#THE WAY RIKU BARELY REACTED | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yzafre · 4 months ago

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we're flying above the valley below | Finale

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Kairi’s heart ached as she watched Naminé crumple. Beside her, Sora started forward, but Riku caught him by the shoulder, shaking his head.

“No - this... isn’t for us.”

“But,” Sora stopped, swallowed, glancing back and forth between the two curled into each other and the sky above, “If they stay here, they’ll be out in the open if Xehanort’s magic goes off.”

Kairi cast her gaze up at the sky, taking in the thickening plumes of magic, the condensing mass of power above the highest spire of rock. Something dark flitted between it all, slowly arcing its way towards Xehanort.

Or, she realized, perhaps it was Xehanort.

After all, the youngest of the Organization had escaped her before she could finish him.

“You guys go ahead,” she said, “I just spotted the younger Xehanort – I'll deal with him, then come down to retrieve Naminé and Hitoshi. It shouldn’t take long.”

“You sure?” Riku asked.

“Yes,” she said, “I’m finishing this.”

Sora nodded, “Then, we’ll leave it to you.”

As they flew off, she craned her head back, planning her path, setting her timing. She started low – wide loops around the jagged cliff Naminé and Hitoshi were on, biding her time – and then, when the moment was right, she swooped down, gathering momentum to arc back up and streak into the sky.

Just as her upward momentum began to die, she reeled back, storing up strength, then flung the Keyblade up. It flew forward with blinding speed, nearly clipping Xehanort if he hadn’t twitched out of the way – but that was fine. When it was inches past his face, she grasped the connection between her and her Key and tugged, pulling herself through space to wrap a hand around the hilt and twist, slamming her blade into his stomach and baring both of them down.

The wind whistled past her ears as they fell; disoriented, he didn’t have time to react at the speed they were going. Kairi kept her wings pinned back even as they hurtled ever closer to the ground below. Almost there – almost, almost, almost – now!

At the last moment, she spread her wings, air catching underneath them immediately, if a bit painfully, arresting her momentum just enough for her to angle off and avoid collision. Xehanort wasn’t’ so lucky.

A plume of dust went up from where he landed. The waters rising through the cracked earth below hadn’t made it this far, though the nearby cliffs were fused with the strange white stair-stepping features, glinting stone pavement creeping across the ground from their edges.

This close, they almost looked like buildings.

Just as she touched down, Xehanort levered himself up with a groan that quickly turned into a snarl.

“You,” he hissed, “Have caused me far too many problems.”

“Well. This will be the last.”

His face twisted in anger, and he lunged.

Objectively, Xehanort was stronger than her.

Oh, not as much as he had been back at the start of this Journey. There was no teacher like experience, and she had grown fast. But he was stronger.

But he was also carrying wounds from Terra’s armor, who was stronger than both of them still.

He was weak, and he was faltering – and on one lunge forward, his legs gave out, and he hit the dirt, Dark smoke beginning to drift off his form. Despite how he struggled to get up, it was clear he was through.

“You - you think this means anything?” he says, “I'm only one version of myself – I'll just go back, and start us on the is path once more. Look.”

He pointed to the sky, where the Dark sphere of magic beneath Kingdom Hearts was reaching critical mass. Now that she was paying attention, the crackle of energy in the air was more than just adrenaline. It was the very power of that magic beginning to press down on them.

Xehanort grinned, eyes burning through the Darkness that had nearly consumed him, “Maybe I won’t get to see it now – but someday, I’ll make it here again. And I will succeed.”

If Kairi wanted to respond, she didn’t get the chance – his body finally gave out, and he faded away.

She stared at the place where he vanished for several long moments, before shaking the strange prickling unease off. Her job was done – she needed to get to Naminé.

On the way back, her eyes were constantly drawn up to that condensing magic, the dense blaze falling through the sky around it. At this point, there was no way she could make it up there. She was stuck down here, with nothing she could do again.

Sighing, she let her gaze wander down, where it caught on a group of figures milling about agitatedly below, in the shadow of the great pillar.

Oh – the Princesses. It was easy to forget, in all the fighting, but that was why they came here in the first place.

Maybe... there was something she could do.

Once they managed to find some kind of equilibrium, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus took to the sky, escaping the earthquakes that shook the ground with increasing frequency. The situation looked much worse when Terra wasn’t seeing it through the haze of someone else’s eyes.

They met up with four others – a mouse, a red-head, a young girl, and a kid that looked shockingly like Ventus – as they circled the land. It took some searching, but they managed to find stable ground on one of the growing white peaks, landing on a clearing paved with what looked like three different types of stone and surrounded by structures that might pass for buildings, if the only buildings you’d ever seen were in an impressionist painting.

“You’re all okay,” Ventus said, relieved, “You all defeated your opponents, then?”

The Mouse shook his head, “I lost track of Marluxia, actually. Though, I don’t think he can make more trouble at this point.”

The red-half barked a laugh, “Oh, you’d be surprised.”

“So, all that’s left is Xehanort, then?” Aqua asked, and they all turned to survey the world, in all its damaged glory.

You’d never recognize the Keyblade Graveyard as it was now. The plateaus were crumbling, with strange, tiered peaks breaking through them, dotted with spiraling trails and ruined buildings that almost reminded Terra of the Land of Departure. At the very bottom, water seeped up through the growing cracks in the world, flooding the valleys and slowly turning each peak into its own island, the wasteland converting into an ocean world.

The sky, in contrast, was nearly on fire, dark plumes of magic thick as clouds, hanging low in the sky, threatening to burn anyone moving through the airways.

“Yeah, there’s no way we’re getting up there,” the red-head said.

“But we have to,” said the kid that looked like Ven, “Sora said, if that attack goes off, everything below it gets decimated. If they can’t stop it, we’re dead.”

“Maybe not,” Ven said. Terra turned to him, wondering what he saw – but Ven wasn’t looking up, he was looking down, a strange light in his eyes as he stared at water.

“What do you mean, Ven?” Aqua asked.

Ventus pointed towards the horizon, tracing an invisible line between the peak forming around the pillar Xehanort stood on and the water below.

“The reflection – it's wrong.”

Frowning, Terra turned to squint down at the water. At first, he didn’t see what Ventus obviously did, but no, there was a hint, there, the shadow in the water flaring out the deeper it went, curving in elaborate flourishes.

“Down there,” Ventus said, voice almost hazy, “We can ride it out down there.”

“Are you sure?” Aqua asked.

“Yeah,” Ven said, finally turning away from the water, “Trust me.”

Aqua pursed her lips for a long moment, then nodded.

“Alright, we’ll follow your lead, Ven,” Mickey said.

“Woah, woah, woah,” the red-head protested, “I never agreed to go for a swim!”

“Would you rather take your chances up here?” the black-haired girl asked, and he subsided.

The shift happened in three phases:

First: breaking through the surface tension and diving into the water. It was deeper than it should be. The ground that once stood there was seemingly missing, instead giving way to a bottomless drop below.

Second: a twist in gravity. They couldn’t have swum down more than thrice his height before there was a popping and swirling in his ear, and any sense of direction left him. He spun, disoriented, until there was another pop and the concept of up was suddenly re-established.

Third: they passed through another kind of barrier that rippled across his skin like surface tension, and suddenly they were climbing out on to the steps of a tower, easily breathing though water still surrounded them.

“Isn’t this the place you - “ Someone started, and at first Terra thought it was Ven, but then came the reply - “Yeah.” - and no, that was Ventus. The first was the boy that looked so much like him.

“Come on,” Ven said, voice uncharacteristically solemn, heart giving off a steady beat of – aching – longing – loss – and headed in.

Terra and Aqua, following close behind, exchanged a glance and a feeling of confusion-concern-care.

Ven led them through a small side entrance, through waterworks and machinery, up several flights of stairs. The place held a strange sense of unreality – many aspects blurred over and indistinct, except where they weren’t, where they were sharp and almost hyper-realistic. Others shifted from impressionistic to realistic, becoming clear in the wake of Ventus’ gaze, as if his attention made them real.

They continued until they came to a landing where he paused, body oriented to the next flight up before he shook his head, abruptly pivoting to the side.

“In here,” he said, staring up at the large, ornate doors, “The lifeboats are in here.”

Ventus, Terra, Aqua. Axel, Roxas, Xion. Mickey. Seven people.

Seven lifeboats.

If they were there – would they be there? He remembered some missing, and then they all took the rest, and -

And this place wasn’t supposed to exist anymore, either. Nothing but a memory.

Yet here they were.

He shoved the heavy door open, shadowed memories sharpening the moment he saw the vaulted ceilings, the pipes and machinery, the pods, the world sharpening into reality with them.

It was so over-whelming he was late to note the man standing over the center pod, back to them.

“So you, too, were drawn here,” he said, and Ventus was seized by – pink hair and bright eyes and hands around his throat and grief and crumpling and forgiveness and darkness bursting and -

And his name remained stuck on the tip of his tongue, just out of reach.

“It’s strange. I have no memory of this place, and yet... something in me aches,” he continued, chuckling darkly, “That’s not supposed to be possible, either. And I can’t help but think... this is all your fault.”

Marluxia lunged, scythe cutting through the air. Ventus met him with solid defense – one, two, three – on the fourth, Marluxia froze up, muscles seizing, before he dropped to the floor, dark smoke wafting off him.

“Lauriam!” The name punched out of Ventus, agonized, the weight of it driving him to his knees beside his old friend.

“Lauriam,” Marluxia repeated, as if relishing the taste of his name, “Oh. I see. It’s all starting to come back to me, now.”

Ventus held him tighter, pressing his mouth into a tight line to try and suppress the quivering in his jaw, swallowing down the lump in his throat. Not that it mattered. Lauriam kept fading in his hands, growing lighter and lighter.

“Lauriam, they’re gone. It’s all gone. We’re all that’s left.”

“Well, I should hope so,” Lauriam said, “I didn’t drag you all the way to that lifeboat for you not to make it out. Although, ending up in another Keyblade war wasn’t what I planned, either.”

A laugh forced its way painfully through the tightness in Ven’s chest, “We did a bad job running from it.”

“Yeah. Maybe... we’ll do better, this time.”

“Maybe.”

Lauriam finished fading with a bittersweet laugh, and all that was left was the distant grinding of machinery.

“Ven?” Aqua called.

Bracing himself, Ventus stood, turning back to them. Terra and Aqua’s hearts chased him with concern, but right now he – he couldn’t…

“Okay. These pods can ride out anything. Everyone get in.“

One after the other, they climbed into the pods. He could see the uncertainty in many of them, but – what else could they do?

Finally, they were all in place. Ventus just managed to close the lid when the world began to shake.

Darkness exploded out in a wave across the world. It ripped through the earth, opening great fissures, tearing the great cliffs and mountains asunder, before it began to tear into the rubble as well.

Darkness exploded out in a wave across the world, and Sora despaired – they weren’t fast enough, they weren’t strong enough – he could only hope Roxas had passed his message on and the others had fled to one of the other worlds hanging in his sky -

A wave of Light chased after the Darkness. It spread like a rainbow ribbon, twining itself around the Dark magic, ensuring it, caging it, stopping its spread. The two warred against each other, fed off each other, leading the Darkness to turn on its opposite rather than the world around it.

“What?” Xehanort snarled.

“Sora, look!”

Sora turned, looking where Riku was pointing. On a still-intact peak next to him, a group of figures stood in a circle, Light pouring off them and spilling into the sky.

“The Princesses of Heart,” Riku breathed, “They’re holding off the Darkness.”

“Yes,” Xehanort said, “They are indeed holding it off – but, they are just holding it off. I will simply have to remove this obstacle myself.”

“No!”

Xehanort spread his wings, and Sora and Riku moved as one.

The three met in the middle. Sora and Riku caught the χ-blade in between their two Keys, the Kingdom Keys sparking together and ringing like a chime. Light burst out, blinding them, burning at Sora’s hands till he flinched and let go. Riku flinched beside him as well, all of them pulling back and away.

Sora cracked his eyes open cautiously as the Light faded, then gasped, eyes going wide.

“What?” Xehanort exclaimed, “Impossible!”

Hovering between them was a second χ-blade, an exact mirror of Xehanort’s but for the Keys making up the guard, which were color-shifted to match the ones Sora and Riku wielded.

“A heart of pure darkness, and a heart of pure light,” Riku said quietly. “It wasn’t people. It was the hearts of the realms.”

Hesitantly, Riku reached out, wrapping a hand around the hilt. It sent a shiver down Sora’s spine, feeling the touch as if it was his own Key, suddenly becoming aware of the second star taking up space in his chest. He could feel Kairi in the distance, faintly marveling at its presence beneath her focus on her work with the Princesses.

“Can we use this to stop Kingdom Hearts?” Sora asked.

“No,” Xehanort snarled, “I will not be stopped now, not at this juncture! Kingdom Hearts, hear my plea!”

Bright beams of light pierced down to halo Xehanort, slowly forming a door that engulfed him, the doors immediately beginning to swing close.

“No, you don’t!”

Riku thrust their χ-blade forward, a beam of light connecting the tip to the door, holding it open and tethered to reality.

“Sora, go!”

“But - !”

There was a rumble. The sky behind Kingdom Hearts began to crack, deep, dark fissures spreading across the expanse, dripping heartless down onto the ravaged world below. The rainbow Light twined like a lattice through the air stretched up, creating a barrier to contain them within this world – though trapping them here with the heartless as well.

“Sora, you have to!” Riku said. “I can’t keep this up forever, and the heartless will just keep coming.”

“But what if the heartless reach you?”

“I can help with that,” a new voice cut in.

“Huh?”

Hitoshi appeared over the edge of the cliff, pausing a moment to help Naminé up behind him.

“Hitoshi,” Riku said, while Sora watched him warily, trying to settle the sudden clenching in his stomach, “Got your head on straight?”

“Heh. Yeah, got all the pieces lined back up, with a little help. Sorry, about before. Let me pay it back to you. I’ll keep the heartless away, so hero-boy here can go take care of business.”

“But… that’s a lot of heartless,” Sora said, “And we don’t know what happened to the others. Can you really take all of them?”

Hitoshi paused, confidence warring with uncertainty on his face, but then – like a sign from above, the answer came. Trumpets echoed through the air; Sora’s head snapped around. Above, a glowing host descended from the sky, flying down in a procession from the closest world, led by a glowing figure on a Pegasus.

“Is that… Hercules?” Sora gasped.

Behin him, one of the host raised its trumpet once more, blowing a loud, long note. Hercules raised his sword, and the whole crowd began to yell, flying down as one to clash against the Heartless.

A birdcall shrieked through the air. It took a second to spot, but a giant raptor streaked through the sky, sharp talons tearing through all heartless in its way as it made a b-line for the princesses, transforming into a large, heavy-set man who stumbled into a run the moment he was in contact with the ground.

Behind Sora, cannon-fire. He spun sharply, wings flaring to regain balance. A large pirate ship flew through the air, Peter Pan flying circles around the mast, easily spotted with the glowing ball of sparkles hovering about his head.

And – there was Genie, throwing magic around wildly, Aladin just behind him on the flying carpet. There, a streak of red flew through it all, Hiro clinging to Baymax’s back. Everywhere, people descended from the worlds hanging in the sky, joining the fight.

“Sora, look!” Naminé said, grabbing his shoulder. He followed where she was pointing to see two gummi ships streaking down, lasers blasting. The one leading the charge, he would know anywhere.

As the ships banked into a sharp turn, figures began emerging from them – a trio of corvids flying in sync, spiraling down to the ground below, another pair in black making a risky, flightless jump and plummeting into the fight, a final set flying high above, slowly arcing their way towards Sora.

As they approached, Sora began to recognize them.

“Donald, Goofy!” Sora called, rushing forward, pulling them into a tight hug, “What are you doing here?”

“Well,” Goofy said, mussing Sora’s spikes, “When that there Kingdom Hearts appeared in the sky, along with the other worlds, we thought maybe something had gone wrong.”

Donald nodded imperiously, “We knew you needed help, so we decided to round up all your friends.”

“But, what about the World Order?” Sora wondered.

“Pah! Forget the World Order,” Donald blustered. “What does it matter when there might not be a world soon?”

“It also doesn’t mean much when the worlds are all hanging in the sky, right where they can see each other,” Goofy teased.

“Well, that covers that,” Hitoshi said, standing on the edge and peering out at the battle below, “Naminé and I can make sure any that escape that army don’t interrupt Riku. So, Sora. Looks like you’ve got a job to do.”

“Right!”

He turned heading towards the door – pausing when footsteps followed behind him. Peering over his shoulder, he found Donald and Goofy on his heel.

“Guys?” he asked.

“What? You didn’t think we’d leave you to fight alone?” Donald asked.

“Just like old times,” Goofy added, placing his hand out, Donald quickly stacking his hand on the pile, “All for one...”

Heart aching and over-full with affection, Sora placed his hand on top, grinning to fight back the tears.

“And one for all!”

Sending one last wave of affection and determination to his Flightmates, locking eyes with Riku once more time, Sora plunged through the door.

Sora stepped onto a moonlit beach. The wind whispered over the trees in the center of the island, a soft counterpoint to the waves lapping gently against the shore. Across the water, Kingdom Hearts hung big and bright against a velvet, starless sky.

Destiny Islands.

The nostalgia hit hard, and he reached with his heart for Riku and Kairi. Instead, he hit some sort of barrier; he could feel their tether, still connecting him, but it was like they were shut off in another room, their presence but a distant murmur.

Swallowing down his unease, he took a deep breath, letting his wings bloom from his breath, stretch; they’d already given him everything he needed.

They had their part to play; it was time for him to play his.

There was a silhouette, standing at the edge of the water, χ-blade in hand. Sora approached slowly, Donald and Goofy silent behind him, until he stood side-by-side with Xehanort, staring out at the waves. For just a moment, if he only looked through the corner of his eyes, it was as if a young boy was standing next to him, gazing longingly at the open horizon.

The familiarity hurt.

Then Xehanort sighed, head tipping back, and the illusion broke.

“How strange, that at the end of all things, I would come back to this place. And yet, how fitting.”

“Is it really that surprising, that you would go home at the end?’ Sora wondered.

“Home?” Xehanort scoffed, “This place was a prison. My destiny was always to leave it behind. And now, after all these decades, I am on the cusp of achieving my dreams.”

Sora took in a deep breath.

“I can’t let you go through with this. I’m going to stop you.”

“Hm,” Xehanort ducked his head with a chuckle, turning to pace away, “You, and what weapon? In forming your χ-blade, you forfeited your Key to the Kingdom – the only thing that made you special.”

....ah.

Sora paused, reaching for the power in his heart, stomach swooping. The first thing he found was the blazing beacon of his χ-blade, Riku’s presence tangled up in it. It sparkled, familiar and wonderful, but distant. Disconnected. It was his, but it wasn’t a part of himself – there was something about it that was...

He kept looking, digging into the shadows, and there it was – another light, smaller but warm, as familiar as his own hand. He touched it, and his chest lit up, and he could feel it with every breath.

The same energy that had brought him this far – the star that had sparked in his chest all that time ago, desperate and alone in Hallow Bastion – still with him, even when the Kingdom Key was gone.

He held a hand out, and Light answered. It spilled from his palm, dancing through the air till it filled the vague outline of a Key, stray Sparks curling in little arcs around it. It shimmered through his veins, steady even as it laughed in anticipation – who will we be next?

Anything. Everything. A thousand possible futures, a thousand possible shapes, waiting for him to settle. To choose.

Xehanort sneered at the formless Light.

“You think you can face me with an unforged Key?”

“I think I’m going to try,” Sora answered.

“And besides – he's not alone!” Goofy said, stepping up beside him.

“Yeah!” Donald added, “We’re here, too – there's three of us, and only one of you!”

“Well, then. I’d say that makes it about even.”

And with a wide, wicked grin, Xehanort attacked.

The fight wasn’t going well.

The Light – his Light, the star in his heart that supported his Key – wanted to help so bad, gave Sora everything it had, but -

Without a settled form, it could only do so much.

They were flagging, all of them. Donald stumbled, wavered; Xehanort moved in to take advantage; Goofy guarded, a last-minute maneuver, but the force of the blow sent his shield flying back; Xehanort wound back to follow up.

Sora caught the blow with his weapon, and the Light shattered.

“Well,” Xehanort said, “I did warn you.”

Things went quickly, after that.

Sora tried to evade until he could spark the Light again – but he didn’t have Ventus’ speed.

Sora tried to break through Xehanort’s guard, to find a way to fight with just his own body – but he didn’t have Xion’s martial grace.

Sora tried to call on his magic, to fight from a distance – but he didn’t have Roxas’ deft manipulation of spells.

A storm whipped up around them, and Destiny Islands began to crumble. Still, Xehanort advanced.

First Donald was knocked away, then Goofy, chasms opening up between them, the wild winds whipping away the ground they stood on, so it was just Sora and Xehanort left in the heart of it all. Darkness swirled around Kingdom Hearts, turning and turning, growing all encompassing, eating away at the edges of the world, pulling it away like gravity, consuming more and more of the land left behind.

Still, Xehanort advanced.

Sora retreated, step by step – until he felt the ground give beneath his heels. Where could he go? He spread his wings, looking to the sky – Xehanort's wings bristled behind him threateningly, the winds howling louder around him.

This can’t be the end.

Above, Kingdom Hearts shone bright.

Please! Someone, anyone, I need help!

“This is the end,” Xehanort said, raising the χ-blade high, “You have no weapon, and no allies – utterly alone and useless.”

Sora breathed, and knew the lie for what it was.

Maybe none of them could reach him here – maybe even those who came into fight with him couldn’t keep up. But he had every memory and every lesson they’d ever taught him engraved in his heart, carrying him through. No matter what happened next, nothing could erase that.

“I’m never alone.”

Light.

Kingdom Hearts flared, and a hundred stars burst to light in Answer around Sora. They floated out of his pockets, circling around him like little moons – Keychains, flashing in the light, every memory of every world he’d ever visited.

Faster and faster they whirled, soaking in the Light shining down on them, condensing closer and closer till all their lights merged and then – in one last flash, they burst out –

In their wake they left a gleaming, glittering Key: three thin steel prongs rising from where they wrapped around the heart-shaped decoration in the hilt, glowing red filigree wrapping through the blades until they met the elegant silver curves and points of the teeth, containing their own matching heart in the design.

Sora, a hundred voices whispered, their faith and hope flooding his heart, We’re here.

Breathless, Sora reached out, taking their love in his hands. With this, he had a chance.

With this, he could fight.

When everything stopped shaking and the movement of the lifeboats reduced to gentle rocking, when a dim light could be seen through the small windows on the door, when they opened the pods and pulled themselves out, the world remained. It was damaged, perhaps beyond repair – the cracked earth was scattered into crumbling chunks, floating in the water and the sky, interspersed between scattered, ruptured hills of white ruins – but it remained.

Terra sucked in a sharp breath.

“Terra?” Aqua asked.

“Sorry, it’s just – doesn't it look a bit like home?”

Ventus hummed thoughtfully, “I guess, if you squint. Do you think the Land of Departure was a part of a land like that, once?”

“But, how did it get like that?” Mickey wondered

“Probably something just like this,” Aqua said, “Look.”

She pointed, and they all looked out, past the broken landscape to the figures moving between it all: thousands of heartless, and hundreds of people, all working together to fight them.

“The people from all the worlds,” Xion breathed, “They’re all here, fighting.”

“Well, we better go and help,” Axel sighed, “Fighting a battle like this without a Keyblade isn’t much fun – trust me, I was in their position very recently."

“Considering I took my Keyblade back, I think you’re in that position again now,” Roxas observed.

“Enough talking,” Aqua said, spreading her wings, “It’s time to fight.”

One after the other, they took off after her, weapons flashing into their hands as they streamed into the battle like shooting stars.

They separated quickly, separating naturally into groups, with Mickey flitting off on his own.

“Jeez, these guys are never-ending,” Axel groused, “At this point it’s a battle of attrition, and I don’t know how long we can keep this up.”

“Sora said he had a plan,” Roxas insisted, gesturing out and dropping an Aerora in the middle of the swarm, Xion darting in to cut through the gathered heartless, “We just have to trust him.”

“Well, hopefully Sora hurries up.”

A blast of magic barreled through a row of heartless like bowling pins, a floating blue man bouncing in excitedly.

“Well, hey, you guys know Sora, too? How fun, so do – “ he cut off abruptly, pointing down at them with a dramatic gasp, “Disappearing guy?! And his disappearing friend?!”

Roxas turned, waving sheepishly at Genie, who stared with his jaw dropped, pointing back and forth between Roxas and Xion.

“Genie, you know these guys?” Aladdin asked, swooping in on the flying carpet.

“I do!” Genie exclaimed, turning abruptly in the air, fireworks popping in the air around him and – not so coincidentally – taking out some of the encroaching heartless, “I’ve met him twice! The first time that carpet ran off and insisted he was our friend, and the second! Well, the second he gave the advice that led to me coming to talk to you and Jasmine.”

“Hey, Roxas,” Axel muttered, watching the desert-world residents drift off into their own conversation, “You know the point was to not be seen while on missions, right?”

“I tried,” Roxas sighed, “It just... never worked out.”

“How many other people did you meet?”

“Well, you remember the fairy lady on that water world,” Roxas said, pausing in his attack to point up at the giant pirate ship flying through the sky, “And then... oh, there was the world with all the competitions.”

He pointed up towards one of the gleaming worlds above, where the glowing, toga-wearing warriors were streaming from, “That one. Actually, the guy there told me to visit again, but... I guess I never did.”

“You’ll have to introduce us when this was all over,” Xion said, “Now both of you stop lazing about and come help me!”

“Right!”

“Sorry, Xion!”

“Wait, Ventus?”

Ventus stumbled to a stop, turning at the call of his name.

“Ventus, watch out!” Aqua said, darting in to cut down a heartless trying to take advantage of his distraction, “Pay attention! This is no time for distraction.”

“Sorry! But someone was calling me.”

They both looked to the side, meeting the startled eyes of Hercules, staring at them from across the field. Shaking his head, he leaped from the back of the Pegasus he was riding, hefting his shield to smash his way towards them.

“Wow, I can’t believe it’s you! It’s been 10 years and you – you haven’t aged a day!” Shaking his head, he turned his head to Aqua, “And we’ve met too, haven’t we? What was the name?”

“Aqua,” she answered, “We did meet, briefly.”

Hercules laughed breathlessly, “You all disappeared so quickly – we never knew what happened to you. What a place to run into you again!”

Ventus chuckled, scrubbing a hand through his hair with a sheepish grin, “Yeah, well - “

“Hey! Are you guys talking, or fighting?” Terra called.

“Sorry! Wait for me!” Ventus called back, quickly darting after him, cutting through heartless as he went.

“It was good to see you again,” Aqua said, “But I need to join my Flight.”

“Right - right! We’ve got a fight to win – we can catch up afterwords?”

“Yeah. Good luck,” Aqua said, turning to fly off after Ventus.

“Good luck!” Hercules called after her.

She soared above the battle, cutting through the flying monsters that filled the sky, keeping an eye on her boys dancing through the chaos below. And it wasn’t just them – all across the battlefield, fighters from all worlds were joining in, holding off wave after wave of monsters.

It was funny. They’d always dreamed of being Keyblade Masters – her, and Terra, and Ven – going out and saving the world. But in the end, it didn’t come down to them at all. They were just one part of the bigger picture, and not even the most important one.

Still... that was no reason to slack off.

Tucking her wings in, she let herself spiral down towards the ground below, landing in a Grand splash of magic that rippled out through the heartless, clearing several feet around her. Springing to her feet, she sent her Flightmates a bright grin.

“Keep up, you two!”

Beyond Kingdom Hearts, at the end of all worlds, Sora and Xehanort clashed.

Blow after blow, their strength, their power, their will was pitted against each other, until, by some unseen cue, they leapt apart, each bringing up their Key, unleashing a beam of pure, unbridled energy. The two streams met in the middle, conflicting powers fighting to overcome one another.

Slowly, Sora began to slide back.

“Sora!”

Two pairs of hands caught him, warm on his shoulder. Donald, Goofy – he hadn’t seen them appear through the mists, but here they were, steadying him, adding their strength to his own. It spilled into his heart, flooded through his veins, wound around his hands, his key, tri-powered magic building and building until nothing could stand before it.

Xehanort faltered.

In the aftermath, he kneeled, leaning heavily on his χ-blade where it pierced into the ground trying desperately to stand.

“Why – how?”

“It’s over now – you lost!”

“No,” Xehanort growled, “I won’t accept defeat. Not this time. Kingdom Hearts….”

He stretched his hand out to the great Light above; Kingdom Hearts shone down impassively.

Sora shook his head, “What are you even trying to accomplish? What do you think is going to happen?”

“A purge,” Xehanort answered, “The world will be returned whence it started. The world began in Darkness, and from that Darkness came Light. From the Light came the people, and the people had hearts. Evil burgeoned in those hearts, begetting more Darkness. And that Darkness moved across the world like a plague. The Light, the symbol of the world’s hopes, was devoured by shadow. Leaving nothing but ruin – an utter failure.”

“You really think that?”

“Can you deny it? You’ve seen it, the corruption, creeping through every world, every heart. It consumes even this best - I won’t let it happen again.”

“So your answer is to destroy everything?” Sora protested.

“Such a world doesn’t deserve to exist. The first Light – the Light of Kingdom Hearts – it can give us a new start. An empty world, pure and bright.”

“…that’s not your decision to make.”

“Then whose was it?” Xehanort asked, though he did not wait for an answer, “We are stuck in an eternal cycle, that will only continue to pollute the world. Someone has to stop it – to stand up and dictate a new destiny.”

“Even if that’s right… it isn’t you. Destiny is beyond anyone’s control. If there’s someone to lead us into a new world… they have to accept that.”

Xehanort’s face twisted – a strange mix of frustration, disgust, and resignation.

He laughed, low and bitter, “You… make me think of an old friend. So, tell me. What is your answer?”

“I don’t have one,” Sora answered.

“Hah. And you think to criticize me? Your naivety – “

“But!” Sora interrupted, “I don’t need one, not really. Whatever future there is, it has to be one that everyone makes together. All I can do is my part. And maybe we’ll falter. Maybe it will hurt. But I won’t look away. I’ll face it, as many times as it takes.”

Their gazes met, silent in a standoff at the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts standing in judgement.

Finally, Xehanort sighed, head dipping with the weight of it.

“Fine, then. I concede. The future is in your hands… Master Sora.”

Staggering to his feet, he pulled the χ-blade from the earth, offering it out, hilt first. Sora approached hesitantly, but the man didn’t move, simply tilting the weapon further in offering.

The moment the χ-blade changed hands, Kingdom Hearts lit up, beams of light falling down on Xehanort, piercing through him, fading him like a ghost until his body grew too thin to contain his heart. Free from its confines, it rose, joining the source of all hearts once more.

In the distance, a deep, sonorous bell began to ring.

“Do you hear that?” Sora asked.

“Yeah, but – where’s it coming from?” Goofy wondered.

“Who cares about that?” Donald snapped, “We gotta find a way out of here!”

“Right, we – “ Sora cut off as the ground beneath them rumbled. The small, floating remnant of the world beneath them shook, then stretched, the three of them being rapidly rocketed apart.

“Sora!”

“Donald! Goofy!”

Sora raced after them, but the land moved faster beneath his feet. He took to the skies, but they were lost to the mists, the storm having faded to a fog that closed in when he wasn’t looking.

Soon, he was alone. Just him, the Darkness, and Kingdom Hearts above.

“Donald? Goofy?” he called once more, but his words were swept away in the stillness. Instead, there was a hum, something below his hearing that he could feel in his bones.

Come closer, it whispered, Come here.

Come home.

Heart in his throat, he reached for his bonds. The gossamer threads still slipped through his fingers, the connection strained and stretched, nothing but a low murmur. But Riku and Kairi were there, their lights steady in the distance.

Yes. It was time to find his way home.

Tipping one wing down, he circled towards Kingdom Hearts till he could alight on the nothingness before it. The Light loomed above him, enormous, taking up his whole vision while the Darkness pressed in close behind.

And yet it was so cold.

Welcome, bearer of the Key, a voice whispered, light and silvery, winding its way into his lungs, Long have we waited for you. Fate and Our power are in your hands.

Sora swallowed.

“I’m not Xehanort. I don’t want to destroy everything.”

Our power is not limited to the unmaking of worlds, no matter what the Fallen thinks. Just as We can destroy, so We can create. You do not need to start anew to shape the world you desire: all of time and space are in your hands.

What did the Dream-Eater say, before – that it was not only space that was bending?

“You mean… I could change it all? Keep the heartless from ever attacking?

Yes.

Power settled on him like weights, like a predator’s gaze.

What will you choose, O Child of My Child? That light voice shivered up his spine, Will you take My power, and heal the world? Put everything back as it should be and undo it all – the hurting and the bleeding and the ripping apart?

Destiny Islands, whole and hale – to never be separated from his Flight, to never let the storm consume Riku. Or even further back – to change whatever fate caused Ven to seek refuge in his heart, to keep Aqua from ever getting lost.

To keep Xehanort from ever starting down his Dark path.

“No,” Sora said, low and slow but sure, “No, that’s not my choice.”

Then you choose to create the world anew? Another voice asked, deep and smooth, rippling from the nothing around him to vibrate through his bones, You who are beloved by the Child of My Child, you would wipe clean this destruction, and craft a more perfect world?

“No, that’s not it either.”

The air quivered, the Darkness curling curiously around the Light as cold beams shimmered across Sora’s face.

Then, what path do you take?

“I just… want to go home. Just as it is.”

You would leave things as they are? The Light asked, soft and tender and condemning, All those who have died, who have suffered from schemes and tricks and invasions. You have all Our power to save them, and you would do nothing?

“Everything that has happened… it’s been awful,” Sora said. “And we’ve hurt. But, we’ve also learned from it. We wouldn’t be who we are, if we’d walked a different path. Who am I to make that kind of choice for them?”

But what about the Darkness?The Dark hissed, suddenly tight around his chest, his throat, All the Heartless that have been unleashed in the world, that have been created through the arrogance of mortals? They will still be there, and they will always be a threat.

“Maybe,” Sora answered, “But no matter what we do, the Darkness will always be there. I’ve got that feeling that even if I undid it all, or made a new world… the Darkness would appear always, even if it was in a different form.”

The Dark uncurled from his shoulders, pooling up in the Light’s shadow, streaming off it like a cape.

“All this time, we haven’t been fighting for a new world, or to undo all his harm,” Sora explained, “We just… wanted a future together. So we fought the people trying to take it from us. That’s all. No matter what happens next, as long as we can face it together, I know we’ll be alright.”

Silence held the entire world still, before it released with a sigh, weight lifting off of Sora.

We hear your conviction, Bearer of the Heart of Light, Kingdom Hearts rumbled, its laughter skipping across his skin, Though, perhaps one who has bent time should not speak of calmly accepting the future.

Light beaded up along its surface like a drop of dew, growing until it fell under its own weight, dropping into the nothingness below. It splashed when it landed, the droplets multiplying and spreading before lifting back into the air, curling and shaping itself into a filigreed door.

Go forth, Beloved child. Open Your Door, and let Us sleep once more.

Your future is waiting.

Like the light of the moon eclipsed by the rising of the sun, Kingdom Hearts faded.

The Darkness faded first, the corona of shadows dripping Heartless into the world below slowly petering out. Then, the storm that heralded Kingdom Heart’s emergence calmed, the cloud barrier concealing the monolith once more. Finally, even the clouds themselves faded away to reveal a clear sky, the sun rising above the jagged horizon.

The night was over; the battle was theirs.

Without reinforcements, the horde of heartless finally began to thin. Eventually, they began to flee of their own will, popping away or merging into the shadows. They would emerge another day, just as they had always done, but for now – for now! Across the battlefield, cheers erupted, a hundred voices screaming their victory together.

High above, a door shimmered into existence, letting a young hero flutter into the sky.

Below, two heads snapped towards this emergence with unerring precision, quickly disengaging from the companions around them, spreading their wings and taking off.

They met in the sky, spiraling around each other in breathless laughter, their hearts, singing as one.

You’re here – you won!

Safe, you’re all safe.

We did it.

It’s over. It’s over. It’s over.

Later, they would have to face the heartless that escaped. Later, they would have to navigate the implications of a hundred worlds hanging in each other’s skies, in reach of one another as they had not been since times long past. Later, they would continue to unravel the consequences of their predecessors’ decisions.

But for now, it was time for reunions.

They Keyblade wielders and their friends all drifted together again, introductions that were missed in the chaos of Before finally being made.

“What now?” Riku asked, his arm a warm pressure where it pressed against Sora’s left, “We’ve been fighting for so long, I’m kind of at a loss.”

Kairi tipped her head into Sora’s shoulder, so close he could almost feel her the vibrations of her voice as she answered, “I guess... now we all go home.”

Sora watched as the other’s mingled – Ventus and Roxas dancing carefully around each other as they explained what they knew of their situation to a bemused Terra, Aqua studiously ignoring the way Xion watched her with curiosity, Axel constantly picking and teasing at his Flightmates, never going without touching them for long.

“I think," Sora said, “Maybe we’re all already there.”

Sora was born into a world where your heart had wings.

It didn’t always make things better, but in the end?

It was enough to lead him home.

#kh #kingdom hearts #fanfiction #wingfic #wrap your wings au #Yza writes a thing

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discountdyke · 4 years ago

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also i think ppl are willing to overlook a lot of actual bad writing in kh bc “haha kh is craAaAaAazy!!!” but its like. soras relationship with kairi is almost completely shown by characters saying “kairis important to you!” and him being like “kairi...my friend...” like its definitely worse with her and riku bc u really have to take their friendship on faith bc i dont think they are EVER shown being friends. in kh2 shes a vehicle to reunite her two male friends, the reason sora cries when he sees riku and not kairi isnt as much about intentional homoerotic subtext as it is just having a completely flat character thats just there to move the story along. omg we have to save kairi, omg kairi got kidnapped, omg kairi just got fridged to further soras character development! shes not a character shes a plot device. its literally just blatantly bad writing and i dont understand when ppl are like “omg she has a keyblade shes such a strong female character”. like even aqua who is physically strong and has her own playable story isnt a strong female character bc her arc revolves around the three men in her life. go after terra, go after ven, do it all bc eraqus says so. and then get saved by the teenage boy deuteragonist. quite frankly its pathetic and im so tired of it being excused bc the plot of kh is convoluted or just flat out denied.

#talking tag #kh /#like they literally fridged kairi right in front of god and everyone #THE WAY RIKU BARELY REACTED

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litchihikxriclub · 3 years ago

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I need to give them love..I can't..

How would nico,raizou,kaneda and dafu react to their crush Confessing to them?<3 also um how much is your character limit for hcs?

I'll technically do all ten characters in a single headcanon request, but I'd prefer if we keep the number less than that. XD

. . .

Nico

He barely believes what he's hearing. The shock and disbelief on his face are honestly kind of sad. People don't like him, much less confess their feelings like this. Even so, Nico wants to accept it so, so badly. And he does. His response is loud, direct, much too blunt, and honestly kind of embarrassing— it involves him thanking you for your confession and promising to serve you properly from here on out to show his gratefulness for you giving him a chance. It's definitely a worrying reaction to it all.

Raizou

He's a little confused, but quickly gets on board with the situation. Raizou is too careless to question it for very long. You're confessing to him and that's a good thing, so why would he do anything to ruin such a lovely moment? However, his reaction is still way too flustered and more than a little giddy, with him practically tripping over his words to accept. The idea of being confessed to, by you, no less, has his heart pounding a mile a minute and his whole body practically shaking with happiness.

Kaneda

His brain kind of short-circuits for a moment. As in, he's just staring, wide-eyed, and looking like a deer in the headlights. Riku can't believe what he's hearing. He almost thinks someone sent you to say it as a joke to bully him. There's no way someone like you would actually have feelings for him, so he's on the verge of panic trying to justify it in his head. Eventually, the anxiety kicks in, and from there, he's a stuttering wreck of trying to come up with any kind of response other than panicked silence.

Dafu

Like Kaneda, he has a moment of blank confusion and shock at what's happening. However, he recovers considerably faster... kind of. Much too quickly, Dafu is stammering out that he accepts, of course he accepts, and looking way too eager all the while. He's more nervous than happy right now, but someone is actually confessing to him. How could he not be all flustered? Even so, there's something so sweet and earnest about his acceptance that you won't be able to be disappointed with him.

#Litchi Hikari Club #Lychee Light Club #Ishikawa Naritoshi #Nico #Ichihashi Raizou #Kaneda Riku #Tabuse Katsuya #Dafu #Headcanon #Reader

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princess-of-the-corner · 3 years ago

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Kingdom Hearts Final Mix Recap: Hollow Bastion (Squirming Evil)

Sora, Donald, and Goofy land at the rising falls, looking up above at Hollow Bastion, a steampunk castle with the Heartless Emblem emblazoned on the front.

Remember the one slide Sora reacted to back in Deep Jungle?

Sora feels a burning in his chest, and thinks there's something familiar about this world.

Donald just thinks he's hungry.

The three of them scale the floating chunks of land leading up to the top.

Upon reaching a floating chunk of concrete, our heroes encounter Riku and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast). Riku wants to know how the Beast got to Hollow Bastion without a vessel, and the Beast answers that his heart gave him the strength, and he's not leaving without Belle. Riku proceeds to wipe the floor with him, but Sora stops him from finishing the Beast off.

Riku, however, is disturbingly calm at this interruption, and doesn't seem to regard Sora as a threat. Justifying this mindset, he then proclaims that it's time for the Keyblade to return to its true master.

The Keyblade then vanishes from Sora's hands and materializes in Riku's, much to everyone's shock.

Riku, as it turns out, is the ACTUAL chosen one. Sora only got the Keyblade by mistake.

Having essentially defeated Sora, Riku turns to leave, with Donald and Goofy (reluctantly) following him, as the King's orders were to stick with the Keyblade.

Riku does, however, leave Sora a wooden sword, so he can "keep playing the hero".

Sora is left dejected, but the Beast tries to keep pushing forwards, for Belle's sake, inspiring Sora to keep on fighting as well.

THE BEAST HAS JOINED THE PARTY!

Sora and the Beast climb to the top of the rising falls, where they ride a gondola up to Hollow Bastion's gate.

The two of them fight through some Heartless, Sora's toy sword unable to damage them, but the Beast is more than strong enough to tear through them with his bare claws.

However, the front gate is locked, so they go and explore the grounds around the castle to try and find another way in.

This eventually takes them to the waterworks under the castle, where (after solving a brief switch puzzle), Sora finds the mechanism to unlock the front gate.

Sora and the Beast then fight their way back up to the front entrance, and push on through.

Meanwhile, Maleficent has gathered all the Princesses of Heart together: Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Cinderella (Cinderella), Jasmine, Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Alice, and Belle (Beauty and the Beast) all line the walls in special pods, crystalline thorns holding their unconscious bodies in suspended animation, Kairi floating in a pill-like bubble in the middle of the room.

Beams shoot out of the six imprisoned princesses' hearts, gathering in the center of the room above Kairi, and shoot off into a heart-shaped machine at the end of the hall.

Back in the entrance hall, the Beast warns Sora to stay on th his guard, as he can feel the Heartless nearby. He then senses Bell's presence, only for it to turn out to be a Heartless under illusion magic. Filled with rage, the Beast roars and lunges at the Heartless, the doors to the castle closing behind him, leaving Sora alone with Riku, Donald, and Goofy.

Riku tells Sora to leave, but Sora insists that he won't leave without Kairi. Riku smugly states that the darkness will destroy him as he digs deep into the darkness, which wraps around his body in the form of a new, fleshy suit with a tattered cape-skirt thing jutting out of his waist, a black heart emblem displayed on his chest (not the Heartless Emblem, there's no thorns wrapped around it in an X shape, but very close).

Sora declares that even if Riku destroys his body, the darkness won't touch his heart, which will remain with his friends.

Riku decides to test that theory with a blast of Dark Firaga, throwing the blue flames directly at Sora.

Goofy, unable to stand aside and do nothing, intercepts the blast with his shield to protect Sora.

Riku asks if he'd betray his King, and Goofy's responds as follows:

"Not on your life! But I'm not about to betray Sora either!"

GOOFY HAS JOINED THE PARTY!

He then asks Donald to apologize to the King for him, but Donald declares that they'll apologize together, before running back to Sora's side.

DONALD DUCK HAS JOINED THE PARTY!

Riku declares that it doesn't matter, because he still has the Keyblade, and asks Sora how he intends to defeat him without a weapon.

Sora states that he has something even stronger than any weapon, his heart.

Riku asks what something as weak as Sora's heart is good for, but Sora responds that his heart might be weak on it's own, but it's connected to many others: every friend he's ever made.

Together, their hearts are strong:

"My friends are my power!" Sora declares, "And I'm theirs!"

As if to prove this, the Keyblade returns to Sora, leaving Riku with only Soul Eater and the darkness to fall back on.

Cue the most satisfying miniboss in the entire game, as Sora, Donald, and Goofy fight Riku as a team.

He may be immune to magic, but he's got nothing else going for him at this point.

Once he's defeated, his dark suit fades away, and Riku's forced to retreat.

The Beast returns, noting that Sora's heart won this battle.

The trio have learned Trinity Detect! They can now use White Trinities! This is how you get Lady Luck in Wonderland, so Sora would not be able to pick it up before visiting Hollow Bastion.

Our heroes press onwards, discovering that the door forwards requires that they fill in the four missing pieces of a Heartless Emblem to open.

So they instead enter the library.

The same library we saw Kairi talk to the old woman in back in Traverse Town.

Hollow Bastion is Kairi's homeworld.

Our heroes solve a book case puzzle, putting books in their proper shelves in order to get the bookshelves to move out of the way.

Eventually, this opens the way to the upper floor of the entrance hall, where Sora and friends solve a few more puzzles to get the missing Emblem pieces.

Upon opening the door forward, we cut back to Riku in the castle's chapel, wondering how Sora could beat him. The hooded figure from the Secret Place appears, and reveals that it's because Sora's heart was stronger than his in that moment. However, there's a way Riku can make himself even stronger.

He need only open his heart to the darkness, and give himself over to it completely.

Riku complies, not even questioning the hooded figure's intentions or identity, as if he's already familiar with the mystery man.

Our heroes fight through wave after wave of Heartless as they navigate the various lifts to ascend higher and higher in the castle, getting closer and closer to Maleficent, before eventually finding their way to the Chapel.

Meanwhile, Maleficent wonders why the Final Keyhole has yet to open, and "Riku" (no back in his dark suit) notes that it's because the final princess doesn't have her heart. The Final Keyhole will never be complete unless they can capture her heart.

He then summons a new Keyblade, this one black with a red guard, the teeth forming the outline of half a heart, but lacking a Keychain of its own.

Maleficent notes that Sora and his friends have arrived, and goes to the chapel to confront them.

Maleficent taunts the heroes, stating that they cannot defeat the Heartless, as it is too late to stop her plan.

Sora defiantly declares that they'll stop it, and that they've come too far just to give up now, and engages the Mistress of All Evil in a battle to decide the fate of all worlds.

Our heroes then clash with Maleficent, who flies around the room on a floating platform and bombards the heroes with spells, summoning Heartless to her side as back-up.

Sora can either deplete the platform's HP or force it back to the ground with Gravira, which will make fighting Maleficent easier.

However, our heroes are ultimately triumphant over Maleficent, forcing her to desperately retreat through a dark portal, too weak to use her own magic, leaving behind the fifth page of Ansem's report:

I am studying material from the meteors that rained down that fateful night. What a find! The material is foreign to our world. It is elastic to the touch, and when two pieces are combined, they bond easily. None of the records even mention such a substance.

Was it introduced to this world when I opened the door? I wonder how many other such materials drift through the atmosphere of this tiny world... I wish I could soar off and find out! Could there be uncharted worlds up there? My curiosity never ceases to grow.

But I should stop speaking of such unrealistic dreams. For now, there is no way to venture outside this world. My people and I are all but prisoners of this tiny place.

Our heroes pursuit Maleficent, who has met with "Riku", who asks if she needs any help.

Sora and friends arrive, and Goofy realizes that Riku has a Keyblade.

"Riku" then explains that this Keyblade, forged of the hearts of the Princesses, is able to unlock the hearts of people, and demonstrates this by plunging it into Maleficent's heart. He orders her to open her heart to the darkness, embrace it, to become darkness itself, before removing the Keyblade and vanishing through a dark portal. Maleficent, overwhelmed by the darkness, casts off her heart and turns into a dragon.

Our heroes battle and slay the dragon, gaining the Fireglow Summon Gem, which can be used to summon Mushu after talking to the Fairy Godmother.

"Riku" returns and notes the ultimate irony, Maleficent herself was just another pawn of the Heartless in the end, and declares her fate to be "a fitting end for such a fool" and exits through a dark portal.

Back in the chapel, the way forward has opened.

Our heroes journey takes them through a path on the lift stop to the Great Hall, where all the Princesses of Heart have gathered.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy ascend the stairs to the heart-shaped machine, but Goofy hits an invisible barrier as Sora rushes over to Kairi's side, trying desperately to wake her up.

"Riku" then reveals that "that girl" cannot awaken without her heart, leading Sora to realize that he isn't Riku at all, and demands that he give Riku his heart back.

"Riku" insist that Sora give Kairi her heart back first as he points his Keyblade at him, prompting the burning in Sora's chest to return.

When that wave of darkness hit Kairi back on Destiny Islands, it tore her heart out of her, forcing it to take refuge in Sora's.

And now, "Riku" intends to remove it in order to complete the Final Keyhole and cover all worlds in everlasting darkness.

Sora demands to know his name, and this time, the mystery man answers:

"It is I, Ansem! The seeker of darkness!"

Donald charges Riku-Ansem to try and protect Sora, but is swatted aside, and blocked from reentering by an invisible barrier.

Riku-Ansem then raises his Keyblade to strike, ready to tear Kairi's heart out of Sora by force, but Kairi is able to warn Sora, allowing him to block the attack.

Sora and Riku-Ansem (still immune to magic) clash with all their might, and this time, Sora has nobody to help him.

After a long, arduous battle, Sora emerges victorious, learning Ragnarok in the process.

Riku-Ansem disappears into darkness, leaving behind the Keyblade of Heart, and allowing Donald and Goofy to get back on the platform.

Sora tries to seal the Keyhole, but can't, because it's incomplete, he needs to free Kairi's heart somehow.

But there's only one way to do that, and so he walks over to Riku-Ansem's Keyblade.

Donald and Goofy, realizing what he's about to do, try to stop him, but to no avail, as Sora shoots them one final smile before plunging the Keyblade of Heart into his own heart.

His sacrifice frees the Princesses hearts from the Keyblade, and Kairi's heart from his own, allowing all seven hearts to return to their proper places.

Goofy is shocked into silence, while Donald rushes forward, desperately calling out Sora's name.

Kairi wakes up, calls out to Sora, and tries to catch his falling body, only for Sora to vanish.

Donald cries out for Sora to come back, and the screen fades to black, showing Sora sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.

Back in Hollow Bastion, Sora's friends mourn him, and Ansem returns, now in his true form. With the Final Keyhole complete, he has no further use for Kairi, and prepares to kill her.

Donald and Goofy move to protect her, but aren't confident in their ability to fight off Ansem.

Fortunately, they don't have to, as Riku fights back from within, holding Ansem in place, and tells them all to run, he can't hold Ansem back forever, and the Heartless are coming.

Right as he says this Heartless begin to pour out of the Final Keyhole, forcing Kairi, Donald, and Goofy to retreat as the player takes control of one of the Heartless, a Shadow.

This Shadow backtracks through Hollow Bastion, eventually reaching the Entrance Hall, where Donald and Goofy are trying to get Kairi to leave, with her being unwilling to leave the others behind, with Donald putting himself between her and the persistent Shadow that followed them all the way from the Great Hall.

When the Shadow approaches, Donald starts whacking it over the head with his staff, but the Shadow doesn't fight back, and Kairi realizes that this Heartless is Sora.

At this point, actually hostile Heartless attack the group, and Donald and Goofy get into position to protect Kairi, while Kairi shields Sora with her own body.

The Heartless lunge, and a burst of light vaporizes them all.

Sora, meanwhile, has returned to normal.

The Beast then appears, ordering all of them to go. Sora doesn't want to leave without him, but the Beast is staying until he can rescue Belle. With the oncoming tide of Heartless, our heroes are forced to flee while the Beast holds the Heartless back, retreating all the way back to Traverse Town.

They and Leon have MUCH to discuss.

This was a LOT and I love it.

#submission

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fallen-darkness · 1 year ago

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Lea made a face as he thinking he was in the twilight zone or something. Something about him overworking himself compared to doing the bare minimum was so drastic that he felt like there was some sort of tonal whiplash. "Not since he left earlier." The conversation wasn't really going in a very good direction when he didn't really react in a way that might have been expected. Maybe it was unintentionally lashing out when he already felt crappy being way behind compared to everyone else.

With Terra Ventus and Aqua they probably were training for most of their lives. Riku and Sora would probably a little less experienced still had some form of combat training even if it were in the form of play fighting. And Roxas and Xion both benefited from that while he would pretty much start from zero late in the game with absolutely no skill with handling a sword let alone a keyblade. No wonder Xemnas kicked his ass easily.

It was a little too late when Lea realized that he ended up saying the wrong thing. It was still a bit weird how Braig never really returned. Though there was evidence he was willingly working with the old man he figured he'd return. Especially when he thought Dilan was upset by his disappearance.

Well, so much for napping. Not like he needed one now anyway. Perhaps there were lingering bitterness over believing he had been left to fight some big heartless alone.

Perhaps instead of a nap it was a good time for coffee.

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bakehyo · 3 years ago

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@gaolseeker: ❝ What the hell were you thinking?! ❞

Send me ❝ What the hell were you thinking?! ❞ for my muse’s reaction to your muse risking their own life to save my muse. Alternatively, send me ❝ What the hell were you thinking? ❞ REVERSE for my muse to react to saving your muse’s life.

“Rihnn, you fucking—!”

That godsdamned idiot had just taken a tankbuster in her stead, warping over to cover the dark knight who was still recovering from fainting due to too many hits. The healer apologizes out loud, working to heal the other Miqo’te immediately as soon as he dropped to the floor. Riku rushes to the boss and works to kill it with the other attacker. Eventually they do just that, watching its body collapse into a pool of its own blood. The tank couldn’t care less as her sword broke into pieces of light as she hurried over to the reaper’s body. Grabbing him by the collar of his coat, she lifts his limp body and yells.

“What the fuck were you thinking doing that? You could have died!” Her ears were pressed to her head, eyes constricted to mere slits as she bared her fangs at him. This reaction scared the other party members, the black mage placing a hand on the Warrior’s shoulder to calm her as the white mage worked to heal him faster.

Despite her outrage, Riku held his body close, allowing him to lay across her lap as she stared at the large gash that covered his chest to the other side of his hip. Memories flashed in her head of others who had faded into the aetherial sea just like this, eyes beginning to sting before she gasps at the touch of a warm, wet hand softly pinching her cheek. It left a small streak of his blood.

“Quit grimacing,” he mumbles, eyes barely fluttering open to watch her scowl at him, though this time not in anger. It was weird.

“Rihnn...” She felt her eyes begin to well up, her insides swelling and twisting at the thought she could have lost him. Even if he was annoying, rude, vulgar— she still wanted him around. The Seeker grins mockingly, unsure if the weird feeling in his stomach was from the sight of her dreadful expression or the fact he could feel the breeze brushing against his guts.

“It makes you look ugly.”

Her hand on the back of his neck grips him tighter, not in malice but instead in a way of affection, holding him close to her chest as she presses her forehead to his.

The lalafell who was healing him assured he would be okay, though Rihnn’s hearing couldn’t pick it up, blood rushing through his head too fiercely. He looks up at Riku, only realizing now that she was cradling him. If he had the strength — and clearly wasn’t dying — he would have pushed her off and called her names.

But maybe this time, he didn’t mind it.

#gaolseeker #˗ˏˋ ask : tell ˎˊ˗#˗ˏˋ main : endwalker ˎˊ˗#blood /#gore /#after he recovers she either checks up on him more or teases him for being cradled by her. there is no in between.

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midnight0stars · 4 years ago

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Oh ho ho! Most definitely clear, Mun-Mun wink wonk I am always up for writing about Riku! Had a lot of fun writing this one, I hope you enjoy!

By the way, everyone! This is the admin that runs another KH Imagine Blog, @imagine-your-kh! They are really awesome!

Riku x M!Reader

NSFW

Words: 2637

—————————

You stumbled into the cabin as the door swung open, both you and Riku soaked from the pouring rain outside. Your clothes clung to your skin, your hair dripping and stuck to your face and neck. Both of you were laughing as Riku shut the door, neither of you had been expecting the storm when you appeared on the world. The two of you had just wanted a break from all the chaos of training and missions, a weekend together on a random world to forget about all of your responsibilities. Using a star shard, you teleported to a calm, forest based world, only to be instantly bombarded by a monsoon and having to sprint to an empty cabin.

Riku leaned against the door, both of you still chuckling. He pushed his hair out of his face, a grin on his lips. You felt your chest swell as your eyes met. Already, you could feel the stress that had been building up over the past year melt away.

“So, not what we were expecting.” Riku spoke up, amusement obvious in his voice.

“Definitely not,” you scoffed, looking around the cabin. “This place isn’t too bad though.”

“Yeah, Master Yen Sid said we’re welcomed to stay here the whole weekend.”

“Awesome,” you nodded, leaning forward with your hands against your knees as you caught your breath.

Your eyes shut when Riku ran his hand along your back as he walked past. He looked around the quaint cabin, taking it all in. It was simple in design, with an expected aesthetic of a cabin in the woods. He stopped beside the fireplace, kneeling down to examine the wood already stacked inside.

“I’ll get the fire going.” He told you. “We should probably let our clothes dry out, too.”

“Good idea,” you agreed, just then noticing the shiver in your voice.

You froze as Riku stood up, peeling off his shirt. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t been admiring the way the thin fabric had clung to his muscles, but seeing him without it entirely made your eyes dance over him. He glanced up, catching your stare, despite you averting your gaze. He chuckled, hanging his drenched shirt over a table in front of the fireplace before he got to work on starting the fire.

You smirked at his laugh, feeling a warmth creeping to your cheeks. Walking over to the long couch situated near the fireplace, you peeled off your shirt as well, feeling Riku’s eyes on you. You tossed your shirt on the table beside his and began to undo your belt.

“How far you wanting us to strip down?” You asked, meeting your gaze with his.

It was his turn to flush as he cleared his throat. Both of you knew what was on the other’s mind with taking this weekend getaway, but you hadn’t really discussed it openly.

“You decide.” He shortly replied, a hint of mischievousness in his eyes that caused something in your gut to throb.

“Fair enough,” you chuckled, pulling down your pants and leaving you in just your boxers.

Riku’s eyes looked you over, watching as you stripped and making that feeling in your gut grow. You swallowed hard, feeling your body heat up even though the fire hadn’t even been lit. Part of you wanted to keep going, take the initiative and strip down completely. Just the thought of how he’d react to that made you bite back a groan in your chest. You could feel your shaft hardening and you turned away before he could take notice. A shaking breath escaped you, your nerves rising.

You went to the couch, grabbing a thick quilt that hung over the back of it before sitting down. The blanket covered you, its warmth spreading to your chilled, bare skin. You leaned back against the arm of the couch, your legs laying over the length of the couch. Riku had already turned his back to you, focusing on getting the fire started. A spark ignited, faint flames flickered, until it grew into full crackling flames. You could instantly feel its heat radiating into you, helping ease the way your body was shivering.

Riku warmed his hands in front of the flames for a moment before standing back up. You watched him, taking notice of the way the glow from the fire danced shadows along his back. A thought passed through your mind, wondering what it would be like to run your hands over it. You imagined it would be soft, yet hard against your fingertips as you traced the indents of his muscles and spine. The thought alone made you shiver and you took in a trembling breath.

Would you get the chance to do that this weekend?

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard the clink of Riku’s belt buckle. Looking up, you saw him undoing his pants, his back still to you as he pulled them off completely. You licked your lips, your throat feeling inexplicably dry at seeing him in just his boxers. Growing up together, you had seen each other change, seen each other in swimsuits, but somehow… this time it was different. There was meaning to it, opportunity. Clearing your throat, you looked away, putting up your knee to hide the way your shaft was moving the blanket.

“Move over,” Riku’s voice caught your attention.

You looked back to him, seeing him standing in front of you, a slight warmth on his cheeks. His eyes stayed locked with yours, waiting for your response.

“Oh, yeah,” you shook your head, scooting forward so the only place he could sit was right behind you.

He smirked, knowing what you wanted and obliged. His legs went on either side of you, his back against the arm of the couch. You leaned against him, his bare chest against your back, his lips right beside your ear. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer to him as you brought the blanket over both of you. You could feel his heart racing just as fast as yours was.

Neither of you moved. His body heat seeped into you, the sensation making your eyes slip shut as you felt yourself relaxing. A sigh escaped you as you leaned your head against his arm. This was perfect. This was what you needed.

A kiss to the back of your neck caused your breath to hitch and your heart to jump. Warm hands traced along your arms, your chest, and torso as Riku’s lips traveled along your neck and shoulders. You bit your lip, your shaft twitching as the thought of pleasure swelled back inside of it. You gasped in surprise as his fingertips reached the elastic of your boxers.

“Ah, Riku…” you breathed out his name, your chest heaving in anticipation.

He hummed against your neck, “Do you want me to stop?”

You shook your head without even needing to think. A cry erupted from you as his fingers dipped under the elastic in response. Your shaft throbbed, begging to be touched. Even you hadn’t realized how much you wanted Riku to touch you. His fingers slipped out before touching where you wanted most and you couldn’t help but whine. A laugh rumbled in Riku’s chest as he kissed the side of your jaw.

“After how long we’ve had to wait, you really think I’m going to go that fast?” He asked with a low whisper.

You laughed hoarsely, “I wouldn’t have complained.”

He snickered in return, kissing your ear. Turning your head, you raised your hand to his cheek and brought your lips together. He sighed into your mouth, his hands tracing along your thighs and abs. You always loved the way his lips moved against yours, the way he tasted. Everything about him was everything you ever wanted.

You could feel his hardened shaft against your back, and you rolled your hips back against him. He broke the kiss with a surprised moan, eyes shut and hands clenching your legs. You hummed, liking to have the reigns for a fleeting moment and kissed along his jaw, while continuing to roll your hips back.

Your control didn’t last long as his hand slid from your thigh over your cock entirely. You groaned against his neck, your fingers tightening in his hair. His hand massaged through your boxers, both of your hips rolling together until his thumb rubbed over your tip. He hummed in your ear, circling his thumb over the head and the damp fabric where your precum was soaking through. You grinded against his hand, your head spinning as soft moans poured from your lips. His hand traced up to the elastic of your boxers again, dipping underneath.

“W-wait,” you gasped out, Riku freezing almost immediately.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, his own voice husky.

You took a moment to regain your breath, before sitting up, grabbing his hand that was under your boxers and bringing it to your lips. You could taste the slightest hint of your precum on his fingers, making your mouth water. He watched you, his chest heaving and eyes glazed with desire.

“I want to touch you, too.” You brought your eyes to his, still kissing his hand. “Take off your boxers.”

He blinked in surprise, before smirking. “Only if you do, too.”

You smirked in return, releasing his hand and standing. Your legs trembled from the movement, still tingling from his touch. Riku’s eyes were glued to your body, looking you up and down completely before focusing on the obvious bulge in your abdomen. Your heart felt stuck in your throat as you grabbed the side of your boxers and slowly pulled them down. A groan rumbled in your chest at the cool air bombarding your shaft as it was freed from the confines of the fabric, but nothing compared to the way Riku’s lips barely parted at the sight. The rush of pleasure that filled you in that moment could have made you come all on its own, but taking in a shaking breath, you focused on getting the fabric off completely.

Riku sat up, looking between your flushed face and your cock. You didn’t recognize the glint in his eyes, so full of need, want… lust. His fingertips grazed your length, making you bite your lip as you fought the urge to cry out. Your eyes stayed focused on him, watching as his tongue flicked out, running over your head. A moan escaped both of you at the sensation. Your hand clung into his hair, your legs trembling as he took you further into his mouth. It was so warm, wet, and intoxicating. Another moan escaped you, your head slinging back.

“Y-your boxers…th-they’re still on…” You sputtered out between moans, sucking in your breath as his tongue ran over your entire shaft.

He pulled off, his hand still languidly running up and down your length. His eyes locked with yours, that lust inside of them only heightened as he smirked, his voice riddled with desire. “What if I’d rather you come down my throat?”

“F-fuck,” you exhaled sharply.

You leaned down, taking his lips into yours. You could taste yourself on his tongue, making you moan into his mouth. You lowered yourself on top of him, until you were in his lap, straddling him. His hand continued to pump you as your hand trailed down his chest to his boxers. His cock throbbed in your hand, the hitch in his breath matching its twitch when you made contact.

“I want us to come at the same time,” you admitted, your lips brushing against his as your half lidded eyes were locked. You kissed his jaw, “You have the whole weekend to do whatever you want with me.”

Riku groaned, his hand tightening over your shaft.

“A-alright.” He agreed, rolling his hips against your hand palming him through his boxers.

You wasted no time to lift off of him, grabbing his boxers and pulling them off completely. His cock twitched from the air, making him hiss. It was thicker than you imagined it would be, but just as hot as you always hoped. It warmed your hand as you wrapped your fingers around it, watching as Riku’s eyes slid shut and his head slung back. You smirked, dipping your head forward and tracing your tongue along the head as you lapped up the precum that had begun to bead. Riku’s free hand found your hair, tightening as you took his entire length in your mouth. He cried out, his hips thrusting at the sensation. You lapped your tongue against him while you sucked, moaning at the way he throbbed in your mouth.

“W-what happened… t-to—” Riku tried to talk, but melted back into a moan when you sucked harder in response.

You pulled off with a pop, something akin to a whimper escaping him at the sensation. A smirk pulled at your lips as you kissed his tip.

“Just wanted to return the favor.”

He tugged on your hair to bring you up to his level, crashing his lips against yours. Your tongues met, both of you tasting the other. You pulled away, sucking his lip before looking down to situate your body properly. Riku took in a sharp breath as you met your cocks together, wrapping your hand around both of them. His hand met with yours, your fingers interlacing with your shafts in between.

The heat of them together was almost overwhelming. Every throb and twitch pulsed through you, making you breathless. Your eyes locked as your hands moved together. A groan rumbled in both of your chests. Your thumbs ran over the heads of your lengths, before sliding back to the base. A hand slid to the back of your neck, pulling you forward. Your lips crashed into Riku’s, both of you devouring the other’s mouth as your pumps quickened. Moans melted together as your tongues slid against the other and you could feel the pleasure building in your gut.

He thumbed your head, applying harder pressure and spreading your precum. You broke the kiss with a cry, burying your face in the crook of his neck and suckling his skin; desperately trying to focus on it so you could last longer. Despite it, the pressure of his soft hand against your cock and the heat from his, had you teetering on the edge.

Your hips thrusted erratically, your voices growing louder. Riku’s hand clenched in your hair, pulling at it in the perfect way to make you moan.

“R-Riku, fuck!” You cried out, biting down on his skin as you were pushed over the edge.

You moaned and cried against him, every nerve in your body igniting. Riku’s voice met with yours, his head slinging back as he hissed and called out your name under his breath.

Everything around you faded away as your body went limp against his, your soiled hands falling to your side. You could faintly see the bruise you had made on his neck, the sight making your chest coil with satisfaction. You kissed it, relieving a long, drawn out breath.

Riku’s hand ran up and down your back, his nails gently scratching and massaging you. He hummed softly, leaning back against the couch, not caring about the cum spread over your chests.

“…Wow,” you breathed out, smiling at the soft laugh Riku gave in response.

“Yeah,” he agreed, bringing your hand to his lips. “We should do that again.”

“Every day.” You nodded, getting a louder laugh in response.

“If we can manage it.” He chuckled before sighing. “I’m just glad we finally got this time together.”

“Me too.” You nuzzled further against him.

“Sorry it took so long.”

You pulled back to look into his eyes and brought your lips together.

“It was worth it.”

#Aged Up! Riku #Kingdom Hearts Smut

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osakaso5 · 4 years ago

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Fragments Of Love CD Bonus Rabbit Chat Part 1: MEZZO"'s Missions

Part 2

Tsumugi: Hello, Sogo-san and Tamaki-san!

Tsumugi: As we previously discussed, it's time for "Finding MEZZO"'s fragments", a chat meeting that'll help MEZZO" be reborn!

Tsumugi: Are you ready?

Tamaki: Yup

Sogo: I'm ready. So, why does this meeting have an official title?

Tsumugi: Mitsuki-san came up with it. It's based on your new song, Fragments of Love. The others also helped!

Sogo: I'm feeling half excited and half scared right now. I don’t like making the guys worry.

Tamaki: We're not making 'em worry. And what do you even mean by MEZZO" being reborn?

Choices/outcomes:

1. You'll be closer friends!

Tamaki: We're friends already. We barely even fight these days. I think.

2. You'll understand each other more!

Sogo: Understand each other... Now that you mention it, I guess there are times when we have no idea what the other's thinking.

3. You'll have more fun together!

Tamaki: We can try, but I'm pretty sure we'll never end up like Re:vale.

Tsumugi: Please, just do your best! Both of you..!

Tsumugi: Did you arrive at the hotel yet?

Sogo: We just got into our rooms. Thank you for booking us two singles, by the way.

Tsumugi: No problem. We wouldn't have this sort of financial leeway without your help!

Tamaki: I don't wanna be in a single room

Sogo: I for one think it's all thanks to you and the rest of the staff.

Tamaki: I don't wanna be in a single room

Tsumugi: Well then, let's begin our meeting!

Tsumugi: Are you alright, Tamaki-san?

Tamaki: If I close the curtains it gets super dark

Tamaki: I can't sleep alone

Sogo: We're in neighboring rooms. If anything happens, I'll come running.

Tamaki: No

Sogo: There's no ghosts here. I'm sure they've exorcised any rooms where suicides or violent crimes may have happened.

Tamaki: You're doing this on purpose!!!!!!

Sogo: You're the one who didn't want to room with me, because you thought it'd be m

Tsumugi: Sogo-san?

Tsumugi: M?

Tsumugi: Hello, are the two of you still there?

Tamaki: Yup

Tamaki: So-chan's asking them to change our rooms

Tsumugi: I see. I'm sorry, I should've asked you first..!

Tamaki: I'm underage

Tamaki: You can't put me in a single room until I turn 20

Tsumugi: I'll keep that in mind! ><

Sogo: Sorry for the wait. We switched rooms.

Tsumugi: Welcome back! I'm sorry for reserving you those rooms without asking...

Sogo: I'm sorry, too. To continue where I got cut off, he said it'd be "more chill" if I was not rooming with him.

Tsumugi: Thank you for the clarification! ><

Tsumugi: Let's begin. It's time for you to open your hearts and let everything out!

Tamaki: Let everything out? When we're in the same room?

Tsumugi: Is that a problem?

Tamaki: Well duh

Sogo: So you hate rooming alone, but you also hate rooming with me. What will it take for you to finally be happy?

Tamaki: I don't mind being in the same room, but talking about personal stuff like this is way too embarrassing

Sogo: I-I guess you have a point... It would be kind of awkward...

Tsumugi: Let's begin!

Tamaki: You're making us do it anyway!?

Tsumugi: Finding MEZZO"'s fragments: Mission 1!

Tsumugi: "You'll only give forced answers if we ask you to say something you like about each other, so how about this: tell us the nicest thing your partner's done for you so far!"

Tsumugi: This is from Mitsuki-san!

Tamaki: Uuuggghhhhhhhh

Tamaki: I don't wanna do this... It's just as embarrassing as I thought...

Sogo: This is why I wanted us to be in separate rooms...

Tsumugi: Your reactions tell me that you already have an answer in mind! Out with it!

Tamaki: You go first, So-chan

Sogo: Huh?

Sogo: Uh, okay. He's done plenty of nice things for me, but... I guess what made me the happiest was when he stayed by my bedside after I collapsed from exhaustion.

Tsumugi: Why is that?

Sogo: Because it confirmed my suspicions: That he's a kind boy who'll help me if I'm ever in trouble.

Tamaki: Why do you gotta tell her that, too...

Sogo: I didn't exactly have a choice...

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san was so worried that he practically looked after you 24/7. I felt a deep sense of affection just from watching you two!

Tsumugi:

Tamaki: Uuuurgh

Tamaki: I can't do this

Tamaki: Lemme out

Sogo: Can you stop rolling around already..?

Tamaki: I'm sweating...

Sogo: You and me both...

Tsumugi: Tamaki-san, it's your turn!

Tamaki:

Sogo: You don't have to keep sighing, you know...

Tamaki: When the other guys got mad but you defended me from them

Sogo: Which time?

Tamaki:

Tamaki: I'm DONE

Tsumugi: H-hold on! I remember that incident! It was after that reunion TV show!

Tamaki: Yeah

Sogo: Ah, that time. His initial answer was too vague for me to remember.

Tsumugi: Why did it make you happy?

Tamaki: Because when I punched my old man, I thought So-chan would be the angriest

Tamaki: But then he caught me totally off guard by standing up for me

Sogo: And that made you happy?

Tamaki: Why weren't you mad at me?

Sogo: I think I probably would've reacted in a similar way if I was in that position.

Sogo: I knew you were hurt by what happened, so I didn't want to make you feel even worse.

Tamaki: Hmmm

Sogo: I-is that a bad answer..?

Tamaki: It's fine

Tsumugi: That means you understood how Tamaki-san was feeling. And he wasn't the only one at fault for what happened... but I'm glad that incident brought you closer..!

Sogo: Thank you.

Tamaki: This meeting is super exhausting

Sogo: It does require more stamina than I expected...

Tsumugi: Finding MEZZO"'s fragments: Mission 2!

Tamaki: We're only at the second one...

Sogo: We're only at the second one...

Tamaki: We haven't even looked each other in the eye this whole time

Tsumugi: What!? lol

Tsumugi: In that case, this'll be the perfect mission for you!

Tsumugi: "What expression do you like to see on your partner's face? For the record, I like Sogo-san's gentle smile, and Tamaki's mischievous smile!"

Tsumugi: This is from Riku-san!

Tamaki: Huuuuuhh????

Sogo: His happy face, his bashful smiling face, the cool face he makes when he nails a dance move, and the tearful face he makes before apologizing, I guess?

Tamaki: Wait

Tamaki: How did you answer just like that

Sogo: Because I've been keeping a proper eye on you. Your provocative smile in our new MV is pretty cool, too.

Tsumugi: I can feel how much you care, Sogo-san! What about you, Tamaki-san?

Tamaki: So-chan's face...

Sogo: Please don't stare...

Tamaki: Anything except his angry face, I guess...

Tsumugi: Right!

Tamaki: Hmm. I don't really like the face he makes when he says he's fine but he's really not

Tamaki: No wait It's not his face, it's just when he says it.

Tamaki: His face is fine.

Sogo: Thank you...

Tsumugi: I don't see what's so embarrassing about this! lol

Tamaki: It's super embarrassing!!! Watch out or I'm gonna make you and your dad do this, too!

Tsumugi: Ah... That would be tough... I-I'm sorry...

Tamaki: Right!?

Tamaki: I'm gonna open the window now! I need air!

Sogo: I'll go to the store for a bit. I can keep chatting while I'm there.

Tsumugi: Was it really that bad!?

Tamaki:

Tamaki: So-chan left

Sogo: I did.

Tsumugi: I-I suppose I'll have to give you the missions that aren't as embarrassing next!

Translator’s notes..?

rabbit chats courtesy of @rabbit-library

#idolish7 #tamaki yotsuba #sogo osaka #fragments of love cd bonus #translation #i7 #rabbit chat

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love-sapphirerose · 4 years ago

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Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Episode 16 Review

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/yashahime-princess-half-demon/episode-16/.168486

I got a bad feeling about "Double-Edged Moroha" from the moment it started. You'd think, given that last week's episode randomly decided to break away from the story to have a flashback story time with Riku, that the show would take even a scant minute or two to establish things like context and pacing: Where the girls are. Why they are there. Some vague idea about how long it has been since that godforsaken misadventure with the Rapey Mountain Arsonist. You know, the simple stuff that helps the audience figure out what the hell is going on. But no, it doesn't even take a couple of seconds for Yashahime to start screwing up the most basic rules of “How to Tell a Coherent Story”, as we're plunged right into the middle of some anonymous mountain valley or something, with Moroha staring down Yawaragi, telling her cousins that there's some major beef going back three whole years that needs settling. If you don't recognize who this woman is, she's one of the Wolf Tribe members who has appeared exactly one time in the series before now, in a single frame from the very end of last-week's episode.

It honestly feels like something got supremely screwed up in the show's pre-production, and the Yashahime staff realized that they needed to cut an episode right out of the middle of the run, so they took the final scenes from the episode that led up to this climactic showdown between Moroha and Yawaragi, cut everything else that came before it, and slapped it on to the beginning of “Double-Edged Moroha”. Maybe that would explain the seemingly arbitrary placement of the Big Reveal episode from last week? The way it was written meant it could have been aired at almost any time and made an equal amount of sense (read: Not a whole lot), and the only information from “Farewell Under the Lunar Eclipse” that ties into “Double-Edged Moroha” at all is that Moroha ended up with Kouga and the wolves when her parents got sucked into the Black Pearl. If we hadn't gotten that single shot of Moroha being left to the wolves by Hachi, then “Double-Edged Moroha” would have come across as completely nonsensical. As it stands, it's now only 95% nonsense, which is technically an improvement. Good job, I guess?

If you couldn't tell, this was yet another episode of Yashahime that made me absolutely furious with how poorly written and executed it was, but in order to fully explain why, I'll need to cover the events of “Double-Edged Moroha” in chronological order, because the flashback-structure of the episode is stupid and pointless. We begin with the very last flashback, which shows us how Yawaragi attempted to train Moroha in the art of mastering her demonic transformations. We later learn that Kagome apparently placed a seal on these powers in some scene that we never got to actually see because the show was too busy failing at Towa and Setsuna's backstories, but Yawaragi decided to give Moroha the power to transform into Beniyasha with the rouge. Yawaragi then spends years yelling at Moroha for relying on the rouge too much and warning her about how too many transformations will result in her becoming a permanently bloodthirsty monster, so, uh, great call there, Yawaragi. Really thought that one through.

Anyways, one of the days Moroha goes berserk with her Beniyasha self and ends up calling down the wrath of a horde of

terribly-animated Birds of Paradise

before passing out. Instead of doing the logical thing and running away, Yawaragi just sort of stands there and decides they're screwed. That's when a weasel man (who is very helpfully named “Weasel Man”) wanders into frame from literally nowhere and offers to sell Yawaragi the Armor of the Iron Rat he's wearing, so that she can blow up the Birds of Paradise and whatnot. Not only is the completely random appearance of this obviously sketchy weasel not draw Yawaragi's suspicions at all, she also doesn't seem to find it odd that the guy can't even remove the armor himself without getting another person to unlock it with a key. Keep in mind that, for the entire duration of this stupid, stupid conversation, Yawaragi could have very easily just run away from all those birds and hid in a cave or something, but no, she casually takes the armor from the weasel, and wouldn't you know it, the darned thing is cursed to eventually crush its wearer to death unless they pay an exorbitant fee to the smithy rats for another key.

This is, to put it mildly, a very silly chain of events that do not paint Yawaragi in the smartest light, but we just have to roll with it, because that set of Iron-Rat Armor is precisely why Moroha has found herself sold into indentured servitude for the last three years. You see, Yawaragi decided that Moroha needed to complete the “crucible of Kodoku”, which has the eleven-year-old fighting a horde of demons in a spooky cave by herself to…get stronger, and master fighting without relying on Beniyasha, somehow? Yawaragi claims that Moroha needs to absorb the powers of the strongest demon in the cave, but she definitely did not do that, and we've never seen any of these so-called disastrous consequences of the Beniyasha transformation so far, which makes the entire venture basically pointless for our little heroine. For Yawaragi's part, the whole thing seems to have been an excuse to do some gambling with Jyubei, because she previously lost a bunch of ryou in the demon gambling house, which one apparently has to travel through in order to even get to the Crucible of Kodoku; also she needs, like, thirteen Ryou in order to buy a key for the armor that is going to eventually kill her. All of this leads to Jyubei offering to buy Moroha as his own little bounty-hunting slave, which Yawaragi accepts instantaneously, and there you have it: The ridiculous, contrived, and ultimately meaningless explanation for why Moroha has been trying to buy her way out of debt for three years.

Then, the second flashback, which is actually the most recent chronologically, shows us how it took Yawaragi three whole years to get to that damned hidden village of rats, only to discover that Konton arrived just beforehand and killed all of them. Whoopsie! We even get a nice shot of a dead rat mother cradling the corpse of her rat child – a weirdly dark moment that Yashahime certainly hasn't earned or anything – just to remind you that these Four Perils are super evil and powerful (despite the fact that they keep getting their asses kicked by a trio of teenagers who can barely be bothered to acknowledge their existence). Konton makes a deal with Yawaragi that he'll hand over the key if she kills Moroha and the others, and she accepts. “But!” Yashahime then asks, “Is she really going to betray her adopted daughter figure? Or is Yawaragi preparing Moroha for the final and most important lesson of her training?”

The answer is clearly supposed to be that second one, but Yashahime is just so goddamn bad at even the simplest character writing that the point doesn't land. Throughout all of these flashbacks, Moroha and Yawaragi have been dueling one-on-one, with Towa and Setsuna being told to sit uselessly on the sidelines, and Yawaragi keeps insisting that Moroha use her “creative imagination” to beat her, instead of relying on the rouge. This kind of falls flat when Moroha's victory just comes from her busting out a new special move, the Crimson Dragon Wave, which is neither a creative or imaginative resolution to the fight. Every Yashahime fight boils down to some combination of the girls' different special attacks, so why is this any different?

Way late in the episode, Konton suddenly teleports into the fight to gloat at Yawaragi. Nobody else really notices or acknowledges Konton's arrival, though you'd think this is the point where Towa and Setsuna would get off their butts and do something, because it isn't like Moroha's honor would be besmirched by kicking Konton's ass again. The show even forgets to include Konton in the next couple of shots of Yawaragi reacting to Moroha's attacks, even though it is absolutely critical that he be standing right behind her, because when Moroha unleashes the Crimson Dragon Wave, she whips behind Konton to hold him down in an act of self-sacrifice.

Here's the kicker, though: The guy can teleport. Yawaragi just saw him do this, and not thirty seconds earlier! So it shouldn't be surprising to anybody when Konton uses his Rainbow Pearl powers to teleport out of Yawaragi's arms and escapes anyways while the other girls throw some useless attacks at him. So, to recap: The audience learns that Yawaragi created the whole issue of Moroha's Beniyasha transformation in the first place, and she then spent years fruitlessly attempting to undo the problem, including purchasing a deadly set of cursed armor from a random weasel that was traipsing about the forest one day. All of this led to Moroha being sold to Jyubei, which was ultimately pointless because Yawaragi just ended up being coerced into attacking Moroha by Konton, and the one thing that might have made this entire cavalcade of terminally stupid decisions worthwhile – killing Konton – ended up being foiled by random Rainbow Pearl Powers. In other words, absolutely nothing of importance was learned, the girls are not one step closer to any of their goals, and Moroha inadvertently murdered Yawaragi for no reason. It is positively stunning when Yawaragi dies, and the show has the gall to play the moment off like some huge, emotional payoff…except Moroha is more or less fine by the time the credits roll.

Good Lord, this show is continuing to outdo itself in all of the worst ways. I won't damn it with the non-score of Episode 14, because “Double-Edged Moroha” at least has some halfway-decent looking action to try and distract you from how bad everything else is. I did, however, spend far too much time teaching myself how to use image-editing software so I could slap together this dumb meme that perfectly sums up my feelings about Yashahime at the moment. That said, it was probably more time and effort than anybody working on the show spent going over its sorry excuse of a script.

#anti yashahime #anti hanyo no yashahime #anti towa #inuyasha

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mimiplaysgames · 4 years ago

Text

And There Are Storms We Cannot Weather (Ch. 2)

Pairing: Terranort x Anti-Aqua Rating: M Word Count: 3, 872

Summary: It’s a simple plan: pull Xehanort’s heart out of Terra’s body. Until she learns the worst.

Read on AO3

A/N: What a way to break out of a hiatus: by going after the hardest WIP I’ve ever worked on. I have to thank @lyssala and @steadyknight, my beta readers, who assured me that this didn’t need as much work as I thought. I’m also just grateful for their excitement over this??? Thank you so much. ;-; ;-; ;-;

~*~*~*~*~

Are You Dead or Are You Sleeping?

Darkness is cool to the touch, a flame that numbs the skin with the breeziness of a damp, early morning. As she travels through the corridor, Aqua lets it coax her anticipation to sleep.

When a portal opens to a new world, she steps onto a precipice. The sudden exposure to sunlight and air is like withstanding a slap to the face. And yet... Feeling the sun again after all these years is the giddy reminder that she’s powerful. She’s free, she can go wherever she pleases. But does it have to blind her? It takes longer than usual for her eyes to adjust.

The grass stalks are as tall as she is. Canopies litter the horizon, and jungles claim the mountains beyond, except for the highest peaks. Near her is a lumpy dirt trail, flattened by people spending years traveling on foot. Now, she only has to determine which direction he took.

Darkness works in a network of shadows, always present and always shifting, stretching to giant proportions before shrinking into the tiniest crook. Shadows mold together. They speak and leave echoes behind.

Aqua concentrates on tracing them. She starts with the way the wind sways the grass stalks, blending their shadows together, until they brace the footsteps of a stalking panther, hiding in a field of flowers. Pollinating from one flower, a bird takes flight. Now it soars, its grounded shadow passing that of a tree’s.

There he is, stepping over a root deep in a thicket. There he is, with his strange, beating heart, rumbling with the flutter of someone facing the edge of a cliff yet with the steady lull of meditation. He takes up too much space in the cavity behind his left breast, making it hard for her to sense Terra. Once she’s done with him, though, that will cease to be an issue.

“I know where you are,” she whispers, pleased with the way he whips over his shoulder, expecting to see a face behind him when there’s no one.

But voices prevent her from moving. Footsteps climb uphill - two men - and Aqua billows into the shrubbery, first smoke and then nothing, just the empty space between.

“I don’t expect he’s much of a nice guy.” She recognizes this voice.

“Emperors rarely are. Unless they’re naked.” This one chuckles.

Riku, Champion of Understanding The Darkness and of Having Enough Of His Own as he claimed on the black shores where he met Aqua, waits for a large, soft man to (casually) catch up. Riku is not tall - barely a couple of inches taller than Aqua - but he stands that way. Professional and confident. He stood that way when he fought against her, and stood the same when she won.

“Is there a story behind that?” Riku asks. She’s so close to him, just a leaf away from his shoulder, but he doesn’t notice her eyes staring up at him. He grins with the subtleness of someone who doesn’t like attention.

The man scratches his scalp under his small hat, then rubs his fingers onto his sweeping poncho, with sandals to match. He must be a farmer. On his leash is a llama dragging a cart.

“The sun punished our most wicked emperor.” The farmer takes this restful opportunity to sip water out of a spouted, clay pot. His smile is big and inviting, his stature enormous and big-bellied. He gestures wildly as if telling a story to children. “Set his clothes on fire every time he wore them. Or at least,” he shrugs, “made them feel that way. But the emperor wouldn’t stand down. He ruled naked in his own palace for the rest of his life.” He smiles. “But he always kept feathers in his hair. Man liked to have some class.”

“Don’t they all.” Riku rolls his eyes. “Is your emperor the type that likes to keep his clothes on?”

“Anyone with half a sane mind would.” The farmer laughs, but he doesn’t sound certain. If anything, he’s nervous and excited and naive.

“Can’t wait to find out.” Riku doesn’t sound convinced.

“You know, I share a name with an emperor.”

“Pacha?”

“The one and only.” Pacha clicks with his tongue and that gets his llama going again. “Best emperor we’ve ever had. Brought down the price of milk. Who wouldn’t think I’m blessed with charm and good luck?”

This finally brings a genuine smirk to Riku’s face.

The men chat as they continue their way, disappearing downhill. It gives Aqua the opening to step out.

It has to be some sort of escort mission. If a Keybearer is here, then there are wild Heartless roaming around. She’ll have to keep hers hidden. Either way, whatever Riku is doing is not her problem.

She hones in on her destination. Kicks off her feet and glides through the grove. It’s easy to catch up to Xehanort - blend in with the shadows, pass through the trees, speed up, go even faster. Her heart won’t lead her astray. With every yard, she burns with the vigor that darkness had numbed away. She heaves. She’s found him, she’ll pin him down, she’ll take him back.

By the time she catches sight of his white hair, she snaps. She roars. Just seeing his face is a sharp reminder that no matter what happens, she has to see this through. Calling for her Keyblade, she attacks.

He barely dodges, landing on his knees. He flashes a toothy grin like he’s baring fangs.

“You’re here,” he announces, and nearby birds scatter. “Never would I have considered myself so fascinating as to be worthy of your graceful presence.”

She scoffs and moves to strike. But he only laughs something hearty, with a boom. He floats backward into the thicket, waving his arm like he’s dismissively tossing a farewell.

Xehanort hovers in circles behind the trees as though to shake her off. Which is stupid, really, when she could feel where he is.

But that’s what he wants, isn’t it? When she takes a moment to locate him, it leaves her open to attack - from the Guardian.

It hovers close, blowing humid breath, muscles twitching like it’s in pain. It groans so deeply and so quietly she can only hear it as a whisper. She stabs it with her Keyblade and it lurches backward. She cartwheels away to create more distance, then stills to focus on Xehanort’s whereabouts.

The process takes too long. The Guardian attempts to grab her. She dives, throwing herself father away. It is relentless, hurling spurple, fiery blasts. Overwhelming her. Not letting her stay still. If she’s ever going to focus, she’ll have to beat it into submission. Knocking her Keyblade into its face feels good.

But her focus has shifted.

Footsteps charge behind her. No time to react. Xehanort tackles her - strong arms around her waist - and throws her onto the ground with a grunt and a blow to the stomach.

His hair. It’s brown. She’s face to face with plastic blue eyes and a smug, foreign grin.

She stops breathing. Before she realizes.

“Get off of me!” She knees him in the gut. He winces and grabs his side while she crawls out of his grip and starts to float away.

He growls and grabs her by the ankle, whiplashing her back onto the ground. The Guardian picks her up by the forearms, clasping them together so that she loses her grip on her Keyblade.

Aqua shrieks and her Heartless hear the call. The ground rumbles, the birds scatter farther as a tidal wave of Shadows slither to and fro in a fury. Help help help help.

The Guardian drops Aqua and disappears. She rubs her scalp to soothe the headache, only to find herself alone. Xehanort has gone, leaving nothing but his warmth on her skin. Straggling onto her feet, Aqua closes her eyes and follows his heart when she hears a courageous yell.

Riku catapults into the sky, a large Keyblade in hand, cutting through her Heartless right down the middle. The most vulnerable. He vanquishes one, its life force pulling and twisting and snapping Aqua in the shoulder before any identifying trace of it vanishes.

Xehanort left her to face Riku alone.

“You’ve tricked me,” she curses.

Her Heartless gather into a tornado, defending themselves. She summons energy from a pit deep inside her core - Darkness responds just as quickly as Light - and her heart throbs with the movement of water crackling at the touch of freeze. Sharing a tether with her, the Heartless absorb the same growth, stacking a barrier around their communion. It makes Riku’s strikes as soft as silk. She commands, “Take care of him.”

She whisks away, deeper into the thicket until it opens up to a valley, riddled with boulders and divided by creeks. Xehanort doesn’t leave a scent but a trail of essence. His heart is beating quite rapidly now.

Aqua doesn’t have much time until she loses her temporary upgrade, but soon she catches him in the distance, white hair back on center stage. He’s running, but too slow. She glides faster, her Keyblade ready to slam him at full velocity.

Right before she could run him over, he turns and blocks her attack with his Keyblade. They ricochet, a thunder clap booming the instant they touch. She gracefully lands on her feet. He collapses and tumbles onto his back, groaning as his Keyblade dissipates as quickly as it came. He doesn’t bother getting up.

Good. He’s doing nothing but heaving, one hand on his shoulder as he gazes listlessly at the sky, not acknowledging her as she struts closer.

He chuckles. “Bested by scorn. I didn’t expect I’d live to see the day.”

“Get up.”

He only lifts himself onto his elbows, fine with settling there. His eyebrow cocks, inviting her to do what she wants. “What sort of fantasy are you plotting?”

She snarls. But she has to take it easy. She can’t harm the body.

Aqua threatens his left breast with the tip of her Keyblade. Normally, this is a forbidden act. Normally.

“One where I’m drowning you,” she says, stalking the lines of his face, patiently anticipating the exact moment where he squirms.

“How inconvenient.”

He may act unintimidated, what with the way he flicks his wrist as if her words bore him. But there’s still one truth: he ran from her. His eyes snake down her arm to the metal inches away from his skin. She presses the blunt end of her Keyblade under his chin and tilts it back up to face her, the metal digging into his windpipe.

Years of lengthy debates about matters of the heart - how it works, whether it’s born in darkness or in light, its purpose with intense emotion - have agreed on one thing: to touch a heart with a Keyblade is unspoken of. Its effect is irreversible and numerous. Creating new personalities, breaking the mind, erasing the memories, banishing the sense of self, cloning the shadow. The heart will always fight back against an act so unnatural that no Master has even tried to experiment with it.

At least not with Light. Nothing about this Xehanort is natural.

Aqua doesn’t want complications. Just a simple act of plucking his heart out of place and throwing it away to Where It Doesn’t Matter. Where the panthers can eat it. Where Kingdom Hearts can reclaim it. It doesn’t belong in Terra’s body, so it shouldn’t be difficult. Put him to sleep so he doesn’t fight back.

She’ll preserve the body in the same ocean that birthed her anew. The water will restore Terra back to (almost) normal. Darkness has miraculous methods. It gave her the choice to leave, something Light has consistently failed her with. It will keep him safe until he’s ready to talk. Maybe then, they can take something back for themselves when he’s not so different from her anymore.

She’ll have to be gentle.

“I’m taking your heart out,” she hisses. “It’s more than you deserve.”

Xehanort’s eyes carefully lock with hers as a new, knowing, self-satisfied, punchable smile inches its way to his ears.

“Whose heart?”

Her teeth grit against each other, nipping her lip. He’ll regret asking stupid questions. Biting her tongue, she focuses on what’s most important.

The heart is a proud organ. It sings with its own voice, sheet music on display as a record of a person’s hopes for the future, their fears developed by the past. She expects one of them to be silent.

But it isn’t.

It’s a mess.

It’s a mess, a cannibal, a wrestle of two where one drinks breath from the other. When one pushes away, the other pulls it in. One beats and the other follows rhythmically. Words are shared, dreams are rewritten. Muscle and sinew intertwine and blend. There is no point where Xehanort ends and Terra begins. They are two. They are one. And when they both notice she’s reading them, together they shush her. To throw one away is to shred them apart. She’d have to say goodbye.

So all Aqua does is stare at him. All he enjoys is her hesitance.

A crackle of twigs and the rustling of leaves announce Riku’s stumbling arrival, panting. When he sees them, Keybalde to heart, his eyes snap open.

“Don’t do that!”

Riku uppercuts, knocking Aqua’s Keyblade away. He steps between them. If he thinks he’s doing the right thing, he’s stupid.

Aqua doesn’t give him the benefit of explaining herself. She can’t even speak - she gasps from his sudden appearance, and hammers away at him by instinct. Riku is quicker, his strikes are harder, a prodigy in every movement. They flurry through attacks, powering each swing with magic but neither of them back down.

Here her Heartless come, colliding onto the ground and set to wash Riku over. He glances at them - there is that perfect opening. She swings from a direction meant to mislead him. He takes the bait. Landing a blow across his fighting arm, she throws him into a boulder.

But Xehanort is gone. Again.

“You made me lose him,” she mutters.

Xehanort has left this world entirely, and worse. He’s nowhere to be found. But how is that possible? She should be able to tell where he’s going, where he’s landing. Maybe he’s too far for her ability.

“Find him,” she says to three of her Heartless: the hunter, the butcher, and the accused.

Behind her Riku groans, holding his head. Pacha scurries into view, pushing branches off his face, and helps Riku up.

“Are those monsters going to move?” Pacha quietly asks Riku about the horde near them, waiting for her instructions.

“I don’t know. I’m fine, don’t fuss.”

“Monsters?” Aqua says, turning over her shoulder.

Riku is still shaking on his legs when she approaches, and Pacha holds his arms out in surrender. But she doesn’t attack the farmer. Instead, she pins Riku’s neck between the boulder behind him and her Keyblade, chipping minerals from the surface.

“Is that what you see when you look at me?” she calmly asks Riku. Because Pacha doesn’t know any better. Because Riku doesn’t understand what he fights. “Do you think that’s fair, after everything I’ve been through?”

Riku gapes at her. He has normal eyes, the color of turquoise. He soon wipes that look off his face. “It’s not.” At least he’s respectful.

“Please don’t hurt him, miss,” Pacha pleads, leaning forward. Attempts to touch her shoulder with assuring intention but he’s lucky he doesn’t make contact. “We have a misunderstanding. He means no harm.”

Pacha is trying to cater to her point of view, his round brown eyes earnest and desperate. His voice is warm like tea, giant chin tense yet unassuming. She hates how terrified he is of her. Golden eyes of a monster.

“I’ll spare him,” she whispers. “Just for you.”

With that, she swings a dark blast that sends Riku flying off yards away, knocking him out. Pacha runs after, picking him up in his arms. He glances over his shoulder to see if she would chase them. Do not worry, Pacha, she wouldn’t. She simply doesn’t want to be bothered.

Her chosen three have not moved from their spot though, twiddling their claws around their antennas.

“What do you mean you can’t find him?” she asks them.

Aqua tries again and connects with the expanse between the worlds, but he has disappeared from her radar.

She tries not to panic. She summons a portal, reaching for him among the shadowy tendrils in a network that surveilles everything within deep space. It licks many stars, many worlds, many lights, millions of them, earth and people and animals, in a void that stretches forever. All hearts beat just past the border where none can survive. She goes further, to pockets with no worlds and holes with no stars. The one heart that matters isn’t here, and isn’t anywhere, as if he stopped existing.

“What kind of magic is this?” Darkness should not be able to cloak him this well.

So he is nowhere in the Realm of Light or In Between. There’s one more place to check. She leaves the void, coming back to the desert where she found him the first time. Night blankets it now and blankets it empty.

Digging her claws into the sand, Aqua sinks into black, floating down to a seabed that houses a tipping clocktower, where night doesn’t stop and her thoughts mute. Darkness watches over its own, the same creatures that hungered for her heart before now casually passing by. A Darkside acknowledges her presence with short interest, as though it’s not an intimidating giant but a child. She asks the Realm of Darkness if he’s here. He’s not.

Aqua swims back up, breathing only when she reaches the desert.

What’s left to do now? Nothing, but wait for him to turn back on again. He’ll have to - whatever magic he’s using can’t last forever.

In this moment of quiet, Aqua crashes into one revelation: she’s tired. She’s never felt that way in the Realm of Darkness. The desire or need to sleep hasn’t occurred to her in years. At first, she avoided it out of fear that she would miss a rare chance of escape. It’s bizarre to measure how heavy her limbs have become, to feel her eyelids wither. She’s weak.

She could always go back to the Realm of Darkness and shake it off, but it’s not a bad weakness. As she walks, she takes note of how her thighs feel sore and like jelly all at once, fatigue settling beside the determination to keep functioning. The moment she rests will be bliss - the thought of it is alluring, as though sleep is a forbidden sweet. She wants a taste. This is what it feels like to be alive.

Ahead of her is that same cave where she left Terra’s armor. It’s as good a place as any; she’ll be hard-pressed to belong somewhere else. The armor sits in the same spot, covered in dust.

“You’re dirty,” she chastises.

Sitting across from it, she wiggles into the ridges of the rockface, which stab her around the spine, and brings her knees to her chest. Her claws brush against her skin as she hugs herself, frigid. The dirt beneath is rough and stiff on her muscles, but they agree with the rest, sighing something delicious with relief. The stars here are needle pricks in the sky, like they’re farther away. They leave the desert dark, the wind howling and cold. Aqua shares the view with her Heartless, who slither into the cave and fill it up.

Next to her, the armor sits tall. Terra wasn’t always tall, but the last few years together proved otherwise.

But Terra was always strong. Training with him was never about beating him through brute force. A fool’s errand, really. It was about outmaneuvering him, outsmarting, outpacing. The best training she could ask for to prepare her for the worst.

Terra won at wrestling, almost unanimously. One knee hooked behind hers, and huge arms wrapped around her back, and one hand pushing her pelvis hard against the ground, and his shoulder to her face, smelling of sweat and yeast and faded sandalwood from the shower early that morning. And heat. His heat on her.

Give it up, he would say.

Forfeit, he’d continue when she wouldn’t stand down.

Really, Aqua? You’re such a sore loser.

Maybe that was slightly true. Aqua would press a hand somewhere where his fussed shirt exposed skin - near his neck, or the small of his back - and summon ice, jolting him with the speed of a surprised cat. Still, he’d have the nerve to hold onto her despite the torture, to drag her where he landed, because he despised losing just as much. Because he liked to stay close. Because she liked it, too, and slowly he figured that out.

That’s cheating. Terra’s laugh shivered, as rigid as his voice.

What Aqua would give to hear that laugh now. She takes her tattered sleeve and wipes a layer of dust off the armor’s visor, gently so she wouldn’t knock it over.

Terra’s (Xehanort’s) heart, their one and strongest bond, mesh together. Aqua mimics by intertwining her own fingers, red on red like bloody exposed tissue. One by one, she unlaces them, playing images of untangling threads of muscle in her mind over and over, ripping the knots that can’t be undone. When the time comes, Aqua can’t be sure she’ll have the strength to do the same to him.

She can do it. For his sake. She can’t for his sake.

One of her Heartless - the youngest and oldest - paws at her lap. Heartless can’t be understood like humans. Part of succumbing means to strip themselves of the experiences that mark them as an individual from all the rest. Reading their hearts usually turn up nothing, but Aqua may get a memory of a long-forgotten occupation. Flashes of what their friends sounded like. Sometimes a face. Never a name. Always a turbulent feeling.

The youngest and the oldest is a six year old, turned a thousand years ago. A blonde girl in a blue dress, looking up with curious eyes. She wants reassurance, alarmed by Aqua’s reminiscence. After all, this girl doesn’t have strong images of her past life to hold onto, so the sudden rush of feelings must be painful in the only way nostalgia could deliver.

“It’s okay to be alone,” Aqua says, petting the Shadow. “It’s better that way. You get more resilient when you don’t have to rely on anyone.”

When you don’t have to feel disappointed. When you don’t risk betrayal. While Heartless swarm together, they can’t communicate. They don’t understand much except for hunger, until they get distracted and they forget, numbing over and leading a simple life.

It’s so much better than remembering everything, hoping someone would come for her as long as she stayed patient.

Aqua can spare some time as she leans her head back against the stone, knuckling her skull. The Heartless cradles into her arms.

Aqua has waited for twelve years. One more night doesn’t compare.

A/N: This chapter makes references to Emperor’s New Groove (2000).

#terraqua #terraquanort #terranort #anti-aqua #dark aqua #dark terraqua #riku #pacha #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kh fanfic #there's a lot I'm excited about in this fic #and a lot i'm terrified #my fic

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nadziejastar · 5 years ago

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Let's imagine an alternate universe where Isa/Saix is female, but otherwise she's written exactly the same. How do you think audiences would react differently from the male version? Would she be more popular or less?

I think Saix would have been very popular in a similar way to Larxene. People are longing for female characters that aren’t stereotypically nice and feminine. Saix was cold and sociopathic, and I can see a female version being popular in a similar way to Azula from ATLA. If we were just going by KH2 and Days, I think a female Saix would have been more popular.

BBS, now that’s a bit different. Isa was already a very feminine pretty boy in that game. He is described as shy and only comes out of his shell for Lea. There was nothing creepy about him; he was very cute design-wise. He was sarcastic, so he might have been seen as slightly tomboyish if he had been female. Either way, Isa steps outside the gender stereotype box. I think he/she would have been equally popular either way.

I think really, the main thing Isa needed was a proper backstory and character development to explore his/her friendship with Lea. If he/she received that, then he/she would have been a very popular character. Isa never got that, though. If he had been a girl, I think it would have been FAR more easy for people to see the intended romantic hints between her and Axel/Lea, especially in the novels. I think the only reason people couldn’t see it was because Axel and Saix were both guys.

One of the creators of The Legend of Korra made a comment about watching with a hetero lens. Well, that’s exactly how I feel about Axel and Saix. They were intended to be a gay couple that would kinda slip under the radar due to it being so subtle. But for some reason, Square changed their minds and became terrified of LeaIsa/AkuSai by the time KH3 came out. I definitely think it was more than just Nomura changing his mind on a whim. It was self-censorship. They needed to focus on a girl so they didn’t seem too gay.

I think if Saix were a girl, people would have been a LOT more critical of her relationship with Lea and what it was reduced to in KH3. Saix’s relationship with Axel/Lea was handled in such a dismissive and hands-off way in KH3. Saix, even after he admitted he was jealous, simply grumbled that Lea wouldn’t get it out of him a second time. That was their heart-warming reconciliation. Without a doubt, it came across as extremely homophobic to me. But homophobia is normal in society, so many people didn’t really see the problem. Saix and Axel were just normal dudes being bros. And bros don’t get all touchy-feely with each other, right?

If Saix had been female, people would have been extremely confused about why the story was so quick to resolve her relationship with Lea, and why it was so insistent on focusing on Subject X instead. Why would a female Saix be so obsessed with a girl she barely knew and completely destroy her relationship with Axel over it? On top of that, almost ALL the focus went to the Sea-Salt trio’s reunion. Perhaps that was because that trio was less controversial. There was no potential homoerotic undertones with them. They were deemed as “safe” to depict. LeaIsa? Nope. Too risky.

If Saix had been a girl, I think her bond with Axel would have been given waaaaaay more focus. I definitely don’t think the game would have been so terrified to show their closeness and intimacy, like it was in KH3. That was solely the result of them being two men. KH3 went running and screaming in the opposite direction at the idea of two men expressing that type of intimacy.

Kairi

Kairi, who was a tomboy in KHI, became a little bit more mature in KHII. She changed a lot outwardly since at that age girls grow a lot faster than boys, but her lively personality didn’t fundamentally change. Enough that ‘with Riku and Sora gone, right now Kairi is the strongest person on Destiny Islands’ is an actual premise. I like the scene in KHI, when she watches the sunset with Sora, and tells him not to change. I thought it showed very well her anxiety and loneliness over how as we get older we find a distance growing between us and our close friends. –Nomura

If Isa had been a girl, I think a LOT more people would have been able to notice that her story line was unfinished. One of the main recurring themes in KH is the idea that things change as we grow older. We grow apart from our closest friends.

“Kingdom Hearts is not too realistic, but I do want my players to grasp a sense of reality from it as well,” Nomura said. “For example, I’m sure you had friends when you were young, a good group of friends, but as you grow older things change and it doesn’t always stay the same. I think all I can say is please play to the very end and see what happens. But I think Kingdom Hearts 3 does depict how each character feels about each other in this new storyline.”

This idea was carried on even in KH3. For better or worse, it influenced the ending.

RoxasA lot of thought was put into this character. Based on the premise that he was ‘an expression of the reverse, hidden inside Sora’, I gave him pretty much the exact same face as Sora, just with slightly narrower eyes. And then, I made white the basis for his clothes, in contrast to KHII Sora. The black and white checkered pattern, ‘neither darkness nor light’, was to be a hint. My absolute favourite scene of his has to be the one at the end of the opening of KHII, when he says 'looks like my summer vacation is over’. I put a lot of feeling into creating that, as I intended it to feel, for a moment, like the end.–Nomura

Roxas had the same issue to deal with in KH2. He was growing up and things weren’t going to stay the same between him and his friends. The end of Roxas’s summer vacation was an iconic scene.

This was also one of the main themes of Roxas and Xion’s tragic relationship. When Xion stood up slowly, the shot was extremely similar to the one where Kairi slowly stood up in KH1, with Sora just watching. Then they were watching the sunset and Kairi told him to never change. Xion literally changed—into Sora.

IMO, Roxas and Xion’s romance was a further exploration of Kairi’s relationship with Sora. Only the roles were reversed. Xion was even based on the KH1 tomboyish Kairi. The day Xion disappears is called “Tears” and Roxas cries. Afterwards, that’s when Axel discovers the WINNER stick that Roxas left him.

Talking to Roxas and Xion always brings back memories of my human life, back when I was a kid. It’s a weird sensation. I ought to be able to share all this with Saïx, but I just don’t feel like it anymore. It’s strange, but I’m content with just missing what’s gone. I’m not the one who changed. You did.

Axel was dealing with the exact same thing. After a while, there was a distance growing between him, Roxas, and Xion. Not to mention the fact that Axel wasn’t growing up. He was already grown, which presented a unique hurdle. And at the same time he was growing apart from Roxas and Xion, he was remembering how Isa had changed. This was something that needed to be resolved. Clearly, this was something that caused Axel a tremendous amount of pain. Did his relationship with Roxas and Xion need to be resolved? Of course it did. But I’d argue that his relationship with Isa caused Lea more pain than any other. Yet, it got comparatively little focus.

“Yeah. As long as we remember one another, we’ll never be apart. Got it memorized?” Roxas grinned.

A wish that they could always be together—was longing for the impossible. But at least they could always remember one another.

Saix stood up very slowly in their clock tower scene in KH3, like Kairi and Xion did. He also got a WINNER stick, which I’m sure had a lot to did with the backstory of Axel’s tear marks and him being a “crybaby”. All very deliberate. If Saix had been female, I don’t think anyone would have had trouble seeing that Axel was thinking about Saix all the time in Days. He wasn’t just the friendly “dad” of the sea salt trio. He was NOT happy in Days. He was watching Roxas and Xion grow more intimate, and remembering how he and Isa used to be the same way. He was miserable the entire game.

Axel cared about Roxas and Xion, but he didn’t really want to be a dad to them. At least not from what I could see. He wanted to protect them from experiencing the pain that he felt. And he also wanted to relive his lost innocence through them. I think if Saix had been a girl, people would have cared more about her relationship with Axel getting an actual resolution in KH3.

I wanted us to stay together. All I wanted was to hold on to our happiness as a trio in the Organization. But I told myself to grow up and stop wishing for the impossible. Well, I’m done with that. That’s not the answer I want.

If Saix had been a girl, people wouldn’t have treated Axel’s relationship with Roxas and Xion as SO much more important than his relationship with Saix. There would have been no mystery about the origin of his tear marks. They were due to Lea wanting to be together forever with Isa, and crying over thinking that would be impossible. Lea couldn’t bear to lose Isa. If Saix had been a girl, Axel would have been able to cry for her without shame, the way a Roxas was able to cry for Xion.

If Saix had been a girl, I don’t think anyone would have been okay with their relationship suddenly revolving around some random new girl that was never mentioned by either of them before. That wouldn’t be something exciting that players are meant to look forward to. People would have been wondering: what happened to their bond with each other? If Saix had been female, I think waaaaay more people would have been confused about why Axel and Saix weren’t a couple at the end of KH3, the way Roxas/Xion or Sora/Kairi were.

#akusai #leaisa

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