#but can you convince me that if Ephemer was in the real world he wouldn’t think that the government was made up of lizard people?

[cq-studios]

I love that Ephemer’s first conversation with Player is like “Thanks for the help! Did you know your life is a lie?”

There’s no way he’s not knee deep into conspiracy theories.

This was prior to Data Daybreak Town and the glitches, before the Keyblade War even. Did he come from one of the worlds being portrayed? (I don’t think so but it’s a thought) Judging by Player’s reaction they have no clue what the hell Ephemer is talking about (to quote the novel “It was the part about the world being holograms that had you stumped”) so where holograms even a piece of technology that was common knowledge? What evidence did Ephemer have to even make that claim?

Like I don’t care wether or not he was right (though for his sake I’ll say he was half right, it was just data, not holograms [which I think is further evidence for my whole no one knows about computers headcannon]), how the hell did he come to that conclusion? What happened to him that made him figure that out?

[narwhalwrath]

Let's talk about the KHUX finale as a whole rather than just as the piece we only just got.

So we started off with with Lauriam and Ventus alone in Ventus' room, and Lauriam is conflicted about Ventus because they have no way of knowing whether or not Ventus destroyed Darkness or whether it retreated back within Ventus (I mean we know that this Darkness is Vanitas but they don't), in which case Lauriam seems to contemplate taking out Ventus, only Strelitzia reminds Lauriam that giving into his negative emotions is exactly what Darkness wants - which obviously spooks the hell out of Lauriam and he turns around to find that she's not there. Having had time to think about this, I'd say that what I believe happened to Strelitzia after she was struck down by Darkness was that her Heart took refuge within Lauriam's, much in the same way Kairi's and Ventus's Hearts did with Sora's Heart in KH and KHBBS respectively. You might recall that Sora even saw Kairi at one point while he Heart was still within her Heart.

What does this mean though, well I believe that Strelitzia will return thanks to the Data Luxu pulled of her in Data-Daybreak Town, which is what he sent to the future via the Ark. Think of it as similar to how Roxas and Namine were brought back in KHIII, once Lauriam releases Strelitzia's Heart, it can join with the Data-Strelitzia, which is likely vacant, as the Data versions of the Dandelions were all occupied by their own Hearts presumably when they became Unchained and crossed into Data-Daybreak Town.

Moving on, Elrena is brought into the story to reveal that her Chirithy had seen Luxu and Strelitzia, which leaves hope for the others about Strelitzia, but doesn't do much more than confuse them otherwise and get her to join the party as they make for the Ark. Seriously, Elrena was completely underused in KHUX. I still think it's odd how Lauriam and Elrena act entirely different from Marluxia and Larxene, and I think it is even more odd how Nomura specified tht Lauriam and Marluxia are different characters rather than telling the interviewer who had asked the question what we are meant to believe: that Lauriam is Marluxia's Somebody.

To be clear, I don't think that he's not, simply that 4 years go by between when he, Elrena, Ventus, and Skuld woke up in the future and KHBBS and then nearly another 10 years (presumably) before Marluxia is found by Xigbar and Xaldin and Larxene is found by Xaldin and Lexaeus. We have no idea what happens then, and both had completely lost their memories, making it even more hard to say. However, Lauriam was shown waking in Dwarf Woodlands, while Elrena woke in what I assume to be Enchanted Dominion, both of which were some of the first Worlds to be swallowed by the Darkness when Maleficent began her pursuit of Kingdom Hearts at the end of KHBBS, so maybe that's how they fell to Darkness?

After Luxu sends the True Dandelion forward via the Ark, I noticed that, while Darkness explains its intention, it mentions that it plans to 'accompany the chosen one into the future to lay claim to Worlds not yet created'. This is odd, because later it explains that there are five Darknesses still in Data-Daybreak Town, and since only four of them confront Ephemer, Skuld, and Player, then that all but confirms Lauriam's suspicions. What's more, is that it engages Luxu in battle and then is missing when Brain, Lauriam, Elrena, and Ventus arrive in Daybreak Town to utilize the real Ark.

Where did Darkness go? Not within Ventus, as it would have had no opportunity to do so, and there's already an iteration of Darkness in there. Luxu is the only other candidate. It was revealed in the second part of the finale that the Master raised his apprentices in order to give the seven strongest iterations of Darkness a tangible form so that it could inevitably be struck down. This was the entire reason for the Keyblade War, and why the Foretellers had to be sacrificed. The conversation with Luxu all but confirms that those seven of the original Thirteen Darknesses were already destroyed, as they discuss how, after the Keyblade War, only the six Darkness we've now seen remained and found themselves within Data-Daybreak Town. The Master reveals this to be another part of his scheme, as Daybreak Town and its Data counterpart were constructed to act as a cage for Darkness that would be sprung as soon as the first pod of the Ark it utilized.

This trap is something Darkness knew after watching the Master compose the Book of Prophecies, the Master intentionally excluded Enchanted Dominion from the Worlds realized in the real world, instead trapping Maleficent within the Datascape much in the same way that he had done to Darkness. Darkness then helped Maleficent reach Daybreak Town via the virtual Ark in order to then have her use the real one, thereby triggering the ends of both iterations of Daybreak Town, which would motivate the Dandelions to use the Ark themselves, unknowingly providing Ventus to Darkness after another iteration utilized him to take the place of Strelitzia. While it would travel into the future to lay siege to Worlds not yet in existence, the other Darknesses in the Datascape would spread across the Data-Worlds. However, Darkness didn't concern itself with the parts of the Book of Prophecies which it considered unimportant to itself, which ultimately proved to be its undoing, because it missed out on the true plans of the Master, as Luxu later confirmed.

On the topic of Luxu, let's discuss his meeting with Brain, as well as his appearance in the Keyblade Graveyard. The most important part about these two parts is to know that, even though it appears as though Luxu possessed Brain, he didn't. Brain has just always resembled Luxu for whatever reason. I wonder if this could have something to do with iterations of the same person from two separate Worldlines? Why do I say this, because they made a point of noting the similarities between Skuld and Ava as well, on two separate occasions, and I would guess that with what we've seen in the finale, that it was intentional for this exact reason. Does this mean that all the Foretellers look like the Union leaders? I'd say no, I mean Ventus and Gula appear to bear physical similarities from what we can see (height give-or-take, jaw structure), but for sure Ephemer and Lauriam do not resemble Ira and Aced.

The two seen in the finale are clearly different because Luxu was stated in his Secret Reports of KHIII to have passed on No Name to on of the Union Leaders amid the chaos of the destruction of Data-Daybreak Town. The only one he came into contact with was Brain, so clearly Brain got No Name, thus its a done-deal, both are Brain, right? Wrong - as Brain then awakens generations later in Scala ad Caelum, not by using the Ark but by using Ephemer's memories passed down through the generations all the way to Sigurd, as his Waypoint, while his hat acted as the Medium. I believe that when Luxu claimed that Brain's life had to end, he merely passed on No Name to Brain and taught him how to unlock his Heart - or become Unchained, thereby allowing him to partake in said time travel and see through the destruction of Daybreak Town. I think what we see of "Brain" in the Keyblade Graveyard is like the scene from KHX:BC where Luxu arrives in the Keyblade Graveyard with No Name and the Box, just with his hood down, otherwise it wouldn't make sense for Luxu to have No Name, as he said he didn't have it anymore in the Secret Report.

I wonder if, given Master's Defender belonged to Brain originally and eventually makes its way to Eraqus - Brain's suspected grandson - if that means that Brain recclaims Master's Defender when he gets to Scala ad Caelum? I really felt for Ephemer toward the end because it became evident that when Ephemer and Skuld attempted to escape, Ephemer was caught in the destruction of Daybreak Town and left alone in the past. Although he created Scala ad Caelum from the ruins of Daybreak Town and began a new lineage of Keyblade wielders, it's sad that he died without the friends he had come to know throughout KHUX. I wonder also what Ephemer did with that last copy of the Book of Prophecies that Brain gave him - could it still be hidden somewhere in Scala ad Caelum?

In the end, Player had to fight Ephemer and Skuld in order to convince the 4 iterations of Darkness left in Data-Daybreak Town that he was on their side, as they did not seem to realize that their comrade had left with Ventus. This led to Ephemer sending Player and the Darknesses to Game Central Station, wherein Player trapped them and Data-Daybreak Town came crumbling down, just as the Master intended. This resulted in all the Dandelions falling into a deep Sleep, with their Chirithy's becoming the Dream Eaters we know today in order to protect them - only Player chooses not to Sleep and his Heart becomes a part of Xehanort's when he is born.

What's interesting to me about this is that we see Xehanort's mother, who looks sort of like Skuld, but I theorize is actually Brain's mother, which would thus make Xehanort the brother of Eraqus, but what I want to know is who that cloaked figure could be? Maybe it's Brain, who somehow knew about Player's Heart and took Xehanort away from Scala ad Caelum because Player's attack on Ephemer and Skuld (which I assume Ephemer would leave some note about for Brain, considering that Sigurd makes it sound as though they knew Ephemer was coming). I'm really not sure, but considering that Eraqus' grandfather isn't around anymore, that means he'd have had to have disappeared when Eraqus was young, and if it was because he was off with Xehanort, that could certainly explain it, but who knows.

Anyway I think that's everything I have to say about the finale (I hope it is at least lol) Let me know your thoughts below :) KHUXDR still has to finish later this year, so maybe these questions I have won't go unanswered for long.

[revengerevisited]

Maddie rambles about Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road

Let’s just get this outta the way: Xehanort is my least favorite character in Kingdom Hearts. Now there are certainly more boring and underdeveloped characters but as far as evil deeds go, it doesn’t matter how ‘cute’ or ‘relatable’ Nomura tries to make Xehanort. I will never forget that he tore Ven’s heart in half, tortured Vanitas for four years, killed his own best friend, possessed Terra’s body for a decade, possessed Riku’s body as Ansem, unleashed Heartless on the worlds resulting in countless deaths, manipulated Organization XIII for years, and experimented on Kairi as a child and eventually murdered her in front of her best friends. Any attempt to make me sympathize with him just ain’t gonna work.

Also, I’m not taking any of these ‘Character X is secretly Character Y’ theories too seriously until they actually happen. Yes, it can be fun to speculate that Bragi or Odin is secretly Luxu or the Master of Masters, or that Brain is Eraqus’s ancestor, or that Demyx is the MoM, or that Ava or Vor is Kairi’s grandma, or whatever other theories are out there. But until there’s conclusive evidence that’s all they are, speculations and theories.

On that note, I don’t know why Xehanort is having dreams about the KHUX Player’s adventures but I don’t think it’s because Xehanort is the Player’s Nobody or a reincarnation of the Player. Reincarnation has never been a concept present in the KH series, and honestly it just sounds like bad fanfiction. Plus, if Xehanort does turn out to be the Player, then I feel bad for everyone who spent a lot of time creating their own unique character only to have it be replaced by the generic default Player in KHDR’s opening cutscene and then re-replaced by Xehanort of all people. Perhaps Xehanort simply has a unique, unexplained power to see into the past like Namine’s memory manipulation or Terra’s precognition.

Either way, this past-sight just makes it harder and harder for me to believe that Xehanort wanted to learn about the Keyblade War in BBS, since it seems he already knew all he needs to know. Xemnas knows that Luxord, Marluxia, Demyx, and Larxene are from the past, young Xehanort lives in Scala ad Caelum which was built over the ruins of Daybreak Town complete with a huge machine explaining Daybreak Town’s demise, Eraqus talks about the Book of Prophecies like it’s common knowledge, the list goes on. Also, I don’t like the implication that Xehanort chose Ventus as his vessel and later as material for the X-Blade only because he knows him from the Player’s dreams. Then again, if his dreams of the Keyblade War end before the Player meets Ven and Lauriam, then Xehanort wouldn’t know about them and would instead be more familiar with Skuld and Ephemer.

I will say that one thing I do like is Xehanort comparing himself to a starfish laying on the beach, both for the humorous imagery and also just a bit of that islander backstory flavor. Xehanort being the outsider of his friends group and not telling the whole truth of how he ended up in Scala is also an interesting Kairi parallel, although him being found unconscious in the middle of a city is kinda overused. I do like that the surrounding cities around Scala are all uninhabited, since trying to wrap my mind around these huge mountain-sized cities with potentially millions of people in them was a little too much for my brain to handle.

I do however find it quite bizarre that it’s taken some worlds so long to recover from the Keyblade War. Not only that, but apparently people just appear out of thin air once their world is restored. Like, how? It just feels weird and uncomfortable, almost like these people only exist for the protagonist and audience’s amusement rather than being independent living beings in their own right. I dunno, there’s just something deeply unsettling about those implications. It also makes me wonder how long ago the Keyblade War was, if places like Agrabah still aren’t finished only 75-ish years before KH1. The characters refer to it as a legend, so it must’ve happened a long time ago, right? Some fans think it’s only been 100 years since the Keyblade War, but that would be like the equivalent of calling World War 1 a legend.

The worlds all being on different timescales is also extremely headache-inducing, both as analyst and a fanfic writer trying to keep track of the plot. Couple that with time travel and the whole thing just falls apart. Of course, if each world runs at a different time, then perhaps this is why Xehanort looks so much older than Eraqus, or rather why Eraqus looks so relatively young when he’s supposed to be 80-ish years old. And if that’s the case, then do any of the characters’ ages really matter? I’ve already proven that their ages have been retconned before. Also, this renders timecodes such as ‘75 years later’ and ‘one year later’ from Re:Mind and other parts of the series completely meaningless. The timeline is broken.

Anyway, I’m not sure how much Norse Mythology will play into the story, but all the new characters have Norse names with two that stand out the most. The first is Master Odin, named after a Norse god who sacrificed one of his own eyes for knowledge, which is an interesting parallel to the MoM. The second is Baldr, the as of yet unseen seventh student who has a missing sister, because evidently Nomura likes recycling his previous plots before they’ve even finished. In Norse Mythology, Baldr is the god of light whose death kickstarts the events of Ragnarok. How this’ll be relevant in KHDR remains to be seen, but after seeing those four gravestones in the timeskip/flashforward, I can’t imagine this ending well for anyone not named Eraqus or Xehanort. 

Now, as funny as I find it that the new characters have all been killed off this quickly, I’m not entirely convinced that those are Urd, Hermod, Bragi, and Vor’s graves. They could actually be the graves of the missing upperclassmen, if some of them turn up dead. Speaking of the upperclassmen, I would hope that Yen Sid is one of them, but I have a feeling he won’t be allowed to show up simply because of Disney’s stranglehold on its own IP. It’s pretty sad and ironic seeing as this series used to be all about Disney, but I assume that’s why Nomura is straying further and further from the brand.

About the four new student characters, I don’t have any particular attachment to any of them, beyond Vor’s name being hilariously unfortunate. I find it a bit eye-rolling that fans continuously snub Kairi but will instantly latch onto any new characters like Yozora and these four despite barely knowing anything about them. It doesn’t help that, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems that any of the four who you choose to be in your trio will have the exact same dialogue in cutscenes no matter who you pick, meaning that these new characters don’t even get much of a chance to develop their own personalities because all of their dialogue has to be generic and bland enough to fit all four of them.

Young Eraqus is probably the best character so far, simply because he’s the only one with any personality. Granted his supposed cowardice has yet to be seen, but it’s mentioned so often that I assume it’s gonna be an important plot point later. However, I’m finding it hard to relate young Eraqus with his adult counterpart seeing as their personalities are just so different. I’m aware there’s a 65-ish year gap between this Eraqus and older Eraqus, but there better be some major character development to explain this, especially since even standing in front of his presumed classmate’s graves he still seems fairly chipper.

On that note, as humorous as ‘Tardy Fleetfoot’ is, just like with Xehanort, don’t think I’ve forgotten that this guy caused Terra’s insecurity and self-doubt with his overzealous anti-darkness stance, probably heavily influenced Aqua’s black-and-white anti-darkness keyblade-first-ask-questions-later thinking, was also probably the one who told her to lie to Ventus about always living with them, and attempted to straight up kill Ven and Terra. Eraqus’s actions aren’t as bad as Xehanort’s, but they certainly aren’t acceptable in any capacity.

Something odd I noticed is that Eraqus knows what the Heartless are called, and even the difference between Pureblood and Emblem Heartless-- well, part of the difference; I’m assuming he doesn’t know that future Xehanort created them. But anyway, my point is that Aqua doesn’t know what the Heartless are called until Mickey tells her in BBS 0.2. Before that she simply calls them ‘dwellers of darkness’, and even mistakes one for an Unversed. Does this mean Eraqus never taught his students about the Heartless? Why? Perhaps after his classmates died, he decided to shelter his own students from the worlds, hence why their Mark of Mastery was so simple? I’m just guessing at this point. Of course, there’s still no real explanation as for why the Emblem Heartless are here in the past. My best theory is that someone used the Book of Prophecies to summon them... somehow. It really just seems like an excuse to gloss over the corner Nomura wrote himself into with the whole ‘Emblem Heartless were made by Ansem’ thing, but we’ll see.

Honestly this whole series is just one big endless death-spiral of constant retcons and nonsensical plot twists and at this point I’m just exhausted. My view on KH has become one of mild and morbid curiosity, rather than expecting anything truly great. Is that cynical? Yes, but I’ve watched other once-great series (Star Wars, Voltron) worsen over time to the point that they just fizzle out and die, and I’m afraid it’s the same deal with Kingdom Hearts. I don’t think I’ve truly enjoyed a KH game since BBS, and if the series just continues down the path of introducing bland new characters every time Nomura gets bored rather than developing the already established ones, I don’t know how long I can stay interested. The Dark Seeker Saga is over and he really needs to let Xehanort go.

To end this on a positive note, I am tentatively hopeful about Melody of Memory. The gameplay looks cute and fun and the story looks like it will have more development for Kairi and her backstory, which is something I’ve been wanting for a while now. Focusing on the original cast is definitely a step in the right direction, and I hope this series can keep moving forwards rather than backwards.

[ends-of-the-wayward-storm]

Unchained--Part 1

Summary

In an attempt to help find Sora, Erica tries to reach out to him much like her friend Ephemer once did with her--with the help of Chirithy, of course. One day, however, she reaches out to what she hoped was the first clue to tracking Sora down, only to find herself in a place she's never seen before and come across someone who apparently had been told to save him.

[AO3 version] [Part 2]

[This contains spoilers for KH III and Re:Mind.] 

________

I can remember the first time I talked to my friends Ephemer in Skuld, kind of like it was yesterday. If I hadn’t taken that chance of finding a way to Sora, I probably wouldn’t have found them.

Erica pensively looked out the window in her room, the ever-present sunset gleaming through. “Chirithy, do you remember when I saw Ephemer in that dream?”

“That was a pretty long time ago,” Chirithy replied. “But I remember.”

“I know he was reaching out to me. And when I looked into it, it ended up meaning something.”

The little creature studied their best friend. “What are you trying to say?”

“If I can do what Ephemer did, then maybe I might be able to reach out to Sora. I just have to figure out how he did it.”

Oh. Now they saw what she was getting at. But . . . was she ready? Would it even work the other way?

Erica studied Chirithy. “You know how he did it, don’t you?”

“Well . . . maybe. But I’m not sure it’ll work.”

“Can you tell me?”

Chirithy hesitated. “Are you sure you’re prepared?”

“Yes. This might be a way to find Sora, and I’m willing to try it.”

The dream eater sighed. “He sent you a dream from the Unchained Realm.”

“Unchained Realm? What’s that?”

Chirithy explained to the best of their ability what it was, including how Erica’s war-torn-free adventures took place there. When they were done, Chirithy watched Erica’s eyebrows furrow, and her eyes held many questions as the silence lingered longer than the dream eater would’ve liked.

“So, they wanted to protect me?” Erica finally concluded.

“To put it simply, yes.”

The young wielder fell back into contemplative silence. Having to remember every moment of the Keyblade War was painful, and she could’ve sworn her heart might’ve broken. She wouldn’t blame Ephemer and Skuld for wiping her memory of it and putting her in a place where the war never happened. If she had been in their place, she probably would’ve done the same thing.

“Do you think Ephemer might still be there? And Skuld?” she asked.

“I’m not sure, but if they are, then they might be able to help us find Sora.”

Erica settled under her covers. “Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

Chirithy explained how they might be able to reach the Unchained Realm, and Erica followed their instructions carefully. Sleep soon washed over her, and she found herself at Sunset Hill. Her dreams often started like this, and usually they would lead to her hanging out with her friends. One time she had showed them her home world. If only that could actually happen. . . .

“Are you ready?” Chirithy asked from atop the rail, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Erica nodded.

“Good. Now, remember what I told you.”

“Right.”

The two of them closed their eyes. She felt Chirithy’s heart and their bond, and she held on to that connection. Chirithy’s presence faded away along with everything around her, but she still held fast to the connection to her best friend.

There was a shift in the air, and for a moment or two, nothing else happened. Together, they put all their hearts into it, and sure enough, a breeze brushed by. The light outside her eyelids changed, and she opened her eyes to a place she thought she’d never see again.

“I’m . . . I’m here. . . .”

Everything was exactly how she remembered it—the purple roofs, the chimneys, the flower beds, even the clock tower she had explored long ago. The sky was as beautiful as ever, the soft lavenders, pinks, and peaches picture perfect. She breathed in the scent of the flowers in the area, and her eyes began to prickle.

The familiar sound of water drew her attention to the fountain she’d always come across, every detail exact. But the nostalgia would fizz out occasionally, and oddly enough the distortions seemed familiar. . . .

I . . . I have to find Sora before I run out of time.

Just as she was about to begin her search, footsteps brought her attention to a familiar face entering the square.

But it wasn’t just one.

“Skuld. . . . Ephemer. . . .”

Both of them looked to her, and they each shared a look of surprise.

“Erica?” Skuld said.

Everything fizzed again, but Erica didn’t care. She ran to them without hesitation, wrapping both of them in a hug that the duo’s shock almost didn’t let them register.

This has to be real. . . . Erica thought. It has to be.

“Y-you’re here,” Ephemer said, hugging her tighter despite his burning questions. “I can’t believe it. . . !”

“How did you come back?” Skuld asked.

Erica let go, but she held on to their hands securely. “Chirithy helped me. I. . . .” A few tears slipped out, and she squeezed their hands. “I looked for you guys . . . everywhere. I wanted . . . to-to find you so badly. . . .”

“Well, we’re here now, right?” Ephemer said with a smile.

Their surroundings fizzed again, pulling shocked expressions from him and Skuld.

“You’re fizzing out!” Skuld said.

“I am?” Erica said, looking at herself.

“We might not have much time left.”

The fizzing and blurring gradually became more frequent.

“But you can’t go! Not yet!” Erica pleaded. “I need your help.”

“Something wrong?” Ephemer asked.

“It’s my friend So—”

The fizzing turned into a sort of fog that shrouded everything. It crept in from all sides, and before Erica could pull them away, her friends became engulfed.

“No wait! Come back, please!”

Erica woke with a start, startling Chirithy. She found herself back in her room. She wasn’t in Daybreak Town anymore.

She stared down at her hands, her eyes prickling again. She wasn’t with Ephemer and Skuld.

“Did you find anything?” Chirithy asked.

“. . . They’re there. I saw them. . . .” But I lost them again. . . .

“They are?”

Erica nodded.

“What about Sora?”

“I didn’t get the chance to ask. . . .”

Chirithy’s ears lowered for a few moments. “Well, at least it worked.”

After that, Chirithy and I kept practicing staying in the Unchained Realm for longer and longer. I got the chance to talk to Ephemer and Skuld and finally tell them everything that’s happened. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

“How’s Ven?” Skuld asked one time.

“He’s doing really good,” Erica replied. “He’ll be so excited to hear from you guys! Once he actually answers my calls.”

Eventually I told Riku what I was up to. He had a lot of questions like I did, but once I explained the basics he was all for another way to find Sora. He did tell me to be careful and to let him know if I found anything. And of course I said I would.

Now it’s been a year. I was able to get to the Unchained Realm without Chirithy’s help, but they still pitched in to keep me steady. No one’s really found anything yet, but we’re not giving up. Sora wouldn’t give up on us, so why should we?

“Good night, Chirithy,” Erica said.

“Good night, kiddo,” Chirithy replied. “Here’s to hoping Ephemer and Skuld have found something.”

Erica nodded, and she closed her eyes to reach out to their realm. It took a bit like it usually did, but she felt something that didn’t feel like Skuld or Ephemer. Maybe this was their breakthrough! A clue!

She sifted through the realm and reached out to the new feeling, and soon she found herself in a part of Daybreak Town she knew she hadn’t seen before.

It was completely night, not like the partial nights she’d always known. The buildings didn’t really seem quite right; they were almost advanced, like Hiro’s world. And the fact that no street lamps were on didn’t really help.

“Hello?” she called. “Anyone here?”

Silence.

“Ephemer? Skuld?”

Nothing.

The atmosphere was even different. It wasn’t homey and safe. In fact it was the complete opposite.

Erica looked around. From what she could see, she was in an alleyway. There was some kind of light in the dark street ahead of her, and if she looked up, she could see lights coming off of other nearby buildings.

A flicker of movement brought her attention to someone just walking out of view, but she managed to catch his reflection in the building across the street.

Wait a second. . . . “Riku?”

Erica bolted down the alleyway. How did he get here? Did he figure it out? Maybe he found something.

She stumbled to a stop out on the street and looked to Riku. He was looking to his left with the most serious expression she’d ever seen on him. But when he looked at her, he seemed different. Too different.

“Riku?” Erica asked cautiously.

“No,” he said, his voice clearly emphasizing his answer. “Who are you?”

“Erica.” She couldn’t sense a light in him or a darkness. So maybe they were hidden? Or maybe they were too intertwined for her to distinguish them. “Who’re you?”

He studied her, contemplating his next words. “No one important.”

She wasn’t very satisfied with that answer, but she let it slide this time. “I’m uh, looking for a friend of mine. His name is Sora.”

“You’re looking for Sora, too?”

“Yyyes? Wait, do you know him?”

“I’ve heard of him. I was told to save him.”

“By who?”

“A friend of his.”

That could be anyone. But did they know this guy? Or . . . was this something different? “. . . Have you found him yet?”

He looked to his hand, closing it as he spoke. “Once . . . but I lost him.”

“. . . Is he okay?”

“More or less.”

Phew. “Well, maybe we could work together. We might be able to find him faster.”

He studied her again, and he briefly glanced up at the full moon above her. “I don’t need help.”

“Why not?”

“I can manage on my own.”

“What if you get hurt?”

“Like I said, I can manage on my own. Trust me.”

Erica didn’t look convinced.

She seems persistent. “How did you get here?”

“I’ve had help from another friend of mine. Technically I can come here by myself, but they still want to help out.” She hesitated. “What about you?”

“I accidentally wandered into this place.”

“Oh.” She paused for a bit.

“Are you done?”

“What? No! You said a friend of Sora’s asked you to save him. Well they’re my friend, too. So it’ll be easier for both of us to work together to find Sora. And safer.”

Erica paused again. “All his friends are looking for him, and they’re worried about him. You’re probably our only lead in a long time, and I’m sure whichever one of my friends asked you to help Sora has to know that. So if there’s any way for you to let me help, I’ll do it.”

He studied her more intently. She was desperate. It was clear in her eyes. And it almost made him wonder how far she would really go.

Almost.

“You would really make that choice?” he asked.

“Yes. I would.”

Reckless. “Tell me exactly how you got here.”

Erica took a minute to gather her thoughts. “My friend told me I’m coming here through a dream, so I’m uh, technically sending my consciousness here. But I’ll leave if I wake up.”

He began to walk away. “Then there’s no point in working together.”

“Uh wait! I could try to figure out how to stay longer.”

He stopped. “Would you really want to stay asleep?”

Erica found herself hesitant to answer. If it meant helping Sora, she would. But she’d worry her friends, especially Chirithy. She never wanted to do that. And how would she let the others know what she’s found?

Footsteps pulled her out of her thoughts, and she looked to him walking away. “Wait wait!”

He resisted an eye roll, and he stopped to look over his shoulder.

“What if I meet up with you every time I come here? I’ll just be temporary back up.”

She was really persistent. Or desperate. If he played his cards right he could last until she disappeared. But then there was the chance she’d come back and pester him again—if she came looking for him. Which he suspected she would probably do.

“I’ll think about it.”

Finally she was satisfied. That would give him some time to figure out how to deal with her.

“So um, should we meet back here if you make up your mind?” Erica asked.

“Fine.”

With a nod, she fizzed and faded away.

[Part 2; AO3 version]

________

[So I kinda got inspiration from a headcanon that had to do with Yozora having something to do with the Keyblade War era. Also I have a small headcanon that the place Sora and Yozora fight in is in the Unchained Realm. Even if I also think they're in some form of Shibuya.]

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Breaking Glass Ceilings

Birthday gift for @bluerosesburnblue, that pairs Ephemer with her version of Player “Sanya”:

Summary: When Ephemer and Sanya have their first meeting and mission together in ages, things seem great... But this begins to unravel, when Sanya remembers everything, Brain contemplates many a thing, and more of the Master of Master’s plan is undone.

Breaking Glass Ceilings

Sanya looked at Ephemer, finding it hard to keep her crush on him in check.

It was stupid, she knew—since she barely knew the guy—but what could she say? He had been one of her first friends, and that stuck.

Plus, the boy was beautiful. So, there was that.

But Sanya tried to put all of this on the backburner—as she always did—and instead tried to figure out the mystery that was Daybreak Town right now.

There was some sort of hologram of it appearing above the Foretellers’ Tower? Well, that didn’t bode well to Sanya.

It reminded her of a movie that had, ironically, been playing when the Master of Masters had still been around: That had dealt with people thinking that the world they were in was the actual dream.

And while the light within Sanya didn’t want to believe that that was the case, she had to wonder. Wouldn’t it explain a lot of the things that were happening lately?

But until Sanya knew more—because in her eyes, she wasn’t wise—she was reserving judgement.

But when Brain began explaining things, in a sort of techno-babble that Sanya couldn’t keep up with at all…  from the few things she’d been able to understand, she thought her suspicion might have been correct.

And when Sanya and Ephemer entered the very data-esque world of Sugar Rush, she began praying that Fix-It-Felix-Junior would somehow fix her world back to the way it had been before:

Sanya ended up telling Ephemer as much… and about her suspicions with other things.

At night—while the two of them were in some sort of candy forest, and using candy canes as sticks for fire—Sanya asked the question that had been playing on her mind for so long. “I’m having… dreams about the Keyblade War. And that can’t be, because that didn’t happen. Right? So whyam I dreaming these things so vividly? It actually happened. Didn’t it, Ephemer? And if so… can we believe in our own world at all?”

There it was: Everything Sanya had been regretfully mulling over for a long while now.

She had been afraid to give voice to any of it, in thinking it would make it real, and she hated herself for doing so now.

But at the same time… it was sort of liberating to finally have it all out in the open. And Sanya was taken aback to find just how much she wanted to move onto the next issue. Was it her heart’s way of trying to endure the pain?

Ephemer’s silence and face was the clear answer to all of this for Sanya: His mouth was now agape—as if he meant to say something—and his hands were reached out to, perhaps, hug her.

And if that was his intent—Sanya didn’t know for sure—she knew she would have turned him down here: Even with her crush on him and love for this friend, she would have done that.

“Sanya… I’m sosorry. I wouldn’t have done it if Master Ava hadn’t insisted. Or moreover, if I didn’t know how you’d been after the War.” And it was here, that Sanya reallywanted to yell at him: That they were her memories, and no one had had any right to take them or to make judgement calls for her. And that, weren’t those who didn’t know history doomed to repeat it? But Sanya just resisted doing so:

For one thing, Ephemer had just been a cog in the machine here. Her outrage should have been at Lady Ava again.

But most of all… their main thing should be surviving the Cy-Bugs right now, that Calhoun was certain would get to this world any moment. And if both Cy-Bugs and Heartless both came to exist here, Sanya didn’t know how they’d survive it. But she and her Chirithy would sure try to fight!

Deciding to look at the positive for just a moment—because the negatives would certainly come back to haunt her in her dreams—Sanya recalled a certain memory of Ephemer’s hand in her own, and had to ask: “So… do I actually know you more than I think do?”

Ephemer laughed at this—something that was music to Sanya’s ears, because there still needed to be some happiness in the world. And she didn’twant everything to be ruined between them forever—before saying with his hands up in the air again, “Not really. No? …’cept for the time Skuld and I came and rescued you in the Keyblade Graveyard. But you’ve actually spent more time with Skuld than me—maybe you remember that?—but you guys did spend a while looking for me, so maybe you were thinking of me then.... I’m sorry about that.”

Ephemer was scratching his head nervously now.

It was, despite everything, a lovely sight. And did not hint how in a few hours’ time, of how the cookie would crumble

Right now… Sanya just yawned—said she’d had enough of the heavy, and that they’d continue their search for Ralph in the morning—and stretched out and went to sleep.

As she dreamed, she saw that the only way to leave this world… might be to kill themselves in it.

…

When Sanya woke up, she felt some of the fury she’d stamped down the previous night rising up.

And while Chirithy was a pleasant presence by her side—trying to convince her to let it go—she couldn’t get over just how she’d been betrayed.

And if she really had been closer to Skuld and knew her better… It hurt even more, to know that she had also done this: Not that Ephemer had said that, but it wasn’t hard to guess.

There was even a dark part of her (and a scared one), that thought maybe they all deserved to be stuck in this data structure, then, or whatever it was.

Ava had meant for them to get out into the New World and to begin again… But if even they, the hope, behaved like this, why even curse the world with such humans again?

“Don’t dwell on it, Sanya,” Chirithy said sadly, as he crawled up onto her lap and put her face between his fuzzy paws. “Dwelling on the bad is what led to the Dark Chirithy last time,”  

Sanya frowned. She definitely didn’t want a situation like that to rear its ugly head again—she still remembered what Dark Chirithy said: “See you in another dream”—and still had nightmares about it.

But while it had been her dwelling on the knowledge that some of her friends wouldn’t survive the Keyblade War, that led to the Nightmare…

Sanya also thought keeping it all bottled up inside her wasn’t good, either. Hadn’t that been why she’d blown up at Master Ava, when she’d been disguised as Master Ira and saying she’d killed Ephemer? Hadn’t that led to darkness in her own heart?

She’d even nearly wanted to her friendship with Ephemer just now, since he’d taken her memories of the war; and Sanya didn’t think that was right: Despite their best efforts, bits and pieces of the horrors were coming back to her. And since she already recalled them, she wished she at least had the context to make sense of it all.

…The “Riku” medals also used darkness, and they were fine… As was everyone when they used Special Attack Bonus over Guilting now, so was it possible… that darkness maybe wasn’t as bad as they’d all come to believe?

That seemed hard to believe, as the two of them rested warily in the candy forest and only half-slept in fear of Heartless and Cy-Bugs… but it was what it was.

Sanya was even tempted to wake Ephemer, and to get his opinion on all of this… But she didn’t.

Suddenly possessed by the urge to go to the Foretellers’ Tower for the third time now—and to do it secretly, for she didn’t know what she’d do—Sanya decided to leave this mission unfinished for the moment (things seemed okay right now. And should the worst happen, Ephemer was there and she’d be right back), and to get back to the data version of Daybreak Town or whatever it was.

She ran back through Grand Central Station, through the circuit—battling a few more Darklings here and there as she did so: her heart breaking for them—and was in the sewers heading up before she could blink.

Not really, of course. But Sanya was so used to going into them now, that the moment she reached the place she could almost believe no time had passed at all in getting to the Tower.

And then she was finding her way back into the room Brain had been in—she thought that was his name—with all the gears.

And as she eyed them… Sanya felt all sorts of suspicions setting in, that she couldn’t help.

Having a room like this—and choosing to spend all your time in it—just seemed devious to Sanya: She didn’t care if it was needed to power this Daybreak Town or not…

His being in here all the time—when it could surely sometimes run on auto-pilot—made it seem like he saw the people he worked with as the very cogs here.

And Sanya felt that watching a pendulum swing, or a clock tower, wouldn’t be much different.

And Sanya knew of a time—when she’d been new to this role—that the Master of Masters had been doing exactly those things, as she caught a vision of him.

So, did that mean he’d been playing a game from the get-go, too? And if so… what had they done in following him?!

Breathing heavily, Sanya summoned Treasure Trove to her hand—to which Chirithy sadly objected—and she prepared to do battle with Brain, if it came to it.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to think that her action was hostile, though—and truthfully, Sanya wasn’t yet sure if it was—and as he watched her from beneath the brim of his hat, he asked: “Sanya, what are you doing here? The task you were supposed to be doing with Ephemer isn’t complete yet.”

Sanya was tempted to quip that she only took orders from Master Ava, who he wasn’t, but she didn’t.

There was no need to be passive-aggressive, and for it to turn into something truly aggressive yet.

So, she just questioned softly, “If we really have been in the Virtual Twilight Town—and have been since Master Ava created the Dandelions, without our knowing—will we ever even know if we can get out of it? And if we can… What awaits us out there? Wewere supposed to repopulate the world after the Keyblade War, weren’t we? And if we didn’t… is there even anything out there? And if there somehow is… Who knows how long we’ve been in here? Will we get out with everything being completely different? …Is any of this even worth it?”

Brain smiled at Sanya—that she couldn’t help feeling was a good thing—but why did it also make her uneasy?

And he tipped his hat to her once, while admitting: “That’s very good. You know about the Book of Prophecies, and how we used to use it to project future versions of the worlds to go to. So as long as we could do that, surely it meant a future with those worlds still existed.

“However… you were here for my lecture towards Ephemer and Ventus, and know that we’re now going to data versions of the formerly prophesized worlds… Those can exist indefinitely, even if the worlds themselves didn’t come to exist, if something went awry. So, no: There’s no way to tell just by our going to the worlds anymore that the worlds exist. The fact that the Master has us going to data worlds now may even be a clue that he didn’t think there would be worlds… But don’t you still think it’s best to try?”

Try… Sanya didn’t know what it was—beneath Brain’s simple outfit and laidback personality, that seemed designed to say the opposite—but she thought he’d try until his dying breath… Which seemed like the right thing to do. But could there be too much of a good thing?

It was at that point that Ephemer joined them. And at first, Sanya first looked at him ashamed: because with Ephemer gone… had Ralph’s world lost the best chance it had? …But at the same time, these things needed hammering out.

“I thought you two might be here,” Ephemer said pleasantly enough, though his smile seemed to disappear just when he took in their serious expressions. “…What’s going on?”

Forgetting the idea she’d had earlier, about all of them dying to do this—had that been the darkness getting to her?—Sanya spoke an idea that appeared in her head when she was speaking it… and somehow instantly knew it was right:

“I think- I think we need to reenter the outside world again, and to do so- We should unplug Daybreak Town from Game Central Station and let it completely off the grid.”

Sanya hoped they got what she meant by letting Daybreak Town go “off the grid”: She meant to have it lose all its power, and for everyone to stop doing missions for the time being: That way, whoever was observing them in the real world would notice the change, come check on them, and maybe they could follow them out that way.

“But that completely goes against the Master’s plans,” Ephemer answered with a depressed undertone to his voice. Almost looking at Sanya as if he was seeing her for the first time, which stung.

And right away, she had wanted to retort that she didn’t exactly trust the Master of Masters—and if Sanya was gauging Brain’s silence correctly, he didn’t either—but she was also far from knowing all the answers: And from who she’d been when she’d undergone darkness training with Hades, just so she could save Hercules: While there was a side of Sanya beginning to think that light and darkness needed to be kept in balance—didn’t most of the future medals have darkness to them?—she also still hated herself for the Nightmare Chirithy situation, and because so many friends of hers had died in the Keyblade War. Because the Foretellers-

And Sanya didn’t trust herself to not do something atrocious with this darkness eating away at her. So, for many a reason, she was thinking she should just give the benefit of the doubt that the Master was right…

But on the off-chance she wasn’t, she also wanted to lay groundwork for someone else to begin what she started.

“Ephemer… you’re perhaps my dearest friend. And a leader—if I’m understanding things correctly—so whatever you choose I’ll follow no matter what… But if we are in a lie, don’t you think it’s best if we leave it? And I know you weren’t there for the Nightmare Chirithy stuff—Skuld was by my side—but he said he’d see me in another dream, and I believe him… And that sounds like something to avoid. So far, I haven’t seen him. And if I get out now, we maybe never will.”

To Sanya’s surprise, Brain came over to her and put a hand on her shoulder now—as he maybe, just maybe, let her see under his hat a bit more as he smiled at her.

“Your friend has some good points, Leader. You should listen to her… I was really interested in Sugar Rush, but now I think we should drop it, too… What I know about ‘video games’ is very slim—since they only exist in the future, so I’m skimming the medals and things from the Book of Prophecies here—but I think Ralph’s world is somehow exactly that. And us now being connected to whatever runs a video game… Makes me worry that someone may be playing our own lives. Or trying to find a way to do so. I think we should sever our connection to that world to be safe… And, just to say it: none of that world was written in the Book of Prophecies.”

Ephemer was angry now, Sanya could see. He frowned, and clenched his fists at his sides. And Sanya got why…

For so long, they’d helped any world they could to gather Lux. Why should this one be any different, when it desperately needed them?

“I don’t think I can agree to that, guys. At least not yet… Let the other Union Leaders wake up and then we’ll vote on it, okay?”

…And so they did.

But only between three of the Foretellers. Ventus and Skuld were gone…

And no search through Daybreak Town, or any of the rest of the worlds, showed any sign of them: Not even Lauriam’s smart friend Elrena—who had also apparently been asked about Strelitzia—proved to be of any help.

And Sanya’s heart ached for Skuld. And so Chirithy gave Sanya many cuddles for that fact…

Until Sanya decided what she had to do.

Ventus and Skuld had gone missing the moment she’d talked about leaving—as if the outside world had listened in, and punished her for the thought—and to get back at them for doing that… and to find her friends, Sanya was now working with Brain and a just-shown-up-Gula to dismantle Daybreak Town and get outside.

Sanya didn’t care what the results of this would be: That Ephemer would disapprove, and break her heart in doing so… That information for two who didn’t exist—a Dyme, and a Drulo—would show up in Daybreak Town when they were trying to destroy it, or that Sugar Rush would somehow be replaced with a “Verum Rex”.

All Sanya cared about was getting outside.

And, despite everything, making Master Ava’s dream come true.

There, she wouldn’t be subjected to this world’s laws… and should be able to get back all of her memories of her friends, as well as her missing ones now.

Sanya reached out to the sky as glass flooded around her—and Gula came floating up beside her—and closed her eyes.

Author’s Note: So, I actually meant for this to be a cute shipping piece between Ephemer and Sanya--since I know you ship Ephemer and Player, Liz, especially your Player with him--but somehow it turned tragic, and my idea of what might happen next I guess. Oops.

[disneydreamlights]

... About the Union Leaders. You see, Lauriam's true colors would eventually be exposed, but unfortunately he's been using the Power Bangles to accumulate enough Guilt to build an army of Nightmares in Preparation for this moment. After the player defeats Nightmare Chirithy, and we get the "Let's meet again in another dream" spiel, the REAL Nightmare Chirithy shows up, all like "Told ya so". And then Ven's Chirithy show up, stating that Lauriam's captured the Union Leaders.

After you defeat his second form, both his own Chirithy (who's been his comedic lackey who'd get an F in all forms of Evil) and the player's Nightmare Chirithy (who's been helping Lauriam this entire time due to Lauriam resurrecting it) both show up, the former trying to convince Lauriam to let the Dandelions erase his memory like they did to the Player, and the Nightmare Chirithy trying to use the emotional trauma of the Keyblade War to grow stronger. Lauriam, however, has his own plans...So anyway, Nightmare Chirithy would welcome you to go to the Foretellers' Study (you'd be able to just fast-travel there in Gameplay using the Gateways) and learn the truth. You'd actually enter the Study outside of the Story Battle (which you'd probably be able to sweep at this level in all honesty). In there, you'd see Lauriam's bound the other Union Leaders with vines, at which point the lie you've been living starts to fall apart right in front of the Union Leaders.

Rather than fight you yourself (though he'd recognize you as being from his Union), Lauriam would summon a plant-themed Nightmare to fight you. After you defeat it, Lauriam would flee through a portal to the Keyblade Graveyard. Ephemer would tell you to stay away, but we've already established that Lauriam can kick all four of their collective butts and besides that Ephemer's got some splaining to do. So, in gameplay naturally, you walk through the portal to a dreadful place.

The Keyblade Graveyard's relationship with Daybreak Town would be the same of that of the Underworld with Olympus Coliseum, it would be considered a part of Daybreak Town despite having it's own music and enemies. In this case, you'd battle Nightmare Versions of the pets, and all the Raid Bosses that spawn would be Nightmares themselves, with "Untamable" as the battle theme. Anyway, in order to keep the subconscious trauma from crushing you, you'd be given story quests to fight the Nightmares.

Once you've beaten enough of those Story Quests, you'd get access to the "Seat of War" (the last room before the final bosses of Terra's, Aqua's, and Ven's stories in BBS) where a Story Battle portal would stand, waiting for you to challenge Lauriam. Lauriam's first form would be a simple one-on-one duel, with him being a Speed-Type enemy. Well, about as one on one as you can get since this is an MMO and he'd summon Nightmare versions of the players' pets to help him.

Anyway, after you defeat his first form, Ventus would arrive and attack him from behind, at which point Lauriam summons a second Keyblade. Remember, Strelitzia is currently the Ventus to Lauriam's Sora, meaning he can, in fact, duel wield. At this point Lauriam becomes a Magic-Type Enemy, and the players have Ventus providing support. Lauriam's gimmick is that he now gets two attacks per turn, as well as access to Strelitzia's illusion powers to compliment his flower power.

After you defeat his second form, both his own Chirithy (who's been his comedic lackey who'd get an F in all forms of Evil) and the player's Nightmare Chirithy (who's been helping Lauriam this entire time due to Lauriam resurrecting it) both show up, the former trying to convince Lauriam to let the Dandelions erase his memory like they did to the Player, and the Nightmare Chirithy trying to use the emotional trauma of the Keyblade War to grow stronger. Lauriam, however, has his own plans...

So yeah, Lauriam, who is not about to go down like this, grabs both of the present Chirithies, and sucks the darkness out of both of them. Both Dream Eaters vanish, and Lauriam morphs into a Nightmare himself. His third form would have Nightmare Chirithy's massive arms and claws sticking out of his shoulders, the Graceful Dahlia scythe would be in his human arms, his eyes would be red, Starlight and Divine rose float around him, and the Nightmare emblem would be on his face like a brand.

Nightmare Lauriam would be a Power-type enemy, and Ven would be wrapped in vines. Lauriam's first attack would be casting Doom. Every time he attacks you with his scythe (not his claws or his Keyblades) he'll deplete the Doom counter by one. It also wouldn't help that he'd have a number over his head that would count down with every hit he takes. When it reaches 0, he'd counter with his scythe attack, which can mercifully only hit one person at a time. He'd still have two attacks per turn.

When Nightmare Lauriam is defeated, Ventus would use the powers of Darkness to break out of the vines, then strike Lauriam hard enough to destroy his Nightmare form, with the remnants of Nightmare Chirithy's mind seeping into the Player. Ephemer would then arrive to banish Lauriam, who'd grab onto Ven and try to take him down with him. Ven would try to reason with Ephemer, who, sadly, would have seen Ven's dark side, and simply force him out as well in an attempt to purge the darkness.

The Final Boss of the expansion would be the Foreteller boss rush. Each Foreteller would have less health than the last, but the same max HP. For example, you'd deplete 1/5 of the first Foreteller's HP, and the next Foreteller would then start with 4/5 of their HP, the 3rd 3/5 and the last 2/5. While you're reliving the absolute lowest point of your life, Ventus and Lauriam would wake up in the real world, Lauriam fleeing, and Xehanort taking Ven under his wing.

The next expansion would open after a Timeskip, with Ephemer having become a light-obsessed dictator, who's basically bullied and guilt-tripped Skuld and Brain into remaining loyal. Meanwhile, there's also the issue of the Real Maleficent breaking into the Unchained State to find the Book of Prophecies. Either way, I don't think Ven would be very fond of the Union Leaders after they caused the worst years of his life, Vanitas being particularly hostile towards them even IF they reform.

Whoa, hell of a lot of stuff here MMO Anon, you got creative while I was out for the day. XD

Damn, I know he’s an ass but the poor Union Leaders must’ve been blindsided by Lauriam and his betrayal. And the idea of the Keyblade Graveyard being the Nightmare to the dream of Daybreak Town is honestly a really cool contrast and I’d kill to see something like that in KHUx itself just because it sounds really cool. owo

I actually personally think the battle against Lauriam would be one of the rare times MMO universe would lock you into a true one on one battle, especially if he’s basically the final boss of the Unchained X storyline, and especially if Ven joins in the battle.

The fact that his own Chirithy tries to heal him hurts me. Chirithy deserved better than to be absorbed by Lauriam for trying to protect him.

So that’s basically how Ven and Lauriam end up outside of the Unchained world. Ephemera has to get rid of Lauriam and he drags Ven because the two of them probably got along. Poor Ven. ;w;

The final boss rush actually sounds pretty intense too.

I’m actually most interested in where the post time lapse ideas could’ve gone. Perhaps Ephemera goes to leave to see if he saved Ven since they need the full five and he ends up earlier in time than Ven, resulting in him being the master that indoctrinated Eraqus into his overzealous beliefs for light in this AU. Granted I like my Ephemera being a cool guy and alive, something like this could also explain the origins of Eraqus’s behavior that led to the conflict between him and Terra, as well as the overzealous light beliefs no doubt having at least some effect on Xehanort as well that results in the split between the two of them.

[sharingthesamesky]

Here’s the Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Fragmentary Passage and Kingdom Hearts Back Cover reactions thread I promised you

Back Cover:

THIS MOVIE IS SO PRETTY HOLY SHIT

Also, the cinematography is incredible. Like. From someone who studied film, this shit is really good. There was like. That one moment when it was a little on the nose with the flower petals, but this is a Kingdom Hearts game so comparatively it was downright subtle.

If the Master of Masters isn’t somehow connected with Braig I’d be surprised at this point. (Master of Masters, here after known as Mr. MoM). Plot says it should be Xehanort, but mannerism SCREAM Braig. (They also share the whole one-eyed thing.)

Is Kingdom Hearts using Norse mythology symbolism now too? Because Mr. MoM’s whole “takes one eye out and casts it into [the future] to know ultimate truth” thing is just Odin.

How on earth did Mr. MoM convince these 6 super serious people to listen to him. He doesn’t seem like someone any of them would agree to train under AT ALL. Maybe Gula? But Aced and Ira? I guess there just weren’t any other Mr. MoMs to pick from?

The fucker wrote the book of prophecy in vague rhyme because he’s terrible

I swear this time travel thing is so dumb. “Don’t want you to cause any temporal paradoxes” MY ASS. you can’t just make shit up because its sounds cool. How does this work? If you “can’t change the future” then like. What is even the point of anything? Are there some events that are fixed but the specifics are still in flux?

The real reason Luxu doesn’t get a book of prophesy is that Mr. MoM hand copied the thing five times already and didn’t feel like doing it again.

Alternatively he hand copied it six times but that foreteller moogle that gives you your medals got Luxu’s copy.

I mean clearly Mr. MoM saw the keyblade war and was like “what’s the best, most fun way I can cause this? Oh! I know! I’ll tell Gula to find a “traitor” and make them all fight each other. I mean if there was really a traitor, I could just tell Gula who it was, because I can SEE THE FUTURE, but that wouldn’t be fun at all!”

Seriously if Gula hadn’t preempted that speech what would he have said.

“Oh, I know. I’ll make Aced feel jealous and make him attack the leader because I’m totally a champion of light. TOTALLY.”

Why is Ira so sure that this event would have been in the book? What kind of events make it into the book? Clearly not everything or Ira wouldn’t need Invi’s reports at all, right? Seriously did I mention this time travel stuff is terrible?

“I might vanish or I might not - anyone’s guess” says the man whose entire shtick is knowing the future. Everyone: Sounds legit.

If Mr. MoM’s keyblade makes it all the way to the present, why the fuck do their books end with the keyblade war? I mean probably because they all die in it and telling them that is a sure way to cause those supposed temporal paradoxes, (or because Mr. MoM is just a conniving ass) but I swear none of them thought to ask why his vision of the future stops there? Well, I suppose “and then the world ends” is a good enough place as any to claim you can’t see past. Even if you’re lying liar about it.

We all know Luxu’s the traitor right? Let’s just get this out of the way. Not that he necessarily betrayed anyone or anything, but Gula’s magic paper says “bears the sigil” so it’s gotta be LuXu. Unless of course its one of our key kids who went all edgy and put an X in their names.

Okay, even not knowing that, why in the hell did no one mention Luxu as a possibility for the traitor in the first place?

I mean they know about Luxu even though he’s sort of implied to be a latecomer to the group. Did they all start out wearing those black cloaks before they got their fancy foreteller gear?

Okay who designed the fancy foreteller gear who made those masks and how did Mr. MoM convince them to go with that? I mean - scratch that last part these idiot’s will do anything he says apparently.

(You’ll pry my guilt bonuses from my cold dead, darkness ridden hands, KHuX)

Mr. MoM engineered this entire thing and use everyones unquestioning loyalty and sense of his own perfection to do it. No one bothered to question any of the details and that’s why it worked.

“Hey, Master, why to all the chirithy look the same? Wouldn’t it be easier to tell which one turned into a nightmare if they were like. Numbered or something?”

“Hey Master, you want us to… collect Lux? What are we collecting it for? Shouldn’t we… not do that?”

“Wait you want us to… take Lux from… the future?”

Seriously this movie answers zero of the questions about how time works in KHuX. None of them at all. Well, maybe Season Two will address it.

“Hey Master, why is it called a Nightmare if this isn’t the world of dreams because obviously it isn’t right? RIGHT?”

Ava tells her dandelions they are gonna practice leaving the world by going into the realm of dreams though so.

I’m sorry I couldn’t take that scene seriously with all the key kids in their default starter outfits. No keyblader that’s the “best of the best” is gonna be wearing a starter outfit with no perks.

Okay, I get that Gula couldn’t tell anyone his role, and that Aced’s “true role” aka the failsafe powder keg fuse makes sense to keep secret, but why didn’t Ava tell anyone her role?

The foretellers have different VA’s than the characters they obviously correspond to, but they’re similar (well, accept Aced) and they speak in a very similar way. Care to comment? (Mr. MoM giggling in the distance)

Ava, how does Ephemer even know about the book? Did you tell all the keykids about it or what? I kind of doubt that. Ephemer you clever little sneak.

The Foretellers have a secret castle no one is allowed to enter and yet they have their meeting in the warehouse that literally everyone goes into all the time.

"coolheaded Gula?" More like flips the fuck out when he can't figure something out and tries to SUMMON KINGDOM HEARTS Gula.

Too bad Spongebob can never know what’s inside my secret box.

Seriously, why does ANYONE trust this guy.

Luxu’s reaction to “it’s my eye” is amazing.

No Name. Really. You don’t say.

The NA rankings are pretty spot on though. Good on us.

Fragmentary Passage:

Holy shit I’m so sold on the “technical demo” aspects of this game. Next Gen I love you.

You have to understand the last gen I had was a PS2. Why is everything so reflective and responsive its amazing.

Aqua’s VA is better than she was in BBS, but it still definitely limited my enjoyment of the game.

I did not realize the top of Aqua’s outfit was supposed to be see-through mesh other than the boob pads. Not sure how I feel about that.

I hope that the FFXIII style “hallways simulator” thing was because of time constraints and not because it’s how KH3 is gonna go.

The whole “There’s no time in the realm of Darkness” thing is really interesting, especially given all this time travel nonsense in the Realm of Light. But. Things still clearly progress in a linear fashion in there. Aqua doesn’t see Riku running through the darkness and then walk for a long while and then see Mickey. People enter and leave the place in an order that seems to be shared. Which means there is time. I think the word you are looking for is vague, arbitrary, or inconsistent.

Goddammit Nomura, take a second to read about time between your Latin lessons and your comparative mythology classes.

The new Heartless look really cool. I like them. And the elemental effects are fantastic. I could watch those heartless throw water at me all day.

The world design, apart from the linearness of some of the levels, was amazing. The suspended structures and twisted landscapes were really compelling.

I can’t be the only one who got strong “American McGee’s Alice” series vibes though, right? In a good way.

The mirror puzzle was neat. Not sure how long it would have taken me to figure out had I been playing and not watching a walkthrough so I’m calling it neat entirely by concept and visuals.

Phantom Aqua attacks in a pattern pretty similar to Xehanort’s fight with Terra in BBS, but with a mix of Aqua’s moves thrown in.

Aqua’s attack style is… kind of Extra. That twirl where she sticks her leggy straight up vertically in the air is like… Was that necessary? It certainly isn’t physically possible. Ask figure skaters.

The Terra/Xehanort scene was surprisingly good despite Terra’s VA. It was nice to get some insight into how that relationship is going. Because the rest of time seems pretty linear, we know that scene takes place, for Terra, at some point AFTER the worlds start vanishing. But if we take the claim that time is - if not absent - weird in the Realm of Darkness, then we don’t have any sense other than that. Maleficent gathered the princesses from the worlds we saw before she met Riku so that isn’t any indication, really.

Did I start crying when I saw Destiny Islands? Almost. Did I take a million screenshots of HD Destiny Islands? You bet your ass I did.

I did kinda cry when I saw Riku in his dumb KH1 puffy pants, though.

So behind the door in the Realm of Light is the heart of the world, but when it’s in the realm of darkness, it’s a magic keyblade shrine? I’m not really gonna argue. It seems to be a symbolic thing. Whatever. Good to know it’s a “push” door I suppose.

I’m not looking forward to that Demon Tide boss showing up again.

Mickey says he’s been “working with” Sora and Riku and he’s a fucking liar you didn’t do shit for them during KH1, Your Majesty, I WAS THERE.

“Kingdom hearts.. well okay not really kingdom hearts but. It’s sorta like a mini kingdom hearts? look we didn’t have the lore finalized at this point so just. pretend for me, Aqua.”

I can’t believe the Darkness ate King Mickey’s shirt.

(I know it was for the sake of consistency, and if it hadn’t happened you’d have people saying Mickey took his shirt off to be all macho mouse for that scene but still. Did anyone remember going in what Mickey was or wasn’t wearing during that scene?)

Kairi gets 3 seconds of screen time, and they are THE BEST. She’s super on point and I love her and hope she beats Lea up repeatedly and that we get to watch. Or do it.

I’m so thankful that Yensid didn’t pull a “no, Kairi you’re a princess of heart you can’t do both.” I didn’t think he would but it wasn’t NOT a fear of mine.

RIKU AND KAIRI INTERACTION. I PRAYED SO HARD. FOR SO MANY YEARS.

Riku’s whole “I tried to hard too be a role model” thing had me in tears. My son. My beautiful darling son. I am so proud of you. So proud

Sora-esque.

Yen Sid’s “No, see you would have done some stupid brave shit and fucked it all up” was. Amazing. Surpassed only by his “Sora, you fool, you complete and utter fuckup.”

“HAPPENS ALL THE TIME”

So… was Yensid actually talking about Hercules or did Sora just… guess wrong. Because Yensid never explicitly says to go to Olympus Coliseum. Sora’s just…. really literal minded.

Goddammit I take back what I said about Next Gen the canon Disney characters look TERRIBLE. I really hope they work on that before KH3 because I really don’t want to deal with plastic model Donald and Goofy the whole time. Please.

I did NOT miss Donald Ducks voice.

That Gummi ship scene was incredible? HD Sora is so expressive and adorable and precious.

I like watching the dynamic between those three. It’s weird as fuck to watch with these graphics, and Donald and Goofy’s voices make it near impossible to take seriously, but it was fun to see.

“May your heart be your guiding key” DID YOU ALL FORGET WHY SORA FUCKED UP SO BAD IN THE MARK OF MASTERY? GOD DIDN’T YOU HEAR WHAT XIGBAR SAID? “Aren’t hearts great? Lead us wrong every time.” GODDAMMIT.

(I suspect that Mr. MoM knew that too, and was counting on it, hard. Even if he isn’t Braig.)

Special Credits:

I don’t have much to say other than HOLY SHIT NOSTALGIA and that i’m such a sucker for parallels in fiction that I was kind of rolling around with glee.

I actually didn’t realize just how much hugging and touching there is in this series?

Everyone’s all “KH doesn’t have explicit Romantic Parings” But they DID just do a giant romance montage (which included Namine and Roxas?) just to lead up to Sora and Kairi so. Not all that subtle.

As much as I’m :/ about that last bit, it was nice to see this game remember that other parts of the Destiny Islands trio exist besides Sora and Riku’s dynamic. We got some Riku and Kairi in 0.2 and we got this little bit in the credits so at least they haven’t forgotten Kairi exists.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Okay, so my last attempt at this disappeared. I’m posting this again, then.

Birthday gift for my friend @bluerosesburnblue, that pairs Ephemer with her version of Player “Sanya”:

Summary: When Ephemer and Sanya have their first meeting and mission together in ages, things seem great… But this begins to unravel, when Sanya remembers everything, Brain contemplates many a thing, and more of the Master of Master’s plan is undone.

Breaking Glass Ceilings

Sanya looked at Ephemer, finding it hard to keep her crush on him in check.

She was aware that it was stupid—since she barely knew the guy—but what could she say? He had been one of her first friends, and that stuck.

Plus, the boy was beautiful. So, there was that.

But Sanya tried to put all of this on the backburner—as she always did—and instead tried to figure out the mystery that was Daybreak Town right now.

There was some sort of hologram of it appearing above the Foretellers’ Tower? Well, that didn’t bode well to Sanya.

It reminded her of a movie that had, ironically, been playing when the Master of Masters had still been around: one that had dealt with people thinking that the world they were in was the actual dream.

And while the light within Sanya didn’t want to believe that that was the case, she had to wonder. Wouldn’t it explain a lot of the things that were happening lately?

But until Sanya knew more—because in her eyes, she wasn’t wise—she was reserving judgement.

But when Brain began explaining things, in a sort of techno-babble that Sanya couldn’t keep up with at all…  from the few things she’d been able to understand, she thought her suspicion might have been correct.

And when Sanya and Ephemer entered the very data-esque world of Sugar Rush, she began praying that Fix-It Felix Junior would somehow fix her world back to the way it had been before.

Sanya ended up telling Ephemer as much… and about her other suspicions.

At night—while the two of them were in some sort of candy forest, and using candy canes as sticks for fire—Sanya asked the question that had been playing on her mind for so long. “I’m having… dreams about the Keyblade War. And that can’t be, because that didn’t happen. Right? So why am I dreaming these things so vividly? It actually happened... didn’t it, Ephemer? And if so… can we believe that our world exists?”

There it was: everything Sanya had been regretfully mulling over for ages.

She had been afraid to give voice to any of it—thinking it would make it real, and she hated herself for doing so now.

In a way… it was sort of liberating to finally have it all out in the open. But Sanya was taken aback to find just how much she just wanted to move on to the next issue. Was it her heart’s way of trying to endure the pain?

Ephemer’s silence and expression were the clear answer to all of this for Sanya: his mouth was now agape—as if he meant to say something—and his arms were outstretched to, perhaps, hug her.

And if that was his intent—Sanya didn’t know for sure—she knew she would have turned him down here. Even with her crush on him and love for this friend, she would have done that.

“Sanya… I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have done it if Master Ava hadn’t insisted. Or I guess… I guess if I hadn’t seen what you’d been like after the Keyblade War.” And it was here, that Sanya really wanted to yell at him: that they were her memories, and no one had any right to take them or to make judgement calls for her. Weren’t those who didn’t know history doomed to repeat it? But Sanya just resisted saying so.

For one thing, Ephemer had just been a cog in the machine. Her outrage should have been at Lady Ava again.

But most of all… their main thing should be surviving the Cy-Bugs right now, which Calhoun was certain would get to this world at any moment. And if both Cy-Bugs and Heartless came to exist here, Sanya didn’t know how they’d survive it. But she and her Chirithy would sure try to fight!

Deciding to look at the positive for just a moment—because the negatives would certainly come back to haunt her in her dreams—Sanya recalled a certain memory of Ephemer’s hand in her own, and had to ask: “So… do I actually know you more than I think do?”

Ephemer laughed at this—something that was music to Sanya’s ears, because she didn’t want everything to be ruined between them forever—before saying with his hands up in the air again, “Not really. No? …’cept for the time Skuld and I came and rescued you in the Keyblade Graveyard. But you’ve actually spent more time with Skuld than me—maybe you remember that?—but you guys did spend a while looking for me, so maybe you were thinking of me then…. I’m sorry about that.”

Ephemer was scratching his head nervously now.

It was, despite everything, a lovely sight. And did not hint at how in a few hours’ time,  the cookie would crumble

Right now… Sanya just yawned—said she’d had enough of the heavy, and that they’d continue their search for Ralph in the morning—and stretched out and went to sleep.

As she dreamed, she saw that the only way to leave this world… might be to kill themselves in it.

…

When Sanya woke up, she felt some of the fury she’d stamped down the previous night rising back up.

And while Chirithy was a pleasant presence by her side—trying to convince her to let it go—she couldn’t get over just how she’d been betrayed.

And if she really had been closer to Skuld and knew her better than Ephemer… It hurt even more, to know that she had also done this. Not that Ephemer had said that, but it wasn’t hard to guess.

There was even a dark part of her (and a scared one), that thought maybe they all deserved to be stuck in this data structure or whatever it was.

Ava had meant for them to get out into the New World and to begin again… But if even they, the hope, behaved like this, why even curse the world with such humans again?

“Don’t dwell on it, Sanya,” Chirithy said sadly, as he crawled up onto her lap and put her face between his fuzzy paws. “Dwelling on the bad is what led to the Nightmare Chirithy last time,”  

Sanya frowned. She definitely didn’t want a situation like that to rear its ugly head again. Dark Chirithy’s “see you in another dream” echoed in her mind—and she still had nightmares about it.

It had been Sanya’s bottling up everything before that had led to the Nightmare Chirithy. So she didn’t want to keep it bottled up like that again and cause another disaster when it inevitably grew to be too much to bear. Hadn’t that been why she’d blown up at Master Ava, when she’d been disguised as Master Ira and saying she’d killed Ephemer? Hadn’t that led to darkness in her own heart?

She’d nearly wanted to her friendship with Ephemer just now, since he’d taken her memories of the war, and Sanya didn’t think that was right. Despite the Union Leaders’ best efforts,, bits and pieces of the horrors were coming back to her. And since she already recalled them, she wished she at least had the context to make sense of it all.

…The “Riku” medals also used darkness, and they were fine… As was everyone when they used Special Attack Bonus over Guilting now, so was it possible… that darkness maybe wasn’t as bad as they’d all come to believe?

That seemed hard to believe, as the two of them rested warily in the candy forest and only half-slept in fear of Heartless and Cy-Bugs… but it was what it was.

Sanya was even tempted to wake Ephemer, and to get his opinion on all of this… but she didn’t.

Suddenly possessed by the urge to go to the Foretellers’ Tower for the third time now—and to do it secretly, for she didn’t know what she’d do—Sanya decided to leave this mission unfinished for the moment (things seemed okay right now. And should the worst happen, Ephemer was there and she’d be right back), and to get back to the data version of Daybreak Town or whatever it really was.

She ran back through Game Central Station, through the circuit—battling a few more Darklings here and there as she did so, with her heart breaking for them now that she remembered what they really used to be—and was in the control room before she could blink.

And then Sanya saw Brain—she thought that was his name—with all the gears.

And as she eyed them… Sanya couldn’t help but feel even more suspicious.

Having a room like this—and choosing to spend all your time in it—just seemed devious to Sanya. She didn’t care if it was needed to survey the Keyblade wielders for their own safety or not…

The fact that Brain was in here all the time—when surely it could run on autopilot some of the time—made it seem like he saw the people he worked with as the very cogs here.

Breathing heavily, Sanya summoned Missing Ache to her hand—to which Chirithy objected with concern on his face—and she prepared to do battle with Brain if it came to it.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to think that her action was hostile—and truthfully, Sanya wasn’t yet sure if it was—and as he watched her from beneath the brim of his hat, he asked: “Sanya, what are you doing here? The mission that you and Ephemer were on isn’t complete yet.”

Sanya was tempted to quip that she only took orders from Master Ava, who he wasn’t—but she didn’t.

There was no need to be passive-aggressive, and to turn it into something truly aggressive just yet.

So, she just questioned softly, “If we really have been in the Virtual Daybreak Town—and have been since Master Ava created the Dandelions, without knowing that we were there—will we ever even know if we can get out of this place? And if we can… What awaits us outside of here? We were supposed to repopulate the world after the Keyblade War, weren’t we? And if we don’t… I mean, is there even anything out there? And if there issomehow… Who knows how long we’ve been in here? Will we get out just to find there’s nothing left? …Is any of this even worth it?”

Brain smiled at Sanya. Part of her felt that this was a good sign… but it made the rest of her feel uneasy in a way that she couldn’t place.

He tipped his hat to her once, then commended her intuition. “That’s very good. You know about the Book of Prophecies, and how we used to use it to project future versions of the worlds to go to. So as long as we could do that, surely it meant a future with those worlds still existed.

“However… you were here for my lecture towards Ephemer and Ventus. And you know that we’re now going to data versions of the formerly prophesized worlds… Those simulations can exist indefinitely—even if the worlds they’re based on don’t come to exist—should something go awry. So, no: there’s no way to tell just by going to the worlds whether they exist or not anymore. The fact that the Master has us going to data worlds now may even be a clue that he didn’t think there would be worlds left… But don’t you think it’s still best to try?”

Try… Sanya didn’t know what it was, but despite Brain’s simple outfit and laid-back personality, she got the sense that he’d try until his dying breath to see that very cause through. Which seemed like the right thing to do. But could there be too much of a good thing?

It was at that point that Ephemer joined them. And at first, Sanya looked at him ashamed: because with Ephemer gone… had Ralph’s world lost the best chance it had? …But at the same time, these things needed hammering out.

“I thought you two might be here,” Ephemer said pleasantly enough, though his smile seemed to disappear just when he took in their serious expressions. “…What’s going on?”

Forgetting the idea she’d had earlier about all of them dying to do this—had that been the darkness getting to her?.—Sanya spoke. It was an idea that appeared in her head just then… and something in her heart felt so strongly, that it must have been right.

“I think- I think we need to reenter the outside world again, and to do so- We should unplug Daybreak Town from Game Central Station and take it completely off the grid.”

Sanya hoped they got what she meant by taking Daybreak Town “off the grid”. She meant to have it lose all its power, and for everyone to stop doing missions for the time being. That way, whoever was observing them in the real world would notice the change, come check on them, and maybe they could follow them out that way.

“But that completely goes against the Master’s plans,” Ephemer answered with a depressed undertone to his voice. He was almost looking at Sanya as if he was seeing her for the first time, which stung.

And right away, she had wanted to retort that she didn’t exactly trust the Master of Masters—and if Sanya was gauging Brain’s silence correctly, he didn’t either—but she was also far from knowing all the answers, and from who she’d been when she’d undergone darkness training with Hades just so she could save Hercules: While there was a side of Sanya that was beginning to think that light and darkness needed to be kept in balance—didn’t plenty of the future medals have darkness to them?—she also still hated herself for the Nightmare Chirithy incident, and because so many friends of hers had died in the Keyblade War. Because the Foretellers just had to-

No. Sanya didn’t trust herself to not do something atrocious with this darkness eating away at her. So, for many a reason, she was thinking she should give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that the Master was right…

But on the off-chance he wasn’t, she also wanted to lay groundwork for someone else to begin what she started.

“Ephemer… you’re perhaps my dearest friend. And a leader—if I’m understanding things correctly—so whatever you choose I’ll follow no matter what… But if we are in a lie, don’t you think it’s best if we leave it? And I know you weren’t there when my own Nightmare Chirithy tried to kill me, but he said he’d see me in another dream and I’m sure he’s gonna follow through with it! So far, I haven’t seen him. And if I get out now, maybe we never will.”

To Sanya’s surprise, Brain came over to her and put a hand on her shoulder as he maybe, just maybe, let her see under his hat a bit more and smiled at her.

“Your friend has some good points, Leader. You should listen to her… I was really interested in Sugar Rush, but now I think we should drop it, too… What I know about ‘video games’ is very slim—since they only exist in the future, and what I do know is from skimming the medals and the Book of Prophecies—but I think Ralph’s world is exactly that. That would mean that we’re connected to whatever controls a video game… Makes me worry that someone may be playing our own lives. Or trying to find a way to do so. I think we should sever our connection to that world to be safe… And, just to be clear: none of that world was written in the Book of Prophecies.”

Ephemer was angry now, Sanya could see. He frowned and clenched his fists at his sides. And Sanya got why…

For so long, they’d helped any world they could to gather Lux. Why should this one be any different, when it desperately needed them?

“I don’t think I can agree to that, guys. At least not yet… Let the other Union Leaders wake up and then we’ll vote on it, okay?”

…And so they did.

But only between three of the Union Leaders. Ventus and Skuld were gone…

And no search through Daybreak Town, or any of the rest of the worlds, showed any sign of them. Not even Lauriam’s smart friend Elrena—who had also apparently been asked about Strelitzia—proved to be of any help.

And Sanya’s heart ached for Skuld. And so Chirithy gave Sanya many cuddles for that fact…

Until Sanya decided what she had to do.

Ventus and Skuld had gone missing the moment she’d talked about leaving, as if the outside world had listened in and punished her for the thought. So Sanya had started to work together with Brain to dismantle the digital Daybreak Town and get outside, when the pair received some unexpected help from the form of Master Gula.

Sanya didn’t care what the results of this would be; that Ephemer would disapprove and break her heart in doing so, that information for two who didn’t exist—a Dyme, and a Drulo—would show up in Daybreak Town when they were trying to destroy it, or that Sugar Rush would somehow be replaced with a “Verum Rex”.

All Sanya cared about was getting outside.

And, despite everything, making Master Ava’s dream come true.

There, she wouldn’t be subjected to this world’s laws… and should be able to get back all of her memories of her friends, as well as her missing ones.

Sanya reached out to the sky as glass flooded around her—and Gula came floating up beside her—and then she closed her eyes.

Author’s Note: So, I actually meant for this to be a cute shipping piece between Ephemer and Sanya–since I know you ship Ephemer and Player, Liz, especially your Player with him–but somehow it turned tragic, and my idea of what might happen next I guess. Oops.