Kingdom Hearts 10 year Anniversary Contest {Fictional}

Hey people! here's the entry thread for the Fictional Writing Contest. So basically, here you will POST YOUR WRITTEN PIECES. Come my lovelies and post your fictional admiration to KIngdomu Hartsu~

Now, so you don't have to trek back to the Community News Forum...here's the requirements and rules:

That is all. You have until NOVEMBER 2nd to turn in your piece.

For those who partake and win we have ~special~ things planned. So stay tuned, my dear writers~

 

When Land met the Sea. (Set after the events of Dream Drop Distance, just before the Secret Ending).

Kairi was staring out to sea, in the spot on Destiny Islands where she’d stood quite often in the past year during the time when she’d been parted from her friends. Looking out into the night sky, sometimes a shooting star would go past, where she would be reminded of that wonderful image of the two lights of Sora and Riku diving through the sky and plunging into the sea when they had returned home last time. Watching these stars for a while, she wondered whether tonight would be the night where maybe she’d see that same image again…

Riku walked along the beach of Destiny Islands towards where Kairi was standing. When Kairi caught glimpse of him, she jumped a little bit inside, the unexpectedness taking her by surprise.

“Riku?”

“Hey Kairi,” Riku greeted.

“How did you get back?” she exclaimed, walking over towards him too. “I thought you’d be coming back through the sea.”

“Yen Sid summoned up a passage for me which brought me straight onto the beach,” Riku explained. “I completed the Mark of Mastery Exam.”

Kairi’s heart leapt in happiness for Riku.

“Did Sora come with you too?” she asked.

“No,” said Riku. “He…ran into a little bit of trouble in one of the dream worlds.”

Kairi’s face turned to one of worry.

“Is he ok?”

“He’s fine. Sora can take care of himself. He just needs a little time to get back on his feet – we’ll see him again soon,” Riku reassured her.

“Well, I’m glad you came back,” Kairi smiled.

The two paused for a little bit, and both stared out to sea together for a while.

“So…what happens next?” Kairi asked.

“Yen Sid’s gathering all the Keyblade Wielders together for the final battle against Xehanort,” Riku started to explain. “We’ve defeated his heartless, and his nobody, so all that’s left now is him. So now, we’ve just gotta go out and find all the Keyblade Wielders.

“In fact,” Riku added, “that’s why I’ve come back here.”

“Why did you come back here?” asked Kairi, curiously.

“I came back here for you, Kairi,” said Riku.

Kairi glanced up at him, a little confused.

“Me?” she asked, puzzled.

“You wield a keyblade, Kairi. You’re part of the army that’s needed to fight Xehanort,” Riku explained.

Kairi found this revelation a little bit difficult to accept at first. But after a while, when the message had sunk in, she smiled – a little mischievously, (a quality she’d always possessed), but also in maturity in accepting her new responsibility.

“Well, at least I get to join in this time then,” she grinned.

“Yeah,” Riku agreed.

The two gazed at each other happily for a while, before staring back out to sea.

“Riku?” Kairi began quietly. “That Mark of Mastery Exam must’ve been pretty tough, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, it was,” Riku admitted, thoughtfully.

“Even Sora couldn’t do it…” she said in a low voice.

“Sora ran through some very hard trials. Unfortunately he fell this time, but he’s picking himself back up. He’s a strong guy,” he assured.

“Yeah…” said Kairi. “But so are you, Riku.”

“My heart isn’t as strong,” Riku said, truthfully.

“I beg to differ,” said Kairi.

Riku looked at her, now his time to be taken aback.

“Your heart’s always been strong - you’ve just never known it.”

“It’s failed a couple of times. I still need a lot of work to make it stronger,” Riku tried to explain.

“But…it’s always come out from the other side. Stronger than ever before.”

“What makes you think that?” asked Riku.

Kairi gazed up at him, and looked into his deep green eyes – a place she had rarely dared to look in the past, due to her fears ofwhat would become if she did.

“You came back,” she said quietly, so quietly that it was almost a whisper.

And she leant up towards him and Riku responded – a little hesitantly at first, and then both Kairi and Riku’s deepest fears became awakened, as they both came to realise connection that had always been there, but had never been activated.

There was that brief moment when the sea met the land, as Kairi and Riku’s lips met in a kiss which awakened all fears yet all truths in what they had felt for each other over these past few years. Yet they were soon quickly parted, when Kairi's lips suddenly broke apart from Riku’s, realising her mistake, before looking back out beyond the sea again. For a while, she stood there sorrowfully, focusing her gaze to where the sea met the night sky, watching the shooting stars swooping across again, knowing deep down where she truly belonged.

“I’m sorry…” she whispered, both guilt and sadness ringing in her voice at the same time.

“It’s ok,” said Riku. “Your heart lies within Sora’s. It always has done.”

“Yes…” she admitted, still looking out. She knelt down in a crouch, and started to run her fingers through the sand.

“I love you Kairi,” said Riku, simply. Kairi glanced up, not knowing what to say to that. “But I lost my chance when I strayed off the path of light, and fell into the claws of darkness in my search for power as a stupid fifteen year old boy.”

“But you came out of it,” Kairi pointed out, standing up. “You fought your way out, and it is you standing here now, but…” she paused for a while. “Sora has always been the one. The two of you – you’re both strong, and brave, and loving and caring. And you Riku – you’re stronger than both of us for coming out of the darkness like that.
"But Sora…he’s funny, goofy, as well as completely stupid sometimes, and…there’s something about him that has always pulled me towards him, and kept me from you.”

“It’s because above all else, you’re the one thing in Sora’s life that he has always cared about deeply. I care about both of you more than anything now, but there was a time when I put my yearning for the keyblade above that,” Riku explained. “I messed up.
“But even though Sora’s fallen flat on his face from not being strong enough or rushing into things without thinking, his heart has always remained strong. And your heart has always been strong Kairi. Mine has never always been that way, but both of yours have. And that is why you are the ones who are meant for each other.”

Kairi thought for a moment, her head in a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, wondering what she should say.

“Do you…think he feels the same way?”

Riku chuckled.

“Yes – even those all the way in Dream Traverse Town would be able to see what’s going on between you two,” he laughed, although he wasn’t entirely sure whether Kairi would understand what he’d meant.

Kairi gazed back down at the sand, blushing a tiny bit.

“Maybe, next time you meet, you should say something.” Riku suggested.

“Yes…I should,” said Kairi thoughtfully, and she looked up again to the sky, and smiled.

“Anyway, there’s no use us standing here talking about it while Xehanort’s still rampaging around the worlds like a sore looser,” she exclaimed. “Come on Riku – let’s go see Yen Sid, fight some battles, and find Sora!”

With Riku smiling back, Kairi grabbed hold of his hand and the two friends walked into the sea, where the portal of light arose to take them to Yen Sid, where together, they would prepare for the final battle, and hopefully be reunited with Sora after his journey – whatever that may be.

 

This is set before the events of Birth By Sleep. If that is against the rules, then please let me know :D.

Ventus, Terra, and Aqua: Darkness inside every Heart.





Ventus was a little two year old in Radiant Garden, sucking his thumb when an Old Man with a smile on his face walked into his room. “Ahh, this is the one. I will take him in, and train him.”
Another also older man stood at the doorway, “Xehanort, are you sure? If this boy is who you want him to be, isn’t that taking more than a few risks?”
Master Xehanort smiled, “Ahh, Eraqus, you do not understand. I only want the boy’s good health. I will raise him to become a x-blade Master!”
Eraqus, who didn’t understand more meaning behind “x-blade” and only thought Xehanort meant “Keyblade” just said, “Well, give me a little more time.”
Eraqus walked into another room of the Orphanage, to find two four year olds fighting with wooden swords. One of them was a girl with short, blue hair, and a white dress, while the other was a boy with brown, spiky hair and wore a t-shirt and shorts. “These two show fighting spirit...I will adopt these two into my home and teach them the way’s of the Keyblade.”
He walked in and asked them, “And what are your names?”
The girl smiled politely, “My name is Aqua. He’s Terra.”
“Hey, why didn’t you let me tell him my name?”
“Because, you wouldn’t have done so anyway’s, you would’ve just stared at him like a goofball!”
Terra sighed, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Master Eraqus chuckled, “I am Keyblade Master Eraqus. How would you two like to come and live with me?”
Terra sighed, “Sure, anything to get out of this place.”
Aqua smiled, “I’m in.”
Eraqus smiled happily, “Then pack your things, we leave immediately!”
When the three of them walked out, and Xehanort walked out with Ventus
On his shoulders, they met their friend Yen Sid, who was stroking his beard. “Are you two finished, because I have business with somebody at my Tower.”
Both Eraqus and Xehanort nodded. As they walked out after finishing paperwork, Yen Sid stopped at the doorway, “I cannot shake this terrible feeling that those three children are going to get more than they signed up for.”




************



Five years passed. In Xehanort’s home, Ventus woke up at five o’clock in the morning to begin his chores. He didn’t really have a problem with it as it had been his way of life since he turned four. So he got to work, from making his Master Breakfast, to sweeping the place in case of visitors, to doing the laundry, he was done by noon. When he sat down at the table to eat his lunch, he asked Master Xehanort excitedly, “Master, are we going to work with the Keyblade more today?”
Xehanort grinned, “Yes, yes, of course. But you must promise not to get to dirty like last time, we will not have time, seeing as an old friend is coming with his students to visit tonight.”
Ventus smiled happily, “Cool! When do we start? I have to show up his students tonight, otherwise I know I won’t be strong enough to wield the Keyblade!”
Xehanort smirked at his ambition, “Yes, yes, of course. We will begin in one hour.”
Ventus literally made sure he was ready to train in ten minutes.



********


Aqua and Terra made it out of their rooms by ten o’clock in the morning. Terra woke up much faster than Aqua did, and was already bouncing around asking Master Eraqus what they would be doing that day. Aqua, however, just stood their blinking as she tried to wake up. Eraqus chuckled, “Terra, Aqua, we will begin our training as soon as you finish your chores. But you must promise me, Terra, that you do not make Aqua as dirty as you did yesterday. We are going to see my old friend and his student tonight, and we must make a good impression.”
Aqua jumped at that, “What? But we never leave home! You told me that yourself, don’t both of your friend’s live on other worlds?”
Eraqus just said bluntly, “Well, this is a special occasion. I also expect that, since his Master is who he is, My Friend’s student will want to fight you and prove himself. So I must ask you to practice well today so you may beat him.”
Terra nodded, “Yes sir!”
Aqua smiled, “I’ll do my best!”
Eraqus chuckled, “Okay, get ready, we begin in ten minutes!”
30 minutes later, Terra and Aqua both finally made their way to the training area.






*************



That night, Master Eraqus knocked on the somewhat small door of Master Xehanort’s slightly small house. Ventus opened it, and said, “Ahh, Master Eraqus and his students. Master Xehanort is inside.”
Eraqus, Terra, and Aqua all walked into the house. Ventus lead them into the dining room, where dinner was prepared and Xehanort was sitting waiting for them. He stood up, “Master Eraqus, a pleasure to see you again.”
They shook hands, Eraqus responding, “Same to you. These are my students, Terra and Aqua.”
The two of them both stood upright, and said, “It is good to meet you, sir.”
Xehanort smiled, “Yes, it is good to meet you as well. This is my student, Ventus.”
Ventus just waved, “Hello.”
As they sat down to eat, Eraqus said, “Hmm, this actually tastes quite good. Xehanort, did you make this?”
Xehanort shook his head, “Ventus made it. It must run in his family or something, he is quite talented.”
Ventus grinned. He then smiled competitively at Terra and Aqua, “Can either of you cook?”
Terra shook his head, “I couldn’t cook to save my life. She can’t either.”
Aqua blushed in embarrassment. Ventus said to himself, “Score one for me.”
Eraqus smiled, “But they are experienced Keyblade Wielders. In good circumstances, they push me to my limits.”
Xehanort smiled, “But that is not fair, Eraqus. You can still fight very well and fairly against them with only a Keyblade. I am to crippled to fight without putting most of my strength towards Magic. And being the Keyblade Wielder he is, Ventus just can’t fight against me like that until he is more experienced.”
Ventus just grinned again, as if proud of himself. Terra mumbled, “He can’t be that great at everything.”
Ventus just barely heard this and said angrily, “What was that?”
Terra said out loud, “You can’t be that good at everything, you’re too small!”
Ventus gritted his teeth, “Oh yeah, wanna bet?!”
Terra smirked, “I bet your only half the Keyblade Wielder Aqua is, and she’s half the Wielder I am, so I guess you’re only a quarter of the Wielder I am!”
Aqua gasped, “Terra, I am just as good as you are!”
Ventus said, “I’d bet my Keyblade I can beat you both!”
Terra and Aqua both exclaimed, “You’re on!”
Xehanort smirked while Eraqus scratched his chin nervously.



******


Ventus stood on one side of the field while Terra and Aqua stood on the other, side by side. They all had their Keyblade’s in hand. Suddenly, Ventus charged at Terra, and used very quick back hand techniques. He turned around just in time to block a fire ball coming from Aqua’s direction, but Terra hit him from behind sending him flying. Ventus caught himself before he hit the ground, jumped, and threw his Keyblade at Terra. It was moving too fast for Terra to block so he took the hit. But then the Keyblade circled around and hit an unsuspecting Aqua behind the head. Ventus caught his Keyblade, looking smug, when he noticed Terra getting angry. Suddenly Terra charged, and knocked the Keyblade out of Ventus’s hand. He pointed the blade at him, and said, “I told you. You’re only a quarter the wielder I am. You should just give up on ever making the Mark. Quarter-Keyblade Wielder. Just stop trying.”
Ventus gritted his teeth. Eraqus sighed in relief, but Xehanort watched Ventus as if watching a ticking time-bomb. Ventus clutched his head as if trying to fight something inside him, when suddenly his blue eyes turned yellow. He called his Keyblade back and charged at Terra, who turned around just in time to let his Keyblade take the hit. Ventus said, “You’re pathetic!!! Now look who the Quarter-Keyblade Wielder is!!!! You think you can just bully your way through life!!! That’s just the route to Darkness!!!!!”
He knocked Terra back, and made his way to Aqua, “And you.”
Aqua, in a panic, shot a Firaga at him, but he just parried as if it was nothing. “You just stand by, no matter what. You just be that way, and fall into Darkness!!!!”
He held his palm out, and a strong wind blasted Aqua back. Xehanort grinned, but Eraqus ran forward as Ventus made his way to Terra, “That’s enough!”
Eraqus summoned his Keyblade, and knocked Ventus back. Ventus opened his eyes, which were blue again. Eraqus said, “Xehanort, what have you been teaching this kid!!!!????? And as for you, you should just take a break from Keyblade Wielding!”
Ventus gasped, “But I-”
He had barely any memory of what had happened earlier. Eraqus said, “Terra, Aqua, we must go, and brush up on your skills.”
“Yessir.”
Ventus looked at the ground as Terra bumped his shoulder, expecting a response. That moment when Eraqus just yelled at him for what he thought was no reason broke him. Xehanort said, “Goodbye, Master Eraqus.”
Eraqus didn’t look back when he said, “Good bye, old friend.”







******

Five Years later, Ventus, with blank eyes, and Master Xehanort walked into the castle Terra, Eraqus, and Aqua lived in. Eraqus ran down the stairs, “Xehanort, what is it.”
They walked off to talk, leaving Ventus to stand there and look at the floor. Terra, who had all but forgotten what had happened five years ago, said, “Hey, is that kid okay?”
Aqua looked at him nervously. Terra said, “I’ll go check.”
He ran down the stairs, and asked, “Hey, what’s your name?”
Ventus said slowly, “Ven...tus...”
Terra sighed in relief, “Good, you can talk. Aqua, he’s okay!”
Aqua smiled and ran down to meet him. She smiled at Ventus, “I’m Aqua. He’s Terra.”
“Terra...Aqua...”
Terra continued to ask questions, “Where are you from, how old are you, are you good with a Keyblade, are you-”
While he had asked these questions, Ventus began to clutch his head, until he screamed, and fell to the floor, unconscious. Eraqus and Xehanort ran down, Eraqus asking urgently, “What did you do?!”
Terra stumbled over his words, “Nothing, I just, asked some questions!”
Eraqus sighed, “Ventus cannot tell you anything,” they all looked at the boy as he added, “because he cannot remember anything.”

 

Since this is the ONLY KH-related piece I've ever done, I'll be entering it. I know it focuses on the Final Fantasy characters, but it focuses on their story in KH. If this is against the rules, please let me know, and I'll gladly pull out.

Alright, another fan Fic, because I was bored.




A huge thanks to Kingdom Hearts530, my very strict editor who helps keep me focused and created two characters, which she allowed me to use.

Prologue

Leon looked at the sky. The stars... So pretty. Just like they had been before... The accident.
------------------------------------------------------
The heartless came in thousands. Squall Leonheart fended them off as best he could and ended up rescuing, Layla- Lea’s sister who Squall himself didn’t particularly like- in the process. Now he was waiting near Cid’s ship hoping at others would meet him there. In the distant he saw Rinoa running towards her with Carrie- Ienzo’s older sister- beside her. As Rinoa took off running back towards the castle, Squall called out to his girlfriend “Where are you going!? It’s not safe!”
“Lea and Isa are still back there! Ienzo too! We can’t leave them!” Rinoa shouted back towards Squall before quickly heading towards the Castle.
A few moments after Rinoa had faded into the darkest, Squall looked towards the castle. It was clouded in darkness that seemed to be growing by the moment. No way they had made it…
“They’re gone aren’t they? Lea and Isa and my little brother… They’re as good as dead aren’t they? And now Rinoa too…” Carrie stated to him with tears running down the sixteen year old’s face.
Squall didn’t answer and just looked towards the ground and the truth hit Squall hard. Rinoa was gone and she probably wouldn’t come back. She was a goner and he wasn’t able to stop her from what had been basically a suicide mission…
Suddenly from the darkness at voice shouted towards him.
“Squall! Carrie!” a small voice shouted. Out of the darkness came twelve year old Aerith and eight year old Yuffie right beside her.
“Aerith, where are Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent? Aren’t they supposed to be with you two?,” questioned Carrie.
“They’re gone!” Wailed Yuffie loudly
“They made us go ahead… They were fighting the black monsters,” said Aerith.
“They’re as good as gone…” Carrie mumbled.
Squall looked at the three heartbroken girls and frowned. "Let's go,” he said, lead them towards the Highwind, where Cid, the unconscious Layla, and Merlin the Wizard awaited them.
That day, Squall Leonheart, the man who couldn't save Rinoa nor countless others, became Leon. He would be a new person, more capable of taking care of his friends.

 

A short story through the mind of Riku, and his thoughts on what has happened since he left his home.​

Spoiler: Reflection

The glossy surface of the white pod was clear and pristine, and made it easy to not only see the sleeping hero within, but the darker stain in its reflection. Silent steps echoed through the white and cylindrical room, moving away from the pod, and it became clear and untainted once again. With just a few steps, the snowy surface would become filthy once again.

How amazing it was that something so corrupting could exist, that with one careless move, it could eat you up, tear you apart, destroy you. It was a kind of poison, one that was not to be taken lightly. A killer? Not so much.

As he saw it, it was like curiosity's partner; that's what happened with Xehanort, right? He was curious, and so he experimented. It didn't turn out very well; now he was the threat of all worlds, but he'd been curious, and he had influence from the poison.

There it was, that familiar feeling; ice filling his veins, circulating through his body rapidly. Within the last year, he had gained a deep sort of intimacy, if you will, with this feeling. His gloved hand went over his heart, his whole body now feeling sickeningly cold.

Riku had been curious, too.

During the times when he had solitude, which were extremely few and far between these days, he pondered on his decision to explore world away from his home, from his small island. He knew they were out there, and he wanted to see them, but thinking back on it, maybe a raft set into the middle of the ocean with little supplies wasn't his best idea.

Then again, neither were a lot of his decisions within the last year and a half.

He was fifteen when he left Destiny Islands, and within all of that time, it felt like so many more years had past, like he should be older. Only five times did he interact with Sora that the latter was conscious of, but every time was just as bad as the last, when he looked back on the memories. The rest of the time he had seen Sora was when he was traveling, and when he had been asleep. He had matured so much since then. It seemed . . . unfair.

He looked back up at the egg-shaped pod with his friend inside of it. His clothes were growing a little small on him. While mulling over his hero-friend, the sick feeling was melting away and his muscles were growing relaxed from their previously tense and tight state.

Sora was the type of person who would smile no matter what bad was taking place. He was a pure entity within the universe, a source of strong light. Unbeatable, really, because Sora was something special. During these times, he had to be strong; they all did. He looked away from the pod.

It wasn't some sort of game – the threat of the darkness enveloping the universe was very real, and every being was at risk. With that sort of knowledge, it would take a toll even on Sora, strong as he was.

The first time they met in Traverse Town after separation, it was surprising. It wasn't a very obvious difference to spot, either, but he had known Sora long enough . . . His spirits had fallen a little since then and he looked of slight sleep deprivation. That's when Riku knew, at that moment, despite the differences that they had discovered after, that they were no longer children, and this was no longer just a game.

How could he have let himself be manipulated so easily? By a woman like Maleficent, no less. The strain of a leather glove quietly filled the room. The feeling in his stomach was deep, twisting . . . He felt sick. A woman like her, she was the most vile kind, but clever. Oh, was she clever. He could never blame anyone but himself, but she had a part to play for his having to wear a blindfold in order to not be stuck in that . . . form.

The pacing started. By now, he was already used to that body, but it wasn't too great. Being too tall, having too long limbs, a deeper voice, and different skin, eyes, and hair . . . It was a testament to no longer being himself, to no longer being the real him. A feeling of heaviness began to reign over him and he stopped. An ugly coldness filled his body again, but it wasn't the poison, it was his own feelings; he wanted to be away from that body, be back to normal.

He couldn't do that, however – not that he would let himself. This was his punishment. They are such vulnerable things, after all. Hearts . . . So easily damaged, stolen, broken – if one doesn't have the proper defense or strong will.

He didn't have a strong will. A swell in his chest started to augment, his throat began to tighten up. Although all he could see was black, spots began to spawn, and his head grew light. He needed to leave this room, before he got sick.

For the longest time after the events of being trapped on the wrong side of the Door to Darkness, his mind and memories were the bane of his existence – not to mention Ansem, Seeker of Darkness' continuous torture and provocation. It all plagued him, and the amount of Riku's regret was magnanimous. He was in constant wonder if he would ever be forgiven by anyone, or by himself.

Were it not for a particular King, he would have given up to the darkness long ago. At the thought, he steadied up, took a deep breath, and began to slowly pace again.

To say the least, it was . . . difficult to continue going, but to stop, he knew, was selfish. His friend would never give up, not even after the last breath, and in as a friendly manner as possible, he wasn't going to to let that goof show him up. Before he could get caught up in the days of the past, his mind rotated to the future.

Now his task had been set before him; one very important Nobody was the last piece needed to awaken the hero to save all of the worlds from the looming threat that was Organization XIII. It was his job to bring said Nobody home – the reason for his wearing a coat of the enemy. He had observed his and the other members of that group, and there had been a time or two when he actually fooled one of the them; a blonde one named Demyx. He was just about as dense as Sora could be.

He would be a real piece of work to deal with. From what he could tell, unlike Sora, he was pessimistic, stubborn, and very, very feisty. Still, he had to admit there were similarities, and since he was his Nobody, it almost seemed like he possessed real emotions – and Riku wouldn't have doubted it if he really did, despite DiZ constantly reminding him that Nobodies were not human, and therefore could not possess emotion for lack of a heart.

He didn't know what would happen after he was finished with the job, but from the little that DiZ told him, he would be ejected into a digital simulation of Twilight Town, and would then reunite with Sora.

A sigh quietly sounded; he felt bad for the Nobody named Roxas; when one finds that all of their memories are a lie, and that they weren't supposed to exist, what are they supposed to say, think?

But it would all be for the best, in the end. He stopped, just feet away from the pod, having no desire to be closer. His stomach even churned at the thought, and his head tilted down. A heaviness fell on his shoulders, weighed in on his mind; shame.

This would be, too. He would have to hide from Sora in an dubious manner, watch his progress from world to world, and manage the side-battles when he had to . . . It would all be necessary for Sora to keep going. At least, that is how DiZ explained it.

Sora's first goal of many was to see his friends again, he said, and that was enough drive for him to get past the Heartless and Nobodies that he would be confronted with, for him to put himself in greater danger with every step he took.

His face contorted into a heavy frown, his fists tightened up. He knew that DiZ was using Sora to his own advantage because he had that air of him; the one clouded with revenge.

He relaxed now; as far a he was concerned, so long as Kairi wasn't dragged into the mess and Sora wasn't going to die, he was just a servant to all. He was a worker behind the scenes as the main characters played their roles and said their lines right, and so long as they did their jobs, he would do his.

He went up to the pod again and raised his hand to touch the glass. Even through the glove, could he really connect? Just before his fingertips met the surface, the heaviness returned and he stopped immediately. His stomach dropped and he withdrew his hand. He couldn't touch it.

The hood of the black cloak raised over his head, the body turned away from the pod, and footsteps carried it out of the room. There was quite a bit to do, and even though he was in pain, it wasn't undeserved, and he would not let it get in his way.

They were going to meet the end that was set before them.

 

Special thanks to my friend Sam for helping me proof-read this.

My story takes place between BBS and KH. It's about Isa and Lea and how they lost their hearts, told in 3rd person from Isa's perspective.

There's definitely no limit right? I got quite carried away so bear with me. Sorry!

Spoiler: Isa and Lea

Isa looked up at the castle with his undying curiosity. Ever since he was little he’d looked at the city’s beacon of hope and imagined what went on in there. It was a refuge of research and knowledge, ruled by the benevolent man known as Ansem the Wise. Isa gazed at what he dreamed of infiltrating and investigating for himself. There must be so many secrets just waiting to be discovered, and Isa didn’t like being left out. If he could, maybe he could work there when he was older. To help the great Ansem protect and serve the home he loved, while learning more about the world and if there was anything out there beyond his home. He’d never met Ansem before, but the tales alone of his deeds raised Isa to almost idolise him. He was like an enigmatic hero Isa secretly hoped to become someday.
“Hey, it’ll melt if you don’t eat it fast enough.” Isa turned to the source of the voice, who grinned at his blank stare. “Got it memorized?”
Lea was his best friend, and ever since he’d confided with him about his dream to explore the castle, the two of them had worked together in their attempts to sneak in and see it for themselves. Throughout all Isa’s attempts to invade the sanctuary, Lea stuck by his side to help him in whatever way possible. They didn’t have a lot of luck and never made it far, but Lea never lost heart even when Isa did. Isa smiled; he probably wanted to get in more than Lea did, but it was Lea who had more conviction. Isa knew he was lucky to have a friend as dedicated as Lea.
Isa returned to the ice-cream he was neglecting. “How would you know? I’ve never seen you leave one unfinished.”
Lea put on expression of mock shock. “How dare you. You can’t just not finish sea-salt ice cream. It’s the best flavour in the world!”
“Says you.” Isa muttered. They sat in silence for a moment, before Isa had a thought. “Say Lea? After this, do you wanna check out the castle?”
“Hm?” Lea turned in surprise with the ice-cream stick sticking out his mouth. “You have another hare-brained scheme up your sleeve?” he asked while his eyes lit up.
“No, I just want to scout around for a bit.”
Lea scoffed. “What’s the point in that? We’re just gonna look at it? I can see it fine from here, thank you.”
“Something weird is up. Ever since that Xehanort guy started working there the place has gotten quieter. This morning there weren’t even any guards around.”
“That is weird. I heard they were becoming more active with the other apprentices, but weren’t their experiments called off or something?”
“Yeah, why aren’t they doing their job unless they’re running experiments?”
“Maybe something changed and we just haven’t heard about it.”
“Maybe. Or maybe they’re doing them anyway. Or maybe they’re up to something new. Either way, I’m going to check it out. Are you with me or not?”
Lea grinned. “When are you going to get it memorized? I’m always with you.”


They approached the castle much later. The sun had descended and it was getting dark. The two boys approached the front door from the side. There was nobody around but Isa was certain the door would be locked. Lea ran up and tried to open it anyway, but as Isa expected, it wouldn’t budge. Lea pressed his head up against the door as though to listen out for some secret conversation. Isa didn’t know why he bothered; there was nothing but a corridor followed by another door on the other side. Isa convinced him there was nothing to see here and to try something else. Lea suggested the basement entrance.
They’d found the entrance during one of their attempted invasions. It had led to series of corridors in which they’d gotten lost and promptly caught. Since then there was usually a guard stationed there, making further attempts pointless. This time however, they were surprised to find the door not only alone but unlocked. Excited, the two boys crept into forbidden territory once again. They kept to the shadows, wary that they would be discovered. The two guards that always had to deal with them, Dilan and Aeleus, passed by down a corridor to their right having a distant conversation. The duo turned left where they found a passage leading upstairs. They continued to wander through the halls of the huge building until they found a room with a name marked on the door: “Xehanort”.
Once they were inside Isa thought it would be safe to talk. He turned to Lea. “We’ve never been this far into the castle before.” It was as he said this Isa saw his own hands trembling with nervous tension.
On the contrary, Lea looked ecstatic. “I know! Let’s check out this room and see what we can find!” Immediately he sprang forward and started rummaging around.
The room was appeared to be living quarters and a study. Isa noted a trunk in the corner, a large bookshelf, a wardrobe full of black hooded coats in various sizes and a desk with some notes still scattered across the table. It was this that Isa chose to investigate. He saw a collection of papers which contained incredibly in-depth information on the world and darkness. Isa spied the word "Heartless" scattered across several of these documents. They appeared to be strange creatures of some sort. Isa didn’t understand most of it but what he did notice was that they were each entitled “Ansem Report” followed by a number. Could this really be Ansem’s quarters? Were these really Ansem’s notes? What was Xehanort doing with them? And would Ansem really experiment with people’s hearts? Isa was growing uncomfortable and thought they’d better leave. He turned to Lea who had opened the trunk in the corner and was rummaging through it.
“Lea, we should go.” Isa said worriedly.
“Isa check this out! There’s a whole armoury in here!” Lea exclaimed, pulling out a lance.
Isa looked over and indeed there were a lot of weapons inside. He saw a scythe, an axe, a shield and even some knives. But there were also some things that seemed like junk, a pack of cards, a guitar, a book and a scrap of paper that showed only one word underlined twice: “keyblade”. Isa couldn’t understand what all this was for and was about to suggest they leave when something else caught Lea’s interest.
“Oh! Look at this, Isa! It’s just my style.” he exclaimed holding up what looked like a pair of sharp discs with handles in the middle. Isa was unsure what to think until he saw Lea put his Frisbees in the trunk.
“What are you doing!?” Isa responded angrily.
“What? It’s a fair trade.”
“That is a lethal weapon! Are you planning to kill somebody?”
Lea looked hurt. “Aw come one Isa! It’s just a souvenir. I won’t actually use it.”
Isa was about to argue back when he heard footsteps outside. It was at that point that he realised they’d left the lights on and the door ajar. Instantly both boys dashed behind the trunk closing it silently in the process. The door creaked as a man peeked his head in.
“Hmm.” A deep voice sounded. “He must have left his light on.” Whoever the man was, he didn’t enter and even had the decency to turn off the light and shut the door. Now Isa just felt bad for sneaking in like this; he felt like a criminal.
He turned to Lea and said in a hushed voice “Put it back! You’re stealing.”
“Give me a break Isa, nobody will notice. Hey look! You can even combine them!”
“Shh!” Isa hushed to him but Lea was drawn in by his new toy, linking them together so they became like two large rings crossing over each other spinning around both hands. Isa supposed it was for added power. He guessed the man was far away enough by now and thought it was high time they left. To help them slip by unnoticed, they took a couple of the nearby black cloaks for discretion. As he finished putting his one on, Isa tried to get Lea to put the discs back but he just walked out the room. Right before Isa set off to follow him he spotted a claymore inside the box. Isa was struck by what a blunt weapon it was and as he shut the box he hoped he would never have to fight someone in battle.


They knew their only realistic option for escape would be the way they came in, so heading downstairs, they retraced their steps until they found the maze of corridors. Unfortunately, they quickly got lost and found themselves in a large open space. Isa just wanted to get out, fearing something deeply wrong was afoot, but he was led by the sound of raised voices down the hall. Both he and Lea sneaked forward towards the sound of the commotion, until they were able to make out what was being said.
“Dilan! Dilan what’s wrong?” It sounded like one of the two guards. “What have you done to him?” the voice exclaimed. “Xehanort!”
Isa gasped. Xehanort. The same man who had a stash of weapons in his room. The same man who was so obsessed with darkness. Isa could tell from the tone of the other man’s voice that something was seriously wrong, but Lea was ignoring his protests and advancing further forward.
“My name is not Xehanort.” The statement was cold and blunt. There wasn’t even a hint of emotion behind it. “My name is Ansem.” Isa went numb at the sound of this. Was the kind impression of their ruler nothing but a lie?
The two boys reached a door that was half open, leading into a round, well-lit study. The room was a mess with books and pages scattered everywhere. The voices were coming from yet another dark corridor coming off the left side of the room. They were much closer now, something Isa was very uncomfortable about. Suddenly there was a twinkling sound and a slight glow was cast at the end of the passage.
“Wha-? Is this what you did to them? For the last time Xehanort, where are Even and the others?” There was no response. There was only the sound of a movement followed by a grunt from the guard. There was a beat, and then he screamed.
Both boys were immediately aware that this was far bigger than any curiosity was worth and scrambled to run away. They charged back down the hall, not caring how much noise they made, just desperate to escape whatever dark misdeeds were being carried out in the castle basement. As they rushed down a corridor they nearly bumped into a man in a white coat. Isa was a little bewildered because he was almost sure he hadn’t been standing there a moment before.
“My, my! What is the matter, boys?” He inquired curiously. He was young yet tall with long silver hair. Isa felt a certain familiarity about him, but Lea beat him to a response.
“There’s something wrong in the study back there!” He blurted out. “Some guys have gotten hurt, we think.” He glanced at Isa, who returned with a look of warning.
“In that case, we’d better go sort this out.” The man replied kindly. “Show me where this happened.” Lea was mid-turn when Isa grabbed his shoulder and looked the man in the eye.
“Actually, we need to go home. We’re not supposed to be here anyway and I’m sure you can find it. It’s a large study, you can’t miss it.
The man stared back at Isa with auburn eyes that pierced him like a blade. At once Isa felt more fear than he’d ever felt in his life and wilted beneath his gaze. “I cannot investigate attacks within these walls without company. Surely you wouldn’t leave me alone to look into this?” Isa realised there was no choice in the matter. “Come.” The man strolled forward and turned to them expectantly.
Lea looked uncertainly from Isa to the man and back again. Isa rose to meet his gaze and Lea saw the fear written on Isa’s face. He turned to the man and asked the question Isa was too afraid to ask.
“Before we follow you, what’s your name?”
The man’s expression remained neutral, and he answered almost immediately. “It’s Ansem. Unfortunately my top apprentice has been misusing my name of late. Do not be misled.”
Lea sighed with relief and gave Isa a reassuring smile. Now it all made sense. Xehanort was pretending to be Ansem, stealing his identity. But if this was the real Ansem, then everything could be sorted out. Isa felt much better, but was still uneasy. It wasn’t just how suspicious this man still seemed, or that he was much younger than Isa expected him to be. There was something else that was nagging him, something they’d missed.
Isa didn’t figure it out until they were back in the study. How did Ansem know about any attacks? They hadn’t said anybody was attacked and even he and Lea weren’t sure themselves if anyone had carried out such an act. So why did he mention “attacks”? At once Isa realised this was probably a trap, but it was already too late to turn back. He gathered himself together and looked at Lea, fully aware of the danger they could be getting into yet not wavering in the slightest. Isa always looked to Lea for courage; Isa was more level-headed but Lea had much more spirit than him. Whatever happened, the two of them looked out for each other. That’s how it always would be.
Grim-faced, Isa practically marched the last leg of the walk through the dark corridor. Ansem flipped a switch Isa couldn’t see and the room lit up. He took in his surroundings and saw they were in a large laboratory, atop a wide aqua-blue balcony. Nearby there was a big strange device and opposite it there was a computer system. There was nobody else on the platform. They were alone.
Just then Ansem pointed out over the edge. “Behold,” he spoke, “the Heartless.” Isa and Lea peered down to see small black creatures with glowing eyes pattering about the floor below them. Isa turned to see the imposter leering at him with a cruel interest. This man was the fake Ansem! This man was Xehanort! Isa felt sick as he realised that the two of them were now trapped with him, where he’d probably do to them whatever he did to the others.
“You! You’re Xehanort!” Isa exclaimed, unsure what else to say. At the very least it might benefit Lea, but Isa turned to see he was just as quick on the uptake and was looking at Xehanort with a dark stare. Wanting answers, Isa continued, “What did you do to the other guys who were here?”
“I think I know.” Lea stepped forward, his voice was dark. “You turned them into those monsters down there, didn’t you?” Isa understood. That’s why Xehanort showed them the heartless, demonstrating his latest work. “Are you planning to do that to us too?”
Xehanort chuckled softly, then turned away looking out over the laboratory as though lost in thought. After a slight pause he spoke again. “They are born of the darkness in people’s hearts, drawn from the extraction of one’s heart. Why do they seek hearts? They have none of their own. I and my companions have gained much from our experiments, but I have learned enough for now. How fragile a heart is, how useless emotions are. Surely a person is capable of surviving without one, but in a lesser form or in a stronger one? Are hearts a source of power or a hindrance? I must find out for myself, but where shall I find myself? If a complete being exists in light and a heartless exists in darkness, where does the remainder reside? There must be a realm of In-Between, but I need to verify this for myself. If they have the strength, I might just see my associates there.” Then he turned back and looked straight at Lea. “For now though, the question is: Will I see you there?”
Isa had listened in horror to the words of what could only be a crazy madman. He didn’t understand exactly what Xehanort was saying but he’d caught enough to realise that he was misusing the hearts and even the lives of others. Isa couldn’t take it much longer, Xehanort was proving with every sentence what a despicable individual he was, and clearly he and Lea were next in line to be subjected to his malicious curiosity. Lea seemed to be thinking the same thing, reaching for the stolen weapons. Isa’s anger turned to alarm. Since Xehanort was so upfront about his plans to them, he was obviously confident in his ability to stop both of them. Isa didn’t doubt it. If he was able to defeat Dilan and Aeleus simultaneously, he must be more powerful than he appeared. In that case, chances were he and Lea wouldn’t be a match for Xehanort if they fought him. But if one of them stayed behind the other could make it to safety. It was their only chance, and Isa wasn’t prepared to lose his friend.
“Run Lea!” Isa bellowed as he charged at Xehanort with everything he had.
“No! Isa, wait! We’ll take him together!” Lea shouted back, but Isa had to force him to understand. There was only one solution.
Isa leapt as high as he could at Xehanort with his arms raised to push him back. Xehanort smirked and raised a single fist that caught Isa in the abdomen. Isa gagged as all the breath was smashed out of him. He fell to the floor wheezing in pain, his senses distorted. He could hear Lea’s voice but he couldn’t make out what he was saying. All Isa could think was how could Xehanort have so much physical strength? He wasn’t even fazed by Isa’s body weight. Isa allowed himself to grin. All that ice cream for nothing.
He backed up against the wall, coughing endlessly. He looked up and saw Xehanort was glowing, except it was a paradoxical glow. It wasn’t radiating light; it seemed to be swallowing it. Isa caught on, this was the power of darkness. Xehanort held out his hand and without warning an eerie, metallic weapon burst into his hand. It came out of nowhere but suddenly Xehanort was holding it, and was pointing it at Isa.
Suddenly one of the discs appeared, flying fast and hit the weapon with perfect accuracy. Isa turned to see Lea running up to fight him now. “No Lea! Don’t! Save yourself!” Isa screamed, reaching out pleadingly for Lea to turn back. Lea wasn’t listening. He didn’t take his eyes off Xehanort as he caught the disc that had rebounded and threw them both straight at him in two different areas. Xehanort didn’t even blink as he swatted both discs away like they were no more than a nuisance. This didn’t stop Lea, and he continued to rush at Xehanort without faltering, throwing a punch right towards what appeared to be an opening. Looking bored, Xehanort sidestepped it at the last second and plunged his weapon into Lea’s chest.
Suddenly everything halted. Isa watched wide-eyed as he saw Lea collapse to the ground limply, barely moving. Isa couldn’t take his eyes off the sight as Lea moaned weakly, shifting his body with the last of his strength to look Isa in the eyes. Isa saw pain and apology as the two locked eyes, as though Lea’s last thoughts were ones of regret. Isa looked on in horror as Lea flinched before lying still, unmoving, his face eternally blank with his mouth hanging open just as a gaping fish does when its life ends. Isa viewed his body slowly fade into darkness while what must be his heart rose out of his chest. Isa stared as Lea disappeared, his eyes still looking towards Isa, who looked down to notice he’d been reaching out to Lea.
Isa could feel his heart shatter as his only friend was swallowed by darkness. He was automatically accepting that Lea was gone yet he consciously fought those thoughts back. Lea couldn’t be gone; he was Isa’s best friend, the two of them had so much still to do together. They ate ice cream together, they picked on each other, they laughed it off together and above all, they dreamed together. They shared everything with each other, but they never talked about how they felt towards each other, never spoke about how much the other meant to them. Occasionally Isa thought about it, maybe Lea did too, but it seemed weird and unnecessary. But now it was too late. Isa’s best friend was gone. He was alone.
Isa screamed. He let out everything: his rage, his sorrow, his pain, all in one long scream. He felt tormented as the loss sank in, tearing him apart. As he did so, a chill ran along his body. Isa looked at his hand to see it was surrounded by shadows. The power of darkness, he was embracing it. Isa didn’t care. He had nothing now, nothing but hatred for what was left. Darkness wouldn’t bring Lea back. Then Isa thought of something and looked up at Xehanort. Perhaps it would at least bring him revenge. Isa further opened his heart to the darkness, absorbing all the power it would offer him. It no longer mattered what consequences came of this as long as he made Xehanort pay.
The whole time Xehanort had watched on quietly without expression, but now a smile drew itself across his face. His eyes lit up when he saw the darkness spread across Isa’s being. For the first time in a while he spoke, and Isa hated his voice. “You have such potential, unlike the other boy.” If he was attempting to aggravate Isa further, he was succeeding. Isa still didn’t care. “It’s a shame you are held back by your pitiful feelings.”
“My feelings define me!!” Isa screeched back at him, not recognizing his own voice.
“And yet they cloud your thoughts. I know you. In past encounters I have seen how calm and thoughtful you truly are. You are a collected individual. However, the moment you lost your friend, you stopped thinking with your mind and started acting on your heart. You have lost all control of your own actions and become unbalanced. This is further proof that hearts only weaken our judgement and scramble our thoughts with needless compassion.”
Isa was sick of listening to him. He saw the discs Lea had taken were lying by his feet and he snatched them up. Isa combined them at once, turning them into the larger rotating cross orbiting his hand. Isa then lunged at Xehanort swiping at his unguarded side, but Xehanort brought his weapon up to block it. As they made contact, Isa felt his resistance falter slightly. So this was the power that countered Isa so easily, the same power that was actually doing harm to Xehanort. Isa pushed further but Xehanort swiped, tipping Isa off balance. He just brought himself upright in time to deflect Xehanort’s following jab, then jumped and brought the dual discs down on him, fuelled by darkness. Xehanort was faster than he looked and swung his weapon up to hold off Isa’s attack pushing vertically at the centre of Isa’s attack. For a moment the two of them were locked against each other, two sides of a scale, pushing with equal force. They looked at each other’s eyes. Isa hated those eyes.
“Not bad,” Xehanort said. “It seems hearts offer a different kind of power. Very interesting.” Isa was getting sick of this. Even as he fought with everything he had, Xehanort treated the whole ordeal like another experiment. “Unfortunately for you, you are playing with forces you do not understand. You cannot hope to win, yet you fight anyway because you are blind. You are blind because your friendship is misguided. You will only suffer by opening your heart to simple feelings. Your efforts are pointless!” Now Xehanort looked upon Isa with anger... or was it just plain annoyance? He held his weapon with both hands and pushed much harder against the struggling Isa.
Now the scales were tipped, with Xehanort pushing down on Isa who was doing all he could to hold his own. He saw the crossed discs getting closer and closer to his face. It would be wise to back off or duck but Isa refused to let go. He thought of how bravely Lea fought until it cost him his life. Just once Isa wanted to be like that, he wanted to fight without fail, he wanted to be just like Lea.
But Lea was gone.
With one last push, the spinning discs cut into Isa’s face. The large X grinded forward, further embedding itself into his head directly between his eyes. Isa screamed in pain as his vision blurred. He opened his eyes to find himself lying uselessly on the floor, his weapons smashed and scattered nearby. Isa couldn’t feel anything now. His life had collapsed in such a short time and he’d lost his best friend to an insane maniac. Isa drew strength from his hatred until it was used up. Now he just didn’t think, neither did he feel. He just stared blankly up at the ceiling, as tears rolled down his face.
Xehanort stood above him, observing what Isa had become. It occurred to Isa that he may already be fading. It didn’t matter. Xehanort didn’t say anything. He just raised his weapon, and stabbed downwards. Without feeling anything more, Isa lost consciousness.


Isa opened his eyes to darkness. He couldn’t make out where he was, only that it was dark. He looked around to see a blank, grey space. He seemed to be in some sort of void, lost in oblivion. There was nobody else around him, he was alone.
Isa reflected on his situation. Lea was gone, so was he probably. He was far from his world and his home, unable to do anything but sit in silence. Xehanort had escaped unscathed, no doubt to carry out his misdeeds and conspiracies uninhibited. Taking all this into consideration, Isa thought he should be suffering. He thought all this was reasonable cause to feel sad or angry or hurt, but all he could do was deduce this. He tried to feel with his heart but no feelings came. All he had were his cognitions and memories.
Just then a flurry of shadows appeared and swirled around in front of him. Emerging from them appeared a familiar face, in a black cloak just like Isa’s. It had to be Xehanort; it was the same eyes and build. But there was something different about him. Was it the hair? Isa looked dully at him with no response. The last time he’d laid eyes on him, he’d wanted to obliterate him. But now Isa felt nothing, he just stood there in thought at his sudden appearance. He analysed the facts: He could not defeat Xehanort. He could not feel, therefore his heart was missing. Xehanort knew what he was doing when he extracted Isa’s heart. Xehanort knew Isa would be here. He hadn’t come to fight, he would be moving on with his own mission. Isa knew the best course of action would be to listen.
“You see that without a heart, there is no fog in your mind. Without a heart, you do not make mindless actions without good cause. When you are free of emotions or friends, you are at your strongest.” He sounded different but it was definitely him. Isa was unsure how to react. He thought there was something wrong here, that he should be disagreeing like he did before. But he could see no fault in Xehanort’s reasoning. Whatever Isa had believed when he spoke back must have been wrong.
Now, Isa thought, was the time for answers. “What happened to us?” he asked.
“In my experiments, I have extracted all of our hearts.” Our. So the others were in the same state? “We are now empty shells of our former selves, unfeeling vessels of our minds; Left between light and darkness with no home to call our own. In my blind search for power and knowledge I have cast away my own heart along with yours and now neither of us is capable of emotion.”
“We can’t feel anything anymore?” Isa asked the question but his lack of an inner reaction had more or less answered it already.
“No. Our hearts have been taken by the heartless. We have no hearts. We cannot feel.” Isa thought back to his times as a person. He remembered his ability to laugh, to bicker, to moan, and to just smile. He considered his new form and assumed it was capable of these things too. But without a heart they wouldn’t be genuine. Without a heart he’d only be fooling himself by trying to recreate those feelings.
“We don’t have feelings... but we remember what it was like... back when we did have feelings.” Isa stated this while his mind put it together. He tried desperately to draw out some sort of emotion, but it was impossible. His heart just wasn’t there.
“That is correct.” Xehanort sneered, almost impressed. “You understand much so soon.”
“So what happens to us now?” Isa asked.
Xehanort looked aside for a moment before responding. “First, you will assume a new identity.” He waved his hand and Isa saw the letters of his own name suspended in front of him. He waved again and the letters started to spin rapidly around Isa. Finally Xehanort brought his hand down and a large X appeared in the centre, as the other letters rearranged themselves to spell out a new name. Saix. “We are setting out on a new path and so we shall assume new identities. Henceforth you shall be Saix and you shall refer to me as superior or Xemnas.”
Xemnas. Saix turned it in his head and realised Xehanort was still stealing his master’s identity. But Saix no longer cared. He was about to ask what had happened to Radiant Garden but decided it wasn’t important, at least not yet. Xemnas continued.
“We and the other apprentices will be forming an organization. We will need to gather more members by any means possible, seek out candidates if we have to. We will grow larger in number until we have a total of thirteen members. From then onwards, we shall be known as Organization XIII.”
Saix didn’t question the originality of the name as he might have done in the past, nor did he ask why he wanted thirteen members precisely. Instead he wondered why he was expected to join ‘Xemnas’ after his antagonistic actions of the not-so-distant past. “What’s in it for me? What is our ultimate goal?” he asked.
Xemnas turned and looked up, his eyes lighting up with his own thoughts. “Kingdom Hearts. It is an extraordinary source of power and knowledge, darkness and light, ruin and restoration, nothingness and hearts.” He looked back to Saix with expectation. Saix understood.
“We’re going to receive this power and restore ourselves.”
“Precisely. I made an error. Hearts are indeed a source of great power, even if the weakness of emotions stem from them. Now that my research is complete we shall work together for the common goal of becoming complete beings once more. Perhaps we can become even more than that...” He trailed off.
Saix had only one question left. “Did you find and recruit Lea?”
Xemnas gave him a curious look, as though he was scanning him with a mix of suspicion and amusement. “Not yet. You are rank VII, if I find him he shall become no. VIII. We are searching for him but have had no luck. Perhaps his heart was not strong enough. We may never find him.” After saying this Xemnas opened a portal, a corridor of darkness, and motioned for Saix to step through. As he did Saix realised that he still felt nothing.


Saix stood alone in the room where nothing gathers. He looked out the window overlooking their strange new home lost in thought. He heard footsteps behind him and was shortly joined by Axel who stood by him. The two of them stood in silence for some time until it was broken, as always, by Axel.
“Nice to see you too.” He grinned. Saix had grown to find his imitations of emotions pitiful.
“Why do you do it?”
“Huh?”
For the first time in a while, Saix now turned to directly face him. “Why do you act as though you feel with a heart that isn’t there?”
Axel looked hurt but Saix knew that it wasn’t real. Axel was just as cold and unfeeling as Saix was. Axel responded with a bitter voice “Why did you give up so quickly? I thought I knew you!”
Saix responded in the same emotionless tone as he always spoke in. “You did, back when I had a heart. Now we are both incapable of feeling, yet you mask it behind an empty charade of your former personality. It is pointless. We will receive our hearts from Kingdom Hearts when the time comes, until then you should not waste your time with frivolous acts.”
Saix turned away again. He knew Axel was still there, watching him. When he spoke, Axel had clearly dropped the act. “You’re right. I don’t feel. But until I get my heart back I’ll keep trying to care, to worry, and to laugh. I’ll never give up on who I was. Even if I can’t change who I am, I’ll die trying.” He started to walk away, before he turned to Saix one last time, a grin back on his face. “I never forget my friends. Got it memorized?”

 

If I can just type up a brief foreword, then this is it. This was inspired by the darker turn of events for Sora in Dream Drop Distance, and I wanted to be able to get under his skin and see what he might really think of everything that’s happened to him the past three years (at least I think it’d be three years by the time 3D’s canon ends). This makes references to most of the games (Birth by Sleep, KH1, Chain of Memories, KHII and Dream Drop Distance), and I just couldn’t resist incorporating references to Kairi’s poem and Simple and Clean. Having read the completed thing, I feel like we saw something similar to this in the original game when he lost the Keyblade to Riku at Hollow Bastion. He was broken up about it inside, and he must’ve thought he wasn’t good enough or that the darkness might’ve been stronger than light after all. And in both of these scenarios, there’s an upside; a sort of light that pulls him out of that dark moment. In the original, it’s his love for Kairi. Here, it’s the knowledge that light will always prevail over darkness in the end.
So this is me, a diehard fangirl of the happiest, most cheerful character in this whole series, writing about his inner turmoil. And while I agree that Nomura can be such a troll most some of the time, every now and then he creates really deep, complex and relatable characters that most anyone can feel for.

Here’s to ten years of success, and here’s hoping for another suspense-filled decade (mostly out of anticipation for KHIII).

Spoiler

One sky, one destiny.

Spoiler

He read the last line of the letter over and over. Honestly, he couldn’t help it. The Mark of Mastery exam had opened his eyes to so much, and every night before falling asleep his thoughts would always wander back to that dream. The terrible truths and unanswered questions always lingered in the back of his mind, though he never let it show in front of others. He couldn’t afford to let anyone worry about him: Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Riku… Kairi. He constantly forced himself to keep up the happy go-lucky façade. And behind the playful smile or the childish laugh, it was killing him inside. Slowly but surely, it ate away at his heart.

Or was it even his heart?

This was something he could never wrap his head around. He knew that Roxas was inside of him somewhere, but he’d seen so many other people that day, most of whom he didn’t know. And those two -- the man and the woman -- seemed so familiar to him, even now, though he never recalled having seen them before then. And they’d called him Ven. That name… it seemed so warm, so comforting, but he knew he’d never heard it before either. Every time he thought of it now, he thought about his childhood on the islands. That innocence and ignorance about the outside world, those lazy afternoons when he’d be called a “lazy bum”, the days when the three of them would just sit around the paopu tree and watch the sun set over the water… he wanted it back. If knowledge is power, then he didn’t want any of it. He wished he could just forget everything.
And yet, he felt like he would never trade those memories for anything, even if he did get the chance. If none of it had happened, the three of them would just be stuck on that little island, never knowing that there were so many worlds beyond their own. In a way, their journeys up until now were all part of one big, self-fulfilled prophecy, and the fact that everything was always made right in the end comforted him, if only just a bit. As his eyelids grew heavier he began to hum a little tune to himself, knowing that he’d drop off any second now.

Regardless of warnings, the future doesn’t scare me at all.
Nothing’s like before…

 

My story takes place during Dream Drop Distance. In fact, it's part of the scenes at the end of the game, so those of you who haven't finished DDD, don't read it in case of *spoilers*! It covers Sora's fall into darkness and the origin of the questions that Riku is faced with from Roxas, Ventus, and Xion.​

​

​

​

​

"Three Questions"​

​

Darkness.
“It’s because we need you, Sora…”
Orange eyes.
“The thirteenth dark vessel.”
The darkened sky was hidden by the man’s emotionless, young face. His silver hair replaced the coldness of the moon. Sora felt the hard street on his back. He had no power to move. Black vapor began to steam around his body, choking his lungs, burning his eyes.
There was a pain in his chest, marked by the x on his shirt.
“What’s…gonna happen…?”
The young silver haired boy leaned over him, pleasure somewhere in his eyes.
“My appointed path is now etched in my heart. Yours is no different.”
Sora saw his vision blur, black splotches clouding his vision. The image of the silver-haired boy over him flickered to that of someone he knew well…Someone he had always had to reach out to and help. But now…
“Riku…”
It took all his strength to murmur the name.
The true image of the boy returned, as well as his amusement.
“So, light gives way to darkness…”
Sora watched his hand reaching towards him like a claw.
“Goodnight, Sora.”
Darkness.
. . .

Sora’s eyes were sealed as he sunk into a hollow, darkened world. The realm above filtered light to guide his descent, but he could never hope to reach it again.
The pain in his chest hadn’t ceased. His heart was pounding…his mind racing.
His last thought was Riku.
“What is it you’re so afraid of?”
The voice was so familiar, like a part of him. His eyes refused to open, but he was certain he could visualize a boy his age with blonde spiky hair.
Roxas
.
“Do you fear…getting trapped in the darkness?”
That thought had never occurred to him, except now that the thick darkness was swallowing him up.
“Do you fear…causing someone to be hurt?”
Sora’s thoughts turned immediately Riku and Kairi and everyone else he had met throughout his journey. It had been his goal to help each one, but…had he done something wrong?
“Do you fear…losing something that’s important?”
He always had feared that, but he had always known he would gain whatever it was again. But, here in this world, anything seemed possible. Everything important felt out of reach.
“What is the thing you care about more than anything else?”
There was subtle change in the tone, but Sora knew that Roxas was no longer speaking to him. This boy’s voice was one he had heard years ago.
He felt another throb of pain…in his heart.
“Do you care about…hearts connected by light?”
Of course he did.
“…Your close friends?”
More than anything.
“…The strength to protect others?”
He had always had it. But now, that strength was fading. He could feel the darkness gnawing on him, threatening to douse his light. But then, he felt something start to form around his body. It was heavy, but protective. Armor.
For one moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of the boy he had never seen--the one who’s light came to rest inside of him. But then it was gone.
His body continued to plummet, away from the light. He felt his senses fading.
“Sora…”
Kairi?
“What do you wish?”
His eyelids lifted just enough for him to see out of his visor. He could see a girl who looked identical to Kairi, but had black hair and was wearing an Organization Thirteen coat. On either side of her stood Roxas and the other boy.
“Do you wish to protect your friends?” The girl asked him with a faint smile.
“Or,” Roxas added, “To recover something important?”
“Could it be,” The other boy asked, “you wish to heal the pain from the past?”
Their words echoed around his head until their images blurred into his own likeness.
“Riku knows,” Sora whispered.
Darkness.
“Let him decide.”

 

Here is my super-late entry. It's about Eraqus and Terra and the father/son relationship that they share. Hope you enjoy!
I entered this at 11:30p.m. on November 2nd, so I believe it still qualifies for the contest.
I hope it does, at least.


Eraqus felt the weight of the world. And yet his heart weighed heavier.

“What have I done… Master…”

He could see Terra wading forward through the shimmering fog of his fading vision.

“I just… wanted to keep Ven safe.”

Breathing was now a struggle for Eraqus. His world became suddenly so small… and yet so deep.

Just his labored breaths. Himself. Terra. His heart. And his dark memories.

Such dark, cruel memories.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you ready, Terra?”

The youth bowed, wooden Keyblade held confidently in both hands, “Yes, Master. A Keyblade-wielder is always ready.”

Eraqus tried to withhold a smile at the sight. So young, and yet his newest pupil already showed such gravity for his training. This was a good sign, indeed, for a student.

“Well said, Terra. Your skill has far surpassed my expectations. I want you to know that I’m very proud of you.”

A glowing smile twitched uncertainly on the boy’s serious face, “Th-thank you, Master. I owe it all to you.”

Spreading both legs in an easy, yet prepared, arch, Eraqus locked both elbows tight and held his own Keyblade out in a battle stance, “I believe it is time that you advanced to the next level of Keyblade training—dueling with a living opponent. While targets are an essential part of your daily practice, they do not a Keyblade Master make.”

Terra’s wrists trembled as a slowly brought the end of his Keyblade up and level with his teacher’s, “Fight you, Master…? B-but--!”

Some inner warning flared inside Eraqus’ chest, but he paid in little mind, “Terra, listen to me. There comes a time when every pupil must face his own Master. You must not fear losing. Fear leads to obsession with power, and power beckons the Darkness.”

Terra’s Keyblade actually lowered an inch, “I understand that, Master, but—“

“Raise your Keyblade, Terra!”

The tip shot back up into position again, this time in defense. Eraqus locked his weapon against his student’s own Keyblade, gratified with his pupil’s perfect reflex reaction.

“Good, Terra. Careful, now. Don’t let your emotions override your concentration.”

With practiced skill, Eraqus allowed Terra to block and evade his precision strikes. Despite his thick build, the boy moved like fluid between the blows, and yet something troubled Eraqus all-the-same.

He frowned deeply, pulling his scarred cheek taunt, “Terra, strike back! A Keyblade Master knows the balance between offense and defense and utilizes it. Show me that you have learned this!”

Terra held up the Keyblade horizontally, nearly cowering behind it, “M-master, please! I-I… I don’t want to…!”

With a deft flick of his own weapon, Eraqus sent the wooden Keyblade sailing across the green to land solidly on the grassy training ground. Not bothering to watch it make contact, Eraqus lowered his Keyblade to his side and shook his head, “Why do you cower so, boy? Why do you fear?”

When Terra refused to look him in the eye, the Master knelt to his level and laid a fatherly hand on his broad shoulder, “Look at me, Terra.”

He didn’t expect to see those young eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

His scarred jaw softened, “Terra, I am your Master. But more importantly, I am your father, or as close to a father as you will ever have. I took you in as more than just a student. You are like a son to me, and I will not treat you as anything less. I want you to know that.”

It was then that Eraqus realized Terra had yet to make eye contact. Right now, he wasn’t looking him in the eye, but had instead locked his gaze on the jagged scar along Eraqus’ left cheek.

The Master tried another approach, softening his tone, “Being a Keyblade Master is a great privilege. Do you know why I’m training you to be one, Terra?”

With a brave sniffle, the boy shook his head.

Eraqus slowly rose to his feet, “Because I want you to be prepared when it comes time for you to do battle with the Darkness. Darkness is all around us—in every world… and in many hearts. And yet, if the heart is consumed with light—as only a true Keyblade Master’s should be—then the Darkness will never find it.”

Terra stared at his feet, digesting the words. He still seemed so troubled… but by what, exactly?

As Eraqus turned to retrieve the youth’s wooden weapon, he heard a small voice ask:

“…But what if it’s not consumed with light? What if the Keyblade Master has Darkness in his heart, too?”

Picking up the practice Keyblade by the handle, Eraqus reversed it, offering the hilt to his student, “Then he is no true Master. Always remember that, Terra. Now, let us try again.”

Reaching out with a trembling hand, Terra took his weapon and braced himself half-heartedly, “B-but--!”

Eraqus again took up his stance, “I believe in you. I know that you have the makings of a true Master, Terra.”

“Master, I--!”

Eraqus cringed. His facial scars seemed to be inflamed, either by sweat or by something far darker, “No more!”

He charged his student, and Terra and blocked the ensuing blow.

“Strike back, Terra! Strike back!”

Block. Block. Block. Block.

Eraqus struck, hard.

“Why do you refuse to do as I say?!”

Terra’s attack came as a complete surprise. The blow struck Eraqus’ Keyblade like thunder and left his hand tingling.

Eraqus should have felt satisfaction. Instead, he felt alarm.

As Terra continued to exchange blows with him, his style grew increasingly aggressive. The Master forced his feet into the turf and held his ground, warding off each power-strike.

It was time to end this. Terra had clearly proven himself.

“That’s enough, Terra.”

The attacks continued.

Something black and purple—something like icy smoke—seemed to be feathering off of his student’s body. His eyes flickered golden for an instant. The wooden Keyblade burned with a sinister flame that covered, but did not consume it.

The Darkness!

“Terra! Stop this at once!”

But there was no stopping. The Darkness had a complete hold over him.

With no choice left, Eraqus struck with all the skill of a Master—not as he would against a student, but as he would against an enemy.

Terra hit the ground like a lead statue, wind completely driven out of his body. The smoky aura of Darkness subsided.

Eraqus stamped down firmly on the wooden Keyblade, trapping it against the ground. Sending his own Keyblade dissipating into empty air, the Master glared down, unblinking, at his pupil.

“I am disappointed Terra. You have let fear into your heart, and the Darkness with it. It pains me to say it, but you leave me with no choice but to suspend your training. Until you can master your own heart, you have no right to try and master a Keyblade.”

Terra cringed and rolled onto his side, “M-master… I tried--!”

“There is no ‘try’ when it comes to the Darkness! You either fight it, or succumb to it. Taking the middle ground is the worst of all, for it will seep into your heart and reveal itself when you least expect it… as it has today.”

Terra pulled himself upright, teeth clenched in blind frustration, “I… I…”

“What is it that you fear so much? What could possibly drive you to such desperation?”

Lowering his head shamefully, the student fell silent.

Eraqus nudged the wooden Keyblade with his foot, guiding it toward his pupil, “When you are ready to speak honestly with me, I will consider reviving your training. Until then, I suggest you think hard about why you want to be a Master, Terra.”

Looking back, Eraqus remembered that day so vividly—like a little ghost of his memory, coming back to replay in his mind’s eye. He had turned and walked back to the training hall, leaving behind a shaken Terra. Somehow, he was now able to recall something he’d forgotten. Something that he thought Terra had whispered to himself. Now he knew. The words had been meant for him.

“I tried to tell you, Master. I tried.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eraqus gritted against the pain, unable to stop the shake in his voice, “No, you were right. I failed you, Terra. Perhaps I’ve no one to blame but myself for the Darkness inside you.”

Terra drew closer… so close now that Eraqus could almost see the tears in his eyes. His student had grown so much—had grown from an orphaned boy to a strong young man. And yet, he would forever be that small, orphaned boy in the Master’s eyes.

“And now, I’ve done worse,” he labored on, struggling to keep his feet, “—raised my Keyblade against you and Ventus.”

Terra reached through the death mist in his dying eyes… reached for his hand. But Eraqus kept his own palm locked firmly over his chest. He wasn’t worthy to touch his student… not after he’d done him such wrong.

And then it occurred to him.

His own fear had led to an obsession with power—power over Terra and Ventus. He had tried to control them. He had even demanded perfection of his own student. Terra had tried to communicate. His pupil had been afraid of one thing only, and it wasn’t losing, as Eraqus had so boldly assumed.

It was he—Eraqus—that Terra had feared all those years.

And why shouldn’t his student fear him? He had demanded so much. He had left no room for error or doubt. He hadn’t let Terra question himself, and that lack of knowledge had led to ignorance, suffocation, and fear. And the darkness had come as a result.

But now—with agony—Eraqus knew from where the Darkness had originated before it seeped into Terra’s soul. It had originated in his own fears—his own sense of unflinching control.

“My own heart is Darkness!”

They were the last words Eraqus remembered. His heart broke in that instant—ending his life even before Xehanort’s Keyblade had the chance to enter it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Terra drifted on a fog of black nothingness, trapped in the dark confines of Xehanort’s existence. As though from a distance, a voice entered his mind, seemingly from his heart.

“Terra… Why have you fallen into despair?”

Opening his eyes, Terra laid a palm against his chest, surprised by its warmth, “M-master Eraqus…?”

The voice echoed back in his mind, emphasized by heats waves from his heart, “Yes, Terra. I have never left your side, and though you sleep in Darkness for one thousand years, I will always be with you. I will give you the strength that you need to overcome your fear.”

“…Master…”

A dark vortex appeared, allowing Master Xehanort to enter the empty void in front of him. Terra rose to his feet.

Xehanort smiled coldly, mockingly, “Darkness rules your heart. Muscle and sinew that once obeyed you now rebels against you. How you can remain here at all confounds the mind.”

Terra met him, eye-to-eye, “It's still my heart. You think you can just come in and take over? I'm
not gonna sit by and let that happen.”

“Hmph. Don't even entertain any notions of escaping me, boy. In the end, your heart will be engulfed by mine forever.”

“Wrong. You're gonna get shown the door, old man.”

Xehanort leaned forward, “As I recall, you couldn't even handle your own darkness. How, then,
will you triumph over mine?”

“You'll find out soon enough.”

Terra felt a glow fill his heart, envelop his mind, merge with his soul. Hope fluttered in his chest for the first time in a long while.

Xehanort muttered darkly to himself, “Oh? So that's how it is, is it? Someone else has set foot in your
heart. Eraqus, you sly fox...”

Terra spoke every word with conviction, “I'm not afraid of what the darkness holds now. Even if you do wrest control of my heart from me--even if you cast me into the deepest, darkest abyss--you'll never sway me from the one cause that pushes me to keep on fighting. Whatever the cost, I'm ready to pay it.”

Xehanort smiled cajolingly, as though trying to reason with an old friend, “Brave words, to be sure. But I'm a patient man. We can take as much time as we need to settle this little property dispute. However, know this--You are just one of many roads that I might choose to take. Trust me. I made
certain of that.”

An oval of Darkness feathered out of the ground, swallowing up the evil Master.

Terra lifted his head and closed his eyes, savoring the silence of this empty ambience.

“Thank you, Master Eraqus.”

 

Deadline has passed.

_LOCKED