There is a world out there that exists in a perpetual state of night. The resident of this world, an elderly wizard by the name of Yen Sid, didn't mind. It allowed him to study the stars with hardly any trouble, save the occasional cloud. He wore a long blue robe and a similarly colored pointed hat that had had little yellow celestial body shapes on it. Yen Sid stood watching the stars in his room atop his Mysterious Tower, one hand behind his back and the other stroking his magnificent grey beard thoughtfully. He did not like what the stars were telling him today.

A bright flash of light broke the wizard's concentration, bringing his attention down to the glowing tracks that ran past his tower. A purple train, with gold trimmings, small white star decorations, and a purple colored version of the hat that Yen Sid himself wore, was pulling up to the floating island that his tower stood on. Yen Sid nodded, the corners of his lips pulling up into the smallest of smiles. Good. The wizard thought as he turned away from the window and sat in his chair behind his nearby desk. He arrived sooner than I expected.

About ten minutes later, a knock sounded at his door. Having opened a book to read as he waited, Yen Sid placed a bookmark in it and, closing the book, Yen Sid called out, "You may enter."

A boy with spikey brown hair and deep blue eyes walked in with his trademark grin. He wore a blue and red t-shirt with a black short sleeve hoodie and shorts that had massive red pockets, more akin to bags, on the sides. Yellow straps crisscrossed the entire outfit and a silver chain necklace with a crown charm hung around his neck. The boy waved with one of his black fingerless gloved hands as he walked into the room. The boy laced his fingers together behind his head and leaned on one leg as he asked the wizard, "You wanted to see me, Master Yen Sid?"

"Yes, Sora, I did." The wizard replied, stroking his beard as he addressed the boy in front of him. Yen Sid closed his eyes, briefly reflecting on his words before he began. "You have accomplished much over the past two years and have grown into a strong and capable Keyblade Wielder."

"Even though I didn't pass the Mark of Mastery Exam?" Sora asked, his smile turning sad. It impressed the elderly wizard that the boy was taking his own failure so well. It spoke of both his maturity and his personality.

"Precisely." Yen Sid answered with a nod. "but alas, strength and capability will not be sufficient in the coming battles."

"Against Xehanort?" Sora raised an eyebrow and unlaced his fingers from behind his head, every move questioning the wizard's statement. When Yen Sid nodded, Sora shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Is he really that strong? I mean, I know I haven't actually seen the guy, but we've won before right? We've pretty much beaten him at every turn. Yeah, he's a threat to all the worlds, I get that, but – "

"It is not his strength that is Xehanort's greatest advantage." Yen Sid interrupted with a raise of his hand. The boy's face quickly adopted a look of confusion. The wizard continued patiently, "It is his ability to plan many steps ahead, while also possessing several contingencies in place should his plans fail. You see, he has orchestrated every event that has occurred over the past decade."

After blinking blankly for a moment, Sora scratched the back of his head, asking, "So… he's really smart?"

"Indeed." Yen Sid replied, standing up as he held in a sigh. The wizard often forgot that Sora, despite being a capable Keybearer, was still just a child. One who had been through things that no child should endure, but a child all the same. "We must strive to avoid any more of Xehanort's machinations."

"What do you have in mind?" Sora asked, tilting his head in curiosity. Yen Sid walked to the window and looked to the stars – well, to one star in particular. The wizard was silent for a moment as he began to second-guess his plan. True, Sora would grow as a tactician, yet there was a huge risk involved. The young wielder would be vulnerable. And the rules of that world…

"Um – Master Yen Sid?" Sora interrupted the wizard's thoughts. Yen Sid halfway turned towards the boy and, when their eyes met, Yen Sid's resolve hardened. This boy was crucial to the coming Keyblade War – Yen Sid was sure of it. And it was the wizard's job to prepare him for it. With another stroke of his beard, Yen Sid said, "Before the battle with Xehanort begins, it would be wise for us to train your mind."

"Makes sense." Sora responded, bringing a hand to his chin thoughtfully as he shifted his weight. "So what's the plan then? Am I staying here so that you can teach me? Or do you have some – "

"Patience, Sora." The wizard said, raising a hand to quiet the young Keyblade Wielder. "You have two options ahead of you.

"Your first choice is to remain here, where I can work with you personally. I will provide different challenges for you to accomplish, varying in complexity. Some will use magic while other will require you to perform a series of rigorous actions to complete the task." Others will require answering a question or solving a riddle."

Sora was listening intently, if a little worried. Yen Sid noted the young man's face paling slightly at the mention of riddles. It didn't surprise the elderly wizard; according to Jimminy's records, Sora often found solutions to his problems by plunging headfirst into them. With a sad smile, Yen Sid continued, "The second option may be more challenging, but potentially more rewarding."

"How so?" the young Keyblade Wielder swallowed heavily. "What is the second option?"

Folding his arms in front of his chest, the wizard continued, "This option requires you to travel to a world with unprecedented rules. A world that fights not with power, but wit and skill. This world will be vastly different than any other world that you have been to."

"Even more different than Port Royal?" Sora asked, tilting his head. Yen Sid nodded. The young wielder's eyes practically glowed at that. "So my options are to either stay here and train or travel to a new world that's different than any other?"

"Put simply, yes." The wizard answered as he resumed stroking his beard. Sora laughed loudly for a moment before falling back on his trademark grin, saying, "Master Yen Sid, you know I'm always ready to adventure to a new world!"

"Very well." Yen Sid nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. Of course, he knew what Sora would choose before presenting the options. But, he had been proven wrong before, so it didn't hurt to present the options anyway. Mentally shaking himself, the wizard stated, "I have a gift for you to take on this venture."

As Sora tilted his head questioningly, the wizard motioned with his hand. Out of a puff of smoke appeared a small, foldable mirror, which floated in the air in from of Sora. It wasn't much larger than the boy's hand, with a dark wooden border/case, the only decoration being a crown similar to the boy's necklace engraved on the front and painted gold to match the case's latch.

"What is it?" Sora asked, grabbing the floating mirror with a gloved hand. "I mean, besides a mirror."

"It is a communication tool. Unfortunately, you will have to go alone – the King's magician and captain are currently preoccupied with important tasks at the castle. As such, we will need a way to reach you, should the situation arise where you are required. All you need to do is say my name and I will answer on this mirror here." Sora looked like he was about to ask a question, so, guessing what the young man was going to ask, Yen Sid added, "You will only be able to contact me. I haven't had the time to make more of these enchanted mirrors, but soon each of the Guardians will possess one."

"Oh. Okay." Sora replied, nodding to the answer of his unspoken question as he pocketed his new mirror. "I should let everyone know that I'm leaving. Can't just leave without saying goodbye." A pause. "Again."

"The King, Riku, and Kairi are on their way now. They'll be here soon." The elderly wizard stated. At Sora's inquisitive look, he continued, "I have to meet with them to discuss a few things."

"Oh. Ok." Sora nodded, a smile spreading across his face. Lacing his fingers behind his head, the young man asked, "So how will I get to this world? Will I be taking the Gummi Ship?"

With a shake of his head, Yen Sid informed the young wielder, "Unlike the other worlds that you have visited, the Gummi Ship will be too conspicuous for you to take. I've arranged for the Mystic Train to take you there once – "

"Thanks a lot, Master Yen Sid! I should probably meet my friends before I head out!" Sora exclaimed as he took a quick bow before turning to leave.

"Don't you wish to know more about the world that you're going to, Sora?" the wizard asked as the boy opened the door to his study. "The train won't arrive with the King and your friends for another fifteen minutes, after all."

"Where's the fun in that?" the young wielder said, shooting a smile back at the elderly wizard. "Besides, it'll take me fifteen minutes to climb down the steps of the tower."

With that, Sora left the now smiling wizard in his study. After a moment, Yen Sid's smile slid off and he returned to his desk. He sat in his ornate chair, his gaze falling to a book on his desk. He had been reading the book before Sora was to arrive. The wizard stroked his bear, dwilling on the book's contents for a moment before opening the book one handedly to one of its pages and began reading it again.

KH x YGO

Varu Tallon woke up to the ringing sound of his alarm. His emerald-green eyes slid open easily as he calmly shut it off. The six-foot teenager slipped out of bed and headed to the bathroom down the short hall. Thirty minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom wearing a pair of black jeans, a white V-neck with short black sleeves, and a silver necklace with a wolf-head charm. The boy's short black hair, which had dark blue undertones added to it as of last week, was brushed so that the bangs swept across his forehead.

Varu closed the bathroom door and headed down the stairs to the ground floor. He lived in a relatively small house. It had two floors, with the top having two bedrooms plus a bathroom while the ground floor was where a small bathroom, the master bedroom (if you could call it that), plus a dining/living area that included small kitchenette, a dining table, and a couple of bean bag chairs surrounding a TV. The stairs were right across from the front door and right next to the master bedroom. Right in front of the front door was an area for everyone's shoes and a coat rack.

Varu paused when his eyes landed on the front door as the unpleasant memories flashed through his moment, like usual. The teen shook his head and walked to the kitchenette. Before long, he was cooking some bacon and eggs as he waited on the bread in the toaster to finish toasting. A few minutes later, footsteps sounded from the stairs, signaling the eminent arrival of Varu's mother. Sure enough, the nightgown-wearing woman stumbled into the kitchen, yawning and stretching as she walked to coffee pot. As she made the coffee, Ms. Tallon put her long black hair in a low ponytail and pushed her long bangs behind her ears. After pouring herself a cup, Varu's mom sat at the kitchen table and started to sip at her coffee.

A comfortable silence filled the air as Varu finished cooking breakfast. A few minutes later, he walked towards the dining table with two plates of eggs, bacon, and toast. Varu placed one down in front of his mother, before taking his place at the table and digging into his breakfast. Ms. Tallon smiled briefly and thankfully as she began eating. After a few moments of eating, she looked up at her son and stated, "You know, most teenagers would sleep in during Summer Break, not wake up at sunrise to make breakfast for themselves and their moms."

"Well, I'm not like most teenagers." Varu said, the small smirk giving the sarcasm away, despite his otherwise serious tone. His mom recognized the teenager's humor and smiled. Taking another sip of her coffee, she asked, "True. So, 'not like most teenagers' son of mine, any plans today that require to be up with the sun?"

Swallowing his mouthful of eggs, Varu replied, "I plan on going by the train station. You know I like watching the trains come and go."

"Uh-huh." Ms. Tallon said, raising an eyebrow humorously. "And I'm sure train watching is the only thing that you'll be doing."

"Well…" The teenager said, a cocky smirk crossing his face. Ms. Tallon knew that smirk; it was one of someone who was certain about winning, as playful as it was cocky. That smirk was one of the few attributes that Varu shared with his father and brother – long ago, at least. "I may have a few duels lined up."

"Aaaaand there it is." Ms. Tallon joked, smiling widely now. Now finished with their breakfast, mother and son got up to take care of their dishes. Varu washed them while his mom dried, stacking them atop each other on the counter to make it easier to put them away. When Varu tried to reach for the stack of dishes to put away, his mom shooed him away, saying that he 'shouldn't keep his challengers waiting'.

The dark-haired teen flashed his cocky smirk towards his mom before jogging to the front door, where he put his checkered converses on. Varu Tallon stood, grabbing the generic KaibaCorp Duel Disk from its place on the coat rack. After he made sure his deck was in its place, the teen opened the door. The sounds of Domino City waking up wafted into the Tallon house, mixing in with Varu's farewell to his mother. Shutting the door behind him, the teen breathed in the city's scent as he slipped on his Duel Disk. Then he jogged towards the train station, the morning sun nearly blinding him from the side.

Varu found himself stroking his wolf charm as he ran, a sure sign of apprehension. He didn't exactly know why though. The app on his cell predicted fair weather throughout the day. The two boys he was meeting near the train station, who were regular challengers, shouldn't be too much of a problem. Why, then, was he so apprehensive? Forcing himself to stop stroking the charm, Varu persuaded himself that it was just another day, even if it was the first Monday of Summer. He was going to beat these two duelists and spend the rest of the day chilling at the train station. Nothing out of the ordinary was going to happen today.

So, let's talk about the story for a moment. As you've no doubt noticed, Yugi Moto and company haven't appeared yet. 'What's up with that?' I hear you ask. Don't worry, they'll show up. I will integrate them into the story, but I wanted this to be an original story with original characters and cards. I think Yugi has deserved a break from saving the world, don't you think?

So here it is. My first attempt at writing fan fiction. Hope you enjoy. Leave a review; tell me what you think. What do you think is going to happen? Can you find the secrets before I lay them out? We can only wait and see.