It all comes Down to This (Chapters 107-end)

To any new readers who have come to the blog because you've started reading the fanfic now that it's labelled "Complete" or you've just stumbled across it... lemme direct you to the right-hand pane over there (desktop version) and scroll down to the appropriate sequence of chapters you're on.  I've got chapter numbers up too, so that should help.  Each post deals with a sequence of chapters, and there will be spoilers if you haven't read all in that set.  If you're on mobile, I think you should just be able to scroll down and click on the post you want.

Spoilers below if you haven't read this far.

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I'm clever and put 13 dots.  Anyway.

Well, time to talk about the final things about Zerith's wedding.  Like I'd planned to do two days ago before getting sidetracked.  Yup.

So I decided not to kill Xigbar.  I just... didn't want to do that to the sharpshooter.  It seemed weird, doing that, honestly.  I'd grown attached to Xigbar.  He's amusing.  And, honestly, he's got reasons to want to live.  Is he completely innocent, nope.  But he's just as glad as everyone else to be rid of Xehanort, so that's saying something.  He makes his weird amends by warning everyone at the wedding that Xehanort is coming, then after Xehanort's gone, he leaves as well.

Man though.. okay... I got like SUPER FIRED UP about wedding traditions on different Worlds and I was thinking about it for DAYS.  Way before I'd even written the sequence.  I was thinking about it nonstop and everyone I talked to about it was basically just like "magik, shut up."

The traditions of people being thrown in the ocean, who makes their own dresses, seeing the bride beforehand versus not seeing the bride beforehand, going out and doing stupid things the day beforehand, celebrating the last day as a single person traditions... all that stuff.

I really love the paopu fruit tradition though, and it seems so natural for Destiny Islands to have one like that.  And Kairi's just thinking the entire time Zack and Aerith are planning their wedding that... "They have to do this, well, they don't have to, but they should have the option... I'll just bring a fruit and it'll fit into the ceremony... WAIT THEY DON"T HAVE A SPOT FOR IT!"

That was fun to write.

I imagine that Destiny Islands has very informal weddings.  Like, weddings are just a big party to them.  Where as a place where Rinoa's from, they're more formal and traditional.  And then there's the fairytale weddings of Disney and the simple ones of Traverse Town and the varieties go on and on.  Yeah...

I can't remember why exactly I insisted on having a time skip... maybe just to show the passage of time.  Because I'd had this scene with Xion written forever showing the passage of time and I'd never been able to use it.  So, when I decided that Zerith was going to have a spring wedding, I just had everything else wrap up in the fall.  Then I could do a time skip and some recap and whatnot.

And then we've got the hints to Squinoa's wedding.  Which will happen.  I just probably won't write it, I'll be completely honest.  I haven't really come out and said this yet... but I'm going to be taking a break from fanfic for a while.  I have two or three other writing projects to work on and they all have the prospect of money.  I'll probably write drabbles and one-shots and post them of course, but I don't think I'll be taking on an epic again.  Squinoa's wedding totally happens in my canon, I just may not write it.  (Does that still make it canon?)

For anyone who's confused, Cid and Shera had a private marriage ceremony and left it at that.  Kind of like how you play Dirge of Cerberus and they're married and you're just like "okay" because Vincent doesn't ask too much about it because... well... Vincent.

I remember freaking out about who I was going to have be the justice/officiate of the wedding.  And then it was obvious.  None other than Mickey himself.  Because what says Kingdom Hearts more than Mickey officiating Zack Fair and Aerith Gainsborough's wedding? (While Sora and the gang are in the audience.)

Ah yes, then the real questions.  What about everyone else? Will they eventually get married?

Well, Cloud and Tifa aren't even dating.  They're still both trying to get used to living a life that doesn't involve Sephiroth.  They'll eventually get together I suppose.

Everyone else.. (with the exception of Terra, Aqua, Ven, and Axel) is all still in their late teens.  Marriage is several years off, despite what Destiny Islands thinks for Riku.  (They lead simple lives on the islands and are wholly unprepared to understand the EVERYTHING that the Keyblade Wielders do.)

So Riku and Sora can just joke about it.

HGHSGNGSGHSGDLKJSD:GLKH

The chairs for Angeal and Aerith's parents.

I remember reading something somewhere, a text post or something, about how at Aerith's wedding (if she were to have one) she'd put chairs up for the people who wouldn't be able to make it.  So that's how Angeal and her parents got chairs.

The dream that Aerith had, with Angeal and her mother wishing Aerith and Zack well... that was something I literally cooked up the day before I posted it.  It wasn't in the original draft or anything.  But then I thought of that idea and had to include it.  And I think it wraps everything up very nicely.  The whole last few chapters do.

So, this is Magik, signing off for now.  It's not goodbye forever.  But it's goodbye for now.

Thank you to everyone who supported this endeavor of mine! I'll post updates and probably give you a link to a blog for my (not fanfic) stuff.

Cloud versus Everyone at Home (16)

Link to the chapter: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9446325/16/What-s-all-Gone-on-Before

I didn't livetumbl for this one, sorry guys.

Anyway, so Cloud versus everyone at home.  It's one of the main reasons why he wants to leave in the first place.  He feels conflicted regarding Tifa's mother's death versus his father's death; he doesn't fit in, partially because he doesn't want to, but the rest because everyone finds him odd; there's a part of him that thinks about getting involved in SOLDIER, but Tifa's talked him out of that one by now; and the rest of him is just craving for adventure.

by *bloodlinev on dA

So he leaves.  He tells his work, his mom, and Tifa.  He and Tifa make promises to help each other in a bind.  The caveat behind that, however, is that one has to KNOW that the other is in a bind.  And, sorry you two, but your hearts just don't have the connection for that.  SoKai can pull it off... Rokushi might be able to pull it off.  Zerith can pull it off because Aerith is special.  But CloTi? just... *sigh*.

Anyway, but this picture is adorable! It's those moments on the water tower (wow, almost typed Clocktower... Days, much?) that I find so endearing.  They're so cute and young.

And, slight spoilers, they're not going to be that way when they next see each other.  I say only slight because something similar happens in FFVII.  Granted, in my canon, Cloud's not going to try and become SOLDIER and then accidentally become involved in one of Hojo's experiments to the point where he thinks he's Zack.  But Cloud's gonna have some stuff happen to him.  Sorry, ya'll.

I used a bit of a different writing style for this chapter, as you can tell by the dialogue.  I didn't use dialogue markers, hoping that it would be obvious who was talking.  It's easier to read through if you assume that Tifa always talks first (unless otherwise noted).  Because, admit it, Tifa does that.

Review Responses:

Archsage! you're back! *hugs* Thank you so much for your kind words and compliments! I'm glad you're enjoying it! It's a blast to write.  I hope I continue to inspire you!

KKBeckett, Yes, Cloud has left.  *sigh*  As for Tifa following him, you'll see :P  (Spoilers.)

This one's shameless self-promotion.  I made this video a couple of years ago for rar's fanfic otp, Namiku.  Yup.  Check her out if you haven't :P

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2278897/rarmaster

She would tell you to start with Falling to Pieces, probably.

Cherries Jubilee and Fruitball (68)

So, first I really wanna apologize for the delay in just about everything.  (I feel like there's a delay, maybe I'm just crazy.  I spent most of the last week writing. Except for the past two days, where I've been doing loads and loads of homework (the weekend's not gonna be much better, more homework).)  

Anyway, my notes for the chapter I posted most recently!

The book with the cherries jubilee? Dealing with Dragons.  Good book.  You should read it.  KKBeckett caught onto it.  Seriously though, guys, read it!

art by karudoll on dA

So, the goat in Fruitball is Gilda from Epic Mickey, rar suggested her when I needed a random character.  The cat, however, is no one specific. 

Later, the rabbit is none other than Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, while his competitor is Roxanne (like, Max's unnoficial gf Roxanne.)

Apparently, Roxas wanted to draw his Keyblade as opposed to summon it.  I told him he was bonkers and we moved on. 

Erm, that's all I have... 

Review Responses!

archsage, no, neither me nor rar has played Dissidia.  It's on the "to buy" list, but neither of us really have the funds to buy video games like we were doing a year or so ago.

Dear Guest, my novel is about magik :) That's like... how I describe it lol.  If you check out my other blog, you might be able to get a little bit of a clue about it... maybe.  I dunno.  The protagonist, Kat, is sent to a magikal school (note, magik is commonplace) after being home-schooled her whole life.  In addition to learning new magik, she also learns that there is a family history that her parents were keeping from her.  Then, it's all up to her to decide what she's going to both do with that information, as well as a prophecy that she might just be the one to fulfill.  (Huh, I think I just wrote a pretty good synopsis for this... might need to come back to this post lol.)

Oh, Cookie, you made me smile.  :)  Hang in there.  College is... mean.  I'm glad you've been liking the chapters, though!!

Comparisons Between Couples

Well, something was nagging me in the back of my mind as I was putting together the Zack and Aerith post, so I figured I'd go ahead and do this now while I'm thinking about it.

You see 

and

have a lot in common.  

Cosplays are by Konoe-Lifestream and VandorWolf/twinfools respectively.  

Both have a history.  Sora and Kairi grew up together.  Aerith and Zack met when they were teenagers, but have since grown into a very happy-go-lucky couple like Sora and Kairi are.  And Sora and Kairi have only recently become a couple because Sora took his time getting it through his head that there are these things called GIRLS and... (i won't continue...)

Kairi's going to get more powerful magically.   And can't you just see Kairi as a healer? I mean... it's staring me right in the face.  I don't know about the rest of you.  

And Sora and Zack both have this habit of charging into things and Kairi and Aerith just sigh and follow and Cure them when things get ugly.

The couples have a lot in common.

Similarly,

and

have a lot in common.

Cosplays are by Eyes-0n-Me and KIPPER-love/QueenRachael respectively.  And if I thought finding cute pictures of Namine and Riku were hard... finding cute cosplays is harder.  

Anywho.  These two have so much alike in their fighting styles.  They're histories have a bit in common as well, I suppose.  Neither couple grew up together.  They were more or less thrown together under a set of circumstances and ended up falling for each other somewhere in the process.  Rinoa's homeland was threatened and she needed mercenaries and she found Leon.  Riku and Namine were both responsible for bringing Sora back.  

Leon and Riku are both the type of fighter... not to really charge into things... but to assess the situation, go in, and cream everything else.  Is there really anything else to say in that regard?

Rinoa and Namine don't really get INTO the battle.  They stay off to the side.  I mean, yes, Rinoa will get into a battle if she has to, she has her blaster-edge (and if I haven't said it before, I'll say it again, I wouldn't put it past her to steal one of Leon's old gunblades and use that as well).  Namine has been known to use pencils as weapons when she gets in close.  I'm probably going to get her a knife in the future.  Or Riku will get her a knife... But, when Rinoa and Namine aren't in the middle of things, they're off to the side, casting magic or shattering memories and looking out for everyone else.  (Mainly Leon and Riku...)

Again, there's quite the amount of similarities.

By that logic, you would assume that...

was like

right?

Cosplays by Adellexe/Aiiki and MiciaGlo on deviantArt, respectively.

Well, I suppose.  Sort of.  It would help if Cloud and Tifa were actually a couple.  Because, they're not.  Not yet, anyway.  And I have no idea when that's going to happen, because Cloud's too busy dealing with his darkness to understand anything about relationships.  But Tifa's waiting for him.  Aside from that, I mean, there are still similarities.  Both couples grew up together.  Cloud grew up with Tifa.  Roxas and Xion... well, they kinda grew up together.  Even though they were "born" at the ripe old age of 14 or so.  They were both certainly friends first.  So, there are some similarities.

Xion and Tifa are both horribly stubborn.  They want what's best for others first, before thinking about what's best for themselves.  Tifa would follow (and has followed) Cloud to the edges of the universe and Xion would do the exact same thing for Roxas.  They are both 'in-your-face' fighters.  They don't like taking 'no' for an answer.  They also won't take crap from anyone.  And they'll both beat you up if they don't particularly like the looks of you.

Cloud and Roxas... well, they both have spiky blonde hair.  They can both be moody.  Though... it's hard to call Roxas moody, really.  He's gotten considerably better now that he has a heart.  Though, maybe Cloud will be better once he's dealt with his Sephiroth problem.  He wasn't always a moody kid.  Both boys are certainly strong fighters with powerful swords.  Both certainly care about their friends and will go to great lengths to protect them.  

So the similarities are more than you'd originally think.

And, well, that's all I really have to say.  

Rokushi

art by semokan on deviantArt

I have always been a Rokushi shipper.  Ever since Days.  (And since I played Days before KH2, I didn't understand the concept of Rokunami until I played through and was like... oh, okay, I get why they ship it, I just won't ship it myself because I think Roxas and Xion have a deeper connection than Roxas and Namine.)  That is my opinion, you are welcome to disagree, but you aren't going to get me to change bandwagons.  Especially since I'm on my sequel and am not going to start shipping Rokunami anytime soon.  Or ever.  I like my pairings the way they are.  And they are happy with themselves too.  (This is not to say that I don’t appreciate or understand fics that ship characters differently, but in my fics, this is how I ship.)

art by Destiny-XIII on dA.

Roxas and Xion are both Keyblade Wielders in training to become Keyblade Masters.  That is their goal throughout Betwixt and Between.  They work well together and train each other when there isn't a Master around to train them.  Which happens, it does.  Especially since Roxas and Xion like going and doing little missions on their own because that's what they're used to from their days in the Organization.  As soon as Axel stops going off and doing his own thing all the time, he'll probably join them and the three of them will be a pretty epic trio of epicness.

Now, Axel, stop butting into Roxas and Xion's post.  You said so yourself that you don't want to be a third wheel to their fluffiness.  So, kindly leave now.

Thank you.

Moving on.

Let's see, I feel the need to give Rokushi's history... but you all pretty much know that.  If anyone hasn't played Days, I will be happy to sum it up for you, so just let me know in a comment.  Post-Days Xion didn't exist, and after the first 'week' of KH2, Roxas didn't exist either outside of Sora's heart.  The journey taken in All the Pieces was in part to restore both Roxas and Xion.  Roxas was separated from Sora and then Xion was recreated from the memories of her (and her actual memories) that Roxas absorbed upon her death.  Then, after that all happened, Roxas and Xion were, well, for lack of better terminology, completely happy to be with each other again.  

Then there was that little scare with Xehanort slicing off Xion's arm and it shattering into data.  THAT pissed Roxas off.

Which, I suppose is a weakness of the two of them as a fighting couple.  (Fighting baddies, not each other.  Roxas and Xion won't do anything else but playful bickering and teasing.  Like, I don't see them fighting anytime soon... or ever.)  Back to my original point, a weakness of them is Roxas' temper.  Which, he has pretty much always had.  Oh, how did rar put it...  It was ages ago, but it's fitting now... Um... Sora's never usually angry--until he's confused, then he gets angry as a way of dealing with that confusion.  Well, as for Roxas, he spent A LOT of his time in the Organization confused because someone (Saix) was intent on leaving him out of the loop on a lot of things.  So, taking a trait from Sora, Roxas was angry when he was confused.  And he was confused a lot.  He was confused in the beginning of KH2 too.  

Granted, he was NOT confused when Xion's arm got chopped off.  He had a very clear idea of what had just happened.  However, Roxas doesn't just get angry when he is confused.  He can get angry for other reasons.  Say, at the guy you really hate chopping off your best-friend-not-yet-girlfriend's arm right after you basically just brought her back from the dead.

And then Xigbar only went and rubbed salt in the wound.  However, Roxas is glad that he didn't kill Xigbar.  

Moving on.  

That really is their biggest weakness.  Xion has a temper, but she has a better harness on it.  She's not in any danger of becoming corrupted data, or being rewritten to kill anyone.  (Been done before, not going there again.)  Well, the being programmed to kill people.  Corrupted data I haven't touched... but I don't want to.  Not in Betwixt and Between anyway, too much else going on.  Maybe if I'm still writing two books from now.  

Roxas and Xion also know how to keep their heads cool in battle.  They have moved past the point of going gaga over each other and therefore aren't at risk of getting killed because of something coupleish.  Think... Wash and Zoe from Firefly.  Oh wait, that's really vague.  Um... I’d say the Doctor and River… but Rokushi is not like DoctorxRiver in so many ways.  Maybe RoryxAmy? That still might be just as vague.  Oh well, moving on.  Well, anyway, they can keep their heads cool in battle, regardless of how much Axel will tease them about it.  (He's never going to let Roxas live down that Lurk Lizard incident.)

Neither of them have problems with darkness taking over their hearts either.  Neither of them are weak fighters.  They're not the strongest--not yet anyway, they strive.  But they're both pretty balanced in those regards. 

Their biggest strength is probably the fact that they are very aware of the other's fighting style and can orient themselves around the other.  They're pretty evenly matched Keyblade Wielders so it isn't one person carrying all the weight of battle.  They don't have drastically different fighting styles that clash.  They are, again, pretty evenly balanced.

Okay, I thought of a bigger strength.  The fact that they can both use light-attacks well to their advantage.  Light attacks come easy to them both.  Event Horizon is one of their combos.  They both become bathed in light and they dash around the enemies killing them easily.  (Or at least, they killed Berserkers easily.)  They have another combo that I haven't written yet called Call of Light, which, I haven't worked out all the finer details yet, but I know it involves summoning plumes/pillars of light to the sky to obliterate enemies where they stand.  

And I have just come to the realization that I don't know everything about them yet.  I haven't written for them long enough.  So, there's room to grow and learn.  I don't think they'll surprise me anytime soon.  I'm excited.  

So, I shall leave you with all of that, and a picture that I won as a prize for a contest.  I requested Roxas and Xion fighting enemies, and this was the result, which I am happy with:

art by demyx100.

The Girlfriends

This is a little something I wrote up MONTHS ago.  This is what happens when you let the characters in my head sit down and have tea. 

William, Kat, Alice and Tristan belong to me.  (They were featured in the Magical Meeting chapters!) Everyone else belongs to Squeenix. 

So, cue William, Tristan, Cloud, Zack, Sora, Riku and Leon sitting down and having tea.  (I'm not sure why Roxas wasn't in this conversation... he just wasn't... sorry Roxas...) Then they all start bragging.  Guess what they're bragging about? Their girlfriends.  Yup. 

Tristan: "My girlfriend (Alice) can take people out with her shoes."

Cloud: "My girlfriend can take on a man twice her size with her bare hands."

Riku: "My girlfriend can take down enemies from the inside out."

William: "My girlfriend (Kat) can wrap you up in a ball of your own emotions.  And she can control the elements."

Sora: "My girlfriend's a princess, and she can fight."

Leon: "My girlfriend's an angel."

Zack: "My girlfriend's a goddess."

Yup. So, Zack... wins? Sure... idk... as I was reading this to rar.. she was all like... "Yeah! Sora's won... Kairi's a princess! Oh, okay, yeah, Rinoa wins..." And then I mentioned Aerith... yeah....

Not that I'm saying this is canon... though, I mean, it's all true.  Alice has knocked people unconscious with her shoes, Tifa's... Tifa... Namine can do her thing with the memories, Kat has, on ONE occasion, wrapped someone up in a ball of his own anger and then left him there.  Kairi's a princess, Rinoa is, for all intents and purposes of this conversation, an angel, and Aerith's a Cetra... which is basically a goddess.

So... yeah...

OHMYGOSH.  Link.  With Zelda being the Goddess Hylia in Skyward Sword and all.  Link ties Zack.  Woohoo!  (Not that I’ve ever written for Link before… but *shrug* I just thought of it because I’ve been having Skyward Sword feels lately—the soundtrack will do that to you)

On the Couples and their Darkness Levels

There are a TON of different pairings/couples in my KHverse.  What's amusing is the differing levels of darkness within any individual couple.  And, I'm posting about it because it's interesting.

First, the obvious one, Sora and Kairi.  Both have incredible amounts of light in their hearts.  Kairi contains no darkness whatsoever.  Sora has a little bit more darkness now that Ven is gone, but he's completely in-check when it comes to his darkness.  There is a SMALL possibility that I may play with Sora's darkness growing, but I mean, if I went too horribly far with it I might as well just be writing rar's story, so I'm not going there.  This is why their combo is called Fated Faith and is completely light-based. 

The next one in high lightness is Zack and Aerith.  Aerith has only the TINIEST bit of darkness inside of her.  Zack's is under control and not causing problems for him.  They don't have any epic combos together, but I mean, both of them are pretty darn powerful.  (Zack isn't the strongest magically, especially compared to Aerith, but he's all for the brute-force hack-and-slash.)  The reason why they don’t particularly have any combos together is BECAUSE they have such different fighting styles. Aerith is mostly magic with a little bit of melee, Zack is all melee with magic when he has to.

Anyway, Next comes Roxas and Xion.  Roxas has got a lot of light, but nothing when put up against people like Aerith and Kairi.  Xion's a replica with her heart built pretty neutral in light versus darkness.  She was originally put together like that by a Nobody who couldn't know the workings of a heart if he tried.  Her next design took on that essence to keep Xion's personality intact.  They can bust out light-attacks pretty quickly though, like Event Horizon and Call of Light.  

The one in perfect neutral balance is Squall and Rinoa though.  Well, they're at least in the middle of all the couples.  Though Rinoa has to maintain complete neutrality because of her Sorceress Status and Squall has to uphold her to that.  They can bust out both light and dark combos (holy vs meteor etc.) with no negative effects.  They are a force to be reckoned with.  I mean, come on, chain-casting Angel Wing and a Lionhearted Renzokuken on the side? You're dead if you're on the receiving end of that.  (Ultima Weapon, anyone? I could probably kill Omega with that too if I went and tried.  (It's on my list of things to do.)  That’s how I did it.  (Well, actually, I think with Ultima, I had Angel Wing going and then he killed Rinoa and I had a Limit lined up for Squall and I just got LUCKY and got Lionheart.))

Then, it's honestly a question of who's dealing with least darkness: Riku, Terra, or Cloud?

Riku's surprisingly dealing with the least.  Even though you could argue that Tifa has more light than Namine, Cloud CERTAINLY is dealing with more darkness than Riku to make up for it.  Riku will still have problems with his darkness.  He tries to keep it in check, but there are times when the power gets the better of him and he starts to slip.  Namine does her best to keep him in check and he's grateful for it.   Namine, on the other hand, it quite light.  She was formed from Kairi's heart which is pure light.  The only thing that can contain darkness is the data that was built into her to make up for her Nobody status.  In no way is Namine innocent and darkness free.  However, she's in check with herself--just a tad guilty and mopey sometimes.  Regardless of their (Riku and Namine’s) darkness levels, they're still ridiculously powerful.  I mean, just look at their Limit Decompression! And, I’m working on getting them a combo too.  (It’s coming up in a chapter that I haven’t written yet, but I’m in the sequence at least!)

Next comes, well, probably Terra and Aqua. Yes, I'm shipping them.  Or, I intend to.  They're not anywhere near a couple yet.  But, I figure they will be eventually.  I like Tequa better than Venqua.  They're closer in age.  Granted, this is a couple I haven't particularly explored all that much.  Terra's dealing with darkness moreso than Riku however, considering he was possessed by Xehanort for way longer than Riku was.  Aqua's pretty neutral and in check and she'll do her best to keep Terra in check.

Cloud and Tifa are at the bottom.  Cloud's got way more darkness to deal with, considering his is a physical manifestation of it.  Yay.  Once Sephiroth is gone, things'll probably change, but, Sephiroth has to die first.  And that's gonna be a while.  Tifa is a very bright person and is just what Cloud needs to help him.  However, he needs to learn to listen a bit more.

So, where do Axel and Kuin fit on this? Well... heheh... probably right after Squall and Rinoa now that I'm looking at it.  Kuin fights for the side of light, but in no way does that make her heart completely pure.  She's a flexor like Rinoa, as explored in the Magical Meeting chapter.  Axel is... well... heheh... far from completely light.  He's got his own darkness to deal with, though it's more in check than Riku's but less in check than Leon’s. 

And... yeah... that's the couples and darkness levels.

I realized something about the couples...

All the pictures contained herein are from one of the KH Mangas.  The SoKai picture I believe is from one of the Reverse/Rebirth chapters of the CoM Manga (rar, correct me if I'm wrong).  The Namiku Picture IS from the CoM Manga and the Rokushi picture is from the Days Manga.  (I did edit out some white space in between them though.)

I was writing something the other day and I couldn't help but notice the differences between all the different pairings that I write for my fics.

My SoKai is almost like a relief to everyone (myself included) that Sora FINALLY got it through his head that he can, in fact, tell Kairi that he does like her.  Kairi knew from (at the very least, the beginning of my fic, if not before—probably before.) that she liked Sora.  However, she just chose not to say anything to him for fear of him not returning the affection/not wanting to be the first to say anything.  Therefore, now that they are together, they're like, the perfect happy couple.  They obviously love each other, they'll tease each other, they don't excessively make out with each other in public; instead, they'll hold each other's hands, they'll watch out for each other, he'll bring her over for dinner, she'll bring him over for dinner.  Riku and Roxas will tease the heck out of them.  They're cute, they're happy.  Both of them are Keyblade wielders and both are very powerful (well, Kairi's getting there) and will eventually make a very kick*** team.  They’re the ones that you see dancing at the school dance completely oblivious to the world around them for one song, then laughing with all their friends the next.  Sometimes, it’s a little awkward to be around them because you’ll feel like a third wheel, other times, it’s not.  It’s like, just happy-making (to use a Westerfeld term) to see them be around each other.  (At least, when you’re not just face-palming how oblivious they can be sometimes)

 

Namiku is special.  Namiku has always been special. Rarmaster and I talk all the time on how you can never underestimate the power of the Namiku (or, for short, just them (accompanied by a little hand-flick to generalize where they are)).  When I write one of them in a scene, it’s fine.  Like, for instance, Namine will be having a completely rational conversation in her head and then Riku shows up and, all of a sudden, her thoughts just go pshew! and they’re only half-coherent.  Riku’s pretty much the same way.  They’ll make contact with each other in a scene and they’re thoughts will just go exploding into fluff and I have to yell at them to focus.  Namiku is like, a bi-polar couple.  They’ll be incredibly fluffy one minute, then really down-to-earth the next.  Both of them are too smart (and too powerful) for their own good.  They bicker, too.  Yet, they’re not an unstable couple.  They’re honest and upfront with each other.  They’re not afraid to tell the other what’s on their mind.  They have yet to actually kiss, but when that scene comes, well, yeah… *ignores their fluffiness* They protect each other very effectively.  They’re also the ones where if something happens to one, the other’s gonna go on a murderous rampage.  Yeah, that’s Namiku.  And I feel like this paragraph isn’t doing them justice…

Compared to the other two pairings, Rokushi is very quiet and subdued.  Like, I’ll be writing and Namiku will make it very obvious that they are a THEM.  SoKai does the same thing, just in different ways.  (Though, Namiku seems to want to make it more obvious than it actually is.  Go figure.)  Rokushi, on the other hand, is just simply, quieter.  Like, if you were to look at them, you’d just guess that they were really good friends.  But, yet, they share many moments together in private.  Both of them are very private people I suppose.  They’re also the most competitive of the pairings.  They’re the two that you will see sparring to better themselves one day, and to compete with each other to see who is better the next.  Both are very efficient on their enemy destruction. Then, looking deeper, you realize just how much Roxas cares for Xion and vice versa.  He will quietly come up behind her and put his arms around her and tell her how beautiful she looks.  She’ll come up to him and slide her hand into his and then they’ll stay like that for several minutes before they realize that there’s something else to be done.  THEY are the couple that you’ll never feel like a third wheel around.  (Though Axel begs to differ).  There is less tension between them now that all the feelings are out in the open.  Because of all the stuff that they have done for each other already, they are quite the unstoppable force.  

Character Corner: Xion

Name: Xion

Age: 15 

Weapon: Kingdom Key

Quote:  "You know what, on second thought, Roxas and I are just going to go get ice cream.  You two can join us when you get this sorted out."

A replica with quite a bit of spunk.

No longer afraid to speak out, Xion is quite spunky, witty and sarcastic.  She is no longer afraid to stand up for what she believes in.  She is very kind and accepting and generally believes the best about people.  She takes her friendships very seriously and would do anything to make sure her friends remained safe.  The only thing that she takes more seriously, is her relationship with Roxas, for obvious reasons.

Xion and Roxas have been through a lot since their Nobody days.  Xion was restored by Roxas giving her all of her memories back, seeing as he was the one who absorbed the majority them upon her original destruction.  (Namine was the one who had the rest of them.)  However, given her state when she was destroyed, upon her awakening, she still thought she was programmed to destroy Roxas and tried to run away.  It takes both Namine and Axel to convince her that this has been changed.  She then wasted no time in hugging Roxas because she knew she was no longer a danger to him.

Xion has proven herself to be very resilient during battle.  In the Battle of Castle Oblivion, Xehanort cut off her arm.  Yes, she passed out initially, but when Axel drank a Mega-Potion she got right back up and continued to fight, left-handed, no less.  Xion’s arm was rebuilt after the Battle and she parades it around like a wonderful battle scar.  Xion also is the only one currently residing on Destiny Islands who can form Dark Corridors with no detriment to her heart.  This skill becomes invaluable for travel to and from the Realm of Darkness, which is necessary on occasion. 

Xion and Roxas’ relationship came about rather quietly.  It was only after the Battle of Castle Oblivion that the two of them could even consider such a thing, even though it was quite obvious that they’d had feelings for each other prior to this.  She and Roxas have a quieter relationship compared to the other couples living on Destiny Islands, but that does not mean it is any less important.  She and Roxas have the relationship where a typical date may very well include slaughtering Heartless followed by ice cream.  And both of them are content with that.

Xion is quite content to be living on Destiny Islands where she can go out during the day with Roxas, or Namine, or Kairi and kill Heartless, followed by an ice cream break on the Clocktower and then return back to Destiny Islands at night to sleep.  (Or read, since she doesn’t need nearly as much sleep as anyone else.)  This is something that she jokes about with people like Roxas or Riku.  

Character Corner: Roxas

Name: Roxas

Age: 16

Weapon: Mostly Oblivion, but has been known to hold other Keyblades

Quote: "Yeah, maybe let's all just go get ice cream and call it a day."

The Keyblade Wielder's Other.  He's got a temper.

Roxas does have a bit of a temper, but he’s calmed down quite a bit now that his life makes sense.  For once, his life isn’t confusing.  He’s not a Nobody who is a part of an Organization with a purpose that he doesn’t know.  He’s not sharing a heart and mind with Sora where there are more levels of consciousness than anyone can keep track of.  Now he simply lives on Destiny Islands and goes out during the day to take care of darkness problems as they spring up. 

At any time, he can go out with Axel or Xion.  Or he can go out with Kairi or Sora.  He has options.  He’s also currently training to be a Keyblade Master, a dream that both he and Xion share now that Sora’s a Master.  Roxas is mostly just grateful that he gets to spend his life with Axel and Xion.  The whole reason why he split himself from Sora permanently was because he knew he could save Xion and be fully friends with Axel once again.

He is a tad jealous that his best friend, Axel, is spending a lot of time going out searching for the mystery woman: Kuin.  But, ultimately, he forgives Axel for this because he’s tired of holding grudges.  He spends a lot of time with Xion as well, considering the two of them are who they are to each other.  He never really admitted to anyone his feelings about her.  However, his feelings for her are quite obvious and everyone knows it.  Xion is the only one that matters though, and she knows just how much he cares about her. 

Roxas also spends some time building friendships with everyone else who has taken to living on Destiny Islands.  He and Sora are very brotherly-like.  They are not nearly as telepathic as Namine and Kairi however.  This is probably due to the fact that Sora lives in a state of hyper consciousness and it is more effort than either boy is willing to make to establish a stable telepathic connection.  Regardless, the two boys tease each other and yet look after each other as brothers would do.  And why wouldn’t they? They’re two sides of the same coin.

He and Namine also bicker like brother and sister.  He cares for Kairi purely because Sora cares for her.  He and Riku are good friends.  He jokes with Ven about the fact that they look nearly identical and offered to be Ven’s double if he needed one.  He’s adjusted quite well to this life that he currently lives.

However, in the event that anything comes to disrupt this, do not doubt for a moment, that his temper will return.  You saw how vigorously he went after Xigbar when he mocked Xion’s injuries.