[etrangeres]

Three weeks after the rereveal of KH4, I've been thinking a lot about Xehanort as a mentor to Sora as one possibility for their relationship, and Sora's own darkness. And then I got to thinking about Toy Box in KH3's particular phrasing of light and darkness.

Darkness is tied to an unconnected heart. "The darkness of being alone is a power." And that's refuted by the implication that hearts seeking connection is something that is inherently related to light. But also: "You're so focused on the shadows that you forgot about the light that cast them."

That line is soooooo Dark Road coded. Baldr and Xehanort's shadows are directly tied to the strong lights in their lives (Hoder, Eraqus). But - and this is important - Baldr was forced into isolation for a week after dealing with a traumatic event, which only made his darkness worse.

Sora's light comes from his connection to other people, but the easiest source(s) of his darkness are also those other people: insecurities, frustration, anger, desperation. All of it is born from either comparing himself to them, or from his attempts to keep them safe. And it's isolating.

So it's interesting that the healthiest use of darkness as a legitimate and safe source of power is Riku. Riku, who hid his insecurities with a mask of strength, but now fully believes he has the strength to stand alone and fight a HORDE OF HEARTLESS... because he trusts and loves his support network.

Because he's worked through the shadows (his insecurities, doubts, complexes) cast by the light around him and from within him, and slowly learned to do so with other people who accepted him.

The darkness of being alone IS a power, but if that's ALL you have, you're walking a self-destructive road.

Even Dark Road indicates Xehanort in his old age was still stewing in doubts about himself, his path, his dreams, the child of destiny prophecy... and he shared those with no one, because the people in his life purposefully or unintentionally set him up to act in solitude.

Anti/Rage Form are also examples of this idea, I think. With Anti, it's the repurcussions of Sora being a heartless and reaching for power. Instead of connecting with his friends and integrating their abilities via the Drive, he relies entirely on his own brute strength.

And Rage Form is kinda like that, but more controlled. The keyblade form changes are inherently tied to the keychains, which are tied to the world. It's another way of borrowing your friends' strength by keeping them with you in this physical form. But Rage Form is just Sora's angry last stand.

"Darkness" created by people, in so far as it represents an excess of negative emotions, can basically be therapied into use. It just requires acknowledgement and reaching out. Paradoxically, the safest use of Solo Darkness is finding a Group Light you can be a part of that helps you feel safe.

Copium willing, Sora will acknowledge he has a darkness problem and confront it... with help (from Xehanort).

If (IF) the child of destiny prophecy applies to Sora in any capacity, he's gotta get less susceptible to darkness's negative effects, which - as Riku proved - starts with accepting his own.

[terraquacentral]

when Aqua puts her hand over her heart while she’s thinking about Terra

reblog if you agree

[fattybeagle]

Just look at how many times Aqua thinking of Terra! 🥰🥰❤️ I’m pretty sure if girls thinking of someone like 80% of her thought, she has a feeling for him ☺️☺️ I hope they reunion in KH3 make my ship came true xD

[lxshky13wp]

OH GODS! THE WAY HE REGRETS EVERY SINGLE WORD

I think this is also where Pomni realizes he did not mean any of that.

[hunajan]

Enjin is the best big brother 😭

[0everything-anime0]

You can also read my fanfic here:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

(a little fanfic where the two teenagers have already talked things out and Hyo joined the Cleaners.)

It was the middle of the night. 

The Cleaners HQ was quiet. Everyone was fast asleep, exhausted from the usual routine the headquarters goes through - the training, missions, meetings etc. 

Well…all except one it seems.

Zanka woke up to the sound of knocking on his bedroom door. ‘Ugh, who in the world could be knocking at this hour..’ He thought as he sluggishly got out of bed and dragged his feet over to the door while rubbing his eyes. He took a pause when he got to the door and tried to fix himself up a little bit. It was the middle of the night but he had to at least look a little presentable. He turned the door handle and opened the door, and as he opened it his jaw dropped at the sight of the person standing in front of him.

Hyo was standing in front of him in her pajamas. She was wearing grey sweatpants and a white tank top. It was such simple clothing yet the sight of her in them made his heart skip a beat. He couldn’t even fight back the light blush that was appearing on his face. Curse his damn feelings for this girl…

“W-what’s up, Hyo? Is everything okay?” He asked.

Hyo glanced away, “I…” She sighed and looked away from him, “I had a nightmare.”

“Ah damn…Yeah, it sucks when that happens.”

“And I couldn’t go back to sleep at all. It felt really…scary just being by myself. It’s actually the first time for me to feel like this.” Zanka looked at her with concern. He then proceeded to ask, “What would you like me to do for you? You know I’ll do anything to help you.”

Hyo couldn’t help but let out a breathy chuckle. The Nijiku boy was always willing to help her, no matter the task. It made her feel something for him…

She answered, “Can I sleep next to you?”

Zanka’s eyes widened. 

…Huh? What did she say?

He was so shocked that he froze. Her words repeated in his head.

There was a long pause before Hyo spoke up, “...Zanka…?” She looked at him confused.

The boy shook his head and cleared his throat to recollect himself. He couldn’t help but blush slightly while answering back, “Y-yeah, that’s fine. Of course you can…” He moved to the side and opened the door wider for the girl to enter.

“Thanks, Zanka,” Hyo said as she entered his room. She looked around and noticed how neat and proper everything was. Zanka is meticulous with his things after all. He was always like that since Hell Guard Academy. She didn’t mind it though. It was part of his personality. 

The girl walked to his bed and proceeded to lay under the sheets, which made Zanka freak out inside. ‘I can’t…believe…she’s in my bed. I can’t believe-’ Zanka shook his head and slapped his cheeks. ‘Get it together, man!! Just act as you normally do with her.’ He walked towards his bed and he - as normal as he could try to be - slowly laid down beneath the sheets. Hyo scooched to the left side, leaving him some space on the right. The bed was already a twin, so imagine two people trying to share a space. Zanka’s heart was so close to exploding at the close contact. He prayed she didn’t hear his heartbeat going a hundred miles per hour.

Hyo turned to her side, her back facing him, and closed her eyes. She snuggled her head against the pillow. ‘His scent…’ It was so comforting. It made her feel at ease and safe. His scent was the only one to do this to her. She smiled to herself at the thought. 

Zanka on the other hand was feeling nervous. ‘How could I not? The girl I like is sleeping in MY bed…’ His arm was this close to touching her back. He put a hand to his face and sighed. This was gonna be a long night for him…

He turned his head to look at Hyo who was lying still. ‘She probably fell asleep. Well…I’m glad she was able to at least. Hopefully she doesn’t have any more nightmares.’ He turned his head back and closed his eyes, sighing. 

Only Hyo could make him feel the way he’s feeling. He’s been wanting to confess for so long but…he didn’t want to change what he had with her already. And, he especially didn’t want to get rejected by her. It would be too much for his heart. 

But…

Maybe he could just let out his feelings right now. Hyo had been sleeping soundly, so she wouldn’t be able to hear him. He only just wanted to let it out into the void.

So he did.

“Hyo…You make me go crazy. From the way you talk, the way you tease, the way you dress - all of that makes me want to kiss you a bunch of times. It’s been so hard controlling myself to not hug you when you do the cutest things,” He felt a stir from her but thought nothing of it. His eyes were closed, and he was too focused on letting out his feelings. “I like you so much, Hyo, and I wish I had the guts to tell you this when you’re awake but-” He turned his head towards the girl and opened his eyes. Huh…for some reason he can see her eyes looking at him. 

Wait…what.

He gasped and jumped out of bed. “H-H-Hyo?! I thought you were sleeping!!”

The said girl slowly got out of bed and walked up to the freaked out boy. “I was about to fall asleep until I heard you call out my name.” 

Zanka was blushing mad deeply at this point, “So, you heard everything…”

“Yeah I did…” She continued to walk up to him until there was less than a foot of space between them. She went on her tippy-toes and slowly placed a kiss on his cheek. Zanka’s eyes widened at this action. 

Hyo pulled away and stared deep into the Nijiku boy’s eyes. “I like you too.” A pink shade showed on her cheeks.

Zanka stood frozen still. ‘She…likes me back…She likes me…back’ If it wasn’t the middle of the night, he would have exploded and ran through the corridors of the headquarters while screaming.

He gently placed a hand on her cheek and stared back, “Really? Do you really like me?”

She leaned into his touch, placing her hand on top of his, and nodded.

Zanka leaned forward. He placed a kiss on her cheek and lingered there, making Hyo close her eyes and smile. He then pulled away but leaned his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes.

“I like you so much, Hyo,” He confessed again.

Hyo smiled as she stared back into his eyes and said, “I like you too, Zanka.”

They went back to bed but instead of leaving what little space they had between them, they cuddled up - Zanka wrapping his arms around her and Hyo leaning her head against his chest. Both of them slept really well the rest of the night.

[0everything-anime0]

Faith in a Better Tomorrow

The battle against Mymo ended and Zanka forced Hyo to come with them to the Cleaners HQ to get healed.

*This was when I theorized that Hyo joined Mymo and his gang to face the Cleaners in the Doll Festival arc!

You can also see my scenario here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/73838771

Hyo was stuck sitting on one of the infirmary beds at the Cleaners' HQ after the battle with Mymo and his gang. Zanka forced her to come with them even though she told him she was fine. She could have easily patched up her wounds by herself and moved on. That's how it always was. She handled things herself her whole life. She couldn't help but feel weird for being taken care of by others. 

But...

'It does kind of...feel nice at the same time' She thought to herself as she looked at the bandages that were professionally wrapped and patched by Eishia. Her vital instrument was pretty amazing to witness. 'A very useful one for sure...'

She sighed and looked up at the ceiling in thought. She thought back to the battle with Mymo and the others. So much damage they had created. The Cleaners tried their best to save as many civilians that were free from Mymo’s control. As for the other civilians, unfortunately, they died during the incident. Hyo then thought about her encounter with someone she hadn’t seen in a couple of years. Her ex-classmate.

'Zanka...'

She felt a flutter in her heart when she thought of his name despite the calm expression on her face. Even though they fought against each other in that long battle, the teenagers had many eye-opening and touching moments which was shocking to her as she was always one to stay composed and apathetic due to her background. Zanka opened her heart up and brought back the emotions she thought she lost many years ago. 'Who knew they would come back to me after all this time...' She placed her hand over her heart and closed her eyes, 'I guess I still am human' She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle and brought her hand down to her lap. 

She stayed sitting in silence for a few more minutes before she decided to leave. She was about to get up until the door opened and revealed the boy she was just thinking about. 

"Hyo!" Zanka walked in and shut the door behind him. He then walked to where Hyo was sitting. She couldn't help but notice that one of his hands was behind his back - hiding something from her. "I'm glad you're okay."

She stood up, "I told you I was fine. My injuries weren't serious enough for me to be he-"

"I don't care. I'm glad I forced you to come here with us. You honestly thought I was gonna leave ya all alone with the wounds ya had?" 

"But, they weren't even serio-"

"I. don't. care."

Hyo crossed her arms and looked away from Zanka with a huff. 'Is she...pouting?' Zanka thought to himself with his mouth slightly open. ’Cute…’ Wait. What? What did he think just now?

"You're impossible..." Hyo muttered to which Zanka smirked proudly while mentally pushing away his thought.

"Ha! Ya damn right I am!" She rolled her eyes while fighting the urge to smile at his cockiness. She then tried to take a peek at what Zanka was hiding. “So..watchya got there? What are you hiding from me?” “Oh!” Zanka brought his hidden hand forward. Hyo’s eyes widened. 

In Zanka’s hand was this bouquet of violet flowers with a yellow splash on each petal towards the center. ’They’re…so pretty’ She thought to herself. 

“I didn’t know what to get you at first because I’m not really good at these things…But, Delmon and Rudo helped me out with it. These flowers are called Iris, and apparently they mean faith in a better tomorrow.”

Hyo looked up at Zanka with confusion on her face. “Faith…in a better tomorrow?” Zanka cleared his throat and couldn’t fight back the blush that was appearing on his cheeks. He turns his face so that Hyo doesn’t see, “Y-yeah…” Why is he stuttering?! “Your new beginning starts now. You can start a brand new life - maybe with the Cleaners even? You can be with me and the rest of the crew. You can have everything you’ve always wanted…” 

There was a long pause.

Zanka felt nervous and turned his head, "Well say some-" He was interrupted by something soft on his cheek. 

Hyo kissed his cheek gently while placing her hand on his other cheek to hold steady. Zanka gasped and turned a deep shade of red, almost dropping the bouquet from his hand. Hyo pulled away and looked straight into his eyes with this emotion that Zanka hadn't seen from her before. Heck, Hyo is shocked that she even did this action herself. What Zanka said made her feel even more things she’s never felt. ’I want to know more of these feelings…with him’ She thought with a hint of a smile as she took the flowers from his hand.

“Thank you, Zanka. These flowers are beautiful.”  “Y-You’re welcome…” Zanka tried to cover his dark red face with his hands. Hyo couldn’t help but smirk at the sight.

'This is gonna be fun.' 

[0everything-anime0]

The Reunion

My scenario of Hyo and Zanka's reunion near the end of the Doll Festival arc. You can also find my scenario here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/73800466

‘What is going on?’ Hyo thought to herself as she observed the scene in front of her. People were walking away from the theatre - well, more like dragging their feet with exhaustion. Some were being taken care of by what looks like a giver who has the power to heal and a very loud man who seems to be the assistant. Some were sitting around with mixed emotions on their face. Sorrow, despair, emptiness and anger. They talked amongst themselves and complained how they should've never come to the Doll Festival.

‘What happened for there to be so many injured?’ Hyo continued walking forward until she heard the loud man call out a name she hadn't heard in a while.

“ZANKA!! HOLD ON, BUD! WE GOT YA!” 

Hyo walked towards them and stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened.

The boy from her past was laying down on a blanket on the ground, completely passed out and bleeding severely from his stomach area. The loud man sped off once another patient cried out for help while the medic stayed with Zanka and prepared everything. As soon as she was about to start healing him, she noticed Hyo was standing nearby and staring at Zanka. 

“U-um…”

Hyo looked at her.

“Do you...know Zanka?” asked the medic.

“...Yes. We were classmates years ago.”

“Oh! I see. It’s nice that you’re concerned about him,” a small shy smile appeared on her lips, "I'm about to heal him now and it might take a while, but if you'd like, you can sit nearby and wait until I finish-"

"It's okay, I'm going to walk around for a bit. I'll come back later," Hyo paused for a short bit and asked, "What's your name?"

"Oh it's uh..it's Eishia."

"Well, Eishia, thank you in advance for taking care of Zanka," Hyo walked away from them. 

...

It felt like two hours had passed before Hyo decided to go back to the spot where Zanka was.

She arrived and noticed that the boy was alone, all bandaged and patched up around the stomach area. She took a glance at where the smaller wounds were located and noticed that they were completely healed. 'Huh...Eishia's sure something,' She thought.

She then gazed at Zanka’s sleeping face. It’s been two years since they’ve last seen each other. Two years since Zanka abandoned the Hell Guard. She left not too long after him, though. Part of the reason she left was because Hell Guard didn't fill that emptiness inside her. It didn't help find what she had been missing her whole life. But, the biggest reason for her leave was because of Zanka. His growth after they spoke to each other about the Golden Throne was admirable for her. It made her feel something she never felt with anyone before. She was alone in the slums after all - 'me, myself and I' type of situation. She never cared for relationships and meaningful interactions. 

Until she met Zanka. Him leaving Hell Guard and abandoning his clan to find his true self and purpose made Hyo want to follow his actions. And so, she left the Hell Guard. 

Now here they are reunited but at what cost when Zanka got injured and is currently passed out. 'I hope he wakes up soon...' Hyo kept staring at Zanka deep in thought until she felt a presence in front of her. She looked up and saw Eishia holding what seems to be a box of bandages and staring back and forth between her and Zanka.

The medic had a shy but knowing smile on her face and said, "It's just taking a while because of how bad the injury was, but I assure you he will wake up soon. So, you don't have to worry about a thing-" Their conversation was then interrupted by a patient who was calling out for Eishia. "Oh! Excuse me, I have to treat that patient but it was nice talking to you!" She then runs off to the said patient.

Hyo watched her leave for a bit then looked down at the ground. Worry? Did it really show on her face? She hasn’t felt that emotion since she was a small child. She looked back at Zanka and proceeded to be in deep thought. 'He's always making me feel emotions I thought were locked up and thrown away...' She reached her hand out and brushed his bangs away so that she could see his face clearly. His facial features are more sharp and prominent. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle thinking back to how he looked a couple of years ago. He looked so small back then compared to now.

She then proceeded to place her hand on the side of his cheek and brushed her thumb gently while saying, “I'll stay by your side and wait for you to wake up. So hurry up, Zanka.”

[0everything-anime0]

Wait For Me

So this is a really old scenario I came up with when the Doll Festival arc first started. I theorized that Hyo got a job with Mymo to fight against the Cleaners. But, I figured why not post it on here and have my fellow ZanHyo shippers enjoy it :) You can also find my scenario here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/73784476

The battle between Team Akuta and Mymo and his gang was still ongoing.

It was taking too long to finish this battle. Everyone got exhausted but Team Akuta did their best to keep fighting. Zanka checked on his teammates by glancing their way every now and then while fighting the girl he’s always wanted to beat ever since their Academy days.

Hyo.

He had been waiting for this moment to come where he could show off his skills. He wanted her to see how even an average joe can be strong and beat geniuses like her. But, for some reason this fight wasn’t like he imagined it would be. He was the only one giving his all while Hyo wasn’t. It was as if she came to this battle unwillingly. As if she didn’t want to fight. She just looked…well, lost.

Their weapons clashed and locked. Zanka stared into her eyes while she stared right back at him with her empty, hollow ones. ”Hyo, what’s wrong with ya? It’s like you’re not even here with me,” He asked with surprisingly a small amount of concern.

“....”

“Hyo?”

“I...” Hyo started to say, “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore…”

“What do ya mean?” Zanka asked with a perplexed expression.

“There’s no point in me even doing this. Even trying to find something I’ve wanted my whole life - it's all pointless,” Hyo unlocked her weapon from Zanka’s and turned her head to look at the rest of Team Akuta and continued, “If only-…if only I had your life.”

“My life? Why?” Zanka straightened himself while continuing to stare at the girl. Hyo couldn’t help but give a sad smile despite her eyes not showing emotion. She looked at Zanka as she explained, “You have achieved so much in the last two years since you left the Academy. You had goals and accomplished them. You even…” She looked back at Team Akuta with Zanka looking back at them as well, “You even found people who you can call family. You have a home to go back to.” She looked downward and closed her eyes, “You’re lucky, Zanka.”

There was silence between them.

Zanka didn’t know what to say. He knew from his Academy days that she born and raised in the slums and didn’t really have a great childhood, but having heard her say her real feelings out loud, it made him gain a new perspective on her. Zanka thought for a moment on what to say and decided to take action. He reached his hand out to gently lift her chin and turn her head towards him. She showed what seemed like a shocked expression as he looked deep into her eyes. He, himself, couldn't believe what he was going to say next.

“You can always join the Cleaners.”

“What…?” Zanka could have sworn the shine in her eyes came back a little bit.

“You wanted a family and home, and you have your own dreams and goals that you want to accomplish, right? You can join the Cleaners, and I can make all of that happen for you. I can help you experience and accomplish so many things if you let me.” Hyo didn’t believe her ears. Was he really willing to go that far for her of all people? “What do ya say, Hyo?” He leaned forward a little bit, bringing his face closer to hers to show that he’s serious about what he meant.

“I-”

“THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS!!” exclaimed Mymo on the stage, “WE NEED TO RETREAT AND HEAL OURSELVES! LET’S GO PEOPLE!”

Hyo and Zanka turned their heads towards the stage to see Mymo and his gang retreating. ‘Damn it!’ Zanka clicked his tongue as he looked back at Hyo who looked very conflicted while watching her employer retreat. She sighed and started to walk away while saying, “I‘m sorry, I have to go-”

“Hyo!” Zanka grabbed her hand. “You don’t have to go back to 'em! You can be free and live the life you’ve always wanted!” Hyo’s eyes looked downward. She stayed still for a few moments, looking like she was deep in thought. She then slowly looked back at him with a hint of a smile. “I can’t leave Mymo since he’s the one who hired me. But, when the time comes for when he’ll stop using me and throw me aside…I’ll leave this life and start a new one with the Cleaners...and you.”

Hyo walked back to Zanka, leaving less than a foot of space between them, and kissed his cheek. “Wait for me until then,” she quietly said and walked away. All Zanka could muster was “I’ll definitely be waitin’...” due to him processing what just happened while trying to control the blush on his face.

‘What is wrong with you?! Get it together!’ He thought to himself as he walked back to Enjin and the others.

[luxmoogle]

"𝔑𝔬𝔴 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔫, 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔠𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔯. ℑ 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩 𝔶𝔬𝔲." ⋆˚☆˖°⊹₊ ⋆

[kisaakiya]

✨I want you for a lifetime✨

(Redraw from 2021)

[wiavi]

Art Request from @phoenix-downer

Saved by a prince? No, its a merman!

[lesbianakaashi]

I absolutely love the way nii satoru depics different hair styles for each character.

The fluffiness of sakuras wet hair versus dry hair.

Ume with hair gel and without.

Tsubaki styling his hair differently.

All of Kiryuus hairstyles.

Its such a fun little detail that feels natural but I havent seen in manga that often

[goatedgreen]

fan service in other media: skimpy clothing on women, flirting between characters, comedically sexual situations, sometimes its actually an OP macho man John Wick fight scene

fan service in wind breaker: sakura has a nice day out with :) his friends :)

[straylize-archive]

I guess that’s why the Keyblade chose you. But MAN, did it pick a dud this time.

[steven3004]

I'm not gonna lie, I'm tired of people treatin' Amy's crush on Sonic as if it's a celebrity crush, while they are at least friends who admire eachother. Their relationship really ain't that hollow.

[avatar-mikazuki]

If it were that hollow best believe he wouldn't let her touch him or be so nice to her/act so familiar. He lets her chase him when he can tell her not to. He even runs at a pace she can follow! He let's her get hugs in sometimes, he hangs out with her one on one and does dates. It's subtle, and most times only hinted at, but it's there!!

Something that's less subtle is while Amy is very affectionate and touchy with him as far as hugs, Sonic, in turn, always carries her, and will even sweep her off her feet when he doesn't have to. Carrying her btw is pretty intimate, closer than any hug, especially when she can keep up, but he chooses to keep her close. He has carried other characters before, but it's their thing, his and hers, for her to be in his arms!! And I just think they deserve some more credit. Even if you dislike the ship, they are minimum close friends.

In the comics alone, look how comfortably they touch while he smiles.

Even in the virus, when it's been so long since they can touch it's Amy's first instinct to get close, to be there for him. Yeah, sure, she has a crush on him and all, but if they weren't at least friends, if he didn't reciprocate in some way, why would that be her first instinct? Not to mention, other characters this far into the comic did not struggle with keeping their distance from him, even when he was in visible pain. Get you a friend that even when you're visibly contagious and dangerous, STILL has to remind themselves not to get close to you.

Most importantly, he wants to hang out with her too!! Let's not forget that in this particular moment, he forgot he even had a hangout planned with Tails because Amy mentioned something she was doing, and he wanted to join.

He'd never cancel on Tails or any of his friends for that matter, once he's reminded he goes with Tails, but it says something that he (for a second) forgot his plans with his brother figure simply because SHE was doing something, and he wanted to join. He wasn't even originally a part of the plan. He was inviting himself, and it's telling he feels comfortable enough with her to do that, even if in the end he couldn't. Again, minimum? They're absolutely great friends, I'd say best friends.

[avatar-mikazuki]

Sonic hit knuckles with that

"What you say to her, punk?" Pose lmfao