#heard about a kairi day so i was like i think i can finish this up really quick

[goldensunset]

like a lighthouse to guide you home

[x1e3ju]

another rant: not persona related for the first time i think lol

ok so im back to rant on here as per usual, this time on my sister's computer which is where i do most if not all my websiting and not on my phone which is when you know it is very serious!

ok so as the title suggests, this rant ISNT! about persona 5 as ive been playing kingdom hearts and its been on my list for many, many years but my other sister finally got us a ps4 in nov of 2022 after so very long of us wanting one with her fafsa money and i managed to finish final mix.. now! very productive and not adhd-pilled of me whatsoever (i say incredibly sarcastically) but anywho, i finally finished final mix, as i've stated before and am now playing re:chain and i absolutely hate kingdom hearts' combat because it is so god damn unnecessary and pointless and horrible! but the long time hyperfixation and yaoi grind is so serious which i did not know soriku was so heavy in the game lmfao, my poor girl kairi she deserves so much better omg ToT but that's a whole different, much bigger conversation rant for another day..

but enough with long ass stupid intros, as a long time riku fan seeing his character and just how the overall story has played out so far aside from the ridiculous ass writinggg, i've been really impressed ngl! it has a lot of potential that it actually reaches, again, aside from the horriddd writing, the plot and ending in particular was very similar to revolutionary girl utena which is like. absolute peak everything for me lmfao honestly i wouldn't be shocked if it was inspired by it cuz they are soo many similarities, i kept even pointing it out to my sis (who HASN'T watched it yet very unfortunately!) cuz im such a nerd lmao. and especially with riku, im very happy he's even IN the game first of all cuz compared to most of my other sillies... like rip to my girl akechi you deserved so much better.. but anywho anywho, i really love riku's character and everything his character represents ESP from what i've seen in the com gba ver which i don't know if that passes to re:com, which is the ver im playing but i really hope so cuz i've seen some clips and he is, ugh such an amazing character so yes. im going to deep dive here with revolutionary girl utena, specifically anthy and akio as my basis for most of this lmaosdbhh (rgu spoilers and kh too of course)

i know im very crazy with how i jump to conclusions and try to "analyze" characters and all that, even from as young as i can remember myself i've always thought like. wayy too much its honestly very embarrassing but there's personally a lot of similarities between akio and anthy's whole dynamic that reminds me of riku and diz and ansem, whatever that whole mess is. i know diz isn't essentially a villain from what i've heard and seen and searching more about it now to double check what i'd be saying on here isn't complete nonsense, i forget kingdom hearts is legit nonsense and i clearly do not know much to anything at all about diz and ansem and whatever tf is happening there omglj ToT but but i will try my very best and to differentiate, ill be calling the actual ansem diz and the ansem in final mix just ansem so its easier for everyone involved lol and again ill mostly be focusing on parallels of rgu to final mix but overall, talking mostly about riku (my baby :3) yayy!

its so crazy how the final mix plot went to me, again im actually just very shocked with kingdom hearts' storylines and stuff in general. i imagine not much thought was put behind it as the writing. speaks for itself but it is actual very nuanced and again, has a lot of potential it actually reaches or could reach which is like. gold mine for me! we know that in rgu, akio is very blatantly harassing and abusing anthy in all forms, even the people around her, succumbing to the abuse he had endured throughout all his life really giving him no purpose or real reason as we see and are made to imply in episode 39 and the last scene with anthy as she leaves the school, he has nothing to really back up why anthy should stay, as of course they never will be any real reason to it aside from the abusive cycle that they're in specifically he is stuck in, having to make it everyone else's problem from lack of growth and realization (which still doesn't excuse any of his horrid actions, but was practically impossible for him to do but that is a pretty bigger conversation for what we have here to discuss today). it reminds me a lot of ansem and his connection with riku, how he used riku's body and how ansem's "motive" is never really mentioned in final mix, not that much can really be deciphered with all that darkness-hearts talk anyway but you know. and mind you, i know there's a lot more lore that goes into ansem and the reason for his existence, him being a heartless and all, same with diz and the actual ansem so again, i won't be really going into how ansem and akio are similar as individuals but just as their roles in the respective main storyline of final mix (ive stated that way too much times by now, curse you adhd) riku's body being used as just another vessel to ansem and the "darkness" that was inside of him was only really possible because riku was an easily susceptible child, as children are obviously going to be, and ansem used this position of innocence and hashtag childlike wonder lol to be able to use him and manipulate him to do his bidding, essentially. even after everything, when sora is inside that egg (for reasons i havent yet to know!) which can parallel what happens to utena at the end of rgu, riku/anthy are still in the shadows of their abusers to even save their loved one, as unfortunate as it is. it is just like the door scene with riku and sora which is extremely similar to the rgu door scene (which is when all these similarities really hit me lol), both riku and anthy are inside the door or coffin or whatever the case and they are the ones that have to be saved but it ends up being the other way around as again, the abusive cycle is continuous and unfortunately, ever affecting but it is a very big part to break free from this cycle that you try to grow, into a better person as riku and anthy did. again, they were still connected to their abusers, each to their respective cases but they were actively seeking freedom by putting love first and not just romantic love, but love at all, in all of its forms (such a nuanced thing, lol no pun intended but yes i do love that topic very much) which is something abusers do not have, as someone who is currently in a situation like this, a lot can be said from personal experience.

i think it's interesting to view how riku viewed the "ansem in his heart" as just an amalgamation of fear and abuse of all those unfortunate things. the ansem that he was scared of, not diz/the real deal, was a lot more of a disgusting type of person, someone who was "darker, more foul" as the ansem he knew was a literal heartless being, literally. and diz was able to use this fear to his advantage by being insanely creeping and threatening to him (which is where we can see abusers are still human at the end of the day) when riku could've "choose between darkness and light" or he could've realized his specialness, in a much nicer more peaceful way lol and i don't just say that cuz the combat is awful or as jokes, i genuinely mean it. and in all that, that is the literal definition of abuse! same as what akio did and even with akio's character as his prince self and his present self, we are made to believe they are two different ppl bc of how much he gave into that abuse and let it consume him, he became a monster, someone completely different in his entirety (which i fucking love that btw). and again, i know that is not the case with ansem and diz because they are literally two different people but you can't argue the general ideas are similar and the nuisances/themes are and could be there, i think it works really well for an abuse allegory. using sora, what he held very dear as anthy did utena or just the general idea of a genuine love and connection for them both which is obviously what the care and love stems from, to get riku to do his bidding, changing riku by almost entirely just to discard him later and only focus on what really threatened his power, or abusive cycle in reality (cuz ik the ansem drama goes a lot more serious and family oriented and all that lol), which was sora and in akio's case, utena (by keeping them in "eternal slumbers" in the places that they are situated in or around/familiar with). even to the way that riku treats sora in final mix, which i know isn't really him but his sort of detachment to him is very similar to anthy and how she would treat utena. which really isn't just comphet but it is something much, much bigger than that that doesn't really involve utena much when you really look at it. it is a very general sort of detachment and indifference that comes with abuse i really wished more people talked about because abuse is not just some funny little joke or something to be easily looked over! for the love of god, i am ating at so many things rn good lord. but his detachment towards sora was just his brain numbing to the abuse, losing that sense of love and almost sanity and even humanity to look at it that way, just as what happened to anthy and her barely-any-sense-of personality. like unfortunately it's still riku and it was still him, even if very little but he was still there and what we were seeing there was just the abuse and manipulation taking him over or the abuser and abusive cycle taking them over just as what akio became due to his abusers and cycle, once again as it is continuous, and what ansem's literal existence was and meant. they were or had just become amalgamations of the "darkness" in ones' hearts, the bad things and i think the game like com itself showing that you are a mix of them both and you have to balance them both is very beautiful because yes, unfortunately you can never be truly cured even more so when it has affected you even from childhood, you have to just live with it but you can grow and be a better person because you are human and you have broken free from this cycle and have control over your own life. hopefully this makes sense, i really don't wanna come off any sort of way. writing this all makes me realize it is a very messy and nuanced topic even to describe it which.. makes me love it even more lol.

ima attach some lines here i got from this website online of a let's play lmfao cuz im lowkey losing my train here ugh, fuck adhd omg. but update while writing. i am currently rereading after like an hour and it kinda came back to me. sorry if the next paragraph is kinda random and already has some topics i have already introduced previously I REALLY DO HATE ADHD but i wouldn't be here without it would i now....

seeing more of the lines now, the words and nuisances of the things he says are genuinely soo abusive oml. there's just a lot of potential like i've stated so many times at this point, within the game. as someone with a few personality disorders, black and white morality is such a big issue with me and i feel like the whole darkness and light thing especially with how they handle it with riku can fit really well into that too. i headcanon riku with ocpd, something i have because i was really shocked with how much i resonated with his character and how much i see him struggling with that. him not being able to understand how him and sora and kairi could've came to one (agreement terms i mean, lord) and taking such drastic measures with everything and being so avoidant with the things around him, even with how he had such a want for a bigger worldwide and viewed himself as if he had so much more hopes and dreams compared to kairi and sora due to the simplicity of his innate thinking and again, took such drastic measures to achieve that and even prove it, even if it was mostly unwillingly, he was able to be easily manipulated because aside from being a child, his "larger worldview" was easy to crumble because it is just built on excessive thinking and the constant need for answers (which very much reflects perfection and obsessiveness that is the biggest issues with ocpd) which is very unstable because life isn't really like that and when you can't snap yourself into this realization or have no one else to really do it for you, trust me if you don't suffer through ocd or similar things like that yourself, it is difficult asf lemme tell you that. obsession doesn't really get you anywhere and that even goes into abuse and abusers' obsessions with whatever their "motives" are. it's strange because it doesn't really make any sense as their "motives" are never really real motives and can never really be described but that is just its nature because it is nonsensical and is just a result of overdrive and it kills, as simple as that.

ok so i have a lot more kingdom hearts related-thoughts and analyses aside from all my various other cringe, nerdy thoughts (we don't discuss the intrusive or sexual ones my friends) but i think i've ranted enough for today, another mid-way update but lost my train again, but this is the longest i've ever ranted for, definitely had to get it off my chest that's for sure lol. but aside from the ranting, i hope to use tumblr more, just to be on my own but i hope to post more doodles and art related shit on here as i hopefully figure out how to work my tumblr around and all that so it's easier to post from my phone and stuff without getting the computer and eventually losing all my energy :P yes, i will be cooking up rgu au for kingdom hearts like just doodles is what is to take from all this. sorry if it doesn't make much sense i tried my best fhfdshk

[luffythinker]

Is there any way shape or form that i can get you into Kingdom hearts? it has a manga and novel but the best experience is playing the game. I know you've probably heard about how crazy and confusing it is but it really isn't so confusing. but you gotta do it in the correct order to understand everything.

You wanna play final mix cause it has the first 3 important games in it. first game: kingdom hearts the very first installment. where the journey begins, you are a little boy name Sora and you and your three friends want adventure and off the island you've lived on your whole life and Sora is like 13 years old he's a lil bab, Riku your bestie who may or may not be jelly of you cause he has a crush on you or something is like that super cool guy whos always so cool and better at everything and Kairi obvious love interest character but she has her things about her that are interesting in it's own shes not super super nice but shes just a scrappy young girl whos your friend. Something wild happens when you guys are building a raft which Riku offers if you race him you get to name it whatever you wanna name it (yes this is a real game mechanic but it's hard to win the race against Riku cause he's like a year older and taller and faster and stronger and- you get it) Riku also wants to wooden sword fight you later on and you guys fight for the right to give Kairi a fruit that binds your lifes together and whoever wins gets to be with Kairi forever or something, you guys don't end up making that raft cause night comes and you guys were goofing off. SOMETHING HAPPENS and you can't find Riku or Kairi in the night so you go and look for them and these creatures are attacking your island, RIku is talking nonsense about how he's not afraid of the darkness and gets taken away by a darkness portal you go in the cave you guys always play in and you see Kairi she like fades away.

This is not extremely detailed i was super into Kingdom hearts but my memory is shit but i do and don't remember the most important things.

ANyway Donald duck Goofy from mickey mouse, final fantasy characters and other disney characters show up and now your pulled into somebody elses mess trying to find out what the shit happen to Riku and Kairi.

Chain of memories is the next game, im not gonna spoil it for you if you do decide to read/play Kingdom hearts but hot guys in black cloaks show up in this weird castle, one guy is really pretty there is a girl whos a bitch but we love her for it and a guy with super long hair, a guy that can smell you by your darkness and a hulk of a man whos going to end your life. Also a little girl in white ALSO RIKU IS HERE but he's acting weird where is Kairi you ask? who is Kairi? i've never even heard of that person in my life before are you sure you didn't just dream Kairi up? i don't think Kairi is a name of anyone i know.

At the end of this game you are met with another character he's a boy and he's blond, whos this kid? he's important character watch kingdom hearts 358/2 days cause this was a ds game that they remastered you can also watch it on youtube if you want

anyway the next game is Kingdom hearts 2 where mystery adds on another mystery and only like 3 questions get answered while it raises 7 more questions

Kingdom hearts birth by sleep, opening is a absolute head banger. Anyway there are these 3 teens Aqua, Terra and whoa this guy looks like that other guy, i wonder why??? is this the guy or is he another guy?? anyway 3 stories play either character but to get to the final story you have to finish all 3 YOU NEED TO PLAY/WATCH THIS

At the end of Kingdom heart 2 Sora and does find RIku and they are going to take a test to see if they can be masters of the weapon they have this game is Kingdom hearts Dream drop distance which also sets up a lot of stuff for Kingdom hearts 3 a also NEED TO WATCH/PLAY The world ends with you characters show up in this game

Now you think your ready for Kingdom hearts 3 don't you? well yes and no, see there was this game on the phone where you could make your own character and it took place a long time ago there is important stuff for Kindom hearts 3 in this game you can't really play it anymore cause the online service ended but you can watch it on youtube it's called Kingdom hearts union X

still not ready, there is a short movie thing it's Kingdom hearts back cover, it sets up stuff for Kingdom hearts union X

NOW can we play Kingdom hearts 3 after playing all these games? YES yes we can i never finished Kingdom hearts 3 but i know what happens in it cause i watched the spoiler when it came out

Kairi has DLC so we know how she got to the island in the very first game it's a musical game where you tap to the beat of the songs

They are making kingdom hearts 4 and we have some things we need to do before that there is Kingdom hearts dark road a ipad game i believe is still being updated, and Kingdom Hearts Missing Link a game they are still making

i left out one it isn't super important but there is Kingdom heart kingdom hearts recoded it's just about Data Sora and Data RIku it goes between kingdom hearts 1 and chain of memories i think?

Please consider playing the games, reading the novels or watching a playthrough i love this series it's so crazy we got powerful old people and gay guys basically divorced couple silly guys Disney characters and places Lion king, beauty and the beast, tangled,pirates of the caribbean, sleeping beauty, snow white you name it with weird anime hair characters, we got kids in war, blue icecream that is super important, darkness and light getting mentioned 24/7 final fantasy characters left and right anything you can think of we got it

sorry anon i really don't think games are for me, but I shall indulge you in this!! let's see what this is about

[I actually have never heard about it before, like I knew the name but nothing else]

guys wait i'm a little shocked, I didn't know games had this much depth in the stories (I'm obviously not familiar with it but!!!), like I thought it would be missions and quests only, I didn't know there were this much storytelling into it

WHY ARE THERE DISNEY CHARACTERSKJFDKJKJFDK

this might be a bit embarrassing to admit but since the other anon also mentioned this and you did it too, I had to google wtf a ds game was fkjdfjfjk and now I know that I knew about it but never really knew they were named ds ~anyway~

how many Kingdom Hearts games are there, like how did we get on 3 of these??? Are they like novels with a bunch of books?? and a bunch of spin-offs??

you did so well explaining everything to me i feel so bad i wish i could start right now, i will consider reading the novels/manga you mentioned though!!

i'm sure this will push somebody into playing the game!!

[tharkflark1]

Now that I’ve completely caught up on KH (and even played most of em), I think I can finally give my reviews on each game in the series! Then I’ll rank em at the end!

I only got into the series about a year ago and I love it to bits! So this will be from the perspective of someone who never rlly played it as a kid nor had heard of it until recently. ^^ however it should be known that knew the the entire KH plot line before playing them outright.

KH1 - The only KH game I’d played before I truly knew what it was. I remember seeing it and playing a bit of it in elementary school cuz some friends had it, but I never knew what was going on so I never finished any of the worlds ^^’.

It’s definitely the hardest game out of the bunch. Not because of anything it does but simply it’s just so barebones in terms of battling compared to future games in the series. That’s not to say it’s not fun tho: probs my favorite time grinding for synthesis items. I’d say this game is my fav grinding experience. Plus Cure not taking up ur entire health bar helps KSNDKSNSKS

As for story: A great way to start off the series. You get introduced to your main guy, your little meow wow: Sora. And then there’s his jealous gay best friend, Riku. And probably my fav version of so far and pretty snarky girl best friend, Kairi. This game is pretty good on its own in terms of story but it really shines in how it influences all the other games in the series. I’d say playing through all the other games made me appreciate it so much more as well as create a baseline of “innocence” for the Destiny Trio to fall back on and acknowledge. And DI is just a beautiful place in general, rlly want to explore it freely someday.

My only real gripe is that Ansem SOD, tho mentioned throughout the game, is not overly built upon as a final antagonist. Maleficent, I feel, is much more satisfying to finally fight and defeat because she’s been messing with Riku’s head and planting Heartless everywhere with her other bad guy friends. Ansem SOD’s final fight is on Destiny Islands tho so he gets some bonus points.

KH Re:CoM - Truthfully, I haven’t finished it but I’m at Marluxia’s final fight, and I feel like I can talk about the gameplay in general.

The card system is a huge obstacle to get around at first, but once you get the hang of it it’s actually quite enjoyable! Finding out new ways to defeat ur enemies almost instantaneously plus needing to solve ur way out of bosses is so much fun! I could probably spend my days just grinding in that game

Story wise, the push off for this wild story as a whole. It’s this eye opening “oh shit this was going on the background of KH1 the whole time???” Kind of feel. Naminé and Repliku are great. You get introduced to Axel, Larxene, Marluxia, Vexen, Zexion, and Lexaeus… only for all except for Axel to parish, and Sora to forget he ever did that in the first place skdbdjdbs

Riku’s character arc also starts here, and his and Mickey’s friendship is rlly sweet. And it rlly shows that Sora’s opinion of Riku is rlly important to Riku. It’s just all rlly insightful to what exactly started KH1 and everything else.

I probably sound like everyone else when I say that the only thing holding this game back is the vastly different gameplay. I think I’d love to see someone recreate CoM but as a normal KH game

KH2 - The longest one. Only because like, you have to go through each and every world twice (sometimes 3 times) over, and it has the largest amount of any worlds in any KH game. Grinded to level 99 and have barely attempted the super bosses ;0; Also, Lingering Will’s Portal never showed up so I have to beat the game again >:/

Gameplay’s pretty fun! It’s your normal KH almost button-mash style. The gummiship is a lot of fun too, but still more tedious than anything. The infamous Drive forms make their appearance, and they’re pretty swell. My fav probs ended up being Limit and Anti form, but Anti form is random so ;-;. He hang by him foot I don’t know how you couldn’t not love him. Easiest time getting ultima weapon here.

A great villain cast. All of them have such interesting personalities (especially once I got to Days) and designs. They make you wonder who and what they are. Why they’re doing all of this. Honestly, I can’t pick a favorite. This game does a surprisingly good job at letting you kinda get to know each Org person ur fighting before you defeat them. It’s wild.

Holy shit Roxas. Nomura just hands you this wonderful lad before he kills him 2 hours later. It’s same with Axel (if you hadn’t experienced CoM before this). Dude is just trying to get his adopted son back, but he eventually realizes there’s no point and sacrifices himself to save Sora. It’s pretty touching (especially, again, after Days). The game is rlly the one that gets you feeling. Riku’s being a dumb-dumb through out this game, but he’s still a wise ass and it’s pretty great. Kairi, uh, Kairi’s pretty cool in the manga. I feel like neither explain when and how Naminè merged back with Kairi before they shake hands at the end of the game.

My gripes. I was told by a lot of people that this was the best KH game, but I’ll have to disagree. The way I would explain this game is just, tedious. There’s practically nothing happening inbetween Sora waking up and major plot point areas. You’re forced to got through almost every world twice. Leveling up drive forms gets specific and almost annoying (unless you know a glitch to get around the form level part. Which I had to look up). Even with this story, I’m just supposed to accept that Roxas and Naminè can never be their own people again? Like, I get that it’s supposed to be bittersweet but it’s played so oddly. I dunno, I can’t rlly explain it.

I know some peeps have said that the games stopped being good after KH2/Days and should have stopped, but I’ll have to wholeheartedly disagree. Though it has its satisfying moments, I don’t think I would have enjoyed the series as much as I did if it just, stopped there. This is probably my least favorite entry.

348/2 Days - I didn’t play it but I watched someone play it AND I watched the cutscenes.

The Tetris system seems fun! I do have a DS so I hope to play it some day. I will say, when Nomura and friends have to make the gameplay different to work on a different console, they rlly make it work. I’ll be more in-depth on this when we get to BBS. Also I love that each character has joke weapons. Amazing.

The story alone makes me wonder why CoM was remade but not Days. I would have KILLED to see Lexaeus back hand Roxas or the “Roxas, that’s a stick” line fully animated. It’s a playable tragedy where no-one wins in the end. Xion is forgotten. Roxas loses his memories of the past year. And Axel loses both of the kids he cared about sm. The lights of his life while in the Org. It rlly makes Axel’s actions all that more heartbreaking in KH2. But, I do not recommend doing Days before KH2 as Days spoils some plot points in KH2.

Again, I would love to actually play it someday. So I don’t have much gripes. Maybe I’ll update this more when I finally do.

KH: BBS - My favorite. Also the first one I actually saw someone play. You play as 3 different characters with 3 different play styles and it forces you to compensate. And it has the melding system. I will get to the melding system.

Story is one of my favs and introduces a whole new trio: Some parents and their adopted son LMAO. Plus you have old man Xehanort and Eraqus and the Unversed (I want a flood plush so BAD), and a new addition to the Heart Hotel: Vanitas. He’s such a little gremlin but also a blast to fight. Especially as Aqua. His attitude kinda reminds me of Larxene, and he’s a breath of fresh air in terms of personality. He bounces off the optimism of the protags rlly well. Love him <3

This is probably my fav trio? They are, the best. We have girlboss Aqua and her himbo husband Terra. And the saddest boy to ever live, Ventus. I’d kill for all of them. And like, it has baby Destiny Trio and young Saixel like, how much more could u want???

The gameplay is the best out of the bunch. I love the melding system. I love having the command deck. Shotlocks??? Stupendous. I played this one on Critical first, so I’m not sure how much I can talk about in terms of difficulty, but it was challenging enough to let me rlly enjoy the gameplay itself. And with playing through it practically 3 times over: it rlly helps u nail down the specifics.

My gripes are few but common amongst other peeps. I do wish we could have seen more of the trio’s friendship. Like Ventus and Aqua being friends more often would have been cool. Honestly just, more Aqua hanging out with them. And there’s no, recipe for melding stuff so you have to either guess or look up online how to get the best commands.

Other than that: ( Shakes this game in front of ur face like a pack of saltines) play ittttt

KH:ReCoded - Same as Days: watched the cutscenes and someone play it. It’s about this little dude who doesn’t know what the FUCK is going on but he’s there to help I guess?

Again, I can’t say much of the gameplay but it looks fun! Similar to Days but it’s more circuit board-esque. Love to play it someday for real!

Story: tbh it’s kinda lack luster but it REALLY gets you used to the concept of data worlds and how they work. Plus it introduces the Book of Prophecies and what the hell Maleficent is doin.

Data Soriku my beloveds <3 They are like, if Riku realized he was gay rlly early on and everything didnt get swallowed up by darkness. Wonderful. I hope to see them again :( Also what was up with Sora’s heartless evolving into a Darkside. Is that foreshadowing??? Should I be scared for my son o-o’’

Don’t skip it! Plz it’s actually quite good and both Data Sora and Data Riku are wonderful characters.

DDD - The gay one. Holy shit. Riku you poetic gay I’m going to put you back into the closet myself

Story: A really great way to focus on two different characters in different way — Sora’s being about his Heart Hotel and Riku’s being about his internal struggles. The concept of dream worlds are introduced here and while I’m still very 🤔 about it, theyre very interesting. This game rlly shines in how it writes Riku and is more focused on him as a whole. He’s pretty much the main protag of this game and his goal to find himself and Sora.

Gameplay: they got rid of the melding system :( but the Dream Eaters are super cool! It plays very similar to BBS but no shotlocks but it also has ✨Flowmotion✨. I love just launching myself into space with it. I also love naming my dream eaters and hanging out with them.

Gripes: Commantis. That’s it. That’s my gripe. It makes me wanna never play the game again. It’s such an insanely hard boss and for no reason!

0.2 - Short but does a brief character study on Aqua while she’s stuck in the realm of Darkness. Also the official KH dress up game.

Story: More a character study and a demo for KH3 than a whole game. Aqua’s thoughts and feelings on what she’s done, and she’s clearly got depression or something. I need her to be hugged and loved STAT. Also I’ll beat Yen Sid and Rickey Rat with my bare hands ☺️

Gameplay: You can complete it in a couple hours depending on how slow u are or if you wanna get all the outfits. Rlly wish they could have kept even a little of the dress up options going into KH3 but oh well. It’s weirdly laggy at points but I do LOVE the mirror puzzles. Again, more things I wish were in KH3.

Gripes: I don’t rlly, have any? It’s a good warm up going into KH3 with situation commands and everything. Some of the outfit challenges are fuckin WILD tho. Like you gotta defeat a certain boss with a finisher or not take damage during boss fights. Fuckin WILD

Great warm up game! Wish it was longer tho :(

KH3 - the big boye. The largest lad. The first game I ever actually paid attention to and actually caught my interest.

Story: It has KH2's problem i feel with everything at the start and end being important and then dying down in the middle. But I feel it does WAY better than Kh2. Nothing feels overly tedious and all the worlds and characters are a delight. One of my fav versions of Sora where he's still the happy-go-lucky son boy but theres some underlying sadness to him that accumulates until he breaks towards the end. It's great characterization for Sora, and I can't wait to see what Nomura has in store for him.

Also we get to save everyone and every time we watch Terra burst into tears I start crying. And the the Sea Salt Trio hugging ;0; Honestly? The end of this phase of KH is such a breath of fresh air. I’ve seen some peeps say that Roxas and Xion coming back demeans their sacrifices, and while I get that, I feel like the story of KH pushed so hard that Sora wanted them to be real again that them not coming back would have felt empty. Also KH as a whole puts this “everyone deserves a chance at life” thing out there and it makes me cry.

Gameplay: there is,,, so much. And all of it rocks. But keyblade transformations have to be my fav. Oh and Rage form; my little scrunkly <3. The game makes each keyblade viable and fun and it’s just so good. And they even made the Gummiship fun!! Say what you want about the story but holy shit this game is just a delight to play. I have yet to test Critical mode but I’m so ready. I’m gonna get Oblivion so badddd.

As for the Superbosses: fun. I can’t just keep saying that word over and over again but there’s rlly no other word to describe it! I’ve only done 3 so far (funniest defeat being Vanitas who got crushed by Meow Wow ass) and can’t wait to do the rest (I fear Yozora tho >_>’)

But I’m the best at cooking! That egg breaking mini game is my fav <3

Gripes: The DLC paywall probs. Kinda annoying but not the worst thing in the world. And like I said before, pacing’s rlly odd. But def a solid 9/10.

Melody of Memory: the rhythm game

Another one of those “if you don’t like the gameplay it’s rlly not worth buying” but I’m a HUGE fan of rhythm games. So I love it.

Rlly recommend getting headphones to play it. Also if ur having trouble hitting the notes you can adjust the timing in config!

Love that we got a 7 sec update this year for it and it was just Ienzo, Even, and Ansem freaking out over static KSJDKSNSK

Gripes: none rlly. Everything is enjoyably challenging. Not a whole lot of plot stuff tho. Very bare bones in terms of lore

Final ranking (from least to most fav)

KH2 -> CoM -> Days = Re:Coded -> 0.2 = DDD -> KH1 -> MoM -> KH3 = KH: BBS

[maddrmatt]

The Gift From Beyond (SoKai Week 2022)

New to this fanfic? Click here to properly begin!

Greetings readers and fellow SoKai fans!  Thanks again for coming back for the next instalment.

In this chapter, to give the visit a few finishing touches, a particular wedding tradition is observed, and one last tale is told.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 5: Last Requests

Radiant Garden

A short while later, the five sat in silence. No one was sure what to bring up next. Having discussed both the past and the future, they were at a loss of where to steer the conversation.  It was dawning on all of them that their visit may have been nearing its conclusion.

“I hate to say this.  But since it’s looking like we’ve run out of things to talk about, do you think maybe it’s time we called Joshua so he can take you back to wherever you came from?” asked Sora reluctantly.

“I think you might be right about that. Sora,” Summer agreed.

Kairi sniffed.  “I really wish it didn’t have to end.  It’s been great having us all together here.”

“I know, my child.  We all feel that way.  Getting to see you again, especially on your wedding day, has been a wonderful experience. But you know what they say about all good things,” said Lillie causing Kairi to nod sadly.

“All right then.  I guess I’ll make the call,” said Sora as he stood up.  “Joshua, we’re ready for you to…”

Suddenly, Grant stood up.  “Hold on a second, Sora.  Don’t call him just yet.”

“Dad?” asked Kairi.

“Honey, what’s going on?” asked Summer.

“I just thought of something I’d like to do before we leave,” said Grant.

“Oh.  Well, in that case, we’re not quite ready yet, Joshua, so don’t come back yet!” Sora called.

They all waited in case Joshua hadn’t heard the retraction.  After a few moments passed and he hadn’t shown up, it was safe to assume he was not coming yet.

“Looks like he heard you, Sora.  So, Grant, what did you want to do?” asked Lillie.

Grant faced his daughter.  “Kairi, when a father’s daughter gets married, he always looks forward to the tradition of walking her down the aisle during the ceremony. Now, I don’t begrudge your adoptive father for being able to do that.  It just saddens me that I missed out on that”

“I know, Dad.  And now that I’ve gotten to know you and Mom, I really wish I could’ve had all four of my parents do that walk with me,” said Kairi sympathetically.

Then Grant smiled.  “But even though that opportunity has passed, maybe we could still share a different wedding tradition before we go, Kairi.”

He held out a hand to her.  “Would the bride care to dance with her father?”

Kairi smiled, rose to her feet and took her father’s hand.  “I’d love to, Dad.”

Grant started to lead his daughter in the direction of a more open area of the garden.  It would serve perfectly as a makeshift dance floor.  Sora and the others watched with touched smiles on their faces.

Then Sora suddenly stood up.  “Hold it!”

Kairi and Grant turned back to face him.  “What is it, Sora?” asked the Princess of Heart

“If you’re going to dance, you’re going to need some music,” said Sora as he reached into his pockets for something.

But to his dismay, he found them empty.  “My Gummi Phone!  It’s gone!”

“Sora, we both left them in our rooms because we didn’t think we’d need them today,” Kairi reminded her husband.

“Oh nuts!  That’s right!”

“Gummi Phone?  What’s that?” asked Lillie.

“It’s a special device that we use to communicate with each other within and between worlds.  But it also has other uses like playing music.  I thought we could play one of the recordings we had in our phones for their dance.  Especially one from our friend Miguel Rivera who’s a musician and songwriter in his world. Many of his songs are themed around family and I just thought that one of them would be perfect for this moment,” said Sora disappointedly.

Grant chuckled.  “Don’t worry about it, Sora.  I appreciate the thought.  But I can provide this dance with a song myself.”

“You sing?” asked Kairi.

“Oh yes.  Your father loved to sing when it was either while working on his garden projects or just to make me smile.  He’s always had such a charming voice,” said Summer as she exchanged loving glances with Grant.

With that matter settled, Kairi and Grant resumed their small journey to where they would dance.  In the meantime, Sora took upon himself to turn Lillie’s chair around so she was in a direction she could watch them before sitting on the bench with Summer.

Once Kairi and her father reached the center of their makeshift dance floor, they got into position.  Kairi placed her left hand on Grant’s right shoulder while Grant placed his right hand on her left side.  They then extended their free arms and grasped each other’s free hands.

“Kairi, the song I am about to sing to you is one I haven’t sung in a long time,” said Grant.

“Why is that?”

Grant smiled.  “Because it’s one I used to sing to you when you were just a baby.  I’m so glad I get to sing it to you one more time.”

The two of them began to slowly waltz around in a circular motion.  As they danced, Grant started his song.

(In-Universe Music: You’ll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins performed by Grant.)

The opening lyrics sounded like the words of a parent to a child who was crying.  They carried a vow of protection and assurance of being there for the child.

As she swayed with her father and listened to the lyrics from his gentle voice, a strange feeling came over the Princess of Heart.  Suddenly, she let out a silent gasp.

‘I…I remember!  I’m remembering moments with Mom and Dad!  But I was so young back then, it shouldn’t be possible!  But it is happening!’

Kairi was absolutely amazed by her earliest memories returning.  She desperately wanted to know how it was happening.

Then a possible answer came to her.  ‘Is it Dad’s song?  Is it causing all these memories to return to me?  It must be.  There’s no other explanation.  And I have seen this happen before when we saw Miguel sing to his Mama Coco to restore the memories of her father.’

She looked into her father’s eyes as he continued to sing to her.  Happy tears started to stream down her face as she smiled at him.

‘I guess there really is a connection between melodies and memories.  Oh, Dad. Your song has done something so wonderful for me.’

Grant truly had no idea about what he just done for his daughter.  He simply smiled back as he continued to sing about her being in his heart.

________________________________________________________________

From where they sat, Sora, Lillie and Summer watched the father and daughter duo dance.  All of their hearts were close to bursting with happiness at the beautiful sight.

“I knew Grant was going to sing that song,” said Lillie.

“It was always his favorite one to sing to Kairi,” said Summer.

“And even though it’s been a long time since she’s heard it, she seems to be really enjoying it.  Look how happy she is,” said Sora as he caught glimpses of his wife’s smiling face as she continued to twirl around with her father.  ‘Of all the times to be stuck without a Gummi Phone. Kairi would’ve loved to have pictures of this to remember it.’

As she watched her husband and daughter dance, something caught Summer’s eye as she looked to her son-in-law.  “Sora, can I ask you something?”

Sora turned to his mother-in-law with a look of confusion.  “Sure, Summer.  What is it?”

“I’d like to take a look at your wedding ring, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh!  Of course. Go right ahead,” said Sora as held out his hand that bore his wedding ring to Summer.

After looking over it, Summer said, “My, that’s an interesting engraving on it.”

“An engraving?  On a wedding ring?  May I see it?” Lillie asked causing Sora to hold out his hand to her so she could also take a look it.

There, plain as day, engraved in the band’s golden surface, was a perfect recreation of Sora and Kairi’s paopu drawing.

“It looks like you and Kairi,” said Lillie.

“And they seem to be offering…stars to each other?” asked Summer perplexed.

Sora chuckled.  “It certainly looks that way, doesn’t it?  This drawing’s been a very important part of Kairi’s and my love story because it was probably the earliest way that we showed our true feelings toward each other.  That’s why we requested the Moogles to engrave it on our wedding rings.”

“This drawing sounds it carries a pretty fascinating story.  If you don’t mind, Sora, would you care to tell us about it while Kairi and Grant finish their dance?” asked Lillie.

“We didn’t mention this drawing earlier when we were telling our story?  Or what those stars really represent?” Sora asked to which Lillie and Summer shook their heads.  “I can’t believe we forgot to tell you.  It’s actually one of our favorite stories to tell.”

“Yours and Kairi’s story was a large one, Sora. A few details falling through the cracks can be forgiven,” said Summer.

“I guess so.  But it would’ve been a shame had you not heard about it before you left.  Well, I’m certainly glad I have to opportunity to share it now so here it goes.  You see, back home on the Destiny Islands, there’s this particular island where all the kids like to go to play.  And on it, is a cave that we call the Secret Place.  One of the things we’d like to do in there, is use rocks to draw on the walls. The first time I brought Kairi there after she arrived on the Islands, we drew something together in that cave. I drew her face, and she drew mine. And as you can see from the engraving on the ring, she was clearly the better artist than I ever was,” laughed Sora causing Lillie and Summer to laugh as well.  ‘Naminè had to get her drawing skills from somewhere and it certainly wasn’t from me.’

“I can certainly believe that.  Kairi always drew so well despite being so young.  She must’ve a little artistic talent from her father.  But what are those stars you seem to be exchanging in the drawing?” asked Lillie.

“Actually, it’s a kind of fruit from the Islands that’s shaped like a star.  They’re called paopu fruit.  There’s a legend behind the fruit that if two people share it, their destinies would be bound together and they would remain a part of each other’s lives no matter what,” said Sora.

Summer giggled.  “The way you talk about that legend; it almost sounds like an engagement.”

“It does sound like one, doesn’t it?” asked Sora.

“And even though you were just young children when you drew it, you both wished to share these fruits with each other back then?” asked Lillie.

Sora laughed.  “Not exactly.  That part of the drawing wasn’t added until way later.  For a long time, it was just Kairi’s and my faces looking at each other. Until the day before the Heartless came to the Islands and I first gained the Keyblade.  I was in the Secret Place looking for mushrooms for our upcoming trip on the raft.  Before I left, I looked at the drawing and started to remember when Kairi and I first drew it.  The next thing I knew, I had picked up a rock and was drawing between us, my hand giving her the paopu fruit.”

Summer smiled.  “Sounds to me like you were starting to realize how much she truly meant to you then.”

The Hero of the Keyblade shrugged.  “Maybe I was.  Ever since we met, I sort of felt there was something more than just friendship between us and it seemed to be growing stronger as time went on.  And since I didn’t know how exactly to tell her, I thought adding the paopu fruit to the drawing was a way to express it without words.  It felt like a pretty good idea.  But at the same, it also frightened me.”

“I can understand why, Sora.  You and Kairi had become such good friends and I doubt you wanted to risk ruining it.  Especially since you had no idea then if she truly felt the same,” said Summer.

“That was part of it.  But a bigger part was that I also felt unworthy of her,” said Sora.

���Unworthy?  Why would you believe that?” asked Lillie.

“Because at the time, Riku also appeared to have feelings for Kairi and all of our friends seemed to think that if she were to choose between him or me, she would choose him.  And back then, I had always thought that Riku was better than me at everything, so even I believed she would choose him in the end.”

“Sora, listen to me,” said Summer causing her son-in-law to give her his full attention.  “After everything you’ve done for Kairi, let me tell you that you are definitely worthy of her.  More than worthy, in fact.  Don’t ever let yourself forget that.”

Sora looked at his mother-in-law’s insistent expression before letting out a chuckle.  “You know, Kairi always gives me that exact same look whenever I express those kinds of doubts and she sets me straight.  I see it runs in her family,” he said causing Summer to laugh.

Then he smiled gratefully.  “And yes.  I’ll never forget that.  But it’s always nice to hear it and it means a lot coming from her mother.”

“So, back to subject of the drawing, you’ve told us when you added the part where you offered the fruit to Kairi.  But when did you add the part where she offers it to you?” asked Lillie.

Sora gave a bright smile.  “Actually, I didn’t add that part.  Kairi did it herself.”

“She did?!” exclaimed Summer joyously.

“Yep.  It was one of the biggest surprises I ever got in my life.  After returning to the Islands after defeating the first Organization XIII, I went to the Secret Place one day.  And when I looked at the drawing again, that’s when I saw the addition of Kairi’s hand giving me the paopu fruit.  It was a shock at first.  But then I realized that Kairi must have seen my own addition and then added to it herself.  That gave me hope that perhaps she did feel the same way about me that I did about her. I wanted to talk to her about it. But before we could, we had to start preparing for the final battle against Xehanort so it kind of fell by the wayside.”

“That is unfortunate.  Did you two ever get to share them for real?” asked Summer.

Sora smiled brightly again. “Yes, we did.  In fact, as of today, we’ve actually shared them twice.”

“Twice?  Please tell us about both occasions, Sora,” said Lillie.

“Gladly, Lillie.  The first time we shared them, even though tragedy followed, will always be one of our favorite memories. In fact, we even celebrate the anniversary of it every year.  It was the evening before we faced Xehanort and his new Organization XIII.  We were sitting on our favorite spot on the paopu tree on the Islands and, to my surprise, Kairi just plucked two fruits off the tree and handed one to me.  I couldn’t believe what she was doing.  She was making such a bold move.  But after explaining how she wanted to be part of my life forever, I knew that I wanted the same with her.  We then promised to keep each other safe, and then we shared them.”

“How romantic,” said Lillie.

“But that certainly was quite a promise to make, Sora.  Especially on the eve of such a high stakes battle,” said Summer.

“I’ll admit, it definitely hasn’t been an easy one to keep for the both of us.  Especially since every time we failed to keep it, we would be torn apart.  But Kairi and I have always believed that with the legend of the paopu fruit on our side, along with the special bond between our hearts, we would always find our way back to each other no matter what.”

“Well, seeing as how many times you’ve accomplished that despite numerous separations, it seems that there may be something to this legend after all.  So, what was the second time you shared the fruits?” asked Lillie.

“This morning. During our wedding ceremony.  It’s a tradition from the Destiny Islands that if two people who have shared the fruits get married, they do it again on their wedding day as an act of renewal and strengthening of the bond between them.”

“That’s so sweet,” said Lillie.

“And does it feel like it has gotten stronger, Sora?” asked Summer.

The Hero of the Keyblade gazed over to where his wife was dancing with her father.  He smiled lovingly at her.

“Yes.  I truly believe it has.  And I have a feeling it’s only going to grow stronger as we continue to go through life together.”

Lillie smiled.  “I believe it will too.”

“So do I,” said Summer.

Sora smiled gratefully and nodded his thanks to both of them.  It felt good to know how much they believed in him and Kairi.

Nothing more was said between the three of them and nothing more was needed.  They just continued to watch the dance go on.

But as they listened the lyrics from Grant, a bittersweet feeling came over Summer and Lillie.  Being familiar with the song, they knew that both it and the dance were drawing to a close.  And what would follow next would undoubtedly be one of the most difficult moments they would ever have to face.

________________________________________________________________

As Grant sang more about always being there, the song came to its finish.  Both he and Kairi stopped dancing.

He then finally took notice of his daughter’s tear-streaked face.  “Are you okay, my precious girl?”

“Dad, I remember!” Kairi quietly exclaimed.

Grant looked confused.  “Remember what, Kairi?”

“Moments from when I was young with you, Mom and Grandma!  I remember how you used to rock me and sing that song whenever I woke up in the middle of night and it always helped get me back to sleep.  I remember how Mom would show me some of the flowers she grew and how the colors and scents used to make me so happy.  And I remember how whenever Grandma felt sad, likely from all the hardships she faced, she would cuddle with me, and it made her smile return.”

Kairi then threw her arms around her father’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.  “Your song brought that all back to me.  Thank you so much, Daddy.”

Grant smiled and stroked his daughter’s back in comfort.  “Happy to have helped you in that way.  Kairi? Can you promise me something?”

“Of course.”

“When you and Sora have children of your own, would you sing that song to them?”

Kairi drew apart from her father so he could see her smiling face again.  “I will, Dad and you can count on me keeping that promise.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Sora, it’s how to always keep a promise.  Especially since that song will always remind me of how much I was loved by my birth family.”

A tear dripped down Grant’s cheek.  “Thank you so much, my precious girl,” he said as he kissed Kairi on the forehead and then took her into another embrace.

But as Grant hugged his daughter, a somber look came to his face.  He knew what was to come next.

It was nearly time to say goodbye.

________________________________________________________________

Notes from the Mad Doctor:

I don’t think there’s any greater Disney song about parental love than Tarzan’s You’ll Be In My Heart other than Coco’s Remember Me.  I thought it was the perfect song for Kairi’s dance with her father and having him sing it would make the moment even more beautiful.

I hope you also enjoyed Sora’s retelling on the tale of the drawing and the paopu fruit. Those are such important parts of his and Kairi’s romance.

I give my thanks to whoever reads this chapter.

I also give my special thanks to @sora9090​ for liking the previous chapters as well as @blackazurebeast​ for reblogging the previous chapters.

Comments, likes and reblogs are much appreciated! For the second last chapter, you might wish to have some tissues handy because, as you probably guessed, it’s going to be a real tearjerker.

Stay tuned!

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Onto the next chapter!

[vannahfanfics]

Ocean Melody

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Characters: Sora, Kairi

Additional Tags: Soulmate AU

Hey, everyone! Here’s today’s SoKai story for @sokaiweek​, this time based on the AU prompt— and since soulmate AUs are my favorite, of course, that’s what I decided to do! <3

A song— Kairi had heard it in her soul ever since she was old enough to recognize it as song. Everyone was born with a song in their hearts, and that song linked them to their soulmate; every pair was unique, possessing their own melody that linked them in love and eternity. Every morning, Kairi would stand upon the beach below her house with her feet in the surf, humming the tune of her melody in the hopes that the wind would carry it across the ocean to the person she was meant to love— and every day, that melody went unanswered. So she waited, all alone in her house near the sea, for the day her solo would finally become a duet. 

Many days, she found herself staring out her window down at the beach like this. She wasn’t sure why, but the sea called to her like another melody, the gentle ebb and flow of the waves a song that tried to entice her to its endless blue. A cup of tea long since cold rested in her hand as she gazed unblinkingly through the glass, watching the sand dunes ruffle in the salty breeze and the sea foam spray with each crash of the waves. 

“Kairi?” 

Kairi jumped as Selphie suddenly spoke. The cup rattled against the saucer in her hand, spilling cold tea all over the counter, her hands, and her front. Kairi cursed under her breath and hurriedly set the dishes in the sink, then grabbed a dish towel to mop up the brown liquid. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do about the brown spots dotting the front of her pink-and-white sundress. She would just have to attempt to wash them out later. 

“Sorry,” she apologized, dabbing at the wet spots on her front while she turned to her friend, who was sitting at her kitchen table with an amused look. “I got lost in thought… What were you saying?” 

“I was talking about Tidus!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “How lucky can he get? I mean, how many people’s soulmates are pop stars? He heard his soulmate song on the radio, and whadaya know, his soulmate is that up-and-coming popstar, Yuna. I would kill for it to be that easy for me!” Selphie complained, pushing her fist into her cheek once she finished venting. Kairi chuckled, walking over to join her friend in the wooden chair. She picked up one of the petit fours sitting in the middle of the table and brought it to her mouth to take a small bite of the rich, sweet cake before answering. 

“I’m sure you’ll find your soulmate soon, Selphie. It happens every day.” 

“Yeah, well, I wish it would happen to-day,” her friend sniffed disdainfully, and Kairi chuckled again. She certainly shared Selphie’s sentiments, but it was amusing how enthusiastically her friend was willing to complain about it. She continued to munch on the petit fours while her friend lamented her loveless woes, but all the while, her heart yearned to gaze upon the ocean. She knew not why it called her so; sometimes, she wondered if the ocean was her soulmate, with how much she stared at it. 

Of course, that would be silly. Nonetheless, she was drawn to it, day after day after day. 

It was the next morning when Kairi found out why. 

She just stood there gaping, still holding the long hem of her sundress bunched up in one hand in preparation to step into the swirling surf. The wind ruffled her hair, the fabric of her dress, her short auburn hair— and the few spikes of dry brown hair of the man who lay face-up on the beach, half-in and half-out of the water with seaweed still clinging to the drenched fabric of his sailor’s uniform. It took Kairi a few precious seconds to realize that it was in fact a person lying there, and when she did, she scrambled across the sand with a startled gasp. She fell on her knees beside him, hands fluttering over his chest, and she was relieved to find both a steady heartbeat and a pattern of breathing. 

“Oh, I am so glad you’re not drowned,” Kairi sighed with a smile, though he was totally unconscious and couldn’t hear her. She reached up to place her hand on his clammy cheek, and though it was pale and cold and wet with seawater, she still fancied the softness of his skin. He just continued to sleep on, serene aside from the way his hair and clothes clung to his body. “Where did you come from?” she murmured. 

And why did the sea bring you to me?

Kairi managed to haul him up to her house, though she dragged in half the beach with her. She brushed as much of the sand from his back as she could before she lowered him onto the couch, then tore across the house gathering every blanket she could. Once she had cocooned him up nice and warm, she called the nearby doctor. While she waited, she swept all the sand back out of the house, though she was certain she would find grains of it for years to come. That was okay; each one would be a strange little reminder of the strange man on the beach, the strange call of destiny. 

The doctor assured him that he only had a mild fever, and with proper care, it should break by the morning. Kairi dutifully remained by his side through the highs and lows, whispering to him through his shaking and sweating fits and dozing in the sparse hours he slept peacefully. By the time the dawn broke, her eyes were droopy and laced with exhaustion and her hair a bit frazzled, but he’d been fever-free for four hours. 

Just a quick nap, she told herself while her eyes drifted shut. She descended into the gray-black haze of sleep. In the void, she heard the tune of her soulmate song, the gentle chiming of piano keys that always lulled her into a sense of peace. 

“Where… Where am I?” 

She jolted awake to see him staring tiredly up at the ceiling, blue eyes hazy with post-fever confusion. The sun was spilling brightly into the room now; her quick nap had actually been a few hours. She hurriedly leaned forward to pat the blankets over his chest, pulling his muddled gaze to her. She couldn’t help but blush at the way his eyes brightened just a little. 

“You’re all right. You’re on Destiny Islands. You washed up on the beach and have been very sick for the past day,” she explained, laying the back of her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. He blinked blearily at her, taking a few minutes to process what she’d just told him. 

“You… You saved me?” he rasped. Kairi nodded, then got up to grab a cold glass of water for him from the kitchen. She coaxed him to drink, and he greedily sucked down a total of three glasses before he finally collapsed back against the throw pillow with a sigh. “Thank you… My name is Sora.” 

“I’m Kairi. Do you need anything, Sora? Would you like more water, or…?” Her voice faltered as he smiled sweetly at her, and her heart thumped against her ribcage. 

“No… If you’d sit and talk with me a while, that would be good enough.” 

So they sat and talked for a while. Sora told her that he was a sailor traveling the world to explore different sights and cultures with his friends. They had run afoul of a thunderstorm, and in trying to save the ship from floundering, he’d been thrown overboard. He managed to cling to a barrel, but he’d lost consciousness within the shallows— thankfully, the sea had been merciful and brought him ashore. 

As his strength returned, he told her so many things about what he’d seen in his travels— snowy mountain peaks that pierced the sky, deserts that stretched to the horizon, jungles with a thousand creatures and torrential rains— and the people. He loved talking about all the amazing people he’d come across. He spoke of a shaman who’d performed ritual dances, of a princess who hunted with hawks, of a circus performer who did death-defying stunts with fire, of a world-renowned artist who painted the most gorgeous landscapes. Kairi hung onto his every word, drinking in all the things he’d experienced like it could make up for the fact that all she’d ever been was this sleepy house on the sea.

“Your life sounds so amazing, Sora,” she sighed, relaxing into the coffee table once he’d finished telling his latest story. He was sitting up now, the blankets loosely wrapped around him and a warm mug of tea in his hands. 

“Yeah, I’d consider myself pretty lucky,” he nodded and then sipped at his tea. “But to be honest, I think it’s just to make up for the one thing I’m missing.” 

“Missing?” she echoed, and he gave her a sheepish look. 

“My soulmate, you know? I’m sure you’ve felt it too… Like there’s a void in your soul that you can never fill.” Oh, Kairi had felt it. She felt it every day when she sang to the sea, begging the winds to carry her melody across the oceans to her special someone. She nodded sagely, but she didn’t realize she’d started crying until the tears dripped down onto her face. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Sora chuckled apologetically and reached out to gently thumb them away. She found herself leaning a little into the caresses, savoring the calloused pad of his finger. 

“It’s all right…” she murmured once he sat back. “I guess it’s just because I don’t have something to fill the void.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah… I just sit here waiting. It’s kind of depressing, now that I realize it,” she said with an embarrassed look. How pathetic could she be? Just waiting day after day instead of doing something amazing like Sora. 

Frowning, Sora set the mug down and took her hands. He rubbed gentle circles over her palms as he looked into her eyes. 

“I don’t think it’s depressing at all. Everybody deals with it differently. I think that makes you a really strong person, to have faith day after day that your soulmate will come to you.” He said it with such a serious and passionate look that it was so easy to believe him, or maybe it was just that Kairi didn’t want to face the reality that it was just a sad way to live. She leaned in, too distraught to consider how close their faces were, to whimper, “Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” he smiled sweetly, and he discarded one of her hands to reach up and pet her cheek. Her heart thumped in her chest again. Oh, this wasn’t good. This was getting dangerous, having feelings for a man she just met and who probably wasn’t her soulmate— but why did it feel so right? 

“In fact…” he said, his smile suddenly taking on a hint of cheekiness, “I think that day will come sooner than you think.” Kairi’s eyes widened, having the strange feeling that his words were more than just reassurance. She blushed as he leaned a little closer, close enough for their noses to brush. “You sing in your sleep, you know,” he revealed, and Kairi’s nerves sang as his breath ghosted over her face. 

And then he started humming, and Kairi felt like the world stopped around her, because that was her song, the song she’d sung to the waves every day of her life, and Sora was caressing her cheek, and it was her song.

She started crying again, and Sora laughed quietly, tilting his head to nose at the junction of her jaw and face. She couldn’t help but laugh, too, laugh at the silliness of crying with joy but she couldn’t help it. 

“I’m a pretty bad soulmate,” he joked, “because all I seem to be able to do is make you cry.” 

“Yeah,” she giggled while she tried to wipe her tears away but more dripped down from her eyes to replace them. “What’s up with that?” 

“Sorry,” he laughed and leaned in to press his forehead against hers. Surely it was the sea that brought him, she thought, as she gazed into the oceanic blues of his eyes. That was why the sea had called her so. And he tasted like the sea, too, when he leaned in to kiss her, like salt and ocean breeze and endless possibilities. He held her like the most precious treasure as he kissed her once, twice, three times, and then he pulled away to smile, and then he was kissing her again because he couldn’t get enough. Kairi couldn’t get enough of him either, savoring the feeling of his slightly chapped lips moving over her own. It was perfect, everything she’d dreamed of, and for the first time in her life she finally felt whole. 

After that, she and Sora went down to the sea together, hand-in-hand. Kairi didn’t sing to the waves that day. She didn’t have to now; her heart sung to Sora’s, and Sora’s to hers, and it was a harmony that only they could hear and know.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

[chibi-mushroom]

Hey everyone! Finally get to post my piece for the memory of promises zine! check out the link here if you want to grab one of your own copies in the leftover sale! I was so happy to be able to join in on this zine, and I hope you guys enjoy all the work that went into it! (Also keep in mind this was written before MoM.)

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Namine rubbed her temples and looked at the clock. Midnight already. DiZ was not going to like this. The next time he came into the white room would bring on some lecture or punishment of some kind. She had been working furiously all afternoon trying to get past this one section of memory, but there was something that was keeping her back. Her pulse began to race. She was feeling sick. The door to the white room opened and with a squeak, Namine ducked under the table, fearing the familiar stride of the man in red.

"It's okay, it's just me. You can come out now." A soft voice sounded in her ears. "You're safe. DiZ said he needed to run an errand and wouldn't be back for a couple of days."

Slowly looking up, Namine could see the outstretched hand of the only comfort she had in this lonely place. "Riku. You're back."

She took his offering and stood up. He hadn't let go of her hand just yet, blindfold still covering those beautiful blue green eyes he had. She was glad it stopped him from seeing things like her girlish blush. He was only offering his hand as a friend. Besides, it was wrong for her to want to be with him- nobodies weren't supposed to feel anything. So why did she?

"You're shaking." Riku stated simply. "Have you eaten anything today?"

So he could even feel the slight tremor in her hands. "No, not exactly."

"Do you want me to get something for you? I think there are some leftovers in the fridge."

"No, I'm alright. I have to get back to work." Namine tried to take her hand from his, but he held onto it all the tighter, leaning down a little to be at eye level with her. 

"You were working when I left, and I can tell you haven't gotten any sleep. How are you expecting to take care of Sora when you can't take care of yourself?"

Right. Namine thought. He's just like DiZ. All he cares about is getting Sora restored. You're just a tool.

Still, she couldn't help but notice the way her breath caught in her throat as his blinded eyes sunk to meet her tired ones. Maybe she should take a small break. All of this stress was making her read too much into small gestures.

Namine simply nodded, and Riku left to warm her up some food. Sensing that going back to Sora's memories would be futile, she grabbed her sketch pad and turned it to the very last page. This was her secret page, covered in things she thought about. Mindless doodles she drew when she was waiting for the computer to check on Sora’s physical well-being.

The sketch pad was not necessary for her magic to work. She could rearrange memories- crush the hearts of her poor unsuspecting victims- without it. She used it though to help her concentrate. By visualizing the memories, she was able to make a more convincing edit or capture the feelings that were hiding beneath the surface. So many times she had drawn Sora, Riku and Kairi together. And sure there were strong feelings of both love and jealousy, but had she not had her sketch pad, she might have missed Sora's emotions of gratitude for two stalwart best friends, confusion about school topics they had recently studied, and hope that Kairi would want to go with him to the first school dance, even though he knew they would just go together and bail early to hang out on the play island like they always did whenever the school had some social.

"Here you go. It's nothing special, but it's better than nothing." Riku interrupted her thoughts with a plate of food.

With a gasp, Namine hurried to cover her sketch pad. Even though she knew he couldn't see it, he moved so gracefully that she sometimes wondered if he really was blind. Although those first couple of days made the mansion quite a bit louder with his cries of annoyance as he bumped into furniture. He even fell into the secret compartment that hid the computer lab, but luckily managed to land safely.

"Drawing something you don't want anyone to see?" Riku smirked. 

"No!" Namine replied a bit sharper than she thought. "Maybe."

Riku laughed as he set their plates down and pulled a chair over. "I'm only kidding. You don't have to be working on Sora nonstop. If you want to take a moment for yourself, then do it."

"No, I need to be working on Sora. It was my fault he's like this in the first place. I want to keep my promise." Namine picked up the white plastic fork. For once would it hurt to have some color around here?

With a sigh, Riku held his hand out for her to hold. "We've been over this, Nam. What happened wasn't your fault. You were being used." Softly Riku muttered "you still are."

Namine looked at him for a moment and then looked down at her food. She picked at it for a few moments before softly sliding her hand in his and taking a couple of bites. She ate in a comfortable silence, simply feeling the pressure that came from the gentle touch. This sort of thing wasn't unusual for them. They could usually be found in silence with their hands connected. But the mountain of pressure from the recent block in memories and lack of self care was threatening to squish Namine with its enormous weight.

"How's the restoration going?" Riku asked.

Namine's stomach began to twist around itself. "I'm….not sure." 

Riku squeezed her hand, urging her to explain. Namine sighed, unsure of how to continue. Would he get mad if she told the truth? He had slowly been becoming more like DiZ, after all. He used to be there with her when she was getting told off. These days, Riku was never usually in the white room for more than five minutes unless it was late at night.

"You remember what Sora's mom used to tell him all the time, right?"  Riku recalled.

"Never talk to strangers on the play island?"

Riku chuckled, remembering a secret promise. "A problem shared is a problem halved. If you tell me, it might relieve some of the pressure on you."

There was no avoiding it, not as long as he held her hand. 

 "It's just that, well-" Namine fumbled for the words. "There's been a bit of a roadblock. I've been doing my best to sort it out, tracing the connections, but it's like the memories slip away as soon as I think I have a grasp on them. I may have gone through half a notebook trying to find a solid piece."

There was a pause, as if Riku were considering what to say. 

"I'll go get you a new notebook tomorrow, then. As for the memories, we'll get it figured out. You need to take a break, anyway."

"No!" Namine swallowed back further emotion. Maybe she really did need some sleep. She was being more irrational than she expected. "No, it's fine. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong."

"Don't say stuff like that. If there's anyone who can make this situation right, it's you. Please, just take a few hours to rest tomorrow, okay?" Riku squeezed her hand again.

"I don't really have a choice here, do I?" Namine sighed.

"You always have a choice. I'm just asking you as someone who cares a lot about you."

Someone who cares? Namine thought. She slowly nodded in reply. Maybe a break was exactly what she needed.

"Thank you, Riku."

One Year Later

Again Riku tried to beat Marluxia, and again he was defeated. He only had this last battle to finish, having started against the organization members he recognized or had personally fought against. Which, admittedly wasn't many, but after several attempts, he was down to the last. It frustrated him that he still wasn't quite used to the keyboard controls, and Sora's moves were much less based in strength and relied much more on magic. Riku had never been very good with magic, focusing on perfecting his cure and dark firaga spells instead of learning the large array of magic that his friends had mastered. 

Some keyblade master I turned out to be. Riku thought, sitting back in his seat and folding his arms. I can't even stop my two best friends from leaving me again. This is just like back then…

His mind began to drift away with thoughts of Castle Oblivion and Twilight Town. He heard the door open and gentle footsteps move toward him.

"Hey Aerith. We can work on that scarf in a minute. I have to get some more ethers for data Sora first."

"I take it the fight didn't go well then?" A soft voice walked closer.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. Not Aerith. 

"Hey Namine. How could you tell?"

Namine placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "You're really tense. Besides, I could feel your frustration from a block away."

What anger and annoyance had once plagued Riku's mind had since washed away. All he could register was how reassuring Namine's hand on his shoulder felt. She smelled nice, too. A faint blush warmed his cheeks. Ever since Kairi had insisted on going to sleep and Terra had left for the dark realm with Aqua and Ven, Namine was the only person Riku shared everything with. She had heard him vent several times, and she had been helping Aerith teach him how to knit. It was her delicate fingers that had lead him through the steps of a cable.

"I guess I need a little bit of a break." Riku said with a sigh. "Wanna go get some ice cream or something?"

"Sure." Namine smiled, stepping back so he could get up and stretch. They began to talk as they walked to their usual ice cream shop. 

Since Scrooge, Huey and Dewey had returned home, the ice cream shop had been manned by one of the local citizens. He usually gave Riku a discount, so Riku usually put some munny in the tip jar. It had become routine over the past year to go whenever Namine came to visit from Twilight Town.

"How is everything going with Roxas and Xion?" Riku asked, sitting down and unwrapping his fruit bar.

"Slow." Namine replied, taking a small lick from her chocolate cherry ice cream cone. She wanted to try all of the flavors, and this was the last one. "Not too bad, but I think I preferred the strawberry cheesecake the best."

"That was a flavor Kairi always liked." Riku smiled softly. 

When he saw the way Namine looked for just the hair of a second, he realized that was probably the wrong thing to say. He inwardly cursed himself and his inability to be the suave guy all the girls had thought he was growing up. Kairi and Namine didn't get much of a chance to talk after she got her replica body, as Kairi had almost immediately asked to be put under. Riku wondered what it was like living inside a heart of pure light. Just like Castle Oblivion, she didn't talk about it much.

"We should get some for her when she wakes up." Namine continued to eat her cone. There was an uncomfortable silence for just a moment before Namine spoke up again. "Who were you fighting when I came in?"

"Marluxia. He was the head of the castle, right?"

Namine nodded.

"I never really got to meet him as I was down in the basement back then. I'm sorry you had to deal with a guy like him."

"It's alright. I...had some support. There was Sora and Donald and Goofy. And despite everything I did to him, there was your replica, too." Namine spoke slowly, choosing her words with care. "But don't feel bad. He made his decisions, like everyone else."

This time, it was Riku's turn to nod in agreement, taking a bite from his treat.

"After the data battles are all said and done, what happens next?" Namine asked softly.

"I...don't know. All I know is that I've been having these weird dreams lately."

"I wondered. You look tired." Namine grabbed on to Riku's hand, intertwining their fingers.

Maybe it was a reflex, maybe it was a force of habit, like how they used to sit back in the old mansion. Either way, the touch on its own was enough to pull Riku away from the dark thoughts that usually sat at the horizon of his mind. He squeezed her hand in response.

"Don't hesitate to call me if you ever need someone to talk to. I miss our little midnight chats." Namine admitted.

"I do too." Riku smiled softly. "They really helped clear my mind back then."

"A problem shared is a problem halved, remember?" Namine was glad she could actually see his eyes as she recalled back to his words that helped her through her time at the old mansion. "Care to share anything?"

Riku paused. He sighed before starting to speak. After he told her of the recurring dream he'd been having with the buildings and the feeling of being watched, he also admitted to the weight that had been pinned on his shoulders. 

"I know it might sound silly, but I can't help but wonder if these dreams are connected to Sora somehow. I just wish I could understand it more." Riku finished his bar and set the popsicle stick on the bench beside him.

Namine had just finished her ice cream as well, wiping her face with the napkin. "Maybe it's time you take another journey."

"With the data battle still to fight and Kairi still asleep? I can't leave now."

"Maybe not now, but after the last battle is won." Namine gently pulled his hand close to her and began massaging it. "But that means I can't follow you. Will you be alright on your own? Maybe you can check Kairi's dreams."

"I...don't know. I haven't used my dream eater powers in a long time and the process is still kind of fuzzy for me." He could feel his muscles relax as she worked at his weary hand.

Doubt was rising in his chest. Maybe she was right. Who was he kidding? He wasn't ready for this kind of thing. He wasn't like Sora or Kairi who could follow their hearts at a moment's notice. He couldn't always feel the way it was trying to lead him.

But as he saw Namine patiently working on his hands, the stiff muscles being brought to relax against her fingers, a light shone through the storm of his doubt. How he hadn't realized it before was a mystery. Ever since they had met, she had been the light in the dark, just as he had provided shade for her in the brightest situations. As she finished the massage, she tenderly squeezed his hands, reassuring him that she was there and willing to help. Surely that was love.

He felt love for her, no question. But with Sora and Kairi gone and asleep, there never seemed to be a good moment to tell her what his heart really wanted to say. 

"We...we should be getting back." Namine sighed. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"No, but then, I'm not really all that sure of anything anymore."

"If there's anything I know, it's that things will get better. We'll find Sora. I don't know how or when, but we will." Namine took his hand again, standing before him.

Namine took a quick breath and then leaned over, placing a quick kiss atop his head. Ordinarily, she wouldn't be able to reach, but since he was sitting down, she could offer a small token of her affection and confidence in his abilities.

She and Riku's faces filled with blush, although a smile tugged at her lips. Namine didn't have enough courage to kiss him on the lips like she had wanted to for so long, but this was safe. He couldn't spurn her for a harmless kiss to the head. After all, what was some reassurance between friends?

"Thank you, Namine." Riku had a hard time looking at this angel of a woman without his heartbeat increasing.

To think she was willing to be by his side after all this. He decided there and then that he would listen to his heart and tell her of his feelings...after they set everything right. Once Sora and Kairi were home and together, then they could sort out their own relationship. It would give him yet another reason to bring his best friend home. 

He could still feel the kiss on his forehead, and it brought a genuine smile to his face. He stood up and began walking away from Merlin's house.

"Don't feel like you have to stop working on the data battles on my account. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright." Namine stopped for a second.

"We can get back to those soon enough. I need a little longer before I get back into it." He took his trash and threw it into a nearby can. "There are some fountains that are really pretty this time of day nearby if you want to check them out with me."

A smile formed on Namine's lips. "I'd love to, Riku."

[phoenix-downer]

Autumn Mending Chapter 3: Firelight Confessions

~1650 words. Romance, Angst, Pining, Mutual Pining, Fluff, Comfort, Healing, Making Up. For SoKai Day 2021.

Sequel to Kisses and Lies because I couldn’t just leave Sora and Kairi hanging, now could I?

Happy SoKai Day!

Summary: Sora and Kairi are still broken up, but with the help of old friends and Twilight Town’s fall festival, the spark between them just might be rekindled.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Sora felt lightheaded from the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside his heart. So much had happened today. Kairi had shown up here on Twilight Town and had apologized for breaking up with him. Was it possible she still loved him? That she still cared? 

The way he kept catching her looking at him sure made it seem like she did. And now this hayride. He didn’t want it to be over. He wanted her to be snuggled up next to him, holding his hand, for the rest of his life. 

But while his heart and body cried out for joy and begged him to be closer to the one he loved, his brain was yelling at him to put on the brakes, to slow down, to be cautious. What about that guy he’d seen her with? What about the past year and a half of anguish and torment? Could all of that really be forgotten in a single day? 

He wanted to forget. He wanted to put it all behind them. He wanted to forgive and move on and mend things with her. Even if it meant risking getting hurt again. The chance of being with her for good was worth it.

So all that kept his mind occupied to the point he was barely listening to the ghost stories. Before he knew it, the hayride was over and it was time to pile out of the wagon. A pang went through him when Kairi had to let go of his hand, and he wondered if she was as starved for his touch as he was for hers.

Hopefully they’d get to talk about it soon. Hayner, Pence, and Olette had rented one of the campfires nearby for the evening, and that was enough to temporarily distract him. Their little group spent the next couple of hours hanging out, cooking hot dogs and roasting apples and making s’mores. Sora loved sitting by the crackling campfire and spending time with his friends, but as the minutes ticked by, his eyes kept wandering to Kairi. She was seated across from him, and she looked really beautiful in the flickering firelight. Their eyes met, and she smiled and looked at him the way she always used to look at him. 

“Oh gosh, I almost forgot!” Olette said, clasping her hands together. “Our pumpkins! We should grab them so we can light the tea candles in them.” She stood and stretched. “Hayner, Pence, come with me so we can grab everyone’s pumpkins and bring them back.” 

Hayner and Pence finally got the hint and followed after Olette, leaving Sora and Kairi alone. He stood under the pretense of roasting another marshmallow, but really, he just wanted an excuse to sit next to her. He loved being close to her, and her natural scent mingled with the campfire’s smell in a way that reminded him of all the times they’d gone camping as kids back home. 

“The embers are best here,” he said to explain his sudden change in position, and she smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Oh are they now.” 

“Yeah.” A few seconds passed, and he added, “Listen, Kairi, about earlier—”

“I’m still in love with you,” she blurted out, and he dropped the marshmallow and stake into the fire. Didn’t even care about them anymore. Something far more important was at stake here. 

“But—I saw you, with that guy—It’s why I left again—”

Kairi shook her head, and her eyes watered. “After our mission, I was hoping you and I could work things out, but I felt like you were avoiding me. I figured you didn’t love me anymore, and I couldn’t blame you. So when that guy asked me out, I thought, why not give it a shot. Why not try to move on and give you your space. But then he tried to kiss me, and I just… I couldn’t.” Her voice broke and she was crying in earnest now. “All I could think about was you,” she sobbed. “How badly you’d be hurt if you knew. How wonderful it feels when you kiss me. And I knew I was still in love with you. I knew my heart would always be yours. I knew it was pointless to try to move on.” 

Sora stared at her, his heart pounding in his chest. Kairi still loved him? Kairi still wanted to be with him? That guy he saw her with was nothing more than a quick fling that made her realize the one she truly wanted to be with was him? 

She wiped her teary eyes. “Say something, please.” 

He gently caught her hand and tugged it away from her face. She searched his eyes, and he smiled and cupped her cheek. 

“I love you too, Kairi,” he said, softly, tenderly, then brought his lips to hers. He kissed her with all the pain and homesickness he’d felt the past year and a half, all the pining and aching and longing, hoping she’d realize just how much he wanted this, how much he wanted her. And she kissed him back, so unguarded and wild and joyful that his pain started to fade away. What had happened couldn’t be undone, but it could be mended and healed, could be turned into something beautiful and good, could become another part of their love story. 

When it was over, he wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. She leaned against his heart and gently touched where his scar was hidden under several layers of clothes. She knew it so well that she didn’t even have to look to know where it was. And he didn’t have to look to know where Xehanort had struck her down either; his hands had held the very spot countless times before and remembered exactly how to comfort her.

“I love you,” he said, his voice full of emotion. 

“I love you too.”  

He kissed her head and stroked her hair. “I’m gonna make you a new promise,” he said. “You mean everything to me, and I want to settle down with you, get married, start a family. The past several years, I’ve been saving up munny so we can do just that. Maybe we should go to college first though, that would probably be good. We’ve gotta provide for our family and for each other somehow. And I know it’ll be an adjustment for me. I’m not naive enough to think it won’t be. But you’re more than worth it.”

She sniffled and clutched his hoodie. “I’m sorry for doubting you.” 

“It’s okay. You had a lot of reasons to be concerned. I’ve left you behind too many times before.” 

“But you always come back to me,” she said as she looked up and searched his eyes. 

“That’s right. I made you a promise, to always return.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out her lucky charm. 

She teared up again and curled his fingers around it. “Keep it till we get home. For good, I mean. Then, and only then, will I take it back.” 

“Deal.” 

He tucked it back into his pocket and held her and kissed her and comforted her. He shared his hoodie with her too because even with the campfire nearby, she was getting a little cold. Plus it was just nice to be this close to her. He’d missed her, so much. And something about the fire was cozy and calming and enchanting. He could hold her like this and stare into it forever. 

Well, until Hayner, Pence, and Olette returned with the pumpkins. They had big smiles on their faces, and Olette told them to close their eyes. Sora heard the lighter flicking a couple of times as their friends lit the pumpkins, and then when he and Kairi opened their eyes, he could see why Olette had wanted this to be a big surprise. 

Kairi had carved the same drawing of him that she’d drawn in the Secret Place when they were kids, complete with the paopu fruit she’d added to it years later. It matched perfectly with his pumpkin because he’d carved the drawing he’d made of her with the paopu fruit too. A big smile lit up her face as she saw the two pumpkins side-by-side, and he grinned and kissed her cheek, only for her to kiss him properly on the lips. There was much whooping and hollering from Hayner, Pence, and Olette, much to he and Kairi’s amusement. 

“Operation-get-the-lovebirds-back-together is a success!” Hayner crowed, high-fiving Pence. 

Sora raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you guys planned this?” 

“Maybe,” Olette said with a teasing lilt to her voice, and Hayner and Pence both had triumphant smirks on their faces. 

“I can believe you did,” Sora said to Olette, “but these two interrupted Kairi and I so much tonight I was convinced they were trying to keep us apart,” he finished, jabbing his finger at Hayner and Pence.

“Reverse psychology, it works wonders,” Pence said. “We figured it would get you more desperate to talk to each other.” 

“I guess it worked then,” Sora said wryly. “Because as great as that hayride was, it was not worth all the interruptions.” 

Hayner, Pence, and Olette laughed, and Kairi giggled and nuzzled his cheek. Sora soon joined in with the merriment. He couldn’t hold the scheming against his friends, especially because it had worked. He and Kairi were together again, and while it would take time to mend all the hurt between them and forge a path forward, he knew they would. Tonight was a good start, and he was determined to make this work and so was she. 

When their eyes met, he knew something else, too. He loved her and she loved him, and that was more than enough for them to make their own storybook ending and happily-ever-after.

~~~

A/N: Last year I wrote nine kiss prompts for SoKai based on this list, and I wanted to write one more to hit ten, so, this story fits... 

11. ...in joy, 

30. ...as comfort, and 

50. ...out of love.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

[spir1tfar3r]

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧: 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

prompt: “You made me a better person. Thank you.” from @/v4lentiines prompt list 1

『 summary: Kenma wasn’t only thankful to Kuroo by the time they were finished with the game against Karasuno. 』

warning(s): there are spoilers for the Nekoma vs Karasuno game. It’s also unedited because I don’t want to bother Katie. And my writing is shit so I’m sorry <//3

words: 862

book eighteen of kairi’s library event

special tag: @kenkodzu

You couldn’t help but feel nervous when you took a glance at the score. It was currently 24 to 21, Nekoma on the losing side. Lev had thankfully blocked Hinata’s spike but your gut told you that it wouldn’t matter. As the game continued, Alisa gently took your hand, worried about what was going to happen. Soon, Kenma was able to set but the ball slipped out of his hands. You froze, stealing a glance at Kuroo who was standing off to the side. He didn’t have much of a reaction until the ball had dropped which ultimately resulted in him flopping onto his back.

You watched as your boyfriend sat on the floor and then lay back. You were a little sad, if you were being honest. The reality of not seeing the third years much longer, hitting you sooner than you had expected. “Hey, want to head down? I’m sure Kenma would like to see you.” Alisa asked, giving you a smile that looked a bit forced. You nod, a little worried that you’d get in trouble but Akane pushed you nearly all the way down. You were sure that you’d end up heading right back up but at least you’d be able to see Kenma and the guys a bit sooner than they had.

By the time you had gotten down to them and waited for them to come off court, you caught the end of the conversation your boyfriend had with his best friend. “Thank you, for getting me into volleyball.” Nearly every member paused and looked at the two, wondering if they heard correctly.

“Uh… sure.” Was all Kuroo could think of as he watched Kenma get up and begin heading away. Suddenly realizing what he said, he looked down, probably to stop himself from crying as he spoke up. “Wait wait wait, just a mo— you idiot!”

“Huh? What are you getting so worked up over?” You couldn’t help but laugh along with Kai and Yaku. Upon hearing your laughter, Kenma stole a glance your way, smiling whenever he saw you. Before you had the chance to meet his eyes, he looked away and got ready to line up with the rest of the team. You patiently waited as he and the others shook hands and hugged the Karasuno team.

“Hey, you did really well. I’m proud of you.” Kenma didn’t reply, opting to hug you gently and rest his forehead on your shoulder. It only took him a moment before he felt you hug back and pull him closer to you. You felt a little bad for him, figuring that he’d get sick from how far he pushed himself today but that was something to deal with for another day.

“I’m going to go change and stuff if you want to go sit down. I’ll tell Kuro that I’ll be sitting with you so he won’t wonder where I’m at.” He mumbled almost unintelligibly. You nod, pulling away but he kept his hold on you for a minute longer before he let you go and left.

Eventually he made his way to where you were sitting and watching the Fukurodani game. You gave him a small smile as he sat down and rested his head into your shoulder, burnt out from the game prior. You both sat in a rather comfortable silence, a bit thankful that you two could watch the game and enjoy each other’s company rather than feeling awkward and like you had to talk. It was broken, however, when you heard your boyfriend’s voice “Y/n?”

“Hm?” Placing your head into his, you listened to him talk.

“I know I’m probably not very great at being a boyfriend and everything but—” he paused when he noticed that you were about to speak up. He rolled his eyes and gently placed his hand on your mouth so you wouldn’t interrupt him. “Please don’t interrupt me. I’m already having a hard time doing this as it is. Anyways, I just wanted to say that I’m really happy that I have you in my life and I’m glad that I haven’t pushed you away like I thought I would. Um... this next part is kind of cheesy but you made me a better person. Thank you.”

It took a lot to get Kenma to be open with you, knowing he’s more closed off than he first appears. But even after the countless days where it may seem like you two weren’t appearing as happy as you were, you were glad that you were patient with him. Something he’s always been thankful for. You couldn’t help the smile and blush that found their home on your face. Leaning down slightly, you met Kenma for a short but sweet kiss.

“You’ve made me a better person too, Kenma. I’m glad you’re in my life even though you can be a bit of a jerk” you said teasingly and he rolled his eyes before focusing back on the game. Only a second passed before you heard a quiet ‘love you’ come from him. Slightly shaking your head, you took his hand, intertwining your fingers together. “Love you too.”

[kessielrg]

[Kingdom Hearts] Commission Please!

Summary: In which concentrated bits of chaos meet a shy artist. Dedicated to @chibi-mushroom, my Namine-sensei and to whom I’m converting in to a bunny child appreciator. xD

Rating: K

Word Count: 2,210 words

If you liked this story, please reblog!

---

There was always something interesting happening in Disney Town. The colors, the sounds, the smells- it was nearly overwhelming as Namine breathed it all in. The atmosphere of the place always seemed to knock Namine slightly off guard every time she set foot in it. Disney Town was a very alive world, and all the experiences with it flowed through effortlessly. She was always so amazed that every day was different than the last- definitely a stark contrast to how she started out in the world. Today, Disney Town offered something new, something no one had seen before and was quite hard to ignore.

“Where on earth did all these bunny kids come from?!” Lea demanded once they entered town square. They were very hard to ignore. Every foot or so, there was at least one of the small, blue bunnies getting into some sort of trouble.

“Not sure,” Kairi said, just as a bunny kid hopped onto her head, bent down to look her in the eye, happily wave, then bound off of her head. She couldn’t hide her little giggle as she went on to add, “But they sure are cute.”

“Ri-ight.” Lea snorted. He looked down to see a bunny child at his feet. It stuck its tongue out at him before laughing rather maniacally. “They look about as cute as a wart on someone’s toe. Just as persistent too.”

“Lea!” Kairi admonished, gently smacking him with the back of her hand. The taller redhead did nothing to defend himself. Instead he gave them a charming little grin that feigned innocence.

Namine let out a little chuckle as well. Lea turned to her with the most hurt expression one could offer.

“Not you too, Namine!” he whined. “I thought we had amnesty once we became Somebodies. We’re good now!”

“Not when you’re still being cruel to innocent children.” Namine teased.

“I didn’t even touch them!”

Namine and Kairi looked at each other before dissolving into a round of giggles. Lea deflated, knowing that he was never going to win this argument. Their moment of fun was broken when a loud drum march started to play. The three looked up to find the source of the noise. Sure enough, there was a small group of bunny children with drums and leading a small parade filled with nothing but other blue bunny children. One of the bunnies in front was holding a banner reading ‘Lunch Time 4 Us!’ and waving it quite happily.

 In high, squeaky voices, the leading bunny children started to chant; 

“Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me!”

On cue, another round of tiny voices shouted as they joined the parade, “La-de-da la-de-da la-de-da-da-da!”

“Hey there, hi there, ho there! You’re as welcome as can be!”

“La-de-da la-de-da la-de-da-da-da!”

The chant continued as the parade marched their way through the square and into a cafe. 

“Well…” Kairi was the first to muse, “Guess we’re not going to eat in there.”

“Must be lunchtime.” Namine noted with a grin.

“Must be something.” Lea decided as he scratched the back of his head. All the while, the bunny children continued with their march.

“Uncle Mick!”

“Papa too!”

“Uncle Mick!”

“Papa too!”

“Forever let us hold our ice creams high!”

“High, high, high!”

“Come along and sing a song, and join the jamboree!”

“La-de-da la-de-da la-de-da-da-da!”

The bunny children holding up the rear, who hadn’t entered the cafe yet, let out a cheer before slamming the cafe door behind them. The square was suddenly rather quiet without them all making a ruckus.

“I, for one, am glad they’re gone for now.” Lea told the girls. “That is not a song I want to have memorized.”

Kairi gave Namine a wicked glance before turning back to Lea. She didn’t give any warning before she opened her mouth to sing, “Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me?”

Lea suddenly went pale. “Kairi, no!”

“Hey there, hi there, ho there!”

“Kairi! I’m warning you!”

“You’re as welcome as can be!”

“This is your last chance!”

“Come along and sing a song, and join the jamboree!”

“That’s it, get over here so I can teach you a lesson!” Lea hollered as he barrelled at Kairi. Kairi herself let out a little yelp before bolting away. She then let out a joyful laughter as Lea chased her around the square, and out to a different area. Namine considered following them, but decided it was best they get their energy out. There certainly wasn’t any shortage of it in this world.

Instead, Namine made herself comfortable at a nearby bench and simply relaxed. After being accustomed to the energy of the world again, she carefully pulled out her drawing pad, some colored pencils, and did one of the most relaxing hobbies she had yet to replace; drawing.

She started with the square itself. The bench she was on was facing a nice gazebo, which in turn was framed rather well by the entrance to Disney Castle behind it. She wondered for a moment if she had enough colors in her palette to capture the atmosphere just right. If not, maybe it was time to experiment with cross hatching. As she got into her familiar, comfortable groove, Namine started to hum a few bars of the bunny kid’s march. It was a pretty catchy tune. She’d have to ask Riku if he was familiar with it- he came around Disney Town often enough to visit the King, he must have heard it at least once.

Quite some time passed as she drew. Namine didn’t even notice when some of the bunny children started to file out of the cafe. A little pack of four started to play in the gazebo. It looked like a rather fun game of hide and seek. Namine didn’t realize that she had started to draw the bunny children playing until she had finished shading the first blue bunny. She blinked at her page with mild bewilderment. She had heard stories about ‘automatic writers’ and how they would write whole letters by hand while supposedly controlled by some outside force. She didn’t personally believe them until she saw the blue bunnies in her drawing. It was like she didn’t even recognize her own ability.

“Hey fellas!” a high pitched voice said from beside her, succeeding in scaring Namine nearly out of her wits. She quickly looked to her left and saw one of the bunny kids standing next to her. Namine flinched when it whistled to get the other two’s attention.

Its siblings (she assumed they were all siblings, at least) immediately stopped what they were doing. They took a glance at Namine, then at the bunny beside her, then started to bounce on over. They stopped at her feet. Namine was so bewildered at the past minute’s events that she had to take another moment to register what was going on.

“Oh! Hello there.” she finally greeted. “Would you like to see what I drew?”

All four bunny children nodded their heads- the one that had surprised Namine had gone down with the rest of its siblings. There was power in numbers, and she had a feeling those blue bunnies were well aware of it. Despite herself, Namine carefully turned her drawing around for them to see. Her work was immediately accepted with a round of ‘oh’s and ‘aww’s. It made her heart flutter with pride. She felt rather selfish when the four bunnies decided to just up and leave without another word. Namine sighed, hoping that they’d come back, before going back to finish up a few bits on the drawing.

Her wish was granted quite a few minutes after. Just as she was finishing up her drawing, the four bunny children from earlier were coming back to her. At least, she assumed they were the same as before- it was hard to tell when those blue bunnies all looked the same. Regardless, Namine greeted them all with a bright smile.

“Hello again,” she said, “How can I help you?”

The bunny children all stared at the one bunny standing in the back. It was bashfully hiding something as it stepped forward. The other bunnies let out a pleased ‘ta-da!’ while the bashful bunny presented Namine with a flower. It wasn’t anything too special, probably plucked from the caste gardens based on its hue.

“O-oh, thank you.” Namine stammered. “But I don’t need-”

She stopped dead in her tracks- the pitiful, pleading faces of the bunnies made it increasingly hard to say no. After a moment of mental wrestling, Namine offered a smile.

“It’s very lovely.” she said  as she carefully took the flower. “Thank you. I’ll use it as a commission.”

The bunny children suddenly perked up. A new word had been spoken to them- one that they could already tell held the promise for more lovely drawings. They looked back up at her expectantly. Namine didn’t think herself that good at charades, but she could almost gather what they wanted to ask her.

“A commission is when you give something to someone in return for their goods. In this case, the flower is your commission for me drawing your picture earlier. Do you understand now?”

The bunny children looked at each other for a moment. They seemed to have a moment of revelation before turning back to Namine with a wide grin. In unison, the bunnies happily nodded.

“That’s good.” Namine smiled, giving them a happy nod of her own back to them.

Giving a grin that seemed rather mischievous in hindsight, the blue bunny children bounded off in different directions to do whatever it was they planned on next. Namine wasn’t aware that she was going to be a part of this plan. Not yet. For now, she decided to put her drawing things away to go find Lea and Kairi. She hadn’t seen them since they ran out a good hour ago. Not that she expected anything bad to happen to them, but still. You never knew in their world.

Thankfully, both Kairi and Lea were safe when Namine found them. Apparently they had raced each other to the go-kart track, which then proceeded to be an even more heated race between them. Namine had caught them at the end of their sixth round.

“Who won?” Namine curiously asked.

“I did!” Kairi boasted at the same time Lea mumbled, “She did.”

Namine afforded a small laughter. With the three of them together again, they decided that it was likely time to get something to eat. On their way back to the square, a large hoard to bunny children came bounding to the trio. They bunnies were so packed together that it was just a sea of rippling blue. Not sure of what to do, or where the bunnies were even heading, Lea, Namine, and Kairi simply stopped in their tracks.

“I don’t like how they’re in a stampede.” Lea murmured to the girls. “Who do you think they’re going to terrorize? That’s a terrorizing formation if I’ve ever seen it.”

The girls just shrugged, but they got their answer soon enough. The hoard stopped right at Namine’s feet. A fact that didn’t surprise her nearly as much until a few started to stack on top of each other. They continued to stack until the bunny child on top was at about Namine’s eye level.

“Hi!” the top bunny child happily said, giving a wave so energetic that it made the tower wobble a bit. The bunny didn’t give anyone time to react before pulling out a picture of their own. It was rather crudely done, but it was still easy to depict a black cat with a pink shirt and matching little hat. Putting on a wide grin, the bunny child told Namine, “This is our mama.”

“We want to surprise her!” one of the bunny kids in the stack said.

“Please draw us for Mama.” another bunny said.

“Draw us for Mama! Draw us for Mama!” the rest of the hoard chanted.

For the longest time, Namine was speechless. When she did try to say something, it only came out in a strangled, “I…” as she looked to Kairi and Lea. They seemed just as overwhelmed as she was.

The bunny children must have been expecting this because a few others formed a second stack. This time, the bunny on top was holding a rather large sack that, when shook, sounded like munny twinkling inside.

“We’ll commission you.” the bunny at the top of the second stack grinned.

“It’s all our allowance!” the hoard cheered at once. “63,000 munny!”

Lea let out a low whistle. “That’s a LOT of Mega-Potions…”

Indeed it was, and it only caused more conflict inside Namine. Why was it so hard to say no to troublemakers when they were being so earnest? Maybe it’s because the bunny children were still just that- children. They weren’t perfect, but when they put their heart into something, it was all they desired. It was admirable. It was hard to say no to.

“Sure.” Namine then decided, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to take it back later. “Why not?”

The bunny children cheered.

[minijenn]

KH Comm # 3

Another writing comm! This one's for @rosie-drawss, who wanted a continuation of the Keys comm I did for them last time around (in which, tldr, Riku finds Sora and convinces him to come home early). You can read that right here if you're interested in getting a bit of background before diving into this one. Anyway enjoy this big ol bundle of hurt/comfort!

***

The Gummi Ship isn’t parked that far away. Yet despite keeping up a steady pace so far, as soon as he sees its familiar red and yellow hull, Sora slows to a stop, something that Riku notices almost immediately. He stops, turning back to check on him, only for Sora to surprisingly tell him what’s wrong, this time completely unprompted.

“I-I… I don’t think I’m ready for this,” he quietly admits, wrapping his arms around himself. “I lied to them and ran from them for so long, Riku, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say to any of them now, much less to Donald, or Goofy, or Kairi-”

“You don’t have to say anything, if you don’t want to,” Riku reassures him. He steps back over to him, gently taking one of his hands in his. After so many weeks on his own, Sora’s gotten used to living without much physical contact from others; but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t missed it, that he doesn’t selfishly cherish every second of it he’s getting now. “They all know, and they understand. And trust me when I tell you the only thing any of them wants, especially Kairi, is to see you come home safe and sound.”

“T-they’re not mad?” Sora asks, still uncertain.

“At you? No,” Riku shakes his head. His expression darkens a bit as he brushes a few of Sora’s now-white bangs out of his newly golden eyes. “At the one who’s doing all this to you? Well, let’s just say that if it's a war Xehanort wants, it's a war he’s going to get if that’s what it takes to set you free.”

Sora wants to argue at this, wants to insist that no one else should have to fight this battle for him, that he’s not even worth such a battle to begin with. But he’s far too tired to put up that kind of fight now, not when he knows it’ll do nothing to change Riku’s mind or anyone else’s for that matter.

So instead, he lets Riku take his hand, lets him lead him onward, lets him guide him to one of the vacant chairs in the ship’s cockpit. Surprisingly, they don’t lift off right away; instead, Riku briefly heads below deck before returning with a blanket and a small meal composed of a sandwich, an apple, and a water bottle.

“It’s gonna be a long ride back to the tower,” Riku says as he hands all those items over to Sora. “Might as well get comfortable.” He pauses, his face suddenly warm with embarrassment when he sees Sora staring at the meager portion of food sitting in his lap with a look of sheer disbelief. “Uh… sorry, it’s not much,” he clears his throat, glancing away. “It’s been a few days since I last stocked up on supplies and I, um, heard that if you’ve gone without food for awhile, it’s best not to go overboard with your first meal, so-”

“You’re kidding, right?” Sora cuts in, looking up at him with a grateful, incredulous smile. “This is more food than I’ve had in weeks, I-” He stops short when he notices Riku’s immediate alarm upon hearing something like this and as a result, he immediately backpedals on it. “I, uh… t-thank you,” his tone turns soft again, small, but he’s still smiling as he takes his first bite out of the sandwich.

“...Why haven’t you been eating?” Riku asks him, kneeling down beside his chair.

“Couldn’t afford to,” Sora admits somewhat sheepishly. “I don’t have any money, and… well, I found out pretty quickly that most people aren’t willing to give things out for free…”

Riku sighs, wishing that he’d found Sora so much sooner, wishing that he hadn’t had to struggle to simply survive for so long. “You haven’t been sleeping much either, have you?” he asks, noting the dark bags under his eyes.

Sora hesitantly shakes his head as he finishes the sandwich up just shy of starting on the apple. “I can’t…” he mutters tiredly.

“Why not?”

“Nightmares…” is all Sora says, and Riku immediately understands.

He stands, grabbing the blanket and lightly draping it over Sora as soon as he finishes off his small meal. “Get some sleep,” he instructs patiently. “You won’t have any more nightmares, not as long as you’re with me. I promise.”

Sora wants to question that promise, but he’s overtaken by an exhausted yawn instead. With even just a little food finally in his stomach, his eyes soon start to grow heavy, and before the ship is even off the ground, he’s fallen into a stupor. As he prepares for takeoff, Riku can sense the nightmares starting to assail him, can hear his soft, nervous whimpers piercing through the peace of the cockpit. But he’s having none of it. He closes his eyes, takes in a steady breath, and focuses his power into chasing those nightmares away before they can cause him any harm. The terrors Xehanort is trying to force upon him are unspeakable, vile visions of everything Sora’s come to fear and hate. Even the brief glimpses he gets before he destroys them from existence are enough to shake Riku to his very core, to get even just a small taste of the torture Sora’s been forced to go through, torture he’s done not a single thing to deserve in the slightest. And yet, for as much as it all horrifies him, it does something else too; it makes Riku want to put the twisted man responsible for it all through every bit of suffering he’s been shoving onto Sora. He won’t rest until he does.

Riku feels some measure of relief when he finally feels Sora fully fall asleep just as the ship’s engines quietly roar to life. He pulls the vessel into motion, gentle enough as to not wake him, and slowly guides it up into the atmosphere, out of a world in which, up until a few hours prior, Sora had been all but hopelessly lost within. As soon as the ship is steadily adrift between the stars, Riku briefly checks on him, unable to suppress a smile when he sees him curled up him his seat, his blanket tightly wrapped around him as he sleeps soundly, likely for the first time in a very long time.

That smile soon fades, however, when he pulls his Gummiphone out. He hasn’t spoken to any of the other lights in quite awhile, not since his search for Sora began. As their leader, he knows he’ll have a lot to answer for the impulsive haste of that search, and he’ll have much to say he’s sorry for, to Kairi above all the others. But now, he’s finally ready to face them, finally ready to return to them. Finally ready to bring the only one still missing among their number back to where he belongs.

He decides to message Kairi, knowing there’s too much to explain and that none of it should be done over the phone. Besides, he doesn’t want to risk waking Sora up with what would likely be a very emotional, very noisy call. So he sends something short off to her, a simple request without much elaboration at all. Mostly because he has a feeling she’ll understand exactly what he means.

“I’m sorry about what happened before, but I need a favor. Go to the islands and bring Himari back to the tower, please. And tell the others to get a room ready. I have him. We’re coming home.”

***

Sora’s still sleeping when they arrive at the tower. Riku doesn’t have the heart to rouse him, not when sleep is something he so sorely, visibly needs. So he decides to carry him, carefully lifting him from his seat with his blanket still draped over him. His heart flutters in his chest, his face warm as he secures Sora comfortably in his arms. He’s light, far lighter than he should be, likely because of his longstanding starvation, and as a result, he feels fragile, like he could break at any moment if not treated with the utmost care and caution. But even then, Riku isn’t so sure he hasn’t already been broken by fear, by pain, by loneliness, by so many other things he can’t even bring himself to think about.

He isn’t surprised to see Kairi pacing around right outside the tower, her expression torn between deep worry and rising hope. She’s the only one out there, and he’s glad for it; the last thing Sora needs is to be overwhelmed by too many people at once upon arrival.

“Riku!” she cries, running over to him the second she spots him. He’s quick to shush her as Sora lightly stirs in his arms, and she complies, her eyes wide when she sees him, a soft gasp escaping her when she takes in just how much he’s managed to change. “S-Sora…” she swallows hard, trying to fight back tears and failing miserably. “I-is… is he-”

“He’s just sleeping,” Riku assures her. “He… hasn’t been doing too well out on his own…”

“I can tell…” Kairi shudders, wiping a few of her stray tears away. She places a feather-light hand against the side of his face, whispering softly to him as he sleeps. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through… But it’s all gonna be ok now. You’re here, and so is everyone else. And we’re all gonna do whatever we can to stop this… to save you…”

While most of this goes largely unheard, Sora does ease his way back into some small semblance of waking after Kairi leans in to lightly kiss his forehead. His golden gaze is initially unfocused, his mind bleary and disoriented as unused to uninterrupted slumber as he’s come to be. Even so, he eventually manages to focus his sights on the pair hovering over him, all but unaware that he’s resting in the arms of one of them. “Mmm… Riku?” he says with a small, comforted smile. That comfort quickly shifts into startled alarm when he notices who else is standing alongside him. “K-Kairi! I-”

“Shh, it’s ok,” she places a soft finger against his lips, her own smile warm but bittersweet. “I’m so glad to see you, you lazy bum. To see both of you…” She turns her sights back to Riku, who returns her apologetic gaze every bit as intently. Whatever they might have said or done weeks before doesn’t matter now, not when they finally have the one who matters most to them both back. Not when he still needs both of them to be there for him so very much.

“Wait a second…” Sora starts, his cheeks flooding red when he tries to sit up, only to realize where he’s lying. Or rather, who’s arms he’s lying in. “R-Riku! Are you--why are you carrying me?!”

“W-well, you were sleeping,” Riku quickly explains, his own face turning a crimson shade to match Sora’s. “And I didn’t want to wake you, so I-”

He’s cut off as Kairi suddenly breaks down into a helpless bout of laughter, one that only serves to fluster both boys even more. “Good to know you’re both just as adorable as ever,” she chuckles, fixing them with a flirtatious smirk.

“Are not!” Sora argues, pouting as Riku carefully sets him down and helps him properly stand.

“I-I don’t know what you mean,” Riku refutes, clearing his throat as he looks away.

“Suuuure you don’t,” Kairi teases, though her tone takes a more serious turn as she begins leading the way toward the tower. “Well, come on you two. Everyone’s waiting.”

“E-everyone?” Sora tenses, at least until Riku’s steadying hand lands on his shoulder.

“It’s ok,” he says solemnly, sincerely. “We’re with you, no matter what happens.”

The most Sora can do is anxiously nod, knowing that there’s no going back now, not when he’s already come all this way. They approach the doors together, though they aren’t the ones to open them. Donald and Goofy are, and needless to say that as soon as they see Sora, they’re unable to contain the torrential tide of emotions that rushes to the surface. And neither can Sora himself, for that matter.

The pair pounces upon him, knocking him to the ground as they engulf him in a noisy, tearful hug. Sora struggles to work up the courage to hug them back, terrified of even touching them after how he’d hurt both of them before. That maddening moment seems to be the furthest thing from either of their minds now though, as they fret and fawn over him, as Donald scolds him for worrying them so much, as Goofy tells him how much they both missed him. It all comes out so rapidly that Sora is barely able to get a word in edgewise, not that he can think of much else to say other than sorry. Which he does, over and over and over again.

Roxas, Ventus, and Xion descend upon him next, each of them greeting him in more or less the exact ways he expected them to. Roxas is a mess of relieved anger, hot tears streaming down his cheeks as he yells at Sora for his recklessness, for his foolishness, for being so surprisingly hard to find. Sora doesn’t protest any of it, knowing he deserves far worse for what he’s done. But in the end, Roxas finally relents, finally embracing him as Ven and Xion do the same. As all three of the hearts once inside his own vow to do whatever they can to protect him even still, even now that they no longer have to call his heart home.

The others all soon follow, Aqua and Terra and Axel and Mickey and Naminé all warmly welcoming his long-awaited return. He does his best to face each of them in stride, to not fall apart in front of them all. He leans against Riku and Kairi for support, his head spinning as they all ask him an abundance of curious, concerned questions, many of which he has no real answers for. The pair can tell he’s starting to get overwhelmed by it all, and they’re more than ready to pull him aside for some of the solitude he’s likely much more used to now. But before they can, one voice among the group rises over all the others; a voice that sparks tears in Sora’s eyes the very second he hears her.

“S-Sora…?”

He turns, his heart aching to find her hurrying down the stairs into the foyer. Her eyes are already red from crying, tears already starting in them anew when he steps forward to meet her. He doesn’t know what to say, didn’t know she’d be here, never thought she even could be here. But he supposes it only makes sense that they’d bring her all this way to see him; after all, the world order can afford to be broken just a little if it means reuniting a worried mother with the son she’s so close to losing.

“Mom…” he returns as the entire room falls into solemn silence around them. “I… I’m-”

He doesn’t get a chance to finish when Himari throws her arms around him, pulling him close and tight toward her. “I-I… t-they just finished telling me what’s happening to you,” she whispers, running a hand through his whitened hair. “I didn’t think this--I… I should have never let you…” she breaks off into a mournful sob, holding him even tighter, terrified of what might happen if she lets him go. “I’m so sorry, Sora…”

“No,” he returns just as quietly, just as sadly as he pulls just a tiny bit away. “Don’t be. You have nothing to be sorry for. This isn’t your fault.” “It’s mine,” he nearly adds, but narrowly refrains. Even though he knows it's nothing less than the truth.

The round of reunions doesn’t continue very long after that. It’s already quite late, and everyone’s already very tired, so they decide to take tomorrow to form a more concrete plan of action. For now, everyone turns into their rooms for the night, with even Himari doing the same after spending a bit more time with her son, vowing to stay by his side through the duration of this situation, no matter how uncertain it might be.

Sora finds himself stunned when Riku and Kairi lead him into one of the tower’s spare rooms. He hasn’t slept in general for so long, much less in an actual bed. And the mere thought of getting to lie in one now almost seems like a luxury he shouldn’t be able to afford, yet here it is, offered freely just like the food he’d gotten earlier, just like the secure shelter now hanging over his head, just like the kind company he still can’t believe he’s keeping. Company that he’d been such a stubborn fool for depriving himself of for so very long.

As he climbs under the soft plush covers, he’s just as surprised to find Riku and Kairi climbing under them alongside him. The bed is plenty big enough for all three of them, with still more room to spare, but they pull themselves close along either side of him, each of them loosely draping their arms over him.

“Are you comfortable like this?” Kairi asks him as she reaches over to turn out the light.

“Yeah…” he sighs, content as Riku pulls the blanket over him just a bit more. “You know, I’ve been alone for such a long time now, I-I guess… I almost forgot what this felt like…”

“What do you mean?” Riku inquires softly, drowsily.

“I… I forgot what it felt like… to be safe,” Sora admits, though that’s not really what he wants to say. Because in truth, what he really forgot, what he’s still trying his hardest to remember is what it feels like to be loved.

Even so, both Riku and Kairi seem to understand what he means without him even needing to say it. A talent both of them have always had, one that he’s always marveled at around every turn. “And you’ll stay safe, no matter what happens next,” Kairi smiles sweetly, slowly brushing a few stray locks of hair out of his eyes. “That’s something we won’t let you forget again. We promise.”

“You saved both of us so many times before, Sora, in so many different ways,” Riku adds, his voice a light, loving whisper leading him back toward slumber. “This time, let us be the ones to save you, ok?”

Sora has no idea what will happen next, and part of him doesn’t want to know either. But what he does know is this: he’s back, he’s here, surrounded by friends and family who are all striving to help him, set his captive heart free. He’s here, lying in the arms of two people he loves more than anything, more than himself even. He’s here, and the only thing they want is to save him, to stay with him, to hold onto him and never let him walk alone again. And, after so long of wandering without anyone by his side, without any love or light to guide him out of the dark deceptions he’d fallen into… Sora can’t help but finally find himself wanting the exact same thing. “Ok,” he says softly, a smile on his face as he falls asleep in the same way he fell in love with them so many years ago.

Slowly, and then all at once.

(Commissions are still open! PM if interested!)

[snowflake-of-destruction]

125 pls💜

Cleaning out old asks afternoon? Cleaning out old asks afternoon. 

125. You’re the one who left it laying around. Grass is Greener. Sora and Riku.

"You're looking through my phone?" Sora was framed in the doorway, striking even in sweatpants with bunched legs that said they were too long, though they tightened over his hips and a faded shirt with a cartoon dragon on it, hair held back by a blue headband that Riku was fairly, though not entirely, certain had been left at the house by a guest a few weeks ago, large green bowl cradled in his arms. Sora had frozen mid-stir, forgetting what he'd been coming in from the kitchen to ask Riku when he'd caught his husband intently scrolling through something on his phone, Riku's own Otter encased cell lying forgotten on the coffee table.

Riku didn't look guilty in the slightest when he glanced up and made no move to set the item in question down or offer it to its owner. "You’re the one who left it laying around. It kept buzzing, so I got curious. Your passcode is the same as your pin. Every pin you've ever set." Riku left it unvoiced that Sora should never again tease him for the time he'd made his email password "E-mailpassword!" when he was almost as bad. "I was going to make sure it wasn't an emergency, and maybe answer whoever it was that you were cooking and would call or text them back later. "

"I guess that makes sense," Sora hemmed, dismayed suspicion that had scrunched his face slowly smoothing out. He had nothing to hide, and few thoughts or conversations that he didn't relate to Riku, period. If anything, Riku sometimes had to cut his sharing off, and remind him that, while he loved to hear about Sora's day, he wasn't required to recount every second they were apart. He didn't even care about privacy. The only reason to be uncomfortable about Riku looking at his phone was the implication that Riku didn't trust him. If Riku was just concerned that he was missing an important phone call, and then maybe got distracted, then that seemed alright. "Who was it?"

"Kairi." Riku frowned over the name and Sora felt a prickle of concern again. "She hung up when she heard my voice. I wonder if she recognized it," he mumbled the last half to himself.

"You know Kairi?" Surprise and curiosity mixed. "You didn't tell me before that you know Kairi!" Sora could only see the fun of the coincidence. It was a shame he hadn't known before though; he'd have used the leverage of Riku and Kairi being friendly to help convince her to consider staying with them during her separation from her husband instead of with her brother.

"I wasn't sure myself until now," Riku set the phone down and rubbed his forehead. Reasonably, he should have known. Sora had mentioned the name of the student in his yoga class he was seeing more than once, mentioned her crumbling marriage too, and Kairi wasn’t the most common name. He’d just been in denial until he saw it laid out.  He let out a puff of breath much like a sigh and raked the same hand through his hair. "She's a patient of mine. She and her husband. I recognized her in her contact picture.

"Oh! Awesome! I should have thought to ask who they were seeing when she told me Vanitas convinced her to give counseling a shot--though I also think I had something to do with that. She was ready to serve him divorce papers before I talked her out of it," Sora babbled happily. He seemed to remember suddenly that he was holding a bowl and held the spoon out to Riku. "Taste the marinade before I put the fish in it? It's honey orange garlic ginger."

Riku shook his head, and not just because the sauce sounded like at least one flavor too many, especially concentrated and raw. "You can't date my patients."

"No, you can't date your patients," Sora stressed, mildly put out about Riku's refusal to play taste tester. "It's not an ethics violation for me, or even a moral one. We were pretty upfront with each other, and I really want Kairi to work through things with Vanitas, no matter what it might mean for me and her."

"My patients are married, sweetheart," Riku pointed out like he wasn't even listening , fond but exasperated to the point of exhaustion.

"So are you and I. Don't you think I take our marriage vows seriously?"

Riku patted the couch cushion next to him. "I know you do. I hope you know I do too. I wasn't finished. The great majority don't have marriages like ours."

Sora glanced into his bowl, mourning his sauce for a moment, before setting it on the coffee table and sitting beside his husband. "They're not happy, and they're not communicating. That's why they come to you."

"They're not any degree of open..."

"...Or honest."

"You know what type of open I'm talking about. Generally, I deal with couples whose marriages are very different from ours...with people in them who are very different from us too. And even those that aren't, need to be concentrating on the relationship between spouses."

"I know that, but Kairi..." Sora started.

Riku held up a hand to halt him. "I'd prefer to assess Kairi for myself in sessions." He preferred to leave it in session too, though he couldn’t help mentally updating the file in his head. There was no way he’d hurt Sora by mentioning it, but he was pretty sure he knew exactly why Kairi had latched onto him if Vanitas wasn’t showing her the attention and affection she needed. They looked strikingly similar. And, oh God, he was just remembering Sora told him his new girlfriend also had a girlfriend of her own. That was more knowledge he didn’t want to have when it only complicated issues if he couldn’t bring it up in session, considering the source of the knowledge and how he should recuse himself, even when it very much needed to be a topic of discussion.

Sora made a disgruntled noise in his throat, but only fumed for a second before shifting to a more thoughtful pout. "Have I come up at all? Not by name, I know, or you wouldn't have been surprised I knew her, but, in general?"

"An affair?" Riku tilted his head so his glasses slid a fraction down his nose and looked at his husband over the frames. It was a low trick. He knew what effect that gesture had on Sora.

"Don't make it sound tawdry."

"It is for her," Riku pressed gently.

"I know her better," Sora still felt inclined to argue.

"You're right," Riku backed off suspiciously easily. "You absolutely do. But I know you best of all, and I know you wouldn't want to be involved with someone who was being dishonest...which I can tell you she is...with her husband and with you."

Riku was right. He was always right. Sora had given Kairi an ultimatum, but he never reached the stage where he followed through with his vow that he wouldn't keep seeing her if she did not tell her husband about him. Kairi and Vanitas had separated and Sora had fooled himself into thinking it wasn't as important then. He'd renewed his insistence when reconciliation had been put on the table, but then he'd agreed it might not be the first thing to bring up when she saw Vanitas.

"I'll talk to her," Sora offered.

"I'm going to ask you to break it off."

Riku seemed to be holding his breath, and noticing it knocked the breath out of Sora's chest too. Was he not sure if Sora would agree? How could he ever doubt?

"Absolutely!" If Riku was no longer comfortable there was no question. "Do you want me to do it now?"

Riku exhaled a long, slow stream and the relief in his face as he combed a hand through his hair again almost broke Sora's heart all over. "No, no need. You want help with dinner?"

"Nah, I got it." Sora started to stand and reach for his bowl. "Do you want to invite Namine over? It's been a long week. I don't mind calling in the backup to help you relax. We can double-team it."

Riku shook his head. "You're all I need."

"That's very sweet, but, oh love of my life, that's inaccurate. No person can be all things to another, and trying to force one person to be all things at all times for you is a surefire way to sow strife and dissatisfaction."

"Now, you sound like the therapist."

"Would you like me to be? Your glasses, a tie, a notepad and nothing else while I make you lie down on the couch and tell me all your fantasies?"

"Fish first."

[winterstarqueen]

Hello, can I ask a second part to the story "I'm sorry" please ? When Reader sees that Sora deeply loves Kairi, so she does everything to help return him but she feels a pain in the chest, Reader understands that she becomes too attached to Sora but tries to ignore his feelings by doing too much to push Kairi forward. 'Cause she's ashamed to love Sora when her heart is already taken.

Thanks in advance, I liked your stories soooooo much !

I’m sorry. (Sora x female reader.) part 2

(A/n:Thank you so much! I’ll be happy to make another part to this story!)

You got up the next morning and began looking for something to make. That was when you noticed pancake mix in your cupboard. “Maybe I should make chocolate chip pancakes this morning. Sora has been kinda down lately.” You thought getting the stuff out. You noticed how much he misses Kairi. It made sense. You couldn’t imagine being far away from someone you loved. Actually you’ve felt it. You knew what he was feeling. You shed a couple tears. You didn’t have time for this. You had to make breakfast. So you could help look for Kairi. You only had a few days left. Then you would have to return to work and school. You continued to make breakfast. However,you couldn’t stop thinking about Kairi. Sora is deeply in love with her. You haven’t known Sora since childhood. You didn’t jump through hoops just to see him. You barely had any connection to him and deep down you couldn’t stop thinking about him. You were so confused by this. You just met him a couple weeks ago. “Good morning.” He said before yawning. “Morning. Did you sleep well?” You said focusing on making breakfast. “No. Not really.” Sora said frowning. “Is the pillow is too stiff? Because I have more in the closet. Just for the guest bedroom. I can get them for you after breakfast.” You offered. “Thank you.” He said sitting down. “Anything for a guest.” You said putting the pancakes on a plate. He was so hungry. That he didn’t even care that he didn’t know what was for breakfast. Just as long as it’s delicious. In his world they didn’t have that many foods. They had enough to keep a person going. But,for some reason these weren’t there. “These are really good. What are they called?” He asked with a big smile. “Seriously they don’t have pancakes where you’re from?!” You asked frowning. “No.” You weren’t too surprised when he said that.

Later that afternoon you went looking around town. “Another rainy day?” Sora asked. “Yeah it rains often here.” You said frowning. “May I hold the umbrella?” He asked. You were going to hand it to him. But, you stopped yourself. He shouldn’t be sharing an umbrella with you. He should be sharing one with Kairi. He sighed. “What’s wrong?” You asked. “I want to help you. You helped me. So I just want to return the favor.” Sora said frowning. “You don’t have to. I really love helping others. ” You said smiling. “Yeah. I love helping others too.” He said. The two of you walked in silence for a while. Until he broke it. “Are you still mad?” “No. It’s just I really hope that we find Kairi soon.” You said. You were ashamed to even say that you loved Sora. His heart was already taken. If only Yuki would take you back. But,you didn’t know where he was. Who were you kidding? Yuki left you for some other girl and was probably still with her. You looked down. There was one question that entered your mind. “Could anyone love me again?” You asked yourself this question multiple times. You heard Sora calling your name and you snapped back into reality. “H-Huh? What is it?” You asked. “Didn’t you say that I come from a video game?” Sora asked. “Yes.” You said frowning. You realized that you’re falling for a video game character. “Maybe a fan...” “Has a good idea where Kairi might be!” You said finishing his sentence. The two of you stopped in a restaurant to get out of the rain. You bought some lunch and then pulled out your phone. You didn’t pay much attention. To see how cute Sora looked as he enjoyed his lunch. You looked at so many fan websites and even asked some fan fiction writers online. But,no one replied back yet. “Now we wait.” You said frowning. Waiting was really hard especially for Sora. You had some money left. So you went to the arcade next door. “Wow! What is this place?!” He asked. “It’s called an arcade. People come here to hangout or play games.” You said. You payed for some tokens. You were checking your phone every couple minutes. “Someone will answer soon. Let’s play some games. While we wait.” He said smiling. He didn’t want you to worry too much about it.

Sora was looking around at all the games. He noticed a stuffed rabbit in the claw machine. It reminded him of Kairi. “Kairi...” He whispered. You looked down. It sent a pain in your heart. You were crushing on Sora. Someone who was already taken. Then you accidentally bumped into someone. “I’m sorry....” You said. You didn’t realize that you had almost fell down. “Are you okay?” He asked. That voice was kinda familiar. You looked up. He had prevented you from falling. Again you had a weird feeling around him. “I-It’s you.” You said. He was the one who gave your umbrella back. You couldn’t explain this weird feeling. You shook your head and said. “Thank you for giving me my umbrella back.” You said. “It wasn’t a big deal. You don’t want to catch a cold.” He said. “Y-Yeah.” You said. You realized that he didn’t know your name. “I’m so sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m...” You began. “(Y/n).” He said. “Yeah...But,how did you know that?” You asked frowning. “It was on your umbrella. If found return to (Y/n) (L/n).” He said remembering. “I probably shouldn’t have put my name on it.” You said laughing a little. “At least you didn’t put your address on it. Because you know...” He said. He was right. There was robbers,creeps and lately large robots. They caused trouble for everyone. Especially people who were minding their own business. That made it unsafe at dark. You never told Sora about the robots. He had to focus on finding Kairi and going home. Besides there was a rumor going around. That a large group of people were fighting the gigantic robots. If that was true. Then you really didn’t need Sora to risk his life and who knows maybe this guy was in that group. “Yeah. Can you please tell me your name?” You asked. “Yozora.” He said. “Are you part of that group? The ones who keep us safe.” You asked him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said frowning. “The ones who fights the robots at night!” You said.

“What makes you think that there’s a group?” “Well, there’s rumor going around about it. I hear people all the time. So I figured that it was true.” You said frowning. “You shouldn’t believe everything you hear.” He said before walking away. You wanted to ask him more questions. But,Sora came back and asked. “Can we please play a game together?” “But,I have to talk to him.” You said trying to find out where he went. “Who? Are you looking for someone?” Sora asked. You walked out of the arcade to see if he was around somewhere. But,he was gone. “Never mind... Let’s play.” You said frowning. You played your favorite two player game. By the way Sora had no idea how to play. So you easily beat him. On your way home you sighed. No one had given you a hint. So what if they thought you were role playing? It didn’t matter. Because you were desperate to reunite them. After what Sora’s been through you had to help. However you couldn’t push aside your feelings. This pain was too deep. Although you have been trying for weeks. Were you attached to Sora? You looked over at him holding the rabbit plushie. You gave him tips on winning it. “(Y/n)?” Sora asked. “Yes...” You said. “You’re crying. D-Did something happen?” Sora asked frowning. “N-No. I’m okay.” You said. He knew that you’re lying. “Here. You can have it.” Sora said handing you the cute rabbit plush. “N-No. You keep it. I can’t take a gift that was for someone else. I-It doesn’t feel right...” You said frowning. “Kairi would understand. I know it.” Sora said smiling. “But, you haven’t given Kairi a gift before and that rabbit is too cute. I think that she’ll like it more.” You said. “What about you? You looked like you were upset earlier.” Sora asked frowning. All day you looked troubled. You didn’t think that he would notice. “I think that I just have to get home and relax.” You said. “Okay...” Sora said frowning. As soon as you entered your house you took off your shoes and started dinner. Only Sora asked. “Can you teach me how to cook?” He knew if you taught him something that you would smile. “Sure.” You said smiling. It worked. You began to teach him how to cook pasta. The two of you were so happy with the dinner that you also baked cookies. You didn’t realize that you’re phone went off.

[xionandpluto14]

Destinies Intertwined (a Riku x Oc Fanfic)

-----

Chapter five: All For One

Riku sat on the edge of his bed, feeling a strange tugging of his heart. He laid a hand over his chest.

"What... is this?" He rushed over to Sora's house, and they hung out in his room. Riku began to pace.

"I mean sure I enjoyed it. Sure I stare at her sometimes! But that doesn't mean--"

"That doesn't mean I like him!" Rachel insisted. She was in Kairi's room. "Sure I kissed him--"

"Rachel what!?"

"It was only on the--"

"Still!"

"You're never gonna let me live this down, are you?"

Sora grinned. "Nope."

"I don't like her like that! Really! Sure we shared ice cream, and it was the best night of my life!"

"But that doesn't mean anything!"

Kairi stood up, and laid a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Trust me. You're getting off easy. Riku's going to have to live with the teasing for the rest of his life."

Riku started pacing again, debating in his head.

"I mean... I don't think I like her--"

"The way I like Kairi?"

"Right. That means you can't tease me."

"Kairi's never kissed me. On the cheek or otherwise."

"Well, we need to make that happen."

"Either way, you've basically already confessed your feelings for each other."

"But I don't have any--"

Rachel buried her face in her palms and let out a muffled scream.

"Relax. I felt the exact same way with Sora when we first met. Don't think too hard on it, 'kay?"

She sighed, "Alright."

"I've gotta go." Riku said as he headed towards the door. He went to the woods in Twilight Town, and leaned back against a tree. looking up at the sky.

Riku jumped as an upside down face appeared. Rachel laughed.

"How do you do that?"

"I came here to think."

"Yeah, me too."

Rachel jumped down from her branch. "There's something calming about this place." She said.

Riku sighed, "Maybe it's the lack of Sora." he said.

"Did you two get in a fight?" Rachel looked worried for a moment.

"No, he was just giving me a hard time with... you know. I'm not mad at him or anything, just..." He trailed off, then got an idea.

"Come with me. There's someone I wanna introduce you to."

"Who?"

"He's a friend of mine. C'mon." They headed to Yen Sid's tower, where a mouse about the size of a human toddler stood.

Rachel's jaw dropped. "King Mickey... Your Majesty."

"Mickey's helped me out a lot." said Riku.

"You're the new Keyblade master, right? The one who's been training with Riku?"

"Yeah."

"Riku and me have been pals for a while now."

"Your Majesty, do you think we could be friends?"

"Yeah." Riku agreed. "The three of us can hang out after missions and get sea salt ice cream."

"What about Sora and Kairi?"

"Well, Sora's busy saving the world with Donald and Goofy, and Kairi's training with Axel."

Mickey agreed, and they went to other worlds defeating Nobodies and Heartless, then went to the docks on Destiny Island.

Mickey and Rachel sat there, waiting for Riku.

Rachel had climbed a palm tree, and gotten caught up with the King, and finally, Riku arrived with three ice creams. He handed one to her as she climbed down, and then handed one to Mickey.

"So... how did you two meet?" Rachel asked.

"I was wandering the realm of darkness," said Riku, "and I heard his voice. He told me he thought I was there for the same reason he was. That it was fate. And we helped each other from that point forward. I already told you what had happened to me, how I ended up there. But... what about you? Why did you wanna wield a Keyblade in the first place?"

"I don't know. I just want to make a difference, I guess."

They finished their ice cream.

"We should make a promise." Rachel decided, standing up. "No matter what happens... let's always stick together, the three of us."

"Well," Said Riku. "Even if we are separated, we won't be apart."

"Our hearts are connected." Said Mickey.

They summoned their Keyblades, and put them together in the air.

"All for one..." He said. "And one for all." Rachel and Mickey finished.

And that was the day Rachel's life had taken a turn for the better, and things would never be the same again.

[hitsuackerman]

Unpredictable (Overhaul x Reader) pt.18

a/n: all i can say is... BRING BACK CHRONOHAUL :) hope ya’ll like the chapter!

warnings: this cannot be read solo

Links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 19

Masterlist to my other fics: here :)

Overhaul’s waiting list: @jjk-biased @infinite-universe-love @dirtypride @blackymomo03 @azzie @purple-rabanito​ @meximorrita @awesomeee19​​ @celestial-kanzakii​ @laure-lo​ @team-wang-puppy​ @aydience-world​ @choros-main-hoe​ @but-kairis-not-that-smart  @colorseeingchick (i cant seem to tag again :( hope this lands in your timelines!)

“Kurono.” Overhaul snapped. “We’re done for the day. Take Eri-chan to her room and give the new toy to keep her busy.”

Finishing the last part of the job, Kurono pinned Eri’s bandages and carried her. Watching as Overhaul left the room, he felt the little girl trembling in his hold. The past few days, his boss had been a little harsher on the girl and it showed when he opened her up without being warned. Patting her head, the flinch did not help in the tense aura surrounding the base.

Once he locked her doors, he walked down the dimly lit hall and passed by Overhaul’s office. The faint sound of him typing away in his laptop made him stop in his tracks. It was rare for him to even look at his laptop. Something must be bothering him more than ever, for sure.

Knocking on the door, he was told to come in and entered silently.

“You’re on the laptop.” He commented and lazily flopped on the sofa. Taking his mask off, he rubbed his face and leaned on the back rest.

“I can see that.” Overhaul’s eyes remained glued to the screen. “Is there something you need?”

“D’you talk to her yet?” He yawned and stretched his limbs. Legs ready to bounce should his boss show any sign of rage.

“That doesn’t concern you.”

“Just askin’.” He shrugged his shoulders and fiddled with his fingers. “Eri-chan’s in her room now and the toy still didn’t lighten her mood. Not that it ever works.”

He merely hummed and continued typing.

“Mind if I ask what exactly happened?” Kurono sat up with perfect posture. His legs angled to the door, ready to make a run for it. The tension was too much. Even for the precepts. He could care less about the budding lovelife his boss had but the limit was drawing near.  Hearing the laptop slam close, Kurono stood up and inched his way to the door.

“You have absolutely no business learning what happened behind those closed doors. But, if it pleases your curiosity, the woman mentioned her time with Ackerman.” Overhaul impatiently tapped his index finger on the desk. The other hand massaging his temple. “Satisfied?”

“What else did she say?”

“She said that her emotions aren’t there for the bastard and that she has her eyes set on someone else.”

For someone who played shogi skillfully, Kurono had to admit that his friend was as clueless as  the word could imply. Using all of his strength not to twitch his eye at the ignorance being displayed, he let out a sigh and went back to the sofa.

“So why be pissed about it? Clearly she’s interested in you.”

“I am not pissed. I am merely agitated at the turn of events.” He stopped tapping his finger and stood up. Exiting himself out, he decided a long bath might cool his head.

“You do realize she only did that to rile you up. You’re losing to her game, Kai. I bet a shit ton of cash that she wanted to see if a reaction would suffice and looking at you now, she got exactly what she wished.” Kurono talked the fastest he’s ever attempted in his life. “I’ll also bet my money that you ignoring her only adds to her growing problems.”

“And what makes you say that, Kurono?” He was now facing the arrow-haired man. Fists clenched tightly.

“One of the men saw her entering Nighteye’s agency.”

“THAT Nighteye?” He cocked a brow and took a step closer to the sofa.

“Yes. Her car remained parked for quite some time. By the time she left, I was told she was speeding towards the precinct.”

Gathering his thoughts, Chisaki found himself seated across Kurono. His bird mask resting on the table between them. The surgical mask now on full display showing the shadows his face offered. Without realizing it, his brows were furrowed and teeth gritting.

“If it’s bothering you, why not just call her or send a message.” Kurono shrugged.

“If she has been spotted entering the agency, chances are she’s been part of the heroes schemes all this time.” He was nodding to himself. “And she had the audacity to act like she was part of nothing. Smart move for her but not careful enough.”

Squinting at the train of thought he had just heard, Kurono rested his elbows on his thighs.

“So, you think she’s teaming up with the heroes?”

“She is.” He leaned on the back rest.

“She told you?”

“Not outright.”

“What gave her away then?”

“The night I left, she mentioned how the heroes don’t have a clear map of the base and only an outline. That was either a slip or intentional. From the turn of events, it may have been accidental.” The memory of that night, having his body so close to yours made him fiddle with the hem of his gloves. The scene of having your flushed face so near to his made him smirk under the black mask. Glancing at the calendar, though there was no need, it had been three days since the both of you contacted each other.

“Do you think we’ve been bugged?” Kurono asked. His eyes darting from one corner of the room to the other.

“No.” Crossing his arm against his chest, he let out a long sigh. “Not yet, at least. But knowing them, it’s bound to happen and they will use (y/n) for that.”

“What do you intend on doing?”

“Buy me a new sim tomorrow, Kurono. It’s best if communication is cut. The Quirk erasing bullets are nearing its completion. Any upcoming hindrances would disrupt the plan.” Taking his phone out, he checked for any messages. Seeing as there were none, he turned it off and threw the sim card across the table. The small plastic landing inches away from the edge.

“You’re not going to overhaul it?” This was something he was not expecting.

“No. Burn it.”

“You’re…” He took the sim into his hand. “You’re really serious about this.”

"Those rats are on the move. The chances of her bugging our base is high. Knowing she's not the type to refuse, it is best to cancel out any communication." Picking up his mask, he let out a silent sigh and wore the said item. "No need to fret, Kurono. I've already prepared the necessary actions."

"Knowing you, there's no need to fret." He too took his mask and wore it as well. Fixing his hood, he stared at his friend. "What about the Fukuo Kai case?"

"That is in two months. The hype would have died down." Standing up, he fixed his coat and motioned Kurono to follow him out. "Besides. If (y/n) really has an interest in me, she would know the perils of harboring emotions. Let's go. I'm famished."

"Pardon?" Kurono stopped walking and stared at the back of his boss.

"Even the strongest villains need nourishment."

"Oh, uh, sure." Not sure what to do next, he rubbed the hems of hood. "Shall I ready the car?"

Seeing the nod, he blinked himself back to reality and went separate ways. Walking towards the garage, the blue-haired man replayed the events. He wasn't too sure but he could feel how your mannerisms were slowly rubbing off of Kai. Not that he minded, it was just… weird.

Taking the sim from his pocket, Kurono weighed out the options of burning or keeping the small object. Kai or even Overhaul wasn't too fond of keeping mementos, but his sense of gratitude was always strong. His ways of repaying debts were always admirable, no matter how absurd his methods may be.

Once he was now seated in the car, he knew exactly what to do with it.

The following day, Tsukauchi took his seat beside you. A brown paper bag now resting on your desk. After the heart to heart talk inside your car, you are more than glad that nothing has changed. He still treated you as his partner, as well as his close friend.

"Here are some updates for the Fukuo Kai." Reaching out for a folder, Tsukauchi pulled it with his fingertips till he finally grasped it. "We have detected some movements in their western branch. Me and the 4th division will be checking them out 3 days from now. Care to join?"

Checking your schedule, it was vacant and you agreed.

"So what're your plans now?" He asks while grabbing a small chip from your meal. "Nighteye?"

"Yeah. They’ll be discussing who’s who within the eight precepts.” Despite trying your best, you couldn’t help the slight slumping of your shoulders. Slowly nodding at the words that left your mouth, you chuckled and shook your head.

“Are you debating whether or not to tell him you're a part of the scheme?”

“I can’t but I feel like he’s caught up. I tried to call him last night. Yes, I know it’s cheap of me. But, his number was unavailable so…”

“He probably was off doing villainous deeds.” Tsukauchi patted your head and dragged his seat back to his cubicle. “He’d be a real jerk if he won’t contact you within the next few days. Trust me. Not even bad guys can resist the temptation of women.”

“You’re making me sound like a prostitute, Nao~” You commented while checking your emails. For now, nothing caught your eye. The occasional spam emails were present and one from Hawks but you could save that for later. Any more birdmen was not in your priority.

A few minutes passed and you were now engrossed in typing reports. When the lights of your company telephone lit up, your eyes darted to Namase’s door. It had been a long time since the both of you conversed, or let alone saw each other. The fact that he was calling you only meant bad news. Recalling every case you left unsolved, you were quite confident that this was nothing worth worrying about.

Picking up the phone, you braced yourself.

“Namase?”

“Bet you’re wondering why I called you, right?” Right. You forgot. This man held no filter whatsoever. “Well no need to worry. I just had to inform you that we received an anon caller. Do you wanna put him on the line?”

“An Anon caller? For what case?” You grabbed a pen and paper.

“For the Arson case.”

“Can you put him on the line?”

“Sure~”

Namase put the Anon caller thru and you waited till you were sure he wasn’t eavesdropping.

“Hello?” Even if you weren’t sure whether or not you should receive this call.

“Is this (l/n)-san?” His voice was low but clear enough for you to hear. “I think I have some good information about the fires.”

“I’d love to hear it but I had to hand over the case to the HPSC not too long ago. I can give you their hotline number if you want.”

“They scare me. I would prefer it if it was you who passed the message to them. Are you free later at 4pm?”

“Let me just check my schedule.” You knew you were free but you felt the need to look up the person. “Can I have your name, if that’s alright?”

“Tetsu.”

“Okay, Tetsu-san. Where do you want to meet up? Is a cafe alright? Or do you want a private room in the precinct?”

“A cafe please.”

“Alright, We can meet by the Nooks and Books. ’ll be the one wearing black. I’ll see you later.”

With no greetings, the line ended and you put the phone down. Gathering your stuff, you began to skim through each article you recently read about fires. Granted it had been a while since you last heard any news about fires, the tip was or could be useful. Of course having to talk to the HPSC was something you were not looking forward to.

“Nao, I’ll be taking my leave now. Anything you want me to bring when I come back?” You peaked into his rather messy cubicle. “Geez. Calm down with your cases, buddy.”

“This is only for the meantime.” He scratched his neck and stared at the scattered papers and folders. “I’d like a creampuff, though. A creampuff sounds nice in these trying times.”

“Aight. I’ll bring you a box later.” You said as you exited the floor.

It only took a few minutes but you were now seated in another desk. One where you wished you were not a part of. Greeting the heroes who had just entered the meeting room, you smiled at the sight of Deku and Mirio.

“(l/n)-san! Long time no see!” Deku greeted you and took the vacant seat beside you. “How’s work?”

“Work is work. How’s school? Are you holding up? Must be difficult to juggle this raid and academics.”

“It is but we have supplementary classes so I can manage.”

“Your classmates with Uraraka, Asui, and Kirishima, right?”

“Yeah!”

Exchanging a few more small talk with the heroes, you locked eyes with the hero sitting beside you. The scruffy hair, eyes that looked like they haven’t slept a single second, and the trademark scarf resting on his shoulders. Giving a shy smile, Aizawa merely responded with a lazy nod before Nighteye finally entered the room.

“As you all know, today’s agenda will be task distribution. Let’s get on with the details now, shall we?”

The tasks were distributed rather well. Fatgum Agency would be accompanying the front of the team. Right alongside Nighteye and Aizawa. The other heroes were tasked to stay outside and guard the entrance for any possible nuances that might occur. The police staff were divided into two groups. Being given ample time to assign which officers would be in the outer and inner group, you merely nodded and took the list of names.

‘Great. More work.’ Flipping the pages, most officers were people you had worked with before. At least things wouldn’t be so difficult.

“(l/n)-san?” Nighteye snapped your thoughts away. Adjusting his glasses, he rested his elbows on the desk and leaned in. “How’s the task of bugging Overhaul?”

“I haven’t been in touch with any of them for a few days now. I will be trying this week if the situation allows.”

“Alright. If that succeeds then things will go much smoother and will surely pick up speed. Best of luck. Any questions?”

“Are there any updates about the League of Villains being tied with them?” Deku asked.

“As of the moment, there’s no movement from them. So, it’s safe to assume that they only have minor participation in said event.” Nighteye replied without batting an eyelash. He really was confident in this raid.

Feeling guilt rushing through your veins, you shifted in your seat and silently exhaled. Once Nighteye gave the adjournment, you scurried out of the room and made your way to the cafe. It was a bit traffic but you would still be able to arrive on time. With the cafe being near the station, parking would be no trouble.

When things were now settled, you were now walking towards the cafe and found yourself now standing in front of the cashier and saying your order. Taking your number, you looked for a private booth and sat there. It rested in the corner so Tetsu wouldn’t be too uncomfy.

When the clock struck 4, you were now staring at the lobby waiting for that Tetsu to arrive.

Sure enough, a man with a hood entered the cafe and made eye contact with you. Seeing as he walked towards your booth, it was safe to assume that this was Tetsu.

“Are you Tetsu?” You asked the man wearing the hood. With the sunglasses and mask, you could only make out such little skin his face had.

“I cannot stay long. But I came to hand this over.” He slid a small brown envelope. His head hanging low making sure you wouldn’t catch a glimpse at his covered face. “I hope this can assist your case.”

“To be fair, please stay while I go through the contents of this envelope.” Taking the envelope, you slid the content out only to have a sim card laying flat on your palm. “What kind of information does this hold, Tetsu-san?”

“That information is sensitive so you can check its contents before handing it over.”

“But, I’m not part of the Arson case anymore. Would you still want me to hand this in or redact a few messages.”

Overhaul did not mention you were no longer part of the case. Cursing at how blank his mind was, Kurono glanced at the environment before he exhaled deeply.

“I will only say this once, so listen carefully.” He uttered.

“This isn’t about the Arson case now, is it?” Sliding the sim card back, you carefully placed it inside your bag and focused on Tetsu. The words that came out of his mouth made your heart beat faster. Clenching your fists, you braced for whatever he would say next.

“Kai has been on edge and it’s been such a pain in the ass. I don’t know what the hell made you decide to mention Ackerwacker but you got what you wished for.” Kurono’s voice was low. Barely audible due to the cafe’s music. “But, it would be a lie if I said he hasn’t been more human ever since he met you.”

“Can you take your mask and shades off?”

“You’ll probably just arrest me right here.” Kurono took his shades off revealing familiar gray eyes.

“You were that guy from the restaurant?” Your eyes widened at the realization that Overhaul had interfered that early on. “Not that I’m complaining or anything, but ya’ll did me a great favor.”

A slight smirk appeared on his lips as he took the mask off. It felt different having his face exposed after a long time.

“I can see why he took interest in you.”

“Why meet me, though? Wouldn’t this only risk in you being overhauled and shit?”

“I have my ways. Kai instructed me to get rid of his sim card but I don’t know. Perhaps you can make use of it in your private life.”

“Well, to be honest, the heroes don’t fully trust me.” You shrugged. That was nothing new. “It sucks having to juggle work and personal feelings in this particular case. Guess both of us are in a pinch.”

“Perks of being with Kai.”

“You should probably get going… Chronostasis, right?” Putting his disguise back on, a switch flipped in your mind. “Hey you mind if I get your number? If you have one, ofcourse.”

“Why?”

“I like to make my connections.” You winked. When he took out his phone, you in turn took something out of your pocket. Placing it on the table, you pushed the small box towards the villain. “I’ll text you the instructions later, aight?”

“What’s this?”

“You’ll know when you open it.”

With that, Kurono pocketed the small box and left the cafe. When he was out of sight, you rubbed your face and groaned.

“Damn it.”

- - - - -

a/n: hohoho Kurono now enters the picture! hope ya’ll enjoyed this chapter! :) Mimick is still writing down Overhaul’s waiting list! if you guys have any questions or just wanna be tagged :) feel free to spam me! take care!

[chibi-mushroom]

Day 1: Reunion

My entry for Rikunami week day 1! *warning*: I do kill off Luxu and Riku gets fairly hurt. Nothing is described in detail though, so take it as you will.

The sound of metal clashed and rang through the air. Sora and Kairi were facing the Master of Masters and the foretellers together high up on the crag that loomed above them while Riku and Yozora had someone else to eradicate: Luxu, otherwise known as Xigbar. Sora and Kairi would be fine, despite the heavy disadvantage in numbers, Riku knew. What he needed to focus on was his battle here and now. He still had the face of Xigbar, someone he had gotten to know of while he was infiltrating the organization. For the most part, Xigbar had been unimpressive and unimportant. If he could just turn back time and warn himself….

"Give it up, kiddo. I believe I have the high ground." Luxu smirked before teleporting away and shooting at them while upside down. 

"High ground doesn't matter when your opponent can still move!" Riku growled. He summoned a barrier to surround himself while he leapt at the one-eyed enemy. 

Together Riku and Yozora yelled as they brought their swords down toward the man. He was slick and managed to dodge them, preferring to fight from a distance. With a laugh, he shot a pair of lasers that looked more purple than the others. There hadn’t been any time to look at them closely however, as they were homing missiles. In tandem they struck in a wave of flame and burned into the skin on his arm as he tried to deflect them.

It had been a long battle and Riku found he was out of potions. He grit his teeth. His mana was growing low too, and he only had one more ether. With a groan, he chugged it down while Yozora used his crossbow to match Luxu's fighting style. Throwing the bottle aside, Riku charged right back into the action. As long as he could save his magic for healing, then everything would be alright. He hoped. If they couldn't stop Luxu, then Sora and Kairi were done for. All the training, blood, sweat and tears he had shed were all leading to this moment. It was time to use the strength he had cultivated to protect what mattered. 

"You're done for!" He called. 

Riku swung his heavy keyblade diagonally down at Luxu while Yozora kept him distracted. At least they had numbers to their advantage. Thankfully the attack hit, dropping the enemy to the ground with a hard *plop*. Riku wasted no time in swinging again, but Luxu had rolled over and blocked Riku's attack with a keyblade that had been pulled out of thin air. The shock of the ace up his sleeve had been enough to cause the keyblade master to leap back and take a couple of quick breaths.

Where had that come from?

"I thought I told you pipsqueaks; I'm plenty worthy for one of these. It's no no name, but it'll do."

The blade was dark with a firey looking handguard colored in deep reds while the teeth were a dark blue and in intricate swirls. The keychain had an eye, same as the Master of Master's blade, but instead of the piercing blue, it was the near golden color that Riku had grown to hate. Seeing it could only mean trouble.  As he was holding his keyblade aloft to attack one again, the acrid scent of darkness filled Riku's mind. All at once he was back in Castle Oblivion, being followed by a demon. Although he knew he had defeated the shadow, his mind was still there for just a second. A familiar voice called out for him and he turned.

Look out!

"Pay attention!" Yozora chided, pressing his blade against Luxu's. He had blocked the attack. 

"The worlds are colliding. Maybe he heard his girlfriend." Luxu laughed. "She's been trying to reach you, you know. Who would have thought she'd become such a powerful witch?"

Riku leapt to the side and slashed at Luxu with a growl. A witch. That was all the organization had ever seen her as. But she was so much more. She was a healer, a listener, a dreamer and a doer. Gone was the small scared girl who obeyed for fear of being alone. She was confident, more mature and wiser now. Atonement had been made and she would never have to go back to that world ever again.

"Riku, if we want any chance to keep the worlds safe, we need to finish him now!" Yozora barked.

"Right!"

A small light appeared from both of them; blue for Riku and red for Yozora. They held their weapons together and took aim. So they were able to link after all that time. Now, Riku could only hope it would strike true. His mana was completely depleted from the attack and his energy would likely be gone afterward. As the laser was coming toward him, Luxu saw his lives before his eyes. This would be the end. But he wasn't going to go alone. He held up his keyblade and shot out a bolt of dark energy, taking aim and letting it loose just as he was hit. 

The light encompassed Luxu entirely and all that was left was a small cloud of darkness that dissipated a second later. But it seemed that he would get what he wanted. The dark bolt had a homing spell and it was locked on Riku, striking it's mark in the chest. Incredible pain seared through his body as he dropped from the link attack. The earth was shaking and Yozora rushed to his side.

"Hey, wake up! We did it. You can't die yet!" Yozora shook the keyblade master.

There was a loud crack and the ground beneath Yozora's feet began to split apart. He grabbed Riku and jumped up with what remaining power he had. Neither were in any condition to make it through a world collapsing in on itself. High above them was a light shining. It must have been Sora and Kairi. The worlds were starting to move back to normal. Riku could feel it. They had defeated the one who started all of this and now they could rest for real this time. Not that he was surprised; not by any stretch of the imagination. He believed they could do it. They were strong together. One of the regrets he had was that he wouldn't get to go home with them- not if Yozora was going to make it back to his Sora.

"Make sure Sora and Kairi get home." Riku yelled at his near clone.

“What do you mean?” yozora looked down at him.

“We can’t both make it, and we both know I’m dead weight. Now go before I find some way to blast you into the light!”

Yozora looked down at him with pain in his dual colored eyes. But he also understood. This was a war and war took casualties. It was better that one of them make it back to his own world line than neither of them. With a ‘thank  you’ on his lips, Yozora dropped the keyblade master, and he fell into the dark depths of where the land was converging. Using the last of his strength, Yozora pushed himself upwards until he managed to touch the light ahead of him. He was going home.

As he fell, Riku closed his eyes. He had already been heavily injured during the battle with Luxu, and the last hit was enough to end it all. With a resounding clunk, he landed on some dry ground, rocks all around him. By some miracle he hadn’t been crushed, but the earth was still shaking. All he could do was pray. Well, pray and think about what he would have done differently if he had been given the chance. He wished he had been bold enough to tell Namine exactly what he thought of her and the love that had grown in his heart for her over the last two years before he left. She might have known, but it wasn't enough. He needed her to hear it with her own ears. As he closed his eyes, images of her flashed through his mind. 

A moment later he awoke, body still heavy from the fall. If he moved too much, he would still feel the pain ringing through his chest. All of his senses were dulled, but he could tell that he was alone. Utterly, absolutely alone. Perhaps it was fitting. Sora and Kairi belonged to the realm of light. They had defeated every one of their foes and finally found their way back to each other. It was about time they were able to go home and be regular kids. There had been enough wandering and adventuring for a long time.

Wasn't this exactly what he had planned for just over a year ago in the rooms of the Twilight Town mansion? Sora and Kairi could be together now while he remained away. Of course, last time Namine hadn’t been left alone. She was inside Kairi’s heart. Now she had a replica body of her own. How ironic that she would be the one with friends and he would be alone. A small chuckle left his throat, followed by heavy coughs. He groaned at the pain that seared through his chest. As he lay in agony, he couldn’t help but wonder if she would weep for his loss. He hoped not.

I wonder if my heart went to the same place yours did. 

After the thought crossed his mind, he closed his eyes. He didn’t know how long he was out, but when he opened his eyes again to the same dark and dreary rock-filled landscape, he heard a pair of footsteps. They were light and Riku noticed a dim pillar of light beside whoever was coming. But who was here? He was on a piece of desert in between the world lines. How would they even….

A soft hand brushed his hair before carefully sliding him onto what must have been their lap. One hand threaded itself through his damp locks while the other glowed green over his body. Instantly he could breathe without pain, although he was still drained of energy. The hands that held him were small but coarse.The scent….it was familiar and almost too good to be true. His mind must have been bringing back her memory.

"N-namine…" Riku whispered.

"I'm here.We found you just in time." Namine replied softly.

"Then who…?"

"Your replica. It's a long story, but he helped strengthen the connection between you and I, and helped lead me to you. I got a little lost at the point where the world lines converged though, so I had to look into your more recent memories to get here. I'm sorry."

Riku shook his head. He could barely see his replica anymore, as the light he gave off was fading fast. Wordlessly the spirit placed a hand on Namine's shoulder and pressed his forehead to hers. She closed her eyes and whispered a soft goodbye as a tear fell from her eyes and fell onto Riku's cheek.  A second later, the replica was gone and the soft light he gave off had turned to darkness.

The ground beneath Riku felt dusty and dry. It seemed to go on that way for a long time, but at least all of the rocks around them were gone. Instead it was all nothingness; a dreary wasteland of dry ground. While he didn't want to give up hope of getting home, the realist in him figured they'd never see their friends again. He was so tired. At least he had Namine with him. She had a way of grounding him and giving him the will to move on, even if it seemed all hope was lost. He regretted not bringing her with him in the first place on the search for Sora; she was stronger than she looked.  But she was here now and that was all that mattered.

Slowly, he moved his hand up to cup her cheek. He didn't have strength to hold it there, but Namine somehow knew what he wanted and held his hand in place, leaning into his touch. She was warm- much warmer than she had ever been in the Castle or Twilight town. He didn’t understand why that particular detail stood out to him so much, perhaps he was losing it faster than he had expected. It could have been days that he had been here and he wouldn’t be able to tell.

"It doesn't matter." She had to have read his mind. "As long as we're together, that's what's important, right?"

“Yeah.” he attempted to look at her through the darkness. It had been a long time since he had been able to see despite being blinded. “Hey Namine, do you believe in fate?”

“No.” She paused. “Do you?”

Now it was Riku’s turn to pause. He had believed in it for a long time. When they had started this adventure, he figured fate was on his side. Then everything had changed for him and he didn’t know what to believe in any more. The only solids he had to go off of were his friendships with Sora, Kairi and Mickey as well as the warm stirrings that tugged at his heart anytime the tiny blond looked at him. With her eyes capturing his, Riku wondered if she hadn’t been aware of the noise it was making.

“Maybe. But even if it’s all a lie, if we ever get back to the islands, let’s share a paopu.” Riku spoke softly.

“Y-you want to share one….with me?”

“Yeah. I do.”

Tears began to fill her eyes. A wide smile crossed her face. Instead of saying anything, she simply beamed at him and shook her head. A single droplet fell on his cheek. But it wasn’t a tear. It was a warmth and light that he was unfamiliar with. He looked up to the heavens to see little drops falling from the sky and breaking through the clouds. All at once they opened up, revealing a bright burst of light. When the darkness was dissipated, the previously dusty and empty grounds were filled with wildflowers of every kind and soft grasses. The world around them had gained new life and a gentle wind blew across the hill. It began to push the clouds away, revealing a beautiful blue sky. Riku knew where they were now. It was on the shores of the mainland on a hill not too far from the ocean. 

“Where….?” Namine looked around.

“We’re home. Something brought us back.”

“It must have been your heart. You don’t have to share a paopu with someone to have an unbreakable connection. Sora and Kairi must have been calling out to you.” Namine suggested, looking around. “After all, if I managed to find you when the place you were was falling apart, who’s to say we couldn’t be led back? Maybe it was fate after all.”

She blushed as his hand brought her face back to look at his. The keyblade master looked relieved. He had been so tired during the last two years and Namine had tried to be there for him as much as possible. Perhaps she had been fated to love him from the start. He had loved her other first, but still managed to see her for her, not for Kairi. They had spent many long hours together hoping to find some sort of light to cling to. Somehow they hadn’t realized that it wasn’t light or darkness that they were hanging onto; they were holding onto each other and keeping the other from going too far into one or the other. He loved her despite her darkness and she loved him even though the light blinded her so.

“Hearts and connections are powerful things.” Namine spoke, her voice just above a whisper.

There was one thing her heart was pleading for. She needed him to understand just how much he meant to her. When this part of their adventure began she had told him good luck without obliging her heart for fear of many things- all excuses now, really. She wouldn’t betray it again. Carefully, she leaned down and pressed her lips against his. It was sweet and chaste, not nearly lasting long enough.  If he were honest, Riku barely had any time to process what was happening before it had ended. So when she pulled back, he let the weight of his hand pull her back in for another, this time allowing himself to move his lips against hers in ecstasy. No thoughts ran through his mind. He was simply there in the moment, being cradled by the person he wanted to protect the most. The one fate had in mind for him a long time ago.

From off in the distance they heard a voice calling out to them. It caused them to break apart, blushing furiously.  Both knew it had to be Sora. He was calling their names, running up the path with Kairi’s hand in his and followed by Donald, Goofy and the King.  She cautiously sat him up, and he silently assured her he was okay to do that on his own. As their friends approached, both Riku and Namine saw their friend’s faces all aglow from realizing that everyone was safe at home.

“We thought we lost you there, buddy.” Sora hugged his friend. “If you wanted a little alone time with your girlfriend, just tell us next time.”

Riku began to stutter out some excuse but when he couldn’t find the words, he simply gave sora a playful shove. Kairi hugged him next, and then Mickey. They really were home. Riku looked up to the sky. There was only one sky; one destiny. With the major threats to the universe gone, he could make of it whatever he wanted. Until then, there was this perfect moment; this lasting memory where he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was home and had everything he needed as long as his friends and the girl he loved most by his side. Whether destiny or fate was real or not, he would never need to meet it alone again.