#KH3 spoilers I guess?

[thefreshprinceofjunes]

but a thing of beauty - i know will never fade away and i’ll do my duty - i know somehow i’ll find a way but a thing of beauty will never fade away and i'll do my duty

[luxudidnothingwrong]

While I don’t believe in Demyx MoM I came to that conclusion at like age 13 and that was around the same time I guessed sora would die in KH3… so I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop and reveal that I was momentarily clairvoyant in middle school

[bluesylveon2]

I Walked with You Once Upon a Dream

Summary: Two souls find themselves in Dream World, a place with an endless sea and sky.

Note: royal au, fluff, cameos, and set after Lilia's fic. Dream World is based on Final World from KH3

Warning: not beta read, fem Yuu/reader, mini Book 7 spoiler, and possible ooc characters

Word Count: 2.2k

Masterlist: here, Series Masterlist: here

Yuu opened her eyes to find herself looking at a bright blue sky. 

"This is not my room," Yuu said as she tried to cover her eyes from the light. "What?!" She exclaimed as her fingers ran through the shallow water around her. It looked like she was not in a body of water as the water kept going as far as the eye could see. Despite being in the water, Yuu's clothes were not wet at all. 

"Hello?"

Yuu turned to find a silver star nearby. When did they get there? That star was not there earlier. 

"Who are you?" She asked, inspecting the star.  

"My name is Silver Vanrouge."

"I'm sorry I didn't catch that."

"I said my name is Silver."

Yuu shook her head, and her face turned grim. "I'm sorry I didn't get that. Your voice cut off at your name."" 

"What is your name then?"

"Yuu."

The star(?) shook side to side as if it were saying no. "I didn't get that either. I wonder why…"

The star stayed quiet while Yuu examined the bright floating star again. "You can talk?"

"Of course, I can talk. I'm a human, unlike you."

"What do you mean? You're literally a star." Yuu eyed the star suspiciously. How could something like this be a human? 

"Oh, that's what you look like to me…strange. It must be like that for everyone, then."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that other people, in people's perspectives, will look like stars. It must explain why we can't hear our names. But it seems like we are the only two people here."

Yuu looked left and right only to realize nothing living was around them. They were surrounded by the endless sea and sky. 

"Wait, does this mean we are stuck here?"

"I don't think so. It could only be a temporary thing. What were you doing before you woke up here?"

"I was sleeping."

"So was I. Maybe Father might know something about this place…" The star trailed off. Yuu stared at the star with interest. It had a crystal-like structure, and it reflected the sunlight. Yuu hesitantly reached her hand out to touch it. "Hey, what are you-" 

The moment her hand made contact with it, a bright light came out and blinded her. Yuu shielded her eyes with her arms until it was gone. 

When she opened her eyes, she was on her bed, and the sun was up. 

"Hey, you're back." the star greeted. A few days had passed since the first night, and everything looked the same as when she left. 

"It is nice to see you too. Maybe we can actually hear our names now?"

"Alright, my name is Silver Vanrouge."

"Silver," Yuu let his name roll out out her tongue. "I did not get your last name, but this is an improvement. In that case, I'm Yuu."

"Nice to meet you, Yuu." 

"Did your father ever figure out what this place is?" Yuu asked, looking around the same sky and sea as last night. 

Silver nodded. "My Father once read about it. He told me that it is a fixed place called the Dream World, meaning that the scenery cannot be changed, and only a few people can access it when they sleep."

"I see. I need to find a book about this place. I am only confused about why we are the ones here. Why is no one else here?"

"Father said it is unique to the two people who enter it. He was grinning while explaining it but did not explain why."

Yuu hummed in thought and sat down on the water. Her clothes showed no sign of being wet. "I see. So I guess if we want to reveal ourselves more, then we should start talking."

"I agree." Silver floated down next to Yuu. "We can start with telling something interesting about ourselves. My father, who adopted me as a baby, is a famous fae general."

"But aren't you a human?"

"Yes. I figured out we were different when I was a child, but we have come a long way. Now I have two parents, and they are both faces."

Yuu's mouth pressed together in a thin line. "I'm sorry if this sounds personal, but aren't you afraid of them outliving you."

"It's alright. I don't mind sharing." Silver's star had a red hue to it. "My father and I used to be worried about that. I often asked myself, how will Father handle me not being there when I go?" The star lightened up to a magenta color. "One day, he sat down with me and said, 'Silver, you cannot worry about the future. Focus on spending time with the people around you. You may not be with me one day, but you will live through memories.'"

Yuu smiled; her heart warmed up, thinking about Silver and his father. "Your father sounds like a wonderful person."

"I'm proud to be his son, now and forever." Silver's star went back to it's silver color. "So, what are your parents like?"

"My parents are human, unlike yours. I was born in Sunset Savanna but grew up in the Land of Scalding Sands."

Yuu did not know why, but she sensed that Silver was smiling. "I know someone from there. His name is Kalim."

Yuu's eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, I know of him. I never met him, but his family plays an important role in Silk City. So, did you grow up in Briar Valley? I hear most fae come from there."

"I do. I live in the castle as a knight for the King."

Yuu's eyes widen in interest. Every story of Briar Valley she heard of made it sound like a mystery, where the King never stepped out of the country. However, she had heard rumors that the King once visited Silk City. "Really? What's it like?"

The King looks intimidating, but he is not. My father is his caretaker, and I see the King as a brother. He and another knight are like brothers to me." 

"That's sweet." Yuu smiled. "It looks like you have a loving family."

"I am glad to have met them." Silver nodded. "So what is the Scalding Sands like? I've been there a few times but did not see everything."

"Well, it's like-" Yuu's voice went up as she recalled her homeland with old stories and innovations. Meanwhile, Silver listened attentively, just as Yuu had done before. Yuu only wished she could see Silver's expression. "And then they have a festival called Al'ab Nariya. It uses fireworks to-" A flashing light appeared, and an invisible force was pulling at Yuu and Silver's bodies. "I never got to finish telling you everything!" Yuu exclaimed while holding her hands out to grab the star. 

"You can always tell me tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you. Yuu."

For a moment, Yuu swore she saw a smile on the star but must have been imagining it. Right?.

Yuu and Silver continued to meet in Dream World for many nights following that. The two spent hours talking about anything they desired. The more they talked, the more details were revealed of each other. First was the star, then an orb of light; now, it was a silhouette of his body. 

The two were currently sitting on the water like usual. Yuu finished retelling a story about her day while Silver was lying on her lap. Her fingers combed through his soft hair when Silver told her the news. 

"Did you know I'm going to be a big brother? My parents had told me before I went to sleep." Silver brought up one day. He had a bright smile and a sparkle in his eyes. 

Yuu turned to Silver in excitement. "Congratulations! Now you have someone to look over besides Sebek." Yuu giggled. Everything she heard of the infamous Sebek was secondhanded from Silver. Yuu was determined to meet him one day, even if he disliked humans. 

"Yes, but I don't know if I will be the best brother."

"What do you mean?"

Silver sighed and tapped his finger against the water, causing ripples around them. "I only know how to cook things that are good enough to eat, like chopped meats and vegetables."

"I see. Sadly, I'm not familiar with babies myself. I'm not much help." Yuu said, and her eyes lit up with an idea. "Why don't you ask your parents to help you cook? I'm sure they know what to feed a baby." 

"I can ask my mother. I will not ask my father." Silver said firmly, "He's really wise but a horrible cook. I recommend you don't eat his cooking if you value your life. He will find a way to jazz it up."

"Oh, can I visit Briar Valley one day?

Silver chuckled, and he looked at Yuu. "I want you to visit Briar Valley."

Yuu's mouth opened in an o, and her eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"I want you to come visit me one day. We always talk here, but we never met once in real life. I can even give you a tour when you come."

Yuu nodded. "I would love that, and I can give you a tour of the Scalding Sands if you decide to visit."

"I will, Yuu. I promise." The world around them turned bright like sunlight. The two were already familiar with what happened next. Yet, Yuu swore she saw auroral eyes staring back at her.  

Days passed.

Weeks passed.

Nothing happened. 

Yuu went to sleep and woke up like usual, like her meeting Silver was all a dream. 

It was ironic, in Yuu's opinion. 

Yuu looked everywhere for days to find anything about the Dream World. She looked through the libraries all across Silk City, only to come up empty. She was even desperate enough to go to Asim Palace to talk to Kalim, only to find out from his past retainer's sister that he was away on a trip. 

Luckily for Yuu, Najma took pity on her and helped her look through the Asim library. 

Again, they found nothing. Najma was kind enough to continue her search for her and would update her if she saw anything. 

Days had passed since then, and Yuu was thinking about Silver as she weaved through the bustling Camel Bazaar when she felt it. 

A man had casually walked past her, and it felt like the world slowed down around her; the local voices sounded like unintelligible noises, the familiar golden sands had a pink hue, and it all started when the man passed her. 

Yuu turned to find a man with silver hair and familiar auroral eyes staring at her with a mirrored expression. The silhouette of him did not do him justice. Silver was about her age, was slightly taller than her, and had lovely eyes. He looked like a prince straight out a fairytale. She felt a pull towards him that she could not describe. Despite that, the first thing that came out of her mouth was-

"Are you not sweating in that?" she pointed at the black and green leather outfit that would not help an average person in the desert heat. 

Silver shrugged with a smile on his face. "Not really, but I can change into something more appropriate if you are worried about me."

Yuu blushed. How could he say that so casually when they first met? She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the shops. "I know a place that sells quality clothes, and we can grab something to eat after."

"Oh, like a date? Father mentioned how he used to go on one like these…" Silver said innocently, unaware of Yuu turning red like the color the Sorceror of Sands wore. 

"Wait, we need to get you something before discussing that!"

Silver stopped walking, took Yuu's hands, and looked into her eyes. "Yuu, I know this is the first time we met in person, but I felt something the moment you walked by. I once felt it when I met my mother because I knew she would be important to me. It sounds silly, but trust me. Let me court you properly once we settle this."

Yuu's heart swooned, ignoring the many eyes watching Silver's declaration in public, especially the gossiping aunts who give them a few hours and Yuu's parents would hear about the news. She was too focused on Silver to care. 

"Alright." She grasped Silver's hand and walked off. "This place gets more crowded at night, and I don't want you to get lost."

Silver smiled, making him look like a prince from the fairytales. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Excerpt taken from A Book About Soulmates (previously owned by Mallenoa Draconia)

Once upon a time, two souls fell into tragedy. However, before they died, they met an angel who gave them each a wish. One wished for happiness with the other. The other wanted to meet his loved one every 1000 years. The angel granted their wishes and set their souls to meet in the Dream World. Their bond was so strong and special that they would see each other whenever they slept. The only time they stop is when they start falling in love. After that, the two are bound to love each other for a lifetime. 

A/N: I might make a sequel to this once Book 7 comes out in the EN server

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted Wonderland and its characters. Those belong to Aniplex, Walt Disney Japan, and Yana Toboso.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2 2020-23. DO NOT modify, republish, or plagiarize my work.

[blazartstudios]

[358/2 Days and III Spoiler Warning]

I still remember how after beatin' 358/2 Days' story (from over several months of sweat and tears), I'd spend the rest of my time with the game on the completed file, replayin' the final missions because of how much I loved clashin' with Xion's final form and gettin' to see the game's end art accompanied by Dearly Beloved Reprise.

Along with that though, I also remember how in spite that I don't recall kid me havin' a lot of attachment to Xion, I remember feelin' the pain of losin' her and Roxas' anger as I fought my way through the endgame and witnessin' what came after.

Even though KH3 would bring the gang together again, it still hurted more than I thought, to think I would've never seen Xion again once I finally laid Days to rest.

Heh... guess I liked her much more than I had realized then...

[mythicalartistx]

Wayfinder & SeaSalt Trio Reunion in KHiii

I used to not like KHiii as much but overtime I learned to appreciate it and it does have some really good moments.

Like the whole Keyblade Graveyard battle scene with all the groups reconnecting with their lost friends is so bittersweet and amazing.

Spoilers I guess but most my discussions have spoilers and the game has been out for 4 years 🤷

I mean the Terra breaking the chains scene is amazing. The music is great and that help shows how dramatica it is.

That scene is impactful and no wonder some people cry at it.

One day... I... will... set... this... right...

One day... I will...set.. this Right

I will return to this land..

And protect... My friends!

- Terra KH3

I was smiling to myself the whole time.

The scene is absolutely beautiful. A part of it is because of the fate of the three of them in BBS was so heartbreaking and sad.

And it's so bittersweet.

Now the reunion of the Sea Salt Trio...

Axel goes against Xemnas and Saïx is such a good scene. His poor bf being used.

Xion then tries stopping Xemnas from hurting them is everything especially when it shows Sora remembers them and their name from Roxas.

And I love when Axel regains his memory of Xion by holding his head and probably having a rush of memories before calling the name, Xion.

But it gets better when Roxas arrives and basically tells Xemnas I can do the same thing you can do and you don't know people's hearts as well as he might have thought.

It seems you're not as good as winning over people's hearts as you think

- Roxas KH3

Those scenes are so great

[2dents]

20 Questions for fic Writers!

Okay so, I was tagged by @outtoshatter and I'm just going to take a swing at this. Here we go.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 22.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

202,411.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I mainly write for Dungeons and Daddies, Nark specifically. But I also have a couple in there for the Teen Wolf Sterek fandom.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

But You Have Heard of Me [ Teen Wolf, M, Wc: 82,014] (my baby!) The Taste of Perfume [DnDads, M, Wc: 58,717] (wip) Sudoku [DnDads, G, Wc: 5,226] Uno Attack [Dndads, G, Wc: 5,717] A Consuming Faith [Dndads, E, Wc: 33,963] (My baby wip! I'm aiming for another 80k with this one.)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely I do! If someone takes the time out of their day to not only read my silly little stories, but also comment on them, I will absolutely reply! Unless they're mean I guess? I haven't had any mean/rude comments yet so knock on wood. lol

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I love angst. I write it into a lot of things. But as far as endings go... hmm. Well I guess that title would currently go to one of my drabbles, A Done Deal [DnDads, G, Wc: 100] but without giving away spoilers one of my wips is going to take that title as soon as I get around to writting it lol.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh, But You Have Heard of Me [ Teen Wolf, M, Wc: 82,014]. My baby~! Happy ending and maybe one day it will have a happy sequel.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I feel like I'm going to jinx myself by saying no. I haven't recieved any rude or hateful comments on any of my fics. Not even when I posted on LJ.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I am not confident when it comes to writing smut. I used to write a lot of it back on LJ. Now I just Fade To Black, but I do have plans to maybe write some for a wip. But idk we will see when we get there.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Nope! I wrote a fusion fic, But You Have Heard of Me [ Teen Wolf, M, Wc: 82,014] but no crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I am aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I had I believe 2 fics translated on LJ, but not on Ao3

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Hahaha, yes! On LJ my irl bestie and I wrote a fic together! It was very cute, we each did a chapter following one half of the ships pov. I'd love to do it again some day it was super fun! What I really wanna do is get a bunch of different writers involved in doing a collaboration where the characters are stuck waking up in different timelines, so each chapter could be a different one-shot by a different author but they all connect. I think it would be fun.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Sora/Riku. I don't write for this ship but I will fight god about them. I've been obsessed with them since I was 12 and played Kingdom Hearts. I have fics I've been re-reading for alkjsdflks way too long omg. When I played Kh3 and Riku showed up I screamed so loud it scared my partner. You can pry them from my cold dead fingers okay.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Hahaha, I just recently posted this fic to my Ao3. A Divine Move [Teen Wolf, M, 8,676] Stiles is a horror game character (based off games like Until Dawn and The Blair Witch Project) and Derek is from a dating sim (Based off Hunnypop lol) It was going to get an E rating cause I had some absolutely slasher ideas for Stiles game and the plot was loosely adapted from Wreck-It-Ralph. So, maybe one day I'll get the inspiration back, but as of now it's just not there.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I have been told I have a very clear writing voice and that I'm very good at setting a scene and showing it to the reader. I think my main strength is my humor. lol I find myself very funny.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

A lack of confidence alksdfjalksd. I get so anxious trying to make sure that the movie in my head is being translated into word correctly that I sometimes over do things. Also I have the absolute worst grammar, and spelling omg.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

If I don't speak the language enough to be confident that I'm using the words correctly I just do the "They said in language" kinda thing.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Okay, lmao. Okay okay. It was for the Gorillaz back when Demon Days had just come out.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

My two babies that I'm the most proud of are

But You Have Heard of Me [ Teen Wolf, M, Wc: 82,014]

I spent a year writting it and I made several friends because of it. It is my baby and I love it. I re-read it and still laugh at it.

A Consuming Faith [Dndads, E, Wc: 33,963]

I have been putting so much work into this fic and it's really pushing me as a writer. I have been obsessed with cult and demons since I was young, probably too young lol, so this is just basically 3 of my hyper-fixations coming together in a fun way. I have big plans for this fic and I'm very excited about it. I've been working on it for 7 months now, and I'm really hoping I can finish it before the end of the year.

Thanks for the tag! I'm going to tag some people and maybe they'll play along too, no pressure though and I have no clue what I'm doing so sorry if you didn't want to be tagged. @evanesdust @nottoolateforthegame @siogosho @missanniewhimsy @calamity-unlocked

[phoenix-downer]

Where I Belong Chapter 4

Styx and Stones: ~2685 words. Kairi, Donald, and Goofy descend to the Underworld to search for Hades in the hopes he’ll know how to find Sora.

Story Info: Sora/Kairi. Starts during the end of KH3/during ReMind and moves into KH4. Kairi POV. Angst, Romance, Fluff.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

The descent into the Underworld was a series of jagged, zig-zagging steps leading lower and lower into the depths of darkness. Kairi followed behind Donald and Goofy as they carefully wound their way down, and she kept glancing behind them. The light was getting dimmer and dimmer, and she was beginning to wonder if it was such a good idea coming here after all. 

This place was wrong. There was so much pain and suffering and regret here, she could sense it in her bones. The souls of the dead who resided here were not happy, and she hoped they would soon escape their prison.

At long last they reached the final stair and passed through a tall gray door. Her legs were tired and she desperately wanted to rest, like this place was sapping her strength and energy. Before them yawned an enormous cavern hewn out of blue-black stones. The shape of the stones made Kairi sick—they looked like giant twisted mushrooms mixed with swollen boils ready to burst. 

Death, rot, disease, decay. This entire place was opposed to everything she stood for. Up ahead was a dark, spooky river undulating with otherworldly light. Kairi gasped and put a hand over her mouth when she realized the strange light was coming from the souls of the dead. They floated along with the current and wore vacant, glassy expressions on their faces. 

Goofy gulped and raised his shield, and Donald took his staff out, shaking all over. If they were this spooked when they’d already been here before…

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“Things feel different from last time,” Goofy explained. “Gawrsh, I don’t know what it is, but it’s like somethin’ wrong’s in the air.” 

“Yeah,” Donald said. “This place gives me the creeps.” 

“That’s because all of you should be dead,” said a voice from behind them, and the three of them whirled around. A man with ashy skin and flaming blue hair towered above them. His eyes were yellow, and he was dressed in gray and black robes with a pin in the shape of a skull holding his chiton in place. Black smoke emanated off of the hem of his robes, and his mouth full of pointy, sharp teeth was twisted into a hideous smile.

“Hades?” Kairi guessed, and she felt Donald and Goofy flanking her.

“Ding ding ding we have a winner! What’ll it be, Door #1 or Door #2?” he said, dramatically gesturing to two large, sealed circular doors behind him. “Here’s a spoiler: they both lead to your timely demise.”

“None of us will be dying today,” Kairi said through gritted teeth. “We’re looking for someone who’s already dead.” 

“Yeah, where’s Sora?” Donald quacked. 

“You mean the runt? Little shorty? That brat with the Keyblade? Spike? The little half-pint punk himself?”

The three of them nodded. Hades was not fond of Sora given the slew of derogatory nicknames about his height, that much was clear.

“You’re right, he’s dead as a doornail,” Hades said. “Gave up the ghost. Cashed in his chips, bit the dust, kicked the bucket, shuffled off this mortal coil, took his final bow, crossed the River Styx, yada yada yada. What’s it matter to you, huh?” 

Kairi glared at him. It was so tacky to talk about Sora’s death like that. But something about his words stirred a faint memory in her mind. The River Styx, the River Styx…where had she heard about that before?

An unsettling smirk spread across Hades’ face. “Oh, I see how it is. The little pipsqueak had a pipsqueeze, and that would be you.” 

She bristled. Hades was right, but his fast-talking, slick salesman manner was really starting to get on her nerves. 

“Let me guess: you want to bring your little boyfriend back from the dead.”

She hesitated, then nodded. That was what they wanted to do, right? 

“Not gonna happen unless you give me something in return,” he said, then started counting off different options on his long, pointy fingers. “My favorite brand of souvlaki, Wonderboy’s head on a platter, your freedom for all eternity, your soul for the runt’s, front row seats to the sporting event of my choice for the rest of all time, you know, the usual stuff.”

“Kairi, don’t,” Donald said, shaking his head. 

“Remember what Herc and Meg said,” Goofy said. “You can’t trust him.” 

“Hello, standing right here,” Hades said with a chuckle. “Look, do you want my help or not?”

“What’s it going to cost me?”

“Geez Louise, are you deaf or are you dumb? A soul for a soul, do you think I’m running a charity here?” Hades made a small, smokey version of Sora and herself appear. Sora was clearly dead, and then Hades snapped his fingers and Sora revived while she collapsed to the ground. “Say the word, and the deal’s as good as yours.”

“Kairi, no!” Donald and Goofy said in unison. 

She shook her head. “I can’t. Sora wouldn’t want me to be your prisoner for all eternity.” 

Hades waved his hand irritably. “Then find some other hapless god to pester. Your little boyfriend broke a nature taboo, and I would really be sticking a cork in things by resurrecting him. Not saying that I couldn’t do it, but it had better be worth my while, if you catch my drift.” 

“I’m a Princess of Heart, what if I gave you my abilities?”

Hades scratched his chin. “Princess of Heart, now that’s a phrase I haven’t heard in a Peloponnesian Minute. If I recall, I’d need your six other pals as well for it to do me any good.” He looked at her with a gleam in his eye. “Not saying it’s a bad deal, just that it might not be quite enough to bring back Mr. Knight-in-Squeaky Armor. Not unless you rounded up all your little princess friends.” 

Kairi shook her head. “I can’t do that either.” It was one thing to risk her safety and security; it was another to ask the other members of the New Seven Hearts to—

“Then quit wasting my time!” Hades shouted, the blue flame on his head turning yellow as his entire face transformed into a brilliant red. Kairi winced and stumbled back, and Donald and Goofy clung to her on either side and shook like autumn leaves about to fall off a tree.

If Hades wouldn’t help them, then what could they do? His terms just weren’t acceptable, no matter how badly the three of them wanted to see Sora again. Surely there was another way, something, anything—

She glanced at the river behind Hades. What was it about that river…Earlier, he’d said something about how Sora had crossed the River Styx…was that this river?

“I’m cool, I’m fine,” Hades muttered as he smoothed a hand over his head, pacing back and forth.

“Lord Hades?” she asked, trying a different tactic. “That river behind you, is it the Styx?” 

“Hmmm, let’s see,” he said, making a big show of pretending to think. “A river full of dead people, and Little Miss Princess isn’t sure what it is.” He sneered at her. “Of course it’s the Styx, what else would it be?” 

“So once you cross the river, you move from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead?” 

“Yes! Geez Louise, are they teaching the mortals anything about the afterlife these days?” Hades complained as he gave them all a disappointed look, and the tips of his hair were looking a little orange again. 

“We’ve forgotten our roots,” Kairi said, putting on a serious expression. She looked at Donald and Goofy, and they followed her lead. 

“People really don’t respect you or this here Underworld like they should,” Goofy said, taking off his hat and placing it over his heart. “It’s a cryin’ shame, Your Majesty.” 

“They really don’t,” Donald agreed. “I didn’t even know there was a…Sticks River till I came down here.” 

“Yeah, yeah, butter me up why don’t ya,” Hades said, but he seemed calmer now. The flames on his hair were completely back to blue. Kairi’s gaze flickered to the Styx. Its waters were dark and murky, the only light coming from the souls of the dead. Strange objects floated by—an abandoned toy horse, a broken amphora, the haunted, bloodless face of a dead man silently wailing for help. He didn’t look any older than about eighteen. Their eyes met, and Kairi got the sense that this was a trick, that if she tried to help, she’d get pulled in and trapped forever. 

He continued his slow, creepy float past them, staring at her the entire time and wordlessly calling for help. Shivers went down her spine, but she refused to look away until at last he’d disappeared downstream. She couldn’t get his face out of her head. Maybe it wasn’t a trap and she’d just let an innocent man get dragged down to the depths of the Underworld.

“They’re not a very lively crowd, are they?” Hades said, breaking through her thoughts. “But you’ll be a good little girlfriend and save Keyboy’s soul, right?”

Of course saving Sora was the right thing to do. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Worrying and wondering about where he was. His face, did it look like the dead man’s face now? Was his skin ashy, his eyes dull, his hair a reddish color instead of rich brown? Were his hands cracked, his lips blue, his nails brittle, his joints cold and stiff? He’d been gone for a year and a half. Was he no better than a walking corpse at this point? 

Tears burned in her eyes at the thought. She sensed his heart still existed somewhere, otherwise he wouldn’t have come to her rescue in that dream, but his poor body—what had happened to it?

Even if he was alive and well somewhere in that unreality place, would he be dead if he came back here? Hades hadn’t said anything about his body, just his soul. Maybe Hades could only bring his soul back but his body would either be forever stuck in Quadratum or rot the moment he set foot back here. 

She wiped her eyes. Well, if he couldn’t come back here, then she would go to him. If he was dead in their universe, then she would die to be with him. And together they’d figure out a way to make it home, she was sure of it. 

“Life isn’t fair, is it?” Hades said, putting an arm around her shoulder. She flinched but pasted a smile on her face, and Donald and Goofy scowled at Hades’ complete lack of regard for her personal space. “The little runt is gone before his sixteenth birthday, leaving you, his little chickie-poo, his precious Kairi-cakes, to pick up the pieces. Your story’s a real Greek tragedy, you know that? But it doesn’t have to be if you make a deal with me.”

She thought about his words. Considered them carefully. There was a lot about life and fate she couldn’t control, but this, this she could. “You’re right,” she finally replied. “My story doesn’t have to end in tragedy, and neither does Sora’s. I won’t let that happen.” 

Hades perked up and offered his hand, and she reached towards him as if to shake it. But at the last second, she summoned her Keyblade and cast a powerful Waterga spell that sent him shrieking backwards. His hair was completely doused and his clothes were soaking wet as he ranted and cursed and raged at her.

“Sorry Donald, Goofy,” she called, “but this is the only way to save Sora. Thank you, for everything.” She smiled sadly at them, then took off running.

“Kairi, no!” they shouted, but she had a head start on them. She sprinted to the river with them right at her tail, then took a flying leap. Time seemed to slow down as the waters of the Styx loomed closer and closer. The souls of the dead stared emptily up at her, and she closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. 

She expected the water to be cold and clammy. She expected the river to make her shiver and freeze the longer she was in it. Instead, the moment she made contact with the water, her entire body felt like it was on fire. A muffled scream escaped her throat, but that just made the burning so much worse. Gasping, she struggled to the surface, but just as she was about to break through, she felt something grab onto her leg. She screamed again and kicked, hard. Panicking, she kicked some more. She couldn’t die here, she couldn’t, she had to make it across. 

Her head broke above the surface, and she gasped for breath, her lungs burning.

“Guess you’re not the brightest lamp in the Agora after all,” Hades called. “You’ll be dead before you can make it to the other side.” 

“Kairi, no!” Donald cried. 

“Hang on,” came Goofy’s voice, “we’ll—”

The souls of the dead grabbed her and dragged her down with them once more. She thrashed and screamed as they pulled her deeper and deeper. Hades was right. She was gonna die here before she got anywhere close to the opposite shore.

No. She couldn’t die here. She just couldn’t. She summoned her Keyblade and called on the light deep within her heart. She thought of Sora, thought of his smiling face as they sat on the paopu tree together just moments before he’d disappeared. The light burst forth from her so powerfully that it pushed back the poor dead souls trying to cling to her. Only one remained, and she made one more strong, firm kick downward to shake it. Free at last, she swam towards the opposite bank like her life depended on it, and indeed her death to save Sora’s life did. 

But a strange thing was happening. The more she swam, the foggier her thoughts became. Her memories floated aimlessly through her mind, disjointed, the people important to her flickering. Panicking, she swam faster, but that just made it worse.

“Kairi, the chains of your memories are coming undone!” came Naminé’s worried voice in her mind. 

I know, Kairi wanted to say. I know, but Sora’s worth it—

A girl with dark hair and blue eyes that looked like Kairi appeared too. “Your connection to us is fading, Kairi, we’re losing you!” 

I’m losing you too, she thought to herself, her throat tightening. But to find Sora she had to lose it all. She kept swimming with strong, firm strokes. 

“Careful, Red, you can’t carry on like this much longer!” a man with fiery red hair cried. But she had to.

“Kairi, come back and finish your training,” a woman with short blue hair and stern but caring eyes commanded, and for a moment Kairi almost listened. But reaching Sora was more important. 

“Kairi! Kairi!” she faintly heard two voices call from the shore she’d jumped off of. 

I’m sorry…I’m sorry…

Green eyes and silver hair flashed through her head. “Kairi, what are you doing? You were supposed to stay safe at home, I promised you’d be okay! What’s Sora gonna say when he—” 

But who was Sora? She couldn’t remember. Why was she in this river anyway? She was tired, she was so tired, everything hurt and her entire body burned and all she wanted to do was sink to the bottom and rest—

“KAIRI!”

Her eyes flew open. That voice, she knew that voice. 

“Don’t you dare die on me, not again, please not again,” the voice begged. “I didn’t die so you would die, I want you to live, you have to live!” 

She smiled faintly. Oh Sora, don’t you see? If I die, then we’ll both have a shot at living again. 

At long last she felt the ground beneath her feet. The river was getting more and more shallow, she was almost free of it, she was almost to the other side—

With the last of her energy, she stepped onto dry ground and collapsed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Thank you to everyone who liked and reblogged the previous chapter, I really appreciate it! Writing Hades’ dialogue and interactions with the other characters was a lot of fun and provided some levity from the heavier moments in the chapter. 

Aquafolia requested Kairi cross the River Styx to search for Sora to parallel his sacrifice for her, and I also drew on a previous story I’d written to describe Kairi’s experiences (but in that case it was Sora who took a plunge in the river), Lifeline. Shoutout to Liv as well for proofreading this chapter ❤️ 

Thank you for reading! Next week I’ll post the final chapter. 

[angelthefandomobsessed]

Where Kingdom Hearts III Went 'Wrong'

I should probably open this by saying that I love Kingdom Hearts III. I love KH for what it is, and the usual "Omg it's so weird, the plot doesn't make sense, eVeRyOnE iS sOrA" thing doesn't strike me as the best form of criticism for the series.

Instead, I wanted to highlight why things got so convoluted (in my opinion, anyway, it's not like I was in the writer's room or anything). I think the direction KH has gone (and is going) serves as a good lesson for any aspiring writers out there - we can learn from these shortcomings and love a series. Wild, right?

So... where did KH3 go 'wrong'?

The writers wrote themselves into a corner in DDD. That's it. It doesn't seem like a lack of planning that came back to bite them, but rather, that they went about planning in an inefficient way.

Let's look at the conflict of KH3.

(Warning: There will be a few spoilers for KH3 ahead!)

Xehanort has put together the 'real organisation' so that he can do a keyblade war reenactment, forge the χ-blade and summon Kingdom Hearts. His main goal (as I understand it, which might be very, very incorrect) is to create a new world where darkness and light can be equal, quashing the imbalance of power that is skewed towards light.

It's not a bad conflict to have. KH has very strong motifs of 'light vs dark', and having a villain fight the inequality between these sides is interesting.

The big problem is the setup behind it. The complicated, hard-to-grasp, tedious setup.

Thirteen darknesses have to fight seven lights. Cool, okay, we can see the imbalance between the sides, we have slots for our characters to fill, roles for them to play... Except, there's not enough room in the plot for them all. By sectioning off each side with neat, numerical values, the bloatedness of the cast becomes obvious.

There are seven lights:

Sora has to be one of them. He's the main character, not to mention the poster child for the light.

Riku's been there since the start, plus he's had the most fleshed-out arc by far, having overcome his own darkness. He's a worthy guardian of light and a true keyblade master.

Kairi is a princess of heart and has been there from the start. This ties a bow on our three main-est characters.

Mickey Mouse. He kind of has to be there, it's a Disney game, right?

Axel/Lea. Roxas and Xion are out of the picture, and he's a fan favourite, so sure, why not?

Aqua. A keyblade master who's suffered for ten years, torn apart from her best friends... Sure, maybe a war isn't great for her right now, but she's a lost master, so she should be.

Ventus. Pure cinnamon roll Ven, newly awakened and ready to beat up some Xehanorts.

Okay, but... what about Donald and Goofy? Oh, okay, they can just... hang out with the seven lights. As moral support, I guess? At that point, why not make it nine lights?

Double but - what about Terra? He's going to be saved at some point, so he can just... join the herd. And Roxas? And Xion? Eh, they can act as sub-ins in case anyone accidentally dies.

Oh, what's that? Kairi's dead? Wow, sucks for her, call in the reserves. Wait... If the 'Guardians of Light' can be swapped out, then what's the point in having a set number of them?

It's almost like it's entirely arbitrary.

Right. So our seven lights are more like ten-ish lights + friends. It happens, maths is hard! How do our darknesses fare?

The thirteen darknesses are (in no particular order):

Xehanort

Xemnas

Ansem

Young Xehanort

Terra Xehanort

Riku Replica

Saix

Vanitas

Marluxia

Larxene

Luxord

Xigbar

Xion

Somewhat hilariously, the dark side also has a team of reserves.

Demyx

Vexen

The wiki lists 'Replica Xehanorts' as reserves, but I'm not about to unpack that one

Imagine being Vexen, the guy responsible for dealing with replicas, the invention sustaining this organisation, and being benched in favour of teenage angst incarnate Replica Riku. Ouch.

By this point, you might be wondering how this use of arbitrary numbers actually impacted the storytelling. Organisation XIII only had thirteen members for like, a week, so clearly counting isn't a strong suit of Xehanort's.

It all falls apart when the writers say (in DDD):

"KH3 will be about this, where this happens, with this many people, at this specific place, so get your popcorn and buckle in!"

On its own, that's not a problem. But when there's a giant pile of other plot points to worry about (Aqua's in Disney hell, Ventus is napping, Terra is somehow, kinda sorta, three different people whilst also being trapped in heartless thingy (whilst also being a suit of armour, but not quite), Roxas is stuck in Sora's heart, Xion has been wiped off the face of the earth via memory nuke, Naminé is in Kairi's heart, Sora needs to discover the mystical (and vague) 'power of waking' to deal with half these problems, Lea and Kairi need to train, and Riku needs to go to the 'Heartless Barbershop in Disney Hell' (the most relevant plot point of all)).

What we get is a tangle of 'this can happen when this happens, but first we need to do this one thing, and to do that we need this other thing' (i.e. "To find Ven we need to find Aqua, who is evil and needs to be good again, and Sora needs the power of waking to deal with this... probably, let's put a pin in it and hang out with Buzz Lightyear").

The plot is murky. The plot is confusing.

This entire plot raises the question of 'Why don't Sora and co. just... not go?' That's a good question, which should have a simple answer (if they don't, the org will do baaaaad things, wooOOOoooOOO), but instead what we get is "If they don't, Xehanort will use the new seven hearts (because there are new ones now for some reason, but Kairi's still one of them, dw about it) instead, guaranteeing bad things... probably?"

Xehanort's a bad guy who needs to be stopped. That's it, that's all we needed. But that avenue was closed off once they said 'nah, it's more complex because of prophecies, I guess'.

So, what's the moral of this long, drawn-out post?

Sometimes, it might seem like a super cool idea to have a group of characters band together to defeat evil. Sometimes mashing them into a prophecy can seem appealing (the five great owls will do the unholy hoot, defeating the nine-and-a-half orange rats at sundown in Mississippi). But sometimes, this kind of self-restriction won't work for you.

KH3 could have just had 'the bad guys' and 'the good guys', and nobody would have to worry about the arbitrary parameters set by the writers.

Keep your options open and don't overcomplicate things just for the sake of it! It'll only give you and your consumer a headache.

.

.

.

All that being said, KH3 really delivered on the emotional payoffs so like, forget the randomly numbered groups, let's appreciate the joy that (most of) these characters are allowed to feel now.

[glaire-personal]

warning: technically KH3 spoilers ahead? I guess don't read if you haven't beat the base game. Was reading a thing the other day about Steven Universe & part of it was talking about how an ending where the space nazis are killed is silly to expect of a kid's show and like, I kind of agree on one hand.

buuut

I also think a lot about how Kingdom Hearts, a children's videogame series using kid-friendly Disney properties and generally rated E for everyone (hitting E10+ at max), just does not have this hang up.

Sora never seems to deal with that sort of moralization over being better than his enemies or anything like that. He shows up, spouts some lines about how the villain is wrong and his friends are his power, the villain does their little monologue, they fight, the villain is destroyed. We can see that he does try to sway villains to his side to some extent, but once it's clear that option has failed he seems perfectly OK with resorting to violence.

You can make the argument that it's actually OK in Kingdom Hearts because generally his villains aren't technically human (in many cases being "recompleted" as people after he defeats them).

But to that I say: he didn't know that Ansem was a heartless in KH1, or had any idea what a Nobody was in Chain of Memories. And even then, his very last opponent - Master Xehanort - is 100% human through and through. Xehanort isn't just defeated, he actually dies. Sure, he gets an attempt at redemption afterwards, but not before actually canonically kicking the bucket, and this fact does not seem to lose Sora any amount of sleep.

I am by no means arguing that Steven Universe should have ended with the villains being destroyed. Just saying I do think it's a little narrow minded to argue that kids aren't able to grapple with anything more complex than "just convince your enemy to stop being bad & become friends :)" esp. when we have media like KH that clearly does not subscribe to this notion.

[gorematchala]

Kingdom hearts and FF7 spoilers I guess

Honestly thinking about it now its kinda shocking how KH3 ends with every character in the whole series alive, or in heaven (xehanort the evilest man who ever lived who's repentance was saying "oh my bad" after like how many generations of torment, guy who killed everyone Squall ever knew), and that they've revived Zack in FF7 Re:Fuck because Nomura's bag used to be picking the one good character he made and killing them for no reason. Now no one is allowed to die. Not even you the player

[khmemeries]

Honest question and KH3 spoilers: Thoughts on Xigbar getting revealed as Luxu?

It was lame and undermined Xigbar's character. His whole arc was totally derailed because Luxu had nothing to do with Xigbar and basically he got hijacked as a way to insert Luxu into the story.

Pre-KH3, I thought he was one of the most interesting KH characters. He's batshit crazy! He's willing to voluntarily become half-Xehanort in BBS, even though he is afraid of Xehanort and lost his eye thanks to him. Can you imagine giving up half your capacity for self-determination to a homicidal maniac? WHY?

What would possess you do to something so insane?

Presumably, he was going to get his hands on a keyblade (maybe Xehanhort's?). That seems to be the implication of the above conversation in the Re:Coded secret ending (but Young Xehanort doesn't know). He tells Terra he plans to get a keyblade in BBS too:

“That thing right there. It’s called the Keyblade, isn’t it? Yep, it seems like these days everybody’s got one of those…even grandpa there.” Braig cast a glance at Master Xehanort behind him, then continued, “When I nabbed him, he told me all about it—what a weapon like that can do. How could I not want one?”

But on the way to his plan, he commits atrocities that haunt him.

Day 117: Him and Roxas

Author: Xigbar

Roxas is maturing at an impressive rate. His face, the way he handles the Keyblade, it's all exactly the same. The worlds seem so divided and alone, but there's always that steady thread there to connect them. And we Nobodies can never escape the things we did as humans. So it goes.

In the Days secret reports, Xigbar writes that Roxas reminds him of Ventus and he can't escape what he did to him. There's always a steady thread there that won't let him forget.

“Pa-ha-ha! Talk about a blast from the past!” Xigbar let out a bark of laughter as he got to his feet. “Of all the faces… Why do I see yours?” ... “Do you always have to stare at me like I just drowned your goldfish?” Xigbar remarked.

Also in Days, Xigbar sees Xion's face as Ventus and mentions "the glare." He complains about Sora doing that in KH2 and KH3 too. It genuinely bothers him because it reminds him of the terrible things he's done.

So he's super selfish and destroys other people's lives for his own ambitions, but he increasingly feels guilt over it. That growing tension has to go somewhere. I think at the end of his arc, he should have learned that he was wrong about this KH3 quote below:

"No good will ever come from putting other people first." Sora is proof that Xigbar is wrong about this. One of the only times Xigbar is openly freaked out is when Sora forces him to confront this belief in Dream Drop Distance:

Sora: I know the Keyblade didn't choose me, and I don't care. I'm proud to be a small part of something bigger--the people it did choose. (Xigbar gasps) Sora: My friends. They are my power! (Behind Sora stand the images of Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. They hold their weapons out, facing Xigbar) Xigbar (nervously): Those are just words. You've lost.

Because in KH, friendship is power. Xigbar doesn't do friendship though. He chose to murder and torment people instead. He feels haunted by that. He should have wished he followed Sora's path at the end. Maybe he would be consumed by his guilt, or he would show he changed by putting someone else first for once. Or both.

But instead it was all for funsies because he was the REAL guy in charge the whole time, Xehanort wasn't scary, Luxu set everything up for Xehanort to find him in Radiant Garden I guess, and he did all the murder because he was bored. He lied in his Days reports to be dramatic. He learned nothing and did not develop as a person.

[thefreshprinceofjunes]

im sure people have already discussed it somewhere, but i wonder about the meaning behind riku (circa kh2) being in the kh3 opening alongside those that had been lost and then were saved by sora in some way in the game (roxas, axel, xion, terra, aqua, and ventus)

like i get sora did that too for riku, but that was in the past, not in kh3 (besides when he saves everyones hearts from the lich)

hopefully it has something to do with riku being the light and/or future revelations of feelings lol

[natywolfie]

My best friend is a genius, bless him for do this

[waltdisneyismyhusband]

@jswatson-holmes, why is that funny? They never called me back 'til this morning! Dx Ok~then, here's my favorite Disney couples! Kinda.. I prefer awkward/silliness over romance. xP Happy early Valentine’s Day, I guess....

(Oswald & Ortensia, Cinderella’s shoe & Prince Charming, Terra & Aqua +Ven and his Dream Eater cat)

[gsunny6]

Things I love:

Vens Chirithy being like why don’t keyblade wielders have emotional support Dream Eaters as standard anymore and doing his dammdest best to protect all of Ven’s (nearby) family from nightmares.

Anyway about a week later the castle almost clocks terra in the head with a book about synthesizing spirits because I also love some good ol more aware than you’d think Castle Departure

[didsomeonesayventus]

Two years and I'm still malding a bit over "you're coming home too."