Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy Characters. I wish I did though.

1000 Ways to be A True Warrior, A Father~

Chapter 1: I Once Lost Your Mother

Sora's POV

I'm not going to start explaining just how this happened, like most of people's lives begin with. I'm not some really deep person who knows the meaning of life, or what we are here for. I'm not that smart. I'm me, Sora Farron Strife, the Keyblade wielder and the prince of a normal Royal Family. I guess I should explain my family since I just brought them up. Well, my eldest brother is Cloud, yes the one you just met moments ago. I'm sure I mentioned this; I learned my entire wall climbing fighting technics from him. He doesn't talk much, but he is a great brother to have, and a wonderful prince to the kingdom throne. Even though, Cloud doesn't want the title of prince at all. After him, is my eldest sister Lightning, she's almost like Cloud, but she has her differences. She's strong and brave and is always trying to get us to sharpen up. Unlike my brother, she is part of the Guardian Corp, the only female and princess in the whole district. She always lets her presence be known without coming off as a real princess. She doesn't like the title either. She's inspirational to many and one heck of a fighter. I guess I get my summoning powers from her, well since she was nominated to receive Odin. You will learn more about that later.

Hm, just two so far and we're already seeing just how powerful my family is. After that, it's Vanitas and Ventus, they are the second set of twins in the family. They are like the yin and yang of fighting, with extremely fast magical and fighting powers. They are hard to beat together or apart, they are what I and Roxas look up to. Funny, I don't even seem like I fit in here. Unlike me, I'm not that special at all. I have average powers, fighting ability and summoning, but I'm nothing like Riku. Ah, Riku Masamune, the silver haired beauty that plagues my dreams and always seem to distract me when I really don't need it. On that thought, lets elaborate on him for a moment, he's special you see. I will come back so that you can see the rest of my family, but that will be later. I want to talk about my best friend since the sandbox days, since I was in diapers and he was in well I think in pull ups.

He comes from a long line of fighters as well, and his family was appointed as our royal knights! His elder brother, Sephiroth, is head of the whole family now since their father had sadly passed away. So that made him fully in charge of my brother Cloud, second Kadaj to Lighting, third Yazoo to Vanitas, and fourth Loz to Ventus so Riku came to me by default. As I think about it more deeply, I believe that it was fate that did it, yet don't tell Riku because he doesn't believe in that. Riku is beautiful, talented, creative, innovative, charming and most of all, my hero. A man I am so lucky to finally have, but it wasn't always like this. At a time I didn't have him and many bad things happened because of me, and my mouth. It's a hard past we still might suffer from.

I wish I could find a way to make him see, but well what can you do? Yet, even after that scary incident, I have my Riku back and I never needed to forgive him. Though, he still thinks he needs to keep apologizing to me even now. Sigh, that's the same reason why it seems like my heart can never truly reach him. I have been thinking about him since the last big war, but I guess this doesn't make a lick of sense does it? I guess I'll have to rewind time a little. It's better if I show you than tell you. Heck I'm not good at talking about stuff like this anyway, I ramble too much, and most of all it hurts deeply to even think about it.


Odin was quickly summoned to hold the very remains of the little island that the Strife's called their new home. The land itself was crumbling, shattering with no site of ever recovering again. Lighting, head princess back flipped quickly towards the last remaining earth that she could find. Odin her summon reverted from horse mode to humanoid as fast as he could to take hold of the large dark sphere engulfing the island. She yelled out her commands, "Odin hold this section up until the Masamune's arrive!" The God like being nodded a response before taking a hold of the swirling mass of dark energy. A low male voice commanded aloud out of nowhere, "Meteora Gravity Reverse!" A large flaming meteorite crashed upwards into the mass of dark energy giving the god a bit of a push in the right direction.

Sephiroth and Kadaj quickly landed next to Lightning to back her up and her commands to the other national guards. The whole family was out and about fighting strange black looking creatures, making them disappear. Roxas slid to the other side of the island back to back with Axel, sizing up the enemy with him. Ventus and Neku teamed up on the south bank of the island shot locking everything that looked like it would do harm to the people. Cloud backed up Serah and Joshua on the east side providing medical assistance if it were needed. While Vanitas, Loz and Yazoo ordered the towns' people to move to a safer place until further notice.

Sora on the other hand, ran a different route trying to find Riku and Kairi. He ran past his siblings fighting little roach looking things alone the way. His breaths grew heavy as fourteen year-old Sora ran in search of his friends, trying to find any sign of them. He yelled out desperately, "Riku! Kairi! Where are you guys! There's trouble; I need to know where you guys are!"

The boy finally reached the edge of the little play island where he could have sworn he saw Riku. He took this as a sigh rushing towards the open shed that led up towards the bent tree. The silver haired boy sat there alone on that very tree, holding a yellow looking fruit shaped like a star. He seemed like his mind was clouded just watching the black swirls of dark matter emerge and destroy. The brunet haired boy finally reached the top of the stairs running towards the other breathless.

"Riku! I found you! Are you okay? Where's Kairi, have you seen her?"

The silver haired boy remained quiet watching the dangerous orb above their heads.

"Riku! Hay listen to me! We need to find Kairi and get out of here! It's crazy and I don't think being here is safe." The boy glanced up to watch his sister fighting the large shadow like being. He frowned when it almost struck her making her have to land on Sephiroth's blade for support. Kadaj moving upward to land a blow to it's eye.

The boy Riku turned to look at Sora with saddened clouded eyes, finally speaking, "Sora I saw what you did in the cave with Kairi. I can never be as special as her can I?"

"What?!" Yelled the young brunet as he moved closer to the other, trying to understand just what he meant. He had no clue what Riku was talking about, but Sora didn't like the sounds of it. He moved quickly to grab him before a large piece of rock came crashing down. They both landed next to a palm tree on the same platform. Yet, Riku shoved the brunet off while getting up glancing back down at him seething out.

"Sora, I don't need you then…I'll travel on my own, without you…"

The young prince slowly got up before shouting, "Just what are you talking about? I don't understand Riku! Where's Kairi, just tell me that!?" At that very moment, Riku frowned dropping the star fruit to the ground. He took another glance at the sky before laughing out, "She's dead…He said I will never have to worry about anything like that ever again. I won't have to be hurt or be lonely ever again!"

Sora shook his head 'no' while backing up. He couldn't believe what Riku just had said, not one bit of it. Kairi couldn't have been dead; she was a princess, a key to a world. Her being a live was more important to a world than gravity or water. The young prince glared at his best friend, summoning his barely formed keyblade. He shouted out, "Riku what have you done? I can't believe you would allow something like this to happen to her! She means everything—"

Riku quickly cut in, "To you? I know Sora you don't need to remind me anymore…." The boy smiled sadly as dark material started to engulf him by his legs first. He placed out his hand showing halve of a small charm that they made together as young children. The little charm was made in the image of a silver crown still a little lumpy, since it was made out of some sort of crafting clay. Sora paused, not only for Riku not understanding what he meant by Kairi being important, but by the fact the other boy still had his half of the charm. Sora reached out to try and grasp the other's hand not wanting to lose him, yet it was too late. The dark material was engulfing them both at an alarming rate.

Out of nowhere, Sephiroth and Cloud both quickly jumped into the dark matter trying to save their little brothers. Though, only Cloud had the luck of bringing his sibling up from the pulling gravity. Sephiroth grew very close to reaching for his younger sibling, yet a dark hand wrapped itself around Riku neck. The bald man grinned at Sephiroth causing the other to shout out Riku's name. The boy opened his dead eyes for mere minutes watching as his elder tried to reach for him. He reached out as if to try to apologize to Sephiroth before passing out. The ghostly bald man sneered out loud, "You will never see him again great General Sephiroth…some older brother you are…."

And with that, the boy disappeared leaving a cursing Sephiroth behind. Everyone gathered on the little platform trying to awaken Sora, yet the boy refused to open his eyes. Serah tried to use Cure, but it proved to do nothing. Lightning finally landed next to Cloud holding Sora in his arms passed out, before glancing at the general. She moved towards her brother and grabbed the brunet out of his arms. Cloud nodded in response before moving closer towards Sephiroth placing a hand on his shoulder asking, "What happened?"

Sephiroth replied, "….."

"We lost him didn't we?"

"…"

"We—we'll get him back…don't worry… you have a strong brother…"

The taller male glanced down at the blonde. "It's not that simple anymore…"


The bald man placed the boy down next to the red haired girl, enjoying his victory. This was much better than what he had planned, far better. He had hoped the young man would be so broken that he would finally give up his heart. He had wished it was sooner so that the royal family wouldn't be on to him, but it was a risk worth making. He waved his hand casting an image of a fake Sora, the very Sora that he made Riku think was really confession his undying love to Kairi. He then summoned a Kairi look alike and started to make them kiss.

"Aww how lovely, finally we have the whole set. A prince, a princess and the gullible knight all here to finish my royal pack" The bald man laughed full heartily while rubbing Riku's sleeping face. Yet there was another young man, watching from a far glaring. His dark blue eyes pricing deep holes into the old man. He finally spoke, "You once again tricked another one into your sickening web Master Xehanort…"

Master Xehanort gleamed while glancing back at the brunet haired teen. "Now now, Terra, don't be so rude, you see your little protégé here is only following in your footsteps. He too was blinded by jealous rage. You on the other hand have lost the one you loved by your own hands."

Terra growled furiously, "Don't you dare talk about her! You would never understand what you have done; she's gone because of you! –It's all because of what you made me do…I lost her. I lost my Aqua!" The young man grasped his face in shame of what he had become, and now what he was being used for.

Master Xehanort only laughed making the world they sat in slowly disappear to reform in another realm. He would have much to do, yet he needed another man's help if he was to successfully complete the task.


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