K_e: Yay, another chapter in my Silent Hearts super saga! Enjoy people!

Silent Hearts:

Trial by Images

A Kingdom Hearts/Fatal Frame crossover extraordinaire (with Silent Hill's Heather Mason!)

Presented for your reading pleasure

By

Kosmos_emulator

"Amongst the stars are many worlds. Large worlds, small worlds. Worlds of fire, of ice, of gas, and of rock. And, every once in a very great while, one might find a special World. A World where all the elements have aligned in such a way that Life, in its infinitely varied forms, can thrive.

And, if one is VERY lucky, one of these life-filled spheres might house a True Race. A species that has intelligence, emotions, and sentience.

A race with hearts.

However, while the discovery of such a World might be thrilling-some would say the discovery of a lifetime, even-there is a certain danger in such a find. For wherever the light of Life shines with such brilliance as is needed to sustain a heart, Darkness is sure to exist as well. And Darkness precludes Pain, and Suffering, and Death.

But, sometimes, the heart is so powerful, so bright, that even Death cannot banish it from the World. When this happens, it is usually called a Ghost. A Ghost is one of these incredibly powerful hearts, caught forever in the instant of its demise, forced to ever relive the events leading up to that one, terrible moment. On occasion, a heart in such a state can become angry, filled with terrible wrath against its own death. This anger, in most cases, turns against those who are still alive, and a Curse is born.

Over time, a Curse can be compounded by repeated exposure to many terrible Deaths. It is theorized that, with enough exposure, a Wound would be formed in the fabric of that World. This Wound would contain within itself the Dark wrath of all the Ghosts, and perhaps the pain and sorrow that the World itself would feel at such horrible events. It would become a source of pure, powerful Darkness. From within this Wound, Darkness would pour forth, carrying and amplifying the power and intent of the Curse to the far reaches of that World.

Those who study the heart have a name for such a Wound.

The Hellish Abyss"

~an excerpt from the research notes of Ansem, ruler of the Radiant Garden

Donald, Goofy, NO!

I'm here to save you from her!

My will must be fulfilled!

KAIRI!

"KAIRI!"

"Whoa! Everything okay back there, Sora?"

Sora blinked, and looked around, taking in his surroundings. Oh, that's right. I'm on the Gummy ship. He yawned, and walked back into the cockpit. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Heather."

Heather glanced back at him, a concerned look on her face. "You know, Sora, its okay to be upset. It's only been a few weeks, and a lot of bad stuff happened. Having nightmares about it is nothing to be ashamed of. And, I'm here to listen, if you need to talk."

"Thank you for the offer, Heather, but I really am okay. I just can't believe what happened. I mean, I always thought that Kairi and I were, you know, meant to be together. But after what happened in that place, that Nowhere world, I just don't know what to believe."

"You'll figure it out. You are the Keyblade master, after all!" Heather smiled gently, "I know it'll all turn out alright."

Bleep, Bleep, Bleep

"What's that mean?"

Sora glanced at the controls, "Oh! It means we're coming up on a new world!"

"Which one?"

"I don't know, let me check the computer," Sora quickly punched some buttons on the control panel, "That's weird! This world isn't listed in the databanks at all!"

"So, it's an undiscovered world?"

"Looks like. Think we should land?"

Heather nodded excitedly, "Yes, yes, yes! I'm tired of being stuck on this ship!"

"Alright, let's go!" Sora laughed. With a quick flick of his wrist, he set their course for the unknown world below.

"Brother, are you in here somewhere?" a young girl asked aloud, staring at the foreboding mansion before her. This was the legendary Himuro Mansion, located in a remote part of Japan. The girl, Miku Hinasaki, had come to this place searching for her missing brother, Mafuyu. He had traveled to Himuro a few weeks before to find his missing editor, who had also disappeared in the mansion.

There was an enormous amount of rumors surrounding the building; frightening tales of forbidden rituals, painful deaths, and murderous spirits. Combined with Mafuyu's disappearance, these rumors prompted Miku to follow her brother's footsteps, and investigate the mansion.

I wonder what I will find here?, she thought as she approached the front doors. They opened at a slight touch, though they created an enormous racket in the process. Miku gulped as she walked in, I'm glad I brought my flashlight!

She stepped into the dusty foyer, closing the door behind her. Looking around, she saw nothing pleasant. All around her were rotten timbers, dust, cobwebs, and...Is that a body under that cloth? No, surely not!

Feeling even more uneasy, Miku walked deeper into the house, softly calling for her brother. "Mafuyu, are you here?"

The impenetrable darkness was making her more terrified by the second, so she started shining her flashlight around nervously. Stop being such a child, she chided herself, It's just an abandoned house! There is no reason to be scared! Besides, Mafuyu's in here somewhere, I just know it! Her self-pep talk didn't do much to ease her nerves though. She approached a door on the far wall, and after much work, managed to jerk it open.

Beyond the door was a hallway, long, dark, and ominous. She proceeded carefully towards the far end, when something brushed her face. "Gah!" she yelped. Jumping back, she shone her flashlight upwards, and saw "Ropes?"

Indeed, there were ropes. A dozen or so ropes dangled from the ceiling, swaying softly from side to side. Miku breathed a sigh of relief, laughing a little at herself. You're letting all those stories get to you! Stop it! There is absolutely NOTHING to be afraid of!

She continued walking, and after another minute, she reached the end of the hall.

Nothing here, just some dusty old mirror, she thought, Wait, on the floor. Is that…Mafuyu's notebook?

She reached down and grabbed the book. As her hand closed around it, movement in the mirror attracted her attention…

TBC

K_e: Well, we've reached the end of yet another chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed (I know, it was a little slow!), and stay tuned for the next chapter!

Also, I'm writing a parallel story called Broken Hearted, so if you've liked the Silent Hearts series up to now, check BH out too!

And remember, food feeds the writer's body, but reviews feed his writing! :D