Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 26
Sora collapsed on the very comfortable couch in what to the casual eye appeared to be the only room within Merlin's home. The staircase was somehow practically invisible unless you knew it was there, and from the outside the house did not appear to have more than one level when Sora had no idea how many there actually were.
He was worried, Yen Sid would be even more curious after he'd vanished from the ship mid-journey. He wouldn't hurt Donald and Goofy but still, Sora couldn't help being worried for them too.
He still had to stifle a laugh when Merlin appeared in an explosion of smoke, coughing and waving a hand before his face.
"Ah, Sora! Welcome home." He smiled as the smoke faded, Sora assumed he'd been experimenting again. "Now then, Yuffie said something about Yen Sid?"
"Yeah, he summoned the ship and they got me to leave," he answered.
"Hmm…seems I need to have a word with my meddlesome old student," Merlin muttered before brightening. "But in happier news, guess who's awake?"
"Really?" Sora straightened up. "Where is he? Is he okay?"
"Come along then," Merlin smiled and the vanished, reappearing in the forest that was somehow inside the home.
Sora spotted the familiar hair in the distance and cautiously walked over, not sure what kind of greeting he was in for. He noticed that the weird dark clothes were gone, replaced with simple trousers and shirt in dark purple and white, and as he got closer Sora saw that his feet were bare. "Hi," he called softly, not wanting to startle him.
Riku's head shot around, wide eyes staring at him. "Sora?"
He grinned slightly and sat down on the same log but hopefully without crowding him. "Hey, how do you feel?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because you're my friend," Sora told him and Riku snorted, looking away.
"Because I'm a fake copy of him," he sneered, and Sora grabbed his shoulder, making him turn around, cyan eyes going wide.
"No, because you are my friend too. You helped us, you protected Naminé. We didn't want you to leave at all and then when I saw you in that hallways…I thought we were too late," he admitted, his grip gentle now. So what if you're a Replica, you have your own thoughts and heart now. You aren't Riku and he isn't you."
The younger male stared at him in shock and Sora stayed quiet to let him think. "I…"
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He stared at Sora, not sure what to say. Everything was so confusing. He'd met the girl, Kairi, and there was nothing. Everyone had said she had grown up with Sora and Riku but he didn't remember her. How many of his memories were real and how many were fake? Did it even matter? He'd been staying away from them all, knowing they wouldn't want him there, not sure why they'd even bothered to save him. Then Sora had shown up…called him his friend…after everything he'd done, all the fights at the Castle…
He'd run, too scared to see the real Riku again, he'd abandoned them when there could have been more threats. He just didn't understand any of them. He'd tried to survive on his own, to go after his creators, but he'd failed. If Sora hadn't found him…
"I'm nobody, nothing."
"Well who do you want to be?" Sora asked, and he blinked.
"What?"
"Pick a name, Kairi can style your hair differently, colour it if you want. You can be whoever you want to."
He could be someone? He reached up to touch shaggy hair, the idea of look different to him was good. His memories of Sora said he would do it for nothing but…the memories weren't his and had apparently been altered. "What do you want in return?"
"Nothing," Sora shook his head. "You didn't ask for them to create you, to have your memories messed with, any of it. I just want you to have a life of your own, to be safe and happy."
He stared at the older boy, searching for any deceit but there was nothing he could detect. "Okay," he agreed, surprised when Sora offered his hand. He reached out hesitantly and took it, only to be further shocked when he was given a brief hug. "We can talk to the Fairy Godmother about a new style for your clothing and then Kairi can work on your hair."
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Donald fought the urge to cower from the irritated Wizard. It was hard to imagine him as Merlin's pupil, ever, they were so different. Still, they did not answer to Master Yen Sid, even if he had been their King's Master once. Their loyalty was to their King…and Sora. Yen Sid could be a threat to Sora and so they would not give him anything, they had accepted his 'mission' to find Sora back then, but with no plans to return to the Tower with him.
"Where is Sora?"
"Had to help a friend," Goofy offered.
"Indeed, so you definitely found him then. Why did you not return here?"
"Well, technically, Sora found us. And then…we lost Riku. He got taken by the Organisation, he was protecting Kairi who was the real target."
Yen Sid's expression didn't really change but they could practically feel his irritation. Sora so owed them.
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Kairi carefully ran her fingers through the younger Riku's hair, feeling him tense. "So, am I just neatening this up, or cutting it short?"
"Short," he offered after considering it for a few minutes. "Sora said the colour can be changed too?"
"There are ways to dye hair or I think there are spells that might make a more permanent change. We could try the normal way first, find a colour you like, and then see who can make it permanent," she explained.
Kairi began cutting slowly, not wanting to startle him with sudden movements. "I'll cut it a bit and then stop, you can check each time and tell me when it's short enough. Sound good?"
"Yes," he answered.
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Naminé entered the room and froze as she took in the figure lying still on the 'bed'. Expecting it and seeing it were two rather different things. She approached carefully, taking in the features she had seen in Sora and Riku's memories. She gently laid her hands against his temples, carefully reaching out with her powers. His mind…was a mess. His memories were there but so were others that were not his. Despite that, she could not feel the presence of Ansem like she had before which was good, the strength of the Darkness within him probably wasn't.
She needed him to wake up, Nobodies were stronger than humans true but he was a lot taller than her and very solidly built, too heavy for her to move. She shook his shoulder but there was no reaction. Naminé tensed as she heard footsteps approaching, there was no other choice then, she moved up onto the bed with him and opened a Dark Corridor, falling through it with him.
Now she just had to get them to safety before the Organisation could find them within the Realm of Darkness. And hope that if Riku woke up before hand, he was capable of listening and working with her.
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He stared at his reflection in the mirror, shocked by how different he looked. His hair was short, very short, spiking a bit on top. Kairi had put a dye in it that had changed the colour too, darkening it. It was lighter than Sora's but darker then Riku's, and with it so short he looked very different.
The new clothing was strange but comfortable, a little similar to Sora's in style but in lighter colours. He could feel the magic in the cloth and it felt…comforting. He liked the woman who had given the clothing to him, he didn't think she was someone you could dislike. She was kind and cheerful but it wasn't overbearing or anything.
"Lookin' good," Sora called, and he looked up to find the other grinning at him.
"Thanks."
"Picked a name yet?" Sora asked as he perched on the edge of the nearby table.
"How do I even do that?" He asked, no matter how different they made him look it meant nothing without a new name.
"Well, are there any you like? Or maybe a specific meaning you want it to have?"
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Axel looked up as Sora and the Replica walked in, blinking at the massive change in his appearance. He couldn't look any more different!
"Everyone, this is Daichi," Sora introduced.
Kairi got up and walked over, smiling at the newly named Daichi before giving him a brief hug. "It's nice to meet you Daichi."
The Rep…Daichi gave a small smile. "Thank you."
He glanced around at the group and Axel met his gaze, nodding at him. "Nice ta meet you Daichi. Name's Axe, got it memorised?"
"I know you," the boy answered warily, and Axel nodded.
"Castle Oblivion," he agreed, seeing him tense, but then Sora clasped Daichi's shoulder gently.
"It's okay, he's on our side now."
And wasn't that weird to hear. He had betrayed everything he had worked and fought for since becoming a Nobody, since he was human even with Saïx still with the Organisation. Why? Because of a friend he didn't even remember…and Sora. He had to be crazy.
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Daichi looked at the room he'd been given, picking up the small bag he'd packed. He wasn't entirely sure what he was meant to pack but then again, he didn't really have much in the first place. Aerith, Kairi, and Yuffie had dragged him off to the market the other day to begin fixing that and he wondered if he got the hate of shopping from Riku or if it was just him.
The idea of going to another World with Sora and Kairi was strange but kind of exciting. He had no memories of Kairi so it didn't feel as weird with her as it did Sora. He'd figured that a lot of the memories that he had of Sora had been altered which was part of what made it weird.
He left the room and headed downstairs to find the other two waiting for him, dressed in their protective clothing like he was.
Sora looked up and grinned at him. "Ready?"
"Ready," he agreed.
"Hey, it'll be okay," Kairi touched his arm briefly. "This is going to be a fun trip."
"Yep, no fighting," Sora agreed. "We're going to Atlantica. It's an underwater world so it involves the world order spell. Ever used it?"
Daichi shook his head, he'd never even heard of it.
"Basically, to preserve the world order and keep us from sticking out, it will change our appearance to fit in. When I've gone, it's turned me into a merman with a dolphin tail, Goofy into a turtle and Donald into a kind of half octopus - half duck."
"Sounds…interesting."
"Yeah, the King there knows about the Keyblade and other Worlds but we won't be going to the Palace. This is a vacation of sorts."
"Okay," Daichi agreed.
They left Merlin's house and headed for the ship, Daichi looking around curiously as they did. He'd only left for that one shopping trip and it was interesting to see the town, there was a lot of work going on, rebuilding. He wondered how much would change while they were gone.
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Naminé dragged Riku along as best as she could, he was as heavy as she had thought but she refused to leave him behind. After everything she had gone through to find him she would not abandon him. She gasped and spun at the sound of footsteps, looking around, praying it was Sora or the King…or someone on their side. She wasn't expecting who she saw and moved between them and Riku's changed body.
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Merlin went over the notes he had made of Ri…young Daichi while he was sleeping. The work that went into creating the 'Replicas' was incredible, but he was not a scientist. He could not recreate one, but with the information he may be able to create a false body magically that would work similarly in order to support a heart.
He glanced over at the door, sensing someone unknown approaching. He stood and moved to the door, opening it to find a young man looking for the doorbell. "Hello, how may I help you?"
"Are you Merlin?"
"Indeed I am."
"My name is Ienzo, Sir."
"From the Castle!" Merlin was surprised, no one from the Castle had been seen.
"Zexion?" Axel called, stepping into view.
The visible aqua eye went wide, the young man backing away. "Axel…"
"How? You died…"
Merlin moved away to let the two speak.
"I…" he was looking around wildly, obviously scared.
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"Whoa! Easy Zexion, I'm not going to hurt you," Axel swore, holding his hands up and taking a step back. He had liked Zexion, hadn't liked the idea of having to kill him but he'd been part of Vexen's team and not under suspicion. "I'm out, I left the Organisation."
"You?" and yeah, Axel didn't blame him for sounding like he didn't believe him.
"Me. It's why I'm here, part of the gang now," he motioned around Merlin's home.
"I am not Zexion," Zexion finally said, and Axel blinked.
"I am Ienzo, I am human again."
Axel stared at him in shock. Okay, gaining a new heart, he could kind of see that happening, it explained a lot about the last few years, but becoming human again? "How?"
"When both the Nobody and Heartless are killed, the human they came from his re-completed. Several of us who died in Castle Oblivion have returned," he admitted cautiously.
"So if I die, I could become human?"
"If your Heartless had been destroyed as well, yes."
"Huh," he stared at Ze…Ienzo. Did it really matter when he had a new heart? "You came to see Merlin?"
"Right, yes," Ienzo nodded.
"Well, do come in young Ienzo. You are a scientist yes?" Merlin asked, and Ienzo nodded, looking a bit overwhelmed by Merlin.
"Yes," he agreed.
Axel realised why Merlin was asking and nodded. "He's one of the best, and he did some work on the Replica program, although Vexen was the main one on the program."
"The Replicas?" Ienzo glanced between them.
"Turns out Sora has another heart in him, they want to get it out and need a body for it," Axel told him, seeing his eyes widen.
"I see. Without access to any of his notes on the program it will not be easy."
"Would this help?" Merlin held up a pile of papers. "Magical scans of a working Replica body."
"You have one?" he asked, sounding a little excited.
"Remember the Replica of Riku? Sora and I found him in Castle Oblivion, injured. Merlin did an exam while he was unconscious. He's with Sora and Kairi on a vacation." He felt like laughing at the look on Ienzo's face at that.
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Sora grinned as they hit the water, doing a flip out of excitement. He turned to see Kairi and Daichi land in the water, the spell kicking in, changing them. Kairi squeaked as she was suddenly only wearing a bikini top made out of shells, like Ariel. It was a really good look on her, the shells a pearlescent white that went very nicely with the purplish blue of the scales on her tail. He looked over at Daichi to find he was as naked as Sora himself was, his lower half though resembled some kind of sting ray maybe? And they were both floundering so he quickly swam to help them learn how to swim, although he wasn't entirely sure on the movements Daichi needed since he was so different to any mer he'd seen.
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Maleficent stared at the body on the bed, it looked nothing like the boy and yet the girl she had found him with swore it was Riku. For now, the girl was in a guest room as she had been helping him escape, perhaps she would speak with Sora about her when he next came to train. His skills were coming along nicely between Merlin and herself. Perhaps, he would be able to help Riku find some kind of balance that would keep him from being possessed again, at least until he was beyond that being possible. That, however, could take years at the rate the magic was changing him before. As much as she would rather not, she may have to actually speak with Merlin to reverse what had happened to him now, so long as it truly was Riku.
She left the room, sealing it to ensure he could not leave if he woke while she was gone.
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Kairi laughed as they swam through the incredible ocean. Did the one back home look the same beyond the depths they could usually reach? Well, Sora could now reach them since he didn't need to breathe right? So next trip back, she would talk him into taking a look.
Daichi was still hesitant but gaining confidence as they chases each other through the coral. She was glad he'd decided to change his hair and clothes, it made it easier when he didn't look exactly like Riku. Maybe something could be done to alter his facial features a little too, make them look more like brothers than twins. Although what she'd seen of Riku, he'd grown up when asleep while Daichi didn't look any different, he hadn't even had the growth spurt. Did Replica bodies age or grow? Or would he be stuck like Sora was?
She hoped Riku and Daichi could accept each other, although Riku wouldn't remember meeting him before so hopefully they could have a fresh start. Still, it would be good if they could be brothers, they both needed that kind of support, even if they didn't realise it.
Kairi shrieked and then laughed as Sora grabbed her from below, pulling her into a kiss and she was very happy to find out that they could kiss for a long time under water.
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He watched Sora kiss Kairi and shook his head as his thoughts wandered to Naminé. It wasn't possible, she was part of Kairi, a Nobody…she'd be expected to join with Kairi again. His memories of liking her like that weren't real…but they felt real to him. He turned his back after a minute to give them privacy, just enjoying the calm peace of the ocean. Maybe…he could live in the ocean when everything was over. It wasn't like they'd want him around permanently, especially Riku when they rescued him. Living here could be nice.
TBC…
