#sora and I will be doing more on our original project soon!

[wittyy-name]

Do you have any of your own creations already published :D or if you're working on a project w/o spoilers can we know what it's about? (Idk if im allowed to ask that but i love all your stuff you're great!!! ^_^)

Yes, you can ask!! I’ll gladly tell you about my projects!! 

Sadly, as of right now, I don’t have any original content published (even tho I wanted to get that started by the age of 24 >.> ) I dO, however, have a couple of original projects in the works that I can tell you about!! The first is a novel I’ve written and am in the process of editing, and the second is an online illustrated novel I’m working on with @wolfpainters

THE FIRST is a novel (the first in a series) that I’ve written, read through and hand edited on a hard copy, and now need to go through and edit the digital copy. Once that’s done, I can look into publishing options. Unfortunately, it’s very long, and I’m struggling to make time for it among my other projects, but it’s coming along very slowly but surely ^^

I haven’t written up an official synopsis yet, but I can try to give you a quick and dirty of it rn... Oh jeez, okay, there’s a lot, so I struggle to try to tell everything concisely, lol. It’s about this world that exists very closely to our own, in it’s own universe. There are specific spots where the barriers between the worlds are thinnest. Therra has six races native to that world, and thousands of years ago, humans trickled in through the gap between worlds, spreading and creating kingdoms in their own right. Shit goes down, they decide to banish humans back to their own world, and they bind six royal humans to six royals from Therra (each of a different race), and the blood tie between takes physical form in the form of bloodstones. 

Through a ritual and magic that I’m not going to go into detail here and is slowly revealed throughout the course of the books, the veil between worlds is closed, the royal families and nobles of humans on our side. There are still humans in Therra, but they don’t have any power or authority. The six races of Therra slowly spread out and fill in the gaps left by the human kingdoms, and they thrive under the blood pact that binds them all in a tremulous peace. Every so many years, the pact must be renewed. The only way to do so, however, is to get a descendant from each of the six human families who were bound by the bloodstones. 

So the story starts off with six unsuspecting humans suddenly ripped away from their own lives and falling into the strange new world of Therra. They’re all confused, scared, and intrigued, each with nothing but the clothes on their backs, half a stone, and an ominous note written in blood. Each of them must figure out how to navigate through the world and complete the quest they never asked to be part of. They struggle with learning who to trust and what to believe, all the while figuring out what they themselves want. Tricky, when everyone seems to have a hidden agenda, for they who control the stoneholders controls the political power in Therra. Through each of their journeys, we get to explore Therra and the six races, and... yeah xD It’s p complicated, but a lot of it is revealed throughout the course of the story ^^ I’m v proud of the work I’ve put into it. I’ve been working on it for several years now. 

THE SECOND is an online illustrated novel I’m planning and working on with my favorite artist, collab partner, and platonic othe rhalf @wolfpainters. It takes place in a land called Arthoria (which is what we’re tentatively calling this project bc we dont’ have an official title yet). Arthoria is a land where dragons live side by side with humans. Most people are given dragons around the age of puberty, and they bond with those dragons for life. Dragons are an essential part of life, from status symbols, to pets, to labor help. There’s a market for dragon breeders, and a black market for selling stolen eggs. There are five tiers of dragons, Tier 1 being the most powerful and reserved for royals and high nobles, all the way down to Tier 5, being magic-less, small dragons that serve more as family pets. 

Arthoria is split into four clans, each with their own government, royal family, culture, dragon types, styles, landscapes (we’ve honestly put so much work into this stuff, I love it, each clan is so distinctly different). The clans have a tentative peace, but they’re highly intolerant of each other. They trade because they need to. Between the four clans, in the center of the continent, is a place known only as The Medium. The Medium is run rampant with wild foliage, wild dragons and animals, and ruins. It’s only recently become passable, previously being completely inhospitable from magic fallout from the Great War. 

The Great War was the most impactful event in Arthoria’s history (I wrote up an entire timeline of arthoria’s history, all the way back to it’s settlement, I swear, there is so much detail in this world). Arthoria was founded with five clans, Celadian being the center and ruling clan. After centuries, the four other clans grew petulant and arrogant, convinced they didn’t need to be under the power of Celadian. The Great War came at a high cost: the Celadian High Priestess set off a chain reaction that caused a magical explosion that decimated the entire clan and all the land around it, even scorching some of the other clan’s outer territories. This land became The Medium, and was left alone to grow back wild and untamed for centuries. Even now it’s an eery place that people are wary to tread through, swearing they can hear the ghosts of the fallen in the ruins. 

What the clans didn’t realize, or what they had forgotten in the millennia that passed since the clans founding (I have stories about the first clan leaders and how they founded each clan too), was that the Celadian priestesses they hated being ruled by served a very important function: they kept at bay the Shades, an ancient enemy that had originally driven their people to Arthoria’s shores from their homeland. Without the priestesses to keep the seal in order, the Shades have slowly been withering away at the ancient magic. 

One thousand years after the Great War, the High Priestess’s disciple awakens from a dormant slumber that had been forced upon her by her mentor prior to the explosion that ended the war. 

This is the setting, and the story is very much a character driven plot that follows our ten main characters as they each get dragged into the quest to reseal the Shades and save Arthoria, meanwhile figuring out themselves and fighting the prejudices that keep the clans apart. 

We have so much world building complete for this, and there’s still a ways to go, but we have SO. MUCH. I love each and every one of our characters. They’re so wonderful and diverse and each serve an important function. Once we have everything prepared, we can start with the story. I’ll be writing it, and Sora will be illustrating it, much like our current fanfics. We were actually working on this all last summer prior to getting into voltron, and we’ve been using our fanfic collabs as testing ground for this original project. 

More details will be posted when we actually start ^^

BUT!! Tomorrow (Saturday, April 8th) Sora and I will be hosting a stream where she will be drawing more concept art for our Arthoria project and we’ll be talking about it and answering any questions!! So drop by to learn more!! 8D

[tundrainafrica]

Masterlist

This will serve as a personal tracker of all of the fics I have ever written, all of the books and series I have consumed etc. I wrote this out to help me organize my thoughts since I have time now to reflect on this closet hobby of mine. I also put it up just in case anyone has ever read my stuff and is curious about how these works are doing in my head space.

Some were written back when I was way younger so apologies for the quality.

ALEX RIDER

Come Home (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Memories don't keep people grounded in their present. They're the reason people think of what ifs and would haves, regrets and daydreams. Alex sees three dimensions of his reality and makes a decision. Set after Never Say Die.

Status: Done (I guess?), not posted on tumblr or AO3 yet

Killing (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Spoilers for Never Say Die. Killing is like learning to ride a bike as Alex is going to figure out very soon. For Spyfest 2017.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on tumblr or AO3 yet

Transparency (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Although the bank robbery made national news, the young boy who saved the lives of all the people in the bank didn't. First hand witness accounts said the boy was a hero, the media said there was no young hero in the bank and one journalist tries to get to the bottom of it all.

Status:WIP (could probably still finish it, it’s almost done anyway), not posted on tumblr or AO3 yet)

Type II Error (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Written for Spyfest Week 3. Set before Ark Angel. The updates on payroll accounts and budgets lined up too well with mysterious deaths and undisclosed missions. An auditor working for MI6 decides for herself whether or not the orders of her bosses Blunt and Jones were worth prying into.

Status: Done (Oneshot), will post on tumblr yet

Unforeseen Circumstances (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

It's April, the time of year when most students start salvaging their grades. Missions had taken their toll on Alex's grades and he needs to start salvaging soon or risk repeating the year. Nature wasn't on his side though and it turned out that his devil's luck had just run out.

Status: WIP (8/15), On hold, not posted on tumblr yet

ATTACK ON TITAN

Levi and Hange’s Relationship in Erwin’s POV (Status: Completed, not posted yet)

A Tale of Two Slaves (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)  

"Soulmates don’t exist. Fate doesn't exist. Everything is a choice. At that moment, Levi could only watch as she made the choice for him."

Levi remembers everything from their past life. Hange doesn't.

Status: WIP (6/?)

A Free Spot (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)  

Slight AU! Levi sacrifices himself in Chapter 132 instead of Hange and Hange deals with the consequences years later. Written for Levihan Angstober Week 4. Prompt: Free Spot 

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet

Division of Labor (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)  

"The past years, we have noticed a lot of our fresh high school graduates knew nothing about responsibilities the that awaited them outside high school and even college. Many students do not master budgeting, taxes, household planning, loans and we hope to raise a generation who can navigate the adult world without the consequences of bad decisions they are bound to make going in blindly..."

Paradis High school starts a program incorporating adulting into their curriculum and Hange and Levi are paired together.

Status: WIP (1/?)

En Prise (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Hange already had the innate analysis skills and the quick wittedness to excel in the classroom. Chess should have come easy for her. As she processed her fifth loss to the man in front of her, she started to understand that there was more to the game than meets the eye.

College AU! Levi is a little too good at chess and Hange gets roped into studying the game further.

Status: WIP (1/18), will try to create a backlog before I post more.

Heroes or Victims (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Post Chapter 115, Hange reflects on emotions, relationships, war philosophies, and a future while taking care of a severely injured Levi.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet

Household Planning (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

"It was Levi's household. The plates were arranged and sorted by color and use, the way Levi liked it. The cabinets and the storage were arranged in a way which would be efficient for cooking, or at least the way Levi would have wanted to cook."

Levi gets sick and Hange is left to navigate household chores.

Status: Done (2/2)

Passion Project (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)    

Levi tries to ignore Hange but it never seems to last. A ficlet detailing the development of Levi and Hange's relationship before canon.

Status: WIP (1/3) Timeline written, Chapter 2 rough draft complete, not posted on FFN yet

Rough Day (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

It should have been apparent to Hange by the weight gain and the sudden lack of red days. Somehow, Levi noticed it first.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet, will probably write more fluff similar to this

Sugar Rush

(AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Marley brings the celebration of Halloween to Paradis. Hange and Levi go trick or treating with their child for the first time and start to realize how much the world has changed since the war.

A Halloween piece for the Levihan spookfest one year late.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not posted on FFN yet, will probably write more fluff similar to this

Would You Cry? (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Hange asks an innocent question and Levi finds himself reflecting on his emotions and his relationship with Hange. Written for LeviHan Week, Angstober 2020. Prompt: Silence/Screams

Status: Done (Oneshot)

Vulnerabilities (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Slight AU! Although Levi is humanity's strongest soldier in the battlefield, his rough childhood had left him weaker and more vulnerable to illness. Levi had always taken measures to prevent sickness nit anyone who has ever been close to him caught wind on it anyway. A series of oneshots throughout the story focusing on Levi's chronic weakness and others taking care of him.

Status: Sporadic updates depending on mood, not yet posted on ff and tumblr

Big Hero Six

Deal with the Devil  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

When mourning becomes too much for him, Hiro finds himself resorting to prayers and deals to bring back the brother he lost. The devil may have had pity on him but he never promised to let Hiro go unscathed.

Status: WIP, on hold, probably could get back to it just need to rewatch the movie, not yet completely posted on AO3 and tumblr

Fatal Flaw  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Grieving may be a long and painful process but in time most people do recover. For Hiro Hamada though something probably went wrong along the way because from what Aunt Cass could see, he was moving on yet at the same time, he wasn't.

Status: WIP, abandoned, completely forgot what I was planning, not yet posted on tumblr 

Coco

Dares, Pranks and Curses (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Written for the Coco Valentines Fanwork Exchange. The night of Dia de Los Muertos, Miguel ends up staying out late to play a little game with his friends in the cemetery. Hector, Imelda and Miguel reunite through a game of Ouija.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on ff and tumblr

Somewhere between Life and Death (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Dia de los Muertos isn't the only day the dead can visit the living. Miguel is reunited with Hector, Imelda and his other relatives from the other side but in one of the worst ways possible and he finds himself caught in a struggle between life and death.

Status: WIP 9/20, on hold, timeline is complete just need to get it written, need to fix tumblr tags

Crossovers

Quest for Origin: Ranger’s Apprentice x Percy Jackson (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

A young boy gets washed up on the shore of Camp Half Blood with no memories whatsoever of his life before. How did he end up there? Is it all just a coincidence? Or is it a message from the Gods? What's with his uncanny skill with the bow?

Status: On Hold (25/35), timeline complete, will probably continue with PJO TV show comes out, not yet posted on ff and tumblr

Kingdom Hearts

Coded Connection  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Post KH3. If Kairi keeps Sora's memory alive, he'll eventually call out to her right? Then it will be her turn to find him, hold him and never let go.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr and ff

Kuroko no Basuke

Yellow, Red, Green, Blue and Purple  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Collab with friend back in high school. All Kise wanted to do was complete one more level of Flow Free before practice starts. When you have teammates as lazy, eccentric, hyperactive, sociopathic or invisible as the Generation of Miracles though, sometimes the things that sound the simplest, can be the hardest to do. Crackfic

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr

Ranger’s Apprentice

Being a Ranger’s Wife  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

As Will leaves on a suicide mission, Alyss ponders on her choice to have married him.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr or AO3

Danger Zone (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Rangers are human. Humans make mistakes. The difference though between an ordinary human and a ranger is the consequences they'll eventually face for past mistakes. Will should have known that for rangers, this included being on the run from an angry group of pirates with his silver oakleaf on the line.

Status: Probably Abandoned, first fanfic I have ever written lmao, completely forgot where I was going with this, not yet posted on tumblr or ffn.

Farmer’s Apprentice  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Will lied to Mr. Chubb about stealing from the kitchen years ago. How did that small decision change the course of the young boy's life? AU Crack fic.

Status: Done (Oneshot), not yet posted on tumblr or AO3

Masters, Apprentices and Sons (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Gilan accepts Morgarath's challenge in the Plains of Uthal and Halt is left to care for his apprentice in the aftermath of the battle. Halt wonders why it took him this long to realize that there was no fine line between an apprentice and a son.

Status: WIP. I have written out all the way until chapter 5 but I completely lost the files. I don’t know if my current frustration will allow me to continue this.

The Fall of a Hero  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Will had fallen from his place as one of the top rangers in the corps and one of the top figures in Araluen and it's up to his friends to help pull him back up. Recovery Fic.

Status: WIP, timeline not written, could probably still continue this, just need to catch up to the series

Prince of Tennis

A Break from Ingenuity  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

Timing is everything. Fuji gets his timing wrong, makes one misstep then finds himself facing a career ending injury. Maybe, that's when everyone will realize that he's human too.

Status: WIP. Will probs continue if new POT content comes out.

Yuri on Ice

Surprises  (AO3/Tumblr/FFN)

With all the stress piling up for the Japanese National Championship and more importantly, the World Championship, one can expect an athlete to get injured. To have the coach be the one struck by a career ending injury during practice is another story. That's exactly how Victor surprised the crowd though, maybe for the last time.

Status: WIP (3/?), not yet posted on tumblr

[shihalyfie]

Shihanne’s Kizuna FAQ

Since Kizuna is finally becoming gradually more accessible to English-speakers online, I’ve decided to put together a quick FAQ for those who are not sure about watching the movie or are (understandably) apprehensive about anything about it, especially due to recent events in the franchise and occasional fanbase misinformation. This is not meant to convince anyone towards or against watching the movie as much as it’s just meant to clarify some questions for anyone who might be unsure about watching it, such as how relevant it is to tri. or how canon-compliant it is, etc.

This is meant to be as spoiler-free as possible, although due to the nature of the movie’s contents, I will ultimately have to make minor hints or references to minor plot details. I’ve done my best to keep it to a minimum, but the references to what happens in the story increase progressively as we go further into the post, so feel free to stop reading as soon as you like.

Is Kizuna a sequel to tri.? Are they related?

They are not related. Other than Kizuna being set five years after 2005, there is no relation, not on a story or creative level at all -- the themes, writing style, everything is different. Even the staff is different -- of the tri. staff, the only ones carried over are the voice cast, Producer Kinoshita Yousuke (who was only on Parts 5 and 6, at that, and had no involvement in tri.’s story at all), and some music staff members (AiM, Miyazaki Ayumi) that were also on the original series. Everyone else is either from the original series (original series producer Seki Hiromi, writer Yamatoya Akatsuki) or new staff that self-identifies as Digimon fans.

Notably, Producer Seki was pretty unsubtle about finding certain things about tri. to be unsatisfying, to the point that she openly admitted that certain things in Kizuna were made in direct response to it, so that probably lends a lot to why the creative process behind Kizuna was so diametrically opposite.

What do you need to have seen so far to understand the movie? Do you need to have seen tri.?

You do not have to have seen tri.; it’s effectively irrelevant to Kizuna whatsoever in both theme and story.

I generally recommend having seen Adventure, 02, and their four movies (Digimon Adventure, Our War Game!, Hurricane Touchdown, and Diablomon Strikes Back). Even then, if you’re missing some stuff, the story doesn’t rely on their events so much that it’ll confuse you if you haven’t seen it, and in fact it’s mostly its own story; it’s just that the emotional resonance hits best when you’ve seen what’s happened in the prior works, and its core themes have a lot to do with what was established in Adventure, 02, and its worldbuilding.

Surprisingly, despite being Adventure-centric, I’d say it actually has deeper relevance to the events and themes of 02 than it does Adventure, although that’s just my personal impression. (That’s still “deeper“, in the comparative sense; it most certainly has strong ties to both, and part of it being more 02-relevant is also simply due to the logical nature of it being set in this point in timeline, where 02 is a closer temporal reference point and also has an epilogue that this movie is building up to.)

Are the characterizations consistent with Adventure and 02?

Yes! Very much so! There are a few differences, but they’re all things you can chalk up to how someone would naturally get older and more mature, and even if you personally don’t care for certain developments, they’re still logical extensions of what they might be like as per their character arcs. For the record, making sure the characters felt like themselves seems to have been a pretty big priority for the staff:

Before the preliminary meeting for the script, [Producer Seki] told us, “I haven’t finished reading it, so I’ll be there later,” and then she arrived sometime after the meeting had already started, and said things like, “no, Taichi feels wrong here. He wouldn’t say something like this.”

Producer Seki was personally involved in the creation of all twelve kids and their partners, so it’s safe to say she is probably one of the people you can reliably trust most to understand them. (During the production of the original series, she was also well-known for being the one who pushed for portrayal of their personal home lives and family backgrounds.)

The 02 quartet (Daisuke, Ken, Miyako, and Iori) is portrayed in line with their Japanese version characterizations, so if you watched 02 with the American English dub (which at times took some pretty massive liberties with some of them), there may be some differences.

How much of the cast gets to play a major role in it?

I’ll be frank about the fact that this is mainly a Taichi and Yamato movie (to be fair, it’s not like they hid this fact in advertising). That said, a surprising amount of attention is given to the 02 quartet, and there’s a bit of attention on Koushirou, but the protagonists are most certainly Taichi and Yamato. Mind you, this is in terms of story, not, say, making everyone randomly weak in battle for no good reason; Taichi and Yamato are the “protagonists” of this movie (similar to Our War Game!).

Sora also gets a bit of focus in the short side story “To Sora”, and there’s also a planned upcoming one with Jou (public release details are still unclear, but most certainly expected by the Memorial Story project in December). The accompanying drama CD that came with the deluxe version of the Blu-ray is also centered around the 02 main cast.

What’s with the whole thing about a novel?

There were two official novelizations of the movie, the Dash X Bunko version and the Shueisha Mirai Bunko version. I recommend them as reading for anyone who’s watched the movie; the Dash X has some extra scenes that weren’t in the movie and clarifies a few things, while the Shueisha Mirai clarifies some of the core themes and background points that were a little more obscure in the movie itself.

However, since the movie is first and foremost a visual medium, I do not think that either serve as effective replacements for the movie itself, nor, conversely, that the movie itself is particularly incomplete without them, but rather that, since there are a lot of intricate nuances behind the themes of the movie, they may benefit from some extra clarification. The novels by themselves omit a lot of visual details that enhance the presentation of the movie and make its intended themes much clearer, and since this is a movie that relies more on emotional resonance and feelings moreso than it does events on paper, I don’t think the novels alone constitute an accurate reflection of it.

What was that whole thing about the movie not being compliant with Kakudou lore? Is the 02 epilogue still canon?

The issue most likely has to do with the movie’s premise about partners disappearing when you become an adult. Director Kakudou (original director of Adventure and 02) clarified himself that the “lore inconsistency” had to do with underlying lore that wasn’t depicted directly in the TV series, so it’s not something major like the epilogue (which definitely was depicted on-screen).

His relevant posting is to do with the theory of Digimon being manifested as part of the soul, so my personal guess is that he wasn’t quite on board with the slightly different take the movie had on such a detailed and absolute matter. (He did, however, gracefully invite people to enjoy the movie regardless, so take that as you will.)

Another thing that he mentioned in his detailed posting is that he felt that it would be impossible to reconcile the lore for the TV series and the occasionally contradictory lore from movies 2-4 (Our War Game! through DSB), to the point the original plan for the third Adventure series was shelved partially due to that. Without saying too much, Kizuna does (latently, but nevertheless) involve references to the movies in question, so that probably also contributed to the issue.

For the most part, though, the movie itself doesn’t actually violate that much of the underlying lore for Adventure and 02; it’s compliant with even the background details of his concept (the Chosen Children number tallying over 30,000 by the time of 2010 is consistent with the doubling-every-year principle), and, without spoiling too much, there’s multiple indications in the movie of that whole thing about “partners disappearing when you become an adult” actually being more of a deceptive premise than press made it seem.

As for the epilogue...official press and staff have practically whacked you over the head with a statement that the 02 epilogue still holds and that this movie leads up to it. (Need proof? Here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and about half a million other places in press and press releases; warning that these links are spoilery.) The last one has a pretty clear statement, too:

This is not a movie meant to change the world’s timeline, but rather made to be a connecting story that happened within those 25 years, and we consider it to be a story that expands the world of Digimon.

Producer Seki herself was infamously the one who put her foot down when people asked her about epilogue-related questions in V-Jump, so we’re talking about staff with a history of having no intention of going against the epilogue. This is also consistent with the fact the movie itself constantly drops epilogue and latter-half 02 references (the increasing number of Chosen Children, the kids’ career paths being clear lead-ups to the events of the epilogue).

For all it’s worth, it’s important to remember that the concept of the epilogue ever potentially being retconned has always been purely fanbase invention (and especially Western fanbase, at that). At no point has official staff ever made an indication that they had any intent to go against it (even the tri. staff, of all people, made a huge point of claiming they would still be going with it). Kizuna is not a movie that really holds your hand nor caters to what the fanbase wants, so the best way to enjoy and understand it is going in with the understanding that the epilogue applies by default, rather than considering it to have been written with any possibility of it not applying.

In addition, the actual core theme of the movie itself is very dependent on the assumption that the epilogue holds in mind (which really should be the case, considering that the epilogue was literally right there on screen, no matter how controversial it may have been), and having that assumption allows for a much better understanding of said themes.

Are Takeru and Hikari still involved with the 02 kids?

The events of the movie engineer a situation where the other four end up working as a quartet, but not in a sense where they’ve split or become distant from Takeru and Hikari (rather the contrary, in fact). The circumstances alone go a lot towards explaining why they’re working separately at the time (much like Diablomon Strikes Back), and the drama CD included with the special edition of the Blu-ray confirms that the situation in the movie is purely due to its individual circumstances, and in all other scenarios, they’re still regularly in contact and very close with each other. It’s not played in a way that feels contrary to their known relationship, and, without going into too much detail, there are certain depictions within the movie that reflect them as being part of a “younger group set” with the other four.

Beyond that, a large amount of promotional material classifies Takeru and Hikari as being with the 02 group instead of the Adventure one (for instance, this piece of Ani On Station art).

Is there romance or clear romance baiting in the movie?

No. The movie also happens to be extremely fast-paced (it tries to get a lot of major content out of the way in only 95 minutes, and does not let up even once), so it’s executed in a way in which it’s completely understandable that the topic or depiction would not even be brought up front-and-center, and it comes off as pretty natural in that respect. Quite simply, it feels that even if any of the characters are romantically involved or dating, they’re more than capable of putting the issue aside for the 95 minutes of bigger priorities this movie spans.

For those who are interested in this topic in terms of epilogue compliance (i.e. the two canon confirmed married couples Yamato/Sora and Ken/Miyako), the depictions of the respective characters’ relationships are done in a tasteful way such that, even in the lack of clear depictions of romance, there is minor evidence that the epilogue outcome was on the staff’s minds when writing them, and there’s no awkwardness about it. Or, in other words, where they are now seems completely feasible and natural based on what we know about where they were as of 02 and where we know they’ll end up; there isn’t anything in-your-face about it, but some things might stick out to the particularly perceptive person looking out for it.

Is tri. canon to Kizuna?

Hoo boy, that sure is a question. The answer is...yes and no.

There is a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery brief, borderline blink-and-you’ll-miss-it clear reference to tri.’s central character Mochizuki Meiko and her partner, Meicoomon. (It has no real relevance to the story whatsoever.) There are things you may consider references, like Yamato being into motorbikes or Koushirou being in company business, but that’s if you really squint. Otherwise, there are no other conclusive references to any of the events from the tri. anime series. In addition, Kizuna very much prioritizes compliance with Adventure and 02, and, when faced with a plot, lore, or characterization point where it has to decide between Adventure/02 compliance or tri. compliance, it absolutely prioritizes the former, even if that means posing a direct contradiction to tri. (a good example being its portrayal of Digimon and Digimon partnerships as something that’s been a naturally increasing part of life since 1995, in stark contrast to tri. having Digimon be seen as unidentified mysterious entities all the way in 2005).

I wouldn’t say Kizuna retcons tri., but it seems to handle it in a way similar to what I call “M03 status” (M03 being previously Adventure/02′s most infamously difficult-to-rationalize entity in canon, especially when it has its own sequel in the form of The Door to Summer) -- it doesn’t go out of its way to reject anything as much as it encourages you to not think too hard about it, and prioritizes compliance with the original series when push comes to shove. Since there’s nothing really contradictory about the idea that “a girl named Mochizuki Meiko with a partner Meicoomon exists” (just like how there’s nothing contradictory about the idea that “a boy named Wallace exists and Daisuke and his friends met him in the US once”), I would say that if you do want to think about it too hard, it’s possible for some of the events of tri. to have happened, but not in the exact way they were presented in the actual real-life anime series.

Although it may seem like a cop-out to some, personally, I feel that the contradictions (especially the lore and timeline-related ones) between Adventure/02 and tri. are so huge in number and significant that it would be impossible for a 95-minute movie to maintain its integrity as a creative work while trying to resolve that laundry list of issues, and overall the movie does give off the impression of being “fun and emotional” more than anything, so it does feel like about the most practical decision they could have feasibly made.

Is it a perfect movie?

No!

Like with any work, there are things you might criticize, or that your personal taste might not match up well with. I mentioned earlier that the movie itself actually is closer in thematic line with 02 than it is Adventure, so people hoping for Adventure reference overdose or Digital World specific lore might be a bit disappointed in this respect (it focuses a bit more on the human growth and drama angle than the Digimon lore and coolness angle, although that’s not to say it completely neglects it whatsoever). There are some writing nitpicks I would say were endemic to the original series as well (some very vital thematic elements are a bit too subtle for their own good, to the point the novels and staff interviews feel a bit more necessary than they should be), and if your favorite character didn’t get a lot of spotlight in this movie, that might be a bit disappointing.

But don’t get me wrong: I don’t say any of this to harp on the movie, but mainly because I think it’s unfair to have unrealistic expectations of it. This is a single movie that’s meant to be fun and enjoyable more than anything else, and to make you think about the themes it has to say. I would not think of it as a full series nor something meant to fulfill the role of a full series, but rather a single movie -- much like Our War Game!, which is a fun and enjoyable movie but by no means a comprehensive series-scale entity -- that’s meant to entertain you and give you lots of emotions and make you think about things in the span of 95 minutes.

If anything, it is a movie definitely made with a lot of heart and passion by its staff, who clearly put a lot of love and effort and respect for the original Adventure/02 (yes, both) into it and wanted to say something emotionally moving. For all intents and purposes, both Adventure and 02 were the same way -- not necessarily free of writing problems, but full of a ton of love, passion, and soul -- and so I think it is a movie very true to the original series in this way.

[nadziejastar]

There have been theories going around about Sora 'Sky' and Yozora 'Nightsky' being a mirror to each other, which is obviously another concept tied to Nomura's 'new plot' I know, any thoughts on that? (I'm sad we would never get to see what Nomura's original plot was before he made a petty move to stuff Versus XIII into Kingdom Hearts, terrible decision imo).

“Sora is my favorite character,” Nomura says. “[Kingdom Hearts] was the first game I directed, so I could give all the characters a fresh look even though there were some superiors involved [in the design process].”

But there’s a bittersweet side to his involvement with Kingdom Hearts II. “I love Sora, but it’s with a broken heart.” Nomura mutters out from underneath his hat.

Indeed, not unlike a parent giving a child up for adoption, Nomura has no control over Sora or any other original characters appearing in Kingdom Hearts. The contract between Square Enix and Disney gives almost full control of the Kingdom Hearts property over to Disney. If you happen to see Sora appearing outside of a game in a something like a cartoon, there’s very little chance Nomura is involved, but that doesn’t affect his excitement (or ours) for Kingdom Hearts II.

Well, once upon a time, Sora was Nomura’s favorite character, his son. However, Nomura had to give his son up for adoption to Disney. Even back in the days of KH2, Nomura’s love for Sora was mixed with sadness. But with joint custody, their relationship was positive and healthy.

–Who is your favorite character? Nomura: It’s Sora. Since he is involved with the first title I directed, I’ll always feel a close connection to him. Since I wasn’t such a good kid, I have the desire to entrust those things I didn’t to Sora.

At the time of BBS, he and Sora still had a close connection, even if he was a lot different from himself.

You’ve created a lot of characters for the Final Fantasy series. What’s your favorite character between all those you’ve created ?

Tetsuya Nomura: Hmm if I had to choose a favorite character, I would say Sora, and Noctis. Why them? Of course Sora, I’ve been together with him for more than ten years now, this is the first time I’ve been with a character for such a long time, so he’s very very special for me and he’s been adopted by Disney also, so he’s a very very good boy. More like a good son actually.

Also there is Noctis, he hasn’t been in front of you, I mean moving etc yet in a real gameplay but he will soon, in the future.

Do you know the name Sora mean the “sky”, in Japanese and Noctis, his family name is Caelum which mean sky as well so basically, Noctis mean “night sky”, so they are kind of complete opposites to each other. There is a reason why I named these characters as opposites. Noctis is kind of like my latest boy, or latest son and I expect him to be more clever than Cloud.

In 2013, before Versus XIII got cancelled, Sora was still Nomura’s favorite, but he now shared that spot with Noctis. Noctis was always meant to be the opposite of Sora. Sora is a “good boy,” while Noctis was more like Nomura, who is more on the dark side. 

He talks about how much easier it was before Kingdom Hearts became an international success. "I think that whenever we would bring our previous titles, a lot of people at Disney, and this is my assumption, but I do assume that they probably didn't know what Kingdom Hearts was. They'd go, ‘What's Kingdom Hearts? I have no idea.’

But now that it's become a bigger title, a lot more people have been involved in than before. In that sense the relationship with Disney has changed quite a bit. Emotional changes I don't really know if there has been any changes emotionally for me. But at least physically I can say those were the changes that we had with Disney.

Versus XIII was cancelled, and Nomura is also on record stating that he and Disney had a much more difficult relationship during KH3′s production.

The Kingdom Hearts series has become a huge title nowadays and back then it was more like I was making it secretively in the corner, but now that a lot more people are involved I do feel that it's not my title anymore, it's everyone's title. And just talking about all this … It actually kind of makes me really sad.

There was a custody dispute between him and two giant corporations. Nomura lost his two sons. Disney took custody of Sora. And Square-Enix took custody of Noctis.

“I actually don’t sympathize or empathize with Sora at all,” Nomura says. “I think I’m closer to those characters, so Sora is like my enemy. How I always think of him is I would unleash my attacks on him, and then I draw him in a way that I think he will be able to make a comeback at me. In that sense, I really think that Sora is just like an opposite personality character to who I am.” 

Around this time, Nomura’s feelings toward Sora, his estranged son, changed and became far more bitter. And I’m sure Nomura wouldn’t even be able to publicly state how he really feels about the new Noctis. So, in his grief, Nomura’s old Noctis, his true son, was reincarnated as a KH character named Yozora. 

(I'm sad we would never get to see what Nomura's original plot was before he made a petty move to stuff Versus XIII into Kingdom Hearts, terrible decision imo).

I agree. I wish Versus XIII never got cancelled, and then it could remain completely separate from Kingdom Hearts. And I wish KH could have stayed “under the radar” from Disney, more like how it was during the KH2 and handheld days. I liked the series better back before it became so big. Back then it felt kinda like a quirky indie project.

[ahiddenpath]

5 Works Tag Game

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

So my dear @noctisfishing tagged me for this!  Thank you <3

To anyone I tag- you can talk about whatever you want!  Headcanons, meta, reviews/reactions to eps, WIPs, upcoming projects, whatever!

(Actually- While I enjoyed the heck out of doing this, I don’t want to pressure anyone, especially since productivity has been so difficult in 2020...  So please consider yourself tagged by me if you want to do this!)

I’m gonna throw this beneath the cut, but please read on to see what I’ve made this year!

1.)  The Digific Rec List

A list of recommended fics and authors, generated by the Tumblr fandom!  And pst- you can add to it any time!  Got a fic rec, hit me up!  And authors, please remember that you can add a bio for yourself!

I’ve been trying to be more open and involved recently, so...  I’m really pleased to have made this resource for everyone to find fics written by members of the community with everyone’s help.  

Oh!  I also have a Discord Channel!  I’m not always that great at being on it, especially since returning physically to work on a weird schedule, but if you leave a message, I will respond when I see it!  I am hoping to hold “watch Hidden edit” sessions, or maybe...  Play a video game with anyone who wants to hang out?  

2.)  Tri: Integrity Lens

Sequel to Growing Up with You.  It simultaneously continues OC Eimi Anami’s story and spins Tri in a new way.  My goal is to take the great stuff that Tri has to offer and alter the storytelling in a way that I find enjoyable, which mostly means adding more investigating/making the Chosen more proactive/adding consequences, especially on the “dangers of being Chosen now that humans know about- and mostly fear- digimon” side of things.

The theme of my retelling is agency and responsibility.

I tend to be all over the place with how I feel about TIL.  It’s more plot and movement oriented than most of my work, so sometimes I feel like I’m... not writing the same way I usually do?  And maybe that’s bad?  But there are parts I love, especially coming soon in Ketsui.  And the art and screenshots and photo manips I do for it are!  So fun!  It’s cool that I’m trying something new by adding media to stories.

3.)  Seeking Resonance

A story I started in 2014 and completed in 2020.  Like most of my fics, I started it with no real plan, other than to explore my thoughts on longterm compatibility.  I ended up with this... meandering, heartfelt, intimate, powerful journey about a bunch of adults struggling to figure out how to build their happiness.  Showing you where everyone ended up this year was a true pleasure.

4.)  So You Were Alive

So the Kizuna novelization and the 2020 Digimon Adventure reboot hit at roughly the same time, ish?  I think?  And when Reboot Agumon seemed to know Taichi, I had this thought that- what if that’s OUR Agumon, from the original Digimon Adventure, come to help a new Taichi, now that his adult Taichi can no longer support him as a partner?

It’s a sweet oneshot about the bond between Agumon and Taichi, a bond strong enough to cross worlds and dimensions.

5.)  A selection of 2020 blog posts!

-If I could assign Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori crests, what would they be?

-A video tour of my office

-What is a caretaker resentment cycle? (a post about Sora)

-Digimon Reboot 2020 Ep 11 Reaction

-Combating Writing Paralysis with Successive Drafts

[comicgeekscomicgeek]

Their Hero Academia - Chapter 67: Island Insanity Intensifies

Presenting the next installment of my on-going, nextgen, MHA fic! Earlier chapters can be found here

“Ah!” Tensei Iida exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the display before them.  “A most ingenious device.”

Toshi gave it a second look. He’d glanced at it briefly, but had been busy listening to Sora and Dave discuss the punch-enhancing gauntlets they’d seen at the previous booth and hadn’t been paying a lot of attention.  So far, he didn’t use any Support equipment himself, though he had a few ideas for some new bits for his costume he’d thought of after the Final Exam.  But if one of the twins thought something was well designed, it was probably worth paying attention to.  His girlfriend and her brother were two of the smartest people he knew, somehow managing to be in the Hero Course and still having time to take Support course classes as well.

Speaking of girlfriends, the device had now caught Sora’s attention as well.  She was, in fact, practically drooling over it.  “Oh, yes,” she agreed.  “This is quite spectacular!”

Toshi considered himself relatively smart.  He was probably wasn’t in the top fourth of the class, but close enough.  But when it came to advanced stuff like this, he didn’t have a clue.  It just looked like a silvery helmet with a dark visor to him, connected by wires to some kind of power source.  Before he could ask any questions though, Sero piped in.

“So, what’s it do?” Sero asked.  “Because I don’t know if that’s going to work with my aesthetic.”   Considering Sero had once said he’d purposefully bought a bowling shirt because the colors gave him a headache, Toshi wasn’t exactly sure what his aesthetic was and how anything could clash with it.

“Oh, it would be very useful,” Tensei explained.  “It combines several different scanners from across the electromagnetic spectrum into one device.  This should enable its wearer to view everything from the infra-red all the way to the ultraviolet end of the spectrum.  Very useful for locating Villains, even if they have stealth Quirks!”

“I do have concerns about the power source, though,” Sora added, further scrutinizing the device. “It would have to be properly armored and those wires could be easily grabbed.  And, of course, if pierced, the detonation could be rather significant…”

“Definite significant,” Sero said.

“You would not require cremation,” Sora told him, matter-of-factly.

“Still,” Tensei went on, “I do see possibilities.  I wonder though, if it would be better to house such power sources externally? Somewhere where they would not endanger the user?”

“A drone, perhaps?” Sora questioned.  “That way its power source could be properly armored, and then you would only need a wireless transmission to a visual source, such as a visor or other display…”

“Yes!” Tensei agreed. “Though the power supply needed to see the entirety of the spectrum would…”

Toshi lost track of the conversation at that point, not having the head for the engineering or scientific principles behind it.  If it ever got to gravity or some basic physics, then he was on pretty good ground. Otherwise…

“Got us a couple of smart ones, didn’t we?” Sero said, after a moment, giving Toshi a conspiratorial look. He grinned.  “I have no idea what they’re saying.”

“Then why do you look so happy about it?” Dave asked.  Once again, his patience for Sero’s actions was wearing thin, Toshi could tell.  “Don’t tell me you’re celebrating your ignorance.”

“Nah,” Sero said.  “I just like seeing Tensei get all happy about something.  He’s cute when he’s pontificating.”

Toshi had to admit, Sero had a point.  He thought the same thing about Sora.  Her eyes just lit up when she got passionate about something she was working on, even if he couldn’t follow it.

Mercifully, it didn’t take too long for the twins to wind down though, and by the sounds of it, they’d come up with yet another project for when they were able to access to a lab again. He was sure he’d hear more about it later.  He was probably going to have to remind them to eat and sleep in the near future.

“You two might want to consider a limited A.I.,” Dave said.  “Otherwise, it’s of limited utility.  If you have to keep manual control, then you’re going to be distracted focusing on that.  With an A.I., you can give it a target to follow or a patrol route.”

“Dave’s got a point,” Toshi agreed.  Not surprising.  Dave was both a star of the Support Department and had grown up with a Hero dad and older siblings.  It gave him a unique insight into the way in which the two met up.

“He does indeed,” Sora agreed.  

Tensei nodded.  “More difficult then.  And not our specialty.  Would you care to collaborate, Togata?”

Dave shrugged.  “So long as Power Loader signs off on it. Last time I checked, you two were on his shit list.”

“Very unfairly!” Tensei declared, arms flailing.

Sora joined in the protest, her own arms flailing as well.  How they managed not to hit each other, Toshi didn’t know.  “Just because we occasionally cause small explosions is no reason to restrict our lab access!  You would think he would understand that explosions are merely learning opportunities!”

This got a laugh from Sero and Dave, who looked at each other in surprise.  Both shrugged and then the group peeled off to look at the next exhibit.

“Oh, speaking of opportunities,” Sero told Dave, “Kimmie made me promise I’d ask if you were seeing anybody.  Because if not, she’s actually got some people lined up.”

Dave just shook his head. “I swear, you’re all as bad as Dad….”

***

“I can’t believe you know Godzillo,” Isamu told Togata, carefully carrying the signed statue in a small bag.  He’d mentioned wanting to get the retired Hero and actor’s autograph and Togata had insisted on introducing him.  Kana was going to flip out when she saw this.

“Dad and Uncle Izuku teamed up with him back when I was just a kid,” Togata explained.  “They got along real well, I guess.  Of course, Dad gets along with everybody…”  He laughed.  “But yeah, I figured I could convince him to do a gratis autograph if I asked.”

Isamu just shook his head. “I appreciate it though!  Kana’s going to love this!”

“Kana?” Togata asked, inclining his head slightly.

“My, ah, girlfriend,” Isamu said.  It still felt weird to be able to say that.  The notion that any girl might like him, let alone one who could probably kick his ass six ways to Sunday, was still a surprising one to him.  Though he also wasn’t entirely sure if her parents knew. He’d mentioned Kana to his, to his mom’s particular delight. On the other hand, she hadn’t formally introduced him yet to her mother, despite her mom being a teacher at U.A..  So he wasn’t sure what was going on there.  He wasn’t going to put too much thought into it. Considering she’d been the one to ask him out, he was relatively sure she wasn’t embarrassed by him or anything like that.  “Kana Tetsutetsu.”

“Battle-Fist and Real Steel’s daughter?” Togata asked.  He nodded slightly.  “Saw her at the Sports Festival. Uncle Izuku likes to have everybody working under him watch, get our opinions, see the upcoming Heroes. She’s pretty talented.”

“She is,” Isamu agreed. He wasn’t sure how well he’d have stacked up to her martial arts skills or ability to guard against attacks.  

They passed a few stalls selling various Hero merchandise, including one with a man with floppy once-dark now-grey hair and glasses glasses, who seemed to be selling copies of some kind of book.   Isamu looked up at the banner on top of the stall.  Taneo Tokuda – Author of When the Symbol of Hope Was Young –Soon to be a Major Motion Picture!

Isamu recognized the name and the title; there was a copy of it in his house.  It had been in publication for years, though originally it had been titled When the New Symbol of Peace Was Young.  It had retitled after a few years, when Deku had adopted the different and more fitting title.  It was still one of the top selling books, annually.  

The man—Tokuda, he now recognized from the author picture—shot up at the sight of them. “Tamaki Togata,” the man said, beaming. “As I live and breathe!  It’s been too long!”

“Not since the last time you interviewed Uncle Izuku for your script, Mister Tokuda,” Togata said. “I still can’t believe they’re finally turning your book into a movie.”

Tokuda laughed.  “You, me, and my bank account.  And I’ve told you, call me Taneo.  All my friends do.”   He gave Isamu an appraising look.  “Ah!  I know you! From the Sports Festival. Haimawari, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Isamu said.

Tokuda seemed to give him an appraising look.   “Oh yeah,” he said.  “I can see why Deku took you on.”   He pointed towards Togata.  “Both of you. You’ve got the same kind of spark. Takes me back to the first time I met him, really.”  He peered at them over the top of his glasses.

Not that he didn’t appreciate the comparison (He was, however, not going to think about it too hard, because down that path lay panic), but Isamu wasn’t entirely sure he was comfortable with the scrutiny the man was giving him.

A smile did work its way onto Togata’s face, though.  “You can turn that investigator mode off, Taneo.  He’s here on vacation, same as me.”

Tokuda’s face fell just a little, but he pushed his glasses back up and smiled amiably. “So no chance of an interview about everything going on back home?”

“Top secret,” Togata told him.

Tokuda laughed.  “Ah, well, can’t blame a guy for trying.   Still, expecting big things from both of you, so promise me an interview whenever you go Pro?  I know we’re going to see big things from you, Togata.  Just call it a hunch. ”

“Ah, sure?” Isamu said, uncertainly.  Deku taking an interest in him was one thing, but a reporter/writer as well?  One who’d done an official biography of Deku?  What exactly was his life?

“You’re going to be waiting a while,” Togata said.  He didn’t actually answer the question, Isamu noted.  “He’s just a first year student and I want a few more years working with the best under my belt.”

Tokuda shrugged, smiling easily.  “I’ve got time.  But let me know if you want to come on set sometime.  They start filming in a couple months and I’m sure I can get some passes.”

That might be fun, Isamu thought, though he figured Tokuda was probably talking more to Togata than him.

“We’ll see,” Togata said. “Nice to see you, Taneo.”

As they were walking away, Isamu turned to Togata.  “Everything all right there?  Guy seemed a little, ah, intense?”

Togata just smiled and shook his head.  “Tokuda’s a good guy.  Probably nobody out there who’s a bigger fan of Uncle Izuku than him, actually. …Well, maybe not bigger than the Shinso kid.  He just really believes in what Uncle Izuku means as a symbol.  But he can’t quite stop looking forward or turn off that reporter’s instinct, so he’s always looking for the next story, whether it’s there or not.  His instincts are usually on the money though.”

“Great,” Isamu sighed. “One more person expecting big stuff out of me.”

“I told you,” Togata said. “Don’t worry about that.  Focus on your training and being the best you can be. You’ve got time.”

***

Melissa had already studied the hologram in front of them numerous times.  Hell, she’s studied the real thing.  She’d been up to her elbows in it, even.  Working together with Mei and the best forensic analysts at both Deku’s agency and that the HPSC could spare, they’d taken all of the robot-Nomu apart one piece at a time and studied every inch of every one of them.  

That their secrets continued to elude them was nothing short of infuriating.  The combination of enhanced technology and bio-augmentation suggested an expertise in multiple fields of science.  Who had that level of knowledge and expertise?

Jinsei rubbed his chin with his hand.  “The same design, every time.  These were definitely mass produced.   Nothing identifying to any of the parts either.”

Melissa nodded. “There’d been some technology thefts in the weeks prior to the attack, but none of the Heroes were able to find any leads, even with the Voice and Glamour hitting the streets and shaking down just about every source.”  She tapped a few keys and called the list up.  “Not nearly enough to account for all of this… unless you only needed a handful to take apart as a model.”

He nodded his agreement. “Very sophisticated robotics. You can see certain systems here and there that are extrapolations of current theories and designs though.  I can see some of the technology from U.A.’s robots, there’s Shield tech, and I even see a few of Hatsume’s designs.  And…”

Nothing they didn’t already know.  Whoever had built them was well versed in current technology, no matter how proprietary. But the facial journey Jinsei was undergoing was something else entirely.

Jinsei frowned, his face flush with anger in a way that made his scars stand out even more.  “Those bastards.”  He slammed his hands on the console, causing the hologram to briefly flicker.  “Those bastards!   How!?”

“What? Melissa asked. She’d jumped at his outburst and paused to readjust her glasses.  “What is it?” She’s seen Jinsei get angry before, especially after…  But the pure rage she was seeing here was stunning.

He tapped keys, bringing up a hologram next to the one of the Nomu.  With more tapping, he isolated what they’d identified as the Nomu’s power source.  Melissa let out a soft gasp.  The two were identical.

“That’s the power source for the robots I’ve been designing,” Jinsei said.  “The ones I consulted you about.  The ones that were going to…”

He trailed off. Melissa had listened to his arguments about the failures of Heroes often enough to know where he’d been going with it. That they took too much on and that too much was expected of them.  That they were worked to exhaustion and made mistakes.  His idea to replace or supplement them with robots who didn’t get tired or have bad judgement was well meaning, even if she knew it wasn’t possible. The level of A.I. just wasn’t there yet, among other things.  

“That was Ami’s design,” he growled, head down, body shaking with rage.  “Back when we were just designing the robots to support the Heroes. Before…”

His head snapped up. “Those bastards stole her design!”

Melissa blinked her eyes slowly, then set her face in grim determination.  Jinsei needed goals and directions now, if he was ever going to come out of this state and not spiral into self-destructiveness.  “Who else would have had access to the plans?  Do you think there was a data breach?”

Jinsei started pacing, quick frantic steps back and forth.  “My lab assistants.  The board. A few others I’ve had to consult with. You.”

She jerked in surprise. “You can’t possibly think…!”

He shook his head rapidly. “No, not you, never you.  I trust you, Melissa.  I’m just…  my life’s work… turned into part of those monsters.  I wanted to help. And something I designed nearly killed so many…”

Melissa placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.  “Hey,” she said quietly.  “It’s another clue.  We’re going to get this figured out.”

***

They were working their way through the crowd to meet back up with Midoriya and the others when Togata suddenly stopped.  “Everything okay?” Isamu asked.

“I don’t know,” Togata said. He looked around, scanning the crowd. In an instant, his body language had changed, moving from relaxed and at ease to alert and ready for action.  Isamu had heard that the really good Heroes had a certain kind of instinct, the kind that came from years of dealing with trouble. Supposedly, they could tell when trouble was coming practically before it even started.

Tamaki Togata was only a Sidekick.  But he was the Sidekick to the greatest Hero on the planet and had worked with many more. It wasn’t surprising that his instincts would already be finely honed.

Isamu straightened up, looking around as well.  If Togata thought there was something worth getting ready for, there probably was. Even if he couldn’t see it.  All he could see were people milling about, going from stand to stall to booth.  People were snapping pictures, signing autographs, showing off their Quirks. It seemed about as non-threatening as was possible to get, his early feelings of being overwhelmed notwithstanding.

He forced himself to listen, to look around for signs of trouble.  Isamu didn’t have super-human senses.  He wasn’t an even an expert at listening like Shoji.  But his Quirk did demand that he be observant and react quickly. If he wasn’t, he’d have ended up a smear on a wall the second something came up that he couldn’t maneuver around when he was sliding.

There.

It was distant, but he could hear the sound of screams now.  They were growing louder and getting closer by the moment.  The crowd was parting now, trying to run away from whatever it was.

Togata was already taking off, heading towards the source of it, a blur of motion.  He should have stayed where he was.  Even with the super-relaxed Quirk-use laws on I-Island, he was still just a Hero student.  No license, barely a term into his studies.  Absolutely no one would have blamed him if he’d just stayed where he was.

Instead, his body moved on his own. He pitched forward and fired a burst of power from his Quirk, his autographed statue left behind without a thought, sliding through the crowd and around the fleeing Expo guests.  Just ahead, he could still see Togata, faintly glowing with power as he darted through the crowd.  

It didn’t take long to see what was going on.  Already, a number of booths and stalls had been completely trashed.  It didn’t look like anybody was injured, but that wasn’t likely to last long.  At the center of the destruction were several people—he assumed they were civilians because they weren’t in costume—all swathed in a bright orange glow.  One seemed to have some kind of fire Quirk, one was a giant rhino man, and the other was woman lobbing blobs of sticky goo.

There was no coordination in their attacks, just seemingly random destruction.

“Get away!  Get away!” the fire-wielder, said, letting loose a stream of crimson flames.  They didn’t look all that hot; he couldn’t even feel the heat from this close.  “You can’t have my liver!  I’m using it!”

“Scorpions!” the rhino man shouted, charged and smashing everything in his path.  “Covered in scorpions!  Get ��em off me!  Get ‘em off me!”

The woman was spraying goo everywhere, her eyes wide in panic.  “Clowns!” she screamed.  “Not clowns! Anything but clowns!”

Togata seemed to sense his arrival.  “Haimawari?” he said, not turning to look.  “Stay back.  This looks dangerous.”

Another Hero arrived on the scene, but not one that Isamu recognized.  He was wearing a black costume, with boots, gloves, trucks, and a cape all the dark grey of approaching storm clouds.  A square-ish lightning bolt symbol adorned his chest. “<Don’t worry,>” the Hero said, in what he realized was English, “<Thunderhead will stop them!”>

The Hero—Thunderhead—brought his hands out to the side and then slammed them together, hard.  It created a powerful boom that sounded like a clap of thunder, sending a wave of sound out from his hands.  It struck the rhino man dead on but did little more than knock him back for a second.  

The rhino man eyed him, his tiny, dark eyes widening in fear.  “More scorpions!” he shouted, his voice laced with fear.  “Gotta stop them before they can sting me!”  The rhino man struck out, hitting Thunderhead hard enough to send him flying.

When Thunderhead got up, he was glowing.  The exact same orange glow as the others.  There was a madness in his eyes, one that was clearly driving his actions now.  “They’re all against me!  They think I’m an idiot!  Well I’ll show them!”

Thunderhead brought his hands together, unleashing another wave of force.  But Togata moved, his own body aglow in green light and he placed himself right in the line of fire.  The wave of force rocked against him, but he was not moved.  Not for nothing was his Hero name the Shield.

“Whatever it is that’s driving them crazy,” Togata said, “it’s contagious!”

Togata drew back a punch. “Dammit,” he hissed, “no time to be subtle about it!”  He threw the punch forward, glowing brighter as he amped up his density.  The force of the blow itself was enough to push the air forward, a powerful gust that knocked Thunderhead down for a moment, still aglow with orange light.

Which still left the other three.  If they touched anyone else…  Isamu quickly began to realize that following might not have been the best idea.

“Do not worry,” a voice shouted, “I am here to render assistance!”   Isamu looked to the source and found that it was Ingenium:  Tenya Iida, the twins’ father.  He was clad in his armor and running at full speed.

“Roller skate clowns?!” the goo-throwing woman shrieked.  She tossed blobs of her goo, but Ingenium dodged every one.  But then he got close…

“Ingenium!” Togata shouted. “Look out!  Don’t let them touch you!”

But it was too late. The woman’s fingers brushed against Ingenium’s armor, even as he dodged out of the way of her attack.

That was all it took.  Ingenium skidded to a stop, turning on a dime.  And by the time he had finished, he too, was glowing orange. Isamu couldn’t see the man’s expression behind his helmet, but he got the feeling that it wasn’t one he would have wanted to ever see.

Ingenium readied himself to run again.  “Back for more, eh, Stain?  You’ll not find me a careless child now!”

There was a roar like a jet engine as Ingenium fired his Recipro-Burst.

***

Rei lowered her binoculars and grinned.  “Looks like the guy we sprung is doing his job.”   Unlike the other “voluntary detainees” under I-Island, Setsushi had been stored in a tube, constantly sedated.  His Quirk took the form of a communicable madness, making whoever was infected with it hallucinate heavily, bringing their worst fears or other delusions to life. And once someone was infected, they could pass it on to others.   All it took was a touch, didn’t even have to be skin to skin contact.  Ursa had had to design very special gloves for the two of them to wear to be able to get him up to the surface and let him loose in the expo. Didn’t even need any real prompting. Just had to let him stagger around and bump into a few people.

Perched on one of the island’s towers, in the blind spot between cameras, they had a very excellent view of the chaos below.

Miss Compress lowered her own binoculars.  “Barely twenty minutes since we dropped him off, and he’s already infected more than a dozen people, including a few Heroes.  Everyone else is running or panicking.  Quite the catastrophe we’ve engineered, dahling.”

Rei did, ultimately, feel just a little guilty about that.  She did have family down there, after all.  Not close family, but her little rocket-powered cousins-in-law were still part of the crowd.  At least it wasn’t her actual cousins or anybody like that.  Sometimes, you did have to break a few eggs.  

“How long did the boss say this was supposed to last?” she asked Compress.

Her companion pulled a pocket watch from her coat pocket and examined it.  “Infection in any given person is supposed to last no more than thirty minutes and no less than five, depending upon individual resistance factors.  But reinfection is possible, so depending upon how many people it spreads through once it starts hitting the crowds…  Possibly forever.  Or at least until they all beat themselves senseless or worse.”

Compress replaced the watch in her pocket.  “Quite the show.  You don’t think our dear leader is going too far, do you?”

Rei shrugged. Compress was, she knew, more in it for the thrill of it all, the chance to pull one over on Hero society.  That it aligned with their leader’s overall goals of showing the cracks in Hero society and destroying it worked out well, but she didn’t have quite the same lust for battle that some of the other members did.

As far as Rei was concerned, it could all go burn.  Any society that let monsters like her grandfather live, even humiliated and in exile, didn’t deserve to stick around.  

“Still,” Compress went on, “one more straw for the proverbial camel’s back, I suppose.  And I can’t say I’m disappointed to see Ingenium down there.”  Ingenium, Rei recalled, had ultimately been responsible for the capture of her mentor, Mister Compress.  He’d been the last of the original League of Villains to be captured, staying free for years after the others had been captured or killed.  Small wonder she bore him some enmity.

Rei’s communicator beeped and she checked it.  “We’d better get going.  Overdrive just sent the exit confirmation.  She’s meeting us at the docks in twenty.”  Her tongue slid over her lips.  There was bound to be plenty of blood by the end of the day.  “Shame we gotta run so fast.  It was just getting’ interesting.  You got still got the sample?”

Compress patted one of her coat pockets and nodded.  “Of course, dahling.  And don’t worry.  I’m sure our benefactor will have plenty of video we can watch later.”

***

Ka-Pow!

The blue-white energy bolt hit Ingenium squarely in the middle of his forehead.  There wasn’t a lot of power behind it, but when combined with the Turbo Hero’s speed, it was like running head first into a throw fastball. Isamu looked at his hand as though he was seeing it for the first time.  Had he really done that?  Had he actually just assaulted a Pro-Hero, the Number Six ranked Hero at that?

He wondered if you could get expelled for that kind of thing.

Togata turned his head to look at him.  “Good job!” he said, flashing him a brief thumbs up.  But worry immediately replaced the cheer on his face.  “This isn’t good.  Whatever this is, it’s spreading fast and spreading by touch by the looks of it.”

Isamu’s thoughts quickly went to Midoriya and the others, and then to the countless others on the island. Even with more Pro-Heroes than you could shake a stick at, it wouldn’t take much for this to spread and spread quickly.  He didn’t even know if it would wear off.  Ingenium was down, but still glowing.  

The other infected were leaving them alone for the moment, but still causing plenty of trouble, lost in their own personal madness.  But it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously hurt.

“Probably shouldn’t do this,” Togata said, “but I know Uncle Izuku has faith in you.  So I’m deputizing you until this is all over.  So you can use your Quirk to fight. Just don’t get killed, okay?”

Isamu nodded, even as his heart was thudding in his chest.  “Okay,” he said.  “What… what do we do?”

Togata shook his head. “Try to keep people from killing each other, try to find the cause of this, work with as many Pros who’ve managed to avoid catching this as we can.  See if anyone’s made a call for help.  Whatever else happens, we can’t let this get off the island.”   Worry strained his voice.  Isamu knew his family was somewhere on the island now too. Togata’s younger brother, David, would probably be with Midoriya and the others, so he was about as safe as could be. But he had no idea where Doctor Shield or Togata’s older sister, Nejire, were.  Nejire Togata was, at least, a third year U.A. student and one of the Big Three.  Her phasing Quirk would probably keep her safe.  

People counting on them. The whole island in danger.  His friends missing.  Some kind of insanity that was spread by touch.  And he’d just shot Ingenium in the head.  It was all too much.  Isamu could fell himself start to shake and he bent at the waist, hands on his knees to keep himself from falling over.  This was supposed to have just been a vacation.  Not… whatever this had become.  He was barely sixteen.  How the hell was he supposed to cope with all of this?

He became aware of a hand on his shoulder.  Togata. “Look,” he said, “I know this is overwhelming.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared too.  But right now, we’ve got to get moving.  Every second counts.”

Isamu straightened up. He pulled his goggles down over his eyes and his bandana up to cover his nose and mouth.  All round now, he could hear the sounds of screams, of Heroes calling out attacks and telling people to head for shelter, and the sounds of all kinds of Quirks going off.  It definitely wasn’t the time to be worrying.  It was a time for action.  “Can I have a panic attack later?”

“We all can.”

***

The sound of screams split the air.  The kind of raw, panicked screams you heard when there was serious trouble afoot. Takuma’s eyes darted around and he could see that Midoriya, Sora, and Tensei were all doing the same.  They might only have been first-year students, but all of them were the children of Pro-Heroes.  Long before they entered U.A., their parents had been teaching them how to look out for themselves.

His parents were lower-ranked than some of his friends, but both still well within the top one hundred. He knew for a fact that there had been more than a few kidnapping attempts on the children of higher ranked Heroes, the twins and Midoriya among them.  The adults didn’t talk about those much, but from what little he’d been able to gather, it hadn’t gone particularly well for any of the would-be kidnappers.   Kaminari had once joked about it, suggesting that anyone who had kidnapped Kirishima-Bakugo would have brought her back almost immediately.  But even now, on the road to becoming Heroes themselves, vigilance was a must.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see David Togata moving to the back of their group. Probably smart.  Togata didn’t have Hero training or even a combat-oriented Quirk.  It sounded like the screams were coming from outside though…

“Maybe… maybe it’s nothing,” Takuma ventured carefully.  He didn’t really believe it, but…

“I don’t think so,” Midoriya said.  The crowd around them in the Expo building had frozen, waiting for the next shoe to drop. A few people he recognized as Pro-Heroes were making their way towards the front of the show floor.  

“But who would dare dream of causing trouble here, with so many Heroes present?” Tensei asked.

“It has been dared before, little brother,” Sora said.  “You’ve heard Father tell the story often enough.”

CRASH!

With a terrible sound, a chunk of wall came tumbling down, sending people fleeing and crushing several booths and pieces of Support equipment on display.  And through the hole stepped a purple-haired man in a military-stylized uniform with a peaked cap.  An orange glow surrounded him, as well as the blobs of flesh floating in the air around him.

“That’s Sisicross!” Midoriya exclaimed.  “But why’s he glowing?”

Sisicross looked across the show floor and sneered.  “Trying to surround me, eh, Villains?!  You’ll not find this son of Shiketsu so easily beaten!  Come at me!  I’ll take you all on!”  With his hands held behind his back, he clicked his heels and send the fleshy blobs flying into the crowd.   Each time they stuck someone, that person went down, transforming with a painful sound into a fleshy-blob.  Takuma gulped and fought the urge to be sick. And worse still, the blobs themselves were glowing the same orange.  He saw one man try to pick up the blob that had been his companion and the glow spread to him.  

The man let out a scream, dropped his friend, and unleashed his Quirk, firing sharp Quills from his body. Most of these missed, but a few stuck people, spreading the orange glow even further.  They started freaking out too, talking about perceived threats and other nonsense.

It was, in a word, madness.

A swarm of fleshy missiles headed straight towards them.   “Move!” Midoriya shouted.

They hadn’t planned on it, but not for nothing were they Hero-trainees and friends.  The twins rocketed into the air, Sora grabbing onto Midoriya’s hand while Tensei grabbed Togata.  Takuma fired off a strip of his Acid Tape and gave a hard yank, reeling himself upward towards the ceiling.  The flesh missiles hit where they had been seconds earlier, splattering against the floor with a sick, wet sound.  

“Too close,” Takuma muttered.  They touched down at the far end of the room.  The chaos was only getting worse, with people succumbing to the orange glow or panicking trying to get out.

“Let’s not do that again,” Togata said.  He looked vaguely ill from the sudden acceleration, to say nothing of the danger they’d been in.

“What do we do, Toshi?” Sora asked.

Midoriya looked pale. “I… don’t know.”

[aliceslantern]

Retribution, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, chapter 5

Newly a person again, Ienzo is weighed down by guilt and his humanity. He's prepared to do whatever it takes to atone... only to find unexpected solace in a familiar face. With more insight into the bonds between people than ever before, Ienzo reaches for a dangerous element from the past to help Kairi and Riku in their search for Sora. What is his life if it means saving another, brighter light?

Chapter summary:  Ienzo tries to make humanity his new project, with limited success.

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

---

Ienzo tried to do as Even said. He took the pills--one in the morning, one at night. He set a timer and forced himself to eat every four hours, though he had little appetite. The weight he’d lost from his heavy magic use began to come back on. He no longer felt so dizzy or achy.

But the anti-anxiety medication made him feel a bit foggy, a bit dissociative. He passed the time reading about it. For the first time in months, Ienzo visited the library for the sake of fiction, and spent a pleasurable few days rereading an old childhood favorite.

He tried to write and reflect as to what this whole experience had taught him, but found himself staring at blank pages, blank screens. Was he not ready, to delve into this mess? Or did he have nothing of insight to say?

This abandoned, Ienzo went outside.

It was summer now, and very warm, the bright light a shock to his tender eyes. He suspected he was beginning to need glasses, no doubt an accumulation of years in front of pages and screens. He saw children playing in the streets, groups of friends, a young couple or two with their hands linked. Compared to the empty, massive castle, Radiant Garden felt full of life.

Nobody seemed to recognize him, and for this he was grateful. He kept walking, letting his mind wander, eavesdropping idly and taking in the colors and smells, all of it too much in a good way. He walked, he drifted. Without consciously realizing it, he’d brought himself to the cemetery.

It was well-kept, despite the obvious bits of destruction--broken memorial stones, the brick wall still a work in progress, grass growing over gouge marks from Heartless. For a second Ienzo struggled to remember where it was before sense memory kicked in.

There they were, side-by-side. The mortuary tablets were rather dirty. If he’d known, he would’ve brought supplies to clean. Disrespectful. He read his parents’ names, his own old surname before the adoption gave him Ansem’s. He whispered the name aloud, just to hear it. It was much softer sounding than Zexion. Light. Rhythmic.

The idea had originally been for his parents to be apprentices, not him. They were both scholars in their own right, his mother a botanist, his father a physicist. They’d hoped to be older before they had their first child, but these things happened, and they did so love Ienzo, as Ansem had told him. Noticing Ienzo’s brilliance… and hoping to grant his parents’ wishes… Ansem took him in and gave him an education. And the rest was history.

He knelt and bowed his head. He barely remembered either of these people, just flashes of joy and warmth and comfort; a pat on the head, hands tucking him in. He’d only been five when they passed, a freak accident, a fire. It hadn’t been the flames that killed them, but the smoke; only a well-placed wet cloth over his own nose and mouth had kept him alive until the fire brigade arrived.

Ienzo wished he didn’t remember this, but he did. The house had been built into a stone wall, and the internal structure collapsed, blocking the only real door. Father had tried his hardest to carve a way out, but he was a physically weak academic and the smoke got him, falling first to his knees. Mother had turned Ienzo’s face away, sang him a lullaby, curled him a bit more tightly in her arms--

What good was thinking about this?

What would they think of him now? If they knew what he’d do? Would Mother perhaps have held that cloth a little tighter, a little closer, until--

“Ienzo? What are you doing here?”

His head snapped up. He saw Dilan, in casual clothing, his eyes mottled and red. “I suppose… the same as you,” he said. He knew distantly that Dilan had lost a lover at some point; not through any conscious admittance by the man himself, but through drunken conversations Ienzo had eavesdropped on.

Dilan came closer and looked down at the memorials. “I… remember that day all too well,” he said, with a sigh. “Your parents weren’t the only ones who were lost in that fire. That part of town… the houses were too much on top of one another. You might consider yourself lucky.”

Ienzo laughed. “In a cosmic way, I suppose I am.”

Another pause. Then more cautiously, “she was a lovely woman, your mother. Very warm. I’ve hardly ever met a scientist who was so good-humored. I think in some lights you look like her.”

Ienzo cocked his head. “Really?”

“Well, the premature gray is unmistakable. And here…” He gestured to his jaw.

Ienzo looked at his palms. “Is it bad that I scarcely remember what they looked like?” All of their possessions had been lost in the fire, including photos.

“Oh, there may be a picture or two hanging around--there would’ve been official portraits when they took on the apprenticeship,” Dilan explained, at his baffled expression. “Would you like that, if I were to find them?”

“I would--very much so.” It took him a moment to realize why Dilan was being so saccharine to him. It was compensation. Ienzo stood slowly, flinching at the ache in his knees.

“You were so very young,” Dilan said. “So small. I remember thinking that.”

“I suppose you dissented then, when Ansem took me in?”

“Of course I did. What a place to raise a child, after all. But we didn’t do much parenting of you, did we?”

“...Quite.” Ienzo did not want to get into another screaming match. He turned to leave.

“Are you feeling better? I heard you were rather ill.”

The meditative mood that had come over him upon entering this place was quickly shattered. “Yes, I am,” he said.

“I’m aware we’ve… scarcely spoken in some years.”

Ienzo thought about it. Even in those “halcyon” days, he’d never been close to Dilan. And further pulled away to different teams in the Organization. “No, I don’t suppose we have.” Then again, what was there to say?

“Do you enjoy being human?” Dilan asked, the same way an adult might awkwardly ask a child something.

Ienzo shook his head; not in response, but the inanity of the question. “I’m afraid the jury’s still out. Not that I have a choice, here.”

“You have choices,” Dilan said. “So many.”

“Is your life written in stone, then?” he asked, sourly.

“The others wish to atone and I wish to keep them safe while they do so,” Dilan said. “So yes, I suppose.”

Ienzo cocked his head. “Safe from what? Heartless?”

“Those that may seek revenge,” Dilan said slowly.

Ienzo scoffed and turned away again.

“I am not being facetious.”

He shot him a look.

“We’ve wrought havoc on this town,” Dilan said. “The lives lost in our lab… people remember those loved ones, and miss them. Now it’s public knowledge we’re back… surely there may be more than some cruel words thrown at one on the street. People are armed to the teeth with all the Heartless.”

“Assassination would be too quick of a way to go,” Ienzo said simply. “More like they best let us fester in this guilt, if they wish for punishment.”

“Is that what you want? To be punished?”

Ienzo scowled. Twice was a coincidence; three times was a connection. Demyx, Even, now Dilan lecturing him about suffering. “Do I walk around with a boorish look on my face?”

Dilan raised an eyebrow. “I’ve noticed that as soon as your emotion reaches your face, you snap it back to neutral… put on a mask. Almost impressive, how quickly you can do it. Putting yourself aside… for whatever inane nonsense they subject you to. I’d hoped you would at least enjoy some pleasures of life, however small. Yet to not allow yourself to feel --”

“I feel ,” he spat. “entirely too much.” He was on the verge of adding, and you never allowed yourself to feel without a bottle in your hand , but didn’t.

“I suppose you must. The weight of emotion must be somewhat unbearable.”

“That,” he said, “is putting it mildly.”

Dilan considered. “Do you feel very bitter?”

This was very quickly becoming a confrontation, something Ienzo had no energy for. “Why is it you want to know?”

“Because if I were you, I would,” he said, with a shake of his head. “If I were you, after all you’d been put through, I’d leave that castle seething… and never come back. Why is it you stay?”

The last thing Ienzo expected him to say--he felt his eyebrows raise. “Well I’ve… work to do.”

“And the men you must work with?”

“Ansem has never wronged me. And Even and I are mending things. We’ve known one another for so long. I…” He trailed off uselessly, unable to identify the emotion now curdling within him. He squinted, trying to name it. It felt vaguely as though it were clamped to his thyroid. "I've no one else," he realized slowly, and it was a very, very cold revelation.

"...No," Dilan agreed. "Neither have I."

Ienzo swallowed. He was, again, teary. He'd never needed friends before, or people in general, content to squirrel himself away. But did he need people now? Really, truly?

If not for Demyx, for Even, it was very likely that his physical condition would have continued to deteriorate until he… what, died?

Quite possibly, yes.

Ienzo realized, so slowly, that he no longer desired death. Then what did he want?

What did he want?

A chance to set things right. But clearly so far what he'd been doing was… more or less an elegant form of slow-moving suicide. But what of his powers? Wasn't it worth it, to regain them? He felt more mixed up and confused than ever before. "Perhaps, then, we should try harder," he said slowly, and then left, lost in thought.

Ienzo didn't get far.

"Zo! You're up and about!"

He would be startled, but he wasn't. He seemed to perpetually run into Demyx lately. "Hello."

The other boy was flushed, grinning. There was a small harness over his shoulders, but devoid of packages. "How do you feel?"

"Quite a lot better," he admitted. "I must apologize to you. And thank you, for that matter."

He rubbed the back of his neck, but his expression was taut, tense. "I wouldn't just leave you there. I'm… good at delivering bodies. Right?"

Ienzo smiled a little. "That you are."

"So what happened?"

"In a word--overwork." He sighed. "Exhaustion, stress. It became too much for me. I've been… waylaid, until I recover, and find myself with far too much time on my hands."

He grinned. "Well. At least you're doing better. I'm done for a bit, so do you wanna get lunch?"

"...I could eat."

"Awesome. Let's go. You're going to love this place." His posture was different, and almost unconsciously now and again he would touch his back.

"Are you alright?" Ienzo asked, realizing the irony.

Demyx shrugged. "Real heavy stuff irritates my back. Old wound. You know?"

"...I guess business is going well?"

Demyx groaned. "Too well. I've barely had time to even… well, eat."

Ienzo wondered why Demyx didn't just shirk off. But he'd mentioned he'd like talking to people, and Kairi had said he was lonely. Perhaps delivering these packages gave him some much needed positive interaction--which he hardly ever received at the castle.

Demyx brought him over to a stand which seemed to be selling some kind of soup. The vendor greeted him by name. The smells were thick, delicious--scallions, spice, the salt of broth--and for the first time in months Ienzo felt hungry. "Who's your friend?" The woman asked.

Demyx clapped a hand on his shoulder. " This is my roomie Ienzo."

The touch was, again, disconcerting; he could almost feel the imprint of Demyx's hand, warm through the fabric. "Hello," he said.

The woman studied him. "That name is… familiar." She put out two servings of the meal, with chopsticks. "Wait. Aren't you--"

"...I was Ansem's ward," he admitted softly. "Ansem the Wise."

"...Yes," she said slowly. Then, to Demyx. "I thought you lived near the castle--not in it."

Demyx shrugged. "Same diff."

The woman studied Ienzo. There was something… careful, in her gaze. "It's a relief to know he's still alive. And you."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. It is good to be back in town."

She accepted Demyx's money without comment and they took their bowls to a nearby table.

"Guess you're a celebrity," Demyx said, clicking his chopsticks.

"Well, I was the king’s son. But it was a blood monarchy--I am no prince.” He sighed. “I suppose they… have no knowledge of my involvement." He stared down into his bowl of noodles. He had no idea if it was relieving or not to escape blame. He began eating, found it was all very good, the flavors subtle and well-mingled. "I suppose you must eat around town, then?"

"Yeah. There's so much to try, and it's all pretty cheap."

"I can repay you when we get back--"

Demyx clacked the chopsticks. "No, Ienzo. It's fine. I'm not exactly struggling. Scrooge is a cheapskate, but he pays his employees well."

Ienzo wondered what he did do with his money.

"I mean, I give Ansem some money for the room, and I feed myself, but…" A sigh. "You're going to think this is dumb."

"I doubt that."

"I want a house. A home. Eventually."

He blinked. "That's not stupid."

Demyx shrugged. "A place I can be me… where I can't be bothered."

"Like the greenhouse."

He locked eyes with him. "Yes. Exactly."

Ienzo considered. He sipped his broth, which was slightly too warm in the summer heat but soothing in another way. "I wonder if I want the same," he said softly.

"It's part of growing up. Living on your own. Though you got a sweet deal. Can't say I blame you for sticking around."

"It's hardly sweet."

"Well, Ansem provides for your every whim. That's kind of sweet."

He had a point. "Maybe someday we'll be neighbors, and not merely roommates," he said.

Demyx smiled a little. "Could you imagine?"

Ienzo thought. "Actually, I can." He can imagine Demyx's future so clearly. Personable, talented. He'd do well for himself, Ienzo was sure. But his own future? Without research, who was he? "Query."

He raised an eyebrow. "Shoot."

"Where do you see yourself going?"

"What, in general?"

"Yes. What do you want?"

Demyx wrinkled his nose. "I don't think I'd mind hacking it at performing. And--" He leaned back a little, wincing as his body hit the chair. "I don't know. I'm kind of glad to see what life has for me, you know what I mean? Doing good things where I can. And…" A wry laugh. "I don't know. I wouldn't mind looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend, if the right person came along. Someone to spend time with."

Ienzo felt the blood warm his face. He'd never considered… relationships, emotionally or physically. He wasn't sure he was capable. "I didn't realize you were a romantic."

"I think anyone can be," he said vaguely. "Yeah. It would be nice to mean something to someone… and get to love them in turn."

“Do you think we’re capable of love?”

Demyx flinched, his gaze becoming guarded. “Kind of rude of you to say that.”

Ienzo put a hand to his brow; it had been an honest question, not one meant to gut. “Forgive me--that was not what I meant. I meant it quite literally.”

Demyx considered. So strange, to see him actually think, and not just spit out the first thing his facade told him to. “I think so,” he said slowly. “I mean… people, right? One of the universal needs is to love and be loved--in any form. People need people. It’s pretty natural.”

“I’ve lived my life so isolated, hardly ever desiring company,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Perhaps that might be worth changing… seeing everything that we’ve seen.”

The guard relaxed just the slightest in his eyes. “Are you lonely?”

Ienzo blinked. There was hardly anything left of his soup, so no way to easily deflect. Had that been the deep emotion he’d felt earlier? “Quite possibly--though I’ve never consciously identified that feeling.” He didn’t know where to begin with people. How to engage, to talk to them, in a purely positive manner.

Demyx sighed. Then, “Well, why don’t we be friends, then?”

He raised an eyebrow. “So simply?”

He shrugged. “I mean it’s been fine the last few times we’ve talked, right? When you’re not… falling apart on me, I mean.”

Ienzo flushed. “I am a mess.”

“Well I am too.” He bit his lip. “So what do you say?”

Ienzo smiled; it felt odd. “Alright. Friends.”

Later that night he considered what Demyx had been talking about. Ienzo couldn’t help but be impressed with his ability to see beyond the current circumstances. Ienzo had once been a master tactician, but he’d always planned for the Organization’s longevity, not his own. Merely surviving had been good enough for Zexion. But his own life? Perhaps to plan for its longevity, treat it like a mission to be endured, a game to be won? But without concrete goals… he was floundering.

His new cause to care about needed to be his humanity. He did need friends, social outlets. He turned that conversation over and over in his mind. Was Ienzo capable of love? There were things he loved, certainly, books he’d read, food he’d eaten, the feel of sunlight. There were things he was passionate about--learning and research. But people ? Loving meant being vulnerable… and he was hardly even able to do that around himself , let alone someone else.

Not entirely true.

It was one thing to out and out cry around Even--the man had seen him far worse, especially as a child. But he’d broken down as well in front of Demyx, who he barely knew on a personal level despite their years of working together. To allow emotions into the forefront of his being… was daunting. Where to begin?

Maybe the library would have answers?

One of Ienzo’s specialties as a young apprentice had been psychology. Not necessarily a hard science, not like what the others subscribed to, but one could get an awful lot of insight to the heart through the mind. How could a heart’s desires be realized without thought? How else could a heart make a body feel ? He’d used this working of the inner mind to manipulate people, break them. He’d never used it to heal .

He pulled books on abnormal psychology, therapies. Very quickly he discovered that the ideal way to heal oneself using therapy would be to, well, go to a therapist. Doubtful there was one around here, and even if there were, how could Ienzo just go , given what he’d done to this town? He’d have to take matters into his own hands. Be his own sounding board. He wasn’t sure it was possible.

“Oh, Ienzo, I would’ve hoped you’d be out enjoying this lovely day.”

He started a little, almost dropping his volumes. “Master.”

Ansem cocked his head slightly. He’d shed the red stole and jacket--likely it was very warm in the computer room. Seeing him, too, without the frame of his coat was jarring. “Enough of this “Master” nonsense,” he said, with a wave of his hand. “I’m a king no longer, and I am your father. I insist you call me by my name.”

Ienzo blinked. “Are you quite sure?”

He gave him a look. “Why should you submit to me when we’re working together as equals? Besides… that choice was questionable enough when you were younger--though I’m sure hearing everyone else say it didn’t help.”

“Monkey see monkey do,” Ienzo muttered. “Alright. Ansem. ” The name felt weird in his mouth, halved.

Ansem chuckled. “Indeed. What is it you were reading about?”

Ienzo considered lying. But doubtless Even had told him everything, at least the physical side of it, used it as an excuse to yell at the man. “Abnormal psychology,” he admitted.

“Is that… relevant to current events?” Ansem asked, not without caution.

“Quite,” Ienzo said. He cleared his throat. “I am… very anxious, and struggling to learn to feel. Well, no. I do feel. It’s merely--”

“Unfamiliar and therefore difficult to internalize.”

“Yes.”

“I was told to… make my new devotion my humanity.” He sneered.

Ansem looked confused. “As though that’s a bad or shameful thing?”’

“Isn’t it? I can barely work anymore without completely falling apart.”

“Your body has changed radically--and the presence of a heart is doubtless a new variable to the experiment called “Ienzo.””

This made him laugh. “It does indeed feel like an experiment.”

“You’re being too harsh on yourself,” Ansem said. “You worked so hard to provide Roxas and Naminé with new bodies. You need time . Thankfully, we do not have the threat of Xehanort’s apocalypse looming over us. Radiant Garden is whole and you are well.”

“But Sora could be slipping away day by day--”

“He could be, but likely isn’t. You forget I in my own way spent time with that child.” He sighed. He’d told Ienzo the story about DiZ shortly after they’d been reunited. “He is nothing if not tenacious. Just as we are reaching for him--he is reaching for us.”

“I certainly hope so.”

Ansem squeezed his shoulder. “Have you a few moments? Perhaps we could get some ice cream?”

“Didn’t you come here for a reason?”

Ansem shrugged. “These things can wait,” he said. “Come along, then.”

[entergamingxp]

All the Announcements (June 6, 2020)

June 6, 2020 8:08 PM EST

All the announcements at Indie Live Expo 2020, a huge stream celebrating doujin games, featuring messages from Swery, ZUN, Toby Fox and more.

The Indie Live Expo 2020 live stream event was held on June 6, revealing a plethora of info on Doujin games and Japanese indie games. Here’s a list of all the announcements made during the stream.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 Launches June 22, 2020, on Steam

From mountains high to valleys low…

From cities big and small…

From beyond the clouds and across the seas…

We have heard your cries.

“GV2 Steam when?”

At last, we have an answer for you! Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is coming to Steam on June 22!https://t.co/VqbUH2ghdE pic.twitter.com/pNLYCoueKO

— Inti Creates (@IntiCreatesEN) June 6, 2020

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 was originally a Nintendo 3DS game launched in 2016. Inti Creates launched the game on PS4 in April 2020. It’s now coming to Steam on June 22, only two weeks from now. Read our review here.

2D Action Game Cogen: Sword of Rewind Announced for 2020 Release on Steam, Switch, PS4

Japanese indie studio Gemdrops announced Cogen: Ootori Kohaku to Toki no Ken. Also known as Cogen: Sword of Rewind, it’s coming in 2020 on PC, PS4, and Switch. Sakuraba is composing the OST. Read our dedicated article for more details.

Record of Lodoss War – Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth- Early Access Stage 2 Coming Late June

Team Ladybug announced on Indie Live Expo 2020 that the second stage of Record of Lodoss War – Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth- will launch in late June. A trailer showing the stage was published as well. Record of Lodoss War – Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth- launched in early access on March 12, 2020. As of now it only has a single stage, so it really is an early access. Stage 2 will include Efreet and Ylk as mid-bosses. The developers promises more content to come soon. You can read much more on this Metroidvania featuring Deedlit from Ryo Mizuno’s Lodoss novels with our past coverage here and here.

Online Multiplayer, Open-world, Survival Action game Craftopia Announced on Steam, with Early Access This July

[How to Join Closed Alpha Test of Craftopia]

1. Add Craftopia to wishlist in https://t.co/4jHzMqKuqV

2. Follow @PocketpairGames and RT this tweet

50 players will be chosen by lottery and receive the invitation code via DM. The application period is by 6/12 23:59 pic.twitter.com/yx3rHQkaKo

— Pocketpair – Craftopia (@PocketpairGames) June 6, 2020

Japanese indie devs Pocket Pair revealed its online multiplayer game Craftopia, and announced a Steam Early Access in July. Recruitment for a Closed Alpha Test also began.

Craftopia might look like Story of Seasons in 3D at a first glance, but it actually mixes Survival, Open-World, Crafting, Pokemon, and Online Multiplayer. Craftopia is also an hack ‘n’ slash, as you’ll craft your own equipment and learn skills to fight. You can make buildings and vehicles as well. The game promises a high degree of freedom, allowing you to do a lot of things that would lend you in jail in real life, such as building a giant machine to automatically boil livestock for food, or hunting elephants.

Craftopia looks like tons of fun and is definitely a game I’ll keep an eye on. The official site promises “endless possibilities”. If you can create a whole automated society complete with state racism and cops characters who assassinate innocents with impunity, I’ll buy this in a heartbeat.

Nimbus Infinity Announced on PC via Steam and Consoles (Release Date TBA)

GameTomo and GameCrafterTeam announced Nimbus Infinity, the sequel to high-speed mecha action game Project Nimbus. Nimbus Infinity will feature skill-based combat, diverse battlefields from asteroid belts to deserts, and customizable mecha & weapons. You can read more on the game on its official site. It’s interesting to note Nimbus Infinity was announced for PC via Steam and “consoles”, so perhaps it could come to Xbox Series X and PS5.

Sumire Announced for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch (Release Date TBA)

GameTomo revealed a brand new narrative-driven game, Sumire no Sora. it’s definitely one of the game that piqued my interest the most during the Indie Live Expo 2020 stream, so I detailed what we know about the game via a dedicated article.

Picontier, Coming to PC and Switch, Gets New Gameplay (Release Date TBA)

『ピコンティア』の最新映像が公開されました！でもこれは、まだほんの一部です！完成までもう少しお時間をください…！#ピコンティア #Picontier #gamedev pic.twitter.com/bGDtTuCnGm

— ユウラボ@Skipmore (@skipmore) June 6, 2020

Developed by Skipmore (Fairune, Kamiko) Picontier is a slow-paced garden raising game with cute pixel art. You can also fish and fight monsters.  It’s similar to Bokujou Monogatari (Story of Seasons) and its spinoff Rune Factory. They showed around 5 minutes of gameplay on the Indie Live Expo stream. Watch it at the 54:03 timestamp. The game’s developer asked us on Twitter to please wait a bit more till release. They’re also working on another game called Transiruby.

Touhou Fan Game Gensokyo Night Festival on Steam Gets Major Content Update Coming Soon

Tea_Basira announced during Indie Live Expo 2020 that its 2D scrolling action Touhou game, Gensokyo Night Festival, will get a new update soon. Similarly to Deedlit in Wonderland, the game is in early access. The update will add the game’s second stage, which has Utsuho Reiuji aka Okuu as boss, one of my favorite 2hues.

Chinese Parents, Already Available in English, Will Now Launch in Japanese

Chinese Parents is a pretty interesting sounding game. It’s a raising simulation where you live as a Chinese kid born in an average family, from their very early days of life up to the end of high school when they turn 18 years old. You decide how to spend your time, having fun, studying, learning skills, etc. It’s pretty much Princess Maker but with Chinese Parents. I’d definitely like to try it one day.

Children of Morta, Already Available in the West, was Finally Announced for our Japanese Peers on PS4, Switch

Children of Morta is an indie-action RPG available in the West on PS4 and Switch. Developed by Dead Mage, Children of Morta‘s story driven experience will hopefully become a hit in Japan. No release estimate for the Japanese version was announced yet, but hopefully the wait won’t be much longer. You can read our review of Children of Morta here.

The Indie Live Expo 2020 stream is embedded below. You have the English version and the Japanese version. Smaller announcements were also made, like new ports of existing games. Multiple already revealed or released games were featured for exposure too, such as Gnosia and Alter Ego S. If you’re interested,watch the Indie Waves Part 1,2,3 at the 1:15:56, 2:05:45, and 3:24:27 marks. The event also featured messages from popular Japanese developers:

ZUN (Touhou Project)

Toby Fox (“UNDERTALE”, “DELTARUNE”)

SWERY (CEO for White Owls Inc. ) (1:30:58)

Kazuya Nino (TYPE-MOON studio BB) (3:58:18)

Shuhei Yoshida(Head of Indies Initiative Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Jenova Chen(Co-Founder and Creative Director of thatgamecompany)

ZUN appears on stream at the 4:00:24 mark. He waited in the next room for like 6 hours, watching the stream unfold. Toby Fox’s heartwarming message follows soon after. You can watch Toby Fox’ message by itself here, but it isn’t as poignant without the comments from ZUN.

Source: Indie Live Expo 2020

June 6, 2020 8:08 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/06/all-the-announcements-june-6-2020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-the-announcements-june-6-2020

[theky2aqw-blog]

Goblin Slayer ep 1 review and its review from Anime Feminazis

Yay I am back from the dead for some laughs and giggles before I will send some scary Pilipino, Japanese, Melayu, Indo, and ancient Greco-Roman Stories that will either put you on the edge or make you laugh to death.

But for now let us go and either debunk or give a two cents from our famous misandrists from Anime Feminist - Yay my internal sarcasm will not let me laugh.

Because you know every rape depiction in fiction is to be banned even though there is parental guidance for shit like these

and we have a cute depiction of Goblin Slayer killing goblins.

Well before we start --

At the start of the episode we get to see what a fantasy anime can show, well at the very first start would be the shittiest hero introduction I can imagine. Maybe, just maybe if they were not simple dipshits who do not underestimate their opponents I will not probably tackle the bland first quarter of episode 1. Well they went off for an adventure to slay goblins, but the sad news is that their overconfidence caused them to be defeated and the party almost being wiped out by goblins - A common mistake by beginners that can kill you in the first move.

Well I can fill you in the two quarters of the episode, Goblins raped the Fighter girl, killed the dumbass fuckboy who thinks a sword longer than a spatha or as long as a Tai Chi can work well in cramped spaces(mind you they are beginners with a confidence level that can annoy you to the bone) in a very brutal fashion and manner, their mage was stabbed in the gut by a poisoned blade in a fast swing of events starting with mage, then fuckboy, and then fighter who got raped.

In these seemingly dark turn of events, our beloved Priestess tries to carry Female Mage and try to escape but was shot in the shoulder by a poisoned goblin arrow. All hope was lost until

Our Hero, Goblin Slayer came to save the day. He proceeded on granting Female Mage’s wish to die and giving Priestess the Antidote despite her protests. She then assisted him in slaying more goblins to save her last surviving friend. Of course when the killing of baby goblins was shown, she protested on thinking there are some good goblins, but Goblin Slayer just said:

Well soon, she became his one and only party member and the series will start from here.

Well of course you guys wanted me to go on Anime Feminists article? Ok I will

Ok now I have pretty much laughed on any article that contains their own buzz words and their supporters being too morally superior in the argument but it is better for me to dissect and if there are dubious claims I will debunk them Shall we(also I will not put the entire words of the article word by word just snippets of it as I point out the arguments the article will make.):

1.”Y’all, I’ve got something that’s gonna blow. Your. Mind. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.Okay so it’s like. An MMO—Okay that’s not the part I meant.So it’s like an MMO, right, but it’s like. What if when you got overwhelmed in a raid it was, like, REAL LIFE, and there was BLOOD—” - Yeah your Sarcasm is never straight to the point. No wonder why I added this snippet for fun, its pretty obvious its not an mmo in its genre just pointing that out.

2.  “ My point is that GOBLIN SLAYER, putting aside its repugnant content, is a brainless copycat loudly braying about its cleverness despite being incapable of a single original thought. It would be pathetic if it weren’t so nasty, like a parasitic worm only worth grinding under your heel. “

 - umm its a no on the copycat shit thing. - Also Brainless???? I cannot stop trying to laugh had it not been for my tooth extraction preventing me from doing so. - Single Original thought? Umm almost every fantasy genre in anime/manga/light novels have ever shown this level of savagery and brutality in its first episode, a few did like GATE:JSDF, and sorry to say this Shit, but it is Sword - -- oh wait my friend said it was just like Berserk - pathetic? well its opinionated grounds but I have seen more hentai far pathetic than this outside from

Please not this bullshit of a yaoi hentai....known as Boku no Pico.

ok....off track already...

4. “ It is laughably obvious that GOBLIN SLAYER longs to be Berserk, with its lone, implacable monster slayer and excessive focus on rape as an increasingly meaningless vehicle for cheap shock horror. Except that Berserk had a striking visual style, at least attempted to use assault in a meaningful way early on, and was a pioneer in its genre. Meanwhile, Goblin Slayer is limping in decades late with broken pacing and visuals so generic I look forward to people misattributing the GIFs of it on hentai blogs three seasons from now. ”

- umm article its not focusing on *Hears Boku no Pico Music* ahh fuck this I will just continue debunking....*internal death* Its not trying to be berserk in any shape or form...please stop this boku no pico music..... Also your sentences just implies it is going full Boku no Pico and Aki Sora on this. I am just cringing while listening to Boku no Pico since the pacing is pretty generic yes but not broken and you are just thinking about boku no pico

before I continue I just talked about Boku no Pico many times.....please I am dying internally.

5. “  It can’t even hit the basic watermark of the famous tentacle rape porno Legend of the Overfiend, which in addition to being very boring had genuinely impressive, fleshy-looking monster designs that turned the stomach to look at. Goblin Slayer has generic fantasy orcs and a boner for its own nonexistent cleverness. “ - I digress on the non....ok I will play with you because the song of Pico is killing me that I will just play along with your dubious claims. Well since its overly subjective. I will let you off for this dubious claims.

6.  “  The show’s treatment of women is upsetting, but not in any new or noteworthy ways. If I tell you that this Edgy Edgelord Show starts out with three untrained female characters getting in over their heads, I bet you can fill in the rest (you can even have “the one male adventurer dies offscreen while the women are tortured at length in full view of the camera” for free!). “

 - It just shows what goblins should be projected, a band of savages that is a threat to humanity. Also women in the older days are a profitable treasure that must be used to its fullest extent. I cannot say more since you are going to cherry pick me.

7. “  I bet you didn’t guess the deliberate close-up of our unnamed healer peeing her pants in terror, because this is nothing if not a fetish porn without the courage of its convictions, but two out of three ain’t bad. “ - What else do you want them to depict, them comforting her?! I cannot stop laughing while the cringy yaoi shit is playing in my ears, Won’t you pee in fear when your life is at its greatest edge writer? especially in her shoes that she cannot do anything...ok this is getting long...I need to contain myself from sarcasm and laughing.

8. “  Oh, and I’ll also throw in the end-episode reassurance that the kidnapped women are all broken for life with no hope of recovery, because these kinds of male-empowerment fantasies view women as a collection of holes dragging a punchline behind them. Because it can’t even bother with being a lazy “rape is the only trauma we can think of to have women grow strong from” story. “ 

- I cannot comprehend this feminazi anymore, I can easily debunk this by saying that once a woman who broken of rape and has PTSD because of her brutal experience from the beasts IDK like giants or what. What do you think, can you easily overcome such trauma? Oh wait you don’t because you are virtue signalling now.

- Also the last phrase is not lazy, its a simple pretext of how actual trauma and fear works. I cannot say more since I do not want to drag this on with Morals vs Logic arguments.

9.  “  And I’m just gosh-darned invested in the plucky and still-unnamed healer’s decision to go on more adventures with him so that the show can scar her in new and ever more masturbatory ways. “

- She called Priestess you dimwit. I cannot spoil the manga or anime for you kids, but soon she is the very person Goblin Slayer - Sama would care and protect 24/7 in his adventures killing goblins.(So No more Arguments I want to tackle, yay)

aaaaannnnd that is how “I can talk to you on this shitstorm

Well I wanted to add more but since the shit music of boku no pico has finally stopped I can now take more than 2 cents about this than before. Goblin Slayer is the anime where I can say its never gonna be shown to children obviously well they would still watch it because its an anime. I cannot talk in a straight face because my laughter on how they think this is a copycat and an edgelord anime/manga/light novel is legit stupid and deserves another level of insults from these real world goblins. 

Time to see you next time

[khstoryanalysis]

Mini Analysis: What is Inside the Black Box?

Since the release of Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover, we wonder what is inside the Black Box, and our interest of it peaks when it is mentioned in the Kingdom Hearts 3 trailers. There are many theories regarding to the Black Box, aside from people joking that the Box contains Sora’s dinner, sea salt ice cream recipe, or a character’s (mostly Aqua) nude photos. The most famous speculations regarding to the Box’s content are the 13 Darkness of the X-Blade and the Heart of the Master of Masters.

Through analysis, I theorize that the Black Box contains the 13 Darkness from the X-Blade and later the Heart of the Master of Masters.

Although the X-Blade is not present in the actual Keyblade War, it is true that it is already shattered. The 7 Lights from the X-Blade become the Princesses of Heart, but it is unknown where the 13 Darkness have gone to or what they have become.

Darkness has the tendency to gain physical being similar to Maleficent, Vanitas and Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, so the 13 Darkness from the X-Blade should have taken form, but it seems that they have not. So what happened to them?

In Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover, Gula wants to summon Kingdom Hearts to force the Master of Masters to come back so he can question him the identity of the traitor. Ava tells him that summoning Kingdom Hearts is forbidden because nobody knows how summoning Kingdom Hearts will affect the rest of the world. She also adds that the Master of Masters forbids it for a reason.

What reason is that? It is never specified, and it seems only the Master of Masters knows about it. This leads me to a possible scenario: could the Master of Masters have broken the X-Blade when attempting to summon Kingdom Hearts?

Similar to Ansem the Wise and Xehanort, the Master of Masters is a scientist and will have wanted to know more about Kingdom Hearts. Somehow, he is able to obtain enough Lux to summon Kingdom Hearts, and then he uses the X-Blade to try to open the Door to Kingdom Hearts.

However, his plan backfires when the X-Blade shatters into 20 pieces, possibly being the Keyblade of Kingdom Hearts, it is not supposed to be used against its wielder. Without the X-Blade, Light and Darkness become imbalanced. Since there is more Darkness than Light, Light will surely expire. The Master of Masters may have attempted to change that by collecting the 13 Darkness. Then, he stores them in the Black Box and locks it up.

The Black Box may be similar to Pandora’s Box. If the Black Box is opened, the 13 Darkness will be unleashed and the world will be in danger of being plunged into darkness. That explains why the Master of Masters tells Luxu to never, ever open the Black Box.

The Black Box has 7 locks in its length and 3 locks in its width. In total, there are 20 locks, which may refer to the 20 pieces of the X-Blade. Moreover, the sigil on top of the Box has somehow depicted the numbers 7 and 13, possibly referring to the 7 Lights and 13 Darkness. The sigil also has a word “X-super” engraved on it. The word may refer to the X-Blade.

Though, the Black Box later contains the Heart of the Master of Masters. Although he is certain that Luxu will hide the Box well, he cannot allow the possibility of anyone in the future to find it and open it, dooming the world. So, he decides to possess the Box with his Heart. So, if anyone opens the Box, he will return to physical form to help the future Keyblade wielders in dealing the 13 Darkness, as he is the only person who knows their true nature.

Ansem the Wise states that everything has Hearts, including objects. This is proven that characters made out of Data (Tron and Data-Sora) can grow Hearts. Xehanort’s Report IX states that Keyblade Masters can extract a heart to be it their own or that of another, and by doing so, it is possible to live forever. The Master of Masters probably does the same, except that his Heart is released naturally when his physical body fades away.

When the Master of Masters shares the Box’s content with Luxu, he is shocked and asks why. In response, the Master only replies “You’ll see.” If the Box only contains the 13 Darkness, Luxu would not have been taken by such a huge shock. In fact, the Foretellers all protect the Light from Darkness, and Luxu will have known about it as well. All he needs to do is to hide the Box and never open it. That will ensure the Darkness will not overpower Light.

So why is Luxu so shocked about its content? The Master of Masters may have told him that he will later possess the Box with his Heart. Luxu is not informed of the possible disappearance of the Master in the future. He will have wondered why the Master would do such a thing. The Master’s reply is to tell Luxu to wait and see how things will unfold. Since Luxu is not given the Book of Prophecies to avoid causing temporal paradox, he will not have known that the Master will soon disappear and have his Heart being released.

Thanks to the Kingdom Hearts Timeline project done by Everglow, it is shown that Luxu goes to hide the Black Box when the Master of Masters is assigning roles to the Foretellers. According to Kingdom Hearts X [Chi], Gula states that Luxu is last seen going after the Master’s direction after he has disappeared. Luxu may have returned to Daybreak Town after hiding the Black Box. When he returned, the Master’s physical body had just faded, releasing his Heart. Luxu then uses the No Name Keyblade, which was originally the Master’s, to guide his Heart into the Black Box. This is similar to Ventus using his Keyblade to return Aurora’s Heart in Birth by Sleep.

Furthermore, in an interview, Nomura states that the Dead Man’s Chest from the Pirates of the Caribbean has a connection to the Box that Maleficent and the True Organization XIII are after. From the previous trailers, we know that Maleficent is searching for a “distinctive black box”, perhaps referring to the one seen in Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover. Since the Dead Man’s Chest contains the Heart of Davy Jones, perhaps the Black Box contains a Heart too.

It is confirmed that the Black Box will be opened in the end of Kingdom Hearts 3. If this theory is true, the 13 Darkness will be unleashed, making them new enemies for Sora and the gang to face. Besides that, the Master of Masters will return and give further insights and connections with Kingdom Hearts X [Chi] and Kingdom Hearts Union X [Cross].

[acarnivalofstars]

Ensemble Stars Event Translation: Magical Halloween WITCH CRAFT Part 1

Surprise y’all didn’t expect another translation from me so soon did ya

This is a collaboration project between me and my friend Dreamy! Go compliment her on her Shu cosplay we took pics together and I was living my full ValkP fantasy.

Tsumugi shows up to find Sora and then the two of them go to find Mika who happens to be surrounded by a bunch of cute children. He also blesses us with the most beautiful CG in the game don’t fight me on this y’all.

[Halloween 1F Hallway]

Sora: HaHiHuHeHo~♪

Tsumugi: He~y, Sora-kun 🎵

Sora: Ah, Senpai! Trick or Treat ♪

Tsumugi: Yes, Trick or Treat……..🎵 I don't have any candy on hand right now. What will you do? Will you play a trick on me?

Sora: Yes! That is the rule! Take this, knee attack ♪ (T/N: Have you ever gone behind someone and knocked them behind the knees with your own? Yeah that's what Sora is doing)

Tsumugi: Wah, I almost hit the ground....... It's easy for the hem of this outfit to be stepped on or tripped over, so please go easy on me, okay?

Well, I did make it myself so I shouldn't complain about it, I suppose.

Sora: Senpa~i, what kind of costume is this? A princess?

Tsumugi: No, no. We're all grouped together as "wizards" after all~ This is a "summoner." Do you know what summoning magic is?

Sora: Ah, I read about it in a manga Hina-chan lent me! You draw a magic circle round and round~ And then you call on monsters and stuff, right?

Tsumugi: Yup, yup. Going with the flow of the Live, "Switch" will be performing first......

We'll be drawing a magic circle with our dance steps, and with that summon "Valkyrie" who are acting the role of “demons,” right?

Because of that, Shu-kun said we needed to have a summoner, so I rushed and arranged an outfit.

Shu-kun has always been very particular when it comes to arranging and the like.

Sora: HaHa~🎵 Such "pickiness" is needed! Sora likes "Valkyrie." They give off such a detailed and pretty "color," see~?

Tsumugi: Yup, yup. That isn't something that can be replicated so easily~ It's the work of a genius. Let us do our best so that we don't get in their way, Sora-kun 🎵

Sora: Yes! "Switch" is also a wonderful "unit" that will not lose to "Valkyrie” 🎵

But anyway, does Senpai have some sort of business with Sora? Or did you just meet me by chance?

Tsumugi: No, I was looking for you, Sora-kun~

We'll be having a joint practice before the actual performance soon, you see. Once we gather Sora-kun and Mika-kun from "Valkyrie" we can start.

Sora: Ah! I'm sorry, Sora was having so much fun I forgot about the time!

Tsumugi: It's alright, as long as you had fun. Even in the possibility you ran late, I would definitely have come to pick you up as I did just now.

Sora: Yes! Senpai can find Sora no matter where he is, huh~🎵

Tsumugi: I`m quite good at things like finding people. If you look from a bird's eye view you can get a grasp of the whole situation. It's a privilege of being a bystander.

Mika-kun is also supposed to be around here. Have you caught a glimpse of him somewhere?

Sora: "Caught a glimpse" of "Mika"........

HiHi~ Bad puns make such a fun "color," huh? 🎵 (T/N: This is a joke that doesn't translate well into English. The pun here is that in the original text Sora says "Mika wo mikakeru." Because the beginning of both words are the same, Sora calls it a bad pun)

Tsumugi: No, it's not a bad pun~ I'm not Eichi-kun after all.

H~m, it's hard to believe that Mika-kun would forget the time of the joint practice. I wonder if he's run into some trouble.

I'm a little worried. It seems my calls won`t go through either.

Sora: HuHu~ There's a large crowd of people today, so the radio waves are producing a messy "color," see~?

If it's Mika-chan-san's "color" then I remember it. He's probably over here 🎵 This way, this way~

Tsumugi: Wah, please don't pull me~.......?

Mika: Whoa?! Ah, it's the people from "Switch"........ Good evenin' ♪

Tsumugi: Good evening. I'm glad, we really were able to find you.

I was looking for you, Mika-kun~ It's almost time for our joint practice after all.

Mika: Aah........ Sorry 'bout that, Tsumu-chan-senpai.

I also thought it`d be bad if I didn't hurry to the soundproof practice room, but these kids just won't let go of me, ya see.

Tsumugi: "These kids?" Wah, there's a bunch of small children, hmm...? Everyone is wearing costumes, so it feels a little like the night parade~🎵* (T/N: The 百鬼夜行 (hyakki yagyo) is Japanese folklore that consists a night parade of youkai that would spirit you away unless protected.)

Sora: Ah, it's the lost kids that Hina-chan was trying to find their parents for........

Are they friends of yours, Mika-chan-san? HeHe~ They give off that sort of "color," see~🎵

Mika: Nnah, there's no pullin` the wool over Sora-kun's eyes, huh?

Yeah, these kids are acquaintances from my hometown. Seems like they came to cheer me on.

They didn't tell their moms and dads and rode the bullet train here after savin' up all their pocket money… Seems like they came to secretly watch the "Halloween Party."

Really now, it`s bad news for you guys to do stuff on your own ~ When I called back home everyone was real worried, ya know?

Tsumugi: Ahaha. That's just how badly they wanted to see you, Mika-kun. Isn't having people who will cheer you on a wonderful thing?

Mika: Nn...I kinda fled my hometown like a runaway.

I thought everyone back home considered me a burden, but it looks like I'm unexpectedly rather liked.

It really seems like I'm-- well, how do I put it...The kids kinda think of me as somethin` of a hometown hero.

Looks like they're big fans of me~ They own lotsa goods and whatnot.

But ya know, everyone... Make sure that you never ever follow my example. Don`t make yer mom and dad sad.

Tsumugi: There there, that's just what children do, so...

You properly contacted the families of these children, right? They came all the way out here, so it's fine to let them cheer you on.

Let's prepare some special seats for them. They're Mika-kun's precious fans after all.

Mika: Nn~ Tsumu-chan-senpai is soft when it comes to kids, huh.

I guess it`s fine, but once yer done watchin' the Live, all of ya make sure you get home properly. I`ll go with ya until we reach town.

Good grief. Even though ya went to the trouble of saving up all yer money, ya had to blow it on the fare for the bullet train...

This goes beyond the concept of Tricks. I can't win against you all.

Nnah? Ahh, it's not like I'm angry. Yer just kids after all. It's good that ya do what you want and what ya like to do.

That's what I'm doin' too.

Here, everyone. I'll give ya a candy so smile, smile! Together with "Mika-nii," let's enjoy Halloween to the fullest more and more ♪

[cornerverse-mlp]

I’ve mentioned my headcanons about the History in the Cornerverse-MLP world before, but I don’t think I’ve properly written it down. Well, I have but it was in a scrapped fic that was also an AU verse due to a mary-sue oc. So ‘Cornerverse-MLP’ is canon to ‘Cornerverse-MLP/Feria’, but ‘Cornerverse-MLP/Feria’ is not canon to ‘Cornerverse-MLP’. Squares and rectangles and all that.

Side note: Comics are not canon to Cornerverse-MLP, and neither are storybooks. EQG is 99% canon.  As the lore of the show is kind of contradictory, I’ve decided what to put in and what to ignore, mostly anything past the first few episodes of Season 5 are ‘pick and choose’ canon. Not just events, but the lore that is revealed(if you want to know why, send a message because that’s a different rant)  Plus there are some OCs I’m attached too so you can tear them out of my cold dead hands :)

Also, one of the ‘contradictory lore’ things is Hearth’s Warming, since it leaves out many things like, you know, Celestia, Luna, Discord, the Crystal Empire, etc. As such, I am going full ‘conspiracy theory’ on the idea of the whole story is a lie told to rewrite history. The ‘Founders’ were other ponies taken from History. Each was fairly important, important enough for history to remember them, but not for ‘founding a country’ or anything.

Anyway, let’s start at the beginning.

Origins:

Two thousand years ago, there was nothingness. Well, not completely. There was one thing, but he’s not yet important. But the world was cold and dark. Not even the night was as dark as it was, because there was no Night.

The First one, was Azura, an Alicorn of Magic. She came into existence. Just appeared from nothingness. The world was like an empty field. She had her magic. She could light her horn to see, not that there was anything to see. She could fly away, not that there was anywhere to fly.

The second was Mira. Like Azura, she just came into existence. She lit her horn, trying to give more light to the world. But as she did, a river appeared. Mira wasn’t sure how she knew, but she could feel more than one river. She could feel lakes and oceans far away but connected to the river.

The third was Flora. When she lit her horn, a forest sprung up around them. There were trees that bore fruit, and flowers that were just pretty to look at. Flora knew the differences. She also knew that they’d need more light.

Fourth was Sora. When she lit her horn, not only did she add her light magic, but she created a stormcloud. The lightning, while sparing, did give more light. The rain added to the river, and the wind felt beautiful in their manes.

The fifth gave them light. When she lit her horn for the first time, the Sun rose into a blue sky. Their world was full of light and warmth. Yet, after only a few hours she let the Sun go back down. They asked her not to let them go back to the cold darkness, and she did try to keep it up, but it was too hot. Her only explanation was ‘it wants to sleep’.

The sixth was a little different. While the first five were obviously ponies, this one looked just a bit different. Her horn was curved and her wings were translucent instead of feathers. The others waited to see what would happen when she lit her horn.

More creatures appeared. Unicorns, Pegasai, Earth Ponies , Crystal Ponies, and things that weren’t ponies like Dragons and Sirens and Zebras and Griffons and more. Six of each. There were even creatures that weren’t like them, not sapient.

The seventh one was even stranger. Unlike the sixth, he looked nothing like a pony. Well, maybe his face did a bit. Everything else about him looked as if he had taken parts from everyone else. He did not light a horn(though he had two). Still, they felt a change in the world. Maybe because he was the only one not afraid of the cold blackness that consumed the world when the Sun went down.

The Eight was another Alicorn, like the first five. She appeared just as the fifth was setting the sun. She lit her horn, and instead of being consumed by cold blackness, she created the Night.

Time passed. The creatures grew up and built their home. They called the castle Hearthstone.

Azura led a team of a few magically gifted creatures, including a Unicorn named Starswirl. They studied magic, experimented with it. They discovered the existence of the Elements of Harmony, and created gems that would channel the magic. They then began work on a bigger project: the Crystal Heart.

After years of it being only the Created ones, the first creatures were Born. They were the daughters of Starswirl and an Earth Pony named Frosted Cake. They were twins. Clover was first, soon followed by Smart Cookie.

As more children were born, they added more to Hearthstone. They also began to explore more of the world around them. They found more forests, but also fields and mountains. There were also oceans and deserts.

Eventually, as time went on, the Eight found out they were Immortal. As their friends aged around them, the only thing that changed about them was growing taller than most and magical manes for the six Alicorns. They buried their Family in what used to be Hearthstone’s garden.

They handled it differently. Some distanced themselves altogether, others threw themselves into what they had to do. The Mortals around them decided that the Immortals would be the Royalty of the land, as they were not only powerful, but also able to run a land for potentially forever, and would in time have the experience and wisdom to know what to do.

While the Immortals did live in Hearthstone, some had places they liked to visit often. Mira helped Sirens create a city under the ocean, and Sora helped create a city of clouds. In the year 500, Azura completed the Crystal Heart, and made an entire Empire out of crystals to use it to its full potential.

About seven hundred years after the beginning, something happened. Mira fell in love. It was a kind of love where she didn’t want to go on without him. So she didn’t. She gave up her Immortality for him. It was like time being unfrozen. But she was happy. Not only did she have her husband, but her daughter Platinum, a Unicorn and the first Royal Descendant.

Flora did the same soon after. She fell for a chef in the castle, an Earth Pony stallion named Puddinghead. Sora found two Pegasai lovers; a Guard Captain named Hurricane, and his second in command, a mare named Pansy.

The Sixth and Seventh Immortal both isolated themselves from the others, but in different ways. The Sixth left Hearthstone for a group of followers. The Seventh stayed, mostly keeping to himself and even boobytrapping his door should anyone try to get in.

Azura created a place to keep the Elements of Harmony safe, while still sending energy into the world. A crystal tree in the forest near Hearthstone. She designed a locked chest with no keys, putting a message of instructions inside should it be opened. Instructions to use the Elements without the Gems.

The Fall of the Crystal Empire:

Azura, like her ‘sisters’ before her, fell in love. She had a daughter, Lazuli, who took over as Princess of the Crystal Empire. Azura lived long enough to know her grandchildren, passing away after 900 years. It was less than a decade before the Empire disappeared.

That’s the version that was told for years. It’s not until five years after the Empire returns that they learn the full story. Though since this is chronological and stuff, I’ll write it here.

The story begins with three ponies. Obsidian and Emerald, the grandchildren of Azura, and Autumn, daughter of the Guard Captain. Autumn was a Crystal Pony, and Obsidian was a Unicorn, but Emerald was born not just an Alicorn, but a Crystal Alicorn. The three of them were close friends, always together.

They were close to Azura, especially Obsidian who wanted to follow in her hoofsteps in Magic experiments and inventions. When Azura died, her daughter Lazuli took the throne, and chose to have Emerald as her heir.

The trio found this a little strange, as they thought Obsidian would be a better ruler, despite not being an Alicorn. So they decided that when Emerald took the throne, they’d rule together even if she was the true ‘ruler’.

Unfortunately, things happen. Emerald and Autumn fell in love. While two mares being in love was a lot more accepted in Equestria than it is in our world, the ‘concept’ has had its ups and downs. It doesn’t matter if it was ‘up’ or ‘down’ now, as Lazuli was against it. She said that one of the Princess’s duties was to carry on the bloodline through legitimate heirs.

They wouldn’t let Lazuli stop them. The trio decided that they’d either convince Lazuli to make Obsidian the Heir, or find a way to let two mares have their own children. They worked at it. By day, Obsidian would excel at ‘royal duties’, while Emerald would purposely fail them. By night, the trio looked through all manner of magic books, including Azura’s personal collections. Obsidian pulled many all-nighters, since he was the only one of them who could actually understand the magic.

Two years later was their ‘cutoff’.  Once Emerald was formally crowned Heir to the Empire. Sure, they could look for spells even after, but still they grew desperate. Obsidian didn’t sleep at all leading up to Coronation Day. He spent the whole time in Azura’s workshop/personal library, only eating if Emerald had a free moment to bring him something.

He kept it up all the way up to the Coronation ceremony. It was then that he heard a voice whispering in his ear. It told him of ways to be the ruler Lazuli would allow, a way to get what he wanted. It would give him the power to do anything. All he had to do was agree.

In both desperation and sleep-deprived lack of judgment, he agreed. Obsidian blacked out. When he woke up, he was on the balcony. His parents were dead at his hooves. There was a crystal sword in his magic, it’s blade through Emerald’s wing joint. He was awake long enough to tell Emerald to escape.

Emerald ran, despite her wing hanging off her body. She didn’t know what happened to Obsidian, but whatever did that wasn’t him. She took as many Crystal Ponies with her as she could in her escape, barely managing to get out before magic sealed the Empire off. Unfortunately, Autumn was still inside.

They made it to Hearthstone, telling the Immortals of what happened. They left for the Empire, but came back with the news that the Empire itself had disappeared. Emerald didn’t know how she knew, but she was sure she’d never see her brother or her fiancé ever again. She never told anyone what happened to Obsidian.

Discord’s Reign:

Some do not handle Immortality well. The Seventh Immortal isolated himself more and more over the centuries. After Azura’s death, he only left his room to eat every few days. He didn’t even come out to help his ‘sisters’ fight for the Empire. He refused to sleep. The dreams of ponies long past were too painful, and the Dreamwalker herself would try to get through to him.

There was one who still managed to talk to him, though he didn’t realize it was an actual voice and not him talking to himself. The voice suggested things. Suggested giving up, faking the smile and laughter. Why not go all out? After all, Life and Death mean nothing in a world of Chaos.

Truly, what does one expect of the mental breakdown of a powerful, Immortal being whose magic always goes for the most Chaotic option?

Nightmare Moon:

There were only two Immortals left in Hearthstone. Four had died, one had disappeared, and one was turned to stone. The youngest Immortal was following close behind her ‘brother’.  Sure, she handled Immortality better, but there are other things to cause a breakdown.

A lack of respect. Her sister was ‘older’, so she must be ‘better’, even if their difference is less than a year. They began to fear her. They did not realize that when she entered their nightmares she was trying to help. They thought she made them. No one cared for the beauty of the Night.

Maybe that was the fault of the beginning. After all, everyone used to love the Night. It was the final freedom from the Nothingness. Yet only one who remembered the Nothingness was still fully with her.

That was a problem too. The Sun got all the glory, was loved by all. But most importantly, she ignored the Moon’s jealousy. She noticed, stars did she notice, but she didn’t think it would turn worse. She thought a few encouraging words of ‘you can come to me if you want to’ would be enough until she did.

Someone else closed the gap. Told the Moon things that were not completely lies. They loved the Sun more, and does the Sun not love the attention? Has she truly been by your side?

In the end, the Moon followed Chaos into madness. Hers was more literal, transforming into a Nightmare.

The next Thousand Years:

The Sun was alone. The additions to the castle in the last thousand years made it seem almost like a different place, even though the original castle still stood at its center. Still, that place held too many memories.

The forest around Hearthstone was becoming wild with magic. Then again, what did she expect? It was the literal beginning of the world, and the place where four Immortals were buried, residual magic infusing into the ground and making the forest stop listening to anyone.

So she left. She brought the more recent things with her, but she didn’t dare to move anything from the original Hearthstone. The only thing that ‘belonged there’ was her ‘brother’, still trapped in stone.

The forest had once been named after the castle, ‘Hearthstone’. Yet she felt it deserved its own name. It felt right. She called it ‘Everfree’, maybe as a wish for her ‘brother’ and ‘sister’, trapped because she could not help them.

And then she waited. It was all she could do. She waited a thousand years for a group of ponies to do what she couldn’t. To give her Family back.

Other notes:

Six Alicorns=Six Elements:

Azura-Magic

Celestia-Generosity

Luna-Laughter

Sora-Honesty

Mira-Loyalty

Flora-Kindness

Types of Alicorns:

Created- Alicorns that popped into existence. Essentially Magic given a solid form. Immortal unless 1. They give up their Immortality or 2. They are killed. Extremely difficult to kill.

Born- Ponies born an Alicorn. Must be a descendant of one of the Immortals. Might live longer than normal, but double a Mortal is the record longest. Despite their lineage, they won’t necessarily be magically powerful. (Side note of Alicorn Genetics: If you have a Created Alicorn Ancestor, you have the Alicorn Gene. It’s not really a ‘dominant’ trait, as the Gene does what it wants. It’s always passed down to the offspring, but there’s a 50/50 chance of it activating. If it does, then they’re an Alicorn. If it doesn’t, they’re whatever gene the other parent gave)

Crafted Alicorn: Ponies that were born something else and ‘ascend’ to an Alicorn. Usually magically powerful, as ‘ascension’ gives them more magic(in Magic Level Measurement, it gives a full level of Magic). Despite now being an Alicorn, their DNA does not register as ‘Alicorn’. They do not have the Alicorn Gene, and their offspring cannot be Alicorns.

Lineage: Because the other Royals are descenadnts of the Immortals

Cadence- Descended from Azura. Rightful Heir to the throne of the Crystal Empire(assuming Emerald’s Coronation happened before Lazuli died)

Blueblood- Descended from Flora. 

[nadziejastar]

If BbS V2 really was such a vital part of the story Nomura should have tried to include as much of it as possible in KH3 instead of giving up on the story. KH3 barely has a plot as is and I'd much rather see a narrative that's trying to do too much over one that isn't trying at all. Or make it a book, or a manga, or a movie, or an audio drama, or literally anything but breaking the story by leaving out such an important part.

— About the World of Darkness and such, you haven’t gone into detail. Could you possibly talk about some of these things? Does the beach at the beginning and end of KH II have some connection to the World of Darkness?

Presently there are 4 main untold stories to consider: “the period of the King’s absence”, “the period of Riku’s absence”, “Roxas’s time in Organization XIII” and “Xehanort’s past”. In this case, the story of “the period of the King’s absence” is set in the realm of darkness. I am examining a way to tell these 4 stories so I might be able to find a way to tell them soon. —Another Report KH2FM+ December 2005

I agree completely. I have no idea why Nomura just decided to give up on the Dark Seeker Saga completely instead of pushing for more content. Anything would have helped. He at least decided to not leave Xehanort’s past completely blank. It’s a shame that the King and Riku’s blank period during KH1 will likely never be shown. Since Nomura wanted to show these things ever since KH2FM+, I’m sure not being able to show them played an enormous role in why KH3 had barely any story.

— So what will it be?

I can’t say that quite yet, but it will be more “official” than a side story. I actually told the producer this recently, and he said “…what?” It’s the mystery KH. (laugh) Of course, I am also thinking about KH3.  —Days Ultimania June 2009

Ever since the Days Ultimania came out, Nomura said that BBSV2 was supposed to be more official than a side story. So, it obviously was not negligible to the plot.

— Now that BbS is finished, we can’t help but think about the next game in the KH series…

For now while FF Versus XIII is still being worked on, there isn’t much I can do on KHIII, but we’ve already begun work on the next game in the series. There is one that we are hoping to be able to release within this year. Then the next year there is one more game we are planning on releasing. I think it will probably make the main characters more complicated. Also, the end of “Blank Points” with Sora leaving on a new adventure connects to KHIII. —BBS Ultimania March 2010

This was supposed to be the game to make the main characters more complicated. Aqua certainly became more complicated in 0.2. Everyone should have gotten that same treatment. That’s why everyone in KH3 felt so flat and underdeveloped. KH3 simply couldn’t do it all. It couldn’t resolve all the subplots and develop everyone at the same time. BBSV2 game was supposed to provide the characters depth and KH3 was supposed to conclude everything.

— When we were discussing in the Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania, you mentioned that there were 2 new Kingdom Hearts titles other than Kingdom Hearts III coming up. One coming out in 2010, and one more being announced in 2011. It seems the title releasing in 2010 was Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded, but what about the other one? Were you referring to Kingdom Hearts 3D or Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix?

No, at the time of that interview I intended to hint toward a different project. However, focusing my energy on Kingdom Hearts 3D and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix comes first. Since a new Secret Episode is revealed in the Birth By Sleep Final Mix, I definitely want it to be seen. I think when you see it you’ll be excited for future developments.  —Re:Coded Ultimania November 2010

Nomura was excited to show this game off back when Re:Coded’s Ultimania came out. That’s why Blank Points was playable. It was essentially a teaser for BBSV2.

— At the end of the secret movie for KHBBSFM, an interesting message that said ‘Birth by Sleep -Volume Two’ appeared. Is there a chance that a KHBBS2 will be appearing?It seems that many people thought that, but during that movie there were the words ‘A fragmentary passage’, weren’t there? That means a ‘bits and pieces of something whole’. In short, a story for ‘Volume Two’ exists that ought to be told, but the story cuts off with those scenes. Because of that, I won’t say there is absolutely no chance that we will produce a title to follow KHBBS , but there are no plans as of now. —3D Ultimania

Nomura even said that the story of BBSV2 ought to be told. But he hadn’t given up on telling it completely at the time the 3D Ultimania came out.

— In an interview in the KH Days Ultimania, you said ‘I’m thinking of a mystery KH that made the producer go “what??”. Was that KH3D?No, it wasn’t. I originally planned to make that after KHBBS, but we ended up making KH3D and the project was stopped. It’s a shame, but we won’t be starting that project again. —3D Ultimania May 2012

He was disappointed that the project got cancelled.

— What about in the secret movie of Birth by Sleep Final Mix…?Well… (Laughs.) Now that you mention it, that secret movie was referred to as “A fragmentary passage”, meaning bits and pieces of something whole. A story connected to Kingdom Hearts exists out of that, but I don’t know whether or not it’ll be told hereafter.—Famitsu May 2012

We only got bits and pieces of the real story. He kept mentioning it in his interviews. You can just tell how frustrated he was.

— Among everything that was included in the Final Mix version, what would you recommend?

The Secret Episode. It’s an evolution of all the Secret Movies I’ve put in the games so far, because it’s playable. You can feel the pace of the story and the battle, so I’m glad I made it like that. By the way, the indication for Birth By Sleep -Volume 2- is still there. It shows the existence of Aqua’s story in the Realm of Darkness. It means that she didn’t just wander about in the Darkness for ten years, but that she passed through many experiences. However, it is a “Fragmentary Passage”, as the same suggests– that story was severed and wasn’t told. I hope I can tell it when given the opportunity. – —Famitsu October 2014

Even in October 2014, he still hadn’t completely given up on BBSV2. I really think Square Enix was just greedy. They didn’t care about the story of KH. They just wanted it out quick and didn’t want to waste any more time or $$ on “side” games.

— Many of our fans are excited to see the Birth by Sleep Final Mix secret ending, which mentions Birth by Sleep Volume 2. What were your thoughts behind including this?

I suppose you could say that the ideas are “floating”. See, Birth by Sleep Volume 2 was never meant to be the second chapter of Birth by Sleep. Rather, it was intended to be a separate piece. The ideas are still there, but they are not currently being pursued. Perhaps in the future we will have the opportunity to touch back upon this subject. —KHInsider Interview December 2014

December 2014, and the ideas were still “floating”. Nomura would just not let them go. He mentions it so much. That’s why I had a hard time blaming him for KH3′s disaster of a plot. I think he fought really hard to tell the story he originally wanted. But, like with Versus XIII, he was not able to.

— Please tell us more about the details and aim of the brand-new supplement based on [BbS], which is different than any of the HD remasters so far.

Actually, this was what I worried about the most. We showed this for a bit in the secret episode of KHBbS FM, but the concept for two chapters of BbS is something we’ve had for a while, and because of problems with time, it’s become just a piece. That concept itself is living on as a setup, so it was our plan to show it at the beginning of KHIII, but since the volume of material in KHIII has increased, I was thinking it was something we just touched on a little. Just as I explained in your previous question, we won’t show the whole thing of the initial concept, but we decided to show it ahead of KHIII as a short episode. —Dengeki Playstation September 2015

In July 2015, he still wasn’t sure of the direction of the series. In September 2015, he was STILL worried about the missing content from BBSV2. He said the problem was with “time”. The concept of BBSV2 was living on as a set-up, but the volume of KH3 increased, so they had to change their plans. This, I think, was the main issue of why the story in KH3 went in such a vastly different direction. 

— Can you tell us about the meaning of 0.2’s title, “Fragmentary Passage?As far as content goes, we can’t include a full volume of content to play with like the second chapter of KHBbS, so it’s just a “fragment,” and we left that part of the subtitle. 0.5 is one of the letters and numbers that appeared in the secret episode of KHBbS FM, and that meant full volume, so we decided on 0.2 this time, to indicate that there will be more content to come. However, the remaining passage will be told in KHIII, so we wanted to show that this production is closely related to KHIII. —Dengeki Playstation September 2015

He said the remaining passage was going to be told in KH3. That’s no doubt what KH2.9 was supposed to be. Of course, it didn’t. Some time after this interview, Nomura just decided to give up on the DSS and rewrite KH3 entirely. It was probably closer to 2016 than 2015. I’m pissed that we only got the story we did in KH3 because Nomura couldn’t really finish the Dark Seeker Saga the way he wanted to. It’s why I barely consider KH3′s story “canon”. It is canon. But it really doesn’t feel like it.

[nadziejastar]

Theory on Subject X and Saïx’s Berserk State

“Rejoice, Naminé. Soon you’ll meet the hero you’ve been longing for.”

Naminé’s shoulders tensed when he said her name. She didn’t look up when she spoke, her voice tiny and faint. “I’m…glad.”

I think the real meaning of “358/2 Days” was supposed to refer to the fact that Axel was reliving his past for the entire year. I’ve written before about how I think Isa originally awakened his berserk state not because he was filled with darkness, but because he wanted to protect Lea. And I want to go into more detail about that. I found it interesting that in the manga, right after Axel disappeared, Saïx felt like tormenting Kairi in her cell. He used a line similar to Marluxia about Naminé waiting for her hero. 

“A heart? I have a heart? No one wants your nonsense!” Saïx raised his sword over Naminé—but Riku was there with Soul Eater to intercept the blow.

“Hmph. I don’t have time for these games.” Darkness welled from a rift behind Saïx. “Run along and help your dear hero.”

During the battle for Destiny Islands, Saïx said that Riku couldn’t protect anything using darkness. Then he said to go help your “dear hero”, referring to Axel.

“Why would caring about something be a weakness?” Xion asked, baffled.

Roxas lowered his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t get it, either.”

I’m not the only one surrounded by things I can’t understand, Xion thought. Axel would explain it, though…

“I hope Axel comes back soon,” said Roxas.

She nodded. They would have so many things to ask him.

I think Isa was used as bait before. And that’s why it was mentioned that Axel would know what it meant to have something you care about be a weakness.

Roxas dallied anyway, peering through the doors again. The rose, the thing he treasures, is his weakness?

Nope, I don’t get it.

I wonder if Axel will know what it all means…?

It’s mentioned more than once, too. On Day 119, and Day 150.

“What are you going to do with us?” she demanded.

Saïx narrowed his eyes. “You are the fire that feeds Sora’s anger.”

That was all he said. And then he vanished again.

“I have to do something…,” Kairi murmured. “Sora’s in danger because of me…”

Saïx seemed to have very personal contempt for Kairi. And here’s a good example of why I just cannot accept that Saïx gets to play on the beach and eat ice cream with everyone in the epilogue, instead of Isa. He tortured Kairi, lol. They really weren’t trying to pull any punches with his characterization. Sora was not even there to witness it, so there really was no reason for him to do this other than to vent his feelings and take his anger out on her.

The Beast had a ferociously strong heart—its strength of will alone had taken him to Hollow Bastion to save one of the princesses, Belle.

“Looks strong,” Axel remarked from behind them.

“Yeah. He is,” Riku said, sinking into thought.

His heart is even stronger than his body. It’s exactly the kind of heart the organization wants…

“But someone that strong won’t just do whatever the organization says,” Naminé murmured.

“Well, this is their chance to show how persuasive they can be,” Axel said with a bitter smirk.

Even in KH2, they implied that Axel knew how “persuasive” the organization could be at getting people to do things they didn’t want to do.

Day 171: The No. i Project

Author: Saïx

Xion failed to complete its mission. If this continues, destroying it and using the next Replica as the Duplicate would undoubtedly yield a higher-grade copy. No. i was among the initial lot, which naturally raises questions about its capabilities. At present, it is nothing short of broken. I cannot fathom why Xemnas would want to keep it.

I think there was a similar situation where Isa was trying to protect Lea who wanted to rescue him. Lea was in danger because of Isa, so Isa was full of conviction, like Kairi. He went berserk, and used up every bit of his strength. I think that the Beast was meant to parallel Isa’s backstory as well as Lea’s. You can see even more clearly in the manga that the Beast went berserk trying to protect Belle. But he felt like he failed.

Saïx sounded vaguely disgusted. “What do you care for a broken, defective failure?”

Isa probably collapsed like Xion and the Beast did. I definitely think that the ordeal caused Isa to be in a state where he lost his sense of self, and he became zombie-like, similar to Roxas during his first week. And that’s when he was Norted. Saïx would have no memory of this happening. Xemnas and Xigbar do, which is why they are amused by his obliviousness.

Day 174: Just a Replica

Author: Saïx

Xion continues to sleep. All analysis on its function suggests no marked change. The copying appears to be working, but a Replica is a Replica. My latest report to Xemnas on this net me no clear answers. He simply stood, smiling. At times I find his thinking impenetrable.

A few days later, Xion was asleep but still functioning and copying. Saïx still thought she was broken and didn’t know why Xemnas wanted to keep her. And Xemnas gave Saïx a creepy smile. Day 174 is called “Action, Reaction”. That is another name for Newton’s third law. “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts a force back on the first object. The force exerted by the second object is equal in strength and in the opposite direction to the first force.

Roxas: Look, I'm just saying. All I saw in the hole they dug was a wooden chest full of junk.

Axel: And the Heartless were in the chest?

Roxas: I dunno. I think maybe something else is causing them to show up.

Axel: Like?

Roxas: Didn't something seem kind of off to you about the guy in red?

Axel: Off? Off how?

The mission on Day 174 was in Neverland. Roxas learned how to fly because he believed, and Hook was drawing the Heartless to himself due to his greed. The same concept is brought up when Axel came here with Roxas later, too. 

Saïx: So, you really do care for her. In that case...the answer is no.

Sora: You rotten...!

Saïx: Are you angry? Do you hate me? Then take that rage, and direct it at the Heartless.

It’s similar to the relationship between Roxas and Xion. And actually the experiments that Young Xehanort was conducting on Andy’s toys, too. He was “testing the strength of their bond”. I bet there was a similar situation between Lea and Isa’s hearts. In the manga, Axel knew that Hook was drawing the Heartless to him and convinced him to throw away the treasure (to save Peter Pan, surprisingly). And a comparison was made to Axel having something he was afraid to lose. I think the apprentices were using Isa to draw the darkness out of Lea or something. Instead of greed like Hook, it would be rage and hatred.

“Sora or Xion—it matters not. But we need one of them under our control. Bear that in mind.”

Saïx nodded, and a serene smile came to Xemnas’s face.

If that smile meant anything, it was beyond him.

Xemnas gave Saïx a creepy when he was asked about the memory devices. Saïx was wondering what Xemnas’s true agenda was for placing them.

“Sora has a pretty powerful effect on her,” said Xigbar, pensively stroking his chin.

“Both of them have connections to Sora, but we only need one of them under our thumb,” Xemnas replied. “Whether Xion takes from Roxas the rest of what he has to give…or whether he destroys her first and takes back what is his, there is no change to our plans. No matter how, Sora’s power will belong to us.”

“Understood.” Xemnas disappeared nearly before he heard his order acknowledged.

“Don’t let us down now, kiddo. Shouldn’t be too much trouble without a heart,” Xigbar told Saïx.

Same thing here. Xemnas asked if the devices were ready, he reminded Saïx that they only needed one of them, and Xigbar made a weird comment about Saïx being a kid without a heart. Xemnas and Xigbar seemed to take pleasure in reminding Saïx that they only needed one. Lea and Isa apparently had some kind of reciprocal effect on each other, like Roxas and Xion did.

A memory. My first memory. Saïx took me by the hand and brought me out of Castle Oblivion. “This is the last you’ll see of these walls… Xion.” Yes, I remember what he said to me. And I remember where I was. Castle Oblivion.

Day 224 is called “Anomaly”. Both Xion and Naminé are called anomalies. 

Subject's memories have not returned, and our conversations remain less than lucid.

Subject X was also a unique subject who didn’t collapse like all the others. On this day, Xion remembered that she was taken from Castle Oblivion by Saïx. 

Hayner: We can't be together forever... so we'd better make the time we do have something to remember.

Axel suggested going to the beach, which was a sign that he knew something bad was coming.

Secret Report 1: Recollections

Secret Report 1 is obtained after clearing Battlegate 1 at Olympus: Realm of the Gods / Courtyard.

Am I alive? I awoke in a cell, alone until the researchers came with their tests and their prodding to uncover my identity. I had no answer to offer them. Four friends, and a key…that is the sum total of my memory. I could not even recall my name. I was simply called “X” there. My only solace was the time I spent talking with the two boys who would visit from time to time. One day, a man came to take me from the prison. I could not see him for the darkness, save that he wore an eyepatch.

Subject X was taken somewhere by Braig/Xigbar, like Xion was by Saïx. This report is located at Olympus. Perhaps the Realm of the Gods was drawing an allusion to the Final World, which is where people exist between life and death. Isa was sent there after going berserk. 

Ansem's Report 2

The experiments caused the test subject's heart to collapse, including those of the most stalwart. How fragile our hearts are! My treatment produced no signs of recovery. I confined those who had completely lost their hearts beneath the castle. Some time later, I went below and was greeted by the strangest sight. Creatures that seemed born of darkness...What are they? Are they truly sentient beings? Could they be the shadows of those who lost their hearts in my experiments?

Ordinarily the subject’s heart would collapse and they’d become a Heartless. But Lea believed in Isa so he was the only subject whose heart didn’t. It’s “action, reaction” at work. Lea’s heart had an effect on Isa’s heart, and vice versa. Isa was an anomaly and then became a highly valued specimen by Xehanort.

Demyx: Hey, even us Nobodies need our rest, right? Exhaustion kills!

Saïx: I’m sending you with Demyx today. Try to inspire in him a little of your work ethic.  

Demyx: Heartless duty again today? I keep telling them I’m not cut out for this stuff…

The recurring theme at Olympus Coliseum was that Demyx wasn’t cut out for fighting, and that nobody expected much from him. Day 224 was no different. The mission took place at Olympus Coliseum and Saïx wanted Demyx to go with Roxas to make increase his work ethic. Phil said this was the “big day” where Roxas could finally compete in the Games and Demyx slacked off.

Demyx: Right!? And what a shocker to find out Xigbar was the other finalist! What’s up with that… I can’t imagine he was here on a mission. You never can tell what that guy is thinking…

Roxas: Maybe he just wanted an excuse to fight me… To test me.

Demyx: No way, man! I wouldn’t read into it too deep. Besides, the mission’s over, right? All’s well that ends well, man!

Roxas: I…guess so, but…

The most noteworthy part of the mission was that Xigbar was the finalist; he wanted to test Roxas. I think Xigbar was also tasked with testing Isa after he recovered from the initial incident.��

Roxas: So people work you harder when they have expectations? The Organization expects me to do hard missions all the time. Aren't expectations the same thing as orders?

After he went berserk, they probably thought he had much more fighting potential than they originally thought, and pushed him harder. Isa was left in a bad state afterwards. Not long after, Ansem the Wise discovered what was going on. He took Isa, hid him away, and released the remaining subjects.

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 for 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.

In the manga, Saïx was in a bad mood after learning that Xion and Demyx had been using his computer. He went into his berserk state and tested Demyx when he was slacking. Roxas was upset that he’d use force on a comrade, but Saïx said anyone who obstructed their goal was expendable, even organization members. Roxas didn’t quite understand what he meant, but it seemed like he was speaking from personal experience. This is the only time Saïx’s berserk state gets featured like this in the Days manga, so I tend to think that it was related to his backstory.

“Get up.”

“Just five more minutes…,” Axel mumbled.

“No. Get up—now.” The voice was distinctly annoyed.

Axel relented and opened his eyes. “What are you even doing in here?”

Saïx was standing next to his bed, as irritated as one might have guessed from his voice. Axel hadn’t been so rudely awakened since before turning into a Nobody.

“Xion ran away.”

In the manga, this whole scene with Saïx at Olympus Coliseum was on Day 255 while Axel was looking for Xion. It was immediately prior to Axel arriving on the clock tower and telling Roxas why the sunset was red. Then lying to him about Xion’s disappearance. The novel seemed to be drawing a connection to Axel’s past on Day 255. He mentioned that he hasn’t been rudely awakened like that since becoming a Nobody. And it just so happens that Subject X was discovered shortly after dawn. 

Every time he tried to wake up, all Axel could think was how badly he wanted to go back to sleep—although he was getting enough rest.

He just wished he could have a day to himself and do nothing but sleep. It was probably some remnant of his human memories.

I’m sure that Lea had sleeping issues ever since he was kidnapped and experimented on, but they probably got even worse when Isa went missing. Axel was thinking this after he took Roxas to Castle Oblivion.

Day 276: Behind the Truth

Author: Axel

Xion is gone. Roxas still doesn’t know anything, but Xion found out. That’s why I need to find her. We don’t have hearts, so we accept the facts we’re given as the truth. But something far more important lies behind that truth. Saïx would laugh at people with no hearts calling one another friends, but that doesn’t make it not so. As the Nobody of the hero of the Keyblade and the Replica of that Nobody, these two are special. Unique in every sense of the word. But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re friends. Nothing will. Got it memorized, Xion?

Day 276 was a pretty important day. This is when Axel reluctantly suggests that they go looking for Xion.

Secret Report 4: Experiments of the Heart – Notes on Subject X, Excerpt 2

My pilot studies used a handful of subjects, but none possessed the fortitude to endure them. Ultimately, all suffered mental collapse. I knew it would be a heavy blow to lose a subject as unique as she. Upon discovering the tests I’ve been conducting, my master demanded that I cease my work immediately and destroy what research I have compiled. Worse still, he ordered the release of my remaining subjects. She is gone. Where is Subject X now? Has “wise” Master Ansem hidden her away?

There really are uncanny similarities between Subject X’s story and the story of 358/2 Days. Xion was gone, Subject X was gone. Roxas and Xion are unique, and Subject X was unique. I think Axel also went to look for Subject X. Because Subject X was Isa.

[aliceslantern]

Beyond this Existence: Counterpoint, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, chapter 5

Summary:  After being recompleted, Ienzo vows to do everything in his power to atone for the atrocities he committed in the past. But this life hasn't been easy, and he's plagued with memories and nightmares. When Demyx suddenly reappears, the two discover that they have more in common than they thought, though the secrets in their past might tear them apart. Zemyx (Demyx/Ienzo), post kh3

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

For the next day--for the next several, actually, it was so hard to tell time in this lab--Ienzo worked tirelessly. He read through the backlogs of the apprentices’ original research, thousands of pages of it, examining and cross-examining psychological and chemical experiments alike. There had been, in total, some hundred subjects, not counting those who had been deemed outliers or had gotten turned away at the beginning. One hundred people.

He knew better than to eat before he worked. He drank tea with extra honey to keep up his blood sugar and willed himself to feel numb.

The first dozen or so subjects had been volunteers, and unrelated to one another. After that, there were some pairs, a mother and son, friends. The first twenty or so had samples taken, were asked some questions about their life experiences and their relations to one another, and then the results were studied. This was the more-or-less harmless beginning.

There were physiological correlations for the existence of bonds between hearts. Heart rates would nearly synchronize, especially between family members or lovers or anyone who had bonded for many years, rather than just friends or those in strained relationships. Rates of oxytocin and dopamine were generally higher, and people were generally happier and more well-adjusted.

It was around then they started getting cocky. To put it mildly.

If the strength of bonds could make someone happy, what would happen if they were to break?

Or if a person had no bonds--did that make them more unstable?

They started to keep subjects longer, overnight, then for weeks on end, in those awful hollow cells in the lab’s basement. There was fear, panic, and this made it all the easier for the loaded questions to stick. Rather than build people up, this psychology tore them down.

Soon after the first Heartless was born from them. This person had been a young woman, and she’d screamed and screamed for hours before finally succumbing to the darkness within.

Ienzo remembered feeling scared. And to a degree the others had too, but they hadn’t backed down. They interpreted it as another discovery about human nature.

He closed out of the files briefly and rested his head in his hands. This felt like torture. But if he could only find some insight, he might be able to use this pain to help Sora. If only he had samples from Sora and Riku, or Sora and Kairi. If the trace was there, physically, there might be some way to induce a sleep that would allow Riku to connect with Sora, something akin to what had happened during the Mark of Mastery exam. But how? He had no magic to perform such rituals, and to do so medically was dangerous.

He felt like he was back at square one. Ienzo stood, noting the tremor in his knees. Firstly, he needed to eat and take care of his body. He could figure out the rest once he was stable.

He did so, was able to keep down a meal and sleep for a few hours. His circadian rhythm was hopelessly off; it was the middle of the day. For some reason his teeth were chattering, even though he wasn’t cold, and he knew he needed a break from this project before it started to worsen his own psychological state. Yet to do nothing and purely rest would be a bad idea. He needed distraction.

Ienzo went back to the study room and sat on the bench. It was uncomfortable, he noted, not that he was after comfort. He opened the first page of the score. He could only read treble clef, and not very well; he had to mutter a quick mnemonic under his breath to orient himself. The metering was odd, too, with the sixteenth note carrying the beat. He tried to count it out. Did it work rhythmically with his translation? It was really only the written language that evolved, the actual words had remained mostly the same when spoken.

Ienzo could not seem to get it right. Playing the keys felt awkward, though he could remember Dilan once remarking he had pianist’s fingers.

“You going ahead without me?” Demyx’s voice startled him. He smiled slightly.

“Oh, Demyx. No. Not quite. I just… I was trying to figure out the rhythm of a phrase. It changes the meaning of the characters in my translation, which changes the meaning of… just about everything.” He set his head in his palms. “I’d basically have to start over.”

“How long have you been at this?” Demyx asked. “It… seems like you’re pretty tired.”

Ienzo blinked, then looked out the window. The sky was pink. “...Quite some time,” he admitted. “I… tend to lose track.”

Demyx sat next to him on the bench. “Which section do you mean?”

“This little bit here. See?” He touched the measure in question. Ienzo played the phrase, and he saw from Demyx’s grimace that he’d had it completely wrong. “I can’t for the life of me count it out correctly. I… should have waited for you.” In a moment of exhaustion, he considered confessing what he’d been up to. He didn’t want to bear it alone, but why should he burden Demyx? Their relationship was tenuous as it was.

He held out his hand, unbandaged. The scar was red, but it seemed to be healing well. Ienzo was struck with the odd urge to run his finger over it. He hadn’t seen a naturally healed wound in a long time. That had to be why, right?  “Well, you’re in luck. I’m all healed up. Even took out the stitches. Let me see. Oh, right. I remember this.” He wrinkled his nose. “It’s the meter. 29/16ths.”

Ienzo did not know what that meant. “Beg pardon?”

Demyx rolled his eyes a little. “I know, right? God, at least make it an even number. 30/16ths would be so much easier to count. And they’re short measures, too, that all bleed into each other. It’s so…”

“Chaotic,” they said at the same time.

Suddenly, Demyx looked shy. “Well, it sounds kind of more like this.” He played through the bridge with more fluidity than Ienzo had. “I’m sure on the actual sectioned instrument it would be completely different. And that would be…” He thumbed through the pages, seeking the same phrase. “...This one. And it’s got a treble clef, which means your options are really, really open. ...What’s this?” He gestured to the rune next to it.

“They’re letters. Let me see.” Ienzo checked the dictionary. “My guess would be either an F or an S. Runes are, for whatever reason, pretty phonetically similar to our language now. If I had to start my studies all over again I think I would focus on linguistics. It’s just so delightfully complicated, and it really reveals a lot about human psychology how words and roots formed--” Goodness, he was rambling. He cut himself off. Linguistics was one of his favorite subjects in private study, but it had never applied to anything he’d done as an apprentice. It left it untainted.

Demyx’s brows furrowed. “An F? But it could mean flute, but that would mean it transposes higher, and that… feels off.” He played the notes in octave. “But if it’s an S… what could it be?”

Ienzo went back to his translation from several days previously. “Dawn. That’s the first character. So, if I’m correct at all, the first phrase is “Dawn town.” Maybe’s more like “Dawn, Town,” with a comma. Maybe it’s more of an action line. But that’s not the correct participle.”

With an unreadable expression, Demyx said, “Daybreak Town.”

“I’m sorry?”

He shook his head. “Not dawn. Daybreak. The rhythm wouldn’t fit.” He played it again. “It fits with “Daybreak”.”

That was absolutely correct, Ienzo realized. With a little jolt, he realized that, here with them working at about the same level of competency, he was having fun with Demyx. It had been a long while since he’d found this sort of eager ease in his research. The pain of the past few days dissipated a little. “You’re right. That’s so apt. Daybreak Town. I wonder what that is. Is it poetic license? A place? I’ve no clue.” He stood up and started poring through geography books. “Perhaps there’s a reference to it in some sort of history…” The sunlight was fully through the window now, warm as it grew weaker.

When Ienzo looked back up, he saw Demyx staring at him with an puzzled look.

“You’ve an odd expression on your face. Is everything okay?”

Demyx jumped a little. “Yeah, uh, fine.” He cleared his throat. “You seem pretty passionate about this kind of stuff.”

“Passionate?” He paused. Yes, that was right. “Yes. I suppose. I’ve never defined it at such, but I… I always feel most myself when I’m in my research. Making connections.”

Demyx nodded and sat forward a little. “I know what you mean. That’s how I feel when I make my music. Like… I’m part of something worth something. Like I have…”

“Purpose,” Ienzo said. “I refuse to believe things are meaningless.”

“I find you easier to talk to than Zexion,” Demyx said. “Why is that?”

The comment made him feel weak. Was it possible Ienzo was wrong? Could he ever leave behind Zexion’s darkness? “He and I are… not the same,” he said. “Every day I’m working harder to be a better person, to make up for all of the terrible choices I’ve made. It is… exhausting.” He looked away. He wondered if he should bring it up, this anxiety they had so in common, but decided against it. “You are different as well. I know it’s still hard to realize this.”

He shook his head. “The others don’t either. I just wonder how much of our Nobody selves were made of bad memories. I mean… I was a complete asshole. The way I treated Roxas--” He trailed off, turning pink. Was it possible he felt regret?

“It’s unfortunate there’s no way to quantify what you mean,” Ienzo said. “There must be purchase in it. If you’ve no conscience, no empathy, it’s easy to make bad decisions. Because none of it matters. I don’t want to live like that any more. Now that I’ve a choice.” It seemed like a revelation to him. Was Zexion psychologically different enough that he was not entirely to blame? But--what about when he was a child?

“Me either,” Demyx said quietly.

This commonality found, Ienzo drummed his fingers on the piano bench. “Hopefully this research will shed some light on the past,” Ienzo said. “Shall we get back  to work?”

The next morning, Demyx was late. Ienzo was disappointed, but not surprised. He tried to push through a few more of the lyrical lines.

With yesterday’s context, the first line became Daybreak Town is a fucking mess. Was it some sort of self-deprecating folk song? But considering how chaotically the song began, Ienzo wondered if it were more of a tone poem.

More fights breaking out. That line was simple enough. Keys and sparks flying everywhere. By “keys”, did they mean Keyblades? What else could they mean?

While Ienzo puzzled this, Demyx came in quietly. He was pale, his face drawn, and he clutched one elbow in self-support. He started rehearsing quietly, his playing not as fluid or as perfect as before. Ienzo bent back over his book. He considered asking if something was wrong, but if it were, what could he say in reassurance?

“Do you ever have nightmares?” Demyx asked so suddenly it startled him.

“Well… I suppose to a degree. Everyone does at some point or another. Why is it you ask?”

“I had a really bad one last night and I can’t get it out of my mind. It just… it felt so real,” he said.

So that was why he was so shaken. Ienzo turned towards him. “What was it about?”

Demyx shuddered. He spoke haltingly, in a low, restrained voice unlike his normal patter. “I was in the Keyblade Graveyard. There were… so many bodies in armor… cut up… bleeding… completely dismembered… The Keyblades were everywhere. There was so much blood in the dirt that it was muddy, and red.”

Ienzo considered this. These dreams were terrible, but unfortunately a price to pay for surviving Xehanort. “Perhaps this is a manifestation of survivor’s guilt, because you weren’t one of the true vessels, and thus, didn’t perish in battle. It’s a natural psychological response. We internalize trauma differently as humans.”

He hugged himself more tightly. “Trauma? Do you think I’m traumatized?”

Surely he didn’t think this behavior was normal for humans? “In all likelihood, yes. I’m not qualified by any means to make that diagnosis, but considering what you’ve been through--and by extension, the rest of us--some sort of post-traumatic stress is not uncalled for.”

“I just want it to not bother me.” His voice dropped to almost nothing.

Ienzo frowned, knowing that sensation all too well. “I’m sure. If there was something I could do to help you, I would. Unfortunately, there’s no easy cure. You just must remind yourself that the pain you feel is illogical, and it will pass. The best key to these things is usually reason.” It wasn’t much help, but it was something he could offer.

“Always one of my strong suits,” he said dryly.

“You just need something to center yourself,” Ienzo said. He was aware of how artificial he sounded, and he hated it. “Something you can hang onto when these moments come.”

Demyx’s eyes met his. “Do you experience the same thing?”

Right. He was sharper than they’d given him credit. There was a reason Demyx had been largely in charge of reconnaissance. “For many years. Even before the Organization.”

Demyx hesitated. “What happened to you?”

Ienzo froze. He didn’t have to tell him, but at the same time, part of him wanted to. “You know I was very young when Ansem the Wise took me in.”

He shrugged. “Yeah. Of course.”

Ienzo took a deep breath. “Do you know why that is?”

“I just figured you were that smart.”

It was so much easier not to make eye contact. “You flatter me. ...My parents passed away when I was a child. It was… not natural.” Maybe if he said it quickly, he could get it over with.

Demyx turned towards him more fully, a sad, knowing expression on his face. “Heartless?”

“No. Heartless were not as common then. There was another type of monster, one created from negative emotions. We know now that they come from Ventus’s counterpart, Vanitas. But then… they were everywhere. I was actually coming from here… this very castle… with both of my parents. It was open to the public then. And… well. There was a swarm.”

The memories to him were very vague, cauterized by time and trauma. He remembered more having the story explained to him than experiencing it.

“Both of my parents passed. I only survived because Aeleus was on duty and stepped in. I’ve still got the scars.” It felt odd, but not entirely uncalled for, to show Demyx the scars at the top of his shoulder. They’d stretched and whitened as he’d grown, and often he forgot they were there.

It was then Ienzo became aware of how closely they were sitting; there was little enough space. Demyx lightly brushed his fingers against the scars. Ienzo flinched at the unexpected touch. “I’m sorry,” Demyx said quickly. “I wasn’t thinking. And, um. I’m sorry about your parents, too.”

He fixed his shirt. “I don’t remember much of them, even now. But you see. When you insist I cannot understand… I understand better than you know.”

“Yes,” he said.

For a moment they held eye contact. Ienzo could still feel what it had been like to have these scars touched, the slight calloused scratch. A feeling he could not recognize bloomed within him. Whatever it was scared him. He glanced over at the clock and noted with relief that it was getting late. “It’s about time for me to start making dinner. You’ll join us, right?”

“Right,” he said. Ienzo left. In his pockets, his hands trembled.

Ienzo had always thought he understood emotion, at least from a purely literal perspective. This is sadness. This is fear. This is anger. And so on.

What was it he was feeling?

Whatever it was it was strong, and he could feel it under his skin, all too warm and alive. It was not necessarily unpleasant. The only anxiety he was experiencing came from the unknown.

After dinner, he sat in his bedroom and tried to puzzle it out. It had happened when Demyx touched his old Unversed scars. Ienzo ran his fingers over them experimentally but felt nothing but skin. The last time he’d been touched by anyone else--Ansem, when he was sick--he’d felt an odd revulsion. What was so different about Demyx’s touch? This was, he realized, the second time he’d felt this emotion, not the first; it had been there last week when he’d stitched his hand. And again when he’d watched him play piano.

Ienzo’s breathing hitched. He let himself remember having the scars touched, and felt a soft pulse of the emotion, like light.

He got up and crossed over to his bookshelf. He pulled out the old dictionary and riffled the thin, brittle pages until he found what he was looking for.

Longing, n; a strong desire especially for something unattainable. See also: pining, passion, lust.

Was it even possible?

He put the dictionary away and sat on his bed, shaking all over. The panic made him dizzy. Somehow or another these feelings had grown within him against all awareness, bright and sharp and piercing. Ienzo wanted--

That’s what it was. He wanted the unknown. And he wanted Demyx to be in it with him.

“Oh, fuck,” he said.

[nadziejastar]

hi I love your blog!! I just wanted to ask what your background is in spiritual matters are because you seem so well-versed in them and your applications of some concepts are absolutely spot on!! I’m just curious haha

Why We’re Never Going To Find Out How Saïx Got His Scar

Thanks! Pretty much all learned outside of school, haha. I don’t have a special background or anything. I am just an ordinary person drawn to strange subjects. I guess if I’m being honest, I became immersed in these subjects because I used to deal with depression, lol. I don’t anymore, but I still really love Axel’s character arc for that reason. He wanted to find hope. And he did.

His arc is based on the Phoenix—dying, rotting away, turning to ash, and then being born again. You need to experience a form of death, to shed away the old self. Only then can you be reborn into something higher. You need to suffer pain and despair. That is the only way to be liberated from your previous state. It’s one of those special character arcs that resonated with me strongly. It does kind of kill me to see a work of fiction incorporate genuine spiritual concepts, then get butchered. Because you don’t get that message from mainstream entertainment very often.

Zuko: “I used to think this scar marked me - the mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I’ve realized I’m free to determine my own destiny, even if I’ll never be free of my mark.”

The only other one I personally recall that had a similar realistic spiritual aspect was Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. He is another character that I connected with a lot. Another Fire-type character associated with the sun, strangely enough. Zuko’s arc reminded me of Axel’s, actually. As you wander through the valley of the shadow of death, you are purified. You shed the snakeskin of the ego, and are capable of transforming into your highest self. You become capable of unconditional love. He had his own awakening experience during a dream. The way he loved his sister Azula also reminded me of how Axel loved Saïx. He reminds me of Isa, too. Both have iconic scars that symbolize their trauma.

The deeper you go, the more you realize how interconnected all these metaphysical concepts are, too. Eastern/Western. Alchemy, Shamanism, Kundalini Yoga, Kabbalah, Jungian Psychology. Doesn’t matter. It’s all the same thing when you get right down to it. Raising your state of consciousness, and seeing the illusion of the world for what it is. This realization allows you to become a new being. 

The two snakes/dragons represent Masculine and Feminine. Yin and Yang. Shiva and Shakti. Sol and Luna. The energy rising up the two pathways and opening the chakras, is referred to as sacred fire. When these two energies unite, one becomes enlightened, and transcends desire, duality, karma, space and time, etc. One’s true nature is realized, which is infinite. You have the compassion and love of the Feminine, and can combine it with the strength and intelligence of the Masculine.

And Axel’s character arc is essentially the same. They are both alike in so many ways. His Ultimate Gear is called “Double Edge”. His Champion gear is called “Rapid Spinner”, referring to the chakras, which are said to be like whirlpools of energy in the body. Chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit. And these weapons are shaped like mandalas of the Third Eye and Crown chakras. Mandalas are geometric figures representing unity and harmony. 

It’s also known as sacred geometry. It’s a symbol in a dream, representing the dreamer’s search for completeness and self-unity. Carl Jung used them a lot in his practice. He said they symbolize the wholeness of the self. These specific mandalas are used in Reiki for healing. And this is exactly why we’re never going to find out how Saïx got his scar. It’s fundamentally tied into these spiritual concepts.

Xigbar: “Xion’s disappearance is fascinating. It seems Saïx doesn’t truly “see” her.”

Origin: The Sanskrit name for the 3rd Eye Chakra is called the Ajna (command, or in control). The color of Ajna is indigo or midnight blue, associated with depth of awareness.

Xemnas: “As your flesh bears the sigil, so your name shall be known as that…of a recusant.”

Location – Brow: Located in the center of the forehead between and above the eyes, this Chakra governs psychic abilities and spiritual discernment. Bodily, it governs the pineal and pituitary glands.

Saïx: “Settle down. Xion’s failings won’t affect your standing with us. You’ve nothing to worry about.”

Roxas: “Won’t affect my– What is WRONG with you? Look, I’ll do my mission–later.”

Level of Consciousness – 6th: Ajna Chakra is the command center, or the seat of wisdom where the consciousness evolves to understanding and acting on what we experience from a much deeper place of wisdom and insight. When Kundalini Shakti (spiritual energy) is awakened in this Chakra, it opens the 3rd eye, the inner eye of intuition and inner guidance. An under-active Ajna Chakra may show up in a lack of spiritual depth and understanding.

Saïx: Do you know what happens to those who lose their true purpose? Inevitably, they destroy themselves.

Soul Journey Stage – Breaking-Open: You have an urge to connect with your inner wisdom, to live your life in alignment with your inner guidance.

Xemnas: “Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind, and convince it to renounce its sense of self.”

Element – Mind: In yogic tradition, it is believed that the mind is made up of the same 5 elements that the universe is made up of (earth, water, fire, air and ether). Ajna Chakra transcends the individual elements and opens the door to universal intelligence.

Saïx: “Nonsense. I see no problem whatsoever.”

Xigbar: “Ha ha! Well no, apparently you don’t!”

Saïx: “Something you find amusing?”

Xigbar: “If people see with their hearts, Saïx, then you’re even blinder than the rest of us.”

Quality – Intuition: The 3rd eye vision is the inner vision of intuition, insight and wisdom.

Saïx: “Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free… until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist.”

Origin: The Sanskrit name for the Crown Chakra is the Sahasrara, meaning the lotus of a thousand petals. Violet is the highest color in the light spectrum, and represents wisdom, awareness, and spiritual energy. White is also associated with the Crown Chakra. If your Chakra is underactive, you may lack interest in your spiritual self, you may not be open to intangible spiritual experiences.

Xemnas: “My friends! Remember why we have organized–all the things we hope to achieve. The strength of the human heart is vast. Soon, though…we will have gained power over it! Never again will it…have power over us.”

Level of Consciousness – 7th: This is the last milestone of the evolution of human consciousness, the door to Pure Consciousness. When Kundalini Shakti (spiritual energy) is awakened in this Chakra, the illusion of the individual self is dissolved. Self-realization sets in.

Xion: “I love Roxas and Axel. I’m sure Saïx would scoff at that. Call it a trick of my artificial memories. But the time I spent on that clock tower was real.”

Soul Journey Stage: You have an awareness of your own consciousness, a knowledge that the planet is connected by love, your philosophies are simple and straightforward.

Xemnas: “But then, through Roxas, Sora himself began to shape “it” into “her,” giving Xion a sense of identity. I was ready to scrap the whole project…”

Element – Energy: represents the cosmic energy that is awareness and pure consciousness.

Saïx: “Nngh… How much longer…Kingdom…Hearts… Will your strength never be mine?”

Quality – Bliss: When the Crown Chakra is open, we experience the eternal bliss, the peace that “passeth all understanding.”

Saïx: “Well, that didn’t take long. Did it break again?”

Roxas: “She’s not an ‘it’!”

Axel: “Keep your mouth shut.”

Sense – Empathy: This is because of the deep connection that we experience when the Crown Chakra energy is active.

Axel’s purple mandala-shaped weapons are the Emperor and Empress arcana of Luxord’s Tarot deck. The Red King and White Queen. Sol and Luna. Ultimate and Champion Gear. Saïx’s two weapons in these categories are the pink ones, lol. The ones shaped like Venus, the goddess of love, and Vesta, the goddess of sacred sexuality who’s known as the Keeper of the Sacred Flame.

And in Luxord’s deck, you also have the Sun and Moon arcana. For the Moon arcana, Axel’s weapon is called “Dive Bomb” and shaped like more sacred geometry, and Saïx’s weapon is called “Luminary”, shaped like energy healing.

The Sun arcana is the red “Omega Trinity”, shaped like the Ouroboros, another symbol of Rubedo and the union of Sol and Luna. It’s also a symbol of infinity, beyond the limits of time and space. And Saïx’s is called “Light Year”. Isa is light years away, but the red light can reach him and heal him. Their characters were all about healing each other. It’s why it’s so heartbreaking for me to see how Lea and Isa’s story was treated. You just don’t see many stories like theirs. It’s so positive and uplifting. 

The writers have all of these sophisticated concepts in mind, and their artistic integrity gets trampled all over. KH is a lot like ATLA. They are both marketed as child-friendly, but you can tell that the writers for both series are extremely intelligent and well-educated. Though even ATLA got compromised artistically to make the live action movies…