…So yeah, it's been a while. I could apologize and say that I was distracted by another fandom and by the fact that I had to carefully watch another section of the game to get the dialogue and gestures down right (though of course there are differences, but it is still important to have the original version for reference and study). But you don't really want excuses. You want a new chapter. And I'm here to deliver.
It was silent when Sora began to stir. Or perhaps not complete silence. A faint breeze rustled his hair, the smallest sound imaginable. Flat on his back, he opened his eyes to the sight of beautiful blue skies, sunshine, and soft white clouds that drifted lazily across his vision. Everything felt impossibly calm and peaceful.
Sora slowly sat up, noticing that the ground rippled at the motion. No, that wasn't right. It was water rippling. He felt the coolness slightly under his fingertips. The ground was covered in the thinnest layer of water, perfectly reflecting the sky. He couldn't tell where one ended and the other began. He continued to stare at his surroundings as he climbed to his feet.
"Where am I?" he asked.
Not that he could truly expect an answer. He was alone in the empty and endless place. And the only sound other than his voice was the wind and the quiet splash of his footsteps.
"Can't stay away, now, can you?"
The young-sounding and friendly voice brought Sora up short. He craned his neck, searching for any sign of the source.
"Hello?" he called.
A bright light caught his eye. High above, the ball of light came darting and twirling down while making a wordless and childish sound. Sora watched as it drew closer. When it reached ground level, the light flared out and revealed a small creature.
If Sora had to describe it, he would say it looked like a living stuffed animal. Or maybe a Dream Eater. It was shaped vaguely like a bipedal feline with an oversized head. The short fur was light gray with black stripes and its eyes were literally stitches of blue-gray thread. It wore a gray cape and a pink change purse dangled around its neck.
It looked like something that Selphie would have loved to hug.
"The name's Chirithy," it greeted. "And this is the 'Final World.'"
"I'm Sora. What's the… 'Final World?'"
Gesturing with its stubby paws, Chirithy said, "There's nothing else beyond this. You've wandered here more than once before on your visits to the Station of Awakening, but… I let that slide. The edges of sleep and death touch, and one can't help the occasional crossover."
Sora tilted his head slightly. Something about what it said struck a chord.
"Wait, 'death'?"
Did Chirithy mean that Sora stumbled into somewhere like the Underworld at Hercules's world or Davy Jones's Locker at the Caribbean? Or did Chirithy mean that Sora was…
Nodding, Chirithy said, "Yes. The natural end for those whose hearts and bodies perish together. But some persist and arrive here."
"My heart and body perished?" Sora briefly touched his chest, trying to wrap his head around the idea. "Um, does that mean…"
"Something is holding you here, refusing to let you go. You're hanging by a thread."
"What about my friends?" he asked.
Chirithy shook its head and said, "I haven't seen any of them since Lea briefly appeared when his life nearly ended, being pulled away before I could even approach. No one else arrived with you. And if they're not here, they're either gone forever," it explained, causing Sora's head to drop, "or they're clinging to the world you came from."
Sora's head jerked up. His friends might be alive? Or partly alive? Or at least holding on? Or something? Hope reignited his determination. If there was a chance, he would take it.
"I'm going back!" he declared, summoning his Keyblade as he turned and started to leave.
"Whoa, whoa! How exactly?" called Chirithy, drawing him up short. "You can't just wander out like your other visits."
Turning back, Sora asked, "Huh?"
"I told you. The other times you came here by your own choice. This time is very different." Chirithy gestured with its stubby paws. "To become your old self and return to the real world, you'll have to piece yourself back together in this world first."
Sora's eyes drifted down and horror washed over him as he finally noticed something that had been nagging at his subconscious since he woke up. After they visited numerous worlds, he'd grown used to his body being transformed in various ways. Like becoming a merman, a toy, or a monster. Donald's magic naturally camouflaging them to fit in and not draw suspicion. But now he was transparent as a ghost. He felt fine, his hand brushing across his body frantically. But he wasn't even there.
"Ah!" he yelped, unable to help himself. "Why am I in pieces?"
"What? No, not literally, of course. You're conceptually in pieces. On the inside, who knows, but on the outside you're just fine."
He relaxed, letting his Keyblade dematerialize. He wasn't completely clear on everything and there was plenty about what was happening that he didn't even pretend to understand, but Chirithy didn't think it was too bad. And the little creature felt trustworthy.
"Oh, okay," he said calmly. Sora tucked his hands behind his head. "You kinda freaked me out there."
Slumping tiredly, Chirithy muttered, "Oh, boy…" Shaking its head and straightening, it continued, "Usually, only a heart can reach the Final World. But since you've clearly retained some kind of form, that can only mean your body was cast into this world as well."
Sora nodded once and said, "Okay, so… then if I can find my body, that means I'll be able to go back?"
"Precisely. But there's a lot of you to find. You're going to be busy."
Her arrival in the calm and beautiful place felt strange. She knew what caused it, even if she'd been sleeping deep within her Other's heart. Her dreams of Kairi told her exactly what happened. But she didn't know what this place was supposed to be. She didn't know why it made her feel sleepy, both similar and different than curling up in Kairi's heart. But she knew what brought her there and she could still feel the faint connections.
The links in the chains of memories that she could touch, manipulate, rearrange, strengthen, and repair.
She let her mind drift as she floated in the peace and silence. No body. Just sparkling and glimmering lights that drifted together and apart in an endless cycle. A heart without a home, but not returning to Kingdom Hearts where all hearts gather. Lingering. That's the best way to describe it. She was lingering.
The peace and quiet were so complete and it was so easy to lose track of her surroundings that it took a while for her to notice that she wasn't alone. Not just other lost hearts lingering, though they were scattered around. There was a boy. Translucent, but familiar.
"Sora?" she called.
Taking a few steps towards her, he asked, "Yes?"
"It's me, Naminé."
Jolting suddenly and leaning forward, he said brightly, "Naminé?"
"I'm so glad that you managed to hold on to who you are."
He kept his shape. He kept his awareness. He kept his memories, identity, and sense of self. Some of the hearts that arrived in this place did, but not all. Some were just lingered in a dream-like state, barely recalling who they once were. She could tell that much from her earlier observations of the sparkling lights. But she managed to hold onto herself and Sora managed to cling to even more.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
Wishing that she could fold her hands across her lap, Naminé said, "I was in Kairi's heart, but then we were struck by a powerful darkness… and I woke up here."
"And Kairi?" asked Sora, unable to hide his concern.
"I can feel her heart. She's fighting with all her strength to keep you from fading away."
Naminé could feel it. She was Kairi's Nobody after all, no matter how unusual she might be. And she had a talent for tracing the chains of memories and the connections woven through Sora's heart. She couldn't possibly miss Kairi using their shared bond to anchor Sora's existence in place.
Head bowing and his hand curling into a fist at his side, Sora said, "So, the reason I retained my form in this place…"
"It's because she's holding you together," she finished. "Go to her."
"I'm trying. But… what about you?" Sora took a step forward and spread his hands wide. "I can't just leave you stuck here."
"It's okay," she assured. "Really. Kairi is where I came from. So once she's safe again, Kairi is where I'll return."
He smiled sadly and said, "Naminé, I know that I'm supposed to thank you. The datascape doesn't count. I need to say the words myself. But…" Sora shook his head. "Not like this. You can't tell me you're okay with this. It isn't fair that you, Roxas, and Xion had to spend so long in our hearts. Trapped and unable to experience the world. It wasn't fair you had to go back after you existed separate from us."
Naminé felt a wave of warmth at the mention of Roxas and Xion. Even when she truly believed that they belonged with their Other, she felt bad about how it happened. Xion was erased even from memory and Roxas didn't have even a choice on whether to return or not. But now that they had bodies again, they could have a second chance at life. They could have the lives that circumstances stole from them. And she couldn't be happier for them.
"I know how much you're hurting, Naminé," he continued. "Only existing inside someone's heart. Spending so long thinking that you didn't even deserve to exist. I… felt that pain through Roxas."
"He's the one who had a life before. The one who had something worthwhile to lose," murmured Naminé. "Him and Xion. That's… not me. I never had much outside of Kairi's heart. There was nothing for people to truly miss. When I returned to where I belonged, no one was hurt."
"Wrong. What about me, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy? We cared. The King? Roxas and Xion too. They miss you. And someone that we both know what let you down. He wants you back."
Did he mean Riku? Sora always believed in the older boy. And Riku was someone that people could depend on. Or did he mean the Riku Replica from Castle Oblivion? The one that still tried to protect her even when he knew all his memories of her were lies that Naminé implanted?
No, Sora couldn't mean him. Sora didn't remember what happened there. But thinking about him and wondering what became of the replica left her feeling wistful.
Naminé, wishing that she had a mouth to smile with, said, "Sora. Thank you."
"Well," he said with a bright grin, "then I'm gonna save Kairi so at least you'll be free of this place. After that, Ienzo, Ansem the Wise, and everyone will figure out how to find or make a replica for you too. Okay?"
Sora's firm declaration warmed her. And if the sparkling lights that currently composed her shone a little brighter, Naminé couldn't tell for certain.
There was a reason that, even before they could meet, she knew that she wanted to know him. There was something warm and bright about him and the way that his friendship with people never wavered. He never gave up. Not on himself and not on those he cared for. It was hard to feel lonely and useless when he chose to be your friend. He was always one who tried his best to help and protect the people who needed him. And that in turn inspired those around him to do the right thing in return.
As he turned to go, an idea sparked and Naminé called out, "Oh, wait!"
"Huh?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"While shifting through memories, I spoke to Terra, the Keyblade wielder you've been searching for."
As Sora turned back towards her, Naminé thought back about that brief encounter. A chain of connections. From Sora to a sleeping heart within him to Terra. It wasn't much, but he could affect the world in ways that she no longer could. He could help them. If she could reach him again, that is.
"He has a strong will and it keeps him tethered to the realm of light," she explained. Pausing as she considered what exactly it would entail, Naminé said, "I'll try tracing that connection. Maybe that'll be enough to tip the scales in the other direction."
Kairi had listened to enough of the discussions that Naminé had vague ideas of how hearts could travel through time. If Sora and the others made it back, they would end up before. Sora at least didn't have a body afterwards; he stumbled into this strange and beautiful place of lingering hearts. He would have to go back at least a small amount of time. And while he might be able to cling to the memories of this beautiful and peaceful world, the rules of time travel would probably ensure that Sora and the others wouldn't remember what caused the problem in the first place.
Perhaps they would remember that they died or nearly died, but they wouldn't remember what killed them. Not properly. Not if she understood it correctly.
They would march right back into the trap again without outside help. Naminé hoped that she could provide that outside intervention.
Tilting his head with a confused expression, Sora asked, "Huh?"
"Umm… Let's just say I've got your back?"
Smiling at her uncertain tone, he said, "That part of you? It reminds me of Kairi. Thanks, Naminé." Then Sora suddenly panicked, arms flailing slightly. "Oh! That's not the official thank you!"
"Uh-huh," said Naminé, struggling not to chuckle at him.
Rubbing at his nose with a short laugh, Sora said, "Well, see ya!"
And with that, he slowly walked away as Naminé started reaching out for that connection. She could help them. If she could trace that connection to Terra, maybe she could get them the help that they needed.
She'd done enough harm in the past with her powers. She wanted to do something good.
"Be careful," she called softly, even if Sora was out of range.
It took time. Wandering around the weird world took time. In some ways, it wasn't as empty as it appeared at first glance.
Sora visited the lingering hearts scattered across the gorgeous landscape. Some were aware enough for a conversation, but others barely noticed. But he could at least spare them a moment as he gathered his pieces.
His pieces. He didn't now what he expected when Chirithy mentioned collecting his pieces, but copies of himself moving in endless loops of past moments certainly wasn't it. Sora chased his pieces across the mirrorlike water and up the white angular structures that he found. More pieces than he could count. But he kept collecting his pieces until his transparency became a distant memory.
He smiled as he looked over himself, his body normal and solid once again. Then the return of the same childish sound made Sora look up. The ball of light came fluttering down like before, flaring briefly as it became Chirithy and drifted the rest of the way down.
As it regained its balance upon landing, Chirithy said, "I see that you found them all."
"Yup," he said with a proud grin.
"Then isn't it time that you left?"
Crossing his arms and voice dripping with sarcasm, Sora said, "Oh, thanks."
"What?" Spreading its stubby arms, Chirithy said, "I'm doing you a big favor here, you know. Don't push it."
Unfolding his arms again, he said, "Hey, Chirithy. You still look like you, right? You're not just another heart that wandered into this place. Would you like me to help you find your pieces?"
It only seemed fair. After all the help that Chirithy offered, it seemed wrong not to help it in return. Sora didn't want to leave a new friend behind. Not if he could do something about it.
Shaking its head, Chirithy said, "Oh, I don't work like that."
And that was interesting. Sora folded his arms as he thought about it. If Chirithy didn't need to find its pieces, it could probably leave if it wanted to. But it hadn't. There must be another reason why it was hanging around the Final World. There must be a different reason that Chirithy stayed.
"So, like… you're waiting for someone to rescue you? Someone special?"
There were several lingering hearts like that. Searching for someone or waiting for them. Why should Chirithy be any different? If it was staying when it could leave, then maybe the reason was because of someone else.
Tapping its chin with its paw, Chirithy said, "Mmm… sort of?"
"Well, tell me who," said Sora, his hands dropping to his sides. "I'll find them. It can't be that hard." Cupping his ear and leaning in close, he grinned and said, "Huh?"
Waving its paws frantically in front of itself, Chirithy said, "Uh, no no no no, that's okay. He doesn't remember the past." Chirithy briefly shook its head before giving a tiny bounce, trying to look cheerful. "Besides, I'm sure that he's much happier with his new friends." It paused before adding thoughtfully, "But I'll wait. He'll arrive here one day."
Part of Sora wanted to change its mind. He wanted to help the small creature, so much like a toy or a Dream Eater. But he could also tell that Chirithy had made its decision.
"Okay." Sora crouched down and said, "I'll be back to visit you then."
It couldn't be that hard if he'd stumbled there on accident multiple times. And that way Chirithy wouldn't be alone all that time, waiting for its friend.
"What?" yelped Chirithy, flailing in surprise.
"You and me are friends now."
Paws curling in on itself, Chirithy said softly, "Really? I've missed having friends."
Sora smiled as he straightened up. He would need to come back and visit as soon as possible. Once he rescued his other friends, they finished dealing with Xehanort, and the worlds were safe, he would need to come back to make certain that Chirithy didn't feel lonely.
His hand briefly touching his chest, the thought of his missing friends making his heart ache dully, Sora forced himself to brighten again and said, "Well, see ya 'round. And thanks."
He turned and started walking away. But a sudden realization made Sora stop.
"Huh?" asked Chirithy.
"Um…" Sora turned his head back and scratched it sheepishly. "Could I get a hint how to save the others?"
Holding its arms out, Chirithy asked, "Seriously?" It slumped briefly before straightening. "Are you a Keyblade wielder or aren't you? Haven't you already learned how to restore someone's heart after it's been lost?"
"Restore their hearts?" he muttered thoughtfully. Scratching his head, Sora asked, "Is that the same thing as… the 'Power of Waking'?"
With an uncertain tone, Chirithy said, "I'm not sure, but… give it a shot?"
"No," he said quietly, his tone contemplative. Sora's hand drifted up to his chest again. "This'll take all my heart."
He remembered Hercules's advice. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to find his friends. To follow the frayed and strained connections that were nearly torn out of him. And somehow, he knew how difficult it would be. He could feel it on some deeper level. But he would put everything into his effort. He wouldn't let them down.
"Okay," he said firmly.
Summoning his Keyblade, Sora aimed towards the water. A shimmering Keyhole formed on the surface. With a beam of wonderfully familiar light, his Keyblade transformed it into a gate. One similar to others that he'd opened to reach other worlds. Sora vaguely noticed that the act cracked the hard white surface underfoot, letting the water drain away. Then a pillar of light shone up from the gate in a nearly blinding flare.
"Look for the light in the darkness," said Chirithy.
Sora turned back towards Chirithy with a smile, but only for a moment. Then he walked into the pillar of light. And right before he disappeared, he heard Chirithy's parting words.
"May your heart be your guiding key."
Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw Riku start to reach for him. But then his hand dropped to his side and curled into a fist beside him. Then he slowly stood up.
"Sora," he said firmly, "you don't believe that. I know you don't."
Posture straight and tall, Riku marched forward towards the swirling dark cyclone as Sora slowly looked up. A tendril of swarming Heartless broke off, the Demon Tower spiraling towards them. Riku planted his feet firmly and stabbed his Keyblade forward with a yell, striking the Demon Tower and blocking it.
Darkness and Heartless streamed past them both of them, split like hurling a boulder into the path of a river. Sora stared at his best friend as he faced the impossible. Then Sora's expression shifted into one of horror as darkness started coiling around Riku.
No. Not him too.
Sora reached in a futile gesture, but it was too late. The Heartless and darkness consumed Riku, another painful stab to Sora's heart, before the wave washed over Sora.
His existence became nothing except roaring noise, shadows, and chaos before dissolving into nothing…
Sora drifted back towards awareness, floating through the darkness towards a distant light. The sensation felt familiar. It took a moment to recognize it, but he'd done this once before. Back when he carried Kairi's heart inside him. When he saw a memory from Kairi's childhood about her grandmother telling the little girl a story, he reached that memory by traveling like this. It was the exact same experience.
But there was a stronger and more recent memory holding his attention now.
"Riku!" Sora flailed wildly, trying to swim or control his movements in the emptiness. "Riku! Answer me!"
He reached out, the light growing closer. Sora reached for the light with his hand and for Riku with his aching heart. He felt an odd sensation of strain. And then the light engulfed him.
When the brightness faded and Sora blinked his vision clear, he found himself somewhere completely different. But familiar. He knew the soft clouds with buildings standing on them. Bright, almost golden clouds strong enough to stand on.
"This is Herc's world. Is Riku here?"
Behind him was the path down the mountain. But that direction didn't feel right. Sora walked up the stairs, listening to the sound of his footsteps. It was too quiet. The last time that he visited, Heartless attacked every five minutes. Now Sora could only stare in confusion at the emptiness.
"There's nobody here," he said quietly.
"Gee, I'm here."
The boy startled at the voice even as he recognized it. Jiminy popped out of Sora's hood, hopping to the boy's shoulder and then to his cupped hands.
Brightening, Sora said, "Jiminy! You're okay."
Gesturing slightly, he said, "Well, 'okay' might be a stretch, but what are we waitin' for? We need to find the others."
"Right," said Sora, smiling at him before tucking Jiminy back into the safety of his hood.
Perhaps the cricket was generally quiet and merely observed events, but it was nice to have him there. It felt reassuring not to be alone. Yes, several of his friends might be missing and in danger, but Sora wasn't alone. And as long as he wasn't alone, he would find a way.
Sora climbed the stairs until he reached the courtyard of Olympus, home of the gods. Part of him still expected to be attacked by an entire herd of charging Heartless like his first arrival. But the silence and emptiness remained constant. There was nothing in this place. Sora didn't see anything unusual or different from his other visits besides the lack of foes.
Until he glimpsed a transparent figure, one barely visible and easily missed, hanging in midair. A limp, still, and lifeless figure floating on his back like a drowning victim. And when he saw the shape, Sora recognized who it was instantly.
"Riku!"
Sora dashed towards the floating figure of his friend, but drew up short when darkness swirled just above Riku. Then an unfamiliar Heartless materialized beside the limp figure.
It was a large black Heartless with the shape of a roughly humanoid torso. It wore a black robe which faded into white tendrils at its base, the draping sleeves ending in pink points. A tall and pointed headdress covered its head and long neck with a criss-crossing design, ending in a flair at the shoulders that almost resembled white hair or feathers. The Heartless' glowing yellow eyes peered through a skull-shaped mask. A heart-shaped hole cut through its chest rather than the Emblem that Sora expected to see, the gap bordered by a bright pink design on its robe. Three chains dangled from under its robe, ending in pink spikes that hung at alternate heights. And in its hand, it wielded a grey staff with a black headpiece, which also featured a heart-shaped hole through it.
The Heartless stretched a hand over Riku's chest. And, Sora's breath hitching at the sight, a shining heart floated out of Riku's chest and chains materialized around it. Riku's heart. It had Riku's heart.
Then the Heartless pulled the heart into the shadows forming in the hollow of its chest before both the shadows and heart vanished from sight. And in that same moment, the transparent figure of Riku disappeared as well.
Something in Sora screamed no. He wasn't going to let this happen.
As the Heartless tried to flee, Sora chased after it. Further and further, along the different paths that stretched across the clouds and through the rooms of the ornate buildings. And when the Heartless dove through a dark portal, Sora immediately followed.
It deposited them at the gate at the very top, near the spot where Sora fought the titans alongside Hercules, Goofy, and Donald. And apparently the Heartless either ran out of room to run or decided that escape wasn't going to work because the creature abruptly turned around and attacked.
This part he could handle. Fighting Heartless was something that Sora knew how to deal with. This particular Heartless quickly revealed itself to be primarily a magic user, demonstrating a wide variety of elemental powers. And when he got close for an attack, the Heartless floated backwards out of range while leaving behind a series of afterimages to serve as decoys. It was annoying and the spells hit hard, but Sora had been fighting Heartless for years.
He was fast. He was strong. He was agile. And Sora had a very important reason to fight. His friends were in danger and no force in any world could stop him from saving them. Starting with the powerful Heartless that took Riku's heart.
Follow the connections to his heart. The hurt and frayed connections. Find them before they were truly lost.
As Sora finished another vicious aerial combo with an aggressive flourish, the strike knocked the Heartless back. Another dark portal formed and the creature moved towards it. Driven off by the fight, but not defeated. It released the heart as the Heartless fled through the portal, the chains shattering.
Running towards both the portal and the freed heart, Sora shouted, "Hey! Wait!"
But his words didn't do any good. The bright heart, no longer bound in chains, flew up as it faded from sight. Horror washed over Sora until Jiminy hopped back on the boy's shoulder, the cricket straightening his hat as he landed.
"There's no need to worry, Sora," he reassured. "He'll return to the place he fell, like you did. We gotta focus on rescuing the others."
Taking a deep breath and relaxing, Sora said, "Okay."
He had a plan now. Chase the Heartless down and keep it from taking his friends. Find the hearts connected to his own, tracing the strained and wounded connections back to their sources. If he could find and protect them, then he could save his friends.
A quick Cura and Sora dove after the escaping Heartless.
Exciting, huh? One heart rescued from the Lich. Now just several more to go. More than he needed to save in canon… Makes you wonder what kind of a difference that'll make, doesn't it? I did originally intend to have this chapter go a little further, but the length and how long it has been since the previous chapter meant that I decided to end it here and share it a little sooner.