Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Prologue

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Characters

Riku Replica

A Riku doll that Vexen created. He hates being called ‘the fake’, and his heart burns with rivalry towards ‘the real thing’, so he wants to defeat Riku, but…

Riku

A 15 year old boy who lived on Destiny Islands. He was best friends with Sora, and they were also great rivals. Once Ansem stole his body, taking advantage of the darkness in his heart. He and the King shut the Door to Darkness from the inside, in order to seal the darkness.

Sora

A 14 year old boy, chosen to be a Keyblade Hero. His personality is bright and simple, and his sense of justice is stronger than others. His journey with Donald and Goofy to see ‘Kairi’ and ‘Riku’ again continues. Checking out the upstairs levels of Castle Oblivion, he was able to find his “most important thing”.

Naminé

A girl who holds the power to undo people’s memories and chain together other memories she drew herself. She tries to rewrite Sora and the other’s memories under orders from the “Organisation”.

Lexaeus

Number 5 of the “Organisation”. Along with Vexen and Zexion, he manages Castle Oblivion’s bas.e.m.e.nt levels. He noticed Marluxia’s conspiracy right away.

Zexion

Number 6, who manages the bas.e.m.e.nt levels of Castle Oblivion. He is like a leader to Lexaeus and Vexen. He’s cunning, the brain who works on plans in the background without doing anything directly.

Vexen

Number 4, and the oldest member of those at Castle Oblivion. He isn’t pleased about having to take orders from Marluxia, who is in charge of managing the whole castle.

I had this… dream. Kairi giggling. Sora mad about something. And me—rolling around laughing beside them. Listening to the sound of waves from far away. 

It’s those familiar islands, Destiny Islands. Those islands I went and threw away. Those familiar islands, my homeland.

“Riku!”

Sora called my name.

“Riku!”

Kairi called my name.

“Riku!”

Someone called my name—I’ll open my eyes now, slowly.

It wasn’t dark, but the place wasn’t filled with light either; he was in an indistinct place. Riku got up slowly, and shook his head quietly. It’s like there’s mist deep inside my head.

“I—what the h.e.l.l… is this place….?” I know I’m surrounded by some kind of dim light. Actually, it’s more like a haze than light, here in this weird s.p.a.ce.

“Sleep,” resounded a sudden deep voice from somewhere, and Riku stood up.

“Who’s there?!”

“Sleep just like this. In this, in the rift Between darkness and light.”

“Rift Between darkness and light….?” Riku muttered back, and closed his eyes. I haven’t heard of a place like that before. All I’ve known up until now is darkness and light… I don’t really care about this place that’s not either. 

“Oh yeah, where is the King?!” Riku shouted. After the two of us shut the Door to Darkness together, there was some wandering in the gloomy darkness. I’m absolutely sure I was with the King at that point. But—after that, he—?

What happened to me?

“The king is far away. It’s okay if you leave the battle against the darkness to him, and continue to sleep. The light of awakening would be a thorn bringing pain to you as you are now. Turn your back to the light, and close your eyes.”

“You say that like I’m some demon from the dark.” 

It’s true that I turned my eyes away from the light. No… to be correct, it wasn’t away from the light. I turned my eyes away from Sora.

Because Sora was dazzling…

And Sora became the Hero of Light, and I stained my flesh with darkness.

But, I’m not some demon from the dark.

“Do you want to know the truth?” the voice asked Riku.

The truth? …..Wonder what that’s supposed to be. Does such a truth really exist, I wonder.

“If you are wrapped in the gentle darkness here, you will go back to sleep—for eternity.”

Riku stared into the empty air in silence.

Like h.e.l.l I’d ever do that…!, He yelled inside his heart, and that instant, the air quivered, and he almost thought the owner of the voice was smiling.

“So you want to know the truth—well then.”

A card fell down from the empty air to land in front of Riku’s feet.

“What’s this…?”

“That’s the door to truth. If you take it into your hands, your sleep will end, and you will begin walking towards the truth. However, that truth will be painful to you. Will you go, even so?”

Riku picked up the card, and his lips twisted into a slight smile. “Sleeping in a place like this would be boring.” This nothing-place—I can’t be here, turning my eyes from the truth. 

“You won’t be able to return to peaceful sleep.”

“Couldn’t ask for better.”

“That answer is so very like you, Riku.” Once again, the voice seemed to contain a smile.

At that moment, the world spun around and the scenery changed.

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