This material was originally published by Square Enix japan, story by Kanemaki Tomoco, Oka Masaru and Art by Amano Shiro.
I bought both books (Sora and Riku's tale) but haven't had the time to read them due to work and other commitments. But I decided to translated the prologue for you all over my xmas/new year break
I don't have the game or a 3DS, so the novels are good as gold to me
キングダム ハーツ ３D: プロログ デスティニーアイランド
Chapter 0 - Prologus - Destiny Islands
In a distant world known as the Mysterious tower, Mickey stood facing the great sorceror and his former master Yen-Sid. Once long ago, that tower became the training place in which Mickey has stayed at to gain mastery over the Keyblade - Sora himself had visited this place prior to his great battle against Xemnas. And it is also said that 'those three' had once visited this place to seek out the counsel of the great mage.
Both their (Sora and Riku) adventures soon ended, and then their memories became connected as the end of their journeys welcomed them. However, Yen Sid expression thereafter remained grave.
"Master Yen-Sid, I think we've finally worked out where Ven's heart is"
"I see...then we only have Terra left to search for"
"Right...We'll definitely rescue those three" Mickey replied with vigour
"What could Xehanort be up to next?"
"Xehanort?"
The name itself gave an air of nostalgia, Mickey leaned his head in curiosity
"Weren't his alter-selves Ansem - who commanded the Heartless, and Xemnas - who led the Nobodies were both defeated by
Sora?"
Though those battles were long concluded, however Yen Sid's large goggling cast their calm gaze outside the window.
"Certainly both entities have been vanquished, for therein lies our problem - their destruction assures the revival of the original being"
"Eh?"
Mickey swallowed his breath
"When the heart is released from the Heartless imprisoning it and the annihlation of the Nobody which animated the body - both body and heart will once again become one. Thats to say - Master Xehanort will return"
Master Xehanort. That was the name of the man who once befriended the darkness and allowed himself to be cloaked shadows of the worlds.
"What could he be planning next?"
"Xehanort is a man of many schemes"
"But if a crisis should arrive, Me and Sora - oh and Riku too will be there to stop him!" Mickey's words spilled forth at Yen Sid with confidence and determination. However, Yensid leaned forward and turned his head at Mickey as he spoke in a calm tone.
"Certainly they are strong, however amongst us you are the only master. However, what if what we face would not be only a single Xehanort?"
"Huh? Just what do you mean?!"
Yen Sid proceded to answer Mickey's question, his large eyes opened wide.
"Oh King, call and bring Sora to this place - Riku too"
"What on earth is happening?!"
"We shall hold the Mark of Mastery Examination"
And that marks the beginning of another adventure...and then it shall become a story which binds the Future and the Past.
*****************************************
Sora stood by Riku's side, a feeling of unease washed over him as he waited for Yen Sid to speak. It was great that the King's letter had requested their presence at the Mysterious tower for it was with great trouble which which Sora was able to be reunited with his dear friends Donald and Goofy as well as the King himself. But before the great Yen-Sid he would have to behave himself - something he wasn't very good at.
And then there was Riku, he seemed anxious - who knows whats going on inside his mind as he stood there pondering in silence...
"Ummm..."
Just when Sora was about to talk to Riku, Yen Sid finally opened his mouth to speak.
"Master Xehanort is an extremely gifted Keyblade master"
Sora tried to recall the person that he knew as Xehanort. The boss of the Organsation XIII Xemnas was known as Ansem when he was once human. And that the real Ansem was a great sage, his name had been swindled by this person and using this name he plunged the worlds into darkness. But the name 'Master' Xehanort, Sora felt like he didn't know who this person was. Was Xehanort and this Master Xehanort 2 different beings? Either way Sora didn't didn't have any clues as to who Master Xehanort was.
Sora decided to leave the questions he wanted to ask when Yen Sid continued:
"And it is his brilliance which is the reason for our many troubles. Using his cunning ability to manipulate others, he seeks to find out what the heart is. And he believes to find the answers with the Keyblade War."
Once again another jargon is used. The "Keyblade War"....its a term Sora feels he's never heard of before. Feeling a little confused, Sora continues to listen to Yen-Sid's explanation.
"Legends of yore spoke of the great battle between light and darkness, all to explore the true essence of the light and darkness which makes up our very hearts and this realm. At the time it became the mission of most masters, and so they chose to go on journeys in pursuit of this truth. Those journeys were long for those seekers and amidst their pursuit they soon learned that the answers have always been changing; and so soon resigned themselves as Keyblade wielders tasked with safeguarding the light. Or so that is to say, this person called Master Xehanort, not satisfied with these answers seeks to pit light against darkness in a Keyblade War to pursue the unknown truths behind the light and darkness within our hearts...but is that going to be enough? Knowing that the truth is always changing...I wonder....?"
Sora's mind was now complete in utter confusion. Peering into Riku's face, he sees that Riku's expression has only become more serious with Yen Sid's explanation, had Riku comprehended everything that was discussed so far?
"However, it is not yet the end. If perhaps, an even more menacing threat should propose itself to us in near future. We'll need to ensure we are well prepared to face it. This Master Xehanort is a person of various evils. In order for us to face his schemes, and I want you to understand that it is for this purpose that I have called you here today! Sora and Riku, I want you both to undertake the Mark of Mastery Examination"
The Mark of Mastery Examination...!
At those words, Sora and the other members in the room tensed their backs. To speak of a examination made him feel slightly uneasy - but nontheless it was an impending exam that would surely come to pass. If however, there would be any bookwork or study required for the History of the Keyblade, then he would not like it.
"Originally to become a wielder of the Keyblade, one would require several years of discipline and training. But nowadays such large amounts of time is no longer needed for the process. In expectation of Xehanort's next move, we must prepare ourselves for the upcoming battles. By that I mean you will need to learn the ways of the proper Keyblade master so that you can better handle the situation. I understand that you both have your own ways of using the Keyblade. Once you undertake this road to becoming a master, it is imperative that you both learn the correct methods along the way."
Sora had never given thought to how to properly use the Keyblade. He was sure he'd been using the keyblade properly having successfully defeated both the Heartless and the Nobodies. If that was the case, was there any need for him to undergo the exam?
Sora was becoming anxious inside, but he had to hold off what he wanted to say for the Great Yen Sid once again spoke.
"The road to a Keyblade Master, means that you will have to forget all your ways of previously handling the Keyblade and start learning anew to amend your ways."
Starting again from square one...?! Even after how strong they've come through, they would have to go back to being weak again!? Sora instinctively leaned forward in protest to appeal against Yen Sid's decision.
"I don't think we need to go that far, because I'm not losing to anybody. As long as I have Riku and the King here together with us, isn't that right Riku?"
Riku, who was standing by Sora's side looked up, his expression stern.
"Deep down...Inside my heart, the darkness still lies dormant"
Raising his arm forward, he materialised the blade known as the 'Soul Eater' into his palm.
"I, who once walked the path of darkness, am I really worthy of wielding the Keyblade? That alone I want to find out for myself"
"Riku..." Sora replied slightly crestfallen
So it was this which had been troubling Riku for a while now; every now and then Riku would have a tendency to reflect upon this - it was something Sora was unaware of. Sora thought to himself..."Thats why I too...."
"Then I too, will take the examination too ~ Together with Riku, we'll both become Keyblade Masters At Sora's announcement, Riku's face lit up slightly with a smile on his lips. The faces of the King, Donald and Goofy relaxed into relief as they exchanged glances.
Yen Sid then spoke to the two candidates before him
"Very well then, Sora and Riku - let the examination now commence!"
*********
He always had the same feeling each time he heard those sounds - the sound of waves against the sand, This was the place called Destiny Islands. This was an Island on the home world of Riku and Sora - of which was also the homeworld of one other. Standing on the beach, Sora and Riku gazed at the horizon. Their outfits were different to the ones they had just a moment ago when they were still speaking with Yen Sid. It seemed their appearance had returned to how they looked when they first left the Islands precisely one year ago. Eitherway, it also seemed that any bodily growth they had undergone (*cough* growth spurt *cough*) was also reversed to the body they had 1 year ago.
So this was what he meant by having to "to forget all your ways of previously handling the Keyblade and start learning anew to amend your ways." Apart from that Yen Sid spoke alot about other things, of which Sora did not quite grasp nor understand.
Anyway all he understood was he needed to fight, win and pass the exam....that was all to it right...?
"If we take the raft, there might be someplace we can go?" Sora spoke as he watched the horizon, Riku listened.
"I don't know, but we'll think of something if that happens" Riku replied as he started walking along the coast towards the raft. It was the same raft they had built together that day a year ago.
"If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?"
Riku had said that at the time. Indeed there were many worlds out there, and from them he met and made even more friends. But Sora had never asked himself how did Riku come to learn about the existance of worlds out there, or rather he himself never gave the idea of the existance of worlds other than his own a serious thought. Regardless, it was and had always been on his best friend's (Riku's) mind the whole time.
The waters surrounding the islands had started off as gentle and calm, but it was different for the waters in the open ocean. As an hour soon passed them by, the skies began to darken and the currents began to flow.
"Riku, theres a storm coming" Sora spoke anxiously. The winds were sharp and cold and the thunders began to boom in the skies above.
"I see, the tide has began to rise" Riku replied as he edged closer to the sails.
"Furl the sail"
"Okay"
Immediately after Riku had finished, just when Sora was about to make his way towards the sail, a massive gust of wind blasted at them. The gale violently stirred at the mast of the raft causing it to bend.
"Uwah!"
Sora clung to the raft with his dear life, Riku on the other hand was sent flying into the sea along with the mast. Riku was just barely clinging on to the mast, of which kept him afloat.
"Riku!"
"Im fine!"
Just when Sora was about to extend his hand towards Riku, suddenly something strange began undulating under the waves. And then, the waters suddenly began to be consumed in a vortex-like maelstrom. The center of the whirling waters was coloured pitch black, as if a large vacant black hole had opened up.
"What the-?" Riku muttered as he watched a massive purple tentacle emerge from the water surfaces moments later.
Finally, the from the foaming waters a huge monster emerged - No not a monster, Ursula's laughter boomed through the air as her figure rose into view. When Ursula was in Atlantica, she was the witch who tricked Ariel.
"So its true, you really are here. He was absolutely right, time for me to repay you back for what you did to me!" Ursula shrieked as she sent her tentacles surging towards Sora and Riku.
"Ursula! You're in the exam too!?"
Sora's hand brimmed as he readied the Keyblade in palm.
"Sora! Now's not the time to ponder this!"
"Gotcha!" Sora Replied
Meanwhile Riku, by using Ursula's tentacles as a stepping-stone - he soon dashed back to the raft.
"This time, thats not going to work again!" Ursula belted.
She then used her tentacles to lift the raft up high (so that if anyone fell off, they won't be able to get back on). Laughing loudly she began firing off thunderbolts, Sora and Riku's battle had just begun.
"Its time for my revenge!!"
From Ursula's face, which was 5 times Sora's size, began to fire gigantic bubble from her mouth, however Sora was able to deflect them with ease. Even if Sora was to leave behind the way he used to handle the Keyblade, at least he was still able to hang onto the basics of combat - this time he had Riku by his side.
"Alright! Let's go!"
Atop the raft, Sora and Riku both began to rush towards Ursula as they struck out blow after blow with all their might. Ursula shrieked as she began to fade in defeat.
But from the impact generated from Ursula's destruction, both Sora and Riku were thrown into the raging waters. From there they began to sink deeply towards the depths of the seas. From amidst their hazy consciousness, they glimpsed a distant glimmer.
Is that a Keyhole....?
Within the hands of Sora and Riku appeared their keyblades, and from their tips a bright light was released towards the keyhole - opening it. Both Sora and Riku would be bundled together and engulfed by the light of the opened Keyhole moments later. From there, both Sora and Riku were just able to catch the glimpse of a silhouette in the distance. It appeared to be a man robed in a light-brown coat.
"This world has been connected...."
That was the last thing Sora saw in his trance-like state, after which he lost consciousness. Slowly, both Sora and Riku would drop into their dreams as they fell deep into sleep.
There you go ~ Hope you enjoyed that - This was a quick uneditted translation so forgive my typos and grammer imperfections.
I'm still learning japanese so this was certainly a good challenge for me.
This material was originally published by Square Enix japan, story by Kanemaki Tomoco, Oka Masaru and Art by Amano Shiro.
I bought both books (Sora and Riku's tale) but haven't had the time to read them due to work and other commitments. But I decided to translated the prologue for you all over my xmas/new year break
I don't have the game or a 3DS, so the novels are good as gold to me
キングダム ハーツ ３D: プロログ デスティニーアイランド
Chapter 0 - Prologus - Destiny Islands
In a distant world known as the Mysterious tower, Mickey stood facing the great sorceror and his former master Yen-Sid.
Once long ago, that tower became the training place in which Mickey has stayed at to gain mastery over the Keyblade - Sora himself had visited this place prior to his great battle against Xemnas. And it is also said that 'those three' had once visited this place to seek out the counsel of the great mage.
Both their (Sora and Riku) adventures soon ended, and then their memories became connected as the end of their journeys welcomed them. However, Yen Sid expression thereafter remained grave.
"Master Yen-Sid, I think we've finally worked out where Ven's heart is"
"I see...then we only have Terra left to search for"
"Right...We'll definitely rescue those three"
Mickey replied with vigour
"What could Xehanort be up to next?"
"Xehanort?"
The name itself gave an air of nostalgia, Mickey leaned his head in curiosity
"Weren't his alter-selves Ansem - who commanded the Heartless, and Xemnas - who led the Nobodies were both defeated by
Sora?"
Though those battles were long concluded, however Yen Sid's large goggling cast their calm gaze outside the window.
"Certainly both entities have been vanquished, for therein lies our problem - their destruction assures the revival of the original being"
"Eh?"
Mickey swallowed his breath
"When the heart is released from the Heartless imprisoning it and the annihlation of the Nobody which animated the body - both body and heart will once again become one. Thats to say - Master Xehanort will return"
Master Xehanort. That was the name of the man who once befriended the darkness and allowed himself to be cloaked shadows of the worlds.
"What could he be planning next?"
"Xehanort is a man of many schemes"
"But if a crisis should arrive, Me and Sora - oh and Riku too will be there to stop him!"
Mickey's words spilled forth at Yen Sid with confidence and determination. However, Yensid leaned forward and turned his head at Mickey as he spoke in a calm tone.
"Certainly they are strong, however amongst us you are the only master. However, what if what we face would not be only a single Xehanort?"
"Huh? Just what do you mean?!"
Yen Sid proceded to answer Mickey's question, his large eyes opened wide.
"Oh King, call and bring Sora to this place - Riku too"
"What on earth is happening?!"
"We shall hold the Mark of Mastery Examination"
And that marks the beginning of another adventure...and then it shall become a story which binds the Future and the Past.
*****************************************
Sora stood by Riku's side, a feeling of unease washed over him as he waited for Yen Sid to speak. It was great that the King's letter had requested their presence at the Mysterious tower for it was with great trouble which which Sora was able to be reunited with his dear friends Donald and Goofy as well as the King himself. But before the great Yen-Sid he would have to behave himself - something he wasn't very good at.
And then there was Riku, he seemed anxious - who knows whats going on inside his mind as he stood there pondering in silence...
"Ummm..."
Just when Sora was about to talk to Riku, Yen Sid finally opened his mouth to speak.
"Master Xehanort is an extremely gifted Keyblade master"
Sora tried to recall the person that he knew as Xehanort. The boss of the Organsation XIII Xemnas was known as Ansem when he was once human. And that the real Ansem was a great sage, his name had been swindled by this person and using this name he plunged the worlds into darkness. But the name 'Master' Xehanort, Sora felt like he didn't know who this person was. Was Xehanort and this Master Xehanort 2 different beings? Either way Sora didn't didn't have any clues as to who Master Xehanort was.
Sora decided to leave the questions he wanted to ask when Yen Sid continued:
"And it is his brilliance which is the reason for our many troubles. Using his cunning ability to manipulate others, he seeks to find out what the heart is. And he believes to find the answers with the Keyblade War."
Once again another jargon is used. The "Keyblade War"....its a term Sora feels he's never heard of before. Feeling a little confused, Sora continues to listen to Yen-Sid's explanation.
"Legends of yore spoke of the great battle between light and darkness, all to explore the true essence of the light and darkness which makes up our very hearts and this realm. At the time it became the mission of most masters, and so they chose to go on journeys in pursuit of this truth. Those journeys were long for those seekers and amidst their pursuit they soon learned that the answers have always been changing; and so soon resigned themselves as Keyblade wielders tasked with safeguarding the light. Or so that is to say, this person called Master Xehanort, not satisfied with these answers seeks to pit light against darkness in a Keyblade War to pursue the unknown truths behind the light and darkness within our hearts...but is that going to be enough? Knowing that the truth is always changing...I wonder....?"
Sora's mind was now complete in utter confusion. Peering into Riku's face, he sees that Riku's expression has only become more serious with Yen Sid's explanation, had Riku comprehended everything that was discussed so far?
"However, it is not yet the end. If perhaps, an even more menacing threat should propose itself to us in near future. We'll need to ensure we are well prepared to face it. This Master Xehanort is a person of various evils. In order for us to face his schemes, and I want you to understand that it is for this purpose that I have called you here today! Sora and Riku, I want you both to undertake the Mark of Mastery Examination"
The Mark of Mastery Examination...!
At those words, Sora and the other members in the room tensed their backs. To speak of a examination made him feel slightly uneasy - but nontheless it was an impending exam that would surely come to pass. If however, there would be any bookwork or study required for the History of the Keyblade, then he would not like it.
"Originally to become a wielder of the Keyblade, one would require several years of discipline and training. But nowadays such large amounts of time is no longer needed for the process. In expectation of Xehanort's next move, we must prepare ourselves for the upcoming battles. By that I mean you will need to learn the ways of the proper Keyblade master so that you can better handle the situation. I understand that you both have your own ways of using the Keyblade. Once you undertake this road to becoming a master, it is imperative that you both learn the correct methods along the way."
Sora had never given thought to how to properly use the Keyblade. He was sure he'd been using the keyblade properly having successfully defeated both the Heartless and the Nobodies. If that was the case, was there any need for him to undergo the exam?
Sora was becoming anxious inside, but he had to hold off what he wanted to say for the Great Yen Sid once again spoke.
"The road to a Keyblade Master, means that you will have to forget all your ways of previously handling the Keyblade and start learning anew to amend your ways."
Starting again from square one...?! Even after how strong they've come through, they would have to go back to being weak again!? Sora instinctively leaned forward in protest to appeal against Yen Sid's decision.
"I don't think we need to go that far, because I'm not losing to anybody. As long as I have Riku and the King here together with us, isn't that right Riku?"
Riku, who was standing by Sora's side looked up, his expression stern.
"Deep down...Inside my heart, the darkness still lies dormant"
Raising his arm forward, he materialised the blade known as the 'Soul Eater' into his palm.
"I, who once walked the path of darkness, am I really worthy of wielding the Keyblade? That alone I want to find out for myself"
"Riku..." Sora replied slightly crestfallen
So it was this which had been troubling Riku for a while now; every now and then Riku would have a tendency to reflect upon this - it was something Sora was unaware of. Sora thought to himself..."Thats why I too...."
"Then I too, will take the examination too ~ Together with Riku, we'll both become Keyblade Masters
At Sora's announcement, Riku's face lit up slightly with a smile on his lips. The faces of the King, Donald and Goofy relaxed into relief as they exchanged glances.
Yen Sid then spoke to the two candidates before him
"Very well then, Sora and Riku - let the examination now commence!"
*********
He always had the same feeling each time he heard those sounds - the sound of waves against the sand, This was the place called Destiny Islands. This was an Island on the home world of Riku and Sora - of which was also the homeworld of one other. Standing on the beach, Sora and Riku gazed at the horizon. Their outfits were different to the ones they had just a moment ago when they were still speaking with Yen Sid. It seemed their appearance had returned to how they looked when they first left the Islands precisely one year ago. Eitherway, it also seemed that any bodily growth they had undergone (*cough* growth spurt *cough*) was also reversed to the body they had 1 year ago.
So this was what he meant by having to "to forget all your ways of previously handling the Keyblade and start learning anew to amend your ways." Apart from that Yen Sid spoke alot about other things, of which Sora did not quite grasp nor understand.
Anyway all he understood was he needed to fight, win and pass the exam....that was all to it right...?
"If we take the raft, there might be someplace we can go?" Sora spoke as he watched the horizon, Riku listened.
"I don't know, but we'll think of something if that happens" Riku replied as he started walking along the coast towards the raft. It was the same raft they had built together that day a year ago.
"If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?"
Riku had said that at the time. Indeed there were many worlds out there, and from them he met and made even more friends. But Sora had never asked himself how did Riku come to learn about the existance of worlds out there, or rather he himself never gave the idea of the existance of worlds other than his own a serious thought. Regardless, it was and had always been on his best friend's (Riku's) mind the whole time.
The waters surrounding the islands had started off as gentle and calm, but it was different for the waters in the open ocean. As an hour soon passed them by, the skies began to darken and the currents began to flow.
"Riku, theres a storm coming" Sora spoke anxiously. The winds were sharp and cold and the thunders began to boom in the skies above.
"I see, the tide has began to rise" Riku replied as he edged closer to the sails.
"Furl the sail"
"Okay"
Immediately after Riku had finished, just when Sora was about to make his way towards the sail, a massive gust of wind blasted at them. The gale violently stirred at the mast of the raft causing it to bend.
"Uwah!"
Sora clung to the raft with his dear life, Riku on the other hand was sent flying into the sea along with the mast. Riku was just barely clinging on to the mast, of which kept him afloat.
"Riku!"
"Im fine!"
Just when Sora was about to extend his hand towards Riku, suddenly something strange began undulating under the waves. And then, the waters suddenly began to be consumed in a vortex-like maelstrom. The center of the whirling waters was coloured pitch black, as if a large vacant black hole had opened up.
"What the-?" Riku muttered as he watched a massive purple tentacle emerge from the water surfaces moments later.
Finally, the from the foaming waters a huge monster emerged - No not a monster, Ursula's laughter boomed through the air as her figure rose into view. When Ursula was in Atlantica, she was the witch who tricked Ariel.
"So its true, you really are here. He was absolutely right, time for me to repay you back for what you did to me!" Ursula shrieked as she sent her tentacles surging towards Sora and Riku.
"Ursula! You're in the exam too!?"
Sora's hand brimmed as he readied the Keyblade in palm.
"Sora! Now's not the time to ponder this!"
"Gotcha!" Sora Replied
Meanwhile Riku, by using Ursula's tentacles as a stepping-stone - he soon dashed back to the raft.
"This time, thats not going to work again!" Ursula belted.
She then used her tentacles to lift the raft up high (so that if anyone fell off, they won't be able to get back on). Laughing loudly she began firing off thunderbolts, Sora and Riku's battle had just begun.
"Its time for my revenge!!"
From Ursula's face, which was 5 times Sora's size, began to fire gigantic bubble from her mouth, however Sora was able to deflect them with ease. Even if Sora was to leave behind the way he used to handle the Keyblade, at least he was still able to hang onto the basics of combat - this time he had Riku by his side.
"Alright! Let's go!"
Atop the raft, Sora and Riku both began to rush towards Ursula as they struck out blow after blow with all their might. Ursula shrieked as she began to fade in defeat.
But from the impact generated from Ursula's destruction, both Sora and Riku were thrown into the raging waters. From there they began to sink deeply towards the depths of the seas. From amidst their hazy consciousness, they glimpsed a distant glimmer.
Is that a Keyhole....?
Within the hands of Sora and Riku appeared their keyblades, and from their tips a bright light was released towards the keyhole - opening it. Both Sora and Riku would be bundled together and engulfed by the light of the opened Keyhole moments later. From there, both Sora and Riku were just able to catch the glimpse of a silhouette in the distance. It appeared to be a man robed in a light-brown coat.
"This world has been connected...."
That was the last thing Sora saw in his trance-like state, after which he lost consciousness. Slowly, both Sora and Riku would drop into their dreams as they fell deep into sleep.
There you go ~ Hope you enjoyed that - This was a quick uneditted translation so forgive my typos and grammer imperfections.
I'm still learning japanese so this was certainly a good challenge for me.
ありがとう ございます!