Voices from Heaven (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thespaceopera) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
driftfleet2015-10-20 11:18 am
thespaceopera) wrote in driftfleet2015-10-20 11:18 am
Entry tags:
- !event,
- ahsoka tano,
- coil lenn,
- margaret "peggy" carter,
- nami,
- natasha romanoff,
- nelkeila tarid,
- nyssa al ghul,
- octavia blake,
- one,
- phèdre nó delaunay de montrève,
- r. daneel olivaw,
- rapunzel,
- remy lebeau,
- riku,
- robin redbreast,
- rogue,
- santanico pandemonium,
- shawn hunter,
- sokka,
- stefan salvatore,
- steve rogers (ou),
- steven quartz universe,
- stiles stilinski,
- syeira,
- tadashi hamada,
- tekhetsio,
- the vision,
- vash the stampede,
- vima sunrider,
- wanda maximoff,
- wrath,
- yamanaka ino
...And also these.
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Riku?
[He's hard to mistake, though he looks younger here than Axel recalls. He looks the way he did when he watched him in Castle Oblivion. He ignores the Keyblades for the moment and approaches Riku's still form, reaching out and waving a hand in front of his face.]
Yo. Riku. Anybody in there?
[Is he sleeping? Standing up? Man, that's some dedicated napping, even Axel has to admit. He moves to touch his shoulder, then withdraws, remembering the way Riku flinched the last time he reached for him. Whatever's going on, he doesn't want to startle him (he might kick his ass).
[Turning his attention to the Keyblades instead, Axel just peers quietly at them. He recognizes the Kingdom Key--that's the one Sora used, the one Roxas usually carried. He recognizes Oblivion and Oathkeeper, too--those are the ones Roxas whipped out during their final altercation in the illusory Twilight Town. Way to the Dawn he's sure he's seen before, too--that one's Riku's Keyblade of choice, isn't it? So what's the last one?
[Moving past Riku, he approaches Way to the Dawn, wondering if touching it might wake Riku up. It's worth a try, right? He reaches out hesitantly, the Keyblade spinning slowly before him, but he can't quite bring himself to touch it. He's not a Keyblade wielder, what will happen if he tries to take it? He glances back over his shoulder at Riku, then huffs.
[He's gonna touch it. What's the worst that could happen?]
1/2 (memory)
At least you can fly.
Well, glide. It’s not really flying, you muse—you right yourself and catch a flicker of silver out of the corner of your eye. Once you see him, you head over, coming to a stop before the boiling volcano. Everything’s too dark—but you can vaguely tell his shape. This is the same unknown boy you’ve been seeing all over the place, causing trouble in the dream worlds.
“You waiting for me?” you call, shoulders back. You need to be imposing. The volcano makes you a little nervous (islanders know above all how dangerous volcanoes can be) but you mask it as best as you can.
He’s prompt to answer, at least. “Yes. The boy chosen by the Keyblade--Riku.”
Startled, you flinch slightly. “What?”
Even if he doesn’t smirk, it’s like his voice does, all smugness and pride, like a taunt. “It was yours first, wasn't it? But you succumbed to the darkness you could not control, and your prize--the Keyblade--passed onto Sora instead.”
You grit your teeth, shoulders hunching and hands fisting at your sides. You can’t help it—you stare at your feet, guilt and self-hatred boiling in your chest and stomach like bile. Like lava.
“Your mistakes always end up being other people's problems.” He says, and you might as well hear Xehanort’s Heartless’s laughter as he possesses you all over again.
You can’t let that overcome you. You’re quick, you stamp out your feelings, and you peer back up at him with a stern smile and a victory forced into your eyes. “Maybe so. But I'm here to change all of that.”
It’s a bold claim, to be sure—and you’re not sure if you’re saying it to intimidate him, or if you’re trying to remind yourself of what you’re trying to do to complete this exam. The title of “Master” means nothing to you, after all. Being worthy of the Keyblade, worthy of sharing responsibility with Sora—that’s the true prize.
He almost sighs. “Once again you performed predictably, although on a grander scale than I imagined.”
There’s some anger that festers in your chest, so you tip your chin up. “If you're feeling so chatty, let's skip to where you reveal what this is all about.”
A tense silence falls between both of you. Neither of you wants to back down, but eventually, the unknown boy does.
“I don't know how you did it,” he starts, his voice resigned—but also somewhat impressed. “but you really have found a way to trap darkness inside your heart. And a boy who's immune to darkness is of no use to us.”
You tilt your head. “Well, there's some good news.”
“Your abyss awaits.” The volcano erupts, and you start—smoke and ash pour outward, and the boy disappears. From the black smoke emerges a demon, huge and powerful, and you hunch your shoulders as you ready to fight.
2/2
but probably not in the way he wants.
immediately, riku turns, and there's a blast of darkness from behind him as xehanort's heartless appears. he's more of a ghost than a person, hovering threateningly behind him as he races towards axel.
his eyes are amber. ]
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[He stares down at the hilt of the Keyblade in his grip, and for a moment he's startled. He can hold it? Riku had told him he has a Keyblade of his own, sometime in the apparently not so distant future... is it really true? How else could he hold this one? A Keyblade is tied to the wielder's heart, isn't it? Shouldn't a Keyblade that belongs to someone else vanish from his hand?
[He doesn't really have time to speculate. He feels the blast of darkness, like a ripple of wind before a lightning strike, and he whirls sharply in time to see Riku turn to face him. Over his shoulder, the hulking form of Xehanort's Heartless looms over him like a warped and twisted shadow. But it's Riku's eyes that send the shudder down Axel's spine: they're not that striking green-blue anymore... no, they're the same sallow, tarnished gold color of Xemnas' eyes, of Xigbar's eyes... of Saïx's eyes.]
... Riku?
[He barely gets the name out before Riku lunges at him, and Axel lets out a yelp of surprise, bringing the Keyblade to bear reflexively. He's not sure how much good a borrowed weapon will do him, but he knows he can't beat Riku in a fight.]
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he doesn't stop at just one hit, he keeps on going. two, three, four, five--
it's only then that he pauses. the interesting thing is that the heartless, too, is mimicking his movements.
or... is riku mimicking his? who's really in charge? ]
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[There's a break in the assault, and Axel's arms ache, and he watches the Heartless shift its arms into the same stance as Riku. Is it pulling his strings? It has to be--he knows he gets on Riku's nerves, but Riku would never attack him this way.]
Riku, snap out of it. It's me, it's Axel! I don't want to fight you, don't listen to him! [He adjusts his grip on the Keyblade, hoping desperately that it won't fail him, even in his utter inexperience.] You're stronger than that guy--you beat him once already, you can beat him again!
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[ xehanort's heartless speaks in his typical gravelly tone, and as he shifts in stance, so does riku. it's as if riku can't even hear him. there's a tremor in his arm, but that's all that there is as riku lunges for him again. ]
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Stingy. I wasn't talking to you, anyway! Butt out!
[He holds the Keyblade up awkwardly, but something about it makes him feel a little brave. He squares his shoulders and looks at Riku again, searching those amber eyes for any sign of the Riku he's come to know.]
Riku, come on, I know you're still in there. You're gonna feel really dumb when this is over and you beat me up for no reason.
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his keyblade comes down in a painful, bone-rattling clang. once, twice, three times--
and he knocks it out of axel's grip. ]
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[Of course they don't come, and Riku is still advancing, the strange Keyblade in his hands, the eerie shadow of Xehanort's Heartless arced over his back. Axel tries to call a flame to his hands, to act as a distraction, but his fire won't come, either.]
Oh come on, you have got to be kidding me! [He grits his teeth and gives Riku a frantic look.] Gimme a break, man! I know you--you wouldn't hit a guy with no weapon! I call foul!
[Riku doesn't seem to care about the rules of the engagement at the moment, though, because he lunges forward again, bringing the Keyblade down, and Axel barely dodges. He leaps to the side, tucking himself up and rolling out of the way. Scrabbling back to his feet, he dashes back toward the circle of Keyblades. If he was able to hold one, maybe he can hold another! If his own weapons won't come, then this is the only chance he's got.
[The ethereal pearly white Keyblade is closest to him, and he reaches for it with a grunt, closing his hand around the feathery hilt to pull it from where it spins aimlessly in the light.]
1/2 (memory)
It feels like it’s been months without seeing Kairi’s face.
Once she’s found, you huddle up near where she’s placed, wondering what exactly could be going on. Maleficent said she was in some sort of comatose state—that she would be asleep until they could fix it. To help her, you needed to get stronger. You can feel the Darkness fester in your chest like a dull ache, like fire eating away at paper. It makes your head hurt and your breaths shallow.
You figure it’s a little better than being unable to even react, like Kairi.
You look over your shoulder, a little nervous and cautious. Maleficent’s friends seem to have disappeared. Can you even call them friends? Really, Maleficent doesn’t know how to keep company—that Jafar guy was especially creepy.
Even so… you have to keep on your toes. Sora’s already betrayed you, after all—who knows who else will? You don’t trust any of these people any farther than you can throw them, and you can’t throw adults, anyway. All you have left is—
“Kairi?” you ask, your voice quiet and soft, almost like maybe she was playing pretend and just… asleep to make sure she was safe. No such luck. You hesitate, reaching out to touch her shoulder, then to make sure she still has a pulse and is breathing. She’s still alive. She’s just lost in slumber.
For a moment, you’re not sure what to do, standing there listlessly before you clear your throat. “You know—you remember that time Sora got hit in the head?” you ask, your voice laced with pain as a lump grows in your throat, but you force a smile anyway. “He blacked out for ten minutes, and you kept yelling for the teachers. We stayed in the nurse’s office for a half hour, y’remember?”
She’s not opening her eyes, and you hesitantly rock the arm closest to you, just—just once, this is your last time of checking if she’s really asleep…
And you breathe in very slowly, calming the harsh beat of your heart.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” you venture, your chest feeling hot and your eyes stinging. “We were supposed to go together. I wanted you and Sora to come with me, not for us to be separated, but somehow…”
Had you been too hasty?
You shake your head. “Now he’s just leaving us behind.” Your shoulders stiffen, and then you feel aglow with new determination. “If he’s gonna find new friends, then we don’t need him! I’ll find a way to bring you back on my own—who needs Sora, anyway?!”
You do.
You clench your jaw, squeezing your hands into fists before you look around.
You didn’t want to be alone. Sharing this adventure had been the whole point of leaving. Even when you didn’t mean for any of this to happen…
“Maybe my parents were right,” You say, defeated for a few brief moments, all of your adrenaline leaving you. “Maybe I can’t do anything right, but… no matter what happens, I’ll protect you, Kairi.” You have to. She doesn’t have anyone else, and neither do you.
2/2
as soon as he can, he comes down on axel again, ready to thrust right against his chest. ]
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[He doesn't really have time to contemplate this. He gasps sharply as Riku thrusts the Keyblade toward him, and he staggers backward, barely avoiding impalement. He's fought Riku before, he knows how he moves, but this... is wrong. He knows Riku's stance--his Keyblade in his right hand, drawn back, and his left hand extended forward, almost as if beckoning his opponent to strike. He's not fighting like himself at all!
[Fantastic. Axel can't beat Riku when he is fighting like himself! How's he supposed to fight him when he's being completely unpredictable?
[Snapping the pearly white Keyblade up, he knocks Riku's blade aside, swinging it around to try and pin the weapon against the floor.]
Riku, stop! I'm your friend, remember? [He stumbles as Riku breaks free of the pin, and it's all he can do to bring Oathkeeper to bear to block the next strike. As the blades crash together, Axel bears his teeth and looks at him over the crossed weapons.] I know this isn't you! I won't attack you!
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for a moment or two, it's almost as if he considered axel's words--at least before his hand reaches up and flexes. it's back in his grip in a second.
axel blocks, and riku presses on him again, trying to give weight to his strikes now. almost idly, xehanort's heartless speaks again: ]
He belongs to me.
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[The words come out before Axel even really thinks about it, and he surprises himself a little. Since when does he actually care so much, anyway? He realizes belatedly that he hasn't just been trying to defend himself this whole time, he's been trying to bring Riku back. He doesn't want to see him this way!
[He knows he's still in there. He was almost there, for just a second. He can't just leave him like this. Whatever this place is, whatever he's being shown these memories for, it's all got to mean something, right? He meant what he said: Riku is his friend, and somewhere in the back of Axel's mind, there's an echo of a voice that sounds oddly like his own.
['Go on, you just keep running, but I'll always be there to bring you back!'
[His grip on the Keyblade tightens, and he takes a step back to bear the impact of another heavy strike. He's hitting harder now--maybe he pissed him off. Axel glares at the Heartless where it looms over Riku's back.]
Haven't you screwed up enough? He isn't yours--give him back!
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he only makes it to three strikes before riku just--freezes.
he's tense and pulled taut like a string on a bow, face contorted in frustration and pain.
although riku can't say anything, it's an obvious opening for axel to run or strike. ]
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[Ugh, he's really too soft for his own good.
[He shifts his grip and braces for the next hit, then hesitates when it doesn't come. Riku's frozen in place, poised to strike, his face twisted up in unmistakable pain. Is he... holding Xehanort off?
[Axel's first impulse is to run. He's always favored flight over fight, and this is a fight he knows he can't win. But his feet won't move. His head is screaming at him to get out of there before Xehanort takes over again and Riku just smears him into the glass, but he can't do it. He can't just abandon him and run away.
[That isn't what he's about anymore.
[Besides, he knows Riku would never turn tail and run if he were the one in trouble.
[Riku's body quakes--no doubt Xehanort trying to regain the upper hand--and that's when Axel sees it: a string, thin and clear, pulled taut like fishing line, running from Riku's wrist up to the Heartless' thick hand. As he looks closer, he realizes there's dozens of them, threaded between them like a spider's web, pulling every muscle in Riku's body and contorting it however Xehanort wished.
[Suddenly Axel knows what he has to do.
[Before he loses his opening, he shifts his weight and pivots on one foot, twisting and bringing the Keyblade down to his side. He's not confident enough with a blade to take this swing down--what if he misses and chops off Riku's hand?--so instead, he slides back and flings the Keyblade up and across, aiming for the space between Riku's back and the Heartless controlling him. Hey, if there's one thing Axel knows how to do, it's throw a weapon.
[He's not sure if it'll get all the strings, but maybe it'll get enough of them that Riku can regain control. He sure hopes so, because if it's not... he just threw his weapon away.]
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it nicks around five strings. definitely not all of them. even so, just those strings cause a chain reaction. riku's tense, strained stature suddenly falls away as xehanort's heartless scowls and disappears in a puff of smoke. riku himself just falls to the ground, collapsed and breathing hard, his eyes glassy. ]
I can... barely... breathe...
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[His eyes widen then as Riku's contorted posture breaks, the Heartless vanishing in a shimmer of smoke. Riku collapses to the glass floor below, gasping for breath, and Axel exhales, letting the tension sag out of his shoulders. It was a long shot, but it worked, and he's a little surprised by just how relieved he is.
[He takes to a knee in front of Riku, reaching for his shoulder and then recoiling. Instead, he offers his hand, palm up.]
Easy, champ. Are you okay? You... [He hesitates, then averts his eyes a moment.] You had me a little worried, for a minute there.
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riku just stares at him, still breathing hard, before he pushes a hand through his hair, raking his bangs back. he carefully--hesitantly--reaches for his hand and rights himself. his knees are wobbly. ]
I dunno if I'd say I'm okay, but... at least he can't control me now.
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That's good enough for me.
[There's a beat of silence, and then he glances around, frowning.]
So... what is this place, anyway?
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It's my heart. Well--part of it. ... what's left of it, when Xehanort's Heartless took over.
[ the cracks and skid marks look all the more present, now, with the darkness gone. ]
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Your heart? [He rubs the back of his neck.] Love what you've done with the place. Could use some couches, though, I gotta tell ya.
[That's right, Axel, crack jokes so he won't know how uncomfortable this makes you.]
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[ he laughs, covering part of his mouth. ]
You're so transparent, it's kinda funny.
[ a silver chain drops around axel's neck now, three stars twinkling and light. a lilac door appears behind him, shimmering to life, and cracks open slightly. ]
Looks like you're done here.
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[He gives a start when a chain falls around his neck, his arms going rigid at his sides.]
Where in the hell did that come from? [He's so unnerved right now. He glances over his shoulder at the door, then looks back at Riku. He frowns a little.] Guess so. [He takes a step toward the door, then hesitates.] You... you'll be okay, right? I mean... far be it from me to overstay my welcome, but I don't wanna just bail on ya.
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1/2
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