Kingdom Hearts drabbles
So I've been writing Kingdom Hearts fic. Don't have anything longer than a couple of hundred words ready for posting yet, but I started the first of these as a sort of feeling-out-the-characters exercise, and the others showed up somewhere in the process.
All Riku-perspective and set on Destiny Islands, but otherwise not really connected. Also, I seem to write about the kids sparring with those toy swords a lot. I can only surmise that by the time I was through the first couple, I must have gotten myself into some sort of sparring-on-the-islands writing groove.
Pre-Kingdom Hearts: Double drabble-200 words
The islands are too small for Riku. He felt this, even before Kairi, before the first night he looked up at the sky and saw every star as another world. This tiny world of scattered islands - every one he’d explored end to end by the age of nine - has become only more confining with every year that Riku grew.
He knew just as surely it was up to him to find a way out.
Kairi draws pictures of other worlds on the walls of their cave, but she doesn’t remember enough to miss them. She’s far too comfortable here to mind she might never see her home again. Sora will take Riku on any day, but by the time Riku has beaten him a few times running he loses interest fast, sulks his way off to lick his wounds. Riku’s learnt to draw their matches out if he wants to play for longer. It’s obvious Sora doesn’t have what it takes to lead.
It’s all up to Riku to get them out of there. But that doesn’t matter, because he’s taking them with him.
The islands are too small for Sora and Kairi too. They just don’t know it yet.
Pre-Kingdom Hearts: Double drabble-200 words
Riku should have been paying more attention.
If he had been, he would have seen that move coming, would have been spared the shocked indignity of winding up on his arse, and Sora’s little victory dance (“Yeah! I won! I won!”). But who could blame him? So maybe fifteen straight wins in a row might have made him a little complacent. When Sora gets frustrated, Sora gets frustratingly easy to beat, and Riku stops taking things seriously.
The only warning he had was that flash of determination in Sora’s eyes, before that showy block-and-sweep move knocked him off his feet. It came out of nowhere. Riku knows Sora. He doesn’t move like that.
But he wasn’t a bad loser, so he accepted a hand up, grinned and said “Don’t let it go to your head.”
They called it a day after that match, he could let Sora keep his win overnight at least. There was never any chance it would last any longer. You can beat Sora, but no-one can discourage him for long.
It was one victory, and not Sora’s first. He wasn’t going to begrudge Sora the occasional fluke win.
Really, he should have been paying more attention.
Post-KHII: Drabble-100 words (only 'real' drabble in this bunch)
It’s the little things Riku misses, from the old days.
Sometimes, he and Sora still spar with their old wooden swords. But it’s hard to stay serious - so many matches degenerate into sprawling mock battles that send them weaving through the palm trees and running through the shallows; dodging driftwood and coconuts, grinning like they’re both five years old again. There are no more heartless to be found nowadays, so it’s up to them to keep each other in shape, right?
Sometimes, Riku suspects, Sora even lets him win. For old time’s sake.
Maybe Sora misses the little things too.
Post-KHII: Dodecal-144 words
Kairi looks almost comical holding Sora’s pilfered training sword out in front of her. Her grip's wrong, for one thing, her stance is even worse.
Riku hefts his own weapon and scratches his head. “Why the sudden interest? You never wanted to learn before.” Not even when Selphie went through her girl-power phase and put the fear of those nun-chucks into all of them overnight.
“‘Where ever one of us goes, the others follow’, remember?” Kairi puts a hand on her hip and waves the sword at him like she’s lecturing a small child. “Next time you and Sora run off to save the world, I’m not getting left behind because I’d only be in the way.”
Riku blinks at her. “You’re that sure there’s going to be a next time?”
Kairi gives him a pleasantly exasperated look. “I’m not stupid, you know. Ready?”
All Riku-perspective and set on Destiny Islands, but otherwise not really connected. Also, I seem to write about the kids sparring with those toy swords a lot. I can only surmise that by the time I was through the first couple, I must have gotten myself into some sort of sparring-on-the-islands writing groove.
Pre-Kingdom Hearts: Double drabble-200 words
The islands are too small for Riku. He felt this, even before Kairi, before the first night he looked up at the sky and saw every star as another world. This tiny world of scattered islands - every one he’d explored end to end by the age of nine - has become only more confining with every year that Riku grew.
He knew just as surely it was up to him to find a way out.
Kairi draws pictures of other worlds on the walls of their cave, but she doesn’t remember enough to miss them. She’s far too comfortable here to mind she might never see her home again. Sora will take Riku on any day, but by the time Riku has beaten him a few times running he loses interest fast, sulks his way off to lick his wounds. Riku’s learnt to draw their matches out if he wants to play for longer. It’s obvious Sora doesn’t have what it takes to lead.
It’s all up to Riku to get them out of there. But that doesn’t matter, because he’s taking them with him.
The islands are too small for Sora and Kairi too. They just don’t know it yet.
Pre-Kingdom Hearts: Double drabble-200 words
Riku should have been paying more attention.
If he had been, he would have seen that move coming, would have been spared the shocked indignity of winding up on his arse, and Sora’s little victory dance (“Yeah! I won! I won!”). But who could blame him? So maybe fifteen straight wins in a row might have made him a little complacent. When Sora gets frustrated, Sora gets frustratingly easy to beat, and Riku stops taking things seriously.
The only warning he had was that flash of determination in Sora’s eyes, before that showy block-and-sweep move knocked him off his feet. It came out of nowhere. Riku knows Sora. He doesn’t move like that.
But he wasn’t a bad loser, so he accepted a hand up, grinned and said “Don’t let it go to your head.”
They called it a day after that match, he could let Sora keep his win overnight at least. There was never any chance it would last any longer. You can beat Sora, but no-one can discourage him for long.
It was one victory, and not Sora’s first. He wasn’t going to begrudge Sora the occasional fluke win.
Really, he should have been paying more attention.
Post-KHII: Drabble-100 words (only 'real' drabble in this bunch)
It’s the little things Riku misses, from the old days.
Sometimes, he and Sora still spar with their old wooden swords. But it’s hard to stay serious - so many matches degenerate into sprawling mock battles that send them weaving through the palm trees and running through the shallows; dodging driftwood and coconuts, grinning like they’re both five years old again. There are no more heartless to be found nowadays, so it’s up to them to keep each other in shape, right?
Sometimes, Riku suspects, Sora even lets him win. For old time’s sake.
Maybe Sora misses the little things too.
Post-KHII: Dodecal-144 words
Kairi looks almost comical holding Sora’s pilfered training sword out in front of her. Her grip's wrong, for one thing, her stance is even worse.
Riku hefts his own weapon and scratches his head. “Why the sudden interest? You never wanted to learn before.” Not even when Selphie went through her girl-power phase and put the fear of those nun-chucks into all of them overnight.
“‘Where ever one of us goes, the others follow’, remember?” Kairi puts a hand on her hip and waves the sword at him like she’s lecturing a small child. “Next time you and Sora run off to save the world, I’m not getting left behind because I’d only be in the way.”
Riku blinks at her. “You’re that sure there’s going to be a next time?”
Kairi gives him a pleasantly exasperated look. “I’m not stupid, you know. Ready?”