Chapter 3: Hojevah
Sora and Kairi floated together through a torrent of colors. Though they were battered about, nothing managed to separate them. They had promised never to leave each other again.
Suddenly, they plunged into an ocean, deeper and deeper, until they came to stand on the dark floor. Kairi slid her foot forward, and a flock of doves sprouted beneath it, revealing the stained-glass platform.
Three Keyblades took up most of the platform. Their Keychains twined together at the vertex, and their blades pointed out towards the edge, dividing it in three. Proud and strong, the Kingdom Key reached straight up. Loyal and firm, Way to the Dawn stretched down to the left. Subtle and mysterious, the dark realm's Keyblade swung down to the right. In the section between Way to the Dawn and the Kingdom Key were two more crossed Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion. A flowery Keyblade, Radiating Garden, bloomed between the dark realm's Keyblade and the Kingdom Key. Finally, at the bottom were a myriad of other weapons; Save the King, Save the Queen, a Struggle bat, a dagger, a pair of claws, Skill and Crossbones, a spear, a scimitar, Battlefields of War.
Together, even in dreams.
The ethereal voice filled the air, yet Sora's ears didn't perceive it. It left him wondering whether or not he even heard it, that is, if you could call it hearing.
Everything begins with sleep. There, stories end and stories begin.
Yes, the voice was there. It was not his imagination.
A new journey is born. But don't be afraid. Don't stop walking.
His heart. The voice spoke to his heart. At once, he recognized the voice.
"You," he whispered. "You've been guiding me this whole time. Since the beginning, before even."
I have, as I have guided many before you, as I will guide those after you.
Three pedestals appeared at the tips of the Keyblades, a sword, a wand, and a shield resting on them. Sora recognized them easily and realized what was happening.
Choose, Kairi.
Startled at being acknowledged, she turned, wide-eyed, to Sora. He smiled at her, the smile which always warmed her heart and gave her confidence. Slowly, she approached the pedestals, inspecting each in turn. Finally, she grasped the wand.
The power of the mage. Great wisdom. Is this the power you choose?
"Yes."
The pedestals and weapons disappeared in a flash of light, leaving him blinking his eyes. A voice in the back of his mind, however, told him that the light wasn't as brilliant as before. The stained glass floor, also, seemed diminished, as if whatever light had shone through it before had dimmed. Whatever power resided in this place was weakening.
My power is indeed waning.
This time Sora felt it, a great weariness and a sense of helplessness. It was the way Sora had felt after the Battle of One-Thousand Heartless, when he had had to choose to use the Keyblade or not.
The voice spoke in the back of his mind again. Questions began spinning through Sora's mind. He could not even begin to sort through them, let alone ask any of them. Fed up with this, the voice in his mind decided to take matters into his own hands. Roxas appeared in a flash of blue light next to Sora.
"What happens now?" he asked.
That depends on the four of you.
Pink light flashed, leaving Naminé standing by Kairi.
Four, yet two. Such a conundrum even I have not seen. Luckily, it is easily solved. Bodies are easier to create than hearts, after all.
All four of them blinked. "What?"
You will understand when you awaken.
Sora sighed, "Never a straight answer." There was a strange rumbling in his chest after he said this, and his heart felt lighter. The presence...being...whatever – was laughing.
Thank you, Sora.
"You sounded like you needed a good laugh."
Hold tight to your light attitude. It will help you in the days to come.
"That doesn't sound good," Roxas grimaced.
The inevitable battle is upon us. The fate of the three realms hangs in the balance. The judgement cannot be postponed any longer.
They looked at each other. It showed in their faces; they had expected this. But this didn't scare them. If anything, it only strengthened their resolve to do whatever it took to finally bring peace.
"What do we need to do?"
You must...
Suddenly, the ground shuddered and trembled, vibrating the glass. As quickly as it started, the floor calmed, yet it didn't feel quite stable anymore. The edges seemed to be blurring, like a watercolor painting that had gotten wet.
No time...go...the worlds...shall guide you...
The ornate design began shattering at the edges, shards plunging into the darkness. Huddling together, the four teenagers looked on worriedly. They did not fear for themselves, but for the being whose power weakened around them. Before they were returned to consciousness, though, there was something Sora wanted to know.
"Who are you?"
...Hojevah...
New Characters:
Roxas: Kingdom Hearts II
Naminé: Kingdom Hearts II
Hojevah: Kingdom Hearts III...? (You didn't think I'd give anything away that soon, did you?) His technical first "appearance" was in Kingdom Hearts.
