Kay was a little nervous as she waited for Sora's mom to return from the kitchen. She could only lay on what was probably the softest couch possible next to her beloved prince of light. The first thing Kay smelt when she entered the seaside home, was the smell of cinnamon and honey quickly came to mind. She wasn't sure what to expect from this meeting, Sora's mom was not just a princess of heart, but one of the thirteen, and a goddess in her own right. Kay could feel her beloved hand gently grab her, as Sora slowly walked Kay over to the kitchen giving her enough time to get a feel for the house, and what it meant to the pink-haired family.
The goddess of light and balance was surprised at the sight of the rustic living room, all of the cute little plants, pictures, and drawings of faraway memories. Kay felt like she was looking through different points in time. As they gently walked to the kitchen, more photos and drawings became known to her, a sphere in the sky, a city that screamed warrior's pride, and a family consisting of a pink-haired woman, and her son, as well as a dark-skinned man with green hair, they were smiling and happy. The photos of a giant city felt magical, as Kay looked at how the family was happy with the city name written on the back of the photo, Midgar.
Looking at the two pink-haired family members, made Kay wonder what it would be like to be part of this family compared to her sisters. They seemed so happy, and full of love, Kay knew that it was because of that love that they fought against fate to keep that connection going. It was so different seeing a normal, yet abnormal family compared to her sisters. How they were all different yet, she wondered if they truly were as connected as she had thought. Kay wished that this day wasn't just a long conversation about the fate of this universe, her sisters, and the insane lives of the numerous Sora's that graced the multiverse, but rather just a day that felt normal. A soft hand to hold, a beautiful sunset, and a happy day feeling like a real family. Kay's thoughts were quickly broken, as Sora headed into the kitchen, hugging his mother, Kay could only smile at the sight of that hug. It was as wonderful to see in person as she thought, not hiding in the distance or viewing from some magic artifact, but something more special.
"Sora, it's a good thing you came home early, breakfast is almost ready! We're having Cinnamon rolls, with honey, and mint tea!" Lightning said looking over at her son, letting out a smile, knowing that this was probably gonna be one of the hardest tasks she ever had in her life. So she did the only thing she could to make her son and what was probably his future girlfriend feel more comfortable as they learned of this new insanity to enter their lives. After all, time travel is one thing if Sora had forgotten to get Serah a present, or the universe dying again, due to higher beings acting like cruel dicks to her family. But it was the fact that time travel, and one of the fabled thirteen goddesses of light, balance, and the multiverse was in her house meant that the future was taking a different turn.
"Mom, is the tea almost ready, this is gonna be a long conversation, and I was hoping that Kay wasn't gonna get too scared by you," Sora whispered as Claire smiled gently, rubbing her Son's pink hair, revealing the tiniest hints of dark green that made Claire feel remained of her husband, the way that he worried about her, and how others would view her more serious nature on the surface.
"It'll be ready in a minute, I'm just waiting for the rolls to cool down, and I wanted to get a better look at your new girlfriend!" Lightning whispered, showing her son a cheeky smile, as she watched his face grow red at the mention of the great Kingdom Hearts being his girlfriend, she looked over to see Kay's face turning red, as she tried hiding her face in her dress, and cape.
"Mom, she's not my girlfriend yet! We only have thirteen days to save the universe before even the chance of her being my girlfriend can happen." Sora yelled, as his face transformed into a tomato, watching the grin on his mom's face grow even more at the fact that Sora confirmed it. Sure the fact that the universe was gonna die again was a pain, but now she had a reason to know more about this issue.
"Ok, then you and Kay go sit on the couch while I bring the snacks, we've got a lot to talk about. Oh, and Kay, if you return after thirteen days, just know that I will use every fiber of my being to drag all of your sisters to the wedding." Lightning said, feeling more excited by the minute, this felt like the time she and Rand, faced that one winged angel just so Sora could see how they still had it. Oh, how fun it was watching that chicken die and be nothing more than a memory. But now things were looking a lot better than being a stay-at-home mom, who happened to be a god that helped redo the universe.
—--
Sora and Kay sat on the couch quietly, as the sound of cups, plates, and laughter could be heard. Sora just looked at Kay, as her face still looked like it was still pretty red. But now they knew that they had feelings for each other and that Mom was gonna plan something crazy even though they hadn't even had a first date unless a boat ride talking about the multiverse counts. Heck, they hadn't even had real conversations like where to live, or when would their daughter Laputa be brought into the world. It all seemed so crazy, but Sora honestly hoped that this crazy romance would be possible after the thirteen days were over. Kay just smiled at the thought of being appreciated, and quickly involved in the Farron family, she had thought her sixth sister would continue to joke about it forever. Kay watched Lightning make her way out of the kitchen, the soothing smell of the tea helped calm her down, only for Kay to notice Sora shaking.
"Ok, Sora, let's start from the beginning of your journey since I'm guessing something happened to me, and the others! What happened to you after you arrived on the play island?" Lightning said, placing a cup of tea into Kay and Sora's hands watching her son's hands tremble at the mention of the islands. Claire knew that her son never felt fear, not unless it was something truly bad, he wasn't scared when the universe was ending, or when he watched her fight Xehanort, so something, no someone made him afraid.
"They returned to Mom, he returned to the island, and started destroying everyone! I watched everything burn to the ground, as the heartless arrived to claim what was left of the living." Sora whispered to his mother as the cup of tea in his hands fell onto the floor.
"You don't mean Xehanort, Sephiroth, and that mad Doctor!" Claire let out, feeling her fist tighten at the thought of those monsters returning after all this time. It had been years since the death of Aerith, years since Rand sacrificed himself to defeat Xehanort, and only a month since that Doctor threatened her son. Claire stood up hugging her son, she knew that destiny was cruel but to think that all of their worst nightmares after moving to the paradise of Destiny Island would follow them and torment her son. It made the pink-haired woman pissed and ready to return those monsters to the depths of whatever hole they crawled out of.
"Mom, I thought I saw her again, I saw Aerith when Sephiroth returned, she saved me, I was so scared that I left Donald, and Goofy to face that man, and as I ran with Aerith far away, I didn't stop until I was eaten by a giant whale. The pain didn't stop, I could still see his face when even the Doctor was fighting a monster that looked like something out of a horror movie." Sora said as his voice cracked, the last remnants of the kind-hearted teen were gone, all that was left at that moment was the aftermath of a journey of pain and misery. Sora had hoped to be strong enough putting on a smile, letting people know that he was fine but in reality, nothing was fine.
"I guess now this journey is gonna be twice as hard as the first, Sora, can you look at me!" Kay said, placing her hands on Sora's cheeks letting the teen feel a sense of warmth, as he was surrounded by the people who cared about him.
"I promise, while I live and breathe, I will do everything in my power to keep you happy, you will only have to suffer as much as the world gives you. I made sure that our journey was as simple and doable as possible. So no fake smiles, no tears, you have me, your mom, and soon others by your side, so don't cry or feel fear my dearly beloved. Be strong and I shall guide you, always beside you!" Kay said engulfing her prince deeper into a group hug Sora let out a few tears, as a small smile formed.
"I'll try!" Sora whispered as the pair held onto Sora, they would let go of him until the conversation was over, and Sora knew that they still had a lot to talk about. The only thing Sora could see was his mom and Kay's eyes. It was like he was experiencing an untold level of happiness, the beauty of Kay's eyes only helped to make the painful memories of the past feel like memories at least for a moment. Plus seeing his mother's eyes always made Sora feel like everything was ok, that the adventures, the people they met, everything was still ok even though they were on the ultimate time limit again.
"Kay, who are the people we need to defeat Ansem? I wanna make sure that we can do this, so please tell me, so that my son won't have to suffer alone." Lightning said, wondering just how badly that Angel, and madman hurt her boy to the point of him being a broken mess. It wasn't right, Sora's life was supposed to be filled with happiness and a sense of peace after the death of Rand, the collapse of Raident Garden, and Midgar.
"Well for starters, my sisters have been forming a team from across the multiverse. I decided to do something similar, you see Ms. Farron this universe has been trying or been forced to end itself a few times. Your battles against Sephiroth and both cases of the thirteen-day time limit made us wonder if it was possible to replicate, and try and save as many universes as possible. My sisters felt the need to use versions of your son, and any possible child to save people, but I decided to try something different. The friends, and people around Sora matter just as much as any daughter or form of Sora. So I picked people who could help Sora grow strong enough to stop Ansem, and truly make a difference in their own lives. You know being more than a small part of something bigger!" Kay declared, smiling at the upcoming adventure and hope for the universe, she knew this could work, all that was needed was people and for her beloved to be happy.
"I guess that makes sense, so who did you have in mind." Claire said, letting go of her son and the goddess to take a sip of tea, wondering if her sister, Snow, and the others were involved or even their friends from Midgar.
"First, I have you guys, Sora is obviously the main piece of the team, and your mom is strong, and could definitely help make the journey easier, as well as keep the team in check. The third and fourth in the group are Ms. Yuffie, and a man named Ernest! Ms. Kisaragi was too good not to pass up, and Ernest will be of help in trying to get the others to join us more normally. Let's see numbers five and six were interesting, I think because they seem to be the most magical out of the group outside of us, and the Midgar support. Five is a Half-Genie named Shantae, and number six is a Lamia named Tuki. She's one heck of a merchant and should be able to supply us with things, plus how could we say no to a snake woman.
"Number seven, and eight are from a creepy village, Ethan Winters, and Donna Beneviento are gonna be interesting, Ethan goes above and beyond for family, so, of course, he'd save the universe, and Donna could be helpful in Hollow Bastion when we have to deal with Riku's attempt at stealing the keyblade from Sora again." Kay declared, smiling at the list of people so far, she only had twelve people planned so far, but the party was meant to make Sora's job easier, she didn't put too much thought into how everyone would work as a team, maybe she should have listened to Hateko more closely rather than getting lost in the idea of meeting Sora, and going on an adventure with him, and his mother.
"Does Ethan, Donna, or Ernest have any powers, I'd assume that the genie would have something, and the Lamia probably won't fight much, but what of the others they sound more normal than the likes of Yuffie, or even Sora?" Lightning let out, rubbing the back of her neck, as she tried wrapping her head around the bizarre list of people so far. The most she could come up with was her, Sora, Yuffie, and Shantae fighting, and Tuki giving them enough potions and supplies to go to war, but the biggest question was the others, they sounded like normal people that haven't experienced the universe ending stuff that her, Rand, and Sora had dealt with. Lightning hoped that Kay had a good reason behind picking them, or at the very least picked them because whatever skill they had would truly benefit her Son in defeating Ansem.
"Well Ethan had survived getting his limbs cut off, and fought a monster made of mold, and one of my sister's warriors, Liliana spoke highly of him, and Donna. Donna can make illusions, and mess with people's minds, so that could help in blending in, or at least stop Maleficent, or any possible issues that could happen. plus she does get gun training from what the other champions have mentioned to the versions of her that lived. Ernest is just a funny guy who gets tossed in crazy hijinks and comes out perfectly fine, plus we need someone to keep spirits high." Kay said, her grin growing even bigger nearly rivaling Sora's, she was feeling excited at the thought of everything to the point she started bouncing up and down in delight rocking Sora in her arms like she had won the jackpot.
"Kay, What do you mean, the versions that lived?" Sora whispered, making Kay stop for a second, as her smile quickly dimmed. She didn't like bringing this part up in conversations whenever she met a version of Sora, his kids, or his parents. It was a cruel reminder of fate, that the Dollmaker was destined to die in most universes beyond a select few.
"Donna's life isn't a happy one, honestly I didn't wanna bring this up because, in most cases, Donna dies, and is left to rot in her manor. I picked her so that she could live, and give another version of her some form of happiness like one who adopted Liliana with Ethan or became a cop to protect her son after the downfall of her village. Originally, Donna didn't have any reason to be a part of the group beyond my want for her happiness, but the more I thought about it, her powers were the one way to save you from stabbing yourself with the keyblade, as well as the Riku bit from a second ago." Kay let out, gripping hold of Sora tighter, she couldn't bear the idea of losing him, even if it made Roxas, Xion, and Namine possible. She needed him, someone else could make them, Sora was too important to her to see her suffer and temporarily die for five minutes to appease the laws of the universe.
"I understand, Kay! I'll make sure to get Donna for you, and make sure that I'll never perish on your watch, I promise, both you and Mom will never have to see me go through that again." Sora let out, gently rubbing the goddess's long blond hair, as his eyes got lost in the endless beauty of her dress. Sora knew that it would be a big deal if anyone else knew about his first death at the hand of the keyblade, so he had to make sure that a second time wasn't in the cards. He owed it to Kay, and his mother to be strong and keep them happy, no matter the cost.
"Okay, who are the other people? I think we should move on to a happier topic. Why don't we talk about your sisters and their significant others over dinner? I can't remember the last time I had dinner when the islands were engulfed in darkness. It's funny, the last time Sora ate anything was when his mom cooked a bowl of rice with grilled chicken. Sora didn't feel like eating until the Ooze in Monstro forced something down his throat, and even then, he spent most of twelve days resting in Yuffie's bed, barely hanging on to dear life under the weight of all the pain he endured with Donald and Goofy.
"Number nine, ten, eleven, and twelve are Aqua, 2B, Cloud, and Tifa! Cloud and Tifa had more muscle to help fight, same as 2B, and Aqua. The last time I was told Aqua was a princess of heart just like Lightning, so it is smart to keep them close so Maleficent does get them." Kay said, watching Lightning's eyes widen at the fact that Aqua was still alive after the battle in the keyblade graveyard. The pink-haired woman's mind started racing with more questions like how she survived, what she had been doing, and what happened to Ven.
"Sora, what did Aqua look like when you saw her in Hollow Bastion!" Lightning whispered, gently touching her son's shoulder, she had to know what happened, she promised that she would be there to protect them, to offer them a safe place to live after the death of Erquas. Lightning hoped that Aqua was ok, she was the only one who had the best chance at living through the final battle, due to Terra getting taken over, and Ven being in a coma right before the X-Blade had blown up.
"She was sleeping in a pod, so I don't know what she was like, but she was wearing a black outfit with a skirt, and I found a big sword that must have been her's in the castle library. So I'm guessing things didn't go the best for her. She had a black cloth over her eyes and looked like some kind of soldier rather than the mage she saw all those years ago.
"So She's alive at least, good maybe we'll be able to save her, and then understand more about what happened to Ven. Kay after Dinner we'll leave, my ship is on the other side of the play island, so where are we going first, it'll help us plan a better course of action." Lightning said, standing up, as she looked down at the goddess and Sora. tonight was gonna be a big night, and they'd need to be prepared, both physically, and mentally, and understand that after tonight time was the most important thing that they had.
"The first place we're going to is Byerville, home of Ernest, and the first of our twelve remaining days. Sora, I bet you'll like it, the town will be celebrating Halloween, so we'll get to have a little fun before the harder worlds happen." Kay said, holding her beloved's hand tightly, as she watched his smile grow at the thought of Halloween, and a more peaceful journey with his mother, and the most breathtaking person he had ever met.
"That sounds perfect, I'll look forward to it. what do you think Mom?" Sora let out, as his mother entered the kitchen, grabbing some pork, and breading. Claire turned to face her son, she gave him a big smile, letting Sora know that everything would be ok. This would be a new start, he wouldn't have to see that Angel till later, Mom wouldn't be taken by the heartless, and he had Kay next to him to give encouragement and fun stories until it was time to leave. Sora let out a small smile, today was gonna be a good day.