Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the Characters, or any Game, Movie, or TV Show content that are mentioned in this FanFiction story. They belong to their respective owners and I honor respect their great works.
(Destiny Islands)
It had only been a few days since Devon, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were reunited after being separated for a whole year. They had defeated Organization XIII and it's leader, Xemnas in a long, hard-fought battle and were now enjoying their time of peace together on Destiny Islands. But they were not alone. Also with them was Luna, the female Night Fury, who was Devon's dragon. Spyro and Cynder, the legendary purple and black dragons from the Dragon Realms. And the viking teens and dragons of Berk: Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Fishlegs, Meatlug, Snotlout, Hookfang, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Barf and Belch.
All of them sat together on the islet by the bend Paopu tree, gazing out at the pleasant sunset as it glowed with it's orange colors. The waters glittered with the light from the sun. Devon sat next to Luna, who laid next to him on the ground with the lower-half of her body curled around him. Spyro and Cynder also laid next to Devon and Luna. Sora and Riku sat on the bent tree. And Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the Thorston Twins sat with their dragons. Then, they heard Kairi's voice calling out to them, specifically Devon, Sora, and Riku.
"Sora! Devon! Riku!" Kairi calls
Kairi runs over to the group while Devon and his friends got up on their feet.
"What's up?" Devon says
"Look." Kairi says
Kairi holds out her hand, showing a bottle with a message inside. They see Mickey's seal on the letter.
"From the king?" Sora asks
Devon takes the bottle from Kairi, dumps the message out and opens it up. Sora, Kairi, Riku, Luna, Spyro, Cynder, the viking teens, and the dragons all look at the letter as Devon reads it.
I wanted to tell you right away.
About memories from the past that sleep within you,
And about the pieces that will tie you to your future.
Devon, Sora, Riku, Kairi,
the truth behind the Keyblade,
has found its way through so many people,
and now I know that it rests in your hearts.
Devon, Sora,
you are who you are because of those people, but they're hurting,
and you're the only ones who can end their sadness. They need you.
It's possible that all your journeys so far,
have been preparing you for this great new task that's waiting for you.
I should have known there were no coincidences, only links in a much larger chain of events.
And now the door to your next journey is ready to be opened.
- Mickey
Later that evening, after reading the letter, 16 year-old Devon stood on the beach looking out toward the sunset with his right-hand in his pocket. He had been thinking about how his life had turned out thus far thanks to the people.
First, there was his Mother, Shara, and his Father, Ducar. Both of them were great Keyblade Wielders during their time. But now, thanks to Lord Thanatos and the Dark Lord of the Shadows, they were both gone. They, along with his other home, the Celestial Realm, were lost. Forever consumed by the darkness.
Next, there was Draxon, Roxas, and Naminé, the Nobodies of Sora, Kairi, and himself. The three of them were born into the world without purpose. Yet, despite the circumstances of their birth, the fought to earn their place in the world. To have their own lives. They never got the chance thanks to Organization XIII and the Dark Lord of the Shadows, but they were able to give back what they stole from Devon, Sora, and Kairi: their memories and their powers.
And then, there were the three Keyblade Wielders, who he had forgotten about for so long: Ventus, Terra, and Aqua. They were missing. Scattered in the world by the Forces of Darkness. Ven was trapped in a deep sleep. Terra was turned into a vessel for Xehanort's heart. And Aqua was trapped somewhere within the Realm of Darkness.
Each of them helped shape him, Sora, Riku, and Kairi into the heroes they were today. Now, it was time for him and his friends to help return the favor.
He looked up to the left and saw Sora sitting on the bent Paopu Fruit Tree. He then looked over to his right and saw his beloved female Night Fury, Luna walking toward him. They both shared glances with each other and smiled. Devon stretched his right-hand out to Luna and touched her snout. The Night Fury felt content in the warm touch of her rider's hand and she closed her eyes, crooning in comfort. After sharing their loving bond with each other, they looked back up at Sora and went up to see him.
"Sora." Devon calls
Sora turned around to his left and saw Devon and his dragon approach him.
"Devon. Luna." Sora says
"Mind if we join you?" Devon asks
"Sure." Sora says
Devon moved up infront of the Paopu tree and sat down on the ground with his right-leg bent, his right-arm resting up on his knee, and his left-leg laid straight out. Luna laid down and curled her body around her rider. The trio sat there for a few minutes, admiring the view of the ocean until they heard a voice call out to them.
"Sora. Devon." A male voice calls out
The two boys and the dragon turned around and saw Riku walking toward them.
"Riku." Sora says
"Hey." Devon greets
As Riku joined them, more of their friends arrived. Spyro and Cynder flew down from the sky and landed infront of the three teens and dragon. Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Fishlegs, Meatlug, Snotlout, Hookfang, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Barf and Belch landed nearby and approached them. Devon looks toward his friends and nods his head, giving them a pleasant smile. They all nod and smile back. The group turned back to watch the sunset.
"Your mind's made up?" Riku asks
"Yeah." Sora says
"Yes." Devon says
In Sora's hands was the bottle that had Mickey's message.
"Sora. Devon." A female voice calls
Everyone turns around and saw Kairi walking toward them.
"Kairi." Devon and Sora say in unison
Sora jumps off the Paopu Fruit Tree and turn to face Kairi. Devon and Luna both got up on their feet and they joined Sora's side as he spoke to Kairi.
"It's just... they need us. We have to go. Me and Devon. We are who we are... because of them." Sora says
Kairi nods her head in understanding, walks over to Sora, and hands the Wayfinder to him.
"See you soon." Kairi says
Devon places his right-hand ontop of Sora and Kairi's hands, joining his hand with theirs.
"It's a promise." Devon says with a smile
(The Celestial Temple)
Devon, Sora, Riku, Luna, Spyro, Cynder, the viking teens and the dragons travel to the Celestial Temple and step out of a portal of light, arriving on the massive floating island in the wide, open courtyard infront of the large, glittering blue stone temple. Devon and Sora climb off Luna's back. Hiccup and Riku climb off Toothless' back. And the viking teens dismount their dragons as well. They were all awe-struck by the cosmic environment of The Inheritor's home. Around them were many wonderous sights.
The large, vast, beautiful gardens were home to flowers, plants, and trees of many, many varieties. Some plants were magical, including some that were extremely rare in the Universe, like the Warbonnet, Dapophets, Binary Sunshine, Bladder Polyps, Cycads, Dakterons, Heliocordians, Sun Lilies, Dandetigers, Octoshrooms, Pitchers, Beanstalk Palms, and even Woodsprites, which floated throughout the gardens.
Sun Lilies were hearty multi-petalled flower full of beautiful colors. They had a sun-like appearance with petals cut through with vibrant hues of magenta and cyan.
There were even giant willow-like trees that each emitted rainbow glows of different colors, but mostly pale blue and purple light. The trunks of the trees were gnarly like bonsai. The tendrils on the trees were long and white. The roots were spread around in all directions. And the ground underneath the trees were covered in large beds of touch-sensitive moss, which emitted blue rings of light upon contact. These were exact same trees from the Luminous Jungle from the Celestial Realm like the Tree of Souls or the Tree of Voices.
But despite all the beautiful flora in the gardens, there were some plants that were dangerous like Venus Flytraps, Spike Plants, Thorny Paws, Razor Palms, and Thistle Buds.
Spike Plants were plants that had huge, deadly spikes, hence it's name, and were able to rise from the ground and lower itself back down.
Thorny Paws were large, cactus-like plants with long, barbed spines at growing tips, short spines all over, and no leaves.
Razor Palms were plants that had tough leaves with extremely sharp points along their edges that could easily cut skin and flesh. Their branches were long and the leaves were narrow.
Thistle Buds were plants that grow large clusters of flowers, which appears as a single bud. The glands on it's leaves are composed of large hairs or trichomes, which contain toxins that cause dermatitis on contact with skin, causing unbearable itching like Poison Ivy. Thus, it was sometimes called the 'Itch Plant'.
Those dangerous plants and many others were kept in separate gardens, surrounded by invisible barriers of light for protection, which were outlined by glowing multi-colored lines on the ground, away from the more docile plants. With all the exotic flora growing in the gardens, it was every botanists dream come true.
Looking around, the group saw an assortment of colorful crystals that were planted in the ground, each glowing with their own individual light. Colorful wisps of light floated about everywhere, making the place look even more magical.
Looking up, the group could see countless stars, which glittered with their light, and the rainbow colored auroras that glowed in the night sky. The atmosphere of the cosmic realm was calm, soothing, and majestic.
"This is the Inheritor's home?" Sora asks
"It's beautiful." Luna says
"It sure is." Hiccup says
Toothless nods his head in agreement. As Devon gazes upon the temple, he couldn't help but feel there was some sort of familiarity to it. It was as if he had been here before. Shaking it off, Devon looks back at his friends.
"Come on. Let's not keep the Inheritor waiting." Devon says
Each of the heroes, including the dragons, nod in acknowledgement and begin walking across the courtyard. The first thing that caught their eyes was the round fountain in the center of the courtyard, which had the statue of the praying angel standing inside. They move around the fountain, though they gazed upon it as they pass by. Toothless sniffed it curiously before he joined the others. They approach the main entrance where four robed statues stood at attention, two each chiseled on both sides of the tall double door, holding their Keyblades with both hands vertically upward. Devon was the first to the door and he pushes them open.
Stepping inside, the group enter the temple and were now standing inside the massive entrance hall where many crystallized pillars lined up the hall. They walk forward, continuing to take in the sights of the ancient temple. Glancing up, they saw dozens of nebulas, each in a variety of colors and shapes, floating above them in the enchanted ceiling across the entire hall. It looked as though there was no ceiling at all, but a vast opening up to the heavens.
At the end of the hall was the cupola where a large white crystal orb of light floats suspended in the air between the two dual curved staircases, which led up to the next level. Inside the massive orb was an a miniature spiral galaxy, orbited by two rings of rainbow-colored crystals. The ceiling above this part of the hall was domed.
Upon reaching the other side of the hall, the heroes saw the Inheritor, Vervada, Master Yen Sid. The god-like being stood in the center with Vervada, the white dragoness of light on his left and Master Yen Sid on his right. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were also with them, standing next to Master Yen Sid.
"Donald! Goofy! Your Majesty!" Sora exclaims happily
"Sora!" Donald and Goofy exclaim
The duck and dog run up to Sora and hug him while the teen laughs in joy. Then, they notice Devon and his friends and greets them.
"A-hyuck! Hiya, Devon!" Goofy greets
Devon smiles and waves his right-hand.
"Hi, Goofy. Hi, Donald." Devon greets
Mickey walks up to Devon and happily greets him.
"Hi, Devon! Glad to see you guys got our message." Mickey says
"Hey, Mickey." Devon says
"Welcome, my friends. We've been awaiting your arrival." The Inheritor says
"Nice to see you all again." Devon says
"Likewise, young one." Vervada says
"What is this place? It's incredible." Sora asks looking around at the large hall
"This is the Celestial Temple, a holy place of sanctuary for those who are pure of heart. Within these walls lie a repository of great knowledge and wisdom. Where weak, weary souls can find peace and strength. Ancient magic flows in and around this cosmic realm. The Celestial Temple has existed since the dawn of time and the birth of the Universe in memorial. It has always been my home. Now, it is yours." The Inheritor says
"Wow." Sora says
"There is much to discuss. But before we begin, I would like to introduce you all to someone you are quite familiar with." The Inheritor says
A bright light appears next to Vervada and begins to take shape. When the light dims down, the group could not believe who they saw. Standing next to Vervada and the Inheritor was Ignitus, the former Dragon Guardian of Fire and the new Chronicler. Although, Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy never met Ignitus, Devon and his friends immediately recognized him.
"Ignitus!" Devon, Spyro and Cynder exclaim in unison
Ignitus smiles.
"It is nice to see you all again. Especially you, Devon. As well as Spyro and Cynder and the rest of your friends." Ignitus says
"But how? We saw you consumed in the Belt of Shadows." Spyro asks confused
"My sacrifice to you, Cynder, and Devon has brought me into a higher existence, therefore making me the new Chronicler. Like the old Chronicler, I now record the history of Dragons, Humans, and many other beings. The Inheritor offered me refuge in his Celestial Temple, which I might say is truly remarkable. And so here I am, by the Inheritor's side as his trusted companion and historian." Ignitus says
The Inheritor nods his head with a kind smile.
"And whose company I accept gladly." The Inheritor says
The Inheritor turns and looks at the heroes.
"Now, all of you, please follow me to the Celestial Archive." The Inheritor says
The group follows the Inheritor as he leads them up the right staircase to the next level. There were passages on the sides that led to other areas in the temple, but the Inheritor led them to tall, central doorway, which opened up for them, splitting apart from the center in two stone slabs. The heroes follow the Inheritor down the hallway inside to another doorway, which opens up, revealing the Celestial Archive.
The Celestial Archive was very large and spacious. More wisps of light floated around the room, mimicking the ones that were outside. The walls and flooring was black and blue marble with glittering stars imprinted on them. Floating suspended in mid-air in the center of the room was the giant crystal blue orb of light with streaks of light swirling around inside it. On the left-side of the room was the large blue celestial globe and on the right-side was the tall hourglass with blue sand. Crystals in all sorts of colors were planted in the back right corner of the room. Shelves filled with countless books of all sorts were in all corners of the room. And at the far end of the room was a large black marble stone desk with a round floating white chair. Behind it was curved light blue stained glass windows which cast in some light from the outside, dazzling the room with a sparkling light show.
Once everyone was in the room, the doors close by themselves and the Inheritor turns and looks at the group.
"Now that we are all in attendance, let us begin." The Inheritor says
The Inheritor went over and sat in the floating chair with Vervada and Ignitus standing to his left and Master Yen Sid to his right. Devon, Sora, and Riku stood before the godly being on the other side of the stone desk while their friends stood nearby. Devon was at the center of trio with Sora on his left and Riku to his right. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy stood to their left while Spyro, Cynder, the viking teens and the dragons stood to their right. And so, the meeting began.
"To prepare for the struggles that lie ahead, we must better understand those who serve the darkness." The Inheritor says
First, a full body image projection of Master Xehanort appeared before the Inheritor, facing Devon, Sora, and Riku, gaining everyone's attention.
"The first is Master Xehanort. As a Keyblade Master, Xehanort had a gift like few others. But such great minds are often plagued by a single great question. What is the essence of the human heart that weakens us, or empowers us? The answer, he believed, would be found in the Keyblade War. What if the challenges of our past were, in fact, a map to the light and darkness that battles within us all? Xehanort had to know, so he renounced his duties as master and chose the seeker's life. Since then, in many a guise, he has clashed with protectors of the light, Keyblade Wielders like yourselves. He sought to find the answers he seeked, by any means necessary. Thus, he turned to darkness and came in contact with two immensely powerful beings..." The Inheritor says
Master Xehanort's image fades away and an image of Lord Thanatos appears before the heroes. Luna, Toothless, and the dragons growled as they saw the evil being.
"One of them... is Lord Thanatos. As you all know, he is a Keyblade Master of Darkness. One who possesses dark, terrible powers. But in truth, his power comes from a more ancient, sinister entity of darkness. One said to be the strongest, mightiest, most powerful evil being in existence. His name is one that strikes fear into many hearts..." The Inheritor explains
Lord Thanatos' image fades away and the image of a large, shadowy, humanoid figure appears with glowing red eyes.
"The Dark Lord of the Shadows, our true enemy. The Dark Lord bears many titles: Overlord of Darkness, Destroyer of life, The All-Father of Evil, The Conqueror of Worlds, but his real name is Makuta Teridax. When the Universe was first created, Makuta Teridax was once a Great Being alongside his brother, Mata Nui, and myself. But over time, jealousy festered in his heart and he chose darkness as his path. He came to learn about the Keyblade after Mata Nui defeated him on Spherus Magna, his homeworld. He sensed it's power and somehow came to wield a Keyblade of his own." The Inheritor explains
Four shadowy humanoid images appeared behind the Dark Lord's image, two standing on both sides of the evil being.
"With his newfound powers, he gathered villains from all over the Universe and formed an evil organization called The Dark Order, an empire consisting of Dark Keyblade Wielders as well as dark followers, blood-thirsty monsters, outcasts, betrayers, rogues, and evil warriors of many sorts. During his reign, men, women, and children throughout the worlds regardless of age, species, or race have suffered and fallen to his terrible power." The Inheritor explains
The four dark images faded away and were replaced with four benevolent humanoid beings of light, each equipped with a Keyblade.
"But there were those who rebelled against his evil. Brave souls who stood against the dark tide. They became known as The Celestial Guardians, a group of Keyblade Wielders, heroes, and powerful warriors sworn to protect and defend the Universe from the Forces of Darkness." The Inheritor explains
An image of the Inheritor appears infront of the four beings of light, acting as the leader as he wielded his Keyblade.
"I, of course, was the leader of this group." The Inheritor explains
The five image projections fade away as the Inheritor continues the meeting.
"We were barely able to defeat the Dark Lord and his forces all those years ago. But be warned, he will return, stronger than ever. Lord Thanatos, Xehanort, and Organization XIII were merely his pawns to further his agenda and hasten his revival. The true battle between light and darkness lies with him. We must be well-prepared for when that time comes. Which is why you, Devon, Sora, and Riku, are to be tested for the mark of a true Keyblade Master. No doubt you fancy yourselves master already, but it takes years of training. Only a true master can teach you the proper way. The three of you are self-taught Keyblade Wielders, an impressive feat. However, the time has come for you to let go of preconceived notions, forget what you know about the Keyblade, and begin your training again with a clean slate." The Inheritor explains
"But that's a formality, right? We already proved ourselves. Me, Devon, the King, Riku, we can take on anything." Sora says
Sora looks over at Riku.
"Right, Riku?" Sora says
"I don't know." Riku says
Riku stretches his right-hand out infront of him and he summons his Keyblade: Soul Eater into his hand. The silver-haired teen stares at the Dark Keyblade.
"I think that in my heart, darkness still has a hold. Walking that path changed me. I'm not sure if I'm ready to wield a Keyblade. Maybe I do need to be tested." Riku says
Riku de-summons his Keyblade and lowers his hand. Sora
"Then count us in. Put us through the test! Just watch, Me, Devon and Riku will pass with flying colors!" Sora says
Devon nods his head in agreement.
"I'm in. With such powerful beings like Lord Thanatos and Teridax, I feel that we'll need as much training as possible if we're to be ready for the fight ahead. Even if it means we have to be trained properly." Devon says
Devon grips his right-hand into a fist with determination.
"If this was how my Mother and Father were tested during their time, then I'm willing to give it a shot! I need to be as powerful as I can be if I'm to fulfill my destiny! I know I'm ready!" Devon says
The Inheritor smiles and nods his head. He was glad to see that Devon and his friends were willing to partake in the Mark of Mastery Exam.
"Very well, then. Devon, Sora and Riku, let your examination begin." The Inheritor says
(Destiny Islands)
Devon, Sora, and Riku stood together on the beaches of Destiny Islands, gazing out at the ocean in the day time. Devon stood in the center with Riku on his left, Sora on his right. They had reverted back to age they were when the world fell into darkness and they wore their original clothing from the start of their journey.
"But how far could a raft take us?" Sora asks
"Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else." Riku says
"So, you guys ready?" Devon asks
"Yeah." Sora says
It was now dark and the three boys were out sailing their raft on the ocean. Suddenly, the trio found themselves in the midst of a fierce storm.
"Guys, a storm is coming." Sora warns
"The waves are getting rough." Riku says
"Wind's picking up, too." Devon says
"We'd better furl the sail." Riku says
"Right." Devon says
Riku goes to furl the sail of the raft, but before he could, a strong wind blows over the three boys, breaking the sail off the raft. Devon, Sora, and Riku were now stranded in the middle of the ocean. Devon laid flat on his stomach on the wooden platform. Recovering from the sudden attack, he looks around and noticed that Sora and Riku weren't with him anymore. But then, he glances over to the left and saw them in the water, holding on to the sail.
"Sora! Riku! You two alright?!" Devon exclaims
"We're fine!" Riku says
Suddenly, a massive whirlpool forms and a gigantic figure emerges from the center. It was the sea witch from Atlantica, Ursula. But it wasn't really Ursula as she was defeated by Sora and his friends. In fact, it was a phantom apparition of the sea witch.
"Oh, he was right. Those wretched guppies are here! Well, it's about time we settle the score!" Ursula says
"Ursula?! But how-? Is this the test?" Sora says
"Sora, focus! We'll work it out later!" Devon says
"Sorry, dearies, but I won't fall for that trick!" Ursula says
Devon summons his Keyblade: Soul Calibur into his right-hand while Sora and Riku summon their Keyblades: Kingdom Key and Way to Dawn. Together, the three teens stand together as they face-off against the sea witch.
Ursula sends one of her tentacles down towards Devon, but he knocks it away with a right slash from his crystal Keyblade. The sea witch sends another tentacle at Devon, but this time he jumps over to the left, dodging the tentacle as it slams down on the raft. Devon attacks the tentacle with a few strikes from his Keyblade, swinging Soul Calibur with a downward slash, a right slash, and a roundhouse slash.
Sora and Riku climb onto the sail and run along it's length. They jump over and land next to Devon on the wooden platform, joining him as the fight against Ursula continued. The sea witch lifts up the raft with her tentacles, bringing the three teens up to her level.
Ursula opens her mouth and shoots an ionic laser beam at the trio, but they jump away, evading the laser. Devon, Sora, and Riku all attack together, swinging their Keyblades at her head, dishing out a great deal of damage. Ursula swings her right-arm at the three heroes, but they jump back, evading her massive arm.
Devon, Sora, and Riku jump up to Ursula's head and they attack her in unison. Devon swings Soul Calibur with an uppercut slash, a downward slash, a left slash, and a right spinning slash. Sora performs a somersault slash with his Kingdom Key, then strikes Ursula with a left slash, a right slash, and an overhead slash. And Riku swings his Way to Dawn with a downward slash, a right slash, a left slash, and a right-downward slash.
The fight was soon finished as Ursula fades away and disappears.
The currents from the whirlpool sucks Devon, Sora, and Riku down as they hold on to the wooden raft. The large wave crashes into the raft, sending send the three boys flying off and into the water. Devon, Sora, and Riku lose consciousness and they sink into the dark waters. Further down below, a keyhole appears, shining with it's light through the darkness of the ocean. Still unconscious, the three teens turn over and their Keyblades appear in their hands. Soul Calibur, Kingdom Key, and Way to Dawn each shoot a beam of light at the keyhole. The light from the keyhole engulfs Devon, Sora, and Riku as they are transported into the Realm of Sleep, beginning their journey into the sleeping worlds.
Above the water's surface, Ansem, as a hooded figure, watches them.
"This world has been connected."
Author's Note: Time for the Mark of Mastery. The storyline for Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance begins. Now for this part of the Kingdom Hearts Saga, these chapters will focus on Devon's journey to new worlds. And surprise! Ignitus is back! There are some worlds that most are familiar with, but there will also be new ones that hadn't been featured before. What new worlds will Devon visit for his exam? The first world will be revealed in the next chapter. Let me know what you guys think. No flames please. Hope you guys like and don't forget to review!