middaeg | [closed] this is my heartbeat song

[A few months ago Kor had approached Sora about using his magic in order to help heal damage inside of something called a spiria. Something Kor used to do in his home world. They had tried a test version of this on Sora's heart. There they found bits of broken cracks and holes in Sora's heart because of his visit to The Final World. At the time they didn't know if they should continue when Kor's magic was so new. But knowing that Sora's heart is still left in a condition that isn't exactly whole is enough for them to try and keep going.

Sora thought that maybe his heart was okay. He had a lot in his life that made his heart feel full, be whole- and all the rest. Friends, love, dedication, hopes and dreams... So what was really missing? What sort of trauma was left behind when Sora had defeated Xehanort? He's not too sure. Which is why a trip into this watery place in his heart is a good idea.

... Right?

Today they're in the safety of Kor's place.]

Kor! I think I'm ready. I want to find out why I still have cracks in my heart. Do you think your magic is ready for this?

[It's been quite some time since Kor had last attempted to journey into Sora's heart with his magic. He learned a lot about what it meant to link with a human's heart in this manner, and about Sora's heart specifically.]

As ready as it'll ever be, I think! I've been doing a lot of practice since last time, so I think I've worked out the kinks pretty well by now.

[The incident with that cult ended up being a blessing in disguise, since it let him work on Roxas too.]

Yeah? Is everything okay?

[He knows the both of them had it pretty rough during last month's entire ordeal. Trying to find Vanitas and Roxas both while dealing with all the damage happening around them. But they managed to help and save their bonds. With a little damage on the side.

Maybe some of that will reflect in Sora's heart now. He wonders about that.

He pats his chest with hand.]

Then I'm ready when you are, fire that laser thing at me again.

[Magic thing, he means.]

[Kor nods to Sora. About as okay as it could be. Sure, there were the issues he and Vanitas were having over this, but... That's between the two of them, he didn't want to trouble Sora. Not to mention that's really more something those two should be discussing, not him.]

Go ahead and sit on the floor. [He tosses a pillow Sora's way for him to sit on, and grabs one for himself. Sorry, Sora. Kor lives on his own in a top floor apartment, he lives pretty minimalistic, not owning much more than a bed and a desk and a closet.]

Before we begin, I want you to try and keep only the thought of that place in your mind.

[Sora and Vanitas are definitely feeling some strain due to a various few things. The heart thing hasn't quite been brought up yet on top of it all. But it wouldn't deter Sora from working with Kor.

So! He nabs the pillow and goes to sit on the floor.]

Okay, I think I can do that.

[He's much more focused this time. He closes his eyes and thinks of that far away and watery place. With so many clouds and sky where he remembers he was floating and walking at the same time...]

[Kor sits on his pillow across from Sora, folding his legs underneath himself.]

Alright, I'm starting.

[Just like before, Kor places one hand on the center of his chest, while extending the other in Sora's direction. And just like before, the soft rainbow-colored aura appears around Kor, a beam shoots from his hand, and the aura begins to spread over to Sora, connecting the two. Kor's magical energy begins to flow over to Sora, attempting to interact with and mingle and meld with Sora's once again. This time, the process feels more smooth and seamless]

[It's the same feeling of slight vertigo as the magic starts. Sora lets out a small breath as he tries to keep his focus clear for Kor to complete his magic. There is a feeling like they're falling... But when they open their eyes they'll find themselves standing in that watery-cloudy place. It's empty save for a collection of glittering stars bouncing all around them. Some of the stars seem to glow brighter than others.]

... Whoa-! I think I remember this place! If this is just a memory... This is the place where hearts go.

[When they die or break-]

Where... Hearts go...?

[Kor understands the implication behind Sora's words there, maybe even feels it through their bond. And he doesn't like it one bit.]

You mean, when they...

[He trails off, not wanting to complete that sentence, but Sora will feel those words lingering behind in Kor's mind.]

[Sora turns to Kor and smiles. A hand pats Kor swiftly on the shoulder.]

Don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom. And sometimes hearts can come back too.

[Sometimes.]

Come on, let's look around. I have a good feeling about this!

[A good feeling as the memory starts to swirl around them. One particular sparkling star-shaped heart seems to be bouncing close by and it catches Sora's eyes.]

Let's talk to that one.

[Hearts can come back... Right. Kor knew that, as long as your Spiria was connected to somebody else's, it would never truly be lost. And surely it was the same for hearts like Sora described them.]

Do you know who they are?

[Kor leads the two of them over to the star heart. They're present even in Sora's memory of this place, so they must be significant to have left an impression on his heart.]

[Kor thinks it right. This place might be a memory of the real one so these hearts are going to be people who have made an impression on Sora. Not necessarily ones that have broken or died. But this one...]

This one... It's- [Sora blinks and reaches out to touch the heart. It spins and glows.] Ventus?

[It sparkles brightly.]

"Sora... The power... of..."

The power of waking? Oh... [Sora puts his hand over his heart.] That was the power I was trying to wake up inside of my heart.

[Ventus... Right, he was once part of Sora's heart, at least until they were finally split apart, from how Kor understands it. And yet, even though they're no longer together, Ventus is still a part of Sora's heart like this...]

The power of waking? What's that? Is that why you have so much trouble getting up in the mornings?

[You're worse than him some days, bro.]

Hey! Come on, I'm not that bad!

[Sora pushes at Kor's shoulder and frowns at him! Okay- it might be the truth, though. Sora hates morning and waking up and sometimes he's late for things because his bed is super comfortable. Okay??]

It's not about that!

[The little star seems to bounce whimsically. Almost like it's chuckling at them.]

It's the power I needed to be able to change things. It's the power to free a heart from its sleep.

The power to... free a heart from its sleep...

[Kor repeats those words back, mulling over what exactly they mean, specifically in context of how that would relate to his own world. The power to wake a sleeping Spiria...]

That just sounds like... Spiria Linking. Err, part of it, anyway. So what's that mean, exactly? [He wants to make sure he's understanding right.]

Edited 2021-04-23 03:29 (UTC)

[Sora frowns only for a second as he puts his finger to his cheek to scratch.]

I guess when you think about it like that it is sort of like spiria linking. But even I'm still figuring out everything that a power like this does.

[Thank you, Kingdom Hearts.]

The easiest way to explain it is if a heart is hurt, broken or damaged...? I can reverse it completely. [Oh, he snorts with a laugh.] But I guess not for me, just for other people.

[Kor nods along to Sora's explanation. In theory, that sounds exactly like what Spiria Linking entails, using the power to mend a broken or damaged heart. But in practice it could be very different. Being a Somatic requires a lot of training and skill, but Sora talks like it's something he just... has? Wild...]

Understanding what's inside us is hard, and knowing how to fix it on our own is even harder. But that's okay, because you never have to tackle it on your own. We've friends who help us through it, and you've me!

[That makes Sora grin big. He's grateful for Kor being around. It actually helps him understand a lot more about his heart than he did before. The way it can break and be repaired in a safe way depending on certain factors.]

Yeah, I'm glad I've got you, Kor.

[The star bounces and then seems to sparkle a note around Sora's chest where his heart is.]

But, after everything that I did and everything that happened to me back home... I don't think I was able to fix my heart oh my own. It didn't matter to me much back then, so long as everyone else was safe, you know?

[He looks down at his chest.]

Maybe it's time to find the damage and do what we can. If you're still up for that, Kor.

["So long as everyone else was safe"... That was a sentiment Kor was all too familiar with. He knows he'd be willing to throw his own life away if it meant helping someone else out.]

Of course I'm still up for it. We're brothers, I'll do anything for you. And besides, I made such a big deal out of helping out both you and Vanitas fill the holes in your hearts, I think he'd kill me if I backed out now!

[Sora grins expectantly.]

You talked to Vanitas about some of this stuff, huh? What'd he say?

[But before they can continue that part of the conversation there is a flash of light around them. The area of water and sky changes and warps until they see several tall buildings all around them. A colorful city with bright lights.

... But they look cracked and broken. Is this... some of the damage in Sora's heart?]

... Whoa! ... I've seen this place before!

Yeah, he told me about how he--...?

[Kor had been ready to answer Sora's question and discuss what he and Vanitas talked about, but the sudden change in scenery causes him to cut himself off. It was a startling sight to behold, such a large city suddenly appearing inside Sora's heart.]

You have? What is this place to you, then?

[He didn't expect to see what crazy places reflected in Sora's heart. He was expecting something more quite and simple, like a beach or something like that.]

[Gosh- He still wants to know what Kor and Vanitas discussed but the change in the scene is a little too breathtaking right now! Guess they do have a job they have to complete.

But as Sora gazes up at it all he can't seem to recall what this place is called...]

It's... uh... [...] I don't really know. I've been here before but it was after I took down Xehanort. After I ...

[Shattered...? He can't pinpoint it anymore.]

But all this damage? Should we try fixing it somehow? This seems like a big job!

Fixing it? I...

[Kor looks on in awe at the scene around him. Sora's heart was unlike anything Kor had seen before when Spiria Linking. Was there something that different about Sora's heart, or was it because of the method used? Kor couldn't be sure. He felt he'd grown pretty proficient with this type of magic, but the way he was using it was almost entirely self-taught, so it's not like he could go to somebody for help. He had to learn all on his own.

And he felt, seeing this, that he still have all the answers he needed to pull this off yet.]

...I wouldn't even know where to start with this...

[He hangs his head. With his Soma, he's certain he could pull this off. But trying to replicate those abilities with magic? Considerably more difficult.]

[Sora's heart is a strange and complex one. Strong and full of light but there is so much more to it that even Sora doesn't fully understand himself. Everyone has always told him how strong or special his heart is but no one has ever told him how to heal or fix it now that he's basically run it through the wringer several times...

Sorry Riku, Kairi... wherever you are.

But seeing Kor's downtrodden expression? Sora quickly shakes his head and slaps a hand on his friend's shoulder with an encouraging smile.]

Hey, don't worry! We'll figure it out! With the two of us working on it I'm sure we'll come up with what we gotta do! Even if we gotta stack all the bricks up one by one ourselves!

[...But really- what do they do? Sora thinks for a moment before asking,]

What were you saying before that you and Vanitas talked about? Maybe that'll jog our brains?

[Stacking the bricks one by one themselves... That probably would be the best way to do it, so to speak. Just rebuild the whole thing from scratch...

...But how do you rebuild someone's heart? Somatic training covered how to repair a Spiria, but rebuilding it entirely? Could he even do that? And how, for that matter?

Kor looks pensive for a moment, before he brightens up, putting on a smile for Sora. He was right, with the two of them working together, they were sure to come up with a solution here! Nobody knew more about this stuff than the two of them, after all!]

Ahh, right. Maybe we should go back, first? I don't think we're gonna get anywhere with this right now...

[closed] this is my heartbeat song

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