Disclaimer: not mine
I'm replaying KH3 leading into doing re:mind for the first time! So, what are your favourite and least favourite worlds in KH3? My least favourites are Arendelle and Pirates, both just seem to drag on forever and aren't very interesting (I hate crab collecting to level that blasted ship up!). My favourite…that's actually harder to pick, none of them massively stood out but the ones that didn't follow a movie were more interesting, like Toy Story, Monsters inc, and San Fransokyo.
BTW – is Rabbit saying BBQ in the mini games in KH3? That's what it sounds like to me.
Chapter 41
Mickey looked around the group gathered at the table, he was likely the best to do this, but he wished he didn't have to be the one. But Merlin had gone to confront Master Yen Sid, Aqua was staying with Ventus, and Sora was still at the castle with Riku. If it was just one of them, maybe they could keep their changes quiet, but with both Riku and Ventus having undergone…changes, they would have to tell everyone. He just hoped they took it well.
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Lea collapsed on his bed, Demyx following on his own, both staring up at the ceiling.
"Did you know?"
"No way," he denied. "I mean, I knew there was something up with Sora, but this?"
"I am never going to Halloween Town!" Demyx shuddered, and Lea chuckled.
"You're still a Nobody, Demyx. You'd be the safest out of all of us."
"Don't care, I'm. not risking someone messing with my head, even if they can't…turn me."
"Good point…and I went there with no warning. Sheesh," he shuddered. At least he now knew how dangerous that World could be, especially since he was human again. No offence to Sora, but he did not want to end up like that.
And what about Ventus, stuck halfway between human and vampire? It was bad enough the poor kid had spent ten years asleep but to wake up and find everything so different? To grave blood and lack the fangs needed to get it for himself? Not that he minded Ven missing those. The King had told them that the next time they saw Sora, they'd see his true appearance since they knew and he wasn't sure he wanted to. Ventus was lucky, he didn't really look any different.
And to top it all off….Riku was now a dark faerie and apparently the transformation had been so painful he'd had to be knocked out. Couldn't they get a break? Would he still be the teen they'd worked with, or would he change? How was Kairi dealing with everything considering she was a Princess of Heart? He was kind of glad he was on the edges of the group, hopefully it meant he'd get to skip all the drama, being a Nobody for almost a decade was bad enough.
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The three of them appeared in their bedroom, Sora and Kairi supporting Riku between them. He'd pleaded to come home, too many bad memories associated with being near Maleficent, despite her care for him. Merlin's had become their home now and Maleficent had agreed it would be better for him to recover somewhere he felt at home. Sora had contacted Merlin who had placed protections on the room to help block the emotions from the rest of the house, they would be gradually lowered to let Riku get used to his new senses over time. Sora was a little jealous to learn that Riku would be able to alter his own appearance, shapeshifting to appear human rather than rely on an outside illusion like he did. Still, it would take time for him to learn so they should probably make use of the time spells he'd used to get passed being a new vampire.
Riku took a shuddering breath, looking a bit pale, but slowly he straightened, and they cautiously moved further away, letting him stand on his own. he staggered, wings twitching as he tried to get his balance right.
"Okay?" Kairi asked him, and Riku took a deep breath.
"Yeah." He moved carefully to sit on the edge of the bed, Sora shadowing him. "I want to see."
Maleficent's hadn't had any mirrors, so Riku hadn't seen his new looks yet.
"You sure you're ready?" Sora asked, and Riku nodded. "Okay," if Riku thought he was ready then that was it. Sora went into the bathroom and grabbed the small mirror off the counter, bringing it out and then enlarging it with magic. He had a reflection, unlike some vampires, but he didn't really bother looking at himself, his hair just did whatever it wanted after all.
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Naminé stared at the Wizard in shock, had she heard right? She glanced at Dai, seeing he was just as surprised. Merlin wanted her to go to Olympus to learn more about her powers from a goddess?! If anything, she would have thought they'd want her powers blocked after what she'd done to Riku and the others.
"Nonsense dear girl, once you have full knowledge and control of your powers, then no one can control you with them," Merlin waved her off. "Lea shall be going with you as extra protection. In fact, it might be an idea for the three of you to travel a bit, gain some experience of the Worlds while everything is calm. I shall arrange it as well as the journey for Sora, Riku, and Kairi…ah! Aqua, Ventus, and Demyx make another trio, yes, that works splendidly."
She looked at Daichi who shrugged, just as lost as she was.
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Riku took a deep breath and stood up, facing the enlarged mirror, eyes closed, he could do it, he could. He opened his eyes and stared, that…that was him? He felt sick, that couldn't be him, and then pale arms wrapped around his waist, lower than they used to sit but not as low as when he'd been trapped in Ansem's form.
"You're beautiful," Sora murmured, pressing a kiss to the back of his shoulder, moving his hands from his waist and up his back to carefully touch his wings.
Riku shivered at the touch, it felt so strange…
"Sora's right," Kairi agreed, and he looked at her, searching for any sign she was hiding something, but no, she meant it. She smiled and reached up to run her fingers through his hair, tugging, and he let her, their lips meeting. It felt strange, different, but not in a bad way. "Love you," she whispered.
"Love you," he swore, cautiously wrapping an arm around her waist, leaning his head against hers. He loved them both, so much, even with how strange he felt…not himself. Sora had adjusted to becoming a vampire, he could adjust and accept this, he had to.
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Dai watched Naminé as she drew, humming under her breath, but also kept one eye on their surroundings. Radiant Garden may be safer than it had once been, but Heartless and Nobodies did still show up. There was Cid's defence system but it didn't catch everything and he would not let her get hurt. For her, he would fight.
She looked up and smiled at him and it was so easy to smile back. Having her own body and Kairi's friendship had helped her a lot and he was glad. He was a little worried about leaving soon, but he…he trusted Merlin to not put them in danger, and Merlin had said he'd send Lea with them. He remembered Axel and the way he'd used him but he'd also seen him fight too. They lived in the same house now and the close quarters, even in a magical house, had helped them get used to each other. They'd just have to wait and see what Merlin was planning.
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Mickey knocked on the bedroom door, mentally preparing himself for anything he might see. It was different to dealing with Sora, the boy had been a vampire their entire acquaintance, even if Mickey hadn't known that. But Riku had been human, a scared yet determined boy whom he'd done his best to help and mentor. Now he was a dark faerie and Mickey wasn't sure how that would change him, mentally and emotionally.
Sora opened the door and smiled at him tiredly. For someone who didn't sleep, he sure looked in need of it, and that worried the King. Seeing the double image of the Sora he knew overlaying his true appearance was jarring but he was getting used to it. Donald and Goofy said they barely noticed it anymore, except when it vanished because that meant Sora was either very badly wounded or very angry, letting the vampire take over. "Hey," Sora greeted, stepping back.
"Hello Sora," Mickey smiled back at him and stepped inside, seeing the evidence of two boys living in the room, with the occasional item of Kairi's thrown in. She had her own room down the hall but it didn't seem like she used it much anymore. He wasn't sure what to think of that given their ages, but it wasn't his place to interfere. For all he knew, it was totally normal back on their Island.
Kairi smiled at him from where she was sprawled in the chair before the desk in the corner, the desk covered in books and paper.
Mickey looked to the bed where Riku was sitting, taking the time to look him over. Like Sora, it was a drastic change in appearance, the teens' wings shifting as if…nervous? Riku was staring at the ground, hands clasped tightly together. "Riku? Are you alright?" he asked, walking closer. He wasn't afraid of the changed boy; he was worried for him though.
Slowly, Riku looked up at him, and Mickey fully took in the changes. The eyes and wings were the most eye catching, but even his skin colour was different. "I…" he glanced towards Sora who walked over to join him on the bed, taking his hand. "I don't know," he admitted softly. "I feel….everything's so…different."
Hearing Riku so hesitant and unsure, hurt. He'd never heard him stammer like that before, even when he'd pleaded with Mickey to destroy him if Ansem took him over again. "We're all here for you, whatever you need," he promised, and Riku looked up at him again. He smiled at the teen and slowly Riku smiled back.
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Yen Sid stared out at the stars, worried. He'd had another visit from Merlin and he was not pleased. The boys needed testing, needed to truly learn what wielding a Keyblade meant, and yet his old teacher had refused. Although, he was not positive Riku had regained access to the Keyblade yet, so perhaps the exam would help him call it out. The Sleeping Worlds needed to awaken. It was good to know that Ventus at least was restored due to Aqua retrieving his body. He had formal training unlike the other two and with Aqua they had another Master, but neither had the Power of Waking and it would be needed in the coming battles.
Why was Merlin so determined to keep Sora and now Riku away from him?
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Ven threw himself at his Sire as the door opened, knowing he'd catch him, breathing in the comforting scent as he clung on tight, purring softly as gentle fingers moved through his hair.
"Hey, it's okay," Sire murmured, leaning in to nuzzle at him.
Ventus found himself calming down, his grip loosening as he nuzzled back before suckling at Sire's throat.
"How's Riku?" Aqua asked softly from across the room.
"Moved into the time spell room, Kairi's with him at the moment. We can't do much until he learns to shapeshift into a more human appearance and adapts to being empathic," Sire answered, still stroking his hair and now his back too. "Hungry?" he asked and Ven nodded, still sucking his throat. He felt Sire move and then the delicious scent of his blood hit Ventus' nose. He quickly latched onto the wound; it was better than the other blood he was given.
"Could we do the same for Ven?"
What? Why did he need that?
"Can't see why not," Sire…Sora answered.
Ven whined as the blood stopped, the wound healed, and Sora chuckled.
"You can have more later."
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Sora really was so good with Ventus, so understanding and gentle. It had to be exhausting with Riku also having been changed into something else, going back and forth between the two, but he didn't let that show. She knew Ven was wearing her out. He was more childlike now than he had been even when he'd first come to them.
In some ways, it was fun and also good to see him so innocent and trusting, but it was also dangerous. Once they left Merlins' being so trusting could get him into trouble. And he was making no effort to pretend to be fully human. It was strange, considering he seemed to remember pretty much everything, his memories of the fights in the Graveyard were a bit foggy but that could be because of what had happened to him back then and not becoming a hybrid. His past before Xehanort taking him in was still a blank though, she'd hoped the vampire memory would help him remember something after Sora had managed to remember taking Ven's Heart in, something he hadn't before being turned.
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Demyx lounged on the bench, strumming his sitar. He didn't really know what he was doing anymore. The Organisation was gone, no real loss there, but at least he'd had a purpose then. He still didn't get why they'd spared him, healed him, given him a roof over his head. He'd been up to the castle with Axel, Lea, whatever, and had spent some time with the others, but they were all different now. Well, Vexen…Even was as cranky and biting as ever. He'd made him the creepy offer of killing him to see if he'd come back human but Demyx had turned him down. There was no way to know if his Heartless was still around and…he wasn't sure he wanted to be human, not if it meant he could lose Arpeggio, the Sitar was as much a part of him as his power over water, to loose either or both…
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Kairi kissed Riku, letting her hands move over his back, careful of his wings. One of his hands was buried in her hair, the other around her waist as he kissed back enthusiastically. He was more relaxed than she'd seen him in what felt like forever. Kissing was training in a way, helping him adjust to feeling her emotions without being overwhelmed by them, and he was definitely learning. She wished she could just stay with him all of the time, but she was human and mortal, no one wanted her aging too much.
"Kairi," he murmured, breathing heavily, leaning back in to kiss her again. His hand slid under her shirt, caressing the skin of her stomach, making her shiver slightly.
She wanted more but they couldn't, not yet. She trusted him fully, but he was still struggling at times with the increased strength being faerie gave him. She didn't want him to go through the guilt of accidentally hurting her. She focused on calming down, slowing down, and Riku responded to that.
"Kairi?" he asked in confusion and disappointment, and she smiled at him.
"You know what Merlin said," and hadn't that talk been embarrassing.
Riku grimaced but nodded, leaning back against the log, drawing her with him, just resting together.
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Aqua caught the book as Ven threw it in frustration, setting it aside before gently pulling him into her arms. He stayed tense for a moment before sagging against her, breathing in her scent. "It's okay Ven," she whispered.
"I…I can't do it," he whined.
"You can," she assured him. "It's just going to take time; it's only been a month Ventus. You heard Sora; it took him a lot longer to get where you are now."
He'd never been a scholar but he had enjoyed reading, now he was struggling to focus for more than a page or two, but at least he could still read. Sora at this point had still been struggling to speak!
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Lea stood opposite Sora, calling up his chakrams, wishing it was as easy as it had been. Sora summoned his Keyblade and Lea nodded, the teen launching at him. just because the Organisation was gone, didn't mean any of them could afford to get out of fighting shape. Besides, they'd come back, who was to say Xehanort wouldn't as well. Isa…there was no sign yet, but Kairi had sworn Saïx had perished. Was his Heartless still around and that was why?
He twisted out of the way of a strike and tossed one of his chakrams, Sora dodging easily. He was way too fast! He yelped as they were knocked from his hands, throwing his hand up to protect his face, trying to summon them back only to hear the sound of metal striking metal.
"Huh?" Sora's voice made him open his eyes and they both stared at the blade in his hand….a Keyblade?
"How?" Lea didn't have a clue.
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Kairi smiled as the bed dipped, a cold arm wrapping around her bare stomach, his body curling up against her own. "How is he?" she asked drowsily. She was only allowed to spend a day in the room every now and then to keep from aging too fast.
"Good, misses you," Sora kissed her shoulder.
"Miss him," she agreed, they'd spent too much time apart the last few years.
"He knows," Sora promised. "Go to sleep."
"Mmm."
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Aqua stood opposite Kairi who held her Keyblade ready. She didn't have as much training as the boys had but thankfully she was a fast learner, especially with magic. Lea was sitting nearby watching, he was trying to figure out how to call his Keyblade at will with Daichi watching since the boy knew how to summon his own blade, even if it wasn't a Keyblade. Like Kairi with Riku, she couldn't remain under the time spells with Ventus all the time. Only Sora and Merlin could come and go as they pleased and it was frustrating everyone.
Merlin had talked to her about Master Yen Sid's idea for the Mastery exam which wouldn't work since Riku didn't quite have a Keyblade and even if he had, would he keep it now that he wasn't human? No one knew if Riku would be able to summon the current form, Soul Eater, he hadn't tried yet since he was struggling to get control of his new abilities.
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Ven held onto Si…Sora's hand as they walked down the stairs. He didn't know how long it had been but it felt like years since he'd gone into that room. He'd only seen Sora, Aqua, Merlin, and Lea since then. Now he was going to see everyone and he was nervous. Sora squeezed his hand and Ventus took a deep breath, smelling the people waiting in the room, picking out those he already knew easily.
His sense of smell was on par with Sora's and his eyesight was better than it had been, but his hearing was pretty much at human levels. He was faster and stronger than he had been too, harder to hurt and when he was hurt, he healed a lot faster, though not as fast as Sora. The one thing he really wished he had was fangs, it'd make drinking so much easier even from packs since he could use fangs to rip them open. He preferred Sora's blood to the packs but he couldn't drink from him all the time sadly.
They stepped into the room, and Ventus looked around, seeing the King and his companions, Aqua, Lea, Merlin, two teens he didn't know and several others. He couldn't help pressing closer to Sora who wrapped his arm around his shoulders, relaxing as he did. He could do this; it was just meeting people who knew what he was now. he liked meeting new people, that had been the best part of leaving the Land of Departure.
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Riku lay on his back under Sora, glad he'd worked out how to do so with wings. He was a little jealous that Ven was already out and about but he'd had less to learn since he was still half human. He let his eyes drift closed as Sora's hands wandered over his skin, breathing heavily as Sora ground their hips together. It felt so good and it felt even better since he could feel how much Sora enjoyed it too.
"Too much?"
He forced his eyes open, shaking his head. He reached up to clutch Sora's shoulders, pulling him down to kiss, his hands moving to stroke Sora's wings, hearing him groan. He tried to pull Sora closer, head getting fuzzy from the strong emotions.
Sora pulled back from the kiss to nuzzle at his throat and Riku turned his head to expose the vein, unable to stop the begging noises. His heart was pounding, breath coming in pants, as sharp fangs sank into his skin, Sora sucking his blood for a little before licking the wound closed. Riku shifted, pushing up, rolling them so that Sora was on his back, almost glowing red eyes wide in surprise before Sora grinned.
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Sora grinned as Riku reversed their positions, pinning him to the bed. He definitely had no complaints, Riku didn't often take the initiative in bed, very different to how he was when fighting or pretty much anything else. He figured it was left over from when he couldn't believe they really wanted him.
Green and gold eyes were hazy, Riku losing himself in their emotions. He shifted forward a bit, confusing Sora for a second before he realised what Riku was doing. Oh! He lifted a hand to help Riku brace himself, worried for a second, but then sank down easily, his eyes wide as he panted.
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Lea stared at the weapon in his hand, the blade curled and wild like flame and even what looked like one of his chakrams. How was he worthy enough to wield a Keyblade? He looked up when Ven sat next to him, it was weird being so much older physically than the kid who'd been about the same age as him when they'd met. He was glad they hadn't met while he was still Axel, he didn't think Ven would have liked him then.
"What's Demyx like in a fight?" Ventus asked.
"I've never really fought him or seen him fight, we had two very different positions in the Organisation, he was a reconnaissance expert. He's good at that, I know that much. And don't let the lazy attitude fool you, he can be serious. Just don't let him play music allll the time," he smirked, and Ven laughed.
Lea understood the groupings, Naminé was not a fighter and while Dai would defend her, it left the team weak. Putting Demyx with them would not have worked well but Lea wasn't sure how much Daichi would trust him in a fight. Then again, they were going to Olympus so there shouldn't be any fighting involved while Naminé learned from an actual goddess. Sora, Kairi, and Riku would be staying longer, Riku didn't have the hang of shapeshifting yet. Still, he wasn't sure sending Demyx of all Nobodies to the Sleeping Worlds was the brightest idea with how he loved sleeping. No one was crazy enough to suggest splitting those three up though.
TBC…
So, I noticed an oops, at one point in the fight against Xemnas, I call Riku's blade a Keyblade and then later have Aqua realise his blade isn't quite a Keyblade when he calls Soul Eater to fight in the Realm of Darkness. It was not a Keyblade then and honestly, I'm kind of wondering if a faerie should have a Keyblade when he'll end up with Maleficent level magic one day.
