#how could i forget dreameater riku

[axel-fics]

Because of You - Chapter 3

Summary: During his Mark of Mastery Exam, Sora falls into the hands of Master Xehanort and is taken to the Realm of Darkness. Now, it’s up to his friends to save him before he succumbs to the darkness. This is the story Axel and the reader as they journey through the Sleeping Worlds, begin their training as Keyblade Masters, and learn just how much they secretly care for each other.

“Now that you’re both Keyblade wielders, we can begin our task to get you down into the Realm of Darkness where Sora is being held captive,” Master Yen Sid said. 

You nervously gulped away a lump in your throat. The thought of going so far down into the vast world of Darkness made your hair stand on the back of your neck, but you knew that if it were the other way around Sora wouldn’t hesitate to save you. You swallowed your anxieties and continued listening to the Master’s instructions. 

“In order to reach that far down, you must dive into the Seven Sleeping Worlds, the same as Sora and Riku did during their original tasks in the Mark of Mastery Exam before circumstances changed. The Keyholes in each world will need to be unlocked in order for you to proceed to the next. Complete the tasks in each world to reveal those Keyholes, and use your Keyblades to unlock them.”

“That sounds like it could take a while,” Lea grunted. 

“There’s no other way to reach Sora? Going through the Seven Sleeping Worlds seems like a lot of work…” Your voice trailed off as you glanced at Sora’s still sleeping form. He had that same stupid (but sweet) smile on his face, as if he were peacefully dreaming about being a pirate again or swimming in the oceans of Destiny Islands. Not a hint of the nightmare he’s actually going through on his face whatsoever. “What if…what if we’re too late?”

“You’re forgetting that you’re entering worlds that are in a deep slumber, very much like you will be,” Yen Sid said. “In that case, it may seem like you spend hours in one place but in reality you’re there for mere minutes. You’ll reach Sora in time, no doubt.” 

A long silence filled the room, save for the soft chirps of the crickets outside of the tower. There were so many emotions overflowing inside you: heartache, anxiety, fear, emptiness. The thought of Sora being lost to the shadows sent your heart into a frenzy. He was the closest person you’ve ever had as a brother, and already your world was shaken without his sunny presence. 

Lea watched you closely as a lone tear ran down your cheek. Hesitantly, he reached out and placed a hand on your shoulder. You jumped out of your trance at the strangely-familiar warmth Lea’s hand emitted. His grip was strong and confident yet gentle, and you couldn’t help but wonder how his flesh would feel without being covered by his usual black leather gloves. As quickly as the thought entered your mind, Yen Sid’s voice interrupted your daydreams and brought you back to the harsh reality you were currently living. 

“One last thing before you begin: in these Sleeping Worlds you will not encounter any Heartless or Nobodies. [Y/N], you saw me briefly explain this to Sora and Riku when their examination began.” You nodded your head before he continued. “Nightmares will take form and fight their way to set you off course, however you will both be paired with your own Dreameaters to help guide you onto the correct paths of the Keyholes.”

“Dreameaters, Nightmares, Keyholes, got it.”

“Are we good to go yet, or did Dorothy here forget something?”

You side-eyed Lea and gave him a harsh glare.

“What? ‘Lions, Tiger, and Bears?’ Get it?” He scratched the back of his head nervously as you raised an eyebrow at him, as if saying: ‘This really isn’t the time to make jokes.’

“We’re relying on you two. Good luck.”

The Master stood up from his desk and rolled back his sleeves, conjuring some sort of spell. Thrusting his arms out to you and Lea, you felt yourself thrown backwards into the air and your vision blurred with sleepiness. Before your backs hit the wall behind you, you were already in a deep sleep, just like the others, on your way down to the Realm of Darkness. 

~*~

I’m falling again. 

This time for sure you knew it; the cold wind blowing in your face at an alarming rate made your whole body shiver. Blinking your eyes open you found yourself falling down a narrow tunnel from the sky over-looking the first of seven Sleeping Worlds. Lea was falling beside you unconscious, and you reached over to shake him awake. His body jerked before his eyes opened, instantly watering from the icy air. 

“Here, take my hand!” He looked at you quizzically for a moment, and you rolled your eyes impatiently. “So we don’t get separated!” The warmth of his hand returned to you once again, and instantly you felt your whole body’s temperature raise back up. Was it the heat he radiated or….

As the scenery grew closer, you noticed street lights blinking beneath you, cobblestone streets and neon lights that all seemed so familiar to you.

Wait, that can’t be—! Before you were able to finish your thought, darkness overcame you once again. 

~*~

This time, Lea shook you awake with both his hands on your shoulders. His voice grew louder as consciousness came back to you, and when you opened your eyes the first thing you saw were his emerald green ones staring back at you. 

“Five more minutes,” you mumbled. 

“Hey, hey! This isn’t a time for a nap, [Y/N]! We gotta find the Keyhole in this place so we can get to the next world,” Lea said. “C’mon, get up!”

Guess you didn’t dream everything up after all. Grasping at your bearings, you groggily stood up and looked around the area of the first Sleeping World. “No way!”

“What is it?”

Without responding, you ran around the town square, looking up at all the buildings and signs. Everything was exactly how you remembered it: the gas-lit lanterns, the silly little red mailbox by the stairs, Cid’s Accessory shop centered in the first district. Most important was the sky, which always stayed in perpetual nightfall. After years of sitting on your small rooftop, looking at the stars in the night sky gave you an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. Each star was set in its same, cozy places just as you memorized. 

“Uhhh, [Y/N]? You know this place?”

“It’s Traverse Town,” you whispered. “It’s… where I grew up.”

Ever since you were a small child, Traverse Town had been your home. Years ago, your home world was destroyed by the darkness along with all of your memories. It was difficult knowing that your real family was somewhere out there, or worse yet destroyed along with your home world. 

Your attention was drawn to the stairway that led up to Geppetto’s Clock Shop where you had first ran into Sora. Literally. The two of you were running around opposing corners of the building and ran smack into each other. And the rest, as they say, was history. The memory made you smile (not to mention the feeling of the bump on your head from colliding with Sora’s started to grow back just thinking about it).

“Do you...remember anything? From your home world?”

“No...I was raised here by foster family. They took me in, helped me with schooling, and even trained me to fight the Heartless. Plus Leon, Yuffie and Aerith, of course.” Out of sight, Lea bent his head down, a wave of guilt rushing over him. “Wait!”

He perked up only to see you running up the stairs heading towards the large doorway that led to the second district. Lea’s long legs allowed him to catch up to you in no time before he placed a hand over the door, blocking you from entering.

“Where are you going? We have to find that Keyhole! This is no time to run down ‘Memory Lane’!

“But what if they’re here? My family! I haven’t seen them in so long—!”

“[Y/N], this isn’t the real Traverse Town, remember? We’re in a dream,” Lea said.

Your shoulders visibly deflated, Lea’s words sinking through. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s fine. Look, I know you miss them, but we have to keep on track here. Okay?”

“Yeah, okay…”

Suddenly a large poof of smoke burst next to you, making you shriek. A few seconds later you realized you had actually jumped up onto Lea, climbing up his back and using him as a human shield. 

“Smooth,” he smirked.

“Shut it,” you muttered. You climbed back down off of Lea, face as red as his hair, and reassessed the creature that appeared out of thin air. It was blue and white in color and its tongue stuck out adorably as it bounced playfully towards you. The creature nuzzled into your arms and made cute squeaky noises, and instantly you felt yourself relax. 

“This must be one of those Dreameaters Master Yen Sid told us about,” you said, the dog-like creature licking your face. “It’s soooo cute!”

“Yeah, cute,” Lea deadpanned. Another poof of smoke appeared next to him, and a creature that resembled a lizard snaked its way up around Lea’s torso and sat on his shoulder. “Not exactly what I was picturing. Wonder what these ‘Nightmares’ are going to look like?”

“Uhm…maybe something like that?”

Lea’s eyes followed where your finger was pointing behind his shoulder, whisking around to see giant bears and rhinos appearing in the empty square of the second district. They weren’t as colorful as the Dreameaters, but looked almost the same nonetheless. 

“You ready, kid?” Lea asked. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this.”

[twinsky]

KH3 trailers continue to kill me, I’m pretty sure the final battle trailer left me dead. Anyways, here’s a fic inspired by all the wonderful official kh3 content we have gotten as well as this artwork by @destiny-islanders

Chapter 2 should be up within the week, it’s already done but I want to finish chapter 3 before I post it!

-

Title: You know I’ll follow (Be Mine)

Word count: 1.3k

Chapter: 1 of 4

Pairings: Eventual Sorikai

Summary: Sora has always had someone by his side, Kairi and Riku, Goofy and Donald, even the dreameaters when he went to the sleeping worlds for the Mark of Mastery exam. And that's, that's always felt right, his friends are his power so why should he ever fight alone.

So watching them all get ripped away from him, he can't even begin to think of how he's supposed to keep going. Doesn't know if he can, doesn't know if he wants to.

[first chapter - you are here] / [next chapter]

(ao3 link)

Kiss me Once

“I could only fight because everyone was here! I can’t do this alone…”

-

World saving is a lonely kind of business Sora can’t help but think sometimes. And it’s a weird thought to have, he knows it is. He’s made so many friends traveling throughout the different worlds, and of course, Goofy and Donald are always with him.

But… sometimes, sometimes the infinite space of the world around him feels so overwhelmingly large. Sometimes Sora misses the days where it was just the three of them running around Play Island until their legs burned and Sora’s cheeks hurt from laughing so much.

Well he still has both of those things actually, even if the context is different. Worlds don’t get saved just from sitting around, and the gummy ship still runs on happy faces.

Still, Sora has a feeling somewhere deep inside that the end is approaching. That their final showdown is quickly and finally coming up.

Then they can all go home.

Sora can see the people he cares about most without wondering when it will all be ripped away from him next. When the weight of the keyblade in his hand, a heart he’s been told so often is too big, too forgiving, will make him take a stand once again.

Sora’s sure that soon that will be over.

He’s not sure why that thought doesn’t make him happy. He’s not sure why he can’t help but feel nothing but dread when he does.

 -

 All of that is easy to forget though, every time Sora goes to a new world. He loves meeting new people, loves all the new friends he makes in each world they visit.

Sora’s friends are his power; he’s strong because they’re there with him. He’s strong because he knows who and what he’s fighting for. Sora is strong because of the people who are standing here with him.

(Sometimes he feels like he’s only as strong as the people who support him, who believe in him. And that without them he’s nothing but an empty shell.)

So maybe it’s a bit morbid, considering why he has to do this, but he loves that he gets to travel between worlds closing the keyholes. Revisiting worlds, seeing his old friends, meeting new people and seeing how things have changed. Each world, each star in the sky, is so unique and bright in its own well, and the people in them are the same.

Rapunzel’s world is so full of wonder and light, and so is she despite what’s happened to her. And Eugene, he’s a bit odd but then he sees the two of them together he thinks they’ll both be just fine. He knows it, just how he knows they’ll have his back when they fight. And how no matter what dangers they face in this world that together they can beat it and win. Just like it’s worked in every world before this one, just like it will in any world after it.

He remembers that when he meets Elsa, so powerful, so afraid. She reminds him of someone, she reminds him of a lot of people. And just like all of them, Sora knows she’ll get past this, find the strength she needs be that in herself, or from those dearest to her. Sometimes it’s both –usually it’s both. We find peace in ourselves with the help of the support from others.

Even when things are at their darkest there will always be a light shining bright. And in the darkest night, lights shine the brightest.

(And in the brightest lights, do our shadows grow darkest.)

Every world Sora visits is so special, so unique, a reminder of everything that they’re still fighting for. A reminder of everything they stand to lose should Xehanort win.

And Sora’s not gonna let him win.

He’s fought far too long, and far too hard, for it to all go to hell right at the end.

  -

  The organization member he meets in Twilight Town – Marl, marxi, something with an M, Sora can’t remember for some reason – speaks to him like he knows him. Speaks in low condescending tones that grate on Sora more than they normally would. As if he knows something Sora doesn’t, as if he’s laughing at a joke everyone knows but him. Sora’s confused every time they meet up with him, but beneath all that is something angry. Sora would be inclined to say he almost hates him, which is weird because the only person Sora really thought he hated was Xehanort. And yet him, he seems to reach the same levels just by existing.

When he looks at him, he feels like he’s forgetting something.

Then there’s the one he meets in the Monsters Inc. factory, face covered in a mask and with the odd ability to summon heartless like creatures. Vanitas, he had somehow known, the name so achingly familiar like someone he has known his whole life. He speaks to Sora like he’s not even there, like there’s something or someone else standing in front of him. It’s odd, but sometimes he can almost feel like is really isn’t there, shoved beneath the surface of what makes him, him and then in another second it’s as if it was never even there. Speaking to him makes Sora feel brittle, like there’s something chipping away inside him trying to get out.

When he looks at him, he feels like he’s losing something.

And then there’s the younger Xehanort, who’s been following him since the sleeping worlds. Who led him so easily so deep into the darkness he barely found his way out. Who keeps saying things to him as if there’s a secret both of them are supposed to be in on. Who seems to know just what to say to get under his skin.

When he looks at him, he feels like he’s missing something.

Xehanort’s new Organization XIII is frustrating in a way the original one never was. And it doesn’t help that time Sora feels like he’s playing catch-up, always a few steps behind of whatever it is they have planned.

It’s as if he’s chasing after coattails, always just out of reach. Like any actual progress he’s made is just playing along with what they have planned.

But maybe that’s just paranoia talking. Kairi would tell him that he’s just being silly after what happened in the sleeping worlds. Riku would tell him it wasn’t like him to sweat the small stuff.

And they’d both be right, but still.

But still.

   -

   This is the moment they’ve been waiting for, the moment they’ve been training for. The final battle, and they may not have 7 lights but Xehanort doesn’t have his 13th vessel either. Two incomplete sides, but it’s something. They’re here, and they’re ready.

And this time when they win, it’ll be for good.

All together, one last time.

   -

   It’s almost funny how quickly it all falls apart.

   -

    First Lea, then Donald, Goofy, and Mickey –gone, stolen, by a wave of heartless. Then Kairi, ripped away just as he reaches out to save her.

Then finally, always there, always trying so hard to save him, Riku. Sora doesn’t remember when his legs gave out beneath him, when something cold and dark curled up inside and told him this whole thing was pointless before it even ended.

He doesn’t know any of that, what he knows is that everyone but him and Riku are gone, and Riku’s standing in front of him trying to save him as if he’s worth anything more than he is.

And then he’s gone, everyone’s gone –his friends, the organization. It’s just him and this cold empty world.

The world falls apart, and Sora falls with it.

 (Sora has spent so long relying on other people, of finding all his strength in them, he doesn’t know what to do without them. Doesn’t know if can do anything without them.

If he’s being honest, he’s not even sure if he wants to find out if he can.

He can’t do this alone.

He can’t make himself believe he’s strong enough to do this alone.)

        He’s scared.

[skybound-destiny]

Memories

Here you can find an archive of memories, as well as my relationship with other characters from my world. I’m currently not actively searching for canonmates (in fact I’m a little worried about trying to), but who knows? Maybe you hold the missing links in my chain of memories? (im sorry)

Memories will be listed by game order for convenience! Games where Sora doesn’t appear will be omitted for...obvious reasons.

Please remember that I don’t have the best memory, even in this life! I may forget to add memories to this archive, but when I remember, I’ll add them!

Currently, my memories go up to KH3, and are relatively canon-consistent!

BBS

KH1

I had shorter, more messy-than-spiky hair. Instead of a jumpsuit I wore a darker red shirt & shorts, and my jacket’s sleeves were black instead of white.

After closing the door and Destiny Islands begins to return to the world of light, I told Kairi that I’d always be with her. She told me that this was a promise.

COM

KH2

When I fought Roxas, I could feel that he felt...hurt, for lack of a better term. I didn’t want to fight him, even if I didn’t really know him. I tried to tell him we didn’t have to fight, but he kept going at me. The battle wasn’t won with a simple summoning trick - he was too smart to allow for that I think. If we want to talk traditionally, I technically didn’t “defeat” him either. I just had to break through to him that I felt his pain and that I wasn’t going to fight him anymore. If I actually tried to continue fighting him, I’m sure I would’ve lost. I wonder what would’ve happened then?

Post KH2

I always wondered what happened to someone when they’re in someone else’s heart, and would sit around trying to figure out if there’s a way to contact Roxas. As far as I know...these attempts were fruitless.

DDD

My first dreameater was a deep red Meow-wow named Jellybean!

KH3

Xehanort may have stolen my light when I faced him, but when he truly stole my light was when he struck Kairi. I don’t even know if I can describe how furious I was, how I was ready to do whatever it takes to show him the same pain he had me go through, ever since the first time I lost her. I really thought she was gone. I was uncharacteristically vengeful, it was probably easy for him to take my light when he did - the form left behind could be described as the embodiment of all that anger...when I took it out on him and finally regained my ‘light’, I realized just how terrifying it was - had I been doing that the whole time? I don’t remember. The look of horror on Donald & Goofy’s faces...I don’t want to fall to darkness ever again.

Re:Mind

I finally know why I remember wings, and have always associated feathered wings with Sora & Kairi! While I don’t have a specific memory I can recall for the moment, when I saw them do that move in-game it resonated with me I guess.

- - -

Technical Memories

These are memories that have to do more with how the world around me worked, rather than specific events!

Potions were topical, rather than ingested. They’d sting like hand sanitizer, but they sped up the healing process like, well, magic!

Ethers were like some sort of magic energy drink (instead of geometry lol). Not entirely sure since I’ve never actually had an energy drink. They tasted sweet & fruity, and were almost syrupy in texture.

You could tell when I had just recovered from a fight, as I’d be covered in green-soaked bandages, haha.

- - -

Relations

How I felt about characters around me in my canon! If I’m missing any, that just means I don’t remember any memories with specifically them in it yet!

Kairi - A close friend of mine ever since she ended up on the islands. Maybe that’s an understatement, she was my light. Thinking of her always pushed me forward!

Riku - My best friend from the islands! We were close, but more like brothers. We were always competing with one another, but he always supported me when the going got rough.

Donald - He may be loud and sound harsh, but he means well! Despite all the memes in this life, he was the reason I’d be covered in bandages after every battle. Even if I tried to assure him I could shrug off a wound, he’d insist on trying to heal me!

Goofy - Goofy always brought a smile to my face, with his corny jokes and overall silliness. If I was feeling down, he was there to tell me I could succeed.

Roxas - I always felt really bad about Roxas’ situation. I kinda felt like I was getting in the way of, well, his entire existence. Seeing him finally be able to reunite with his friends finally lifted that weight off my heart - maybe even more literally, haha. As I remember now, I see him as that brother I never knew I had.

Roxas currently comes off as really serious & a bit aggressive, but that’s probably because the only memory I have so far of him is the fight against him (KH2). He was a lot less magic-based in that fight, instead opting for a relentless barrage of physical close combat.

Vanitas - Something about him - it’s just so strange to see a dark reflection of yourself. He claimed that he chose to be darkness, but it just didn’t seem all that right. I don’t know if it was Xehanort’s influence or if he really did get to choose for himself. Wherever he is now, I hope he’s been able to move past this and finally get to make his own path, to make his own choice.

Xehanort - Whatever drove him to do what he did, I wonder if he’s been able to reflect on the damage he’s caused and realized what he did hurt many, many people...I really want to believe that anyone can change for the better, and I hope that he has taken a brighter path.

Data Sora - I don’t remember meeting him yet, but every time I see him I think: It’s he!! The boy!! Look at the little guy go!!!