The official story disclaimer. I don't own Kingdom Hearts, just writing a story about it.
Chapter One
Reality hit me like a bucket of ice water.
I shot up, breathing in and out and looking around erratically, eyes trying to adjust from the shift. Last thing I remembered was the brightest of whites, now the only light was the moon, stars and crackling campfire not too far away from where I had been sleeping. I swallowed, hands going up to my face as my eyes started to water and my heart started to pound.
She had done it.
Jiminy looked over at me, obviously concerned from his spot near the fire and his little journal that he was scribbling away in.
She had done it.
Goofy snored loudly not too far away, Donald using him as a pillow and looking quite comfortable laying on top of his best friend.
She had done it!
I whooped, voice higher than I remembered being. Heart lighter than it had been in Zeus knew how long as I started laughing half hysterically, falling back on the soft grass my fourteen year old self had been napping on at this point and time. I wouldn't doubt her ever again. If there were rules then she was going to shatter them into a million pieces. That's just the way things were.
Donald and Goofy remained asleep, unaffected by my outburst. I stood up, stretching arms that were too short and scrawny while yawning as I tried to push away the sleepiness that accompanied just waking up from a long nap. I was also pushing away the headache that apparently accompanied slingshotting your heart five years into the past. I didn't know the exact side effects of such a trip, just that what was done and what I planned to do broke any and every rule that governed time travel. You couldn't really do that without some sort of backlash. I knew it but at the moment I was just too elated to give a damn. I was fourteen again! I was back! I could save everyone!
"Sora! Are you okay?" Jiminy had come over and I quickly swiped my arm across my face, brushing away the tears that had started to fall as I realized that things were going to change and everything was going to be okay again.
"I'm fine Jiminy, I'm fine." I assured him. My voice was so…young sounding. I missed the deeper one that I had grown accustomed to. Last time I had just slept through puberty, this time I had every intention of experiencing the whole thing. I wonder if I was going to get acne?
"I'm going for a walk." I said, waving off Jiminy's lingering concerns. I finished my stretching as I started to make my way down the dirt road that Donald, Goofy and I had been following up until this point. Judging by the way everything looked, and from my own knowledge of this place, I could get us to civilization in about a week and a half. Two weeks would get us off this world and three would get us to Destiny Islands, where we would grab Kairi, Selphie, Wakka and Tidus. Once they were picked up we'd get them all trained up for the hellstorm that was coming our way. I nodded, drifting off into a quick little fantasy of an easy victory over Xehanort that came from a few years of hard work, sweat and the right application of future knowledge. Naturally I couldn't do any of that. I knew where this was after all. We were in the Land of Departure. Castle Oblivion stood around here somewhere and inside was about half of the Organization, along with Ansem the Wise, Riku and Namine. Arguments could be made that the members of the Organization stationed there currently were traitors and leaving them be would cause them to whittle away the members stationed elsewhere, which would weaken the group of nobodies as a whole and make it much easier to annihilate the rest of them. That was true. It was also true that Ansem the Wise had plans for Riku and wouldn't let him get consumed by darkness and on top of that Riku was capable of taking care of himself.
The problem was Namine was in that castle. She was being held against her will and I couldn't just ignore the fact that the enemy had one of my closest friends in their clutches. Especially when said friend was the whole reason I could come back here in the first place. So even though it would be best to go ahead and skedaddle on off of this world I knew that I was going to charge into Castle Oblivion gung-ho, guns blazing and smash my way up to the top floor. I was going to save Namine even if I wound up a drooling, memory free zombie.
If a empty suit of armor could animate itself and fight well enough to grind my ass into the dirt using nothing but echoes of hatred for Xehanort I'm pretty sure Namine can shatter my heart and I'll have enough hate left over to do the same thing if someone leads me to the old man. Xehanort stole Terra's body and killed his master.
That sucked.
He started a war and flooded the realm of light with darkness, ripped the doors open to Kingdom Hearts and personally murdered everyone I ever cared about.
That sucked a little more.
So yeah, heart or no heart, memories or no memories, I'm going to kill that bastard good. Thirteen times over if I have to.
"Along this road lies something you need."
I froze, pushing down the old resentment and trying to channel my magic as a familiar voice washed over me. It was about time.
I turned around, eyes sweeping the empty field and looking for any sign of the man laying a trap for me. My nineteen year old self could have pinpointed him the moment he got within a certain distance of me and then I could freeze him in place with a time freeze or simple telekinesis. I knew the mechanics behind both things but for whatever reason my body refused to go ahead and start doing it. That irritated me because that means the various high level magic I knew would be worthless until I trained my body to the point where it could handle it again. Damn it this wasn't even fair! I was supposed to be instantly powerful and easily outclass everything I came across right now! I didn't really count on having to grind all over again.
Seeing nothing I turned back around, Marluxia suddenly standing in front of me, coat billowing in the soft breeze with the hood up. I glared at him, wishing I could burn him where he stood.
"But to claim that something, you must lose something precious to you." He said cryptically before vanishing into the shadows. Something tugged at my heart and in that moment I knew. Down the path would be Castle Oblivion and Namine.
"Sora!" right on time, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy were rushing towards me, weapons drawn and thinking that I had gotten myself into some sort of danger. Which I was prone to do at any age.
"Guys, you aren't going to believe this." I said, moving towards them.
We were going to storm a castle, save a lady, reunite with a friend and be done before the week was over.
Then we'd get ready to save the Realm of Light.
"But we don't even know if this is going to work!"
"Your right. We don't. But isn't it worth trying? Isn't the chance to make things better worth a little risk?"
"A little risk? You're about to kill yourself!"
"If this works it'll be worth it."
"If it doesn't work you'll be dead for nothing! Why can't I power the spell and you go back in time to fix everything?"
"Because that's not what the worlds want and you know it. If I try then you'll die and I won't survive the trip"
"I hate this."
"I know. But think about it! You'll get to see Riku again! You'll get to make sure none of this mess ever happens. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"
"Don't even quote that bastard to me."
"You'll probably get a chance to punch him when I send you back."
"Surprisingly enough that makes me feel a little better about doing this."
"Really?"
"No."
"So do you really not want me to do this?"
"We really don't have a choice. I just don't want to see you die..your all I have left you know. I can't…I can't handle being left all by myself."
"Then just have faith in me and don't worry about it. No matter what has to happen, no matter what rules I need to break, I'll get you where you need to be."
"Alright."
"Good. And Sora?"
"Yeah Namine?"
"Make sure you win next time."
"Don't worry. I will."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
NG
My world was pain.
It ripped its way through my body, it made me feel like I was being turned inside out. My mouth was open and I was trying to scream but no sound would leave my lips.
Side effects.
She wasn't kidding when she said there would be side effects.
It stopped when I hit something that was probably the ground. For a few moments I just lay there, eyes closed and panting. The pain was subsiding but my right hand still felt like it was being dipped in fire. I opened my eyes, wincing because everything around me was white, so white, and my eyes weren't ready for such a bright color. Getting myself into a sitting position I ripped off my right glove and stared at my hand, trying to suss out why it was hurting the way it was. On the back of it was an angry red symbol. It looked like some sort of star. That right there was the answer to that question.
"You aren't dead anymore. I'm glad."
I looked around even though I had a good feeling it would be fruitless. If I was where I thought I was then I'd be talking to thin air for quite a while. I grimaced. I didn't like talking to thin air then and I probably wouldn't now.
"Aren't you going to thank me Riku?"
If I actually trusted the feminine voice and knew that she had helped me from the goodness of her heart then yes, I probably would be thanking her. On bended knee. However I knew much better than that and so I had no intention of showing any sort of gratitude that she had actually kept up her end of the bargain. It was to be expected of her.
"I take it whatever this is on my hand was the price you were talking about?" I asked instead. Funny. My voice didn't sound too different at fifteen than it did at twenty.
"It's my sigil," The voice said "it's what binds my soul to yours. It's how I can take up residence in your heart. It's very comfortable in here."
"I'm glad you like your accommodations." I said sarcastically "Wanna tell me how to get out of here?"
"Surely you remember how this goes." The Voice replied.
I did. I knew exactly what was going to happen next and after a minute of sullen silence on my part it did. A blue card floated in front of me, beckoning me to take it. Last time around I thought Diz was the one who had made it for me, or maybe Namine, but a few years later I would learn that my heart was what created the card that would lead me to my eventual salvation.
Well. What would have been my salvation had I not screwed everything up later on.
"Shouldn't Diz be here giving me the choice to stay here and sleep forever?" I asked, staring at the card as it floated cheerfully in front of me.
"He's currently scouring the Realm of Darkness for you. He didn't find you sleeping here for another day at least and Sora was already a few floors up the Castle. I took the liberty of jolting you awake early so that you'd be harder to find. You don't really want him to interfere with you right now do you?"
Last time around I had needed Diz and had partnered up with him to protect Sora. I was afraid of the dark and I didn't want to be alone. Not really. This time I wasn't afraid of the dark, I wasn't about to let Sora take his yearlong nap and if I succeeded then I wouldn't have to worry about being alone. So no, I didn't need him sniffing around right this minute.
Which means I needed to take this card and start moving.
I put my glove back on and reached out, snatching the card out of the air and shutting my eyes tight as a blindingly bright light shone from it. When I opened them again I was standing in the lowest basement of Castle Oblivion, card clutched firmly in a hand that was finally starting to feel normal again.
Movement caught my eye and I raised an eyebrow when a woman stepped into my line of vision from seemingly nowhere. She had straight, flowing light purple hair that reached down to her mid back. Her eyes were ruby red and lit with dark amusement and she was wearing a long, elegant black dress that hugged curves that would make anyone who didn't know what this creature was drool. Hell I knew what she was and I had to school my features to look cold and disinterested. She must have some sort of allure magic going on or something.
This woman was named Nevaeh and she was the demon responsible for taking the memories of my twenty year old self and shoving them in the head of my fifteen year old self. For the low, low price of bonding herself to my heart and soul for the rest of eternity. Normally I'd never even give such a disgusting idea a passing thought but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, as Yen Sid beat into our heads. I didn't like this, at all, but if it means stopping Xehanort, if it means keeping Sora and Kairi safe with a home to go back to, then what did my personal preferences matter?
"Good to see you looking so well Riku," Nevaeh said "Much better than you were before."
"Before I was dead. Anything is an improvement over being dead isn't it?" I replied, stretching and trying to get used to being so little again. How did I even manage to live as long as I did while being so small?
"Do you know where to begin?" Nevaeh asked curiously.
"I've got a castle to scale." I nodded, cracking my knuckles. It seems like I'll need to kill some heartless if I wanted to get my blood pumping properly. That's the only way for me to really get used to being fifteen again. Besides, I haven't had an actual body in who even knows how long. I took a deep breath, slipping into the proper mindset, before holding out my dominant hand expectantly. In a quick flash of darkness Soul Eater appeared. I narrowed my eyes.
"Your heart isn't strong enough to call it yet Riku," Nevaeh said pityingly "It'll take time before you can call the keyblade again."
Yeah screw that.
I glared, giving my old sword every ounce of my concentration as I remembered that no I am NOT scared of the darkness inside of me anymore. It didn't own me, it wouldn't claim me. I had learned this lesson already and I was a keyblade MASTER. I refused to wait around for it to get off its metal ass and come around at the last possible moment. Did it think it was special? Did it think I don't know that there are hundreds of keys out there? I refuse to play the waiting game. I was the master of this key and I'd always been the master of this key and when I said come it. Was. Going. To. COME!
Soul Eater was engulfed by darkness for a moment before that darkness was banished away to reveal Way to Dawn. My keyblade. The symbol that represented the path I walked. The path that I wouldn't ever stray from, no matter what I had to do or what unsavory figures I had to bargain with to get another chance to make everything right again. A glance at Nevaeh told me that I had shocked her by forcing my keyblade out like that. I smirked, feeling some satisfaction. She didn't know who she was dealing with, that's for sure.
"You need a strong heart to wield a keyblade," I said to her "When I was fifteen my heart was annoyingly weak. But by twenty it was stronger than steel. You sent my memories back and those memories gave me resolve. That resolve was all I needed to make my heart strong enough to call this key back to me."
That resolve was going to save the Realm of Light and stop Xehanort and his thirteen lackeys. That resolve was going to keep the things closest to me safe and sound. I failed once before and the people I cherished suffered for it. Well no more, never again. I wasn't failing this time and I wasn't doubting myself this time. No matter what that old man threw at me I was going to throw it right back at him.
Ten fold.
"What if I told you there was a way to turn back the clock?"
"Sorry lady, but I've learned by now that when things sound too good to be true, they are."
"So you just want to sit here? You just want to stay dead?"
"Of course I don't. Of course I'd love to go back and change everything. But that's not how time travel works. Try another pitch."
"There are more ways to traverse the sea of time than the one Xehanort used."
"Then why didn't he use them?"
"Because the other ways are dangerous. Bending and breaking the rules can cost you your very existence. Can you see a man like him gambling with his own existence?"
"Well..no."
"I will take your memories and place them in the head of your other self. Then you'll wake up, in the past, ready to change things as you wish with no fear of vanishing at a certain time."
"Okay. What's the catch? There's always a catch."
"My price is a small one. If I do this then I'm going to bind myself to your heart and soul. I'll live in your heart and provide you with power, share my knowledge with you. You'll use that power and know how to stop the man you call Xehanort from opening Kingdom Hearts and letting my kind out with the darkness."
"Then after I do that you take over my body and use it like a new suit of clothes. How stupid do you think I am?"
"What you assume I'll do to you after the fact doesn't matter does it? The real question is how desperate are you to change the past?"
"…."
"Well?"
"Just do it."
"So agree to my terms and conditions?"
"Yeah. I accept. Do what you need to do."
"Good. Then let's begin. By the way, there might be a few side effects..."