#kairis eyes resemble the ocean

[rikublivion]

the eyes are the window to the soul. ❞

[starrattlerofprydain]

The Other Girl (Ch. 3)

Summary: What if Roxas met Kairi during his days in the Organization?

AO3 / FF.net

Chapter 3: Good Luck Charm (First | Previous/Next)

It turns out there was no one up on the clock tower once Roxas finally made it to Twilight Town. He wondered if he might have been too late, or perhaps too early. Despite this, he sat down in his usual spot as he gazed out at the familiar sight beyond him. From there, he found himself thinking back to the events from moments ago.

Roxas never would have thought he would end up running into that girl again, even though a part of him wanted to, but not like this. The Nobody knew that he was supposed to avoid contact with people from other worlds. It wasn’t his intention to be seen. With that said, he could easily decide not to return to that world just so he can avoid getting in trouble with the Organization. But after learning how much this girl resembled Xion, it only left him more curious. Maybe just this once, it wouldn’t hurt to break a rule.

After sitting around lost in thought for a while, Roxas decided to call it a day and return to the castle, realizing his red-headed friend probably wasn’t going to show up to the clock tower. From there, he followed his usual routine of making his way to Xion’s room. Or at least, he would have gone to her room if it weren’t for him running into Demyx in the hallway, who looked like he needed a favor. And it just so happened that no one else was around at that moment, which meant Roxas had no choice but to go along with whatever the good-for-nothing Nobody needed. Once he managed to get himself out of that mess, Roxas just made his way back to his own room, deciding he will visit his friend in the morning. 

Before he knew it, a new day had begun. Roxas got up from his bed and went through his brief morning routine before he made his way out and headed to Xion’s room, all while keeping an eye out for anyone who decided to get in his way. Thankfully that wasn’t the case this time around. Roxas didn’t have much time to stick around anyway since he had his daily mission to complete. But he at least wanted to see her face for reassurance.

“Morning, Xion,” he grinned, walking to her bedside. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the thalassa shell, placing it with all the other seashells next to her. 

“There’s some things I gotta tell you, but I have to get today’s mission out of the way first. And uh…” The blond paused, thinking back to what Kairi had told him the day before. “I think I might have a surprise for you once I get back.”

But I’m still not even sure what it is, Roxas rubbed his neck sheepishly, remembering the redhead had convinced him to return to the island to show him something. She did mention it was something Xion would appreciate. More seashells perhaps? Maybe she had a treasure chest full of them.

“Well… time for me to get going. See you later, Xion,” he waved goodbye to the sleeping girl and headed off to the Grey Area to receive his mission for the day.

———–

Kairi wasn’t sure how long it’s been since she felt this ecstatic to go to the island. It still seemed a little bittersweet going back, but she managed to get by. And it was all because of a stranger she met the day before. No, Kairi couldn’t call him a stranger. Deep down, she knew there was something familiar about this boy. Not only because of his physical appearance, but she had an unusual feeling in her heart looking into those ocean eyes of his. Whatever this feeling was, she wanted to find out more about it.

As Kairi began to make her way to the island, she began to wonder if the boy would even show up again. She did tell him to meet her there the following day, after all. Though, now that she thought about it…

Maybe I was a little too forward telling him to come back...

Suddenly, the idea of him disappearing and never returning seemed to take over Kairi’s mind at that moment. Even though she didn’t know him that well, she couldn’t bear the thought of having someone leave her. Not again. Before her mind dove deeper into those negative thoughts, she immediately spotted Selphie walking nearby. The brunette noticed Kairi’s presence and eagerly ran up to her.

“Hey Kairi! Are you going to the island today?”

Kairi managed to give her a small smile as they continued to walk together from there. “Yeah, I was heading there now.”

Selphie hummed and fell silent for a moment.

Kairi waited for her to say something else, only to get silence in return. She turned to look at her friend, who seemed to be occupied with her thoughts. “What? What is it?”

She finally looked over at the redhead and tapped her chin in thought. “You know, you haven’t gone back there for weeks and now ever since we stopped by the other day, it’s like you’ve moved past all that… Oh!” Her face suddenly brightened as realization struck her. “Did Riku come back? Is that why you’re going there?”

Kairi shook her head and smiled sadly at the thought of her other friend not being present. “No, I still haven’t seen Riku around. But…” She paused, looking out to the horizon where the island came into view. “There’s this other boy that I met there… I’m not sure who he is or where he came from but I feel like I know him somehow…”

“Oh…”

Kairi noticed the brunette went silent once more. She really hoped her friend wasn’t thinking this was odd. No, it was pretty odd. There was no denying that. She bit her lip and shrugged slightly. “That’s not weird, is it?”

Selphie looked at the redhead as a smile gradually formed on her face. “No, not really. Maybe he’s an old friend of yours. Did he recognize you?”

The image of his face suddenly flashed in her mind again. “If by “recognize”, you mean that I reminded him of someone he knows, then... yes?”

“Oh well, that might explain it,” Selphie nodded, looking out ahead of her, “He has to be someone you knew at one point.”

Kairi glanced at her friend thoughtfully, realizing she may be right in some sense. But even then, the redhead still wasn’t entirely convinced.

“I’m not sure. He kind of reminds me of someone else I know. Someone close to me…”

“Who? Riku?”

Kairi stopped walking when a familiar face flashed in her mind. It was more vivid this time; a brown-haired boy smiled back at her, but the image was soon replaced with the boy in the black coat.

“Hey, are you okay?” Selphie asked, looking at her friend with concern.

“Never mind,” mumbled the redhead, shaking her head as she tried to push her thoughts aside. “Anyway, I’m gonna be seeing that boy again today.”

The brunette’s eyes brightened as she kept her gaze on Kairi. “Oh, you are?” 

Kairi nodded. “He said his friend hasn’t been feeling well in the past days. I wanna try to help somehow… I think a little gift should be fine.”

“That’s a sweet thing to do,” Selphie said with her hands behind her back. She eventually stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Kairi with an impish smile. “Well… I guess I won’t get in your way then.”

“What do you…” The redhead trailed off, immediately acknowledging the face her friend was making. When Kairi realized what she meant, she laughed and playfully nudged her friend. “Okay, come on. It’s not like that, Selphie. I just met the guy yesterday.”

Selphie laughed in return, shrugging at her remark. “But I thought you said you kind of know him.”

Kairi shook her head as she looked back towards the island. “It’s just a feeling I have, that’s all.”

“If you say so,” the brunette smiled, curiously looking at her friend. “By the way, does this mystery boy have a name?”

Kairi kept her gaze ahead of her, thankful she was able to at least remember this boy’s name.

“It’s Roxas.”

———–

Roxas swung his keyblade left and right, eliminating the last of the remaining Heartless lurking around. He was sent on a solo mission to Halloween Town that day, which meant he had to work double duty. Once he finished up there, he thought about the brief chat he had with Axel earlier in the day.

Just before Roxas left that morning, he managed to run into his red-headed friend, who admittedly got caught up with some stuff the day before, which explained why he didn’t show up to the clock tower.

“How about I make it up to you,” said Axel, “I’ll buy the ice cream today.”

“I guess so,” Roxas mumbled, rubbing his neck. “I’ll try to be there.”

The tall Nobody raised a brow as he reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair. “What? Got somewhere to be later?”

“Umm…” The blond tried to think of an excuse as he attempted to fix his messy hair, deciding he would eventually tell Axel more about the familiar stranger he encountered when he got the chance. “I wanted to bring more seashells for Xion.”

“More seashells, huh?” Axel chuckled, crossing his arms. “Pretty soon, her whole bed is gonna be covered in those.”

Roxas only gave him a sheepish look. Before he was able to say something else, their conversation was suddenly interrupted when Saïx approached the two Nobodies.

“Don’t you have someplace to be?” He asked in his usual cold tone, mainly directing his attention to Axel.

“Yeah, yeah…” Axel sighed and waved his hand before disappearing into the Corridor of Darkness. The blue-haired man then turned his attention to Roxas to assign his mission.

And there he was now, making his way back to the dark corridor after completing his task. From there, he began to make his way to his next destination, only this time when Roxas finally arrived, he noticed the familiar orange hues surrounding him. The Nobody glanced around, realizing he must have made it just before the sun began to set on the small island.

He found himself appreciating the warm sights, taking another look around before he spotted a figure sitting on a tree just across the small bridge overhead.

It was the red-headed girl. 

———–

Kairi arrived at the island sometime in the late afternoon, more or less around the time she spotted Roxas the day before. It was no surprise to see he wasn’t around yet, which gave her time to collect what she needed for the wayfinder she wanted to make. A lucky charm for Roxas’s friend.

Kairi thought it was the perfect gift. She remembered making one for herself to give it to someone special. Someone she longed to see again. With that, she began her search for some thalassa shells. After some time of exploring around and getting a head start on creating the charm, Kairi noticed Roxas was still nowhere to be seen. The girl tried not to worry much, assuming he must have been busy. Yet she couldn't help but think back to the thoughts that invaded her mind earlier that day, about being left alone there again. She tried to fight those thoughts away as she headed over to the paopu tree.

Once there, the redhead settled herself on the tree trunk, gazing ahead at the sparkling sea as the gentle breeze hit her face. After she felt more at ease, Kairi reached inside her small bag and pulled out one of the few seashells she collected as she continued to put the charm together. She found herself very focused on this for a while until she heard footsteps approaching. Her heart flipped out of instinct as she turned around and saw the familiar face from the day before.

Kairi flashed a warm smile as the blond boy approached her. “Oh there you are! I thought you weren’t gonna show up.”

Roxas found himself giving Kairi a smile of his own before he noticed her fiddling with something in her hands. “Yeah, sorry about that. I got caught up with some stuff.”

“That’s alright,” she said as she patted the empty spot next to her, inviting him to join her on the tree. “Come on up.”

The boy climbed up and settled down beside Kairi, curiously looking over to see what the girl had been doing. Before Roxas was able to question it, he saw her staring back at him with an amused look on her face. 

Roxas tilted his head in confusion as he heard her laugh softly. “What?”

“Do you always wear that coat?”

The blond momentarily glanced down at his outfit before looking up at the girl again. “Yeah, why?”

“Don’t you get a little warm wearing it? Especially in a place like this?”

She did have a point, but it’s not like he had a massive wardrobe back at the castle. He rubbed his neck self-consciously and shrugged. “It’s kind of all I have.”

Kairi kept her gaze on the timid boy, wondering if he might have been joking. But she just went along with it and continued to work on the charm. Roxas’s eyes trailed back down to the small object in her hands. Right away, he could tell they were seashells but he noticed the girl had somehow tied up a few together to make a star shape out of it.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Well… remember when I said I wanted to show you something?” She tied up the last of the seashells together before proudly holding it up for him to see. “You mentioned your friend likes these, so I thought you can give this to her. It’s a good luck charm.”

“A good luck charm?” Roxas repeated as she handed the star-shaped charm to him.

Kairi swung her legs back and forth off the tree trunk and nodded. “Mmhmm. If you and your friend ever get separated, this will help you find your way back to each other.”

“Huh…” He examined it for a while longer before the girl continued.

“It’s still missing something though,” she reached over and pointed at the empty space in the center of the charm. “A token of some sort. I wasn’t sure if maybe you might have something to put there…?”

Roxas pursed his lips momentarily before placing the charm in his lap to reach into his pockets, pulling out whatever he found. There was some munny, an ice cream stick with the word WINNER written across it, and a few pieces of a broken seashell he must have forgotten about that likely fractured during his mission. He stared at the items dumbfoundedly before looking up at her.

“Is any of this good enough?”

“Hmm…” Kairi examined his hand filled with miscellaneous objects. She laughed softly as her eyes fell on the fractured shell. “Wow, what happened there?”

“Guess it broke on my way here,” he shrugged.

“Hmm, must have been that coat of yours,” she teased, poking his shoulder.

The Nobody couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.”

Kairi’s gaze suddenly fell back to his hand. Just as he was about to shake off the broken pieces, she spotted a peculiar shape. “Wait, hang on…” She reached out and picked up one of the small fragments, smiling as she examined it. “This piece kind of looks like a heart. See?”

The girl held it in her palm for Roxas to see for himself. Despite some minor chips on the broken piece, it was indeed shaped like a heart, similar to the ones that the Heartless released.

“I guess it kind of does… Can I use that?”

“Yeah, that should work,” Kairi nodded with a smile, taking the charm back from him to attach the small piece in the center.

Meanwhile, Roxas’s gaze fell on the sight in front of them. ‘Peaceful’ was the first word that popped into his head as he watched the orange hues reflect off the body of water. He always found it comforting watching the sunset, even outside of Twilight Town. 

Suddenly, the view in front of him was blocked when Kairi proudly held up the finished charm in front of his face. “Here you go, Roxas.”

The boy took the charm from her and glanced at the little chipped heart in the middle.

“Thanks,” he smiled, carefully tucking the small object away in his pocket. “I’m sure she’ll really like this.”

“She just might,” Kairi said with a smile of her own, curiously looking at him. “How is she doing today?”

“Uh…” Roxas scratched his head unsurely and shrugged, “Still the same. She’s been in a deep sleep for a few days now. There’s no way of telling when she’ll wake up.”

“Oh…” The girl’s smile faded away as she gave him a sympathetic look. “What happened to her?”

“I’m not sure…” The Nobody shook his head, looking down at his lap. “It’s weird, the same thing happened to me too just weeks before... but it’s kind of hazy to remember anything. All I remember is waking up next to all these seashells beside me.”

Kairi’s face softened, recalling when Roxas briefly brought up that little detail just the day before. “So she left those seashells for you, and now you’re doing the same for her. That’s sweet.”

“Yeah. I guess so,” the boy shrugged.

Kairi gave him a reassuring smile, turning to face the sea. “She’ll be fine. I know it.”

Roxas managed to smile in return as he followed her gaze. They sat in comfortable silence shortly after as they both watched the sight in front of them. 

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Kairi asked, breaking the silence.

Roxas slightly tilted his head and glanced at her. “What is?”

“The sunset.”

The Nobody kept his eyes on her as she continued to stare off into the distance. He eventually did the same, smiling warmly as he watched the glistening sea again. “Yeah, it kinda reminds me of the one back in Twilight Town.”

“Twilight Town?” Kairi wondered, now turning to look at the boy. “Is that where you’re from?”

“Uh… you could say that,” Roxas hesitated for a moment, unsure how much he should say about himself. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to speak a little bit about the place. Twilight Town almost felt like a home to him, after all.

The girl’s eyes brightened as she shuffled closer to Roxas. “So you’re from a different world, huh? I figured as much. How’s it like there?”

Roxas remained in place, trying to ignore the fact that she was now closer to him. “It’s nice, I guess. I usually meet up with my friends on the clock tower and we have sea salt ice cream and talk about stuff while watching the sunset.”

The redhead suddenly gave him a peculiar look. “Sea salt ice cream?”

“Yeah, have you tried some? It’s really good.” Roxas couldn’t help but grin as he thought about his favorite snack.

“I can’t remember if I have…” Kairi muttered, tapping her chin in thought. “Maybe you should bring some next time.”

Next time? She wants me to visit her again?

Roxas snapped out of his brief thoughts as he realized something. “W-Wait, but it’ll melt by the time I get here.”

“Not if you’re fast enough,” Kairi smirked.

The boy raised a brow and shuffled away slightly, letting out a faint chuckle. “I’ll try… but I can’t promise you it’ll still be any good.”

Kairi stayed silent for a moment before she ended up shuffling close to him again. “Fine, I’ll just go visit you instead then.”

Roxas mentally panicked. Not only because he was close to falling off the tree if he continued to scoot away from her, but he just wasn’t sure how much of a good idea it was for her to drop by.

Great... 

“Maybe I’ll go sometime when my summer vacation starts,” she added, swinging her legs back and forth enthusiastically as she looked out ahead.

Summer vacation. Roxas remembered Axel explained how it’s a time where kids get a whole month off to do whatever they want. Suddenly, Roxas couldn’t help but smile at her determination to visit him during her free time. It made him wonder... “Have you visited other worlds before?”

Her kicking slowed down as Kairi tried to recall the hazy memories lingering in her mind. “I actually came from another world when I was younger but… I can’t remember much of it.”

Roxas noticed she began to fiddle around with her bracelet as she went on.

“Just some months ago, my friends and I decided to build a raft, hoping we could go out and see other worlds but some things happened, so we never got around to it... My memory is still a little hazy from it all but we ended up getting separated along the way.”

“It feels like it’s been forever since I last saw them…” she mumbled, placing her hand over her chest. “But I’m sure they’re alright, no matter where they are right now.”

Roxas could only sit there in silence as he thought about Axel and Xion. He couldn’t bear the thought of getting separated from his own friends. It scared him just thinking about it.

Kairi began to wonder what was going through the boy’s head, seeing how he went silent for a while. She turned to face him almost at the same time he turned to look at her, briefly catching her by surprise. 

“I hope you’ll find your way back to each other,” he said, attempting to reassure her.

“I know we will,” the girl gave him a small smile as she kept her gaze on him. Kairi wasn’t sure why but there was something comforting about looking into his eyes.

Comfort. Maybe that was the unusual feeling she felt in her heart as she looked at him.

Of course, it didn’t take her long to catch herself staring at him for some time.

“Anyway... it’s getting late,” she said, hopping off the tree. “I should start heading back home.”

“Right...”

Roxas did the same and turned to leave but Kairi stopped him, gently tugging on his sleeve. “Hey, Roxas? Thanks for showing up today.”

He faced her and smiled warmly as their eyes met again. “Yeah, of course. I was planning on stopping by anyway. And you kinda told me to come back.”

The girl laughed softly at his remark. “Fair enough. Don’t forget to give that to your friend,” she said, referring to the charm.

“I won’t.”

“And be careful with it,” she added, gently nudging him as she began to walk off. “You don’t wanna fracture it like that other shell, do you?”

Roxas laughed sheepishly as he watched Kairi walk ahead of him. Without thinking, he called out to her. “Are you gonna be here again tomorrow?”

Kairi halted and turned to face Roxas. For a moment, she was certain she saw a brown-haired boy standing in his place, but she knew her mind was just playing tricks on her. She had to remind herself this wasn’t that boy. This was Roxas.

She smiled softly and gave him a nod. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

Roxas wasn’t sure what came over him at that moment but he was relieved to hear that she wanted to see him again. 

“Right… then I’ll see you around.”

“See you around, Roxas.”

With that, she finally walked off while Roxas stayed behind. The blond stood there in thought as he took one last look at the sunset and grinned to himself.

———–

Once he left the island, Roxas briefly stopped by Twilight Town out of habit. He made his way over to the station plaza and looked up at the clock tower, only to see it as empty as it was the day before. He figured that would be the case, realizing how late it must have already been. The Nobody decided to skip the usual clock tower routine and began to make his way back to the castle from there.

Soon enough after reporting back, he found himself standing in front of Xion’s door. Roxas stepped inside her room and walked towards the sleeping girl. 

It was almost as if he never left.

“Told you I’d be back,” Roxas smiled, carefully rummaging through his pocket. “And I brought you something, like I said I would. It’s a gift from a girl I ran into on that island.” He pulled out the charm and held it up, briefly surveying it to make sure it was still intact.

“It’s funny… she kind of looks like you. I thought I might have imagined it when I first saw her but… looking at her, I kind of see you…” Roxas’s voice lowered as he gave Xion a peculiar look. “Err… anyway, the girl’s name is Kairi. She said this is supposed to be a good luck charm. So if we ever get separated, we’ll find our way back to each other… or something like that.”

He stared at the charm again before he smiled softly and placed it beside her. “I hope you like it.”

Suddenly, Xion stirred in her sleep, catching Roxas by surprise as he stared at her wide-eyed. He eagerly waited for her to open her eyes but they remained shut within those few moments. Sighing, his shoulders dropped, realizing he probably got his hopes up for nothing.

“Wishful thinking,” Roxas mumbled, keeping his gaze on the girl before he kneeled down by the bedside. The boy’s gaze fell on her gloved hand in front of him and out of instinct, he reached out and gently placed his warm hand on hers.

She’s so cold, he thought.

“You know, I got to see the sunset over the sea today,” he spoke softly, resting his head on his propped arm. “It kind of reminded me of Twilight Town.”

Roxas smiled at the memory, thinking how much he longed to watch the sunset with Xion again. He was really starting to miss it. Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness hit Roxas at that moment. It seemed like the Nobody didn’t realize how tired he was until now as he continued to speak.

“I wish you were there to see it…”

Roxas didn’t remember saying anything else after that as his mind shut down. Before he knew it, he was sound asleep by Xion’s bedside with his hand still resting on hers.

Little did he know that just outside the door listening in on the one-sided conversation was his red-headed friend.

[valorxdrive]

❝ hey, wait a minute sora. ❞ thumb and index snags him by the short hem of a sleeve, halting further movements after donald and goofy. knowing her, he really should have been expecting it by now as he turned to heed her call; the fingers reaching up to brush through his hair lightly, lips coming to softly meet his forehead, trail down his nose to his cheek, and to finally lock on his lips with a slight twitch of her own, a tender peck delivered, affection made all the more radiant with the warm smile he's given after. ❝ good luck out there ! ❞

♕ - Their plan was likely one to have this entire city flipping over it’s head soon. Worry, concern, all of these usual trenches for doubt found themselves smoothed over by the raw belief of the party of treasured people he’s current with. Naturally the infamous gang of Sora, Donald and Goofy would have to be plucking at the worst of things; taking root as a bastion of light to the dangers that lurked within the grim promises that plucked a potent new darkness. Kairi on the other hand had the small band of experienced fighters at her back, a team set to ultimately turn the tide to keep this world’s heart safe.

Being a vocal part of that battlecry they all shared in the moment prior. Sora was very well prepared to charge off in order to get into his position, a firm step, vigor filled eyes, all alongside a keyblade drawn into his grip.. Only to pause!? A well timed pinch had balanced him from tumbling forth. Her words simultaneously pressed into his mind, instantly making the weapon be recalled, all for that familiar smile tied with resolved eyes to face her.. “Yeah Kai--? Shoot, I didn’t forget somethin’ again did I..!” Oh. Oh he did forget something.

Not a trinket important to any event.

Or a bauble used to keep them safe.

What graces his features that were slightly slicked with sweat would be her touch. Oceanic eyes that reflected a paradise the instant he stared into them, eternity was found within an instant as he’s completely drawn into her moment. After dealing with the raucous dangers of fiery spells and lethal blades, her approach was critically opposite; a melting sort of warmth that nearly made his strong legs want to buckle as he leans in. Everything surrounding them for a fleeting, magical instant simply ends up not being. Only then that familiar scent of shampoo shimmies with her actions as in the next second, he could feel their fair lips granting their blessing along his head in one kiss.

It surged a powerful emotion throughout the keybearer’s being. Delightful, awe-inspiring, incredible, no amount of finely sliced words could do such a moment justice. That initial speechless look melts into a brand of personal adoration, the sort devotion served solely for the girl who kicked spritzes of the ocean at him and giggled in those faraway days. Following such would be another kiss; intimacy. Each application of her affection showed the dissolved and reforged state of the history they share. Butterflies were kicking, screaming and singing praises as the joyous feelings simply couldn’t hold any definition resembling an ending as they crossed a small bridge along the face.

With a singular pop of a mwah along the cheek, there he remained, starry eyes and utterly stunned for any finishing blow. A dopey, lovestruck grin was on his face as if the perilous end of days were easily cast off like the torn remnants of a fishing net. Love would be defined once again in the tender instant their lips meet, allowing for a gentle, peaceful flame to burn as he leans in. So soft, so sweet, any prior injuries felt as if they were melting away from his very existence.

Nothing but strength bloomed from those very injuries.

By the time they have to part, Sora’s movements were a touch too slow, seeming strung into the past amidst fantasy as Kairi orchestrated the present. To see it all encapsulated by a certain smile, one filled with the light of their relationship, nothing but raw energy felt as if it was screaming through every cell in his body. “Luck... uh?” Appearently he needed a dose of reality after that dream she gave him. A couple of whistles tied with the familiar chortling of two of his best pals had snapped him to reality, only causing that expression of the hero to lighten up like a cherry! “Oh right! We got somethin’ to be doin’! ...heheh.” As if he could escape that bashfulness.

Shyness had long since been kicked to the wayside as he reaches out. Responsibility called to them, yet, he couldn’t help but selfishly drink in a few more seconds as his hand found her’s, offering it an affectionate squeeze, savoring every little second as he steps back, allowing for their hands to slowly grip apart.

“I know that’s something you won’t be needing. Kairi? Show ‘em what my one n’ only is made of out there..”

“Your whooooooo Sora?” Donald was absolutely living in this moment, shooting them a joyous look. Goofy’s chortle follows suit as he waves him on over.

“Oh you heard me!” Within moments he was already stepping along the beaten path, one barely flourishing with plant life as they aim to head to the front gates of the city ahead.

He couldn’t resist turning one more time in order to get a glance to her.

“No holding back! I’ll catch you soon Kairi! Everyone!” It was time they got the keyhole for this world safely sealed up for good.

Time to move out!

@coruscantide

[dusky-dancing]

The Prince and the Pirate - CH 2

For SoKai Week - Day 2

Story Summary: Sora finds himself far away from the walls of the Radiant Garden he's known his whole life, kidnapped by a rowdy group of pirates whose captain is as alluring as she is mysterious. What he thought was a simple hostage negotiation turns into an adventure that Sora couldn't have anticipated. He doesn't know which is worse, not knowing what's up ahead, or liking it that way.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance, Adventure, Pirate AU

Length: ~ 2k words

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Links for story navigation:

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

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"Kairi…"

He involuntarily breathed her name, and a playful smile grew across her face.

"That's my name," she nodded.

Despite the authority she obviously possessed, she remained kneeling at his eye-level. A show of acquaintance and equality. If she wasn't trying to intimidate him, then what could she possibly be after? Maybe she didn't want anything malicious from him, and this was nothing more than a hostage-for-money negotiation.

Or maybe it was all intentional. Nothing more than a trick, a warm and smiling cover to weaken his defenses.

"Who are you all?" he asked. "What do you want? Why me?"

"All questions I will answer in due time," she said. "What do you say we move this conversation somewhere more comfortable?"

"What, you have a cushier prison cell?"

She laughed, "Do you want to remain a prisoner?" Before he could respond, she turned to her two subordinates. "Take him to my quarters."

They both turned in surprise. "But captain-"

"It'll be fine," she nodded.

It wasn't until they hoisted him up, hands still tied behind his back, that she herself stood and led the march up the stairs. Her graceful steps didn't cause a stir from the worn wooden steps, but they creaked endlessly under every other boot.

"Don't try anything funny," Jessie mumbled in his ear.

Biggs laughed. "Where's he gonna go anyways? Swim all the way back?"

Clear blue skies soon greeted them, and the ocean air hit him in full force, not that the sensation was unwelcome.

Though Sora knew what a pirate ship was supposed to look like from stories, the true scale of a pirate ship surprised him. He craned his neck in order to see the sails, and even then he couldn't find the top of the mast from his position. The creaking and groaning of the ship were drowned out by the crew's work on the deck and the wind flapping the white sails.

All active work within Sora's eyesight, however, ceased once he emerged from his makeshift prison cell. He felt their eyes on him. Eyes of strangers, possibly more of his assailants. The bright sunlight kept him from taking in too many of their details, but he made out another woman and a few other men of varying sizes.

Sora must have been standing frozen for too long, because Biggs pushed him along. To the back of the ship they walked, where large wooden double doors stood decorated with plain glass. The Captain's quarters, where Kairi wanted to talk. Alone.

More questions clouded his mind as she pulled open both doors and disappeared into the room. It was comparatively dark inside, much easier on the eyes than the raw sunlight he'd just endured.

The room resembled less of a captain's living quarters than a decorative dining room. A single large table stood in the very center, enough to seat a dozen people. Various shelves, plants, and decorations filled the room comfortably, but Sora found himself too distracted to notice their details. The woman who'd ordered his kidnapping stood opposite of him, framed by a large glass window that put the entire ocean on display for him.

Again, she never held herself too high or with too much authority. Everything about her welcoming posture seemed intentional yet natural.

Biggs secured Sora in the chair across from her and left. Not a moment after her door closed did he begin unleashing his thoughts.

"What do you want? Why me? Is it money? Resources? Do you have any idea who you're messing with?"

Kairi held her hand up calmly. If his bombardment of questions annoyed her, she didn't show. Her dress pooled around her hips as she slowly took her seat opposite of him.

"Money is of no interest to me. I chose you, Sora, because you're the only one who can help me. Help us." She gestured around her whole ship.

"How?" he asked.

"I know who you are, Sora," she smiled. "You're the key to our success."

Her subtle emphasis on the word 'key' sent a shiver up his spine. It'd been years since he'd publicly called upon his abilities. His father had done well to keep them a secret from the outside world, but it was inevitable that someone, either the dark forces that plagued the seas or a hiring mercenary group, would find him eventually. The woman before him seemed to occupy the later group, though her methods were a bit more forceful than that of a simple business negotiation. On the off chance she belonged to the former motive, however, he instinctively scooted back. His hand twitched within his restraints.

"Don't be afraid." She said, and he was inclined to believe her despite his earlier instincts. "Our goal is for the good of everyone who lives on the ocean. You must understand that some missions don't allow the luxury of asking for help."

"What's this goal?" He thought back to rumors he'd heard within the kingdom. "Is this about the monsters in the ocean?"

She hummed, placing a finger over her lips. "I'll tell you more when we arrive at our destination, I promise."

Sora relaxed a bit in his chair, taking his eyes off of the woman before him to examine her quarters. Like the rest of the ship, the room had been carved entirely from wood, though its polish was much finer than his previous holding place. Naturally, the large window framed so intricately behind her drew his attention first. Scattered among the many shelves were various trinkets: a jewelry box, carved or sculpted animal figurines, atleast half-a-dozen plants he didn't recognize, nothing violent or overly extravagant. A small desk facing the window held an open ink well and dozens of papers secured under a large seashell weight. A discreet door off to the side likely led to her bed chamber.

The way natural light reflected off of the crystal chandelier above them made the chamber appear much brighter. It was...welcoming.

"So if I'm joining you on this secret mission, do I get a cool pirate code name? Or a pirate hat?"

He turned back to her, only to find her patience waning.

"This is serious, Sora," her eyes narrowed. "If you're to treat this like a fairytale, then it is clear you're not ready to know what we're after."

"I won't have to know," he said, "because the navy will find me first. They've got the fastest ships, you know."

Impatience gave way to a playful smirk as she leaned forward and rested her chin on her fingers. "Your naive overconfidence precedes you, Sora, but I wouldn't worry about them," she winked. "We've got a couple of tricks up our sleeves."

Sora sensed the pleasant tone leaving their conversation. "Don't hurt anyone," he pleaded. "We haven't done anything wrong to you."

"Relax, Sora. Our tricks are evasive, not confrontational. We won't hurt anyone who doesn't get in our way."

"And if I get in your way?" He smirked.

A soft playful smile pulled at her lips. "You are our way, Sora. None of this can be done without you."

Sora avoided her gaze. He was inclined to believe her again, though he didn't have much of a choice.

"What about after? When I've helped you with whatever this quest is."

"Well, we can return you safely to your castle be long gone before anyone notices. But I sense we won't be doing that, Sora."

"Why not?"

"Because I think you're not satisfied as being a trophy for your king, playing a hero prince but with nothing heroic to fight for." She leaned forward intently. "I understand, because I too have a gift."

Sora straightened, his heart stuttering. "You mean-" he looked to her hands, picturing her wielding a magical sword herself. It would explain why she hadn't carried one on her hip like the rest of her crew. "I thought I was the only one."

She shook her head and laughed, "You are one of a kind, Sora, that much is true. While your gift is more combative, mine is more…" she glanced to the side in thought, "elemental in nature."

Sora remained still, taking her and her words in. Even if their magic was the same, to meet another with an unnatural gift felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Perhaps that was why he'd been drawn to her from the start, how she'd found him in the first place. Had she been like him, kept within the confines of some kingdom or government, or used as a show of power?

He relaxed in his seat before meeting her gaze again. She watched him, waiting for an answer or a reaction.

"Well," he said, "you can't just drop that bomb on me without atleast showing me."

Her smile brightened. "I was beginning to fear you'd never ask." She then rose from her seat, made her way to the door, and gestured outside. "You'll see soon enough."

At her command, Biggs stepped through the doorway and lifted Sora to his feet.

"Is this really still necessary?" Sora asked. He looked towards Kairi, sure that she'd order his hands freed, but she'd already made her way to the deck.

"For now, it is," the man said as he led him along.

On the upper layer of the deck where the helmsman was positioned, The full size of the ship revealed itself. About half-a-dozen crew members, both men and women, worked away all around the deck. Sora's eyes followed the central mast to the crow's nest, where another man focussed through a looking glass out to sea.

"Are we all set, helmsman Wedge?" Kairi asked, though it was more of an affirmation than a question.

"Aye, Captain," the man nodded.

Just on cue, the man in the crow's nest shouted, "Captain! Kingdom ships in sight!"

She quickly shot Sora a knowing glance. "I guess you weren't bluffing about your navy." Her playful smile and wonder-filled eyes held no hint of fear or worry. "What say you to a little demonstration?"

Every crew member around them jumped, and they soon filled the air with excited cheers. Biggs patted Sora's back and said, "This never gets old."

Kairi made her way to the railing that separated the two levels of the deck. Meanwhile, several crew members began loosening the lines to close the sails.

"Wait," Sora said. "I don't know anything about sailing, but aren't you supposed to, you know," he gestured wide with his hands, "expand the sails to move quickly."

Jessie joined his other side. "Aye," she said and held up a finger, "if you're using the wind to move."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "But what else would you-"

His voice caught in his throat when a sudden swell in the gentle waves rocked the ship with more force than usual. After catching his balance, his attention turned back to Kairi.

She stood tall with her hands outstretched to either side, palms facing up. Her eyes remained closed, but the rest of her face expressed pure bliss. The waves seemed to follow the direction of her hands, and Sora thought he'd begun to understand her gift.

Mine is more...elemental in nature,

When the ocean felt calm and steady, she slowly brought her palms forward. Sora was too mesmerized to notice the rest of the crew bracing against whatever they could hold onto.

In one fluid motion, not unlike the very waves she commanded, she thrust her arms behind her, and Sora went flying onto his back.

The sudden speed of the ship would've sent Sora back into the captain's quarters if it weren't for Biggs and Jessie stopping him. The embarrassment tempted him to stay hidden and red-faced, but his newfound fascination with the captain won out. He stood to look over the side, and sure enough the navy ship pursuing them was now a shrinking form on the horizon.

Kairi was focussed, though he swore she shot him a side-eye smirk. Jessie stepped in his way and broke the trance.

"Okay, newbie, enough staring. Let's put you to work?"

——————————————————–

A/N: Thank you for reading! We've reached day 2 of SoKai Week, and I hope you're enjoying it so far.

Kairi's design, abilities, and motivation were inspired from a number characters, including Avantika from Critical Role, Captain Amelia from Treasure Planet, and the historical Irish figure Gráinne Ní Mháille (Grace O'Malley), 'The Pirate Queen'.

[khhcfi]

KH: Melody of Memory [In-Depth Review]

Here’s the Tumblr version of my website post at Weebly, where I give an in-n-depth review of my thoughts and ideas for Melody of Memory.

You can also view this at my website:

https://dreamywrites.weebly.com/

Warning; very long post

News Update Review The past couple of days have been busy with updates on the new installments in the Kingdom Hearts series. We first have Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road confirmed to be released on June 22, 2020 as a mobile game. We will finally know what happened in the past to have Xehanort become a Keyblade Master of Darkness, not light. With five new characters confirmed to be present in the game in addition to Eqarues and Xehanort, we're super excited for the story.

The second news has everyone on the edge with Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, especially as it's confirmed to be a rhythm game. Before the confirmation on June 16, a lot of people and myself included were curious yet dreading if it was going to a rhythm game using the same or similar mechanics like in Atlantica (KH2) and/or the Melody Catcher Reality Shift in Symphony of Sorcery (KH: DDD). I looked on the brighter side of things and thought of how the game would work involving interacting with music. The use of Unreal Engines for the graphics, Yoko Shimomura compositions as either classics or varied renditions of the classics, including the Kingdom Hearts: Orchestra Concert music, and the story revolving (mostly) around Kairi on her journey to find Sora. The 2020 Trailer showcased what Melody of Memory will look like and how it will function, better - maybe beyond better- than I and other fans initially theorized.

[Source: Google Images]

When I first read the word "melody" in the title, I thought it had relations to music; thus a rhythm game. It reminds me the Fantasia (1940) world called "Symphony of Sorcery" in Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. The concept of "Sound Idea" to "dispel the darkness" (Mickey, KH:DDD) from the tainted musical score inspired another idea that I will explain later in the post. ​[Idea 4]

The mechanics are vastly different than the previous games, which makes it more exciting! The story of the game remained unknown until the trailer released today. Fans theorized Kairi would finally get her own game where she traverses inside her Heart to find any clue on how and where to find Sora. That seems to be the case as she has more screen time in the trailer.

Flashbacks This brings up the next and most important news. After confirming Melody of Memory as a rhythm game, it transitions into a static disruption that leads to cinematic cutscenes of what to expect and flashbacks. Fans already guessed the flashbacks belong to Kairi because her memories of Radiant Garden in Birth by Sleep were hazy.

[Screenshot Source: YouTube SQUARE ENIX]

The following 4 screenshots are most talked about because it visualizes what both the Kingdom Hearts Light Novel and Ansem Report 11 talked about.

In the Light Novel, there's a few pages where Apprentice Xehanort (really Terranort) asked where "the girl" was. Aeleus, one of the Apprentices of Ansem the Wise and a Palace Guard, told him she's sleeping in the "pod".

Personal Note: I thought the "pod" was referred to the Memory Pods in The Old Mansion in Twilight Town. The same pods that Sora. Donald, and Goofy slept for a year for Namine to completely restore the damage she caused in their memories in Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories. Sora's pod was bigger, resembling a white flower that when open, it's a blossomed flower. Since Terranort was examining her, I thought they used a pod like Sora's. Donald and Goofy pods are simpler and smaller. That would make sense for them to use since she was a child at the time of these experiments.

[Source: Google Images]

In the Report: “I have chosen one special girl. I do not know if she possesses a power like that of the Princesses. But, there is a chance, and this is an experiment. She may lead me to the place where the one holding the key is… I shall send her off to the ocean of other worlds.” ​ [source: Kingdom Hearts Wiki - Ansem Reports] Kairi was a child, 4 years old in Birth by Sleep. One year later after Terranort was given refuge in Radiant Garden under the Answem the Wise's apprenticeship, Darkness took over the world. Kairi, 5 years old, was sent to Destiny Islands. There was a meteor shower happening and Kairi fell from the sky onto the shores, where she was discovered by Sora [depicted in Kingdom Hearts Manga]. When she awoke, she had amnesia. With only her name remember, she didn't know where she came from, how she arrived on the Islands, what happened to her home and family. Five years worth of memory were "gone". In the KH universe, the memories are hidden than forgotten. Kairi claims to not know about her past in the original Kingdom Hearts game, but later states those memories are hazy for her when Aqua brought up their meeting in the Radiant Garden. My personal thought is that Kairi did have amnesia for awhile with the exception of her name. It's likely that over time she has flashbacks or visions or dreams so muddled and hazy that she can't find the truth. Another personal thought revolves around the ability of her Nobody, Namine, aka "The Witch". She's a unique Nobody born from both Sora and Kairi's Hearts after the events of the original Kingdom Hearts game. She has the ability to alter, destroy, and restore memories of Sora and those around him. Considering her abilities, I suspect she could uncover hidden memories buried deep within one's Heart. In Re:Mind, Riku states she's currently with the Twilight Gang - Lea, Isa, Roxas, Xion, Hayner, Pence, and Olette - looking for clues in Roxas's and Xion's memories. If given a chance, perhaps she can work with Kairi to fully unlock her hidden memories even though the latter is experiencing some flashbacks.

The Ark ​ Speaking of flashbacks, the picture below is also the talk in the fandom

[Sceenshot taken from YouTube SQUARE ENIX] It's machine that has made its appearance before.

[Image found on Google Images] This is the machine Sora and gang finds in a room in Hollow Bastion. At the time, we couldn't interact with it. We just entered this room and see this machine, fight enemies that appeared, and get a chest.

[Image found on Google Images] Later in Kingdom Hearts Union X (KHUx), we see Malificent in a room where the machine is. The name of machine is called The Ark. Next, we see Lauriam, who is the original person of Marluxio (Nobody), enter and tells her to leave. When she refused, he summons his keyblade and proceeds to attack her. In a different cutscene, Lauriam wakes up in a now damaged room, including the machine. Injured, he proceeds to exit the room with a limp. Given The Ark was damaged and later made its appearance in Kingdom Hearts and in the Trailer, I wonder if they're exactly the same machine? If so, that means that Radiant Garden is a section of the once Daybreak Town. Scala ad Caelum was built on top of Daybreak Town, as seen when Sora and the gang fought Armored Xehanort underwater. Or were two machines made - 1 in Daybreak Town (KHUx) and 1 in Radiant Garden (KH, Trailer)? Could it have been the Master of Masters who built them? Who knows?

Stars and Ideas

[Screenshots taken from YouTube SQUARE ENIX]

The following photos bring up other ideas I have.

Here we see Kairi and Riku in The Final World.

Idea 1: What if this portion is at the start of Melody of Memory like in KH3 as the opening cinematic cutscenes?

Tetsuya Nomura told the public the Final World and Dive to the Heart takes place at the end of the game's plot. So what if these screenshot are actually scenes that happen at the end or towards the end of the game, but are brought to the start of the game as an opening?

Idea 2: What if Kairi and Riku go to The Final World in the middle of the game because it's the hardest place to reach? Chirithy explained in KH3 that in order for someone to reach this place, they would have to either enter a very deep sleep that's near Death or actually die. Since Kairi has been sleeping for a year an Riku has been having strange dreams, they both enter the world by going under a very deep slumber that it takes there. Sora has done it countless times before, but he didn't realize it until Chirithy explained it to him.

Idea 3: After the duo arrives, they're encountered by a group of Stars

I have two options for this idea:

Option 1: The Stars gathered because they were drawn towards Kairi, a Princess of Heart.

Option 2: The Stars were waiting for them because Sora told about them. In the Secret Ending, Sora defeated Yozora (Good Ending) and was brought back to The Final World with him looking up at the sky then walking away. A year has passed, which leads to the events in Re:Mind, so Sora has been there all that time. I'm sure the Stars were there to unintentionally give him company and a sense of comfort inspite of the situation. He'd tell them about himself, friends, and journey to pass the time as well as training. Maybe some of the Stars made a promise to keep an eye for his friends should they arrive. Sora went off somewhere in the World.

Idea 4: This supports my “Personal Note” from earlier. Remembering this is a confirmed rhythm game and I mentioned the concept of "Sound Idea" being used, what if the Stars are gathered as a guide to help the duo through Kairi's Heart Memories that resided in Sora's Heart during the events of the original Kingdom Hearts game?

Remembering the gameplay screenshots and action in the Trailer, we play as Sora. If this is a Kairi game, or a Kairi-focused game, why are we playing as Sora with his original appearance from KH? I suspect it's because when Kairi's Heart resided in Sora's during the first game, her Heart contains Memories that Sora endured in his original clothing.

If that's the case, then it makes why we're playing as Sora accompanied with other characters to assist him. I'm sure we'll play as Kairi and the other characters soon after, but it's an interesting observation.

Similar to how Riku basically contolled Data Sora to fight against Data Organization  XIII in Re:Mind, I theorized it's similar for Kairi. The rhythm "game" could serve as a memory guidance for Kairi and the others. Bringing in the KHDDD Sound Idea from Symphony of Sorcery, what if they need to collect multiple Sound Ideas like from each world the rhythm has to offer to find Sora? If that's the case, then I wonder what song will be played if they harmonized all of the Sound Ideas together?

What if the clues she looking for is somewhere in the worlds Sora visited while she was inside his heart? I know Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are searching every world Sora's visited in reality but what if the clues are only something that can be seen or uncovered through the Heart...like through Princess of Heart?

@phoenixmiko: "The sound idea combined could form the Dearly Beloved for KHMoM or KH3's version."

A very good plausible! I can imagine Yoko Shimomura and her team playing a new rendition of the song!

Mentioned in: 

https://khhcfi.tumblr.com/post/621112208886284288

https://khhcfi.tumblr.com/post/621112566752690176

Kairi's Heart Fragments

Mentioned in my earlier tumblr posts: 

https://khhcfi.tumblr.com/post/621128405097775104/kairis-heart-fragments-in-kh3-remind-sora-had

[Screenshot Source: YouTube SQUARE ENIX]

One thing I’d like to add is that you can see Sora’s smile as he’s holding one of Kairi’s Pink Lights. I suppose he’s nostalgic of his brief quest to find all 7 Fragments and/or he’s comforted by the familiar presence.

 Other Observations

Something struck me when I looked back at The Secret Reports in Kingdom Hearts 3.

KH3 secret report 3:

Experiments of the Heart Notes on Subject X, Excerpt 1--

Subject was found in the central square shortly after dawn. Female, approximately fifteen years old. After seven days' observation, she spoke her first words, but could not provide a name. Subject exhibits signs of profound amnesia, and displays concern about which world this is. Her words suggest that she departed her home world with others, though she cannot recall the names of her erstwhile companions. All efforts to explore those memories have met with a rejection response.

After his initial experiments on me, Ansem the Wise ceased his research into the heart, his hand stayed by some fear I cannot fathom. Yet this new subject is like me: devoid of memories. She is the perfect sample upon which to continue my master's work. She, too, could benefit from it: by traversing the heart, we have a direct path into memory. I myself have begun to reclaim my lost past thanks to these very experiments.

Who is she? Whence has she come? These are questions no scientist could ignore. And the words she muttered, "May your heart be your guiding key"...

—Xehanort

[Source: Kingdom Hearts Wiki - The Secret Reports (KH3)]

Yes, I'm very aware that Xehanort is referring to Subject X - Skuld.

However, the bold section of the report really struck me odd in an interesting way.

"devoid of memories" = Subject X had amnesia upon arriving this world. The same thing that happened to Terra- Xehanort hybrid (Terranort) after Aqua saved him from falling into the Realm of Darkness. The same thing happened to Kairi upon arriving to Destiny Islands.

I don't know what Xehanort meant by "my master's work" specifically, though it may have to do with studying the Hearts, Light and Darkness, and unlocking The Door (Radiant Garden's Door)

"traversing the heart, we have a direct path into memory" = this is the most interesting aspect because we've seen this before. Recall the events of Re:CoM, Namine's first display of memory alteration to Sora and Riku by interfering with the chains in their Hearts. In KH2, Namine is restoring Sora's memories by correcting the chain links that greatly affect the others connected to him.

Xehanort reclaimed his "lost past thanks to these very experiments". As to which lost past he's referring to is most likely Master Xehanort's. Terra's memories may be (relatively) from his body-roommate after they merged.

Kairi is asleep for a year with Ansem the Wise and his Apprentices overseeing the process while using their knowledge about the Heart.

She believes her Heart holds clues to finding Sora. In doing so, it appears the memories hidden from her are resurfacing as flashbacks, bit-by-bit.

She's traversing her Heart to not only have a direct path to Sora, but also a path to her hidden memories.

She's traversing the memories stored in her Heart during her time spent in Sora's Heart.

Perhaps a reason why Terranort didn't recall much after waking up except for Xehanort's name is because the amount of memories the old master had was overwhelming Terra's mind. Paired with the strong powerful Darkness that amplified his own, it overpowered him to have amnesia for a while.

[unlockthelore]

Quick Break

Roxas used an illegal move to one-up Xion and finds himself at a disadvantage.

Part 2 of the Twilight Mirage series. For more updates, follow the twilight mirage tag on this blog.

Although there was no immediate threat to the worlds, aside from the lack of one specific person who all owed gratitude toward, staying on top of their fighting skills was important. No one knew when they would be called upon to be the Wielders of Light, and that in itself was more than enough reason to be ready. Roxas figured it would be best to train with Xion. Considering that they were close enough to know one another’s faults and strengths, they complemented one another. And it was easier to let off steam with someone you trusted.

Over and over, their key blades clashed, sparks flying and shouts echoing off the trees surrounding them. Leaves trembling with the force of spells ricocheting off willowy branches and anyone who was curious to know what was happening on the outskirts of the Old Mansion were wise enough to keep away. In between guarding from another one of Xion’s onslaughts and looking for an opening, Roxas’ mind began to wander. Times like this brought him back to their days as part of the Organization, the days where it wasn’t all that bad, and they had free time to do things like this.

Simply be.

At the time, he thought it was nice to have a friend. That it wasn’t odd when he’d catch himself admiring how her skin flushed pink around her nose, cheeks, and the tips of her ear. When her hair would brush against her chin and she’d tuck it back, his eyes following every movement as if it were happening in slow motion.

Or when she’d look back at him over her shoulder, blue eyes twinkling like the sunlight reflecting off the water’s surface, her lips moving but the sound delayed — calling for him to hurry up, and he’d startle — notice that he’d been standing still as if someone cast Stopga on his legs.

When he joined with Sora once more, he wondered if he only thought she was beautiful because she resembled Kairi and Sora’s feelings for her were so strong that it affected Roxas’s own. Gaining his own heart, meeting Kairi for the first time in person, he didn’t feel that vague flutter in his chest or the need to commit every smile and glance to memory. No twisting in his stomach beyond the irritation he felt when someone was badgering her — nothing that was like what he felt for Xion.

Her smile, he sorely missed it in the few fleeting seconds he could recall her name. And when those memories came flooding back, he felt such relief that he could almost cry.

Another clash of their Keyblades and he blocked reflexively, his knee buckling as she pressed closer, the sparks flying nearly blinding him but between the cross their keyblades made — her eyes filled his entire world.

Maybe that’s what made him do it.

Pressing forward, his hand curving up in an arc to knock her keyblade away before he darted forward to press a kiss to her cheek. Everything that followed was slow in his eyes. Her own widening, not quite registering what happened, her key blade falling from hand and caught in his own as he pulled back. Warmth lingering on his lips as her own parted, first in a gasp and then a shout.

“Roxas!”

He grinned lazily, turning her key blade around while his own dematerialized, shoulders hiking in a half-hearted shrug. “What?”

It was hard to feel like he was in trouble with the way she looked. Mesmerized ocean blue eyes darkened, nose scrunched, brows furrowed, and cheeks a few shades too pink for embarrassment. She was too cute but he doubted that she would let him get close enough to hug her. With her arms folded across her chest, she glared at him and he knew he was in some form of trouble.

“That’s cheating and you know it!”

“I thought we agreed that we can kiss whenever,” he rubbed his fingers along his chin, feigning curiosity as he rolled his eyes to the sky. After a second passed, he looked at her and shrugged. “Won’t apologize for thinking about kissing you when we’re training.”

Her blush worsened and she almost seemed close to fuming. “That’s not the point!” She snapped, her keyblade disappearing from his hand and appearing in her own with a sheen of light. She pointed it at him, her lower lip poking just a bit in a pout. “How am I supposed to concentrate when you do that?”

Roxas hummed thoughtfully, strolling toward her leisurely till the flat of her key blade’s tip pressed against his chest. “When I do what exactly?”

What he wanted to hear was her argue back at him. Perhaps throw a quip or two. But she didn’t. Her eyes widened and her breath caught. A startled look as her key blade vanished in a sheen of light and she drew her hand away as if burned. He realized his mistake a second late. Right. His hand pressed to his chest and he frowned.

Despite putting down his coat and wearing street clothes more often, he could still remember it. The way her Keyblade pressed against his chest, her face hidden beneath her hood, the tears.

Even if they had grown from those days and were getting better with each passing second, those memories would always hold pain and regret.

“Xion —“

“Kiss me,” she mumbled. His eyes going wide and he tipped his head to one side, knowing that his face was reddening. But she wasn’t looking at him. Staring down at her feet with her hands at her side. “… It’s hard to focus.”

Oh.

“Well…”

How was he going to explain that to her? It was the same for him, really. When she was around, it was hard for him to focus. But when they were fighting together, he felt stronger.

“That’s because… you care about me.”

Something in his chest shuddered. A warm pulse startling him as he took a hesitant step forward, the grass shifting beneath his sneakers with every step he took to close the distance between them.

“And… you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me,” he assured, the warmth doused with cold dread as she lifted her head, meeting his eyes with a sorrowful expression. “… Not if you can help it.”

Xion’s eyes shimmered, glazed over with something, and he felt his heart ache. Opening his mouth to apologize, a tight embrace knocked the breath out of him. He wasn’t used to being hugged. Not now even. His hands hovering in the air before finding their place at her back, his arms winding around her as he held her tightly.

“I didn’t think you’d be this distracting,” Xion muttered, her words muffled against Roxas’s shoulder.

He chuckled, squeezing lightly. “Well, now you know how I felt whenever we were paired on missions..”

“You… felt like this then?”

It was a little embarrassing to admit but if she was going to be honest with him, then honesty is the least Roxas could give her in return. “All the time,” he admitted. “Wanting to impress you or get your attention. I mean, I wanted to be friends but… I just wanted you to notice me.”

For so many days, he’d been the Keyblade Wielder. The one who would complete Kingdom Hearts. And it wasn’t so much as everyone noticing him but what weapon he held in his hand. And the person that he was connected to. All the things that made up his identity were just belongings of someone else. Hand-me-downs. Nothing that he owned.

But Xion looked at him as if he were someone new.

So did Axel.

They were his first real friends.

And to feel this way about her. Xion was his first real love.

“You were one of the few people that I noticed…” Xion’s voice came through clearer as she laughed, her cheek resting against his shoulder, dark hair filling his vision when he looked down at her. “I just wanted you to like me.”

Liking her was a bit of an understatement.

“Alright… how about a promise? I won’t kiss you when we’re training until we’re done.”

Slowly, she pulled away from him and his breath caught as she stared up at him with a dazzling smile.

“Deal.”

It felt like someone casted Thundaga on him. Electricity running up and down his spine, his heart fluttering and everything just felt charged. He knew he was staring but she didn’t say anything, just rubbed his back and smiled up at him as if he were the only person in all the worlds.

Her smile really shouldn’t have been able to do that to him.

[keyboardpunk]

Where the Ocean Meets The Sky [part 1/?]

Chapter 1: May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key { Sora x Kairi }

So, I hated KH3′s ending. Like, it legit made me so upset, I thought I was gonna throw up. I’m still not over it, and I won’t be until they set things right. But, in the meantime, I wanted to write this alternative ending idea that I had. Naturally, this contains spoilers for KH3. Also, warning that later chapters maturity rating will go up!

♥ I hope you like it and thanks for reading ♥

Chapter Rating: T(13+) Chapter 1 ► Chapter 2

...

... ...

...

"Not without Kairi...” he said just moments ago, and that thought still resonated with him as he boarded the gummy ship. He climbed into the ship alone for the first time in a long time, or perhaps for the first time, he couldn’t recall. Sora felt like he was in a haze, a dreary like state that tugged him along rather than him being the guide of his own movement. As soon as he climbed into the ship, and stood alone in a space that had always been filled with Donald and Goofy, Sora collapsed against the nearest wall and slid to the floor, a heavy heap of dirty clothes, sweat, and blood.

The captain’s chair was only a few footsteps away, yet he completely lost the strength to get up and climb into it. He heaved desperate breaths as if he hadn’t inhaled properly in hours. He was panting, gasping, and choking on the oxygen that seeped in and out of him. It didn’t immediately become apparent to Sora that he was crying until the tears dripping down his wet face splashed onto his lap. He dragged the back of his glove across his face multiple times, only to find the tears quickly replaced.

“Stop,” he mumbled to himself. But, the tears wouldn’t stop flowing and he couldn’t stop gasping. “Kai-ri’s al-alone out there...”

You’re alone, too.

The weight of it all seemed to crash down on him, in that moment. It wasn’t just going on without Donald and Goofy, and it wasn’t just facing this world without knowing Kairi was safe. Ventus’ heart, Roxas’ heart... they were gone, too. For the first time since he started this journey, he was truly alone.

He had never known of the weight of Ven’s heart, as it had always been with him. He had never known what it was like to not feel it alongside his own. For the first time, he felt the emptiness of his heart, alone in his chest: the quiet, the stillness, the beating of a single drum. It was not so different from the time he became a heartless.

“Was it only easy until now because-... I was never by myself. From the beginning-... It was only easy because-” Sora’s words trailed off and he remembered what Riku had said to him when he had given up, when all seemed lost, and the source of his light had been taken from him.

You don’t believe that.

Sora leaned up a little so he could reach into one of the pockets on his pants and pull out Kairi’s good luck charm. One of the ceiling lights hit the crown in the center, making it shimmer. He slid his thumb over the surface of one of the shells and touched a crack that had formed in the time he had owned it. Sora couldn’t help but smile at the face that was staring back at him. He could almost hear Kairi tease him for damaging her lucky charm... his lucky charm.

“Enough,” he said again, firmly, mumbling to no one but himself. Sora wiped his face again, this time on his sleeve, smearing the fabric of his shirt roughly against his face; and, although the tears hadn’t stopped yet, he stood up. He summoned his keyblade as he approached the captain’s chair in his ship.

“Give me strength-” Sora glided the charm against the keychain on his keyblade. It flashed bright white as it took form against the chain. As it hooked onto the end, the entire keyblade lit up. In Sora’s grasp, he could feel the blade changing shape. The entire cabin was lit up with the bright light the weapon had illuminated. When it finally calmed, the Oathkeeper was in his grasp. “-show me the way... to Kairi’s heart...!”

...

... ...

...

As Sora walked along the sidewalk, he wasn’t immediately aware of what world he had ended up in, this time. It was dark and the streets were almost empty. The majority of businesses along the strip were closed for the night, except for one. Sora saw a creature clad in a fancy suit step out and casually walk by him, and encouraged him to properly look at his hands. Ah. grey fur.

Sora reached up and touched the silky smooth appendages atop his head, his spiky brown hair now transformed into something resembling fins. They were firm, like vinyl, but soft. He tugged gently on one of his ears, realizing they were now soft and fuzzy, and stuck out far from the sides of his head. So, he was back in Monstropolis?

“Donald’s magic is still with me. What a relief,” he sighed, whispering to himself. “A piece of Kairi is here, then. But... where?” Sora began wandering aimlessly down the street, helpless as to where he should even begin. After a few minutes, he wondered if he should head to Monsters Inc. But, he didn’t know which way to go, or if that was even a wise choice.

He just moved, and his feet just carried him, and he wasn’t sure if it was even the right way. His thoughts were a little unclear, other than to keep moving, to move forward, to whichever direction Kairi was. In a daze, Sora crossed the street without much thought, and was suddenly blinded by bright lights. There was a loud sound as tires screeched on the asphalt. Sora lifted his hands to shield his eyes from the brightness.

“Watch where you’re going, idiot!” an angry voice shouted at him. “Ah - uhm,” Sora stuttered, stumbling back away from the blinding light. “Sorry,” he apologized, moving out of the way. “Better be!” the driver shouted out the window as he sped by. Sora continued stepping back, out of the road, and his ankles hit the curb and he tumbled back onto his bottom.

“Omf,” he grunted as he hit the ground, his arms falling back to keep him from completely hitting the ground, catching himself on his palms. “Woah - woah - are you o-... Sora!?” a voice, a very close voice, shouted in surprise. Sora looked up from where he sat on the ground, up at a single, huge, teal eye.

“Mike?” he replied, almost in disbelief. “Yeah, ahehe,” Mike responded, smiling and laughing nervously. “What are you doing?” he asked, immediately adding on, “you look horrible.” Sora didn’t overthink Mike’s statement. He must have been right. He was alone, laying on the ground, with no idea to what he was doing. “Ah-... eh...” he mumbled.

“Hey, do you need a place to crash?” Mike asked, waving one of his skinny arms as if to single to the direction behind him. Sora’s brow curled curiously. “Crash...?” Sora questioned, tilting slightly to try to look behind Mike, to whatever he was signaling at. “Yeah, crash. Y’know, a place to stay the night?” Mike explained, bending his knees slightly so his huge eye took up more of Sora’s vision.

“O-oh! No, I couldn’t. Thank you! But, I have-” Sora’s words were silenced as Mike loudly interrupted him. “Sora, with all due respect, you look like you haven’t slept in days.” Sora smiled nervously, unaware that his toothy grin looked more like an uneasy grimace. “I’m fine. Honest,” he replied, moving to stand up properly and get his long legs out of the road. “No, you’re not,” Mike stated, matter of factly.

“Me and Sully are roommates. He’ll be happy to see ya’ again. Come on!” Mike started walking away with the utmost confidence that Sora would follow him. He was right because Sora wasted no time catching up to him. “Uhm, Mike, I can’t-” he tried, but Mike wouldn’t stop talking. “We have a really nice place. The couch folds out so you’ll have plenty of room. But, you’re so skinny, it probably wouldn’t matter anyway.”

“Mike, look, I-” Sora tried again. But, Mike carried on, “you’re pretty lucky. I just stepped out to get some things at the corner store.” It was only then that Sora realized Mike had a brown, paper bag tucked under his arm. “It’s not far away. Consider my hospitality a thank you for helping us out back then. Besides, we love company! ....usually.”

Sora felt a little helpless as he followed along, thinking about what he should have been doing, instead of what he was doing. But, he lacked the strength to tell Mike no. At least, he could visit for a bit and then leave. Honestly, he did want to see Sully again. Maybe, it would be nice: a quick get together and then he would leave and look for Kairi!

“It’s on the 3rd floor,” Mike commented as they approached a massive skyscraper. “Woah,” Sora muttered, tilting back so he could crane his neck and look up, trying to catch a glimpse of the top. He could see lights illuminated in some of the windows, so far up he almost couldn’t see. He titled back a little too far, and stumbled, trying to catch himself before he fell over.

“See? I told’ja you’re not okay,” Mike gently scolded. Sora looked over at the short cyclops, who had one hand dramatically placed on his hip... or the spot where his leg ran into his eye socket. “Ahehe,” Sora nervously laughed, rubbing a hand against the rough fin on the back of his head.

He followed Mike into the building, up the elevator, and into his apartment building. “Oohh, so this is what an apartment is!” Sora commented loudly as he stepped inside. “You didn’t know what an apartment was?” Mike asked, eyeing Sora curiously. Just as the teenager made it into the living room, Sully stepped in from the nearby hallway.

“Thought I heard a familiar voice,” he commented, his large feet gently shaking the floorboards as he walked. “Sully!” Sora exclaimed, waving at him excitedly. Mike walked by and began to remove the contents from his paper bag. He placed them on the counter, mumbling something about dinner. Sora expected Sully to question Mike as to why he was here; when he didn’t, Sora decided he wanted to explain. “Sorry for showing up unexpected. I won’t be here too long. Just - uh - thought I’d stop by and say hi before heading off.”

Sully’s smile faded, “where’ya heading off to in such a hurry?” Sora’s chipper expression also faded. For a moment, he wondered if he could come up with something on the spot; but, he decided that he’d rather tell the truth. “I’m looking for someone... someone important to me.” Sully stepped a little closer, close enough that he towered over Sora. “That explains why you look like that,” he commented, a little sadly.

“Like what?” Sora practically squeaked. “...like you haven’t stopped for a second,” Sully answered. Sora couldn’t see it, but it was particularly evident in his tired eyes. “Told’ja,” Mike quickly barked from the kitchen. Sora turned back to look at him for a second before immediately turning back to Sully. “You’re on your own with this one, huh?” the tall monster asked, turning around.

“Y-yeah...” Sora answered. “She’s all alone and I-... I gotta find her.” Sully plopped down on one of the armchairs and raised his eyebrows at Sora. “She?” he asked, in a tone Sora recognized all too well. “Ahehe,” he laughed nervously, walking over to take a seat at the couch. He leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, with his ankle resting on his knee, trying to act casual about the whole thing.

“Weeelll, what does she look liiiiike?” Mike called from the kitchen, voice drawn out and taunting. Sora jumped upright and set his foot back on the floor. He nervously scratched at his jawline with his claws. “Really blue eyes... and red hair,” he replied, looking away nervously.

“Fur, huh?” Sully replied casually, placing his hands on his lap and leaning over to try and get a glance at Sora’s blushing face. “Ehh - yeah!” Sora replied. He turned towards Sully. “Oh - and claws!” he added on, a bit too dramatically. He even extended his fingers for emphasis. Sully stared at him as if there was nothing odd about that, and Sora remembered the context of this world. He placed his hands on his lap, feeling silly.

“She sounds terrifying,” Mike commented as he approached them. “Ahehe. She is,” Sora agreed. The cyclops was holding one bowl in either hand, with another tucked into his inner elbow as he approached. Mike offered one of the bowls to Sora, and he took it hesitantly. “O-Oh! Thank you!”

“Don’t mention it,” Mike commented as he handed one to Sully. “It’s my turn to cook, which means I get to pick the channel. Hope you like Claw and Order.” Mike plopped down in an oddly shaped chair. It was curved and round, and clearly intended to fit his body shape.

Sora looked down at the bowl in his hands and realized it was stir fry noodles with bug shaped beans - at least, he hoped those were beans. “Guys, thank you so much, really, but... I really can’t stay.” Sully slurped loudly as he sucked a large portion of noodles into his mouth and Mike began fiddling with the remote, flipping through channels. “You really should get some sleep, Sora,” the blue monster encouraged.

Sora looked up at him with a surprised expression. “Sleep? But I-” Yet again, Mike interrupted him that night. “Do you even know where she is? The monster you’re looking for?” Mike asked, setting the remote control down to suck up some noodles. “I-...” Sora looked down at the bowl in his hands. “It’s written all over your face,” Sully commented. “If you keep going like this, you’re gonna collapse.”

Mike set his bowl down on the coffee table and hopped up from where he was seated. “No more excuses! You’re staying the night because I hospitably invited you over... and made my world famous noodles.” Mike didn’t immediately sit back down, but stared at Sora with a confident expression, awaiting another excuse, perhaps.

In that moment, Sora remembered that he was alone on this journey. He didn’t have Donald and Goofy to be the voice of reason anymore. He had to be that, himself. He couldn’t find Kairi is he could barely walk. That’s what Donald would say, right? And Goofy would encourage him to take it easy, not to rush.

You’re useless to her if you can barely function.

Maybe he should have realized it himself. He hadn’t slept since he defeated the new Organization XIII... since he defeated Xehanort. He hopped right into the gummy ship and took off. He was willing to keep going and going, his exhaustion be damned.

Sora took hold of the strange utensil sticking out of the noodles and scooped up a large amount. “Yessir!” he declared before slurping up the noodles in the same dramatic fashion that they had. Mike plopped back down in his silly chair, looking quite proud of himself.

They finished their noodles loudly, and Sully finished his with a dramatic belch, so loud that it shook their apartment floor. Mike chewed him out about it with a dramatic speech, something about having company and that they were going to get security called on them again, and Sora laughed the hardest he had in weeks.

That night, Sora slept soundly on a fold out couch, with his head propped on the armrest, wrapped up in a spotted green and yellow blanket. He was out like he had been put in a coma, one leg fallen over the edge of the couch and one arm propped beneath his head, snoring loudly while his ears twitched. He didn’t dream; or, if he did, he forgot about it when he woke.

...

... ...

...

"Her heart has been shattered... pieces of it must have scattered across the worlds. Sora... It isn’t safe. I can’t fathom what would happen if you keep using your keyblade to search for her... What if you-”

“I’m not afraid of what will happen to me... Kairi’s all alone. I have to find her. I promised her... I would never let her be alone ever again. I’ll do whatever it takes... no matter the consequences... I’ll make her whole again...”

...

... ...

...

“See... now you look like you could actually scare someone,” Sully commented as the trio exited the apartment complex. Sora enthusiastically stretched his arms above his head before crossing them behind his neck. He pressed his palms against the fur there and grinned. “Ya’ think so?” he replied happily.

“No,” Mike bluntly stated. “Buuut, you could make someone laugh with that ridiculous face.” Sora’s arms returned to his side and he pouted. “Ridiculous!?” he blurted, sounding childish and insulted. His ears angled downwards, further proving Mike’s point, unfortunately. “Actually, Sora, we were hoping you would come with us to work today,” Sully requested, his voice’s tone heightening slightly with hope.

“Huh?” Sora turned his attention away from the green cyclops on his right to the furry monster on his left. “Today is orientation for new employees and... Well, we’d love if you’d join us,” Sully explained. “Orientation?” Sora asked. When Mike began talking, Sora looked to him again. “Since we don’t scare anymore, we get a lot more job applicants. We do orientation to see if they got what it takes, ya’ know?”

“-and, well, we know you��re looking for someone,” Sully began, “but, you said you don’t know where to begin, right?” Sora turned back to Sully and nodded. “Soooo, we could help you look... after orientation,” Mike finished. Sora stopped walking and the other two also paused some footsteps ahead him. They looked back at the monster with the spiky head, who had one hand under his chin, eyes glossy as he stared blindly into the distance, thinking.

“My heart will guide me to Kairi,” he thought to himself. “My heart brought me here... Should I...?” Sora exchanged glances between Sully and Mike, and was taken aback by their hopeful stares. It seemed like destiny that he reunited with them, especially like this. Maybe-... maybe it was a chance worth taking, that may or may not bring him to Kairi.

Finally, Sora nodded enthusiastically. “Sure!”

...

... ...

...

Orientation was somehow exactly what Sora expected it to be, and somehow not at all. There were a lot of monsters here: some really large ones that barely fit in the doors, some small ones that looked like they got stepped on a lot. Some monsters were furry, some covered in thick scales, some completely hairless. Some monsters had horns or claws, while others had multiple eyeballs... or no eyeballs.

But, Sora wasn’t the least perturbed by the strange creatures all around him. They were normal people, deep down, people with hearts trying to find their way in the world. Rather, the entire experience was fast paced and a bit overwhelming.

The factory was bringing in doors like crazy and the monsters were in and out of them quickly while workers measured their ability to fill the tanks with children’s laughter. Mike and Sully didn’t seem at all overwhelmed by all of this. They walked along, monitored, sometimes examined the clipboards, sometimes gave advice, while Sora scurried along behind them, unsure of what to do himself.

At one point, Mike and Sully paused to monitor one of the potential hires. Sora stood behind Mike and leaned over him to properly get a look at what he was doing. “This one’s a tough one,” one of the monsters had said. He was holding a clipboard, and wearing a shirt that had the company logo on it. “Are you sure you don’t want an easier one? Most guys can’t get this kid to crack a smile.”

“Yeah I totally got this!” another monster proclaimed cheerfully, standing directly in front of the door, waiting for permission to enter. The monster holding the clip board scratched one of his seven eyeballs, humming with uncertainty. “Alright, kid. Show us what you got.” With great enthusiasm, the younger monster bolted into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. There was a moment of silence as everyone waited and stared at the meter on the power tube.

A very long minute passed and then laughter could be heard, bellowing and dramatic, like it had been long awaited, and the tube filled up almost instantly. Shortly afterward, the monster exited the room, panting dramatically. He shut the door behind himself and leaned against it. The monsters that had gathered around to watch began clapping and cheering.

“Good job, kid!” Sully congratulated him. “Keep up the good work,” he added, walking on to the next door before the kid could get a chance to properly react. Sora picked up the pace to keep up with Sully and Mike as they moved along the factory. Eventually, they got to the end of the row. A door was placed in the framework, but the light was off. A monster was crawling all around the metal frame, trying to figure out what was wrong with it.

“Oh!” he exclaimed when he realized he had an audience. “Sorry, boss. I guess this one is defective?” He climbed off the framework and approached Sully and Mike. Sora glanced at the door and saw the light catch a mark in the wood. “Huh,” he mumbled before doing a double take. Sora stepped around Sully and approached the door.

He leaned down on one knee to look at it properly. There were three marks in the wood, right on top of each other, made with a graphite pencil most likely. Sora placed a furry hand on the wood as he examined the marks. There was one line with a tiny “R” etched in next to it. The line beneath that one had a “K” next to it; and, then, at the bottom, barely a centimeter beneath the middle line, had an “S”.

Familiar.

“Hey, Sully,” Sora began as he stood up properly, turning his direction to the conversing monsters and interrupting them. They stopped talking for a moment to look at him. “Can I do this one?” Sora asked. “Uh. Sure? If you can get it to work,” Sully replied, nodding at the monster in the hardhat. He scuttled over to the control panel and disconnected the framework from the door and then reconnected it.

Sora stared at the light above the door with a hopeful gaze. Somehow, he felt a connection to this door. His heart pounded anxiously in his chest as he waited, watching the light with unwavering stare. It took a moment; but, this time, it did light up. He smiled and wordlessly stepped inside, wondering what awaited him.

It was dark in the little bedroom; but, Sora’s monster eyes could see through the darkness. The room was what you would expect of a child’s bedroom; there were some toys left on the floor, stuffed animals propped up on the top of the drawers, a little wood table with crayons and drawing paper scattered on the surface, a small chair jutting out. As soon as he entered, a little girl stood up from her bed and turned on the light at the side table, illuminating the room in a dull, orange hue. She stared up at him, innocent blue eyes blinking and red hair a mess around her shoulders.

“It’s not nice to barge into someone’s room,” she gently criticized. Sora’s ears perked up and his mouth fell open. That wasn’t exactly what he expected her to say. Then again, that did seem perfectly fitting. He closed his mouth and descended to the floor, plopping down on his bottom and crossing his legs at his ankles to get somewhat close to her level. “I didn’t barge in. I entered normally,” he replied, tone soft yet with a childish, chipper attitude.

“I didn’t say you could come in,” she replied, pointing an accusing finger. “Oh! Well... can I come in?” Sora requested, placing his hands innocently in front of him on the floor. The little girl tapped a finger against her chin and looked away, thinking intently. “I guuuuesss,” she replied, “just cuz you’re already in here.”

Sora smiled and tilted his head to the side, “thank you.” There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other, and she contemplated whether or not she wanted to walk up to him. Sora’s ears twitched again, and that seemed to encourage her to approach him. The little girl tilted her head to get a proper look at his face.

“Why don’t you have a nose?” she asked, pointing at her own nose to make a point. Sora hummed thoughtfully for a moment. “Someone pulled it off,” he replied casually, albeit a bit dramatically. The girl giggled briefly, and chastised him, "noses don’t just fall off, stupid.” Sora gasped dramatically. “They can!” he defensively replied, lifting one of his hands in a menacing way.

The girl giggled some more, covering her nose with both hands just to be certain. “Maaaaybe, that’s why I’m here. I’m looking for a new nose,” Sora explained. “-and I’ll get it by scaring it off of you!” he added dramatically, raising both of his hands above his head and showing off his claws. The girl removed her hands from her face and grinned at him. “You’re not scary!” she accused bravely, mimicking his pose with her own little arms. “I’m not!?” Sora gasped, clutching at his chest with his hands.

“Ah uh!” she proclaimed. “You couldn’t scare a fly!” Sora gasped again and pouted at her. “Not true! I could be scary. Watch!” Sora lowered his head slightly, just enough to ensure the girl couldn’t see his face. He waited for a moment, keeping his head held low. In the corner of his eye, he could see her tilting down to try and steal a glance at his face.

He lifted his head, dramatically squealing, “eeeeeee!” with his eyes looking upwards, his smile showing a toothy grin, and his ears turned up as far as he could make them go. The girl’s laughter echoed in the small bedroom and she chanted at him, “you look silly, not scary!” Sora’s face returned to normal for a moment, and he replied, “nah - uh! This is super scary!” He repeated his actions, this time sticking his tongue out. It was long and pink, and dangled off the edge of his jawline. “Eeeww!” she hollered between her laughter.

Sora’s expression softened and he smiled at the girl as her laughter died into giggles. “Sora makes that face at me, too,” she commented. Sora’s eyes widened and he gasped, “huh?” She smiled at him, clutching a tiny hand to her chest. “Kairi-?” he whispered. Her body began to glow, a light that flickered and shined, but soon faded along with her form. He felt the light seep into his own body as she disappeared before his very eyes, leaving behind a faint giggle that, too, quickly faded.

Sora smiled and stood up. As if it was contagious, he began to gently laugh, as well. It didn’t last long, before confidence swelled up inside him. “Wait for me, Kairi. I’ll find you: all of you.” He turned to the closet door and stepped out of the bedroom and back into Monsters Inc. As soon as he stepped out, he was met with confused gasps and stares.

“Huh?” Sora turned back to the door and found there was nothing on the other side. He could see right through it to the opposite end of the factory. “Uhm...” he mumbled, turning back to face the others. “It was defective,” he explained. “Hm. Odd,” Sully commented, scratching at his jawline. “Better shred it,” he directed to the monster in the hardhat. Sora closed the door and looked down at the etchings in the wood. He smiled, almost wanting to hold onto it for a little longer, but stepped away.

...

... ...

...

“Are you sure you’re good to go on without us?” Sully asked, looking down at Sora with uncertainty. “Yeah! I’ll be fine,” Sora reassured him with a confident smile. Everyone was gathered in the main entryway at Monsters Inc, grabbing the paperwork that told them if they were hired or not. “I think I needed this,” Sora explained, a soft smile on his face. He looked around at all the happy faces around him.

“You didn’t do too bad for a rookie,” Mike explained. “Only one of those kids didn’t laugh at you.” Sora grimaced at the memory. “That kid was scarier than me!” he shrieked, shuddering at the thought of facing off against that kid with the braces again. “I’d rather face the heartless,” he mumbled to himself. Sully laughed and roughly patted him on the back. “You did good. I’d offer you a job if you were going to stay.”

Sora looked up at him, ears perky and smiling, “really!?” Sully nodded, laughing at his enthusiasm. Sora stepped around Sully so he was standing more directly in front of him and Mike. “Guys... thanks for all this, really.” The two stared at him for a moment, briefly lost in awe at his sincerity. Then, suddenly, Mike blew raspberries. “What are ya’ getting all sappy for? You had some fun, we got some energy... and we didn’t have to pay you for it...”

“I could’ve gotten paid!?” Sora exclaimed, flailing his arms. “Heh. Not a chance,” Sully replied, placing a heavy hand on the top of his head and giving a gentle shove. “You got paid in noodles and a couch,” Mike informed him, crossing his arms and grinning, proudly. Sora regained his composure and pouted, also crossing his arms. “All according to plan?” he asked, and Mike bluntly replied, “exactly.” Sully started laughing and the other two immediately joined in.

Sora could feel the warm spreading inside his heart, and he was confident he would find the rest of Kairi.

[tatarianasters]

Pink Carnations

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine.

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Summary: Memories of them are her treasure. Naminé's sketchbook is filled with silver hair and pink carnations. Whenever she sees him, her heart breaks just a little because he will never be him.

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The room Naminé uses is far more colorful than what she was used to. Back in Castle Oblivion and her room in the mansion in Twilight Town, everything was a sickening white. She couldn't go somewhere without seeing the color. The room she now uses has baby pink walls and a black ceiling filled with plastic glow-in-the-dark stars (Kairi must have plastered them on there when she was a child) and the sheets on top of the single mattress is sunshine yellow. Her grip on her drawing pad tightens as she remembers the only reason she was able to experience this new life of freedom.

She opens the drawing pad, flips it to a certain page. There, drawn in her own hand, was a certain white-haired boy. Even in a drawing, his back was turned. Her vision blurs as her fingers run across the picture. What was the point of returning when the person she wants to see the most wasn't there to welcome her with open arms?

“Naminé?” Kairi's head peeked from the open door. Naminé snapped out of her reverie. Her “twin” gave her a small smile. “Just wondering how you're doing.”

Naminé gave her an identical smile, closing her drawing pad shut. “Im good.”

Her other stood straight, entering the room and looking around. “I hope you don't mind this room,” she starts. “Sora, Riku, and I used to play here a lot.”

That explains the stars, the blonde thought fondly. “I actually like it,” she informed her, craning her neck up to see them.

“Sora loved them,” Kairi informed her, a hint of melancholy permeating her voice. “He bought those stars for me as a birthday gift. I have more of them in my own room.”

She shook her head before returning her gaze on Naminé. “Riku and I were planning to grab some dinner. Wanna come along?”

Riku. She was afraid to see Riku. Thorns wormed their way around her heart and she clutched the drawing pad a little more tightly. She gives Kairi a soft smile.

“Dinner would be wonderful.”

---

Kairi and Riku led her to a restaurant in the main island, just near the school the three (two, now?) of them go to when they're not busy saving worlds.

The sun was halfway below the horizon and you can see the first stars twinkling. The lampposts are starting to come to life one by one and the breeze starts getting a little more chilly, tickling her skin and gently blowing her hair. Naminé walks a little behind Kairi and Riku, watching as the two of them talk. She wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. In fact, Naminé has no idea what they were talking about at all. She was more focused on the way Kairi smiles at him, and the way he looks at her with a silent promise. Her heart begins to clench once again. It could have been him and her.

“We're here!” Kairi announces.

Naminé studies the quaint building. It’s modest, not quite like the bistro at Twilight Town. The restaurant is decorated with a bunch of wooden tables symmetrically arranged throughout the whole place, with vases of pink flowers resting in the middle of each. Kairi chose a table right next to the window. A waiter hurries over to their table to give each of them a menu.

“What do you guys recommend?” Naminé asks, unable to choose from the many dishes. She heard Riku speak.

“We'll have three seafood paellas.”

The waiter nodded and jotted the order down. “And for drinks?”

Riku looked at the two girls for answers.

“I'll have a coke!” Kairi said. Not knowing what a coke is, Naminé decided to order the same thing. Riku placed their orders and the waiter left with a bow.

The two childhood friends fell into easy conversation. She waited for their food to come silently, watching the pink flowers sitting on their table. They're beautiful, she thinks. Her fingers itch to grab pencil and paper.

“Oh yeah Naminé,” Kairi suddenly called her name and she snapped to attention. Her other was looking at her with a smile. “Did I tell you that Riku's family owns the place?”

Naminé was surprised and whipped her head to look at him. Riku gave her a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head. She dropped her gaze. A sharp pang shot through her heart.

“Yeah, so don't worry about the bill.”

Naminé gave a little nod, turning her attention back to the flowers. Riku noticed her sudden change but decided not to pry. After all, she was probably thinking about him. Kairi doesn't seem to notice anything. Their food come shortly after and they all ate in silence, the only noises to be heard the clinking of utensils against china.

It wasn't long until they finish and Kairi left to use the restroom, leaving Riku and Naminé in uncomfortable silence. Her azure eyes scan the place again, noting white wallpapers and star-shaped lights, before landing back on the pink flowers on the table.

“They're called pink carnations,” Riku informs her, noticing her interest on the flowers. “My mom loves them. She said they mean undying love.”

“Undying love, huh?” Naminé smiled. “That sounds poetic.”

Riku nodded, letting out a low chuckle. “There's another meaning to it. ‘I miss you'.”

“I miss you…” Her gaze was blurred by tears she quickly wiped away, hoping Riku didn't notice. But he did. Nothing escapes Riku's eyes.

---

She's back in Castle Oblivion. Larxene and Axel were there. Vexen is too. She knows what's about to happen. She's powerless to stop it.

She sees him then. White hair. The dark bodysuit. He's oozing confidence, thinks he can defeat the Keyblade hero without any help. She chokes back a sob.

The dream fades.

And she wakes up.

Naminé took the drawing pad from the night stand and frantically flipped through a page. The picture looks exactly the same as him. Confident. Wearing that bodysuit. She hugs the picture close to her chest and cries.

“I miss you,”

---

Naminé is sitting on the sand, watching the others play, her drawing pad resting on her lap. The ocean breeze feels nice on her skin. Kairi and the other girl, Selphie, were on the islet, talking. Riku and the two boys were sparring. Riku was obviously just playing along. He's laughing, more carefree than what she's used to. She wonders how he can laugh like that when his best friend is nowhere to be found.

He must've felt her eyes on him because he suddenly turned in her direction and their eyes met for a fraction of a second before she breaks contact. Sand crunches under his feet and Naminé realizes that he's walking towards her. He sat down next to her wordlessly, resting his elbow on one bent knee, his other palm gently digging the sand. They watch Tidus and Wakka for a while.

“Are you sure you're not supposed to be there?” Naminé finally asks after a while. Beside her, Riku shook his head.

“I'm pretty sure they can train without me.”

“You weren't even training.”

Riku lets out a short chuckle before nodding his head. “You're right. I guess it's not just the same without Sora.” The barest hint of melancholy laced his voice. Naminé didn't know what to say.

“I miss Sora too you know,” Riku continues. “But I know that he wouldn't want any of us to mope around. He'd want us to continue living.”

Naminé looked down, feeling guilty. As much as she misses the spiky-haired teen, it wasn't him who haunts her memories. It wasn't him who she wanted to see the most. It was…

“I didn't want him to leave you know,” Riku started again, staring at the sea. His green eyes sparkled. Naminé's got a feeling he wasn't talking about Sora. “It was his choice, to go away.”

Naminé looked down at her drawing pad, her hands clenching into fists. “Who?” she asked in a soft whisper. Riku only gave her a smile before standing up.

“Wanna go see the pink carnations tomorrow?”

Naminé nodded.

---

She spent the entirety of the day with Riku inside their garden. He told her that his mother loves growing carnations because they remind her of his grandmother.

“My grandmother grew a lot of these when I was young,” he told her as they pass through rows of white and red carnations. “Sora and I would play here a lot and she would often scold us because Sora would accidentally knock over a pot.”

Naminé giggled. She could imagine a little Sora and a little Riku running through this garden. Maybe she's even seen a glimpse of this memory when she was shuffling through Sora's memories.

“We're here.”

The pink carnations were as lovely, or perhaps even lovelier, than she first saw them. She leans down to touch one of them gently. Riku watches her with a small smile.

“Do you want to draw them?”

Naminé turned her head to look at him. “May I?”

Riku nodded. “I don't see any harm in doing so.”

Naminé nodded, flashing him a big smile. Now that he thinks about it, this is the first time she's smiled at him like that. Smiling like that, her resemblance to Kairi seems even more obvious. She should smile like that more often.

Naminé took her drawing pad and pencil out of the white sling bag Kairi lent her. Turning to a blank page, she let the graphite dance across paper, creating copies of live flowers in front of her. Riku watches the process silently. It's amazing how much drawing flowers can change Naminé’s mood. Maybe he should bring her here more often.

Once she was done, she took out a pink coloring pencil and began coloring the flowers she made on paper, bringing them to life. She showed her finished work to Riku.

“Ta dah!” She said proudly. It was the first time she's actually drawn anything outside of Sora’s (and his connections) memories, and she was quite happy with how it turned out. Riku gave her a big grin.

“That looks really good, Naminé.”

“Thanks, Riku!”

---

Naminé begins spending more and more time in Riku's family's garden. She finds that whenever she’s there, surrounded by pink carnations, she was able to be rid of her loneliness. The flowers provide her with silent company.

Riku usually accompanies her there. Most of the time he would just watch her in silence as she draws more carnations, slowly filling her drawing pad with them. Naminé was thankful for the silence. It was all she needed from him.

On the rare days Riku was unable to accompany her, it was his mother who provide her with company. Naminé has grown rather fond of the woman. She has hair the same color as Riku's with warm, dark eyes, and whenever they’re together, she would tell her all sorts of stories from Riku's childhood.

Kairi saw the change in Naminé. She was happier. She laughs more often. More importantly, she looks more comfortable around Riku now. At least, she doesn't look at him like he's died anymore. Kairi is happy for her other. She's finally breaking her shell, finally starting to move on.

---

She’s in Castle Oblivion again. This time she’s alone, in one of the castle's many hallways. She doesn't know what floor it is.

Is this a dream or is this a memory?

She decides to move forward, a hand clutching her chest. A bright light suddenly envelops the place, blinding her temporarily. She shields her eyes with an arm in a futile attempt to block the light.

It subsides after a while, and when she puts her hand down, she sees a silhouette. She knows this person. She calls out to him.

“You've forgotten about me,” he said in a scathing voice.

“No!” She cried out, taking a step forward. “I would never!”

“Liar!” He roared. She flinched. “You replaced me with him!”

Naminé shook her head, breaking into a run as she tried to reach him, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't reach him.

“Riku!”

She can see him shake his head. “You know I'm just a fake. A replica. That's why you replaced me with him. Because he's the real deal.”

“No! Riku, please!”

She ran faster, her arm stretching to reach out for him. A sudden flash of light. He disappears.

Naminé sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. She felt like she just ran for miles. Her tears roll down her cheeks and she hugged herself as sobs wracked her body, breaking her from the inside.

She knew that it was just a nightmare, but why does it hurt so much? Why does she feel like something inside her has broken?

---

Naminé hasn't come out of her room the whole day and Kairi was starting to seriously worry about her. No matter how hard she tried, the other girl won’t let her in. She chewed on her lip in worry. She doesn't want to resort using her Keyblade to respect her other's privacy but if she continues like that… A knock on the door shook her out of her reverie. She opened it to find one of her best friends.

“Hey Kairi,” he greeted. “Where's Naminé? I waited for her all day in the garden but she didn't come.”

“She wouldn't leave her room.”

Riku's brows furrowed. He stepped inside the house and made his way towards Naminé's room, patting Kairi on the shoulder as he passed her. He gave Naminé's door a gentle rap but nobody answered.

“Naminé?” he called out. “Are you okay? What's going on?”

No reply. Riku tried turning the knob. It was locked.

“Naminé, answer me.”

Still no replies. Riku tried pushing the door open.

“Naminé, if you don't reply, I'm going to open this door with my Keyblade.”

He heard the door unlock and he pushed it open, revealing Naminé with bloodshot eyes. His frown deepened. He stepped inside before she could close the door on him and looked around.

“What happened, Naminé?”

The blonde in question didn't reply. She sat down on her bed and grabbed her drawing pad, finishing her drawing. Riku's eyes gazed on the picture. It was him. No. Not him. It was him.

“He accused me of replacing him,” she suddenly said, and Riku's green eyes turn their gaze on the girl.

“When did he say that?”

“Last night.”

“Naminé, you were probably just having-”

“-a nightmare, I know.” Naminé finished for him. She dropped her pencil and looked at him. “But Riku, what if he's right? Maybe I really am replacing him. I don't want that Riku!” she wailed. “I don't want to replace him!”

Big, strong hands wrap around her small figure and she sobbed into his chest, dropping the drawing pad on the mattress. Riku remained silent, letting her sob into his shirt. It took her a while to calm down a little.

“He entrusted you to me, you know?” Riku started. “Though I have no idea if I'm doing a good job. Maybe he's watching us right now, shaking his head.” Naminé said nothing. He continued. “I told him to take the vessel back then but he was a bit stubborn. I wonder where he got that from.”

Naminé lets out a wet laugh at that statement and the corners of Riku's mouth tilted up in a small smile.

“He wanted you to have it. He still wants to protect you, up until the end.”

“That's just because of the fake memories I implanted on him,” Naminé mumbled against his shirt.

“The memories may be fake, but his feelings weren't. After all, if the feelings were fake then he wouldn't be the person you wanted to see the most, right?” He gave her head a small pat. “And nobody's ever going to replace him. Not even me. He's different the same way I am different. He will always have a special place in your heart.”

Naminé tilted her head up to look at him with a watery smile. “Riku, thank you.”

“No problem, Naminé.”

“I want to do something for him. Will you help me?”

He nodded.

---

Riku placed the seeds in her hand. His mother was very willing to help them and even gave them a pot. He watched as Naminé carefully placed the seeds inside the soil before sprinkling them with water.

“Do you think he'll like them?” Naminé asked.

“I think he will.”

She gave him a smile.

“I think so too.”

---

She's in Castle Oblivion, inside the room Marluxia and Larxene keep her in. Drawings were scattered all over the floor: of the Keyblade hero and his friends. Standing right in front of her, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, was him. A small smile played on his lips. She stood up and ran up to him and he took her in his embrace. A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

“Did you really think I would be mad at you for replacing me with the real one?”

Naminé frowned. “You're just as real as him.”

“I know.”

They stayed in silence for a long while, enjoying each other's warmth. Finally, cups her face and tilts her head up to look at him.

“It's time for you to wake up soon.”

“But I don't want to. Please. Let me stay here for a little while longer.”

Riku Replica pressed a kiss on her forehead.

“It will be fine. Trust me. I may not be by your side but he… he will carry on my will. He will never leave you. I promise you.”

Naminé nodded.

“I trust you.”

Light is starting to surround them and Naminé knows that it's almost time to part.

“I love you,” she says just as the light begins to swallow them up.

She thinks she can see his smile as he replied.

“I love you too.”

---

The pink carnations grew beautifully under Naminé and Riku's care. She would often draw them together with a certain boy.

"Hello, Riku," she greets the plant. "How are you today? Riku and I helped out at the their family restaurant. Then we went to the island with the others. It was fun." She paused, giving the plant a fond smile.

"You're right, Riku. Everything's alright. Thank you."

[succubused]

24. axel/saïx? MAKE ME CRY PLEASE

(this got a little longer than i intended originally but it now has a happy second part in addition to the distressing first part)

24. “You need to leave.”

Saïx hated the color green.

He wasn’t upset by grass, fortunately. It would have made things inconvenient were he given to being precious about such details. He could make his way through dark pines or stare into open ocean water and it never bothered him. But he stayed away from the shallows. It was aquamarine that made him nauseous.

It was really just unlucky, that his and Lea’s eyes had been so similar.

Isa used to like it, for reasons that he had never said out loud when they applied and certainly never would now, seeing it as another truth that kept them connected beyond all doubt. Even when they were apart, they looked in the mirror and saw one another. It had been romantic in its way.

He shuddered even as the thought crossed his mind. Revulsion was all he could expect from himself when it came to memories of such softness.

It would have been easier if it had all happened at once. Some days he was smothered by the ache of knowing what was missing; others, it was an indifferent, cavernous emptiness within him, a welcome silence. It hurt him, somewhere outside of himself, to realize that he was impatient. He had raged for so long that he had run out of thunder, and a quiet storm was not the tempest he would have needed had he intended to fight. Had he wanted to.

Sometimes, in his dreams, once Lea had faded as he always did, he would find himself staring into bright, cool eyes that belonged to a less feverish soul. The boy looked up at him, and the betrayal written across his face said I expected more from you. It said I know you are better than this.

No. You were.

Half-formed memories of emotions were worse than none at all. If they were to leave, he wanted them gone. He didn’t want to miss them. He didn’t want to miss any of it.

Did he even want to usurp Xemnas anymore? He didn’t know. He did know that he often found himself staring at the man’s throat when he spoke, wondering how it would feel to rip it open. These thoughts, too, would have horrified him were he capable of feeling such things. Constantly submitting to someone he wanted nothing more than to tear apart. It made him sick.

It all made him sick.

“You were given orders,” he said out loud, aware of Axel in the doorway even before he had spoken.

“You’d let him do it, wouldn’t you?”

“I have no idea what you—”

“You—you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Axel’s voice shook, something that would once have made even Saïx want to clasp him in his arms to steady it. To tell him he was safe, he would be safe, no matter the cost.

That was all he had wanted to do.

He kept his arms crossed against his chest. He did not turn away from the window, watching the reflection of Axel’s face instead. He felt a little ill, but he always felt that way around Axel these days.

Revulsion. Every time he looked and saw the disappointment in those eyes, remembered what Lea had expected from him. How much he had trusted him.

You were a fool. You were a sentimental fool.

“Look at me. No, look at me.”

Saïx spun on his heel to find that Axel was much closer than he had appeared to be in the window. He had intended to continue avoiding his eyes, but that was no longer an option. The problem he had now was that once he met them, he couldn’t look away.

“You would have let Xemnas turn me into a Dusk,” Axel said hoarsely, and the shock in his tone made Saïx want to vomit. It told him that Axel had expected something different. He had expected more.

I know you are better than this.

He stared up into the blazing eyes that burned a hole through his hollow chest and he was, for a moment, at a loss. For a single, sickening instant he listened to the voice in the back of his head that screamed no no no but the truth was he didn’t know. He had no idea whether or not he would have had it in him to intervene.

He didn’t need to imagine what it would look like, Lea’s death. He saw it every night when he closed his eyes. He had stopped caring in his dreams a long time ago. Who was to say it would have been any different?

I wouldn’t let him do that to you, Isa’s voice cried. I wouldn’t let them take you away.

“I knew there was no danger of him carrying out the threat,” Saïx said evenly.

Axel slammed his hand on the desk. “That isn’t an answer.”

It was for you.

“No. It isn’t.”

It was all for you.

It was Axel who looked down and away, releasing a whuff of air with a look on his face that was more grief than betrayal.

“What,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “am I supposed to do?”

“You have your orders. I trust you have committed them to memory?”

He opened his mouth and closed it, unsure if Saïx was aware of what he had said. For a moment their eyes met once again. They almost saw each other.

Saïx turned away and closed his eyes. “Just do your job, Axel.”

“And you?”

He meant Xemnas. He meant the yellow eyes. He meant the locked doors and hushed voices and the increasingly deep gashes in the floor that appeared after Saïx had been “letting off steam”.

“Stay out of it,” Saïx murmured.

“Listen.” Axel took a deep breath, clearly bracing himself. “Listen, I know we don’t trust each other, I know that, but Saïx—I really, if there’s something I—”

“Get out.”

It hadn’t escaped him, Isa thought, as he sank into oblivion in the back of Saïx’s mind for the last time, that the closer you were to Xemnas, the more of Xemnas that leached into you like a toxin. Filling the space the heart left behind.

I won’t let him take you away.

“Isa,” Axel said, his voice broken in a million places.

“You need,” Saïx snarled, “to leave.”

I wouldn’t

let him

do that

to you

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

The sight of them, the insectlike helmets and robes all the more unnerving for their color where there had before been only darkness, and worse, the uniformity of it all, the implication that it had all been successful at last, that they had all finally become him and there was no them left. That Lea, no matter how strong he told himself he had to be, was too late to save Isa as Isa had saved him.

I’m sorry, he had mumbled into Lea’s chest. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Promises to…

“No,” he muttered out loud, eyes darting between combatants. Watching for it.

…break?

His heart slammed against ribs that were certainly bruised, and it was not lost on him that he was terrified, and that he was in an extraordinary amount of pain.

Kairi realized what he was looking for before the others even noticed he was there. He half expected her to try and stop him, but she only glanced from his face, to the whirling figures before them, and back. Already Riku and Sora tore into them, but Kairi saw Lea, and she hesitated. She stood with her back to him, weapon low, and he understood with a pang that she was once again protecting him.

“How will you know it’s him?” she said.

They didn’t seem to be given very much to weapons, but Lea had a way around that. He considered throwing it but it seemed unlikely that he’d be able to get a decent swing in, let alone gather the necessary momentum.

“Listen, princess.” Lea swallowed. “Can you do something for me?”

“Yeah.”

“Throw your keyblade at him.”

“At—who? That one?”

She pointed at the figure Lea gestured to, standing very still near the edge of the fray, having just been pushed back, and she thought she saw the pale blue glow that would have given him away, but it wasn’t clear enough to be sure.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. No. I—I know his—he put his arm up like he—we used to train together a lot. Kairi. Please.”

Kairi considered him and nodded.

“Wait. Throw mine. Use mine.”

Lea’s weapon was heavier than what she was used to wielding, but Kairi was strong. As strong as she looked. Their opponents may not have been given to weapons, but reflexes died harder, and a split second after he saw the flames headed for his head the clang of claymore on keyblade rang out across the courtyard. It was back in Lea’s hand before it hit the ground.

“It’s him,” Lea breathed.

“That’s—” Riku spun on his heel, fending off dark projectiles that bore a suspicious resemblance to sniper shots. “Lea—no. He’ll kill you—Kairi—”

But Kairi only watched as Lea made his way towards the figure with a speed and determination that shouldn’t have been possible given his injuries, watched him push Riku away when he tried to stop him in his tracks, and she prayed to every shred of light her heart knew that she was right.

I’ll be here. I’ll always be here.

He didn’t hesitate because there was no time to hesitate, because hesitating meant they were both dead, it would mean he could be wrong, and being wrong wasn’t an option, and Lea had wrenched the horrible mask from his face before the other could react to the fact that he was approaching in the first place.

Waves of disheveled blue hair fell to his shoulders and Saïx staggered back, huffing in surprise when Lea closed the distance again and caught his face in both hands.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Bringing you back,” Lea said, and kissed him.

Familiar explosions of light behind your eyes, you want to laugh the first time it happens because it feels so cliché to see stars, and you’ve spent your whole life trying to avoid clichés. Clichés like the moon falling in love with the sun, but you can’t hide forever, you can’t hide from yourself forever, and when it happens, it happens firmly and without question, because he knows you’ll work around it if he gives you the option, so he doesn’t give you the option. He says

I love you, I love you

and you damn near lose your mind, because you think if you lose that first and lose him second then it won’t hurt as much, but he’s not going anywhere, he’s not leaving, and you don’t understand.

You are sixteen years old and the moonlight kisses a lit match he holds between his teeth. He smiles around it, and you pluck it from his lips with your own, and you are trying not to laugh, but you’re failing, and you hope it doesn’t mean anything. You don’t know what you will do if it does.

You are nineteen years old and you are bleeding from the face and you are kissing a heat wave and you are willing it to mean something. You don’t know what you will do if it doesn’t.

You are twenty-five years old and you are kissing a wildfire the man you used to be learned to love too late for it to make a difference. You want to ask him what does this mean but you look into his eyes and you can already tell he doesn’t have the answers.

You carry what you did to him in your chest like a bomb, like a grenade with the pin pulled that hasn’t quite decided when it will explode. Somewhere in the soul you used to have you hear a voice repeating ten words over and over again and you could snuff it out, but you don’t. It is the last thing you have refused to let them take away.

Lea’s lips burned it all back into him, just as they always had. Every memory, everything he had crushed to the bottom of his heart where it couldn’t do any more damage, a scatter shot point-blank to the chest. Such things can’t help but be fatal, at least in passing.

Saïx gasped, a death rattle, and Isa opened his eyes.

As long as you love him, you cannot be erased.

“Lea,” he croaked. “Lea.”

Lea smiled at him, trying to look certain, but the immense relief in his eyes said that he hadn’t been certain at all.

“That was idiotic, that was so—reckless, you’re not—oh—!”

He staggered back once more, this time due to Lea’s legs having given out momentarily, but Isa had always been stronger, and he steadied him easily. Lea slumped forward and grimaced into Isa’s shoulder. It took him a moment to process that they were holding one another.

“You’re hurt,” Isa said. “I can’t—we have to—”

“Isa,” Lea mumbled. “It’s you, right?”

He paused. “Tell me what color my eyes are.”

Without raising his head, Lea chuckled. “Green.”

“We can assume we are safe for—I feel fine. You clearly do not.”

“I thought I was the one saving your ass.”

“Seems as though it was a mutual operation.”

He groaned and tried to push himself away from Isa. Looking over his shoulder, he met Kairi’s eyes as she charged one of the masked figures of whom Isa now was not, and she smiled at him with something like pride, or maybe it was just bloodlust the princess had earned the right to.

A crash through the sky startled both men, and Lea winced. Isa glared up at the swirling darkness above them, his skin already beginning to give off a pale blue glow, but this time the light that shone from behind his eyes was his own.

“We need to get you out of here.” he told Lea. “You need to leave.”

“No.”

Lea looked him dead in the eyes, and for the first time in years, Isa did not feel compelled to look away. He pushed Isa away gently, and though he was clearly in pain, the flames that snaked up his arms burned as brightly as they knew how.

“We go together,” Lea said, “or not at all.”

[kuwaiti-kid]

The Best PS2 Role Playing Games (RPGs) of All Time

Action, suspense, thickening storylines, and newly advanced graphics.

The PS2 RPGs have them all rolled into a perfect gaming combination. What could possibly be better than experiencing your favorite vintage RPGs on the old school PS1?

Amazing new RPGs on an upgraded system with augmented graphics! Many of the RPG series and games we have come to love received sequels and additions to the new PS2 system. With their cult followings, unique stories, and newly upgraded visuals, these games are worthy of more than just one playthrough.

Here is our list of the 10 Best PlayStation 2 Role Playing games ever created!

The Best PS2 Role Playing Games (RPGs)

1. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004)

Are you looking for a creative, adventurous journey full of vibrant color and eye-catching 3D graphics? You cannot go wrong with Dragon Quest VIII! The game begins with the court jester of the kingdom of Trodain, Dhoulmagus, stealing an ancient scepter and casting a spell on Trodain castle.

The spell turns King Trode, into a troll; the princess, Medea, into a horse; and the rest of the castle’s inhabitants into plants. The only one left unaffected is the unnamed protagonist, a Trodain guard. The guard, King Trode, and Princess Medea set out on a quest to track down Dhoulmagus and break the spell.

These battle scenes have visually changed dramatically from earlier games in the series yet retain a similar text-based menu system for battles. It continues to follow the turn-based RPG combat system, but with a shifting camera view based on who is battling the enemy.

Dragon Quest VIII is the biggest selling game ever for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. It was the first Dragon Quest game to receive a score of 39 out of 40 from Famitsu. It won both 1UP.com’s and GameSpy’s “Best RPG of E3 2005” award, ahead of runner-up Kingdom Hearts II.

Time to grab yourself a copy and pop this one into the PS2!

2. Final Fantasy XII (2006)

Encompassing both beautiful scenery and intriguing character, Final Fantasy XII lives up to the high expectations of the legendary series.

Final Fantasy XII takes place in the familiar world of Ivalice, hundreds of years after Dynast King Raithwall united its warring kingdoms in the Galtean Alliance. It follows the street urchin Vaan who becomes embroiled in a quest to save the occupied kingdom of his homeland, Dalmasca, from a war that seems imminent.

Excluding the massively multiplayer online role-playing game FF XI, FF XII is the first entry in the main Final Fantasy series not to include random encounters. Another new feature is the “gambit” system, which allows the player to program each character to perform certain commands in battle in response to specified conditions.

Final Fantasy XII does a superb job of blending a Star Wars-esque spirit with an Anime presentation. The game has it all, political intrigue and rebellion, aerial dogfighting, sleek spacecraft, and an eclectic cast of characters.

Add this one to your list! You will not be disappointed.

3. Kingdom Hearts I (2002)

What happens when you combine the magic of Disney with the unparalleled storytelling of Final Fantasy? You get something Epic, and they named it Kingdom Hearts.

The series begins with a 14-year-old boy named Sora is separated from his friends Riku and Kairi when their home Destiny Islands is consumed in darkness. Sora obtained a weapon called the Keyblade that allows him to fight the Heartless, creatures that originate from the Realm of Darkness. Sora is then transported to the infamous Traverse Town, where he teams up with Donald and Goofy.

They are two emissaries from Disney Castle sent to find the Keyblade wielder under orders from their missing king, Mickey Mouse. The three band together to travel through different worlds and battle some very familiar villains.

The games are influenced by their parent franchise, Final Fantasy, and carry its gameplay elements over into their action-based system.

Like many others, Kingdom Hearts features an experience point system that determines character development. Fans of Square’s other RPG entries will recognize some gameplay staples, such as the magic spells and summoning spells, and the whole thing truly plays like an action-adventure title.

The characters truly pull at your heartstrings as you fall in love with their good-hearted nature and perseverance. The world in which you play feels lighthearted and magical amidst the darkness.

It is impossible to put your controller down once you wield your first key blade. It is no surprise that Kingdom Hearts would become a ps2 RPG top seller that is worthy of multiple sequels.

  4. Kingdom Hearts II (2005)

Grab your key blade and get back in your Gummi Ship! It’s time to experience more amazing character-filled worlds!

The first Kingdom Hearts was such a success that it is no surprise that there would be a Kingdom Hearts II.  Full of a double dose of magic, the second story adds even more combinations of both Disney and Final Fantasy characters.

Where this game really shines is in the presentation. Even by today’s standards, it’s a great looking game, and the lush coloring and animations in the world all but beg you to adventure through it.

In Kingdom Hearts II, you reprise the role of Sora, wielder of the keyblade. The crux of the game has you, Sora, traveling from one land to another with companions Donald Duck and Goofy to dispel the heartless and to rescue friends of yours that are missing. Along the way, you’ll join forces with the heroes and heroines of Square, Disney, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

While still an action RPG, Kingdom Hearts II gives you some freedoms, both in determining your characters’ attributes and in resigning yourself to standard combat. You can do a little bit of both or a lot of one or the other, depending on your preferences. Seasoned role-playing gamers will be able to spend time perfecting the allocation of their abilities, synthesizing new items, and grinding to level up.

For those less interested in the role-playing aspects, you can breeze through the main gameplay without paying much attention to statistics.

Kingdom Hearts II is a wonderful experience in which every character interaction allows you to live through some of the magic moments of these movies and games.

5. Shadow Hearts: Covenant (2004)

If you are looking for some realistic intrigue with a strong hint of mystical, you have come to the right place! Covenant, the sequel to Shadow Hearts, brings the reality of war mixed with the intrigue of fantasy.

The game takes place in an alternate WWI-era setting that is rife with supernatural elements, and it has a rich cast of characters, including vampires, wolves, military officers, and even a puppeteer.

The story follows six months after the events of Shadow Hearts during the time of World War I. The heroes are drawn into an intriguing plot involving the demons of demonolatry, the chief advisor of the tsar of Russia, and a man from the main character Yuri Hyuga’s past.

The battle system is unique in that it features a “judgment ring,” which acts as a timer to deliver crucial hits

Overall, this a roleplaying game that will leave a lasting legacy.

6. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (2008)

The intrigue of mystery, Suspense, and unsolved murder lands Persona 4 next on our list. The intriguing storyline is based on the work of mystery novelists owing to its murder mystery premise.

The plot centers on another high-school protagonist who must overcome spirits, murders, and killer fog. The rural setting was based on a town on the outskirts of Mount Fuji in the fictional town of Inaba.

We follow high school student, Yu Narukami in later media, who has recently moved from the city to attend school at Inaba. Unexplained murders have taken place in the small town, where bodies are found dangling from television antennas and their cause of death being unknown.

The main focus of the game revolves around Personas, avatars projected from one’s inner self that resembles mythological figures and represents the façades worn by individuals to face life’s hardships.

The “Shin Megami Tensei” series earned rave reviews for its willingness to break with the RPG convention. It blends traditional RPG gameplay with simulation elements. You will travel through dungeons, all based upon a victim that has been kidnapped. The player enters battle upon coming into contact with a Shadow. You engage in combat using the elements Physical, Fire, Ice, Wind, Electricity, Light, Dark, and Almighty.

“Persona 4” improves on the previous entries by delivering better animation and mechanics. It is critically acclaimed being one of the greatest games of all time.

7. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time (2003)

This installment of Star Ocean is a bit of a wildcard. While some absolutely love the game, others were not as thrilled. While having many similarities to its predecessor, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time includes many elements that make it unique among the majority of role-playing video games.

The game begins on the resort planet of Hyda IV. Fayt Leingod is on a family vacation with his parents Robert and Ryoko Leingod and his childhood friend Sophia Esteed.

Everything appears fairly normal until the galactic faction known as the Vendeeni invades the planet. Fayt and his family are forced to flee, but he is separated from them. His escape pod ends up crash-landing on the planet Vanguard III. His journey thereafter will not only reveal a few truths about himself but about the origin of their very universe.

The game inherits the recurring real-time interactive combat system from the series while presenting many new elements. Instead of random encounters, battles now occur when running into enemies on the main travel field or when certain pre-scripted events occur.

Enemy attacks can target either a player’s hit points (HP) or mental points (MP). Players will also lose HP from using special attacks or lose MP from using symbology or runeology, which is functionally equivalent to magic in other games.

Whether you love the game will truly depend on your preferences. Will you find the story to be solid or unbalanced? Will the large midway plot twist enhance or hinder your journey?

You will have t pick up a copy and find out!

8. Rogue Galaxy (2005)

Ever had the urge to become a pirate, board an airship, and fly around to save the galaxy? Who hasn’t?

Rogue Galaxy is exactly how it sounds, a vibrant story where you become a space pirate board an airship on a quest to defend the universe.

You play as Jaster Rogue, a young man with avid dreams of exploring the galaxy. The story begins on the planet Rosa, where its citizens live under their oppressive control and are forbidden from leaving the planet. Due to a series of fortunate events, Jaster is recruited by a gang of space pirates who mistake him for the legendary hunter, Desert Claw, and can leave Rosa. Jaster finds himself taking part in a galaxy-wide search with the crew for a legendary planet said to hold the secrets of a highly advanced civilization along with the immense treasure.

Rogue Galaxy is an action role-playing game played from a third-person perspective in which the player moves through a continuous environment, with no load time between overworld exploration and combat. Battles occur as random encounters like traditional role-playing video games. Unlike the traditional turn-based combat, Rogue uses a real-time hack and slash combat system in which the player fights with a party of three characters.

With its advanced graphics, range of side quests, and game scope Rogue Galaxy is worthy of a playthrough!

9. Suikoden III (2002)

With its impressive cult following, it is no surprise that Suikoden III has landed on our list.

Like other games in the series, Suikoden III features an intricate, detailed setting. However, it differs from Suikoden II in that in Suikoden III, the story is told through three different protagonists. That means gamers will play as a mercenary, a knight, and the son of a chieftain. The plot is explored through three different viewpoints, allowing events to be seen from multiple sides.

This is an excellent game for those who look to switch things up if they lose interest easily in a storyline.

The gameplay is along the lines of the traditional turn-based system we see in most RPG’s. Characters can also character can also learn specific skills; for instance, the “Parry” skill allows a character to defend against attacks more often, while other skills may increase damage output or hasten the casting of spells. Each character has their affinity for what works best for them.

Make sure to grab a copy of this one to add to your quickly growing Suikoden collection!

10. Final Fantasy X (2001)

“Listen to my story. This…may be our last chance.” -Tidus’s narrative

Last but definitely not least, we come to the beautiful, imaginative story that is Final Fantasy X.

The story of Final Fantasy X is told by Tidus, a sports star from the futuristic metropolis called Zanarkand. During a match, Tidus gets swept up to another world and joins summoner Yuna and her friends on her journey to save the world of Spira from a rampaging monster known as Sin. From here, it unfolds a wonderful story you will experience with beautiful graphics and unique characters.

Final Fantasy X introduces the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system in place of the series’ traditional Active Time Battle system first used in Final Fantasy IV. Whereas the ATB concept features real-time elements, the CTB system is a turn-based format that pauses the battle during each of the player’s turns.

The game added in the intricate sphere grid system, which is utilized for leveling up your characters. Additionally, the concept of “Limit Breaks,” highly damaging special attacks, reappear in Final Fantasy X as “Overdrives.”

Final Fantasy X is beloved for its solid story, richly layered characters, and ahead-of-its-time animation. If you haven’t played it, you need to.

Wrap Up

The best ps2 RPG video games became staples as our daily adventures. We would spend hours of our day exploring different fantasy words envisioning what life would be like on these imaginary planets. Not only were these games fully immersive, but they also became home.

These games would make you forget the real world, even if only for a moment. These are the RPG games that deserve a chance. Deserve a second playthrough. Deserve recognition from us as the ones that side quested their way into our hearts.

Where can I get these video games?

Can’t find a ps2 RPG on the list? Here are some primary locations to obtain these classics:

Playstation Store Classics – Store.Playstation.com

LukieGames – LukieGames.com

DKOldies – DKOldies.com

GameStop – Gamestop.com or In-Store Locations

Best Buy – Bestbuy.com

Want to check out the origins of some of these epic video games? Check out our list of Top PS1 RPG’s!

The post The Best PS2 Role Playing Games (RPGs) of All Time appeared first on Your Money Geek.

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[rikublivion]

the eyes are the window to the soul. ❞

[dusky-dancing]

The Prince and the Pirate - CH 4

For SoKai Week - Day 4

Story Summary: Sora finds himself far away from the walls of the Radiant Garden he's known his whole life, kidnapped by a rowdy group of pirates whose captain is as alluring as she is mysterious. What he thought was a simple hostage negotiation turns into an adventure that Sora couldn't have anticipated. He doesn't know which is worse, not knowing what's up ahead, or liking it that way.

Rating: T

Genre: Romance, Adventure, Pirate AU

Length: ~ 1500 words

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Links for story navigation:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

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Sora was used to having his sleep interrupted by sudden turbulence, but something about the jolt that woke him that night felt different, more forceful. The cold water suddenly dripping on his face made going back to sleep right away more difficult.

Another blow, followed by shouts from the deck above, sent him onto his feet. He hadn't been the only one either, as the rest of the crew members shared his expression of worry and confusion.

On the deck, the first thing that greeted him was the heavy rain. Within seconds, all of his clothes became soaked straight through, but another sight soon took his full attention: a giant tentacle splayed across the deck, alive and thrashing wildly.

"Captain, what's happening?" Biggs shouted.

"I don't know, monsters have never attacked my ship!" Her voice came through, bringing him some strange sense of relief. He tore his eyes from their intruder to find her clinging to the shrouds on the other side of the deck, dodging and stabbing at another tentacle. "Don't just stand there," she shouted, "grab a sword and free your ship!"

Sora didn't have to be told twice. Weeks ago, he'd thought he'd be fighting to free himself, not help the ones who'd kidnapped him, but now he didn't have a choice. Summoning his Keyblade for the second time on the ship, he finally put his skills to use against the nearest appendage. It was large, covered in slime, and filled with muscle, but not impossible to fight. It nearly took all of his agility to dodge its swipes, but with enough hits it eventually retreated.

Sora breathed a sigh of relief, until two more took its place.

As he prevented another from damaging the ship further, he was both curious and terrified to see the creature they belonged to.

Soon, his back hit another's, and a giant feather dangled in his face. He blew it away and turned to find Kairi back to back with him.

"Putting that gift of yours to use, I see," she shouted over the rain.

"Feels good to actually use it. Are the kids-?"

"They're safe as long as we're afloat."

The dread weighing on Sora's heart lifted slightly, though staying afloat against a creature like this seemed difficult. "You know what this thing is?"

"I've never seen something this big before!" From her heavy breathing, she'd been fighting just as hard as he had.

With the ship free of two more tentacles, they had a brief window, but as he turned to her, she held nothing but a fierce determination in her eyes.

"Hold on!" she shouted, and he quickly grabbed for the nearest rail, this time knowing what to anticipate.

Her movements now resembled less like a graceful wave and more like a cracking whip. She drew her arms up and thrust them forward, driving the ship out of the monster's grasp. Several crates flew off the deck from the force, and the ship rocked heavily to level with the waves once more.

They were freed for the time being. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge used the opportunity to prepare the cannons, while Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie all worked to fix the masts and sails.

Sora and Kairi could see the monster moving underneath the waves towards them, but instead of grappling the ship once more, it rammed the side of the hull, sending everyone on the deck to the floor. Sora lurched over the edge, thankful he'd still been gripping the railing. Whatever this thing was, it was huge, and it was determined to kill them.

As Sora found his footing once more, a massive form overshadowed the already dark night on the deck. He glanced back, only to come face to face with a monstrous squid rising out of the sea. Its large head lobbed forward, and though he couldn't tell one part of its body from another, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was fixated on him.

"It's...the Kraken," Kairi muttered beside him.

Sora froze, and a deep primal fear overtook him. Sure, he'd fought people and smaller monsters on occasion in his sheltered upbringing, but never something this large. And certainly never from such a vulnerable position.

His eyes grew wide, focussed on nothing but the large beak that gaped hungrily between its appendages. A sudden force struck him from the side and pulled him flat onto the deck. When he blinked back to his senses, Kairi was hovering over him. It wasn't until a large tentacle struck where he last stood that he realized she'd saved his life amidst his stupor.

"-out of it, Sora!" He registered that she was shouting at him and tapping his face. "Gather your courage and fight!"

"Right," he shook his head and was back on his feet in an instant. Resummoning his Keyblade, he fought off his assailant and regarded Kairi once more. "You said you never get attacked. I...I think it's after me."

Sora hadn't the slightest idea why the Kraken would be after him, but Kairi didn't seem surprised at all by his suggestion. A light switched on behind her eyes, but she said nothing.

Sora may not know how he was involved in all of this, but Kairi did. And she wasn't telling him.

There was no time for questions and answers, as the Kraken withdrew and circled the ship again.

"It's going to ram the ship again!" Selphie shouted.

"The hull can't take another hit!" Wakka said. "We won't survive this thing."

Kairi's eyes fell, and Sora felt the dejection in her heart. Everyone they'd just rescued, not to mention the rest of the crew, were all at risk. Maybe the ship wouldn't survive another hit, but Sora could take the fight off of the ship. If the Kraken was truly after him, then maybe he could lead it away from everyone else.

Sora took a deep breath and climbed onto the railing, gripping a main line for support.

"What are you doing?!" Kairi shouted, stepping toward him. All eyes turned to him.

"You were right, Kairi, I needed something heroic to fight for. If that thing really is after me, then maybe I can lead it away while you all escape."

"You could die!" Selphie shouted.

Sora glanced down to Kairi and nodded. Frustration and sorrow filled her eyes, but she stayed silent.

"If this is the only truly heroic thing I do in my life, then I'll be satisfied."

Kairi stepped closer, but before she could reach out to stop him, he plunged into the ocean.

The cries and shouts that followed were quickly muffled underneath the thrashing waves. In the distance, a large mass barrelled towards the ship. He didn't have much time. Using his Keyblade, he propelled himself deeper just as the mass passed underneath him. He crashed into the monster with enough momentum to push it off of its course. It let out a fierce cry.

Sora took the opportunity to close in and slice at its appendages. If inexperience threatened him above surface, the drag of water weakened him beneath it as well.

A tentacle quickly wrapped around him and thrashed him around in the water. He could last a long time in the water, but he couldn't stay under forever. Suddenly it stopped, and the massive form faced him in the water. Its head reeled back, to reveal a massive beak that opened before him.

Sora panicked. He released his Keyblade in his free hand before summoning it in his restrained one. The magic sliced right through the flesh, severing the tendril where it held him.

The Kraken cried out in pain again. Sora avoided its limbs on his return to the surface, but his legs were beginning to sting.

He breached the surface and gasped for air. In the dark of night, he couldn't find the ship anywhere in sight. Relief flooded him, along with the heavy dread that he was stuck, alone, in the middle of the ocean with a raging sea monster.

A sudden familiar force pulled him under the surface again. That time, multiple tendrils restrained his entire body. He fought against the constriction with his Keyblade, but even his weapon wasn't strong enough to break through that many. As the Kraken's mouth opened for him once again, Sora pulled and resisted as much as he could. Even if he was above the surface, the pressure around his torso wouldn't have given his lungs enough space to breathe.

Being eaten by a giant sea monster hadn't been how Sora pictured his end. Compared to this, he would've chosen to be kidnapped by pirates in a heartbeat. But atleast he'd gotten to save people in the process.

Atleast he'd gotten to meet someone like Kairi.

Suddenly, the water surrounding him swelled, resisting the pull beneath the surface. There was a flash of red before a pointed sword pierced the Kraken's head.

Immediately, the force restraining him loosened, and Sora would've been able to breathe again if he weren't underwater. He clamoured for the surface, but found his senses dulling as the relief of air seemed to grow further and further away. His arms and legs moved haggardly, if at all. He opened his mouth, but only the remaining air in his lungs escaped as his vision tunnelled.

The last sight his eyes caught in the center of his vision was Kairi's silhouette gracefully dancing her way through the water in his direction.

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A/N: Happy Day 4 of SoKai Week! The action is really ramping up now. This fight scene was one of the first ones I wrote for this fic, because of course Sora would recklessly sacrifice himself for other people no matter what universe he's in. I'm excited to share tomorrow's piece with you all!