KH 'Pretty Pewter Plasters'

Title: Pretty Pewter Plasters

Author: Lynn StarDragon, the Happy Dragon

Warnings: Written while sick, so it might not make as much sense as I think it does.

Beta:

Disclaimer: Don't own Kingdom Hearts. Not making money from this.

Prompt: Vanitas is the reason Sora wears his crown necklace.
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'Maybe there's someone out there who needs help, and is waiting for you. Just listen to your heart, Sora.'

Tired blue eyes opened to stare at the ceiling of his room, half-remembered words washing over his ears. The spiky brunet sighed, and rolled over to snuggle his face into the pillow and stuffed rabbit. Sometimes Riku said really weird things, but he was always right, so he guessed that was okay. It was bright outside, but it wasn't so bright in his room, and he wasn't feeling so bright and shiny himself.

Actually, he hadn't been all that shinyhappyupbeat for the past few days, since he'd taken Riku's advice. He'd felt a little sad, and a little wonderful, and a little overwhelmed and full when he'd opened up his heart, but it was okay because he knew he'd helped someone.

But . . . now?

Sadness.

He was sad, and tired, and liked sleeping because then he could dream and not think about anything.

"Honey~! Breakfast is ready. . . . I fixed you a bowl of Chocolate O's."

"Coming Ma!" Though being awake still had its good points too.

* * * * * *

"Riku wins again!" Tidus called.

"That's five to zero, brudda." Wakka laughed.

Selphie twirled in place. "Let's go for smoothies!"

"Eh?" Wakka tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Well, if Sora's tired, a smoothie would help."

Riku smirked, and looked down, before offering his little buddy a hand up. "Sound good?"

"Okay." Sora smiled, and the world didn't stop.

Riku said nothing about the abnormality of that, but worked with Tidus to row them back to the big island.

In the open market, they stopped by the smoothie stand and each got a mango, papaya, or melon flavored drink. Sora liked honeydew, and got it as often as he got mango, but today he was trying melon, like Riku. It was a little bitter, just like Riku had warned him, but he'd wanted to try it because he hadn't had it before, and Riku didn't let the bitterness stop him from drinking it.

But he still really really liked sweet things.

"Let's look in the shops!" Selphie bounced up, once she had drained most of her cup.

"I could get a new ball, ya?"

"And we wouldn't have to train with sticks." Riku mused.

Sora slowly sipped through his straw, and plodded along after everyone. His eyes flicked over the different stalls of the open-air market. They had always been there, and that was okay, because they always sold the same things, so he didn't need to really look to see, it was just something for his eyes to do while he walked. Another day in the market with fish and fruits and vegetables being sold by the pound.

Wait, what's that?

"Hmm?" Sora stopped, and looked around. Nothing really caught his eye at first, but there was a stall with something shiny on display. He trotted over, straining up on his tiptoes to see over the counter.

The lady was selling necklaces, and bracelets, and rings, and things to stick in his ears, or clamp onto them, and the one next to her was the tattoo man. The paintings looked real cool on paper, but it was scary to think about getting them painted on him. Although painting was the wrong word. He had painted Riku once, with greens and reds and fingers and brushes and yellow, but the tattoo man used needles, and Sora didn't like the ones the doctors used, so he probably wouldn't like the ones the tattoo man used either.

"Whadd'er ya lookin' fah, liddle mon?" The lady asked, not unkindly.

Sora shrugged, and continued to look, sipping his melon smoothie now and then.

"There you are!" Riku called, causing the brunet to look behind him. The others were following after the silveret, and all of them were stampeding over to him.

"Wa'cha looking at?" Tidus prompted.

Another shrug, and Sora pointed up to the counter. "Shinies."

"Oooh, that one looks pretty! Is it a wind chime?" Selphie was pointing at a rainbow shell creation the lady had hanging from a hook.

"Da."

"Is that real wire? Could I cut fish with it?" "I don't want to put a hole in my ear to wear that." "Mom might like that. What does it say?" The sound of Riku pulling something over drew his attention, and Sora turned back to face him. It was a chair, made for the outside.

That same grin he always had washed over his face. "Here. Stand on this, so you can see, Sora."

A wide smile, and Sora scrambled up, without spilling his drink.

Now standing on the furniture, he could really see everything. Lots of shiny gems, shiny metal, shiny wires, and shiny everything. He saw people-tags, like daddy and the other fishermen wore. They were blank, but the lady would probably etch his name and other things on them for extra if he asked. He saw rings so tiny they couldn't possibly go around his pinky, and bracelets that looked to be in parts fitted together like carved driftwood. There were necklaces with long chains, short chains, and some on leather tongs. Some charms weren't even on chains, probably so people could pick out something all their own. He didn't see anything momma would like, but that was okay; he'd never really looked at this stall before.

That!

Sora quirked his head to the side: It was a charm in the shape of a comb, or a toothbrush, or part of a shark-jaw, but it only had three pointy teeth-bristles-spikes.

A crown for a King~!

Like the head of a Key. . .

"I triple-dog-dare you to get this one!" Tidus was looking at Riku, and pointing at one of the little tiny green-blue-gem studs some girls wore in their ears.

Riku pouted. "Dad wouldn't like it."

And that was the end of that.

"Sora, what'd you want from here?" Wakka looked over to him.

He blinked, then shrugged a shoulder. "Donnou. Thought I saw something." Then he hopped off the chair, and started to walk away.

Behind him, after some confused looks, and minor hesitations, the others started to follow.

* * * * * *

I deserve the best, after everything that's happened.

I still don't like it. Just leave it alone.

Ha! Thinking of them? All because of a little metal. And Master said I mope around.

. . . Do whatever you like.

Oh I will, trust me, that's all I've ever done, and I don't feel like stopping now.

* * * * * *

The next day found him in a very confusing situation.

Sora looked over at Riku again, then at Tidus and Wakka, and then Selphie.

They all had stuff for their ears now, though Riku's were the clip kind. Even if he hadn't said anything, Sora would have noticed how red his earlobes were, and that made him look like he had a fervor. Riku would also rub his ears when he thought no one was looking.

"Why are you wearing them?" Because if they hurt, Riku should have just taken them off.

"'Cause I can." A smirk.

"'Cause we bet." Tidus smirked more.

Serves him right.

Sora pushed the thought away, not even considering it. "How long?"

"Eh. . ."

"Long as he kin take it, ya." Wakka shrugged. "First one ta take them off buys snacks fer everyone else."

"Even Selphie?" Sora couldn't believe that she'd play too. Besides, her earrings might not have been clipped on.

"Nah, I just like these." They were in the shape of small yellow flowers, while the other boys had in small studs.

"Then, whaddabout me? What should I do?"

Everyone looked shocked that Sora would even ask that. They gave each other strange looks like they had no idea how to tell him something bad. Riku was the first to recover. "You be scorekeeper. You watch us, and keep tabs on cheaters."

A wide smile. "Okay!"

They probably take them off at night to sleep.

Sora blinked. Riku wouldn't do that, not if that would be cheating.

Oh? But it's okay if he lies to you?

Riku never had, and he never would.

. . . Is this what they call 'faith', or--

He believed in Riku. Momma had told him about hope and belief and faith in others, so all of that was right on the munny.

"You coming, Sora?"

He looked up at the sound of Riku's voice, smiling, before giving chase.

* * * * * *

Riku won the bet, and when he did, Sora was proud of him.

He was less proud of Tidus and Wakka being unhappy, and even reminding them that it was just a game didn't help.

"It's no fair, brudda! Even if he loses, he wins! His pap's has more munny den half the island!"

"That doesn't make him play games better." Sora had retorted. Really, how did munny matter?

"Yah? Well why do you think Riku buys the snacks most the time?! Why do you think we didn't want you to play!?" Tidus gasped a second later, realizing his mistake.

The spiked brunet felt his heart stutter. "You . . you didn't. . . you didn't. ."

One good Flood. That's all I ask for, just give me one good Flood. . .

They're kids. Kids say stuff without meaning it all the time. Don't listen to him, Sora.

"He didn't mean--Sora!"

But Sora didn't want to listen to his imagination or his conscience or his very very bestest friend in all the world. Sora wanted to run away to the secret place, to his bed, to someplace where he wouldn't hear anyone else other than momma making him sammiches, or juicy-pop-drinks, the kind that fizzed and ticked his nose, or where he could hug Mister Fluffles for hours and hours and the stuffed rabbit would let him cry on his stuffed shoulder.

In the end, he stopped at a hill overlooking the beach, because he wasn't yet strong enough to row out to the Play Island. So he sat down, hugging his knees, and just watched the sea ebb and flow.

This sucks. I like it when Sora's happy. Everything tastes better.

Mmm.

Fix it~!

Stop whining. . . . Sora? . . . You know they didn't mean it, right?

Maybe he did. But it still hurt.

Yeah, I guess it would. But, you know, they are sorry. They didn't really mean it. Tidus and Wakka just. . .

Don't like losing anymore than I do?

But Riku always won. That was just the way the Universe worked.

Riku was the strongestbestestfastestbravestsmartest kid on the island, and that's why he was leader, and that's why everyone trained against him, and that's why he was always looking out for them!

Yeah, not because he's a control freak.

Like father, like son.

. . . I'm going to pretend I didn't think what I think I thought when you said that. This is me thinking about Chocolate O's and that fruit flavored sugar we eat every other day. This is me not thinking about 'dads'.

Agreed. Anyway, Sora, everyone likes to win, now and then. They wanted to show Riku they could be just as good as him.

But Riku was Riku. Riku was the best.

We're better.

Then why did Riku beat him in sword fights?

Okay, you need to work harder. We're still better than he'll ever be.

Sora found himself not buying that at all. Really, better than Riku? The world would probably be blown apart by a volcano, or ripped to pieces by a storm first, or even washed away in a Tsunami. Riku was older and faster and better.

He liked it that way. Things were good that way. It didn't even hurt when they raced and Riku pulled ahead, because Sora could always follow Riku, because Riku knew where he was going.

But, you know, it's fun to explore on your own, too. Friends are nice, but they aren't everything.

. . . That didn't make much sense, no.

What, you want all your adventures to involve him?

Yes. He did. All of them.

Huh. Faith is kinda . . . blind.

It's kinda supposed to be. Sora? You know, you're strong too, right?

Maybe. . .

And what would you do if Riku was ever in trouble?

That would never happen!

But if it did? Like. . . in a scary dream. If Riku couldn't be the hero, what would you do?

Sora was very, very quiet for a long time, thinking that over. In the end, he realized he had no idea what he would do, just what he would try to do:

Save Riku from the monsters, along with anyone else being hurt by them.

And if that means going on an adventure without Riku? Without any of your friends from home with you?

Then . . . he'd just have to remember everything that had happened, and tell them all about it when they got back together again.

But you would fight for them?

Well--

"Sora?"

The brunet blinked, and turned blue eyes to look over his shoulder at the other boy, whom he'd just been arguing about with himself. "Hey."

Riku sat by him, just looking out over the water. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. . . We're still friends, right?"

"Always."

Sora smiled, bright and true.

And this time Riku was happy to see the world really did stop.

"Ah, let's go to the market. I'll get ya something. Just you, because everyone was being stupid today." He stood up, helping Sora along the way. "We really did need a scorekeeper, and scorekeepers don't play, they keep score."

"Mmm, Loco Moco?" [1]

Extra gravy! And beef! And Pork! And, and, and--

Oi. Quiet, you.

Riku chuckled. "Okay. Anything else? It doesn't have to be food. . ."

But Sora didn't really want anything else. Riku said sorry, but he didn't have too, and now was getting him snacks, so, he was happy.

You know. . . if he's buying. . . there was that shiny~

Sora blinked. A shiny?

The crown! Get the crown! Do it~!

Eh, he wouldn't buy the charm thing.

He totally would!

Um, you shouldn't make him spend all that money on--

He offered. And watch, he'll keep asking. Trust me, we swing by the stall, casually, he'll say something, so you might as well let it slip now that you're interested. Look at him! He wants to buy your forgiveness.

. . . Sometimes his imagination said weirder things than Riku. "Well, you remember the lady selling shiny things, were you got your ear clips from?"


~Owari
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[1]  http : / / en . wikipedia . org / wiki / Loco _ moco