Author's note:
Hi, all. So, this is gonna require a bit of an introduction, to say the least. Firstly, I'd like to say that this is a novelization of the first Kingdom Hearts game. I'm a day one player, all the way back in 2002 at 6 years old. I've loved this series for over 20 years, like so many of you have and continue to do. It's been there for me during some of my worst times in life and it's been there during some of my best. No matter what, at the end of a good day, a bad day, a long day, or a relaxed day, I've had the option to start up my Playstation 2, 3, 4, 5, Gameboy, D.S., P.S.P., mobile phone, whatever platform and play a little of my favorite series, if I so choose. I've had so many playthroughs I've lost count.
With that being said, I do stick mostly to the cannon storyline. I do take a little artistic license in some aspects, because let's face it. As a writer I don't face the same limitations that video game makers did in the early to mid 2000's. However, I, like so many of you, am incredibly well versed and educated in regards to the wildly complicated lore and story that is our beloved Kingdom Hearts. Whilst the original remains my all time favorite, I think we can all agree that the series has suffered such little regression over the years, barring the mess that was a lot of if not half of Kingdom Hearts 3. Another topic, for another time.
Secondly I would love to shine a well deserved light on the author Marsuvees. Seriously, their novelization is top notch writing. If you haven't read any of them, go do it. Now. No joke. It is terrific and a huge inspiration for a lot of my own novelization. I have borrowed quite a few ideas and pulled on some very similar threads, but ultimately this will focus on even more character development as well as the "in between" moments, if you will. Specifically, Sora and Kairi's relationship. I don't want to spoil too much, but it is far more fleshed out in my story than it is in the original game. SoKai fans, where ya at? It's definitely cannon, and we're the best, for a reason.
Finally, I'd like to add that this is entirely written out, so no worries about this story dying. I'll be posting every Friday night, each week, a new chapter every week. As with any author, reviews are not only welcomed, but appreciated. I'm not shy, so constructive criticism is also more than okay with me. Chiefly, I wrote this for y'all. The fan base. We're a unique group, Kingdom Hearts fans, and at the end of the day, some of the most passionate out there. So, ultimately, I hope to do the same thing that so many other authors, art, and the games themselves have done for me. Give me something to look forward to, at the end of any day. I've learned a lot over this past year and that wisdom has come at a really steep price. One that I wish I hadn't had to pay. I began writing this and never planned on publishing it, but if it makes even one person smile, then it was worth it. So here's to you, Kingdom Hearts fans. I hope this can touch anyone in even a fraction of the way so much about this franchise has touched me.
Dedicated to Penelope,
Je vous aime, papillon.
Je te, revarrai.
Kingdom Hearts: Simple and Clean
Chapter I
He'd been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, 'Is any of this for real, or not?'.
A storm crept into vision, clouds as black as night, seemingly, as soft as cotton candy. The dark fury behind it seemed ominous, but as it began to fade, he felt himself falling, head first.
Through water, with only a dim light shining above.
That was until he woke in his favorite napping spot on the shores of his favorite island, of the many that made up, Destiny Islands. The best one. Rubbing his eyes, and looking out over the clear ocean, his best friend stood, waist high in the water, his back facing the beach. It was only then that he noticed a tsunami approaching, and fast. He stood, running as quickly as he could, trudging through the water to reach his closest friend, when suddenly, the silver haired boy turned, and smiled. A smile so calm. As if he knew the enormous wave was coming, and he wasn't afraid. No, he even welcomed it. He reached his hand out, seemingly inviting him to be eclipsed by the water and just before the spiky, brown haired boy could reach his best friend, they were both overrun by the water, swirling them around in the ocean's depths. Just as he felt he would pass out from the spinning and lack of oxygen, he resurfaced, as if the water's top had been there all along. He opened his bright blue eyes, after taking a heavy dose of air into his burning lungs, and saw the same shore he'd been watching from.
And her.
The auburn haired beauty smiled, a warm and comforting vision for him to behold, whilst waving him onto land. It was then that he realized, he wasn't that far from the shore, but the sky was that brilliantly colored orange that they'd come to love at this time of day. Soaking wet, with his knees lodged firmly in the soft white sand, he rose. One foot, then the other, before clumsily losing his balance, and nearly face planting back into the salty water, when his hand connected with her soft, delicate one. His gaze shifted upward, and once their eyes met, they laughed, if only a little and smiled whilst she helped him get his footing on the wet sand's surface. Their eyes then glanced down at their still held hands, and both giggled, before her eyes were torn away by the most unusual sight. A figure fell from the sky, head first, careening toward the water at a hastening pace. He couldn't believe his eyes, however. That wasn't any figure. It was him.
Suddenly he found himself falling again. Head first. Through water, though his descent seemed to be slowing, considerably. His position also began to shift, as his feet started to move underneath him, his body entering into standing, upright. In that moment, he felt his feet connect on a solid surface, and stood in complete darkness for only a moment, before a bright stained glass window, atop an intricately carved stone pillar, shone brightly underneath him.
His eyes, and head moved from side to side, surveying his surroundings. Pitch black, everywhere, besides the art beneath him. Then, he heard a voice. No, not with his ears, but inside. The kind of voice that tells you right from wrong. The kind that can irritate and frustrate you, at times, and help guide you, unquestionably, in the right direction, at others. It compelled him to move forward, one step at a time, until he reached the middle of the platform. It was then, that it began to shake and three stone surfaces appeared out of the glass' top.
A tool hovered above each. A shield, to his left, a sword, in the center, and a staff, to his right. The voice then made him feel as if one of these must be chosen, and another, discarded. The shield to his left began to pull at his mind, while the staff seemed to dissappear. His mind was made up. Running to the shield, and leaping onto the pedestal, he grabbed at the shield's handle, and gave a brief nod. Jumping off, and then onto the pedestal that held the staff, he held it in his hands, before dropping it over the side of the pillar. The stone pedestals then crashed into the stained glass top, causing the entire structure to give way, sending him into a free fall. Yet, he began to descend slowly again, and found himself on another, equally elaborate surface. An opaque door stood in front of him, but, more pressingly, a few black, diminutive figures, with beady yellow eyes, and wiry antennae began to appear before him.
Allowing the voice to guide him again, he swung at the nearest one, his shield materializing, as he did, and, in an instant made contact with the small creature's head, causing it to dissipate. A second one lept, high into the air, and locked onto the boy. He quickly raised his shield, pushing upward, and, like the other, it simply disappeared after contact. Several more came up from the stained glass, and began closing in on him, before he readied himself. Destroying one with a deft swing, he then ducked, and rolled, catching two as they collided with the shield's edge. He turned quickly, and sliced through another, before the final one met it's end as he and it lept into the air together, the boy proving victorious. Convinced that no more shadows would appear, he turned his attention to the now solid, and very real marble door.
Once again, led by the voice, he firmly gripped the handles, and pulled, being blinded by a bright white light. When he opened his eyes, he could see that he stood atop a large wooden structure that looked over his favorite beach. However, it didn't sound, or smell like the island. It was all vastly quiet, even though, three familiar faces stood before him. A petite girl, wearing a yellow dress with pigtails, a well built young man, donning a head band and frosted tips, and a boy, a few years his junior with a vest and shorts on. Approaching the young boy, he realized he couldn't speak, for some reason. He tried to place his hand on his shoulder, but suddenly felt a question. One he couldn't understand. The following two encounters were largely the same, but it was then, that answers to questions he didn't know the original questions for came to him.
He valued his friends above all.
He wanted to be strong for them more than anything.
He feared being alone the most.
Thoughts he'd never pondered, but his feelings nonetheless on the subjects were as such. He felt his gaze shifting toward the now setting sun when everything went white again. His eyes opening, he now found himself standing on a familiar feeling piece of glass. This time, however, to his left floated multiple ornate glass pieces that led to a higher elevated column, one that he couldn't see the top of. Ascending the glass platforms one by one, he came face to face with a black pool of darkness that began to rise, much to his fear. His shield materializing in his hand, he knew then that he had another fight on his hands.
All in all, the black figure that rose from the pool was bigger than any building he could remember seeing in his life. With hands that were twice his size alone, and an empty, heart shaped cavity in its chest, the being swung its monstrous arm high into the black night and brought the same arm down, slamming into a puddle of darkness, which caused the entire structure to shudder, intensely. Gripped by fear, he held his shield tightly, and began to climb the monster's arm. Digging in with the sharp bottom of his weapon, he finally made his way to the being's face. Small yellow eyes looked on lifelessly, as he shoved his shield's face into the monster's eye. The world seemed to slow, before he began to fall, again, this time landing firmly on his back. He felt his breath leaving him, as the darkness began to swallow him, drowning him with its never ending depth, and strong tendrils. Just as he thought this was his final moment, he felt the voice, the loudest and strongest he had felt it yet.
"You are the one, who will open the door."
"Wake up you lazy bum!"
Sora stirred quietly, before recognizing the all too familiar taunt. His eyes crept open, only to be met with the blinding sunlight, and a shadowy head above him.
"Ah!" he hollered, sitting up quickly, much to Kairi's enjoyment. She snickered, before placing both hands on her knees, and leaning forward. "Ha! Caught you snoozing again!"
"No way! Kairi! Wait, there was this huge black thing that swallowed me up, and..." He began to trail off.
"Pleasant dreams, huh?" She chided.
"Huh? Oh..." Sora muttered softly.
"Was I in this one too?"
"Yeah! This one too! You were standing on the beach when--"
"Too, huh? So I do fill your dreams after all!" She smirked, standing up straight. Sora couldn't lie. He had many dreams that revolved around Kairi.
"Quit messin' around Kairi." He said through a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.
"So what? You two get to chit chat and enjoy the beach, while I do all the work, huh?" Sora heard Riku approaching from his right, a heavy log in tow. Easily tossing it into the seated Sora's lap, he casually strode past the pair.
"Huh-- Whoa!" Sora exclaimed, barely catching it in time.
"So, you noticed." Kairi said through a giggle.
"Hey, I was just having a na--" Sora was cut off again.
"The jig is up Sora, we've gotta pitch in. C'mon." Kairi helped Sora up, before making a suggestion.
"How 'bout a race? Winner only has to find one of each instead of two?" Sora and Riku shared that look. The, 'You up for it?' competitive look, they loved to share, before both sprinted toward the Papou Bridge as fast as they could, a laughing Kairi falling comically behind.
If there's one thing to take away from Destiny Islands, it's the beauty. White sands bordered every tropical island, and whilst the main island was a large town, the others were made up of mostly uninhabited groves, grottos, caves, and beaches. The trio's favorite however, had years worth of handmade bridges, steps, and even a tree house, and look out dock. The memories made here by these three couldn't be counted, so when Sora began his loser's stroll around the island looking for his materials he had been assigned, he couldn't help but feel that certain folks didn't entirely belong. Sora wasn't the type to gatekeep though. Fun was meant to be had and enjoyed by everyone.
"Hey, what's happening, man?" Waka, the oldest of the six currently on the island asked Sora as he began to gather his things.
"Oh, you know. Just grabbing some things we need for the raft. A couple of big logs, some cloth, and some rope." He said casually, whilst scanning the area behind Waka, a small pool that a waterfall filled.
"Ya, but don't you three row over here everyday on separate boats? Why make a stinkin' raft, man?"
Sora chuckled, "Because, man," He placed a taunting emphasis on the word 'man', affecting Waka's accent, before continuing, "we're gonna see other worlds!"
"Sure, sure, but you know what they say, ya?" Waka asked, twirling his volleyball on his finger. "All work and no play makes Sora a dull boy!" Sora caught on to what he meant.
"How 'bout it then? You ready for a butt kicking? Again?" Sora asked.
"You're on!" Waka shouted before hopping down to the beach below. Sora quickly went to fetch his beloved wooden sword from the wooden hut, before readying himself on the beach. "Really? Still sticking with the ball, huh?" He asked, slinging his sword over his shoulder. Suddenly, Sora felt the need to duck, as the volleyball came flying at his head, at an alarming rate.
"Whoa!"
"Keep your guard up, kid!"
Sora smirked, before dodging another heater from Waka, only to find himself bordering the ocean. With Waka running quickly to his ball, lodged in the sand, Sora made his move and made a soccer style tackle of the ball, pushing it just out of Waka's reach. Then, with a swift and graceful move, he swung his wooden blade and connected with Waka's midsection.
"See ya!" Sora chuckled, as Waka nursed his pride, more than his side.
"Geez, man, you're getting better everyday." The two shared a friendly handshake, before Sora made his way over to the dock, finding Selphie, the young girl who'd sometimes tag along behind Tidus, much to his and Waka's dismay.
'Oh man, don't notice me, don't notice me, don't notice me!' Sora thought to himself as he began to slowly take the steps up to the other side of the dock.
"Sora! Isn't this just the most beautiful day?" Little Selphie asked, as Sora's shoulders raised, and his face scrunched up.
"Hey, Selphie. Yeah, it sure is. Perfect. What is it, eighty-one--"
"Isn't it just so romantic? The clear water, white sand, warm breeze? Docks aren't meant to be shared alone, but Tidus says he has to 'train' or whatever." Selphie moaned.
"Yeah, 'cause you never shut up..." Sora mumbled.
"What was that, Sora?" She asked loudly.
"Oh nothing!" He chuckled, "Well, anyway, I've got a lot to find Selphie, so I better get to it!" He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh c'mon Sora! Let's go! Just one round! Maybe if you'll play with me Tidus will get jealous!" She giggled, a devilish smirk growing on her face.
"Oh, I don't think that's really a good idea..." Sora said through a groan.
"What's the matter? Chicken?" Selphie snickered.
"Oh, it's on!" Sora said smiling. He always accepted a challenge, even if issued by a little girl. After both made their way to the beach, it wasn't even close. A few clumsy stumbles forward with her jump rope had proved to be Selphie's demise, as Sora easily wrapped the rope's length around his wooden blade, and with a strong pull, took the toy from her hand, causing her to stumble forward, close enough for him to quickly, yet, gently place his wooden sword's tip on her shoulder.
"Wha--?" Selphie manged to stutter out.
"Can I go now?"
"You were supposed to let a girl win, Sora!" She pouted, before gathering her little jump rope and stomping back up to the dock.
"Glad Kairi isn't like that..." Sora said through a chuckle, before returning to his original quest.
After toting a large log back to Kairi, and being cheered on whilst doing so, he managed to climb up into the tree house on the island, and fetch the old cloth that hung on the wall. Leaving the tree house and leaping to the ladder that led up to the lookout, he then took the ramp down, to find the rope he'd been looking for. And Tidus. A charged up, ready to battle Tidus.
"Hey, Sora? Wanna go a round? I've been getting better! I'd probably hang with Riku now, so you should be a piece of cake!" The energetic boy managed to say, even whilst swinging his red baton, back and forth. Sora couldn't help but chuckle.
"Riku? I kick his butt! Well, most times. Some times. We're even, anyway, I could take you no problem squirt." He said confidently. Tidus bristled, "Squirt!? Who you callin' squirt, big shoes? Let's do this!" Sora looked down, offended. "They're not that big! Besides, they're comf-- No, that's it, you're going down!"
The two practically raced to reach good old battle beach, and quickly took positions. Tidus was fast, and filled with young kid energy. Which could prove to be tough, for someone untrained, as his constant jumping back and forth with a barrage of attacks could prove overwhelming. Sora however, was not untrained. Tidus moved in, fast and hard with a leap and swing. Sora sidestepped, preparing an attack that turned into a parry, as the younger, shorter boy swung quickly to the side. After knocking Sora's blade to his right, Tidus went for another big horizontal swing, but only to hit air, as Sora ducked low and swept Tidus' legs out from underneath him. Landing on his backside, Tidus still had the wherewithal to bring his baton up to block Sora's slash downward. Using a move Riku had taught him, he propelled himself up, knocking Sora backwards with his feet, then landing on them, unsteady. Now totally off balance, Tidus turned as fast as he could, pulling a dizzy one-eighty, and swung blindly, hoping Sora would have tried to catch him in the back. No such luck befell him, however, as the momentum of his wild lash, carried him straight into the white sand. One moment after his face connected with the hot, white sand, he felt a wooden sword gently tap his shoulder from above.
"Better luck next time, squirt." Sora said through a hearty laugh. Tidus couldn't go down like that. No, wouldn't!
"Argh!" He shouted, spitting sand from his mouth. "Waka, Selphie! Let's get 'im!" He ordered, gripping his baton tighter and regaining his footing.
"Aw, callin' in reinforcements, Tidus? That's pretty low, even for someone as short as-- Whoa!" Sora barely had time to deflect one of two volleyballs Waka had on him. Noticing a charging Selphie, and Tidus finally facing him with determination in his eyes, Sora knew this was gonna be a tough fight. He brought his sword up to block another hard Tidus leap/swing combo, before using Tidus' own momentum to force him to his left, just as Selphie screeched to a halt beside him. The two younger children, gripped their toys tightly, and began a double attack, just as Waka flung his second projectile at Sora's head. Sora ducked to avoid the volleyball, causing Selphie's initial attack to soar over his head. Tidus however, anticipated the duck, and went for a swift knee to Sora's chin. Thankfully, his idea came a hair too late, as Sora made the calculated risk to drop his sword, and grab Tidus' knee with one hand, and ankle with the other. Using his own momentum against him again, he swung Tidus' entire lithe frame around, before feeling the solid connect of another body, Selphie's. Pushing through the added weight, Sora flung the two kids, directly in the direction of a sprinting Waka, madly dashing for one of his volleyballs that was stuck in the sand. Before Waka had time to react, the three found themselves clumped together, airborne, and landed, heavily in the sand, at the feet of a familiar face.
"Well, well, well. And here I was, thinking I'd lend a helping hand. Bravo, Sora." Riku said with a smirk, his own wooden sword slung over his shoulder. Breathing heavily, and sighing a sigh of relief, Sora smiled widely at his dearest friend. Rubbing the back of his neck, he responded. "Oh, you know, just a day's work!" His voice was winded, but clearly, he was happy he'd impressed the older, and cooler Riku. Riku couldn't help but smile back. "C'mon up to the Papou tree. That way I can put you back in your place!" Sora snickered, accepting the challenge as always. He took his time entering the shack, and ascending the stairs. He needed to catch his breath after all. Finally reaching the tiny islet where the bench like Papou tree grew, Riku raised his sword, pointing it directly at Sora. "Took your sweet time! C'mon! Loser has to carry this last log. Sound good?"
"Alright. Sounds like a deal." Sora said happily, brandishing his own sword. Like lightning, Riku lept high into the air and landed on the Papou tree's extended branch. His hand beckoned to Sora, daring him to come take a swing at him, whilst perched dangerously atop the branch, but Sora wouldn't budge. He readied himself, knees bent, and sword gripped tightly, as he awaited Riku's eventual return to the fighting surface. Then, it came. Riku shot back up, into the air slashing downward as he did, Sora throwing up a strong block. Riku was strong himself though, and the force of his blow sent Sora to his knees. Riku's driving force downward was so hard, and his stance so wide, Sora decided to use it, lunging into a shoulder roll to Riku's left, attempting to take his footing on that leg out from under him. Riku was fast though, drawing his ankle away, though, at the cost of his balance. He made a diagonal slash at Sora, from one foot, which Sora was able to easily parry, now going on the offensive. Stabbing forward, Riku had to hop backward to avoid the potentially defeating blow, and barely had enough time to block Sora's next lash. The two locked swords, eyes glued to each other's with that competitive fire burning inside each. Removing his left hand from his sword's hilt, Riku snuck his elbow behind Sora's back and managed to put a spin move on his friend, shoving with his left hand, as his right hand brought his wooden sword high. Bringing it down, swiftly, Riku hadn't noticed how quickly Sora had recovered. Riku's blade met Sora's shoulder, just as Sora's connected with Riku's gut. The two shared a confused look, before hearing a familiar, and sweet sound to both their ears.
"And the winner is! No one! A draw! Wow, first time I've seen that. What's the count now?" Kairi asked through a giggle.
"Draw!?" The two said in unison, both standing upright, and dropping their weapons.
"No way! I totally connected first." Riku said calmly.
"In your dreams, maybe! You never saw that body shot coming!" Sora responded.
"Nope! He sure didn't Sora! Just like how you didn't think he'd be quick enough to hit your shoulder! So, a tie!" Kairi said with a small round of applause. Riku and Sora both shared a look of disapproval, before Kairi continued.
"So, I guess you'll both have to carry that last log." She snickered.
"How'd you know about the bet?" Sora asked.
"Wait, have you been watching this whole time?" Riku asked.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't notice me sooner." Kairi responded with a shrug. Sora looked back at the log, as did Riku, before both knelt for their play swords, hoping to catch the other off guard.
"No! No more playing, you two! Now grab that log and bring it to the other side. We'll drop it off there, and call it a day." Kairi ordered. A defeated Riku and Sora both muttered something inaudible, before half heartedly shaking hands, and walking slowly over to the log. If there's one fact of life, it's this. Winning is for winners, losing can still be for winners, but a tie?
Only losers tie.
Sora laid back lazily, with one leg hanging from the Papou tree's long horizontal singular branch, with Kairi seated near his feet. Riku leaned casually up against the tree's trunk, it's thickest section, with the trio's eyes all fixed squarely on the calming ocean, painted orange by the breath taking sunset. A slight breeze accompanied that sea salt smell, and the sounds of the waves mixed perfectly with the blowing palm trees. Yes, out here was as near paradise as it got. A practical shangri-la for the three troubled teenagers. Here, Sora could forget about his home life. A single mother, who worked to put what little food on the table she could manage, and what time they could spend together, she'd spend busy with other things. Things like drinking, or time spent trying to fill the void his father left. Things Sora didn't want to know about. She was a meal ticket, more than a mother. So long as she met his basic needs, enough not to be locked up, or reprimanded by the locals, she didn't much care what Sora did. So, it was no small wonder he gravitated to Riku, and Kairi so much. Riku didn't have it any better. An unfortunate fishing accident had left him orphaned, from a young age. With no mother or father to look up to, depend on, or even cry to, he largely grew up looking out for himself, making it by however he could. Kairi, admittedly, had it better than the boys, but her childhood certainly wasn't one to envy. Her supernatural, and otherworldly arrival on Destiny Islands, ten years ago was wrought with suspicion, and even fear from some locals. So, the mayor took it upon himself to adopt the child, albeit, simply as a vote grab.
'Look at that sweet, sweet man, adopting that poor alien girl.'
The general sentiment was well received, and ultimately, won him the election, yet again. At home, however, he only ensured Kairi was fed, and taught, by a slew of governesses that she either was bored by, disliked, or in some extreme cases hated. She felt more like a poster, than a person, and resented the fact that no one could simply treat her like the girl she was. Except for Sora, of course. Riku as well, mostly. "So, suppose you end up in another world. What would you do there?" Kairi asked no one in particular.
"I don't know. I guess it's just..." Riku paused. "I've always wondered what's out there. Like, this can't be all, right? Couldn't we just have easily ended up somewhere else?"
"I don't know." Sora responded sleepily.
"Exactly. It's all thanks to you, Kairi. Without you showing up here, I'd have never known there was anything else outside of these dinky little islands." Riku said, turning to look at her. Sora couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Oh, well, thank you."
"It's getting late you two. C'mon. We should rest up, before the big day tomorrow." Riku said.
"Yeah, I could use some shut eye." Sora said, much to his two best friend's amusement. Kairi was first to leap down, and began her slow walk back across the bridge. Sora followed suit, failing to notice Riku had hung back. Riku just couldn't help but stare at the Papou fruit. He'd heard all the stories, and the tradition. Sharing a Papou fruit with someone was the most important symbolic gesture any one person could perform with another on Destiny Islands. His mind raced, as complicated thoughts and feelings flooded it. Riku shook his head. Reaching up to grab a decent looking fruit, he picked it. "Hey, Sora! Catch!" He hollered, tossing the fruit in his friend's direction.
"Huh? Oh!" Sora exclaimed, upon barely snagging the crop from midair. "A Papou?"
"You know what they say, right? If two people share a Papou fruit, their destinies become intertwined, forever. No matter what, they'll always be a part of each other's lives." Sora looked down at the fruit, thoughtfully. He wasn't entirely sure why, though subconsciously he had to have known, but he knew exactly who he wanted to share the sweet treat with.
"You said you wanted one, didn't you?" Riku asked, walking past the zoned out Sora.
"Huh?" Riku began to laugh, as he descended into the cabin, heading for the pier, following behind a head started Kairi.
"What? Hey, wait up!" Sora called, before tossing the fruit in the ocean. He began jogging to catch up to his best friends. And in one case, maybe more than a best friend.
Disney Castle was an elaborately built, elegant, white castle, that seemed to stretch on and on, into an eternaly blue sky. The massive structure ruled over the world that was, Timeless River, but its, and its ruler's influence spread to many stretches of the universe. With audacious courtyards, beautiful dining rooms, pleasant baths, and an enormous kitchen to boot, the castle was more of a palace, than anything.
The walking brooms kept the place tidy, and clean, whilst the head mage, one Donald Duck, assisted with any matters that required a more serious magical touch. The King's right hand man, he'd been by the mouse's side for more years than he could remember. Donald rose from his bed, rubbing his eyes, before hopping out and taking off his night cap. With a flourish, his night gown turned into his royal vestments. Ruffling his feathers, he exited his room, and headed for the kitchen, only to smell a fine breakfast at work already. He was starved, but first, the morning greeting ritual, for his majesty.
His webbed feet pitter pattered down the long hallway, as he made his way to the royal throne room. A long hallway, with a ceiling that must have been 100 Donalds high accompanied a long red carpet. To his left, a large marble white wall, and to his right, was a view of the royal courtyard, only obstructed by the occasional colossal pillar. Two giant doors stood, with handles made of ivory far above Donald's reach. Of course, all he had to do was simply knock, twice rapidly, and once after. Then, a much smaller door opened, at the bottom of the left massive door. Walking through the entryway, Donald made the long, long walk to the back of the royal throne room, and began his morning, like so many others. The golden throne was bookened with a pair of enormous golden statues. One of Donald himself, and the other of the Head Knight, of Disney Castle. With a friendly, and familiar phrase, he began, "Good morning your Majesty!" He quacked.
"It's nice to see you this mor-- WHA!?"
The head mage couldn't believe his eyes. The throne was empty, and out from behind it slunk the King's faithful, and loyal companion Pluto, with a letter that had been wax sealed with the King's insignia.
"Hm?" Donald, puzzled as he was, gently took the letter from the orange dog. Taking his small letter opener out of his pocket, he tore the envelope open, and took the crisp paper out of it. His eyes scanning back and forth, he read faster and faster. His breathing also quickened, as realization set in. Donald's body seemingly moved before his mind even knew it was moving, as he broke into a full sprint. There was only one other person who could know about it. Absolutely, only one. Quacking loudly, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him, heading for the royal courtyard, just outside of these very walls. Little did he know, that Queen Minnie Mouse, and her lady's maid, Daisy Duck, had just watched, from the opposite end of the long pillared hallway, an unaware Donald head for the topiary in the middle of the courtyard, faster than they'd ever seen him run.
The Royal Courtyard was filled with topiaries of various shapes and sizes. The King's insignia shaped some, whilst others were tasteful representations of a few past favorite performers for the King's court. The soft green grass that covered the ground synced perfectly, with the exquisitely trimmed bushes, and well cared for flowers. A feast for the eyes, the garden also served as a wonderful place for evening events, such as card games, or late night dinners, especially when some of the more scentful flowers came into bloom.
So, naturally, it was easy for one to take a nap, during a beautiful spring day, in the aforementioned courtyard. The air was that perfect mix of comfortably warm, and the sky was entirely blue. Snoozing peacefully next to the door of the middle topiary, shaped as a miniature form of the castle, that actually concealed the entrance to the Gummi garage, was the head Knight at Disney Castle. A laid back, simple minded dog, with a heart of gold and undying optimism. Goofy. No more, no less. He snored, whilst having the loveliest dream, after a half day of hard work training some of the castle's new guards. He could practically taste the sweet pies, and cakes in the kitchen's bakery, which he had all to himself in this dreamland of his.
'Gawrsh, I don't know where to start. Maybe I should ask why no ones here.'
His dreamy head thought. The door in the corner of the courtyard however, flew open, as Donald tore through it, trampling a poor bed of flowers, as he beelined for his friend. Goofy however, was a deep sleeper, and the simple calling of his name wouldn't jar him from that sweet looking carrot cake he'd been eyeing ever since he stepped into the 'unguarded bakery'.
"Goofy! Goofy, wake up!" Donald hollered, shaking at the large dog's foot. "Why I oughta..." Donald stewed, before pointing his finger in the sky. Summoning magic was as easy as drawing breath for the duck. He was the head mage, after all.
"WAK!" He ordered, as a bolt of lightning shot down, dangerously close to where Goofy slept. The knight became airborne for a moment, before landing hard on his rear end.
"Donald?" He asked, sleepily.
"Wake up, Goofy! It's important!" Donald plead. Or ordered.
"Oh, well, good mornin'!" He said happily.
"No! It's not! We've got a secret mission, Goofy! Top secret! From the King!" Donald shouted, before realizing, in his quest to keep this all hush-hush, he was being overtly loud. He leaned in close, doing his best to whisper. "No one can know about this, except you and me. Understood?"
"Queen Minnie?" Goofy asked.
"No! Not even the Queen!" Donald replied.
"Daisy?"
"NO!" Donald had nearly had enough, before he noticed that Goofy's gaze was not fixed on himself, but past him.
"Good mornin' ladies!" Goofy said cheerily to the previous two in question. Having followed the panicked Donald out into the open square, Minnie stood by silently, whilst Daisy tapped her foot impatiently, her hands lodged firmly on her hips. Donald was had, and the worst part was, he knew it. He didn't have to turn, though he did, to know who was behind him. A nervous chuckle escaped his bill, when he saw the Queen, but it wasn't until his eyes met the daggers that were Daisy's, that he knew, this was turning out to be a really crappy day.
After all, who gets stuck with all the bad luck? No one, but Donald Duck.
It was a warm, and bright Saturday, when Sora shot out of his house. His mother was sleeping something or other off, and besides, she never asked what he was up to anyway. Donning his signature red, short legged jumpsuit, black half jacket, comically large yellow shoes, and his cherished crown pendant, his natural chestnut brown spikes blew in the wind, as he rowed over to his home away from home. Well, more like his preferred home.
Arriving a bit later than the other two, he chastised himself for sleeping late. He'd had a long night, and couldn't seem to get to sleep. For some reason. That wasn't relevant now, though. Today, they finished the raft! They gathered supplies, and made the finishing touches, and tomorrow, they'd set sail, and find new worlds! Somehow! Probably! Maybe?
It didn't matter! It'd be an adventure with his two closest friends, and that was all that mattered. He waved a hello to Selphie, still seated on the dock, before heading toward the shack. Stopping off inside, he picked up his wooden sword, just in case, and headed up the stairs. He was somewhat surprised to find Tidus practicing on the Papou island, but dismissed it nonetheless. Waka, equally as curious, was standing very close to the secret place, a small cave that Sora and Riku had found when they were small children.
Of course, once Kairi came to the islands, she was allowed to see it as well. Sora and she had spent many a time laughing, playing, and drawing in that cave, sometimes to Riku's chagrin, other times to his amusement. It was hard to tell with him. Noticing that the door to the northern half of the island was ajar, he figured Riku and Kairi had headed to that side, to ditch the squares. Sora hopped down, and headed through, closing it once he'd passed through the brief tunnel.
The northern side was equally as gorgeous, but had even more hand built structures, each one another testament to the things that the trio were capable of, when they worked together. And hard enough. A rickety bridge like platform stood directly after the entrance, and a lookout post/zip wire/tower was erected after that. On the other side of a rocky surface beneath the tower, was the much smaller, northern beach, which, was where the raft in question now was now beached. A small forest of palm trees provided some shade on particularly hot days, just across from the ocean, and a cliff face, which held a natural tunnel to the other side was to the forest's right, if facing it. Overall, the northern side was much more secluded, and, ultimately, to anyone else, more boring. Perfect place for the raft, and meetings that didn't need to be overheard. Closing the door, Sora found Riku standing at the ledge's edge, looking out over the crystal clear ocean. "Hey." He said casually.
"Hey. Sorry I'm late."
"What's new?" Riku teased, with a smile, before they playfully punched at one another.
"Kairi's over by the raft. She's going over what we'll need for the trip, plus making sure Highwind will be seaworthy." Riku explained.
"Highwind? What kind of name is that?" Sora asked, with a snicker, tossing his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers.
"A cool one. Also, the name it's going to be called." Riku said calmly.
"Huh? No way! I'm not captaining some raft called Highwind!" Sora said pointing his thumb at himself.
"Captaining? You can't be serious. I'm the captain!" Riku challenged.
"Says who?" Sora asked, the two now facing each other.
"Says me!" Riku said now pointing his own thumb at himself.
"No way! Let's settle this, now!" Sora offered, glancing at his wooden sword, propped up by the door. Riku followed his eyes, knowing full well his own sword was in the same spot. No, this was serious though, and Sora had become a good fighter. There were days Sora could beat Riku back to back to back, nowadays, so a duel was no sure thing. A race, however. A race, he knew he could win. Sora never was very agile. Or quick. Plus, this was important, so why not throw something else into the mix.
"How 'bout a race? First one to touch the star tree in the corner at the cliff face, then make it back here, wins. What do ya say?" Sora thought it over, carefully. He was confident. He'd been practicing. Besides, his big shoes would help give him the advantage. He had this, right?
"You're on."
"You two at it again?" Kairi asked from the tower.
"Alright, but just this one little race! Then we need to get back to work!" She hollered down at the two.
'She looks beautiful up there.' Sora thought to himself.
'Wait, what?'
His own thoughts interrupted his previous ones. Riku couldn't help but notice Sora's staring, and felt a strange feeling, deep inside him. Was it jealousy?
"If I win..." Sora began, "I'm captain, and we name the raft what I want. If you win--" he was cut off, "I get to share the Papou with Kairi."
"What?" Sora asked, mouth agape, looking over at the silver haired youth.
"Deal? The winner gets to share the Papou with Kairi."
"Ho-Hold on just a sec--"
"Ready?" Kairi called from up above, oblivious to the conversation.
Sora's mind raced. What had gotten into Riku? Share a Papou with Kairi? Wasn't that something people did when they really, really liked one another? Besides, Kairi was their friend, but not like that, right? Wait, not like that with Riku anyway.
Wait, what?
Or Sora for that matter. Right? Sora didn't like that thought either, though!
"Set?"
Sora's thoughts, as jumbled and mixed up as they were, suddenly slowed, as one single burning desire took over his mind. To win. No, not just win. He wanted to win more than he'd ever wanted to. Even against Riku, and in this case, especially against Riku. He wasn't sure why he felt so strongly, but he didn't need to right at this moment. He just needed to win.
"Go!"
He heard her voice call out, motivating him even more. Riku took off out of a much more prepared sprinter's stance. Sora followed after, falling immediately behind. The two made their way up the sloped, patched worked bridge, and Riku leapt over a seemingly sturdy piece of bridge. Sora thought he was just showing off, shaving a second off of his lead. Riku always liked to be a showbo--
"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed as the aforementioned board gave way under his weight. He landed in the fresh water of a small pond, along with the rotten piece of wood, and began sprinting as fast as he could for the ledge he knew would get him back on track. It may have been too late, though. Riku was well ahead of him, and Sora knew this, even as he crawled back out. With Riku already running past the raft, Sora knew he only had one choice. Climbing three rungs at a time, he made his way to the top of the tower, and grabbed ahold of the coat hanger that they'd used as a zip line.
When they were much younger.
Sliding down, Sora hadn't realized just how old this thing had gotten. The old wire snapped, and sent Sora into a free fall. He couldn't believe his luck, though. His feet crash landed into Riku's midsection, as they both made contact with the star tree. Taken aback by Sora's sudden appearance, Riku regained his composure, and shoved Sora aside. Now it was an even race, back to the starting point, and Riku needed to gain a lead back. He lept, from palm tree top, to palm tree top, but heard a grunting Sora following closely behind.
'He can't make these jumps!' Riku thought to himself. His feet finally making contact with the same ledge as the tower, he was shocked to find Sora also landing, though not as gracefully. No, Sora rolled as he landed, but kept running out of the roll.
"Wha--?" Riku asked, before running as fast as he could to catch up. His legs burning, he was catching up to his friend. He couldn't help but notice Sora's determination. Sweat poured from his body, and his legs churned harder than he'd ever seen them. Riku pushed even harder, but just couldn't seem to match Sora this time. No, Sora was running with a passion he'd never seen from him. And that was saying something. They both lept over the hole made in the bridge earlier, but it was over. Sora had made it to the finish line, beating Riku by a step and a half. Both nearly collapsed, placing their hands on their knees, taking deep breaths.
"Wow, I haven't see you two compete like that in a while! Or ever?" Kairi remarked, with a chuckle. All in all, she was impressed with the two, but it was still curious that they'd tried so hard to win this thing.
"So, what was the wager?" Kairi asked. Sora froze. His mouth felt like paste, and not just from the extreme exertion he'd put himself through. He didn't know how to answer that!
'Oh, it was nothing! Just, you know, who'd get to share the most symbolic form of care, and love, one can with another, with you! Wait, what!?'
Sora's mind raced, again.
"Just," Riku replied through deep breaths, "who was captain, and what we'd name the raft!" Sora's head whipped in Riku's direction, their eyes meeting. Sora narrowed his eyes, mostly in confusion, but also in some irritation. That's what he wanted the bet to be originally! Shaking his head, and finally catching his breath, he and Riku half heartedly shook hands.
"Congrats, Cap." Riku said, turning back to look out over the sea again.
"Thanks." Sora said rubbing the back of his neck.
"Excalibur, by the way. That's what we'll name her."
Riku didn't respond. He was being a sore loser, but Sora wasn't gonna let that slide this time.
"Look, about the Pap--"
"You took that seriously? Wow, I guess that's why you wanted to win so bad." Riku scoffed.
"Huh?" Sora asked.
"Kairi isn't some trophy to be won, Sora. She's her own person. She can decide who she wants to share the Papou with. C'mon man. How old are you?" Riku asked, stomping off, opening and slamming the door back to the South side of the island.
"Wait a minute!" Sora defended loudly, even as Riku left. Sora didn't see Kairi like that. Not at all.
'I just wanted to win!' Sora thought.
'I don't see Kairi as an object! She's her own person, I know that! I just didn't like the thought of her sharing a Papou with another guy... besides, the whole idea was Riku's to begin with!'
Sora stewed, angrily. He was ready to follow Riku, and get an explanation for all this, but he could hear Kairi struggling to haul a coconut to the raft. His thoughts cleared, as he ran toward the sounds of her efforts. Clearing the rise, and dropping to the sand, he hurried over to assist her, only to discover, she'd already fetched three fallen fruits.
"Hey! You two done arguing?" She asked with a smile. A pleasant site for Sora.
"Huh? Oh, uh..." Sora paused.
"Yeah, he's just a sore loser, is all." Sora chuckled, somewhat nervously.
"Stuck us with all the finishing touches, huh?" She asked.
"Something like that."
"What's he so upset about? You've won stuff plenty of times." Sora smiled. It made him happy to know Kairi noticed when he won.
"I don't know. I think he's..." Sora paused. He didn't know how to continue. It didn't seem possible, but Riku seemed green with envy. The way he brushed off the original wager, then tried to make it seem like Sora did something wrong wreaked of someone who was particularly upset over an otherwise normal loss. There was something deeper going on, and Sora couldn't quite figure it out. It was always Riku's job to know stuff. Sora and he'd been friends since they were kids. Well, younger kids. A year older, Riku was always like his big brother. Today though, he'd acted very out of character.
"I think he's jealous..." Sora muttered.
"Over the name of the raft? Or being captain?" Kairi asked, raising an eyebrow, and pulling some shells from a pocket on her purple skirt.
"Uh, yeah. I guess." Sora lied. He knew what Riku was jealous about, but the real question was why? This had never been a issue! In the ten years they'd all been friends!
"Well, let him sulk, I say. Let's finish this raft, together, Sora. That'll make him feel better! He wants to leave, more than anything else." She giggled. Her laugh was like music, to his ears, and her positive attitude was just another thing that made her beautiful.
'Wait, what?'
"So here's the list of things we still need. Bring those here, and then we'll make the finishing adjustments together." Kairi said softly.
"Okay." Sora replied. "What're you gonna do?" He asked.
"Relax here, and make this."
"What? So I do all the work while you relax and make, uh..." Sora mumbled, trying to see what she was making.
"Yup. And no peeking! It's a surprise." She snickered.
"Still don't see why I have to grab all this stuff!"
"Because! Once you're captain, I'll have to obey your commands! I want to relish in my last day of hoarding power over you." The two shared a laugh, whilst neither one seemed to be able to tear their eyes away from the other's.
"Alright. Well, I should get on top of this." Sora said with a smirk.
"I'll be back." He said softly, before heading back over the rise. He had alot to collect after all. Kairi watched him, as he went on happily, with his chores. Looking back down, she continued to make her small Thellassia shell charm. A star shaped little charm, with a smiling face at the top point of it. The face had a tuft of spiky hair above it, and she couldn't help but notice that it looked like a certain someone. She'd had him on her mind a lot lately. She was going to give the charm to him tomorrow, as a present. The thought of it filled her with a deep sense of happiness. Warmth. Fulfillment.
'Wait, what?'
Kairi wasn't sure what to do with these feelings, but one thing was for sure. The boys minds weren't the only ones that seemed clouded at times. She had a lot of thinking to do, herself.
Sora had a similar sense inside of him, after talking to her, if even for a moment. He wanted to get these supplies, and get them fast. Then, maybe they'd be able to spend a little more time together, before dark. Dropping down into the fresh water pool he'd fell into earlier, he remembered fresh water, on the list. The list Kairi had left, in a glass jar with a lid.
'Perfect!' He thought, before removing the list and holding the jar under the tiny waterfall. Filling it up, he tightened the lid, and pocketed the fresh drinking water. Satisfied with the North side of the island, he climbed up, out of the pit below the bridge, and opened the creaky wooden door, and headed to the South side of the beach.
Maybe Riku would be over there, training. They could have a little heart to heart. When he closed the door behind him though, he immediately spotted Tidus, still busy at swinging, and jumping, atop the Papou island. He hadn't left, had he? Sora walked along the white beach, and turned the corner. He checked his list again, and carefully planned out his next few moves. Which was a bit uncharacteristic, frankly. He wasn't exactly the prepared type.
Nonetheless, here he was, entering the seaside shack, and grabbing the small fishing net off of the wall. He headed up the stairs, and once returning outside, turned right. He knew he'd seen one hell of a big seagull atop this particular palm. Hopefully, the gull wasn't there, just now. Sora's luck was true for the moment, as he climbed and climbed, finally reaching the top only to find an unguarded, massive seagull egg. Snatching it from it's perch, he slid down, slowly, only using one arm, and both legs, before his feet finally touched the sandy soil again. He gently placed the egg down, inside the shack, on top of some blankets, before covering it with another. He left the shack, for a third time and headed for the ocean. Catching three fish was no easy task, but, with some effort and concentration, he finally won, netting three tasty morsels. Bringing them up on shore, he left them hanging by the shack, discarding the net beneath them.
'Eh, I'll put it up later.' He thought, heading further up the small incline. His list was nearly complete. Three coconuts, check. Three fish, wet check. One massive freakin' seagull egg, big check. Fresh water, clean check. Three mushrooms were all that remained. Sora thought. He knew he'd seen some mushrooms. But where? He walked right past the secret place, before it hit him.
'The secret place! It's cool, dark, and damp! Of course!' He reasoned, heading for the little cave. Waka seemed preoccupied with some dumb beach exercise for the moment, which left Sora a golden opportunity to barely, just barely fit into the tight crevice that led to the hiding spot. He wouldn't fit this time next year, he reasoned, sadly. Then again, he might not be here, next year. The thought filled him with mixed emotions, as he made his way to the section where the cave widened and grew taller. Sure Destiny Islands had done him no favors, but this was his home, afterall. He'd been born here. Granted, she wasn't much of a parent, but his mother was still just that. He'd met Riku in the schoolyard all those years ago. Kairi had landed in that very ocean outside. And here. This place, the secret place. He'd grown very fond of this dank little cave.
The chalk drawings on the wall were mostly Kairi's work. Riku had drawn some, and Sora had crudely attempted some of his own, but there was one that Sora particularly cherished. He found it, in the same spot, where it should be. A large boulder was it's home, and on that boulder's face was a chalk drawing of a smiling boy, with spiky hair, accompanied by a simple, and untrained drawing of a girl. She'd drawn him, and he'd drawn her. Riku had been in a mood that day, much like today, and Sora and Kairi had decided to sneak off to the secret place, and play, if only for a little while. She'd brought her chalk, and decided to memorialize Sora in that very medium. He wanted to reciprocate, but clearly didn't have the same natural talent. It was a memory Sora held onto, forever. Maybe he'd always felt this way. What was that way, though? Was it...?
Sora found a discarded piece of chalk from their last visit, and smiled. Picking it up, he sat down, right in front of the drawing.
'What the hell?' He figured.
'We're leaving tomorrow, so it's not like she'll ever see it. But I'll know it's here. And that's good enough for me.' He thought, before he drew the silliest looking arm, from the boy, to the girl's mouth, holding up a star. A Papou.
'I guess it's the only way I'll ever be able to shar--' Sora suddenly felt a chill. That familiar feeling that someone, or something, was watching him. He wasn't alone. Standing, and turning to the direction he thought he'd felt the presence, he didn't see anything originally. Squinting, looking into the dark, he could have swore he saw a cloak, but couldn't be certain.
"Wh--Who's there?" He asked, taking a cautious step backward.
"This world has become connected..." a deep and menacing voice answered back. Was it heard though? Or felt? He definitely could see an outline now. A hooded figure, in the dark shadows.
"What, what are you talking about? Who are you?" Sora needled.
"All worlds will become connected one day. A door intertwining all their destinies, and their hearts. One, beautiful day. Darkness, will eclipse all." The voice said slowly, ominously.
"Hey, you're freaking me out, man! Cut it out!" Sora ordered.
"Save your strength boy. It all ends soon..." the voice said, as it faded, the figure disappearing as well.
"What...?" Sora asked, trailing off. He had that uneasy feeling, that he needed to be somewhere else. Noticing the mushrooms, he grabbed a few up, and slowly left the secret place, with an uncomfortable sensation as he did.
Sora closed the door that lead back to the North side of the island. With all his supplies in tow, he began to make his way back to Kairi. He'd already dropped off the egg, much to Kairi's amusement, but now had the rest in various pockets, or, in the case of the fish, slung over his shoulder. As it turns out, Riku really had left. Rowed back to the main island, presumably, in a fit of jealousy, or rage, or bad sportsmanship, or maybe all of them. Sora figured he'd come around by tomorrow, but still. They needed to talk. This whole thing needed to be squashed. Finally making his way back to the petite red head, he dropped the fish, and began unloading his cargo.
"Hunted, and gathered!" He said with a smile. He'd been gone for a while, and Kairi had finished the charm, but he still had to wait, until tomorrow.
"Well done. I think we've got everything we need, no?"
"Looks like it to me!"
"Great! Let's gather it into boxes, and finish up the knots, then call it a day!" She said enthusiastically.
The work was quick, and easy, so, Kairi suggested they go and watch the sunset, on the dock, before having to row home. Waka, Selphie, and Tidus had left, meaning that the entire island, and to them, the whole world, was their's. Just for them.
"So, you think we'll find your home out there?" Sora asked, legs dangling from the pier's edge. Kairi, seated similarly, smiled.
"You mean where I come from? This is my home, Sora. With you..." She said softly. "Uh, and Riku, and everyone. You know."
"Oh, uh, right. Where you come from, then..." Sora said softly, turning his head to hide his intense blush. Kairi, unbeknownst to Sora had done the same.
"Yeah, probably. And, it'll be nice to see, you know? But it's all about the adventure, right? See new things?" Sora nodded his head, smiling. The ocean was that beautiful orange again, and the air was perfect, as usual. Nearly as gorgeous at dusk, as she was.
'Wait...'
"Riku's changed." Kairi stated.
"I know." Sora said, somewhat solemnly.
"Sora?" She asked.
"Yeah?"
"Let's go. Let's take the raft, right now, you and me, just the two of us!"
"What?" Sora replied incredulously.
"Just kidding!" She teased. Was she, though? She didn't know what answer she wanted. A part of her that felt like screaming did want to just run away. With him. But, she knew that they both owed Riku more than that. He was their friend, even if he'd been different lately. Sora knew that too. Just another thing that made him great. Kairi wondered, that if she'd said that same thing to Riku, if he'd even hesitate, about leaving Sora behind.
"What's gotten into you, Kairi?" Sora asked, through a chuckle.
"I don't know..." She said softly.
"Maybe it's you whose changed?" Sora wondered aloud, more to tease her, than anything.
"Maybe..." She pondered right back.
The two sat in a comfortable silence, as they watched, and listened to the waves. They sat, simply enjoying each other's presence. They calmed each other, in a way. Something about the other.
"Sora?" She asked, looking over into his eyes, deeply.
"Yeah?" He asked, returning the gaze.
"Don't ever change." She said sincerely.
"Anything for you." He replied.
'Wait, what?'
'Wait, what?'
Donald,
Sorry to rush off without sayin' goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'.
Not sure why, but the stars have been blinkin' out, one by one.
And that means disaster can't be far
behind.
I hate to leave you all but I've
gotta go check into it.
There's someone with a "key"—the key to our survival.
So I need you and Goofy to
find him, and stick with him.
Got it?
We need that key or we're doomed!
So go to Traverse Town and find Leon.
He'll point you in the right direction.
P.S. Would ya apologize to Minnie for me? Thanks, pal.
Signed - Mickey
Minnie finished reading the letter out loud, placing it on the desk of the royal library. Donald listened on in anguish, whilst Pluto chewed on a beloved toy in his bed. Daisy finished bringing in a pot of tea, and some sandwiches.
"So, what's the plan, my lady?" She asked the Queen. Minnie was silent for a moment, before fixing her gaze upon the head mage.
"Well, we've no choice. The King needs our help, and that's precisely what we're going to give him. You'll have to do as he asks, Donald." She stated. Donald hated that news, but he knew it was the right thing to do. After all, if life as they all knew it was in danger, he wasn't exactly left with a choice.
"Yes, your Majesty. I won't let you, or the King down." He said respectfully. An affirming, and confident nod came from Minnie, whilst Daisy looked into his eyes. Minnie gestured to a small cricket, who was a recent refugee of one of the aforementioned stars, that had been mysteriously blinking out.
"Also, please, take Jiminy with you. He's an excellent record keeper, and I'd prefer if everything you did was documented." Donald glanced in his direction. He didn't need no stinkin', record keeping cricket, but he had to follow orders.
"Don't worry fellas! You can count on me!" Jiminy said with a smile, presenting a tiny journal and pen, before leaping high into the air and landing in Donald's pocket. Donald disliked him already. Too upbeat about writing things down.
"You be careful out there. Don't lose your temper, like you always do..." Daisy said softly, a hint of concern in her voice. Donald smiled. Goofy stood at attention, and gave a crisp salute. Donald didn't like his posturing.
"You're coming too, ya big palooka!" He said, whilst pulling Goofy down, by one of his long ears, and dragging him out of the room.
"Gawrsh, Donald! All you had to do was ask!"
"I didn't, the King said so in his letter!"
"Oh. Right." Goofy chuckled.
"C'mon Pluto! We'll need your help too!" Donald called out. Pluto, at the sound of his name being called shot up, quickly, and took off after the pair. The walk to the same courtyard as before was brief, and silent. Both had a lot to think about. This was gonna be one hell of an undertaking, and neither were entirely sure they were up to the task. Still, they had a job to do, and to the best of their abilities, they were going to do it. Descending the stairs inside of the middle topiary, Goofy asked,
"Say, aren't we gonna need new duds? We don't wanna muddle world borders."
"World order! And meddle! And yes!" Donald replied, his voice laced with irritation. The spiral staircase was long, and deep. Finally arriving in the Gummi garage, a cacophony of grinding gears, pressure valves, mechanical arms, and various levers, buttons, and gages, all housed inside of a brick chamber, Donald used the archaic communication system to get the head mechanic's attention. Both of them. Speaking into a copper tube that widened like a mega phone, his voice traveled all the way to the Gummi Garage's command center.
"Hello? Hello!? You two better not being foolin' around in there!"
"You wanna quit pickin' up my discards?" Chip asked, as Dale scooped up yet another tiny playing card.
"Quit givin' me useful ones!" He responded. The miniscule mechanics, were two of the brightest chipmunks you'd come across. They'd been the chief engineers at Disney Castle for some time now, and, while keeping the Gummi ship constantly ready, and ever upgrading, they also kept the castle's defenses. Well, most of the time.
"Hmph!" Chip stewed, as he picked up a card. He'd assembled a decent hand. One card away. With another discard, Dale swooped in, yet, again.
"You pick up one more of my--"
"Gin!" Dale called, whilst laying down a full hand.
"That's it!" Chip yelled angrily, slamming his hand down on the tiny table.
"What're you gonna do, huh? Nothin'!" Dale replied.
"Oh yeah!?"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!?"
"Yeah!"
"YEAH!?"
"YEA--"
"Hello? Hello!? You two better not be foolin' around in there!" An all too familiar voice came from the copper tube that was imbedded in the brick wall.
"That the duck?" Dale asked.
"No, it's the King. You can't tell dummy?" Chip replied, standing up to respond to Donald.
"What you want duck?"
"That's Donald!" The tube called back. "And the Gummi ship! We've been authorized for official use of it! An urgent mission, from the King!" Chip raised an eyebrow. Dale shrugged his shoulders. Why would he lie?
"Who's we?"
"Me and Goofy! Quit messing around and get the ship ready!" Donald ordered. Chip placed his little hands over the tube.
"He's got the dog with him too."
"Which one?" Dale asked, shuffling the tiny deck of cards.
"The big one." Chip replied. Mulling it over for a moment, he responded to Donald.
"Alright duck, should be about half hour. She'll be locked and loaded."
"A half hour? It's urgent!" Donald hollered back.
"Ah, keep your wings on." Dale said dismissively, before he began dealing out another hand of gin rummy. Both knew that a simple button press had the Gummi ship ready. One red button. So, why screw with the mage and knight, by making them wait?
Why not? It's what mechanics do.
"Why I oughta..." Donald stewed, angrily, before stomping off toward the armory, alongside a confused Goofy.
"I wonder why it'll take so long? I wonder which one we'll get?" Goofy wondered aloud.
"Because those little rats are always trying to get my goat! C'mon Goofy. Let's grab what we need." Goofy nodded in confirmation, as the two entered into the armory. A small room filled with various armors, potions, ethers, staffs, swords, shields, and even a battering ram, the armory was a seldom used place. Goofy probably saw it more than most, seeing as how he'd have to equip new recruits for more serious training. Donald immediately went for his old staff. It'd been a while since he had seen it, but it still had that familiar, if a bit worn down feel to it. He needed a new one soon, as sad as he would be to let this one go. Goofy, meanwhile, had elected to equip a new, if simple, shiny shield, adorned with the King's insignia on the front.
"How 'bout some threads Donald?" Goofy asked, looking over a few choice pieces of armor.
"No. We need to be able to blend in. I'll handle it." Raising his staff high, he muttered a simple spell, and thrust the tip of it in Goofy's direction. Suddenly, Goofy looked down, and noticed that he was now wearing a pair of nice fitting, soft, green pants, with many zippers. A pair of comfy large shoes were now on his feet, and a matching shirt with an equal amount of zippers was now wrapped around his torso. A stylish, matching hat sat atop his head.
"Gee, thanks old pal! These are nice!" Goofy laughed, that signature laugh of his. Donald had a smug smile on his face, before turning the magic on himself. Looking down, he felt a similar sensation, of nice, clean, soft clothes adorning his body. A blue shirt, with black lined zippers accompanied a matching hat, with of course, a black ribbon dangling from the back.
"There! We should be able to fit in most places, with these!" He quacked, before he and Goofy shared a high five. Their weapons selected, their pockets filled with ethers and potions, they were ready for their adventure. Now just to wait on this damn Gummi ship.
"Say, I think they're ready." Dale chirped, causing Chip to turn and look out of the large glass window. His attention else where, Dale took that as an advantage, swiping a card from the top of the deck, and placing one of his own, back on top.
"Eh, they seem pretty jazzed. Hit the button." Chip ordered. Dale, laying his hand down, hopped from his stool and headed for the big red launch button. Chip, of course, took the moment to take a peek at Dale's hand. Dale lazily pressed the button, and the Gummi garage began it's automatic retrieval, and preparation of the highly lauded Gummi ship.
"You didn't look at my hand, right?" Dale asked, returning to his seat.
"Of course not."
Donald and Goofy watched as the Gummi ship, slowly rose from a hole in the ground. Mechanical whirls, and various lights ensured one's eyes and ears, that all was operating properly, when finally, the ship's loading ramp lowered, allowing the pair access.
"Well, you ready Goofy?" Donald asked, looking up at his much taller friend. Pluto shot past them, and ran up the ramp, excitedly barking as he did.
"As I'll ever be buddy! Let's go save the worlds!" Goofy said cheerily. With that the two began to ascend the ramp. As they crossed the threshold to be fully inside the space rocket, they heard, and felt, the loading ramp locking back into flight worthy position. Walking past their rooms, and the galley, they made their way to the three person cockpit. Donald taking his seat at the helm, Goofy sat to his right.
"Three!" Donald called out, checking all of the sensors. All was in order.
"Two!" He called out. Goofy ensured they were ready for takeoff, his hand hovering over the hangar bay's opening lever.
"One!" Donald finished his count down. Both their teeth gnashing, and Donald white knuckling (ironically enough), the arm rest, they were as ready as they could be.
"Blastoff!" Donald hollered, with enthusiasm. Goofy's hand flipped the lever, and the bay doors opened with a terrific woosh. The Gummi ship hummed with anticipation, and then, the most peculiar thing happened. Nothing.
"Hm?" Goofy puzzled aloud.
"Why those no good, stinkin', rotten vermin. Why I oughta--" Donald muttered as he unfastened his safety harness, only to be interrupted, as a panel beneath the Gummi ship opened. The ship, and its two crew members began a free fall, through the bottom of their whole world, out into open space. Goofy's signature howl echoed throughout the chamber, but suddenly, the Gummi ship ceased its fall, and righted itself. It had been preprogrammed with their destination, but a little joke from Chip and Dale had caused it to malfunction, and lose power, only for a minute. So, the freefall, while terrifying, was all just a little joke from the two chipmunks.
"Gee, I think she's hummin' Donald." Goofy observed.
"No kidding, you big palooka. She's getting ready to take us to Traverse Town."
"Oh, right, gotcha!" Donald sighed, brushing himself off. This was gonna be one long journey.
"Donald?"
"What?"
"Shouldn't we strap in the--" Goofy couldn't finish his question, as the ship suddenly launched full speed for their destination. Donald and Goofy flew backward from the force, both hollering as they did. Donald's back slammed into the wall of the cockpit, and he groaned, as he tried to get back up.
Yup. A really, really long journey.
Sora's row back home was largely done on auto pilot. His response to Kairi's request had been met with a nervous giggle, and a couple of concealed blushes, from the two. He'd said what he'd said, and while they'd seemingly both brushed it off, you can't unring a bell. The cool night air was refreshing at least, as night had fallen by the time they'd made it to the big island. She'd landed at her pier, while he his. They shared a wave goodnight, before making off to their respective homes. He watched her, for as long as he could, until buildings and trees began to obscure his vision. Her boat trip was widely the same, unbeknownst to him. Neither could shake this feeling about the other. Each's thoughts were dominated by the other. Her laugh. His voice. Her smell. His eyes. The walk home wasn't much better, but it wasn't until Sora noticed the lights on in his house. He was home much later than normal, and to his unfortunate luck, his mom was home tonight. A seemingly ominous roll of thunder came over head, as he felt a slight drop in temperature.
'Better get inside, before it gets bad. And, face the music.' He thought, dismissing the night's storm, for now. Much to his fortunate luck though, she was in a good mood for a change. She didn't pester him too much about where he'd been, and had even decided to make spaghetti that night. A pleasant surprise for him, he decided to relax in his room for a while, and think about things, while he waited for dinner to finish. He and his mom were going to spend a little family time together then. For the first time in years. Just when Sora needed a mother's touch most.
Kicking off his big shoes, and flopping down on his bed, he propped his window open, allowing the cool, slick island air to infiltrate his room. With his hands behind his head, and one foot lazily laid on his bent knee, he looked up at his ceiling. His thoughts raced. Mostly, he thought of her. His eyes wandered to the diorama of a pirate ship he'd made in school for a project some years ago. Three little hand painted dolls had once ridden the wooden little ship, but Sora couldn't help but notice that the silver haired one had fallen to the dark floor.
Of course it had. It always had to be contrary. If there was anything occupying his mind that wasn't her, it was his best friend. Why had he acted that way today? Kairi was right, he has changed. It pained Sora to admit it. Hopefully it was just a funk he was going through. Maybe this adventure would give him everything he'd been looking for. Maybe he'd finally feel alive, or complete. Whatever it was Riku needed, Sora wanted to help him get it. Well, unless it was a certain something. Or, actually, a certain someone. Sora's thoughts remained muddled, as his eyes became quite heavy. It had always been easy for him to sleep to the rain. The wonderful smells that crept up from the kitchen, mixed with the rain, and occasional rumble of the vicious storm's thunder had him nearly knocked out. Then, realization struck. A horrible realization. The kind of realization that leaves you sick at the stomach, and dry at the mouth.
"Oh no! The raft!" Sora scrambled to his feet, and after putting on his shoes, he willed his tired body out of his window, and into the wet, fateful night, that would change his life, and countless others, forever.
"Sora, dinner's ready! Sora?" His mother called, and received no answer.
His boat nearly filled up on the row over, that's how hard it was coming down. Soaked to the bone, and physically exhausted, Sora finally docked.
"Riku? Kairi?" He spotted their boats as well. Of course, they probably headed over as soon as they felt the rain, instead of lazing about, oblivious to the implications, like he was. This was good news though! They'd probably already started work on saving Excalibur! Sora began his way over to the Northern side of the island, when something rose out of the wet sand that made him freeze. His blood ran cold, and he could taste metal. That's how strong the fear was, in the moment. The diminutive black shadows, with curly antennae, and dead yellow eyes began rising out of the wet, white sand.
'What? But?' Sora reached down to pinch his arm. He felt it. This was no dream. They were real. Very, very real. And if they were, and Riku and Kairi were already here? That had bad implications.
Sora tried his best to dodge their attacks, rolling here and there, jumping as well. In a desperate attempt to find shelter, he headed for the seaside shack. Whilst running from these monsters though, he looked up, at the Papou tree. He couldn't believe his eyes. There stood Riku, his eyes looking up, into the dark night's sky. Sora tripped during his distraction, and one of the shadows took their opportunity. Slashing at Sora's arm, a hot white pain flowed over him, as his blood began to stain the white sand, slightly. Sora kicked the little bugger away, gaining his footing in the process. He made his way into the shack, and rushed up the stairs, two or three at a time, shoving the door at the top open. Like a bolt of lightning, he headed across the wooden bridge, to the island where the Papou tree grew. When he got close enough, he called out to his best friend, as loud as he could in this hellish storm.
"Riku!" Riku barely turned his head, though. His eyes were still fixed on one point in the sky. Something Sora only now noticed. A large, and growing larger, black hole hung in the sky where the moon should have. Consuming seemingly everything, Sora was scared, as he looked back down at Riku.
"Are you ready Sora? It's finally happening. The door has opened!" Riku said, a bit too excitedly.
"What? What're you talking about? Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!"
"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku answered back. He offered his hand to Sora, after turning around to face him.
"I'm not afraid of the Darkness. Are you?" He asked. Sora tried to move, but his feet suddenly felt like cement. Dark tendrils began wrapping themselves around both boys, as Sora reached desperately for Riku's barely out stretched hand.
"Riku!" He cried out, as the Darkness began to become too much. It had entirely enveloped Riku, and Sora's vision was fading, when suddenly, he heard-- no felt, a voice. That same voice, from his dream.
'Keyblade', it seemed to whisper, over and over, until finally it was a full blown shout.
'KEYBLADE!'
It screamed out, as the darkness in Sora's vision was replaced with a light. A blinding, white light. Sora's vision began to clear, and he found himself in the same spot, on the same night, minus all the dark tendrils. And with a mysterious addition. In his hand, he held a new weapon. With a brown leather handle, and golden guard, a silver chain with a lobster clasp was connected to a strange symbol. Like a key chain. It had a long, silver pole for a blade, and a hook at the end, shaped like a crown.
'Was this...?' Sora pondered, before noting how light the otherwise heavy looking weapon seemed. He also felt a presence behind him. Without looking, he turned and swung the blade, as if it was an extension of his own arm. He connected with the shadow's head, but there was no mess. No decapitated form, no blood, not even a squeal. It simply dissipated, and a large glowing red heart seemed to materialize from the being, and flew upward, toward the sky. Sora was still in shock, and in all honesty, afraid. But he knew, his island was in danger. Riku and Kairi were in danger, and he had a way to combat that danger.
Gripping his new weapon tightly, he ran, as fast as the rain soaked ground would allow, toward the secret place, where a marble door now stood, for some reason. He wasn't sure what, but something was drawing him to it. Something strong. Hopping down, onto the wet ground, he muddied his knees, and noticed now that his arm's wound had somehow been healed. He hadn't any time to dwell on that now, though, as a few more of the shadowy creatures rose from the ground.
He sent the weapon crashing through one, before side swiping another. Rolling away from the third, he dismissed it with a single stab, and kept on heading for the secret place. Gripping the marble handles, he pulled, hard, and managed to pry the large door open. Slipping through the crack, he made his way through the cave, like he'd done so many times before, but never quite so fast. He needed to get there, now.
To, her.
Wait, how'd he know that she was there. Was she there? Sora's mind raced, until he finally made it to the cave's opening. In that moment, he saw her. Red hair, petite, beautiful shoulders.
"Kairi!" He called out. Kairi slowly, and seemingly without any energy turned. Her eyes seemed distant, nothing like how she usually looked at him, and her mouth hung open, slightly.
"Sora..." She responded weakly, before a burst of dark air shot open the large wooden door that Sora had only just now noticed. It sent the girl flying forward, and he reacted, ready to embrace her in his arms. Just as they were about to connect, she disappeared, and Sora felt a strange, comforting warmth inside of him, even as his life fell apart in front of his eyes.
Fear took over again, as he left his feet, and was flung backward, out of the cave. The gust was strong, and Sora was flying at a speed he never imagined possible, before he finally landed, hard on a floating piece of his island. This black hole in the sky was tearing the islands apart and fast.
After landing on it, hard, his back hurt, he was filthy, wet, and exhausted, but he wasn't going to just give up. He was, however, alarmed by the presence of the largest black puddle he'd seen yet. He had also lost his new weapon. Struggling to rise to his feet, he couldn't help but notice that the black puddle began to rise. Just like in his dream.
The same, horrible monster rose from the depths of the darkness, with those same dead, yellow eyes. He knew this was bad news, and just as the being reached it's full height and raised it's massive black hand, the sword appeared in Sora's hand again. Reacting instinctively, Sora brought the weapon up, with a stab, just as the monster drove its hand down in an attempt to squash Sora. Like a hot knife through warm butter, it bored a hole in the creature's hand, leaving Sora unscathed. The giant shadow seemed to react with something that resembled pain, gripping its hurt hand's wrist, with the other hand. Sora didn't hesitate. Raising his sword high, he chopped at the being's other wrist, and watched as the giant hands dissipated. A long fall accompanied the hands disappearing, and the beast's head hit the sandy dilapidated piece of island they both occupied. The eyes looked directly into Sora's, but it was like looking into the eyes of a dead fish. Sora almost felt pity for it, as it laid, crippled.
Walking closer to the head, Sora drove the tip of this strange weapon deep into its left eye. With what seemed like a roar, the monster began to melt into the quickly fading small piece of land Sora had left of his island. Backing up to stay clear of the growing inky darkness, he nearly fell off the edge. Sora turned around and, looking down, he noticed that it was all a dark void. No ocean, no beach, no main island. Nothing.
The morsel of sandy land that was quickly evaporating into darkness was all that remained of Destiny Islands. Sora's mind began to shut down, but before he had time to properly lose it, he noticed his feet leaving the ground. The black hole in the sky was swallowing everything, and Sora had to grab onto a stray anchor that had been lost as sea years ago. His grip felt like it couldn't last much longer, as finger by finger, he felt the pull from the anomaly growing stronger and stronger. He finally lost his grasp, and began a reverse free fall, upward, into the all encompassing darkness. The last glimpse he got of his island was that of the withered and dying Papou tree, and in an instant, all went black.
"You understand so little. In the end, every world is born from darkness."
A star in the night sky, of every other world blinked brightly, in one last moment, if nothing, than to prove, in its last moment of defiance that it did, at one time exist. Another saddening reminder that somewhere, at sometime, a lot of someones had lost everything, and some, even more than that.