Dandelion Tongue
is a Kingdom Hearts fanfic written by seasalt_sacrifice and published on Archive of Our Own.
Some time after the events of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, an attempt by Chirithy to restore Ventus's lost memories succeeds, albeit at the cost of his later memories. As such, Union Leader Ventus wakes in an unfamiliar world with people he doesn't know and can't communicate with and a Keyblade he doesn't recognise.
Dandelion Tongue provides examples of
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Terra and Aqua do this to Ven a few times, helping to reassure him that they are his friends even if he has no memory of them.
- All-Loving Hero: Ven, as noted by Kairi:He reminded her of Sora, in a way. Determined to make friends with everything with a pulse (sometimes even that wasn’t required) and strongly connected to those he loved. Supposedly, Ven had been within Sora’s heart since her friend had been born. Maybe Ven’s influence was what had made them so similar.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: Ven, best illustrated by his reaction to traveling on a Gummiship for the first time.
- Language Barrier: Ven wakes up still speaking the language he did in Daybreak Town, and can't talk to his current friends in English, forcing Chirithy to act as Translator Buddy between them. Ienzo later manages to dig out an ancient dictionary between the two languages.
- A Lighter Shade of Black: Naminé reflects on her past treatment by Marluxia and Larxene, noting that they were both cruel and evil even compared to the other Organization members and wonders if they were any better before they lost their Hearts.
- Mr. Exposition: Chirithy helps fill Ventus in on the friends he can't recognise, while filling everyone else in on his past in Daybreak Town, including the secrets she's still keeping from him, namely what happened to Strelitzia.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Chirithy attempts to restore some of Ventus's lost memories from Daybreak Town, only to seemingly erase his memories from after he first woke up in the Land of Departure.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: When Demyx briefly appears, he's still going by that name, having never revealed anything about his past before he was a Nobody.
- Significant Anagram: Ven identifying Naminé's sketch as Lauriam confirms for her and for Ienzo that he was a young Marluxia from before Xemnas got to him. Played for laughs earlier when Ven mentions Luxu to Ienzo and he starts writing down possible anagrams before deciding it probably won't be important.
- Speak of the Devil: While still recovering from the shock of seeing Lauriam in Ven's memories, Naminé thinks back to her history with Marluxia and Larxene. By the end of the chapter, Elrena has been brought into the lab.
- Trauma Button:
- When Naminé attempts to make a sketch from Ven's memories, including Daybreak Town, the Foretellers and the other Union Leaders, she's triggered badly when she finishes drawing Lauriam and recognises him as a younger Marluxia. However, she manages to get through the session with Ven without a panic attack, even after Ven fills in Lauriam's name and she spots the anagram.
- It happens again soon afterward when Elrena is brought into the lab and Naminé recognises her as Larxene. Again, though, she attempts to move past it when Ienzo tells her that Elrena is likely in the same position as Ven, and tries to help her with her memories as well.
- Troubled Fetal Position: Terra finds Ventus like this during his initial Freak Out over waking up not knowing where he or who anyone else is.
- Waking Up Elsewhere: The story opens on Ven waking up in the Land of Departure with no memory of his life there.
