When light burns you to the core
And darkness threatens to swallow you whole
Just look inside yourself and remember
The ones you hold close will always be in your heart
It wasn't a noise that woke him but rather a cold wetness on his face. He opened his cloud-grey eyes to see a creature in his face, its tongue lapping on his cheek. The young man jumped up with a start, taking deep breaths like his life depended on it. He looked to be in his late teens with brown hair that spiked upwards in the front, wearing a basic white shirt with blue pants and black shoes.
"Where am I?" he asked, looking around frantically. He appeared to be in a back alley of some kind, with only the creature there with him. The young man looked at the animal more closely, his eyes opening wide in realization. "Vex?"
The Dream Eater, which looked like a brown and tan bat with a purple bandana tied around its neck, perked up and gave a squeak of delight, flying up and landing on the boy's head. "It's nice to see you too, buddy," the young man said, grabbing the bat and giving it a hug. "Now then, where exactly are we?"
Vex gave a shrug, making the teen sigh. "Anyway, it would be a good idea if you hide out for the moment, at least until I figure out where we are." The bat gave a nod and poofed out of sight. Suddenly, a black cat jumped down into the alley, hopping off of Synth's head and running down the way. "What?" Synth said in confusion. "Hey, cat! Wait up!"
The teen ran after the cat, exiting the alleyway and finding himself in the middle of a plaza, with tall buildings and bright lights all around him, with the sun's light barely shining on the horizon. Synth was in awe at the sights, looking around this new world that he had never been in. He was so distracted in fact that he lost sight of the cat.
"Great, the first living being I see in this world and I've already lost it," Synth muttered to himself.
"Hey!" came a voice from above. Synth looked up to see a dragon of all creatures flying down to the street. She was a dragoness with bright red and metallic orange scales, golden veins running like stripes on her body and bright blue eyes.
"Woah," Synth breathed. "A dragon..."
"What are you doing out here?" the dragoness asked. "Don't you know it's dangerous to be out here alone?"
"What makes it dangerous?" the teen asked. Before the dragoness could answer, a crackling sound was heard, and strange creatures surrounded the two. The appeared to be animals of some kind with black markings on their bodies, ranging from frogs to wolves to bears. "Uh, what are those? They don't look like Heartless."
"Great, these guys again," the dragoness growled. "Quick, I need you to team up with me to defeat these guys. Don't ask why, but you need two people working together to make these enemies disappear."
The teen nodded and summoned his weapon, the Starlight Keyblade. The dragoness' eyes widened. "A Keyblade Wielder…" she muttered. Quickly shaking her head, the dragoness got into a battle stance and let out a hissing noise, smoke streaming from her mouth as a sign of fire building in her throat. "The name's Peril, by the way."
"Synth," the teen replied before focusing on the enemies surrounding them. He gripped his Starlight Keyblade tightly and rushed forward, unleashing a flurry of fast swipes and jabs, with the occasional magic spell mixed in. Peril on the other hand used fire and her claws to rip through the enemies like butter, with each strike setting the monsters on fire. Synth and Peril worked together effectively, though they seemed to only be making small progress in defeating all of them.
"More of these guys keep coming," Peril groaned. "We'll be outnumbered in no time."
"Then let's try a combination attack!" Synth suggested. He held his Starlight in both hands and let out a huge blast of fire. Peril caught onto what Synth was trying to do and fired her own flame attack, the two colliding into an inferno that incinerated the last of the enemies. The static in the air faded, letting the duo have time to celebrate their victory.
"That was amazing!" Synth cheered, holding out a hand to Peril.
The dragoness just looked at it and shook her head. "That's not a great idea. I have this condition called firescales that basically makes me set anything I touch on fire. Granted some of the magic people around here have made it so I can touch most things without burning everything, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
"I get it," Synth nodded. "Now then, what to do next…"
A laugh was suddenly heard by the two, causing them to quickly jump into battle stances. Landing in front of the two was the cat Synth saw from before, making the two lower their guard. The cat was mostly black, save for white on the muzzle, paws, and tip of the tail. It had blue eyes similar to Peril's and a yellow collar around it's neck.
"Don't scare us like that, Morgana," Peril said, rolling her eyes. "I could have easily roasted you into cat meat."
"I'm not a cat!" Morgana shouted, surprising Synth.
"It talks?" he said.
"Of course I can talk," Morgana said. The cat looked up at Synth. "Anyway, that's not what's important. Was is important is that you can wield a Keyblade. We must tell the Chronicler at once."
"Oh yeah," Peril said. "The Chronicler is the one who's basically in charge of this place, so we should tell him that another Keyblade Wielder has appeared."
"There are more Keyblade Wielders here?" Synth asked.
"Well, they're not all here, but they've all arrived here in a similar way that you did," Morgana said. "Now then, follow me to the Chronicler!"
[***]
Morgana led Synth and Peril into one of the nearby buildings, which appeared to be a tall tower that was in the center of the area. The interior was decorated like a grand 20th century hotel, with many different people wandering around the large room. From humans to animals to those that were somewhere in between, it looked like those from every walk of life were here.
"This is the Hightower Hotel, where everyone in this world lives," Morgana explained.
"Everyone lives here?" Synth asked.
Morgana nodded. "This building is actually similar to place in my home world. The laws of time and space don't really apply to it, so there are an almost endless number of floors to it. However, all we have to do is head straight to the top."
The three went to the back of the room and got into one of the many elevators (Peril making sure not to touch either Synth or Morgana). Peril pressed a button with a stylized "C" on it as the doors closed. The elevator shook as the car seemed to move sideways before shooting straight up, with Synth having to steady himself on the wall in order to remain standing. When the elevator came to a sudden stop, the door opened with a ding, revealing the room on the other side.
Synth, Morgana, and Peril walked into an elaborate library, with books and scrolls littered about the room on shelves and in alcoves in the walls. The middle of the room was dominated by a large, round table, an hourglass hovering over the table as if suspended there by magic.
Sitting at the table was a large, cyan dragon in blue robes, alongside a man in a black shirt and brown blazer as well as a woman in a red dress with green hair. "Chronicler, I present to you Synth, another Keyblade Wielder," Morgana announced.
The blue dragon, apparently the Chronicler, looked up from his book and smiled. "Hello, young man. I am the Chronicler, though you may call me Ignitus."
"I'm Synth. Nice to meet you," Synth said.
Ignitus turned to Peril and nodded. "Good to see you as well, Peril. How is my enchantment holding up?"
"Fairly well," Peril replied. "I've only set three things on fire by accident today."
"Welcome to Midsummer Station," said the man in the blazer to Synth. "I'm Tommy Oliver."
"And my name is Tiki," the girl with green hair said. "This world is one where people who have lost their worlds to the Heartless go, though lately we've been dealing with those other creatures."
"They're called the Noise, and they usually don't appear in this plane of existence," Ignitus explained. "However, I believe that after the Second Keyblade War, the darkness has changed its form to suit this new age."
"There was a second Keyblade War?" Synth asked.
"The other Keyblade Wielders were surprised by that as well," Tommy said. "What you need to know is that a group of heroes managed to stop the darkness with the power of light. Now we need to get the worlds still lost to the darkness back."
"And only the Keyblade Wielders can do that," Tiki added. "The others are already going throughout the worlds battling the Noise, so you'll be able to meet them in due time. For now, we need to get you ready to go into the worlds yourself."
"Now Tiki, we must ask him if he is willing to do so first," Ignitus said. "Synth, I know this all must be a shock to you. The other Keyblade Wielders were from a time thought forgotten, so the same must be true for you as well. It's understandable if you would like to not return to conflict once more."
"It's true: I was a part of the first Keyblade War," Synth admitted. "But I never wanted anyone to come into conflict, I just wanted to live in a world where both the light and dark didn't have to fight. But if the darkness wants to consume everything, then we need to bring the light to balance it."
"Well said, young one," Ignitus said with a smile. "Now then, allow us to outfit you with more fitting attire."
Tommy nodded and tossed a coin to Synth, whom caught it out of the air. "Just give it a flip and do a battle call. The coin will do the rest."
Synth studied the coin for a bit, then tossed it up and caught it, thrusting his fist forward. "Hearts of Key, Power Unleashed!" he shouted. In a flash of light, Synth's plain attire was changed into something else. He was now wearing a grey jacket with a purple undershirt and black sweat pants that had white stripes going down the sides, with silver shoes that had black laces.
"The purple color compliments your eyes," Peril said.
"Looking cool, Synth!" Morgana said with a wink.
"Now for my gift to you," Tiki said. She waved her hand and sent out a ball of light, which rested on Synth's chest and became a necklace with a golden pentagon on it that held a white gemstone. "That is a vessel for you to reach out to the hearts that you connect to, calling on their power. The other Keyblade Wielders have similar necklaces, so you will be able to find each other with them as well."
"And finally, I will give you a new Keyblade to replace your previous one," Ignitus said. "If you hold out your Keyblade I will be able to change its form for you."
Synth nodded and summoned his Starlight, letting Ignitus wave his claw over it. The Keyblade was bathed it light, then reformed into a new weapon. It was primarily light grey with a circular base that had a light green rim on the inside near the handle. The shaft of the blade was clear in the middle, but the main part had a purple dragon wrapped around the shaft, its wings spread out on the side and the head forming the teeth of the key.
"May you keep the balance of light and darkness with this Keyblade, Synergized Echo," Ignitus said.
"Thank you, guys, for all of this," Synth said, giving a bow of respect.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Tiki exclaimed. "Won't Synth need a partner on his journey?"
"That's right," Tommy said. He turned to Synth. "The Noise are a bit different from the Heartless. We've learned that it takes two people working together to actually hurt them, so we've had people here in Midsummer Station team up with the other Keyblade Wielders on their journeys."
"That's already been decided," Morgana said. The cat hopped up on the table and held his head high. "I'll go with Synth on this dangerous mission."
Synth tilted his head in confusion. "I don't see how a cat will be of much help in battle."
"I'm not a cat!" Morgana shouted. "Besides, I too can fight. I've just got to change form." The cat jumped up into the air, and in a flash of smoke came landing down onto the table with an all new appearance. He was now a Chibi-like anthro cat, his collar turning into a yellow bandana and a belt appearing around his waist. "The second-in-command of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, you can call me Mona," Morgana said, striking a heroic pose.
"Morgana is one of the many heroes from his world," Ignitus explained. "He has the ability to wield a powerful spirit known as a Persona, which will no doubt be useful to you. Now, if you two are to go out into the worlds, then you will need a ship to do so. If you go down to the garage you should be able to get a ship that you can use."
"Wait!" Peril said, stepping forward. "I want to go with Synth as well. My friends are lost out there in the worlds, so I want to search for them."
"Peril, I'm obviously the better choice for Synth's partner," Morgana said in a high-and-mighty tone. "My skills are unmatched when it comes to both fighting and thieving."
"I can fight just as well as you can," Peril stated. "Don't forget that in my world, I was a champion in the arena and a hero in my own right."
Synth got between the two of them. "Guys, I'll let both of you come with me," he said. "Morgana, I trust Peril to fight by my side, and I won't argue that you are a great hero where you come from. Besides, aren't three heroes better than two?"
Peril and Morgana eyed each other, then gave a nod in agreement.
"Then it's decided: both Peril and Morgana will go with Synth," Ignitus said. He then turned to Morgana. "We will get you both better suited for travel in the outside world, so Synth and Peril can pick out your ship in the meantime."
"Sounds good to me," Morgana said. "Good luck, Synth! See you two in a bit."
[***]
Synth headed down the elevator to the garage, pressing the "G" button to get there. As the elevator got to the garage, Synth and Peril headed in to find a ship, with the dragon talking about her world and friends as they searched for a ship. "… So now I live with my friends in Jade Mountain Academy, along with Clay as well." She let out a sigh, then looked down at her claws. "You know, ever since I got here, I've been smaller than I am in my own world. Usually scavengers- that's what we call humans- are small enough to fit in my hand, but now I'm somehow only barely taller than you."
"Might be this world's magic," Synth speculated.
The two finally got to a particular part of the garage where various ships were being held. In the workshop was a man with dark skin and black hair, along with a boy in a green jumpsuit, a green alien in a yellow jumpsuit, and a dark-skinned girl with goggles resting on her head.
"Hey Yeager, it looks like we've got ourselves some customers," said the girl, looking up from the ship she was working on.
"Oh, perhaps they are looking for a ship of ours to use," said the green alien.
"That's what most people come to our shop for ever since we got here, Neeku," said the boy in the green jumpsuit.
The older man, Yeager, walked up to Synth and Peril and greeted them. "Welcome to Yeager's Repairs and Shipyard. I'm Jarek Yeager, the owner and manager of this garage. What brings you two here today?"
"We're looking for a ship that can take us to other worlds," Synth explained. "I'm a Keyblade Wielder, and Ignitus sent me down here to pick one out."
"Another one? You just keep popping up all over the place, don't you?" Yeager said. "Well, you can pick any ship you want, just know that I expect to have it back when you're done. Any damage on it will come out of your pockets." He turned to the boy in the green jumpsuit. "Kaz, why don't you show these two around. Tam, Neeku, get back to work repairing the other ships."
"On it, sir!" the three said.
Kaz approached Synth and Peril. "So, do you guys have a ship in mind?" he asked. "We've picked up plenty of ships and parts that drift in the Lanes Between, so there's a lot to choose from."
"We should pick something that's fast," Peril suggested.
"But it should also be able to put up a decent fight," Synth added.
"It should be big as well, that way no one will mess with us," Peril said.
Synth shook his head. "No, it should be small so that we can avoid shots being fired at us. Being big will just make us a target." As his eyes wandered around the garage, they caught something that stood out. "Hey, how about that one?"
The three looked over to see a small ship with two downward-sloping wings on the sides, two cannons on the front under the cockpit, and a smaller rear-facing cannon on the back. "That is a VCX-series auxiliary starfighter," Kaz explained. "It's more of a recon ship than a fully-fledged starfighter, with it being able to connect to a bigger ship, like a VCX-100 light freighter." He brought a hand to his chin. "However, Tam did say that her and Neeku upgraded it with a hyperdrive, as well as improved shields with some of the tech we've found around here in Midsummer Station."
"Then we'll take it," Synth said.
"It's a bit on the small side, but it does look fast," Peril said, nodding in agreement.
"Great," Kaz said. "Now then, what are you gonna name it?"
"You have any suggestions?" Synth asked.
"Well, there was this group of rebels in my world that had a ship like this," Kaz explained. "There's was called The Phantom."
"The Phantom it is then," Synth said, lightly patting the starship.
"So, you picked out our ship, eh?" Morgana said, walking into the garage. His was still in his anthro form, though now his attire was lightly altered. While the cat had swapped his yellow bandana for a red one, while also adding red metallic bracelets to his arms, which looked to be like something out a spy movie.
"Morgana! Nice outfit, by the way," Synth said.
"Nice of you to notice," Morgana said, purring at the compliment. "Oh, before I forget." The cat pulled a suitcase from his belt and tossed it to Peril, the dragoness catching it. "Your outfit is in there, Peril."
"Thank you," Peril said, a tear coming to her eye, "for letting me come with you come with you guys."
Synth merely smiled. "Don't mention it. Now then, let's fly!"
[***]
Synth and his two new friends quickly got acclimated with The Phantom, the Keyblade Wielder taking the helm as he prepared the ship for takeoff. "Well Morgana, are you ready?" he asked.
"I was born ready," the cat replied, having turned back into his 'normal' appearance (Synth noted that Morgana's collar had turned red as well). "I haven't been this excited since I was with the Phantom Thieves."
Synth couldn't help but notice how Morgana's mood seemed to lessen when he mentioned his previous team. "Hey, if you're friends are missing, we'll look for them, as well as Peril's while we're out in the worlds," Synth said. He turned to the dragoness. "How are you feeling, Peril?"
The dragoness shifted in her seat a bit, still getting used to her new armor. It consisted of a helmet, chest-piece, bracers on all four limbs, and a piece for her lower back and base of her tail, all of which was jade in color with bronze accents. "This armor is actually pretty blazing," she said. "It lets me fully control my firescales, so now I don't have to worry about setting anything on fire unless I want to."
Synth smiled, then grabbed the controls and piloted the ship out of the hanger. He waved goodbye to Kaz and the others as they left, leaving Midsummer Station behind as they headed into the Lanes Between. Suddenly, Vex popped out of Synth's hood, surprising both Morgana and Peril.
"Oh, I haven't introduced you guys," Synth realized. "This is Vex, my Dream Eater Spirit. Think of him like my pet. He'll be tagging along and recording our adventures for us."
Vex nodded and pulled out a book and pencil from under his bandana and smiling. Peril and Morgana gave a sigh of relief and introduced themselves to the Spirit.
"So, where should we go first?" Morgana asked.
"Let's see where the universe takes us," Peril said. "Jumping around at random will only lead to trouble."
"But trouble is kinda what we're looking for," Synth pointed out. "That way, we can set it right and face the Noise head on." He looked out at the vastness of the Lanes Between and smiled. "Let you heart be your guiding key, and go for it!"
Author's Note
So, I'm starting fresh with my Kingdom Hearts story as I just beat Kingdom Hearts 3 and am ready for new adventures. For those that haven't beat KH3 yet, there won't be any major spoilers for the game in this story here.
Some of you are probably wondering "What the heck are the Noise?" Well, they are the main enemies from the Square Enix game "The World Ends With You," and I chose them as I like their designs and I thought they would be a nice change from the usual Heartless and Nobodies. Those will be show up later, though, so don't worry.
Next time, we'll be headed to our first world, so stay tuned!
Also, check below to get some character bios for the world.
Vex's Journal: Midsummer Station
Synth: A Keyblade Wielder on a mission to stop the noise. He's from the time of the first Keyblade War and woke up in Midsummer Station.
Vex: That's me! Synth's Dream Eater Spirit and his oldest friend. I'm chronicling all of our adventures together as we travel the worlds with Morgana and Peril.
Peril (Wings of Fire): A dragon that was born with firescales, which made her burn anything she touched, though magic has lessened this effect. Separated from her friends, she seeks to find them on her adventure with Synth.
Morgana (Persona 5): A 'cat' that acted as the second-in-command of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. He has the ability to wield a Persona, which in his case is the legendary hero, Zorro.
Ignitus (The Legend of Spyro): A dragon that watches over the lives of all dragons. He's become a leader for the Keyblade Wielders in Midsummer Station.
Tommy Oliver (Power Rangers): One of the most known Power Rangers in his world, having led multiple teams. He's part of Ignitus' council in Midsummer Station.
Tiki (Fire Emblem): A Manakate that fought alongside the Hero King Marth. She's part of Ignitus' council in Midsummer Station.
Yeager (Star Wars Resistance): The owner of Yeager's Repairs. He was once a pilot in the Rebel Alliance, but now runs a repair shop. He moved his crew to Midsummer Station recently.
Tam (Star Wars Resistance): A girl that works at Yeager's Repairs. She takes her job seriously but is also a dependable friend.
Neeku (Star Wars Resistance): An alien that works at Yeager's Repairs. He doesn't get metaphors and can be a bit overbearing, but he has a good heart and knows when to help others.
Kaz (Star Wars Resistance): A boy that works at Yeager's Repairs. He's a part of the Resistance in his home world but is focusing on his job as a mechanic while at Midsummer Station.