The Power of Waking
The ability to move between and wake sleeping hearts
An ability meant to awaken sleeping hearts can be abused to do much more.
The power of waking restores a heart from sleep. Dream Drop Distance makes acquiring it a goal of Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam, which sends them to unlock the Sleeping Keyholes. Riku uses the ability to enter Sora's heart and awaken him after Xehanort's trap.
Sora begins KHIII believing he must regain the power. When Aqua is threatened by Vanitas, Ventus helps him realize it has been dormant within him. Sora uses it to release Ventus's heart from his own and wake his sleeping body. This is the kind of restoration the ability is intended to perform. He similarly is able to do the same with Roxas, Namine and Xion.
The disaster at the Keyblade Graveyard pushes Sora beyond that purpose of the Power of Waking. He pursues the Lich through the worlds to recover his friends' hearts and overturn their destruction. Young Xehanort warns that using this power has consequences.
Chirithy explains the cost in Re Mind. Reviving hearts that have completely faded away has already broken a taboo of nature and changed history. Sora's decision to continue searching for Kairi will make him vanish from his world, leaving him unable to return by his own power. This is a consequence of the forbidden use.
To recover Kairi, Sora returns through the guardians' connected hearts to the final battles. Chirithy warns that he cannot freely rewrite events on this second journey. Sora finds the scattered pieces of Kairi's heart and restores her, but later disappears from Destiny Islands. thus setting up KHIV.
Related
Tagged in
- Time Travel (Story & Lore)
Sources
- Xehanort — dialogue on time travel and the power of waking – Kingdom Hearts Wiki
- The power of waking — purpose, uses, and consequences – Kingdom Hearts Wiki
- Chirithy — Re Mind's warning and the rescue of Kairi – Kingdom Hearts Wiki
Established rules and story events are distinguished from unresolved questions about KHIV.