My whole journey began the day I lost her. And every time I find her... she slips away again. I thought we'd finally be together. But she's out there, alone. Not for one more second.
The two sat together on the slanted paopu tree, overlooking the sun setting beyond the endless ocean waves. His hand squeezed hers as a tear rolled down her cheek. She looked at him longingly, his friends watching from down on the beach, smiles coming to their faces as they realized he succeeded in his mission. As his form began to blur her eyes widened in panic, her other hand reaching out for him. She knew this was coming yet she desperately wished she could stop it from happening. He sacrificed everything for her, again, and she didn't know if she could save him this time.
Riku's eyes widened as he saw his friend beginning to vanish, reaching out a hand as he rushed in his direction. He heard footfalls in the sand behind him, the others seeming to realize what was happening and following his lead.
"Sora!" He yelled, opening his hand, desperately reaching for the spiky-haired keyblade wielder who sat too far away.
"Sora!" He heard Donald and Goofy yell simultaneously from behind him, panic lacing their voices as they too rushed for their disappearing friend.
He didn't turn to face them, he didn't have time. He kept his focus on Kairi, whose other hand was centimeters away from making contact. Time seemed to slow as he faded completely, her hand meeting air and a scream erupting from her throat, the sun setting peacefully in the background.
It was all so very sudden, the world shifting around him. One moment he sat there, watching as Kairi desperately reached for him with tears in her eyes. The next, he found himself sitting somewhere entirely different. The walls were made of stone, the floor beneath him covered in different glowing geometric patterns. Three other young men sat beside him, men with robes surrounding them with looks of awe and wonder.
The oldest in appearance was holding a spear. He had long blonde hair tied into a ponytail. To his left sat another young man with chin-length black hair, holding a sword. Last was the youngest-looking boy with curly and short blond hair, holding a bow.
"What's all this?" One of the men beside him asked, getting to his feet. The others quickly followed suit, Sora included.
As he stood he spotted a familiar shield resting on his arm, one he remembered from his dreams shortly before his first adventure. It was pentagonal with a red border, the top and bottom corners all sporting a silver bolt. Most of the face of the shield was black, save for the prominent red and yellow symbol of the king in the center.
"Where are we?" The man wielding a sword asked, staring at the men with confusion. Rather than answer his question, the leading man in robes made a plea, falling to his knees before the group and cupping his hands together.
"Oh, heroes! Please save our world!"
"What?!" The other three shouted, Sora remaining silent and smirking a little at the title. He immediately thought of Phil, who would probably brood if he heard someone refer to him by that. Otherwise, he felt uncomfortable, feeling nobody should ever have to kneel before him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" The spear wielder asked.
"There are many complications in this situation, but to offer a simple answer to your question, we have just completed an ancient ceremony and summoned you four heroes," the man in robes answered.
"Summoned?" Sora muttered, putting his hand to his chin as he nodded. He knew all about summoning, having used his heart to call to his friends for aid in times of need during his many adventures. He smiled, remembering the times he summoned Ariel to help against the heartless. She'd been so excited to see worlds outside of Atlantica.
"Our world teeters on the brink of destruction. Heroes, please lend us your strength," the robbed man begged, once more lowering his head and raising his clasped hands.
"Of course," Sora replied with a look of determination, "What seems to be…"
"I don't think so," the spear wielder replied, interrupting him. The sword and bow wielders nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, me either"
"We can go back to our world, right? We'll talk about your problems after that"
"What!?" Sora stuttered, turning to look at them in shock. "How can you say that? These people need our help!"
Of course, he was interested in the question the man with the bow asked. Can he be returned to his world? To Kairi, Riku, and his friends? Regardless of the answer that didn't mean he would needlessly abandon these people who summoned them out of desperation.
The three of them looked to Sora in surprise, almost like they didn't expect him to readily agree to help these people. The sword wielder was the first to break from his stupor, looking at Sora as if he were stupid.
"Will you really let these people walk all over you like that? They summoned us here without permission or guilt"
"Not to mention," the bow wielder quickly added, "even if we save these people and bring peace to their world, they may just send us back home. That sounds like a job to me"
The bowman turned to glare at the robbed men before continuing.
"I wonder how much you've considered our opinion on this. I wonder how it could be worth our while. Depending on how the conversation goes, keep in mind that we might end up enemies of your world"
Sora ground his teeth as he bit back a response. That's what they are after, fortune and reward. He thought of his friend, Hercules, who fought to protect the innocent while expecting nothing in return. His mind then shifted to Donald and Goofy, who stood by his side throughout three amazing adventures. They did not expect some sort of reward, they fought to save the worlds from darkness, to protect those they loved.
They were true heroes, these three were not.
"Yes, well, we would very much like you to speak with the king. He will discuss future compensation with you in the throne room" The robed man answered, getting to his feet and leaning against a heavy-looking door until it opened.
"Whatever" the spear wielder muttered, beginning to walk in that direction. The sword wielder hot on his tail.
"Fine"
"I don't think it really matters who we talk to, but whatever"
Sora sighed, following after the three of them, overhearing them as they complained to one another. He didn't understand why they had to be so rude, especially to people who seemed so desperate. As he passed a window he peeked outside, spotting a town spread out below. He didn't stare for long, keeping with his strides as he soon reached the throne room.
"Huh, so these kids are the four holy heroes?" asked an important looking older man. He had long gray hair with a neatly trimmed beard. He wore purple robes and a golden crown sat upon his head. He leaned forward as he spoke, eyeing the three beside Sora with interest, seemingly ignoring him in favor of the others.
"My name is Aultcray Melromarc XXXII, and I rule these lands. Heroes, show me your faces!"
The three beside Sora stood at attention, the spiky-haired youth faltering for a moment before following suit.
"Now then, heroes, I shall explain the situation. This world is on the brink of destruction. We are under attack from beings we have never encountered before, shadows taken shape who attack us on sight! Many appear during the dreaded Waves of Darkness, and we have already suffered from our first. Our legends claim that when the sands of the Dragon's Hourglass began to fall we should summon the four holy heroes to aid us. The sand first fell one month ago and foolishly we ignored the legend. The shadows we could normally contend with in small numbers grew, swallowing several villages and taking many lives. The legends claim that each wave will be worse than the last and that if they are not stopped they will continue until our world is devoid of light. Please, oh heroes, will you save our world from the Waves of Darkness?"
Waves of Darkness? If the king's story was accurate then this world was being overrun with Heartless. How could he say no to that?
"All right," the bow wielder said aloud, "I think I understand where you're coming from. But does that mean you are basically commanding us to help you?"
"Seems all fine and good…for you." the sword wielder added.
"I agree. All this sounds pretty self-centered to me. If your world is on the road to destruction, just let it burn. I don't see what it has to do with us."
As the spear wielder said this it looked as if he suppressed a giggle, Sora's eyes filling with disgust as he turned to face him. Did he really think this was something to laugh at? Would he really abandon these people and this world to the darkness?
"How can you say that? These people are desperate and need our help! You can't just turn your back on them, what kind of hero does that?" He asked, the king turning to him in surprise. He continued as the other three turned to him as well, giving him a flabbergasted look.
"They haven't made any commands yet. They got on their knees, begging us for help. If we do nothing then the Heartless will take this world like they've done to so many others. Some of them already lost their hearts, their homes. Can you really walk away without a single care for their suffering?"
The three beside him looked confused, lost, unsure how to respond. The king's look of shock shifted into a look of interest.
"Heartless?" The king asked, Sora turning to him with a serious expression.
"Yeah, those shadows you were talking about. They sound like beings I fought before, with my friends. We call them Heartless"
"You've fought these things before?" The spear wielder asked quietly, staring at Sora in disbelief.
"Yeah, tons of them. As well as Nobodies, Unversed and Nightmares" Sora answered.
"What exactly are the Heartless, Sir Shield Hero?" The king asked, leaning closer. His royal vassal looked interested as well.
"Please, just call me Sora," he replied, placing a hand to his chest as he continued, "Heartless are the living manifestations of the darkness within people's hearts. They seek to consume hearts and if they find the heart of a world, they can plunge that world into darkness"
"And what are the other three?" The sword wielder asked, looking as if he were unsure if he believed him.
"Nobodies are what remains when someone loses their heart to Darkness. If Heartless are here then it's very likely nobodies are too. Unversed were beings created by the negative emotions given off by Vanitas. He was part of the true organization XIII, and we fought against him during the Keyblade War. Nightmares exist within the realm of sleep and are born from the dreams drained from people's hearts"
The king stared at him, no longer gazing at him with a look of indifference or boredom. He looked intrigued, taking in Sora's explanations with rapid attention. Sora rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled.
"You were in a war?" The bowman asked, giving the young keyblade wielder a look of concern.
"Yeah. My friends and I fought against Xehanort and the True Organization XIII, who would have destroyed every world if we failed. While we succeeded in stopping Xehanort I lost a dear friend during the battle"
The three beside him stared with a mix of disbelief and pity. While they weren't sure they believed everything Sora was telling them, they did believe he lost a close friend. The king stared with uncertainty as he spoke, disbelief in his voice.
"You will fight for us, Sora? Even if we offered you nothing in return?"
Sora nodded immediately.
"Of course I will! You need my help, and I can't leave this world to be swallowed by the darkness"
The king looked lost, unsure he heard correctly. He seemed to have trouble understanding, almost as if he never expected Sora to so readily be willing to help them. Even the vassal stared in confusion. Perhaps the people on this world were similar to the three standing beside him now, only offering to help if some sort of reward was offered. If that were the case he could see why the Heartless would be drawn here. The king coughed into his fist, turning back to address all four of them.
"We plan to compensate you for all of your efforts. Naturally, I made arrangements to support you financially and also to provide you with whatever you may require in thanks for your efforts on our behalf"
"That um, sounds good to me" The spear wielder muttered lamely, still thrown off by Sora and his selfless attitude.
"Agreed"
"Me too"
Sora only smiled, the king's previous expression growing to match his own.
"Very well then, heroes. We know Sora, so why don't the rest of you share your names?"
The sword hero spoke first, stepping forward as he did. "My name is Ren Amaki. I am 16 years old and a high school student"
Stepping back the spear hero glanced between all of them, soon stepping forward himself. "All right, I'll go next. My name is Motoyasu Kitamura. I'm 21 and a college student"
As he stepped back the Bow hero didn't hesitate to step forward. "Okay, my turn. I'm Itsuki Kawasumi. I'm 17 and still in high school"
"Well, you already know my name, but since everyone else shared their ages I am 15 years old" Sora informed them with a cheeky grin, watching as Itsuki stepped back beside him.
"Now then. Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki and Sora, correct?" The king asked, looking between the four of them as he spoke. At their nods, he spoke again, "Now then, heroes, please confirm your status and give yourselves an objective evaluation."
Status? Sora blinked in confusion, turning to the other heroes in the hopes they knew what he was talking about.
"Excuse me, but how are we supposed to evaluate ourselves?" Itsuki asked, Sora nodding along with his question. Ren sighed loudly before he replied.
"You mean to say that you all haven't figured it out yet? Didn't you realize it the moment you arrived here?" he asked in a condescending tone. Sora crossed his arms, thinking to himself and shaking his head. Ren sighed again before continuing.
"I mean, haven't you noticed any weird icons hanging out in your peripheral vision?"
Peripheral vision? Sora gazed in the direction he was told, spotting some marks there. He didn't recognize them at all.
"Just focus your mind on that icon"
He did just that, hearing a soft beep as the icon expanded, lines of text written across a large blue background appearing in front of his face.
Sora
Class: Shield Hero LV 99
HP: 139
MP: 100
Strength: 192
Magic: 192
Defense: 229
"Level 1...that makes me nervous" Itsuki muttered, Ren looking at him and nodding as he replied.
"Good point. At this rate, who knows if we'll even be able to fight at all?"
Level 1? Were they a lower level than he was? Why? Sora stared back at his level and stats, eyes taking in the different menus. While this entire situation was completely new to him, he figured he best learned the basics now, while the others figured things out too. Looking to another icon at his side another menu came to life before him.
Party
Equipment
Abilities
Magic
Items
Stats
Restrictions
Munny
526,362
Focusing on the Equipment screen another menu came to life
Shield
Dream Shield (legendary weapon)
+6 Strength. +2 Magic. +10 Defense.
A shield to protect loved ones.
Armor
Royal Ribbon - Resistance to all +40%
Hero's Glove - Fire Resistance +20%. Blizzard Resistance +20%. Dark Resistance +10%. Increases amount of healing taken from recovery items
Hero's Belt - Frontline Photographer. Thunder Resistance +20%. Water Resistance +20%. Aero Resistance +20%
Accessories
Crystal Regalia - MP Hastega. +5 Strength. +5 Magic
Mickey's Brooch - MP Hastera. Endless Magic. +3 Strength. +5 Magic.
Master Necklace - MP Haste. +3 Strength. +3 Magic.
Items
Elixir x 4
Mega Potion x 2
Mega Ether x 2
Focusing on the shield, his menu shifted into a center circle surrounded by many others. Most of the circles seemed connected, following different paths and stopping at three larger circles. Within the middle, he saw a picture of the Dream Shield, different familiar shields within the others. The largest circles held three similar yet different shields, ones he crafted for Goofy in his recent and past adventures. The Save the King series of shields.
Each circle had a number beside it, so he focused on one of the closer circles in an attempt to understand what he was seeing. A help menu popped up beside the shield he selected, offering an explanation, much to his surprise.
Knight's Shield
A shield that befits someone kind and chivalrous
0/150 Exp required to unlock
Help: Experience is gained by defeating enemies in combat. Every shield is unlocked by gaining Exp.
"I think I understand" Sora whispered to himself, the other three heroes looking his way as he spoke. His eyes lifted to the three larger circles, focusing on the middle one.
Save the King 2
A powerful shield with great strength and defense. Increases the effect of restoration items used on the field by 50%.
0/1,000,000 Exp required to unlock
As Sora continued to look through his menus, the conversation began again in the background.
"And what are we supposed to do? These numbers seem awfully low" Motoyasu grumbled, closing his menu with a sigh.
"You will need to go on a journey to further polish your abilities and to strengthen the legendary weapons you possess" The King explained.
Sora paid them no mind, too focused on looking through his menus. They resembled the menu system used in that game Rex loved to play. Verum Rex if he remembered correctly. He recalled watching Rex play the game for a short time, before leaving the Toy Box and proceeding to another world.
Looking into the Armor and Accessories menus awarded him with the knowledge that all his spare equipment followed him to this world. He had enough to spare some to each hero, seeing as they might need them considering their lower starting stats.
Glancing into the Magic menu revealed he still knew all of his magical abilities. He was sure those spells would come in handy fighting the Heartless. Besides, having both a shield and magic at his side helped him to feel closer to Donald and Goofy. Even worlds away, the three were fighting together. But then again, they were always with him no matter what, because they would always be in his heart.
Finally, his gaze wandered to Restrictions. A menu came up with several lines of text.
Attention: The legendary weapons and their owners will experience adverse effects if they fight together. It is preferable that the heroes remain separated when possible.
Attention: The heroes may not hold a weapon aside from their assigned legendary weapon with the intent to fight with it.
Attention: The Keyblade cannot be summoned due to weapon restrictions, however, passive effects can still be collected from previously equipped Keyblade.
Current Passive Effects
Ultima Weapon 3
+13 Strength. +13 Magic.
The ability to release hearts
So he couldn't summon his Keyblade here, thanks to the magic of the shield. It didn't bother him too greatly, knowing it was specifically because of special circumstances within this world, and that his shield could release the hearts from the heartless. Plus, he'd fought with a shield before, during his dream on Destiny Islands. Closing the menu he focused his attention back on the conversation.
"Then I guess we will form a party together-" Motoyasu began, only to be cut off.
"Wait just a moment, heroes," The king said, all eyes turning to him, "The four of you should set out separately to recruit your own companions"
"We can't work together?" Motoyasu asked, Sora turning to him with a smile.
"It seems we can't. Check the restrictions menu, the legendary weapons will experience adverse effects if we fight together" Sora explained, never losing his chipper smile. Itsuki narrowed his eyes at the boy.
"Then why are you smiling? You don't want to travel with us?" he asked accusingly. Sora shook his head at the question.
"That's not it at all. I just know, even if we don't fight together, we will always be with each other in our hearts. No matter how dark things seem to look, we will never be alone"
"Uh….okay then" Motoyasu mumbled, opening his menu and navigating to the Restrictions section. He frowned as he read the text within. Itsuki and Ren followed suit, the two frowning as well.
"So we not only have to fight apart, but we have to stick with our legendary weapon types" Itsuki read aloud.
"This will be annoying" Ren muttered
"I will attempt to secure travel companions for you all. Regardless, evening draws near. Heroes, you should rest for the night and prepare for departure on the morrow. In the meantime, I will find companions for you from the village below"
"Thanks, King" Sora replied with his trademark grin. The other Heroes looked stunned at his impolite response, but the king only chuckled under his breath.
"Think nothing of it, Sora"