asgardchrysalis | Bound by chains of memory

Entry tags:

kingdom hearts - sora

Bound by chains of memory

Who: Sora & open
What: Memory plot/event.
When: late in the month of February
Where: around Asgard
Warnings: cute bitties Sora and Riku, sparring and hurting each other I guess. Sora stabbing himself at Hollow Bastion and becoming a Heartless are I guess the biggest ones here at the moment.

a: Destiny Islands; BBS Era

[Sora is about four, Riku a year older at five and as always, thus taller, bigger, stronger and faster. Not that this stops Sora from trying, as they play together on their play Island back at Destiny Islands. They're on the beach, going at each other with wooden swords. Sora does his best in attacking, though Riku blocks, and then it's Sora's turn on the defense. He's not as strong, but he definitely seems to be coming into his own the more they practice over the years. As he gets more experience, gets to know how Riku fights. And his own style starts to form.

He gets knocked back though, this time, whimpering and clumsily wiping at his bleeding nose. Of course playing like this it is inevitable one of them get hurt. The memory fades then, being short as it is.]

b: Destiny Islands; Older.

[Riku and Sora are older this time, a year or so younger than currently at Asgard. They're now joined by a girl with red hair at the Paopu Island, usually Riku's spot, as they all sit or stand against the tree, talking about their desire to leave, see what else is out there and what they might find when they finish their raft.]

c: Destruction of Destiny Islands

[Sora finds Riku, in the midst of the Heartless taking over their home. Riku talks about how this is their chance to leave, how they might never see their parents again but this was a chance they had to take. He says how Kairi is coming with them, something about a door being opened. Sora seems less sure, but does try to reach for Riku when Darkness starts to consume them.]

Riku....?!

d: Hollow Bastion; Freeing Kairi's Heart

[Sora defeats the possessed Riku, still unable to unlock the Keyhole there in Hollow Bastion. He needs to free Kairi's heart from his own, hers having taken refuge there in the middle of the destruction of their home, Destiny Islands. He uses the Keyblade Riku had that he'd claimed unlocked hearts, stabbing himself in the chest in order to free her heart and return her to herself again. The last thing he hears is Donald and Goofy calling his name, before he seems to disappear. He feels himself falling into Darkness.

At the cost of Sora himself becoming a Shadow Heartless, wandering the castle until he finds her again and she returns him to normal.]

e: Traverse Town; Reuniting with Riku for the first time since leaving home

[Sora's kind of ecstatic to have Riku back, all but pouncing and putting his fingers in Riku's mouth as if to reassure himself the other is really there. They talk about how they need to find Kairi still and how Sora has a new weapon - the Keyblade. Sora invites Riku to come with him, Donald and Goofy with the Gummi Ship but Riku wanders off on him.]

f: Sora meets Donald and Goofy

[Sora is running around minding his own business when the duck and dog just. Literally fall on top of him. And then they have to fight a huge armored Heartless. Because nothing forges a friendship like that, right? Even if Donald and Goofy are initially more in it for the Keyblade, since King Mickey told them to find the one wielding it.]

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[ Even after the false memory has already served its purpose and been discarded, Naminé recalls nearly its every detail. Of course she would, since it was she who placed each one there in the first place. The dark, starlit sky of Sora's home is the same as always, the passing light of the meteor shower vibrant against the evening. The air is balmy and comfortable, the sand warm from the now-past day and from the two children sitting close together. When Sora experiences it, he'll even find that the weight and texture of the toy wooden sword are right.

Though it never happened, though Naminé has never been the tiny blonde child that Sora will see at his younger self's side, it feels just as real as any other recollection. ]

[Sora's tiny. He can tell that from the weight, the size of the sword he has. How big it is in his hand as he waves it, proclaiming he would protect her. As if she seems scared of the meteors flying through the sky like shooting stars.

Only, some part of him is confused? Because....she wasn't with him back then? He doesn't ever actually recall her on the Island? So how could this be, that she was with him that night of the meteor shower, before they found Kairi that morning?

So of course he shakes his head, a hand to his forehead as he frowns, heading to seek out Namine.]

[ For once, Naminé is blissfully oblivious of what's going on. No errant memory has crossed her own mind, nor has she yet heard of anything similar happening to anyone else. As far as she knows, it's nothing more than your average day in the city, and after the whole word debacle, that's something Naminé sorely needs.

So he'll find her in the library, at one of the tables she's taken to frequenting both for reading and for drawing. She's absorbed in doing the latter - sketching something that looks suspiciously like a part of Asgard's castle - when he does, and as such doesn't realize he's there.

If he wants to give any thought to what he'll say and hasn't already, now might be the time. Who knows when she'll look up? ]

[He's hesitant to disturb, even when he does find her. Especially when she seems to be engrossed in her drawing. At the same time though, he knows this seems important. So after a moment, he brings a hand to her shoulder, making to sit next to her. He bites his lip briefly before saying her name in getting her attention. As if his gloved hand at her shoulder wouldn't do that already.]

I...I kinda wanted to talk to you about something, if that's okay?

[How does one even figure this? Questioning a friend and saying he doesn't really remember being with them forever ago as kids? But he's sure he does remember the meteor shower around that time, when he found Kairi or around then. ]

[ Although Naminé's aware someone is nearby, she's too involved in her work to realize who. That's quickly remedied the moment his hand touches her shoulder; it jumps under his palm, her head turning swiftly enough to set the fringe of her hair swinging slightly. Her eyes are round, yet they ease with recognition as she takes in the sight of him.

Part of her is always glad to have the chance to see him, regardless of the situation; to know without any doubt that he's still here. But from the instant she looks at him now, she's keenly aware that something's amiss. Her mouth begins to form a smile, only to have it fall away just as immediately, her expression growing uncertain as he speaks. ]

… Of course, Sora. [ She responds half a beat late, lips pressing together as she glances down toward her workspace. Carefully reaching to brush a few papers and some pencils out of the area in front of him on the table, she uses the brief respite to try to calm her suddenly noticeable heartbeat. What could possibly have him so hesitant? Once the space is clear, she folds her hands on her lap, one curling more tightly around the other than is wholly necessary as she looks back up at him. ]

What-- is it that you need to talk to me about?

[It's a lot. He's just....confused. And figures the best option is to talk to her about it directly. Not being aware of the reason he doesn't think he remembers this before. Sora apologizes when she jumps, before he sits and fidgets a bit with his own gloved hands. Unsure how to figure saying, asking about this.]

I just....I think I remembered something but I'm not sure what to make of it? It was that night, the meteor shower. When I was about four. You were with me and I said I'd protect you? I just....don't otherwise remember you being at the Islands is all?

[If anyone would be able to explain though, it's be her. He just has no idea how this might worry her, that he isn't supposed to have those memories anymore since he woke up.]

[ Worry builds up a tight knot in her chest as she watches him fidget. It isn't often that she sees him hesitant, and it feels a little surreal to experience that now. What could it be that's bothering him? There are too many options for her to count or even make sense of, and so she doesn't quite know where to start her fretting. When the answer finally reaches her ears, she's... unprepared. ]

What? [ The intensity of the word doesn't raise its volume, even as she looks at him aghast. Her skin goes pale in an instant despite how quickly she shuts her mouth. ] Sora--

[ It's not hard to tell how unsettled she is, curling a hand against her lips as she attempts to reorient her thoughts away from her surprise and toward managing the situation. Her eyebrows draw down as she frowns, hand falling away. When she speaks again her voice is more hushed than before, and it's not because they're in a library. Leaning forward slightly, ]

Why did you remember that? [ That's the real question here, but not one he can answer. Quickly she amends it, rephrases so that it's something he can actually help with. ] What made you think of the memory?

I don't know why. I just....remembered it? I figured I should come ask you about it.

[He gives a shrug, because of course he would feel bad for forgetting, if she really was on the Islands but nothing he recalls thus far tells him she was ever there. That's why it confuses him, having this memory contradict that. Which is why he came to her to figure this out. He figured she would know, she would be able to tell him. Probably, if anyone here could.]

I dunno, like I said I don't otherwise remember you being at the Islands?

[ Internally, Naminé's halfway to tearing her hair out from stress, but the only outward sign of it is the urgent flicker of her eyes between each one of his, as though if she stares at him hard enough she'll manage to glean the answers that way. Yet he doesn't have any to provide her with and she doesn't have the means to find her own, so before she's aware of it she's already beginning to say one of the few things she is certain of. ]

Because I wasn't--

[ Because she wasn't there. Except she catches herself before the sentence sounds like it's finished, her mouth pressing closed against it. Frowning, she turns her face away from him, trying her best to make sense of all the whirling thoughts in her head. Her eyes seek something else, anything else - and it's then that she remembers where they are. Somehow the silence of this place makes her feel all the more exposed, and after a moment she looks back at him, expression serious. ]

I don't... know why it is that you remembered what you did, but-- I'll try to explain what I can. Just-- just not here.

[ It's not even as though anyone else would be able to make sense of the situation, or as if they'd have any nefarious use for the information, and yet her guilty conscience demands privacy all the same. ]

Somewhere we can be alone.

You weren't what? Or -- ah, sure. We can go to my housing, my room. Or yours. Whichever works out.

[The library was quiet. It would be easier for others to overhear them here. Not that Sora is sure on why this seems like a more private matter, given he's oblivious to all that happened back then with Castle Oblivion and her rearranging his memories and all.

He'll give a nod in then heading somewhere else, giving her time to gather what she wants to have issued or put back on the shelves before leaving.]

Yours is-- fine.

[ Perhaps she'd give more thought to which is closer or which is safer if she weren't so preoccupied - not to mention take more care to actually deal with that first question of his. No sooner has she stood up than she begins collecting her supplies and the small number of books, then goes to place them where they ought to be with a soft, ]

I don't need to take these.

[ to excuse her movements. Her hands don't feel as steady as they ought to, her nerves thrumming with anticipation and worry even once she completes her task and returns to where he's waiting, finally giving him a nod back to signal that they can leave. ]

Alright then. Let's go to Heimdall.

[He agrees, giving a nod and gesturing for her to follow when she's ready. She seems to want to wait till they have more privacy, so he doesn't ask about the memory on the way there, simply leading the way and letting her choose if she wants to wait to talk about it. For now, on the way there, he decides to try keep things lighter.]

So, were you working on another drawing there?

[ The girl walks along at his side with her head slightly bowed, a troubled frown on her face as she tries to make sense of all of this in her own mind. The pathway before them provides her with no assistance, but it doesn't quite occur to her to lift her eyes from it, preoccupied as she is.

It's only when he speaks that she finally glances up, blinking at him owlishly. ]

Huh? [ It's not hard to tell from her blank expression that she doesn't even register the question at first. ] A drawing?

[ But it clicks soon enough, and she tucks her chin with a soft, ]

Oh. You mean that drawing. [ She swallows, making a conscious effort to relax her features. It's largely unsuccessful. ] Yes, I... I've started a few today.

[ Back before she realized it was going to be one of those strange occasions. ]

Yeah. What were you working on?

[May as well chat a little in asking about it on the way. When they get inside to his room then they could talk about the strange memory he had. So Sora tries at least. Tries in helping distract her for a little bit as they walk. In seeing how distracted and worried she seems to be about this memory for some reason.]

Nothing important.

[ Her tone isn't meant to shut the question down; if anything, she sounds just a little helpless, like she can't quite pull herself out of her own mind. But presently she seems to relent, to recognize her mistake; it probably is better if they chat about something else. Still frowning slightly, she finally lifts her head just a bit higher, refocusing on him as they walk. ]

I just... thought it might be nice to remember the castle. The one we all stayed in for a while, while the snow was falling.

[ Since it probably wouldn't hurt to specify which castle, considering how many of there are in worlds they both know about. ]

It's a really interesting place. A little strange, maybe, but...

[ Beautiful in its own way. ]

Hm? Oh, that place! Yeah, that sure was something.....

[Sora himself had gone out in that blizzard so he wasn't quite himself the whole time they were staying there, but still. It had been interesting to get to stay there for a bit. And given she had spent time with the Organization and all, she was probably interested and more used to the larger living spaces in comparison to what he was used to on the Islands with smaller housing with fewer people in each. Or so he assumes.

At least, the walk back to the housing isn't too long and they are quick to make it to his room and he sits on the bed, gesturing for her to either join him or sit on a chair.]

Mm.

[ Her noise of agreement is firm yet noncommittal. By the time they reach his House, she's grown quiet again. Heartbeat picking up anew as they step into his room, she pauses a moment before electing to take the chair. As she sits down, though, and glances up at him across from her, she's reminded rather unpleasantly of previous experiences she never enjoys reliving. She instinctively put distance between them, didn't she? She feels an odd rush of shame, yet she still folds her hands on top of her lap to restrain herself from going back on her decision. ]

Sora...

[ There's less of a rift between explaining and doing damage control than it seems like there should be. She can hardly know what she ought to tell him without understanding his condition, and so when she lifts her eyes to regard him, she inspects him carefully as she asks, ]

Is there anything else that you've remembered? Anything that you didn't recall before?

Anything else? Aside from being with you with the meteor shower? Not yet. You think I'll remember more? I didn't remember you being on the Islands before.....

[He sits, gesturing for her to join him in taking a seat wherever she wants. He himself is evidently unsure on this, as he rubs a hand at the back of his neck, giving a shrug. His gaze is lowered a bit before he glances back to her where she sits on the chair. He's still trying to make sense of this. He has no other memories of her being on the Islands. So why is he suddenly remembering this single moment?]

I-- I don't know.

[ It frightens her to have to say that, especially because it's the truth. Without her powers, she's nearly as lost as he is. This is the first time in a long time that she's felt the loss of her natural abilities so keenly, and it unnerves her. Letting out a breath to try to steady herself, she turns her frown toward the ground, hands tightening around each other. ]

It's strange enough that you have a new memory so suddenly. You shouldn't...

[ Oh, there's no way to say it that sounds right, is there? Her frown grows ever more pronounced as she struggles with herself, with her worry, her uncertainty, with the words themselves. Then, a bit more of the truth; ]

You shouldn't be able to remember that at all.

Huh? How do you mean I shouldn't remember it?

[Because he was too young? He was four. Just barely old enough to remember, at that age. Or there abouts. In terms of first memories anyone older might actually properly be able to recall. He tilts his head in confusion when she says he shouldn't be able to remember it. So what did she mean by that? As if something or someone had stopped him remembering? Or she assumed he didn't remember because of how young he was back then?]

[ His age at the supposed time of the memory would make for a reasonable enough excuse. Still, Naminé doesn't think to seize the opportunity, doesn't have it in her to lie to him even in a small way. Frowning, she displays on her face without meaning to a certain amount of her internal struggle. ]

I mean... that it never really happened.

[ That's the short version, anyway. There's more to it, it seems, judging by the way she studies him as she says it. Oh, it hurts not to tell him the whole story - but not as much as she's afraid it might hurt if she did tell. The shake of head is small, firm through her overall hesitance. ]

I've never even been to the Islands. Not as a child, or-- any other time.

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