THIS IS AWESOME! I didn't regret at all reading this story until the very end! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for creating this story! Usually it's hard for me to love an OC story, but after I read your story my love towards OC's is starting to bloom in my heart. Arun and Caelum are the characters that I love so much in your story, their interactions, past memories and friendship! They are the bestXD! Also I got a bad feeling when I read the last meeting between Vanitas and Aqua. Aqua will surely do something after she knows that Vanitas inside Ventus's body...I hope nothing bad will happen on my favourite characters! Anyways, I will read your sequel next, so please don't give up!

Sora is four at the end of birth by sleep, and Riku is five. The ages are wayyyy off. You are right that Vanitas and Sora share the very same date of birth, if we assume Vanitas was born and Ventus was healed on the same day. Otherwise, Vanitas should’ve appeared as four, or if you combined the two of them, 8, in his new age...

Arty:“I met Arun when I was nine!”
Caelum: *cough* six *cough*
Arty: ?
Arum: why you little-
Both Caelum and Arun ended up in the infirmary for a week.
—-
K though actually, Max is the real MVP here, putting up with their stuff all the time. He’s the real under-dog of this whole operation.

Holy Macceroni, Sephoroth is simply hilarious! The most I know about his personality is from a video game music video created by the completionist which in it has lines like “I called my mom to ask if it was okay” and Sephoroth seducing a woman at a party. It’s really great if you wanna find it, something along the lines of “boss battle” in the title. I don’t care much for the fights in this series, simply because fights aren’t my thing, but the character interactions...
Man, so funny!

Arty x Arun or Elsa x Arun, or better yet Vanitas x Arun... stay tuned kids! Interesting how Vanitas might just all be in Arun’s Head. It would explain why most of the time only Arun sees him and how Vanitas is able to mess with his memories. Perhaps his journey was for naught and the truth was within him the whole time lol

-Infinity Wars Spoiler-

, I don’t feel so good. *Arun fades away into dust*

Arun... providing emotional support...? Lol now with Caelum hurting in his chest, I can’t help but think he’ll be under the same curse as Anna, which is HILARIOUS. True love? Wowzers Caelum good LUCK.

When Caelum says Arun acts like a kid, I can't help but cringe, because if you count the years Vanitas experienced before he was split from Ven, he is technically around 24-26 years old. But, if we assume he was born on the same day Ventus' heart healed, then, by those rules, Vanitas has around the same birthday as Sora. And then he says "I was born ready." and I nod my head, "yes, yes you were.". Let's not forget that we've checked "no girl's allowed" off the checklist, because she'd just ruin the whole car road trip gimmick, tbh. Plus, if there's four people, well, I'm assuming you've read Percy Jackson and it does not end well.

Everytime she pulls out the bow from her ring I'm just going to think of Doumeki from xxxHolic *sigh*. And because I think her full name is Artemis, it's nice to see that relation with the goddess of hunt. I imagine along with her moon-coloured eyes, her bow looks like a crescent moon. Also, random height issues are a thing. I have a feeling it relates to the game in some way, or Arun is just done with everyone calling him cute. My smol - but older - friend is really on the claws with height so you mention her shortness and it's all "you got a death wish?" from there. What I don't get about this chap, is Arun whining about Max not coming? Like whaaat? I get it's so we have the friendship thing, and that's beautiful, but I feel the line delivery - not the words themselves - could've been different. After all, it kind of shows that Vanitas is a teen, with actual teen feelings so yeah, the line gives and it takes. Another thing, "long" journey? HAHAHA 406,000 words IS A GIANT A$$ JOURNEY, MAN. I find it entertaining every time they talk about Sora, Donald and Goofy, Arun's sitting there blankly all "new body, who dis?" Speaking of, I'm just imagining that every time Arun dies via heartless, he'd just respawn in Ven's body and Arty, crying would be like "BISH U DIED ON ME A SECOND TIME NOT COOL" One thing I love is that Arun retains Void Gear, seeing as it's a bond between keyblade and heart, not keyblade and body. It's crazy amazing that he still retains his affinity to darkness and it's not thrown aside in some horrible "oh well Vanitas is turning good" or whatever. 8/10, mate.

You may be a pessimist, this new version of Vanitas, but at least you're not playing pacifist. I doubt Vanitas would apologize so much, but it's my headcanon Arty is the reason he has decent manners. I know Author-chan is probably going off how Ventus was a pessimist in the Light Novels and a tiny bit in the cutscene in BBS, so I'd like to think that's why Arun's acting like that, because otherwise, Vanitas is cockiest and most confident piece of sh!t ever. BUT, he was raised differently so some difference in personality is expected, especially because he has actual friends now. ALSO BOW TIES ARE THE COOLEST, 10/10 WOULD BOWTIE AGAIN. I'm not really with the whole "Ven's voice sounds like puberty" thing, but I guess it works considering the changes one goes through during Highschool. I'll let it slide for now *squint*.

Oooh, Caelum got her moons and Arun got her suns. All we need is to throw in some stars and we got the whole Solar system lol. Not to mention Caelum (which means Sky, heaven, atmosphere or stars in heaven) is a constellation so yeah. Arun's name means, appropriately, "Dawn" (add in a clip of the persona 4 comic "IT'S SYMBOLIC" here) and Arty's, (which is probably Artemis, I'm just guessing, seeing as it's not a really common name like Arun says it is but whatever,) is the greek goddess of the "Moon". Pretty great symbolism you have going on. I fudging love deeper meaning stuff like that.

Man, this was a wild ride. I've read this thing for years and loved it every step of the way. Really surprised the Arun/Vanitas thing wasn't planned from the get go, you really took advantage of that plot point. Anyways can't wait for the sequel! Doesn't matter if it comes out after KH3, I'll be excited haha.

I've been following this story for more than 2 years after discovering RWWF. Your writing style has really improved over the past few years, and considering the fact that I liked reading your really old fics... well, I have to say that I've read and reread H&S at least 4 times every once in a while after updates. And I love it even more than ever! I'd wait another year to read your sequel, no problemo. Though I suggest you start planning after KH3 comes out in order to get canon straight. It should be out in like... depending on the track record... maybe another year and a half?

...That really sucks. Okay, don't start planning after KH3. I'll commit seppuku if I do end up waiting. Damn.

Why not? Nomura seems to make up the story as he goes along. Seriously though, great job, and we've waited this long for KH III, we can wait a little bit of time for your sequel.

One of my favorite fanfics ever is an Avatar: the Last Airbender story called 'Embers' by Vathara. It's 91 chapters long. I read the entire thing. Mutliple times. 61 chapters is not that long comparatively speaking. I've got stories on my favorites list that are longer besides Embers. That's not even getting into the stories I write... I have a natural inclination towards writing epics. I don't even want to think of how long my KH story would have been if I didn't choose to break it up into five books... So...many...words... And I haven't even started book two... And my focus jumped so now I can't write any more for it until my focus shifts back again. I'm inspired by too many fandoms. That's my problem...also short attention span...and excessively nitpicky about the quality of my own writing... How the hell did I finish book 1 again? I'm rambling, aren't I? Sorry. Points I was trying to make are: your fic is not too long and I get the desire for having a more detailed outline to work off of. Personally, I usually get all the world-building stuff done before I start writing. Of course, then I run into the problem of getting so sucked into world building that I never get around to actually writing the damn story... Don't let yourself fall into that trap! You'll never escape the quagmire...

Also don't feel bad about your characters harassing you. I'm pretty sure most of the ones I work with are plotting my death...mostly because I vent my sadistic urges when I write and they get the brunt of it. Particularly my favorites. Oddly enough, Vanitas has complained the least about what I put him through. He claims it is still an improvement on what he put up with from Xehanort. Of course, he also whacks me over the head with his Keyblade when he thinks I'm being an idiot. Which is often. Thank goodness its all in my mindscape or I'd have a concussion by now...