The First Day: Legends

Sora was getting frustrated.

"Master Eraqus-"

"-Again."

Sora gave his Master a face.

"Go on," Eraqus insisted as he crossed one leg over the other. "Again."

"I've tried so many times already," Sora childishly stated as he waved his Keyblade around like a toy sword. "I just can't do it."

Eraqus brought a hand to his cheek. "Do I not recall you saying that it would be a...'piece of cake?'"

Sora wiped the sweat from his forehead before taking a deep breath. Then, he just sighed. Exasperated, he lowered his Keyblade. He fanned himself halfheartedly with the wave of his hand.

Eraqus stood suddenly. "Why don't we start with something more basic?" he suggested as he walked over.

"Okay," Sora agreed, despite wanting to give up altogether at that point. "Like what?"

"Confetti," Eraqus said, causing Sora to grin widely.

"Okay!" Sora exclaimed, suddenly motivated again. "How do I make it?"

The Master beckoned his own Keyblade. Once it was in his hand, he lifted it slowly. Sora, eager to learn, mirrored his every movement.

"Producing confetti is similar to producing lightning," Eraqus explained as he raised his Keyblade, and Sora did the same. "You see, both confetti and lightning occur in abrupt increments. It's just that, rather than creating a single bolt of power as you would with thunder magic, you must condense the power into small, multiple sources." He thrusted his Keyblade slightly, and dozens of multicolored, glittery confetti pieces shot out. "Like so," Eraqus said with a smile.

Sora gazed at the confetti with absolute, endless wonder. Then he, doing as he saw Eraqus do, thrusted his Keyblade slightly. But when he did so, rather than confetti, a sudden surge of lightning escaped his Keyblade. The intense surge of power sent him to the ground with a startled scream. The lightning traveled upwards into the sky before eventually fading away.

Sora threw his Keyblade aside and lay on the ground in agony.

"Sora, come now," Eraqus said as he offered him a hand. "Do not be childish."

"If I can't even make confetti, how will I ever be able to make fireworks?" Sora groaned as he rubbed his entire face in frustration.

"You just need more practice," Eraqus insisted as he handed his Keyblade back to him. "Now try again."

Sora sat up. "How long did this take your other students to learn this?" he demanded.

Eraqus considered it. All three of them learned how to produce not only confetti, but fireworks, relatively easily. "Every student is different, Sora," Eraqus said, dodging the question. "There is no reason to compare. Now stand up and try again."

Sora took his Master's hand and stood. He nodded. "Alright, Master," he agreed. "One more time!" He made an excited fist.

"This time, remember to condense the power," Eraqus reminded gently. "Not too much, Sora. And remember, this is not a recommended battle technique, but rather for recreational use."

Sora nodded. "Got it!" he said.

Eraqus took a step back, just for precaution. "Go on then," he instructed.

Sora closed his eyes. He'd been out there all afternoon trying to make fireworks appear out of his Keyblade. The least he could do was make confetti. Even if it was all just a dream, and he did wake up forgetting how to make it, at least he would know that he could.

Feeling more confident than ever after an internal pep talk, Sora opened his eyes and lifted his Keyblade to the sky while simultaneously exclaiming, "Confetti!"

There was a dramatic pause before confetti, just one confetti, a shred, if you will, exploded into the air as if coming out of a canon. The single confetti piece, moving at rapid velocity, reached an incredibly high altitude before it began to gently fall back down.

"Huh?" Sora wondered as he stared at the single confetti shred. Then, as if coming to a realization, he straightened his slightly tilted Keyblade. And when he did so, the single confetti piece exploded midair into hundreds of smaller pieces of all colors that all came falling down at them like raindrops.

Eraqus, who couldn't even begin to comprehend what he just witnessed, simply smiled. "Well done, Sora," he said as he dusted some confetti off his shoulder.

"I did it!" Sora said victoriously, and then he laughed. "Did you see that? I made confetti!" And there was shiny pieces of it stuck in the spikes of his hair when he said it.

Eraqus nodded. "Do you still wish to make fireworks as well?"

Sora made a face. Of course he did.

"It'll be a piece of cake!"

"I was thinking about what Riku told me yesterday," Sora began as he twiddled around with his Keyblade. "He told me that I'd be waking up in about a week. That means...in about a week, I can find him, and me and him can finally go back home to Kairi." He smiled at the thought.

"You must miss them," Eraqus commented, and he thought of how much he missed his students.

"Yeah," Sora answered, looking down. He thought of them, of his dear friends, and of their dear home. Then, excitedly, he said, "Back home on my islands, there's this tree that has a bunch of star shaped fruit. There's a legend that goes along with it too." He cleared his throat. "They say that if you share one with somebody, your destinies become intertwined, and you become a part of each other's lives no matter what."

Eraqus shot Sora a quick, surprised glance. "The legend of the paopu fruit," he remarked.

This caught Sora off guard. "You recognize the story?" There was a mix of confusion and enthusiasm in his voice.

Eraqus simply nodded. "An old friend of mine told me that same legend long ago." He thought of Xehanort and felt cold.

"Was your friend from my islands too?" Sora asked curiously.

"I suppose he was from your homeworld," Eraqus mumbled, pondering momentarily, but deeming it mere coincidence.

"I wonder if the legend is true," Sora thought out loud. "What do you think?"

Eraqus took a pause to think. "I like to believe that it is," he said softly.

The response seemed to satisfy Sora to a great extent. "I do too," he said as he brought his hands behind the back of his head and thought of a certain redhead.

But as soon as Sora began to lose himself in his daydreams, Eraqus stood.

"Break time over," he announced. And without staying to listen to Sora protest, the Master walked back to the courtyard.

Sora closed his eyes for a prolonged moment before jumping up and scrambling after him.

"Fireworks!"

Bursts of fire.

Burnt confetti, even.

But no fireworks.

"Fireworks!"

More bursts of fire.

Traces of simmered confetti.

And still no fireworks.

Repeat.

As the determined young boy kept trying, the patient Master watched and waited, only inputting advice every now and then. The evening was getting cooler and darker, and in the cool darkness, fireflies emerged and faintly illuminated the world.

Sora eventually stopped trying to make fireworks to watch as a single firefly landed on his shoulder. He was still and careful so as not to scare it away.

"Back at the islands," Sora began as the firefly flickered. "Me and my friends used to catch fireflies in the summer."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah," Sora explained. Then, as if being reminded of something, he laughed out loud, and the firefly flew away. "I don't know why I remembered this, but this one summer, me, Riku and Kairi were out playing in my mom's garden. Me and Riku started arguing about stuff, and the only way to settle it was for me to eat dirt."

Eraqus raised an eyebrow. "And did you? Eat dirt?"

Sora crossed his arms and closed his eyes as if to reflect. "No. There was a worm in the handful of dirt I picked up, so I ended up just spitting it all out."

"You nearly ate a live worm?"

Sora nodded. "Almost."

Eraqus chuckled at the thought.

Sora rested his Keyblade over his shoulder. "I don't know why I started thinking so much about the islands all of a sudden," he mused. "It feels like everything I see reminds me of home lately."

Eraqus's face now appeared somber. "Your heart is in the process of remembering what's most important to you before waking up in a week or so. Your homeworld and friends must play a large role in who you are."

Sora desummoned his Keyblade before walking over and sitting beside the old Master.

"You're giving up?" Eraqus asked, perplexed.

"No," Sora said, "I'll try again tomorrow." He got comfortable in his seat. "Fireworks would scare away the fireflies anyway," he added.

Eraqus soon lost himself in his thoughts, and Sora soon lost himself in his memories of the islands and of his friends.

Sora's most distant memory was one of his most treasured ones. Why he thought of it specifically then, he wasn't certain. Perhaps it was due in part to Riku saying goodbye to him just the day before, or perhaps Sora just missed his best friend.

"Why do you keep following me?"

"My mommy said that I should play with you because you're alone. I'm Sora, and I like mangos. What's your name? Do you like mangos?"

"I like being alone. You don't have to play with me."

"What? But why? Nobody likes being alone. Mommy says that-"

"I like it, sometimes. Like when I need to think."

"Hm, I guess that's okay then. But I still don't know your name. And I still don't know if you like mangos or not!"

"My name's Riku. And, you know what, Sora?"

"What?"

"...I do like mangos."

A gasp. "Really!?"

"Do you ever think of your home?" Sora eventually asked when the memory faded.

Eraqus paused. "This is my home, Sora."

"I meant your homeworld," Sora clarified. "Where you grew up."

"Why the sudden interest?" The Master's voice was distant.

Sora brought a hand to his chin in thought. "I just...I realized that even after all this time, I still don't know that much about you," he explained thoughtfully. "And I figured that knowing about your homeworld would be a great start."

"Hm," Eraqus said quietly, neglecting to say anything more.

Sora, who didn't want to bring up the unanswered question a second time, instead asked, "You've probably been to a lot of different worlds. Have you ever been to mine?"

Eraqus's response was, to put it frankly, underwhelming. "Once."

Still, his unenthusiastic response was enough to stir further interest. "How was it?" Sora asked.

Eraqus thought back to his only visit to Destiny Islands. He was with Xehanort at the time. Throughout the entirety of the visit, Xehanort bitterly pointed out how small everything was. He described it as a prison, of all things. Meanwhile, Eraqus believed the world to be one of the most beautiful he'd ever visited.

"What are those star shaped fruit over there?"

"That's the paopu fruit. See, supposedly, if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined, and they remain a part of each other's lives no matter what."

"That sounds amazing."

"Don't make me laugh. You know it's just a story, Eraqus. There's nothing special about sharing a fruit with someone. There's nothing special about this...this prison."

"Even if it isn't true, the legend itself is still an admirable one."

"You think so?"

"I do."

"Eraqus…"

"Yes, Xehanort?"

"You're a big sap."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"I beg to differ."

"Fine then. I'm a big 'sap' and there are many things wrong with that. Satisfied?"

"Very. Look, just to humor you…"

"What are you doing?"

"...Catch!"

"Are you...serious?"

"Go on, take a bite."

"You just told me that the legend wasn't true. Now you're suggesting that we share one?"

"It's not true… Let's do it anyway."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Just...come on, Eraqus! It doesn't hurt to try."

"Oh, I see… You don't believe in it, but you want to."

A pause.

"You're an even bigger sap than me, Xehanort, but fine."

"Hm, then again, if by some miracle this does work, do I really want to be stuck with you for the rest of my life?"

"You did it again. You ruined a perfectly good moment. Didn't we talk about this?"

"Yen Sid had it coming. Look, just hurry it up, will you?"

"Alright. Let's...let's try it."

"Master Eraqus?"

"Hm?" Eraqus looked back to Sora.

"You just sort of drifted away for awhile," he explained.

"Oh," Eraqus said. "My apologies. I was just...lost in thought."

Sora nodded. "That's okay." He stared up at the sky. "So...what about your friends? What were they like?"

"Why are you so intent on knowing more about my past?" Eraqus asked in return, defensively, almost.

Sora gave a small shrug. "I already told you that I'm just curious."

Eraqus sighed. Reluctantly, he said, "My closest friend was always so...lost. His heart was exceptionally strong, but he was obsessed with a legend of the past when he should have been channeling all of that passion into bettering the future of the worlds." Eraqus averted his eyes from Sora, who looked at him sadly. He went on. "It was our duty, as Keyblade wielders, to protect the light of the worlds, but he strayed from that path time and time again. And time and time again...I forgave him." Eraqus just looked at the fireflies.

"Your friend reminds me of Riku," Sora stated softly.

Eraqus did not speak. From what he could tell, and from how fondly Sora always spoke of Riku, Riku and Xehanort were nothing alike. Riku still had a chance, but Xehanort was too far gone.

"I think your friend will come around eventually," Sora went on optimistically. "I mean, it sounds like you and him were really close. Even if the deepest darkness controls him, deep down there's a light that never goes out. That light will remind him of you, and of how much you really care about him."

"Hm," Eraqus said quietly, not wanting to agree, but not wanting to disagree either.

Sora stood and stretched his arms while yawning. "I'm going to bed for now. What's the plan for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Tomorrow?" Eraqus echoed, still entranced by the events of the distant past. "Ah, yes, tomorrow… I expect to see you ready bright and early in the courtyard to continue your fireworks lesson. Afterwards, I have a special lesson planned."

This caught Sora's interest. "A special lesson?"

Eraqus gave a simple nod and said no more. "Good night, Sora."

The boy, looking slightly disappointed to have to wait, accepted it regardless. "Okay. Good night, Master Eraqus," he said before walking off.

Meanwhile, Eraqus remained, and the foggy memory he previously recalled continued.

"How'd you get off this island, anyway?"

"Doesn't matter."

"I just don't understand why you hate this world so much."

"I already told you. It's a prison."

"If my world wasn't lost to darkness, I would visit it often. But you, your world is still here, and yet this is your first time since leaving that you've come back. And you only agreed to come because I asked you to show it to me."

"Eraqus…"

"You should consider yourself lucky that you...that you still have your home."

"This isn't my home, Eraqus! I despise this world. If I could, I would destroy it myself."

"How can you say that?"

"You just don't understand."

"No, Xehanort. I think that you don't understand."

"You're a fool, Eraqus."

"You're the only fool here."

There was a prolonged moment of bitter silence.

"Perhaps it's better that we didn't share it, in the end, Eraqus."

"...I...suppose so."

"It's only an irrelevant, old legend, anyway."

"I can think of another irrelevant, old legend you never shut up about."

"...That's different, Eraqus."

"I was only joking."

"No. You truly don't understand. You truly...know nothing."

"Xehanort-"

"One who knows nothing...can understand nothing."

Inside the castle, Sora sat at the foot of his bed and stared down at the chain link in his hand. That particular chain link was one he picked at random from his large pile; he hadn't a clue as to what forgotten memory it possibly could have been. Was it a memory of a person? A place? A thing? Was it a memory he could do without? Could he risk losing the memory, whatever it was, all just to test his theory?

He could only hope that the memory was one he did not need in case something were to happen to it. He would rather not touch the memories at all, but there was no other way to see if it would work.

Sora looked to the doorway. "Master Eraqus?" he called out, just to ensure that the man wasn't around to stop him.

When he received no response, his mind was made up. He gently closed the door.

Then he placed the chain link to the side and summoned his Keyblade.

He stood bravely and aimed the weapon at the chain link. When he did, a wave of light fled from the Keyblade and raced to the link. The light surrounded it in a faint, blue sphere and ascended it into the air.

Then Sora did as he would if unlocking a keyhole. He pointed to the floating sphere with the Keyblade until a bright flash of white blinded him.

He only realized that he closed his eyes when he had to open them. And when he did open them, he wasn't surprised to see the memory replay itself before him, for that was what he assumed would happen first.

The memory, as far as Sora could tell, was uneventful. It was simply him and Donald and Goofy fighting some Heartless beside a white staircase composed of three single steps.

He fought on beside Donald and Goofy for some time, swinging at the leaping shadows as they came. He felt such overwhelming nostalgia, such intense dejá vù.

Then, abruptly, the world around him became blurry and distorted. Everything, Donald, Goofy, the Heartless, the staircase, faded away until Sora was left standing in nothingness.

Still holding his Keyblade firmly, he looked around in confusion. Then, as if on cue, the world gradually reshaped itself.

The staircase became a dark, spiraling one that extended into infinity. Donald and Goofy stood beside Sora as if they never left to begin with, but their faces were now solemn instead of lighthearted as they once were. There were so many more shadows now, leaping and clawing at Sora and his companions.

Sora, having no other choice, fought back as he and Donald and Goofy aimlessly ran forward. There were so many Heartless, and there seemed to be no real destination, but the trio pressed on regardless.

As they ran forward, directions changed. When Goofy ran forward, Donald ran in the other direction, and Sora somehow ended up upside down the staircase itself. They separated and then reunited and then separated again. At one point, Sora could have sworn that he even passed by Riku, who seemed to be running as aimlessly as he was for the short lived moment that he saw him.

As Sora went on, a new feeling of hopelessness began to sink in. He was on the verge of giving up, but an inner stubbornness wouldn't let him. He continued on.

Time stopped. Heartless, in the midst of fading away, froze in midair. Donald, who was previously casting thundaga, was motionless, magic and all. As was Goofy, who was previously blocking a shadow with his shield. Sora, almost as if unaware, went on running and swinging at the frozen Heartless that he encountered.

Still, his motion eventually slowed until it took a monumental amount of effort just to take a single step. Then, he too, froze with the world and with time.

Then a growing, endless darkness swiftly traveled up the spiral staircase engulfing everything as it did.

Sora fearfully closed his eyes, unable to move. The darkness took him and everything until the world was black like the night sky devoid of stars.

But the Keyblade was still in Sora's hand. And it was the Keyblade and its light that fought back the darkness. It was the Keyblade and its light that saved him and brought him back to his bedroom in the Land of Departure.

He gasped for air and stumbled when he returned. Once composed, he looked wearily over to the chain link that still floated in the air.

The chain link was no longer a metallic grey. Now it was transparent and almost appeared to be made of crystal. There was a soft, white glow around it.

Sora reached out for it with great caution. When he held it, everything that he just lived through came back in a flash. First he saw the original memory, and then the dark distortion of it. It was almost too much for him to bear, seeing it pass by so quickly.

Once the memory flashed by, the soft glow around the crystallized chain link dimmed until it was gone entirely. The chain link then fell into Sora's outstretched hand like a dead weight.

Sora ran his thumb across the empty chain link. The air around him was dense. His heart ached. He attempted to calm himself, but all he found himself doing was wondering what just happened.

He unlocked the forgotten memory. Then what? He couldn't remember.

The simple truth was that there wasn't anything to remember. Because, by unlocking the forgotten memory, and by living through it and its distortion, the memory itself was wiped from existence.

Sora, shaking a bit, concentrated deeply. He could not recall what it was that he lost, but he knew that it was something. Whatever memory once inside that little chain link...it was lost forever.

That memory would never come back because it no longer existed. Forgotten memories still existed. Lost memories didn't.

That alone startled Sora so much that his trembling hand dropped the empty chain link.

And when it hit the ground, it shattered upon impact.

A/N:

All will make sense when the time comes. I assure you! ;)

Shoutouts to people who contributed with ideas for this chapter

Guest: Legend of the paopu fruit; How Sora met Riku

Painted With a Palette: Sora starts remembering things; Spiral/upside down staircase thingy in KH2 opening

Guest: Sora asking too many questions

Idea requests still open. (Review or PM me!) And if you didn't see your idea in this chapter, expect to see it at a later time! I'm trying to include as many as I can and so far have at least one of everyone's planned out. I can always use more though!

Have a wonderful day everyone, and as always, thank you for reading.

Also, please don't think that I was implying a romantic relationship between Xehanort and Eraqus. The legend implies an unbreakable connection; we think of it to serve solely a romantic purpose because that's how the KH1 kids saw it... but all the legend and what it says never mentions romance, only an unbreakable connection.