Fanfic / Runaway Wind

Runaway Wind is an ongoing Kingdom Hearts fanfic written by Pred1059.

For ten years, Ventus slumbered in Sora's heart. When Sora sacrifices himself in Hollow Bastion to save Kairi, Ventus finally has the chance to awaken. And thus many things begin to change. The first of which being the rescue of Naminé from Castle Oblivion. Together, the two of them travel though worlds to both hide from Organization XIII, as well as trying to uncover what happened to Terra and Aqua.

But while the two of them are trying to find answers, there are others holding keyblades that will shape the future. Sora, Donald, and Goofy are soon searching for Riku and the King, while Kairi's heart begins to wonder if waiting is good enough. Roxas is trying to understand his role in the Organization and his life, while getting to know his comrades, such as the new Organization recruit Erxart with a keyblade of his own. Aqua desperately wanders the darkness, tormented with visions of lost friends as she tries to survive. Of course, Organization XIII isn't taking any of this lying down. And Xehanort's influence isn't as gone as Ventus might hope.

Also found on Sufficient Velocity, Fanfiction.Net, and Space Battles.

Runaway Wind provides examples of

• Adaptation Name Change: The replica of Riku is given the name Exon rather than the aptly named "Riku Replica".
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: According to Vexen, the original Ansem is Kairi's father. Nothing in the two's interactions in the actual games has suggested this, nor do the mentions of her in Ansem's Reports in Kingdom Hearts II, but she is a Princess of Heart and he was the ruler of Radiant Garden. Chapter 43 has Mickey confirm this, with a flashback to meeting with Ansem and Kairi shortly before the fall of Radiant Garden and learning that she could already summon a Keyblade.
• Adaptational Early Appearance:
  • As Ansem's computer is found earlier by Chapter 36, while Organization XIII is still at their peak and Sora is still in Castle Oblivion, the Master Control Program, and by extension Tron and Sark, also appear far earlier than in KH II, the MCP trapping Ven, Namine, Yuffie, and Leon inside the Grid where the four then encounter Sark and work with Tron, shortly before Larxene and Erxart extract the four trapped heroes from the Grid.
  • At the end of Chapter 40, Young Xehanort appears, helping Saix and Vexen in their attempt to capture Roxas.
• Alternate Universe Fic: The story diverges from canon during the original Kingdom Hearts, when Sora releases his heart to save Kairi, here releasing Ventus as well.
  • As per the author, Dream Drop Distance, χ, and III are not strictly canon here. Thus, Ventus, Marluxia, and Larxene have no prior history as Dandelions, an aspect of their backstory from χ, in this fic.
• Arbitrary Skepticism: Despite everything he's seen, Ven is doubtful of Naminé's power. "I mean, you probably could read memories fine, but changing them? That’s a little far fetched." She quickly convinces him otherwise by momentarily altering his memory of waking up in the Castle.
• Armor-Piercing Question: In Chapter 36, when Lexaeus explains his suspicions about Xemnas to Marluxia and Larxene.
  Lexaeus: We nobodies are empty. Shells of what once was that persists on will alone.
  Marluxia: As we know. Your point?
  Lexaeus If we are empty, then what can be put inside of us? Light, Darkness, Memories, Hearts?
  Marluxia: The organization’s goal is to get our hearts back.
  Lexaeus: And what if we were given someone else's heart? Would we care about the difference?
  And that was the moment the pin dropped for her. Just as it did for Marluxia gauging from his wide eyed expression.
• Back from the Dead:
  • Maleficent's raven ensures earlier than in canon that Maleficent is resurrected using the method of getting someone to jar memories of her, albeit by making Ven be the one to remember her.
  • When Ventus’ heart was released from Sora it also released the remnants of Vanitas from the formers heart, allowing Vanitas to return as Ventus’ Nobody.
• Big Damn Heroes: Kairi reaches Sora just as Zexion has incapacitated Donald and Goofy and is about to kill Xion in front of him.
• Both Sides Have a Point: While Ven may have done the right thing in rescuing Naminé from Castle Oblivion, Leon is right to point out how reckless it was for him to take her story at face value so quickly. It could have backfired horribly if she were using her powers on him or just straight-up lying. Ven concedes this point later on, realizing that he does have a history of recklessness that he paid for 10 years ago in the events of Birth By Sleep.
• Broken Pedestal: Ventus has lost some respect for Master Eraqus due to being attacked by him and thinking about his Knight Templar views, as well as considering how he would’ve reacted to Naminé’s nature as a Nobody.
• Cutting the Knot: Yuffie is about to spend a minute picking the lock on Maleficent's fortress with some needles, only for Ventus to do it with his keyblade.
• Decomposite Character:
  • Thanks to Ventus saving Namine, preventing Sora from having as much data and memories taken to create Xion, her role as Number XIV of the Organization goes to Erxart ("Ansem"'s Guardian, known canonically as Terra's Heartless, placed in a Replica body made to resemble Terra), while Xion is only a simple test subject who fills Namine's role in trying to manipulate Sora.
  • Zexion consequently fills the role of Namine in creating the illusions in Castle Oblivion.
• The Dog Bites Back: In Chapter 23, when Larxene tries to recapture Naminé in Dwarf Woodlands and resumes verbally abusing her, she fights back with her sword and her cards, doing well for a while until Ven and Yuffie catch up to them, and stops her from taking the magic mirror by summoning Leviathan.
• The Dulcinea Effect: Ventus agrees to help Naminé escape the castle after barely a minute of conversation.
  • Ven is called out on this by Leon, Cid, and Aerith. Aerith in particular pointing out that the fact that saving Naminé happened to actually help them out more lucky than good.
• Everyone Can See It:
  • When Naminé tells the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee that she has Sora's memories because she's the Nobody of Sora's "dear friend", Aerith immediately guesses that it's Kairi. A nod from Naminé and everyone but Ventus reacts as if this explains everything.
  • Several reactions from Leon and Yuffie make it clear they've picked up on Ventus and Naminé's mutual attraction. Cemented when Yuffie calls them "lovebirds", at which point Ventus, who has just had his own Love Epiphany, realises that she'll never let them hear the end of it.
• Evil vs. Evil: Ven's actions have brought Maleficent and the Organization into conflict over the χ-blade. It also seems like Vanitas is going to come to blows with the Organization as well, and the Enemy Civil War introduced in Chain of Memories has been complicated by Lexaeus approaching Marluxia and Larxene with his suspicions about Xemnas.
• Enemy Mine: This almost happens in Chapter 22 when Roxas and Axel offer to work with Ven's group to stop Maleficent. Subverted almost immediately when Naminé and Yuffie shoot that down, telling Roxas about the Organization's crimes.
• Fight Like a Card Player: In reference to the combat system from Chain of Memories, Ventus suggests that Naminé could learn to fight by taking memories of fighting techniques he's learned but never uses and turning them into cards.
• Fish out of Temporal Water: Ventus, who takes some time to realise he's been asleep for a decade, only noticing when he meets Axel and recognises him as a much older Lea.
• For Want Of A Nail: When Ventus wakes up in Castle Oblivion, he escapes with Naminé, throwing a Spanner in the Works for Marluxia and Larxene's plan for Sora and causing other complications for the Organization, including Roxas becoming suspicious of them much earlier than in 358/2 Days, and the introduction of Number XIV, Erxart, a replica with Terra's heart who believes himself to be a Nobody. Elsewhere, Kairi earns her keyblade much earlier than in canon, to the point of making it to Castle Oblivion at the same time as Riku and Sora. Erxart's presence leads to Axel and Roxas both betraying the Organization around Chapter 40, and the three manage to rescue Aqua from the Realm of Darkness.
• Grand Theft Me:
  • Zexion becomes one of Xehanort's vessels this time around, directly overseeing the plans at Castle Oblivion and taking control away from Marluxia.
  • "Ansem" is forced to take on Exon as a host instead of Riku in order to escape defeat when Mickey comes to Riku's aid.
• Heroic BSoD: The Organization’s new plan for Castle Oblivion is built around forcing Sora into one of these, filling his heart with darkness by pushing him past the Despair Event Horizon.
• Hidden Depths: Larxene sees Lexaeus as not much more than Dumb Muscle, but as he points out, he was a research assistant to Ansem the Wise. As such, he was the first of the Organization to suspect how Xemnas was actually planning to replace everyone's hearts.
• Horse of a Different Color: Chocobos are able to be summoned by Namine, the big flightless birds being able to be ridden around like in their source game.
• I Was Just Joking: Yuffie embarrasses Ven and Naminé by suggesting they could go flying together on his glider and make it a date. When they agree this could be fun, Yuffie interrupts the awkward moment by admitting she was joking about the date thing.
• Identical Stranger: Ventus and Roxas are this to each other. While there is an explanation for their identical appearances, neither is aware of this. While it simply weirds Ventus out, it causes Roxas to have an identity crisis.
• Inadvertent Entrance Cue: In Chapter 45: Yen Sid starts to fill Sora in on Ventus's story. "However, to explain what happened in detail, you must learn about his friends. Terra, and…" At this point he's interrupted by four strangers entering the room in black cloaks, one of whom is a woman with blue hair. "Master Aqua? Is that you?"
• In Spite of a Nail: Despite Naminé being freed, the plan for Castle Oblivion is still used, though some major modifications have to be made. Namely, Zexion is helming the plan now, before he is taken over by Xehanort. In the same vein, Xion is still created despite the position of Number XIV in the Organization being given to another, though instead of being used to copy Sora’s abilities, she’s disguised as Kairi to trick Sora.
• Instantly Proven Wrong: In Chapter 3, Larxene is certain that Naminé is completely secure in Castle Oblivion and brags about it to the Organization as a whole. Cue Vexen coming back from his trip to inform everyone that she has completely vanished.
• Internal Reveal: In Chapter 45, Sora's party arrives at Yen Sid's tower, and are filled in on the Organization and Nobodies, including Naminé's existence. After Aqua arrives with Axel, Roxas and Erxart, they fill the others in on Erxart's story before resuming recapping the events in Radiant Garden ten years before.
• "It" Is Dehumanizing: Used by Larxene to Naminé, much to Ventus's fury.
• It's All My Fault: When Ven learns what happened to Master Eraqus, he's quick to blame himself, with Naminé being quick to try to comfort him.
  Ven: Xehanort, he used me as bait to get them to fight. If... if I didn’t leave…
  Naminé: (frowning) If you didn’t leave... we wouldn’t have met. I’d still be trapped in the castle, and I’d be forced to hurt Sora. I realize it’s selfish to be thankful for this... but if you never left, you’d never have saved me.
• It's Personal: When Xigbar reveals that there are several reasons Xemnas has ordered Erxart to be killed, he just wants revenge against Terra for taking out Braig's eye.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: Maleficent decides against trying to take Castle Oblivion when she not only runs into Sora's group and a Keyblade empowered Kairi, but also King Mickey and Riku. Especially since the latter is no longer interested in working for her.
• Love Epiphany:
  • Ventus in Chapter 35, while idly thinking about Naminé.
  Even if she was born a Nobody, Ventus just couldn’t believe she had no heart. There was no faking the fear she showed when the Organization threatened her, or the happiness of freedom and finding friends. Or the kindness she showed him. It was probably why…
  Ven’s eyes widened for a moment.
  Naminé tilted her head as she took a step closer.
  Naminé: Ven, you’re a little red. Are you—?
  Ventus: Fine! (takes a step back and waves his hands.) I’m just fine! No problems at all!
  That was a lie and Ventus knew it. Right now his mind was desperately trying to catch up to what his heart might be saying. He wasn’t even sure he was hearing what it was saying right! He had no training in this! Was this…
  Was this what it was like to fall in love?
  • The following chapter has Naminé starting to reach the same point, triggered by Yuffie's "lovebirds" remark, but still holding herself back due to fear of unconsciously manipulating Ven, as well as her lingering belief that she has no genuine feelings. It's not until Chapter 39 that the narration refers to her wishing "to have the strength to protect the one she loved."
• Missed Him by That Much: Ventus and Naminé hide in Traverse Town after escaping from the Castle, at the same time as Sora and Kairi are recovering from the events in Hollow Bastion. The closest they come to encountering each other is when Kairi and Cid talk in the aftermath of Ven's fight with Axel in the square outside.
• Mythology Gag:
  • In Chapter 2, it's mentioned that the first card Naminé made from Sora's memory was based on Deep Jungle, the one world from the original game that was left out of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories due to rights issues.
  • In Chapter 29, the Fairy Godmother laments Cinderella's step-family's fall into Darkness, commenting that she had hoped at least one of them might be able to turn away from the dark path they were walking, referencing Anastasia's Took a Level in Kindness in the Direct to Video sequels.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Ventus confronts Maleficent when he hears about her plan involving the Princesses of Heart and comes to the conclusion that she was trying to create the χ-Blade, only to learn that she knew nothing about it until now. Larxene delights in pointing this out to him later.
• Power Trio: After settling into Hollow Bastion, Ventus and Naminé soon find themselves becoming this when Yuffie starts joining them on their missions to other worlds. The three of them forming a Fighter, Mage, Thief ensemble.
• Psychic Link: Similar to fragmentary passage Erxart and Ventus are capable of communicating with Aqua in the Realm of Darkness when they sleep. Vanitas hijacks Ventus’ link to try and kill him, and later it becomes clear that Naminé has become entangled in the link as well.
• Rescue Romance: Ven and Naminé, after he helps her escape from the Organization. They're not a couple yet, but the story is tagged with them as a romantic pairing. As of Chapter 35, Ven is starting to see her this way, and wondering if she feels the same. And by Chapter 36 Naminé is reaching the same point, noting that she can't see him as simply a friend, and not just because he rescued her.
• Secret-Keeper: When Naminé explains to Ven and Yen Sid about Nobodies, Ven quickly figures out that Naminé is one of them (thanks to something Axel said earlier, "Wouldn’t be the worst way for a Nobody to live."), but he chooses not to tell Yen Sid. He does, however, talk to her about it right outside Yen Sid's study, causing him to find out anyway. Naminé later comes clean to Yuffie during their confrontation with Larxene in Enchanted Dominion, followed by their other friends in Hollow Bastion. Most of them are reasonably quick to accept her, though Leon and Cid have their suspicions, mainly because of her memory manipulation powers.
• A Shared Suffering: Ventus empathizes with Naminé's situation of being trapped by Organization XIII, as it reminds him of his isolated "Training" under Xehanort.
  • Ventus later tries to empathize with Vanitas due to both of them having been victims of Xehanort’s training. It fails, as Vanitas resents Ventus for having gotten a happy life after Xehanort discarded him.
• She Is Not My Girlfriend: Ventus and Naminé both have this simultaneous reaction when Yuffie teases them about planning some time to fly together on his glider and describes it as "your date". Justified in that neither of them have considered each other as romantic partners, just friends. A little more teasing has them both realize that they are falling in love with each other. Notably, when Ven does take her flying during a mission in Chapter 40, he has to clarify, "Just for the record. This isn't our date." And the next time Yuffie teases them about turning Naminé's Keyblade training into a date, neither of them deny it.
• Shout-Out:
  • Vexen's revelation to Kairi of her relationship with Ansem (with him giving the false impression that he's referring to the Seeker of Darkness) is done much like the Trope Namer scene in The Empire Strikes Back.
  • When Ven, Naminé, and Yuffie encounter Maleficent and Pete in the Dwarf Woodlands trying to use the Magic Mirror to find out information about the χ-Blade, Ven yells at the Mirror "Don't tell her anything!"
  • When Larxene's frustrations reach a breaking point, she invokes the catchphrase used by her Japanese voice actor's most famed role. "What are you, stupid!?"
• Significant Anagram:
  • Like with other Organization XIII members, Erxart's name is the name of his original form with an x added, in this case, of Terra.
  • Exon works under a similar principle, being one of Vexen's earlier Replica experiments, his name is based off "No e". Similarly to Xion, based on "No i", this also refers to a mathematical variable, Euler's Number.
• Sympathy for the Devil: Naminé's reaction when she learns that Marluxia was captured by Xemnas, Saix and Xigbar. "I want to say good riddance. But I'm not sure anyone deserves to be held captive by Xehanort."
• Waking Up Elsewhere: Ventus wakes up in the room where Aqua left him in Castle Oblivion (formerly the Land of Departure), recognising the symbol of Master Eraqus but not the room itself.
• We Used to Be Friends: Ven initially greets Lea/Axel as an old friend (despite it being based on less than four minutes of conversation and a mostly offscreen fight), but as soon as he finds out that Axel is part of the Organization and has no qualms about their plan for Sora, Ven coldly puts it aside, drawing his keyblade to defend Naminé from him.
• Wham Episode:
  • Chapter 38: Marluxia, Larxene and Erxart capture Ventus, Naminé, Yuffie, and Leon; in Hollow Bastion, bringing the former two along as they explore Ansem's lab, discovering Terra's wayfinder and Aqua's keyblade and armor. Saix and Xigbar intervene to put an end to their coup. Xemnas shows up soon afterward, greeting Ventus as "My apprentice."
  • Chapter 39: Axel learns that Xemnas has ordered Erxart's death and breaks ranks with the Organization much earlier than in canon in order to save him. Ventus learns that Xehanort stole Terra's body, that he still intends to start another Keyblade war and create the χ-blade and that he has plans involving Naminé for that. When Ventus fights with Xemnas, Naminé attempts to help using Aqua's broken Keyblade and ends up forming her own. In the chaos, Larxene and Lexaeus get away from Saix and Xigbar, but Marluxia remains Xemnas's prisoner.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are:
  • After Ven figures out that Naminé is a Nobody and chooses not to tell Yen Sid:
  Naminé: Why didn’t you say anything?
  Ven: Because you’re not like Axel. You weren’t happy about hurting Sora. You wanted to help me out rather than just let me go on my own. If you really didn’t have a heart, you wouldn’t care. So maybe there’s more to you than old memories.
  Naminé: (shaking her head) Maybe there is... But I don’t know if it’s a real heart or an illusion I’ve made up for myself.
  Ven: (frowning) Well... It’s real enough for you to care about other people.
  • In Chapter 16 Aerith tries to make the same point when Naminé comes clean about herself and her powers, though Naminé remains unconvinced that she has any genuine emotions. However, in Chapter 39, she stands up to Xemnas when he offers her a Heart (presumably a piece of Xehanort's), affirming that Ven and her friends in Hollow Bastion have filled the void in her far better that "that thing" ever could. Soon afterward, the narration when she attempts to defend Ven with a broken Keyblade states that "She wanted it with all her hear—".