I wished I could live life the way you do. Just following my heart.

Was that the core of Riku’s reasoning? All of the things they had accomplished, all of the times that the worlds were saved, either of them could do it. Yet, here Riku was making sound as if Sora did it all on his own. Guiding Riku out of the darkness wasn’t something Sora did on his own, Riku had found the strength to leave the darkness as well...but still thought the same after all this time. Sora didn’t realize, but he was smiling. “You know, the reason why I’m so strong is because...” 

This is an important announcementto anyone who’s looking to rp with me, has a thread with me or was planning on following me -> 

To be able to fight the way she did took plenty of skill. It took plenty of patience and often lots of early morning training sessions that even now haunted her memories. Her master had been one of the strongest around, a martial artist’s champion of sorts. Tifa had acquired her own strength to make sure to protect those around her. She would not let anyone else she loved get touched by the darkness of Shinra ever again.

She listened to his explanations and almost grew nostalagic at his recall of her first time fighting those monsters called heartless. Black ink like creatures that Sora explained were an every day enemy for him. A kid like him? Fighting stuff like that? It was wild for her to realize but she nodded gently and let him finish explaining. She blinked as he insisted that he wanted to be strong like her. She felt her palm briefly cover over her fighting gloves and smiled.

His first journey with the keyblade was filled with trial and tribulations, not only did he have to learn how to wield the keyblade and fight, but he didn’t have a master to teach him. This time, when it came to fighting it’d be different! And hopefully, it’d come easy to him like it did with keyblade wielding. That didn’t mean he’d work any harder, he just hope he’d make less mistakes this time. 

“Tifa, give me as much hard work as you can, I’m committed!” Sora was ever the optimist. “If it’s to protect my friends...my heart is in it. I promise!” He clasped his hands together with an energized look. 

His first journey with the keyblade was filled with trial and tribulations, not only did he have to learn how to wield the keyblade and fight, but he didn’t have a master to teach him. This time, when it came to fighting it’d be different! And hopefully, it’d come easy to him like it did with keyblade wielding. That didn’t mean he’d work any harder, he just hope he’d make less mistakes this time. 

“Tifa, give me as much hard work as you can, I’m committed!” Sora was ever the optimist. “If it’s to protect my friends...my heart is in it. I promise!” He clasped his hands together with an energized look. 

riku watched him, curious as sora faked a smile through the obvious exhaustion overwhelming him. why wasn’t he taking riku’s help? all riku wanted to do was help him. protecting his dear friend was something he’d been set on since he was small. he never accounted for his friend pushing him away.

Riku was here to coddle him.

"...I said I was fine."

His voice had a dull edge to it as he spoke and he looked away, unable to reject Riku's help to his face. Why did it hurt so much..?

Riku was here to coddle him.

"...I said I was fine."

His voice had a dull edge to it as he spoke and he looked away, unable to reject Riku's help to his face. Why did it hurt so much..?

still, his brain seemed to short-circuit a bit when it was sora saying all that about him with that adorably flustered expression on his face. when he was younger riku would've been a lot more confused about how this all made him feel, and while denial and fear still clouded his judgement a bit, he knew the truth deep down.

❝ really?! i mean, uh, thanks sora, i appreciate it. but um, of course i think that all about you too. you are cool and strong and handsome, you're just, y'know, also cute. ask kairi. she'll agree, ❞ he tried to calm his nerves and compose himself, but an obvious flush still painted his otherwise pale features. he needed to find a way to diffuse the situation fast before it started to spiral out of control, that was for sure.

“...we worked...to save them...not just me...” 

He grumbled, eyes moving to stare down at his shoes, this was the first time in his life he couldn’t bring himself to look Riku in the eyes. How embarrassing! Well, really what was embarrassing was the fact that he just kept talking.. 

“Like you?” careless, to a point of harming oneself? trusting in the good will of a complete stranger to get him help? headstrong, in an exasperating way? willing to lay your life in the hands of people who could kill you? “In some ways, perhaps. In other ways, far from it.”

a nasally sigh escapes him as he pinches the bridge of his nose without much thought behind it, just a nervous tic he’s picked up. “I have a feelin’ I’m goin'a be usin’ a lot'f mana aft'a meetin’ ye, kid.” nonetheless, he settles down onto one knee next to the teenager who he swore looked so familiar but he couldn’t put a finger on it… and casts curaga.

He felt great! And the massive stretch he did once the spell had finished showed it. “Thank you so much! And haha- hopefully not! In all honesty, I wasn’t really aiming for this world, so once I find my pieces I’ll be out of your hair!” Yet, surprise found it’s way onto his face and his eyes lit up upon the other’s offer.

 “You wouldn’t mind? You’re this port’s doctor right..? If someone needs you, how would they be able to get a hold of you?” 

Quickly hopping off the bench, Sora stretched once again. He squatted for a moment before straightening up and stretching his arms. He was absolutely elated to have some help, but he didn’t want to put the people in the port at risk. 

He felt great! And the massive stretch he did once the spell had finished showed it. “Thank you so much! And haha- hopefully not! In all honesty, I wasn’t really aiming for this world, so once I find my pieces I’ll be out of your hair!” Yet, surprise found it’s way onto his face and his eyes lit up upon the other’s offer.

 “You wouldn’t mind? You’re this port’s doctor right..? If someone needs you, how would they be able to get a hold of you?” 

Quickly hopping off the bench, Sora stretched once again. He squatted for a moment before straightening up and stretching his arms. He was absolutely elated to have some help, but he didn’t want to put the people in the port at risk. 

Those words proceeded to join cute in his empty head, bouncing around and filling his chest with warm feelings he knew were there, but typically opted to ignore. There was a lump in his throat that he had to force down or words would definitely get caught. Once cleared, Sora took a small breath, a freckled hand reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. 

“...that’s what comes to mind..? Why not...cool or...strong...or ha...handsome?” 

He looked away, face burning as the blush traveled to the tips of his ears. As he tried to “keep his cool”, his words continued to pour out. Sora wasn’t even thinking at this point. 

“...that’s what comes to mind when I think ab𝚘𝚞ᵗ ʸᵒᵘ-....” His voice rapidly deteriorated out once he realized what he had said.

❝  ──  are  all  of  you  that  ignorant.  figures  you  would  accept  whatever  the  king  and  everyone  around  you  would  say  about  the  darkness.  in  ages  past,  another  keyblade  war  happened.  light  versus  darkness.  did  that  accomplish  anything.  obviously  not.  ❞

golden  orbs  shifted  to  the  other.  unamused  expression  on  his  visage.  cheshire  smile  pon  his  lips.  yen  sid  or  the  king  had  not  told  this  version  of  the  brunet  about  timelines  from  the  looks  of  it.  an  opening  to  create  doubt  and  distrust.  an  opportunity  he  couldn't  pass  up  on.  ❝  oh.  it  seems  you  all  have  been  kept  in  the  dark.  don't  you  find  that  rather  suspicious.  ❞

For a moment, it felt as if the world was spinning. “...what does that m...mean- What are you talking about?” He knew about the version of himself within Jiminy’s journal. He knew about Roxas and...the others he had seen during the mastery exam, but...another timeline? There was something about Vantias’ words that made him feel so used, so sick. As if he was sinking in an endless ocean.

...A dark one.

Wait. Riku...thought he was cute?

It was as if Sora’s head drained of all the words and thoughts he had prior to his realization. The words that had come from his best friend rattled in that spikey head of his and he was left speechless. Sky blue eyes were locked onto emerald and he couldn’t look away as his face began to turn a very deep shade of red. 

he reached his hand out to sora, helping his friend up into a standing position once more. he could tell sora was trying not to show it, but riku knew him better than anyone. he could tell sora was absolutely exhausted. his smile tried to tell another story, but riku could see in his eyes how tired he was. even the way he carried himself indicated that he was tired. riku had half a mind to scold him, but he knew that wasn’t was sora needed.

❝ let’s get you back home. you need to rest, ❞ he said, placing a steadying arm around the smaller male. he had a feeling sora had been pushing himself far beyond his limits, and this served as his confirmation. there was no other reason why a novashadow should be getting the jump on him. he’d followed him in the first place because he was worried, and it seemed his concerns were justified.

His hand slipped into Riku’s and allowed his friend to pull him to his feet. For a moment he felt queasy, squeezing his eyes shut as he kept his head lowered. The keyblade de-materialized and Sora inhaled slowly, lifting his head to greet Riku with a smile. “Hey, Riku..! When did-” 

He was cut off swiftly and stood there in shock for a moment, feeling a strong arm slip around him. His eyebrows furrowed together as he ever so gently pushed out of Riku’s arms, taking a step back. 

“Riku, I’m fine.” 

His hand slipped into Riku’s and allowed his friend to pull him to his feet. For a moment he felt queasy, squeezing his eyes shut as he kept his head lowered. The keyblade de-materialized and Sora inhaled slowly, lifting his head to greet Riku with a smile. “Hey, Riku..! When did-” 

He was cut off swiftly and stood there in shock for a moment, feeling a strong arm slip around him. His eyebrows furrowed together as he ever so gently pushed out of Riku’s arms, taking a step back. 

“Riku, I’m fine.” 

at this point in their many years of friendship, helping sora out in any way he can comes as second nature to riku. if he falls, patch him up. if he calls for help, run to him as fast as possible. if sora's short stature struggles to reach something, hand it to him. riku didn't even stop to consider how that might make sora feel a little embarrassed until he clocked the flustered expression on his friend's face.

“Oh- come on!!”