"Episode 4: Dawn" is the fourth cutscene in a five-part video summary of the story of the Dark Seeker Saga. It is made available from the Kingdom Hearts III Main Menu after the Dive to the Heart tutorial is complete. Narrated by Chirithy, it summarizes Riku's journey in Castle Oblivion while helping to restore Sora's memories.
Story[edit | edit source]
Riku begins the journey of recovering Sora's memories. He soon discovers that Organization XIII is using Xion to siphon the memories out through Roxas. In order to help Sora, Riku prepares to fight Roxas, knowing he might not make it out without resorting to the darkness. At the same time, Xion chooses to return to Sora. Riku and Roxas fight, both desperate to save a friend. In the end, Riku is forced to release the darkness in his heart, allowing him to capture Roxas, but at the cost of his appearance being drastically altered.
Transcript[edit | edit source]
"Organization XIII" begins to play.
A dark blue book floats on screen. A Way to Dawn Keyblade is embossed on the cover's center. Embossed above the Keyblade is the title "DAWN". Below the image are the embossed words "The Story So Far" and, on the line below, "KINGDOM HEARTS III". Chirithy runs onto screen and around the book, while a title in white fades in across the scene:
The Story So Far
KINGDOM HEARTS III
DAWN
Chirithy spins on one leg and poses with an arm in the air. The camera zooms in on the padlock on the side of the book, the keyhole of which begins to glow blue as Chirithy starts to narrate.
Chirithy: "Making tough choices isn't easy."
The book opens and the pages flip before settling on a page featuring a bright watercolor of Riku kneeling to shake hands with King Mickey. The camera zooms in on the title below the picture. It reads:
KINGDOM HEARTS
The Boy Who Walked Toward Dawn
And Discovered That Choices Matter
Chirithy: "But if that's what it takes to save a friend..."
The camera pans across to the next page, which has a line of text in its center:
"I'd like to walk the road with ya."
The page turns and on the next page we see a watercolor of Sora sleeping frozen in a Pod. The camera zooms in on the image and the image becomes a cutscene. We see Riku gasp as he discovers Sora and rushes across the room to investigate.
"Another Side -Battle Ver.-" begins to play.
Chirithy: "Riku discovers Sora in Castle Oblivion, suspended in a deep sleep. He is faced with a decision."
Riku stands at the base of the Pod, talking to Naminé.
Naminé: "In your heart there is darkness, and in that darkness is Ansem. Riku, please choose."
Riku: "I don't need my heart locked. I'm ready."
Riku raises, then clenches his fist.
Riku: "I'm gonna fight Ansem."
The scene changes to a shot of King Mickey.
King Mickey: "You're not gonna lose. I know it."
The scene changes to Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, hunched over as he summons his power.
Ansem: "You shall sink into the abyss!"
On his final word, Ansem straightens and a swathe of darkness blossoms at his feet. Riku is across the room. He grunts and lifts his arms to shield his face from the wave of darkness. As he is almost consumed, the camera zooms out and the cutscene turns back into a picture in the book. We pan across as the book flips many pages and then zoom in on an image of a black cloak on the next page. The camera zooms out to show the cloak belongs to Riku. He is walking with King Mickey, also cloaked, on a long road. They stop when they come across DiZ.
Chirithy: "Riku embraces his inner darkness, and resolves to carry it toward the light."
Riku: "What are you making me choose now?"
One direction of the road is shown.
DiZ: "Between the road to light—"
The other direction of the road is shown.
DiZ: "and the road to darkness."
Riku: "Neither suits me."
Riku confidently stalks past DiZ.
Riku: "I'm taking the middle road."
DiZ: "Do you mean the twilight road to nightfall?"
Riku stops walking.
Riku: "No..."
He looks over his shoulder, back at DiZ, with a small smile.
Riku: "It's the road to dawn."
We return to the book, many page turns, and then zoom in on a picture of Riku's eye. Riku pulls a blindfold over his eye as he staggers backwards in shock. He is on the bridge of Beast's Castle.
Chirithy: "In time, Riku crosses paths with Xion, who attacks him with a false Keyblade."
Xion has been knocked to the ground in front of Riku. Her hood is drawn.
Xion: "Tell me first...why you are dressed as one of us."
Riku walks away from Xion.
Riku: "To make sure my best friend...sleeps in peace."
He reaches Xion's Keyblade and pulls it from where it was lodged in the ground. He holds it up for examination.
Riku: "I don't know who you're supposed to be. But...you can't fight fire with sparks."
We return to the book, many page turns, and then zoom in on a picture of Naminé examining her sketchbook. We see the picture she has drawn: a simple sketch of Roxas, Axel, and Xion.
Chirithy: "He learns that Organization XIII is using her and Roxas to drain Sora of his memories and power."
Riku sits across from Naminé at a long white table in The White Room.
Naminé: "Sora's memories are escaping"
We flash to a view of Xion collapsing on Destiny Islands. She clutches her head in pain.
Naminé: "through Sora's Nobody into a third person—"
We are back at the book, on an empty page. Indecipherable text and a picture of Kairi running along the beach appear on the page in liquid splotches, as if being splashed back into place.
Naminé: "and now, they're starting to become a part of her."
We see a brief flash of Naminé and Riku at the table again, before switching to see Riku approaching the pained Xion on Destiny Islands. We change to a shot of Sora floating inside his Pod for a few moments, then return to watching Riku approach Xion.
Riku: "Now, Sora has been put to sleep so that we can piece together his memory. Except..."
We are back at the book, on the splotched page. The camera pans down to the second half of the page, where we see more text and another image being splashed into existence, one of Sora and Kairi sitting on a dock at sunset.
Xion: "You can't, because part of it is inside of me."
The scene returns to Xion and Riku.
Xion: "That means...he can't wake up."
Riku: "Yeah. You got it."
We return to the book, many page turns, and then zoom in on a picture of King Mickey and Riku talking in the Twilight Town woods.
Chirithy: "To save his best friend, Riku prepares for the inevitable."
Riku: "I have to face one of the Organization's members soon. I might not survive the fight. And if I do, it might be because I gave in to the darkness."
We return to the book, many page turns, and then zoom in on a picture of Roxas holding Xion as she fades away.
Chirithy: "And Xion chooses to do the same."
Xion: "I belong with Sora. And now, I am going back...to be with him."
We return to the book, many page turns, and then zoom in on a picture of Riku and Roxas running at each other along a building screen in The World That Never Was. The two glide past each other in slow motion. Roxas' hood is drawn, fully concealing his head.
Chirithy: "Riku and Roxas clash, both desperate to save a friend."
Riku and Roxas are on the ground, both with Keyblades drawn.
Roxas: "Why are you trying to stop me?"
Riku: "Because I want back the rest of Sora's memories."
Roxas: "I'll set Kingdom Hearts free! Then everything will be the way it was! She'll come back...and the three of us can be together again!"
Riku: "You mean Xion? It's a struggle just to remember the name now... Either way, I can't let you go doing anything crazy."
We return to the book, a single page turn, and then zoom in on a picture of Roxas running head on at the camera. Roxas swings his Keyblade at Riku and is parried.
Chirithy: "Riku's overpowered, and decides not to hold his darkness back any longer."
Riku drops to his knees, clutching his center. Roxas is revealed to be dual-wielding Keyblades.
Riku: "You've left me with no other choice."
Roxas: "What?"
Riku straightens up.
Riku: "I have to release the power in my heart—"
He pulls the blindfold from his eyes and lets it fall to the ground.
Riku: "the dark power that I've been holding back. Even...if it changes me forever."
Riku growls, raises and clenches his fists. A tunnel of darkness forms around him. The darkness swirls and fills the screen, then fades to reveal Riku, now in the form of Ansem, with Ansem's Guardian at his back.
Riku (in Ansem's voice): "I have accepted it."
He warps in front of Roxas, who gasps in shock. We once again return to the book and hover over the picture of Riku and Roxas face-to-face. Below the image is a line of text:
Will the road Riku chose lead him back to his friends?
The book closes and spins around to show us the front cover. The padlock locks itself.
Chirithy: "Each fork in the road shapes who we are. But Riku won't look back. Not while his friends need him."
The screen fades to black.