For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of a horse, the rider was lost;
For want of a rider, the message was lost;
For want of the message, the battle was lost;
For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost;
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
The Keyblade Graveyard…
Since time immemorial, long before recorded history, there existed the Keyblade Graveyard. A barren wasteland where the stench of death and the emotions of those who fought on this once blood-soaked battlefield permeated the air, though their bodies had long since turned to dust. This lifeless husk stood as the sole reminder of the cataclysmic war that tore the world asunder, leaving it in its current, broken state. As other worlds brimmed with life born from the light, Graveyard stood shrouded in darkness and devoid of life. However, that was about to change.
As the setting sun bathed the land and sky in bloodred light, something ruptured and shifted the air, and a pinprick black as ink appeared floating in midair just above the ground. Slowly, it rippled and shifted and grew into a swirling black portal. From the origins unknown, for the first time in a decade a living being set foot into the forsaken wasteland. The figure wore long black coat swallowed all their features like the abyss, their face unseen to all, their name unknowable. As the unknown looked around, they could still feel the residual magic and feelings left from the battle ten years ago and those who participated in it.
The man who lost his body and heart.
The woman who gave up everything for her loved ones.
The boy who willingly fractured his heart.
The young king who tried and failed to aid his comrades.
The old master who all but destroyed the man.
And finally, the spawn that terrorized the worlds.
The unknown walked further into the cliffside, where an orb of dark, malevolent energy sat in midair. Seeing what they came there for, the unknown held out its left hand. In a flash of green light, a weapon appeared in their hand.
It was predominantly colored in different shades of green and decorated with intricate and elaborate sharp shapes. The tip of the weapon appeared to be a stopwatch, while the teeth consisted of diamond shape spikes connected by a black web structure. The Keychain attached to the guard shared the time theme represented in the blade, and its token was an hourglass.
All in all, the weapon resembled a strange key. This was a weapon forged from the light within one's heart. A weapon capable of bringing salvation or damnation. A Keyblade.
The unknown aimed its Keyblade at the orb, and as if reacting to the weapon's presence, a keyhole of darkness manifested before it. Light gathered from the tip of the Keyblade before firing a beam that hit the keyhole. After a brilliant display of light, a click, like a door being unlocked, rang through the still air. The lock around the orb finally opened.
"It's time to wake up, young remnant," the unknown said as the orb began to swell and pulsate like a beating heart. "This world is broken. A fragmented shell of what it once was. But soon, it shall be fixed. And you will play a grand role in its restoration."
Soon enough, the shadows let loose by the orb solidified into a singular entity. A person about as tall as a teenager. Its clothing consisted of a smooth, black helmet that had the same emblem on it, a black and white bodysuit, white boots with black soles, and a white half-skirt that had torn, black tips, held in place by three grey straps. And as its feet touched the ground, the unknown spoke its name.
"Feel proud, Vanitas."
Navek and xpegasus present
A Kingdom Hearts Story
A Different Destiny
Chapter 1: Dive
In an infinite expanse of darkness, a young girl was falling. She had auburn hair that contrasted with her pale complexion. Her outfit consisted of a thin white top with a black undershirt which slightly exposed her navel, purple biker shorts underneath a purple skirt with a blue belt, and white slip-on shoes with purple caps. Rounding out the outfit was a necklace with a silver bead, a black choker, a yellow wristband as well as a purple armband on her left arm and a pair of bracelets on her right arm.
Soon, the girl opened her eyes, irises like pools of clear blue water. In the darkness below, a shining platform of stained glass appeared. It showed an image of herself with her eyes closed, her hands placed over her heart as if the girl was saying a silent prayer. Surrounding the image of the girl were the images of five people, each in a circle. In the background was a radiant castle.
As the girl landed on the platform, she was able to see who the people in the murals were.
A smiling brown-haired boy.
'Sora.'
A serious looking boy with silver hair.
'Riku.'
An elderly woman with a kind smile.
'Grandma.'
But the final faces were of two men she didn't recognize.
'Who are…'
So much to do, so little time…
"W-Who said that?" The girl asked, looking around for the possible origin of the voice. Suddenly, three pedestals manifested around her. Floating above each one of them was a single weapon.
Power sleeps within you. Give it form…and it will give you strength. Choose wisely.
Seeing no other option, the girl figured she would examine each of the weapons. The one she looked at first was a blue and green staff.
The Power of the Mystic. Inner Strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?
She then decided to examine the silver and gold sword.
The Power of the Warrior. Invincible Courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?
And finally, she took a glance at the red and black shield.
The Power of the Guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?
The girl thought about the choice she needed to make. As she did, her mind wandered towards a brown-haired boy with a kind smile. And how he and his comrades braved the seemingly endless darkness to save the worlds. And despite the danger, he was always ready to face it head-on.
But now, that boy and she were separated by the vastness of the worlds. Before he left, the girl had offered to come with him, even though deep down, she knew there was not much she could do in a fight. She had often wished she had the strength to stand alongside him.
And so, her decision became clear as she took the sword in her hand before it vanished into light.
Your path is set. Now, what will you give up in exchange?
Once more, the redhead pondered and came to a decision, taking the shield in hand before it too vanished.
You have chosen the power of the warrior. You have surrendered the power of the guardian. Is this the form you choose?
The girl nodded before the floor underneath her began to crack and fall out. The redhead floundered as she fell through the darkness, only to float down towards another platform. This platform was red in color with the visages of seven men and one boy. Three of the men wore matching guard-like uniforms. Two of the men and the boy wore lab coats. The final older man also wore a lab coat with the addition of a red scarf.
As the girl looked at the visages, she felt a sense of faint familiarity.
You have gained the power to fight.
Suddenly, three dark blue creatures appeared from the platform. They were small with red eyes. And despite their size, the girl felt a hint of fear in the back of her mind. At the same time, the sword from earlier appeared on her right hand.
Gritting her teeth, the girl took a stance, holding the sword like a baseball bat. The first of the blue creatures leaped towards her, but with a yell the girl swung her sword, knocking the creature out of the air.
Pay attention to your surroundings.
At the behest of the ethereal voice, the girl looked behind her and saw one of the creatures slithering towards. With a quick side-step, she avoided the creatures' attack and swung her sword down on the beast. But she didn't stop there, unleashing two more blows in succession that caused the creature to dissipate.
Locking her eyes onto the other two, the girl charged ahead and sliced another one to mist And after dodging another attack by the last creature, the girl struck it down with another string of sword slashes.
But before the redhead could relax, the stain-glass floor underneath her began to crack and then shattered, and Kairi once more began to fall into the void. As the wind whipped past her face, a speck of light came into view that revealed itself to be another stained glass platform. As the platform grew closer and closer, she found herself slowing down and gently touched down.
This new platform was primarily green in color and showed a younger version of herself relaxing on the beach, an older, black-haired woman with brown eyes looking at her with a kind and loving smile.
'Mom.'
Across from her, a door materialized in a flash of light. Seeing no other option, the blue-eyed girl approached the door and attempted to pull it open, but to no avail. But as soon as she stepped back, the door opened, revealing a blinding light.
When the light faded, the girl found herself standing in an unknown plaza with flowerbeds touched each corner. And she was not alone as two men and one boy each stood in different parts of the plaza, all three of them wearing some kind of lab coat. The boy with steel-blue hair was looking through the flowerbed, the older faded-blond man was writing in a journal, and a white-haired man was looking up into the sky.
Hold on. The door won't open just yet.
First, tell me more about yourself.
This confused the girl for a moment. She looked around and saw the other three with her, figuring out that maybe she should talk to them. First, she went over to the boy.
"What's most important to you?" He asked. The girl thought for a moment before flashes of a silver-haired and a brown-haired boy appeared in her mind.
"Friendship."
"Is friendship such a big deal?"
She then approached the older man, how being able to see his wise amber eyes.
"What do you want out of life?"
After another few moments of contemplation, the girl spoke up.
"To broaden my horizons."
In response, the older man smiled and nodded. Lastly, the redhead approached the white-haired man looking into the sky.
"What are you afraid of?"
Now this question was one that truly gave the girl pause. She had never really stopped to think about what made her afraid. Of course, there was the obvious fear of losing those close to her, but as she contemplated her answer, she remembered all that had happened to her.
Living on in another's heart like a ghost.
Being used as a pawn for her 'pure heart'.
Somehow bringing the one she loved back from the darkness despite all logic.
There were also large pieces of her memory from before the islands were still a blur. And while her mother and friends had always made her feel at home, there was always a lingering feeling within her. That something was…missing.
"Being different." She finally answered. At this, the man turned around, allowing her to see his yellow eyes for a split-second before his form changed. His hair changed to brown, his eyes to blue, and even his skin lightened a tad. His outfit also changed into a skintight black shirt with red straps across his chest, tan hakama pants, dark brown and gold boots, a black wrist-strap on his right hand and armor covering his left arm.
"Is being different really so terrifying?" He asked, his voice now softer.
You want to broaden your horizons. You're afraid of being different. You want friendship.
Your adventure begins at midday. Keep a steady pace and you'll come through fine.
"Sounds good to me." The redhead replied.
The day you realize your fate is both far off and very near.
In another flash of light, the girl was brought to another stained glass platform. This one was red and depicted a blonde-haired girl in a white dress. Around her were the Roman numerals counting up to thirteen, chains all around the image. And once more, the blue creatures from before emerged from the station, this time in greater numbers.
But the girl showed no fear, summoning her sword as if it were second nature before she began to battle them. Her swings were clumsy, but each one of them was filled with power. And while a few of the creatures managed to scratch her, the girl kept her resolve and attacked back.
Soon enough, all the creatures had been slain, the blue-eyed girl breathing a sigh of relief. At the same time, a flight of stain glass stairs leading to another station. The girl climbed the steps reaching the station, and this one was the most confusing one for her.
It was amber-colored and showed a being in rusted armor of dark red, dark brown, and gold. A cape was attached as it kneeled on the ground, a large Keyblade in their hands. The background showed a wasteland with hundreds of old Keyblades scattered about.
Do not mistake the absence of darkness for the absence of sin.
Behind the girl, dark blue clouds began to emerge from the void, coming together and soon taking shape. The redhead turned around and saw the clouds had turned into a towering female being. Tendrils flowed from its head like unkempt hair, and its soulless red eyes stared into her very soul.
The girl attempted to run, only to reach the end of the station. There was nowhere for her to run. She was trapped there with the massive monstrosity.
But do not be afraid. And do not forget…
With no other options, the girl gritted her teeth and called upon her sword once more, seeing she had no choice but to fight this monster. First, she attacked the closest thing to her, which was the creatures' low hanging hands. As she leaped and slashed at the hand, the creature watched its foe, observing her.
The creature then raised its lumbering foot up and stomped on the station. The shockwave knocked the redhead back a bit, and when she composed herself, she saw that the monster had creature a blue pool of energy, more of the small monsters from before manifesting from it and slithering towards her. She began to slash apart the smaller creatures, but more and more of them continued to appear, making her realize that she needed re-focus her attention on the big one.
Sliding past all of the smaller enemies, the redhead leaped onto to massive monster's arm and ran up until she was right in its face and slashed at its eyes. The creature groaned before letting out a howl that knocked its smaller foe off its body and down towards the smaller monsters. After getting up and slashing a few of the small ones back, the blue-eyes girl once more leaped up and slashed at the monster's hands.
However, the creature grabbed the girl with its other hand. The girl attempted to struggle out of the monster's grip with her free hand and sword, only for it to begin squeezing her, causing her to yell out in pain. But as the monster continued to put pressure on her, the redhead's mind conjured up images of a brown-haired boy and a brown-haired man throwing her Keyblades. With no other option left, the redhead threw her sword at the monster's head, the blade spinning in the air before stabbing the beast right between its eyes.
With another unholy howl, the creature began to turn into a large dark cloud, completing consuming the struggling girl.
But do not be afraid-
As the cloud began to cover her completely, the girl began to scream only for silence to come from her mouth.
For you hold the mightiest weapon of all…
Soon enough, her eyes began to close.
So do not forget…
Finally, the girl shut her eyes.
You are the one who will unlock the past. Kairi…
Kairi…
"Kairi!"
The red-haired girl opened her blue eyes, seeing the familiar sight of her room. As she sat on the bed, she couldn't help but wonder about that dream.
'What...what was that?'
"Sweetie, breakfast is ready!" An older woman's voice exclaimed.
"Coming, Mom!" Kairi replied as she began to change from her PJs into her usual outfit. After she finished up, the red-haired girl went down and saw a black-haired, brown-eyed woman in her mid-forties attempting to set her plate of eggs & bacon at the center of her side of the table. She wore a light black top and a pair of jeans. This woman was Sandra Abernathy, three-time mayor of Destiny Islands and Kairi's adoptive mother.
"Smells good," Kairi said as she took her seat. The two women began to eat before Sandra spoke up.
"So, got any plans for today?"
"Hmph...not much. I think I'm gonna hang around the play island for a bit."
Hearing that made Sandra stop eating before she sighed. "Kairi, it's been almost a month."
"So?"
"Well, I've talked it over with the Tadashis and the Kaguyas. No one's seen them since the storm, so…"
Even though Sandra couldn't bring herself to say it, Kairi knew what her mother meant and just silently continued to eat.
"I don't want to admit it either, sweetie. But we have to face the facts that Sora and Riku are…"
"They're not dead!" Kairi suddenly shouted, surprising her mother. The red-haired teen stood and began to walk towards the door.
"Kairi, what you're doing isn't healthy! You can't just spend everyday waiting for them on that island."
With her head held down, Kairi said nothing as she walked out of her home, leaving Sandra all by herself.
"What am I going to do with her?"
Outside, Kairi continued to walk across the island, frustrated and sad. As she did, she took in the sights of the mainland. It was hard to believe that all of it had been swallowed up by the darkness not that long ago. And while Sora and his friends were able to bring the islands and several other worlds back to the realm of light, it seemed as though Kairi was the only resident to even remember any of it. To everyone else, they had just experienced a massive storm only two months ago instead of the seven that had actually passed.
Everyone who had been lost to the darkness that horrible night had returned to the island unaffected, except for her missing childhood friends. The last time she saw Riku, he had been possessed by an evil man called Ansem (which for some reason didn't sit right with her, not just for the possession but just his name alone) and Sora had closed the door to Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds. And when the worlds were returning to normal, she and Sora were reunited for a brief second.
"Kairi, remember what you said before? I'm always with you, too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"
"I know you will!"
And she meant every word of it. She knew in her heart that she would see Sora again. It was just a matter of waiting for him and Riku to return. It wasn't as if she could go search for them herself. Not only did she have no way of traveling to other worlds, but she had no ways of defending herself from any potential danger.
So for the moment, all she could do was wait.
Disney Castle…
Night had fallen on the happy little world, with many of its residents fast asleep. However, there was one young man walking the path towards the castle from the surrounding town with bags in hand. Like all of the residents of this world, he was an anthropomorphic animal. In his case, he was a dog with black fur, black eyes and a beige snout that held two prominent wisdom teeth. The fur at the top of his head was ruffled up, making it look as though he had messy hair. His outfit consisted of a plaid red jacket, white gloves, baggy dark blue jeans, and black sneakers.
But as the young dog continued on his path…
"Going somewhere, Max?" A female voice called out, making him flinch. The black-furred dog turned and saw a lady dog with a brown nose, tan fur with a red mane, green eyes, a blue top, pants and dress shoes.
"Oh…uh, hey Roxanne. I'm just taking a nightly stroll." Max quickly made up.
"With your bags?"
"…it's a very intense nightly stroll." He said, making her giggle at how silly the lie was.
"Max, you don't have to lie to me. You're leaving, aren't you?"
Having been caught dead to rights, the dog man sighed. "Roxy, it's been months since my dad, Sir Donald, and the King went missing. And yet everyone's just…moving on. They think if they wait long enough, they'll just come back. But…I've seen how worried the triplets are, how sad Queen Minnie gets from time to time, and…"
"And how much you miss your dad, right?" Roxanne said, getting a nod from Max in response. The lady dog just looked at him before enveloping him in a hug and giving him a light kiss. "Alright then. Just promise you'll all come back in one piece, okay?"
In response to this affection, Max smiled. "I promise." And the two shared what felt like what would be their last kiss in who knows how long.
After saying goodbye and sneaking past some of the guards and the broomsticks, Max made his way to the Gummi Garage, where the royal ships were stored. With a quick pick of the door lock, the black-furred dog entered the control room and began to select what Gummi Ship he would 'borrow'. Since the Highwind had already been taken by Donald and Goofy, that left him with the Falcon (a ship with incredible offensive capabilities but lacked defenses) and the Guardian (an incredibly durable but somewhat slow ship). After thinking it over for a minute, Max decided that the Guardian would work since the Heartless threat had ended, meaning no having to worry about any interspace combat.
In a matter of minutes, the mechanical hands brought the green & yellow ship onto the launch bay, allowing Max to board it. As he started up the ship and strapped himself in, Max thought about his girlfriend and everyone else close to him.
"Don't worry, guys." He said to himself as the launch countdown began. "We'll all be back soon."
And as the countdown hit zero, Max was ready to launch out through the catapult…only for the launch bay to open up under his ship, causing it to fall.
"YAAAAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOEEEYYYY!"
But after dropping out of the bottom of the world, the Guardian re-balanced itself and Max was greeted with the majesty of interspace. And after gazing at incredible swirls of blue and light green, the young dog man set in some coordinates.
"Alright, next stop: Yen Sid's Tower!" He proclaimed before blasting off, not knowing that this was only the beginning of a grand adventure.
Destiny Islands…
As the midday sun shined over the play island, Kairi was inside the secret place, drawing something on the wall. Ever since she returned to the islands, the redhead had decided to draw things she saw in other worlds as proof that her experience had happened. However, this meant she could only draw parts of Hollow Bastion and Traverse Town, those being the only worlds she had been to.
As she finished her drawing of Leon's Gunblade, Kairi took a glance at one particular wall drawing near and dear to her. At first, they were just sloppy portraits Sora and Kairi drew of each other when they were little. But there were two recent additions; arms that showed the two giving each other a paopu fruit. In Destiny Islands' tradition, sharing paopu fruit could mean many things; a promise of eternal friendship, comradery...and love. And after all that Sora had gone through to bring her back, how could Kairi not feel the same way that he clearly felt for her?
And so, Kairi walked out of the secret place and past the waterfall. However, she noticed that someone was sitting on the beach. A person wearing a completely black coat that hid all of their features. As she didn't know who this was, Kairi was just going to walk back to her rowboat. However, the cloaked figure began to talk, their voice seemingly distorted to the point where she couldn't tell if they were a man or woman.
"This world is quite beautiful. I can see how one could live out their days here. Calm. Relaxing. Peaceful." The figure said before they began to stand up. "And yet in that peace, there is no conflict. No strife. Someone could live here in peace, unaware of their true power."
'…What?' Kairi thought to herself, unable to discern the figure's cryptic words. But as the figure then turned towards her, the Vanitas Remnant seemed to phase out from them. And one look at the remnant was enough to make Kairi nervous.
"W-Who are you?" She asked with a trembling voice as the figure seemed to study her.
"I see. You have already awakened." The Unknown figure stated as the Remnant raised its right hand, dark blue energy beginning to envelop it. And with a wave of its hand, the dark blue creatures from Kairi's dream suddenly appeared around her.
"What?! They're real?!" The blue-eyed girl exclaimed before being forced to roll out of the way of an attack and onto the beach. She needed something, anything to defend herself and saw a large piece of driftwood. 'Well, it's better than nothing.'
Holding the driftwood the same way she did the dream, Kairi attempted to attack the dark blue creatures. However, each swing seemed to phase through the creatures. The creatures then struck at her, knocking her back, but she still stood her ground.
The Vanitas Remnant moved forward, only for the Unknown figure to place its hand on their shoulder. With a snap of their fingers, a dark portal appeared behind Kairi. The redhead looked back at the portal, and in that split second the cloaked figure teleported in front of her. Kairi attempted to strike them with the driftwood, only for them to catch it in their hand.
"You will never realize your full potential if you stay here." The figure said before it held its free hand out towards Kairi. "Aeroga."
With a massive burst of wind, Kairi was blasted off her feet and into the dark portal. Further and further, she was pushed into the darkness, struggling in vain to stop as it began to consume her. Soon enough, the darkness became too much for her and she began to lose consciousness.
'Mom...Riku...Sora..' She thought to herself as her eyes began to close. But as they did, a light began to emanate from her right hand. And in a burst of light petals, a Keyblade appeared in Kairi's grasp. It was round and curvaceous to the point of appearing harmless. One side of the hilt was formed in the shape of a breaking ocean wave, while the other was formed into a beige vine of sand that wrapped around the shaft, which was colored to resemble a sunset. The vines connected to a bouquet of colorful flowers, which formed the teeth of the Keyblade and entwined to outline a heart. A red silken keychain connected the hilt to a paopu fruit token.
Without even realizing it, Kairi's arm pointed down and a light shot from the tip of the blade, creating a portal of light. And as the Keyblade vanished from Kairi's hand, her unconscious form fell into the portal, bathing her in an ethereal glow. As she passed through the light, the red-haired girl remembered something. A phrase she had completely forgotten until now.
"In your hand, take this key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking...its wielder, you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."
And for the fight time in years, a resident of the realm of light called out the name of the fallen one.
"Terra."
To be continued…
Keyblade Name: Destiny's Embrace
Description: A Keyblade that makes it easier to land critical hits.
Strength: 3
Magic: 3
Author's Note: I love the Kingdom Hearts series. It was the first video game series to tug at my heartstrings and ask questions about my own existence. It's fast-paced and incredibly fun gameplay is the standard which I judge most action RPGs.
But just because you love something doesn't mean you can't see the flaws in it. And I think there's one flaw that even the most diehard KH fan can realize: Kairi's development in the series (or lack thereof) is UTTER BOLLOCKS! She started off as a plucky girl with an adorable relationship with Sora to an overly serious and held back girl who could wield a Keyblade, but not in any useful capacity. And this was brought to a shirt-tugging extreme in Kingdom Hearts III.
Don't get me wrong; I freakin' love Kingdom Hearts III. It's probably my favorite game in the series, but that doesn't mean it's flawless. And Kairi's treatment in a huge black mark on an otherwise golden game. And since the amount of Kairi-centered fanfics can be counted on one hand, I decided to try my hand at it. Speaking of those fanfics, quick shoutout to Mr. Spinner's Embrace of Destiny, which served as a huge inspiration for this story.
Now any KH fan will realize that the choices Kairi made in the Station of Awakening would make her more of a physical fighter. Well, I subscribe to the theory that since Sora's fighting style resembles Ventus and Riku's moveset in DDD is near-similar to Aqua's, logically that would make Kairi like Terra; slow but insanely strong. Hell, Nomura's original concept art supports this with Kairi smacking Heartless with a tree branch and Riku evading like a dancer.
So yes, that quote at the beginning of this chapter isn't a random a quote I found to make this story seem smarter, it's a statement. Don't go into this story expecting things to play out the same way.
And as for why Max Goof is in this story, I think you all know where this is going.
Next time: Death City I! Please remember to read, review, and favorite.
Until then, may your heart be your guiding key.