Hello everyone! This story is alive and kicking once more! Gotta thank Re:Mind for the spark of inspiration to reboot this project. Yes, this is a full-on rewrite of the original narrative, so new worlds, new friends, new foes and more! You don't have to read the original narrative to gather what's going on, but for a specific Master of Masters, you will notice a few differences between this take on him and the original narrative's take on him.
Hope you all enjoy and going to suggest a few music tracks for the various action scenes. The first one is the Yozora Battle Theme, with the second being 'Vs. Data Young Xehanort'.
I've been… Having these strange thoughts lately…
Sora's eyes slowly opened, body limp and tired as the night sky shone down on him. The soothing waters beneath him soothed tired legs, ones that have been trudging across wet waters for well over what felt like days. Bright blue stared intently at the sky, hoping for answers.
All his life he's felt a sense of peace knowing… "My friends…" Are my power. But how could they be power, if one cannot feel them in their own heart? "...Are gone, aren't they?" Sora thought in defeat, arms laying limp as his body refused to get up.
The night sky's endless sea of stars faintly flickered, almost pleading the Keyblade Hero to get up. He closed his eyes, right hand over his heart. Do you still feel me… Kairi? Riku? Something in his heart sturred, pushing the young man to his feet. Slight pain coursing through him, Sora slowly continued his endless walking.
Unlike his other adventures, the only sound entering Sora's ears were the ones of his own footsteps. No jolly conversations with his companions Donald and Goofy. No new friends sharing about their fantastical new world. And no voices in the back of his mind, composed of brothers and sisters, pushing him to press on. It was just Sora, and no one else. The foreign silence reminded Sora of his moments in… Station of Awakening, right?
He paused as faint memories of how his first journey started causing him to laugh, even smile somewhat. What a rush of excitement, fighting that massive titan of a heartless as a mere teenager. And this familiar location was like an old friend, somewhere he returned to surprisingly often.
"Is anyone out there?" A voice, one Sora recognized spoke from the distance. His body perked up, hopeful it was a friend. He rushed toward the voice, excitement at a chance home spurring him onward. Every step caused a grater ripple beneath Sora, the water echoing across the vast field before him. The ripples stopped suddenly, Sora nearly a few feet away from a shocking face. "Wait… Yozora? You're here too?"
Standing before Sora, was a face he recognized from his visit to Woody and Buzz's world. The guy was from some action game and looked shockingly similar to Riku. Even down to the similar hairstyle and outfit, but differences were clearly visible. Instead of blue and yellows, it was all blacks. Everything on Yozora was a shade of black, except the young man's eyes. They were a strange blue and red, each eye a different color. But the young man was surprised to see Sora himself, face visibly shocked.
"How do you know me?" Yozora's voice spoke, stepping forward a few steps. Sora tilted his head, tapping his chin thinking of a way to explain himself. "...And this isn't even what I really look like, as I take on this form when…" He looked to the side, eyes seemingly lost.
"A world I visited, you were a game character. You looked pretty cool," Sora beamed, folding his arms and giving his trademark smile. Yozora didn't look amused, his face forming a scowl. "No, seriously, your game had mechs and you tried saving a girl. That's what…" Sora's eyes suddenly went wide and he rushed toward Yozora, grabbing him by the shoulders. "You were the one! The one that girl told me about!"
He harshly shoved Sora back, but the later quickly bounced to his feet. "I guess you lost your mind, don't blame you though." He looked up at the sky, folding his arms and tapping his foot. "I would be too if I was stuck here for a long time."
"I'm not crazy, I'm telling the truth," Sora said in defense, arms now to his sides. Yozora's face formed a thin line, folding his arms and looking right at Sora. "Anyway, my name is Sora and it's nice to find a familiar face. Thought no one was here…"
Yozora visibly stiffened, slowly backing away. "You can't be Sora… You look nothing like him." Yozora clenched his right hand, it shaking violently. Sora tilted his head in confusion, but he noticed Yozora's hand. Sora frowned, feeling yet another battle coming. "And you know about Stella…" He turned toward Sora, left hand equipped with a crossbow pointed square at him. "I want answers."
"Were in the same boat!" Sora flicked his wrist, summoning his Kingdom Key. "I'm trying to find my way back home too! Instead of fighting, let's work together to get out of here." Sora pleaded. His body feeling so lethargic, he wasn't confident about his chances of winning. Quickly looking over his keychains, he only saw two he could clip on. And my magic is running low… And I have no items…
Yozora said nothing as the world around them shifted. Instead of the watery ground, it was a familiar station of awakening. I'm… In my heart, then? Sora thought in confusion, but soon, that also shifted. Walls were shattered around the two warriors, exposing a vast city. Cars were bustling, a strange building saying '104' stood tall in the distance and everything looked clearer somehow. No, this is another world. Sora grit his teeth as Yozora charged into him, eyes firm with conviction. "I will save you, no matter how it's done."
"Yeah, killing me after I died already is going to bring me back," Sora blocked his series of blows, giving a lazy shove to press Yozora off him. "Great idea genius!" Sora clipped on the Ever After keychain, feeling a familiar surge of magic come over him. Entering its form change, he dashed a number of times to avoid Yozora's seemingly endless barrage of arrow shots. The warrior landed in the battlefield's center, Sora lifting his staff high as his phantom clones shot a surge of light at him. Yozora took every blow but looked as if that did nothing. How strong is this guy? Sora clipped on his only other keychain, flicking his blade to use the Nano Arms.
The nano-bot infused sword kept up with Yozora's ruthless strikes and the forms useful nano-shield helped greatly with his gunfire. But Yozora simply hovered in the air, aiming his crossbow right at Sora. He stood guard, a flash of light overcoming him.
Sora looked at his right hand, readying a Firga spell… Only for his keybalde to be gone! He looked up, seeing Yozora wield the fabled weapon. "H-How are you doing that? That's my weapon!" Yozora simply smirked as he mirrored Sora's combat stance. Sora rolled out of the way for the first few blows but was hit with a finisher. Sora stumbled backward and was now inches away from falling off the building. Yozora was coming closer and Sora was utterly defenseless. We aren't in my heart, we are in a city…
Closing his eyes, Sora backflipped and free-fell into the city. Yozora's eyes went wide but he shook the confusion off, rushing after his foe. Sora's eyes focused, feeling his inner-flowmotion trying to figure out how to land. He charted a path across the sea of cars and flagpoles. Closing his eyes, he opened them and shot forward, moving like a lightning bolt. He landed on the busy streets after spinning on a flagpole. "Clever, but I still got your weapon."
Sora turned around, seeing Yozora inching ever closer to him. "That's what you think…" Sora held out his hand, focusing on his weapon. Doesn't matter if he was the chosen one or not, the keyblade was his. But after moments of staying still like an idiot, his weapon didn't return to him. "...Oh, come on!" Sora groaned as he started wall-running on the side of a nearby building. Yozora shook his head as he used his weapon to shoot a stream of ice and fire magic at Sora.
Sora's speed outran the magic but felt his legs giving out. He tripped over himself and fell face-first onto a black car, it moving as if it wasn't hit. Yozora was giving chase, warping between cars and other objects in his way. Sora grit his teeth as he planted his feet firmly into the car, trying to find a way to fight back. No keyblade, no flowmotion… Sora clenched his chest, hoping…
As if someone heard his call, his lovable dream eater friend Meow Wow. The cuddly buddy charged into Sora and using his mouth, pulled him off the car and into the streets. "Thank you, pal. Mind giving me a ride for a bit?" The creature made a cute little meow and laid on his belly. Sora hopped on and they charged ahead.
"You can't keep running forever Sora," Yozora shouted, throwing his weapon right at Sora. He saw Yozora vanish but in a flash, he appeared and roundhouse kicked Sora right off Meow Wow. Sora stumbled into a building, his body slowly getting on one knee. He saw his dream eater tackle into Yozora, but he slashed at the little guy. "You are sending your pets to fight? How pitiful." He made one final slash… But it did nothing as Meow Wow grew massive in size before jumping in the air and crashing into Yozora, exploding into literally hundreds of dream eaters. They kept attacking Yozora, causing him to drop his sword.
Sora used the last of his strength to grab the blade, focusing on its inner power. It turned back into his Nano Arms, Sora feeling familiar strength coming over him. He focused on healing light, letting a Curgra soothe his wounds. Yozora looked worse for wear but he still stood strong. Wiping some blood off his face, he summoned his sword and cross-bow once more.
Sora charged into Yozora, using heavy strikes and powerful combos to send him flying. Bystanders finally noticed the battle, seeing Yozora fly into a nearby projector. They screamed seeing Yozora fall to the ground, a pile of glass surrounding him. Some screamed while others simply stood back and watched the fight. Sora shot a surge of ice forward, using a frozen stream to slide across it. He rolled out of the end of the trail and threw his keyblade at Yozora, trying to use one of the Raid attacks he used to pull off as a kid.
It worked, with Sora grabbing his keyblade before Yozora could steal it again. He grinned at Sora as he closed his eyes. Sora prepared for another major attack but something struck Yozora knocking him out cold, odd green magic coating him. He collided into the ground, body laying limp. Some people went around him but as Sora was going to check on him, someone touched his shoulder. He turned around, seeing a familiar face. "Cloud? What are you…"
"No time to explain, come with me," Cloud ran into an alleyway with Sora following. The two kept running, before stopping by a hidden doorway. Cloud slammed his metal hand into the wall, exposing the doorway. In the doorframe, was another familiar face and one he didn't recognize. "You wouldn't believe who I found here."
"Sora?!" Tifa hugged him, happy to see her second favorite spiky swordsman. "It's been too long." She let go of him and turned to the tall man next to her. "Barret, this is the guy that helped find Cloud."
"Well, I'll be. Thanks sport," He ruffled Sora's head with his rather strong hand. "But let's get inside fast. Don't want to use my gun hand on anyone again." Sora didn't argue, running inside and not looking back. He found a crate to sit on and simply took some much needed deep breaths. He looked at his hands, and they suddenly started trembling.
It's… Happening again. Sora thought in defeat. He was back at square one.
Yozora ignored the crowd around him and walked in annoyance. He knew time was limited in this world, and he lost his chance to get answers. He escaped. Yozora was no fool, he knew someone helped Sora. But… The man's name is Sora. He paused, eyes locked on his black boots.
As if reflecting his mind, heavy rainfall started falling down, painting the city streets with dark blue. Yozora simply looked up at the sky, seeing the same dark blue watching over him. Finding a cozy wall to lean on, the Commander basked in the familiar city's calming winds and scent.
He closed his eyes and felt a pull toward the light… "Nah, it's not time yet." A knowing voice spoke to him, causing Yozora to open his eyes once more. A man in a dark black coat was next to him, leaning on the wall as well. "Told you saving Sora was going to be a challenge."
"And your name is Sora too. Interesting how that's the case," Yozora frowned, arms folded as the man threw back his hood. It was a dark reflection of the young man Yozora just fought, but he had a rather large scar across his face and his blue eyes shined with a twinge of red only the sharpest could see. "You really don't know where Stella is?"
"Nope, but you will find out only after you save Sora," The man spoke, wagging his finger around. Yozora wanted to strangle the man, but as a commander, he knows how things work. Must win the war, not the battle. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Ah, you get it, don't you?"
"Just know that your 'target' is somewhere in this city now." Yozora got off the wall and walked into the pouring rain. "And I want answers, so not sure if I can 'save' him the way you wanted anymore."
"Eh, do what you must kid," The man replied, making Yozora freeze in his tracks. The man put a hand on Yozora's shoulder. "You might not see me for a bit, gotta get the ball rolling soon." Yozora was going to ask 'for what' but he vanished before anything was said. Yozora alone in the rain, simply trudged onward, ready to use his power to save his love. One way or the other.
Is any of this for real? I don't understand…
Meanwhile, in the Realm of Light, the sun was setting over Merlin's little hovel he called home. It had various magical symbols and whatnot, making it clear to any who pass it in the restored Radiant Garden whose home it belonged too. But despite the wizard being absent, the house was packed with many.
At each end of the room, someone was doing something. Hanging by the couch, was Yuffie who was mindlessly playing with a shuriken and yawning every few minutes. By the desk, was Cid, impatiently watching his computer station and fiddling with his goggles, toothpick moving around his jaw. Leon was sitting by the computer, patting Riku on the shoulder, who's eyes were bloodshot red.
To say the Keyblade Master was glued to the machine was an understatement. How do people play these things?! Riku thought bitterly as he yet again saw a digital recreation of his best friend die to an organization member… Young Xenhort making a mock pose as if to insult Riku beyond the grave.
He rubbed his tired face with fingerless-gloved hands, feeling a cramp coming on. Getting up and stretching his body, he turned to Leon, who gave him a blank look across his scarred face, as if understanding his frustration. "There is a reason I let Cid handle the tech around here."
"Well you kids can't use a computer without breaking anything," The technician spat out, taking out his toothpick and glaring at Yuffie, who was now snoring loudly. He sighed and turned back to Riku, giving him a toothy grin. "Tell ya, what kiddo, I why don't we cheat the system a bit."
Riku felt his eye twitch, whenever it was from frustration or just tiredness, he couldn't figure out. "You… You had an easier way to do this?" He asked, dumbfounded.
Cid just sat in the computer seat and punched in some codes, opening up a menu to unlock some kind of 'Limit Cut' mode. Riku rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the small text. "Set some modifiers so Data-Sora doesn't get his butt handed to him anymore. You got regenerating health and some other doodads."
Riku sat back down in the chair, seeing Data-Sora having a larger health bar, more magic and a bunch of items. "This… This helps." Cid just gave Riku a thumbs-up. Riku closed his eyes and steeled himself for another grueling few hours. Aerith coming in with coffee and sweets for everyone helped as well, in addition to waking up Yuffie who scarfed down most of the sweets. Riku took a much-needed sip of his coffee and focused on the battles, only seeing Young Xehanort, Xion and Ansem left.
Using the cheats that Cid enabled, Riku was able to get through the battles, but not without mouthing a few words a Master shouldn't utter. After landing a final blow to Data-Ansem, the screen went blue, everyone seeing a loading bar come up. "Guys! I think we…" The screen went black, everyone's jaws dropping. " I didn't break it, did I, Cid?" Sora is the one that can't use tech. Cid sat back down, pushing Riku out of the chair as he frantically typed some code.
"Oh, hello!" A familiar face popped up on the screen, being that of Tron. The man looked different than Riku remembered, as he was in all blue instead of the black-digital armor. Then again, those were the sleeping worlds where it could be the past or future… Focusing on the digital man, Tron looked around what seemed to be a digital room he lived in. "Huh, it seems that looking through the Organizations data unlocked something." He typed into his own computer, a keyhole of all things opening up. "If only Sora was here, he could help me. Was good at unlocking these."
"We gotta Data-Sora, Tron. Why not take him with you?" Leon suggested, with Tron looking through the files, summoning the data version of his friend. Data-Sora gave a thumbs up and used his digital Kingdom Key, opening the door. He jumped into the newly opened portal, with Tron following suit. The gang huddled around Cid's computer though, simply saw the screen turn black again, showing a 'Now Loading' bar that seemed stuck.
"Well, that was a whole lotta nothing…" Cid sighed in defeat, earning a pat on the shoulder from Leon. Yuffie just groaned, throwing her hands in the air and pouting. "Come on lass, it's not like you spent the past three days copped up using this fangled keyboard."
"Yeah, it wasn't exactly fun seeing my best friend die over and over again," Riku continued, earning a guilty smile from Yuffie. "I'm gonna get some air, give me a call when new information comes." Cid saluted before turning back to the screen, with Arieth rubbing her chin as she watched Riku leave the house.
The sky showed the bright sun setting, stars fighting to show through steam various engines were emitting. Riku leaned on a nearby wall, letting the sights and sounds sooth his busy mind. Little kids were playing near the rebuilt water fountain, men and women were chatting to and fro as they enjoyed sea salt ice creams and even Donald's nephews continued running a shop, looking decidedly older than he remembered.
The Worlds are at peace… Riku took solace in thinking that, eyes drifting to the sky, a lone star shining brightly above him. But the cost of this peace wasn't lost on Riku, and the other Guardians as well. He closed his eyes as the memories of that fateful day played in his mind.
The joyful sunrise of Destiny Islands and the bright glow surrounding everyone didn't mask the looming tension that suddenly rained on everyone's parade. Kairi was not sitting next to Sora, who promised to return safely, anymore. She was sitting by herself, on that tree, Riku fondly remembered leaning next to his best friends. Before his mind could catch up with his body, he dashed toward Kairi and pulled the crying girl into a tight hug.
"He… He's gone." Kairi said through muffled sobbing. "He's gone… Because of me…" Kairi continued crying, her hands gripping Riku's chest as tears rolled down her cheeks. Riku just held on tight, eyes threatening to tear up too.
Donald and Goofy huddled around the two, saying nothing but joining in on the hug. The former started sobbing, his voice hard to understand. The later though just had a firm grip, eyes closed and a frown firmly on his jaw. "Our half-pint is gone, I told ya we should've come with him, Donald."
Donald didn't respond, simply hugging tighter instead. Riku felt the two knights release their grip on Kairi and himself, simply looking soberly at the confused onlookers. Riku drifted his eyes across all his friends, new and old, and felt a wave of emotions.
He expected Roxas, Xion and Ventus to be the most torn up, considering their connection to Sora and they were, the trio frowning, crying and worried respectfully. But he was shocked at the utter rage present on Aqua's face, blue eyes glaring harshly at her armored heels. Terra simply put a hand on her shoulder, eyes closed as guilt seemingly took over his brown eyes.
Turning to Mickey, the small master simply closed his eyes and held his large gloved hand over his heart. Mickey said softly, "May your heart be your guiding key, Sora…" but no one seemingly heard him. The most confused in the group were Lea, who just worriedly hugged his friends and Isa, who just frowned as he studied the odd group he was now a part of. The Twilight Town trio was just unsure how to even react, deciding to just flat out leave and wait for more answers.
"Do you feel him, in your heart, Kairi?" Riku asked, fear in his voice as he knew the answer to the question. Kairi pulled back, looking right in Riku's strong eyes. She shook her head, him tilting his head down in defeat. I… I don't feel him either. If they, Sora's own best friends and the reason he went on his many adventures, can't feel him, he must be truly gone.
Riku sighed as the memory came and went. The past year hasn't been too great either, he reflected. Aqua, Terra, and Ventus venturing into the realm of darkness didn't result in any new leads, though Riku thought to explore the realm again itself wasn't the best choice. The pure look of fear in Aqua's eyes before leaving with her friends wasn't lost on Riku, taking a deep breath in the hope she and the others made it out okay.
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy exploring the past worlds Sora went too were the wiser of the options, Riku figured. Sora made many friends, more than Riku could count on two hands, so someone has to have a clue there. And knowing how Mickey told him about how close he used to be with the knight and court mage, Riku figured bonding with long-time friends could be good for Mickey.
As the sky turned darker, Riku's mind then drifted to the Twilight Town group, unsure what to make of their progress. Roxas and Xion letting their friends study lost memories they shared on Sora… Now aware of what exactly went down while Xion was with the Organization, Riku can safely say both Xion and Roxas would rather they never speak to Riku again. So he only has offhand information from Lea and Isa, the two said nothing was found.
The last people that drifted into his mind were Namine and Kairi, both making his heart restless for very different reasons. He clenched his chest, wondering if his 'other self' is the reason for his newfound attraction to the memory witch, but Riku and Namine have been talking often via the Gummi Phone, sharing different guesses on where Sora could be. Among other things. Riku thought in amusement, commenting on his poor art skills and training her how to use magic.
To say she was an important person to him the past year was an understatement, being one of the few things keeping the Keyblade Master sane as Kairi… Just the thought of his other best friend made his heart ace, frowning at himself. Knowing personally how failure can make one feel, Kairi's crushed her. She felt personally responsible for Sora's death when it was that man's fault to begin with.
Deciding to let Inzo and Ansem the Wise study her heart, Kairi went to sleep for nearly a year. And they haven't made any progress… It seemed to be a pattern, everyone doing what they can to find Sora but getting no result. The sky turning a dark blue, Riku wondered if this was all wasted time, if they should…
No, Sora wouldn't give up. He would keep looking for me and Kairi, or anyone of his friends for that matter. Riku shook the negative thoughts off, letting the spirit of his best friend snap some sense into him. No matter how assinine or confounding Sora's actions were, he still followed his heart. And that's what I'm going to do.
"Why are you just standing around?" Riku heard a female voice speak out to him, turning to his right and seeing a pink-haired woman standing next to him. She had a hand on her hip, brown eyes studying Riku intently. Her attire took Riku aback somewhat, a small red cape draping her back with matching white and gold solder-esc clothing and brown boots matching her warrior look. "Leon told me to keep watch… What's with that look?" Her eyes narrowed, noticing Riku's eyes were drawn to her odd-looking gunblade.
"Just… Thinking about my friends," Riku answered earnestly, folding his arms and relaxing as his companion's eyes softened. "Name's Riku, take it you are new here? I guess I am too now that I think about it…" Riku laughed softly, earning a slight grin from the woman next to him.
"I'm Lightning, nice to meet you." She answered briskly, though her tone was lighter than before. She leaned on the wall as well, following Riku's line of sight, seeing the other town's people roaming around. "I'm… Looking for people too, so I can understand that lost look you had."
Riku's eyes widened for a moment before they relaxed. "I'm sorry you are in the same boat too, though as my friend always told me, trust your heart and let that guide you." Lightning gave Riku a blank look, Riku sending one right back to her.
The door to Merlin's house opened with Leon looking around for Riku, finding him hanging out with Lightning. He paused for a moment, before a dumb smile was on his face. "What?" Lightning and Riku said in unison, causing Leon to shake his head.
"Nothing… Just wanted to let Riku know someone showed up with news." Riku nearly bounded off the wall, walking toward Leon in a brisk pace. Lightning just looked on, curious more than anything. "Come with me." Leon turned toward Lightning, giving a thankful smile. "I will stand guard soon, almost done here."
"Good, want to resume my search soon anyway," She turned toward Riku, holding out her hand. He took it and shook her hand. "Good luck finding your friend."
"Same to you," She nodded and when Riku let go, she went off into town. "I think she'll be okay." Riku said aloud, earning a sigh from Leon. The two went into Merlin's house, the night sky shining over it.
W-Where am I…
Kairi slowly opened her eyes, a bright light exposing itself. She got on her feet, feeling as if her body was soundly sleeping for a full year. Shaking her head, her bright blue eyes focused on her surroundings, being somewhat similar to that sky world she found… "Sora! Are you here?!" She shouted, a strange panic coming over her. Her sneakers slammed against the watery surface as she looked everywhere, not finding a familiar head of spiky brown hair anywhere. Kairi sighed, sitting on the watery surface and resting her tired hand on her palm.
She recalled what brought her here, to this strange heavenly world… Her heart traveling endlessly. But I'm alive right now. She clenched her hands into fists, feeling magic coursing through them. I guess cause I'm sleeping, this must be a dream, huh? She figured, standing back up and looking around, wondering what to do.
"You are lost, aren't you princess?" Kairi turned around, Destiny's Embrace in hand as colorful flowers came and went. She saw a hunched-over man in a black hood, body trembling at who this man was. "What? You acting like I'm the boogie man or something kiddo."
"X-Xehanort?" Kairi stuttered, trying to keep a strong posture. The hooded man sighed and stretched his back, loud cracking sounds echoing across the land. The man stood tall, stretching his arms around playfully. "Who… Are you, then?"
The man tapped his chin, seemingly ponder. "Would you believe in a crazy idea?" Kairi raised an eyebrow, standing her guard and readying her magic. "Picture this…" The man started walking around Kairi, hands behind his back like a master of some kind. "You fight a few years, go on a couple adventures and think, maybe, 'Hey, maybe I can relax and just be a normal kid again', right?"
"I… Could relate to that idea," Kairi replied carefully, unsure where he was going with this. The man made a small chuckle, sounding eerily like Sora's laugh. He turned toward her, wagging his finger in the air.
"Now, imagine being asked to, say hypothetically, of course, go on one more adventure, cause some jerk from the past discovered time travel." The man covered his face, seemingly making a shocked expression. "I know, sounds stupid. But life is very stupid and we both know that."
Kairi caught on to the man's bitterness in his voice, almost recognizing it. It sounded so similar, but different at the same time. "Are you talking about Xehanort?" The man clapped mockingly, causing Kairi to scowl. "A lot of us Guardians had to fight him, so why are you so bitter. It's not like you died trying to defeat him."
The man paused, hands dropping to his sides and a flash of red coming from his hood. "Says the girl that caused the chosen one to die." The man's tone was bitter, full of bile and rage, alarming Kairi. She backed away, but the man marched forward. "You could point your finger at pretty much anyone; the useless masters that failed to teach you correctly, your friends that couldn't see the bigger picture and keep a princess of light out of the war, or the evil men that wanted power and nothing else." He stood right in front of Kairi, hand on her shoulder and oddly enough, his rage was gone. "But you didn't ask the chosen one to give up his existence. He picked that forbidden path." Kairi tried looking into the man's hood, seeing familiar brown eyes and some brown hair that…
"S-Sora? Is… Is that you?" She asked, her voice small. Kairi used her hands to slowly pull his hood back, but he gently grabbed her hand, shaking his head.
"There are a lot of people named Sora out there, so maybe you found the wrong one this moment," The man answered, Kairi's hands returning to her sides. She closed her eyes and started crying, a bundle of emotions dancing inside her heart. "Hey, don't cry. I think you will like what I'm about to tell you."
She wiped her face as the man snapped his fingers, the world around them shifting to Destiny Islands, a warm sunset shining down on the two of them. The man walked toward a tree Kairi could recognize a mile away, following him as he sat down. He patted a spot, Kairi jumping on it. The two simply watched the orange glow paint the blue sea, enjoying this moment of silence. She turned to the man, wondering what he was going to tell her. He seemingly looked lost himself, but Kairi couldn't tell from that damned hood masking his familiar face.
"Sora… Is currently in a tricky spot this moment," The man started, hands clasped together. "What I'm going to say, will likely start yours and Riku's journey to find Sora, or not. It's up to you if you're both willing to follow a path I'm going to open up."
"I will find him. No matter what." Kairi said proudly, clenching her hand into a proud fist. The man simply ruffled her red hair, causing Kairi to pout. "I'm not a child…"
"Have a lot of students, and you remind me of one of them is all," The man said softly, his voice nostalgic somewhat. "If you remember what Sora and Riku experienced in… I hazard to call it a real Master of Mastery Exam, but it was something I guess…" Kairi looked toward the man, getting his attention. "Anyway, those two explored the Sleeping Worlds, helping people within those worlds, regardless of where in time they took place." He wagged his finger, shaking his head slightly. "Time travel is a whole can of worms no one wants to deal with, but if you are to find the fragments of Sora's heart, you have to find each one. As he found yours."
"His… Heart is lost?" Kairi asked, with the man nodding in response. "Sora…" Being split apart so violently, was not an experience Kairi would wish on her worst foes. Not even Xehanort. Everything just ends. No pain, no emotions. Literal nothing.
"...Yes and no, as I had a friend of mine… Discover the largest fragment of Sora's heart." He turned toward Kairi and put a hand on her shoulder. "The rest of his fragments are on the world's marked on this map, I happened to find on my way here." Kairi took the paper the man held out, looking it over and seeing various stars lighting up. "Not sure what worlds they are, as I've never visited them before."
She clenched the paper with both her hands, closing her eyes in relief. I… I can find him now. "Thank you so much!" She hugged the man, causing him to freeze for a moment before awkwardly patting her back.
"I'm not much for touchy-feely, but will accept your hug this once kiddo," Kairi let go and hopped off her seat. "But something's gotta be in it for me too, you know? Equal exchange and all that." Kairi nodded, but felt her skin crawl as the world shifted around them. The two were now in the Keyblade Graveyard, the man slowly walking toward a large black box. "See, I'm kinda… Sleeping in here this very moment. Not so cozy you would imagine."
Kairi noticed a rather large lock on the box, her keyblade summoning out of her control. She blinked seeing the weapon in her hands, the tip of it glowed a bright white. "I… I don't know. You look like Sora but… You are dressed like them." Kairi gave the man a critical look, him only responding by having hands behind his back and chuckling.
"You are a smart one, aren't you?" The man replied, making a dark laugh to himself. "At least you can see both sides of the coin, Kairi." He simply held out both hands, white and dark forming in each one. The left, Sora's Iconic Kingdom Key. The right, the blade Vanitias wielded, the Void Gear. He spun them around playfully before lugging the Kingdom Key over his shoulder and lazily holding the Void Gear. "How about we have a spar and you can see why I should be outta that box, sounds fun?"
Kairi readied herself, nodding at the man as he charged at her. His strikes nearly sent her flying but a carefully timed reflectga shield blocked his dual-strike combos. Kairi slid back and dashed endlessly, avoiding lethal strikes and pillar of light the man was sending her way. The way he fought shocked Kairi, unable to do more than merely dodge and avoid his attacks.
If he's… If he is like Sora, I need notice his weaknesses… The man's footwork seemed sloppy, using jumps and glides to move around the battlefield. Why can't he stay still? Kairi pondered, eyes locked on his black boots. She aimed her keyblade at them, shooting a volley of ice and water at them. The man nearly jumped out of the way, but Kairi used the stream of ice to skate across it, using a power Lea taught her about.
Her body flowing with kinetic energy, she spun around like a top, landing her first blow on the man. He flew into a nearby rock, gasping for air for a moment. Now! "Please work!" She threw her keyblade at him, warping to his position and bounced back and forth like a pinball, landing many blows before finishing her combo with a powerful Ragnarok attack.
Kairi dashed away before he could counter-attack, but the man seemingly was spent, hand on one knee and only having the Kingdom Key in his grasp. "Impressive… So you are ready for the battle ahead." Kairi watched as the man slowly walked toward her, only stopping when he was a foot away and stabbing the Kingdom Key into the ground. "I think you earned this, need all the help you're gonna get.
She blinked, looking at the weapon jabbed into the earth itself. The man gestured her to walk toward it, picking up the blade and it glowing a radiant gold. Holding the large key-sword, it vanished, only leaving a faint keychain in her palm. She clipped it on her Destiny's Embrace, the blade transforming into the very blade Sora used time and time again. "I have… A part of him with me, everywhere I go now." She waved the weapon around a few times, the tip glowing brightly. She aimed it at the large box, a beam of light shooting right at the lock.
"And look at that! You actually did end up opening that thing. Thanks, kiddo." The man made a bow, his form vanishing. The world did as well, Kairi looking up at the sky and seeing it turn into a midnight blue before everything went dark.
Kairi bolted out of her chair, blue eyes frantically looking around. "Oh my! Guards! Get Ansem the Wise at once!" She faintly heard Ienzo shout frantically, but Kairi simply looked at her palm, seeing the very map the man gave her. "What… Is that, young Kairi?" He asked cautiously as Kairi passed him the map. She didn't see stars like in her dream, but odd numbers scattered across the paper. "This… Kairi, where did you get this?"
"Found it in my dreams," She replied, getting to her feet and gently pulling out the IV's attached to her arms. "I… I need to find Riku, we need to find…" She fell on her knees, exhaustion coming over her. Ienzo caught her, the man's lab coat swaying somewhat as he helped Kairi up. She saw his exposed blue eye study her worriedly, but a warm smile from Kairi seemingly helped him calm down.
"What's with all this…" A rather loud, annoying voice entered the room, being that of… Even was it? The man matched Ienzo with his look, right down to the blue neckerchief and white lab coat, but his somewhat short blond hair and critical light green eyes stood out like a sore thumb. But his cold glare toward Ienzo softened seeing Kairi's tired face. "Young Kairi, you woke up. I'm shocked, frankly, usually we have to…"
"She's panicked enough, don't scare her with the details," Ienzo said softly, earning a scoff from Even. He turned toward Kairi and put a hand on her shoulder, the other hand rubbing his chin in thought. "...What are you doing?"
"Checking to see if she lost anything sleeping that long… Her eyes seem fine, though a bit more dilated for my liking. Skin is pale as could be… But her vitals seem fine…" Kairi backed away, waving her hands in slight embrasement. "I'm just checking if you are okay, miss."
"I know you were excited about studying her heart, I was too, but she's awake now," Ienzo said honestly, earning a nod from Even. Ienzo walked toward his computer and typed in the numbers on Kairi's map, trying to decode whatever was on it. Even just kept a close eye on Kairi, causing her to throw up her hood in embarrassment. I hate doctors…
"Well, I'll be…" Even said in surprise, seeing the restored map on the computer screen. He stood next to Ienzo, the latter continuing to type in code. "It seems that paper Young Kairi found was a map of some kind. Fascinating… Maybe this was the key."
"I'm going to print a copy that a Gummi Ship could process, as maybe…" Ienzo was about to comment but a loud noise was coming from outside. Various errors were popping up on the computer screen but Ienzo managed to print the decoded map before static started coming out of the keyboard and sending the three flying back.
Kairi rushed toward a nearby window, seeing a large… Oh no, it's Darkside! The familiar heartless was something impossible to forget. The very creature that ravaged her home all those years ago. She grit her teeth and summoned the Kingdom Key, rushing out of the lab to confront the monster.
And that's a wrap on Chapter 1! It feels great writing in the Kingdom Hearts universe again... Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next one should release soon. Stay tuned :).