KH CoM novel 1: "Fresh Start" & Character Profiles
Disclaimer: The Kingdom Hearts: CoM novels belong to Square-Enix, Nomura Tetsuya, Kanemaki Tomoko, and other assorted persons of great renown. This translation authored by kay_willow and libekory. Please do not reproduce without permission of the translators.
"Fresh Start" is the prologue of the first CoM novel. Expect all future releases to be much lengthier (about ten times longer than the prologue!) and don't hold your breath waiting! We're excited and will be working hard, but it'll take us a little while.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Novel Volume 1
Character Profiles
SORA >>>>
A 14-year-old boy who was living in Destiny Islands. The Keyblade Hero. He's the kind of person who has a strong sense of justice, but tends to throw himself into things recklessly when he doesn't understand them. Just like before, he's on a journey with Donald and Goofy, this time to Disney World, but even now his best friend Riku and the King are still stranded on the other side of the Door to the Darkness. Their journey continues in order to meet those two again.
DONALD >>>>
The Court Mage of Disney Castle. After saving the other worlds with Sora and Goofy, he's on a journey to find the King who was stranded beyond the Door to Darkness. His behavior is energetic, but being hot-tempered and stubborn is only one side of him.
GOOFY >>>>
The Knight Captain of Disney Castle. He's easy-going, but he hits hard, and his heart is kind. He doesn't carry weapons for hurting people; he only carries a shield. He, Sora, and Donald are on a journey together to search for the King. On occasions when the other two go head-to-head, he's usually the mediator.
JIMINY CRICKET >>>>
A polite gentleman cricket. He records their journies.
RIKU >>>>
Sora's friend who lived on Destiny Islands. One year older than Sora, a cool and mature boy. To save the worlds from being flooded with darkness, he and the King shut themselves behind the Door to Darkness.
AXEL >
Number 8 of the group called 'the Organization.' One with a light-hearted personality, who takes many inexplicable actions.
LARXENE >
A female member of 'the Organization.' Her number is 12. Her personality is ruthless and excitable.
VEXEN >
'The Organization's' number 4. Of the appearing members, he's the most senior. His personality is usually calm, but in a second, he can fly into a rage.
Translators' note: On Larxene's profile. The literal text for her profile reads that her personality is cold/ruthless and "hysteric" -- written out in katakana, "HISUTERIKKU". We assume this means hysterical, but what exactly that's supposed to mean... it seems to kind of directly contradict the "cool and ruthless" idea. It seems more applicable to Vexen's description, even!
PROLOGUE: Fresh Start
As far as the eye could see, a single road continued over grassy fields.
"Where do we go from here?" Donald said, looking over his shoulder at Sora.
"We've gotta go get Riku and the King."
"But I wonder where we're gonna find this door to the light?" Goofy said, sighing at Sora's statement.
"I dunno, but......"
The three of them exchanged glances, and then they all sighed. At that moment, a light brown dog with tail waving crossed the road in front of the trio.
"Pluto?!"
It was Pluto, the King's pet dog, who had been missing up until now.
"Where've you been, boy?" Goofy rushed up to Pluto. Tail whistling through the air, Pluto had a letter in his mouth.
"Could that be--"
"The King's?!" Donald hurried over to a confused Pluto.
"Have you seen the king?"
As Sora spoke to him, Pluto ran off.
"Wait-!"
Sora chased after Pluto. Then Donald and Goofy also went after them. The laughter of the trio following Pluto's trail rang out over the fields.
--A dream?
When Sora rose, nearby he could see that Donald and Goofy's snoring was undisturbed. Chasing Pluto over these fields hadn't been a dream. A huge moon looked down on Sora.
I wonder what Kairi and Riku are doing right about now......?
When Sora rose, he walked over the grass fields dampened by the evening dew.
I wonder if we'll really be able to find Riku and the King......?
Sora stood at a crossroads.
They didn't know which road they should take, so they'd decided to spend the night here. But as long as the road led somewhere, it was better not to hesitate.
He wondered where Riku and the King were along the road. And where had they come from, and where are they going on this road?
Sora tried to stand at the intersection of all three roads.
"What you need is this way."
The sudden voice made Sora turn his head. But no one was there. Just the rustling of grass waving in the breeze.
"Who's there?!"
Sora surveyed his surroundings, and found the man was standing behind him. The man's body was shrouded in a pitch black robe, his expression concealed by a hood, and he was hard to make out.
"However, should you lay your hand upon it, you will lose something else important to you..."
Sora took the keyblade in his hand and stared straight at the man. And then, the man vanished, as if melting into the darkness of the night.
Translators' note: The Japanese don't do prose like we do it. About 75% of this chapter is written in the present ("Sora stands at a crossroads.") but, inexplicably, the rest of the chapter is written in the past ("Donald said.") We decided to stay consistently with the more natural-sounding English standard of past-tense.
"Fresh Start" is the prologue of the first CoM novel. Expect all future releases to be much lengthier (about ten times longer than the prologue!) and don't hold your breath waiting! We're excited and will be working hard, but it'll take us a little while.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Novel Volume 1
Character Profiles
SORA >>>>
A 14-year-old boy who was living in Destiny Islands. The Keyblade Hero. He's the kind of person who has a strong sense of justice, but tends to throw himself into things recklessly when he doesn't understand them. Just like before, he's on a journey with Donald and Goofy, this time to Disney World, but even now his best friend Riku and the King are still stranded on the other side of the Door to the Darkness. Their journey continues in order to meet those two again.
DONALD >>>>
The Court Mage of Disney Castle. After saving the other worlds with Sora and Goofy, he's on a journey to find the King who was stranded beyond the Door to Darkness. His behavior is energetic, but being hot-tempered and stubborn is only one side of him.
GOOFY >>>>
The Knight Captain of Disney Castle. He's easy-going, but he hits hard, and his heart is kind. He doesn't carry weapons for hurting people; he only carries a shield. He, Sora, and Donald are on a journey together to search for the King. On occasions when the other two go head-to-head, he's usually the mediator.
JIMINY CRICKET >>>>
A polite gentleman cricket. He records their journies.
RIKU >>>>
Sora's friend who lived on Destiny Islands. One year older than Sora, a cool and mature boy. To save the worlds from being flooded with darkness, he and the King shut themselves behind the Door to Darkness.
AXEL >
Number 8 of the group called 'the Organization.' One with a light-hearted personality, who takes many inexplicable actions.
LARXENE >
A female member of 'the Organization.' Her number is 12. Her personality is ruthless and excitable.
VEXEN >
'The Organization's' number 4. Of the appearing members, he's the most senior. His personality is usually calm, but in a second, he can fly into a rage.
Translators' note: On Larxene's profile. The literal text for her profile reads that her personality is cold/ruthless and "hysteric" -- written out in katakana, "HISUTERIKKU". We assume this means hysterical, but what exactly that's supposed to mean... it seems to kind of directly contradict the "cool and ruthless" idea. It seems more applicable to Vexen's description, even!
PROLOGUE: Fresh Start
As far as the eye could see, a single road continued over grassy fields.
"Where do we go from here?" Donald said, looking over his shoulder at Sora.
"We've gotta go get Riku and the King."
"But I wonder where we're gonna find this door to the light?" Goofy said, sighing at Sora's statement.
"I dunno, but......"
The three of them exchanged glances, and then they all sighed. At that moment, a light brown dog with tail waving crossed the road in front of the trio.
"Pluto?!"
It was Pluto, the King's pet dog, who had been missing up until now.
"Where've you been, boy?" Goofy rushed up to Pluto. Tail whistling through the air, Pluto had a letter in his mouth.
"Could that be--"
"The King's?!" Donald hurried over to a confused Pluto.
"Have you seen the king?"
As Sora spoke to him, Pluto ran off.
"Wait-!"
Sora chased after Pluto. Then Donald and Goofy also went after them. The laughter of the trio following Pluto's trail rang out over the fields.
--A dream?
When Sora rose, nearby he could see that Donald and Goofy's snoring was undisturbed. Chasing Pluto over these fields hadn't been a dream. A huge moon looked down on Sora.
I wonder what Kairi and Riku are doing right about now......?
When Sora rose, he walked over the grass fields dampened by the evening dew.
I wonder if we'll really be able to find Riku and the King......?
Sora stood at a crossroads.
They didn't know which road they should take, so they'd decided to spend the night here. But as long as the road led somewhere, it was better not to hesitate.
He wondered where Riku and the King were along the road. And where had they come from, and where are they going on this road?
Sora tried to stand at the intersection of all three roads.
"What you need is this way."
The sudden voice made Sora turn his head. But no one was there. Just the rustling of grass waving in the breeze.
"Who's there?!"
Sora surveyed his surroundings, and found the man was standing behind him. The man's body was shrouded in a pitch black robe, his expression concealed by a hood, and he was hard to make out.
"However, should you lay your hand upon it, you will lose something else important to you..."
Sora took the keyblade in his hand and stared straight at the man. And then, the man vanished, as if melting into the darkness of the night.
Translators' note: The Japanese don't do prose like we do it. About 75% of this chapter is written in the present ("Sora stands at a crossroads.") but, inexplicably, the rest of the chapter is written in the past ("Donald said.") We decided to stay consistently with the more natural-sounding English standard of past-tense.