A/N: Wow, guys. Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favourites! The pressure's keeping me writing actively, so I guess that's a good thing? Haha ^^;
Responses, namely Namine031898:
My theory is that because there's a connection between the two, Riku was able to reach through and tug it back into place, since Ventus's heart is ready to return to his body. Why did Sora not feel said tug? That's another matter altogether.
According to this fic, Ventus's heart is whole; this isn't a response but a general factoid. Ventus's heart is essentially in the same state it was prior to MX came in and destroyed all the things, which is why he's a bit nastier than usual.
In short, I didn't want to pull out that 'Key to Return Hearts' just yet. I'm forever wary of writing extended canonverse for KH, but I will finish off this fic in one way or another. And I don't think we should be sticking Keys into the chest of the guy who happens to have KH's one actual sadist living in him :l
This chapter's going to be at least two parts, since I seem to be underestimating how much Sora and co. tend to blab, and I don't want to post a 5000+ word chapter in one go. If you have any questions, queries or the like, please review! Review anyway, actually~
Unlike what it took to get Sora exhausted, it didn't take much to distract him. His mind was a free spirit, he liked to say, following wherever the breeze took it; Donald called it ADD.
The duck had a habit of that, it wasn't the first mental disorder he'd attempted to lump Sora with, the first being 'bipolar'.
…Admittedly he did kind of jump between emotions.
The brunette Keyblade wielder sighed, leaning on the back of Goofy's chair within the gummi ship. They'd just finished up rounds in a world and were heading back to Radiant Garden for a resupply, since a particularly large, nasty Heartless had drained most of their Potions and Ethers. The monster wasn't anything really out of the ordinary when it came to large Heartless, but Sora had been so distracted lately that it had caused several injuries that could've been avoided.
"Did ya find any new Keychains while we were there, Sora?" said Goofy, noticing the look on Sora's face. The brunette looked up at him, before shrugging, rifling through his pockets. He stopped after a few minutes, blinking slowly, before drawing out a slightly dirt-encrusted keychain that resembled a gear that had been split in half, the inside of it forming an 'S'.
"I didn't get this there" he said in surprise, wracking his brain as to where he picked it up. He couldn't recall getting it from anyone, especially not in the condition it was in…
Sora picked at the dirt, rubbing the metal with his thumb until the Keychain was clean, polishing it a little with a bit of saliva (the only thing on hand!). It gleamed in the cabin lights, the metal warm to the touch.
It felt familiar. He felt like he knew this Keychain from somewhere, but the specifics wouldn't enter his mind.
"Somethin' the matter?" asked Goofy. "You're usually pretty eager to try out a new Keyblade."
"No…it's just…" Sora murmured, before exhaling. He summoned his Keyblade, removing the current Keychain and pocketing it. The weapon defaulted to the Kingdom Key in response, though for the moment it lacked its chain. If he tried to use it like this, the weapon's Keychain would simply reappear, and the keychain itself would vanish from the pocket he kept them in.
Sora fiddled with the old clasp, prying it open enough to fix it onto the Keyblade, and closing the clasp shut.
In an instant, the dirtied Keychain crackled, the wear and tear disappearing, shortly followed by the weapon being encased in a redish-black cloud and reshaping.
As if by instinct, the moment he saw the weapon's form he dropped it in shock, the weapon clattering loudly against the floor.
"That's no regular Keyblade" observed Goofy, staring at it, as Sora gingerly stood up bent over, gripping the black handle. Energy flowed through his arm, warm and comforting, reminding him this was still his Keyblade, the weapon that had seen him through countless battles, his constant companion through all his trials.
But its current form…it was similar to Oblivion, in a sense, in that there were chains wrapped around the weapon's shaft. It was mostly red and black, save for a few silver embellishments, and the two turquoise-coloured 'eyes' that were set in it, one just above the hilt, and one at the teeth of the key, which had taken the shape of something akin to a gear.
He knew the name. He always knew the 'name' of the Keyblade's shape. It helped him remember which ones were better at standing in a block or allowed him to channel his magic more effectively. But those names meant nothing, they were noise. Only Oblivion and Oathkeeper had truly gained lore of their own, having been wielded by Roxas.
This name, though. It rang through his head, his stomach churning wildly as he could see the blonde's sneer in his eye. The one who wasn't Roxas.
This Keyblade was 'Void Gear'.
He didn't know exactly what that had meant to Ventus besides the fact his quip had made him want to throw a punch. The mere thought made him want to risk dark taint and hurl the Keychain out into the abyss outside, never to be seen again.
But this Keyblade…he wanted to ditch it but at the same time he could feel it wasn't a Keyblade to be taken lightly. It looked heavy, but felt light in his hand, and he suspected the weapon was both adept at dealing blows and channeling magic…no, not suspected. He could feel it. This was one of the more powerful Keychains he'd ever encountered. The thought of actually getting rid of it left a heavy weight on his heart, almost like a dull pain. It might've gotten him in trouble numerous times, but he wasn't about to start ignoring his heart now.
"I guess I'll have to try it out when we get to Radiant Garden, huh?" he said, adopting his usual cheerful grin and sitting back down.
"Still got aways to go, so keep that grin up" said Donald, poking the fuel meter.
He lapsed back into silence, though he didn't dismiss the Keyblade; he continued to weight and test it, getting used to the feel of the grip, the way the weapon moved through the air. It was one of the few that moved…naturally. More like an extension of his arm than a weapon. The Kingdom Key felt like that, as did a few others, but most were a bit clunky, a bit too short, a bit too long, a bit too broad in the teeth, too light in the shaft. There were many reasons. If he wasn't holding the weapon, he would've thought it'd be another case of being a bit too heavy and broad in the teeth. The end of the weapon did feel a bit weighted, which was always a problem on Sora's end because of how he used it. Riku could probably use it a bit more effectively, but it wasn't enough to be a hindrance.
He tested a bit how the weapon felt from a makeshift version of Riku's stance, and nodded to himself. Yeah, definitely a bit heavy at the end, more suited to being raised high.
He kicked his legs up, facing his back to Goofy's chair, and exhaled, thinking of Ventus and what he'd said. The thoughts and words hadn't left him, and he'd occasionally dream quite vividly of the friendless lech comment- to Sora, that was one insult that dug very deep.
"Hey, you guys. D'ya think I could ever look like a villain?"
Donald burst out laughing at the comment, which was quickly joined by Goofy. Sora pouted, sitting back up.
"You? Villain? That's ridiculous" said Donald with a huff of superiority. "You've got a baby face and you're too friendly."
"I can be unfriendly" Sora argued petulantly, before recalling with a sharp twang that yes, he could be very unfriendly.
"Well, Sora, I think you'd have to look diff'runt somehow to be a villain" said Goofy, giving him a scrutinizing look.
"Different hair and eye colour?" Sora suggested.
"No, no, no, no. Not even then. Impossible" said Donald disdainfully. "Not even with an Organization XIII coat on."
"Not even Riku's dark suit?"
"Not even Riku's dark suit."
The pout was full-fledged on Sora's face. Honestly, he wanted to figure out who exactly Ventus had mistaken him for. Sora wasn't prone to outright disliking others, but from what he'd heard of the blonde boy, nor was Ven. So he was stumped; he needed a face. He had a name, but he needed a face to pair it to; a face capable of being cruel enough to generate the hatred in Ven's eyes.
Maybe it'd help him understand why he felt the same way in return.
"Ok, how about this- when we get to Radiant Garden, I'll buy some hair dyes or something, and we'll try and get a combination that works. If we fail, I'll concede defeat."
"Better idea" said Donald. "I'll change your hair for you."
"Is that really a good idea?" Goofy asked hesitantly, and Donald shot him an eyebrow-searing glare.
"If I can turn him into a mermaid and myself into a hollow mummy, I can change Sora's hair colour."
"Fine, it's a deal" said Sora stubbornly, folding his arms, and the gummi ship wobbled.
"Smile! Smile like your lives depend on it!" the duck squawked.
(A/N: Yes, 'makeshift Riku's stance' is the stance you think it is, he's just seated.)
