estoria | it's all fun and games

[no need to be so concerned, terra. that rustling in the nearby plants isn't any sort of real threat—it's just roxas rooting around on the ground after almost losing one of his rings.

if he was wearing his coat, this wouldn't be a problem—but he's in nothing but casual dress, and losing that ring is not something he wants to happen; it's one of the few important belongings he has.]

Come on... I know it has to be here... [the sound of his voice is probably muffled from the distance, but as he finally spots what he dropped, he'll let out a pleased hum, picking it up before he continues moving. and so from behind a slew of greenery emerges roxas, looking wholly satisfied with his find as he places the ring back on his index finger. he hadn't even noticed riku and terra talking; at least, not very clearly. so when he sees terra at first, he looks pleasantly surprised.]

Terra! ["you're okay!" goes unspoken, but mostly because... well, he notices riku there. which is a good, immediate way to dampen his enthusiasm in every regard.]

[the shuffling causes slight tensing from riku's end, too. it somewhat dissipates upon catching sight of the mystery thing in the bushes. roxas. part of riku can't help but be relieved the nobody is fine; part of him is weary of running into him again. figuring out how to approach chatting still hasn't happened yet. all possible scenarios tend to result in the same outcome: yelling and fighting.

how roxas reacts now only reinforces that theory. he scoffs lightly at the dampening enthusiasm. maybe he understands and even accepts the reason behind this sort of attitude, but it doesn't mean he has to like it or take it lying down.]

Yeah, good to see you, too.

Ven! [Terra blurts it without thinking, overjoyed and taking a step toward what he thinks is his lost friend. Riku's reaction, though, and the evident hostility in return, makes him pause. He glances between them, and slowly corrects himself.]

...No, you're Roxas. But why are you...

[Why are you dressed just like my best friend is what he wants to ask. And it's true -- they're almost the same, though Roxas doesn't wear any Keyblade armour. It hurts, and it's confusing, but he imagines asking Roxas about it will only cause more confusion, so he trails off uselessly,]

I'm just glad you're safe. [He'll deal with Riku's attitude later, once he's over the shock of seeing Roxas.]

[ouch.

even though roxas knows that his resemblance to ven is an uncanny one (apparently, at least. enough so for this to happen a second time), it doesn't make him feel any better about the confusion. sora, ven...

why can't he ever just be himself? probably because he doesn't even know who he's supposed to be. regardless, even if he can't blame terra much for the mixup (it seems more plausible than people calling him sora, at least), it doesn't feel good. of course, he also can't know how much his casual clothes match ven's, and just how much of that boy's heart has influenced him in a lot ways. but his expression falls a bit from hearing it. it's frustrating and upsetting in its way, though he doesn't bear the rage he lets out like riku goaded him in the past. in fact, even now, he doesn't come up with some retort for having to deal with riku.

it kind of makes him feel a bit alienated, seeing terra and riku together, even if roxas had known that they were acquainted.]

Yeah, I'm fine. I can take care of myself out here. [he doesn't have any strong memories of ever being in a jungle world, but sora's time in deep jungle has resonated with him on more than one occasion already.]

[riku's mood instantly shifts from exasperated to curious, something emphasized by the raising of an eyebrow. what did terra just call roxas? his questioning gaze shifts between the two before it settles on terra. asking him seems far less suicidal then trying to get an answer out of roxas. the last thing adventures in the jungle need is another keyblade brawl. not like he can't handle it, but it's too damn humid to bother beating up a nobody.]

Ven?

[who is that and why did terra mistake roxas for him? someone who looks similar to roxas... someone who isn't sora? an idle thought, one of a boy met back in sora's heart, flashes through riku's mind, but gets dismissed for the moment. jumping to conclusions without any evidence never ends well.]

[Roxas' answer makes Terra wonder if he'd done something to upset him, but he doesn't have a chance to dwell on it, because Riku asks him a question. That's right -- he'd forgotten Riku still doesn't know much about him or his relationship to Roxas yet...]

His real name is Ventus. Ven's my nickname for him. He's one of my best friends, but... I'm worried something has happened to him. Roxas looks just like him, so we've been working together to try and get some answers.

[Answers he feels no closer to getting than when he started, but at least he made a new friend, so it hasn't been all that bad.]

Those clothes are a lot like what Ven wears, so I was surprised when I saw him. [An apologetic look at Roxas:] Sorry, Roxas.

[it's frustrating and a bit upsetting, but all the same—terra is the only link he has for this strange mystery. it raises so many more questions about his identity; about who he is and why he can wield a keyblade. he already told himself he'd trust terra, despite how much is still up in the air.

so even if it sucks, and even if he hates it as much as he hates being compared to sora, he simply shakes his head, looking down at his clothes with a puzzled expression.]

Do they really look that much alike? [who is ven? why does he look like ven? even if he's not willing to accept sora, despite how much he knows they're connected, then why... why would he look like someone else completely right to what he wears?

it doesn't make any sense to him at all, and just makes things even more confusing and frustrating to cope with. is he ever going to have these answers, and will he ever just get to be himself?]

[that answer officially permits for that jumping to conclusions. though, can it really be called as such when it's no longer that much of a jump? riku's eyes widen momentarily and he takes in a sharper than normal breath. a hand comes up to his chin while he appears visibly perplexed. he frowns over at roxas.]

Looks exactly like Roxas down to the clothes... [his gaze then turns down toward the ground, speaking again although more to himself than anything else.] Then that was...

[ven? but what does that mean? why would someone else be in sora's heart? ansem the wise got explained but ven and the mystery girl being there doesn't make sense. and if that really was ven then why do he and roxas appear so alike? riku had seen them one after the other; the similarity was undeniable. roxas is sora's nobody. okay, maybe some minuet differences do exist, but the fact remains that they are nobody and somebody.

so then why?]

Riku?

[Terra rounds on him at that thoughtful reaction, scrutinising him closely. Could he really have met Ven? But where, and why? And what could it have meant for Xehanort's plans for him?]

If you know something, tell us.

[Not just Terra, but Roxas, too. He has just as much a right -- if not moreso -- to understand what's going on.]

[roxas already isn't sure he's going to like where this is going. what could riku possibly know about this? why are these things all so connected? it feels like nothing about this is coincidental.

not that roxas has been doubting that he's somehow connected to ven, because looking that much like someone else should be possible. it's not the same as it is with sora, he knows that much. but hearing riku be the one to be putting pieces together of some sort makes roxas bristle a bit.]

What do you know? [it comes out a little more aggressive than intended, though maybe that's just par for the course when he's dealing with riku. it bothers him. so much about this bothers him, and the underlying anxious feeling that he's not going to like what he hears is definitely not helping.

he wants nothing more than to know and understand who he really is, but he has a bad feeling about this in particular, and he's not sure why. maybe because he'd been expecting a response more from terra than riku about this.]

[oh, he knows something, all right. what this something means, however, he has no clue. it makes so little sense for so many reasons.

for once, that aggressive tone doesn't bother him as much it normally does. worrying about why sora's heart is the way it is occupies most of his attention. then again, maybe the aggression is understandable. the kid is sora's nobody, but looks like someone else. that has to be a hell of an identity crisis maybe discussing this right now could lead to some answers for all three of them.]

I'm still not completely sure, but...

[he pauses and purses his lips. no, uncertainty isn't the issue. he is sure he did see ven. it had confused him enough at the time to firmly stick in his memory: that second roxas, the one with the strange armor pieces. maybe it could've been explained as roxas greeting him in sora's heart repeatedly but two things rule that out: the girl after and how roxas number two felt. it wasn't the same. if you take out the idea that was roxas and replace it with ventus then that gets explained but that also brings up the main issue: why. why would ventus be inside sora's heart? after a moment, riku looks up, first glancing at roxas and then at terra.]

I think I saw Ven just before coming here.

[Terra's eyes widen in shock. He was completely missing from Riku's future, and nor had Terra heard a word about Aqua. But Ven... For once, he feels hope mixed in with that all-too familiar feeling of despair.]

You saw him?! Where? Was he okay? Did he say anything to you?

[Big brother mode has been well and truly activated. Sorry, Riku.]

[he... had seen ven? when?

the fact that this is even a possibility is one that had never even occurred to roxas. despite the knowing that terra was looking for a friend that looked suspiciously like him, the idea of riku holding that answer just seemed... so far beyond his reach. it hadn't come up in any of their encounters, after all. all roxas knew was that riku was insistent on calling him sora, on comparing him to sora.

never to ven.

so while hearing an answer kind of scares him, his desperation overpowers that. he wants to know who he is, why he looks the way he does, what he's connections are to all of these people he's never even met. so roxas says nothing, waiting for riku to explain more while letting terra do the talking. he doesn't edge closer—he doesn't even move, save for a shift in expression that is equal parts anxious, worried, desperate and impatient. come on, riku. out with it already...]

[neither is he happy like terra or uncomfortable like roxas. riku simply remains confused and the reason behind the confusion will become evident to the other two in just a moment. even when speaking, an ongoing attempt to try to make sense of it alone continues.]

That's the thing. The place I saw him... it was inside my friend's heart. [he pointedly turns eyes toward roxas.] Inside Sora's heart.

[the name might not have much meaning to terra, but it will to roxas. maybe emphasizing it will make him see that talking about sora is necessary. so much seems to be connected and the thing that connects it all is sora. sigh, always making riku worry even when not actively there. then again, roxas kinda counts as sora being here. that fact remains as worrisome as on the first day they ran into the other. maybe some answers about that can come to light now, too.]

Sora...

[Terra remembers him vaguely. He'd been that boy that Riku had been playing with on the island. But Terra hadn't sensed anything special about him -- he was drawn to the island by Riku's light, and Riku alone. He'd even made sure to promise Riku would keep the Keyblade a secret.]

Why would Ven be there?

[Moreover, what does it have to do with Roxas, physical similarities aside? He follows Riku's pointed gaze to Roxas, puzzled.]

—What? In— Sora?

[roxas' expression immediately contorts, shock apparent and overtaking anything else he may have shown in the moments prior. sure, there are questions about why riku would have been in sora's heart at all, especially when riku had been the one to constantly ask where sora was.

if he knew... then why?

but that all takes a backseat to a sinking feeling; it makes it harder to deny his link with sora if ven is there. but why would ven be there? and how? there are so many things roxas can't understand about it. he can't even begin to wrap his head around it, and maybe that's even more obvious from the way the color drains in his face a bit. what does it mean?

who is he, really? and who is sora, that he can have another person in his heart? can hearts... can they even do that? and what does it mean for him, as a nobody? as someone created from someone else's lost heart?

roxas can't bring himself to voice any of this, though. his mind feels blank and baffled, his head aches, his chest feels tight—nothing about this bodes well for him at all. he has such a bad feeling about trying to piece this together, no matter how important it is.]

How... how can that be true?

[riku was waiting for roxas' reaction. it... doesn't fit. that shock about the idea of something being inside sora is too real. hatred for himself is understandable, but this isn't. his thoughtful frown grows a small fraction. a few theories account for this, ranging from bad bad baaadd to not as much.]

That's what I'd like to know.

[maybe a little more elaboration will help things along.]

I thought it was you at first since I ran into you right before him, but between him not feeling the same and the strange girl that came after, I wasn't so sure.

[two mysteries, one heart. the girl one may not be solved, but at least second roxas now makes sense. first roxas, however, doesn't right now. maybe xehanort did do something. maybe it's some sort of ceres bug. either way, the next course of action can't be avoided any longer. no more beating around the bush with questioning. it needs to happen regardless of how much roxas doesn't want it to. jumping the sora gun won't happen, but there's a different route they can do this.]

Roxas, what's the last thing you remember?

[there are a lot of questions to be raised from what riku is saying. "not feeling the same?" ..."strange girl?" what is he even talking about?

sure, maybe somewhere in his mind, he can figure out that the girl is xion, but roxas is too hyper-focused on everything else that's being said to even fully process the scope of the situation. it only gets worse when riku asks what he remembers—shouldn't riku know something like this?

the idea of time gaps hasn't occurred to him; even though riku looks and carries himself a bit differently than their last encounter, it's impossible for him to chalk that up to a significant gap of time passing. he'd barely been in cerealia for a month himself, anyone could get a haircut in that period of time. not knowing about the fact that riku and terra's initial meeting had been a long time past for riku is something roxas doesn't know, so it just further cements his inability to even consider the possibility.

his expression is both confused and pleading; for a moment, he looks to terra as if that will help. roxas knows it won't, not when this specific thing is something between he and riku. but he doesn't know what else to do, not when this is getting increasingly more confusing and just giving roxas every sort of bad feeling imaginable.]

We—We were fighting. [he finally says after a moment. there's still a hardened edge to his voice when he recalls that memory; he's still not pleased with how things had been going at that point. but all the same, he sounds unsure and even worried to know what this will mean. did he really run into ven right after that? and... who is the girl?

why would he even be in sora's heart to begin with? was it because riku won that fight before he got knocked out? there are so many things he doesn't know, that he doesn't understand at all... it's making his head hurt. a lot. it almost feels like it could explode from the overload, honestly.]

[of all the answers expected, this has to be one of the least expected ones. it's confusing more than anything else, enough so to make riku's brows furrow.]

Fighting?

[he repeats, voice openly holding confusion to it. them fighting? but they weren't, that's for sure. the last memory riku has of roxas is the one just mentioned. back then, the last thing either of them were posed to do was to whip out the keyblades. it was a peaceful, if odd encounter. nothing holding any tension to it. when were they ev--

wait. his eyes widen as the pieces suddenly fall into place. roxas can't possibly mean THAT fight, can he? then again, terra's from ten years prior so could this be somehow similar to that? but... but how can that be possible? a small voice in the back of his mind pipes up with the x word. it very easily could be that. if roxas really does mean what riku thinks then his doubts about xehanort's being in this'll only increase.]

Do you mean our fight back in The World That Never Was?

[the one that happened months ago. could it really be that? then again, it does account for certain things. if roxas really only recalls up until that moment then the extreme reaction back in the jungle and the general of hatred of riku makes complete sense. the zen roxas from sora's heart would never have been so back at the skyscraper. so, if this is in fact the case, then how? how could ceres, or xehanort potentially, manage this? ]

Which won't happen again, right?

[Terra had stayed quiet in the exchange, and while he didn't understand everything being discussed, he knew this was something Roxas and Riku had to figure out between themselves. But now he has to interrupt, placing a hand on Roxas' shoulder. It's a protective gesture, but also one of support -- he hates to see Roxas look so anxious and upset, and Riku's line of questioning is obviously distressing him.]

The fighting, I mean. We're a team now, and we need to act like one.

[He looks between Roxas and Riku pointedly. (Did he just decide on the spot about the whole team thing??? Probably. It seemed like a good thing to say.)]

[roxas motions to nod in response to what riku is saying—a hard confirmation of exactly what he's referring to. but before he can give any verbal response, terra interrupts, and he can feel a hand on his shoulder.

he tenses briefly at the sensation, but quickly relaxes as he looks up while terra speaks. it does bring an odd sense of relief to have even that much support—it isn't a lot, but it does its job in cementing why he's chosen to put some trust in terra when it comes to getting to the bottom of things. he is distressed and incredibly overwhelmed because it brings up a myriad of questions about everything. what happened, who he is, what this all means—he hates these complications. he just wants to be himself.

still, he's not sure how to respond to what terra has to say. will it not happen again? he doesn't know, not when riku's always been the one to instigate it (as far as roxas is concerned, at least), and not when they don't know what any of this means? a team... could they really be a team? his gaze averts a bit, looking back down at the ground with the troubled expression still clouding his features.]

Right... [he's not sure if it's true, and he doesn't want to make any promises he can't keep. there are just too many unanswered questions and the shock of everything going on does make it more difficult for roxas to really process it all.]

[terra's comment succeeds in getting riku to glance over, albeit briefly, at him. team, huh? nice and all as that sounds, friendship times aren't happening until all this gets sorted out. best to keep their little other jungle squabble on the down low, too. terra doesn't need to know fighting again already happened and maybe riku feels the slightest bit bad for it now, too. no wonder roxas reacted the way he did. the last thing he recalls is a riku playing the role of a big bad.

rather than give either a confirmation or denial about forming team keybladers, his gaze turns back toward roxas. the nobody looks frazzled, but this conversation won't be ending any time soon. it needs to be seen through until the end. best to focus on this and be as blunt as possible.

the reply confirmed it, too, the fact that roxas' memories only reach up to that point in time. what does this mean? no, the question isn't what but which what. is this xehanort? is this ceres? is this something else? and... and what does this mean for sora? if roxas only remembers up until that fight then have sora's own memories been tempered with? again? too many variables remain at play to draw a good conclusion about anything. maybe finishing up this chat could shed some more light on this. best plan. riku, true to his usual, keeps the next comment blunt.]

That's funny, because from my perspective? That fight happened months ago.

[and it doesn't get blunter than that.]

[Terra's hand drops from Roxas' shoulder, and he tries not to look too discouraged at that lukewarm response. They were all Keyblade wielders, right? And Riku was his successor, and Roxas was... well, he was someone Terra wanted to help and protect. To him, it seemed only natural they'd be a team, but he can see now that it won't be as straightforward as he'd hoped.]

The time differences again...

[He looks between them, and has to ask the question that's been bothering him for a while now.]

But what were you fighting over? I still don't understand it.

[months ago? was... something like that really even possible? but the fact that terra says "again" causes him to look up, puzzled.

again?

this has happened before, and it's something terra is aware of? he feels... really out of the loop, which is one of his least favorite things in the world. but all the same, it seemed like riku didn't tell terra what was going on between the two of them either. so all roxas can do is (reluctantly) repeat what he'd told terra before.]

I told you... He was trying to stop me from doing something important. From... keeping a promise I made. [he sighs, closing his eyes.] Freeing Kingdom Hearts... getting back my life, and my friends.

[the same things he'd told riku the day they fought. of course, there's a lot more to it. there's a lot more to why riku to tried to stop him, both in that it was protecting him from being destroyed but also...

it was trying to take away roxas' own agency by returning him to sora. that part he leaves out, because he still doesn't know how to tell terra what he is, or if he even should.

...considering he barely knows how to classify it, and isn't willing to accept being part of sora, it's just complicated.]

Chances are, if I didn't stop you, the last thing you would've gotten back is your life. [he pauses before adding] And before you chew my head off, this isn't about Sora.

[well... it kinda is? but also isn't. it mostly has to do with xehanort as opposed to the potentially taboo s-word. had riku not interfered that day, had he not given into the darkness and instead let roxas win, little doubt exists about what the outcome of that choice would be. not only would sora still be in that deep slumber, but the real organization would have its final member. in hindsight, that moment of weakness may have done more good than ever expected.

a pursing of lips follows. explaining to this roxas alone means leaving out a few details, details that the third member of their little group may not know. most of this is stuff riku actually wanted to discuss with terra at some point, to not only see if any of it could be expended upon, but also to possibly see if any of it could account for that 10 year absence. riku holds no anger toward terra for it, especially not when neither of them know any details. that said, he still longs to find out why. somehow, even with that 10 year gap, maybe they'll put the pieces together.

best place to start is with figuring out what needs explaining and what doesn't. his gaze shifts over toward terra.]

Do Organization XIII or the Keyblade War ring any bells to you?

[Riku's question catches Terra off guard. Roxas had never mentioned anything about the Keyblade War, but it stands to reason that as a Master, Riku would be a lot more knowledgable.]

I've never heard of Organization XIII. But I know about the Keyblade War. Keyblade wielders of light and darkness fought to obtain the ultimate Keyblade...

[Terra's gaze strays from Riku to Roxas, but it's another boy with the same face he has on his mind.]

Master Xehanort wanted to recreate that fight, on the site of the last Keyblade war -- the Keyblade Graveyard. I was fighting to stop him before I got here. [And the fact that he still doesn't know the fate of his two best friends has been torturing him ever since. He looks back at Riku, frowning.]

Are you saying fighting Roxas had something to do with that?

[it's almost automatic, the way roxas grimanes at the mention of the organization—he was a traitor, after all. there's a lot roxas doesn't understand, but he does know that there's a good chance that riku knows about whatever they're up to more than he does.

because he knows there is a lot that was kept from him, and he doesn't have a lick of trust in xemnas or saïx anymore to believe it's something as simple as "collecting hearts to complete kingdom hearts, so we can be whole." maybe that's part of it... but he doesn't think that's all of it, not at all. but when they start speaking of the keyblade war, the keyblade graveyard... he goes blank. he can't even say anything or protest, because he doesn't even know what they are.

he can't have anything to do with that, right? this is confusing and complicated, so he just stays quiet and waits, since it sounds like riku can be more useful in this conversation than he can be, much to his dismay.]

[terra, you just said the magic word and it instantly catches riku's attention. that lowers the number of confusing things in this chat down by a bunch. reasons to have a one-on-one with terra have also just increased.]

So you've dealt with Xehanort, too. [...master? master of being a pain, maybe. riku's curious about the usage of the title, but refrains from asking. that's a different talk for a different day.] And yeah, more than you know.

[how to start this off. riku clicks his tongue thoughtfully. why not xehanort? the bastard is behind most of their problems, still potentially even this jungle one. getting roxas up to speed with that could potentially lead to a lot more answers, too. maybe it'll also lower the riku hate level from 'jump on sight' to 'give dirty looks to every chance possible'. crazy old bastard to start them off it is.]

Xehanort failed that scheme of his with you, but didn't give it up. He's still trying to recreate it, this time using 7 guardians of light and 13 seekers of darkness. [riku's eyes turn back toward roxas just to serve as an emphasis that this next part is directed at him.] His original plan was to split himself into 13 parts to fill in the darkness role, using people who'd seemingly lost their hearts as the vessels.

[there's more to it than that, but he'll let this wash over roxas first. 13 ought to be a big hint about what that statement implies.]

Xehanort is the one who hurt my friend, Ven. He took the darkness out of his heart and gave it its own form, and it nearly damaged his heart beyond repair, all so he could have a heart of pure darkness and one of light fight together to create the X-blade. Just like the weapon Keyblade wielders fought over in the Keyblade War...

I still don't understand all of it. But I was fighting to protect Ven and stop his plan before I got here.

[That Xehanort was trying his plan again, but along another route, suggests his plan with Ven was a failure. Good news for the worlds, but...]

Maybe we stopped him. Or maybe Ven's heart wasn't strong enough... either way, it sounds like this is his next move.

[There's also more to Xehanort's machinations Terra hasn't mentioned -- about himself. But that's something better discussed with Riku in private. Roxas has enough to worry about as is, without Terra complicating things.]

[this... is all really confusing, honestly.

of course, the number thirteen doesn't slip past roxas; not only is it the organization's number, but it's his number. he identifies with it a lot, and it piques his attention in a bad way.

thirteen who "seemingly lost their hearts" as vessels? that—that had to be the organization, right? but xemnas led the organization, and he'd always maintained that they were trying to get their hearts back. was that a lie? who is xehanort? pretty much everything terra says goes directly over his head. separating a heart into light and darkness, forging a "x-blade" (what's the difference between that and a regular keyblade?), and still... what a keyblade war even is.

still, he can't stay quiet for all of this.]

Riku. [he says riku's name with a strange mix of conviction, confusion, and maybe a latent sense of anger and disbelief.] Those thirteen...

You mean the Organization, don't you. [it's more of a statement than a question, and if his suspicions are right, then he has a lot more to question, and even more to be angry about—though at least that anger won't be riku's fault.]

[took the darkness out of someone's heart... that guy really goes all out with the whole evil villain thing, doesn't he?]

Ven's heart is in a safe spot, at least.

[WHY it's there, however, still remains unknown. does it have something to do with that failed attempt of xehanort's maybe? who knows. riku definitely doesn't. too little information exists to really go off of on. one day, when they know more about what happened back then, they'll figure it all out.

one of them is starting to piece some things together, at least. points to roxas for being quick on the uptake. that tone of voice isn't missed on riku, either. no one would be happy finding out that they'd been a puppet having had their strings toyed with by some deranged puppet master. he nods.]

And bingo. Your boss was using the organization to further his own ambitions. Xemnas... Xehanort lied to you all since day one.

[since the day he told the nobodies they lost their hearts...]

[Terra has to set his worry for Ven aside for now, focusing instead on keeping up with all this new information. He hadn't asked Roxas too many questions about his past before, both because he figured Roxas didn't want to talk about it, and because he wasn't sure how much there was to ask about, considering how little Roxas seems to know himself.

This, however, gets his attention. Roxas was involved in some kind of organization, and... Xehanort was, too? As part of his plan in the bigger scheme of things? But he won't interrupt with the dozens of questions he has just yet, giving Roxas time for that to sink in.]

Xemnas...

[of course he lied. of course. it doesn't feel all that surprising now; they'd lied about xion, they'd lied about his purpose. they'd used illusions to put him against xion just to try and take the weaker one out.

they were going to xion take all of his strength and leave him to not be able to exist. so maybe it's not that surprising that xemnas would lie more, that it wasn't about obtaining hearts to complete kingdom hearts. maybe they were never going to get hearts to begin with.

is that why xion wanted him to set kingdom hearts free? had she... known what he was up to? there are so many questions, and thinking about how much shit comes out of xemnas' lies just riles him up more. but that still leaves one big gap in his knowledge.]

Who is he? This... Xehanort guy. [there's an edge to his voice, despite the curiosity. he doesn't know a single thing about anything related to xehanort, aside from a passing mention from terra. he's mad, sure, but he can't direct all his anger at xemnas alone.

...but it's also hard to direct anger at someone when he doesn't know who they are. someone, help.]

He's... someone who's hurt a lot of people and plans on hurting a lot more.

[that's the short of it. it's also super accurate. the amount of people who suffered because of him and who may suffer in the future is astonishing. stopping him before that potential future comes to pass NEEDS to happen.]

I'm not entirely convinced CERES isn't something else he's got his hands in.

[this is a fear that has persisted ever since riku arrived. an evil organization is right up that old bastard's alley. maybe it isn't xehanort, but lowering his guard on that won't happen. the last thing he needs is to be taken off guard again and have innocent people suffer thanks to it.]

it's all fun and games

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