Child No Longer

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape or form.

Every man has his own destiny:

The only imperative is to follow it,

To accept it,

No matter where it leads him.

-Henry Miller, The Wisdom of the Heart

US author (1891-1980)

Chapter Five: Reality from Legend

'—But I still don't understand all of it. I know that this is part of what comes with my family name, but still…Why can't there be an end to it all?'

'I don't know what to tell you, Sora.' Roxas said as he looked down at the brunette sprawled on the fine beach sand. 'You're not going to get anywhere thinking like that though. Do what you can for now, and handle the rest later.'

'I guess you're right.'

'What are you talking about?' Roxas asked with a teasing grin on his face. 'I'm always right and you know it.'

'Whatever.'

'So what are you going to do now? Are you going to keep ignoring it or are you going to do what you need to do?' Moving from his spot lying on the sand, Sora pushed himself up before looking up at the glittering night sky. 'There's no running from your destiny is there?'

'It isn't about your destiny, Sora. This has to do with the responsibilities that come with your blood. They've waited for you long enough, don't you think?' Roxas asked moving to stand beside the slim boy just out of reach of the incoming tide. 'Since you woke up in this world, I've managed to lessen the call for you. But it won't let itself be put off for much longer.'

'It's not fair Roxas. My family left this world almost four hundred years ago…So why was I the one chosen? What do I have that's so different from the others that were born before me?' Sora whispered sadly, his bright eyes closed as though to shield himself from the luminescence of the night sky. 'Tell me how I'm supposed to do this. Tell me because—because I don't know what to do anymore.'

Wham!

Loosing his footing from the hard punch to his cheek, Sora slipped in the fine sand and landed almost comically in the lukewarm ocean water. Stunned, he raised a hand to gently prod the reddened area as he stared up in disbelief at the blond haired boy still clenching his fist.

'Stop acting like a whiny child, Sora.' Roxas said harshly as he met Sora's wide-eyed gaze. 'You're the Keyblade Master. You know better than anyone that fate is anything but fair. This is something that was entrusted to you, and all you want to do is run from it like a spoiled idiot.'

'Rox—'

"No, just shut up and listen to me Sora. Like it or not, you have a duty to your blood. They swore an oath, and as their descendent it's your responsibility to uphold that oath, regardless of whether it's something that you want to do.' Offering his hand to Sora, he pulled the now shivering brunette up out of the water as he contemplated what to say next. 'You knew this was going to happen the minute you realized who the Keyblade Master really was. The true Master will always be descended from your line, are you gonna disgrace them by running away from it all?'

Standing there in the knee-deep water, Sora's blue eyes opened as he looked towards the blonde haired boy still holding his hand. 'When you put it that way—' Sora said as he tugged harshly on the hand still in his grip, watching gleefully as Roxas made a rather satisfying splash. Smiling softly as he waded to dry land, Sora stopped at the water's edge turning his face to the side. 'Thanks.'

'Sora!'

'Yeah?'

'Your dream.' Roxas said as he stood still in the water watching the fading image of his Other. 'I think it's connected to the dreams you were having before you were sealed. Fight the darkness the way you always have. Don't lose your way and things'll turn out the way they should okay? And good luck claiming it.'

Nodding his head, Sora closed his eyes as he waited for the sensation of falling to begin. It was always the same blurred images and indistinguishable colors as he fell out of the realm he'd created for Roxas. Coming awake with a start in the luxurious bed, he grasped his crown pendant as his breathing slowly returned to normal. Glancing over to the other side of the bed, he made sure that Riku was still sleeping before sliding out from under the covers. Dressing in the dark turned out to be a novel experience, as he kept pausing to make sure Riku was still sleeping.

Fully dressed, he walked silently to the heavy wooden door, and pushed it open turning to look one last time at the sleeping boy. "I hope you're right about this, Roxas." He muttered before closing the door behind him. Still clutching his pendant tightly in his hand loosened his grip on it before pulling it off over his head. Held loosely in his hand, the chain dangled from between his fingers as he set off down the darkened hallways.

Clinging to the shadows as he stealthily navigated his way through the confusing passages, he absentmindedly hummed a song he remembered his father singing to him as a child. Stopping before a set of carved wooden doors, he idly traced the engravings left in the wood as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. Taking a deep breath he reached into one of his many pockets, pulling out a small dagger still in its sheath.

His eyes softened as he remembered Leon giving it to the last time they'd spoken. Shaking his head, he pushed aside his previous thoughts as he pulled the dagger from its sheath and made a small cut on his finger. Pressing his bleeding finger against the carving of a crown identical to the one on his necklace, he sighed in relief as the doors unlocked and began to open themselves. Gathering a deep breath, he replaced the dagger into his pocket and slipped his necklace back on before stepping through the doorway into the dimly lit room.

Sora gulped nervously as the doors closed behind him with a soft click, leaving him trapped in the dark room as the candles went out. Catching a faint glimmer from the corner of his eyes, he looked down in shock to see that his pendant had begun to shine with a light blue hue. Relieved that he still had some light, he nearly hit himself in the head when he remembered that he could use his own magic for light.

Closing his eyes he called back the image of the room before the doors had closed, trying to figure out where in the room he was supposed to go. Flipping through the various details of the room, he stopped abruptly on the memory of the candles gathered together in a small circle surrounding something metallic in the center of it all. His destination in mind, Sora waited for the comforting weight of the keyblade to reach his hand before cautiously moving towards the center of the room.

Swinging the keyblade up to rest on his shoulder, he kept his eyes closed forcing his other senses to sharpen in response as he walked. Feeling the cool touch of metal against his arm, Sora let one trembling hand rest on the metal thing he'd brushed up against before realizing that it was one of the large candle holders. A soft murmur later and his hand was cupping a brilliant orange flame before it was transferred to the wick of the candle above him.

As his hand began to move away from the now lit candle, he jerked it back the rest of the distance as the small flame flared before racing around the circle of candles. "Whoa." Sora whispered faintly, his sapphire eyes following the path of the flame as it jumped from one candle to the next. "It's just like Dad said, so I guess that means the trials are true too."

Lifting the keyblade from its perch on his shoulder, he held it in front of him tip down as he kneeled on the stone floor in the center of the circle. Closing his eyes again, he leaned his forehead against the well-known handle of his keyblade as he waited in silence for something to happen.

"What is it that has brought you here child?"

Standing in a swift fluid movement as the voice began speaking, Sora opened his eyes to see that the orange flames of the candles had been replaced with three hovering orbs. "I seek." Dipping his head down to stare at the ground beneath his feet, his eyes were shadowed by his spiky brown locks before he slowly straightened his posture. "I seek to regain the lost legacy of the Hikari family."

"Oho! And what makes you worthy to regain such a prestigious legacy? Surely you will not remain dependent upon something so fragile as a claim of blood."

'I'm talking to little balls of flame. Like I really needed my life to get any weirder.' Sora thought as he struggled to find an answer for the flame's voice. "What makes me worthy? How am I supposed to answer something like that?" He finally said his voice heavy with frustration. "I am who I am. I'm not going to sit here and list what I think are good qualities, because for every good quality I have, I'm sure there's something equally as annoying about me."

"Hmmm…So will that remain your answer in regards to your own worthiness in claiming this legacy you seek?"

"Yes." The slim brunette answered as he tightened his grip on the keyblade still held in his hand. "It's the only truthful answer I can give you."

"Such spirit, young one. Do you seek your long lost legacy out of duty or do you seek it for the power it holds?"

"I don't need more power. I'm happy the way I am." Running a hand through his hair, he bit his lower lip hesitantly as he recalled Roxas yelling at him. Wincing as he remembered the pain of the punch landed on his jaw, he let his hand fall to his side before continuing. "I'm not doing this out of duty. I'm doing this because it's the right thing for me to do. I won't run or hide from the responsibility it brings. I choose to fight for the honor of reclaiming the legacy of my blood."

"What do you know of fighting? You are too young to have fought for something such as honor."

Sapphire eyes narrowing, Sora held up the keyblade horizontally so that it glimmered in the flickering light. "I became the scion of the Hikari family the day this came into my possession. I watched the stars fall from the sky, and I fought for two years to replace those lights into their rightful spots." Sighing heavily, his voice became softer as his eyes darkened with buried memories. "I can't tell you the number of times I came close to death. I was forced to fight my best friend, I became a heartless, I lost my memories twice, and in spite of everything I still won. Because as my Nobody loves to tell me, I'm too stubborn to know when to give up."

"Tell us what it is you fought for so valiantly."

"At first it was because I wanted to find my friends." Sora said slowly lowering the keyblade from its horizontal position in front of him. "But—But then I realized that there were so many people depending on me so I started fighting for them too. Whenever I thought about quitting, remembering that stopped me and gave me enough strength to keep moving."

"Do you regret any of it?"

"Yes."

"And do you still think yourself worthy of your blood?"

"You didn't let me finish." Sora said, his hands trembling from the force of the emotions bubbling inside of him. "I regret it because when it all started, I wasn't anywhere near ready for it. Still if I—If I had the chance to do it again, I would."

"Regret is such a dark emotion for one so young and pure, and yet you hold no qualms about revealing its existence within your heart. Why?"

"Acknowledging its there, doesn't mean that I'll give in to it." The teen replied easily as he sent his keyblade back. "Knowing its there but refusing to fall into it is what makes me stronger in the long run. I have nothing to be ashamed of by admitting that even I'm not always optimistic."

"Then you have proven yourself worthy to reclaim your lost legacy. Take heed that this comes with a heavy price, as we can no longer hold the darkness at bay. It will seek your blood in remembrance of the one who sealed it away so long ago."

"The prophecy given to your ancestor is now yours to take. The days of darkness are now upon us all, and the Keyblade War shall begin anew. Seek our counsel once more when you are lost and are in need of guidance, young scion of the Hikari."

"Acknowledgement has been given and the Keyblade Master has now returned to his rightful spot. Search for those that chose to await your return, as they now slumber in peace scattered to the four winds in safety. Would there be anything that you would ask of us to grant you, child?"

"Release him." Sora said pleadingly as the orbs of light began to flicker and fade. "Release my Nobody and give him his own body, please."

"When your guardians have been gathered, your wish will be fulfilled. Return to us here and you will find him awaiting your return."

Blinking bemusedly as the orbs vanished and was again replaced by the orange flames of the lit candles; Sora sighed in relief as he noticed the pedestal before him. Gently lifting the silver circlet from its resting spot on top of the pedestal, he stared at in awe, before noticing the well-worn scroll lying on the pedestal as well. Placing the circlet back into its spot, he picked up the scroll and delicately broke the wax seal holding it closed.

Master of keyblade

The lost two

Memory of Xenohart

Chasers

Keyblade War

It all began with…

Birth by sleep.

"What's this supposed to mean?" Sora muttered as he read the small scroll. "Sora!" Sapphire eyes glanced up from the scroll to see Riku entering the room. Grinning widely, he rolled the scroll back and stuffed it into one of his pockets, before picking the circlet back up. Slipping it on, it was nearly covered by his spiky brown hair as he walked toward his impatient friend standing by the open door.

"Time for the fairy tales and legends to become real again."

TBC…

I'm back! I know this chapter is going to confuse the hell out of you, so refer back to chapter three and hopefully you should understand a bit better. Next up is the interlude, and any lingering confusion should be cleared up. Thanks for all of your support; it meant a lot to me.

Moonlight's Childe