Hello, readers!
Here's the beginning of the rewrite of Kingdom Hearts: A World Beyond. Now renamed!
I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1: Interference
Sometimes all you need is a break from the fighting.
But for one who has fought a war... what can truly be considered repose?
(Play: Sanctuary - After the Battle)
At long last.
After a decade of suffering and pain caused by the Seekers of Darkness, it was done. History was made, though not in the way it was written. On that fated land, a great war transpired… but darkness did not prevail, and light did not expire. The 7 Guardians of Light and their allies had succeeded in defeating Master Xehanort and his 13 Seekers of Darkness. It took them years, over a decade, but they accomplished the impossible. Now they could rest, and live out their lives the way they wanted to before the darkness came and changed everything. It would all be fine, and they could breathe again.
There was only one problem. They didn't rest. Could not rest.
It wasn't because there were still other loose ends to take care of.
It wasn't because the scars had yet to fade.
No.
It was because the one who had kept them together. The boy who had touched so many hearts, including their own, was gone. For some unknown reason, the Guardian of Light who had dealt the final blow to Xehanort has mysteriously disappeared.
His name… is Sora.
"By breaking the taboo… you yourself… will vanish from this world. You'll lose your powers. And without your powers, you won't be able to return to the world you came from."
"I don't care."
"What?!"
"There's a lot I don't understand… but what I know… is that this is all I can do right now. You know me. I'll follow my heart till the end."
This was the final exchange between him and the one called Chirithy. After that, Sora embarked on one final quest to rescue his best friend Kairi from her death at Xehanort's hands, using his newfound power of waking. However, the way he had and would use it would come at an extraordinary price. A price Sora was willing to pay for the sake of the one he promised his other childhood friend Riku to take care of and protect.
Sora's quest to rescue Kairi was successful, but there was still a price to pay for misusing the power of waking. But unfazed and content with his decision, Sora spent his final moments with his two childhood friends, sharing one final moment on the islands they came from.
After that, he faded, dimmed, and vanished… without a trace.
(Play: KH3 Re:Mind OST: Yozora (with cutscene intro))
He lay face up. He couldn't hear anything, but he could definitely feel something on his back, so he was definitely lying down on some surface. Which meant that he existed, but this begged the question.
Where am I?
Slowly, he opens his eyes.
"This place…"
He knew this place. But for some reason… it was different. Instead of a blue sky with clouds floating in the air, he was met with a dark night sky with stars surrounding his vision. Sora couldn't help but smile.
Each star is another world… he remembered.
He got up to a sitting position and looked at his hands, to make sure that they weren't transparent like his first visit here. Sure enough, and thankfully, his hands were still filled with color. Good.
"At least… I'm all here."
Sora pushed himself up, not feeling any soreness or tiredness. So he didn't lose his powers like before… at least not yet. Hopefully, he thought, that wouldn't be the case.
I wonder… Sora thought. He looked around, but couldn't see or feel any presence nearby. Not even the faintest trace of a twinkle.
Strange.
If this was where he thought he was, then there should be some floating stars around, representing the small fragments of hearts and lingering wills, who still have ties to the realm Sora came from. Only when all of those ties have vanished from said realm, would these lingering wills finally move on. The wills could range from old people, to mothers, to rivals, even children. In many ways, this was very sad to think about.
But Sora would not dwell on these thoughts. He had to be sure he wasn't alone here.
"Heeeey!" he cupped his hands and called out, "Is anyone out there?"
He looked out into the distance, but heard nothing.
"Helloooo!" he called out again, this time placing a hand near his ear to help him hear better. One second. Two seconds….
"...Hey."
A voice. It was there. But muffled. That gave Sora something to work with. The voice called out again, louder this time.
"Hey."
"Who is that?" Sora thought aloud. It wasn't a voice he was familiar with. One second… two seconds…
"Where are you?" the voice demanded. It was closer. Maybe they heard Sora.
"Over here!" Sora called out loudly. He could make a shape out in the distance. Another person. Without hesitation, Sora rushed toward him.
"I see you." the figure replied, already walking to Sora. It took them awhile, but Sora finally managed to see him properly.
In all honesty, he looked almost exactly like Sora's best friend Riku, hair and clothes, though they seemed a bit more detailed and more… darker… than the outfit that Sora's best friend wore the last time he saw him. Except that unlike Riku, this person seemed to have different colored eyes, and his expression was cold, colder than what Sora could remember Riku displaying face-wise. And if one could look closely, this man had earrings, unlike Riku. And he certainly looked way taller than Riku did. But Sora recalled seeing a similar figure in Woody and Buzz's world. A person that Rex and Hamm mistook him for.
"Hey… aren't you…?"
The figure looked a bit surprised, before asking, "You… know me?"
"Yeah," Sora said, "You're Yozora, right?"
"Wait. How do you know that?" the figure asked, "Who are you, first off?"
"I'm Sora," the Keyblade wielder grinned, pointing to himself, "And actually… there's something I wanted to ask you—"
"Sora?" the man called Yozora interrupted him, "You're Sora?"
"Huh?" Sora looked confused, "Yeah. You know who I am?"
Yozora regarded him with an unreadable expression, before relaxing a bit, "Sure. I've heard of you."
Sora looked back at him. How could Yozora be here in the Final World? What was he doing here in the first place if he was supposed to be a video game character in Woody and Buzz's world?
"Okay… if you're Yozora… and you're here talking to me… then this can't be the real world, can it?" Sora said out loud, before recalling something. A conversation with a particular star on his first journey here.
"They took away my name—everything about me."
"Really? There's no way they could've taken your heart!"
"Only because it pines for another."
"Yeah? Someone's coming for you?"
"I cannot be certain. He's been changed beyond recognition—his heart replaced with another's. But, were he to regain his old self again, he would be distressed by my absence. So I choose to wait here, where he can find me."
"That girl… she told me about you." Sora said out loud again, putting his hands behind his head, "So… maybe you are real after all."
Yozora just looked at him with a deadpan expression. Though Sora couldn't see it, he was pretty annoyed by the boy's rambling. "Are you done?" he asked. It was only then Sora realized what he was doing.
"Oh. Uh…" Sora said awkwardly. Maybe he rambled a bit too much. Yozora sighed.
"To answer your question. No, this isn't the real world, and I am here." Yozora replied, in the same expression he wore since they met, "But this isn't what I really look like."
Sora looked at him stunned. So this wasn't really Yozora standing in front of him, or was this Yozora, but in the body of that other Yozora in Toy Box? He didn't have time to think as Yozora began to question him.
"How'd you recognize me as Yozora?"
"Huh?" Sora asked. Was this not Yozora? He was so confused.
"Why are you using Sora's name?" Yozora demanded.
Okay, this guy was seriously weird. He just said he was Sora. What was going on?
"Because I am Sora." the Keyblade wielder replied.
"Is that right?" Yozora said, looking at him with distrust.
"Yeah." Sora nodded, his expression turning serious. He wasn't sure if he could trust this guy anymore. But Sora became surprised when Yozora… or whoever this guy was… relaxed.
"If you are you say you are," Yozora began, "And if it was fate that brought us together…" He clenched his fist, "Then… my path is clear."
"What?" Sora asked. To his surprise, Yozora then summoned a crossbow-like weapon, similar to his Twin Arrowguns. The same weapon that the Yozora in Toy Box wielded. Sora grew cautious, going into a defensive stance as Yozora pointed the weapon and aimed it directly at him. Suddenly, a bright light came from below, blinding him for a brief second, and when he opened his eyes, he was met with a familiar sight.
A stained glass circular platform, with him as the main focus, and his friends' portraits in different parts of the glass. His Station of Awakening.
But why was this showing up now?
As Sora watched, the area around him slowly became more and more industrial and modern as buildings began to appear around the Station of Awakening, making it look like a nighttime version of San Fransokyo. But this was clearly a different place. Sora then saw the Station disappear, being replaced with the top of what seemed to be a building.
What in the world?
"Wait a minute!" Sora shouted to Yozora, "What's going on?"
"I accidentally wandered into this place, and went through some tedious trials." Yozora responded, "Then… I was told to 'save Sora',"
At this, Sora perked up in confusion, "Huh?! T-then what's with the weapon?". What kind of person saved people by attacking them?
Well... there was that one time with Aqua... he thought to himself.
Yozora didn't answer, and simply summoned another weapon in his left hand, which extended and activated, becoming a beam-like sword. It was clear that he wasn't going to let Sora walk away from what appeared to be a one-on-one duel.
(Play: KH3 Re:Mind OST - Nachtflügel)
"Time to end this." he said.
Sora gritted his teeth. First, this guy said he wasn't really Yozora. Then, he went on to say he was going to "save him", but Sora couldn't see any saving here. Only a battle. With a firm expression, Sora summoned his Kingdom Key, ready to take him on.
What happened next was one of, if not the most toughest, battles he had ever faced. Yozora was unlike any other opponent he had ever encountered. Sora could barely keep up with Yozora when he went on the offensive, dodging and blocking most of his strikes, however, he couldn't do it forever. Many times Yozora broke through his guard, and Sora was barely able to evade, let alone counter him, at those times. Sora couldn't even stockpile enough energy into his Keyblade to Formchange at all, as Yozora wouldn't give him many openings during his attacks. It didn't help either that Yozora also fought at a distance, firing lasers from his crossbow to attack Sora. Yozora could keep up with Sora, just as Sora could with him. Yozora actually managed to go as far as to steal his Keyblade from him, implementing it into his own blade, forcing Sora to run and dodge Yozora as he attacked him relentlessly. Eventually, Sora was able to get it back, as a Keyblade couldn't obviously stay with one who isn't worthy.
The two of them were almost evenly matched, but many a time Yozora seemed to have the upper hand, since Sora had no idea what he could do, but Sora was able to counter as well, adapting to Yozora's attacks as best he could, allowing him to keep up and knock him back a few times. However, he still had no idea what his powers were, or where they came from.
Now, the two of them were at a standstill, both of them panting.
"You're pretty good," Sora complimented through breaths. His body was battered and his outfit ruffled up, but he stood tall.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Yozora replied, exhausted as well, but doing really well to not display any weakness.
"It is."
"Fair enough. You're one of the very few to actually push me this far." Yozora revealed, "But now it's time to finish this. Once and for all."
With that, Yozora aimed his blade to the sky, firing a blast of energy and summoning a sphere of some kind, entrapping the two of them in an enclosed space. Yozora began attacking Sora relentlessly, but the Keyblade wielder managed to block and roll away from the attacks, before parrying a slash from Yozora's blade and rushing in to strike him as hard as he could. Yozora blocked his first strike, but Sora spun around and attacked Yozora from behind, stunning him briefly, allowing Sora to hit him at least 10 times before Yozora leapt away from him and warped away.
Sora suddenly started to float up in the air. Whatever the projector-like sphere was doing was altering his gravity, and it was clear he couldn't attack it without Yozora trying to stop him. Sora quickly focused on the gray-haired man as he attacked him with laser blasts that Sora had to block or dash away from.
The sphere then split apart, revealing a white background. Then, to Sora's surprise, Gigyases from Toy Box suddenly appeared to attack him, the first three managing to knock Sora off balance before he could roll away and take them out. The rest then charged at him, forcing Sora to duck and roll away from their attacks, taking no chances.
"Get ready." he heard Yozora say as he turned to see Yozora actually copy himself and rush at him. Sora could barely block all of their attacks as the clones attacked him as relentlessly as the real Yozora did. However, Sora managed to eliminate the clones by using Reflect at the last second, but the real Yozora took the opportunity to land a hit on Sora as the barrier shattered, sending him flying back into the center of the platform.
Sora watched as the sphere descended towards him, becoming a fiery orb that was drawing him into it. Not wanting to know what happened if he was near it, Sora used his Flowmotion to rush away from it, enveloped in a blue aura. He didn't notice that Yozora was charging towards him, until he was hit by Yozora's blade and forced a few feet back. Not good. He had to focus on the sun-like orb and Yozora at the same time. He wasn't catching a break anytime soon.
Sora activated Flowmotion again, running away from the sun-like orb. Yozora rushed at him again, but this time Sora was ready. He blocked the blade and let it scrape past his own, allowing Sora to pass his opponent without delay, much to Yozora's surprise. He warped again, attacking Sora from another angle, forcing Sora to stop his run and block the attack. Though he blocked the attack, he was once again pushed back. Suddenly, more Yozora clones came after him and attacked, Sora barely able to dodge their assaults, but knew he couldn't do so forever. He was forced to block and parry every attack the clones threw at him, moving him closer and closer to the sun-like orb, which was expanding.
Sora grunted as two Yozora clones pushed him back closer to the orb. He was running out of steam. He looked behind him to see that Yozora was there, and saw him slash his blade into the sun, making a deep cut. Sora knew he wasn't going to be able to dodge.
"It's over."
Sora cast Reflect once more and braced himself. The sun-like orb exploded and shattered through the barrier, hitting him head on. He felt like he was burning up from all over his body, and he couldn't help but let out a roar of pain. Even with his magically enhanced outfit, the sun still burned him severely.
Sora collapsed onto his knees, barely able to stand. He saw his Keyblade on the floor to his right. Despite the pain he was feeling, Sora sprinted towards it, his right hand extending to grab it…
Too late. Yozora planted his blade between the handle and the hand guard of the Keyblade, causing Sora to stop and look up to Yozora, who had his crossbow pointed at him, the same unreadable expression on his face.
"Sorry." the older teen replied, "But I don't lose."
(Silence)
Sora gritted his teeth, cursing himself for his weakness. He was practically on his last legs, while Yozora looked unaffected by their long battle, despite the injuries visible around his body. He was pretty much beaten, outmatched by the young man.
But…
He couldn't let it end here.
Everyone back home was waiting for him to return!
I can't fail them!
Yozora's trigger finger was ready to fire, but Sora made a last-ditch effort to get his Keyblade to come to him, extending his right hand. Yozora noticed the movement, and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
But what happened next surprised them both.
(Play: KH OST - Miracle)
One moment, Sora was at Yozora's mercy, disarmed and practically beaten, making a useless effort to get his weapon back. The next, Sora was behind his opponent, Keyblade outstretched with bright energy coursing through it, making it a blade of powerful light, while Yozora stood shocked, as a slash mark was visible across his torso and chest. He coughed out blood, dropping his weapons and clutching his chest.
Sora was also shocked at what he just did. What had happened?
"Dammit…" he heard Yozora say, "I messed up…"
Sora looked to his Keyblade, but for a brief moment, it looked as though it had taken a different shape. But when he blinked, he saw that it was still his Kingdom Key. He turned around to face Yozora, who staggered a bit, but regained himself, turning towards the boy who had defeated him. The slash mark was gone from Yozora's chest, but his clothing was torn from where Sora had struck him, exposing some of his skin.
(Play: KH3 Re:Mind OST: Good Ending)
Yozora looked towards his left hand, noticing that it was disintegrating into particles of light. He sighed. Sora looked to his opponent with worry. Even though Yozora had tried to kill him, Sora couldn't help but worry that he might have pushed it too far and caused a fatal injury.
"I guess… that my powers aren't needed yet, huh?" he said out loud.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked, "Are you going to be okay?"
"..." Yozora was silent, before looking towards the boy, "Never mind."
Sora was shocked as Yozora then flashed a small smile, his legs disappearing into light as well. That smile was filled with a multitude of emotions, but one of them Sora was able to recognize.
Respect.
"You fought well," he heard the gray-haired man say. Sora now understood why he smiled. He had technically defeated him in a fair fight. Both of them didn't pull their punches towards one another, and because of that, Yozora was acknowledging Sora's strength.
"Thanks. You did too." Sora said, feeling a smile of his own reach his face. Yozora closed his eyes in resignation, as Sora was blinded by the light emanating from the fading Yozora. The light engulfed him and the surrounding cityscape, and Sora braced himself in case something bad happened.
But it didn't.
Instead, when Sora opened his eyes, he found himself in the Final World once again with blue skies and clouds, with the particles of light that he assumed to be Yozora drifting off into the distance. His wounds were gone, but it took all his strength to even stand. He and Yozora were so evenly matched, that the fight dragged on for a very long time and practically drained him of much of his stamina.
So many questions rung through his head. What was Yozora doing there in the first place? Why was he trying to save him this way? What did he mean when he said that this wasn't who he looked like? What was he supposed to save him from? What did he mean by "not the real world"? What even was that place?
His head started spinning. His vision began fading.
So many thoughts… Were they even real?
"None of this… makes sense to me…" Sora got out before he finally collapsed and lost consciousness.
(Silence)
When he woke up, his face was met with a puddle and what appeared to be cement. He could faintly see lots of lights from where he was laying.
Where...?
He placed his hands on the ground, before pushing himself to his feet, vision still blurry. Had he not recovered from his fight with Yozora?
He rubbed his eyes. Surely this place would be familiar to him.
Only... it wasn't.
Tall skyscrapers as far as the eye could see, all blinking with lights that would put San Fransokyo's to shame. He could see stores and buildings everywhere, as he stood in the middle of what appeared to be a intersection of the road. It appeared to be the very same city that he fought Yozora in. Only this time, he seemed to be on the ground instead of the top of a building.
What's more... he couldn't see any people. Cars, yes. But... they, like the area around him, seemed empty. Devoid of life.
"Hello?" he called out. No one answered. "Hello?"
Still nothing.
Were there any people at all? He had to know.
Was it possible that this world fell to darkness?
He started to walk around, looking all around the bright but quiet city. He looked inside buildings, parks, and even a bathroom, but he could find no sign of life.
Was he the only one here?
It was then Sora noticed a sign up on one of the buildings. It seemed to display some sort of ad, along with a word: Shibuya.
Wait... Shibuya? Wasn't that Neku's home?
"If this is Shibuya, then..." Sora looked around, before calling out, "Nekuuuu!"
…
"HEYYYYY! NEKUUUUU! SHIKIIII! JOSHUAAAAAA!"
…
"BEEAAAT! RHYYYYYYME! ARE YOU GUYS OUT THEREEEEE?"
There was no response. All that he was met with was silence. Normally, if Neku was here, he'd be annoyed by the racket Sora was making and immediately come over to shut him up, but by the looks of things, he wasn't around.
Was it possible that they never made it back home? Was Joshua... unsuccessful?
"No." Sora shook his head, "I haven't explored this place in full yet. I should get to higher ground."
He looked up, pausing, "But if this is the same place I fought Yozora... I might get ambushed again." he looked down, before grunting, "It's worth the risk."
With that, he sprinted up a building, looking around as he went, but he couldn't see anything that indicated any life.
He finally reached the top of one of the taller buildings after a minute, and surveyed the area around him. As far as he could see, it was nothing but large buildings with lights. However, there was no activity. No cars revving. No people talking. No planes in sight. No signs of the lights blinking in or out.
It was... a ghost town. He stared out into the starless sky, and wondered aloud, voice echoing across the city.
"Am I really all alone here?"
…
(Play: KH 3 Re:Mind OST - ? Field Theme)
Wait...
Were his eyes playing tricks? He gazed, squinting as he tried to decipher something in the distance. Maybe... just maybe... he could've sworn he saw the familiar glimmer of a sparkling star near one of the buildings. Could it be possible that this was a part of the Final World undiscovered?
He needed to find out.
Quickly, he leapt off the building and ran along the side of another, before propelling himself forward towards the top of a third, smaller building. He squinted again, this time seeing the glimmer. It wasn't an illusion.
Could this be a lost soul in the city?
Perhaps it had answers.
He sprinted towards the edge of the building and leapt off, using Flowmotion to grind on a nearby railing on a freeway, before using his Airstep technique to propel himself towards the building where the glimmer was.
Closer...
Closer...
At last, he landed on the building where he noticed the glimmer. Sure enough, there was a star sparkling there. A star very similar to the lingering spirits of those he found in the Final World.
"Hey," he called out, "Can you hear me?"
The star only glimmered in front of him, before it suddenly started glowing, blinding Sora with a flash of light. He closes his eyes quickly, covering them as well as the light glowed brighter.
The next thing he knew, a large fist struck him in the face, sending him flying and crashing into another building.
"Koff... what the-?!" Sora shook his head, summoning his Kingdom Key and looking up to what had hit him. To his shock, it was a Gigas, but not the toy versions he saw in Toy Box. No... these ones looked more... real. More like the ones he fought when Young Xehanort trapped him in that simulation after possessing Buzz, and briefly when he faced Yozora's attack.
"Crap..." he muttered, "Was this a trap?"
He had no time to think. The Gigas was attacking, and it wasn't alone. There were two other Gigas with it, each one seemingly to be the same Power Ace class as the one leading it. All three were charging in with their left arms ready to crash through the building and crush him. He wasn't going to let it happen.
He leapt to the side, grunting as the Gigas crashed through the building and sending glass and concrete flying. Sora landed and quickly jumped out the large hole the Gigas made. He needed more breathing room. Thankfully these Power Class Gigas weren't as fast as their Speed counterparts.
He landed on the building he had been punched out of, turning around to find the Gigas were now charging out and rushing towards him. Gripping his weapon, he lunged forwards to meet them in combat, dodging several blasts in midair from their arm cannons before striking at one of the Gigas's arms.
To his surprise, it didn't split off so easily as he landed on the side of the building, before he propelled himself forwards and slammed his weapon into the Gigas, sending if flailing. It left him wide open to an attack from both sides, but the Hero of Light twisted in the air to dodge the incoming attacks from the Gigas that were on either side of him. He then dove down to the ground, landing on both his feet and barely rolling away as a Gigas landed right where he was just seconds before.
Turning around, he lunged forward and stabbed his weapon through the Gigas, roaring as he plowed through its midsection and out the other end. To his surprise, instead of disappearing, the Gigas simply collapsed in two pieces, and nothing came out of the cockpit.
What? A Heartless wasn't controlling it? He thought, Don't tell me these things are actual robots!
Wait... is it because of them that this place has no people? But how?
A plasma shot narrowly missed him and brought him back to reality. The last Power Gigas was still around, and it was hovering in the air before landing on the building above Sora. Gritting his teeth, he ran up the side of the building to meet it head-on, as it began to open fire on the Keyblade wielder. He swung his Keyblade left and right as he ran, deflecting the shots that came at him before getting in close and lunging forward with his weapon in hand.
His strike was true, nailing the Gigas right in the head, slicing the cockpit and disconnecting it from the main body. He landed on the building as the final Gigas collapsed, with the cockpit crashing right in front of him.
He stared at it, panting, as he noticed that indeed, there was no pilot.
That's just great.
He looked over to the building where he found the star, but ultimately saw nothing of a glimmer there.
Gone... just like that? He thought, Is this world playing tricks on me?
He turned around, looking back up towards the starless night before he sat down, still panting.
Darn... Yozora really packed a punch... he thought, looking at his hand, I need to rest before I go looking for other stars. They might be traps, but... it might bring me closer to a clue. No matter what, I'm going to find a way home.
He looked down below, But before that... I should stock up. I used up a lot of my potions against Yozora. There might be a chance that there will be more nearby.
He had gone into stores, but he was mainly there to find people. He should go and look again for anything to stock up on. Entering one of them, he looked around for any security cameras while stocking up on food.
Hopefully whoever owns this store won't be mad about missing items... Sora thought, If they ever come back, that is...
Though he found food, which he placed in bags that were available nearby (for future meals he could cook), and drinks from the vending machine outside, he could not find any sign of a potion, ether, or even a shard of mythril.
It was like they didn't even exist in this world.
At least I can still cook. Probably. Sora thought as he stared at a T.V. store where all the screens were light blue, showing nothing at all.
After staring at it a little longer, he noticed yet another sparkle of light nearby.
Another star? He thought, before running in the direction he saw it, I don't know if it's another trap, but there's no harm in trying to find out, right?
To his disappointment, the star only seemed to lead him into another ambush, this time with Speed Gigas added to the mix as well. Sora took them on and beat them, though it lasted a little longer than expected.
As the final Ace Gigas collapsed, Sora sat down again, the star now gone from where he found it. What's going on? He thought.
He looked again to the starless sky, with the moon being the only light up there. Why was this place so empty? And why were these stars even appearing before him?
They have to have an answer… he thought, I may need to find more… even if it may be nothing but another ambush.
Besides… there's not much you can do in an empty town.
And so off he went. He continued to search for more of the stars, searching high and low, even going inside the buildings to make sure. Each time he found one, he was met with a group of Gigas. He would fight them, since they were very hostile towards him, before taking a rest (which would last longer and longer for each star he found), and searching for the next one. The search for them may have lasted hours, but for Sora, it felt a lot longer.
(Silence)
Finally, he reached a seventh star, back in the place where he woke up, panting hard as he put his hands on his knees.
Let's hope… this is the… last one… he thought, before he was blinded once more by a flash of light. Moments later, the light faded, but Sora had already gone past his limit. If there were enemies, he could barely see them, as his vision began to fade.
Before he knew it, everything went black.
(Play: Fire Emblem Engage OST - The Twelve Stars)
He lay there, eyes closed, for a long while. How long… he had no idea.
Had it been minutes? Hours? Days?
Years?
He didn't know. He was too exhausted.
"Oh. Here you are."
"Huh?"
He found strength to move, and pushed himself to his bottom to look around, trying to find the source of the voice. Nothing but the buildings surrounding him met his gaze.
"Finally. Thought we'd never find him."
"We're not the ones breaking nature taboos. Finding him here is like… what's the saying… finding a needle in a haystack."
"What we're doing is pretty much the same thing. At least this is a ghost town, so we don't have to be shady."
"Unsettling, all the same."
"Who are you?" Sora called, "Where are you?"
He turned around, only to find himself face to face with two figures obscured in light.
"Hello!" one of them waved.
"AH!" Sora jumped back, summoning his Keyblade.
"Peace! We don't mean any harm!" the figure replied, with a masculine voice.
"Well... what are you doing scaring me like that?!"
"Er..."
"I told you showing up like that was a bad idea." the second figure said, "The child's been fighting ever since he got here."
"Sorry about that. But even still." the first said, "It's an honor to meet you, Sora."
"Er... likewise." Sora grinned sheepishly while dismissing his Keyblade, "How do you know me?"
"Your actions aren't discreet, you know." The first figure put his hands on his hips, "A Keyblade wielder who fights against the darkness no matter what the odds, acting as a pillar of hope for all. You've even helped saved the worlds three times over."
"You are someone who has gone to great lengths for his friends. It's very admirable," The second figure continued, "And also the only one who's broken a taboo more than once."
"Heh heh..." Sora chuckled, "I did do that. But it was to make sure Xehanort was gone for good. So that my friends didn't have to suffer anymore."
"And you did." the second figure nodded, "At the cost of yourself."
"I don't need a lecture about that, thank you."
"That's not why we're here," the first figure said, "What you did was a sink or swim tactic, but we're not going to berate you for that." He paused, before saying, "We're here for a different reason."
"Huh?"
"Let's take it back a few steps. First off, you've been banished from the Realm of Light. Banished, erased; the difference is naught." The second figure said, "It's a given, considering you've broken a taboo. Normally, breaking it once makes you pay an price. You lose your power, you lose a limb, you lose a bit of your personality… It depends on how big the taboo is. But breaking it multiple times... makes the price you've paid far greater."
"Yeah... something about vanishing from my world, with no way to return." Sora replied, "So I guess that means I'm trapped here?"
"What is left of you is."
That made Sora freeze. What was left? Did he lose more than just his powers this time?
"To tell the truth, you should've remained in the world of ocean and sky. Instead, someone decided to put your remains in this world. A world unbound to what you know as the Realms of Light, Dark, and Between. Such things cannot reach you here now. For whatever reason why that person sent you here, we can only guess. And it's likely not for a good reason," the second figure answered, "And before you say anything… no, we are not the ones responsible, and as you are now, you have little to no chance of returning home."
"But," the boy replied, "There's a chance, right? I was able to do it before, so-"
"I know what you're thinking, but it's a risk we'd rather you don't take. Unless what remains of you really has a death wish." The first figure said, which made Sora puff his cheeks, "Relax. You're bound to find a way to return, but that doesn't mean it won't affect others. And even then, we can't say how the Realm of Light will react to it. The realm, not the people." he added when Sora was about to protest.
"To it, the moment you misused the power of waking, you were identified as a force of nature that defies all the laws the World abides by. You did what you had to do to ensure victory against Xehanort and stop him from using the power of Kingdom Hearts to erase everything, but regardless of your intentions, the Realm of Light sees you as a threat to the balance of the World." The figure explained, "Using the power of waking in the way it wasn't designed is proof of that. Who knows what else you could possibly do. You could try and rescue your friends again using a different power, only to see it tear the world you love apart."
"So the only other option the Realm of Light saw was to 'banish' you. Cast you away to a place far from the Realm and strip you of the power of waking to make sure you don't disturb the balance with it again. You can't call upon it anymore, no matter how much you try. And whoever went on their way to place you here didn't make things any better for you." The second figure continued, as Sora frowned.
"So in essence, this world is the equivalent of a prison for you until you somehow find a way back or the Realm of Light sees it fit for you to return. However, in the state you are in, both are impossible. That, I believe, is your punishment."
"So... basically no matter where I go... I'm stuck."
"Yes."
"So why are you two here?" Sora asked. The two figures glanced at one another, nodding in unison before looking over to Sora.
"We are here to… bend the rules a little bit."
"Really? How?"
"We said you had been sent into this world by someone and trapped here in a world unbound by light and dark. It doesn't mean that you can't go to another in this realm." The second figure said, "Though you cannot tap into the power to traverse other worlds yet, we could perhaps do so for you with our own power."
"Wait, so that means-!"
"Unfortunately, both methods won't be enough to return you to your world. Remember that you are not completely in one piece. An attempt as you are now will make you nothing more than a bygone memory." Any hope that came from the figure's initial statement died, but the figure wasn't done speaking, "All we're doing... is making sure this next world you're in doesn't feel like a prison, should you choose to accept this offer."
"What's the catch?"
"None. All we ask of you is to regain your strength." the first figure said.
"Really?" The boy looked unconvinced.
"You do things for people without asking for much in return. Who's to say other people can't do the same for you?"
Sora paused at that, before eyeing them with a questioning look, "Why are you even doing this for me?"
"Whether your World likes it or not, you saved it three times over. Anybody would find that admirable. By the stars, you even gained the respect and trust of the Heart of your World. Small wonder why you're like this and not completely erased from existence and memory." the first figure answered, looking down, "The price you have paid is high, and rightfully so. But... it is wrong for you to be trapped here all by yourself against your will. Whoever sent you here seems to have decided to choose an unpleasant place for you to be trapped in,"
Sora glanced around the silent city they were in, nodding solemnly. This place, though seemingly filled with lights and buildings that could rival the ones in San Fransokyo, was just as unnerving as walking through remnants of the worlds he traveled to at the End of the World to face Ansem. And both had one thing in common: no signs of life.
It was definitely not a place he wanted to stay in forever.
"We think it's best for you to at least rest in a world that's peaceful." The first figure continued, "You should take some time there to regain your strength, and connect with the inhabitants while you're at it. Again, trying to find a way home now while you're in a weakened state would be a fool's gambit."
"That... might take a while." Sora said.
"That's up to you, Hero of Light." the second figure said, "The power that you did not use to upset your World's balance remains with you, but after that fight with the one you call Yozora, it is more or less spent. Not stripped away, no." he added as Sora looked down frustrated, "Your body can simply no longer deal with the stress of using your full strength as you are now. Fighting all those machines did nothing to speed up the healing process."
Sora nodded. He was fully aware that his power had diminished since fighting Yozora, but it was a relief to know that it wasn't completely gone. He looked back up to the two of them, "How do I get back in shape?"
"You rest." the second figure answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "You've already pushed your power and body to the limit with all of this fighting. Fighting 2 Keyblade Wars, Yozora, and an army of Gigas within a week is a whole lot to face already. Push yourself even more, and you will have much more to worry about than finding your friends."
"Seriously?" he looked surprised and angered, "I have to do nothing? What if-?"
"We never said you had to stop fighting. Just don't bite off more than you can chew. You can still take on foes like the Heartless, but fighting them every day is not a desirable option. Hopefully, since this realm is unbound by light and dark, they will not appear, so you may not need to worry about them." the first figure replied, which eased Sora's worry.
"So... do you know which world you'll be sending me to?"
The two figures looked at one another, before shaking their heads. "We can try and transfer you to a world that isn't hostile, but we can make no guarantees. We're already bending the rules enough as is."
"As if we haven't broken them already..." the second figure sighed.
"Aw shut it, spoilsport."
"Enough. We are short on time. Let us begin."
(Silence)
The first figure reluctantly nodded, before he raised his fist up to the area behind the Keyblade wielder. Just faintly, he could see something on the fist glow, while the other simply raised a hidden staff forwards, with a strange rune appearing underneath them.
"Appare, porta mundorum!"
Two beams of light came from the figures, moving past Sora and hitting the ground behind him. As he turned to watch, the light began to shift and change, structuring bit by bit as the figures concentrated whatever power they had into its creation. Upon finishing, the object shined brightly and blinded Sora.
When he uncovered his eyes, he was surprised at what he saw.
(Play: KH Unchained X OST: Dearly Beloved)
It was… a door. But it wasn't just any door. Sora had seen something like this before, twice in his travels.
"Now, Sora! Let's close this door for good!"
"What about you?!"
"Don't worry! There will always be a Door to the Light!"
…
"What is that?"
"...The door to the light…"
"Do you think it leads back home?"
"Let's find out, Riku. We'll go together."
"Yes. Together."
…
"Riku… what do you think that was? That door to the light?"
"Heh… it was in there. I think that that door to other realms… it's never far off."
Sora looked at it in surprise.
"Is that... what I think it is?"
"Not quite. But it functions in a similar way." the second figure replied.
"We're using what power we have to manifest it. Once it's done, there's no turning back." The first figure said, "You don't have to listen to us. You could just stay or fight us, even. We won't stop you from making the choice to decline."
Sora paused, looking down and thinking for a second, before looking at the figures still enshrouded in light, before saying, "If you didn't want to help me, you would've attacked me or tried to lead me away to do so. And... if anything, you didn't attack me with the intent to 'save me' like Yozora."
"From what I know... he's got a strange way of showing how he feels. Kind of like a certain person you know well." the first figure replied.
"Focus." the second figure said, "Are you sure about this, Sora?"
"I am. I trust you."
"Very well. Then step towards the gateway, Hero of the Realm of Light, and enter."
The Keyblade wielder nodded, before looking towards the door and pulling the handle open. But before he went through, he looked back towards the two figures as they watched him go. To their surprise, he looked rather concerned.
"Come to think of it, I never got your names. Do you mind telling me?" he said to them.
"There is no need for you to know." The first figure answered, "Our names were lost to time long ago."
"Oh… then… Will you two be okay here? There's nobody else in this world."
The second figure looked at him and hummed, "Do not worry about us. We will leave by our own means."
The boy frowned at that, while the first figure replied, "We'll meet again someday, somewhere. Wherever you end up, Hero of Light, I wish you all the best. Make the most of this chance for your friends' sake. They wouldn't want your next meeting with them to be with a frown on your face."
Sora looked at him with an open mouth, before nodding and smiling, "Of course not."
He looked back and pulled the handle to open the door. Taking a deep breath, he walked forwards, disappearing into the portal with a smile and a thumbs up to the two figures.
"Whoever you two are… Thank you." he said as he disappeared, leaving the two figures to look at the now empty space Sora was once in, the door they created dissolving into small pieces of light.
"...That took longer than I thought."
"We did use a good amount of our power to create the door."
The two figures let out a sigh as the portal dispersed. Their forms began to flicker and sparkle as they stared. Just faintly, one could see that they had very peculiar wings whose light helped obscure their hooded forms.
"I think..." The first figure said, "It's about time for me to go."
"Are you sure about this?" the second figure asked, "You know that by doing this, it'll mark us as a target by the one who's got an eye for him, not to mention the potential consequences of him simply being here. He is a supposed 'Child of Destiny,' after all. He would do anything to have that particular piece on his side."
"So what if we become targets? We can barely hold these forms anyway." The first figure said, looking back to the sky, "We don't know if the boy is meant to be the so-called 'chosen one,' and even if we have visible proof from the higher beings, my stance is the same."
He looked back to where the door once stood, "Honestly... all I want is to make sure this boy can rest and have a chance to be normal without anyone disturbing him. No Heartless, no Nobodies, no dark organization and a crazy old man to ruin his life. He's already done more than enough for his world than most others despite not being chosen by the Keyblade, and this is how he's repaid? To remain here of all places until another malevolent force attempts to take advantage of him? Staying in a ghost town like this would drive anyone mad."
The second figure stared at his companion for a bit, before sighing.
"Very well. I shall make for Quadratum, then. He will be here soon enough."
"Be quick with it. We do not have much time left before we are discovered, so let us make the most of it. I will go and look for the pure heart filled with light. I assume she'll be in the world of ocean and sky, along with her friend." the first figure said, before looking to his hand, where the faint image of a golden ring on his ring finger could be seen. He clenched it into a fist as the second figure flew away.
"Whoever you are that has their eye on him… even if it is for a short time, I will not let you have your way." he looked up and lowered his fist, "If this is to be your game, then the boy shall be a player… not your pawn."
Here we go. The reboot starts today.
Hopefully, I can execute this better than last time. As you can see, I've made some changes to this chapter, mainly who Sora meets before entering MHA. It seems they themselves have a plan of their own for Sora, though what it may be is unknown, since we can't take the first figure's words for granted.
And for those who are a little put off by Sora taking the stock from the store, keep in mind in-game he's whacked and picked up food items in front of people and they don't seem to complain about it.
Don't expect frequent updates like before, as the rewrite itself is still a work in progress. For the time being, enjoy this little chapter.
Cheers, everyone. Hope you enjoyed.