nysalogs | [open]

Entry tags:

[open]

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]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[(Yes Riku. Yes it was.)

Sora's never been very good about hiding his joy, he's one of those people where it radiates out of every pore of his body, makes his smile burn brighter and his laugh that much bigger that he has to let it out before it just explodes. It's only been three days, but it's been three horrible days and he has missed his best friend so much that he just can't contain his delight.

They topple to the ground like skittles and Sora's laughing in delight, trying really hard not to fall too hard on Riku or accidentally jab him anywhere with his elbows or knees.]

You're back! You're really back!

[It's a proper hug, and he'll address the other questions he might have in a moment, once he's confirmed that everything's okay.]

[Sora's attempt to be at least a little considerate is appreciated, even if the tackle really is not. Still, it's hard for Riku to feel peeved for long when Sora is radiating so much joy with his entire being (and if Riku were to close his eyes for even a second, he's sure he'd feel his best friend's Light outright sparkling with happiness).

After a second, he closes his arms around Sora for the proper hug, turning his head a little to hide his own smile in Sora's shoulder – this much delight is kind of invective.]

I must have been asleep for a long time, if that's the greeting I'm getting.

[Which. Doesn't quite line-up with the things he's seen on the screens – if Ysverai is still a problem, then it really shouldn't have been more than a few days, right? But then again, Sora has never quite been on the other side of this particular equation, huh?

(That'll teach him not to go to sleep for a year, at least, if nothing else.)]

[Okay, maybe it hasn't been that long, and admitting to being completely miserable over three days without his friend seems like overkill, but Sora's never had any qualms when it comes to letting his true emotions show around his best friends.]

It was three days but didn't know when you'd wake up! I thought-

[And then something registers and he draws back to look at him and his eyes widen in recognition as he takes in the shorter hair, the taller frame... it's exactly as Sora remembers leaving him in Yen Sid's tower after he passed his Mark of Mastery exam.

He laughs joyously and throws his arms around Riku for another hug.]

It doesn't matter what I thought! You're back! Did you pass the exam? You look like how I remember seeing you last before I wound up here... Master Riku.

[Admittedly that's exactly what makes Sora himself – the care that he shows for his friends and the carelessness with that he let's his emotions show, and maybe latter is something that Riku wants to emulate just a little. Be a little Sora-esque, so to speak.]

Well, that ought to teach you about taking any unannounced naps yourself, I'd say.

[Because there had been a couple of times that Riku hadn't quite known if Sora would wake again either.

This time, when Sora throws his arms up for another hug, Riku is more prepared (it also helps that they are already sitting down). He lets his arms come up to hug Sora back and for a second he considers just answering with the straightest face and "What exam?".

He discards the thought quickly though; he supposes he can let Sora off easy on this one. Especially since they have important things to talk about anyway. Aqua's story… even if Riku was the one saved at the end, there is no denying that they couldn't have closed the Door to Darkness without her. Sora has a right to know about this too.

So…]

Yea, I passed. And while I have no idea what you've been doing since leaving the Tower, I already got my first official assignment as Keyblade Master done.

[…Granted, that assignment was to fetch Kairi, so that Yen Sid can ask her about becoming a full-fledged Keybearer, but Sora doesn't need to know that just yet. There is always a little time for teasing after all.]

Hey!

[Sora's definitely not pouting, no matter how much it might look like it to Riku. For reals.]

I'll make a deal with you, I won't fall asleep if you won't, okay. But you need to tell me about your assignment! Was it something really tough? Did you ace it? What am I saying, of course you did! That's so great Master Riku!

[Sora can't stop grinning, his cheeks might very well tear at this point his smile's so huge. The relief is huge, having Riku back, and having Riku caught up with him... there was a strange sort of distance that Sora hadn't realised had existed that he'd never minded but now... now the weight of knowing what the future has in store for them is a burden they can share together.

But all of that can wait. The Xehanorts are the last thing Sora wants to focus on right now.

Riku's back. They might still be stuck on the station now, Kairi's still asleep and everything down below is just as grim and dismal as Riku might remember it, but they're together again. Everything just seems that much more hopeful to Sora now.

And above all else, he's just still so darn proud of his best friend and everything he's come to accomplish. Master Riku. There's so much he can learn from him.]

Come on, you're gonna tell me what happened, right?

[Of course he isn't, Riku can indulge him on that for now. Also well… Riku isn't sure if that's how it works, but he's ready to make that promise anyway.]

Deal, then.

[He reaches over to offer his hand to Sora for a handshake, they might as well make it official. Anyway, as for his 'assignment':]

Oh, it was all right; it was just an escort mission. I had to pick up a princess and bring her to a tower.

[From the way he grins it's probably obvious that there is a little more to that story, something he isn't saying just yet – he's waiting to see if Sora is able to pick up just which princess and tower he's talking about. They know their fair share after all.]

An escort mission? Oh geez, that doesn’t sound all that hard-

[But then he takes in the look on Riku’s face and he twigs. He wouldn’t be smiling like that if it was just any old run of the mill princess he’d been assigned to collect, and while Sora knows more than a few princesses, there’s only one who can make both of them grin like that.]

Wait. You don’t mean- was it Kairi? You went to get Kairi and bring her to Master Yen’s Sid’s?

[And then something awful occurs to him about why she’d need to be brought there in the first place. He hopes, he seriously hopes, that it has nothing to do with protecting her.]

How is she? Is she okay? Was she safe?

Edited (how does i html ) 2018-07-30 22:12 (UTC)

[Riku’s grin widens a little more as Sora catches on, and he laughs even as he hurries to reassure his best friend:]

Unless you count being sick of getting left behind by us, she’s fine! Master Yen Sid wants her to train alongside Axel as a Keyblade Wielder.

[Good things really, especially if the Organization ever wants to get to them through Kairi ever again – they won’t find her as easy a target as she had been during their last journey.

The grin fades a little now though, as Riku continues on:]

Master Yen Sid and Mickey shared something with us while she was there, actually. About the lost Keybearers.

[With Sora's fears alleviated, his grin grows to match Riku's.]

No way, that's great news! She's gonna be just great at it, Master Yen Sid doesn't know what he's in for.

[And then he remembers something... not quite so encouraging. Like the last time Kairi met Axel. The time that he'd kidnapped her to get Sora to come after her. Oh boy.]

Wait, she's gonna be training with Lea? Oh man, d'you think she's still gonna be mad at him for what happened? She'll flatten him if she is, do you think Master Yen Sid really thought about that?

[Thoughts of Kairi pummelling Lea into submission are going to have to wait as Riku grows serious. Sora tones it down too (though he's still a little bit worried that Kairi might end up pulverising their newest friend.)]

What about the lost Keybearers, is that what your next mission is?

[He answers with a somewhat unconcerned shrug – honestly any grief that Lea-Axel gets from Kairi over kidnapping her is thoroughly earned. That aside…]

You know Kairi; she isn't one to hold a grudge even if the concerned party would deserve it. She might give him a hard time for a while, but I think he can handle that.

[But anyway, the lost Keybearers… he nods at Sora's question.]

It is. According to Mickey one of them, Master Aqua, has been trapped in the Realm of Darkness for the past twelve years. Master Yen Sid is sending the two of us there to rescue her, and bring her back to the Realm of Light.

[Sora would joke about Kairi and giving Lea a hard time, but there’s something that Riku says which grinds his thought processes to a halt.]

Master Aqua...

[Wait, that name sounds familiar. Why does that-

Oh. Oh no.

Sora’s face falls in horror as he realises exactly where he’s heard that name before.]

That’s- she’s not the same Aqua who’s one of Terra’s best friends, is she?

[Twelve years... twelve whole years in the Realm of Darkness? What would that even do to a person? Sora’s not sure.]

Riku... what happened to her?

[Riku's eyes narrow for a second as he realizes – this is what's been nagging at him ever since waking up; Terra had told him about his friend after all… but there hadn't been any time for him to connect the dots yet – then nods again before he lets his eyes drift away a little.]

I assume so.

[Terra's best friends seem likely to be Keyblade Wielders as well, and what the chances of there being two Keyblade Wielders named Aqua…? ~~It's not like her name is anywhere near Sora or Xehanort after all~~.]

Mickey didn't say how she ended up there… I'm not sure if he knows either. He just said that he encountered her there when he was looking for Kingdom Key D… she saved me. Us really… according to Mickey, if she hadn't held off the Heartless, the three of us would never have been able to seal the Door.

[Riku can't help a small bitter pause, his hands clenching a little.]

Master Yen Sid forbade him from telling us until now. He thought that you or I might do something reckless, if we knew.

[Which admittedly probably isn't all that much off the mark, but still… Riku thinks it would have been worth doing something reckless, if it meant saving someone from additional two years in the Realm of Darkness.]

[It's an unusual name, and if it's another Master who's been imprisoned for twelve years... that wasn't so long after Sora remembers that she came to Destiny Islands. It can't be a coincidence. Just how is it they keep meeting these people who are connected to them anyway?]

No way...

[And then, when Riku's fists ball as he tells Sora about Mickey being forbidden to tell them, he can't help but feel that share that frustration. If Aqua had protected Riku and Mickey from the Heartless, then he owes his best friends' lives to her. They owe their world to her. And... why would Master Yen Sid think that it was okay to hide that from them both?]

How could Master Yen Sid keep that from us? We could have helped her, we were right there in the Realm of Darkness, if we'd known we could have gone looking for her! We could have-

[And then something really, really awful occurs to him. Worse than the guilt, worse than the knowledge that they'd been close enough to do something and never known that they could, comes the realisation that they have this knowledge now that she's trapped.

And if it's bad for them to know about it... ]

Riku... how are we going to tell Terra?

[Riku doesn't know. He still doesn't quite understand why Master Yen Sid deemed it secret, why he wouldn't allow them the chance to try and help Aqua…

He sighs; there's really no point in thinking about the what-ifs after the fact. As Mickey had said – they can help her now; or at least they could have, if they weren't stuck here anyway, if there weren't the Storm to worry about as well.

His lips press together, because he's already considered this since waking up, has been thinking about what exactly to say… because saying nothing definitely isn't an option.]

I'm going to tell him about it. If we don't, it'd be the same as what Master Yen Sid did.

[Even if none of them can do anything for Master Aqua from here, right now… Terra deserves to know.]

[~~It's called a retcon bruh~~

Sora nods, but to say that he looks totally crestfallen by all of this is putting it mildly. It's too unfair, too cruel. Now they know, now the two of them are in a position to do something about it and go into the Realm of Darkness together to get her out... they can't. And on top of that... they now have to tell Terra and they can't let him know that it's going to be okay because how can any of them know that when they're trapped here?]

That's not gonna be easy. You wanna tell him together?

[Not that there's much Sora can do to help. What reassurance would he be? A second choice Keyblade wielder who couldn't even pass the Mark of Mastery...

No. Sora is not going to start thinking like that. That's not going to help anyone.]

It's not fair, is it?

[Well, all things considered, Aqua might be asleep here too… so at least that means that she probably isn't suffering in the Realm of Darkness while they are trying to fix the damage done to the Worlds by the Storm… though that's really just a small comfort.

Riku thinks for a moment, then shakes his head… much as he appreciates Sora's offer, this is something he has to do by himself.]

No… it'll be better if it's just me, I think.

[He is the one that knows the story after all… and it's to some part his fault that Aqua is still trapped in the Realm of Darkness. If he had been stronger then, if he had payed more attention maybe…

Not that thinking like that will get them anywhere, Riku knows. He still wonders though… because Sora is definitely right about one thing.]

It's not. But even though we can't change what happened, we can defeat Xehanort and his Organization… make a better future for everyone… starting with Master Aqua.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[open]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject