Sora looked onwards at the village, Donna and him had just left the lord's meeting, and had entered the town square. Sora noticed Donna was holding Angie tightly as they quietly moved through the village, this was probably the last time she would see the grim and gloomy town. Occasionally she would look back to see him, watching the blue-haired teen like a hawk. Sora knew she was nervous, but it felt like she was studying him for some reason. Sora didn't know why beyond her planning something for later, he would have to wait and see.
"Donna, what do you think will happen? Once this is over, I have been thinking! What will happen once I get a heart, I just don't know how taking your heart would make me feel more human. Like I know I'd feel sad, and angry, but I don't know if I'm ready to feel things for real again. What if things get worse once I am human again, or if I don't live long enough to give our lives meaning?" Sora asked the silent ruler, as Donna began wondering about part of Sora's words. Why did he have to use the word "Our"? It made her feel like she was still part of his life after her death, and that her life had meaning to him at this point in time.
Donna bit her lip, as she put this thought in the back of her mind, Sora was still too kind, and pure for this village, and the aftermath that would transpire. Sadly she'd have to hurt him to make him strong enough to survive the village. But deep down she wondered what would happen if things were different. Would she have gone with Sora to save his mom, or was a happy life even possible?
"I think you'll find out when you feel it! If you are scared of feeling things and are unsure of it all just remember that I will always be with you to make things feel better. After all, we'll never know if our new lives will have meaning if we can't experience it in a better light." Donna whispered, letting Angie out of her arms as they finally made it to where the Duke used to set up shop before he had to move on to gain new supplies.
—--
The giant crossroads where the Duke normally had his shop set up hit differently to Donna. Angie floated over where a large wagon and horse used to be, it truly felt like she was alone. Only Sora and Angie would care about her, and the pain she would endure till the keyblade claimed her heart. The Doll maker kinda wished the Duke was here, she would have liked one last conversation with the man, but she was still worried about Sora. Even if he had this magical key and Angie, he'd need more to survive, she only had her dead gardener's gun, and the only ammo was in the house.
"Donna, where do the other paths lead, and is something the matter?" Sora said, turning to see the Dollmaker looking out an outline where a shop must have been.
"This outline was once beloved to a friend of ours, We called him the Duke. Sadly he left this place a while ago, he said it was for supplies but we never saw him again. The path behind you goes to the ugly fish guy, named Moreau. The path behind the gates next to us is where me and Donna live. The last path is the altar that Miranda goes to, and I'm sure Donna will be ok. Things are just very emotional at the moment, knowing that you'll be dead soon, it's hard to deal with all at once." Angie piped up, floating over to Sora, as she lay on his shoulder, lightly gripping his spiky hair. Donna silently nodded, opening the gate to her land.
Sora looked at the silent forest in the distance, it seemed scary, and honesty fit him and Donna perfectly. They both didn't wanna open up to people and in the end, bad things happened when they did. Sora rubbed his prosthetic arm, knowing that when he opened up to Terra, he was so scared of losing his father that he didn't think of Xehanort taking his body to the garden. He thought some humanity was left in his father's dark heart, only for it to burn darker and take his mother from him. Sora could only assume that Donna must have dealt with something similar.
—--
Sora took a breath and walked through the overgrowth of dead vines, plants, and grass, he could feel the temperature drop as it felt like he was freezing, but not from the cold but from the only emotion he could truly replicate perfectly. Fear, Sora was feeling fear as he grabbed the spot on his chest where a heart should have been.
"Donna, I feel cold! What is going on?" Sora yelled as he looked at the dollmaker, she was surrounded by yellow flowers, they were growing from trees with hanging dolls, and from everywhere. Was this part of her power, and why did Sora's head feel like it was about to explode from all the memories starting to bubble inside of his brain?
"All will be revealed in a good time! This is the first part of my plan, Project Rebirth by Memories! I am using this time in my forest to affect your mind with my flowers. Just watch and listen to the sound of my voice, ok Sora." Donna said running deeper into the forest as Sora's head continued to pound as his vision blurred and felt distorted, Angie had disappeared from his shoulder, and everything felt like it hitting his brain with a sack of bricks.
Sora kept running after Donna, he didn't know what was happening with his head, but he needed to catch up to Donna, Angie must have been with her, and those flowers were everywhere, so his mind was racing like a speeding bullet. Sora didn't even notice that he had run over a dangerous bridge till he had crossed and looked back for a second, as he kept grabbing at his nonexistent heart. Sora saw a gate, quickly putting his hands on the gate, and opening it. However, once he saw the next area of Donna's domain, he felt speechless, as his head started to feel normal.
"Sora! This way, you're almost home sweetie!" Aqua called out, as Sora rubbed his eyes, the figure in front of him looked and sounded like his mom. Was this part of Donna's plan to make him see his mom again? Sora hoped this wasn't gonna end poorly, his mind couldn't take another hit from seeing his mom suffer, even if it was just an illusion.
"Mom! Donna, why are you using my mother to talk to me, answer me, Donna!" Sora screamed as he ran after the blue-haired figure, watching her get closer but always out of his grasp. The beautiful blue cloth blew in the end, as Sora kept extending his arms desperately wanting to grab the young-looking woman. He wanted to hold her, to feel the warmth of her heart, he didn't know what was real or not as his mind started to accept the fact that Donna was using his mom's form to get him emotional, Sora didn't know if it was a test, but he didn't care he wanted his mom again.
Sora saw Donna run into an Elevator, as the woman quickly turned, pointing to a hole for mail, she grinned, feeling even more like his mother. Sora quickly ran over to the mail, as the words give up your memories were written onto a sign next to the door. Sora immediately fished through his jacket pockets, and pulled out his wayfinder, sure he was rushing through things and not fully understanding the weight of what Donna was doing or why he was giving up something. But he had to catch up to Donna, he needed to get his mom back, his mind wouldn't let him rest, and seeing her form again made his desire to save her overtake the logical thought he had going for him.
—--
Sora rushed into the Elevator, pushing the button, and the old-looking cage rose, he was getting closer to Donna, he must have been close, although now that he slowed down enough to think where did she go? The cage hadn't moved when she entered and this thing was going pretty slow, so where was Donna? A second later the lights flickered for a moment as Sora said something being written on one of the walls of the Elevator.
"Almost there Sweetie, it's nearly time for tea, then the real fun begins!" Sora whispered to himself, as the teen gulped, he didn't know what would happen at tea time but it didn't sound good.
—--
A moment later the Elevator stopped and Sora bolted out of the cave-like exit, the cold air continuing to assault his body until he saw it, a dark and gloomy manor, behind it was a roaring waterfall that gave the place a sinister vibe. Sora slowly walked up to the doorstep of the manor, knocking on the door for a second, as Donna opened the door, mourning garb and all, she didn't look like his mom anymore, even though Sora hoped she would have stayed like his mom for a little longer.
—--
When Sora entered the inside of the manor, the first thing he felt was warmth, the air inside Donna's place was warm, it looked like a normal giant house, littered with more dolls than a normal person should be allowed to own, but she was a dollmaker so it made sense. Sora continued to look around, as Donna stood against a rocking chair, holding Angie.
Sora looked at Donna, next to her looked like tea, and an assortment of cookies, sandwiches, and other tiny treats. Sora quietly nodded, walking over to the woman, until he saw it, mentally kicking himself for not noticing the giant painting of Donna. Sora felt lost for a moment looking at the beautiful piece of art, Donna was smiling, holding Angie, her face wasn't covered up by her mourning veil, she had black hair that was kept behind her head, with little strains on the sides of her right ear.
"You look so happy in the painting, may I ask when was this?" Sora whispered to the lord, as she placed a hand on her chin for a moment.
"Roughly a few decades ago, I think? Honestly, I don't remember, it could have been ten years, maybe five. I've lost track of time to be honest, living in this village, living alone in this manor has made me feel lost in time. I do remember the maiden who painted this, also painted a piece for Alcina. But I imagine she's been long dead by now." Donna responded as she grabbed her mourning veil, moving it ever so slightly to where it was still on her face, but enough to where Sora could see all of her except her other eye.
Sora looked at Donna again, she looked like she did in the painting, only much sadder and pale, like she hadn't felt the sun in a long time, it pained Sora to see a person like this, knowing that they were suffering and couldn't mentally recover from the hardships and losses in their life. Donna was clearly depressed, most likely suicidal, and yet here she was ready to offer him tea and cookies before helping him be a human again. The moment Sora took a seat in one of Donna's chairs, he realized why Donna was helping him, and why she was ok with the idea of him killing her, and taking her heart. He would have become like her, he was already a shell of his former self, and broken, unable to naturally emote or feel for others when they were in a panic, so he faked everything to the point that Sora believed all of the lies he had told himself.
Sora quietly grabbed a tiny cookie out of the fancy metal tin, taking small bits of the sugary treat, just as he took a sip of the experiment tea with what looked like bits of Donna's flower inside. Sora wanted to say thank you to the Doll maker, as he felt himself get tired from what must have been the cold, and stress of everything mixing with Donna's tea.
"Good, it's working! Sora, I'll see you on the other side, when you get to the other side, I'll be waiting for you, my little Bambino." Donna said, removing her veil, the last thing Sora saw before his eyes closed was the cadou on the dollmaker's face.
"Donna!" Sora whispered to the dollmaker, grabbing her hand, as dolls started to swarm around Sora as his eyes closed, drifting off into a deep sleep. Donna and the dolls gently grabbed Sora, as she headed for the Elevator, she had to get to the basement. It was time to give Sora not just her heart, but her cadou and everything. Angie quickly pushed the button taking them down, as Donna looked at her beloved friend.
"Angie, when I'm gone please watch over Sora! Help him grow into a nice young man, and help him find Aqua, once you and Sora kill Mother Miranda, and the others!" Donna told her friend as the doll fell on top of Sora, lifelessly, as the group made it to the basement.
—--
Donna looked around the silent basement for a little bit, the memories of her parents showing her silent pictures, the countless books that littered the study, the memories of her sister and her playing hide and seek in the giant manor, momma making dinner right before her and papa jumped off the waterfall.
It had only taken a moment for Donna to make it to her workshop, watching the dolls place Sora on the giant work table in the center. Dolls flew all over the basement, grabbing countless amounts of medical items, scalpels, gauze, ribbons, even needles and black fabric.
"Now then, let's remake my Masterpiece, the perfect doll, Sora Beneveinto Kuzuna! Tomorrow you shall be reborn, and your new life shall begin once more." Donna whispered, as hot black tears rolled down her face, her lifetime of suffering was finally over, Donna looked up to see a woman. Her beautiful blue hair flowed like it was in the wind, her black shorts and corset, and the chest belts gave her a look that would be a treat to see in the flesh. A blade as
magical as it was breathtaking, oh how Donna would have loved to see Aqua again, the beautiful maiden that came to her home, the maiden who stole her heart, and gave her a reason to live. It was time for her to return the favor, she saved Aqua's, no their son. After all, it was a mother's job to give their child every chance to live a happy life.
"Aqua, I'm sorry! I couldn't save you, my beloved. But I will give our son everything to save you. Please live a little longer, I'll be waiting for you in the afterlife. I am so proud of how you raised our little boy, he looks so much like you, and it warms my heart to see the handsome young man that he has become." Donna said as the illusion of Aqua disappeared, as the dollmaker rubbed her son's cheek for a moment, she looked at the scalpel in the right hand. It was time that Xehanort and Miranda had to pay for destroying her family's lives, She promised to make Sora strong enough to face those tyrants, and now it was time to make things right.
So it's I've finally made it to chapter 3. Honestly, this was a hard one to think about. But I think I did ok, sure I could have slowed things down, but that's what the next chapter is for.
I hope everyone is ready for a mix of BBS and chain.
Also, enjoy the new twist in the fic :3