Author's note: The day has finally come! I've been planning this story for over a year, so you have no idea how excited I am to finally getting it published!
Kingdom Hearts is one of, if not my, favorite video game series of all time. However, as much as I love it, I can't deny the series in its whole ensemble is quite flawed. Some things just don't make sense, and other things could have been better executed. I am NOT bashing the creators behind the game; I think they did a fantastic job, and I'm very grateful they did.
All of this to say that stories like this are an opportunity to see where the series could go if pushed to its full potential. As such, this story is a rewrite of the Kingdom Hearts Saga with my own version of canon, but with new added elements. However, before we begin, I'd like to share an important point: during my planning for this story, I decided to go beyond a simple rewrite and actually have the KH characters interact with media and universes beyond Disney, its numerous affiliated studios and Square Enix. This means that I will eventually have to change this from a KH story to a KH - X-overs crossover.
Anyway, enough talking. Let's begin Kingdom Hearts: Hopes & Dreams!
Act I, Adventure Dawn
Sora had always been full of energy and curious about the world around him. He adored exploring, jumping all around and laughing with his friends. One thing he did NOT like, though, was school. Sitting on a chair and being forced to listen to his teachers blabbering for hours was pure torture. Lucky for him, all of this would be over any minute now, and he would get to go play with his friends.
"Class is over," the teacher finally announced. "Make sure to study well during the weekend as there will be a test next week."
"Finally! I could swear these take longer every time!" Sora beamed, jumping out of his chair with a smile.
Kairi couldn't help but giggle at her friend's reaction. "Come on, Sora, they're not THAT long... Though it's true they're quite boring."
"Come on, you guys," Riku said as he stood up, swung his backpack over his shoulder and turned toward the class door. "The others must already be waiting for us on the island. Let's not make them wait any longer!"
The trio of friends rushed out of Destiny High School and ran out of the city towards the docks. They all jumped into a little wooden boat, letting Riku grab the paddles to push them towards Destiny Islands' secondary island. Their favorite play spot. Whenever not at school or busy with chores at home, the kids would gather there to play all sorts of games together or just hang around and relax.
Peeking overboard, Sora looked at the clear water shimmering under the sunlight and felt the fresh sea breeze blowing through his spiky brown hair. Oh, how he adored this. As soon as the little boat touched shore, the young boy jumped overboard and planted his puffy, yellow shoes into the golden sand. Most of the island was dominated by giant trees, their green canopy providing good protection from the sun. A lot of man-made creations, like cabanas and bridges, provided the kids with safe ways to go around and play games. Palm trees danced in the wind, creating a beat with their leaves, and dropping the occasional fruit.
"About time you showed up. I was starting to think you guys had been put in detention or something." Sora turned his head to see his friend, Tidus, resting against a tree with a grin. His disheveled blond hair with spiky layers danced a little in the breeze, the ocean reflecting in his blue eyes and his tanned skin glittering beneath the sun. His upper body was covered by the combination of a yellow hooded jacket and dark gray overalls. Just like Sora, he also wore puffy yellow shoes and a silver necklace - though his was shaped like the logo of his father's blitzball team and not like a crown.
"Give us a break, Tidus. We're not later than usual," Riku affirmed as he walked next to Sora, Kairi right behind him.
"We've been waiting for a while, though," remarked Wakka, the tallest of the group, as he walked to them with a blitzball ball under his arm. Muscled and tanned, his red hair pointed at the sky, kept in place by his blue headscarf. With such an appearance, most would mistake him for the oldest of the group, but that honor went to Riku. Similar to Tidus, he wore overalls, though his were yellow AND black while also being puffier. Unlike most of his friends, he wore no shoes, but sandals. The pendant of a fish made of stone was wrapped around his large neck. "Maybe it's because class ended earlier for us?"
"Yeah; teacher doesn't have much to tell us. The session's getting close to the end, right?" added Selphie Tilmitt, the youngest of the group, and also the only other girl beside Kairi. Her hazel hair fell on both side of her head, the end pointing upwards like reversed waves. She wore a yellow overall dress with a clip at the front, a frontal zipper that travels the full length of the dress and two large back pockets. A tiny silver pendant rested on her neck, her feet were covered by large brown boots and a blue strap was wrapped around her left wrist.
"You bet!" Sora exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air. "I can't wait for our summer vacation to begin! We'll be able to do everything we want and play all sorts of games without being forced to do homework all the time!"
"This is gonna be so much fun! I can already tell it!" Kairi agreed with her friend.
Riku clasped his gloved hands together. "We should focus on the present. What do you guys wanna do right now?"
At this question, Tidus walked into a nearby cabin and returned to the group with two wooden swords. "How about we have a little match, Sora? This time, I'm gonna win - I can feel it in my heart!"
Grinning and placing his hands behind his head, Sora replied: "So you feel like getting humiliated again, huh? Sure, it'd be my pleasure." He grabbed one of the wooden swords.
"You shouldn't underestimate Tidus, Sora; he's been practicing his swordsmanship a lot lately," Wakka pointed out. "I'll serve as the referee."
The two boys walked to a wide space of the beach where nothing would bother them, their friends standing on the sides. Tidus spread his legs, holding his free arm forward and his sword to the side, whilst Sora leaned his body forward, holding his wooden sword in both hands close to the ground. Their eyes were locked, filled with confidence.
"Ready... FIGHT!" Wakka called.
Sora and Tidus took a few steps forward and started walking around in circles. While their eyes were locked, Sora remembered one of the first things he had learned when he started his sword training, many years ago: there are a total of eight angles from which one can attack or be attacked with a sword. Thanks to his solid memory, he managed to mark all of them in his mind. And it came in handy when Tidus decided to launch the first attack in the form of a straight swing from the top. Sora took a step back, expertly avoiding the wooden blade. However, Tidus showcased his advanced skills by not stopping there and followed with a horizontal swing.
Sora lifted his sword in time to block the incoming attack. The impact was violent, but his solid grip prevented him from dropping his weapon. For the next seconds, Tidus pressed on his assault, forcing Sora to step back whilst dodging or blocking the swings. Unfortunately, the closing in sea did not allow him to keep going on like this forever as he approached the edge of the ocean. Touching the water, even a little, would result in him losing the match; he needed to come up with a counter-attack... And the perfect idea popped in his mind just in time.
Tidus gave a victorious grin and swung his sword for what he assumed would be the victory strike. What he didn't expect to happen was Sora redirecting his attack by pushing his sword out of the way, roll around him faster than a rabbit, and smack him in the back. The blond kid stumbled forward and did everything he could to maintain his balance, not wanting to fall in the water. However, Sora did not give him a chance, and hit him in the back again, this time with a shoulder tackle. Tidus fell forward, dropping in the water with a loud splash.
"The match is over!" Wakka called, going to grab Sora's arm and raising it in the air. "Sora wins by area knockout!"
"Well done, Sora!" Kairi cheered. Even Riku and Selphie clapped for him.
Sora grinned and rubbed his nose before going to help his friend out of the water. "Aww, no fair! I was sure I'd get you this time!"
"There's always next time. At least, you won't need to take a bath tonight." The two spiky-haired boys stared at each other for a few seconds...before breaking into a fit of laughter. "Who wanna go next?"
"Me," Riku said, stepping away from the palm tree he was resting against. "A little exercise would do me some good after sitting all day."
"Okay! I'll be your opponent then!" Wakka suddenly exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Are you crazy, Wakka? Did you forget what happened when you, Tidus and I all tried to take him on at the same time?" Selphie mumbled to her friend.
"I know, but I've learned plenty of new tricks from Jecth, so I'll do better this time," Wakka declared confidently.
Sora tossed his wooden sword at Riku, who expertly caught it. When Tidus offered his to Wakka, the tall boy denied in favor of using his blitzball. The older boys stood on the same spots as their friends did, ready for a fight. Riku held his sword over his shoulder and his free hand forward almost in a taunting way, while Wakka pulled his projectile back, ready to throw it.
This time, Selphie served as the referee. "You boys ready? Then fight, BOOYA!"
Wakka did not waste a second, throwing his ball at Riku, who blocked it with his sword. This caused it to bounce back in the air; Wakka surprisingly managed to catch it right on time and immediately throw it again. Riku found himself forced to block the blitzball that was thrown nonstop at him.
"Great! My dad's training really did pay off!" Tidus beamed. "Get him, Wakka!"
'Hum, not bad at all... But if he thinks that's going to stop me...' After getting used to the pattern of attacks, Riku swung his sword and smacked the blitzball with enough strength to send it flying right into the water. He then charged at a defenseless Wakka, holding the tip of his sword at his throat with a grin. "Looks like I win."
"Riku's the winner! Again...," Selphie announced.
"Man, I was sure I'd last longer this time...," Wakka mumbled to himself as he went to retrieve his blitzball.
"You still did good. But it's not bright to bring a balloon against someone using a sword," Riku boasted, holding his sword over his shoulder with a grin.
From the sides, Sora couldn't help but feel his legs shaking with excitation. Riku was easily the best fighter he had ever seen - nobody had ever managed to beat him as far as he knew. The two of them had squared off in more sword matches than he could remember; he had won none of them. There were a lot of things Sora hoped to accomplish in life, becoming as strong and cool as Riku being one.
"This only leaves the two of us. Ready for some action, Selphie?" Kairi asked her other female friend.
"You bet!" Reaching into her pockets, Selphie grabbed little sticks that she connected with a little rope, turning them into nunchakus.
Kairi took the wooden sword from Riku before walking to the 'fighting arena' with Selphie, assuming a stance similar to Sora's. Speaking of which, he was the one to referee the match, this time. "You girls are ready? Then let's get this started! GO!"
Selphie began swinging her weapon over her shoulders from one hand to the other, yelling some 'Ya!' for fun. Charging forward, the youngest attacked Kairi with energy, forcing her to dodge and block with her sword. She ducked one swing before performing a corkscrew-spinning ground-to-air attack, slamming her wooden weapon on top of Selphie's head. She yelped in pain, dropping her nunchakus and falling on her rear end.
"Kairi! That hurt!" the youngest girl exclaimed, holding her head with tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Oh my gosh! Sorry, Selphie! I got carried away," Kairi quickly apologized, dropping her sword and kneeling to her friend. "You okay? Do you wanna return to the city for treatment?"
"No, no; it's alright. It feels a little better now."
Kairi nodded with a smile. She was about to say something else, when two large arms caught her from behind and lifted her in the air. "Not on your guard? Gotta be more careful than that!" Wakka exclaimed playfully.
"Wakka! Let me go!"
Sora jumped on his back, wrapping his arms around his head. "Let her go, you big clown!" Tidus joined in the struggle by charging into his tall friend, causing them all to fall over Selphie. A huge pile of human bodies. The kids exchanged blank looks...before breaking into a heartful laughter.
Riku chuckled and shook his head. "You guys are nuts..."
When things settled down, the six kids decided to head over to a miniature island with one coconut tree and one curved tree looming beyond the edge. Sora and Riku always had their sparing matches on this island as it was small enough to be considered a mini-arena. For now, the friends decided to sit down and just enjoy a good lunch whilst talking with each other.
"I'm telling ya! That plant was gigantic with a face and big tentacles! Dad says he was lucky to get out of there without getting chomped!" Tidus declared, swinging a banana around for dramatic effect.
"Yeah, right," Riku chuckled. "Are you sure your dad didn't just make that up to discourage kids like us from exploring the forest beyond the main island?"
"Actually, I think someone wrote an article on that creature - I've read it once... I think," Selphie remarked, looking at the sky with a thumb on her chin.
Tidus crossed his arms and gave a pointing look at Riku. "Are you insinuating that my dad's a liar, Riku? Well, it's true that he can be, but not all the time!"
"How about we move the subject away from your dad and to something more interesting?" Kairi suggested. "Like, for example...our summer vacation?"
Hearing this, Sora almost fell off the curved trunk and spit out his apple juice. "That's right! School's gonna end in two weeks! Man, I'm so excited! No homework for an eternity..."
"And let's not forget our little...camping trip," Riku said with an accomplice wink as he took a bite out of a pineapple slice.
"Yeah," Kairi nodded, giving a look towards a huge piece of clothe covering something near the island's port. "Good thing none of the adults have found our makeshift raft. Maybe because nobody beside us likes to come here."
"Some people just don't enjoy adventure the way we do." Sora gave a long look at their hidden boat and then at the horizon before talking again: "So... Kairi's home is really supposed to be somewhere out there, right? Beyond the islands, I mean?"
"Could be. We'll never know by staying here," Riku responded as he rested against the curved tree.
"But how far do you think the raft will take us?"
"Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else."
"I just hope we'll get to finish it in time before the start of our vacation. That way, we'll get to start our adventure without any delay."
Riku gave him a side look, raising an eyebrow. "It'd be done by now, if you actually helped instead of letting Wakka and I doing all the heavy lifting."
"Hey! Are you calling me a slacker?! I'll let you know that I helped as much as everybody else here!" Sora declared, pointing at his best friend in an overdramatic way. This caused all of them to laugh and him to roll his eyes. However, he quickly smiled again. "I still can't believe we're actually doing this. Think about all the amazing worlds we'll get to visit. It's gonna be great, right, guys?" While Kairi and Riku returned his enthusiasm with nods, things were different for the three others. Wakka nervously rubbed the back of his head, Tidus looked away and Selphie pocked her fingers together. "What's wrong, guys?"
"N-Nothing... Okay, there is something wrong," Tidus admitted. "I won't be able to come with you guys on the raft; Dad's decided to train Wakka and I for the whole summer. He wants us to get ready for the major leagues before next year's end," he explained, Wakka nodding next to him.
"I've also encountered a problem," Selphie chimed in. "My parents have finally accepted to let me go to my game design camp. You know, the one I've been begging them to let me go to for years? Well, they've finally accepted. I can't just let a golden opportunity like that go to waste..."
"What?! So, none of you guys will be able to come with us?" Sora asked, to which his three friends sadly shook their head. He dropped his head in disappointment.
Kairi let out a sigh before sadly smiling and placing a hand on Tidus' shoulder. "Don't worry; we'll bring you guys some souvenirs from our little trip. It'll be like you were there with us."
"So it's just gonna be Sora, Kairi and me." Riku let out a little chuckle. "This means we'll have more space on the raft and less food to consume. Speaking of which, our raft still needs a name, doesn't it?"
"Oh, oh, I know!" Sora shook his hand in the air. "The 'Skychaser'! That's a perfect name!"
"Who said YOU got to choose the name, Sora?" Riku asked. "I'm the oldest, so it should be me who decides."
"No way! You might be the oldest, but I'M the most creative! I'm sure you'd give it a lame name like 'Woodfloater' or something like that." Sora jumped from the tree and walked over to Riku with a defiant look. "I say we settle this the old way."
A grin formed on Riku's face. "Let's do it!"
After going through the cove, the friends found themselves on the other side of the island, the coast of which was occupied by a man-made racecourse. It started with a wooden bridge cut into four parts, leading to a tower with a zip line. Beyond this tower, many palm trees were forming a path to a peculiar tree with a star-shaped plant against the wall of a cliff. The rules of the race were as follows: the participants were to run at the same time, reach the star plant and touch it, then return to the starting line as quickly as possible. The first one back wins the race.
"Are you sure you wanna do this, Sora? None of us ever won in a race against Riku - except for Wakka," Tidus remarked as the two racers were doing some warm-ups.
"Hey, I'll let you know I'm as good a racer as Wakka. I can jump high and run fast!"
"Okay. On my count!" Kairi called as her two friends took position on the starting line.
"Ready to lose?" Riku asked.
"Nope; ready to win!"
"Three. Two. One. GO!"
The two friends dashed forward at the same time. For the first few seconds, it seemed like they were evenly matched with no one taking the lead. That was, until they reached the second piece of the bridge, the edge of which collapsed under their feet. While Riku jumped to safety in time, Sora had completely forgotten this trap and fell to the water down below. "Corn nuts!" the boy mumbled and ran to catch up on lost time.
By the time he returned to land, Riku was already climbing the zipline tower's ladder. Understanding he had lost this advantage, Sora ran around the tower and started jumping from one palm tree top to the other. As he did so, Riku flew past above his head, landing on a platform close to the star tree. Refusing to lose, he hopped twice as fast, being careful not to fall off. Somehow, he managed to reach the star plant seconds after Riku and slapped it in a hurry. "See ya at the finishing line!" Riku called.
Through sheer determination, Sora returned the way he came from and actually managed to catch up with Riku. The two of them jumped on land at the same time, running around the zipline tower and back toward the bridge. It turned into a furious race to the finish for the two friends. Jumping side by side, the result woul have been a tight one...had Sora not lost his footing on the second-to-last part of the bridge, finding himself grabbing the ledge to not return to the water down below again. By the time he pulled himself up and got to the finish line, Riku was awaiting him with his arms crossed next to the others.
"Riku is the winner!" Kairi announced, the silver-haired boy receiving cheers from the others.
Sora crossed his arms and looked away with a pout. "I would've won if that stupid trap hadn't been there..."
A chuckle escaped Riku's mouth. "You need to be careful where you step, Sora; unless you like falling in the water. Now, since I won the race, I get the privilege to name our raft. Let's see..."
"Oh, I know!" Selphie walked up to Riku and stood on the tip of her toes to mumbled something in his ear. The older boy's expression light up at what he heard.
"That's a good idea, Selphie. All right, everyone, listen up! I've made my decision; the name of our raft will be...Ragnarok!"
The salty breeze made the palm trees and bushes of Destiny Town dance. On this beautiful evening, the townspeople were going about with their lives, buying things like fruits at the market or relaxing by the beach. The main island was about three times bigger than the kids' playground, being mostly dominated by nature, with trees and plants everywhere. The buildings and houses were not too big nor too small, allowing mother nature to live in peace. A tropical paradise for all those living there.
As he walked along the familiar path, Sora rested his head against his two hands, looking up at the clear sky. After the whole race thing, the friends started going back home. Since he didn't have any chores or groceries to do for the orphanage, he was allowed to do what he wanted until dinnertime. And he took him little time to reach his destination: Destiny Town's library! While he was more the 'jump and run around' kind of kid, Sora wasn't against reading a good book after an exciting day. Especially if this book was from his favorite author: Xehanort.
And it seemed like his friends ahred a similar mindset. Riku was sitting in a tiny chair near the window, holding a familiar, large book in his hands. "Which one is that?" Sora asked as he approached.
"'Knowledge From Beyond'," the silver-haired boy replied without looking away from his book. "You know this is my favorite of Xehanort's handiwork."
Sora allowed himself to sink in the chair opposite to Riku. It took many seconds before the brown-haired kid spoke again: "Is this the one where he talks about the world with a...desert, is that it?"
"Yes. Sand everywhere, almost no water, and houses made in stone," Riku confirmed. Flipping the page, he added: "And there, it's the one where he talks about the world with an island even bigger than ours with fairies that have seemingly the power to fly."
"It must be amazing. Flying over an island with wings, like in our dreams," Sora mumbled with a dreamy look.
"Exactly. And here! It's about this world an entire people living underwater. Can you imagine going under the sea without having to fear about drowing?" Riku spoke with so much passion in his voice. Yet, his excited expression slowly transitioned into one of annoyance and resentment. "I can't believe the adults would want to keep this kind of stuff from children like us..."
A frown developed on Sora's face as he nodded. Saying that Xehanort was a controversial figure on Destiny Islands would be an understatement. From what little information they got to gather through the books, this myserious man was born decades before Sora and his friends, and had always fed the notion that worlds did exist outside of their own. Just like Riku, he believed there was something beyond...and claimed he was right. Indeed, one of his books talked about how he discovered a way to leave the island and explore other worlds, each of them with their own geography and culture. Such a discovery should have been historical for this island.
Unfortunately, the town's community reacted quite differently. Destiny Islands was very conservative and nobody was kin to the idea of other worlds out there. There was no need to explore anything, so Xehanort was simply dismissed as a crazy man, nobody paying attention to his claims - it was already a miracle that his work got published in the library. One day, Xehanort simply disappeared without a trace, everybdy simply assuming he died in one of his trips. With time, the man became merely a bad memory, the adults claiming his words are nothing but poison for the young ones. But for Sora's group, however, it was a different story. Kairi was not native to Destiny Islands, so she certainly had to come from somewhere. In other words, there had to be some truth to Xehanort's writing.
"I can't wait for school to be done," Riku mumbled, giving a quick look around to make sure nobodoy was listening. "That way, we'll prove everybody wrong." Looking back to his friend, he noticed him staring at the floor. "What's wrong, Sora?"
"Huh? Nothing... Okay, I admit it; it's true that I find the adults annoying for not having more love for adventure like we do... But this is still our home. There's a part of me that fears we may not come back from our trip..."
Riku gave a nod. "I know. It's the same for me; I love this island; just not the anti-exploration culture. Why should we be happy with such a small world when there can be more to life? This world is just too small..." Noticing the down look on Sora's face, he pulled the book down and touched his shoulder with a smile. "Hey, don't worry. Wherever the Ragnarok takes us, we'll face the challenges together and return home one day. You know that nothing can stop you, me and Kairi when we're together, right?"
Sora returned the smile. "Yeah, you're right!"
The two friends stayed at the library and read Xehanort's books until it was time to return to the orphanage for dinner and then go to bed.
Sora was falling. The sky became more and more distant. He tried to yell, but no sound came out of his throat. He fell into the ocean, a storm of bubbles rising to the surface. But even then, he was still falling, the water surrounding him getting replaced by eternal darkness.
Throughout this confusion, Sora did not feel panic nor distress. He felt...warmth. The kind of warmth one felt when having a pleasant dream. At last, his fall came to an end, not with the violent impact he was expecting, but with a soft thud. As if he had just been dropped on a bed.
Sora pulled himself up to a sitting position, trying to see what he had landed on. But there wasn't anything underneath his body. Just darkness stretching beyond his sight. "What... happened? Where am I? Is this real?"
Sora stood up on his feet and dusted his clothes off. His head turned in every direction, trying in vain to find a source of light, a sign of life, or anything that was not darkness. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands around his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs: "HELLO! IS ANYONE THERE?!"
The scream echoed like in a cave and slowly faded in the distance. Sora's throat tightened. Was he...dead? No, impossible! He always looked after his health and never did anything too reckless... Well, apart from playing with his friends, that is. Deciding he wouldn't find any response by simply standing around and staring at the black, the young boy started advancing forward. However, only one step in, and something unexpected happened.
Thousands of doves flew off from seemingly nowhere, dancing all around Sora, who found himself rising his arms for protection. When the little birds disappeared in the abyss, Sora realized a glowing lime-green surface appeared underneath his feet. It took a moment for his blue eyes to get adjusted to the light before being able to properly identify the nature of what he now stood upon.
A large, circular platform mixing green, yellow, white, and a little blue and red. Both from looking at it and feeling it beneath his feet, Sora could tell this platform was made of crystal or a material that was at least just as solid. It was hard to see at first, but Sora ended up seeing that on the surface was displayed the painting of a beautiful woman wearing a robe and taking a bite out of an apple. More complicated (but just as impressive) patterns surrounded this woman, including strange faces and random animals in circles. But Sora had no idea who these characters were or what they were supposed to represent. He didn't understand anything at all.
"So much to do, so little time..."
Sora's heart skipped a beat. He looked up and down, left and right, but could not locate the source of this voice. "W-Who's there? Who said that?"
"Take your time. Don't be afraid. The door is still shut. Now, step forward. Can you do it?"
Sora hesitated. Could he really trust a voice giving him instructions without knowing its identity? But then again, it wasn't like he had a hundred options at the moment. So, taking a deep breath, the young boy carefully advanced to the center of the platform.
Suddenly, the crystal started shaking under Sora's feet. Three trapezoid pedestals rose from underneath the platform and around him; one to his left, one to his right, and one before him. Little globes of light floated over these pedestals. These globes quickly took the form of three different objects. The front one became a metal sword, the right one a staff with a blue head that looked like a mouse, and the left one, a black and red shield displaying a symbol similar to the staff's mouse head.
"Power sleeps within you. If you give it form, it will give you strength. Choose well."
Power? What this supposed to be a test to see how good Sora was as a fighter? Regardless of what all of this was supposed to mean, Sora understood he had to select an item amongst the three. Somehow, he felt that having a sword would be a good idea - it would bring him a certain level of comfort. So, climbing up the pedestal, he took the sharp weapon in his hands. It was light, and precise.
"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?"
Sora stared at his reflection in the blade. Throughout his whole sword training, he learned that the most important thing to have in the face of danger was courage. It was tempting to accept this sword...but then, he remembered the last part of the voice: "A sword of terrible destruction". Sora did not want to cause destruction, only use his strength for the right reasons. So, shaking his head, he pulled the sword back over the pedestal. "No," he replied.
Sora got off the sword's pedestal, now looking back and forth at the staff and shield, his mind settling on the former. He walked up to the pedestal and grabbed the item, analyzing its details.
"The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?"
After hearing this dialect, Sora looked up, his features twisted by confusion. "Power of mystic? Like... magic?" He shook his head and placed the staff back on its pedestal. Sora had never seen magic before, let alone been able to pull it off. This now left him with only one choice.
"The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?"
Sora used his free hand to tap on the flat, metallic surface of the object. It was pretty solid. Giving a nod, he looked up at the two other objects and then back down at it. He did like the idea of being able to potect his friends... However, of the three objects, the sword held his attention the most. For years, he and Riku had been practicing swordsmanship together, so the sword seemed like the best choice to go. Besides, destructive power didn't meant he had to destroy everything, right? Pulling the shield down, he walked back to the sword.
"I choose this power." The sword disappeared from Sora's hand in a flash.
"Your path is set. Now, what will you give up in exchange?"
Because Sora had to give up a power in exchange for another one? He wasn't sure to understand how this was working, but tried not to think too hard about it. The shield or the staff? After a little thinking, Sora thought mybe it'd be fun to actually do magic. He walked over to the shield and rose it above his head.
"I give up this one." Just like the sword, it disappeared in light.
"You've chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the guardian. Is this the form you choose?"
"Hum... yes?" Sora hesitantly responded, hoping he didn't do anything stupid.
The pedestals sank down into the platform. The ground started shaking violently until the platform shattered like glass under Sora's feet, sending him to fall in the abyss down below. His scream echoed across the endless space until he saw another crystal platform approaching. This one displayed the painting of a pale woman wearing an elegant silver ball robe. Purple, blue and silver-white were the dominating colors of this platform.
As the floor approached, Sora performed a flip and landed safely. Barely a few seconds after his feet touched the crystalline surface did a glowing light appeared into Sora's right hand, a solid object taking form in his grip. It was the exact same sword he had picked up on the other platform moments ago. Where did it come from?
"You've gained the power to fight."
Fighting? With a true sword? Sora didn't know if he was ready for true combat. Nonetheless, he decided to give it a try. He spread his legs and took the middle guard stance by holding the sword at waist level. He waited to feel ready before throwing a few swings with the offense weapon, creating the few combos he made perfect during practice.
"All right! You've got it. Use this power to protect yourself and others."
Sora once again looked up with a confused frown. "Protecting myself and others? But from what?"
The answer came when Sora saw something moving in the corner of his eyes. Five little shadows appeared from seemingly nowhere, covering the woman's face. But how could there be shadows here? Sora could not see any source of light anywhere. However, this was the least of his worries right now. These shadows slithered across the platform before coming above the surface and taking shape.
Small they were, barely reaching up to Sora's waist, with two ears that looked like a pair of thigh socks on their head. The two golden globes that probably served as their eyes glowed in the dark, the size of grapes. However, the most unsettling thing with these creatures had to be their little hands that came with pairs of three clawed fingers.
"W-What the coconut are those things?!" Sora exclaimed, taking two steps back.
"There will be times you have to fight. Keep your light burning strong."
These five little creatures surrounded Sora, making it impossible to escape... Not that he could go anywhere on this platform. One of them jumped up, rising its claws in the air. His survival instincts kicking in, Sora rose his sword, a shiver running down his spine at the sound of claws scratching the metallic surface. The monster attempted to cut at his legs, prompting him to perform dance-like moves.
"L-Leave me alone!" Sora kicked the little creature like a soccer ball and then assumed his stance once again. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. No other choice: he had to fight!
The little shadows crept forward and jumped like grasshoppers. Sora avoided and blocked all their attacks, safe for one that struck him in the back. "Argh!" he exclaimed, feeling the little claws slicing through his skin and clothes. "Hey, don't ruin my outfit! You have any idea how hard it is to keep it clean?"
Sora met the next hopping monster with a good smack from the flat side of his sword. It pushed a little cry before fading into black dust. So these guys were small fries, huh? Then Sora could take them on! The others morphed into the floor, sliding everywhere like they were having a party. Sora attempted to strike them down, only for his sword to bounce off the floor.
"I cannot touch them? How?!"
Unable to do anything, Sora stood in position while watching the shadows moving everywhere on the platform. Then, just as he thought they were afraid of him and decided to run away, they all jumped out of the floor and at him for a surprise attack. When the boy realized what was going on, he rose his sword...but too late. The claws that did not collide with his weapon pierced his skin like needles. Sora's yell of pain echoed across the darkness beyond the platform.
With the high amount of pain coursing through his body, Sora felt the adrenaline kicking in, prompting him to swipe three monsters in one swing of his sword. The last one returned in the ground while Sora rubbed the parts of his body that had been touched. He would definitely need to get some medical attention once all of this was over.
The little creature slipped behind Sora, thinking he was too distracted by his wounds to notice its presence. It hopped out of the ground, its claws ready to turn the kid into a buffet. What it did not expect was for Sora to turn around at the last second and meet it with a violent slash from his sword that cut it into oblivion. The platform was now secured.
Sora pushed heavy breaths, as if he had just run a marathon. He gazed down at his body to analyze the importance of the damage he sustained. The monsters' claws left some scratches and holes here and there...but for some reason, no blood came out. Or rather, not as much as it should. With such wounds, Sora would have expected to be a bloody mess and require medical assistance... None of this made sense...
But then again, he was in the middle of nowhere fighting monsters with a real sword.
"You have shown your strength. Now, you are ready to face the light."
"Alright, now that's enough. Who's talking?! Where am I and what's all of... this?!" Sora yelled at the top of his lungs, tired of these riddles. He wanted an answer and nothing else.
"The closer you get to the light, the bigger your shadow becomes."
"ANSWER ME! I WANT A RESPONSE!"
"Don't be afraid... And don't forget..."
Before Sora could yell at the voice again, the sword disappeared from his hand in a flash of light. The platform trembled with violence, making the young islander collapse on his rear end. He tried to get back up, but something stopped him from moving. He looked down and widened his eyes. A dark void appeared underneath him and started sucking him in.
"You hold the mightiest weapon of all."
Panic taking over, Sora attempted to swim out of the darkness engulfing him. His hand reached up in the air, but could not grasp anything.
"So don't forget..."
Sora pushed a yell of despair. The darkness submerged him, sending him into oblivion.
"One day, you will open the door."
Author's note: Quite an epic first chapter, wouldn't you say? We got a good view on the life of Sora and his friends on Destiny Islands and the infamous Dive to the Heart segment. I based Sora's choices on the ones I personally made in the first game. Also, for the raft's name, you might have caught a certain FF reference (wink, wink).
A lot of elements are different lorewise in comparison to the original game. Here, Xehanort is native to the Destiny Islands and a controversial figure who, just like Riku, decided to leave to explore the worlds. While I haven't played all the games yet, from what I've searched on the lore, it seems to be implied that Xehanort is actually from Destiny Islands, which I thought would make an interesting dynamic with the Destiny Trio, mostly Riku. The island's community is also anti-adventure and exploration, unlike Sora and his friends. That's because...when you really think about it, Destiny Islands is a VERY small world and a part of me struggles to believe that no one ever got curious enough to just grab a boat and sail way to new worlds. Also, Sora and Riku have no parents here; they live in a orphanage. Their parents play such a little role in the games that we never see them, so I prefered removing them entirely. That way, it avois the plot hole of them never going to look out for their kids and Sora and Riku seemingly forgetting they have parents.
Tidus, Wakka and Selphie's designs were also slightly altered from their KH ones to look more like their Final Fantasy counterpart. I intend on giving the three of them a more active role as opposed to simply living on DI and giving the occasional 'hello'. That's a very wasted way of using the Final Fantasy characters. I mean... COME ON! Tidus' the main character of FFX, and you just rely him to a background role? Not even a role in the main story like Cloud and Squall? No, sorry, but FFX is the first FF game I ever played and it holds a special place in my heart, so I refuse to waste its characters.
Except for that, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Let me know what you thought of it in the review section and I hope to see you all for the next chapter! The adventure is just getting started!