#and if sora chooses to let darkness into his heart to save others it’d also parallel kh1 w riku choosing to open the door/let the darkness | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

oveliagirlhaditright · 4 years

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For @palizinhas‘s birthday. I finished the “epic” RiKai story I started working on for you last year, after all! I hope you enjoy! Oh! And it’s also SoRiKai, because that’s the only way I could get it to work for KHIII.

Changing the Curtain

Riku’s PoV

Riku had only gone to give Kairi her new outfit--he hadn't planned on staying in the Enchanted Forest long--but Kairi was too fast at changing... and apparently cutting her hair. So Riku saw her in her new look, that sent his heart sputtering despite itself. It was just that--even though she was clearly hanging onto some of her girly-ness--as she reached back to her tomboy side, in order to better fight, she was again acting like the girl he'd once been in love with. And Riku didn't know what to do with that, since he'd tried to move on from Kairi for his friends' sakes.

But at the same time… Sora had so much on his plate—and could be such an airhead sometimes—that Riku doubted his best friend would complement Kairi on her look… or anyone, for that matter.

Certainly not Lea, since he still walked on eggshells around her, and her teachers surely wouldn’t, nor any of the other guys.

So Riku did… He stammered it, of course, and tried to play it off that he just liked her hair short—to which Kairi giggled—but he still managed to tell Kairi he thought she looked cute without dying inside… and with most of his dignity still intact.

And when Kairi smiled at him—telling him that she liked his new hair better, too—and handed him a flower in thanks, he knew it had been worth it.

… The trio had decided to go back home before the War, and they were about to do so now. And Sora—as besotted to Kairi as he always was—had gone to put Kairi's luggage in the gummi ship for her. And everyone else was leaving to do their own thing... Even Master Yen Sid had mysteriously vanished... So Riku took the chance to talk to Kairi in a way he really hadn't since right before her training had started, because even their last conversation had been very few words. And so Riku meant to fix that now. "Kairi," Riku said, as he placed a hand on her shoulder to halt her progression down the stairs, and gently turned her to face him. "You’re doing a great job with training… but I think your jumps would be better, if you didn’t always change what foot you leap on. Do you think about what you’re doing before you do it, or-“

“I’m actually letting that part come naturally, since so much of it… isn’t. But I don’t know, do you think I should choose a foot and try to use that one before I fly?”

‘Fly?’ Riku wanted to ask. None of them were flying… unless you counted Sora the few times that he could still call upon what he’d learned from Neverland. But then Riku realized Kairi had used “fly” to mean “jump”. She just hadn’t said that—or “leap”—because he just had. And as a writer, Kairi was nothing if not a wordsmith. Riku winked at his best friend to let her know that he’d caught on to what she was doing, and that that would probably be for the best, yeah.

”Thanks- thanks for the advice, Riku. I feel most everyone else is afraid to give it to me, for some reason. But I know I can count on you! …Well, shall we go now Riku?" Kairi asked the last, as she took Riku's arm in her own and began walking down the stairs again. And yes, his breath might have stupidly hitched in his throat.

Then Riku couldn't help but to pat her head once, as he said: "Let's." And then they were soon heading out the door, going outside, and then helping a falling Sora get his and Kairi’s suitcases into the ship.

…

When they were on Destiny Islands, and about to visit their parents before the big battle--Sora had already gone to see his mom and dad; but as Riku and Kairi lived further away, and closer together, they were still waiting to have their goodbyes, themselves—Kairi asked Riku a question: "You seem to really have something on your mind... Can I help with it?"

And Riku doubted that she could with part of it, since… despite himself, he was starting to fall in love with her again—even though he did want her with Sora; he did—and he didn’t know what to do with it… and of course she wouldn’t, since her eyes had always been for Sora. But he imagined she could at least help with the other thing.

“So, Kairi… this is going to sound crazy… but you know my Riku Replica that I told you about? I, uhh, sort of found him when I was in the Realm of Darkness. And I guess he assimilated with me there? I don’t know… But I want him to be able to become his own person, too… But I also don’t want to force it on him, since it’s his choice in the end. But…”

Kairi was at her house now—exactly where she’d wanted to be before she went into a fight that all could easily kill her or any of them, Riku knew; Kairi had actually been the first one of them who’d suggested they tell their ‘rents something now—so he had to appreciate that even with that, she had paused outside of it and was giving him all of her time and attention right now.

“That is touchy, Riku. And I don’t know if I have the best answer for it… But I agree that he deserves to be his own person. And I’m sure Sora would, too. But you’re right, that it’s his choice in the end… I guess, if it comes down to it, give him time… Let him stay with you now, if he wants to be, but allow him to change his preference like I know Roxas and even Naminé are. Does that answer your question?”

And it did. It certainly did. But at the same time, Riku was impatient and wondered if there was still more he might be able to. “It does, Kairi… But I still think I’m going to take a moment by myself to see if I can come up with anything else.”

The smile Kairi was wearing before this, as she’d tried to help—and surely been ecstatic that she could—faltered just a little here, before it returned. “Okay, Riku. But come and visit with Sora and I soon. We- we always miss you when you’re gone.”

…

When Kairi and Sora shared the paopu fruits, he at first felt nothing. And not in a numb sort of way or an--I can't believe you'd do this to me--kind of one. Because this was what he'd expected for a long time--what he wanted for them, even--but after a while, it hurt. Yeah. For Kairi, who Riku was starting to get feelings for again. And perhaps for even Sora himself. Truthfully? Riku had had some feelings for him for a while. But when the Tornado of Heartless tore Kairi away from Sora; from them--and Sora reacted like that, as the army of Shadows then longed for Sora’s heart--Riku would feel awfulfor having again been jealous of what those two had. They truly deserved each other; and all the joy they could possibly find, in this tragic life. It wouldn't be until a bit later that Riku would realize he could fit into this life of theirs, too.

...

The first thing Riku was aware of after his death, was Sora in the background of his form--whatever was left of it--as the younger boy seemed to be trying to protect him from something, whilst Riku flickered in and out of consciousness and existence. But he also sensed Kairi, too, even as lost as he was. He could almost see her in Sora's heart... though Riku knew that wasn't quite right. And she seemed to be... praying for Sora to be able to save them all? So when Riku returned back to the Keyblade Graveyard--back to the land of the living--he knew those two would be okay, but still waited anxiously for their return. And Riku smiled at Kairi's newfound strength, as she was the one to steady Sora as they approached everyone. ... When Riku first heard that Kairi had been kidnapped by Xemnas, he'd been terrified for her. He'd stopped in his actions, and sent a concerned look Sora's way--internally begging his best friend to better fill him on the details, but Sora didn't. Too much had already begun to happen again. But the nightmare had continued, when Master Xehanort had summoned an unconscious Kairi--the bastard not even giving her a fighting chance!--and killed her before everyone's eyes, but especially Sora's. And then Riku was in shock, and transported back to what he'd felt when he'd had to lug Kairi's unconscious body around for a year. But this was so much worse than that, by a mile! And Riku fought back tears: not because Kairi didn't deserve them from him, but because he wouldn't give Xehanort the satisfaction to reacting to his sadistic show, like he surely wanted them to. The shock was the main reason Riku didn't react to attack Xehanort right away. But also, because he didn't want to mess up what Sora would do to Xehanort, if it'd work. But it didn't. And Riku lunged at the old geezer, himself--screaming the man’s name in red, hot anger: a ferocity he hadn't felt since he'd been so lost in the darkness in Castle Oblivion or when Saïx had Kairi--and that didn't work, either.

So, for the rest of the battle against the Thirteen Darknesses, Riku knew he had to focus on the world--like Kairi would have wanted him to--but in the back of his mind, he said the mantra "find a way to save Kairi. Find a way to save Kairi", over and over again: hoping that by thinking it so much, his wish would haveto come true. And wishing was part of the reason Riku didn't go with Sora to try and find Kairi, even though he wanted to do that more than anything else in the world. He told himself that since Sora hadn't been able to defeat Xehanort for Kairi by himself last time, the answer, then--in recompense for that--was that Sora alone would do what they hadn't figured out yet, and bring Kairi back. Because surely the multiverse couldn't be too cruel to Sora. Right? ... Right now? Riku was sitting with Kairi on the dock--after Sora had disappeared before their very eyes--and holding her in his arms (hoping to offer her some sort of comfort in this dark hour), as she rested away her head on his shoulder and looked out towards the horizon with lifeless eyes. And Riku wasn't too far from doing that himself. "Kairi, I'm so sorry," Riku said now, as he rubbed her arm and went over all the things he could have done differently in his head. "But I swear to you, we're going to-" But Kairi, amazingly, silenced Riku with a wink this time, and finger to his lips. "No, Riku... let me apologize to you. I- I want you to know I'm in love with you, too. And I think Sora also is... We should have shared paopus with you, too. But... our relationship has been rocky lately, hasn't it?” Riku was going to say something in response—that Kairi was being much too hard on herself, perhaps—but as she seemed lost in a trance now… and like she really needed to get these words off her chest, he just squeezed her shoulder slightly and listened. "We were so close when we were young, but your darkness scared me on our first journey... And I'm so sorry for that. But then on the second adventure, I realized that... more than I worried about the darkness, I missed you. And I showed youthat. And we- we were both so good together there. "I- I have fond memories of walking beside you while Sora was near his new friends,” And Riku smiled at this, because he’d felt the same way. That time in the Castle That Never Was hasn’t sent him reeling with jealousy the way seeing Sora with Donald and Goofy in the Vacant House had… but he’d still felt a little less sure of himself in Sora’s life; so it had felt good to have Kairi to bounce off of, who’d been dealing with some of those emotions herself. “But then you and Sora left again... and I horribly fell into my new, bad habits when it came to you. I can’t apologize enough, Riku… And I'm done waiting for anything to be right anymore. So, the two of us are going to find Sora, and then we'll finally all be together."

The expression Kairi wore now, was much like the serious and smirking one she’d adorned when she’d shown up at Master Yen Sid’s because she wanted to help… but somehow stronger, too. Riku could only hope that maybe he looked like that right now, too.

And the best answer he could give Kairi to this heartfelt speech, Riku found, was to kiss her on the head--the way he had dreamt of while she'd been asleep, near two years ago. But he hadn't dared it then.But now he did, and Kairi leaned into it as their legs tangled.

Then getting up at the same time, and stepping into the water, the two summoned their Keyblades at the same time and made a Corridor of Light towards Sora's location... and held hands as they stepped into it.

#fanfiction #rikai #kaiku #palizinhas #gift #oneshot #canon #au #canon au #my writing #Shanna writes #my work #mine #man I couldn't write this story for a year because I couldn't figure out how to write rikai for khiii. but I went back to it yesterday and #it was so clear to me. funny how that works

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nadziejastar · 5 years

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An old headcanon of mine was that during the experiments Xehanort gave both Isa and Lea Keyblade inheritance ceremonies. To explain Lea's Keyblade and Isa's when he inevitably got one. I figured that if he was intending to turn them into vessels being able to wield would make them more useful in the clash. But for some reason in KH3 the Darknesses didn't have to be wielders but the Lights did.

When King Mickey stopped time, Young Xehanort began to move. Since he can control time, was he breaking the King’s spell?

Young Xehanort wasn’t using his own power at that time. The King’s magic was broken because Master Xehanort was assimilating with Young Xehanort. Only “Recusant Sigil” was added by Organization XIII.

It was when the figures started appearing in the thrones.

Indeed. Time was stopped just as Master Xehanort was materializing. So he moved his consciousness to Young Xehanort’s body. Reacting to this, King Mickey exclaimed, “Oh no. Are you…” Young Xehanort was holding a Keyblade that he originally wasn’t able to handle thanks to Master Xehanort’s power. Though the keychain on it is different, the Keyblade he takes out is Master Xehanort’s.

I see. Young Xehanort himself is still on the Destiny Islands and isn’t able to wield a Keyblade yet.

Right. Even when he appeared as an additional boss in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, he wasn’t using a Keyblade.

Ya know, you raise a good point. But I’m not sure Xehanort would have even needed to perform an inheritance ceremony on his vessels. I think they automatically gain the ability to wield once they share a heart and consciousness with him. Young Xehanort could wield when Master Xehanort transferred his consciousness into him, even when he couldn’t have ordinarily.

But yeah, I had always figured that if you had a strong enough heart to be one of the Seekers of Darkness, you must have a strong enough heart to wield a Keyblade. I think all members of the New Organization XIII had the potential to wield, which is why they were able to be turned into vessels in the first place. (I’m not counting the reserve members who were only there for plot convenience). After all, Nomura said that only a strong heart is necessary, not whether it’s a good or bad heart. I think Isa definitely had the potential if he really was Subject X originally. The whole idea was that they were the sole subject who didn’t collapse.

Xigbar: Figures. If I had a Keyblade, it’d be different.

Sora: Like you’re actually worthy to use one.

Xigbar: Oh, I am worthy.

Sora: Whaddaya mean?

Xigbar: The old coot promised to bequeath me his. Why else do you think I would ever put up with all his nonsense?

Riku: It’d be wasted on you.

Xigbar: As if.

Larxene and Marluxia actually are Keybade wielders from the ancient past (though I personally doubt that was always their backstory). They had something that made them special to Xehanort, along with Luxord. I don’t think Xigbar’s words after he was defeated were originally supposed to have anything to do with Luxu. I think Braig truly knew that he had the potential.

Xigbar: All this altruism is giving me the warm and fuzzies. So the, does having a heart of light come with an extremely good insurance policy?

Sora: Just say what you mean.

Xigbar: Oh, but I did though. No good will ever come from putting other people first.

Herc: I was able to save Meg’s life because I was ready to risk my own.

Xibar: Because you’ve got friends in high places, you mean. Tricks like that don’t fly for your average joe.

Sora: What do you know? You weren’t even there! If you were, you’d admire Herc’s courage.

Xigbar: I don’t admire one guy leaping into danger if it means someone else might have to jump in to save him. You’re all just lining up to lose out. Dooming others to take the fall with ya. Oh, and you can spare me the usual party line. Yes, hearts are powerful when they’re connected. But if you put to much of that power in one place, some of those hearts might end up breaking. Still, Sora, that doesn’t mean you should change. Accept the power you’re given. Find the hearts joined to yours.

It’s the only reason why Braig even stuck around Xehanort, before he got retconned into Luxu. He just needed someone to perform the inheritance rite on him. That’s what his original deal with Xehanort was all about. I think Braig had a strong heart. He was able to retain a sense of self, even as a vessel.

I wonder if he was talking about T/A/V here. I think there was an important reason that Xigbar saw Xion’s face as Ventus. He is connected to Sora, has a heart of light, and is one of the hearts joined to Sora’s. Also after Olympus, Ven’s heart is stirred to save Aqua. She sacrificed herself for Terra.

Sora: I know the Keyblade didn’t choose me, and I don’t care. I’m proud to be a small part of something bigger–the people it did choose. My friends. They are my power!

Xigbar: Those are just words. You’ve lost. Fine. See where your power gets you here. Xemnas! He’s all yours.

Maybe that’s why Xigbar was so rattled by what Sora said here. Braig kinda sold his soul to the devil for power. But Sora was able to gain the ability to wield without having the inheritance ceremony performed on him. It made him feel like he took the dark path for nothing. I think Braig struggled the entire time with feelings of guilt over what he did. Terra, Aqua, and Ven were the first people he actually harmed. So, it makes sense he’d be haunted by Ven’s death glare and kill himself in the end.

Xemnas: However–through weakness of body…weakness of will…or weakness of trust–most of the original members we had chosen for the Organization were inadequate. Thus, naturally, they never had a chance to attain their goal. Yet, even this was to be expected.

Axel didn’t seem to be desirable as a vessel for whatever reason. He wasn’t retrieved like Isa and the others were. It just seemed like Xehanort never took a particular interest in him that way, like he did with Isa. Maybe Demyx, Xaldin, Zexion, Vexen, and Lexaeus didn’t have strong enough hearts in Xemnas’ view. I think Axel was a different case, though. He wasn’t defeated by Sora. He sacrificed himself for Sora. That puts him in a unique position regarding how Xemnas viewed him. And I think Xemnas always viewed Axel differently from the others. Lea had a very strong heart and was very strong mentally. I think Xemnas must have known that. Despite his lack of trust, he was kept around, unlike all the other traitors.

Xemnas: A heart is never lost for good. There may have been variances in our dispositions, but a number of us unquestionably showed signs of a burgeoning replacement. Once born, the heart can also be nurtured. Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind, and convince it to renounce its sense of self. But understand, one can banish the heart from the body, but the body will try to replace it the first chance it gets, for as many times as it takes. And so I knew, even after we were divided into Heartless and Nobodies, it was just a temporary separation.

Xemnas was obviously talking about Axel here. He would definitely be the one that would first come to mind with the burgeoning replacement. I think Axel’s arc was entirely based on this idea. He lost his heart, and his relationship with Roxas and Xion was literally filling a huge void. So, Xemnas knew that Axel had a heart and maybe this is why he wasn’t ideal vessel material. He was too strong-willed and had too much sense of self. Vexen, too. I think he had a burgeoning replacement heart. I think Vexen was trying to help Sora before he was eliminated. Being in Castle Oblivion probably brought back memories for him, too. Like how when he was a human he cared about Ienzo more than anything. He felt remorse and tried to warn Sora. But in any case there’s a lot of evidence that Xemnas was fully aware that Axel had a heart.

Saïx: I passed on the message as you so desired. I told the young Sora to keep defeating the Heartless.

Xemnas: Good. Not only have you the power to inflict pain, you also have the power to plant seeds of doubt in one’s receptive heart. Sora will soon begin to doubt himself. It will cause him to hesitate and that hesitation will turn to anger. That anger will fuel him to get rid of his apprehension and move forward. He will pave the way for the future we desire.

Saïx: There’s something I’ve meant to ask.

Xemnas: About Axel? The poor fool. How long will he keep chasing the illusion of friendship, when he himself lacks emotion? Trying so hard to retrieve what he has lost, when it may never have existed in the first place. He deserves nothing more than our pity.

This is a conversation solely between Xemnas and Saïx that was added in KH2FM+. No one else is present. And Xemnas has his hood up, which is kind of a cue for hidden meanings. Not to mention, what purpose did this scene serve if its only meaning was to show that Xemnas thinks Axel is a fool? That’s kind of obvious and doesn’t need its own new scene. Saïx lowered his head when Xemnas said he has the power to plant seeds of doubt in one’s receptive heart. I think Isa’s heart was reacting more now that Axel was gone.

Axel and I talked for a while about the things we can’t bear to lose. Axel thinks that for Nobodies, it’s our pasts, because that’s all we have to remember the pain of losing something.

Another reason I think this scene was about Axel’s relationship with Isa is because Axel was trying to chase an illusion of friendship with him. He was trying so hard to retrieve what he lost, though it never existed in the first place. Saïx is not Isa. Then Roxas and Xion showed up. Even without a heart and emotion (at the time), Axel still longed for friendship. And he chased Roxas so hard after he left because he filled the void of what he lost.

Xaldin: To hold something dear is to let it hold you. His heart is in thrall to it, don’t you see? And that, Roxas, is ample weakness.

Roxas: I’m not sure I follow.

Xaldin: Nor should you. You have no heart to love with. Come. We return.

Xemnas knew that Axel was a great candidate to regrow a heart. And his memories of the past were what he held most dear. I think Xemnas knew what would happen if he was sent to Castle Oblivion. It would awaken his sleeping memories, and nurture his heart. Then he could be used to find Ventus.

Axel: You’re sure things are better this way?

Saïx: I never expected you to question it. If you could save one of them…why would you choose the puppet? Or put it this way. Which would you rather suffer the loss of: some make-believe friendship, or a real one? Things are finally right again. Of course we’re better off this way. Xemnas is exasperated from all the “fixing” we’ve had to do. We have to set things right. There is simply too much on the line…Lea.

My theory is that Xemnas instructed Saïx to have that conversation with Axel.

Axel: But how do you know that? Everybody thinks they’re right…

Xion: This is right.

Axel: They’re gonna destroy you!

Xion: Please don’t hold back, Axel. Promise.

Axel: What’s your problem? You both…think you can do whatever you want. Well, I’m sick of it. Go on, you just keep running. But I’ll always be there to bring you back!

Xemnas was using Axel’s feelings for his own ends. He really was a pawn. Xemnas wanted Xion back because she was preventing Sora from waking up. He really needed her at that point. Saïx knew this. Xemnas knew Axel was already filled with doubt. If Saïx made him doubt even more, then that hesitation would turn to anger. And then he’d be more likely than ever to bring Xion back if she leaves again. It was the same reverse psychology Saïx used on Sora.

Saïx said things are finally right again. And Axel was angry about how everyone thinks they’re right. So, the plan did work. Xemnas was using Axel’s memories of the past and of Isa as a tool to manipulate him. To make him bring Xion back. His desire for friendship played right into Xemnas’ hands. I think Xemnas knew that Axel’s longing for friendship made him far more able to nurture a heart than most others.

Axel waited.

In the shadows of the spaces between, he waited for Sora… For Roxas.

“Traitor,” Saïx had called him. But his betrayal of Organization XIII wasn’t exactly a recent development, Axel thought with a bitter laugh.

Marluxia and Larxene conspired to steal Sora’s memories, trying to take possession of him. No one could predict what Roxas would become, the Nobody created in such an unusual manner, born in the moment when his somebody Sora became something that was not Sora. Well, no—it was possible that Xemnas had some idea. Perhaps Vexen when he tried to tell Sora about Twilight Town and those close to him. Or all six original members of the organization.

The organization could hardly be called that anyway—this ragtag bunch of Nobodies united only by their desire for hearts. It was only natural that conflicts would arise between the newcomers like Marluxia and the six founding members, what with all the quarrels among the half of them posted in Castle Oblivion.

Axel had only acted to keep Sora alive—to keep Roxas alive. But thinking back on it now, maybe all he’d done was to play right into Xemnas’s hands. Agony racked his body. Saïx had dealt him a mortal blow, or close enough.

“Hurry up, Sora…,” he muttered, lifting his face to the nonexistent sky.

Before he died in KH2, Axel suspected that he played into Xemnas’ hands. Xemnas knew that Marluxia and Larxene were traitors. He didn’t want Marluxia and Larxene to gain control of Sora. And neither did Vexen. Xemnas sent Axel to Castle Oblivion as the only person to handle the situation. He apparently knew that since Axel was growing so close to Roxas, he’d side with Sora.

Xemnas: It is clear that through his actions, however foolish they may have been, Axel has touched Sora’s heart. Perhaps HE will soon awaken.

Xemnas even thought that Axel had the power to wake Ventus. Axel faced his demise by trying to help Sora save Kairi. And Xemnas admits that touched Sora’s heart. I also think Axel’s demise in KH2 was foreshadowing the final battle as well.

“Listen, Kairi! Trust me. I’m going to get you out!”

Behind him, the portal closed.

“What are you saying…? Vile traitor!” The great Claymore took shape at Saïx’s back.

Axel didn’t waste a second grabbing his chakrams. But his body was reluctant somehow.

I don’t want to disappear… But still, it wouldn’t be so bad if I did. Not here.

I don’t think Sora or Xion were supposed to be there originally. Just Lea, Kairi, and Saïx. Even in KH2, Axel would rather disappear than kill his friend. I think the same would have been true in the final battle. Lea would have preferred death over actually killing Isa. He just wanted to save Kairi. Not that he actually could defeat him, though.

Axel let out a deep breath and leaped into the air as flames erupted around them.“…Pathetic!” The Claymore moved to block Axel’s strike, while Saïx himself didn’t even twitch.

This is a pretty overwhelming disadvantage, Axel thought. Well, I knew that before we started fighting. I can’t win against Saïx with my own strength.

Still, he refused to hesitate. He had to force this path open.

He wanted…to find hope—the hope that Sora and Riku had.

Saïx gave him a cruel grin. “You will lose everything!”

And then the Claymore pierced Axel’s chest.

Axel wanted to see Roxas again, but he felt bad about hurting Sora and Kairi. Saïx mortally wounded him while he was trying to save Kairi, and he used the last of his life to atone for what he did. He apologized to Sora for kidnapping her, then died. But he died with sadness and regret. Roxas went back to Sora and he was all alone.

I think it was similar with Lea and Isa’s final battle. Lea and Kairi wanted to rescue Isa, but they were outmatched by Saïx, especially in his Berserk state. I think they were both at their limit and there was nothing they thought they could do to win. Kairi was down. Lea was prepared to die in that moment, protecting Kairi, since things were already hopeless anyway. He didn’t even try to defend himself. He would have died with sadness and regret, just like he did in KH2. But just as soon as the Claymore would have pierced Lea’s chest yet again…Isa stopped. It would have been a victory for Lea’s heart and he would have been extremely happy. But then Xemnas shows up. And Lea is definitely no match for him.

Xigbar: The house is looking pretty empty, huh? I thought I’d get a little enjoyment watching Axel throw one last tantrum, but he went a lot quieter than I thought.

Luxord: Perhaps he was ready for it. Perhaps he put his existence on the line and won what he’d been longing for.

Xigbar: Wait a minute. How would that even be possible? We don’t exist, remember? What you’re saying goes against the laws of nature.

Luxord: Then perhaps he bet his NON-existence. Either way, he came out a winner. Oh, Axel. A grifter to the end.

Saïx: That’s absurd. He won nothing and is nothing. He couldn’t stand the emptiness of being without a heart, and that led to his demise. He was foolish and weak.

Xemnas: But…Weakness has the power to awaken that which is dormant.

But Lea acted differently when Xemnas launched his assault compared to earlier with Isa. Lea was prepared to go more quietly. He looked Isa in the eyes as when he was about to strike. But with Xemnas, he closed his eyes and had his head down. He was just as resigned to his fate in this scene, as he was at the end of KH2. He knew the odds were against him, but took a gamble and came to the battle anyway. He knew he wasn’t a Keyblade master and had little chance of beating Isa in a battle of strength.

And he definitely didn’t have the strength to defeat Xemnas. But he had proof that Isa’s heart remembered him, and still cared for him. He put his existence on the line and won what he had been longing for. He came out a winner, and was ready for the end. He was foolish and weak. But his weakness had the power to awaken that which was dormant. Though Xemnas wasn’t anticipating it that time, obviously. For that scene, I think Isa’s heart being awakened made more sense and was foreshadowed FAR more than anything else.

#kh meta #kh xigbar #kh axel #kh lea #kh theories

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zdbztumble · 5 years

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Botching Backwards and Forwards, Or: Today’s KH Ramble, Part I

As I play through KH III, I’ve also been catching up with the series by watching the Let’s Plays of the other games done by Team Four Star. Because they didn’t play through Coded and only watched the cutscenes from 358/2 Days, that means that there’s only one game on their playlist that I haven’t played myself, that game being Dream Drop Distance. From what I can tell, its gameplay operates on a similar mechanic to Birth by Sleep, which I enjoyed quite a bit. I frankly prefer the Command Decks to what we have in the console games. DDD making levels out of some left-field choices in Disney worlds was a pleasant surprise too. For the Fantasia world alone, I’ll have to consider picking DDD up when I’m not facing a month of utter financial ruin.

And yet, between the two of them, BbS and DDD are responsible for nearly everything wrong with the story of Kingdom Hearts up to this point IMO. Coded got the ball rolling by opening back up a story that had already been satisfyingly ended in KH II, but these two titles do the bulk of the damage to a series that, up to that point, had handled its story pretty well.

Starting with BbS, I freely admit that some of my issues with it boil down to a matter of preference. Turning the Keyblade into a (once) fairly common weapon with many wielders, with a history detailing a great Keyblade War and a test for a Mark of Mastery...all of that wasn’t to my taste, but I can’t say that there’s anything in principle wrong with it. It isn’t necessarily out of place for this series, and the one major wrinkle in continuity it causes (Keyblades choosing wielders) could be squared fairly easily. A prequel focusing on hitherto unmentioned characters rather than the series protagonists isn’t an inherently wrong choice either, though I’ll have more to say about that in Part II of this rant. That I don’t find Terra, Ven, or Aqua terribly interesting as characters is mostly a matter of preference as well, though I do think Terra’s descent into the darkness relies too much on sheer idiocy, and I will admit that Aqua is possibly the most fun player character in this series with her plethora of magic spells. But where I more seriously fault BbS (and Coded, for opening this door) is in its changes to Xehanort’s plots and backstory, and in undermining one of the best thematic ideas from the original Kingdom Hearts game.

"Ansem” turning out to be the true villain of KH I after two-thirds of the gameplay pass under the assumption that it’s the confederation of Disney villains was an effective twist that let an original character, more comfortably of the Square Enix half of the crossover, shine. “Ansem” turning out to be Xehanort the renegade apprentice, with his Nobody Xemnas the leader of Organization XIII, was hardly the most organic twist in the world; I don’t think anyone would go back to KH I and say “oh, it was so obvious, how did I not see it before?” But it made for another genuinely surprising twist in KH II. A villain can only have so many twists and secret plans, however, before effective surprises become cheap gimmicks, and any ability to take their current scheme seriously evaporates.

The revelation that Xehanort is in fact a transparently evil old man who, years before any of the events that led to KH I, plotted to synthesize a X-Blade and bring about a second Keyblade War (with less than ten combatants, so it’d be more of a Keyblade Skirmish) in what basically amounts to a mad scientist’s scheme in fantasy genre clothing, was the breaking point for me. This is a common trap of both prequels and conventional sequels; trying to tie too many things into a small group of characters, or in this case, a single character. Making Xehanort into a villain that spans multiple generations, the man who set into motion everything that preceded KH I and is indirectly responsible for Sora, Kairi, and Riku becoming Keyblade Wielders, can seem like an expansion of the universe on paper, but in execution, it’s a contraction. It reduces too many events down to factors in a single character’s actions. The fact that his scheme is no more coherent than those from KH I and II doesn’t help, nor does the fact that the storyline that most directly leads into Xehanort’s role in those games - Terra’s - is so transparently ripped from Revenge of the Sith.

But Xehanort’s abrupt reentry into the story isn’t truly maddening - not in BbS, at least. For me, the worst part of the BbS story is how it retroactively changes Sora’s. I’d go so far as to say that BbS is to Sora what Dragon Ball: Minus is to Bardock and Goku.

Don’t misunderstand me on that point: BbS is nowhere near as bad a game as Dragon Ball: Minus is a comic. What I mean by that is: prior to Dragon Ball: Minus, most people took Bardock: the Father of Goku to be canon. And, in that TV special, the history given to Goku, derived from what was said in the manga at the time, was that he was of no account by the standards of Saiyan society. He was a no-account spawn of a low-class warrior, sent off to a far-flung planet to clear out its worthless inhabitants. That low-class warrior who fathered him was as ruthless and mercenary as any typical Saiyan, and while he was stronger than the average low-class fighter and was given psychic insight into the fate of his people, Bardock was ultimately just another Saiyan doomed to die and be forgotten by time. Nothing in Goku’s origins is special or fated, which makes his accidental amnesia and eventual surpassing of Vegeta, the supposed Saiyan ideal, more remarkable. By transforming Bardock into a more tamed Saiyan with a close familial bond to his mate, who sends his son to Earth for safety in a blatant rip-off of Superman’s origins, Goku and Bardock both become too special, Goku’s turning into a kind-hearted child becomes too telegraphed, and their stories become too beholden to “chosen one” cliches.

And that is what BbS does to Sora, Riku, and to a lesser extent Kairi. That all three of them just happen, in their childhoods, to have had contact with Keyblade Wielders who left a personal mark upon them - and, in Sora’s case, literally took up residence inside him - is just too pat. It makes the three of them ending up with Keyblades too easy, too predestined. This hurts all three of them, but Sora most of all. Ven looking like Roxas and Vanitas looking like Sora, is a massive headache (and yes, I’m aware that there is at least some explanation of that), but the big loss is in the thematic content of the story, and there is where the comparisons to Dragon Ball: Minus really come into play.

Like a pre-Minus Goku, pre-BbS Sora is not special, in any way, at the start of KH I. He’s an ordinary young teen, plucky and affable and just a bit lazy, with a burgeoning quasi-romantic interest in his friend Kairi and an in-all-things rivalry with his best friend Riku. Compared to Riku, Sora comes up short in pretty much every area. Riku, at first glance, is faster, stronger, smarter, more dedicated, more fearless, and more capable. If you were going to choose one of those two to be the fated hero wielding a magic blade to save the worlds from darkness, Riku’s the better candidate by every metric, on paper. And, in fact, the Keyblade does choose Riku. The whole “chosen one” cliche is subverted in KH I in a brilliant way by essentially having destiny make the wrong choice. That Sora only gets the Keyblade by accident, loses it to its intended master, but quickly reclaims it on the strength of his accomplishments and his purity - that he earns it - is one of my favorite things in this entire series, and is a wonderful thematic idea and moral. Giving Sora and Riku both a fated “touched by a master” backstory kills so much of that idea, and it’s enough to make me wish that there was no BbS, as fun as the gameplay can be.

Ironically, DDD tries to have its cake and eat it too by playing up the fact that Sora wasn’t chosen by the Keyblade, but the damage was done by that point. And DDD further undermines that initial concept in the way it writes Sora, and his relationship with Riku. For one thing, Sora in DDD seems so much dumber than he was in previous games. Up to that point, he’d been written as an upbeat young teen, possessed of a certain level of immaturity and naivete, but always determined to help save the day, and more than capable of getting serious when needed. DDD abruptly starts to portray him as more of a doofy shonen hero, without any clear motivation and to no real purpose. It also introduces the idea that the central dynamic in Sora and Riku’s friendship is that Sora lifts Riku’s spirits while Riku takes up the slack from Sora’s sloppiness and carelessness. I have a real problem with that presentation, because it just isn’t true.

If you go back and look at KH I, those early Destiny Islands scenes set Sora up as the underdog to Riku’s Big Man on Campus. Riku jokes that he’s the only one working on the raft, and Kairi remarks that “he’s changed,” but he doesn’t come off as someone needing to perk up. And with one of the first challenges of the game being Sora gathering raft supplies, it doesn’t seem that Riku needs to take up that much slack either. In any event, over the course of KH I, Riku’s the one who drops the slack and falls into darkness, with Sora literally having to stop him from doing horrible things. And it’s Sora who continues on through CoM and KH II, saving the worlds. While Riku does appear here and there to aid Sora, his aid doesn’t come in the form of “taking up slack” or cleaning up after messes Sora leaves; Sora, Donald, and Goofy are still able to save the day by their own skill in each world. This whole notion, and Sora’s more dim-witted persona, seem invented, if not from whole cloth, then from very little that was previously established.

And again, there doesn’t seem to be a clear motive, unless it’s to highlight the differences between Sora and Riku and give more justification to Riku getting the Mark of Mastery when Sora wasn’t. But the writing doesn’t give a coherent through-line to that idea, nor does it sufficiently justify Sora not becoming a Master. Had the game actively told a story of turning the tables, and made a point to stress the idea that Riku’s fully reformed and that Sora was slipping up, then I’d be more forgiving (even if I still wouldn’t like the idea), but the work just isn’t there.

I’ll admit that there’s a certain amount of bias in my assessment; I’ve never liked Riku as a character. As a teen playing KH I for the first time, I found it easy to project my dislike of certain people IRL onto him, and in the years since, I’ve continued to find that the manner of his turn to darkness in KH I makes it very hard to accept him back into the fold with Sora and the others. He’s also a lousy player character in Reverse/Rebirth and in KH III IMO. But I accept that he’s the deuteragonist, and that his story since KH I has been one of redemption. In principle, a game that builds him up as a character and lets him save the day is fine. But the manner in which it was done in DDD was all wrong. And to an extent, the changes made to his and Sora’s friendship, and to Sora’s personality, have all carried over into KH III, which is even more frustrating.

And, speaking of things carried over...DDD is where Xehanort gets completely ridiculous IMO. Having pulled a third twist that he was actually an ancient Keyblade Master seeking to provoke a war, now there’s a fourth twist where his younger self has been traveling through time (by ridiculous means) to ensure that the fifth twist - that all that business about Nobodies having no hearts was a lie, and that the real Organization XIII exists to create thirteen Horcruxes vessels for Xehanort’s heart, so that there can be thirteen darknesses to face the seven lights in the Keyblade War (which still seems short of the numbers you’d need for an actual war, but whatever). The whole business about “recompletion” allowing an original person to revive if their Heartless and Nobody are destroyed is already enough of a contrivance to bring the original Xehanort back, but time travel and heart-splitting is even more absurd. And I still haven’t been able to figure out how “Ansem” and Xemnas can be back in action, even with the time travel aspect.

Recompletion also means that DDD brings back the rest of Organization XIII. I consider nearly all of them to be glorified henchmen, possessed of a gimmick for combat and a single personality trait at best, so their revival - and their cameos in BbS - do nothing for me. A big exception to that is Axel, but if I don’t care much for Riku, I can’t stand Axel. He comes off as what an “edgy” teenage writer would come up with for a “cool” character in a bad first stab at fiction. From his character design to his abused catchphrase, everything about him pisses me off. His one saving grace in KH II was that he sacrifices himself, and nothing undermines a sacrifice like a contrived way around death. That he’s become a Keyblade Wielder, and one of the Seven Guardians of Light, is ridiculous to me, and I’m not sure if I can think of a more blatant example of a writer’s pet character being so inorganically shoved to the forefront of a story that supposedly isn’t about them.

DDD also started to open the door to the possibility of Roxas and Namine being restored. That idea is less annoying to me than any of these others, but it’s still a mistake IMO. That Roxas and Namine both ultimately elect to give up their lives as individuals to return Sora and Kairi to their full selves, accepting their fate so that others can live more fully, is a bittersweet and touching concept, and one that lets “death” have some real consequences and the happy ending of KH II come with a price. I hate seeing that undermined, and I’m frankly frustrated by how much of KH III’s front half involved chatter about Roxas.

And speaking of KH III...that’s where Part II comes in.

ADDENDUM: Another thing about DDD that I feel undermines Sora is that, while writing him dumber, the game also hypes him up more than he ever was in the past. It’s the same problem as Harry Potter; for all that series’ virtues, constantly pointing out how special Harry is can end up taking away from his character by making his unique traits too ubiquitous. Other characters constantly pointing out how kind and loving and easy to bond with Sora is undermines that trait by over-playing it and turning it into an exercise in “tell, don’t show.”

#critique #commentary #kingdom hearts #birth by sleep #dream drop distance #disney #z's crits

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disneydreamlights · 6 years

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So uh, about the exact placement of Strelitzia's scars, let's just say that her canon outfit leaves them exposed, which is basically the in-universe explanation for her changing her outfit (I already told you the out of universe reason). Her first action upon being restored would be to hug Lauriam and cry out of sheer joy at being alive. Lauriam would, in order to keep Strelitzia on his side, hide his disappointment at no longer having two Keyblades to wield.

That’s actually a good explanation for an outfit change though post KH3. Be a completely different outfit I think by that point, and now I could actually see them doing it.

Okay so, the more I think about it, the more trouble I have actually deciding where exactly I want Strelitzia's scars to be. I mean, I know the general area, one on her chest, one on her back, but I honestly can't decide how high on her chest/back the scars would be, which would affect how visible they'd be when she's wearing her sundress. I guess it depends on the angle at which she was stabbed... All I know is that the heart piercing imagery/symbolism would still be there.

Right over the heart. You want direct symbolism, you got right over the heart.

So yeah, Strelitzia's mind is basically shattered and spread thin across the entire Unchained State following her demise, with her barely clinging to consciousness and constantly trying to find some sort of focal point to pull herself together. She becomes more aware when Lauriam, Ven, and the Player ascend. She chooses Lauriam because the Player wouldn't recognize her and she thinks Ventus hates her due to how she used to get on his nerves. He would have been more than happy to help her.

So, I'm not sure if Strelitzia would've chosen differently if she had known Ven didn't hate her or note. I mean, since she told Lauriam that she was a Union Leader, I can see her assuming that Lauriam would be able to tell that something was up if he didn't see her there (again, she'd refuse to believe that her friend would even DREAM of hurting her). On the other, I'm not sure if she'd want to burden Ven with the responsibility of finding and exposing the traitor.

She should’ve chosen Ven honestly that would be a great universe in general in which Ven and Strelitzia are sharing the same heart. Definitely make them more siblings than ship but idrc it’d make for adorable scenes. And prevent Strelitzia from being too mislead.

I think she’d still choose Lauriam though, for the following reasons:

Lauriam is her best friend in this AU. He knows her best friend and she trusts him.

If anybody’s going to help her catch her murderer, she’d assume it’d be him.

She’d want to cooperate with somebody she knows Ava did not give the book She’d have no idea if Ven had one or not, she knew Lauriam did not.

Okay so Strelitzia probably wouldn't admit her crush to the Player for fear of looking creepy/making things awkward between them, while the Player would have learned about her crush during their battle with Lauriam but wouldn't bring it up to her because they don't want to make her uncomfortable. Not quite a "can't spit it out" situation since the Player may or may not reciprocate her feelings, but it would likely end in a "you can read into their relationship however you want" situation.

I’d actually have it more of a “I’m respecting your boundaries thing” since she never told them. Strelitzia would have to bring up the crush on her own, and I think eventually she would. Probably because of Ven being an idiot. XD

Like with before, rest under the read more. (This is basically Strelitzia dump.)

Okay so, after watching the Secret Ending on Destiny Islands in the MMO, you'd be taken to the "Battle Report" Screen, which would depict Strelitzia and the Player setting on the dock at the Play Island, your Pet Spirit sitting in Strelitzia's lap, Chirithy might be sitting in the Player's, with the final Union Rankings being displayed next to the two of them. Returning to Destiny Islands would take you straight to the Battle Report.

...This image honestly sounds adorable. Sounds like it locks you out of viewing the DI scene though in game in the future though.

Strelitzia's decoys wouldn't have revenge values, so there'd be nothing to stop you from stun-locking them. Additionally, all of her decoys would take damage whenever Strelitzia herself does, but Strelitzia has Revenge Values, and all of Strelitzia's doppelgangers would aide Strelitzia in her counterattack when you set it off. During the battle with her in Radiant Garden, Lauriam would automatically destroy her decoys whenever it's his turn.

Lauriam sounds like he would make the battle a little easier just by existing thank fuck.

The thinking or talking about Lauriam wouldn't trigger Strelitzia's PTSD, but it would be enough to make her fall quiet or, depending on on her mood, provoke feelings of extreme anger or sadness, sometimes both. A part of her would always miss the Lauriam she could call a friend.

I don’t think having her truly hate Lauriam would ever be fair. She was in his heart for a while and I think on some level she’d understand he did love her.

I think she’d be mad at him, and hurt, and she’d never forgive him, but she wouldn’t hate him.

I do think thinking about him in the context of what happened though would set her off.

So, KH3 would actually have DLC titled "Spectral X[chi]" which is basically about how Strelitzia became the way she is when Sora meets her for the first time in Corona Kingdom. The tutorial would be Strelitzia looking for the Player, with her Chirithy serving as a guide. The first "real" level after her death would have you exploring the Keyblade Graveyard, chasing phantoms until she meets Lauriam, where she'd be absorbed into his heart, and fight Sora in a symbolic Nightmare Sequence.

After the nightmare sequence, we'd get a cutscene of Strelitzia, Lauriam, and Larxene's Somebody waking up in the woods outside Beast's Castle. From here, Lauriam and, let's call her "Arlene" would be Strelitzia's Party Members. The Beast's Castle arc is parallel to DDD, with our flower trio raiding the Castle and getting into a scuffle with the not yet human Beast before Belle convinces them to leave. Well, she convinces Strelitzia to leave and her "friends" so she'll think she can trust them.

I have no idea how the rest of the DLC would go after that, save that it would end before Strelitzia challenges Sora in Corona Kingdom. Also that Lauriam would have a Link where Divine Rose transforms into a Scythe while he and Strelitzia show off some good old fashioned Teamwork, while Arlene's Link would involve the two using electrically charged attacks somehow. A Corridor of Darkness would be the hub all the other worlds are visited from.

Actually, scratch that, Sora would be the final boss of the Strelitzia DLC. He'd have help from Donald, Goofy, "Flynn", and Rapunzel. You can defeat Sora's party members, but true to the main story, they'd revive eventually. Depleting half of Sora's HP would cause him to activate "Second Form". Bringing him down to one bar of HP would activate the final cutscene of Strelitzia's story. The post credits scene would be Strelitzia arriving in Radiant Garden.

I’m for this if for no other reason than Arlene/Lauriam/Strelitzia all travelling together. I’m a little confused as to how it takes place parallel to 3D if Beast isn’t human since it’s implied that he becomes human a little after KH2. I guess if this takes place during the Realm of Sleep it really doesn’t matter, but still.

So, I imagine that, either during Spectral X or after KH3, Strelitzia would get a haircut, partially to symbolize her new life. I haven't thought much more about it beyond that Strelitzia would either lose or shorten those pig-tails. I imagine that, even if she'd always have a somewhat "cute" look (kinda like Namine and Kairi), Strelitzia herself would visibly look less innocent. Her KH3 outfit would be designed to look ghostly, for example.

Complete hair cut. Like chop off all the hair up to her shoulders, maybe make her go Xion or KH1 Kairi short but like just have her get rid of it all after KH3. She wants to be removed from all that she went through and a change like this is a part of her coping methods.

Oh, I just thought of something! You know that necklace Strelitzia wears? What if, in the first game to feature the two of them after the MMO closes, Strelitzia were to give the Player her necklace in a scene that parallels Kairi giving Sora her lucky charm? And it even acts as the Keychain for an angel-themed Keyblade? You know, just something that serves as a heartwarming alternative to "Failed Rescue" (which Sora would receive after Strelitzia is Norted in KH3).

Player/Strelitzia and SoKai parallels I am ALL for that shit. I would love this scene, Player taking something of Strelitzia’s and using it to have her be awesome, it’d be great. owo

I just realized something mildly amusing about the MMO AU. Strelitzia, dresses in white, acts cute, looks like a cinnamon role, would listen to the Shadow the Hedgehog soundtrack unironically, and manages to be that edgy anti-hero most anime seems to have while still looking adorable. Brain/Minerva, dresses in black, is a total rebel, DEFY THE SYSTEM, totally once missed his bus because he was helping an old lady cross the street and is basically a cinnamon roll trying to edgelord.

Strelitzia loves edgelords and is forced into an edgelord position because her story forces her to in this AU but is still a pure cinnamon roll despite how dark her story gets.

Blaine is a cinnamon roll who tries his hardest to not embrace his cinnamon rollness.

In an AU where the two here of this Blaine is just like “Strelitzia next time save some angst for me I wanna be an edgy fuck.”

“I’m supposed to be edgy?”

Strelitzia would feel homesick after her restoration. This would be difficult to take care of, seeing as her hometown was vaporized by an exploding universe thousands of years before the events of KH3. Fortunately, there happens to be a Memory Witch and a very determined family who want nothing more than to make her feel safe and happy, and so her room in the Land of Departure would undergo a makeover to be more like her room from Daybreak Town. Cue tears of joy from Strelitzia.

Namine and Strelitzia interacting would honestly be the best thing this MMO AU could produce. It’d honestly be so sweet of Namine to try to help her like that and she’d probably do other things to help Strelitzia remember her home.

So, you know how the specter's first form vaguely resembles a woman in a white cloak? Strelitzia would dress kinda like that in KH3, with a white coat over her dress, and either leggings or tights under that dress, and would most definitely try to come across as ominous and threatening to Sora, which would be kinda funny at first because she's 12 and therefor smaller than him but kinda sad when you realize it's to mask her fear of her perceived murderer.

The white coat is actually more of a cloak than the black coat the organization wears. As such, it would look more like traditional depictions of red-riding hood's, well, hood, albeit with sleeves and with the intention of looking kinda spectral. You know, because she technically died. I mean once she starts to move past this she'd go for a less threatening look, but until then enjoy the idea of Strelitzia trying to emulate the appearance of a vengeful spirit.

Strelitzia trying to look intimidating when she’s probably like fourteen and still a kid.

Man, this is something I always hate remembering like holy shit all of these guys are still kids. They suffer and they’re like...children. ;w;

Even after learning that Sora wasn't the one responsible for her (first) death, Strelitzia would feel somewhat uncomfortable around him until she can finally accept that Lauriam betrayed her. This would REALLY hurt Sora because he only wants to help this poor kid and yet he's indirectly the source of a lot of her pain. Actually, Sora would go through a huge bout of self-blame in KH3, particularly regarding what happened to Roxas and Xion. Strelitzia would just bring it to the surface.

...Sora’s gonna need a lot of hugs after this because Roxas and XIon and probably Ven too are gonna be causing him a lot of strife and then there’s now Strelitzia on top of all this. ;w;

#MMO Anon #next one's gonna be ''gameplay'' dump just an fyi #Anonymous #Heather Answers

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