Fanfiction ► KINGDOM HEARTS: A Novelization

[GhostChz22]

Hello, readers. I began writing a novelization of the first Kingdom Hearts game recently and I thought I would share it with this community. I'm proud of what I have so far and I hope to get a lot of feedback and constructive criticism. I have made various changes and additions to the story that I've implemented in order to tell the story better in this medium. Nothing I have added or revised takes away from the story we all love, but makes it a much smoother read. Please let me know what you think and if you like what I have so far. Letting me know helps me write better and encourages me to write more. I will continue to post more as I write it here in this thread. I hope you enjoy my adaptation of this incredible story!

Preface:

Long ago, the world was connected, and it basked in a warm and beautiful light.

The people of this world loved the light, but their love turned to greed, and it was this covetous love that drove them to conflict.

The world's inhabitants succumbed to violence in their lust for the light and fought each other over the very force that connected them.

Darkness what born in the hearts of those who fought and it grew as they turned against each other.

The darkness swallowed these avaricious hearts and eclipsed the once radiant light that they so desired.

A terrible blackness spread far across the world as it was consumed by this new, unstoppable force and it disappeared into darkness.

All had seemed hopeless, but it was the glimmer of innocence within children that sparked their world's resurgence from the great void.

The pure hearts of children had not been tainted by the greed of so many, and together, those pure hearts created the world anew, gathering the fragments of light within their hearts and shining a new radiance upon their resurrected home.

This new world was bright and peaceful, just as it had been before the war over the light, but it was no longer whole.

It was all the children could do to abate the darkness and remake their home. There was still hurting, still sorrow, and a great disconnection.

The light that once bathed the world was now scattered amidst time and space, waiting to be reconnected.

Waiting for the key to their true salvation.


1

Dive To The Heart

​

I've been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this for real... or not? Did I find this place, or have I been here all along? All there is darkness. Am I dreaming? Where am I?
I'm falling, but I feel weightless. How long have I been drifting here? It feels like it's been forever, but I can't remember when it started. Am I asleep, or have I just woken up?
I'm cold. I can feel pressure on my body. My... body? Awareness envelops me and I can suddenly see. It's still so dark. I see something above me. Is that light? It glows, but it keeps moving farther and farther away. I am sinking, but I'm not drowning. Downward. Spinning. Spiraling. I give in and embrace the plunge.
My eyes adjust to the overwhelming darkness and I can see a new light. This one is moving towards me. It welcomes me, yet I am afraid. I cannot stop its approach. I must face what lies before me, for I know there is no other way. The light becomes a picture. My fear subsides as I fall towards a circular light. As I approach, I can see a soothing visage of a kind woman surrounded by many different faces that fill me with new feelings, emotions. Are they new? Have they been inside me all this time? More questions. I feel desire. I want to know.
The light of the picture surrounds me as my descent slows. I feel touch as my feet fall softly against the glowing picture. I look around me, cautious of what is to come. I feel something looming but I do not know what. My fear returns to me yet I do not know why. There is nothing, yet within me there is a weight.
“So much to do, so little time...” A voice suddenly awakens my ears and I can hear. It is calming, and somehow so familiar.
“Take your time.” The voice continues. “Don't be afraid. The door is still shut.”
I know I tell myself, knowing the voice can hear me.
“Now, step forward.” The voice beckons. “Can you do it?”
A warm presence fills my senses and I comply. My feet move and I can walk. They take me to the center of the circle of light. They move as if they aren't my own, pushed forward by an outside force. I welcome it. I let myself be overtaken and accept whatever is to come.
Shapes begin to rise up from the illuminated floor and I watch as strange figures materialize above what appear now to be three pedestals. I am startled, but intrigued.
“If you give it form... It will give you strength.” The voice rings again through my mind. I know that it is addressing the items above the pedestals. “Choose well.”
I feel an overwhelming desire to obey the voice and my feet take me to the center pedestal. A sword floats above it. As I look at it I feel a great strength surge inside me.
“The power of the warrior.” Says the voice. “Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction.”
I admire the weapon's gleaming blade and it's golden hilt, but my attention is quickly drawn to the left pedestal. I walk to over to it and behold a staff. It has a long shaft that ends in three spheres that create a friendly shape, awakening an energy inside me. I am filled with heat and cold all at once, and a tingling sensation runs through my body.
“The power of the mystic.” The voice again tells me. “Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin.”
I still feel the desire. I have not yet found what I seek. I turn around to see the final pedestal. Atop it, a shield. As I walk towards it, my guide speaks to me.
“The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all.” Friends. That word resonates in my mind and faces suddenly flash before my eyes, too quick to see, but strong enough to feel. I take the shield from the pedestal. It is robust but feels almost weightless in my hands. The symbol in it's center, like the top of the staff, fills me with a comfort that I cannot explain. Friends I say to myself. I am filled with purpose.
“Is this the form you choose?” The voice asks me.
Yes. I tell it without hesitation. The sword and staff immediately shatter as the pedestals beneath them crumble into dust and the voice tells me, “Your path is set.”
I despair as I feel the power within those items fade within me, yet I am not empty. I know I hold what I desire. I feel strong.
“Your adventure begins at dawn.” the voice within me proclaims. “As long as the sun is shining, your journey should be a pleasant one.”
A warm light shines inside my mind. It is still dark all around me, yet I can see and feel a brilliant light and suddenly another shape begins to rise from the ground. As it comes into view I can see that it is a door. It is large and daunting, decorated with intricate designs. I am drawn to it and as I reach out to touch it, the voice continues.
“The day you will open the door is both far off and very near.”
The door cracks open just before I can touch it and light leaks through it. As it slowly continues to open, more light spills out and shines so iridescently. I stare in awe at the effulgence.
“But be warned.” The voice tells me with a darkened tone. “The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.”
The light from the door floods my senses and blinds me. I step backwards away from it, but I do not turn away. The light is so beautiful. It is all I can see and all I can feel. My vision clears as I back away from the alluring door and I notice a blackness at my feet. It tears my attention from the light behind the door as it twists and contorts. Suddenly it leaps from the floor and gains shape. It looks like a boy. I know him.
Sor-. A deafening rush of darkness interrupts my thought as the shadowy boy transforms into a massive being of dark terror. A huge gap opens in the thing's chest and I can see with horror that it has no heart. Fear comes rushing back to my mind and I begin to panic. The gigantic black thing rises even higher and as I look upwards, I see dark tendrils squirm ceaselessly and two terrifying yellow eyes stare through me. It can see the fear in my heart.
A pool of darkness swells beneath me and I am helpless to keep it from swallowing me. I flail, I thrash, I try to scream out in fright but the terrible darkness drowns out my voice and paralyzes my body. I cannot escape and I cannot breathe. The voice returns to me.
“Do not be afraid.” It says. “You hold the mightiest weapon of all.”
I do not understand.
“So don't forget” The voice tells me as I am overtaken by the darkness.

“You are the one who will open the door.”

 

[GhostChz22]

2

Beyond The Horizon

​

The sun's warm light shown brightly across the golden beach and shimmered across the calm sea. Crystal blue water washed over the shore, leaving glistening sand in it's wake as it was pulled back into the gentle ocean that stretched far into the horizon. The tides were coming in and the water inched towards a young boy asleep at the shoreline.
A cool wetness rushed softly through the boy's dark brown hair as he slowly opened his eyes. The rays of sunlight that poured through his senses made him blink many times before his eyes adjusted to the brightness and he saw the tranquil beach that surrounded him. He felt the silky sand between his gloved fingers and smelled the salty scent of the sea as a gentle breeze blew from the east.
“Wake up, Sora! You lazy bum!” A girl's voice suddenly broke the boy's peaceful trance and he sprang up. “How did I know I'd find you slacking off down here?” She asked as she giggled at the boy's bewilderment.
“Oh, Kairi.” Sora replied. He was still gathering his senses and found himself staring blankly at the young girl, eyes wide and mouth agape.
Kairi laughed. “Yes, it's me, silly.” She said. “You've been asleep all morning! And if I didn't know better I'd say you're still dreaming.”
Dreaming. Sora thought silently before responding. “Was it a dream?” The question was targeted more at himself than Kairi.
The girl smiled at him. Kairi's smile always had a way of pulling Sora out of distress. He smiled faintly back at her and crossed his legs, brushing the sand off of the red fabric of his shorts.
“You're always dreaming, Sora.” Kairi told him, her smile still wide on her face. “If you spent half as much time helping out around here as you do laying on the beach day dreaming, the raft would be done by now!”
Sora blushed as Kairi gave him a facetious look. Kairi was a source of many feelings for Sora. The friendship he felt for her did not come without a fair share of confusion. There was something deeper than that which he did not fully understand. What he did know was that she had given him a true purpose and direction.
There was much mystery surrounding Kairi. When Sora and his childhood friend, Riku discovered Kairi's unconscious body washed up on the shoreline, it had baffled them. They were very young and Kairi's strange arrival fascinated the boys with the prospect of other worlds residing beyond their own. Since then, Sora and Riku had shared a dream of leaving their home on Destiny Islands and discovering these unknown places to find where Kairi came from and seek exciting adventures away from their stagnant home.
Sora loved his home but Riku had convinced him that he could have so much more if he took the chance to look for it. Riku had always been more ambitious than Sora. More brave. Sora was reticent to leave the comfort of the islands. Things were simple here. There was never anything scary or out of the ordinary, but that was exactly why Riku had pushed him to leave it behind. It was always easy for Riku to persuade him. He was a whole year older than Sora, and the younger boy looked up to him as a role model. He was right after all, life on the islands was secure, but not fulfilling. It was all he needed, but was it all he wanted? Riku's persuasions told him it wasn't, and he agreed that it was time they make their dreams a reality.
Kairi's arrival to the island was proof that that reality was achievable. She had come from somewhere far away from Destiny Islands, and though she had no memory of her original home, the simple fact that she had come to the island from a different place opened so many possibilities. Ever since they met, Sora felt very strongly for Kairi due to his wonder at her mysterious origins. Riku of course felt the very same feelings, as it was his curiosity about her that sparked his great desire to explore the unknown. Riku would tease Sora about Kairi whenever she wasn't looking, as he could tell he felt more than simple friendship for her, and though he knew it was all in fun, it made Sora feel inferior to the older boy. He knew that Riku had a much better chance of impressing her than he would ever have. Though these feelings about Kairi confused Sora, what he knew was that he cared about her and he wanted desperately to know make her happy. It was in the search for new worlds that he saw an opportunity to achieve both Kairi's happiness and entertain Riku's curiosity, so he agreed to help his friends build a raft that would take them across the vast seas in search of discovery and realization.. Riku was right, it was finally time for something new. Destiny Islands had captivated Sora as a child, but now he hungered for more. He was ready to find whatever lay beyond that far away horizon. For Kairi, he would face any challenge.
“Sorry I dozed off, Kairi.” Sora apologized. “I've just been feeling strange recently. I keep having these dreams and...”
“Well, look who decided to wake up.” A male voice interrupted Sora and he turned to see Riku, silver haired and almost a foot taller than Sora, sauntering over to the two carrying a large log over his shoulder.
“I was starting to think I'd be the only one working on the raft all day.” Riku said with a raised eyebrow and a snide smile. “And you're just as lazy as he is!” He barked playfully at Kairi. Riku tossed the log off of his shoulder and let it fall on top of Sora with a thud before he could brace himself.
Kairi laughed as Sora grunted and rubbed his head. “So you noticed.” She told Riku. “Okay, we'll finish it together. I'll race you!”
“Huh?” Sora looked up at Kairi, still massaging the back of his head.
“Are you kidding?” Riku rolled his eyes.
“Ready?” Kairi raised her hand and Sora reciprocated the sly grin that Riku gave him.
“Go!” Shouted Kairi, and the two boys sprang up from the sand, running spiritedly across the beach to the wooden shack on in the southernmost end of the island. The boy's competitive smiles stayed painted on their faces as their colorful shoes made deep imprints in the golden sand. Kairi lagged behind, laughing and cheering the boys on.
Sora was panting when Riku hit is fist on one of the shack's wood panels and turned to an exasperated Sora. “Riku wins!” Kairi yelled, still many yards behind the boys.
“What a surprise.” Mocked Riku without a single deep breath.
A flicker of frustration sparked within Sora, but it was quickly extinguished and Sora scratched the back of his head and smiled. “Fair and square, like always.” He admitted.
“You just don't push yourself enough, Sora.” Riku told the boy. “You hold back when you should be giving it everything you've got.”
Riku was always telling Sora to let go of everything. To relinquish his control and realize his “true power”. Whatever that meant. Sora admired Riku, but he was not like him. He didn't know how to simply let go of caution the way Riku did, and he didn't know if he even considered that a good thing. Riku was the strongest person he knew, so he must be right, but there was still a doubt in Sora's mind that made him cling to his constitution.
Before Sora could tell Riku he was right for what felt like the hundredth time, Kairi inferred. “Great race!” She said. “Now lets get going on that raft like we said we would. We have to finish it today if we want to set sail tomorrow!”
Riku snickered and gave Sora a friendly punch on the shoulder as he walked past him and Kairi and over to a pile of thin logs and rope they had collected the day before and silently started working on the base of the raft.
“Looks like he's found his job.” Kairi told Sora with a chuckle. “Lets see what else we still need.”
Sora watched Riku work on the raft as Kairi's voice trailed off in his mind. Images of his childhood flashed through him. He and Riku playing on the beach, building forts and wooden swords together, finding Kairi alone on the shore that day. Things were so much different now then they had been before she came. Riku never acted so competitively before. He had always had ambition and courage, that was what made Sora admire him so much, but since Kairi, those qualities had shifted into pride and vanity. But Sora cared for him all the same. No matter how Riku acted, Sora would never hesitate to do whatever he could for his closest friend. The friend who he would travel all the world and beyond with. The friend who showed him the beauty of wide wonder and the importance of seizing all that life could offer.
“Sora? Are you even listening to me?”
Again, Kairi's voice broke his calm, forcing him back to the present. He shook his head bashfully, his reddened face looking down to avoid those clear blue eyes that always made it difficult for him to concentrate.
“You really are hopeless.” Kairi told him in the same effervescent tone she always had. “All we need now is some food. See if you can catch a few fish. Who knows how long it will take us to find another world, so get as much as you can and bring them back to me and Riku here at the raft when you're done. You got that?” She finished her instructions with a coltish inflection.
Sora looked back up and nodded, the big silly smile he was known for plastered across his still pinkish face. “Got it!” He told her.
“Great!” She said. “Don't take all day!”
“Don't worry.” Sora said with a small laugh before taking one last look at Riku and heading towards the shoreline. Something was weighing on Sora today. He didn't know what it was, but he had a strong feeling that something, or someone was observing him. Not just looking, but studying. He knew it was nothing though, for the only people on the island were his friends and other children playing on the beach. There were never any adults on this island anyway. They were all on the southern island either working or cooking while they waited for their kids to come home. Sora found himself looking forward to going back home to escape the looming feeling that he couldn't shake off. That was just as strange as the feeling itself. He had always been disappointed to see the setting sun, the reminder that life on western island was only temporary and he had to paddle his way back home for dinner. Today was different though. He wanted to be back home. As his yellow shoes touched the soft tides at the beach's shore, Sora realized. He was leaving tomorrow. This was the last day he would see the islands. The last day he would see the sun set and the last night he would fall asleep in his own bed. The last day he would see his mother. Setting sail for new worlds was easy for Riku and Kairi. They didn't have any parents to wonder about them. To miss them or even go out looking for them. There was no way Sora could tell his mother what he planned to do. She would never allow him to go sailing across the ocean on a handmade raft in an aimless search for the unknown. Sora knew that leaving the islands without a word would devastate his mother, but this was bigger than her. Bigger than all of Destiny Islands. This was about finding the truth. Maybe if Sora could discover the truth about Kairi, about who she was and where she came from, he could better understand why he felt so inexplicably connected to her. And if he could best his fears and prove his courage, he might be able to finally call himself equal to Riku.
It was minutes before Sora felt a dampness around his feet and noticed the tides had risen above his ankles. With a start, Sora jumped back and collected himself for the third time today. It must just be nerves about tomorrow. The boy thought to himself. It has to be. Sora let himself fall to the sand and began undoing the many straps and buckles on his bright yellow shoes.
“Finally had enough of those big ol' things?” A young boys voice called from nearby.
Sora looked to his right to see Tidus, a nine year old boy from the northern island walking up to him with that long red pole he was always practicing with.
“Hi Tidus.” Sora greeted him. “You're just jealous cause you know their better than yours.” He teased the younger boy with a smirk.
“Oh yeah?” Tidus shot back. “There's nothing better than these things!” He exclaimed proudly as he pointed to his bare feet.
Sora scoffed at him playfully and continued unfastening his shoes.
“Is it true?” Tidus asked him. “Are you guys really gonna do it?”
Sora's head shot up quickly. “Do what?” He asked inconspicuously.
“Come on, Sora.” Tidus jeered. “Everyone knows what you, Kairi and Riku are up to.”
“Really?” Sora asked surprisedly.
“Yeah! Riku's been telling everyone!”
Sora's heart sank. That everyone knew he was leaving would make it all the more difficult for him to go. What if the adults found out? His mother.
“You can't tell the grown ups anything!” Sora pleaded.
“Don't worry, Sora. I've never told grown ups anything in my whole life and I'm not gonna start now.” Tidus sounded especially proud. “Besides, it's only me, Wakka, and Selphie that know anything. Riku would never tell the little kids cause they'd just blab it all to their parents.”
Tidus seemed to always think he was years older than he really was, trying to fit in with the older crowd. Sora liked that about him. He reminded him of how he used to act not too long ago. Sometimes Sora felt like all the time he spent with Riku had made him mature too quickly.
“Well that's good to hear then.” Sora told Tidus as he ruffled his blonde hair. “Just make sure it stays that way! It's a secret mission.” Sora finally finished the laborious process of removing his shoes and walked back into the shallow waters.
“Do you have a net anywhere, Tidus?” Sora asked.
“Sure do!” Tidus exclaimed, pulling a handmade fishing net with a thin wooden pole from his belt loop.
“Great! Help me catch some fish.” Sora told the boy.
Tidus joined Sora in the water, splashing wildly as he ran through it and laughing as the fish scattered about.
“Gee, thanks!” Sora said, annoyed but mostly amused.
Tidus calmed down and the two boys started catching the minnows darting through the clear ocean water. They fished in a concentrated silence until Tidus asked a question that seemed to be on his mind for a while.
“Why are you guy's leaving anyway?” Tidus asked Sora.
Sora looked up from the water at the young boy as he continued. “What's so bad about it here? You don't even know if there's anything out there. It could be dangerous.”
“You're right.” Sora responded. “I'm nervous about what could happen. And even if we do find anything, I'm not sure what we'll do with it all.”
Tidus looked somber.
“But you know what?” Sora continued. “That's exactly why we're going. We're gonna go out there and find amazing things we've never seen before, and when we do, we're gonna come back and tell everyone on the islands all about it! Then everyone will be able to have all the same adventures we had. Someone's gotta do it first, and we want to be the ones to do it.”
Tidus' frown became a smile and Sora saw the very same boy he had once been in those wide and wondering eyes. It felt good to be able to inspire someone like that. Even if it was just a child. It made him feel like Riku. He never could tell if Riku felt any pride for what he had done to inspire him, but in that moment, Sora felt like he had been to Tidus what Riku had been to him. He hoped Riku knew how much he inspired him and had experienced this feeling. It was the least Sora could do to repay him for the courage Riku gave him.
“You better find something!” Tidus said excitedly. “A whole bunch of new worlds! And when you come back, I'll go explore them too. Then I'll go see them with Wakka and Selphie, just like you, Riku and Kairi!”
Sora felt another warm swell of pride. He smiled at the enthusiastic boy and tried to gather as many fish as he could before his excited splashing scared them all away. Though he was very happy to see Tidus so excited, the uneasy feeling still loomed in the back of Sora's mind. The possibility of failure. The danger of the unknown. The foreboding sense of being watched.
Sora shook the feeling off as best he could and thanked Tidus for the net.
“Sure thing, Sora! Take it with you!” Tidus said. “I'm gonna go tell Wakka and Selphie all about the adventures we'll have when you come back!”
Sora laughed and said “Okay, but tell them to keep it to themselves alright? And that goes for you too!”
Tidus made a zipper motion on his lips and ran off to the docks where his friends were playing with a blue blitz ball.
Sora returned a wave that the three of them gave him, and took Tidus' fish-filled net back to Kairi and Riku at the raft.
When he returned, Riku had finished the base of the raft and was fastening a large cloth to a long mast pole that jutted out of the base's center. Kairi was sitting on the wood of the base tinkering with some seashells.
“Nice work, Sora.” Riku told him, eyeing his catch. “Looks like you might be useful on this trip after all.”
“Wow, Sora!” Said Kairi. “That's enough fish to last a week!”
“We're gonna need more though.” Riku said. “This isn't just some vacation.”
Sora placed the net with its pole against the base of the raft and sat down next to Kairi. He's right. Sora thought. Who knows how long we'll be out there.
“I'll be sick of fish by then anyway.” Riku said. “Hopefully there's some good food on the other worlds we find.”
Kairi had a sly look on her face. “Maybe we should bring some paopu fruit with us too.” The two boy's heads spun towards her. “You know, to share!” She was unable to control her giggling.
Riku and Sora gave each other awkward looks before looking back at a hysterical Kairi.
“Hahaha! I'm just kidding, you silly heads.” She held her side as she laughed. “You should see your faces!”
Sora's face glowed with red, which was no surprise, and he thought he could make out the tiniest pinkness on Riku's cheeks as well. Kairi knew the boys would have that reaction. Everyone on the islands knew the myth about the native paopu fruit. If two people share the same one, their destinies become intertwined and they are forever connected to one another. It was just a silly story, but the two boys had never tried it's accuracy and the thought of sharing a paopu with Kairi made both of them uneasy.
“Whatever.” Riku said, nonchalantly brushing the subject off and regaining his demeanor. “You guys don't really believe that kid stuff do you?” He went back to this work on the raft's mast.
The redness of Sora's face was still subsiding as he looked at what Kairi had been making with the seashells.
“What are you making?” Sora asked her, half out of curiosity and half in an attempt to steer the subject away from paopu fruit.
“Oh, this?” Kairi said, faint laughter still in her voice. “It's a necklace I'm making out of thalassa shells.” She held the unfinished necklace up for Sora to see. “In the old days, sailors would always wear thalassa shells when they set sail. They were supposed to ensure a safe voyage.” She spoke with a studious tone. “It's like a good luck charm.”
Sora knew about the legend, but he liked to let Kairi teach him things. He knew she enjoyed feeling smart, and she was. She had been on the islands a much shorter time than Sora and Riku, but she had learned much in her short years. It always made Sora feel good to let her give him history lessons even when he already knew everything she told him.
“I'll make one for you guys too!” Kairi said.
“Who needs luck when you've got a captain like me?” Riku said with a smug smile.
“Hey! I didn't know we already picked who's gonna be captain.” Sora shot back.
“Don't worry, Sora.” Riku replied. “You can be fist mate.”
“Then what does that make me?” Kairi pouted playfully.
“Well the raft will probably need some cleaning sooner or later.” Riku told her jokingly.
Kairi huffed and put her hands on her hips and the three of them laughed together. Maybe this adventure wasn't going to be so bad after all. His friends were all he really needed. Their laughter and the comfort of their presence gave Sora all the security he needed. As long as he had Riku and Kairi, he could face anything.

 

[KingdomKey]

Please keep writing this, Ghost! I love how much interaction Sora got with Tidus. Even better when, Sora made his choice with the shield, and SRK getting ready to set sail together. Way better in comparison to the game. In all honesty, I'd love to see what a KHII novel would be. Especially with fantastic dialog like this. I don't really see anything wrong with the chapters you've posted so far. I wish I had seen this sooner.

 

[Sora's Heart]

Oh, please write more. I've been waiting for a KH Novelization for so long, and this is a really good read.