#missing ache

[nexeliam]

Probably one of my favourite scenes in the whole franchise.

About 17 hours in the making.

NOTE : Here, the player is Damian. He belongs to damo279, who directed the amazing KHUX fandub movie. Go check it out, it's really worth it! Him and the team deserve all the praise!

Without text 🡣

[shuuru]

On Ventus and Missing Ache

a.k.a On Ventus and Darkness™

Welp, this might as well happen.

Spoilers for Ux and Dark Road ahead.

edit: I just realised how to do one of these cuts, haha.

Ventus. Sweet baby Ventus. When he is introduced in Ux, he is probably like 11-12, kind, weaker than most Wielders, lonely and friendless before he joins the Union Leaders.

Baby boy. Baby.

And I swear I'm not exaggerating. These are some of the first sentences he says to the gang when they meet.

Where are your parents!?

When they're discussing Leader things, Ven is quiet until Skuld asks him about it and Ven tells them he will go along with whatever they decide. Ephemer tells him he can speak up but Ven clarifies the misunderstanding saying that he just isn't confident yet in guiding a Union. Brain tells him to grow a backgone. Lauriam calls him kind.

I bet Lauriam is thinking of Strel when he's saying this and this gives me a x2.0 psychic damage multiplier.

One day, Data-Daybreak Town starts glitching out all out the sudden and when Ephemer goes to investigate he finds Ventus fighting some Flappy Bugs but when we see his Keyblade is... not Wayward Wind.

Live reaction of me when I saw this: WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK?!?

Let's have a look at the boys' Keyblades for a second.

Wayward Wind is called Fresh Breeze in Japanese and it's so cute. Next to it is the monstruosity that is Vanitas's Keyblade.

At first glance Wayward Wind and not-Void Gear (it's not called Void Gear, people. We have to deal with that) are not very similar but they're supposed to complement each other since both have "missing pieces" or are "incomplete".

And none of them look remotely similar to Missing Ache.

You will take Void Gear out of my cold, dead hands.

Now, to the star of the show.

[Cheering and clapping in the distance]

Ventus is not only using Missing Ache but an upgraded version of it that looks very cool. I've been told his Keyblade needs 4 out of 5 Reverse Medals that are considered dark medals so that's interesing I guess. (I never played Ux so I lack context)

[Image Source]

This is originally a Keychain that Roxas can wield in 358/2 Days, it's design obviously meant to be the Nobody symbol. It's very minimalistic compared to others we've seen, which makes it extra insane it has made me lose so much sleep. This Keyblade also has a recolor.

Missing Ache and Pain of Solitude

These two I'm pretty sure are meant to represent Roxas and Xion and they both talk about pain. Is it Missing because you lost it or Missing because you long for it? We don't know. Japanese won't help us here because their names are also in English.

I wanted to do a stretch and say Missing Ache actually looks more like Lost Memory but... no... I don't want to go there.

(I will clarify that this could be a "reusing assets" kind of situation because Missing Ache is a playable Keyblade. Still, I'm here to have fun and going insane is fun to me.)

Why am I insane about Ventus having this Keyblade? Because if you have the time to make a sprite of a Keyblade for one of your main characters, why not take the time to make it the Keyblade that we already associate with him?

In a meta sense, we have expectations for Ventus. We know him, we know OF him, so we expect to see Wayward Wind on his hands. This betrays our expectations, and it's on purpose. So why?

I think the real question is, even if Missing Ache is a placeholder, why isn't it Starlight? Ephemer and Skuld use the same Starlight and no one bats an eye. Brain uses Master's Defender (which was another what the fuck moment for me) and Laurian uses Divine Rose because of course he does.

Missing Ache has meaning because it's different, but maybe Missing Ache itself is not important.

My personal theory for the change in Keyblades is that Xehanort himself took amnesiac Ventus from the past and bequeated him a new Keyblade when he began training him (maybe because Ventus forgot he was a Keyblade Wielder when he time traveled) and that new Keyblade became Wayward Wind. We see him with it in the BBS flashback, reverse grip and everything.

"I want this twink obliterated." - Xehanort giving instructions to the neoshadows

Continuing with Ux, Brain figures out Ventus's name is not on the list Ava gave him and proceeds to tell him as such. Brain uses that maxxed INT stat of his to also conclude what happened with Strel and theorizes that darkness is involved in some way or another.

Ventus remembers a different version of his encounter with Master Ava but regains his memories after a beauty sleep. Enjoy.

Ventus Kingdomhearts, accomplice in murder.

Welp, that was intense.

It's interesting to me how Ventus doesn't look very possessed but he's very mindlessly following orders and just walks right next to Strel's body like she doesn't even exist. This makes me wonder if Darkness™ can manipulate memories.

We don't know exactly when or where Darkness™ hid inside of Ventus but if you allow me to theorize, I think it was a while ago, maybe even since The Book of Prophecies was written and Darkness™ got a chance to read it (more on this later). I also think Ventus had a similar situation as Baldr.

In Dark Road, Baldr loses his sister and is put (for some fucking reason) in solitary where his negative emotions make him spiral until his darkness gains form (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT). This is to me the most unnerving moment of the entire franchise.

Fucking spooky.

And now, the reveal. From Ventus's body, comes forth...

Darkness™

One of the Thirteen and that's the reason it's ™

Personally, I consider Darkness™ an Eldrich horror. This is a creature beyond human understanding and MoM agrees with me.

This is an ancient being, present on the First Kayblade War that happened during MoM's time as a child but, despite everything, Darkness™ is very willing to just... talk. When Brain starts asking them questions, they answer and they seem very truthful. Like it's not on their nature to lie... Mmh.

Here's a transcript of their conversation because the Tumblr Overlords aren't letting me post any more pictures.

Brain: I have to say, I didn't expect you to look like such a cliché. Darkness: So you say. Darkness: But I have no form to speak of. Darkness: We mostly go unnoticed, after all. Darkness: What you see and hear now is for your benefit. Ephemer: What do you want? Darkness: Want? Darkness: I want nothing. Darkness: I simply am. Darkness: It must be hard for you to understand. Darkness: We're very different. Darkness: Unlike you, our actions don't serve a greater purpose or goal. Lauriam: Then why did you take my sister? Lauriam: Why Strelitzia? Darkness: It was his will. Skuld: I don't believe you. Skuld: Ven didn't even know her! Skuld: Besides, he would never wish that on anyone. Darkness: You're right. Darkness: They were strangers. Darkness: But what he wished for was power. Darkness: I simply helped him fulfill that wish by making him a Union leader. Skuld: Ven would never want that! Darkness: Wouldn't he? Ephemer: Even if he did, he wouldn't go so far as to take it from someone, or steal their spot as leader. Darkness: Power is power. How it's adquired is of no consequence.

Still thinking about this conversation to this day. What do you mean Ven wished for power? For what? Is this wishing of power enough to let Darkness™ in? And the way Darkness™ talks about it, like they were doing Ven a favor? Insane.

One of the many questions that plagues me to this day is if Ventus is aware of Darkness™ at all.

(Not relevant but this Darkness™ uses the same "you" (おまえ) pronoun in Japanese as Vanitas, which in the end means nothing because it's very common but fuels my wips like you wouldn't believe.)

Lauriam: Then… It could've been any of us? Lauriam: It didn't have to be Strelitzia? Darkness: Yes. Lauriam: You--

Ouch.

Brain: I have a few questions. Darkness: Go on. Brain: Why Ven? Darkness: Because it was decided. Brain: What was? Darkness: That he would harbor darkness. Brain: Your vessel was chosen? Darkness: Yes. Darkness: It was written in the Book of Prophecies. Brain: You've read the Book? Darkness: In a manner of speaking, yes. At least the parts that matter to us. Brain: How? Darkness: We read the words as they were being written. Brain: In the Book? Darkness: Yes. Brain: What exactly is your relationship with the Master? Darkness: We're old friends. Ephemer: Friends? Ephemer: Then you and the Master are on the same side? Darkness: We have no need to side with people.

It was decided that Ventus would harbor darkness. Has Ventus been destined for this because MoM saw it with his future eye? How far into the future? Was it this point? BBS point? Even further? Is Ventus a Princess of Light? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

Also, we have no need to side with people but MoM and them are old friends....? Mmmm, interesting.

Brain: You claimed you aren't after anything, Brain. but I'm not buying it. Darkness: What? Brain: You seem pretty desperate to get in our way, showing up like this. Brain: I don't know if it's pride or fear, but there's a reason you're still here. Darkness: … Darkness: Infection. Brain: Meaning? Darkness: Data transfer requires a signal. Darkness: The same goes for the hearts and minds of you humans. Darkness: You underestimated how easily the darkness rides on those signals. Darkness: … and spreads through this place. Brain: Is tha why you wormed your way into the data world? Brain: But then why hide inside Ven? Darkness: I told you. Because it was decided. Skuld: That's enough. Skuld: You're saying because it was written in the Book of Prophecies it was meant to be? Skuld: Well, I don't care. You hijacked Ven and attacked Lauriam's sister. Skuld: And now you're gonna pay for it! Brain: That's right Darkness: We are many, and we are one. Darkness: But to be one requires will. Darkness: Through him, we could divide into pure darkness and light… Darkness: …wilfull and distinct. Darkness: It was a sacrifice that needed to be made.

What I'm hearing here is that Darkness™ can gently separate Ventus and themselves between darkness and light and they way Xehanort did it was very sloppy.

Also, interesting how they consider individuality to be a sacrifice.

Darklings appear in the room and it seems Ven is the one they're looking for. Ventus regains consciousness and starts... shining? his light so strong it covers his entire body? and he absolutely destroys the Darklings that were surrounding him.

Insane power up.

Ventus stands up to Darkness™ and delivers the best piece of dialogue since "At least I have some!"

Ventus: If you're pure darkness, then that makes me pure light. Ventus: If you used me to reshape yourself, Ventus: then I can reshape you again. Ventus: I'll give you a new form… Ventus: …that we can defeat!

Ventus attacks Darkness™ with Missing Ache in hand and then fade to white.

And that's it. This is the last we see of this specific Darkness™ and Ventus is sleeping the rest of the game before he time travels to the future. They both now inhabit the same body and, as Lauriam theorizes, Darkness™ has probably become a part of Ventus. Chocolate powder and milk. Forever.

Well... Until.

Thank you for reading, I've been working on this for a week and it was a pain to write, but I had fun crying at the finale of Ux again. I had a lot more things I wanted to talk about, like Ventus regaining some memories of his past after KH3, the fact that we see a character create his own darkness from negative emotions and yet Vanitas is supposed to be one of the 13 Darknesses and how I can compare Darkness™ to Skynet in some way but I think that's for another theory post.

Have a great day, everyone.

[amyhayanora]

it's too hot to work on my tablet but it's been too long since the last time I've posted something, so time to dig in the old sketches' bucket😂

[wasntadandelion]

Aight we gonna talk about Missing Ache

Ventus’ keyblade in Union X

When my friends and I first saw him summon this Keyblade, we all immediately started freaking out.

Missing Ache is in fact a Speed Keyblade, which considering this is Ven, makes sense. 

BUT 

ITS A DARKNESS KEYBLADE WE ALL KNEW VEN MUST HAVE BEEN THE KILLER WHEN WE SAW THIS-

OUR PURE LIGHT BABY BOY GOT REALLY SUS WHEN WE SAW THIS-

[sakuralychee]

Forgiveness

「悪く思った事を一度もないよ。」

“I never blamed you. Not once.” -Aerith Gainsborough

The KHUX update broke me apart  (╥﹏╥) and I think if Strelitzia is able to come back, it could work like the situation in Advent Children where Strelitzia slowly convinces Ventus to forgive himself since she never blamed him. It works out as well since both Ventus/Cloud were possessed and saw the murder in front of their eyes. 

Also, Ventus deserves a hug since there’s only so much trauma you can handle, especially for a young age.  ( ; ω ; ) 

(Strelitzia x Ventus is a viable ship that needs more attention ^U^ especially after all these updates) 

[thepenguininspace]

Heard you guys were calling me a traitor?

[saoryemanoelle-art]

The one and only real Ventus.

This is for the person I shared a Paopu Fruit with in my past life, @minyuuuii​ <33 We were going crazy discussing about Ventus being Strelitzia’s murderer (We even put together a few things to discuss) and from that we created a scenario together OwO

In this, Vanitas got what he deserved at the end of KH3 and was given a second chance at life. A long time passed but he and Ventus bonded and became close, living and fighting together. Vanitas learned how to control his Unversed and Ventus helped him with his trauma.

However, Vanitas still has Ventus’ memories from KHuX and he knows what Ventus did in the past. He also knows that the present Ventus wouldn’t be able to take in the fact that he took an innocent life. Chirithy also knows but his fear of losing itself and becoming a Nightmare also keeps him from telling Ventus the truth. In the end however Ventus sought to find out about his past and, once he knew everything, slowly descended into despair and ultimately madness, his pure light heart being corrupted and unable to keep its darkness under control.

All of this inspired this drawing OwO Just like Van can control the Unversed, I can only imagine how awesome it’d be if Nightmare Chirithy obeyed Ventus’ every command. Interesting…

I also wrote a small scene of Vanitas facing Ventus once he’s been corrupted under ’Keep Reading’. Warning for blood and violence.

Vanitas fell to his knees, his shaking hand covering yet another wound the Keyblade had opened. The Keyblade that once belonged to him, the one he had been the Wielder of many many years ago. The one he had now belonged to who he had become, a Gear filled with nothing but the Void. But the one which belonged to him back when he was truly himself - Missing Ache was no longer his to claim.

He coughed, staring up again with dread, looking deep into the eyes of his original self. No… That wasn’t it. That was something else, something that had no control over its own darkness. Ventus was now a monster and so, loyal to its Keyblade Wielder, so was Chirithy.

The Nightmare growled, a piercing, tortuous sound that echoed through the realm as everyone watched in horror. Aqua and Terra couldn’t move, terrified with what they were seeing, and even the champion of Light couldn’t believe his eyes. Vanitas wouldn’t have believed either if he didn’t know what Ventus was capable of. No one else knew him like he did. No one knew of what he had done, of the innocent blood he had in his hands.

“What’s wrong? Giving up already?” Ventus mocked him, his blue and yellow eyes glimmering just like Chirithy’s blood red ones which stared deep into Vanitas’ soul. He knew this would happen. He knew that once Ventus remembered who he was his now complete light heart would break. It would break into tiny pieces until there was nothing left but madness. A pure heart entirely corrupted, with no conscious darkness to hold him back! With no one to take over his role!

“Ventus, you don’t have to do this!”

“I know.” The thing that was Ventus laughed. “But I want to.”

He grinned and tightened his fingers around Missing Ache just as other blades appeared behind him. Wingblades, no longer made of light. They swung and danced around him as he walked, taking steady steps towards his other half, his monster waiting for his command to do something.

Vanitas jumped to his feet, holding Void Gear in front of him. He didn’t know how long they had been fighting before the others arrived. How long he had been dodging Ventus and his Nightmare. Even his strongest Unversed had fallen to him and for the first time in many years Vanitas felt truly scared. If he lost Ventus to darkness then-

Then what would happen to him?

“You know, Vanitas, you were right back then. About how you were my better half.”

He took another step forward. Six blades moved at once, piercing through Vanitas’ body, sending him crashing against the ground again.

“Darkness truly is the heart’s true essence. A simple concept I failed to understand even when I heard it from within Sora’s heart.” Ventus looked back to his friends, smiling at their despair while they tried to break the barrier he had set up. “We knew this back then, didn’t we? And the culmination of it all came with the murder of that girl.”

Vanitas coughed again, drool and blood running down the corner of his mouth, his Keyblade fallen next to him.

“Oh, Strelitzia…” Ventus smiled and pointed Missing Ache to Vanitas’ throat. “How many paths has your death opened for me. Or should I say for us. Right, Vanitas?”

“This isn’t you. This isn’t you, this isn’t the person who kept me alive and gave me a-“

“Shut up!”

Sora screamed from outside the barrier, trying to break through it. Aqua and Terra did the same, although their eyes were focused on the creature that now stared at them, walking towards them with a grotesque, unnatural way of moving. Vanitas groaned and fell on his sides, the cut on his neck bleeding profusely, the ground spinning under him.

“The me you think of is long gone now. There is no more that Ventus who was half of Vanitas.”

He smiled.

“No, this is more than I was, more than we would ever be together. What you see before you, Vanitas, is the one and only real Ventus!”

[minyuuuii]

Traitor Ventus

You don't have to read this, but I just want to point out stuff that @saoryemanoelle and I thought would contribute to the theory that Ventus is the traitor in KHux.

1) Ventus can spawn the Xblade all by himself if he used the darkness. Vanitas couldn't have existed and he would still be able to spawn it. Remember, he just refused to that's why Vanitas was made.

2) Ok so my point? The point is is that the Xblade needs 20 PEOPLE in order for it to spawn. 13 darknesses, and 7 lights. If a boy can singlehandedly spawn the MOST POWERFUL keyblade that needs thay MUCH MANPOWER, he can be easily divided into those 20. MEANING, he is equal to 13 darknesses and 7 light. With THAT much darkness in him, isn't it strange?

3) "But Ven is just a pure boi" YES and No. The Ventus we all know and love is from KHBBS, the Ventus after his darkness was STRIPPED away from him. He may be the purest boi (that I love) but then again, it's because he doesn't have darkness anymore.

4) Why would Xehanort choose Ventus of ALL PEOPLE? How is it that through Ventus it was SO EASY to spawn the Xblade? Xehanort could've picked another person if it was THAT easy. He could've thrown Aqua or Terra into the Keyblade graveyard and strip off their darkness to spawn it but he didn't. It had to be Ven.

5) Vanitas. How is it that he was able to take a form so strong? And yes I know he's the product of Sora's heart merging with Ven, but before that he already had a form. Some kind of heartless that is so strong that he can spawn Unversed with only his negative emotions. Vanitas is Ventus's darkness and if he is THAT strong, imagine what Ven had done with that much darkness.

6) Vanitas controlled Ven's body when they merged. Ven could've controlled his own body, and have half his heart back but what happened? Darkness took over.

7) Ventus's original keyblade isn't Wayward Wind. In the latest KHux update, Ventus had the Proud Mode Keyblade, Missing Ache. Which relies HEAVILY on Reverse Medals. Reverse Medals are equivalent to Darkness, so why is it that he was wielding a keyblade of darkness?

8) Saory pointed out that Chirithy was nervous in the Final World. Chirithy literally said "It's best if he doesn't remember." Remember what, Chirithy? It's not bad to remember that he was a "Dandelion Leader" unless... he did something he shouldn't recall.

9) Ventus may have been nervous to fight the Neoshadows in the Keyblade graveyard, it doesn't even look like he can master his darkness. It can be either he already forgot the events in KHux or he is guilty of something.

10) Going back to Chirithy, why was he in the Final World? Think about it, that world is in between Life and Death. So... why? Is it because Ventus coexists with Vanitas? Or is it that Chirithy was revived again because Ventus have light again after falling to darkness, because he was stripped of it?

11) "Vanitas disappeared, but Ven is still pure". Vanitas did disappear but it didn't look like he united with Ven once more. He DID disappear in BBS but he didn't unite with Ven.

Well these are some of our opinions, y'all don't have to agree. If Ven wasn't the traitor though I don't know anymore qwq