Second Chance Universe(Series): Behind the Scenes.
Author's Note: *MAJOR SPOILERS* Okay, we can mainly forget about what I said in the previous chapter, except that...well, Sora. Hopefully(though while it's extremely too early to conclude this, I'm not holding onto that much hope) KH4 will be made and Sora will return to us and reunite with Kairi and everyone else in the living world.
Please remember that none of these will be in order and these will change slightly or more correctly in "Kingdom Hearts III: Second War".
I don't own anything here.
Back-Scene 5-The Nightmare and an Alternate Sora: This takes place after or during Chapter 50 of "Kingdom Hearts III: Second War"...
Mickey's Nightmare:
Mickey had no idea where he was. Actually, he knew where, but he didn't know how or why. It was the same as always, but this area was a bit different to what he remembered twelve years ago. One moment he saw himself being attacked by Aqua who had been trapped in the Realm of Darkness for too long and was corrupted by darkness, the next he found himself here. In the Keyblade Graveyard.
It was then that he saw, a familiar group as close to him as he knew; he saw himself in new clothing, as were Sora, Riku and Kairi. The four of them were with Lea who was still wearing his Organization XIII coat, Donald, Goofy, Aqua and Ven, all standing together...and Mickey saw someone else approach from a dust of cloud and his heart froze.
It was Terra still possessed by Xehanort.
"W-what's goin' on? Is...is this even real?" The King asked, suddenly getting a bad feeling about this. Was he seeing the future? Was this a nightmare? It shouldn't be this way. Where were Isa, Skuld, Roxas and Xion?
He couldn't hear what Terra-Xehanort was saying, but judging the look on the man's face, and how everyone else were looking...beginning to lose hope, Mickey knew it was bad. Which was why no one, not even the real Mickey saw it coming, as Terra-Xehanort summoned the dark evil Keyblade and before anyone could stop him...he struck both Ven and Aqua down in an instant.
"NO!" Mickey screamed out in horror, but he couldn't feel himself move. All he, his otherself and everyone else could do was just stand there in horror as the lives of his two friends vanished before their eyes.
It seemed the torture didn't end here, because Xehanort began to laugh manically before he began to burst into pure darkness that spread all, through out the area and before anyone knew it, hundreds, thousands, if not millions of Heartless began to rain down and swarm. Mickey made to summon his Keyblade, but the Heartless were not effecting him as though he wasn't there at all. Instead, his other self along with the others charged forward to attack the Heartless...
But it was no use. No matter how hard they tried, it wasn't enough. One Heartless Tide Swarm made to attack Sora, Kairi, Mickey and Goofy. But the real Mickey felt himself trapped and unable to move, as Donald suddenly stepped in and held up his Staff which burst into golden light that drove it away. But as he just stood there, the staff just simply vanished while Donald himself just collapsed onto the ground, fading away in particles of light as everyone else stood in pure horror and agonized sorrow and loss...
Mickey couldn't hear Goofy, but he sensed more of his friend screaming out to Donald who had just died right in front of them, and Mickey himself felt tears began to form in his eyes. It was then that Goofy was quickly taken himself.
"Donald, Goofy! NO!" Mickey screamed out, but he couldn't move. He felt helpess and trapped. Everyone was getting killed by the barrade of Heartless right in front of him...and that included his other self who was swallowed up despite Riku trying to save him and Sora being thrown back and losing hope.
Kairi pushed Lea out of the way, but the latter hit his head on the rock and was soon engulfed and swallowed by the Heartless. The Princess of Heart began to cry as did Sora, and Mickey was losing his control in controlling his emotions as well. It wasn't long before Kairi was soon eaten herself by the swarm as she screamed out Sora's name before she too was gone, leaving only Sora and Riku who was fighting the Heartless and Sora fell to his knees, screaming and crying.
"This can't be happening...! Please...please tell me this is not true!" Mickey pleaded. He soon gasped as Riku, giving Sora final parting and encouraging words, calmly walked up to face the Heartless but it all but naught, as the silver haired teen was soon quickly gone as well.
At least Sora, in despair and fear and on his own, was the final victum as he let out a terrified and agonized scream before was struck and swallowed alive by the Heartless.
"RIKU! SORA!" Mickey screamed out, finally freeing himself from the invisible restrains that was holding him back and raced over, just as the Heartless began to then spread through out the entire area and he forced himself to skid to a stop. The Heartless were now forming into a cyclone of pure darkness. He gasped in horror. This was too much.
If his other self couldn't beat them, what chances did he get against this number? Mickey began to shake in pure fear, along with the heart-break of everyone eaten and struck down and killed right before his eyes, including himself. Soon enough the darkness spread everywhere so quickly that Mickey could only scream as he tried to shield himself with his arms and shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for his own bitter end.
But he didn't feel a thing. Not a single Heartless hitting him or clawing him or anything like that. He didn't even feel the darkness pull out his own heart. Hesitating, Mickey opened his eyes and lowered his arms and saw the area, not swallowed up in darkness, but just blanketed in a dark sky like night. On top of that, he realized he was in a different and much more familiar part of the Keyblade Graveyard.
And it was much more heart-breaking and horrifying than what he just witnessed. Mickey gasped as he covered his mouth with his hands. All around in front of him...were lifeless bodies of all of his friends he just witnessed in getting killed by the Heartless; that now included the normal Terra, Isa, Myde and Skuld.
"Please, no..." Mickey silently pleaded. He felt sick in the stomach, his heart feeling as though it was being ripped into shreds. He was about to race over to the fallen bodies of everyone when they all vanished in golden light. It ripped his heart even faster than he would've liked, his tears falling freely as he choaked a sob.
He then heard manical laughter that made him seize up before looking behind him, in a mixture of sorrow and fear. Mickey spun around entirely in horror as a bright light of a silhouttee of a being he'd never seen before appeared before him, along with a monsterous form of Chaos and...a giant ghostly black form of the evil man he never thought he'd see again.
"Xehanort!?" Mickey exclaimed. No, this couldn't be! Xehanort died in the Realm of Sleep when Sora and Riku defeated him.
Mickey gasped again and shrank back in defense and fear as Xehanort's massive shadow loomed over him menacingly. He made to summon his Keyblade, but his body refused to listen. The King screamed as Xehanort's shadow hand that resembled to a Darkside Heartless clasped him by the lower part of his body, squeezing him around his waist.
"Lemme go! Lemme go!" Mickey yelled, futilessly trying to pull himself free and pound on the hand he was trapped in while Xehanort continued to laugh, resting his other hand around the one that held the King. "Lemme go!"
"AH!" Mickey screamed as he jolted upright wide awake, panting and gasping in quick sensation as he felt his heart race rapidly in the near-paralyzing fear. He felt disorientated and for a brief moment had no idea where he was or what was happening.
"Mickey! Are you alright?"
Hearing a familiar warm and sweet gentle voice that always tends to calm him down, Mickey quickly looked to his right and saw his beloved wife Queen Minnie, who sat up in their shared bed in their Royal Bed Chamber and she looked very worried. Once he got his bearings and realized he was safe in his home with Minnie by his side and that everyone were still asleep in several guest rooms, in the middle of the night, Mickey slowly began to calm down.
It had been just a dream. A nightmare. Probably the worst nightmare he ever had in his entire life.
"Minnie...I'm sorry. I didn't meant to wake ya'." Mickey replied apologetically, realizing that his scream as he awoke from the nightmare woke his wife up as well and he felt bad about it.
"Oh, it's alright Mickey. I know you didn't mean it." Minnie said gently, then asked worriedly, "Is everything okay?"
Mickey thought back of the nightmare he'd just seen-no. It wasn't just any nightmare. He thought back of what Kairi had told him and the others earlier in the Throne Room.
"Remember the dreams I've told you guys about? It's starting to make sense. Chaos and Bhunivelze were in my nightmares, and that bright light, and the latest one stealing the light from my heart...they're going to use Kingdom Hearts!" Kairi told them which had everyone gasp in shock as well.
Not only that, he also remembered her saying how Xehanort was in her nightmares despite the evil man being dead. Mickey's heart froze up as he remembered seeing Chaos in his dream too along with Xehanort...and that other giant monster in light...
'Oh no...! I'm having the same nightmares Kairi's been havin' now too!' Mickey realized to himself in horror. If that's the case...then he had a terrible feeling it wouldn't be long before everyone else began to have these horrible visions as well. But would that mean Xehanort will return again? But it didn't make sense if the Master of Masters was here, having reclaimed the Keyblade that was originally his and not always Xehanort's.
He must've been silent for too long, because Minnie gently placed a hand onto his own, causing Mickey to glance at her and suddenly he felt another fear; the fear of never being able to see her again if things turn out the way he saw in the nightmare.
"Mickey?" Minnie gently asked, getting more and more worried.
Realizing there was no point in hiding it, Mickey sniffled as the ache in his heart over the loss of his friends in the nightmare lingered and he didn't want that to become a reality, but he had a terrible feeling that it will be.
"I just had the most horrible nightmare. E-Everyone including me...we were all...we were all killed by a large army of Heartless...and Xehanort was still alive." Mickey admitted, and when Minnie gasped in horror at this, he couldn't hold it back anymore as he began to cry, tears falling freely. "I don't want that happenin' for real...but I don't know if it's the future telling me it'll happen or not...! I don't wanna lose everyone!"
"Oh, Mickey. It'll be alright." Minnie tried to soothe him, pulling her husband into an embrace as Mickey, needing comfort, hugged her back and cried on her shoulder. In truth, Minnie didn't want to lose Mickey either. She almost lost him more times than she can count, but she knew at this moment she couldn't cry herself. Mickey was in despair, and he needed her. Now more than ever.
"I-I love you, Minnie." Mickey sobbed, not wanting to let go of his true love, his stronger light.
Unaware to the two royals, Sora, who had just had the very similar nightmare himself, lingered outside of their bedroom door and had heard the King scream and then explain what happened. The sixteen year old boy felt a horrified feeling within his own heart, before lowering his gaze to the floor and somberly walked away, his heart heavy and the hope he held in saving the Realm of Light now fading faster than the Heartless killing his friends and himself in the nightmare he just had.
The same one Mickey had.
Sora entered the hallway that overlooked the Garden of the Castle, and stopped to lean against the railing as he gazed up at the starry night sky. Possibly for the last time in whatever peace he and his friends had. It hurt...very much. He thought he understood hurt, but now it was clear that he didn't. He never did understand how much it hurt to lose people close to him. The nightmare he and Mickey had just proved it.
Even though Sora knew that Xehanort is gone, the fact that Chaos and very possibly Bhunivelze appeared didn't help matters. The battle against the two evil gods could very well play out like how Xehanort would want; then everyone including himself were doomed to face death for all eternity...
Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Roxas, Lea, Xion, Namine, Isa, Myde, Skuld, Ven, Terra, Aqua...and Kairi.
Sora could clearly remember the kiss he and Kairi shared in Coronia, and while he wouldn't admit it to anyone else, it was the most wonderful experience he ever had.
Sora blushed heavily as Kairi leaned up while closing her eyes and kissed him on the lips. Surprised at first, Sora soon found himself returning it while closing his eyes and the two wrapped each other in their arms as they kissed.
Though when it did, both of them sighed before Kairi snuggled up in Sora's chest, and he held her close.
To think that such a wonderful moment would never happen again made Sora tear up before he began to cry softly as the cold realization hit him almost like how the Heartless took away his friends before killing him in that nightmare...a nightmare that looked and felt all too real, like he was seeing an alternate universe right before his eyes. His tears trailed down his face and onto the cold stone of the railing.
"I didn't sign up to be told the whole thing is pointless! Not that I don't have faith in everyone else here, but I'm useless! I'm chicken!" Myde's words echoed in Sora's mind from earlier today, or yesterday by now.
'...I'm more useless than he is. I can't do this by myself...I can't do anything on my own without everyone else helping me.' Sora thought to himself, which made him cry harder.
"The others are what make us stronger. Especially Kairi."
"H-huh?" Sora blinked. That voice. It was his own...but he didn't say that, even though it did sound like him. Groaning in half-realization, Sora lowered his head and grumbled to what he thought was Vanitas talking to him again. "I'm not in the mood for you, Vanitas. If you're trying to make me feel better with a mocking joke, it's not working."
"What are you talking about, idiot? That wasn't me." Vanitas spoke in his mind in confusion and annoyance.
"Wait. Vanitas? You got Vanitas inside you?" The second voice asked in shock and disbelief.
This time it was Sora's turn to be very confused as he realized he was hearing two voices now and not just one and he wasn't even speaking other than what he just said to Ven's dark embodiment in his mind. If that wasn't Vanitas, then who...? Sora turned around to see who was talking to him in his voice...and found himself staring at himself, but a bit of a hair cut, and while Sora still wore the clothes he retrieved from the three Good Faries when he, Donald and Goofy first arrived at Yen Sid's Tower, the other Sora was wearing what he'd seen in his nightmare;
This other Sora not only looked a bit see-through like a ghost, but he was wearing a black jacket having grey pockets and a stripe of red on each sleeve. The hood, sleeves and jacket had red lining and six buttons on the front. Underneath was a grey t-shirt with a V-style collor and a white lining. He also wore gaunlets that matched his jacket except they had grey circles on the backs, with the palms of his hands exposed. His shorts were roughly the same length as the ones the real Sora was wearing with armored sides that were attached to red straps and black that wrapped around his legs. His shoes looked the same except they didn't have the blue stripes or zippers.
To say that Sora was shocked beyond belief would've been an understatement.
"AH!" Sora yelped, nearly falling off the railing but stopped himself as he leaned back in fright. His outburst startled his other self who reacted the same way as he did. "Y-you're-!"
"Oh wonderful. Now I can torment two of you instead of just one. Wonder who I'll pick on first today?" Vanitas remarked sarcastically. Like many times before, Sora just ignored him.
"Yeah, I guess this is totally weird, huh? Me meeting my alternate self after changing the future for as best as I could. On the other hand, Time really is messed up." The other Sora admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Huh? Change the future? But, I somehow already did that; Me and Roxas saved Axel." Sora pointed to his...alternate-self as he could call the other Sora. He then realized something else and gasped, becoming horrified again. "Wait! You're wearing the same clothes I saw in the nightmare! So...that means...everyone in your time-line is gone?"
"For a while, yeah. But Chirithy helped me figure out how to save everyone's hearts and bring them all back. I even managed to stay whole even after I died, because Kairi guided me; the Kairi I know. She's the light in the darkness that helps guide the way back. We both brought everyone back to just before we were all killed by the Heartless." The Other Sora explained.
"Uh..." Sora held a puzzled look, tilting his head to the side slightly.
"The power of waking. First I had to find myself and put myself back together in the Final World; where everyone who perished go to. Then I had to traverse to each world to find the hearts of the others and guide them back to just before we faced Terra when he was still possessed by Xehanort. His armor, thanks to Namine reaching him, saved Aqua and Ven, and when I charged towards the Heartless Horde, I had help from the Keyblade Wielders of the past and their Keyblades. They helped me and the others to stop the Heartless and we all survived."
"The other Time-line the Foretellers told me; the one that has the other promising future." Sora realized, hope that he felt fade suddenly return to him slowly. Though the chances of that happening to him may be unlikely, but Sora couldn't give up now. Not when they still had a lot to do.
"Huh?" The other Sora blinked, confused this time.
"Uh, n-never mind." Sora stuttered sheepishly. "Wait, the power of waking? It can do that? I thought it was to only to wake up sleeping worlds and sleeping hearts."
"Not really. But...the downside to that is...if the power of waking is used too much and not properly...you'd have to...well, this is the result of what's happened to me. I had to fade away in order to save Kairi after we all closed up Kingdom Hearts." The other Sora admitted.
"You mean...fade away?" Sora stuttered, his own hope now plummeting right back to where it started just moments ago. So if he used the power of waking if everyone else died, the result would him be dying too after they were brought back to life?
Then...did Xehanort kill Kairi in the other dimension? Given what Sora's other self had said, it made sense and Sora himself felt fear linger in his heart. The very thought of Kairi being killed by the hands of that horrible man...it was devastating and Sora knew he would never be able to live without her. Which meant, given the choice, the only way for her to live is for him to sacrifice himself which, while it wasn't fair that he wouldn't be with her at all, as long as she and everyone else were safe, alive and happy, that was enough for him.
"It was a choice I made, and I am sad I can't be with everyone anymore, I don't regret it. On the other hand, I've seen two other futures of what would happen to me." Alternate-Sora replied.
"Like what?" Sora asked.
"In one, I stay dead forever which is okay. In another...well, Riku is trying to figure out how to bring me back without doing the same thing I did. Though whichever way works, I'm pretty okay with being like this. What I didn't expect was that I end up in an alternate universe to see that Xehanort is defeated another way."
"Yeah, well, it's not any better. Now we got Chaos and Bhunivelze and one of the Foretellers to worry about. Not to mention Caius and Ardyn, and Maleficent and Pete looking for the Book of Prophecies and a black box." Sora sighed.
The other Sora suddenly groaned, because he grumbled. "Ugh! I forgot about Maleficent and Pete looking for the black box! Great, now the others have to stop them without me."
"Heh. Looks like every other version of you is the same." Vanitas retorted, with a hint of a smugged look in his voice.
'Will you please be quiet?' Sora groaned mentally.
"Well, anyway. Even though Xehanort's gone in both dimensions, you gotta try really hard in not making the same mistake I did and being forced to change history a little. Our hearts are the real keys into this. Do me a favor and don't let anything happen to your Kairi, okay? I don't want any other versions of us go through what I went through." Alternate-Sora advised.
While Sora had no idea how to respond to that, he knew that his other self was right; what had happened in the nightmare had happened in the original-time line that had his alternate self to change history to stop the deaths of everyone else and then Sora realized he was now beginning to see other dimensions, just as Caius had warned.
All dimensions of every reality were beginning to merge, and Sora in this dimension had to do everything he could to fix that without losing everyone.
"...I'll do my best. I'll protect Kairi, and everyone else." Sora finally replied. No, he will do harder than that; he had to do everything he could to prevent this and do everything he can to stop Chaos and the other villains out there. He just had to make sure how to master the power of waking without losing himself the same way his alternate self did.
"Thank you. Oh, and another thing; go easy on the other Organization members who aren't Xehanort."
"Uh...okay? The only ones I can't figure out are Marluxia and Larxene. Everyone else is cool, and-oh, right! Even, Aeleus and Dilan need to be saved." Sora remembered.
"Okay. Be careful out there. If we're lucky, maybe I can help you in spirit since I'm a ghost now. Gotta stop you and our other selves from ending up like me." Alternate-Sora held out his hand to Sora who smiled a little in saddness.
The two Sora's shook hands and Sora was surprised that the grip was somehow solid even though it was light and somewhat cold but warm at the same time. Soon as they did, Sora's other self then vanished like a wisp in the wind and Sora's grip on his other self's hand was gone.
It was...so weird to be talking to himself from another dimension. But at the same time, Sora knew now that he had to try more than his best to ensure that what had happened in that dimension would not happen here.
"I'll protect Kairi...and everyone else. I won't let anyone of my friends die." Sora vowed to himself, turning to face the night sky once more.
He had to do this...without the power of waking.
KINGDOM HEARTS III: SECOND WAR.
A/N: Like the previous chapter before, this will be in chapter 50 of "Kingdom Hearts III: Second War". While the ending was mostly what I hoped for, seeing Sora disappear and having died to revive Kairi made me upset to now having to wait for KH4(I'm hoping it will come but I somehow don't think it will ever happen despite what the Epilogue and Secret Ending say) or at least the DLC.
I'm hoping that the next future game of KH will involve Sora being revived and reunited with everyone as Riku very likely went out to go and save him just as Sora had done to save Kairi, but I don't see that happening. I could be wrong(I'm hoping I'm wrong about KH4 not coming) but you never know.
See you in the next back-scene.