eva: beach day and bar night?

aqua: girl, you know you don't even have to ask 😝

So I noticed the other day that the Kingdom Hearts Ψ TvTropes page is being updated, with entries being created for fics that didn't have them and the already-existing ones being much more fleshed out. This is amazing, and I'd like to extend a huge thanks to the people who are working on it! It's a lot of ground to cover (and I'm only making it a bigger task the more I write), and I appreciate the dedication immensely! Quite honestly, watching it be updated is giving me a lot of motivation to write, so thank you very much!

That said, and I apologize for this, there are a few entries for the fic Land of Oblivion that make me think certain parts of the climax are being misunderstood, specifically regarding Larxene, Castle Oblivion, and how and why Larxene is still there two years after Chain of Memories. This is on me as the writer for not being clear, and even though LoO holds a special place in my heart, the fact remains that it's by no means perfect (because no created thing is, and also because I've gotten better at writing since 2018). So, I'd like to go over those circumstances and what's actually happened/happening, and then go over the tropes that I think aren't accurate to what's actually in the fic. (spoilers, obviously, for the fic in question, and this will be written assuming the reader has read the fic)

What Happened: After her apparent death in Chain of Memories, Larxene was revived on the top floor of Castle Oblivion by some magic (after the writing of the fic I decided it was the ReRaise spell from FF6) cast on her by Marluxia. Once she worked out what had happened to her, she tried to leave the Castle. However, her only way out was to descend all thirteen floors of Castle Oblivion. To do so, she'd have to pass through thirteen memories in the same way Sora and Riku did in CoM and Naminé, Aqua, and Kairi do in LoO. But Larxene abjectly refused to play by the Castle's rules. Rather than simply watch through the memories, she has spent the past two years trying to find an alternative way out, usually by murdering the memory constructs rather than letting the events play out. Thus, by the time Naminé's party reach her, Larxene has yet to pass through a single floor.

To answer why this is happening, we need to look at both Castle Oblivion's motivations and reasoning, and Larxene's motivations and reasoning

Castle Oblivion: At some point, and I forget whether it was in end notes or a comment reply, I said that Castle Oblivion has an "if all you have is a hammer" mentality when it comes to solving problems. The one thing it can do is force people to relive their memories, so it tries to solve all problems by forcing people to relive their memories. And that's what it's trying to do to Larxene. However, the Castle isn't trying to punish her, or contain her, or imprison her. It's trying to help her. It's trying to force Larxene to confront aspects of herself she'd rather let stay buried. Now, it doesn't matter to the Castle if Larxene actually learns anything from this experience; that's not its job. The only thing it feels towards Larxene is frustration and annoyance, for two reasons. First, because she's rejecting the help the Castle is trying to offer, and second, because she's been there for two years and (from the Castle's perspective) she won't leave. All she has to do to leave is pass through the memory floors. That's all it wants from her. But she just won't do it. As far as Castle Oblivion is concerned, Larxene is The Thing That Would Not Leave.

Larxene: Naminé posits towards the end of the chapter that by this point, Larxene has grown a new heart. She also summarily dismisses the idea, but she actually wasn't wrong. Larxene is genuinely experiencing feelings of anger, frustration, and most of all boredom. This is why she perks up immediately when her most recent punching bag arrives for another round. I also have to cop to the fact that this fic was the first, and still effectively the only, time I've ever written Larxene. Some inconsistencies in her character may be because I just didn't have a good enough grasp on her.

So with that groundwork in mind, I'd like to examine the trope listings that I feel are out of place due to what appears to me to be a misunderstanding.

And I Must Scream: Turns out that ever since her "death" in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Larxene has been trapped in a Time Loop Trap inside of it, which has not done wonders for her sanity and her temperament.

The first thing that gives me pause here is the assertion that Larxene is in a time loop trap. I love messing about with time, but that's not what's going on here. While Larxene (or anyone else) doesn't need to eat or sleep inside Castle Oblivion, the only thing that's being reset is the state of the memory room. Let me put it this way: What's happening is that Larxene is playing 1-1 of Super Mario, and instead of jumping over the Goomba, she's running into it. Over. And over. And over again. Castle Oblivion desperately wants her to jump, but it can't make her, even if it directly tells her to press the B button. Every time she gets a game over, she restarts the level. Every time she restarts the level, she abjectly refuses to do anything except run forwards. Larxene's not in a time loop any more than a person playing Super Mario very, very badly is.

The second thing that gives me pause is the claim that something is happening to her sanity, but I'll address that in a little bit.

So does this count as the "And I Must Scream" trope? Well... I'd say no, but I could see how you could argue it. That said, Larxene's only being "trapped" by her own stubbornness. She'd be free to go if she was just willing to play along. The Castle isn't keeping Larxene trapped. Larxene is keeping Larxene trapped.

Ax-Crazy: Larxene is just as charming as ever during her fight against Namine, switching between being a Smug SnakePsychopathic Manchild to an arrogant Alpha Bitch with lighting speed. She actually might be worse as she does not bother to use her Faux Affably Evil façade. It's strongly implied that her fate at the hands of Castle Oblivion has basically shattered what little she had of sanity.

I don't take issue with the trope overall, just the final sentence of the description. "It's strongly implied that her fate at the hands of Castle Oblivion has basically shattered what little she had of sanity." Well... if it is strongly implied, it's not done so intentionally. The thing about Larxene's Faux Affably Evil façade, as it's put, is that it breaks down when she's not in control of the situation. She hasn't been in control of the situation in two years, so (as is noted) she doesn't act in that manner. What she is feeling, though, is incredibly frustrated and strained. The protagonists showing up is the only new and interesting thing that's happened to her in a while. So while I think the description of her charms is perfectly accurate, at no point was I ever trying to imply that she was losing her sanity. (This may be a case of my characterization being weak due to not having had much experience writing the character).

Pay Evil unto Evil: It's implied that Castle Oblivion actively delivered Larxene's And I Must Scream fate and facilitated her death at Namine's hand half in order to give Namine closure and half because it really personally hated Larxene. Brutal and ruthless? Without a doubt. Utterly deserving considering this was Larxene? Without contestation.

Hopefully from the preamble it's clear why I don't think this one is accurate. If this was implied by the chapter, it was unintentionally and entirely by accident, as the sentiment is completely against what I was actually trying to convey. And, as a pedantic asshole, I have to ask this: If Castle Oblivion was holding Larxene for Naminé to kill, how did it know Naminé was going to come back to it, ever? The answer, speaking as the author (a different kind of asshole), is that it didn't. It didn't know, because that's not what it was doing. Sending Naminé and her group into Larxene's path wasn't something the Castle did with any malicious intent, either; there's just only one set of floors (aside from the basement. But Naminé et al were ascending the floors to get to Ven at the top, and Larxene was supposed to be descending the floors to reach the exit). Ultimately, what the Castle felt towards Larxene was annoyance and exasperation, the same thing you'd feel towards a cat that you've disentangled from the window blinds twenty times today when you hear a plaintive "meow" and the rattling of plastic strips from behind you. It's holding up a big "THIS WAY OUT" sign next to an open door and Larxene is resolutely trying to dig through a brick wall with a spoon. It doesn't hate her; it's just annoyed.

Those three are the only tropes listed that I don't think apply (or give the wrong impression) out of the dozens that have been added to several fics over the past few days (Seriously, this has been amazing to watch happen in real time, and I'm in awe of and humbled by the dedication). I hope that this post is taken as it's intended, an effort to make sure the resource is accurate, rather than as complaining. The fact that a TvTropes page dedicated to my fanfics exists at all is an immense privilege, and it delights me in a way I can't fully describe to know that there are people who enjoy (over)thinking about the silly things I write in the same manner that I do. I have no idea if the people who work on the page will actually see this post at all (or if they're even on tumblr, for that matter), but all the same I can't thank everyone who's involved in the project enough.

Precure Day 172

Episode: Yes! Precure 5 24 - “The New Power of the 5!” Date watched: 11 January 2020 Original air date: 22 July 2007 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/j16tyB3 Transformation Gallery: https://imgur.com/a/6k6SzS0 Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

for once it’s not a wrist brace

When we left off, Nozomi, Coco, Nuts, and secretly Milk had arrived at Nightmare HQ only to be confronted by their missing teammates: Cures Rouge, Lemonade, Mint, and Aqua wearing Nightmare masks! How can she save her friends from the depths of their own insecurities? With the power of her strong feelings, of course. Let’s dive in!

The Plot

Nozomi isn’t the only one surprised to see that her teammates have been taken. Bunbee is also taken aback at the presence of Precures in the office. Kawarino, however, taunts Nozomi and says her voice will never reach them. Nozomi tries to pull off their masks anyway, but to no avail, as Kawarino informs her these are the Masks of Despair and cannot be removed once applied. Nozomi transforms into Cure Dream, preparing to fight the villains, but her teammates quickly restrain her while Kawarino tries to put a mask on her. It doesn’t take, because she’s still holding onto hope, but Kawarino taunts her that she’s the only one left, all her friends have already sunk into despair, and this upends her long enough for the mask to take hold.

As Despariah is only interested in obtaining the Dream Collet, and nothing more, she tells Kawarino he can do as he pleases with them, so he orders them to jump into the pit, which they do. Bunbee grabs Coco and Nuts and demands they hand over the Dream Collet but Milk jumps out, latches onto his face, and this gives Coco an opportunity to escape and jump down the pit after the girls before the trap door closes. Kawarino says it doesn’t matter, because the Precures are immersed in a tranquil world where they can forget about their worries, and nobody has ever escaped it.

Inside the Dream World, Nozomi finds herself sitting at a table with Rin, Urara, Komachi, and Karen, with a huge feast in front of them. They encourage her to put aside her worries and just eat, and she does, but she hears the jingle of the charm Coco gave her, and stares at it. Even when the others encourage her to forget about it, it keeps distracting her.

Outside in the pit, Coco hears the jingle of the charm and catches up to Dream. He begs her to remember herself and wake up. Inside, Nozomi begins to question how they all got together since they have little in common, and reiterates that she’s forgetting something. Suddenly she remembers Coco’s words to her, encouraging her to work hard to make amends with her friends, and she calls out for him, and his voice reaches her as well. Her mask begins to crack, which startles Kawarino. Coco puts his head against hers and enters her dream, where they both appear on the top of a flowery hill.

He embraces her and says he thought he’d never see her again. She tells him that he reminded her about what was important, and that she has a dream she wants to come true! Then her mask completely shatters apart! Kawarino can feel this and is completely floored.

Dream and Coco go to help the other cures break out of the nightmare. Nozomi reappears in the dream as Cure Dream and encourages them to leave. They all appear dead-eyed now, and mutter about their insecurities, but Dream encourages them to circle around and hold hands. Her warmth reaches them all and she apologizes for causing trouble, but they all accept the blame.

All of their masks shatter and break in a huge burst of light, and they reappear in the Nightmare boardroom, astonishing Bunbee, Kawarino, and even Despariah herself. Nuts and Milk take the chance to break free from Bunbee’s grasp at this point. Kawarino is furious that his plan failed but Bunbee urges him not to fight in the boardroom, so he teleports them all to his special arena, a huge colosseum, and brings in Girinma to throw them around.

The team tries to remove Girinma’s black mask but he’s too far gone and too strong and he flings them into the walls. Kawarino tries to sneak attack Dream but Rouge saves her, so he attempts to get into her head again by telling her that she’s hurting because of Nozomi, but Rouge says she just wants to protect her friend. He goes over to Lemonade and suggests that she should give up on her friends and save herself, but she rebuts that she will keep her friends AND her dreams, and Dream and Rouge come over to save her. He turns his attention to Mint, who is restraining Girinma, and tells her she’s stuck with the boring jobs again. Aqua comes to her side and insists this is Komachi’s kindness, which she knows better than anyone. The villain taunts Aqua by calling her a loner, but Mint responds that they’re all there for her and they’ll never let her feel lonely again! Together they’re unstoppable! And while the older two are keeping Girinma restrained, Dream, Rouge, and Lemonade all do a flying kick that knocks him over. At this point, Kawarino is fed up at the setbacks and powers up Girinma one more time into an even bigger, more monstrous form, and once again he sends the girls flying.

The fairies come over to Dream and Milk laments how useless she’s been, and how all of this is her fault for getting in the way, but Dream tells her that she wants to rebuild the ornament together with Milk. The girls all stand up and face Girinma, who prepares his final blow, but Milk screams out that she wants to rebuild the ornament as well, and her bag begins to glow.

yeah it’s basically the same thing as Porun

Five color-coded beams of light erupt from her bag and appear in the sky, turning into a giant butterfly-shaped baton. Nuts surmises that this is a new attack for the team and they unite their feelings, board the butterfly like a spaceship called the Symphony Set, and begin to fly it around. It sprouts enormous butterfly wings made of energy, and they charge it right into Girinma, declaring the attack Precure Five Explosion. Kawarino flees before the impact, and Girinma is disintegrated.

The girls fly off on the Symphony Set out of the Nightmare dimension and arrive back at their school, where it breaks apart into five lights that enter their brooches. Coco and Nuts praise Milk for her strong feelings creating this new power.

We cut back to the shop, where we see the girls and Milk have all completed the ornament. Milk plays tsundere but it’s clear to all that she was eager to be involved, and Nuts notices that she’s blushing. Everyone laughs it off as the scene fades out.

The Analysis

I love how Nozomi never ever gives up, even when it would be so much easier to do so. She’s the Precure of hope, damn it, she’s not going to lose herself so easily! She has enough awareness to wonder how and when she became friends with the school’s idols, and then Coco’s charm helps to remind her of the reality where they’re Precures. She’s able to break out of the nightmare world with his help and then she dives right back in to help the others to break free as well, because that’s the kind of person she is. This is what being the Pink Cure is about. And how does she appeal to them? She tells them that together, they can do anything. She rekindles their friendship by accepting them as they are, acknowledging that each of them has flaws and insecurities, but together they’re stronger than anything.

This is reiterated during the climactic fight in the arena, where Kawarino goes around to each of the girls trying to hit them in their insecurities but, thanks to Nozomi’s earlier encouragement, they refute him and help encourage each other. Even Milk gets in on the action. When she feels useless for being unable to help in the battle or any other aspect of their lives, Dream encourages her by saying they’ll rebuild the butterfly ornament together, and this reinforcement of her value to Nozomi and the girls leads her to try to protect them and unlocks the Symphony Set. Nozomi is the heart and soul of this team, and everyone is better for having her around, just as she’s better for having them.

What’s really interesting about the dream world they all end up in is that it’s not some dystopian hellscape, it’s actually very pleasant. They’re all sitting at a table eating a feast together, it’s practically idyllic. However, the girls have no memory of being Precures, or of the fairies. The idea seems to be to trap them in paradise forever and they’ll never want to leave. It might have worked, but Nozomi being the glue that holds them all together gives her a heightened awareness of the oddity of them all hanging out together without a clear reason to do so, which is what starts to wake her up.

I forgot to point this out in the ep 23 review, but the Masks of Despair that the Nightmare Cure 5 wear are the same ones worn by the Nightmare board, as opposed to the pointy ones worn by Kowaina.

Top to bottom: Nightmare 5, Nightmare executive board, normal Kowaina mask, Girinma’s black mask

It really raises the question of who’s actually underneath those masks? Other subjects that Nightmare has conquered? They don’t seem to be allies to the cause...

One fun little animation tidbit was when the team broke out of their masks, they transitioned from a shot of them in the dream world to the real world, in the same position, even though we’ve seen clearly that motions do not track 1:1 between the two realms. In this case they really were all holding hands to break free and I thought that was a good touch.

What I love about this episode is that we get to see the team unite after a great hardship and prove the strength of their deep bonds, being rewarded with an even greater power. Their fight in the colosseum is one of the best fights we’ve had in this show so far, because of the high stakes and how the girls are all reaffirming their bonds with each other along the way, to make up for the disagreement. The setting allows them to jump around through rubble and stadium seats and entryways and walls, and it’s very spacious so they can be scattered about before reuniting. And then they unlock that new attack.

Five Explosion is a really cool finisher, and it’s got a great musical cue to go with it. The Symphony Set may be kind of strange looking in their individual modes, and even when combined it’s weird, but they all get beamed up onto it like it’s some kind of spaceship, and it sprouts giant butterfly wings. That’s leaps and bounds more imaginative than anything the FW shows did with their powerups. It’s all about presentation!

This also wraps up Milk’s introductory arc nicely. She started out very selfish, exploiting others for her advantage, because she had to in this cruel world. She continues being rude even after reuniting with Coco and Nuts and meeting the Legendary Warriors, and she does cause them a lot of grief, but they still stick their necks out for her when she’s in danger and this doesn’t go unnoticed. She feels extremely helpless when Nightmare kidnaps them all, and defies orders to stay behind at Natts House Ultimately this pays off because she’s able to save Coco and Nuts from Bunbee and retrieve the Dream Collet, and then during the battle with monstrous Girinma she desperately wants to save the girls in return for all their kindness to her, unlocking their new power. Going forward, she’ll still be rude, but she’s definitely improved.

On the villain side of things, this is a sad farewell to Girinma, the first and best of the current crop. He was that perfect mix of cunning and ruthless while still being entertaining to watch. Also his voice was great. This shows us just how far Nightmare will go to achieve their goals, that they would turn one of their best generals into a mindless beast as punishment. They are an entirely results-oriented company, and don’t actually care about their employees. Oh, how the analogies write themselves.

One of the most satisfying parts of this episode comes at the very end, when they’ve completed the ornament and they’re all sitting back admiring it. It bookends this arc perfectly. Milk snarks about wanting to make sure they didn’t screw it up again but it’s clear she really wanted to help.

Notably, in the middle of it, you can see the charm that Coco made with one bead for each of them, fairies included, and I think that’s a really nice touch. The eight of them are united by the same goal: restoring the Palmier Kingdom and defeating Nightmare, but more importantly their friendship is at the core of the show, which this charm represents just right. And I believe you can see this ornament in the background going forward so it wasn’t just a plot point to be forgotten.

The climax in the middle of the show is always intense, by necessity, but this one feels even more desperate than those of FW, MH, or SS because this time, not only did the villains win for a time, they actually subjugated the heroines for a bit. The stakes in the prior shows may have been higher, but the way it’s portrayed here really tugs at the heartstrings, so I’m giving it the win. (for reference check days 25, 26, 72, 73, 120, and 121. Also, days 30 and 122 for powerups following these incidents). The next episode will be a breather from the intensity, it’s a very light-hearted and fun respite as they prepare for a vacation. Look forward to it!

Pink precure Catchphrase Count: 1 kettei during the preview. It counts!

Just How Old is Ven in KHUX?

KHUX, KHIII, and BBS SPOILERS AHEAD

Okay so I’m going to finally sit and write this all out so I can try and make sense of -gasp- the Kingdom Hearts timeline. At least part of it. 

So we know that Ventus is 15-16 in BBS. For less confusion in this, we’ll say he’s sixteen. We know that he’s spent 4 years in the Land of Departure after Xehanort ditched him and before BBS:

“Four years before Aqua and Terra take their Mark of Mastery exam” (link) 

So Ven was roughly 12 when he came to the Land of Departure. 

Which okay 12 year old keyblade wielder, sure that’s okay (the grown ass adult in me is screaming that he should be at home drinking a juice box while doing homework). Sora was 14 and, while I have issues with the fate of the world in the hands of babies, KH has a precedent for around this age.  

The question is, how old was Ven during Kingdom Hearts Union Cross? 

This is where things became more muddled but to break down my theory of his age, we’ll have to go a little off tangent. 

So we know Ven was Xehanort’s apprentice. For how long though? Did Xehanort stumble on this kid with amnesia that could somehow summon a keyblade (try and tell me he won’t have amnesia after KHUX, do you see where that tragedy is going???) and was all like “Ah here’s a good sacrifice to use for my nefarious, convoluted plot that will only come to a head in almost twenty years and be defeated pretty much by the power of friendship”? 

More so, did Xehanort find him instantly wherever Ven appeared (Scala ad Caelum? Radiant Gardens? Destiny Island?) or was Ven wandering for an unknown time as a lost kid? With my theory, I think Xehanort found him instantly, possibly even knew when Ven would appear (MoM told him maybe? You decide).

More so, Ven’s name is the same in the “present” as the KHUX plot during the Age of Fairytales, so we can presume two possibilities: that Ven had just enough memories that he could remember his name OR he had all of his memories before losing them somehow. So beyond the issue of this child needing so much therapy from repeated memory loss, let’s explore these.

First up: Just enough memories. 

We know Darkness can manipulate memories, so it’s possible that Darkness, when he somehow got back into Ven in KHUX (since he’s in Ven’s heart by the time of KHIII), could alter Ven’s memories. With the pods and time travel, we don’t know how long it takes for the hearts to travel. Is it light speed? A blink of an eye? Thousands of years but for the body it was like 5 minutes? For my theory, I like the thousands of years travel but for the body it was only like five minutes idea. This would give Darkness plenty of time to bury all those memories and leave Ven practically a blank slate. The one thing he couldn’t erase was his name, the core of his being. I also like to think that Ven is aware of Darkness at the time of him going in the pod and is fighting with every fiber of his being to hold onto whatever bits of himself that he can. Ultimately that’s his name and a key personality trait (his strong belief in friendship “my friends are my power”). 

For the other theory we’ll have to go a little out there. From what we know involving the pods and time travel in KH, it causes the person to lose their memories when they come through UNLESS it’s a Maleficent situation. Girl had all of her memories of the past because the three fairies -coughmerryweatherdammityouhadonejobcough- remembered her, she could come back. But who in the future would know Ventus to let him keep his memories? 

Theory Time: Xehanort did. How do you ask? The story of the Dandelions and the New Union leaders has been passed down alongside the story of the Keyblade War in Scala ad Caelum. We know from conversations in KH3 with Young Xehanort and Young Eraqus that their Master’s favorite story was about the Keyblade War. My idea is that the Dandelion’s were a side story about the survivors and who was one of the new Union Leaders of the Dandelions? Ven. And as long as someone in the time you are going to knows your name and something about you (I guess, KH doesn’t go into details), you can come back. But then how did the story pass on so Xehanort could hear it? Well Eraqus bears a very eerie resemblance to one Brain from KHUX. My guess is that Eraqus is a descendant of Brain, which means somehow Brain got out of the Data Daybreak Town at some point in KHUX and passed on the story of the Dandelions. Maybe the reason Xehanort knows it as well as he does is because it’s a story that Eraqus knows like the back of his hand because of his family. Maybe Brain even had photos of the leaders that he kept with him so Xehanort knew what Ven even looked like cause they were heirlooms Eraqus showed him. If none of that pans, maybe MoM told Xehanort something. Who knows. 

All of this to come to the idea that Xehanort, and Eraqus too I am positive, knew that Ven was a lot older than his actual physical age and possibly even knew he was a Union Leader. This is hinted at in Ven’s short story:

“Maybe the Master knew more about the real me than he ever let on, all the things I don’t know about myself. But now he’s gone, so I guess we’ll never know.” (link)

Now Ven could have been talking about Vanitas, but since he already knows about Vanitas and his past with Xehanort, I personally don’t think that’s what Ven’s talking about here.

So Ven would awaken with all of his memories but how would he react to the new time and people and Xehanort? I think this will rely on what happens at the end of KHUX but something tells me Ven will be in a very vulnerable, easy to manipulate state. Maybe Xehanort would convince him that it’s because light grew too powerful that Darkness appeared and was trying to restore order that way. Maybe he convinced Ven that he was his apprentice and dreamed the events of KHUX from his stories. Either way, Ven became his apprentice. He would lose his memories though, minus his name because Xehanort knew it and would tell Eraqus, when his heart was split to create Vanitas. 

It’s a wild theory but you know what, Kingdom Hearts is chock full of random events and plot lines so who knows, I might be totally right on that idea. 

With either theory, I believe that Xehanort knew no matter what that Ven was a keyblade wielder from the Age of Fairytales.

Now back to Ven’s age. Xehanort, knowing that using the keyblade is like riding a bike (tell me it’s not, once your body is taught how to swing or throw something it becomes muscle memory) and that a heart never truly forgets (he’s been studying the dark, the light, and has an interest in hearts by this time), would probably not waste much time in taking Ven under his wing. It would probably take a bit of time to convince Ven that he can use the keyblade well, since we can see Ven lacks confidence in KHUX, but not as long as a full apprenticeship. Being a Union Leader, I imagine that Ven, back in KHUX, was probably counted in the same rank as a Master, if only because of his position. My guess is, this was six or so months, just long enough to get the sacrificial lamb ready for a slaughter. For clarity’s sake, let’s say six months even. 

If Ven was exactly 12 years old on the day of him arriving in the Land of Departure, this would make Ven 11 years and six months old when he first arrived in the future as well as at the end of KHUX. 

So we know how old Ven roughly was at the end of KHUX, cool. How old was this poor kid during KHUX? We are never told in KHUX how long the Dandelions have been in the datascape. We know a few time things though:

It has been a while, from conversations the New Union Leaders have had, but not long enough for them to want to separate the Union back into five groups.

It was shown in Brain’s flashback with Ava that this particular event with her took place four years ago. 

Relying mainly on the latter of the two, since we’ve got a specific year length on it, let’s make a few guesses. 

We know Strelitzia was told of her role to be a Union Leader shortly before the war started. Let’s say that Ava had a plan to tell each leader in a certain order. Strelitzia was last, Skuld joined the Dandelions sort of late so we’ll say she was right before her, Ephemer was told before Skuld, so that leaves Brain and Laurium. Since Ava is going against the MoM, I think she would tell Brain his role first.

Let’s say that Ephemer was told four months before the war his role and that’s when he disappeared. Skuld would be told two or three months after him. Then Strelitzia last right before. Let’s guess Laurium was told 2-3 months before Ephemer (6-7 months pre war) and by this pattern, Brain would be told 2-3 months before that (8-9 months pre war). That would mean the Dandelions have been in the datascape for roughly 3 years and 3 months at the time of the flashback beginning. I presume this is only a month before the conclusion of the Dandelions because things are starting to come to a head in the current update of KHUX. 

So let’s do the math with this: 

Ven is 11 and a half years old at the conclusion of KHUX.

Ven is maybe 11 and 5 months old at the time of the flashback. 

This would make Ven roughly 8 and 2 months old when the Dandelions were put in the datascape and he became a Union Leader in the aftermath of the Keyblade War. 

Let that marinate in your thoughts.

Just like an eight year old. A fucking baby. Who let this baby bean have a keyblade at 8 years old?!?!?!?

This makes KHUX have so much more sense though. I always wondered why Ephemer and co were surprised that Ven was a Union Leader, it wasn’t like they were well known or high gatherers of lux that we know of. But in this context it makes sense. A group of 14-16 year olds in charge with one random 8 year old in the mix would totally surprise you. 

Now of course this is just a guess. Maybe Ava told Brain super early to throw off the MoM’s plans and the Dandelion’s were only in the datascape for a year or two. We also don’t know when Ven became a wielder. My guess is at 7 or 8 years old in the original theory but with this latter idea, maybe Ven was closer to 10 or 11 at the time of the war. 

Still, it kind of throws me off that Ven was possibly as young as 8 when he was used by Darkness to kill Strelitzia (or was a witness to this traumatizing event at the very least). 

My conclusions: 

Ven needs so much therapy. Like, so, so much therapy. I will chip in, just someone get this kid to a therapist. 

The Kingdom Hearts timeline is a mess and trying to unravel it leads to so many issues.

I spent way too long on this. 

Anyone else have opinions on Ven’s age in KHUX or other ideas involving it?��

Well now that the initial shock has settled in and everyone is basically in agreement that our new antagonists for season 3 are more then likely going to be Human!Ai and Human!Roboppy (probably more in a henchman-like role for her though (I can already tell the dialogue between these two is going to be hilarious), I wanted to go more in depth on this because there is just so much to dissect on what Ai is planning on doing and just how far he is willing to go to complete his goal of what we can all assume just from the ending of episode 103 is to bring back the other Ignis (Flame, Aqua, Windy, Earth, and even Lightning (who is the main reason the other four are dead in the first place).

The key thing to note in this whole thing from just the simple scenes of Ai at the beginning and end of episode 103 is that he seems to be driven by guilt. The guilt of not being able to save his kin. The guilt of being the last Ignis. Maybe some guilt of not being there when the Cyberse World was destroyed by Lightning and Bohman. Maybe if he was there, he could have been able to stop Lightning before any of these tragedies were set into motion. Maybe at that time he could have been able to talk Lightning out of his plan and try and help him not seem so inferior. After all, Lightning did say that Ai was the wisest of the Ignis and the one to truly show them what it meant to have free will.

Now we have already seen first hand what guilt can drive a person to do in this series. I mean look at Ryoken for example. He has a giant guilt complex. The guilt that lead him to freeing the Lost Children because of him leading to Yusaku kidnapping and what his father was doing to him and the rest of the children. The guilt that made him feel responsible for what happened to his father because of that one simple choice. The guilt that lead him to almost nuking the whole world wide web to make up, in his eyes, his previous mistake that got his father killed. Guilt is just terrifying on what it can lead someone to do to try and set things right. The purest of people can make the worst decisions when they aren’t thinking straight if they truly believe that it will make amends to their crimes, even if it means committing another crime to do so. And that’s exactly how I see season 3 playing out in terms of what they are going to do with Ai’s character.

I don’t see Ai as the villain in the typical sense. He isn’t going to be the bad guy just to be the bad guy and turn on humanity just because he feels like it or blames humanity for what happened to the others (since again that was all Lightning’s fault (but I guess you can make a case for Earth’s death but again that wouldn’t have happened if Lightning didn’t destroy the Cyberse World in the first placing, forcing everyone to flee for their lives). Again like Ryoken in season 1, he probably thinks he’s doing the right thing even if the way he’s going to go about it will be completely wrong. Now there’s the whole debate if he has gone a little crazy (as the new opening has shown with his psycho expressions that we are all familiar with when it comes to Yu-Gi-Oh villains) but it is still up in the air at the moment if when Ai took in Lightning’s remaining power, he also took in some of his madness (in a Yubel/Light of Destruction kind of situation from GX) or when he reformed himself from the backup he left in Roboppy, he didn’t come back completely the same and became corrupted over time. Still I don’t think Ai will turn pure evil because of either of these reasons. His views might just get a little warped and mix in the already existing guilt of not being able to save his kin and that just doesn’t sound like a good combination to be left unchecked. It also doesn’t help that Ai was based on Yusaku and we all know how Yusaku handled his trauma during season 1. If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with these two, revenge might just be Ai’s best medicine (btw amazing parenting right there, Yusaku).

Which leads me into what Ai is planning on doing from within SOL Technologies. Safe to say, there is a LOT Ai can gain if he’s able to take out Queen (which is what more then likely is going to happen). If he can take control of SOL, he has access to the main controls of Link Vrains and can start screwing with the system for whatever else he has planned. He will have their new androids, the SOLtiS, under his control (which he can use to give the other Ignises human bodies such as himself and Roboppy have (since I think they already stole two of them to give himself and her human forms) when he is able to bring them back or if he does go mad with power during all of this (since absolute power corrupts the mind absolutely is a thing), he will have an android army in the making). They still have some of Earth’s data (which I’m pretty sure Ai hasn’t forgotten that little detail and is probably going to enjoy murdering Queen for dissecting his friend (after all he said his famous “I’m starting to hate humans too” line after he found out what happened to Earth (again revenge is the best medicine) which he can use to find a way to bring back Earth or to use as a starting block on how to. And if all of Earth’s remaining data is still inside of Go, pretty sure SOL will still have Go’s file on hand, meaning that Ai can easily find him and take him out to get his buddy’s data back. And most importantly, Ai will have access to all the Lost Incident files. SOL Technologists was the one to cover the whole thing up so they should have records of everyone who was involved. If Ai really wants to bring everyone back, the best route, if he has no other options, might just be to recreate them from their source, aka their Origins.

I talked about this little theory of mine the other day so I’ll just quickly sum it up. Takeru, Miyu, Spectre, Jin, and WO aren’t in good positions right now and might have to go through the Lost Incident again just to bring back Flame, Aqua, Earth, Lightning, and Windy if Ai is really willing to go that far. Heck he might even guilt trip Takeru into willingly participating if he himself is missing Flame that much (since I think Soulburner is going to lose to Revolver because he doesn’t have Flame with him to help him and that’s what’s going to cause Takeru to really try and find a way to being his partner back). However they aren’t the only ones in danger. If Ai wants to recreate the Hanoi Project to a T, he might also go after the Knights of Hanoi since they were the ones to create the Ignis in the first place. Obviously since Dr. Kogami is dead, I don’t think they are going to be exactly perfect (more on that in a bit) so he’s going to go for the next best thing in Ryoken since he obviously knows the Ignis algorithm because his father taught him. He could also go after Blood Shepherd, Kusanagi, and/or Yusaku since they all also know their algorithm but Ryoken makes the most sense in this situation. Back to Ryoken, I think it might be some nice character development for him (since last episode kinda had him regress in it a bit in some people’s eyes) if he’s the one to try and get Ai to stop what he’s trying to do, not because of his whole anti-Ignis thing but because he knows what it is like to be completely driven by guilt and he also knows what it is like to lose someone dear (aka his father) and trying to being back the dead isn’t a good idea (if anyone here has seen Pet Sematary, you know what I’m talking about). 

Which leads me into the fact that if the other Ignis do come back through this way, I don’t think they are going to be the exact same. They might not be fully operational, they might not have free will anymore or their memories, or they might all just come back as super anti-human and turn on their human friends (on that note I will cry if Flame comes back and tries to kill Takeru like Windy did with his partner). We saw what happened in ARC-V when Leo tried to play god and bring back Ray. Things go horribly wrong fast. This season could very well end up like that, where all the Ignis do stay dead, with Ai joining them, with the show ending on the note that we shouldn’t let technology get this advanced or bad things happen or on a more happy note with all the Ignis do coming back and showing us humans and artificial intelligence can live together just like how Yusaku and Ai dreamed of. 

Now I want to talk about Yusaku and Ai and what the actual hell is going to happen between these two. Just from the new opening alone, these two are going to clash at some point but the question is over what? Where is the line going to be drawn between what is right and what’s wrong? I don’t anyone on Team Playmaker will object to trying to bring back the other Ignis (besides maybe Lightning) since Takeru clearly misses Flame and Aoi with Aqua. I’m willing to bet that Spectre would also want Earth to return and be able to meet his Ignis. So it has to be the method of what Ai is willing to do in order to accomplish his goal that is going to drive the wedge between these former partners. Like I stated before, if Ai is willing to try and recreate the Hanoi Project and put Takeru, Miyu, Spectre, Jin, and WO through that hell again just to recreate his family, obviously Yusaku is going to have a GIANT issue with that, even if he wouldn’t be about of it again. Yusaku has finally been able to move on from that event. Takeru finally has been able to move on. Everyone is finally looking to be able to move on (well we don’t know much about Miyu, Jin, and WO at the current moment but you get the idea). To thrust these teenagers back into this event is nothing short of just pure wrong. And Ai knows this. He knows VERY well what the Hanoi Project did to Yusaku. What it means to him to finally be able to move on from it. And yet if it means being able to bring back his kin, to fix everything that he blames himself for, a necessary evil is justified, right?

No, it isn’t. Not even in the slightest. Even if it doesn’t get to that point, going after SOL to begin with (from the looks of things) was a step in the wrong direction if Queen gets murdered next week (which again I can very well see happening if Ai is still pissed at her for murdering Earth). That’s why I see Playmaker being the one to confront Ai first, not the only way around because Ai has obviously no reason to go after Yusaku at all. He has risked his life time and time again to save his partner and might not want to bother him for something he purely blames himself for and trying to make immense to everyone he has made sad because of him not being able to save the others from within Bohman. Unless Ai goes freaking yandere crazy for some reason (which I’m not objecting to since since I’m ALL for the yanderes in this franchise (Yubel is my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh character for a reason) and is willing to hurt Yusaku in order to protect him (for some reason I keep thinking of a scenario where Ai tries to use his and Yusaku’s Link Sense to try and rip Yusaku’s consciousness out of his human flesh and try and throw it into an android or make him into an A.I just so he can live forever and not pass away over time (because after this guilt trip, I think Ai will lose the last bit of his sanity if something does happen to Yusaku), I don’t think he will fight Playmaker until that line is drawn and Ai comes to the realization that since Playmaker isn’t with him, he has go to against him, even if that means it will destroyed both of them emotionally, especially in terms of the dream they share together. 

So that’s pretty much my initial theories to what we could be expecting from Ai going forward into season 3. This season very well has the potential to be the best season yet for Vrains and I very much hope it doesn’t disappoint in regards to how they are going to write Ai in this role. 

On one final random note, I am curious to know though if we are just going to be seeing him in his human form 24/7 now or if he will occasionally be back in his Ignis form once in a while. I mean from what I’ve been seeing, I don’t think anyone wants to see Ignis!Ai again because damn boy, you definitely took after Ryoken in the looks department after apparently digitally puberty hit you like a truck. On that note, Yusaku and Ryoken, do something about your teenager child before he actually does murder someone!

[Trans] FTISLAND - The last tour before enlistment! During the final, Hongki announces “As 4, we will protect FTISLAND.”

During this final performance, on this day, in this venue, it was certain that everyone thought, “even with only 4 people, this is FTISLAND.”

The Korean rock band FTISLAND held the finale of its ‘FTISLAND JAPAN LIVE TOUR 2019 FIVE TREASURES’ tour at Hyogo World Memorial Hall on May 5th. Although already announced, this tour was their last before enlistment. Starting from Tokyo’s Toyoso PIT on April 4th, there were 13 performances during their 1-month long tour. From live houses to halls, to Budokan and finishing in an arena.

Before the show started, the fans in the fully sold-out audience naturally clapped along to ‘God Bless You,’ the lead track from their 9th Album ‘Everlasting’ (released on March 27), as they waited impatiently for FTISLAND to make their entrance. To mark the entrance of the members, the SE (Sound Effect) comprised of an edited and rearranged version of ‘FT Island’ from their 1st Korean album ‘Cheerful Sensibility’ (2007).

They announced, “since we can’t do a live next year to celebrate our Japanese Major Debut’s 10th anniversary, this tour will reflect our history, from our indie days to now.”

In line with this, the song ‘FT Island” was a concert staple during their indie days. As the clapping of the fans grew louder to this SE, Minhwan (Dr), Seunghyun (Gt) and Jaejin (Ba) entered. Then, as Minhwan started to drum a tight beat, Hongki (Vo) entered and they surged triumphantly into their major debut song, ‘Flower Rock’. Despite being a fast-paced song, Hongki was impressively able to stitch together a few words. Fans jumped vigorously with Hongki, and there was a sense of unity from the start.

During the section with FTISLAND’s anime and drama compositions, the lyrics to Satisfaction ‘I’ve been searching for the meaning of happiness. I wondered where it was’ were changed to ‘I wondered if it (the meaning of happiness) was in Kobe.’ Hearing the fans sing this loudly, Hongki grinned broadly. During ‘Haruka’, the theme song for a Japanese drama in which Hongki starred, Seunghyun demonstrated his rapping skills for the first time in a while.

As Hongki commanded the crowd to ‘Give me your voice!’, the ‘WOWOWO’ sing-along to ‘Aqua’ was born. Hongki opened his arms wide as if preparing to receive their voices. Then, he added his own voice thunderously to the fans’ singing. During the one Korean composition section, Hongki, Jaejin and Seunghyun head-banged to the heavy rock beats. To the fans riding the momentum of the music, Hongki sang back to them, returning the favour with his voice. During the sing-along hook of ‘Pray’, as the title suggests, Hongki clasped his hands at his chest as if in prayer. Hongki and the fan’s voices became entangled with each other in a whirlpool. As the song finished and the applause sounded, it felt as though they (the fans and FTISLAND) understood each other through the music. In FTISLAND’s lives, the rapport between the stage and the audience during this sort of stage is huge.

After the intense music, they continued on to a ‘cooling down’ acoustic set. Minhwan said, “We were worried about how we should let you hear the music from our indies era.

Seunghyun added, “so the songs we’ll play have been put into ‘blocks’ divided by season. In Japan, it goes spring, rainy season, then summer. However in Korea, the rainy season comes after summer. Without knowing this, we created the order according to Korea.”

To the backing of Seunghyun’s acoustic guitar, Jaejin started singing ‘Soyogi’, the ballad which conjures images of spring. Then, the bass was layered on top, and the vocal baton was passed to Seunghyun. During the hook of the song, Hongki’s vocals and Minhwan’s cajón overlapped, resounding in a beautiful harmony.

The mutual voices of Hongki and the fans in the venue took hold for the summery ‘Brand new Days’. Although it had been performed in this style since the first day at Toyosu PIT, the timing was changed from the original, and fans struggled to align with the new arrangement. However, fans finally succeeded during the final, and in response Hongki’s entire face lit up, and he gave the audience a thumbs up.

‘Raining’, the song coloured with the rainy season, started with Minhwan’s vocals and the fan’s voices layered upon each other. As the fans sang the chorus, Hongki would provide the harmony. He praised the fans, saying “I love hearing you sing. If I compare it to the first day, you’ve gradually gotten better.”

However, it wasn’t just FTISLAND’s main vocal Hongki singing, Jaejin, Seunghyun and Minhwan all took turns at the vocals. It was the addition of the fans’ vocals, creating perfect unity, which made this song so attractive. Sometimes intense, sometimes gentle, FTISLAND do not only push with power, but have also built up songs with varied expressions. Especially during this tour, there were many such scenes. The face of Hongki, who watched the fans singing along with gentle eyes, also created a lasting impression.  

“The atmosphere has become sad with only ballads, so we’ll raise your spirits with our favourite songs now,” said Hongki as ‘Hold the Moon’ started. When it was time for ‘Golden’, a song which Hongki professed he loved, he put his foot on the step and yelled ‘C’mon’. Gathering his voice, the excitement in the audience was roused.

The last section started with ‘Freedom’. Hongki descended from the stage and sprayed the audience with a water gun. After Seunghyun’s scream, Seunghyun and Jaejin both went from left to right, moving around all over the stage. At Hongki’s command of ‘sit down!’, the audience all sat in their seats at once. Then, at the height of the song, they all stood and shook their towels.

Continuing the excitement, next was the FT-style party tune ‘Puppy’. It was enjoyable experiencing the duet between the fans and FT, and there was also great unity enveloping the room for ‘Mitaiken Future’. With Minhwan’s drums gaining momentum, they brought their story to a close with their latest song ‘God Bless You.’ Its powerful sound enveloped the hall right until the end.

The encore opened with the magnificent ballad ‘Paradise’. On Hongki’s lead, Jaejin and Seunghyun sang solo, and then he pointed to the male fans in the audience and said, “just you (sing)!” Afterward, he said “Everyone!” and the whole hall sang as one.

“The next song is the last song of the tour. Everyone, you’ve worked hard,” Hongki said, while hanging his head low, “It’s been a long tour. We were ok with performing in small venues, because we said we just wanted to perform throughout Japan. To be the only Korean band to have been able to perform in so many different places, we held that sort of pride too.”

“Oh!” he shouted excitedly.

“Soon, we’ll have to head off, but we still have the Hiroshima live in August (replacement live), and my solo fan-meeting in July. We want to hold concerts until the very last moment before we leave. Even if it’s a sudden, surprise announcement, will you come play with us?” he asked the audience.

“This concert held a lot of meaning for us. We wanted to say ‘bye bye’ with smiles on our faces, however instead we made you worry. We will protect FTISLAND as 4. Even when we return (from enlistment), we will continue to be a band, so I ask that you please give us your continued support,” he said, which was met with long applause.

“We still have many things we want to show you, music we want to do, things we want to do. So we want to hold concerts until you all get sick of it,” he conveyed passionately to the fans.

Seunghyun, who became the lone guitarist this tour said, “during this tour, my position changed. Because there was not much time to practice, I considered cancelling the tour. However, I tried my hardest in order to protect our promise to you. You never know where life will lead you next. I received a lot of power from you. Thank you very much.”

On the first day at Toyosu PIT, his performance was filled with uncertainty. However, by the last day he showed us a stable and relaxed performance. There’s no mistaking it, Seunghyun was the one who grew the most during this tour.

“I’ve spent more than half my life with FTISLAND. From now on, we will work hard to protect the precious name of FTISLAND, so please give us your continued support.” (Minhwan)

“I used to worry about things like ‘why do you guys like us?’. Now, I just want to move forward with you all. We were nothing. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to shine.” (Jaejin)

One by one, they expressed their gratitude to the fans. Then, Hongki continued.

“Your support has strengthened our bond. You passed it on to us during every live, and I felt myself sigh after it was over. It wasn’t a sigh of worry, but rather a ‘thank goodness.’ I’m grateful,” Hongki said.

As he brought the concert to a close, he said “This is ‘Arigato’, a song that carries many meanings,” and launched into the first line of ‘Arigato’.

“We did it yesterday, so you would be mad if we didn’t do it today, right?” Hongki added as he surged into ‘Stay What You Are’. Hongki showed an amazing smile as he watched fans sing along determinedly. When the song finished, calls for another encore immediately rose. With ‘Orange Days’, this became the first triple encore of the tour. One final time, the sound of fans singing along swelled, bringing the concert to a close.

From now on, FTISLAND has become a 4-person band. On the first day, the fans conveyed their worries, however the 4 members responded one by one to these feelings during their performances. It felt as though the bonds between them and their fans have gradually grown even stronger. During this final performance, on this day, in this venue, it was certain that everyone thought, “even with only 4 people, this is FTISLAND.”

After this, FTISLAND will return to the Hiroshima City Cultural Exchange Hall on August 24 for a make-up performance. The previous performance on April 20 was cancelled due to the poor condition of Hongki’s throat.  

Hongki will also be holding his solo fan-meeting ‘Never Ending Story’ on July 12 and 13 at Pacifico Yokohama, National Convention Hall of Yokohama.

Jaejin will be participating as a guest bassist during ‘N.FLYING 2019 Live in Japan Brotherhood’ starting from June 4.

Hongki gave a teaser that “there might be a surprise soon.” It seems that FTISLAND could be preparing chances for concerts right up until the moment they leave.

Credits: Sakamoto Yukari @ Excite News

Translated by: [email protected]

Setlist:

1. Flower Rock 2. BEAT IT 3. Boom Boom Boom 4. SATISFACTION 5. ハルカ (Haruka) 6. シアワセオリー (Theory of Happiness) 7. AQUA 8. Take Me Now 9. Pray 10. Soyogi 11. Brand-new days 12. Raining 13. いつか (Itsuka) 14. Distance 15. Hold the moon 16. Golden 17. FREEDOM 18. PUPPY 19. 未体験Future (Mitaiken Future) 20. God Bless You

＜ENCORE＞ 1. Paradise 2. アリガト (Arigato) 3. Stay what you are 4. Orange Days

The reason Lea and Isa's relationship in KH3 was unsatisfying was the same reason a lot of other things in that game were unsatisfying. Nomura was so focused on sequel baiting the next saga that he didn't bother to try and wrap up the current saga properly. Wrapping up all the plot threads was an obligation, not something he actually wanted to do.

The Sad, Butchered, Unfinished Xehanort Saga: Just Tie It All to Union X and KH4!

“Nomura revealed that the theme of Kingdom Hearts III is “resolution”. It is the final battle against the main series antagonist, Master Xehanort, so his story is finally reaching its resolution. But because it is the theme, there will no doubt be many emotional resolutions to the journey’s we have taken with Sora over the years.”

Without a doubt, one of my biggest issues with KH3 is that the game seemed way more concerned with setting up future games and plots instead of wrapping up the plot threads in the Xehanort Saga. Lea and Isa’s story is just one of the many, MANY issues I had with the game’s story. The main theme of KH3 was supposed to be “resolution”. Resolution, my ass.

Everything is being left for the next game. IF there’s a next game. Nomura never acts too sure if there even will be a next game. It was rather heartbreaking to wait for such a long time, and then realize that THIS was the only “resolution” we were getting. It really pissed me off. Just look how many unresolved plot threads there are, which are now being haphazardly tied to Union χ:

The Seekers of Darkness

—When Marluxia is fading, he says, “I am on the cusp of reclaiming my identity, my purpose for being.” Did he remember that he was from the distant past?

Yes. I think if you play KH Union Cross to the end, you will learn his purpose for being.

—When Larxene said, “I was really just along for the ride,” she must have meant with…

Marluxia. It’s not certain whether Larxene has her old memories, but she was interested in Marluxia to a degree for some reason, and became his partner in his plan to overthrow the old Organization XIII.

Why are the rest of the old Organization members even part of the new Organization? They spend the whole game helping Xehanort, then act confused and grateful after Sora beats them. Why? This seemed so weird in canon. It’s clear from their dialogue after they are defeated and the giant pillar of darkness that exits their body, that Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene were supposed to be completely controlled by Xehanort.

— What happens to the hearts of those who have had Master Xehanort’s heart planted within them?They’ll gradually be swallowed by it. As for Master Xehanort, he plans to control them completely. The planted parts of the heart are captured rather than disappear.

Which is exactly what Nomura said happens to people who become vessels. I’m sure there was another explanation for their presence which probably would have been revealed in BBSV2. It would have showed how they were made vessels against their will and were being controlled. We’d actually be able to sympathize with them finally. But now it’s revealed that Marluxia and Larxene joined willingly because of Union χ stuff. Who knows if we’ll ever find out why Luxord was there.

—We never would have guessed how important Xigbar ended up being when he first appeared in KH2, either.

I hear that a lot, but on the inside I meant for Xigbar to be a character with a special position from early on, which is why I had him do suspicious things. During voice recording for KH2, while listening to Hochu Otsuka’s voice (Xigbar’s voice actor), I felt that there was no way Xigbar was just an ordinary soldier in the system—he definitely had something going on behind the scenes—and midway through production the setup developed into what we have now. That kind of thing does happen sometimes: the setup behind a character transforming as I bounce off a voice actor.

This really pissed me off. Xigbar was such an interesting villain. He always knew so much more than he let on and had his own agenda. I think the weapons in 358/2 Days actually tell the story of the character. They reference important events in chronological order. One of Xigbar’s final weapons is called “Crime and Punishment”, and I believe this was a reference to his role in the final battle. Braig hurt so many innocent people in his quest for the Keyblade. He helped turn Terra into a vessel and participated in mind control experiments. He was haunted by Ven’s glare when he looked at Xion.

He sold his soul to the devil—to Xehanort. I think once Sora beats him, and he finally gains his heart back, he is filled with shame and despair. The end of his arc was to commit suicide. Even though he was a terrible person, there was nothing to celebrate. He committed so many atrocities, yet he gained nothing. Sora and Riku look on with nothing but sadness.

Observations, Excerpt 3

It seems this body, this name will be my last…Until now, I have watched over the course of events from a distance. Perhaps the time has come to intervene. I need only play the role of a fool desirous of the Keyblade’s power. I will don the mask of his ally in order to keep watch over my Keyblade from close by.

But now…he’s Luxu! His suicide now means nothing. It was just a ruse. There’s no emotional impact whatsoever because his Xigbar persona was all just an act. Braig’s entire character arc was sacrificed so he could be a vehicle to bring in Union χ characters for KH4.

The Chamber of Waking

Why is Aqua’s armor in The Chamber of Repose?Because Aqua tried to save Terra.When she tried to retrieve Terra’s heart from Terra-Xehanort, they both fell into the realm of darkness, and she gave him both her armor and keyblade which allowed him to escape. Because of this when Ansem the Wise picked up Xehanort, he still had the armor and keyblade, which Xemnas then put in The Chamber of Repose.Why is Xemnas searching for The Chamber of Awakening?To find Ventus. The Chamber of Awakening is the room where Aqua leaves Ventus sleeping in Last Episode, and is a part of Castle Oblivion. As you can see from Xemnas calling Aqua’s armor “friend”, it seems Xemnas has Terra’s memories and so is searching for Ventus, and is making the other Organization members look for The Chamber of Awakening. The only one who can solve the mysteries of Castle Oblivion is Aqua, so the Organization was never able to find it

— So then, why is Xemnas of Organization XIII searching for Ven?Well, there’s still some time between the ending of ‘Birth by Sleep’ and ‘KHI’, so…

Xemnas was obsessed with finding the Chamber of Waking. It’s why he created the Chamber of Repose. He had Terra’s memories and thought if he could impersonate Terra, she’d tell him where the chamber was. Nomura implied that the reason he became interested in Ven was related to the time period between BBS and KH1. This was undoubtedly a reference to BBSV2.

—Were Marluxia and Larxene also the Keyblade wielders of old that Xemnas was searching for?

It hasn’t been made clear yet, but I believe those who play KH Union Cross can guess. By the way, Xemnas was also looking for the Chamber of Awakening in KH Days because Ventus, who was sleeping there, was a Keyblade wielder of old.

—So that means Xehanort was aware that Ventus was a Keyblade wielder of old?

Regarding that, I think I definitely have to show sometime how Ventus and Xehanort met.

I loved how Nomura just brought this up in such an offhand manner. Oh yeah, by the way…the reason he was looking for that chamber? The one that was hinted at ever since KH2FM+? The one that was a HUGE ass deal in Days? The one Saïx was obsessed with, since it would tell him everything about Xemnas’ secret ambition? The one Axel kept getting sent to Castle Oblivion to look for? Yeaaaah. That was actually all about Union χ.

Xehanort: “Today, all of my selves throughout time were meant to gather here, and to welcome you, Sora, as our thirteenth member.”

Xemnas wasn’t thinking Ven could be used as a vessel. Oh, no. Xehanort tried to turn Sora into a vessel, proving how desperate he was to get a 13th member. But actually he had Xion the whole time. And now he has reserve members, too! The whole time, Xemnas was looking Keyblade wielders of old. The Chamber of Waking actually had nothing to do with Xemnas’ goal in the Dark Seeker Saga or even any of the characters from this story arc. Give me a break…

Ansem’s Research

Ansem: “So many are still waiting for their new beginning, their birth by sleep. Even me…and even you.”

After KH2, Ansem the Wise was cast into the Realm of Darkness, forgetting all of his memories except those regarding Sora. He said he was waiting for a birth by sleep. It was actually pretty sad how nobody seemed to care about him or inquire about his well-being. Even after Aqua is revived, she doesn’t mention him, despite him telling her about Sora. “Ansem" just walks right up to him, and takes him back to the Realm of Light, as the plot so requires. And the reason is connected to a time-traveling mystery girl Ansem is keeping secret. It’s never explained when or how Ansem regained his non-Sora related memories.

Ansem: “Maybe he can set things right. A boy like him who touches so many hearts–he could open the right door, and save all those people whose lives I managed to ruin.”

In Re:Coded, 3D, AND the secret ending of BBSFM+, we are told Ansem felt very guilty about ruining countless people’s lives. As DiZ, he conducted research on the heart and emotions, and put the results of this research inside of Sora’s heart, as a way to clear his conscience. He still hated Nobodies and didn’t believe they had hearts. And he still wanted revenge on his apprentices at the point that Sora was sleeping. Why was he so remorseful? Well, we know that Ansem did experiments on Apprentice Xehanort, allowing him to regain the memories of his past.  

The Heartless appear in groups, and are multiplying rapidly. I’ve provided them both living and nonliving samples. They’ve responded only to the living.

After regaining his memories, Apprentice Xehanort conducted experiments on darkness that resulted in many casualties, according to “Ansem’s Reports”. Xigbar even calls the place where the experiments on darkness were conducted a “graveyard”. Xemnas unsealed the graveyard as soon as Ansem was banished. Yet in KH3, Xehanort’s Heartless is accusing Ansem the Wise of sacrificing children in the name of his research? Um…talk about the pot calling the kettle black. When did Ansem the Wise sacrifice all these children anyways?

We are not meant to interfere in the depths of another’s heart, no matter what our reasons for doing so…And my error plunged me into despair. A visitor from another world soothed my dejected soul.

After finding out about the experiments his apprentices were doing, Ansem blamed himself. He felt horrible. It makes perfect sense that this is what he was referring to when he said he wanted to atone. He feels personally responsible for the lives that Xehanort ruined, because he interfered in the depths of his heart. Xehanort did go around calling himself “Ansem,” after all. This was probably due to the influence Ansem had on his heart. Xehanort’s Heartless has orange eyes, just like Ansem the Wise. Saïx also has orange eyes in all games after the original KH2. This was done in anticipation of a major plot revelation, of course. I’m sure Isa was one of the ruined lives that Ansem felt bad about, especially after he learned that he was in Organization XIII, along with his apprentices.

Xemnas: “Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind, and convince it to renounce its sense of self.”

The apprentices conducted experiments in an attempt to control the mind, to get it to renounce its sense of self.  Isa just happened to be trying to sneak into the castle with Lea, during the exact same time period these experiments were being conducted. Now he is a Seeker of Darkness, has a big Recuasnt’s Sigil scar, and his personality turned into Xehanort 2.0. But Isa had NOTHING to do with the mind control experiments. Oh, no. His association with the apprentices is all connected to the mystery girl. She’s Subject X. And despite being named “X”, she doesn’t have anything to do with the mind control experiments, the X-blade, nor the creation of vessels. She has nothing to do with the Xehanort saga at all.

Memoirs, Excerpt 1

The castle was a wonderland to us children. Within its walls, Ansem the Wise conducted his research, and the fruits it bore allowed everyone outside to live in peace and happiness. That alone was enough to stoke our interest, though not all of the rumors that escaped its walls were so benevolent. By night, the muffled sounds of human wails emerged. There was talk of dangerous human experimentation. Lea and I couldn’t help but hatch a plot to steal inside and sate our curiosity…

…But we did not find her inside on that day or the next, or any of our subsequent visits. Had she been moved? Had we simply imagined her? Lea and I knew there was only one way to be certain. And so we stand before the castle gates today, not as trespassing children but in order to become Ansem the Wise’s newest apprentices.

So the screams are so loud, even two random kids are aware that something unsavory is going on in that basement. And Ansem did not know? And how were Lea and Isa able to constantly sneak in and out of the castle to see this girl? Did the apprentices not bother to keep their horrible secret lab secure?

When Ansem the Wise finds out about the horrible experiments his apprentices were conducting, he releases the prisoners and takes “Subject X” away. When two children show up on his doorstep asking to become apprentices, he instantly says yes and allows them to be around Xehanort? How does that make any sense?

Organization XIII

Ansem the Wise had six apprentices, the best of whom called himself Xehanort. The real Ansem abandoned his studies of the heart, but Xehanort could not let it stop there. He and the other apprentices betrayed Ansem and cast their hearts away to continue their master’s research.

—KH3D Glossary

Oh, right. Because Ansem only had SIX apprentices. Lea and Isa were NOT apprentices.

Axel’s Past

— Even though Axel had been eliminated in Kingdom Hearts II, since that time, had you considered having him appear again in his human form Lea?I thought a lot about that. Should I leave him as he was or should I bring him back again? However, when I considered the people that Lea wants to bring back, his existence plays a big role. I think Lea has successively become a key character.

Along with “resolution”, the main theme of KH3 was “healing pain”. Well, Lea’s pain was never healed. KH3 tried its absolute hardest to downplay Lea’s relationship with Isa. KH3 was a much more high-profile game than any of the previous ones. And I cannot help but think the original idea for Lea and Isa’s relationship would have been considered “too intimate” for two guys, in a mainstream high budget game. I suspect this was a major reason it was altered so heavily, along with accommodating Skuld. Because it was really not necessary to alter their story so much.

– On to the Kingdom Hearts III questions, what new worlds can we expect in Kingdom Hearts III?

I’m not allowed to say what will be coming in Kingdom Hearts III, but each time when I select the worlds for the game I choose some stable choices that are accessible for the game and the story, and I try to insert surprising factors. I want everyone to be surprised to see that particular world. For Kingdom Hearts III I want to make sure that there will be a lot of surprises.

I mean, after 3D ended, everything was set up perfectly. It wouldn’t have taken that long to go to Radiant Garden and have Lea learn that his friend was Xehanort’d using a few cutscenes and Secret Reports. Just in general, not being able to explore Radiant Garden is inexcusable. Nomura wanted to have hub worlds in KH3 for story purposes. Well who needs ‘em when there’s hardly any non-Disney story anymore, right?

If Lea went back to Radiant Garden, he could have had more of an emotional connection to the final battle. There was a reason he was always staring into the sunset. There was a reason he awkwardly dodged Kairi’s suggestion to change clothes. Days showed that Lea’s pain was connected to his past. It weighs heavily on his heart. He’s hurting and needs closure. Downplaying Isa and Lea’s relationship just doesn’t work. It robs Lea of his main source of emotional conflict.

— I see… Roxas appears dressed in the black coat in Castle Oblivion among other worlds too. Was that something else that Namine had not added intentionally?Right. Since Roxas and Sora together make up one existence, if there is a Sora made of Kingdom Hearts I data, then data of Roxas must exist too. Roxas says, “It’s my personal duty to check whether or not Sora is ready to take the pain.” However that role was not assigned by Namine, Roxas personally decided that goal and acted upon it accordingly.

I maintain that it was supposed to be Sora’s job to deal with Roxas. That’s his Nobody. That was the entire point of Re:coded and Sora’s ending in KH3D. His job was to confront the painful memories sleeping inside of him, and to find a resolution. KH3D, BBS, and Days set up the idea that lsa was going to be the focal point of Lea’s character arc and his main objective going forward.

BBS showed Lea was really close to Isa. Days showed that Axel was really sad about losing something precious from the past. In KH3D, Lea woke up and couldn’t find Isa. He was revealed to be a vessel in a dramatic fashion at the very end of 3D, and then Lea summons his Keyblade. Like the other Guardians of Light, Lea needed to master the power of light and learn to use the power of waking. He lost out on an entire character arc designed to help him grow as a person. His role in KH3 was just NOT compelling, and his pain was left totally unresolved.

–Many people who have finished KH3 are interested in the “girl” that Lea and Isa were looking for, and the existence of the “NAMELESS STAR” in the Final World. Can you give us any kind of hint about the truth behind these girls? Are they characters who have already appeared in the series?

I think this is also possible to figure out for yourself if you look at all the secret reports, but yes, they are characters who have already appeared in the series. You will find out who “NAMELESS STAR” is if there is a next time.

But on top of that, his personal backstory was not explored. It was heavily implied to be a very tragic backstory, too. He said memories are nothing but baggage, and he didn’t wanna tell Roxas all his “dark secrets”. But he still said that his memories of the past were the one thing he couldn’t bear to lose. There was a time when he was truly happy. Axel was deeply miserable during his time in the Organization. The reveal of his past should have been for the audience to empathize more with him. It should have been the time for Sora and friends to better understand his complex personality—to finally learn why a former Organization member is worthy to be their friend.

In a short span of time, he loses is heart, becomes an unwilling member of Organization XIII, and is forced to follow Xemans’ icky orders or get turned into a Dusk. When his backstory finally is revealed, the focus isn’t even on him as a character. It became all about a sequel-bait mystery girl. The focus is not on Lea’s pain, his experiences dealing with Xehanort, how he lost all semblance of a normal life, or how he felt about the change in his best friend’s personality. There was no emphasis on the personal tragedy of his life: changing from an innocent frisbee-playing kid into a ruthless assassin. His past became simply an excuse to shoehorn Skuld into the timeline. Lea was just a means to an end: Union χ and KH4.

Subject X

— By the way, Braig’s dealings with Master Xehanort in Birth by Sleep make sense now, as he was to become a vessel.

There is a certain reason for Braig to proudly exclaim, “I’m already half Xehanort.” Isa (Saïx) is included too. I think you’ll understand the details about their circumstances eventually.

I have spoken a lot about how Subject X took Isa’s backstory, which I 100% believe to be the case. It really pissed me off. Everything about Isa was intentionally kept a mystery. In Days all we learn is that Saïx is really cold and nasty and he used to know Axel as a human. We don’t know why he cant “see” Xion. We don’t know why he and Axel are plotting to take over the Organization. We don’t know why Xemans has taken such a liking to Saïx, that he ignores Axel and Saïx’s plot against him.

He was mysterious! Look how many times it’s pointed out that Saïx can’t “see” Xion. Just in the Reports, it’s pointed out FOUR separate times by four different characters!

Day 150: Dealing with Xion

As expected, the Duplicate is starting to show its limits. The Program showed promise, but a puppet is just a puppet: something to be toyed with until it breaks. I am utterly at a loss as to what Roxas and Axel see in that thing. How best to dispose of it merits my consideration going forward.

Saïx says he doesn’t know what people see in Xion.

Day 172: Meaning Behind the Words

There has to be something to what Saïx said. Why isn’t Xion qualified to be one of us? He said to just look at her, but at what? The fact that she looks like Naminé? Xion and Naminé must be connected. Whose Nobody is Xion, anyway? What is Saïx hiding?

Axel doesn’t know what Saïx is talking about, but thinks there has to be something more to it.

Day 255: Final Stages

Xion’s appearance should vary based on the relation of the viewer to her. Saïx sees her simply as a puppet. The Program approaches completion. Through Roxas, Xion is assembling a copy of the hero of the Keyblade. As proof, she sometimes appears to take on his form to my eyes.

Xemans is intrigued that Saïx merely sees Xion as a puppet.

Day 256: Who We Each See

Xion’s disappearance is fascinating. If she really is breaking from our control, it’s a sign of her approaching the essence of the hero. It seems Saïx doesn’t truly “see” her. I’m curious to know how she appears to the others. I see her as…him, though I suspect that Xemnas sees entirely something else in her.

And Xigbar is also intrigued that he can’t “see” Xion. This was extremely important!

In BBS, we don’t know why Isa was so…normal compared to his Nobody. And we didn’t know why Lea and Isa were so dead-set on sneaking into the castle, even before Terranort became an apprentice and started human experiments. In KH3D, we don’t know why he wasn’t there when Lea woke up, and we don’t know why he attacked Lea at the end. We don’t know why Young Xehanort chose to retrieve him and not any of the other apprentices. It was a very intentional set up filled with mystery and intrigue, spanning many years and multiple games. And it all amounted to a hill of beans.

When they came up with the idea of Isa being best friends with Lea and sneaking into the castle, OF COURSE they had a whole story in mind. And OF COURSE that story was going to explain his pointy ears, orange eyes, his scar in the shape of a Recusant’s Sigil, and Axel’s constant laments over how much his personality changed. It was SO blatantly obvious. Isa had a very tragic backstory. And Nomura seemed excited for the time when we would get to learn all the details on it.

–There are several Organisation members whose original names are still unknown. Will we have a chance to learn them someday, or to find out about the scar on Isa’s face?

If there is a sequel, then that chance may come. But in my heart right now my desire is a blank page.

BBSV2 and KH3 was supposed to be Isa’s time to shine. We’d finally learn the truth about him, and Lea would finally know that his friend never stopped caring about him. He has a new goal. He has to save Isa, too. Yet Isa’s backstory and tragic past was simply a means to introduce Skuld. At least Lea had a decent amount of development from the other games. He felt adequately fleshed out thanks to his strong personality. People care about him and he’s popular.

Isa was reduced to being a plot device instead of an actual character. And now we are not even going to learn about how he got his scar. He’s just there to obtain some replicas and bring up the new girl in the most awkward and contrived way possible. “Oh yeah, before I clobber you tomorrow, remember that girl we never mentioned? Did you find out where she is yet?”

I arose today and decided to walk out in the square, my first outing in some time. Yet my stroll was interrupted when a surprising visitor appeared with an unexpected offer. Though younger than me, he’d risen to become Xemnas’s right-hand. I accepted his terms and became a Nobody once more—easier to gain access to the old Replica Program that way. Whatever it takes to atone.—Vexen

Saïx was 100 times more villainous than Axel. Lea had to do a lot to get Mickey, Sora, Kairi and the others to view him as a friend.  Axel’s redemption spanned multiple games. Kairi was afraid of him at first and Donald was insistent that Yen Sid shouldn’t allow him to wield a Keyblade. In KH2, Axel is portrayed as sympathetic. He’s lonely and sacrificed himself for Sora. Saïx is not portrayed sympathetically. He spends the whole game hunting Axel, kidnaps Kairi, and dies fighting Sora.

Axel got an entire game focused on his friendship with Roxas and Xion to humanize him to the audience, before he was fit to became one of the good guys. Saïx is never humanized in this way. Quite the opposite, actually. He’s made out to be as nasty and inhumanly cold as possible. He shows no redeeming qualities whatsoever. He’s portrayed worse after he was envisioned as Axel’s friend.

If you get rid of the mind control angle, you destroy whatever sympathy Isa could have gotten. You literally ruin the entire basis of his character. In KH3 Isa’s “redemption” happens entirely off-screen! Yet, as soon as the final battle was over, Isa was immediately treated as one of the good guys; on the same level as everyone else. He was in the epilogue playing on the beach and eating ice cream right alongside all the heroes. None of the characters found this the slightest bit strange or objectionable. And people think Isa’s story was always planned in advance this way? Yeah, right…

OF COURSE they originally had a very good explanation for why Isa is immediately accepted and why he isn’t held responsible for the awful deeds of Saïx . Because Isa in NOT Saïx. He deserved a normal, happy life after everything he went through. But Isa got tossed aside to make room for Skuld. So, instead of people being happy that he got rescued, we see debate about whether he deserved to be forgiven by Roxas and Xion. What a disrespectful way to treat one of your characters. Seriously. If you ask me, Nomura didn’t sound very happy in his response to that question.

The Power of Waking

“Believing light and darkness must remain in balance, Master Xehanort seeks to spark war against the ‘tyranny of light’ to restore equilibrium.

In an effort to undermine Xehanort’s plot, Sora, Donald and Goofy search for seven guardians of light and the “Key to Return Hearts,” while King Mickey and Riku search for previous Keyblade wielders.”

—Kingdom Hearts III press release

This was shortly after the game was announced in 2013. The story obviously changed after this. The Key to Return Hearts. Ansem’s data. This was all about the ability to use the power of waking. It’s supposed to be about restoring a sleeping heart to normal. The key is light. The power of waking was the main goal of KH3. This was the “key” to healing all the characters’ pain. Even the Disney worlds reinforce this theme of restoring a person to life with light and love.

In KH3, pretty much all usage of the power of waking was cut out. Sora was supposed to use it on Aqua. He was supposed to dive into her heart, just like Riku did for him in 3D and wake her up. But he doesn’t. She wasn’t even shown to be asleep. She was with Ansem the Wise and then falls in the water. This power is barely used. I think that’s why there’s countless scenes of the characters getting knocked unconscious. They were supposed to be using the power of waking, but those scenes just got taken out completely. I think everyone was supposed to use it and have character development. They are all the Guardians of Light, after all.  

Mickey and Riku are the only ones to remember the previous Keybade wielders. Riku remembers Terra and Mickey befriended Aqua and Ven. They feel guilty, fall to darkness, and use it on each other. Their friendship comes full-circle. Aqua keeps her promise to Ven to wake him up. Ven keeps his promise to Terra. Lea keeps his promise to always bring his friends back, and he is able to resurrect Isa, which fits with his Phoenix Keyblade. Sora, being the one who Ansem said was special, uses it on everyone. Kairi saves him, and is no longer pegged as a damsel. What was the main purpose of the power of waking in KH3?

—When we leave the Final World, we are back to the point just before Sora and his friends were defeated. Why is that?

The power of awakening is essentially “the power to put sleeping hearts back the way they were.” But the impact of forcing his friends’ fading hearts back the way they were rewrote reality, and created a singularity. The rewrite caused the chronology in which they were destroyed to have “never happened.”

It turned into a time travel gimmick. There probably WAS no Terranort fight at the beginning. Terranort is obviously going to be one of the final fights, along with Saïx. Then Ven and Lea use the power of waking on their friends. The Heartless swarm comes and they all get wiped out. Sora saves them and Kairi saves him. No time travel required. This “singularity” is no doubt gonna be used as an excuse to let Union χ characters come into this timeline.

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

– Mr. Nomura, since you are the one that is writing the scenario this time, how is the progress coming along?

Since we are arriving near the conclusion of Xehanort in KINGDOM HEARTS III, the outline of the story has been solidified but not necessarily the direction where the KINGDOM HEARTS series is continuing to head. We are still trying to decide where to go from several choices.

But why did the story turn out this way? I agree that Nomura’s heart just was NOT in it. But personally, I do not think KH3 turned out the way it did by design. I am not convinced that Nomura was always more concerned with sequel-baiting than offering resolution. I doubt he always felt that wrapping up the plot was an unwanted obligation.

Actually I think it might be the opposite. Nomura wanted to make BBSV2. He wanted to tell the full story and wrap up the plot correctly. After it was cancelled, I believe there were a lot of factors at play during KH3′s development that Nomura simply had no control over. To me, his desire for a “blank page” appears to be motivated by his profound disappointment with how the Xehanort saga ended.

– What is that specifically?

In the KINGDOM HEARTS series, I don’t think there has been an actual happy ending. KINGDOM HEARTS II is close to it. Since most of the titles have ended in cliffhangers, we’re worried about what we should include in KINGDOM HEARTS III.

It sounded like he wanted to keep things open for more games, but he wanted to be careful that KH3 had a happy ending without cliffhangers. I really think that behind the scenes, development must have been a disaster, much like it was with Versus XIII. Square’s console game development has been a disaster since FFXII. The development of FFXIII and FFXIV were disastrous, interfering with FFVsXIII development. XIII took members from the FFVsXIII team.  

Then Square took Nomura off of VsXIII completely to work on KH3. And they completely changed Nomura’s vision. They made FFXV a lot more “mainstream” while VsXIII was more “weird”. They probably also cancelled BBSV2, because they wanted all the focus to be on KH3, the highly anticipated big budget $$ maker. I get the feeling Nomura wasn’t allowed to do what he wanted with KH3. I honestly don’t think he was sequel-baiting because he lost interest. I think he’s sad and bitter and made everything connect to the future to distance himself from the Xehanort Saga.

– What do you say to the segment of Kingdom Hearts fans that believes the increasingly complex storyline of Kingdom Hearts stands at odd with the child-focused Disney element of the franchise?

First of all, this series is not intended to be child-focused, and so the complexity of the story is purposefully made prominent. That being said, with a series being around so long, there are a few items I have in mind so that a wider audience range can enjoy the experience. For the time being Dream Drop Distance, there is a new function called Mementos, and in the section called Chronicles, the player can read a summary on each of the titles from the Kingdom Hearts series. Whether you are just starting out or you have played all the games before and need a refresher, it has all of the key information summarized.

Nomura wrote the story for KH3. He is a smart and creative guy. His desire isn’t to make something simplistic for little kids. Sakaguchi told him unless KH1 had complexity, it would fail. This is why I liked the series. It was complex. It’s supposed to be complex. Nomura wanted to include summaries, to catch people up. Yes, the complexity can be a barrier to many people.  But…it’s a saga. You can’t expect a decade’s worth of story to be something anyone can jump straight into, unless they put in some effort to catch up.

But KH3 seemed to want to do just that. Make it for anyone and everyone. I suspect the game’s story was forced to be massively simplified to make it more accessible to a wider audience. Look how bare-bones the non-Disney world story section of the journal is, compared to the other games. When I actually looked at it, I was marveling at how little there was to summarize. It’s so…empty.

I think this is why the power of waking was cut out. For most people who are not die-hard fans, it’s very complicated. It’s all about altered states of consciousness and Jungian psychology. Different aspects of the psyche acting on their own, all taking place in a world of dreams. “So, there’s Terra’s Lingering Will, and Xemnas is his Nobody, and his heart is the Guardian, and..there’s his shadow self? But none of these are the REAL Terra? He’s asleep, but we have to collect his soul fragments? Wha? ” I think Square and Disney were afraid this would be too much for people.

– So, it’s not that “once Sora’s story is over the story of a new hero will begin”, but that the series will always have Sora as the hero, isn’t it?

Yeah. One of the concepts of the series is that the hero Sora isn’t some special being, but a normal boy. Sure, his heart is connected to Ventus and the others, but other than that, he’s a normal kid that could have come from anywhere, that hasn’t inherited anything from anyone. I want to make Sora a character that will give the player the feeling that “even if I’m not some special being, I have the possibility buried inside of connecting with many others to accomplish things”. In Birth by Sleep, I wish for all the fans to hope to see that Sora reappears. The secret cutscene is what symbolizes this, and so please work your way there, and wait for Sora’s role in the future.

Nomura had a positive attitude circa 2013. He said Noctis and Sora were his favorite characters. He wanted people to look forward to Sora’s return.

“I actually don’t sympathize or empathize with Sora at all,” Nomura says. Instead, he relates to the game’s mysterious villains, Xehanort or likely Ansem, anyone who’s fallen prey to their dark natures. “I think I’m closer to those characters, so Sora is like my enemy,” he says.“How I always think of him is I would unleash my attacks on him, and then I draw him in a way that I think he will be able to make a comeback at me. In that sense, I really think that Sora is just like an opposite personality character to who I am.”

Before KH3 came out, I wondered what caused his change in attitude. Now I think I get it.

Riku: “I just wanted you to see that you always make the right choices. On the road ahead, more than one truth will come to light. You’ll forget things, lose things that you care about, and it won’t always make sense. It may hurt so bad you’ll feel like you’re about to lose yourself. But you won’t. Not you. You’re like a sponge. No matter how much pain they throw at you, you’ll suck it up, squeeze it out, and leave things a little better. Just follow your heart, and you can change lives. You don’t have to do anything special. Just do what you do.” 

Nomura had more interesting things in mind with Sora. He has been kind of a simple character for the most part. I think this is why he wanted Sora to face everyone’s pain. Experience darkness in order to understand his true strength. Dealing with everyone’s painful memories shows the strength of his empathy and love. It allows him to have an actual character arc, and grow as a person. This is why everyone calls out to him in Blank Points, and why Ansem left his research data inside of him.

– Those previous projects as director were the Kingdom Hearts games, which are much lighter than what we know of Versus XIII. Is the darker concept you have outlined a necessary change for you as director?

The world of Versus XIII might be a little closer to my personal taste than Kingdom Hearts, but the entire project owes something to Kingdom Hearts as well. When I first began KH I was part of the FF core team, and tried to bring elements of that into the development. The KH team was always inspired by FF, and I’d like to see that reversed. But as for the differences between KH and FF, KH is a lighter world of magic, fantasy, and people doing good things. I’ve been in that world for a very long time - perhaps too long.

In KH3, Sora is still too Saturday morning cartoonish. He doesn’t develop much. I think he was restricted to keep Sora as more of a simple cartoon hero by outside pressure. And he started to resent him, because that’s just not his taste.

—The story’s endgame where all your friends and foes gather at the Keyblade Graveyard was a masterpiece.

I know each fan has their own different beloved character, so I wanted to give each one an appropriate moment. But in the end there was too much story that had to be told then, and I ended up being restricted to the minimum necessary to move Sora forward. The truth is, the Keyblade Graveyard was the toughest part I faced when writing the scenario. Shining the spotlight on each character one by one allows you to depict the unfolding developments with time and care, but the flow of the game requires the player to control Sora and fight battles. Ideally, I should have had characters with connections fight it out one by one and settle things that way, but that would have required too much exposition. On the other hand, I did think of limiting the number of enemies you actually battle and finishing others with cutscenes, but it didn’t feel right. At the end of deep worry and thought, I narrowed my aim and ended up with the way it is now, which prioritizes rhythm.

Nomura didn’t sound pleased with how the Keyblade Graveyard turned out. Everyone was supposed to fight their own battles. He mentions he was restricted to moving Sora forward because apparently there was “too much story” otherwise. And the end result is that Sora comes across like a black hole Gary Stu who steals everyone’s moment of glory. It made me so annoyed with his presence. He had no business freeing Terra’s heart, for instance. That was Ven and Aqua’s job. I just wanted him to go away. I get the sense that feeling “restricted” was a constant problem Nomura had.

– Will we see any new FF characters? Will we get a chance to play as King Mickey?

The appearance of FF characters is pending. For a while, the previous titles didn’t have any FF characters, and I think it’s time to include some. I know everyone wants to play as King Mickey, so I will take that into consideration. Of course Sora will be the main character to play; it would be nice if other characters are playable as well.

This response was from June 2013. Nomura seemed very interested in adding FF characters. I don’t think he really thought they were unnecessary or just a crutch. I think the production was just so difficult that they weren’t able to be included. He had too much to try and resolve since BBSV2 was cancelled.

—Was there a reason that no FF characters appeared in the game this time?

It was simply that there was no room. There were so many characters appearing in the main story that in the end I wasn’t able to create opportunities to use the FF characters. Although, I did have the team make polygon models of Leon and some others just in case. They also made the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella and a few others, but by the end I just couldn’t find a place to use them. The production staff were mad at me.

I’m sure there was pressure from the Square-Enix side. KH3 was a huge cash cow, and they wanted the game out as soon as possible, since it had taken SUCH a long time already. I think he was rushed and simply incapable of accomplishing everything he wanted.

— Given how long the game has been in development, fan expectations for it are incredibly high. Do you ever worry about not meeting those fan expectations and how does that impact you as you’re developing the game?

I just naturally don’t really feel pressured and that’s always been fortunate for me. That’s been leading me to successes, but at least for Kingdom Hearts 3 the fan excitement was a lot more than I had expected. So for the first time in my life I did feel some kind of pressure from it.

–In the recent E3 footage, there was some interesting dialogue about Roxas and I’m concerned about the development of KINGDOM HEARTS III.

Because there are too many characters that are appearing, the storyline has become complicated. There are quite a number of main characters that have appeared in the series, and every character will appear in some form.

I also think he felt pressured by fan expectations. He actually said this was the first time he felt pressured in this way. To what extent this potentially affected the story is all speculation. But I think since BBSV2 was cancelled, leaving a lot of unresolved issues, Nomura felt very pressured to come up with a story that would not cause a mass fan riot. Whether he was successful or not is…debatable.

“I do have a general storyline in my head,” he tells The Verge. “What is the most confusing is that, because there are so many characters in this storyline now, it’s hard to keep track of who actually met who already,” he says. “I’m always like, ‘Okay, so who knows who in this situation, and who’s meeting this person for the first time?’ And that always gets really confusing.”

“Because most of the original Kingdom Hearts characters are going to appear in Kingdom Hearts III, that’s just already too many characters to begin with. When I was writing the scenarios, I started to be confused with it as well myself. It is kind of complicated in that sense. It’s just been difficult for me to create a storyline that doesn’t involve those characters.”

This is just my opinion, but given how much he complained, it sounds like he didn’t necessarily want to bring everyone back, at least permanently. He speaks like he resents how “complicated” the story has become. I mean, if you can’t even remember who’s met who, is your heart really into writing this story? Doesn’t sound like it.

— You mentioned that Monsters Inc. had many more guidelines than Toy Story. Was that the one that had perhaps the most guidelines or was there one that had even more?

Frozen had the most.

And then there’s Disney. They are so strict with their IP’s, it’s a miracle this game even exists at all. In Arendelle, Sora was essentially spectating from the bleacher seats. Time has to freeze and Sora has to go to a different dimension, whenever the Organization members show up. It was so jarring and contrived, it was actually pretty funny. Sora is never allowed to “interfere” with the story. I highly doubt Nomura wanted it to turn out like that. All the Disney worlds were heavily tied into the power of waking, yet it was really not evident in the writing of the story at all.

— What’s the relationship with Disney like? Disney’s attitude to games has changed in recent years to become focused on mobile and social games. Have you noticed their attitude change much?

The relationship with Disney has remained the same. Actually the contact person at Disney is still the same person from Kingdom Hearts 1, and Disney has given us lots of requests in terms of the Kingdom Hearts franchise and they did mention some smaller titles for other platforms, but our common, most important goal was to complete Kingdom Hearts 3. So it’s the same.

This is also from June 2013.

— Disney has changed tremendously since 2006. Obviously Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, totally different style of animation. How your relationship with Disney and its properties evolved over the past 10 years or so in the context of Kingdom Hearts?

I can say that it has actually been increasingly difficult to get approvals from Disney. That’s mainly because in the past Kingdom Hearts titles, the creator wasn’t around anymore or the team that used to create those titles wasn’t there anymore. There was just this one person that we would just have to go to and they would approve it and we’d be fine and good to go. But because we’ve been featuring recent titles, they still have existing teams for existing creators that are still working in Disney and still working on a certain title.

That feedback process just has been a little bit more difficult than before. And each team would have a different set of rules and guidelines and they would say different things, or they would look at different things. It’s just been a little different that how it used to be because Kingdom Hearts is a bigger title than it was before. I think that whenever we would bring our previous titles, a lot of people at Disney, and this is my assumption, but I do assume that they probably didn’t know what Kingdom Hearts was. They’d go, “What’s Kingdom Hearts? I have no idea.”

But now that it’s become a bigger title, a lot more people have been involved in than before. In that sense the relationship with Disney has changed quite a bit. Emotional changes I don’t really know if there has been any changes emotionally for me. But at least physically I can say those were the changes that we had with Disney.

Compare that to 2018. A lot had changed. Approvals became much harder and they weren’t dealing with just the one guy anymore. Also, he says he “doesn’t know” if there were emotional changes. But I think it’s clear that he’s trying to hide just how much his feelings have changed. Why do I say that?

— You’ve grown up as a person and as a designer alongside the players and it’s been so long since the last Kingdom Hearts was released. How has your perspective on making the game changed over time? Do you still have that passion for it? Or is it just like you feel more of a responsibility to people to make it and end it?

I’m getting older now, so my body really can’t take all that difficulty anymore. When I was younger I was definitely more aggressive and I was the one pulling everyone forward, but now there’s a lot more energetic staff around me who are more aggressive, so I feel like I’m more like a sage now. Like I’m in the sidelines just telling people what to do. The Kingdom Hearts series has become a huge title nowadays and back then it was more like I was making it secretively in the corner, but now that a lot more people are involved I do feel that it’s not my title anymore, it’s everyone’s title. And just talking about all this … It actually kind of makes me really sad.

Because he says very similar things again in a later interview, and he’s more honest about his feelings. Again, he mentions that he used to think the series was more obscure to Disney and he was just quietly working on it in the corner. But now it’s gotten so big and so many people are involved. Now the title isn’t really his title anymore. It’s everyone’s title. And he admits it makes him really sad. And that is just what he admits to in public. Imagine what he thinks in private. My conclusion:  I really don’t think Nomura had as much creative freedom on KH3 as he did on the others games. And it really shows.

About Ven wielding Missing Ache

I've seen many people analyze the newest KHUx update and it seems like more and more people are jumping on the "Ven is the evil traitor" train. While I cannot prove this theory wrong and won't attempt to do so either since such an endeavor would be futile with Nomura and how far the story currently is in JP, I want to present a few interpretations on why they chose Missing Ache for Ven. ●Ventus' name obviously means 'wind' and an attribute associated with it that he displays is speed. He's faster than Aqua and Terra and his attacks are also swift and agile. Since the new union leaders all seem to wield Keyblades which are available to the player so far, it is only natural that Ven should wield a Keyblade befitting his name and fighting style. Not to mention that the image for the gems needed for leveling up the Keyblade is a wing, which is often a sign for wind and speed. That leaves us with three Keyblades that are solely speed-based: Sleeping Lion, Lady Luck and Missing Ache. Sleeping Lion is a Keyblade mostly associated with Leon, Lady Luck is a Keyblade which has a tight connection to Wonderland and Missing Ache originates from 358/2 Days and can be wielded by Roxas and Xion. ●As you can see, Sleeping Lion and Lady Luck aren't the most optimal choices for a speed attribute Keyblade for Ven out of the three we have since his connection to either Wonderland as a Disney world or Leon is rather weak. On the other hand, his bond with Roxas is inevitably fairly strong due to Sora and he's even the reason Roxas looks the way he does. (Duh.) His heart may have even stayed with him for a while if the Ultimania is to be trusted. So Missing Ache is the best choice from a standpoint which simply associates his name/trait and his connection to the characters and the Keyblades. But does it mean he's necessarily the traitor? No. ●Missing Ache may be a mostly reverse medal Keyblade in KHUx but the reason for that could be fairly simple. It's a Days Keyblade. Roxas was part of Organization XIII during that time it could be acquired and regardless of his own tendency, it is connected to the villains of the series. So it is no surprise that they would choose Missing Ache as a Keyblade which focuses on reverse medals. (Of course KHUx plays before Days but it still has its debut in Days which was released before KHUx.) Wielding that Keyblade has nothing to do with the wielder's innate darkness as far as we know at this point, considering many other Keyblades also use reverse slots. We also can't forget that Roxas's base element is light and he is not exactly an antagonist either. Yet, he can still wield Missing Ache just the same without being a vicious villain. I also want to address another theory because I feel like some are 100% certain Ven is actually evil and a traitor. ●There is the distinct possibility that there is no traitor at all. The only evidence there is one is a missing page of the Book of Prophecies which was written by the Master of Masters. People are taking the contents of that book as face value as though there is no possibility at all that the MoM could have lied. The reason would be fairly simple here, too. It creates doubt. The first time the traitor was mentioned was already within the Foretellers-arc and it was one of the main reasons they started distrusting one another and fought against each other. It was one of the reasons the war even happened. But was there actually a traitor among them? We cannot know for sure because the only evidence is that book written by a single person who could have instigated the whole thing to cause a war and follow his own agenda by doing so. The same could be said about the new union leaders. How can we be sure that Strelitzia was murdered by one of them? It could have been a whole other person who murdered her for the sake of either obtaining the book from her and/or in order to plant someone else into their ranks. Possibly without them even being aware that they are being made a pawn. I won't dive further into this because it's pure speculation at this point and we know too little to think about motives or intentions. ●If there is a traitor, they may not be the villain. First of all, the word 'traitor' sounds negative at first but even Axel was also called a traitor for defecting from Organization XIII and then helped Sora in the end. The same could be assumed for KHUx. If we consider the MoM the villain who provided a rulebook to follow, anyone who would diverge from that path could be labeled as a traitor without them having bad intentions toward anyone in particular but rather trying to help 'the good side'. One such example would be Brain. He essentially said he will become the virus which will destroy the system. Virus also sounds relatively bad because we often automatically link it to diseases and computer viruses which steal information or otherwise damage the computer and in consequence us users. But it's a matter of perspective. Let's take an example of an older movie. In Independence Day, the aliens were the aggressors threatening Earth and its populace, and in order to bypass an inpenetrable barrier, they implanted a virus into their system and hence saved the Earth by destroying the attackers. In that case, a virus was used to achieve something good for the heroes, ensuring their survival. As you can see, what sounds negative at first can actually become positive depending on how you look at it. Who's to say the system that was created for them isn't evil and won't lead to disaster? What if the so-called traitor decides to betray the rulebook and the rest because it would have disastrous consequences to follow it? We can already see that this rulebook isn't all sunshine and rainbows and already lead to a conflict whether to follow it. I am personally not too inclined to trust the Master of Masters yet and anyone labeled a traitor in the book he wrote may actually fight for keeping everyone safe. (Without taking this "Darkness" fellow into account just yet.) I know some people are desperate for dark, gloomy tropes because they believe in the one-sided mindset that everything is always better and more profound when it's tragic, twisted and grim dark. But I personally don't see a viable reason to turn a ten year-old into an evil, psychotic kid just to have something become twisted and for the sole purpose of a short-lived shock value. Especially because many assume he would be acting of his own free will and with evil intent instead of being used. Character development only makes sense if there is a necessity and overthrowing a character we've known for 9 years into a complete opposite is, in my opinion, just a cheap method to create a pseudo-depth to a character who was fine to begin with. Of course there are a lot of blank spaces and we know too little about Ven before his memory loss to say he was the cinnamon roll he is in BBS and beyond. Naturally, there is a possibility that he could have a much more sinister nature. As I said, I'm not denying the possibility that those theories are true. But some of these speculations and interpretations are just as vague as mine are. Mainly because they focus a whole lot on Vanitas as well. Once again, I can't say he won't play a role. But it's also possible that fans are overanalyzing it. Vanitas was born out of the darkness of Ven's heart. So of course his nature will encompass what the series has established as emotions nurturing said darkness. But there is no precedence and therefore it's hard to clearly say that just because Vanitas exists the way he does that Ven has been less pure in the past. We have nothing to compare it to. Maybe the same would happen for most other characters as well if they would have their hearts divided. After all, the Heartless are also highly dangerous and are hearts consumed by darkness. We know that darkness exists in every heart except for those of the Princesses of Heart, so Ven is no exception. A person which only has access to the darkness of the heart would likely still only have that negativity to feed on, regardless of how big its part in the original heart was. I'm not trying to claim what is right and what is wrong. Nomura makes some unpredictable decisions at times so it's hard to say what will happen. I just wish that people will not cling to their theories too much or I fear the same will happen as with KH3. Theories are immensely interesting to me and I enjoy other fans' interpretations but depending on how much they work on it, the harder it becomes for some to let go of it and accept a different development due to headcanons and the subjective opinion that this development is for the better. (Which we won't know because we don't know Nomura's plans.) I'm not saying that people were only disappointed because their headcanons weren't fulfilled, but we can't deny that they tend to fuel our expectations for what we perceive to be the ideal development. KH3 does have major flaws, but I dare presume that some overly negative opinions are also caused by overblown expectations because we had plenty of time to come up with all manner of intricate plans. (Which are by no means worse, but sometimes not better either just because they're very detailed.) It's best to remain open for the idea that Ven may just be a cinnamon roll or that his role as a traitor isn't due to a vile motivation but simply to save his friends. I won't discourage anyone from preferring the other options, I'm just saying it might not be as shocking and character changing as some believe. Wanting friends doesn't mean he'll kill everyone just to get some, to put it drastically. I think it's great that people love Vanitas and want to include him more, but I also have to remind people that the backstory in the novel still isn't canon. Books cannot throw around canon and non-canon, sometimes even flat out contradicting, content and pick out whatever aids their case. Fans might not like to hear it, but even if Nomura should have mentioned certain aspects are canon, it doesn't mean everything else is. The moment a novel based on another source contradicts what is established in the source, it cannot be canon anymore. (And I'm not talking about content which fills holes and could have possibly happened/expands the story, but about serious contradictions.) Which doesn't mean that it doesn't contain things that actually happened but overall, it cannot be declared as canon as a whole. All in all, I'd like to present possibilities which provide harmless explanations why certain things are designed the way they are. There doesn't always have to be a dark secret and not every cheerful character needs to be corrupted for the angst-loving part of the fanbase. If people wish for that it is up to them. I won't deny them that pleasure. I just don't want to see anyone attacking Nomura if he doesn't cater to that headcanon. I know most of the people theorizing about this are perfectly harmless and aware of this and are just eager to explore all manner of interesting possibilities. Which is an admirable passion I am not against seeing. I actually think it's great that there are theories like these because they provide interesting material for discussions. I am just more careful about setting on one theory above any other, simply because KHUx has mostly given us questions instead of answers so far. Everything is possible at this point, which is why I want to remain open for as much as possible. The points above are not meant to disprove anything the other theories are suggesting. They are merely a showcase how certain terms can also be interpreted and that there are alternative explanations.

Yusaku doesn’t like surprises (1)

part 1 is here part 2 can be found here Summary: Takeru asks the other five children from the Lost Incident to meet up. Ryoken as well as Aoi are attending it, too, because his request demands a decision from all of them. Yusaku feels like suffocating. He just would’ve never thought that his Link Sense picks up something in one, this situation, two, that it reaches out so far, and three, that would change everything yet again. Words (Part 1): 3.495 Note: 1) first things first, a shoutout to @immicolia (wtf tumblr let me hecking @ them!) who came up with this horrifying glorious idea several weeks ago. they gave me permission to work it a bit into my story, one, and allowed to post it, two. 2) I intend this short story as part of the previous writing works I had. I would assume that it works as a stand-alone but it's mostly about understanding the situation with the seventh Ignis I came up with. their actual order would be • #23– “You have a picture of me? On your fridge?” • #64– “I was trying to protect you.” • Ryoken doesn’t like sweets 3) Windy’s Origin is still the same I used before. again, I’ll be sticking with it as long as canon doesn’t reveal it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Yusaku heaves a sigh. This meeting is giving him a headache. Takeru just came back from visiting his family and best friend after the Ignis warfare and asked for this meeting. Almost all children from the Lost Incident showed up. Even if Kusanagi Jin attends it as well, he still doesn’t know what to make of the Lost Incident itself since Lightning, his Ignis, erased his memories from it. He’s determined to participate and decide as much as possible. Kazehara Takeshi – Windy’s Origin – is the only one not present since he still needs to be in rehab. They all feel a bit guilty and bad to hold this meeting without him, especially since they are finally in contact with him – much to Takeshi’s displeasure. Takeru’s wish requests a decision from everyone. They can’t betray him like this. But talking about the situation through the phone or a video call is even dumber. Excluding him would be as bad as excluding Jin from this meeting because of his amnesia. Yusaku doesn’t know what to do. It’s Ryoken, however, who breaks the silence eventually. “It’s... very bold to contact the Ignis again after all of these months, Homura-kun,” he starts carefully, minding every single word he says. His voice grows a bit darker. “With our re-modeled erasure program, they lost their memory.” “Flame doesn’t remember you... ” Aoi, who accompanied Miyu to the meeting, whispers with a sad and troubled expression on her face. For a futile try to comfort her, Miyu reaches for her hand and squeezes it a bit. Yusaku knits his eyebrows. She is the only Origin to not have any sort of interaction with her own Ignis or any other Ignis while being conscious. Takeshi revealed to them that he even saw his Ignis before the car hit him. Specter felt the death of his Ignis and dueled against Lightning. Jin was forced to participate in this war by his own Ignis, and at one point in his duel against Revolver, Lightning let got of his consciousness. He had been brutally aware of the situation. Even if she barely knows what’s going on, even if it had been Aoi who accompanied her to this meeting, it’s Miyu who supports his classmate. Takeru shrinks back into his seat. “I know... ” His voice sounds defeated. Yusaku finds himself wanting to reach out to take his hand in a try to comfort him as well. But he can’t. It confuses and irritates him at the same time. Save for Ryoken, and thanks to Takeru’s stubborn and repeated socializing, he grew the closest bond with him. After the Ignis warfare, he considers Takeru as a friend. And it should be easy to comfort him like Miyu comforts Aoi. But he still struggles to act on it and say it out loud. He doesn’t like it. It just adds to the strange atmosphere Takeru created with his request. Although Yusaku knows where he’s coming from. It’s not that he doesn’t feel the same, even if he would never admit it verbally. But since Ai is the only Ignis to still remember everything, Yusaku is in a vastly different position than the other teenagers. “I just... I... miss him... ” A given. He had had the closest relationship with an Ignis. But unintentionally, he creates a thicker atmosphere with this sentence. Yusaku starts to believe that he can’t breathe. No one disagrees or agrees with him. Although Yusaku assumes that sans Ryoken, the other teenagers are the exact same. Maybe except Takeshi. Maybe even Takeshi. And deep down, even with his amnesia, he knows that even Jin is the same. Aoi misses Aqua, 100 % for sure. Miyu, he could assume, yearns for something that never happened. But Aqua is still a part of her. “You – see... they’re a part of us,” Takeru continued, flustered, shy, unnecessarily. They all know. “We are them. They are us. I know that we all agreed on letting them alone to rebuild the Cyverse and come to terms with this new situation... But it’s... it still feels like taking them away from us by force... and it hurts like hell... it’s like... taking away our agenda... ” Something inside of Yusaku stings uncomfortably. He wants to leave the meeting. Rather now than later. “ ...By sending them off, we try to protect them from SOL Technology and whoever might have an interest in exploiting them,” Specter cuts in with a firm and stiff voice. The others flinch by the raw and unusual harshness in it. “I – I know but- ” Specter stops him with a snarky remark, maybe Ryoken tries to hold him back but Yusaku gets distracted with a sudden, strong tingle behind the back of his head. He hurries to look to Ryoken to check if he felt the same or any other indication of its short presence. But he still discusses eagerly the situation with Takeru and Specter. The girls throw something in here and there. Jin is arguing with them. Even if he knows that he lost his memories about the Lost Incident, it’s still a wild concept for Yusaku that he is so interactive. But he is carrying an irritated, annoyed expression on his face. Yusaku hadn’t gotten used to it yet. The tingle comes back but Ryoken still doesn’t react to it. The tingle could mean anything but Yusaku is 100 % certain that his ability Link Sense picked up something. Maybe the tingle means something. Maybe it means nothing. But he doesn’t want to make up a fuzz and rile up the others. He hurries to excuse himself. Even if Ryoken is the loudest to try and stop him, Yusaku just asks to continue to moderate the meeting and tell him later on to what conclusion they got. On his way out of Ryoken’s mansion, he takes out his cell phone. From Stardust Road, it would take him about 50 minutes to get back home. Since this option falls flat, he calls Kusanagi. If he remembers correctly, he had parked his truck somewhere between the Central Plaza and his High School. Which would take him between twenty and forty minutes to reach him. Which isn’t a better option but still better than nothing. “Ah, Yusaku, how’s the meeting- ” “Stalling. We get nowhere. Where are you?” the recipient cuts in. “I... Den City Central Park,” his acquaintance – his friend, Yusaku corrects himself – answers. “So it’s postponed?” About thirty minutes. At most. “I don’t know. I left- ” “Did something happen?” “No,” is Yusaku’s immediate response. “Yes... maybe. I don’t know. I have to check.” “Where are you now?” Kusanagi wants to know. “About to reach the platform where you parked your truck back then on Stardust Road.” “I’ll be waiting for you at the crossroad that leads to it.” Which will shorten his forced wait to finally enter Link VRains for about twenty minutes. A blessing. This raises his chance to check what has caused the tingling. He’s tempted to call for Ai. But their promise to the Ignis stops him. He agrees with Takeru that the Origins have the right to be with their Partners, even Jin and Lightning, especially now that almost all of the Ignis lost their memories for real now as well. The Ignis’s safety, however, should be their biggest priority despite their feelings. He never thought he would grow attached to his Ignis. The first three months when they parted ways were somehow easier to bear. Yusaku almost curses. There’s no time to dwell on feelings. He hurries to get to the crossroad. Once he reaches the corner at the crossroad, he still has to wait a couple of minutes until Kusanagi parks his truck with screeching wheels next to the sole street lamp on the side road. The truck owner leaves the driver’s side but Yusaku already dashes for the back. Kusanagi closes the back door behind him. He stops the younger teenager from entering Link VRains. “What happened?” “I don’t know,” Yusaku hurries to say. “I really don’t know. I felt something.” Kusanagi eyes him confused. “I can’t distinguish it from being a new threat or something harmless... I’d rather check it myself than to leave it to chances.” “ ...What about- ” “Your brother should be still with the others at the meeting,” Yusaku answers the question he interrupted. “We now know that he’s able to defend himself but he’s not alone right now. I promise they’ll take care of him.” With an oddly stiff posture, his friend nods. “Then... let’s check Link VRains from the outside?” But Yusaku shakes his head. “No, the tingle already lessens. I need to head to Link VRains now or I’ll lose it completely.” Kusanagi pursues his lips. “ ...Alright, take care.” Yusaku nods and logs in to Link VRains in his Access Point. Since SOL Technology is still hunting for him – despite them knowing that Ai or the other Ignis aren’t with them anymore. Playmaker isn’t even entirely sure if he or anyone else in his team would be able to contact Ai. But he isn’t keen on finding out what SOL Technology is willing to do to force this information out of him. Kusanagi warns him about two Bounty Hunters right behind him. With a little, admittedly dangerous stunt, Playmaker shakes them off. Kusanagi scolds him agitated. Playmaker apologizes quietly. He sighs and squares his shoulders. It took him too much time to get rid of the two Bounty Hunters. He can barely feel the tingle anymore. On a giant, round, upside down, pyramid shaped platform, he jumps off of his D-Board. For a moment, he sharpens his hearing and scans closely his surrounding. But he can neither see, nor hear anyone close to him. » ...What’s the matter?« he hears Kusanagi’s quiet, static voice through the microphone. “ ...Nothing.” Playmaker sighs. “I want to ground myself a little- ” He stops himself as the faint tingle returns. It gets accompanied with an even fainter breeze from his right side. A little taken aback, Playmaker observes his immediate surrounding closer. “ ...This is- ” »What is it?« Playmaker brings forth a keyboard and carefully dives into Link VRains’ system. Kusanagi backs him up with additional security measurements for a camouflage. Once he hears unfamiliar voices, Playmaker hides behind the gray construction on the platform. Duelists he has never seen before – or can’t remember if he has ever seen them before – are passing him. Kusanagi’s software works marvelously. But one look to the side again, and Playmaker is absolutely certain about what he’s found. “Kusanagi-san, I’ve reached the portal to Mirror Link VRains... ” A quiet, hollow and horrified gasp at the recipient’s end. »What?! I thought we destroyed and erased it?« Playmaker thought the same. It could have gotten restored. Or they erased only a part of it. Questions fill his head. All of them frighten him. “ ...I’m going in- ” »No! That’s too dangerous!« Kusanagi argues. »Wait for the others- « “I won’t,” Playmaker shuts him off. Kusanagi gasps again. »But- « “I won’t force your brother to go through something he clearly doesn’t want to,” Playmaker explains and heads for the portal. Kusanagi still tries to stop him but the teenager only slows down a bit as he thinks that he has lost the connection. But it comes back. Playmaker squares his shoulders again. “ ...I’m going in, Kusanagi-san,” he repeats with a whisper. »Be careful, dang it!« “Yes.” Playmaker calls for his D-Board and enters the portal to Mirror Link VRains. Little did he know that the portal isn’t a straight path. He feels himself veering further away from the other entrance he remembers and the tingling. Playmaker hisses quietly. He closes his eyes and concentrates on the feeling. The obstacles they faced back then seemingly have vanished because he can direct his D-Board back to the path they used back then. Since the Ignis have no control over it anymore, Playmaker assumes that Mirror Link VRains has become an unsupervised extra server of the original Link VRains. After he finds out what’s the source of the strange tingling, he ought to ask Kusanagi for help and destroy Mirror Link VRains once and for all. Skilled and unskilled hackers could exploit it for dangerous purposes. He feels getting closer to the exit. Playmaker opens his eyes again and eventually enters Mirror Link VRains again. Without the light that illuminated the center of it, it doesn’t appear to be any different from how he experienced it shortly before the Ignis warfare. The sky is still painted dark red and almost completely covered with dark gray and black clouds. The bottom still looks coloured in dull purple, almost completely covered with light gray and white mist. Despite the look in front of it, the eerily atmosphere has vanished. He almost discards the idea that any Ignis could be the cause of his Link Sense acting up. Maybe it’s even pulling a trick on him since he still hasn’t accustomed himself to this peace and silence. The Ignis warfare changed so much in all of their lives. The truce between the Knights of Hanoi and his fraction is still going strong. If one could call it a truce at all anymore. Kusanagi slowly accepts the image that Ryoken attends some meetings with Specter. He himself feels less and less resentful towards all three lieutenants. Takeru stopped rebelling against them completely. They were able to help Miyu regain her consciousness and let her finally reunite with Aoi. And they all scrambled and saved some money so that Ryoken didn’t have to pay alone for Takeshi’s rehab. All of them are odd, even odder when together. But they still form some sort of family. Something especially Ryoken had been craving in secret more than anything else and for so long. They may not be perfect, they may still need a bit more time to shake off the awkwardness around each other but Playmaker is certain that they will get there. Impatience just kills everything. He had learned it the hard way. “Kusanagi-san?” he tries but there is no signal anymore. Outside communications are still shut out. But he didn’t feel this sort of quake that occurred back then when Link VRains realigned with Mirror Link VRains yet. Come to think of it, they’ve been able to enter Mirror Link VRains due to reactivating the Tower of Hanoi for a large scan in Link VRains. Playmaker knits his eyebrows. Maybe he has been only able to find and enter it because someone else is using it. Maybe it’s too soon to throw the idea of an Ignis waltzing through Mirror Link VRains out of the windows. He should be extra careful. Then again, it’s not the first time he fell for a trap. He can’t be always certain that Revolver saves his sorry butt. Most of all, he doesn’t even know where he is right now. And since he could assume that Kusanagi is rather busy getting into contact with him again, he wouldn’t answer his ringing phone right away. He will have to save himself this time. Lingering too long in one spot wouldn’t benefit him at all, especially if this is really a trap. He should take advantage of the fact that he can move freely. Another wave of tingling distracts him, however. He doesn’t know why he is able to feel it or if there’s the possibility that his Link Sense even developed further because the bits and bytes or whatever he feels are rioting. The tingle leads him back to the flower field stage Revolver dueled against Lightning. Playmaker flinches. Unwanted and painful memories try to creep out of the drawer he meticulously stored away in the depths of his mind. He wills them down and slowly descends to the flower field stage. Even though they aren’t disarranged, they’ve lost their abundant colours from back then. Stunned, he looks around. When Revolver dueled against Lightning, he thought how cruel it was for them to fight on such a beautiful and calm stage. It didn’t capture the dire, oppressing atmosphere of the duel. When he starts to think of its outcome, he suddenly has trouble breathing, despite being in Mirror Link VRains. The one who more than likely set up this trap is may as well aware of their feelings. They may even ambush him when he’s emotionally distracted. But once he notices a faint sobbing, his conviction wavers a little bit. At first, he isn’t even sure if he heard it right. Tentatively, he takes a step forward, just as quiet as he is able to manage. The faint sobbing returns. Playmaker is uncertain if this is also part of the trap. »How... « he hears a quiet, static voice, just as faintly as the sobbing, »w- what in the Cyverse just... « This way of speaking is rather typical with the Ignis than any other real life person. No additional sound like the other Ignis have when they speak or more. It sounds feminine. The sobbing gets a bit louder again as he slowly draws closer. If he remembers it correctly, it’s the exact same place Jin had been standing on when Lightning forced him to duel against Revolver. The black hole that appeared underneath him to expose the real Jin to the duel left its traces. The circle still compresses withered and dull coloured flowers. It may even has the same diameter as the black hole Lightning created back then. Almost in the middle of it, Playmaker sees a little white figurine. The outline of a skirt around her thighs is visible. The data which form the hair draws a circle around her head, its ends point upwards on her right side. She crouches on the dead flowers and cries. But as soon as she notices his shadow casting over her, she jumps up, startled, and faces him. »Who are- « “Please, calm down,” Playmaker asks her quietly and raises his hands. The figurine – Ignis, more than likely – flinches again. “I promise I won’t hurt you... ” Slowly, so that she could follow his movements, he kneels down. Her yellow eyes widen surprised. Her eye colour is so vastly different compared to Lightning’s body colours. Or Flame’s own eye colour. She wipes away her tears. Playmaker admires her bravery. More than likely a trait she had obtained from her Origin. His head gets filled with burning questions. But Playmaker knows that he will just overwhelm and scare her if he asks her all of them. It doesn’t matter how much he yearns for answers. He needs to consider the Ignis’ feelings. » ...You’re an Origin,« she then whispers. Stunned, Playmaker blinks. “ ...That’s right,” he mutters. “But... how did you know?” »I apologize... but I can’t explain it properly because I don’t know what it’s called or how it works,« the Ignis admits bashfully. »For me... it’s like some sort of aura you’re omitting. An invisible fingerprint I’m somehow able to see... I thought it would be only like this with my Origin so that I could distinguish h-... my Origin from other children.« It didn’t escape his notice that she almost revealed her Origin’s pronoun. Playmaker has a feeling that it’s very likely a girl. “May I ask... if your Origin is a girl?” he tries to word his question carefully. The Ignis observes him closely and warily. » ...You may ask.« Playmaker waits for a moment. The Ignis doesn’t answer him. “ ...Is she?” »I allowed you to ask. It doesn’t mean that I will reveal my Origin’s pronoun,« the Ignis proclaims. Playmaker almost smiles proudly. He likes that she values her Origin’s privacy so much. “Then... I’d like to ask one or two more questions. Would you be willing to answer them?” The wary expression in the Ignis’ eyes remains. » ...Maybe,« she says eventually. »It depends!« Playmaker nods. »But... you’re not questioning me why I refuse to reveal my Origin’s pronoun?« she then pre-empts him quietly. Playmaker shakes his head. “I won’t pry. It’s your decision to tell me if and, or once you are ready.” Her sun-kissed yellow eyes widen surprised. » ...You are very considerate.« “It sounds... as if you could tell which Ignis is my partner,” Playmaker wonders. “As in – despite my partner’s nature.” »IGN 006,« the Ignis answers promptly. She snickers quietly. »Well... you’ve matured and had to face many obstacles... Time changes.« Playmaker ponders for a moment. “ ...You can detect everything just by looking at me?” »Hmm, maybe so. Your eyes have lost the childish naivete.« Playmaker blinks astonished. “Have we met before?” But the Ignis shakes her head. »Not personally,« she explains. »But the Ignis carry... some sort of imprint of their Origins. Like a faint, fleeting mirage.« She shrugs leisurely with her tiny, delicate shoulders. »We’re based off of you, after all... «

A morning’s retrospection

Words: 1604 Warnings: none

It was a cool morning in Archimedes when Marta had woken up, the sun just beginning to peek in through the curtains. She hadn’t been up this early in quite some time, it felt like- while she couldn’t complain about sleeping in, it was also a little nice to be up early. It gave time to think, and she’d admit…she was awfully in the mood for that now.

She was quiet to refrain from bothering her roommates, just grabbing her bike soon as she got outside. She quite liked it- she didn’t really get motion sickness on it like she did on a lot of other vehicles… she didn’t really know why, but still found herself appreciating the fact.

After a few moments of consideration, she also let Id out of his pokeball. It would be good for him to go for a run- he always had so much energy, even she had difficulty keeping up with him at points.

And so that was how she’d found herself casually biking around the ward, heading up and down old cobblestone streets and thinking long and hard of home, of Palmacosta, back before everything had changed.

In some way, she did miss her life from back then. She missed her mother, she missed the simplicity of things. It had just been her and her parents, and despite everything, they’d tried to be happy. Tried to make a life for themselves together, prayed for safety… but then, that was just it, wasn’t it? She would miss her family, but she’d never ask to return to those days- the constant threat of the desians looming over them had been horrid.

Just… just horrid.

She knew she’d never forget the relief she’d felt upon seeing the Tower of Salvation for the first time, the time she’d finally allowed herself to hope for something better in life. Though, that had all come crashing down when the giant tree had attacked- her mother had died, and everything after had felt… hollow. Her and her father’s travels had been almost out of desperation, a need to get away from the city that held so many painful memories.

Sighing, Marta allowed herself to come to a stop. She’d found herself at a small outcropping of rocks that overlooked the sea… the smell of salt was nostalgic, and she decided to rest her bike against a tree. Id was quick to come over beside her, curious- she scratched his chin, letting out a soft ‘oof’ as he flopped onto her side.

“It’s… strange, Id. Everything… everything’s changed so much, hasn’t it?” She smiled gently, looking off at the horizon. “This place, this sea… it’s similar, but it’s not the same. I guess that’s what I should expect, but… well, it’ll never be Palmacosta.”

She hoped that nobody was listening to her talk- it would be pretty embarrassing. But sometimes it helped to just say things out loud, and she could give whoever was listening in one hell of an earful!

“I’m not… entirely sure how I feel about this place. I mean… I don’t hate it here.” She picked up a little stone from the dirt beside her, and threw it into the water. It sank below the crystal waves with a little ‘plunk!’, still visible in the clear aqua ocean. “In fact, I… I do kinda like it. There’s a lot of people I’ve been able to meet that have been really nice…”

And beyond that, there was… people who she knew she couldn’t see anymore. She’d met people who had died, people from other worlds, and… and Emil, too. So for that, wasn’t this place a blessing? Wasn’t it a miracle?

But for all the time she spent here, even if she knew she wasn’t missing anything back home, she still wished so dearly to see her own world again. She missed Sylvarant and Tethe’alla, she missed the people she’d come to know.

She wouldn’t even be free back home- she had a lot to do to make up for the trouble the Vanguard had caused. She’d refused to accept a pardon just because she’d ended up helping stop them… she’d helped her father create that group. She was just as culpable, and she wouldn’t run away from that. So was staying here just… running from responsibility?

Letting out a sigh, Marta tossed another rock to the waters below.

So much had already happened in her time here. It seemed like there was a… a gap in her memory here, a period that was just missing where she hadn’t been around, but for the time she had been here? It had been… so strange, and so much.

She thought of when she’d first came to the island, before everything had been in working order. It had been ruined in a way that had reminded her somewhat of Palmacosta, a desolate place that had seemed a hollow cast of what it’d once been like… then having to fight, in a desperate hope of helping fix this place. And it’d worked! Even if it had just been a new coat of paint on their island prison, it had been enough to make a difference… that much was good, right?

Festivals had come and gone, the island had seemed to continually get more and more lively- until that time with the undead had happened, but she didn’t want to dwell on that for long. It’d been… well, less than pleasant. But she’d fought as she always would, trying to help those she could and protect people who couldn’t protect themselves. Even without her spinner or her closest allies, she’d not given up… but she had had aid.

“You’ve been a big help too, huh?” Scratching Id under the chin, she smiled gently. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. You’re such a good boy, Id. Thank you for all of your help.”

He barked and started wagging his tail, although he still didn’t get up. It seemed like all the running had tired him out, something that Marta wasn’t going to complain about in the moment.

Her mind continued to wander, and she found herself fixated on the time she’d had her father’s staff with her. It had been strange and a little unwieldy for the girl, who was far more used to casting with her spinner. But it had been something to remind her of home… and by the goddess, she did miss her father. She knew he’d done wrong, she knew he’d committed terrible crimes- but he was family, and she missed him.

“I wonder… if I’ll ever even get to see him again?”

Her hands clenched into fists, and she forced herself to steady her breathing. She had no proof that the worst would come to pass. There was always a chance that her greatest fears were just fears, and her father wouldn’t end up receiving the worst possible punishment. But… she wasn’t sure if it would be better or worse to hold onto that hope. After all- wouldn’t it hurt more, if she tried to believe in the best possible scenario, and then the worst-case one happened?

No. No, she couldn’t dwell. She was supposed to be the upbeat one, the positive one.

“What would people think, if they saw me like this…” Sighing yet again, she turned her head to look around a little more. “I… I don’t know, I guess… I feel like a lot of the friends I used to know here have moved on…”

She wanted to see them again, obviously… but she also couldn’t wish for them to arrive. After all, she wouldn’t wish being trapped here on people who might not have wanted it. But there were so many faces in her mind’s eye that she did miss, people from this weird island who she might never see again…

“I guess… being sad like this won’t get me anywhere though, right?” Id just tilted his head a little at her words, and she wanted to believe that meant he’d understood her. “I mean… I doubt it’d make them happy if I was moping about. I’ve still got work to do.”

Even if she wasn’t at home, and she maybe couldn’t make reparations there, she could still do her best to better herself here. She knew what she wanted to do- she wanted to help. Perhaps she didn’t know enough to open any sort of business, but… she’d figure something out. And hey, she’d done plenty of things for the Catz Guild back home… perhaps there was something similar here, too.

Really, could she say she’d been trying her best at this point? She didn’t think so… which just meant it was time to try harder. She wanted to make something good of her life, she’d already decided that for certain. It was something she was sure of in her entirety, no matter how long and hard she had to try to make something good come of it.

Shifting in place, Marta bounced back up to her feet. Id whined in protest at his support suddenly moving, and she found herself giggling- he was cute. Very cute. But now was time for acting, not just resting around!

“Alright, let’s head back home. We’ve got a whole day ahead of us, right Id?”

He gave a little bark, tail right back to wagging as Marta picked her bike up. Whatever was coming in the future, she’d meet it head-on, without hesitating or running away. That’s what she’d learned to do, and she was determined, no matter what this weird place wanted to throw at her.

I haven't delved much into KH lore, but I think there's something wrong when the main character is shoehorned into a plot that's essentially the same from the previous arcs repetitively along with a character that seems to be the love interest, while several others you never got to play as (or very temporarily playable), gets much further characterization and their new resolutions. The only ones that are interesting in Sora's party is Donald and Goofy btw. Anything about Riku and Mickey though?

Hmm, well, strictly from a storytelling perspective, I think I basically agree with you! Pretty much all the really interesting plot developments and character moments in KH3 are completely divorced from the person whose PoV you’re stuck inhabiting for most of the game, and Sora pretty much spends the whole game doing absolutely nothing of any importance while all the actual plot progression happens away from him. And in terms of what makes a good story, yeah, that’s basically terrible, but I honestly feel like I can basically understand why they did it because frankly, Kingdom Hearts as a series is in a very weird position at this point. The main appeal of the series to the vast majority of the casual audience is its supposed “Disney magic” and getting to explore the worlds from various Disney movies, but the actual main plot of the series at this point is an absolutely impenetrable and convoluted mess of original characters and plot threads that’s about as far away from any kind of “Disney magic” as you could possibly get.

With that in mind, it pretty much makes sense to me that they’d want to just shove the main plot out of the way entirely for most of the game and just focus on Sora’s random adventures in Disney worlds, because it’s honestly gotten to the point where the presence of the main plot actively detracts from the supposed central appeal of the game for most people. It allows KH3 to be enjoyable as a stand-alone experience to the average person who doesn’t give a crap about the overarching mess of the Kingdom Hearts plot and just wants to enjoy some Disney fanservice (and let’s be real, this probably describes at least 80% of the people who actually bought the game). Games like KH1, Days and BBS could manage to do a passable job of integrating some characterisation and plot development into the Disney stuff without being too jarring to the casual audience, because those games told basically self-contained stories. You don’t need to be a KH Lore Maniac to follow, say, Ven’s character arc through BBS. But KH3? KH3′s plot is all about tying up loose ends and resolving the stories of various characters from other games. Nothing about KH3′s plot makes any sense or has any real impact as a standalone, and it would probably be a fool’s errand to even try to make it work as one, because it just has way too much baggage from the ongoing series-wide plot that it has to resolve. So rather than trying to give Sora a quest that actually ties into the main plot in some way, they just decided to put the plot to one side and lean into unapologetic filler instead. I can sort of respect that.

The way I see it is… well, let’s put it this way. As a Kingdom Hearts fan, I could totally draw up an alternative outline for KH3 that has Sora making more of a meaningful journey and progress throughout the game, and integrates the main plot into the Disney stuff better. The focus of KH3 is about Sora saving the hearts and healing the pain of the people connected to him, the people whose pain was forgotten until now. So why not make the plots of the Disney worlds focus more on having him come to understand these people better, to get more of a focus on why it’s so important to bring them back? Let’s have the Olympus Coliseum chapter involve a subplot where, say, Sora finds out from Phil about the time Roxas spent training there in Days, and Phil talks about how much potential he showed and how he really misses the kid. Let’s spend more time explicitly drawing a connection between the toys having hearts in Toy Story and the way Xion developed her own heart despite being an artificially created puppet. Let’s parallel Rapunzel’s situation in Tangled with Namine’s in CoM, and make the plot of that world about Sora regaining the memories he lost from CoM (heck, Marluxia’s even right there and briefly brings this up in the actual game already!), reminding him of just how much Namine suffered and how much she deserves to be saved. And so on, and so on.

And that would probably make for a much more solid and cohesive game, and give the overall plot a lot more weight… but could you actually realistically present that kind of plot in a way that wasn’t totally alienating to the casual audience? Are you really going to be able to give enough emotional context for the average uninitiated player to grasp and care about all these different plotlines just through flashbacks and exposition? Are there really that many people who actually want to see the plot of Tangled used as a vehicle to revisit the plot of a 2004 GBA game, or are people just going to be frustrated at these hugely popular Disney movies being taken over by weird anime OCs they don’t care about? Professional reviewers are quite understandably panning the game already just for the very minimal intrusions of the convoluted main plot into the Disney stuff “breaking the magic” as it is, so it’s hard for me to imagine that any more of that would really be well-received by and large, however much the story might technically benefit from it. This is the sort of problem we run into when a game has to try and simultaneously appease two distinct audiences with entirely different priorities. Giving the main plot a very minimal presence for most of the game and then shoving the entire resolution into the last few hours is an imperfect solution, but I’m also not really sure what else they could realistically have done, given the setup KH3 had to work with.

In the end, I’m basically content with the compromise. I think they did a decent job of making a game that stays mostly enjoyable and accessible as a wacky Disney adventure for the casual audience, while still tying up most of the big overall plot threads that needed to be tied up in a reasonably satisfying way (a few very questionable writing choices aside… but it’s Kingdom Hearts, what else is new). It would have been nice to have had more build-up and substance to these characters’ resolutions, and to actively focus more of the game on them, as you suggest - but the more time the game spends pandering to overall series fans, the more time it also spends alienating everyone else. I think in the end we just have to accept that the build-up and context for their resolutions was in the previous games, that the people who really care about the series’ story will have played those games already, and for the people who haven’t, it just probably wasn’t worth devoting too much effort to trying to make them care within KH3 itself. That’s my take on it, at least.

On Riku and Mickey... hm, well, aside from them obviously being OTP material as always, neither of them really got to do much in this game? So I don’t really have much to say about them in particular. I thought the idea of Riku feeling a personal connection to Aqua’s plight as someone trapped in the darkness was sweet, but then they didn’t really do anything with that or let them actually interact at all in the end, so it felt like wasted potential. The BBS characters in this game were just a big disappointment in general, really! They could easily have done much more with them than they did, without even changing the structure of the story much... but, uh, I’m talking about Riku, sorry. I feel like Riku’s never really done much for me as a character, beyond like, KH1 and maybe CoM. I can see the outline of his arc on paper, and it seems fine and potentially interesting, but the execution has always felt pretty by-the-book and lacking in nuance to me. They talk very generally about him “falling to darkness” and such, but they don’t ever get beyond that into actually having him wrestle with his guilt over specific things, like his time working with DiZ or kidnapping the princesses or contributing to Roxas and Xion’s sacrifices, so it all feels a bit too broad to particularly connect with - and it’s sort of hard for me to really give weight to things like “I wore a blindfold for a whole year because I couldn’t stand looking at myself”, when that’s juxtaposed with him flipping right back to being a perfectly functional and confident hero without much apparent struggle or lasting difficulty after just a few platitudes from Sora. It’s sort of like they flip between being broadly melodramatic about his issues and shrugging them off completely? So he’s never really clicked with me, personally.

Meanwhile, Mickey is kind of hard for me to take all that seriously as a character beyond the memes, since... I mean, he’s Mickey Mouse, so there’s a big mental block there, lol. But even if I put that aside and look at his writing in KH in isolation, he never really felt like a particularly deep or interesting character or anything, I think? His relationship with Riku is very sweet, though!

So... Who is going to die in Kingdom Hearts III?

Speculation over the course of how Kingdom Hearts III will play out has been buzzing lately due to certain comments that director Tetsuya Nomura has made during a panel at the latest KH3 demo event (I will spell out those comments after the jump in case anyone just doesn’t want to look at anything spoilery). Now, fans are left to ruminate over the pieces and the reasons why x and x character may kick the bucket.

In this specific discussion, what I have to contribute is the writer’s perspective. Here, I will not attempt to convince anyone as to why x and x character will certainly die. I am instead going to gather supporting arguments for a major character’s death and its disputes, leaving the choice up to whichever lovely person ends up spending the time to read this. The writer’s perspective is one that is certainly overlooked. Instead of only relying on lore and literary analysis, the writer’s perspective is useful in understanding how the Death of a Major Character works, and how it relates to character and plot development, which, unbeknownst to probably many people, are MAJOR factors in deciding who is going to die.

This essay will first define what makes the Death of a Major Character tick and other core writing concepts, and then we will go through each major protagonist and the arguments for/against their deaths based on overall plot progression. What I hope to achieve is to stir discussion. I would love to read anyone’s suggestions or ideas about other arguments or lore that I have overlooked!

All information used in this is canonical, official, and known to the public. No leaked information was used.

So... who will die?

WARNING: Spoilers for the entire series. And one for Game of Thrones and Harry Potter.

ALSO WARNING: Very, very long.

First, a writing lesson! How do you kill off a major character?

1) Death is always foreshadowed. Yes, it is. It doesn’t only serve to create tension or danger as an element on its own. It is a writer’s job to plant seeds of awareness of such a possibility - for the basic reason of avoiding pissing off consumers/readers/viewers/players. Which is bad. All creators/writers/directors/designers strive to avoid doing this.

But wait, what about surprising deaths? Always foreshadowed, too. It can be simple and seemingly innocent, such as a character telling another character to “be careful.” Or it can be unrelated, such as a character reflecting on the loss of something that has nothing to do with death, or a character reflecting on their own dreams for the future. The latter two gives off a sense of heaviness without directly meaning to be. But it is always foreshadowed.

The reason for this is while consumers/readers/viewers/players enjoy being surprised and to be on the edge of their seat anticipating what is coming next, they DO NOT ENJOY being tricked, manipulated, deceived, or betrayed. Death is upsetting, for reasons that are human and natural to all of us. Death of a major character that consumers have gotten attached to is upsetting. Death, being the ultimate finale, robs a character of any promise that we expect them to achieve. Which leads me to the second reason...

2) Death should have meaning. What does this mean? How do you define what makes a death meaningful? Two ways: symbolically and logistically.

The symbolical reason could be anything. It could be a direct symbol of a theme, or a concept. It could be literal of a conversation that same character had moments earlier. It could be a representation of the psychological development of another character related to the dead one.

The logistical reason is related to plot development. The death of one character should make a tremendous impact of the course of another, major character’s development to the point that it affects the plot, or it should dramatically change the course of the plot progression overall. The most shallow plot-related reason to kill off a character is to exemplify the severity of a battle. Challenging a living character’s development and changing the plot structure should be long-term in order for it to have actual meaning.

Robbing the significance of the death of a major character would leave the consumer to accuse the death of existing purely for shock value. As you can probably guess, this is bad. This would upset the consumer purely for the reason of upsetting and emotionally manipulating them - and they are smart enough to realize this.

**If you are on the avant garde side and think that these kinds of rules are limiting of creative expression, I invite you to think about Ned Stark’s death from A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin is called a genius for not only challenging our understanding of what it means to define a main character, but for challenging our understanding over how characters are protected by Plot Armor. What you will find is that he did not pull this off by ignoring the above two rules. He just toyed with them. This is an example of how a writer effectively breaks the rules.

**Considering how I said earlier that consumers do not enjoy being tricked, we should quickly cover Nomura’s comments. He said that the ending of KH3 will be difficult to swallow. He said that resolving the fight against Xehanort will have severe consequences, and that “Light will be defeated. [The game] will have a darkness to it.”  This was done during a panel discussion, a PR event. This is essentially a business promise to consumers of what to expect in the final product, much like how a writer plants seeds of awareness that death is coming. I have noticed that there are some people who are denying his statements by saying he is trying to trick us on purpose as some sort of stunt. This would put him in a precarious position which could threaten his career, actually. He will then be accused of lying. Overall, while this certainly may be a possibility, it’s a really unstable method that may bring him more consequences than he would expect. I honestly wouldn’t bet that he is lying to us. But what I will do is cover an alternative possibility as to what may happen in case there is no major character death.

Now that we have discussed the mechanics of death in modern storytelling, let’s cover two other concepts: Chekhov’s gun and consequentialism.

-Chekhov’s gun is a term that is credited to Anton Chekhov, a renowned Russian playwright who was at the height of his career in the 1880′s. It essentially states that elements of a story have to be necessary, and that you cannot deliver false promises to readers (remember what I said about consumers hating to be tricked?). The reason it is called Chekhov’s gun is because of a specific example he used: If you were to describe a gun in an earlier chapter, it must go off at a later chapter. Otherwise, forget mentioning it altogether (the only exception in modern storytelling is that a detail mentioned should have something to do with character development - but even so, this character development should have relevance to the plot).

What this means is that story elements that are alluded to need to be resolved, or not be mentioned at all. And if Nomura cares anything about essential elements of storytelling, he will stick by this, unless he wants to throw it out the window for who knows whatever reason.

-Consequentialism is the idea that a character will be important enough to affect the plot in substantial ways. I do not mean as a tool or a plot device either. I mean in such substantial ways that if they were erased, it would demand the majority of the plot to be rewritten. A consequential character is one whose actions actively change the plot or create new scenarios. Consequentialism is very important in determining who is going die because this is normally our first cue as to when a character is finished. In other words, when they stop being consequential, we subconsciously realize that they are no longer useful.

Now that we have covered some core writing concepts, let’s go over a couple of major themes of Kingdom Hearts, which should be considered when mulling over major character deaths.

-Sacrifice: This is present in every. Single. Game. Particularly the willing kind. Sora sacrificing himself to save Kairi, and Riku sacrificing himself to save Sora in the original game. Naminé sacrificing her desire for friendship and connection for Sora, and Riku sacrificing his most precious memories to keep the ones he made in Castle Oblivion in CoM. Roxas and Axel sacrificing their existence for Sora, and Riku willing to sacrifice his friendship in order to keep doing his thing in KHII. Xion sacrificing her existence for Sora in Days. Aqua sacrificing her life for Terra, Ventus choosing to sacrifice his, and Terra’s life being taken away from him in BBS. Riku willing to sacrifice his life for Sora again in DDD.

There is a clear give and take with all of these examples (Sora seems to be the winning character in many of these). Sacrifice is given in order to gain something. A willing sacrifice is indicative of the strength of the heart. This essentially means that if a major character is going to die, it is mostly likely going to be sacrificial, and it will be for a reason.

-Obsession leads to destruction: Obsession or a narrow-mindedness towards a goal or idea essentially leads to destruction of the character who is obsessing or destructiveness of those around them. Riku’s descent into darkness. Terra being possessed. Sora losing his Mark of Mastery exam. The Foretellers turning on each other. Xehanort, being the one to obsess the most, is the sole reason for the destruction of all the worlds (which essentially means that this will be also be a factor in his own destruction).

This could be a compelling reason for why a major character would die. Yes, this implies that a major character would struggle with darkness, but we already know that Kingdom Hearts defines character development through a struggle with dark elements of their own character (darkness in general). Meaningful and deep character development doesn’t exist in any other way in the series.

-Memories hold our bonds: This is certainly indicative of normal human behavior. We form relationships through the memories shared (ex. see Naminé and her lack of friends; see Xion and her lack of existence; see the fact that Xehanort lost his memory and it barely affected his ambitions because he has no friends). To lose memory means that the friendship is therefore broken, and it becomes non-existent, as if it never happened. This is not related to death directly, but it is something to bring up.

Now it’s time to get into the meat and bones of all of this, and the reason why you’re reading this essay in the first place. First, a disclaimer: As stated before, I am not attempting to predict what is definitely going to happen in Kingdom Hearts III. I am merely collecting reasons for/against character deaths. This is meant to be a reference, a resource for readers, to either contribute a different perspective or to ignite further discussion. Look at it as a starting point, if you want.

Let’s move on to the characters. First, our main contenders.

Sora

Support for: No, NOT OUR PRECIOUS. But seriously, considering how so many characters have sacrificed something for him, where is the return on investment? WE KNOW that Sora is willing to sacrifice himself for others. He always tries, that’s what makes his heart so strong. From a theoretical standpoint, Sora is the main hero - the one to go on the longest journey. According to Joseph Campbell, the professor of literature who wrote The Hero of a Thousand Faces, the hero’s journey is marred by a significant event that depicts the death of the hero as the end of that journey, which is found in the majority of mythologies and most fantasy stories. Just think about any fantasy hero who went through a literal death or a symbolical one after his achievements. Furthermore, Sora views the Keyblade as a tool to give everyone else a chance to be happy. Who is one of the people that he wants to make happy? Roxas. We already know that messing with hearts in general bring grave consequences - we haven’t seen something positive come out of that. It is also implied that he needs to wield darkness to do it based on the trailers. What if bringing Roxas back means that Sora can no longer exist? Or, try a different scenario. What if sealing Kingdom Hearts requires a blood sacrifice? What if using the Key to Return Hearts requires a sacrifice? If Sora had the choice to make another person happy, and bless them with a peaceful life, HE WILL DO IT, no matter the cost. He views himself as part of something bigger. He already has an understanding, then, of how big this truly is. He is the one character who will be the quickest to give himself up for others. Furthermore, Sora will eventually achieve Mastery, since he is on that path anyway. Beyond that, what is left for him?

Dispute(s): Despite what Campbell says, many contemporary stories usually reward heroes for their good deeds. It’s a particularly cruel disposition to kill Sora, considering how benevolent, kind, warm, and necessary he is. He accepts others as they are, with no judgment and no expectations. He is the healing source that others need. If anyone needs a connection or a bond to get them through things, it’s Sora that they can rely on. If there is a character that is the true representation of happiness and hope, it’s Sora. I understand that Nomura said that the ending will be difficult - but Kingdom Hearts is not a nihilistic series. In other words, the tone and mood of the series is not designed to bring us a completely destructive and hopeless ending - this is the same as tricking the consumer (hence, why tone is so important in writing). I am aware that this point does not protect Sora from death, which is indicative of how hard it was for me to find legitimate reasons against it - however, I will get back to him at the end of the essay.

Riku

Support for: No, NOT OUR OTHER PRECIOUS. Riku is Sora’s foil, Sora’s shadow, Sora’s other half. Symbolically, Sora and Riku are two halves of the same coin. Nomura makes tremendous strides in showcasing this throughout the series, and repeating the significance of their friendship. You do not have to be a shipper to notice this - Nomura makes it a major theme and to deny this is to ignore the primary source material. The two even appear together in any game they are a part of - even if separate, one is doing something for the other. In other words, they cannot be separated even when fighting or when physically distant. The reason why I mention Sora is because Riku considers himself as someone who has to look after him. If Sora were to do something reckless such a sacrificing himself, Riku is the ONE true appropriate character to stop him and take his place. This may be the series’ intended sadness - that death would finally separate the two, as a response to their friendship being such a main element to the story as a whole. It’s not only this factor: Riku’s character arc for the most part is already finished. He has become Master. He has built a resistance to darkness. Aside from his missions, what is there left for him to do? The trailers even show him forsaking his Way to Dawn in exchange for a new Keyblade as representative of his finished development. And still so, he keeps being reminded by Ansem that he will fall anyway. Furthermore, I understand the implication of the fact that they are never separated - it implies the possibility that BOTH of them may die together.

Dispute(s): It is a particularly bitter pill to swallow to kill off a character like Riku. Of all the characters, Riku is the one to offer a sacrifice the most often. While his sacrifices are nowhere near as tragic as the ones given up by the Wayfinder trio, it’s the consistency of his offerings that add a tragic and hopeless element to it. It’s the concept of how he has given up so much already - so why ask him to give up more? However, considering that I am starting this argument with an emotional appeal, it shows that I had trouble finding legitimate reasons against his death, too. But let’s think of a different scenario. Since Riku is Sora’s other half, it stands to reason that Riku is also a fitting replacement as a leader and main hero should Sora sacrifice himself (which is still a separation of the two). But I will get back to Riku at the end of the essay, as well.

Terra

Support for: Whether you think that Terra is a manipulated victim deserving of compassion and understanding or you think that he’s a genuine idiot in desperate need of redemption, Terra is indisputably a wildcard among the cast. The series has been blunt about Aqua and Ventus’ whereabouts, but purposely kept mum about Terra’s. This secrecy lends to several different and conflicting theories about his whereabouts and his return. He is the one character closest to Xehanort, and therefore may play a large role in the death of the primary antagonist. And while Terra sacrificed his body and ability to live, it wasn’t done so willingly - it was taken from him by force. So where is his contribution in accordance to one of the main themes of the series? Let’s consider a couple of scenarios, such as the theory that Xehanort is still using Terra’s body. Considering that the Master has failed in expunging Terra’s heart from the body, what if Terra was the one to bring Xehanort down with him, in some heroic suicide? Another theory suggests that Master Xehanort and Terra-Xehanort are two of the 13 Seekers of Darkness, as though they are separate entities. If that is the case, then we know that Terra’s whole body and heart have traveled in time to be one of the 13, so what does that mean for Terranort’s elimination? If Terra is Ansem’s Guardian, then that is a fractured heart given up to darkness. Since that has already been destroyed before, destroying it again would be inconsequential to the plot as a whole, so this particular one wouldn’t matter to the overall plot. Keep in mind that these are current theories based on current information. Considering the instability of the lore of the series as a whole (aka, all the retconning), it is quite possible that Nomura may come up with elements that we are completely blind to in order to make sense of Terra’s return and eventual sacrifice. But the main reason why he is associated with death is because Xehanort will eventually die - and Xehanort is an obsessive character, whose own obsession puts Terra at risk.

Dispute(s): Considering that death should have meaning to it, there seems to be a robbery of it by finishing Terra off. In other words, what is the point exactly of Sora and/or Riku going through all the trouble of saving Terra if he is going to die anyway? It’s labor with no reward, which cheats the consumer (especially a video game player, whose storytelling experiences are tied with achieving goals in a game). Furthermore, unlike the Destiny trio, the Wayfinder trio haven’t received the reunion that they so desperately want. We know they want this, and we have an expectation that it will happen, and while it may be tragic to take this away from them, it is taking it away from them purely for tragedy’s sake (shock value/emotional manipulation of the consumer). Continuing on this trend, there are certain suggestions that Terra has a definitive role to play that will rob him of meaning if he were to die. He promised to set things right to Aqua and Ventus as his lingering and fractured emotions and thoughts stayed with his armor. Aqua sacrificed herself for him to give him a fighting chance. Robbing him of both his promise and his chance ruins the promise made to the consumer that it will happen.  While this does not necessarily protect him from death (meaning, he could die after he fulfills his duties), the probability of him dying lessens to a significant degree if he is brought back to redeem himself because his character arc suddenly switches to being the fixer as a foil to Xehanort - unless of course KH3 makes subtle threats to his life again, in which case Xehanort has reason to kill him if he is an efficient foil.

We have gotten through the most likely characters, so let’s continue on to other contenders.

Ventus

Support for: Ventus is easily the largest question mark in the entire cast. What started out as a simple concept has become complicated as KHUX dropped a bomb on us and revealed that Ventus existed during an age eons ago. We don’t know what Ventus knows. We don’t even know if it’s the same Ventus as we recognize him. Undoubtedly, according to Chekhov’s gun, whatever Ventus knows, or whatever his contributions are to the events in KHUX, they will be tied to his role in KH3. What remains to be seen is how this is related to the possibility of Ventus dying. What we do know, however, is that he is willing to accept death if it means that it would benefit the worlds. What we also know is that Ventus’ plot progression cannot be discussed without the inclusion of Vanitas (quite a strange conundrum - what did Ventus do in the past to be able to give birth to such a spiteful, angry, hateful darkness? Yes, I am aware of the novels - more on that later). I will discuss Vanitas a bit more in detail next, but it depends on whether Vanitas can be purified - or will Ventus have to kill (at least a part of) himself? The union of Ventus and Vanitas also keeps being implied to being (somewhat) catastrophic. We don’t know it as anything else otherwise. So if their union is no longer necessary to form x-blade, then what does it mean now? If he is not necessary, then why is Xehanort trying so hard to find him? Not only this, but considering Ventus’ immaturity, and inability to gain personal experience because of sleep, this puts him as the one most vulnerable to be obsessive to fix a problem or to hyper-focus on saving Terra and Aqua (and obsession leads to destruction).

Dispute(s): As part of the Wayfinder trio, Ventus will be motivated to fight for a reunion, which keeps being referred to (and therefore it will happen). Not only this, but we know now that Ventus and Vanitas are not necessary anymore to form the x-blade, so therefore are no logistical means for Ventus to die either (under the ignorance of his involvement in KHUX). While the union of Ventus and Vanitas was implied to be harmful before, now that they are no longer the means of forging the x-blade, there is a possibility that the danger of their union is now just a red herring. It could be reduced to nothing more than Ventus needing to keep control of himself (much like how Terra needs to regain control of himself).

Let’s divert our attention to quickly cover...

The Case of Vanitas

Vanitas is in a precarious position, being that he has two distinct characterizations. The primary source material (the games) depict him as sadistic, unsympathetic, and incredibly spiteful. If he was acting selfishly - if he wasn’t following Xehanort around - Vanitas could be described as a sociopath. The secondary source material (the novels) depict him as a victim of horrible abuse with his own twisted perception of the world and of his relationship to Ventus. He has a need to merge with Ventus in order to feel whole (we have to keep in mind that we CANNOT call the novels an adaptation - that’s an abuse of the word and its definition). These kinds of characterizations are incredibly different and seemingly conflicting. They certainly can work together if KH3 plays its cards right and spends the screen time. However, for the majority of players who have never been exposed to the secondary material (and if KH3 never explores it), a redemption arc for Vanitas will not make sense. What does this mean? Death. In relation to Ventus, we can see this as Vanitas having to “die” as we know him in order to be whole again, or Ventus possibly dying in order to rid the world of Vanitas. Vanitas is also an obsessive character, who, similar to Xehanort is to Terra, puts Ventus at risk through his own obsession.

Let’s get back to our main focus.

Lea & Isa

Lea and Isa’s history is parallel to Sora and Riku’s, where Nomura explores how he defines a friendship that failed to stay together. I am not going to suggest that both of them have to die together, but being that they are linked, I am hoping to tackle our last likely contenders all at once.

For Lea -

Support for: Ah, to kill off our lovable, red-headed, fiesty know-it-all is an easy way to make players sad. It would certainly have a tragic element to it considering Lea’s history and how he was forced to work for Xemnas. But more importantly, it’s his role as that extra, new Keyblade wielder. There are 7 Guardians of Light, and while most people will include him on this list, his gray morality and overall consequential role to the plot dilutes the definition of a Guardian in comparison to a character like Terra. I am not suggesting that Lea is incapable - merely that he is an oddball in comparison to the rest. He is also just so willing to be sacrificial as well - he considered sacrificing his life for Roxas, and ended up doing so for Sora. The other characters will spend time questioning his morality, and what better way to prove the strength of his own heart? It may not even go down this way. He could be collateral damage in the final battle, á la Fred Weasley.

Dispute(s): Killing him off may subject Nomura to a certain anger from the fandom, partly because there isn’t a real convincing foreshadow to his death. While yes, he will always be there to get have his friends’ back (even if it means standing in the way of fire), many suggestions related to Lea are arguably related to hope. This promise of having his friends’ back was made to Roxas, indicating a role that Lea will play in getting Roxas back (or at the very least, a factor in Ventus’ development). We also know that he is slowly remembering Xion, and so his existence will play a factor in this, too. In other words, Lea is very much the support character that many of the others will need to rely on. The suggestion that he may be collateral, especially if there is no meaning to it, would easily put him in the shock value category. In other words, what purpose would killing him serve? What message does that send? Also, the term “lea” means “an open area of grassy and arable land (suitable for growing crops).” Lea is the earth that supports the Salt Ice Cream trio, who also have not been given their reunion (more on Roxas and Xion later).

For Isa -

Support For: The name Isa is the Arabic form of Jesus, and a name like this is quite on the nose. While we may use literary analysis to sympathize with Isa as to how he was manipulated into the Organization, and how he is being controlled by Xehanort, Isa is not designed to be sympathetic. He is bossy, mean, rude, cold, and jealous. He has done nothing so far, like Riku, to redeem himself, and this puts him the gray area of being irredeemable so close to the end. His bond with Lea is deeply fractured, as they are two former friends fighting on opposite sides of a war. If Evil Jesus, Our Lord and Savior, were to fix this fracture, considering that he does not show qualities that would paint him as deserving of Lea’s loyalty, a willing sacrifice for the purpose of saving or protecting Lea seems fitting in this case. His death would also support Lea’s survival.

Dispute(s): He is another character that I had trouble finding legitimate reasons to spare, but let’s consider the mark of the Recusant’s Sigil on his face. Any other time we see this sigil, it’s through a temporary means - clothing, magic attacks, or a rearrangement of a name. Isa is the only one to bear it on such a permanent level (by normal human’s standards). The series makes a point, however, that even the body is malleable. Since we do not know the full role the Recusant’s Sigil will play in KH3, and how Isa in particular will relate to this, sparing his life can enrich our understanding of it. However, I recognize that the Recusant’s Sigil theory supports the idea that he will save Lea (and thus betraying the Organization), which fits the idea that he will die more so than he will live. I also recognize that Isa is not necessary at all to understand the meaning of the Recusant’s Sigil - that falls directly on Luxu and the Master of Masters.

But wait, x and x character are not on this list! What gives?

Let’s trudge through the last few characters, who are either highly unlikely to die or fit into a weird definitive space.

TRIGGER WARNING: Keep in mind that I will cover two very controversial characters in this section, and I WILL address their controversy and lightly touch upon why they are controversial. You know who these are. If you are a fan, keep in mind that I am discussing the writing process - colloquially yes, but academically. I have to be critical where it is appropriate and required. I expect this to be understood.

Kairi

Support for: Let’s get two concepts out of the way: First, Kairi is the kind of character that writers will create to fulfill incredibly specific purposes That’s putting it nicely. If you want me to be frank and use my education* to define her, she is a plot device. This cannot be disputed considering the massive amounts of evidence - but that’s an entirely different, very long lecture on its own. All writers create plot devices - many will spare a character from fulfilling that role by creating an object instead, like the One Ring, the Elder Wand, dragons - but in Kingdom Hearts... well congrats, Kairi. Her whole existence in KH3 is going to be tied to the summoning of Kingdom Hearts, due to her being a Princess of Heart. This does not mean that she is consequential to the overall plot - it only means that, for Xehanort, she is one of the tools needed to forge the x-blade (consequentialism, agency, and character development in relation to the series are also entirely different lectures on their own - if anyone wants to learn more, I’d be happy to indulge). Furthermore, she is the only character to not have sacrificed anything. Secondly, let’s go back to Chekhov’s gun. The one element that every game alludes to is Kingdom Hearts. It is discussed among other characters what they think it means, or what they think it does. But the truth is, we have never seen it in action. Definitions of Kingdom Hearts come from an age of fairy tales, diluted from time and misunderstanding. So, we don’t actually know what it does or what’s inside aside from a vague description that it’s the light of all worlds. It has been unattainable to us this entire time. This heavily suggests that it will be summoned so that we can finally see it. It means we will get a chance to see the x-blade in ACTION, since we don’t know what that looks like, either. And for Kairi, she is going to be consumed. We don’t know if that means death, per se, or if she and the other Princesses will be part of a ritual. Nomura did say that light will be defeated - since Kairi is indicative of pure light, then his statement pretty much defines itself. However, considering that it seems so certain that she will be consumed, why is she in this category?

Dispute(s): I have mentioned before that the series is not designed to be nihilistic, hopeless, or full of despair. An ending like the summoning of Kingdom Hearts with no resolution is the same as betraying the consumer - it is unsatisfactory, given the amounts of efforts players have put into achieving happy, bittersweet, or hopeful endings. We may witness a catastrophe happening, and the 7 Guardians may fail to stop the summoning (thus, Nomura’s statement about light being defeated can be interpreted this way), but it cannot stay a catastrophe. This robs all of the main characters from their goals. If catastrophe was truly the ending that the series was pertaining to, it would have been foreshadowed through its tone already, beyond the Master of Master’s Book of Prophecies. Tone is everything. And it’s a Disney game. What this essentially means is that we will see a reversal of fortune in relation to this in some form. Maybe the worlds will all blend together, or maybe they will stay apart. Who knows. But it’s definitely not all death and despair. In relation to Kairi, it means that she may have to be saved by Sora and company (which may end up leading to Sora’s death) as a means of sealing Kingdom Hearts. In other words, she’s a retconned key to unlock Kingdom Hearts, and a retconned key to lock it back up again (going back to calling her an object and all - and if it wasn’t her, it really could have been anybody). Going back to her lack of sacrifice, it makes no sense that she would willingly sacrifice herself to choose to summon Kingdom Hearts. Not only this, but if pure light is needed to rebuild the world (and since we know of no other young children), the light of the Seven Princesses may be necessary here. I do recognize the possibility that Kairi may choose to sacrifice herself for Sora, but since she has no character development, this truthfully is going to hold little value to many fans since there has been no foreshadowing to this. There would also be a lack of meaning here in comparison to a character who is already closely tied to the theme of sacrifice (such as Sora, Riku, Ventus, etc).

What I mean to say is that MEANING can only be created through characters who are active in the plot and undergo well-developed character development. This is because this gives us, the consumers, a reference point so that we can determine what is meaningful in relation to the events in the overall personal journey that a character went through. And no, training to fight is not personal development. That is shallow development, because actual personal development would deepen and challenge our understanding of her. In other words, she will be the same person despite her training, because training is not a personal trial for her - she will continue to be someone who loves her friends, someone who wants to be involved, a broken record, etc. This is emphasized over the fact that Kingdom Hearts defines character development to be tied to struggling with darkness considering how all the other characters developed. She’s pure of light with no darkness. This means that sacrifice or death for her is just not fitting to give to her as a role and cannot create meaning, unless you want to make this a symbolic tie to how light in general has disappeared. It can very easily argued and challenged by skeptics though that this is still a shallow symbolic tie because her light doesn’t MEAN anything in terms of behavior, psychology or plot development. It’s just a broad, vague concept that was ignored for most of the series. This is inconsequentialism. This also suggests that if she were to die, it would be meaningless (therefore, shock value).

Meaning for her specifically doesn’t exist, but it does for Sora. What this means is that yes, she can die, but it holds no message for us as consumers. It would be a plot device to drive Sora, which is something that I don’t think Nomura will go for, mainly because Square is already aware of the backlash that can happen by fridging a female character for the sake of a boy. Especially a flat character. That suggests that she has no purpose to exist except for Sora, and Square already went through this song and dance with all the controversy surrounding Final Fantasy XV. Fridging her also cheapens her death from any real meaning because it’s all meant for Sora’s development without saying anything about her, since she has no development. Again, this is shock value - especially if it’s going to happen in the end of the game.

It terms of actual meaning and consequentialism, this brings me to... 

Aqua

Support for: I found little in support of her death. Considering that there is no foreshadowing to it, and that despite consistently wanting to give up in the Realm of Darkness, BUT SHE NEVER DOES - the only way for her death to have any meaning is if Terra and Ventus were to die as well. Then she could rejoin them in the afterlife, and that could be their reunion. In this vein, yes, this would essentially mean that Terra and Ventus are safe from death through their association with her.

Dispute(s): Aqua defines herself as a wayfinder to others, someone to be a guide. In relation to Sora and Riku, she is the ONLY other character to fit as a leader. She is incredibly consequential to the plot, being that she is the only one who knows what happened to Terra and she is the only one who knows where Ventus is. In other words, she is one of the most important characters to the plot progression of KH3. Plus, any references to her character progression have been positive, about how she will push forward, how she will be a light to others. Yes, she could die after the fulfillment of her duties, if Nomura really wants to be depressing, but this could draw possibly the most ire from fans. This would be mainly because of the lack of meaning. What is the point of saving her if she is going to die? Hasn’t she suffered enough? What about the Wayfinders? Isn’t their purpose to represent an unbreakable connection? What is the point of that connection if she dies? It is not that she is more deserving to live than other characters, such as Sora or Riku. It has more to do with the reality that we expect the Wayfinder trio to reap some sort of reprieve after all they went through. We expect this because the series has always given back to those who have sacrificed enough. Killing her would therefore be done for shock value for the purpose of saddening fans. Since this is still a Kingdom Hearts game we are talking about, just because it will be a darker game doesn’t mean that the game is going to be a total curveball. Unless of course, Nomura wants to change the tone of it and turn it into a curveball for the purpose of shocking fans - which will not fly by many. Fans are smart enough to notice.

Here is where I get apprehensive, though - Nomura has already shown to be emotionally manipulative, so it doesn’t mean that Aqua is totally safe. Which brings me to...

Roxas & Xion

Support for: So, I have just finished explaining how the series is forgiving to characters who are sacrificial enough, and of course these two will spring to mind. Of any character that underwent a death already and been revived in some form, Roxas and Xion are two who have yet to come back. There are many fans who think they shouldn’t. Fans like these are aware that their return may serve no purpose. This is the concept of consequentialism in action. Roxas was consequential until he wasn’t anymore. Xion was inconsequential to the plot as a whole, which means that her character had only one specific purpose: to be emotionally manipulative to the player (do not take this as criticism of her if you are a fan - if she serves no role to the plot, then this is the only reason left for her existence. I am speaking of the writing process here, not her personally). Inconsequentialism is the fancy academic term why some fans accuse their return as fanservice. They are asking: what purpose do these two characters serve? What meaning does their existence, their living, really have? The truth is that it will all be tied to Sora. Xion is tied directly to Roxas and her return would not be possible without him because no one remembers her. Sora wants Roxas back. How does this relate to their deaths? If we can assume that bringing Roxas back (and therefore Xion by extension) is risky, then that means that their return is in conflict with Sora’s safety. But this is conflict beyond just the surface-level understanding that Sora is in danger - here we have inconsequential characters threatening the existence of a consequential one. Overall, on paper, it sounds like a bad idea. So what does death look like for them? Either Nomura will make Sora fail to bring Roxas (and by extension, Xion) back, or he succeeds at a huge cost to himself, and Roxas and Xion will make the willing sacrifice to spare him.

Dispute(s): Roxas and Xion really fit into a strange space, because much like how meaning is stripped if the Wayfinder trio die, there will be a feeling of emptiness if Sora put all this effort into bringing Roxas back only to be fruitless in his efforts. It also contradicts the concept of Chekhov’s gun entirely - especially in Xion’s case. For a character that the plot says everyone forgot, BBS, Re: Coded, and DDD all make an effort to remind us that she still exists. She will return, and because this can only happen through Roxas, Roxas will return (unless Nomura really just wants to toss this concept out the window, of course). I have already mentioned earlier that Riku serves to be a fitting replacement as leader in place of Sora should Sora kick the bucket. Roxas is a character that can appropriately fit this role as well, a counterpart to Sora. Another scenario is that Sora finds a different way, a way through light, in order to bring them back so their return doesn’t have to threaten him. We do not know if the Key to Return Hearts will be used to bring Kingdom Hearts back to its former glory, or if it allows the wielder to split hearts into two with no consequences, or how data plays a role in building Roxas and Xion bodies. All of these are possibilities.

Naminé

Support for: She is another character that exists in a strange cloud of space. Unlike Roxas and Xion, her return is not guaranteed, given that Kairi has no expressed interest in finding her. Other characters seem to go on the assumption that she is gone for good. The last time we saw her, it was a data-copy. Instead of really dying, evidence points to her never coming back at all.

Dispute(s): It seems a bit out of character for someone like Sora to never consider bringing her back in some way, even though there has been no indication that her heart is with him. If he wants to make everyone happy, then surely isn’t Naminé included? He also wanted to thank her personally, as indicated when he chased her in DDD, only for it to be a dream. If she doesn’t come back, then he never gets that chance - although that could be a tragic reality as a consequence of messing with the heart. Being that there has been no indication of her coming back, this is a small tragedy that can certainly happen, since we are not expecting her to.

And here is where we finish with going through all the characters.

Well, what if no one dies?

Ever since these kinds of doomsday comments by Nomura, it has been a doomsday response by many fans. Which is ironic, considering that death really doesn’t mean much in Kingdom Hearts, even for someone like Ansem the Wise, who was right next to an explosive device and he survived anyway. So what is left? Here is one idea that I will argue may happen, which include arguments as to why I personally believe that one or both of them may die:

Sora and/or Riku will lose all their memories

I write this under my personal expectation that if any characters are going to be the ones to sacrifice the most, it will be Sora and/or Riku.

In Kingdom Hearts, losing memories is worse than losing a limb, and is equivalent to dying. The whole purpose of existing, and the whole point of having a heart is to feel feelings and to build relationships with one another. Sora and Riku are two characters whose friendship we have watched develop the longest. Sora has been together with Donald and Goofy almost the entire time. Similarly, Riku is tied to Mickey. This tie to the most iconic Disney characters of all time is indicative of just how their characters define the meaning of Kingdom Hearts as a whole. If you want to pick something to be representative of all of Kingdom Hearts’ themes, it’s them. Like a Greek choir telling us the story. Like Rosencratz and Guildenstern, but way more involved (sorry, obscure Hamlet reference). What I am saying here is that many fantasy stories will rely on characters that act as twins, or represent twin-like concepts, whose relationships are indicative of how the nature of the plot is going. Examples? Merry and Pippin. Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Fred and George Weasley. C-3PO and R2-D2. Cecil Harvey and Kain Highwind. With characters like these, you look for when they are separated, when they are together, how they are feeling, what they are facing, their commentary on the events around them, the decisions they make, etc. The genius of Kingdom Hearts is that it’s the main heroes who also fulfill this role. It’s a lot of pressure.

One of them losing their memories severs the friendship that we have spent the longest observing. We know that this will be considered a huge loss to either of them. If both of them lose their memories, it severs their many connections to EVERYONE else. It has meaning because it’s a testament to what the cost of protecting the light is supposed to mean, especially from characters who have done so much for everyone else already. This testament is especially true for Sora, whose entire purpose is to build connections and to heal others - to make them smile, and it acknowledges that his heart is connected to everyone else. His friends are everything to him, and losing his memories is therefore a huge loss.

This testament is true for Riku, who for Sora is a figure meant to look after him - someone that Sora has expected all his life to be there, and to lose this friendship would be a tremendous loss to Sora if he survived it. It holds meaning because far beyond anything we have ever seen Kingdom Hearts do, this is truly the meaning of death and loss, done in a way that is meant to make us able to recognize that, yes, this is very bad. It is a resolution that would acknowledge why Nomura puts such a strong emphasis on the two of them, including how he tried to tie “Dearly Beloved” to them. Death or loss of memory is truly tragic in this case. It can be argued that loss of memory is worse than death, because at least the dead are grieved over.

So, that’s all that I have. I would LOVE to hear other people’s ideas for other alternatives to death! Who do you think is going to die and why? What kind of lore would you tie into those theories?

If you read all the way here, THANK YOU for getting through this monstrosity!

*In case anyone wanted to know my credentials, I graduated with a degree in Creative Writing/Literature and Psychology from a prominent and respected university in this field in Florida. 

About Me: Kingdom Hearts

Behold, my excuse to cry over KH with paragraphs for nearly each answer.

(shamelessly copied from @khfriendlyreminders​)

Favorite Kh Game Overall: … I underestimated how hard this would be. I mean, I can't simply say I love all of them (even though I do), so... I guess it has to be

ALL OF THEM.

Least Favorite Kh Game Overall: Aside from nitpicks in story and gameplay, I don't have much to say against the KH games. ^^'

I understand perfectly well when people analyze the story and explain why certain parts just don't work, but unless it's something that just outright doesn't sit well with me, I find it hard to be critical of the games. Which is weird since I can be very critical of other media, but KH is kind of... hard to see or make criticism of. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it...

Kh Games I Should Replay: … ALL OF TH-

Okay but for real, I do have to repay them all for the sake of my fic since I'm basing the events off of my gameplay. Though, one I'd like to experience once again is 0.2. I only had the chance to play once at my older brother's before I moved and I feel like I need to experience it again to really understand where the story stands currently.

Most Played Kh Game: KH2 definitely.

Least Played Kh Game: Maybe Re:Coded, Days, and Re:COM. Re:Coded, while I do enjoy, is just not that fun to play on my dying 3DS. Also, I can't remember if it's just Re:Coded, but the camera was just really loose?? On my 3DS with broken left and right triggers, there was just no end to the frustration when those babies started going out. Days is a long game to play and my gameplay is either short and brief stints or finishing the entire game in a day. Right now, I'm in the short and brief stint gameplay mode since I need a new 3DS. On that part, Days and Re:Coded aren't at fault. Re:COM just scares me. Eveyone says that it's easy to get a handle on the card system, and it is but I don't do very well under the pressure of getting the cards together. It's gotten to the point where just looking at the menu screen makes me cringe. ^^' KHUX can count, as well. The game has a hella lot of filler quests, which are fine here and there, but wow those mission goals (“Defeat Every Enemy” has been seen in my nightmares). Not only that, but I'm not really that good at keeping up with games that often require constant/daily logging in for advancement.

Kh Games I Need to Play: I've technically played them all in one form or another, but I would very much like to try out the original GBA COM game at least once. GBA used to be my favorite system and finding out a KH game had been made for it is amazing!

Favorite Gameplay: This one is a tie between KH and KH0.2.

KH2 is just... fun. It's fun to play, it's fun to watch, and it just feels satisfactory to attack and explore the worlds. It might seem a little weird, but my favorite part was being able to 'Examine' everything with the triangle button. It was like Sora's (and Roxas' thoughts for a time) were given a place to exist outside cutscenes and gave insight into how Sora/Roxas were viewing the world. I dunno what anyone else thinks about it or if they even care, but I sincerely hope it makes a comeback in KH3.

KH0.2 is like KH2 in which we are given more of an opportunity to explore and interact with the world around us by actually creating change within the world through spells, hitting objects, or finding the lost memories. I absolutely love to freely roam in games, but it doesn't do much to bring me into the world itself if I can't interact with the world. That's why, as much as it creeped the frick out of me, the Dwarf Woodlands in the Dark World was my favorite world to explore even after the main story.

Least Favorite Gameplay: It's not my least favorite by far (in fact, it's really high up there), but I feel I do have to mention that in KH DDD, I felt really bad about using Flowmotion. It was like, I'd find my way up to several treasures, but then, it turns out, that you'd eventually make it up there by unlocking the way so that you could walk to the treasure. I feel like if there was a couple of puzzles that locked some treasures away and couldn't be accessed through mobile means, it'd balance out the gameplay a little more.

I also find the Dream Eater system to be... a little cool and also a little bad. A little cool because while I can adventure to who knows where and not get constantly freaked by Donald and Goofy teleporting right behind me. It felt like I was on a little solo adventure! Not only that, but the feature to import Dream Eaters from a previous save to a new/other save was a great feature. It was especially helpful when I replayed DDD went from Beginner Mode to Critical Mode. Did I mention it was y first time playing any KH game on a mode tougher than Normal?

A little bad because sometimes that solo adventure was just a bit too solo – and when just starting out (especially on Critical Mode), rather than being my allies, my Dream Eaters were more so the colorful Pokemon rejects I babysat so they didn't die after three hits. It became annoying pretty quickly to constantly keep them alive, only for them to wander away from where the enemies are or just simply not attack and once again die.

KH Re:Com as explained above, though I will admit that once I start to get into it, I feel a lot less pressured unless it's a boss fight. Other than that, the game just feels really repetitive and as someone who's gameplay style is 80% grinding until you simply can't die, it just really didn't feel that fun to play after an hour of just grinding for a boss fight that I felt really unsure about fighting because I'm sill having trouble with the card system.

Favorite Story: Yikes, another hard one. It's easy for me to talk about gameplay in the games because they're self-contained to a singular game within the series, but goodness the story.

I suppose out of all of them, I would replay KH2, DDD, Days, and Re:Coded for story reasons only. I find them to have the more interesting stories. Right now, I'm kind of side eying BBS for... reasons, and KH1 is kind of hard for me to say anything about. More on that in the next one.

Least Favorite Story: Out of the games, KH1 is probably the most consistent one... on its own. As the series progressed and the writers tried to fit more lore and story into an idea that... no one really expected would garner so much attention, it becomes more obvious how... out of place the first game seems in comparison. This took me years to realize and I only really understood why people made such a deal about it when Caddicarus talked about it in his review.

I can't bring myself to really blame the writers (or Nomura) too much for the inconsistencies between the first game and the latest one, but I will say there are some things I wish could've been kept consistent throughout the series, or just plain kept.

So, I don't think of it as my least favorite (since there are times I'll play it simply because I love the story a heck of a lot more than the gameplay), but it's question because of how out of place its story is in comparison to its children.

Favorite Character:  Sora. I would fucking die for him – but he probably wouldn't let me. Why is he my favorite character? Probably for a similar reason why Naruto is – I am not a particularly outgoing or outspoken person. My voice is naturally soft and whenever I try to gear myself to ask people the simplest of questions or even to say hi, I chicken out at the last second. And then, we have this character who not only talks to people without an issue but easily has an active participation in not only social situations but in everyday life.

In a way, my younger self strived to be just a little but more like that, if only because I wanted to be surrounded by friends like Sora was. Not only that, but there's just the overall positivity vibe Sora gives off that I feel like I lack; I almost immediately assume the worst of situations, have trust issues, and stress horribly over situations that even I can admit are out of my control. And seeing this character go through what he did and still keep that positive outlook? How could I not want to be like that, if only just a little?

Least Favorite Character: I'll probably get shit on for saying it, but I really can't bring myself to like Kairi in any way shape or form. She's pretty much the only thing about KH that I can be really critical of and I'm not very proud of that. I can't get into her in canon and I can't get into her in fanon. I can detail point by point about why I just can't like her in any capacity and my own disappointment towards how she's written, and I really wish it was the opposite... but that's a whole other post.

For now, I'm more than content to ignore her.

Favorite Character from Main Cast: Aside from Sora? Roxas, Xion, Vanitas, Riku, Namine, and Ventus are in the ring competing for 11th favorite character since Sora has taken up the first ten spots. Aqua, Terra and Goofy are shoe ins for the next spots after them.

Least Favorite Character from Main Cast: Aside from that one chick? It's mostly as a joke, but Donald can rot.

#NeverThankDonaldDuck2018 Also, fuck Yen Sid.

Favorite Drive Form: Final. Fucking fite my vanilla ass.

Favorite Spell: While the Cure line is a staple, I'm going to have to go with the Reflect line. Late game KH2 often ends up with Heartless/Nobody encounters quickly ending as soon as it started with a single Reflectga. I really hope it makes some kind of comeback in KH3.

Favorite Keyblade: Kingdom Key. Call me vanilla, but I love it's simple design and the lore around it.

Favorite Summon: I've honestly only ever really used Tinkerbell and it's always for the Dragon!Maleficent fight in KH1. I always stress about using things with time limits, so I often just don't use them period. :,D

Favorite Limit: Okay, but if I rarely use Summons, then I really don't use Limits like ever. I hardly switch my party members out unless mandatory. Even then, I turn off the Auto Limit shit because I find it more important to make sure Sora has magic for Cure than pulling off an attack that will only hit like 3 times.

Aside from completion purposes (and Riku because how can I deny the beauty that is Sora and Riku's Limit), I don't use them in the main story.

Favorite Dream Eater: It's a toss up between Pega Slick and Me Me Bunny. While offering some pretty good abilities, I really like their aesthetic. Yoggy Ram and Aura Lion are pretty high up there, too.

Favorite World: Oooo~ How about we have fun with this answer?

KH1 – A toss up between Hollow Bastion and End of The World. The aesthetics for both just really agree with me and the map for Hollow Bation especially is really fun to explore. KH Re:COM – 100 Acre Wood for being the only world that isn't completely repetitive. Whenever I play Re:COM I use it as the 12th floor just so I can reward myself for sticking with the game. KH2 – Radiant Garden for being probably the biggest world in KH2, linking to worlds I really like (Space Paranoids/100 Acre Wood), and having an interesting story that was actually intertwined with the main plot. KHBBS – This one is a bit hard since I don't play any other story except Ventus' 90% of the time. It's a toss up between Land of Departure (aesthetic and story reasons), Disney Town (mini games are really great – except I Scream Beat), and Mirage Arena (Rumble Racing and Mono- Command Board ftw!!).

KH Re:Coded – Pretty much all of Hollow Bastion. While a re-hash of KH1, it still felt like its own thing, especially with the battle system since Data!Sora's Keyblade was destroyed. I also really liked Olympus Coliseum. It was my favorite place to grind. In fact... Re:Coded took a lot of risks in changing up how you could fight and/or navigate the world and, to me, they were all interesting takes and fun experiences. Except Agrabah. Fuck Agrabah.

KHDDD – I like La Cité des Cloches because of what it could have been... Actual worlds I like are The Country of Musketeers, The World That Never Was (Sora's story), and Symphony of Sorcery. KH0.2 – Dwarf Woodlands as explained above. KHUX – I honestly really like Daybreak Town. I wish we could freely explore it.

Least Favorite World: F U C K M O N S T R O

I have some bad memories with Monstro from KH1.

First off, there's a chance you will just plain miss the cutscene needed to get access to him. I once had to drive between Halloween Town and Atlantica six times to get him, and often require 2 or more trips around to get him to appear in general.

Second, in KH1, a game that actually would've benefited from the nowadays useless as shit map system, has a world where everything looks the damn same and has rooms literally titled 'Monstro: Chamber 1' and 'Monstro: Chamber 2'. Just watching Raisoren, someone who has played KH1 at least twice, try to find his way around Monstro was a headache in itself back when I first found out about KH. Actually playing it was a migraine.

Third, the aesthetic... just the aesthetic. I am very squicky about the 'insides' of things. I understand that the team went through lengths to make it not look realistic, but that ultimately failed since the main different between most of the rooms are ledges and the amount of barrels in a room.

With all that said, I bet many of you can guess my reaction to Monstro in KH:DDD... it honestly wasn't too bad. Unless I was grinding, I didn't have to spend as much time in Monstro as I did in KH1 and the layout was a lot more varied and easily distinguishable from each other.

And then I played it in Critical Mode. :)

Am I ready for Kingdom Hearts III: Very much so! I've been steadily getting more and more excited with each piece of news we get. I don't know what to expect, but as long as it feels like a KH game, I don't think there's a way to disappoint me.

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/new-moon-in-gemini-june-2019-thy-kingdom-come/

New Moon in Gemini, June 2019 ~ Thy Kingdom Come

New Moon in Gemini, June 2019 ~ Thy Kingdom Come

By Alison Dhuanna

There has been so much incredible transformation of consciousness within humanity in the past few years it has at times been difficult to capture it in writing. Alongside these big shifts have been challenging events in Britain threatening to tear families and communities apart which have been some of the most challenging issues in terms of what to do or not do. This has mirrored the election of Trump in the USA and marks a turning point in history. It is in many ways a time to allow ourselves and others to grieve for lost worlds and ideals as we approach the Pluto Saturn conjunction in 2020.

What has been central in my world has been anchoring the 7th Violet Ray of the Atmic body (the auric ‘Thou Kingdom Come’) into the physical body – when this occurs it brings a deep sense of peace, purity of heart and stability and the more spacious thoughts of higher consciousness are able to permeate more and more of daily life.

Energy gathers around the heart centre and it becomes easier to let go of the things bothering or agitating the mind and emotions. Many people are experiencing this already and this will be accelerated at this New Moon 3rd June by the ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ movement of billions of people across the globe praying for peace

At this New Moon at 12 degrees Gemini there is an alignment to Aldebaran one of the four Royal Watcher Stars. You may recall the extraordinary story of Saul who was a persecutor of the followers of Jesus and a military leader of the corrupt Roman State which had just executed him. On the road to Damascus Saul experienced an epiphany which threw him to the ground from his horse and left him blind. His healing three days later describes “scales falling from his eyes”. This is what this New Moon offers, the clarity which flows through the ‘Eye of the Bull’.

The north node is aligned with Juno, Goddess of the Sacred Marriage in watery Cancer. There are many dimensions to understand Juno, and an important one for now is to perceive her as a core energy opening the Seventh Seal of Solomon. As we approach the Mayan Day Out of Time this year it is a year of special significance for the number 7, and also there are important movements of Venus this year which resonate to the number 7 (see below for more on this)

In the past few years you will have heard me say many times that I perceive the opening of the Holy Grail codes through the conjunction of Astraea (Spear of Fire) and Hygiea (Grail Cup). Today however I want to refer to them as the energy of Communion, as an understanding and embodiment of the mysteries of the Eucharist and a profound experience of abundance and togetherness as One Body of life which transcends all religions, nations or even our planetary consciousness. At this New Moon Venus lies in Taurus between these two Goddess asteroids bringing a dancing, creative feminine energy and enhanced experience of Gaia’s profound beauty piercing our collective numbness. Together they are aligned with the Pleaides, the Seven Sisters.

Revelation 2.1–7

‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands:

This is a profound moment in time where the divine feminine really makes her mark, and to illuminate the way in which the Creator unfolds the great mystery I’d like to return to the story of Paul.

Having had his momentous experience, Paul sets out to be a very unexpected but effective apostle of Christ. He was a military man, so no doubt he had a very well thought out plan for the spread of these teachings across the world. Let us just remember for a moment the revolutionary nature of these teachings; every cultural norm from women’s’ position to cleanliness had been challenged by Jesus.

Paul’s plans though were changed after he had a dream and was sent instead by God to Macedonia in Greece. There by the river he met Lydia, a woman of substantial wealth and independence who traded in purple cloth. She, with her sisters regularly worshipped by a river. When Paul told her his story and that of Jesus, she became the first Apostle of the Western world in what must have been a most holy of places (there is still a church there to this day). Lydia’s story really moved me because she embodies so much of what I have come to know through so many years of struggling to embody these incredible Goddess Asteroid energies. Her sovereignty, royalty and wealth are very much resonant with Juno. Her independence and devotion very much resonate with Vesta the Priestess (in Aries at present moving into conjunction with Uranus). Her ability to take the ideas out into the world with such ease and grace really resonates with Pallas Athena (in Libra at the moment). It is not the first time Jesus takes his teachings first to women Apostles – think of Mary Magdalena at the tomb. Its quite astounding that women have been excluded from some areas of ministry for so long – though I am happy to say there is pretty much a gender balance now in the Church of England. When the male and female work together with dignity and respect miracles happen and this it seems from the story of Lydia, was always God’s plan. We have been wondering around in the desert for a long time figuring that out it seems. The Goddess Asteroids are the heavenly bodies which in some mysterious way transmit these ways of being to us.

Time as we know is fractal and holographic, and I feel a great deal may be learnt from how things have unfolded before and these patterns repeat themselves down the ages. Christ consciousness is here among, it is the Communion and feeling of deep belonging in the web of life.

In this next week as part of the Global Thy Kingdom Come movement, I would like to invite you to pray for 5 people every day who you would like to know the compassion and true nature of the Creator; for the scales to fall from their eyes. We can create amazing synergy in this way in the web of life and praying for others is one of the best ways I have experienced of truly connecting with the suffering and experience of humanity, and not getting too caught up in our own emotional turmoil. These prayers may be body prayers or art works, poems or stories.

Above is a painting I did of Lydia’s baptism with her sisters and the second painting below that was swimming in an Iodine infinity pool recently and feeling a complete sense of surrender and the Aqua ray of this feeling of “communion”. I’ve heard of a few others experiencing this Aqua ray recently and I feel it is very much connected to this new level of energy anchoring heaven to earth, all around and everywhere in the web of life. The number of Christ Consciousness is 33, another number which may pop up for you this year.

Join the Global wave of prayer https://www.thykingdomcome.global

Tasha Powers – Venus Gates 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh82tEetooI

Law of Time website says

“The White Magnetic Wizard year (begins 27th JULY 2019) and initiates a Great Reorientation of Consciousness. The time is now to Encode the Future and re-enchant the world with memory of unity.

The White Magnetic Wizard opens the Seventh and final Light Gate that activates the interdimensional bridge of Time ship Earth and enters us into the New Sirius Cycle 32 (1.32)

It also completes a 7-year cycle (2013-2020) of the new Solar Human anchoring the new vision

~~~

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Quartet Night Live Evolution Pamphlet Interview Translation

I’ve seen some of the scans of the photos going around but nothing about the interview part and as a QN trash i am, here i am translating it! But first let me translate what these seiyuus wrote on their respective sign Morikubo Showtaro: Tonight for sure, EVOLUTION!! Suzuki Tatsuhisa: For everyone’s sake Aoi Shouta: From now on, forever Maeno Tomoaki: We are Quartet Night!

(Long post ahead)

Morikubo Showtaro as Kotobuki Reiji

When you first heard about QUARTET NIGHT solo live, what did you think about it?

“Eh? What kind of joke is this?!” was what crossed my mind. On 5th live greeting, because I said something like “This time, it’ll be our Evolution Eve!”, the staffs told me “You said something like that, right? Then let’s do the ‘evolution’!” And “Oops i’ve done it” was what crossed my mind after that *laughs*. When we first appeared at live, we performed with “Excuse us, we’ll be in your care,” kind of feeling. It’s thanks to STARISH that QUARTET NIGHT is able to be the way it is right now, so I was surprised. But even with the four of us, if with this chance we would be able to show audience the ‘continuation’ we weren’t able to in previous time, maybe it’s a thing we have to do after all.

Please let us hear your goal regarding the solo live!

We have to show you our ‘evolution’; not only for the new songs, but we have to level-up our performances of the songs already performed in the past, so I’m feeling nervous now. But of course, we will have the chance to do stuffs we couldn’t do on all-character concert so I’m also excited for it. It’s such a chance for us-- so I want to make it a time where the audience will say “It’s exactly what QUARTET NIGHT concert should be!”. Coincidentally, when staff told me about the plan for the first time, Tatsuhisa was also on the same place. He also shared same thoughts with me, and i felt like ‘even without saying anything we all have same feelings’ and it made me happy. 

What is the song you like the most from QUARTET NIGHT?

It’s hard to choose just one song. But the one with deep memories for me was when we all look at each other and walk around in circles on ‘Marriage’ stage performance. It was really fun and it felt like the four of us is finally one. We all looked at each other’s face while smiling and singing. It was unforgettable. 

Other than Reiji’s song, is there any QUARTET NIGHT member solo song you want to sing?

This will be really off-topic.. but when Myuu-chan and AiAi sang ‘Tsukiakari no DEAREST’, their harmonies feels really good. And when it comes to ‘RISE AGAIN’ Rei-chan and RanRan will sing as if they’re howling their feelings out. The four of us have different things we’re good at, and that’s exactly our strong point. When on duet like those, it feels like we’re pulling out each other strong points.

It’s the theme for the pamphlet photos, but if you could think of one place, what kind of place would you prefer for a night date? What do you think would be the answer if Reiji is the one answering?

I love car, so it might be a drive date. To get across the Aqua-Line and head towards Chiba-- go through the bay coast and after that we’ll turn back and take break at Odaiba. If it’s Rei-chan he’ll probably take his partner to a Ferris Wheel in Odaiba. By request, he might even take the ‘Kotobuki bento’ with him *laughs*

Please tell us your “Legend Memory”.

I think everyone already know how Shouta sang all demo/prototype-version of early utapri songs. The more he sang throughout the series, he started to be able to copy the characteristics of the actual character voices. Even later, we were able to tell who’s supposed to sing at what part without seeing the lyrics card. At the end, his version even became a reference for me. That skill, was ‘legendary’!

What makes you feel glad to be able to voice Reiji?

Reiji is a mood-maker, but he’s actually shouldering a lot of things; You could feel the depth on him, which is very human-like. There’s a lot of things i could relate from him. The more i act as him, I feel more ‘synchronized’ with him as a person. As a voice actor, it’s an encounter i feel really grateful for. I like singing and dancing, but for me who’s not good at doing both at the same time-- meeting Reiji helps me overcame my weakness. Also, all of the staffs always do their best to support us and it makes me really happy to be able to create something with them. I’m really grateful to be able to feel how much love their poured on this project.

How was 4th season of the anime?

Up till now, no matter what kind of words were thrown, Reiji always went “Now, now~”; But this time, he showed us his cold expression and even went out on his own leaving “I can’t take this anymore” as last words. I saw the Rei-chan i haven’t seen before. Maybe, his anger pilled up along with “I can’t do this anymore” kind of feeling, and halfway he felt deep sadness. As people get older, we do have tendency to feel sadness between our anger. That part feels so him for me. If he couldn’t smile, he probably thought he had no choice but to go away. To be honest, i thought the scene was hard to do. I was really nervous at the recording, but when it started, I’m glad i was able to do it naturally without thinking much.

What kind of role Reiji has among Quartet Night?

He’s what ‘unites’ QUARTET NIGHT. Even so, Rei-chan himself is actually just happen to be the oldest and the most experienced among them so he unconsciously became the mediator. It’s not quite like “Without me they’re done” kind of feeling. His motivation is probably something else. I think, he purely thinks “Even though our personalities are really different, when it’s combined it’ll definitely bring unbeatable power so I want to sing with the three of them!”

Suzuki Tatsuhisa as Kurosaki Ranmaru

How was today pamphlet photo-shoot?

The car used as props was really cool. Though when we’re talking about Ranmaru, it should’ve been a bicycle *laughs*. I always feel like this, but when shooting for Utapri I feel confused in what position should i act. Even when I want to, I’m not Ranmaru. At one side, i’ve been blessed with a chance to be able to show an image of those world.. with such dilemma in mind, i tried searching what i could do. If i’m alone i feel uneasy not knowing what’s ‘right’, so I’m glad Maeno joined me from midway. To tell you the truth, it would make me feel the most comfortable if the four of us are here, though. 

When you first heard about QUARTET NIGHT solo live, what did you think about it?

When i expressed about how “I want to take revenge” on 5th stage, I wasn’t even thinking of this possibility. The first time i heard about how this live ‘might’ take shape was a bit later. Of course, “Is that for real?” came into my mind. But utapri staffs are people who wouldn’t stop once they start proposing a plan, so I hope this live could widen the world of utapri. It seems like they received our feelings toward QUARTET NIGHT and started working on the plan and prepare stuffs needed. As a mere voice actor, i can’t say much-- but I feel really happy to be able to see the actual fruits of each seeds planted by them.

Please let us hear your goal regarding the solo live!

Through the anime and the game, each time i read the dialogues, i feel that my understanding about Ranmaru has deepened and increased. We’ve been blessed with a chance to hold a live, so within my power as a voice actor i want to be able to convey a live which will leave the audience saying “So this is how Quartet Night would be if they’re real..” and feel satisfied with our performance. There’s no way it could go perfectly at one-go, and there might be a lot of tasks to do, but i’d be happy if i could answer it one by one.

What is the song you like the most from Quartet Night?

Song from 2nd Season of the anime, “Poison KISS”. It really feels like they jumped out from the game world. Also “Excuse us, from now on we’ll be joining here.” feeling was strong for me. I was also really happy to be able to see QUARTET NIGHT moving on screen. I saw the scene with a lot of feelings mixed as one. While asking myself about why it felt so great to see it turned into anime, i came into different way of thinking. It feels so different to imagine a scene inside my mind and to lend the strength of an animator.  Also one more song, the one in which Showtaro-san said he cried while recording-- “KIZUNA”. From now on, it’s probably a song which will grow even deeper within our feelings. 

Other than Ranmaru’s song, is there any Quartet Night member solo song you want to sing?

It feels strange, but I came to remember all of other member songs sang on live to the point that i would unconsciously hum those songs. This is what happens often with QUARTET NIGHT. But rather than to sing those songs, i want to sit among the audience and feel each ‘world’ painted by those songs. With that, i would probably face Ranmaru and he would say “After all, I’d only do it in my own way.”

It’s the theme for the pamphlet photos, but if you could think of one place, what kind of place would you prefer for a night date? What do you think would be the answer if Ranmaru is the one answering?

This is completely my own preference, but I’ll probably go to see a late-night movie. Also, rather than a pub, I want to search for a late-night pancake house. I mean somehow, i always crave for sweets at midnight. Ranmaru would probably take her partner with his bicycle to a riverside or something. But in the end they might ended up going at their usual recording studio. 

How was 4th season of the anime?

It was a season when our power as a group strengthened. Up until now, QUARTET NIGHT was more or less just four people somehow gathered as a group. After this season, their sense as a group becomes stronger. We talked jokingly in the past about how “If Reiji is missing QUARTET NIGHT would probably disband” but i wasn’t expecting it would actually turned into such story *laughs*. He’s what glued them together, what bonds them. 

Please tell us your “Legend Memory”.

At the start of the year when i returned home, it somehow ended up with me reading my graduation essay. I felt legendary-level embarrassed at stuffs written on it to the point that i want to bury myself on the ground. 

What makes you feel glad to be able to voice Ranmaru?

To be able to meet all of the staffs, and of course all of the casts. As the season continues, of course i feel grateful to directors of each season, but also for the fact that I had more chance to talk with other casts and to build up a good relationship with them. Just like how Ranmaru gave me a lot of things, I would be happy if i could give something back to Ranmaru.

What kind of role Ranmaru has among QUARTET NIGHT?

Maybe, the stoic one. He’s the type of person who wouldn’t let any drop in quality. And when it comes to the one ‘bad at giving up’, he definitely won’t lose to anyone. 

Aoi Shouta as Mikaze Ai

When you first heard about QUARTET NIGHT solo live, what did you think about it?

The four of us always got fired up talking about stuffs like “What kind of song would be great next?” but until now we’ve always been on the same stage as everyone from STARISH so it never even crossed my mind to be able to hold a solo live. I was really surprised, so at the beginning i was on “Are we really doing it?” stance... That it’s really happening, not to mention we’re getting close to the actualization-- I still can’t believe it.

Please let us hear your goal regarding the solo live!

The news came to audience on 4th season of the anime and everyone is probably putting their hopes up for it so i’m feeling really nervous. But the fact that it granted me a chance to sing as the part of four makes me really happy! Shouldering QUARTET NIGHT’s Mikaze Ai, I want to overcome all the pressure and enjoy it to the fullest along with the members-- and of course everyone!

What is the song you like the most from QUARTET NIGHT?

The one i personally like the most is probably “KIZUNA”. Thanks to all of the support, we were able to leave a result on our single. From now on, i think this song would be the one which both of us members and all of the people supporting QUARTET NIGHT up till now, could be proud of. I also consider “God’s S.T.A.R” a special song for me as it was also a song which united the bonds between the four of them.  It was hard for me to choose, but I like the two songs from 4th season which in my opinion, ‘describe’ the current QUARTET NIGHT.

Other than Ai’s song, is there any QUARTET NIGHT member solo song you want to sing?

Rather than wanting to sing any of it, I love how our individual performances describe our different personalities accurately. To sing with a maracas-mic is something only Reiji could do, and of course there was time i felt “That must be nice..” or “As expected from Reiji!”. If it’s Ai there’s no other choice but to hold a computer while singing *laughs*. Also looking at Ranmaru’s solo at 5th live, as a person involved in this work and as an individual, I could feel how he was shouldering everything in front of the stage. He (Tatsun) said “It’s not 100%”, but personally i felt surge of power even more than that. Camus-sama is camus-sama, I could never forget how he came down from the sky. It was obviously a scary place to stand on (heights). But Tomo-nii, he really became Camus-sama. 

It’s the theme for the pamphlet photos, but if you could think of one place, what kind of place would you prefer for a night date? What do you think would be the answer if Ai is the one answering?

Maybe a private cafe.. or more like we would be reserving a cafe and we would be eating an original menu created by myself. If i could cook well, I want to create a fruit sandwich tower like Ai did. This was a part explained in the game, but Ai would probably take his partner to ride on a Ferris Wheel or to go to the Aquarium-- such place where he could create memories. 

Please tell us your “Legend Memory”.

This is not exactly a memory, but for me it’s ‘not to wear underwear while recording’. There was one time when I was covered in sweat after a dance practice and the next job was recording for a song. At that time i didn’t bring a change so i took it off and did it. Surprisingly i was able to sing it in correct nuance. From that on, when i considered a song difficult, i don’t wear one on the recording. 

What makes you feel glad to be able to voice Ai?

I’ve always had a complex for my own voice. I first got the chance to voice Ai when i was troubled about whether i could survive voice-act world or not with this kind of voice. His attitude and approach towards his work thought me a lot of things. At first, i felt really anxious to participate as ‘senpai’ role of STARISH. But I felt really happy knowing how utapri fans came to love Ai and it gave me a lot of strength. It reminded me that “I have to work harder as Aoi Shouta”. Because Ai exists-- because everyone is by my side, I could spend my day everyday cheerfully with a smile!

How was 4th season of the anime?

At the part where the three of them looked at the night-sky, Ranmaru and Camus were about to fight again. But this time, rather than doing the usual “Stop it.” it felt like Ai came to a realization about how “It can’t keep going on like this.” and tried to stand between them. He was probably anxious about losing what they always consider ‘usual’. To be able to share feelings with people on his side, I felt like he learned a different thing from what Haruka taught him inside the game on this season.

What kind of role Ai has among QUARTET NIGHT?

The one who passes information to Reiji. Something like “These two are fighting again!” or “Geez, father say something!” *laughs*. That was also one of the reason they were about to get disbanded though.. In usual position, he’s the youngest child who unconsciously makes others want to take care of him, but at the 4th season he’s the one who tries to calm down his hard-to-control older brothers with a “Good grief...”

Maeno Tomoaki as Camus

How was today pamphlet photo-shoot?

A vintage car was used at the shooting and as someone who loves car-- my tension went up. The car had classy-vibe on it, it was wonderful. On 2nd episode of 4th season, when “KIZUNA” was played, on the music video there was also a car like this. Next time, it would be nice if we could hold a shooting with the four of us. 

When you first heard about QUARTET NIGHT solo live, what did you think about it?

My heart was thumping so loud it was about to burst out (<<he said doki doki de kowaresou LOL) *laughs*. I’ve heard about how the staffs was ‘planning something’, but considering how busy the four of us when it comes to schedule, and also problems of the hall; I thought it was only “It would be nice if we could do it~” kind of talk. So when they finally told us “We’ll be doing it on this date!”, I deeply felt “Ah, It’s really going to hapen, huh?”

Please let us hear your goal regarding the solo live!

QUARTET NIGHT, after all is a group who participated from halfway of the series, so of course i had my doubts about it. But the fact that we were granted such a place by everyone who supported and watched over the growth of the characters, is such an honor for me. So it’ll be nice if it could be a stage fitting to be titled “A payback” to everyone. The amount of people performing declined so unlike the usual live we might be having a lot of troubles, but that included, I want to create a nice stage with the four of us.

What is the song you like the most from QUARTET NIGHT?

For me it’s our first group song, which gave me the chance to be on utapri for the first time, “ QUARTET★NIGHT”. To think of it now,  the song started with “Tsuite oide (follow us) LEGEND DAYS”. But on our newest song “God’s S.T.A.R”  there was a phrase “Densetsu nante namanurui (Things like ‘Legend’ are not enough)”, somehow you can feel their evolution. I wonder if Agematsu-san and his crews created those songs with such purpose on their mind. They’re such a story-progress-oriented group. 

Other than Camus’s song, is there any QUARTET NIGHT member solo song you want to sing?

Hmm.. each of the songs are made of the character existence, so i can’t think of it that way. I think each song is wonderful they way it is.

It’s the theme for the pamphlet photos, but if you could think of one place, what kind of place would you prefer for a night date? What do you think would be the answer if Camus is the one answering?

I want to spend time on a place where you could see nice night-scenery or illumination; and after that, to drink good-quality wine on a nice restaurant. If it’s Camus, he’ll definitely take his mademoiselle to a place she wants to. If she says anywhere is fine, he’ll probably escort her to a secret cherished place... while probably falling from the sky *laughs*.

 Please tell us your “Legend Memory”.

It was when Tatsuhisa was injured at 5th live. QUARTET NIGHT naturally, but also along with STARISH as one, we were united on a feeling of ‘wanting to deliver the best thing we could’. Injury is a really serious thing, but it was an unforgettable experience for me.

How was 4th season of the anime?

There was that one scene when Cecil received an advice from Camus directly. With that scene, i was able to realize how their relationship with STARISH also getting better. Even with a lot of things happened, QUARTET NIGHT was able to reunite and even do a tour together.. they grew a lot as a group, and I think it’s really cool.

What makes you feel glad to be able to voice Camus?

To be able to receive a chance to perform in front of everyone on a big stage. To begin with, i’m the type to feel really attached to each character I acted as. Even among it, Camus feels really special to me. To change atmosphere, i wear camus’ cologne, and I even started wearing contact lens on daily life after wearing one on live-- those are the biggest changes. So that more people could feel the character through me, i even wore blue-color contact lenses on my works after 5th live. I really love the group called QUARTET NIGHT. I don’t want to feel any regret such as “I should’ve done that like this...”, so I want to do everything i could with my best.

What kind of role Camus has among QUARTET NIGHT?

To describe it in one word, he’s their ‘Joker’. There’ll be a time other people would be troubled by how to properly place his ‘high status’, but once it’s matched on place, he has an image of a powerful guard. To tell the truth, Camus and Ai have limitless potential to the point that I won’t be surprised if they start flying to the sky *laughs*. On the other side, it increases the hurdle for me; but that’s exactly why i think i have to work harder. For me, he’s also someone who gave me a goal to reach.

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Thank you for taking time to read!

There’s another cross-interview part with Morikubo/Shoutan and Tatsu/Maeno, but it’ll be too long to include here, so I’ll translate it on different post soon!

Also check out my report of the actual live if you haven’t!

DAILY ASTROLOGY REPORTS AND HOROSCOPES FOR, 2-26-18

Astrology Cafe Daily Astrology ABOUT TODAY DAILY MONTHLY CHART You are here: Home / Daily Astrology / Astrology of Today – Monday, February 26, 2018 Astrology of Today – Monday, February 26, 2018 Feb 26, 2018 by Annie Heese Leave a Comment  The Moon is in Cancer until 11:41 PM, after which the Moon is in Leo. The Moon is void from 4:50 PM to 11:41 PM. The Moon is waxing and in its First Quarter phase until 12:17 PM, after which the Moon is still waxing but in its Waxing Gibbous phase. The First Quarter Moon occurred on the 23rd and the Full Moon will occur on March 1st. **Times are Eastern Standard Time (EST). Daily Astro Highlights for each Sign: Aries  Aries Keeping busy or connecting with the people you love can be especially satisfying now, dear Aries. You may be aiming for more comfort or happier relationships now. Real estate and family or home matters can experience a pleasant boost today, or you may feel encouraged and motivated to work on improvements in your domestic life. A sense of inner well-being today can come from making plans for the future that inspire growth and hope. With a Venus-Pluto connection forming, encouraging energy is with you today and tomorrow for doing something you genuinely enjoy and applying yourself to it. You are more disciplined than usual right now, so take advantage. You might gain new insight into a past relationship. Support is there when you need it most, possibly from an unusual or hidden source. Feelings from deep within can emerge and guide you now. If you meet someone new, or someone you haven’t seen for awhile, there can be a strong attraction or interest. Taurus  Taurus This is a particularly good day for bonding with others, dear Taurus. The Moon spends much of the day in your communications sector and connects well with Jupiter, a longer-term guest in your partnership sector. Smoothing over differences, reaching out to others, extending goodwill, or lending an ear are all favored now. Relationships with siblings, family, neighbors, classmates, and acquaintances can be strengthened, or repaired if needed. Your mood is optimistic, and communication comes easily. By tonight, you’re more likely to want to fall back on familiar faces and places, but you’re still in a generous mood. A Venus-Pluto aspect is in effect, and you’re especially magnetic. Networking and friendships can be rich sources of information or even inspiration today. You can be feeling passionately about an idea, cause, or belief, and you might bond with others as a result. Gemini  Gemini You can be quite interested in improving your lot in life as the Moon transits your resources sector today, dear Gemini, and with the Moon’s trine to Jupiter, the key to doing so may be integrity and some level of generosity as well right now. Business ideas coming to you today and tomorrow may very well be golden. As well, a Venus-Pluto aspect can point to obtaining the support or backing you need to advance your goals or increased personal conviction. Today is strong for intense but pleasant attractions. It’s a good time for enhancing or repairing relationships, and this can include intimate ones and those with superiors or associates as well. You can be quite motivated to work through problems, and it’s a superior time for valuable research. You may very well be at your best today and early tomorrow when you’re putting energy into heartfelt pursuits. Cancer  Cancer Today is excellent for growing something worthwhile, whether it’s a business, project, or relationship, dear Cancer. The Moon in your sign harmonizes with Jupiter in your creative sector, and you may find it easier than usual to channel your energies into satisfying activities. Others tend to be supportive of you, and new ventures could be getting off the ground, or existing ones can be expanding now. Conversations are genuinely helpful, and a new perspective may be reached through your interactions. This is a beautiful time for strategies and plans for improvement. It’s also an important time for loyalty, commitment, and intensity in relationships and interactions. You are more interested in quality than quantity in your personal life, and the Venus-Pluto sextile now makes it easy to see your emotional or affectional priorities. You have much to learn and share with someone special. Leo  Leo There is a tendency to keep to yourself for much of the day, dear Leo, with the Moon in your privacy sector. It’s healthy for you to lay low or rest just for now as a lunar cycle winds down for you. By the end of the day (Eastern time), the Moon moves into your sign, and you’re inclined to seek out a stronger connection with the world around you. For now, you are building your inner stores. You might enjoy a significant personal revelation or a memory, or possibly a new way of looking at an old problem. Alternatively, something previously hidden, such as an untapped resource, can reveal itself to you now, and this comes into your life as a personal gain. Pursuing heartfelt activities and building alliances are favored, particularly as the day advances, with Venus and Pluto heading towards a harmonious angle. Researching, editing, or otherwise going over business, health, and financial matters can be satisfying. Working with others to make a positive change can work well for you now. Virgo  Virgo This is a good day for networking and connecting, dear Virgo, with the Moon spending much of the day in your social sector. Interactions get a boost with a Venus-Pluto aspect influencing the day, as well. You’re likely to enjoy opportunities to advance or grow through your friendships or group endeavors. There can be pleasant, rewarding contact today. It’s a good time for employing strategy in your financial affairs. The day is favorable for bringing up topics with someone that you might avoid on other days. New insights into communications projects, a partnership, or a romantic relationship can come now, and these have long-term benefits. It’s a fabulous time for one-on-one interactions and negotiations, as well as repair and renewal if needed in a relationship. However, tonight, it’s also a natural time of the lunar month to settle down or lay low as the Moon moves into your privacy sector and you feel a stronger need for rest. Libra  Libra Emotional energy today is strong but pleasant, dear Libra, with your ruler, Venus, in favorable aspect to Pluto. You’re coming across with added personal magnetism, and you’re a little more confident and persuasive than usual. In fact, you’re likely to magnetize good things to you, and you can feel that you’re on track and heading in the right direction. There can be wonderful opportunities through work today and tomorrow. Focus now on eliminating, streamlining, and downsizing, as this will give you an organized and confident feeling. Financial matters can improve, and family life is supportive. The Moon spends much of the day at the top of your solar chart, and you can be particularly goal-oriented and concerned about responsibilities and duties now. Scorpio  Scorpio The Moon in harmony to your sign much of the day is subtle but empowering, dear Scorpio, as you enjoy a smoother flow of emotions and natural expression. You may be teaching in some capacity right now, or you could be learning something new and different that’s inspiring as the Moon harmonizes with Jupiter in your sign. You tend to be more business-like or especially aware of your responsibilities tonight and tomorrow, but for most of today, you’re likely to enjoy a free, spirited feeling. Also active today is a Venus-Pluto aspect that can boost your relationships and improve your enjoyment of your interests. Your intellect is admired now, and it’s a good idea to reach out socially or professionally. For some, this is an excellent time for making a love connection and for charm in general. Studying, learning, connecting, and creating are favored now. You might come to a happy agreement with a partner, and one-on-one relations tend to work well for you. Sagittarius  Sagittarius This is a better time than usual for addressing problems, dear Sagittarius, even those that seem especially sensitive or complex. Others are putting their faith in you, and you in them. The Moon spends much of the day in your intimacy sector, and you’re seeking out a little more depth from your pursuits or relationships than usual. A Venus-Pluto aspect active today has a similar effect on you. The information you uncover now may not only be interesting, but it could also be profitable. Business intuition is excellent and practical affairs thrive with a little strategy. This is a time for appreciating simple pleasures and comforts as well as familiar people and circumstances and seeing these things in a new way and with more appreciation than usual. Part of the day’s benefits come from your ability to understand and face truths. You’re not interested in what could have or should have been, but rather what you can do with what’s in front of you, and this works best for you now. Capricorn  Capricorn With the Moon in your partnership sector much of the day and harmonizing with Jupiter, dear Capricorn, willingness to let someone else take the spotlight might open up opportunities to grow. You are more invested in your relationships today, and it makes sense to resolve to approach your day with an open mind and heart. A Venus-Pluto aspect influencing the day makes it a good time for connecting with a friend, possibly on a whole new level. Conversations are brilliant or satisfying now, and your communications come across particularly well. It’s a good time for personal impact and appeal. Venus-Pluto aspects facilitate acknowledging, accepting, and enjoying feelings, even the deeper ones that you don’t always have the time or energy for processing. Focus on renewal, healing, and bonding in your relationships and communications for best results now. Aquarius  Aquarius With the Moon spending much of the day in your work and health sector, dear Aquarius, you’re in an excellent position to work on your to-do list. The Moon’s harmony with Jupiter and Venus help you find creative solutions for practical matters, and perhaps in some cases, health issues as well. There can be particular satisfaction from your work, especially with an open-handed, generous approach. Graciousness is likely to be returned in kind. Today is also potentially beneficial for money matters. New insight into a venture can be motivating, or you simply feel more committed and on track with money and business or practical affairs, and you feel more organized or empowered than usual. Financial planning and handling are favored now, and the primary keys to success are building alliances, eliminating redundancies, and employing strategy as Venus in your resources sector connects with intelligent, prudent Pluto. This is a generally commitment-friendly time. Pisces  Pisces Self-expression is natural, smooth, and open today, dear Pisces, with the Moon spending most of the day in your creative sector and harmonizing with Venus in your sign and Jupiter in your spirit sector. Generosity of spirit is a theme and others are likely to receive you very well. Aim to try something new instead of sticking only with the routine, and allow your creativity to flow. Sound energy is with you now for dating and entertainment, or other pleasurable activities. As the day advances, a Venus-Pluto influence comes into influence and supports heartfelt pursuits. You’re likely to enjoy comfortable intensity in your interactions with others. Emotions and thoughts can drive creative efforts, and emotional self-honesty can push you in the right direction today and tomorrow. Changes you make with friends or associates tend to be a step in the right direction, with long-term benefits. * Remember to read horoscopes for your Ascendant sign and Sun sign. If you don’t know your Ascendant sign (and you know your birth time), you can look it up here. Above are astrological event highlights for the day. Full Horoscopes are on Cafe Astrology. If Your Birthday is February 26th, If Today is Your Birthday full horoscope here. Astrology of Today – The Details: If you’re astrologically inclined and interested in the details of the Astrology of today, here are some of the factors considered in the forecasts (for the astrology of the week, see This Week in Astrology): Planet Color Key: The longer the bar, the slower the aspecting planet and the longer the duration of the planet’s transit.     Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 11:41 pm Event: Moon enters Leo Description: The Moon in Leo We have a stronger need for appreciation, shows of affection and warmth, and excitement. We are proud and conduct ourselves accordingly. This is a time for having some fun, being creative and childlike, and enjoying life. It’s also a good time for organizing and managing. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 4:50 pm Event: Moon goes void of course Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 0:50 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sqq Jun Description: Transiting Moon SesquiSquare Transiting Juno There may be clinging or controlling behavior if we are driven by our fears. Hypersensitivity and moodiness are possible. Tread lightly with tricky emotional issues. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 4:53 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Qnx Ves Description: Transiting Moon Quincunx Transiting Vesta Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 5:09 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Qnx Mar Description: Transiting Moon Quincunx Transiting Mars There can be tension and feelings of restlessness or impatience, as what we want to do may not feel perfectly right, or we may be lacking the courage. Avoid taking it out on the wrong things or people. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 6:14 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Tri Ven Description: Transiting Moon Trine Transiting Venus We are less inhibited and more willing to indulge ourselves. Love and romance can be favorable. Decorating, beauty treatments, the arts, creative pursuits, parties, dates, and recreation are generally favored now. There is increased sensitivity, affection, and warmth. Love is grand! Affection, love, and romance are in the air. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 8:10 am Event: Tr-Tr Mon Opp Plu Description: Transiting Moon Opposition Transiting Pluto A buried or frustrating issue can now come to a head. Something from the past or that was previously hidden can surface. There can be intensity in our relationships or emotional turbulence within. Complex feelings and entanglements can be issues. The need to let go of something could emerge. Wait for the tension to subside before taking action. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 12:16 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Tri Jup Description: Transiting Moon Trine Transiting Jupiter We want to do good and to honor our inner code. We don’t sweat the small stuff right now. We are generous with our energy, time, and money. A great time to take up new feel-good opportunities. Show your confidence and optimism and reap the rewards. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 12:17 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sqq Sun Description: Transiting Moon SesquiSquare Transiting Sun What we feel and what we think we should do can be at odds with one another temporarily. There can be discontent or indecisiveness. We could be feeling out of sorts. Tensions will pass. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 4:50 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sqr Ura Description: Transiting Moon Square Transiting Uranus There may be sudden, minor changes to plans, schedules. There can be rebelliousness and tension. Aim to be open to possibilities, and avoid making permanent decisions. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 6:58 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Tri Chi Description: Transiting Moon Trine Transiting Chiron There can be new or easy understanding of our feelings and impressions now. We have a greater understanding of, or compassion for, others’ plights. We are more emotionally present and involved. Synchronicity is a feature of our daily life right now. Tune in and enjoy the spiritual signposts. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 9:36 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Sqq Nep Description: Transiting Moon SesquiSquare Transiting Neptune If we are not in touch with our need for inspiration, beauty, compassion, connection to something otherworldly, or our spirituality, we could feel out of sorts right now. Relaxing, listening to music, getting close to nature, or taking a break may resolve this. Date & Time: Feb 26 2018 11:41 pm Event: Tr-Tr Mon Cnj Leo Description: Transiting Moon Entering Leo We have a stronger need for appreciation, shows of affection and warmth, and excitement. We are proud and conduct ourselves accordingly. This is a time for having some fun, being creative and childlike, and enjoying life. It’s also a good time for organizing and managing. Strong Signs, Elements, Modes BALANCE OF SIGNS CANCER STRONG Nurturing, protective, tenacious, emotional sensitive, watery, strong roots. Can be overly protective, unwilling to let go, timid, reclusive. PISCES STRONG Compassionate, sensitive, self-sacrificing, gentle, intuitive. Can be escapist, impractical, hyper- sensitive, gullible. BALANCE OF ELEMENTS EARTH WEAK There can be a lack of desire, interest, or skills regarding practical affairs. We may not be very much in touch with reality. Difficulties concentrating, grounding ourselves. AIR WEAK We may have a difficult time being objective or detached. We may not be especially communicative. WATER STRONG We are more compassionate, emotional, and intuitive than usual, and we may react emotionally to situations, possibly at the expense of logic or practicality. BALANCE OF MODES FIXED WEAK We may be open to change but may not have much follow-through. MUTABLE STRONG We are flexible, adaptable, willing, open to change, and possibly flighty or nervous. LUNAR PHASE: FIRST QUARTER Moon from 90 to 135 degrees ahead of the Sun. We are motivated to take action, perhaps due to a clash, conflict, or stress, as we are more aware of problems and differences now. Plans are beginning to take off or turn a corner. We should watch for pushing too hard. The following aspects (major only) and positions are at noon (EST) on February 26th: Note that when an aspect is applying, it has not yet happened but is within orb – it’s pending. When an aspect is separating, it has already happened/perfected and is moving away from the aspect. Depending on the speed of the planet/body involved, the aspect will have perfected–or will perfect–in a matter of hours (often the case with the Moon), days, months, and possibly years in the case of the very slow-moving outer planets and bodies. Note that the Moon moves at a rate of approximately one degree every 2 hours so that if an aspect involving the Moon is applying and has an orb of 5 degrees, the aspect will perfect (be exact) in about 10 hours. If the Moon is separating from an aspect with an orb of 2 degrees, it has already formed said aspect approximately 4 hours ago (since the following are positions at noon today, then it would have occurred at about 8 AM today). **I suggest paying close attention to applying aspects. The energy of the aspect builds as it gets closer to exact. Once an aspect involving inner planets has happened, it’s over. Separating aspects are good to know for context, but in terms of energy that is with us today, applying aspects are most important. (This is the case for daily astrology influences involving inner planets, which pass quickly, and not natal astrology aspects, which are with us for a lifetime). THE MOON THE MOON IN CANCER You need nurturing. Under stress you may want to retire to the comfort of your home. You will form a strong bond with your mother. You may have difficulty in breaking away from home later in life. 23RD DEGREE OF CANCER Part of Body: Gastric blood vessels Sabian Symbol: Meeting of a literary society. ASPECTS OF THE MOON TRINE MERCURY Orb 6°57′ Separating Our hearts or emotional needs and our minds seem to be cooperating, and we are able to communicate effectively. It’s a good time for publicity, marketing, writing, and studying. TRINE VENUS Orb 3°11′ Separating We tend to seek out harmony, balance, and beauty. Love, romance, decorating, beauty treatments, the arts, creative pursuits, parties, dates, and recreation are generally favored now. There is increased sensitivity, affection, and warmth, but there could also be some appeasement, tact, and diplomacy. TRINE JUPITER Orb 0°10′ Applying We can be motivated to honor our inner code. We don’t sweat the small stuff right now. We are generous with our energy, time, and money. A great time to take up new feel-good opportunities. Show your confidence and optimism and reap the rewards. SQUARE URANUS Orb 2°56′ Applying There may be sudden, minor changes to plans, schedules. There can be rebelliousness and tension. Aim to be open to possibilities, and avoid making permanent decisions. OPPOSITION PLUTO Orb 2°18′ Separating A buried or frustrating issue can now come to a head. Something from the past or something that was previously hidden can surface. There can be intensity in our relationships or emotional turbulence within. Complex feelings and entanglements can be issues. The need to let go of something could emerge. Wait for the tension to subside before taking action. TRINE CHIRON Orb 4°13′ Applying There can be new or easy understanding of our feelings and impressions now. We have a greater understanding of, or compassion for, others’ problems. We are more emotionally present and involved. THE SUN THE SUN IN PISCES You are an imaginative and serene individual. You need to express your fantasies and imagination, and may be a dreamer or be ungrounded. 9TH DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Right metatarsals Sabian Symbol: The race begins: a jockey spurs his horse to great speed. ASPECTS OF THE SUN CONJUNCTION MERCURY Orb 7°52′ Separating Thoughts and communications about ourselves and our goals. We are expressing ourselves confidently, directly, and clearly. SEXTILE SATURN Orb 0°53′ Separating We are taking pride in our responsibilities or performance. This can be a time of steady progress and increased self-discipline. We are more inclined to humble ourselves to authority or good advice, and tend to employ traditional methods. CONJUNCTION NEPTUNE Orb 5°40′ Applying Fantasy plays a strong part in your life, either as a creative channel or as an escape. You are ‘other worldly’, possibly artistic or musical. You may be unclear of your own identity. Try to use your creativity rather than escaping through addictive behaviour. MERCURY MERCURY IN PISCES You are highly intuitive with a good imagination. You have the ability to tune into other people’s thoughts. You may have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy. You may experience periods where you seem to disappear into a dream world before being jolted back to reality. 16TH DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Cruciate ligaments of right foot Sabian Symbol: In a quite moment, the flow of inspiration. ASPECTS OF MERCURY CONJUNCTION VENUS Orb 3°45′ Applying We are more agreeable, sociable, and focused on balance and harmony. Conversations flow nicely. SQUARE MARS Orb 2°58′ Applying Questions are raised, discussions can become heated, and there can be nervous excitement now. Enthusiasm is likely, but may go a little too far. Impulsive speech or other communications. Mechanical breakdowns are possible. CONJUNCTION NEPTUNE Orb 2°12′ Separating You have an imaginative mind, although at times you speak in a vague fashion. You are sensitive to the thoughts and ideas of other people. You are creative. VENUS VENUS IN PISCES You yearn to merge and be at-one with your partner. In fact you want to be at-one with the universe. You also enjoy sharing inspirational activities with your partner, ranging from listening to beautiful music to visiting an art gallery. 20TH DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Right fibula muscle Sabian Symbol: A table set for an evening meal. ASPECTS OF VENUS SQUARE MARS Orb 0°47′ Separating You may have some difficulty being patient with loved ones. You can be aggressive and irritable when others fail to keep up with your activities. You can be equally impatient with yourself. TRINE JUPITER Orb 3°22′ Applying You have a talent for putting other people at their ease. Your natural enthusiasm is contagious. Your larger-than-life schemes have a habit of always paying off. CONJUNCTION NEPTUNE Orb 5°58′ Separating You yearn for romance within your personal relationships. You are seeking an ideal and perfect partner, who only exists in fairy tales. You become disillusioned with the imperfections of relationships and seek solace in a fantasy world. You need to face the realities and imperfections of yourself and others. Then you will be able to share beauty, art and creative pursuits with your partners. SEXTILE PLUTO Orb 0°52′ Applying We’re a better judge of value right now – who and what are important to us. We might see one another, and our relationships, in a different light. We could reconnect with someone or improve an existing bond. CONJUNCTION CHIRON Orb 7°25′ Applying You have a childlike innocence in your personal relationships, which makes you vulnerable to emotional pain. You fear commitment and rejection. You may experience pain in early relationships, but this pain is usually healed giving you insight and wisdom in later personal relationships. You see the beauty in people who have been cast aside by others, and develop the ability to be a teacher or healer in intimate relationships. MARS MARS IN SAGITTARIUS You are an inspirational leader, and have a strong desire for exploration and adventure. You may be one-pointed in your desires. 19TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS Part of Body: Left femur Sabian Symbol: Pelicans, disturbed by people move their habitat. ASPECTS OF MARS TRINE URANUS Orb 6°55′ Applying It’s easy and natural to break through obstacles, to find alternative methods of going after what we want, and to take progressive action or to take the lead. There is more courage, confidence, and energy available to us. We embrace change, progress, and new methods. JUPITER JUPITER IN SCORPIO You are on an intense search for the truth. You have strong desires for sexual union and joint enterprises. You could be a transformative teacher. 24TH DEGREE OF SCORPIO Part of Body: Nasal septum Sabian Symbol: Crowds coming down the mountain to listen to one man. ASPECTS OF JUPITER SEXTILE PLUTO Orb 2°29′ Separating You have a chance to achieve a great deal. Your knowledge is broad as you are interested in so many things. You may make a career in the occult or studying the deepest mysteries of life. TRINE CHIRON Orb 4°03′ Separating You have the gift of wisdom. You trust your own intuitive nature, and are able to teach others on the spiritual path. You are able to encompass other people’s personal philosophies without feeling threatened, so that others trust you with their spiritual problems. SATURN SATURN IN CAPRICORN Conservation, moderation, definition, structure, simplicity, and realism are themes now. We might also be striving for more authority in a particular area of our lives now. This is a time for making clear choices and decisions, for weeding out what isn’t working for us, and for letting go of lost causes, particularly related to our life path choices, careers, and long-term goals. (from December 19, 2017, to March 21, 2020; and then from July 1 to December 17, 2020). 8TH DEGREE OF CAPRICORN Part of Body: Lymph vessels of knee Sabian Symbol: Birds in the house singing happily. URANUS URANUS IN ARIES The urge to start fresh, to break free from restrictive attitudes or circumstances, to totally redesign an area of our lives (or even our personalities), and to gain freedom through independence is strong during this cycle. (May 27, 2010, to August 13, 2010, then March 11th, 2011, to May 15, 2018, then November 6, 2018, to March 6, 2019). 26TH DEGREE OF ARIES Part of Body: Skull Sabian Symbol: A man possessed of more gifts than he can hold. NEPTUNE NEPTUNE IN PISCES A long-term influence in which fantasy, imagination, compassion, and spirituality are in stronger focus. (April 4, 2011, to August 4, 2011, then February 3, 2012, to March 30, 2025, then October 22, 2025, to January 26, 2026) 14TH DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Right cutaneous veins Sabian Symbol: A lady in fox fur. PLUTO PLUTO IN CAPRICORN Tests of our boundaries; breaking down and rebuilding structures and rules. (From January 25, 2008, to June 14, 2008, then November 26, 2008, to March 23, 2023, then June 11, 2023, to January 20, 2024, then September 1, 2024, to November 19, 2024). 21ST DEGREE OF CAPRICORN Part of Body: Tendons of left knee Sabian Symbol: A relay race. Chiron, Major Asteroids, and Moon’s Nodes: in Sign and in Aspect CHIRON CHIRON IN PISCES Strong awareness of our own vulnerabilities and humanity stimulates compassion for others. (April 20 to July 20, 2010, then February 8, 2011, to April 17, 2018, then September 25, 2018, to February 18, 2019). 28TH DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Phalanges of left foot Sabian Symbol: A fertile garden under the full moon. VESTA VESTA IN SAGITTARIUS You have the ability to work relentlessly for a cause in which you believe. You need to make sure you do not exclude other people’s points of view. You have visions and enjoy the adventure of discovery in your work. 19TH DEGREE OF SAGITTARIUS Part of Body: Left femur Sabian Symbol: Pelicans, disturbed by people move their habitat. PALLAS PALLAS IN TAURUS You have the ability to see the beauty in nature and the arts. You have much common sense and wisdom. You may become involved in either healing with your hands, or healing the earth through environmental movements. 15TH DEGREE OF TAURUS Part of Body: Epiglottis Sabian Symbol: A man with rakish silk hat, muffled, braves the storm. JUNO JUNO IN PISCES You want to be at-one with the world through your relationship. You crave for the highest romantic ideals within your relationship, and become disillusioned with reality. 2ND DEGREE OF PISCES Part of Body: Left calcaneum Sabian Symbol: A squirrel hiding from hunters. CERES CERES IN LEO You feel cared for when other people play with you and praise you. You like to show others you care for them by encouraging their creative talents and sense of fun. 7TH DEGREE OF LEO Part of Body: Left coronary vein Sabian Symbol: The constellations in the sky. THE NORTH NODE THE NORTH NODE IN LEO This a quest to develop your inner strength. You may find that you experience times of loneliness. These times are part of your lesson to forge your own creative life in order to give generously to the world. 15TH DEGREE OF LEO Part of Body: Right atrium Sabian Symbol: A street pageant. THE SOUTH NODE THE SOUTH NODE IN AQUARIUS This a quest to develop your inner strength. You may find that you experience times of loneliness. These times are part of your lesson to forge your own creative life in order to give generously to the world. 15TH DEGREE OF AQUARIUS Part of Body: Lymph vessels of right lower leg Sabian Symbol: Two lovebirds sitting on a fence. **Conjunctions to Select Fixed Stars on February 26, 2018** Aspects to Mer 15°Pi55 -06°38′ Cnj 15°Pi33 ACHERNAR Risk of rapid endings. Aspects to Jup 23°Sc03 -17°23′ Cnj 24°Sc02 AGENA The pain of learning Aspects to Pal 14°Ta12 -14°41′ Cnj 14°Ta34 MENKAR — A victim of the Unconscious Aspects to Nod 14°Le51 +16°22′ Cnj 15°Le27 DUBHE Loving but forceful SHARE THIS: EmailFacebookTwitterTumblrGoogleReddit Filed Under: Daily Astrology, Today  « Astrology of Today – Sunday, February 25, 2018 Leave a Reply   Search this website … Search Cafe Astrology Cafe Astrology Home Cafe Astrology Free Reports Recent Astrology of Today – Monday, February 26, 2018 Astrology of Today – Sunday, February 25, 2018 Astrology of Today – Saturday, February 24, 2018 Astrology of Today – Friday, February 23, 2018 Astrology of Today – Thursday, February 22, 2018 In this post Full Moon‌ First Quarter Moon‌ The Moon is waxing‌ The Moon is void‌ Tags Jupiter Neptune transit Mars-Pluto transit Mars Ceres transit Mars Chiron transit Mars Jupiter transit Mars Neptune transit Mars Pluto transit Mars Saturn transit Mars Uranus transit Mercury Chiron transit Mercury Jupiter transit Mercury Mars transit Mercury Neptune transit Mercury Pluto transit Mercury Saturn transit Mercury semi-square Venus Mercury square Mars Mercury square Neptune Mercury square Pluto Mercury square Uranus Mercury Uranus transit Mercury Venus transit Sun Chiron transit Sun conjunct Mercury Sun Jupiter transit Sun Mars transit Sun Mercury transit Sun Neptune transit Sun Pluto transit Sun Saturn transit Sun sextile Jupiter Sun sextile Saturn Sun square Neptune Sun Uranus transit Venus-Mars transit Venus Chiron transit Venus Jupiter transit Venus Mars transit Venus Neptune transit Venus Pluto transit Venus Saturn transit Venus sextile Uranus Venus square Saturn Venus square Uranus Venus Uranus transit  Previous  Subscribe via Email Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address Email Address Subscribe Current Planetary Positions 2/26/2018 11:56:50 AM Sun 08° Pisces 09' 59" Moon 24° Cancer 40' 21" Mercury 16° Pisces 09' 13" Venus 19° Pisces 50' 01" Mars 18° Sagittarius 57' 54" Jupiter 23° Scorpio 03' 18" Saturn 07° Capricorn 09' 12" Uranus 25° Aries 49' 31" Neptune 13° Pisces 42' 54" Pluto 20° Capricorn 33' 00" Chiron 27° Pisces 06' 59" TrueNode 14° Leo 51' 11" Subscribe to Blog via Email Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address Email Address Subscribe Categories  Archives  February 2018 M T W T F S S « Jan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Copyright © 2018 · Astrology Cafe by Cafe Astrology