The day began innocently enough for Namine Shiratori, former Nobody and current sister of one Kairi Shiratori. She was an early riser, even on a day off such as this, waking to attend to the small garden she had been keeping since her revival, and then heading off into town for some errands, the least of which was picking up a new pair of glasses from her optometrist. Returning home just past noon, she prepared herself lunch (for just herself, as both Kairi and their mother were out and about all day), when a knock on the door alerted herself to a visitor.
"Oh, hello Riku," she greeted in a small voice, towards one of her best friends. The older boy was carrying a few books under his arm.
"Hey," Riku nodded as he crossed the threshold. "Thanks for letting me borrow these." He lifted up the stack of books to be more visible, before setting them atop a small table within the houses' entrance hall. "You've got good taste, anything else you can recommend to me?"
Namine seemed to be absorbed in thought, needing further prompting from her friend before responding. "Oh! Uh, yeah...you can browse some more of my stuff. And if that's not enough, I can draft a list of similar books I've been meaning to check out of the library." As the girl began to move out to handle the task, Riku remained rooted to the floor, staring at her. "What?"
"That's what I'm suppose to say," he said cryptically. "What's the matter?"
Namine shied away, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "There's nothing wrong, Riku, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, we've been friends how long? We've been through how much together?" Riku titled his head down, quirking his eyebrows, trying to ease her into opening up. "This is a rare moment of empathy from me, take it, Nam."
The blonde fiddled her new glasses. They had half-square frames covering only the bottom half of the lenses, with arms coloured a bright metallic blue. She was so excited to get them earlier in the day, and now the day was morphing in to this. "Well, okay, but you're not gonna like hearing it."
The day began innocently enough. But this was the point where it took a turn to... less than.
"So, the other night, Roxas and I were...uh...we were making love..."
Riku reeled back in revulsion. "Okay, yeah. You're right, I'm not liking this." The last thing Riku wanted to hear was what Kairi and Namine got up to in bed with their boyfriends. It was like hearing his little sister describe the same. But despite that, he urged her on.
"Right, well, in the... heat of the moment..." Riku could see the effort on Namine's face, she was doing her best to choose her words carefully and diplomatically. Much for her sake as for Riku's. This was...embarrassing. "I sort of cried out 'Roxas' and then... 'Sora' right after..." She awkwardly cleared her throat as Riku nodded along.
Despite being very much in love with Roxas, and being very supportive of her sister's relationship with Kairi, Namine still had very strong feelings for Sora, something everyone was at least subconsciously aware of. And while Namine kept everything in check, and no one held her in lesser regard for these affections, the motions of the heart were not so easily swept aside, especially during such intense moments.
"Roxas was upset. We finished up and he did his best to not show it, but I could tell he was hurt and frustrated. I haven't seen him or spoke to him in three days. I really screwed up this time..."
"Look, ol' Chocobo Hair has got his dander up right now, but he knew about how you felt about Sora beforehand. We all knew. He'll be miffed and wound up like he gets, but then he'll come back and you can talk about your feelings and junk and make up. Without me present, hopefully." Riku had progressed from the entrance hall into the living room, Riku taking a seat on one of the two couches. Then, with a wary grimace, he added in jest, "Besides...have you ever asked Kairi if you two can borrow the chucklehead for a night?"
Immediately, Namine's normally pale face turned a bright, burning red, as she shook her head around wildly. "No, no, no, no! I can't think about that! I'll die of happiness if I even get close to the, well... I call it the 'Kido Brother Sandwich'."
"Stooooop." Riku groaned. He was regretting his moment of weakness. He should never joke about this kind of stuff.
"...They're the bread, I'm the filling."
"Urrrgh..."
"But, yeah, sorry for putting all that on you suddenly." The girl bowed her head in contrition, but Riku waved her off. It was part of being a friend, after all. "Do you at least want to stay for coffee for your troubles?"
"If you're offering, please and thank you."
Namine scurried off to the kitchen for the moment, allowing Riku a brief respite to forgot all those things he wish he had never heard. Perusing through some books left on the coffee table set in front of the two couches and the loveseat in the room, Riku was alerted to the opening of the front door, as well as rapid footfalls echoing down the entrance towards the living room.
"Namine. Namine! I-" Roxas rushed into the room, scanning it before his eyes fell on Riku, his gaze hardening. "Hey," he said in an icy tone.
"Hey." Riku returned, mirroring the words and the tone.
Even though it had been years since their scraps in the Dark City, and Roxas and Namine's resurrection was a joyous thing for all, the two boys still did not see eye-to-eye on most things. In fact, they often took an antagonistic approach to their rivalry, in contrast to Sora and Riku's much more friendly one. It never devolved into full, out-and-out violence, but their barbs and stunts against each other could often be vicious and obnoxious.
The spent a moment warily glaring at each other, before Namine re-entered the room, carrying a tray with a cup of coffee and a cup of tea, surprised by Roxas's sudden appearance.
She stammered, averting her eyes away from her boyfriend. "Roxas, I wasn't expecting you." Quickly, she distributed the drinks to Riku and herself, setting the tray down and taking a few steps away from the boys.
The blond boy stepped forward. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. I just... I wanna talk about things." He cast a look over his shoulder at Riku. "Alone."
"Look, Nam is just being a good host." Riku picked up his cup of coffee. After taking a sip, he continued, "I'll leave when I finish up, when I'm good and ready." Riku was torn between giving Namine the room and assistance she needed to smooth over this rough patch, and his usual habit of needling and tweaking Roxas. And, as usual, he decided to go with the darker impulse available.
And tweaked was what Roxas was, as his mouth pressed into a hard line. "Riku, listen -"
The blond was drowned out by a deafening POP!, which was accompanied by a blinding white flash, as well as the pleasant, warm aroma of freshly baked bread.
Riku's entire body tensed up at this sequence of sensations.
Oh no. It was happening again. This shouldn't be happening, it couldn't be happening. Why was this happening again!?
The light had ushered two beings into the room alongside Riku, Roxas, and Namine. Both of them were teenagers, probably a little younger than the other three, one was a regal looking boy with feathery blond hair and purple-blue eyes. The second was an even younger girl, with long, immaculate blonde hair, dressed-up in a Gothic Lolita fashion. Riku was, unfortunately, all too familiar with this two individuals.
"Alton. Misha." Riku tensed through clenched teeth, his hands balled in angry fists. "What are you two doing here?"
The boy, Alton, went to speak, but Riku gave him no quarter, quickly cutting him off with.
"Because I thought I told the two of you – all of you annoyances, for that matter – never to travel to the past again."
Misha look affronted and annoyed. "I don't remember ever agreeing to take orders from you."
"You should, if you wanna keep living!"
"Riku..." Namine broke in, putting a damper on Riku's building ire. "Who are they? What's going on?" Both Roxas and Namine looked beyond confused at the sudden arrival and progressing scene.
Starting with a forlorn sigh, Riku quickly explained the events of a little over a year ago; the mysterious arrival of Kyrei – Sora and Kairi's potential future daughter – supposedly coming back in time to prevent a catastrophe, her arrival heralding more and more future children, the combinations getting more and more absurd with each child, how everything almost ended in a battle royal of Keyblade wielding future children, before the ridiculous reason for why all this was happening was figured out, and the children were shamed back to their respective futures. Riku had done his best not think about that day in the intervening time, and found his blood was boiling in frustration with both having to relive it's events, and now seemingly forced in participating in it's sequel.
"This is absolutely crazy, everyone knows that right?" Roxas reacted when Riku finally finished. He had taken a closer examination of both Misha and Alton in the interim, and could certainly see similarities between the two and himself and Namine. Misha's hair was the same colour, and they both possessed similar petite builds. Even her fashion sense reflected Nam's, who occasionally liked to add bits of gothic flair when the mood struck her. Alton, meanwhile, had a similar hairstyle to himself, and there was some mirroring in how his face was structured, as well. The eyes bothered him though, they didn't quite sync up for some reason...
"Still," he began, taking a hopeful look in the direction of his girlfriend, "if they are our kids, I guess that means we get through this rough patch, huh?"
"You seem to misunderstand da- sorry, I mean Roxas! We'll try and use names versus titles. Make things less awkward." Alton still spoke in the same collected and measured voice during his first venture to the past. He didn't so much as command attention, put politely ask for, and then graciously receive, it. "There isn't one set future, but many competing potential futures. Misha and I hail from different alternate timelines, and have different parentage. I by you and Kairi, and Misha by Sora and Namine."
Both former Nobodies were floored by this revelation. It didn't help that this knowledge came at the worst possible time of their fragile and fledgling relationship. A time that Misha Kido clearly didn't mind taking advantage of.
The girl and moved up to her mother, claspsing one of her hands in both of hers. "Is it true? The two of you are in a rough patch? If so, please consider changing course and courting Sora. I promise that you two are the happiest possible couple in the world, you won't regret the decision at all!"
"Bah...kaa...whaa..." Namine babbled, beyond dazed at this point. Her face was beet red, her eyes had shrank to nearly-invisible pinpricks, and it seemed that if Misha weren't holding on to her, she would collapse into a puddle. Figuratively. Possibly literally.
Riku, deciding he'd seen enough, grabbed a small paperback book and hurled it at Misha, nailing her square in the forehead.
"Moron!" Clearly she got her brains and social tact from her father, not her mother.
Misha staggered back, rubbing the mark on her head, into the arms of Alton. "Hey, that was uncalled for!" He censured Riku, who responded with a pointed middle finger.
"Blow me, jackass!" He bellowed, giving the two a venomous glare. "And, by the way, I can sense this mutual attraction thing between you two, so I oughta let you know, your mom's are still sisters, you're dad's are still brothers, so even if you two are from alternate future, if you hook up, it's still incest. Just so ya know!"
Both future children blushed furiously at the accusation and explanation, before becoming conscious that Misha was currently being protectively cradled in Alton's arms. They were all too conscious of that fact. They quickly jumped apart, five feet from each other, awkwardly shuffling around, Alton grumbling something in annoyance.
"My reasons for liking Miss Misha are not so lewd and -"
"Shut it, Mr. White Knight!" Riku snapped. "I still haven't received an explanation as for why in the hell you decided to travel again, and I'm done waiting. Spill it, before I kick both of your asses back to the future."
In the interim, Roxas chose to take the opportunity to check in on his girlfriend, who was still recovering from the shock of these events...and the greater shock of Misha's – her daughter's proposal. The blonde had sunk to her knees, placing her cup of tea down (she was certain if she tried holding onto it for the rest of the afternoon, it would break), trying to steady her breath and her heartbeat.
"You doing okay, Nam?" Roxas asked, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Just his slightest touch did a world of good for Namine. She exhaled deeply, looking up at her boyfriend with a thankful look in her eyes.
"Hmm, I'm not sure. This is a lot to take in at once." Steadying herself, Namine stood back up, watching Riku bicker with Alton and Misha out of the corner of her eye.
Roxas scratched at his cheek. "You're not kidding. Not to mention that this just doesn't make any real sense."
The former Nobody girl gave him an inquisitive look. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, okay, yeah, you and Sora make... sense... I guess..." He said that part in a quiet, restrained voice. His ego was still certainly bruised from the previous night. "But me and Kairi? I mean, come on, that's crazy, right?"
"I don't know, is it?" Namine asked, hands on her hips, eyes having hardened. "Is my sister not good enough for you, Roxas?"
"No, I didn't mean that! I mean, yeah, she's really pretty. She's sweet and gentle and always goes the extra mile to help others. That's always something I've really admired of her..." Roxas was now aware his girlfriend was glaring at him, as he talked up how great her sister was. "But, y'know, she's also high-strung and nosy, she can be a real big mood-swinger, too." Namine was still glaring at him, possibly more now. What was the right answer here? "My point is... I guess, I only imagined the two of us. Never thought of me with someone else..."
Saying it aloud, Roxas realized how silly it sounded. How childish and naive the sentiment was. As a being, for the majority of his existence, he had only really known three women, one of whom was a violent psychopath, and the other was a digital construct confined inside a fake world. When he said stuff like that, it sounded like Roxas glommed on to the first real woman he met and developed a fixation with her.
When he went to apologize for his blunder, Namine halted him with a glance.
"It's okay, Roxas, I know what you meant, it's just..." She adjusted her glasses, once more taking a peek over at Alton and Misha. "Things are never as easy as we want them to be. Life. Romance. It's complicated, and we're still learning." Her boyfriend nodded with a sigh.
"Do you care to repeat that again?" Riku asked, loud enough to draw the attention of the two ex-Nobodies, who were now actively watching and listening to the three.
Alton began to explain. "After we went back to our own times, some of us were worried others might repeat the events of...the incident. Seeing as, so many of us apparently have the ability to travel through time. So, Kyrei and Cascadia had the idea -"
"Yes, that little brat had a good idea." Misha snarked with a sideways glance. "I'm as surprised as the rest of you."
"Had the idea," Alton gave the girl a censuring look, "to contact other children of the Key Bearers in other timelines and inform them of what happened and to reach an agreement not to travel back to the past. Not to preserve the continuity of the timestream, but just to not annoy you."
"Well, you're failing on that ground, buddy." Riku spat out. Alton's face creased in frustration at being interrupted again.
"I will get to that, there is an explanation as for why we're here. Regardless, this contact across time led to everyone forging friendships with one another, offering support and positivity to each other in times of need. Deciding to make it official, we dubbed this group the 'Future Children's Alliance'."
"'Future Children's Alliance'?" Riku reiterated, slowly. Both future children, and presumably Alliance members, nodded. A dull look crept upon the silver-haired man's face. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
Roxas nodded along. "Yeah, much as it pains me to agree with Riku, that's pretty stupid sounding." Alton flustered.
"We spent a lot of time workshopping the name. I didn't really like it either, but my bloc was outvoted at the meeting. Soleil is so charismatic and charming, it's scary..."
"I really don't think that is important, Alton." Misha said.
"I agree with her." Namine replied. She stole a quick glance at Misha, and felt a tremor ripple through her being. Trying her hardest not to think of Sora at this moment in time, she continued. "You said there was a reason you've traveled back. I for one, would like to hear it."
Riku crossed his arms and scowled. "I would prefer if you two just pissed off and leaved us alone."
"Unfortunately, that cannot be. The others are already on their way." Misha's explanation was answered by a wall of looks – questioning from Roxas and Namine, venomous from Riku. "In their times, they have already left. Time travel." She said with a shrug.
"Wait, 'the others'?"
"While everyone was in general agreement not to travel through time, there were some protests." Alton explained once again. At this point, Riku was wondering if his last name was 'Kido' or 'Exposition'. "Mostly centered on the fact that the only children who traveled back the first time, and got to meet their parents when they were younger, were children of Sora and Kairi. So, for one time only, we made a compromise. We would usher back eight children from the future, born of the three of you."
Misha pointed to the three in turn. "Three mothered by Namine. Three fathered by Roxas. And three born from Riku."
"Hold up, you're math is off. Three and three and three makes nine. What gives?" Roxas asked.
Misha sighed and shook her head. "That is...you'll see when the time comes." Judging from her body language, Misha was not wholly on board with whatever it was that as happening.
"Okay, I've heard enough." Riku declared the moment the last syllable left Misha's lips. He exchanged icy glares with the girl, the future daughter of his two best friends. "You're both going back and you're gonna cancel this little field trip, and not bother us, like you promised to do a year ago." When both future children went to protest, Riku cut them off by summoning his Keyblade. "That is not a question! That is not a request. It is a demand. I have no problem beating the snot out of the two of you in front of your parents, if you refuse."
Both Alton and Misha stood there ground, causing Riku to rear up into a battle stance, only for Namine to stand in the way of the three, arms up, calling for peace and civility.
"Hold it, Riku!" Namine gave him a pleading look, which caused the older teen to relent. Slightly. Roxas also took position behind Riku in case he lashed out. "I...want to do this. I know this is going to be all sorts of weird and awkward, and I may die of embarrassment before this day ends," she punctuated this with a nervous spurt of giggles, "but... I can't help but be curious. And if Sora and Kairi survived this experience, I can too. I think. I hope."
"If Namine is okay with this, then I want to go through with this, too." Roxas looked passed Riku, granting Namine a supportive look. The blonde girl smiled slightly at the gesture.
Riku growled and rolled his eyes, but also dismissed his weapon, signaling that he would (reluctantly) accept the decisions of his friends and go along with this madness. Just his rotten luck that he would have to experience this nonsense twice in one lifetime.
Suddenly, the air in the room split in two. A shimmering, swirling portal of light, ever-changing in colour, opened up in the space between the broken air.
"I'm glad everyone's in agreement, because we couldn't stop this, even if we wanted to." Stated Alton.
Riku gave a sideways look at the rift. "Seems your methods have become a bit more sophisticated..."
"We figured it was better this way," Alton said, nodding along. "Better than assaulting everyone's senses every time we travel back and forth."
"Yeah, does time travel always smell like food?" Roxas asked. Misha, Alton, and Riku all nodded glumly. "Why?"
"It just does. No one knows. Not even Merlin.
"Wait, Merlin is still alive?"
The energies of the portal began to crack and surge, as a shadow appeared drawn across it's surface.
Misha pulled a pocket watch out from the bodice of her dress. "And here comes guest number one. Right on time, too." She said, glancing at the watch. Who caries a pocket watch with them anymore? Especially from someone from twenty-odd years in the future.
Maybe they had come back in vogue by that point?
With bated breath, the five watched as the shadow within the magic gate grew larger and more distinct, but only taking form when it breached the threshold. In a surge of sparks and energy, a young man – looking to be around Riku's age – appeared in the living room, blinking wildly.
"Ugh, man. You didn't tell me that time travel felt so... odd, Alton."
"You're the first to use the time gate to travel this far into the past, Seito. We would have no way of telling you."
"And I'm the test dummy, too. Just perfect."
The boy, Seito, was a towering youth. Standing over six-feet tall (just a little shorter than Riku) with dark brown hair done up in a loose top knot, dressed in an elaborate kimono coloured in alternating stripes of dark blue and shimmering brass. It looked less like he had traveled from the future, and more like had stepped off the set of a jidai geki show.
Scanning the room and adjusting himself to the time jump, Seito's eyes lit up when they fell upon Namine. With long strides, the man in samurai garb quickly closed the distance between the two and scooped her up into his arms. Not only was Seito very tall, he was clearly very strong, too, as evidence when he placed Namine in a tight, joyful, spine-breaking, lung-busting hug.
Namine yelped, which quickly turned into a choking sound, as the arms locked around her spine almost bent her in half. "Can't... breathe..."
"Easy, Seito." Alton cautioned, as both Riku and Roxas looked extremely alarmed for the blonde girl's well being. "Don't want to hurt your mother and cause a paradox here."
"Sorry, sorry." Seito put Namine back down, before bashfully shuffling backwards, bowing all the while. "I don't know my own strength sometimes, and I just got excited and-"
The portal began to sizzle and spark again, heralding another arrival.
Roxas rushed over to his girlfriend, who had once again collapsed to her knees. "You okay, Nam?" The ex-Nobody girl was in a daze, wheezing slightly and clutching at her sides. "Oh, boy, this is going swell already..."
"Hmm, maybe we should have spaced this out better." Misha noted, as the traveler exited the gate.
It was another young man, this one carried himself with a refined air, dressed in regal garments all cast in wintery blues and dark greys. He wore his light blond hair short and neat, bound by a silver circlet, and while his eyes were an icy shade of blue, his expression was gentle and kind.
"Oh, apologies," he said as he entered, seeing Seito was still mid-bow, "it seems I came a little too early."
"No worries, Sieg," Seito offered a welcoming smile, as he stood back to full height. Both future sons extended their hands and bumped fists, punctuated with familiar chuckles. "I was just about to get to the awkward part, it might be easier to do with a friend around."
'Sieg' nodded. "Well met then, good friend." Both men then turned to the collective and officially introduced themselves.
"My name is Seito, it's a pleasure to meet all of you." Seito began, once more bowing deeply at the waist. "As you can probably already figured out, Namine here is my mother, and my father is the Keyblade Master Terra."
"Greetings everyone, it's an honour to make your acquaintances." The regal boy placed an arm across his chest and declined his head in deference. At the same time, he couldn't help but steal a glance at Roxas. "My name is Siegfried, Crown Prince of Arrendale, heir to the throne, first son of Queen Elsa and her consort and captain of her royal guard...Roxas Kido."
For Roxas and Namine, it had been as if the air had been let out of the room. While, yes, they were braced for the coming of their potential children, and they had already had contact with Alton and Misha, they still were not entirely prepared for this. All of this. The weight of being referred to as a parent by total strangers. The frank randomness and absurdity of some of their potential pairings and romantic entanglements.
Both of the blonds stood perfectly still, lumps in their throats, overwhelmed by the situation, and lost in a haze.
Me and...Terra? Namine thought, feverishly. I've seen pictures of him, he's gigantic! He must be a whole foot taller than me. And he looks so strong, too. I wonder...what would it be like to be held in those arms...? Oh...oh, no. Bad Namine! Don't think that stuff... Oh god, everyone's staring at you! Quick, say something!
"I...I'm very happy that there's a future where we're able to revive Terra." Namine finally managed to say, forcing a smile. "I'm sure Aqua will be very grateful, too."
Elsa? She's Kairi's friend, right? Roxas thought, very slowly processing reality. I mean, she's a Queen, I could do worse for myself, I suppose. She's very pretty, too. Big, soulful eyes, long legs... Hey. Hey! Stop it, Roxas! You're with Namine, you shouldn't be thinking about other girls like that. Oh god, everyone's looking at you. Say something, fast!
"Uh...thank you for coming all this way." Roxas said, trying to sound gracious and welcoming. "I'm certain as a Prince, you must be very busy with your duties back home..." Roxas cursed himself for how stiff and awkward he sounded.
"You're correct in your estimations, fa-" Siegfried caught himself, hesitating, and looking away from the blond Key Bearer. He only regained his composure when Seito gave him a gentle push at the shoulders, urging him to continue. "You're correct, Roxas. But, that's beyond the point, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to tell you something." The young Prince inhaled, steeling himself. This was clearly as uncomfortable for him as it was for his future father. Roxas tried to offer assistance, any he could.
"Tell me what exactly?" He asked.
"In my time, you come to our home during a crisis of confidence, unsure of your self, your place in the universe, especially when standing next to your brother." With Roxas's encouragement, Siegfried's rattled nerves seem to have evened out. "It is you and Aunt Anna that save mother from her deepest moment of despair. You join her guard to keep an eye on her, and, eventually, well...it blooms into romance, as you can see." The Prince began to smile as he recited the story. "I just wanted to tell you that, regardless of whether it's my future or any other, you will find a path to call your own, so just keep moving forward and have confidence in yourself."
Roxas was taken aback, but also, weirdly relieved. While he was incredibly grateful to be revived, to be a complete person, and to be welcomed by his friends and family, sometimes it was hard being Sora's brother. Being next to and compared to someone so amazing. It was frustrating at times, depressing at others, so it was comforting to know that he could stand alone, outside of Sora's shadow.
The blond offered his thanks under his breath, bowing his head slightly while scratching the back of it.
Riku chuckled to himself, drawing all eyes on him. "This kind of all makes a kind of bizarre sense. I mean, Terra and Elsa seem to perfectly fit within your guys' types." When both ex-Nobodies looked confused at the declaration, Riku pointed in the direction at his best friend. "C'mon Nam, we both know you enjoy being with guys bigger and stronger than you. Being held safely in their arms. And who is bigger or stronger than Terra? As for Chocobo Hair..." He turned to Roxas, the two exchanging hard glances. "Waifs with mysterious magical powers and a history of trauma, that's right in your wheelhouse. So, who better a fit than Miss Sing It From The Mountain Top?"
Once more, both Roxas and Namine looked flustered and overwhelmed, but even they had to admit their was an element of truth to it. One of Namine's most favourite things in the world was to be held tightly in Roxas's arms, while Roxas held a natural protective streak, particularly towards girls like Namine. The two young lovers shifted awkwardly, neither knowing what to say next.
"Hey, wait, I had a reason for coming here, too." Seito spoke up, his voice cutting through the tension, as he turned to face Namine, looking down at the blonde girl. He seemed slightly jittery, too, but a confident smile was able to form on his lips. "I know... you always say how you felt like your memory powers were a curse when you were younger, but they aren't. You do so much good with them in my time. You're able to fix dad's memories, hell, you're a big reason why he's able to be revived in the first place." Once more, the samurai approached Namine, but only gently clutched her hands within his, and then earnestly telling her, "You help so many people with powers, so please don't beat yourself up in the here and now. You're better than that, mom."
Like her boyfriend, Namine seemed at a loss for words. Seito was right on the money with how she felt about her powers. They had inflicted such harm on Sora, someone she cared deeply for, she tried her hardest to bury them away with her, to repress and wish they would vanish. The fact that she could help people, heal people... it seemed so strange and foreign, but also wonderful. Hope bloomed within her.
"Thank you, Seito." Namine couldn't find herself to look Seito in the eyes. She may never find the ability to look any of her future kids in the eyes, but she still wanted to share her feelings with the boy. "It means a lot to hear that. I'll try my hardest to make that a reality, in any future."
"Now, what's with all this outpouring of honest emotion?" Riku spoke up, after observing the interactions between the four, along with Misha and Alton, but noticed a slight difference to the last time this all happened. "You guys seem okay with divulging information on the future all of sudden."
"When we set his up, we drew lots to see who would travel back," Misha began explaining. Checking over her shoulder, she could see the temporal gate was activating again. Right on time. "And everyone who volunteered had their reasons. Some just wanted to see their parents when they were younger, others had more specific motivations to come. Something important to say to their parent."
"As for freely divulging information, well, even after everything that happened, our time's still exist. Even with the three of you possessing knowledge of it." Alton said, referencing Riku, Sora, and Kairi, and their previous misadventures with the children from the future. "None of us are quite sure how continuity works regarding the timeline, but the our presents keep on moving forward despite all that's happened."
As he finished speaking, two shadows appeared on the portal's precipice. Riku noticed that Misha was currently smiling like the cat that caught the canary.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about how much you'll enjoy this, Riku."
The silver-haired boy furrowed his brow, but couldn't get a word out, before the gate spat out the next two future children.
Of the two of them, it was one boy and one girl. The male was tall and muscular (as expected of a son of Riku), carrying himself with tangible confidence, with skin a shade of rich olive. His hair was jet-black, cut short and parted slightly to the left.
The female stood quite a bit shorter than her male companion, but radiated a bright and cheery energy. Her skin was notably paler, equivalent in tone to Riku's own, and her hair was light red, cut in a sporty bob.
Both of these fugitives from time had the same arrow-straight hair, and the same piercing aquamarine eyes.
Confusion was writ large on the faces of Riku, Roxas, and Namine, not sure what to make of their appearance, and unable to pin down who their mother was.
"Oh, don't look so surprised, everyone." The boy joked, with a sly grin on his lips. "My name, for those wanting to know, is Hiryu Yun-Akiyama. 'Hiryu' means 'Soaring Dragon', and that about sums me up right. Standing next to me is my sister..."
"Hello, hello!" The girl chirped followed Hiryu's introduction. "I don't need a big spiel like Hiryu. I'm Milla Dia-Akiyama, a pleasure to meet everyone."
"I don't understand..." Riku said, slowly and cautiously. Considering the scenario Misha and Alton had set up, it was clear these were his kids (much as he didn't want to admit that fact), but they both looked too different to be from the same set of parents. And then there was their names. "Is one of you adopted?" Milla and Hiryu shook their heads. "Did I get... divorced?" While Riku never really thought about his future regarding starting a family, he always did fear following in the footsteps of his parents. Failing his children, marriage ending in nastiness and separation.
Once more, Hiryu and Milla answered in the negative.
"You're gonna get a kick out of this story, Riku." Milla began, with mischievous but innocent smile. Misha shared a similar look, but it was much more sadistic. "You see, at one point, you encounter two women from Crystallum, two women in a relationship with each other. And, at the time you meet, the three of you are enemies..."
"What's Crystallum, Nam?" Roxas whispered to his girlfriend, as Milla spoke.
"It's a nation on the same world as Radiant Garden." She answered, quickly. "It sits to the northeast."
"And after a long time, and a lot of fights – you win some, they win some – the war comes to an end." Continued Milla. Riku's eyes were locked on her, his body stiff as stone. He already had a feeling he knew where this tale was going. "After all that violence, all the physical contact, all the charged emotion, the two women then ask you if you'd like to go on a date. With both of them. At the same time." The redhead's smile had grown even larger, revealing cat-like fangs.
"And that's how you ended up with both of our moms." Hiryu finished casually. Incredibly casually. Too casually. "With Fang Yun..."
"And Vanille Dia!"
Once more, it was if a bomb had gone off in the room. The only real sound was Misha snickering to herself, Alton trying to silently getting her to compose herself. Roxas looked like he had some sort of smart-ass comment, but kept silent, as Riku stared into space with monumental intent, as if reality had begun eluding him. And, to be fair to him, it was hard to prepare yourself to the knowledge that you potentially ended up in a violent-sexual triplicate tryst with two women you'd never heard of before.
Eventually, the silence was shattered by Namine giggling madly, clutching her sides, beyond entertained, apparently.
"Well, well... this, too, make a bizarre sense, right?" Namine snorted between giggles, in response to Riku's demanding gaze, twisting his own words against him. "Like, I know you're straight, but something about you, I just never could imagine you in something like a typical atomic family, or anything hetero-normative like that. You in a polyamorous relationship with two bisexual women? That...makes a weird kind of sense." The dark Key Bearer snarled silently to his friend's assessment.
"Wait, is polygamy even legal in Crystallum?" Roxas asked Milla and Hiryu.
"Nope!" Came Hiryu. "Ain't legal in the Garden, either."
"Fang and mom are married," Milla offered. "Papa is there. He's around. But he's not really anything to either of them, in the legal sense. He's just there."
Roxas pointed to his rival and laughed. "Even in your own relationship, you're still a third wheel."
"Shut it, blondie!" Riku snapped.
Namine turned to address the two half-siblings. "So, Hiryu, Milla, why exactly did you come back?" Hiryu made a dismissive motion.
"Oh, nothing super noble or exciting, truth be told." He said, moving in closer to Riku. "Mom was actually the one who convinced us to go. She said it would be worth it to see the look on Riku's face." Hiryu announced, throwing an arm over the silver-haired teen's shoulder.
"Got to say, she was right!" Milla had snuck up to the opposite side Hiryu was on, gently poking Riku in the ribs with a teasing grin. Riku frowned deeply
"You know, you two aren't doing a good job at endearing me to this future." He muttered under his breath, but his warnings went unheeded. His two future children were far too engrossed in taunting him to take notice.
The portal began sparking again.
"Well, we're about halfway there." Alton said, as all eyes fell towards the rift again. "We're making a good pace, so far."
"Yeah, I still don't understand what you meant earlier, with the count." Roxas asked, eyes never leaving the portal.
"Again, you'll see... we were sworn to secrecy. 'It would be more of a surprise', was the reason we were given."
As the shadow within the gate began to come closer and closer to crossing the edge, Hiryu and Milla continued their pestering of Riku, to his growing consternation.
"Say, Riku, what're you doing tomorrow?" Hiryu questioned, arm still around his father. Riku's shoulders were hunched up in protest, his face locked in a burning glower. "How about taking a little vacation to Crystallum?"
"Yeah, yeah, little bro is right!" Milla said in an excited manner, as she stood ahead of Riku. She held her hands clasped together in an overtly cutesy manner. "I hear the wild flower gardens are lovely this time of year."
"As is the National Magicite Museum. You know, when the sunlight hits the crystals just right, it's marvelous."
"Super romantic. The perfect place to take a girl."
"Or two."
The silver-haired boy only seethed and hissed under their constant nattering. "I knew I should have just Dark Corridored away when I had the chance..."
The portal once more surged with brilliant energy, as a new child made his way into physical space. It was another tall young man (so many of their sons seemed fortunate on the side of height), but had a long and lanky frame. Upon the sit of his mop of flame red hair, Riku, Roxas, and Namine all got an immediate idea of who his parentage was.
"Well, don't everyone stare, you'll make me self conscious." The redhead said in response to the wall of eyes. Riku had an expression of "knew it", where Namine and Roxas possessed varying degrees of shock.
"I think they just pieced together who you are, Crim." Siegfried surmised from the corner of the room he and Seito currently stood in. His tone while addressing him was slightly standoffish. "Or rather, where you come from, and are in shock over it."
"You're, you're obviously Axel's son," Roxas began, short of breath from the sight of the boy, Crim. He was looking at someone who had blue eyes that were perfectly identical to his own. The truth was right in front of him... "By Axel and -"
"You, Roxas." Crim filled in quickly. "I'm your son, too."
Roxas felt the room spin at the confirmation. At the revelation. He had never really bothered to care or ask for Axel's sexuality, so just that was a new fact for him. Wait, that means Axel was attracted to me, then? Wait, that means... Am I bi? Similarly, Roxas had never questioned his own orientation on these matters. Sure, he could say or think a guy was attractive without thinking about it either way. But, what if that just wasn't the case, and there was a part of him he hadn't discovered yet? That hadn't fully awakened? Oh boy, this just opened up a major can of worms...
Seeing the confusion and indecision on her boyfriend's face, Namine jumped in. "Oh, Roxie, is this the first time you've heard of this? Are you only realizing it now?"
Roxas swallowed, thankful that she was there for him in this moment. "What? That Axel was gay, or that he was attracted to me?"
"Yes!" Riku shouted, his tone criticizing the boy for his obliviousness. "You seriously couldn't tell after all that time? He was almost as obvious as Sora when he crushes on someone."
"I-I don't know. I just never noticed..." Part of Roxas's head was flashing back through all of his interactions with Axel, now given light in a new context. He couldn't spend time on that right now, he needed to focus. "But... how does this work? Like, mechanically, how would this," he gestured at Crim, "come about?"
"There's a potion that can give a man a working uterus and ovaries." Namine explained in a concise, matter-of-fact voice.
"Oh...good to know." Roxas said, stiffly. Just no one tell me which one of us was the one to take that potion.
"Look, look, I know this is a lot to take in right now." Crim interjected, after witnessing all the confusion his arrival caused. "And I am sorry for dumping this all of your plate, Roxas, I really am. But I just felt like I had to come back, regardless of what happened." Uncertainty came across the tall boy's face, but seeing his shaken confidence let Roxas focus on the here and now.
"What is it, Crim? What did you want to tell me?"
Crim took a deep breath and began. "I... listen, because of the FCA, I've learned about a lot of alternate futures, different from mine. In some of them, you're able to bring dad back. In others, you don't. In some, you go to desperate lengths to revive him, but never can. So, it was dad who had something to tell you. A younger you. If you can bring him back, that's great. If you can't, that's fine, too. You already got a second chance, and your life is meant for you, not to waste chasing after ghosts... That's what I wanted to say."
Beyond the shock on the situation, Crim's words struck a chord with Roxas. Sometimes, he had wondered what Axel's true motivations with their friendship was, considering the fiery redhead's insistence on Roxas staying with the Organization, and trying so hard to bring him back into the fold. Hearing that Axel only wanted what was best for Roxas, even if he wasn't there to share it, it meant a lot. And, like Namine had said earlier with Terra, it was good just knowing there were points in time where Axel could and was revived.
Roxas felt like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. "Thank you, Crim. I'm glad you came back and told me that." The blond offered his son a smile, which Crim returned awkwardly, turning away and scratching his head.
"Yeah, no worries, da – Roxas. Um, and again, I'm sorry for any trouble I caused. Seems bad luck can follow me even through time..."
"You know, it's almost sad that a kid by Roxas and numb-nuts is the most probably pairing we've witness today." Riku stated, still weathering the pestering of Hiryu and Milla.
Roxas took issue to that. "And what's that suppose to mean?"
"That on Radiant Garden there's an active slash-fiction community dedicated to, what they call, 'Aku-Roku'." Riku said, with a vicious grin.
"Yeah, and I've heard there's an equally big community that writes 'So-Riku'." Roxas countered. Namine sighed and shook her head.
"Hey, everyone," she asked the chorus of children, "answer me honestly, do Roxas and Riku still bicker argue all the time in your futures?"
"Yes." Came the reply of Misha, Alton, Siegfried, Seito, Hiryu, Milla, and Crim.
So, everyone.
"Just great." Namine mumbled, as her face fell.
A rush of energy was unleashed from the portal, summoning children number six into the present. It also had the pleasant side-effect of breaking up the two boys' arguing.
The next guest, seemed strikingly familiar to Riku, as he seemed rocked by her appearance. It was a tall and muscular girl, with snow white hair, and sky blue eyes. Riku was fairly certain he had encountered this girl before.
Before the white-haired woman could speak, Riku pointed to Alton and Misha and barked. "Hey! What's the deal? We're doing the parallel reality thing again? That why you're bringing Shayla into this?"
"'Parallel reality'?" Namine repeated.
"'Shayla'?" Roxas reiterated.
"You're on the right track, Riku, but thinking a little too big." Came Misha's reply. Once more, she cast a delighted smile upon herself, similar to when Hiryu and Milla arrived. "Let's just have Rikaze take point here." The future child said, motioning towards the newcomer.
"Uh, thanks, Misha." Rikaze stammered, turning to face Riku directly. It as incredibly obvious that she was his child, judging from her name, her build, and her hair. Thankfully at this point Hiryu and Milla had backed off of Riku, in deference to their half-sister from another time. "Hello...Riku, my name is 'Rikaze', but everyone back home just calls me 'Rika'. You can probably already tell that I'm your daughter from another time." Riku nodded, slowly, teeth clenched and eyes trained. "Do you care to guess who my mom is?"
"I don't, but I have a sneaking suspicion at who it is. Just, say it, please..."
Rikaze shook her head, grimacing. "It's better if I explain the story behind it, rather than just blurting it out. Trust me. See, one day, Sora has an accident involving some moogle alchemy, where he becomes a woman." And now, everyone saw where this was going. Roxas let out a loud snort of laughter. Namine elbowed him in the gut. Riku stood so still, he may have been petrified for all purposes.
"And unlike a normal gender-swap spell, this effect wouldn't wear off over time." Rika continued, all too aware at the intense expression that was fixed on her father's face. "It had to be reversed through other means, leading everyone to work on a cure. But, during all that, the two of you kept spending time together, and well, mom always said she was attracted to you before the accident, and your feelings began to change over time. And, well, eventually -" Riku held up a hand, begging for mercy.
"Stop. Stop. Please stop! I know where you're going with this." Riku's heart was racing, a deluge of sweat emerging from every pore. He felt sick. Delirious. "I don't need to know anymore." Riku was all too aware of Sora's attraction to him – he really wished he could work up the courage and verbally admit it already – even if he didn't feel the same way. So, it was more than a shock to learn that, apparently, the line between their friendship and a romance could blur so easily. That it was his orientation that was the only thing standing in the way.
Don't think about it, Riku! Don't think about a girl with soft brown hair and big blue eyes, with Sora's personality. That affectionate, kind, loyal personality... OH GOD! Now I'm picturing it!
Riku hunched over, clenching at his heart.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry, dad!" Rikaze rushed over to the silver-haired man, grabbing on to him lightly, as to support him. "I knew I shouldn't have come. I knew learning about this all of a sudden would be too much!"
"It's okay, it's okay..." Riku managed to say, despite himself and his position. Standing back to full height, he took a few centering breaths, expelling the anxiety and surprise from his being. "It's just, that was a lot to take in, in one blow. And a very new light to view an old friend through." The white-haired girl sighed in deep relief.
"Thank goodness," she took a few steps back to give Riku some room to breath. "If it makes you feel any better, you were apparently very tentative to begin your relationship with mom. It took a lot of soul-searching to commit." Rikaze gave a friendly smile, seemingly much less nervous now that her dad had composed himself.
"It kind of does, truth be told." The two shared a brief laugh. "So, why did you come back? Is your aim to torture me like the last two?" He gestured to Hiryu and Milla, who winked and waved back at them. Riku only rolled his eyes.
"No, nothing like that." Rikaze stated. "I really don't have much of a reason. When I first heard about this, I kinda wanted to go just to see what mom was like as a guy, but didn't have much reason to see you – sorry!" Riku shrugged noncommittally at his daughter. "But then Cassi convinced me I should go."
"Cassi?"
"Yeah, Cascadia! You've met her." Indeed, Riku had met the proud warrior daughter of Aqua and Kairi. So they came from the same timeline, huh? "We're super besties!"
So, Sora and I...end up together... and Kairi runs into the waiting arms of Aqua. Makes sense, I suppose. Riku thought, considering the girl before him for a moment. "So, only real important thing, everyone's happy, I hope? In your future?" Rikaze nodded with emphasis. "The two of us? Kairi and Aqua? Yakumo and Sayaka?"
"Yep, yep, and yep!" The more Rikaze spoke, the more he could see both himself and Sora in her. His confidence and Sora's charisma. "Grandma and grandpa were a little put out at first, but that's to be expected considering what happened. But, no, everyone is doing fine."
"Well, that's all the matters, then. Thanks for coming, Rikaze." Even if it wasn't a future Riku had imagined or desired, all he truly wanted was for his friends and family to be safe and fulfilled. He would accept any future where that was true, no matter what twists that road took.
"You're welcome, dad." She replied quietly, with a proud and satisfied smile etched on her lips.
After the moment past – Riku showing as much vulnerability and sincere emotion as he was willing to show to anyone – he noticed Roxas standing behind him, looking quite smug.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. Just thought I'd direct you back to my previous 'So-Riku' comment."
"And I'll direct you to shut the hell up!"
Namine did her best to ignore the two as they began bickering again, instead turning to Misha and Alton. "So, I take it whoever comes next will be a child of mine?" Misha's eyes flashed in affirmation.
"Correct, mother." A chill ran down Namine's spine. So much for the "no titles" rule. "I tried to space out the arrivals so as to give everyone some breathing room. You'll have a child next, and then our special surprise."
The portal began to flicker and discharge.
"Can you guys just tell us what that means?" Namine asked. "Three children by each of us adds to nine, but there's only two more plus the six already here." Misha and Alton just stared at her. "Fine..." She huffed. "Be that way."
Answer or no answer, the next future child exited the rift. It was another woman, this one possessing an air of melancholy about her, her bright blonde hair bound in a tight braid that she hung over her left shoulder. Forlorn, crystal blue eyes took measure of the room and the people in it, eventually falling on Namine.
"It's good to see you, mom. Namine." The blonde said in a soft contralto voice. "You can probably tell that I'm your daughter, so I'll skip most of the introductions. My name is Raine Strife."
"You and Cloud, Nam?" Roxas blurted out in surprise. He quickly came to regret it, as Namine shied away and blushed.
"I see you kept the weather theme in tact..." Riku commented sharply.
"Namine was actually the one to suggest my name," Raine replied, defensively. "It's something I've come to cherish deeply."
"I, uh...you're very welcome, Raine." Namine managed to stutter out. Her thoughts were occupied elsewhere at the moment. First Terra, now Cloud? Riku might be right, I think I do might have a type... Even if Cloud is a bit of a sourpuss, he's a handsome sourpuss. Her blush only grew more luminescent.
In the meantime, Roxas was in a similar headspace to his girlfriend. Does Namine really like big, strong guys that much. He flexed, trying to be casual about it. Yeah, sure, he was bigger and more muscular than Sora, the years having done much to create a sharp distinction between the two brothers, but compared to guys like Terra or Cloud... he was no match. Maybe I should go to the gym some more. Maybe I should ask Riku for some tips. What am I saying? Spending a few hours at the gym with him sounds like hell.
Eventually the two ex-Nobodies caught each other's eyes, seeing the confusion and frustration reflected in their partner. As quick as they looked towards each other, they broke eye contact, Namine coughing loudly.
"So, Raine...what brings you back here? What is your reason?" The pale-skinned future child took on an even more melancholic complexion.
"It... I wish I were here on better terms, I really do." For a moment, Raine seemed overwhelmed by whatever was on her mind. Namine walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Raine, too, was bigger than Namine, but that seemed to be her lot in life.
"It's okay, Raine. We're here. Just take your time."
The girl seemed to appreciate the gesture, smiling graciously. "I came here for two reasons, one selfish and one less so. First," she placed her hand over top Namine's, "I came to tell you, that you're better than you think you are, mom. I know Seito came back for similar reasons, but I felt it was important." She pleaded sincerely. "You're better than you think you are, whatever your doubts and fears, I know it. I've seen it. You've helped so many people in my time. I just..." Tears began to well up in her eyes.
"It's okay, Raine. Thank you, it means a lot to hear that, even twice." If she could ever get past the awkwardness of these memories, Namine was certain she would look back on this day as the day her confidence was massively bolstered. "What as the other thing you had to say?"
"...I wanted to see you again," Rain said, breathlessly, through her tears, trying her hardest to freeze them in place. "I can't say much, but in my time... you and dad are both gone... It's been years since I've seen you, so, I thought, even just once, even if it's you as you are now, not as I know you..." A spatter of tears fell down to the floor.
"I needed to see you just one more time."
In a moment, Namine stood up to her fullest height, throwing her arms around Raine. "I'm so sorry, Raine. I'm so sorry." It felt silly just repeating the same three words over and over, but it's all that came to mind as she comforted her future daughter.
A hushed quiet fell on the room, as everyone gave the two the space and time they deserved.
"I'll be alright, all right?" Raine eventually managed to say, even as Namine wiped away the remaining tears in her eyes. Both blondes share a gentle smile. "Ever since I met everyone in the Alliance, it's been easier. Everyday has gotten easier. Meeting everyone and knowing, even if you and dad aren't together, there are other places and times you're safe and alive." She looked over at the other future children. "I'm very grateful."
"We're happy to help, where we can, Lady Raine." Siegfried said. Seito and Milla both made similar warm gestures.
"No matter how disparate we are and different we may be, we're part of something bigger." Alton added. "That's part of why were started the FCA, to help our others in need." Misha only pouted, averting her gaze from the other child of Namine.
Once more, the portal fired up, a shadow reflected deep within it's surface. Raine took her leave and stepped away from her mother.
"Here we go, child number eight." Roxas stated, ready to finally put this to rest. To finally figure out Alton and Misha's cryptic advances.
"'Bout time we put this nonsense behind us." Riku groused.
"Ah, don't be like that, papa!" Cried Milla from the sidelines.
Riku scowled.
"You can't lie to us. We know you enjoyed meeting the three of us." Hiryu added.
Riku scowled deeper.
"C'mon, Rika! Say something."
"Uh... I don't feel like taunting him is the best idea." Rikaze admitted. "I'm just glad he didn't die from shock, or literally explode when I told him about my future."
"Riku, argue with your kids somewhere else, wouldya?" Roxas shushed the four, earning a snide look from Riku.
The rift surged violently, hailing what should be it's final arrival.
Another blonde girl, this one wearing her hair in elaborate, voluminous twintails. She was still bigger than Namine, but was shorter than Roxas was (Finally, one that isn't a giant! Namine thought cheerily), with big earnest sea blue eyes, flashing a joyful smile.
With a wave, she greeted the collective of future children and Key Bearers. "Hi, everyone!" Her voice was sweet and lyrical. "It's nice to see you all again," she addressed the children, "and to meet you," towards Riku, Roxas, and Namine. "My name is Teysa."
Immediately, it all clicked
Eight children in total.
Three by Riku. Three by Roxas. Three by Namine. But only eight.
"You're our daughter!" Roxas said, half in surprise, half in irritation that it took him this long to put it together. "Mine and Namine's..."
"Am I really that obvious?" Asked Teysa, blushing slightly.
"Surprise." Misha said in a flat voice. "It was all that little twerp Kyrei's idea. So juvenile..."
Teysa turned to her half-sister, a dark countenance spread on her face. "Don't talk about my cousin like that, Misha." She warned. Just as quick, Teysa's demeanor shifted back to it's original setting. "I hope you two have been doing well." The blonde said, addressing her two parents. She made a few strides in their direction.
"I mean, as well as we can be in this scenario, I suppose." Namine answered, looking to Roxas for his opinion. He only shrugged. In all honesty, Roxas was actually glad someone like Teysa had arrived. All the weirdness and anxiety of the day, seeing a tangible end result to the relationship between him and Namine, it was all he could ever ask for. He was overjoyed, just trying his hardest to hide it.
"I'm glad to hear." Teysa beamed, arms behind her back, chest puffed out. "When we drafted this plan, I jumped at the opportunity to see you two, in the here and now."
"Well, what exactly did you come back here for, Teysa?" Namine asked, the barest hint of a smile spreading across her cheeks. She, too, was happy to see such a person. Knowing her and Roxas could have a child, one of many possibilities sure, but still, her heart was fluttering beneath her chest. "If you don't mind me cutting to the chase, that is."
"It's okay mom, er... Namine. I'm sorry." She turned back to Alton. "We said 'no titles, right?"
"Everyone has been breaking that rule all day." Riku was the one to explain. "Just, hurry it up. The sooner you finish, the sooner we can put this nightmare behind us."
"Love you too, dad!" Hiryu cried out.
"Well, I'm not gonna lie, it's a bit of a selfish reason," Teysa started, speaking over the continued verbal sparring of Riku and his kids. "You guys are in bit of a bad spot right now." When she saw the look of concern on their faces, she was quick to add, "it's not anything major, just a little spat. Dad went out on an adventure with Uncle Sora and got hurt. Mom kept telling him he's not in his twenties anymore, he's almost forty and he's got people depending on him. Things kind of escalated from there, and it's been pretty tense at home the past week or two, so I thought I'd make my way to a better time, when you two were like this." With both hands, she gestured to Roxas and Namine. "When you two were happy and at peace."
Both ex-Nobodies looked deeply ashamed. Knowing this was the reason Teysa had shown up, and knowing that they too were going through a rough patch, a bit of friction, caused by Namine's indiscretion and Roxas's own insecurities. Maybe it wasn't a straight fight, but it was still a point of contention, and had generated more than it's share of awkwardness between the two.
Teysa saw how both of her parents looked. "Is something the matter, guys?"
"Nothing much, Teysa, just that...we're kind of in the middle of something ourselves." Namine admitted. "Sorry for marring your chance of seeing your parents all happy and together..."
Teysa looked confused at this comment. "Well, I mean -"
Suddenly, the portal flared to life once more, more violently than before. The rift was growing in size and intensity, the shadows of several people contained with in the surface of the anomaly.
"What the hell?" Riku exclaimed. He turned to accuse Misha and Alton, who also both looked confused and distressed. "I thought we were done."
"We were." Misha replied. "I guess we have some interlopers trying to cross. Who did we have guarding it?" She asked Alton.
"I asked Cascadia and Raizen." Answered Alton.
"Raizen? That twit can't do anything right!"
Alton only grimaced. "Regardless, we have to cut this short before anyone breaches."
"Too late for that, Alton." Teysa announced, as one of the shadows enlarged and pierced the veil.
"Dad!" A girl with brown hair and green eyes popped her head out of the portal, looking right at Roxas. "I just need to tell you, you need to go back to Twilight-"
Without warning, the head vanished beneath the surface of the portal, seemingly pulled back into the space.
"You'll get you turn, hold on!" Snapped another newcomer, partially emerging from the rift. "Mother, you possess such great magical talent!" This girl had blonde hair, half dyed black, her face heavily made up with eye shadow and mascara and purple lipstick. "Keep up with your magic training with mother, with -"
As before, she was dragged below the surface, replaced by two more interlopers, one male and one female, both with wine red eyes.
"Dad!" The first one, the boy, exclaimed. He had raven-black hair. "Go challenge Tifa Lockhart to a fight. Be persistent! It'll change your life!" He exclaimed in the direction of Riku.
"Not on your life, faker!" The woman spat. Her hair was long, a similar shade of dark blonde as Roxas's. "My dad is the one who belongs with her."
Riku made an exasperated gesture. "Does everyone just get a chance with Lockhart?"
"I mean, Tifa's pretty amazing, so..." Roxas said, trying his hardest to look innocent.
Both Lockhart children were sucked beneath the portal's surface as well.
"Okay, we have to put an end to this, quickly." Alton declared, summoning his Keyblade. "Everyone, I'm afraid we have to go back, so gather around the time gate and Misha and I will seal it."
Another strange future child popped out, this one a woman with jet-black hair, wearing a dark tiara, and possessing a haughty, royal demeanor. Her eyes were bright gold, too – the eyes of a darkness user.
"Mother! There's still time! You can free father and be rid of this mundane idiocy. You can rule the universe, as king and queen!" Alton had stepped up to the boundary of the rift, glaring down at the girl. "No! Don't you dare! Don't you-"
The Key Bearer from the future booted the girl back through time.
And yet, more heads continued to pop out of the swirling portal, each trying to barge their way into the past. Among them was a rugged young man with blond hair, wearing a cowboy hat; a skittish looking girl with green hair styles similar to Roxas'; a rabbit-eared viera woman with silvery white hair and aquamarine eyes; and...well, he looked exactly like Sora, but with Roxas's hair colour.
This was getting out of hand. Even more out of hand.
"No time like the present, people, say your goodbyes and let's get going." Misha said to the collected children. Her Keyblade was also materialized.
As the eight children began to make their way to the time gate, Riku stepped forward to address the three that (potentially) belonged him.
"Hiryu. Milla. Rikaze." He said to the three in turn, stiffly and awkwardly. "Take care of yourselves. And be good, for you mom's sakes." He would never say it aloud, but meeting this three in particular, it wasn't the worst thing imaginable. It wasn't fun, but he had worse days before, and he had seen worse times involving future children, too.
Rikaze smiled, eyes tracing over to the other two. "Hey? You two thinking what I'm thinking?" Both Milla and Hiryu broke out into big, frantic smiles.
In a triangle formation, the three engulfed Riku from all sides in a big, combined hug. The silver-haired man took it well. Which is, to say, he seized up, gnashing his teeth, and growling under his breath.
"I regret everything...!"
"We do apologize for the interruption." Siegfried bowed, as he stood in front of the portal.
"But it was a lot of fun coming back here, even if for a short while." Crim said, slapping the princely young man on his back. "Felt good to get that stuff of my chest, too."
"I'll never forget you, Namine. Nor our brief time together, here." Raine held her hand over her chest, looking fondly at the blonde girl. "I know, no matter where I go, you'll always be in my heart."
"Hey, remember what Alton said guys. We're all apart of something much bigger than anyone of us." Seito announced. "The Future Children's Alliance will be there for all us, no matter what."
With everyone gathered about the rift, Alton and Misha held their Keyblades up, in familiar poses, but Riku brought a halt to their action.
"Hey, one thing before you leave, Alton." He began, causing the boy to look over his shoulder. "Last time, everyone of you summoned a Keyblade, so, I have to ask: does each of them have a Keyblade, too?"
"Yes, yes they do." Alton said with a bit of a sigh. "It's odd, we have now made contact with thirty-six different timelines, and in each and everyone, at least one child born of each of the three of you, as well as Sora and Kairi, have the ability to wield the Keyblade."
"That seems highly improbably. And also, greatly unfortunate." Riku knew well enough that the Keyblade had a tendency to draw trouble to it like moths to a flame. More the pity for all the future children.
"Oh, and one other thing before you all leave." Riku pointed at Alton and Misha specifically, and the rest of the children in general (even the ones not present), with a dark, venomous glower covering his face.
"If you ever travel back to our time, ever again, even once more... I will kill you on the spot."
Alton blanched. "Uh... fair enough. We'll keep our promise this time." Sparks of light began to form at the tips of his and Misha's Keyblades.
"Oh, hey, hey!" Teysa began to hop up and down, in order to be seen against the see of much taller people. "Before we go, I just gotta say. I know that my folks will make up before long. And I know that two of you will as well." She was clearly addressing Roxas and Namine. "Couple fights, because relationships are hard. You'll make up and continue on.
"And even if you go to a future where you aren't together, you'll always be connected in some way. I know that. I believe that! I love you guys!"
Beams of light fired from the Keyblades, pass the throng of children, and at the unstable gate. There was an intense pulse of bright white light that consumed everything in the room, blinding Riku and Roxas and Namine. In one instance, there was nothing, before it all receded and returned
The children were gone, everything was back to normal.
The three teens stood their in silence for a time, utterly drained and bedraggled, thankful it was over, but too consumed with embarrassment to talk or do anything.
Roxas stood in a slumping slouch. Riku cracked his knuckles, shuffling on his feet. Namine hugged her own arms closely to herself.
Eventually, tired of all the tip-toeing around, Riku took action, conjuring a Dark Corridor to whisk himself away.
"Well, I'm going to peace out. Gonna spend the rest of the day drinking, trying to repress all of...this!" Riku made his way to the Corridor. Then, in a quiet voice, he added, "Maybe I'll plan a trip to Crystallum... for shits and giggles..." Riku entered the swirling warp before either blond had a chance to say goodbye.
For Roxas, having Riku leave made the gravity in the room even less heavy.
Namine made her way over to the living room's couch, plopping down across it, draping her head over one of it's arms.
Roxas sat down on the floor next to her head. "How you doin', Nam?" Yeah, it was a dumb question, he had a pretty good idea how she felt, but maybe a dumb question was what they needed right now.
"Hmm, well, I'm exhausted, both mentally and emotionally." The blonde girl sighed heavily. "Here I thought the most exciting part of my day would be getting new glasses...
"I think they look great, by the way."
She smiled sweetly at the compliment. "Thanks, dear." Namine sat up, still looking at her boyfriend. "What about you? How're you holding up?"
"Well, I have some lingering questions about my sexuality I need to sort out. Sooner than later." Roxas scratched at his cheek, ponderously. Suddenly, in reflection, Teysa's words echoed in his head, as he remembered why he came over here in the first place. "Oh, yeah, Namine, I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. For the other night. For how I've been acting since then."
Namine shook her head. "Roxas, you don't have to do that. I should be the one apologizing for -"
"No, you don't." He cut her off, gently but firmly. "And, yes I do. I know you didn't mean anything by...that. You would never hurt me like that. And I stormed off like a jerk, instead of talking about." The blond boy ran his fingers through his hair. Namine crying out his brother's name in bed did rattle his ego something fierce, but it shouldn't have caused such a schism. That was all him. "I dunno, I guess I just panicked and got stuck inside him head, when I knew better."
Namine sat up properly in the couch, patting the seat next to her, signaling for Roxas to climb up and sit with her.
"Thank you, Roxas. I accept your apology, even if I think it's unnecessary." She said, as her boyfriend picked himself up and threw himself down on the couch. With him next to her, Namine leaned over, resting her petite frame on Roxas' shoulder and chest. "You know, sometimes, I don't think I deserve to have someone like you." An arm wrapped around Namine's waist, pulling her in even closer.
"That's funny. I feel the same way." Roxas said, though a playful smile was forming on his lips. "Although, at least now we have plenty of back-ups, just in case." He laughed at his own joke, but Namine only smiled politely.
"Right here, right now, all I want is you. All I need is you." Diving fully into Roxas, Namine buried her face into his chest. Roxas responded by wholly enclosing his arms around the girl.
I love it when he holds me like this. Roxas held her firm and close, so that she couldn't move away, but not too tight as to cause discomfort or pain.
To Namine, this was the best feeling in the world.
"Oh, yeah, one more thing." Roxas' voice cut through her reverie. Namine looked up at his boyfriend, noticing a scarlet blush spreading through his cheeks. "Uh...so, last night I was talking to Sora and Kairi, and I asked them-"
Namine stopped him in his tracks. "Roxas, please. At this moment, if you ask me what I think you're going to ask me... I-I don't think my heart could take it. So, just tell me sometime later, please?"
"Okay, Nam. Whatever you say."
Namine once more planted her face into Roxas' pectoral, and, once nestled there, hurriedly squeaked out.
"But, uh, if they're okay with it, and you're fine with it... the answer is 'yes'."
Whew, that took a bit of time. You know, I wanted to include a few more children in this one, but then it took me 4K words just to get to Seito's introduction, so I needed to cut a few things out. And this was still 5K words longer than the first story!
I blame the more involved set-up, personally.
Anyways, I did want to do a sequel to Futureship, partly to bring Roxas and Namine into the "fun", and also because, as my friend ShireFolk pointed out, in the first story, Riku just sort of sits there an absorbs the abuse and insanity without ever getting to meet any kids out of it. And, hey, I enjoy putting Riku through moments of extreme discomfort and annoyance, so the more the merrier!
The only problem I faced was, I don't really care for any of Riku's canon ships. At all. So, rather than dealing with that, I went out of my way to create the crackiest, wackiest, oddest possible ship I could think of. And, maybe Riku/Fang/Vanille isn't that, but it is strange, and... I kind of like it. Like, a lot. The more and more I thought about it in the planning stages, the fonder I grew of it, and the more I liked Hiryu and Milla. Have I stumbled onto something brilliant here? Is RiFanVan gonna become a thing?
I hope this doesn't awaken anything in me...
Regardless, that's enough from me for now. What about you, my readers? Any thoughts on our new gaggle of future children and their pairings? Anyone you particularly like? Does anyone have any guesses as to the parentage of the (much shorter) gauntlet of children who appeared at the end? Please leave a Review or a Private Message with your thoughts, answers, and critiques. I'd love to hear from you!
And, before I go, I will say, if you're a fan of my works – either old or new – then you will want to pay attention to my page for next month (April 2019, as of publication). I have some surprises lined up, that I hope will make everyone very happy.
Please enjoy and take care, everyone!