RIIIIING! SCHOOL IS OFFICIALLY OUT! I've been ready for summer ever since December! I am now a full-blown senior, and I'm definitely ready to leave junior year behind.

The best way to kick off the summer? THE NEXT KINGDOM HEARTS INSTALLMENT! Yes times ten!

Thank you to all who submitted title ideas for this fan fiction. I did notice that a great majority of them were inspired by a certain quote in the sneak peek *sits back in chair and chuckles sinisterly*. Your suggestions helped me to create the title that I came up with.

Let's get this show on the road!

CHAPTER ONE

"That was more difficult than I thought, but at least things are on track." Braig scanned the ground at the bodies of Ansem the Wise's apprentices that laid on the ground, unconscious. "Lord Xemnas is nowhere to be seen, so that means... the party's already begun, huh?"

"Yes." a younger male's voice said.

"Man, does that Xehanort scare me like nobody's business, the way he can see into minds." Braig chuckled. "And it doesn't help that no one knows what it is that the old man wants. I wonder if even you know what's going on inside your own head."

"I will be led... wherever it is I am destined to go." The voice belonged to a young man with tan skin and yellow eyes. He had white, spiked hair, with some strands falling in his face. He wore an Organization XIII cloak.

"Sounds to me like you don't have a clue of your own."

"Every Keyblade master is bequeathed a Keyblade of his very own. With the passing of time, as you can imagine, more and more Keyblades were forged to be handed down. But of all the Keyblades in existence, Master Xehanort's is the most ancient. That is my destiny." the young man said. "But it has yet... to become a reality."

"Hey, it's okay. This is all connected to the ancient Keyblade War, isn't that right? Whatever. I got my hands full with my own plans." Braig smiled and stretched his arms out to his sides, gesturing to the fallen scientists. "So, which poor soul will it be?"

The young man bowed his head slightly and chuckled.

~Weeks later~

"Hey! Is this how you wanted it?!" Braig cried.

He looked at his former apprentice friends, Even and Ienzo. They laid face down on the floor, their bodies fading into darkness. They were dead because of him.

But he didn't care.

"Xehanort! You wanna fill me in?" Braig said.

Braig took a couple steps towards his friend, but he stopped when a familiar Keyblade appeared in his comrade's hand.

"I am..."

"Hey! Do you remember now, or..." Braig said. "Wait, did you never lose your memory?"

He lunged forward and plunged his Keyblade into Braig's chest. He stared down at the weapon protruding his body in shock.

"That's not my name. I'm not "Xehanort.""

"Wha-?!"

Braig reached out towards him, but then he let out his final breath and collapsed onto the floor. A light shimmered in his chest and his heart slowly floated out of his body.

"My name... is Ansem."

Mickey stood before Yen Sid's desk. He looked down at the ground, lost in thought with a serious expression on his face.

"Yen Sid," Mickey said, "I think we're finally close to figuring out where Ven's heart is."

"Is that so?" Yen Sid said. "Then that leaves only Terra."

"Right. And we've gotta save all three of 'em!"

"Hmm..."

Yen Sid stroked his long grey beard.

"The question is: What does Xehanort intend to do next?" he said.

"Xehanort?" Mickey said. "But his two halves are gone. There was Ansem, who commanded the Heartless, and Xemnas, who commanded the Nobodies. Didn't Sora defeat them both?"

"Correct, those two met their end. However, therein lies exactly our problem. Their destruction now guarantees the original Xehanort's reconstruction." Yen Sid said.

"Huh?"

"Xehanort's heart, once seized by his Heartless half, is now free. And his body, which had become his Nobody, had been vanquished. Both halves will now be returned to the whole. In short, this means Master Xehanort will return."

"And you think... you think that maybe he's gonna try something?"

"A man like Xehanort will have left many roads open."

"Well, it doesn't matter what he cooks up. Me, Sora, and the others, we'll be ready!"

"Yes, they are indeed strong. But, not true Keyblade Masters like you..."

Yen Sid stroked his beard again.

"Tell me... would a single one of you suffice if what you faced was not a single one of him?" Yen Sid said.

Mickey jumped up onto Yen Sid's desk, slamming his hands on the surface.

"What?!" Mickey cried. "Whaddya mean?!"

Yen Sid rose from his chair. "Mickey. Please summon Sora hither. Riku as well."

Yen Sid looked off into the distance, lost in thought.

"Of course, but... why?" Mickey said.

Yen Sid looked back at Mickey with a solemn expression.

"To show us the Mark of Mastery."

Hidden truths...

Images of their backs, preserved in memory...

Two who were never meant to meet...

All the pieces lie where they fell...

The sky was beginning to dim as the sun met with the sea. Shades of orange, purple, and yellow stretched across the sky. Seated on the trunk of the paopu tree, Sora, the brown-spiked, ocean blue-eyed Keyblade wielder, stared into the sunset, holding an empty bottle and a letter in his hands with the King's seal.

"Sora." a voice called.

Sora turned around to see his best friend, Riku, walking over to his side. He stared ahead to the sea.

"Riku." Sora said.

"Your mind's made up?" Riku said.

Sora looked at the sea and smiled to himself.

"Yeah." he said.

There were more footsteps. Sora turned to see his other friend, Kairi, standing before him.

"Sora." Kairi said.

"Kairi." Sora said, hopping down from the tree. He ran his hand along the trunk. "I..."

Kairi smiled and nodded in understanding. Sora smiled, nodded, and approached her.

"It's just... they really need me." Sora said. "I have to go. I am who I am... because of them."

Riku chuckled. Kairi smiled and placed her good luck charm in Sora's hand.

"See you soon." she said.

"We'd better get going, Sora." Riku said with a teasing smile. "You don't want to keep her waiting."

Sora looked at Riku and his eyes lit up. The smile on his face seemed to grow bigger.

"Right." Sora said. "Let's get going!"

"Oh, now you're excited." Kairi said.

Sora scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. "Sorry..."

Riku chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Go on ahead." Riku playfully sneered.

Sora smiled and took off running. He jumped down from the wooden bridge separating the main and miniature islands and ran up a little ramp into a shack. He came out the other side into the Cove. He wove through the palm trees that reached high up above him, touching each of the trunks as he passed by them. As he peeked around the slope, the smile on his face grew.

Their light of hope.

Their burning beacon in the night.

Countless lives tied together through the soul of one.

Trapped within the chains of fate's bondage,

Where they wait for their savior.

"Hallie!" Sora called.

The 16-year-old turned around and smiled. Her amber eyes shimmered in the fading daylight. She reached up and brushed away some brown hair that the wind swept into her face as Sora ran over to her.

"Are you ready to go?" Sora said.

Hallie hesitated. "Yes..."

"Is something wrong?"

Hallie sighed. She glided her fingers over the brown leather cords wrapped around her right arm. She stopped at her elbow and held it with her left hand. She looked at the ground.

"This Mark of Mastery test, it makes me nervous." Hallie said. "It gives me an uneasy feeling, like bad things are going to happen. I worry about your safety."

Sora smiled and crouched down so he was in her downward gaze. Hallie shut her eyes and turned her head.

"Don't worry about me." Sora said. "I'll be fine. The only thing I'm concerned about is you."

Hallie looked at him and smiled. It warmed his heart to see her happy.

"I have an idea."

Sora reached up behind his neck and unclipped his crown necklace, the one he's worn for several years, and he clipped it around Hallie's neck. He rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Now, no matter where I go, I'll always be with you." Sora said.

Hallie gently touched the necklace resting above her heart. She remembered when her best friend and Nobody, Callum, gave her the same assuring promise. She looked up at Sora, who never ceased to amaze her with his goofy little smile. She reached up and gave him a small kiss, a way to assure him that she wasn't worried.

But deep down inside, her stomach churned nervously.

"The same goes for me." Hallie said. "I'll be rooting for you."

They smiled and embraced.

~HALLIE~

We arrived at the Mysterious Tower and climbed its mile-long staircase. We entered Yen Sid's study, where Yen Sid sat at his desk and Mickey stood before it. Mickey turned around and smiled.

"You made it!" Mickey said.

"We'd never let you down, Your Majesty." I said.

We looked to Yen Sid, who stroked his beard in silence.

"I trust you know why I summoned you?" Yen Sid said.

"Yes." Sora and Riku said.

Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and I moved to Yen Sid's side and Sora and Riku stood before his desk.

"I believe you are familiar with a man called Xehanort." Yen Sid said.

The name made my stomach churn. Ever since my memories were restored, I found out the very unpleasant truth about Xehanort: the man responsible for the destruction of my home, my memories to be erased twice, my multiple attempted assassinations, and everything else in between, was my oh, so beloved grandfather.

"Long ago, in the age of fairy tales, the World was filled with light- a gift, many believed, from an unseen power known as "Kingdom Hearts." You see, Kingdom Hearts was protected by its counterpart, the "χ-blade," so that none could ever lay hands on its mysteries. But in time, the World was overrun by legions who wanted the light all for themselves, and the first shadows were cast upon the land. These warriors crafted "Keyblades" in the image of the original χ-blade, and waged a great war over Kingdom Hearts. We call this the "Keyblade War." But though the war extinguished all light from the World, the darkness could not reach the brightness inside every child's heart. With that light, the World was remade as we know it today, with countless smaller worlds shining like stars in the sky. As for the real χ-blade, it did not survive the battle. The two elements that created it, one of darkness and one of light, shattered into twenty pieces- seven of light; thirteen of darkness. And as for the source of all light- the one true Kingdom Hearts- it was swallowed by the darkness, never to be seen again. As long as it remains there, ever the brightest world will have its dark corners. After all, light begets darkness, and darkness is drawn to light. For this reason, some decided to use the Keyblade- a weapon designed to conquer the light- to defend the light instead. These were the first heroes of the Keyblade."

Hearing this story over again sent shivers up my spine. Xehanort taught me these things himself, hoping that I would follow in his footsteps and become one of his vessels of darkness. Thank goodness that didn't happen.

"If we are ever to strike down Xehanort, we need the individuals King Mickey spoke of in his letter. We must lead them out of sorrow and slumber, and back to our world. To do so, seven Sleeping Keyholes must be found and unlocked, and a great power retrieved. As you know, every world is walled off from the next, preventing travel between them. In the past, you could bridge these gaps because the walls were broken, or because you could open special Lanes with your Keyblades. But your new goals, the "Sleeping Keyholes," are harder to reach. You'll recall, in your first journey, that you brought many worlds back from the darkness- but some never returned completely. They still sleep, cut off from all outside channels. Not even the Heartless can enter. But these Sleeping Worlds are said to have their own manner of darkness. They are called "Dream Eaters," and there are two kinds- "Nightmares," which devour happy dreams- and benevolent "Spirits," which consume the Nightmares. The Dream Eaters will guide you, just as the Heartless once guided you, to the Keyhole you seek at the heart of each world."

Yen Sid showed us example holograms of the Nightmares and Dream Eaters: a strange cat-dog creature with two separate and strange heart symbols on its underbelly. The Dream Eater was blue and white, and it bounced and rolled around playfully. The Nightmare was purple and black and it wagged its tail and body, ready to pounce.

"In the Sleeping Worlds, real time does not flow. Unless one restores the world by waking it from its slumber, it will stay locked in a dream forever. Thus, you may encounter familiar faces... but they are just figments of the dream. In actuality, they are sound asleep- trapped within a world that is also sleeping. What's more, whilst someone may no longer dwell in the real version of a world, dreams may paint a fuller picture, and restore what seems to be missing."

"One dream is connected to another, which means we must choose in which "Sleeping World" you will begin. I will return you to the Destiny Islands just before they were swallowed by the darkness and plunged into sleep. Once dreams take you, you must let them guide you to the Sleeping Worlds. As there are seven pure lights, there are seven "Sleeping Keyholes." Unlocking these will both grant you new powers, and free the worlds from their wakelessness. Complete this task, and return here safely, and I will name you both... true masters."

"As a Keyblade Master, Xehanort had a gift like few others. But such great minds are often plagued by a single great question. What is the essence of the human heart that weakens us, or empowers us? The answer, he believed, would be found in the "Keyblade War." What if the challenges of our past were, in fact, a map to the light and darkness that battles within us all? Xehanort had to know, so he renounced his duties as master and chose the seeker's life. Since then, in many a guise, he has clashed with protectors of the light- Keyblade wielders like yourselves. And mark my words- he will trouble us yet again."

Keyblade wielders like yourselves. I knew them to be Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, three Keyblade wielders from 12 years ago. I personally met Aqua, while she was residing in the Realm of Darkness, and Ventus, while he slept in a secret room that I wasn't familiar with nor sure of how I got there in the first place, but the only contact I had with Terra was when I fought against his Keyblade Armor, as well as when he called to my heart and granted me my own. I ran my fingers along the pauldron that laid on my upper arm.

"We must be ready. Which is why you, Sora and Riku, are to be tested for the mark of a true Keyblade Master. No doubt you fancy yourselves masters already, but it takes years of training. Only a true master can teach you the proper way. Both of you are self-taught Keyblade wielders- an impressive feat. However, the time has come for you to let go of preconceived notions, forget what you know about the Keyblade, and begin your training again with a clean slate."

"Huh?" we all said.

"But, that's a formality, right?" Sora said. "I already proved myself: me, the King, Hallie, and Riku- we can take on anything! Right, Riku?"

Riku was silent.

"I don't know..." he said. He reached up and summoned his Keyblade: A Way to Dawn. "I think that in my heart, darkness still has a hold. Walking that path changed me. I'm not sure if I'm ready to wield a Keyblade... Maybe I do need to be tested."

Riku dispelled his Keyblade.

"Riku..." Sora said. He turned to Yen Sid. "Then count me in. Put me through the test! Just watch- me and Riku will pass with flying colors!"

Sora placed his hands behind his head and flashed a confident smile. Yen Sid nodded.

"Very well, then. Sora and Riku, let your examination begin."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hallie's next adventure begins: Sora and Riku are summoned by Master Yen Sid to take part in the Mark of Mastery exam so they can become Keyblade Masters. After a long explanation of Hallie's sinister grandfather, Master Xehanort, and what the two boys will face on their quest to awaken the seven Sleeping Keyholes, Sora and Riku begin their Mark of Mastery exam.

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading! Remember to leave a review!

Make sure to be on the lookout for the other Kingdom Hearts fan fiction that I will begin posting on Monday! I hope you guys are ready for a summer filled with fan fictions, because that's what I've got in store for you! See my bio for my new posting schedule!