Hey everyone,
So sorry that there weren't many chapters this month. For the first three weeks of the month I spent a lot of time helping people in my personal life and it took up most of my free time. To be honest, I just wasn't feeling the writing vibe this month, though at the same time I was really thinking of some very interesting ideas for new stories. BUT I WON'T! Not before I have more stories finished. Preferably at least one or two stories.
I promise,

Venquine1990
PS. Thank you to Anubis Of The Highway Thieves for giving me an idea on how to divide the movie parts from the reaction portions.

Chapter 59
A Difficult Viewing

1st of February 1996
Destiny's Haven
Jessica's POV

For a few minutes everyone is silent, yet then suddenly Axel turns to my parents and asks: "Hey quick question. Considering that Roxy over here is Sora's Nobody, doesn't that mean he's a Veela too, just like Sora?" Everyone's eyes widen in shock and mum is momentarily silent.
But then he shakes his head and says: "I can't really say for sure. I'm afraid that, outside of knowing that you came from my son, I just don't know enough about you and yours to have a definitive answer. You could be just like Sora, since you came from Sora. But there is also the chance that the Potter gene still considers you too young, despite you being Sora's age. Or it could consider you my third born child and thus you'll be a Faea when the magic considers you old enough.
And Faea don't come into their inheritance until 21, which I'm guessing you're about four to five years away from at this point. So there's really no telling as I don't know how to cast the spell to determine this. My own father, your grandfather, never got the chance to teach me."

Roxas looks down and bites his lips as he asks something that I'm sure hurts the others around him. "What about my relationship with Axel and Isa?" But instantly mum reassures him and says that a Potter always knows who their hearts belong to. He goes on to explain that, while he might have only had a simple crush on aunt Lily, the feelings he had for dad were there even before dad admitted to him about his heritage.

Axel and Roxas both sigh in relief before Xion hugs them both and says: "Still, whether you were meant for each other or not, we'll always be friends, right?" And both of her friends happily agree on this.
I notice that Terra wants to say something – or perhaps ask something, but Aqua beats him to it and suggests that we should start watching the last part of the movie. My Inner Kitsune is slowly growing agitated with both my attention and my mate's attention being on the others, yet I calm it down and mentally tell it that we can divide our attention between our mate and the movie from now on. My Inner being seems to begrudgingly accept this.

Lea, the whole time we were talking, has kept me closely against his side and I happily cuddle a bit closer as we head from the Special Room into the Viewing Room. Ventus looks deeply awed at the huge tv-screen and mutters how Uncle Scrooge would kill for technology like this. I snicker as I can only imagine that their movies are still just showed by old-school projectors upon a white canvas hung upon the wall or something.
Yet I don't really care for this and just listen as dad recaps the better part of the movie. The man slightly glosses over some of the worlds and puts most of the explanation's focus on the rift that slowly seems to grow between Sora and Riku, Kairi's state of being and the worlds where Sora either learned vital skills or where a Princess of Heart came from.
The twins add their own bit to this by reminding dad about the first time that Sora knowingly closed the Keyhole in Traverse Town and dad nods before he finishes up the rest of his story. "So now Sora is heading for, what I can only assume is the final world – or perhaps the second to final." He finishes for the sake of Terra, Aqua and Ventus.

On recommendation of Anubis Of The Highway Thieves, I decided on a new way to divide the movie parts from the viewing parts. Let me know what you think.

Then, while everyone cuddles into their seats to get comfortable, dad presses a few buttons and the movie begins. Donald's face is shown in the top left corner of the screen, proving that we are once more viewing this movie from inside the Gummi Ship. "All right! Let's head on to the new world!" His face vanishes and Goofy's appears in the bottom right corner. "Hold on, Donald. We don't know what's out there. Why don't we revisit other worlds first? I'm sure we'll find some new items."
Aqua nods in pride at Goofy's warning and the twins chorus: "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Roxas, Axel and Xion look at them shocked, yet James, the kids and I just laugh. Me mostly because I remember Alastor admitting how mixed he feels about this. "It's good that that freak got those kids to be vigilant, but I hate how it proves how well he was able to impersonate me." The man had admitted at the start of last summer.

Suddenly an upbeat tempo music comes from the screen in front of us and we see the Gummi Ship use the Warp Drive to fly from one world to another. In each, instead of seeing Sora moving, walking and fighting, we only see a few short scenes of him and the others in different parts of the world, deep in combat with the Heartless.
"Huh, looks like the movie decided that this part of my journey should be shown like a training montage. Quite clever, Lady Destiny." Sora compliments the deity that brought us here and most of his friends and James nod.
Riku grins each time the montage shows that Sora gained more experience, improved his attack, defense, speed or other abilities and when the training montage appears to be over – Sora, Donald and Goofy once more on top of the pirate ship deck – he pecks Sora on the cheek as a reward for all his hard work.

The trio returns to the Gummi Ship and it flies down a new path. A few times throughout the flight, I worry over whether or not the Gummi Ship is really strong enough to reach its destination. Thankfully it manages this goal without as much issues as I had personally feared.
I have to admit the world itself is the weirdest one I have seen so far, bar Wonderland. The whole world appears to just be one giant metallic castle made of pipes and metal plates. Some of the pipes are blowing out gas and steam and the whole structure appears to be standing on two waterfalls or something.

And when the trio disembark, they end up on the same platform Riku appeared on at the near start of the movie. "Garwsh, look at that!" Goofy says, pointing to something in the distance. Sora and Donald had both been standing with their backs to where Goofy was looking and they turn around.
As Sora steps up onto the ledge of the platform, he says: "I know this place …." The full canyon, made up of waterfalls that flow up instead of down, is shown with Sora, Donald and Goofy in the center of the shot and the Hollow Bastion Logo appearing at the front of the screen.

The Chasers look truly awed at the sight of the canyon and Jordan has me chortle as he whispers how awesome it would have been to commentate a Quidditch Match in a place like that. But then Fred hits him upside the head and George tells him to just focus on the movie.
"You know, considering that this is basically the finale of this movie and seeing how much is going to happen in just this one world, I think it might be better if we take a few short breaks in between certain parts of the movie." Riku suggests.
Instantly Lea shouts the word Done at the same time that I shout my desire to second that. The others laugh, yet my Inner Kitsune just purrs at the idea of having some private time with my mate. Then Angy says: "Alright, to make things easier for our little Kitsune friend, let's go with Riku's idea. Riku, you and Sora tell us when we best can take a break, okay?" The two nod and we watch.

"Hmm, that's strange." Goofy comments about Sora's statement about the place being familiar. "I wonder why … I feel this warmth inside, right here." And he places a hand over his heart as he speaks.

I notice Sora and Kairi sharing a look and a grin.

"Aw you're just hungry." Donald comments loftily and Sora angrily retorts: "Hey, I'm serious!" But before they can continue their argument, a loud angry roar is heard. Instantly most of the girls yelp or scream and Jordan asks what that was. I grin and mutter: "The lead character of one of the best movies of this decade." Instantly everyone is intrigued.

I tell them that I will explain the movie to them at the next break. Only then I notice that Riku's not grinning like the rest and he mutters: "Good, because things are about to take a turn for the worst, trust me." Instantly most of our attention is back on the movie. Only Sora fully divides his attention between the screen and his mate, who sits on a loveseat beside him.

"Let's go!" Sora tells his friends. They jump from one platform to two that are floating right next to each other. Onto two others that are, like the first three, only a few inches higher than the last three. The next platform seems to function as a lift as it floats up and down. Sora almost misses the platform, yet manages to grab hold of the ledge.
As he climbs on top of it, the platform has reached the height of the next platform, which is one of the biggest of them all. Thanks to this he again almost misses the platform and grabs onto the ledge before he climbs on. He jumps onto two more platforms and then the screen turns black as he lands on the latter.

When it returns to focus, it shows a huge brown being with a purple cape standing on what might be the second to final platform. Riku stands on the final one, which has a stone arch set on top of it. Yet then I notice two more platforms slightly above Riku's head.
"No vessel, no help from the Heartless … So tell me, how'd you get here?" Katie gasps as she recognizes the being and she whispers: "This – this is going to be – wow …." Yet Riku doesn't seem to share her beliefs or her enthusiasm. A frown of personal disgust and trepidation is on his face as he watches Beast answer his past self's question.

"I simply believed. Nothing more to it. When our world fell into Darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So, here I am. She must be here. I will have her back!"
The whole time the Beast talks, the movie shows the canyon from various beautiful directions. At first it focuses solely on Beast himself.
But as he speaks of his world, it shows the canyon from over Riku's shoulder.
As Beast speaks of his vow, the camera shows the two from below the platforms they are on.
As Beast speaks of his belief that he would find Belle, the camera is angled almost as if someone is standing besides the Beast.
And as he makes his last statement, the camera focuses back on him and even zooms in a little for further emphasis.

"Take her if you can." Riku challenges the mighty creature.
Terra looks at Riku confused and upset and Riku sighs as he whispers: "Ansem." And that one word seems to explain everything to the elder brunette.

Beast lets out a mighty roar and jumps at Riku. Yet suddenly I notice that Riku is holding a sword that looks almost just like a Keyblade. The silver-haired boy jumps back and evades Beast's attack with a backwards flip. Then he attacks the Beast himself and while the screen turns black, the sound of a metal blade hitting something is heard. All the while the movie acts as if time has been slowed down.

"You attacked him? When all he wanted to do was get his beloved back? Why?" Katie asks horrified, but Riku keeps quiet. But then Sora makes everything worse and says: "Trust me, this is nothing compared to what's about to happen. And if I have to pick out a really guilty party, I'd say it's more so Donald and Goofy. You'll see." Instantly I'm deeply worried.

Lea pulls me close against his side to reassure me as we watch Beast collapse from Riku's attack and watch Sora, Donald and Goofy coming to stand in front of the fallen being, Sora shouting: "Stop!"
"So, you finally made it. About time. I've been waiting for you. We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me, as I've always pushed you."

Dad winces at this and mutters: "If there is one kind of mate that can't stand a competitive Submissive, it's the mate of a Submissive Veela. Of course, most couples strive to see each other thrive and prosper, but rivalry, a Submissive Veela, a Dominant mate and hormones – that is never a good combination."
Then Axel makes it worse as he says: "Combine that with Maleficent and Ansem both manipulating the Dominant mate and you've got one unavoidable recipe for disaster."

But then Sora shakes his head and says: "That might all be true, but without this adventure, Riku would have never become the man he is today. And I love him for it. I don't think I would love him less if he wasn't touched by Darkness the way he was, but that doesn't matter. It's the Dominant within him that always gave him the strength. The strength to resist Maleficent, Ansem and everyone else who tried to use him."
I don't know why I feel like the same can be said for Lea, yet I don't care at the moment. My Kitsune seems to have come to the same conclusion as I have. We both whole-heartedly agree with our Veela older brother as we watch the movie.

"Riku …" Sora calls out for his friend, obviously unable to understand where Riku is coming from or where he might be going with his spiel. "But it all ends here. There can't be two Keyblade masters."

Aqua looks down as she hears this and she says: "There was a time – where I would have agreed with you. When you were younger, only still a young little boy who was mostly unfamiliar with the outside world, I truly believed that one Keyblade was enough for every friendship. That's why I didn't bequeath the Keyblade to Sora when I first met you kids. Because I could already sense that Terra had done so for you.
I misunderstood what the Keyblade stood for, I – I thought it a weapon that could even wreck friendships and other bonds. I wanted to protect you boys from that fate." The woman sighs and mutters how, at the same time, she had been blinded. How she had been short-sighted and looked at everything in too much of a black-and-white manner.
For some reason I get the feeling that the woman paid something close to the ultimate price for this belief. This feeling worries me.

Sora is still confused and asks: "What are you talking about?" Riku reaches out his arm for Sora as he answers and demands: "Let the Keyblade choose … its true master!" And to my utter shock and horror, the Keyblade responds.
At first it just twitches in Sora's hand, but then it moves as if it wants to be in Riku's hand, as if the boy cast the summoning charm on it. Sora tries with both hands to keep his hold firm, but to no avail. The Keyblade disappears from his grip in a burst of light and reappears in Riku's in the same manner.
As it vanished, Sora and Donald exclaim: "Huh?" and "What?" And while the Keyblade had been in its Olympia form while Sora held it, it reverts back to the Kingdom Key form as it appears in Riku's hand.

And then the boy speaks words that make his older-self grimace and cringe in disbelieving disagreement. "Maleficent was right. You don't have what it takes to save Kairi. It's up to me. only the Keyblade Master can open the secret door … and change the world."
I really want to disagree with him, but I know that his older self already does. At the same time I feel like we are on the cusp of seeing what my older brother meant when he mentioned Donald and Goofy. By now, I am practically in Lea's lap.

"But that's impossible. How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!" Sora tries to argue back his rights of ownership. Yet Riku turns his head away and coldly tells his friend: "You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with this."
With his free hand, he throws a toy sword at Sora, who collapses just like the Beast did. Riku turns his back on his friend and walks off screen. Donald and Goofy step up until they are standing next to the toy sword on the ground.

Already I have a bad feeling. And what I fear happens.

"Goofy. Let's go. we have to remember our mission." The duck sounds somewhat hesitant, yet his tone proves that he's trying to convince both his friend and himself – or as if he just wants to ignore his own heart in favor of said mission.
"Oh! Well, I know the king told us to follow the key and all …. But …" But while the dog looks over at where Sora is still on his hands and knees, the two walk then walk off. After a few steps, Donald stops, turns around and mutters: "Sora, sorry." Yet he still keeps walking off afterwards, alongside Goofy.

"Those two are lucky Lady Destiny decided not to send them over." Dad growls furiously and I snarl and growl in raging fury at the screen as I agree with him. My inner Kitsune also spats and hisses deep within me, though for some reason – for which I am very grateful – the anger's not enough to make me grow out my third tail.
Mum wants to turn to Axel and the others, but Sora says: "Give the movie ten minutes, fifteen max. You'll see, they'll redeem themselves, I promise." Mum and dad share a frown and a look with each other over this and mum says: "We'll talk later." Sora sighs in relief at this and we turn back to the movie, me anxious to get to the mentioned part.

A minute or so seems to have passed and Donald and Goofy are both gone. Yet while Sora is on hands and knees, Beast has gotten back on his feet. Slowly, clearly hurt, the being tries to trudge past Sora, who looks up at him in worried concern.
Yet the Beast hardly makes it halfway past the distance that was between Sora and Riku only minutes earlier before he collapses again. Instantly Sora is on his feet and rushes over to the huge being as he calls out: "Hey, don't move. You're hurt."
But the Beast ignores his injuries and asks: "Why … why did you … come here? I came to fight for Belle. And though I am on my own, I will fight. I won't leave without her. That's why I'm here." I worry for the being's injuries, but I also feel grateful for his presence as his words obviously prove something to Sora.

Sora looks behind him as the Beast slowly trudges over to the other, higher, platforms. For a moment the Beast remains standing to rest and this is enough time for Sora to grab the wooden toy sword and join the Beast where he stands. "Me too. I'm not gonna give up now. I came here to find someone very important to me."

His two friends both turn to Sora at this and the boy shrugs as he says: "I know I said that word in a singular manner, but you were already both important to me in different ways. Beast just didn't seem the kind of guy for many words, so I kept the conversation simple." Kairi grins at her best friend and Riku lovingly pecks his cheek as we view the movie.

Sora hands the Beast a few potions to help him regain the last of his strength and the two head up the last set of platforms. A lift made of golden metal seems to be magically transported towards them as they reach the end of the platform and they get on. It transports them over to the giant castle ahead of them.
There Beast serves to protect Sora from the huge Ball Heartless as well as the others that try to attack him. Sora in return manages to strike down most of the smaller ones and even a few of the Witch Heartless, even with the toy sword. He also provides Beast with potions and ethers to keep his Magic going.

Roxas smirks at Riku and says: "I don't know why you thought giving a Keyblade wielder a wooden weapon would make them any less capable, but you really underestimated us there. Remember Xion, back when we thought that you had lost the ability to wield the Keyblade.
You used mine to get the feeling back and I managed to accompany you and take out various Heartless, including our target – while using a wooden stick for a weapon." Sora, Roxas, Axel and Xion laugh at this, while the rest of us gawk and gape at them over their statement.
Riku shakes his head and tells them that he was just trying to get Sora to go home, nothing more. Dad nods and says: "Your inner Dominant wants your little Submissive mate to be safe. I think it might have subconsciously already realized that Maleficent was dangerous and felt that, if Sora kept on getting closer, she might target him directly. You were trying to keep that from happening." Riku nods at my dad and Sora beams at his mate.

The duo reaches a pair of huge double doors, yet the doors remain closed, thus they traverse back. Where they had headed straight from the point of arrival, they turn left and pass a set of huge metal gates. At the end of the path they take another metal lift, though this one takes them down into another canyon that the castle is build next to.
Here, after they discover through one of the floating bubbles that the canyon is basically a dead end, they jump into another bubble. And this one transports the two into the castle through an opening beneath the water.

The duo seems to have entered the basement of the castle and right in front of them is a safe point. Sora quickly uses it to heal himself and the Beast and opens the chest next to it which contains a Fire Bangle. Then the Beast notices that he can break one of the sections in the left of the wall and smashes through it.
Here they find another bubble that leads them even deeper into the basement. They find another wall section that the Beast is able to demolish and in the room behind it, after fighting off several Darkballs and Shadow Heartless, they find two treasure chests, both containing pieces for the Gummi Ship. This alongside the blue trinity on the floor reminds Sora of his friends, yet his sadness is temporary.

The next section of the basement is nothing but a maze with sliding doors that are activated and slide from left to right or in reverse every time Sora presses a particular switch on the wall, shaped like a diamond.

Finally, after defeating another Heartless that looks like a knight with a huge shield that has a dog's head on the front of the shield, the two reach a dead end that has another crystal-like switch on the right wall.
Sora activates it and the gears that are set in the wall behind and above it start to twist and turn. The sound of heavy doors opening is heard in the distance. Sora and Beast share a glance and Beast suggests that they head back to the castle doors outside.
After a long journey back through the maze, up the lift and past the pathway they originally came from after leaving the huge canyon where they met, they pass through the huge double doors at the far left end. The camera fades to black as they enter through.

Yet instead of showing us the entrance hall, it shows another room. Jasmine, Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, Alice and Belle all seem to be asleep as they are held in containers against the two side walls of the room. The containers are made of blue light and dark blue and black crystals that reach up to the hips and upper legs of all six young women.
There are brackets with blue flames set in front of Belle, Snow White, Jasmine and Aurora and Kairi is seen floating inside a magical purple dome with whisps of darkness floating around her. Maleficent approaches Kairi and passes her.
She moves to the next section of room and up the first of two staircases. The staircase behind her splits to the left and right, yet she turns around on the platform between.

"O Purest of hearts! Reveal to me the Keyhole!" Maleficent chants and a soft purple light shoots from each of the young women, right where their hearts are. The lights meet in the center of the room, near the ceiling. A trace of golden and purple sparkles of light slowly moves between it and something that is only partially visible in the background.
Then the movie shows this to be a huge version of the Heartless symbol, which is carved into the backwall of the upper portion of the room. The symbol had been aglow with red, green and blue light, but upon the trace of sparkles reaching it, it starts to glow a bright white.

Again the whole screen fades to black.

"Um, what exactly is she trying to do?" Alicia asks worriedly and Terra rolls his eyes as he says: "She's being manipulated by an old coot who is too determined for his own good, let alone that of the world." These words really don't help.
"Someone who is stronger and more manipulative than Maleficent?" Katie shudders at just the thought and I definitely agree with her on this sentiment. Jordan turns to Sora, who instantly seems to know his question as he answers: "I get to meet a version of him. Not him." I really don't know whether or not this is comforting, so I just focus on the movie.

This time it shows Sora and the Beast entering a huge and wide entrance hall that, like the previous room, has a raised section that can be reached by two staircases. Though where the other room had the staircases splitting up, here the staircases are set around a fountain on the lower platform and are more bend like half a circle.
"Be on your guard. They're close, I can feel it. Are you ready for them?" Beast warns Sora. Sora walks further into the room as Beast gasps, turns around and shouts: "Belle?"

An image of Belle, in her famous golden ballgown, is seen in the doorway. The image gets surrounded by a cloud of black and purple smoke and it slowly changes into a Shadow Heartless that crawls and twitches in its place on the floor. This angers the Beast, who roars and jumps the being, the doors closing behind him.

"Damnit, the divide and conquer technique! That old man really is behind this!" Terra growls enraged. But Sora calms him down as he says: "This was a good thing! Thanks to this happening, I got my friends back, got to see my destined mate in all his dark glory and got to really prove my worth." Terra calms down and I smile in relief.

"Quit while you can." Riku says as he, Donald and Goofy suddenly appear in front of the fountain. Sora turns back to him and retorts: "No. Not without Kairi."
Sora turns to his mate and whispers: "In my mind, I added or you to that." His beloved mate smiles at him and dad nods as he tells us that a good Submissive naturally knows what to and not to say to either please or upset their Dominant mate. Not always, but often.

In a burst of light and with whisps of black smoke, Riku's outfit changes to the one he wore when he and Sora had their first fight in the special room. As he changes, he says: "The Darkness will destroy you." But to this Sora retorts:
"You're wrong, Riku. The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart. My heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!" And just his tone in that second to last sentence proves it. That line was a call from Sora's heart to Riku, it was Sora's way to, without words, tell his mate that he'll never give up on their friendship.
Yet Riku seems either unwilling or unable to understand this message as he scoffs: "Really …. Well, we'll just see about that!"

An orb of dark fire and dark light flies from his hand and Sora gasps in pain as he, for some reason, sticks his chest out. Just like when Riku dodged the Beast's attack and attacked him back, the movie shows the orb of fire and light flying towards Sora in slow motion.
The screen turns bright and while Donald and Goofy had been standing beside Riku when he launched his attack, Goofy is in front of Sora, with his shield blocking the attack, once the burst of light fades from the screen.

"I – I don't believe this." Dad mutters in awe as he watches the screen. He turns to Riku and asks if the other kid knows what he just did. Riku grimaces, but dad shocks him as he says:
"You called on the bond between you guys. That's why Sora's body reacted the way it did. His heart and his magic recognized the challenge of his Dominant mate and forced his body into a submissive stance, as if to say I'm here, let me be yours. These parts of him just didn't realize that Sora as a whole was in danger, thus he froze in place. You must have put some of your own wizarding magic into that fire ball, perhaps even without knowing you did so."

Riku stares at dad for a few moments and then turns to Sora, who grins at him and says: "I did say that seeing you in that form was the first time I started noticing how amazing you really were." His mate shakes his head, a grin slowly forming on his face.
I smile at Lea and whisper: "I knew you were amazing from the moment I laid my eyes on you." Lea grins back at me and the sight of his forest green eyes shining with love and his grin full of delight makes my Kitsune purr in delight. For a moment I feel as if something is about to happen. I tense in concern, but the moment passes and I relax again.
The twins ask me if I'm okay and I nod as I whimper: "I – I think another tail might be growing soon." The others all grimace and then Axel asks what'll happen if they all cast the Curaga spell on me. The others all look at this curious and Roxas mutters that it's worth a try. Everyone from the other universe nods and we return to the movie.

"Sora ain't gonna go anywhere!" Goofy yells as the attack dissipates against his shield. "You'd betray your king?" Riku asks him and instantly, while he keeps a protective stance in front of Sora, Goofy retorts:
"Not on your life! But I'm not gonna betray Sora either, because he's become one of my best buddies after all we've been through together." I can't help the chortle that escapes my throat when I hear Goofy's tone become very sarcastic as he speaks the word Betray. He also gives Sora a thumb's up as he speaks.
Then he waves at Donald and shouts: "See ya later, Donald. Could ya tell the king I'm really sorry?" But Donald proves exactly what my older brother said earlier as he shouts: "Hold on, Goofy! We'll tell him together!"

"Why were they even shouting? Sora and Riku are the same distance and they were just talking regularly earlier." Aqua asks confused. Jordan grins and says: "You just come watch us play Quidditch one day. Then you'll learn to understand the beauty of a good shout." Aqua looks at him weirded out and confused, while the Chasers and the twins grin, snicker and giggle.

Donald runs over to where Goofy and Sora are standing and the Duck sounds hesitant and remorseful as he says: "Well, you know … All for one and one for all." Goofy nods at his friends words and turns to Sora, who has his head down. "I guess you're stuck with us, Sora." And Sora gives the two a half-hearted word of gratitude as he says: "Thanks a lot … Donald, Goofy."

Riku seems to realize what was bothering his mate and he whispers: "It shouldn't have just been them that came to you. I should have gone with them. I shouldn't have continued challenging you. I shouldn't have doubted you. Or our friendship."
Sora cuddles so deeply into his mate I have trouble discerning where one stops and the other goes on. Dad grimaces and mutters: "I think we better call a break after this. It might be better if the two of you have another fight, so you can reaffirm your positions in each other's lives.
I can almost see the effects this part of the movie is having on your bond, especially considering that you've only taken the first real step in acknowledging it for what it is. Don't get me wrong, you've been showing signs of affection ever since you took that step, but this is different.

There are signs that prove you love each other and there are signs that prove that Sora acknowledges his role as Riku's Submissive and vice versa. And right now you've been showing almost hundreds of signs of the former, but only one or two of the latter. Combined with this rocky start of your relationship and – well, you get the picture."
The two nod and Aqua asks what they might need to do. Dad contemplates this for a moment and then seems to get an idea. He mutters that it's a long shot, but that it might just work. Mum asks him what it is and dad turns from him to Sora.
"I know you're only a fledgling Veela, a chick so to say. But during your fight on your first day here, you proved that you can control the allure within you. I think a good tactic would be for you to use your allure – to bring out Riku's inner Dominant. And I don't mean the character traits that made you fall for him, but the side of him that you would be most willing to submit to."

Sora turns deeply red at this and Riku white. "But what if I hurt him?" He yells, but dad crosses his arms and firmly states two words. You won't. The confidence in his tone is admirable and awe-inspiring and Riku's nerves calm down.
Sora mumbles the question of whether or not this should be done publicly. Dad winces and says: "It doesn't have to be, but it would be best if I'm at least present, if only to keep an eye on things at first. Once I'm confident that you guys are doing well, I'll leave. It might also help in case I need to direct your allure the right way. Or in case either of you lose control."
Sora still looks pretty red, but he gives dad a grateful nod at the same time. Roxas hums curiously if he might experience something similar when it's his turn and mum tells him that he will look into finding some helpful books when he gets the chance and time. At this I remind the man of the special room and tell Roxas that he can just read during one of the breaks. Roxas gives me a grateful smile for the idea and we return to the movie.

"How will you fight without a weapon?" Riku asks Sora and the boy, who seems to regain his confidence as he speaks, answers: "I know now I don't need the Keyblade. I've got a better weapon. My heart."
Riku scoffs and asks: "Your heart? What good will that weak little thing do for you?"

"I don't even remember asking that question." Riku mumbles to himself and dad nods as he says: "It's your inner Longbottom combined with the Dominant that you were born to be. Like I said, your dad did and said many things he later regretted or didn't remember, all just to win over your mother. And add your born nature to that and it just worsens the whole thing."
Dad grins widely as he says this and Riku grins back. Yet as we return our focus to the movie, I again feel something. For a moment it feels as if the sensation that I experience when the Cura spell is cast flows through me from within. And as I listen to Sora's speech, the sensation grows.

Yet Sora isn't bothered by the insult as he seems to shrug it off while he answers: "Although my heart may be weak, it's not alone. It's grown with each new experience, and it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their heart just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then … if they don't forget me … then our hearts will be one.

I don't need a weapon.
My friends are my power!"

It happens. As Sora finishes his speech, it feels as if a hundred leaves flow through me, within my body. All of them feel as if they flow through my bloodstream like they do when carried by a strong gust of wind. They flow from my hands, my head, my feet and even from my spine. At first most of them all gather within my heart, but then they flow on.
And the ones that flow from my feet through my legs meet with the rest at my hips. I get only a moment's time to turn my body around, yet thankfully this time the sensation isn't painful. It feels weird, unreal and completely foreign, as if magic that shouldn't exist within me is trying to burst out of my body.
Yet while it feels as if multiple leaves try to break through the back of my skin at the height of my hipbone with their stems, it also feels as if other leaves are trying to attach themselves to the hole their brethren have created. Because of this, the pain of my skin being torn apart a third time over dissipates instantly. And this makes me cry in relief.

The others are yet again around me and all of them have their Keyblades ready. But I stop them and say: "Not tears of pain. It felt like leafs, like your Cura leaves, were breaking through my skin with their stems. But I also felt other similar leaves attach themselves to the wound and heal it. It didn't hurt, it just felt – off."
I really have no other words to describe it and so I just turn to examine my newest tail. This one is actually the same color as my Firebolt up until the tip, which is the same color as Sea-salt ice cream. And now that it has fully grown, just like the other two, the sensation of how it got formed has thankfully enough dissipated.
"Let's watch the rest of this fight and then break. We'll watch the rest of this world after Sora and Riku have had their chance to reassert their roles in each other's lives and Jess has had a chance to recover." Mum suggests. And somehow I just know that my other tails will follow after each other shortly sometime soon. Because of this I gratefully agree.

The movie shows Sora standing in a battle stance, ready to fight Riku, even though Sora is only holding a meager wooden sword and Riku has the Keyblade in hand.
But just like with Sora, the Keyblade disappears in a burst of light. And another burst has it replace the wooden blade in Sora's hand. Instantly Riku attacks him, but Sora dodged the attack.
And while I really don't like to watch the two fight, Sora seems more determined to just tire Riku out and have him give up instead of actively fighting him. He mostly uses the Wind spell to keep himself safe from harm, healing spells in case Riku lands a nasty blow or the Gravity spell to keep Riku at a distance. And while the latter takes some of Riku's energy, it takes the other, older kid only a few minutes to realize what's happening.

He runs.

As he does, he also transforms back. Though the movie doesn't focus on where he's going. Instead, it shows Sora, Donald and Goofy once more in front of the doors that separated the Beast from their party.
The doors are open again and while the image of Belle is gone, Beast steps out. "So, your heart won this battle?" Sora nods.

"Not really. It won the battle of the Keyblade, but not the battle that determines the bond between you guys. Though considering that Sora is still actually two years away from truly growing into his Veela nature, I consider that a good thing." Dad mutters to himself.
Mum suggests that we leave it off here. But Riku shakes his head and says: "There's one more scene. I'm sure the movie will show it. Let's watch that and then break." And because Sora looks at him deeply worried, we all agree. Though that is also because of the defeated tone of his voice.

Suddenly the Keyblade, Donald's staff and Goofy's shield all appear, even though the trio had dismissed their weapons after they saw Riku run. The tip of the Keyblade, the top of the staff and the center ring of the shield all light up pure white.
Donald eagerly exclaims that they got themselves another trinity power. Sora nods, but says that they can go Trinity hunting after they've saved his friends. Donald, Goofy and the Beast nod and Beast tells them that he will join them.
Then the screen fades to black and when it returns, it shows Riku running into the room he arrived in after he fled from Hook's ship with Kairi. "Why? It was mine."

"Are you talking about the Keyblade or Sora's heart?" Jordan tries to joke, but Riku ignores him. Yet Sora, who is in Riku's lap, cuddles his head under Riku's chin and whispers: "In both cases, you were right. Both are yours. And you proved worthy of them both." And while Riku had tensed when the scene started, he relaxes and softly thanks Sora.

"Know this. The heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade." A voice that is smooth and baritone speaks. Somehow the voice makes a shiver run down my spine and then I remember. It's the same voice as the one Sora spoke to at the start of the movie.
And indeed, the same man in the long brown robe appears behind Riku as he stops and turns around to face the man. Though this time something is different as a magical, almost electrical blue mist surrounds the man.

"What? You're saying my heart's weaker than his?" Riku asks and you can clearly hear the disbelief in his voice as he asks. And without mercy the man answers: "For that instant, it was." Riku looks down, almost defeated.
"However, you can become stronger. You showed no fear stepping through the door to darkness. It held no terror for you. Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger."

"It's that Veela and beings like that don't really exist in your universe or I'd think that that creep knows how to talk to a Dominant Veela. I hate to admit it, but – if I were in your shoes, Riku, even at my own current age, I would have fallen for those words. My inner Veela, even now, feels as if it is being tempted by the offer.
And don't forget, while I may have been separated from my mate for 13, almost 14 years, I was already very deeply and strongly into solidifying my bond with my mate and had already produced two Heirs with him."

Riku has a few silent tears run down his face as he listens to dad's reassuring words and he whispers a soft thank you. Sora cuddles even closer, though I wonder how that keeps being possible between the two of them and whispers:
"Don't take this the wrong way, Riku. But while you never stood a chance against him back then, over time, you proved him wrong. And you stole my heart over and over and over in the process. Veela or not, I love you. For who you are, were and who you have become." Riku beams at him and kisses the top of his head as we watch the last bit of the movie, for now.

Riku shakes his head, as if he's in denial, and asks: "What should I do?"
"It's really quite simple. Open yourself to the darkness. That is all. Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself."
The being had approached Riku while it spoke and is now only a few steps away. And as the same green and black energy starts to surround and revitalize Riku once more, the being gets even closer to him, the electrical blue energy around him also growing stronger. And for a moment the stained glass ceiling is visible before the screen turns black.

"I guess we best stop here." Xion mumbles and it's quite obvious that the whole thing affected her deeply. Even if, like Aunt Lily, she hasn't said much throughout the whole thing. Everyone nods and mum suggests that he and Roxas head for the other room to see if it can create a book to help them determine his inner being. Roxas readily agrees.

That happened,
How did you feel about my new method to divide the movie portion and the reading portion? Also, do you think I put too much emphasis on the bond between 14-year old Sora and 15-year old Riku or not? I'd like to think that Sirius' explanation about the challenge fits the way Sora's body lurched when Riku launched his attack.
Also, what did you guys think of my new Alinea/paragraph structure. It might not be perfect, but I am working on it. Oh, and while the next chapter is going to be about Sora, Riku and Roxas, in the chapter after that I'm just going to let the Hollow Bastion Crew (Sora, Donald, Goofy, Beast) head up the Lift Hall. So just imagine that whole thing with Sora looking for the different parts of the key to the door to the Lift Hall happened while Riku met Ansem.
All good? Good,

Venquine1990
PS. Would you prefer Roxas be Veela or Faea? Personally, I prefer him to be Faea. Let me know.