Re: { carnaval des coeurs }
This is a little birthday present for regular southern belle Tinny/Dandelion. It's basically a continuation of the gay Keyblade wielder storyline from Kingdom Hearts Unchained that happens in Missions 501-525. You can find a translation of the original storyline
here by goldpanner (I like her translations better than the English localization) in case you haven't seen it or need a refresher. The Keyblade wielders are not named in the game, so I have given them names.
Beau is the soft-natured curly haired one. And
Adam is the green haired punk. It's rough, but I hope you enjoy~ Happy Birthday Tinny.
only the wind knows.
FANDOM: KINGDOM HEARTS
WRITTEN FOR: DANDELION
CONTENT WARNING: N/A
—
only the
wind knows
where it
will carry
our dandelion
souls
-A. R. Asher-
—
Long, long ago, all the worlds were still one.
One day, this world would be called the age of fairy tales.
It all began here, in Daybreak Town.
It was here that a boy named Beau was bestowed a Keyblade in order to help keep the light safe.
Under the watchful eye of Master Ira, the boy joined the Unicornis Union.
Through this fate Beau’s heart led him to another—
A wielder named Adam, whose own heart had experienced great hurt.
The hurt convinced Adam to push people away
And he closed his heart off to others.
So when Beau offered him his hand in friendship,
He turned him away.
However, Beau was not deterred,
And remained close by his side,
Even in the face of rejection,
For he knew what Adam needed most was other people.
Unfortunately, disaster struck.
Adam, in a foolish and reckless attempt at gathering Lux,
Charged head first into a battle he could not win.
And when the monster went to strike him down, Beau took the hit for him.
Adam rushed him away to safety,
And finally sought help in defeating the monstrous foe.
He realized the errors of his way in closing himself off
From people who cared about him, and vowed to make it up to Beau.
Weeks have passed since then,
And with Beau’s injuries finally mended,
Adam has asked Beau to join him as he takes him to his special place,
to show gratitude for their newfound friendship.
Beau and Adam made their way through one of the forests on the outskirts of Daybreak Town. Truthfully, Beau didn’t really know why Adam had brought him here, saying only that he wanted to show him something. They were just reaching the edge of the forest when Adam stopped him from continuing.
“Close your eyes,†he said.
“Why?â€
“Just do it.â€
Beau reluctantly closed his eyes. He took a few steps forward blindly, with his arms stretched out to hopefully keep him from running into any trees. It didn’t take much of this before Adam chuckled and took Beau’s hand in his, guiding him through what remained of the forest. Beau felt his cheeks burn a bit at the warmth of Adam’s hand in his, but he hoped that Adam was too focused on leading to notice.
Free from the shelter of the forest, Beau could feel a small breeze and the light from the sun against his skin. After a bit more walking, Adam let go of Beau and told him to open his eyes. They were situated on a hill overlooking all of Daybreak Town. The clocktower stood strong and majestic, of course, but Beau could also see all of the town itself with its stacked purple roofs, and past that, the rolling hills that stretched as far as the eye could see, looking almost like a serene painting made in soft pastels with careful brushstrokes. It was breathtaking and beautiful, and he felt so incredibly lucky to be standing there with Adam. He had given him a gift — a new perspective — on a place he had lived his entire life, one he had never even known about. It was so simple, and yet, it was almost too much.
“This is my favourite place in Daybreak Town,†Adam said quietly, watching Beau’s expression as he took it all in. “Do you like it?â€
“I love it,†Beau said. “It’s beautiful.â€
He looked back at Adam, who wore the gentlest smile he had ever seen on him. Usually Adam was all pomp and cocky, but here, showing him something that meant so much, he was quiet, reserved, vulnerable. As he watched the boy in front of him, Beau couldn’t help but feel that there was something there that wasn’t there before.
“Sit,†Adam said, as he sat down himself on the ledge of the hill.
Beau joined him on the ledge and for a moment the two of them simply stared out across the horizon in front of them. He found among the many houses and streets the spot where he first met Adam. So much seemed to have happened since then. They were barely even friends, and then something bended, and now… he couldn’t even imagine life without him. The past few weeks, while recovering from his injuries, weren’t hard because of the pain, but because he couldn’t wait to go out and do stuff with Adam. Go to new worlds together. Tackle new challenges. Just, be together, really. Ever a surprise, Adam had stayed by his side the entire time he was recovering, and now, here they were, still side by side. It was all he could want, really.
“So….†Adam scratched the back of his head. “Sorry I’m not really used to just… saying things, you know?â€
“It’s okay.â€
“I just wanted to bring you here as a way of… saying thanks, I guess?†Adam chewed his lip as he considered his next words. “For sticking by me, and all that. I was… a jerk, and I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve you — your friendship. I still don’t know why you didn’t give up. But… I’m glad. I’m glad you didn’t.†He looked back out over the ledge. “I guess it’s like what Master Ira said, you know? Our friends are our power. And when I’m with you, I feel it. Just being with you, I feel like… I feel, more, if that makes sense. Like something inside me has changed.†He faced Beau. “Am I making any sense?â€
Beau nodded, feeling a little nervous as to what this was leading up to. He could practically feel his heart trying to break free of his ribs, it was beating so hard.
“So, what I’m trying to say is… thanks.â€
Beau smiled. “You’re welcome.†He tried to calm the feeling in his chest. “Is that… everything?â€
Adam chuckled. “No, it’s not. I actually have something else to tell you, too.â€
“Oh?â€
“I mean, it’s really because of you that any of this is happening.â€
“What is it?â€
Adam reached over and plucked something from the ground. “Have you heard about the Dandelions?†he said, holding one in his hand.
“The Dandelions?â€
“It’s Master Ava’s doing. She’s gathering Keyblade wielders from all of the unions for a secret mission.â€
Beau felt something lodged in his throat. “What kind of mission?â€
“She says there’s going to be a war, and that it’s inevitable. So she’s gathering those with strong hearts, training them, and then when the time comes, we’re going to fly away to another world, to keep the light alive.â€
“’We’? You’re one of them?â€
Adam grinned. “Yeah, because of you, because of how our friendship has changed me, and made me stronger. Master Ava says she can see how much I’ve grown and she wants me to join them now. It’s all thanks to you.â€
“Oh, that’s great, I guess.â€
“It is!†Adam leaned back with a smile plastered on his face. “So much has happened, and I’m grateful for all of it. I can hardly believe it all.â€
Beau looked away from Adam. He honestly didn’t know what to think or what to feel. He had thought that Adam was going to… nevermind. But this? Joining the Dandelions and, what? Leaving him behind? What was he going to do now? Now that they were friends and they were together, his life felt like so much more than it was before, and now it was all crumbling away, just like that, in a moment. The Dandelions will leave and then he will be all alone, again. How could this happen?
“Oh, shoot,†Adam said, sitting up. “I almost forgot. I have to run. There’s a meeting with Master Ava, I gotta go.â€
Adam handed Beau the dandelion and jumped to his feet. He hurriedly waved goodbye, thanked him again, and then ran off towards the forest. Beau sat there holding the dandelion between his thumb and his finger precariously. The tiny white spores clung desperately to the core. It was all so fragile.
Just then a breeze picked up, and the seeds of the dandelions were caught within it. They blew out and away and Beau watched as the wind carried them far, far away from him.
That night Beau awoke from a fitful night’s slumber. He had been tossing and turning the entire time, unable to shake the day’s events from his mind. It was like his entire world had been flipped upside down, and he was trying to grab onto anything, but it all fell through his fingers. Adam leaving him. An incoming war. This feelings deep inside his heart… Sitting up in his bed, he looked out of the window of his room at the quiet outside. Daybreak Town was at peace, with no idea of what lay ahead. Soon after this, with a puff of smoke, his Chirithy appeared on the windowsill. Beau turned on the lamp beside his bed so as to not talk in darkness.
“What’s wrong, kiddo?†Chirithy said in a pleasant Scottish accent.
“It’s something Adam told me today… He said Master Ava is collecting Keyblade wielders from all of the unions. Said that they were ‘Dandelions’ and that when the war starts they were going to fly away to another world. That this is how they are going to keep light alive.â€
“Hm.†Chirithy waddled closer to Beau. “Do you want to go with him?â€
“I… I don’t know. I wasn’t asked.†Beau looked down at his hands. He methodically twiddled his thumbs slowly. “But even if I was, is it the right thing to do? What about everyone else who is left behind? What about our Unions? What about Master Ira? Can the war really not be stopped? And if it can’t, shouldn’t as many people as possible be taken to the world outside?â€
Chirithy hopped off the window sill, onto the bedside table, nearly knocking over the lamp, and then into Beau’s lap. He looked up at his Master with a soft expression. “But doesn’t that mean you should go with them? To make sure they have as many as they can?â€
“I can’t just leave everyone behind can I? Adam means so much to me… but can I really do that to everyone else in our Union? If Master Ava would even have me in the first place.†Beau carefully laid back down, shifting onto his side. Chirithy curled up in the space beside him. “I don’t know what to think, and I don’t know how much time I even have left.†He could feel sharp tears form along his eyes. “How many times do I get to see him until it’s the last time? Until there’s nothing left and I’m just all alone, again.â€
Chirithy rested a paw on Beau’s chest. “Even if you stay, you won’t be alone, kiddo.â€
Beau gave a weak smile. He petted Chirithy, feeling the soft plush-like fur against his hand. “Thanks, Chirithy.â€
Together they eventually drifted off to sleep.
Beau sat on the fountain’s edge in the town plaza. He had been able to stop thinking about Adam and the Dandelions and what these things all meant. It was eating away at him, bit by bit, and it seemed that no matter how much thought he put into it, how much he considered all of the options and all of the possible routes, he always ended up back at the same place — being completely unsure of anything. If he stayed here, if he decided the right thing to do was fight, to stick with his Union… was it still the right thing if it ended him completely? If he knowingly sacrificed himself for nothing, for an end that would always be inevitable whether or not he was there to witness it, was that really better than leaving with the Dandelions? Was that better for the world, for himself? But even if he wanted to go with the Dandelions, who was to say they would even have him? Who’s to say that Adam would even want him there? After all, he still hadn’t actually been asked, by anyone, least of all Adam, to actually go, to join with them. Maybe he was just wasting his time, flirting with a possibility that wasn’t even open to him in the first place.
But what about him and Adam? Could he really just leave everything between them unsaid? What if their last time together was just on the horizon, and it simply ended, just like that? Would he be able to feel good about that? Or would it, too, slowly consume him? Beau groaned, all of this was too much for him. It was just an endless spiral that brought him no closer to revelation.
“Are you okay?†a boy said. Beau looked up to see a curly silver haired boy with a red scarf. “You look really down.â€
Beau struggled to put his feelings into words, to either lie or to tell the truth, nothing came forth.
“Is it okay if I sit with you?†the boy asked, in a tone so gentle it almost made Beau want to cry. He nodded however, and soon the boy was sitting next to him.
“My name’s Ephemer,†he said.
“Beau.â€
“You’re in Unicornis, too, right? I think I have seen you around.â€
Beau nodded, again. They sat there in silence for a beat, the only sound being that of the fountain’s splashing water, and in the distance, the sound of other wielders going about their day. Though he couldn’t quite explain it, but just being next to Ephemer gave his heart some ease and he could feel himself calming down a bit the more time went on. Maybe it was just having another person
there, to talk to if he needed it, or maybe there was just something special about this boy in particular, he couldn’t say for sure. But when Ephemer next spoke, he found it much easier to reply.
“You want to talk about it?†Ephemer said, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, as he watched Beau’s expression carefully.
“There’s…,†Beau began. “There’s this guy, and… I don’t know. We’re friends. I care about him a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Like I feel happy when I’m near him, but it’s not just that I’m smiling, but that I… I
feel it, deep.†Across the plaza, a bunch of flowers in a planter swayed gently with the breeze. “I thought he felt the same, and maybe he does, I don’t know. But he told me recently that he’s going to go away somewhere. And….â€
“You want him to stay?â€
“Yeah. I do.â€
“Have you to—â€
“I don’t think it’s even a thought for him. These feelings. I think he just sees me as… you know.â€
Ephemer nodded slowly. He held his hands together tight for a moment. “You remind me of someone,†he finally said after a moment. “I once met someone from a different union than ours. Our time together was really short, but it meant a lot to me. We promised to meet up again, to spend more time together, but… I ended up having to break that promise to them.†He looked up towards the sky. A bunch of dandelion seeds were caught in the breeze. “I regret breaking my promise a lot, and I haven’t seen them since. For a long time I was really mad at myself for that, for letting this person go by, for letting them think I didn’t care when I did. It made me feel awful, and wanted to take it back so much, but I couldn’t.†Ephemer smiled. “I realized though that I could be sad that nothing happened, that I couldn’t tell them how I felt and that I was sorry and just accept that it was over, or I could hope. Hope, and know, that I would see them again, and when I did, everything would begin again.â€
Ephemer turned back to Beau. “Do you know what I’m saying?â€
Beau shook his head.
“You’re scared of telling your friend how you feel. You’re worried he doesn’t feel the same way. You’re worried he’s still going to want to leave. But isn’t it better to have the hope of it working out, of you two being together, than just accepting the reality of it ending? Shouldn’t you want to fight for that possibility more than anything else?â€
He was right. If Adam really did mean this much to him — and he did — than how was this even really a difficult decision? His options were to not tell him how he feels, to stay behind alone, and have everything end. Or he could tell him, and at the very least, there would be a chance, a possibility, that this was actually not an end, but the beginning to everything. Beau still didn’t know what the future held for him, for Adam, for any of them. But he knew how he felt, and that was more than enough.
Beau jumped to his feet. “I have to tell him. No matter what happens, at least this give me a chance.†He could already feel his heart racing as he began to ran away from the fountain in search of Adam. He stopped before he got too far and turned back to Ephemer who sat smiling. “Thank you,†he said before taking off again.
“Beau,†Ephemer called out behind him, “I hope you get the answer you’re looking for.â€
With the help of Chirithy, Beau was able to find Adam. He had been hanging out at the lighthouse across town. Adam was leaning forward against the railing, starring out at the horizon in front of him. The sound of the waves had filled the air before Beau approached him. When he reached him, Beau was so out of breath, his heart racing for so many reasons, that he couldn’t even formulate sentences. It was slightly embarrassing as Adam guided him to a nearby bench to sit down and catch his breath. Adam watched over him with great concern.
“I want—,†Beau stuttered. “I want—†He was still too out of breath, but he knew that if he didn’t say it now, there was a real chance he might not ever say it. Still, he tried to regain some composure before continuing. “Stay,†he said. “Please.†He got to his feet, looking Adam deep in the eye. “Please stay. Don’t go.â€
Adam stared at him for a moment, the concerned look beginning to twist into one of confusion. “What are you talking about, Beau?â€
“I want you to stay with me,†he confessed. “I want us to be together.â€
“Beau….â€
“
Please.â€
“Beau, I want us to be together, too. But we can’t
stay here.â€
Beau blinked. “What?â€
“We have to go with the others. The war is coming and there aren’t going to be any victors.â€
“You want me to go with you?â€
Adam was shocked. He practically took a step back. “Of course I do! I already talked to Master Ava about it. Why would you — ohhhhh. Shit, Beau, I’m such an idiot.†He shook his head apologetically. He hid his face in his palm out of embarrassment of his own mistake. When he lowered his hand, his cheeks were flush. “Of course I want you to come with me. It wasn’t even a thought. I just assumed you would know that. I wasn’t going to leave y—.â€
Beau kissed Adam hard on the lips. Adam stood there bewildered, at first, before realizing what was happening, and then, he leaned into the kiss himself. The two held each other close as they embraced. It was warmth. It was light. It was every possibility opening all at once. Both a little scared, neither one prepared, but willing to see where it would lead. Within that kiss, Beau could feel it all, and he knew, deep down, that a brand new beginning was stretching out in front of them, wherever the wind would take them.
They broke apart, and, seeing each other for the first time in this new light, they both instantly blushed.
“So, what now?†Beau finally said.
Adam smiled and held out his hand.
“We’ll go together.â€