[Update! Same Chapter just letting you know the print version Presence: The Marked is now available as well! Hope you all enjoyed Rebukegeddon!]

Disclaimer: Don't Own Kingdom Hearts…yet, still need to harvest more hearts. But I do own Presence: The Marked by L.J. Branch, available now on Amazon.

All support helps!

Now, how does the saying go? One more time but with feeling?

This is my story Sora's Life is a Game but reimagined with the KH3 lore.

Whether this is what is updated or the first version depends on you.

In this version you will get a higher quality story (less typos, less grammar fails. More stream-lined plot), There will be a total of 8 "Episodes." (With ".5" short chapters in between acting as epilogues) They will be Long chapters which will cover each arc without the need of a part 1 or part 2, and an overall better experience altogether.

Also, both versions share the same ending so honestly you won't miss out much.

Just let me know which you would prefer to see in the reviews.

BETAED BY: Will S. LaVi (I believe the saying is "Once more with Feeling" Lord Rebuke.)

This is why I keep you around Will! Learn something new every day!

Featured BGMs:

Simple and Clean (Fast version) – Birth By Sleep OST

Fight Back - Neffex

Episode 0: Yozora

-Realm of Darkness-

"…ra.."

"…ora…!"

"Yozora!"

Sky blue eyes snapped open in alarm as a young brunette male sat up instantly. His heart thundered in his chest as he looked around at the deserted beach quickly, as if he expected an enemy attack. However, when no such threat could be found he allowed his nerves to calm.

"Finally. I thought you were going to sleep the day away."

With an eyeroll, Yozora moved to the edge of the shore and sat down so that he could look down into the water. However, instead of seeing his reflection like others would, he saw what could best be described as a feminine shadow. Her short hair, her skin, and her sclera were all pitch black. Her irises were a glowing red that matched the crimson light he could see in her mouth when she spoke.

"Day, you know you and the old man keep mentioning that word as if I am supposed to know what it means or something." Yozora said as he raised an eyebrow and the strange creature paused as if considering his words.

"Well for you, I suppose you never knew what day was. This darkness is all that you know."

"I'm starting to think that this darkness is all that there is." Yozora said with a derisive snort. "You and the old man can tell me all of the stories about these other worlds that you want, but we both know they are just that, Rage, stories."

"Now don't be like that, Zora, the old man said that once you're ready you will go out and see the worlds for yourself." The being known as Rage responded as Yozora scoffed.

"And when will that be!? I've been on this beach forever, following his lessons, and no matter how strong I get, it's never enough!" Yozora growled, his blue eyes turning red as wisps of darkness formed around his body.

"Probably because after all this time you still have the emotional control of a toddler, not that you even know what that is." Rage said sarcastically. "Calm down, as much as I love it when you feed me, the last thing we need is for the old man to push back your departure date even further because of your shitty temper."

"Sorry." Yozora apologized as he closed his eyes and forced back his anger.

"You can't remember anything before this realm but I was there. I was there and bore witness to an unspeakable treachery." Rage said patiently. "The old man has his reasons, especially if this is how you act when faced with a little irritation."

"I'm just tired of not having any answers."

"Understandable, but remember, you will get them when time is right. I wish I could tell you but I promised the geezer that I'd let him handle it. Speaking of that, it's almost time for your lessons, maybe you will get an answer or two this time? That's if you actually managed to give an S grade performance."

"Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right." Rage said proudly as she puffed her chest proudly, and Yozora couldn't help but note that the crimson heart emblem that rests above her bust seemed to shine a bit brighter than usual. "Now got get that S and remember, I'm always with you." Rage said as she pressed her hand up against the surface of the darkened water. "Two souls…"

"…one heart." Yozora said as he pressed his hand against the water, right above hers. Rage smiled before her image vanished as a scorching yet comfortable sensation filled Yozora's chest. Standing up, Yozora dusted the sand off of his clothes before he turned to face a cliff in the distance where he saw a small silhouette standing.

-Later-

As Yozora made his way up the cliff he saw dozens of rusted key-shaped weapons. Lazily, Yozora pried one from the ground and slung it over his shoulder as he made it to his destination. Now atop of the cliff, Yozora looked forward to find a tall bald bearded man with dark skin gazing out at the moon with his hands folded behind his back.

"You're almost late." The old man said, which made Yozora smirk.

"But I'm not."

"Yes, and I suppose I have Rage to thank for that?" The old man mused, which made Yozora pout.

"Hey, I can be punctual!" Yozora protested only for the old man to snort, clearly not believing that in the slightest.

"I'll believe that when you can actually give me a performance worthy of a keyblade master." The old man said as he turned to face Yozora, gazing at him hard with his golden eyes.

"Well get ready to eat your words because that day? That's today!" Yozora said proudly as he aimed the rusted keyblade at his soon to be opponent. "Master Xehanort, today is the day I win!"

"Is that so? Well then, enough talking. Show me what you've learned!"

BGM: Simple and Clean (Fast version)- Birth By Sleep OST

Yozora's eyes widened in alarm as he found himself instantly surrounded by dozens of keyblades that floated around him and created a dome of impending destruction. Before he could even blink, they all crashed into him with enough force to shake the cliff and obscure him in a cloud of dust.

"Hmph, oh how you've grown." Xehanort said as the dust settled and revealed a crouching Yozora who's body was covered in a dark aura that prevented the blades from piercing him. With a roar Yozora forced himself to his feet as the aura exploded from his body and scattered the keyblades across the battlefield. "Come, boy." Xehanort said as he removed his hands from behind his back and summoned his keyblade to his hand.

Yozora ran forward instantly as the scattered keyblades shot toward him. As he ran, Yozora batted each away with ease before he leapt up and descended upon Xehanort with a powerful earth-shattering slash. However, Xehanort simply parried it before he punched Yozora in his stomach with his free hand. This sent Yozora flying back but he quickly recovered and landed on his feet in a crouch.

"Back at you!" Yozora shouted as he shot forward and released a counter assault on Xehanort. Though the keyblade master parried all of the attacks, he found himself pushed back off of the cliff by Yozora's brute strength alone.

"I daresay, somewhere behind all of this power is actual skill." Xehanort chuckled as the fight moved to the skies. Immediately, the two shot toward each other, their weapons slamming against each other with enough force to send a ripple throughout the ocean beneath them. As their keyblades struggled for dominance, they glared into each other's eyes. "There, there is the look I was so familiar with."

"What?" Yozora asked, his eyes widening in confusion and Xehanort used this moment of distraction to turn the battle in his favor. Knocking Yozora's weapon to the side, Xehanort began to release a flurry of strikes that Yozora was only just barely able to avoid. Though he was old, he was far from weak and eventually slammed his boot into Yozora's chest, which sent the younger man down to the ocean. Yozora's body skipped across its surface a few times before he recovered and instantly shot back up at Xehanort, with both of his hands gripping his weapon tightly.

"Show me how you'd deal with this." Xehanort said as his body floated in front of the moon as a torrent of broken keyblades flew up from behind him and shot down toward Yozora. Gritting his teeth, Yozora glared at the weapons as he got them all into his line of sight.

[Shotlock: MAX!]

Yozora's keyblade was engulfed in an aura of darkness as time slowed to a crawl. With an unparalleled ferocity, Yozora tore through each of the keyblades. Yozora cleaved each in half as he met Xehanort overwhelming offense with one of his own.

"Not bad, but you must work on your tunnel vision." Xehanort said as Yozora tore through the last one. When Yozora looked up, his eyes widened when he could no longer spot his master. A chill went down his spine as he turned around just in time to block a powerful strike from Xehanort whose keyblade was also shrouded in darkness. It was only because of his quick reaction speed that Yozora survived.

The same could not be said about his keyblade.

The force of Xehanort's attack shattered Yozora's keyblade and sent him crashing down into the ocean. The air immediately left Yozora's mouth in a rush of bubbles after he found himself submerged in the dark waters. His vision darkened as his body continued to rapidly descend into the ocean. When he hit the bottom, his body bounced and floated up. Yozora looked on in confusion when instead of seeing sand and dirt at the ocean floor, he found himself staring at a stained-glass mural of…

…himself?

BGM: END

Though his clothes were different, Yozora knew immediately that the mural was depicting himself who seemed to be locked in some sort of slumber. It was then something else caught his eye, something that was stabbed into to mural.

A keyblade.

Though unlike the one's he was used to seeing, this one looked as well kept as Master Xehanort's. It had a simple design, sporting a simple silver key shaped blade with teeth that resembled a crown. Its handle was golden and the silver chain had a mouse-shaped emblem at its end.

"You just going to stare at it!? Pick it up! The fight is still going on!" Rage boomed and Yozora watched as she materialized in front of the keyblade.

BGM: Fight Back- Neffex

"Well!? That bastard went for the kill! You going to let him get away with that?" Rage question angrily as she gripped the blade. It was then Yozora felt the burning in his chest intensify. "That's what I thought! Don't just take that, fucking fight back!"

Yozora's hand reached out to the blade instantly.

-With Xehanort-

"Oh?" Xehanort questioned as a large whirlpool appeared in the ocean, forcing the water separate which allowed him gaze down at the ocean floor. A grin split his face when he saw Yozora crouched before the Kingdom Key on top of his mural. "That's it, let the rage take over." Xehanort said as Yozora's eyes shone red while cracks began to form across the mural. Before it completely shattered, Xehanort swore he saw the slumbering boy depicted open its eyes which were also filled with a crimson light.

[Rage Mode: Activated!]

Yozora's screams turned into a roared that shook the realm itself as he succumbed to the darkness.

"That's it feed me, give me everything! Lose yourself!" Rage roared as Xehanort aimed his keyblade at Yozora.

"There! That's it! Show me the power born from betrayal–" Xehanort stopped when a beam of crimson light shot past him faster than he could react. Eyes wide, he shakily glanced back to find Yozora behind him with his back toward him. Xehanort also saw his own keyblade behind him which confused him until he realized that he had been relieved of his right arm. Biting back a scream, Xehanort summoned his keyblade to his free hand and shot up at Yozora only for him to vanish into thin air with his pure speed alone. Feeling a dark presence behind him, Xehanort was unable to defend himself when a powerful kick to his side shattered his ribs and sent him flying back.

"That's no where near enough, more!" Rage boomed as Yozora felt his power grow.

"Curaga!"Xehanort shouted as his light restored his body. This proved to matter little however as Yozora released a roar powerful enough to send him crashing into the side of the cliff, shattering it and many of his bones in the process. Xehanort dropped his blade in pain before a crimson beam of light slammed into him from the side and knocked him back up into the air. From every direction the beam continued to slam into him, knocking him higher and higher into the air until the beam shot past him and stopped in front of the moon. When the light dispersed Yozora could be seen in front of the moon, bathed in its light as his darkness covered Kingdom Key was cocked back.

"Do it Yozora!" Rage shouted as Yozora's body was engulfed by the crimson energy before he shot down at Xehanort, forming a beam of light that slammed into his chest and sent him crashing down to the sandy shore below. Upon impact, a dome of crimson energy erupted that rose far above where the cliff once stood and continued to spread out engulfing everything in sight.

BGM: END

Eventually when the light died down, Yozora fell to his knees and stabbed the Kingdom Key into the ground before him to brace himself. As he panted, the darkness dissipated from around him as he returned to his normal state. Tiredly, Yozora looked up weakly at the broken form of his master, idly wondering how in the world he was still alive.

"Well…look at that." Xehanort said his keyblade fell between them, broken into fragments. "Looks like it's your win, Yozora."

Y

O

Z

O

R

A

Yozora looked on in confusion as his name appeared in front of him vertically, each letter forged from light.

"It's time I returned this to you." Xehanort said weakly before what appeared to be a small sphere of light appeared from his chest, nearly blinding Yozora with its intensity.

"What…what is that?" Yozora asked in confusion.

"A piece of your heart." Xehanort answered. "Long ago, I devised a plan that would allow me to be the savior this multiverse needed. This plan was decades in the making and transcended time itself. However, time and time again my plan was hindered by a boy who continued to stand in my way."

"Sora." Yozora answered, having heard this tale from his master countless times.

"Before our final battle, I tried to break him by destroying the one he loved and using her heart to finish my goals. Yet, despite the blow I dealt to him, his spirit still refused to break and he defeated me in more ways than one as he earned my respect." Xehanort continued quietly. "He would later sacrifice himself to restore his love but this sacrifice was not his end."

"What…what do you mean?" Yozora questioned in confusion as a sinking feeling filled his stomach.

"He ended up on another adventure, and then another one, and as I watched down on him, I saw him gather allies, powerful allies that followed him and him alone." Xehanort said before smirking. "You see, despite his protests, he eventually came to the same conclusion I had. That Kingdom Hearts needed a ruler. The fight for it would never end and it needed to either be destroyed or used. Destroying it would kill everyone so he chose to be its king…and then…it happened."

"What happened!?"

"The betrayal."

The venom with which those two words were spoken by Rage sent a chill down Yozora's spine.

"He made it to Kingdom Hearts and sat upon its throne but before the power could be his…he was betrayed by one he held dearest. Even I was appalled by what I saw and I truly could not tell you the motivation behind this betrayal." Xehanort said as his eyes seemed to dim. "One of his allies took the brunt of the attack against him, destroying her body to save his but even so she could not protect his heart which shattered into eight pieces, four light and four dark. One of the fragments of light clung to him and his ally as they descended into this realm."

"And the other seven?" Yozora questioned apprehensively.

"The powerful allies that I mentioned. There were seven in particular that either bore a heart of pure light or pure darkness. The other fragments bound to them, seeking a sanctuary through their bond with Sora." Xehanort then grimaced. "However, their hearts were only meant to contain either light or darkness, not both. The dark fragments sought out those with hearts of light and the light fragments sought solace in the hearts of darkness. This transformed the seven into something new, something dangerous…something powerful. They call themselves the Queens of Twilight, each bearing a sin and virtue born from either their or Sora's heart."

"What happened to them?"

"You must understand. Kingdom Hearts magnifies the power of the heart indefinitely, along with their emotions." Xehanort explained. "Their anger…their rage threatened to destroy Kingdom Hearts which would have destroyed everything. So, the one who sacrificed her body sealed their rage inside of her."

"But you said her body was destroyed!"

"It was, but not her heart." Xehanort said pointedly which made Yozora's heart skip a beat. "The rage was sealed inside of her but the heart cannot remain incomplete for long. Do not think just because their rage isn't with the Queens that it doesn't affect them. Its power over them was amplified by Kingdom Hearts. This means that as long as their rage still exists within the multiverse, they will continue to feel it but without having that piece of them with them, they will be unable to calm it which has driven them to insanity. Unfortunately, this will prove to be the end of us all."

"What!? Why!?"

"They didn't call themselves Queens for no reason. Each is a Queen in their own right and have armies at their disposal, some even reaching beyond their own worlds. Once each Queen completes their army, they will unify under a single banner and wage war on the traitor." Xehanort informed Yozora. "The traitor foolishly tried to erase their memories of Sora to keep them at bay but this just drove them further into insanity. Though their minds forgot, their hearts didn't. They can't remember the traitor but they can't forget their rage and know that it is directed at something inside Kingdom Hearts. Their conclusion? Kingdom Hearts must be destroyed."

"Shit, so whoever betrayed Sora is going to get us all killed. Is that what you're telling me!?" Yozora asked angrily. "Is there any way to stop this? What happens if we can bring down at least one of the armies?"

"it wouldn't matter, the Queen severely underestimate their own power. The armies, let alone seven of them, are in consequential. All that is needed is one of the Queens to step foot in Kingdom Hearts once more for everything to end. The traitor themselves is far too weak to face even one of them alone." Xehanort said solemnly. "The only way to stop this is to bring their rage back to them and calm them each down before the day of the attack. However, the only one even close to being capable of doing this is Sora."

"So, you mean to tell me, I did all of this, been trapped in this world for who knows how long…just to die anyway!?" Yozora asked incredulously. "To hell with that! Tell me where I can find Sora!"

At this, Xehanort just laughed.

"What's so funny!?"

"My boy…you've already found him." Xehanort said tiredly. "That performance? Was worthy of an S." With those words, Yozora watched in confusion as the fragment of Sora's heart turned into an S. At that moment the first three letters of his name shattered and the S floated above the rest.

S

O

R
A

"No…no, no, no…" Sora muttered holding his head as the name floated closer to him. He tried to scramble back but before he could, the S turned back into a fragment of heart and shot into his chest.

*Flash!*

"Sora…I'll protect you." Kairi said with a bright smile as they gazed into each other's eyes.

*Flash!*

"It's not much, but that should be enough light for you to once more be able to use your magic." Xehanort said as his body began to fade. "Unfortunately, without that I can no longer sustain myself."

"Master, wait! You can't go! I need you to tell me how to do this! What am I supposed to do!?" Sora asked frantically only for Xehanort to smile, a genuine smile, as he began to fade away.

"What you've always done, follow your heart. Let it guide you to victory like it always has. You've beaten me numerous times, you're not allowed to fall to this." Xehanort said before he narrowed his eyes. "Besides, you are a Master now. Act like it, you have a duty to keep the multiverse safe."

And with that Xehanort vanished and in his place was a golden sphere of light that shot up into the sky, presumedly to return to the afterlife. Before it left the realm, the sphere left a single golden keyhole in its wake along with a distraught Sora.

-Later-

Sora had no idea how long he had been standing at the edge of the shore, gripping the Kingdom Key tightly as the keyhole seemed to taunt him.

"Sora…you have to move."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Sora asked after a while. "About everything? Or did you just choose to follow the orders of my self-proclaimed worst enemy."

"If it was my choice, I would have told you day one, keeping it in was killing me." Rage said as her image appeared beneath the water. "Do you remember when I first told you your name?"

Sora frowned as he couldn't recall.

"I accidentally called you Sora, and then to play it off I turned it into Zora and said it was short for Yozora which was someone you told me you met in your travels once upon a time." Rage said, almost amused by the memory. "You lost not just your memory but your power. Existence itself is on the line and Xehanort…he had a point. You work best with your mind clear. Knowing all this would have hindered your growth, lessened your power which you need to get through this. I remember those seven vividly. The power you have gained now? It was needed. Trust me."

"Trust you? I don't even know your name. The name of someone who sacrificed their body for me and put their heart inside mine so we could both have a chance at life!" Sora snapped. "Who are you!? Sora asked as he gripped at his chest.

"I am Rage…I have never lied to you because that is all that is left." Rage answered. "The rage within me was powerful, transformative, and turned me in to this. Was I someone else once upon a time? Yes! I was a foolish girl who wanted to see if she could corrupt the incorruptible Sora. A thief who tried to steal a heart that belonged to another but none of that matters because THIS is who, what I am now. This is karma, the price I have to pay for my sins."

"Then who were you?"

"Find the Queens, return their rage, and you'll find out because after that? Only that girl will remain." Rage said honestly. "You have questions, yes, but I don't have all the answers. Do you know why Xehanort never referred to the traitor by name? Because the only thing that I could remember about went down in Kingdom Hearts was that we were betrayed that memory would have been destroyed too if they didn't already think you and I were dead. I know you're hurt Sora, but I need you to take a leap of faith and know that I never wanted to hurt you!"

"I…I know, hell, you died for me. Its just so much to take in…" Sora trailed off before he shook his head. "…You were the only constant in my existence, and to know you kept my identity from me hurt."

"I'm sorry, but it was for the best. Even if you hated me, I'd do it again if it meant you became this strong."

"You're so stubborn!"

"Pot or kettle?"

"What are those?" Sora asked and for a moment neither said anything before they burst out in laughter.

"Man, your head REALLY got fucked."

"Yeah, yeah, Whatever. So, what do we do now?"

"Well, we could be all romantic and tragic and sit here, gazing at the moon alone but together and wait for existence to end."

"Or?"

"Or we could go try to do the impossible and stop seven of our friends– who can't even remember us– from killing us all."

"Well I guess I have no choice, especially if you're my only choice for romance." Sora said as he aimed his keyblade at the keyhole.

"Hey! I'm literally the only girl you even know of! How the hell do you even have standards, let alone ones higher than me!?"

Sora just laughed in response as a beam of light shot from his keyblade and opened the door of the world. Feeling a shift in the world around him, Sora opened up a corridor of darkness and stepped inside. Once he reached the inside, he was surprised to find a stair case leading countless miles into the sky which ended in front of a bright heart-shaped moon.

"Kingdom…Hearts…"

"Looks like getting there won't be easy." Sora mused as he noticed different worlds floating around the massive staircase. However, on the staircase itself were seven gates, each forged out of darkness powered by seven worlds in particular that were engulfed in darkness. "This is going to be brutal."

"Yeah…" Rage trailed off before her body formed next to him, startling Sora as he was not used seeing her outside of dreams or a reflection. "…but at least we have other right? Two souls…"

"…one heart." Sora finished quietly as she grinned at him. For a brief moment, Sora felt a sharp pain in his head as instead of Rage he pictured a young black-haired woman in her place. She was garbed in black clothes, wore a headband, and had a strange star-shaped object on her back. Her black eyes seemed to be filled with mischief but before Sora could truly let the image sink in it vanished and Rage stood in her place.

"Ready?" Rage asked as she extended a hand toward Sora.

"Let's do this." Sora said as he grabbed her hand before the two of them made their way up the stairs, toward the world the powered the first blockade. A world that seemed to be frozen in ice.

To be continued…

Next Episode: Episode 1: Elsa

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And as always…

…Stay Classy!

~RebukeX7