khoc-week

[khoc-week]

First, I want everyone to know that KHOC Week 2025 is going to be happening. The mods and I are hard at work at getting the new prompts ready for announcing in July!!

Secondly!! I was nominated for a Million Dreams Award!!! If you don't know, it's part of a Kingdom Hearts Fan Convention, Re-Connect. My fanfiction was nominated and I'm so chuffed about it.

If you would like to support me and vote for my story, that would be amazing! Even spreading the word is appreciated. I am under the Fanfiction and Literature section as HinataOC with my story, 'The Forgotten Traveler' (which is a KHOC story by the way omg)

Thank you all so much for the support over the years!! This event would never have reached it's 7th year without all of your amazing characters. This nomination has spurred me on in a way I really needed and I am so pumped for more Kingdom Hearts goodness!!

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(pngtuber Hina, by me, art below by Amy)

The Million Dreams Award is here and it's time to cast your vote!!

There are so many incredible creators nominated for this award in all of the categories. If you need some time to look at all of their amazing work, take a moment to look through this google sheet that has them all organized, along with their content: MDA Nominees

I was personally nominated in the Fanfiction section for my khfanfic, 'The Forgotten Traveler'! Which I am just so incredibly humbled about. Thank you to everyone for the support!!!

So enough babbling from me, here is the link for you to get your vote out there!!!

✨✨VOTE HERE FOR THE MDAs✨✨

[khoc-week]

This is my nomination and I'm so excited to share that my OC fic is up for an MDA!

What's really exciting though, is that quite a few of these nominations have Kingdom Hearts OCs included in their story! Let's GO!

💕KHOCs Represent!����

So, if you can, make sure to go give them some love :)

Also really looking forward to this upcoming KHOC Week in August! I've already got the prompts cooking and I'm narrowing them down.

I am so incredibly honored and ecstatic to announce that my Kingdom Hearts fanfiction was nominated for a Million Dreams Award as part of the KH Fan Convention, Reconnect!

To everyone that nominated me, I want to say a huge thank you. It means the world to me, even if I do not end up winning this. I'm just happy to have made it to this point.

With an official nomination in place, the next step in the process is VOTING!! This is the part where I humbly ask for your help.

If you have enjoyed my Kingdom Hearts work in the past, whether that be through my OC work, fanzines, or my Lucky Imagine Blog, please consider putting in a vote for me (HinataOC)! Spreading the word is also very much appreciated. The voting period starts June 16th and will close on July 6th.

Every vote counts!

Thank you again for this opportunity and I wish the best of luck to every other nominee in all the categories!! This entire event is such a joy for the Kingdom Hearts community.

[khoc-week]

Ahh I'm so glad you were able to do this! Thank you for participating!

I love hearing about their transformations! Who they used to be versus who they become. Such a great take on the prompt.

KH OC Prompt: Versus

It's still October so I am not late with the monthly prompt for @khoc-week!

— Contrast between things. The joy of their growing versus where they choose to live now *(life as a keyblade wielder before the war versus after, pre or post master status)*

[ID: picrews of two sibling characters both with wavy brown hair and light skin. First is a boy with blue eyes and short hair. He wears round glasses and has a small smile and tired eyes. Second is a girl with purple eyes and long hair in a ponytail. She wears square glasses and a dangling earring, has a broad smile and is holding up a peace sign. End ID]

Here are the siblings Sebastien (he/him) and Adrienne (she/her). Adrienne is one year younger and more outgoing while Sebastien is more reserved. They are Vulpes wielders is Daybreak Town and have a friendly rivalry while collecting lux.

Even though they are both in Vulpes, Ava only chooses Adrienne to join the Dandelions. Sebastien is not someone who would self-sacrifice for others, so he flees Daybreak Town instead of going to war. Adrienne doesn't find out about him not being chosen until it's too late.

[ID: picrews of the same characters as above. Sebastien, the boy, has long dark red horns and golden eyes. He is no longer smiling, and his tired eyes are more pronounced. Adrienne, the girl, has shorter hair with wings on her head and a purple tail. End ID]

Sebastien falls to darkness and becomes a Darkling Heartless, though he retains his human appearance but with the horns, wings, and claws of a Darkling. Adrienne lives in the data world until she and the other Dandelions become Dream Eaters. She transforms griffin hybrid between an aura lion and halbird but also has a human appearance she can take.

Since the events of UX, Sebastien has been searching the shattered worlds for Adrienne and avoiding any Keyblade wielders who may think him an enemy, while she remains in the realm of sleep helping those same Keyblade wielders and unaware that he's still alive.

(Picrew link)

[khoc-week]

October's Prompt of the Month

Hello everyone !

It's already October 1st, which means it's time for the Prompt of the Month!

The prompt for October is:

Versus

The most obvious one is a physical fight or battle, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be.

It can also be:

— an argument/debate *(arguing over morals, over what’s the correct route, an argument between friends, family, lovers, strangers)*

— a competition *(blitz ball, frisbee like the end of kh3, a struggle match!)*

— explaining an opposition, or a scene on that made, when did Person A become Person B’s rival and/or enemy

— Contrast between things. The joy of their growing versus where they choose to live now *(life as a keyblade wielder before the war versus after, pre or post master status)*

--------

Each of these are great interpretations! And you are welcomed to come up with your own and go your own path too!

So go out and take this prompt to create a fic, an artwork, a comic, anything you feel inspired for!

And of course, let us know if you have any questions!

[khoc-week]

September's Prompt of the Month

Hello everyone!!

I know KHOC Week has ended this year, but there's a fun idea we wanted to share with you!

What of we have a monthly prompt? You're welcomed to answer it however you see fit and when you post it, give us a tag and we'll share it here!

Sound good? Ok! Here's September's Prompt:

How did you come up with your OC? What was the process of creating them? What inspired you?

Have fun!

[khoc-week]

KH OC WEEK 20204

Day 3: connections

This took a bit longer than meant, but with the amount of things I wanted to include, it felt important to take my time.

Shiro’s part focusses a lot more on the relationships between them and the canon characters, while Aiko’s, Merin’s, Viktor's, and Tähti’s parts focus on the relationship they have with each other. (And some additional canon characters.)

Also there’s a lot of text here so sorry about any spelling mistakes haha.

Shiro

Xehanort (young)

Helped Shiro to get out of the realm of darkness and is helping them to recover their memory.

I am a firm believer that despite his cold demeanor, Xehanort has the capability of expressing other emotions outside of being a snarky jerk. He just needs to be around the right kind of people to bring that side of him out, and Eraqus and Shiro are exactly the sorts of people to make his brain cells die. /pos

Xehanort’s interest in becoming Shiro’s friend is due to his dreams as a boy of a mysterious child who he believes to be Shiro. (Some lost childish part of him does genuinely wish to be their friend, but he is also quite interested in Shiro’s connection to the keyblade war.)

They spent a couple years peacefully as friends attempting to recover Shiro’s memories, before Shiro uncovered Xehanort's true plans and the two ended up parting ways to fight on the opposite sides. They’re so divorced LMAO

Shiro feels quite betrayed and thinks their friendship was just a plot to get information out of them, while in reality their friendship was still genuine despite Xehanort's hidden motives.

They have a very bittersweet relationship.

Like when you just have that one person who sees right through you and you could just sit in complete silence for forever and still have a good time.

But oh my god do they also just bring out the worst in each other LMAO.

Xehanort is still a snarky bastard 99% of the time, and Shiro is so ready to throw his snarkiness back at him. It is remarkable if they get through a conversation without one of them trying to piss off the other one.

Anyhow they are so doomed by the narrative.

I’ve had a difficult time defining the relationship between these two, but in recent years since becoming aware of my own feelings as an aroace person, I feel like queerplatonic is a really good way to put it. I think that there can be strong emotions and love held between two people without it necessarily having to be romantic, and that’s just as wonderful as any other relationship.

Aqua

The first person Shiro came across once they emerged in the realm of darkness.

Shiro has a lot of admiration towards her and hopes to meet her again!

Shrio definitely has a little crush on her haha

Roxas and Xion

Shiro’s keyblade apprentices!

adopted little siblings

Shiro fought relentlessly to keep both of them safe but ended up failing as they both returned to Sora.

Losing them was a big wake up call to the organization's true nature and Xehanort's sinister plans.

Namine

Little sister<<3

Shiro took one look at her and was like “yup anything happens to her and I’ll make everyone's life a living nightmare”

Got Namine her crayons and sketchbook

Was very devastated when she had to return to Kairi.

Axel/Lea

Pyromaniac besties

Co-paretning Roxas and Xion (platonic)

They became good friends during their time in the organization, and they made an oath to bring Roxas and Xion back after Axel’s recompletion.

Shiro tutors him and Kairi on keyblade wielding, during their time in The Secret Forest.

Ephemer and Skuld

Childhood Bestfriend

Shiro has foggy dreams and visions of the both of them. (They truly haunt Shiro’s life like it’s a full time job)

Even once called Sora “Ephemer” by mistake. They were both extremely confused.

Shiro is actively trying to find them.

Aiko and Merin

The two start off on a bad foot due to a misunderstanding that led to Aiko and Viktor leaving their homeworld. Aiko thought Merin was the one to invade their world with darkness and ended up chasing after her through a dark corridor. In reality, Merin and Tähti were running away from Ansem (SOD) and happened to pass through their world.

Aiko and Merin ended up becoming separated from Viktor and Tähti and end up begrudgingly teaming up to find their families .

During their time together, they end up eventually becoming friends and even end up getting into a relationship together later on.

Their opposite personalities seemed like an issue when they first met, but they grew to love and learn from those differences and they’ve really helped each other to grow as people.

Viktor and Tähti

Viktor was at first very frustrated to be left to babysit a child, but switched into big brother mode pretty much subconsciously.

They’re a funny little duo since they’re both terrible fighters and are pretty much constantly just running for their lives.

Viktor appreciates Tähti’s quiet personality and knows to be patient with them.

Tähti also didn’t care too much about Viktor at first, but seeing him make an effort to keep them safe reminded them a lot of Merin.

Other friends!

Tähti, Namine and Xion!

Tähti met Namine during one of her visits to Ansem’s lab, and after some encouragement from the others, Tähti manages to strike up a conversation with her.

The two have a shared interest in art and like sharing their work with each other!

Tähti also got introduced to Xion through Namine, and despite Tähti’s antisocial nature, the two ended up quickly becoming good friends. (Nothing is as strong as the bond between two neurodivergent teenagers)

I like to think Kairi hangs out with them occasionally, but also she’s kinda busy trying to find Sora :’)

Viktor and Ienzo

Met post kh3 and became quick friends over their similar personalities and shared interest in tech.

Everyone around them was very excited that they were finally making friends. (Ansem and Aiko wiping a tear out of the corner of their eye)

Merin and Vanitas

Weird little brother creature thingy kinda

They met briefly while Merin and Aiko visited the realm of darkness.

They had a short confrontation where they fought with Merin winning.

Didn’t have the chance to talk much outside of that, but I think they have a secret mutual respect for each other due to being similar beings.

Merin and Isa

Got introduced post kh3 and ended up befriending each other as Viktor was spending more time with the apprentices.

They match each other’s tired energy

They like to just kinda sit back and watch as their friends mingle.

@khoc-week

[khoc-week]

Another event is over and done. And just like all the others, it was simply incredible.

We were able to meet so many wonderful characters. Each one different from the last! The passion each of you poured into your characters is evident. Thank you for taking the time to create and share them with us.

This year's event was the largest turnout we've ever had!

So thank you all so much for taking part!

Until next year!

[khoc-week]

khoc week day 4! dream @khoc-week

I dont know why I thought a spiral staircase in perspective was a good idea for this. But i wanted to draw the shadow goo tank, thats what this is. ____ does have an actual bed but why sleep in a bed when you can sleep in a vat of liquid dark. ____ sleeps a lot, it's hard not to sleep when you could be sleeping and warm and comfortable you know? it's hard to do things when you could dream instead and get the same satisfaction. The problem is in the long term it becomes hard to distinguish what was or wasn't a dream. And the feeling of powerlessness that originated this just becomes worse. Even when you start breaking out that disconnect from your surroundings and the people around you still follows you theyre very good with sleep magic and navigating other peoples dreams, however they're very vulnerable to sleep magic when used against them and are prone to getting stuck in their own dreams, This one is fun as-I think it'll be one of the last ones I do- Its of their ship in full which makes the location of this make more sense

The main thing this is missing is it's moth friends they would absolutely be hanging off the walls, like when cats stare at you in the middle of the night because they've decided that they havent eaten ever in their life. I ran out of energy further details

[khoc-week]

Day 7: Future

"Children born of one emotion."

"Our devotion's deepest ocean."

"No, division reasoned— we'll be free." -Sweet Dreams in Sea Major

"Who knows."

Aaa!!! I can't believe it's ending :(( but this was so fun, I hope I can participate next KHOC week!

I tried something symbolic with Freyja this time, referencing the scrumptious ass Madoka magica fanart i see on Pinterest

Since he is the remnant of God itself, why not make him into them?

Anyways, mfw

I'm literally so tired rn but it feels so rewarding knowing I did a week of art

I hope I can do it next time!

@khoc-week

[khoc-week]

KHOC Week Day 7 : Future

Tamie will go wherever her friends go ! Travelling, fighting evil and saving worlds, her life life will be adventurous ! She doesn't feels the need to settle down for now. She's tied closely to the KH canon so she will follows as the story progress and will evolve with it !

She's pretty happy where she's at in her life (we don't talk about kh3 ending...). She feels like she truly belong somewhere for once. Riku once proposed, half joking, to give her the power of the keyblade but she refused. Tamie got where she is without it and will continue to get stronger without it. Even without a keyblade she can keep up with the group !

Whatever the future hold, she's strong and not alone anymore. She's ready to face whatever comes her way !

The story continue.

Thanks @khoc-week and everyone for this amazing week (❁´◡`❁) it was fun ! I didn't have much time to do things but it was nice to put my thoughts into words instead of keeping them in my head lol. It gave me some ideas and helped my creativity. All the ocs I came accross were so cool !! And anyone that passed by, thank you !!

Keep creating !

[khoc-week]

KH OC week 2024 - Day 7: Future.

Hajime is seeking knowledge, he is amazed at how little we know about the worlds, about the essence of people's hearts, about everything that surrounds us. For him, this topic is special. He would like to not only study, but also share new knowledge with others, which is why Hajime will become Ansem the Wise apprentice and will study in detail all the reports, books and all kinds of information. Many may call him a bookworm, but he will start carrying books with him because in his free time this is his favorite pastime. You can always ask Hajime about anything, and if he suddenly does not know the answer, he will not calm down now, he must know, and this will fill his thoughts for the next few weeks.

For some of Ansem's apprentices, he can even seem clingy despite his gloomy nature. He is especially attached to Ienzo, because he seems to be the only one who always condescendingly treat Hajime's clinginess.

In short: Hajime studies a lot, and sometimes others have to bring him back to reality because the boy gets lost due to his hunger for knowledge in books.

@khoc-week

[khoc-week]

Oh my heart! The what could have beens are so bittersweet. The future they should have had... And now Ephemer is left alone, without his dear friends. And he has to rebuild alone.

Thank you so much for sharing this week <3

First of all, thank you to @khoc-week for 1. Organizing this, but 2. Interacting with every post this week! This was a lot of fun!

Day 7! Future

After Data Daybreak Town falls, Ephemer finds that he spends much of his downtime thinking. Between building a new haven for keyblade wielders, he can't help but remember his friends...

Of a time that could have been if not for the war.

A future where he, Skuld, and Caelum could grow up without the looming threat of conflict. Without internal strife among the Foretellers. Without doubt and darkness driving him and his dear friends apart.

If that beautiful world he'd imagined had come to be, they would all be in their twenties. He and Skuld would have been invited to be part of the new generation of Union Leaders. Alongside Brain, Lauriam, and Strelitzia.

And Caelum... wouldn't have sacrificed himself to the darkness to save the two remaining Union Leaders... he wouldn't have fought in the war....

Ephemer wouldn't have seen him die twice.

Perhaps, Ephemer laments, he will build this new haven in memory of this friend. Scala ad Caelum. Stairway to heaven.

And maybe... he can hope that somewhere... there is a world where they had lived peacefully.

[khoc-week]

Ahhh Jasper has been such a joy! I absolutely love that he shares his father's ability with space and gravity. And Rainier!! Oh I remember them!!

I know Jasper will fulfill his goal someday.

Thank you for taking part this week!

@khoc-week Days 5-7 -- I forgot to do them the past couple days, so here we are, three smaller ones at once!

Day 5: Unique -- thanks to the fae blood Jas was born with, he has similar gravity/space magic to his father. He isn't quite as tricky with it, no, but he still loves to float around instead of sitting like a normal person and takes advantage of it in fun ways during battle. He does also teleport as part of this magic, but he's not as skilled and it's not as strong (Braig/Xigbar's was enhanced in large part by Luxu's presence + becoming a Nobody + Xehanort) so he can't world-hop with it, he still uses Corridors, but he can short-range teleport. Woe betide his friends and enemies alike when he figures out how to stand upside down midair.

Day 6: Journal -- while Jasper doesn't journal, his friend and traveling companion (he was mentioned twice last year!) Rainier, being a nerd and son of a certain scholar-king, has a huge journal of Heartless research notes he updates as he studies them in the field. So of course, Jasper happily helps him out in multiple ways, including describing the KHUX era Heartless he dealt with in great detail. After all, so many of them aren't around anymore! Who else can describe the horrors of the Raid Bosses and the delights of the treasure sacks?

Day 7: Future -- this one's easy. When Jasper dreams and thinks of the future, only one thing is in his mind. His father. Finding his father, reuniting with him, chasing him down and seeing him again. Maybe one day he will find him, the man who both is and is no longer his father, who knows him now both as a beloved long-lost son and as a Keyblade wielder from long ago. Maybe they'll be able to be in each other's lives again as family. Only time will tell.

[khoc-week]

Precious indeed! I love him!

Keykid Lyro my precious 🐥✨

[khoc-week]

Living in the moment is something I respect! Wherever their roads take them, I'm glad to hear Aceso, Kionas, Vaillant, and Telesphoros will find happiness waiting for them all at journey's end!

Thank you so much for sharing about your characters this week!

@khoc-week 2024 Day 7 - Future

This week was a blast and the event was Incredible, I am look forward for the next year! 😊🌟💖

(The colours where done quickly on the phone)

No one knows what the future holds, Aceso, Vaillant, Telesphoros and Kionas all prefer to be in the present and take things slow, enjoy the moment and be with their loved ones. What is for sure after their journey ends, Kionas will have a loving family and people who makes him feel important, Vaillant gets his body back, Telesphoros getting his heart back and Aceso finding her brother and returning home with her new friends and family.

[khoc-week]

omg dots connected! A certain dream eater is part of the theatre too, aren't they? ahaha

In all seriousness though, I really love how this Au is so grounded and slice of life. Xigbar getting Lamia food after every shift! And trying to wave it off ahaha! This is great.

KHOC Week Day 6 - Journal Alternate Universe

(Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7) ( @khoc-week )

I have experience working in small professional and community theaters and had just finished a job as a stagehand when my Kingdom Hearts hyperfix hit. So, naturally, when I made a modern AU for Xiglam, I made it a Theater AU.

Xigbar has a long and weirdly complicated backstory in this AU, but eventually he ends up learning how to do lighting tech and design for film and theater. He's recruited by Xemnas to join the Organization XIII Theatre Company in Radiant Garden (in this AU a city analagous to like, Chicago, in that it's known for its art scene).

A few years after getting his Bachelor's in Theatre from Radiant Garden University, Lamia gets a job with Organization XIII as a stagehand. Later he starts getting rides home with the weird annoying middle-aged lighting tech, who lives near his apartment complex. On one of these rides home, Xigbar casually asks what Lamia ate for dinner. Lamia replies that he had a granola bar.

It quickly becomes routine for Xigbar to take Lamia through a drive-thru on the way home from work. Lamia tries to protest that it's too nice of him, especially since Xigbar claims not to have an altruistic bone in his body, but Xigbar waves it off by saying that if Lamia passes out on stage moving a setpiece, the whole company's gonna look bad. Over time they become work buddies and develop a playful antagonism with each other, and eventually (after much drama) start dating.

I like having a relatively low-stakes and completely mundane AU for these characters. It's a fun writing exercise for me, imagining their dynamic in different real-world scenarios—flying together to a theater conference and getting stuck in a long layover; accidentally running into each other at a gay bar; getting snowed in together; Lamia teaching Xigbar The Sims and Xigbar teaching Lamia Wing Commander 3.

(Also, a "fresnel" is a type of light used in theater. This AU is also a way for me to put Xigbar in 1 million wacky novelty T-shirts.)

(Also also, my partner who also did khoc week also replaced a day with Alternate Universe and also did my theater au!)

[khoc-week]

Oh that journal is absolutely beautiful! I love the gold trim. And i loved the moment in the fic that Mariss read the journal entries and realized how easily a single decision could have altered Sophia's life.

Thank you so much for taking part in the event!

KHOC Week Day 7 - Journal

Well, diary, but same thing right?

(Thank you to the mods for hosting this event again this year! Though I wasn't as prepared as I would've liked, I always look forward to KHOC week for the chance to check out everyone's neat OCs and for the motivation to actually write something about my own kiddos!)

Art commissioned from @naab_ascanio on Instagram

Word Count: 2545

Sophia’s diary lay open on the Gardener’s dining room table, being read by another keyblade wielder for the first time in five years while the rest of the family watched in silence. The exposed edges of the pages had begun to yellow with age, the bits of ribbon and paper she’d used as bookmarks were frayed, and the dyed lavender cover was beginning to crack and peel off at the edges and along the spine. However, Sophia’s parents had done all they could to preserve the last memento they had left of their missing daughter, something Sigyn seemed to be intrinsically aware of by how carefully she flipped through the pages.

Neither of the twins had been aware that their aunt and uncle had managed to save their cousin’s diary in the chaos of Radiant Garden’s fall until Uncle Mundi decided they were old enough to read it when they began highschool two years ago. Mariss never understood why he’d chosen that as the right time for them to have that information; Aunt Anima seemed to disapprove but she didn’t stop him.

In retrospect, Mariss thought that letting Relai read Sophia’s diary had been a big mistake. Even if both of them were entitled to know the truth about their cousin, reliving Radiant Garden through Sophia’s eyes and then reading all about her journeys to other worlds as a keyblade apprentice only served to let Mariss’ twin sister retreat further into her daydreams. Relai was forever stuck on the past and what could have been, drifting further and further from Mariss as they tried to move forward.

Mariss, on the other hand, had taken something very different from their cousin’s diary. While her recollections of the worlds she’d visited and the things she’d learned were fascinating, there was still a stark contrast in Sophia’s writing before and after the event that seemed to have made her realize the gravity of her choice to become a keyblade wielder: the death of her friend, Ferrum. In the entries after, Mariss could see how Sophia struggled with the expectations of her role and the emotional toll that keeping secrets from her family and friends in Radiant Garden was taking on her.

When Mariss got to one of the final entries, the one where Sophia had visited San Fransokyo and pondered what her life would’ve been like if she’d never taken up the keyblade, they had to put down the journal and stare at their bedroom wall in silence for a bit. The thought of a single decision setting their cousin on a path of pain and destruction that she couldn’t escape from made their skin crawl.

If there was such a thing as destiny and that had been what Sophia was destined for, then Mariss wanted no part of it.

Mariss always wondered what Uncle Mundi and Aunt Anima thought of Sophia’s diary, but was too scared to ask in case it just made them more upset. The two of them sat at one end of the table, her staring ahead at their guest with an unreadable expression and him gazing down at his lost daughter’s diary with a muted melancholy.

The twins sat across from each other on either side of their aunt and uncle. Relai was trying to lean back in her chair casually, but the way her eyes darted from her aunt and uncle to Sigyn and back made it clear she could barely contain her excitement, dread, or possibly both.

As for Mariss, they weren’t really sure how to feel about it all. Heart still racing and hands still slightly shaking after the encounter in the alleyway, they elected to sit back and let the keyblade wielder at the far end of the table explain herself. Better to get the full picture before they made any decisions they might regret later.

Sigyn, second daughter of Keyblade Master Urd and the younger sister to Sophia’s friends Brandr and Virdandi, had taken on the burden of being the last wielder of the Scala ad Caelum lineage after her own world had been destroyed. Mariss had recognized her name from Sophia’s diary when she’d introduced herself in the alleyway and it was because of that same diary that Sigyn was here in the Gardener’s house, sitting in silence and utterly focused on the book in front of her with only the occasional sharp exhale of surprise as she devoured the information on the pages.

Finally, the blond girl looked up and jerked back in surprise as she realized the family had been watching her intently this whole time. “Ah… my apologies,” she stammered. “I didn’t really get to spend much time with Sophia because I wasn’t an apprentice like my siblings yet, but I always remember her constantly writing in her diary. These notes she took about Master Vor’s teachings and the about all the various worlds are so detailed, yet so easy to follow…They’re amazing! There’s so much here I’ve never learned!”

“I thought your mother was a keyblade master. Did you never learn any of this from her?” Aunt Anima asked, still staring at Sigyn intently but Mariss could swear they saw some of the lines on her face soften just a little.

“No, ma’am,” Sigyn answered sadly. “My mother wouldn’t teach me until one of my siblings earned their Mark of Mastery, which neither of them did. Master Yen Sid and his apprentice taught me all I know about the keyblade, so I never learned many of the techniques unique to the Scalan tradition that are described here. This journal might be the only surviving firsthand record of knowledge passed down by the original founder of Scala ad Caelum.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, young lady,” Uncle Mundi spoke in a choked voice, not quite meeting her eyes, “but I’m afraid I— we can’t let you take that book.”

Sigyn’s face fell for half a second before she quickly recomposed herself. “I understand completely, sir, this diary must mean the world to you. My mother’s old sash from when she was a keyblade apprentice is all I have left of her and the rest of my family after my world was destroyed.” She stood up so that the Gardeners could see the white and gold garment around her waist and then sat back down again. “I would never forgive myself if I let anything happen to it.”

“But,” she continued, “would it be alright with you if I were to just copy down the information relevant to me as a keyblade wielder? I’m sure it wouldn’t take more than a few days.”

“A few days?” Mariss repeated incredulously. “Sigyn, Sophia’s field notes are more than half of the book! It’d take several weeks at least!”

Sigyn shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “Yes, well—”

Relai, it seemed, could no longer hold herself back. “Or I can just go with Sigyn and make sure than nothing happens to Sophia’s diary!” she blurted out.

Mariss winced. Leave it to Relai to take the most dramatic option possible. “Excuse me?” Aunt Anima raised an eyebrow and even Uncle Mundi looked up in surprise.

“Yeah!” Relai continued. “I mean we’ve all read Sophia’s diary; being a keyblade wielder is hard enough even without being one of the last ones left! We can’t leave Sigyn to be harassed by those jerks again—”

“Excuse me!” Sigyn retorted, turning red. “I can handle myself just fine—”

“Oh yeah, then why did you need Mariss and I to save you earlier, huh?” Relai retorted. “And there’s—”

“Enough!” Aunt Anima bellowed, standing up from the table. “Lorelai, you are not going and that is final!”

“But Auntie!” Relai protested, rising to her feet. “I have to! There’s a chance—”

“Relai,” Mariss tried to interrupt and Sigyn shot her a concerned glance but both warnings were ignored.

“—a chance that Sophia might still be alive!”

If Mariss’ legs could reach, they would’ve kicked Relai under the table or at least poked her very, very hard.

The expression on Aunt Anima’s face was almost murderous; Mariss couldn’t recall the last time they’d seen her so angry. “What did you say?” Uncle Mundi asked in a voice barely above a whisper, some long lost flicker of emotion in his eyes.

Relai turned to Sigyn, nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. “Yeah, tell them what you heard about the other keyblade wielder!”

Sigyn shot her a furious glare that could rival Aunt Anima’s then turned to the adults, trying not to shrink in on herself in embarrassment. “I’ve been looking into rumors of another keyblade wielder who’s been spotted in various worlds,” she admitted hesitantly. “But the descriptions I’ve gotten from those who saw this person are so vague that it could just as well be one of my siblings or one of the other three apprentices that went missing around the same time as Sophia.”

“So that’s a one in six chance then,” Mariss noted, watching the reactions of their family intently.

“But…but that means there’s still a chance!” Relai protested. “Auntie! Uncle! Please!” She looked at the two of them pleadingly. “And…and even if it’s not Sophia, then we owe it to her to reunite Sigyn with her siblings! Or at least find another keyblade wielder who can watch her back against those freaks in the black coats! Please! We can’t just do nothing!”

Relai’s words were followed by a deathly silence. Aunt Anima looked away with an unreadable expression and Uncle Mundi stared down at the diary again, as if lost in thought.

As Relai waited for an answer, tears beginning to form in her eyes, Mariss flicked on their holographic visor they usually saved for bot fighting purposes. This time, hovever, they flipped through the applications with a wave of their fingers and began to type up two emails. Out of the corner of their eye, Mariss saw Sigyn staring as they moved their fingers over a keyboard interface only they could see.

“Sometimes I wish that you’d disappeared instead of Mom and Dad.” That’s what Mariss had nearly said to their twin sister in the alleyway before they’d run into Sigyn earlier. While it was true that Relai’s attitude frustrated them beyond belief and it was easier to ignore her than keep fighting, Mariss could never say that and mean it. Ever.

Aunt Anima finally spoke again after some time. “Lorelai,” she said after a long sigh, “if you think that your uncle and I are going to let another member of this family disappear—”

“Dad at least tried to find Mom when she disappeared!” Relai retorted, the desperation creeping back into her voice. “No one here would miss me anyway if something happened! I—” Relai paused mid sentence to glare daggers at her twin. “Mariss, are you seriously playing games right now? At a time like this?!”

“No, I am not,” Mariss replied through gritted teeth, putting the finishing touches on the second, much more personal email before they shut off their visor and turned their attention back toward their three remaining family members. “I’m sending an email to our highschool to get us transferred out and officially declared homeschooled, so they won’t send anyone looking for us. And,” Mariss took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m sending my official resignation from the South Bay Surfriders so I won’t have any outstanding obligations to worry about while WE look for Sophia.”

The rest of the team would probably hate Mariss forever for quitting so close to a major tournament, but Mariss wasn’t going to think about that right now. Nor were they going to think about how they were throwing away all the future plans they’d made in San Fransokyo right now. Nor again were they going to think about how there would always be a tiny part of them that would resent Relai for this moment, possibly forever.

Anything for family.

Relai’s eyes grew wide as she processed this information. Even Uncle Mundi looked up in shock at the news. “You don’t have to come with me, Mariss,” Relai finally said in a small voice. “I know you’ve actually got a life you care about here, why would you—”

“OF COURSE I HAVE TO COME WITH YOU, IDIOT!” Mariss screamed at her. Even Sigyn flinched a little this time. “If it wasn’t for me, you would’ve been sliced to ribbons by that lady earlier! You’re always rushing into things without thinking! Mom and Dad would never forgive me if something happened to you and I wasn’t around! And neither would I! So…so you’re not going unless I’m going to, is that clear!?”

Mariss was breathing like they’d just run a whole marathon as they stared down their twin in righteous anger. For once, Relai was so stunned she couldn’t even respond to their insults properly.

Sigyn cleared her throat loudly. “I’m the one with the gummi ship here,” she reminded the twins calmly, “so I’m the one who gets to chose who I take with me. And neither of you are going unless your Aunt and Uncle allow it.” She stared back resolutely as Relai shot her a betrayed look.

For one brief, shining moment, Mariss thought Aunt Anima was going to forbid the two of them from going. Then they could just send apology emails to the school and their team and pray they weren’t too mad about the “prank”, and they could get back to their normal life.

And then Uncle Mundi suddenly stood up. “Excuse us,” he said as he took Aunt Anima’s hand and lead her out of the dining room and into the hallway. She looked at him in confusion but followed, the door slamming shut behind her with a loud thud.

Time passed slowly without any noise that Mariss could hear from the hallway. At one point Relai stood up to suggest they sneak out while her aunt and uncle were occupied, but quickly sat back down when she saw Sigyn’s expression.

At last Uncle Mundi and Aunt Anima returned. “Your uncle and I,” Aunt Anima began, “have decided that the two of you can go. It’s what Sophia would have wanted.”

“Yes!” Relai screamed, leaping out of her chair. “Thank you, thank—”

“But only if,” Aunt Anime continued, cutting her celebration short, “the two of you never become keyblade wielders.”

“What?!” Relai shrieked, but Mariss understood. Their aunt and uncle didn’t want them to end up just like their cousin.

“Okay,” Sigyn said as she stood up and summoned her keyblade. “On my honor as the last keyblade wielder of the Scalan line, Mariss and Relai will not be bequeathed a keyblade by me nor any other wielder. My word is my bond.” The keyblade disappeared from her hand in a shower of golden powder as she turned back to Aunt Anima. “Is that acceptable?”

Aunt Anima nodded stiffly. Mariss glanced over at their twin, a sour expression on her face from being denied a keyblade. Relai had gotten nearly everything she wanted, and yet she was still unhappy?

Good. A petty sort of smile slid across Mariss’ face as they began to make a mental list of what they’d need on this journey they’d signed themselves up for.

To Be Continued

@khoc-week