Author's Notes:
First off, thanks for taking the time to read my story! It's my first, so constructive criticism would be welcomed.
This came about as an idea I had when bored in class. I started writing out the cutscene "Another Side, Another Story" and then I had the idea to write out the entire Kingdom Hearts series, so here we are.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Kingdom Hearts; it belongs to Square Enix and Disney.
And without any further ado, let's begin.
Part I: The Fall ~Birth by Sleep~
Prologue: Dive into the Heart
Destati! Tendi la mano
E' giunta l'ora, destati
Le porte verrano schiuse...
Awaken! Extend your hand
The time is now, wake up!
The doors will open…
-Destati
(The Badlands)
When Ventus chose to take up the Keyblade, this was not what he had signed up for. Master Xehanort had painted a picture of visiting exotic, awe-inspiring locales, fighting evil like the heroes in the bedtime stories he vaguely remembered. Instead, he was way out of his league, trying to fend off both the forbidding heat of the desert and a group of weird, shadowy creatures while his master looked on.
Tears stung the back of his eyes; this wasn't fair. He was only 10, he shouldn't have to fight for his life already!
"Please don't do this, Master. I'm not strong enough!"
Xehanort looked down from his perch on a nearby ledge with cold golden eyes. "No. It is because you are trying to hold it in. Let the dark impulses waken in the pit of your heart. Release them, here and now. Sharpen your fear into rage!"
A few more creatures appeared, and slowly the circle started closing in on the terrified boy.
"You must! If you don't let the storm within you run its course, it will wipe you from the face of the world, make no mistake! Do it. Embrace the darkness." He raised his arms to the sky as he shouted "Produce for your master the χ-blade!"
Ven shook his head mutely, trying to hold back the tears. Xehanort's fists closed.
The shadows attacked.
(Destiny Islands)
The salaryman was no stranger to sleepless nights. His work was his passion, and sometimes little things like sleep were forgotten in the rush of work. Tonight, however, he was lying awake in a hospital instead of at his desk, and his stomach was knotted in a way that would not be conducive to any kind of work.
But all things pass, and finally he was invited into the delivery room to hold his son for the first time.
He asked his wife "So what's his name?"
She closed her eyes, remembering stories she'd heard as a child, legends that resonated with her even as an adult. Many worlds, but they all share the same sky…
"Sora. His name is Sora."
(The Badlands)
Xehanort didn't have time for this. Ventus was weak, that much had been obvious from the start, but there was another way to achieve his goals. His plans always had multiple routes.
He walked over to Ven's comatose body, having already banished the Neoshadows. "Really? You would rather die than use the power? Feckless neophyte." But what was I expecting? "If I must, I will extract the darkness from within you myself." So saying, he summoned his Keyblade and fired a beam at Ven's chest, unlocking his heart and releasing the darkness within. The boy bucked wildly, his eyes shooting open, as the darkness removed itself from his body and coalesced into a masked boy. Xehanort could feel the darkness radiating off of him. Good, good.
"Empty creature from Ventus riven, to you, the name Vanitas shall be given."
"Yes, master." Now this was a model apprentice - powerful, obedient, willing to tap into the darkness… But what was he going to do with Ventus? The boy's light was quickly fading; he would soon be an empty shell. It was time to find him a place to rest, he at least deserved that much.
And what better place than his own boyhood home?
(Destiny Islands)
Ven's body, shrouded in white, made a strange figure, draped over the bent paopu tree.
"An empty world, like a prison. I imagine you'll be right at home." He turned, looked out at the same ocean that had once trapped him, made to walk away.
Hey, where am I? Who's there?
Ventus dived. This ocean was different, though. He could breathe, he was moving on his own, the pressure wasn't crushing him, and a light was moving ever closer…
He flipped, landed on his feet on a wide, broken-looking platform of light.
I'm a brand new heart. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, all at once.
"But this is—" My heart...
The light brought me here. I could see it shining in the distance, and it brought me here.
"Yeah, that was my light," said Ven, bringing his hand to his bare chest—when had he lost his shirt…? "And now…the little I have left is slipping away."
Then you should join your heart with mine!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the ocean turned warm, and the light expanded into a perfect circle of light.
Now our hearts have touched. Nothing else will slip away. And one day, you'll be strong enough to win back the part that already did.
"Right. Thanks."
It's time to wake up now. All we need to do is…
"Open the door…"
The light exploded. Doves flew everywhere, and the platform was revealed to have a giant stained-glass portrait of…Ventus himself?
*X*
Ven's hand rose and his Keyblade appeared, shining with newfound light. Looks like the boy wasn't quite as dead as he seemed.
Under the hood, Xehanort smiled. Perfect.