Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories The Novel (light novel)

by Tomoco Kanemaki

  “Gawrsh, do ya remember her name?” Goofy asked.

  Sora looked down. “…No, I can’t. I feel pretty dumb. We said we wouldn’t forget our friends, and now…I can’t even remember her name.”

  He could remember what she looked like, but not her name. What could it have been…?

  “Is there anything else ya remember about her?” said Goofy.

  Anything else…

  “Try telling us more!” Donald added.

  “Talking about her might help you remember her name,” said Jiminy.

  “Well, uhh… She was quiet, and she was always drawing.”

  She was always sitting on the sandy beach, drawing in a sketchbook with crayons.

  Riku and I were playing with wooden swords. One day we ran over to her. It was the beach on Destiny Island.

  “……, you can play with us, too!”

  “No. I’m drawing.” She shook her head, but then she looked at Riku. “I know! I’ll draw you two.”

  “Draw us?!” Riku and I both said at once.

  “Okay! Draw me!”

  “No way! Draw me first!”

  We were practically butting heads in front of her, we both wanted her to draw us so badly.

  “No, I’m first!”

  “No, me!”

  She laughed at us a little.

  “Then, let’s fight for it!” Riku held up his wooden sword.

  “Yeah, well, I’m gonna win!”

  So we had a sword fight on the beach. Clack, clack, clack! The sound of the wooden swords echoed down the beach.

  And then, by the time somebody won, what she’d drawn in her sketchbook was a picture of the two of us laughing.

  But…

  “But one day, she was gone, just like that.”

  She left the islands so suddenly.

  “How come?” asked Goofy.

  Sora’s fingers tightened on the Keyblade. “I don’t know. I think the grown-ups knew the reason. They might have even tried to explain some of it to me. But I was little. I probably didn’t understand.”

  Why did she leave…?

  “I remember crying after she was gone. But…that’s all. I still can’t remember her name.”

  I used to cry at anything… But maybe Riku cried, too, when he was by himself. And after she was gone, we didn’t talk about her anymore. I guess we didn’t want to because it would make us sad.

  “But, y’know, you just remembered a lot, and you forgot that until a little while ago,” said Goofy.

  “I bet you’ll remember her name in no time, too!” Donald chimed in.

  Sora nodded and smiled at them. “Yeah.”

  “Hmm…” Jiminy frowned. “But I must say, it’s very odd.”

  “What is?” said Goofy.

  “We all thought that going farther into the castle would just make us lose our memories… But maybe forgetting things is the only way to reach the memories buried deeper down inside each of us.”

  Goofy folded his arms. “So we should forget in order to remember?”

  “It’s like those guys were saying… ‘Our most precious memories lie so deep in our hearts that they’re out of reach,’” said Sora. “All that stuff about finding being losing and losing being finding… I didn’t get it at first, but maybe this is what they meant.”

  Like finding the entrance to a cave hidden in the bushes… Memories hidden beneath memories were coming back to him.

  “Gee, Sora, I’m getting kinda jealous!” Donald said with a jump.

  “How come? Is there stuff you wanna forget?” asked Goofy.

  Donald stamped his foot. “No! I wanna remember important stuff that I forgot!”

  “Gawrsh, I wonder if we have any memories like that…”

  As Goofy stood there thinking, Donald ran ahead. “C’mon, Goofy! Let’s get going. We’ve got to forget things faster!”

  “Wait up, Donald!” Goofy hurried after him.

  Sora and Jiminy looked at each other and shared a tiny smile, then went after the other two.

  And meanwhile, elsewhere in the castle…

  Axel and Larxene peered into the great crystal ball.

  “It looks like Sora’s memories have begun to awaken… Just as we intended.” With a sly laugh, Larxene turned to him.

  “We’ll continue with our plan. Let’s see how far they’ll go.” Axel looked up at her and a faint smile came to his lips. “About time for the next step, wouldn’t you say?”

  He walked away from the crystal ball, about to leave.

  “Wait,” said Larxene with her arms folded. “You had your fun on the first floor. This time, it’s my turn.”

  When he looked back, she was grinning. Axel gave in with a shrug.

  “…Don’t break him,” he said in a low growl.

  “Ohh, do I detect a soft spot?” Larxene teased.

  “Sora is half one of us. He’s on our side.”

  “You don’t trust me?” she said as she passed. “I know when to let up. I’m not stupid enough to break my toys.”

  “Don’t forget. He’s the key. We need him if we’re going to take over the organization.”

  At that, Larxene looked back, smiling so sweetly it was unsettling. “I know you’re in on it, too… But keep it under your hood, at least until the time is right, hmm?”

  Then she vanished.

  After she was gone, Axel smiled, his eyebrows lifting slightly. “You would have been wise to do the same, Larxene,” he murmured in the silence.

  Running over the marble floor, Sora finally caught up to Donald. “Hey, c’mon! Slow down!”

  “We’ve gotta get to the next world!” Donald hopped up and down in front of the door.

  “Yeah, I know…”

  I want to remember more about that girl…, Sora thought as he looked in his pocket for the card.

  But then…

  “Hello, Sora.”

  Another someone in a black cloak was grinning at them—a woman with bright blond hair.

  “I bet you work with Axel!” shouted Donald, dashing to Sora’s side.

  “Aren’t you clever. The name’s Larxene.” She walked closer to them, unhurried. “Well? Are you enjoying your stay at the castle? I bet it’s nice to peel away all the worthless memories and awaken the true memories that lie deep in your heart.”

  True memories… Did she mean his memories of that girl?

  “But it seems that you’re still forgetting the most important thing here. When that poor girl hears that you’ve forgotten her name, why…it’ll just break her heart!” Larxene cried, her voice breaking for dramatic effect.

  “Poor girl?” said Sora. “Do you know her?!”

  Larxene shrugged and giggled.

  “Is she…here?!”

  Could she really be in the castle? Sora wondered. If she wasn’t, of course…there was no reason Larxene would know who she was.

  “She sure is! You see, the bad guys are holding her captive somewhere deep inside the castle. And obviously, you’re the hero, so you’ll have to go save her. Although…”

  Larxene didn’t so much run as glide in a blur right into Sora, sending him flying.

  A star-shaped pendant fell out from his shirt and hit the floor.

  “Sora!” Donald and Goofy dashed over to him.

  Larxene winked at Sora. “Thing is, I’m a bad guy, so you have to go through me!”

  Sora groaned. His line of sight landed on the pendant. “What’s that? Is that thing mine?” Still on the floor, he was staring at it.

  A yellow star-shaped pendant. It was a good luck charm made out of a paopu fruit.

  “What a shame! You’ve been wearing it all this time and forgot?” she said with an incredulous laugh.

  I can’t remember…but I have to remember, Sora thought.

  Hadn’t someone given it to him? Who?

  “I’m making them so even if one of us gets lost, we’ll make it back here safe and sound. So the three of us will always be together.”

&n
bsp; That girl had made the good luck charm for him…

  “No, that’s not possible,” Larxene went on. “The memory must be engraved somewhere deep within your heart!”

  But he couldn’t remember. He hadn’t even known he was carrying that thing around.

  That girl’s name… Or anything about her…

  “Think carefully, now. What, oh what, could it be? And who gave it to you?”

  “Na… Na…mi……”

  Sora felt as if his head was full of fog. He should remember—but he just couldn’t.

  “See, Sora, you’re getting it now! Free your heart, free your memories!”

  Sora!

  He seemed to hear the girl’s voice from somewhere. Her name… Her name was…

  “Nami… Naminé,” he murmured finally.

  “Well, it’s about time! That’s right—Naminé. Yes, she’s the one who gave you that tacky little good luck charm. Not that you even bothered to remember!” Larxene chimed, not letting him get another word in edgewise. She stood over the fallen pendant, and her voice rose with theatrical indignation. “No surprise—seeing as you couldn’t even remember her name! Talk about heartless. I can’t believe you! It’d serve you right if I decided to smash this piece of junk!”

  “Don’t touch it! Naminé gave me that! It’s important to me!” Sora stood up with the Keyblade ready.

  I won’t let anyone break it. I made a promise to Naminé…

  Well, he couldn’t remember yet exactly what he’d promised her, but…he’d promised.

  “Oh, it’s important to you? Ten seconds ago you didn’t even know what it was!” Larxene leaped lightly into the air and attacked him.

  “Augh!” Sora cried as she knocked him back again. Donald and Goofy ran to him.

  “Hey! Don’t you pick on Sora! Fire!” Donald shouted.

  Larxene easily dodged the spell. “Picking on him? Why, I would never! I’m just telling him the truth!”

  In each hand, she held four little knives, and she slashed out at Sora with them.

  “Ngh—” He barely managed to parry her last strike with the Keyblade.

  “Sora!” Goofy ran up behind Larxene and knocked her off balance, giving Sora a chance to move in.

  “What nice friends you have… But it’s time for you to go!” She hurled all eight knives at him.

  Sora parried every one, sending them careening away. “I’m not going anywhere—I have to save Naminé!”

  “There, that’s the spirit!”

  “Nobody asked you!” He ran in under her guard and struck with the Keyblade, knocking her back hard.

  “Hmph! You’re not as bad as I thought. You really are a hero. A heartless hero!”

  “I’m not heartless!”

  “Does it hurt because it’s the truth? You’re just a baby, after all. Well, if you’re gonna be a baby, here you go,” Larxene said offhandedly and tossed another card at him.

  “Whoa! Hey—”

  “I created another card from your memories, you know. Be a good boy and say ‘thanks.’ Ta-ta!” With that, she vanished.

  “Wait! Larxene!” Sora ran to where she’d been standing, but she was gone without a trace. “Where are you?! Don’t you dare hide from me! Show yourself!”

  “Sora, calm down. She’s not coming back,” said Jiminy, jumping out of his pocket. Finally Sora stopped shouting.

  “Sora…” Goofy looked at him sadly.

  “I hate this,” Sora muttered. “Why did it have to be someone like that…who made me remember Naminé…?”

  Donald and Goofy looked at each other, at a loss for words.

  “C’mon, Sora… Let’s go,” Goofy said tentatively.

  “Yeah.” Sora climbed the stairs, then shouted back behind him, “But those guys are keeping Naminé prisoner! We have to help her!”

  And he held the card up to the door.

  Noticing that Larxene had returned, Axel looked up from the crystal ball.

  “Whew… Throwing that battle wore me out,” she sighed.

  “Really? It looked to me like you just plain lost.” Axel smirked.

  Larxene raised her finely shaped eyebrows. “How dare you! You don’t appreciate the nuances of—”

  “An ungainly effort,” a low voice nastily broke in. “Just as Axel says.”

  “Vexen!” Larxene started.

  The man she faced wore a black cloak, the same as them. His face was even more ashen than his dull blond hair, and his glance was viciously cold.

  “How could you let yourself be humbled by someone of such meager significance? You shame the organization.”

  Larxene sulked at his rant, biting her lip.

  “How can we help you, Vexen? It’s not often we see you topside,” said Axel, trying to make the conversation productive, though he didn’t look away from the crystal ball.

  “I came to lend you a hand. You obviously believe this Sora has much potential, but I remain unconvinced he is truly worth such coddling. An experiment, I think, would show if he is really of any value to us.” Vexen’s voice was devoid of emotion. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the crystal ball.

  “Hmph. Well, here we go again,” said Larxene. “So it’s an excuse for you to carry out your little experiments. That’s all.”

  “I’m a scientist. Experiments are what I do, yes,” Vexen replied with a hint of a smirk.

  “Whatever. You can do what you want,” Axel said lightly. “But you know, I get the feeling that testing Sora is just a way for you to test your valet.”

  “Valet? He’s the product of pure research.” Vexen’s self-satisfied retort showed the only feeling he was capable of having.

  “He’s a toy. That’s what he is,” Larxene shot back.

  Vexen gave her a sharp look. “Hmph. You could stand to keep your mouth shut about things you don’t understand.”

  “Anyway… Since you came all the way up here, you’re gonna want this.” Axel gave him a cocky smile. “A humble gift for my elder! I hope you use it to put on a good show for us.”

  “Oh, how very helpful of you. Well, then, I’ll be using that… Come along.” That last was directed at a boy with silver hair.

  Through the door, Sora looked around at their new surroundings—parti-colored, strangely springy walls.

  “What a weird place! Everything’s kinda soft, and…it smells funny…”

  “It’s bouncy!” Donald said, jumping.

  “Do you remember comin’ here before?” Goofy asked Sora.

  The worlds they visited inside Castle Oblivion were made out of his memories—at least, so the people in the black cloaks had been telling them. But Sora couldn’t really remember this world.

  “Not very well… But anyway, let’s go!” Sora ran ahead.

  Whether he could remember things or not wasn’t the problem—he had to help Naminé!

  “Gee…” Goofy only stood there with his arms folded.

  “Goofy!” Sora shouted.

  He cocked his head in concentration. “But…didn’t we meet somebody here?”

  “Oh… Did we?” Donald paused to think, too.

  “C’mon, who cares who we met here before!” Sora fumed at them.

  “Oh… I guess it doesn’t matter… It’s nice and warm in here, after all. I’m startin’ to feel like a nap,” said Goofy.

  A little boy’s high voice spoke from behind him. “I think you should be a little more worried.”

  “Who’s there?!” Donald demanded.

  “You’re inside the belly of Monstro the whale,” said the boy.

  At that, Jiminy Cricket jumped out of Sora’s pocket. “Why, I know that voice… Pinocchio! Pinocch, it’s you! Come on out now!”

  The boy laughed. “Is that you, Jiminy? Gosh, I thought I’d never see you again!”

  Sora did have the feeling that he’d seen Pinocchio before.

  They’d been on the Gummi Ship, and the whale had swallowed the whole ship—and they had met Pinocchio… But hadn’t there bee
n someone else important…?

  “Oh, Pinocch, there’s no way you wouldn’t find me again. I’m your conscience. And your conscience will always be your guide. Remember?” Jiminy said gently like a kind teacher.

  “Sure, Jiminy. And I’ve been a good boy, promise. I didn’t tell a single lie.” As Pinocchio said that his nose grew longer. “Uh-oh!”

  “Well, for Pete’s sake!” Jiminy sighed, sounding terribly disappointed.

  “Oops… But how did you end up inside Monstro anyway?” Pinocchio asked Sora, trying to hide his elongated nose.

  “We, uh, sort of used a special way…,” Sora started.

  “It’s kinda hard to explain,” said Donald.

  “Oh… I was hoping you could help me and Father get out of here.” Pinocchio sighed and let his hands fall. His nose was back to its normal size.

  “Well, I’ll be! Geppetto’s here, too?” said Jiminy.

  “He sure is. Follow me!” Pinocchio dashed away.

  “Let’s go!” Sora said as Jiminy hopped back into his pocket, and they followed Pinocchio.

  In a more spacious part of the whale sat a boat, and on the deck, a lone old man paced restlessly.

  “Where have you gone… Oh, Pinocchio…”

  “Geppetto!” Jiminy called out to him.

  “Bless my soul, it’s Jiminy Cricket. How in the world did you get here?” For all that, the old man didn’t sound terribly shocked.

  “Well, you tell me! How does a clockmaker wind up in the belly of a whale?” said Jiminy from atop Sora’s head as the latter climbed up on deck.

  “I set out to sea in search of Pinocchio after he ran away, and wouldn’t you know, this great big whale swallowed up my little boat…,” Geppetto said disconsolately, then brightened again. “But lucky me—I found my son here inside the whale!”

  “Now you can’t get out, though, can you?” Sora folded his arms. “You’re stuck in the belly of a whale…”

  Being stuck…it’s just like being kept prisoner, he thought. It must be terrible. What if Naminé feels the same way right now…

  He had to help her and soon.

  “Oh, it’s not so bad, not if Pinocchio and I are together. There’s nothing better than being reunited with someone you care about.” Geppetto beamed.

  Sora understood that very well.