mild language Rage Awakened Feral!Sora Tarzan AU Fanfiction

P-Artsypants · March 7, 2019

Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU

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Based on Chachacharlieco's Tarzan AU

Chapter One- In Which They Disembark

The Land of Departure. Home to Master Eraqus and his seven keyblade warriors.

The oldest was Terra, 28, a Master. He specialized in brute strength and using his environment to his advantage.

The second was Aqua, 27, the first Master. A mage with a gift of elemental magics.

The next oldest was Riku, 23, the third Master. He had been chosen by the keyblade, but fell to darkness before he could wield it. Once he recovered himself, he came to Master Eraqus to train and banish the darkness from himself.

Next in the line was Ventus, 22, a boy who had been studying under Eraqus for years. He had arrived in the Land of Departure with no memory of his past, and no darkness in his heart. Though he is not a master yet, his strikes continue to be the swiftest and most accurate, though not always the strongest.

Next was Kairi, 16, a Princess from Radiant Garden. The newest student under Eraqus. She, like Ventus, has no darkness in her heart. Many in her home world believe that’s why she is able to wield the Keyblade.

Finally, the youngest: Sora. Able to summon the keyblade at the age of three, the youngest anyone had in known history. Though, this is all that anyone knows about him anymore. The memories of those who knew him are bittersweet, and therefore, forbidden.

As of late, the students had been busy on the field. Darkness was growing, taking over and swallowing worlds. The job of the keyblade warrior was to go out, find the heart of a world, and lock it with the keyblade, forbidding the darkness from overwhelming it and taking it over. So far, their efforts hadn’t been in vain.

But as Master Eraqus waited for everyone to return from their latest missions before assigning more, the pupils began to worry that something was dire.

They assembled in the foyer, preparing to depart for the next assignment.

“I want to express my pride and gratitude for all the hard work you all have done in these hard times. Because of your efforts, almost all the worlds that were in jeopardy have been saved. Though some were lost to the darkness, we cannot dwell in what was.

“There is one world left that needs to be locked. It requires all of you to go. Terra and Aqua are prepared to administer the Mark of Mastery exam to Ventus during your mission. Riku, your job will be to accompany Kairi whenever the party separates. This world is treacherous, and should not be traversed lightly.”

“Master Eraqus,” Terra spoke up. “Though you gave Aqua and I instructions on what to look for in the exam, you didn’t actually say what world we were going to.”

Eraqus looked down to the floor, hesitating. Finally he answered, “Terra, it is the world in which you took your Mark of Mastery Exam.”

Aqua and Terra both gasped in shock and fell silent.

Riku, Kairi, and Ventus studied the reaction quietly. Aqua often talked about her exam, and everyone had been around to witness Riku’s, but when questioned, Terra would simply supply, “I passed, that’s all that matters.” Eraqus and Aqua didn’t elaborate on it much either, only saying that the exam itself was a success, but something tragic had happened immediately afterward that was still too painful to talk about.

Even ten years after the fact.

“Master, surely there’s no reason to lock that world? There’s no people there.”

“Whether or not a world is worth saving is not up to you to decide. I do understand your concerns and reservations. But as keyblade wielders, it is our job to protect all worlds from the darkness. No matter how rugged or barren it may be.”

Kairi was the brave one that spoke up, “Master? What happened that was so...traumatizing?”

Aqua, Terra, and Eraqus looked at each other, considering. Finally, Eraqus answered. “Ten years ago, not long after Ventus came to be with us, the five of us travelled to this world, Deep Jungle.”

“Wait, the five of you? Eraqus, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus.” Riku counted off on his fingers. “Who was the fifth?”

“Sora. A former wielder.”

Kairi, Riku, and Ventus all gasped.

“There was another one?” Asked Ventus, “Why haven’t you ever talked about them? And...why don’t I remember?”

“It’s still too painful to talk about.” Terra admitted.

“When you first came here, Ven, you weren’t really all there.”

“I know,” he agreed. “But I thought I would be able to remember a whole other person.”

Aqua smiled fondly, though it was bittersweet. “Sora loved you. When you were introduced to us, he started asking questions a mile a minute, so much so that you started crying because you were overwhelmed. He did his best to make sure you were always included in things. He actually got you to smile and laugh.”

Ventus felt his heart ache. “Really? How old was he?”

“At the time, he was six.” Eraqus explained. “Sora was...a prodigy. He was able to summon a keyblade at only the age of three. He couldn’t even speak in full sentences, but he was swinging a full length keyblade around.”

“At three years old? That’s amazing!”

“It was remarkable. The youngest in recorded history. He came from Riku’s world.”

“The Destiny Islands? Really?”

“Yes. It took his parents some convincing. I assured them that his training would be light until he got older, and that he would remain safe...but...” He trailed off, thinking. “It was the first world we took Ventus to. All of us went. Besides Terra’s exam, I thought it would be a good way to bond. When the exam time came, Sora and Ventus stayed behind at camp. And when we returned…” Master Eraqus stopped, clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head.

Terra continued for him, seeing that Eraqus was having a hard time speaking. “When we came back, the camp was trashed. The tents were ripped to shreds, Ven was scratched and bloody, and Sora was nowhere to be found. When we asked what happened, Ven totally shut down. We searched for three days, but all we could find were his clothes, ripped and covered in blood. Ven found them first, and held them the whole way home. He finally came around to speaking three weeks later, and when we broached the topic of Sora, he had no idea who we were talking about. It seemed like the event was so traumatic he unintentionally blocked it out.”

Ventus wanted to cry. His hazy memories at the beginning were often a sore spot for him, but to completely forget a person? A friend? It was heartbreaking.

“Since that incident, I had placed a ban on Deep Jungle, but now since you are all capable of protecting yourselves, I am lifting that ban, with the hope that you will lock the heart of the world, and return safely. And for Aqua and Terra, the world may provide you with closure.”

“Yes Master,” everyone agreed with a bow.

—

The flight was quiet. This was the first mission on another world where everyone was present. For this occasion, they borrowed a gummi ship from Disney Castle to get everyone there together.

“What’s Deep Jungle like?” Asked Kairi, breaking everyone’s thoughts.

“Well,” said Terra with a little laugh. “It’s a Deep Jungle. The trees stretch up hundreds of feet, and there’s all kinds of vines and plants everywhere.”

“We set up camp in a bamboo grove when we went. But, it might be a good idea to set up somewhere else instead.” Aqua posed. “There’s no telling how much the world has changed since we were there.”

“There’s no people there?” Kairi clarified.

“No, but there were a lot of gorillas, if I remember correctly.”

“Gorillas!?” Ventus and Kairi shouted in unison.

“Now don’t get too excited!” Aqua reprimanded. “They’re still wild animals. This isn’t the zoo, and they will rip your arms off if you get too close. If you see them, leave them alone. Along with any other wildlife you see. We still don’t know what trashed the camp and took Sora. It could be anything.”

Despite Kairi’s efforts, the ride fell silent once again.

—

They landed in the evening. The light fading under the canopy of leaves.

“Well, doesn’t like we’re going to get much searching in for the time being.” Riku noted, peering up to the treetops.

“You’re right,” Aqua agreed. “We best find a place to camp first, and then we can begin our search in the morning.”

All together, they started hiking through the brush, taking care to watch out for snakes and other creatures.

Kairi did her best to take it all in, the patterns on the leaves, the flowers desperately sprouting among the tree roots, the vines that twisted and tangled together to create lacy patterns.

She stopped suddenly at a vine that looked brown, and oddly like a rope and not a vine. She followed it up with her eyes, and then announced to the group, “Hey, what if we camped up there?”

The group halted and followed Kairi’s point, only to see a tree house sitting in the branches of the huge tree next to them.

“I don’t remember seeing that the last time we were here.” Terra thought aloud.

Riku summoned his armor. “I’ll go check it out, make sure it’s stable.” He transformed his keyblade into a hover board and ascended into the trees. A few minutes later, a boat lowered to the ground. “Hop in!” Riku shouted from above.

They went one at a time, just to be safe, until everyone was up in the tree.

“Wow, this place is really nice!” Kairi exclaimed, looking over the multiple floors.

“That’s not the word I would use,” said Ventus, staring at the moss growing on the wall.

Aqua spoke with Terra. “So there are people here after all.”

“At least there were at one time,” he winced. “Who knows how long this has been here?”

“At least a few years, considering the wood rot.” She kicked at a wall at the corner. “But it looks stable enough.”

“Hello?” Kairi shouted up to the rafters. “Is anybody here? Do you mind if we camp here for the night?”

“Don’t bother, Kai,” Said Riku, “this place is totally abandoned.”

“I don’t know,” said Ventus, looking over some barrels and crates in the corner. “There’s some good stuff here. It might still be occupied.”

“What person in their right mind would live in a place like this?”

“If they aren’t expecting guests, I’m sure the place would look like junk.”

“Hey, check this out.” Riku shoved a crate out of the way, revealing a fireplace made of rocks and clay built into the wall. “Looks like we’ll stay nice and toasty, and Ventus can make us Hobo pies.”

“Yay camping!!”

The group set to work setting up camp. There was no need for tents, but the boys strung up mosquito nets for some protection. Aqua and Kairi laid out the sleeping bags and stacked crates to make a dressing area.

“If someone built this treehouse here, there must be water nearby.” Riku posed, “Aqua come with me.”

“Why me?”

“It’s only appropriate.”

“Oh haha.” She said sarcastically, picking up her canteen. “Then I expect everyone else to get started on dinner while we’re gone.”

“Yes ma’am!” Ventus saluted.

Terra and Ventus worked together to put the ingredients for dinner together, while Kairi climbed up on the second level, which was just a balcony.

There was a pile of rags laid out on the ground, and she wondered if it was supposed to be a bed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move.

“Hello?” She called.

“Yes Kairi?” Asked Ventus from below.

“No...I just thought—never mind.”

Soon, the sun set, and the team called it a day. They sat around talking for a little while, the excitement of all being together in a new world buzzing between them.

“We should get to bed,” Aqua reminded, motherly. “The sooner we get up, the sooner we can get started looking for the heart.”

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man, healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Ventus parroted, like a good noodle.

“Ah,” Riku chimed in. “But early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy, but socially dead.”

“Good night everyone!” Terra shouted, ending the argument.

—

Kairi was an early riser. Awaking with the sun. Ventus was usually shortly behind. Eraqus had theorized that it was the light in their hearts that resonated with the early sun. That theory was held strongly, considering Terra and Riku were often up late into the night, and therefore up long after breakfast had been made.

Just as usual, Kairi was the first to wake at the crack of dawn. The sun’s rays filtered in through the gaps in the wood of the walls. She blinked once, twice, and then realized what she was seeing.

A pair of eyes were staring into hers, watching.

She screamed, as expected.

The shriek woke everyone in camp, as well as scared off whatever had been studying her before she had the chance to get a good look at it.

“Geez, What gives Kai?” Asked Riku, just barely awake.

“I was—there—it was—something was staring at me!”

The rest of the team looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

“Did you forget we’re in a jungle? I’m sure there’s lots of things watching us.” Aqua tried to pacify.

“Oh great, thanks for bringing that up. Now I’ll never get back to sleep!” Terra whined.

“Oh grow up. We should all get up and get to work already. This isn’t a pleasure outing!”

“Hey Kai, do us a favor and next time you make eye contact with something, try not to scream, okay?” Riku muttered, still moments away from falling back to sleep.

Kairi didn’t respond. She didn’t bother. But she knew one thing for certain:

Those were human eyes, and they were the bluest she’d ever seen.

Edited March 8, 2019 by P-Artsypants

P-Artsypants · March 8, 2019

Chapter Two- In Which the Heartless Appear

The group stood down below the treehouse, preparing their game plan for the day.

“Alright,” said Terra. “Aqua, Ventus, and I will head North. Riku and Kairi head South. In three hours, we meet back at camp for lunch and report our findings.”

“Sounds fine,” said Riku, patting Kairi on the head. “Ready Princess?”

Kairi nodded enthusiastically.

“Please be careful,” Aqua urged. “Watch out for Heartless and other wild beasts. There’s no shame in running from a fight if it gets too dangerous.”

“You underestimate us,” Riku smirked. “I’m a master, and Kairi kicks ass in her own right. She’ll be a master soon enough.”

Kairi’s smile wasn’t as confident. “I can hold my own if I have to...but I’m glad Riku’s got my back. At least I have my healing Magics.”

“Never underestimate a good healer.” Ventus quoted, like a good noodle.

“Can we go now? We’re burning daylight!” Terra reprimanded.

Riku stuck his tongue out and escorted Kairi away, to the south.

They walked for a time, talking about this and that, always on edge and watching for heartless. The jungle was filled with soft noises of insects and animals in the distance. The wind rustled the leaves, and the air was damp with morning mist. “It’s quiet,” said Kairi. “Enemy wise, at least.”

“Yeah,” Riku agreed. “I honestly thought we’d encounter a heartless by now. But I haven’t even seen a shadow. Unless...they aren’t here because there’s no humans.”

She hesitated and then confessed, “hey...remember when I said I saw something staring at me this morning?”

“Yeah?”

“I...I’m pretty sure it was a person.”

“Really? You think it was whoever built the treehouse? What did they look like?”

“I didn’t really get a good look. My scream scared him off. But I’m pretty sure I was looking at human eyes.”

“Hmm...maybe we’ll see them again. Maybe not. Depends on if we find the heart soon.”

“Do you think we’re safe in the treehouse?”

He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think anywhere in this world is that safe.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Riku was a man of few words. He and Kairi were often paired up on missions, given that they were the most recent recruits. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus had a dynamic that was almost poetic, and it was hard to get into. So, Kairi and Riku had developed their own kind of rhythm.

Though, they were both very different people. Kairi saw that he cared about her, but he was often lost in his thoughts. Possibly thinking of regrets and the mistakes he made in the darkness. It was a curse that plagued him, and for a year, he lost himself physically and spiritually.

Only by the guidance of another keyblade wielder, King Mickey of Disney Castle, was he able to regain himself. And apparently, even that was a feat.

So, Kairi made it her personal mission to pull him out of his dark thoughts. He always answered her patiently, so she could only assume he appreciated it.

“Riku, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Why is Ventus only being tested for Master now? He’s been training for at least ten years. You only trained for four before your exam.”

“Well, I’m not sure, honestly. But I have thought about it. Now, I know that when Master Xehanort brought Ventus to Master Eraqus, he wasn’t really himself.”

“Wait, who’s Master Xehanort?”

“You know, the creepy old bald man? He was there for my exam.”

She frowned. “Hmm, I guess I don’t remember him...oh! He has a keyblade with an eye in it, right?”

“That’s him!”

“Gee, I almost forgot about him. Anyway, Master Xehanort brought Ventus...?”

“Right, when Ven arrived, he was...basically a husk. His heart had been damaged. Unlike you, he wasn’t born with a heart of light, someone had stripped the darkness from it. And in the process, broke his heart in half.”

“That’s awful!” She cried, her heart aching for Ven.

“So he has had to relearn everything. I think Master Eraqus didn’t want to burden him with the idea of Master before he was ready.”

“That makes sense then. I just...always wondered why he wasn’t a Master yet. Hopefully he does well today. What do they look for in the exam?”

“Well, I guess it depends on the fighter. When I was tested, Master Eraqus didn’t look at my strength or accuracy, since I had that when I started. He looked at my magic, and to see if I could control the darkness in my heart in dire situations. I had to learn the hard way that relying on darkness for strength had more consequences than benefits. But you would know that already, so you wouldn’t be tested on it. Nor would you on healing magic.”

Kairi nodded, understanding. “What do you think are my weaknesses then? What should I work on?”

“I think it’s important for every keyblade wielder to be able to hold their own in battle, without any magic. Using strength and the environment to their advantage.”

“Like Terra?”

“Yeah, he’s really good at that. Also knowing when you can’t fight or shouldn’t fight is wise. Knowing when to run from battle, or to ask for help.”

“Got it.”

“But Kairi, honestly, you’ve only been studying for a year, and you’re doing awesome. Just keep working hard and you’ll get there in no time. I mean it.”

She grinned at him. “Thanks Riku, I’ll do my best!”

He offered a smirk before turning his attention back to the trees. Then he sighed, “this would be so much easier if I knew what we were looking for. Like, a giant door, or the inside of a big ass tree.”

“And there’s no one to ask, either.”

They reached a grove, separated by roots and rocks. They went different paths, but stayed close enough together to not lose one another.

And then came the chattering.

“Do you hear that?” Kairi asked softly.

“Yeah, sounds like...monkeys.”

Kairi’s gaze went up along a rock face. “Those aren’t monkeys!”

Two dozen heartless, blue in color and resembling monkeys hung on the rock. And all of their attention was on the two below.

“Ready Kai?”

“Mhm!” She nodded, summoning her blade.

The heartless pounced, attacking with flurries of claws, while others volleyed coconuts at them from the sidelines. For every one she killed, two more would take its place. Riku had her back, so she focused her efforts to the front. Kairi just kept on fighting, unwittingly letting the heartless lead her farther and farther away from her partner.

Then she ran out of mana.

Now it was down to just her brute strength.

“There’s no shame in asking for help!” She reminded herself. “Riku! Riku I need help!”

But he was no where to be seen, just Heartless as far as the eye could see.

“Can’t run away…” she still tried, taking refuge behind a boulder. “At least I can use the environment to my advantage!” The heartless were quickly approaching her, so she dove under a cluster of tree roots, using them as a shield. The coconuts thumped against the hold, and Kairi tried to catch her breath and allow her mana to replenish.

But then she heard the distinct sound of the Heartless being slain. The sound they made when releasing their hearts.

When it was quiet, she poked her head out.

“Riku?”

But Riku was not who she saw. Instead, there was a boy, about her age, crouched not too far from her hiding place.

He turned and looked at her, and all the world froze as they realized what they were seeing.

He was skinny and dirty, his corded muscles visible under his tan skin. He was covered in scars, particularly a large ‘X’ shape on his chest. His brown hair was spiked in every direction, and a few sticks stuck out of the locks.

And he was only wearing a loincloth.

Kairi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn’t find the words. Not even a ‘thank you’.

“Kairi!” Riku’s voice came from somewhere behind her,

Out of reflex, she called back, “Riku! Over here!” But as she turned back around, the stranger was gone without a trace.

“Wait!” She called out, in vain. “Come back!”

Riku climbed over a root to get to her. “There you are! You okay?”

“I—there—he—boy!” She pointed to where the young man had been.

“What?”

“I saw a boy!”

Riku placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “I think you’re hysterical.”

“I am not! I really did see him!”

“I believe you! I do! But you’re hyperventilating. Let’s go back to camp and meet up with everyone. Then you can tell the others about what you saw. ‘Kay?”

She nodded, still looking around for some hint of the stranger. There was nothing. “Okay…”

—

Back at camp, Kairi ate without a word as Ventus excitedly recapped their morning.

“...and we figured out that the big fruit was causing the heartless to spawn so rapidly! So once Aqua destroyed it, we poofed the rest of them! Then the gorillas actually came out and studied us! It was really scary at first, but they gave me a banana! It was so cool!”

“That is awesome, Ven!” Riku praised. “How’s the test? Are you a master yet?”

“Not quite yet,” Terra said, optimism in his voice. “But he did a great job!”

Aqua explained, “One of the things we’re supposed to look for was Ven’s prioritizing abilities. He can get tunnel vision sometimes, but he made sure to slay any heartless that came anywhere near the gorillas first. I think that’s why they gave him a present.”

Ventus beamed.

“Well, glad to hear it Ven! I knew you could do it!”

“What about you guys? Any luck?”

Riku grinned. “Well, we didn’t find the heart, but Kairi saw something.”

At this, the group noticed that Kairi had been quiet up until now.

“Really?” Asked Terra, “What did you see?”

“I saw a person, a boy.”

“What?!” The other three gasped, quite loudly.

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?!” Asked Aqua. “What happened?”

“He saved me. Riku and I got ambushed by a lot of heartless, the same kind you saw. And in the fight I got separated from Riku, and then I used up all my magic. I was hiding when...when he came. I only saw him for a little bit before he left.”

“Did he say anything?”

“Not a word.”

“What did he look like?”

“He...He was—“ Now, Kairi was known across the worlds as not only a Princess, but a very smart, mature, level-headed young woman. So it was a little surprising when she automatically responded, “he was cute.”

The boys all snickered as Aqua gave her a sympathetic gaze.

Kairi stammered. “N-No! I mean—! He was ripped! No! He—“

“Kairi,” Aqua spoke between giggles. “You’re going to have to be a little more descriptive than that.”

She sighed, her face red. “He was pretty thin, young. He had brown, wild, spiky hair. And he had a lot of scars, a really big ‘X’ shaped one on his chest. And...he was only wearing a loincloth.”

Terra and Aqua looked at each other, deep in thought.

“Did he have a weapon?”

Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen anything in his hands, but he had disposed of several heartless. Had he done so with his bare hands?

“Not that I saw,” she finally answered.

“Could you see his eye color?”

“No, he was too far away.” But she had a hunch they were blue, if it was the same boy from early this morning.

Aqua spoke softly, mostly just to Terra. “What if it’s him?”

Terra shook his head. “What if it’s not?”

“But Terra, what if it is? What are we going to do? He’s been alone out here for ten years! And even if it isn’t, this boy should be with people!”

“Who are you talking about, exactly?” Riku asked.

Instead of answering, Terra simply argued back, “Sora died. We saw all the evidence. And that boy sounds like he’s doing just fine here. It would be shocking to rip him away from his home.”

“We never found his body, Terra!” Aqua grew passionate. “Please let me hope!”

Terra sighed, but said nothing.

“Maybe,” began Kairi, “whoever he is, he could give us a hint to finding the heart of the world?”

The group looked to Terra, watching him consider.

“Alright. If we can befriend this guy, we’ll see if he’ll help us. Just...be careful out there guys.”

P-Artsypants · March 9, 2019

Chapter Three- In Which A Fairytale Comes True

That night, Kairi laid awake, thinking. She couldn’t get the strange boy out of her head. If he really was Sora, what were they going to do? Take him back with them?

But ten years alone in the jungle would change a person. Did he even know how to speak? Could he still summon his keyblade?

Would they just have to leave him behind? That didn’t seem fair. Even if he wasn’t Sora, being all alone in the Jungle just didn’t seem right.

When he looked at her, his expression held a lot of emotion. Fear, curiosity, and lot of wonder. How frightening it must have been to see another creature like him, and yet so different.

From her sleeping bag, she looked over at her teammates. Everyone was asleep and all was calm. The fire was still going, though only bright enough to cast a soft light on the immediate area. Crickets and strange animals hooted outside the treehouse, where the moon shone blue light through the windows.

Kairi loved nights like this. It was so different from her days in Radiant Garden, where even the nights had noise of the city, of clanking and whirling machines. In the Land of Departure, the nights were nearly silent from her window high in the castle. This though, this was just perfect. She had been to so many worlds in the last year, traveling with her teammates. Nights like these, where the darkness retreated at the light of the moon, and life persisted.

It was relaxing and comforting. Though the Jungle held many mysteries and dangers, this was a haven.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of feet hitting the floor, though very gently. She glanced to the other end of the treehouse and saw a silhouetted figure, crouched and crawling towards them.

Kairi didn’t move, though she prepared in case he meant harm. Eraqus once said she had a problem with naïveté, and that she often trusted people too quickly. Still, she felt like this stranger meant no harm, for if he was the same boy she had seen earlier, he easily could have left her to die out on the field.

The boy slowly tracked through their camp, his steps imperceivable over the sound of the crackling fire and Terra’s snores. He curiously dug into the first pack he found, which belonged to Ventus. He pulled out a shirt, feeling the fabric and turning it over to examine it. When it failed to interest him, he shoved it back into the bag.

Then he slowly and hesitantly leaned over Ventus himself, studying his face. Then he moved onto the next person.

He peaked in everyone’s luggage, pulling out interesting items to sniff or taste. Though he didn’t actually take anything. Then he sniffed each of her teammates, touching their hair and any armor that was nearby.

It felt like she had been watching him for an hour before he finally made his way over to her. She closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

She heard him shuffling through her clothes, then heard him sniffling near her ear. She stayed extremely still, keeping her breathing even, as his face drew closer to hers.

It seemed his evaluation of her would be different from the others, since she felt the softest skin against her lips.

Her eyes fluttered open in shock.

Those blue blue eyes stared right back at her, with all the wonder in the world.

She didn’t scream this time, just stared back at him.

Had he just...kissed her?

His eyes widened slightly as a smile took over his lips. He seemed thrilled that he had awakened her.

Carefully, since he was only inches away from her face, Kairi sat up. He remained close, but followed her movements.

He flicked his eyes over her body briefly, now that she was in pajamas, but continually met her eyes. Likewise, Kairi looked over him, now that he was close and not about to leave.

He had a large leaf on his arm, held in place by mud. It looked like a primitive bandaid. She frowned, and threw off her blankets.

The boy didn’t like the action, and whimpered, thinking she was leaving.

Instead she stood and quietly walked over to their first aid kit. She opted for a potion, so as not to startle him by summoning her keyblade. Then she took her canteen and a rag.

All the while, he watched, curious as to what she could be doing.

Finally, she smiled at him and beckoned him to follow her outside.

He did so eagerly, ever interested in her world.

Outside the treehouse, on the balcony, Kairi knelt and wetted the rag with the canteen.

The stranger was quick to crouch in front of her, immediately in her personal space.

She reached out, her hand hovering over his arm.

He tilted his head, looking at her expression, and then where her hand was. Then he leaned that arm towards her.

Carefully, Kairi peeled off the leaf and began to wipe off the mud. A potion would heal up the wound just fine, but it would have to be clean first.

The boy hissed suddenly and ripped his arm away.

She dropped the rag and held out her hands in a calming way.

Seeing she meant no harm, he slowly reached his arm back out, letting her finish.

Once clean, she offered him the potion.

Instead of taking it, however, he reached his hand out and touched her face ever so gently, then leaned in, unaware of how uncomfortable he was making her.

She couldn’t help but laugh a little, mostly out of nervousness. “Haven’t you looked at me enough already?”

His eyes widened at the sound of her voice, and he gave a silent laugh, like a dog panting, and danced on his toes.

Again, she offered the potion.

He sniffed it, and then gave it a withering glance.

“You drink it,” She pantomimed drinking, and encouraged him to do the same.

So he did, but screwed his face up after at the bitter taste. But then he blinked, feeling the pain in his arm gone. Glancing down, his wound was completely healed, and there wasn’t even a scar. He did his little dance again.

“See? All better!”

He showed his appreciation by swooping in and nuzzling his nose with hers.

She crinkled up her face in response, not expecting the action.

Then he backed off a few inches, his eyes bright, and pleasant grunts coming from his throat.

“Uh, you’re welcome?” Kairi laughed.

He tilted his head to the side. “Wel...come?”

“You can speak!” She clapped her hands in joy.

He mimicked the action. “Speak!”

“Ah, but not very well, I guess.” Still, she touched her chest, right above her heart. “My name is Kairi.”

He glanced at her hand, then her face, and mimicked the action, hand on his chest “Kai...ri?”

“Close.” She took his hand and placed it on her chest, “Kairi.”

Realization hit him. “Kairi!” He patted her heart. “Kairi!”

“Good! Now...” she placed her hand on his chest, right over the ‘X’ scar. “What’s your name?”

He looked at her hand, frowned, and without another word, leapt over the railing and into the darkness of night.

Kairi was left alone, only able to wonder. She touched the tip of her nose, then her lips, and blushed.

—

The next morning, over breakfast, the group talked over their plan for the day. They decided they would split up again, same groups, and travel East and West this time.

Kairi was barely paying attention. After the boy left, she finally was able to fall asleep, even though he had only given her more questions than answers.

“Kai?” Riku asked, noticing how quiet she had been.

“What world’s did Sora like?” She said suddenly.

Terra and Aqua stopped eating and pondered the question.

“Why do you ask?”

“I just...wondered. Maybe there’s a way to find out if it’s really him by bringing back some old memories.”

Aqua considered, “Gosh, I don’t know if there was a world he didn’t like! He was so friendly to everyone...almost to a fault.”

“You know the most important rule of keyblade wielders?” Terra asked.

“We mustn’t meddle in the affairs of other worlds.” Quoted Ventus, like a good noodle.

“Well, he loved to meddle. He always found a way to get in people’s business. Usually, we helped solve problems, but mostly Sora just stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.”

Aqua pondered, “But a favorite world, specifically? Well, he liked The Caribbean. He loved being a pirate and the big ships.”

“He also liked Neverland and flying.”

“And oh! He liked Halloweentown!”

“For Santa?” Asked Riku, like it was the obvious thing in the world.

“Of course for Santa.”

“Aqua, do you remember what world he talked about for weeks after we came back?”

“Um...gosh, we went to a lot of worlds back then. Which one ware you thinking of?”

“Enchanted Dominion.”

“Oh yeah!”

The other three just looked in question. “Where?”

Aqua sighed sadly. “It’s one of the early worlds that fell into darkness. Princess Aurora and Maleficent’s world.”

Riku groaned loudly.

“What’s crawled up your butt, Riku?” Asked Terra at the reaction.

“I hate that bitch so much.” He shook his head. “Sorry for the language but…she’s just the worst.”

“I thought Princess Aurora was nice.” Said Ventus, innocently. Since her world had fallen into the darkness, she had been living in Radiant Garden, along with two other Princesses, Snow White and Cinderella.

“Not Aurora! Maleficent! Geez…”

“She was the one who made you succumb to the darkness, isn’t she?” Kairi asked.

He rolled his eyes, “yeah. Anyways, that’s in the past now. What did you guys do in Enchanted Dominion?”

“You guys know about Aurora’s curse, right?”

“Let’s say I don’t…” Ventus cringed.

“When she was an infant, Maleficent cursed her to die at the age of sixteen, after she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. Only because of the good fairies did the curse change from death to sleep. And with true loves kiss, the spell would be broken.”

“Well, it must not have come true then, given we saw Aurora a few weeks ago.”

“Oh, it did come true. When we arrived in the world, the curse had already come to fruition. Aurora was asleep in the tallest tower, and the fairies had put the whole kingdom to sleep as well, so no one would worry.”

“That had to be weird to walk into,” Said Riku.

“Extremely.” Deadpanned Terra.

“We wandered around for awhile until we found the tower that Aurora was sleeping in...well, Sora found it. He tried waking her up by tapping her shoulder and going, ‘excuse me ma’am.’ Then the good fairies found us and explained the curse, and that Aurora’s true love, Prince Phillip, was being held prisoner in Maleficent’s Castle.”

Terra laughed, “when Fauna explained that Aurora needed a kiss to wake up, Sora said ‘well, I’ll kiss her!’ He just didn’t understand why it had to be this one guy specifically. It was hard to explain without using the analogy of a key to a lock…considering he’s been able to unlock any door he’s wanted with the same key his whole life.”

“So what did you do?”

“Well, the fairies asked us for our help, since they didn’t want to worry the kingdom, and they led us to the Forbidden Mountain. Sora at least stayed behind at the gate, but he insisted on being part of the adventure. So Terra and I snuck into the fortress and freed Prince Phillip, but we had to fight our way out. And just as we were about to reach King Stefan’s Castle, Maleficent appeared.”

“And she was pissed.”

“I know how that is...” Riku said under his breath.

“The fairies had given Phillip a sword and shield, so he wasn’t completely defenseless...but it wasn’t much help. She turned into this huge dragon!”

“Oh wow, she can do that?” Ventus asked, horrified.

“She’s a witch with the powers of darkness. There’s no telling what all she can do.”

“So you fought her as a dragon?”

“Yeah, and she put up one hell of a fight. And Sora fought valiantly, well, for a...I think he was five at the time?”

“You let him fight?!” Kairi shouted, aghast.

“We always did. How else was he supposed to learn?”

“I don’t know! Somehow less dangerously!?”

“So, what happened?” Asked Riku. “Maleficent is still prowling around, but Aurora is awake. Homeless, but awake.”

“Well, Phillip dealt the finishing blow.” Aqua said.

Terra quoted, “‘Sword of Truth, fly swift and sure. Let evil die, and good endure!’ At least that’s what the spell was supposed to do.”

“But we were all surprised to hear she was back. She’s like a weed that won’t stop growing. We led Phillip up the tower to Aurora, and he kissed her. She woke up, and so did the rest of the kingdom. And they all lived happily ever after…until the darkness came.”

Kairi hugged her legs to her chest, totally invested in the story of young Sora. “So, when you guys came back, he talked about it a lot?”

“Mostly the dragon,” Terra explained. “In our downtime, we would play this game…” He trailed off, and then sighed, remembering.

Aqua laughed. “Oh my god! I remember! We would play this game where…” she caught her breath, “where one of us was the ‘dragon’, one was the ‘Prince’ and then the other was the ‘Princess’. It was basically reenacting what had happened in Enchanted Dominion.”

“Honestly, I loved being the Princess,” Terra said, unabashed. “I actually just slept.”

“The catch was that the ‘Prince’ had to wake up the ‘Princess’ with a kiss. Usually on the cheek or forehead.”

Terra sighed, “yeah, but there was one time where Sora was the ‘Dragon’ and I was the ‘Prince’ and he insisted I kiss Aqua on the lips.”

“Did you?”

The treehouse was quiet as he said quietly. “…yeah.”

Riku and Ventus laughed loudly at his blushing face.

“I know it must hurt,” Kairi said, once things calmed down. “Talking about him again, but it’s really nice to hear about him.”

Aqua smiled, forlorn. “Yeah…full disclosure, if this wild stranger ends up being him, I am going to cry.”

“I had forgotten a lot of this until we started talking about it.” Terra admitted. “It was just…easier not to think about it. I still remember him declaring, quite proudly, that one day he was going to find a Princess like Aurora, one that would wake up with his kiss. I told him it was inappropriate to kiss girls while they were sleeping and he retorted,” he made his voice high pitched and whiny, “but all the other Princes are doing it!”

Something about that statement made Kairi’s heart ache.

“That was over ten years ago, but it doesn’t feel like it.” Aqua said, raising to her feet. “Well, we have a jungle to search, and two things to find now.”

P-Artsypants · March 11, 2019

This story went from “wow, this is a fun little idea.”

To, “wait, so Terra would never have been Norted?”

Then, “Organization XIII never existed!”

Then finally, “I JUST REWROTE KINGDOM HEARTS.”

This story is going to longer than planned, and I now regret taking those 10 hour shifts.

Chapter Four- In Which They Meet Tarzan and Jane

—

They had been in Deep Jungle for days now. Nothing to see but plants and heartless. Even the gorillas had disappeared from the first time they saw them. They were no closer to finding the keyhole than they were on the first day when they hadn’t even started looking.

The sightings of the wild boy continued, though no one was ever able to get a clear look at him.

One morning, while breakfast was being prepared, everyone sat around in various degrees of wakefulness. Then, without warning, a wicker basket filled with fruit fell from the ceiling and landed next to Kairi with a ‘wham!’

Everyone jumped at the gift, startled, before Ventus called out, “thank you sentient tree house!”

Then, three days into the voyage, with no end in sight, they finally made some headway.

It came mid afternoon, on a day that was hot and humid, as most days were in the jungle. The bugs were out, and everyone was cranky from sleeping on the floor for so many nights.

Riku was heading the pack, his job was keeping everyone going in the same direction, north by northwest. All the while, Kairi brought up the rear, her eyes wandering the canopy, just as she had on the first day.

“Look!” She cried, seeing something through the trees. “A treehouse!”

“Ugh, we’re back at camp? We walked all the way around the world?” Asked Ventus with a groan.

Kairi was already pushing plants aside to make her way over. “No! It’s a different treehouse!”

And indeed it was. Smaller than the first one, but newer. A second even smaller treehouse sat in the adjacent tree, connected with a bridge. There was a rope ladder hanging down, and smoke coming from a little chimney.

“Hello!” Called Kairi. “Is someone there?”

Terra and the rest caught up with her. “Wait! What if they’re dangerous?”

Riku interjected. “This is the first lead we’ve had! We should take it!”

A brunette woman poked her head out the window of the treehouse. “My goodness! I’m not hearing things!” She called, with an English accent. “There’s people! I’ll be down in just a moment!”

“She looks nice,” Ventus commented.

The woman descended using a vine, sliding down and landing right in front of them. “Hello! My, it has been some time since I’ve seen other people! You must be from another world! Are you here to study the gorillas?” Then she grew less friendly, “or are you here to hurt them? Because if you are, I’ll—I’ll...well, I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I can assure you it won’t be pleasant!”

Ventus whispered to Riku. “I like her.”

“We’re not here to hurt the gorillas,” Terra said, raising his hands peacefully. “In fact, we’re here to help them, in a way, Miss uh...”

“Oh, where are my manners? My name is Jane, Jane Porter. It’s a pleasure.” She held her hand out.

He shook it. “I’m Terra, these are my friends, Aqua, Ventus, Riku, and Kairi.”

“So, what does bring you folks to our Jungle?”

“Well,” Terra explained, hesitating. “We’re looking for a keyhole.”

“And a wild man!” Ventus added.

“Preferably both,” said Aqua.

Jane smiled, “well, I know of no keyhole, but the wild man you’re looking for is probably my husband. He should be along here sometime. Won’t you all come up and have some tea?”

Kairi’s heart sank into her shoes. That boy had been someone’s husband? And he had kissed her? Oh this was not good.

“Tea sounds lovely, thank you.” Aqua agreed.

Jane led the way up to the treehouse, gesturing them inside. “Come in! Come in! Make yourselves at home. I know it must be exhausting hiking through the jungle. Sit wherever you’d like.”

Immediately Ventus and Riku plopped down on a couch that, despite its Victorian appearance, was quite comfortable.

Jane set on the kettle and then called out to the neighboring treehouse, “Daddy! Daddy wake up, we have company!” Then she looked at her guests. “My apologies, it’s been so long since we had visitors that spoke English! You see, we’re researchers. About three years ago, Daddy and I came here from a neighboring world called London to study the gorillas.”

“Oh!” Cried Ventus. “We’ve been to London!”

Riku nudged him, “hush.”

“You have?” Said Jane happily. “Sometimes I really miss those streets, but other times I remember all the smoke and noise, and I’m glad I stayed here.”

“Why did you stay?” Asked Terra politely. “Your husband?”

“Yes, precisely. Daddy and I came here with another man, Clayton, on a grant to stay for about a month. Nearly the first day we arrived, I met him. He saved me from an angry fleet of baboons. A flying man in a loin cloth…”

“What’s his name?” Asked Riku.

“Oh, it’s...it’s a little odd, it’s Tarzan.”

The group collectively deflated, now knowing that the wild man was not who they wanted him to be.

“He didn’t speak any English,” Jane continued. “So, we taught him. We taught him reading and writing, math and science, about all the other worlds and galaxies out there. When the ship came to take us back, we tried to get Tarzan to come along with us...but our guide Clayton betrayed us, caged all the gorillas, and killed the alpha.”

The group stayed quiet, letting her speak, since it seemed so long since she had had any company. “Tarzan and Clayton fought, and in the end, Tarzan won. But the alpha, in his dying moments, chose Tarzan to be the next leader of the pack. So he couldn’t return with us.” A small smile came to her face. “So I decided to stay too, and so did daddy.”

At that moment, a small old man came in the door, “I say, we do have company! A mighty gay crew of young adventurers at that! How wonderful! Archimedes Q. Porter, at your service! Jane, you’ve got the kettle on?”

“Of course, Daddy. They’re here in search of a keyhole, and they were looking for Tarzan!”

“A keyhole? In the jungle? You might as well be looking for a needle in a haystack!”

Jane took pause. “Come to think of it, for what reason are you looking for Tarzan?”

Aqua answered. “Well, at first we wondered if he was someone we once knew. But, we also wondered if he would have any hints to finding the keyhole...”

“And what does this keyhole lock, or unlock, as the case may be?”

“Well...” Terra and Aqua shared a look, trying to decide what was appropriate to say.

Riku took the decision away from them. “Have you seen the strange creatures that look like monkeys, but definitely aren’t?”

“Oh! You mean those blue menaces?! Of course! They’re the reason we had to leave the old treehouse!” The professor exclaimed.

“You mean the two-story one? A bit south of here?”

“That’s the one!”

“That’s where we set up camp! The heartless were a big problem there?”

“Is that what they’re called?” Asked Jane. “And why yes, but...they’ve been a problem everywhere in the Jungle. Tarzan is nearly at his wits end trying to kill them all! But they just keep coming back! They breed like rabbits!”

“They don’t actually breed…” Terra began. “The heartless are born of the darkness in people’s hearts. They’ve been getting worse everywhere. The locking the keyhole will stop them from swallowing this world completely, and get them to stop re-spawning.”

Jane sighed in relief. “If that’s the case, I’m sure Tarzan will do what he can to help you.”

Then, the kettle screamed, and Jane began to serve the tea. “You know, you say those heartless are made from the darkness in people’s hearts. It makes quite a bit of sense then, really, since they came around the same time we did. Clayton, the man I spoke of before, was terribly evil. We hired him to keep us safe in the jungle, but he ended up being the biggest threat.” She put the tea on the tray and brought over for everyone to take a cup. “I still feel awful about it. This world would have been so much better off if we hadn’t come.”

“Would Tarzan?” Asked Aqua.

And just like that, a figure dropped into the room with a ‘whomp’, poised on the balls of his feet.

Jane collected herself quickly. “There you are, darling! We have guests!”

The man was already halfway across the room, giving each of the wielders a studious look. “Guests…”

“They said they’ve been looking for you.”

“For me?” He took a special interest in Terra, Aqua, and Ven. “Been to see my mother. Said she and others were rescued from the not-chimps by people. One that looked like me,” he pointed at Terra, “one with hair like water,” he pointed at Aqua, “and one with hair like bananas.” He pointed at Ventus.

“Hey!”

“Oh yes!” Said Aqua, “we saved some gorillas from the heartless. Are they your family?”

“Yes, my family. Thank you.”

Ven grinned. “No sweat, it’s our job.”

“Kairi, is this the man you saw?” Riku spoke up.

It was almost with relief that she said, “no, he’s not.”

“Not Tarzan? My, then I feel sorry for wasting your time while I just rambled…hold on, you mean to say you saw another wild man out in the Jungle?”

“Yes, a few days ago.”

“Other,” said Tarzan. “One other.”

“Other? Oh!” Jane gasped. “Goodness gracious, I had completely forgotten about him! There is another wild man out there, but I only saw him once…and he was not very friendly. He almost got violent actually, Tarzan had to wrestle him away.”

“Not like Tarzan,” Tarzan said, “not part of pack. Comes and goes.”

No one got their hopes up. That didn’t sound like Sora at all.

Still, Riku asked, “does he have a name?”

After a moment, Tarzan answered:

“Sora.”

Aqua’s teacup shattered on the floor, as she stared at the man in horror. “I...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...”

“Oh, it’s alright,” Jane pacified. “Not much use for china in the Jungle, right? Are...are you alright?”

Aqua rubbed the heel of her hand into her eye. “I...I’m fine...” though as she said it, more tears came until she was weeping openly.

Terra quickly rushed over, and embraced her, where she buried her head in his shoulder to cry.

“Said something wrong?” Asked Tarzan.

“No,” said Terra, his voice choked up. “You said the right thing.”

“You’re...his family, aren’t you?” Jane surmised.

“Yeah...we...we came here about ten years ago, for a training exercise. He was only six then, and we left him and Ven at camp. When we returned, the camp was destroyed, Ven was unconscious and bloody, and Sora was nowhere to be found.”

“We searched for days!” Aqua sobbed. “But all we found was his bloody clothes. We didn’t think he could have—we thought he was dead! But all this time, he’s been here. Alone...”

“There there, don’t blame yourself.” Jane consoled, getting her a fresh cup of tea. “Given the evidence you found, it was a very natural conclusion you arrived at. You searched for days. And...he’s alive. You’ll be reunited!”

“But, I can’t help but be afraid, what if he thinks we abandoned him here?”

“If you explain it, he’ll understand.”

Terra asked Tarzan, “what can you tell us about him?”

The man scratched his head, trying to recall old memories. “Found him when he was small. Hurt. Scratched. Naked. Brought him home to family, for help. Kerchak didn’t want him to stay. Said he was marked as prey, being hunted. Mom begged him to stay until he was healed. Kerchak agreed. Thought he would die, but didn’t. He healed, and stayed with us for a while, and then left. Found him later, hurt again, brought him back again. Over and over, same thing. Kerchak was right, marked as prey, but predator doesn’t kill. Still hunting him.”

That was troubling. “He’s being hunted? By what?” Asked Aqua.

“Strange creature. Black, blue, and red.”

“That sounds like a heartless,” said Riku with mounting concern.

Tarzan further explained, “when first met Sora, he made weird sounds. I now know it was English. Then each time we found him, made less of those noises, more animal noises. More animal behavior. Now, he is like something different. Not like Jane, not like Tarzan’s family. Not like Tarzan.”

“What kind of animal is he acting like?”

“One I have never seen before.”

Kairi still didn’t mention her other encounter with him at the treehouse, but she thought about it. He had parroted what she had said, and if this truly was Sora, shouldn’t he be able to recall at least a little bit? Had he lost himself that much?

Everyone else was considering Tarzan’s news of a heartless hunting Sora. What sort of Heartless plays with its victim for over ten years? It sounded like the intentional work of Maleficent.

Jane broke the silence, “Tarzan, have you ever heard of a keyhole? Our friends are looking for one.”

He thought a moment. “I know of lots of holes. Explain more?”

Jane went over to her dresser, grabbed her jewelry box, and brought it over for him to see. “This little hole right here is a keyhole, if I put the key in it, it unlocks the box, and I can open the lid. In London, all the houses have keyholes on them so you can get inside.”

“And there’s one in the Jungle?” He asked the guests.

“There should be. We just…have no idea where to start,” Said Aqua. “Is there somewhere or something significant in the jungle? Something important?”

“There’s the waterfalls,” Jane mused. “It’s the main freshwater source, at the heart of the Jungle.”

“The heart of the Jungle!” The five exclaimed.

“We have to go to the waterfalls! Can you take us there, Tarzan?”

The man wandered over to the door, looking outside, thinking.

“He’s a very quiet man.” Jane whispered to her guests. “He’s basically the king of the Jungle, so he must consider the animal’s safety.”

He came back and declared, “not yet, but I will come for you soon. Where is your camp?”

“At the old treehouse, to the South.”

He nodded in understanding. “I will try to find Sora, tell him his family looks for him. Thank you for helping us.”

—

Later that night, Aqua boarded the gummi ship, as she had every night of their trip, and called Master Eraqus.

“It’s late, Aqua. Busy day?”

“Yes, Master. We finally found a lead. There were some researchers from another world here to study the gorillas, and the woman married a man raised by the apes.”

“A man raised by the apes? He was there last time too?”

“I guess? He looked about Riku’s age. They said the waterfalls are at the ‘heart’ of the world, and once the timing is right, he’s going to take us there.”

“The timing?”

“Yes…I’m not exactly sure what that means, but Tarzan has to protect the other animals, he’s like their king. So we have to abide by his rules.”

“Thus preserving the order of things, of course. Well, I hope it doesn’t take too long, for everyone’s sake. How are the rest? Is everyone alright?”

Aqua didn’t answer immediately, her glance away from the screen. “Master, we…I think we found him.”

“…you don’t mean…?”

“Kairi said she saw a wild man in the Jungle, who saved her from the heartless. When we met the researchers, they confirmed there was wild man, another besides the one we met today. They said his name is Sora.”

“Oh god…”

“Master, what are we going to do? We can’t just leave him here!”

“I know, I know…but we mustn’t be hasty. We need to treat him with care, find out what he would like to do. We can’t force him to do anything.”

“One other thing…Tarzan said he was marked as prey. Said he was being hunted by a strange black creature.”

Eraqus frowned hard. “That’s not good. The boy’s heart is strong, and doubtless a very powerful heartless has its eyes on him. No matter what Sora decides in the end, you will need to stop that heartless. We owe that much to him at least.”

Aqua nodded in agreement. “Yes master.”

“And Aqua?”

“…yes?”

“It’ll all work out in the end.”

P-Artsypants · March 13, 2019

Chapter Five- In Which Kairi is Kidnapped

As they had every day, the group woke up in the morning and descended from the treehouse, creating their plan for the day.

“Alright,” began Terra. “Since we have to wait for Tarzan before we can go to the waterfall, our next step is looking for Sora, I guess. Ven and I will try over by the lagoon, Riku and Kairi try to treetops, and Aqua will stay behind at camp in case Tarzan comes for us.”

“Why does Aqua get to stay behind?” Asked Riku, sensibly.

“Because Ventus is still in his exam, and you would just sleep the whole time.”

“Fair.”

“Everyone got a radio?”

They all held up their appropriate walkie-talkies.

“Good, then let’s—“

“EEP!”

One minute, Kairi was there, and the next she was gone, with only a yelp to signify her disappearance.

“Kairi?!” Riku cried out.

“What the hell was that?!” Terra shouted, after seeing a blur sweep her off her feet.

The radios blared to life. “I found him! Er—he found me! I’ll try to—“ static.

“That’s horrifying.” Said Ven.

“Okay, new plan,” declared Terra. “Ven and I will check the lagoon, Riku will check the treetops, and Aqua stays here.”

“That’s the same exact plan as before, but without Kairi.”

“Ah but this time, we’re looking for Sora and her.”

Riku scoffed and began walking off on his own.

“Remember! If you see a strange heartless, call for backup!!”

“Aye aye, Captain.” He waved back.

—

Kairi had been listening, like the good student that she was. She knew she’d be paired up with Riku again, since that’s just the way it always was.

Had she been standing a foot closer to anyone else, it may not have happened, but one second she was looking at Terra, and then she was up in the trees. An arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her tightly to a bare chest as her feet left the ground and her stomach dropped into her shoes. She didn’t even scream, just let out a yelp. It’s like she had left her voice behind.

When she gathered herself, she raised the radio.

“I found him! Er—he found me! I’ll try to get him to bring me back to camp!”

The arm around her tightened and she felt her weight shift down. Instinctively, she hugged him around the neck and then hooked her legs with his.

Looking down, she saw that he had taken her high up to the treetops, a dizzying height from the ground. She clenched her eyes shut.

Finally, they stopped, but he did not loosen the hold on her.

She finally opened her eyes, seeing that they had come to rest on a huge branch. She pulled back slightly to look at him, and likewise, he looked at her.

His eyes were blue. She had seen them before in the moonlight, but now, she could see them properly. Large, brilliant, and so so blue. His glance was tender, yet piercing, and froze her to the spot.

“Hello again...” she found was all she could say.

He didn’t respond with words, only the toothy grin that fit so well on his charming face. He leaned in, his nose touching hers in greeting.

She smiled back, shyly and unwound herself from him, only then did he finally let her go. “You know, it’s not polite to pick up a girl without her permission.” She scolded.

He frowned, but then became happy again when he realized she wasn’t mad at him.

“I really need to go back. The other’s will worry about me.”

He frowned again, his brows furrowing. “Danger.”

“Danger? Then I really need to go! They need my help!”

He grunted and stomped his foot. “Danger!”

“I know! I understand! But we need to help them! Please!”

He grabbed her arm, and shook, not enough to hurt, but just enough to get his point across.

Being a princess, Kairi was used to being benched and ‘staying safe’. But ever since she became a Keyblade wielder, she was determined to save herself. And she emphasized this by summoning her keyblade. “I can protect myself.”

He stared at it in shock.

“It’s a keyblade,” She explained. “You have one too, don’t you?”

He hesitated, but held out his hand, his blade synthesizing.

Now, Kairi had only been studying under Eraqus for about a year, and there were plenty of things she didn’t know about keyblades. But there were a few key things she had learned early on.

She knew all keyblades, save for one, were made in the realm of light. The one exception was the king’s blade, the Kingdom Key. Rather simple in design, a blade of gold with a silver hilt, with a relief of a crown at the end, it was the only keyblade of the realm of darkness. It was fabled to have a partner, the Kingdom Key of light. Though Eraqus was never able to answer when asked where it was.

As she looked at the keyblade in his hand, several thoughts passed through her head. But the most prominent, was that something was wrong. It almost looked like the King’s key, except for a silver blade and a gold hilt. But it looked sick, she surmised. Like the keyblade itself was ill, and even dying. Long, fleshy tendrils of darkness wrapped around the blade, and ended in what looked like claws. The hilt was broken and jagged, and parts even looked dissolved. The crown was struck out with an X.

Kairi touched the blade, fearful to find it colder than any keyblade she had ever touched.

“You...really are Sora, aren’t you?”

His eyes widened. “Know Sora?”

“Well, I know of you, Terra and Aqua told me about you.”

He gruffly shuffled away from her, “Danger.”

“Wait...are you saying that Terra and Aqua...are the Danger?”

“Mmm.” He hummed in confirmation.

“Oh Sora...they love you and miss you! Come on, let’s go back.”

He grunted, and if to solidify his decision, he parked it on the branch. He was acting just like a child.

It was almost adorable.

Kairi found the radio again, and called to her team. “I’m still okay, but our friend is being a little more stubborn than expected, so I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Nothing came from the other line. She glanced at the radio, only to see no lights on it.

Dead.

“Great...They gave me the bad one.” She sighed. “Well, I guess I’m stuck with you.” She plopped down on the branch next to him.

He seemed to be in a better mood now that she had resigned, and scooted over closer to her, straddling the tree branch.

She was startled, but only for a moment, since she was being to get used to him invading her space.

He rested his hand on her heart. “Kairi,” then he mimicked the action in himself. “Sora.”

“Very good!” She praised with a little clap.

Encouraged by her praise, he leaned forward and pressed his ear to her chest.

“Are you...listening to my heart beat?”

“…heart…” He said, his voice soft and reverent. Then he sat up and gestured for her to do the same to him.

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, you got me.” She braced herself on his chest and leaned in to listen.

His heartbeat was strong and steady. Much more calm than she was feeling at the moment.

Despite the condition of his keyblade, listening to his heart was soothing, and warm.

Finally, she pulled away from him. “Very nice,” she said awkwardly.

He smiled widely.

Then, without warning, he grabbed her around the waist again and leapt from the branch. This time, she had a second to latch on before she could slip.

“Look!” He demanded, as he moved through the trees.

She didn’t really want to, afraid of how high they were, but she peeled her eyes open.

They were so high up! If he missed a vine, they would be toast.

But this didn’t seem to bother Sora at all. He laughed and hooted as he swung, calling greeting to other animals as they travelled.

Then, she noticed something out of place among the trees.

She pointed, “That’s Riku! Let’s go say hi!”

If Sora was untrusting to Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, then perhaps he’d be more welcoming to Riku. He perched them on a branch a few feet above him.

“Riku?” Sora asked.

“Yeah, he’s my friend. Our friend.”

“Friend?”

“Yes, Sora friend, Kairi friend, Riku friend!”

“Oh friend!” Sora sang, seemingly understanding.

It seemed that Riku hadn’t noticed them, as he almost fell off the branch he was resting on when they landed next to him.

“Riku!” Kairi sang.

“Oh Kairi!” He breathed in relief. “I’m so glad I found you...or you found me, I guess.”

Sora sat between them, glancing back and forth as they talked.

“Riku, this is Sora.” She introduced, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Nice to finally meet you, we’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He held his hand out.

Sora grabbed his wrist, yanking the hand closer to him to study it. When he deemed there was nothing in it, he frowned at Riku.

“You shake it,” he explained, grabbing his hand. “Like this,” he moved it up and down.

Sora watched the gesture, and then enthusiastically shook his hand, damn near dislocating Riku’s shoulder. “Okay okay! Not that hard!”

Sora let go with satisfied giggle. “Like Riku! Like Sora?”

“Yeah, I like you Sora.” Riku confirmed.

“Like Kairi! Like Sora?”

“Yes, I like you too, Sora.” She smiled at him.

“Sora key, Kairi key, Riku key?”

“Keyblade,” he corrected, summoning the Road to Dawn.

Sora smiled toothily. “Sora key...keyblade!” And he showed his.

Riku stared at it in shock. “That’s...” he looked at Kairi, “Do you know what keyblade this is...or was?”

“It looks like King Mickey’s keyblade. The one from the realm of darkness.”

“This is its partner, I’m sure of it. But...”

Both of them looked at Sora, who just curiously looked back, not knowing what they were talking about.

“Something’s wrong with his heart.” Riku deliberated. “I think that’s what’s causing this.” He touched the black coiling bits, shivering in response. “They’re made of darkness alright.”

This worried Kairi even more. Riku had told her about his fall into darkness, and what it had done to his heart. There was no telling what this meant for poor Sora, who probably didn’t even realize the danger he was in.

“We should catch up with the others,” said Riku. “They’re probably worried sick.”

“I don’t blame them. But...there’s a small problem. He’s not really...keen on them.”

“On who? Terra and Aqua?”

Sora hissed loudly at the mention of their names, confirming Kairi’s statement.

“Hey hey,” She soothed. “It’s okay.”

Riku scratched the back of his neck. “Well, it makes sense. If he thinks they left him here on purpose or forgot about him. I’d be pretty salty too.”

“So what do we do?”

“Well, he likes you. Why don’t you just...don’t know, hang out with him? Know his world.”

“Me?”

“Sure. He damn near kidnapped you to see you again. Though I don’t really like the idea of you gallivanting around the Jungle with a strange boy…”

Kairi couldn’t help but giggle, “what are you? My dad?”

Sora decidedly had enough of them talking and took Kairi’s hand and tugged.

“Okay, we can go. I’ll meet up with you when I can.”

Riku nodded once, and gestured them on.

Kairi placed her arms around Sora’s neck.

He excitedly hugged her back and then jumped off the tree.

Riku watched them disappear, and then said to himself, “Aqua’s going to murder me.”

—

Back at the Land of Departure, Eraqus was setting up for a guest. It had grown lonely in the castle these last few days, since he was so accustomed to having the kids around, at least one at a time.

“My, I haven’t seen the castle this empty in ages,” spoke the visitor.

Eraqus smiled at him. “At least 15 years, my how time flies.”

“What brought you to call on me, if not to bear witness to your new master?”

“Is loneliness not a a worthy enough excuse?”

“What some call loneliness, others would call peace and quiet.”

“You always did prefer silence, didn’t you Xehanort?”

The older man chuckled, taking a seat at their chess table. “It helps me think.” He made the first move and the game began. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a game, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, If you forgive me, I never thought it was appropriate to call on you while the darkness was such a threat.”

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. “And it’s not anymore?”

“Almost. As we speak, my students are sealing one last world. The darkness will have no foothold after that.”

“I see. Though the darkness won’t be able to swallow any more worlds, the heartless will not retreat, you know.”

“I know...but in due time, they will fade.”

“If that’s what you believe, who am I to contradict you?” He moved his knight to block a pawn. “What is this last world to be sealed?”

Eraqus sighed. “Well, it’s Deep Jungle.”

If Eraqus noticed how Xehanort’s eye twitched, he didn’t say anything about it.

“Deep Jungle? I’m surprised you would send them there after what happened. If it were me, I would let that world go. There is nothing there.”

“You sound like Terra,” Eraqus smiled slightly. “He wanted to let it go. But a world’s worth is not up to us to decide. Especially if it can be saved.”

“Are they fairing well?”

“Fairly.” He used his bishop to take out Xehanort’s Knight. “They met some people there, researchers to study the gorillas. And they have an idea where the keyhole is. And...” he hesitated, swallowing hard.

“Eraqus?”

“They found him. They found Sora.”

“Alive?”

He nodded. “He’s been alive all this time. He’s...been surviving in the forest. He’s feral now, though I don’t doubt it.”

Xehanort frowned. “Eraqus, I know the knowledge of his survival comes as a joy, but I must advise you against bringing him back here.”

“What? Why?”

“I told you before, when you first took him in as a student. That boy has incredible darkness in his heart, and he is dangerous. If indeed he’s been all alone all this time, there’s no telling how human he is anymore. Can he still tell the difference between right and wrong? Can use critical thinking?”

“Well, what are we supposed to do? He’s not just a human, he’s a keyblade wielder. We need him.”

“Do as you please. But I have given you my advice.”

All this talking had distracted Eraqus and put his Queen in jeopardy, and Xehanort was quick to take her with his bishop. “Check, old friend.”

Eraqus frowned, moving his king. “I’m going to prove you wrong. Sora is important to us. He’s coming home.”