Sora was supposed to be a "Hero", but it's not as simple as it's made out to be.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or it's characters. Or anything.
Did you ever stop to think what being a 'hero' is all about?
What it really means?
It's not all about a man or prodigy child swinging a sword or saving the world bare-handed. Not about bravery and high adventure.
Not everything has a fairy tail ending. It's not what it's cracked up to be.
It's not what you think.
It's not what I thought...
We would play pretend when we were young, Riku and I. Knights in shining armor, going to save Kairi, the damsel in distress.
All was innocent play. Everything always followed a simple, perfect storyline. The hero won, the villain lost.
The real truth of heroism is masked by the shine, the glamour of fame, of story time.
The tales skim over the pain, the suffering. They only show the brave, spectacular moments.
No one ever knows the truth...
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I hadn't chosen to be the keyblade master. I had this role thrust upon me, was told I had to save the many worlds. Was told I had to be the hero.
Nobody asked me.
When I met the comical characters known as Donald and Goofy. I was shocked, of course. In my world, ducks and dogs were less than hip-high, didn't talk or wear clothes.
Then they took me on their gummi ship, I began getting excited about this. To me, it was just another adventure. I was actually going to be a 'hero', like the ones Riku and I used to pretend to be.
I didn't think what could happen.
I never thought this was... for real. Soon though, I began to realize more and more, It wasn't just a game.
Not anymore.
And I found out... Riku and I weren't friends any longer. The witch Malificent had told him some things. Things that weren't true.
In Monstro's bowls, he told me it seemed as if I was only interested in showing off my keyblade. The voice he said these cutting words in was so cold... so chilling. My breath had caught in my chest and a frozen feeling gripped my stomach.
Each time I saw him, he seemed to hate me even more. We had been such good friends... Was this what being a 'hero' was really about? Having your best friends turn against you? I felt abandoned.
Especially when Donald and Goofy switched alliances. True, they had their orders... but... I felt so alone.
It turned out there were other parts to being a hero, also. I wasn't prepared for a year-long tour of the worlds when I had been ripped from my island. I hadn't 'packed', though it's not like I could have prepared for anything like this.
As gross and unhygienic as it may sound, I only had the one outfit. One pair of underclothes and no comb. Nothing else. We had to bathe, eat and rest as we could at the different worlds we were summoned to. You couldn't very well have a shower, or a refrigerator in a gummi ship, flying through space. And flying from world to world did take a few hours. Sometimes days.
We ran out of food sometimes. And got so hungry, so cranky, that we fought amongst ourselves. Would get so very weak from hunger and lack of rest. We would have to sleep and eat before we could be of any use to anyone.
And we also got wounded many times. Some very severe. Our clothes would be stained in crusty, dried blood; our skin torn. Some broken bones. But we had to keep it up, keep on going through the pain. Had to patch ourselves up as best we could and hope we didn't get ourselves killed before we could get some help.
Facing a heartless hundreds of times your size, or a horde of heartless isn't easy. It's frightening. The overwhelming feeling that these monsters could stomp you flat, or spear you, tear your body. And all you have is a simple blade with which to protect yourself and other lives.
It was frightening.
And I often thought; why me? Why? I may have played pretend, but I never asked to be the savior of worlds. If I fail, why do I have to have the slain on my soul?
I didn't want to be hurt, or die.
Why me?
I may save others, but what of myself?
Yes, I wanted to save Kairi, of course. But why did I have to save all the worlds? I didn't want them to be swallowed by darkness, but...
But why me?
Is that what being a hero is all about?
Losing my home?
Losing my best friends?
Dying?
Yes... I would do anything for them. My best friends.
I had to die.
It was hard to accept.
But I guess... yes.
That is what being a hero is all about.
Agreeing to what you were never asked to do, and dying when you wanted to live.
I'm so very grateful that Kairi's voice brought me back.
That after being a hero, I had a chance to live again.
Riku and I... would play pretend.
Cops and robbers.
Cowboys and Indians.
Superman and villain.
Look what happened, when we used to play hero.
Me: No one thinks of the heros, do they?
Riku: Nope. -shakes head-
Me: So sad...