#Yuffie || A treasure all of her own

[mejomonster]

I genuinely just see ff7 (remake rebirth etc but also the original to be honest with you) mainly about friendships. If i ship anyrhing, im shipping the massive polycule networks cloud is in the center of. Im shipping tifa and aerith as super close and kind to each other and so grateful they never fight over something dumb. Im shipping zack/aerith aerith/tifa aerith/cloud cloud/tifa cloud/zack and cloud/sephiroth in the sense i see those as the strongest Potentially romantic relationships going on. (Aka the big main polycule). Im also not really shipping anything, cause like... zack loses aerith due to shinra bullshit and is technically closer to cloud due to the whole mutual experimented on and fleeing stuff, cloud breaking from the trauma of losing zack. How aerith likes cloud partly as a rebound replacement to project About zack and only gradually truly likes him, tifas probably got the most complicated yet simplest relationship w cloud. Hes her old loner friend, his old childhood crush, the guy traumatized like her from sephiroth and nibelheim, the stranger who she met as an adult whos acting so different and not reliable but she'd like to Be reliable and be an echo of one good Enduring thing that survived the trauma they went thru, they grow a close friendship based on cloud growing to care and gradual shared values. A friendship close to what tifa has with barret, and what cloud eventually has with barret. Aerith dies so, any romance that started (since cloud and tifa cared about her) is impossible with her gone. Zack is dead so any romance with aerith or cloud is unable to be fulfilled. Tifa and cloud are just... the last of the polycule left. By the time any fully realized romance blossoms from friendship and finally the world calmed down a little, of course theyre the only two left to have and hold. They adopt (and is barret in the polycule, ur guess is as valid as mine). If aerith had been alive i think she'd either been in the polycule, or left them to be kind to tifa. Or tifa wouldve left cloud to be with aerith. (My ideal is just all 3 happier together tbh). Then of course, if zack was alive? The more the merrier, my ot4 where everyone kept dying. And sephiroth well, hes not wanted in the polycule but possessing cloud permanently does make him a part of it (just involving cloud thanfkully not like tifa or anyone else dragged into the mess... much). But sephiroth is there.

And i could go on about how to potential shippers ff7 is a treasure trove where u can link cloud to vincent, vincent to yuffie and reeve. Link aerith to tseng to rufus, link rude to tifa and rudes linked to reno and elena, the potential shipping web gets Huge. Can link rufus to cloud, vincent to cloud and vincent had the whole girlfriend with hojo thing, and now oh no even hojos in the web. But thats how it goes. A treasure trove for open minded shippers and lovely doujin creators.

But also just. I think shipping fights are so energy sapping. I think ff7 stories, all the games of them, are more about friendships and caring anyway. It doesnt matter if cloud kisses aerith or tifa or both or neither, he cares about both of them, and they care about him, and tifa and aerith care about each other. Aerith and tifa wouldnt fight over it! Why would i care when they dont even care. Theres a lot of really lovely relationships eaxh complicated and nuanced in their own way and id like to explore and reflect on them all, in their canon and of course fans exploring the what ifs.

[myristicisms]

Exhausted.

That's the only way he could describe how he felt, these streets were so familiar and while he knows that he really ought to get the hell out of Midgar again before he's sniffed out, supplies were a must and there was no place better for bartering than Midgar. He's used to being stared at by now, passersby making comments about the large man that didn't belong within their quiet sector, children pointing towards him and telling their parents about the guy with the glowing eyes, that was all familiar to him. What's not familiar is the lingering glances lasting longer than mere moments and certainly not from someone that looked eerily similar to a ghost of his past.

Memories were funny things. Tender and delicate yet able to slice through someone like a blade sharper than obsidian. Hallucinations on the other hand were nothing but trouble, things that only ever meant trouble was afoot and yet as familiar brown eyes stare at him as though he wouldn't feel or notice it, the former SOLDIER can't help but to wonder if this was another vision or if the child he'd entertained for a while really stood before him. He must look utterly ridiculous to her, a paper bag perched on his hip like a toddler and confusion glimmering within his curious gaze and yet he catches the dirt and blood upon her features. Oh. Oh.

( This is bad, ) He muses to himself, concern swiftly settling within his belly as long legs swiftly carry him to the young girl, though clearly she's not so young anymore. Time has certainly passed, kind enough to some but he knows that there's more to the teenager's story than just taking a casual stroll in Midgar, tensions with Wutai were still high after all and from what he recalls of her, she's not particularly fond of where they stood now. Something was wrong and he didn't want to pry but she looked like she needed a shoulder to lean on and he highly doubts being in an unfamiliar environment is what she needs right now. “ Yuffie... Right? ”

The name feels odd to say again, he'd thought he'd never see her again given his own odd predicament and yet fate seems to have worked in his favor to some degree. Familiar faces were nice sometimes, or at least they were when they weren't the faces of people trying to kill him or bring him back to Hojo. “ Long time no see kiddo, care to play catch up with an old man? ” Though catch up would likely just turn into idle chatter, and if it wipes that troubled look from her face then he'd be content enough with that too, but it'll be embarrassing as hell if he just assumed she was the same kid let alone remembered who he was.

For now, the goal is to at least try, even if it's not the little girl he used to go treasure hunting for, this was still someone who looked like they could use a distraction and Zack Fair was a man that had become exceptional at filling the silence with ridiculous chatter that often provided the needed disruption, or he liked to think so anyways.

@myristicisms gets a starter

Her world had fallen. 

Quite literally. 

Everything felt unreal. As if she were walking through some kind of construct of the world. Each step was heavy and yet Yuffie only knew one thing. She needed to get out of Midgar. She needed to put as much space between herself and Shinra as humanly possible. There was nothing left here. Nothing. 

Yuffie couldn’t have recalled her path through the city if you asked her, every step was taken in a haze, reeling from the events that had just occurred. How was one even meant to begin to process that? As much as it pained her, there were no glances over her shoulders as she ran through tunnels, trying to stifle back cries and screams. All she wanted to do was to look into the void and rage, and rage, and rage, except there was none left. In the space where all of her anger had been, it had been replaced by something much sharper. Grief. 

It was the first time in her life, Yuffie was listening to that voice. To run. To run as far as possible. As if the world was at her back throwing stones, a warning sign of a cosmic punishment to come should she disobey the universe this time. 

Loss did not cover this. It was something else entirely. 

Faces passed her by, occasionally one looked at her, stared, and Yuffie couldn’t work out why, the blood on her face had begun to dry and yet she couldn’t feel it. Maybe one day she would identify the fact it was just her brain trying to block out everything that had happened. Some kind of sick survival mechanism to avert a complete shutdown…that was only barely working. 

Right now, nothing existed…except his face. The revelation that she recognised someone hit her like a brick wall. Rooted to the spot the sunned teenager found herself staring, unaware of the sight that she must have been. Red rimmed eyes, blood and tear stained cheeks, dishevelled hair, dirt and scratches across her legs as she felt gravity pull at her joints. They ached, cried out for rest, for familiarity, for anything that wasn’t this. 

His face was familiar, old, she had known it for what felt like a long time but then again she hadn't even been around for that long. All she could do was stare, that lost look on her face, as she couldn’t bring herself to put herself back together, not at this moment. Instead, all she did was shake her head, swallow the lump in her throat, hold the last two strings of her sanity together. 

Not that it was working.

[animus-inspire-archive]

"It's very important. Just a quick vibe check!" Business? Not really even through she'd pop in at certain intervals in person if she didn't contact him. Thus, bounding over to him arms would slip underneath his to better embrace her friend into a hug.

Reeve was right in the middle of sorting out a particularly knotty problem (as in one of their sweeps had come across a twisted bit of wreckage on the edge of Edge that had malformed into a gordian monstrosity that was preventing a utilities line from being run there) when Yuffie poked in for her all important vibe check.

Current vibe:

Though he just huffed as she threw herself onto him, one arm squeezing slightly in compensation of his cool tone, “Don’t you have something better to be doing, Miss Kisaragi?”

When he made the ninja his intelligence officer for the W.R.O. Reeve had not really meant he needed regular intel on his own behaviours and moods. He had to deal with that enough as it was.

[daydreambouquet]

Zack never survived the Nibel Reactor and therefore couldn't rescue Cloud from Hojo's clutches. From this single point of divergence, the story unfolds.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” - Cid Highwind

Preview of Chapter 23 - The Ancient Temple

“That must be it,” Cid says as he circles the Wutai carrier above a strip of tropic islands. Azure waters shimmer against sandy white shorelines, and rocky beaches press beneath thick jungle canopies.

Despite the otherwise clear weather, dense fog covers an island in the archipelago. Poking above the obscured tree line is the tip of a jet-black temple whose composition alters from glossy to matte with each strike of sunlight.

“Well, that’s...ominous,” Aerith says, leaning against the window.

Cloud couldn’t agree more. The hues of sky near the temple’s apex are sour yellow, and flocks of parrots spiral to avoid its vicinity.

“Can we get on the ground now?” Yuffie moans from the cabin. She’s curled on the floor to stymie her motion sickness while Barret paces and periodically curses Cait Sith.

“I knew that mother-fucker was up to no good,” Barret kept saying, but now that the temple is close, he stands beside Tifa near the pilot’s chair. “That don’t look like something the Cetra could build.”

It’s true. The angle of the crux is perfect. The material has a deep smooth luster that shifts dark colors and mirrors its surroundings like a window into a shadowed world. The Cetra are an ancient race, presumably without the tools or capabilities for such precision. But more importantly, this place does not appear welcoming. And weren’t the Cetra benevolent custodians of the Planet?

Tifa’s arm brushes against Cloud as she points at a clearing near the edge of the fog.

“There, look,” she says.

A Shinra helicopter sits motionless and vacant. Its windows carry a sheen of translucent dust.

“The hell? That it? No troops?” Barret asks.

It’s strange. There should be more Shinra officials or patrolling Turks. But aside from the scurrying lizards, there are little signs of life.

Nanaki stretches and lifts his nose to peer out. Vincent crosses his arms, watching without comment.

“Shinra knows we are coming,” Nanaki says.

Yet maybe not. They have the keystone, so perhaps they’ve already plundered whatever treasure lay within, though judging by the look on Aerith’s face this seems unlikely. She’s concentrating hard as if deciphering a masterful puzzle.

Tifa smiles over at Cloud. He hasn’t spoken to her about last night, but it doesn’t feel necessary. Nothing between her is uncomfortable. Affections turned tangible, and neither has regrets. He likes that he can trust this sensation. It seems the only unquestionable piece of him.

Cid lands the carrier next to the Shinra chopper because there is nowhere else in the temple’s vicinity, and Aerith asks him to get as close as possible.

When he cuts the engines and slides open the doors, a cacophony of jungle noises and hot muggy air assaults them. Giant insects buzz by, and curious predators slink in the outskirts of their arrival. The Shinra chopper rests inert with one door open, interior console blinking on standby as if the pilot had been in an extreme hurry.

The wall of fog is ahead, and beyond that, the temple rises.

The group hesitates. Yuffie swats at a fat mosquito. Nanaki tilts his head at the screen of mist.

“Is it...safe?” Tifa asks, but of course, nobody knows.

Cloud steps into the fog. Immediately, he’s cut off into another world of compact, quiet forest. The distant chirp of birds is behind him, and the sun is blotted out.

“It’s fine,” he reports, inhaling the odorless mist. “Just fog. Must be a weird weather phenomenon.”

There’s nothing alive in the jungle on this side of the border. The trees are frozen in full bloom, but no wind rustles the foliage. The shades of green seem muted and timeless. Cloud touches the leaves from a vine growing around a tree, and the particles turn to dust in his fingers.

The others enter behind him until the fog encompasses them all. Aerith leads the way forward. The peak of the temple somehow seems more prominent now and dominates the skies.

They follow her in silence, though Cloud insists on taking point in case of Shinra ambush. But as they venture forward, that possibility seems far remote. There is nothing and no one around. The temperature drops as they weave through the jungle in the shadow of the temple. Their boots crunch over dry leaves and brittle vines.

The base of the temple appears like a sudden sheet of milky glass. There are no markings in its facade nor windows or entry of any kind. The mist creates a low ceiling, the illusion of suffocation. As the others wander on, following the structure’s perimeter, Cloud finds himself caught in the intrigue of his reflection. Whenever he glances away, it distends and reintegrates, shimmers and dissolves. Then when he looks again, right at it, the doppelganger disappears and only his own pale blues stare back. He does this double-take four, then five times before a shout calls his attention.

Tifa yells from a distance. The entire party has moved on, and he rushes through the fog along the temple wall, ignoring the sensation of something at his heels.

He finds Aerith equally enthralled nearby. She stands alone, pressing a hand against the temple.

“Did you hear Tifa?” he asks because she’s acting as though she has not. She’s captivated, and his presence startles her.

“I...I can hear something else,” she says. He gets close and listens. Ahead, he hears the commotion of their friends but no urgent cries. No nearby fauna. He hears nothing else.

“The Ancients?” he guesses.

“I don’t know,” Aerith says. “There are many of them.”

Tifa shouts again, and this time it’s in dismay. Alarm. She calls everyone over. Aerith and Cloud move together, and a gap in the mist opens up.

Tifa kneels near a Turk lying on the ground. Red soaks the white shirt beneath the black jacket from a deep slash. He bubbles blood from his lips.

“Tseng!” Aerith runs to his side. “Oh no. No, this can’t be!”

Barret, Cid, and Vincent stand apart, unhelpful, as Tseng sputters a painful-sounding cough. Yuffie and Nanaki are staring at the droplets of blood leading into a narrow archway in the temple. A pattern as if shaken from a long, slender sword. A masamune.

And the entrance, a pyramidal door, beckons into utter black.

Inserted into an indent below is the meteorite. The keystone. Dio’s collector item, unlocking a thousand secrets. Cloud cannot look away.

“Help him!” Aerith says. “Cloud, give me your Restore.”

He pulls his eyes to the suffering Turk. Tseng’s long black hair hangs over a desperate dirt-streaked face. But Tseng is the enemy and a victim of Sephiroth. The General must’ve been here, sought the keystone, and taken it. Which means he’s just ahead. Inside the temple.

“We were wrong...” Tseng whispers. His hands tremble. “It’s not...the Promised Land he’s...”

Aerith soothes him. When the others don’t help her, she explains, “He was always kind to me. The Turks have followed me all my life, but that doesn’t mean any of them deserve to die. Don’t you see?” Her pleading eyes go to Cloud.

He waits, expecting her to whisk a healing breeze out of thin air, but she doesn’t. Maybe she can’t, or maybe Tseng’s wounds aren’t that severe. Sephiroth would’ve killed him if he’d wanted to. But whatever lay ahead was more appealing than Tseng’s death. The Turk wasn’t worth the time.

Cloud steps over Tseng’s body and approaches the entrance. Nanaki and Yuffie stand aside, but he pauses at the gaping void. Cold air coils from the other side, wraps around his forearms. Someone says his name. He thinks it’s Aerith.

Behind him, he sees her kneeling with blood on her dress. Tifa crosses her arms, and Barret gives Cloud a wary look. Cid paces, and Vincent cranes his neck to survey the temple’s peak. Aerith won’t leave Tseng’s side.

Cloud pops the Restore from his sword and tosses it to Aerith. Then he crosses the threshold.

An immediate cool disseminates like static across his skin. The world behind fades away. He hears Aerith activate the Restore, but the swirl of green light doesn’t reach him. The void pulls him forward, and the darkness shifts like a tangible being, becoming darker and lighter as if creatures were moving in its depths. The hallway is longer than it seems, extending beyond the visible footprint of the temple.

Then a rush hits him. It isn’t a physical sensation, but he knows he is falling. On impulse, he curls, shielding his head, yet his feet never leave the ground. The surroundings come up instead of him going down.

A harsh light flares, and in an instant he is outside, overlooking a vast complex of labyrinthine structures: staircases and archways, open-air walkways that loop into corners and angles of confusing geometry. Everything is pale stone and unadorned. The ledge where he stands is crumbled and worn, leading into a stairway that seems undisturbed for eons. The sky is a malachite haze.

[im-totally-not-an-alien]

Final Fantasy 7 prompts # 41

1. Gaia is dying and needs energy to heal itself. The problem is that even if Gaia had managed to wipe out all the life it harbors, it still wouldn't be enough.

So she sends out her warriors to different worlds, enticing them to steal magical relics and items to bring back and throw into mako springs where the energy would be absorbed.

Unfortunately, the inhabitants of these worlds aren't very pleased by random people stealing ancient treasures and religious artifacts and running away.

Good god the crossovers.

2. Jenova's point of view

3. Immortal Cloud saving Tifa's great great granddaughter from a creeper while she was walking home at night.

She now has daydreams about the handsome blond angel who saved her...even if no one believed her when she said he had a wing.

4. AVALANCHE is a group of demons/ eldrich abominations who hide from the human world in fear of cruel expirements being preformed on them.

Sephiroth wakes up in the body of a spikey haired blond and after admiring himself and his blue cat eyes in a slab of polished metal, (One likely used in place of a mirror), he set off to explore the tunnel system.

He was soon after approached by a small, and somewhat annoying Wutainese girl. What struck him the most was her slanted pupils and the tiny bat wings on her back. How many of his kind truely existed?

Cloud however, was strait up not having a good time.

The moment he woke up in the familiarity of a human environment he began having a panic attack and then a flashback. Humans took his mothers life. He was lucky that an AVALANCHE cell had raided the lab and rescued him before he met the same fate. Cloud eventually came back to himself to see a man in a red coat petting his hair with a deeply worried expression on his face. Who was he? And why was he calling him "Sephiroth"?

(Also works with those soulmate AUs where they swap bodies or whatever)

5. Genesis tracks down the only remaining boyfriend, the small Chocobo boy that Zack introduced to them.

He was tending to a field of flowers in a dilapidated old church. Strange, he didn't even know Cloud liked flowers.

He decided to make his presence known just after the blond placed a flower crown upon his own head. Thier youngest lover looked a bit sheepish to have been caught, but it was what he said that haunted Genesis.

"Hello, my name's Cloud. Who're you?"

It was like Cloud didn't recognize him.

6. Time travel fic, but Genesis is the protagonist and he freaking lives the loveless play.

...he also kidnapped a certain chocobo cadet but that's besides the point.

7. Sephiroth wakes up in the middle of the night, but instead of getting up to get a glass of water like he usually does, he peers down at a mysterious blond man in his arms.

In his bed.

In one of the most secure buildings on the planet.

Logic would dictate that he should call for backup immediately...but he didn't want to let go of the man. The blond radiated a euphoric feeling of comfort and belonging. Of home.

He snuggled up with the blond and cuddled him till the sun had risen and the blond began to stir...

8. Cloud with shrapnel impaled through his leg has to ride piggyback on Sephiroth while they both fight off eldric monsters that are attacking Gaia.

9. Sephiroth finds AC Cloud passed out in the Midgar wastes and takes him back to the camp. They try to look him up in the database and can't figure out who he is, so they assume he's a cosplayer or something.

Until he opens his eyes.

Featuring Cloud fighting Shinra machines Advent Children style and Genesis being his rival and eventualy one of his best friends.

10. Cloud getting the holy trinity to protect Aerith.

She's so proud of her wierd older brothers.

11. CC Sane Sephiroth wakes up in AC Clouds body while he's out on the road. He takes it pretty well and rides the motorcycle around and interacts with people in different towns. He frankly, enjoys the way he's treated like a person instead of a title. Sure, there's still hero worship, but it's not nearly as bad as it was.

He didn't understand why the shopkeeper gave him a knowing and sympathetic look when he threw out a fake name.

Cloud, on the other hand, destroyed Shinra from the inside withing a day and has taken over as Sephiroth. He exposed all of Shinras dirty secrets and turned everyone against them, and is now making the whole world government go green by force.

He also removed all SOLDIERS and infantry stationed in Wutai and gave them a very charitable peace agreement.

Essentially he fixed everything.

12. Cloud just wanted to sleep in for the day. Why did everyone pick today to come bother him?

13. After the events of Advent Children Zacks ghost started following Cloud around and forcing his blonde to take better care of himself.

14. Cloud was flying when he got caught in a sudden storm...and crashed into an unfamiliar redhead.

15. Cloud and Yuffie were training in Wutai and yuffie accedently popped Cloud in the face with a bamboo.

Then they started walking eachother with bamboo like children and were properly embarrassed when lord Godo showed up with entourage.

It didn't help when they heard a few of them giggle.

[up-sideand-down]

Do you have any Yuffie headcanons

of course I do!

In her effort to learn and get Materia, Yuffie learned everything about Materia, even if she can’t use it. She can tell by color, size, luster, shine, and feel what kind of Materia it is and what level of spells you can use. It’s not uncommon for the group to make Yuffie pick it up first so she can tell them what it is. 

Yuffie also becomes the distributor of Materia. When asked who should get what Materia, Yuffie always says, “Me, I should get it.” But after that she’ll pick a person. The group learns fast to just accept Yuffie’s wisdom, because her explanations are really long. Yuffie is right, just take the Materia and use it and move on. 

She began her life of crime after her home became a tourist destination by stealing from and pranking various tourists. Her father was not pleased, but also had no defense after his 10 year old daughter pointed out that had he not given up on Wutai’s honor and glory she wouldn’t have the opportunity to do this. She was a damn good con artist too, so he gave her that. 

She’s not lazy, but practical. She knows when she can’t get something...but she has a plan B: have someone else get it, then steal it. She used to drop hints to Troopers, SOLDIERS, and tourists, have them get dangerous things and then make off it with. A lot of times it backfires because the so called treasures are worthless to her. 

It takes time for her to learn that worthless to her is not worthless to everyone else...and people will pay good gil for that shit. She starts her portable shop soon after full of things she can’t use, can’t send back home and can’t really carry anymore. It takes a bit to work out the proper pricing of things, but soon she’s got and honest and booming underground business. 

Rufus ShinRa doesn’t remember much about being rescued from Midgar, but he remembers Yuffie. He knew she hated him and what he stood for, but she put him on a helicopter anyway. He always thought of all the AVALANCHE members Yuffie was the one he related to. She was ready to restore honor and glory no matter the cost. He once got the chance to ask her why she didn’t let him die. “What and be like you?” she said. 

The one thing Yuffie knows after stealing, conning, fighting, and wandering all on her own...is that there are things you cannot do alone. She now thinks that doing things alone to prove you are worthy...it’s bullshit. Having help doesn’t make you weak...it makes you strong, because you have friends despite it all...and your opponent probably doesn’t. What a loser. 

[catatonicengineers]

I always thought of Reeve as a forever alone crazy cat lady (guy) and never much cared for any of the pairings, but at some point I became a Reevie shipper and now I’m kinda stuck on Treasure Princess x Spy Plushie.

- Yuffie is the only one who immediately sees through his bullshit, even when Cloud is all “huh. A stuffed animals is forcing itself into the party. Nothing suspicious there!”

- It’s possible she has a great sense for people who are about to unapologetically steal shit and wreck things, because, I mean, same. 

- Despite it being a massive detour from his mission, Reeve goes off on Don Corneo for snatching Yuffie and goes out of his way to rescue her cause fuck that misogynistic trashcan. 

- Likewise, Yuffie is one of the first to join the WRO and has been at his side ever since. She was also his partner in crime for that whole ridiculous reporter disguise stunt. World’s best spies. 

- I imagine whenever they met up in person, it was like meeting an online gaming friend and Yuffie had this immediate “ohmygosh he’s hot” reaction. Cue Yuffie hitting on him constantly and making Reeve super uncomfortable. He would likely laugh it off in a “you’re a kid, stop” kinda way, but because Yuffie is persistent, at some point in later years she’d eventually wear him down. Although, she probably spent a few years silently seething about him treating her like a joke. #NoticeMeSenpaiGoddammit  

- She goes on to rock a DIY moogle spy costume of her own and seems to be in charge of WRO intelligence since Reeve is now too busy with his real person job. Cue Reeve training Yuffie in the art of moogle themed espionage. Yuffie would take advantage of getting to be close, Reeve would be awkward. Even though she’s all grown up now, the age gap would still weird him out since he’s naturally a person who overthinks things in general.

-While they seem like opposites, they’re both incredibly dorky and fun loving at their core. Goofy and childish and enjoy making life stressful for the rest of the crew. I imagine one of them cheerfully suggesting they play a round of campfire games and Barret glaring at them and being like “never have I ever betrayed AVALANCHE” while they both side eye each other and take a shot.

- Despite being smol and ridiculous, they both go from zero to a hundred and mouth off at really inopportune moments.

- Their bickering in AC is hilarious and would imply they’ve become quite close.

- Bringing home an older Shinra dude would piss her dad off. Bonus.

- The WRO would be confused as well since they seem like an unlikely pair as Reeve never really showcases his ridiculous plushie side at work. 

- Yuffie is a better second in command than admin chick. She’d never tell him not to talk smack. Nope, she’d join right in that shit talking sesh.

- Reeve helping Yuffie rebuild Wutai’s economy and protect/restore its culture using his engineering/city planning skills and WRO powers would be adorable.

[cultivatxr]

@justapeskyninja​ whispered: "No, these are perfect if you say they are." Who else to buy flowers from. Curious holiday, well maybe tacky if anything from all the commercialized decorations and the like she's seen, but she's more than happy to buy flowers for the purpose of giving them to friends. Starting with her only favorite flower girl after all once giving them back to her after pink ribbon as tied around the small bouquet, "Happy Valentine's Day~”

Trust Yuffie to do her proud. There’s something delightfully offhanded about being gifted her own flowers, but at the same time, it meant her regal friend had paid attention to her non-too-discreet lamentations in years prior. Truthfully Aerith needed the business, and while flowers from any source (or indeed any gift for that matter) would still be cherished and appreciated, the very fact the pint sized Wutaian had managed to both support and reward her in the same breath, well, that was just poetic justice in it’s own right. 

Tickled somewhat by the irony, those bright green eyes scrunched at the edges as she laughed brightly and kindly, the warmth of genuine mirth and camaraderie reinforcing the friendship she knew to be so true. It may indeed be an over commercialised hype fest, but it didn’t make her any less giddy to be remembered and treated all the same. Without an ounce of ceremony, the ancient beamed, the snake of a slender arm around the mischief maker’s shoulders roping her in for a warm and uncharacteristically firm hug. 

❝You’re an actual treasure, do you know that?❞ An unspoken thank you lay amidst her words, earnest and sincere and entirely without expectation. It begged a return of the favour, and while not nearly so unpredictable, a solitary but vibrant flower found itself plucked from her bouquet and tucked neatly behind Yuffie’s ear. ❝Happy Valentine’s. ❞

[zdbztumble]

Kingdom Hearts III: re:Write

In the immediate aftermath of Kingdom Hearts III, I wrote up some thoughts on how it might have been better different. However, that re-write was predicated on accepting the rest of the series as-is, when a good number of KH III’s problems were but the culmination of issues birthed long before. I know I’m not the first person to wonder whether the series really could or should have organically and successfully continued after KH II at all, given how conclusively that game ended.

With the re:Mind DLC due out soon, I thought I’d take another crack at outlining an alternative KH III, under this premise: suppose that, after the release of KH II but before its Final Mix was completed, Tetsuya Nomura was taken off the series. Square turns it over to a new creative director. At their disposal are "The Gathering” from KH II, all the Disney films and Final Fantasy games (which we’ll assume turned out just as we know them) produced up to 2010, and a few scraps of notes left behind by Nomura (in interviews, he has claimed that at least the beginnings of BbS and Days, including the names of the past Keyblade wielders, had been conceived by the end of of KH II’s production.) They would also have the series’ penchant for unexpected directions and jumping onto shiny new ideas well-established (can’t just forget about that), and the change-over in Disney management that happened after KH II’s production. From all of this, a development team spend the next several years hard at work, with no side games on alternate consoles, ultimately presenting Kingdom Hearts III in 2012 for the series’ tenth anniversary.

This is an idea of what it might be.

KINGDOM HEARTS III (2012)

Final Mix: There would, under this scenario, be key differences in KH II FM compared to what we actually got. No long hallway scene, no sequel-bait flashback to the Organizers arguing - and no extra secret ending. Or, at least not one featuring Old Man Xehanort, proto-Vanitas, and the faces of the armored Keyblade wielders. There’d also be no Lingering Will secret boss and no hints to Xehanort’s past beyond what was already in the Ansem Secret Reports.

Background: Just as KH II was set a year after KH I, KH III is set one year after the events of KH II. Mickey’s message at the end of that game wasn’t a warning or a summons for another adventure - it was news that he and Scrooge McDuck were taking another stab at their idea for a transit system connecting the worlds. The downfall of Xehanort in all his forms and Sora’s safe travels through the lanes he found in KH II convinced them it could be done. One year on, all the worlds from the first two games, and a few new ones, are part of this system (this doesn’t mean that every world from previous games would appear, only that they would be nodded to.)

All shops in all worlds are now those of McDuck Enterprises, staffed by either Moogles, Disney characters, or both. No two shops have exactly the same set of merchandise, encouraging exploration and back-tracking to find key items and allowing for wider crossover opportunities. In that vein, it would be absolutely essential that, at some point in the game, a cutscene depicts Scrooge arguing with Moogles over something related to the stores.

Radiant Garden has been almost completely restored to a beautiful pairing of castle, garden, and town. Besides the rebuilt town and full gardens, the entire castle - the chapel and library from KH I and the basement labs from KH II - is explorable in gameplay. In the absence of a sage king, a council serve as stewards of the world. Obvious council members would include Merlin, Aerith, and Leon, who has formed a defense force for the garden - and why not give it the name SeeD? Leon’s also taken back the name Squall, thanks to Rinoa turning up in the intervening year. You can take it as certain that Yuffie (and later Sora) refuse to acknowledge this name change, just to get on Squall’s nerves.

Back on Destiny Islands, Sora, Riku, and Kairi have returned to their normal lives, having plenty of word from their off-world friends but never seeing them or leaving their home. It’s been back to school for them. But the game will feature them as the player’s trio - Riku and Kairi will be by Sora’s side for the vast majority of gameplay, and except when playing as a certain character is mandated by plot, the player will have the option to choose who to control.

Opening: The title sequence would return to KH I’s more impressionistic style rather than a plot recap, juxtaposing Sora and his friends enjoying their peacetime lives with images of mysterious figures battling - figures in armor like that from "The Gathering,” vanishing one by one and leaving their Keyblades in a barren wasteland until only the three from that ending remain.

Tutorial: Of course, we must have a tutorial set in the Dive to the Heart. But this time, instead of Sora (or his Nobody), it’s Kairi who takes the dive, onto her own stained glass. As the least-experienced Keyblade wielder, and the one who hasn’t had a full-fledged adventure, she’s a good player proxy to (re)introduce basic mechanics, though since all three party members will end up playable, tutorials specific to their movesets will appear when appropriate. In Kingdom Hearts tradition, the tutorial will also feature a set of mysterious questions and an option to choose and give up certain abilities (and it will be abilities rather than weapons this time, given the multiple player characters.) Hints of the story to come appear as well, as Kairi ends the tutorial by facing off against a new class of monster - let’s call them the Dream Eaters, and imagine them with the same basic designs as the Unversed from our timeline’s BbS. After Kairi defeats these Dream Eaters, she sees at the end of her stained glass an armored figure, straight out of "The Gathering,” but before any confrontation can happen, Kairi’s alarm goes off, and she wakes up in her room on Destiny Islands, with a voice bidding her to get ready for school as the title appears in-game.

Initial gameplay: The game properly gets underway with a cutscene on the mainland, as Sora, Kairi, Riku, and their classmates file out of school. We got a glimpse of this  area in KH II, but now the full scale of it can be showcased. The impact of Mickey’s transit system can be showcased too - the mainland is a place in the middle of enormous change, with building under construction reflecting the styles of all sorts of worlds.

Kairi relates her “dream” of the previous night to her friends. While they take some interest, given their own past adventures, they still chalk it up to a nightmare, and the trio goes into town for the first bit of gameplay, an exploration of the mainland. There’s a great opportunity for cameos here; perhaps Mrs. Hawkins from Treasure Planet has moved from another world to set up an inn, or Fintheart Glomgold is on Destiny Islands attempting to hawk his inferior wares to compete with the McDuck stores. Combat in this section would obviously be limited, but several minigames would be available. Possibilities for such games might include sparring with an older Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie; racing the sailboards from Treasure Planet; and an opportunity to try a test offered by a SeeD recruiter, perhaps Final Fantasy XIII’s Snow.

The day ends with Sora, Kairi, and Riku slipping over to the old island in the evening. That spot, at least, is unchanged. The trio comes here, away from prying eyes, to practice with their Keyblades, and it affords the player the first chance to see how each character handles in combat. In Sora’s case, this would largely be a further iteration on his established moveset. Magic spells would be added, subtracted, or modified by whatever the developers’ fancy, and Reaction Commands could perhaps be a little more involved than simply pressing Triangle. As Sora is older and in need of a new design/outfit, KH II’s in-game explanation for Drive forms would be gone. Perhaps something akin to the Formchanges from our timeline’s KH III replaces it, though maybe without the element of the Keyblade itself shifting form. As a way to keep Roxas active in the series without pulling a mess of plot convolutions, one of the Formchanges could give Sora Roxas’s clothes, and a moveset and abilities similar to what Roxas used in his battle with Sora in KH II FM. Riku’s moveset would be an interation of what he had in CoM, translated to the appropriate consoles. This would mean Dark Mode in place of Formchanges ( (and yes, the ending of KH II implied he lost some of his Dark powers, but he needs something - roll with it) and no magic outside of Dark Firaga, but the trade-off for lack of variety would be speed and raw power. As for Kairi - perhaps her basic moveset is similar to the Wisdom Form of KH II, standard attacks being shots of magic, with a large number of spells surpassing even Sora’s. And she could have Formchanges of her own, including one that gives her Namine’s outfit and Reaction Commands triggering moves based in Confusion or Sleep. For an extra flourish, the animation could be patterned after Namine’s drawings. Eventually, all three characters would gain movement abilities similar to (but far tamer than) DDD’s flow motion.

Besides showcasing the trio’s movesets, this interlude on the island would also cement their new dynamic, which the writing has hopefully built to by now. Riku would still be the most diligent worker and thinker, but his arrogance and sense of entitlement to leadership are gone, and the toxicity between him and Sora is gone too. He’s thinking ahead to when school is done (a year sooner for him than for Sora and Kairi, remember) and he’ll have a chance to set out for other worlds again - this time, with a more selfless aim to learn and help the transit project, and without scorn for his home. Sora, his task as world savior seemingly done, has reverted to being a slightly lazy, fun-loving teen. He’s the most comfortable and at-home in the peace he’s won, and the most content with a simple life on the islands. Kairi could, as in KH I, set the boys to tasks and sass them a little, but per her KH II development, she would be more active and hands-on in what the group does, and probably be the most eager of the three for a new adventure of some kind. She also has some renewed curiosity about Radiant Garden. The attraction between her and Sora would be more blatant than ever, with bashfulness being the only reason it hasn’t amounted to dating yet. This would give each character a different “dream” to pursue - Riku, a worthy cause to serve; Sora, a peaceful life at home; and Kairi, a chance of adventure and answers.

When the sun sets, and the trio head back home for the night, action would cut over to Disney Castle, a world expanded to include Disney Town (populated by Horace, Clarabelle, various DuckTales and Goof Troop characters, and so on.) Mickey is finally seen in in his royal regalia, as he and Minnie receive Aerith as an ambassador from Radiant Garden. They discuss the year-long peace, how the transit system is working out, and the near-total disappearance of Heartless. But Mickey is concerned that there’s been no sign of Maleficent or Pete, despite all efforts to track them down, and he and Aerith both remark on some strange dreams they’ve been having. Word also comes, via frontier scout Max, that trouble is brewing on the outskirts of the kingdom.

This would lead us to another Dive to the Heart, exploring more advanced mechanics. Kairi faces more Dream Eaters, and follows them to another stained glass - let’s say an updated version of Belle’s. She observes that the Dream Eaters don’t consume or destroy the glass, but distort its image from peaceful sleep to bizarre surrealism. Sora and Riku appear by Kairi’s side, and the three of them face the first real boss of the game - one of the suits of armor, which seems very interested in the Kingdom Key. After defeating the boss in combat, a cutscene is triggered showing the armor making it past Riku and Kairi to target Sora and his key, but a light that fills the screen, and segues to Sora waking up.

Setting up story: The next day - coincidentally, the last day of school - we join the trio mid-conversation as they leave for their summer vacation. The shared dream they had has them slightly on edge - Sora more than anyone else - but as their friends call out for them to join in the end-of-term fun, it’s pushed from their minds. This sets up further exploration of the mainland, with new areas previously locked off now open. New areas mean new cameo opportunities; perhaps Sazh and son from FF XIII are townsfolk, or Balthier the sky pirate pops up on the streets. In any event, a mandatory minigame in this section of gameplay would be a second test by Snow, exclusive to Riku. This would take him out of the party; as he completes that task, Sora and Kairi go elsewhere, and the player jumps over to them for more exploration once the test is completed. Minigame possibilities with them could include an island dance rhythm game with cute, awkward interactions. They’d also encounter a merchant selling armor - the armor from their dreams, leaving them both with an uncomfortable premonition.

They would want to discuss this with Riku when they meet up with him on the island that evening, but before they can, Riku shares a bit of news with them: now that school is done for him, he’s decided to join SeeD. Once again, the foreboding from their dreams is forgotten as Sora and Kairi congratulate their friend. It’s clear, though, that they’re sad at the idea that Riku is leaving them. Picking up on this, Riku suggests they use their summer on a trip around the known worlds, visiting old friends and making new ones, with Radiant Garden as both their starting and ending point so that Riku can register on their way back. Sora and Kairi enthusiastically agree. When the time comes to head home, Kairi leaves a little bit ahead of the boys, and Sora slips off somewhere. Riku finds him picking paopu fruits. Sora explains that he wants to finally share one with Kairi on the trip, when the time is right.

Cut to Radiant Garden, where Merlin and Cid are in the library, going over records and arguing with each other. As they snipe, they find something in the records that astonishes them.

The next day, Sora, Kairi, and Riku leave their home, courtesy of a merchant ship (perhaps piloted by Launchpad; so far as interaction/involvement in the game, his role would essentially be the same as Chip and Dale from KH I and II.) Upon landing in Radiant Garden, they’re greeted by Yuffie and Tifa. Perhaps they also meet a SeeD captain - FF XIII’s Lightning, who Riku will be reporting to once he enlists. As they catch up, Merlin and Sid appear with the news they learned the previous night: Kairi is a princess of Radiant Garden as well as a Princess of Heart. It turns out that Radiant Garden was an elective monarchy, choosing sage kings from various families; Ansem the Wise was just the last one elected before the world fell. Kairi is the only surviving member of those families, and thus the only candidate to stand for the throne. When that offer is extended, Kairi asks for time to consider it - this isn’t the sort of adventure she had in mind, but it’s certainly a chance to reconnect with her old home. The fact that she’s considering it at all visibly upsets Sora, though he doesn’t say anything.

As that awkwardness gets underway, we cut back to Disney Castle, in the midst of a siege. Dream Eaters are attacking. As they defeat the Fantasia brooms and the various Disney knights, it becomes clear that the castle will fall. One reason for this - the only weapon that has any effect on the Dream Eaters is the Keyblade. Mickey orders Donald and Goofy to take the Gummi ship and go for help. He hurries them along, and the ship gets away just before the Dream Eaters reach Mickey. A shot would emphasize the Kingdom Key D being thrown from his grip. Another shot would show all the mouse iconography vanishing from Disney Castle, and the entire world distorts into a more surreal, desaturated cartoony landscape, with the face and silhouette seen everywhere being that of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. He is first seen strolling up to the throne, a rather awkward and nervous figure whose crown and cape are too big for him. Flanking him are rows of Dream Eaters.

Naturally, the Gummi ship crashes down in Radiant Garden. Donald and Goofy stumble out and report the fall of Disney Castle. This is an even more serious issue than it looks, because Disney Castle was the center of the transit system. The Dream Eaters can now use those lanes to quickly swarm through all the connected worlds. With Merlin’s magic, our heroes get a look at this in-progress, and observe several worlds disappearing. As three Keyblade wielders, Sora, Kairi, and Riku all promise to stop the Dream Eaters. They take off in the ship they came in on, and Radiant Garden shuts down its transit lanes. Donald and Goofy are left behind this time - at least at first.

Meat of the game: The basic premise is clear now: save the Disney worlds from the Dream Eaters. The Dream Eaters are explained as beings residing in that realm between light and dark, sleeping and waking, life and death - the Dream Realm (this is the reason the Cornerstone of Light couldn’t repel them - they aren’t beings of Darkness). Despite their name, they aren’t naturally predatory and destructive a la the Heartless, and they aren’t conscious agents a la Nobodies. Like the Keyblade, they choose to align with strong hearts, and obey those masters they choose - in this case, the armored figures (who cannot be near the Cornerstone of Light). Defeating Dream Eaters releases no heart or anything comparable; it just destroys them.

The quest through Disney worlds might retain KH II’s episodic quality. Disney characters in any given world would automatically join your party without displacing someone else, though none would be playable. Some of the Disney worlds would have straightforward and story-driven adventures; for example, one of the worlds might be the Dwarf Woodlands, where Snow White has been hiding with the dwarves for years, and the Wicked Queen has entered into a pact with the armored figures to find her in exchange for help in fighting Sora and friends. Enchanted Dominion and Castle of Dreams could fall under this category as well, presumably with post-movie original stories, and Tangled could come in for a loose adaptation as well even if Princess and the Frog is better.

Other worlds might be more lighthearted - “filler,” if you like - for example, Genie turning up to insist that everyone attend the party in Agrabah for Aladdin and Jasmine’s wedding in a loose adaptation of the King of Thieves. And, thanks to the transit system and its implications for the lore, we’d have what we might call shared worlds. As an example: let’s suppose there’s a world named the High Seas on the map. When the trio first arrive, they find themselves on the Black Pearl, roped into helping Captain Jack escape the Flying Dutchman. But it turns out that the waters they’re sailing on are those directly above Atlantica. When you eventually encounter Little Mermaid characters, Triton can once again drop some exposition by confirming that the armored figures are the Keybearers that “shatter peace and bring ruin” in the legends he knows: the Knights of the Key. The boss for this world could be something like a ship-to-ship battle, with an environmental element in the form of Triton summoning storms to aid the player. And, of course, Ariel would become a Summon (though, like with KH II, the lore behind Summons established in KH I wouldn’t be valid here. Perhaps Summons could be a literal summoning of a friend whose heart is connected to Sora’s, Kairi’s, or Riku’s, or at least their spirit and abilities via the magic of the Keyblade. This might let Donald and Goofy remain part of combat too - they could be the first Summons acquired, coming to your side in spirit/heart even as their bodies remain on Radiant Garden.)

Another way to have a shared world would be to take advantage of the settings of certain Disney movies. A world named London could have the riverbank garden from Alice in Wonderland, the Darling house from Peter Pan, Cherry Tree Lane from Mary Poppins, and Roger’s flat from 101 Dalmatians. Or vehicles, like Casey Junior from Dumbo, could appear in the Gummi levels alongside Final Fantasy mech. But whether shared or solo, boss battles on the Disney worlds would be the usual variety platter of Disney villains, special Dream Eaters, and Knights. The Knights prove themselves to be silent figures who, upon being defeated, release both a heart and a white, wispy ghost-like shape. Even as they target the worlds in the transit system via the Dream Eaters, they repeatedly demonstrate clear interest in the Kingdom Key, and sometimes directly target Sora to get it - chasing him, if you will. Like a group of Chasers. (Oh, like the series as-is gave that term any definition at all!) At least one reason for this becomes obvious: while all three of our heroes’ Keyblades will slay Dream Eaters, only the Kingdom Key can sever a world from the transit system and lock it off from encroachment.

It can only do that when the heroes succeed, of course. New to this series is the possibility of a world’s story ending with the heroes failing to save it. When a world falls to the Dream Eaters, it is taken into the Dream Realm, where it is twisted and distorted into a surreal, and sometimes nightmarish incarnation of itself. Places like Wonderland and Neverland - which now can be thought of as pockets of the Dream Realm within London - overrun the world in that case (in that specific instance, since they’re tied to the same London, perhaps they blend together) while a place like the Dwarf Woodlands could come to resemble Snow White’s frightened daydreams from the film. This was the fate that befell Disney Castle, but it is unique among the conquered worlds in that it returned to the Realm of Light after being transformed.

In this section of the game, each of the three heroes would develop, with each of them getting at least a section of a world where they are the required playable character. Riku strives to carry himself as a disciplined, responsive, and military figure, quick to recognize whoever needs help and to provide it; he has an imperfect but broadly successful track record throughout the game. This shows him capable of fulfilling his “dream.” Kairi, the least seasoned traveler, is the most awed, excited, and/or frightened by what’s going on in a given world, and gains an idea of the responsibilities, and the pros and cons, of being royalty. She’s in the middle of experiencing her “dream.” Sora has the easiest time making friends with new and established Disney characters, and is the most consistently (if impulsively) altruistic. But the world-weariness that Sora showed in KH II, and the flashes of doubt he had in KH I and CoM, are more apparent here; for how giving and selfless Sora is, he feels that he and his friends have done their time as world saviors, and that the peace they had won after KH II should have been able to last; in other words, he’s losing his “dream.” He’s also confused and upset at the idea that Kairi might choose to leave Destiny Islands, and struggles to talk to her, something that in turn upsets Kairi. She and Sora both independently talk to Riku about their feelings; he helps them as well as he can, but ultimately, this is a bridge those two will have to mend themselves.

Occasionally, action cuts back there to get a look at Oswald. He’s very quickly shown to be a clumsy and rather innocent “villain” descended from a long-lost line of royalty that ruled over the Disney Castle world before Mickey’s ancestors first appeared. He’s nursed a long-held grudge against Micky for this, but reclaiming the throne doesn’t bring him any joy. It also becomes clear that this new “ruler” is being led and bullied by his vizier - Pete, who moves in with a small battalion of Knights after the Cornerstone of Light is removed.

At the halfway point of the game, a given world falls to the Dream Eaters - in part, because Sora reaches his breaking point with everything going on and fails to do his duty. Being on the world when it falls, the heroes are pulled into the Dream Realm with it, and when they wake up, they’re separated, and the player moves back and forth between their respective journeys through the Dream Realm map, which contains worlds that had fallen and some new worlds unique to it (worlds modeled after Fantasia segments come to mind.) Riku might find himself alongside King Mickey on one world, Mickey having made it off Disney Castle before it was brought back to the Realm of Light and now without his Keyblade. Kairi would meet Queen Minnie for the first time on another world, and realize (if gameplay hasn’t confirmed it by this point) that all the other Princesses of Heart are somewhere in the Dream Realm as well by now. Sora finds himself in the Keyblade Graveyard. At a comparable point in the story in KH I, Sora had the Keyblade forcibly taken from him; in CoM, his memories had been rewritten enough to break him; in KH II, he was subjugating himself before the Organization to try and get to Kairi. In this game, Sora would be suffering guilt for his actions and doubt over his worthiness to wield the Keyblade, despite the Kingdom Key still being in his possession.

(The separation would necessitate each character having a way to travel through the worlds. Let’s suppose one of them is still with Launchpad, another gets a hold of the Jolly Roger after Tinkerbell coats it in fairy dust, and the other gets a hold of a spaceship from Lilo & Stitch. Or maybe there’s some FF mech lying around. Anything that works.)

(This separation, and the trek through the Dream Realm, could also offer an opening for some optional content: the conclusion of Cloud and Sephiroth’s story, with both of them having ended up in the Dream Realm after KH II. Their connection could even be implied to be a result of Xehanort’s experiments, tying him into the proceedings and fulfilling the “Memories of Xehanort” promise from the secret ending without ever bringing him back. None of this content would be mandatory, and the Xehanort connection wouldn’t even have to be explicit, but if the player were to find and complete this material, then it would end with Cloud free from Sephiroth.)

The reveal: While separated in the Dream Realm, the trio each come to learn (with cross cutting to avoid repetition) where the Knights and the Dream Eaters came from, and why the Knights seek the Kingdom Keys. Long ago, in the age of fairy tales, there was only one world, only one realm (of light), and only one Keyblade - the Kingdom Key, which bestowed itself on a chosen wielder to safeguard Kingdom Hearts - the true Kingdom Hearts, source of the light and the final destination of all hearts. In time, some people began to follow the chosen wielder, and became the first Knights of the Key. They made Keyblades in the image of the Kingdom Key, powerful magical weapons born of a strong heart that were surpassed by the Kingdom Key only in its unlimited ability to lock and unlock the Keyholes of worlds, and Kingdom Hearts itself. But some of the Knights began to covet the Kingdom Key themselves, while others wanted to harness the power of Kingdom Hearts, or enter into it. A great Keyblade War broke out, and corrupted Knights became the first Heartless, birthing the Realm of Darkness. By the end of the war, the last chosen one of the Kingdom Key gathered eight true followers, seven of whom expunged the darkness from their hearts. This darkness was joined with some of the Kingdom Key’s power, forming the Kingdom Key D and creating a two-key system as a safeguard for Kingdom Hearts. The seven pure lights could now open the Door to Darkness. Once it was opened, the Kingdom Key passed on to the eighth follower, and the former chosen one took the Kingdom King D into the Realm of Darkness. Together, they all sent Kingdom Hearts into the darkness, out of anyone’s reach, and sealed the door.

The war shattered the world and the light. All that was left of the original world was the Keyblade Graveyard. Those survivors with the strongest hearts - all of them children, none of them Knights - consciously rebuilt the Realm of Light in fragments, and unconsciously created the Dream Realm and Dream Eaters with their dreams and nightmares (the reason why Keyblades work against Dream Eaters is implied to be that, like the Dream Eaters, they are weapons borne of the dreams of the heart.) The seven pure lights continually reincarnated throughout time as the worlds went on. The Knights of the Key still existed, greatly reduced in numbers, still fighting amongst themselves. They fought to harness the darkness that they had brought into the world, or to find the Kingdom Key, which no longer appeared to a chosen one. Their continued fighting ruined many worlds, and opened paths for the Heartless to traverse. There came a point where three Keyblade wielders - Terra, Aqua, and Ven - set out for the Keyblade Graveyard to try and find the Kingdom Key and its counterpart, hoping they could undo the damage the Keyblade War had wrought by restoring Kingdom Hearts. Theirs was a “dream” of restored peace and light.

They found the two blades, and it looked as though they were chosen. But to restore Kingdom Hearts and end the Keyblade War for good, the three friends would need to find the seven pure lights, one of their trio would have to pass into the Realm of Darkness to be on the other side of the door, and another would have to go inside Kingdom Hearts itself to make their desires known. Faced with the possible end of their lives and friendships, the three hesitated, and other Knights began to appear, drawn to the Kingdom Key. Fighting resumed in the Graveyard. The three friends were pulled into the fray, unable to risk sacrificing everything for the greater good and fulfilling their “dream.” But they did use magic to pull the Graveyard, and everyone in it, into the Dream Realm. The Kingdom Keys vanished once again. Cut off from light and darkness, suspended in dreams, the Knights gradually lost their names and voices and bodies; only their hearts and souls lingered inside their armor, keeping the desire for the Kingdom Key and control of Kingdom Hearts alive. The strength of that desire let them bend the Dream Eaters to their will, but they remained in the Keyblade Graveyard, wandering through it in search of the Kingdom Keys.

It was in this state that Maleficent found them. After the destruction of The World That Never Was, she and Pete found themselves in the Dream Realm, and eventually made their way to the Keyblade Graveyard. Though the Knights were mute, Maleficent was able to discern enough to know that they were restless spirits in search of the Kingdom Key, and was eventually able to bind them to her own cause. By her will, the Knights were stirred to leave the Graveyard; by her magic, they were able to return to the Realm of Light through the dreams of Oswald, who was quickly manipulated into serving them. After the Knights overrun all the worlds and take them into the Dream Realm, Maleficent "dreams” of finally ruling over them all, from her newly acquired Disney Castle - once the Cornerstone of Light is removed, and cast into the Realm of Darkness, she moves in and deposes Oswald.

(Some of this information would be revealed piecemeal throughout the game via Secret Reports; rather than written logs, these could be brief cutscenes, flashes of memory from Knights encountered on the journey. Some of it would come out of dialogue with characters like Triton. The majority of it would be revealed after the trio are lost in the Dream Realm, in as elegant a fashion as possible.)

Turning point: Only Sora learns the story of the Knights in full. Riku learns about the Knights’ hunger for the Keyblade and their ties to Maleficent, and Kairi learns about the Keyblade War and the failed mission of Terra, Aqua, and Ven. With their incomplete knowledge, Riku and Kairi get separate ideas of what to do. Riku and Mickey find their way back to the Realm of Light, to Radiant Garden, where they explain what they know. Riku proposes taking the fight back to Disney Castle to win it, and the transit system, back. Squall agrees, and this could potentially open up a way to integrate Gummi ship levels more into story, with ship-to-ship battles around Disney Castle and another gauntlet with the FF characters, this time as Riku. Kairi, on the other hand, gets the idea to try and pull the Knights back into the Dream Realm and find a way to put them at peace. Believing that the Princesses of Heart may be able to do this, she sets out to find the rest of them. On her search, her Keyblade vanishes, and is replaced with none other than the Kingdom Key D, evidently by the will of the Keyblade itself.

Sora, with the full picture, continues to wander the Graveyard, at a loss for what to do. He comes upon a Knight, implied to be the remains of Ven. He wants the Kingdom Key, and Sora recovers enough resolve to stand in his way. At the same time, Riku’s gauntlet leads him to the throne room of Disney Castle, where Maleficent is waiting with a Knight implied to be the remains of Terra, though she disappears immediately; and Kairi, having found all the princesses, encounters a Knight implied to be the remains of Aqua. This triggers a multi-stage boss battle, jumping around among these three conflicts. At the end of one stage, Sora would get Oathkeeper and Oblivion to renew his strength, while Mickey becomes a party member for Riku and Minnie one for Kairi. At the end of another stage, Maleficent could appear in the Dream Realm to join Aqua in facing down Kairi, Minnie, and the princesses, who could (at the very least) be a sideline source of additional power. At the end of yet another stage, the Knights each strike decisive blows, and action moves to the Dive to the Heart, where Sora, Kairi, and Riku form a party against the three Knights. They just manage to defeat them. A cutscene would show the Knights’ hearts and souls being released, and lingering just long enough that their true faces beneath the armor could be seen, smiling and at peace.

Our trio quickly make up and get to the business at-hand. Sora, repentant from his past mistakes, now wants to carry out Terra, Aqua, and Ven’s original plan in full. When they return from the Dive, Kairi is to get Maleficent to cast her and the other princesses into the Realm of Darkness, where they’ll form the Door to Darkness. Riku is to return to the Realm of Light, finish reclaiming Disney Castle, and distract Maleficent and the Knights. Sora will follow his heart to the other side of the Door, and work with Kairi to bring Kingdom Hearts, not into light, but into the Dream Realm, where he’ll step into it and try and find a way to put the Knights to rest and restore the worlds. Riku and Kairi object initially; they have no idea if their group can do any better than the old one, and even if they find Kingdom Hearts and Sora enters into it, there’s no telling what will happen to him. But Sora is determined to do this for the greater good, and the others see no other way to put a permanent end to the danger from the Knights. With great reluctance, they agree.

Riku leaves the Dive first, and Sora and Kairi have a chance to have a heart-to-heart (no pun intended.) They finally affirm their love for each other explicitly, and Sora declares that he supports whatever decision Kairi makes about the Radiant Garden throne - he just wants to be with her. It’s the thing he most values from his “dream.” Kairi feels the same way, and before they leave the Dive, they finally share that paopu fruit.

The initial stages of the plan, at least, go well. Kairi successfully goads Maleficent into opening a portal of darkness that she and the other princesses take (Minnie presumably gets away at some point), while Riku, Mickey, and the Radiant Garden crew draw her attention. (Mickey would also find Oswald, forgive him, and bring him into the Disney fold. Oswald might even be instrumental in bringing Pete into permanent custody.) This could culminate in the answer to the 1000 Heartless battle in KH II: Riku facing a swarm of Knights, Dream Eaters, and Maleficent’s goblins. Sora, searching the worlds for the Door, would unconsciously summon Donald and Goofy, and have their spirits in his party until he finds it. But once the Door is formed, something alerts Maleficent to the act, and she becomes the final boss of the game, with multiple stages that see Donald and Goofy’s summons being blasted away, only to be replaced by Riku’s and Kairi’s. Maleficent would summon goblins, Dream Eaters, and Knights to her side, become a dragon, and if we imagine a post-Eisner, early-stage Iger regime at Disney could be persuaded to loosen the shackles a bit, she could even end up merging with the souls of slain Knights to become a mish-mash of Disney dragon and Square monster before finally going down.

With Maleficent slain, Sora and Kairi pull Kingdom Hearts out from darkness and into the Dream Realm. The trio have what may be their final goodbyes; unsaid would be the fact that they’re all prepared to sacrifice their own “dreams” for the greater good. Sora disappears into Kingdom Hearts. The screen fills with light. Slowly, the worlds are all restored, the Dream Eaters and Knights vanish, and new, solid lanes of land begin to connect the worlds on the map. It isn’t quite the one world bathed in light, but it’s a step in that direction. Kingdom Hearts remains in the Dream Realm, the implication being that, as it’s very much the stuff that dreams are made of, it’s ultimately safer there than in light or darkness.

Doors to Light let the princesses return to their worlds, and Kairi to Radiant Garden. She finds Riku being formally inducted into SeeD, fulfilling his “dream.” The offer for Kairi to take the throne is extended again; she’s more than shown herself worthy of being a sage queen. But Kairi refuses. She’s had a fair share of her “dream;” she’s had an adventure and learned something about her past, and herself. But there’s someone out there who sacrificed his “dream,” that included her, for everyone else, and now her “dreams” have shifted. She’ll be going home to Destiny Islands, waiting for them to come true. Cue the ending song.

Credits sequences: Those Disney worlds that loosely held to their films could show their conclusions; those worlds that went with original storylines could show some additional new footage. A check-in at Disney Castle would show the Cornerstone of Light being restored, and Oswald finding a place in court. A check-in at Radiant Garden would show Riku training, the others living, and Cloud returning. And the closer would be Kairi waiting by the tree on Destiny Islands.

Post-game material: If you manage a certain percent completion, you get a secret ending: Sora turning up on Destiny Islands by Kairi’s side. If you manage 100% completion, you get a secret level: a vacation to Disney Town for Sora, Kairi, and Riku! What, you thought I suggested expanding the size of Disney Castle just for fun earlier? Nah! It’s so you can have a super-special super-secret sandbox of fun, with a bunch of activities and minigames themed after different Disneyland rides!

[vibranch]

The Keybearer’s Keychains (3/6) - Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction

Rating: T Word Count: 1,938 AO3 link here (contains some author’s notes for those interested)

Part 3/6: The Crab Claw, Oblivion, and Lionheart Part 1                       Next part

Summary:  So many Worlds, and so many people. Each one was unique and an adventure to Sora. But one thing that was constant on his journey, was the keychains he received. An exploration of Sora's thoughts, experiences, and feelings for each keychain he received during his first journey in no particular order.

                                                  The Crab Claw

It was kinda funny that one of the most unique Worlds Sora visited, gave him the most mundane keychain he’d receive. Just a plain looking seashell.

“Just a little something to remember us by.” Ariel said to Sora as he was about to leave. Of course, Sora wasn’t going to say no to it. A gift was a gift, and it housed the feelings of friendship that had grown between them.

Ariel had no way of knowing Sora had grown up on an island. He’d collected hundreds of seashells over the years, and the one she gave him would be easily lost if he placed it next to his old collection.

Sora spent the majority of the flight back to Traverse Town converting it into a keychain for his Keyblade. And although he thought the new form his Keyblade took was pretty, he worried what Sebastian would say if he saw a crab was being used as the teeth of the key. For Sebastian’s feelings, Sora made a mental note to not use this keychain if he ever went back to Atlantica.

For the most part, Sora was content to leave the Crab Claw hanging in his room. It was one of his lesser used keychains, though it was never truly retired. Thus, it was spared from the drawer in his room that all retired keychains ended up, but the plain looking keychain also meant Sora rarely pulled it off the wall for an adventure.

So there it stayed, serving its original duty fine as a reminder to Sora of everything that happened in Atlantica and all the inhabitants who lived there.

                                                The Oblivion

At what point had Sora’s playful rivalry with Riku stopped being quite so playful? It was a question Sora had asked himself multiple times on his journey across Worlds. He wanted to blame Maleficent, but that wasn’t entirely true.

She had certainly made things worse, but the actual deterioration of their friendship had started before they’d even begun building the raft. In the past, Riku would occasionally tease Sora, and Sora usually didn’t mind. But Riku had been doing it more often lately, and it didn’t feel like teasing to Sora anymore.

Sora knew Riku was always better at things than him. Riku was faster, Riku was stronger. And everytime Sora struggled to think of a comeback to one of Riku’s jabs, he realized Riku was cleverer than him too.

Sora felt like he was nothing more than a measuring stick to Riku. Someone for him to stand by, so others could see how impressive Riku was by comparison.

Not to long after the raft building began, Sora felt the need to keep score of how many times he or Riku won at something. But that only made Sora feel more desperate to beat Riku. Every time Sora failed to measure up to Riku, everytime Riku smirked or said something to showboat his victory, it felt more like he was twisting a knife. And despite how much it hurt, Sora still kept track of the increasingly large divide between the two of them.

There was one thing that Riku said that really got under Sora’s skin. “How about it, Sora? The winner gets to share the Paopu with Kairi?”

Why would he say that? Sora didn’t know how to respond when Riku asked him that. Riku definitely knew about Sora’s feelings towards Kairi, he had teased him about the fruit the evening before.

Sora just wanted the race to be fun. But it wasn’t. Not after Riku said that. Riku didn’t even give Sora the right to feel upset about it, instead claiming it was just a joke.

Sora worried it was his fault that things had gotten so bad. Was it his fault for noticing that Riku won more often than not? Was it his fault for letting Riku get to him? They were friends, right?

All these questions rose up again when Sora found a pitch-black crown keychain in Hollow Bastion. It was a mirror image of the crown necklace he wore. The dark side to the silver lined one around his neck.

Sora thought that he should’ve been disturbed by it. The form the Keyblade took when hooked up to it was frightening. Something about the teeth of this Keyblade forced the word Darkness into his head.

The Keyblade’s new form was trying to be a reminder of his time as a Heartless or maybe a reminder of Riku who gave into his Darkness.

Somehow Sora didn’t care. It was reminding him of his friend. And he wanted his friend back. He wanted to be able to hang out with Riku again without feeling like he had to win the next competition. Without feeling like he was being secretly judged or talked down to or belittled.

No, he realized, he didn’t just want his friend Riku back. What he really wanted back was his friendship with Riku. And now he was going to have to fight for it. Fight both the Darkness infesting Riku, and the Darkness inside himself that fueled his insecurities.

                                                   The Lionheart

By all accounts, Leon was Sora’s opposite. He was quiet, withdrawn, and he had difficulty showing any sign of human emotion, much less positive emotion. Really, Sora should have disliked him from the personality clash alone. But instead, Sora couldn’t help but respect him.

Leon had arrived in Traverse Town under similar circumstances as Sora. He’d lost his world and most of everyone he’d ever known. But even without a Keyblade, Leon was strong, and perhaps more importantly, he was able to make a difference in people’s lives.

The King respected him enough to make sure Donald and Goofy’s first stop of their journey was to see Leon, everyone in Traverse Town looked to him as a leader, he’d even found Pinocchio and Geppetto a place to live.

Sora didn’t know how he could ever compare to that. No matter what he might accomplish, someone else might look over to Leon and see all the similar things he’d done. And he’d done it without a Keyblade.

Maybe other people weren’t doing that, Sora hoped that might be true. But if Sora was already comparing himself to Leon, what were the odds that he was the only one making these comparisons?

Maybe that was why it was only after Leon said something at the end of the Pegasus Cup that Sora noticed just how much stronger he’d become.

Leon pressed his hand firmly into Sora’s shoulder as Donald and Goofy celebrated their victory. “Good job.”

It was the usual kind of Leon statement. Simple and efficient. And yet his tone said so much more those two words did. There wasn’t any resentment in it. Sora was surprised by how graciously he accepted his defeat.

Sora still half-expected Leon to spout something about how he let Sora off easy this time or that he’d gotten lucky. But instead, he stopped, turned around, and told Sora, “You’ve gotten stronger. Keep it up.”

And then he went on his way again. Yuffie’s voice filled Sora’s stunned silence, teasing Leon as she followed behind him, but he stayed silent to her verbal jabs.

All Sora could do was watch the two walk away. Leon almost sounded proud to Sora.

Even though he lost? Sora wondered.

He had a hard time believing it, but he also hoped that he wasn’t somehow imagining it. He was tired of constantly comparing himself to someone else.

Sure, he could cast fire and summon thunder from the sky, but he still felt like the same boy from the islands, lost amongst the Worlds with none to call his own anymore. For the first time in a long time, Sora noticed how far he’d come.

 Sora would eventually fight Leon again in the Hades Cup. This time however, Leon teamed up with Cloud. Despite that, Sora had also gotten stronger and the result was once again the same as last time, with Sora, Donald, and Goofy winning once again.

“Here,” Leon said once the match was over. He pulled the lionheaded keychain from his Gunblade’s pommel and held it towards Sora.

“Huh?” Sora just stared at the silver keychain Leon held out in front of him. “What’s this?” He asked.

“It’s a keychain. Your Keyblade uses them, right? I’ve seen you around Traverse Town with all sorts of different kinds.” Leon explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting a gift,” Sora said, shortly before taking the keychain from Leon’s hands. “You sure it’s okay for me to have this?”

Leon gave a rare smile. He placed his free hand over his mouth in an attempt to hide the look from his face. “Like I said back at Hollow Bastion, we might never see each other again, but we’ll never forget each other either. I want you to have something to remember me by. And besides, it’s not like it’s one-of-a-kind or anything, at least not anymore. Not on my World.”

Sora examined the small silver keychain in his hand. Its features were faded from years of being exposed to the elements of whatever Worlds Leon had been to since he’d fled Hallow Bastion. But despite its age, there wasn’t a speck of dirt or dust on it. In fact, it looked recently polished.

“Are you really sure I can have it?” Sora asked again. He didn’t want to take away such a long-held treasure from Leon and have him regretting it later.

“Really,” Leon said resolutely. “I wouldn’t have my World back if it wasn’t for you.”

Leon could see Sora was still unsure. He placed his hand on Sora’s shoulder and spoke again. “Listen Sora, this keychain depicts a Griever. On my World it represents courage. You’ve proven that you’ve got enough courage as is, but I’d like you to have it anyway.”

 When this keychain was equipped, a lion’s head appeared at the end of the Keyblade where the vague resemblance of the teeth of a key would normally be. The whole thing was made of a rough metal. Compared to most of the Keyblade’s other forms, this one looked drab by comparison. But Sora loved it regardless.

Sometimes, during their return trips to old worlds, Sora would equip the Lionheart keychain and pretend that he was Leon. He’d mimic his short and snappy sentences, would try to act nonchalant while fighting the Heartless, and would press his palm into his forehead whenever he stopped to think.

Donald and Goofy often noticed, but wouldn’t say anything. They let Sora have his fun and be the kid he still was.

Pretending to be Leon gave Sora the chance to reflect on their time together. The encouragement he felt when Leon told him if anyone could save Riku, he could. The excitement and surprise he felt when he unexpectedly heard Leon’s voice call out to him after defeating that Behemoth of a Heartless in Hollow Bastion.

But there was one other thing Leon said that kept repeating in his mind. “We may never meet again, but we’ll never forget each other.”

Forgetting everything he’d experienced with Donald and Goofy scared him. And forgetting all the people he’d met scared him even more. Sora didn’t just want to play pretend because Leon was cool or something like that, though he would admit that it was fun to pretend he really was as calm and collected as Leon.

But what Sora actually wanted was to solidify his memories of Leon more. He wanted to truly understand Leon’s mannerisms before it was too late and he might never see him again.

Sora told himself that if he kept doing this, he would never forget Leon, even if he never saw him again. So, Sora kept pretending.

[chikoriita]

A Pleasant Surprise

This may be the only piece I have for SoKai week this year, but I think that it works best for today (Perfect Date). I hope this works for @sokaiweek!

Find at AO3.org

Kairi let out a deep breath as she looked at the large fountains in front of her. What a sight. The Outer Plaza was the best place to park a Gummi ship, especially if one did not want to attract attention. She locked the ship, pulled up her hood, and made her way into town. She avoided eye contact with any passersby. Only one person in Radiant Garden needed to know she was here and that was Naminé.

Once a month, Kairi traveled to Radiant Garden to visit her sister. She enjoyed the periodic visit to the Garden. Her past was here along with her present. Naminé was the closest relative Kairi had left, and she treasured her little sister more than anything. Unwilling to wield a Keyblade, Naminé chose to rebuild Radiant Garden with the Restoration Committee rather than stay with the other wielders. Few stayed in Radiant Garden with the rest electing to stay in Twilight Town or with Aqua in the Land of Departure.

Kairi chose neither. Her own heart rested in Destiny Islands, her chosen home. Unlike the others chosen by the Keyblade, she no longer counted herself a wielder. Instead, Kairi helped Aqua and Terra decode the history of the Keyblade. Centuries of lore thought to be lost to the world when the Land of Departure was locked away was now available once more. She took the responsibility on herself as she was the only one available to do the job. At the very least, this was one task that couldn’t endanger Sora, Riku, or anyone else. The worst she could do was give herself a paper cut. And so she stayed on her island with her books and texts as her only companions. She did not turn away the few visitors she received, but she did not seek out anyone but Naminé.

A few months ago, Naminé suggested that she move to Radiant Garden permanently. The Castle was better equipped than anything on Destiny Islands with the added bonus of living with her sister. Kairi gently refused. Delightful as her sister was, the pain of that world was greater. She still could not remember her past before the Islands; all she knew was that she once had a grandmother that loved her very much. No one knew where the kind lady went once the world fell to darkness. She did not even have her memories to help with her loss. No, just as she learned to shield her heart, Kairi kept this pain locked away and limited her time here for a few days a month.

Her limited time with her sister guilted her into following whatever Naminé suggested. Earlier on the Gummiphone, Naminé could barely keep her excitement contained. Who knew what she planned for this time? Kairi smiled at the thought; whatever she planned, as long as it brought happiness to Naminé, it was worth it.

She turned into the borough in which the Restoration Committee resided. It was oddly quiet around here for midday. Too quiet. She kept her hand at the ready to summon her Keyblade when she heard a door open.

“Kairi!” Naminé called out seconds before pouncing on her. “Are you ready?”

Kairi took a second to look over her sister. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, she was wearing light makeup, and she had sneakers on. She didn’t even know Naminé owned sneakers.

“Where are we going?” she asked. “And can I put my bag down?” She gestured to her backpack.

Naminé giggled. “Of course. Let me take that.” She grabbed the bag and tossed it inside her house. “Let’s go!” She tugged her hand and pulled Kairi down the street before she realized she was moving.

“When did you get so strong?” Kairi laughed as she followed the eager girl. Naminé stuck her tongue out at her older sister.

“Maybe you’re out of shape.”

Kairi raised a brow at her and dug her feet into the cobblestone. Naminé faltered at the sudden pause.

“Excuse me?” Kairi asked.

Her sister glanced at her sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m just so excited to see you and for you to see what I’ve been working on for the last month!” Her eyes glistened with a faint sheen of tears.

Kairi sighed. She was powerless against this look, and Naminé knew it. “Well, lead the way. I don’t have any idea where we are going.”

“Don’t worry. We’re close; it’s just ahead.” She pulled Kairi close and linked their arms together.

They continued down the still empty streets of the town. It wasn’t a scary empty but rather an unusual one. Normally, the streets of the Garden were bustling- wait what was that sound?

“Is that organ music?” Kairi asked. A few faint notes could be heard in the distance.

“Perhaps…”

After a few minutes Naminé led them into a dark square. By this point, the sun had nearly set, and all Kairi could see was the shadow of construction equipment.

“Naminé, just tell me-” Kairi started when the whole square lit up in multitudes of colors and revealed the missing townspeople and a carnival behind them.

“Happy birthday!” They shouted out.

“Whose birthday is it?” Kairi whispered.

Naminé rolled her eyes. “Yours silly. Happy birthday!” She threw her arms around Kairi’s neck.

It was her birthday? I guess I lost track of time these last few weeks, she thought. She scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Aerith and Yuffie held a banner decorated with flowers in the shape of her name. Leon stood at the gate allowing people into the fairgrounds.

“You did all of this for me?” Kairi asked, the words nearly breaking.

“I helped, but the heavy lifting was done by those two.” Naminé pointed to the edge of the crowd.

Her heart sped up at the familiar silhouettes approaching them. She tried to tame her wayward heart. Wishful thinking would only lead to heartache if she was wrong. But as they came closer, she knew these two better than she did herself.

“See Riku, I told you my plan would work,” said Sora, smiling from ear to ear. His eyes held a mischievous twinkle.

—

(One month earlier)

“Riku, what are we going to do?” Sora whined in a high-pitched voice. He laid on the banister of the tower steps pondering his dilemma. It felt like eons had passed since he last saw Kairi. She stayed on Destiny Islands while he and Riku helped Master Yen Sid track down former Keyblade wielders. Physically, she wasn’t far away, but emotionally, he couldn’t reach her. She locked herself away from him to keep him safe, she said. Sora respected that decision initially. After everything that happened, even he needed a break from it all. But days turned into weeks which turned into months. Soon, it would be a year since he last saw her. How much time could he spend away from his other half?

“About?” Riku drawled, knowing what Sora hinted at. He ranted to Riku at least once a week, if not more, about Kairi’s decision. Today was likely no different.

Sora swung his legs over the side and sat up, looking Riku straight in the eye. “Kairi’s birthday! We need to do something for her.”

Riku shook his head. “This won’t end well for you. You are horrible at planning.”

“Name one time!” Sora asked indignantly.

“The raft.”

He opened his mouth to argue when he remembered how little he had to do with the actual plan. “That may be true…”

Sora put his mind to thinking once more. After all they had been through, he wanted to make this next birthday special for Kairi. Naminé said that she wasn’t smiling as much as before. He tried to plan his visits around Kairi’s to give her space. Still, it killed him not to see her. A special gesture might not change the circumstances of her isolation, but at the least, he might bring back some joy.

What was something Kairi had wanted in their childhood? He wracked his mind for clues. Think. Think. Think. He thought like Pooh Bear once did and searched through his memories until he found the perfect one.

The two of them were about to sail to the Play Island to watch the sunset with Riku when Kairi stopped and squealed. “Hey Sora, there’s a festival in Town Commons tomorrow!” Kairi exclaimed, pointing at a flyer on the dock. “Carnival rides, fried food, and live music! It sounds so exciting…” She said dreamily as she relaxed in the canoe.

Sora smiled. “Then let’s be the first ones at the gates. What’s so exciting about a carnival though?” He pushed off the dock and set course for the island.

Kairi looked down. “This past year… When no one could remember you…Everyone thought I was crazy for insisting that you existed. It was insane to think that there was someone they all were forgetting. People started keeping their distance from me; only Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka stayed by my side.” Her voice caught on her words.

Sora quietly paddled as she continued her story. “A few weeks before everyone remembered you, there was a carnival in town. The whole school was excited to go, including me. When I went to go buy a ticket, I heard the snide whispers. ‘Who’s she going to go with? Her imaginary friends?’ Selphie told me to ignore them and their hurtful words, but I let them get to me. I didn’t go then; I said I wouldn’t go to a carnival without you and Riku at my side.”

He stood carefully and pulled her up with him. “I can’t apologize enough for leaving you alone, can I?” He held her small hands in his own.

She laughed through a sniffle. “Why apologize? You’re here now and that’s all that matters.” Kairi climbed on the small dock of the island.

Sora lifted her chin lightly and Kairi met his gaze. “You’re not alone anymore, Kai,” He murmured. They stood like that on the dock for what seemed like a year in a moment.

“I-uh…” He began, and with a start, changed the subject. “Riku’s waiting for us!” Sora scratched his head and ran away to catch up with Riku.

Next thing he knew, Kairi came behind him carrying a message in a bottle and a start of the next adventure.

They never had the chance to go that carnival in town. After they found the message, he and Riku left for Yen Sid’s tower for the exam.

“I know what I’m going to do!” Sora shouted, surprising Riku out of his slumber.

“Great. How will you get her to comply? She doesn’t listen to anyone except Naminé.”

The light bulb flashed in Sora’s head. “That’s it! Riku, you’re a genius.”

Riku crossed his arms with a grin. “You finally accept it.” When he looked up, he only saw the back of Sora’s head going back inside the tower. “There he goes,” Riku sighed.

—

(Present)

Sora stood in front of her, holding her hands once more. Just like he did on that dock and like he did in the Keyblade Graveyard. His smile so sweet, her own eyes watered at the sight. How had she held herself away from him for so long?

“Do you like your present Kairi?” He softly asked, rubbing his thumb over her fingers.

“You did this for me even though I refused to see you?” Her upper lip trembled.

His hands left hers and cupped her face. “You needed time to heal; it didn’t diminish how I feel about you.”

Those words tore down the last of her walls. Kairi threw her arms around his neck and held him close. “I missed you so much,” she whispered into his ear.

He hugged her tightly against him, brushing his lips against her hair. Someone cleared their throat behind them. Kairi turned to see Riku with his arms akimbo.

“Sora didn’t do this all by himself. Don’t I get a hug?”

Kairi giggled as she pulled Riku into an embrace. “I know. He’s hopeless without us.” In a softer voice, she said, “Thank you for taking care of him for me.”

Riku snorted. “You owe me. He’s reckless.”

“I can hear you,” Sora said pointedly.

Kairi stepped back and took both her friends’ hands in her own. “I’ve always wanted to go to one of these with both of you.”

Sora grinned and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Then what are we waiting for?”

Kairi blushed from the contact. “Let’s go!” She cheered, making her way to the gates. The boys followed her lead inside the fairgrounds, ready to make a night of memories. New memories couldn’t replace the old ones she lost; instead, they would help ease the pain by building around the old. Too long had Kairi been wallowing in the past. With Sora and Riku by her side, soon, she would face the future without fear.

[bloodfcst-a]

(Had to swap blogs, tumblr denies me to express my desire for headcanon questions.) Does Yuffie have a good relationship with her parents while growing up? Any particular good memories?

HEADCANON.

Yufi’s memories with her father typically have to do with proving her worthiness to him. Originally, Godo is disappointed that he doesn’t have a son…he wanted an heir, and did not consider a female to be suitable to the cause. 

His animosity is also in part that she resembles her late mother, and that’s sure to cause him grief… that Yufi, upon being brought into the world, seemingly stole the life from her mother in the process. Obviously not purposely, but Godo doesn’t need a reason to be so suspicious or hostile towards her– and his attitude with her is reflected within his staff, and extends into the community as well. It’s only when Yufi begins to openly reject and rebel against him that he begins to see the error of his ways and attempt to garner her favor…. leading them to have a strained relationship in her adulthood.

Early in Yufi’s life is dictated by Godo’s rejection of her: he places distance between her by sending her off with her paternal grandparents in infancy to older toddler, believing he has not the time, resources, or instinct to care for a child, despite living in a complex with live-in/help and personal assistants who could easily care for them as such. When the idea is suggested to him once Yufi has some autonomy (approximately age 4), Yufi returns from the countryside to the mainland, but will continue to spend the summers with her grandparents learning domesticated chores and tasks. Once she returns to the community, she’s immediately placed into the care of maidens and lecturers. Yufi does not attend formal schooling, and instead learns the basics of education along with specialized attention to history, economics, culture, calligraphy, and music. Yufi is proficient in the zither, but enjoys playing lute and the shamisen. However, despite her ability to intellectually excel, Yufi’s ever aware of her father’s avoidance of her, and asks to learns trades and skills, such as archery, alchemy, and smithery. Regardless of being well-rounded, it’s not enough to garner his attention.

As a teenager, Yufi grows tired of being paraded as an item or artifact to be showcased and instead wishes to be treated as an equal. In order to do such, however, her physical ability and prowess must be tested. Thus, Yufi learns arts of self-defense as well as attacks, finding that in lieu of her stature or overt strength, she can instead focus on stealth, evasion and precision. She trains from the bottom rank of the dojo to the top, where eventually she can challenge Godo himself. It takes a number of attempts before Yufi is successful– but even then, he does not see her as a successor; instead, he finds her worthy of being under him as second-in-command. She takes it.

As a result of Godo’s distance to her, Yufi’s hesitant in allowing people to be emotionally close to her in her relationships, and finds that even friendships can be difficult to maintain. However, she has a lighthearted personality and is fun-loving, making it easy for her to form partnerships and acquaintances– rather adequate for business. 

Yufi has two major showdowns with her father–at age 14, and again at 17. It is at 14 where she demands that he not force her into one box as either his son or his daughter… Yufi is his child, his heir, an undeniable truth that does not require Yufi to either be just a treasure OR just a talented person… Yufi can and is both. At 17, when Yufi is successful at besting Godo both intellectually and physically, she demands he recognize her for what she is… worthy, or risk losing her forever. Given that he’s already lost his wife, he has no intention of losing the remainder of his family and then attempts from then on to put in effort towards their relationship. 

Even as an adult, Yufi recognizes him as a parent in the sense that she came from him and that he provided for her… but doesn’t hold a close relationship to him outside of recognizing his position of reverence as leader of their community, and that she must defect decisions to him. She also recognizes that bad publicity she creates would reflect poorly on him, so she is hyper-vigilant of how and what she’s recognized for in public, using it to either promote him or weaponizing it against him depending on the situation. Godo realizes that he does not know anything substantial about Yufi, and attempts to learn more about her interests and to bring associated businesses into the community in order to win favor. It’s not entirely successful, but Yufi appreciates the thought and does notice his effort, despite how late it took him to actually care. She still isn’t entirely convinced it’s for her well-being, suspicious that he primarily cares about his own prestige before her.

But in reality, it’s more or less that Godo is pained by Yufi because he remembers her late mother Kasumi when he sees her, and he just… doesn’t handle his sadness in a manner that allowed him to have a cohesive relationship with his child.

So…. he’s a bad dad and Yufi’s insecurities stem from him……. she’ll have daddy issues forever…. all the pieces come together now.

Are there good memories? I mean… the small moments of praise he would give her, perhaps, because she loves being noticed, likes the attention he would sporadically give her if she succeeded. And as a result, Yufi for some time attempted to perfect everything…. until that rift at 14, when Yufi finally decided that life is worth living and being true to herself first and foremost before anyone else… including her family. 

Money can buy a lot of things but it can’t really buy substantial relationships, and… it’s taken Godo a long time to see that providing means a lot more than just the physical… it’s the emotional bond as well.

I hope that was helpful! …….and sad.

[khstoryanalysis]

Chapter 10: The Keyblade’s True Purpose

In Xehanort’s Report III, Xehanort states that the Keyblade wielders in the Age of Fairy Tales learned of the Keyblade’s true use – to conquer Kingdom Hearts. But is that the “true” use of a Keyblade? In the lore of Kingdom Hearts X [Chi], the Keyblade wielders try to defend the light by collecting Lux, a form of Light, which leads to imbalance, greed and the inevitable Keyblade War.

“May your heart be your guiding key.” This quote may sounds like a rip-off of the famous Star Wars quote, but it is worth analyzing it literally. Since Keyblades are forged from the wielders’ hearts, it makes sense to say that the Keyblades are the physical manifestations of the hearts’ wills. “No one can stop what your heart commands.” This is mainly seen in Kingdom Hearts 2, as you cannot stop a person from doing something out of the desire or will of his heart. The will can be used with the words “soul” and “mind” interchangeably. From the Ansem Reports, the soul is the life force and a person will die if his soul is pushed out of his body. This life force is also important as it allows people to carry out what their hearts desire.

With that, the heart guides the Keyblade to do what it commands. Since the Keyblades are forged in the image of the X-Blade, possibly the Keyblade of Kingdom Hearts, the true nature of the Keyblade can be found there. The X-Blade is made of equal light and darkness. Light has the power to bring life, while the darkness has the power to bring death. Since Kingdom Hearts is like a culmination of all hearts, the X-Blade may have existed to maintain balance between light and darkness, and the flow of hearts between Kingdom Hearts and the world. Hence, the X-Blade is the “guiding key” for Kingdom Hearts.

If the X-Blade is never intended to conquer Kingdom Hearts since Yen Sid says that it is the protector of Kingdom Hearts in Dream Drop Distance, then what is the true purpose of the Keyblades forged in its image? Well, to be the “guiding key” for the wielder who wants to help others, be it a selfless or selfish way.

From the beginning, Kingdom Hearts always says that your friends are your power. We see Sora is able to wield a Keyblade despite no Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony is performed on him. He is able to wield one by strengthening his heart through his ties with people. Through his adventure, he has met many people and kept those memories of their time spent together in his heart. Through interactions, Sora is able to understand them – their desires, fears and pain.

Through Leon, Aerith, Cid and Yuffie, Sora learns that many worlds have fallen into darkness and its inhabitants suffer from such a loss. Sora feels the same as his home Destiny Islands is destroyed and he loses Riku and Kairi. He understands that pain that they share, and he is willing to put an end to it. Hence, he uses the Keyblade to help others and lock Keyholes of the worlds he visits.

When Riku and Sora reunite in Hollow Bastion, Riku takes the Kingdom Key because that key belongs to him originally. He decides to use the Keyblade to save Kairi since he thinks Sora is incapable. Although Sora has lost the Keyblade and his companions, he is not giving up as he sees the Beast still determines to save Belle despite getting injured by Riku. Sora’s desire to save Kairi continues to push him forward.

When Sora confronts Riku, he says that he doesn’t need a Keyblade as his heart is a better weapon. He adds that the connections he has made with many people have made his heart stronger and as long as they remember each other, all of their hearts will become one. On the other hand, Riku sees the heart as weak and loses sight of true strength: friendship. Hence, the Keyblade rejects Riku and makes Sora its official wielder. The heart dictates the Keyblade, so the heart is more important. One who disregards the strength of the heart would not wield a Keyblade, even if he or she has the ability to do so.

The whole thing about friendship being the true strength has been stated since Kingdom Hearts X [Chi]. Keyblades are somewhat sentient beings as they choose their wielders. The Keyblades of Light and Darkness, created under the image of the X-Blade, would share the similar purpose as the X-Blade – to look after one another and help each other out. By doing so, balance can be achieved.

After going through the games and some analysis, I have found a pattern on how and when Keyblades come to their wielders.

Starlight Keyblade – this Keyblade is granted to the children in the Age of Fairy Tales. Its purpose is to help the Foretellers to drive out the darkness. Since the children are in the Unions created by the Foretellers, they use the Starlight Keyblades to help the Foretellers in their plan.

Kingdom Key

-          Sora is the temporary wielder because Riku has been taken over by darkness. Besides, the Keyblade is needed to protect the worlds by destroying Heartless, locking Keyholes of the worlds and sealing the Door to Darkness.

-          Riku is able to bring the Keyblade back to him as he wants to use it to help Kairi.

-          The Keyblade makes Sora its official wielder because Sora is willing to help Kairi even though he does not have a Keyblade. Moreover, Riku rejects the strength of the heart.

-          Roxas, Sora’s Nobody, is granted to wield one. He uses the Keyblade to help Organization XIII even though he does not know of their true motive.

-          Xion, an imperfect replica of Roxas, made from Sora’s memories, is granted to wield one as well. Her power only awakens when Roxas gets defeated by a Heartless and drops his Keyblade.

-          Though, Xion later loses the ability to wield a Keyblade. To cover up the truth, Axel suggests she and Roxas be paired up for missions and even manages to convince Saix to allow it. She later regains the ability when Roxas lends his Keyblade to her while he uses a stick to fight off Heartless. This symbiotic relationship of helping one another for the benefit of all of them helps strengthen Xion’s heart, allowing her to wield the Keyblade again.

Way to the Dawn

-          Riku only gains it after he learns to control the darkness inside him thanks to Namine, who initially uses Kairi as a disguise, and Mickey. Riku keeps them in his heart and strengthens his heart.

-          Riku decides to face his own darkness rather than falling asleep and allowing Namine to seal it because he wants to look after Sora, who has fallen asleep for Namine to rearrange his memories.

-          Riku summons this Keyblade to save Kairi and Namine from Saix.

Destiny’s Embrace – Kairi is able to wield it as she has proven herself worthy. There have been a few scenarios that show that she is always willing to help those who cannot protect themselves.

Kingdom Key D – Mickey needs it to help sealing the Door to Darkness with the Kingdom Key. Sealing the Door will ensure the safety of the worlds. The Kingdom Key D then appears for Mickey’s aid.

Oathkeeper and Oblivion

-          Oathkeeper resembles the relationship between Sora and Kairi; Oblivion resembles the relationship between Sora and Riku.

-          Roxas is Sora’s Nobody, so he can wield them. He can dual-wield due to Ventus and is unlocked when he promises to remember Xion after she fades away, returning to Sora.

-          These Keyblades come to Roxas because he is determined to overthrow Organization XIII (selfless act) and bring back Xion (selfish act).

-          The Oblivion also goes to Riku because he wants to capture Roxas and return him to Sora, allowing him to wake up. Riku sees his memory with Xion and hears her telling him to stop Roxas from reaching Xemnas. This is because Xion thinks Roxas is not strong to face Xemnas and his strength needs to return to Sora, allowing Sora to harness full power to defeat Xemnas.

Earthshaker and Wayward Wind – These two Keyblades come to Aqua’s aid in her desperate time. Aqua treasures her friendship with Terra and Ventus.

Void Gear – Vanitas gains Ventus’ memories after the split. He may think that those memories are his, but they are not – Vanitas is a different person from Ventus. He knows that Ventus is scared and is unable to fight off the Neoshadows. Thinking that the memories are his, and he himself is Ventus, he feels the need to protect himself, but he actually desires to protect Ventus. Hence, a Keyblade that is different from Ventus’ comes to him (due to different agenda).

Lea’s Keyblade – It is assumed that Yen Sid has performed the ceremony on Lea but he only gets his Keyblade after helping Riku and Mickey to save Sora (and his friends Roxas, Xion and Ventus). He also expresses his willingness to help Riku if he is trapped in the darkness when attempting to awaken Sora.

In the more recent Kingdom Hearts 3 trailers and screenshots, Xehanort is seen to be surrounded by 12 other No Name Keyblades. It is believed that these Keyblades come from his vessels since he has implanted a piece of his heart into them. According to Nomura, Xehanort will take over their hearts and they will lose their individuality – they will become Xehanort himself. Hence, their ability to wield a No Name Keyblade is actually not gained – they are used by Xehanort for his goals.

Joseph Campbell once said that “new order is paradoxically no order at all”. If this quote be applied in Kingdom Hearts, it will mean that everybody can be a Keyblade wielder by learning the strength of a heart and to have compassion. This is evident as Sora can wield one without the ceremony being performed on him.

Those who does not understand the true strength or is evil would be out of reach as the Keyblades automatically knows who is ready for it. This is evident that the Kingdom Key rejects Riku for not understanding the strength of a heart. Even if Braig managed to defeat Terra, no Keyblade would come to him as he only viewed the Keyblade for power, not as a tool to help others. Even if anyone uses the Keyblades for evil purposes, other wielders will put a check on that, preventing a war. In truth, the world should be structured according to a general sense of platonic love.

[animus-inspire-archive]

"Just hear me out. You should design a building that looks like a cat." She's not even going to further explain the suggestion. I mean, SHOULD she? It's a very legitimate suggestion. When have you seen a cat shaped building? Um, NEVER. All the better reason it was a very good idea.

As Yuffie is babbling away from across the office, Reeve is looking downwards, frown-focussed on what is in front of him.

All of a sudden a jingle-jangle erupts from the ninja’s pocket - was that really Hip Hop De Chocobo she has set as a ringtone? - and in her messages is just one link, nothing more:

Beardyweirdy bossman (best frieeeeeeend) sent: 09.01

Click here.

[jjillekkot]

LITTLE CHARACTER THINGS

Just a fun little character game. fill in the below categories with 3-5 things that your character can be identified by. Repost & tag away !

TAGGED BY: @fadeglory ( ily boo ! ) TAGGING:  @ndeavor @fujxn @kissafist @nomadicnovice @gotitmemorised @ifemerel @softestmood @vibraea @lonerlion @heroofgrymoire @fairlegacy @lunarfayth

EMOTIONS / FEELINGS:

001.·        excitability.

002.·        enthusiasm.

003.·        optimism.

004.·        passion.

005.·        hope.

GREETINGS:

001.·        "hiya!” “howdy!” “hey!” she’s quite into one-word greetings, nothing terribly long-winded, quick to grab attention.

002.·        “excuse me?!” “wait a minute!” she doesn’t like being ignored, avoided. her attention is valuable, and she wants to have all of yours, quite frankly.

003.·        "hello? are you in there?” given the amount of... to be quite frank, absolutely stupid people she’s met in the world, both on wutai and shinra side, from execs to the regular citizens, and even now in the wro, she’s does question the intelligence of the folks she’s surrounded by if they’re not the regular gang.

004.·        "i’m the great ninja yuffie!” “i am the conqueror of evil, the sun and moon and stars, the white rose of wutai.... yuffie kisaragi!” to formally introduce herself comes as a momentous occasion and she’s ever so thrilled to introduce her acquaintance to someone new.  while she can be rather boastful, and even theatrical.... she is true to herself and honest to her identity and skill set. she does not like to act as something she is not.

COLORS:

001.·        white.

002.·        earth green / dark green.

003.·        brown.

004.·        colors found in nature: blue, yellow, tan, etc.

SCENTS:

001.·        floral.

002.·        citrus.

003.·        neutral?  she’s rather plain.

004.·        light scent of sweat. yuffie is active.

005.·        whatever concoction spritzed on her before a formal event, occasion, gathering, meeting, etc. 

CLOTHING:

001.·         shorts. short-shorts, to be specific. she enjoys the freedom, wants to feel like she’s barely wearing anything. i’ll include skirts as well, even though not canon technically.

002.·         boots. needs the traction for running, hiking, climbing. enjoys the constricting feeling laces provide. 

003.·         cropped clothing, if only because it’s less fabric on her skin, doesn’t want to feel like she’s wearing much.

004.·         pouches, pockets, etc. she needs a lot of storage space ok.

OBJECTS:

001.·        her father’s headband. she took it the day she walked into the war, to see the battlefield with her own eyes. she switches to her own battle headband after the events of vii, having proven herself a true warrior in her own right.

002.·        shuriken. weapon of choice. kind of her symbol? it’s kind of important.

003.·        kunai. it’s important to her to have a range of weapons, long distance and short-range, noticeable and hidden. she did train to be a ninja, after all.

VICES / BAD HABITS:

THEFT.·        yuffie’s found stealing throughout most of the compilation: whether it’s stealing bombs ( before crisis ), treasure ( crisis core ), materia ( ffvii ), or straight up vincent valentine ( dirge of cerberus-- yes i’m counting this ). theft itself isn’t great, though her reasons for doing so, she tries to validate. 

HIERARCHY OF MORALS AND ETHICS.·        yuffie tends to think her goals, ambitions, and ethics supercede anyone else’s. she’s validated to steal materia from ~the gang~ because she needs it for wutai. she can leave wutai because she feels she is more reliable and responsible than her dad when it comes to decision-making. overall, there’s a lot of instances in which she views herself as top of the hierarchy, that her personal views are best... and that’s pretty rough for a lot of reasons, other than the obvious self-sering.

RUNNING AWAY.·        we see yuffie running away from a big scene frequently, and typically it’s a scene she was directly involved in, if not the center of. it’s not that yuffie neglects responsibility or accountability, for we see her claiming her actions and dealing with consequences rather severely; but rather, it seems that she prefers to avoid confrontation, hates instances in which she’s required to focus intensely on her feelings. this isn’t to say she’s afraid to voice her opinion-- she just doesn’t like appearing soft or weak, so she would rather leave than lose. 

MARTYR  /  SAVIOR COMPLEX.·        though it goes wildly unaddressed by anyone for the most part, yuffie certainly has a problem with this. why does she feel personally responsible for the honor of an entire nation at age 8? why does she willingly put herself into danger as a sole representative of wutai at 9, at 16, at 18 and 19? what’s the purpose of her not merely saving refugees, but spearheading the rescue process in midgar?  why does she, knowing she’s innocent, agree to being incarcerated for being the carrier of the midgar sickness? she definitely has some sort of complex to acknowledge in which she thinks she must carry everything on her shoulders, she must help, she must be the one to solve things and fix it but... girl there are other people??

BODY LANGUAGE:

001.·        rather exaggerated swaying of body to extenuate emotions: swinging of arms, leaning forward or backward. accents her overly-expressive facial expressions, leading to an over-the-top interaction, especially when excitable.

002.·       scratching of cheek, batting of eyelashes, subtle gestures to suggest timidity or humility or shyness. she can be rather bashful, as she does not often receive praise despite being of such high position.

003.·        fumbling with hair, clothes, tapping. she has a lot of energy, and so she has ticks which are visible when focused upon which showcase yuffie’s attempts at containing her boundless enthusiasm or energy.

004.·        elevated volume. she has a loud speaking voice and her pitch can seem high at times. because of her small stature, she uses other tools like her voice and her body movements to garner attention.

005.·        direct eye-contact, straight body posture, firm handshake. a natural-born leader, she possesses skills and attributes and abilities which show that she’s not going to back down, that she stands her ground, can hold her own, is a force to be reckoned with, whether in personal affairs or on the battlefield.

AESTHETICS:

001.·        silk, gold, fine materials representing wealth, royalty.

002.·        nature, flowers, grain, pastures, fields. 

003.·        fish, the ocean, fire, the mountainside, representations of the gods da chao and leviathan.

004.·        steel, swords, shuriken, kunai, short sword, dagger. weapons of tradition, rather than modernity. 

005.·        cats, balls, shiny things... she loves cats, would consider herself similiar to one, very same interests...

SONGS or PIECES:

001.·        descendant of shinobi. 

002.·        stolen materia.

003.·        wutai.

[atlaslain]

@backwaterheroics          /          in response to: x.

          zack fair has grown acclimatised to relying exclusively on himself. the treacherous pits of deepground have wrung the faith from him and assimilated him into their methods of survival: their lifestyle of anticipating the knife in one’s back before an opponent ever decides to place it there. three years of sleeping with one eye open, of waiting on the razor-edge between rage and fear for the next round of experimentation, or drowning in self-hatred whenever they make him fight and he catches sight of the blood crusted under his nails --- three years has taught him pain and solitude like nothing he has ever known. and he has clung to survival anyway, tucking away the decaying glimmer of hope in his chest that this might one day get better. that his friends are still out there.       some of them. not all. not many. angeal, gone. genesis, who knows. sephiroth, gone. cloud, aerith. they’re still somewhere, aren’t they? there is light and life and warmth beyond deepground. he may have forgotten the precise airy smell of the flowers and the exact curve of cloud’s smile but they exist. zack gathers up the tatters of who he is and wraps them tight around that hope, like clinging to an anchor in a storm. 

          salvation comes in the form of weiss the immaculate. indirectly, anyway. his death. he rots under hojo’s influence and together they begin their reign over the world above, lighting the path out of the darkness and tarring it in blood. it is zack’s opportunity. the instant he crawls into the light he turns on his squadron, squashing what flares of guilt twist his stomach as his blade slides between ribs. ( his deepground-issue katana is lighter than the buster sword, not as hefty but far more adept at neatly cleaving skin. it feels strange in his hands, a desolate hunk of metal that isn’t his. ) sustained injuries are disregarded for now, blood wiped briskly from his face as he removes his helmet and tosses it aside. the streets are a mess; gunshots shatter the night and beasts prowl, dragging innocents into the shadows. and then, as fate would have it:                   a man in a ragged red cloak, faintly familiar. and a young woman --- older now, far older than zack remembers her being, an air of confidence and control about her now. yuffie kisaragi and vincent valentine. it is yuffie who stares at zack as if she’s seen a ghost, yuffie who grabs him as the force of his relief has him swaying on his feet. the first friendly face in years and she’s smacking at his arms, chiding him for vanishing, insisting he prove it’s really him and not some phantom deepground’s summoned up. ( zack reminds her of their treasure-hunting adventures and she gentles, and the world slows. ) he tells them all he knows, and then he succumbs to the loss of consciousness with the fragile hope that vincent will take care of it all. zack fair is exhausted and wounded and finally free.       the slow return of reality is painful: he awakens in an unfamiliar bed, in a room he’s never seen before. his heart slams violently against his ribs. throat tight, he casts about for a weapon. he grasps a heavy book from a shelf and decides at least he can brain someone with it if need be. his legs shake beneath him as he ventures to the doorway, pausing to take in the smell of alcohol and food from somewhere below the staircase beyond. a bar?                 seventh heaven, tifa tells him later, after he’s done hyperventilating and lashing out at her. she avoids his initial smack with the book, hands gentle yet firm on his wrists as she encourages him to look at her, to understand she is not here to hurt him. he is in seventh heaven, in edge. deepground is gone. ( vincent took care of it all. ) zack is safe. it takes him a whole week to entertain the idea. in that time, he rapid-fires questions at tifa: what happened, how long has it been, where is cloud. she answers each carefully --- it’s a long story, three years, away on deliveries right now. you can speak to cloud when he gets back.           the dim hope in zack’s chest grows, warily. perhaps this won’t be taken away from him.                 he doesn’t get to see cloud.         he has so much to say, so much it’s whipped up into a frenzy in his head. does cloud not feel the same urgency? he returned, apparently, and left again. “did you... did you tell him i was here?” zack asks tifa, voice cracking.            “yes,” she says, and the look in her eyes speaks volumes. she hands zack a rag, urges him to help her clean down her bar. she’s been giving him little tasks, as if she knows he needs to stay busy. “you have to understand, he... he isn’t the same as you probably remember. a lot has happened to him.”           and so zack resolves to understand. he pushes his own impatience down, and nurtures the hope that cloud will see him in his own time. ( far more difficult to ignore is the hurt. weren’t they good friends? after everything they went through --- after everything. how can cloud not want to see him? )               two months crawl by. zack works in seventh heaven at first, until the guilt of imposing himself on tifa is too much. he falls into mercenary work then, with a sense of resigned amusement. fighting really is all he’ll ever do. he shops for a new sword, and then another new one when that doesn’t feel right. tifa insists he continue living above the bar, citing the children as reasons he should; they like him, she says. they don’t want him to go. he reads them stories at night and patrols the bar’s vicinity into the early hours. during the day, he spends time with yuffie or works on his new bike or undertakes increasingly dangerous jobs. the fractured feeling in his mind never quite goes away, but he thinks it might ease one day.     when cloud returns again, drifting home like a wayward wind, tifa grabs him and makes him see zack. it’s a quick visit. it’s the sensation of something important slipping between one’s fingers: cloud stiff and unresponsive in his arms, eyes dull, as if zack were less than a stranger. like a static shock, it has zack flinching back, numbness tingling at his fingertips. he stands there, as unacknowledged as a specter, while cloud leaves again.               he doesn’t think you’re really here, tifa explains. we all thought you were dead.        oh.            well then.               that explains it. that barbed-wire feeling cinched round his heart. it’s the cold understanding that life has moved on without him and he is no longer a part of it. the zack fair everyone knew and remembered died riddled with bullets. but i’m alive, i never left! he wants to scream. the sense of being left behind is dizzying. cloud had moved on and now here zack is, tearing old wounds open. guilt batters him, sudden and strange.        he goes to aerith’s church. the flowers are there, yellow as sunshine and pearly-white, suffusing the air with sweetness and life. but aerith is not. she has not been for a long time. the buster sword lays at the head of the pews like a memorial and suddenly it’s all too much. he falls to his knees and chokes on sobs. he stays there for days, murmuring to the flowers as if they might carry his apologies to aerith. eventually, little marlene wallace takes his hand and leads him back to seventh heaven. he follows in a daze and doesn’t notice when he’s led to cloud’s room and told to rest. ( he rests, his heart slowing its frenzied pulse. this feels like safety. )                         he is not ready for cloud to return again. he thought he always would be, but the pain of coming to terms with aerith’s death is too fresh and sleep-deprivation has drained him. he is not prepared for more pain; it might shatter him. and yet here cloud is, slipping shadow-quiet into the room and staring with horror-struck eyes.         “cloud, please,” zack finds himself whispering, praying. he is not aware of reaching out, but he registers how brittle cloud feels: like his violent shaking might rip him apart. nausea rises in zack’s throat. he is doing this. he is hurting cloud with every touch, poisoning him. “look at me,” he sobs anyway, selfish and unable to relinquish the certainty of cloud’s place in his life.            in the end, it’s only more hurt. cloud, pale as a wraith, stumbles away and wails. the sound drives nails into zack’s heart. he gets tifa, because who else would they both rely on to fix their broken souls? the storm breaks, cloud sobs, and zack turns to leave. “i’m sorry, i’m so sorry,” he is vaguely aware of repeating, frantic. “cloud, i’m so sorry.”             he should have died on that cliff. he should’ve died before deepground could ruin him, before he could walk back into a life that didn’t want him anymore.                 “are you giving up that easily?” tifa demands the next morning, as zack shoulders his bag full of meager belongings and tries to give her a hug goodbye. she stares him dead in the eye as he squirms. “you’ve barely tried yet.”         zack doesn’t mean to raise his voice but it comes out in a burst: “yes! yes, i am. me being here only hurts him, i’m taking up space in your bar, there’s no place here for me!” it tastes like a lie. there has been a place, carved out just for him. the beginnings of home here with these people. but not if he’s only spreading hurt. “i can’t watch him scream and cry every time he sees me, tifa. i won’t. i’ll --- i’ll come visit. okay?”           it’s not okay.     he debates saying his farewells to cloud, but recognises it as an awful plan. he leaves his old shinra phone instead, the one he kept as a soldier. it’s fuzzy and barely in working condition these days, but he squirreled it away all these years just for the old pictures in its memory.            “give that to him when he feels... better. okay? you have my new number if you need me.”     he tells nobody where he’s going because he just doesn’t know anymore. it’s a good thing he’s already accustomed to relying only on himself.