nightelf37: Finally! Here comes Kingdom Hearts Remake: Chain of Memories: Retcon Version. As usual, here's the disclaimer. Remember, the OCs belong to me. The plot is derived from the original game. Whatever doesn't happen there, or the manga, or the movie where the current world is based on (if there even is), I 'own' it. Yes, I'm also implementing the Chain of Memories manga in this story as well.
Oh, and here's 'my' Power Orb Inventory, although it will soon be irrelevant given the…setting.
(spells) Fire, Thunder, Blizzard, Cure, Esuna, Regen, Aero, Gravity, Poison, Silence, Stop, Charm, Confuse, Protect, Shell, Dispel, Fira, Thundara, Blizzara, Cura, Blind, Immobilize, Sleep, Haste, Slow, Float, Mini, Petrify, Gravira, Aerora, Stopra, Firaga, Thundaga, Blizzaga, Curaga, Graviga, Aeroga, Stopga
(skills) Shield Boomer, Sky Dropper, Boomer Blast, Yoyo Shot, Aura Wave, Combo Shots, Taiyou, Solar Saber
(summons) Requiem
The other Summons are gone because after the worlds have been saved, they were returned to their worlds. Sora no longer has the Summon Gems for Simba, Dumbo, Bambi, Tinker Bell, and Mushu either. As for Genie, I'll find a way to explain Sora's no longer having his old Keychains…right now. Now let's begin…
Kingdom Hearts Remake: Chain of Memories: RetCon Version
Instead of starting at Chapter 17, because that's where we stopped at Kingdom Hearts Remake 1: RetCon Vesion, I'm gonna proceed with 18; the previous chapter 17 and 18 were too short for my tastes. If you haven't read Kingdom Hearts Remake 1: RetCon Version, do so first. I'm not gonna give call-backs just so this can be read without reading that.
Chapter 18: Castle Oblivion
I. Short "Recap"
All hearts are one
One heart is all
In other words, the Kingdom's Heart
"Kingdom Hearts"
That is the great heart
And hidden within is great darkness.
Many worlds existed, separately.
Each of these worlds were locked, so that they could not mix with each other.
The children wished to go to a world different from their own, after they encountered those not from their world.
One day, the darkness appeared. And the world covered in darkness disappeared.
And then, one boy was selected as a single hope. Three others, a girl and two other boys, were also selected to bolster that hope.
The boy went around the worlds, fighting the darkness with his companions, locking the worlds as he went.
In another place, his separated friend and one of the three selected to bolster the single hope was almost swallowed by the darkness, but they were able to fight it off.
However, they lost their bodies, and their hearts went beyond the door. Their hearts wandered in the area between light and dark.
Thanks to them winning against the darkness, the boy was able to lock the final door.
His journey over, the boy was separated from his friend, and arrived at an unknown place, far from his home.
The clue to finding his friend who had gone past the door had been found quickly, and had disappeared quickly.
But he had his companions.
And he had hope.
(This was taken from the manga, with details pertaining to 'me' and the others added.)
II. Another Adventure Awaits
It was late night. Somehow, we lost Pluto along the way. I wondered why he disappeared on us. He didn't even give us the letter he had in his mouth. We slept around a campfire near the road. Me. Florina. Yoris. Gregorio. Sora. Donald. Goofy.
Nearly everybody else was asleep, the only ones awake being Sora and me. The Key Bearer was looking at the thalassa shell charm Kairi had made and given to him. I on the other hand was fighting off the discomfort that came with sleeping on the grass, using my haversack as my pillow. I really wished for a sleeping bag.
"Can't sleep, Sora?" a voice came. I recognized it to be Jiminy Cricket, who was tasked in recording our entire journey. I also had a special diary that automatically did the same thing. "If you don't rest, you'll get sick."
"I could say the same thing for you," I heard Sora reply.
"I'm fine. I was just compiling the records of our travels. You know, the journal."
"Wow, you sure wrote a lot!"
"When we get back to the castle, I'll have to tell Queen Minnie everything that has happened. That's my job as a chronicler."
There was a moment of silence as I decided to just resort to resting my eyes. I heard Sora speak again. "Back on the island, the three of us were making a raft. We were going to leave the island, and see other worlds… Me. And Rioku. And Kairi. I never imagined it being like this. Fighting the Heartless with the Keyblade, being separated from my friends… Being thrown to another world… We traveled to many worlds, and made a lot of new friends. Donald and Goofy. And Jiminy. Ilsa. I guess Rael counts too."
I snorted a bit at this, seeing he had a point. I also didn't hear him mention Florina and the others, but they weren't quite 'new friends'.
"I wonder how it would've been if those two were with us too. I wonder what they're doing now…will I be able to get back… to my world?"
"Of course!" Jiminy answered. "What's that face for? You made a promise with your girl, right?"
"She's not—…!"
"Don't be embarrassed!"
There was some more silence. I assumed Sora was thinking about Kairi and his promise to her.
Jiminy continued, "Donald and Goofy think the same. They'll find the King, and go back to their own world someday. Sora, you will go back to your world, too. And so will everyone else. …well, why don't we turn in for tonight."
A few seconds later, I heard the rustling of grass. Looks like Sora lay down too. "Someday…" I heard him say. "We're gonna go home with Riku, too. Kairi…"
KHKHKHKHKH
"There's the Catalyst. You know what to do."
"Right. The protection of his mind is paramount."
"Good. But do it quietly."
"What about his friends?"
"We're told not to disturb Sora or King Mickey's men, but the others are fair game. but first the Catalyst."
"All right. …Good thing he's not a light sleeper."
"Just hurry up. I sense something coming. Those rogues."
"Okay. Almost got it."
"Put in the Delta Device too. He'll need it to arrest those fugitives."
"On it. …Done. I'll get to the others."
"No time. One of them's about to wake up!"
KHKHKHKHKH
I awoke with a start, having a feeling of something covering my head like a motorcycle helmet, but the feeling vanished just as quickly. A couple of thoughts also came to my head.
My haversack contains not only some gadgets Gregorio pilfered from the Destiny, but also the rest of Sora's keychains. Gregorio used one of the gadgets to copy Jiminy's Journal "just in case anything happens" and has storied it in my bag.
Shaking off any remaining sleepiness, I looked around, saw the rest of my friends asleep, but then I saw Sora walking down a path. I got up and followed him, putting on the haversack. The two of us reached a crossroad of four paths and stared into the sky. All of a sudden, I heard a man's voice as the source and another appeared between Sora and me.
"Along the road ahead lies something you need."
The first figure was an individual in a black long-sleeved, hooded trenchcoat with a long, large silver zipper and two drawstrings hanging from the collar. Just like one of the unknown figures we fought back at Hollow Bastion.
The other one was someone in a pink skintight spandex suit with black accents. Their helmet was also pink, and the visor was shaped like a butterfly. They wore a cape that was similarly colored, they had a gold belt, and their leggings were white, which ended where the boots began, which were naturally pink as well. At the front of the suit was a Roman numeral 11, an "XI". I would've presumed that they were a girl, but something in their figure disturbingly told me otherwise.
Sora immediately turned around, only for them to suddenly disappear, and for him to see me. If he ever wondered why I was awake as well, he didn't indicated it as he pointed past me. I turned around and we saw the two figures there.
"However—in order to claim it you must lose something that is dear to you," came another voice, presumably from the other person. The two then turned around and vanished before our eyes.
"Wait, what?! Come back!" Sora said, looking around frantically.
"Behind you." We turned around and saw the pink-clad person standing right behind us. Before he disappeared, amidst my surprise, I was able to confirm that the spandex-wearing figure was a man, and it disturbed me greatly.
There was nothing we could do after that, and so we decided to return to sleep.
KHKHKHKHKH
I woke up blearily, the last thing I remember being a vision of a girl in a white room drawing on a sketchpad. I looked around to see I was the first to wake. I found that as weird somehow.
"Beans, beans, the magical fruit," I heard Gregorio mumble, still asleep. "The more you eat 'em the more you poot." I then heard and smelled the fart.
"Ugh. I'm pretty sure I didn't pack any beans in my haversack," I said to myself. In fact, I don't think we packed much food. Only those paopus, and they have yet to go bad. Strange…
After everybody packed up, and had a breakfast of paopus (we made sure not to share, wary of the legend and not wanting to end up doing something we would regret), we continued on our journey, eventually realizing that the meadow was getting thinner and thinner and the road was starting to get narrower.
"Hey, the roads getting narrower," noted Yoris.
"As we keep going? Yeah, I've noticed," said Sora.
Later, we came across a large castle situated on a strip of land in front of a cloudy background. It had a menacing look to it, with it's dark yellow/gold and blue outside and it's monstrous statues at the top of its towers.
"What a huge castle!" said Donald.
"A-hyuck, we really might find something in here!" agreed Goofy.
"Something I need, huh… Will I find it here?" wondered Sora.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Florina said as we slowly approached the entrance. Goofy found the knocker on the door, and used it. The door opened, and Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked inside. The rest of us followed reluctantly.
III. Awakening
Erstwhile…
Two figures floated in the empty void. Riku and Windelle.
"Where am I…" Riku wondered as he woke up. Windelle followed suit. They remembered being at the realm of darkness. But where were they now?
"Stay asleep," a voice came.
"Who's there?!" Windelle demanded.
"You should remain asleep. Here, between light and dark."
"Between…what?" He then realized something and gasped, "The king! Where's the king?! And Django! And Ilsa! Together we closed the door to darkness. After that—"
"You came drifting here by yourself," the voice answered. "You did not have the strength to overcome the darkness. Or…maybe you were close to it."
"Hmph. As if we're some kind of demon," scoffed Riku.
"As for the last one, it's the case with the former." A figure then appeared, floating in the void and asleep just like they were.
Windelle recognized the figure; the red fur, the huge build… "Ilsa!"
"Hmm. Turn from the light. Shut your eyes. Here blanketed by the darkness, sleep is safety. Sleep is eternal. But…"
A light shone and a card appeared near Riku, who averted his eyes from the light. "What's this?" he asked.
"It is a door to the truth." The card began to circle him and Windelle. "Take it and your sleep ends, as you take the first step toward the truth. But know this: the truth will bring you pain. Will you still go?" The card then stopped in front of the two. "There is no return to the security of sleep. Also, before you decide hastily, let me tell you that your friend here will also be a part of this burden. Will your choice also be her choice? Your choice must be unanimous."
Riku and Windelle thought about this for a few second, then together they took the card. It depicted Hollow Bastion. The glow from the card then vanished as the two pulled it closer.
"This seemed like a boring place to take a nap anyway," said Riku.
"That was very well said, Riku," the voice replied.
The card then begin to glow again, engulfing itself and its holders. When the glow faded, Riku and Windelle found themselves in the interior of a building. The room they were in was completely white, and had a rose motif. Windelle then let go of the card, allowing Riku to scrutinize it. "A door to the truth, huh…"
"Ugh, my head," they heard Ilsa moan behind them. Riku and Windelle turned around to see her rubbing her head, then reacting. "Where the heck are we?"
"Beats me," Windelle replied. "Looks like a castle though." He then looked past the Ixi, and saw no door behind them. "This must be a basement of sorts. That means…" He turned back to see Riku already walking up to a door ahead of them.
"The only place to go is up," Ilsa finished as the two of them followed Riku.
IV. Welcome to Castle Oblivion
"Hey, ya think it's OK to barge in?" said Goofy once we were inside the castle's first room. Completely white, rose motif, very plain, yet had a touch of mysticism.
"Good point. I was expecting guards to come over and escort us out or worse, send us to the dungeon," Gregorio said.
"But we gotta do it, if we're gonna find the king…" Donald retorted to Goofy.
"The king?!" Goofy looked around the room. "King Mickey's here?"
"Something just told me he'd be here, OK?"
"Really? 'Cause now that ya mention it, I was kinda thinkin' the same thing."
"Seriously? Me too!" said Sora. "One look at this castle, and I just knew: Our very best friends—they're here."
"A-hyuck! Guess great minds think alike."
"You're right," Yoris agreed. "I felt the same thing."
"Me too." Gregorio.
"So did I." Florina.
"I must be on a different page." Me. "'Cause I had no such notions."
Everybody turned in shock towards me, making me a bit nervous. Before they could say anything, Jiminy Cricket jumped out of Sora's hood. "Wait, hey, hold on! It can't be just a coincidence!"
"Oh, no, Jiminy," said Donald. "Ya don't mean that—"
"Yep, I had it too, mm-hmm! I had the exact same feeling."
"Gawrsh, maybe it's contagious," Goofy worried. "And maybe Rael is somehow immune."
"I don't know," I replied as I folded my arms. "I'm as normal a kid as Sora is."
"No, no. Something's screwy," Donald argued. "We gotta go take a look."
"All right." Sora started to walk toward the door at the end of the hall.
Donald jumped in surprise. "Wak! Where are you going?!"
"That way. To the door." The Key Bearer pointed ahead, then chuckled as he said, "Are ya scared?"
"Aw, don't be ridiculous! Come on, let's go, Goofy!" The court wizard walked after him.
"Hey, fellahs, shouldn't we shut the door behind us before we go?" asked the shield-user.
"Yeah, we should," agreed Gregorio as he turned, then reacted in surprise. "Guys!"
We all turned to see two familiar figures Sora and I encountered a night ago, right as the doors began to close.
Once they slammed shut (trapping us inside), Sora demanded, "That's it! Who are you?" We all then summoned our weapons, ready for battle. The duo began to walk towards us.
"Wak! Heartless! Oh yeah? I'll try some magic!" Donald then waved his wand and yelled, "THUNDER!" Much to our surprise, no magic came out, and we all waited awkwardly for something to happen. "Come on. THUNDER! THUNDER!" Nothing happened, except for Goofy scratching his head. "Come on… Blizzard? FIRE!" Donald continued to wave his wand, yet still nothing happened. Eventually, there were only two meters between us and the duo. "Why isn't it working?"
"I should think it's obvious," said the hooded figure. "The moment you set foot in this castle, you forgot every spell and every ability you ever knew." Everybody stood down… except strangely for me as one of my Power Orbs glowed and I hurled my shield. The Shield Boomer was a success, or it would've been had they not dodged it.
As soon as the shield returned to my hand, the pink-clad figure said, "Well, well, well. There seem to be those who are immune to the castle's effects. Or maybe it's because the power doesn't come from your mind and it's very simple to tap into." The voice further confirmed to me without a doubt that behind the uniform is a man.
"In this place, to find is to lose, and to lose is to find," the hooded man then said. "That is the way in Castle Oblivion."
"Castle Oblivion?" parroted Sora.
We then heard something else. " F…"
"Goofy?" Florina asked.
He seemed to be saying some letters. "… V…"
This was disturbing me and everyone else, including the duo I suspected.
"A-hyuck! I still remember the alphabet!" I smacked myself in the face with a palm.
The pink-clad figure cleared his throat, getting our attention once more. "In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find," the hooded man repeated.
"He repeated himself," noted Yoris.
"I guess he likes that phrase," said Florina.
"I just thought you weren't listening," said the hooded man, "That is the way of Castle Oblivion." The mystery men disappeared in an aura of darkness, and then we heard them reappear behind us as we turned around. Their 'teleportation' was quite audible. "In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find."
Again? I thought to myself.
Here, you will meet people that you have known in the past," the spandex-wearing figure said. "And you will meet people you miss."
"I miss?" Sora then seemed to get what they were getting to. "Riku! You mean Riku's here?!"
"How can you be so sure, Sora?" I asked.
"If what you want…is to find him…" The hooded man held out his hand and he unleashed a blast of wind and flower petals at us, which we tried to block against. I wasn't sure if this was a trick of the light, but I saw them approach Sora and me…and then phased right through us.
I was left severely disoriented as I felt memory after memory flash in my mind. Memories of my adventure starting from my awaking at Destiny Islands all the way to closing the Door to Darkness. I also saw other memories I wasn't sure were actually memories.
Sora was quicker to recover however, and had turned around to attack the duo with a jump slash. However, they disappeared in a blink, leaving flower petals behind "Huh?"
The two reappeared at stop of the staircase and behind the door at the end of the hall. We all ran over to the bottom of the steps.
"What'd you do to them?!" demanded Florina.
"I merely sampled your memories," answered the pink figure. "And from them, we made this." He produced a card in his hand. "To reunite with those you hold dear—" He tossed it to Sora, who caught it easily.
"That's a good way to poke an eye out," snarked Gregorio.
"What's this, a card?" I turned to look at the card and recognized Traverse Town.
"It is a promise for the reunion you seek," said the hooded man. "Hold the card to open the door. And beyond it, a new world." The two of them stepped aside to present the door ahead. "Proceed, Sora. To lose and claim anew, or… to claim anew only to lose…"
And then they disappeared once more, making us all gasp. We all then looked at the card on Sora's hand, including Jiminy.
After a few seconds, Sora decided. "C'mon—let's go."
"No use staying here," agreed Florina as we walked up to the door. Before he could hold up the card to open it…
"Sora, wait!" It was Jiminy. "Something's fishy about what he said! If you really keep going… They said the moment we set foot in this castle, we'd begin to forget! What do they mean by 'began'? Also, 'to find is to lose and to lose is to find'. So does that mean, that the farther we go, the more we'll forget! Can somebody tell me?!"
"Y'know, you are way too stressed out for a little guy," said Donald.
"He does have a point, you know," Florina told them. "But we're here now. We're already affected by this castle. If we turn back now, we may never get back what we lost. We have to see this through to the end."
Sora nodded at the only girl in the group, then held up the card. A bright light then emerged from the cracks in the door as it opened. Sora walked through, and we all followed him.
KHKHKHKHKH
[Jiminy's Journal/The Diary]
Sora
A bright and spirited boy chosen by the Keyblade to battle the Heartless.
It was Sora who defeated Ansem, ending his plan to shroud the world in darkness.
However, Sora continued his journey, seeking the friends he lost during the struggle.
Donald Duck
Court Wizard at Disney Castle who set out with Goofy after the king's disappearance with orders to find the Keyblade Master.
His short temper sometimes gets him into trouble, but he is very brave and caring of his loved ones. He would put his life on the line if it meant helping a friend.
Goofy
Captain of the Disney Castle Royal Knights. He set out with Donald after the king's disappearance.
He is cheerful and calm, and no one is more loyal to the king.
Goofy and Sora are especially good friends.
Rael
A boy who mysteriously ended up in Destiny Islands. As one of the Gunners of Light, he possesses the DirLuxGun.
He knows not why he is here, and is accompanying Sora to find a way home.
Florina
One of Sora's friends in the islands. As one of the Gunners of Light, she possesses the RefLuxGun.
She had been captured by Ansem's servant Stickee for him to acquire a Gun of Darkness, but thanks to Sora and his friends, she has been rescued and now fights by our side.
Gregorio
One of Sora's friends in the islands. He got involved in Sora's adventure when he and the other kids of Destiny Islands were rescued by Chosen One.
He has a snarky attitude and is quite a skilled battler.
Yoris
One of Sora's friends in the islands. He got involved in Sora's adventure when he and the other kids of Destiny Islands were rescued by Chosen One.
He seems to have his ways of finding out things that are kept secret.
Jiminy Cricket
That's right, me again. I'm keeping a journal of everyone's adventures.
I also act as Pinocchio's conscience, so he'll know right from wrong.
Riku
Sora's childhood friend.
Baited by the darkness and used by Maleficent, Xin, and Ansem, Riku once fought against Sora.
In order to seal the door to darkness, Riku stayed with the king on the other side. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Sora journeys in the hopes of finding Riku.
Windelle
One of Sora's friends in the islands. As one of the Gunners of Light, he possesses the GunDeLuna.
His body once possessed by Ansem's servant Stickee, Windelle once fought against Sora's group.
In order to seal the door to darkness, Windelle on the other side. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Sora's friends journey in the hopes of finding him.
Kairi
Sora's childhood friend.
Sora's journey began as a search for Kairi, who disappeared when their island home was swallowed by darkness.
Kairi was held captive by the Heartless, but thanks to Sora she and the islands were saved.
She waits there for Sora and Riku's return.
Pluto
The king's faithful dog.
The strength of their bond goes beyond master and pet.
He had left Disney Castle with Donald and Goofy, but is now on his own.
His keen sense of smell might lead us to secrets yet uncovered.
[D-Report]
Riku
A boy who was born and raised on a small group of islands.
Riku dreamt of seeing other worlds, and so he forsook the islands—only to be seduced by the power of darkness.
Enslaved by Ansem, pursuer of darkness, Riku clashed with his childhood friend Sora. But in the end, he was able to regain himself, and together with Sora closed the door to darkness. Still, the dark wounds in Riku's heart have yet to mend.
Windelle
A boy who found himself on Destiny Islands, with no little memory of where he came from, only that he (as well as his friends Florina, Yoris, and Gregorio) came for a purpose.
He was whisked with Riku, and his body ended up getting possessed by Ansem's servant Stickee, and he clashed against his friends and Sora. But in the end, he regained himself and was able to close
Windelle once fought against Sora's group.
In order to seal the door to darkness, Windelle on the other side. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Sora's friends journey in the hopes of finding him.
Ilsa
An operative of a secret organization called the Neopets Agency in the far-off world of Neopia.
After Donald and Goofy temporarily left, Sora and company encountered her in Hollow Bastion.
According to her, she knows Florina, Gregorio, Yoris, and Windelle on a personal level. What this could mean we won't be able to find out until we see her again; she was at the other side of the door to darkness when it was closed.
King Mickey Mouse
The king who reigns over Disney Castle.
He set off to protect his world and all worlds from the dominion of the dark.
When Riku and Windelle fell into the realm of darkness, the king and Django showed them the way, but they were separated when the door to darkness was closed.
Django, the Solar Boy
A mysterious figure who is a Gunner of Light, and possesses the GunDelSol.
At some point, he met with King Mickey and together they fought to all worlds from the dominion of the dark.
When Riku and Windelle fell into the realm of darkness, he and the king showed them the way, but they were separated when the door to darkness was closed.
Sora
Riku's childhood friend, and the hero of light chosen by the Keyblade to stand against the darkness.
Riku fought Sora while bridled by darkness, but their friendship proved stronger, and they ultimately worked together to close the door to darkness.
Kairi
Riku and Sora's friend growing up.
Kairi vanished when their home islands were devoured by darkness. Riku and Sora both journeyed to find her.
Kairi was held captive by the Heartless, but thanks to Sora, she and the islands were saved.
She waits there for Sora and Riku's return.
Ansem
Pursuer of darkness.
To open the door to darkness, Ansem used the Heartless to steal countless hearts.
He enslaved Riku, but met his demise at Sora's hand.
Nonetheless, Ansem's shadow lives on in the depths of Riku's heart.
Stickee
Ansem's servant.
He possessed Windelle and used his heart and Florina's to create a Gun of Darkness to further his master's plans.
In the end however, he met his demise at the hands of Sora's friends.
Nevertheless, as a contingency plan, part of him remains inside Windelle.
nightelf37: If you were to also read Shisno Chronicles: Friendship is Still Magic, you'd know who exactly is the Catalyst, though those who read the previous version f this fic will likely know what has happened. As for the entries, sorry I screwed some things up. I wonder if I should do journal entries here or eschew them for this story. Comment?
See ya on Third!