himself, a place where he could keep another pair of eyes on them. Somewhere that made sense to a child’s mind.

He knocks the chest of the armor three times. Silence.

Then it knocks three times in response, from the inside.

The helmet shudders and pops off the shoulders. Out comes Ven’s head, puny by comparison to the body of the armor. He has an amused smile on his lips—amused at the way Aqua is gaping at him. “Did you miss me?” When she frowns, Ven says, “Of course you did. I’m your favorite.”

Riku and Isa scurry over, gawking like it’s the spectacle of a parade. Riku opens his mouth to ask, but he doesn’t have to.

Ven crawls out of the armor and sits on the shoulder. He reaches into the hollow and helps Naminé climb up to open air. She’s smiling, not a scratch or a cloud of shock on her. “Hi, everyone.”

Terra picks Naminé up by the shoulders. She hugs him before he can let her go. “I understand why,” she says. “I didn’t get hurt.”

He hugs her back. “I’m glad.”

“You ok?” Riku asks, his hand on her head once she’s found her feet on solid ground.

“It was like sitting in a dark room,” she says of her experience. “I counted stars and waited for someone to come get me.” She brightens up at Ven. “Then I had someone to talk to.”

Ven shrugs. He hops down.

“It was a little scary,” she tells Terra. She straightens the hem of her dress. “Warn me next time?”

“Thanks, Terra,” Riku says, so low that it’s almost a mumble. “It’s more impressive than anything I’ve ever done.”

“I think not.”

“I think you don’t see how badass that really was.” Riku squeezes Terra’s shoulder and follows Naminé.

“You did well,” Isa says, patting Terra on the back.

Terra sighs. “I don’t think it will ever leave me alone.”

“Such is the mark of guilt.” Isa watches Naminé tell stories of her adventures to Riku, who looks less concerned with each passing word. “Such is the nature of repentance. I must admit, it is a useful asset.”

Terra rolls his lips, and sticks his hands into his pockets. The others are celebrating in their own way. Isa takes a seat on the grass and enjoys his own silence. Naminé asks him where her notebook went. Ven—who admires Riku so much that he doesn’t hide it—makes out the Guardian’s shelter to be more dramatic than it was. Riku mentions the Inferno, “casually,” several times in an attempt at gathering troops to hunt it.

Terra finds Aqua by herself, on her toes to fit the helmet back onto the armor.

“Let me guess,” he says, smirking, “you’re not happy with my choices.”

“I want you whole, in one piece.”

“Do you think I’m really whole?”

Aqua hangs her head and doesn’t answer the question. “After everything we’ve been through—”

“I know,” he says, softer. “I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t do this again.” She pats the armor.

“Or you’ll kick me in the face?”

The smallest upturn twists her lips. “If you upset me enough, maybe I won’t have to.”

She’s trying to make a joke out of it. But based on the pages in her book, she’s trying too hard.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Terra lies down to sleep, but he can’t. He hears so much more—not hear, feels. This is what a cat must feel when it’s stalking prey or wandering around the woods. Every little detail rings. The call of a wolf close by, without the song. The rustling of leaves by a hiding rabbit, without the bristling of the branches. Ven is stomping around his room, but Terra doesn’t hear anything. What he feels is Ven’s shadow picking up a shirt and pulling it over his head. Everything is connected through the shadows that Light casts, through a millions heartbeats walking the earth. Without shadows, nothing lives.

That’s his new world: spoken in two languages, Light and Shadow. He knows where his friends are at all hours. His armor is with him now, and yet not. Terra hasn’t the heart to reforge it back with him, just in case... Just in case.

Aqua is meandering around the castle, putting up her wards. Her spells are louder, and she’s taking twice as long as she used to.

When she strolls the resident wing for the second time, Terra meets her. The hallway is dark, its stained glass windows casting a light of gray from the moon.

“There’s nothing here that will hurt us,” he says. It’s exactly what she needs to hear.

“I’m taking precautions,” she says. Her eyes are puffy, her voice cracked. She’s tired. She hasn’t been avoiding Terra exactly, but she does refuse to talk about what had happened. If he brings up the Guardian, she grimaces, choosing to listen to him, never giving her opinion. It leaves them with half-conversations. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I don’t know how to say this, but,” Terra starts, watching her face for permission to continue. “The only shadows inside the castle are us. And Ven.”

“You can sense that?” Aqua purses her lips and tightens her grip on her Keyblade. Be strong.

“The only shadow waiting outside is that of an owl’s,” he continues. “It’s perched on the top balcony of the northeast tower.”

Aqua’s lips quiver. Terra can’t be strong this time. He holds her.

“I was weak before. I let it get to me,” he says. She trembles, and he holds her tighter. He doesn’t know how to make her see. “But I’m stronger now. I promise it won’t hurt you ever again.” She whimpers. “I’m sorry—”

She shakes her head. “I know.”

And he could say he’s sorry again, and he does, and she replies with “I know,” and will continue to, a cycling call and response. Terra doesn’t know how else to apologize to make her say something different. The Guardian rolls behind him, as if it wants to reach out, but Terra keeps it tucked away from her sight.

Terra lets her go and summons Earthshaker. Tears are falling down his face, and he pretends they aren’t there. “Let me finish the job.”

Aqua wipes her eyes. “You don’t have to.”

“Go to bed, Aqua.” When she doesn’t move, he says, “You’re safe.”

Her eyes widen. But at least she nods.

Terra waits for her to go to her bedroom. She sits on her mattress and stares at the carpet, her hands folded over her knees. She stays like this for the entirety of the time Terra spends waving his Keyblade over shut windows and locked doors. Not because they need this type of protection, but because he knows her mind does. It’s going to take a while to outgrow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When he was a child, he asked the Master for umbrellas. One for every world.

“I’m not afraid of the dark,” Aqua would whisper.

“I don’t like thunderstorms,” Ven would say.

For the next storm that rolled in, Terra had built a fort in the lounge. Lights tucked under the hoods, every umbrella a different color like a starry patched quilt in the ceiling.

When Aqua first saw it, she noted several places needing improvement—that some of the umbrellas were lower than the others, that there weren’t enough pillows on one side and too many on the other, and other things that Terra didn’t remember by the time he grew up.

He fixed it to her qualifications and she finally shut up.

Ven was the first to fall asleep. The thunder rolled away. Aqua nuzzled against him and soon, too, drifted away.

Terra was proud of himself. His best friends were indoors-indoors, and dry.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The breeze in the Land of Departure is a welcome reprieve from the sunlight. Terra sits underneath a tree, in the woods. He chose to come here after trying to re-fix the grandfather clock, but the pieces cannot be put back together, the wood shredded and the gears bent. He’d have to build a new one.

Terra opens his palms up towards the sky, and the Guardian mimics him. He turns them over, and the Guardian follows. He reaches his hand out, and the Guardian touches back. It’s cold, like the chill of fog.

Without him needing to say anything, the Guardian follows his thoughts, and reaches into the tree for an apple.

“Does it hurt?” Terra asks when he catches the apple. He doesn’t take a bite.

The Guardian isn’t much for conversation, but Terra feels deep inside a small tug like a nudge from a dog. No.

“You get to be you,” Terra responds. “We get to be us.” He rolls the apple in both of his hands, leaving it on his thigh. “Are they safe?”

Terra already knows. Aqua has left the kitchen and has peeked her head in the library, calling for Ven.

Yes.

Terra sighs. “I’ve always wanted strength. After failing the Mark of Mastery, I spent a lot of time looking for a shortcut. I wanted it to make sense. I thought, if I could be stronger, if I could defeat more Unversed than anyone else, then I wouldn’t be in this position.” He looks up at the Guardian. “I didn’t wish for you. You were the last thing I wanted.” He scoffs. “But I think life can sometimes be twisted. My wish has been granted.” He pauses, waiting for the Guardian to reply, but it doesn’t. “From now on, we’re going to make sure they’re always okay.”

The Guardian doesn’t respond but it understands.

Terra pulls out a compact mirror from his pocket and opens it. It’s just his face this time, until the Guardian dissolves and reappears in the mirror, two golden eyes by Terra’s shoulder.

They’re approaching him.

“You ever stop looking at yourself?” says Ven’s voice. He plops onto the grass by Terra’s side. Aqua takes the other.

“You ever see anything besides yourself?” Terra asks.

Ven frowns.

Aqua hugs her legs. She pointedly avoids the mirror in Terra’s hand. “I see another me. Most of the time, she stares at me, but she never reflects what I do.” She rests her chin on her knees. “She’s always angry.”

Ven leans back against the tree. “I see faces I don’t recognize.” He groans, speaking in a tone that says this is the last thing he wants to talk about. “I’m never alone. There’s always these people around me, and I think I should know them, but I don’t.” He shrugs. “It makes me feel like there’s something I’m missing.”

The eyes in the mirror fade away. The Guardian summons itself, waiting for something to do.

Ven’s mood shifts, having enough of the conversation. He climbs onto the Guardian’s shoulder. “Look, I’m taller than you.”

“Do you want to fly?” Terra asks.

“You don’t have to ask me.”

Aqua keeps to herself and doesn’t make a motion to join him. “One day, there will be a legend of a shadow that moves on its own in the Land of Departure.”

That’s the first she’s spoken of it. Terra sighs with relief. He silently orders the Guardian to fly up high, to make Ven laugh. “You don’t think it will die with me?”

“Heartless don’t die.”

“So I’ll protect the castle for the rest of time. Not a bad occupation.” He crosses his arms. “Are you okay with that?”

Aqua scratches her leg. “If you’re asking me whether I forgive you, I did a long time ago.”

Terra grits his teeth. There’s something about that word—forgiveness—that sends a chill down his spine.

“I saw it break break the chains,” she says so softly that it’s almost a whisper. “It set you free.” Her voice chokes. “I know it’s not going to hurt me again. I know.” I know. “And I’ll clobber it if I have to.”

“You know that might hurt me.”

Aqua shrugs and stifles a laugh. “It is what it is.”

Ven leaps off the Guardian’s shoulder, cackling—until the Guardian catches him by the ankle. “I was trying to somersault,” he whines, but the Guardian won’t let go.

“It’s less destructive than the armor,” Terra says.

Aqua grimaces. “That’s right. I’m sorry about the clock.”

Terra lifts a finger to make a point. “I found a book about time magic—”

“We can’t reverse time—”

“According to this book, we can.”

“Where did you find—”

“In the forbidden section.”

“Ah.”

Terra pauses and looks at her. She’s watching the grass sway to the wind.

“There’s a lot we don’t know,” he says.

“I think the reasons why we don’t are appropriate.”

“Shouldn’t we try?”

She looks back at him. “What do you think?”

Terra hesitates to say more, as though the spoken word would have made it real. But he does anyway. “When the Guardian is near me, I feel like things are finally beginning to correct themselves, if that makes sense. I’m finding new meaning about what I went through every day. I trust myself more. I think… I’ve never been in one piece ever since I came back, and if we had the ability to expect that would happen, we would’ve known better.”

Aqua swallows. “How many pieces are you in?”

“I’m whole. Like cut slices of a pie.”

Aqua sighs and leans on a-slice-of-Terra’s shoulder. She takes the apple but she also won’t take a bite. “I’ll think about it.”

Terra lets her rest. Ven is laughing. His best friends under one bright sky, with a safe place to stay. He forgets about the scar on his chest until he scratches it and trips over the knots. It’s changed, not anymore a five-pointed star but three that connect less like a constellation and more like mounds of infected insect bites that swell through the veins. He sees them in the mirror. They don’t hurt to touch. They don’t hurt at all.

#wayfinder trio #kh terra #kingdom hearts fanfiction #aqua #ventus #my fic

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valorxdrive · 3 years ago

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do you think sora would ever comment about the time riku tried to kill him? (not ansem!riku, normal riku in kh1, the fight with the "my friends are my power" speech)

You know, I like this question because for a good moment it’d be hard to say.

Throughout the journey of KH1, Sora did get the extending feeling that it was a skewed path that Riku was walking down. From his perspective it was a trudge of loose morals that gradually had him expecting things could go catastrophically wrong. Though, when they actually do, it’s at a scale he never imagined that Riku would proceed to leave him in. (Followed by Donald and Goofy too for that matter.) His time where he’s been stranded mostly alone to stare the gaping maw of horror of a conquered Hollow Bastion will never be forgotten.

Heartless that gained strength as the this Cosmos’s door gradually cracked open, having nothing but a heart lone heart steeling it’s resolve, a wooden sword in hand tied with a courage of a Beast while advancing forward. To dip into a mire of agonized souls due to these being the very grounds were horrible experiments took place--

There was a tangibly burning sensation within his soul and throat that made him sick, being a witness to Riku being the seemingly new head of those operations. Watching your best friend from childhood days distort punctured heavy emotions within Sora. To save ‘Save Kairi’ means that there wasn’t a lick of care that he’s being thrown to the wolves if he was and did accept, compared to packing it up and go home like that final chance was supposed to provide.

Then you go ahead and finally swing it down to that final battle?

Well.

Sora knows there is mistakes thrust into Hearts of those that fall into the sweet seduction of darkness and its inevitably broken promises.

He’s willing but that in itself is a wound he needs to spiritually prepare the both of them to come and handle. Personally, he’d just love to forget that at his most powerless, for a moment Riku found himself prepared to banish him with the coalesced wrath of hellish flames, despite how they want the same thing of saving Kairi and going back home. Lightening it as a joke? It genuinely wouldn’t work for either of them. There’s a conscious knowing of how deep such guilt runs like jaded rivers within his friend. At the same time?

Sora doesn’t want that sadness of a impulsive decision in their larger than life childhood to extend into some visceral anger he’d come to feel.

Having a purpose in where he wants to guide that conversation before anything else comes first. Approaching it callously is a banned stance from him. It needs to be a situation where they could put many of their unspoken deals to rest, especially after finding their plot of peace to actually where it can turn productive, compared to letting it fester if it were to be mentioned anywhere else across their history.

#Anon #| Bottle Mail #| HCs #Hey Anon?? Great post.#Thanks for reeling this bad boy in

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turnupswritessometimes · 4 years ago

Text

Yours, Always - SoRiku

Title: Yours, Always

Chapters: 1 + 2

Word Count: 9381

Summary: The letter seemed to fall from the sky. It was rolled up, into a scroll, and landed right in front of Sora’s shoes. He stopped short, staring at it. Donald turned back, as soon as he realised Sora had fallen behind. He frowned. “What are you waiting for?” “There’s a –” Sora pointed to the letter, then up. There wasn’t even a cloud in the sky. Only paper, apparently. “It came from up there.” *** King Mickey suggests that Riku writes letters to his tie to light. He chooses Sora. As they write back and forth, they start to untangle friendship from something deeper.

A03 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29115582

Yours, Always

The letter seemed to fall from the sky. It was rolled up, into a scroll, and landed right in front of Sora’s shoes. He stopped short, staring at it.

Donald turned back, as soon as he realised Sora had fallen behind. He frowned. “What are you waiting for?”

“There’s a –” Sora pointed to the letter, then up. There wasn’t even a cloud in the sky. Only paper, apparently. “It came from up there.”

“That’s nonsense.”

“It did.” Sora nudged it with his shoe. When it didn’t turn into a heartless, or a monster, he knelt down, and picked it up. It was cold, as though it had been in a fridge.

“But why couldn’t it?” Goofy asked. “There’s plenty of weird things going on.”

Donald turned on him. “Letters don’t just come from nowhere.”

They continued bickering, as Sora turned it over in his hand. There was the King’s seal, on the ribbon, glinting silver in the bright sun. He tried to cover it with his thumb, but Jiminy saw from his shoulder, before he could hide it.

“It’s from the King!”

Donald and Goofy turned to him, a predatory glint in their eyes. They were ready to jump.

“I found it.” Sora held the letter to his chest, protectively.

“You tripped over it,” Donald squawked.

“It’s still mine.” He couldn’t hesitate – he slipped his finger under the seal, and freed it, unfurling the letter and –

He stared, heart thumping. Because it wasn’t from the King.

“Hands off!” He held it high – higher than Donald could reach, and walked backwards. “It’s not from the King – it’s from Riku!”

“Gwarsh, is that the boy that took the keyblade from you?” Goofy asked.

Sora’s stomach clenched. For a moment, it had felt like it had been before. When he and Riku were best friends, and never argued. (Not about anything that mattered, just petty squabbles.) For a moment, he had forgotten Hook’s ship, and Hollow Bastion.

“He closed the door to darkness,” Sora said. “From the other side.” And, at Donald and Goofy’s exchanged, confused glance. “He’s my friend. We’re going to find him. And the King.”

Another exchanged glance. This one with missed pity and understanding. But at least Sora was left alone to read. It was a slightly blocky, awkward script. One that was as familiar as his own –

Sora,

Mickey said I should write this. I suppose you’d call him King Mickey. I try to call him Your Majesty. It feels weird. We’re both – alive. In the Realm of Darkness. It’s not as cold as it sounds, but there are heartless everywhere. Mickey’s good with a keyblade. It looks like yours.

Mine is different.

But, anyway, Mickey said to write to someone who would anchor me to the world of light. That it would help keep the darkness at bay. It looks like that’s going to be a never-ending battle. He said Kairi, since we worked so hard to get her heart back. So she must be important to me. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you, instead. It used to be just us, on the island. Do you remember that? I think it’s because of that, that I can’t write to her. She doesn’t understand, not everything. And I – wouldn’t know what to say to her – after –

You showed her our secret place, didn’t you?

I can’t be angry about something like that. Not after what I did. That’s also why I wanted to write to you, and couldn’t write to her. Because I’m sorry for – all of that. When the island fell into darkness, I woke up at Hollow Bastion, where we met again. Of course I wanted to find the both of you. Maleficent said she could help – but that you’d already moved on. I didn’t believe that, not at first – but, I thought – that I would be clever and double cross her. Pretend to go along with her, just to find you, find out what she was doing, and then stop it from the outside.

Then I found you in Traverse Town. With – Donald and Goofy (? Is that his real name?) – and it felt like what she said could be true. I know you, but that was when she had her hold on me.

Honestly, I wanted to be better than you. Controlling the heartless, and the darkness – I wanted to do it, because I knew you wouldn’t be able to. I thought that I was stronger. I guess I was just like Maleficent, in the end. We didn’t used to be rivals, did we? I don’t want to be, anymore.

I was not manipulated. I chose to take every step.

I don’t know if this will reach you, but I’m glad you and Kairi are safe. Be there for each other, and I’ll be back soon.

Riku

They were all still staring at him. Waiting to see what it said.

Sora thought that his cheeks were hot. He forced himself to smile – it came easily now – and said, “he’s okay! And so’s the King!”

Goofy beamed, and Donald did his best impression to seem unbothered, but it was clear he was excited. He called for them to keep walking, fighting a smile, though none of them knew where they were headed. There was nothing in the distance. Nothing put that same narrow, winding path.

They started again. Sora unfurled the letter and read it again. Someone to tie Riku to the light – his heart jumped and juddered at the thought. Okay. Riku was alive. And okay. In the realm of darkness, but he was strong. Strong enough to get out.

Sora would be there when he did. He wanted to be.

He read the letter half a dozen times before they stopped for the night. So that Riku’s words all but floated in front of him. Every loop of his letters, and haphazard slash across the ‘t’s memorized.

Donald almost burnt their eyebrows off by lighting the campfire. It was enough of a distraction for Sora to find paper and a pencil in their packs.

They ate; fruits they found on the road, and a chicken who’d gotten too close to them. (Too close to a duck for Sora’s liking, but Donald didn’t seem to care.) It was only when Donald and Goofy lay down for the night, that Sora began writing.

“I’m sure Donald and Goofy would have words to add,” a small voice said by his ear. Jiminy. Saying exactly what had been niggling at Sora’s stomach.

“I know,” Sora replied. Looked at the name he had put at the top of the page, and felt his chest ache. “If I get a reply, I’ll tell them and they can add on. It’s just –” That he wanted to be selfish. Just this once. Because it was – “It’s just that it’s Riku. I have so much I need to say. So much that – is just between us.”

His face felt warm, as he glanced over at his sleeping friends. Because they were friends, but what he had with Riku was different. He felt almost – shy – about it. So just this once, he would be selfish.

He wrote, in the soft light of the dying fire:

Riku,

I’m so happy you’re alright! I’ve been thinking about you too – a lot. The Realm of Darkness…if anyone can make it out, you and the King can. Donald and Goofy (yes, that’s his real name) are so excited that he’s okay too. I can’t wait to see your keyblade. I never made it back to the Islands. But Kairi’s there. She’ll be safe, now that the keyholes are sealed.

Of course I remember when it was just us. It felt like the whole island was ours. I thought about that, at Hollow Bastion, after I’d taken… The Beast’s roars reminded me of when we were in our secret place, and you told me the wind was a monster. You said we could beat anything, if we were together.

I still believe that.

Kairi found our secret place, rather than me showing it to her. But you’re right, I let her in. It must have been so hard for her – to be somewhere that wasn’t her home, with strange children, that I thought giving her just a small piece of ours would help. I should have checked with you though – you’re the Captain of the Raft, right?

You never let me finish, in Traverse Town. I was going to invite you with us. Donald and Goofy (yes, his real name), are great – but they’re not you, Riku. I could never think of exploring anywhere without you. I don’t know when we became rivals, but I don’t want to be, either. I prefer being friends.

You did the right thing in the end. And if Maleficent ever comes back, we’ll kick her butt together.

See you soon,

Sora

He slept with the letter under his bedroll. The crinkle of the paper, as he turned his head, seemed to help him sleep.

And when he woke up in the morning, it was gone.

The letter looked like it was shining, in the blackness all around it.

Riku caught it, as it fell. For a moment, he couldn’t believe he was seeing colour. Everything here was dark. It was shadows upon shadows, and even the King was hard to separate from it all, sometimes.

Now here was a letter. And he knew, the moment he caught it, who it was from. No envelope, of course.

King Mickey was ahead of him. Now he stopped and turned back. Smiled. “I told you your letter would make it to him.”

“That wasn’t what I doubted,” Riku replied. He smiled, thumb drawing across the chicken scratch writing. Sora barely wrote, back home. “I didn’t think I’d get a reply.”

Partly because of what he’d done. He would understand if Sora didn’t want to talk to him. But mostly because he’d figured Sora would be busy. Or forget. At least take a day to write back. Unless it had been a day. It was so hard to tell here.

“Well,” Mickey continued. “You must have chosen the right person to write to.”

Riku’s stomach felt strange. Because it should have been Kairi. He’d wanted to save her heart. She was the one he and Sora both – in all of their games, she was the princess in the castle. But he had written to Sora. And it had been Sora’s letter that had made him feel, just for a moment, like he was back in the world of light.

Besides, Mickey said Sora was the right person to write to.

Mickey was watching him. Still smiling encouragingly. He had to do that a lot. Riku’s confidence wasn’t what it used to be.

He smiled back, and went to slip the letter into his pocket –

“I think here’s a good place to rest, for a bit.” Mickey stepped back towards him, and took a seat. He was not subtle.

But then, Riku thought, as he lowered himself to the ground, neither was Sora.

He took a look at the letter – and his heart stopped. “He didn’t make it back.”

“What?”

“He never made it back to the island. But he’s with Donald. And Goofy.”

“If he’s with those two –”

“Then I know he’ll be alright.” They’d done pretty well together so far, anyway.

Mickey nodded at him. Looking almost – proud? It was a strange thought. He nodded back, then turned his attention onto the letter. His heart pounded, slightly painfully, as he read. Which was silly, because it was only Sora. It must have been because he was beyond this, Riku reasoned. To hear from anyone, after being in here, was exciting.

There was not quite an ‘I forgive you,’ but Riku hadn’t hoped for that. The last sentence was more than he deserved. Spoke of moving on, rather than dwelling in what happened. And that was so very him. Kairi would have said that she forgave him, even if she did not mean it, because she’d think it would be what Riku wanted to hear. But maybe that wasn’t what he needed.

Captain of the Raft. That sounded so childish now. They had been stupid to think they could get anywhere on that thing. A pang of homesickness went through him. For the Destiny Islands they both remembered. For being small. For their secret place.

The only way to lessen that ache, was to write back.

Sora,

Where are you? Do you know? If we were still rivals, I’d say race you back home. But we’re best friends, instead, so I’ll say be careful, instead. We’re doing alright. Mickey says we’ll find our way back to the light soon. I hope so. It’s cold here.

I remember that too. You always believed anything I said to you. But that second part, that was probably true. I don’t think anything could win against the two of us. Not now that we both have keyblades, anyway.

I also remember that you were scared of a lot. Like shooting stars hitting the island. And the Kraken. I said I’d protect you. Guess I haven’t been doing a very good job lately.

And I guessed that you would invite me along, when we met in Traverse Town. I suppose that I didn’t like seeing you do so well on your own. We never did anything alone, and it was always you pestering me to go with you somewhere. I didn’t like the thought that you might not need me.

The duck didn’t seem to like me very much, either.

Don’t worry about Maleficent. She’s not going to want to take on the great hero again. (Which pales in comparison to Raft Captain, by the way.) I wonder how things would have turned out, if I came with you. Things would have been easier, I guess. Would I be able to fly, like you did? It looked fun. That puppet would have had an easier time too. How did he have a heart?

Guess I’ve still got a lot to learn, about that stuff. Maybe you could teach

Kairi will be fine. On the island. We taught her how to take care of herself, on there. Though, she will shout at us both if we keep her waiting too long. (You more than me. She’ll worry about you more.)

I’ll see you soon. And we’ll go home together.

Riku

The second letter came in the same way. At least it landed on Sora’s head, as he was just waking up. That was good. It meant that he didn’t have to keep it away from Donald and Goofy – who were collecting berries for breakfast, and having a lay in, respectively.

He read it quickly, and his heart ached. So much that he had to breathe shallowly, to ease the pain. Riku was in the Realm of Darkness. It was cold. And he was full of regret. Must have been thinking of all the adventures they’d missed out on together. Real adventures this time, not just two children running down the beach, and pretending it was a snowy mountain, or the inside of a volcano.

Sora should have told him that he forgave him for it. That he had never stopped believing that Riku would be good, in the end. But he hadn’t been able to write that. Because he still remembered when Riku looked like Riku, but had been cruel. Had set heartless on him, and tossed a wooden sword at his feet.

It was worse, because he had recognised those looks. The narrowing of his eyes and his smirk. For the last year or so, he’d looked at Sora like that more and more. Rivals. He’d been able to see the road Riku was walking, as if it was inevitable that he would turn on him. That he would hate Sora.

The fact that he didn’t. That he still remembered the island, and had still wanted to travel with him, was why his chest hurt so much. Riku was still there. His best friend.

Jiminy had climbed up onto his knee. Watching him.

“I missed him so much,” Sora whispered. And realised that his eyes were damp. “I miss him, now.”

A tiny, green hand, patted him. “I’m sure he feels the same. Otherwise he wouldn’t have replied so quickly.”

Sora nodded. Wiped his eyes and took a breath to dislodge the heavy feeling. He read the letter again. Riku was alive – and worried about him. The thought made him smile.

“Are you going to tell the other two, this time?” Jiminy asked.

Sora paused. It was all so – private. Stuff between him and Riku, from a long ago time. They didn’t need to know. Definitely not about him being scared of shooting stars.

“Sort of,” he managed. “They can write back to the King, but they – they don’t need to know everything.”

Jiminy smiled at him. As though he could guess what he was thinking. Almost, in a similar way, to when Kairi was mentioned. They’d all look at him then. Tease him about his sweetheart.

Sora didn’t know how to say that he had barely thought about her since they’d set out again. It felt mean. But he knew where she was. She was safe.

He wrote back, as they ate breakfast, and managed to smear juice on the page, in several splatters.

Riku,

I’d send you a blanket if I could. Or a jacket. That would be more practical, wouldn’t it? It never used to get cold at home. It’s cold at night, here, and I don’t like it. We don’t know where ‘here’ is. There’s just – a path. It’s very green all around, but there aren’t any trees. There’s just hills for miles. Its not the strangest world we’ve been to. There’s a castle in the distance, we’re headed to. You head there too, okay?

It was definitely you scared of the shooting stars, and definitely me saying I would protect you. But I haven’t done a great job of that, either. (Oh, and the kraken is real, by the way.) Do these letters help? I’ll keep writing to you, if they do.

Of course I need you. I thought of you – everywhere we went, I wondered what you would think of every world we went to. Everyone we met. When we find each other again, I’ll take you everywhere, and introduce you to everyone. You’d like Leon, in Traverse Town. Don’t worry about Donald, he’s a grump, but he’s a big softy once you get to know him.

I guess we won’t be able to, now. We’ll have to go back to the islands.

Raft Captain is not better than Great Hero (which I’m not) – I would say they’re equal. And that Raft Captains can fly. All it takes is faith, trust and pixie dust. And I have faith for you, so that’s one part taken care of. (It is fun! It’s amazing!)

Pinocchio had a heart, because his father gave him one. When he was created, he treated Pinocchio like he had one, so of course he did. What I can’t understand is how the skeleton we met in Halloween Town had a heart? Where would he keep it?

Kairi might be more worried about me, but I’m more worried than her about you, I’m sure. Hurry and come back so that we can beat all the monsters together.

See you really soon, Riku!

Sora

(P.S That’s just berry juice.)

(P.P.S Donald and Goofy have attached a letter to the King.)

Maybe the letter writing wasn’t a good idea, Riku thought. Because now he was constantly on edge, waiting for the next one. A glimmer of white against the nothingness. It wasn’t so much what the response said, as long as it came. That meant that Sora was alright. Alive. It meant that he was as well.

It was so hard to tell how long it had been. They fought, several skirmishes, until there had been enough light from King Mickey’s keyblade to keep the heartless wary of them. At least, for a bit.

Riku’s keyblade didn’t give off light.

They kept walking. As though there was a path in front of them, they simply couldn’t see. Every so often, they would stop, as though they’d come to a fork in the road, and wait for a moment. Often, they would decide on the same way. A slight bit to the left, or right. (Never backwards.) Sometimes, Riku felt differently to the King.

But he’d trust Riku. And follow him.

“The light in your heart is strong,” Mickey said. “It has to be, to have faced Ansem and won.”

It certainly didn’t feel like winning.

When the reply finally did come – he snatched it up eagerly. And his stomach lurched as he saw the stains on it, eyes frantically taking in the letters until he saw, at the bottom, that Sora was just as messy as he’d always been.

“Is Sora alright?” Mickey asked. He must have seen Riku’s expression.

He nodded. Separated the sleeves of paper from each other, and handed one over.

“This is for you.”

The King looked surprised. Then pleased, as he took it.

It was decided that they were in a good place to rest. It was not as though there was anywhere better. Or that they had any kind of camp to put up. So, he sat next to King Mickey, and read the letter. Slowly, and properly.

His heart raced. So fast, that it hurt. That Sora was lost, and not admitting it. That he needed Riku. Thought about him often – whenever he met someone new. Wanted to protect him right back. More than he wanted to protect Kairi. And he wished, more than ever, that he would have stayed where he was at Traverse Town. Said yes to the offer. Kept quiet about Maleficent, or at least said that he knew something about her plan. That would have been enough.

He said as much to Mickey, when they were both done. Still riding on the wave of longing that came from words from a friend, before they could reply.

“I don’t think you’d be with him now, even if you did that,” Mickey said. He held his letter close to his own chest. “In the end, I think you’d always close the door from this side.”

That was something he hadn’t considered before. But now that he did, he knew it was true. Riku would always close the door to darkness from the other side. He’d never have let Sora do it.

But the rest still mattered, didn’t it? It must do, because Sora wouldn’t talk about it. Only what had happened at the end.

At least he didn’t hate him.

That gave him the courage to write back.

Sora,

The letters help. A lot. It’s easy to lose track of things here, when everything’s so similar to everything else. A jacket would be great. I wish we’d thought to pack those before we left home. But the letters are enough. Where you are sounds nice. I’m sure you can use magic to keep yourself warm. You’ve picked up all sorts of tricks.

I think I’d like to meet everyone you met, even if I do have a lot of apologising still to do. Not everyone’s like you. No one is. Even if we go back to the islands, I have a feeling we won’t stay there for long. The keyblade is always needed, even if the keyholes are sealed. And we’ll fly, together, one day. (I trust you, so that’s another part covered.)

Not sure that I get the heart thing, still. How can a puppet be alive? He was made with wood, by a man. I hope none of the carvings we did as kids would ever grow a heart. But a skeleton would still have a ribcage for his heart to be in, dummy. I’m surprised you didn’t need me there for that, too.

Don’t worry about me. I’m doing fine. Take care of yourself first.

I’ll aim for the castle, and meet you there. If we were still rivals, I would say that I’d race you there. But instead, I’ll be there as soon as I can. I can’t promise on anything, that it will be very soon, because I have nothing to give you.

I hope its not too long now,

Riku

Sora rolled his eyes, when he reached the bottom of the letter.

As if holding the promise they’d see each other again in their hearts wasn’t strong enough.

It was over. Another adventure. It mirrored the first, in a way. The adventure was done.

And Riku had been too late. At least, and it was a meagre silver lining, he hadn’t guaranteed he would. He’d missed Sora, completely. Now he was asleep – and who knew if he even remembered Riku?

So it had been better not to promise, after all.

Diz couldn’t tell Riku how long it would be before Sora woke up again. He just couldn’t make a guess. That meant a while. He didn’t want to tell Riku it would be a while.

He sat on the lowest floor of Castle Oblivion – that stupid castle that Sora was so desperate to get to – facing the pods. He could see Sora inside, his lashes casting dark, spidery shadows over his cheeks. He looked paler than usual, in there. His skin almost white, mouth almost colourless. Even his hair didn’t look as dark.

But then, what would he think of Riku? Sat in a blindfold that made everything dark, and difficult to see clearly.

At least he could see well enough to write. It would be messy, but Sora had to know all that happened. Why Riku hadn’t been able to meet him after all, and what the plan was, when he woke up.

And, perhaps it would help. Just like when he was stuck in the realm of darkness, it could help Riku fight the darkness off. Sora had always been his beacon of light.

So Riku started to write to him. And he continued to write. Not everyday. But often.

Sora found the letters when he opened up his pack, to get lunch out. Immediately, he panicked, because it was actually Hayner’s backpack, on loan, and he didn’t want to even accidentally snoop into his stuff.

But then he saw his name. Saw his name, and realised he’d recognise that handwriting anywhere.

Riku. It was Riku. He must have been writing from wherever he was now. Just like before.

Donald and Goofy were busy with their own lunches. Pulling out cheese rolls, apples and oranges, and wrapped ice cream bars.

“They would want to know,” a little voice said on his shoulder. Jiminy. Guessing exactly what Sora was thinking.

“Only if he mentions the King,” Sora whispered, thumbing through the pages. There were a lot. He must have been writing all the time whilst he’d been asleep.

“You don’t really think that.” Jiminy was quiet. But he didn’t shout for their attention, and he didn’t stop Sora pulling the sheaf of letters out. Maybe he also understood that Sora wasn’t ready to share it with them quite yet. There was something about the letters – the fact that they were from Riku – that was very special. Private. They were only intended for him. From his best friend.

So he would tell them later. They had a very long train journey, ahead of them, after all.

Sora,

I have to apologize to you. Again. I made it to the castle. It was where we came out of the Realm of Darkness from. The King and I were at the top and you three were at the bottom. I didn’t get to you in time.

You probably won’t remember what happened there. A girl called Naminé has had to send you to sleep, to put your memories back together. She was forced to alter them in the first place. I think you understood why. She told me as much as she could, about what you did at Castle Oblivion, so I’ve written it here.

It went on for a page and a half, Riku account. A strange, sickening feeling sat in Sora’s stomach as he read, as though he missed a step on the stairs, and was falling down. The feeling didn’t stop, as though his fall wasn’t stopping. He had done those things – the things Riku had written. But he had no memory of them, just like he said. Thinking about them made his mind feel fuzzy. It wasn’t even as though they were out of reach, or he felt a sense of déjà vu. It was just – nothing.

But it had happened. It must have, for him to wake up where he did. His memory had been – changed. By someone he didn’t even remember. Someone he must have trusted. Yet – now – now – now –

“I’ll write it down in the journal,” Jiminy murmured.

Sora kept reading. His heart started and juddered uncomfortably, like a racehorse. He fought to ignore it.

There’s nothing we can do, except wait for Naminé to finish her work. I’ve been travelling to other worlds. Still trying to find a way to conquer the darkness in me. Its harder, without you.

Its not so weird to see you always sleeping. That was how it was on the island, right? Whenever we’d work on the raft, you’d take a nap on the beach. Now, I just keep expecting you to wake up and laugh and apologize.

I want to be there, when you wake up.

Riku

He kept flipping through the letters, in succession, because it was easier to keep reading, keep filling his mind with Riku’s words, than dwell on how he was feeling.

Sora,

I’m still trying to understand the heart thing, like you do. I’ve been travelling to worlds with less humans. More – animals. The kind that talk, like Donald and Goofy. Although I try not to be spotted – Diz says its better that way, to preserve the world order – I’ve met a lot of people creatures friends, you’d call them. I don’t have your knack for making everyone adore you in five minutes, but I think I’m doing alright.

You’re the same. Naminé says there’s a small complication in restoring your memories. We don’t know what that could be yet. It could be to do with when you lost your heart.

Whatever it is, I’ll sort it. Keep slacking off, and I’ll see you soon,

Riku

Sora,

I met a man who’d turned into a bear. He chose to stay that way. Because he met a bear cub. They became brothers. And he knew he had to stay a bear to look after him, instead of transform back. He went back on everything he was taught – everything he believed – because his heart connected with that little bear’s.

I’ve been thinking on transformations a lot. I’m not completely free of the darkness yet. If I’m not careful –

Naminé thinks she knows the problem with your memories. You released your heart from your body, so it stands to reason that you have a nobody. That’s the shell that’s left behind, when heartless are created. We don’t know if you have one for sure. But we’re looking. If there is – and that’s the reason you can’t –

The King is here. He’s a big help. He misses Donald and Goofy terribly. We talk about our memories with you to each other. It is meant to help, but it makes my chest ache.

I also went to a forest. There were hunters there. For the deer. They were scared of me too. They must have thought I had a gun. I didn't chase them. I hid for a while, in the undergrowth, until they came back. And I just - watched. A deer and a rabbit and a skunk all came by. Together. Like they were friends. They played around for a bit, until the stag came. He was - incredible. Silent and graceful and - he looked so powerful. Like the was the King of the whole forest.

You wouldn't have been able to stay still long enough, I bet.

It's weird seeing you so still now. You usually stretch and wiggle and kick out in your sleep. You used to kick me straight out of the bed if we shared as kids. Do you remember that?

I miss you,

Riku

Sora,

You've faced some of Organisation 13 before. I don't know if they'll be there when you wake up. But we think they're the reason you're still asleep. They're up to something. We I'm going to find out what.

If you do have a nobody, and he does get your memories, then I won't have a choice. I'll have to -

I'm still travelling. I try not to go to worlds you've been too. You said we'd go back together, so I'll wait. It's been a while now. Maybe a month. I don't want to count the days.

But I have seen some familiar faces. The Beast (did he ever have a name?) from Hollow Bastion. He has a castle. Its tall and gothic. The kind of place that should have lightning behind it. There are rose bushes around the back. He’s not the strangest one there. The servants – they’re all furniture. It must be hard for them. And him. And the girl who lives there. Belle. She was one of the Princesses of Heart.

I went to other worlds the Princesses of Heart lived in. More forests. The animals seemed afraid of me, in one, at first, but I told them not to be. Apologised, because I look –

They came right up then. Tried to lead me into a little cottage, and I mean a little cottage. I’d have to stoop to get in the door. (I suppose that means you’d get in alright.) I told them I couldn’t. We’re not meant to interfere with the worlds, but I’m not really up to speaking to anyone right now. But I did look in the window. The house was little because dwarves lived there.

There was another forest. In the world Maleficent came from. It seems a lot darker, even though there are just as many animals there, and they’re much friendlier. Maybe it was just my imagination. Knowing that she came from there.

These worlds are okay. But it just feels like I’m killing time. Waiting for you. I wish you were here, so we could go to new worlds. Like we always talked about. Together.

We were supposed to meet at Castle Oblivion. But I was late, that time.

Sleep well,

Riku

Sora,

The Organisation is snooping around Agrabah. Wonderland too. It’s like some strange game. They’re trying not to be seen by anyone, and I’m trying not to be seen by them. Half of them keep their hoods up, so I can’t tell which is which.

You’ve been to both of those places, right? I bet you liked Wonderland, huh? And I bet you loved getting sand in your shoes again in Agrabah. It would have reminded you of home.

I thought about going back. Telling Kairi. But Naminé says her memories got confused too, and it might confuse her. I’m sorry.

Diz – he’s the guy tracking the organisation with me. He knows the King. They’re friends. He can be trusted – he sent me back to the forest that Maleficent came from. There are fairies there. (They know Yen Sid, too. He trains keyblade wielders. And holds the Mark of Mastery Exam for them. Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you.) Anyway, they told me about what happened in their world. Maleficent wanted to destroy it there too. She controlled the Unverse at the time. (They don’t exist anymore.) She put a curse on the Princess – you must have met her too – when she was born, that she would prick her finger and die. One of the fairies changed it, so that she would only be sleeping. And it did happen. But there was a Prince. He kissed her. She woke up.

They were very excited to tell me all of this. And how happy the Princess was now. Because it was all so romantic. I suppose it is.

It made me – not angry – just –

Naminé’s making progress with your memories. She’s working hard. I’m keeping her company, whenever I can, but she likes to work alone. I guess we’re similar that way.

Missing you,

Riku

Sora,

I went back to the forest, with the dwarves. There was a girl with them, this time. Very pretty, like Kairi. They were talking, and I didn’t mean to listen in, but the bluebirds were tugging at my hair, trying to get me to knock, and I just – heard it.

She’d been asleep too. A poison apple, from a witch. A Prince found her, apparently they’d met before, and he kissed her. She woke up.

All these Princesses are falling asleep, and there just always happens to be a Prince who can save them.

Then there’s you. And I know its different, that you’re not under a curse, and you’re not a Princess, but I still wonder –

I mean – does it have to be a Prince? It’s not normally the boys asleep, so if it is him asleep, would the Princess work instead? Or does it still have to be -? I’m not much of a Prince, anyhow. It’s a silly idea, when we know how to make it right. With ‘witchcraft,’ not true love.

Kissing used to seem like a really gross idea, didn’t it? But they aren’t much older than us, and I wonder –

Wake up soon, sleepyhead.

Riku

Kissing. The thought of kissing – Riku was right, it had seemed like a gross, silly thing to do for years. He remembered when they were all small, when Selphie and Tidus pressed their mouths against each others, behind the big tree on the island, just for a second. Comically puckered. He and Riku had pulled faces.

Riku had teased him about kissing Kairi one day. But he knew that Riku didn’t want to. His nose wrinkled, just slightly, when he said it, and it gave him away. Sora hadn’t known what to think. It still seemed bizarre. He supposed he’d thought – when the moment was right – that it would all just click into place. He’d understand.

Maybe he would prefer to be asleep. So that he didn’t need to think or worry about it.

He’d pulled the letters closer to him, so that Jiminy slipped off of his shoulder and couldn’t see. It made him feel bad, especially as Jiminy tapped him with his umbrella, and told him it was important he recorded it all. For posterity.

But Riku was writing – well, Sora’s face felt hot. Because he’d always thought that Riku looked like a Prince from a fairy tale. With his snowy-white hair and green-blue eyes, he just – fit. Especially when those eyes were gleaming, and he was smirking at Sora, offering him a hand up.

If Riku was like a Prince – his face burned – with the thought of kissing –

No. Waking up. Waking up to Riku bent over him, silver hair like a curtain to hide the both of them. Eyes like the sea at home, glinting at him. Laughing, because Sora had been slacking off again.

That wouldn’t be – awful.

It wouldn’t be the same as Kairi.

But he’d feel less embarrassed if it was Riku. He’d known him for so long. With Kairi, he always felt slightly awkward, slightly unsure. As if he had to include her, to make up for lost time, so that she didn’t feel bad.

If it was Riku, they'd probably laugh about it. Joke about how they had always been so close.

But they might not.

They might - have a moment- where they just - looked at each other - and - there would be an - oh - that was how it went. In these other worlds. He tried to imagine that, how that “oh, it’s you,” moment felt. Racing hearts, surely, and happy laughter. The feeling that everything that was missing just falling into place.

His chest did something strange. And he had been thinking of Riku. Not Kairi.

“Gwarsh, should we open a window?” Goofy asked.

They were all looking at him. He blinked back.

“I know who you’re thinking about.” Donald smiled, and they exchanged knowing looks.

But they didn’t. They thought Sora was thinking about Kairi. And he wasn’t. He forced himself to give a meek smile, to let them keep thinking that. He looked out of the window, trying to think of ice cubes and snow, to help him cool down. Trying not to think of Riku.

Yet, he wasn’t finished with the letters. And he had to read them all. They might hold a clue as to where Riku was now. They might be able to find him.

What if he was asleep this time? Would Sora have to –

He turned back to the letters before he could finish the thought.

The next letter was strange. There were gaps. Just plain parchment instead of Riku’s neat handwriting. It wasn’t crossed out, like the other ones. It was simply as though he hadn’t written anything there at all.

He showed parts of this to Jiminy, explaining that the letters wouldn't be helpful towards the journal after all. That got Donald and Goofy's attention. They noticed the letters for the first time.

But they didn't try to snatch them away. They left him to it, after giving him a curious glance, playing I Spy, because good friends knew when others needed space.

Sora still tried to read what he could. His heart had crept steadily, all the way up to his mouth. It stayed there, heavy, as he took in what Riku had written.

Sora,

Naminé has found a problem. There’s a – with your memories. And whilst – has your memories, you can’t wake up. Obviously, we don’t want to hurt –

But Sora, if it comes to you or – then I’ll do whatever I have to. Every time. You’re my best friend. And I can’t leave you like this.

They’re Nobodies. Diz says they don’t have emotions. That they can’t feel. So – hopefully it won’t come to that.

I will save you. I promise.

Riku

The following letters were similar. Missing words. Some whole sentences. But Sora could still get the gist. Riku had done whatever he’d had to in order to wake Sora up. That included hurting others. It gave him that strange, wobbly feeling as reading through what had happened at Castle Oblivion did. A feeling of unbalance. Because that wasn’t like Riku.

Or was it? He’d always been determined. Ready to do whatever he needed to get something done. It was different when it was tricking Wakka into loaning them tools for the raft. But when it was hurting someone – really hurting someone – it was different.

But he’d done it for Sora. To save Sora. Because it was the only way he could see to do that. And he couldn’t hate Riku for caring about him. He needed to tell him that.

He had to find Riku.

There were a couple of pages that had been crumpled up. Scribbled over, so that they were hard to read. They were probably not meant to have been included, much less read. But if they held any clues, then – it was worth a try. There were a lot of 'miss yous.' Sora smoothed out one, bringing it close to his face to read it better.

I know your name means sky but I've always thought you had eyes like the sea. Full of other worlds and possibilities. I keep - thinking about your eyes. I guess because they're always closed. I remember them being big and bright and - so ready for whatever you would find. We lost our home before Traverse Town. Our whole lives were turned upside down. Kairi was missing. But you still looked like you were full of wonder.

Maybe I told a lie before. Maybe I was so angry with you because I was a little jealous. Or maybe -

I liked looking at you. And I knew I shouldn't.

I don't think I can ask Mickey about this.

But I don't know what to do with all these feelings in my chest. They seem to grow and tangle up and get confused the longer you're asleep.

Come back soon.

Riku

Sora's cheeks felt warm. Boiling. So - this was what Riku thought. Of him.

I think I understand how those Princes feel. Only – you’re not a Princess, of course.

But I don’t think I could kiss Kairi. She’s a friend, but –

We’re friends now. Not rivals. And I like being your friend a lot, but I also –

I feel different, when I look at you.

Maybe it’s because you’ve gotten taller. Less of a half-pint, but still not a full one. Your face has changed too. It’s less – roundish – in a good way. Less puppy fat. So you look – cool. Like a keyblade weilder.

Almost. You still have awful fashion sense. And your clothes look a bit small now.

Sora tugged at his shorts, self-conscious. Very self-conscious. Had he really changed that much? He hadn’t even done anything. Just slept.

I miss your laugh too. You always used to laugh like there was nothing wrong, and nothing could ever be wrong. You used to laugh so much, too. And it was so hard not to laugh with you, when you filled the air with your brightness. Your smile was bright too. As bright as the sun. There you are. Sea, sky, sun.

Sounds a lot like home.

We’ll go back there. You and me. I don’t want to make it a promise, in case I can’t keep it.

Yours,

Riku

There was a warmth in Sora. Not the same hot, embarrassed feeling on his face. This was a good warmth, in his chest. In his heart. Maybe that was just how it felt to have good friends. Ones you wanted to see again.

Maybe it was something more. But he didn’t know enough about that to say for certain.

Well, whatever. He could figure it out when he was with Riku. He could ask about these letters, and what, exactly, they all meant.

He was smiling, he realised. Yeah, he’d have a few things to say to Riku.

The end of the letters was abrupt.

Sora,

There's still a lot to fix. I won't be there, when you wake up. But you will. Wake up, I mean. I've made sure of it.

Yours, always,

Riku

That warm feeling grew into an ache. Riku hadn’t told him where he was. He’d gone off, without him. After all of those letters – he was just going to leave.

Fine, then. Sora would just have to find him. He’d keep the letters. Track Riku back down. And tell him –

He would figure out what to say later. When his cheeks weren’t burning, and his chest was not about to burst open.

But he would see Riku again. He would make sure of that.

So much happened so quickly. All in one day, he found out Riku’s appearance, which then went back to normal anyway, then they were all fighting, more fighting – and then the realm of darkness. It was a moment of peace, after a huge storm.

It could have been the right time to ask. But every part of Sora had been throbbing with a dull pain. That last fight with Xemnas had left him feeling exhausted, all the way through. So they’d sat – laid – on the beach, and tried to get their strength back. If it could ever come back in the Realm of Darkness.

And he’d just been about to ask – really – he’d been about to bring it up – when the bottled letter came through. Letters, again. This one had brought them both back to Destiny Islands.

Riku had said it was for him. He wasn’t sure. Maybe he was right. But Kairi had forgotten him once – it hadn’t been her fault, and still –

It could have been for either of them. Or both of them.

In the end, it was a few days after it all, when they were both sat on the beach. Kairi was with Selphie. They spent a lot of time together, now. That was good.

Riku had found a stick. He drew in the sand with it. Keys, crowns, the heartless symbol.

Before – before everything – Sora would take a nap. Now, he’d been asleep too long. He felt like racing, or sword fighting, but that all seemed odd now. Something that children did. Once you’d been fighting for your life, it felt strange to do it on the safety of a beach, where the worst that could happen was a splinter.

So, he sat up in the sand, nudged Riku’s foot with his own, and forced the words out before he could think twice about it.

“I got your letters.”

There it was. He’d started. And he would have to finish.

“My – letters?” Riku looked up. There was a line between his eyes, as he frowned. “You mean from before Castle Oblivion?”

It was understandable, why he was finding it hard to remember. Castle Oblivion felt like a lifetime ago. Sora remembered that part clearly, then there was a muddled gap of half-memories. Things that he knew happened, and if he thought enough, could imagine, but couldn’t be sure were real.

He tried not to dwell on that.

“And after.”

Riku kept looking at him. Unmoving. But the twig snapped in the stand.

“You weren't supposed to,” he said, and Sora could hear just a flash of panic in his voice. “I didn't send those.”

The fact that Riku was flustered too made it easier for him to smile. “You shouldn't have put my name on them, then.”

Riku hid his face behind his hair – and it was so long now that it veiled most of his pink cheeks from view.

“They were just - just a way to talk to you,” he muttered. “Whilst you were...”

Sora shuffled closer. Just slightly. The sand slipped under his fingers like silk.

“Sleeping,” he finished. It was because his own heart was racing, that the rest slipped out. Because it was so easy to tease Riku. “Like a princess.”

Riku stiffened. All of him. When he spoke, his voice was a hoarse whisper. “How much - how much did you-?”

He felt slightly guilty then. There had been a lot on those letters. A lot of feeling that Riku was trying to figure out. But he wasn’t sorry that he’d read them. He knew. And it wasn’t like Riku was ever going to let it slip.

“Once I started, I couldn’t stop,” he said. “So I read –“

“All of them?” Riku sounded mortified.

His own cheeks felt warm, now. “As much as I could of the scribbled-on ones.”

“Sora!”

Riku stared at him from behind his silver hair, eyes wide, cheeks red.

Sora tried his best to look sheepish. “They had my name on.”

“They were private!” Riku pushed his shoulder.

“I had to. I had to find out where you’d gone.” Sora pushed him back. “You say they were your way of talking to me. It's only the same as telling me.”

“I could never say those things!”

Exactly. Riku would never have told Sora how he felt.

“You wrote them.”

“You’re –“ Riku pounced on him, then. Grabbed a shoulder in either hand and threw his weight on top of him, so that Sora went sprawling in the sand. Stuck on his back. So that he was looking up into blue-green eyes. “You’re awful!”

“But you like my eyes.” Sora was smiling. He couldn’t help it. And he’d meant to be completely teasing, but it fizzled out the longer the more he spoke. Became earnest. “And my laugh. And my smile.”

“Shut up.” Riku’s grip tightened on his shoulders. Then he seemed to realise how soft Sora’s voice had gotten. How his hands were only on Riku’s wrists slightly; little finger just tracing the line of his gloves.

He stared down at him, the sun filtering through his hair so that half his face was in shadow, half in light. Beautiful, really. Riku was beautiful, and of course it didn’t matter if he looked like him or Ansem, but he was glad that it was this Riku he was broaching this subject with.

“I wanted to write back,” he murmured. Their legs were tangled together, but neither of them moved. “But I couldn't think what to say.”

It had taken him so long to figure out what that warm feeling was. That it wasn’t the same as how he felt about Kairi. That it was more than friendship. That there were things about Riku he couldn’t stop thinking about. His smirk. The way his eyes glittered. How he was so strong.

“You didn't have to say anything,” Riku said, hastily. He went to climb off of him, but Sora tightened his grip on Riku’s wrists.

Now that he was here, now that he knew how he felt, it seemed to easy. As though he couldn’t just say it.

“Maybe not.” Sora smiled, again. “Maybe all I should do I fall asleep on the beach.”

It took Riku a second. A long second. He blinked, then seemed to get the meaning, and his eyes went to Sora’s mouth. He bit his own lip. “Would you – well, will you –“

Sora couldn’t help a small laugh then. Only because Riku looked so unbelievably stunned at the possibility of his feelings being reciprocated, when surely it was obvious. He’d always thought the world of Riku.

“I think –“ His fingers skimmed past Riku’s hair – almost on his cheek. “I would like to be awake.”

It was Riku’s turn to smirk. Finally. “For once.”

And Sora’s turn to be flustered. “Hey.”

Riku was still chuckling as he leant closer. His hair really was like a veil. Sora’s heart thundered in his chest, seeming to sit on the end of his tongue. This was it. The thing he’d seen on so many worlds now.

Yet, Riku paused. So close that his breath was warm on Sora’s cheeks.

It was up to him then. He leant up, tilting his head just slightly to get the right angle.

They kissed.

It was a warm and bright thing. Like fireworks in the Summer. Or shooting stars. And when they fell away from each other, Sora’s lips tingled.

Riku kept staring at him. This time, like he was something amazing.

Well, he knew that feeling. Sora’s fingers tangled in Riku’s hair, watching the sun turn it into starlight.

Riku kissed him. They kissed each other. Still trying to figure out what to do when their mouths were together, but enjoying every moment.

Sora managed to sit back up. So they were side by side on the beach, the ocean coming in just enough to send a cold spray onto their toes. Just like the realm of darkness. Though know they faced each other, fingers touching in the sand.

Riku brushed Sora’s hair from his eyes. Brushed sand off his neck.

“I missed you,” Sora whispered. Didn’t really realise he’d said it. “So much.”

Riku raised an eyebrow. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Sora couldn’t look away. “Now you know a little bit of how I felt without you.”

“It’s not a competition.” But if it was, Sora was sure he’d missed Riku more.

Riku only laughed. He nudged him with his shoulder, and Sora meant to nudge him back – but he found his head resting there, instead. He clutched Riku’s hand, staring out at the horizon line.

Their little world. After their big adventure. Everything had changed, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“I’m glad you brought me back.”

Riku rested his head on top of Sora’s. Sighed.

“Always. I’ll always bring you back.”

“Forever yours.”

And Sora only knew he’d actually whispered it out loud, because Riku’s fingers tightened on his own.

#soriku #kh #kingdom hearts #fanfic #fanfiction #kingdom hearts fanfic #turnupswrites #soriku fanfic #soriku fanfiction #sora #riku

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oveliagirlhaditright · 4 years ago

Text

Written for Valentine's Day: Terra keeps being shirtless around Aqua, hoping that it might make her realize her feelings for him and want to start dating. A bit more serious than it sounds. Aqua's point-of-view. Canon compliant. Oneshot. Post-Melody of Memory. Fluff. Humor. Rated T.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29595876

Aqua’s PoV

"Naminé, I need your advice on something..." Aqua told the younger girl, as the two of them sat looking up at the stars in the Land of Departure. "And I hope you can make what’s going on seem more innocent than I’m currently seeing it as," Aqua said, blushing now.

"Of course, Aqua. What is it?" Naminé asked kindly, as she would do to anything

"...I swear Terra's always shirtless around me these days, and I don't know what to make of it! He's like a brother to me, so I want to believe it's nothing, y’know? And I was hoping that talking to you would help me see it that way, since you see the innocence in everything."

But Naminé instantly let Aqua down by giggling. And the dainty way she put a hand over her mouth, and laughed so pearly, reminded Aqua of bubbles on the sea. "Aqua, I think Terra likes you. And I guess it's up to you to decide if you feel the same way or not."

That couldn't be, could it? Sure, they'd kissed that one time... but after that, for certain reasons, Aqua had just assumed that was Terra being a hormonal guy. And Aqua had gotten rid of any feelings she could have had for him, post-haste.

And, of course, it would be when Aqua was trying to prove to Naminé that there was nothing between her and Terra, that the man would show up. And—it really figured, Aqua thought—he was shirtless, dripping in sweat after having sparred with Kairi. And that's what one should have expected from someone in the the Land of Departure, but Aqua still felt flustered... for some reason.

"Hey, Aqua? Do you have any Gatorade? That last sparring session with Kairi really wore me out. I think she's trying to prove something. And you know what? I'm proud of her for it, but exhausted."

"Oh sure, Terra. Let me go look for some." And was Aqua not magicking some right then and there an excuse to leave this awkward situation? Yes.

Aqua made it back into the kitchen as slowly as her feet would carry her, and poured the found drink into a glass, even, to waste even moretime.

To take up another second, Aqua thought about the little two-year-old they had recently adopted, who already seemed to have a connection to the Keyblade. And Aqua beamed for the fact that she was taking well to the cardboard Keyblade they’d made for her. And was already learning how to “fight” with it some.

But with nothing else to do, Aqua finally let herself think back on the time that she and Terra had kissed, as she walked back to him.

"Here you go, Terra," Aqua said, handing her friend the beverage whilst looking anywhere but at him.

Ven, who was now showing Kairi how to run even faster than she already could, wolf-whistled for some reason.

And at that rude hint from Ven, Aqua decided she should face her fear and look into her older brother's face... but was that really how she saw him?

"Aqua, you seem to be acting weird around m-"

Apparently, Aqua wasn't as ready to deal with this as she had thought she was. Because she ended up mumbling, "I'm going to go bake something. Bye!" before just leaving Terra there like he meant absolutely nothing to her.

...

The night before their Mark of Mastery exam... before Ven had come down, Terra and Aqua had already been outside. And somehow and some way, they had ended up kissing. And yes, Terra had been shirtless then too, because he'd come to the summit after going to bed. And Terra slept without a shirt on, apparently.

But Aqua may or may not have given him a sneak peek at the wayfinder charms she had been making for them all... And when Terra had joked that of course they looked like cookies, because she loved baking so much, Aqua had playfully hit Terra... and that had somehow led to her being in his arms and the two of them lip-locking. And, yes: it was every bit as magical as the princesses Aqua would later meet and their princes’ bonds.

But it had ended in disaster... right after Aqua, Terra (and Ventus, too) had had their falling out in Radiant Garden, Aqua had tracked Terra down at the Mirage Arena. He had then decided to hurt her even more than he already had, by saying that he'd never loved her romantically, but had only wanted her for her body.

Later, they had of course made up: in the Keyblade Graveyard twice (once more than a decade ago, and now a year ago), but Aqua had never faulted him for not having feelings for her—as one couldn't control that.

But could it be that Terra did feel for her and had lied about what he’d said in the Mirage of Arena... so when he had been apologizing, he'd also meant to do so for that?

And while Aqua was trying to suss all of this out, she was interrupted by none other than Terra. And, yes: he was shirtless once more. But this time, there seemed to be an excuse for it: he had a massive scar on his chest that needed stitches, which was clearly why he'd come into the infirmary (Aqua was in their right now, because she was trying to use her magic to make some of their medicines even stronger).

"Sorry, Aqua," Terra told the azure-haired girl upon brushing by her to pick up a needle, thread, and some antiseptic. "Sol almost fell off the castle—and I ran and caught her—but in doing so had one of the chains near the mountain go right through my chest."

"Terra!" Aqua exclaimed in pure horror, while she reached for her friend. "I know your Cure spells leave something to be desired, but you don't have to stitch yourself up! Here! Let me heal you. And nice job, saving Sol!"

"Thanks," Terra beamed at Aqua. And at first, she thought he was going to go into a proud fatherly rant about Sol, but instead he seemed to have another train of thought. "Aqua... I think you have feelings for me. Will you admit to that even remotely?"

Thankfully, Aqua wasn't as naive as she was back when Zack asked her out. And not coy or young enough to pretend like she didn't know what Terra was talking about when he said “like”, so she simply told the truth. "Maybe I do... but what of it?"

"'What of it?!' Aqua, we could be happy and together right now. Don't you want that? I don't get why you're shutting me out, after I apologized-"

“Did you really apologize, Terra?! God, give me some time! You really hurt me back then. And you left it open-ended so that I might not even realize you’d tried to say sorry for what happened at the Mirage Arena?! Forgive me if I don’t exactly want to kiss you yet, let alone anything else!” Aqua snapped.

And Terra pulled away from Aqua then, looking like he no longer trusted her to use Curaga on him. And he opened his mouth like he was going to say something… but then he quickly closed it and smiled. “…You’re right, Aqua. And I’m sorry again. I really should have been more clear that I meant to apologize for the things I said in the Mirage Arena… and I wish I could take them all back. I’d say that I subconsciously had realized that Master Xehanort wanted to hurt you and Ven, and was trying to push you away to protect you back then… but I don’t even know if I believe that. Take all the time you need. Or even leave me hanging. The choice is up to you.”

And Terra turned to leave, but not before Aqua let her magic find him to help him.

Terra, whether he realized it or not, had given Aqua a great gift in giving her time to think here. And she planned to do exactly that.

…

It was a little while before Terra broached the subject of “them” again, and Aqua was certainly grateful about it.

Though she continued to see him in normal situations: like as they ran the Land of Departure together and continued to train Ventus, Kairi, and Sol… while Aqua and Terra investigated just how the Land of Departure existed between light and darkness, and as Naminé came over again so Aqua could see if she could use her powers to strengthen the witch’s memory magic, so she might be able to connect to the missing Sora…

But eventually, Terra was curious once more… and yes, he had his shirt off again (and this time, it even made Aqua laugh). But this time, there was a good excuse for it: they were putting a pool into the castle. (And Terra had been good before this, and worn his shirt in all the normal situations they’d been having lately.)

“So, have you made up your mind, Aqua?” Terra asked her now, earnestly. And he took Aqua’s hand into his own when he asked this—as if doing so was the simplest thing in the world; maybe it was—and Aqua found her breath hitching in her throat as he did it. So perhaps this would be easy, after all…

“I have,” Aqua smiled, as she resisted the urge to push Terra back into the pool that he’d just gotten out of. She imagined Kairi might have done that to Sora and/or Riku… but Aqua wasn’t that feisty. Yet. Mayhap she would be soon, for having spent so much time with the younger girl these days.

“And to be honest, Terra… This has been hard for me to wrap my head around. For a while, I was starting to think I saw you as a brother—as a defense mechanism?—but you responding to my anger so gracefully the other day? It showed me just how much you’ve grown. And I like who you were back in the day,.. but I think a love who you are now. But while I do have romantic feelings for you, I wasn’t sure if I had sexual feelings for you… but now I think that I might. And I’d probably be willing to try and have a relationship with you.”

And though Aqua was now looking at Terra with the expression of a love-struck teenager, she was sure, she hated how unfeminine she had just sounded. Or like her feelings for Terra were just a business transaction. Perhaps Terra had been right all those years ago, when he’d said that she was “such a girl” only sometimes…

But then Terra pulled Aqua into a kiss out of the blue. And oh, his hand on her back that was ever slightly going down was good—as was them being pressed flushed against each other, while Terra was shirtless—and the way Terra’s tongue probed Aqua’s mouth in a way she was sure another part of him wanted to was also wonderful; and Aqua felt heat growing in her stomach as they held onto each other and made out even longer. Oh, how Aqua loved that Terra was also sweet—his arms wrapping around her shoulders now, as hers were on his waist—and tasted like sugar.

And when Terra eventually pulled away for air, Aqua knew she was grinning at him like an idiot. But surely it was her turn to act like a silly-goose around him, and not the other way around.

“I think you were right before, Terra,” Aqua told her… boyfriend now, holding both his hands like a young school couple would do—surely taking a page out of Sora and Kairi’s book, as she did so. “Let’s be happy and together. I mean, we pretty much have an adopted daughter in Sol now, so why not go the full nine-yards and get married or something?”

And Sol appeared that very moment, as if to prove Aqua’s words as valid. And she grabbed both of Aqua and Terra’s hands and began pulling them away somewhere.

But Terra kissed Aqua on the head—and oh, how she flushed here—before the two of them could trip over their own two feet after Sol, and made her heart still, like he had been doing since they were teenagers. “Proposal accepted, Aqua.”

Author’s Note: The scene of Terra and Aqua in the Mirage Arena is something I wrote in an old Terqua fic of mine (as is Terra and Aqua kissing the night before their Mark of Mastery, now that I think about it), that I’ve since deleted. And I decided to bring that back here:

)In fact, this entire fic was sort of inspired by that story. Because there was one Terra shirtless scene in that fic. And one reviewer of it loved the story, but thought that was a little fan servicey (LOL)… and I decided to take that up to eleven here, almost as a joke: even though this ended up as a serious story in the end.

The Sol stuff is because I figure Terra and Aqua (and maybe Ven eventually?) will probably start taking up Keyblade apprentices, but I don’t know how young or not young a person is when they’re first taken to the Land of Departure. For this fic, I decided to go with really young for the hell of it (even though I doubt someone would be a potential wielder this young in canon), maybe based on some other KH fanfics I’ve read where that happened. And the little girl being named “Sol” is a reference to Terra and Aqua’s daughter in The Genius Mage’s fic “Birth of the Sun”. “Sol” means “sun” in Latin. And of course, the Wayfinder Trio’s names are Latin.

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