I'm writing this just after posting chapter 13, knowing people will have probably hated where I left off (and then the comments I got didn't). This is going to be a very weird couple of chapters for me to write overall, but.. Again. It's part of Sora's growth and accepting he's never going to be the same as he was when he was placed on this journey, and coming to terms with that reality and himself.
Also, had a migraine while writing half of this chapter, lol. Pain.
TW: Drunkenness, hangover/dry heaving. Also, I've never been drunk despite my age, so I'm sorry if it's lacking reality.
We-xXx-Pray-xXx-For-xXx-Our-xXx-Sorrows-xXx-To-xXx-End
Vanitas was singing.
This in and of itself would have been weird, if it weren't for the fact he was being annoying as hell and making fun of him.
Auron did nothing.
Sora angrily brewed potions or practiced Keyblade forms and Magic on helpless inanimate objects he'd figured out how to conjure.
He felt like shit.
Vanitas just kept gleefully singing, 'And then he ran, 'cause he's a wuss. Not caring for a poor lass's heart, leaving her to wrenching heartbreak. Ah, love, how terrible it is to-'
"Vanitas."
The remnant laughed brokenly, 'You can't complain~ You've given the girl a confidence breaking rebuff~'
Auron sighed loudly, 'Enough.'
Venitas sniffed, 'No.'
Sora slammed down Kingdom Key, breaking through a table and making a chip in the floor.
A Meowow appeared, bouncing around with a letter in its mouth.
Sora sneered at it, making it wilt and whine sadly before he had the chance to straighten his expression out. He sighed lightly as he rubbed his hair, "Sorry. I'm not mad at you."
It perked up as it bounced again happily, allowing Sora to gently tug the letter out of its mouth.
He frowned at the letter. Of course.
It had been, what, ten years since he locked himself down here?
Of course he left for food, to speak with the townspeople, and to patrol. There were also monthly meetings and a yearly festival.
It was nearly time for the festival.
He frowned at the offending letter, flopping into a chair and rubbing his temple, "It's that time again?"
'So it should seem.'
He sighed, signing off that he would be present. He just had to remember it was in seven days.
Sora gave the letter to the Dreameater who made pleased noises before disappearing to deliver his response.
The little rabbit sized shadow-Flood thing came up to him and rubbed against his shin, making odd worbly sounds as he smiled wryly and lowered his hand. It latched onto him as he brought it up and into his lap, petting it, "Lonely, are you?"
It made sounds as it pushed against his hand, wanting to be close.
Vanitas was always silent around the creature.
Thank goodness.
He closed his eyes as he ruminated. Over time, various men had spoken to him of Chloe dating their sons, getting oddly cozy with him before they would suddenly look at him coldly.
That was fine with him since it creeped him out, wondering if they were trying to get something out of him just because his ward was dating their kid.
Could he even call her his ward anymore? She'd eventually moved out of the Tower at the insistence of some boyfriend at some point. They hadn't been together for years, but somehow it didn't make things any easier for him.
It was safer to stay hidden away.
He was doing just fine all alone.
We-xXx-Pray-xXx-For-xXx-Our-xXx-Sorrows-xXx-To-xXx-End
There was one thing he was staunchly clear about, and it was his disapproval of alcohol.
It was fine if others wanted to indulge, but Sora had his reasons for avoiding that accursed spirit.
His hazy memories of his father speaking about his youth, being hit by his drunken grandfather and making a nuisance of himself along with Ruki and Vale.
Alcohol would only be a destructive sickness to them, it was simply in their blood so he stuck to water or nothing at all during these festivals.
Lights were strung along the boardwalk as some stalls were put up. Foods and deserts available for purchase as people of all ages wandered and enjoyed themselves in a tight crowd.
He simply stood in shadows, or hung around the older men who demanded his attention.
A man he trusted handed him a cup of water as they spoke. He examined it carefully as usual before he drank at a slow pace.
Eventually after some time and a few cups of water, he realized too late something wasn't right.
He squinted at the men around him who simply continued on as if nothing was wrong. Some had rosy cheeks, others were a little more on the annoyingly drunken side.
Only one or two were mostly sober.
His world tilted vaguely as he felt a weird sadness run through his chest, a frown maring his features as one of the more sober men steadied him on his left, "Are you alright, sir?"
Sora blinked, "Uhm, yeah. I'm fine."
He vaguely noted a few men giving each other a conspiratorial look.
Oh Light, I've been poisoned.
He couldn't figure out what was wrong or how they'd done it. Obviously it must have been something tasteless in the water. Belladonna?
He barely made out a woman's pissed off voice as his world became weirdly sad, tears gathering in his eyes as he thought, 'I'm never going to see Kairi and Riku ever again. I've failed, I'm so stupid.'
The men around him laughed at the woman before they noticed him crying. They were left confused and awkward as slim arms wrapped around his right arm, "Let's get you home, Sora."
He nodded obediently, staring at the ground as tears continued to fall down his cheeks, simply dropping his cup as his strength left him. He knew he was a pain to help as he awkwardly stumbled forward, the woman tutting and giving him soft directions.
His world was very spinny and depressing. He thought of the first time he'd seen the lanterns in Corona, wistfully thinking about how he'd wanted to show Kairi someday. He stopped at some point up the stairs and leaned against a wall, weeping, "Kairi, I'm sorry we never got to go together, the three of us." He rubbed at his eye as he was left barely able to see, "And now I'm all old, and jaded, and blind in one eye. I'm so sorry." He cried woefully as the woman helping him tried to speak to him softly, allowing him to lament for a while longer before he had the strength to continue upwards.
He knew he was babbling, talking about Riku and wishing he'd had more of a chance to talk to Ventus and Aqua. How he hadn't gotten to thank Naminé or keep his promise to his father to come back home. How he missed Goofy's wisdom and Donald's anger. Wondering about Xion and Roxas and how they were doing.
Gently he was coaxed into bed, his boots taken off as he was propped up against pillows. A fresh cool cup was handed to him as he blearily looked at it, "Nnnooo. No waterrr."
She sighed softly, an indistinct mesh of color by his side, "It's safe. Nothing strange." She pushed a piece of bread into his hand, "Eat."
He munched weepily on the bread, taking tiny bites as he stared at the shadowy blob by his side as the water was gently taken away, "Kaiiirrri, I'm sorrrryyy."
She sighed as she pushed back his bangs, "You did always say you never wanted alcohol. I'll make sure each and every one of them gets reprimanded for doing this to you."
Sora sniffled as he took another bite, closing his eye, "Kay."
She continued petting his hair, slowly pulling it out of its lazy tie as she combed it out with her fingers, humming softly. He leaned into her touch, feeling comfort in the warmth of another person for the first time in years. He spoke with a small voice colored in sadness, "I've been so lonely."
Her hand paused for a moment before gently caressing his right cheek, bringing warmth to a place he hadn't allowed himself to experience in ages. He kept everyone to his left, so to have someone touching his right side at all, despite his right hand being his dominant, was almost too much for him.
More tears fell from his left eye, "I miss everyone."
The woman hummed, "I'm sure they miss you too."
"Riku came to look for me. And now I'm here, while everyone got left behind."
She sighed softly, "It must be hard, to have lost them all."
He sniffed, "I'll see them again some day, when I finally make it back to the future where I came from."
She paused before carefully wiping away his tears, "...The future?"
He vaguely nodded as sleep started to settle in, "Yeah. One day, our Islands will exist again… and then… the Worlds will fall… and plain old... not special me...will get… the key."
Chloe gently took the small piece of what was left of the bread she'd handed him out of his loose fingers, placing it on a napkin on the nightstand beside her. She frowned, observing Sora as he slept as a number of things finally made sense.
He had people he loved desperately, who he wanted to return to, but he couldn't. They weren't people who had died in the distant past.
They were people who had yet to exist, far into the future.
Her Heart hurt for him, as she realized his fears that had driven him away from her would only hinder him with the ones he'd meant to save and join with once more.
She folded her hands in her lap and observed him as she made her choice.
She would help the people she'd never know, so that he could still love them.
We-xXx-Pray-xXx-For-xXx-Our-xXx-Sorrows-xXx-To-xXx-End
Even with the curtains drawn, Sora woke with a miserable migraine. He groaned, his left eye nearly stuck shut as he temporarily forgot he didn't have a right eye to aid him and promptly fell out of bed with a clatter. He vaguely could smell something being cooked in the kitchen far away as a cup of tepid water spilled on the floor beside him.
His stomach turned as the world spun around him, 'Whaaaat happened last night…?!'
Auron spoke softly, 'They spiked your water. It was a tasteless alcohol. I'm a little surprised, but mostly mad.'
He groaned loudly and dramatically as he clutched his head, stuck in the weird kneeling position he'd landed in as he bent forward and pressed his forehead to his knees. "Ffffuuucckckckckk"
His mouth was cotton dry as he couldn't find it in himself to move. But he desperately needed water or something. The dryness in his mouth was nearly suffocating.
'Should've drank the water she handed you last night.'
Auron huffed, 'A little difficult to trust water when that's what got him like this in the first place.'
Sora covered his mouth as his stomach lurched, making him panic as his voice deepened weirdly, "Guyss pleeeaaase not now, ppllleeaasse."
He dragged himself into the bathroom blindly, feeling his way as his left eye became useless from his migraine. He barely made it to the toilet when his body tried to get him to throw up, but instead there was just nothing, leaving him gagging on dry air, heaving and miserable.
He cried, his muscles hurting from spasming. He felt like a child, confused and lost in his delirium.
He coughed, finally managing a tiny amount of spit before collapsing on the bathroom floor, wearily opening his eye and glancing around. He sneezed at the layer of dust as he croaked out, "Whhooow did I get here..?"
'Chloe brought you to your old bedroom. It was rather late.'
Sora made several faces, before closing his eye in defeat, "How did that happen?" He was slowly getting sober. Sleeping and whatever she'd managed to feed him had helped, but now he was just too tired to move. He felt disgusting.
'She must have noticed you acting strange. She's always watched you when you're out of your hidy-hole.'
He frowned as he grumbled, "Oh."
He laid there in the dim bathroom, half asleep as he eventually noted footsteps coming closer. Sora couldn't find it in himself to move as he listened to the movement.
Eventually warm fingers pressed against his sweaty bangs as she softly spoke, "You awake?"
He grumbled, still miserable.
"Would you like a Potion?"
He cracked his eye open as she held a sealed Potion bottle in front of him. He nodded, and carefully she helped him sit up and shakily drink the concoction.
It wouldn't cure everything, but it would make life a little less miserable, and finally there was liquid coating his parched throat.
He sighed when he was done drinking it, "Thanks."
Chloe nodded as she shifted his bangs and hair, "You're a mess."
He nodded sullenly, "Sorry."
She shook her head, her long red curls tied in a low ponytail as a few pieces framed her face prettily, "It's alright. You didn't get drugged on purpose."
He looked away, "It was a tasteless alcohol… I think."
Chloe frowned, "All the more to discipline them for."
Sora nodded carefully, still needing time to reorientate himself. She watched him for a long time before taking one of his hands, "Do you think you can eat?"
He blinked, "...Yeah."
She nodded as she carefully stood, "I'll let you get cleaned up first. Don't take too long, though."
Sora nodded as she gave him a final searching look before leaving him.
He took in a deep breath and got up.
We-xXx-Pray-xXx-For-xXx-Our-xXx-Sorrows-xXx-To-xXx-End
A few days passed with him slowly getting used to Chloe's presence. She simply moved back in, going in and out while collecting letters of apology and gifts of remorse for what had happened. She was rather pleased with herself as he was left kind of flabbergasted at her ruthless hunting.
Eventually after nearly a week of reacclimating to her, Sora finally recognized she was an adult woman. It was now obvious to him how much she'd changed in the decade since he'd freaked out on her.
Guilt was a bitch.
He shifted awkwardly, "So… you're single again?" He winced, smooth.
Chloe blinked with a tilt of her head before smiling, "Yeah." She looked away, making points with her fingers, "Guys either just wanted me for my possible status, their fathers wanting to cozy up with you to find out how you gained eternal youth, or they were jerks. The last relationship lasted a few years, but in the end he got fed up with my independent personality."
Sora frowned, "...I don't have eternal youth."
Chloe looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "You could've fooled me. You haven't changed since you picked me up."
Sora blushed, "I-I've changed! I just.." He waffled, "I just age at a much, much slower pace for some reason…"
Chloe put both of her elbows on the table before cupping her face in her hands in curiosity, "Oh really?"
He blushed, feeling weirdly flustered by her attention. Her eyes clear and expressive in a way that made him belatedly realize she was still somehow in love with him. Her eyes were too intense. Sora awkwardly pulled out his Gummi phone, the screen lighting up as Data popped up on the screen with an angry face, "About time you took me out!"
Sora nearly screamed, dropping the phone onto the table as Chloe jumped, immediately moving to look at the screen in curiosity. She blinked, the voice sounding similar to Sora's, but higher in pitch.
Data blinked with wide eyes as he noticed her in the camera's view, "Who're you?"
Chloe blinked as she snatched the phone, tilting her head this way and that as Sora failed to snatch it away from her, "My name's Chloe. Sora picked me up as a kid, and we were separated for the past ten or so years since he rejected my teenage feelings."
Data gave her a weird and confused look, squinting before he burst out laughing, "What a wuss!"
Sora covered his face with a groan, "Data, you don't understand."
Data sniffed, "She's pretty, and it's not like you've ever made a move. You've never even been confessed to!"
Chloe blinked as she looked at Sora with a raised eyebrow, "Really?"
Sora pouted, folding his arms on the table and burying his face, pointedly looking away, "I was only sixteen…"
Understanding dawned on her as she looked back down at the Gummi phone. Data smiled up at her, "You're pretty." She blushed lightly as she glanced at Sora and then back.
"So… are you how Sora looked before..?"
Data blinked, rubbing the back of his head, "Uuuh, sort of?" He brightened, "Let me just pull up a selfie!"
Sora popped up again, "Wait!"
The screen changed, and it was a picture of Sora during his fifteenth year, his black and red plaid adventuring clothes bringing back memories as he posed with the Islands behind him.
She smiled at the picture, "You really have changed."
Sora calmed at the chosen (safe!) picture as Data closed the picture app, addressing his other self, "Sora, you should definitely take a picture with Chloe."
Sora was left speechless as Chloe blushed a little, "Maybe when I'm actually prepared. I'm not really up to it right now…" She fluffed her messy hair, "Next time."
Data nodded as the screen turned off. She handed the phone back to him as Sora put it away, rubbing his neck with red cheeks and a frown.
Chloe tilted her head in interest, "So, have you ever kissed anyone?"
Sora choked, coughing deeply and worryingly into his arm as he turned away from her as he croaked, "N-no?! Why would you ask?!"
She smiled and stood, moving around the kitchenette they were seated at in an oddly… sultry manner.
He felt like an awkward teenage boy around girls half the time (and occasionally a guy or two depending), as she came close and leaned against the counter, getting into his space, "You know, neither of us are getting younger."
He felt weirdly dizzy as he made a silent high pitched squeak, an odd expression crossing his lips, "I, uh- It's still not ri-"
She placed a finger on his lips, getting close to his face as she looked deeply into his eyes, "Sora, I'm nearly twenty six. You're like, over four hundred years old. How're you going to know how to please Kairi and Riku if you never try..?"
He felt his body flush along with his red face, "H-how do you- why would you suggest that..?!"
She smiled as she backed up a tiny bit, a smug look about her, "You've always mumbled about them in your sleep, but you were really crying over them when you were drunk. Also, at one point you called me Kairi."
Sora groaned as he almost fell out of his chair, dieing inside as he looked away, "Ooh…"
Chloe tapped her fingers on the counter as she cupped her face in her other hand, watching him, "Well?"
She was being coy, and he was amazingly powerless against her.
Had age made that much of a difference?
'I did tell you before we merged that you fall in love easily.'
Sora waffled, "B..but, I-"
Chloe pouted just right and he slumped, "...Fine." He gave her a suspicious look, "I… I still think it's a terrible idea, but you did say-!" She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him in close, cutting him off before lowering her lashes and carefully moving forward.
He didn't know why, but he met her halfway, his eyes closing at their lips meeting.
It went deeper than planned.
We-xXx-Pray-xXx-For-xXx-Our-xXx-Sorrows-xXx-To-xXx-End
It wasn't that kissing had been the most amazing thing to happen to him.
It had been that he'd touch starved himself.
He'd needed time to process his reaction to her, as well as her feelings and his own.
Sora also had to process if he even wanted to start a relationship with her. For as much as Chloe had changed over the past decade, she was the same. That was a bit of a hurdle, but it was actually his feeling of wanting a sweet slow love that made him realize how much he hadn't thought of his wants and desires.
He'd stopped daydreaming before he'd hit thirty.
He sighed as he slumped against Void Gear, the sun annoyingly hot as he stared at the pile of kindling he'd put together for some of the townsfolk.
It was a hot fall day, but soon it would turn cold.
Sora could sense parts of the vast wide world disappear into their own separate World.
He smiled wistfully, wondering what Worlds were slowly being created as they broke off.
He decided he was done for the day and got himself into a shower to clean up. He lazily made his way around the Tower before finally finding Chloe practicing Magic against an annoying animated tea set.
Sora had finally decided to help her hone her Magic, realizing she was a natural, particularly with Fire, though a few other elements were in her favor. Wind-based Magic was also a strong contender.
He settled against a wall watching her, simply observing until she noticed him. She smiled brightly and skipped over to him, grabbing his hand as she swayed in place, "In for the day?"
Sora nodded, looking at her with affection as she got close and hugged him. She rested against him as he thought over the past few years since they'd slowly built their present relationship.
Data at least got a selfie out of them, and Chloe reminded him to occasionally pull him out and chat with the lonely AI.
Sora sighed as he felt content.
He twitched when he felt her too-warm hand go under his shirt. He flushed, "Chloe."
She giggled, "I won't be young forever, and I'm already twenty eight."
He paused, realizing she was practically middle aged by current standards. She was still beautifully young to him, but he also sucked at keeping track of the years. He knew it, as he was always surprised in March when she threw him a birthday party, laughing at his gobsmacked confusion every time.
She didn't even have to try to throw a surprise party. It simply always was a surprise.
He squirmed a little, the thoughts of his friends in the future always in the back of his mind as she carefully turned his face to her with her other hand, "Sora."
He looked deep into her eyes, "Yeah..?"
Chloe made a few expressions before carefully backing away with a small smile, "Nothing."
Sora frowned. This was the third time she'd done that recently. He stepped towards her and took her hand, "What is it Chloe?"
She looked away from him, waffling a little before looking up to him, "I know I've taken a lot of your firsts…" He gave her a weird look as a vague understanding came over him, "I don't want to ask too much of you."
Chloe was well aware of how hard it was for him to deal with her feelings for him. Just because he'd warmed up to it and courted her for two years, didn't mean he actually wanted anything beyond what they had.
Sora felt a weird thrill shoot through his nerves as he clasped her hand in a sure grip, searching her eyes, "What do you want from me, Chloe? I'm barely book smart, but I'm kind of socially stupid."
Chleo frowned at him in annoyance, "You're not stupid, you're brilliant."
He smirked wryly, "I'm bad with people."
Chloe gave him a dull look, "You're wrong again, but…" She bowed her head slightly as she thought it over before finally coming close to him again. She hugged him before running her hands under his shirt once more, causing him to gasp and tense, "I want you. It's what I've always wanted…"
Sora blushed as she moved her hands lower and he tried to strangle the squeak in his throat. He was at war with himself. He went to open his mouth again to say something else before she pushed up and kissed him, distracting him just enough to make him forget.
Hope-xXx-That-xXx-Our-xXx-Hearts-xXx-Will-xXx-Blend
A traveling group of women appeared in town. They were performers, and Chloe was smitten with the group immediately.
Sora was also rather impressed with them, considering they had no Magic to aid their tricks. It was all raw talent. He could appreciate it immensely as they stayed in the ground level of the Tower. He remembered Quasimodo and Esmerelda wistfully.
Chloe spent a lot of time with the girls as they stayed with them to perform for a little over a month, finding their stories of travel fascinating.
After a while, it was time for them to leave as they offered for her to come along with them.
She was flattered by their invitation as something nagged at the back of her mind.
Chloe was happy in the Tower with Sora. Yet, when she mentioned it he thought it over for a while before finally speaking, "You should go with them."
Chloe blinked, "What?"
Sora shrugged, "You should see the world while you can. They all love you, and I trust them to help keep you safe. You should travel with them for a while."
Chloe slumped, "But… are you sure?"
He frowned, "I'm not chasing you away or anything, but… I've traveled a lot. Traveling around and meeting new people is how I met some of the most important people in my life. You should go while you're still young."
Chloe bowed her head, minding her lip as she thought it over, "What if I'm gone too long and you forget about me?"
Sora smiled as he leaned forward, taking her hands gently, "I'd never forget. Though, if you're gone for more than ten years I'll have to track you down."
Chloe smiled before chuckling with tears in her eyes, "Okay, I'll go. I always did enjoy your stories of faraway lands and travels…"
Sora smiled as he wiped away her tears, "You haven't even left and you're crying?"
Chloe sniffed, "I'm not sure why."
Sora squeezed her hand before pulling her to bed for the night, "You've got a long way to go, but I won't lose track of time. I'll count every day you're gone."
Chloe boggled at him, "You can count?"
Sora pouted, "Awe, c'mon!"
She laughed as he loved her.
Hope-xXx-That-xXx-Our-xXx-Hearts-xXx-Will-xXx-Blend
One thousand four hundred and sixty five.
That's how many days had passed since he'd allowed Chloe to travel with the group of girls, and he was slowly regretting it.
He was lonely again.
Sora sighed as he wrote in a journal some equations as he tried to figure a particularly annoying part of why he wasn't getting the Holy Water recipe correct.
He really was starting to need it again, and while he'd managed several other healing items, for some reason Holy Water, and its purity, were leaving him wanting.
He sighed as a storm raged through the night, leading into an oddly dreary and wet morning.
The Tower bells sounded as someone entered the main entrance, distracting him from his math.
Sora sat straight as he growled in annoyance, turning in his chair as the Flood-like shadow dozing in his lap was dropped, a sharp warbling cry as it landed in confusion before melting away to watch in the darkness.
He made his way quickly down the stairs as he forced his annoyance away, a blank look on his face as he came downstairs.
"Sora!"
He nearly tripped with a gasp before running, coming around the end of the staircase and into the main hall, "Chloe?!"
She turned to him, a total mess of dripping water and mud. Tears in her eyes as she stumbled towards him, a bundle of something held close under her cloak, "Sora! Help!"
He blinked as he caught her as she nearly collapsed, "...Chloe?"
The cloak covering the bundle in her arms was a toddler with fevered cheeks and red soft spiky hair.
She was breathing quick in a panic, "Sora, he's been so sick and I knew I couldn't let him suffer so I came back because I knew you could help him and you wouldn't let a child die if you could help it and-" He cut her off as he grasped her shoulder, looking between the two before taking the toddler from her.
She stumbled unsteadily behind him in exhaustion as he simply went to a nearby room on the same floor so she could rest faster.
Chloe had clearly been running for some time to return to him, in her fears for this child.
He gently set the wheezing toddler down as he removed the child's wet cloak and clothing. He shrugged off his shirt and put it over the boy before he turned to Chloe who collapsed into a chair, "I'll get new clothes. Call me if anything changes while I get some supplies."
She nodded, tear tracks clear on her face as he moved on autopilot.
It took several hours for him to get the toddler comfortable and his temperature down. It took nearly as long for him to coax Chloe into a bath and dressed in a fresh set of clothes.
He helped her lay down near the resting toddler in a separate bed as he sighed. He had so many questions, but she was clearly unable to answer, dozing on and off as she tried to be of help. "I'm going to go make some soup, alright?"
She nodded with a sniff, Sora frowning as he realized she was probably getting sick as well. He shook his head as he went to cook and make some medicine for the two of them.
It took two weeks for him to get them back to health, every question building up in his mind as he was left unable to ask, preferring to wait until Chloe was well again.
The boy became aware and better first, his eyes as green as his mother's as he stared at him in bright clear interest. "Who're you?"
He smiled awkwardly, "Sora."
Chloe was doing better, and hopefully she'd wake up well again so he could finally have his answers.
The boy nodded, taking in that information as he smiled brightly, "I'm Aiden!"
He nodded, "It's nice to meet you, even though you've been here for two weeks."
The little boy's eyes widened, "Really?"
Sora nodded. The toddler squinted at him before reaching forward and snatching his bangs, making him yelp as he was pulled close. Sora let him, but it was really uncomfortable as the toddler lifted them and gasped, "Wooah! You don't have an eye?"
He flushed, "I- no. I lost it a long time ago." Got it ripped out more like.
The boy released his bangs in wonder, "Did it hurt?"
Sora fixed his bangs back into place over his right eye, "Extremely."
The toddler looked at him amazed, "You must be super strong."
Sora sighed lightly, "I...guess?"
Chloe groaned as she blinked awake, slowly sitting up as she looked at Aiden and Sora together.
She blinked, out of it for a few minutes before gasping, nearly tripping out of bed, "Aiden!"
He giggled as she scooped him up, hugging her back as Sora watched in awkward confusion.
Once assured, Chloe sighed softly before looking at Sora in trepidation, "Sora… thank you."
He smiled awkwardly as he nodded, "Of course. I wasn't about to lose you two to a fever."
Slowly she nodded as she ran her fingers through the toddler's hair, contemplating.
It felt weirdly somber, for being a moment of happiness.
Chloe took a deep cleansing breath before pulling Aiden away and turning him around in her arms and hugging him to her chest. Aiden looked up to her in confusion as she looked down at him for a long moment before meeting Sora's patient gaze, "Sora… this is your son, Aiden."
His eyes widened as he immediately felt tears gather in his eyes. Too many feelings rushed through him as he looked between Chloe and the toddler before suddenly everything made sense.
He gasped, as tears fell down his cheeks as he startled himself, covering his face as he croaked out, "You were pregnant?"
Sora hadn't even been sure he could have children with how messed up his body was.
Aiden looked between his mother and the kind man as Chloe bit her lip for a moment before slowly nodding, "I didn't realize until a few weeks after I'd left, when my clothes weren't really fitting right… I felt pretty stupid."
He cried softly, coming to terms with that information as he softly asked, "Did… were you hurt when you had him?"
Chloe blinked away tears of confusion, "Hurt?"
Sora took a moment to collect his thoughts as he finally looked up at her, "My mother almost died giving birth to me, because her Magic Circuits got fried. It's dangerous for female Magic users to give birth. Were you… can you still Cast?"
Her eyes widened as she understood before she nodded, "Yes. You gave me enchanted jewelry… remember?"
Sora blinked at her as he vaguely remembered giving her some earring, chains, and a ring. "...Oh."
She glanced away, "I'm… I'm sorry I didn't come back, or write… But, I got scared. I…" She waffled, "My excuses won't be enough to make up for keeping it a secret."
Sora looked to his son for a long moment before finally looking up at her once more as he softly spoke, "Did you travel a lot?"
Chloe blinked as she looked at him in confusion, "Yes. I saw many places and met many people."
He smiled slightly as he sniffed, running his finger under his nose, "Then it's alright."
Chloe's eyes widened, "How is that alright!?"
Sora sighed as he got up from his chair and sat carefully next to her, pulling the toddler from her arms. Aiden blinked up at him, "...Daddy?" The mixed brunette nodded as he hugged the child close, "Yeah. I'm your dad."
The toddler's appearance nagged at the very edges of his Memory.
The child wrapped his arms around his neck, leaning into him, "Don't cry, you're strong."
Sora chuckled wetly as he breathed in his child's scent, "Yeah."
He was a father.
Chloe was still watching in confusion as Sora finally figured out how to answer her, "I let you go to see places and things while you were still young, right?"
She nodded, "Yes."
Sora took a deep cleansing breath before sighing lightly, "With Aiden here, I won't let you go again. I don't want to be alone anymore… and our time together is precious."
Chloe slowly smiled before nodding. He'd missed enough, and she'd seen the world and traveled just as he'd hoped for her.
He'd keep them close from now on.
Hope-xXx-That-xXx-Our-xXx-Hearts-xXx-Will-xXx-Blend
A/N: As I finished writing this chapter I got a guest review on FFnet and I am.. Confused. So I'm answering it here 'cause I am Concerned. I also had to refer to my character sheet. X,D It may need age updating again, ngl.
Zui's Guest review for chapter 13 will be in quotations, while I respond with a dash.
"I found this chapter interesting I guess like Shinichaku fanfiction with the NaruSaku ship, I'm confused as heck by what's going on anymore and if Sora can even be considered Sora anymore he certainly forgot about those connections and stuff he often spewed about does he care about Kairi anymore?"
-Sora hasn't forgotten about his friends. Time has made things hazy, but he definitely hasn't forgotten. Hopefully this chapter solidified that for you? As for Sora's personality… he merged with Vanitas and kinda became wary of people over time while trying to regain his original personality. He's also possessive of the Town he helped build.
" And why did Ava bust it down and get knocked up when she was so very depressed broken and hurting inside, Ava is for the streets and it shows in every interaction with her son and backstory much [...]"
-I needed to break this run on sentence. I'm not sure why you've basically decided Ava's easy? Like, she's only ever been intimate with Aeros, Sora's father. The whole point of it was that she and Aeros were scared of being separated. How many movies have you seen where characters get together because they think they'll be separated forever? It was sorrowful and horrible for them both and they clung to what intimacies they could while getting caught up in the moment.
"[...] like I'm kinda laughing at that karma of MoM dropped on her a few chapters back wished he gloated a little about how he was a better parent then her abandoning ass but I digress."
-...It's literally the Master of Master's fault she was torn away from them, because it was necessary for things to be as they were. In Vulpes to Dandelions I made it pretty clear that even though she couldn't figure out if she was actually supposed to be on Destiny Islands, that she came to like it there and didn't want to leave. She left Sora letters, the crown necklace, and a wayfinder. She didn't abandon him, they literally kept getting torn apart. There was nothing to gloat over, and MoMSora's Heart fragment wasn't going to gloat 'cause he's always been a depressive character in reality. Even in canon Sora has loads of angst he hides. MoMSora was shocked himself because he didn't always know Ava was his mother depending on the timeline. I'm so lost on how you missed that entirely.
"Riku should also be a little weirded out about all this dandelion nonsense taking place yet he just Sasuke's his way by and keeps it moving. Rota or whatever the babies name is was a mistake"
-This literally made no sense to me. Riku hasn't really been told anything about the Dandelions- I primarily use "Dandelion" as a descriptor for Skuld because Ava and her both have black hair, and saying 'the black haired teen' doesn't really work because it's not entirely clear who I could be talking about. Namine has Artist, Ephemer has Scarved boy since he and Riku have silver hair, keeping Roxas and Ventus straight can also be hard if they're both talking and I don't want to state their names every time. In the story of Foretellers to Union to Misfits an actual explanation will happen to clarify things for all of the current Keyblade Wielders, but… I'm just. So confused and concerned here. What? What?
Rota was only a mistake in that she wasn't planned for… but like. Huh? The only reason Ava didn't literally marry Aeros was because she wouldn't have been allowed to and she didn't want to bind him to her when their (life)time could become too separated (a 21ish year old being intimate with a now 36/37 year old due to time travel bs would be a bit of a no at this point?). She didn't want to force him to be loyal only to her cause they were still young. Her general treatment on the Islands was that of an outcast and a freak. Sure the Mayor probably would have silently signed a marriage certificate, but not anytime soon, especially if it would have caused discord between the Islanders. Like. I've kinda hinted at it lightly, but while the Islanders will accept some weirdness, they are otherwise xenophobic. Gula's kinda noticed during his visits that they look at him weird. Aeros, Ruki, and Vale are still just too physically strong to piss off if people don't wanna get their asses handed to them.
