Final Fantasy XV - Kingdom Hearts
Part 90
Summary: Two warriors of Light, the Chosen King and Keyblade Master, face an unseen Darkness.
Not many know this, not even Kairi, but Sora has this tendency to hold back his true strength. Three journeys of searching for lost friends and saving the many worlds have led him to face powerful enemies and foes that challenged him not only through strength but will as well. By the time he helped awaken Ventus from his twelve-year slumber, not only had he regain his old strength back, but he had grown into a far more experienced wielder of the keyblade.
Defying the human limits of the body, surmounting against foes strong enough to destroy a world, experiencing new powers that put him on the same levels as some of his most ferocious foes. But venturing to Eos and exploring that world, he knew even back then he was probably the strongest one among the ten guardians, and this wasn't his ego getting the better of him. He learned the dangers of his hubris from his exam, but he still felt as if he was at least a little stronger than even the true keyblade master Aqua.
No, for him he knew he was stronger than the rest because of how many of their worst foes weren't so bad to fight for him. If he wanted to, he could have taken on all sorts of heartless and daemons without so much as getting a scratch, and he's proven it. Even still, his greatest weakness outside of his love for his friends was overestimating what he could do, and how many times his emotions got the best of him through desperation. Maybe that's what Aqua saw was holding him back from becoming a true keyblade master or maybe she believed he didn't mature enough to be one.
Maybe that was part of the reason why he always held back, or maybe he didn't want people like Kairi or Noctis to feel like the gap between them was so vast that they might never come close to his level. He never wanted them to feel that weakness, he hated it as much as they would. His fears of being too weak to keep those people safe from his enemies, he had lost them because of him being weak before.
For the first time though, against someone who was so much weaker than even he was back then, he did not restrain himself.
The entire fight against the Larxene of the past was, to be gentle, one-sided. Nothing she threw at him phased him, nothing she tried worked on him and nothing she could do would so much as to cause him to flinch. He dominated the battle between them like Xehanort had against the guardians, moving so fast it made her lightning speed look like a snail, all her punches and kicks were blocked or parried thanks to the training Aqua had put him through. Even when she does land the exceedingly rare hit on him he didn't even acknowledge her and just knock her aside.
Even her most powerful attacks were nothing, he could either dodge them to the point where he'd be so fast it was like he was an intangible force of nature or his magic barriers would barely sweat under the strain of the "storm". It was unfair of him he knew; it'd be like throwing Prompto against Sephiroth and expecting him to win without a scratch. But Sora, for the first time, didn't care. Maybe it was because all his fighting lately had him just managing to win by the skin of his teeth, or it could be from all the worst of it all had finally given him a break.
Or maybe, and most likely, he just wanted to give this woman a taste of her own medicine.
Even if this wasn't Larxene of today, it is just a fragment of Naminé's memories of her worst days that haunts her heart, it still carried her face, and her actions were her own choice. He could imagine how the real one would react if she did fight him when he was at a hundred percent invested in winning without restraining himself, to be up against someone that she had no chance of beating. Though he wondered if she would even take this lesson to her heart, or would she just disregard it without another thought and be upset she lost to the loser again.
For her sake, if they ever meet again when she becomes whole again, the very first words that comes out from her had better be an extraordinarily strong and heartfelt sorry to Naminé. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be him that she'd have to fear.
With one final strike from his keyblade, Sora finally puts this painfully one side battle to an end. The witch who had done more damage to Naminé's heart had met her end for a third time, struggling to stand on her feet before she falls to a knee while her body fades away. Once she curses him, complaining that this wasn't supposed to go this way, she fades away and leaves behind a shard of Naminé's heart. Sora reverts to his normal form and reached for the shard while summoning the other, and once they touched, it clicks and locks.
"Just a few more…hang on Naminé", he says as the world changes again. He held his breath and tries to calm his mind, tempering it to face whatever pain Naminé carried. If someone else made her feel worthless or hurt her even worse than Larxene did, then maybe bringing out his newest and probably most brutal form would be in order. And maybe that giant hammer too…and maybe a few other form changes.
Maybe Gladiolus' aggressive responsive nature was rubbing off more than he would have liked to admit…
Now he here stood in what looks like a hallway with one large door at the end of it, he sees himself, Donald, Goofy, and Naminé conversing with Jimmy resting on Sora's shoulder. Listening in, he learns the truth.
Naminé tells the past versions of the four that to regain their memories, which weren't lost but rather through what she calls the "chain of memories", she would need to reconnect the chains of the real memories. But then Jimmy pointed out that in doing so, it means they would forget everything that has happened within the castle, even her. She offered Sora the choice to choose, and as he expected, he asked her to restore him to the way he was. Next, they were taken to a room he remembered.
Those strange machines that he and the other three had woke up in two years ago, and after his two companions bid the girl goodnight and left, he watches him tell her that they will meet again. The promise that he had made to her, to be friends for real the next time they meet, the "Thank Naminé" letter Jimmy wrote to be the reminder of that promise, and even one final apology for her actions against him. He frowned but watches his younger self give her a pinkie promise before jumping into the machine, she told him to remember the person most important to him before closing the machine.
But then the world shifts again before he could watch more, and then he finds himself in Traverse Town. In the same hotel room he and Kairi stayed in before they went for their year-long training, he spots himself still sleeping in a bed without his favorite girl by his side. Confused, he exited the room and sees the two girls speaking on the balcony, and when he listened in to their discussion, a guilt that he never knew could exist, appeared.
The treatment she had gotten from Ansem the Wise, how his hate for nobodies would extend even to the one who was helping him and belittling her discoveries of emotions. It certainly dampened his views on the old man and even planted a seed of contempt for him. He hoped Riku had tried to help her during his time as an ally to the spiteful man, however, limited he would have been. More and more of their conversation weighed on his mind, how she had to endure all this alone without anyone to have by her side.
Between her guilt over what she had done to Sora and his friends to now discovering more of her heart growing alone with trying to understand what she was feeling, it sounded like a horrible experience.
But then comes to her feelings for him.
Maybe it was because he didn't remember what happened in Castle Oblivion, but he never had taken into the thought of how she had seen him. Even when he looked back through her memories, at some points his own, he didn't see anything that gave her the impression he saw her any different than all the other girls he's met. But when the logic side, or what Riku often teases him about, using his brain, kicked in it made sense to him.
The first person to show compassion to her, the first to forgive her for the "crimes" she did to him, and be the first real friend she never had. Hearing how she spoke to him in the chamber where he slept, how she would just talk nonsense and tease him with puns and other things she's discovering about herself and simply basic life things such as food and even weird habits she picked up. He learned she was very disorganized when it comes to her drawing equipment, the times she drew she would just have everything out for her to pick and choose.
Then…the memories of him and Kairi, developing jealousy and envy to their relationship even before love came into the picture. Sora looks down at his feet from her confession to the redhead, how she started to fall for him, that once she could watch the memories of Kairi and Sora with joy and happiness but then it became jealousy and wanting, and even resentment to Kairi. And that time she had no one to blame but herself for these emotions clouding her judgment. He honestly felt his heart in his throat when she said how easy it would have been to just erase Kairi from his memories entirely and replace her with herself.
The very idea it was even possible for someone so important to him be wiped from his memories as a clean slate shook him to his very core, and he even felt sick at the mere thought of it. But again, she was stronger than Marluxia or Larxene ever thought, because she broke down and resisted that disgusting action, saying sorry repeatedly to Kairi. Hearing how much their bond hurt her heart, to see something so beautiful yet not having a chance, even never will, to experience something words cannot describe to do it justice.
It tears into his heart, watching Kairi embrace her and even forgive her for everything despite how easily she and Sora's paths could have gone so far from each other. Promising that she will experience that love, to be the person's most important partner no matter what, and deserve a chance to exist alongside her friends, family even. Then the world changes again, shimmering away into a familiar world once again.
Now he finds himself back on the islands, but by the pier where Kairi sat upon with her boat tied to the docks, swaying her legs along with the ocean breeze. Standing behind her, he remembers she came to islands before himself and Riku did after making a few final arrangements before they'd meet up for one final day of peace. The princess held his necklace in her hands, staring down at it in deep thought before Naminé appears beside her. "It won't disappear, you know?", she teases softly. Kairi giggled in response, raising her head to face her.
"It's not as shiny as I remembered…I think I should give it some polish before tomorrow", Kairi suggests. Naminé raises a brow at her and asked: "Is that such a big deal at this moment? Tomorrow you're taking part in the biggest fight between light and darkness, and you're worried about the condition of the crown?". Kairi in response gives Naminé a mock look of insult before raising the crown and says: "Of course! I need to look as nice as possible!".
Her looks shift into a playful grin. "You see, my secret plan is to look so pretty that I'll distract Xehanort and his jerk minions long enough with my dazzling fashion that everyone will swoop in for the kill!". She then jumped to her feet and opens her arms up with a maniacal grin. "Then we shall claim victory over them all, muahahaha!", she laughs. Naminé giggles before raising a hand to hide her growing smile, shaking her shoulders with laughter while Kairi still performs the "evil laugh". While giggling, Naminé says: "Pfft…y-you think Xehanort will *snicker* even register your clothes? His fashion sense is as dead as all the others".
Kairi sat back down with a toothy grin, prompting the blonde to continue. "You realize almost all of them wear the same clothing, right? I somehow doubt your plan will work as well as you think", lectures the girl. Kairi pouts before raising the crown again and says: "This is my back up plan. I'll clean this and make it so shiny; it'll blind them!". This time Naminé burst into laughter, making Kairi tilt her head confused. It wasn't that funny she thought to herself, but then Naminé shakes her head with a big smile.
"I-I, I just had this image in my head… pfft…of Xehanort being blinded by your crown…and then Sora just goes for it! Imagine that! Xehanort, the seeker of darkness, strongest keyblade master…brought down by a shiny necklace", she explains. This causes Kairi to burst into fits of giggles, both rolling on the pier laughing their pretty heads off. Even Sora was struggling not to laugh at the image painted by Naminé, clutching his stomach with silent chuckles. Soon the girls just laid still on the pier looking up at the sky turning orange as the sunsets.
"You worried?", Naminé asks after a period of silence loomed between them. "Yeah…even after all the training we did, and all of Aqua and Luna's lessons, I can't help it", Kairi confesses with her hands on her stomach, "I know with everyone, I should be saying we'll win…but". Naminé hummed and sits up with her, both turning their eyes to the ocean. Kairi places a hand on her heart, looking down and saying: "I'm scared". Naminé grants the girl a gentle and compassionate look, nodding. "Why wouldn't you be? This…isn't going to be like all your previous fights".
"I know that, but that's not what's scaring me", Kairi says, "That vision I got from the Master…how we lost, how even all together we still couldn't stop Xehanort and all worlds fall because of it". Naminé looked to the sea while Kairi wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on the knees, forlorn. "Naminé? Do you think we can do this?", she asked with all the honesty in her words, her heart beating gently from the trepidation. Naminé smiles and says: "I think…whatever happens, no matter what, you will do all you can. Whether that's enough or not, depends on you guys".
Kairi gives her a half-smirk and teasingly says it wasn't an answer that she hoped for, while she argued she didn't say she'd win or lose but rather places her faith on the bonds of the thirteen guardians. "Sora has saved the worlds twice with only a handful of allies, inexperienced as he was, and now you're all going together to face a threat probably greater than anything the worlds could throw at you all. The bonds shared by you all are stronger than ever, and I think that maybe, it's what could ultimately decide how this will end", explained the ghost girl.
Kairi hums in thought and looks to the sky, wondering if their bonds were what could help decide their fate. But then she smiles to herself and nodded. "Maybe you're right…". Then she turns to Naminé and asked: "What do you wanna do?". Naminé turns to her, but Kairi was already on her knees facing her and takes her hands. "Tell me! What's the first thing you want to do when we get your body?", she encourages. Naminé blinked, but then a wonderful smile appears on her lips. "A few things…", she says.
"First that hug from Sora".
"Well duh, everyone needs one!", Kairi agreed.
"Then…hot cocoa", she listed.
"With all the sugary treats that go with it!", Kairi encouraged.
Naminé hums and says: "Well…Luna said she had something planned with me when we finally get my body". Kairi tilts her head and with a big smile, asked. The girl who controlled memories gave her a secretive smile and placed a finger to her lips, coyly saying: "That's our little secret". Kairi playfully whines at her, weakly attempting to gain an answer from the girl yet Naminé rejected all her attempts and would lazily push her back from her personal space while Kairi whined. Only when Kairi accepted the unfair reality that Naminé wouldn't spill the beans did she back off with a pout.
"…Kairi?", Naminé speaks softly.
"Yeah miss secretive?", Kairi playfully taunts.
"…I'm… grateful your…my somebody", confesses the shadow girl. Kairi looked at her as Naminé curls into a ball, shyly and awkwardly looking at the edge of the pier, dust of red coats her cheeks. In response to the sudden declaration, Kairi's smile turns so warm and soft it just made Naminé curl up even more while making little whining noises. Possibly embarrassed by the sudden confession, she buries her head into her knees in a vain attempt to disappear from Kairi's sight. Instead, Kairi places a gentle hand on her back and rubbed it kindly.
"You're my sister, Naminé", Kairi clarifies, "Nobody or not, that won't change". Naminé braves through her shyness and looks at her, smiles were small but there. Then Kairi grinned again and claimed: "I know what you and I are gonna do when you get your body!". And then she started to ramble on what their new plans were, the redhead getting more and more excited while Naminé shyly accepts them while her smile was slowly growing at the excitement radiating from Kairi. Watching them, Sora's smile turned softer.
Slowly from Kairi, a light flutters above her, and a shard appeared above her. It isn't a brainer that Kairi would carry a shard, who else could be closer to their former nobody than the somebody? Reaching with the other two shards, Sora calls for it to click with the others. Once it clicked, he watches the two girls talk more before they and the world faded away into nothing but shadows of the memory. He looks at the three shards, a low and gentle beat of a heart slowly rumbles from it, encouraging his hope that he was getting closer to saving the girl.
The next place he finds himself in was the Secret Forest.
Looking around he sees it was in the middle of the night, low breezes from the wind rustling the leaves and branches of the trees, the cool summer's night embracing him and welcoming him to the world where for a whole year he was at peace with his large group of friends. He wondered how Naminé must have felt during this needed period of peace for them all, for the first time being surrounded by people who knew her and wanted her around. It was a massive shame she couldn't join in on their little games or training like everyone else, which made him make a mental note to do so when they find her.
He walks through the forest, looking around and trying to sense Naminé's heart within the memory. Thinking back to the forest, Sora had just realized that ever since he was thrown into the chaos that was the battle for the realm of light, with everything that's happened to him and how his journeys were always about finding lost hearts, that for the first time he was given a whole year of peace. Sure he was training for the great battle and many days it lingered on his mind about what could go wrong or what nightmares Xehanort had in store for him and the others.
But he couldn't count the number of times he had genuinely forgotten about it; how many days had gone by where he just didn't think on it and just go with the flow of the day. Training with his friends reminded him of those days on the islands, except now the thrill of a good fight was like an adrenaline rush for him. Days where they relaxed and hung out together, just reflecting on the best parts of their journeys and even discovering more about themselves and how they all in a bizarre way were more connected than they think.
He hadn't been with a big group of friends who just hung out or had some peace to themselves, there were no worries for them. No empire to constantly contest with, no monsters randomly popping out of nowhere to try and hurt them or claim their lives, no vessels of Xehanort hunting them or taunting them with their cryptic threats or garbage to pester them. It was like a vacation for them in a sense and in a sad way the first time he got to just spend a lot of time with his friends.
Looking back on his journeys, he never knew how much he loved having more than just Donald and Goofy by his side. Having Aqua, Riku and Kairi go with him on adventures, seeing the world the three friends wanted since they were kids, having a master who's been through so much finally be at peace and just not alone anymore. This forest was probably some of the best memories he'll ever have from this journey, and maybe even for Naminé and Lunafreya, they were the greatest.
His venture ends with him coming to a cliff where sitting on a log, Lunafreya sat peacefully with a mug of tea, and by her was Noctis' phone playing low piano music. The boy guessed this was just the Oracle's downtime of sorts, possibly recommended by the others who often needed a day or two to themselves after the weeks of training. She is quiet though, still and when he rounded to get a look at her face he saw she had a peaceful look on her elegant and flawless features. Then he spotted Naminé appearing beside her.
"Found you", Naminé chirps, looking at the Oracle. Instead of being startled or even jumping in surprise, Lunafreya simply turns to the girl with a friendly smile, though Sora spots there is mirth within her eyes. "Your attempts to startle may is quite lacking, my dear", she notes, "Have you lost fascination with getting a shriek from me?". Naminé shook her head and points. "Nope, but you're nearly impossible to spook, it's like you can sense me no matter how silent I make myself!", argues the girl, "Why can't you be as jumpy as Prompto?".
"Years of having the empire breathing down my neck will test your awareness and being on guard is a constant state of being", Lunafreya explains before putting her mug down. Naminé's smile disappears, a look of regret appeared on her face and she cast her head down, quietly apologizing for bringing up bad memories. Lunafreya gently cupped her ethereal chin, and because of their connection, can lift her chin slightly to face her. The smile is warmer and kinder.
"That part of my life is over, Naminé. I've no more to fear from the empire, now that its emperor and land is decimated by the darkness", she assures. The words leaving her left a bit of a bitter taste though, realizing that the innocent who had no part in the evils of the emperor's conquest for power were either left destitute or might have perished thanks to the monsters that infested their home. A tragic fate for the once glorious city that had been tainted by greed and darkness, the woman of the fallen kingdom wonders about their fates often.
Naminé's grateful smile appeared as they turned to the sunset, enjoying the silence. "So…only three more days to go, huh?", Naminé asked, "Do you think they're ready?". Lunafreya placed a hand on her heart, taking a breath and then with a soft exhale, says: "This battle will be their greatest one yet…there is no telling what underhanded tactics the seeker will use against them, nor can I say how they will fare facing those they're trying to rescue". Lunafreya watches the sunset and says: "But…I think even against the overwhelming odds, Sora and Noctis will triumph against the seeker".
Naminé nods in agreement, smiling. "Of course you'd say that about Noctis", she teases, "A girlfriend must brag about her man". Lunafreya blushes and turns to the blonde girl whilst stammering. "T-That is not what I meant! I-I have full confidence in Aqua and the others b-b-but Noctis is…w-well, he's…", she says but her stammering only made Naminé's smirk grow more into a catlike grin. It must have been rare to fluster the Oracle like this because Sora couldn't imagine how she'd look if someone did make her turn into a stuttering mess.
The divine woman then clears her throat and sits upright, and with seems to be an attempt to reclaim her dignity, boldly claims: "Well…am I wrong to place my faith into Noctis more? He has saved our world and has quite the accomplishments under his belt". Naminé makes an exaggerated hum, folding her arms and pretends to ponder on the woman's claims. "Ooh, Luna…if you're gonna try that tactic, I think we can all bet safely that Sora's feats outweigh Noctis~", she bragged. "I mean…".
"Oh shush!", Lunafreya says. Naminé stops her attack with a smug look as the woman sighs in defeat, accepting, begrudgingly, Sora is their ace in the hole. Though both can say it would take more than just Sora and Noctis to win this despite them being their aces certainly, the older woman makes a rather childish remark. "Noctis is more handsome anyways", she mutters. Naminé raises a brow at her and then with an equally childish tone, rebukes: "Sora's cuter! Plus he has AMAZINGLY softy spiky hair!".
Lunafreya raised a single brow, then scoffs and looks away with a mock snooty tone, says: "Teenagers…". Naminé makes a loud gasp and placed a hand on her heart, almost putting on a hurt look at such cutting words. Then a malicious grin forms on her face, one even Larxene would be proud of. She sighed dramatically and folds her arms and then bravely and boldly as Lunafreya raises her mug, says: "I guess an old woman wouldn't understand". Lunafreya stops herself from sipping her drink and freezes on the spot.
Sora's jaw dropped to the ground, gobsmacked that Naminé would make such a joke like that. And was trying as hard as he could not burst into laughter, the entire "argument" between them was so ridiculous and childish it honestly was something he hoped when the time came for everyone to get back together they'd share more of these moments of innocence and brevity. Lunafreya lowers her mug silently, not saying anything. Naminé turns to her, wondering if she went a little too far with her little tease, considering she was still new to banter.
Lunafreya turns to her with the sweetest smile…that was ANYTHING but sweet. A dark violet aura appeared around her with a slight twitch in her eye, and for a moment Naminé swore she saw Larxene in her place. "Excuse me?", she asked with a voice of honey and sweetness. But to Naminé it was a voice that was so cold it was like she sitting beside the grim reaper who has decided she has had lived long enough. Naminé's bravado evaporates faster than a puddle in a burning wasteland, shaking on the spot as Lunafreya kept smiling that evil smile.
"Old woman?", Lunafreya asked. Then to even Sora's surprise (and to Naminé's horror), the older woman grabbed both her little friend's cheeks and pinched them tightly while tugging on them roughly while maintaining that smile. "Is that what you called me, dear?", Lunafreya asked with a touch of malice in her voice that only promises excruciating pain if the girl chooses the wrong answer. Naminé squeaks with each painful tug, desperately trying to plead for mercy on her dainty cheeks being roughly pulled.
"I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY!", squeaks Naminé, flailing her arms up and down as Lunafreya kept her smile on, "I MEAN YOU'RE YOUNG AND SWEET!". Lunafreya releases her cheeks, allowing the poor girl to rub them tentatively, and whimpered in pain while wondering how the heck the woman managed to do so given Naminé's ethereal form. Then again if Kairi could hug her, then she guessed Lunafreya abusing her cute cheeks wasn't entirely out of the possibility. She turns to the woman with a massive pout against her smug look but shivered when she did the pinching gesture with her hands.
"You're mean…", Naminé pouts, rubbing her abused cheeks. "You should have chosen your words more carefully", Lunafreya chastises. Rolling her eyes, Naminé turned back to the sunset and relaxed when the Oracle and she allowed their childish acts to cease and relax. She looks at her ghostly hands, seeing through them, and thinks back to Kairi's hug from before. Even though it was only a day technically, a whole year later without physical touch felt strangely more difficult to bear now. Odd as it was since Kairi was one of the two who Naminé ever had skin contact with.
"…Luna? Could I ask you something?", she spoke. "Certainly, what is it?", Lunafreya replied. "…what is it like? To kiss someone you love?". Lunafreya turns to the girl with a look of hesitation, Sora had no doubt the girl had brought up her feelings about him and the relationship with Kairi, why wouldn't she, after all, she and Lunafreya had been through? It still hurt his heart to think about how he unknowingly helped develop those feelings for him. The princess of light is then assured by a smile on Naminé's face.
"Kairi and I spoke about it before the training…I, I've made my peace with how I feel to Sora. But I want to know what it's like", she explains. "Are you sure?", tries the Oracle just in case the girl has second thoughts. With a confident nod, Naminé awaits for her explanation. This in turn allows Lunafreya to relax and sit up with her hands folded on her lap, but strangely as open about their relationship they were and given how it wasn't as if they were shy about displaying affection it was strangely embarrassing for her to explain it.
She closed her eyes and tries to form the words to explain it, slowly opening them when she decided to allow her heart to speak for herself. "…words cannot convey how it feels", she starts, "It's strange for as often as we do kiss…there is something about each one that warms my heart, and perhaps it is because of our connection from childhood to becoming the guardians of light, our bond is what helped made what could have been a marriage purely out of convenience into something more than either of us believed".
"I think the best way I can explain it, or rather describe it, is to say it's like…Noctis' light is connecting to my heart. He says something he cannot use words to express himself, and through our kiss, I feel closer to his heart than physical connections could ever compete with".
"That…sounds wonderful", Naminé hummed thoughtfully, sitting on the log and while she was happy for her best friend, it still left a pain in her heart. Lunafreya turns to the girl with a fond smile and then said: "Once you experience it, you'll understand". Naminé makes an uncertain noise within her throat, doubt rising in her chest, especially after her talk with Roxas. Then again, nothing had been set in stone yet, for all she knows maybe it was fate she and Roxas would be together when all this ended.
"Naminé? I have a question of my own", Lunafreya spoke. "Oh? Sure, what's on your mind?", Naminé asked, putting her wonderings of romance aside. "Once you regain a body, where will you go?", Lunafreya asks, "As far as I know, you…don't have a home". A strange question to ask someone who lives in a heart yet thinking on the chances that she'll get a body by the end of all this madness, it never dawned on Naminé about living conditions. She looks to the sky and wonders on the matter, thinking.
Radiant Garden wasn't an option, she'd be stuck with Ansem the Wise and she refuses to be anywhere near him again after what he did, redemption be darned. Twilight Town is a possibility, but a part of her heartfelt pain when she thought on the mansion that was her home temporarily, and chances are Axel might have claimed it for himself when he brings Roxas back into the realm of light. Maybe the islands Sora and co lived on, a little summer home for herself wouldn't go by unwanted, but that would mean being with them again and see what will never be her own.
"I hadn't thought on it…guess living in Kairi's heart had its benefits after all. Free-rent", she giggled. Lunafreya didn't laugh or respond immediately, instead, she wrings her hands quietly and bits her lip with nerves on fire. "Then…if you are willing, perhaps…would you consider staying with me…and Noctis?". Naminé turns to the woman, now facing her. "I…have been thinking about it and perhaps, considering you don't have any parental figure…maybe say we could be, guardians of sorts to you?", she explains.
As much as Lunafreya would have loved to adopt her as her own, there would be far too many questions surrounding the poor girl and giving how little her experience with human interaction is without strife and adding to the potential future engagement that may happen, it would just be too difficult to have Naminé as the potential heiress to the throne. But regardless, she couldn't imagine parting from someone who helped her so much throughout their short time in Eos. "You…want me to stay with you?", Naminé asked, "B-But…I…why?".
"…perhaps because…you're important to me? Maybe I feel as if we haven't spent time together as friends, but more allies in a greater fight than either of us were prepared for", Lunafreya explains, "In a way, we were both prisoners by fate, and when this war ends we will have so much to explore and see for ourselves, maybe it'd be better to do it together". Naminé looked down, remembering how the woman before her had been a prisoner for most of her life, much like how from the very day she was "born" she was always a tool to be used by the dark. To stay with her, have her as a guardian, or mentor in a sense…
"…and if I said, yes? Would Noctis accept that?", Naminé asked. "…would you believe me if I said he was the one who suggested the guardian part?", Lunafreya sighed gently, "I think you've grown on him". Naminé forms a wondrous smile and looks to the sunset with her and said: "…yes". Lunafreya then placed a hand on her shoulder and allows her to shuffle closer to her. "But the first thing we must do is broaden your wardrobe. I love white but I think we should at least give you more color", Lunafreya spoke.
"So long as it isn't black, you have a deal", Naminé warns.
As the memory changes and fades away, a fragment flutters from Lunafreya's body, and like before, Sora jumps at the opportunity to reconnect the shards, connecting them all into a near-complete star shape. Holding the fragments in his palm, his eyes turn sadder when he thinks of the two blondes who had so much in common, had dreams together, and going so far as to live together as a family…all to be snatched away from them like so many others.
"Don't worry girls…we're gonna bring you home", he swore as he is taken to the final memory that will lead him back to Naminé…
*Highwind XV*
Laying on his bed in deep thought, Roxas stares up at the ceiling in his room. Leg bobbing while resting on his prompt knee, hands behind his head, he is fixated on the current conditions of his new friends. He couldn't believe Aqua was possibly going to lose her power to use the keyblade, somebody who Ventus swore there was no one else who was so determined to become a master of it, her dream being taken away just for saving her friends.
From what Ignis told them, she was still barely conscious, and even when she is awakened she could barely focus on anything around her nor could she even speak more than a few words before the exhaustion takes over her body. Gladiolus had been by her side during the whole thing, never leaving the room, he practically lives there nowadays. Someone always brought meals to him, he uses the bathroom adjacent to her room and he would re-read all the books he had on standby just to occupy himself.
The former nobody wouldn't lie and say he was handling this taxing wait as well as someone like Ignis or Mickey, he was just a restless as everybody else. A whole week had passed since Sora and Noctis had begun their new journey, and there is nothing to report about them. No signs of them finding the lost hearts, no signs of them returning nor is there anything the team could do to help them out. Yen Sid had been adamant that under no circumstances that ANYONE is to use the Power of Waking to begin their search for them.
Not that it mattered in the end, only Riku and Mickey were able to use that power. But from what Roxas had heard, Riku was in no state to go forward with a rescue mission if what Iris was anything to go by. The girl had looked so weary and saddened by the recent events that have befallen the guardians, the past three days she had been at Riku's side to comfort him, but it was pretty clear on her face his grief and misery are starting to leak into her well-being as well. Turning on his side and looking out the near wall sized window to see the stars in the ocean of the dark, Roxas could feel himself feeling drained and only tired.
Shouldn't they be done with it all by now? Done with this seemingly endless stream of misery that plagued their friends? They beat the biggest baddie in the worlds, stopped him from bringing doomsday to the realm of light, and even sealed Kingdom Hearts away for good, shouldn't that be all they had to deal with? But not even taking down Xehanort doesn't guarantee a happy ending for them, they've lost friends to him, the ones here were in critical conditions and were just emotionally scarred. He lets out a frustrated sigh and rolled onto his back and grunts.
Maybe he was getting cooped up in here, if he just goes for a walk or hangs out with someone who wasn't having a crappy day (which were extremely rarer these days), maybe he'd feel a little better. But when he was about to get off his bed, his door opens and before he could greet his unexpected guest, he is suddenly pounced upon. He lets out a loud "oof" from the sudden weight increase and clenched his eyes and teeth from the sudden pain.
"ROXAS ROXAS ROXAS!", squeals his guest of honor, who was now sitting on his stomach. He groaned and looked at the widely grinning Xion who was sitting on him like a little sister pestering her big brother for attention. "Xion…", he says with a grunt but whatever compliant he planned on using was quickly forgotten when she presented him with something he had desperately wanted to have since he regained a body.
Ice cream.
"Lookie! They finally came!", squeals the raven with childish giddiness, holding two sealed ice creams in her hands, "I asked Merlin if he could pick some up and he did!". "Xion…that's great…but could you…get off my stomach?", Roxas pleads, sheepishly smiling at her. Xion does so with ease and hands him his ice cream treat, both ripping the packages off without any patience and took their first bite of the delicacy. They both moaned in the pleasure of the familiar taste on their tongues, the salty but oh so sweet that came from this treat.
"DELICIOUS!", sings Xion, "BEST TREAT! BEST FOOD!".
"Oh man…just as awesome as I remembered", Roxas concurs with a smile. They eat away in peace, occasionally stopping to relish their long-awaited tasty treat. Once they finished them, checked to see if they were winners but find naught but flat wood. They both chucked them back in the dust bin near Roxas' desk. "Shame you only managed to get two…", he laments. "No, I got a box!", Xion says, but then crosses her arms with a massive pout on her lips and puffed her cheeks, "But Aerith wouldn't let me have the box, only two!".
Roxas chuckles at her pout, not entirely siding with Aerith either but then again she was probably making sure they didn't get stomach aches. Or likely she just knew between himself and Xion they'd consume the entire box in less than an hour, brain freeze be damned. "Hey, don't worry, we can always smuggle some later…remember when we used to do that back at the castle?", he asked with a mischievous grin on his face. This breaks the pout on Xion's face, and she snickers profusely, remembering how they would act like thieves in the night (which was easy because it was always night in that world) and would sneak some ice cream for themselves.
Sure Axel made it easy by distracting some of the more stick in the mud members but hey they got extra ice cream. As their laughs died down, Roxas laid down on the bed, yawning. Then suddenly Xion lies her head on his chest and snuggles into him. He turns slightly pink as the girl nuzzles into him, yawning. "Sleepy…", she sighed. He frowns at this, not at the situation but rather how easy just eating made the two of them so tired. One of the concerns Even and Ienzo had discovered was the two of them were still adjusting to bodily functions and needs such as food and waters.
Back when they were nobodies, food wasn't something they needed. Heck Roxas was sure Axel only shared ice cream with them out of nostalgia's sake, and even then they never sought out different food. Now though, eating was once optional but now is a much-needed source of energy for them, and while they ate, their bodies couldn't eat without feeling sleepy or weary. Something Prompto teased them about, like saying they could have lunch and come out like they just had a large Christmas dinner.
What the heck was Christmas?
"Then go for a nap", he says with a yawn, but the girl doesn't move. "No", she says, "I'm sleeping here". Roxas rolled his eyes and decided to just be the pillow for her tonight and go to sleep. "Fine, but if you're staying here, at least let me throw the sheets on…and take off my shoes and jacket", he instructs. With a low groan of laziness, Xion rolls off him and kicks her slippers off while Roxas kicked his shoes and takes off his jacket.
Once done, he throws the sheet over them both and lets Xion snuggle into him, resting her head on the pillow. Roxas is about to bid her a good night, but then Xion placed a hand on his mouth and a finger to her lips. He freezes, a sudden sense of worry surged but then Xion looked at his chest with a curious look on her face. Slowly she leaned into his chest and placed her ear against him, a small gasp leaves her mouth. "I…can hear it", she spoke. Xion then faces him, gently cupped the back of his head, and pressed his cheek against her chest.
He turns bright red, never being THIS close to her but he could hear the steady beat of a heart. "Can you hear mine?", Xion asked, sounding rather scared. "Y-Yeah…", Roxas assures, "C-Could you let go of me now?". Xion does so, unaware of his awkward predicament she had put him in. When he laid his head on the pillow, he watches Xion's curious eyes wander and wonder about her discovery of heartbeats. "Is that…weird?", she asked, "Hearing a heartbeat from someone else and mine?". Roxas shrugged in response, unsure how to respond to this.
Xion lets a little shy noise from her throat and shyly turned pink, maybe thinking it was dumber than she thought. Sensing this sudden self-consciousness, Roxas holds her closer to him and gently lowered her head to rest her ear against his heart. "It's real", he says, "Those beats are here to remind us we're not shadows of someone else, or Xemnas' minions or heart gatherers. He stroked her hair as Xion sighs in content, listening to the heartbeat as it lulls her into a gentle and peaceful slumber. "Roxas…you're warm…", she praised before she falls asleep.
Roxas smiled and holds her a little tighter before he falls asleep himself…
*Elsewhere*
Sitting down by Kairi's bed, hands clasped and head resting against them, trying not to break down. "I'm so sorry Axel…", Aerith apologized, kneeling before him, "We've tried every spell under the sun, but nothing is working". Axel shook his head as his throat tightens up and his eyes got watery, his breath hitched. "Aerith…come on", he begged, "There has to be something, anything!". Aerith shook her head and explains as she had to Riku, that nothing was working and whatever strain the use of light Kairi had used had taken far more toll on her than anyone had expected.
"W-What about another princess of light? Can't we just bring her to them?", he suggested with pleading in his tone. Aerith pulls a chair before him and says: "It's not that simple, Axel. If they were the originals who have more knowledge of the light perhaps they may know…but even then they have as much knowledge as we do…". Axel shakes and hisses in misery, wracking his mind to figure out who else could help her. But without Lunafreya or Aqua, and with Sora being gone to find the lost hearts, they had no one else who could help the princess.
"Axel, please", Aerith pleads to help him get to his feet, "Why don't you go and clear your mind? We can't do anything for her for now…but perhaps once Sora brings back Luna or when Aqua recovers, we might have an idea to help her". Axel turns to the sleeping girl, whose skin was paler than before and even her breathing was so slow and shallow. He is guided out of the room with Aerith trying to comfort him with promises to not give up on the girl but even as determined as she sounds Axel couldn't help but feel this unshakable weight of doubt within his heart.
Leaving the room, he walks down the hallway with the most defeated look on his face while running a hand through his spiky red hair. But then he stopped in his march, as a sudden realization hits him. Xehanort needed the princesses of light as a backup plan in case Sora didn't find the other guardians of light, they even figured out who would be the next ones before they could. And if he was right, bar his heartless, nobody and his youthful form, there was someone else who had to know about them…
And if he's right…he should have come back now…
Axel makes a walk to the loading bay…
*Bay*
"You sure about this?", Prompto asks as he gets the systems started, "I mean…I'm no expert but can you say you are too?". "Yeah…it did take half a year for us to become humans again, but he didn't lose his heart again, he just took Xehanort's darkness", Axel explained. Using a small ship that was mostly a transport vessel as opposed to one for exploring worlds or combat, even smaller than the ship Sora used on his third journey. It was one of the oldest models the old man from Traverse Town, a "Shiva".
With Prompto as the navigator, Donald as the pilot, and Goofy maintaining the rest, Axel didn't like the idea of taking all of them but if they were going with this idea of his, crazy as it was, he was going to need all the help he can get. "Hope Roxas and Xion won't get upset", Goofy says, "You sure they'll be okay without you?". Axel waved his worries off with a cheerful gesture, saying: "No worries, I've asked Yuffie to keep them busy with ice cream and play games with them".
"You're putting Yuffie in charge of Xion and Roxas?" Donald asked flabbergasted, "That's like putting Prompto in charge of sugared-up kids!". Prompto pouts but doesn't argue with him. He was right.
"…I also asked Aerith to watch them", Axel assured. A collective sigh is made by the three. Soon enough, they launched into the stars after Cindy opened the bay doors, blasting off into the stars…
With luck, they may find a way to awaken Kairi. A/N:
Done…phew…
Sora's getting closer to rescuing Naminé, but Kairi's coma is starting to weigh on the team, can they wake her up or will she still sleep?
QUESTIONS!:
Q1: Thoughts on this one?
Q2: How was Sora's side?
Q3: Naminé's side with Kairi and Aqua?
Q4: Roxas and Xion's moments? Do you ship them?
Q5: What do you wanna see next?
Q6: Curious to see what Axel's plan is?
Q7: Yuffie "babysitting" Xion and Roxas?
Q8: Want Sora to have a fight scene at some point?
There won't be a chapter next week, due to work obligations, sorry! Thanks for reading everyone! Stay awesome but more importantly stay safe!
