Text Kingdom Hearts - Borrowed Keys

[ShatteredGem 99]

An alternate adaption of the Secret World of Arrietty from Studio Ghibli made to fit within the Kingdom Hearts universe. Some characters will be replaced, and some events will play out differently. Some characters may not make appearances at all! Besides that, this story is not canon. Without further ado, let's get into the story.

 

Prologue

 

"Donald? Goofy?"

"Wak? What is it, Sora?"

"I'm not sure about this, but have you met anyone else with a Keyblade in the past? You know, besides me, the King, Riku, and Xehanort..." 

"Well, there was that feller Venquist..."

"Call him Ven!"
"I know about him. Anyone else?"
"Err... Oh! I remember! There was this one time the Gummi Ship acted all funny, and sent us back in time. We were sent to a place called Daybreak Town. We met up with someone who had a Keyblade there, and the King helped us out!"

"Does that ring a bell, Donald?"

"No... I don't think it does, but it sounds familiar."

"Alright. So it's called Daybreak Town, right? What did it look like?"

"There were lots of pretty gardens, ah-hyuck... a clock tower... and some shops and a market in the town."
"Sounds cool. Wish I could have been there with you guys... I can almost imagine it. Well... It's best that we get going. We can't keep stalling for time like this. We've got to head to Twilight Town if we're gonna find a way to bring Roxas back."

 

Time passed... the trio sat in the Gummi Ship, looking for the gate to Twilight Town...

"It's missing... Goofy? What was that you said before, after we left from Yen Sid's tower?"

"May your heart be your guiding key?"

"Yeah, that's it. Maybe... we're not supposed to go to Twilight Town yet. Maybe we're supposed to head somewhere else? That's what my heart seems to be saying.

"Lead the way, Sora! We'll be right behind you!" Donald quacked. Sora nodded, and raised the Keyblade forward... a mysterious, teal door appeared, emblazoned with a star on the top. It slowly opened to make way for the Gummi Ship... and out past the door was the town Donald and Goofy spoke of.

 

Chapter 1 - A New World -

Sora had awoke somewhere high up. He just knew he had... he had the feeling that down below was a long fall... and he was right. Standing up, he looked down from wherever he was... He was on a bookcase in a shop somewhere... A familiar, nostalgic scent filled his nostrils. It was a Moogle Shop. In the distance was a Moogle, sitting at the counter and sleeping on the job. But... something seemed... off. Where were Donald and Goofy?

"Donald? Goofy?" Sora cried out. No response, but he heard a voice from somebody in the room. It wasn't the Moogle, that was for sure. He was asleep.

"Shush! You'll wake him up!" A voice had cried out.

"Who's there?" Sora glanced around, and saw someone far below him. This shop was awfully large... Or... had he shrunk, like what happened in that other world, with Buzz and Woody? "I'm not a toy, that's for sure. But what I'm wearing... are these... buttons?" He glanced over his outfit. A plaid vest was worn over his shirt... It felt like a scrap from some fabric, but it was comfortable. On his shoulders were some plastic buttons for armor, and on his crown necklace was made from thread, aside from the crown pendant itself. As for his shorts, there were gigantic zippers over on where his pockets would be, and he wore some comfortable boots that looked like they were made from the same materials as gloves. The whole get-up looked like something you'd put together if you were four inches tall.

"Down here! You're out borrowing too, aren't you?" The same voice from before whispered.

"Borrowing...?"

"You know, borrowing things from the human beans. Like extra sugar cubes, springs from mousetraps, things that they won't notice." Sora looked down to find a girl a couple years younger than him, around fourteen, showing off a bag containing a thimble, a spring, and a sugar cube for tea.

"Wouldn't that be stealing?"

"No. It's not. Now could you get down from the shelf? Talking like this might get attention. Borrowers aren't supposed to be seen by humans... That's what my dad says, anyway."

"Alright, I'll be right down." Sora jumped up from the bookshelf, diving onto the table where the girl stood. When he landed, she looked over him and nodded.

"You look sharp. But first, let's get some where out of sight, okay?" The girl had ginger red hair, and wore a red dress. At her waist was a sword... No. Upon closer investigation, it was a pin... but it worked, if you were a borrower. She gestured for Sora to follow her behind a menu for the shop's items. Sora quickly followed, a bit intrigued by the whole layout of this world...

"My name's Arrietty. I'm a borrower." Arrietty bowed, and offered her hand for a handshake.

"I'm Sora. Nice to meet you, Arrietty. So... really... what exactly is a borrower? And where am I? I kind of just got here."
"Don't you know? You're one yourself."
"Listen, I'm no thief."

"We're not thieves. That's correct. But we're borrowers."

"I'm a bit confused. I'll try to explain my side. I'm from another world... and I'm human. Apparently when I got here, I shrank and I was separated from my friends, Donald and Goofy. Have you seen them?"

"No. Sorry... So you're from another world? So am I!"

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"Well, one night, my family and I were out watching the sky from the grating in a house we moved into, since we were 'seen'. It was then I saw something in the sky, and I wound up here."

"Did you make a wish?"

"Yes."

"What was your wish, Arrietty?"

"I wanted to find another friend. A couple days ago I met up with a human... we were friends for a good time... but we had to leave each other. He had surgery, and I had to move... But it's fine. I'm sure he knows I'm okay."

"That's good to know... Say, I think your wish has already been granted. We're friends now, aren't we? Now, how's about answering my question?"

"Do you know how sometimes people lose things, like thimbles or sugar cubes? When you feel like you've put something somewhere but can't find it? That's us. We take things humans won't notice or need, and use it to survive."

"Ah, so that's where my stuff went! I always thought I lost track of things back home... So you're all tiny people?"

"By human standards, yes."

"Alright. I think I get it now. Now how about the other question...?"

"This is Daybreak Town, and we're inside the Moogle Shop. It's a place where Keyblade holders go to talk and meet up."
"Keyblade?"

"I don't quite know what those are, but they seem pretty handy. From what I've seen, they're able to unlock doors and fight those shadowy monsters I see around sometimes."

"Heartless?"

"Yeah. That's what they're called, I think."

"I have a Keyblade of my own. If you want, we could go borrowing together. You look like you might need some help." Sora summoned his Keyblade... the Kingdom Key.

"Thanks, Sora, but I think I've already gotten the weeks' worth of borrowings. You could help me on the way back home though. It's through the walls and under the floorboards. I think your Keyblade might come in handy with the screws so we can get down there fast."

"I'll see what I can do." Sora nodded, looking down at the floor from the table.