A/N: And this is Kurai's version of the story. I know there's a similarity in the beginning, but it'll morph into different parts as the fic goes along. Enjoy~
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Shadow & Kurai. Credit for the game script goes to DJ Firewolf on gamefaqs.
Kingdom Hearts 3D, Kurai's Story
Chapter 1
Sora, Riku, Shadow, and I stared out at the sea from the beach, watching the ocean. As Shadow and I perched on our respective partner's shoulders, Sora spoke up.
"But how far could a raft take us?" he wondered aloud.
"Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else," Riku replied. Later on, as we sailed along dark waters on the raft, Sora spoke again.
"Riku, a storm's coming," he warned my partner. The brunette kneeled and looked at the water.
"I know," the silverette nodded. "The waves are getting steep. Furl the sail."
"Right," Shadow said, and was about to when something big shot out of the water, ripping the mast clean off of our raft. Sora and Shadow ducked in time, but Riku and I were knocked into the water, clinging to the raft's mast for dear life.
"Riku!" Sora cried out.
"Kurai!" Shadow shouted.
"We're fine!" we called back. Suddenly, the waters began to churn violently, and a familiar figure rose from the ocean's depths.
"What's that?" Riku wondered aloud.
"Oh, he was right. Those wretched guppies are here. Well, it's about time we settled the score," Ursula grinned evilly.
"Ursula?" Sora gasped as Shadow growled beside him. "But how—is this the test?"
"Come on! You can work it out later!" the silverette reminded him.
"All right!" my friend yelled back. Ursula suddenly noticed Riku and me standing on top of the floating mast.
"Sorry, dearies, but I won't fall for that trick!" she cackled, and slammed a tentacle onto the mast, giving us a chance to jump back onto the raft. "You dare toy with me? You insignificant fools! To the depths with you!" She then proceeded to blow large bubbles at us, but we all four swiftly dodged the rapid onslaught.
"Time for my revenge!" Ursula crowed as we dodged. She summoned lightning bolts, but we escaped unscathed. When Sora and Shadow lunged at her to attack, however, she snatched them up in her hand. "There, I have you now!"
Riku and I came to their rescue, attacking Ursula and making her release our friends with a cry of pain. Once we defeated her, she faded away eerily, and the waves became even rougher. As the raft was tossed about, the four of us were thrown into the water by the choppy waves. The storm raged above, thunder and lightning sounding and flashing above us as we sank into the depths of the ocean.
Suddenly, a keyhole appeared whilst we sank, and Sora's and Riku's Keyblades appeared into their hands, causing Shadow's and my claws to glow in response. As if they had a mind of their own, the Keyblades and our claws pointed at the keyhole and we each fired a beam of light at it, the light engulfing everything.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Master Yen Sid had summoned us to his tower, and behind him stood Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.
"As a Keyblade Master, Xehanort had a gift like few others," Yen Sid began. "But such great minds are often plagued by a single great question. What is the essence of the heart that weakens us, or empowers us? The answer, he believed, would be found in the 'Keyblade War'. What if the challenges of our past were, in fact, a map to the light and darkness that battles within us all? Xehanort had to know, so he renounced his duties as master and chose the seeker's life. Since then, in many a guise, he has clashed with protectors of the light—Keyblade and light wielders like yourselves. And mark my words—he will trouble us yet again. We must be ready. Which is why you, Sora, Shadow, Riku, and Kurai, are to be tested for the marks of true Keyblade and light masters. No doubt you fancy yourselves masters already, but it takes years of training. Only a true master can teach you the proper ways. Both of you, Sora and Riku, are self-taught Keyblade wielders—an impressive feat. However, the time has come for you to let go of preconceived notions, forget what you know about the Keyblade, and begin your training again with a clean slate."
"Huh?!" Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey all said in unison. I noticed Shadow watch Yen Sid curiously, as though wondering what he meant.
"But that's a formality, right?" the brunette asked. "Shadow and I already proved ourselves. Us and the king, and Riku and Kurai—we can take on anything. Right, Riku and Kurai?"
"I don't know," Riku answered honestly, and I lowered my head as the silverette summoned his Keyblade. "I think that in our hearts, darkness still has a hold." He dispelled his Keyblade.
"Walking that path changed us," I added. "We're not sure if we're ready to wield the Keyblade and light. Maybe we do need to be tested."
"Riku…" Sora murmured.
"Kurai…" Shadow growled softly. Our friends turned back to Yen Sid.
"Then count us in," Sora and Shadow told him firmly. "Put us through the test! Just watch—us, Riku, and Kurai will pass with flying colors!" Sora folded his hands behind his head, feeling confident. I watched with Shadow as Donald, Goofy, and Mickey exchange glances, and I felt curious as to what they were thinking.
"Very well, then," Yen Sid nodded. "Sora, Shadow, Riku, and Kurai, let your examination begin."
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Riku and I awoke in a quite familiar environment, which we looked about at with a sense of nostalgia.
"Are we in…Traverse Town?" Riku wondered curiously. He examined his jeans and felt the collar of his shirt while I noticed a large symbol emblazoned on his back. "My clothes have changed," he remarked. Suddenly, we realized Sora and Shadow weren't with us.
"Shadow!" I called.
"Sora! Where are you?" Riku shouted. Riku paced and voiced his thoughts while I jumped on his shoulder, my dark grey armor barely reflecting the dim light from the street lamps. "I remember we fell overboard after Ursula attacked…and then I think we opened a Keyhole," he murmured. "So…this must be one of the Sleeping Worlds. My Keyblade—it just sort of…popped into my hand when I needed it most."
"And my light, too," I chimed in as Riku stared at his empty hand. "Looks like it's started."
"Wow! Where's your portal?" a voice asked out of nowhere. I jumped slightly, startled by the suddenness of the voice. I hadn't detected anyone near us, so it caught me off guard. Riku gasped as I jumped, and we looked to the source. A boy with long silver hair and violet eyes sitting on an arch over the fountain in the corner of the square. "It takes something special to jump between grounds without one."
"Who are you?" Riku asked.
"My name is Joshua," the boy answered.
"What do you mean, 'Portal'?" I added.
"Are we just skipping past the part where you tell me your names?" Joshua retorted.
"Riku," Riku replied impatiently.
"Kurai," I said.
"Hello there, Riku and Kurai," Joshua chuckled. "Portals are like gateways that link up our worlds. Apparently, the world you and I are standing in right now—well, there are two copies of it. It's been sort of split in half. Portals are what let folks like us cross between them."
"There can be two of a world?" I questioned, my tone doubtful. This kid knew a lot; too much to be trusted.
"The world is as many things as people need it to be," he replied. "The concept that we all live in the same world—that's just in our heads. Surely you knew? I'll tell you what, Riku and Kurai. I've got a little errand for you."
"Sorry. We don't trust you," Riku stated coolly, and turned to leave. I shuffled my wings on my back irritably.
"Aw, at least hear me out!" Joshua pleaded with a grin. "I'm looking for a girl named Rhyme. She's the key to the Portal. And on the other side, who knows what we'll find? Maybe even your friends…Sora and Shadow."
"You know Sora and Shadow?" we asked, surprised. Joshua merely laughed.
"Now I have your attention," he smirked. Dropping down to our level, he continued. "But, unfortunately, I don't know where they are. If they're not in this version of the world, I can only assume they have to be in the other one. Simple logic."
"Okay, you wanna find Rhyme? Let's go," I nodded, and we followed Joshua into the Second District.
"Joshua, why don't they ever attack you?" Riku asked as we walked.
"'They' being Dream Eaters?" Joshua assumed. "They won't go after you unless you're a dreamer. Which is funny, because I've got plenty of dreams."
"But they're definitely attacking Riku and me…" I pointed out. "So…you think we're dreamers?"
"Everyone is a dreamer," the boy replied. "I had a friend once who said he never dreamed of anything, but it turned out his were the most powerful dreams of all. You both sort of remind me of him. Why don't we give your dreams shape? In this world, they take form as Dream Eaters, which can become great allies."
The slighter silverette helped Riku and me create a Komory Bat, which flapped its wings happily in front of us.
"I gotchu now, Joshua!" a new voice shouted angrily, and a muscular boy wearing a white tank top and a skull hat ran along the pathway in front of the hotel. Stopping in front of us, he put his foot on the railing and pointed at his chest. "Once I take you down, yo, me and Rhyme is goin' back where we belong!"
"Beat," Joshua sighed. "How many times do we have to go over this? You've tricked—by that rogue in the black coat."
"What?" I gasped.
"Black coats? But that's…" Riku trailed off as we looked at each other, realizing who was messing with this guy.
"I'm telling you you've made a friend of our enemy," Joshua continued.
"Just can it, aight?" Beat growled. "Your inverse psychiatry ain't gonna work! Let's go, Dream Eaters!" Suddenly, a panda bear-like Dream Eater appeared, but it happily made its way over to Komory Bat instead of Joshua. "What?! Man, not cool!" Joshua merely laughed as Riku and I fought alongside Komory Bat and defeated the Dream Eaters.
"You know what? Forget it," Beat sighed angrily as he sat down on the railing in defeat. "This is stale, yo."
"Playing the tough guy 24/7? I'd be worn out, too," Joshua grinned.
"I just…wanna protect the one person who matter," Beat muttered.
"We know the feeling," Riku and I nodded. Suddenly, we were overcome with a mysterious sleepiness. "Why are we suddenly…so sleepy?" Our balance faltered and I fell off Riku's shoulder as we blacked out.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Riku and I woke up in the First District, where we had been when we fell asleep.
"What happened? Did we fall asleep?" Riku asked me curiously. I merely shrugged, not entirely certain. The silverette stood as I jumped onto his shoulder again and he started to pace.
"Where are Joshua and Beat?" I wondered aloud.
"Hey, do you mind?" a girl's voice shouted indignantly, and we looked to see a pink-haired girl being chased by Dream Eaters. We took off after them back into the First District, and found the girl cornered by them at a closed door. Summoning his Keyblade, Riku and I took a defensive stance in front of the girl.
"Stay back," he ordered, and I growled. Riku and I fought off all of the Dream Eaters with help from Komory Bat, taking them out with ease. When we finished, we looked at the pink-haired girl, who was holding a black stuffed cat doll in her arms.
"Seriously, thanks. I'm Shiki, how 'bout you?" she said gratefully.
"Riku."
"Kurai."
"Thanks, Riku and Kurai," she smiled.
"Sure," I shrugged, and we started to walk away.
"Hey! That's it?" Shiki huffed. "You chat up a girl and then just say, 'Sure,' and walk off?" We paused and looked back at her.
"We're bad at this," Riku muttered.
"Speak for yourself," I snorted.
"Sorry. Look, it's not safe here. You should go home," he continued as though I hadn't interrupted.
"If it's dangerous, how can you just leave me here? Aren't you my knights in shining armor?" Shiki said with a wink while playing with her doll. I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Well?"
"Kn-knight? You've got the wrong idea," Riku stuttered, embarrassed. I chuckled at his expression.
"Omigosh, I was so just kidding. You get out much?" she giggled. Riku merely folded his arms, unable to form a response. "You remind me of this guy I know. Well, good thing we met."
"Yeah, great," I replied, a thin layer of sarcasm in my tone. We made our way to the Fifth District, where suddenly Shiki saw something.
"Over there!" she cried out, and took off running towards a staircase.
"Hey! We should stick together!" Riku called after her. Suddenly, Shiki cried out in alarm.
"Perfect," I grumbled irritably. We stopped running as we turned the corner at the staircase.
"You can't expect us too—" Riku started to say, but his words faltered as we saw a lone cloaked figure with Shiki's doll at his feet.
"Shiki! No way…" I murmured in shock. The figure stepped on the doll and kicked it away.
"How did you get here?" he demanded of us.
"Who are you?" I growled, baring my fangs. The doll hit Riku in the chest.
"By choice or by chance? You cannot control what you're not aware of," the figure replied. He then began to approach us, and we backed away slowly. "This wakeless sleep will be your prison…to wander forever." Riku and I reached the edge of the fountain and stopped.
"What do you mean?" Riku demanded.
"Riku, Kurai, don'chu listen to that punk!" Beat yelled, and I glanced over to see the boy standing near Shiki. "Shiki's gonna be fine! She told me whassup. Hoodie here set this whole thing up, yo. He promised to send Shiki back to our world, and you was the cost of travel." Glaring at the hooded man, he growled, "Yo, this is seriously one half-baked excuse for a mission. Betchu ain't even a Reaper."
The figure removed his hood, revealing his yellow eyes, which appeared to glow, and long silver hair.
"All right. Who are you?" I snarled. The man didn't respond, but instead raised his arms, summoning a large Dream Eater. The Nightmare flew into the garden as the cloaked man left through a dark corridor.
"Wait!" Riku shouted, but it was too late.
"I'm really sorry, Riku and Kurai," Shiki mumbled apologetically. Riku tossed her doll back to her.
"It's all right," I assured her. "Beat, watch her."
"I gots this, yo!" Beat replied. And with that, Riku and I ran inside with Komory Bat and fought off the Dream Eater. Once we defeated it, we went back outside and joined the others. As we joined them, we saw images of Sora, Shadow, Joshua, and two others, a boy wearing a large pair of headphones and a small girl with a hat on.
"Hey, what is this?" Shiki wondered curiously. Riku and I walked up to the images of Sora and Shadow.
"What are we…seeing?" Riku asked no one in particular. I moved my hand into the images, but felt nothing.
"This is so messed up, man!" Beat cried in anguish, kneeling down to the small girl's level. "She's right here in front of me and…I can't reach her!" He tried to grab the girl, but like with me, his hand went right through the image.
"If your hearts are connected, you'll reach her," I told him with a faint smile.
"Rhyme…" Beat growled.
"Neku…" Shiki whispered.
"Sora…" Riku said softly.
"Shadow…" I muttered. With a flash, Joshua stood with Sora, Shadow, Riku, and me, Sora and Shadow in their half of Traverse Town while Riku and I stood in our half.
"In their world, something happened that brought their existence to an end," Joshua began. "To keep them from fading altogether, I gathered up the very last remnant of their dreams and looked for a place to give them refuge. It was then this world appeared to answer my call, and Rhyme's dreams allowed us to reach it. Here, I thought they might have a chance—that the pieces of their dreams could make them whole again. Imagine my surprise when I realized dreams take bodily form in this world. It struck me—by linking their dream pieces back together, maybe I could make them exist again. Maybe I could give them another chance."
"It can't be that simple," Riku said.
"Well, why can't it?" Joshua replied smoothly. "By ourselves, we're no one. It's when other people look at us and see someone—that's the moment we each start to exist. All they needed was for someone to see them, connect with them. And the four of you were a big part of making it happen."
"Joshua, just…who are you?" the four of us questioned at once.
"Let's say…a friend," the slighter boy smiled, and suddenly, angel wings sprouted from his back, making Shadow and me jump, startled. Joshua took off into the air, leaving us behind, and a Keyhole appeared in the air before us. Nodding to each other, we all sealed the Keyhole together.
A/N: Finally finished it! R&R, peeps!