Metaphysics (Kingdom Hearts)

Author: Sakura123
Rating: K+
Genre: General
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is copyrighted to Disney interactive and Square Enix.
Summary: Sora wonders about the 'Metaphysics' of his journey and the people he has come to know.
Chapters: 1 of 3
Chapt. 1: Created: 8/14/06
Finished: 8/21/06

Author's note: This my third Kingdom Hearts story ever written, ironically its the first one I'll be posting. While Sora isn't my favorite character, I thought I'd so a story concerning his thoughts after certain events in the games (minus Chain Of Memories since I don't own a GBA and only read the magna version - vol. 1 and 2). Constructive Criticism only.

1: Metaphysics of 'What If (Hero Worship)'

'We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other,' Leon's words wrought a strange, but not unfamiliar, emotion within him. It was one he didn't like feeling and one that hit him square in the chest. He remembered asking his mother, as a child, why his father was absent and her telling him because he had to go away. When Sora asked if he was coming back his mother replied "No, sweetheart, he can't come back. Where's he gone he can't, even if he wanted to." At fourteen he knew his mother never meant to hurt him with her words, she was just being truthful, but as a kid those words saddened him. Even made him cry afterwards which in turn had his mother taking him out on the town just to cheer him up. In short, it worked but he still felt sad afterward.

That was the word he was looking for: Sad. He was sad because of what Leon said, nevermind Yuffie's attempt to defrost the melancholy atmosphere Leon's words brought over the already bleak air.

'Remember, no frowning. No sad face,'

Nevertheless Sora decided to keep his spirits up and answer back to Yuffie. "What's that supposed to mean!" He proclaimed in mock-anger. Yuffie waved her hand at him again turning her back to him. Sora decided to drop it, trying to calm his body still radiating with excitement from battling the behemoth Heartless inside the distorted world attached to Hollow Bastion. Goofy and Donald were behind him examining the large heart shaped hole they had come from. Goofy's hand was upon his chin as he spoke to Donald who appeared to agree with whatever Goofy was saying to him, tapping his foot as he did so.

Sora grinned at the two memories of his more friendlier conversations with Riku before he got the age his mother says relationships "become strained." He frowned at the memories of Riku's cold distant behavior toward him and constant taunting the older he got. Sora did his best to understand the changes, but he had yet to go through them himself so he was a complete lost most of the time when he wasn't upset with Riku. It was never like that Kairi; Kairi teased him yeah, called him a lazy bum, yes, but never said or did these things as harshly as Riku did. Her teasing was nice, friendly. Scratching his head Sora took his time examine all of his comrades. His friends. "Where ever we go, our hearts we always be connected," Aerith smiled back in secret appreciation for his hard work. Sora felt his cheeks burning as he grinned, teeth bearing. He looked away in time to hear Goofy and Donald calling him.

"Sora! Hurry up!" Donald muddled speech pattern was the first thing to reach his ears. He turned around completely this time, Donald had his hand to his feathered hand close to his mouth, Goofy was waving to him. "Hurry, come and close the keyhole!" Goofy called to him. Sora nodded his head, he glanced briefly at Leon who nodded his head toward the young man's companions. Sora rushed across the short distance while Goofy and Donald jumped off the strange contraption to join him at his side. His right reached past his waist toward his left side where the keyblade materialized in his grasp, with a fancy twirl of the prophetic weapon Sora aimed the keyblade at the spectrum of colors within the heart shaped hole. A beam light emitted from the end of the Keyblade hitting the center of the portal, the shape of a keyhole appeared and a clank sound followed. Sora twirled the weapon around once more, the middle of the weapon landed gracefully on his shoulder. "Nice work, Sora," Yuffie congratulated. Sroa grinned in response rubbing the tip of his nose. He turned around to face Aerith and Leon only to find Aerith and an empty space. His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Hey, where'd Leon go?" He blurted, looking every-wihich-way. "Leon went to the library," Aerith informed. Yuffie nodded in affirmative. "Yeah, that's where he goes to think. When he wasn't home that is," Yuffie muttered.

Sora scratched his head in bewilderment. That man was quiet was he was fast! He had only turned his back for a second and Leon was gone. It felt like a second anyhow, Sora thought wearily. Yuffie noticed the confusion on the young man's face and offered a solution. "Believe me, like all of us it took Leon forever to get that quiet. 25 years to be exact," Yuffie said, a bit uncertainty. Sora shot the girl another surprised look, only this time it there was an edge of sadness to it. "You've been away from your home, for twenty-five years?" He asked, trying to count with his fingers. Aerith shook her head. "No, eleven years. We thought what had happened to our world was something of freak occurence. It turns out it was only first in the many worlds to be devoured by the Heartless. According to King Mickey that is," Aerith explained. Sora's eyebrows raised in confirmation that he understood, he closed pressed his fingers on his palm and nodded vigorously. "Well, in that case, I gotta ask him something!" Sora proclaimed. Aerith and Yuffie shot each other wary glance but nodded to the boy nevertheless. Sora rushed past Aerith down the carpeted stairs, Donald and Goofy following after him.

When Sora entered the library he expected to find Leon standing in plain sight. The fourteen year-old was granted no such luck however. Sora noticed the shelves had been shifted about from the positions he had put them in when he was scrounging around for boxes, Trinity points and Dalmatians. Leon's doing obviously. His companions followed him as he tried to shift the shelves back the way he remembered them, under the impression that Leon was pondering behind them, but to no avail. Sroa found himself more confused and more lost in the maze of shifting book shelves than the last time. He scratched his head in frustration, his fingernails constantly blocked from his scalp by the locks of hair upon his head. Goofy came up beside the teenager with an equally perplexed expression. "Hmmm . . . I don't get it? How come its not workin' like it did before?" Goofy mumbled, consumed in thought. Sora shrugged while Donald proceeded to glare daggers at the closest bookshelf he could find. Waddling up to the shelf he gave it a sure and swift kick. The shelf barely shuddered from the ferocity of the duck's second kick and didn't move at all come his third one. "Stupid shelves, work correctly will ya'!" He bellowed, shaking his fifsts.

Sora pulled himself from his train of thought to give his shorter friend a reprimanding look. "I don't think that's gonna work, Donald," Sora said, not at all harsh. Donald turned swiftly on one webbed foot and glared at his spiky-haired friend. "I don't see you doing anything to help! You either Goofy," The wizard spat angrily. Sora glared in return, Donald had a lot of gall to say he wasn't doing anything to help. He was the one that did most of the pushing! Him and Goofy anyhow, Donald could very little given his upper body strength wasn't very great. Compared to his wizardry anyhow.

Goofy lowered his hand from his chin while his eyes focused on his shorter friend. "Gwarsh Donald, I was thinkin' of a way to help. No need 'ta be testy," Goofy offered in his usual oblivious manner. Whether Goofy acted out on behavior purposely or not Sora had yet to determine; Goofy was a stranger character than Donald, at least he could pin down most of the characteristics of the duck. Goofy was a harder nut to crack. Sora was startled out of his thoughts as Donald let out a cry of utter rage. "What are we even doing here! We're supposed to be on the next world already! Sora!" Donald locked his large onyx eyes on the teenager in front of him, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Forget about asking Leon questions, and focus on what's important!"

Sora hunched over his fist was raised and his eyes narrowed. "This is important! Quit being such a jerk, Donald!" Sora bellowed angrily. Goofy stepped between the two just as Donald raised his wand and Sora swung on of his fists, he placed his gloved hands upon his friends foreheads and watched briefly as they tired to exchange blows. "Now, hold on just a minute fellers! There's gotta be a better way of settlin' this----! Gwarsh," Goofy's sudden loss of command in his voice caused the two squabblers to stop their battle and cast their gaze upon their lanky friend. Goofy's attention was on the path a head of them, they looked down the green tiled path and spotted the even taller, more built figure Sora had been seeking out. "Hiyuck, hiya Leon!" Goofy said, his voice more cheery. Leon gave a short nod of his head to Goofy then focused his blue eyes on Sora and Donald, his expression impassive. Donald and Sora straightened up from their current positions and straightened themselves out, no matter how futile it may have seemed. "Hey, Leon, what's up?" Sora inquired casually resting his hands behind his head.

"I heard you wanted to talk to me," Leon stated in a more of a fact than a question. Sora dropped his bored visage and nodded eagerly. "Um, yeah! I wanted to ask you something," Sora answered, a little confused by how he knew. Was Donald yelling that loud? Leon lowered his gaze down to the floor for a moment then looked back up at Sora with the same expressionless look. "Follow me then," He said finally, turning to walk off. Sora grinned in triumph his mouth ready to blurt the burning question from his throat. He followed after Leon though was careful to keep his footfalls from sounding too eager, he didn't want Leon thinking he was some blind devotee or something. A worshiper of Heroes as Riku would put it whenever Sora would indulge his friends in the wild stories he'd make up for fantasy-essays assigned to him in school.

Leon hardly carried himself like the heroes in his mother's storybooks, the heroes he once worshiped and envied as a child. No, there was a something very different about Leon's character that Sora liked better than any hero he'd ever read about. The constant brood-ish atmosphere that hung around the shaggy haired man told a story, the deadly serious expression spoke in louder volumes than one could never comprehend verbally if you never knew him before tragedy struck him. Sora didn't know what happened exactly to Leon and others, they're explanation of their origin was purposely cut short, but Sora liked to believe he could sympathize with Leon on some level. After all he lost his home and family too! But unlike Leon, Sora would continue to smile, fight back the sadness that threatened to overwhelm his heart. Where Leon had lost hope for himself Sora would restore it by using the keyblade and restoring the order of the universe thrown out of balance by the Heartless.

Sora never considered himself a wise person, which is why in some part he envied Riku and Leon. They had more knowledge than he and thus knew how to go on about situations Sora had never been in. Then Riku showed another side of himself, a somewhat jealous and angry side that left Sora confused and hurt. He began to think that RIku wasn't as wise as he thought at first, but wiser and stronger than he would ever be. Leon, apparently lost faith in his hope that his world would be completely restored to him, but he continued to fight because there were others that held onto their hope of a new day, a day beyond the darkness and fear. To Sora that was what a hero was. Someone who didn't things just for the sake of heroism, but for the sake of others lives beyond their own and some damsel in distress. He didn't worship Leon but he certainly looked up to him as someone he wanted be as strong as. Maybe he would even restore the hope in Leon himself if his actions succeeded.

Sora focued his attentions away his thoughts in time to find himself above the first floor and on the second. Leon stood across from him, his legs kicked out in front of him while he leaned against the railing. His head was bowed and his arms were folded across his chest hiding the Griever pendant lying against his chest. "So what is it that so important you came looking for me?" Leon asked his eyes shifting toward the teenager. "Well . . um . . . its kinda silly," Sora started hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck. Leon turned his head completely toward Sora his brow creasing with understandable irritation. Sora rethought his original answer the very moment he saw the expression. He knew first hand Leon was hardly the most kindest person he met, he learned that quicky from their first encounter. "Well, its about what you said. About not being able to see each other once all the worlds are restored to their original state. Do you think it'll really be like that? That I couldn't visit my other friends?" Sora asked.

Leon gave a nod. "Pretty much," He answered. Sora frowned, he had expected such an answer but hoped Leon would've at least had some small doubt about the certainty of the order of things. "Well, what if it wasn't?" Sora continued hopefully. This time Leon's eyebrows shifted from their furrowed position raising in curiosity. He turned his body half-way toward the younger man as his lips parted. "What do you mean?" Leon asked.

Sora scratched his head still miffed about the fact that the clusters of spiky hair refused to allow him access to his itching head. "Well, what if the worlds were put back to their original state? I mean who's to say that we can't see each other again? There's a possibility isn't there?" Sora asked, trying not to sound desperate. Leon shook his head, eyes closed. Either Sora was in a state of denial or he really did think there was some sort of loophole around the irreversible workings of fate and universe. Stranger things have happened though, Leon thought not really believing the words in his head. "Sora, it's just not possible. King Mickey told me himself, if things were ever fixed so this doesn't happen again, there was no possible way a soul could get to the next world," Leon explained bluntly. Sora nodded his head understandingly.

"All right, but what if ---",

Leon was beginning to grow irritated. "Sora, there are no what if's. There's certainty and then there's uncertainty. Nothing more nothing less," Leon answered tersely. Sora stepped across the tile flooring past the oak reading table and chairs, he kept his distance from Leon knowing the man liked his personal space not to be intruded upon. "Well, could you just here my theory out here for a 'sec?" Sora insisted, pleadingly. Leon made no moves to let the young man know he was beyond the point of irritation by his constant 'what if' questions. If anything Leon left just a tad bit obligated to at least amuse the boy further but would deter any kind of false hope that was on bubbling inside Sora.

He would just listen and observe during conversation. "Fine. Go ahead," Leon said stiffly. Sora nodded and continued on. "What if I actually succeeded in this thing, saving in the worlds? What if there was a possibility that people could travel to worlds without the danger of Heartless always lurking? That would mean I'd to get to see all of you more often than none," Sora said. Leon opened his mouth to answer then closed it, his brow creased as he continued to scrutinize at his younger friend. "I mean, I wouldn't even have to stay on Destiny Islands anymore, I could go on that trip with Kairi and RIku just like we planned!" Sora pounded his fist into the palm of his hand, his eyes brimming with excitement. The excitement only a child could have at such thoughts.

Leon pushed away from the railing into a standing position, one arm fell to his side while the other was raised his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "Maybe, maybe not," Leon answered wearily. "But the truth of the matter here, Sora, is that there's no loophole, no 'possibilties'. Once all of this is said and done the worlds will go back to being unaware of the other, order will be restored. Besides." Leon gave a dramatic pause. "You'd get tired of seeing us in a matter of weeks. We're not exactly the most exciting people to hang around with when there's no danger. Unlike your friends, Kairi and Riku." He watched Sora frown at his response, he expected that much. As he listened to Sora's rantings he believed that the boy was doing nothing more than trying to find a way to keep the sadness of departure at bay. A tatic that would surely fail. He refocused his gaze on Sora who nodded at his response. "I understand, I guess. Thanks for listening Leon," Sora mumured sheepishly. Leon signed in agreement under the impression that the conversation was done and over with, he turned and leaned over his hands clutching the railing.

Peering downward he spotted Donald and Goofy browsing through the rows of books upon the shelves as if they were accustomed to looking for books. Leon imagined King Mickey had a library larger than their own. Sora came up beside him and hoisted himself up onto the railing so that his legs were dangling over the other side. "So this place helps you think?" Sora inquired. "Did Aerith tell you that?" The man asked. Sora was hesitant to answer his question at first, the tone in his voice sounded slightly annoyed like it was a secret that wasn't to be shared with others. "Yuffie did. Does that bother you?" Sora asked. Leon shook head slowly, he reached up to brush a stray strand of hair out of his eye. Sora looked about his surroundings thoughtfully. He could see why Leon came here. Aside from the blissful silence the overall appearance of the room gave a person the immediate impression that this was the place to be, if you wanted truly be alone with your thoughts. ". . . Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Leon's voice brought Sora out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" Sora blurted. Leon shook his head. "Its nothing. You'd better head out, you've got a ways to go yet," Leon said instead. Sora stared a little longer hoping Leon would repeat his sentence, he had only caught the words 'grow' and 'fonder'. Leon walked away heading toward the large double doors. Leon grasped the door knob and opened the door slowly, he turned slightly his profile could barely seen beyond his brunette hair. "Take care of yourself out there, kid," Leon warned. Sora watched his retreating back vanish behind the doors as they closed behind him. Sora scratched his face, his brow still creased. "I guess it wasn't something for me to hear. At least not right now," Sora uttered.

He'd ask Leon later . . . if there was a later after all of this Sora pushed himself off the railing, he fell fast to the ground but caught himself easily with the flying ability he was granted given by Tinkerbell. Goofy and Donald turned in response to his feet landing on the ground, their faces were covered in flecks of dust. "What've you guys been doing?" Sora inquired. Goofy sneezed behind his hand as he desperately tried to brush the dust off his face. "Lookin' through the books," Goofy answered with another sneeze. Donald poked his beak out from behind his arms which shielded him from his friend's sneeze. Despite the fact that he was much shorter than Goofy, Donald found himself shielding his face whenever Goofy looked about ready to blow. "We didn't see anything about Ansem, though," Donald grumbled. He too was brushing himself free of the dust that clung to places other than his face. Sora nodded understandingly. "Yeah, Aerith said there probably wouldn't be any books in the library about Ansem," Sora grumbled, about as disappointed as Donald was. He wondered how many torn pages of Ansem's report he had collected now, he had lost count after finding the fifth one. He hoped Jimmy was still keeping track of their records. "Well, let's get going guys! We've still got work to do!" Sora declared dramatically grasping his keyblade.

Goofy and Donald nodded in agreement. "Right! Let's go!"

The trio took off out of the library toward the Gummi ship.

(End)