#XION IS BACK!!!! ROXAS IS BACK!!!!!!!! ROXAS AND VEN SAW EACH OTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[takethistoyourstardust]

kh3 best game ever maybe???

[memorystormsanctuary]

Day 3~ Friends of Lovers

Day three of @khoc-week and we come to the prompt of friends or lovers. This prompt brings to mind all the friends our ocs have and those special someones too. 

For Y this day was a bit of a challenge, if only because there were so many options. Y has a bright and friendly nature, and like Sora she easily makes friends wherever she goes. Of all my various Kingdom Hearts Oc’s she’s the one who has the most friends. She has managed to find a place within so many groups. 

The focus however came to rest one four characters, the Wayfinder trio and her twin brother, X. Y finds herself most attached to the Wayfinder trio, her best friends from the start. And though she has lost them, her goal was to always find them one day. And of course as a twin, Y is fiercely attached to her brother. Though their relationship has had it’s ups and downs they always find a way to come back together. After all the light is rarely found without darkness close behind.

Part of Y wished the sunset would finally end so the night could start. As much as she loved the beautiful colors of the sky above Twilight Town, she missed the stars. It made a part of her ache. Like she was missing something very important. Something she needed the night to do. Though it was easy to guess what it was she was missing.

Y was the last one on the clock tower that day. X had left early, using one of his usual excuses of being tired of everyone and their chatter. He was smiling when he had left though, so Y took that as a good sign. He was smiling more and more these days. Axel, Roxas, and Xion had all left together. Apparently if they didn’t return by a decent time there would be a chance of their bosses heckling when they did return. Part of Y could only laugh at Axel seeming to herd the other two. Yuki had been there the longest. She always seemed to hover for a few moments longer, casting Y nervous glances every so often. Like she was waiting for Y to speak. Whatever the reason was, she eventually left wishing Y a good night.

Y didn’t mind being the last to leave. As much as she loved her friends she liked the chance to be alone with her thoughts. Though it did usually end with her thinking the same thing. She missed the stars. She missed the way they would shine above her. She missed that if she was lucky she could catch a meteor shower.

If there was a meteor shower she was usually joined by Ventus. He always seemed to know when one was about to happen. And they would sit under the stars, Y telling Ven stories as they pointed to each falling star. There would be laughs and smiles and nervous glances as they waited for the moment they were inevitably discovered.

If they were lucky, Terra would be the one to find them first. Terra would only last about a minute of scolding before he would sit with them too. And then Y wouldn’t have to tell the stories anymore. Terra would take over for her, telling all sorts of things, stories from before Ven and Y had joined them at the Land of Departure, and the things the Master had never told the younger wielders. Y could spend hours outside on the cliff, listening to Terra explain the things that excited him most. But if Terra found them, it was never long until Aqua joined them.

Aqua was much less likely to let them off with a light scolding. She might go on for a little longer, but usually she would eventually settle in beside them. And she would listen to Terra’s stories, correcting details where needed, and fussing over Ven and Y both for being out when nights could get cold in the Land of Departure.

It was so hard to believe the last night like that had been over ten years ago.

“Are you coming back to the castle at all tonight?”

Y jumped glancing over her shoulder. X stood leaned against the side of the clocktower, his arms crossed as he looked at her with an eyebrow raised. For a moment Y saw the dark deep brown his eyes once were, but quickly she corrected her mind. His eyes were purple now.

“Yeah, is it that late?” Y asked. It wasn’t normal for him to come looking for her. Usually she could get away with being out however long she wanted. Though that may have been because she always managed to come back at a decent enough time.

“Getting there,” X confirmed. “You’ve been staying out later and later the longer we’ve been meeting here. What are you thinking?”

“I think you can guess,” Y admitted. She turned her back on her brother. Looking back over the town she watched the rays of light spreading farther and farther. It was always twilight in this world, so she would never really get to see the stars she wished for.

“Does Roxas bother you?” X asked. He moved silently, Y was only aware he had moved when he sat down beside her once again.

“He did,” Y admitted. She could remember the way she couldn’t breathe the first time she saw him. It had taken a fair time for her to learn to let go of her breath and not react like every time he spoke she was getting stabbed through her heart. “But I’m ok now. They’re really not all that similar once you get past their looks and voice.”

“But you’re still thinking about them,” X said.

“I always think about them,” Y said, forcing a smile as she glanced at X. He wasn’t watching her. At least not in a way that was obvious. “I miss them.”

“I’m sorry,” X said softly. Y smiled, this one a little less forced as she bumped her shoulder to her brothers.

“I know you are,” she said. She hoped he would smile and bump her back. But he didn’t. He only stared down at the ground beneath them. Sometimes she thought he was harder on himself than she ever was on him. Though that was part of the reason she had even forgiven him in the first place. If he hadn’t been so filled with remorse she probably wouldn’t have believed him. Would have still tried to fight him. “Do you think we’ll ever see them again?”

“I’ll make sure of it,” X said firmly, nodding his head in confirmation. Perhaps for Y, perhaps for himself. “We could start looking, rather than wait.”

“What?” Y asked, her head tilting to the side.

“Ventus and Terra are a little more difficult to figure out, but we know Aqua is just in the realm of darkness. We could look for her, on our free time,” X said. He still wasn’t looking at her. And for a moment Y thought she might have been imagining it.

“You mean it?” Y asked.

“Of course,” X said. “I don’t say anything I don’t mean.” A lie of course, but Y still felt herself comforted by it. Y smiled, leaning onto X almost fully. He huffed but said nothing else.

“Thank you,” Y said.

“Don’t thank me,” he said. “I haven’t done anything yet.”

Y only hummed a response, her mind racing.

She couldn’t wait for her old friends to meet her new ones. It would be nice for them all to be together under the stars.

[chirithysworld]

Even more self indulgent KH headcanons

Kairi loves all animals and by all I mean ALL, she's friends with several sharks, has attempted to bring home multiple stray dogs home, has a pet pitbull named Monty who she would literally die for (touch and she'll break your legs) and has the summon charm for frankenweenie and wasn't even phased when she saw him she just went "Oh, a zombie dog... Neat! 😀"

Plus Everytime they find a cute animal she ALWAYS tries to attempt to take them home with her in the gummi ship (much to Riku's chagrin)

If Kairi encountered Marluxia or Larxene during the Keyblade War she would've completely maimed them, it would've been a bloody massacre, it's what they deserve after what they done to Naminé

Even after meeting they're somebodies Lauriam and Larxene she STILL doesn't like them she just tolerates them even IF they're Ven's old friends from Daybreak Town (Naminé tries to convince her to let go but that ain't happening anytime soon) she gives them death glares whenever Naminé isn't in the same room

Kairi and Naminé always hug each other or stay in physical contact with one another even when they're outside Kairi's room (I'm a sucker for soft sibling hugs and moments) Kairi gives the best hugs and Naminé is a tad touch starved from her time in Castle Oblivion so who could blame her sometimes when Xion comes to visit with her seasalt fam she'll join the cuddlefest (Everyone melts whenever they have they're soft sister moments)

Kairi is the protective mama bear and one hesitate to maim someone if one of her family members are hurt (she will also not hesitate to tackle said attackers, kick down doors, break through windows or break down walls

I like to think whenever Kairi panics the braincell immediately goes to Riku and she acts on impulse... Those impulses being jumping out the window or yeeting herself in into a corridor of light

If Kairi were to ever have her own rage form it she would've looked like Anti-Sora but with a pink and white color palette and light wisps instead of darkness, she would also act like an overly affectionate cat that would hiss at strangers

However she does have a drive form called Royal Form where she in cases some of her limbs in pure bright light, her eyes glow a fiery blue, she sprouts bright angelic wings and all her clothing turns white, she's also able to use op light magic and she has a finishing called salvation where she gets rid of all the darkness around her but she would instantly turn back to normal luckily it also all gives everyone in the party a temporary mega boost on both they're magic and physical prowess

If some girl or guy were to flirt with Sora they would mysteriously disappear an hour later Kairi says she has no idea what they're talking about Riku believes otherwise, Naminé is very concerned while Xion is just flat out confused

Kairi supports the LGBTQA+ Community

Xion is trans (everyone already knows that) and uses all pronouns but mainly She/They, Kairi loves her for being herself and would literally fight anyone who goes against that (including Axel/Lea and Roxas of course, Saïx/Isa is sorta awkward cause he used to be transphobic)

Kairi is the type of girl who would bite

Kairi used to be the feral nature girl back when she was 14 she still is but not by much

Xion and Kairi are the dog lover duo, Namine tries to stop them but fails

Xion and Kairi have both kicked Seifer's ass on seperate occasions Seifer is just avoiding Namine like the plague cause he ain't gonna risk it

Namine has stupidly strong magic, one time she was trying to cast a simple Fire spell but accidentally casted a Firaza spell the GoL was immensely proud even though a good chunk of them were confused and scared as hell

On an unrealated note Namine can control people's dreams now, and can also now manipulate others memories

Unfortunately the whole dream manipulation thing has a not so unfortunate side effect of making half dream eater (half-chirithy ti be exact)

Kairi and Xion think she looks precious, Riku suffered from a cardiac arrest and is now in the medical wing, Sora thinks she looks neat, Roxas has mixed feelings, Ventus also agrees with Sora, Terra loves her new look, Aqua just loves her daughter and Chirithy just wants to adopt her

[nadziejastar]

I disagree with Sora being awkward around Xion because she looked like Kairi. He’s never judged a friend or ally for their appearance, when Riku looked like Ansem he never let that affect how he saw Riku when he found out it was Riku. That or when he met Ven who looked like Roxas, he didn’t treat him differently. It’s because he never actually talked with her until that exact moment.

Same person who sent the thing about sora talking to Xion. I just want to say I understand kh3’s story is lackluster but I don’t understand the angle people have where they act like it’s strange or some kind of unnatural event when two people who look similar or identical talk. There are people who look identical in real life and talk to each other/share friend groups just fine

Responding to your point about the identical characters, I admit that I am heavily biased. I don't like the idea of multiple versions of the same person coexisting. Even if it might not be awkward to Sora, it's awkward to me as the player.

I also think it's awkward for the story. That's why I think all of the lookalikes were treated kind of as filler characters. Riku Replica died at the end and was implied to return to Riku. Sora forgot ever meeting Namine. Then she and Roxas go back to their original selves. They "aren't supposed to exist" because it would be awkward to have multiple versions of the same characters. Xion was the same. Another Kairi who went back to Sora and was even conveniently forgotten about. They all served an important purpose in the story, but it didn't seem like there was any intention to keep them around permanently.

[themadauthorshatter]

So... I've been watching KH rewrites.

And while I'm not rewriting ALL of Kingdom Hearts, but I have a few ideas to change 358/2 days:

The organization has an agenda: find and kill Sora, Riku, and Kairi so they can stay out of the way, but with Sora sleeping, Kairi safe on Destiny Islands, and Riku running all over the place, their jobs just got harder.

The change the title to 358/3 days, because Axel's in on this too. This is the sea salt TRIO we're dealing with, not sea salt duo.

We see a majority of Roxas's beginner days, like before, but in between them, we see Xion with Axel, mainly because Xemnas trusts him enough to be able to incapacitate Xion, if she gets too fired up.

Oh yeah, Xion doesn't really look up and smile at Roxas when she first sees him. In game, her mouth just opens in a gasp and she clenches a fist. In her first days, she's strictly in 'attack anything that comes near me' mode because she's scared and confused. We see it happen when Demyx waves a hand in front of her face and she literally jiu jitsu throws him to the ground.

Xion stares at Roxas and Axel and follows them individually. Axel finds it creepy and warns her not to get any ideas while Roxas pretends not to notice.

Xemnas is more proactive, checking on and somewhat favoring Roxas and Xion, Roxas more than Xion at first before fully switching over to team Xion. Everyone notices, especially Larxene, and it's not a good thing. Except for Axel, who's okay to stay out of Xemnas's attention.

Larxene is a bitch. As in she not only tells Roxas to not use his keyblade, but also to hold still so she can kick him.

Lexeaus is a little kinder. He does still hit Roxas within an inch of his life, but he lets Roxas hit back, as hard as he can. Roxas does so, hitting him in the side, like by the abs, but not completely, and it only hurts Roxas more than Lexeaus, the big guy fights a pitied smile and tells him to try again. Roxas does so, hitting harder, and Lexeaus grunts and fakes it to look like Roxas really did hit him hard. Roxie boy apologizes, but Lexeaus brushes it off, complimenting that Roxas is a more than qorthy choice for the keyblade.

Zexion is not a fan of Roxas, because he looks too much like Ventus. He eventually has a silent kinshio with him and acts A LITTLE friendly towards him, but nothing serious.

Vexen has to be kept on a leesh so he doesn't lock Roxas in his lab and scientifically check him out. AT LEAST BEFORE HE GOES ON A MISSION WITH HIM. After that, he wants nothing to do with the kid.

Axel is a little weirded out by Roxas, at first, but warms up to him.

Marluxia is a little creepy in that while he trains with Roxas, like practice missions, he gets face caress-y and Roxas later asks Axel if he can not go on missions with Marluxia.

Xemans does not get like that with either of Roxas or Xion; all he does is ruffle/play with their hair and pat their back and shoulder.

AND XEMNAS ISN'T PORTRAYED AS A VILLAIN UP-FRONT. IN A PERFECT WORLD, THIS IS RELEASED BEFORE KH2!!!!!!

Saïx sees Axel's growing connections with Roxas and Xion, and he gets meaner because of it.

Roxas has his own version of anti-form or rage form, in the form of non-form, where he takes on a look very much like a mix of the samurai and dusk nobodies; he's bendy, fast, and hard as shot to lock onto, target-wise, but get hit and there's next to nothing that's going to save you. Roxas can only use non-form when he has no other optiin, and that's because he hates using it with a burning passion. Whenever he uses it, he has a hard time seeing things, so he relies on his hearing and any bright lights that catch his attention. Game wise, this is his limit break. When his health is low, non-form is activated with a cool looking transformation.

Non-form is the reason why Roxas is Xemnas's favorite, at first.

Xion doesn't talk to Roxas at all when they go on missions together, at least not until Roxas goes into non-form to save her, even though she doesn't really need saving.

Demyx was initially chosen to watch Roxas, but he saw the kid, newborn, scared, and confused, go into non-form and damn near attack him until Xemnas kicked him away. Saïx was the runner uo, but he gave the role to Axel, who successfully calmed Roxas down enough for the newbie to return to normal.

Xion warms up to Roxas, but is cold towards Axel, who returns the feeling, but also makes a deal with her; in front of Roxas, they have to play nice together or else Saïx is going to snitch to Xemans, who will have Xion ripped apart piece by piece until there's no putting her back together. Behind Roxas's back, however, they can fight all they want, as much as they want. Hell, they can even try to kill each other. BUT ONLY BEHIND ROXAS'S BACK SO HE DOESN'T SEE IT HAPPEN.

Roxas is given pretty lenient missions and it's not just because of his connection to Sora and Ven. It's also because of how unstable Non-form is.

Oh, yeah. Roxas hallucinates and hears both Sora AND Ventus, but it's only when things get too quiet. Xemnas has Axel keep an eye on him because he made friends with Ventus as Lea and had contact with Sora. If anything, the redhead can keep Roxas stable enough for them to bring him to Castle Oblivion and find Ven, when he's ready.

And he'll be ready when he dual wields keyblades, which Xemnas KNOWS wil happen because he's Xehanort and Xehanort apparently knows all.

He doesn't know enough because there's another person who can dual wield: Xion.

Xion is still a replica, but this time is made with fractures of Kairi's and Sora's hearts, Kairi being able to wield a keyblade because it got passed down from Aqua to her by accident and Sora because he's Sora.

When Axel is sent to Castle Oblivion and is reported as gone, Roxas's reaction is much more severe. First mission with Xigbar goes fine until the end, where Roxas not only gets hallucinations of Sora and all that, but also because he's experiencing a new emotion: GRIEF. He goes into Non-form and goes insane. Xigbar directs him to a dark corridor, where he's released right into the castle in The World That Never Was and starts destroying anything amd everything that moves before going all aroung the castle.

It soon becomes a really darkly comedic game of Catch The Kid Without Killing Him Or Letting Him Leave To Another World.

No one's fully successful, except for Saïx, who also goes berserk to stop and hold him so Xemnas can collect him. Roxas struggles in Saïx's arms and lets out scream after scream until Xemnas comes to get him and snap him out of it.

Roxas leaves Non-form and is led to his room by Xemnas, who compliments his ability to imitate emotions, despite not remembering how to.

Roxas, already trying to keep it together, breaks down again, and Xemnas holds him close, letting him get it all out, and explains that this is why they fight and need to fight warriors of the light, including Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

After that, Roxas is only allowed on recon missions until he's stable again.

It's fine though, because Axel makes it back a week later, saying he got knocked unconscious by Sora. He escaped and made it out a-okay, leavung out the part where he may have merced Vexen and Zexion.

Roxas is still glad.

Axel reports to Xemnas and Saïx and euns into Xion.

The threat still remains, but he's still playing nice for Roxas's sake.

Over time, Axel and Xion learn to get along and even become friendly enough to be sarcastic and jokey with each other.

It also helps that Xion also deals with hallucinations and her way of dealing with them is by running. Axel and Roxas followed her and came face to face with a GIANT heartless, maybe a more threatening version of the Dark Side.

All three fight it, but it knocks Xion and Axel away, the redhead gets up and is almost smashed into the ground before Xion lunges, going into her armored form. Roxas follows as well, in his Non-form.

The two make quick work of the heartless amd Roxas struggles to turn himself back, where Xion does it perfectly.

Axel compliments the work, but hugs onto Roxas before he can lash out at a frightened Xion, telling him to play nice or they're not having any more playdates and he'll be locked in his room 24/7.

Roxas turns back and he and a surprised Xion pass out, leaving Axel to groan at having all the icky jobs; he got the crap beaten out of him amd wants to pass out with the two children, but instead has to carry them back to the castle so neither die on his watch.

They all recuperate and pat themselves on the back for their victory.

Xemnas congratulates them as well, having let himself in the infirmary because he heard what happened.

Axel reports that they're all fine and the heartless is gone, and Xemnas is more than glad to hear it, at least before her turns to Roxas and asks if he was hurt, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He's fine, just a little dizzy, but fine.

Xemnas is more than glad to hear it, pushing back Roxas's bangs and playing with his hair a little before leaving them all to heal, ignoring Xion entirely.

She doesn't take it personally and instead remarks about how nice it was of Xemans to join them, for once.

Axel agrees with the sentiment and makes Roxas and Xion promise that they're won't be anymore surprise runaways like that again.

They agree, though Xion asks if surprise ice cream can be exempt.

Axel smiles and exempts surprise icecream.

They all become real friends after this point, and it includes them poking fun at each other("Er, I don't know my past so I'm gonna go Saïx berserk on anyone who asks, der, der, der"), sarcasm(Xion: "There really is no hiding from Saïx, is there?" Axel: "Well, there's always under Xigbar's bed, but no one's ever returned, so tell me how it goes."), and light name calling, like hot head, burning britches, and smoke and more smoke for Axel, hoodie and emo band for Roxas, and little miss pissed off for Xion, because she's funny to make annoyed and angry.

And they try more than sea salt icecream, like doughnuts, cakes, and eventually healthier foods that are still sweet.

Roxajs and Xion gonon missions together and eventually start more than a friendship.

Axel keeps an eye on them whenever he can and begins lying to Xemnas, saying neither are really progressing with their powers, but are maintaining, so there's that at least. Xemans is not convinced and asks an old question, considering how Axel has possibly the best memory out of everyone here: What happened to Sora? Axel feigns ignorance, because he TOTALLY helped Sora take out Marluxia.

Okay, but what about Naminé? More ignorance because she up and vanished. Maybe Sora stole her away or something, who knows? Teenagers do weird things.

Xemnas, more than a little fed up, notes that Axel's getting close to Rozas and Xion and admits that as much of a shame as it would be to waste resources, it'd be even more tragic to lose their own numbers, maybe even Saïx as well, despite how cold he's turned toward Axel. If it makes him feel better, he doesn't need to do the 'icky job,' Saïx can do it for him and he can simply watch.

Axel steps down and Xemnas twlls hom to tell the truth next time, if he doesn't want to lose anymore friends.

There will be a part 2 of this

[violethowler]

False Start: Analyzing Kairi’s Arc After Melody of Memory

In October 2019, I did an analysis of Kairi’s character arc as of the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 and what I felt was being set up for her going forward.

My major point was that Kairi's fear of change was holding her back from reaching her full potential and catching up to Sora and Riku, but that by the end of Kingdom Hearts III she had overcome that fear and was ready to move forward. 

In hindsight, I jumped the gun in assuming that the end of KH3 marked the definitive point where she got over her change and could truly move forward. While she had some good moments in Re:Mind, Limit Cut promptly put her to sleep for an entire year, trying to search the memories in her heart for a clue to Sora's whereabouts. 

But then Melody of Memory happened. 

When Kairi faces the memory of Xehanort, she says in the original Japanese version that Sora and the others being hurt was the result of her strength not being enough. I'll save the rant about how the English localization consistently removes Kairi's moments of self-reflection throughout the series for another day, but my main point is that this sets the groundwork for her decision to remain behind while Riku goes to Quadratum. When she chose to increase her training under Aqua, I was thrilled because finally this was the sign I was looking for that Kairi was really, truly, ready to move forward. 

A lot of people were disappointed by this decision because they felt like Kairi needing more training was the whole point of her being brought to the Mysterious Tower at the end of Dream Drop Distance. But there are a few things that set this moment apart and explain why her training in Kingdom Hearts 3 did not amount to as much as fans were hoping. 

First, it's that this time Kairi is exerting her own agency and making the choice herself. Her training in Kingdom Hearts 3 was never something we saw her actively choose. So Kairi making that choice on-screen has more weight than Riku bringing her to the Mysterious Tower for training on Yen Sid's orders. 

Second, while the memory of Xehanort notes that she did improve in the brief time she was training, the way she was being trained wasn't suited to her style. The description we get of her training in Kingdom Hearts 3 mostly seems to amount to her and Lea sparring each other repeatedly - which is exactly how Sora and Riku developed their sword fighting skills growing up. And when you look at her battle stance and the way she holds her Keyblade in Kingdom Hearts 3 compared to how she held it in previous games, her stance is an exact copy of Sora's. It's no wonder then why she changed into Sora during the final boss fight in Melody of Memory then when she was clearly trying to imitate him. 

In the 2006 Characters Report Vol. 1 book, Tetsuya Nomura's comments about Kairi in the early games identify the fear of growing apart from Sora and Riku as a major source of anxiety for her. The fact that her training and combat stance in Kingdom Hearts 3 imitate Sora so heavily indicates that Kairi is trying to catch up to Sora and Riku by trying to be exactly like them in that area as much as possible. With how much the series has focused on personal identity with regards to Roxas and Xion being their own people, it makes sense why Kairi doing that failed her in Kingdom Hearts 3. Because Sora and Riku's style isn't suited for her. 

Because she isn't them. 

For Kairi to achieve her goal of catching up to Sora and Riku's level, she needs to step out of their shadow and figure out how to be herself instead of trying to be Sora. And the best way for her to understand herself will be to understand her past. 

The Xehanort that Kairi faces in Melody of Memory is explicitly identified as a construct of her heart. He tells her that the answers she seeks "lie in memories that are long gone," and tells her that there is nothing for her to find in her heart. However, that isn't really true with what previous games have established about how memories work in this universe. Chain of Memories establishes that memories are stored in the heart, and that while the connections between them can be rearranged, they are never gone for good. 

So while Kairi may not consciously remember her childhood before arriving on Destiny Islands, the memories are still there deep in her heart. All she needs is something or someone to help her restore the connections between them. To rebuild the links in her Chain of Memories, so to speak. Kingdom Hearts 3 and Melody of Memory both specifically call attention to Kairi's first meeting with Aqua in Birth by Sleep, as well as the fact that Kairi doesn't remember it. From a narrative standpoint, the series has set up that remembering that first meeting will help Kairi regain the rest of her memories from Radiant Garden. 

But remembering her past is not the only arc the story has set up to help Kairi understand herself better. Training with Aqua also puts her in a position to interact with another teen who has a heart of pure light.

Who was also in a coma for a time while his heart rested in Sora's body. 

It's not a coincidence that Union X first revealed the existence of the entity known as Darkness just a few months after KH3 revealed that being a Princess of Heart was a mantle that could be passed on rather than a permanent state of being. Then Re:Mind revealed that Darkness is still hiding within Ventus' heart in the present day. And following the release of Melody of Memory, the next Union X update revealed that Darkness had killed Streliztia because it saw her death as the best way to grant Ven's desire for strength. The ability for Princesses of Heart to pass on their powers serves as set up for Kairi to do the same, opening herself up to struggling with darkness in her heart for the very first time. 

Kairi wants to become stronger in order to stand alongside Sora and Riku. But she has not struggled with her negative emotions the way that Riku has or that the narrative framework sets up Sora will be in the near future. But her decision to train alongside Aqua puts her in a position that has the potential to force her to go through that struggle herself should Darkness try to grant her desire for strength in ways that she doesn't want. 

I know that I was wrong before about Kairi getting over her fear of change. But this time, I'm confident that Kairi's character arc is finally picking up momentum. What Melody of Memory has that previous games didn't is a clear sense of narrative direction. All Dream Drop Distance did was vaguely establish that she was going to start training. Kingdom Hearts 3 didn't give enough information to form concrete theories about the trajectory of her arc. 

But all the Kingdom Hearts content released in 2020 has set up foreshadowing for a very specific plotline in regards to Kairi's character growth. And not only that, Xehanort's monologue in the flashback to her childhood where he says "if you arrive in a world that is neither light nor darkness, but somewhere on the other side, your task will be far from easy" adds a significant connection between Kairi rediscovering her past and the mysteries of "unreality." Especially because Xehanort acting like it was actually possible for her to end up there instead of Destiny Islands raises the question of whether she truly went straight to Destiny Islands after Xehanort sent her off. 

Kairi's connection to "unreality" makes her the lynchpin of all the major story arcs being set up for the other characters while Sora and Riku are in Quadratum. The parallels between them foreshadow Ventus regaining his memories of the Age of Fairy Tales just as Kairi is set up to regain her memories of Radiant Garden. Ventus regaining his memories of the past logically connects the Birth by Sleep trio to Lauriam and Elrena through his role in Strelitzia's death, as well as to the Twilight Town crew considering that Subject X is heavily implied to be Skuld. Then of course there's Luxu, who is directly responsible for Subject X's disappearance, and the Foretellers, who are still with Luxu last we saw them.  

With Sora and Riku off in Quadratum with Yozora and the Master of Masters, Kairi is narratively set to step up and take charge in dealing with the major unresolved plotlines from Union X and KH3 that need dealing with. By the time Sora and Riku finally make it back, she'll be a whole lot closer to their level.

TL;DR: I was too hasty in 2019 when I declared that Kairi had gotten over hear fear of change. I only had nebulous ideas of what would come next. But now I can pick out all the subtle foreshadowing that illuminates a concrete path forward, and I'm confident that now she's finally on the right track.

[mimiplaysgames]

Terraqua Week Day 1 (Weak Spot)

Summary: We all have to make peace with the past. (In which Terra returns in Xemnas’s body and I scream SIZE DIFFERENCE.) || Word Count: 8,319

Read on AO3

A/N: AAAAAHHHH I’m so excited that we’re doing a whole other @terraquaweek !! I have to apologize ahead of time, my fics this year are super long and super packed, but I’m pretty proud of this collection and I can’t wait for y’all to read! I can’t wait to hear what you think! <3

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

When Time Takes You For Granted

Terra looks so different. 

No matter—Aqua has to fight. She can’t hold back when he summons red sabers of light from his palms, can’t falter when he hammers them against the staff of her Keyblade, can’t blink when canyon dust is kicked into her eyes, can’t be fooled by his face because this man is not Terra and couldn’t ever pretend to be.

He opens his arms to conjure a fatal blow—but he underestimates her speed. She’s grown up fighting large men. He is no big deal. 

The man with Terra’s face withers when she strikes his midsection. One arm grips his stomach to hold himself together and he brings his other hand up. Dark tendrils evaporate from the leather of his gloves. 

“As you wish,” he says to her, richly voiced, smooth as a river stone. “Friend.” He staggers to his knees, groaning as he flickers away.

“Terra!” Ven calls, too fast for Aqua to hold back. The man still wears that same black cloak that marks him as a member of the Organization.

The man shivers when Ven shakes him awake, a quiet “Aqua? Ven?” escaping his lips. He huffs out a hoarse chuckle that clutches out of pain, with a voice that sounds like a morning at the summit of a mountain. “Ven, you’re so short.” 

There he is.

“Terra.” Aqua rushes over. “Can you hear me? How do you feel?” she asks, checking for signs of physical injury, a refusal to use a limb, the inability to breathe. 

His breath stutters. “Aqua?” There he is.

“I’m here.”

He pants, opening his eyes—now blue again, his hair dark again, there he is. He jerks forward as if desperate to find her, but it’s like he can’t see her. In a drunk and feverish whimper, barely with the strength to sit himself up, he stumbles back. “Aqua. Aqua, I have to tell you something.”

“Don’t worry about that,” she says, checking his temperature with the back of her hand, “just rest.”

“No, I have to say it,” he mumbles. “I have to. I didn’t last time, I didn’t and look what happened—”

“Okay,” she whispers. “Go ahead.” 

He pauses, moaning, “I’m sorry. I love you.”

“What?”

Ven bursts into a fit of hysteria. “Perfect timing, Terra. Ten out of ten.”

But Terra seems unaware, straddling between the drift to sleep and the fight to stay awake. He nods as if to confirm, mumbling to himself like a baby.

Aqua stares at him, her heart itching to hear it again in case she misunderstood. She has daydreamed of this moment—not like this, anything sweeter than this but genuine all the same—and yet it comes to her like a splash of ice on the face. Terra is older. He has more pronounced cheekbones with less elasticity in the skin, folds of dimples and knowledge when his lips twitch, a thicker jawline, a stronger nose. A glimpse of the future, his long brown hair stretching past the shoulders, oily and excessively gelled up for ridiculous bangs. Aqua brushes his cheek with her fingers.

She should have said something years ago, too. 

“What’s going on?” a voice calls out. Riku’s. He skids to a stop when he sees them. “Is that Xemnas?”

The man Aqua fought never introduced himself, but he sure liked to talk a lot. Whoever he was, he’s not relevant anymore. “He’s delirious. We need help picking him up.”

“Wait a minute,” Riku says, approaching them with a smidge too much caution for Aqua to appreciate. “I’ve been fighting Terra all these years?” 

“Xehanort,” Aqua says quietly, wrapping Terra’s arm over her shoulders. She shuffles her knees. He’s too heavy. “You’ve been fighting Xehanort.”

Riku nods. It’s his way of apologizing. “Well. That sucks.” He offers to take the other arm. “Xemnas was the leader of the first Organization. A self-inflated piece of work… I didn’t know who he really was. I didn’t recognize him.” He pulls a smile to his face and nudges Ven with his elbow. “Sora and I made sure to give him a hard time.”

Aqua wants him to stop talking. 

Footsteps approach them, crunchy with the sound of sand and dirt, and Aqua braces herself for what’s to come. Riku whips around to prepare an explanation, but it’s none other than Kairi. 

She sees them with wide and round eyes. Brings her hand to her mouth. “Riku?” Kairi says specifically, asking him questions with her eyes in a private language Aqua can’t understand. 

He shrugs. “What do you want me to say?”

Kairi sits on her knees, her skirt too short to cover them from the dirt. “This poor boy. It’s not fair.”

Aqua purses her lips. Ven stares past everyone else. 

“We’re all getting punished,” Kairi continues like the sting of knowing that after all is said and done, Sora is gone somewhere and here are Aqua and Ven picking up their own brittle, little pieces. “Look at him.” 

Riku sighs. “I have space in my Gummi ship for him. But we need to be quick about it.”

Kairi gasps, wide-eyed. “That’s right.”

Aqua doesn’t want to ask why. Ven does it for her. “What’s up?”

“We can’t let the others see him,” Riku says.

Too late. Roxas appears on the other side of the clearing, heavy in breath. He’s sweet and gentle even when it seems like his mind is a distance away. He looks exactly like Ven but nothing like Ven, a grimness to his smile and a thoughtfulness to his speech like he’s seen and knows too much. 

Roxas frowns. “What are you doing?” 

“We’re helping him,” Aqua says as a matter of fact, flexing her ankles to stand up with Riku, shouldering half the weight. Terra stumbles on his feet, mumbling something about not wanting to step on any mice. “This is Terra, by the way.”

Roxas stares. “Why?” he asks accusingly. 

Aqua stammers. How this boy who has been ripped away from his own friends could ask such a thing— 

“Come on, he’s our friend,” Ven says. 

“You call him a friend?” Roxas points at Terra. “Do you even know what he’s done?”

Xehanort. What Xehanort has done, but Aqua stops herself from snapping. She says softly, “Terra would never—” 

“What if Terra saw what happened? What if he knew? Is he the type to be okay with that?”

She glares at him. No answer comes to her, except when Xemnas called her a Friend.

Kairi steps forward, arms out like a barrier. “He needs medical attention. We don’t have to talk about this right now.”

And they won’t have the chance. Xion slowly comes up behind Roxas. They’re both dressed in the same black cloak that Terra wears like it’s a mark, a forced tattoo. She has her hands cupped into each other, bringing them to her chest like they’re a shield. 

“Roxas?” Xion asks. She looks terrified.

“Forget it,” Roxas says, turning over and tugging her by the elbow. “This is dumb. We don’t need to care or be here.” 

Aqua refuses to fight this battle, not when Terra is wheezing and flinching as if he’s being crushed under mineral and earth. 

“Kairi,” Riku says solemnly, “just guide us back to the ship.” He says to Aqua, “If it’s any consolation, I think he would’ve done something if he knew.” 

Aqua nods, choosing to create solace out of his delicate comfort, if only to find the strength to drag Terra across the desert.

It’s a laborious but peaceful walk, what with Kairi talking about healing potions (I’ve learned some during training, maybe I can make Terra one?), and Ven excited about the first meal they’ll have together as a trio again (Pancakes, Aqua. Pancakes.), until they find Lea standing in front of the Gummi ship. He has his hands in the pockets of his cloak, and Aqua wonders if he’s concealing weapons. 

Lea is a double-sided coin. One side a mask with a running end of jokes and playful jabs designed to hide the other, steely and scrutinizing. 

“I promised myself I would never see Roxas that upset again,” Lea says, as if to blame them for breaking it. “I’ve never seen Xion that upset.” That brand of Lea-lilt in his voice, the one he uses every time he spits out Got it memorized?, is gone, and Aqua admits she respects him more for it. Lea nods over to Terra. “Shouldn’t we leave the trash where it belongs?”

“You’re really going to ask that when you’ve been pining all this time for Saïx?” Riku snaps. 

Lea laughs. “You might as well shave my entire head and tell people I’m ugly.” He chills over. “I’m no saint either, but don’t compare us to”—he points at Terra, not Xehanort or Xemnas or whoever—“him. You want to know what I think of Xemnas? He doesn’t deserve an ounce of the worst. The core of rotten fruit. The smell of ass after a trip to the bathroom. The pits of the ocean where all the fish shit clump together and the bloat of dead flesh float around.”

“Don’t mind him,” Riku tells Aqua and Ven. “He likes to exaggerate.”

“I like to make a point.” Lea steadies his breath, hot petrol on the verge of exploding, letting the steam lose pressure. “I like to tell the truth when it matters.”

Aqua glares at him. She doesn’t know Lea that well, and doesn’t know what matters of truth are supposed to mean. But she holds her head high. Her truth screams from the inside of her head. 

“Terra would never,” she announces. 

Lea scoffs. 

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

Ven trips on dragging fabric. They’re taking some of the Master’s old robes to Terra, who can’t fit into any of his own clothes anymore. The castle at the Land of Departure is stiff and quiet, like a long-lost stranger. Home isn’t home but a dream, a memory, a trip through aged photos.

“I don’t think this is going to work,” Ven says in a sing-song voice.

“The Master was a large man,” Aqua insists. 

“Yeah, but Terra’s bicep is bigger than your head now.”

That’s true and… not something Aqua wants to think about—his body though, it’s impressive—not if she wants to hide the blush in her cheeks. Terra is huge now, the crown of her head reaching the base of his diaphragm. He’s so broad that if he hugs her, she’d disappear into the flesh. 

Aqua and Ven turn the corner and enter Terra’s room, who has a towel wrapped around his hips. He’s fussing with the wet roots of his hair.

“So much grease,” Terra complains, scratching his scalp with the pads of his fingers. “What the stars was this guy thinking with all this hair gel?”

Aqua stares at the wood of his dresser—not at how sculpted his muscles are (more than ever, actually). Not at the chisels and grooves on his back as he breathes and moves to grab a robe from the rumpled stack is Ven’s arms.

“That one will look nice,” Aqua says, eyeing the ivory color of the robe Terra chose.

“Might,” Ven corrects. “Might look nice.”

Terra snorts. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re bigger than a rhino.”

He laughs. He sounds the same. “All the more to terrorize people with,” Terra says and it wretches at her chest. 

“Glad to know you’re still an idiot.”

Terra slips his arms through the sleeves, pulling the robe over his shoulders and across his chest. It’s not flattering. The seams are stretched, the threads exposed, and it wears on his shoulders so tightly that the muscles form hills under the fabric. 

Ven points and laughs. “I told you. No one listens to me.”

Aqua pulls the robe off Terra’s shoulders when he slouches into his chair. She tosses it with the rest of the Master’s unfittable artifacts onto Ven’s arms. “Can you take care of these? I’ll stay and help Terra.”

Ven eyes her. With a knowing grin. Like an imp that should be slapped. “Do what? Put his pants on?”

Terra gapes. “What?”

“You’re obnoxious,” Aqua says to Ven.

“You’d miss me if I wasn’t,” Ven says with his nose high to the ceiling. He leans forward, the imp smile stretching to reach ear to ear, curled upwards. “But Terra would like it, wouldn’t he?”

Terra coughs and clears his throat. “Ven, get out.” He waves his arm—and a crash explodes before Aqua can understand what happened. Everything in his room—his shoes, the coat rack, the lamp by his bed, his pillows, books from the shelf, dirty laundry that hasn’t been washed in a decade, dust collected from the same amount of time—fly at Ven. The comforter in particular is what knocks him over.

“What was that?” Ven squeals, sitting up from the rubble. “What was that?”

Terra’s lip quivers. He stares at his hands. “I don’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Aqua says, bending over to stack books in her arms. “Ven, get a broom and some rags. We’ve got some cleaning to do.” 

Ven trips before heading off, like he couldn’t wait to get out. Aqua has a feeling he’s going to bug her for details later. 

“I’m so sorry,” Terra whispers, balling his hands into fists and shoving them into his lap as a preemptive measure. 

The Organization’s cloak sits thrown on the floor, still dusty. Aqua pads the excess off. 

“Don’t worry,” she says, pulling cheer from somewhere inside to lighten the mood. “I’ll sew you a new robe.”

Terra won’t look at her. He mumbles her a word of thanks when she hands his dirty cloak over.

“Leather can’t be scrubbed like everything else,” she explains. “I’ll clean it later.”

“It’s fine,” Terra says, holding it in his giant hands. He doesn’t move to put it on, and instead stares at the large mirror hanging over his desk in front of him. Aqua stands by his side. She’s tall, but she never once considered herself as thin, her frame skeletal by comparison. 

By comparison, she hasn’t changed.

Well, she has. Her smiles are not the same. 

Terra’s hair is messy, now with much more for her to brush her fingers through. She doesn’t try. “I don’t remember any of these,” he whispers. 

The scars. Knicks in crossed-over patterns across his chest and biceps. A rippled scorch mark by his elbow like a crater, a gouge on one side by the stomach, a deep ravine on the other, near the ribs. More on his back, a textured map for nowhere to go. 

“Not a single one.” His voice cracks. 

Aqua caresses his shoulder. Those scars are not stories he needs to hear. “What do you remember?” She actually doesn’t want to know, in case Roxas was right. 

“Nothing.” 

She wants to be relieved, but she isn’t. “Nothing at all?” In twelve years?

“No.” 

Aqua wraps her arms around his shoulders from behind him, aware of how he tenses at first and relaxes after, a puzzle piece fitting in exactly the right spot. “Where were you?”

“I don’t know.” He sighs, leaning his head onto hers. “I wasn’t anywhere, I… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s fine.” Twelve years of nothing and twelve years living with nightmares; there’s not much to talk about. She traces a divot on his shoulder. “I know this one.”

“Yours,” Terra says. When he smirks that way, he looks the same as he always had.

“I stabbed you with a wooden sword.”

“My wooden sword.” He brushes his fingers on the scar. As if he’s reminded of something, Terra frowns. “I was just a kid.” He studies his skin on the reflection, pulling on his face with his fingers, watching the way the skin ripples, the sharpness of cheekbones, the dips and dimples that didn’t used to be there. There are thick streaks of silver underneath the outer layers when he brushes his hair back. He never asked for this. “Can we get rid of every mirror in the castle?” he whispers.

Aqua lets him go. The way he asks makes her want to try memory alteration, to slowly erase what haunts him so he doesn’t have to deal with harsh reminders or sudden blows to the mind. She forces herself to smile—if she shows distress, it would only upset him more. There is nothing they can do about the past and there won’t be a mention of what it’s robbed from them.

“Maybe just the one in here. I’ll help.” 

Terra stands up and takes one of his old, simple cotton shirts that he prefers when he goes to bed while Aqua tests the bottom part of the ornate frame. It won’t budge, heavy as lifting a boulder. 

“I look ridiculous,” she hears Terra say. The shirt is as tight as second skin, what used to sit on him loosely now gripping for dear life across his upper stomach, his belly button exposed. 

Aqua purses her lips, heat to her cheeks. “Do you remember waking up?”

“Where?” He’s layering the cloak over the scandal. 

“At the Keyblade Graveyard.”

“No,” he says. She’s known him for years. She can tell he’s sincere. “Why?”

“Just wondering how far your memory goes,” she says, playing serious. She’ll have to figure out a different way to bring up that conversation. “I can’t lift this alone.”

“Not a problem.” Terra grabs his side of the mirror and lifts it off its hook like it’s a single piece of paper.  He clears his throat. “Um—wow.”

“That’s impressive,” Aqua says, and Terra blushes purple. 

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

Aqua makes it back home in time for lunch, and finds Terra sitting on the bar that splits the kitchen from the dining room, wearing his cloak with the zipper open, no shirt and leather pants. It must be blistering hot in those considering the sunny weather. He’s complained about having to sleep naked. 

She presents him with several bags on the counter. Rolls of fresh cotton shirts and pants for lounging, nylon for sparring and wool for the winter. He splits a warm grin when he feels how soft they are. It almost brightens his deep dark circles. 

“I also found these gorgeous fabrics,” Aqua says, showing him the silk she means to make him a new robe in that same ivory color, with embroidered, rust-colored strips that she’ll use for the borders and trims. “This will look good with your armor.” 

“Let me show you what I’ve been working on.” On his lap are a set of the Master’s old hakama. Terra is attempting to tailor it…all through hand sewing, the needle swallowed by his thick fingers. The threads are bunched up and knotted over, if they don’t skip some parts. “What?” he asks. She must be making a face. “It’s ugly isn’t it.”

“Nothing that skill can’t help,” Aqua says, taking the pants from him and not apologizing for anything.

He taps the counter with his fingers. “Riku told me about Xemnas.”

Aqua stops the urge to groan, folding over the fabric carefully and pretending that name doesn’t boil her blood. “What did he say?”

“Xemnas was a telekinetic.” 

That explains some things. “Okay.”

“Apparently he could lift entire buildings.”

Aqua snorts.

Terra leans forward. “Hey, you can’t blame me for the back door.”

“But it makes sense.”

Terra has blown open said door. He has also destroyed historical statues and windows that are difficult to replace. He has even ripped a tree from its roots when he practiced his powers outside. The more he gets scared of these abilities, the more destructive he becomes. Terra’s body is not entirely sane on its own either—he’ll step on pebbles, on glass barefoot, and he can’t feel a thing. 

“Can you answer Riku for me?” He pulls the Gummiphone from his pocket, the device smaller than his palm. “The buttons are too small. I’m thinking of asking Chip and Dale to build me a custom-sized one.” 

She takes his phone, the screen smudged with his round fingertips, larger than her nails. “Are you going to stop training your new powers?”

He flinches. “They’re not mine.”

“Well...” she says gently, cradling his phone in her hands. It’s warm from his touch. 

“Not that I can control them.” He huffs, frustrated enough to crack the counter in half if he tries. 

“Why don’t you show me how far you’ve come?”

He glares at her. 

“The oranges.” She points to the kitchen on the other side of the room. Oranges, pears, and apples sit in a wooden bowl by the sink. “Pick one of them up.”

“That’s a little too much to ask for.”

“One tiny orange?” She smirks. “You can balance it on your pinky.”

He scoffs. “You talk as if you like me like this.”

Aqua clears her throat, suddenly deep in a trench that she can’t climb out of. “You can’t help what happened to you, but you can help yourself.”

Terra rolls his eyes. “Yes, ma’am. Stars, it’s like being in class again.”

“I’m pleased with that. Try sliding the bowl over.”

Terra leans his elbows onto the counter and opens his palms, his fingers curled like claws. What surprises her is how fast the bowl responds, like it’s channeling an emotional reaction, immediate and neurotic. It rattles, as if it weighs several tons under an ocean. 

Aqua looks over at his furrowed concentration, sweat glistening as though he’s wrestling instead of picking up fruit. “What’s stopping you?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

She smiles. “There was a day when we didn’t know what our Keyblades would look like. That was exciting and terrifying at the same time, remember?”

“You sound like the Master.”

“I take that as a compliment.”

Terra grunts. “Fine, I’ll try harder.” Though he doesn’t have to prove anything to Aqua. Ever.

Terra waves his hands to the right and—disaster.

The bowl flips over and crashes into the fridge. 

Plates and mugs burst out of the cupboards, shattering when they hit the floor. Pots and pans soar, crossing the entire kitchen and slamming into the grandfather clock, destroying the glass casing and tearing apart the inside as gears sputter to the floor. 

The clockface nearly lands on Ven’s head when he enters with a glass of water in his hand. He freezes. It cracks when it hits the tile. Forks, spoons, and other utensils spin past him and stab the wall, the knives wedged into it. 

“Ven!” Aqua calls, running to him. He’s fine. If anything, he’s shivering from shock. 

“Ven,” Terra starts, scrambling up from the stool but he flicks his hands too quickly. The water from Ven’s glass splashes him on the face. “Stars, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t,” Ven says, wiping his face. “Worry about it.” He inhales. “You nearly impaled me.” 

“I’m sorry—”

“Sit,” Ven says, pointing at Terra. “On your hands.”

Terra does as he’s told, slumping his shoulders over as if to shrink. But it’s a parody, an elephant hiding behind a palm tree, a giant monster puppy rejected.

Ven looks over the destroyed grandfather clock—it was one of the Master’s newer ones, who developed a fondness for them late into his life. “This one was a stars-damned eyesore, anyway.”

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

Aqua is dressed in her shorts and shirt, preparing for bed when she hears another crash, this time a dull crack, breaking apart right outside her bedroom. 

Terra is carrying a door handle, still attached to shards of wood. He is furiously shivering, wearing the new clothes she bought for him.

“Terra, are you okay?” she asks gently.

With effort, he calms himself, the handle shaking in both of his hands, a hole in his door the only other thing amiss. “I can fix it.” His undereye circles are getting awfully puff, his voice broken by static. 

“You should really get some sleep,” she says, stepping out. 

He sighs forcefully, as if to ask her to stop. “I can’t.”

She nods. “It’s hard for me to sleep, too.”

“I can’t help but feel like my body is going to sleepwalk without me knowing.”

“I don’t think it would.” She smirks but it doesn’t comfort him. “I take rounds around the castle sometimes. I would notice if you’re a zombie.”

His lips quiver, and he squeezes the handle as if to snap it on purpose. He doesn’t. Terra turns to her but stares hard at the floor. In a voice so quiet that he sounds like a small boy, he asks, “Can you stay with me tonight?”

Her heart jumps, trying to wretch itself out of her chest. “Terra?”

“I want to sleep. I can’t. I think it would be easier if…” He fiddles with the door handle, a shy boy unable to speak. “If you were with me.”

Aqua smiles. He’s braver than her for asking. “I’d feel safer behind a locked door. Come in.”

On her desk is her sewing machine, the pattern of his new robe designed, his measurements already taken, the fabric put together in pins and ready to be weaved with thread. 

But there is a mirror in her room, and when Terra enters, he stops in his place. 

“I’m sorry,” she says, moving to pull one of her bedsheets to cover it. 

“It’s fine,” Terra says, but she’s too fast, balancing out the coverage. He slouches on her chair and leans back with a grunt. His fair falls behind him like a cascade. It’s always been wonderfully thick and dark. Aqua indulges this time, brushing it with her fingers, tempted to braid it. He audibly relaxes, and says, “Riku told me what happened in the Graveyard.”

Aqua swallows. “What did he say?”

“How Roxas and Lea reacted.” He gets quieter the more he speaks, words slipping into weak whispers. “To me.” Tears drip out of his eyes, running to his ears and down his neck. He sniffs. “Xion is terrified of me and I don’t know how to live with myself.”

“It’s not your fault, Terra,” she says softly, lightly rubbing his scalp when she sweeps his glorious hair, brown and silver like silk on her skin. It soothes him. 

“Kairi said the same.”

“Kairi is wise.”

“She wants to find a way to get us all together.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Aqua says, and he groans. “Let me figure out how to set that up. I’ll coordinate with her.”

“I don’t think that will end well.”

“We should try. We all have things in common and have faced similar hardships. We need each other as friends.”

“But look at me.”

She does. He’s beautiful. “I’m looking.”

“What am I going to do?” Terra has always been too sensitive for his own good. Aqua thinks about who she’d possibly call to help me. “They’ll never talk to me.”

“You’re already trying your best.”

“Aqua, I’ve been a beast since I’ve been home.” He rubs his thumb and fingers together. A body that fails him. 

“Terra, please, you’re fine the way you are.”

“Two more grandfather clocks under my belt and all the vegetables in the garden in my pocket,” he reminds her.

“Let’s try one more time,” she says, taking his hand. “I think if you could outwin your powers, you’d feel better.”

“Your room is too immaculate for me to mess with.”

“Not my room. On me.”

“Why would I do that?” Terra stands up. 

“I think if there’s a parameter that you’re forced to work under, you’d improve the way you want to.” 

Terra pauses. “And put you in danger?”

“If that’s what’s going to work.”

“I care too much about you to do that.”

“I know you love me,” Aqua says, startling herself. She shouldn’t have said that, especially now that he’s staring at her wide-eyed—but they’re best friends. Of course he loves her. Of course it’s the most natural thing to say. There’s not much more to imply. “You won’t hurt me.”

“Intentionally,” his voice croaks, looking everywhere around the room except at Aqua.

“What do you want out of your training, Terra?”

“I want to feel less like a freak.”

“Here I am.” She widens her arms. “Hit me with your best shot.”

“What if I fling you out the window like a rag doll?”

“You won’t.” Now she’s nervous he will.

“Or burst your skull open?”

“Then don’t.” Aqua swallows.

Terra sighs and runs a hand through his hair, the silver glistening from the light of her ceiling lamp. 

“Be gentle,” Aqua suggests.

Terra hesitates, one step too far behind necessary confidence. She takes both of his hands in hers, and he gives her a feathered squeeze in return. 

“Promise me you won’t break,” he says.

“Promise you won’t break me.”

He blinks back tears when he holds her waist, his hands a hearth through her thin shirt. He’s about to pick her up but he lets her go instead, intentionally widening his hands as if pulling strings. As though gravity has shut off, the air around her loses all weight. Her feet lift off the carpet and she’s suspended above her dresser, her limbs moving slowly as though she’s underwater. Terra trembles from so much concentration. He’s worried, delicate with her, lifting her up like a cloud drifting over a mountain, her desk distant like it’s inside a doll house, her bed too small for a body to sleep in.

She gasps. “Wow.”

Terra wrestles with a smile but every muscle is engaged as though he’s picking up a boulder. 

“You’re doing wonderful,” she says. When he looks up at her, he cries. “Now put me down. Gently.”

It’s like she’s asking him to drop that boulder, all collateral be damned. He groans, a vein throbbing on his forehead. He’s hesitant at first but he exhausts when he finally relaxes. The threads that hold her snap. Aqua falls. Terra catches her by her bare thighs. 

“You did so well,” she whispers, holding onto his shoulders. Dust collects on the top of her door frame that she’d never notice otherwise. “You’re so tall,” she laughs.

He sighs. “I’m so tired.”

“Oh, you can put me down.”

His arms stutter when he slides her off him, and he plops onto her mattress, the adrenaline making him tremble. But he smiles. That’s the most Aqua could ask for, and yet that’s the thing, for some reason, that unplugs the dam. 

“I know what it’s like,” she starts, resting a hand on his head. “I wish it never happened. I wish I didn’t have to meet Xemnas, or that I fell into Darkness. Or that anyone hurt you. We wasted all those years.”

“Don’t say that,” he says softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You came back the same and you can redo all that time. Enjoy it.”

“But you?”

Terra sighs. He’s aged. He lays on her mattress, knees sliding off the edge and feet firm on the floor. “I’m okay. I’ve made my peace.”

When she settles next to him, she has to curl her legs in, fitting right into his side, her head on his shoulder. She relaxes to the way he strokes her hair. Peace shouldn’t have to be made. It shouldn’t be bargained for, it shouldn’t be difficult to win in a twisted game. But it is for most people, isn’t it? It is for anyone who’s been betrayed, who has suffered misfortune, who has been robbed or tortured, who has been fractured into pieces with no reason to justify it. 

Terra and Aqua have kissed before out of curiosity, years ago. It left her wanting more. And the wanting has led to yearning. And the yearning lingered on, Aqua choosing to wait for the right moment, for the right hour, for the right occasion, letting it all slip her by each and every time for the most mundane reasons. Terra and Aqua have napped together in the woods, in the shade of a tree after hours of sparring, shoulder to shoulder, one of them promising to wake the other before they’re late for their lessons. 

“If I ever get up in the middle of the night...” Terra starts. 

“Where is this conversation going?” 

“And I’m not actually awake—”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“—and I’m walking around like a zombie—”

“Pfft.”

“—please hit me as hard as you can.”

Aqua chuckles. This shouldn’t be a joke at all and yet what else is there left for them to do? “As you wish.”

“Promise me you’ll wake me up. No matter what.”

“Of course.” Aqua nuzzles her face into his shoulder, feeling the way his pec curves over rock-hard muscle. “Always.”

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

They’re in the study, where some of the most outdated books in the castle find their home, for decoration more than anything.

Terra has new suspenders and hakama pants. The robe she’s designed for him, ivory with rust-colored trim, has one proper sleeve. The other is more of an open cape that curls under his armored arm, pinning at his shoulder like a shawl, made to show off the metal, burgundy and shiny. He’s elegant, tall and intimidating, respectable and warm. 

“I love it,” he says.

“You almost look like the Master,” Aqua says.

“Do you think he would have liked it?”

“I think he would have been proud.”

Ven knocks on the door frame, holding up an Okay gesture. “Nice getup.” 

Terra smirks. “It makes me look less scary.”

“Are you going to throw away the black cloak?”

Aqua flinches, pinching the robe and straightening it, though not because it needs it. 

“I’m still thinking about it,” Terra says. “It depends on how today goes.”

“Speaking of,” Ven says, and Aqua sighs. “Aqua, he’s here.”

As though all breath has been sucked out of the air, they fall quiet. The crackle of the fireplace snaps. 

“You doing okay?” she whispers to Terra.

He nods, but his skin turns green. 

“Just relax and get comfortable,” she says.

Ven follows Aqua to the entrance hall, where their guest has welcomed himself inside. Isa stands with a poise that demands to be matched with a level of professionalism. Aqua crosses her hands together and keeps them to herself.

“Thank you for coming,” she says. When she messaged him to be a mediator, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Lea and Isa may seem to be opposite but they are two peas in a pod that way. Lea is a book of riddles, one page contradicting its own backside depending on which version of him shows up that day. Isa’s book is blank.

“I appreciate your invitation,” Isa says, though an instinctual tick deep in her stomach tells her that appreciation was a difficult word for him to use. 

“Hey there.” Ven waves. 

Isa raises his eyebrows. “Hello, Ventus,” he says�� and nothing else.

Ven glances at Aqua and blares a tight, awkward smile. “Okay. Well. I’ll leave you to it.”

After Ven leaves, Isa breathes, like he’s been holding it. “I suppose the rest of this visit will be similar.” The grin on his face is sudden whiplash for Aqua, his strict posture now with blurred edges. 

“In what way?” Aqua can’t quit the habit of letting go of her hands.

“Roxas usually wears a scowl. To see the same face greet me so warmly, it was quite the surprise.” 

“Ah.”

“But a welcomed one.” His intense green eyes drill a hole into her. “Believe me when I say that I’m more than happy to come here and see him for myself, though it puts me in a fickle position with my family.”

Aqua brings her hands to her heart. “I think Sora would want us all to get along.”

“If that’s the angle you want to approach this with, I’d say you have a moderate chance of convincing them.” 

She nods and leads the way. “He’s excited to meet you.”

Isa doesn’t reply. Terra is waiting on one of the lounge chairs in the study, telekinetically spinning pages on a book floating in front of him. He snatches the book as they approach him, and drops it on a nearby desk. 

Terra doesn’t say anything. Neither does Isa, who sits himself on a comfortable chair opposite and crosses his legs. Aqua, not knowing where to go or what to do with her hands, stands by Terra. She’s hoping for an amicable meeting, anticipating an interrogation.

Isa smirks and it’s not exactly inviting. “Shall we skip the pleasantries?”

Terra nods like a dog scolded. “I’m glad you’re here,” he says with a shaky voice. 

Isa hums, interlacing his fingers as he stares—rather studies Terra with scrutiny. “Do you remember me?”

Terra shakes his head, choking on a cough. “You’re asking the wrong person.” 

“Are you certain?”

“I know of you.”

“What do you know of me?”

“You’re with Lea.” Terra licks his lips and balls his hands into fists. He only gets this way when he’s being tested, when he wants to get every answer correct. “You’ve had a complicated history with Organization XIII.”

“Complicated,” Isa repeats. 

“You were a Nobody.”

Isa smirks coldly, much like how Aqua would have imagined from the stories she’s heard about Saïx. “We were brethren.”

Terra hangs his head. “I don’t know much else.”

“How is that possible?” 

“I don’t know. I resigned. It was so painful not to. I was nowhere. Nothing to have, nothing to see, nothing to hear. I waited for an opportunity for it to stop hurting—” Terra croaks. “And I woke up.”

Isa uncrosses his legs and anchors his elbows onto his knees, cupping his chin into his hands. “You’ve no memory of the command to manipulate Sora into vanquishing Heartless for us?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“To gather enough energy to summon Kingdom Hearts.”

“That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Isa sighs, and Aqua swears it sounds like anticipation. “And the scar on my face?”

The way Isa asks demands an explanation, and Terra—sweet, sensitive Terra, whose eyes grow hollow—can’t handle the implication. 

“No. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He grits his teeth, staring at the armrest. Aqua stops herself from speaking and holds his shoulder. There isn’t anything for Terra to be sorry for. 

Isa closes his eyes, trembling. After a moment, he jams his thumbs into his eyes and stills, silence befalling all of them, settling among the gentle presence of the fire and the movement of the clouds outside. 

When Isa sits up, eyes glassy but kept together, he summons a smile. Softly, he says, “You look nothing like him.”

Terra, at a loss for words, nods meekly. “Did you keep it? The black cloak?”

“Of course not.” Isa scoffs. “We burned ours.”

Terra offers no condolences or congratulations. He smiles, exhausted. 

Isa stands up. “Please don’t tell me you enjoy white wine with red velvet confections.”

Terra recoils, popping into a laugh as though he’s cracked under the pressure. “That sounds like it tastes awful. I don’t drink. I don’t like losing control of my body.”

The sound of Terra’s laugh shocks Isa. “Sensible.” He addresses Aqua with a look. “I must go. This has been… rather cathartic, and I’d prefer to release it in private.” 

Terra bolts out of his chair, reaching out to cradle one of Isa’s hands in both of his. 

“Thank you,” Terra says, and though Aqua is behind him, she could hear the tears. “Please come back whenever you feel comfortable. I’d love to have your company.”

Isa nods, turning over his shoulder for the door.

The abrupt exit leaves Terra pleading Aqua with his eyes. “Did I say something wrong?” he whispers, slapping his forehead. “I couldn’t honor his experiences. I should have figured out a way to remember.”

“That’s not your burden to bear. It wouldn’t help you anyway,” she whispers back, gently gripping his elbow. “I’ll be back.”

Aqua trails Isa back downstairs, skipping steps. It’s as though he’s in a hurry to get back home. 

“Isa,” she calls. When he stops, she almost trips on herself. Her hands return to their crossover position. Something about Isa makes her so self-conscious, it’s indescribable how he can unravel her like this. “I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to come here.” 

His eyes are pink. “I will tell the others there is nothing to fear.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Lea is unbearably stubborn, but he is intelligent. He already knows Terra is not to be blamed. He simply hasn’t buried his demons yet and that is his responsibility.”

Aqua sighs, relieved. “I needed to hear that.”

Isa doesn’t smile. Instead, he traces a finger across the X-shaped scar over his nose. “Terra and I are forced to face our mistakes in the mirror for as long as we breathe. If we are ever to forge a new life from the ashes, we would need to throw our transgressions into a pyre.”

“I think your presence makes him feel less alone.”

“I want to apologize, Master Aqua.”

“For what?”

Isa considers his words. “Lea and I have lost so much of our youth to a worthless cause. It is not natural for us to enjoy freedom. We expect a harsher punishment to catch up to us any day now, to steal more time from us. Perhaps we deserve to live in fear of that every day. I certainly do.” He watches her. “I can see the story you’ve endured this past decade in your eyes. It’s horrific.” 

Aqua stays quiet.

“And Terra,” he continues. “He will age and die long before you and Ventus. I’m so sorry for that. The rubble we’re left with, it is such a weight for us to bear.”

She wipes a tear from her cheek, too proud to let them continue. “That’s why we need to make the best of it.”

Isa smiles; this time it’s warm. He holds her bicep. “I agree.”

“Will you and the others join us for dinner? Terra speaks for all of us, we’d love to have you around.”

“Bribe Lea with an extravagant experience and he will surely say yes. The children will follow once we assure them.”

Aqua nearly jumps to hug him but she keeps herself composed. Instead, she bows to him. His eyes pulse open.

“That was not necessary,” he says.

“You need to understand how deeply I appreciate this.”

“Lea was right. You old-fashioned wielders are certainly an odd bunch.”

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

On her way back to the study, Aqua breaks into a sprint, desperate to fly so she could get to him as fast as possible, see his face when she delivers the news.

Terra sulks by a window. Before he could say anything, Aqua jumps and throws her arms around his neck in a clash of grunts, her legs dangling. 

“They’re going to join us for dinner,” she says. She can’t tell if she’s the one who’s trembling or if it’s Terra. Because her arms are wrapped around his neck, she drags him down with her when he relaxes. He rests his forehead on hers as he leans over her, his hair falling around her like a curtain. 

“Stars,” he whispers. “It’s happening?”

She smiles into his cheek. “He wants to bring everyone with him.”

He squeezes her by the small of her back. “We’ll have to invite the others too. Riku and Kairi. Naminé. It will be a feast.”

At the sound of his own words, Terra straightens out, and their fleeting moment of excitement vanishes as quick as it graces them. He nervously clutches a handful of his hair. “Wait, how soon are they coming?”

“Is something wrong?”

“I want to wear it in a ponytail.” He brushes his hair up, exposing the silver near the scalp. “Do you think it’s possible to dye it?”

That’s what makes him so insecure? Aqua stands on her toes to fiddle with the hair. “Come on. It’s a little tedious, but it can be done.”

Aqua snips the necessary plants from the garden, and after grinding them, she dumps the blend into a mix of water and animal fat. Terra slips his robe off and bends over the kitchen sink, letting her sweep the dye with a paintbrush and pinch it across the strands of his long hair with gloved hands. This is the tedious part, separating his hair into thin chunks and being diligent enough to leave nothing untouched. 

“It won’t last for long, right?” he asks, shifting his weight.

“I can find a spell to seal it and make it last longer.” She nudges him to turn his neck over so she can work the other side. In this direction, he can look up at her.

“This feels like I’m cheating.” 

“I think we all cheated. We all came back by some star’s blessing.”

Terra frowns. “When Isa wanted to know if I remembered anything, I felt like I was playing a rigged game. Like I had gotten away with it so easily when he’s stuck with them on his own.”

“Bend your neck forward,” she says, and he follows so she could brush the dye into the back of the scalp. “Well, Isa doesn’t blame you and no one should. And you do get away with certain things.”

Terra flinches but she keeps her hold on him. “Like what?”

Aqua pinches more of the dye into the hair at the neck, wrapping a towel around his shoulders. He will have to pass the time needed for the color to sink in. She can’t wait until he sees it for himself in the mirror. She can’t wait until he smiles more, until he can walk with seeded confidence. 

“You can stand up,” she tells him, instructing him that it will take almost an hour for the dye to settle. She pulls out her gloves and considers an answer to his question. “You get away with what you say sometimes.”

Terra gapes. “Did I offend you?”

“No.” She smirks. This has never been the way she daydreamed it would go—she had prepared a scenario where they would talk about it under the stars in a clear night, in the spring where the flowers have blossomed. Not with yet another shirt that they’ll have to replace.“You told me you loved me that day in the Graveyard.” He doesn’t flinch. “And you don’t remember saying that either.”

The bowl of dye rattles and Aqua catches it from falling over, spilling the excess into the sink and rinsing it. “Terra?”

“Uh.” The cupboards shake as if about to spill open. Terra grabs the knife block and throws it into the fridge, just in case. “Well.” He splays his hand over the handle and burns it with a fire spell, molding the metal together so it can’t burst open. “I’ll fix that later. Um. It’s—” He tips over the fruit bowl so nothing will fly out in different directions. He can’t look her in the face, taking deep breaths. “I mean. It’s not—it’s not a lie.” 

Aqua waits a moment, afraid another word is going to make the oven explode. “I should have told you the same.” She bites her lip. 

“What are you saying?” The burner grates of the stovetop blow up and hit the cupboard over it. “All this time, I could have known?”

“Maybe you should have done something about it.” 

“I’ve been driving myself crazy wondering how you felt. Ever since we came back home.”

“And you said nothing?”

Terra stares at her. “You know what—I’m not protecting you from the oranges.”

“What are you doing?” She chuckles.

He flips the bowl back and waves his arm, five oranges punching her on the arm that she’s using to shield herself.

“Terra!”

She stumbles as the oranges bounce back from the floor and arc over to hit her again. Terra squeezes his fists and the oranges unpeel themselves, sputtering juice all over her face, a tart taste filling her mouth.

Aqua laughs and runs into the dining room, ducking behind the table.

“Get back here,” Terra calls. He rushes into the dining room, clumsy enough to be caught off guard when she charges at him. 

Aqua has to jump higher, kicking off his chest to flip over. The goal is to slam her foot across his face—the best sparring trick in her arsenal. Terra catches her by the ankle but his balance is tested when she bends her knee to throw him off. He’s stronger, a tight grip on her calf. They both fall onto his back, a tower broken in two and collapsing on itself.

Aqua rests her head between his chest, giggling so much that her chin digs into his thorax. 

Terra groans, his soaked hair leaving brown tracks over the tile. “You got some on you.” He rubs a thumb on her temple where it meets the base of her hair. “Hmm, you’d look good as a brunette.”

“In your wildest dreams.”

“If one can come true, then you never know.”

Aqua holds herself up on her elbows. Terra is so large, he’s a mattress in the middle of the dining room floor. Streaks of dye draw across his cheek. They leave what look like slashes across his neck. It’s going to take some scrubbing power to remove them. She sweeps some of the hair off, not caring about the stain it leaves on her fingers.

The next move is natural. A touch of lips to lips, careful and giddy, puckered and softer than she expects, two hands on her back and a powerful jaw under the grace of her fingertips. 

Ven opens the door and gags. “Ugh, all the stars in hell, could you do that in your room?” He turns on his heel and stomps off. “I’m too young for this.”

Aqua snorts into Terra’s mouth and he spits. “I’m sorry,” she says.

Terra licks his lips of juice. He leans up for more. “You taste tangy.”

[kessielrg]

[Kingdom Hearts] Messenger Chirithy

Summary: In which two Chirithy play messenger pigeon for their respective Keyblade wielders. Why? Because Gummiphones are supposed to be turned off during lessons, obviously. [VentusxOC][nonbinary Chirithy][post-Lost Lights]

Rating: K

Word Count: 1,517 words

If you liked this story, please reblog!

---

Ven let out a long, annoyed sigh. The teen took a glance up at his friends, Terra and Aqua, as Aqua used Terra to move things around the training room. You would think that by now, Ven wouldn’t have to do the reading and writing portion of Keyblade training anymore. He was just as experienced as his friends. (Maybe even more if Chirithy would admit to it.) This kind of stuff was made for newer wielders like Kairi and Lea. If Ven kept reading about the ingredients to synthesis a Dream Eater, he was going to start crying tears of boredom.

“Chin up, Ven!” Chirithy happily declared, hopping into view to distract its wielder. “You still have about three pages to go, then you’ll have a fast quiz after.”

That only made Ven groan. Terra and Aqua didn’t even bother to turn around. Rude.

“Kairi’s not doing reading work today.” Ven whined. “And who knows what Lea’s doing today. Not training. Not when Roxas and Xion are starting school in Twilight Town.”

Ven let out another groan as he rubbed his face with his hands. He looked at his Chirithy with an increasing hopelessness.

“Do you think Aqua has Sabrina doing reading and writing stuff too? Maybe I could ask her.”

Chirithy crossed their arms, casting a skeptical look at its wielder. “Good idea- spare for one thing. No Gummiphones while training.”

“This isn’t training.” Ven spat. “This is reading. It’s worse.”

“Still training!” Chirithy replied in a sing-song voice. But still, it could tell how bored Ven was. Chirithy sighed. “You know,” it started to suggest, “If you write a letter to her, then Aqua might think that you’re taking notes instead.”

Ven looked at his Chirithy. His eyes grew wide at the prospect. Then, in the least conspicuous way possible, Ventus started to shuffle through his books for a blank piece of paper. Chirithy looked on with mild curiosity as Ven wrote a single sentence.

‘Is Aqua making you study Dream Eaters too?’

Biting his lip, Ven carefully folded the paper into three times before handing it to Chirithy.

“Here.” he said with a grin. Chirithy just looked at him.

“That’s it? Just a sentence?”

Ventus recoiled a bit. “Why?” the teen asked in genuine confusion. “What else could I say?”

“It’s still a letter, Ven. I say you gotta give it a little more meat. Otherwise, you might as well try to snag your Gummiphone from Terra and just text her.”

Ven glanced over at Terra, flinched, then looked back at Chirithy. “Alright,” he agreed. “We’ll write Sabrina a real letter. It would still be a break from all this reading.”

“There ya go!” Chirithy agreed with a grin. Ven gave the Dream Eater a firm nod before scratching out his old sentence, then writing something much longer. He just hoped Sabrina would like it.

. . .

Sabrina paced around her room as she read over the danger of Nightmares. On her bed, two bunny children were acting out a rather heated fight. One of the bunnies ended up the victor, while the loser pretended to be dramatically dying. If you felt like listening close enough, you would have sworn that the winner of the battle mentioned something about having ice cream with someone. Even a few Guardians felt like playing along- hanging around the ‘dying’ bunny kid like crystals rising into the air. But Sabrina wasn’t paying attention; her focus was too razor-sharp to even register the theatrics on her bed at the moment.

She wasn’t even paying that much attention when Chirithy appeared at the foot of her bed.

“I have a letter for you!” Chirithy declared.

Sabrina stopped her pacing with a blink. She looked at Chirithy, then raised a skeptic eyebrow.

“From who?” she asked.

“Ven. Apparently.”

“Apparently?”

“His Chirithy said that he didn’t want to study.”

“Yeah, sounds about right.” Sabrina snorted as she took the letter from the Dream Eater. The smirk she had as she read through the letter slowly started to become a look of horror.

“Oh no.”

“What?”

“Remind me to tell Aqua to teach Ventus how to write a proper letter.” Sabrina said as she sat on the bed, allowing both Chirithy and the bunny children to read over the letter as well. “This is… wow. Okay, then.”

Sabrina let out a snort as Chirithy looked at the letter.

“I think it’s sweet.” Chirithy hummed as it glanced up at Sabrina.

“And that’s exactly what’s wrong with it,” she decided as she got up. She set the letter down on her desk before going through the desk’s drawers. From one drawer she pulled out a rather fancy inkwell, and from another she pulled out a just as fancy ink pen. Sabrina sat down at her desk in preparation to write her return letter.

Chirithy hopped into the air to leave the bed, only to appear on top of Sabrina’s desk. The bunny children stayed on the bed, laying on their stomachs as they observed their big sis like they were watching TV instead. Sabrina got into a rather firm posture as her guided the pen across the paper. There was an art is calligraphy- one that she took with extreme pride in.

‘Ventus,

Who on earth taught you how to write a letter? That thing has to be the most disastrous piece of parchment I have yet to lay eyes on. Paragraphs are a thing- use them.’

“Ow. Harsh.” Chirithy noted.

“Oh, but dear Chirithy, I’ve got far more up my sleeve.” Sabrina replied with cunning grin.

“Now I’m scared.”

Both wielder and Chirithy looked at each other, then shared an equal grin before Sabrina continued to write.

. . .

A few hours later, Chirithy patiently waited at Yen Sid’s tower. The Dream Eater kicked its legs as it sat at the foot of the steps. Chirithy hummed a rather jaunty tune to itself, even moving its head from side to side with every half beat. Where had they heard that song? It wasn’t anything Ventus knew.

“Hey Chirithy!”

Chirithy looked up and smiled. Sabrina’s Chirithy was bounding up to Ven’s Chirithy with a new letter in its hand. Like all of Sabrina’s other letters, it was neatly placed inside an envelope with a personal seal embossed on the top left corner. (The first two letters she sent were actually sealed with wax. But in finding that she and Ventus would be sending far more letters to each other, she quickly did away with it for an envelope that could be used over and over again.) If Chirithy tried to breath in deep enough, it could get a whiff of lavender. At this point, it wasn’t sure if it was coming from the letter or the other Chirithy.

“Just in time, Chirithy!” Ven’s Chirithy greeted. It got up from the steps to meet Sabrina’s Chirithy halfway. The duo gave each other a respectful nod before the Chirithy exchanged the letter.

“Is this the last letter of tonight?” Ven’s Chirithy asked.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Sabrina’s Chirithy replied. It seemed a bit perplexed at the idea. “She’s taking this quite seriously. It’s almost something I’ve never seen out of her before.”

“Ven’s totally lost track of time too.” Chirithy nodded. “Lemme tell ya something, Chirithy. I did not expect her to scent her letters with perfume. It almost blew the whole operation up right then and there.”

“Trust me, you should have seen my surprise when she pulled out an actual inkwell.”

Chirithy jumped back in shock. “She uses real ink?!”

The other Chirithy just folded its arms and gave the first a rather hard stare. “When was the last time you saw a generic pen use purple ink that changes to green when you look at it a certain way?”

“Point taken.” Chirithy thoughtfully nodded. It thought about something for a moment, then gave a small chortle. “She’s so extra.”

“Yeah.” the second Chirithy agreed. It even stood a bit taller with pride. “But it’s only because she likes him.”

Ven’s Chirithy laughed. Not long after, the other Chirithy joined in as well. At this point, Sabrina’s silent admiration for Ventus was well known to both Chirithy. There were precious few things wielders could hide from their special Dream Eaters to begin with. Budding feelings for another wielder were definitely at the top of the list.

As their enjoyment faded somewhat, Sabrina’s Chirithy placed a hand by its head in thought. “I hope they don’t do this all night.” it mused. “This is kinda exhausting.”

“It is.” Chirithy sighed. It let out a thoughtful hum before asking, “Is she having fun?”

“Of course!” the other Chirithy happily nodded. “I haven’t seen her so interested in anything since Aqua’s first training lesson.”

“That’s good. Well, got to go. She’s really keeping Ven is suspense.”

“No doubt. See you again in about 10 minutes, Chirithy.”

“See ya, Chirithy.”

And with that, both Chirithy returned to their respective wielders. They didn’t know it yet- but it was going to be a long night as well.

[maddrmatt]

A Beautiful Future: A Premonition or a Punishment? (SoKai Week 2021)

Greetings readers and fellow SoKai fans!  It is I, the Mad Doctor, participating in SoKai Week for the second year running.  This year, I have a special multichapter story that will be posted throughout the week.  It’s going to be quite an emotional rollercoaster that I hope you all enjoy!

________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1: Two Hearts Become One

Radiant Garden

Dressed in an elegant white suit with golden highlights, Sora gazed over Mickey’s head at the long aisle ahead of him.  It was going to be quite a walk.  But it was going to be one worth taking given what was going to happen at the end.

Just then, music filled the air and Mickey began his walk.  Once the mouse king was far enough ahead, Sora followed after him.  ‘Okay.  Here it goes. No pressure.  It’s only the happiest day of Kairi’s and my life.’

As he walked, Sora took in his surroundings and marveled at how different the setting was from when, on occasion, he would picture his wedding day.  ‘If the Keyblade had never come to me and I had never got caught up in my adventures, we probably would’ve been getting married in a simple beachside ceremony on the Islands with just family and friends from there.  I never thought it would be in another world.  Especially in front of a crowd like this.’

The Radiant Garden chapel that the ceremony was taking place in was indeed far from a beach setting.  It had needed to be magically expanded to accommodate all the various friends from around the worlds that he made on his many adventures.  There was even a giant screen hovering up front in the air so the guests could see the altar no matter where they were in the chapel.

There had probably never been such a gathering of guests in the entire history of the worlds.  It was composed of various humans, animals (both regular and anthropomorphic), monsters, magical beings, artificial constructs and other kinds. And all of them looked incredibly happy to be there to witness this happy occasion.

Hercules pumped his fist.  Rapunzel’s eyes were wet with happy tears.  Stitch shot him one of his toothiest smiles.  Jack Sparrow gave a salute.

Sora smiled at all of them as he passed by.  ‘We may be shattering the World Order to bits for this wedding.  But I’m so glad they could all be here today.  Because they’re not just friends.  All of them are family.’

Finally, Sora reached the altar and stood before Mickey. The mouse had never looked more like a king since he was dressed in his most official robes.  It was fitting because he was the officiant for the ceremony.

‘Never would have imagined that we’d be getting married by a king who’s a giant mouse,’ thought Sora as he turned around and gazed down the aisle as his groomsmen, all dressed in matching black suits, approached.

Fittingly, the first groomsman to arrive was also the very first person Sora had helped in his lifetime.  ‘I’d barely been born when I saved Ven.  And because of him, I gained the Keyblade and became the hero the worlds and Kairi needed.”

Then came his former Nobody.  ‘Roxas certainly earned his spot among my groomsmen. He gave up his existence to wake me up so I could stop the first Organization.’

Sora gave a little chuckle as he saw how identical Ven and Roxas were in their suits.  ‘They truly do look like twin brothers.  I can’t believe how many of the guests here really thought they were that.’

After Roxas, came the two who had been with Sora through nearly every step of his adventures.  Donald and Goofy looked like proud parents seeing as how they had long considered Sora to be like another nephew and another son respectively.

‘An anthropomorphic duck and dog among my groomsmen.  Now there’s something I definitely never thought I would have at my wedding.  But I never would’ve gotten anywhere without them. Not that I would tell Donald that. Goofy maybe.  But not Donald.  He’d never let me hear the end of it.’

Then Riku came down the aisle.  As he took his place right beside Sora, the two of them exchanged smiles.

‘Riku, I’m so happy that through everything that’s happened, our friendship not only endured but got even stronger.  You’re my brother in everything but blood and there’s no one else I’d choose to be my best man.’

Now that all the groomsmen were in place, it was now time for the bridesmaids to come down the aisle.  ‘My bride really didn’t have a lot of female friends when we were growing up on the Islands.  Now, thanks to our adventures, she has plenty to fill her bridesmaids’ ranks,’ thought Sora.

The first bridesmaid to arrive, dressed in a pink dress that they were all wearing, came Olette.  ‘She was probably the first person to call our story a romantic one.  How right she was.’

Xion was next.  ‘Her appearance is living proof that my strongest memories were always of Kairi.’

Following Xion was none other than the blue haired Keyblade master who was ultimately responsible for him meeting the love of his life.  ‘I can never thank you enough for setting us up to meet, Aqua.’

Then came Kairi’s former Nobody.  ‘I’m so glad that Naminè didn’t want to wake me up without my memories of Kairi. Although, I wish there had been a better way that wouldn’t have required Roxas and Xion to make sacrifices.  Oh well.  It all worked out in the end.’

Finally, came the maid of honor.  ‘She may have been uninvolved in our adventures.  But Selphie’s been Kairi’s oldest female friend, so she deserves to be maid of honor.’

Sora then gazed to the front rows of seats where the groups from Disney Castle, Radiant Garden, Twilight Town and Shibuya were all seated.  In the very first row was Master Yen Sid, Terra, Axel, Isa, Hayner, Pence, Tidus and Wakka as well as his parents, Hayley and Jones who looked extremely proud of their boy.

‘Mom, Dad, I hope that our marriage turns out as wonderful as yours.’

Next to come up the aisle, was Pluto with Jiminy Cricket riding on top of his head.  The dog had a cushion clutched in his mouth which upon it were two paopu fruits each in the middle of a crown of flowers.  In the cricket’s hands was a cushion with two golden rings.

Once Pluto had reached the altar, he walked up to Selphie, who reached down and took one of the rings from Jiminy’s cushion.  The dog then walked up to Riku who took the remaining ring.   With the rings having been delivered to the maid of honor and best man, Pluto assumed a sitting position next to Riku until the time came for his next duty.

Then the music changed.  All the guests rose to their feet.

After a short while, Sora’s eyes widened. Coming down the aisle, preceded by Chirithy who was scattering flower petals and between her adoptive parents Parker and Dorothy, was his bride.

Kairi was dressed in a lovely white sleeveless wedding gown. Golden designs were stitched into the fabric with an elaborate shape of a heart on her chest.  Her hair had been done up in a bun and she was wearing a tiara with seven shimmering white heart-shaped jewels.  In her hands, she carried a bouquet of flowers.  Her eyes were bright with happiness and her lips wore a radiant smile.

‘She’s so beautiful,’ thought Sora.

________________________________________________________________

‘He’s so handsome,’ thought Kairi as she and her parents reached the altar with Chirithy taking its place beside Selphie.

The music faded and the guests resumed sitting.  It was time for the ceremony to begin.

“Welcome all honored friends and family from around the worlds. We are gathered here on this most joyous day to witness the joining of Sora and Kairi in the sacred union of marriage. Who presents this woman to be married?” asked Mickey.

“Her father and I do, with all our hearts and with every blessing,” said Dorothy.

“We also say this on behalf of her birth parents and grandmother who sadly could not be here today but would surely be so proud of her,” said Parker solemnly.

A bittersweet feeling came over the bride.  ‘I hope, wherever they are, they’re very proud.  I just know they would’ve loved Sora especially after hearing about everything he’s done for me.’

Kairi handed her bouquet to Selphie and exchanged a loving embrace with each of her parents.  ‘I can never thank you enough for taking me in, Mom and Dad.  You’ve been the most wonderful parents I could ask for.  I love you both so much.’  

The bride then walked over to the groom’s side.  Sora was then suddenly embraced by Kairi’s parents.

“Keep taking care of her, Sora,” whispered Parker.

“Just like you always have,” added Dorothy.

“I will.  I promise,” Sora responded back as Kairi’s parents broke their embrace and headed for their seats.

‘And there’s never been a promise that you’ve failed to keep, my soon-to-be husband,’ thought Kairi as she took Sora’s hands into her own as Mickey started up again.

“What we are witnessing this day is the next step in what has been an incredible journey. Sora and Kairi began this journey as childhood friends. But although they were young, the light of love was present right from the start and it continued to grow over time. That light has guided them through many trials and tribulations throughout their lives.  And now they have reached this day when their hearts, which have always shared a special bond, will now truly become one,” said the mouse king.

‘It certainly has been quite a ride for us, Sora.  But everything that we’ve gone through, even the darkest times, has been worth it.  Even more worth it since it has finally led us here to this day,’ thought Kairi.

“Sora, Kairi, your love and devotion for one another is greatly admirable.  But while marriage is a beautiful symbol of that love, it is a commitment not to be taken lightly as you go through all the challenges that life will throw at you. But there is no doubt among anyone present here that the two of you will rise to meet those challenges together,” continued Mickey.

Kairi smiled at her groom who smiled back.  ‘As many of our friends have said, when we’re together, Sora, there is nothing we can’t do.’

“Now, let us hear you both recite your vows of love for one another. And as Keyblade Masters, it is tradition to swear them on your Keyblades.  Sora?” asked Mickey.

As he had been instructed by the Keyblade Masters, Sora released one of his hands from Kairi’s, held it out and summoned Kingdom Key eliciting a gasp from several of the guests.  Planting the tip to the floor and kneeling down while not once breaking eye contact with Kairi or releasing her hand.

‘Okay, Kairi.  Let’s keep it together.  You don’t want to start crying and ruin Selphie’s hard work on your makeup.  No matter how wonderful Sora’s vow is undoubtedly going to be,’ Kairi thought as the love of her life began.

“Kairi, when my adventures began, what kept me going was the thought of reuniting with the people I hold dear at the end.  But looking back, I realize while that was true, it was not entirely accurate because the one I was fighting hardest to reunite with has always truly been you.  You’ve always been the one who inspires me to be the best I can be, and you’ve always been the light that leads me out of the darkness and back to where I’m meant to be: where I can hear you laugh, see you smile and just be where we can share our lives and our love.  So, this is my vow to you.  As your husband, I will stand by your side in all things that may come our way whether it be fighting together to protect the worlds from the darkness or raising a family of our own.  I will laugh with you in the good times and comfort you in the bad times.  And most of all, I will love you now and forever even beyond the time we part for good.”

Kairi had bee successfully in refraining from crying. But it had been no easy task.  Sora’s wonderful words of love had imbued her with immense joy.

As Sora rose and dismissed his Keyblade, Mickey turned to Kairi and said, “Kairi?”

‘Sora, that was absolutely beautiful.  I only hope my own vow will touch your heart in the same way you’ve just touched mine.’

Like what Sora did earlier, Kairi held out her hand and summoned Destiny’s Embrace.  She planted the tip on the floor and kneeled down while her eyes gazed into Sora’s while keeping one of her hands in his.  It was fortunate that her gown had been designed so she had no trouble kneeling down for this part.

“Sora, when I first met you, it was during one of the darkest times of my life.  There I was: a lost little girl whose home world was swallowed by the darkness and had been sent away to a strange new one with no memory other than her own name. And then there was you: a boy with the brightest smile who opened his heart to me and helped me build a wonderful new life.  I don’t know what would have happened to me had you not become the friend that I needed. I realize now that it was not some random chance that we met.  It was destiny.  Destiny brought us together.  Destiny always reunited us whenever we were separated.  And now, destiny has led us here where our hearts will be united. And so, to you, I vow that I will support you in everything from the responsibilities as Keyblade Masters to bringing up our future children.  I will always cheer you on and be your source of strength.  And most importantly, I will love and cherish you for the entirety of our lifetime and beyond.”

Kairi looked into Sora’s eyes and saw a tear welled up in it.  He too was clearly struggling to not make a scene. Her heart warmed to see that her vow had indeed succeeded in touching his heart.

Mickey wiped away a tear of his own from his eye as Kairi dismissed her Keyblade and rose up.  “Those vows were beautiful, both of you.  You should both be very proud,” he whispered to the bride and groom.

The mouse king then regained his composure and continued on with the ceremony.  “The groom and the bride shall now exchange their rings.”

Sora turned away from Kairi.  Riku immediately handed Sora the ring.  After shooting his oldest friend a look of gratitude, he turned toward his future wife and took her hand into his.

“Kairi, wear this ring as a symbol of my oath to love you and my wish for the wonderful lifetime for both of us,” he said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Kairi gazed at the ring.  Engraved upon it, was a perfect recreation of the drawing from the Secret Place.  A drawing that had evolved from simple childhood artwork to a foretelling of a very important moment in their lives.

‘Those Moogles certainly are quite the artists,’ thought Kairi.

“Kairi?” whispered Selphie snapping Kairi out of her thoughts.

‘Oh!  Right! Time for me to give Sora his so we match!’

Kairi turned to her maid of honor who passed the ring to her. After giving her oldest gal pal a slightly embarrassed smile, she turned to her groom and took his hand.

“Sora, wear this ring as a symbol of my oath to love you and my wish for the wonderful lifetime for both of us,” said the bride as she slipped the ring onto the groom’s finger.

Mickey smiled.  “And now, before we conclude the ceremony, there are two unification rituals that we shall observe.  They are traditions that come from the two worlds represented here.  First, from the bride’s world of birth, Radiant Garden, the flower crowns.”

Pluto left Riku’s side and moved until he stood before the bride and groom.  With a smile of gratitude to the dog, Sora and Kairi reached down and each took one of the flower crowns off of the cushion.

“Entwined in these crowns, are three kinds of flowers.  First, the yellow sunflowers represent your friendship, which was where the two of you began.  Next, the pink carnations represent your love for each other that grew from your friendship and led you here.  And finally, the white daisies represent the brand-new beginning of a whole new journey that two of you will share together in your love.  Sora, Kairi, on this day, wear these crowns as symbols of everything your marriage encompasses.”

At the end of Mickey’s words, Sora raised the crown in hands and gently lowered it down onto Kairi’s head, careful not to disturb or obscure her tiara.  Once he had finished, Kairi did the same, managing to get the crown past his usual spiky hairstyle that she loved so much.

Kairi then heard what sounded to be some snickers that could have come from either the audience or the groomsmen.  Clearly the sight of Sora wearing the flower crown had amused some.

She shook her head with a small smile.  ‘I can imagine he might be getting teased after the ceremony likely from Riku, Donald, Axel, Wakka or Tidus.  I’ll have to remedy that by assuring him just how adorable he looks.’

“Now, for the tradition from the Destiny Islands.  And it is one that carries a certain significance for Sora and Kairi: the sharing of the paopu fruits,” Mickey continued.

Once again, Sora and Kairi reached down to Pluto’s cushion. This time, they took the two star-shaped fruits from it.

“For those who do not know, there is a legend from the Islands that when two people share these fruits, their destinies are bound together, and they remain a part of each other’s lives no matter what.  While Sora and Kairi have shared these fruits before, they will do so again here on their wedding day to renew and strengthen that bond.”

With that, Sora and Kairi began to reach their fruits to the other’s mouth.  As they inched closer, they both recalled the day before their fight against Xehanort on the paopu tree, where they shared them for the first time.

‘Even if what followed that day were things we’d rather forget, the moment we first shared these fruits will always be one of our most treasured memories.  But, this time, I know for sure that there’s nothing but good and wonderful things to come after we share them today,’ thought Kairi.

Finally, the fruits reached their mouths and simultaneously, Sora and Kairi took a bite out of the other’s.  After chewing and swallowing, they returned the fruits to Pluto’s cushion.  As the dog returned to Riku’s side, the couple took each other’s hands once again and faced Mickey.

Mickey gave them a smile.  “Sora, Kairi, you have pledged your vows.  You have exchanged your rings.  You have crowned each other with the symbolic flowers. And you have strengthened the bond of your destinies with the paopu fruit.  So, by the power vested in me as the king of Disney Castle, I now pronounce you husband and wife.  Sora, you may kiss your bride.”

Sora took Kairi into his arms and the two of them exchanged the brightest smiles they ever shown.  Their feelings of happiness could not be greater now that their hearts had been joined together.

‘It’s time, Sora.  Time to make another memory to treasure for the rest of our lives.’

Closing their eyes and preparing for the thunderous applause that would soon fill the chapel, they slowly inched their faces closer together.

________________________________________________________________

But alas, the memory never came to be because the kiss never happened.  At this exact moment, the wonderful dream had ended, and the dreamer woke up to a reality that was far less bright.

________________________________________________________________

Notes from the Mad Doctor:

As much as I hated to cut short what would have been a very lovely SoKai moment, it was necessary due to the path this story is going to take.

I really had to do some heavy research to make this feel like a believable wedding ceremony.  I really hope I pulled it off and I hope you all liked what I included as special unification rituals.  I always felt the paopu fruits would be used in Destiny Islands’ weddings and I also imagined flowers would play a part in Radiant Garden’s wedding ceremonies on account of the world’s name.

I was thinking, for the music that would play at this wedding, they’d use a new wedding rendition of Dearly Beloved for when Sora and the wedding party are coming down the aisle and an instrumental of Don’t Think Twice for the bride’s entrance.  Any thoughts and ideas of your own, readers?

Now, I have mentioned this before in my other stories.  But for the benefit of any new readers, I’ll mention it again.  Since I couldn’t come up with good Kingdom Hearts-ish sounding names for Sora and Kairi’s parents, I decided to name them after recurring actors from Disney live-action movies.  Here are their derivations:

Hayley, Sora’s Mother: Hayley Mills from Pollyanna and The Parent Trap (also doubles as a reference to Haley Joel Osment)

Jones, Sora’s Father: Dean Jones from the Herbie the Love Bug film series

Parker, Kairi’s Father: Fess Parker from Davey Crockett and Old Yeller

Dorothy, Kairi’s Mother: Dorothy McGuire from Swiss Family Robinson and Old Yeller

I give my thanks to whoever reads this chapter.

I’d also like to give a special thank you to my sister-in-law for helping me with picking out the best flowers for the flower crowns.  I couldn’t have done it without her!

Comments, likes and reblogs are much appreciated!  Stay tuned for we’ll be exploring what the subtitle of this story means as we go along!

________________________________________________________________

Onto the next chapter!

[pj-was-here]

I posted 4,677 times in 2021

22 posts created (0%)

4655 posts reblogged (100%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 211.6 posts.

I added 1,126 tags in 2021

#kingdom hearts - 305 posts

#kairi - 239 posts

#sora - 124 posts

#xion - 98 posts

#riku - 86 posts

#namine - 80 posts

#kh - 70 posts

#super smash bros - 49 posts

#roxas - 39 posts

#aqua - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#i forgot to draw the wayfinders on ... the wayfinders....... but theyre all carrying one as their held item and i decided what each one does

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

The Calamity trio is the Destiny trio but their problems have been magnified tenfold and things are so much worse, convince me other wise

22 notes • Posted 2021-11-13 15:39:12 GMT

#4

In Response to Sora FINALLY getting into Smash Bros.

Kairi and Galeem become besties for some reason, Galeem is a happy uncle but Kairi is just plane confused but ain't complaining

Riku and Terra just want Dharkon to leave them the hell alone

Kairi tried to throw hands with Ganondorf, Riku and Sora had to hold her back

All of Sora's friends and the Goal all promptly celebrate after tackling Sora, Kairi was the one who initiated the Glomp Hug Fest

Kairi, Cloud and Riku all straight up murder Sephiroth after he attempts to murk Sora

The princesses in Smash love Kairi

Pit and Palutena love her as well, Dark Pit not so much

Kairi affectionately calls Mewtwo bingus while Xion smothers The Duck Hunt Dog with affection

Donald does not feel safe around the dog though

Kairi and Sora tease Riku for the fact that Incineroar gives off the same vibes as him they say he's that Pokemon personification of him

Aqua and Rosalina bond over the fact that they have to take care of a ridiculous amount of kids

Kairi and Kirby are the gremlin duo everyone is very worried

Meta Knight and Naminé are friends

Lucina and Xion and besties, it's self explanatory

26 notes • Posted 2021-10-05 17:04:09 GMT

#3

Even more self indulgent KH headcanons

Kairi loves all animals and by all I mean ALL, she's friends with several sharks, has attempted to bring home multiple stray dogs home, has a pet pitbull named Monty who she would literally die for (touch and she'll break your legs) and has the summon charm for frankenweenie and wasn't even phased when she saw him she just went "Oh, a zombie dog... Neat! 😀"

Plus Everytime they find a cute animal she ALWAYS tries to attempt to take them home with her in the gummi ship (much to Riku's chagrin)

If Kairi encountered Marluxia or Larxene during the Keyblade War she would've completely maimed them, it would've been a bloody massacre, it's what they deserve after what they done to Naminé

Even after meeting they're somebodies Lauriam and Larxene she STILL doesn't like them she just tolerates them even IF they're Ven's old friends from Daybreak Town (Naminé tries to convince her to let go but that ain't happening anytime soon) she gives them death glares whenever Naminé isn't in the same room

Kairi and Naminé always hug each other or stay in physical contact with one another even when they're outside Kairi's room (I'm a sucker for soft sibling hugs and moments) Kairi gives the best hugs and Naminé is a tad touch starved from her time in Castle Oblivion so who could blame her sometimes when Xion comes to visit with her seasalt fam she'll join the cuddlefest (Everyone melts whenever they have they're soft sister moments)

Kairi is the protective mama bear and one hesitate to maim someone if one of her family members are hurt (she will also not hesitate to tackle said attackers, kick down doors, break through windows or break down walls

I like to think whenever Kairi panics the braincell immediately goes to Riku and she acts on impulse... Those impulses being jumping out the window or yeeting herself in into a corridor of light

If Kairi were to ever have her own rage form it she would've looked like Anti-Sora but with a pink and white color palette and light wisps instead of darkness, she would also act like an overly affectionate cat that would hiss at strangers

However she does have a drive form called Royal Form where she in cases some of her limbs in pure bright light, her eyes glow a fiery blue, she sprouts bright angelic wings and all her clothing turns white, she's also able to use op light magic and she has a finishing called salvation where she gets rid of all the darkness around her but she would instantly turn back to normal luckily it also all gives everyone in the party a temporary mega boost on both they're magic and physical prowess

If some girl or guy were to flirt with Sora they would mysteriously disappear an hour later Kairi says she has no idea what they're talking about Riku believes otherwise, Naminé is very concerned while Xion is just flat out confused

Kairi supports the LGBTQA+ Community

Xion is trans (everyone already knows that) and uses all pronouns but mainly She/They, Kairi loves her for being herself and would literally fight anyone who goes against that (including Axel/Lea and Roxas of course, Saïx/Isa is sorta awkward cause he used to be transphobic)

Kairi is the type of girl who would bite

Kairi used to be the feral nature girl back when she was 14 she still is but not by much

Xion and Kairi are the dog lover duo, Namine tries to stop them but fails

Xion and Kairi have both kicked Seifer's ass on seperate occasions Seifer is just avoiding Namine like the plague cause he ain't gonna risk it

Namine has stupidly strong magic, one time she was trying to cast a simple Fire spell but accidentally casted a Firaza spell the GoL was immensely proud even though a good chunk of them were confused and scared as hell

On an unrealated note Namine can control people's dreams now, and can also now manipulate others memories

Unfortunately the whole dream manipulation thing has a not so unfortunate side effect of making half dream eater (half-chirithy ti be exact)

Kairi and Xion think she looks precious, Riku suffered from a cardiac arrest and is now in the medical wing, Sora thinks she looks neat, Roxas has mixed feelings, Ventus also agrees with Sora, Terra loves her new look, Aqua just loves her daughter and Chirithy just wants to adopt her

31 notes • Posted 2021-10-25 01:41:34 GMT

#2

Random music headcanons

Kairi likes Jazz, Pop, Classical music and Hip Hop best of both worlds I suppose

Riku likes alternative rock, metal, rock, and indie what did you expect...?

Sora like Reggae, Pop, Hip Hop blame Atlantica

Roxas likes alternative rock and Indie rock ah yes teenage trauma and angst

Xion likes Pop, Good Vibe songs and Soul songs She's a good bean ok!

Naminé likes classical and Lo-fi gotta do something to calm the anxiety and ptsd

Aqua likes to listen to Classical and Lo-fi as well PTSD gang unite

Terra likes Country and Country Pop this man gives off country vibes ok he carves wooden figures for crying out load!

Ventus likes Pop, Country, Reggae and Hip-Hop he technically grew up with these

32 notes • Posted 2021-10-11 16:04:10 GMT

#1

Ok and Platonic Sokai is just two idiots causing chaos and war crimes while riku is trying to stop them while drinking his 12th cop of coffee

41 notes • Posted 2021-12-01 18:00:17 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

Have a merry Christmas and happy new year beans!

[jcmorrigan]

001 - Kingdom Hearts

Favorite character: On the villain side: VEXEN IS BEST ORGANIZATION XIII MEMBER. Shoulda stayed evil, though. I like it when he complains and screams about everything and hates everyone. He's one of my favorite villains, just, like...in general. So fun to write. Also attached to Demyx, but I actually liked him more in III than II because it reminded me of my rawr lolspeek weeb days when I f/o'd him without knowing what f/o'ing was and then transitioned this to shipping VexDem like heck. On the hero side: MY GIRL KAIRI! But honorable mentions go to Sora, Riku, Aqua, Ven, Terra, Xion, Roxas, Lea, Ienzo, any Disney character I loved beforehand (this is way too fuckin many to list), Merlin (OKAY I WILL SINGLE HIM OUT), Yen Sid (I'LL SINGLE HIM OUT TOO), you know what let's also single out the Mickey+Donald+Goofy power trio...just...any KH hero who isn't part of the Yozora stuff or the KHUX stuff. ...Except I also LOVE Strelitzia, and she is the only KHUX-exclusive kiddo I care about but I care about her MANY. (Oh, and there's a least fave I have who's a "hero" but that's a debatable label). I would go on about why I love all of them but...that's too many characters to elaborate on

Least Favorite character: See, I think the real answer is Yozora, but the thing is I just tend to forget about him or not care (unless I'm doing a weird AU where he's Noctis' bratty Nobody, don't ask). He kinda represents the Shark Jump and I don't like watching that scene where he literally petrifies Sora for not being strong enough. But again, I can just kinda forget about him if he's not fed to me through a social-media unit. The one I LOVE TO HATE is Master Eraqus. The man actually triggered me back in the day. He is purity culture. He is the overbearing parent who will not accept you unless you are perfect. He is by and large the reason VAT didn't communicate with each other properly. He was the one who taught Aqua to think in absolutes. He lied to Ventus for years and then insisted to kill him was the only option, and then, when Terra tried to defend his brother figure/friend without knowing WHY Eraqus was doing such a thing, Eraqus didn't offer an explanation and instead switched targets to Terra citing that the problem was Terra's lack of OBEDIENCE. Eraqus is just very "my way or the highway" and uses his moral high horse to justify doing things that utterly lack compassion in any regard, which is something that GETS to me on a deep level, and let me tell you, I hated him for so long until I realized he was actually a super fuckin fun guy to imagine as a Bigger Bad in AUs that either have the KH protags teaming up or have villain protags needing a "greater good lawful evil" figure. And I just have found too many good memes about him cheating at chess and killing children. I have to laugh. Making fun of him is fun. He's a ridiculous character. That said, this recent trend of "erase everything bad he ever did and paint him as the ultimate hero of the saga" makes me raise eyebrows for SEVERAL reasons

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): VexDem, SoRiku, Kairi x Jaune Arc (RWBY), Aqua x Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy) x Bayonetta, IsaLea, Ventus x Papyrus (Undertale), that was six but they all needed to be mentioned

Character I find most attractive: Ienzo. HOO BABY he is adorable. I saw someone make a Valentine's Day gifset of KH and FF characters shortly after III dropped and seeing his smiling face paired with a romance quote made my heart FLUTTER

Character I would marry: Probably Ienzo, see above. He's also a very kind guy. Favorite redemption in the modern era.

Character I would be best friends with: I hope the Destiny Trio would adopt me into their friend circle the way they've tended to do with every other inter-world denizen they've come across. I would love to have them as my positivity squad. Or, y'know, two positivities and one "it's okay to screw up" guy. Just. I would love to hang out with them. I often worry that I'm unlikable to my faves, but even though I would usually prefer to hang with the villains, I can pretty much guarantee these three would be open-minded about me. (Do I kiiiiinda wanna be friends with Vexen though? Of course I do. He'd hate me but maaaayyyyybe he would see me as one of his pet idiots who makes him look smarter, and we could bond over our fragile egos?)

a random thought: You ever think about that one NPC lady in Traverse Town who refused to tell you where she was from because it was none of her business? You ever wonder where she WAS from? What her world was like? How she ended up being the survivor of the Ansem Apocalypse when it hit her? All I know is that when I read her lines out loud (I used to read KH speech balloons out loud all the time), I gave her a Southern accent for no discernible reason and I stand by it. That woman has a twang.

An unpopular opinion: I don't want KHUX to be canon because I feel it's smaller-scale and takes a lot of mystery out of the worldbuilding. I always assume that the KHverse just includes ALL worlds in fiction, and that includes their thousand-year histories, meaning the Age of Fairy Tales should've happened long long long LONG LONG LONG ago and not five generations. And whatever screwed up the world should've been more than just five people having a fight, and whatever saved it should've been more than just five people getting along, and Daybreak Town really suffers from having to stick to mobile-friendly graphics and therefore is the least aesthetically attractive KH town ever, and I don't like that Lauriam and Elrena used to be such selfless people. I do still love Strelitzia because she's shy and relatable and quirky (sitting on the roof) and she questions authority and if you go with shipping subtext she's probably bi (or pan?), but I don't like the "Lauriam's dead sister for his arc's drama" bit. I liked when Marluxia was angry because he wanted to run Organization XIII but it was in the hands of an idiot who wasn't him. And more than anything I just like imagining that the Age of Fairy Tales was something bigger, further in the past, and more mysterious than something designed for a mobile game. Scala ad Caelum, however, I like a lot better because there IS a lot of mystery there and also it's a very pretty town with an amazing design.

my canon OTP: I really only count the Disney couples as the "canon" ones, so this is a question of picking my favorite Disney couple that shows up onscreen. I hope I'm not forgetting an important one, but I think the title has to go to Aladdin/Jasmine, which is always perfect in everything. (This would be an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY if KH had ever adapted Treasure Planet, and if it ever gets the mind to adapt Treasure Planet then even if I don't care about that game I will immediately declare that Amelia/Doppler takes the KH canon OTP crown. *taps watch* Get on it Squenix)

Non-canon OTP: SoRiku, which I counted as "basically canon" after DDD until III decided it wasn't sure. But I'm just a sucker for how DDD is the two of them all "HE'S GOT MY BACK AND I'VE GOT HIS AND I'D DO ANYTHING FOR HIM SO LONG AS HE'S HAPPY." It's just the best kind of Friends-to-Lovers, except when you take all canon into account it's Friends-to-Rivals-to-Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers and that's a very juicy dynamic. BUT ALSO: VexDem, which is a nostalgia ship SO STRONG I had to accept that it eclipsed my former Vexen ships by a mile and I wanted to go back to my roots. That one, I have a much longer essay about that I'll just have you refer to so I don't repeat myself for pages. To make a long story short, their scene in III was JUST DELICIOUS.

most badass character: OOF THEY'RE ALL BADASS but in the end it's between Sora and Aqua, because Sora gets the widest RANGE of abilities across the series that he masters while Aqua gets the most POWERFUL abilities due to her Mastery (Command Styles seem like they'd be the most OP things ever in-universe and I'm here for it because flashy battle moves make brain go brr).

pairing I am not a fan of: SOKAI, Xehaqus, RikuNami, Vanitas/anyone not evil

character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): OH BOY. KAIRI THE MOST. YOU ALL KNOW WHY: lack of screen time, Fridging for drama, forced romance to invite death flags (they really wanted to milk that death to get people talking didn't they?), giving Alyson Stoner ZERO direction to actually follow up on Hayden Panettiere's performance. But then I remember that they made Vexen redeem and lose his entire personality and I just...uuugghhhh. I can't believe he died twice in this series. And then Demyx is FUN but also I know he's flipped sides as well, which means he won't be fun much longer! Xehanort seems to switch motivations to whatever makes him the biggest threat (and several of Eraqus' old flaws seem to be mysteriously glued onto him), Sora isn't a motormouth anymore, Riku just doesn't get anyone who cares about him anymore because everyone's distracted by Sora and Kairi, IS ANYBODY GOING TO ADDRESS THE ACTUAL ISSUES THAT DROVE THE WAYFINDER TRIO APART, oh God Marluxia and Larxene you're good guys now what have they done to you

favourite friendship: I really like each of the trios. But you know what's even BETTER than the trios? If you put...all of the trios together...meaning Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Hayner, Pence, Olette...and then you added Isa back in there...and you gave them Ienzo...and you brought back Naminé...and you say that Subject X is Strelitzia and you have her turn back up so she can have justice done...AND YOU HAVE AN ULTRA KEYBLADE GROUP OF FRIENDS. As for Vexen, any purely platonic relationship I have for him is a crossover but trust me I have many crossover pals for he

character I want to adopt or be adopted by: See everyone I listed above in the friendship question. They can either mentor me or let me be their big sis/mom. But also, I will GLADLY be Merlin or Yen Sid's daughter. (But also would I kiiiiinda wanna be a VexDem daughter? This is the worst idea. Still wanna try)

[aealzx]

The first stop to take Ventus was of course to go see Terra and Eraqus. As soon as Sora saw that the others had already helped him into a wheelchair he rushed over to be the one to push it. It may have seemed rude, but the others knew he was just a high energy person that needed something to do at all times. Otherwise bad things happened, and therefore no one minded him pushing Ventus around. Even if he did unhook the IV bag from the pole, and have Ventus hold it so he could run down the halls with him. No one could blame him for that either. Both of them had been stuck in the same room for a month. Eventually, after getting shushed and scolded by the other workers, Sora finally made his way to Terra’s room.

“Tadaaa!” Sora chimed, pulling Ventus around to face Terra while Roxas came to stand next to them.

“Terra,” Ventus called, tempted to get up and run over to Terra, but feeling a little too weak for that still. Terra loved all of them, but it was definitely easy to tell that he and Ventus spent more time together than the others. So it was could be argued that Terra was Ventus’ favorite sibling, though Aqua was a close second.

“...Ven?” Terra voiced, looking rather surprised and almost confused. There was something about seeing the three of them standing or sitting next to each other. Roxas definitely looked like the oldest of the three, and Ventus looked almost as frail as the first time they brought him home. And of course Sora probably had the biggest grin behind his mask, like always. Vanitas probably would have been sulking in the corner if he were able to be there. And then there was Riku and Kairi, Sora’s best friends since they were children. Xion and Axel, the same for Roxas. And Aqua, forever there and his own childhood friend.

Suddenly Terra was scrambling out of bed, and rushing over to Ventus while reaching his hands towards him. “Ven! Are you alright? Did Blaine get you somewhere safe? I’m sorry for leaving you,” he asked rapidly, cupping his hands around Ventus’ face and pressing his forehead against his.

“Haha, I’m fine,” Ventus assured, immediately reaching out to hug Terra. “I just got pneumonia. But i’m gonna be okay. Aqua came and picked us up, we’re not hurt.”

“... Terra… do you remember what happened?” Aqua asked, noticing how differently Terra was behaving compared to the last few weeks. His head injury was healing really well, but she hadn’t allowed herself to hope that he would get his memory back. Even if they had been seeing progress.

“I… think so,” Terra confirmed with a nod, thinking over what he remembered. “I know Xemnas showed up, and I got Ven out of the house before going back and…… finding Master Eraqus. Then I saw that Ven and Blaine were in the graveyard, and was going to go pick them up. But… Xemnas was there again. I think he hit me from behind… Or someone else did. It’s a bit blurry.”

Something about the way Terra was acting now, compared to how uncertain he had been before, made Aqua realize he was just like he used to be before he’d gotten injured. And the realization made her tear up slightly as she couldn’t help but join the two boys in a hug. “Thank goodness you’re both okay.”

“Woohoo! Terra’s back!” Sora cheered, pumping his fists in the air alternatively. Roxas just snorted, and Riku ended up patting a hand on Sora’s head to calm him down so they didn’t get scolded again. ______________________ previous snippet

About time I drew Terra and Ven being snuggly huh? /smacked 

[razorblade180]

Nothing to worry about

After many, many attempts to decode the data to find Sora, Riku was spent. A thought came to him that maybe if he messed with data with the difficulties all the way up, then something might change. It had to be his third day screwing up on the same attacks over and over again. He didn’t remember fighting the organization to be this hard! Riku was a prideful guy that managed to beat most of them but enough was enough! He had been stuck on one obstacle for far too long and his hands hurt from hitting the wall the one time he rage quit. It was time to bring in backup, and he knew just the people…

Xion:You want me to want?

Riku:Beat data Xion for me. You’re too strong.

Roxas:It’s a computer…

Axel:Dude, you don’t get to say that when you smash computers instead of pressing keys.

Saix:You What?

Riku:Focus!!! I called you specifically because you’ve fought Xion, fought Sora, and some of you have done both while technically being connected to Sora; so you know how to play him well.

Axel:I feel like you’re missing people.

Riku:People are busy. You are the only ones that are still around a lot.

Xion:Am I really that tough?

Riku:Painfully.

Xion:Hmmm. I’m not sure how I feel about fighting myself. Something about it feels...depressing.

Axel:I’ll do it. I’m great at games! Plus we’ve fought a bunch of times! I know your moves.

Xion:But you lost…

Axel:Still learned them! *sits down* Watch the master!

That was the statement he made. It’s been three hours since Axel had that confidence. Now he was face down on the bed in the committee room along with Riku. If he heard “why do you fight” one more time, he’d lose his mind.

Axel:Since when do you bounce around like a ball of light!?

Roxas:Why are you surprised? I do it all the time.

Axel:I don’t even understand how you do it!!!

Saix:I can’t believe you didn’t even get half health.

Axel:Think you can do better!?

Saix:Nope, but I won’t act like I can to look cool. Xion, I’ve never seen you do half of the things that program does. Is it an exaggeration or…?

Xion:No, it’s possible. Doing all of that just makes me tired.

Saix:...(I never stood a chance in that graveyard. Then again I try not to go full berserk for the same reason.)

Roxas:My turn! I’m not exactly thrilled about fighting any version of you but helping Sora is the goal here. I just hope Cid didn’t program all of your armors. Not a big fan of the second one or you being the size of the central station tower.

Xion:*red* Hehehe...yeah that was pretty wild.

RAS:You can do what…?”

The change of players was getting better results. Roxas was in his third attempt when he started getting a good rhythm. Watching Axel helped, but there was something else. A weird six sense. Riku was right about him controlling Sora, it felt natural. Battling data Xion was the same. The way he predicted her movements were scarily good.

Axel:Wow, look at you go.

Roxas:Sssshhh, I need focus. I wanna do this as fast as possible. It might be data but hurting Xion feels wrong.

Xion:*red* Roxas…

The man makes it to the desperation move. It’s the second time he’s made it here and he wished data Xion had the armors instead! He didn’t last long before another game over screen. Everyone groaned while Roxas rested his head on the wooden desk.

Roxas:Gah! I can’t even begin to understand those patterns. Your columns of light move way too wildly!

Riku:I hate the fact that if you recover from a strike raid then the next one is delayed to change your rhythm! Why are you so smart Xion?

Xion:Sora does that too. It’s how to survive relentless attacks sometimes. I’ve told you all the timing so-

Roxas:Xion, I really don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but you might as well grab the controller. The only person who knows you, is you.

Xion:And Ven, and Namine, you, Sora, Kai- fine I’ll give it a try!

Riku:Thank you.

Xion died immediately going into the fight. All eyes looked at her in disbelief as her face got red.

Xion:I wasn’t ready! Let me get a few warm up rounds in! I have never done anything like this. Roxas, can you go back to Twilight Town and get a small white bag in the usual spot?

Roxas:Okay.

A few warm up rounds turned into a dozen. Riku even saw her scroll through the settings once or twice. Then she wouldn’t do the fight right away. Instead she’d press bottoms to see how Sora reacted and fast. He didn’t want to be antsy but a piece of him wanted to try again. Riku went over to ask when Roxas came through the door to hand her the bag. Xion ran the program again. She reached in the bag as it loaded and pulled out something Riku didn’t know she still had. Her organization gloves.

Riku:You kept those?

Xion:Gripping a keyblade barehanded feels weird. So does messing with computers…

Data Xion:Why do you f-

Xion:Yeah we know the line…

Riku never considered himself good at things like video games or computers, but he didn’t think he was bad either. That was until he watched Xion start moving her fingers faster than he could keep track off. The whole room was silent except for the sound of clicking. Data Sora was moving at speeds and performing tricks Riku and the others didn’t even know about. He wasn’t getting hit at all!!! Axel could quietly hear Xion mumble numbers. A set amount when she attacked, and then a different set when the data version did. The sets kept resting and ending differently depending on what weapon she used or magic. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Axel:H-How?

Xion:How what?

Roxas:How are you doing this!?

Xion:Like you and Riku said. I know me, as well as Sora. I’m only gonna get hit so many times before I find a chance to counter. Also, there’s only so many moves you can program. It’s still just code!

She made it sound so easy, yet Riku. Can only think about how many times late last night he couldn’t figure out a single time to appropriately heal or attack. Yet here Xion is, perfect blocking and interrupting the desperation move. She even found time to take a picture before delivering the final blow!

Xion:Boom! Easy!

Riku:FINALLY!

Saix:You really should’ve gone first.

Xion:But it was thanks to you guys that I was able to watch and learn without stressing out. It was a group effort. I guess we’re done here. Thanks Riku, that was kinda fun. *stands up*

Riku:Ummm haven’t beaten master Xehanort either. Do you think maybe….

Xion:*Sits down* You owe one for this.

Riku:I know a good spot to find the best seashells.

Xion:Deal!

The crew let her get to work on the baldy while they occupied their time. Half an hour passed before they sat around a table eating. Riku looked over to see Xion learning how to deal with every move possible. It looked impossible. Most of the organization did. Another game over screen appeared and Riku sighed.

Axel:You alright champ?

Riku:It might be data, but seeing Sora lose is depressing. I hope he’s alright.

Roxas:Why wouldn’t he be?

Riku:He’s not the luckiest guy. Danger might as well be a spell when it comes to Sora. All of these data fights made me realize just how dangerous the organization really was. The thought of him running into something or someone as dangerous as that alone doesn’t sit well with me.

Everyone:......

Roxas:You know Riku, you can be pretty dumb sometimes.

Riku:Huh!?

Xion:Roxas!

Roxas:What!? All I’m saying is you would think after seeing a program based off of him successfully beat crazy strong people like Xion that you’d have the most faith in his skills. I mean who else do you know has enough different moves to handle so many kinds of fighters?

Riku:....Heh, thanks Roxas.

Roxas:*red* Yeah whatever. Just stating the obvious.

Axel:Yeah! Sora’s alright. I mean he was able to beat me after all.

Saix: If that’s the bar then maybe we should worry.

Axel:Hey!

Xion:I mean we did tie when I was tired.

Roxas:I beat you with amnesia.

Riku:Sora did too.

Axel:Who’s side are you on! This is the thanks I get for trying to cheer you up? Cut me some slack.

The friends shared a good laugh teasing Axel. Even he couldn’t help but join in on it. Riku should know better than anybody just how capable Sora is.

(Wherever you are, I’m sure you’re just fine.)

xxxx

Fine was the appropriate word to describe it. If a Riku or the others used anything more positive then they surely would’ve bit their tongue. If only they could see their friend right now, dodging and struggling on a rooftop under a starry sky dome. A swarm of gigas closed in on our young hero to overwhelm him, but to avail. Sora whipped out a storm flag and slammed it on the ground to summon the watery beast of the seven seas. It’s tentacles whacked away and crushed the gigas flat. Now wasn’t a time to rest though. Yozora, his opponent, wasn’t done yet. Sora saw rapid flashes of red lock in on him and switched to the counter shield.

He hyped himself “Come on!” Spurs shouted. The first attack came from the left, then right. Four more were dead on before another six ferocious slashes came from the left. Collision after collision conjured sparks that lit up the impacts of each attack. Yozora finally thought he had an opening to stab from behind but was sorely mistaken when Sora had already pivoted already and unleashed a barrage of fists that knocked Yazora in the air. Sora leaped up to follow up with a change into the second form. “Get back here!” He pulled his opponent back in with a magnet burst then went right into an ars arcanum. Blades clashed faster than anyone could keep up with before Sora’s ferocity gave him an edge that turned into full blown hits that ended with him spiking Yozora to the ground. As he fell, Sora was shot in the back by a laser that sent him to the metal floor behind. He had no time to dodge the cross slash that connected against his chest. He watched Yozora vanish and switched right into ultimate form to do the same.

This disappearing and reappearing act made their sparks seem more like fireworks. Crackles and pops

Danced up and down the battlefield as each person kept attempting to warp for both offense and defense until Yozora got the better of Sora by trapping in an exploding prism that launched Sora sky high. Yozora finally had room to breath and could plant fis feet long enough to charge his blade. He watched his target recover mid air and unless a salvo of fireballs with double arrow guns. A good idea if it wasn’t so far away that is. “Sorry but-huh!?” A blue light washed over Sora and propelled him directly at Yozora with his attack. Yozora was quick enough to slash Sora away but decided to pull back by backflipping the fireballs; a big mistake. He had underestimated Sora’s speed. Before he could even reach the ground, Sora was already in front of him again. This time with a massive rocket propelled hammer that hit him in the direction of the fireballs. The magic projectiles curved midair to hope in on his location and blasted him right in the chin. This was bad, really bad. To think he’d have this much trouble with someone who looked so clueless moments ago. He had to switch things up and vanished again.

Sora switched to nano arms and stood perfectly still. “Three….four….” he pulled a barrier right as a glimmer of red formed into Yazora that blasted some strange wide shots from his crossbow before vanishing again. Sora turned the machines into yo-yos next and swung straight. “There!” Yozora appeared right as expected and hit dead on. Sora pulled himself to wards and shifted to his frozen blades for additional slashes.

“You’re Just full of surprises aren’t you!?” Yozora grimaced.

“Don’t Give me that look! I didn’t want to fight!” Sora went for a kick but was too slow. Yozora managed to warp behind Sora and summoned a massive red orb that started pulling everything into it.

“Let’s see how you dodge this one.” Yozora turned up the pressure and started warping as fast as possible at Sora again and again, cutting and slashing him cleanly to knock him off balance until Yozora delivered one more powerful slash across his body that sent Sora flying into the orb. He quickly up to it and glided his blade along it to trigger a massive explosion that made Sora scream. Smoke and fire filled the air for a moment. That was a move not even Yozora himself was too good at avoiding. Nobody was gonna get it right from the jump.

Finally, the battle was over. It was longer than expected but the end result was the same. “Sorry, but I don’t lose-” Another shockwave from the explosion accorded suddenly and dispersed the smoke. That’s never happened before. Yozora shielded his eyes and scanned the ground, no Sora. Just black puddles. He dared not walk closer to them when they started to increase in size until a bigger one formed near his feet and Sora hopped out with glowing eyes and drenched in darkness. “This guy…” Yozora mistakenly readied a block for the keyblade as was then punched by Sora’s free hand, throwing him off and into a world of rageful attacks he had no choice but to receive. Sora was fast, too fast. The patterns seemed random. It was impossible to know what to look out for with the addition of kicks thrown in as Sora instinctively warp in numerous spots to bat Yazora around. Any attempt to escape the loop was met with a primal roar that kept the loop going until one final monstrous attack came. Sora went right through Yozora and into the ground. Strange black orbs rose up from bigger pools of black from earlier and detonated repeatedly, leaving Yozora no room to escape.

What was once a dark night turned into blinding light as Sora once again appeared above Yozora’s falling body in a new form; and with two blades. It was hard for him to understand what happened next. All he could see was light and feel the pain it inflicted everywhere as pillars of them struck down around Sora, who remained airborne and glowing. A look of pure grit on his face as he shouted.

“I guess...my power isn’t needed after all.”

xxxx

Xion:I beat him! But...I don’t think there’s anything here that might help. Sorry Riku. I know you wanna find him as soon as possible.

Riku:Hmmm, that’s alright. *smiles* Wherever he is...I’m sure he’s doing just fine.

[currantlee]

Language: English Rating: Teen and Up Audiences (T) / P12 Warnings: - Fandom: Kingdom Hearts Genre: Almost-Fluff, Angst Characters: Sora, Roxas, Xion, Axel, Kairi, Riku, Chirithy, Ventus “Ven” (background), Aqua (background), Naminé (mentioned), the Master of Masters, Luxu Relationships: Sora & Riku & Kairi, Roxas/Xion (background) Words: 3,299 Chapter: 2/2 Chapter Summary: The birthday party finally goes on - but are Sora and his friends really the only ones celebrating? Beta: @theeeveetamer Notes: Sora going to safe Kairi alone because he wants to spare Riku is inspired by one of PhoenixDowner's KH3 analysis postings on Tumblr, which I'd absolutely recommend reading btw. Also, to avoid confusion on this part: I’m referring to Chirithy with they/them / non-binary pronouns. Other Platforms: -

← Previous Chapter

When Sora and Roxas returned to the others, the others had set up a bonfire and sharpened some sticks to grill food with.

Xion was the first one to notice them, as she immediately sprinted towards Roxas and asked if he was feeling better. When he nodded and apologized for not telling her what had upset him earlier, Sora thought he saw a few yellowish orange spots that looked almost like freckles on her face. He had already been told about her ability to change her physical appearance and how her emotions affected the changes, but he had never witnessed it until now. So this color meant… Joy? Relief?

Before Sora could really think about that further, Ven already dragged him to the bonfire, while Roxas and Xion stayed behind to talk to each other alone for a few minutes.

They grilled campfire bread, sausages, vegetables and marshmallows on sticks at the bonfire while swapping stories. Sora really wanted to know what everyone had been doing over the past year, and they were all too happy to give him an update on everything that had happened.

Roxas and Xion joined in a bit later, when Kairi was telling the others about the first time she ran into Ven when he was sleepwalking – something that had apparently given her quite the scare, since she told it as if she was telling a horror story instead. Sora was quite surprised when he noticed that the two former Nobodies were holding hands at first, but once Xion rested her head on Roxas’ shoulder and dark freckles appeared on her cheeks like a blush, he finally understood. A huge smile spread on his face.

They all exchanged stories well into the night. Stories of the past year, as well as childhood memories. Sora was a bit hesitant to share some of his at first – he didn’t want to remind the former Nobodies of something they didn’t have, especially since Roxas had been upset about it earlier. But then Xion mentioned just how much she loved hearing those stories from others, and when Roxas commented that he didn’t mind hearing about them since it gave him a better idea of what a childhood was actually like, Sora didn’t really have an excuse anymore.

When they all finally decided to go to sleep, it was already way past midnight.

Everyone had brought a sleeping bag – well, everyone except for Sora, but Riku and Kairi had made sure to bring his. No tents though. They were just camping in the open.

It took a while until everyone had found a good spot to sleep at, but Sora was glad to help everyone with it. Together with Kairi and Riku he made sure none of their friends were sleeping too close to the shoreline so no one would wake up in a soaked sleeping bag the next morning.

Soon, everyone was making their preparations for the night.

Aqua set up some kind of spell around Ven’s camp, probably to keep him from getting injured or into any trouble while he sleep walked. Meanwhile Chirithy argued that they could watch over him just fine as well, and Ven tried to mediate by saying two safety measures were better than one.

Naminé was apparently sleeping already. The ridiculously large coneflower she had been wearing laid next to her sleeping bag, weighed down with stones to keep the wind from blowing it away.

Sora’s eyes got caught on Roxas and Xion, who had apparently decided to share a sleeping bag. He smiled. It was admittedly a bit strange, seeing two former Nobodies confused about pretty much everything in one moment and then what was basically a couple in the next… Sora felt like he had witnessed a timeskip in moments like these.

Nevertheless, he was glad to see them being so happy with each other.

They had set themselves up at a nice spot not too far away from Sora’s own, where the beach was already fading into a meadow, behind a textile windbreak.

Xion had already slipped into the sleeping bag and laid down, back facing Sora. However, just as Roxas was about to do the same, Axel placed a hand on his shoulder. Sora couldn’t understand what he told Roxas, but judging by his slightly annoyed expression, it was probably some big brother thing.

Xion seemed to be amused by it though. “Axel!”, she giggled loudly, pretending to be shocked, which prompted him to chuckle in response. He ruffled her short hair and lightly patted Roxas’ shoulder as he turned to leave.

“Good night, you two.”

And with that, he headed over to his own sleeping bag.

Sora could see Roxas shaking his head a little when he crawled into the sleeping bag too, zipped it up and turned on his side as he laid down, facing Xion. She instantly snuggled up against him, even though Roxas hadn’t even settled down completely yet.

… And then, he briefly lifted his head, making eye contact with Sora.

Oh no. He had been staring, hadn’t he? Gosh, he hadn’t meant to… Sora just couldn’t help it sometimes. Watching others, especially couples, being happy just brought him joy as well – but at the same time, he tended to invade private moments sometimes. This had probably been one of them, so he prepared for a death glare from Roxas.

What he got instead was a smile and a nod – a silent ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re going to be okay’ at once.

… Huh. He hadn’t expected that. There was so much he still had to learn about his former Nobody… But for now, Sora just smiled and nodded back. ‘You’re welcome. And thank you too.’

He decided that he had watched those two long enough and should give them some privacy. Therefore he closed his eyes and finally turned on his other side, slipping his left arm out of the sleeping bag as he did so. The cool breeze on his skin felt so nice… It distracted him from the lingering sensations of heavy fabric on his skin.

“Hey lazy bum.”

He blinked and turned his head.

Kairi – in her pajamas – was looking down at him with a playful grin on her face. “Can we sleep next to you? Or is the spot already taken?”

Next to her, Riku shook his head, but Sora could hear him chuckling lightly, and even though he couldn’t see it, he was pretty sure that Riku was smiling.

Sora felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks – hopefully it was too dark for her to notice. “Uhm… Sure?”

It was funny, really. For such a long time, seeing them again had been his greatest wish, but now that they were all together again he wasn’t really sure how to act. They had been the ones to save him this time around, and Sora knew that he was forever in their debt. After all, it was his recklessness that had caused this mess in the first place.

But he just hadn’t been able to stand the thought of Kairi being out there, all alone, even if it was just for one more second. Much less the thought of Riku chasing after her, Xehanort’s words still echoing in his head. While Sora had no idea if he had already abused the Power of Waking at that point, and whether the price for that was already due or not, he just couldn’t bear the thought of pushing Riku into that danger. Not when there was the chance that he himself was already doomed.

At least they wouldn’t be alone. They would have each other. These thoughts had been a slight comfort for Sora, something he had held on to both while knowing that he didn’t have much time left in this realm, and during the year he had spent in Quadratum. Even though he now knew that it hadn’t been a happy year for Riku and Kairi either – all because of him and his stupidity.

And yet…

“Thank you,” Kairi smiled.

… It had somehow been worth it in the end.

As long as all of them were alive somewhere, they would always find each other again. Sora was pretty sure about that.

When they started to set up their own sleeping bags next to his, he realized that he hadn’t really gotten to take a close look at them ever since his return. Sure, he had briefly seen them in Quadratum, when they had come to help getting him back into the Realm of Light, but he barely remembered that. Sora had been at the end of his tether back then, suffering from a fever in addition to everything else.

After that, his heart had been resting inside of Kairi’s for quite some time, but that didn’t mean that he really got see her, or Riku for that matter, despite being with them all the time. And after his heart had been transferred to his Replica body, they hadn’t been around because they had been busy organizing the birthday party, as he now knew.

Riku looked much the same as he had a year ago. Sora found that he still couldn’t stop thinking about the similarities between Yozora and him. He had initially confused his best friend for the man when they first met again, still in Quadratum, freaked out and even attacked. He made a mental note to himself to apologize to Riku for that once the opportunity presented itself, it had been nothing but unfair. His hair had grown quite a bit too, and Sora found that it was a bit hard to see Riku’s eyes behind the bangs. Maybe that was why he hadn’t recognized him sooner. Sora made another mental note to himself to remind Riku to cut his bangs more often.

Meanwhile, Kairi looked a lot different than she had in his memories. She looked more mature. Sora supposed he did too. A year – more than a year, actually – was a significant amount of time, and this particular one felt like an even longer amount to Sora. Almost like an eternity.

Sora had always thought that Kairi was pretty, but over the last year, she had become stunning, if she hadn’t already been before. Beautiful even. Perhaps it was just a side effect of not witnessing the process, and only knowing the ‘before’ and ‘after’, but he didn’t care.

Kairi’s face had lost more of its roundness during his most recent absence. It looked somewhat slimmer, more elegant. Almost heart-shaped.

Maybe her new haircut played a role in this as well. Her bangs were side-swept now, and he was pretty sure that her hair was longer than before. He couldn’t tell how much longer exactly, since her hair was curly right now, but probably somewhere around shoulder-length.

Speaking of the curls, Sora found it pretty interesting how the moonlight reflected in her hair, now that it had texture. It looked a bit like the sea when the wind set it into motion, glittering as the moon’s light reflected on its waves.

“What is it?”, Kairi’s voice broke through his line of thought.

“Hm?” Sora hadn’t noticed that she was already settling down.

“You’re staring.”

“Uh…” He blushed once more, and was getting kind of relieved that she couldn’t see it in the dark. The entire situation was awkward enough. “I was just thinking… Uhm…” Sheesh, why couldn’t he just say what he meant to say…

“Yes?”, Kairi responded with a wide grin. “I’m listening, you know.”

Sora took a deep breath. This was Kairi, the caring girl whom he had known for almost his entire life. There was no reason to be scared of her – and yet, she made him so nervous…

“Give him a break, Kairi,” Riku chuckled and zipped up his sleeping bag, almost as if he wanted to emphasize his statement with the noise. “He’s already flustered enough as it is.”

Even after a year, Riku could still see right through him.

Sora swallowed as he turned back to Kairi. He could feel his cheeks heating up a little. “Your hair…” His voice came out quietly, almost like a whisper. He wasn’t even sure if she could hear it. “The curls look really pretty on you.”

That was probably the dumbest way to put it, but he didn’t know how else to say it. At least it was straightforward.

Kairi giggled, now seeming a bit nervous herself. “Thank you,” she responded. “Honestly, I like them as well. I’m glad I let Naminé convince me to do this…” She zipped her sleeping bag up and laid down as she spoke, and then turned on her side so she was facing him.

Phew. That… Actually went better than he had expected… A lot better than he had expected. Wait, was he supposed to keep the conversation going now? That… Uh… How exactly was he supposed to do that?

“So… Are you going to do this more often then?”

“I don’t know,” Kairi admitted. “It’s a good amount of work, and the heat isn’t very good for the hair either…”

“Maybe there is some kind of hair curling spell?”

“Probably,” Kairi said. “If there is magic to make an alarm go off when Ven leaves his room sleepwalking, I’m sure there is magic to curl hair as well.”

… Riku was awfully quiet, Sora suddenly realized. Was he feeling left out? Or had he fallen asleep already?

Sora turned his head to the other side, only to see Riku smirking at him. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Riku responded. “Nothing at all.”

“Suuure Riku,” Kairi giggled. “Come on, you can tell us.”

“I’m just glad Sora is back. That’s all.”

Somehow Sora got the feeling that this wasn’t entirely the truth… But alright. Now that he wasn’t flustered by Kairi anymore, he noticed how tired he actually was – far too tired to get into an argument with Riku. Maybe he should get some sleep. He could hardly keep his eyes open…

“Thank you. Both of you,” he whispered. “For everything.”

Riku shook his head in response. “Don’t mention it,” he said. “You’re welcome.”

Kairi smiled at him. “Well, it was the least we could do,” she said. “After everything you did for us…”

“Don’t bring this up again,” Sora murmured. What he had done for her would never reach the level of what she had done and continued to do for him. Besides… “I’ve only caused you heartbreak with what I did…”

His eyes snapped open again when he suddenly felt the warmth and softness of her hand on his left – but that wasn’t what startled him. The sensation wasn’t muted or overlayed by another one. It felt so real and clear…

For the first time since he had gotten his new body, it didn’t feel like he was wearing a glove and feeling everything else through the fabric – at least on his left hand.

He turned to her once again in surprise, and for a moment, he thought she looked a little scared. Maybe she thought that she had gone too far due to his reaction… But she hadn’t.

Sora smiled at her, and when he did, relief washed over her expression. There was that light again, the one that always seemed to be shining from within her, like she was always knowing where she was heading. Kairi was the light that always kept him going, always kept him on the right path even in his darkest hours… Or at least, the light that kept him from losing himself completely whenever he strayed from it. She was like a shining beacon to him – Sora’s light in the darkness.

“Well, you’re here now,” Riku suddenly spoke up, interrupting his line of thought.

Sora only noticed it now, but Riku had taken his other hand, and now squeezed it lightly, but reassuringly. A small wave of disappointment washed over him. Unlike the left hand Kairi was holding, the weird sensation still lingered in the right – the one Riku was holding. He almost sighed – he wanted to feel Riku’s hand too, just like he felt Kairi’s. They were both so important to him.

He squeezed back nonetheless. Riku’s lips twitched slightly as he did – he almost smiled. “That’s what really matters, right?”

“Yeah…” Sora yawned and his eyes fell closed. “It’s good to be back…”

---

Elsewhere, a hooded figure in a coat was flexing their left hand, the only part of their body that wasn’t covered in heavy black fabric. A tall man with an eyepatch stood at their side.

“So,” the companion asked after a while, “what is our next move going to be?”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” the hooded figure responded in a sing-song voice, that switched to a more serious tone as they continued. “Just be assured that now that I have a body again, things will become much, much easier.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh?”

“I am aware that our plan will become much easier from now on,” the companion elaborated. “But what exactly am I supposed to do next?”

“Ooooh!”, he hooded figure exclaimed, nodding in understanding. “Yeah, you’re supposed to… Well, actually you’re not supposed to do anything right now! Grab yourself some popcorn and enjoy the show!”

The companion sighed. “I mean, there must be something I can do…”

“Why? You already did a great job, Luxu! You deserve some time off!”

The other man – Luxu – sighed and shook his head. “With all due respect, Master, but the longer this conversation goes the more I get the feeling that there actually isn’t any plan at all…”

“Luxu, you’re truly hurting my feelings,” the so-called Master huffed, putting his hand on his chest as if he was in shock or truly insulted – only to chuckle immediately afterwards. “Why, of course there is a plan! I’m just not revealing it now! That would be no fun, would it now?”

The companion, Luxu, raised his arms and sighed in what was most likely defeat. “Whatever. I trust you know what you’re doing…”

The Master chuckled. “You know I always know what I’m doing,” he said as he slipped his black glove back on. “Especially now that I got everything I need for my grand return.”

He made a dramatic pause, before sighing theatrically.

“Seriously though, it feels so good to have a body again. You have no idea how annoying it is to walk these worlds without the ability to do anything.”

“So you’re happy with it?”

“Oh, I’m more than happy with it. I can’t wait to see their faces, you know?” He laughed as he removed his hood. Spiky brown hair poked out underneath, and when he opened his eyes they were of a very clear, bright blue. “This is going to be really interesting.”

---

Sora gasped as his eyes shot open.

He sighed in relief when he realized that he was still on the beach of the Play Islands with his friends, and no longer at the Keyblade Graveyard… Or some underground sewerage. Riku and Kairi were both slumbering peacefully next to him.

“Are you alright?”

He turned around and saw Chirithy floating in the air. A small smile found its way to his face. “I’m okay Chirithy. No need to worry about me.”

They kept staring at him though, seemingly concerned.

Sora sighed. “Aren’t you watching Ven?”

“Ven is having a quiet sleep tonight,” Chirithy replied. “But I sensed a nightmare coming from you, so I thought I might see if you are alright.”

Sora nodded. “I think I did have one,” he admitted. “Thanks Chirithy.”

They shook their head. “No problem, Sora. I hope you will sleep better now. Good night.”

“Good night, Chirithy!”

And with that, Sora went back to sleep as well.

[atomic-taco-muffin]

Lolita Pretty Cure Part 3

Warnings: I have no idea

Rating: SFW

Today was a very exciting day. Today was the annual Ice Cream Festival in Twilight Town, which meant that you got to see your cousins Amber and Emma. You quickly got ready and headed downstairs to see Ava, Lily, and Shizuku ready along with their parents. 

“Alright, (Y/N)’s here. So here’s the plan: we get to Twilight Town, meet Axel and the others at the Bistro, have some breakfast, and then watch the parade,” Sora said. 

“Alright!” Ven said. You all headed to the Gummi Ship and headed over to Twilight Town. Once you were there, you all headed over to the Bistro to see the Sea Salt Trio there along with their daughters. 

“Hey, guys!” Sora said.

“Hey, Sora! Glad you guys could make it!” Roxas said. You and the girls ran up to each other and greeted each other. 

“So, should we head in?” Axel asked. 

“Yeah. Girls, come on!” Xion said. You all headed into the Bistro and had an amazing breakfast

~~~~

Hana groaned as she trudged into the Gray Area. She trudged over to the couch and flopped on it. 

“Let me guess...you failed,” Kurumi said. 

“Yep. By Demeter and Poseidon. They’re growing,” Hana said. 

“Maybe it’s my turn to take care of things,” someone said. The girls looked over to see Y!Xehanort walk up to them. 

“Fine. Do whatever you want, dad. I don’t care,” Hana said. 

“Hey, at least I don’t have to deal with your brother.” 

“Grrr, just go!” 

“Fine, fine.” He opened a dark corridor and walked through it. 

~~~~

You and the others arrived at the parade and watched as it went by. It was amazing seeing all of the different floats go by. 

“Woah, this is so cool!” you said. 

“It really is!” Lily said. Emma gasped and pointed to one of the oncoming floats.

“Look! It’s the Bistro’s float!” she said. You all looked over and saw a float that had a Little Chef balloon on top. After the parade, you all looked around the different tents and playing multiple games. As you were playing a shooting game, there was a crash not too far away from you. 

“Someone help!” someone said. You all looked over and saw Heartless destroying the festival. 

“Heartless!” you all said. The parents summoned their Keyblades and charged into battle. 

“Girls, get to safety!” Terra said. You all nodded and headed to somewhere safe, but Chirithy stopped you, Lily , and Shizuku. 

“Girls, you know what to do,” it said. The three of you nodded and ran somewhere to transform into your Pretty Cure form. Meanwhile, Amber and Emma stopped running when they noticed that you, Lily, and Shizuku weren’t there. 

“Where did they go?” Emma asked. 

“How should I know? We need to find them,” Amber said. 

“Right!” The two girls started running again, in search of you, Lily, and Shizuku. 

~~~~

You, Demeter, and Poseidon arrived at the battlefield and took care of the Heartless before your parents arrived. 

“If the Heartless are here, then that means there must be a Pretty Cure somewhere,” you said. 

“Correct you are, Cure Nyx,” someone said. The three of you looked over and saw Y!Xehanort walk over. 

“Who the hell are you?” Poseidon asked. 

“I am Xehanort of the past. And you ladies are looking beautiful. Specifically you, Cure Nyx.” 

“Ew. He’s such a perv. Let’s take him down girls!” you said. 

“Yeah!” Demeter and Poseidon said.

“Pretty Cure! Eclipse...Attack!”

“Pretty Cure! Evergreen…Blast!” Demeter yelled.

“Pretty Cure! Tsunami…Strike!” Poseidon yelled. The three attacks hit Y!Xehanort but they failed. 

“What?! Why didn’t they work?!” Lily asked. 

“It’s because you need a stronger Pretty Cure to defeat me,” Y!Xehanort said. The three of you scowled and tried to attack him. 

Amber and Emma spotted the three of you and gasped. Their three cousins, fighting against an Organization XIII member?! 

“We gotta help them!” Emma said. Before they could run over to the three of you, they were stopped by a giant Heartless. 

“Get back!” Amber said as she held her arm out. She felt a burst of energy and a forcefield surrounded her and Emma. 

“Woah, did I just do that?” Amber asked. Suddenly the forcefield warped around the two girls and Chirithy had appeared. 

“Congrats, girls! You’ve unlocked your Pretty Cure powers!” it said. 

“Woah, a talking plushie!” Emma said.

“I am not a plushie!” Two compacts appeared and the two girls looked at them confused. 

“The hell are these?” Amber asked. 

“These are you compacts. Focus your energy onto those and you’ll turn into Pretty Cures,” Chirithy said. 

“Alright, it’s worth a shot!” The two girls took the compacts and turned into Cure Aphrodite and Cure Artemis. 

Cure Aphrodite: 

Cure Artemis:

“Guardian of love, protector of beauty. I’m Cure Aphrodite!” Emma said. 

“Guardian of hunting, protector of the wilderness. I’m Cure Artemis!” Amber said. 

“So, your Cure Aphrodite and Cure Artemis. This should be fun,” Y!Xehanort said. He knocked you, Demeter, and Poseidon away and walked over to Aphrodite and Artemis. You quickly stood up and attacked him. 

“Girls, quick! Use your powers to stop him!” you said. 

“How do we do that?” Aphrodite asked. 

“The same way you turned into Pretty Cures!” The girls focused all their energy into their compacts and their attacks had appeared. 

“Pretty Cure! Love...Strike!” Aphrodite yelled. 

“Pretty Cure! Forest...Kick!” Artemis yelled. The two attacks hit Y!Xehanort and he was defeated. 

“Dammit! I will defeat you Pretty Cures!” he shouted as he disappeared through a dark corridor and you, Demeter, and Poseidon ran over to Aphrodite and Artemis. 

“Woah, that was so cool!” you said. 

“Welcome to the team, girls!” Demeter said. 

“Um, excuse me!” a familiar voice said. You and the girls tensed up and turned around to see your parents. 

“Who are you girls?” Sora asked. 

“We’re the Lolita Pretty Cure, sir. My name is Cure Nyx,” you said. 

“Aren’t you too young to be fighting Heartless?” Ventus asked. 

“We’re actually a lot older than we look.” 

“Well, thank you. We owe you one,” Roxas said. After saying your thank you’s, your parents left and Chirithy showed you a secret passageway back to the festival center.

“How come you didn’t tell our parents who we really were?” Emma asked. 

“Because they can’t know the truth,” Chirithy said. 

“Oh.” 

“Before you girls go, I sent a mirror over to your places. Read the magic scripture and it’ll take you to our secret hideout. The Gallery.” You all nodded and headed back home to get some rest. 

[phoenix-downer]

Final Wish

Sora looked at his hand and sighed. It had started fading away again, and he wasn’t ready to go just yet. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kairi, and he’d be lucky if he’d get another day with her. There were still so many things he wanted to show her, to experience alongside her, to enjoy with her.

Still, at least they were finally traveling the worlds together like they’d both dreamed of for so long. Of all the ways he could spend his remaining time, he couldn’t think of a better way than to do it with her by his side. Their hearts being connected wasn’t good enough anymore. He wanted to be with her always.

But even the golden rays from Twilight Town’s late afternoon sun couldn’t hide what was happening to him, as much as he wanted to avoid thinking about his fate. Kairi noted the way his hand flickered in and out of existence and frowned, her lips pulling into a taut line. He quickly hid his hand behind his back, but there was no fooling her.

“We’re running out of time, aren’t we?” she said sadly.

He licked the last bit of sea-salt ice cream off of his lips to allow himself to gather his thoughts. “Yeah,” he said at last, having no other answer to give her. “Yeah, we are. Any last requests before we go home?”

“Yes, actually. There’s something I want to do. Someone I want to help.”

Sora’s face softened. “It’s Naminé, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “I promised her I would save her. She’s her own person, and she deserves to exist just as much as I do. She has her own memories. She has her own heart.”

“Absolutely,” Sora said. His heart swelled a little as he thought about how much Kairi cared about Naminé. She could’ve asked him to do anything for her, but her thoughts were with helping her friend. He and Kairi really did share one heart—helping Naminé had been on his mind, too.

“I know… I know I could ask someone else to do it,” she said. “Riku, or Aqua, or one of the others. That would give us more time, just the two of us. But I don’t want it to be them. I want it to be you. I want you to be the one to unlock my heart.”

Sora felt the heat rise in his cheeks. What Kairi was asking—she really trusted him to do this? She wanted him to be the one to set Naminé’s heart free from hers? Sure, he had used this power on himself before, but that was different from using it on her.

“I know you can do it,” she said with a slight smile. “You did it for Ven and Roxas and Xion.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” he said, laughing shakily. “I’m worried about hurting you. It’s one thing to use this power on my own heart, but using it on your heart… what if something happens?”

“It won’t,” she said, her face relaxed, her voice unwavering. She sure seemed to feel more confident about his abilities than he himself did.

She rested her hand over his. “I trust you, Sora. I wouldn’t want anyone else to do this. So please… before you go… help me make my final wish come true.”

“Of course,” he said softly. He wasn’t about to say no to her final wish. His final wish could come later, after Naminé had been saved.

Now that he knew he was going to fade away anyway, he had no issues with using the Power of Waking to hop worlds as much as he liked, and Kairi’s Princess of Heart status meant that traveling like this wouldn’t hurt her. So he summoned his Keyblade as she gripped his hand, and soon light shot out of the portal that had opened in the sky and brought them inside. Twilight Town and the clocktower they’d been sitting on just moments before faded away as they went rushing towards Radiant Garden.

They materialized near the lab deep inside the castle, and Kairi still held tight to his hand. Sora could make out voices, and when he glanced around the corner, he could see Ienzo, Vexen, and Ansem the Wise gathered around Naminé’s sleeping body.

“How do you want to do this?” Sora asked, keeping his voice low. “Should we announce ourselves, or—”

Kairi shook her head. “No. No fanfare. I want to do this because it’s the right thing to do. Letting them know we’re here would go against that.”

“Right,” Sora said. “We’ll keep it a secret, just like we did with Chirithy.”

She smiled and nodded. “Just like with Chirithy.”

Sora returned her smile. It was fun, zipping around the worlds like this, doing nice things for their friends and seeing the smiles on their faces. He was glad that this was how Kairi wanted to spend her remaining time with him. They would be able to slip away easily once they were through, too.

She took a deep breath and held her arms out. “Okay, I’m ready.”

He met her eyes, and the look she was giving him strengthened his resolve. Yeah, he was nervous, but Kairi trusted him to do this. He could do this. They would save Naminé. They were in this together, and Kairi had asked him to fulfill her final wish. It had to be him.

As he summoned his Keyblade, though, his heart sped up, his palms got sweaty, and it felt like someone had set a bunch of butterflies loose in his stomach. Resolve or not, he was still nervous as all get out.

Kairi could sense his nerves. “It’s okay,” she said softly, a smile tugging at her lips. “You can do this.”

He nodded and pointed his Keyblade at her heart. Her chest began to glow with light, and her lips parted as a soft sigh escaped them. He felt like sighing himself as he saw Naminé’s heart leave Kairi’s body, and he lowered his Keyblade. Kairi cradled Naminé’s heart in her hands for a moment, as if to say goodbye, then they both watched as it flew to her body.

Her eyes blinked open, and they turned to smile at each other. At long last Naminé had a body of her own. Their work here was done. The others would come get her soon, Sora was sure of it.

“Where to next?” he asked once they were out of earshot of the researchers.

“I suppose we should go home soon, huh? But I don’t think I’m ready yet,” she said, her head drooping.

He understood. Going home would mean goodbye, and he wasn’t ready for that yet either.

“Then… Kairi, if it’s okay with you, I have one final wish I’d like to share with you.”

His palms were sweaty again, and the butterflies in his stomach were going crazy, but he had to ask. He had nothing to lose at this point, and he suspected she felt the same way.

She lifted her head, her eyes curious, questioning. “What is it?”

He smiled and found her hand. “I think… I think you already know.”

Her cheeks flushed pink. “Yes, I think I do.” She giggled into her hand, and her eyes sparkled. He knew he was blushing, but it didn’t matter, not when she was so clearly pleased with his proposal. His eyes flickered to her mouth before he met her eyes again.

“Let’s go somewhere else though, okay?” she said. “If you’re feeling up to it, I mean.”

“Sure. I have just the place in mind.”

He summoned his Keyblade with his free hand and opened a new portal. He couldn’t help the smile on his face as Kairi leaned against him and sighed.

“Ready?” he asked her, his heart fluttering with excitement.

She nodded. “Ready. One last adventure before we go home. I don’t know where you’re taking me, but a little voice inside my head is telling me I’ll like it.”

He squeezed her hand and grinned. “Trust me, I know you will.”

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

A/N: Hello everyone! Re:Mind inspired a few one-shot ideas, and this is the first of (hopefully) several. I wanted to explore Kairi and Sora’s final moments together in a little more depth because I loved the new ending so much. Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!