Kingdom Hearts - Re:Conquest

The war was over. Or so they said.

Sora, the boy of light, the savior of the worlds, had done his job. He had locked the doors, defeated the seekers of darkness, and restored the balance. The realms were bathing in a newfound peace. The princesses were back in their castles, the heroes were resting, and the universe let out a collective sigh of relief.

But light always casts a shadow. And in those shadows, things still wriggled.

I stood before the large, star-filled window in the Mysterious Tower, my reflection staring back at me. I wasn’t like Sora. I didn’t have that goofy, naïve smile or that blinding optimism that seemed to burn everything it touched. My eyes were sharper, my stance firmer. I had just passed the Mark of Mastery exam. I was a full-fledged Keyblade Master now.

But while my training was in the light, my desires were... more complex.

"You understand the nature of your task, Ray?"

The gravelly voice of Master Yen Sid broke my concentration. I turned to face the old sorcerer sitting behind his massive desk. He looked tired. Peace was exhausting to maintain.

"I do, Master," I replied, turning to face him. "The war is won, but the peace is fragile. There are still Heartless out there. Small pockets of darkness that need to be swept away. They need to be cleaned up before they can gather strength again."

Yen Sid nodded gravely. "Precisely. The worlds are safe, yes, but they are fragile. The barriers are still thin, they cannot be left unattended. You will patrol the lanes, visit our allies, and ensure the darkness does not take root again."

He stroked his beard, eyeing me critically.

"You have a unique quality, Ray," he observed. "Sora connects hearts through innocence. But you... you possess a different kind of gravity. You are grounded. People, especially those who have felt helpless, will look to you for strength. Do not take that responsibility lightly."

I smiled. I knew exactly what he meant, even if he didn't say it outright. I had noticed it during my training sessions with Sora. When I visited some of the worlds for my trials, the women, were they Princesses, warriors or queens, didn't look at me the way they looked at Sora. They didn't want to ruffle my hair or pinch my cheeks. They blushed. They lingered. They seemed drawn to the fact that I was a man, not a boy. They could sense the dominance in my aura, the vibration of a man who knew what he wanted.

It wasn't a burden. For me, it was another perk of being a Warrior of Light.

"I will purge the Heartless, Master," I promised, summoning my Keyblade, The Solar Zenith, into my hand. It was made of dark steel outlined with gold, heavier than the Kingdom Key, designed for crushing impacts. "The worlds will be spotless when I am done with them."

"Take the Highwind," Yen Sid commanded. "Your Gummi Ship is prepared. The lanes between worlds are open to you. May your heart be your guiding key."

I bowed low. "I won't let you down."

I turned and walked out of the chamber, down the spiraling stairs. As I reached the bottom and stepped out into the cool night air, I looked up at the stars. Each point of light was a world.

A world full of monsters to kill.

And a world full of innocent, untouched beauties who had been saved by a boy, but were waiting for a man.

I climbed into the cockpit of the Highwind. The dashboard lit up, casting a red glow on my face. I pulled up the navigation map. The names of the worlds flickered on the screen: *Olympus, Agrabah, Wonderland, Radiant Garden...*

They were waiting. The Heartless needed to be punished. And the Queens and Princesses... they needed to be properly thanked for their duty in the meantime.

I gripped the controls. The engine roared to life.

"Time to go to work," I whispered.

I punched in the coordinates for the first world.