Kingdom Hearts FanFiction
"Vagabond Hearts"
Legal Stuff:
Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, and all related characters aren't my property, yadda-yadda-yadda. I'm not making money off this, it isn't copyright infringement, etc. I hypocritically request that none of my original characters be used without my permission, and so on. Play the Neopets CCG. It's fun.
Oh, and Neopets isn't mine, either...
Chapter 3
Hex followed Locke and Aurelie down the passage, a few steps behind them. When he had fallen through the portal, he had been confused by his surroundings and the disappearance of the Heartless demon he had followed. A split second later, he recognized Aurelie and Locke from the mirrors in his dream, which confused him more. Another split second later, he remembered what was about to fall on him, and remembered that he didn't have time for confusion or questions.
It was all one hell of a head-trip. First, the little imps that had haunted his nightmares as a child turn out to be real. Then, two of the people he had seen in his most recent nightmare, the first nightmare he had had in six years, turn out to be real. Real people.
Hell of a head-trip. Unless he was dreaming all this right now. That seemed pretty possible. Maybe he was still back at the Lifebeat...
No, this is what had happened when he was ten. He had spent his days walking through real life and believing it was a dream, taking his dreams and nightmares as truth. And somewhere in that haze, he lost control of his growing Fate, and in turn, had lost his family...
Hex looked up from his thoughts and saw that his two new companions had stopped at an ornately carved door. Locke was kneeling next to door, attempting to pick the lock. A loud and violent curse indicated that he wasn't having much success. Aurelie giggled and looked over at Hex. She smiled and waved him over, and he stepped up to the door.
"You have to be very quite," she said in a hissing, mock whisper. "Locke really needs to concentrate."
Locke mumbled something in response, but Hex didn't catch it. In return, Aurelie began making faces at Locke behind Locke's back, and Hex couldn't help but laugh. At this, Locke looked up sharply. "Do you want to try this?" he snapped. "Think you can do better?"
"Oh, Locke, stop it," Aurelie scolded. "We're just having fun."
"It's all right, Aurelie," Hex said. And it was. In that moment, Hex saw that pained determination in Locke's eyes, the same pain he could tell Locke's image in the mirror was trying to hide. "Here, Locke. I've done a couple locks before, I'll give this one a try."
Locke breathed deeply, and then handed his lock pick to Hex. "Go for it," he said, stepping aside. Hex stepped up to the door and ran his hand over it, trying to get a feel for the locking mechanism. As he did, the door suddenly swung open.
The three of them stood looking at the door in surprise for a moment before Aurelie said, "See, Locke? You did get it."
Locke shook his head. "No I didn't."
Hex looked into the darkness beyond the door, but he couldn't make anything out. He glanced at Locke and Aurelie, and then stepped through. When he got a few feet in, clear of the door, an unseen light flared. He heard Aurelie and Locke yell out in surprise, but the sound was cut short when the door slammed shut behind Hex.
Hex whirled around and began pulling on the door, but it wouldn't budge. He pounded on it, but doing so made no noise. Confused and a little nervous, he turned back around to get a look at his new surroundings. It came as a great shock to see that he had been here before.
He was in the Shrine of Elemental Hearts, that same stained glass floor floating in darkness he had visited in his dream. This was almost too much for Hex, the final straw, and he felt himself slipping into shock as his mind reeled from the mixture of dream and reality. He could feel his Fate begin to slip, he could feel a magical storm of air and sparking electricity forming around him. He was saved by the voice.
-There are many worlds, but they all share one sky...-
Hex looked up, trying to find a source for the voice this time. But it seemed to come from all around him, and he couldn't pinpoint it.
-One sky, one destiny...-
"What is this?" Hex demanded. Fear and shock were giving way to anger.
-You've asked that question before. This is the beginning.-
Hex took a deep breath. "The beginning of what?"
-Of your journey towards your destiny, Vagabond Hero."
"Stop that! I'm not this Vagabond Hero you're talking about!"
-Yes, you are. And you were always meant to be.-
"No, I'm just a Clan fighter, a student of Fate!"
-A student of Fate, and a hero of Destiny.-
Hex glared into the dark ceiling above. "Not that kind of Fate," he said.
-On the contrary, that kind of Fate.-
"But I wasn't the only one in Neon who studied Fate. Why am I the only one here?"
-Because this is your Fate. The others, your friends, have their own Fates. But you are not alone.-
"What do you mean?" Hex asked. "First, I'm alone. Then, I'm not. Which is it?"
-I mean that your Destiny is your own, but you need not walk the path towards it alone. And I mean that others carry Destinies just as important as yours in the coming battle against the Heartless.-
As the voice spoke, a misty image appeared in the center of the floor. Hex stepped towards it, looked within to see through the mists. He saw three children playing, dueling and racing. They were only a couple years younger then him, but they seemed more child-like, less serious. One, however, a gray-haired youth who reminded Hex of Damon - he seemed like he had deeper thoughts then he shared with his companions...darker thoughts, even.
After a moment, the image focused on the other boy, a grinning, dark- haired youth. The image froze, the boy was stuck in the middle of a wild swing with a wooden sword. "Who is that kid?" Hex asked.
-His name is Sora, and he carries a large Destiny. I fear it may be too large for his young shoulders, which is why I brought you here.
-Sora is more then he appears, possessing a power he knows nothing about. He is a Keyblade Master, perhaps the most powerful of any, save King Mickey himself. I admit, he was not our first choice, but the other boy has chosen the darkness even before the choice has been presented to him...-
Hex didn't recognize the name, but he was quickly coming to grips with the idea that something very real, very dangerous, and much bigger then him was working here. He did not ask the voice for clarification, but let it continue.
-Sora must battle the man responsible for the rise of the Heartless himself.-
The image shifted now, showing an aging, dark skin man. Hex could make out all the details of his dress and face - he wore a Heartless symbol over his robes, and seemed on the brink of death. He was surrounded by darkness, a darkness so deep and powerful that it seemed very much alive. Hex feared it actually was. As Hex watched, the man seemed to cast off his very body, giving to the darkness and allowing his spirit to drift away.
-His name is Ansem.- the voice finished.
-Sora must stop him from opening the doors to Kingdom Hearts, the beginning of all worlds. Ansem believes that darkness lies within, and he seeks to return all things to this darkness.-
"So what lies within?" Hex asked.
-When the time is right, you will know the answer to that question in your heart.-
Hex nodded, and let the voice continue as he gazed back into the mist.
-But Ansem has released others evils, other beings of darkness in his bid for power. These evils are too numerous for Sora and King Mickey alone. And so, we have called others. I have chosen you.-
Hex sighed deeply and looked at the ground. "What do I have to do?"
-Ansem has released the Heartless, and they seek to return all things to darkness at his request. But not all of them follow his command. Among those released with free will is a powerful Heartless demon known now as Chaos.
-Chaos seeks to go beyond returning all worlds to their beginnings. He wants to keep them, but he wants to plunge them into madness. Look around you. The six crystals you see are the Elemental Hearts, the hearts of the very forces of magic and creation. Ansem's efforts have shattered the boundaries between Kingdoms, which has in turn upset the balance. The Elemental Hearts were contained here for the safety of all Kingdoms. They are dark inside, now. Their lights are no longer contained, and Chaos or any other force now has access to them. Chaos has already gained the power of the Elemental Heart of Chaos, the key to his plans. Should Chaos gain control of the rest, he could use them to plunge all worlds into eternal pandemonium. All Kingdoms would be places of fear and destruction.-
"Wow," Hex said. "What a jerk..."
-I will grant you the power to stop Chaos, if you would have it.-
"...So, I have a choice..?"
-Yes. What will your decision be?"
"...Why me?"
-It takes a powerful heart to stand against the Heartless. And it takes a special heart to hold that power when all ties to home have been cut. Sora and his companion each possesses such strength, and you possess a strength both similar and intrinsically different . You possess a Vagabond Heart, a willingness to save those homes and histories that you can never be a part of. That is why I have chosen you.-
Hex closed his eyes. "Will I ever see my home again?"
-Yes. As a matter of fact, there will come a time when your home will be an important stage in the battle against Chaos. But do you really care if you see your home or past again?"
Hex thought for a moment. When he answered, he was sad to say it, but it was a very true answer, an answer he felt in his heart and soul, an answer he truly believed.
"No, I don't care. Not in the face of this danger. If I have to sacrifice my home and past to do what is right, then I will."
-That is the power of the Vagabond Heart. Even Sora will have trouble coming to grips with the loss of home and friends, and returning to both will be a drive that will put his entire quest in jeopardy. At the same time, however, it will be a driving force behind his fulfilling it.-
"But not for me," Hex said. "For me, all that matters is that my world and friends remain. It doesn't matter if I see them again...Huh. Power of the Vagabond Heart? Seems more like a curse. Guess my name finally makes sense to me now."
-This has been planned for quite some time...-
"Do you know what happened to my family?" Hex didn't know why he asked that question, but it suddenly struck him that whatever he was talking to might know. Hex himself had no memory of the incident that took their lives.
-Yes. Would you like to know?-
"No...not yet." Hex decided he shouldn't know yet, as suddenly as he had realized this voice could give him the answer. He looked up. "So, what's this power?"
-Fire and Water. Earth and Air. Light and Darkness. All exist in Balance, the essence of all things. This is your power: the EssenceHand.-
The mists before Hex vanished, and were replaced by a seventh pedestal. On this pedestal was a pair of powerful-looking combat gloves. They both reached as high as the elbow. The left hand glove was lightly armored, while the right hand glove was thickly armored. Though the main portion of the glove reached only to the elbow, the armored plate extending from the wrist like a shield reached to the shoulder. Hex reached towards the gloves, and when his hand touched them, they were suddenly on him. For a second, some detached part of Hex's mind wondered wildly how he would get these things off if he didn't know how he got them on. But the thought was scattered by the sounds of Locke and Aurelie pounding and yelling at the door.
-They will aid you as loyal friends, if you are a loyal friend to them. Remember that they have their own quests, though. They, too, have been chosen for a reason, and their quests are part of the greater one. Follow them at times. Do not always demand they follow you.-
Hex nodded, and silently stepped towards the door. As he reached towards it, already adapting to the extra weight and strange sense of movement in his right arm, the voice spoke again. Hex stopped to listen.
-Hex. Make sure Chaos is destroyed before the last Elemental Heart is lit. Disaster would follow if it is not. Do not let Chaos stand in the light of the Kingdoms.-
Hex nodded again, and reached to open the door.
Legal Stuff:
Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, and all related characters aren't my property, yadda-yadda-yadda. I'm not making money off this, it isn't copyright infringement, etc. I hypocritically request that none of my original characters be used without my permission, and so on. Play the Neopets CCG. It's fun.
Oh, and Neopets isn't mine, either...
Chapter 3
Hex followed Locke and Aurelie down the passage, a few steps behind them. When he had fallen through the portal, he had been confused by his surroundings and the disappearance of the Heartless demon he had followed. A split second later, he recognized Aurelie and Locke from the mirrors in his dream, which confused him more. Another split second later, he remembered what was about to fall on him, and remembered that he didn't have time for confusion or questions.
It was all one hell of a head-trip. First, the little imps that had haunted his nightmares as a child turn out to be real. Then, two of the people he had seen in his most recent nightmare, the first nightmare he had had in six years, turn out to be real. Real people.
Hell of a head-trip. Unless he was dreaming all this right now. That seemed pretty possible. Maybe he was still back at the Lifebeat...
No, this is what had happened when he was ten. He had spent his days walking through real life and believing it was a dream, taking his dreams and nightmares as truth. And somewhere in that haze, he lost control of his growing Fate, and in turn, had lost his family...
Hex looked up from his thoughts and saw that his two new companions had stopped at an ornately carved door. Locke was kneeling next to door, attempting to pick the lock. A loud and violent curse indicated that he wasn't having much success. Aurelie giggled and looked over at Hex. She smiled and waved him over, and he stepped up to the door.
"You have to be very quite," she said in a hissing, mock whisper. "Locke really needs to concentrate."
Locke mumbled something in response, but Hex didn't catch it. In return, Aurelie began making faces at Locke behind Locke's back, and Hex couldn't help but laugh. At this, Locke looked up sharply. "Do you want to try this?" he snapped. "Think you can do better?"
"Oh, Locke, stop it," Aurelie scolded. "We're just having fun."
"It's all right, Aurelie," Hex said. And it was. In that moment, Hex saw that pained determination in Locke's eyes, the same pain he could tell Locke's image in the mirror was trying to hide. "Here, Locke. I've done a couple locks before, I'll give this one a try."
Locke breathed deeply, and then handed his lock pick to Hex. "Go for it," he said, stepping aside. Hex stepped up to the door and ran his hand over it, trying to get a feel for the locking mechanism. As he did, the door suddenly swung open.
The three of them stood looking at the door in surprise for a moment before Aurelie said, "See, Locke? You did get it."
Locke shook his head. "No I didn't."
Hex looked into the darkness beyond the door, but he couldn't make anything out. He glanced at Locke and Aurelie, and then stepped through. When he got a few feet in, clear of the door, an unseen light flared. He heard Aurelie and Locke yell out in surprise, but the sound was cut short when the door slammed shut behind Hex.
Hex whirled around and began pulling on the door, but it wouldn't budge. He pounded on it, but doing so made no noise. Confused and a little nervous, he turned back around to get a look at his new surroundings. It came as a great shock to see that he had been here before.
He was in the Shrine of Elemental Hearts, that same stained glass floor floating in darkness he had visited in his dream. This was almost too much for Hex, the final straw, and he felt himself slipping into shock as his mind reeled from the mixture of dream and reality. He could feel his Fate begin to slip, he could feel a magical storm of air and sparking electricity forming around him. He was saved by the voice.
-There are many worlds, but they all share one sky...-
Hex looked up, trying to find a source for the voice this time. But it seemed to come from all around him, and he couldn't pinpoint it.
-One sky, one destiny...-
"What is this?" Hex demanded. Fear and shock were giving way to anger.
-You've asked that question before. This is the beginning.-
Hex took a deep breath. "The beginning of what?"
-Of your journey towards your destiny, Vagabond Hero."
"Stop that! I'm not this Vagabond Hero you're talking about!"
-Yes, you are. And you were always meant to be.-
"No, I'm just a Clan fighter, a student of Fate!"
-A student of Fate, and a hero of Destiny.-
Hex glared into the dark ceiling above. "Not that kind of Fate," he said.
-On the contrary, that kind of Fate.-
"But I wasn't the only one in Neon who studied Fate. Why am I the only one here?"
-Because this is your Fate. The others, your friends, have their own Fates. But you are not alone.-
"What do you mean?" Hex asked. "First, I'm alone. Then, I'm not. Which is it?"
-I mean that your Destiny is your own, but you need not walk the path towards it alone. And I mean that others carry Destinies just as important as yours in the coming battle against the Heartless.-
As the voice spoke, a misty image appeared in the center of the floor. Hex stepped towards it, looked within to see through the mists. He saw three children playing, dueling and racing. They were only a couple years younger then him, but they seemed more child-like, less serious. One, however, a gray-haired youth who reminded Hex of Damon - he seemed like he had deeper thoughts then he shared with his companions...darker thoughts, even.
After a moment, the image focused on the other boy, a grinning, dark- haired youth. The image froze, the boy was stuck in the middle of a wild swing with a wooden sword. "Who is that kid?" Hex asked.
-His name is Sora, and he carries a large Destiny. I fear it may be too large for his young shoulders, which is why I brought you here.
-Sora is more then he appears, possessing a power he knows nothing about. He is a Keyblade Master, perhaps the most powerful of any, save King Mickey himself. I admit, he was not our first choice, but the other boy has chosen the darkness even before the choice has been presented to him...-
Hex didn't recognize the name, but he was quickly coming to grips with the idea that something very real, very dangerous, and much bigger then him was working here. He did not ask the voice for clarification, but let it continue.
-Sora must battle the man responsible for the rise of the Heartless himself.-
The image shifted now, showing an aging, dark skin man. Hex could make out all the details of his dress and face - he wore a Heartless symbol over his robes, and seemed on the brink of death. He was surrounded by darkness, a darkness so deep and powerful that it seemed very much alive. Hex feared it actually was. As Hex watched, the man seemed to cast off his very body, giving to the darkness and allowing his spirit to drift away.
-His name is Ansem.- the voice finished.
-Sora must stop him from opening the doors to Kingdom Hearts, the beginning of all worlds. Ansem believes that darkness lies within, and he seeks to return all things to this darkness.-
"So what lies within?" Hex asked.
-When the time is right, you will know the answer to that question in your heart.-
Hex nodded, and let the voice continue as he gazed back into the mist.
-But Ansem has released others evils, other beings of darkness in his bid for power. These evils are too numerous for Sora and King Mickey alone. And so, we have called others. I have chosen you.-
Hex sighed deeply and looked at the ground. "What do I have to do?"
-Ansem has released the Heartless, and they seek to return all things to darkness at his request. But not all of them follow his command. Among those released with free will is a powerful Heartless demon known now as Chaos.
-Chaos seeks to go beyond returning all worlds to their beginnings. He wants to keep them, but he wants to plunge them into madness. Look around you. The six crystals you see are the Elemental Hearts, the hearts of the very forces of magic and creation. Ansem's efforts have shattered the boundaries between Kingdoms, which has in turn upset the balance. The Elemental Hearts were contained here for the safety of all Kingdoms. They are dark inside, now. Their lights are no longer contained, and Chaos or any other force now has access to them. Chaos has already gained the power of the Elemental Heart of Chaos, the key to his plans. Should Chaos gain control of the rest, he could use them to plunge all worlds into eternal pandemonium. All Kingdoms would be places of fear and destruction.-
"Wow," Hex said. "What a jerk..."
-I will grant you the power to stop Chaos, if you would have it.-
"...So, I have a choice..?"
-Yes. What will your decision be?"
"...Why me?"
-It takes a powerful heart to stand against the Heartless. And it takes a special heart to hold that power when all ties to home have been cut. Sora and his companion each possesses such strength, and you possess a strength both similar and intrinsically different . You possess a Vagabond Heart, a willingness to save those homes and histories that you can never be a part of. That is why I have chosen you.-
Hex closed his eyes. "Will I ever see my home again?"
-Yes. As a matter of fact, there will come a time when your home will be an important stage in the battle against Chaos. But do you really care if you see your home or past again?"
Hex thought for a moment. When he answered, he was sad to say it, but it was a very true answer, an answer he felt in his heart and soul, an answer he truly believed.
"No, I don't care. Not in the face of this danger. If I have to sacrifice my home and past to do what is right, then I will."
-That is the power of the Vagabond Heart. Even Sora will have trouble coming to grips with the loss of home and friends, and returning to both will be a drive that will put his entire quest in jeopardy. At the same time, however, it will be a driving force behind his fulfilling it.-
"But not for me," Hex said. "For me, all that matters is that my world and friends remain. It doesn't matter if I see them again...Huh. Power of the Vagabond Heart? Seems more like a curse. Guess my name finally makes sense to me now."
-This has been planned for quite some time...-
"Do you know what happened to my family?" Hex didn't know why he asked that question, but it suddenly struck him that whatever he was talking to might know. Hex himself had no memory of the incident that took their lives.
-Yes. Would you like to know?-
"No...not yet." Hex decided he shouldn't know yet, as suddenly as he had realized this voice could give him the answer. He looked up. "So, what's this power?"
-Fire and Water. Earth and Air. Light and Darkness. All exist in Balance, the essence of all things. This is your power: the EssenceHand.-
The mists before Hex vanished, and were replaced by a seventh pedestal. On this pedestal was a pair of powerful-looking combat gloves. They both reached as high as the elbow. The left hand glove was lightly armored, while the right hand glove was thickly armored. Though the main portion of the glove reached only to the elbow, the armored plate extending from the wrist like a shield reached to the shoulder. Hex reached towards the gloves, and when his hand touched them, they were suddenly on him. For a second, some detached part of Hex's mind wondered wildly how he would get these things off if he didn't know how he got them on. But the thought was scattered by the sounds of Locke and Aurelie pounding and yelling at the door.
-They will aid you as loyal friends, if you are a loyal friend to them. Remember that they have their own quests, though. They, too, have been chosen for a reason, and their quests are part of the greater one. Follow them at times. Do not always demand they follow you.-
Hex nodded, and silently stepped towards the door. As he reached towards it, already adapting to the extra weight and strange sense of movement in his right arm, the voice spoke again. Hex stopped to listen.
-Hex. Make sure Chaos is destroyed before the last Elemental Heart is lit. Disaster would follow if it is not. Do not let Chaos stand in the light of the Kingdoms.-
Hex nodded again, and reached to open the door.