Kingdom Hearts FanFiction
"Vagabond Hearts"
Opening:
What follows is an original story, written in tribute - not as a claim to ownership - to the greatest game of all time, Kingdom Hearts. I do not own any of the characters who are owned by anyone else, notably those owned by Disney and Square Enix, but also including any other characters I may throw in here as the story progresses.
I do own Hex, Aurelie, Jinx, and any of my other original characters who find themselves in this story. But particularly Hex, Jinx, and Aurelie. They are, in another incarnation, very integral to a story I have had in development since childhood. Touch them without my permission...ah, there are no words for the abysmal fate that would follow....
Anyway, welcome to Vagabond Hearts. Cue the theme song: I'm In Over My Head, from the Titan A.E. Soundtrack...
Prelude: A Lucid Dream
Hex wandered in silence through the wasteland. It was a vast sand plain - not a desert, just a featureless sea of light brown, dyed orange by the dull flame of the sun. The sun was high in the sky, stuck at just past noon, but there was no heat. There was no cold, either, however. It was like there was no temperature at all, and perhaps there really was none. There was no wind, but the air was not stagnant. It, too, was simply featureless. Everything around him was, the land, the sky, the air. And it was completely silent. Even Hex's footfalls failed to make any noise at all. The motion of his legs - step, step, step - was all that told him he was moving at all.
Hex would have considered it all very unnerving, if he didn't know it was a dream.
Hex had a talent he considered a gift in every way: he was a lucid dreamer. It was an incomplete talent, and he preferred it that way. He knew when he was dreaming, and he could control his own actions or call objects to himself easily. With a bit of effort, he could sometimes alter the immediate area, or invoke some power even greater then the magic he could wield in real life. He could not alter the actions or abilities of others, however, or the greater scene. And, once in a while, he found all these abilities stripped from him - he was left to wander what he knew was a dream without any way to enact his will upon it.
This was one of those times. But Hex did not panic - this was not a loss of power or strength, it was merely his mind. His mind was taking him somewhere, trying to show him something. For now, he just had to keep walking.
Knowing that he wouldn't see a thing, but that he needed to give this dream a chance to change, he looked around. He looked to each side, back over his shoulders, and then looked forward again. It worked. Ahead of him, a shadow had appeared. Hex smiled to himself. He couldn't consciously manipulate this dream, but this was still his mind. He was in charge.
Or was he? Hex's heart began to beat faster. The shadow was getting larger, very rapidly. But it wasn't moving towards him, he was moving towards it. He looked down at his feet, and found the floor had melted away. He had lost control of his dream.
His breath came rapidly, but he tried to control it. He was rushing towards the shadow, so fast now that he could feel the rush of air. His eyes began to water, a cold chill ran over his body. He was no longer wearing what he had had on before, he couldn't even remember what it had been. He was now wearing nothing but the pants he slept in, like he had been picked up straight out of bed. A horrible revelation crept over him: for the first time in six years, for the first time since he was ten years old, he had lost control. He was lost in a nightmare.
He couldn't lose himself to the nightmare, he couldn't lose himself to the fear. He focused, his eyes glaring against the rush of wind. The shadow was almost on him. He clenched his fists and steeled himself for impact - just in case.
And the dark was upon him. For a moment, there was no sensation. And then, a wave passed over him from head to toe, he could feel it, but he didn't feel any different after it passed. A second after it did, he was launched into a flash of light. When he could see again, he found himself flying head long through a hall of mirrors. His clothes fluttered about him - black jeans, a gray shirt marked in electric blue tribal designs, and a dark blue club shirt with similar black tribal markings on it. It had buttons, but he wore it open, and it was baggy, about one size too big. Hex of course couldn't see the back, but he knew what was there: black tribal markings in the form of angelic wings. Some of his armor, his leg protectors and shoulder protectors, were also on. This was him, this was his Clan uniform. This was him having regained some form of control. That was what that wave had been, his mind exerting control where it could, over his own body. But he was still unarmed, his combat gloves and bucklers were not present.
The hall was coming to an end, and it looked for a moment that Hex might smash head long into the wall of mirrors there. But he could feel himself falling, and knew he would land first. He brought his legs forward just in time, landing with enough force that he had to bring his body forward to the ground and catch himself on his hands. He caught himself on one hand.
Hex rose, and he could feel the anger burning on his face. Had anyone else been there, they would've seen blue sparks coming from his eyes and back, the latter forming the broken outline of wings. But there was no one else there, of course, and Hex himself had never seen the energy. He didn't even know about it.
He looked around, trying to get his breath and anger under control. As he did, the sparks faded. He was lost in a nightmare, but he could not lose himself to the fear. He had to fight his way out, as he had that last nightmare when he was ten. He saw now that the hall he had been hurtling down was gone, that he was now surrounded by a circular wall of mirrors. In the one immediately ahead of him, he could see his own reflection. In the rest, shadowy figures of different shapes and sizes, but otherwise featureless, save for two or three that seemed to have wings.
Having nowhere to go, Hex only stood there for a moment. His breathing now under control, silence settled around him. He was very startled when the voice spoke into his head.
-Who are you?-
Hex answered immediately, without fear. He would never admit it, but this wasn't the first time he had heard a voice in his head. "My name is Hex..."
-I did not ask your name. I asked who you are.-
"I'm no one."
-No, you are the Vagabond Hero.-
Hex's breath caught in his throat. He had been called that by the voices before, when the nightmares had been at their worst. "What is this?"
-This is the beginning.-
Hex scoffed. "Right, sorry, sure. Should have guessed."
-Yes, you should have.-
"I'll fight my way out, you know."
-Yes, you will.-
"I've beaten you before."
-No, you beat them.-
Hex raised an eyebrow. "Them?"
-You will know them in a moment.-
"Yippee. Look, what is this?"
-This is the beginning.-
Hex shook his head. "You're repeating yourself."
-So are you.-
"Who are the others in the mirrors?" Hex decided it best to change the subject.
-They may be your allies.- As the voice spoke, a few of the shadowy shapes lit up, revealing them for what they were. Hex looked around at those that had done so.
The first mirror to draw his attention showed what could only be described as a rabbit woman. She was very attractive, with short, light brown fur over the whole of her hourglass figure. She had the ears of a rabbit, as well. Her only unattractive feature also seemed very out of place - her fingers were darker then the rest of her, and were nothing short of long, slender claws. She wore a loose red robe and matching cape, a feather hat, and red knee high boots.
Hex turned to another mirror, and saw a young blue dragon reflected in it. In the next, a gray haired young man, again about Hex's own age. He wore dark clothes with no sleeves, and a twisted headband. His eyes were dark and his hair was gray. He was smirking, like he was up to something, but Hex knew the eyes of someone hiding deep pain when he saw them.
There were others, as well. Here, a dark skinned, dark haired girl wearing a single piece skirt of animal leather. Here, a skinny scholar wearing strange blue robes and a blue crystal around his neck. But it was the mirrors on either side of the one showing Hex's own reflection that were the most startling.
The mirror on the right showed a woman of pale skin, with dark blue, wavy hair. She wore a loose, low-cut robe, the same color as her hair and trimmed in silver. In one hand she carried a katana, finely crafted and glowing with magical energy. In the other hand, she held a strange, simple key. It was silver and gold in color, and its were teeth carved to form the outline of a crown. Hex recognized her immediately; she was the woman he had once loved, perhaps still loved. She was his Clan-mate, Crystal.
The mirror on the left showed another young man, a year or so younger than Hex. This fighter wore combat gloves and an outfit similar to Hex's, replacing blood red for Hex's electric and dark blues. The two were friends and rivals, having trained under the same teacher in the same style of martial arts, and having fallen for the same girl. The young man had dark hair and eyes, a stark contrast to Hex's blond hair and blue eyes. This young man's name was Damon.
-And they may be your enemies.-
Hex took a step towards the mirror, but three others appeared in front of him. In one was a sword, ornately crafted. In the next was a shield, decorated in tribal wings. The third showed a pair of gloves, one plain, the other decorated in the same electric blue tribal markings as Hex's shirt and long enough to reach halfway to his elbow.
-The sword represents strength of the body, the power to destroy. The shield represents strength of spirit, the power to protect. The gloves represent strength of will, the power to change. You must choose one.-
Hex did not ask any questions. He thought for a moment, and then reached towards the mirror showing the gloves. When his hand should have hit the glass, it instead went into the mirror. When he pulled his hand away, he found the gloves were on his hands, the longer on his right arm.
-Now, you must discard one.-
Hex looked from the sword to the shield, and reached toward the sword. When his hand hit the glass, the mirror shattered. As the pieces hit the floor, they disappeared.
-You would choose the power to shape over the power to destroy, and use it to protect that which is?-
"...I would."
-Then step forward.- As the voice spoke, the two remaining mirrors, and the mirror showing his reflection, vanished. Hex was done with speaking, done with wondering. He knew it was now time to meet them, that it was now time to fight.
-Do not be afraid,- the voice spoke as Hex walked toward the opening. He looked up into the inky blackness above him, but said nothing. He was not afraid.
A moment after stepping into the darkness, Hex found himself standing on a platform of stained glass. It was an intricate pattern, but it didn't seem to portray anything specific. Situated at equal intervals along the edge of the platform were six large gems of different colors. Each was set on an ornately carved pedestal, and each pedestal seemed to have a different elemental motif. But each of the crystals was dim, like it was hollow and filled with darkness.
Hex looked at each of the crystals, one after another. As he turned around the platform, shadows formed at the base of each pedestal. When he had turned completely, each of the shadows formed into a small, black gremlin-like creature. Hex didn't know what they were exactly, but they had haunted his nightmares before, and he would have to fight them now.
-Heartless.- The voice spoke this single word as the creatures leapt at him.
They moved erratically, but quickly. The first was upon Hex in a flash, but he smacked it aside with his gloved right hand. As he did, a burst of blue energy was released from is hand. The creature, the Heartless, dropped to the ground and melted into a puddle of shadow, which then disappeared.
The sudden defeat of the first of the Shadows startled the rest, and Hex had a moment to prepare an attack. He waved his hand in an arc in front of him, and three darts of the same blue energy shot from his hand. Three more of the Shadows fell. This left only two, and they attacked together. But Hex was prepared for this, as well, and he kicked one to the ground as he hit the other with another blast. The one he kicked lay stunned, and Hex finished it before it stood again.
"Is this the best my nightmares can throw at me these days?" Hex laughed. But even as he did so, each of the crystals gave of a burst of their element. Fire and water, earth and air, light and darkness...the bursts converged in the center of the platform above Hex's head. He dove out of the way as they hit each other, and as the blast of light and rush of sound faded, Hex looked up to see that a black and blue dragon had appeared. It was almost demonic in appearance, but strangely beautiful, as well. On its forehead was a strange mark, a sort of black heart outlined in blue, with lines crossing through it and three points at the bottom. Hex didn't really recognize the mark, but it did seem vaguely familiar.
-Don't just stand there, Hex!- The voice snapped Hex back to attention. -You must fight! You must beat it-
Hex nodded to himself and prepared for the dragon's charge. It was big, but not much more then twice his own size. It didn't take to the air for some reason, but Hex didn't take this for granted. He met the dragon head on before it could.
The dragon went to bite Hex, and he barely pulled his arm away from its jaws in time. He hit it in the head with a burst before it could recover from the lunge, and the blow seemed to daze it. It shook its head, and turned to Hex to attack again. This time, it unfurled its wings, but Hex hit it before it could take to the darkness above. It faltered, and Hex took the chance to leap on its back. From there, it was a simple matter to hit the dragon in the back of the head with a powerful burst, all before the dragon had time to react to his presence there. It let out a roar, and then vanished the same way it had appeared. Hex found himself dumped unceremoniously on the floor below. As he got to his feet, the voice spoke again, answering his next question before he asked it.
-That was the Prismatic Dragon. It will not be so easy a foe when you face the real thing, nor will it be so...small...-
Hex cocked his head to one side. Small? he thought.
-That is all, for now. It is time to awake. Your journey begins tonight.-
What follows is an original story, written in tribute - not as a claim to ownership - to the greatest game of all time, Kingdom Hearts. I do not own any of the characters who are owned by anyone else, notably those owned by Disney and Square Enix, but also including any other characters I may throw in here as the story progresses.
I do own Hex, Aurelie, Jinx, and any of my other original characters who find themselves in this story. But particularly Hex, Jinx, and Aurelie. They are, in another incarnation, very integral to a story I have had in development since childhood. Touch them without my permission...ah, there are no words for the abysmal fate that would follow....
Anyway, welcome to Vagabond Hearts. Cue the theme song: I'm In Over My Head, from the Titan A.E. Soundtrack...
Prelude: A Lucid Dream
Hex wandered in silence through the wasteland. It was a vast sand plain - not a desert, just a featureless sea of light brown, dyed orange by the dull flame of the sun. The sun was high in the sky, stuck at just past noon, but there was no heat. There was no cold, either, however. It was like there was no temperature at all, and perhaps there really was none. There was no wind, but the air was not stagnant. It, too, was simply featureless. Everything around him was, the land, the sky, the air. And it was completely silent. Even Hex's footfalls failed to make any noise at all. The motion of his legs - step, step, step - was all that told him he was moving at all.
Hex would have considered it all very unnerving, if he didn't know it was a dream.
Hex had a talent he considered a gift in every way: he was a lucid dreamer. It was an incomplete talent, and he preferred it that way. He knew when he was dreaming, and he could control his own actions or call objects to himself easily. With a bit of effort, he could sometimes alter the immediate area, or invoke some power even greater then the magic he could wield in real life. He could not alter the actions or abilities of others, however, or the greater scene. And, once in a while, he found all these abilities stripped from him - he was left to wander what he knew was a dream without any way to enact his will upon it.
This was one of those times. But Hex did not panic - this was not a loss of power or strength, it was merely his mind. His mind was taking him somewhere, trying to show him something. For now, he just had to keep walking.
Knowing that he wouldn't see a thing, but that he needed to give this dream a chance to change, he looked around. He looked to each side, back over his shoulders, and then looked forward again. It worked. Ahead of him, a shadow had appeared. Hex smiled to himself. He couldn't consciously manipulate this dream, but this was still his mind. He was in charge.
Or was he? Hex's heart began to beat faster. The shadow was getting larger, very rapidly. But it wasn't moving towards him, he was moving towards it. He looked down at his feet, and found the floor had melted away. He had lost control of his dream.
His breath came rapidly, but he tried to control it. He was rushing towards the shadow, so fast now that he could feel the rush of air. His eyes began to water, a cold chill ran over his body. He was no longer wearing what he had had on before, he couldn't even remember what it had been. He was now wearing nothing but the pants he slept in, like he had been picked up straight out of bed. A horrible revelation crept over him: for the first time in six years, for the first time since he was ten years old, he had lost control. He was lost in a nightmare.
He couldn't lose himself to the nightmare, he couldn't lose himself to the fear. He focused, his eyes glaring against the rush of wind. The shadow was almost on him. He clenched his fists and steeled himself for impact - just in case.
And the dark was upon him. For a moment, there was no sensation. And then, a wave passed over him from head to toe, he could feel it, but he didn't feel any different after it passed. A second after it did, he was launched into a flash of light. When he could see again, he found himself flying head long through a hall of mirrors. His clothes fluttered about him - black jeans, a gray shirt marked in electric blue tribal designs, and a dark blue club shirt with similar black tribal markings on it. It had buttons, but he wore it open, and it was baggy, about one size too big. Hex of course couldn't see the back, but he knew what was there: black tribal markings in the form of angelic wings. Some of his armor, his leg protectors and shoulder protectors, were also on. This was him, this was his Clan uniform. This was him having regained some form of control. That was what that wave had been, his mind exerting control where it could, over his own body. But he was still unarmed, his combat gloves and bucklers were not present.
The hall was coming to an end, and it looked for a moment that Hex might smash head long into the wall of mirrors there. But he could feel himself falling, and knew he would land first. He brought his legs forward just in time, landing with enough force that he had to bring his body forward to the ground and catch himself on his hands. He caught himself on one hand.
Hex rose, and he could feel the anger burning on his face. Had anyone else been there, they would've seen blue sparks coming from his eyes and back, the latter forming the broken outline of wings. But there was no one else there, of course, and Hex himself had never seen the energy. He didn't even know about it.
He looked around, trying to get his breath and anger under control. As he did, the sparks faded. He was lost in a nightmare, but he could not lose himself to the fear. He had to fight his way out, as he had that last nightmare when he was ten. He saw now that the hall he had been hurtling down was gone, that he was now surrounded by a circular wall of mirrors. In the one immediately ahead of him, he could see his own reflection. In the rest, shadowy figures of different shapes and sizes, but otherwise featureless, save for two or three that seemed to have wings.
Having nowhere to go, Hex only stood there for a moment. His breathing now under control, silence settled around him. He was very startled when the voice spoke into his head.
-Who are you?-
Hex answered immediately, without fear. He would never admit it, but this wasn't the first time he had heard a voice in his head. "My name is Hex..."
-I did not ask your name. I asked who you are.-
"I'm no one."
-No, you are the Vagabond Hero.-
Hex's breath caught in his throat. He had been called that by the voices before, when the nightmares had been at their worst. "What is this?"
-This is the beginning.-
Hex scoffed. "Right, sorry, sure. Should have guessed."
-Yes, you should have.-
"I'll fight my way out, you know."
-Yes, you will.-
"I've beaten you before."
-No, you beat them.-
Hex raised an eyebrow. "Them?"
-You will know them in a moment.-
"Yippee. Look, what is this?"
-This is the beginning.-
Hex shook his head. "You're repeating yourself."
-So are you.-
"Who are the others in the mirrors?" Hex decided it best to change the subject.
-They may be your allies.- As the voice spoke, a few of the shadowy shapes lit up, revealing them for what they were. Hex looked around at those that had done so.
The first mirror to draw his attention showed what could only be described as a rabbit woman. She was very attractive, with short, light brown fur over the whole of her hourglass figure. She had the ears of a rabbit, as well. Her only unattractive feature also seemed very out of place - her fingers were darker then the rest of her, and were nothing short of long, slender claws. She wore a loose red robe and matching cape, a feather hat, and red knee high boots.
Hex turned to another mirror, and saw a young blue dragon reflected in it. In the next, a gray haired young man, again about Hex's own age. He wore dark clothes with no sleeves, and a twisted headband. His eyes were dark and his hair was gray. He was smirking, like he was up to something, but Hex knew the eyes of someone hiding deep pain when he saw them.
There were others, as well. Here, a dark skinned, dark haired girl wearing a single piece skirt of animal leather. Here, a skinny scholar wearing strange blue robes and a blue crystal around his neck. But it was the mirrors on either side of the one showing Hex's own reflection that were the most startling.
The mirror on the right showed a woman of pale skin, with dark blue, wavy hair. She wore a loose, low-cut robe, the same color as her hair and trimmed in silver. In one hand she carried a katana, finely crafted and glowing with magical energy. In the other hand, she held a strange, simple key. It was silver and gold in color, and its were teeth carved to form the outline of a crown. Hex recognized her immediately; she was the woman he had once loved, perhaps still loved. She was his Clan-mate, Crystal.
The mirror on the left showed another young man, a year or so younger than Hex. This fighter wore combat gloves and an outfit similar to Hex's, replacing blood red for Hex's electric and dark blues. The two were friends and rivals, having trained under the same teacher in the same style of martial arts, and having fallen for the same girl. The young man had dark hair and eyes, a stark contrast to Hex's blond hair and blue eyes. This young man's name was Damon.
-And they may be your enemies.-
Hex took a step towards the mirror, but three others appeared in front of him. In one was a sword, ornately crafted. In the next was a shield, decorated in tribal wings. The third showed a pair of gloves, one plain, the other decorated in the same electric blue tribal markings as Hex's shirt and long enough to reach halfway to his elbow.
-The sword represents strength of the body, the power to destroy. The shield represents strength of spirit, the power to protect. The gloves represent strength of will, the power to change. You must choose one.-
Hex did not ask any questions. He thought for a moment, and then reached towards the mirror showing the gloves. When his hand should have hit the glass, it instead went into the mirror. When he pulled his hand away, he found the gloves were on his hands, the longer on his right arm.
-Now, you must discard one.-
Hex looked from the sword to the shield, and reached toward the sword. When his hand hit the glass, the mirror shattered. As the pieces hit the floor, they disappeared.
-You would choose the power to shape over the power to destroy, and use it to protect that which is?-
"...I would."
-Then step forward.- As the voice spoke, the two remaining mirrors, and the mirror showing his reflection, vanished. Hex was done with speaking, done with wondering. He knew it was now time to meet them, that it was now time to fight.
-Do not be afraid,- the voice spoke as Hex walked toward the opening. He looked up into the inky blackness above him, but said nothing. He was not afraid.
A moment after stepping into the darkness, Hex found himself standing on a platform of stained glass. It was an intricate pattern, but it didn't seem to portray anything specific. Situated at equal intervals along the edge of the platform were six large gems of different colors. Each was set on an ornately carved pedestal, and each pedestal seemed to have a different elemental motif. But each of the crystals was dim, like it was hollow and filled with darkness.
Hex looked at each of the crystals, one after another. As he turned around the platform, shadows formed at the base of each pedestal. When he had turned completely, each of the shadows formed into a small, black gremlin-like creature. Hex didn't know what they were exactly, but they had haunted his nightmares before, and he would have to fight them now.
-Heartless.- The voice spoke this single word as the creatures leapt at him.
They moved erratically, but quickly. The first was upon Hex in a flash, but he smacked it aside with his gloved right hand. As he did, a burst of blue energy was released from is hand. The creature, the Heartless, dropped to the ground and melted into a puddle of shadow, which then disappeared.
The sudden defeat of the first of the Shadows startled the rest, and Hex had a moment to prepare an attack. He waved his hand in an arc in front of him, and three darts of the same blue energy shot from his hand. Three more of the Shadows fell. This left only two, and they attacked together. But Hex was prepared for this, as well, and he kicked one to the ground as he hit the other with another blast. The one he kicked lay stunned, and Hex finished it before it stood again.
"Is this the best my nightmares can throw at me these days?" Hex laughed. But even as he did so, each of the crystals gave of a burst of their element. Fire and water, earth and air, light and darkness...the bursts converged in the center of the platform above Hex's head. He dove out of the way as they hit each other, and as the blast of light and rush of sound faded, Hex looked up to see that a black and blue dragon had appeared. It was almost demonic in appearance, but strangely beautiful, as well. On its forehead was a strange mark, a sort of black heart outlined in blue, with lines crossing through it and three points at the bottom. Hex didn't really recognize the mark, but it did seem vaguely familiar.
-Don't just stand there, Hex!- The voice snapped Hex back to attention. -You must fight! You must beat it-
Hex nodded to himself and prepared for the dragon's charge. It was big, but not much more then twice his own size. It didn't take to the air for some reason, but Hex didn't take this for granted. He met the dragon head on before it could.
The dragon went to bite Hex, and he barely pulled his arm away from its jaws in time. He hit it in the head with a burst before it could recover from the lunge, and the blow seemed to daze it. It shook its head, and turned to Hex to attack again. This time, it unfurled its wings, but Hex hit it before it could take to the darkness above. It faltered, and Hex took the chance to leap on its back. From there, it was a simple matter to hit the dragon in the back of the head with a powerful burst, all before the dragon had time to react to his presence there. It let out a roar, and then vanished the same way it had appeared. Hex found himself dumped unceremoniously on the floor below. As he got to his feet, the voice spoke again, answering his next question before he asked it.
-That was the Prismatic Dragon. It will not be so easy a foe when you face the real thing, nor will it be so...small...-
Hex cocked his head to one side. Small? he thought.
-That is all, for now. It is time to awake. Your journey begins tonight.-