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Who: Riku (

dreamprotector) & OPEN
What: Riku wakes up after three days in stasis. Somehow the world seems different now.
When: 7/11-ish, before the next wave of awakenings
Where: Thesa station
Warning(s): KH-spoiler for 3D and 0.2, Kingdom Hurts is its own warning?

[ A – Destati ]

[Awaking is a sluggish process (or at least that's how it feels like), a feeling as though someone glued his eyes shut and put his body into ice water while he was sleeping or something. He recognizes the station as he stumbles through it, but it and the life he's lived here for months almost seem like a distant dream now.

(Dreams can be so very deceiving; Riku knows that for a fact.)

It must have been real though… and now he can't help but wonder how much time has passed since he fell asleep again, if Sora, Terra and Axel (Lea?) are still awake as well– and then stops when he passes by a monitor showing the frozen El Nysa, shivering involuntarily at the sight of Yversai's large undead form, then frowns.]

…Well, I guess it hasn't been that long if he's still around.

[…Unless the Natha somehow have taken months being unable to fix this. So yea, he really needs to track down a date. And/or people. Whichever comes first. If he only wasn't still feeling so damn shaky on his feet…]

[ B – Sweet Spirits ]

[After having assured himself that no more than a few days must have passed, Riku is making his way to the mess hall right after making a short stint to his room in the station – he doesn't have the suit case with the new set of cloths that Master Yen Sid had gifted him with anymore, hasn't even gotten to see them yet, but at least his younger self was smart enough to keep a set or two of wyver-styled threads around; it really is time for a change after all.

Dressed in comfortable black and red cloths, a little taller and without the blindfold he looks probably somewhat different to anyone who knows him – even his body language seems to have changed into something a bit more self-assured, tension drained away into what appears to be the casual arrogance of a teenager.

What really may or may not catch one's eye when he enters the mess is his companion(!?), the colorful bat flitting around the room before settling comfortable on Riku's shoulder after he gets his share of alien food. Riku really can't help but grin as he feeds small bits of blue potatoes and green jelly to the curious bat, laughing lightly as he pulls a face.]

Yea, I know. The food here doesn't quite satisfy your sweet tooth, huh? Well, it can't always be candy and ice cream, Highwind.

[The bat makes a low sound of regret, but then trills as Riku reaches up to rub his chin, eyes changing from yellow to blue. Then he pushes off of Riku's shoulder, fluttering away to see who else is in this strange new place! Maybe he can make a new friend!!! :D]

[ C – Hold Up Your Wildcard! ]

[ooc: Riku is around Thesa station and may or may not be visiting the Stasis Unit a lot more than usual, so come at me! Or maybe contact me on plurk (

iceyly) and we can work out something if my prompts above don't work for you! :3]

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[It's been a long three days.

Terra hadn't seen it coming. He'd gone to the stasis unit just to visit with his friends again. At the end of that visit, he'd decided he should go say 'hello' to Kairi, too. Maybe he'd even go check on that one stranger he'd noticed recently, if he had the time. But then he'd found Riku. Not stopping by and talking to Kairi or wandering the rows of Refugees, but trapped inside one of those pods of metal and glass, his eyes shut, his expression relaxed, almost peaceful.

Sleeping again.

There'd been a sharp, cold twinge in Terra's chest. For a while, he'd just stood there, feeling very numb.

Not him, had been all he could think. Not him.

And then later, as he'd been leaving the stasis unit: It should be me back in there. He has a lot more to offer this world. If he doesn't wake up again...

Sora had materialized at Terra's side some time after that and made himself a short, bright shadow. Terra hadn't minded his company one bit. It made sense that they should stick together, really. Maybe if they kept an eye on each other, neither one of them would follow Riku (and Axel? Terra thought he heard Sora say something about Axel...) into that strange slumber.

Two days and two nights, they'd hung out together, holding informal Keybearer sleepovers in Terra's room, talking about their worlds and friends and training and lack of training. And Riku. The possibility that he might just be sleeping for a couple days, that he might wake up remembering more of his life. After all, that does happen sometimes.

But by day three, doubt had started to creep back into Terra's heart. Those people who fell asleep and then regained some future part of themselves... They'd only slept for a day or two, right?

It's been a very long three days.

Terra's sleep is particularly fitful the third night. The nightmares only let up in the early morning hours and he ends up sleeping in late. When he finally wakes, he discovers Sora's missing from the bed over on the side wall. Panic starts to well inside him until he realizes the younger wielder's probably just off visiting Riku's pod again. Or rearranging the decorations around Kairi's.

(If they're going to be stuck up here much longer, they're going to have to get some paper and figure out origami flowers for Sora to decorate with.)

Hauling himself out of bed, Terra gets dressed and cleaned up enough to be presentable, and then he's off to catch up on his daily routine. He'll get a quick bite to eat and then head to the stasis unit. He might have to give Sora a little trouble for not waking him up earlier... or for not leaving a note or something. Maybe they'll go by the simulation rooms later, try another training session in the cold.

Still groggy and lost in his thoughts, Terra shuffles into the spacious mess hall and... promptly runs face-first into something fuzzy. Jerking backward, he finds he's staring at--]

A monster? [The Keyblade flashes into his hand as he jumps back and assumes his battle stance. Okay, now he's awake.] Here?

[He fixes the flying creature with a (admittedly slightly confused) glare. It's... so pink. And bright yellow. And really smiley? Maybe its appearance serves as some sort of ruse...? Well, Terra's not about to be caught off-guard here.]

I won't let you cause trouble! We've had enough of that already!

[Come save your batbat from being smashed into a fine pulp by a Keyblade, Riku.]

[Highwind keeps flapping his wings, smiling widely at the newcomer. Friend? Friend!! :DDD

The appearance of the Keyblade doesn't seem to bother him at all – he's helped Riku consume plenty of Nightmares after all – but why is his new Friend claiming that he's causing trouble? He is just introducing himself, he isn't causing any trouble at all; it's not like he's a trouble maker like Veles, the Majic Lapin! D:

Thankfully, Riku is picking up on the trouble quickly enough – how can he not with Terra basically radiating threat from the entrance into the mess hall – though, from one second to the next he kind of feels just a little self-conscious

(Facing Terra here is different from Sora or Axel-Lea, because of who Terra is to him and because of what he remembers now, the Keyblade that is now his, the things he has learned and the title he has earned himself.)

He ignores all those thoughts and the sudden awkwardness in favor for rescuing his bat partner.]

You don't have to worry about him causing trouble. Highwind is a well behaved Dream Eater.

[Hearing his name, the bat zips away and over to Riku, readily letting himself be petted. Pats are always welcomed!]

[Terra's so focused on the big, 'bad' bat, he doesn't notice someone stand up from a table and start to walk over. He's just wondering why the monster isn't attacking him, and if he should try to goad it into doing so to get a feel for whatever powers it might have, when a familiar voice interrupts his strategy pondering.

His head turns to follow the monster's hasty retreat to the source of that voice.

To Riku.

Terra slowly straightens up out of his fighting stance. And then he just stands there, staring. It takes him a moment to find his voice.]

You're awake...

[Sorry, Highwind, you've been temporarily forgotten about. :( Although, that may be a good thing, all things considered.]

[Riku briefly pulls his attention away from Terra, a faint smile on his lips as he combs his fingers through Highwind's fur, letting the komory bat settle on his shoulder.

Then he lets his hand drop away, resisting the urge to scratch at the back of his head. He is so not going to act awkward now, nope.]

Uh yea. I woke a couple of hours ago.

[Most of which had been taken up by Sora catching him up on the last three days, sort of. (Or more or less, Sora making sure that Riku wouldn't go back to sleep the second he turned his back anyway.)]

[Terra goes on staring at Riku, like he can't quite believe what he's seeing right now.]

Your blindfold's gone.

[His grip on his Keyblade starts to slip a little. Absently, he dismisses the weapon.]

Your eyes...

[They're not gold anymore. They're the same color they were the day they first met, back on that small, warm world that was Riku's home.]

[Sheesh Terra, if you keep staring right that Riku is going to start wondering if he has something on his face or so. Especially when he starts commenting on the sudden(?) lack of a blindfold and the color of his eyes… yea, his hand may or may not start twitching a little as he fights the urge to comb his bangs into his eyes to hide them at least a little. It wouldn't do any good anyway, at its current length.]

Uh, yea… I don't need it anymore. We found a way to- well… around that.

[Him being stuck as Terra's evil twin and such.

If a "way around" is exposing yourself to the focused Light of who-knows-how-many bottled-up hearts anyway... not that Riku really had expected the result he had gotten at the time, but well… Ansem the Wise did say that anything could happen.]

Around that.

[Terra echoes. A hint of a smile finally softens his stare. He moves forward a few steps, closing some of the distance between them.]

You're a little taller now, aren't you?

[He notices that and then he's looking Riku over, picking out all the other small differences. Riku's definitely older, isn't he? And not just by a month or two, either.]

And you got your hair cut.

[Looking an awful lot like a proper, respectable Keybearer there, successor.]

I guess?

[He's maybe six months older now than he was the last time Terra saw him, Riku thinks? The majority of his growth spurt between fifteen and now had hit him in his time working for DiZ, but he knows he's gotten a little taller since turning back to his true self during the first fight with the Organization XIII.

It hadn't really mattered to him then or now, not like it had when he was younger and body height was just another item of competition between Sora and him.

When Terra also comments his hair, he really can't resist the nervous impulse anymore, and just reaches up to tug a little at the strands of his bags, shrugging a little awkwardly.]

It was just time for a change.

[Honestly, what's with all this attention to detail, he doesn't look that differently.]

[No, no, Terra thinks he sees a lot of little differences. Little differences that just might mean something very big.

Well, enough beating around the bush about it:]

So, did you... catch up, then? To Sora's time?

[Catch up or maybe even overtake him on their World's weird timeline?

Are you what he thinks you might be, Riku?]

[Huh, so is this where this is going? Did Sora tell Terra, Riku wonders… he must have, if Terra is asking like this.]

I did… I might be further along now actually. We aren't sure.

[If he is from a little further, it's probably not that much – it's only been a few days since he last saw Sora in his memory.

Anyway, Riku is kind of getting tired of dancing around this, so he's just gonna ask straight out:]

…Sora told you, didn't he? About me getting the title of Master.

[Terra's quiet for a moment, letting that confirmation sink in, enjoying the warmth that spreads through his chest.

He eventually manages to nod a little.]

He did. [He couldn't be more proud.] Master Riku.

[With another, firmer nod, Terra lifts his right hand, presses it flat over his heart, and bends his upper body forward into a bow.]

[Riku's eyes widen a little when Terra bows to him, discomfort clear on his face even though he doesn't really know how to react to the gesture, not at first. Eventually he manages:]

Stop that, please. It's not a big deal.

[Certainly nothing worth bowing to him over, especially since he's almost certain that Terra still knows plenty more things about how to handle the Keyblade than Riku does. Highwind, sensing his partners faint anxiety makes a tiny noise before rubbing himself against Riku's cheek. The distraction helps, Riku reaching up to run his fingers through the Dream Eater's fur again.]

[Terra straightens back up at Master Riku's 'bidding'. But then, either completely oblivious to or choosing to ignore his successor's apparent discomfort with this Master business, Terra steps in closer.

Pardon him, Highwind, got a hand coming in for a hair ruffle here.]

It really is. A big deal. You didn't even have a Master to teach you... and look how far you've come.

[Riku is a little tense under Terra’s hand, caught between embarrassment and a frown as far as expressions go, but well… Terra may or may not be the only person in this world that he’ll tolerate getting hair ruffles from. He’s still gonna protest a little though:]

Well, technically we did get taught formally by Master Yen Sid, even if only on the last leg.

[And even if Master Yen Sid had delegated most of the actual teaching to the Dream Eaters. No need to mention that, is there?]

[Hair ruffle successfully given, Terra lets his hand fall away.]

Huh. Better late than never, I guess.

[Though he does have to wonder why Master Yen Sid didn't take a more active role earlier on in their journeying and learning to wield the Keyblade? Did he somehow just... not notice them? That hardly seems possible...]

All right, now, who... and what... is this, again?

[He looks back to Highwind at last. A brief reprieve from embarrassing praise for Riku.]

[Well, it's not really Master Yen Sid's fault… not given the things that had happened… and the state of the worlds during the first part of their adventures… and later… well, later at least Riku had been occupied with fixing the mistakes made during that first part of the journey.

There hadn't really been any time to be trained by him until that summon Mickey had sent them.

He turns his head then, smiling faintly as he regards Highwind on his shoulder, who trills and cuddles close, fur brushing against Riku's cheek.]

His name is Highwind; he's a Dream Eater from the Realm of Sleep.

[Terra eyes Highwind with a mix of curiosity and confusion.]

I've never heard of Dream Eaters before. [He shakes his head.] Or the 'Realm of Sleep'?

[Both sound like they might be important.]

[Riku turns back to Terra, shrugging while Highwind pushes off his shoulder again, then flutters over to the other. Friend? :D]

I think you wouldn't have… the way Master Yen Sid explained it, the Realm of Sleep exists as a result of us closing the Door to Darkness. While most Worlds were restored back into being then, some remained asleep in that realm. Waking them was the task for our Mark of Mastery Exam.

As for Dream Eaters… that's how the Darkness takes shape in that Realm… as a Nightmare that feeds of good dreams or as a Spirit that consumes bad dreams.

[Needless to say that Highwind is a Spirit, right? Right.]

[... Ah, here comes the bat back toward him. Terra reaches his hand up tentatively, seeing if he can maybe pet this 'Dream Eater' like Riku was doing.]

I see...

[So, the Realm of Sleep was a new realm that harbored sleeping worlds that had once fallen to darkness... And Sora and Riku were tasked with waking those worlds for their exam? Terra might not know much about waking up sleeping worlds, but it sounds like serious work. He doesn't get a chance to think about the subject much more than that, though, as Riku goes on to explain Dream Eaters and... Terra's suddenly yanking his hand back from Highwind a bit.]

This is darkness?

[This strange... and okay, kind of cute... bat monster is made up of darkness? Did he hear Riku right or is he understanding him right?]

Is this-- is he a Nightmare one or a Spirit one?

[No, Terra needs to be explicitly told what he was just about to give ear scritches to. And does it even matter if it's a Nightmare or a Spirit if it's a monster of darkness?]

[Highwind eagerly pushes himself against the offered fingers, then coos sadly when Terra pulls away so suddenly. Did he do something wrong? D:

Riku looks… somewhere between amused and as though he's holding back a sigh. Just barely.]

He's a Spirit. [He reaches over to pat the Dream Eater again, to reassure the furball a little.] He's made from pieces of my dreams... and well, maybe Sora's too, I guess, but mostly mine.

[It had been hard to say who's Dream Pieces are whom's without actually diving into them after all, but since he'd created Highwind right at the start, Riku is certain with him at least. Not that it matters, ultimately.]

Even if they're a form of Darkness, all Spirits are totally benign. Sora and I used them as partners while we moved through the Realm of Sleep… they can be pretty useful in a fight.

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