#its great this chapter and the last one have me LOVE writing for Kairi

[minijenn]

Random Keys to the Kingdom Preview :P

Because Sokai angst ahahahah also because I swear I’m going rapid and this chapter is 100% the reason why. So enjoy going rapid if me if that’s your scene lol

***

Sora let out something of a disgruntled scoff at this, hating the thought of being helpless or immobilized in any sense, especially like this where he couldn’t even move without being overwhelmed by indescribable agony. “How much time are we talking about here?” he asked, a bit harsher than he had meant to. “A few hours, days--if worse really comes to worst?” 

Everyone exchanged a diffident glance, none of them certain on how to break the rather unfortunate news to him, especially given how poorly he was taking the details of his current condition alone. But in the end, Kairi was ultimately the one to step up to speak the truth, knowing that he deserved it, as much as he certainly wouldn’t like it. “Um, actually…” she began nervously. “It’s… looking like it might be more like… weeks.”

“Weeks?!” On impulse alone, Sora made yet another sudden, panicked attempt at sitting up, only to collapse back onto the bed with a shout of equal pain and frustration alike. Yet this time, he didn’t stop trying, much to the shared alarm of the others as most of them rushed in to stop him, even despite his feeble efforts at pushing back against them. “No, no way! I-I can’t be down and out for weeks! It’s not happening!”

“Stop being stubborn!” Donald scolded firmly. “You need to stay put and rest so you get better!”

“No, what I need is to get up so we can get back out there and start looking for the Keys again!” Sora protested through gritted teeth, clearly struggling to simply pull himself upright at this point. “We’re already wasted enough time with this whole mess as it is! If we just sit around here for weeks on end doing nothing, then the Organization is just gonna get even more of them on top of the one they already have!”

“A-and if we do leave with you poisoned like this, then the Organization might just end up doin’ even worse than that!” Goofy reasoned with a fretful frown. 

“S-so?” Sora argued fiercely, though it was quickly becoming clear that whatever little strength he had left was sharply waning against the poison-induced pain pounding through his veins. “A-after what I’ve just been through, the Organization is nothing! And if they even try to mess with us again, then I’ll just-”

“Stop!” Kairi suddenly shouted, forcing Sora to finally be still again as she placed a hand against his chest and pushed him back down onto the bed. “Just stop it! You’re not going anywhere until you’re completely healed and that’s final!”

As caught off guard by her sudden severity as he was, Sora wasn’t so surprised that he didn’t still have it in him to dispute her demands. “What--Kairi, you can’t just-”

“Yes, I can,” she hissed, glaring down at him authoritatively. “You aren’t thinking clearly, Sora. You almost died and you just… want to go running right back into danger even though you can’t even run at all! But I will not stand by again just to watch you nearly lose everything all over again. Which is exactly you’re staying right here until I think you’re well enough to leave and I will not hear any sort of arguing about it. Do you understand?”

A long bout of uncertain, uncomfortable silence filled the entire room at this, none of the others daring to interject between the two as they stared each other down fiercely, neither of them seeming to budge from their firm stances whatsoever. But when Sora remained stubbornly silent, Kairi wasted no time in pressing her previous question upon him once again. “I said, do you understand, Sora-”

“Yes,” he answered, surprisingly immediate. And yet, he didn’t meet her gaze at all as he did, instead, glaring in the exact opposite direction as he quietly reiterated his response. “I understand.”

“Good,” Kairi nodded, before looking back to the group who had been watching their heated exchange intently. Now that most of her anger had fizzled out, she couldn’t deny she felt somewhat ashamed for how harshly she had treated Sora, especially considering his current circumstances. And yet, she still stood by what she had said; because if he had no intentions of protecting himself, then she would just have to do it for him. “Um… you should get some rest,” she said to Sora with a tired sigh, though as she did she motioned to the others to take their leave. They did so solemnly, some of them sending quiet well wishes Sora’s way, none of which he bothered to return. Kairi followed the procession, though she did linger in the doorway for just a moment, not to offer him the apology she really wanted to, but to say something that meant far less instead. “I-I’ll be back to check on you soon.”

“I thought you were going to stay with me,” Sora said quietly, his voice and expression both largely unreadable as he finally looked at her once more. 

And as she returned his gaze, Kairi couldn’t help but feel that familiar spark of frustration, mingled with perhaps the slightest bit of pity, brimming up inside her. Because even though she had indeed made a promise to him, she felt no obligation to keep that promise if he wasn’t willing to at least meet her halfway. “And I thought you would be more careful,” was all she said before she walked out and closed the door behind her.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

This is probably a strange question since KH is already a crossover in and of itself, but... KH-Crossovers you'd love? XD Not limited to Disney or any medium in particular btw :)

Fun question!

Hmm... Off the top of my head? Things that I love, because I’m selfish like that. Haha. Something like Inception comes to mind (and I’ve actually written a KH and Inception crossover. Though it would never entirely work out, but shh). But they lend themselves well to each other. Mainly because DDD was clearly inspired by Inception. What?

The Mortal Instruments, Percy Jackson, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as I think all three of them would mesh well with KH. Also, Dark Angel (and a lot of Fox shows, like Dark Angel and Tru Calling), because again with the selfishness. Also, Fox movies. More on some of that later.

Edit: ABC shows, like Alias and LOST, as they’re mystery box stories like KH.

W.I.T.C.H. Gargoyles too, though I barely remember it.

Kilala Princess, probably. And perhaps Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey (at least the villain from it would be great for KH).

I know there are some companies out there who have adapted fairytales that Disney already has. And it would be cool to see their take on them in KH. In my Namiku multi-chapter story--that I’ll sadly never finish--this was going to be a thing. There was something wrong with Kingdom Hearts, so the characters would go to a world and be like, “Wait... I know this is supposed to be Cinderella’s world, but something is off about it.” But that could also work with things like Once Upon a Time and the new Disney live-action movies.

That being said: Once Upon a Time.

National Treasure... that could actually potentially be in KH (as a few on these list could be), but I doubt it ever will be. So I might as well include it. Enchanted, too.

Phantom of the Opera or Phantom of the Megaplex. Preferably the former.

Some DCOMS Pixel Perfect and Disney Channel shows, tbh. Kim Possible!

I think people, like Shire Folk, who have written the characters with Digimon are on point.

Things like Soul Eater... and probably other animes, Square Enix made or not.

Syfy Alice, because it’s my favorite version of Alice in Wonderland.

Pokémon. Because I think Ash and Sora have a lot in common, of course (perhaps also Misty and Kairi, and somewhat SoKai and Pokeshipping). And because, as weird as it is to say... in the first game, where they made a big deal about the Keyblade choosing its master and choosing Sora (and it was very much sentient), the bond that Sora made with his Keyblade (that eventually chose him over Riku) somewhat reminded me of Ash and Pikachu’s journey. To a lesser extent, of course. But still.

Square Enix worlds...

I don’t think I want a “Beauty and the Beast & the Enchanted Christmas” world per se, but I want a Forte boss fight, somehow and some way.

Winx Club.

A crossover with Clamp could be interesting. Especially since Tsubasa and KH are so similar.

I’m down for the Muppets and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to be cameos.

Anastasia and Titan A.E.

Tales of Vesperia or something? Just because I once made a manip of Estelle and Naminé together, and someone commented that that wasn’t a bad crosier idea and I kind of agreed?

It would never happen in a million years, for so many reasons, but A Song of Ice and Fire could be interesting. They’re both fantasy theories that keep you guessing, with a lot of theory crafting in both.

People have often theorized what KH would be like if it had been Nickelodeon or something. LOL People say “Spongebob would have taken on Mickey’s role”, and I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing what could be done with a Nickeloden crossover, a Cartoon Network one, or what have you.

Grimm’s Fairytales, maybe? Or even the show Grimm? -shrugs-

I could maybe give the Star Wars, Marvel, and Indiana Jones ideas a try...

Roswell?

Tenchi could be interesting... The sword from that/Master Key reminds me of the Keyblade, somewhat.

Madoka Magica?

Sabrina: The Teenage Witch? I have no freaking clue. But I’ve been rewatching episodes of that show on some week nights lately, so it’s on my mind.

Firefly could probably work, and I am trying to write that. And parts of Dollhouse would lend itself beautifully to KH.

Oh. Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Danny Phantom.

People have been saying stuff like Naruto for years, and I agree.

I also wouldn’t say no to DC. I once wrote a Smallville and KH crossover once, but that was wish-fulfillment. I don’t know how much it would actually work. Haha.

Static Shock. Teen Titans and/or Young Justice. Batman Beyond.

I’m also someone who thinks a High School Musical could work, and would like to see it. XD. I once wrote a KHxHSM crossover, and at least one reviewer seemed to think I handled it pretty well. So it can be done, imo. .

..Maybe even things like Boy Meets World, even though it shouldn’t work. But ever since the fandom joked that Jason Marsden will be announced for KH, and then the fandom will war over whether he’s voicing Max Goof, Noel Kreiss, or Kovu, and I added on that, “You guys are forgetting Eric’s friend on Boy Meets World. Don’t forget that Boy Meets World is Disney owned”, I’ve weirdly been thinking of Boy Meets World in KH. Mostly as a joke. But meh.

Perhaps “I am Number Four”...

Oh! Harry Potter! Duh! People have been doing that for years, and it works.

People have also written Fullmetal Alchemist/KH crossovers, I think. And I haven’t seen FMAB yet (for shame, I know. It’s been on my list for ages, and hopefully I’ll get to it soon), from what I know of it, I love the idea.

The Kingdom Keepers series would probably be good for KH, even though I haven’t read it yet. Descendants?

Phineas and Ferb!

I’ll just add Sailor Moon, because. Actually, you know what? Sailor Pluto’s staff was pretty much the first Keyblade. So it works and works well.

And why am I now imagining things like NCIS and Castle? IDK.

Hocus Pocus!

And can we get Rinoa in the series, already?

Wizards of Waverly Place. Maybe not as a world, but something. I think that exploring what went wrong with Jerry, Kelbo, and Megan’s relationship could be a good warning for Sora, Riku, and Kairi, perhaps. And there are other things you could, too. To a lesser extent: Phil of the Future and That’s So Raven. Again, they probably wouldn’t work as worlds (maybe cameos). But I think there are interesting things there the games could use. Like, “Oh, you can time travel, Xehanorts? Well, let me hop in my friends’ the Diffy’s time machine and beat you at your own game.” Or, “You can see the future Master of Masters, so can my friend Raven.”

Doctor Who.

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.

Moana.

This is everything that I can think of right now...

I also think it would be fun to add in little cameos, like Proud Snacks from the Proud Family.

Edit: I want Max Goof in this series.

Edit 2: Oh! The Swan Princess and Quest for Camelot!

Edit 3: Hanna Barbara and Paramount’s monster movies could be a good idea.

Edit 4: Studio Ghibli!

[actress4him]

So, this isn’t DoD related, but some of my readers ( @nevquariel and @coolmegan123 , specifically) were interested in hearing more about the other KH project I have in the works. As I mentioned in the comments of my last post, I started writing it while editing Sorrow’s Promise, and have dabbled with it off and on since then, though not for a while. I’m not sure when it will get finished and posted, I may take a break from KH for a little bit after I finish DoD, but we’ll see.

This story is multi-chap but stand alone, not a series. It’s really unlike anything else I’ve written. I generally stick with at least partially canon-verse in my fanfiction, but this one is definitely an AU, and not just by being canon-divergent or having an original character. Nope, this is set in a completely different world, in my own, made-up era, and only the characters (and a few fun parallels to canon here and there) stay the same. I’ve tried to keep everyone in character as much as possible, though Sora is the most changed just because of his circumstances. We see more of the real Sora in the flashbacks at the beginning of every chapter.

TL;DR, aka the tagline for the story - 

In which Sora is Roxas, Xemnas is a mobster, Kairi is an actual princess, Axel is everyone's slightly unstable big brother, and Riku just wants to fix his mistakes...but what's new about that?

Starring Sora and Riku, with Axel and Naminé in primary support roles, Xion, Kairi, and Saix in secondary support roles, and pretty much every other KH character you can think of as the ensemble.

And now, because I love to spoil you guys, a sneak peek at chapter 1, below the cut. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

Sora stumbled off of the train car and into Central Station, bumping right into Riku's back.  The older boy had halted in his path and was gazing around at the grand building, and Sora followed suite, eyes wide with wonder.  There were so many people everywhere.  They had never encountered a crowd quite like this one back at home.

As they began moving forward again, Sora reached out and clung to Riku's shirt, afraid that they might get separated.  Soon they found themselves being swept out the front door and into the sunshine of Twilight Town.  We made it.  We're actually here.

“Where do we go now?” 

Riku glanced back at Sora, scratching the back of his head.  “Uh...why don't we just walk around for a while, get a feel for the place?”  To anyone else, he would have sounded like he knew exactly what he was talking about. Only Sora had known him for long enough to detect the hint of nervousness in his voice.

“Yeah, okay.”  Sora swallowed, trying not to feel too nervous, himself.  This is what we wanted, remember?  A new town, new people...anything but what we had.   

Riku led the way through the unfamiliar streets, pointing out various shops that they passed along the way, obviously doing his best to make them both feel at ease. Sora tried his best to relax and enjoy the sights, but his rumbling stomach wasn't doing much to help in that area.   

“Can we get something to eat? I'm starving.”

Riku stopped walking and turned to face Sora, a frown on his face.  “Well, we don't have a lot of munny left.”  Digging the pouch out of his pocket, he tugged it open and peered inside.  “The train tickets cost more than I thought they would.  So, we can get food, but only a little, okay? We've still got to figure out where we're gonna sleep tonight, too.”

Sora nodded.  “Yeah, I'm really tired.”  He stretched his arms above his head and yawned as if to prove the point. Laughing, Riku knocked Sora on the head.  “I told you you should've slept on the train.”

They started to head into a nearby cafe, but were interrupted by someone calling out, “Hey, kids!”

Wrinkling his nose, Sora turned to see a couple of older teens, one with bright red hair and one with blue, walking towards them.  “Are you talking to us?” he asked, pointing to his chest.

“We're not kids.”  Riku crossed his arms and glared at the newcomers.

“Right, right.”  The redhead waved his hands apologetically.  “I'm sure you're much older and tougher than you look.”

“I'm Isa, and this is Lea,” the one with the long, blue hair and a strange scar between his eyes spoke up.   

“You can call me Axel,” the redhead countered.

Riku studied them for a moment longer before dropping his arms.  “Riku.  That's Sora.”

“Great.  Look, we couldn't help but overhear a little of your conversation,” Axel commented.  “You guys new to town?”

“Just got here,” Sora piped up.

“Where are you from?” Isa questioned.

Riku shook his head.  “Doesn't matter.  We're never going back there.”

Axel and Isa exchanged a look that Sora couldn't read before Axel spoke again.  “Listen, if you're looking for something to eat and somewhere to stay, we know a place. There's this guy we work for, along with a bunch of others just like you, and he lets us all sleep and eat at his place, too.  It's a pretty good deal...a bit of work for him, in exchange for a bed and free meals.”  He smiled earnestly and looked each of the boys in the eye.  “What do you think, sound good?”

Sora cut his eyes over to Riku.  It sounded great to him, but as the oldest, Riku was always the one to make the decisions.  He could tell his friend was mulling over the offer.  Finally he nodded to Sora, then smiled at the two older boys. “Sounds good.  Lead the way.”

.o.0.O.0.o.

“Hey.  Wake up, sleeping beauty.”   

A hand was pummeling Sora's head down into his pillow.  Instinctively, his fist shot out and made contact with something hard, prompting a stream of curses from the human alarm clock.  Much more awake now, Sora rolled over, shaking his hand and glaring at Axel, who had retreated to his own bunk across the narrow room to whimper and rub his jaw.

“Serves you right,” Sora growled. 

“Hey, I'm just trying to do you a favor and keep you out of trouble.”  Axel gestured towards the rest of the bunks with the hand that wasn't holding his face.  “You're the last one up.  Again.  They're not gonna be serving breakfast for much longer.”

Groaning, Sora pried himself up off the hard mattress and fumbled for his black boots underneath the bed.  A moment later, he was up and shuffling sleepily towards the door.   

“You know, a 'thank you' wouldn't kill you!” Axel called after him.

The thought of food was enough to prod Sora into a jog as he made his way down first one stark white hallway, then another.  When he finally reached the mess hall, the usual din of clanging plates and murmuring voices met his ears.  Axel had been right, everyone else was already here. Hurrying over to the kitchen window, Sora cleared his throat to catch the attention of the server.  The response was a side eye, a snarl, then thankfully, a piece of bread and a spoonful of mush slapped onto a plate and shoved across the counter towards him.  Sora breathed a sigh of relief.  Just in the nick of time.  I really should thank Axel later.   

As Sora turned to look for a place to sit, he found himself face to, well, chest with one of his least favorite people in the world.  He lifted his chin to meet Marluxia's stare with a scowl.  “What do you want?” 

“Heard you had issues in Agrabah yesterday.”  The tall, muscular man shook his pink mane.   

“What's it to you if I did?”   

“Personally, I'm hoping that means you'll get kicked off that mission and I'll get it instead.”  This comment came from Larxene, who had walked up just out of range of Sora's peripheral vision.  He whirled around to glare at her instead.  “I'm getting really tired of Wonderland, after all,” she continued, chewing idly on a piece of bread.   

Sora's eyes narrowed.  Wait, that bread... It only took him a second to make the connection.  “Give it back, Larxene!”  He lunged forward to snatch it out of her mouth, not even caring that she had contaminated it.   

She ran a few steps back, smirking.  “Come and get it!”

He would have done exactly that, had he not felt a pull at the plate in his hand. Marluxia had a hold of it, and though Sora was pretty strong, he was no match for those muscles.  The older man wrenched it out of his grasp in a matter of seconds.  Gritting his teeth, Sora gave up the mush for lost and chose to go after Larxene instead, hoping to salvage whatever bread might be left.  He ran straight into her, tackling her to the floor.   

Before either of them could get in any punches, however, a loud voice rang out across the room.  “No fighting!”   

Eyes going wide, Sora scrambled off of the blonde and stumbled away as fast as he could.  No crust of bread was worth getting punished for fighting. His stomach wasn't exactly sure it agreed, however.  It protested its emptiness harshly enough to make him grimace as he sank down to the floor in an empty corner of the room, watching with clenched fists as Marluxia and Larxene sauntered away to find their next unsuspecting victim.

“Here.”  Sora had been so engrossed in his anger that he hadn't even noticed Axel enter the room and plop down next to him.  “Take this.  It's from last night.  I was saving it for later, but you need it more than I do.”

Sora stared down at the proffered food for a moment, then turned his head away.  “I don't need you to take care of me.”

Axel sighed loudly.  “No, I know you don't.  But you also don't need to go out in the field today not having eaten since yesterday morning.  I'm well aware that you didn't get dinner last night because of whatever went wrong in Agrabah.”

“It's not my fault that some towns actually have decent government in place.” Sora shook his head slightly.  “People see somebody like us skulking around, they tell the authorities.  I'm lucky I saw them coming and got out of there without being questioned or imprisoned.”

“Yeah, you are. I know it's unfair, Rox, you don't have to tell me that.”  Catching sight of the daggers that Sora was shooting from his eyes, Axel put up a hand in apology for the name blunder.  “I mean Sora, sorry. Now would you just take the food?  Neither of us really want to know what the penalty is for passing out and not making it back from a mission.”

Sora snatched the small bundle out of his hand with a grunt.  “Fine.”  The food wasn't much, but it would certainly be better than nothing.  Maybe, if he was lucky, he could pilfer an apple or something while on the job later.  “Thanks,” he mumbled with his mouth full.

“No problem.” Axel ran a hand over his wild red hair, the flattened spikes immediately popping back up into place.  “Try to play it cool with Saix when you see him.  Confident, like you know you're capable of doing the job, but not too cocky.  He'll probably dock you down to something more menial than territory expansion, but you'd better not show him one speck of attitude about it or...”

“Or I'll regret it, I know the drill.”  Sora finished off the food and licked a crumb from his finger.  “You ready?  Might as well get it over with.”

“Yeah.”  Axel pushed himself up to his feet, then held out a mass of black fabric. “Here, I brought these.  You forgot yours in your rush.”

Grunting his thanks, Sora took the cloak and fastened it around his neck.  On the other side of the room, most of the other soldiers, as they were unofficially called, were already lining up to receive their assignments.  When his turn came, Sora stepped in front of Saix, meeting his cold gaze but trying his best to keep his own expression neutral.   

“Roxas.” Saix's eyes flicked down to the clipboard in his hand, then back up to Sora's.  “Debt collection.  Twilight Town, east side.”

Sora blinked, the familiarity of that name sending a jolt through his brain, but forced himself to nod stiffly and pull his hood up over his face.   

“You don't need a portal for Twilight Town,” Saix sneered after a moment of silence.  Sora glanced back up at him, and he pointed to the door. “Go.”

Right. Nodding silently again, Sora stepped out of line and headed back across the room and out the door.  So, this really was more punishment.  Not only was he stuck with his least favorite task of debt collection, but he had also been relegated to the town that was so close by, you could walk to it rather than being sent by portal. A fabulous trek on a nearly empty stomach.

In another half hour, the walls of Twilight Town came into view, with the clock tower in the center of town poking out up above.  That jolt ran through him once again.  Several years ago, when they had first joined The Organization, he and Riku had often worked Twilight Town together.  But that had been a long time ago, back before they had gotten promoted to bigger and better locations.  On occasion after that, each of them would work a shift here, but Sora had not been back in a while.  Not since Riku...

Shaking his head violently, Sora stamped out those thoughts before they could fully materialize.  Stick with the present.  Dwelling on the past never gets you anywhere.  With a sigh, he walked through the gates of the city and surveyed the quiet streets.  Well, this munny isn't going to collect itself.

DO NOT REPOST OR REBLOG WITHOUT CREDIT!

[maddrmatt]

Kairi’s Epic Journey: The Quest for Sora

New to this fanfic? Click here to properly begin!

Chapter 6: Kairi’s Letter of Departure #1: Destiny Islands

Destiny Islands

Dear Sora,

I have the most wonderful news!  After seven months of trying to find a way to bring you back, I believe I’ve finally found it.  And would you believe it came to me in a dream?

After having the worst nightmare of all time, I was visited in my dream by a mysterious woman who gave me this strange talisman that looks like a Wayfinder.  She told me it would guide me to where I needed to be.  And where I need to be is with you.

She did imply that there was something I needed to do first to help you although she didn’t tell me exactly what it was. But I’ll do anything to bring you home.

I wish she had been clearer in her instructions. Mostly, I wish I knew who she really was.  But in spite of that, there was something about her that made me believe she could be trusted.

You probably would have done the same thing if she offered to help you.  You always were the best judge of character knowing who was truly good, even when they were being manipulated into doing the wrong thing.

Anyway, with this Wayfinder in my possession, I know I’ll find you.

That’s the good news.  Unfortunately, I also have some bad news to tell you.

One month ago, the others decided to suspend the search for you.  They might as well have said they were giving up completely. Even Riku, Donald and Goofy went along with it and they were the ones I always thought would never stop searching for you.  I haven’t spoken to any of them since.

I don’t know.  Maybe I’m being too harsh on them.  But I just can’t believe after everything you’ve done for them; they’d do something like this.

So, I’m the only one coming for you.  Aside from Pluto, who has been staying with me this past month and has offered to come along with me.  

This is probably how it was meant to be.  You’re only where you are because of my uselessness during the Keyblade War.  It’s only fitting that I should be the one to bring you home.  And when I do, the others will surely see that they were wrong and apologize.  Then everything will be as it should.

Hang in there, Sora.  Hopefully, it won’t be too long before we’re together again and I can see that wonderful smile of yours that always touches my heart.  And when we come home together, I have something special to show you.

See you soon,

Kairi

________________________________________________________________

(Mood Music: Candle on the Water by Helen Reddy from Pete’s Dragon)

Sitting on the beach of the Play Island, with the last stroke of her pen, Kairi finished her letter.  After reading it over once, she found it to her satisfaction, so she prepared to send it off.

Setting the letter aside and reaching into her knapsack, she pulled out a bottle.  This was no ordinary bottle, however.  It had been magically enchanted by Donald to be unbreakable with its label waterproof. It also had a very special feature so she would always have one on hand.

“Copy!” she declared.

The bottle glowed for a brief moment and in an instant, an exact duplicate appeared in her other hand.  After placing one of them back in her knapsack, she uncorked the one she kept, rolled up the letter and stuffed it inside.

After writing Sora’s name on the label, she walked up to the shore.  Kneeling down, she dropped the bottle into the water and it slowly drifted away toward the horizon.  As she watched it leave, she recalled the first time she sent a letter in a bottle to Sora.

‘I could barely recall Sora’s name then, so the letter was unsigned.  And against all odds, it found him in the Realm of Darkness.  Even more amazing, him just reading it opened the Door to Light and brought him and Riku home.  It was a miracle.’

Kairi grabbed onto the Wayfinder and looked at it in her hand.  “I know I was hoping for the same miracle to happen.  But if this leads me to Sora, then I’ll gladly take a different one. But even if my letters can’t bring him home, I can at least let him know that I’m on my way to him.  That is, if they’re even getting to him.’

Then a sudden thought ran through her head.  ‘I wonder if, this time, I should have signed it, ‘Love, Kairi’.’

Ever since she started sending her letters out, Kairi had entertained the notion of signing them that way.  But then she remembered exactly why she hadn’t done so.

‘No.  The first time he hears that word from me, it will be with my voice and not from my pen.’

She then turned to the left and gazed up to where the paopu tree was.  She recalled the moment that they shared their paopu fruits and bound their destinies together.  Even if what followed was nothing but tragedy, it was still a memory she would treasure forever.  

Still, there was a couple of things that could have made that moment even better.

‘That probably would have been the right moment for us to tell each other just how much we cared for each other.  Maybe we could have even had our first kiss.  It was a great moment for it so why didn’t we go there?  Especially if it could’ve been the last truly good moment we’d ever share,’ Kairi pondered.

She let out a sigh.  ‘Then again, maybe it wasn’t the best time for all that especially with the battle with Xehanort the next day.  And even if we had, it probably wouldn’t have made what happened after any less painful.’

She heard a whimper and looked to her side. Pluto had nuzzled up to her.  In response, she gave him a pat on the head.

‘Well, there’s no use dwelling on what we didn’t do. It’s time to focus on what needs to be done now.’

With a gesture of her hand, Destiny’s Embrace appeared in it.  It was the first time she had summoned her Keyblade since that day at the Land of Departure.  She had feared that when she had tossed it at Riku’s feet, the Keyblade would have renounced her as its wielder.  Thankfully, she was wrong.

“Pluto, you’re my witness to this.”

Pluto gave a confused whimper as he watched Kairi plant her Keyblade teeth first into the sand.  Gripping the handle with both of her hands, she knelt down and faced out toward the horizon.

“I, Kairi, Princess of Heart and Wielder of the Keyblade, make this oath to myself.  I promise that the next time I set foot on this island or even in this world, Sora will be with me.  I will not return until I find him and bring him home. And when I do, I promise that I will let him know the full depths of my feelings for him.  I will keep this oath with my entire body, soul and heart.”

Pluto let out a bark.  Kairi laughed.

“Glad you approve.”

Raising to her feet, Kairi took in one last look at her surroundings.  She didn’t know how long it would be before she would see the Destiny Islands again. But when she returned with Sora, they would once again feel like home.

‘Okay.  It’s time,’ she thought as she took the Wayfinder into her hand

“Pluto, better get close to me.  I don’t know what’s going to happen when I use this thing.”

Pluto nodded and positioned himself alongside Kairi on the right side.  Using his unusually prehensile tail, he wrapped it around her right ankle.  He let out a bark to let her know that she could proceed.

With a nod of approval to the dog, Kairi then followed her mysterious benefactor’s instructions.  Holding the Wayfinder to her chest and thereby her heart, she closed her eyes and focused her will on it.

‘Take me to where I need to be.’

A few moments passed, until Pluto started to bark. Kairi opened her eyes and looked downward.  She gasped.

A pool of ethereal light was spreading outward from beneath her feet.  It continued to grow until it formed a circle around the girl and the dog.  Suddenly, the edges erupted skyward causing them to be surrounded in a vertical tunnel of light.

Then an odd sensation came over the two.  Even though it still felt like they were still standing on solid ground, Kairi and Pluto felt as if they were rising into the sky.

Looking up, Kairi saw the countless stars that dotted the sky.  She was a little nervous as she continued to clutch the Wayfinder to her heart.  But she banished the nerves away by remembering what this was all for.

Her epic journey, her quest for Sora, had truly begun.

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Onto the next chapter!

[videogametim]

The Best (Not 2018) Games I Played in 2018

It’s getting closer to the time of the year where I write my GOTY list, but evidently those aren’t the only games that I played during the past year. I’d like to take some time to gush about some of the games I really enjoyed and had missed until now. 

Divnity: Original Sin II

Divinity: Original Sin II has two things it really exceeds at doing, the first of which is a strong sense of creative freedom. In the narrative there are plenty of opportunities to make meaningful choices and lots of dialogue choices to go with them. There’s a whole pile of different selectable skills and character background options that affect dialogue and help cater your adventure to the type of character you are trying to build. 

However, where this creative freedom really shines is during combat. There are plenty of battle skills that amplify each other and allow your player character (and party) to be as over powered as you can imagine. For example, one particular combo features two abilities from different classes called Rupture Tendons (a Scoundrel skill) and Chicken Claw (a Metamorph skill). Chicken Claw turns the target enemy into a Chicken that spends its turns running around senselessly. Rupture Tendons is a skill that causes enemies to take damage whenever they move. On top of combinations like that, there’s also a whole host of elemental spells and hazards (Oil, Fire, Poison, Water, Earth, Lightning, ice, etc.) that all work together in some way (e.g. Fire ignites Oil, Water puts out Fire and creates Steam, etc.)

What’s more, while each AI party member has classes they are inclined to build around, you can tell any of them to build however you like if you have a certain build in mind. This really serves to encourage replayability despite the game taking me 100 hours to beat. 

With the exception of one chapter in particular that wasn’t much fun, the game never felt like a slog. No area is too big for its own good, and there is plenty of fantastic writing sprinkled throughout. Every selectable party member is very compelling and wanting to see all their stories to their conclusion grants all the more reason to play the game again and try something new. 

Rez Infinite

Perhaps the driving force behind me picking up a VR headset this year was Rez Infinite. An HD remake of a psychadelic rail shooter from 2001 with VR support, Rez Infinite was really the game that solidified my purchase of a PSVR as a sound decision. 

Produced by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (producer of Space Channel 5, the Lumines series, and this year’s Tetris Effect), music is very much a core part of the experience. Each area’s music has a very different feel from the last and each track serves as a great backdrop to surfing through the cyber world, tilting your head to look around and shoot the enemies and massive bosses that fly at you. Also new to Infinite is the new Area X, which I still find to be one of the coolest VR experiences I have encountered thus far. I highly recommend anyone picking up a VR headset to make sure this game is on their list.

Enter the Gungeon

While still a very recent pickup of mine, I’m absolutely loving Enter the Gungeon. The last run-based/rogue-like/rogue-lite/THAT type of game that I was really into was the original release of The Binding of Isaac, and even that wasn’t on my mind as much as Gungeon currently is.

The gameplay is pretty straight forward top-down twin-stick shooter gameplay with a whole lot of bullet hell, so what really sets it apart is the whole [GUN] motif. Each level is a chamber, each elevator is shaped like a bullet, weapons and items are detailed in the Ammonomicon which you shoot open, your projectile clearing items are Blanks, etc. The sheer creativity present in most of the guns you find scratches that same itch I’ve been missing since Borderlands. I’ve only put about 6 hours into it thus far but I look forward to spending many more.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

This was also the year that I finally got around to playing Shovel Knight and I finally see what all the rage was about. Shovel Knight is nothing short of rock-solid platforming gameplay. Level design features varying degrees of difficulty but is ultimately fair, and most of the boss fights prove to be pretty fun. The world map is very reminisciant of Super Mario Bros. 3 even down to the occasional roaming characters (like THE BAZ) that appear and challenge you if you run into them. 

The overall story of the base game isn’t really much to write home about, but this is greatly imrpoved upon in the two expansions. Plague of Shadows, which features the boss Plague Knight as the playable character, has a fun/goofy story revolving around him and his assistant Mona defeating the other characters to steal their essence. It runs as an alternate timeline to the base game and in my opinion the best story of the three, though Plague Knight is unfortunately the most awkward one to play due to the need to constantly pause the action. 

Specter of Torment takes place before the main campaign, and has you playing as Specter Knight, visiting each area to recruit all the bosses who fight Shovel Knight in the base game. The story is once again a lot less light-hearted, but Specter Knight proves to be the most fun character to play thanks to certain abilities he can obtain, most notable the abilitiy to grind on surfaces with his scythe.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is an incredible package for anyone looking to grab a fantastic sidescrolling platformer and I’m really looking forward to the King Knight expansion coming next year.   

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Perhaps the game that surprised me most this year was Birth By Sleep. I started out playing it slowly over several months, and it wasn’t until I was at the end of the story for the first playable character, Terra, until it all finally clicked for me. After that I banged out the rest of the game in a couple of weeks. Now it easily sits as my favourite Kingdom Hearts game behind KHII. 

Like the other spinoff titles so far, BBS has a unique twist on its gameplay and this time it serves to reward experimentation. Your usual command menu is replaced with a rotating deck of equippable abilities that get put on cooldowns, rather than consume MP. This means that I spent a whole lot more time in even regular battles using fun magic and physical spells instead of constantly holding back in order to conserve MP for something more important. What’s more is these abilities can be levelled up and then fused into new more powerful abilities. This was also finally the game I did my first playthrough on Proud Mode, and boy did it not disappoint in making certain later bossfights incredibly difficult and satisfying to defeat. By the time I was done with the game, I was actually a little disappointed knowing that going forward, I probably wouldn’t be seeing these combat mechanics again. 

Like most Kingdom Hearts games, the overall story does get a little confusing to follow at times, but it offers a really interesting setting of the worlds before the events of KHI. It also really sold me on the three new characters of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua and I am as invested in them as I am in Sora, Riku, and Kairi going into the rest of the series. BBS does plenty of setup for the events that follow in the previous games and its fun to see the fanservice of certain characters when they were younger. 

BIrth By Sleep has really got me invested in Kingdom Hearts again, and I’m motivated to finally start the II.8 collection in preperation for KHIII finally coming out next month. 

Conclusion

I’m glad I had a lot of time to play some really great games this year, and I hope to finish the last few games I need to before writing my GOTY list. 

[maddrmatt]

Kairi’s Epic Journey: The Quest for Sora

New to this fanfic? Click here to properly begin!

Chapter 2: Guilt Revealed

Land of Departure, One Month Ago

Kairi ran toward the area where the Gummi Ships were parked.  Since the Keyblade War, she had learned how to pilot them.  And right now, she needed to get as far away as possible from the Land of Departure.

Heading for the Gummi Ship that belonged to her and Riku, she headed for the door and entered the security code to open it. But before she could enter, she heard a voice call, “Kairi!  Wait!”

She stopped in the doorway and turned to see Riku, Donald and Goofy running toward her.  They gave desperate looks of imploring to her.

“I have nothing to say to you, Riku.  Not to any of you.”

“Come back, Kairi.  I know you didn’t mean to say those things.  Just apologize and then we can talk about it some more,” said Riku.

“Apologize?  For what? Not wanting to give up on finding our best friend just because everyone else wants to?  I don’t think so,” said Kairi.

“We don’t know what everyone’s stance is on this. We didn’t hear everyone’s opinion,” said Donald.

“They weren’t exactly leaping to my defense either or believing me when I said I felt him out there.  I could see it in their eyes.  Everyone but me is giving up on him and that is unforgivable,” retorted Kairi.

“It’s not easy for us to do this, Kairi.  We don’t want to give up on him either. Sora’s one of our best friends. It’s just that there’s other things that need to be taken care of.  Terra, Aqua, and Ven need to pretty much start their lives over now since they’ve been gone for a long time,” said Goofy.

“Axel too.  And Roxas, Xion and Naminè need to adjust to finally being able to have lives of their own,” said Riku.

“And we have families and loved ones back at Disney Castle that we haven’t seen for a long time,” said Donald.

“You can’t blame them for that,” said Riku.

“Normally I wouldn’t.  But not when it means that you’re all going to go on with your lives and leave Sora all alone wherever he is.”  

“Kairi, please.  After six months with nothing to go on, we may have to be realistic and stop hoping for what may be the impossible,” said Riku although there was hesitance in his voice.

“Realistic?  If Sora had that attitude, he never would have done the greatest things he ever did. Like when you were hiding from him when you were stuck in the form of Ansem.  Sora would’ve gone through every world out there looking for you even though he had no real idea where to start.  And you and the others can’t even do the same.”

Kairi turned around to lean against the doorframe.  The tears began to drip faster.

“Don’t you see, Riku?  I’ve got to get him back.  It’s the only way to make it up to him.”  

Donald and Goofy were confused.  Riku, however, was struck with horror.  ‘Oh no.  Please not this.’

“What do you mean ‘make it up to him’?” asked Donald.

“What do I mean?  I’ll tell you what I mean!  My best friend, who means more to me than anything in the world, is gone and it was my fault!”

Riku, Donald and Goofy looked shocked at Kairi’s last statement.  “Kairi, what are you talkin’ about?  It wasn’t…” began Goofy before Kairi interrupted.

“Yes it was, Goofy!” she screamed before continuing in a calmer voice but one that was still riddled with pain and hurt.

“’The fire that feeds Sora’s anger.’  That’s what Isa, when he was Saïx, called me when I was being held in the Organization’s dungeon.  I hated the fact that they were using me to force Sora into doing what they wanted. Then when Riku gave me my Keyblade, I thought that this was my chance.  A chance to be more than someone who needed to be rescued all the time.  I wanted to be someone who Sora would be proud to have stand by his side and count on to keep him safe.  And then what happens?  I get kidnapped again and then a madman murders me to give Sora ‘motivation’. Then when he comes to save me and I think everything is going to be okay, he has to trade his own life so I could come back to an unbearable life without him.  So that’s it.  Sora’s gone and it’s all my fault,” said Kairi.

Riku, Donald and Goofy were absolutely stunned. Throughout the months of Sora’s absence, Kairi had not once indicated that she was feeling guilt over what happened. She had appeared to be okay.  But now it appeared that she had been simply putting on a brave front to hide how she was really feeling.

'All that extra training and studying and throughout it all, seeming to be completely alright.  How could I not have seen through it all when I feared she would blame herself?' thought Riku.

Kairi held up her hand and summoned Destiny’s Embrace.  “You know, I wish these things had never come to us and we wouldn’t have gotten involved at all.  That way, Sora would still be with us.”

Kairi then tossed away her Keyblade and it landed at the feet of Riku, Donald and Goofy.  They gazed sadly at it before it disappeared.

“Kairi, I…” began Riku.

“Just leave me alone, Riku.  If I’m the only one who’s willing to keep hoping for Sora’s return, then I don’t want anything to do with any of you.  So tell Master Yen Sid that he’s got one less Keyblade Wielder to worry about because I am out for good.”

Kairi then entered the Gummi Ship and the door closed behind her. Once she entered the cockpit, she began the takeoff sequence and the Gummi Ship took off.  Through her teary eyes, she gave a look of contempt to the Land of Departure down below.

‘They may be able to move on with their lives without him.  But I can’t and I won’t.’

________________________________________________________________

Destiny Islands, Present Day

(In-Universe Music: Don't Think Twice by Utada Hikaru playing on Kairi’s Gummi Phone)

The song on the Gummi Phone played on while Kairi continued to paint as Pluto watched her.  While she worked, she mulled over the thoughts of those final moments with her friends. She wasn’t even sure she could call them that anymore.  Having spent the last month not only feeling guilty for what happened to Sora but for lashing out at her friends like that, there had been times when she considered calling them and apologizing.  But until they admitted their own wrongs, she would withhold that apology.

Some of them had made attempts to talk to her over the last month either in person or through the Gummi Phone.  But the moment the conversation turned to the subject of moving on, she would immediately dismiss them.  Eventually, the attempts ceased.

Finally, she stopped painting.  She stepped backwards and beheld the now completed woodcarving.

It depicted a young man with spiky brown hair dressed in a black outfit with a young woman with red hair dressed in a pink outfit.  They were gazing into each other’s eyes and were holding each other’s hands.  A sunrise was behind them and a heart shape framed the picture.

“Well, Pluto, what do you think?  Did I do a good job?”

The dog walked up to her side.  He gave a look as if he was trying to comprehend what was in front of him. Finally, he gave a happy look and a happy bark.

In spite of herself, Kairi allowed a small giggle as she scratched the dog on his head.  Though Mickey was not currently among her favorite people, she was grateful to him for sending Pluto to stay with her.  He was a very good listener, a great comforter and he never told her what to do or how to feel.

“Do you think Sora will like it?”

Pluto once again barked in affirmative.

“I hope so too.  I started this to help keep my hope alive.  That he’d come back and then we would have so many moments like this,” said Kairi before she fell to her knees sobbing.  She put her right arm around Pluto.  He nuzzled against her.

Wiping away her tears, she rose up and took off the smock.  “Come on. I still need to write my letter and then we can go home.”

After gathering up the paints, she then reached for the Gummi Phone.  But then she stopped.  Since her work was done and she wasn’t speaking to her friends, she really had no use for it anymore.  So, she left it where it was.

She then walked out of the Secret Place with Pluto following close behind.  Before leaving completely, she glanced one more time at her work.

It may have started as a hope for the future. But, if she was being completely honest with herself, it may as well be a wish that would never come true.

Left behind, the Gummi Phone finished its song.

________________________________________________________________

Onto the next chapter!