Text; 003

[oathkeeper]

Posted: April 13, 7:05 PM
From: sora

[Sora found Ventus' friendship bracelet from Axel on his bed.]

...he’s gone, isn’t he? this feels weird.

[Private to Nageki]

Are you okay?

Comments

[darkduelist]

["He's gone."

Yuto reads those words a few times, frowning to himself, before he writes a short message.]

Do you need company?

[Yuto knows all too well how it feels when someone you know suddenly vanishes one day. He still remembers how Yuya disappeared. And Vector.]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora wasn't expecting a message from Yuto... but it makes him smile. Yuto was a pretty kind person under it all.]

i won't lie...it would be pretty nice right now.

[darkduelist]

In that case I'll come over.

[oathkeeper]

okay!

thanks yuto

action?

[darkduelist]

[It doesn't take long for Yuto to reach the shrine. He looks around then knocks on the door.

In all honesty, Yuto doesn't know what he will say to Sora. Cheering people up is Yuya's thing, not Yuto's. But he still wants to try, because he knows how the other may be feeling now.

And so he's waiting.]

action!

[oathkeeper]

[There's a small clatter as Sora rushes to the door and opens it. He smiles and waves at Yuto.]

Hiya!

[Sora's day had been strange in general. Ventus was gone but he felt really strange about it. Luckily, just having company around was more than enough for Sora.]

Sorry to make you come all this way. How are you?

[darkduelist]

Hey.

[Yuto looks at Sora for a moment, before answering:]

It's no problem. And I'm fine. [He pauses.] But what about you?

[oathkeeper]

[Sora fidgets for a second and then waves for Yuto to come in and he heads to the couch to flop down on it.]

I'm alright, I guess. It's been a weird day.

[Honestly he had no idea what to feel like right now. He wasn't sad but he wasn't happy either.]

[darkduelist]

[Yuto follows Sora and standing near the couch observes the other for a moment.]

The person that disappeared... was that your friend?

[oathkeeper]

[Sora chews on his lip for a moment and wonders how he could explain.]

Yeah, a really close friend. I didn’t get to see him for very long. His name was Ventus. Feels like he was here one second and gone the next.

[darkduelist]

Ventus...? [He knew that guy.] ...I met him once.

[So he's gone? Yuto sighs to himself, then looks at Sora for a moment, before he sits down on the couch next to him.]

...I know how you must be feeling now. Two people I knew vanished too. [He pauses] ...One of them was my first god. The other... was someone who was like a brother to me.

[oathkeeper]

[Sora's eyes widen slightly. He couldn't imagine loosing two people. If he lost Riku he'd be devastated.]

I'm so sorry Yuto...

When this happens...do they just vanish like this? It feels unfair that we can't say goodbye.

[darkduelist]

[Yuto is silent for the next couple of moments, but when he replies his voice is calm.]

When Yuya vanished it was very sudden, but with my god it was a little different. [He pauses, before explaining:] Yuya and I both served under the same god. When Yuya went missing, I couldn't accept he just vanished so I searched everywhere for him. But he was nowhere to be found. Then Vector - my god told me he'll search for Yuya in Hell. I wanted to go with him, but Vector forbid me from doing so and even told me to find a new god.

[Yuto frowns to himself and sighs.]

Some time later everybody got worried about him, they tried to search for him in Hell, but it turned out Vector never went there. He just vanished.

Somebody told me that maybe Vector knew he was going to disappear and that was why he told me to find a new god...

[oathkeeper]

[This is all very shocking information for Sora. Ventus never said anything to anyone about disappearing. But...

Sora reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ribbon that Ventus left.]

This was Ventus' bracelet. We used to joke that we all needed bracelets to tell each other apart because we look like triples. Him, me and our friend Roxas. I found it on my bed and then I just knew that he was gone.

[Sora frowns.] Maybe he knew he was going to disappear too? [It's a scary thought.]

[darkduelist]

[Yuto looks at the ribbon, then at Sora and lightly puts a hand on the other's shoulder.]

I don't know, but... It'll be okay, Sora. Yuya came back. [There's hope.] So the others will come back one day as well.

[They have to believe in that.]

[oathkeeper]

[Yuto is right. There was no reason to believe that they couldn’t come back someday. He had to stay hopeful of that. He smiles up at Yuto.]

I’m glad you have Yuya back. I hope I’ll be able to see Ventus again too! Thank, Yuto. I just hope he’s safe wherever he is.

[darkduelist]

[Yuto nods at that, then looks away.]

...But there is one more thing. Yuya came back, but he doesn't remember ever being here.

[He closes his eyes.]

He returned as a god.

[oathkeeper]

What?! As a god?!

[That is alarming information. Though, Sora does vaguely remember someone named Hisoka who used to be shinki and turned god too… Would that happen to Ventus? Would he change into a shinki? Did it go backwards like that? Suddenly so many confusing questions.]

Returned as a god… Are you sure he doesn’t remember what happened before? But…does he have old memories…now?

[He’s unsure he should ask that question, seeing as Yuto is a shinki.]

[darkduelist]

I'm sure. I asked him. [Why would Yuya lie to him?]

And yes, he does remember the past now.

[Yuto hesitates.]

Yuya and I... we look so much alike, that I thought we had to be siblings, but now that Yuya has his memories back, he told me that I was wrong.

[This is why he said that Yuya was like a brother to him. Well, he still is. Just now Yuto knows they aren't twins.]

[oathkeeper]

Well things haven’t changed between you guys then, right? You can still be close like brothers. That’s what matters!

[It must be hard for Yuto to deal with having to find out something like that. But he doesn’t think that should change anything between him and his friend.]

My best friend is a shinki, and even if he doesn’t remember me and I remember everything we’re still friends. Things are kind of different now, but mostly it's still the same.

[darkduelist]

Of course things haven't changed.

[Yuya is still important to him. Yuto wants to protect him no matter what.]

...That's why I decided to stay with him. [He mutters, then shakes his head.

Sora's next words sadden him and remind him not only of Yuya, but also of Shun. Apparently, Yuto and Shun were friends in the past but Yuto doesn't remember any of that.]

I see... [He pauses, looking at Sora with a small frown.] But it must be still hard for you.

[oathkeeper]

[Yuto’s words make him nod and smile. Wanting to stay with your important friend. He gets that. Probably better than most people, he gets that.]

It’s hard but at least I can be there for him. I can watch out for him and just being able to be around makes me feel better. It was hard for him to give me a chance at first but it’s getting better!

[Nothing hurt more than the sting of Riku forgetting all about him. But he had to be optimistic and hopeful that that someday things would go back to the way they were. Those thoughts made him happy.]

[darkduelist]

I can understand how he's feeling, too. [Yuto sighs a little to himself, then when he looks at Sora again a very small smile appears on his lips.]

But I'm also sure everything will be okay. Even if it'll take time.

[Just like Sora, Yuto wants to be optimistic as well.]

[oathkeeper]

[It helps Sora listening to Yuto. It really puts it into perspective for him. Things had to be slow and patient. He wasn’t the best at those things but he’d try his best. For the sake of his friendship.]

Thanks for telling me all that, Yuto. I really appreciate it.

[darkduelist]

[Yuto shakes his head.]

I wish I could do more.

[But there really isn't much they can do - they have to keep on moving forward and hope for the better future.]