Kingdom Hearts 4: Fractured Memories
Chapter 1: Back To Where It Began
As Sora opened his eyes, he expected to wake up on Destiny Islands. Instead, he found himself on the same pillar he began on his journey.
"I guess this makes sense." Said Sora with a light chuckle. "This is where I learned to fight." Sora then looked down to see a picture of keyblade wielders going to war with each other. "And that's how their story started." He said in a somber tone.
After Sora took a moment to grieve, three pedestals appeared with a sword, rod, and shield floating on them.
"Right, now comes the part where I choose and..." But before Sora could reach for one, all three of the weapons floated towards Sora and were instantly absorbed into him. "That's different."
The pillar then shatters under his feet as he descends to the second pillar which has Aqua, Terra, and Ventus floating away from each other as Xehanort and Vanitas stand there."
"I'll save you all again." Said Sora as he held his chest where his heart was. As he stands there, he sees Shadows appear before him, readies his keyblade, and fights them. As he fights them, Dusks appear along with Floods, Nightmare Mew Wows, and those smaller Forgottens he fought back in The Void.
"Oh crap." Said Sora as he blocked a Dusk's attack and performed a reversal on it. 'This is going to take a while.'
X
In another world, Mickey is in his office at Disney Castle as he grabs his letter and gets ready to call Pluto to hold on to it.
"Forgive the intrusion, your majesty." Said a man startling Mickey as he dropped the letter and summoned his keyblade. He saw the man wearing a grey cloak as the man held a keyblade.
"You're a keyblade wielder?" Questioned Mickey.
"Indeed I am." Said the man. "I'm breaking a few rules of the group I belong to by being here right now, but, I thought it necessary to give you this." The man then summoned a large blood stained book with the Forgotten symbol on it.
"What book is that? And why does it have blood on it?" Questioned Mickey as he studied the book.
"Records on a new threat you and the chosen will face." Said the man.
"What new threat?" Asked Mickey.
"The Forgottens." Replied the man as he opened the book.
X
"There... That's all of them." Said Sora as he breathed heavily. "I know that guy said there be differences, but to be ambushed like that was a shocker." Sora then closed his eyes to think. "Could the Vortex collapsing have caused all this?"
As Sora opened his eyes, he saw several chests on the new pillar he was standing on which had him, Donald, and Goofy closing the Door to Darkness. "Things are defintely different. Nothing too bad other than that ambush." He said as he started opening chests.
X
"This is all very disturbing." Said Mickey as he closed the book.
"There'd be more, but, the author's writings have been scattered away." Said the man. "It was either intentional or by whatever force released The Forgottens."
"Didn't the last chapter of the book say it was a person with this Darkblade of theirs?" Asked Mickey.
"That's what the author thinks." Said the man. "My people believe it was because of someone from the original group of keyblade wielders that survived the ordeal of the failed experiment."
"So you believe there's more than one survivor?" Questioned Mickey.
"That's what we believe." Said the man as he crossed his arms. "We know the author of this book is one of them. As for the others, we don't exactly know their current position, but, rumors of a keyblade wielder have been sighted in Traverse Town."
"So you're heading there next?" Asked Mickey.
"No, you are." Said the man.
"I can't! I have to... Aqua will be fine." Said the man interrupting Mickey. "An old friend of yours is with her as we speak."
"How do you know... Your Majesty.?" Said someone behind the door.
"Just a second." Said Mickey as he returned his look to the man to only find him gone.
X
"And eight!" Said Sora s he opened the final chest. The first three containd potions, the next two held ethers, the last two held munny, and the last held a page covered in blood. "What's this?" Said Sora as he picked up the page.
'Experiment File 6'
'We are so close! I can feel it.! We have made a perfect container for the heart to extract the light from. It's just a matter of keeping the light stable enough to transfer. 'Covered in blood,' says we are messing with forces we shouldn't comprehend, but the Darkness keeps growing. If we can't create something to help us in this fight we are done for! ...I wish 'covered in blood,' was still here. She'd be with me on this regardless of her radical behavior.'
"This is..." Said Sora in shock as a door appeared. 'Guess it's time to move on' As Sora goes through the door he finds himself on Destiny Island. "So far so good."
As he looks around he doesn't see Tidus, Wakka, or Selphie, but a man in a white cloak who he can't make out as if his vision is messing with him on purpose. "Who are you?" He asked the man.
"What's most important to you?" Asked the man.
"I said..." Said Sora as he gripped his head in pain as if the man was causing him to stop talking.
"What's most important to you?" Asked the man once more.
"Friendship." Said Sora as he gave in to the man's question. After he did the pain subsided.
"What do you want outta life?" Asked the man.
"To be strong." He replied to the man as he leaned on the railing.
"Being... Not being able to help my friends." Said Sora.
The man stands there as he looks at the sunset after Sora's response.
"Who are you?" Asked Sora only for the man to ignore him. "I said... What would you do if you could change everything you want?" He asked Sora as he interrupted him.
"I, I wouldn't." Said Sora.
"But, if you could, what would it be?" Asked the man.
"...That... that Kairi would be safe." Replied Sora as he closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes he saw he was on the next pillar showing three smaller circles with Castle Oblivion, The Land That Never Was, and the Keyblade Graveyard.
"Time for the home stretch." Said Sora as he looked for the pathway forward. When he found it, Shadows and Floods spawned and Sora got ready to strike.
X
"Micky." Said Minnie in a somber voice.
"I know, it was a rash decision, but, I wasn't about to have Aqua stuck in the Realm of Darkness any longer." Said Mickey.
"Gwarsh, your Majesty, we could have helped ya if you just told us." Said Goofy.
"Yeah, we would have helped you." Said Donald.
"I know you would have, but, it felt like something I needed to do alone." Said Mickey.
"Well, if what that man said was true, you don't have to now." Said Daisy. "But, who could this old friend be?"
"I have a theory on that." Said Jiminy as he hopped onto the desk. "Your Majesty, do you remember Chancellor Oswald?"
"Of course I do." Said Mickey. "He was like a brother to me. We did everything together when it came to the kingdom... Wait, are you saying Oswald is alive!?"
"It's the only thing that comes to mind when you mentioned the man saying, "An old friend." Said Jiminy.
"But if he was alive all this time. Why didn't he try to communicate with us?" Asked Minnie."
"The timeline." Said Mickey.
"The timeline your Majesty?" Questioned Goofy.
"The book mentioned that the forgottens and the person responsible for freeing them broke The Realm Between fracturing the timeline." Answered Mickey. "In this timeline, Oswald is alive."
"And in the other, Oswald died." Said Minnie sadly. "Along with Petunia and the others."
Everyone was silent for a moment processing all this information.
"Well, if that's the case, doesn't that mean Oswald's world is still around?" Asked Donald.
"It does Donald!" Exclaimed Daisy. "We just need to figure out where it disappeared to!"
"I imagined Yen Sid could help in this search." Said Minnie. "And when Oswald returns from where he is, he will be greeted by his friends and loved ones!"
"Right." Said Mickey as he turned to Donald and Goofy. "Donald, Goofy, will you join me to Traverse Town?"
"Of course your Majesty!" Replied Donald and Goofy.
"I'll join you too, your Majesty." Said Jiminy.
With their plan set and ready, they head to the Gummi Hanger to begin their journey.
X
Take that!" Shouted Sora as he slayed several Shadows, Dusks, Floods, Nightmare Mewo Wows, and the Forgottens which he started calling them by Wolfins. "Finally reached the top." He panted as he got his surrondings.
As Sora examined the pillar he was on, he noticed it was blank.
"Blank?" Questioned Sora. "Why is this one blank?" After he asked this question the ground began to shake. "Oh right." Sora turned to see the Darkside. A pure blood Heartless that he fought every time he was here. The Darkside then slammed its fist into the ground creating a pool of darkness summoning Shadows.
Sora attcked the Shadows first and then climbed its arm and attacked its head making the Darkside roar in pain as it shook Sora off. Sora manages to stick the landing but dodges out of the way when the Darkside swings its arm at him. He then shoots beams of light out of his keyblade hitting the Darkside. The Darkside groans in pain and shoots dark energy from its chest as Sora blocks.
As Sora recovers, he sees the Darkside pull an orb from its chest. "Time to finish this!" Said Sora as he ran up the Darkside's back, jumped, and slammed the keyblade into the orb of darkness as light released inside it causing an explosion that sent Sora flying to the ground.
"Ugh, tell me it's over." He said as he groaned in pain. Sora then looked at the Darkside which was fading away. "That's not how this happened. Is it because I have my abilities still? Or could it be because of me gaining all three weapons at the beginning?"
Before Sora could ponder on this more, five silhouettes appeared towering over Sora.
"Who are you!" He shouted as he held his keyblade tightly.
"They're your enemies." Said the man in the white cloak from earlier. "Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, Nightmares, and Forgottens."
"Your the man from earlier." Said Sora as all five silhouettes attacked him and the man.
The man then raised his hand in the air catching all the attacks. "You shall not hurt, Sora!" Shouted the man.
"How do you..." Said Sora as pain filled his head.
"You probably heard this already, but your foes are not the same as last time." Said the man. "New forces have appeared creating groups of their own and they can break into anywhere they please." The man struggles a little as the attacks push him towards the ground. "Even... the... heart."
Sora runs over to the man and helps block the attacks regardless of the pain in his head as the man chuckles. "What's... so... funny?" Asked Sora through the pain.
"You're still fighting... even though... you're in pain." Said the man. "You are exactly... how I... remember you, Sora."
"Who are you?" He asked the man once more as a light appeared.
"You won't remember... you're waking up anyways." Said the man.
"Try me!" Exclaimed Sora as the light got brighter.
"...Very well." Said the man as he removed his hood. "My name is..."
That was all Sora heard as he woke up on the beach.
"Morning sleepyhead." Said a familiar voice.
As Sora got his bearings he saw... 'Kairi!' Thought Sora as he saw her. 'This doesn't make any sense! Why is Kairi fifteen years old!?'