#kh figurative language theory

[kitsoa]

The Master’s Figurative Language

A Breakdown of the Flashback in KHUX’s chapter “Cornerstones of Rebirth” 

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The Keyblade War began when MoM was a child. 

MoM describes the Keyblade Wars of Old as a battle between light and dark. A description that matches the stories of the war in the series proper. But when asked if the forces of light and darkness resemble keyblade and heartless clash from Luxu’s understanding-- MoM’s response is more vague. 

Luxu:“The light? Were there other keyblade wielders besides you, Master?” 

MoM: “Hmm, I guess, but it’s not out of the question for there to be others besides me.”

What a strange answer. ‘Others besides me?’ 

Wait up. MoM created the modern keyblade. He modeled it off of the X-blade. 

Does he mean ‘others who created a keyblade to battle the darkness?’

There being others to have created the keyblade seems both unlikely and entirely impossible to be unsure of. Therefore we are not talking about a standard definition war and most definitely we are not talking about a kh style conflict.

So I’m lead to believe that MoM is referring to the ‘Keyblade’ as a figurative tool. After all, the keyblade has never been a mere object... it’s an extension of the heart. It’s the strength of the heart and the forces wielding the blades are many in that they are worthy to ‘fight with all their hearts’ so to speak. Therefore: ‘other’s like him’, can mean others who ‘wielded their hearts’ against the darkness. 

The Heart turns into the figurative heart. Emotion, passion, the self. 

The Darkness by proxy becomes figurative. Evil, negativity, hatred, violence, destruction. 

I believe MoM is equating the actions and purpose of a keyblade wielder (that Luxu understands) to a more general defiance against evil in his conversation. “I guess” is his casual admission to this. Therefore, the term Keyblade War isn’t defined as a clash between countless keyblades but a catch-all term to describe the universal conflict of good and evil. 

Luxu: “And the darkness? Were there the same monsters as there are now?”

Luxu’s understanding of the ‘monsters of darkness’ are simply the heartless from the books illusions. The heartless are the assumed opponents in the fated Keyblade War so their presumed involvement in this older war is a valid question.

MoM: “Well, if you ask if the darkness they fought was comprised of monsters... maybe so. They looked the same as us, so it’s a bit different from now.”

MoM isn’t saying that the forces of darkness in the ‘old war’ were the heartless. He’s equating them to the heartless. MoM is referring to the darkness not as a tangible force we are familiar with but as a figurative entity. And he’s saying that they are essentially monsters. 

Figurative Monsters. Savage, amoral, heartless. 

And they looked human. Monsters that look human. Again MoM is describing a very... general truth about evil in the world. The evil of our fellow man. The evil that makes them equal to monsters. MoM sticks by his insult though.

MoM: “Nah, I’m not saying they were humans...”

So we have a very... realistic depiction of the battle between light and darkness. MoM’s Keyblade War is not a fantastical battle... at least... it doesn’t have to be fantastical. It’s simply the passionate defenders of good values against a general evil. 

MoM: “Well, ever since they appeared in that form The Keyblade War continued on.”

'Ever since the forces of darkness appeared human’ The Keyblade War continued on. The War is clearly as stand-in for a grander, more universal idea. Now we have to reason that MoM is describing a turning point to a personal philosophy as opposed to an actual event. The ongoing Keyblade War is representative of the human struggle proper. 

And if I could play doctor to baby MoM. I’d say he is referencing the start of his personal, none-stop, ‘Keyblade War’. Perhaps he experienced a betrayal. Darkness in human form that has since sparked the war of what is good and what is bad. 

“The darkness changes forms. That’s why it can hide inside humans. That’s why this Keyblade War has raged endlessly.”

What is evil will destroy everything. What is good will bring it back.

The cycle of death and rebirth.

Which brings us to MoM’s goal to stop this. These ‘wars’ that are actually just battles in the endless war within MoM himself. He describes to Luxu exactly what happens in X. The battle commences. The world is destroyed. The light survives in the heart of children. That’s the light that will revive the world. 

Now, he doesn’t reveal it here, but MoM actually orchestrates the parameters that bring about this battle. He pits his apprentices again a fake a traitor. He plants the seeds of tension and distrust. He assures their destruction. And assures their rebirth through the Dandelions.

“We can’t erase the world and it’s stories that are left in the hearts of children. As long as that is left in their hearts, the world can be reborn. And in the same way we can’t erase darkness. But we CAN take a temporary break.”

I’ve had a long theory explain the figurative use of the lore term Worlds and how that word is synonymous with stories. Here we see that figurative language used in direct force. It’s not the abstract light in the hearts of the children, but the living stories within them that make them immortal. 

But that same immortal story brings with it the same immortal end. And the cycle never ends. 

So MoM’s reference of a ‘temporary break’ is strange as it is not a solution to the endless war but an escape. Flash forward to Union Cross and the Union Leaders have come to the harrowing realization that they are trapped in this digital reality. They have not yet fulfilled the cycle and revived the world from the destruction of X. They are simply trapped, playing house. Taking a break from the war.

“I know I’m tired, I want to rest soon too. From being a bystander at least.”

This line gets me. Bystanders are defined as people who watch. The Master watches when he vanishes and it is assumed that the presence of the gazing eye makes him a bystander to the war. But the rest he references is ‘soon’-- an allusion to his fading? It seems backwards. Unless he is looking farther ahead than his most immediate actions at the time of the flashback. Unless he is looking at a point in time more relevant to us players. The time where the Master stops watching and jumps into actions. An allusion for whats to come. 

MoM wraps up the conversation with a very on the nose and cryptic run down of exactly the Dandelion’s journey.

“Yep, that’s why I told Ava to gather the best of the best. The starting point in X. Their training in Unchained. The real deal in Union Cross. They ought to become very important cornerstones to the rebirth of this world.”

The Dandelion’s start and originate from X. That’s the original run. But in Unchained, as they go through the same events of X they are training. What they are training for isn’t clear but seeing how the ‘real deal’ is the phase where the world breaks away from the original run, we can assume that MoM is preparing them to break the cycle. Unchained has the Dandelion’s guided along their fates and eased them all the way to the big break that was the war itself. Now that the war is avoided, they must resist the war from cropping up again or fail the grand experiment. 

MoM wants the cycle of Darkness and Light to end... or at least he wants to see if it can end. Clearly, the Dandelion’s have a wealth of elements stacked up against them in their temporary break from the cycle. The insistence on Unions. The secret Book of Prophecies. The erased memories and encouragement to turn their blades on the image of their fellows. We can’t say at all that MoM was intending on them being successful.Or maybe there were more phases to this plot than just that of x, Unchained and Ux--

Actually of course there are more phases to his plot. Kingdom Hearts happened.

The conversation finally ends with a little foreshadowing. 

Luxu: “They’ll  be able to return to this world after its rebirth using the world borders, right?”

Luxu brings up what we understand is going to happen in UX. The light from after the war has to return to the ruins according to MoM’s cycle. Their temporary break will have to end. And as Luxu describes they will ‘use the world borders’ to do so. The exact nature and importance of this distinction is one to be contemplated but ultimately the return is nigh. We understand that Scala ad Caelum is built upon the ruins of Daybreak Town. We know the Dandelion’s will escape the program and rebuild the war. And we know they will eventually build the empire that creates Xehanort who will start the cycle anew. 

“Hmmm, Well it’ll be difficult for ALL of them.”

MoM is cryptically referencing that not every Dandelion will return. Some will get left behind. Or perhaps they won’t make it to the correct time (a reference to the time displaced Dandelions). Luxu makes a reference that the Leaders were the ones hatching the escapes which suggests that only the leaders return to the real world... which doesn’t seem accurate to what actually transpires. Grant it. We must consider the following:

The temporary break from the cycle must end.

The Dandelion’s are fighting to defy the fate of the War. 

The War is inevitable. 

So in final, this scene is extremely enlightening toward the Master’s motives and goal and hints to what will ultimately occur in the KHUX storyline. It is important to consider the figurative angle that the Master is potentially going on about. Because as we are consistently reminded, KH is a series that plays on the fact that it’s language has lore implications as well as thematic implications. 

There is a greater message in a ll of this.

[mejomonster]

thanks to kingdom hearts i can follow its japanese cutscenes because i’ve heard kh so much that when world, light, darkness, everyone, precious, destiny, comes up in japanese i can still follow...

this only shocked me recently because i ran into a random japanese kh1 scene on youtube and despite it being one of the ones I rarely watch, i still managed to catch 70% of the words. it just surprised me... how many words kh uses i must have just internalized the meaning of.

[bravewielder]

General Info, About & Basic Blog Rules under the cut !!

I. BACKGROUND

This is my first formal foray into properly RPing Riku since the early days of the tumblr RPC.

Meaning, whilst this isn't my first time RPing him, I am now just coming back into the fandom after years and years of being away from it (mostly keeping it at arms length). So I am only now just catching up on all the lore and theories surrounding his character as well as the over arching lore of KH as a whole.

I do not boast an encyclopedic knowledge of every little detail in this game series (given how long and convoluted it has become), I have not played any of its spin offs, remixes or mobile games- so apologies if sometimes some things might be inaccurate (even despite my best efforts for extensive research). I am knowledgeable of what’s generally known in the Mainline Titles. So if there is one particular obscure thing of topic you wanna integrate into any of our threads, do let me know. I’d love to learn and talk about it! I’ve been away from this fandom for so so long I wouldn’t mind bouncing off ideas and theories with new friends.

That being said, I would very much like to discover Riku’s character for my own before getting influenced with any preconceived ideas that have sprouted here and there.

So basically my Riku is a clean slate fresh out of KH3.

I know how important Riku's character is for a lot of people and I hope I can do my very best to at least portray him as good as I possibly can for any of the folks I do end up interacting with.

II. INTERACTION

Please note that English isn't Mun's first language, hence why I take so long to write a reply/starter because I check, double check and triple check if my writing is grammatically correct. And sometimes I only have the time and energy to do one post a day.

But as stated in my quick rules, I am selective with threads and asks so if I really do not get around to reply to yours, I’m sorry. Muses are fickle things and sometimes they just don’t wanna. So don't be disheartened when I haven't answered your ask/reply immediately. Please know that I hold every single one in my heart and I hoard them for a little while before I finally have the time to reply in short bursts.

Also mun’s line of work is kind of hectic with production shoots and what not. So I may be abscond for a few days at a time.

In terms of following and mutuals. This blog is mutuals only but if I haven’t followed you back you are more than welcome to send me an ask or DM.

Duplicates. I actually don't mind following and interacting with other Rikus (since he does have a lot of interactions with his other selves). But for the most part I am pretty much content to admire other Riku blogs from a far. I am well aware that some portrayals are near perfect and some of you would have your favorites and I take no offense to this if you prefer to interact with them.

III. FORMATTING & WRITING

Icons, formatting and graphics. I do enjoy using icons and formatting on my posts, but I do it in such a way that is minimal where its still legible. I just like making things look pretty and clean. Though I do not mind interacting with iconless or nonformatted threads/blogs. This is just my own preference.

I am ok to do one-liners to short-para threads, unless things would be needing a huge set up that it requires to become novella. Let me reiterate that English isn’t my first language and there is only so much English you could squeeze out of me before I give up. (Lol) So my tone and writing would sometimes sound very blunt and straight to the point if I’m not feeling like doing any flowery words and purple prose.

IV. SHIPPING

I'll state this here and now: Mun is part of the LGBTQ and has been in a committed same sex relationship with my lovely fiancé for almost 10 years.

That being said, I think it goes without saying what I prefer to portray Riku as a character by default.

Yes, he does swing that way (although right now he hasn't figured that out for himself yet). Yes. He is very much hopelessly madly deeply head over hills committed and devoted to Sora. This has always been a HUGE part of his character throughout the entire series, and to not acknowledge it or at least allude to it, would be a crime.

However!! This does not mean I am not open to exploring other ships, even heteronormative ones. Or do shippy things with any character under the gender spectrum. If it does come to that, I like to keep it ambiguous.

At the very least, Riku is demisexual.

But, In any case, shipping will not be the main focus of this blog and I would like to maintain a neutral ground for all of it. Platonic things shall always be at default.

V. NEGATIVITY

Although I will try to make this blog as wholesome as I possibly can (with little to no risqué content)  - I have been RPing on and off tumblr for the past 20 years and honestly i am far too old, jaded, and tired to put up with any drama or upset. I will not involve myself in any sort of petty discourse and if I see anyone trying to start something, I am sorry but I will have to unfollow.

But, on the other hand, if there is anything at all that you find offensive on my blog, please do TELL me. Lets talk it out like the adults that we are. I will gladly tag anything that you wish to be tagged. My DMs are always open for discussion.

Or better yet, please make use of the block button. I will not question you on how you curate your own space and I hope you would also respect mine.

I stay on my lane and you stay in yours. Got it?

VI. SIGN OFF

Lastly. I am here to just have FUN, VIBE & CHILL. I might do some crack things here and there and I shall be tagging those if you don’t wanna have them be clogging your dash. But yeah, I just wanna have fun without the pressure of being judged. All I want is to create a space where I am allowed to write for a character who has been very important to me through out the years and all I want is to share that love with all of you!!  .･ﾟ: * ✧ *  ♡

[dunedan-estel]

.Finished the OC template for Aegis (the template can be found on twitter here)

Time for the symbolism rambles below! Really it became, ‘the rambling where Kim starts of stating words but end passionately’

Aegis as a.... Colour -  Light purple - in personality, light purple represents romantic and nostalgic feelings. Purple also represents wisdom, bravery and spirituality (her deep connection to hearts - really taking her heart to be her guiding key as well as being in tune with her connection to her friends/family - seems to be a ‘spiritual’ thing to me). Light purples can also symbolise light-heartedness and Aegis does have a light-hearted side. Blue - reliable, sensitive, sympathetic, selfless, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom. Blue can also represent strong and steadfast or light and friendly. A lot of these come from Aegis being, typically, quite calm and collected. In a room full of arguing people, she will be the one who will calm the situation and encourage that a middle ground be found or that they agree to disagree and just move on. It does mean, however, that people assume things don’t phase her - she’s a sensitive soul but, with a reputation to be calm, she internalises a lot until it becomes a little too much. That threshold is permanently breeched post BBS timeline, but she finds ways to try her best to keep it under control. Blues are alo intelligent and, well, it’s not that difficult to be smarter than many characters in KH let’s be real lol. Brown - In personality, brown represents sensuality, warmth and support. Others are comfortable in the person’s presence and it’s easier to open up and confide in the person, too. Brown gives a sense of reliability and is often used to represent resilience, dependability, security and safety. As a mother, the latter two are important to Aegis, and as someone with a quiet determination? Resilience goes without saying. Dark purple - Darker shades of purple represent sadness and frustration, gloom and, in some areas of Europe, death and mourning. Aegis post BBS - and even somewhat during - is frustrated with herself whilst mourning the losses of those she held the closest to her heart. It’s also often seen with Darkness and as she suffers with it, though her control over it is tight for the most part, it would make sense. Gold -  A gold personality is associated with loyalty and dependability. But gold personalities are also organised (something Aegis isn’t in some aspects - a little more like chaotic organisation when it comes to her things), thorough, punctual and caring. Her loyalty to Terra, Ven and Aqua is strong enough to deserver two loyal-representing colours (thought her loyalty to Terra can only be matched wih Riku and Sora’s bromance honestly). Aegis can notice and remember facts (that she cares to remember, mind you) and would like to be given directions and instructions when asked to do something she’s not done before or in an area she’s been before (though she’s not going to get frustrated when she’s not given them. She’ll figure it out). 

A Flower... The English Bluebell is, in the language of flowers, a symbol of humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love. Apparently, it can also sometimes symbolise grief - though I believe that is in confusion with a hyacinth (the common bluebells - though, in theory, all bluebells - fall into the hyacinthoides genus of plant, and comes from the Greek phrase ‘unmarked hyacinth’ as to not confuse it with an ordinary Hyacinth. In Greek Myth, hyacinths are said to have grown where Hyacinth died - i believe it was from his tears (i think). So if bluebells do mean grief I’m not sure).

A bird... The robin is as colourful culturally as it’s breast. In mainland Europe, it’s a harbinger of death and storm but in the British Isles it is the exact opposite. Aegis fits the British symbolism. The myths, folklore and legends surrounding Robins have them as a symbol of rebirth, happiness and good luck. There’s a belief that when a robin appears, a lost loved one is near. There were believed to the messengers for lost loved ones and in the Victorian era, postmen were called Robins (hence you see robins at letterboxes around Christmas - Robins were the name for postmen XD One of my favourite facts lol). Robins also symbolise new beginning and life. They’re one of the first birds to wake and one of the last to go to sleep. Spirituality, robins can also mean transformation, renewal, growth, passion, change and power.  I must say, near my garden we have a family of robins and they’ve never brought storms or death XD Now, new life like spring and winter flowers? Sure XD 

A scent.... Green Tea - i just like the smell of green tea and when it’s used in scents, it mellows out the rest of it to make it warmer and rounds out everything nicely. Jasmine - love, beauty, purity. In Thailand, it represents motherhood, love and respect. I love the smell of jasmine - it’s not a heavy floral and it’s quite delicate in scents. I have a jasmine bush right outside the backdoor, and when it blooms opening the door makes me so happy because it smells so good.  It’s warm and summery but it’s not that tropical, fruity, coconut summery scent that makes me want to die - it’s just very pleasant and light. Winter-flowering honeysuckle -  Honeysuckle symbolises joy and happiness. It also conveys messages of love and affection. It’s deepest symbolism is how it represents the flames of love and the tenderness of love that has been lost. Winter-flowering honeysuckle is just delicate and works well with the scent of green tea. Lotus - Across eastern regions and religions, the Lotus flower is a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth. And even when it’s roots are in the dirtiest of waters, it flower is beautiful. For me, that analogy is akin to the symbolism of hope. Though I have never stuck my nose in a lotus, it’s apparently a pleasant scent that can be describes as heady, fruity or sweet. Vanilla Orchid -   Ancient Greeks associated orchids with virility and fertility but the Aztecs viewed the Vanilla Orchid with strength, apparently making and drinking a mixture of vanilla orchid flowers as a strength potion. Vanilla makes a lot of scents smell nice when the perfume’s fading and I would assume a vanilla orchid would make it a warmer, rounder vanilla.

A song... Listen to the Rain - Enya Every time the rain comes down I close my eyes and listen I can hear the lonesome sound Of the sky as it cries

Listen to the rain Here it comes again Hear it in the rain

Feel the touch of tears that fall They won't fall forever In the way the day will flow All things come, all things go

Listen to the rain, the rain Here it comes again, again Hear it in the rain, the rain 

 Late at night I drift away I can hear you calling And my name is in the rain Leaves on trees whispering Deep blue seas, mysteries

Even when this moment ends Can't let go this feeling Everything will come again In the sound falling down Of the sky as it cries Hear my name in the rain

I like quite a few songs by Enya, but this one evokes this kind of... longing I associate with Aegis. I see it being she’s crying as the rain comes down and then throughout the 12 years between BBs and KH3, it’s the rain is the sky crying for her. The rain comes down and as she drifts away - sleep, thought, whatever - her past failings are haunting her. I just love it. There s just so much space to analyse and find so many varieties of symbolism.

A feelings... Trying to find a word for the feeling Aegis would represent, something she feels a lot, is really hard... more so impossible. Melancholia is a very deep sadness and despair, so is that too strong because she also feels hopeful? Fear with hope? Well she’s afraid of failing again but it’s more than fear. Inner turmoil? Suits but that’s a. not a feeling and b. is it really turmoil? She’s not confused by these feelings. Depression? Well that’s part of melancholia. Determined to never give up? Aegis certainly never quits or stops. But she doesn’t feel determined. 

I also had no idea what to draw for it so, really, I went light = hope, determination. Darkness = melancholia, fear, turmoil. Tears in her eyes show the impact of these emotions on her. The reflections in her eyes symbolise their respective sides: Lingering Will is that source of hope - 1.  it drives home Terra is the only one she has a chance of helping and 2. is one of the two reason she keeps on fighting and doesn’t give in to darkness, or anger and keeps on going. Because she knows that when Terra’s whole and he hears his voice and sees his smile and is actually holding him... all the fighting would have been worth it. Then Terra-Xehanort being on the side of darkness is her past failings haunting her. 1. She’s angry with herself for not bringing up her gut instinct to not trust Xehanort to Terra because he had given Terra hope of controlling his darkness. 2. She feels she was supportive enough even though she did all she could and never gave up on him. and 3. Between KH2 and Dream Drop, she retrieves Terra’s body (and heart ofc lo) from Radiant Garden before Xehanort can repossess him. She has to stop to give Terra food and drink since he’s come around and she mentions that they’re gonna get his memories back. But Xehanort’s already waiting and boom Terra’s repossessed. Right under her nose. which then lead to 4. she gives in to Darkness in DDD at the world that never was with the Real Organisation which fills her with fear and shame. 

But she continues on because she has to. She goes into the realm of darkness with Riku and Mickey to find Aqua - there’s no way she can be weak to it’s grasp on her now. Of course that search fails and when Riku and Mickey are off trying to find links, she’s helping Sora. Sora is already going through it with Yen Sid on his back, she’s not going to add more worry to that. Yen Sid has also instructed that Aer goes with her and Sora - a move she vehemently hates but his word was final - so she can’t worry her son either. She continues fighting - is determined to continue fighting. And when Riku and Mickey go back into the Realm of Darkness, they call her to say ‘hey, we’re ready’. And in that fight against Aqua, when her armour’s broken once again, there is no protection against the darkness other than her own determination to not give in so soon after her latest slip. And that determination all comes from this simple thing: hope. Because that hope to her, even though these negative emotions are strong, is stronger than anything thrown her way. Even when she doesn’t know it. And that hope is born from love. Love for her friends. Love for her family. 

[nobodies-png]

Hi can I get a uhhhh

Xeonort...being a big bro to Sora and Riku in a happy au where nothing goes wrong...With a side of fries and a diet coke

GRABS YOU AND SQUISHES YOU LIKE A DOG TOY

YOU BROUGHT ME BACK HERE, THIS IS YOUR FAULT !!!

So anyway, hello, hello ! I’ve been thinking about KH again now that union cross is about to end - and also about how fucked up it is that xenahort is from destiny islands like sir couldn’t you just stay THERE

Let’s sit down for a second, ignore the actual timeline along with the canon story and pretend that a young Xenahort just stayed in Destiny Islands and became the cool older brother figure that Sora and Riku just like to follow around. You know what, Kairi isn’t even supposed to be here if Xenahort stays but fuck it, she’s here too. It’s our AU, we make up the rules. This is just like the “Xenahort is everyone’s grandpa and KH is just their D&D game” AU except everyone is baby and with a side of found family trope. 

Xenahort often complains about Destiny Islands being too small for him, ironically enough he spends most of his days awat from the mainland to continue his personal research in the little shack by the smaller island. This is where Sora, Riku and Kairi find him most of the time and they have no problem barging in to keep him company and annoy him with endless questions. Just picture a very moody teenage Xenahort being followed by three absolute rays of sunshine that barely reach his waist. Just do it, imagine it. Okay, good, moving on - 

Kairi was most likely the first one to approach him, since Riku and Sora were too busy daring each other to do it. And Xenahort probably ignored them for days until they finally got on his nerves, but the three just REALLY wanna know what he’s working on ! Kids will be kids, yknow. So he indulges them and explains his theories about the different worlds and his goal to travel between them, lowkey hoping that they get bored and leave him alone but surprisingly, they don’t ! In fact, they want to know even more ! And god fucking knows Xenahort loves to ramble and have long winded monologues, so he’s pretty excited about having his own little students. 

They often talk about what kind of world they’d like to visit and all the endless possibilities - Riku is the one who talks the most during these sessions, often cutting Sora and Kairi to explain that “a world made entirely out of candy would probably rot in a few weeks” or all the rations they’d need to survive the trip, trying to apply logic to everything. Like, aight Riku we get it you’re smart. Sora on the other hand likes to talk about all the different people and creatures they could befriend - and gets really sad whenever Riku reminds him that the language barriers would prevent him from befriending people so easily. Kairi focuses more on the environment - the food, the flora and all the fun trinkets and gifts she can bring home for their other friends. It’s very refreshing for Xenahort, who was so obsessed with making his plans work that he forgot about the fun and exciting part of researching. 

Speaking of other friends, Tidus, Wakka and Selphie sometimes drop by, but only when the Destiny Trio insist - Selphie and Tidus are highkey intimidated by Xenahort because he looks like a mean teen, but Wakka just doesn’t like to think or hear about the universe when he can focus on his homeland. Tidus also likes to tag along whenever homework piles up and they can ask Xenahort for help. Hell, he probably builds their science projects too, but with a surprise to ruin everything at the end so the kids know better than to make him do all the work - like one of those volcanos but it erupts glitter all over the place or some shit.

Still, Xenahort is a teen and like most teens, he’s got his moments of intense angst. He might propose very complex questions to the Destiny Trio out the blue, about leaving everything behind, never to return to the islands, for the sake of research and so on. Riku never answers, since he somewhat feels the same, Kairi and Sora however, insist that he can always come back. But yeah, sometimes the trio also get really angry at Xenahort because he refuses to play with them, on account of being “too old for baby games”.

Xenahort also strikes me as a guy who’d pretend not to know the trio on the main island, if only to save some face around his classmates and other friends - but Sora’s mom totally invites him over for lunch and shit and practically treats him like her own son. Which is super weird because it messes Xenahort’s mysterious and slightly condescending vibe. Yeah this is just that entire “Good Guys adopt Antagonist and Antagonist must deal with casual affection and friendship” TV trope, don’t look at me.

Sora, Riku and Kairi would grow up to be the curious adventurers they’ve always been in canon, but instead of being motivated to leave due to insatisfaction, they’d be thrilled to explore the universe out of pure curiosity for the unknown. And they wouldn’t build a shitty raft with like 3 fucking coconuts, not on Xenahort’s watch. 

For the bonus angst idea, just imagine that one day the Destiny Trio arrive at the island to play with Xenahort, but he’s nowhere to be found. He doesn’t show up the next day either, nor the day after. They can’t even find him on his house. No one knows where he is. Not even his own family.  And weeks pass, as if he had never existed in the first place. Sora, Riku and Kairi wonder if Xenahort actually managed to leave Destiny Islands - but he would never leave without them. Would he?

[casualtheoriesandthoughts]

KHUx Finale Other Side of Reality (OSR) Theory Update

Long time no post! The KHUx Finale absolutely stunned me because I was surprised to learn that I guessed some things correctly, and I need to update some things about my theory on the Other Side of Reality (OSR). Fair warning: SPOILERS FOR THE KHUx FINALE!

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So in my previous post on what happened to Sora after he wound in Quadratum, I argued that a few different things:

1. Quadratum is another realm that exists connected to Kingdom Hearts, with its own means for exit and entry

2. The Power of Waking (PoW) has an "inverted" use, which Sora, Kairi and Riku all used; this is the means of entry to Quadratum

3. Sora is still "accessible", i.e. not erased from memory or existence

While the KHUx Finale didn't really debunk any of these things, it provided important context for why certain things happen. For one, the Master of Masters directly comments on the existence of a realm beyond light and darkness, which is the same language Ansem the Wise uses to describe where Sora went in the ending of MoM.

The Master of Masters divulged to Luxu the true goal of his plan: to seal the darkness in the Union Leaders and sending away Lost Masters strategically to fight the stronger darknesses of the total thirteen. This sheds more light on the Master of Masters' use of the reference mark (※) to denote the world which Darkness' "eyes nor voice can reach", in which "neither light nor darkness can be controlled".

The most curious aspect of this explanation of the ※ realm is that the Master of Masters directly states that Darkness could not conceive of such a world, and that it is a world born from the imaginations of humans. Even though imagined things are unreal, they can be given reality through "realization". What "realization" is goes unexplained, but this also alludes back to the Master of Masters' explanation that Darkness cannot understand what is inside peoples' hearts, but rather only their negative emotions. Darkness cannot follow the Master of Masters to this place, and if the figure in the end of KH3 is in fact the Master of Masters, alt-Shibuya is indeed the ※ realm.

This confirms my previous assertion that the ※ realm and Kingdom Hearts are tied together by virtue of the fact that memories of Sora still exist across the boundaries of the realms, and that Sora could project his own voice to aid Kairi in her journey across her own heart. In addition, this reinforces the idea that the ※ realm is somehow related to the essence of hearts, of which Kingdom Hearts also consists. This would explain how Sora is able to send his voice to help Kairi, and also why Riku's use of the PoW sent him to Quadratum. This confirms my point that the use of the PoW in Melody of Memory and KH3 is novel, and grants access to Quadratum.

Interestingly the finale also provides greater support for the idea that the Lost Masters were purposely sequestered in realms or dimensions where they could fight the stronger darknesses individually. My sense is that these realms are at least qualitatively similar to Quadratum in that darkness has no inherent advantage there, or that these realms are in fact continuous with Quadratum.

In the end, I suppose nothing was really added to my theory so much as greater clarity (in so far as that's possible in KH lol). Hope y'all enjoyed this, and feel free to leave your comments!

[excusemewhileiplaykh]

Another Origin for the Black Box

So there are a lot of theories going around that have connected MoM’s Black Box with the computational/theoretical term “black box”, which in very basic terms describes a device which receives information (an input) and then produces a response (an output). A lot of things can be a black box, like your TV remote that responds to the input of you clicking the power button and responds by turning on your TV. The human brain (kinda like Brain in KHUX *cough, cough*) can even be considered a black box, as it similarly receives signals and then reacts accordingly. 

While I do believe a lot can come from considering this connection, I want to suggest another inspiration for MoM’s black box, one that actually comes from Christianity…

Before I delve further into this theory, I want to note that Christian symbolism seems to be something Nomura has always been interested in for developing KH’s story. For instance, there is a big emphasis on 3 or a trinity of persons (as in the Holy Trinity). There is also the importance of the numbers 7 and 13, two numbers that are largely important in the Bible and Christianity in general (I’ll talk more about these numbers later). There may also be other religious symbolism in KH, but examining those symbols deserve their own posts.

Then, of course, there is the Book of Prophecies, whose name and purpose seems very similar to the infamous Book of Revelations contained in the Chrisitian Bible. 

As the name suggests, the Book of Revelations details how the apocalypse will come about, including how and what will trigger Jesus’ second coming.

It is said in the Book of Revelations that Jesus will appear after the Seven Seals secure the book or scroll that contains knowledge only known by God. It is said that only the “Lion of Judah” and the “Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes” will be able to unseal the scroll and read its contents.

Each seal triggers a different event. The first 4 trigger the arrival of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse, the 5th the arrival of martyrs dressed in white robes, the 6th natural disasters,  and the 7th bring about the 7 angels with trumpets which signal the end of the world and the arrival of Jesus.

Ok… So what does this scroll have anything to do with Kingdom Hearts? Or the Black Box for that matter?

Well, the first thing we should consider are the seven seals which must first be opened to access the scroll. Does that sound kinda familiar?

Well that’s because the scroll may be reminding you of the notches on the Black Box (13 in total) which need to be unlocked before the contents of the box can be accessed. It should also be noted that in KH 3, the Black Box is connected with Pandora’s Box (Remember that this happens early on in Olympus. For more context, you can look at my theory on this connection here), which is said to bring about havoc and destruction to the world when it is opened, similar to how breaking the seals of the scroll will cause devastation.

Of course, one major difference between the Black Box and the scroll is the difference in the number of barriers; one has 13 while the other has 7 and these numbers are each other's stark opposites in Christianity and KH.

I would like to remind everyone that in Kingdom Hearts it seems that the symbolism behind the numbers 7 and 13 has been switched. Let’s remember that in the epilogue, when Eraqus starts the new chess game, he gives Xehanort 7 gold pieces (the “dark” pieces) and himself 13 white pieces (the “light” pieces).

Thus because of this change, I would suggest that the 13 notches then can be synonymous with the 7 seals.

Another noteworthy thing is that the seven seals will be opened by a “lion” and a “lamb”. The lion symbolism in KH has been important since the introduction of No Name, which features a chimera figure which is both a lion and a goat. Moreover, people speculate that MoM’s animal will be a lion based on this keyblade and the fact that MoM’s suggested sin, Pride (or Superbia like the “Super-X” on the Black Box), is represented by the lion.

Ok, so we’ve figured out who this lion could bo. So who’s the lamb?

To answer that question we’ll have to turn to another keyblade, principally one that is only featured in DDD, End of Pain.

As you can see, End of Pain is structurally very similar to No Name. Indeed, much like No Name, End of Pain is one of the few keyblades with the Gazing Eye. End of Pain even has an animal on it, although it is more obscured than the chimera on No Name.

Blowingoffsteam2 wrote a theory comparing these two keyblades here and they suggest how the animal may in fact be a ram. They analyze the meaning of this animal in terms of the zodiac (the ram represents the first sign in the zodiac, Aires. Curiously, Sora, who’s birthday is March 28th, is an Aires) and greek mythology.

I’d like to, however, also consider that a ram is just a sheep. And well.. A lamb is also just a sheep…

(also *cough, cough* RAM as in random access memory has to do with computing language, similar to the concept of a the black box just saying)

Also in Christianity, the lamb is meant to symbolize Jesus, who sacrificed himself for the sins of mankind. You could even say that Jesus died to “End” the “Pain” of our sins…’’

With all of this in mind, if MoM is the Lion and the original wielder of No Name, then the Lamb would need to be the wielder of End of Pain.

This is where it gets tricky because End of Pain is a keyblade that both Sora and Riku can wield, so it is hard to say which one of them is truly the Lamb. I suppose we can assume that its Sora since, ya know, he’s the main character, but it could also be a fusion of both Sora and Riku (for instance, look at the butterfly charm on End of Pain. Butterflies represents two halves working in symmetry, almost like a heart. Moreover, the butterfly is made of both purple and orange, two colors making one form.) 

With all of this context in mind, my hypothesis is that the black box can only be opened through a combined effort between MoM and Sora (or MoM and Riku… or MoM and some Sora/Riku hybrid *cough,* Yozora). Moreover, if and when this box is opened, it will bring about disastrous omens and possibly even some sort of rebirth, like Jesus’ second coming.

I’m offering this as mere speculation since there isn’t very hard evidence to suggest I’m right, but it’s strange how much things from the Christian ideology of the 7 seals seems to match up with KH lore. Guess we gotta wait until DDD 2 for some real answers.

[eternal-reverie]

Hints of Lauriam’s personality?

Ever since we saw flower themed nobodies in the 2015 trailer and the appearance of Lauriam last August in KHUX, I’ve been thinking about how Marluxia will impact the story in KH 3 and how mysterious his motives and personality are so far. All we really know is that in CoM, he was treasonous and that he manipulated children to further his own goals without any remorse. 

One thing to take into account was his status as a Nobody at the time, so feeling no empathy could have made his personality more ruthless. We also have to remember that we still don’t know exactly why he wanted to overthrow the organization other than to simply usurp power (a pretty shallow motivation for an antagonist.) The revelation in DDD of Organization XIII’s true purpose also opens up to Marluxia’s possible motives in overthrowing the organization as other people have mentioned.

So in trying to figure out who exactly Marluxia is, and by extension Lauriam, I started to dig into the references of him in 358/2 Days mission mode.

Depending on the gear you install in the panel system, his scythe changes shape and abilities. All of them are named after flowers and many have a sort of negative or sad adjective placed before them (some have adjectives describing grandeur and beauty too). The names of the flowers are rich in symbolism and meaning, some referring to tragic myths about loss, love, and betrayal. With what we currently know in KHUX, they are fun to look at and analyze. All together, they show his association with flowers, tragedy, and death. Add the scythe and him with the black hooded coat you get the obvious grim reaper imagery he has going on. 

One gear I want to particularly look at is the Mystery Gear, a gear that “draws forth the wielder’s personality.” When it’s installed, his scythe radically changes shape to actually resemble a flower, particularly a Lily of the Valley.

The English localization calls it “Dainty Bellflowers” but the Japanese name 優雅なるスズラン directly refers the weapon as Elegant Lily of the Valley. They tend to generally represent humility, sweetness and a return or start of happiness in flower language.  I also checked the hanakotoba meaning (Japanese flower language) and have found it to also mean “sweetness.” When you see these flowers in real life they are absolutely tiny and unassuming yet their fragrance is actually very strong. In contrast to their appearance, they are actually highly toxic if consumed. They come in white and pink varieties.

When I first saw Dainty Bellflowers back in 2009, I was really confused on how this could have represented his personality (this can be said for other members before BBS.)  The way this weapons plays in the game is that whenever you hit an enemy, a cute, poppy sound rings. And in comparison to his other dangerous looking scythes, it’s really bright and cheery. It’s worth noting that the abilities that can be added onto it are Heart Bonus and Second Chance, which are healing and reviving abilities. Funnily enough, this Dainty Bellflowers resembles the pixie petal keyblade found in BBS.

What could this mean for Lauriam?  Could he be like what this weapon is implying? Is he a sweet and unassuming kid completely opposite to the proud and cruel Marluxia? The curing abilities are also the complete opposite of the death motif that Marluxia carries as well. Perhaps the only thing that is shared between them here is the inherent toxicity of this plant represented. My personal theory is that Lauriam is going against who he naturally is and be shoved into an antagonistic role, either willingly (for some sort of selfish gain or perhaps what he feels for the greater good) or forced to by some unknown party. 

Everyone is quick to point fingers as to who killed Strelitzia but I just want to remind everyone that they're only children, affected heavily by the looming reality of war, pushing them to make extreme choices. If Lauriam actually did it, I feel like his motivation in doing that is so much more than just wanting to have a position of power and maliciously slaying Strelitzia in order to gain that. It cant’t be a coincidence that they share a plant motif. This connection between them will definitely come up again.

Last thing I want to point out are the rings you can equip in Days. There are 13 elemental resistance rings each representing the thriteen members. The ring called “Flowers Athirst” representing Marluxia.  The localized name of this ring is pointing out his desire for presumably power, but the original Japanese calls the ring 聖花のうれい “Grief of the Lotus”. Lotus flowers represent purity, rebirth, and considered to be a sacred flower. A lost chance of rebirth perhaps? Besides those meanings, in hanakotoba, they mean, “far from the one he loves.” 

HMMM… 

sorry im pushing my friendship headcanon

Lotus imagery can be also seen in that pod Sora sleeps in between games. It was in that pod on the 13th floor of C.O. that Marluxia was going to place Sora in, to then brainwash and use to complete his takeover of the organization. Perhaps that’s where his “grief” lies. I could just go on and on about his other scythes and the things they could imply. Who really knows if Nomura planned this in advanced for his backstory. I just think the stuff presented here are cool ideas that might be developed more in the khux updates hopefully.

[kitsoa]

KH Theory/Speculation Masterpost

Turns out I talk about Kingdom Hearts a lot. Be it a rambling bout of questions or a outlined multi-part analysis. Below is a master list of links to my most notable theory posts. 

Early Speculation and Musings:

My Gentle Kingdom Hearts 3: A musing about the End -- KH3 initial review. Emotional blubbering.

Real or Figurative: Question about the Ending -- initial pre-ultimania/pre-dlc debate on the discrepancies of ending being literal or figurative. 

KH Questions I’m afraid to ask: -- A log of questions in my speculation process. Most of which have been answered by canon or my own line of speculation.

Explanation/Speculation on the Metaphysical Mechanics

Define: Heart -- A cited definition of the Heart as it is regarded and understood in the canon with minimal speculation. 

Explaining Terranort in KH3-- A Pre-Ultimania theory on what exactly happened with Terranort in Master Xehanort’s re-assemblage that allowed for Terra’s resurrection. This uses Namine’s unique creation to speculate the nature of the cosmic process that creates and regards beings. [basically CONFIRMED]

Musing on the physical nature of the Stations -- A speculation thread meant to help inform future theories. Centered around the idea of “Hearts as Worlds” and meant to tackle what is really ‘physical’ in the KH mythos. [spoiler: everything is a literal, physical thing]

Death and the Final World-- an exploration of already established mechanics in the KH ‘verse. Centered around the question of “What makes a Heart go to the Final World” and “What made Sora’s body go with his heart to the Final World?

Realm of Light, the PoH, and the Physical Concept Pt. 1 -- a theory on the nature of the Princesses of Heart and their connection to the Realm of Light and the Physical Concept. There is no Part 2 (yet) but you can basically use this to explain all the deus ex machina of the PoH and the function of light. 

The Breakdown of a Somebody-- An in-depth breakdown of the components and functions in a Somebody meant to explain the results of the absence or manipulation of those building blocks.

Worlds as Dreams and the Act of Waking up P.1 Traversing Hearts -- An initial understanding of the Power of Waking in regards to how layers of dreams (and their function as levels of reality) might explain how a power to ‘wake’ would disturb the natural order of things. Part 2 is a forever draft at the moment.

Explicitly Meta-Catastrophe Theories:

List of Theories--A compilation of some of my KH theories before they have been fleshed out. Some worldline theories and ‘realm of fiction’ ideas haven’t been touched upon yet but this is the skinny.

The Edge of Imagination Pt. 1 and The Edge of Imagination Pt.2-- ReMind analysis discussing the nature of the Final World as an ‘Idea graveyard’ that suggests the presence of an author figure between Sora and the ‘Verum Rex’ cross over.

Art Shift Analysis-- Pre-Remind comparison of the model and scenery of the secret ending meant to allude to the presence of a more ‘realistic’ world and therefore a ‘prime real real world’.

The Heart of Stories Theory-

Masterpost / Part 1 / Part 2 / Supplementary Analysis / Part 3

In this theory I ask “What is a Heart” “What is a World” and “What is Kingdom Hearts.” By asking these questions and reasoning through the evidence, I attempt to conceptualize the values of the Kingdom Hearts universe and conclude that Hearts are the essence of fictional stories. From here the theory that Kingdom Hearts is becoming self aware of its status as a fictional story is given a thematic foundation.

Heart of Stories theory follow-up - someone debated me on my points from the above magnum opus

KHUX Theories and Speculation:

** denote relatively active theories with a more formal construction

Thoughts on the Meta-Narrative of Kingdom Hearts X and UX-- what it says on the tin. Connecting KHUX to the idea of a story within a story and active authorship.

**The Master’s Figurative Language: A Breakdown of the Flashback in KHUX’s chapter “Cornerstones of Rebirth” -- analyzing the Master’s ‘backstory’ and motives. I allude to the metacatastrophe theory. 

KHUX Theory Confirmations- a compilation of khux theories that have been confirmed or supported (as of May 2020). With the strong note that I still firmly believe Ava has had a nefarious role in the current catastrophe befalling the Union Leaders. 

Ven as a Sleeper Agent -- early interpretation of Ven’s paradoxical innocence and guilt in the murder of Strelitzia.

**The Duality of Ven -- Theory that Ven is harboring a split personality that he created, which may actually be a sentient Darkling. 

**Ven’s Missing Memories -- April 2020 speculation breaking down the nature of Ven’s absent memories, finely deducing exactly what could have caused the memory loss and what can be ruled out. Supports the Split-Personality theory.

**“There is no Traitor” : My Complete Speculation on the Happenings of KHUX -A breakdown of what I speculate to be the twist in the traitor conspiracy, placing blame to Ava as retaliation against a fated demise.

White Coat Strelitzia- initial speculation on the appearance of Strelitzia in Lauriam’s dream. Inconclusive. 

**KHUX- Three Prong Speculation -- A compilation theory analyzing the connection between 1. MoM as the Author of Fate 2. Ava as the Traitor  and 3. Ven as a tool of Darkness. It’s the attempt to see how they interact. 

A Breakdown of khux update: Something Received--(circa November 2019) initial theorizing. Supporting Ava as the Traitor.

“Conviction” speculation- initial musings on Brain’s flashback of Ava giving him the BoP and her cryptic double meaning.

“Frail Defense of Ava”-- slight musings on the rose-tinted glasses the Union Leaders have of Ava. 

***“A Case in Stubborn Belief”-- Breaking down the three main theories I support in light of the murderer reveal. I won’t let these ideas die folks. (circa October 2020)

Dark Road Analysis

Chapter 1 analysis and additional thoughts: Musings on the World building presented in Dark Road’s chapter 1 as well as a meta-theory tie in to the idea of ‘Maturing Worlds”

Xehanort is self-aware: A discussion on the possibility that Xehanort’s reason for existence revealed to him by MoM’s World Tour was that he was created to be the villain.

Scala’s World and the proof of a realm of singularity: Answering an ask about Scala’s cultural fall which then spirals into why the Scala towns are empty. tl:dr--> All timelines converge onto Scala.

The Connection between Xehanort and the Player: Taking my initial analysis a step further and evaluating how Xehanort’s villainy and the Player’s PoV are means for the story to function and revolve around. Therefore their seeming connection is a literal torch passing as ‘primary driver of the story/heart’

Post KHUX Finale

Two KHUX fates?: Your girl is wrong so I’m trying to figure out how to be right with Worldlines and alternate endings. But actually I’m pondering questions like the missing X-blade from khux and the Lights of the Past cutscene not fitting with Ephemer’s fate.

Other:

Not a theory but I write a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction essentially drawing from these ideas known as “IV[or]y Wall”. It started as my attempt to prove that a meta-narrative wasn’t as crazy as it sounded which then became a dumping ground for how I could reveal it and other theories into a narrative. I really slave away at this story and I would appreciate you giving it a read and maybe a comment if you’re so moved. I post updates here when I release a chapter and there are more than a few story reveals you won’t see in this masterlist. Find the first chapter here on Ao3. 

Will update as I come up with these things. Enjoy! (update 1/17/22)

[kitsoa]

A Case In Stubborn Belief

I don’t feel like I’ve reassessed my theories properly since things started going to hell in khux. The benefit to this torturous slog of releases is it allows me to adjust my mindset and theories in real time so as to have a healthy theorist mindset. In other words I use the time between releases to justify my theories and dig my heels in. Hahaaa-- so like, let me preface this by saying that there is plenty of reason to hold onto seemingly jossed theories and evidence because...

1.) Multiple things can be correct at the same time. 

2.) Red herrings are frequently employed. 

Now. I have, in the past summed up my thoughts in this 3-prong Theory for Khux post which is a little dated but subscribes to three ideas.

The Master of Masters is the Author of Fate

Ava is the Traitor 

Ven harbors a split personality.

And while recent events have definitely had me going to the drawing board. I still kinda believe in all three ideas. Let’s work this out. 

Ven as the Murderer

In my original Split-Personality Theory, I proposed that the Darkness within Ven was suppressed to the point that it gained sentience and acted with a will of its own. As Re:mind supports, Vanitas refers to existing long before their split. 

The primary take away was, regardless of who did the dirty deed of killing Strelitzia, Ventus was innocent because he lacked agency. This is still true. 

Now, it seemed as though this theory was disproven in last months flashback of the murder. Ven is clearly coerced by this physical shadowy Darkness to go to the scene of the crime, from which the Darkness strikes Strel down, orders Ven to pick up the Leader Book aaaand physically takes on the appearance of Ava. 

All interactions with this force suggested that Darkness was an external force simply using Ven as a pawn in the scene. Darkness had to order Ven to pick up the book. Darkness manifested separate to Ven. This isn’t something coming from within Ven, it’s simply grabbing hold of him. 

But then we have to consider the entire context of the scene. Ven was planted in the Leader position by Darkness. Darkness set it up so there was some foundation of legitimacy with Ava being seen with him. It was orchestrated specifically for Ven’s benefit... but to what end? Ven’s a pawn sure, but if the goal is getting a hold of a Union Leader, an external force of Darkness shouldn’t have to go through a very risky murder plot to make room. If the goal is to sow discord among the Leaders then killing someone close and framing one of them is all you need to do. If the goal is BOTH then why Ven? His presumable innocence? Is he just convenient scape goat?

This is where I think this months update comes into play. Darkness, spawns from Ven. Darkness has been hiding inside Ven. Ven is the Trojan Horse. While Ven blames himself for the death of Strel, he asserts that “It’s not me”. Darkness isn’t Ven. But that could be wishful thinking on his part...

That Darkness, no matter how external it behaves, is Ven’s. While not behaving like a split personality in the conventional way, the force is essentially Ven’s darkness given autonomy and sentience while still bound to his heart. That Darkness becomes Vanitas. Same idea different manner of arrival.

Is Darkness Legion?

“You’re finally aware, of us.”

In line with this speculation, this line could be referring to Darkness and Ven in the plural. Vanitas was very fixated on Ven and himself being the same being. I don’t see why Darkness can’t have that same attachment.

But if he’s NOT referring to himself I guess I have to talk about my Author of Fate theory.

This line would then suggest that Darkness is most likely one of those monsters in human form MoM was talking about wayyyy back in Cornerstones of Rebirth. In my Figurative Language post, I use MoM’s potential as a disillusioned author of the entire KH reality as a means to interpret his words more figuratively. 

“Well, if you ask if the darkness they fought was comprised of monsters… maybe so. They looked the same as us, so it’s a bit different from now.”

In my interpretation these beings of Darkness were a summation of the darkness of human nature causing endless conflict. It was MoM’s way of explaining that he is who he is because he’s tired of senseless evil. This is where I think 2 things can be correct at the same time. Darkness can be a manifestation of a pure force of evil similar to the heartless AND be a figurative reflection of MoM’s perspective on humanity. After all, the theory postulates that MoM created everything. It’s a reflection of that “Real Evil” creeping into things.  So is this force which I believe born from Ven a part of some kind of new race of Darkness? Yes and No. Yes because I think MoM’s interpreting a realistic evil through the creatures of the series. Whatever impulses formed Darkness inside Ven, is the same tendencies that MoM witnessed in his youth. No-- because the Darkness by virtue of being in this reality gain a form of autonomy that I don’t think MoM’s story is actually depicting. Literal Monsters in human skin basically detach humanity from the consequences of Evil. And while that’s not the case in reality, Mom’s interpretation paved a way for that to be the case in KH cause he’s the author. 

Got really meta there. In my speculation, MoM is coping with the helplessness of reality. Poor guy. 2020 sucks.

What about Ava?

That’s the question isn’t it? Most of my Ava speculation is based on her behavior leading up to the end of Khx. The suggestions from that line of thought haven’t changed. I mean, nothings really modified the implications of Ava clashing with Luxu and starting the first war. If we take into account that MoM manipulated the Foretellers into their own destruction and Ava potentially discovered this, then her actions would make sense. Even with recent developments we know that Ava took action to defy MoM’s plan by changing who received the BoP. Ava is the Traitor. 

So she is actively trying to circumvent this written fate... and all she succeeded in doing was swapping around a book? Yeah, that’s not enough. 

My original theory speculates that Ava is trying to sabotage the entire Data-Daybreak town because it’s a part of MoM’s plan. And while Luxu’s Secret Report in KH3 has wording that suggest that the Data-Daybreak Town is destined to never have the Keyblade War, meaning that the manner needed to sabotage that is to.... cause the Keyblade War. So the way to ‘save’ her Dandelion’s from being MoM’s play things is to trigger the Keyblade War that they wanted to avoid, all so that she can attempt to remove them from MoM’s clutches (I further speculate this is because she doesn’t understand the extent of MoMs ownership over fate and therefore thinks its possible to defy fate enough to escape him).

So this puts her in the perfect motive to do whatever she can to make sure shit hits the fan and war breaks out. It’s an ironic little reversal cause once again Ava is becoming MoM in order to ‘stop’ MoM and she is really the fool here. This desperation might have her joining forces with some unsavory forces and pushing for some... drastic measures (like permitting murder!). It’s all for the greater good of course and she needs to free them from being in MoM’s creation. 

This is why I still think, Ava is a benefactor/ accomplice to Darkness. I think she ultimately gave it access to the Dandelion ranks and orchestrated a deal that would ensure the escape of some Dandelions (through the Arc business with Maleficent) while also the assured destruction of the Data-Worlds that imprisoned them. This is because of the Darkness’s actions with Maleficent and paving a way out of the Data World which seems counterintuitive to the actions of Darkness through Ven, sowing discord and killing little sisters. Sure there could be more than one with more than one agenda but this can come together if you’re stubborn enough. So yeah. Ava is still in cohorts with Darkness. I really want her to be a well intentioned extremist don’t I? 

---

Anyway. I am not so deluded that I can’t accept my theory being wrong. It’s okay. I’m not like... seriously hung up about it. But, not only do I think these 3 ideas are just insanely compelling, I DO believe that everything is a monthly slow confirmation here. One week seems to destroy an idea and the next resuscitates it. It’s incredible how they don’t just drop every plot twist at once. As someone trying to write a compelling mystery in my KH fic, I am impressed with how this has stretched out over years. 

I’ll let you know when I’ve really given up. Until then, I’ll just start digging my plot on this hill. Read my theory master list while I do that.

[kitsoa]

From reading your theories it got me thinking about MoM's fixation w/Kingdom Hearts (as we've seen in the Yozora ending). If the world the characters currently live in is of the MoM's design. What if he made this story/reality FOR KH? I don't believe he made KH at all. Why would you long for something you made. Chi/Union was originally told as a fairy like tale to Kairi. Even if it was a history lesson it was still told in a way anyone would think it was a made up story. That's kind of a theme-

2 in KH overall when you think about. Things, places and people that are important, special and real are initially presented or accepted as unreal (age of fairy tales. Nobodies. Data worlds/people Ect). The Keyblade Worldline reality could have been created by MoM to get to Kingdom Hearts. That mysterious entity/realm that everyone wants but no one actually really knows fully about. I don't know if it was here or elsewhere but there are theories of MoM wanting to find a way to defeat these-

3 dark inhuman entities he referenced in Union. The way he chose was to create his own story filled w/good vs evil to, as you've stated, find wisdom and understanding of the heart. The one thing needed to open KH and combat those unknown entities. It might be why Y!Xehanort decided his destined actions were nessecary after the MoM revealed to him whatever he did. MoM needs to weed out the weak from the strong. To find someone who can be a 'King' of hearts. Unlike Xehanort who wanted to open-

5 KH himself. MoM needs a champion to do it for him. I think that's where Sora and Yozora come into play. What if Yozora comes from a reality that KH3's reality was loosely based off of. Only the entities are already there and there are no Keyblades. The MoM is using the KH reality to create the nessecary avenues to combat this gradual darkness in Yozora's reality (which does seem quite darker). It's the testing ground to see what kind of reality is most compatible for summoning KH. What kind-

6 person can do it. Sora and Yozora might be the only qualified options MoM has found. Both are a existence that's considered fictional yet real. Sora thought Yozora was a game character and I wouldn't be surprised if Yozora thought the same about Sora. Sora came from a 'fairy tail' reality while Yozora came from a 'reality based on fantasy' reality. Now both are existing on the same plane. Both of them are having weird thoughts if anything is real. These 2 might have always had a understanding-

7 there's something not quite right about what they're experiencing. It's possible Yozora is going to be hugely important to the whole next saga. Even if he doesn't appear too much. Verum Rex means True King after all. Both have been taken from their realms but they've also literally ascended to the heavens. If the MoM has no intention of having them compete for 'King' title of whatever. Then he might see them as lock and key to KH. One w/wisdom of the heart. One w/knowledge of royalty. -

8 Together they make up the nessecary ingredients to open up and use the true KH as intended. Which plays into his designs. But a lot of this is assuming Yozora is similar to Nomura's original idea of Noctis. Yozora and Sora might have this complicated soul brother thing going on due to reality shenanighans. MoM creating the current KH reality possibly pleased him when Sora emerged and proved he was different from the cycle. Sora defied him and was rewarded as Y!Xehanort said. Harsh Reality.

9 Oops sorry forget one thing I think I didn't explain well. In Conclusion. MoM is in another reality. Maybe he created the fairy tail that is Kingdom Hearts to teach others how to better fight the evil he was facing (they say you learned best as a child through stories). Yozora's reality is the place where the true KH can or should be summoned because that's where the dark entities originated. MoM took all knowledge of the Keys to KH reality to hopefully make a King of hearts: tada Sora!

Hmm okay anon. I actually think we are closer to the same page than I initially suspected. So you’re essentially saying this meta-experiment of “Kingdom Hearts” the game and potentially the fictitious “Verum Rex” game are creations of MoM intended on acquiring some supreme concept of the figurative heart. A sort of crafting of a vessel or ruler-- a king-- of this proverbial domain so that he can obtain it via proxy? 

Cause I sort of am thinking along those lines (which means I could have projected in that summation and I’m completely off). My big difference is I kinda look at this as an introspective piece by and for an author. You ask why would a creator covet his creation and I think there’s a lot of reasons why. Think of themes like escapism and the like. Creating your ideal in the midst of reality. An author struggles with never truly acquiring that which they created. It isn’t real. It’s fake. Within the narrative, Kingdom Hearts has been about making real that which isn’t and I think it’s through MoM that such a theme can be applied to our understanding of reality. A theme that essentially speaks of the importance of fantasy. 

MoM in my understanding strikes me as a jaded and desperate creator-- and/or perhaps bored and unimpressed. Creating a swashbuckling adventure with magic and heroes and fun only to find a persisting evil and darkness in the very foundation of his story. Something he would want to vanquish or maybe a force he’s resigned to defeat. It’s a never-ending cycle for every tale and for reality itself. How can his story defeat evil? I refer to my Figurative Language post because I think the manifestation of Darkness in human appearance is more the realization of truly evil people-- figurative monsters in human skin that we may experience in our very real life. Therefore there’s a bit of a child’s coping mechanism at play… but I also get “change reality with fiction” vibes from that. Can fantasy make a difference in his real world? So KH is an experiment toward that. Can the feelings, the essence, the heart of his Kingdom Hearts make a real difference? So he covets that quintessential heart. Sora as the protagonist and the proverbial king of the story is the key to that discovery. 

I steer clear of Yozora in this case because as far as I’m concerned he’s simply a tool being used to indicated the level of fictionality Sora resides with. That is until ReMind gives me some fresh knowledge. (there are too many theories flying around). But considering his relationship with Nomura there is a fine chance that he’s going to be a second strand of thought to this theme. He is the brother creation. A second experiment and/or attempt at attaining this ideal. And as you said, the two kings then must discover who will be MoM’s champion. 

KH is so uniquely poised toward a theme like that because it always talks about hearts connecting and it can be a commentary on how the audience (and the creator) has connected with the heart of Kingdom Hearts-- and all the pros and cons involved in that special, questionably real friendship.