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p-artsypants · 2 years ago

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Rage Awakened (12)

In Which Sora Comforts Kairi

FF.net | Ao3

Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU

Kairi cried the entire trip home. It was agony to all those that were with her. Riku sat by her side, arm around her shoulder, while Sora rested his head on her lap.

Sora grappled with his poor grasp of language. Through the words that he remembered and could understand, it sounded like Kairi’s home had fallen down. Did that mean the world collapsed? Or did her castle fall apart? He didn’t quite know, and he didn’t think it was wise to ask for clarification at the moment.

Instead, he pressed his face into her stomach as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Truly, he wanted to cradle her in his arms, but she didn’t seem to want that, especially in front of everyone else.

All Sora wanted to do was protect her and make her feel better. It might be the only thing he could do. He hasn’t had the chance to try.

But he hadn’t had the chance to fail either, so that was okay for now.

The Land of Departure was just as peaceful and serene as they had left it. Eraqus met them at the gate.

“Welcome home. Did you have a nice dinner?”

“It was nice,” Aqua said, reserved. “But—“

Eraqus noticed Kairi immediately when she got off the ship.

“Oh no, what happened?”

“Radiant Garden—it—she—…” Kairi clenched her eyes shut as more tears came. They just wouldn’t stop.

“Ansem the Wise came to Disney Castle. Radiant Garden fell.” Terra provided.

Eraqus closed his eyes, a single tear falling from them in sympathy. “My sincerest apologies.”

“Cmon Kai, the others can fill Master Eraqus in.” Riku squeezed her shoulder and led her into the castle.

As soon as she was gone, Sora raised up to his full height and barked, “Help Sora!”

“What’s wrong?” Asked Aqua.

“Kairi home fall down? Can’t pick back up? Rebuild?”

The collected group wilted a little at that.

“No Sora, it’s not that kind of fall,” Terra explained. “The world was taken over by darkness.”

“Ooooh,” Sora nodded his head sagely. “Swallowed.”

“Not quite that, either,” Aqua clarified. “Radiant Garden thankfully can’t be swallowed, because its keyhole is incomplete. But the heartless moved in and kicked everyone out. All led by Maleficent. You remember that name, right?”

“Dragon!”

“Yes! Her! After her world was swallowed by darkness, she amassed an army and has been trying to conquer other worlds. Most of them get swallowed instead.”

Sora summoned his gnarled keyblade. “Take Sora to Kairi home! Rip out dragon lady heart! Devour!” He snarled.

The group stared at him wide-eyed. “Um, let’s not do that quite yet. We have to gather intel and find out what we’re up against.”

Sora frowned, but dismissed his weapon. “Kairi hurt, so Sora hurt.” He said tactfully.

Then Riku returned, without Kairi. “I took her to her room, but she wanted to be left alone.”

“The girl hasn’t had time to cry by herself,” said Aqua. “Let’s leave her alone for the night.”

“You’ve all had a very long day,” said Eraqus. “Why don’t we all get some rest. We can create a game plan in the morning.”

Sora understood ‘long day’ and ‘rest’ and took it that the meeting was over.

Since he was among humans now, and doing human things, he walked upright, toddling along and bringing up the rear of the group. He had to use his hands to climb the stairs, but was able to walk again inside.

It had been so long since he was in this castle, that even though he remembered each room he walked in, he struggled with where they were.

The castle was also a great deal smaller than he remembered.

He followed Riku to the hallway where their rooms were and went to push on Kairi’s door.

“No Sora, leave her alone for tonight, okay?”

Sora whined in his throat, but abandoned the door, opting to go into his room.

It was dark, since night had fallen. The tarp hanging on the back wall rustled as the draft from the door hit it. Cold air came from that side of the room.

The light from the hallway gave him enough to see by as he wandered around his old room. It didn’t really reflect him anymore, but he wasn’t quite sure who he was anyways. When you’re fighting for your life day after day, you don’t really get the chance to consider what things you like and dislike. What your hobbies are, what things you want to do. Only things you have to do.

What need did he have for toys and Knick knacks? Why would he hold onto things for just beauty or sentimentality?

Of course, Sora himself didn’t think like this anymore. More so just, ‘why is this here? How does this help me live?’

Later, he would ask Riku to help him toss the needless stuff away, but for now, he would rest.

Rest on a bed. A mattress at that.

He remembered the transition, all those years ago. Sleeping naked on the dirt, getting bitten by insects. It took him so long to figure out how to climb those trees and make a home in the canopy, where it was safer. Those early nights, he barely slept for every snap of a branch had him awake. Even up until recently, deep sleep eluded him. There was never a time to let your guard down in the jungle.

Just here in his old room, in the Land of Departure, there was no threat, no impending demise.

He struggled far too long getting out of his shoes, and even longer out of the too small clothes they had forced him in. His undershorts, however, were far superior to the loin cloth of Deep Jungle. This was a permanent change.

He crawled into bed, making a nest with his blankets and pillow, and tried to get comfortable. The mattress was plusher than the pile of furs back in the jungle, and the blankets were soft instead of scratchy. Even the air was more pleasant, cool and dry.

But his chest ached, because Kairi was hurting, and he could feel it.

He slunk out of the bed, crawling along the floor until he reached the door. He peered out into the hallway glancing back and forth to check for the others. When the coast was clear, he scurried over to Kairi’s room and quietly turned the handle.

Inside was very different from his room. She had a large bed with fluffy white sheets and a white lace canopy draped over it. She had a plush white carpet that was soft under his calloused knuckles. The walls were pink with gold geometric designs on it. The window had leaded glass, though it was too dark out to notice much. Finally, the room was illuminated by a nightlight that sent out cartoonish stars and moon shapes on the walls and ceiling.

Kairi laid on the bed, face down, still in her party clothes, even her shoes.

Sora shut the door gently behind him.

“Kairi? My Kairi?” He chirped.

She startled, looking at him, before she relaxed. “Oh Sora, you scared me.”

“Sora leave?”

“No, no you can stay. I think I’d rather like it if you stayed.”

He crept closer until he was on his knees in front of the bed, resting his arms on the mattress. “Kairi hurt?”

She nodded solemnly as she wiped her eyes with her hand. “I’m sure it’s hard for you to understand what happened.”

“Sora knows. They tell. They…explain.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t hafta talk about it. Sora hold Kairi? Sora sleep with Kairi?”

Kairi’s eyes widened as she looked at him. He was only in his underwear. Sleeping in the same bed as him was incredibly intimate, and she wasn’t sure it was appropriate.

But she could really use the comfort.

“Okay.” She sat up. “Let me just change into my pajamas.” She got off the bed and went to her dresser, pulling out a large T-shirt.

Sora watched as she moved.

“Don’t look!” She chastised.

“Why?”

“I’m changing!”

He tilted his head, confused. “Change what?”

“My clothes?”

He was still confused.

She sighed slightly, realizing that she was looking at Sora, the boy who hated pants. He had basically been naked when they met. Why would he bother with privacy?

“You’re not supposed to see me without my clothes on.” She explained patiently.

He stared at her. “But Sora want to see Kairi without clothes.”

She sputtered, wide eyed. He had no shame whatsoever. “Being naked…isn’t normal, you know? That’s why we make you wear clothes, remember? Being bare is something only really close people experience. Like husband and wife. You see?”

“Kairi Sora best friend.” He stated like it was obvious.

She sighed again, “look, I just…can you just not look? It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Oh! Sora sorry!” And he firmly turned his back to her.

She made a mental note. Sora didn’t care about what was normal, only what she wanted. Maybe it would extend to others in due time.

Kairi slowly got undressed, occasionally looking at Sora, who very politely looked at the wall.

Finally, she changed into a large t-shirt that reached down almost to her knees. “Okay, you can look.”

Sora turned to see her, and his eyes lit up. “Cute!”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.” She walked past him and crawled into bed, getting tucked under the sheets. Sora observed her, and did the same, laying on his back with the sheets pulled up to his chin. He moved his hand under the blankets until he found Kairi’s and held it. “Haven’t slept like this in long time.”

“Are you comfortable?”

He shifted slightly, and turned on his side. “Nest is warm, soft. More soft than furs.”

“You mean my bed?”

“Bed!” He corrected. “Bouncy.” He wriggled, making the bed move.

“It is,” she smiled.

“Sora hold Kairi now?”

Kairi swallowed her nerves as she scooted closer to him, pressing her side against him. “This is…kind of intimate. Especially since we…well, we haven’t known each other long.” Kairi tried to remember that he has been in isolation for so long that he was probably touch starved.

“Sora leave?”

“No, I don’t think I want you to leave. I’m just…nervous.”

“Ner…vous?”

“Yeah, it’s when you feel kind of scared, but only a little.”

He pouted, his eyes widening in fear. “Sora scare Kairi?”

“No, no not at all!” Well, maybe a little. “It’s just new. I’ve never slept in the same bed as a boy.”

“Slept with Sora in tree,” he said casually.

“And I was nervous then too.”

Sora wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, so she was pressed to his chest. “This good?”

The feeling of his bare skin and against her arm was so nice. Granted, she could feel his body heat through her thin shirt, but there was much to be said for skin on skin contact.

However, among all these new and exciting feelings, there was something else. As she pressed her ear to his chest, she could feel his heartbeat. This felt wrong. Maybe to anyone else, the thump thump thump of his heart would sound the same, but to Kairi, a princess of heart, it felt ill. Diseased. It made her nauseous.

“Um…can I turn around?”

She turned her back to him, not pulling away from his hold. His arms were warm, and his body was flush against her back. His hand rested on her tummy.

“Sora say something, may hurt Kairi?”

“You…want to say something, but you think it might hurt me?”

He grunted.

“You should tell me anyway. I’ll try to take it in the least painful way possible.”

He nodded against her, laying his forehead against the crown of her head. “Sora…lose home too. Kairi and Sora have no home…together.”

She rested her hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I understand, and you’re right. We’re together in this. Thank you.”

Sora chuffed, a sound that was close to a laugh or a sign of excitement.

“Goodnight Sora.”

“Night Night!”

–

Technically, Roxas was doing as his master instructed. He was given the task of finding the Princesses of Heart that were hiding in the fallen Radiant Garden, a place his master had renamed ‘Hollow Bastion’. Roxas knew in his head that the intent on finding these Princesses was to take them to Maleficent, since she was in charge of gathering them. But since his master had been so vague on termanology, it was up for interpretation.

Once his Master found out how rebellious Roxas was, he’d probably be more specific with his commands.

As it stood, Roxas decided to interpret ‘find the Princesses in Hollow Bastion’ as ‘find the Princesses and move them to a different world so they would be safe.’

He knew it would only delay the inevitable. A heart of pure light was extremely rare, and it was unlikely to go unnoticed for long. Still, Roxas was a chaotic soul and malicious compliance was his favorite game.

He delved into the depths of the castle, where Maleficent would probably assume they wouldn’t be. Considering the lack of heartless patrolling the area, she assumed they’d be up around the living quarters.

Roxas had never met the Princesses, but knew a few things about them. 1.) They’d been living in this castle since their worlds fell. 2.) They were not delicate little flowers. All of them had a life of hard work and chores before they became royalty. Cinderella and Snow White were practically slaves. They could handle themselves.

But it had been three days since Radiant Garden fell and became Hollow Bastion. Who knows how they were fairing? Did they have food?

He was in the boiler room. It was easily the largest room in the entire castle, with all the pipes that led steam up throughout the castle. The boiler was immense, the size of a house. It was covered in knobs and dials, and had a large grate in front that glowed red. There were dozens of smaller boilers around the edges of the room as well, all connected with snaking copper wires jutting out at odd angles and disappearing into the ceiling. It was a little like a man made forest.

Then, Roxas almost stepped on a sleeping bag. He started when he spotted it, and then knew he was close. There was a canteen, a book, and a half eaten baguette next to it.

He walked the room, peering around the pipes.

“Ventus? Is that you?” A sweet voice called from above.

A young woman with dishwater blonde hair looked down from a hiding spot within a cage of piping. Then she gasped. “That coat! Oh no! Stay away from me!”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay!” Roxas assured. “Are you one of the Princesses?”

She frowned. “No, I’m just a scullery maid.”

“Nice try, but Radiant Garden didn’t have scullery maids.”

She pouted.

“I’m Roxas. And I’m here to help.”

“Why are you wearing that evil coat then? And why do you look like my friend Ventus?”

Where to begin? “Do you know what a Nobody is?”

“A person…that believes they have no importance?” She guessed.

“Yes, but there’s a new kind of Nobody, one related to the Heartless. If a Heartless is a person that has lost their heart to the darkness, what do you think happens to the body left behind?”

“I don’t know, I never considered it.”

“It becomes a creature known as a Nobody. Nobodies created from people with extremely strong wills retain a human appearance.”

“So then, Ventus–?”

“Is fine. My appearance being identical to his is…way more complicated than it should be. My somebody is Sora, a very young keyblade wielder who was lost to Deep Jungle. All you need to know is that I am a double agent. My master has commanded me to locate the Princesses of Heart, but Ansem the Wise asked me to help their cause. Ansem is my friend, and I wish to honor him.”

The Princess considered this and decided to come out from her hiding place. Roxas watched as she strategically used ridges and ledges as handholds as she climbed down. When she stood in front of him, he noticed she was wearing a brown dress with a white apron. Not the ball gown he expected a Princess of Heart to wear.

“If you are the shell left behind from a Heartless, that means you don’t have a heart, right?” She tilted her head to the side.

“That’s what my master says, and sometimes, I believe it. But others…I don’t know if I just adopted Sora’s moral compass, or if I have a connection to a heart somewhere. Either way, I would like to take you to another world, where it is safe.”

She nodded, “as long as I’m here, Maleficent will have a chance of finding me and using me to complete the keyhole.”

“So, you know all about that?”

“Ansem the Wise told us.” She gave a little smile. “After I got my happily ever after with my Prince, I thought my adventure was over. Little did I know it was just beginning. My name is Cinderella, and I will go with you, Roxas.”

He sighed a breath in relief. “Great! Where are Snow White and Aurora?”

She shook her head. “I do not know. We decided to split up so that we wouldn’t be found together. They didn’t tell me where they went. I can help you look?”

“That’s too risky. I need to be able to move around the castle under the guise of looking for you guys for Maleficent. If you’re with me, they’ll just take you.”

“Alright. Then I will leave it to you.” She went over to the sleeping bag and picked up her book. “Whenever you’re ready, good sir.”

He summoned a dark corridor, and then held out his arm. “Shall we?”

–

The corridor spit them out in front of a beautifully ornate, but abandoned, building. “Are you okay to walk a little ways?”

“I’d love to! I haven’t been able to walk around in days!”

He led her away from the mansion, and into the woods. Through the woods, into a crack in the city walls, and then into the town.

“Oh how darling!”

“Welcome to Twilight Town. Let me introduce you to some of my friends.”

They walked through the Tram Common, through the Sandlot, and up into the back alley to the usual spot. There, luckily, Hayner, Pence, and Olette were gathered and talking.

“Roxas, where have you been, man?” Asked Hayner. “We haven’t seen you in like a week.”

“Work was crazy busy,” he laughed, “They’re working me to the bone.”

“Oh right, your…what was it, pest control business?”

“Basically. So, you know how I mentioned I visit another town pretty often?”

“Uh, Radiant Garden right?” Pence clarified.

“Yes! So, weird story that’s probably more fairytale than you guys are prepared for, but the castle was overtaken by an evil witch named Maleficent. This is my good friend, Cinderella, and Maleficent wanted to use her for nefarious reasons. I brought her here because I had a feeling it would be difficult for her to be found.”

“Hello, it’s very lovely to meet you.” Cinderella held her hand out.

The others greeted her warmly with hand shakes.

“Do you guys think you could help her blend into town? I don’t know how long she’ll need to hide here.”

“There’s a spare room at my house,” said Olette. “I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind her staying with us.”

Cinderella folded her hands over her chest. “Oh thank you! I don’t mind working for my stay, either. I’m a very strong homemaker.”

“Cinderella, I will only tell Ansem the Wise and Master Yen Sid where you are. But I’ll come to check on you on occasion.”

“Thank you so much Roxas. When you find the others, you’ll let me know, right?”

He saluted. “I’ll let you know the moment they’re safe. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to cover my tracks.”

“Good luck Roxas! And the struggle tournament is coming up, so make sure you’re back in time!”

“It’s a promise!”

#kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts tarzan AU #rage awakened #fanfiction #sora #kairi #roxas #sokai

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themadauthorshatter · 3 years ago

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

358/2 Days REWRITE Part 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Axel nods and leaves Saïx to be scolded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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turnupswritessometimes · 4 years ago

Text

Yours, Always - SoRiku

Title: Yours, Always

Chapters: 1 + 2

Word Count: 9381

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

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

Yours, Always

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

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

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

“That’s nonsense.”

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

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

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

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

“It’s from the King!”

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

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

“You tripped over it,” Donald squawked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sora,

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

Mine is different.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riku

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riku,

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

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

I still believe that.

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

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

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

See you soon,

Sora

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What?”

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

“If he’s with those two –”

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

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

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

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

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

Sora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riku

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

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

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

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

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

Jiminy had climbed up onto his knee. Watching him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riku,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you really soon, Riku!

Sora

(P.S That’s just berry juice.)

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

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

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

Riku’s keyblade didn’t give off light.

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

But he’d trust Riku. And follow him.

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

It certainly didn’t feel like winning.

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

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

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

“This is for you.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At least he didn’t hate him.

That gave him the courage to write back.

Sora,

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

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

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

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

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

I hope its not too long now,

Riku

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I want to be there, when you wake up.

Riku

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

Sora,

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

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

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

Riku

Sora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I miss you,

Riku

Sora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sleep well,

Riku

Sora,

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

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

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

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

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

It made me – not angry – just –

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

Missing you,

Riku

Sora,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wake up soon, sleepyhead.

Riku

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That wouldn’t be – awful.

It wouldn’t be the same as Kairi.

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

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

But they might not.

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

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

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

They were all looking at him. He blinked back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sora,

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

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

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

I will save you. I promise.

Riku

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

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

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

He had to find Riku.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Come back soon.

Riku

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

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

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

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

I feel different, when I look at you.

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

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

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

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

Sounds a lot like home.

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

Yours,

Riku

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

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

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

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

The end of the letters was abrupt.

Sora,

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

Yours, always,

Riku

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I got your letters.”

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

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

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

He tried not to dwell on that.

“And after.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“All of them?” Riku sounded mortified.

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

“Sora!”

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

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

“They were private!” Riku pushed his shoulder.

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

“I could never say those things!”

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

“You wrote them.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They kissed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m glad you brought me back.”

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

“Always. I’ll always bring you back.”

“Forever yours.”

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

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

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oveliagirlhaditright · 3 years ago

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After the Game, Fret somewhat didn't like when someone other than canon had red hair and wore purple. Canon compliant. Oneshot. Neo spoilers. KH DDD is canon to TWEWY in this fic. Though you shouldn’t at all have to really know KH to understand this fic.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33469456

For the most part… Fret got on pretty well after Kanon’s death.

It was tough, it really was, but he soldiered on by becoming the more authentic version of himself she had wanted him to be… hoping that that would be enough. And that if her soul did somehow exist somewhere, she might see that and be able to find some happiness there.

And Fret had the Twisters, of course—and Neku’s old friends Shiki, Eri, and Rhyme (who was also Beat’s sister, of course), who had really integrated themselves into the group. There was also sometimes the aloof Joshua—who helped Fret keep his head where it belonged.

That, and all the school work he had to do now, as thoughts about college and careers were coming up, and he needed to try and focus on that, lest he be forgotten.

So, for the most part, while Fret still of course mourned Kanon, he had moved on and was in pretty good spirits, considering.

…The only thing that really got him down, oddly… was seeing redheads like she had been also wearing purple. And at first, meeting the legendary Neku right after Fret had lost the girl of his dreams had somewhat been a thorn in Fret’s side, because he’d just looked at Neku’s hair and the color he so clearly favored and thought “Kanon.”

But, thankfully, those feelings hadn’t lasted. They’d had Shibuya to save, after all. And Neku more than proved why he was great to have on a team and why he was the greatest friend, and why Fret should try and let his ghosts go.

But then, Fret had met Shiki’s best friend “Eri”… who was totally cool, by the way, and a co-creator of Gatto Nero with Shiki, and Fret couldn’t even begin to tell you how much he admired her. Especially since she was so pretty and on point… but not conceded at all, and down to earth.

As fate would have it, however, she’d been wearing purple the moment Fret had met her at Shiki’s birthday party. So, they hadn’t started out well, even though it had of course gotten better, and Fret had almost come undone (as ridiculous as it was for him to still be so hung-up on Kanon, he knew).

Thankfully, Shiki had right away seen his shaking form by the punch table and had come and given him a hug, as she’d whispered sweet nothings into his ear. She had guessed accurately what Fret’s problem was, and held him—not even seeming to feel like he was ruining her party at all—while she rubbed his back soothingly. “It’s okay not to get over a loved one quickly, you know? I was certainly that way about Neku. And you have it so much harder than I did. No one will judge you for your emotions, Fret. And if you need to talk, we’re all here for you. I’ll even go get Mr. Mew for you to hold, as he always cheers me right up.” Shiki had said that last part while winking at him, and Fret had had to laugh then.

He may have been afraid of Mr. Mew when Tsugumi had been controlling him and attacking them with the doll, but now that Fret had seen Shiki with her own one more often than not, Fret was thinking he was a sweet little guy again, and could definitely understand why Shiki would think he was good therapy.

“…And I may mention to Eri that it might be a good idea for her not to wear violet anymore.”

“What? You don’t have to do that? I got used to Neku, so I can with her, too!” Fret had wanted to tell her instantly, but Shiki had already been off to get Mr. Mew for him to cuddle.

And despite everything, Fret had watched Shiki walk across the dance hall with a smile on his face. It felt good to be appreciated. It did.

And after that, Eri did stop wearing that color, and everyone seemed to prefer it that way. Fret did, for his own reason, of course… Eri did, because she didn’t even like it that much, apparently, and Neku appreciated it, who jokingly thanked Eri for getting off his turf.

So, everything was more than good for Fret when it came to those colors for a while… but then some girl named Kairi came to Shibuya: a girl with darker red hair than Kanon, it was true, but wouldn’t you know that she was also wearing amethyst?

At first, Fret had been ready to write this stranger off—just another tourist in Shibuya, that he just happened to notice walking past him—but then she accidentally ran into Beat… and it seemed to startle the girl. And good Lord, then she summoned a magic key-shaped sword to her hands, without even seeming to think about it. And she wasn’t even in the UG! (Though when Fret saw this, his first concern was that they had landed back there.)

And the moment Neku and Beat (who were with Fret to go to Molco, to get him some Tin Pins, because that was becoming a thing again) saw the redhead summon the weapon, they had both exclaimed simultaneously, “You’re a Keyblade wielder!” “Yous a Key wielder!”

Fret had had no idea what they were talking about at that point. So, Neku had hastily explained that Shibuya had actually been destroyed before—a time that he, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme had only recently gotten their memories back of—and when it had, Joshua had taken their dream fragments (the only thing that had been left of them) to another world, to try and bring them back. And there, they’d taken bodily form once again and met a “Keyblade wielder” named “Sora”, and another one named “Riku,”

Beat had then gone to explain that they’d both helped them out, and that they were probably even bigger deals than him and Neku, and Fret couldn’t believe it. Hell! He could hardly even fathom it. What would that even look like? But he didn’t have much time to try and guess, because Neku began talking to the stranger almost instantly.

“Are you Sora’s girlfriend?” Neku had asked her then, bold as you please, as he’d pulled the redhead back out of the way of pedestrians going to and fro from all the different shopping areas. “He told me that he was great friends with a redhead, who liked art like Shiki does… I think he was insinuating then that I liked Shiki back then, and I wanted to kill him for all the hints he dropped her, while maybe not realizing that he had feelings for you yet, but I think it was still there… If you are that girl he mentioned, I mean.”

And then the poor girl had had a single tear slide down her eye—and Fret almost wanted to kick himself for only being able to think “you’re not Kanon, you’re not Kanon, you’re not Kanon, you’re not Kanon. Why are you dressed like her?”, while he looked at her—and she explained to Beat, who was giving her a big old bear hug, but Neku too, that: “Yeah, I’m Sora’s girlfriend, Kairi… I’m looking for him, because he recently disappeared after he sacrificed himself to bring me back to life. I was thinking he might be here, or that there might be Heartless here that I needed to fight, but I don’t know.”

Neku had appeared to give much thought to all of that (crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes, Fret saw), before he finally met Kairi’s eyes with kind ones of his own. “Why don’t you come with me to meet Shiki? She’s another friend of Sora’s. And Keyblade wielders’ hearts can sometimes lead them to keys, right? Maybe there’s something there, if Sora used to tease me about us.”

And Kairi had gone with Neku and Beat to do that (while Fret had followed, aimlessly, feeling really curious, for sure, but also kind of despairing the whole way: he wasn’t going to lie). And then Kairi had found with Shiki’s help, the thing she needed that would help her lead to Sora, apparently.

It was a hockey puck, that Shiki said Neku had gotten her to help them remember old times together… And as soon as Kairi had come near it, her Keyblade had reacted—seeming almost to float over to the puck of its own free will, tugging Kairi along—and then an insanely crazy light show happened (where all of a sudden, the entire world around them had seemed to be nothing but darkness, with just a few pieces of light to speak of: coming from Kairi and the Keyhole that appeared in the sky, that she did acrobatics towards, in order to aim a laser from her Keyblade at it). Then, it was all over and the Buya returned to normal, but the girl was gone.

And Neku and Beat explained that that seemed to sometimes happen with Keyblade wielders—they’d both seen it with Sora and Riku—as they would sometimes get taken away to where they were meant to go next, before they really got to say goodbye. But they both assumed she was fine and gotten what she needed, and definitely seemed to be hoping it, too.

But Neku, Beat, and Shiki had definitely bonded with Kairi that day… and about a year later, she was back in Shibuya to visit them with Sora and Riku… and well, maybe a whole lot of other people. There was yet another girl with red hair, wearing amethyst…

And while Fret was kind of glad to see them—and was thrilled that Kairi had gotten her happy ending and she could just come her for funsies to see everyone now—he couldn’t help sitting in a park bench in Dogenzaka, sighing, as he watched the whole thing unfold.

“Hehehe. You’re in quite the mood. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were turning into Neku…” Someone else had come to sit by Fret… and one quick look let him know that it was none other than the Composer of Shibuya himself… and that he had better get it together, before the guy threw him into another Game to improve himself, like he originally had with Neku.

“Oh, uhh… Hi there, Joshua. It’s good to see you,” Fret said, putting a hand under his chin and regarding the other boy—god—with mixed feelings. “Did you see that ice is really in this season? And diamonds almost match your light blue shirts, right? I feel like if you started wearing some diamond necklaces, you’d be even more stylish than you already ar-”

But Joshua halted Fret’s attempt to somewhat butter him up, with a hand held high and a small smile on his face. “There’s no need for all of that, I assure you,” Joshua promised, violet eyes locking onto Fret’s and that, too, making the youth think of Kanon some. “If you want her back, why don’t you just ask me?” Joshua asked rather smug now.

And it was too much. All too much. Fret wanted to believe that Joshua could actually bring her back for him… but what if this was a trap? And what if Joshua meant it now… but Fret somehow made him changed his mind, when he begged him to do so and thanked him for it. What if he didn’t do everything to code?

Tripping over his words now, as he ran a hand through his hair, Fret asked, “I mean… I would love it. If you want to, and don’t think it’ll hurt Kanon to be back, I’m all for it. But can you really do that? Wouldn’t you maybe get in trouble?”

At that Joshua “hmmed”, and Fret panicked—feeling like he’d ruined his chances for real here—and he was about to kiss the Composer’s feet to try and be on his good side again…

But it seemed like Fret had started fretting over nothing, as Joshua giggled and flipped his hair once. “I’ve brought Players who didn’t win back after a corrupt Game before, so it wouldn’t be the first time. Kanon’s Soul did seem quite promising to me for a few reasons there, so I’d be interested to see how she would shape Shibuya…

“And as of now… I would not get in trouble, dear Fret. But thank you for your concern. Heh. I am the senior of a lot of angels on the Higher Plane. And right now, the ones above me are actually very much interested me and my methods, for halting Shibuya’s purification twice, but having it turn out better both times for it. So, I imagine they’d let this one slide.”

Fret was near tears at that point; of course he was… And okay, maybe he was actually crying now. It was just that this was all he had ever dreamed of after they’d gotten out of the Game, of course… Because despite what he told himself… Fret did still love Kanon. And wouldn’t it be great, to actually get back one of the friends that Fret had lost?

But now Fret had to wonder, as he scratched his neck awkwardly, “All those gingers I saw in purple… was that a hint from you to me that I could get Kanon back?” Had Fret been looking a gift horse in the mouth all this time?

Joshua was laughing once more, as he urged Fret to get up and go make nice with the Keyblade wielders, who—if Fret was hearing it right—were telling all of Fret’s friends about urban legends they had heard of in a place called Twilight Town… and then Nagi chirped back about the ones they’d seen in the Game, and Rindo and Beat jumped in to help her out with that.

Huh… Perhaps Fret really was missing something over there. And was Joshua, too?

“Usually, I wouldn’t give an answer… I would say it’s above your pay grade, or that the world is whatever you want it to be… But, no. I was not prompting you to make this choice about Tachibana Kanon. Though things seemed to work out rather nicely for you, wouldn’t you say? So you’d find the strength to ask me about her?”

“I- I do,” Fret admitted, looking down at the pavement—and then all the buildings around him—and thinking that for a concrete jungle… Shibuya was actually a masterpiece, and might have actually been heaven, as far as he was concerned. “So, when will Kanon-"

But when Fret looked towards Joshua once more, the Composer was already gone.

And Fret… he didn’t see Kanon for a while after that. And he imagined it probably felt like what Rindo had gone through (and somewhat Fret himself; all the Twisters, really), when Josh had first brought Shokie to the RG.

About four months later, Fret was beginning to dread that Joshua had forgotten his promise, or that it was impossible to bring Kanon back, after all…

And he was at 104, checking out all the new selections there, when he heard a voice behind him, “So, Fret… do you mind telling me how you really feel? And no sugarcoating it! I was proud to see how you grew, after all. And you can’t disappoint a lady by covering it up some, if you went to all this trouble to bring her back, y’know?”

Fret dropped the black hat that he’d been about to purchase (that was maybe so light black, it was actually closer to purple), as he turned around to face that voice and ran towards her to embrace her.

“Kanon!"

Author’s Note: So, the other redhead who goes with Sora and the crew to Shibuya in this story is supposed to be Ariel—in a “The Worlds Are Starting to be Reconnected” idea—and it’s mainly because she wore purple seashells (though a shirt here, of course). Not even gonna lie. But if you don’t like that, you can imagine it’s an OC… that Sora and Kairi had a daughter… or just completely ignore that part. It’s up to you.

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phoenix-downer · 4 years ago

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After Ever After Part 3

~2140 words. Post-Canon. Family AU, SoKai Parents AU.

Summary: Sora and Kairi have their family and their happily ever after, but tensions arise when their children are older and want to know about their parents’ pasts.

Links to Part 1 and Part 2. This is the final part of the story.

“And then,” Kairi said, her voice low as Emi leaned in, “the guardian made it to the castle where the princess was being kept!”

Kairi had taken over the story from where Sora had left off, and she and Emi were still seated at the table as Emi listened intently to every word.

“So Daddy finally found you?”

“Uh-huh. Now, this next part’s a little scary and a little sad, too. Do you think you can handle it?”

Emi nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Tell me if you get scared, okay?”

Emi nodded again, and Kairi cleared her throat and resumed her tale.

“The guardian fought monster after monster through the castle’s winding hallways and mysterious rooms till at long last, he found a room with a great big keyhole. And there in front of the Keyhole was the princess. But really, it was just the princess’s body, not her heart. Their friend who had been possessed by the darkness—”

“That’s Uncle Riku, right?”

Kairi nodded. “Yes. Uncle Riku fought Daddy, but Daddy won. I still didn’t wake up though, and he realized something. My heart was inside of him. It had been all along.”

“What did he do?”

Kairi’s hand went to the necklace around her neck. “He had to release my heart to save me. And so, he did something very, very brave. He plunged a Keyblade into his own heart so I could wake up.”

Emi was very quiet for a moment as she processed what this all meant.

“What happened to Daddy?” she said at last. “Did it hurt him? Was he okay?”

Kairi glanced up and noticed she had a couple more members in her audience. At some point Haruto and Miyu had come downstairs and were completely engrossed in her story.

“That’s why what he did was so brave,” Kairi said, smiling even as her eyes watered a little. “It hurt him very much, but he did it for me anyway.”

“Dad really did that?” Haruto asked, his voice low. “He really sacrificed himself for you?”

Kairi nodded. “He did. He did it with a smile on his face, too.” She wiped her eyes and smiled. “Like the brave, reckless, wonderful man that he is.”

Miyu joined them at the table. “Mom, we had no idea, he never told us—”

“I know,” Kairi said as she placed her hand over Miyu’s. “That was on purpose.”

“Why didn’t he want us to know?” Haruto asked as he sat down too. “He did this amazing thing for you and didn’t even tell his own kids about it?”

“Here’s the thing about your father. He’s a very sensitive soul, and he has what I like to call a big fat tender heart.”

Emi giggled, and Miyu and Haruto nodded.

“Now, I always tell him that he shouldn’t ever change that part of him because I love that big fat tender heart of his just the way it is. But because it’s so big and tender, it gets hurt really easily. It also means he can love people very deeply, but the deeper the love, the more likely he is to get hurt.”

“Oh, I get it,” Miyu said. “He loves you deeply, so that means… you can hurt him easily?”

Kairi nodded. “I don’t hurt him on purpose, but it happens. And you know who else sometimes hurts him?”

Miyu and Haruto exchanged guilty glances while Emi said, “Who?”

“Sometimes, you all say things that hurt his feelings, even if he pretends he’s fine. Like yesterday, Miyu, Haruto, you hurt his feelings pretty badly. I know you didn’t mean to, but you did.”

They hung their heads, and Kairi sighed. “Just talk to him and apologize. He’ll understand.”

Miyu and Haruto nodded, but then Haruto spoke up again.

“But that still doesn’t explain why he didn’t tell us about his sacrifice.”

“He didn’t tell you about his sacrifice because it was such a deep expression of his love for me. And that leaves him feeling very, very vulnerable. If anyone were to ever mock him for his love, he would withdraw from that person very quickly to protect himself. And he never ever wants to withdraw from any of you.”

“But why would we ever mock him for that?” Miyu said, her voice breaking. “Over being so brave and selfless?”

“You all are lucky. The people in our lives now are good people. There are people in the worlds, however, who would mock others precisely because they are brave and selfless. And they have mocked your father before.”

“Who?” Haruto demanded. “I’m gonna find them and punch them in the face!”

Kairi had to smile at the fire in Haruto’s eyes. He really was his mother’s son, and she wished Sora could see how ready he was to defend his dad’s honor.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm there Haruto, but your father has taken care of the people who attacked his honor and tried to hurt us. Would you like to know how?”

“Yes!” all three of the kids said at once. But then Emi frowned and added, “But what about Daddy? Was he okay after he put the Keyblade in his heart to save you?”

“Oh, right, I didn’t finish that part!” Kairi said. “After he plunged the Keyblade into his heart and released my heart, he became a Heartless—”

“No!” Haruto said, his eyes wide as he gripped the table. “A Heartless?!”

“—but not for long. You see, even as a Heartless, he remembered enough of himself to find me. And no matter what happens to him, I can always see his heart’s true form.”

“Because you’re a princess,” Emi said, and Kairi nodded.

“Because I’m a princess. And more importantly, because I love him too. I didn’t know that I did at the time, but the bond our hearts shared allowed me to call him back to me. I was hugging him to protect him from the other Heartless, I called his name, and BOOM! just like that, with a flash of light, he was holding me in his arms, thanking me.”

Miyu, Haruto, and Emi all cheered, and Kairi couldn’t help but smile too. She wanted to tell them all about her and Sora’s journeys, about what it had taken for them to be together for good.

For without that journey, their family wouldn’t be possible. Sora was like the glue that held them all together, connecting their hearts with the power of his heart, and it was high time their children knew everything he’d done.

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When Sora got home, his family was all seated in the living room, cuddled up with blankets and pillows and a stuffed animal or two. The kids were all deeply engrossed in whatever story Kairi was telling them, so he leaned against the doorway and listened in.

“Even though my heart was in seven pieces, your father refused to give up on me. He plunged his heart into the abyss for the chance to save me. He rewound time and raced against the clock in the hopes he would locate the seven pieces of my heart in time. He took on our friends’ pain and re-lived all his pain, the pain of losing me again and watching me die, in the hopes that I might live. And though he succeeded and found me, it cost him his very life in the end.”

“And it was worth it,” he said softly, and everyone looked at him. “It was absolutely worth it.”

Emi was the first to scramble to her feet and run over to him. “Daddy!” she cried as he swept her up into his arms.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said as she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

“You’re the most wonderful person in all the worlds,” she told him very matter-of-factly.

“Is that so?” He couldn’t help the smile on his face, even if he wanted to.

She nodded. “Mommy said so.”

“Well, she might be a little biased—”

“She’s never wrong, so no.”

“Not gonna argue with you on that one,” he said with a chuckle, then gave Emi a kiss on the cheek and put her down.

Haruto was next. “Dad?” he asked, fidgeting a whole bunch because it was hard for him to keep still.

“Yeah?”

“Sorry for saying I’m glad I look more like Mom. I mean, I am glad I look like her, but I’m proud to be your son.”

Sora felt a lump starting to build in his throat. “And I’m proud you’re my son.”

He held his arms out, and for once Haruto didn’t roll his eyes and back away. He just threw his arms around Sora, and Sora hugged him back and tried really hard not to cry. He couldn’t remember the last time Haruto had hugged him, especially so unashamedly, and yeah, of course he was gonna be moved by his son showing him affection.

He ruffled Haruto’s hair afterwards, and Haruto grinned.

“By the way, it’s pretty awesome how you kicked Xehanort’s ass, he deserved it for what he did to you and Mom.”

“Haruto, language—” Kairi warned, but Sora couldn’t bring himself to scold his son.

“I know, right? Wish you could’ve seen it.”

Haruto bounced off to talk to Kairi about something, and it was finally Miyu’s turn. She fiddled with her hair for a few moments before she finally said, “I hope you know that you’ve ruined boys for me forever. No one’s gonna even come close to loving me the way you love Mom.”

“That’s not true,” Sora said. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who will.”

“Yeah, but you’ve actually proven how much you love her. That doesn’t happen every day.”

“It doesn’t, but it also shouldn’t happen. There’s nothing glorious about dying, trust me. All the glory is in living and being with the people you love.”

“Speaking from personal experience?”

“Yeah.”

There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments, then she spoke up again.

“Dad, I’m sorry for being so mean to you lately. I get why you were reluctant to tell me about the Keyblade. I still want one, of course, but I want to make sure I’m ready before I get it.”

“Yeah. It’s a huge responsibility and a burden you need help to bear. But I have no doubt you’ll be able to wield one someday.”

His fears and worries and misgivings could all be sorted out later. Right now, Miyu needed to know she had his unconditional love and support.

“Thanks,” she said, then another awkward silence followed.

“Miyu,” he finally said, “I’m sorry for embarrassing you yesterday. I just—I love you so much, and I’m so proud of you, and it’s hard for me to tone it down because I’m so happy you’re my daughter. But I will because—”

She shook her head. “No, don’t. As Mom says, your big fat tender heart is one of the best things about you, and even if other people tease me about it, I won’t care anymore. Because you’re the best dad I could ask for.”

Sora couldn’t help it, his eyes really were watering now.

“Ugh, Dad, please don’t cry—”

“Then come here and give me a hug,” he said as he held his arms out to her too. She did, and as he put his arms around her, he felt the rest of the hurt in his heart mend.

After one more round of hugs and several more stories, the kids went their separate ways so they could do their own thing till dinner, leaving him and Kairi alone in the living room.

“We finally told them,” she said as he joined her on the couch.

He draped the blanket over the two of them so that they could cuddle. “We finally told them.”

He brought her into his embrace and held her tight. How good it felt to hold her in his arms, to be reminded of the fact that this was real, this was their life now and it had been for years.

He kissed her head. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Thank you for helping me be brave.”

“Thank you for being brave.”

Everything they’d been through, every drop of blood and bead of sweat and bitter tear, made what they had now all that much more precious. Sora wouldn’t trade it for the worlds, and he knew Kairi wouldn’t either.

They were united as one, together on the same team, and they always would be. There were a few more members on the team now, but at its core, at its heart was the love between them. And because of that love, their team was stronger than ever and their family was thriving.

And that, more than anything, was their happily ever after.

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A/N: Thank you for reading this story! I really enjoyed writing it and sharing it with you all. I might return to this AU someday, depending on what further ideas I might have, but for now, I hope you enjoyed the ending!

#sokai #kh fanfiction #phoenix writes #phoenix downer #sokai parents #sokai parents au #after ever after #long post #post-canon #family #family au #sora x kairi #sora/kairi

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davidmann95 · 4 years ago

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Kingdom Hearts 3, two years on? Also general state of the franchise?

I maintain my position that for all its flaws it’s actually one of the better entries: gameplay’s great, the Disney worlds have more meat on the bone than any other game but the first, it touches on subtler emotional notes than a lot of the previous ones, and the final stretch is incredible. I believe it even conceivably could have surpassed II with relatively minimal restructuring if not for one insurmountable problem: Dream Drop Distance existing.

That is a game that I promise you only exists because Square Enix told Nomura he had to do something else if he was gonna take that long before kicking off III, and so all the subplots that were supposed to buoy it until the endgame were instead shoved into the final world of this. Riku’s (for now) final catharsis, Sora learning the basics of everyone he’s connected to, the unveiling of the master plan: all necessary for the finale to function coherently unto itself, all relegated elsewhere.

I’ve been mulling it over for awhile and there’s basically a cottage fandom industry around it at this point anyway, so here for your amusement and edification, my take on ‘how I would have fixed Kingdom Hearts III (a game I liked)’:

1. The opening tutorial segment is Sora and Riku taking their Mark of Mastery exam by journeying into the Realm of Darkness to save Aqua. They fight Dark Aqua and succeed in getting her home, but Sora loses the mandatory chunk of his powers in the process of purifying her with the Power of Waking so we can keep that in play; Riku gets the Mark and feels insecure about it (Sora is acknowledged for his efforts but with all the strength he’s lost giving it to him would only be a token, so the player doesn’t feel actively cheated even if the disappointment’s there), and the Destiny trio get a scene together before going their separate ways because it’s wild they didn’t get a scene together.

2. Aqua is back but pretty messed up from her experience, so she goes to recuperate in the timeless realm Kairi and Axel are training in. These interactions give Kairi some more time, and having the other two around makes it easy to recap the basics of 358/2 Days and Birth By Sleep for players who just want to go I/II/III.

3. Since Aqua can’t do it right now (and maybe the intervening decade saw it hidden more thoroughly thanks to the Organization), Sora, Donald, and Goofy are charged with tracking down Castle Oblivion to free Ven. He’s still gotta save everybody and remaster the Power of Waking he used to free Aqua, so 80% of the game plays out the same, there’s just a more concrete goal to his journey.

4. Riku goes through his DDD character arc in the background, culminating in the midpoint of the game where in the equivalent to the 1000 Heartless Battle as a dividing point in II, here we get the first big run-in with Young Xehanort and the outline of the 13-nort gameplan.

5. Arendelle is swapped out with the Fantasia world because the former was the worst world in III and the Fantasia world obviously should have been realized on the PS4.

6. Kairi still dies because it’s a logical thematic climax (EVERYONE dies and has to be brought back, she’s last and most dramatic because she matters to Sora most) that propels everything afterwards forward, but before that she fights with Sora and Riku against the 3 Xehanorts instead of Mickey because Mickey has no emotional connection to anything that’s happening and this would bring the trilogy full-circle with the three of them working together, and this way she could die doing something heroic.

7. The Guardians of Light vs. the Xehanort Armor squad is part of the finale proper instead of a DLC segment.

Relatively minimal overhaul, I’m obviously not of the opinion that the mark was entirely missed; just snapping the basic pieces together a little more smoothly and putting a pinch of extra attention where it feels needed.

(Credit for this excellent mockup art, though my own heart will always belong to this barebones, strangely evocative take from way back in 2008.)

As for the future, my many theories aside, it’s hard to say. III was the best-selling of the franchise thus far, but who knows whether that means Nomura gets way less or way more control going forward. Even the role of the Disney worlds going forward relative to the metafictional war with Quadratum and the ongoing Master of Masters mystery depends on both Disney’s demands and the core messages of the next games, given the warring core aesthetics of the franchise are now actually part of the plot and theme going forward through Yozora. So are we getting GTA: Kingdom Hearts with Sora in an open-world Quadratum? A Riku and/or Kairi story? A spinoff about what Mickey was up to during I and II? Literally just Verum Rex? Some seem more likely than others but nothing feels off the table, though I do hope they adapt some of the latter parts of that mobile game into a movie like they did the early stuff so I can just watch that. But in any case IV proper is poised to recenter the sense of mysterious wonder and longing of separation that’s driven so much of the series, so in any case I think whatever comes next is still basically going to work in core ways that recent entries have missed for a lot of people.

(My own IV desire is that I want the main campaign divided between Kairi doing regular Kingdom Hearts stuff and Sora spending his half of the game exploring the gigantic and increasingly bizarre city, with Riku sections of him sorta bopping between the two worlds out of phase Flash-in-Crisis style, leading into a Destiny trio game for V. I think that’s the best way of selling the necessary contrasts of the new setup while having a lot of the game adhere to the formula.)

#Kingdom Hearts III #Kingdom Hearts IV #Kingdom Hearts #fanfic #Opinion

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maddrmatt · 4 years ago

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Kairi’s Epic Journey: The Quest for Sora

New to this fanfic? Click here to properly begin!

Chapter 11: Hook’s New Grudge

Never Land

Anchored in the waters off the shores of Never Land was the dreaded pirate ship the Jolly Roger. Once the terror of the seas, it now sat collecting barnacles due to its captain’s obsession with getting revenge on the boy who cut off his hand.

The pirates had just returned to the ship. Currently, they were disembarking the lifeboats and proceeding onto the main deck.

“Lash the prisoner to the mast! And string up that mutt of hers as well,” ordered Hook as he climbed out of his lifeboat with his first mate by his side.

“Aye-aye captain,” said a big burly pirate covered in various tattoos as he reached into another lifeboat and picked up the still bound and gagged Kairi. Slinging her over his shoulder, he proceeded toward the mainmast with several of his crewmates carrying Pluto behind him.

As the pirate carried her, Kairi squirmed and kicked while uttering several muffled threats from her gagged mouth. But the pirate was unfazed and simply continued on.

Hook wore a look of absolute glee on his face. “It certainly has been a red-letter day for us today, Smee.”

“Oh yes, Captain. Indeed, it is,” said Smee.

“Who would have thought that when we investigated that mysterious fireball that shot out from Mermaid Lagoon that we would learn that Never Land had a special visitor? And who’d would’ve thought that it would turn out to be her of all people?”

Then a pirate dressed in a pink shirt, red shorts and wearing a red bandana named Mr. Starkey approached them. “The prisoner’s been tied to the mast as you ordered, captain.”

“Very tightly I hope, Mr. Starkey?”

“Aye-aye, captain. She’s a feisty one and she tried to fight us off. But she’s not going anywhere.”

“Excellent. Now all of you attend to your duties while Smee and I extend a proper welcome to our guest,” said Hook.

With that, the other pirates spread over the deck and began to do various things while Hook and Smee travelled over to the mainmast. Kairi was now tied to it and was currently glaring daggers at the two pirates.

Nearby, Pluto had been strung up, so he was dangling by his bound feet from a rope tied to one of the beams of the sails. Though his mouth was still tied shut, he growled at the pirate captain.

With a cruel smile, Hook raised his hook and inched it toward Kairi. Her defiant eyes became fearful as he reached under the gag and undid it.

“Well, Miss Kairi, it appears that I was wrong about you. Why, the last time you were onboard me vessel, you had lost your heart and I was telling your friend Riku that reclaiming it was a lost cause. I even said I’d stake me other hand it was lost forever. How fortunate I never made that wager official. But in any case, I bid you welcome aboard the Jolly Roger,” said Hook as he raised his hat and bowed to Kairi.

“Oh yes. I feel so welcome. Is this how you treat all your guests, Hook?” snarked Kairi.

“Only those who may prove troublesome. You and your mangy cur best get used to your current situation. You’re going to be with us for quite some time.”

“What do want with me, Hook?” asked Kairi.

“With you? Oh, nothing in particular, girl. I be having much bigger fish to fry and you’re simply the worm on the hook.”

Kairi gasped. “I’m bait? For what? For Peter?”

“I’m afraid you are incorrect on that notion, my dear. For once, that accursed boy is not in me sights. Besides, why would he come for you? Especially after what you said to him and those wretched friends of his. Although, I must commend you for calling out those boys on their notorious bad form. It was high time someone recognized their behavior for what it was.”

If Kairi had any hopes of Peter and his crew coming to her rescue, Hook had definitely dashed them. ‘He’s right. Why would they come for me after the way I yelled at them?’

“No, my dear. Me true quarry is none other than your friend, Sora.”

Kairi gasped again. “Sora? But why?”

“You didn’t think a self-respecting pirate such meself would let such humiliation go unpunished, do you? Once he hears that I’ve got in you in me clutches, he’ll come right here faster than Pan can fly. And that’s when he’ll meet his doom!” exclaimed Hook with an evil chuckle.

Kairi’s blood boiled as she listened to the captain. ‘Not again! How many more villains are going to use me to get to Sora?’

“Oh yes. When he comes, he’ll find no mindless Heartless that he so valiantly defeated when he was here last. Those creatures proved to be a great disappointment. Instead, he’ll be facing the most blackhearted cutthroats that ever sailed the seven seas!” announced Hook eliciting a cheer from all the pirates on deck.

“Sora’s faced a lot worse than this bunch, Hook!” exclaimed Kairi.

“Well, should fortune smile on him and he manages to survive the crew, I happen to have a secondary plan. Once he sees you at me mercy, I’m sure he’ll gladly leap off the plank to spare you any harm! No matter what happens, he’ll finally meet his end!” said Hook with a maniacal laugh.

Kairi’s heart sank. ‘He’s right. If Sora was here and saw me in danger, maybe he really would. It’s all happened before. It seems all anyone has to do to get Sora is to get me first. Why does this keep happening?’

“Quite a brilliant plan if I do say so meself. Am I right, Smee?”

“Oh, yes sir. It definitely won’t be a repeat of last time. I mean, tossing that boy into the hold seemed like a good idea at the time. But he and his friends were more than a match for the Heartless. They were even more than a match for you, Captain,” rambled Smee before he caught a glimpse of Hook threatening to clobber him with his namesake.

“Of course, he probably just got lucky,” said Smee cowering before his boss.

“Of course, he got lucky, you idiot! I could’ve easily defeated that boy if it weren’t for the interference of that blasted Peter Pan. So, I’ll thank you not to bring that incident up unless you wish to walk the plank yourself. UNDERSTAND?!” shouted Hook with the intensity of a gale force wind that nearly knocked Smee off his feet.

“Y-yes sir! A-aye-aye sir!” stammered Smee with a salute.

“You’re wasting your time, Hook. Sora won’t be coming for me,” muttered Kairi.

Hook chuckled. “Don’t think you can pull the wool over this captain’s eyes, missy. I remember how relentlessly he fought through me ship to get to you before Riku so rudely left with you. He will come. I have no doubt.”

“He would come. If he were still alive,” said Kairi as a tear dripped down her face.

“WHAT?!” exclaimed Hook and the rest of the pirate crew.

“You heard me, Hook. Sora’s already gone.”

Hook gazed at Kairi with anger. “Don’t you lie to me, girl!” he shouted while waving his hook in her face.

Smee took a closer look into Kairi’s eyes. He could see all the pain and sorrow reflected in them. A twinge of pity shot through the first mate. “Captain, I don’t think she’s lying.”

Hook himself then looked at Kairi. Upon looking into her eyes, he realized that she was indeed telling the truth. No person could fake that kind of genuine hurt. But instead of pity, all he felt was annoyance.

“Blast! I was looking forward to ending that boy meself. But apparently somebody else beat me to the punch!”

Hook suddenly found himself surrounded by his crew. They immediately started bombarding him with questions.

“So, what are we supposed to do with her then, captain?” asked Mr. Starkey.

“Yes. If the boy she is to be bait for is already dead, then what good is she?” asked Damien Salt, a chubby pirate with a fez and a moustache.

“She’s useless!” exclaimed Bill Jukes, a short pirate with a peg leg.

As the pirates continued to debate her fate, Kairi sadly gazed at Pluto and reflected on what an utter disaster her quest had been up to now. ‘Useless. That’s the word that sums me up perfectly. Nothing’s gone right for me on this quest. I couldn’t fly. I couldn’t stay friends with Peter, Tink and the boys. And now I’m captured once again. What is wrong with me? Why can’t I do what Sora did when he was adventuring?’

“Why don’t we just let her go?”

Kairi’s head turned in the direction of whoever said that unusual phrase. So did Hook and the pirates. They were shocked to see that it was Smee.

“Let her go?” asked Hook incredulously looking at his first mate as if he had sprouted a second head.

“Well, captain, she really hasn’t done anything to you personally not like Pan or Sora and the poor girl seems so heartbroken. Can’t we show a little mercy just this one time?” asked Smee nervously.

Hook grit his teeth in anger. But then his frown vanished and was replaced by a smile.

“You’re right, Smee,” said Hook causing the rest of the crew to look shocked. “The poor dear does look like she’s been through a lot. So, we’ll show some mercy and let her go.”

“Really, captain?” asked Smee.

“Yes. We’ll let her go. Right off the edge of the plank!” roared Hook causing the pirates to cheer and immediately set off to prepare their favourite method of execution.

“Since the opportunity to send the boy to Davy Jones’ Locker has passed us by, I supposed we’ll have to settle for doing it to his faithful friend. That should make the day not a complete waste. Smee, fetch one of the spare anchors so we can tie her to it before we make her walk the plank. She may have failed at flying but let’s not take any chances, right?”

“Yes, captain.” Smee then gazed at Kairi who was shocked at the turn of events. All he could do was shrug and then he left.

Hook approached Kairi and smiled at her. “You’ll be reunited with your friend Sora very soon, my dear. You should thank me for mercifully relieving you of your sorrow. But before we make you walk the plank, answer me this one question: who was the one responsible for Sora’s untimely demise? I would love to shake their hand.”

Kairi lowered her head and, in a voice barely above a whisper, said, “It was me.”

“Speak up, girl! What was that again?” Hook asked as he glared at her menacingly.

Kairi was about to repeat her answer. But just then, a very familiar sound rang through the air around the ship.

Tick-tock.

Right before Kairi’s eyes, the menace left Hook’s expression. It was replaced by a look of abject terror.

“Smee!” cried out the terrified captain.

“Yes captain?” asked Smee as he dragged a large anchor across the deck.

“Do you hear that? The crocodile is near! Drop everything! You and the crew chase it away! I’ll be in me cabin hiding under me bed until it’s gone,” said Hook as he swiftly ran across the deck to a door. He quickly opened it up, entered through it and slammed it shut.

“You heard the captain! Let’s find that crocodile and send him on his way,” said Smee as he dropped the anchor.

“But where he be?” asked Damien Salt.

“The ticking seems to be coming from the bow side,” said Mullins, a pirate wearing a bandana and an eyepatch.

Smee and the pirates quickly charged to the bow of the ship. They immediately looked over the sides for any sign of their captain’s reptilian nemesis.

Kairi couldn’t believe how things had turned. ‘Amazing how Hook can change from the most threatening man in Never Land to a screaming coward the moment he hears a ticking sound. I suppose its lucky for me the crocodile showed up. But it won’t matter if I can’t escape and I can’t see how to do it. I’m tied too tightly so even if I could summon my Keyblade, I don’t think I’d be able to cut myself loose.’

“Psst! Kairi!” whispered a familiar voice followed by a tinkling sound that seemed to be coming from the other side of the mast.

“Peter? Tink? Is that you?” she quietly asked.

“Yes, it’s us. Don’t worry. We’re going to get you and your dog out of here,” said Peter as he began to cut through the ropes with his dagger.

Kairi glanced upward to where Pluto was and saw that Cubby, Nibs and Toodles had climbed onto the beam and were untying the rope. Once they finished, they carefully lowered the dog to the deck.

As he continued to slice through Kairi’s ropes, Peter muttered, “Rotten old codfish. I hate it when he does this. I’m fine with him keeping it between me and him. But capturing my friends to get at me? That’s when he goes too far!”

As Kairi listened to Peter’s quiet ramblings, she felt oddly touched. ‘Peter may be a little off about why Hook captured me. But after what I said to him and the boys, he still considers me a friend?’

Finally, Peter was finished. The cut ropes fell to the deck and Kairi moved away from the mast. Peter immediately flew over to Pluto and started to cut through his bonds.

“Peter, Tink, boys, I can’t believe you all came for us.”

“Well, of course we camed for you, Kairi,” said Cubby as he the other boys jumped down off the beam.

“You’re our friend,” said Nibs as Toodles nodded eagerly.

“Yeah and we’re certainly not going to leave a friend in Hook’s clutches,” said Peter.

“How did you know I was in trouble?”

“Tink followed you after you left. When she saw the pirates ambush you, she flew back and told us what happened,” said Peter.

Kairi gazed toward the fairy, the one member of Peter’s crew who had made her dislike of her pretty clear. To her surprise, Tink was smiling in the most genuine way. The Princess of Heart gave her a grateful one in return.

“Lucky thing the crocodile showed up just now so you guys could rescue us.”

“Heh. We make our own luck, Kairi. The crocodile’s not even here. Those ticking sounds are actually coming from Slightly and the Twins. We’ve actually been practicing our ticking sounds so we can really drive Hook crazy. And thanks to you, now we know they work,” said Peter.

“Uh, you’re welcome. You certainly convinced me,” said Kairi.

Peter finished freeing Pluto. The dog got to his feet and immediately ran up to Kairi. The Princess petted her companion.

“You’d better take Pluto and run for one of the lifeboats now, Kairi. We’ll make sure that Hook pays for what he’s done,” said Peter as Tink and the boys nodded.

Kairi ran past Peter and toward one of the lifeboats with Pluto by her side. But then she stopped.

“No.”

“What was that, Kairi?” asked Peter.

Kairi turned around and gave Peter and his group a determined look. “I’m not running away from this fight. You were wrong about why he captured me, Peter. It wasn’t to get at you. It was to get at Sora.”

Peter, Tink and the Lost Boys’ jaws dropped in surprise. It was likely that the thought of that notion hadn’t crossed their minds.

“Kind of surprising that your archnemesis is plotting revenge against someone else, isn’t it? And Hook’s not the first villain to do something like this to me. In fact, being captured by an evil villain who needed Sora to do what he wanted is what lead to him being lost. Well, I won’t stand for it any longer. This time, I’m going to make sure my captors get the message that they messed with the wrong girl!”

Peter, Tink and the boys were surprised by Kairi’s bold declaration. Pluto however regarded his friend with admiration.

Peter smiled. “Well, if it’s that important that you join us in the fight, Kairi, then we’d be glad to have you. Let’s show Hook and his pirates once again why it’s not a good idea to capture and use friends as bait!” he declared as the small group gathered in a huddle to discuss a battle strategy.

While Peter outlined the plan, Kairi gazed over to where Smee and the other pirates were still looking for the nonexistent crocodile. Very soon, she would be engaging in battle with those cutthroats and in spite of her apparent confidence, she still felt a twinge of self-doubt.

‘I certainly hope that this battle goes better for me than the last one I was in,’ she thought with memories of the disaster at the Keyblade Graveyard running through her mind. Hopefully, now that she had six months of better training and was fighting alongside allies who had experience in defeating the current enemies, the upcoming fight would end more favorably for her.

________________________________________________________________

Onto the next chapter!

#kingdom hearts #kh fanfiction #sokai #captain hook #pirates #kairi #pluto #mr. smee #peter pan #tinker bell #lost boys #maddrmatt

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unlockthelore · 4 years ago

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Recharge

After a long day at school and fulfilling his duties as a Keyblade Master, Riku just needed to relax and Kairi was the perfect person to help him do that. Part of the Beyond the Horizon series on Ao3. For more updates, follow the beyond the horizon tag on this blog.

Riku was exhausted.

The day had been jam-packed from morning to afternoon — too much talking, school assignments needing to be excused, and disputes between inhabitants of other worlds confused on where he’d come from and how he could help them in their time of need.

Due tomorrow, bared down his throat with a snide glance from his homeroom teacher as a thin packet of papers were shoved into his hands. Exhaustion and agitation mingled into an unpleasant taste on his tongue. If not for a timely save by Kairi, assuring it would be on their teacher’s desk by the first bel, Riku felt he might’ve said something that would even make the Heartless cower. To his relief, her arm slipped into the crook of his own as she pulled him through the halls of their school.

Needless to say, Riku was dead on his feet when they stepped outside. The sky tinted a pinkish-red, almost reminded him of her hair, and the light dancing at the back of his eyelids when he closed them. After he nearly tripped over a sand dune and a plank in a bridge, Kairi slowed to walk by his side, her arm tucked around his waist and their school bags held in her hand as he slung an arm around her shoulders. He wasn’t sure what he said, distracted by the sweet scent in her hair, and bitter warmth of a biting summer afternoon.

But Kairi giggled and squeezed his hip, muttering a soft, “You’re welcome, Riku.”

Home wasn’t a bad place to be. His mom, emerging from her workshop to answer the door, welcomed him with a little ruffle to the hair as she chatted with Kairi. Riku stumbling on lead feet to the kitchen and cracking open the freezer, thankful for the cool air blasting in his face, until he noticed something was missing.

“Mom!” He called, shoving over a few chocobo ice-cream cups and a box of moogle beef patties. “Did we have any more sea salt ice cream?”

After a brief pause, his mother shouted back, “Did you check the freezer?”

“Yeah!” Riku sighed mentally, wondering where else would he have looked.

“Remind me to put it on the list!”

Riku sighed and snapped the freezer shut with a rubbery slam. He could’ve sworn that he had one left over.

Can’t blame Sora for taking it.

A pang of hurt shuttered his eyes at the thought and he pressed his forehead to the door, attempting to will it away. He must have lingered longer than he thought because a comforting hand wrapped around his wrist and pulled him from the kitchen. Even with his eyes closed, darkness surrounding him, Kairi’s light was a small beacon unable to be ignored with its radiance. He opened his eyes to see her climbing the steps with his own feet clunking behind as he tried to match her pace.

“I’ll bring you both some snacks later,” his mom called from downstairs but the heavy thud of her workshop’s door told him later would be a ways away.

Nevertheless, he was grateful to hear the whirring of machines and loud knock of her hammer against wood. The islands couldn’t have asked for a better shipwright though he wasn’t looking forward to what she made with the help of Chip and Dale.

“Riku, are you okay?” Kairi asked, looking back to him as she pushed open the door to his room. He resisted the urge to shield his eyes from the light slanting through the wide semi-circle windows along the north and west wall of his room.

After his return, he’d taken down the deep blue curtains rendering his room dark and cool. He had done his best to ignore his mother’s audible sigh and look of relief when he folded them and set them inside a box at the bottom of the linen closet.

Kairi squeezed his hand. “You’ve been zoning out all day…”

Fighting back a grimace, Riku tried for his best smile. “Just tired is all.”

Her brows pulled together and from the quick once-over, he knew she wasn’t convinced but seemed to let it go, releasing his arm to flop on his futon. The deep blue sheets rippled around her like water, a paopu plush he’d gotten years ago hugged to her chest. “Well, we’ll finish our homework quick, and then you can take a nap, yeah?”

Nudging the door shut with a kick of his heel, Riku grumbled an affirmative, shuffling across the ombre sea-green carpet to his desk where he collapsed into his spinning chair. It rocked a little from side to side, burdened with his weight but Kairi’s giggle when he spun about was worth knocking his knee against his desk drawers. She tossed him his school bag and he shuffled about for the homework sheets, grimacing at the sheer number but setting to work.

If anyone asked him, he’d take an army of Heartless over schoolwork.

A thought that grew more appealing by the second as he blanked on the same problem six times over, deciding to abandon his books in a huff. His laptop pushed to one side of his desk and papers strewn about, pencil lying haphazardly amidst a cluster of eraser shavings. Tossing his head back, Riku glanced aside to find Kairi hard at work, absorbed with scribbling across the paper. She still held the plush in her lap, squished between her textbook serving as a makeshift writing desk. The tip of her tongue poked out the side of her lips, brows furrowed in concentration. Although Riku wasn’t sure how comfortable it was to be hunched over as she worked, he had to admit she pulled it off.

Idly spinning from one side to the other, his mind kept wandering from one thought to the other. Too awake to be tired but too tired to function. Pushing up from his chair, he let it roll away from him as he climbed up to sit on his bed, slipping his legs on either side of Kairi’s waist and his arms around her middle. The sun warmed the back of her hair, giving it a musty flowery scent he inhaled with abandon, nosing against her shoulder for emphasis. Even though he had to hunch over with their difference in height, he didn’t mind.

Embarrassing as it was, Kairi smelled nice.

Like home.

“Riku…?”

He hummed into her hair, feeling the gentle pat to the side of his head, her fingers working into his hair and lightly scratching at his scalp. That shouldn’t have felt as nice as it did. Practically melting into the touch, Riku gently rubbed his hand up and down her side.

“Are you okay?”

“Needed you…”

Kairi’s hand slipped from his hair and it was sorely missed but she squeezed his wrist, gently patting with slow circles drawn against the back of his hand. “I’m here…”

Riku almost grimaced. He could hear the forlorn emptiness in her words, despite the comfort. Tension lingering in the air with unspoken words as he was sure they were both thinking of who wasn’t. Time had taught him not to dwell though, and he squeezed her lightly in his embrace.

“Thanks…”

“You’re welcome, Riku,” she murmured, a smile in her voice.

After what felt like forever with her toiling away and him clinging to her back, Riku lifted his chin and set it upon her shoulder, peering down at the pages which resembled nothing but squiggles and lines on white paper to him. “… What’re you doing?”

Kairi paused for a second then laughed, and his heart fluttered when she turned enough for him to catch the blue of her eyes crinkled in amusement. “The homework we were assigned, silly. You really need that nap.”

On a second glance, Riku had to admit the papers did resemble what he’d shoved aside on his desk. His nose wrinkled and he shrugged, brushing his lips against her cheek beneath the length of her eyelashes before settling against her shoulder again. “You’re doing great, Kai…”

“Hehe, thanks…” She giggled, and Riku tried to tether himself to the sound, even if his hold was slurred and shaky with sleep. “Try to rest a little, Riku.”

He wanted to tell her that was impossible. Rest for him would mean dreams, and in his dreams, he saw him. It wasn’t always those eyes — bright, round, and blue as the sky — haunting his dreams. Sometimes, he saw faces of those who were pushed to the darkness while they yearned for the light. Divested of purpose and existence simply for the sake of the one who connected them all. The same one who gave up everything so they could be free. He had to admit, he was rather tired of this dance of guilt. But he memorized the steps and moved through it alone because he didn’t want her to know that her eyes haunted him too.

His hold on her tightened, hand splaying against her stomach, brushing between the paopu fruit plush and the thin fabric of her uniform shirt. “I’m not ever moving again…” He declared after awhile, and Kairi’s answering giggle pulled him from his hazy thoughts.

“You have to eat sometime.”

He smiled a little and brushed his forehead against her shoulder, smelling the sunshine and light rolling off her in waves. “Nope, gonna just live off light…” He trailed off into silence for a moment, hiding a smile against the back of her neck. “Like a plant.”

Kairi scoffed, swatting at his wrist, her pencil thumping against his arm with barely a glimmer of pain. “You’re not a plant, Riku.”

The corners of his lips twitched up. Light streaming through the windows warmed the back of his neck but hers kept away his troubles, reminded him of his successes, and what he still yet had to fight for.

Just like his.

Opening his eyes enough to view the sea of red obscuring his vision, he smiled. “Then why does your light keep me happy and healthy?”

Her shoulders tensed. The smile curling at his lips only widening when he pulled away and saw the pink tips of her ears. If he looked around to her face, he was certain it would be just as red.

“You’re silly…”

A smile in her voice and her light shining bright enough that he almost wanted to look away. Almost but not quite. Her eyes were on her homework but the scratch of her pencil slowed since they’d been talking. Riku watched with fondness curling in his chest, threatening to strangle any sense of reason. Tiredness was temporarily forgotten as he tucked his lips at her ear, cradling her against his chest in a loose hold.

“Kiss me?”

It was an uphill battle asking for one. Kairi — and Sora — insisted he could have as much affection as he wanted from either of them. Happy to give it even at the most inopportune of moments, and no matter how fleeting. Riku was embarrassed at times. How needy did they think him? And above that, didn’t they know if he lingered too long in their light, he might have grown to crave it?

Sora didn’t seem to mind. So often as it seemed like Sora followed him around, it might have been the other way around. Kairi led them as much as they followed, and the three of them were simply together. Pulled into one another’s orbit, bound by some unspoken love and adoration.

Kairi tapped her pencil against the page, the light sticking and click of lead drawing Riku out of his thoughts as she tossed a small wry smile over her shoulder. “You’d have to move for that,” she teased, and his worries were entirely forgotten.

He tipped his head back with a groan. “Kairi…”

“You can’t have a kiss if I can’t see your face,” she replied in a lilting tone, too amused for his liking.

Riku wrinkled his nose and mulled over the consequence of not. On one hand, he could kiss Kairi and drift off to sleep peacefully. While on the other, he could mess around and not have it at all. Weighing the costs and the gains, Riku sighed. “I want three.”

Kairi hummed thoughtfully, tapping her pencil to her chin. Her silence stretching on for so long that Riku huffed and squeezed her hip, earning a giggle. “Alright, deal.”

Burying a smile against her shoulder, he laid a kiss at the crook of her neck before lifting his head, shifting backward. “Three,” he reminded while she set aside her work, turning toward him.

“Three.” It was a repeat but also an agreement. His heart skipping a beat at the determined look in her eyes as she settled on her knees facing him. Her hands slipping in his hair sending him into a buzz of sensory delight, working lightly against his scalp, his eyes fluttering shut. Even in the dark, he could see her approaching but the softness of her lips was something he was unprepared for.

Along with the faint taste of sea salt.

Her hands threaded in his hair, elbows resting against his shoulders and he tipped his head up to meet her at the new angle, finding purchase with his hands against her hips. The taste of sea salt and dried fruit, something sweet but not so overpowering that it was bitter, lingered on her lips. Anchoring himself with the hold, Riku hummed deep in his chest and pulled away enough to speak against her lips.

“You ate my last ice cream, didn’t you?”

Although he couldn’t see her face when she gasped, Kairi’s voice always pitched when she was fit with giggles. “That’s not the point of why we’re here right now, is it?”

Riku couldn’t help but smile. She definitely ate it but he couldn’t find it in himself to be upset with her. Pulling her to him with another kiss pressed to her smiling mouth, he brought his teeth down on her lower lip, pulling lightly when she gasped. A brief flick of her tongue against his own before he pulled away again.

“… You definitely ate it.”

Kairi’s light was a bit brighter and when he cracked his eyes, the flush to her cheeks had returned just as the bite of her fingernails against his scalp reminded. She was beautiful. Freckles beginning to show along her nose and cheeks, faint but hardly able to be missed.

“I’ll buy more,” she assures, and Riku shrugs.

“Forget about it.”

He could hardly care about it now. Looping his arms around her waist to pull her against him as he rocked backwards, spilling over onto his bed in a tangle of limbs. Kairi’s surprised squeak and shout of his name drowned out in startled laughter. Her knee almost catching him in the hip as she squirmed but he smiled nonetheless, tucking his nose against her cheek,.

With the angle of light slanting through his windows, her freckles were prominent and so was the blue of her eyes. If Sora was the sky, then Kairi was the ocean, and Riku was sure he could linger in the sea for awhile longer if she was the one holding him.

“That was unfair,” She huffed, poking his stomach, breaking the small trance he’d been in. Her lower lip poking out in a tiny pout and he was hard pressed not to laugh. That would’ve only spurred on the challenge and he didn’t have the energy to wrestle with her today.

“Call it even for eating my ice cream.”

She rolled her eyes and threw her arm across his side, resting her head against his shoulder. “I guess,” she murmured, face lax with contentment and half-buried shirt.

Riku’s eyes softened and he rested his forehead against hers as she hugged closer to him, shielding her cheek from the sun as he cradled it with his palm, combing her hair behind her ear. “Nap?” He asked when the silence carried on for awhile longer.

Kairi shifted slightly, her eyes barely opening but it felt as if the tide had washed over him. “Nap.” She closed her eyes again and Riku smiled, remiss to move too far from her. With a light flick of his finger and a whisper of Aero, his blanket lifted up and a murmur of Gravity brought it closer to them, lying it over them.

It wasn’t often he goofed off but he could make an exception. And it might have been a misuse of his powers, but looking down at Kairi resting peacefully.

So what?

#kingdom hearts #sorikai #rikai #riku x kairi #riku #kairi #fanfiction #my fanfiction #beyond the horizon #sora

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raguna-blade · 4 years ago

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So, listening to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQqY7s1-pyo], and that got me thinking about Kingdom Hearts again as occasionally is the case. I’m still a bit steamed about 3 for one reason or another, and probably i should get the DLC down the line, maybe when/if I do a full series dive again since As i’ve kinda gone through it it’s occurred to me that i’ve been 1: Giving it an unfair shake due to personal disappointments, and 2: Giving it an unfair shake because god, please lord the story isn’t (when you get down to it) that complicated but these twists and nonsense make things really obnoxious and hard to track the themes and stuff which I think it does a good job on honestly but it makes it so hard to track sometimes i swear.

But this isn’t about that.

This is a fanfic idea, following the post game of Kingdom Hearts 3 and the idea is simple enough.

Sora falls into the Persona 5 setting, and ends up joining (or at least working with) the phantom thieves.

Including A Persona!

Including A Sweet Rebellion Outfit!

It’s Vanitas!

Wait, hold on.

So the general idea here is again, Sora ends up in the persona 5 world and ends up mucking around with that plotline. If anything, Persona 5R especially is probably a good fit for this considering Maruki and his goings on.

But really setting wise I dig the idea because first off the creatures in the heart of mankind are basically Heartless, Unversed, and Nobodies all kind of rolled up into one. One might make the argument if the worlds are supposed to be completely compatible that Persona’s are basically filling up the last part of the triangle of things that exist with Hearts/Heartless, Bodies/Nobodies, and Souls/Personas.

That last may seem a bit fuzzy since the Link doesn’t seem super straightforward, but it seems to be that the Soul in KH is an animating force in part but also keenly tied to thoughts.

Which lines up fantastically with Persona and Shadows! They’re basically entities made up OF thoughts really when you come down to it. Thoughts and feelings shape how they act, effect the world in general, and in great numbers and concentrations create absurd entities that are a sort of crystalized idea for good or ill.

So I think that part links up well enough yeah.

But what ends up happening though? Well for the moment, the general vibe is this. Sora, now set adrift and kinda just vibing out between worlds and of course desperately trying to cling onto something ends up losing his memories. Well...Not quite losing his memories so much as, he is incredibly damaged by the absolute clownery that he pulled at the end of KH3. That shit is not without consequences, and the fact that he’s not just hot erased really speaks to both Sora’s keen ability to do things that really shouldn’t be doable as well his other critical feature of being able to befriend basically everyone and everything if they’re willing to at least take a step along with him.

Enter Rage Form and Enter Vanitas.

Now I could probably do a whole thing about how Rage Form is essentially Sora tapping into the Powers of Darkness and yet not absolutely getting lost in the sauce like everyone else and why that is...And I will actually, you cannot stop me.

So my going theory in regards to using darkness in Kingdom Hearts is that Using Darkness is, as literally everyone points out, Absurdly Wickedly Dangerous...It is not, however, inherently evil as the games kinda make it out to be. We’ve seen several people use it without going full super villain, and indeed one of the major series leads Makes copious use of Dark Power.

The Problem with Darkness is that well...I guess the way to put it is, Darkness is basically concentrated Heart in a sense. It amps up E V E R Y T H I N G, to dangerous dangerous levels, and if you aren’t paying attention it will cause you to hop off the slippery slope in a hurry because you have to do the thing and you don’t feel any different so it’s obviously not effecting your mind. And it doesn’t precisely, effect your mind and make you evil....But it does cause you to lose restraint, to more or less give into passions to absurd dangerous extents that you may as WELL be evil.

Take Riku for example. He’s probably the clearest cleanest example because he has a whole arc with it, but fundamentally when he starts using darkness it doesn’t exactly make him start being an evil jerk it makes him do the exact same thing he was doing before (looking for his friends, looking for sora and kairi and trying to wake up Kairi especially at the time) and kind of not think, to not consider things that are patently obvious because it doesn’t jive with what he’s feeling at the time.

Basically Darkness (as I think is said at some point? but certainly implied) causes hearts to rage out of control and if you’re dumb with it, if you’re not highly extremely cognizant of this fact you absolutely are going to lose it.

Back to Rage Form, back to Anti Form. Anti Form first actually, and then we can go into Rage form.

See Anti form when it was a thing explicitly was never a thing Sora really had control over. It occurred with Drives yes, but it was always an accident (and notably get’s cancelled out when you fuse with Roxas in the Final Form but another thing) which tracks with the general antics going on with it. It nukes your drive gauge (which let’s you fuse with Donald and Goofy) and it’s actually rather weak on it’s own, in no small part because part of Sora’s whole thing is series wide is obsessively IGNORING how frustrated and angry and all that he is.

Kid has no idea how to actually use his rage in a constructive useful way. As a result, antiform while edgy and possessing some interesting qualities, isn’t really actually all that useful for untrained still stupidly uncannily powerful Sora (Like...I know it’s probably a whole other discussion but I kinda feel like the games both underplay how ridiculous Sora actually is while still at least kinda nodding at the fact that yeah this Kid has single handedly absolutely and somewhat literally decimated every single foe he has come across with disgusting ease? No one takes him seriously and then he’s basically breaking you across his knee, it’s hilarious)

But Rage Mode...? Rage Mode is actually QUITE handy. Offer’s a quick health boost, lots of teleport shenanigans (combo wise yes but hey) offer’s a move to get stronger at risk of health and is an emergency save both in game and story, and while the exact reasoning that he has it is never stated outright, I think it’s also fair to say that Sora as of 3 Is both Coming to grips with the frankly Absurd amount of bullshit that is laid at his feet when he really just wants to chill out with his friends and fuck off for a while (It’s a little unmentioned since Sora spends a large amount of time knocked the hell out but I’m pretty sure from his POV it’s been like the most hellish year possible)

Rage mode is Sora acknowledging the bullshit of his life and actively using it to do things and accomplish his goals, which at the time were basically beat the living hell out of heartless, nobodies and Xehanort (13 times)

It’s an active deal with darkness that may yet actually have severe consequences, but for Fic purposes, we connect from Rage Mode to Vanitas.

Now Vanitas is, for whatever else he may be (and the Unversed Certainly are weird), still a part of both Ventus and Sora’s heart. His Mirroring of Sora appearance wise (and indeed being the opposite of him in that While he may work with others he is decisively something of a loner I think, to contrast Sora’s Friends Everywhere thing).

And I thought, personally, when he was fading away at the end of KH3 that there was something of a lost opportunity. Vanitas was perfectly happy being Darkness, whatever that may exactly mean. But hey, if we’re going with my idea that Darkness=Heart Unrestrained here, then I think it’s not unreasonable to track what’s going on here.

Ventus and Sora both got extremely raw deals, and Vanitas unlike them was able to express that anger, rage, and just...Immense seething I suppose. Taken as a whole really, that’s more or less what his role WAS, to be the outrageous out of control fury of Ventus and Sora, targeting everything that hurt them which, frankly, was pretty much everyone and everything constantly (to say nothing of whatever is going down with the Mobile game for ventus who apparently is involved there so that’s you know...Not helping)

Vanitas being Satisfied as the Darkness of Sora and Ventus (and of course his own being) tracks then. He really would be fine kicking it because he was spent basically. Those two had more or less at that point burned out the rage and fury and overwhelming emotions, had brought it to heel, had taken it under control and all that.

But I can’t imagine Sora willingly letting someone fade like that. It’s not that he’s soft, or won’t put down bad guys. He absolutely will and does. I don’t think he’ll be happy about it, but he’ll do it, and I think if he has any idea of what’s gone down with Ventus and Vanitas he would be willing to, if the opportunity arose, basically give Vanitas a place to crash for all intents and purposes.

So. Remember when I said Sora has a Persona, a Rebellion Suit, and that it was Vanitas?

Part of the entire thing with Persona is, in fact, dealing with your shadow self. Shown primarily with dealing with negative aspects of yourself, but it involves all untapped aspects of you right?

Vanitas is a near perfect Shadow of Sora, being about as far on the opposite side of the spectrum as you can get. Arrogant, Self Absorbed, Callous, Lonely, yeah? But also, genuinely skilled and powerful, more than capable of reading others, and a solid lone operator. And thus, as a Shadow of Sora he’s basically perfect for a kid who is now on his own.

But Persona’s aren’t shadows precisely. I mean they literally are, but they’re shadows put to purpose, controlled, a specific mask put forward to the world to deal with it.

And Sora right now, alone, forcibly separated from his loved ones again, and much more permanently this time, turns to someone who he took in in his heart for perhaps not kinship at least commiseration. And Vanitas in turn responds in kind. Sora’s a nice kid but he’s not really properly in touch with the darker aspects of himself. This is a problem, not because ooooooo you gotta have darkness edge edge edge, but more because Sora has already USED darkness before. At the time it was safe enough because he was focused had a goal and all that.

But Now? Oh now Sora is basically in a situation where he might reasonably reach out for those dark powers and he is not in the right headspace to try and do that safely 1 and 2 I don’t think genuinely has a good enough grasp of his own less than great inclinations that could lead to him SCREAMING off the slippery slope into bad time junction.

Now Vanitas isn’t really fully doing this out of the kindess of his heart here. He want’s to do what he wants and that’s cause a degree of mayhem, get into fights, just in general kind of fuck off and do his own thing in the same way that Sora does except you know kind of more maliciously (though I genuinely suspect that a Vanitas without an immediate thing to do probably would just kinda...go somewhere and be moody. He seems the type. With a task though well different story, but sans one? And hey, the old man isn’t around to push him around anymore)

So Vanitas functionally becomes his Persona Here, which ties back to the way earlier mentioned point. Sora is a little broken here, but he has a certain understanding of both what’s going on with Tokyo when he get’s there (something stupid is happening at the bottom of mementos involving a heart. Guess it’s Heartless Stomping Time) even if he’s not fully on board with everything because of yet more missing memories, but for the moment, he doesn’t have the full power’s he really had before. He needs to lean on darkness here not just to stay as a whole person, but to also find his way home. And of course, this requires darkness.

Some of you may be seeing the grim and stupid pieces lining up here, so for you, just hold your head in shame and prepare the finger wagging.

So we have vanitas as a persona, more or less. Cool, fine.

And predictably, his rebellion outfit would more or less be a flavoring of Vanita’s armored up form, albeit probably a bit more kingly given Sora’s king motif.

But he’s not a royal here no. He’s looking for something. Going after a thing hidden deep in the darkness.

And as a proper phantom thief needs a code name, Why not call the guy who’s seeking something in the darkness. Why not call him a-

Why not Code Name Seeker for Sora the Phantom Thief eh? eh?

And that’s about the limit of what I got on this idea honestly. I know that Sora is still his lovable goofball self in a general sense, because Edgy Angst Sora isn’t really fun or I think true to the character really, but I think he’d probably be at the very least a touch more bitter than he has been, and perhaps for once in his life, just not feeling making friends at the outset. Up until a problem occurs and he see’s these other kids dealing with both unmitigated bullshit and being absurdly way over their heads.

Also, Yaldabaoth getting his carefully cheated game absolutely derailed, perhaps much sooner letting Maruki do his thing, perhaps letting him do a slower more thorough and less rushed job of things and having the Phantom Thieves + Sora + Akechi Have to deal with it is kind of fun.

Especially since Maruki as Antagonist in this case would be interesting considering probably 1, Akechi would Almost Certainly Be Alive (unambiguously), 2, Haru’s Dad would probably be alive leading to Shido getting his shit wrecked way sooner (I would expect that Haru’s still going to mostly deal with the same general problems given her dad would be in jail albeit still alive. At least in a broad sense, the specifics will very certainly be different), 3, It’d let Akechi get in on the fun of having his “dream” world realized in gaining the phantom thieves as perhaps genuine friends minus at least the baggage of him being the murderer of someone they personally know. He’d still need to atone, and I can’t imagine them letting him off the hook for that, although in the immediate sense absolutely yes they would because Maruki pulling antics (probably more hidden this time I would imagine), and until they fix things at least it’s not like he actually CAN turn himself in because Idealized World is bending over backwards to absolve him which is probably still bullshit in his eyes (He did the crime he’ll do the time damnit!)

And meanwhile Sora is busy dealing with his PTSD basically, while Vanitas crashes on his mind couch and occasionally steers while Sora deals with the mess going on on the inside.

yeah.

Feels good to get that out of the system for the moment.

#Kingdom Hearts #Persona 5 #a fanfic idea that just kinda keeps popping back up #Spoilers #Vanitas #Sora #Some Kingdom Hearts meta

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peppermintbee · 6 years ago

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15 easy changes that would have made Kairi a more compelling character

Ever since finishing KH3 I’ve been completely preoccupied with what a disservice the writing does for Kairi. This isn’t an unpopular opinion; the KH3 tag is full of complaints regarding Kairi’s treatment. I think what’s really disappointing is that fixing her portrayal wouldn’t require that much work. So, if I was Nomura’s co-writer for KH3, here are the changes I would have suggested.

1. Don’t put her in the time chamber to train

Not only does the pocket dimension cause plot holes (Why can’t Sora train there? Why didn’t Kairi and Lea become high level in there?) it’s only narrative purpose was to keep Kairi and Lea out of the story while Sora was visiting Disney worlds. Having her literally anywhere else, where Sora can see and talk with her, would have been better than that.

2. Let her train and travel with Sora

Conveniently, the game is set up perfectly for having Kairi as a team member. Sora starts the game at LV. 1 and Kairi is a beginner keyblade wielder. They could visit the Disney worlds and git gud together. We know team mechanics were programmed for Kairi, since she briefly fights alongside Sora at the end. In the Disney worlds you can have up to 4 team members, so it doesn’t seem like a stretch that at least one of them could be Kairi (and/or Lea). With that, the opportunities for character building are endless: team banter, selfies, special team attacks, commenting on the Disney stories, etc.

3. Or, give Kairi her own missions

Riku and Mickey are off screen because they are trying to find Aqua. Even though we don’t see much of them, this makes them active participants to the plot. Therefore, if she can’t be a team member, have Kairi be on her own important story mission. A really easy one would be involving her in the Twilight Town investigation to find Roxas’ data and/or rescue Ansem the Wise. Maybe one of the turncoat Org 13 members works with Kairi. At some point, Sora and Kairi’s paths would cross, and they’d work together just like Sora and Riku did.

4. Have Sora mention Kairi every once in a while

Honestly, this is such a low bar it’s sad the game didn’t clear it. Sora frequently mentions Riku in the Disney worlds when something reminds him of him, he tries to call him, and he even talks about Riku in the social media loading screens. Kairi doesn’t get the same amount of attention. (Riku also doesn’t talk about Kairi.) It makes it feel like Kairi is not a priority to the characters, which makes it hard to be invested in her while playing.

5. Have Sora and Kairi greet each other when they finally meet

The first time Sora and Kairi are in a room together is after Ventus gets saved and everyone is talking in Yen Sid’s room. During this scene, most of the time Kairi is OFF SCREEN and has almost no lines. When she finally talks, she apologizes to Aqua and says something about saving Namine. Sora and Kairi stand about 5 feet away from each other and he only looks at her when she’s talking. This is dumb, especially considering Kairi and Sora haven’t seen each other in person since KH2 (!!!), a game that she also had very little presence in, and now that she’s finally here, she may as well be a part of the wallpaper. While Sora and Riku are reunited in the most badass way possible (a dimension crossing rescue and summoning of the great rainbow keyblade), Sora and Kairi aren’t even given so much as a chance to say “hi.” Simply include few lines of them being excited to see one another. A hug, a compliment, an “I missed you,” ANYTHING.

6. Just rewrite the entire paopu scene

This scene has such wasted potential. It’s the first time Kairi and Sora really talk to each other, which already starves the scene of emotional impact because their relationship feels underdeveloped and unearned. If this scene had even a little bit of foundation setting (see the above list) it wouldn’t have felt so forced. I’d argue the only foundation their relationship has is from KH1, which not only is over a decade old for players, but the characters themselves have changed a lot since then.

Secondly, it is almost funny that a scene that’s supposed to be about Kairi and Sora starts with Sora talking about Riku. Would it have been so hard to put a scene change between the Riku/Repliku talk and this one and not awkwardly segue from Sora worrying about Riku to Kairi proposing to Sora.

Third, Sora shows almost no excitement about sharing a paopu fruit with Kairi until the very end, which only makes it feel more forced. He expresses shock, confusion, and even insinuates they don’t need to share a fruit since they are together in spirit. He says he’ll protect Kairi, which is kind of a lame promise since Sora protects all of his friends. Instead, Sora should have looked genuinely touched and excited about the paopu thing, and they should have made a promise that went beyond protecting each other, since that’s a given. (I do really like that Kairi vows to protect Sora, but considering what happens later it feels pretty hollow.)

8. Sora should protect Kairi with his keyblade, not a hug

Honestly, this was so dumb I don’t even know where to start. If there’s gonna be a Kairi hug, it should have been when they were reunited, or the paopu scene, or like... any other time. I get that it’s supposed to be a parallel to KH1, but that defense-hug made sense because Kairi was unarmed and untrained. (Plus, Kairi could actually shield heartless-Sora with her body. In this scene, Kairi and Sora are about the same size so it just looks like a normal hug, not protection). Just hours ago, Sora protected Riku from Aqua with his keyblade and it was badass. At the end of this scene, Riku protects Sora with his keyblade, and it’s badass. The hug isn’t badass, it’s stupid and it makes both Sora AND Kairi look incompetent, which it frustrating to witness.

9. Let Kairi literally protect Sora

As much as I like the scene where Riku protects Sora from the heartless cyclone, that would have been a perfect opportunity for Kairi to make good on her promise and protect Sora. We already know Riku will defend Sora, he did that in all the other KH games. Kairi shedding her damsel persona to defend Sora would have been amazing.

10. Play as Kairi in The Final World

If Kairi’s “light” is the reason Sora can persist in the final world, just abandon the whole deus-ex-kairi and let us play as Kairi. Kairi should collect the Sora fragments (or her own fragments), and save at least Sora and Riku’s heart. I think we should have been able to play as Kairi at some point anyway, but this seemed like an especially good time for it. That would elevate her role in saving Sora into something really believable, instead of Chirithy and Kairi just telling us she saved him when it feels like Sora just saved himself and everyone else (as usual).

11. Give Kairi a cool team attack

We only get to fight alongside Kairi for like, 10 minutes. At least give her a cool team attack. I’m not asking for a lot here.

12. Kairi doesn’t get kidnapped (and if she does, she goes down fighting)

Literally anyone else. I don’t care who. In fact, I think Riku would be a good candidate for kidnapping: not only does it subvert the damsel thing, but it would make the bad guys look pretty formidable if they were able to pull it off, and, Riku is important enough to Sora to “motivate” him to rescue him.

I’d rather she not get damseled at all, but if she really has to get kidnapped, it should at least be because she compromised her safety to save Sora or Lea. Then, when she’s grabbed, she should go down kicking and screaming, maybe taking out an Org member on the way out. Instead, the way it’s framed makes it looks like she got kidnapped because she sucks at fighting.

13. Give Kairi’s death/disappearance some real weight

I still stand by the fact that Riku is the one who should have been kidnapped but I digress. When Kairi explodes, Sora gets upset briefly before talking about closing Kingdom Hearts and receiving encouragement from his other friends. Xion reassures Sora that Kairi is fine, likely to justify why Sora gets over losing Kairi so fast. With a smile, Sora goes into the next battle and doesn’t mention Kairi until long after Xehanort is defeated. This makes her death feel like a cheap way to add superficial stakes and write Kairi out of the story (again). This can be fixed by having Sora react like a normal person, such as falling into complete despair or wracked with grief and vengeance, and having the other characters react appropriately too.

At the end of the story, Sora and the gang are weirdly understanding of Xehanort when he gives his sob story, even though he exploded Kairi just a little while ago, and they don’t even demand to know how to save her. It really makes it feel like they forgot about her.

14. Don’t gloss over Sora’s end-game rescue of Kairi

We’re shown that Sora saved her somehow and now he’s gone. That’s all the script thinks we need to know because the next game is about Sora and Riku just like most of the KH games. Not that I really want another game about Sora rescuing Kairi, but the fact that this is barely graced with explanation really makes it clear that Kairi is little more than a plot device to set up the next game. I don’t really know how to fix this other than not fridging Kairi, or bringing Kairi back right after Xehanort is defeated, or making the next game about Kairi saving Sora. Which brings us to my last fix...

15. Send Kairi after Sora, not Riku

Kairi explicitly said she was going to protect Sora. Therefore, she should be the one implied to search for Sora at the end of the game. Having her cry on the beach while Riku went after him was lazy and cheap and everyone knows it. But, I suppose it’s fitting end for a character that Nomura clearly didn’t care enough about to write decent character development for.

And there we have it, 15 ways to make Kairi more compelling. If the game included even a few of these, Kairi would have felt like a more meaningful person and not a watered down version of KH1 Kairi. I can only hope that the next game has some strong female characters that we can all root for, but honestly, I’m not getting my hopes up.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions, I want to hear them!

#kingdom hearts iii #kingdom hearts 3 #kairi #kh3 #kh3 spoilers #now that i finally got that out maybe I can move on with my life #kairi isn't even my fav but she was treated so unfairly i have to speak up #she was set up to have a great comeback but instead we got... this #kairi fans deserve better #kh fans deserve better #rewrite kh #words #kh text

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mellz117 · 5 years ago

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Mellz plays KH Re:CoM part 4!

Hi welcome to my text based commentary on Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories on the Playstation 2. Right below are my previous entries

One

Two

Three

Check out the continuation of Sora’s campaign under the read more!

—I had a bunch of stuff written out in part 3, but tumblr mobile crashed on me and didn’t save it. Here’s my attempt at trying to remember it all. Can I do better than Sora?

I went to the Hollow Bastion. Off to a great start!

Hm something seems off I wonder what it is lol. Lovers’ quarrel? Can’t be that simple. I really appreciate how ready to play hero Sora is. Such a wholesome boy.

I dunno know, there’s a whole-ass community who will happily give their love to you. I myself would appreciate a hug from a fuzzy beasty boy.

—

Isn’t that how you’ve lived most of your life anyway? Books and your dad? Wow that reminds me of Meggie and Mo. I’ve been reading the Inkheart series recently.

I SERIOUSLY don’t remember any of this. Beast’s heart is full of uwu love for Belle so Maleficent wants HIS heart, Belle gets zapped with witchy magic and loses her heart trying to protect the Beast. Oh look at that, she does care. Maleficent tried going two for two and our favorite big dragon lady lost to a 14 year old who’s barely into puberty. I liked the mcguffen card, makes Maleficent too easy.

Belle and Beast are too cute omg

—Time for Vexen to introduce himself to Protagonist

“Who are you?!” Sora’s ready to throw hands with just about anyone at this point isn’t he?

Vex you’re full of shit. So this first fight with him. My death counter was 4? How fitting… The fight got super nerve wracking. I had poor card management and barely won with 3 cards left.

So despite MARLUXIA being dubbed in KH2 “The Graceful Assassin” on his… gravestone? AXEL seems to be the head hunter. He’s told to kill Vexen, sent to get rid of Roxas, I’m pretty sure if memory serves in 358Days he was told to kill Xion? Right? It’s been a while.

I want to run my fingers through Marly’s hair tbh. We got two of the hottest members of Org13 here talking about murdering their colleague, as you do.

—Upon arriving at Twilight Town, Sora tells a story from when he and Namine were little, a meteor shower scared Namine and Sora says he’ll protect her. How cute and wholesome! Too bad it’s more fake than a YouTube apology video! OOOOOOoooHH! Anyway, Twilight Town is my favorite world in this whole series and I WISH KH3 specifically had more to explore!

Next fight with Vexen. Like immediately after the first. How vexing haha. Death Count so far: 4. I’m getting really frustrated and my hatred for him just grows exponentially

Loading my deck up with 0 value cards to– oh WAIT I DONT HAVE ANY! Because stupid me decided theyre more trouble than theyre worth. OK time to pay the Christmas moogle a visit and kick an old man’s ass!

I died.

That’s 5 so far. Need to grind more! I’m level 41! I don’t remember having such a difficult time before. Then again I remember very little about my experience way back when.

I got further in on the fight though! Vexen even used his ice sword thing out of desperation! It was kind of badass, I like it. Except he beat me again making my death count 6…!

—MY DEATH COUNT ENDED UP BEING 10 IN THIS FIGHT! TEN! GET! FUCKED! IM SO FUCKING PISSED. I LOADED MY DECK WITH FIRE AND CLOUD CARDS, I LEARNED VEXENS WIND UPS AND BECAME A DODGING QUEEN! GET FUCKED!

I felt sorry for Vexen in his death scene but NOT TODAY! NOT TODAY! I can’t recall the last time I was so utterly pissed off at a video game. IM ON STANDARD why was I struggling so much?! I probably just have bad technique tbh. If I struggled this much with Vexen how will I ever stand against Axel again? I’m so done with this game and I still have another campaign to do after this!

—I didn’t even leave Twilight Town before bed. I relished in my victory, Axel finished Vexen off (RiP), Sora got scared, then mad, Axel had a tad bit of existentialism, and I went to bed.

So now Larxene and Marluxia think they can trust Axel. Larxene honest to god thinks, even IF Axel were on their side, they’d have a chance to overthrow XEMNAS, Xigbar, Xaldin, Saix, Demyx, and Luxord together… OK definitely Dexyx but the rest won’t go down so easilly. I don’t remember what Zexion and Lexaeus are doing at Castle Oblivion at this time but that’s irrelevant right now.

LEAVE HER ALONE!

Repliku again. Oh no, he and Sora have the same memory of Namine and the meteor shower! They fight about it.

“You can’t both be right, it doesn’t make sense!” say Donald and Goofy.

“Oh so I’M wrong?!” Sora replies, angry that his friends don’t believe him. Where is that undying faith in one another? Sora wonders, heartbroken.

“Maybe you should take a moment to think things though” Goofy suggests in a ironically frequent moment of clarity.

Sora overreacts to everything he’s told. “So you want me to ABANDON HER?!” Now he’s putting words into his allies’ mouths, like a stupid baby.

—Axel shows he’s a sneaky sneak and not in fact loyal to Bloo- I mean Marluxia, and indirectly tells Namine he’s letting her go like “lmao NO ONE WHO’S CURRENTLY IN THIS ROOM wants to keep you here”. And Namine peaces out.

We now, sorry just Sora now, because Donald and Goofy aren’t with him, go to the Destiny Islands. We meet up with Riku, well not really, just a memory of Riku. An inaccurate memory of Riku because during this time he would NEVER trust Sora to keep a girl safe all by himself. “HER” being not Kairi but Namine because that’s the theme.

Sora fights the Darkside, not from Star Wars but Star Wars + Kingdom Hearts is a cool idea and could be realized. Hop to it, Square Enix! We fight the big Heartless and it was easy. The McGuffen card showed up only near the end so it was pointless.

Namine shows up! But it’s just a memory of Namine.. but wait she was never there it was Kair— Right Sora doesn’t know this! Even if it’s not real the pure joy Sora expresses upon finally getting to see her is so sweet but also super sad.

BUT THEN! A SECOND Namine appears behind Sora! And now the two Namine’s are both talking to him, and he is confused because how is anyone else supposed to even comprehend any of this?

—See you in part 5!!!

#mellz plays kh recom #kingdom hearts series #kh recom #kingdom hearts re:chain of memories #square enix #Playstation 2 #mellz post

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vannahfanfics · 5 years ago

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Much Ado About Love

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Characters: Sora, Anna

Requested By: cornholio4 (FanFiction)

With a small sigh of exertion, Sora paused a moment to plop down on his behind and sit back against the brick wall of one of the many buildings lining the circular fountain courtyard where Arendelle’s princesses and citizens were now celebrating the return of the country’s usual warm climate. Compared to the bitter, biting freeze of the winter that had been borne of Elsa’s tumultuous emotional experience, the summery warm air only stifled by the occasional light breeze wrapped around Sora like a welcoming embrace, and he enjoyed it so much more. The bricks were already soaking up the sunlight to pulse with a light heat that spread across the surface of his back, and he closed his eyes in contentment to simply enjoy the fuzzy feeling it spread through his tired muscles. Sora was by no means out of shape (as a Hero of Light, he simply could not be) but climbing a mountain not once but three times then kicking the crap out of a big, giant Heartless was liable to give anyone leg cramps. With a small sigh, he rubbed at his calves in the hopes that it would dissipate the cull ache in his lower leg muscles. He looked up when a shadow fell over him, expecting it to be one of his companions insisting he get a move on to the next world, only to find Anna’s charming smile and glittering blue eyes greeting him instead of Donald’s impatient scowl or Goofy’s nonchalant grin.

“Taking a breather?”

“Yeah. Heroes get tired too, believe it or not,” he chuckled up at her. Anna giggled lightly, holding a hand to her prim little mouth. Sora smiled slightly as he absently thought that she looked very cute when she laughed, the way her eyes scrunched up at the corners and her cheeks took on a rosy tint. Continuing to smile at him, she leaned up against the wall beside him and then slipped down to where she was primly sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles in front of her and her hands resting on her lap.

“So do princesses!” she laughed. Sora grinned and began laughing with her, and they chuckled for a good minute over it before their giggles died down. Sora looked at her watching her sister revel with all the townsfolk. It was amazing to watch, considering the picture that had been painted for him earlier implied that the townspeople were ready to chase Elsa down with pitchforks. It was amazing what truth, and forgiveness, could really do. As he thought about the dramatic showdown with Hans on the frozen bay, he suddenly recalled something he had been meaning to tell the princess sitting beside him.

“Oh, Anna… I’m sorry that things turned out the way they did with Hans. I know you really liked him.” Just thinking about it burned him up inside. How dare he pretend to be a good guy and lead Anna along just to attempt to steal Elsa’s throne? Not to mention that he was perfectly willing to leave Anna to die in a painful and agonizing way and kill Elsa in cold blood. Evil people were enough, but evil people who were conniving and put up a false, innocent persona? Those bothered Sora more than anything, because people like Anna always got their hearts broken in betrayal that way. He curled his gloved hands into fists as rage pumped adrenaline into his veins. “Man, if I ever got my hands on that guy…” he grumbled under his breath.

“Thanks, Sora. You’re sweet.” Her caring voice instantly dissolved any sort of ill will in his body and he looked at her with wide eyes. She sighed slightly and looked out at the fountain, where sparkling water was streaming up to catch the sunlight spilling down from the clear blue sky. “I thought I was in love with Hans. I realize now that Elsa was right… I think I was just lonely and desperately looking for someone who would notice me and give me attention,” she admitted with an uncomfortable look. “Love is a much, much stronger emotion than just simple attraction.” The smile returned to her face as her eyes drifted from the arcing water to her sister, who was merrily dancing with Olaf while an amused Donald and Goofy watched. Kristoff was too busy trying to prevent Sven from stealing a vegetable cart vendor’s carrots. “I know that now.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. To be honest, I don’t know much about the ‘love’ thing,” Sora frowned while scratching at the side of his face with his index finger. Sure, he knew plenty about platonic love- he cared a whole lot about his friends, that was for sure, and he cared about all the people he had met on his great journey through so many worlds, and he even cared about those he had never met but where connected to his heart all the same. Still, even seeing the many displays of romantic love throughout his quest to quell the darkness and save the people who had been lost because of Xehanort- well, he really hadn’t the faintest clue about it.

“Really?” Anna mused. The look she gave him just them unsettled him in a frightful yet oddly stimulating way; she looked almost daring with the way her eyes were shining, and something on the border of triumph danced in her curling smirk. “I would’ve thought a hero like you would have someone in mind.” Sora’s mind instantly flew to Kairi. Sure, he loved her, but he wasn’t sure it was in that sense. He loved Riku just as much. He never really thought about holding her hand or just being alone without Riku there or, holy crap, kissing her. Nope, it weirded him out just thinking about it. Kairi was just… Kairi to him, plain and simple.

“Yeah, nope. Nothing of the kind,” he frowned and plucked at his spiky strands of chestnut hair. Suddenly he couldn’t bear to look at her; even though he wasn’t, he could feel her eyes searching his face, those wintery blue eyes like clear ice boring into him as if it were stripping him down to his very essence… “Wh-what about you?” he stammered suddenly, trying to derail the conversation. “You and Kristoff seem… chummy.”

“Me and Kristoff?” Anna snickered and a hand flew to her chest. Sora’s eyes followed the motion and he noticed that her nails were nicely manicured. Probably par for the course for a princess. “Kristoff will forever have a special place in my heart for helping me the way he did. Next to Elsa, he’s definitely my best friend- but that’s where it ends.”

“Oh.” He was beginning to grow confused, because for some reason he was glad about that. Surely he couldn’t be harboring some kind of fledgling feelings for the princess, right? Sure, she was beautiful, as were many of the princesses he had met, with a warm, welcoming smile and brilliant eyes like crystalline ice formations and luscious auburn-brown hair that kind of called to him to reach out and run his fingers through… And the idea of her being with anyone else, Kristoff or otherwise, kind of made him sad. He had already made up his mind that he would definitely be back to visit Arendelle after settling the business with Xehanort so he could explore the kingdom with her while it wasn’t buried under a blanket of snow and ice… Walking around alone, their bodies close so that their arms just barely brushed together… He would sneakily reach out and touch her fingers and then she would grab his hand, bashfully smiling at him… Wait a minute. His face grew hotter as the blush spread back to the tops of his ears. That was certainly a fantasy he had never had before. He had never experienced love before, but he wasn’t completely stupid; that was pretty dang close, he had to reckon.

Every muscle in his body stiffened as Anna scooted a little closer to him; like he had envisioned, her shoulder brushed against the muscle of his upper arm, and even though there was the barrier of sleeves, his nerves still sung in a high-pitched squeal, sending shockwaves down to the tips of his fingers and up his neck.

“You’re blushing, Sora.” The teasing in her voice just made him flush even further.

“N-no I’m not! It’s just hot! I got so used to it being cold that now I’m hot!” he cried in a futile attempt to dissuade her from the frankly obvious. Pursing his lips in a pout, he turned his head opposite her, chin upturned in a dully childish display of being caught red-handed. Really, he had just met her, and now he had a schoolboy crush. Wasn’t that the exact opposite of what they had been talking about? As if drawn by a magnet, his eyes rolled in his sockets to peer at her out of the corners; she had her head tilted at a downward angle as those crystal-blue eyes stared knowingly at him from beneath the shade of her thick black lashes, and that same sweet yet challenging smile was gracing her lips. Sora’s nose twitched as his heart clenched in his chest. She really was positively adorable and pretty…

Yep. Crush confirmed.

“Anna,” he started, but then stopped, because he really wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. Guess he also wasn’t the smoothest person in the worlds when it came to love.

“Hey. You’ll come back and see me, right?” she interrupted when it was clear his words where going nowhere. Shocked, his head snapped around to look at her fully. The smile had fallen from her face as it took on a solemn, serious expression. “I know that you have important things you have to do that’ll take you far from here… But whenever that’s done, I would really like it if I can show you Arendelle properly.” Sora gulped and tugged at the neck of his shirt as his body temperature amped up a couple notches. “Heroes have free time, too, right?” she said as that smile appeared on her face once more. It was infectious, because it wormed its way onto his features, too.

“Of course. It’s a promise,” he assured her with an emphatic nod. Anna grinned brightly and straightened up, clearly pleased. He fully expected her to jump up and rejoin the festivities (and let his crush stay buried, hopefully) but she instead did something he never would’ve been expecting in a thousand years- she leaned forward to peck a little kiss onto his cheek. Sora instantly blazed the crimson red of Lea’s hair and heated up to the point Little Chef could’ve fried an egg on his head, no problem. Leaving him to short-circuit like a toaster in a bathtub, Anna then hopped up with a giggled see you soon! to join the others, who were none the wiser of the very blatantly flirtatious thing that had just occurred. Head following her skipping run as she left, he raised a hand to the cheek where the ghost of her lips still danced. A wan smirk appeared on his mouth.

Heh… Maybe I know a little about love after all. Surely he must; that’s what the sing-song beating of his heart and the fluttering butterflies in his stomach were telling him, anyway.

Sora was already looking forward to the return visit…

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