#Kairi is the voice of reason

[zabrya]

Cover

Summary

Riku wakes up in a bed, confused and dazed, what was he doing there? who was he? even if he tried to remember, his mind could not come up with any memory. Luckily someone told him what he was: a fairy. For Riku something felt out of place but he didn't know what it was. Meanwhile, Kairi woke up in a strange kind of hospital, next to her was Sora. She noticed that her friend Riku was not there, Sora woke up next to her in another hospital bed and when she asked for Riku, Sora only made a grimace of disgust…

[gulava]

Kairi is Xehanort's 14th Darkness Pt. 2

A lot of people have expressed confusion over the artwork on the top middle being used for "Kairi" on this Heart Station. And that's completely understandable considering...it's not actually Kairi!

It never was. It was Ariel.

She was always there in KH1 but her absence at Hollow Bastion is very apparent. There's only six POLs there holding the darkness back.

But why did they decide to have Kairi take Ariel's place? Well, no matter the reason...they sure made it easy to explain what's going on.

Kairi's necklace is the key. It's what holds the pure light and is what disguises her as just that.

However Xehanort managed to create or take away this power from another (and if so, from WHO) is up in the air but I'm leaning on the side of it being artificial. Kairi turns to crystal when she's killed much like Xion does and has been compared to a puppet.

Xehanort tried to create his own pure light and darkness.

It seems only natural he'd "plan for every eventuality".

Vanitas was darkness covered by Ven's light that was unable to be seen until Ventus was forced to face what happened with Strelitzia. Kairi similarly holds darkness within her but has been cloaked in light.

Both appear as the darkness within the light as compared to Riku appearing as the light within the darkness.

There's actually lore reasons that even if Kairi had been a POL in KH1...she wouldn't be one again in KH3.

Sora and Mickey Mouse are just making assumptions about Kairi that aren't based off any actual facts and it's really a giant case of paying attention to what's being said and not misconstruing it all. Don't be a Luxu, guys! If there's new POLs, there's NEW POLs.

Kye is pronounced like "Kai".

Ariel's fate with Eric was to be doomed once the sun set on the THIRD day if she failed to kiss him. And Ursula appears in human form while wearing the necklace carrying her light voice inside it to ensure that.

Sounds like Xehanort got his wish, if you ask me.

A part of him survived for the world after and it's inside Kairi.

Part One

[andrewwtca]

Something really sad, and also INCREDIBELY telling, I found in the Ultimanias is how the Destiny Trio's bonds are described. like, Sora and Riku are kind of consistently described as best friends, but when Kairi gets involved, the bond just becomes childhood friends.

Sora: "Though he lived on Destiny Island with his childhood friends, Kairi and Riku..."

Riku: "A young man who cares deeply for his friends and is Sora's best friend and good rival."

Kairi: "A lively girl who possesses a pure heart of light and grew up on the same Destiny Island as Sora and Riku."

I found a translation, as well, of a character correlation diagram and they're the only trio that isn't described as best friends.

I understand that as a whole, their trio is supposed to represent growing up and how your bonds to one another can change - whether that means growing stronger and coming even closer or weakening and becoming distant - but you'll still care about each other. But it still is incredibly heartbreaking to see the main trio's friendship summed up as "they grew up together."

The only place I've so far seen to say different is the Story Before KHIII.

Sora:

Riku (ignore these god-awful screenshots I was literally watching a youtube review to try and read it because I couldn't find it anywhere else. Just trust me, it says 'Sora and Kairi's best friend since childhood'):

Kairi:

Now, I get it that maybe they don't want to use the same language, but it makes the most sense to me to say on Sora's bio to describe them as best friends, especially considering we see HIS bond with Riku and Kairi, but on Riku's? And the fact that Sora is always the 'friendship guy'? (This is just an outlier I wanted to bring up that calls Riku and Kairi best friends, and that's only if you take these translations as 100% faithful, which we have seen time and time again, that they often aren't.)

It almost feels like their friendship is at an all-time low. And don't forget this is the guidebook that leads up to KHIII, which should hypothetically be the peak of their bond, because they're all on the same level (not in terms of Mastery as Riku is the only Master, but in terms of all being Keyblade Wielders), they're all safe, they all have opportunities to tell each other their feelings. This book is a chance to be a celebration of their friendship, of how they overcome and yet?

'Childhood friends.'

I remember, maybe a few weeks ago, there was a question going around on Twitter asking 'if you have to get rid of one trio, which one would it be?' and most people said Destiny Trio and yeah, it's for a very obvious reason! A lot of these same people say that the games just don't do a good job of showcasing their relationship and they're all really good friends with each other, and everyday, it just more and more obvious it's just wistful thinking. This is as close as we can get as a 'word from god.'

And when you look at the game, it's obvious that they're drifting. The last meaningful conversation we had in this group was Sora and Riku in KH2. KH2!!! That was literally 18 years ago (like a few months for them, but that's not the point I'm making)!!! Meanwhile, we got meaningful interactions in both the other trios in KH3 - which, I'll concede, it was because they were separated for long periods of time that they were so meaningful, but if the game wanted to show us Destiny Trio having deep interactions, it could've! Literally, Sora and Kairi sharing a paopu fruit didn't even have a conversation! it was just Kairi inadvertently voicing her (VERY WELL JUSTIFIED) fears that they'll drift away from each other!

The reason Destiny Trio doesn't feel like a trio is because they aren't one! There's Sora and Riku who are homoerotically close, there's Sora and Kairi who have are growing distant, and there's Riku and Kairi who's only meaningful interactions were founded on guilt or Sora.

TL;DR: "Destiny Trio" is slowly turning into "Sora and Riku dating with Kairi constantly left out of the picture"

They really are Destiny Trio because destiny brought them together and that's about it. Destiny can't give them the same drive to save each other as it gave Seasalt and Wayfinders. I mean yeah, they'll physically save each other, but they're so out of touch emotionally with each other. Like Kairi still refuses to process Sora growing up. Riku has never told Kairi about the things he did to try and save her. He's never even told Sora about his jealousy of Sora and Kairi. And god forbid Sora ever tell them about his insecurities!

The apathy towards destiny in Chikai's opening feels like the perfect way to describe what's going on with them. Destiny is there. Destiny brought them together. And that's it. What else is there to care for?

It's also, once again, very telling that this same song then proceeds with very romantic lyrics about making an oath with someONE. Hm. It's almost like even outside the games, on written supplements, we're constantly being told the path the Destiny Trio is on, and we're constantly being shown that every step they're taking is leading them further down it.

Just. OUGH, these kids!!! I need them to stop sacrificing themselves for each other and making these oaths that are all too big for them, and sit down and just TALK. (And please please please let Kairi interact with someone other than these two. Please, it hurts to see her fall away with nowhere to land!!!)

[theophagie]

So, Chain of Memories was fun

Not exactly fun to play, but fun. Fun stuff

Ultimately, especially in the latter half/quarter of the story, the game goes above and beyond to stress how everything that Sora goes through ties back to Kairi, who is (understandably) presented as the key to his memories, but. *Elton John voice* it's a little bit funny that-

Naminé messes with Sora's memories so that "Me, Riku and Kairi" turns into "Me, Riku, Kairi and Naminé", then into "Me, Riku, and Naminé", and eventually into "Me and Naminé". Kairi is the first one to be "taken out" out his memories. (But Kairi now is also back home, safe. Which is possibly why the memories of her were modified first? No worries about her, easier access?)

Sora's reason for being in Castle Oblivion in the first place, though? For being so eager and desperate to keep going? The hook, line and sinker? Riku

(The person he promised to protect when he was little?

... ͡• ͡• )

Replica Riku really jumped into the game with the steel chair. Immediately he acts as a source of insight into the real Riku's feelings and insecurities, but funnily enough what he says is also kind of a meta comment on the whole game itself. Sora did come here for him... and then halfway through the game he loses sight of his primary objective to focus on Naminé (and by proxy, implicitly, on Kairi)

Kairi's function as a truly important person and as a light in the darkness carries over from KH1 into the end of CoM, after Marluxia & Co are defeated and Sora tells Naminé to restore his memories. And at the same time... ah

The beginning of the game, with yet another steel chair. And it's especially telling that this dialogue with Aerith and the one with Axel happen almost back to back...

... because at this point most of Sora's memories are intact: he remembers everyone, he doesn't think that he has have Naminé "in his heart", and he's perfectly conscious of why and for who he's here. Riku is presented as a truly important person and a light in the darkness as well. Directly in one case ("I'm the good fairy and I'm warning you to not lose your way"), indirectly in the other ("I'm the evil fairy and I'm inciting you to do just that").

Fun stuff :')

A couple of miscellaneous things that I didn't know how to integrate into the post (while playing the game I noticed other stuff scattered here and there too - there's some cute things even in the Winnie the Pooh world! - but I didn't want to make this post too obscene in length so I let them go) (+ obligatory special mention to the meteor shower. The meteor shower............):

TLDR, post and game summary:

[tennelleflowers]

Hey, just here to fuel your Dark Fiagra about Riku being gay and the Light.

In KH2 when Sora and Riku are in the Realm Between the portal to the Dark Margin doesn't open until Sora and Riku have the first part of their "heart to heart". He's literally being vunerable in every way and Sora just shows him patience and understanding. Then the portal opens.

Then on the Margin, Riku opens up once again. I think the reason that Riku wasn't the one to open the Door to Light was because Sora confirmed that he was happy to stay in the dark with Riku.

This part is a stretch but I think, maybe, Riku hearing Sora wistfully reading the letter may have opened the door. Or you know, Maybe it was Kairi. Riku is under the impression that Sora is the Loght because Sora is HIS light, which is why he tells Sora that the door to light was his heart.

Who knows, maybe Soras heart DID open the door, but imo, Kairis letter wasn't romantic. It doesn't even make much sense pertaining to the story.

You're so right. You want to know the funny thing tho? In the character files, there's a short story from Riku's pov about their conversation at the Dark Margin at the end of KH2. It's the same one where Riku says that he used to try to act like Sora's older brother as a kid, but doesn't think of their relationship that way anymore.

To tell you the truth, Sora...I was jealous of you.

As I sat on the dark shore next to Sora, I wondered when I began to feel that way.

Was it when Sora became a Keyblade wielder?

Or was it all the way back when we were children on the islands?

It wouldn’t be strange for me to think I was better than Sora. After all, when you’re a child, a year is a big age difference, so I played the older brother and took Sora around with me everywhere. When did that change?

And then, when it gets to the part where Kairi's letter is supposed to come in, it's just completely omitted???

“I wished I could live life the way you do. Just following my heart.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got my share of problems, too.” Sora responded, staring at the horizon.

“Like what?” I asked Sora, smiling a bit.

“Like...wanting to be like you.”

“I see.”

That made me a little sad, so I responded with as cheerful a voice as I could manage.

“Well, there is one advantage to being me..something you could never imitate.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Having you for a friend.”

Sora was surprised for a moment. Then, he exhaled a bit.

“Then, I guess...I’m okay the way I am. I’ve got something you could never imitate too.” Sora responded with a smile, and he looked off beyond the horizon, at the moon shining faintly in the sky - at the world where we would meet our end.

We both had our own things that the other couldn’t do. Our hearts, each just like the other, were both filled to the brim with happy feelings at that moment.

I was glad to have been Sora’s friend.

“Light.”

My eyes instinctively narrowed at the sight of the bright sun-like light that appeared right before us.

“The door to light...we’ll go together!”

Sora stood up and offered his hand to me.

“Yeah.”

I responded and began to walk with Sora.

LIKE? Hello? Look at this thing just directly implying that it was actually Sora and Riku's hearts opening up to each other that opened the Door to Light??? Skipping Kairi's letter entirely??? (why do they keep doing this lol just let Kairi HAVE SOMETHING sakdfljsd)

Now, like I've said before, stuff in the novels/characters files are SECONDARY canon, so it is canon that Kairi's letter in a bottle shows up and Sora reads it, and then the Door to Light appears. But with this added context I wouldn't say it's a reach that the Door to Light opening to them probably has more to do with them than Kairi's letter specifically.

[strayheartless]

Here have some anxiety ridden Squall Leonhart as I have a panic attack on a train platform!

Squall has had anxiety pretty much his entire existence. When he’d first been told that it wasn’t Normal to analyse every detail of his interactions with people his exact response was “must be nice” because he genuinely doesn’t know what that feels like.

His anxiety could possibly be called crippling, but only because it renders him non-verbal sometimes. Most people think he’s just being difficult but the people who love him have come to realise that it’s a strange consequence of his fight or flight reflex that renders him mute.

Meeting Cloud for the first time had kind of been a relief. The man wasn’t Anxious like he was but his reactions guilt and exhaustion were a mirror of Squalls subconscious need to control the syllables caught on his tongue. Cloud understood that sometimes speaking felt like a monumental task and Squall could have cried when the Amman had understood him.

Dealing with Anxiety while in a relationship was interesting. Rinoa had known he was anxious but he’d never told her about the fear of her leaving, or the panic that gripped him when she was annoyed about something and hadn’t told squall it wasn’t about him. It was never her fault that Squall got in his own head, and she always tried to help, but Squall felt trapped in a spiral.

Cloud seemed to have a better handle on Squalls panic. He seemed to predict it so well that when Sora bounced in one afternoon, looked him up and down and then said “do you need anything?” Squall knew Cloud had been teaching people how to recognise his stress.

Cloud holds his hand when he starts to bite his nails. He untangles his fingers from his hair and places a hand on his knee when it bounces. The tiny murmur of “breath lion” followed by a demonstrated breath has saved him so many times

Squall still can’t communicate that he worries Cloud is mad at him but Cloud always seems to be one step ahead of him. “Squall look at me. I am not mad at you. Something happened with a delivery that irritated me, but it’s nothing you have done.” Cloud just knows and it settles a lot in Squall.

Another part of Squalls Anxiety is not knowing where people are or if they are okay. Cloud has had to make serious changes to the way he operates while dating Squall because coming home to the mess he did the first time want an option. During two weeks of worrying Squall had shut down. Now he gets a phone call every night and a text at every delivery stop. It should annoy Cloud, but for some reason for Squall it feels like the bare minimum.

He also worries where Sora is ✨always✨. There is not a single moment of the day where a little voice in the back of Squalls head doesn’t whisper “he’s dead somewhere” and Squall will end up panting over the kitchen sink as he tries to calm down.

It’s not so bad when Sora is with Donald and Goofy. Squall can just flick on the Gummy ship tracker on his computer and see where they are. It’s even better then Sora has the Gummy phone. But when Sora disappears it’s not just Riku and Kairi who are freaking out. Squall doesn’t sleep most nights because of it.

Sora’s disappearance is possibly the worst his anxiety has been since he was 17 and isolated. He doesn’t talk a lot of the time, he barely eats. Cloud spends a lot of time soothing his more harmful habits, while Aerith, yuffie and Tifa all try to make the House as stress free as possible.

He takes up knitting on Aerith’s insistence, and Tifa’s got him learning Zangan meditation techniques to take the edge off. Cid is being very Cid about it and sitting in Squalls office when no one else can. Merlin makes sleeping drafts to knock him out, and even Riku is sitting with him to try and help him process some things.

Squall feels the guilt of that one acutely and tries to avoid the teenager at all costs, but Riku is patient when he tells Squall that helping him helps Riku process some of his own worries too.

In the middle of the night when the anxiety induced night terrors bother him so bad he can’t breath, Cloud will sit up with him and help him through the worst of the trembling; laying him back down and talking him though getting his speech back.

Ahhh okay, still gunna have a wee panic but it feels a bit better now

[gala-xyzz]

hello tumblr i just woke up from this crazy dream

so in this dream, i was in the living room of my old house (a really big room with high ceilings and this ugly gray carpet everywhere), sitting in front of the tv cabinet with my wii turned on. i'm not sure what controller is in my hands, but it's definitely not a wii remote

anyways, there's only one game i can play, and it's some sort of kingdom hearts game. i don't remember the name, just that it had the word "dream" in it, but it wasn't 3d. the logo was totally different from other games (it was just big maroon text with a black outline). i boot the game up, and i'm talking to someone in the room about how nervous i am, but nobody's in the room that i can see. i get a response from a voice that one of my sisters (i think it sounded like mona?) telling me that i'll be fine and that i'm this close to completing the game

i'm on the start menu now. the background is a black with dark blue patches and is covered in stars. i look at my save file; apparently i'm on the final boss. i start it up, and get thrown right into the boss fight, thinking "i've done all of this before"

the fight begins. i'm on a long cobblestone path with weeds growing between the rocks, a grassy field to my left, a big river and a row of old houses to my right. the camera starts behind me, showing me a long, yellow dragon with red eyes. i can't see it's tail, the thing is that long. there is no end in sight to this path. in the top left of the screen, i am given my objective as the camera moves over to me: defeat and kill the dragon.

i am now playing as sora, though i'm not sure from which game, maybe kh2, except he has his kh3 haircut. i just know i'm playing as sora, with donald and goofy next to me. we are running on this cobblestone path, and we have to jump over these big rocks in the path, but for some reason they don't jump, and they eventually die

once they're dead, the dragon comes at me and kill me. i get a game over screen, but instead of being upset, i sigh and just try again. this time only goofy dies, and when the dragon reaches me i am ready for it. i attack it, but it never fights back, and i get through half of its help before it shoots up toward the sky. i follow it, but instead of donald for a companion, it's a german shepherd and a girl who looks vaguely like kairi.

we fight the dragon in space. it kills me again. i try again, getting back to the same point, this whole time talking to the disembodied voice of my sister, even though i don't remember a word i said. this happens a few times, but each time, something feels more and more wrong. until the final time i try again, where it is no longer the dragon i am fighting in space. it's sora, and i am playing as some blank shadow of a character, with no face or name, just a basic keyblade. i am alone. my companions are gone. all i hear is the game music

i fight sora. i win. he's crying in pain by the end. suddenly i am taken to a blue screen, with a sequence of numbers and letters on it. there is a white keyboard in my hand. i am prompted to type the numbers, but i am crying, because if i do this will kill sora for good. he is here in the room now, as his kh1 self, hugging my left arm, screaming and crying.

i remember the first handful of numbers/letters: O21b00000. after that, i don't remember the rest. but as i type, the numbers distort and look scribbly. there is a picture of a heart, and it breaks with each key i hit. i hit the last one, and sora screams loudly as beams of light shoot out of him. he is dead. gone. and i have won my game

i sit there as the tv turns off. i am dumbfounded and start crying. dearly beloved starts playing and i turn around, thinking "i have done this before" and i see sora, his kh4 self now, standing there with a smile. he's okay. i run over to him, screaming and crying, and when i hug him, i hear myself saying, "it's okay, you can wake up now."

i wake up. i'm on my couch. it's 8am and i need to feed the pigs.

what the fuck just happened.

[iamnot-crazy]

The Dance of Steel and Gossip

Summary:

It has now been three days since the heart pirates arrived at the island and none of them know why they are still there. They began to gossip about their speculation while their captain is away.

Law x OC

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Three days had passed since the polar tang docked on the smoldering remains of the island, and Ikkuka groaned loudly while joining the table where her fellow crew mates ate.

"What's your problem?" Shachi questioned pointing his fork at her.

"I'm so sick of this island!" she growled, shoving food into her mouth. "Why are we even here?"

The question echoed among the crew. Penguin chimed in, "Yeah, why are we here? We came for another pirate's heart, right?"

Bepo, the gentle giant, spoke next, "Captain was after Bancroft's heart."

Shachi, let out a snort. "Well, whoever it was, they definitely don't have a beating heart anymore."

Penguin was quick to change the topic. "What's with the Echo's ship?" he asked shoveling food in his mouth.

"Is that who's ship that is?" Ikkuka questioned in surprise.

"Well duh! Their Captain was the one we were treating." Shachi snickered elbowing her slightly.

Ikkuka's cheeks flushed. "I… I didn't know that was who she was."

"Of course, you didn't, Too busy ogling her chest, maybe?" Shachi mocked, earning a deserved smack from Ikkuka.

"With all that staring, I'd think you'd recognize her by just her assets." Penguin joined in, earning a twin bump on his head.

"I hope she's alright, though," Bepo interjected, his genuine concern cutting through the playful banter. "Captain's been taking a lot of medical supplies… probably for her."

His words sparked a flurry of questions. "Taking supplies?" the others exclaimed, leaning closer.

"Every morning, he goes to their ship with medical stuff," Bepo confirmed.

The revelation hung heavy in the air. "I haven't seen any other Echo Pirates," Penguin mused. "Where are they?"

"Probably dead." Hakugan, his masked smile ever-present, spoke from the next table, his voice sending shivers down their spines.

"No way!" Shachi protested. "They are tough, even for us!"

Bart, the giant, joined the conversation. "Hakugan has a point. Their captain was barely alive when Law brought her aboard, and the island…" He trailed off, referring to the desolate landscape.

Silence filled the cafeteria as they recalled the inferno that consumed the island, leaving only the Echo Pirates' ship intact. The few who joined their Captain in surgery recalled her wounds, the burns… and how their Captain, with his Devil Fruit, was the only reason she didn't succumb to her injuries.

"Wasn't she from the Mu Echo Isles?" Ikkuka's question broke the stillness, catching everyone off guard.

Bepo's eyes widened. "Didn't they all die from a plague?"

Ikkuka shook her head. "That was a lie, spread by the nobles who slaughtered them and stole their fortune. The Echo Phantoms Pirates are the last survivors, reclaiming what rightfully belongs to them. That's where they got their name."

A gasp escaped Shachi's lips. "Then… if her entire crew has died... Captain Kairi is the last of the Mu Echo Isles?" He exchanged glances with Bepo and Penguin, understanding dawning on their faces. Their captain's lingering on the island, his visits to Kairi… it all made sense. He saw a reflection of his own pain in her, a shared history of loss and longing.

Without a word, the three left the others, their heads swimming with newfound insight. They approached the Echo Pirates' ship, waiting patiently for their captain's return.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Law emerged, his face lined with exhaustion. He stopped short, surprised to see his crew waiting. "What is it?" he asked, his voice laced with tension.

They knew words wouldn't suffice. Bepo stepped forward, pulling Law into a silent hug, a gesture of understanding that transcended language. The captain stiffened for a moment, then relaxed, letting out a sigh.

"She's recovering," he finally said, his voice gruff. "But not awake yet. Safer to keep her here for now since last time she nearly destroyed my sub. When she wakes, we can leave."

He turned to leave, but Bepo's voice stopped him. "Captain… are you okay?"

He paused, turning back with a flicker of a smile. "I'll be fine." With that, he walked away, leaving his crew satisfied with what they could get from their closed-off captain.

***

Next Chapter

[phoenix-downer]

Touch Cravings Chapter 2

~1320 words. Set post-KH3. Terraqua, Aqua and Ven friendship, and background Sora/Kairi. Grief, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Touch Starvation, Friendship, Romance.

Summary: Aqua is dealing with the effects of her time in the realm of darkness and then the grief of losing Sora. Thankfully, she has Ven and Terra to help her get through this chapter of her life.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

(Companion piece to Touch Hunger [Chapter 1 | Chapter 2]).

“Can I come in?” Terra asked. 

Aqua’s face was flushed with embarrassment, but she nodded. She had wanted to see him, after all, even if she would’ve preferred less awkward circumstances. 

Terra had to stoop a little to get through the door. Their rooms were in an old wing of the castle, which meant they were built back when people were shorter, and Terra was not a short man.

Aqua gulped as he drew closer. She was wearing baggy sleeping clothes and didn’t look very put together. Her bed had about five crumpled blankets on it too. These rooms got drafty at night, which was why fireplaces were in each of them. To distract herself, she quickly summoned her Keyblade and mumbled a quick Fire spell under her breath to light the fireplace. Now there was a warm, crackling fire in the corner, and its familiar sounds were relaxing and soothing.

Terra stood awkwardly by her bed. He likewise was dressed more comfortably than his usual attire: simple sweatpants and a t-shirt that still managed to be form-fitting because his muscles made it impossible not to be.

Her face flushed again, but for a much more pleasant reason this time. She patted the spot next to her, and Terra carefully sat down, making the bed creak.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so standoffish lately,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about everything and getting lost in my thoughts. But I want to be here for you and Ven.”

Her lips parted. She still wasn’t used to him being so open and honest. But he and she and Ven had talked about what had driven them apart, and bad communication was at the top of the list. So now they were all trying to get better at good communication. Which meant she should be honest too.

“Thank you,” she said. “I want that too.” 

“To be honest, I don’t really know what to do next,” he admitted. “Being back feels better than I could’ve dreamed. Being myself again, being free of Xehanort for good, being whole…it’s like I’m getting a second chance at life. But with Sora gone, it feels wrong to be happy.”

“I know what you mean. Why are we here when he’s gone? I keep replaying what happened in my mind, over and over again, thinking about what I could’ve done differently.” She smiled bitterly. “Something I’ve always been good at. Ruminating over past mistakes. I don’t need other people to torment and torture me, I do it to myself just fine.”

“You and me both,” Terra said, his head drooping and his voice heavy. “I can’t help but feel like Sora’s death is my fault.”

“I feel the same way. I told Ven earlier that that means we’ll just have to save Sora. But I have no idea how.”

A few long moments of silence passed as Terra searched her face. “We could…we could go to the realm of darkness,” he said at last.

Aqua shuddered. It was a possibility she’d considered. That place had so many ties to death that it would be silly not to at least check. But the thought of returning to that hellish place where she’d been trapped for over a decade? Her stomach roiled at the thought of it.

Playing with one of the blankets on the bed, she said, “I know it isn’t rational, I know you and Ven would be with me, but I…I’m scared of going back. I’m scared of something happening and getting trapped there and winding up alone again.”

For so long she’d been on her own. Going back to that existence was her worst nightmare. She hoped Sora wasn’t alone. She wouldn’t wish the solitude on her worst enemy. It ate you up inside, made you crave something, anything from another living being. A kind word. A gentle touch. After a while she started hearing voices and fantasizing about past touches, hoping they would happen again. Haunted by the ghosts of her own memories. No wonder she’d created a phantom out of her fears.

“You won’t be. I won’t let that happen,” Terra promised, his voice low and determined. The look on his face as the flames from the fireplace flickered across it…she knew he was deadly serious and would keep this promise with his life.

Oh how badly she wanted to touch him. Her hand twitched as she restrained it. She hadn’t realized how much she would miss human touch during her time in the realm of darkness. But after returning, she realized it wasn’t just any touch she craved the most. It was his touch.

“It’s messed up, I know,” she admitted, “but after a while…even a stray Heartless brushing up against me during battle felt good. I sometimes…I sometimes let them, even if it meant I got clawed. Just to feel something.”

He rested his hand over hers, and a pleasurable shudder went through her whole body. She noticed his hand trembling a little too. Maybe he’d been touch starved in his own way too. He’d been in the realm of light, sure, but not as himself. His heart had been trapped inside that guardian, and how often had he really gotten any sort of physical affection?

“Thank you, that feels nice,” she murmured. He tenderly stroked her fingers, and it felt even better.

“You’re not alone, Aqua.” He caressed her arm, and her breath caught. She was no slouch in the physical strength department, but his hand was so much bigger and stronger than hers and yet so gentle.

“I know.”

He cupped her cheek, and now her breathing really was shaky. It felt so good and he was being so bold and everything was overwhelming. But a good kind of overwhelming. So very, very good. She just wasn’t used to touching again yet, especially not like…like this.

He smiled as he caressed her cheek, and she rested a hand over his. She wanted to touch him too. Wanted to give him what they both craved. They weren’t alone anymore, and why not celebrate that fact? If it would help her face her fears and go back to the realm of darkness to search for Sora, then there was nothing wrong with enjoying this closeness with Terra.

No, that wasn’t it either. She wanted to be close to him for the sake of being close to him. Might as well be honest with herself about it.

“Aqua,” he murmured, running a thumb over her lips, and her breath hitched. A part of her felt like this wasn’t real: the look in his eyes, the feel of his hand, the warm fire crackling in the corner. The fact they were in her room, alone, together. That he wanted her and she wanted him and they both craved each other’s touch and company. But it was real. It was real, and she wanted to savor every moment.

He leaned close, and her eyes fluttered shut. His lips brushed against hers, and all the bad memories fighting for her attention melted away. In this moment only the two of them mattered. She wasn’t alone. She was here with him, and in these stolen moments they could make up for lost time.

She wrapped her arms around him as he deepened the kiss, and he did likewise. Embracing at last. Oh, they’d hugged before, but never like this. If she’d been starving for all those years, she was now at a banquet for two and not entirely sure where to begin. But they would figure it out together, she was sure of that.

She’d saved him all those years ago, and now, in his own way, he was saving her. Or maybe it was more accurate to say they were saving each other. Ending the loneliness and solitude and longing for affection that had plagued them both.

Whatever it was, she was glad they had each other.

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

A/N: Thank you for reading!

[derekscorner]

Kingdom Hearts: Recompletion Tangent

Intro

It's been a while since I had an actual KH Tangent barring my mad ravings about the cosmology. It was more about the random things I think about rather than an actual tangent.

Although both that post and this one have spun off from a literal shower thought. Anyone who has been through my tags before also knows that I've had issues with how the Nobodies were handled for a long time.

They're something that I truly consider better on paper than in execution. It may even be something that's near impossible to put into practice entirely.

They're too Human

The main reason for this is the corner it puts you in as a writer. These are supposed to be beings born lacking a heart, the core of what they were as a person. Their very emotions and connection to the world.

Back in the day the story went with this notion that the human nobodies act human based on memory. They can't feel emotion but they can remember having them.

For what reason they did so was more or less left up to your interpretation. What was made clear is that they're desperate to become "whole".

The reason for that is because they are slowly fading away. Even in the modern KH era I think that rule stands. Their black coats and crusade for Kingdom Hearts was to avoid fading back into the void.

A fate that Yen Sid brings up in KH2 when explaining the nobodies to Sora.

As far as execution goes the lesser nobodies do it perfectly. They move in otherworldly ways, come in a variety of shapes based on how strong their heart was as a person, and we see them speak yet we can't actually hear the voice. (when the dusk talks to Roxas)

Where the concept hits a hitch and finds itself in that writing corner I mentioned is with the human variants. You are stuck between portraying them as they're described which would be boring narratively due to lack of emotion.

They simply wouldn't react to anything.

So you're stuck having to make them act human which then pokes a hole in the concept. You could excuse Roxas and Namine since their "somebody" still existed. That connection was there and even before Days or DDD you see it affecting Roxas in Kh2 as well as Sora in CoM whether it's the GBA or PS2 version.

Likewise, Namine's face, powers and desire to belong in someone's heart is her connection to both Sora and Kairi at play.

"How is that a problem????"

Quite frankly my reader it's not. At least it wasn't back then. As I type this I may have to reconsider my initial stance and say that Nobodies as a concept work well when used once because it's the expansion that's the issue.

I say this specifically in regards to KH DDD, KH3, and beyond. We not only get the Organization back either in human form or nobody but how they act is all over the place.

Ienzo, Dilan, and Aeleus come back both human and supposedly remorseful. We don't see much of it since Dilan and Aeleus don't talk while Ienzo is far more sociable than he is feeling guilt.

Even is revealed to have became a nobody again yet the guilt he felt upon awakening human and chose to be a double agent of sorts.

This raises a lot of issues to me personally.

Firstly, they can just go between nobody and human. I'm not saying it's an easy process but it is exploitable. Not only did the memories carry over as if the nobody was just revived with a Phoenix Down but apparently emotion was too.

Secondly, it highlights how pointless having nobodies return was because they're acting the same as they were prior in KH2 but also the same as they would if human. There is no distinction between the human and the nobody.

Barring have-to examples like Xemnas or Ansem there is no reason to do what they did. Worse, someone like Xigbar not only can exploit this mechanic but he does.

Being the current host of Luxu means that Xigbar can not only reclaim his long lost keyblade (Xehanort's No Name) but still freely use the powers you gain as a nobody.

Luxu now has his heart, his weapon, a potential legion of nobodies, and other dark powers to more freely as he wises with dark corridors and his manipulation of space. (his own unique nobody power)

This also makes the whole weight of nobodies being able to develop a heart of their own feel cheap to me.

Them gaining a heart of their own makes the whole nobody concept cheap for me to be fair but it is a KH stable that anything can have a heart so I'll begrudgingly accept it.

But to just jump between man and monster without seemingly losing anything as it's portrayed in KH3 just irks me. It makes the decision to become a nobody again feel without risk.

Given the nature of Luxu you could ignore it once but for Even to just carry over everything when becoming Vexen 2.0 is a step too far.

I also ponder why nobodies would even obey the revived Organization because while emotionless the lesser nobodies are not mindless.

Seeing this makes me question why they weren't questioning their superiors. They can think, plan, and surely more than a few can spot bullsh*t when they see it.

My Point

By now you likely wonder what my point with all of this is. If you've read this blog before you likely expect me to offer a solution or rewrite.

That's the maddening thing my patient reader, I don't have to offer such a thing because my friend @blackosprey did years ago.

And it ties back into the other new mechanic introduced after KH2, recompletion.

See, when a heartless is destroyed in the right way the heart will be freed. The two ways we know of so far are using a keyblade or the light of Kingdom Hearts.

Once that heart is freed it'll find it's vanished body and if that body has become a nobody it'll wait until the nobody meets it's end.

In that moment the original person is revived. On the surface that can make the nobody concept feel cheaper because it's essentially a "get out of jail card" for dying.

A mechanic that Luxu is fully capable of abusing in the current narrative btw.

But here's the crazy thing. Osprey just occam razored the whole issue and I have never forgotten it.

Her idea? Just make that nobodies death permanent in some way.

For example, lets say that you recomplete Marluxia. In this amazing idea you'd still get Lauriam back but the ego that was "Marluxia" is gone.

Lauriam would revive without his memories of Marluxia.

It's the most perfect solution to every gripe I have about nobodies ever told to me. It almost angers me that this isn't a thing!

Yes, that's right, you're not reading me tear down Kingdom Hearts to vent or talk about how bad it is. I'm not going to claim I can do this better than Nomura.

No no. What you're reading is me losing my sh*t because I think about this often. Just imagine how much that adds to the story, this idea of Osprey's.

The Potential was There

Not only do you keep all the stuff added to nobodies after KH2 but you keep the weight of their ephemeral existence.

Hell, it makes their existences more tragic because they'd eventually gain hearts to feel the dread of such a death. Knowing full well they "as themselves" would vanish for the original to return.

Those outbursts of emotion in defeat, the desperation to claim Kingdom Hearts, it all just flows so much better.

Sure, you still have Luxu abusing this human to nobody system but that'd just be one person out of 13. (no I didn't count Xion since she's a replica)

Sure, Vexen's role in KH3 would need a tweak or two but that's easy to do. You could even add that to his motives because he not only "ceased to exist" but comes back to see what he couldn't finish in his research.

Or you can spin it so that Even actually is remorseful upon seeing Vexen's research.

The potential there is endless and I can't help but think about it often. I'm going to go scream about it into the void now.

GAHHHh (bye~)

[sarcasticlcves]

Dating The Wwe Women Includes

Part 2

A/n~ this is strictly fem x fem

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aliyah:

The sweet couple

Her convincing you to go out and party with her and her friends

Her being clingy af

You loving her sweet innocent personality

Both of you being awkward around other couples

So much pda it makes your colleagues sick of you both

Becky Lynch:

OVERPROTECTIVE BITCH I REAPEAT OVERPROTECTIVE BITCH

Gets jealous very easily

Has a hand around your waist AT ALL TIMES

Pda to a certain extent

Sweet cuddly bby

Does not allow anyone to touch you except her

You being great friends with Charlotte and Becky despising your guys friendship

Candice Lerae:

When candice turned heel it was because of you

You told her that she would never accomplish anything if she did it "the right way"

That caused candice to realize she loved you

You do anything this sweet little bby asks of you

She loves tucking her head under your chin it makes her feel safe

You helping her dye her hair

Working out together

Helping each other win matches

Chelsea Green:

Let's get one thing straight this woman is controlling as hell

Will make you do anything she asks

You technically are forced to worship the ground this woman walks on

Your forced to hold her hand in public at all times

Help her win matches even though you don't want to

All your colleagues pitying you

A/n~ no hate to chelsea I'm just basing this off her wwe gimmick, and to me this is the vibe she gives off as a lover

Emma:

Her being more of a friend than lover

Emma being distant because of how she's being treated at wwe

You trying to help her but she's pushing you away

Only sign of affection is her laying her head on your chest when she's stressed

Her mainly only keeping you around for sex and emotional support

Fallon Henley:

This girl may act tough but in reality she's such a softie

You helping her in her family's bar

Taking up for her when she ruins brooks and Kiana's valentines day

When Kiana and Fallon won the tag titles you were the one who told her Kiana cheated

Fallon trying to protect you but in reality your the one protecting her

Sweet and soft embraces from both of you

Gigi Dolin:

When she left the indies for wwe you were her number 1 supporter through all of it

You not being a big fan of Gigi and Darby allin's former marriage

No pda she likes being in private

Doesn't really show her love for you in public, but is a sweetheart behind closed doors

You being her voice of reason

Her being by your side 24/7 but not in a clingy way

Iyo Sky:

You being very nervous when she goes on the top rope to do her finisher

Being close friends with Kairi and Asuka

Taking trips to Japan frequently

You making fun of her semi short height

Kissing or hugging before the other one leaves a room

You've known each other since the indies

Cuddles every night

This girl may look weak but she strong af and will hold you against your own will

Jacy Jayne:

Your a face and she's a heel so she has to attack you a lot of times, especially when your number one contender for Mandy's title

No pda for obvious reasons

Gigi supporting your guys relationship

Her moving in with you without Mandy knowing

Very affectionate bby

Liv Morgan:

You both being former members of the riott squad

Her depending on you more than anyone

Being her number one fan

After she wins matches you take her out to the bar to celebrate

She has trust issues from past relationships so you take it slow with her

Liv being the sweetest person you've ever met

Her hanging off you 24/7 but you secretly love it

Part 3 coming soon my loves!❤

[transrikuu]

I was rewatching some kh1 cutscenes and man. I wish Kairi still had her personality from this game. I wish she was still voiced by Hayden Panettiere. I wish she had an actual reason why she got a keyblade instead of just. Accidentally touching Aqua’s keyblade to gain the ability to wield one and being handed a random one during KH2. And it’s never explained in game why Riku had a random Kairi keyblade lying around. Kairi deserves better.

[quietarchivist]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

So, thinking about it, I'm going to talk about The Weight of a Keyblade (https://archiveofourown.org/works/56050324) which is a Kingdom Hearts fic I wrote earlier this year.

--

The excerpt:

Sora falls into a routine after that, training with Ira and working his way through the book he was given.

The book Ira lends him makes Sora work for the information within its pages. It is the hardest he has ever done research and includes school projects. The pages are faded and the ones that he can read are dense and difficult to parse, with old words and turns of phrase that make him consult dictionaries and other sources. And he can’t exactly ask for help. Because asking for help will likely reveal Ira and even if nothing has been said, Ira wants to remain out of the way and Sora doesn’t want to betray that. So, if he wants this information, he will have to get it himself.

And he does, slowly but surely. Slowly but surely the book starts to open up to him and he learns.

He learns about the age of Fairy Tales, the way Keyblade Wielders used to work together in unions.

He learns about the way that Keyblades used to evolve and how materials had to be gathered to allow that to happen.

He learns about how Keyblades were often considered a reflection of their Wielder’s Hearts. And while that makes sense to him, it also makes Sora wonder what it says that his Keyblade is just the Kingdom Key.

The more he learns, the more questions he has, and he hopes that Ira will answer them all.

There’s a voice that suggests that maybe this is a dangerous path to be on. He’s seen what too much knowledge can lead to, but at the same time someone needs to recover this knowledge.

Sora doesn’t tell anyone about his training sessions with Ira. It's a decision he came to a while ago. For selfish reasons, he realizes. And then kind of smiles because he didn’t think he could be selfish. He tries to rationalize a practical reason, but outside of respecting Ira’s privacy, he can’t really land on one.

It’s selfish because he finally has a teacher all his own. Lea and Kairi have Merlin, and Kairi has been talking about training under Aqua. Terra and Ven had Master Eraqus. Roxas and Xion haven’t really expressed interest. Riku is already a Master. Sora knows everyone sort of considers him a Master, even if he doesn’t have the Mark. But everything he knows about Keyblades and fighting comes from learning on the fly. And maybe he wants to learn from someone.

And Ira has been teaching him. Ira takes Sora’s instinctual knowledge and hones it, how to trust his instincts and rely on them. How to get more from his strikes, and use his magic more effectively. How his Keyblade is his Heart and it will guide him. Ira is a tough Master, disciplined and stern but also fair and Sora can’t help but think of Phil in Olympus Coliseum, with the way that there is an unwavering belief that he can go the distance. It means he comes home sore and scraped and when he’s asked, he just says he’s training on his own.

It’s selfish because he can feel himself becoming untethered from this world. The effects of the Power of Waking finally coming home to roost. He should be spending time with his friends. He should be enjoying peace with Kairi and Riku. Instead he goes to a dark alley and trains with a stranger.

And if he’s being really honest, he doesn’t feel that bad about keeping secrets. And that probably scares him most of all.

--

So, Kingdom Hearts is bonkers.

We all know this and frankly, that's one of my favourite things about this ridiculous franchise. I love how bonkers it is and how with each successive entry into the franchise we get just a little more bonkers. Even if sometimes, my love for the franchise does rub up against my ire for it.

KHX/UX was one of those things. As a mobile game, I hated it. I found it a gacha-hell pay to win that seemed to rely on getting the latest medal to progress through the story, which was told in a really piecemeal way. But I love the Foretellers and the story of the Keyblade War. I think the Foretellers have really neat designs and I'm interested to see how they'll play in future games. And I'm going to keep playing in the Foretellers space until Tetsuya Nomura comes and upends my shit and we will nod at each other respectfully because we both knew this was going to happen.

But I wanted to play in the space before that and imagine what a meeting between our current cast and these mysterious masters might mean. I wrote a fic a while ago (Struggle of Sorts) that focused on Aced meeting the Twilight Town gang, and then a few years later, I guess it was Ira's turn. (They are my favourites so that makes sense). And Ira and Sora were a good match (also inspired by some rp threads). In the fic as a whole, Sora discovers Ira in a empty corner in Radiant Garden and Ira agrees to train him, taking place in a timey-wimey AU post-KH3 where the power of waking consequences took a little while to catch up. And the reflections the two of them go through.

Sora's an interesting character to write for. He's the kind of character who is earnest, bright and trusting, and I think it's really easy to tip into him being too much of those things, when he's really not. So it was fun to write him in a way where he has to be a bit more thoughtful and studious, which I don't think comes naturally to him. He's a very charge ahead kind of character. And for being such an open character who wears his heart on his sleeve, finding that he has the capacity to keep secrets and maybe just have a little shred of the things the game kind of defines as belonging to Darkness was fun. But I only ever want to keep him at a shred. Sora's too good for that otherwise.

I also liked the idea of Sora kind of feeling like he's behind since so much weight has been placed on the idea of Masters and Mastery in the games. And lamenting not having a Master and having to figure things out on his own. (And I recognize part of that is just the result of the games being what they are and how they're structured and all that). It's easy to consider Sora a Master via experience rather than formality but I think that also weighs on him. So finding someone who is willing to work with him I think is really validating, and something he kind of wants to keep secret. He's got to catch up to Riku somehow and he can only get so far on his own. Even if it means avoiding his friends for a bit.

It was also fun working in some of the oddball details from KHX/UX and how that has changed. I like the idea of these time-seperated keyblade wielders talking shop.

Ira's motives in the fic are a little more muddled, but that is more from the fact that we don't actually know what they're doing, and until the games tell us a bit more, I'm reluctant to stray from the vague. But I do think Ira would be a good master. He successfully led a union after all, and I like the idea of trying to combat the melancholy with trying to help someone.

tl; dr I like these guys a lot and it's a fun space to play and I hope Tetsuya Nomura doesn't upend too much of my shit.

--

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part VII

I can't speak to what the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts is like, but the English version has always done a brilliant job capturing Jack Skellington's voice. His dialogue reflects every facet of his character: elegant, theatrical, polite, delusional, and just a little pompous. Ooogie Boogie's always been on point too, speaking like the bullying but jazzy slob that he is. And this spot-on character writing is used in an original story! As far as adapting the flavor of a particular Disney movie in the writing - this Disney movie, at a time when the company still treated it like the ugly stepchild - Halloweentown is one of the best.

Visually, it's much less successful. I've never liked the look of Halloweentown in KH I, with its harsh reds and purples and copious amounts of ugly brown. On playing the game again, it might be my least favorite world aesthetically in the game, and the only reason it's not dead last for the entire series is because Port Royal in KH II looked even worse. Port Royal also doesn't have the saving grace that is Oogie's house, which I do think is well-designed. I wish it stuck around even after you defeat him, but I appreciate how that works out story-wise, and it's a fun area to climb and explore while it lasts. The gambling den is the highlight of the house, and the more fun and engaging stage of the fight with Oogie.

And you better believe that I fight him with Jack in my party. His movement and combat suit him just as well as his dialogue, and like Aladdin in KH I's Agrabah, Jack makes the Top 3 for my favorite party members in the series (Ariel's the other, for all the reasons I gave for appreciating Atlantica last time). Having Oogie fight you through gambling first, then a runaway possession by the powers of darkness, is a nice break from the more direct villains that precede him (Hades excepted).

Storywise, Halloweentown is the closest a non-Pooh world comes to being "filler." It's not - it's a world on the brink of destruction that needs saving just like the rest, and Oogie's in the League of Disney Villains - but none of the cutscenes build on the larger story or the lore the way every previous world does. It's the most self-contained adventure within the larger framework of "we must rescue Disney from darkness." I don't raise that as a complaint, though. It's rather nice to have a lighter world at this point in the game.

Neverland is much more embedded into the larger story, and it's an extremely well-written one. And yet I don't have too much to say about it; its virtues so far as driving Riku along the path to darkness, taking another step toward explaining what's up with Kairi, and giving Sora another step up in his hero's journey, are self-evident. And it's another world where the voice of a particular Disney character (Captain Hook in this case) is captured flawlessly. I don't think I fully appreciated how well he's handled before, but as far as lines and facial animation go, he may now be my favorite of the Disney villains used in this game.

Gameplay-wise, my biggest frustration with Neverland is that there's really one one combat area where you can really take off with flight. I'm sure the claustrophobia of the ship was by design, and I don't mind so much of the action taking place within the Jolly Roger, but it would be great to have a second open space where you can fly around unencumbered for regular combat.

Of course, you can fight Phantom in an open space, and I really love this boss. It was a nightmare fighting him the fist time I ever picked up this game, but as soon as you figure out his orb, it's easy (in principle, at least) to know what to do. It's not even that hard to beat him with a full party as long as you're willing to be generous with Stop magic. But he is still a challenge, and like with Kurt Zisa, I like that he demands a good mix of magic and physical attacks. I get why later games opted for more elaborate fights with main villains in lieu of these kinds of one-off Heartless fights, but I do miss them.

[twilightown]

💖 Kairi-centric 💖 Post KH3/Melody of Memory 💖 Slow burn - Kairi getting more confident 💖 multi-chapter

Chapter 2: The Enchanted Forest

Kairi was surrounded by so much color.

Yellows, oranges, reds, dark greens… The forest she’d landed in was at the peak of its vibrancy. Kairi’s neck ached from looking up through the tree’s canopies. She admired the way the light danced around her. Each of her light steps met with a crunch from the fallen leaves.

As an islander, Kairi grew up around bright colors. Whites, blues, greens paired with the sun’s ever-gift of heat. This forest though, was cool in many ways. A breeze tugged at the bottom of her coat. She was grateful for the new outfit; it’d keep her warm.

She didn’t have much direction, much guidance, and knowledge of where she was going. She only kept moving forward taking in the views. A large, busy river appeared by her side. Rocks kept the river in its space. She decided it was best to follow along the water, she appreciated the song of its soft sounds and it was the most likely way to meet another person.

She was comfortable with water. It had become such a part of her identity. Growing up by it, playing in it, traversing over it. Water had been a loyal companion. She let her mind wander back to memories of old, memories of a simpler time.

It led her to a clearing. A man with sand-colored hair slouched while sitting on a rock. He looked deep in thought, saddened even. He had a reindeer by his side. 

Animals were empathic beings, that Kairi was used to. She couldn’t look away from the set of friends. This reindeer had a look of worry for his human companion. The reindeer had a multi-color harness attached to his body and large antlers.

“She really left us, huh bud?” The man said to his reindeer.

“ Maybe you don’t have the full story, and she’ll explain everything! There’s gotta be a reason you got left behind!” The man said in a funny voice, loosening his jaw as he spoke. That hit close to home. 

Was he…. Is he talking to his reindeer? And talking for it too?

“Yeah, sure, you’re probably right, Sven. There’s probably an explanation… Like that she doesn’t want to be with me anymore!” He yelled out, shoving his face in his hands. 

“ You are hopeless. She loves you.” The funny voice returned, sobs dotting his words.

Kairi couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped due to the face Sven shot at the man. 

Immediately, the man sat up straight and shot her an embarrassed look. She’d be caught. His eyes were brown and as bright as his surroundings. “How much did you hear?” He questioned immediately. His cheeks were colored with embarrassment. 

“You got left behind?” She answered. 

He groaned and laid back on his rock, looking at the sky. “Yeah. I guess it comes with the my-girlfriend-is-a-princess package. They go on without you.” 

“Your girlfriend is a princess?” 

“I hope that she still is My girlfriend, anyway.” He groaned loudly. The man sat up, taking her in for the first time. “Wait. You’re not from the village. How’d you get in the enchanted forest?” 

“I was just drawn here. It’s a beautiful forest.” She offered, hoping it would suffice. 

The man nodded and took in the sights. “It is when it’s not trying to kill us-”  

“Kill you?” Kairi questioned.

“-I’m Kristoff. This is Sven,” he leaned over to introduce the reindeer “and yes. My girlfriend is Princess Anna of Arendelle. She’s… gone. Left with her sister, I guess.”

“I’m Kairi.” She smiled. “Why don’t we find her together? Like you said, I’m sure there’s an explanation.” 

“Uh, Sven said that.” He corrected. 

“Oh. Right.” She sheepishly agreed. 

“I think I may have guessed where they went. Follow me.”

——

They walked together, step in step. Sven stayed behind them, led by the harness Kristoff was holding. Since they’d began their travels, Kairi had noticed more about him. He was tall - very tall. Dressed in a smart, warm, black outfit. He was built as if he’d lifted heavy items all his life. 

“What brings you here?” Kristoff started, filling the silence. 

“My friends. I… can’t reach them right now. I’m looking for ways to get them back here. Back to our home.”

Kristoff nodded. “You were left behind too, huh?”

“You have no idea.” he wrapped her arms around herself.

He sighed. “You’d be surprised. One the one hand, you’re glad they’re figuring themselves out. Growing as a person. They’re getting things done. Things that are probably really important!”

Kairi added, “-but on the other hand, you feel useless. Right? You want to be a part of their lives! And you’re just missing out on all these important pieces.”

Kristoff laughed, gesturing in excitement. “Yes! Exactly! Just left wondering if we should follow them.”

“And of course, it always has to be fine… We can catch up with them afterwards.”

Kristoff whistled. “You’re taking the words right out of my mouth. It makes you feel as if we’re growing apart from them.” 

She’d never been able to express her frustration aloud before. She had people and friends, she had hearts connected to hers, but she doubted any of them would truly get where she was coming from. It felt good to air it out with Kristoff and Sven. They were easy to open up to.

“So are you from Arendelle?” Kristoff asked, switching topics. 

Kairi shook her head, eyes scanning the forest around them. “Actually, I’m from a place a lot sunnier. Sunshine, ocean, and the beach is where I grew up. I kind of miss it..”

“Well, be glad you weren’t here three summers ago then. Anna’s sister, Elsa, froze over the entire land.”

“What? In summer? How did she do that?”

“You really are new around here…” Kristoff lead through the trails, pulling Sven along, as he explained the story of the queen who had ice powers and how her sister Anna saved the town what felt like a lifetime ago. He caught her up to present day quickly. Kristoff seemed to be a man who got to the point. The elements had apparently gone berserk after Elsa had spoken to them one night. They’d left Arendelle citizens unsure and scared, forcing them to evacuate to safer ground as they wreaked havoc on the kingdom. Air, water, earth and and fire had communicated with the kingdom and Elsa that something was amiss. Kristoff, Anna, Elsa and one of Elsa’s creations had come into the forest where the wild elements followed them. Occasionally, Sven chimed in to Kristoff’s retelling. This made Kairi giggle even more. Sora would love this. He’d get along so well with Kristoff.

“Is that what you meant by the forest trying to kill you?” 

Kristoff nodded. “Oh, yeah. We were greeted with a magical tornado as soon as we walked past the stones. That’s what we’re trying to fix - so Arendelle can go back to business as usual and the people can go back.”

Kairi swept her gaze around and nothing really seemed amiss. She’d have to really stay on her toes throughout this journey if everything Kristoff was saying was the truth.

“Ah, well, enough about me. What about your friends?” Kristoff followed along the river.

“Their names are Sora and Riku. Sora… He saved us all from a terrible fate.” She paused, remembering the numerous times he’d sacrificed himself for her. She felt vulnerable sharing her story. Kristoff watched her, sympathy on his face.

“We lost him because of that. Because of me. Riku’s out looking for him now. I couldn’t stay behind any longer. I want to help bring Sora and Riku back home.”

“Hold on, Sora? Spiky hair, big shoes, fought things away with a key?”

Kairi had to stop walking and looked at Kristoff expectantly.. “You know Sora? He was here?” Her heart thumped against her chest. Could answers really come this easily? 

Kristoff nodded, stopping also “He helped us. He helped end the winter those summers ago. We really owe him a debt. I’m so sorry that he’s disappeared. Losing someone like that… It’s always hard. You two will have to come back together when he’s safe and sound. I wish I knew how to help you and Sora out.”

A sad smile stretched across her lips. “Thanks. We’ll be back together.”

“You know, Arendelle has th-” Kristoff’s face soured as he stopped suddenly, looking beyond her.

Kairi swiveled her head to see for herself what Kristoff was looking at. A seemingly from nowhere flash flood was rushing straight towards them. Water came quickly at their group, aiming to meet the river they’d been following at their backs. Kairi’s eyes widened, and her mind began working quickly thanks to all her training. Sven, who’d been walking behind them, took steps backwards in fear; he dragged Kristoff with him. Kairi jumped backwards too, but in the opposite direction. They seemed to clear just in time as a wave pushed in where they’d been standing, crashing into the rocks and river. Mist off the clash nearly blinded Kairi, and the rushing water deafened her. The river bloated, rising up towards her toes. She couldn’t stay here. She ran, her feet graceful, to safety. As soon as she’d found dry land, Kairi looked backwards to see Kristoff and Sven drenched from head to toe - but alright. They must have also moved quickly. Around 100 feet and a slowing current split them. The aftermath had them separated by a brand new, wide river. She could see leaves being quickly pushed by the strong current feeding into the one they’d followed. Kairi waved at the boys and Kristoff waved back. He attempted to speak to her, but words were lost over the rushing water. She shook her head. He pointed his finger to the sky and created a circle. She understood it to mean Circle around - I’ll meet you later. She copied the gesture to show she got the message.

A forest that was dangerous… A very interesting world for her first journey. It was unbelievable that the first person she ran into was also someone that knew Sora. Of course, Sora was someone whose heart touched others so easily. It made sense she’d come across someone he’d helped eventually.

Her ears worked overtime, listening for anymore danger. Having one side of her protected by the steady water did make her feel safer. 

Ache set into her legs, and the sun was getting low in the sky. She had made it far from where Kristoff and she had met at the beginning of the day. The forest had been consistent, and the rocks aside from the river had began to grow larger. Thoughts of shelter floated in her mind, of a space to settle for the night. 

She was slowing down when a voice reached her ears.

“Elsa pushed me away too - and didn’t even say goodbye.” 

Elsa? Kairi searched for the source of the voice, knowing this was someone who was friendly. This person could help her.

“And you have every right to be very, very mad at her.” A second voice validated. A woman’s voice responded. This time, she was able to pinpoint the source.

Her eyes met a boat on the water. The boat, translucent and made of ice, floated with two riders.

A young woman, with a long purple coat and sweet demeanor, must’ve been who was speaking. She was speak to what looked to be …a snowman?

[s10127470]

The New Kingdom Hearts Trios AU: Part 1

This is a little AU I've had in my mind for a long ass time.

We all know of the iconic trio of Sora, Donald and Goofy.

But a few years ago, I thought to myself.....what if all the other KH-original characters gotten their own trios consisting of themselves and two other Disney characters?

And since I haven't seen anyone else do something like this before, I basically went....

Anyway, here's two that I came up with

The Keyblade Master Trio (Riku, Mickey, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit):

Their dynamic would be pretty complicated....to say the least.

I'd imagine that in the Kingdom Hearts, Oswald would not only be Mickey's older brother, but also a Keyblade Master.

Not only that, but our of the three, he would be the strongest, due to him to being the oldest and most experienced.

I'd imagine that Mickey and Oswald used to be very close, but they probably had a falling out a long time ago over......I don't know, light and dark?

(Yeah, I haven't exactly thought his backstory all the way out)

As you would probably expect, Mickey and Oswald are constantly at each other's throats due to their less than stellar history, with Riku acting as the peacekeeper between them.

Oswald himself has the ability to manipulate both light and darkness, making him something of a Ying-yang of Mickey and Riku, and wields two Keyblades.

Their team attacks include.....

.Double Duel (between Riku and Mickey)

.Reassemble Riot (an attack between Riku and Oswald, where the latter disassembles his arms, with a Keyblade in each hand, one coated in darkness, one coated in light, and sends them flying towards surrounding enemies. Riku does the same thing as well, except for the whole arm removal thing)

.True End (the attack between all three of them).

The Princess Trio (Kairi, Ariel and Jasmine):

Kairi and Ariel immediately became friends when they first met and are now partners in mischief. As for Jasmine, while she does like to have fun, she serve as the voice of reason for the trio and often has to keep an eye on Kairi and Ariel, making sure they don't do anything stupid.

Ariel fights with a magical trident that once belong to her late mother Athena, allowing her cast powerful elemental spells including Watera, Thundara, Aerora and Blizzara.

Jasmine fights with her acrobatic skills, martial arts, and a long wooden staff.

Their team attacks include....

.Mermaid Whirlpool (the attack between Kairi and Ariel, where the two combine their magic to unleash a massive whirlpool on enemies).

.Spiral Staff (the attack between Kairi and Jasmine, where the former wraps her legs around the end of the latter's staff while holding out her Keyblade, which is then followed by Jasmine spinning her staff around).

.Princess Power (the attack between the entire trio, where they all jump into the air and raise their respective weapons to form a giant heart of light, which then rains upon on enemies).

That's all for right now! This was a short post, but that's because I'm planning to explore this idea by specific groups for each post.

You know: one post for the Sea Salt Trio, one post for the Wayfinder Trio, etc.

This one was more or less dedicated to the Destiny Islands Trio, minus Sora for obvious reasons.

Let me know what you guys think! And if you have any ideas for a trio involving the other KH-original characters, let me know!