Okay, next up. Got another one for Sora! Inspired by one of the neighbor kids I babysit, recently introduced to Kingdom Hearts. After mentioning that, for all Sora is very capable, he's still kind of an idiot, we came upon the scene with Robe Guy. Her reaction? "Do I tell my friends?" "Well, no." "Man, I am an idiot!"
Yes, this kid is awesome.
Stranger Danger
Kairi studied her progress on her charm, checking that the holes in the shells still lined up the way she'd hoped they would. So far so good. She started working a piece of twine into the holes. Just one shell left...
Sora ran up a minute later. "Hey, Kairi!" he called.
She grinned. "Find everything?" she asked.
"What?" He blinked, looking confused, then shook his head. "Oh, not yet, but listen! There was this weird guy in the secret place! I think he might have been from another world!"
Kairi playfully arched an eyebrow. "You didn't fall asleep and have another dream, did you?"
"No!" Sora said defensively, face very much a pout. "He was really there!"
"Who was?" Riku asked, coming up behind the other boy.
"Riku!" Sora spun around, grinning. "I saw somebody from another world!"
"Really." Riku glanced at Kairi, who shrugged. "How do you know he's from another world?"
"Uh, well..." Sora seemed to deflate. "I didn't recognize him from the main island, and it's not like anyone lives out here. And he was talking about this world being connected..."
The playfulness suddenly vanished from Riku's face. "And something about darkness?"
"Yeah!" Sora agreed, energy returning. "You saw him, too?"
Riku slowly shook his head. "No, but... I heard something like that in a dream. Was there more?"
"Yep!" Sora was practically beaming, happy Riku believed him. "He said a bunch of stuff, then there was this weird noise from behind that door, and he was gone!"
"The door..." Riku repeated, thinking something over.
Kairi frowned, running her thumb along a shell of her charm. "So what does it mean?" she asked, trying to keep the nervousness from her voice.
"It means we might not need a raft to get to another world," Riku said, smiling. "If we can find him..."
"He can take us!" Sora finished, pumping a fist in the air.
Kairi bit her lip. She didn't want to ruin her friends' clear excitement, but... "I don't know about this."
"Aw, c'mon, Kairi!" Sora gave her a reassuring smile. "Didn't you say you wanted to visit your old home?"
"Yeah, but..." What was this feeling? Like something cold wrapping tight around her heart... Fear. That's what it was. She was afraid to leave. She looked down, unable to keep the slight tremble from her voice. "...We can still come back here, right?"
"Yeah, of course!" Sora said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
The funny thing was, it worked. Seeing how easily her friend believed that made her believe it, too. "That's good," she said softly.
"So what are we waiting for?" Riku asked. "Let's go." He turned with a smile, lifting a hand for them to follow.
Kairi caught Sora's hand before he got too far ahead. "Sora, don't ever change." She smiled at his confused look, but rather than explain what she meant, let some of her old mischief come back to her face.
"Riku!" she called, making the older boy turn back. "We're going to the secret place, right? Race you!"
"Nobody's here," Riku said. The cave was only so large, after all. It was pretty clear from the get-go it was empty. Outside, the sun was setting, making the already dim light even fainter. The others had already gone home, leaving the three of them alone on the island.
"He was really here, though!" Sora walked in ahead, looking around. "I was over here..." he stopped near that strange door, turning to point towards the roots on the other side. "And he showed up over there. And I swear there was nobody here before that."
Riku frowned. "Well, maybe there's a clue around here. Let's take a look."
Sora nodded eagerly, but Kairi leaned against a wall, pulling out her unfinished charm. "You two go ahead. I want to make sure I finish this before we leave."
Riku looked over, curious. "Thalassa shells?"
Kairi nodded. "For a safe journey."
Sora blinked, catching sight of it. "Is that a paopu fruit?" he asked, a faint blush spreading on his face for some reason.
Riku shot the other boy a mischievous grin, and Kairi rolled her eyes, deciding she didn't want to know. "Yeah. It's supposed to symbolize an unbreakable connection, right?" She focused on her work, not looking up as her voice softened. "I don't want to lose anyone ever again. Not my parents, not my friends, and definitely not you two."
"Kairi..." The boys exchanged a look, and Sora took a step towards her. "Do you want to stay?"
Kairi sucked in a breath, not sure how to respond. "I want..." She shook her head, twisting the twine into the last knot she needed. "I want to be with you two. I was a little afraid at first..." She looked up, smiling at Sora. "But now I'm ready. No matter where we go, as long as we're together..."
"Well, no worries there," Riku laughed. "It's not like I'd leave you guys. You slackers would be lost without me."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora said, playfully upset as he aimed a lazy swipe at Riku. Kairi laughed, running a thumb along the now-completed charm.
The moment was interrupted by a deep voice behind them, from the entrance of the cave. "So, we meet again, Princess."
Sora and Riku whirled towards the voice. "Princess?" Sora repeated, glancing towards her. But Kairi was frozen, eyes wide. That voice, she knew that voice...
She'd never forgotten. Not really. But the memories hurt too much, so she just... hadn't remembered. But now, turning slowly to the hunched form in a brown robe, she did. She remembered home, the flower garden, her grandma and the stories she'd tell. She remembered a tall man with silver hair and bright orange eyes, and the deep, terrible darkness...
Trembling, she started backing away. She wanted to say something, to tell him to leave her alone, to not make her go away again, but she couldn't. Her throat was too tight, and only a low whimper managed to get out.
Instantly, Sora and Riku were standing protectively in front of her. But the man in the robe ignored them, hooded face locked on her. "And just as I'd hoped, you led me straight to the one with the Key..."
"Hey!" Sora said, pulling out his wooden sword. "Quit freaking people out like that!" He looked over his shoulder at her, concern filling blue eyes. "Kairi, you okay?"
Kairi finally stopped backing up, but only because she'd reached the far wall. She pressed against the door, shaking her head.
Riku glanced at her as well, scowling fiercely as he turned back to the man, his own wooden sword in hand. "Listen, whoever you are, if you hurt my friend..."
The man actually laughed. Kairi shuddered. "I only guided her to her proper place." He lifted an arm, hand hidden in the large sleeve. "Like is drawn to like. I knew once she was released from the prison of her world, the untarnished light in her heart would bring her to another, one meant to protect her." The arm lowered, and Kairi could almost feel the smile in the man's words. "Now this world has been connected. And so light will fall once again into darkness."
"I'm not going to let that happen," Riku snarled.
The man chuckled again. "You wished to leave this tiny world, did you not? You are the one that opened the door."
"Stop." Kairi's voice was weak and she didn't understand what was going on, but she knew she couldn't let the man keep talking. She felt that if she did, she might lose Riku forever. And that was something she wasn't going to let happen.
"The darkness heard your wish," the man said, ignoring her. "And now –"
"Stop!" Kairi yelled, hand tight around her charm. "I – I won't let you –" She felt something stir in her heart, and suddenly another memory drifted up, one that was warm and reassuring. Like that woman's smile. I just cast a magic spell on you...
Light flooded the cave. The man flinched back, one arm covering his face, and vanished. The light intensified, so bright it was blinding. When it faded, there was an ornate door blocking the exit. And Kairi knew that it wasn't an obstacle but a safeguard. It was meant to protect. And, somehow, it had come from her.
She collapsed to her knees, drained. Sora was beside her instantly, and while Riku kept giving her concerned looks, he was also keeping on eye on the new door. Sora was asking her something, but she couldn't think. She needed to let them know she was alright, and tell them something important, but she was so tired...
Outside, full night had set, leaving only the ambiance of what little moonlight came through the cave's ceiling and the faint glow from the door to let them see. For what could have been a few seconds or several minutes, she just sat there, breathing slowly as she tried to get her head on straight again.
"Take it easy, Kairi," Sora said, rubbing small circles on her back. When had he started doing that? It felt nice. She shook her head, trying again to focus, with limited success. "Riku, do you have any idea what's going on?" he asked, turning to the other boy.
"The door... it's open." Kairi looked up and saw Riku staring behind her. Slowly, she turned, and saw the wooden door had cracked open. "Is that what he meant...? The way to the outside world?"
"That's not important right now!" Sora said. "We gotta help Kairi!"
Riku started, shaking himself out of whatever thought had distracted him. "You're right." He eyed the wooden door, then the ornate one at the other end of the cave. "So what do we do?"
"We have to close the door," Kairi finally managed, staggering to her feet.
Sora glanced at her, and she could see the fear and worry in his eyes that was only just starting to edge into his voice. "What if we can't?"
"I don't know." Her head was starting to clear, but it still felt like someone had wrapped her brain in a thick layer of cotton. And thrown it into a fog bank for good measure. "But we can't let them get through."
"Okay." Riku walked over, placing his hands on the door and pushing. It didn't move. Frowning, he braced his feet against the floor, throwing all his weight against it. Still it didn't budge, even when Sora went over to help. "Why isn't it moving!?"
Kairi felt a chill run up her spine. Looking at the door blocking the exit, she saw jet-black claws scratching between the cracks, slowly pulling it open. "Sora! Riku!"
Riku swore when he looked back. "Sora, you keep trying to shut the door!" Taking a deep breath, the older boy set himself in front of them, wooden sword held tightly. "Don't worry, Kairi," he said softly. To anyone else, it would have sounded like his normal confidence. But she knew him better. She could see the tremble in his free hand. "No matter what, I'll protect you."
"Riku." He glanced back, not willing to turn away from the opening barrier. "We wanted to leave, too," she said. She held her charm against her chest, touching it to her pendant. "It's not your fault."
Before he could answer, the door against the exit was torn open, shattering to pieces. Blackness filled the short tunnel, bright yellow eyes flickering within. Bits of darkness pulled away from the mass, taking on an almost human form with twitching claws and antennae. She heard Sora suck in a breath.
Riku launched himself at the shadow monsters, but they pressed to the ground, flattening out to avoid the attacks. And when he finally did hit one, the wood passed through it harmlessly. But for whatever reason, the shadows didn't come too far into the cave. Many, in fact, were standing back, staring with unblinking yellow eyes at... at the other door.
Riku growled in frustration as another hit did nothing to the creatures. "How am I supposed to protect my friends with this thing?" he muttered.
"Kairi, look out!" Sora suddenly shoved her out of the way, swinging his wooden sword at the shadow that had snuck past Riku. It did nothing, and this time, rather than retreat, the creature crouched down and launched itself at Sora.
"Sora!" They both yelled at the same time, but Kairi wasn't sure if it was her or Riku that started to glow first. Light filled the cave again. A flash burst from Kairi, expanding like a wave, and shoved the shadow away from Sora just before its claws sank into the boy's chest. And Riku...
Riku's sword was gone. In its place was something extraordinary. A bronze blade, shaped like a dragon's wing, but with a second, smaller wing growing from one of the spines near the end. It was a strange thought, but Kairi would say it almost looked like a key. The hilt was the green of oxidized copper, handle wrapped with dark cord, and a small charm dangling from a chain on the end.
As the light from his hand faded, Riku stared at the weapon, eyes wide but somehow far-away. "Strength," he said quietly, "to protect what matters." He looked at her and Sora, then the shadows at the exit. They had all crouched down, antennae twitching wildly as claws scraped against the ground. Riku's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. Three of the shadows pounced, and he swung. And, miraculously, the shadows burst into dark mist, fading away as if they'd never been there.
The victory was short-lived, however. All three of them jerked around when they heard wood slam against stone. The wooden door had opened all the way, revealing only darkness within.
Kairi felt something beyond the door. "Get back!" she screamed, reaching for Sora and Riku. A gust of wind rushed from the opening, sending them flying. She felt claws reaching for her, scratching at her arms, her legs, trying to grab her, but the wind was too strong. They were tossed out of the tunnel onto the sand, and for the first time, Kairi saw what was becoming of their home.
There was almost nothing left. The ocean churned far below them, dark waves rushing to fill the voids left by the chunks of land rising into the sky, to a large orb of black and red that made Kairi's heart freeze. Sora and Riku were already on their feet, and she numbly went along as they helped pull her up, each keeping one hand on her shoulders to help her stay steady in the strong wind.
Before them rose a giant shadow, a gigantic hole shaped like a heart in the center of its chest. Baleful yellow eyes glared down at them from behind a tangle of dark cords, almost like hair. "No way..." Sora breathed.
"Sora, keep an eye on Kairi," Riku said, once more putting himself between the threat and his friends.
"Riku..." The older boy shot them a brief smile. Sora's hand tightened on her shoulder. "...Be careful."
Riku nodded, then charged the giant as Sora dragged her behind a pile of broken wood. Despite how effective his new weapon had been on the smaller shadows, this one didn't seem to notice the attacks, even when it reached into the ground and Riku was hitting it square in the face.
Still, he kept at it, avoiding the energy attacks and slow punches that even Kairi could see coming a mile away. He'd gotten distracted once by it calling a group of the smaller shadows, but a few moments had been all Riku had needed to get rid of them.
Throughout the fight, Sora kept twitching, taking half-steps towards them and stopping with a look at Kairi. She wished she wasn't so drained from whatever she'd done in the secret place to call that door; she wanted to help Riku, too. It seemed he'd finally had enough when a wide swipe of the giant's claws was just a little too fast for Riku to dodge. The silver-haired boy was knocked back with a spin, shaking his head as he regained his balance. The giant had already pulled back a massive fist, however, and wasn't waiting for Riku to recover.
So Sora jumped in and pushed Riku out of the way.
Sora's wooden sword splintered and broke in half when he tried to block the attack. Kairi screamed as she saw him flung back, rolling dangerously close to the edge of their small chunk of land. A large pool of darkness spread from where the fist hit the ground, and more of the small shadows crawled out, going after Riku and preventing him from reaching Sora. The giant paused, as if thinking, turning its head from Riku to Sora. Clawed fingers stretched towards the younger boy.
Kairi ran for her friend. There had to be something she could do –!
Too late. Sora had barely gotten back on his feet when the hand closed around him. She saw his eyes go wide with terror as he realized what was happening. "Kai–!"
"No!" Riku yelled, ignoring the smaller monsters and charging towards the fist. But the giant was lifting it up, out of reach, and he wouldn't reach it in time. Neither would she.
Light flared. The giant flinched, arm jerking back as if burned, and Sora dropped to the ground, landing in a heap. Kairi was at his side in an instant, and Riku took a defensive stance in front of them, batting back one of the small shadows.
In Sora's hand was another strange weapon, this one much more obviously a key. A gold hilt and silver blade, with teeth shaped like an outline of the crown necklace Sora always wore, faint glow fading as the boy climbed to his feet. He stared at the weapon, looking even more confused than Riku had, then suddenly looked to the side, as if he'd heard something. "Key...blade?" he said softly.
Kairi wanted so badly to just grab hold of him and not let go, but she turned back to face the giant instead. It wasn't attacking anymore, kneeling as it cradled its hand against its hollow chest. The wind that had been going strong this entire time suddenly intensified, and the giant actually floated off the ground, into the dark orb in the sky that she realized was much, much closer than it had been before.
Sora noticed, too, and grabbed her hand in his free one, pulling her to their friend. "Riku!" he called. The older boy turned around, free hand in front of his face to block the sand being kicked up into the air. Seeing them coming, he reached out. Sora's weapon disappeared in another flash of light as he stretched his own hand towards Riku.
The wind gusted harder, lifting them all off the ground. For one horrifying moment, Kairi thought Sora wouldn't reach Riku, that they'd be separated for good. But the boys, thank goodness, had all those reflexes from the countless spars she'd never make fun of again. As soon as his feet left the ground and he started flying away from them, Riku swung his strange new weapon towards them, and in an instant, Sora's was back in his hand, the teeth of the two hooking together. Sora yanked Riku towards them, and Kairi latched onto the older boy's arm, one hand still gripping tight enough to Sora's to hurt. The linked weapons vanished as the two boys grabbed each other's arms.
And holding onto each other for dear life, all three of them were drawn into the darkness. Kairi didn't know what would happen to them, but strangely enough, she wasn't afraid. As long as they were together...
Yeah, I did that. Why do both Sora and Riku have Keyblades? Short answers are "head-canon" and "blame Ven." Riku's Keyblade was a tough nut to crack, as I figure Keyblades are reflective of the heart wielding them on at least some level. Which means he wouldn't have the Kingdom Key, as that one shares the crown imagery with Sora. I ended up envisioning it as basically a blend between Road to Dawn (which he hasn't gone through the character development to have yet, but wings = freedom, which is one of Riku's driving motivations at this point) and Terra's Earthshaker (which I figure is Riku's ideal – he sees in Terra everything he wants to be). No idea what the keychain would look like, though... Might still be the heart, because symbolism...
And yes, I'm still working on suggestions. I promise! They're being... less than cooperative. Time to get the stick...