Uh.. let me know how you're enjoying the story?
Oh, and for some reason it's always been my thought that Ventus was in Gula's Union- I don't know if it's because he's the Speed based leader or what, but uhm… that's how it's gonna be.
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We used to look at the stars, and dream of the days
We would find something more
Somewhere along the way
The smile left your face as your eyes fell
The light that once shined slowly dimmed
-Emery, Safe
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A few days passed as Sora studied at a leisurely pace while Ludorr rearranged his testing for the Academy.
It seemed his physician was beyond appalled by his condition and was throwing a full on fit at the Government. His first possible deadline was now a month at the earliest, depending on medical approval.
He however didn't enjoy the idea of a psych evaluation, Sora understood why it'd be necessary, but all things considered it made him nervous.
He was minding Rota again, every day making him a little more comfortable with the idea of being a big brother as well as how to care for an infant.
'I think you should speak with your mother.'
Sora furrowed his brows as he adjusted Rota in his arm as she slept peacefully with her head over his heart, 'About what?'
'One of the first questions she asked you was if the Islanders treated you well… you glossed over that. You also aren't sure of your feelings… and it might help.'
He pursed his lips, 'I don't really want to-'
'You're misunderstanding me. I'm not saying to get into the nitty gritty, I mean, ask how she felt about the Island's views compared to her own.'
'...Oh.' He glanced over to where Ava was working on some brew he'd lost track of. He mulled it over before slowly nodding, 'I guess it would be nice to know her opinion, and learn what happened…'
It wasn't that Aeros had never attempted to speak of how he and Ava had gotten together, it just seemed to make him distressed in a way Sora hated seeing, so he never really pushed the issue.
Maybe he should have.
"...Mom?"
Ava tilted her head as she kept her eyes on what she was carefully mixing, "Hmn?"
"You asked me about how the Islanders treated me… why was that?"
She paused, finishing her mix before sitting back and giving him proper attention, "...How much did Aeros tell you?"
He smiled awkwardly, "He told me… some things, but Ruki and Vale told me other bits and pieces too. I uh… I hated making dad sad, so I never really… pushed it."
Ava contemplated that sadly for a long moment before she slowly nodded, "I suppose that's understandable." She took a deep breath before sighing softly to herself in thought, "Well, I was someone not from the Islands, and I was mistreated somewhat when I found out I was pregnant because I hadn't followed the 'rules,' as it were."
Sora tilted his head with furrowed brows, "Huh?"
Ava studied him searchingly for a long moment before standing and moving over to the living room, sitting in a nearby chair as she looked him over, "...You do know that your father and I never actually got married, and merely exchanged vows in private, right?"
Sora's eyes widened in slight shock, various past experiences now making some sense.
Ava frowned, "He… none of them told you?"
Sora slowly shook his head in the negative as Ava sighed, rubbing a temple as she looked to the floor, "I'm sorry you had to find out like this."
The brunette studied his mother for a long moment before shrugging his right shoulder carefully, "It's not… I guess it makes sense?"
Ava watched him for a long moment before looking away from him, "I guess I'll tell you my point of view of everything." She adjusted herself so that she was sitting with slightly better posture and at a slight angle so she could more easily watch him, "When I first came to the Islands, one of the first things I learned about was the Legend of the Paopu Fruit, how it could intertwine two people's destinies together- usually in reference to the beginning of marriage vows to pledge to be together for the rest of the partaker's lives."
Sora slowly nodded, having always felt the sharing of Paopu Fruit was more romantically involved in intertwining destinies between lovers.
"I disagreed with that basic idea."
Sora blinked in surprise, "Really?"
Ava nodded, "What if the love between two young people was wrong? What if one of them was abusive, and it was simply their Destiny to suffer under the other's hand? I hated it immediately."
Sora was almost agape as he kept his mouth shut.
The Foreteller studied him again for a long moment before continuing, "I didn't choose to share a Paopu with your father for his or my sake, the opinions of the Islanders, or in the belief if I did so it would bring me back to him. I did it for you."
The brunette took a breath as he spoke in soft shock, "Me?"
"I was already four months along or so when I made the decision. If just in finding out I was pregnant the Island physician and midwife would leave me to the dogs and call me a 'witch,' then how could I know that I would one day be taken away and possibly cause you grief for not partaking in traditions your Islands had come to hold as sacred?"
Sora frowned as he glanced away from her as he thought that over, vaguely recalling things he had always done his best to ignore or deny growing up.
He hadn't suffered, not really. But there had been things… said, spoken under gossiping women's breaths.
Ruki would occasionally catch wind of it while caring for him, ensuring he never doubted her strength or overall intimidation factor while rectifying their words.
Slowly Sora nodded as he looked to her to continue. Ava nodded, "Aeros and I did trade verbal vows and exchange rings, but I had been the one to craft those rings and place special charms into them. Whether Aeros kept such vows in full honestly isn't for me to judge. I honestly never wanted to tie him down when I wouldn't be able to grow old together with him… I had no idea if I'd ever see him again. I didn't want him to suffer that sort of long loneliness."
"I understand." Sora… he really did understand that. He hadn't known why, after wanting to share the Paopu with Kairi for so long that he had suddenly been so… disenchanted with the idea when it was presented to him (even if it had been proclaimed as platonic).
Maybe it had been a leftover remnant from his mother?
Ava was observing him for a moment as he absorbed that information, "Were you treated well by the Islanders?" Had her personal decision to forego her own opinions for the sake of the Island's traditions been worth it?
Sora shifted, "I… there were times when kids or ladies would talk… But I don't think I was treated any differently. Ruki always took me to the doctor at the same time as Riku, and later the Mayor would sometimes take me with Kairi."
Ava slowly nodded, 'So they protected him when I couldn't by making sure there was a direct comparison between parent, child, and guardian.'
She smiled sadly, "You weren't teased by the kids?"
Sora closed his eyes and made a face while thinking, "Not really..? There might've been once or twice that I thought I could hear whispers and was made fun of for that…"
'Ventus was talking in his Sleep. Unfortunate.'
'Actually, I think some of it was you.'
Vanitas spluttered as Ava continued her observation of him. Sora flushed slightly, 'Could she notice..?'
Ava nodded to herself, "There's another Heart hidden in the shadow of yours."
Vanitas went dead silent as Sora bit his lip, "Uuuh, I… yeah. I sort of… I have a habit of carrying Hearts alongside my own..?" He grimaced.
Ava lowered her brows in concern, "That's not…" She tried to think it over before slumping, "That's not normal, Sora."
He laughed lightly, "Yeah, well… somehow it's how things happened. It's sort of part of my overall adventure…"
Ava slowly nodded, "I'd noticed you spacing out strangely on occasion, and at first I thought you were communicating with your Summon, but I realized you weren't carrying the medium with you, so…" She waved a hand helplessly, "I realized it was something else."
Sora shifted Rota a little, his arm beginning to numb a bit, "Do you regret making vows with dad..?"
Ava folded her hands in her lap as she thought for a long moment, "No. I still feel guilty for allowing myself to go through with such vows- not because they weren't meaningful, but honestly because we were still so young." She stared at him with a unique wisdom that captured his full attention, "I don't know the who's or what's- I haven't been involved in raising you… but Sora. If you aren't sure of yourself, if you don't understand how you feel, don't think you absolutely must be in a relationship. Not like I did."
Sora paused in slight surprise, "What do you mean?"
"Not everyone is ready to be in love. Love isn't something that's on some sort of timetable. Some fall in love and marry right out of highschool and live out their lives together. Some don't even date until their late twenties or even their thirties. There is no specific age you must fall in love, marry, and have a family." She leaned forward, "If you aren't ready to be in a relationship, then don't force yourself." Ava looked towards the windows, "I don't regret giving birth to you and Rota… but I will more than readily admit I wasn't honestly ready for everything that happened. None-the-less, this is where my choices have taken me."
She looked him in the eyes, "Just like the sky has its differing patterns, so do each and every one of our lives. Go at your own pace, for if your chosen partner can't move along with you in that same timing, then perhaps the ones you hold dear aren't meant to be with you in such a manner."
"You should take all the time you need."
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Sora was sprawled out on his bed later that evening, staring at the ceiling as he kept thinking about Ava's words.
It was… sort of hard. He had known to some degree and extent that he'd been an accident, but he hadn't fully realized…
He rolled onto his stomach as he bit his lip, burying his face into his arms as he tried to hold back the strange feelings rolling inside of him. There was simply so much that seemed… unresolved between his parents. Yet, both had needed to make concessions with the situation that they'd found themselves in.
Still, Ava had welcomed him into her life immediately and without judgement despite it all.
He knew that giving birth to him had almost killed her.
That was one of the few difficult things he'd managed to squeeze out of Vale one strange night he hadn't been able to sleep, plagued by strange dreams of monsters holding him down in a desert wasteland as a massive shadow mocked him.
He sort of realized now those Dreams were possibly the combined memories of Ventus and Vanitas bleeding over to him from their broken Hearts when he was young and more susceptible.
'There was something you said that bothers me.'
Sora sighed, not really wanting to talk but knowing Vanitas wouldn't speak to him at all unless he felt it worth his time, 'Yeah?'
'What does it matter that Riku did anything for you? How does that compare or lower Kairi's position? Aren't they both your closest friends to your Heart? They're emblazoned on your Station for Void's sake.'
He furrowed his brows, 'I… I'm not sure.'
Vanitas sighed, 'So Riku followed you in secret around the Worlds. He helped with getting your Memories back- which by the way, required him to sacrifice Roxas and Xion to do so.' Sora went to speak before Vanitas tutted him, 'Nuh uh, you didn't have to deal with feeling and devouring the depth of Roxas's rage and despair. You didn't have to hear Xion's wailing. Shut up and lemme talk.'
Sora stared at the comforter beneath him, '...Okay.'
Vanitas nodded to himself (not that Sora could see) and continued, 'So then you have your absolute bullshit Mark of Mastery. Riku immediately becomes your Dreameater because Old Man Xehanort has decided to make you his vessel by dragging you beyond Slumber- so that he might be able to gain access to Ventus's Heart to gain another vessel for his big evil scheme. I had to listen to him go on and on about the most mundane shit- he just needed your shell of a body to get his numbers. I'll never be so thankful for that flamsilocks interfering with his plans there.'
Sora rolled to his back again, staring at the ceiling as he folded his hands over his chest, '...You're point?'
Vanitas sighed, 'So then he passes his Mark. He gets to go help find Aqua while Ventus messes with you every time she's mentioned which leads everyone to wrongfully tease you. Riku might have utmost confidence in you, and be unusual in his ability to balance Light and Darkness, but he's not that amazing.'
Sora frowned, 'Well, if you're gonna put it all like that…'
Vanitas shifted, 'Now I'll point out the other side of this coin. Kairi, a Princess of Heart that ended up taking refuge in your Heart because the Old Goat had torn her apart.' The brunette's eyes widened at the thought, 'So you go on this adventure looking for both of your friends. You finally find her, but she's a zombie. Despite that, her Spirit keeps popping up on you in confusing visions. Then you learn her Heart's in yours and you sacrifice yourself to release her Heart. She pulls you back from that mindless husk and recreates your body from scratch. You finish off the big bad, get separated, and then… forget about her.'
Sora took a breath, 'Huh?'
Vanitas paused a moment, 'In Castle Oblivion… you don't remember, but I sort of… I have an idea of what happened. Your Memories were manipulated by Naminé. She tried to replace Kairi, but even though your Mind had been tampered with, your Heart knew what was right. So you get put to Sleep for a year for your Memories to get fixed. Your Nobody and Replica go through a whole bunch of crap, and then join with you. This is where I think things got... jumbled for you. Their desperate feelings of wanting to exist, the changes that happened to your body and the World around you… Yet, Kairi knew even without recalling you that there was a large Sora sized hole left in her life. I can only guess how much that Hurt for her, while Riku never forgot.'
Sora frowned, 'She still forgot about me.'
'And Riku allowed that to happen to her. Was that really fair? He abandoned her to that loss.'
The brunette couldn't really say anything in response.
'So then your enemies decide to use her against you, they kidnap her and drag her into their business. She'd been safe. So she's captured for who knows how long until you reunite, eventually being handed a Keyblade, one that should have come from her own Heart, yet was somehow made to manifest elsewhere. I can't believe I have to tell you this, but that's not the normal way of things, and having something as important as my Keyblade in someone else's hands? I'd spill more than blood for that. I don't wanna know what was done to her and when for that to be separated from her.'
Sora rubbed his chest, his Heart aching, 'Oh…'
'Let's skip some of the other things that happened. She desperately tried to catch up to you and Riku. She trains hard to use her Keyblade to help you both, because you both mean just as much to her as she does to the two of you. Yet, she's immediately thrown into the Second Keyblade War, somehow traumatized by Terra-Xehanort, and despite holding out pretty well and even holding onto your broken dead Soul so you can piece yourself back together, she's eventually killed to make the ꭗ-blade and get a rise out of you. I dunno man, seems like a shitty deal for comparison. I might have some odd bias as an outsider on the inside, but I think comparing 'everything they've done for you' is a tad shallow. My Floods have more depth than that basic thought.'
Sora closed his eyes, '...I understand. I'll… I'll properly examine myself. Sorry.'
Vanitas scoffed, 'It's not my feelings you're so easily disregarding.'
Sora took a deep cleansing breath and sighed. 'Let my Heart be my Guiding Key?'
'Fuck that shit, it's called using your own proper logic and understanding.'
Sora smiled a little, 'Right.'
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It was a few weeks after Sora's arrival that Ava surprised him, "Do you have any pictures of your friends?"
He blinked as he was fiddling with his cell phone, following up on certain trends that teens his age were into in this World, "Uh? Oh, yeah."
She smiled while giving him something akin to puppy eyes, "Would you be willing to show me?"
Sora paused, mulling that over before he slowly nodded, "Sure." He got up, quickly retrieving his Gummi phone before sitting back down as it booted up, "I have a lot of pictures of my latest adventure, actually…" He paused for a moment before scratching his cheek in embarrassment, "I uh… have a lot of Lucky Emblem pictures…"
Ava stared at him blankly for a moment as Sora explained, "While going around the Worlds, I found random places with the King's mark, and they were called Lucky Emblems?"
She pursed her lips, "I suppose I'd have to see to understand?"
He nodded as he thumbed over to the camera folder, "I don't really have a group picture, or pictures with everyone. I uhm, there wasn't time…"
Ava nodded as she sat near him on the couch while Rota slept in her arms.
He first showed off the various Lucky Emblems, Ava laughing at some of them, "Of course it'd be easy for such a thing to pop up in so many Worlds…"
She thought she'd possibly noticed a few in Quadratum while going around town.
Then he finally showed off a picture of himself with Donald and Goofy, followed by random selfies with his companions from around the various Worlds he'd been to.
Ava tilted her head at his Pirate form, "How is it that you changed?"
Sora paused, "Huh?"
"We didn't have that sort of Magic. I can understand it's World Magic and all, but… who was the Caster? Donald?"
Sora nodded, "Yeah."
Ava pursed her lips when he got to Arendell, "Why weren't you given a jacket?"
Sora laughed, "I asked the same thing! I'm an Islander, all sunshine and heat, and then I get dumped in snow without any protection! He just shrugged me off!" He huffed, "Donald and I had spats all the time…"
Ava smiled fondly, "Well, I'm glad to know you had two capable helpers along with you on your journey."
Sora made a bit of a weird face, a mix of a smile and a grimace, "Yeah uh, sometimes.. When he felt like Healing…"
Ava stared at him blankly before he cleared his throat and continued to the pictures he'd taken the night before the War.
First was a selfie with Riku and King Mickey, followed by an oddly angled one with a bent over Axel and Kairi. Ava was boggled by the man's height, "He dwarves her completely!" as Sora chuckled, "Most of us, honestly…"
Then there was a selfie with Aqua and Ventus and that was when Ava gasped.
Sora paused as he looked at her confused, "...Mom?"
She shakily reached for the phone as he handed it over. She stared at it for a long time, "Ventus…"
His eyes widened, "H-how do you know Ventus?"
She frowned, "He was… he was a child in Gula's Union…"
Sora stared between her and the picture, "You're sure it's him?"
She nodded, "He's wearing the same clothes, ignoring the pauldron and straps with the apprentice's mark… It's definitely him."
Sora was boggled as Vanitas spoke tiredly, 'Did I ever tell you how bullshit time travel is?'
...That's right, he never would have come to exist had his mother not come from the distant past herself…
"Were you close with him?"
Sora blinked, "Huh?" His brain finally caught up with the question, "Oh! Uhm…" He grimaced, "He Slept in my Heart to Heal for ten years..?"
Ava blinked as she turned to look at him, "What?"
The brunette ruffled his hair, "He was one of Master Eraqus's students I guess..? I didn't get the chance to learn their whole story…"
She glanced down at the image for a long while before turning to him again, "I met Master Eraqus once, while on the Islands. What.. what happened to him?"
'Master Xehanort stabbed him in the back.'
Sora frowned, "I guess… he was struck down."
Slowly Ava nodded as she turned her gaze back to the screen, "I see…" She really couldn't decide if she should verbalize anything further.
It was sad, but they had met only once.
Ventus had lost a mentor, had somehow become so hurt he'd rested in someone else's Heart…
How strange.
"You've helped many people, haven't you Sora?"
He slowly nodded, "Mmhmm."
Ava slowly smiled as she went through a few more pictures before returning his Gummi phone to him, "I'm proud of you."
His breath hitched, "H-huh?"
Ave smiled at him warmly, "You've done so much for the various people of the Worlds… more than anyone should expect of a single person. Thank you."
Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, "I was just.. I was trying to find out a way to bring back Roxas…"
Ava took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly, "But in doing so you helped many others. You did well."
Sora sniffed as he bowed his head, closing his eyes as he nodded.
He didn't believe he deserved such praise…
But it felt good to be recognized.
