#but anyways I got another fic coming for Riku (again) and one for Sora that I’m still working on that I mentioned few days ago😌 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

aquafolia · 3 years

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Sokai Day Fic 1: True Love’s Kiss(es)

So yes, I am a Classics/ancient history blog, and this is obviously super different from the content I normally post on this blog. Please forgive me, but I’ve recently become OBSESSED with Kingdom Hearts and I have nowhere else to post this stuff at the moment. So please forgive me, normal content will resume soon!

Anyway, as I said I just started playing the KH games for the first time this summer and it’s been so much fun. And seeing all the amazing stories and artwork in this fandom has inspired me to write some stuff too. Anyway, I’m Holly, and I hope y’all enjoy :)

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True Love’s Kiss(es)

‘Ugh!’ Kairi groaned, unceremoniously setting down the basket she held in her hands. ‘I forgot that when you pick apples, you have to actually carry them all back, too!’

‘Your basket’s not even half full, Kairi,’ Sora remarked, ‘and we’ve only just started!’

She grinned. ‘Well then, it’s a good thing I have a strong, manly boyfriend to help me carry all of these.’

He could hardly argue with that. Sora feigned displeasure by rolling his eyes and letting out a dramatic groan, which made Kairi giggle. But then he walked over to her, grabbing one of the basket’s handles as she grabbed the other, and the pair made their way deeper down the rows of apple trees. They could hear the distant shouts and laughs of their friends echoing through the orchard as they went. Apparently, Twilight Town– a world basically in perpetual autumn– was known for its fall festivities, including its legendary apple orchards. Once they’d visited the orchards, the gang hoped Remi would help them make apple pies, apple cider, and all sorts of goodies during their visit. To that end, the group had decided to break up into teams in order to pick as many apples as they could carry. Today, Sora and Kairi were paired up. But Sora knew that if they only returned with a measly half basket of apples, the others would surely tease them, accuse them of slacking off.

They wouldn’t be totally wrong, Sora thought with a grin. Sure, Kairi was determined to focus on their task: she was deep in concentration, examining each apple carefully before deciding to place it in her basket. Sora, on the other hand, was much more determined to get Kairi off task. It wasn’t that Sora didn’t want to help out, but this was an opportunity for him and Kairi to spend some time alone– that was a temptation greater than any fruit, in Sora’s world.

Kairi set her sights on a shiny red apple that hung high on a nearby tree. She stood up on her tiptoes, making adorable little noises as she tried to grab it. Sora was staring intently, but not at the apple: Kairi’s form was stretched out in front of him as she reached high over her head, accentuating her curves, and Sora was mesmerized. It was only when she said his name that he snapped out of his trance: ‘Sora,’ she called out, not taking her eyes off the fruit, ‘would you come over and help me with this one? You should be able to–’

Kairi shrieked as Sora, having silently moved behind her, wrapped his arms around her legs and hoisted her up onto his shoulder.

‘Tall enough now?’ he asked casually.

Her surprised squeak was the only reply Kairi could muster. Once she’d successfully picked the apple, Sora released her hips. He held her by the waist as her body slid down his until she landed gently on the ground. Even in the autumn chill, Sora could feel his cheeks burning.

Having regained some of her composure, with a giggle, Kairi said, ‘Guess we make a pretty good team, huh?’ before she turned to the next tree. Sora tried to hide it by replying with a level ‘Absolutely,’ but inside, he was beaming: watching the effect he had on Kairi just never got old for him– but given how hard he had to try to appear cool and unfazed, it wasn’t like he was much better than she was.

Now that he’d had his fun, Sora walked up next to Kairi to help out. The pair picked apples side by side, happily chatting and admiring each other's finds, and over time, their basket filled with bright red apples. While they worked, something about the orchard nagged at Sora’s mind, but he couldn't place it. As he studied a large, blood-red apple in his hands, it finally clicked.

‘All these apples remind me of Snow White,’ Sora remarked. ‘Aqua told me how Snow White’s evil stepmother tried to kill her by getting her to eat a poisoned apple. The dwarves thought she was dead, so they placed her in a beautiful glass casket,’ Sora recalled, his eyes still fixed on the apple. He found himself absentmindedly tracing the spot on his chest where a scar marred the skin over his heart: the permanent reminder of his sacrifice for Kairi– well, his first one, anyway.

‘But she wasn’t dead,’ Sora continued, thought bleeding into memory. ‘She was asleep, and she couldn’t wake up…’

‘Until her true love saved her.’

That broke Sora out of his reverie. He looked up to find Kairi already gazing at him, her eyes soft and sincere. Sora replied, ‘Yeah… Reminds me of another princess I know.’

Did she really mean…? They’d talked about their first adventure numerous times before, but she’d never said it like that.

‘I would have killed for a nice bed to sleep on,’ she continued. ‘You and Riku took me on quite a journey– napping peacefully in a meadow sounds pretty good to me,’ Kairi said with a grin.

A breeze drifted through the orchard, rustling the leaves over their heads. ‘I remember your dad telling us all those old fairy tales when we were kids,’ Sora said. ‘After all the adventures we’ve had… it’s strange to think we sort of became one ourselves.’

‘They’re not always as fun to live as they are to hear…’ Kairi remarked, almost to herself, ‘when you don’t know if there’ll be a happy ending after all.’ Her eyes grew distant, drifting aimlessly down the row of apple trees. ‘I… I still remember waking up at Hollow Bastion, seeing that Keyblade in your chest… And then how you–’ she started, but then faltered, unable to bring herself to say what came next.

Sora gently placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. She still seemed lost in thought, not meeting his eyes. ‘I know what you mean. But we did get one, didn’t we, Kairi? It took a while, and we’ve had to find each other again and again, but now you’re here. And thanks to you, I’m here. We’re finally together, and nothing is ever going to change that. That’s the best ‘happily ever after’ I could have wished for.’

The pair were alone, the trees standing sentry around them, but his voice grew softer all the same: these words were just for her. ‘All that doesn’t really matter anymore,’ Sora continued. ‘What I mean is… what matters is that we’re here now. That means it was all worth it.’ He took her hand, interlacing their fingers. ‘Back at Hollow Bastion, when I saw your eyes open just before mine closed, when I knew your heart was safe… it was worth it, Kairi.’

She finally looked up at him. Sora hoped his eyes conveyed the sincerity of his words: It had all been for her– and it had all been worth it, every moment. Every time Sora got to see her sweet smile, got to hear her lovely laugh, it was worth it. And now, he wasn’t just connected to her across the worlds by promises and oaths– if he wanted to find Kairi, all Sora had to do was reach for her hand. How was that not a dream come true?

A small smile forming on her lips, Kairi gave him a look of such love and gratitude that Sora knew she felt the same. ‘It just makes our time together now even more precious to me,’ she finally said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m never going to take this for granted.’

Sora decided then to gather her into his arms and bring her close, her head resting in the crook of his neck, his cheek on her soft hair. ‘You know,’ he started after a pause, ‘I have to admit, when I heard Snow White’s story, I got a bit jealous.’

Kairi pulled back just enough to shoot him a quizzical look. ‘Jealous?’

‘Yeah, of Prince Florian. All he had to do to wake up Snow White and save the day was kiss her– pretty nice deal, if you ask me,’ Sora explained. Kairi smiled, but her eyes were still a bit sad. So he continued, a grin spreading across his face, ‘Don’t know why I didn’t think to try that first…’

‘Oh, Sora!’ Kairi giggled, giving Sora a playful smack on his arm, her face brighter. ‘What, does that mean you thought about kissing Ven at some point, too?’ she countered.

‘I was getting so desperate to find the Power of Waking, I just might have!’ Sora replied, and they both laughed again. Keeping one arm around Kairi, he took a bite from the apple still in his hand. It was crisp and fresh, and amazingly sweet– it was just right, like everything else in this moment.

Suddenly, with a smirk on her face, Kairi plucked the half-eaten apple from Sora’s hand. She lifted the fruit to her lips, holding Sora’s gaze as she took a large bite next to where he’d just bitten, a small drop of juice running down her chin as she chewed. All Sora could do was watch her, hopelessly mesmerized. It was bold, yet playful– Kairi to a T. Before Sora’s brain could fully resume normal functioning, Kairi said, feigning innocence, ‘What? Isn’t sharing fruit kind of our thing? It’s no paopu fruit, but still…’

Staring into her eyes, the radiant sunset bathing them in soft, warm light, Sora grew bold himself: They’d spent so long in silence, so long apart, why waste any time? He’d fought so hard to find her, to come back to her, over and over again. She was right here– if he wanted to kiss her, what on earth was there to consider? Sora reached a hand forward to cup her cheek, wiping the juice from the corner of her lip with his thumb. Kairi let the gentle pull of his thumb part her lips. ‘It is pretty good,’ Sora said, ‘but… you definitely taste better.’ And with that, he lowered his head and kissed her. He heard the sound of the apple landing on the ground, utterly forgotten, as Kairi’s arms wound around his neck.

And Sora had to admit, kissing Kairi felt pretty magical– Maybe those fairytales were onto something after all.

But of course, the distant sound of Aqua, Ven, and Riku calling out in search of them forced the pair to break their kiss, albeit begrudgingly. Sora expected Kairi to step away, pick up her basket, maybe call out to their friends– but she didn’t. She stayed as she was in Sora’s arms, one hand resting on his shirt, over the scar. Sora could feel his heartbeat racing under her touch. When she looked up at him again, something in her eyes was different. Still happy, but mixed with something else– not just happiness, but a determination to be so.

‘This is a pretty large orchard,’ Kairi remarked, her eyes bright. ‘Our friends probably won’t find us for a little while longer…’

‘We’d better not make them wait too long, or Axel will use his chakrams to–’

Kairi grabbed Sora’s hoodie with both hands and pulled him back down to her lips. For a moment, Sora stood frozen, eyes wide with shock. But as she melted into him, his eyes fluttered closed and he wound his arms around her, each kiss between them less ‘Fairy Godmother Friendly’ than the last. Traditionally, in all those fairytales, the heroes only ever got one ‘True Love’s Kiss.’ Sora considered himself the luckiest prince of all time– he had a never ending supply.

Twilight Town was always just that– hanging in perpetual dusk. So Sora really didn’t know how long he and Kairi spent like that, lost in laughter and kisses and caresses beneath the trees. But once their friends’ voices grew dangerously close, Sora and Kairi managed to untangle themselves, wiping swollen lips, readjusting ruffled clothing, and fixing disheveled hair (not that Sora’s hair had been tidy in the first place– and Kairi burst out laughing when she realized her attempts to smooth it didn’t do much good, either). As Kairi called out to their friends, Sora picked up her basket, now full of delicious looking apples, and the pair began to head back toward the orchard entrance. They probably hadn’t gathered the most apples– and he was sure their friends would point that fact out– but Sora didn’t care one bit. He wouldn’t have traded this day for anything.

‘Hey Kairi?’ Sora said as they walked, ‘For the record, if I’m ever in a fruit induced coma– or any other kind of coma, really– feel free to make out with me, in order to revive me. Thought I should say so, you know, just in case.’

‘Oh, really?’ She teased back. ‘I’ll make sure to tell Donald– you always complain he never uses Curaga when you need it.’

‘What? No! Ew, gross!’ Sora blanched as Kairi dissolved into laughter. But when his eyes found hers again, he couldn’t help but smile.

As her giggles died out, she replied, 'Okay, I’ll remember that… But that doesn’t mean you can go throw yourself into danger so I’ll kiss you better!’

‘I can’t help it– when you kiss me, I feel like I can do anything,’ Sora answered simply. Kairi’s eyes widened at his remark, and she ducked her head as her cheeks bloomed pink. Sora beamed. He may have been laying it on her thick, but Sora wasn’t lying: He had true love on his side– the most powerful magic of all.

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#sokai day 2021 #sokai #kairi #sora #I'm new to this ship but absolutely obsessed #here is my humble addition to sokai day :)#sokaiday

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phoenix-downer · 4 years

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Birthday Wish

After a long day spent catching up with folks in Twilight Town and gatherin’ ingredients for Little Chef, Goofy was about tuckered out when he made it back to the Gummi Ship with Sora and Donald. Sora still had the box with the, uh, tart thing in it, and he was about to put it in the ship’s refrigerator when Donald stopped him.

“Hang on, Sora, don’t put that away just yet.”

Sora raised an eyebrow but closed the fridge door. “Huh? Why not?”

Donald looked to Goofy, and suddenly Goofy remembered what they’d talked about earlier. He grabbed a stash of party hats from a nearby nook and handed one to Donald before puttin’ one on himself, and Donald pulled down a blanket that was draped over the kitchen cabinets, revealing a big Happy Birthday Sora! sign in colorful letters.

“We never got to celebrate your fifteenth birthday, Sora, and we figured we should make it up to you,” Goofy said.

Sora’s face lit up. “Oh yeah, I guess we never did. We were all asleep in the pods at the time, huh?” He took a hat from Goofy’s outstretched hand and put it on his head. “Riku and Kairi and I all got to celebrate once we made it home, but I didn’t get to celebrate with you guys.”

“Time to party!” Donald said as he put the tart on a plate, and Goofy turned up fifteen mismatching candles and carefully stuck them in the gaps between the pieces of fruit. Gawrsh, this reminded him of Maxie’s fifteenth birthday, how excited his son had been to turn the big 1-5. Sora’s happy face was like watchin’ that happen all over again, and Goofy sure was glad Donald had come up with this idea.

“Alright, Sora,” Donald said as he summoned his staff so he could light the candles, “you hafta make a wish.”

“But keep it a secret, or it won’t come true!” Goofy told him. He and Donald took their seats at the ship’s small table, but Sora remained standin’. Donald and Goofy sang the birthday song to him, includin’ all the extra joke choruses to get him to laugh. When they were done, he had a very solemn look on his face as the light from the candles flickered across it.

“What do I wish, more than anything? Hmmm, let’s see…”

He looked down and crossed his arms for a moment, then broke into a huge smile.

“I’ve got it!” He braced himself against the table, then took a deep breath and blew out the candles all at once. Donald and Goofy cheered him on for gettin’ them all in one go, and he grinned and bowed in an over-the-top fashion, makin’ them laugh. When they’d all settled down, Goofy grabbed a knife and carefully lifted a piece onto the plate Donald held.

“Birthday boy gets the first piece,” he reminded Donald.

Donald quacked and said, “I know, I know,” in a disgruntled tone, and Sora laughed as he passed the tart to him.

“What, were you thinking about eating my share?” Sora teased.

“Don’t push it,” Donald muttered under his breath.

Sora remembered his manners and waited till they all had pieces of the tart to take a bite. And gawrsh, what a tart it was! The fruit was ripe and the crust was flaky and the fillin’ was delicious. Whatever was in the glaze was real tasty, too. Better than most cakes Goofy had had. They’d have to get the recipe from Little Chef next time they stopped by.

“Donald, Goofy, thank you,” Sora said as he helped them wash the dishes afterwards. “It was really fun, getting to celebrate with you guys.”

“Of course, Sora,” Goofy said as he held one of the plates so Donald could dry it with some wind magic. “You’re our pal.”

“Next time, we won’t miss your birthday!” Donald promised.

But they did miss his birthday. Missed celebratin’ it with him because he wasn’t here with ‘em. Goofy and Donald and the king piled onto the Gummi Ship after another unsuccessful search, and everyone was feelin’ dejected. The king just sat in his chair in the main control room, and Donald was mopin’ in the kitchen.

“He’d be sixteen today,” he told Goofy as Goofy joined him at the kitchen table.

“Gawrsh, can you believe it? The time sure goes by quick. I remember when my Maxie turned sixteen. Sixteen’s an important year for a feller.”

“Yeah,” Donald said, his head droopin’. “And he doesn’t have a single friend to celebrate with.”

“Now Donald, we don’t know that,” Goofy pointed out. “Sora’s real good at makin’ friends. For all we know, he’s celebratin’ with new friends this year!”

Even as Goofy said the words though, they rang a little hollow. His biggest fear right now was that Sora was all alone out there with no friends to look out for him. Every old friend of his they’d asked hadn’t seen him or heard from him since he’d disappeared, and…

“We’ll just… hafta celebrate for him,” Goofy said. “Then we can have a real party for him when he gets back.”

Donald nodded. “We still have some of those cookies Rapunzel gave us. Maybe we can stick some candles in them. I’ll get everything ready, you go get the king.”

Goofy went to grab the king, who was still sittin’ in the main control room, lookin’ sad. Gawrsh, what Goofy wouldn’t give to bring a smile to his face again.

“Your Majesty, c’mon, we gotta celebrate Sora’s birthday!” he said, and that seemed to cheer the king up a little. He followed Goofy into the kitchen, where Donald had crammed sixteen candles onto three chocolate chip cookies somehow and was currently lightin’ ‘em.

“This time, we’ll all make a wish,” Donald said when he was through. “That’ll make the magic more powerful.”

“It’s gotta be the same wish though,” Goofy said. “But we can’t tell, or else the wish won’t come true.”

“Of course,” the king said. “We can’t say our wishes out loud, but that’s okay. We’re all wishin’ for the same thing anyway.”

“Happy Birthday, Sora,” Donald said.

“Happy Birthday,” Goofy and the king echoed.

They sang the birthday song after that. At first it felt a little silly singin’ to Sora when he wasn’t here, but as the song went on, somethin’ clicked into place. He was always talkin’ about how his hearts were connected to theirs, so maybe he knew what they were doin’ for him somehow.

When they were through with the song, they silently made their wish and counted to three, then blew out the candles.

For a moment, Goofy could’ve sworn he saw Sora here with them. Was that his smilin’ face on the other side of the smoke? He opened his mouth to say something when Donald waved the smoke away, and the moment was over.

Oh well. Goofy figured it was just a trick of his imagination. Still, it was awful nice to think he might’ve been with them, some way, somehow.

The next time they saw him, they’d celebrate his birthday with him like Donald had promised. For now, he was with them in spirit, and they were a part of his heart. They wouldn’t stop lookin’ for him till they’d found him, till they’d brought him home safe and sound.

That was a hope worth wishin’ on, and the three of them wouldn’t stop wishin’ until it came true. Goofy smiled a little at the thought. He was thinkin’ like Sora now. Maybe their friend wasn’t as far away as they’d thought.

He looked out the window, and a shooting star passed by, a sign that maybe Sora had heard them. No, it was more than that. It was a promise to return.

Goofy’s smile got bigger. “See you soon, Sora.”

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A/N: Happy Birthday to Sora! I wanted to write something for his birthday this year since I missed last year, and I decided to focus on his friendship with Donald and Goofy this time around. It’s been a little while since I’ve written some good Trinity Trio interactions, so it was nice to revisit them. Hope you enjoyed!

And really quickly: I’ll be returning to the kiss prompt fics here soon for anyone who’s wondering! A big thank you to all the people who have sent one in, I’ve seen them and will get to them when I can, I just want to make sure I do each one of them justice.

(And no, Sora, that is not a cake).

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minijenn · 3 years

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Hi so I'm interested in getting into the Kingdom Hearts series but I dont know which games to start, which games to avoid, and whether or not some of the games are canon or not. Could you help me please?

So the best thing you could get if you want to get into the series is this. (ignore the price tag Amazon has on it you can buy it at Walmart for like $20). It includes every game/cutscene movie in the series (except for the mobile game and the recently released Melody of Memory). Either way its the perfect collection to get you caught up to speed (I got caught up back before this complete collection existed so back then there were two collections you had to buy before they compiled them into just one lol). Either way, it includes basically every single thing you’ll need to get the (almost) complete story of KH. When it comes to what you’ll want to experience with it, here’s my take on things (in order of how you should play/watch them and what they are in that collection):

Kingdom Hearts (full game playable in the collection): Absolutely MUST play, its a great game and its story is the most simple in the series, very fun and charming and sets up some of the major characters (namely our main Destiny Trio) very nicely. Even if its not the first timeline wise, you’ll want to start with KH1 because of how it introduces the series and its concepts and characters in the most simplistic of ways

Chain of Memories (full game playable in collection, but honestly? I recommend just watching the cutscenes online its NOT fun to play through in my opinion): Again experience the story of this one at least. Its the direct sequel to KH1 and its where things start to get... kind of confusing. To fully understand what happens in this one, you may have to revisit it more than once, I’ve watched through it twice now and I’m still fucking baffled by a lot of it tbh but it sets up 2 so for that its worthwhile I guess?

358/2 Days (Cutscene Movie in collection); So you can watch all of the cutscenes in this one on the collection in a few hours. Its a pretty touching and emotional story focused on the Sea Salt Trio though it does have some... kind of confusing tangents in it too tbh. Either way its well worth the time to look into to learn more about certain characters, as well as the inner workings of Organization XIII

Kingdom Hearts 2 (full game playable in collection): MUST play, its fantastic tbh. Its often cited as the fandom’s favorite for a reason; it builds a TON on what KH1 set up, offers some really fun Disney worlds, and its plot is absolutely fucking batshit and I love that about it. Highly recommend this one for some of the character moments in it especially there are some really funny, really touching, and really heartbreaking scenes in this one, its a wild ride

Birth By Sleep (full game playable): MUST play though its kind of not that great to play in my opinion? Then again I suck at KH games so I might not be the best to ask in that regard XD Its story is great though, focusing on the Wayfinder trio and their absolute tragic backstory. Speaking of backstories, this a prequel, set like 10 years before KH1, something important to keep in mind going into it to avoid confusion (though you do see younger versions of some characters that show up in the “present” games so I suppose that helps lol)

Re:Coded (cutscene movie): Ugh... honestly? You can skip this one, it adds fucking nothing and its boring as hell to get through. If you really wanna sit through it, feel free to but its mostly a big old confusing waste of time if you ask me, one that doesn’t really add much to the story at all.

Union Cross/KHX/Back Cover: Ok so this is where it gets really confusing. Union Cross is the KH mobile game which I don’t recommend playing because from what I’ve heard its very grindy and basically its “pay to win”; so instead, I recommend getting caught up on this one through watching the “cutscenes” or reading through a plot synopsis online; This is another prequel, set waaaaaay before any of the other games and it has some... stuff thats significant mostly for the sake of KH3 and whatever will likely come after it more than anything else; Its story is... fine. Confusing as hell, but fine. Back Cover is a movie that’s on that collection that tells the story of the Foretellers and its boring as shit but I would recommend at least knowing what happens in it to understand the story of the first Keyblade War.

Dream Drop Distance (full game playable): Absolutely recommend this one, its a delight to play through and has a really fun (but also hella fucking confusing) story (confusing is a word thats very often used to describe KH for a reason XD); Its set after KH2 and follows Sora and Riku and its basically building up towards KH3 and elements that show up there. Again, highly recommend this one its one of my favorites of the bunch

Fragmentary Passage (full game playable): Though that game is only like 2 hours long. This is sort of another prequel though its also set during KH1 and you play as Aqua, who I’m in love with :) It was kind of made as a KH3 tech demo and that’s why its so short but its pretty fun and its story is compelling enough to keep you going as it continues building the way towards 3

Kingdom Hearts 3 (full game playable): Absolutely play this one; I may have my problems with its story, but its a hella fun time gameplay wise and its story has... its moments where its not fucking stupid. Though some of it is fucking stupid and I just have to deal with that :) Anyway KH3 is the conclusion of what’s called the “dark seeker” arc, which is really just the arc where we have Xehanort and the Organization as antagonists, tho knowing this hell series I’m sure they’ll all fucking come back someday :P Anyway its the culmination of a lot of things throughout the series and while some ends aren’t tied up the best, others are beautifully here. Totes recommend even if I personally have a very love/hate relationship with it ^_^

Re:Mind (bonus online purchase): This isn’t a game but its KH3′s DLC and it likely isn’t included in that story so far set. It basically adds more onto KH3′s ending and sets up for whatever game will come next after it (and also sets up MoM)

Melody of Memory (not included in set): The newest game in the series and a rhythm game at that; its largely just a recap of past games and their events, but the gameplay is really fun and addictive, plus KH music slaps. It does have about 15 minutes of brand new story content tacked onto the end of it, which again, is setting up for whatever game likely comes next, but if ya wanna skip it, I wouldn’t blame you, its waaaaaaay too expensive right now, I’d honestly just wait for a price drop :P

Dark Road: This is another mobile game and it basically tells Master Xehanort’s backstory; I personally haven’t looked into this one because I don’t give a single fuck about that asshole’s history but ya can if you want more context into his character I guess :/

And those are all the KH games. There’s a fucking lot of them and I hate them all. I also love them all. I basically love/hate this entire hell series,, so much so that I decided to write a shitty angst fic about it (which I highly recommend if you do actually go through all of the KH games, Keys to the Kingdom is basically an AU of KH3 and also sort of a “fix it fic” of sorts XD its a good, tragic time all around XD (forgive the shameless self promotion)) Anyway, enjoy the insanity that is KH!

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teganberry · 5 years

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‘Only a heart of pure darkness can exist in perfect balance with your light. That’s why I did this, Kairi, so we can finally be together like we promised.’

Dark Sora has been on my mind all week! Hopefully when I get some time in the future I can come back and colour this properly. This if for @phoenix-downer, @chachacharlieco and everyone else who enjoyed that brilliant Dark Sora thread we had going the other day.

And guess what?! This time I’ve actually written a fic to go along with my drawing under the cut! Be warned this thing is kinda long, and its been a while since I’ve written anything other than scripts and story outlines, so please be kind. Hope you all enjoy my take on Dark Sora!

Reposting my artwork on any site is forbidden.

As the blinding power of her light begun to fade Kairi desperately did all she could to restore her vision. The stone floor of the chamber felt incredibly cold beneath her. Looking downward she focused on the ridiculously ornate dress she’d been forced to wear for the ceremony. The thought of ripping the damn thing off immediately came to mind, but she thought better of it for now. Before anything else she needed to ascertain just what had happened.

The task that brought her here should have been simple enough. A week ago it was discovered that the waters of Radiant Gardens had become inexplicably tainted with darkness once more. No one knew the cause; it had seemingly come out of nowhere. It was quickly determined that, despite the Restoration Committees’ best efforts, the only way to stop the spread of the darkness would be with the light of a pure heart. That was where Kairi came in, as Princess possessing a heart of pure light. She need only touch source of Radiant Gardens many rivers with her pure light and the darkness would be eradicated once more.

When Leon had first sent for Kairi’s aid she was initially reluctant, especially when told she would be required to perform a traditional Radiant Garden purification ceremony in order to complete the task. It was only when her companion begun to speculate that connecting with the source of her original home World’s power may help aid in their current quest that she finally agreed. At this point, after 6 months of fruitless searching, Kairi was willing to give anything a try in order to find some answers.

Returning her attention to the immediate surroundings, Kairi was initially relieved the light had now faded enough for her to see again. The horrific sight that met her eyes, however, immediately caused her blood to run cold. The unconscious bodies of her friends now lay inexplicably strewn about the underground chamber, when only moments earlier they had all been standing before her in support.

Fear grew in the pit of Kairi’s stomach when her eyes fell upon the seemingly lifeless forms of a silver haired young man and a brunette woman in a long pink dress, laying just off to her left. Her guardians, the ones who had sworn to protect her throughout the ceremony, had they failed in their duty? And was Kairi’s power the reason for their failure?

‘No, it can’t be…’ She whispered, barely able to form words. ‘This wasn’t supposed to happen.’

Kairi made to stand and make her way towards them. But subtle movements in her peripheral vision cause her to freeze. She didn’t want to look, but she knew she had to. Dreading what she what about to see Kairi remained on the ground, turning slowly to look to her right. She held her breath as she beheld the mass of pure swirling darkness that stood before her.

‘What are you? Why are you here?’ She managed to demand of it, despite her growing terror.

‘I’m here because you called.’ A distorted voice replied from within the darkness.

And with that the darkness began to condense and reform, quickly taking on what appeared to be the form of a human. Then in the blink of an eye the darkness broke away, revealing a young man with a head of spiky brown hair in its place. His eyes remained closed for a moment before he finally allowed himself to look at her and smile.

‘Kairi.’ He said warmly. ‘I’ve missed you.’

Her first instinct was to jump up and throw her arms around him, but something inside held Kairi back. The person she had been searching and longing for, for so long was finally standing before her, but she couldn’t move. This was wrong. The darkness that had apparently brought him here, the strange new black garments he now wore, and the yellow glow of his eyes. Everything was wrong.

Finding her voice at last Kairi dared to form his name, ‘So-’

‘Sora?’ Another strained voice suddenly cut her off.

The young man in question allowed himself to take his eyes off Kairi for a moment to glance in the direction of the voice, his smile begins to fade. Kairi took the opportunity to look to her left once more and was relieved to find Riku had regained consciousness. His eyes however were fixed on Sora.

‘Riku, I’m glad to see you again too.’ Sora told him with a smile. But Kairi could tell something in his voice was off. As if Sora didn’t completely mean what he was saying.

Riku groaned as he forced himself into a kneeling position. Clearly whatever had happened when Kairi touched the water with her light had caused a lot of damage.

‘What happened to you? We were told your heart had travelled to a realm beyond The Final World. How did you end up here?’ Riku asked firmly.

Sora placed his hands behind his head and chuckled as if Riku had asked the simplest question in the world. ‘That’s easy. I heard Kairi’s call and followed her voice back here. Not like I haven’t done it before.’

In an instant Kairi knew he was lying. All three of them knew he was lying. She knew Riku was going to demand the truth from him with his next breath. But with the way Sora was behaving she doubted he’d give anyone a real answer. Anyone that is, except the one person Sora had never lied to.

‘Sora,’ Kairi’s voice was firm. ‘Tell me the truth. What did you do?’

Sora sighed and allowed his shoulders to slump a little. ‘Let me guess, you want to know about this.’ He then pointed towards his now yellow eyes to which Kairi nodded in response.

‘You sure? It’s a pretty long story…’

He was stalling but Kairi wasn’t having any of it. She pushed herself up from the ground, managing to stand again despite her cumbersome dress. She looked him directly in the eye.

‘Guess it’s a good thing I’ve got nothing but time then.’

Sora was the first to look away. ‘Fine, if its what you really want.’

‘Yep.’ She replied curtly. Kairi took a moment before he started speaking to readjust her dress. But truth be told it was only a rues in order to check on her friends, whom were still scattered about the room. She wasn’t afraid of Sora, not just yet anyway. But Kairi did fear that this new, darker Sora might run or lash out if everyone in the room suddenly woke up at once. It was all so surreal.

Kairi spotted Xion and Naminé lying side by side not too far away, their hands appeared to be grasped together despite being knocked out cold. Axel and Roxas lay in front of the pair. They had evidently tried to shield the girls when Kairi’s light had suddenly exploded. Isa and Leon lay unconscious nearby, as did Donald, Goofy and the King. While on the opposite side of the room Kairi could see Terra, Aqua, Ventus and Chirthy were all huddled together, but still just as comatose as the rest.

Lastly Kairi dared to glance back ever so slightly to check on Riku. Sora had seemed so cold towards their best friend she feared he may lash out at both of them, should he see her look towards Riku so deliberately. For the most part Riku seemed to be recovering well from the blast, and was attempting to revive Aerith.

‘Do you remember what happens to you when you die?’ Sora asked.

Kairi returned her full, undivided attention to him. ‘Yes, how could I forget? You travel to The Final World until you are ready to pass into the beyond.’

‘Technically you’re correct.’ Sora replied, his face growing ashen. ‘That’s what’s supposed to happen anyway. But sometimes you don’t end up there. Sometimes you end up somewhere completely different. Like a huge city, big enough for millions of people to live…but its completely empty, and you become stuck there all alone. With nothing but your own thoughts and memories to keep you company.’

‘Is that… what happened to you?’ Kairi felt her heart ache at the thought of Sora being trapped in such a lonely, empty place. He only nodded to confirm her fear.

‘I suppose it wasn’t all that bad though. While the loneliness was excruciating, I did have a lot of time to think about everything. Figure out why things happened the way they did, and what I did wrong.’

‘What you did wrong? Sora, you didn’t do anything wrong. You saved everyone.’

Sora offered her a rueful smile in response. ‘I did. But in the end, despite all the good I’d done, I wasn’t allowed to have the one thing I wanted more than anything else. To keep my promise to you.’

The pain she felt in her heart as he spoke those words was immense. But after the first throb Kairi realized the pain suddenly felt drastically different, magnified, if that was even possible. She let out a gasp and clutched her chest as her eyes met Sora’s.

Sora tilted his head slightly to the side. ‘You felt that too, huh? Interesting.’

Kairi was unnerved by the smile that began to form on Sora’s lips. That was when she heard Riku finally stand up, his strength returned.

‘Sora, what are you doing to Kairi?’ He demanded.

‘Nothing!’ Sora retorted with a glare. ‘And even if I was doing “something” to her it wouldn’t be any of your business.’

Kairi raised an arm to silence the two bickering friends. ‘I’m ok, Riku. Really.’ She knew he didn’t believe that, but when Riku said nothing in reply she took it to mean he would let Sora continue telling his story… for now.

‘Did you figure out what it was you did that was so wrong?’ Kairi asked, despite her fear of what Sora’s answer would be.

‘Yeah I did.’ He genuinely began to smile now. ‘And what’s better, I figured out how to fix everything.’

‘So you figured out a way back home?’

‘Even better than that! I figured out a way to make sure we’ll be together forever, Kairi, no matter what!’ Sora’s smile was genuine but his eyes still looked cold. The combination of the two along with his bold statement was increasingly unnerving. ‘I just had to get rid of my light.’

Kairi’s mouth opened in utter shock, she imagined Riku’s face looked much the same. Somewhere in the back of her mind Kairi noted that some of the others in the underground chamber were now beginning to stir, but that hardly mattered anymore.

‘Get rid of your light? Sora, I don’t understand, why would you want to rid yourself of light?’

‘Balance.’ He replied. ‘Turns out Master Xehanort was on the right track. There must always be a balance between light and darkness. Where he went wrong though was deciding that balance could only be obtained through destruction. Unfortunately for him the light and the dark a far more complex than that.’

‘But what does a balance between light and dark have to do with you and me, Sora?’

He smiled a little more sadly now. ‘It has everything to do with us, right from the moment we first met on the islands.’ Sora moved towards her, close enough that Kairi had to tilt her head slightly upwards to meet his gaze. Sora had grown taller during his absence.

‘Its your heart, Kairi. I can’t believe it took me so long to realize.’ Her hand moved instinctively to her chest. ‘Your heart is made of pure light, no darkness can ever reside within you. Your heart possesses such an incredible amount of light, it only makes sense you have no true need for the light of others. You can walk through corridors darkness and it would never touch you.’

‘Sora, I don’t understand what your trying to say.’ She was pleading with him now, desperate to understand just how things had gone so wrong.

‘From the moment we met your heart has always called to mine, and mine to you.’ Beginning to feel confidant, Sora dared to raise his hand so he could lightly play with a loose strand of her hair. She decided to allow him to, for now. ‘I’ll never understand why a heart as pure as yours chose an idiot like me, but I’m happy you did. For the longest time I believed we’d always be together, until suddenly we weren’t. And no matter how hard I tried each time I found you, we’d always be ripped apart again. I realized then that all the worlds were doing whatever they could to keep us apart, because so long as my heart possessed light we could never truly be together. Only a heart of pure darkness can exist in perfect balance with your light. That’s why I did this, Kairi, so we can finally be together like we promised.’

‘That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth! And quite frankly that’s saying a lot!’

Kairi jumped and the sudden shout, and looked to see an utterly furious Riku glaring at Sora. ‘If any of that was even remotely true then how come all the other Princess’ of Heart are all allowed to live happily with their respective Princes? Last time I checked they all had both light and darkness in their hearts.’

Sora only smirked at his best friend’s retort. ‘That’s true I won’t deny it. But your forgetting there’s a big difference between them and Kairi and I. You know, that little thing we call a Keyblade?’ He then proceeded to summon his Kingdom Key as a final attempt to hammer his new ideology home to Riku.

‘Keyblades were created to serve the worlds, to maintain the balance between light and dark. As wielders it is up to us to maintain that balance. During my time alone I finally realized that our duty isn’t only limited to battle, it extends into every aspect of our lives. As a wielder it only makes sense that the light of Kairi’s heart must be balanced with a heart of equal darkness. Kairi has always been my light and now I am her darkness, just as we were always meant to be.’

Kairi could feel her heart breaking with each passing second. ‘So that’s how you found your way back. You gave into the darkness.’

Sora sighed at her words. ‘I didn’t give into anything. I simply accepted the reality before me. At the end of the day I will always make the same choice. I’ll always choose you. As for how I found my way back…I did use the darkness to begin with, but it only got me halfway. Your light opened the final path for me.’

For a moment Kairi was confused before her eyes widened in utter shock, she looked down at the water source she had touched with her light. ‘The water purification ceremony, the darkness in Radiant Gardens’ water supply…that was you?’

Sora grinned. ‘Remember in school when we were taught natural water is an excellent conductor for electricity? Turns out its also an excellent conductor of light and darkness too. Though I had no idea the reaction of your light and my darkness coming in contact through the water would be so…explosive. Your actually ridiculously powerful Kairi, you do realize that don’t you?’

Kairi was still in shock trying to comprehend what he was implying. ‘Sora I…that explosion of light…we hurt everyone here. We hurt our friends!’

For the first time Sora looked taken aback by her words. ‘No we didn’t…I mean we did, but I didn’t mean for that to happen! Look I didn’t know it would cause your light to explode like that. I just…I wanted to be by your side again so bad I didn’t care about the risks.’

Kairi wanted to scream at him for his recklessness, but the look of regret on his face made her pause. He almost looked like the Sora she remembered, finally showing genuine concern for their injured friends.

‘Everything is going to ok Kairi, I promise. But there’s something you and I need to do first.’

Sora’s face had suddenly turned darkly determined once more as he made to embrace her. He was stopped in his actions, however, as a blur of black and white made to attack him with a Keyblade from behind. But he was too quick, Sora had sensed her coming. He turned and successfully blocked her attack with ease. The initial frown on his face grew into a bemused smile as he learnt the identity of his attacker.

‘I can feel how upset you are with me, Xion, but now really isn’t a good time.’ Sora calmly told the dark haired wielder as she continued to stubbornly pressure her Kingdom Key against his own. ‘We can do this some other time. Right now Mum and Dad need to have a little talk, ok?’

Xion suddenly blanked at his overly casual and strangely accepting reference to her true origin. The pause was enough to give Sora the opening he needed, managing to push her off hard enough to send her stumbling backwards. Thankfully Naminé was able to catch Xion before she fell to the ground and held her tightly. A now conscious Roxas and Axel quickly joined the pair to comfort Xion.

‘Now then…’ Sora mused, returning his attention back to Kairi.

‘Sora, don’t you dare make another move!’ It was now Riku’s turn to somehow intervene. But while his Keyblade was summoned he still had yet to move from his position beside the still unconscious Aerith.

Kairi knew he wanted to protect her, but she could also tell that he feared what Sora might do in response. She understood then that there was only one thing she could do. And as scary as the possibilities may be, Kairi had to admit she wanted to know the true extent of Sora’s plan. She turned away from Sora so she could speak with her best friend.

‘It’ll be ok, Riku.’ She told him through a pained smile. ‘We both know Sora would never hurt me.’

She saw a look of defeat cross his face as Riku lowered his blade. Moments later she heard Sora move towards her. She closed her eyes as his arms held her tightly.

‘The true path for restoring balance to the worlds begins here, with you and me.’ He whispered so only she could hear. ‘I just need you to trust me.’

‘I trust you.’ Kairi replied. As the words left her lips her heart suddenly pounded out of control as her light became enveloped in darkness, Sora’s darkness. But it wasn’t overwhelming her; in fact it was quite the opposite. Kairi could feel her light resonating with his darkness. She kept her eyes firmly closed.

‘You feel it, don’t you?’ Came Sora’s voice, gentle and encouraging. She realized with a start that he hadn’t spoken out aloud, his voice was inside her head.

‘How are you doing that?’ Kairi asked in bewilderment.

‘Our hearts are resonating. The balance of light and dark means we can share a new bond, just the two of us. From now on we’ll be able to sense were the other is, no matter how far apart we may be. If we want to we can even share feelings and emotions.’

‘“No matter how far apart we may be.” You say that as if you’re going to leave again. Sora, if you were planning to disappear and leave me all over again then what was the point of turning to the darkness or coming back to the realm of light at all? Was this all some elaborate lie?’

‘No, it's not a lie.’ Sora defended.

‘But it is a lie. You’ve been lying this whole time. When you saved me from The Final World you promised that, even if you faded away, you would always be my light. Sora…’

Kairi opened her eyes and turned to look at him properly. She held his face so he couldn’t look away from her. ‘Why did you break your promise to me?’

Sora’s mouth opened and closed a number of times but nothing came out. Fear, hurt and regret flashed across his face before he finally found his words again. ‘Kairi, I did what I had to do.’

Kairi wanted to scream and cry all at once, but her heart ached too much for her to do either. And judging by the pained look on Sora’s face he was clearly feeling her pain as well. She guessed the whole sharing emotions thing really was true. Before anything else could be said a new voice spoke.

‘Sora? Is that you?’ came the voice of the King.

They both looked to see King Mickey, Donald, Goofy and the rest of their friends had finally awakened.

‘Sora?’ Donald and Goofy both spoke in a mixture of apprehension and disbelief.

Kairi felt fear but it wasn’t her own. She looked at Sora, his face pale and yellow eyes glowing.

‘I have to go.’ He told her, refusing to meet her eye. A dark portal opened up beside him and he made to walk through it.

He was only stopped by Kairi grabbing his hand and refusing to let go. ‘Please don’t go!’ She begged.

Sora looked back at her once more with a pained smile. ‘This isn’t the end, it’s a new beginning.’ He told her before freeing his hand from her grasp. And without another word he passed through the dark corridor and vanished.

As the last wisps of darkness faded away Kairi fell to the ground and burst into tears. Riku, Aerith and Aqua rushed forward and embraced the poor girl. It felt like forever before Kairi was finally calm enough to speak. Seeking Riku’s embrace, she told him Sora’s final lie.

‘His heart isn’t pure darkness. I felt it, his light is still there. It’s locked away, sleeping deep inside his heart. We just have to convince him to come back to us and let it free.’

#kingdom hearts #sora #kairi #sokai #kingdom hearts 3 #dark sora #riku #kh #my art #oh god I've been writing for hours!#How do you amazing fanfic writers do it?#You guys are the true heros #imma go pass out now

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blissfulnightrain · 4 years

Text

It’s been a while since I’ve shared any of my writing, hasn’t it?

Here’s a piece I wrote the other day, a canon-compliant fic set in KHII featuring the experiences of Axel and Naminé’s, and how they brought the two of them together.

If you prefer FFN or AO3, it is available there as well!

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Memories of Promises

Words: 1941

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Twilight sky, cotton candy clouds, and Ansem - no, Riku, she had to keep reminding herself - disappeared behind a smoky veil of black and blue.

She was no stranger to the Dark Corridors, having been in them numerous times before. It was thrilling, in a way. They’d been her means of travel with DiZ when they first escaped Castle Oblivion - the first time she’d ever been outside the confines of its labyrinth of white walls. Unbeknownst to her what their ultimate destination was at the time, she daydreamed, bright-eyed, about what they might find on the other side. Would it be some sort of tropical isle? Maybe an arid desert laden with bazaars and the rare oasis? Or perhaps an underwater realm populated with rainbows of fish and all kinds of other sea creatures as far as the eye could see? These were, after all, just a fraction of the many places she’d seen among Sora’s memories.

Naive was just one of the many words she could have used to describe herself. It had been foolish of her to expect great sights, or even think that she was worthy of any sort of adventure with the task she had at hand. The mansion may have been in a different world, but every morning she was still greeted by the same white walls and the same boy whose life she’d stolen a year away from.

She got a taste of what life outside those walls might be like during those last seven days. In a race to finish getting Sora’s memories back intact, she had to get out there, get in touch with Roxas. The virtual Twilight Town was just as beautiful as she imagined the real one was, perpetually bathed in the same reds and yellows of the setting sun that she’d always see illuminating the lawn and broken pillars littering the view from her window. She kept having to remind herself that none of it was real, that Roxas was the only thing that truly existed in that digital realm.

The warmth of his hand in hers when she’d when she reached into the darkness after him…

What looked like pain in his cerulean eyes, when she repeated DiZ’s words, that he was never meant to exist…

...Everything about him was real, genuine, despite what DiZ said.

And he still was, even though his physical form disappeared after he finally rejoined with Sora - like hers would when the inevitable time for her to rejoin her own Other would come, too.

At least, that was what she believed.

But that didn’t appear to matter to DiZ now that Sora was awake again. His memories restored, Naminé’s calling was fulfilled, and he had no need for her anymore. She was useless, only a nuisance now at best. Riku’s mercy was the only thing keeping her alive now. And so, here she was, alone in the Realm of Darkness.

“So, just you and me from here on out, huh?” Alone with Axel.

This wasn’t her first time getting acquainted with the fiery redhead. Their first meeting pre-dated the events at the Castle and the domino effect that occurred thereafter. He had been the captors that held her hostage to do their bidding, who’d convinced her to use her powers to cause the whole mess in the first place. Though, Axel wasn’t quite like the others.

He’d set her free to move about, allowing herself to follow her...whatever the driving force behind her decision-making was. And it was because of him she’d met Sora in the flesh in the first place.

She hadn’t seen Axel since then, so meeting him again now was quite strange. Much had transpired since then, that she was aware of. Restoring Sora’s memories meant she’d had to sift through Roxas's as well, and she’d seen, over the year, how the light and flickering flame of their friendship had grown.

What Axel was feeling now, if anything at all, she couldn’t quite say. His expression was hard to discern; gone was the playful, rather arrogant mask he always wore around the Castle, revealing solemn emerald eyes set above those tear-shaped markings underneath.

“So…” she began rather awkwardly, their words echoing despite the lack of walls or structures in this realm.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“For taking care of him.” He looked up, quickly noticing her puzzled expression. “Of Roxas.”

“Nobody would miss me.” Roxas's back was turned to him, barely visible under the cloak of his Organization uniform and the looming night sky of The World that Never Was. Axel’s face grew wet, but it was the pitter-pattering against the concrete streets that told him that rain had begun to fall.

It was foolish of him to think the sensation hailed from anything otherwise - he would have needed a heart to cry, after all.

He could only stand and watch as his best friend disappeared into the night rain, chasing after the answers he hoped resided in its mist. Answers that Axel already knew, but couldn’t relay himself.

Cowardice was what a Somebody might call it.

“You did the thing I wanted, but couldn’t bring myself to do,” he continued. “Not until it was too late, anyway.” He looked straight into her indigo eyes. “You had the guts to tell him the truth.”

She pushed strands of her wispy blonde hair behind her ear, finding herself needing to take a step back under his rather intense stare. “Only because...it was what he wanted. Even though...” The pained expression in those cerulean eyes flashed in her mind once more. “...it ended up hurting him.”

“He deserved to know.” Axel’s shoulders were slumped, gaze averted. “He deserved to make his own choice in the end.”

“As do we all,” Naminé agreed, clutching her sketchbook close to her chest. A few somber moments passed between them.

“So, you said there was someone you wanted to go see,” Axel inquired, finally breaking the silence. Naminé looked up; gone was the glazed-over haze that clouded his features, replaced by the return of that impish grin he’d always worn around the Castle. The same mischievous look he’d given her the first time he’d let her go free… “Now who might that be?”

Her sketchbook was still turned to the page she’d been glancing at before, seated against the grain of that wooden park bench and under Riku’s watchful gaze. The shadows of the Realm of Darkness now obscured the white space of the canvas that Twilight Town’s setting sun previously illuminated, but the scribbled forms of Sora and Roxas still stood tall, hand in hand, in its center.

“Given the way things are, I think putting my munny on Sora’s a good bet, wouldn’t ya say?” Naminé let out a gasp, only suddenly aware of Axel’s tall, lean frame looming over her.

“We made a promise,” Naminé explained once she’d regained her composure.

“A promise, huh?”

“Yes. But...”

“When I wake up, I’ll find you,” Sora began, standing in front of the pod he didn’t know he’d be spending his next year in. “And then there’ll be no lies. We’re gonna be friends for real. Promise me, Naminé.” She remembered the warmth of his calloused pinky entwined with hers - a physical symbol of that promise, Sora had explained.

She’d smiled then, but that wasn’t the expression she bore on her face now.

“You’re going to forget making that promise,” she’d explained to him. And though he denied it then…

“‘Thank Naminé,” Jiminy chirped, reviewing the memo he’d left behind before he’d been put to sleep along with Sora. Now finally awake, Sora simply stood between Donald and Goofy, the three of them shaking their heads, not a single spark of recognition in any of their eyes.

It had been foolish of her to hope otherwise, and yet the truth still stung. Part of her wondered what might happen if she did go through and reunite with him, but she knew better. If Roxas couldn’t remember Axel, his best friend, while imprisoned in the Data Twilight Town, why would Sora remember her, now an insignificant speck who’d been more of a nuisance than anything in the time he’d known her?

But there was another promise she’d made, one that was already half fulfilled. Roxas had gone back to Sora, whole again, as Naminé had guaranteed. Now, she had to make good on the last half.

“Roxas!” she cried, staving off DiZ’s grasp as he tried to drag her through another dark corridor. “We will meet again, and then we can talk about everything. I may not know it’s you, and you may not know it’s me. But we will meet again. Someday soon. I promise!”

If she ever wanted to see either of them again, this was not the form she could meet them in.

“Roxas isn’t the only one who needed to go back to where he came from.” Naminé flipped her sketchbook closed, now holding it against her stomach.

“Don’t tell me…” Axel’s jaw was clenched, his fists shaking harder and harder as she’d relayed her true resolve. “You’re going to throw your life away, too?”

“A life that was never meant to exist in the first place. Just like Roxas's.”

“You really believe that?!” She could have sworn embers began to glow and swirl around his body, his shoulders tightening even further. Still, she stood steadfast.

“I never had a right to exist. And by doing so...look what’s happened. I messed up so much for so many people, and Roxas paid the price, too…”

“You were our prisoner!” Axel only grew more exasperated. “You only ‘messed’ things up because we told you to!”

“And you only told me to because of this power I have,” she shot back calmly. “A power that’ll be much better done away with now that Sora’s memories are restored.” Another moment of silence passed, though tension weighed heavily in the air. She held her breath when Axel opened his mouth once more.

“You’ve never actually had a taste of freedom before, have you?” Axel broke the silence once again. His tone was much calmer this time, devoid of the fiery passion she feared might burst into flames earlier.

She looked up at him, curiosity now simmering beneath her deep blue eyes. “Freedom?” she parrotted, the word leaving a foreign, indiscernible flavor on her tongue.

Now Axel was the one dumbfounded. Everything in her tone, her body language, demanded an explanation of the concept, and yet…

All his years as a Nobody had been spent serving under the Superior, until now.

A rogue agent, he...was truly free for the first time himself, wasn’t he?

“Well,” he began, his words now brimming with newfound purpose, “we’re gonna figure that out together.” He turned, his back now towards her as he began to step forward. “And I’m gonna bring him back. So he can taste freedom too.”

“What?”

“Come on, you can’t think it’s fair? You and me, finally free to do what we want, while Roxas is trapped and hidden away? You say he made the choice, but you think this is what he really wanted?”

Naminé pondered over his words for a moment, finding herself not completely disagreeing. Had the circumstances been different, would Roxas have made the same choice?

Would she?

“...Even if we could, how would we - ?”

“We’ll find a way,” he assured her, tone full of resolve. Axel marched onwards, and Naminé was forced to decide whether or not to catch up with him.

What “freedom” truly was, Naminé still did not fully understand, but the choice behind her next step was hers to make.

#Axel #Naminé #Roxas #Sora #Kingdom Hearts #Kingdom Hearts fanfiction #KH fanfic #blissfulnightrainwrites #thanks for taking the time for reading my crappy writing #long post

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mastrechef · 4 years

Text

I finally finished one of my other writing projects, so I came back to this early. So here’s the next installment of my Kingdom Hearts fic that I still have yet to come up with a name for.

If you haven’t read the previous parts, here are links:

Part 1: https://mastrechef.tumblr.com/post/610880203769757696/this-idea-has-been-stewing-in-my-mind-for-a-while

Part 2: https://mastrechef.tumblr.com/post/611540563650609152/more-kingdom-hearts-stuff-just-because-i-feel-like

The scene was familiar, and yet at the same time not. She looked like no more than a doll, motionless and absent of any sign of life aside from the faint rise and fall of her chest. Looking on, Namine felt the usual stirring of remorse as a different image superimposed itself over Kairi. She had already spent far too much time standing by the wayside, watching while others slept away, unaware of the world moving on without them. To be in that situation again, even if—or perhaps, especially if—her involvement was minimal, left her feeling unsettled.

“How are things looking?” And there was Riku, checking in for updates like clockwork.

“Still nothing I’m afraid. Ienzo and the others were thinking it might be time to wake her up.” Riku nodded distractedly. Namine contemplated him for a moment. He had been running himself ragged lately, although he tried his best not to show it, his misplaced guilt over Sora’s disappearance driving him to extremes. Idly, she wondered when he’d last had a decent night’s sleep.

Speaking of sleep… “I heard you’ve started looking into your dreams for leads.”

“That’s right.” He huffed in discontent. “I feel like there’s something there, but I don’t really know what it is I’m looking for.”

Namine pursed her lips together, debating to herself. There had been something on her mind for a while now, something she hadn’t really known how to address. If anyone should know about it, it was Riku; yet, she still found herself hesitating. Her powers had caused nothing but pain, and if she could live the rest of her life without using them again she would be happy. More than anything, she wanted them to be gone. But in this case, her lingering connection to Sora might be their best lead. As much as she disliked it, she owed him this much.

“There’s something I need to show you,” she said eventually, flipping through the sketchbook she carried with her everywhere. She skipped past all the old drawings of Sora and of Roxas, past the newer sketches of Radiant Garden, finally coming to a halt on an image that stood out from the rest in its monochrome coloration. “The place in your dream...does it look like this?”

He took the offered sketchbook from her to examine the drawing in detail. “The buildings themselves look different, but something tells me they’re the same place. How did you know?”

“I suspected as much,” she said mostly to herself. “It was so strange, I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. It seems my ability to influence Sora’s memories still works. I pulled this from some of his newest memories.”

“You mean you can tell what Sora’s been up to? What he’s doing right now?”

“Sort of. The memories are distorted, and they’ve only been getting worse.”

“Still, it’s another avenue we can pursue.” He took Namine’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for sharing this with me.” Riku understood what it was that she was offering; he also understood just what it would cost her. Already she felt anxious. For Sora, she reminded herself.

...

He’s like a stray cat, Sora couldn’t help but think when Vanitas inevitably hunted him down again, this time aimlessly wandering the winding city streets. About as prickly as one too. He made a mental note never to mention that out loud. He had a feeling Vanitas would take issue with the comparison. Deciding to let the other start the conversation this time, Sora kept his silence. He didn’t have to wait long.

“Who is that guy you’re always fighting?”

“His name’s Yozora, although I don’t think that’s really him.” Sora didn’t bother to elaborate further. He had the barest inkling of what was really going on, though Yozora’s role in it was the one thing he was certain of.

Nevertheless, Vanitas obviously understood anyway. “He’s the reason you’re stuck here.” It wasn’t a question; rather it was a confident assertion.

“Yeah.” Sora took a moment to scrutinize the other boy. There were deep bags under his eyes and weariness hung over him like a cloak. While physically they looked to be about the same age, Vanitas looked to be much more weighed down, like every instant just existing was felt as a physical burden. An ache of a different kind bloomed in his chest. “Why don’t you stay with me for a while?” he offered on impulse. “My heart has always been a sanctuary for others. I was able to help Ventus become whole again; I could do the same for you.”

Vanitas shot him a flat stare. “You don’t get it.”

“I’m not dumb. I don’t know all the details, but I know that everything you’ve been through must have been painful.” He had enough vague impressions from Roxas and Xion to understand that much. And he himself knew intimately the pain of not being enough; not strong enough, not fast enough, not worthy enough. More gently, he said, “At least if you stay with me you won’t ever be alone. And if you want to sleep and ignore the world for a while, that’s fine too.”

The sound of Vanitas’ footsteps halted, and Sora stopped as well to look back at him.

“Why are you trying so hard to save me?” If he was trying for aggressive, all he achieved was sounding mildly annoyed. Above all else, he just sounded tired. It made Sora incredibly sad to see someone in such a state.

“Because you deserve a chance. All you’ve known is darkness, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have something else.” He put as much sincerity into both his words and his expression as he could. He wanted—no, needed Vanitas to believe him.

In the face of Sora’s earnest desire to help, Vanitas was unable to refuse. Sora could read it in his eyes. He beamed. Vanitas stubbornly avoided looking at him directly, seeming to already be regretting his decision, but all the same, he didn’t call up a dark corridor to get away.

“So how does this work?”

“I have no clue. I don’t really remember how it happened before. Maybe—if it’s anything like the power of waking, it’ll come to me when I need it.”

Without warning, Sora grabbed Vanitas by the wrist to pull him close, simultaneously placing a hand on his chest, digging blunt nails in slightly when he tried to flinch away. He closed his eyes in concentration. He had opened his heart to Ventus once, and later to Kairi, Roxas, and presumably Xion, even if he hadn’t been conscious of it at the time. Now, he just needed to replicate that. His heart would lead the way.

There was a slight shift in energy, and a tingle went down his spine. Sora could sense it now, the flickering pinprick of light coated in darkness that was Vanitas’ heart. He focused on it, drawing it out. Vanitas exhaled in a woosh, but Sora didn’t acknowledge it, focused as he was. Come to me, he willed. There was a sudden pulse and Sora nearly lost his balance as Vanitas disappeared in a shower of light. In his mind’s eye, he could see Vanitas descending gently onto his station of awakening.

“Oh,” he whispered breathlessly. The void that had opened up when Ventus woke was shrinking, the cracks in his heart filling in. The old, persistent ache was gone. In its place he felt...surprisingly warm, like a flame had ignited within his chest. It was a little strange, but not unwelcome. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who had forgotten what being whole was like.

You cozy in there? He was only a little startled to actually receive a reply.

Just peachy. Now shut the fuck up and let me sleep. But don’t think I won’t take over if you start doing stupid shit.

Got it.

Sora lifted his gaze to the stars overhead, renewed resolve flowing into him. He had a feeling that his next meeting with Yozora would go very differently.

Dodging immediately to the side had become so routine as to be pure muscle memory. He brought his keyblade up to block the swift alternating succession of laser beams and sword strikes. Feeling faster than he had in all their previous battles, Sora took the initiative to charge Yozora, landing a couple solid strikes to his midsection. Yozora backflipped away, and Sora held back, knowing he would be readying his next attack.

Phantom sword slashes flew through the air as Sora danced around them. Narrowly twisting away from another one, he threw a firaga his opponent’s way, distracting him enough to allow Sora to close the distance once more. A surge of exhilaration flooded his body. After what felt like an entire lifetime fighting heartless or nobodies or any resident big bad that was up to no good, battle was in his blood. As much as he’d like nothing better than to return to Destiny Islands with Riku and Kairi, he doubted he could settle into a peaceful life. A restless part of him would always seek out adventure or the adrenaline rush of a good fight.

When Yozora retreated from his assault again, Sora tensed his muscles in preparation. He rolled away before the glowing red pyramid could trap him. As soon as he got to his feet, he instantly spun around, bracing his keyblade against Yozora’s lightning quick onslaught. He evaded a second pyramid, then cast thundaga to interrupt the other’s rhythm.

The battle continued, becoming more of a competition of stamina. The fatigue that had plagued Sora before was non-existent. He felt so energized that he could go on like this for ages. Yozora showed no signs of slowing either.

An idea formed as he recalled the fight at the Keyblade Graveyard. Pouring all his magic into it, he summoned forth the ultimate keyblade transformation. Surrounded by a swarm of blades, he had but to direct them towards Yozora. He was quickly overwhelmed.

Yozora collapsed to his knees, panting in exertion. He lifted a hand as it began dispersing into blue light. “I guess...that my powers aren’t needed yet.”

“What do you mean?” Sora was confused. What powers? Was Yozora not the one who trapped him here?

Yozora’s expression turned strangely melancholy. “Nevermind.” He gave Sora one last tiny, barely there smile before everything burst into light.

Sora uncovered his eyes, blinking away the spots burned into his vision, to see the cloud filled sky and mirror-like watery landscape of the Final World. The last specks of light drifted off into the air like puffs of dandelions blown by the wind.

#kingdom hearts #post-kingdom hearts iii #ficlet #namine #riku #sora #vanitas #yozora #this is basically the end of the prologue of this story #now i need to get cracking on planning the actual story

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angel-with-a-pipette · 5 years

Text

Be mine

Chatpter two: I want you for a life time

Summary:

“I can’t do this, Riku.” “Yes, you can. All you need to do is walk over to her, offer her a fruit and bite into it.”

Sora finally wants to share a paopu with Kairi, but things go differently than he planned.

Rating: G

Genre: Romance

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Disney/Square Enix.

10 months ago, I submitted a first draft of this story to the mods of the twosides fanzine, a charity fanzine focusing on Sokai and Rokunami. I can proudly say that I wrote this before KH3 was released (but after the TGS trailer dropped, so I was HEAVILY inspired by it and the lyrics of "Don't think twice") - so I've been giddily sitting on this for quite a while!

I’ve posted the first ‘chapter’ quite a while ago which actually contains cut content that didn't make it into the zine because the story became too long. Today, I can finally share the piece that has been printed in the zine :3

A huge thank you to Liv and Raye for making the twosides fanzine and for making this fic possible ♥

Also available on: ao3

Please enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as he heard sand crunching beneath his feet, Sora slowed down. Staying at the edge of the wooden bridge, he pressed one of his hands against his chest, willing his breath to calm down again, only to realize how quickly his heart was beating.

How could planning to commit to the girl he loved be so much more nerve wracking than trying to save the entire universe?!

Sora started to move again, towards the crooked paopu tree on top of which Kairi sat. She stared ahead, into the slowly setting sun, a soft breeze playing with her hair which only lead to Sora's heart pounding even harder in his chest.

He couldn't do this.

He took a step back and caught his foot on that one wayward root of the tree that was strangely shaped like the head of a mouse. He yelped lightly before catching his balance again and started to chuckle lightly, throwing a sheepish smile in Kairi's direction, sure that she had caught every second of it, ready to tease him.

But she didn't. She continued staring out to the ocean, her lightly upwards curled lip the only indication that she had witnessed his moment of embarrassment. And suddenly, Sora understood.

She was giving him a way out.

He had asked her to meet him today on the paopu tree. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Sora wanted to talk about, especially since the both of them could have talked any time while staying in Radiant Garden. Yet, she patiently sat atop of the tree, ankles gracefully crossed as her hands rested on her lap. She waited for him to make the first move – as she always did.

No more. He wouldn't make her wait one more second.

Swallowing his nerves once and for all, Sora hauled himself up onto the tree. Before he could scoot closer however, she turned towards him, a dazzling smile spreading over her lips and Sora prayed to Zeus, Poseidon, even Hades that the evening sun would hide the blush creeping up his cheeks.

“Hey Sora!”

“Kairi,” he replied breathlessly and patted down his left trouser pocket as inconspicuously as possible.

Still there.

“I know you wanted to tell me something, but please, can I go first? It's urgent.”

Upon her words, Sora let go of the flap of his pocket and his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Sure. What's the matter?”

“My lucky charm worked decently up until now, but I feel like we need something stronger, something more reliable. Your last fight with Xehanort,” she faltered and her eyes flashed to the spot on his abdomen where she knew he had been injured, “it was too close of a call. And I wasn't even there to protect you.”

“It's not your job to protect me, Kairi-”

“I could have lost you.”

Sora knew that it was true. He had been in and out of consciousness for a day and bound to his bed for another two, despite countless Curagas being cast on him and gallons of potions being rubbed into his skin and poured into his throat to help him heal.

He would do it all again if it meant that his friends stayed safe.

“The coming battle is unlike anything we have faced so far… this charm will make sure we won’t be separated again.”

She let a small, red pouch slide into his outstretched hand and he looked at it curiously. It was lighter than he anticipated from its looks, tied up with a golden cord that he cautiously pulled at while Kairi began to explain.

“I commissioned this from the Moogles in Radiant Garden. To make sure we won't be separated, they worked a Thalassa shell into it. And to make sure you never get hurt as badly again, I asked them to put as many protective spells onto the charm as possible.”

Sora's eyes widened as he stared into the pouch.

“I know,” Kairi continued, suddenly shy, “it's probably weird that I asked for a ring to be made. I know you don't wear jewelry apart from your necklace, but I wanted the charm to be small and practical, so I figured a ring would be the best choice.”

“Rings.”

“Excuse me?”

“Rings,” Sora repeated and looked up to meet Kairi's eyes again who stared at him in confusion. Wordlessly, he turned the pouch upside down, emptying its contents into his open palm: two slender silver rings, a big one and one slightly smaller, with an orange-red inlay of a Thalassa shell.

Kairi stared at his hand, back at his face and again at his hand.

“Oh,” she finally uttered and even the sunset wasn't able to hide the blush that was spreading over her cheeks as she got a faraway look... before her eyes suddenly hardened. “That explains why they overcharged me! Those little..!” She shook her head. “Anyway. Maybe you can just wear both of them on a necklace? But then again, you already wear your crown necklace. Maybe you can just slip them into your pocket? Or – oh!” Kairi started to gesture frantically and Sora couldn't help but follow the movement of her right hand as an idea formed in his head. “You wore a key chain in the past, didn't you? You could put both rings on it. Or-”

“You could wear the small one.”

Kairi fell silent mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open as the familiar nervousness spread through Sora once again.

“I want you to wear the second ring,” he clarified. “You said this charm will make sure we won't be separated, right? It can't work if I hold onto both rings. And if I get lost, my ring will lead me back to yours.”

All of a sudden, something soft pressed against Sora's lips, but before his brain caught up with what was happening, the sensation stopped and Kairi threw her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in horror.

She had kissed him. Kairi had kissed him!

A dopey grin started to spread over Sora's face and he carefully tugged on Kairi's right hand and held the ring up.

“That's a 'yes', right?”

After she nodded a little dazedly, Sora slipped the ring onto her ring finger. It fit her perfectly.

Kairi took a deep breath as she regarded her new ring. She giggled lightly and reached for the other ring, but she hesitated when she looked at the hand Sora offered her.

“Your left hand?”

“Yeah,” Sora nodded in agreement, “just to make sure that my Keyblade doesn't wear the ring down. Also,” Sora lowered his gaze and stared at Kairi's hand picking up his ring while wearing her own. He couldn't help the smile that tugged on the corners of his lips upon seeing how well her ring suited her. “If I wear it on my left hand and you wear yours on your right hand, they'll touch whenever we hold hands. So they won't be separated.”

“O-Oh,” Kairi nodded, but despite the sudden tremor in her hand, she managed to slide the other ring over Sora's finger. It, too, fit perfectly.

They had just exchanged matching rings. Wow.

“Sora, I-”

“Kairi,” Sora interrupted her as he reached for his pocket. He absolutely couldn't wait any longer.

“I don't want there to be any doubts about my feelings for you.” He pulled the paopu out of his pocket, drawing another gasp out of Kairi.

“Please. Be mine.”

This time she dove forward, cradling Sora's face in her hands, the metal of her new ring cooling his skin as her lips found his again, a little longer this time before pulling away.

“I thought you'd never ask.”

Together, they held the paopu in their hands, smiling at each other. They leaned in, each biting off a piece of the fruit. Sora swallowed greedily and looked at Kairi in wonder.

She was his. He was hers. They had finally shared a paopu.

He reached out for her face, gently cupping her cheek and stroking it with his thumb as she leaned in. He couldn't hold back the “I love you” that tumbled from his lips, but there was no need to anymore. Instead, he was rewarded with the same words and the sweetest smile. A grin spread over Sora's face and he pressed his forehead against Kairi's.

“So? No impulsive kiss?”

He could barely suppress his laughter when he felt Kairi pull back from him, cheeks blown up in mock-annoyance. Cocking his eyebrow, Sora continued.

“I thought third time's the charm? I'm a little disappointed.”

“Well, I wanted to give you the opportunity to surprise me for once, you lazy bum!” She retorted as she stuck out her tongue at Sora. “But I guess if you really don't want to-”

“Who said I don't?”

Sora quickly pulled Kairi close, relishing in the feel of her body against his and smothered her short squeak of surprise when he finally caught her lips with his own.

#Sora #Kairi #Sokai #Twosidesfanzine #KH #Alja's fanfictions

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turnupswritessometimes · 4 years

Text

Worth Running To - SoRiku - Ch1

Title: Worth Running To

Chapter: 1

Word Count:

Summary: Pirate AU - Sora is looking for a crew, Riku is looking to be as far away from England as possible. They find kinship in one another.

Sora had spotted the boy as soon as he came in. It wasn’t the silver hair or the piercing blue-green eyes that sparkled like the sea. And it wasn’t the sheer size of his arms. It was the way he had wrinkled his nose at the smell of alcohol that sat over the whole tavern like a fog. The way he stood – upright and stiff, moving out of everyone’s way without being shoved. Both showed that he didn’t belong here – he didn’t even look old enough to be let into a pub. Not that Sora was either, but Sora had earnt his right to sit here at the tavern with men three times his weight with a bottle of rum and a sign that read ‘crew wanted.’ He’d watched the boy lurk around the edges of the pub, never making eye contact with anyone for more than a moment. His hands were tight on the neck of his cloak in an almost comic way of hiding his face from everyone. On the run, Sora thought. He’d seen that expression before and it always made his stomach twinge. To have something to run from – that was the dream.

THIS FIC IS ALSO OF A03 UNDER THE SAME NAME - I WOULD PUT A LINK BUT THEN TUMBLR WOULD NOT INCLUDE IT IN SEARCH RESULTS.

The Highwind

Sora had spotted the boy as soon as he came in. It wasn’t the hair – it looked almost white in the lamplight, but it was silver – what boy his age had silver hair? Or the piercing blue-green eyes that sparkled like the sea. And it wasn’t the sheer size of his arms, though they were comparable to an oarsman.

It was the way he had wrinkled his nose at the heady smell of alcohol that sat over the whole tavern like a fog. The way he stood – upright and stiff, moving out of everyone’s way without being shoved. Both showed that he didn’t belong here – he didn’t even look old enough to be let into a pub.

Not that Sora was either, but Sora had hardly had what most folks would call a proper upbringing. He’d earnt his right to sit here at the tavern with men three times his weight with a bottle of rum and a sign that read ‘crew wanted.’ In fact, it was spelt ‘krew wanted,’ and he suspected he’d written the ‘d’ backwards, but he figured enough people would get the point.

This boy was clearly a posh one. He’d watched the boy lurk around the edges of the pub, never making eye contact with anyone for more than a moment. His hands were tight on the neck of his cloak in an almost comic way of hiding his face from everyone. On the run, Sora thought. He’d seen that expression before and it always made his stomach twinge. To have something to run from – that was the dream.

So, he’d watched the boy, because he was more entertaining than watching men arm wrestle, or try to flirt with the maid behind the bar. (Though more often than not she gave them a right hook, and that was always worth seeing.)

And then the boy’s eyes skimmed over him. Skimmed back. He looked – actually looked at Sora for more than a second, where most of the other men would curl their lip or raise their eyebrow. Sora could feel his lips curved upwards in a smile.

The boy didn’t smile back, but he did fight his way through the crowd and over to Sora’s table in the corner. His eyes dropped down to the wax paper sign propped up between two empty tankards.

“You’re looking for a crew?” he asked, in the breathless tone of someone needing a quick getaway. Sora stopped himself from grinning – he hadn’t even made an effort to disguise his posh voice.

“That’s what the sign says.” Sora replied. He couldn’t resist making his grin just a little more lopsided – couldn’t resist a wink, because now that the boy had come over, he could see his face was just as pretty as his hair.

The boy wet his lips. Glanced away. Glanced back with a determined face – like he was determined to ignore that wink. “How soon do you set sail?”

“If you join up, we can get going straight away.”

The boy nodded and slid into the booth next to him. That made Sora pause. The kid may have been asking for it – he practically screamed ‘I’m rich and desperate, scam me,’ but he wasn’t about to take advantage of him.

“Understand, I can’t pay you nothing. Not until we find treasure,” he said. The boy should have been asking more questions before he signed up for a voyage to who knew where. Running – desperation – Sora wondered what that felt like. To have something worth running away from.

“That’s fine.” The boy nodded out at the rest of the pub. “Which one is yours?”

“Eh?”

“Which one is your crew?” the boy repeated.

“Here,” Sora gestured at the booth, still smiling, like it was completely normal. He was wondering how long it would be before they got to this.

The boy blinked at him. He looked from him, to Donald, to Goofy, and back at Sora. His features twisted into something between anger and disgust.

“Are you drunk?” he asked.

“Not at all,” Sora said. “This is my crew, and you’d never hope to sail with finer men.”

“Men?” the boy repeated, incredulously. “They’re not men!”

Some of the burlier guys and gals frowned over at them for the noise, but once they saw Sora, they rolled their eyes and turned back to their conversation.

Sora frowned, but he knew it was more of a pout. “And how many sea voyages have you been on?”

The boy blinked. “Well, none.”

“Exactly. These two have been on more adventures than you, and that makes them men of the sea in my book.”

“You should learn to read that book,” the boy said scathingly. “You can’t bring a duck and a – a –“

“Goofy’s a dog,” Sora said. He scratched Goofy behind a scruffy ear and Goofy panted appreciatively.

“I’ve never seen a dog like that.”

“That’s because he’s an old sea dog.” It was simple logic, really. He couldn’t understand everyone’s confusion at Goofy.

“And you think you can sail a boat between the two of us, a dog and a duck?” The boy frowned at him, and put his hands on the table, pushing himself upwards.

Sora turned to Goofy so that the boy couldn’t see Sora’s scowl. He had known the boy would react that way – everyone always did, but he had really been hoping that this time would be different. He had liked this one – had liked that he was young and on the run. That he wanted to be anywhere but here, because Sora was like that too. He needed to be anywhere but here – to find something worth running from or worth running too. And this kid might have been posh, but he was pretty and easily flustered and Sora was already imagining getting to know him more. Could he be heartbroken over a five-minute encounter?

Goofy seemed to sense his annoyance. The huge wolfhound – well wolfhound cross, but Sora didn’t know crossed with what – gave his cheek a snuffle. He sneezed against him and Sora couldn’t help it – he laughed, hooking an arm around Goofy’s neck and scratching his huge head with both hands. Donald shuffled his feathers, looking as reproachful as a duck could, before sticking his beak in the air and pretending that he hadn’t seen this display of affection. It only made Sora’s grin widen.

The boy was still standing at the table.

Sora looked up and saw him staring at him, slightly open mouthed. His green eyes glinted in the dim light of the pub. There were only a few hanging lanterns, casting a golden, flickering light over them and casting dark shadows over the boy’s pale skin. When their eyes met, he shut his mouth and stared at the alcohol puddled floor, his cheeks tinged pink. It gave Sora an inkling of what the boy was running from – if he hadn’t been able to guess anyway.

“My ship isn’t very big. Yet,” Sora said. He wanted this one to come with them. “We could manage it easy. And I’m the only one here setting sail tomorrow morning. Everyone else here knows there’ll be a storm this week – they want to wait it out.”

Slowly, the boy eased himself back into the booth. He stared at the grubby floor for a long time, before he looked up at Sora. His eyes caught the lamplight again, in just the right way, and Sora could see it then. Those eyes held the sparkle of the sea in them and persuaded his breath to stay stuck in his throat.

“You’re going tomorrow?” he asked, quietly.

Sora nodded. He put his other arm around Goofy, leaning on the dog.

“Even though there’s going to be a storm?”

He couldn’t trust this boy with the whole truth. Not yet. So he simply omitted some parts. “A huge one. It sounds like a good adventure.”

The boy shook his head. “You’re crazy.”

“Maybe,” Sora said, feeling his smile return. “But you’re coming with me.”

“I never said that.” The boy looked around the pub a final time. Looking for other options and met only with scowls from men twice the size of him.

Sora grinned. “But you are.”

The boy sighed. He gave a final, final glance around the pub only to see a collection of thugs drinking themselves sick, then nodded. Sora beamed at him. He was positively glowing. Yes, he liked this one – this one he could have a real adventure with.

“Sora,” he said, finally untangling himself from Goofy, and sticking his hand out across the table. “Captain Sora.”

“Captain of a small boat, a dog and a duck.”

“And you.”

The boy’s hand lingered just a second longer than it should have. He had a firm grip, though his skin was smooth. Not used to a day’s work.

“I’m Riku.” He was smiling – a small, gentle smile that was a good fit on his face.

There was a loud and indignant quack. Goofy had the habit of sniffing Donald’s tail feathers, and hadn’t quite got the message that it was unwanted attention. Donald had turned and was snapping at the huge dog with a bright orange beak.

“Hey – hey, you two –“ Sora pulled Goofy away, trying to calm Donald down with an outstretched hand. It was a mistake – that duck had an unstoppable temper, and he bit at Sora’s fingers too.

He cursed and put his attacked appendages into his mouth.

But then he heard laughter.

He looked up to see Riku, a hand clasped over his mouth to muffle the noise, laughing.

It brought the grin back to his face. He was laughing too, and yes –

Sora knew this was going to be an adventure.

Riku stared at the boy sat across from him. The boy who had definitely made a conscious effort to make his fingertips feel as much of Riku’s palm as possible before he pulled away. His hands were rough and firm – they didn’t match the softness that was the rest of him. This boy with skin that just glowed brown – like he had absorbed the sun and was just beaming it out of him. This boy with hair that stuck up in a thousand different directions and a crooked smile and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Eyes like a cloudless sky. Maybe bluer than that.

Sora. Captain Sora.

He was wrestling his beast of a dog further into the booth so that he could plant himself between it and the duck. Riku had never seen a dog like that – lanky and black and shaggy, with a long, almost crooked snout. Its eyes were so blank – Riku could almost believe that it was once intelligent but had given up all of its wisdom to save humanity. Almost.

The duck was a lot more normal looking – a plain white mallard, with beady eyes. It was an angry little thing.

How was this trio even allowed in here?

Sora was watching him, one hand still buried in Goofy’s fur. His head was tilted to the side and his mouth was slightly open – Riku could see a gleam of white teeth.

“So, Riku,” Sora said. He let the name drip from his tongue like it was made of honey. “Why are you in such a hurry to get away?”

His gut clenched and his heart jerked in his chest like it was trying to jump overboard. But he had always had a knack for cards – hopefully he had a half-decent poker face to match.

“I’m not,” he lied. He had to be out of here, tomorrow. That was all that mattered.

Sora’s head tilted further, like he was trying to copy Goofy. His crooked smile lifted up again. Was it a requirement of being a pirate to have a crooked grin?

“I know the look of a boy on the run.”

“And - are you?” Riku asked.

And Sora laughed. Laughter seemed to come as easily as breathing to him. It was a careless sound.

“Me? Never?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be?” Riku leant across the table, let his long hair fall forward like a curtain. He had lost the ribbon tying it back before he had even step foot in here, but there were men with longer hair milling around. “Isn’t piracy supposed to be illegal?”

Sora leant forward too, blue eyes glittering. “Only if you get caught.”

That made Riku’s mouth twitch. He leant back to hide it – to hide his clothes.

“Most people don’t want to sail right into a storm,” Sora continued. “Not unless they’re in a hurry to escape something.”

He’d been too obvious. He knew he had, and now he’d been caught. He sat there, staring at Sora and trying to think of an excuse. Tried to think of anything but the truth, but this boy wouldn’t believe any of them. He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst this people – none of them would believe Riku if he said he was a thief or a murderer.

“You don’t have to give me all the details. Not if you don’t want to.” Sora said. He had the tone of someone trying to sooth a startled horse. Donald ruffled his feathers next to him, squatting down, and Sora’s fingers skimmed over his folded feathers. The duck gave an appreciative quack and half closed its eyes. “But I need to know if you can’t stick around England.”

“No. I can’t.”

Sora nodded.

Goofy was taking an interest in Riku now, leaning his long neck around the table and snorting through his huge black nose at him. He hadn’t much experience with dogs, so he awkwardly patted Goofy’s head in the hopes it would appease him and make him turn away.

It only encouraged him. He sniffed Riku’s palm and then pressed his cold nose against it. Riku let him stay there, turning back to the boy.

“Why are you sailing into a storm?”

Sora glanced around at the noisy tavern. Everyone seemed caught up in their own tiny bubbles – not even looking at them. Then he leant his head forward and lowered his voice.

“They say there’s treasure in the eye of a storm.” And at Riku’s blank look, he continued. “Blessed treasure – with heavenly power – that can perform miracles.”

It sounded like a load of old rubbish to Riku. The kind of things young boys tell each other about a lump at the end of the garden that turns out to be the stump of a rose bush. But Sora’s eyes were shining. Well – he certainly didn’t act his age. There was no way he was old enough to be in here either, and he looked too baby faced to be on his own. Maybe he was just a boy playing at being a Captain. Maybe his parents would come along and Riku would be out of a ship.

“I don’t suppose anyone knows what this treasure is?”

Sora shrugged. He was still bright and eager. “Some say a staff, some say a box – all of the stories differ. But the miracles part is true.”

“And, of course, there’s the glory that comes along with finding it.” It was obvious to Riku that the main reward was reputation. Reputation and honour, the two most important things to a man, according to his mother. His mother was always right.

Sora’s gaze drew distant then. Seemed to fix on something behind Riku.

Then he took a breath. “Something like that.”

He had a habit of dropping his ‘t’s and making Riku painfully aware of every one he pronounced. Painfully aware of just how much he didn’t fit in here.

Then Sora was back – the same bubbly grinning boy that he had been thirty seconds ago. No, not boy. Pirate. This boy was a pirate, even if he didn’t look like one.

"We’ll sleep on my ship tonight, aye?"

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Is it just a canoe with a flagpole sticking out of it?"

It was easy to tease him, actually. It was easy to talk to this boy. He had never felt like that. There had never been anyone he felt this at ease with. And this was a boy he had known for five minutes. A pirate he had known for five minutes.

A pirate who was pouting at him – blowing his cheeks out and pursing his lips. It was utterly childish, and yet Riku could feel his breath hitching at the sight.

"My ship is a beauty,” Sora said. “A lady of the sea."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"What are you going to give me when you're wrong, Riii-kuuu?" Sora drew out the name, leaning forwards again and resting his cheek in his hand. Impossibly blue eyes studied Riku’s face, and smiled at what they saw there.

"I - I don't have any money on me." It was true. If he didn’t have any money, he couldn’t be robbed of it.

The pout deepened. "What about a favour, then?"

Riku's heart dropped. "A favour?"

That was the one thing Sora seemed oblivious to. He pointed at Riku, still grinning from ear to ear. "If you lose, you have to swab the deck for a week!"

The duck quacked loudly, and Sora turned to it.

"I am not just saying that because I don't want to!"

The duck quacked indignantly again, giving another snap at Sora’s fingers.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "You...can talk to them?"

"Well, no.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leant back against the booth. “But it makes things more interesting that way.”

It was Riku’s turn to lean forward, examining the boy for red-rimmed eyes and slurred speech. “And you’re sure you’re not drunk.”

“Can’t afford it.” At Sora’s words, Goofy sneezed, abandoning Riku’s limp hand to poke at Sora’s side. “Well, apart from this one. But that’s the only one I had, I swear.” Goofy’s nose poked him again. “And, we have a bottle of brandy eft, but that’s for a special occasion.”

“Like finding treasure?” Riku guessed.

“Oh, aye.” It seemed like Sora, the duck and the dog were looking him up and down as one. “Aye, you’ll fit in just fine.”

Heat crawled up his neck and cheeks and he looked away. There was a moment of silence, and then he couldn’t resist it – he looked back at Sora. The pirate was staring at him again – seeming to take in every detail as if they would never see each other again.

The moment dragged on and Riku’s heart began racing. He needed to break this – think of something to say – one of them had to say something – they couldn’t just stare like this. In public.

Sora’s hands slammed down on the table. The duck squawked indignantly, ruffling its feathers, and Goofy’s ears went back.

“Right – let’s head off. Big day tomorrow!” Sora scooped a still protesting Donald up in one hand and tugged Goofy down from the booth by his collar with the other.

Riku followed, worming his way around people covered in grime, blood, and beer, until they were out in the night air.

Bristol looked beautiful at night. It was still Summer, and the night sky was dark blue, speckled with stars. The streetlamps had been lit casting bright yellow against blue so that the wet flagstones glowed. The air was warm, but not humid, and the seagulls cawed to each other from the tops of the buildings.

The river lapped at the hulls of the ships as they passed; they were all lined up like children waiting to go into assembly. Huge things with spidery masts and vast hulls watched them as they walked by, their boots tapping loudly against the stones.

Sora stopped in front of a ship, tugging a piece of wood he’d kept on the side of the dock and flopping it across to it. It wobbled alarmingly and creaked in protest when he stood on it.

Riku looked up, and realised that he would be swabbing the deck for a good week. It was a fine ship – with two tall masts and a sizeable deck. It was painted a bright red, rimmed with gold, which made it very handsome indeed. This was a Brig – and he couldn’t believe that the two of them would be able to sail it on their own.

“Are you coming?” Sora called. He was hopping down onto the deck, letting Donald go as he did. Goofy was plodding up the makeshift gangplank as though this was all normal.

Riku paused. Was he? He didn’t know this boy. This was a stupid decision. It was a really, really stupid thing to do. To go sailing into the eye of a storm on a huge ship with a mad boy, a duck and a dog.

But he’d have to wait a week otherwise. And he was no fool – he knew that not a lot of crews would want a sixteen-year-old who’d never worked a day in his life. He was useless to anyone else. This might be his only chance to get away.

And he had to get away. Now. No matter what. No matter if this was the stupidest thing he’d ever done. Maybe he needed to be a bit stupid. His mother wouldn’t have approved – which only confirmed that he was doing the right thing.

“I’ll hold it for you if you’re scared.” Sora’s teeth glinted in the moonlight.

“I’m not scared.” It was as much for himself as it was for Sora.

Riku stepped onto the gangplank. It creaked and groaned at every move he made, and he took large, leaping steps to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Then he was standing on the deck. The deck of a swaying ship, with water lapping at the sides. There was the sudden urge to laugh. This was happening. He was doing this. Riku was running away.

Sora grunted as he pulled the gangplank up behind them, cutting them off securely from the rest of the dock.

“Is there something you’d like to say about my Highwind?” He wiped dirt from his hands onto tight breeches. Riku tore his gaze away, back at the stars.

"I've seen bigger," Riku shrugged.

Sora scoffed. "Like you've ever been on another - your legs are wobbling like a jellyfish."

Riku put a hand on the railing to steady himself, concentrating on making his legs stop shaking.

"Don't worry, you'll get your sea legs as you're cleaning my deck for me." Sora was already treading across the boards as though it was simple to the back of the ship.

This was a very bad idea, Riku decided. Why had be ever thought that it was a good idea to be on a ship? He'd never been on one before and he couldn't even stand on one when it was safely docked.

Goofy nudged past him, and Donald was fluttering after Sora, so he followed the two animals. It took him twice as long to get over to the cabin door. An empty lantern hung by the door. The wick in the candle inside had been swallowed by the wax.

"There's enough room for us both in here," Sora's voice called from inside, echoing like he was already deep in the belly of the ship.

Riku stepped in just as a match fizzed to life. There was a collection of tall candles sat on a scrubbed wooden table, surrounded by torn maps and a broken compass. Two sorry-looking chairs flanked it, trembling in the middle of the room. There was a wide window at one end, letting the starlight drift through the glass. Clothes fell out of a large trunk sat under the window, and were scattered around the floor with books and maps. There were two hammocks - one hung either side of the room. The one on the left had two large lumps of hay underneath it - which Donald and Goofy settled themselves into without question.

Two hammocks. If Sora hadn't been expecting company - he had wanted it.

"There's not much point in you sleeping down in the hold all by yourself," Sora said, sitting on the left hammock and making it swing alarmingly. He was already kicking his boots off by the heel, stretching his arms up and yawning. "You don't mind, do you?"

Riku did mind. He minded very much. He was used to sharing a room - but not with a pirate, a dog and a duck. The situation was bizarre, and this boy was pretty, and he should just leave. He should forget about all of this and just go home.

But then he thought of returning to his mother. He thought of returning for the Summer break. July and August.

It was unthinkable.

Riku sat down on the hammock and started untying his own boot laces.

He looked up again to see Sora staring at him, from over the candle. It made his hair and eyelashes look inky black, and his skin glow gold like an apparition.

"You sure about this?"

Riku took a breath. There was no turning back now. "Yes."

"Aye." For just a moment, Sora paused. Then he grinned, and winked, and said, "goodnight."

The candle was blown out, leaving them in silvery darkness.

Riku lay back in the hammock, his heart racing out of his chest as he heard Sora pad back to his own hammock and get in. The smell of smoke was drifting in the air, like a blown-out birthday candle. That wink. That crooked smile. Riku was playing with fire. He should have chosen a large crew, with people who wouldn’t look twice at him, who were beaten and bloodied, so they looked more like oddly shaped vegetables than people. Not the pretty boy who talked to his pets and winked at Riku. It was just asking for trouble.

Now that he lay down, covering himself over as best as he could with his cloak and the musty blanket left there, he couldn’t believe this was happening. He had really done it – he had ran. And he wasn’t going back. He actually dared to escape. And was playing with fire as soon as he did.

But this was better than a crew of mean, twisted people. Surely it would be. They would look for him on the big ships, not a small brig sailed by a boy no one seemed to look twice at. This was anonymity. He would just have to ignore Sora’s – everything.

The barely formed plan in his mind lulled him into a half-sleep. The hammock rocked gently with the lull of the river and it was absurdly comforting. Sora’s heavy breathing on the other side of the cabin was calming too, in a way.

Then he felt something small jump in the hammock with him.

He froze. Tiny feet were scurrying up him – catching him in the sensitive areas of his stomach. Something small, with a long tail.

“Sora,” he hissed. “Sora!”

“Mmm?” He heard Sora shuffle in his hammock, and yawn loudly.

“There’s a rat.”

“What?”

“A rat. There’s a rat in my hammock. Aren’t they only supposed to be in the bilge?”

“Only the lowliest rats. The peasant rats. And there are no rats in my bilge, thank you very much,” Sora grumbled, and then there was another fizz as he lit a match. He stepped closer to Riku and he gritted his teeth as he looked down at the small creature on his chest. “Oh, it’s just the King.”

Riku blinked at the mouse. It sat on him comfortably, tail curled around it like a tiny pink sausage. Its feet were the same pink. The rest of it was as black as soot – including its gleaming eyes.

“The King?” he repeated. He hoped his voice didn’t sound like a squeak – it wasn’t like he was a lady who had found a mouse in her teacup.

“King Mickey.” Sora scratched the mouse behind a large, papery ear and it squeaked appreciatively. “He must have taken a liking to you.”

The mouse was already curling up on Riku’s chest – just over his heart. It would have been easy to move – to sit up and push the tiny creature off of him, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Its heart was over his heart, thrumming away at one hundred times faster than his.

“He’s a mouse, not a rat,” Sora said, wiggling the match in the air to extinguish it.

“That’s okay then,” Riku muttered.

Sora yawned loudly again – Riku could see his silhouette stretching up. “Well, yeah.”

He was breathing heavily again within moments. Underneath him, Goofy was snoring loudly, and Donald was making strange, quivery sounds.

King Mickey was the only one who slept silently. A warm weight on Riku, that was actually comforting. For some reason, he felt like this tiny mouse understood everything, and was telling him to stay. It was telling him he had to do this. He had to run. And Sora was the best choice.

That was probably just wishful thinking.

(A/N): When researching this fic I found out that pirate ships just had a plank with a hole in for a toilet and I have to be burdened with that knowledge so does everyone else. (My notes for this literally say 'That horrifying moment when you find out that pirate toilets were just like wizard toilets, apparently.') WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO SAY: is that I started this a few months ago and had the first half of this chapter sat around for a while. I've somehow clocked in 4,000 words a day for a week straight on this, so this feels...a little rough? It's more like, Sora and Riku really come into their own in terms of character in the next chapter. Bare with this and bare with me, please. I also use 'pirateglossary.com' for slang and ship parts in this fic, so if you're ever confused head on over there. I didn't want to put loads of pirate slang in, but I couldn't resist a little bit. But I have so many ideas to weave into this fic and I'm so so excited to share it and keep writing it and I hope you're all interested in reading more of it as well! It's very much growing on me and I cannot wait to see if other people are as enthusiastic for the niche of high-romance pirates of the caribbean/the 1999 mummy! Thank you so so much for reading and I'll be updating (hopefully) weekly! <3 xx

(I'm also on instagram/twitter @turntups Talk to me!)

#kh #kingdom hearts #soriku #soriku fanfiction #kingdom hearts fanfiction #pirates au #pirates of the caribbean #pirates of the caribbean au #poc #turnupswrites #worth running to #sora #riku #kingdom hearts remind #kingdom hearts 3

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atlas-tries · 5 years

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Heyyooo Atlas!! I wish you would write a fic where Sora and Riku took a break away from all the chaos. Like, in a modern au they’d just drop everything on a winter break and drive across the country (or not, just a few towns over) and they’d go to a cabin in the forest that Riku somehow owns. Anyways, it’s well-maintained and Riku’s been stressing but he’s more worried about Sora and why he’s so quiet lately. Nothing serious, they just need a break :’3 domestic fluff, y’know?

Alrighty, you got it! Thank you for the ask and for being patient with me! :D Might be a little OOC in some parts but either way, I hope you enjoy ^^

For When the Shivers Aren’t Just From the Cold (SoRiku, 1587 words, rated G)

This whole trip seemed a little... off. Riku and Sora had been driving nonstop for the past two hours in hopes of beating the weather only to be cold-cocked by a snowstorm halfway there. By the looks of it, it wasn’t letting up anytime soon either. That wasn’t so strange. Neither were the red tail lights that stretched on for at least another mile ahead of them. The radio quietly droned the same few Christmas songs that every radio station boasted at this time of year.

That was strange.

Well, not so much the music itself, but the fact that Riku could hear it. Usually when they traveled together, Sora would be the more prominent source of noise in his car. This silence was particularly unnerving.

“So, uh,” Riku said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, “what did you think of Mr. Hemway’s final?”

Sora kept looking out the window at the snow. It typically never took him this long to answer a question. “Sora?” Riku looked over to make sure he was alright. Wait, were his ears always this red? Riku turned the heat down a little, thinking that it might help Sora cool off.

Finally, he replied, “It was pretty easy, I guess. I didn’t really like... oh, which one was it...” Sora tapped at his forehead, “number 32, about what themes were present in that excerpt.”

Riku chuckled. “Yeah, me either,” he said. And once again, the conversation died out. It had been like that all day today, ever since they got to the university at around 9 this morning. It was now around 7 and completely dark, save for the artificial lights surrounding them. The lack of natural light and the stress of college classes were enough to stress over. Worrying about Sora on top of all of that was enough to tip the scales in favor of an impromptu vacation. At least traffic was moving now, even if the snow hadn’t let up a bit.

Once off the interstate and down several back roads, Sora finally spoke up. “Hey Riku, do you think there’ll be enough snow for us to play in?”

“Hmm, I think there will be by tomorrow”, Riku replied, glancing over. A small smile had snuck its way on Sora's face. Oh thank goodness, Riku thought, maybe it was just my imagination after all. The two turned onto a narrow snow-covered driveway that was nestled in between the surrounding sections of evergreen forest.

"Your place is so far out in the middle of nowhere. How do you not get lost?" Sora chuckled.

Riku smiled, relaxing a bit. He didn't even realize he was this tense. "It wouldn't pay to have a cabin in the woods if I forgot where it was, would it?"

"Hehe, I guess not," Sora said, tucking his hands behind his head in typical Sora fashion. Riku could swoon on just how cute Sora was when he was being himself. "Are we almost there?"

"Yes, oh ye-of-little-patience." And sure enough, the house was just beyond the curve, nestled comfortably among the woods and snuggled up in a thin blanket of sparkling snow. Riku turned the car off and popped the trunk. "Come on, let's get all of this inside before we freeze to death," he teased.

---

“Wow, Riku, I never knew you had it in you to make something like this!”

Of course, Sora had to scope out every corner of the cozy log cabin as soon as they stepped inside and turned the lights on, including the stone fireplace and the empty refrigerator. “Oh please, you’ve known since we were kids that I liked building things, how is this a surprise?” replied Riku.

Sora chuckled. “It’s not a surprise as much as an ‘I never thought he’d get around to it’ kinda thing,” he said. “Count me impressed!”

“It’s not very hard to impress you,” said Riku with a smile. “Make yourself at home. I’m gonna get a fire going.”

It hadn't taken long for the boys to get settled in to the cabin, mostly because neither Sora nor Riku had bothered unpacking anything in the slightest. They just slung their bags in the bedroom, forgotten amidst the chaos. Even the cooler full of perishables sat disregarded in the kitchenette floor.

Sora busied himself with unpacking the half-thawed groceries while Riku made it his mission to check the chimney for anything that may have holed up in there for the winter. Thankfully, it was creatureless, but the firewood stores in the house hadn’t been replenished. So that’s what I forgot to do last time, thought Riku. Riku went to grab more wood out of the firebox back behind the cabin. He shivered at the biting wind and snowflakes that clung to his hair and eyelashes, but nonetheless retrieved two armfuls of firewood in record time.

By the time he made it back inside, Sora was huddled on the couch under a giant blanket. Neither of them particularly liked the cold, but Sora seemed to be taking it a little harder. “Cozy over there?” asked Riku sarcastically.

“M-Mmhmm,” Sora sputtered.

“Liar.”

Sora stuck his tongue out at Riku, which Riku smiled about. Always such a kid. He started stacking the wood and some kindling in the fireplace, then lit it. The fire was a little slow to start but picked up nicely after a minute or so. Soon, the whole cabin would be nice and toasty. Until then though…

“Hey, let me in, I’m cold too,” Riku said, nudging Sora.

“Nuh-uh, you big meanie.”

Riku completely disregarded Sora’s protests and nestled into the blanket beside Sora. “We’ll warm up faster if we huddle together.”

Sora pouted. “I know.”

Riku wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, hugging him tightly to his chest. Sora melted into the embrace and the shivers stopped. Riku smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Sora’s hair. Now that the two were comfortable on the couch, Riku turned the TV on to some cheesy romcom they both liked.

It was awhile before Riku broke through the droning on the TV. “Hey Sora?”

“Yeah?”

Riku suddenly felt a little unnerved. “Um, earlier today… You were acting really different,” he said.

“I was?”

“Yeah. I could actually hear the radio playing in the car today with how quiet and still you were being.”

Sora thought a moment, then looked up at Riku. “Oh, that. It’s just been a little rough this semester, what with all the finals and planning this trip and work and going home for Christmas,” he replied. “And uh, maybe… planningasurpriseforyou.” He mumbled the last part, but Riku understood.

“A surprise, huh?” Riku chuckled, idly petting Sora’s soft, spiky hair. “I can hardly wait to see what it is.”

Sora sat up suddenly and moved to face Riku, and Riku missed the warmth his body had provided against his torso. “Since you, um…” Sora started. Riku couldn’t help but noticed how the warm fire light flickered against his friend’s face, highlighting him in an orange glow. Only now did he noticed the blush that adorned Sora’s cheeks.

“Take your time,” Riku reassured, even though he was fairly sure where this was leading.

Sora closed his eyes and thought a minute, the blush never leaving his face. “I know we’ve never really talked about this before… But uh… You know how we’re really close?” Riku nodded. “What if we were… closer?”

Riku narrowed his eyes a little. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Sora scratched at the back of his head, clearly nervous. “I mean…” he steeled himself, sitting up a little straighter, “I’ve uh, had feelings for you for a while now, and when you said that we were going on a short trip, just the two of us, I knew I had to say something.”

Riku nodded, his own cheeks suddenly burning. He had expected Sora to confess to him; he was terrible at hiding his emotions, especially with Riku, but he never expected it to come this soon. He was unsure of his voice when he said, “Sora.”

Sora’s gaze never left his, ever earnest in his behavior. “Y-yeah, Riku?”

“I have a surprise for you, too,” he said, “but I need to go get it. Give me a minute and I’ll be right back.” Sora nodded, rosy cheeks illuminated with firelight. Riku untangled himself from the blanket and ran into the bedroom. He threw open the closet door where all the cabin’s Christmas decorations and spare blankets were stored and started rooting through a small box near the top. He pulled a small object out of it, replaced the box a little shakily, and ran back into the living room.

Riku stood behind Sora, the tiny bunch of mistletoe prickling at his skin, itching to be put into use. He nudged Sora and held the fronds above his friend’s head. Sora turned around. “Riku, what’s th-“ His voice failed him when his eyes landed on what Riku had in his hand. Riku capitalized on that moment of silence to press his lips lovingly to Sora’s. After a few moments, Sora melted back into Riku, clutching desperately at his shoulders. Riku worked an arm around Sora and placed a hand at the back of his head, deepening the kiss.

After what felt like an instant and an eternity, the kiss broke. Both boys looked at each other with awestruck wonder.

“I love you, too,” Riku softly said, pulling Sora close to his chest again. “Merry Christmas, Sora.”

#edit: had to reformat parts of it #atlas answers #soriku #soraxriku #sora x riku #my writing #thanks for asking!

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kingdomhearts-and-soriku-trash · 5 years

Text

@literalfandomtrashxd wanted a Soriku fic where Riku is like a knight. I’m sorry I couldn’t do the knight AU but I did make Riku kinda protective since it was mentioned that you liked Riku protecting Sora so...yeah.

Sorry if it’s bad! I just hope you enjoyed this! Thanks for recommending something and I hope you recommend again soon! Anyway, onto the fic!

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For some reason whenever Sora was away from Riku, Riku felt anxious. Yes he trusted Sora and knew he could protect himself, but he couldn’t help but worry. He worried over Kairi and everyone else, but Riku was always concerned about Sora. Sora never left his mind. He did almost everything for Sora. They’d been together since they were young. He couldn’t even remember when they first met. He just remembered hugging Sora, always being close to him, and never wanting to see him hurt. Especially, never wanted to hurt him.

He broke that promise. He felt guilty about it everyday, but he was working on forgiving himself. He knew Sora forgave him and will always love him, but he just...doesn’t know why. He ignored those feelings and tried not to think about them, he just thought about Sora and ways to protect him now.

He remembers a time at school where he tried to protect him.

“Sora~” someone said behind the small, brown haired boy. He was around 11 and he was so nice. He cared for everyone and was such a nice kid. He never got in trouble and kept Riku in line when he wanted to skip. Riku smiled everytime Sora tried to keep him in line. It was funny to him, but he listened. It was like Sora was his conscious and tried to teach him to be good, and he couldn’t help but listen to him...sometimes.

Sora turned around and wanted to disappear. There were some bullies who picked on Sora. They were a bit older and very rude to him. Sora never said anything and would stop Riku from trying to confront them. He didn’t want to make the problem worse and didn’t want Riku to get in trouble. He was always thinking about Riku and what was best for his friends. It made Rikus heart melt honestly. The bullies never really said anything. They’d mess up his hair, basically shove him around and stuff. To Riku, that was so much worse than talking trash. He hated it when people touched Sora or even laid a hand on Sora. He didn’t know why at the time, but he just did.

The bullies messed up his hair, tossed him around for a bit, knocked his books out of his hand, and just basically hurt him without actually throwing punches. However, they didn’t expect his tall, white haired friend to come behind them. Riku was tall for his age (almost as tall as the bullies) and his voice was kinda deep at the time. It made him seem so dangerous and scary, even if Sora knew the truth. Riku came up behind one of them and whispered something to one of the bullies. Sora couldn’t hear it and didn’t know if he even did want to hear it. The bully turned around and speed walked away. The other bullies turned to look at Riku and saw the death glare he gave them.

Riku was pissed. It was funny to Sora. They were afraid of an 11 year old. The other bullies eventually ran away and Riku walked over to Sora. He tried his best to hide it, but worry was in his eyes and his voice wavered a bit. “Are you okay?” Soras collar was messed up and his hair was even worse than it normally was. Riku knew what his answer was going to be. “Yeah, I’m fine! But thanks for helping me!” Riku smiled at him but his worry didn’t go away. He ruffled Soras hair trying to actually fix it. Sora protested a bit, but they both knew he didn’t mind it. Sora actually smiled whenever Riku did that.

Rikus heart melted at that smile and he’d do anything to keep him smiling. Riku would always smile back to him and they’d both walk to class even if they didn’t have the same class. Riku would walk Sora to his class and then walk to his own class. Sora sometimes mentioned how he would be late, but he never tried to send Riku away when it was time for their classes. He liked that time. He liked walking around with Riku and just being with him.

They were walking down the hall and Sora was quiet. “Ya know,” he suddenly said trying to break the silence. “You’re like my body guard! You always protect me, and I like that obviously, and it’s just funny to me.” Sora turned to look at Riku and he smiled the brightest smile ever. “Thanks again, Riku.” Riku smiled back at him and wrapped an arm around Soras shoulder as they walked. “No problem, Sor,” he said mentioning Soras little nickname. They didn’t know why he left of the A of his name. But it stuck sometimes.

They eventually reached Soras class and Sora was about to walk in before he turned to Riku and said, “bye Ku! I’ll see you after class!” Riku smiled and waved as he started to walk away. I guess that nickname stuck as well. Except he took off two letters of his name and not one. Well, who cares. It was a sweet nickname between them both and he didn’t care if anyone else heard.

Over time the bullies stopped. They never messed with Sora again. Mainly because Riku was always with him and talking to him. If someone was brave enough to try and mess with Sora, Rikus presence made them think twice about it. He guessed Sora was right.

He was his personal body guard.

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OkAY DHWBSB. This was probably bad! I didn’t know exactly what to write about Riku being protective and I couldn’t do the knight AU (I’m sorry about that!) and I tried to make it school related? Also, I imagine Riku being tall as hECK even when he was 11 (so like a year younger than he was in KH 1 I believe??). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and if not please give me another recommendation. I like giving people content they actually enjoy and not saying “oh its so good” but not really enjoying it. So, tell me if I need to do it better and I will try!

#kh #kingdom hearts #riku x sora #sora x riku #soriku #my writing

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thatwitchrevan · 4 years

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resolution (pt 1)

In honor of New Year’s and of all the joy Kingdom Heart’s has brought to me in 2019, I’m working on a SoRiKai fluff fic of them spending New Year’s together! It’s meant to have three parts, one from each kid’s POV, but in case I don’t get to finishing and posting the whole thing quite on time I thought I’d go ahead and share this first part! It’s pretty much just fluff and silliness but I feel like that’s perfect for our Destiny Trio being back together on New Years. I’m hoping to post the full fic on ao3 tomorrow or maybe the 2nd at latest, but no promises because I’m terrible at deadlines.

Sora was giddy as he sat down in Riku’s living room with him and Kairi, gathered around the low coffee table with crossed legs on the floor. Kairi opened up the box of the board game she had brought, and Sora helped her set it up as Riku got up and wandered to the kitchen. By the time they’d finished unfolding the board, arranging the pieces, and sorting the cards, Riku had come back with three steaming mugs of hot chocolate, carrying two in one hand and one in the other. He handed one to Sora and one to Kairi before sitting back down with his own.

Sora smiled and wrapped his hands around the warm mug, relishing the sweet smell of the chocolate. He took a too-large sip too soon, almost burning the edge of his tongue, but it was worth the risk to satisfy his impatience. Riku and Kairi chuckled and shook their heads at him, Kairi setting her own mug down to let it cool first and Riku blowing gently on his.

“Alright,” Kairi began, grinning brightly as she began shuffling the main deck of cards. “You guys will love this game.” She said it very casually, but there was an underlying certainty to it, and since she had a pretty good idea what her boys liked, she was probably right. She started dealing the cards, one pile for each of them and one for herself.

“Don’t look at them now - we’ll draw them when we need them.”

Sora watched as she distributed all the cards, straightening his pile without overturning any once she was done. Kairi sat back and explained the rules of the game, and Sora’s mind drifted a little bit even though he was trying to pay attention - it was just a lot of information at once. He learned better by playing, anyway, so he wasn’t worried.

He ended up being terrible at it, though. The competition was really between Riku and Kairi, and it was fierce. Riku was engaging in some light-hearted trash talk every time he got an advantage, and Kairi was less overtly aggressive, but she kept grinning smugly at him sideways whenever she got ahead. Sora lagged behind both of them the whole game with little hope of catching up, but he didn’t really care much because it was just so much fun watching them race to the finish, getting increasingly excited with each turn.

In the end, Riku reached the final square first, but the card he drew set him back two, giving Kairi the opportunity to swoop in and claim the victory. Her eyes gleamed as she slammed her piece on the winning square and jumped up, throwing the remainder on her cards on the board. “YES!” she cried, pumping her fists in the air and giggling.

Riku laughed, too, playfully shoving her. “Don’t be a sore winner.”

Kairi spun around in an impromptu victory dance. “You’re just grumpy because you lost!”

“Oh yeah?” Riku pushed her again, this time just enough that she fell over into a pile of pillows that they’d thrown in front of the couch. She landed on the soft bed of cushions, still giggling, but her laughter turned into a squeal when Riku scooted closer and started tickling her sides.

Kairi kicked softly at Riku’s arm and chest, but she’d have to fight a lot harder if she wanted to discourage him. “Stopppppp!” she whined through her laughter. “So-Sora, help!”

Sora grinned and walked on his knees around the table, coming to Kairi’s side. “Good call, Kairi. Tickling you is a two man job!”

Kairi shrieked in pretend protest as the boys ganged up on her, shaking with laughter until the tickling became too tiring to be fun anymore. “Okay, stop for real now,” she breathed through a laugh, and Sora and Riku both stilled and sat back from her immediately, still smirking as she got the last of her giggles out and wiped her eyes. “You guys are the worst,” she complained, punching them both gently in the arm.

Sora laughed and kissed her on the cheek. “You love us.”

Kairi shook her head, but she was still smiling too much to fool anybody. She turned around to the couch and where her phone was resting and checked the time. “It’s almost midnight.” She grinned at Riku and then at Sora, her eyes twinkling.

Riku smirked, glancing between her and Sora. “So who gets to kiss who first?”

Sora blushed, but Kairi had an answer immediately. “I want to kiss you both at the same time!”

Riku frowned thoughtfully and took a sip of his cocoa. “How’s that going to work?”

“We could both kiss her on the cheek?” Sora suggested.

Kairi shook her head. “Nah, we’ll just mash our faces together. It’ll be super romantic.”

Riku snorted lightly, but neither he nor Sora offered any objections. The boys set their cocoa down as Kairi set up an audible countdown on her phone and they all three scooted closer to each other, knees brushing as they formed a rough circle and leaned in close.

“Ten, nine, eight,” the phone counted. The kids looked around at each other, all giggling.

“Seven, six, five, four.” Kairi grabbed Sora and Riku each by the hand. The boys glanced at each other and joined their hands as well.

“Three, two, one.”

All three leaned in at once, smushing their cheeks together as their lips met in the center. Sora bumped his forehead against Kairi’s, making them both giggle even more, but the three of them mostly succeeded in kissing each other on the corners of their mouths.

Despite their best efforts, though, it only lasted for a second before they all dissolved into laughter and backed away. Kairi flopped back against the couch, shaking with laughs so hard she had to hold her side. “Well, that sort of worked.”

Riku chuckled dryly and leaned back, folding up a knee to rest his arm on top of it. “It’s not the most effective way. Or the most dignified.”

Sora rocked back and forth a little, feeling too flustered and silly to sit still. At the same time, he felt too tired to do anything with all that energy. He let out a big yawn, stretching his arms over his head.

Riku and Kairi had shifted closer to each other, holding hands with their backs against the couch, and from what Sora had caught of that conversation it sounded like they were deciding on another board game to play, but when Sora yawned they both looked at him and smiled with light exasperation.

“Well,” Kairi sighed. “I guess we’d better get to bed before somebody gets cranky on us.”

Sora made a face that didn’t really help his defense, but he got up to go to bed anyway. Riku and Kairi both stood up with him automatically, but Sora waved his hand. “You guys play whatever game you were talking about, and you can join me later.”

Kairi frowned, looking between Riku and Sora like she was conflicted. Then she figured something out, bouncing on her heels. “How about this? We’ll come tuck you in and say goodnight, and then we’ll play our game.”

Riku rolled his eyes. “How old is Sora, five? Are we his parents?”

But Sora grinned and grabbed them each by the hand. “Yeah, Kairi’s right! You have to kiss me goodnight or I won’t be able to sleep.”

Riku gave a big sigh for show as Kairi and Sora drug him by hand to his room. Sora was, of course, already in his pajamas, so he just climbed into the bed and scooted down to the end, leaving room for Kairi in the middle and Riku on the other side.

Kairi pulled the covers up to Sora’s chin and kissed his forehead. “Sleep tight, you big baby. I love you.”

Sora squeezed her hand and murmured ‘love you, too,’ before she pulled away to make room for Riku.

Riku kissed him almost exactly where Kairi had. “Love you, Sora. Happy New Year.”

Sora tried to reply, but it was drowned out by a yawn. Kairi and Riku laughed at him, and they turned off the light as they left the room, letting the door remain cracked open.

Sora fell asleep to the sound of them setting up their next board game, laughing and joking as they played. About an hour later he was woken by them both climbing into bed beside him, snuggling up close and falling asleep.

#kingdom hearts #sorikai #kingdoms hearts fic #griffin writes #happy new year! 🎉#my fic #my writings #kingdom hearts fanfic #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kh fic #kh fanfic #kh fanfiction #sora #kairi #riku #this is exactly like every fluff fic i've written and every ot3 fic i've written and every kh fic i've written but it's still cute #next two are supposed to be a bit more serious but still sweet #this is supposed to be their first new years together since the events of kh3 so they're extra happy to all be together #please feel free to leave feedback in the comments if you have it!

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minijenn · 4 years

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Random Keys/UF Crossover Ideas

Because I’m torn between both of my projects right now and I hate myself, here’s something that’ll only really appeal to the very niche audience of people who read both Universe Falls and Keys to the Kingdom. Basically its a list of somewhat spoilery (for Keys more than UF) headcanons of what it might be like if the Gravity Falls world scheduled to be in Keys was a Universe Falls world instead (in the sense that it still takes place in Gravity Falls physically but like... its set in the universe of Universe Falls (oy I’m explaining too much lemme just start rambling off the random ideas that have been popping into my head over the last several days of this hypothetical crossover of my two stupid fanfics):

For reference’s sake, on the UF end of things, this would take place somewhere around the middle of arc10ish, pretty close to Weirdmageddon as the GF world in Keys is gonna take place pretty close to Weirdmageddon too.

For Keys, the trip to this world would still take place in the same spot the GF world does, so semi close to the end of the story, as one of the last Disney worlds of the fic (guess it wouldn’t really be a “Disney” world here but ehhhhhh)

Guess I better give some context about what’s going on in each fic around that time; UF’s is easier to do so we’ll start with that; basically without spoiling a certain upcoming arc ender too much, during arc 10, everyone’s sorta frazzled what between all of the interdimensional travel, worries about Bill coming back and causing chaos, worries about the Diamonds possibly getting involved in stuff, shaken by the recent revelation that Rose allegedly shattered Pink Diamond and so on (basically there’s a lot going on in the leadup to UF’s ending hahaha)

Context for Keys (again without getting too spoilery (gotta tread even more careful here) is that by this point in the story Sora is basically in nonstop Panic Mode about the whole norting thing thanks to a certain encounter with one Bald Old Fuckhead during the Aladdin world immediately before this; so Sora’s on the run from basically his entire support system cause he’s all worried about unintentionally hurting his friends (and he also just doesn’t want Riku or Kairi in particular to see what’s happening to him cause Disaster Bi).

Cont. Context for Keys cause that last bullet point was Long: Despite all this fuckin Angst, Sora’s still out searching for the Keys on his own in the hopes of securing the final few for the guardians of light before he can be fully norted and forced into handing them over to the Organization instead

Not to mention those freak relatively dark/light powers of his are alll outta whack cause he A. Doesn’t know how to control them At All and B. Is Emotionally Distraught so that’s only making things worse

And the entire gang is more or less out searching the worlds tryin’ to find Sora (he yeeted his Gummi Phone off a fuckin cliff or something just so nobody could get in touch with him smh what a waste of a perfectly good cell phone); among the teams that are out doing so include the one we’re gonna focus on here, Ven and Roxas

Back to the UF end of things, I wanna talk about where each of the Mystery Kids are at this point; Steven is sorta all over the place with, again, the revelation that his mom could have been a murderer; Dipper is hella nervous about the idea of Bill getting his hands on the Rift (even moreso after RMD cause PTSD is Somethin Else kids), Mabel is in that mindset of not wanting the summer to end so they can all stay together, and Connie is basically (as usual) the only one with any brain cells as she’s trying to hold the gang together

(lowkey spoilers for the Keys GF chapters start here) So Sora arrives in Gravity Falls, suffering from all the angsts and anxieties and whatnot and just Not Having a Very Good Time Emotionally/Mentally as he starts lookin around for the Key in the woods or whatever

But lo and behold everyone’s favorite Evil Corn Chip just so happens to be spyin’ on him, and before too long Bill makes his appearance and acts all friendly to Sora, claiming that he can basically undo the whole norting thing (which he knows all about because of course he would, this is Bill Fucking Cipher we’re talking about here)

Sora’s skeptical but at the same time he’s sort of willing to do whatever he can at this point to keep his heart from being taken over by Mr. Bald Old Fuckhead and all Bill is asking for in return is for him to nab some sparkly snow globe that he claims already belongs to him but was stolen by some local family who Bill makes out to be pretty bad so hey, why not at least give it a shot? (dumb, the kid is dumb this is something we’ve established many times over by this point)

So Sora sets out to look for both the rift and the Key (while also being harangued by Xemnas who’s the Org. baddie of the GF world but errrrr i don’t have a ton of ideas about what he’s gonna do yet so we’ll just skip over that for now and focus on somethin else)

Something else being the fact that Sora happens upon a bunch of kids being attacked by a group of Nobodies, so he swoops in to save them even though the kids already look like they’re holding their own pretty well against them (two of them are out here swinging swords around, one’s really handy with that grappling hook while another one has some sort of magical shield? Its weird??? But cool imo)

So they all team up to take the Nobodies out and following that, Sora meets and mostly hits it off with the Mystery Kids

Mabel is super hype (she kinda instantly crushes on Sora as soon as she sees him even though he’s too fuckin old for her); Steven and Sora radiate the same sort of Sweet But Sad energy so of course they’re best friends immediately

Connie’s a lil bewildered by Sora (who the hell goes around swinging a giant key like its a sword, that’s just not practical???) but Dipper’s distrustful radar is instantly raised for a a number of reasons, but the biggest red flag he notices about Sora by far is that his eyes are yellow (btw by this point his eyes will more or less be completely yellow and his hair almost entirely white; he usually wears his hood up to try and hide that, but it got blown off during the forementioned fight)

So the kids were out and about in the woods for mystery hunting reasons, mostly cause they were trying to cool their heads from all of the stress they’re under mentioned earlier (and cause hey, the summer’s ending soon and they gotta spend all the time they can together at this point)

However, they quickly change gears when they learn about Sora’s quest to find some magical Key and they all eagerly decide they wanna help with that cause it sounds hella rad; Dipper would likely be the only dissenter to this plan, but he’d be lowkey about it, kinda deciding to keep a suspicious eye on Sora all the while (he doesn’t really act like he’s being possessed by Bill, but ya can never be too sure nowadays...)

So they all set out in search of the Key (Sora decides not to tell them about Bill or the rift just yet, but even so right off the bat he’s basically decided “yes I’m adopting all four of these kids as my new little brothers and sisters and no one can stop me”)

So cut to the other end of things and we have Ven and Roxas who have basically only just met each other face to face for the first time (they’re both basically constantly doin that spiderman look alike meme); they’ve been more or less teamed up to look for Sora together tho, and they both got a massive guilt complex about the whole thing cause they used to be able to directly protect him inside his heart but now they can’t since they’re out of it so they’re determined to find him and make sure he’s OK

They also show up in Gravity Falls, arriving much closer to the Mystery Shack and the Gem Temple than Sora did; since its the closest thing nearby, the boys decide to venture over to the Mystery Shack to look first

After some brief, confused yet fun conversation with Soos and Wendy, they bump into Stan and that initial meeting goes something like:

Stan: Who the hell are you two supposed to be? You twins or something?

Roxas: No??? What the fuck is a twin??

Ventus, realizing that Roxas has like 0 real world experience or regard for world order at that moment right fucking there: (oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck) Ummmm YES WE ARE WE’RE TOTALLY TWINS AHAHA AREN’T WE BROTHER?

Roxas, immensely confused: What the hell is a brother??

And then Ford shows up and Roxas looks between him and Stan is just like “ooooh ok now I get what a twin is” and Ven is just like “oh my god I think Roxas managed to catch some of Sora’s stupidity after all asdkjalsdkalsd”

Anyway after all this awkward confusion is over, Roxas and Ven bring up that they’re there looking for someone, and while neither Stan nor Ford are that invested, they do offhandedly mention maybe the Crystal Gems can help

Ironically enough, the Gems happen to burst into the shack right then and there, taking refuge from the surge of strange creatures swarming outside (Nobodies & Heartless); the Gems are rather overwhelmed by them since their weapons don’t work that great on them so they’ve come to seek Ford’s help (since he’s got all those weapons and lasers and shit he keeps stockpiled)

In this Ven and Roxas end up meeting the Gems and both of them are just like :O (Ven’s lowkey like, “Aqua would get along great with these ladies, they’re total badasses just like her!”) and the Gems just kinda pass the boyos off like “yeah whatever there’s a fuckton of monsters outside meanwhile where are our kids?”

Stan and Ford are like *shrug* cause neither of them are very good at being Responsible when it comes to keeping an eye on these danger-prone kids and the Gems are just like *facepalm* “Morons” so they set out to find the kids and Ven and Roxas are like “well they know their way around here so why not go with them to see if we can find Sora too!” and so they all head out on a lil adventure

Then a whole bunch of stuff happens on both sides of the plot that I haven’t bothered to figure out; bunch of cute character interactions and whatever; insert possible second encounter with Xemnas in here somewhere where he basically shows up just to intimidate Sora but Sora’s like “no way jose, you touch any of these precious kiddos and you’ll Die”

Somewhere in here, under... some circumstances, Sora and the MK make it back to the shack but like... everyone’s gone? (cause they all went out to look for them, didn’t even leave a note, fuckin rude)

They search the house for anybody and then, on complete fuckin accident, Sora finds his way down into the basement (the portal room to be exact) and what else does he find down there but that thing Bill asked him to get (the rift)!

Though he’s a little confused about why its there (Bill did say some awful family “stole” the rift from him, but none of the MK are awful, they a bunch of Good Kids); Sora still pockets it like a desperate dummy dumb anyway and doesn’t say a word about it to the kids because he thinks they might be too innocent and young to know anything about it anyway (he’s wrong of course because much like him these kids are Traumatized with a capital T but we’ll just ignore that for now)

Still on the search for that Key, Sora and the kids head out only to run right into Stan, Ford, and the Gems on the way out; course, Ven and Roxas are still with them and they see Sora and they’re like :D while Sora’s just like “aw fuck” and runs away from his problems like always

So he rushes off into the woods and who else would show up but that Motherfuckin Evil Corn Chip again who’s like “yo kid ya got the stuff” and Sora’s just like “brb having a panic attack rn” but then he ends up obliviously handing the rift over anyway cause again he’s incredibly desperate for any way out of his current horrible situation

Of course because I’m a sap for Drama, he happens to do so just as all four of the MK show up, having followed him into the woods and ohohohoh boy oh boy let’s just say them seeing Sora just up and giving the rift over to Bill would be a Moment (well, at least for Steven and Dipper cause they actually know what the fuckin rift is unlike Mabel and Connie who still wouldn’t at that point)

So basically Bill is a little shit and takes the rift, but he can’t actually fuckin do anything with it cause he’s a physical object and he’s still intangible (or somethin like that idk I just don’t want Weirdmageddon to happen cause it would make things too complicated) so he’s like “fuck gotta find some stupid sap to possess so I can smash this dumb thing” and he nearly targets Sora (cause the kid was already stupid enough to help him in the first place so why not?) until Steven ends up being the one to fend him off using his shield

Bill shrugs it off and makes off with the rift anyway (its like... hovering or something? idk I’m running out of steam) and everyone panics of course, especially Sora cause he’s just like “well shit I certainly Fucked Up didn’t i?” and the MK are both a mix of “YOU THINK?” (from Dipper and Connie mostly) and “imo not your fault Bill’s tricked just about all of us he’s an asshole” (from Steven and Mabel)

Amidst this a bunch of lil things also happen; the Stans and the Gems show up (along with Ven and Roxas), basically everyone is immensely confused (aka those who have no idea what the fucking rift is) and alarmed (those who do know what the rift is) that Bill has what he needs to more or less fuck the entire world over

So everyone just decides to put everything aside and team up all together to track Bill down and get the rift back before he can break it (there’s a lot of heartwarming trust moments in here, mostly cause trust is like... the cornerstone theme of the GF chapters in Keys for obvious reasons)

They eventually do find him and *insert big epic battle scene here* where everyone teams up to basically beat Bill to death or whatever (don’t ask me how they be doin that if he’s intangible, again I.... I’m tired and this post is long enough as it is)

Yadda yadda yadda they beat him, get the rift back and effectively prevent Weirdmageddon from happening to begin with (which just does SO much wonderful fuckery for UF’s timeline moving forward but whatever, this ain’t about that)

Oh and during that Climactic Battle Scene somewhere there’s some bit about Sora learning to better trust others/himself that leads to him getting the world’s Key? I-I I dunno its a work in progress...

Anyway after this there’s a lot of good character interactions all around, reconciliations between the UF characters and the Keys characters, particularly between Sora and the MK (again he’s adopted these kiddos and don’t you forget it)

So with the Key in hand, Sora starts to leave and Roxas and Ven almost convince him to go back with them until *insert Big Keys Spoiler here that results in the Organization getting their hands on that Key Sora just got and also results in Sora running away again cause... reasons*

And that’s the end of the chapters or whatever idk

There’s probably more ideas I had in mind for this but I literally can’t do anymore my brain is dying

I might possibly write this for reals someday i dunno I’m stuck in two personal hells here so I might as well combine ‘em

Yes I’m aware this post leans more heavily on Keys than UF but its set in the world of UF so fuck off

Feel free to add on with any thoughts you might have about the idea

I’m tired

Amen

#jen writes #universe falls #keys to the kingdom #long post is loooooong #headcanons #ideas #who am i kidding i will literally never do anything with this idea ofther than this very fucking post #then again... i like Angst :)#and UF and Keys both got plenty of it

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oveliagirlhaditright · 4 years

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Doctor - A RokuNami Story for RokuNami Day 2020

Summary: Even though I ended up "finishing this up" and polishing it up for RokuNami Day this year... Tbh, this was the first thing I started writing after KHIII came out (right after I'd only watched the ending once, so I even got some things wrong about it. It's the same ending, but kind of told differently? And especially now with what we know from Re:Mind), when I was a bit sad that there was really no RokuNami in the game and wanted a fic where Sora was found and rescued. So I went "Why not combine the ideas?!" and this fic was born, but I won't be continuing it because I decided to write another RokuNami instead and I have too much on my plate now. But I hope you all still enjoy! "Yozora is Sora" theory at the end of this fic. Dedicated to BlueRosesBurnBlue, because this is the RokuNami story I told her I was writing her AGES ago. Look! I finally finished it! ...Kind of.

Doctor Roxas’ PoV Roxas—through Sora—had looked at the white curtains that flew in the breeze of Twilight Town—at the beginning of this journey—and he’d thought of Naminé and the words they'd shared there. …It had been a trying time for Roxas, when he'd first met the white witch: a time that was made even moreso that, when she had told him that he wasn't meant to exist… and Roxas had resented her for it. How could he not have? But now Roxas appreciated the blonde’s brutal honesty there, and her giving him a truth he had needed to hear. That he had wanted to hear, really, as no one else had been being honest with him. Roxas even respected how Naminé had been his guiding light, when he'd been lost in the fog of Hayner, Pence, and Olette. And now... now in this “Final World”, he, from within Sora, wished he could do more for Naminé, like she had him. And Roxas would carry that thought with him, even when he came back to save Xion and Axel. He would focus on the battle—because there would never be any other choice for him. His best friends were in danger! Axel in particular, since his Keyblade was broken and he was being tormented by his former best friend… and even Kairi had been kidnapped, and Sora was falling because of that now—but in the back of his mind, he'd think on how Naminé had been so certain that no one missed her… That thought of hers reminded him a lot of what he’d thought when he left the Organization, but it wasn’t true. Had never been true, and it wasn’t true for her either! And when Sora was saying he needed to go to save Kairi after Master Xehanort had killed her? Roxas decided then and there that he needed to go with Sora to save both girls! Because he cared about Kairi, he did—and his heart ached for how his Other felt in the loss of her—and because a world without Naminé in it wasn’t a world that Roxas even wanted to fathom. But when Sora said he had to go it alone, Roxas had to accept his decision—like Sora had once accepted his returning to him—even though it was killing him inside. But it was when two days turned to three, and Sora still wasn’t back with Kairi yet, that Roxas knew he had to risk calling Sora on the gummiphone... wherever he was. "Sora, I know this is a really bad time... but have you found Kairi yet? Naminé's body is ready, and-" "Uhh..." Sora breathed then as he ran away from some Invisibles with Kairi, who seemed exhausted—Roxas could see all of this from the screen on the gummiphone—“I don’t think we’re close enough yet for us to try and send Naminé’s heart to Radiant Garden. I don’t want to risk injuring Kairi, because she’s still not doing too well. “But… if data can grow hearts, due to the imprints it’s based on… I almost wonder if Kairi could make a new heart for Naminé, by talking about her heart to the empty Replica. Roxas, press the gummiphone to the Replica’s ear.” And he did just that… and he leaned in, too, and heard everything that Kairi was whispering about Naminé: how she, unlike Kairi, loved mushrooms… that surprisingly, Naminé wanted to try wearing red, if she could ever get around adults who would be okay with her wearing color… and how she apparently loved him—Roxas—because to her, he represented the brightest part of the day before it went dark. “Kairi… thank you,” Roxas found himself whispering now. “I adore you because Sora does… But I won’t lie… for some reason, I imagined you as selfish. And I thought that if you had to talk about anyone here, you’d talk about yourself. But thank you for doing this and talking about Naminé instead.” And then Roxas saw blonde hair starting to spout from the doll, and he realized all their hard work was paying off. And he held Naminé in his arms even before she woke up. But he had to admit that it was muchbetter, when he saw pale blue eyes and felt arms squeezing him back. And once Naminé was free and created again—and outside stretching her wings, so to speak—Riku helped her get into a much bigger gummi ship than the one Roxas had, with all of the millions of belonging that Ansem the Wise had just given her. And so, Roxas ended up hating Riku a bit less. But just a little. But though he despised Riku less, he would later berate himself for being the one selfish here… and caring so little about Sora and Kairi’s fates—as they tried to help him, from even beyond death—when it would end up so badly for them.

… "Yeah, everything’s great, guys. I promise. Naminé’s as good as new. And, yes: so are Xion and myself, still. No worries. Anyway, we'll talk to you guys later. Okay? Get home safely.” And he disconnected his call from Sora… and—little did Roxas know it at the time—but it would be the last time he ever got to talk to Sora on the phone. But no one was thinking about dire things now: they were believing Sora’s words that he’d return home with Kairi faster than they could blink. And instead, everyone was caring about Naminé on the beach, as they had missed her and it warmed Roxas’ heart to see. He knew that his girl had worried about not having a single friend group to call her home. But really, because of that, she was everyone’s friend, and he almost wanted to joke with her that that was the better deal. “Roxas told me about you two’s story on the way home from the Graveyard, you know,” Xion was saying now—as she tried to help Naminé down the zipline and he was right behind them; he was already rolling his eyes, in trying to anticipate how she’d make him sound like a fool to his new girlfriend here—“and I think it’s beautiful. But he really didn’t tell you ‘See? We meet again, like we promised’ when he woke you up?! That was a missed opportunity, Roxas. You hear me? A missed opportunity!” Everyone laughed at this—because, yes: Xion was talking so loudly, that all those gathered (Hayner, Pence, Olette, Riku, Lea, Isa, Terra, Ventus, Aqua, and King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy) could hear her. But while Roxas wanted to be somewhat mad at Xion for this—and play punch her in the arm—he thought that maybe it was okay that everyone was laughing at his expense. They had all just come out of a grueling war, after all. And they still didn’t know where Kairi and Sora were- And right when the last name entered Roxas’ head, he had a splitting headache and knew that something was wrong… wrong… so horribly wrong. And out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that Naminé, Xion, and even Ven were feeling the same way. As Roxas fell on the floor of the zipline area, alongside Xion and Naminé, he tasted blood in his mouth… and tried to say his former Other’s name and reach out his hand to him… but no dice. And then Roxas promptly passed out. … "Wha- what happened?” Roxas asked days later—he assumed it was days later, based on how hungry he was, anyway—as he woke up in a hospital: he knew from Sora’s memories that it was exactly that. “Roxas… I don’t know how to tell you this,” a kind lady doctor, with brown eyes and the same colored hair to her shoulders said. “Especially since I’m only starting to learn about Nobodies—former Nobodies, in your case—and their connection to their Others… but- but your Other died. And you and some of the others felt that, and that’s why you’re here… I’m Doctor Aki Ross, by the way.” “He- he what?! No. No! It wasn’t supposed to be like this! It wasn’t!” and Roxas buried his face in his hands and cried. And he could tell the doctor wanted to reach out to comfort him, but also held off on doing so… probably because she didn’t want any lawsuits against her. But it was okay. Roxas had hands that he’d no anywhere wrapped around his shoulders now. “Shh, shh. It’s okay, Roxas. I know,” Naminé tried to soothe him, as the doctor quietly and gracefully left the room. “It’s horrible. Oh, so horrible! I know you all apparently knew there was a risk with Sora going after Kairi… but hearing about it, and dealing with the reality of it, are two completely different things. So…” And here Naminé trailed off. And Roxas wondered if she was regretting that she was back now, and that Sora had ever gone to fetch Kairi… And to say that Roxas felt like he was going to throw up at the notion, would've been an understatement. He was upset about Sora—he always would be; and he was going to try and find some way to bring his brother back—but it wasn’t these golden girls’ faults. It just wasn’t. But grief also made no sense. Because even while Roxas was thinking those thoughts that would free Naminé and Kairi from guilt, he was blaming himself… for not insisting that he go with Sora… for caring only about Naminé while he and Kairi had clearly been in danger, and for hanging up on him… And for existing now at all. Was Sora’s death the price of him being here? Was it really true that the two of them couldn’t co-exist? And if- if he had stayed assimilated with Sora, would he have been strong enough to survive whatever had done this to him? Roxas was just about to ask if Naminé if she could help him return to Sora again—because maybe it would save him!—when Kairi entered the room. And if Roxas thought that he and all of Sora’s “Others” probably looked dead without him, that was nothing on how Kairi appeared now. It was clear that she’d been crying. And Roxas would wager that she hadn’t eaten or slept in many, many days. She also looked like she’d been hurting herself some… but Roxas knew he wanted to get some actual information about if that was true, before he judged. “Kairi, I-“ Roxas said, as he got to his feet and resisted the urge to bow to her—something he didn’t think she would like much—since it just felt like Kairi needed some sort of assurance that she was worth it, after what had happened. But then she was the one who reassured Roxas and Naminé instead, acting much like the monarch she might have been in another life. “Roxas, I’m so glad to see that you’re okay! I thought that after Sora, you might- Anyway, Naminé I came to tell you both that you’re more than welcome to stay at my house. My parents already see you as my sister, Naminé, from what I’ve told them... “Roxas… I know you probably want- want to be Sora’s sibling. But since you might find it hard to speak to his- speak to his parents a-a-after… you’re welcome to stay with me too, if you want.” Kairi had always glowed with such confidence and light—even when she’d been more concerned with Sora’s name than his own, and had actually been somewhat rude about it, she’d handled their encounter so well, that Roxas hadn’t been offended at all. So, seeing her like this… where she was stuttering and surely hating herself, was too much for Roxas to bear. And he could understand perfectly why Sora would sacrifice his life to spare this poor soul from even more pain. He probably would have even done the same. “We’re- we’re going to find him, Kairi,” Roxas promised the redhead then, as he stood up from his bed and took his hand in his own and put an arm around Naminé. “Naminé and I together, I mean. We probably have the deepest connection to Sora—aside from you and Riku—so I’m sure we could locate him if we really tried, and you’re welcome to come with us.” “Yes, Kairi,” Naminé backed Roxas up—and how he loved her for it—as she ran a hand through her sister’s hair and then brought her in for a hug as she cried. “Don’t let this eat you up. Do something about it.” And Kairi spoke so quietly, that Roxas could barely even hear her words. But still… hear them he did, and that was more than enough for now. “Let’s do it,” she’d said. … Roxas let the Three Good Fairies size him, Naminé, and Kairi up for new outfits, and to tell them exactly what they should do to activate their new powers in the clothes. And while a lot of this was helpful—getting even stronger was always good in Roxas’ book—he couldn't believe that Sora had so easily put up with these women fighting over colors… and Master Yen Sid’s lack of know-how and respect. As usual, it seemed like the wizard had no idea how they’d find their friend. And instead of admiring Sora for his sacrifices that had quite literally saved the worlds, the Master was instead blaming Sora’s current disappearance on his recklessness. And it took all that Roxas had, to not beat the former Keyblade Master within an inch of his life and he could tell Kairi—and heck, even Naminé!—was almost there herself. "All we can say for sure,” the Fairy Godmother was telling them now, “is that though your and Sora’s journeys may be separated now, you’ll find each other in the end.” “Can we skip to the end, then?” Roxas asked helplessly. And Naminé and Kairi giggled for the first time that Roxas could remember. Any time before Sora’s death felt like a lifetime ago to everyone. “No, Roxas, it’s pretty clear we can’t. Don’t you see how Master Yen Sid has a book on his desk, detailing the Beginning, Middle, and End?” Naminé asked. But Roxas could tell she wasn’t being serious… and was as done with the old man as he was, as that book was about Sora’s first journey, his time in Castle Oblivion, and his first battle with the Organization. None of it seemed relevant now. But Roxas figured that that was just Yen Sid for you. But still… the three gathered were good at acting and pretended that they weren’t the three angry teenagers that they really were. So, they thanked the four women and one man, bid them adieu, and hopped onto the gummi ship. And it was only there that it suddenly struck Roxas that he had no idea what Naminé was going to fight with on this quest, since she didn’t have a Keyblade. He knew she had her memory powers… but would she be able to use that on the offensive at all? Roxas reallyworried about that when he landed the gummi ship on a dark highway—where he could feel the faintest connection to Sora—where no soul was in sight… it was as if everyone in this world had already been killed. And if so… what had killed them, and would Naminé stand a chance against the threat at all? But before Roxas could freak out too much, Naminé was already answering Roxas’ question by summoning golden chains that lit up, and suddenly made this new world seem less foreboding. “Kairi’s asleep in the back, Roxas. And though I know we should wake her soon—because this world seems dangerous to me, too—let’s let my sister finally catch a few Zs before we return her to this nightmare.” Roxas nodded, not having to be told twice because he felt the same about Kairi’s situation right now. The poor kid… But perhaps she wasn’t the only one he was thinking about protecting in some way. Putting a hand over Naminé’s where it rested on the dashboard, Roxas motioned for her to angle her body so she could look at him. And she did. “You know, Naminé… this isn’t exactly what I wanted at all—how could it ever be?—but I did imagine taking you to other worlds with me, even before this. Because I thought it wasn’t fair how little of this beautiful world you’ve gotten to see… Even less than Kairi. And wherever you were, it was always with a gun pointed to your head. So even though this situation isn’t ideal… I’m glad we at least have this moment.” “Me- me too, Roxas,” Naminé admitted as she rested her head atop his. “And, I mean, I want to see worlds, too. And even when I thought I couldn’t… I knew I’d be content in having my world in you—and seeing the worlds through your eyes, when your face lit up in talking about one of them—and that hasn’t changed. You’re- you’re an amazing being, Roxas, who was meant to be here. And if anyone can find Sora, you can. I love you.” And as the two kissed, in the background was a blue and red-eyed man who had become their Sora, that they would soon learn.

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dreaming-in-seams · 5 years

Text

Fight On-- A Post Kingdom Hearts 3 Series

Chapter 2: Pretending Everything is Fine

Characters: Namine, Xion, Terra, Aqua, Roxas, Ven, Lea (Axel), Isa (Saix)

Pairing: Terra/Aqua, Roxas/ Xion, suggested Riku/Namine and a little Ven/Namine

Notes: This is another chapter in that series of post-3 fics I have. I could have worked on this more, but I just need to stop stressing about these and post them. Anyways, this has a bit of Terraqua, so I thought it was appropriate for Terraqua day, although the next chapter is even more.

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"One, two, three, four!"

"What's it say?"

"Um…Definitely."

"…that's doesn't make any sense. Are you sure that's how Olette said this works?" Namine crumpled the paper fortune teller. "I have no idea."

Xion let out a long sigh. "Figures, with my luck. Even a fortune teller can't tell me how Roxas feels."

"Oh come on, it's just a silly kid's game." Namine flipped open her sketch book, returning to her drawing. "Why don't you just talk to him? You two can talk about anything."

"Well…yeah…but we've never talked about that before. I don't even know how I would start."

Namine shrugged. "I wouldn't know either. Guess that comes with having been told for most of our lives that we don't have real emotions."

"Exactly! This is all so new! How can I talk to him about something that I don't know anything about?"

Namine looked up over her page. Xion looked incredibly downcast, twisting Namine's gut. Things had been so stressful the past few weeks, she was hoping that they could just chill for a little and forget about everything.

It had been at least a week since they heard anything from Riku and Kairi, and they're last report hadn't been good. The lack of news about Sora's whereabouts was starting to weigh on everyone's mood. It didn't help that every attempt to contact Kairi and Riku on their gummiphones yielded nothing.

Namine bit her lip and glanced at her own phone for the millionth time. The conversation between her and Riku was nothing but messages from her, including a dozen missed calls. Of course, she was worried about Kairi too, but she couldn't help but feel her anxiety rise as she considered Riku putting himself close to darkness. He had proved himself against its powers time and time again, but when would it finally be too much?

A buzz from Xion's phone snapped her back to reality. She snatched it up with a poorly-hidden smile.

"Ooooohh….is it your boy?"

"Shut up!" Xion giggled. "He's just saying he's bored. I swear, that boy has no idea how to fill his spare time."

"Except with you."

Xion smacked her mischievous friend. "Nami!"

Another voice sounded outside their makeshift tent. "Don't deny it, Xion!"

Xion popped her head out. "Terra! You're not supposed to be listening!"

Terra waved an armored hand with a laugh. "Okay, okay…" He turned the page of his book. "I'm not listening."

Xion shuffled back into the fort--made from Terra's cape--with a miffed huff. "I swear, you two are gonna be making fun of me when Roxas is around sometime and I'm gonna die of embarrassment."

"You just make it so easy!" Namine retorted.

Xion raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Well what about you? Stringing three boys along, you're quite the player!"

Namine face flushed beet red. "Wha--I--I don't know what you mean!!!"

"Oh please! Do I need to list them? First of all, Riku loves hanging out with you, then Ven said you were the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, and then last time we were in Twilight Town, Hayner got all flustered around you."

"That--I--That's nothing!"

"Oh come on, you love it!"

Namine fiddled with her pencil. "I--I mean…yeah…I do kinda like it. But it's not like that. I…it's just nice to know that they see me for…me. Not just because I remind them of Kairi, but because they actually like me."

Xion smiled warmly. "After all this time, you deserve it."

Both girls were tapped on the head. A hand lifted the edge of their fort, and Aqua leaned down to look in. "Okay, what are you girls doing in here?"

"They're talking about boys and I have to pretend that I'm not listening."

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Is this what it's like to raise girls? I've only raised boys."

"I heard that!"

"You're not listening, remember?"

Terra grumbled loudly in response. With a chuckle, Aqua scooted underneath the cape beside the girls. "Mind if I join you?"

"Please do! We were just making fun of Namine for liking multiple boys!"

Aqua grinned. "Really? Who?"

"Oh come on! It's not like that! Hayner, Ven, and Riku are just really nice guys!"

Aqua's jaw dropped. "Wait wait wait…Ven??? Oh I will have to grill him on this!"

Namine waved her frantically "No no no!"

Xion nodded eagerly. "Yes yes yes!!!"

Aqua laughed loudly at the girls. "Oh come on! Maybe he'll ask you out!"

"Yes! And then we can get Hayner to ask her out too!"

"Well then what about--" Aqua caught herself, but it was too late. The girls both looked away, concern shading their eyes.

Namine glanced back her phone. Hanging out with Hayner and Ven would be fun, but she had to admit to herself she really wouldn't have any fun until she knew whether or not Riku was okay.

Aqua cleared her throat. "Um…Is that your sketchbook, Namine?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Can I see something? Whatever you like most."

Xion perked up. "Oh! Show her what you were working on yesterday!"

Namine clutched her sketchbook. "But that's not done yet!"

"Oh pleeeeease??? I really like that one!"

Relenting, Namine flipped open the book, careful to hide the other drawing scattered across the pages. Thankfully, Aqua was not one of those people to insist on seeing the entire book, something Lea had yet to learn. She landed on the picture Xion mentioned and handed the book to Aqua.

Aqua perused the graphite lines. "Wow, Namine this is amazing! And you never took any lessons?"

Namine hunched her shoulders, a little nervous in the spotlight. "Um, no. Didn't really have anyone to teach me when I was in Castle Oblivion or with DiZ."

Aqua continued to look over the drawing. "Have you shown it to Terra?"

"What?? No!"

"Oh come on, I'm sure he'd be tickled by the fact that he was your muse!"

"I was what?"

Xion smacked his armored back. "Not listening, remember?"

Namine twirled her hair in her fingers. "I mean, if you don’t think he would think it was weird or anything…"

Aqua shook her head. "Of course not! Terra's actually an artist, too. He totally understands awkwardly staring at someone while you draw them."

Namine cocked her head. "Wait, Terra draws?"

"And carves! I should get him to fish something out for you to see sometime. But can I show him this?"

Namine nodded sheepishly. "Okay."

Aqua flipped up the edge of the cape and leaned out.

Out of view, Namine heard Terra laugh in delight. "Woah! I look good! Was that from yesterday?"

Namine heard Aqua reply. "I think so; this looks like when you and Ven were sparing."

"I--I was just studying muscle anatomy…"

"Well, I am the perfect candidate for that--OW! Aqua!"

Aqua chuckled and leaned back into the fort, handing the sketchbook back to Namine. "But seriously, you're really good. Have you worked with any other medium?"

Namine gently closed her book. "No, I haven’t really had the chance. I do want to try pastels, though. I only had crayons for the longest time, but pastels look like fancy crayons, so maybe the techniques could transfer."

Aqua nodded thoughtfully. "Kind of impressionistic style?"

Both girls furrowed their brows.

"Impressa--wha?" Xion inquired.

"Impressionistic. It's an artistic style that was developed in the late 1800s in France that--"

"Oh my gosh, Aqua," Terra butted in. "You're gonna put them to sleep!"

Aqua glared at Terra's back. "At least I listened during Eraqus' lectures."

"Oh come on, that whole segment on art was useless!"

"It was not! Anyways…" Aqua pulled out her gummiphone. "Here, let me search it." After a few moments she turned the phone to Namine and Xion. "This is impressionism."

A painting of a girl standing on a swing, smiling and surrounded by two well-dressed men showed on the phone. The gentle strokes suggesting the cast of the light through the trees across the girl's white dress dazzled Namine.

"That looks like what you do!" Xion chimed in.

"Yeah, but there's no way I'm that good!"

"Not yet, maybe," Aqua clicked off the screen and tucked the phone back in her pocket. "But with some practice I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. What do you say we go to the art store in Twilight Town tomorrow? We'll pick you up some pastels, maybe some water colors or acrylics, whatever catches your eye!"

"Really? Can we go to Radiant Garden instead? There's a really nice store there that I've heard about."

Aqua shrugged. "You're the expert, whatever you say."

Xion gasped with delight. "Road trip! Can I come too??"

"Well, we'll need to get Terra or Ven to come too, then. I can't fit all three of us on my glider.

"Get Ven! Then maybe we can make it a date for them!"

Namine giggled. "Oh come on…"

Terra's back perked up slightly. "Wait, is that the one just off the main square? Over by the item shop?"

Namine nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. "Yeah?"

"Mind if I come, too? They have a great wood selection, plus I need some new tools."

"If you're coming," Xion inquired, "Can Roxas come too? I don't wanna be left alone when you all get paired off together."

A pink tint rose in Aqua's cheeks.

"Uhh…" Terra floundered for a moment. "Sure…"

Xion clapped her hands gleefully. "Then it's settled! We're all gonna go to Radiant Garden tomorrow on a big triple-but-still-separate-date!"

Namine furrowed her brow. "Doesn't that mean Lea and Isa will be left alone here?"

Xion considered this for a moment. "We'll get back before they kill each other…maybe."

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Terra threw the ball against the ceiling again, catching it as it bounced back to him. The ding of the Playstation sounded behind him along with another agonized set of exclamations from Roxas and Ven.

"Second place again? Seriously? That took everything we had!"

Ven sighed loudly. "Second place isn't that bad, right?"

"Yes it is! We have to get good at getting First, otherwise Aqua and Xion are gonna cream us again!"

Lea, who was lounging on Terra's bean bag chair just out of the corner of his eye, was working on something that Terra couldn't quite make out. "They're gonna cream you whether you practice or not. Aqua played that Crash Bandicoot racing for what, twelve years? And Xion is her little prodigy."

"I played with Aqua, too!" Ven retorted. "I've got a fighting chance against her!"

Terra chuckled. "Wouldn't count on it. She and I were playing that long before you came along, plus we would play after Eraqus sent you to bed."

"What??? So you mean all those times you wouldn't let me sleep over in your room was because--"

"Yup. Aqua and I were in here playing Crash Bandicoot."

"Traitor!"

Lea chuckled wickedly. "Are you sure that was the only thing you were doing?"

Isa groaned beside Terra, leaning against the bed. He glared at the red-head over his book. "Honestly, Lea? You really went there?"

Lea shrugged. "Sorry, my mind's in the gutter."

"You are the gutter."

Terra snickered at the remark and caught the ball again. It was a bit odd to hear the two men being so buddy-buddy with each other. Although it really hadn't been him, he still had vivid memories of his time as Xemnas and leader of the Organization. He could still remember Saix and Axel being constantly at each other's throats. He had known--or more accurately Xehanort had known--that the two had been friends once before, but somewhere along the line that friendship turned bitter. Terra still was oblivious as to why. Whatever the case, the two had obviously made up and were falling back to their old ways.

A sharp point poked the side of Terra's head. "OW!" He bolted up to see a paper airplane fall to the floor beside Isa, and Lea clutching his sides laughing. "Lea! What the heck??"

"You're face was worth it!"

Terra chucked the rubber ball at Lea in retaliation.

Despite how crowded and chaotic it could get, Terra didn't mind having his room be the new hang out space. He guessed it had more to do with the fact that the Playstation was in there, meaning Roxas and Ven crashed there every evening like clock work, often bringing Lea and Isa along as well.

Terra couldn't help but assume it was also because, after everything, they all needed the company. He knew he felt that way at least, and judging by the fact that Ven had insisted on sleeping in Terra's room every night, leaving his room to Roxas, Lea, and Isa, everyone else felt just as anxious about being left alone.

"So," Lea started, pulling Terra from his thoughts. "You said that the girls were using you as a fort today?"

Terra smiled at the memory. "Yeah, it's not the first time. Xion and Namine like to use my cape to hide under and talk."

"So you had to sit in your armor the whole time?" Lea practically whined at the notion.

"Yeah; I'm so glad the plating doesn't go over my butt, or else I would be so sore right now."

"I'm sure the girls were glad about that, too…" Lea mumbled.

"What?"

"What?" Lea grabbed the rubber ball from the floor and started tossing it between his hands. "So, did you hear anything good?"

"Well, technically I wasn't supposed to be listening."

"Okay, then what did you technically not hear?"

"Come on, Lea," Isa lectured. "If he's not supposed to talk about it, then he shouldn't."

Terra waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, it's fine. It's just silly stuff really. Who likes who, that sort of thing." Terra turned to look at Ven, still glued to the TV. "Apparently, you said Namine was the prettiest girl you'd ever seen?"

Ven tensed suddenly, his race car veering off the road and into a lava pit. "I--I--well--I mean--"

Roxas smacked the pause button, apparently forgetting his need to win in the new revelation. "You didn't! Dude, you are such a ladies' man!"

Ven shoved his twin, practically knocking Roxas to the ground. "I was just being honest!"

Roxas snickered. "Uh huh, sure!"

"Don't forget," Lea piped in, "Xion was there, too. I'm sure Terra heard lots of juicy details from her, right?"

"You bet I did."

Roxas averted his gaze to the carpet. "So what? I don’t care…"

Lea slid down in the bean bag chair, grinning from ear to ear. "Uh huh, sure."

"Lea!" Isa whined. "Your stupid spider legs are crowding me!"

"Woah! What put you so on edge today?"

"I'm not on edge, I'm just trying to read!"

"You haven't finished the book yet?"

"No, because I'm friends with you!"

Roxas flopped over on the floor, apparently forgetting the game entirely. "Out of curiosity, what did Xion say?"

"Oh now you're curious?" Ven mocked.

Terra shrugged. "I don't think I should tell you; you'll have to ask her yourself, Romeo."

Roxas popped his head up. "Roma--what?"

"Romeo?" Terra raised an eyebrow. "You know, Shakespeare?"

Isa lifted his head from the book. "Shakespeare was a 14th and 15th century English playwright. One of his most famous plays was Romeo and Juliet, which was a romantic tragedy about two lovers who couldn't be together and died. Calling someone a 'Romeo' is a colloquial term for a person who is especially romantic."

Terra shook his head in disbelief. "Holy crap, you sound like Aqua."

"From you, I consider that a compliment."

Terra furrowed his brow. "Wait, what do you mean, 'from me'?"

"It's obvious you think of her highly, including her skills, intelligence, wit and beauty. Since you compared me to her after I made a reference to a culturally significant piece of literature, I assume you are equating my intelligence to hers, which is significant."

Silence followed his explanation.

Isa let out a long sigh. "You have a huge crush on Aqua, so any comparison to her must be a good thing because you think she's perfect, right?"

Terra's face grew hot. "Wha--I--that's not what I meant!"

Isa shrugged. "You may not have meant it, but you implied it."

A weasel-like laugh erupted from Lea. "Oh man, he got you pegged!!!" Lea high-fived Isa, who didn't bother to hide his triumphant smirk.

"Come on, guys!" Terra whined; he could feel his face getting hotter. "She's--she's just a friend!"

Isa chuckled. "So the guilty plead."

Lea kicked his friend. "You're one to talk, Isa! Remember that night you came back from your 'date'? What happened then, hmmm?"

Isa's face flushed white. "That wasn't a date..." He mumbled into his book.

Lea's smug grin widened. "Uh huuuuhhh....And that was your lip gloss smudged on your face."

Isa buried his face deeper into book, the tips of his pointed ears turning pink.

Terra raised an eyebrow. "Wait, Isa you had a girl?"

Lea opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. He glanced at Isa, who kept his face buried in a page he must have reread a dozen times.

"Um," Lea scratched his head. "Inside joke. Don't worry about it."

Terra seriously doubted that, but he decided to let the topic drop.

An awkward silence filled the room, not an unfamiliar visitor. The tension was always there, barely under the surface. At times they could ignore it but inevitably it would return.

Maybe if they actually talked about the issues at hand, it would help the fear that permeated everything they did. However, no one dared be the first to bring up the subject. No one wanted to consider the possibilities at hand.

What if Riku and Kairi never found Sora?

What if they did, but they couldn't bring him home?

What if they could, but he was no longer himself?

Yensid had warned them of these possibilities before the pair had left, leaving the others at the Land of Departure to wait and worry. Granted, there was plenty to do during the day to distract them; going through the library-worth of material and records Eraqus left behind, returning the castle to a livable state. As soon as evening came, though, only one subject dominated everyone's minds.

Terra had tried his best to keep spirits lifted and make the new-comers feel welcome in their new home, but he could feel himself slipping. He hadn't had a chance to address his own lingering pain and trauma, and his nightmares were only getting worse.

He couldn't imagine what Aqua was going through. Ven was struggling, too, but he seemed to have found solace in the others his age now in the castle. Terra never found him alone; he was always with either Roxas, Xion, Namine, or a combination thereof.

Aqua, however, was just the opposite. She was always alone when he saw her. He joined her when he could, and she would allow it for a while, but eventually she always found some excuse to leave. He couldn't decide if she was avoiding him because of herself, or because of him. Whatever the case, it hurt to see her forcing herself to suffer alone.

Unfortunately, Isa had indeed pegged him well. He knew exactly why it hurt him so deeply to see her in pain. Eleven years isolated in his own mind had forced him to realize the true depth of his feelings, and had only made them grow deeper.

Of course, Xehanort had had access to his mind as well. Terra remembered well how Xehanort had mocked him.

You believe you have any chance with a master such as her, boy? Your foolishness led her to be lost in the Realm of Darkness. You betrayed her trust time and time again in favor of following a path against all your Master's teachings. You killed your master with the very power he fought against. How can she have anything more than hatred in her heart for you?

The words echoed in his mind repeatedly day after day. As much as he despised Xehanort's invasion of his mind, he couldn't deny how right he was. Even if he had tried to repent of his ways, could he ever truly repair his relationship with Aqua? Could things ever be the way they were?

The thump of the rubber ball against the floor drew him back to reality. Glancing around the room, he could see the other young men deep in their own self-destructive thoughts. The PS2 continued to ding with a little melody on the pause screen.

"So, Roxas," The blue-eye boy snapped to attention. "Think you got any chance with Xion?"

Roxas flushed pink.

"…in the game."

"Oh! Um, maybe? I mean, if it was just her and me, then probably. But she won't play without Aqua."

Ven stretched his arms high, popping his back. "We're all going out tomorrow, why don't you challenge her to a one-on-one?"

Lea snorted. "You might wanna choose a different phrase."

Roxas turned even more red. "Axel!!!"

Ven snickered. "Maybe I meant that, too!"

In a flash Roxas grabbed a pillow and smacked his twin to the floor. "You can't make fun of me! You're taking Namine out on a date tomorrow!"

"Because Aqua and Terra want time alone!" Ven retorted.

Lea gasped scandalously. "You're taking Aqua on a date, Terra?"

Terra shot a glare at Lea. "It's not a date; we're just going to the art store together so Ven and Namine can go on a date!"

Isa actually chuckled. "You're all going on dates; nothing wrong with that."

Lea tossed the ball to himself once more. "Come on, Terra. Why don't you just admit it to her?"

Terra's gut twisted. "Ad-admit what t-to whom?"

Lea raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Seriously? You're gonna play dumb?"

Isa turned a page in his book. "You really should. Even if nothing comes of it, it will be good to at least get it off your chest. You never know if you may never get the chance again."

Lea's grin dropped as his gaze darted back to Isa for an instant. Isa glanced over the top of his book, meeting Lea's eye for an instant then snapping back to his book.

Despite the oddly ominous suggestion, Terra had to admit Isa was right. He had lost her once and hated himself every day for nor realizing his feelings sooner. Now he finally had her back, and he was terrified to finally confess to her.

Of course, she wasn't making it easy to talk, but that was no excuse. He just had to say it; get it out there. Things couldn't get more awkward, could they?

Of course they could…Terra thought. But she deserves to know, no matter what.

Lea chose the most obnoxious way he possible could to break the silence. "TERRA AND AQUA SITTIN' IN A TREE! K-I-S-S--"

Terra leaped from the bed and smacked a hand across Lea's mouth. "SHUT. UP."

The damage was already done; the two boys took up the song."-I-N-G! FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MARRIAGE!"

Isa dropped his face into his book, groaning loudly over the chant.

Thanks for reading! More to come soon!

#kingdom hearts 3 #kingdom hearts fanfic #terraqua #rokushi #terra #aqua #namine #xion #lea #axel #isa #saix #roxas #ven #fight on fanfic

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