(NOTE: That's right, ya'll. The second chapter is finally here! Hope you enjoy!)
A Friendship In Calamity
1 WEEK LATER...
[Open to Newtopia's fountain town square]
After Andrias's defeat, the castle that floated in the sky settled back into the ground. After that, Yunan and Lady Olivia, along with Marcy, assembled the citizens of Newtopia and revealed the true nature of their brought-down monarch, much to everyone's surprise. After that, Yunan ordered the newt soldiers to escort Andrias to the lowest and deepest dungeon, where he was completely bound and stripped of all and any means of fighting back. While Newtopia, and by extension, all of Amphibia, are safe from Andrias's plans, Amphibia is without a monarch for the first time in its history. A new monarch will be needed, so...
Sora: Say what?!
[Play Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep -Innocent Times- Extended]
Sora and the others became highly perplexed, while Yunan just acted casually.
Yunan: Since you defeated Andrias, you've earned the right to be our new King. What do you say?
Sora: I'd say "No way"! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm flattered. But I already have enough responsibility as a Hero. It doesn't need any more work than that. You're the general here, can't you do it?
Yunan: I fit in more right on the battlefield.
Sora: So do I.
Yunan: Oh well, we'll figure it out later.
The others sighed before Anne, with Sprig on her shoulder, walked up to Sora.
Anne: Sora, right?
Sora: *nods* Yup. Anne, right?
Anne: Yup. I just wanna thank you again for not only beating Andrias and saving us but also for saving Sprig.
Sprig: Yeah! You're the best!
Polly: Seriously! Thanks!
Hop Pop: We don't know what we would've done without him.
Sora nodded.
Sora: No problem. Happy to have helped. And I'm really glad everyone else is ok too.
Anne and the others put up a small smile as they thought that Sora sure was a nice guy.
Lady Olivia: Truly, it was a harrowing experience to see someone so young have been given such a cruel fate along with this whole ordeal in general.
Sora: I can only imagine; you all must've fought so hard against Andrias and his robots.
Polly: Especially Anne!
Anne: Huh?
Sasha: Remember? When did you glow all blue and go total ham on Andrias? That was nuts. You gave him a really mean right hook, too.
Anne: ...Huh...
[End Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep -Innocent Times- Extended]
Anne suddenly had a flashback of said events.
[Play Kairi III]
Anne: Oh, yeah. That was when... *turns to Sprig* When Andrias dropped you from the window.
Both humans and frogs stared at one another.
Anne: Dude...I was so...broken. I thought I lost you for good.
Sprig: Yeah...I thought I was a real goner.
Everyone else took a somber expression.
Sprig: But then... *turns to Sora* You showed up!
Everyone else turns to Sora.
Sprig: You swooped in with your spaceship and caught me just in the nick of time.
Sora: I'm glad I saw you just in time. Though I gotta admit, I was freaked when I saw you plummeting from the sky.
Sprig: Then you opened a light portal, and we went through it—
Sora: Then we flew all over the throne room, and I gave Andrias that beat down he so deserved.
Sprig: Yeah!
The two high-fived as the others let out a content chuckle or two as they saw the sight of the human boy and frog.
[End Kairi III]
Suddenly, the sound of a rumbling stomach was heard. That...came from Anne, much to her embarrassment.
Sora: Was...that...
Anne: Um, yeah. I just realized that I haven't eaten anything since this craziness began.
Suddenly, more rumbling stomachs were heard. That came from...everyone else.
Sasha: Ugh. Same here.
Marcy: Ditto.
Everyone else expressed their agreement.
Sora: Now that you mentioned it, I'm feeling hungry myself. Hey, how about we head to my ship? I've got plenty of grub for all of us.
Everyone else: Grub?!
Sora became confused by the human girl's reactions.
Sora: Huh?
Anne: When you say "grub"? You mean ACTUAL human food, right?
Sora: Yeah, why?
Anne: *wide-eyed* I have eaten nothing but bugs my whole time here.
Marcy: I got used to it.
Sora became shocked.
Sora: Bugs?! Why would you—
Anne: Dude. This is a world of talking frogs, toads, newts, and insects. What did you expect?!
Sora: Well, not to diss the locals here, but that won't do at all. I've got plenty of human food. So, no worries.
Anne, Sasha, and Marcy started to tear up in absolute joy.
Anne: You really *sniff* are a hero.
Sasha/Marcy: We owe your lives!
Sora's sweat dropped at their reaction, but he chuckled in contentment.
The human girls and the Amphibia natives were in awe of Sora's Gummiship.
Sasha: Huh... I can tell it's a sweet ride for something that looks like a literal toy.
Sora: That it is. This can survive tons of damage in space. Laser, asteroids, giant robots, aliens, you name it.
Marcy whistles.
Sora: Now, then. Give me a few minutes, and I'll have the food ready.
[Play Kingdom Hearts Ⅲ OST - Le Grand Bistrot]
A few minutes pass by, and Sora comes out of the ship with a cart with a giant pot on it and 2 stacks of empty bowls next to it.
Sora: Today's special...ramen noodles with pork slices and hard-boiled eggs.
Anne squealed in excitement as she rushed towards the bowl and stood in front of the pot.
Sora: I take it I made a personal favorite of yours?
Anne giddily nods.
Sora: Well, I hope you really enjoy this.
Sora grabbed a ladle and served Anne a large helping. Anne leaned into her bowl, took a big whiff, and let out a satisfied sigh.
Anne: I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this.
Everyone else sweat dropped as those closest to Anne had never seen her like this before.
Sora: You're welcome.
Anne took her first taste of the ramen and squealed.
Anne: Delicious!
Sasha: Dang! Is it really THAT good?
Sora served Sasha a bowl.
Sora: Try for yourself.
Sasha tried a bite and squealed in excitement as well.
Sasha: DAAAAAANNG! This IS good!
Marcy: Ooh! Ooh! Lemme try!
Marcy, joined by the rest, each grabbed a bowl and was served. They each ate and expressed the same reaction.
Marcy: Holy moly! I've had good ramen before, but this is beyond!
Grime: I've never had anything like this.
Yunan: I agree!
Olivia: Delectable!
Hop Pop: *slurped in ramen* Hey! These worms are pretty good! And they're not even fighting back!
Sprig: Pretty good? They're delicious!
Polly: Polly likey!
Anne: Guys. They're not worms. They're noodles! An Asian food's heart and soul!
Sora: Glad you guys like 'em.
Sora was enjoying himself a ramen bowl as Anne approached him.
Anne: So, where'd you learn how to cook like this?
Sora: I worked at a bistro for a time. During that, the head chef taught me everything I knew.
Sasha: *thinking* Handsome, confident, strong, magical, AND a great cook?! Gotta make him mine!
Marcy noticed the look Sasha had on her face and squinted in suspicion.
Marcy: *thinking* Girl, what are you thinking?
After everyone finished eating, Sora washed the supplies back into the ship. Anne and the Plantars wanted to help, but Sora politely refused. After that was done, everyone met up again to relax and digest their meals.
[End Kingdom Hearts Ⅲ OST - Le Grand Bistrot]
Anne: Oh, man. That. Was. Good. I missed human food so much.
Sasha: Agreed.
Marcy: Ditto.
Sora: *chuckles* Really glad you all enjoyed it.
Anne: Oh, hey. Sora.
Sora: Yeah?
Anne: About those questions we have for you...
Sora: Oh yeah. What would you like to know?
Anne: Well, first of all—
Marcy: How do you use magic and that magic sword?!
Sprig: What exactly type of hero are you?
Polly: Again, why is your hair so spikey?!
Lady Olivia: How long have you been here in our world?
Sasha: *winks* Again, you looking for a girl?
Anne: Guys!
Sora chuckles as he collects his thoughts.
Sora: To answer Polly's, fairies cut my hair.
Polly: Woooaaah.
Sora: To answer Olivia's, the day we took down Andrias was the same day I came here.
Lady Olivia: I see.
Sora: Aaaand, Sasha...
Sasha wore a flirty smile.
Sasha: Yeeesss?
Anne, Marcy, and Grime facepalmed.
Anne: Aw, geez.
Sora: I'm flattered...but I already have a girlfriend.
[RECORD SCRATCH]
Sasha: Wha?
Everyone else winced.
Anne/Marcy: Oooooooh.
Sora: I'm sorry. I'm sure you're a nice girl, so no doubt you'll meet someone.
Anne had an unnoticeable reaction to hearing that from Sora.
Sasha: Aw, bummer.
Sora: As for Anne...
Anne: I pretty much like to know your whole story.
Sora: Sure. But I'm really curious about you three first.
Anne: Huh?
Sora: Yeah, you, Sasha, and Marcy. What's your story? Like, how'd you end up in Amphibia in the first place? And what's happened since then?
[Play Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories OST - Scent of Silence]
The human girls went wide-eyed to that question. It slipped their minds about their adventures and everything that's happened since then. Marcy looked down and adverted her gaze while Anne and Sasha took a scornful expression at her, them briefly towards each other before adverting each other's gazes. Sora clearly noticed this and began to get nervous.
Sora: Umm... I'm guessing it wasn't some...kind of...grand beginning of sorts...
Anne: That's ONE way of putting it.
Sasha: Yup.
Marcy: ...
Sora could clearly tell something really big bothered each of them and that they were all connected in it. As much as he wanted to help, he felt that prying further may not be the safest course of action. So, he decided to drop it.
Sora: Uh...listen, if it's too much, you don't have to tell me. I've got my ship here. We can just—
Marcy: It was my fault!
Everyone turned to Marcy.
Marcy: I'm the one...who brought us here.
Anne and Sasha shot a small look of surprise at Marcy. They didn't think she would just reveal that. The others who were there when Andrias revealed it the first time remained silent.
Sora: ...What? How?
Marcy remained silent for a bit until Yunan spoke up.
Yunan: I believe it was with this.
Yunan stepped forward to show off the Calamity Box.
The box is quite small and can fit atop one's hand. It is ornamented with gold and 3 gemstones (blue, pink, and green). The box depicts a frog in the tropical woods, praising the gems behind an engraved sun design. It also has a small key on its right side as a possible accessory.
Sora: Some sort of small treasure chest?
Yunan: Not quite. It is known as the Calamity Box. When it was under Andrias's possession, he revealed it to have the power to traverse through other worlds. This box was used to power up and weaponize the castle.
That's when Sasha jumped in.
Sasha: Wait! Why should I tell him anything?!
Marcy: Sasha?
Sasha: This is OUR problem. We can't involve him in this! Besides, he said he's a hero, right? For all we know, he could try to arrest us all the minute we let our guard down for stuff we didn't do!
Sora deadpans as the others did the same thing.
Sora: Uhhhh...I think you've got the wrong idea about me.
Sasha: Do I? You may have saved Sprig and taken down Andrias, but that's your job. You may have fed us, which was very nice, but you might have an ulterior motive yourself. Everyone here besides Grime and me trusted Andrias, and it backfired on them big time. So, how can we trust you?
Sora was taken aback by this, while Anne and the Plantars were initially annoyed at Sasha based on her hypocritical past. However, she did make a good point in this case. Sora may seem nice and has done heroic deeds, but that doesn't mean he isn't potentially hiding something.
Sora: Um, hello?
They all turn to him.
Sora: I can kinda get what you're feeling, Sasha. I've been tricked by villains before. And I know this is strange to the rest of you that I just showed out of the blue. But I'd like to assure you that you can trust me. I swear I'd never want to hurt you. Any of you.
The others were taken aback by Sora's words. They already assumed Sora was being sincere. On the other hand, Sasha was conflicted; on the one hand, she felt Sora was sincere. On the other hand, she still has her guard up, not really wanting to take chances.
Sora: In fact, I know the perfect way for me to prove it to you.
Sasha: Oh yeah? How?
Sora: You, Anne, Marcy, and I will have to link our hearts.
The human girls blankly stared at Sora.
Anne/Sasha: ...Wha?
Sora: Oh, uh, what I mean is I have the power to—
Marcy: He means that by linking our hearts together, we can see the absolute truth from him. His memories, his feelings, the whole Sora! Right?!
It was Sora's turn to stare blankly.
Sora: That's...right. How'd you figure that out so quickly?
Marcy: Oh! I've seen powers like that before on this RPG game I used to play back home. It made for the most emotional moments for me. Seeing the characters learn everything about each other. After all, minds can lie, but hearts can't.
Sora: Huh. I like that. And that's exactly right. By linking our hearts, you'll learn everything there is to know about me. No tricks, no lies.
Anne: Wait. If we do this, you'll learn everything there is to know about the three of us as well.
Sora: Pretty much. This way, we'll all be honest with each other.
Anne and Sasha were even more hesitant now than ever as they weren't too keen on having someone they had just met know everything about them. And, of course, Anne was really annoyed at Sasha since she was the one who brought this whole thing up in the first place. Sasha felt the same towards herself, seeing as she didn't think this through and pretty much had no reason to back out at this point. At least, not without the possible risk of turning Sora against them since he is part of a peace-keeping order.
Sasha: If we do this...
Sora: Hm?
Sasha: You won't, like, spill our secrets, like, to your order, right?
Sora: *casual smile* That depends...are you a wannabe conqueror like Andrias?
Sasha had a flashback of her failed attempt to take over Andrias's castle and started to sweat nervously.
Sasha: ...Ummm...
Anne leaned over with a smug look on her face.
Anne: Yes, Sasha. Answer the question. Are you ALSO a wannabe conqueror like Andrias?
Sasha frowned at Anne.
Sasha: *thinking* Shut. It. Boonchuy.
Having enough of this, Sasha gave Sora her answer.
Sasha: Alright, I'm in. If you're willing to share everything about yourself, you might as well know everything about us. Even stevens.
Anne: Same here.
Marcy: I'm game!
Sora: Great.
"Hey, wait!"
They all turned to see Sprig.
Sprig: What about us?
Sora: Oh...um...I can't actually link all of you guys at once. Plus, I'm concerned with their story since they're not from Amphibia.
Sprig: Oh.
Sprig was clearly disappointed about being left out of this. But Hop Pop consoled him.
Hop Pop: Now, Sprig. We've got to let them do this. Besides, it's not like they're just going to up and leave without saying a word.
Anne: Of course! After everything we've been through, there's no way I'm just gonna ditch you guys like that.
Sasha: Same here with Grime. I ain't no deserter.
Marcy: We'll tell you everything that went on.
Sprig, Grime, Yunan, and Olivia smiled at that.
Sprig: Ok. We'll leave you guys be for now. Might as well check out the city again.
As they left, the girls turned to Sora.
Sora: You girls wanna head inside the ship?
Girls: Uh, yeah!
[Play Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories OST - Scent of Silence]
[Cut to inside the Gummiship]
Before they got started, Sora gave a quick tour of the inside. They first landed inside the cockpit, where three large gray seats were seen, one in front and two in the back. The cockpit's main color scheme is mostly blue and green with yellow lights. Anne and Sasha whistled as Marcy's eyes sparkled. Next, Sora pointed to the bathroom, which was a lot bigger than the girls initially thought. Standard white tile flooring and walling, you have your toilet, showers, and a complete laundry area. Next was the galley, or kitchen, if you will. You have your standard oven, microwave, pantry, sink, one large horizontal table, and refrigerator. Sora felt thirsty and went towards the fridge for a drink. Naturally, he offered drinks to the girls of their choice, much to their delight. The girls went starry-eyed as they saw a variety of drinks to choose from. They saw water, juice, soda, and...
Anne: Uhh... Why is there wine?
The three look back at Sora with squinted eyes, though Sasha is smirking.
Sora: Oh, right. I have a friend who has a rich uncle who rode with us. And he *clears throat* *Scottish accent* has a peculiar taste for nothing but the finest wine!
The girls turned back to grab some soda. Though Sasha tried to sneak the wine bottle until Anne slapped her hand away.
Anne: No.
Sasha: Ugh.
After grabbing their drinks, they made their way to the cabin, where bunk beds with large windows can be seen on each side. Each girl lay on one of the beds and found it very comfortable.
Marcy: Oooh, this is even comfier than the beds in my castle room.
Sasha: I could get used to this.
Anne: I miss sleeping in beds so much. Hey, Sora. Can we lie down for a bit before we continue?
Sora: I'm glad you three are enjoying yourselves, but we have important stuff to complete.
Sasha: Sure. We can just do it while we're comfy.
Marcy: How DO we link our hearts anyway?
Sora: Well...we have to sit in a circle and hold hands to—
The three girls widen their eyes in surprise.
Anne: Say what?
Marcy: *flustered* Hold hands? I've never done that with a boy before.
Sasha: *laughs* Then this is a grand opportunity for you. *to Sora* As for you, how scandalous~. What would your girlfriend say?~
Sora: Hey, hey, hey. This is strictly business, not pleasure.
Sasha: Oooh.~ Then, let this "business meeting" begin.
Anne: *facepalms* Can we get this over with?
Sora and the girls are now sitting in a circle formation. Anne to Sora's left, Sasha in front of him, and Marcy to his right.
Sora: Again, we join hands, we close our eyes, and we focus on our hearts, and we'll link.
Girls: ...Right.
At first, the three were hesitant about doing this, mainly with each other. But they mainly did it for the sake of finding out more about Sora. But, deep down, they knew they needed this talk. So, they all closed their eyes and relaxed. As this happens, everything fades to black.
[Play Kingdom Hearts 3 - Dive Into The Heart -Destati- Third Inception - Extended]
[Cut to a black void of sorts]
In a realm of nothing but the sheer color of black, four specks of light-colored white, blue, pink, and green appear at once and shape themselves into silhouettes. The silhouettes reveal Sora, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. Four bright lights appear as soon as they appear, blinding them for a bit. Then, as the blinding subsided, they became in awe of the sight below them.
Anne: Woah.
Sasha: "Woah" is right.
Marcy: This is...incredible...
Sora: Quite a sight, huh?
They see their Dive to the Hearts. For Anne, the giant circular glass mural is light blue and contains an image of herself reclining to the right side edge while being placed next to six connected circles. The circles on the edge contain images of frog heads, and the wide image at the bottom shows the Plantar home in Westwood. Within the six circles, Anne could see Sprig in the center, Hop Pop at the top, Polly at the top left, a man at the bottom left, a woman at the very bottom, Sasha at the bottom right, and finally Marcy at the top right.
Sasha: *to Anne* Oh, hey. I see your parents there.
Anne: Mom...dad... Wait. How are these pictures here?
Sora: That is your heart, Anne. The six circles represent those that are truly closest to you.
Sasha and Marcy then notice themselves in her heart.
Marcy: Aww, I see us there too.
Sasha: Naturally.
Anne: Ugh. Now, let's see Sasha's heart.
Sasha: Wha?
For Sasha, the giant circular glass mural is pink colored, and it contains an image of herself reclining to the left side edge while being placed next to six connected circles. The circles on the edge contain images of toad heads, and the wide image at the bottom shows the Toad Tower. Within the six circles, Sasha could see Grime in the center, Anne at the top, and Marcy at the top right.
Marcy: There we are!
Anne: *sarcastic* Aww, so you DO love us.
Sasha blushed with a slight frown.
Sasha: Shut it.
Marcy: Ooh! Let's see mine!
For Marcy's, the giant circular glass mural is green colored, and it contains an image of herself flying with her arms out at the bottom edge under the six connected circles. The circles on the edge contain images of newt heads, and the wide image at the bottom shows Newtopia. Within the six circles, Sasha could be seen at the top, Yunan at the bottom left, Lady Olivia at the bottom right, and finally Anne in the center.
Marcy: Oh, cool. Yunan, Olivia, and you girls are there.
Sasha noticed one interesting thing about each of their hearts. The center of each one depicts Sprig, Grime, and Anne. She then got curious and decided to pose the question to Sora.
Sasha: Hey, Sora.
Sora: Yeah?
Sasha: Does...the center circle mean anything special by chance?
Marcy went wide-eyed.
Sora: Oh, yeah. The center circle represents the one who you see the closest to you.
Sasha looks at Marcy's circle for a bit before looking at her's.
Sasha: ...Huh. Grimesy...
Anne: *seeing Sprig* *to herself* Heh, Spranne against the world.
Marcy stayed silent. Last but not least, they all saw Sora's heart.
For Sora, the giant circular glass mural is blue and contains an image of himself reclining to the right side edge while being placed next to six connected circles. The circles on the edge contain images of crowns, and the wide image at the bottom shows an island. Within the six circles, the girls could see a duck at the top, a dog at the top left, a boy with silver hair at the bottom left, and a girl with red hair in the center.
Sora: Let me introduce you. The duck is Donald, the dog is Goofy, the guy there is Riku, and the girl is Kairi. They're the best of friends I could ever have.
Sasha: Hold on, that Kairi girl...is she—
Sora: Yeah. My girlfriend.
The girls went to get a closer look to see her.
Sasha: *nods* Mmhm mmhm. I can see why. She is pretty.
Marcy: I bet she's really nice.
Anne: Care to share?
Sora: *chuckles sheepishly* To make a long story short, she was the new girl in our home.
Sasha softly widens her eyes.
Sora: We met when we were little kids.
Marcy did the same.
Sora: And we grew up together.
Anne also did the same.
Sora: Since then, she and I have stayed close, eventually hitting it off.
The three girls looked at one another and then at Kairi again. She and Sora's past reminded the trio of themselves as their pasts are similar.
Sora: Ok. Now, it's time for me to share everything there is to know about me. Fair warning: I know you girls have experienced a lot in this world, but my experiences may be a little more than what you're used to.
Anne: No worries. We're ready.
Marcy: Hit us.
Sasha: After everything we've seen, nothing will surprise us.
[End Kingdom Hearts 3 - Dive Into The Heart -Destati- Third Inception - Extended]
[Play Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep OST - Dearly Beloved]
Sora: Ok. My story began...one year ago.
With a hand wave motion, Sora's eyes glowed white as he instilled all of his memories into the girls' minds. This ability was given to him courtesy of a friend named Namine, who has the power of memories. The girls couldn't believe what they were seeing. First, the girls see many worlds full of life, some human and some fantastical.
They saw that Sora had been through many adventures and made plenty of friends. At first, it seemed amazing, but then it turned to dread. The dread began when monsters of darkness called the Heartless invaded Sora's home world, Destiny Islands. From there, he, Donald, and Goofy endured many battles against villains native to the visited worlds, against Maleficent, Ansem Riku, Ansem himself, Xemnas, Organization XIII, and Xehanort. They also saw Sora giving everything he had to win a war that should have doomed them all and risked sacrificing everything he had to save everyone. Finally, they see Sora traveling to another new world where he makes new friends and fights new enemies. All of this is to ultimately save Kairi.
"Kairi! Remember what you said! I'm always with you, too! I'll come back to you! I promise!"
"I know you will!"
"W-we're back."
"You're home."
"KAIRI!"
"Why her?!"
"Why?!"
"I've finally found you! I'm so sorry for not being able to save you from Xehanort in time! I'm so sorry for not finding you sooner! I'm so sorry!"
"It's... ok. You...kept...your...promise. You...never...forgot...about...me. I...knew...you...would...find...me...again."
"I love you, Sora."
"I love you too, Kairi."
And so, it was done. The girls now know everything there is to know about Sora. Sora then heard sniffling as he turned to see the girls starting to cry, surprising him.
Sora: Girls?
Marcy: *tearful* You went through so much pain, and you're still so pure!
Anne: *sniffles* You still show love to your friends. Most people would just go totally edgy and coldhearted!
Sasha: *tearful* How is it that after literally everything you've gone through, you're still so nice?!
Sora: ...My friends.
Girls: What?
Sora: My friends. Every adventure I've been on, the battles I faced, the fun and sorrows I felt...all of those things have one thing in common. I had friends with me by my side. And in all those moments, our hearts connected and always will be.
Sora looks at Anne.
Sora: Whether it was our friends betraying us.
Anne widened her eyes as Sora turned to Sasha.
Sora: Whether it was walking down a dark path.
Sasha widened her eyes as Sora turned to Marcy.
Sora: Or Whether it's being afraid of being separated from our friends.
Marcy was the last to widen their eyes.
Sora: Regardless of what could happen, That's what keeps me going. That's why I wield my Keyblade. That's what gives me strength. My friends are my power. As long as I keep my friends in my heart, I will always have the strength to keep going to the very end. To fight or to protect.
The girls were at a loss for words. They had no response to what they had just heard. They just couldn't believe it. They all wondered, "How does one kid have so much love in his heart?" Not once...in their entire lives...have they ever met anyone like Sora. Based on the memories they saw of him, a boy whose heart was so full of love and compassion, hope that he was willing to reach for his friends who lost their way and sacrifice himself to save everyone he cares about, especially Kairi. This was all the proof; therefore, there was no doubt they could trust Sora.
[End Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep OST - Dearly Beloved]
After calming down a bit, Sasha spoke up.
Sasha: I just realized something.
Anne/Marcy: ?
Sasha: When we saw your memories, you saw ours too, right?
Sora: ...Yes. I didn't want to pressure you into sharing yet, so...
Sasha: Naw, it's cool. We've seen everything we needed from you. You are the nicest guy ever. Honestly, it's cool with me. My bad for being cold to ya. I've just been weary of new people since Andrias.
Anne had a shocked look on her face.
Anne: *thinking* Did she just genuinely apologize?! *looks at Sora* *thinking* Is his heart contagious or something?!
Sora: It's cool, I get it.
Sasha looks back at Anne and Marcy.
Sasha: I think it's time we talk. Right?
Marcy: Yeah.
Anne: ...Yeah.
Sasha turns back to Sora.
Sasha: We're ready.
Sora: Ok. Let's start from the beginning. Marcy, you mentioned finding the box.
[Play Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX -Missing You- Extended]
Marcy: Yeah. It all began 5 months ago. ...On Anne's birthday, actually...
Marcy told the story from her perspective. As she did this, the others also saw her memories of the events. On Anne's birthday, Marcy was in school the whole day until she went to the library to read up on PSAT preparations. During this time, she received a message from Sasha to meet up with her until a librarian dropped a book that contained a page detailing the Calamity Box and the fact it has the power to travel to different worlds. Sora made a mental note to look for that book when they visit the girls' worlds, as something like that should not be in the hands of ordinary folks. Back to Marcy's story, she received a message from her dad to meet up with him for a talk. At that point, Marcy tried to stop herself from tearing up as the talk revealed to be bad news. Marcy's family was planning to move away from her home due to her dad getting a new job. Sora naturally sympathized with Marcy. He too would hate the idea of being forced to being away from his friends. Anne and Marcy already heard this story, and were initially upset at her because all the ordeal there fallen upon them were in turn caused by her. But after hearing it again and seeing her emotions pour out, they couldn't help but sympathize as well. Like Sora, they would've hated being forced away from friends, especially since they'd known her for so long.
Marcy: *tearing up* I didn't think the box would actually work. I never meant to—I never wanted to hurt Anne and Sasha. I was just...so scared of moving away. The thought of losing you was just...so big. I was afraid we wouldn't be friends if we weren't together anymore. I took you girls away and ruined our friendship...and I'm sorry.
Both Anne and Sasha stayed silent briefly, thinking and processing Marcy's words before Anne spoke up.
Anne: Marcy, you didn't ruin our friendship. What you did was wrong, but I know you didn't do it out of malice. Had I learned about your move much earlier, I definitely would've been just as upset as you were. ...And...I don't wanna lose you either.
Sasha: ...Same here. I wouldn't want you to leave. Heck, you know me, I would've come up with crazy ideas to convince your folks to let you stay here.
Anne: Even so, we know it's hard, Marcy. But no matter how much we fight it or deny it. Things change. We can't stop it. But nothing, not distance or time, can break our bond. Because NOTHING can take away the memories of the times we spent together.
The three softly smile at one another.
Sasha: If anything, I guess this shows just how you love us.
Marcy: I do.
Anne: We love you too.
Sasha: This doesn't mean we forgive you yet...but...
Anne: We'll work through this together.
Marcy looked at both of them before lowering her head with her eyes closed and then looking up at them again.
Marcy: ...That's fair. I swear, I'll do everything I can to make this right.
Both Anne and Sasha nodded as the three girls held hands. Sora watches on, noticing something interesting from them. He can see the darkness radiating in their core. And as soon as their talk ended, their darkness dwindled but still lingered. Sora knows that the three have unaddressed issues for quite a while and need to be mended. Although the first step is completed, the next part may be the hardest, as this next part hits really close to home for Sora, specifically with him and Riku.
[End Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX -Missing You- Extended]
Sora: Ok... I believe it's Anne's and Sasha's turn.
The three girls turned to Sora, and the atmosphere had already become heavier. Both Anne and Sasha know full well what their history is with each other.
Sora: I don't think I need to remind you two of what you both went through when you crossed paths in Amphibia... But there's a lot to express here. So...who wants to go first?
Anne and Sasha glanced at one another, then frowned as they avoided each other's gaze, staying silent. This went on for a bit until Anne spoke up.
[Play Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories OST - Castle Oblivion]
Anne: I felt frustrated...
Sora/Marcy: ?
Sasha: Fru—
Anne: *Sasha* I felt frustrated whenever you talked over me and took charge unnecessarily.
Sasha stayed silent, continuing to listen.
Anne: It's been like that when we were growing up. Whenever Marcy or I wanted to do something, YOU always blew our suggestions off and made us follow your lead. Like that time in Wartood for that festival with our band idea!
Sasha: Hey, I wouldn't say I do that all that time.
Anne: Oh, Really?!
Sasha, Sora, and Marcy widened their eyes. Marcy even made her way to Sora, sheepishly signaling to him that she wanted to be next to him to avoid potential crossfire. To which Sora agreed.
Anne: Let me list off a few things: Making me cut school, making me tag the wall, making me bail on my parents when they wanted to throw me a party, and making me shoplift the music box.
Sasha: ok, I—
Anne began to get angrier, which Sora noticed with slight fear.
Anne: And let's not forget your violent and sociopathic atrocities. Like what happened at Toad Tower, you tried to get Hop Pop killed, you tried to hurt Sprig when he stood up for me. Oh! And how about when we were at Andrias's castle?!
Sasha backed away slightly in fear. As this was happening, Sora saw it. Darkness was starting to radiate even more from around her.
Sora: Anne—
Sasha: Anne! Please—
[End Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories OST - Castle Oblivion]
[Play Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories OST - Face It!]
Anne: No! I'm not done! You tricked us again when you and Grime tried to take over Newtopia and tried to send me back home!
Darkness began to emit all over Anne, which everyone could see.
Anne: And you didn't even care what would've happened to me or anyone else as long as you got your way!
Sora ran up to Anne and Sasha.
Sora: Anne, please calm down! The darkness is taking control of your heart!
Anne: I...don't...CARE!
The aura of darkness burst from Anne, blowing Sora and Sasha away and landing near Marcy.
Marcy: Sasha! Sora!
The two grunted as they got back up and then became shocked to see what was before them. Anne has entered a completely darkened state. Her eyes were bright yellow, her hair became pure white, and her pigment became much darker. As for her clothes, her shirt collar and skirt became black instead of purple. She looked up at the three, mostly Sasha.
Anne: Forget this! Time for a little payback!
Sasha: Uhhh...Sora?! A little help here? I don't wanna die today!
Sora: No one's dying!
Sora floated in mid-air, barely above the ground, criss-crossed his arms above his head, and pulled them down, spreading his arms and legs parallelly and letting out a battle cry while unleashing a burst of silver magical energy. After which, Sora slowly lands on his feet, firmly planted as he stands tall, with determination showing in his eyes. Sasha and Marcy were taken aback and in awe by this sudden transformation.
One thing everyone noticed was that Sora's attire had changed colors. His attire now consisted of a black v-neck t-shirt with white hemming and long black baggy shorts with now red pockets held on by yellow straps instead of the previous gray and red. His longer black hooded jacket with red hemming gray pockets became black while the white hemming remained, and the red flannel flaps that are held down by a series of yellow buttons also became black. His shoes are still primarily black and yellow, but the ankle and tongue of the shoe that is folded down have turned yellow instead of black. It still has the single black strap on each, however. His gray fingerless gloves that come to a v on his hands and are just short of his elbow are still the same. But this time, the gloves now have yellow hemming instead of red. The yellow strap around the wrist is still the same, but the silver circle plate on the back of the hands is now gold.
Sora then focuses on Anne.
Sora: Anne...
Anne remained silent.
Sora: Please...don't do this. I get how you feel. You saw my memories, too. You know what my friend, Riku, did to me as well. And he and I worked it out. We can do the same here. Please.
Anne remained silent again as she entered in her Muy Thai stance. Sora then looked back at Sasha and Marcy.
Sora: The darkness has taken her over. She's not listening to reason.
Marcy: Well, what do we do.
Sora: I'm sorry...but...I have no choice but to fight her.
Marcy/Sasha: What?!
Sasha: Dude! You can't be serious! You don't have to do this either! Can't you, like, I don't know, use light magic to get her to calm down or something?!
Sora: Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of power. This is the only option.
Both girls dropped their jaws.
Sora: Don't worry. I promise I won't hurt her too badly. Just enough to tire her out. Hopefully, it'll be quick enough to calm her down.
Both girls became distraught by this notion. But they were even more distraught by the sight of Anne's darkened state. They both know that this is not who their friend really is. They don't want this to happen. But at this point, they both know that Sora's idea is the only solution.
Marcy: Please...
Sasha: Don't hurt her...too much...
Sora: Don't worry. I promise. You two might wanna stay back.
Sora then looks back at Anne and enters his Kung Fu stance. Both Sora and Anne stared down at one another before Sora spoke up.
Sora: Anne...?
Anne: ...
Sora: If you can hear me in there...
Both clenched their fists.
Sora: I'm sorry.
Both humans rushed toward each other at high speeds, readied their fists, and, with great might, clashed, emitting blinding streaks of light and darkness that engulfed everyone.
[End Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories OST - Face It!]
To Be Continued...