I think I'll be leaving the author's notes at the bottom from now on. But as the last time, I want to thank The Archsage for pointing out some flaws in my current grammar. I'll aim to tweak it and thanks a lot!
Now on with the story!
"Close your eyes, feel the thrum of my heart within me and focus. Block out the darkness around you, focus only on me and I promise, I will save you." ~?
Kingdom Hearts: Rewind
Chapter 2: It Begins and A Precious Light
Night had washed over Destiny Islands, blanketing the small villages and towns in blackness with very little clouds floating up in the sky. The sea of twinkling stars that floated overhead was one of the unique sights that Destiny Islands prided itself on, besides it's own sunset. For it felt like the planet itself was in the center of this sea of star's, enabling the locals to see every star light up the night sky. It was a fantastic sight to see, something more than a few locals would stay up at night just to witness or even the late night goers.
That is of course, except for one person. Sitting atop the edge of the volcano that stood at the far back of the main island was Sora, and instead of looking up and enjoying his worlds small, but unique spectacles. He was instead overlooking his world, soaking up every single detail and burning it all into his mind. From the islands, to the sea's, to the villages and towns, and his own hometown.
Letting one leg dangle from the volcano while the other was propped up, Sora let his blue eyes go back down to his hometown. Where within lay his family, his friends, his school, his dojo. Everything that he had ever known and grew up knowing was perfectly branded inside his mind, into one of the many vaults that housed his most cherished memories.
''This will be the last time I see this world again, for how long I'll never know. So much has to be done and so little time to do it...'' his words left him in a whisper, but the truth in those words could never be ignored. The work he had to do was extensive beyond measure, but it had to be done, to ensure the survival of this time line, he had to be the one to take up the challenge.
'But it's never easy...' the former Keyblade Master thought. Still he smiled as all the work in preparation done up until this point came to the forefront of his mind. Ever since he woke up in this time, as a newborn, he had done everything within his power to prepare not only himself, but both Kairi and Riku for this chaotic transition from their lives of normalcy, to lives that would ultimately be deciding factors in the continued survival of the universe itself.
He had faith in them, he had pushed them to the edge in physical fitness, with the ever so small subtle of ways. But the results had been staggering for the two, and he couldn't have been more proud of them.
Still, he worried for them, but he would watch over them and protect them from those that would seek to destroy them.
After all it was his duty as their closest friend.
A breeze swept past him, cool to the skin, but carried in it was the hint of change to come. A sigh broke from the time traveler and soon his eyes settled on Riku and Kairi's homes for a moment. In that little moment of time, Sora could see the apparitions of his two friends appear before him. Their last act to him prior to leaving their island still left him a bit puzzled, but nonetheless warm in the pit of his abdomen.
"I promise you...Kairi...Riku...you will live too see a brighter future. For yourselves, for our families, four our friends...for the whole universe.''
Feeling a subtle change in the wind, Sora's blue eyes glanced toward the island where he spent most of his childhood, and there he saw what was becoming a storm. Feeling the vile darkness in the wind and atmosphere continue to grow in intensity made his eyes narrow.
''And so it begins...'' he trailed on before he began to stand up. Standing up to his full height, Sora let out a breath before he closed eyes. Focusing upon the darkness within him he channeled it and mustered it to the forefront of the physical world and by the enforcement of his will he enacted his will onto the darkness.
And in a display of sheer dark power, Sora was engulfed in an aura of black as night, fiery black flames swallowed his body until he swept his hand casting the flames into nothingness. Now standing where he was, Sora took one glance over his new attire and easily ignored the memories they brought to him. Gone was his normal clothing he once wore as his usual 14 year old self, but instead he was dressed in pitch black garments.
Knee-high black boots meshed well with black pants while the rest of his body was covered by a full-length black cloak, zipped down just below his waist, two silver drawstrings decorated two large silver beads at the end. Looped across these two drawstrings was a chain with four cylindrical beads.
The flapping cloak tails calmed as Sora exhaled once again. The cloak covered the entire part of his body, but he soon reached behind him and pulled hood of the cloak over his head. And as Sora stared up into the sky, watching the storm begin to get stronger, his face was slowly overtaken by the shadow of his hood.
'This brings back memories...' thought the young man in body as he took a moment to glance over his new garments.
But then a strong gust a wind blew past him, his coat tails flapped wildly, but he remained undisturbed as he brought up his right black gloved hand and inhaled.
''Time to begin our little adventure.''
Exhale
In a brilliant flash of white, a sudden weight landed in his hand. A familiar sound of a moving keychain resounded in Sora's ears and as the light vanished in the wake of the darkness beginning to engulf his world. Sora took one look upon his Kingdom Key before turning his gaze back to his island and the storm that hovered above it. Looking upwards, he focused upon the center of the storm and as the sky began to break apart he saw the giant orb of black and red begin to descend.
''Time to go...''
Faster than the eye could see, Sora hit the edge of the volcano in quick steps before he vanished in nothing more than a blur.
OwO
Appearing on the island, Sora landed on the dock, and glancing down he noticed both Riku and Kairi's boats were already docked.
'Just like before...' he mused before he turned his gaze to where he sensed Riku was, and like last time he could see her standing on the small island where they sparred. Vanquishing his presence, Sora began making his way toward his childhood friend, cutting down every Shadow heartless that spawned in his path. Mindless little drones off the Darkness that could not recognize the danger Sora represented until it was too late. So, they were all cut down and the hearts released returned whence they came.
But the darkness that was consuming his world steered clear of him, parting way as he carved his path toward Riku first and as his boots reached the wooden bridge. He made way to Riku's motionless form, cutting down every shadow in his way.
Sora was calm, his resolve was determined and strong, as he set out to do what was best for his friends, the first being the girl before him. He could not change Riku's path entirely, for this was a path she would take regardless of any direct intervention on his part. It was in her nature, just as it was for the Riku he once knew to embrace the darkness. And walk down it's path without fear.
But that did not mean he wouldn't help her be prepared for the path she was going to take.
OwO
Riku could only let out a sigh as she looked upon the darkness that was consuming her world, her silver hair billowed in the raging winds, but she could not pry her eyes away from the otherworldly forces that was coming upon her world with such ferocity. The results of her opening the door in the secret cave, on this very island. Her body trembled at what she wrought upon her world, but she remained standing as the effects of the darkness around her began to circulate around her.
'I should have listened to Sora, I should have never messed with that door...' she thought, musing a few years back to when Sora had warned her to not mess with the door. Labeling it as "Freaky" and not something to be tinkered or messed with. At the time she thought he was full of it and cam back later to do the exact opposite of what Sora warned her about. The memory of it flashing before it appeared having what looked like a golden keyhole appear still burned in her mind.
But the darkness began to push these memories down as she was slowly swallowed up in thoughts of finally leaving these islands, this prison, together with Sora and Kairi. This drove her primary goal and was only strengthened by the darkness feeding upon this sole desire. Her eyes began to become void of light as her desire to leave this forsaken world grew and grew and grew.
Until...
The sound of heartless bursting from existence alerted Riku and she turned expecting to see Sora, but her eyes widened to see instead of her precious brunette friend. She saw a rather ominous black cloaked figure standing there before her very eyes. The figure was a head taller than her, but the stranger's overall appearance pegged her as something not quite right. But the one thing that quickly caught her attention was the key-shaped object held in the figures hand. It had a black handle with a golden key-shaped guard with long silver blade while at the end of said weapon looked to be a crown.
Feeling a sense of dread or perhaps apprehension at his stranger, she took a step back in hesitation. ''W-who are you? Where's Sora?!'' she questioned the cloaked figure, hoping to find some answers as to where her childhood friend was amidst the chaos. But to her increasing anxiety the figure said not a single word before he boldly began to step toward her. Seeing this her apprehension grew and she tried to move only to find herself unable to. Looking down she noticed the darkness having grabbed her feet and began to suck her.
Idly she noticed the darkness did no such thing to the strange, it was as if the darkness was afraid of this person.
''Stay away from me!'' in her desperation, Riku lashed out with her fist only for the cloaked stranger to slap her fist away before he was within inches of her. Finding no way to escape, Riku closed her eyes, awaiting for whatever this stranger was about to do. Was he about to kill her for disturbing some natural order in the balance of the universe? Or merely ending her on a simple whim if nothing else?
Was she going to die? Before ever seeing Sora and Kairi again?
Riku expected a lot of things to happen, but she didn't expect the strange to lean over to her before he placed one hand on her head, ruffling her slightly spiky hair in the process. But the stranger's fingers for a moment rubbed her scalp in a soft manner, it was a very scary sensation for it was familiar.
It brought a certain warmth to her only one other person could give her.
Her eyes snapped open, wide in surprise, but as she looked up at the cloaked strange she blinked when he poked her forehead. And in that single moment she missed a certain streak of the purest light travel from the stranger's finger before it absorbed into her body. And just as the darkness completely consumed her, Riku felt the stranger lean down to her ear and whispered a few words that made her troubled soul swell in both apprehension yet comfort.
"...You are strong, Riku, now walk down your own path. Not one dictated by others, but of your own choices and consequences...and be safe.'' and with those fleeting words, Riku's last sight before she was swallowed in the darkness was of the figures shadowed visage staring at her.
'W-who...are you?' was Riku's last thought before she was absorbed.
Watching Riku completely disappear into the darkness, feeling both sad in watching her go yet faithful in her survival. Sora turned his gaze to the cave, where he felt Kairi's presence. Gripping onto his keyblade, Sora disappeared as he felt Kairi's body and soul flicker and weaken in the spiritual plain and he moved faster and faster as the pain in his heart grew.
'This next parts gonna be tricky, defying destiny and fate is never easy nor a wise thing to do, but for Kairi, I will do it a thousand times over.' thought the young brunette as he used utilized the momentum of his speed Sora beckoned a portal of darkness to open up and link itself inside the cave. And without a second thought he jumped inside.
OwO
What was happening to her? She could not fully understand it herself. Her body was frozen infront of the door in the secret place shared between her, Sora and Riku. Smoke of pure darkness leaked off the door's outline and it froze her on the spot. It threatened to snuff her out of existence, but she fought against the effects it was having her, but she still felt weakened, ill and cold.
So very cold...
Her wide frightened blue eyes stared ahead, unable to move, unable to blink, unable to even breathe. Such was the intensity the darkness had on her. But as her fear and apprehension grew, her heart cried out out for the one she yearned for at this very moment.
'Sora...help...me...' the redhead thought and the pain in her chest grew as her heart cried out for the boy who had become her precious brunette. Dearly, she missed his presence right now, more than ever. Missing his protective safeguarded presence, the very same atmosphere they made her feel safe and secure from anything on the island prior to right now.
''S-sora...help me...'' Kairi uttered out as her heart cried out.
And her call was answered...
Suddenly a portal of ebony opened up infront of her, her eyes would have widened if they could, but as she felt the darkness begin to push her back her weakness growing as it did. She saw something jump out of the portal and towards.
Bu-bump!
And suddenly the redheads heart let out a deep meaningful beat. Kairi let out a small gasp, drawing in her first breath of oxygen in what felt like ages, as she found herself in the strong arms of a black cloaked figure. And upon realizing this, her weakness faded as her strength returned, the color in her body returned and the incredible warmth excluding from this persons embrace gave gave Kairi enough to strength to look up into the face of her savior.
Only to he mildly disappointed when all that awaited her was a visage cloaked in shadow.
''W-who are you?'' Kairi mumbled out in surprise. But the figure remained silent even as the darkness pushed against his back with the force of a tsunami. He remained on ground with her in his arms, his posture firm as steel and posture unbreakable. As Kairi was about to ask again, the hooded stranger held her tighter in his arms. And it was then through the fabric of their clothing Kairi could feel the subtle beat of this stranger's own heartbeat becoming in sync with her own. The beat of his heart was akin to a lullaby to her ears, but she held onto the fabric of her savior's cloak.
But to her immense surprise, the stranger leaned down to her ear and whispered a few words. If she could have, Kairi would have resembled a cherry at the sheer close proximity she was in with this strange, yet familiar person.
''Be Strong, be determined, Kairi, I know you can. Overcome everything that's thrown at you and become all the more stronger for it.'' and it was than Kairi's blue eyes widened in shock as the familiar sensation she felt from this man became too strong to ignore. The familiar beat of his heart against hers, this familiar sensation of warmth he exclude. Only one person could give her this sensations.
''S-so-'' before she could even finish her word, the man stopped her by pulling her face to his chest and in that moment as Kairi's shock grew, she felt a sudden sensation of something absorbing into this stranger. As it finished, Kairi felt her eyelids grow heavy, but the stranger held her in his arms.
As for Sora, he mentally sighed as he let the piece Kairi's heart fuse with his own. A safeguard to protect her from those that would seek her out for being one of the Seven princesses of Heart. Feeling the piece safely secure, he looked down at the redhead in his arms and for a moment he smiled behind the shadows of his hood.
''Goodbye...Kairi, become strong, be brave and resolute, for I know you can...'' was the last fleeting words Kairi heard before she succumbed to sleep. Doing so, Sora opened up a portal of darkness beneath Kairi before he laid her inside it. Watching her go, Sora let out a sigh as she was completely swallowed by his own darkness and taken to the world that he knew she would be safe in for the time being.
''Now...it's my turn.'' Sora voiced as he turned around and in time too as the door to his world's very core exploded off it's hinges. And taking a few steps forward, Sora's blue eyes peered into the abyss that was his worlds core before he found millions, upon millions of golden eyes peering back at him. The darkness, evidently had completely seeped into his worlds keyhole and had consumed the core.
Without a single word said, Sora summoned his keyblade just as the darkness exploded out of the doorway and it engulfed him.
''Now I'm coming for you...'' Sora spoke as he vanished into the darkness, and with it his world was completely consumed by the Heartless. Leaving not a trace of it left in the wake of this catastrophe.
OwO
She was cold, numb and a bit weak. It was hard to breathe and she felt sore, but with what little self-awareness she had left. Riku could distinctively feel like she was laying on something very cold and hard. Blearily opening her eyes, the only thing she could see through her blackening vision was a few shadow creatures around her before something walked past them.
The last thing she saw was the robes of this stranger and the voice of said stranger before she fell back asleep.
''Hm~, intriguing.'' spoke the voice of a woman with a rich and deep tone that held a rather seductive tone to it, but it belied her thinly veiled curiosity and interest. Maleficent was not one to be so easily interested either, but the witch found her current target of interest to be of a unique character. She could easily sense the immense amount of darkness in this young woman's soul, but also her incredible potential that went along with it.
Chuckling into the back of her hand, Maleficent let loose a small conniving smirk. ''You are a most interesting child.''
OwO
The first thing she felt as she began to return to consciousness was a soft sensation of laying on something, a bed she thought. She was covered up, and stretching out her trained senses she could hear a few people in the room with her, but not feeling any ill intent aimed toward her way. Kairi slowly opened her eyes to be greeted to a ceiling with a running ceiling fan.
''W-where...am I?'' she muttered out in a hoarse tone, and suddenly she heard someone let out a gasp before whoever it was ran up to her bedside. By the tone of the person she was certain it was a woman, and she heard said woman speak up frantically to another in the room.
''Hey, Cid she's waking up! Go get Aerith and Leon, hurry!''
'Cid? Leon? Aerith? What...?' feeling immensely confused by the names she'd never heard of, Kairi opened her eyes a bit more, but that alone proved to be pushing past her limits of staving off her exhaustion. But she was rewarded with seeing the sight of the one who was at her side, short black hair was the first thing she saw than big violet orbs stared back down at her with concern and yet joy.
''W-who...are you?'' Kairi asked and the woman let out a big grin that was scary similar to the one Sora gave off.
''Names Yuffie Kisaragi!'' the now named Yuffie answered the redhead who simply showed an exhausted.
''Ah...nice...to...meet...you...Yuffie...'' and like that Kairi's hold on consciousness faded, falling back to her sweet dreams while Yuffie panicked about Kairi's condition until her friends ultimately showed up to know on Kairi's condition.
OwO
Silent footsteps stepped out from amongst a sea of darkness, boots crunched upon the blackened soil as a black cloaked Sora walked out of the darkness. His normally cool blue eyes were an icy blue that pierced through the veil of the dimension he was in. He didn't have a single scratch on his body, nor was any part of his cloak torn.
Held in hand, his keyblade gleamed in the darkness around them. The heartless from all the four corners of this dimension hissed in both fear and hatred of the accursed weapon. But the darkness, the progenitor of the heartless themselves, parted way of the Keyblades wielder. Knowing on a instinctual level with it's own limited level of sentience that, nothing good would come from crossing this entity.
Exhaling, Sora took a moment to scan the area he was in, there was no doubt in his mind where he was now. There wasn't a single bit of light in this realm, an exact opposite to the realm of light. Standing flat-footed, Sora continued without fear as he trekked deeper into the dimension that could only be The Realm of Darkness. Home to the Heartless themselves.
But the sense of danger of being in the home of the Heartless didn't even faze the time traveler at this point. Darkness was nothing without Light as Light was nothing without Darkness. There was only one thing that mattered to the former Keyblade master at this point, with his world swallowed by the Heartless and ensuring the safety of his two closest friends. He could finally begin his own plans and set them in motion.
But before he could do any of that, there was one thing he needed to do above all else. His heart and soul demanded it of him and he would not ignore either. Besides, he wanted her back, to free her from this damnation she was in, she suffered for so long and another minute was a minute too long to him.
'I'll get her out of here even if I have to tear a hole through this damn realm.' were the thoughts of Sora as he trekked deeper into the Darkness, looking, searching for his target.
Before he stopped as he felt a sudden pulse towards him.
Bu-bump...
Bu-...bump...
Tensing, Sora's head snapped in a single direction as he felt his connection to this person made him aware of her lingering presence. But fear settled in as he felt her presence becoming incredibly more weak as the seconds flew by.
'...Help...'
The sorrow filled heart called out to him, latched onto his own heart and pleaded for his help, and it didn't take half a second before Sora flickered out of sight. Vanishing faster than he had ever shown before, Sora soared through the Realm of Darkness, cutting down every Heartless that came in his path. His cloaked flapped wildly in the wind as Sora continued to push his speed.
Faster...faster...faster...faster...FASTER...
''FASTER!'' with an inhuman roar, Sora's form rocketed forward, causing a shockwave to erupt as he broke the sound barrier. Everything in his path, heartless or the terrain itself was destroyed upon coming in his path. Fear clouding his mind, Sora soon came upon the location of his target and when he saw the swarm of heartless closing in on her, Sora didn't so much as hesitate to call out his Keyblade before he plummeted down.
''Aeroraga!'' inciting a combination of Firaga and Aeroga, Sora's form exploded into a gigantic sphere of circulating fire fueled on by his wind spell.
Seeing a flash of blue beneath him, Sora came down with the force of a hydrogen bomb.
Boom!
OwO
This was it...
She was done...
She couldn't keep fighting, she had no strength left. Her whole body was broken from fighting nonstop, she had no energy left to even move. Her whole body was bloody with numbers of gashes and guts upon her form while a number of bruises marred her dirty and sweaty features. Her once short blue hair was now dirty, caked in dried blood and sweat. While from time unknowingly of being unkempt made it grow until it was waist-length.
Her ocean blue eyes were void of any light and warmth that she once held, there was no glow of life in these blue eyes. And even as her heart and soul was screaming at her to get back up, she just couldn't, she didn't have the will anymore. To continue fighting a losing battle, on her side anyway.
'I guess...this is how I will die.' were the thoughts of the broken woman, as she stared at the eyes of the countless Heartless swarming around her weakened frame. On instinct they knew she was beyond weakened and of any help and like a vulture began to circle their prey before striking.
As she saw them tense and ready for their pounce, the woman let out a sigh of resignation. ''I guess I'll be seeing you two soon. Terra...Ventus...'' and slowly she felt her eyes grow heavy.
But suddenly she felt something, a strange pull at her heart and it made her body fill up with a warmth she hadn't felt in all her young years. She could feel her heart thumping almost painfully as her soul cried out in hopefulness, to her own confusion. That is until she saw the reason for this.
She saw the heartless had also stopped to look up to see a great blinding light of orange, crimson and gold light up the Realm of Darkness. It was incredible, it was terrifying, it was...
A Miracle.
''Beautiful...'' the young woman thought as she saw the giant fireball come closer until a bright light encompassed her entire vision.
And the entire area where she was exploded in a giant firestorm that lit up the Realm of Darkness for miles, the sheer force of the explosion tore the surrounding terrain asunder and reduced the nearby mountains to ashes. Every heartless in the immediate area vaporized by the intensity of the flames. The ground rumbled and quakes beneath the force as the explosion stretched outwards.
And in a flash the explosion ended with only a sea of fire left in it's wake, but at ground zero of the explosion, a figure could be seen crouched in the center.
For a moment, she thought it had ended and she was in the after life, that was the only logical thought that came to mind to explain the sense of warmth she felt encompassing her entire body. As if she were wrapped up in a blanket that protected her from the darkness she'd been fighting for so long. But that thought was quickly tossed aside when she felt herself being held gently in a pair of strong arms.
Surprised at this sensation, she slowly opened her eyes to see a sight that made her heart to soar in joy and soul to cry out in happiness. She found herself in a bridal carry and looking up to her savior she was greeted with a rather unique sight. The appearance of her savior was almost completely hidden if not for the fact his icy blue eyes were staring down through the darkness of his hood. His eyes were looking down into her own with care, affection and to her own confusion and surprise happiness.
Feeling her strength beginning to slowly return from being in the arms of this person, she tried to voice out a question. ''W-who-'' but she was silenced as the man held her close. So close in fact she could feel the beating of his own match with her own. The fabric of his clothing did nothing to hide the beating of his heart and she was thankful for his action of comforting her in this moment.
''Shh, we can talk later, but for now just close your eyes and focus on the thrum of my heart. Block out the darkness around you and focus on me, and I promise. I. Will. Save. You.'' her savior spoke. His words came out soft yet firm, warm yet determined, and feeling at a loss of words or direction the blue haired woman could only listen to his soft words of encouragement. If it meant saving her from this place of damnation, than why not take it.
Besides even if this was a figment of her imagination, she had nothing to lose if it was. She had already lost everything...
Right?
Feeling her meek nod against his chest, Sora let out a sigh before he stood to his full height. ''Good, now rest...you deserve it more than anyone else...'' the brunette trailed on as he looked back down at the young woman in his arms affectionately.
''Sweet dreams...Aqua.'' he said as the two vanished a bright flash of light.
Done! Oh my god I enjoyed this chapter SO MUCH! Now first I need to admit, I am a big, big, BIG fan of Sora x Aqua, as this chapter shows.
Now I need sleep, so leave me reviews on what you all thought or any mistakes I missed or made.
Bye!
Aeroraga: Is a combination of Firaga and Aeroga that creates a sphere of wind around the user's body and the wind speeds up with the more magical power channeled into it. But Firaga is channeled into the sphere and fueled on by the wind sphere, the flames intensify until the sphere becomes a shell of intense fire and compact wind.
Flash Step/Shunpo: Allow the user to move and cross vast distances at incredible speeds and able to move even faster and further distances with the amount of steps one puts into a single second. (The name of this technique is actually in KH 2.5 HD ReMIX I just changed it.)
