Author's note:
Usual disclaimers apply. I don't own anything Kingdom Hearts or Disney related. Nor have I written this in an attempt to affect Square-Enix's or Disney's business.
Personal note:
I don't care if I used "Fal" in my other story. Don't like it don't read it. This story is written to take place after Kingdom Hearts II. I have yet to play 358/2 Days or Birth by Sleep. The first ideas of this fic came to me back when I played Kingdom Hearts I years ago but didn't get around to writing this out till now. So to not spoil the main point of this story I'll simply state that I predicted something similar to this was going to happen at the end of Kingdom Hearts I but I was proven wrong... atleast for now.
Another thing, my grammar sucks for the most part. I try for the most part to make it all correct and whatnot but I can't fix everything so please don't strictly post comments on my grammar. Without further ado… enjoy and comment!
Ballad on the Sea
Sora sat on the warm sandy beach looking out towards the water absorbing the sun's comfort. A few clouds wandered aimlessly about the sky, reflecting on the incoming waves' surface. He turned his head slowly as he heard sand moving behind him.
"Are you going to help set up at all?" A scolding voice stabbed at Sora causing him to jump up, finding Kairi frowning behind him. "Donald and Goofy have gone out of their way to come here later today and the shack looks horrible."
"I'm sure they wont mind." Sora slightly laughed.
"You're helping." Kairi commanded.
"But…" Sora started
"I said your helping!" Sora winced at her voice and unintentionally looked into her eyes. Recently he's been analyzing Kairi's eyes each time he looks at her; noticing how her eyes seem clouded compared to most people, as if covering something. He never realized it until a few weeks ago, thinking back her eyes have always seemed that way.
"Well?" Kairi brought Sora back to reality.
"Oh what, guess it won't hurt." Sora replied, causing Kairi to crack a satisfied smile and strolled back to the shack with Sora following.
"Eh finally showed up?" Riku mocked carrying a box as Kairi and Sora entered. Kairi placed both hands on the knot of a closes garbage back, lifting as hard as she could she dropped it into Sora's arms.
"Take that out to the other side of the island, follow Riku and you'll see a pile of stuff to add this with." Kairi exhaled walking up the stairs. Sora hurried out the door.
"So why do we have to clean all this out again?" Sora asked.
"To make it look nice." Riku answered.
"Goofy and Donald won't care if it's a little cluttered." Sora complained. Riku chuckled.
"There's only three other things here." Sora said placing down the bag.
"Well it's done now anyway." Riku placed the box and turned around to walk back with Sora. Turning the corner on the beach before the shack a bright light radiated from off the coast.
"Sora, Riku," Kairi shouted from behind them, jumping down the slight drop. "Think that's Donald and Goofy? They said they'd be here around this time."
"There was like nothing there Kairi. Don't think we really needed to clean." Sora said.
"That's too bad then." Kairi pleasantly smiled back.
"That's not Donald and Goofy." Riku snarled. As a boy seemingly a little older then Kairi, Sora, and Riku emerged from the light; the light dispersing shortly after. The boy quickly approached, walking along the water's surface while the three walked out to the edge of the water to confront the boy.
The boy stopped when they were only a few feet apart. His wore a black tunic with red and gold designs throughout. His hair was the same color as the water beneath him. Out of habit Sora looked into the boy's eyes, and noticed they were the exact as Kairi's yet clear and unclouded; so similar that a sense of disbelief came to Sora.
"And you are?" Riku asked.
"So you the ones the Keyblades choose? Disappointing," A triumphed smile grew on the boy's face. Sora and Riku became cautious, paying heavy attention to the boy. "Oh no need to worry, my name's Fal and you can keep your pathetic toys for all I care. I'm just after her." The boy pointed at Kairi who took a frightened step back.
"Tough luck." Sora responded. Both he and Riku conjured their keyblades
"What do you want her for?" Riku demanded.
"Why so negative? Don't have much of a choice in the matter." Fal smiled grimly.
"I say we do." Riku dashed towards Fal, slashing downward. Fal raised his left hand across the front of his body as streams of water followed. The water took a form in Fal's hand, holding back Riku's keyblade.
"A keyblade? Made of water?" Riku struggled to push through but Fal effortlessly held Riku back.
"What right do you have to impose your will onto her?" Fal mocked. Riku's face grew surprised but he didn't reply. Instead he vanished into a dark green cloud; reappearing in full dash behind Fal already swinging. Yet just as easily as before Fal hand swiftly moved behind him, the stream of water following and reforming, confidently blocking Riku's attack. Vanishing again Riku appeared above Fal.
"Firaga." Riku spoke allowed with his heart, pushing a blue flame towards Fal, expanding moments before contact and engulfing Fal from sight. A victorious smile grew on Riku's face as he landed beside Sora and Kairi.
"What a joke." Riku smugged.
"Truly." Fal emerged from the smoke expressionless.
"I don't want anything to do with you!" Kairi yelled. A pleasantly amused smile came to Fal's face.
"Oh if only realized how much I'm enjoying this," Fal laughed. The three looked at him confused. "Tell me then, you understand how nobodies and heartless work; yes?" The three cautiously nodded.
"Sora, your nobody was Roxas correct?" Fal grinned at their faces. "Now tell me, what abilities could Roxas use that were similar to your own?"
"Uh… He could use a keyblade." Sora answered after some thought.
"Correct. Now tell me what abilites could Namine use?" Fal continued.
"Rewrite memories." Riku answered started as he connected the dots.
"Good you seem to understand where I'm going," A grave smile came to Fal's face as he watched Riku. "Now tell me, who is Namine the nobody of?" Fal's voice cracked with excitement.
"… Karir." Sora said hesitantly.
"If you wanted to. Could you cut yourself with your own keyblade?" Fal asked Sora.
"Well yeah but why would-" Sora started before seeing Riku turn quickly to Kairi with a distressful look of worry on his face,
"What you're saying…" Kairi's face slightly screamed of disbelief; taking a deep breath. "What your implying is that… It can't be true. Why would I alter my own memories. I don't even know how to."
"You said yourself you don't remember anything before you came to this island; yes?" Fal smiled.
"Yes, but even so I was just a little kid back then. To young to-" Kairi started.
"Are Sora's abilities strictly the use of a keyblade? You can alter all the way down to your body's cellular and genetic memory." Fal interrupted.
"But why would I?" Karir asked quickly.
"We govern all the keyblade wielders. The role of a keyblade master is to maintain order amongst the different worlds. While our role is to ensure integrity and order of the keyblade wielder." Fal explained.
"So you choose the wielders?" Riku inquired.
"No. The keyblades choose their own master. However we decide if the wielder is deserving to keep their keyblades. And by our discretion we will remove any wielder to threatens the order." Fal said coldly.
"Doesn't explain why Kairi is who you say she is." Riku rejected.
"Some time ago we were blind sided and our order disrupted by a wielder of whom we didn't know in an attempt to diminish our control. The two of us are the only ones left." Fal answered.
"How'd you let that happen if your group is supposed to be so great?" Riku smirked.
"It's a rather embarrassing matter that's better left unsaid," Fal sighed. "In any case we knew that new wielders would soon appear on these islands. We saw this as an opportunity to discover the one who went against us. To ensure the operation would go as smoothly as possible you sealed away and rewrote your memory to escape the slightest hint of detection.
And thanks to you we have discovered the one who is responsible, as such you no longer need to play this little game. We are ready for our next move." Fal directed at Kairi.
"No, even if what you say is true. I have no intention of leaving. This has been and always will be my home." Kairi sternly stood behind Sora and Riku.
"Hehe we figured that you would act this way," Fal smiled. "I'm so going to enjoy this."
"She said no!" Sora roared. Both he and Riku charged Fal together hoping to pincer him who didn't react. As both their keyblades contacted Fal on opposing sides, they passed through him as his body changed to water and fell into the ocean.
"Where did he?-" Riku started, "Kairi!" He shouted causing Sora and himself to turn and look back to Kairi. A humanoid figure rose out of the water as Fal stood in front of Kairi, frozen in fear, reaching out his right hand; he placed his index finger between Karir's eyes. She stood in horror, unwilling to move as a small bright light pulsed where his finger contacted her.
"Kairi!" Sora shouted rushing towards the two. Jumping and swinging downward to separate Fal from Kairi. But he suddenly stopped in midair held by an unseen force.
"How?-" Sora looked at Kairi as the light subsided and Fal lowered his arm. Her eyes no longer looked clouded and now looked exactly like Fal's.
"Kairi?" Sora spoke softly in disbelief. Her eyes met his as the unseen force contorted Sora's arm forcing his keyblade to drop onto the sand. "Kairi please…"
"Shut up." Kairi interrupted. The force pulled onto Sora throwing him into the side of the islands rock face.
"What did you do to Kairi!" Riku demanded emerging from a green flame behind Fal in mid-swing but was also suddenly held still by an unseen force. He looked towards Kairi. "Telekinesis?" He said to himself before being thrown inland.
"Let's go." Kairi instructed.
"Should we just leave them? Shouldn't we-" Fal asked.
"No. They are simply upset, which is understandable." Kairi's gaze turned to Fal who quickly raised his right hand in reply. Water followed, coming together and creating an egg-shaped portal of light.
"Kairi wait!" yelled Sora stepping out onto the beach. "What about our friendship. Even if all this was true we've still all been close friends for years. Don't you remember?" Kairi turned towards the beach.
"Of course I remember. I even remember that piece of junk I gave you as a good luck charm. But you're a fool to think these past few insignificant years outweigh a near-eternal existence." Kairi answered.
"Sora there are only two possibilities for this," Riku walked up alongside of Sora speaking soflty so Fal and Kairi couldn't' hear. "Either this is true or he did something to make her act this way. We need to hope for the latter and take him out to change her back." Sora nodded, understanding what to do. Kairi turned and followed Fal toward's the light.
A green dark cloud spawned at Kairi's feet as Riku appeared, grabbing ahold of her leg, and disappeared into another cloud with her. Fal looked back towards Sora in surprise.
Kairi and Riku reappeared on top of the water in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. Riku's body was outlined in a dark green haze. Kairi and Riku stared at each other, neither moving.
"Figured your little mind moving only worked on physical objects." Riku smiled satisfied pointing his keyblade towards Kairi.
"Would you really strike at me?" Kairi asked annoyed.
"Depends. Unlike Sora I can this whole thing to be true. In which case you'd now be our enemy. Though I wish that not to be true." Riku replied.
"Need more to do more then wish." Kairi said.
"Then I'll stop you from leaving, for Sora." Riku tightened his grip on his keyblade.
"You can't take her," Sora courageously said. "We won't let you." Sora's body glowed a bright white light, his clothes changed to silver as he rose into the air. Four keyblades emerged circling Sora.
"Oh interesting" Fal said to himself. Sora flew off the island at a high speed towards Fal in formation with the keyblades. Fal conjured a water keyblade in each hand and took a defensive pose. Sora directed an onslaught onto Fal. Fal blocked the first two keyblades but was too slow to defend against the last two. The first cut upwards throwing Fal into the air, the second worked together with the remaining two to drill
Fal into the ocean, knocking his water keyblades out of his hands. Fal skidded along the water's surface before recovering. He sinisterly looked towards Sora who pointed his right arm towards Fal. The four keyblades rapidly circled clockwise around his arm, each firing a fireball at Fal when it reached the highest point of the circle. Within moments Fal was bombarded by fire. Sora kept this up for a minute before stopping, keyblades defaulting to their circle pattern surrounding Sora. Sora dove down into the residing smoke, as if by experience, and synchronized the keyblades. He dragged Fal, fatigued, out from the smoke and combined the attacks of the four keyblades to contiously drive Fal back towards the island, eventually crashing into it.
"You little…" Fal breathed heavily as he struggled to stand up. "I swear before I even plan to go any further with the king… You're going to be the first to lose your keyblade!" Fal stuggled to stay on his feet as he looked out to Sora hovering above the water's surface. Sora held out his right arm again, the four keyblades latched onto his arm with their tips pointing at Fal. A bright red light began to gather in Sora's hand inside the formation, directed at Fal.
Kairi looked away from Riku into the distance with a distracted look on her face. Riku started to run up to her but she vanished instantly in a flash of light before he reached her.
She appeared instantly in between Fal and Sora in the way of Sora's attack. Shocked he slightly lowered his arm but kept charging the energy into his hand. Kairi smiled. Riku appeared out of a of green cloud reaching out towards Kairi but he suddenly stopped, his green haze instantly blew off and he hung in the air choking. The force pulled Riku between Kairi and Sora. Gasps for air from Riku were answered with nothing as he stuggled for air.
"Riku… Kairi stop." Sora said.
"Release your form." Kairi replied simply.
"But…-" Sora started. Riku gasps for air became slower as his body started shuting down, "You'll kill him!"
"Release." Kairi repeated. Riku had completely stopped now, hanging motionless. Reluctant Sora hesitantly waited a few more moments before disengaging, his clothes returned to normal as did his hand only hold one keyblade. He fell down into the water, quickly reemerging to the surface looking to Kairi. She smiled pleased, the force pulled Riku out to Kairi's side and tossed him into the water away from both her and Sora. He gradually sunk as Sora swam violently to him. Kairi hovered back to Fal, landing beside him.
"We're done." Kairi said.
"Not yet." Fal took a string ring of beads from his pockets and held them chest level out towards Sora.
"No." Kairi interrupted placing her hand onto his and forcing it down.
"They-" Fal began.
"They are merely desperate to stop their childhood friend from leaving and never returning. It's a perfectly understandable response. Not something that striping the children of their keyblades can justify." Kairi sternly interrupted. Fal mumbled before resummoning another portal of light.
Sora pulled the incapacitated Riku up to the surface and looked back towards the beach.
"Kairi wait!" Sora cried. Kairi didn't hesitate and without looking back she followed Fal into the light. The portal dispersed after she enter, leaving Sora holding Riku above the surface.