A/N: Hello, welcome to my new story, Kingdom Hearts: Keyblade Wars. Now, this story will have characters that are in the games, and many who are not. Reason being because I like my OC's lmao. I know the idea of Keyblade Wars being fought has been overdone but I twisted the main story a little so that it fit the setting I created originally. I also have another story for KH called Organization XVI, which is currently on hiatus as I need to recover my original files from my currently broken desktop and transfer them to my laptop. It's not as simple as copy and paste either, lol. But, back to this. Another thing I must point out is that I found this chapter a little hard to follow at times. I will make sure to fix that in progressing chapters. One last thing, just one: The prologue seems long, but this is only half. The other half will be the next chapter. I try to make long chapters, if only for the reason that my short chapters usually frustrate me with how they come out so I only write short chapters when needed. Now, onto the story!
Kingdom Hearts: Keyblade Wars
Preface
Seven of Light. Thirteen of Darkness. This was said to be the final battle over Kingdom Hearts. But, what if the Darkness had won that day? Would the Light find a way to still fight back? Would hope find a way to save everything?
Prologue
Loss of the Light
Everyone thought Sora and the other chosen wielders of the Light would win in the final battle against Master Xehanort and his army of Darkness wielders. It seemed all but certain, as Sora and Riku charged the rogue Keyblade Master in one final strike. Unfortunately, Vanitas came forward and struck at the duo, badly wounding the both of them. Knowing Vanitas was ruthless, Xehanort assured himself that the Light had been beaten. Leaving the battlefield, he had no way of seeing a faint glow coming from Sora, the young man using Curaga on himself and Riku, being the only two still breathing. Thus, the Light was beaten and, even though warriors who fought for Light still lived, Darkness overtook the worlds.
Years passed, and just as before, a small sliver of Light survived the takeover. However, with Xehanort's knowledge he was able to easily extinguish any lingering flames of hope with the help of his now massive army of Darkness-wielding Keybearers. More recently, a rebel group claiming they fight for the Light to reclaim it's rightful place in the balance of nature, have been attacking the worlds, mainly Xehanort's bases on each.
No one knows where Sora or Riku disappeared to soon after their final battle with Xehanort, or even if they were still alive at all, but Xehanort has spies everywhere, hoping to weed out the Light Keyblade Masters from hiding and eliminate them. Nonetheless, the Light isn't going to give up that easily. This story begins in Twilight Town, where a small group of friends are about to find themselves caught up in the endless fighting, and not all of them on the same side...
Twilight Town, Clock Tower...
Sixteen year old Nick Rush sighed as him and his friends sat on the upper ledge of the clock tower, out of sight from the Dark Army troops that patrolled the town. "Man, why do these guys have to be everywhere? What did anyone do to really deserve the worlds becoming dictatorships?"
"All we know is what we're told, really. It's not like many people can remember a time before the Dark Army ruled," Answered Elliot Daimon. "But what we do know is that they patrol the worlds making sure that the Light doesn't become powerful enough to pose a threat. That's also what Xehanort's Oracles are for. When the Oracle sees a future where the Dark Army is in jeopardy, Xehanort sends his personal guard out to intercept and kill them."
"Yes, and his personal guard are Xemnas, Ansem, Vanitas, and Xigbar. The top four members of the original thirteen that went to battle with the Light," Continued Melise Palamese, throwing her long auburn red hair over her shoulder. "And wasn't Vanitas the one who killed King Mickey and Kairi by himself? Kairi was a Princess of Heart, a person with no Darkness within her, so she was the best suited to take on Vanitas, who was a creation of pure Darkness."
"Alright, alright, enough of the history lesson. I, for one have heard it enough times by now to not care. It's not like anything's going to change anytime soon." Said Shiryl Kimbala, holding her hands out for the friends to stop the conversation that would surely one day get the youths in trouble.
"Yeah, guys. The Dark Army may hear us talking up here. Treason is reason to be executed, and they do it in public! So, onto other topics. Is anyone sneaking out to the party down in the underground concourse tonight?" Asked the last friend, Nick's twin sister Tabitha.
"I'm going. No way would I miss an underground party," Nick laughed. "Especially since parties above ground these days are nothing but oppression. The underground gives us a chance to unwind from that, right?"
Elliot and Melise nodded. "Yeah. What about you, Tabby?"
"No, I don't think I'm going. I'd probably be bored."
"Aww, come on, Tabs," Shiryl pleaded. "Jason will be there."
Tabitha's cheeks reddened as everyone chuckled at Shiryl bringing up the boy her friend had a crush on. "That's not fair, Shir! He doesn't even know I exist. No, I'm staying home."
"Fine then, suit yourself." Shiryl turned away from Tabitha as Nick sighed.
Melise, trying to distract herself from the quarrel, pulled out a few bits of metal from her pocket. She pressed her hands together and muttered a Meta spell, reforming the metal together. As she removed her hands, a gleaming steel chocobo figure was revealed. And it wasn't the regular domestic kind of chocobo either, instead looking like the exotic Wildwoods breed. She had made the little trinket for Nick, it was something the two of them did to each other. Melise would give him a figure and in silent exchange, Nick would bring her to either a party or other event they decided to go to.
Nick and Melise were dating, and had thought of this little method of keeping it secret from the others because of the couple being scared of how they would react. As far as Nick and Melise knew, the others hadn't caught on. If they had, the lot of them were assholes for making them have to keep it a secret.
So, Melise handed the chocobo to Nick, who smiled and pocketed it away before nodding and standing up. "I'm heading home a bit early, guys. Gotta get ready and the party starts in just a couple of hours."
"It doesn't take you that long to get ready." Tabitha retorted, crossing her arms.
"I know, but I'm also tired of my friends arguing. I'm going home for some quiet. Melise, Elliot, Shiryl, I'll see you all at the party and I'll see you when you come home, alright Tab?"
"Sure, sure. Just go." Nick laughed as he traversed down the side of the clock tower, making sure to stay out of sight from the Dark Army troops.
As Nick was out of earshot, Tabitha turned to Melise. "So, how long have you guys just been using the animal figures as ways to date without us knowing?" Melise gasped, thinking no one had caught on. "Come on, Melise. We've known for three years that you two liked each other. I only figured it out because whenever you would give Nick a figure, he wouldn't come home until pretty late. It was then that I knew something was up with the two of you. I know you would never hurt my brother, I'm just saying you guys really didn't have to keep it a secret. Honestly, it's sort of a red flag with Nick, he has all the figures put up on the wall like trophies."
Melise's face was red from the blush that crept over her face, knowing about the wall of figures, but she found it cute. It was a collection, one of a kind. And she knew his favorite one would be the Chocobo she had just given him. Elliot chuckled and shook his head. "Tabby, stop interrogating the girl. Let them keep their dating a secret. They're obviously scared of how we'll react to the news. They just have nothing to worry about. I do give them both props for keeping it secret while we're together all the time. But, Nick had the right idea, I'm heading out. Gotta do some stuff around the house before the party. See ya." He said and left the clock tower.
Still embarrassed, Melise took the first opportunity to make her own way back home, just wanting the conversation to stop while Nick wasn't there. Soon, all five friends had left the tower and made their respective ways home. From the shadows of the buildings around the clock tower, a cloaked figure appeared. "These five seem like exactly what I'm looking for. Maybe the Light isn't as lost as Xehanort thinks." He said before creating a Corridor of Darkness and walking into it, leaving behind no trace of his presence.
Dark Army Headquarters, Castle Xehanort, Radiant Garden...
"Master Xehanort! We have a development." Said a young girl holding a notebook full of prophecies and pictures as she entered the Throne Room. Her somewhat glowing gold eyes looked glazed over as she had just had her latest premonition.
The elderly-appearing bald man nodded his head slightly to acknowledge the girl. "Come, Reyn, tell me what you've seen." He motioned for her to step towards the throne.
Slightly shaking, Reyn made her way closer. "My Lord, the Light may yet awaken again. I have foreseen a group of five new Keyblade wielders who will fight for the Light. They hail from Twilight Town and, if they are not killed as soon as possible, they will be capable of toppling everything you've built since the last War."
Xehanort stroked his small beard with his forefingers in thought. Reyn stood there, awaiting a reply that she would then relay to the other two Oracles, Kaira and Leopold. After a pregnant pause, the Leader spoke. "Thank you, Reyn. I can see the importance of this vision and will handle it immediately. Vanitas!" He boomed out into the empty halls of the Castle. Reyn, knowing she was dismissed, made her way quietly out of the Throne Room as a young man in a sleek red and black uniform which included a helmet with blacked-out visor walked in.
Vanitas was much older than most of the Dark Army, but due to being a being a Pure Darkness and Chaos, he was stuck for all of time as the evil doppelganger of the Keyblade's old Chosen, Sora. The main difference between them was Vanitas' black hair as opposed to Sora's brown and his gold irises to Sora's cerulean. Vanitas bowed respectively for his creator. "Yes, Master Xehanort? You called?"
"Ahh, Vanitas. Yes, it seems we have five new Light wielders to take care of," Xehanort could picture the evil grin Vanitas was surely sporting already. "Go to Twilight Town, and use the Unversed to find and destroy all of them. Do not hesitate, for we all know that even a fledgling wielder can defeat a Knight of the Dark Army."
Vanitas nodded. "Yes, my Lord. I shall make my way there now. I can be there in just a few hours." Xehanort nodded his approval as Vanitas turned and made his way towards the shipyard.
A few hours later, back in Twilight Town, the group without Tabitha had arrived at the party in the underground concourse. Nick and Melise had arrived together, as everyone expected, and not too much later did Elliot walk in with Shiryl moments behind. Melise had told Nick that the rest of the group knew about them being together, to which he just shrugged and told her not to worry. Most of the teenagers in Twilight Town had shown to the event, and several others that none of them recognized as being a TT native. Nick turned to Melise and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, to which she smiled. "I'll be right back."
"Alright. Don't keep me waiting too long." She teased, giggling.
"Do I ever?" Was all Nick said before he walked off. Melise sighed, happy that Nick was always there for her, no matter what. Smart ass. Why can't I figure out where this bad feeling is coming from? It's not Nick, I know that. What then? She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely realized when Nick had come back over to her, holding two bottles of water. Thanking her boyfriend, she took one of the bottles and took a few sips before putting it down and leaning on Nick.
Elsewhere in town, Vanitas walked out of a Corridor of Darkness and summoned a small army of Unversed. "Find the Light! Bring them back to me!" He commanded the hundred or so Unversed as they dispersed, fading into the ground and finding their way towards the holders of Light.
Nick looked at the tanned beauty and wrapped his arms around her middle, bringing her closer to him. He saw the worried look in his girl's eyes. "Hey, you okay Mel?" He asked.
He felt Melise shake her head. "I don't know, Nick. I have this feeling that something bad is about to happen, but I can't figure out what it is."
"Don't worry, Melise. Whatever happens, you know I'll keep you safe. You do know that, right?" He smiled at her.
"Yes, I know. And I trust you with all my heart to do it. I'll be right back." Nodding, Nick brought his arms away so Melise could get up.
As he waited, Nick looked around the main room of the underground concourse and saw a small dark blue figure darting around on the upper tiers of the waterway. Dismissing it, he saw Melise starting to come back towards him. Smiling at her, his eyes widened when he saw more of the creature he had just seen several steps behind her. "Melise, run!" He said as he charged through the crowd of people to get to his girlfriend.
Hearing the distress in his voice, Melise turned around and saw the creatures as they lunged for her. She jumped backwards as Nick came up next to her. "Stay behind me."
"Always," Melise said and kissed Nick's cheek as the creatures now lunged at Nick. Nick threw a punch which connected with the first two enemies as more made an attempt. He kept punching the small blue things until he was practically dripping sweat, not letting a single one of them get to Melise.
Nick went down to lean on one knee, physically exhausted. The creatures, seeing him weakened, made one last attempt to break through his guard. Nick struck one of them and swore. "Fuck it all! You're not getting past me! I'll never stop fighting to protect my loved ones!" He shouted and suddenly, a bright light came from nowhere and engulfed Nick and Melise both, as well as Elliot and Shiryl who were elsewhere fending off the small beasts.
When the light had faded, Nick was holding a weapon he had never seen before. It was shaped like a very large key, but not a traditional key. It was designed more like a bird, a shaft of feathers gleaming gold in what light there was in the concourse. The 'teeth' of the key were three curved feathers, the points of which seemed sharper than anything Nick had ever seen before. From the end of the key, where he held it between a double-sided guard shaped like shaggier feathers, dangled a Keychain that just happened to be the chocobo figure Melise had given to him earlier. The Wildwoods Chocobo? No, the golden Wildwoods, rarest of the rare. Melise does know I am absolutely obsessed with wanting to go look for that Chocobo. I love her so much. He mentally laughed as he tested the weight of the blade in his hands. It feels weightless to me. What exactly are you? He asked the weapon.
A tiny voice sounded through his head, clear enough for him to make out. Keyblade... He looked at the blade, realizing he now held what was once a rare weapon. "A Keyblade? Me? Aww, fuck." He hung his head, now understanding that this meant he couldn't stay in Twilight Town. "Where am I supposed to go? I'll be a fugitive. I can't leave Melise." He turned to Melise to see her also holding a Keyblade. He made a sweep around the place to find Elliot and Shiryl also holding their own Keyblades. "Well, shit." Was all he had to say.
Suddenly, larger blue creatures actually holding swords appeared and started charging the friends. Nick took a breath and lead them. "We need to fight if we're going to get out of here. Leave where, to me. I have a plan." Screaming out a trio of agreement, the four friends got ready to fight back. From years of practicing sword-fighting techniques while they played Keyblade Wars as kids, they actually could handle themselves with swords.
The sword-carrying enemies reached the teens and the retaliation began. Nick took a defensive stance and blocked the creatures' attack, pushing it back while swinging underhand to slash it right through the chest, turning it into nothing but dust, the effect of the Keyblade against their enemy. What are they? Nick thought to himself.
Moments later, the voice came back. Unversed... Nick looked at the weapon briefly before slashing at a group of Floods that had then appeared. He looked over at Melise to see her gracefully blocking and countering. He ran towards her as she made a quick three slash attacks at the now exposed chest of her enemy. It toppled over and disappeared as Nick reached Melise, taking her into his arms. "I'm so glad you're safe. I love you, Melise, I can't lose you.."
Melise looked up at him as Nick pressed his lips to hers, smiling as she deepened the kiss. He broke away. "Not the time for all of that. We gotta get out of here. Let's go get Elliot and Shiryl, and check in on Tabitha and then we're gone."
"Sounds good to me." Melise said, turning to find the other two members of their group standing right there.
"That was by far the most adorable thing I have ever seen you guys do, and before that spot was reserved for your little figure system." Shiryl said, laughing at Melise's embarrassment.
Nick crossed his arms. "It's good to see you two are still alive as well. Let's go. Tabitha better be alright." The others nodded as they left the underground concourse right near the Rush apartment. Rushing hurriedly into the apartment, Nick called out. "Tabitha?! Tab, you home?!" He ran from room to room to find her in the kitchen, the dining table knocked onto its side and her holding a Keyblade. "Mother fucker! Thank God you're safe, but how did all five of us get Keyblades?! You know what, forget it. Come on, Tabby, we gotta get out of Twilight Town, now!"
"Emergency clothes still near Uncle's hangar?" Nick nodded, motioning for them to get the hell out of the apartment.
As he lead the others out of the apartment and towards the ship hangar, Nick still had one question on his mind. Where the hell are we going though? What Worlds do I know outside of Twilight Town?"
Go... Mysterious Tower... Blue Train...
"Blue train? Sunset Station! Scratch going to the hangar. We need to catch a train." He declared as the group fought through countless groups of Unversed as they changed course and raced to Sunset Station. Upon reaching the train station building, they all froze.
In front of them stood a man in a sleek red and black outfit with a helmet. In his hand was a very evil-looking Keyblade. He chuckled as the group stopped. "About damn time. When no one ran towards the ship hangar, I figured the train would be the only other way out of Twilight Town. So, what are the little kiddies going to do now?"
Everyone turned to Nick as he just stared at the man. He knew who this was, it was only obvious by the extravagant amount of Darkness he was letting off. "Vanitas."
"Oh, so you know of me? Good. I really hate it when my targets don't even know who it is that's killing them."
"Fight me! Leave them out of this." Nick demanded, the others gasping at his boldness.
Vanitas chuckled. "Well then, I guess I know who the leader is now, don't I? Fine, you want to die right here? Let me dig you a grave." He said before disappearing, Nick almost letting the blow go through as Nick turned and hastily guarded.
Nick pushed off and held his hand out. "Freeze!" He yelled as a tower of ice magic surrounded Vanitas, encasing him in a usually unbreakable barrier. Unfortunately, Vanitas wasn't some normal person, and he demonstrated it by breaking out of the prison-like ice like it wasn't even there. He started laughing as he launched himself into a long series of impossibly-quick strikes. Nick deflected each one with vigor, which only managed to piss his enemy off.
"Is that the best you got? This isn't even my full power." Vanitas said as an aura of Darkness surrounded him, Nick and the others feeling the raw hatred within the man they faced.
"This isn't my full power either. I refuse to give up and die to the likes of you!" Nick shouted as he jumped back quickly. "Hastera!" Suddenly, he was matching Vanitas' attacks and inputting his own as the lightning fast flurry of strikes continued. Then, Nick caught Vanitas' Keyblade on the ground and, stepping on it to keep it grounded, Nick thrust his Keyblade across Vanitas's shoulder, cutting it deep. It surprised the teenagers, however, when Vanitas didn't bleed blood, but instead his skin burned slightly with a black flame.
Vanitas held his arm. "Damn it. Who the fuck do you think you are?! You know what, go wherever you're going. I'm going to come after you, and when I find you, I'm going to capture you alive, bring you to Xehanort myself and execute you personally. Enjoy your time together, while it lasts." He said before he sank into the ground in a Corridor of Darkness.
Nick fell down to his knees, panting. Melise ran over to him. "Nick! Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Haste always takes it out of me. Come on, let's go. I didn't expect to come out of that fight alive, honestly." Nodding, Melise helped Nick up and, taking his hand in hers, walked together into the train station. Once inside, they made their way onto the blue train that was about to depart, which none of them had ever seen in the station before.
As they all sat down, Nick held Melise close and held his Keyblade out again. "Alright, everyone. We've made it out of Twilight Town. I don't know exactly how we all got chosen to wield Keyblades, I thought it was only going to be me. So, let's compare these things, we don't know when the next time we'll be able to will be, right?" This earned a laugh from the whole group as they all laid their weapons next to each other.
Melise's Keyblade, which had been placed next to Nick's, looked like something out of a deep-sea wreck. It had a coral-like look to it, in vibrant blues and pinks with thorny edges sticking out here and there. The teeth were shaped like a single cloud of sea foam. Her Keychain was a sea shell that Nick recognized as one that he had bought for her on a school trip to the Destiny Islands when they were younger.
Elliot's was next. It was a Keyblade out of a techno-geek's dreams. The entire thing had a circuit board look to it, with the teeth being lone circuits that pulsed gold. His Keychain was a usb flash drive, suiting him since Elliot was the resident tech wizard. Shiryl's own blade looked like some kind of doctor's tool. The guard was a looped stethoscope, the blade itself was like a needle to draw blood and the teeth had the look of tongue depressors. This Keyblade's Keychain was a Nurse's cap, complete with a small red cross on it.
Tabitha's Keyblade surprised everyone at it's appearance. It looked like a long link of chains, with the teeth being smaller links and the guard looked similar to a padlock. The attached Keychain was a smaller padlock, this one in an unlocked position. The whole Keyblade was a dark metallic red, like the chains were boiling.
As the group looked at their new weapons, Elliot pointed at Nick's. "I think it's cute that Nick's Keychain is the chocobo Melise made him."
"Yeah, it is," Added Tabitha. "And Melise's is the Thasalla shell Nick bought her in the Destiny Islands. It makes sense that the couple would have similar Keychains."
"Enough, guys, can't you see Melise is uncomfortable with you guys talking about us like we're not here?" Looking over at his girlfriend, she smiled softly at him defending her.
"Well then, why didn't you guys just tell us you were dating?" Shiryl commented as Nick made a face.
"Melise and I were both scared of your reactions. I knew you would probably all understand but I wanted Melise to decide it was time to tell you all. But, now we all know the hidden secret within the group, now we can leave it and focus on the real task at hand." He said, his tone more serious than his friends had ever heard before.
"What exactly is the task at hand? We just got run out of our own home by one of Xehanort's personal guard, which you have managed to piss off after one encounter." Elliot said, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, well, I have that habit. But, no. The task at hand for us now is to go to the Mysterious Tower. I think I remember hearing that it was the only world that Xehanort hasn't touched, mostly because of the sorcerer that lives there. Perhaps we'll get some answers as to why we were all chosen and hopefully some guidance about what to do now."
"Hold on a second, who said that you were going to be the one to lead us, anyway? Shouldn't we be discussing where to go as a team? I mean, you said it yourself: we're in this together." Said Tabitha.
"Well, Nick was the one who took charge on the way to the train, and he was able to stop Vanitas. He's earned the position by action." Melise said, hating that Tabitha was being a royal bitch to her own brother.
"Oh, hush. You're the most biased one out of us all when it comes to my brother." Tabitha shot back, making Melise look down at the floor of the train.
Nick rushed between them. "Girls, no fighting! Tabitha, you're my sister, and I'm always going to stand by you and do what I think is right. For all of us, not just me. And seriously, stop picking on Melise. You of all people know how shy she was when we first met her. Just because she doesn't defend herself verbally doesn't mean she's helpless. I know she's anything but," He smiled at his girlfriend, and Melise saw sadness in his eyes. I'll talk to him about it later. I hate it when he's upset. She resolved as Nick continued.
"Now, as for me being the leader. I took charge in Twilight Town because I was the first to react to holding a Keyblade. I fought Vanitas because as the leader, it was my duty to protect my friends, and I've promised each of you that I would protect you in any way I could. I know we're not all helpless, that we can defend ourselves. I do not look to you guys like you're minions. You guys are family, and family always sticks together." Nick was visibly shaking, everyone realized that Nick was crying.
Everyone was taken aback to Nick's speech, but they all came up to him and embraced him in a group hug. "You're right, Nick. We're family. We stick by each other." Elliot said. "And from now on, we discuss everything we do with each other. Deal?"
"Deal. Heh." Nick chuckled. "Thanks, guys. I didn't sign up for any of this, none of us did. Now, we just have to make the most of it." Everyone agreed as the train came to a halt.
"Well, let's go see us a sorcerer." Shiryl said, laughing as they got their Keyblades and exited the train. The engine, it's route finished, flew off on almost invisible tracks as the teenagers stood on a small grassy walkway leading up to a tall tower. Shiryl walked over to the side of the walkway and whistled. "I guess we shouldn't go falling down there." The others just nodded and together they entered the tower.
Inside, the tower staircase just seemed to climb higher and higher, as far as any of the teens could see. Nick went to the foot of the stairs and looked ahead, noticing the white glowing portal not far up the staircase. "Come on, guys. Best bet is that the sorcerer is gonna be at the top of the tower."
Making their way up the tower proved more confusing than they first thought. Upon entering the portal, they came upon a set of glowing green stairs, which wound up the inside of the tower until it reached a door, seemingly leading to nothing. This process repeated itself twice as they entered one door to find themselves on another expanse of stairs. Finally, after several minutes of climbing, the group of five came upon a door marked only with a symbol of a hat. Pushing it open, the young Wielders found themselves in a small study. A few bookshelves lined the walls, and a small table had a set of bubbling tubes and containers.
At the large window that overlooked the rest of the small world stood the sorcerer, Yen Sid. With his back turned from the teenagers, he spoke. "Welcome, young wielders of the Keyblade. I am sorry you were attacked in your own world just to find you. My name is Yen Sid, and I am quite possibly the only person who could help you on this journey. Come in, sit down. Make yourselves at home." He said in a deep monotone voice as the younger people found seats in the small study.
"Hello, sir. We're sorry we have to just barge in like this," Nick began only to get cut off.
"No, no. Enough of that. I may be an old sorcerer, but I am also one of the only living Keyblade Masters these days, even being retired." That got everyone even quieter than before. "Now, as I was saying. You five have been chosen by the Keyblade. A great honor, or so it was in the days before Xehanort's forces won the second War. Unfortunately, you have not had the formal training your predecessors had, but the books here on my desk may be able to help. But, that can wait until after," He took a deep breath and continued.
"Your duty is to fight in the ongoing struggle of Light and Darkness, together with your Keyblades you must find a way to get to Xehanort and destroy him. Only then, will the worlds truly find their balance once again. Along the way, you will meet allies, enemies, and perhaps more. Unfortunately, there is another issue that you all must figure out on your own, and that is which of you will be for the Light, or for the Darkness. I urge you all, however, to consider this before making any rash decisions: If you find yourselves walking down the path of Darkness, do not turn away from your friends, for your Heart may just be in balance. This means that, even if you wield the powers of Darkness, you can still fight for the Light, for all of our Hearts have Light and Darkness inside them. Do not let Darkness consume you, otherwise you will lose what you perhaps care about most.
"I have been alive a long time, seen too much conflict. I have watched friends turn on each other, brothers murdering brothers, and I wish to see the endless bloodshed end. Xehanort will use your desires to lure you to the Darkness, but you must not give in. I fear the only way to win against the Darkness is to use both the Dark and the Light in perfect balance with each other within a Wielder's Heart. But, let me start the tale of how this world we find ourselves in came to be.
"It all started, as no one would believe, with a young man whose only dream was to see other worlds than the one he called home. In time, he found his way out to the stars and traveled the worlds as a Keyblade Wielder, just like myself and my friend, Eraqus. This man, whose dream had become reality, was Xehanort. We all became Masters and, whereas Eraqus and Xehanort decided to take their own apprentices, I chose to come live in seclusion, watching over the balance of the Worlds. Xehanort was a very determined man, always prioritizing the things he set his mind to. He began researching the first Keyblade War, not leaving his own study for days, even weeks at a time. It was then, that Xehanort began experimenting and researching the Darkness.
"He took an apprentice by the name of Ventus, and he began studying his own pupil, looking for ways to bring his inner Darkness out and use it to twist Ventus into a shell of his would-be former self. One day, he succeeded by extracting the Darkness from Ventus' Heart, leaving it fractured while a new being was created from the Darkness. This creature is known now as Vanitas," At the mention of Xehanort's personal guard, everyone looked to Nick. "I see you have already met him. He is a very unique individual, as he is the source of the creatures of Darkness known as the Unversed. Xehanort had created Vanitas in order to create a weapon of ultimate power known as the X-Blade by fusing together the two fractured parts of Ventus' Heart. And he almost succeeded, if not for the efforts of Eraqus' students, Terra and Aqua who were both good friends with Ventus. Together, they fought off Xehanort and his ill-created apprentice but not without their own losses. Ventus, his Heart now complete but in need to repair the damage done, fell into a coma in which Aqua hid him in the old halls of Eraqus' world, the Land of Departure. Terra, the only one of Eraqus' pupils to have utilized Darkness, was unable to prevent himself from falling further into it's reaches, Xehanort fusing his Heart with Terra's to become a being that would then call itself Xehanort as he infiltrated the lab of Ansem the Wise, the old leader of Radiant Garden.
"During the ten years Xehanort was with Ansem and his apprentices, he corrupted each of them in turn except Ansem. When the elder learned that Xehanort had been experimenting and abducting citizens in order to create his own Heartless, He attempted to stop the rogue apprentice only to be stopped by his other five apprentices as well. With that, Xehanort banished Ansem the Wise to the Realm of Darkness and took his place, even taking the name of Ansem. It was at this time that the original threat to the Light once again appeared. The Heartless, those wretched creatures without Hearts, began taking over the worlds, Xehanort leading them as the Heartless known as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. But, he could not completely control the Heartless, so he took his experiments even further, turning all of his allies and himself into Heartless, only Xehanort having a strong-enough Heart to retain his original form. This, in turn, created the Nobodies, the empty shells of those whose Hearts were lost to Darkness. The six apprentices became the foundation of the Organization XIII, with Xehanort's Nobody Xemnas to lead them.
"During the time the Heartless threatened the worlds, a young boy named Sora from the Destiny Islands became the chosen Keyblade Wielder, as his best friend Riku became one as well, but of Darkness. During two long years, Sora and Riku fought against and alongside each other as they thwarted the Darkness' plan time and again. In time, they both partook in the Mark of Mastery Exam, of which only Riku succeeded. Sora went training on his own while Riku went back to the Destiny Islands. Their next battle, unfortunately, would be their last. Xehanort had gathered his forces, thirteen avatars of Darkness destined to bring destruction to the world while Sora and Riku had five other combatants fighting for the Light. A prophecy foretold that seven avatars of Light would fight Thirteen of Darkness in the final battle, and it seemed that the Darkness had won in the end."
"Until the five of you were chosen. Your journey begins from this place, a journey across the worlds that will hopefully bring the Light back to us." He finished, glancing back out the window.
"That's all well and good, Master Yen Sid, but where should we go to start our journey? Vanitas will be hunting us, he's already told us all of that, and with the luck we've had today, so will the rest of Xehanort's Army. We're only five, we can't hope to damage him enough to make a difference." Nick stated.
Yen Sid considered this for a moment. "You are five, and that number may grow or it may shrink, depending on your choices. My advice to you is to go to the world of Spira to rest and gather allies. It is one of the worlds that has not been touched by Xehanort, his reasons unknown to me. Before you depart, however, I have a small task for you. Step into the other room and my assistants shall set you up with everything you need to begin your journey." He waved them off towards the doorway in the far wall, to which the five teenagers just responded and went through the door.
"Oh dear, we've got five this time. This won't be as easy as it was with Sora and Riku, no it won't." Said a woman in red with small wings attached to her back as she flew up to the group, followed by two more women, one in blue and one in green.
"We're sorry," Elliot apologized, clapping his hands together. "We don't mean to be a burden of any kind." Nick was surprised at this behavior. Elliot wasn't usually the one for apologizing, more the first one to pick a fight.
"Oh, no no, don't worry dears." Said the woman dressed in green. "You're not being a burden. We are fairies, you know.
"Yes, ma'am, we figured." Smiled Shiryl, who had loved fairies since she was a toddler.
"Good, good. Well then, boys go with Fauna," Said the one in red, indicating the fairy dressed in green. "Girls go with Merryweather. I'll prepare your supplies while they get your clothing sorted." Nodding, the two other fairies gathered up the boys from the girls and lead them out of the room in different directions.
Several minutes later, the group were looking better in their new clothes. Nick had on a gold t-shirt with a small chocobo in the corner with black cargo pants and a black chocobo-down jacket with a chocobo design on the back. He was now also wearing an odd red orb with a yellow feather inside, one that Nick had realized he had not been on him as they fled Twilight Town. "Wait, this is my... Chocobo summon Materia... I wasn't able to grab this before we left home. How did it wind up here, now?" He asked no one in particular.
"Well, dearie, when I used my magic to give you boys new clothes, I also was able to summon an item close to each of you. That was what inspired the look of your outfits." Fauna said, motioning him to just keep quiet while everyone admired their new looks.
Melise's new outfit was like that of a thief, easy to move in to execute the quick strikes Melise was known for in their sparring. She now wore a windbreaker jacket over a purple tank top and thigh-length shorts held by a brown leather belt. On the belt also sat a dagger, most likely as a secondary weapon. What interested Nick was the earring she was now wearing on her right ear. It was the only one of a set Nick had bought her, a small dangling design shaped like a carbuncle, one of Melise's favorite animals. He had gotten the set for her birthday when they were twelve, but she had lost one of them two years ago and they could never find it, which made her wear it a lot less, and she definitely had not been wearing that when they went to the party. He would have noticed and commented on it if she had been.
Elliot's outfit was most likely centered around his favored steam punk belt that he had not worn to the party. He had on a long-sleeved black shirt with brown padding on his elbows and shoulders, looking like mechanical gears. He had on cargo pants like Nick but in a dark brown with chains attached from the pockets. Attached to his belt he also had a device that looked like a pocket-watch. Tabitha's outfit was made up of a black mini-skirt and a purple, almost black halter top under a biker's jacket with a symbol of a cactuar holding a gun on the back. Her possession was the cactuar needle pendant she usually wore around her neck, but had not been wearing when they had fled Twilight Town. Nick found it strange that he hadn't noticed his sister hadn't had it on when they got her from the apartment. The pendant itself was also in the shape of a cactuar, but made out of several dozens of cactuar needles.
Shiryl's outfit seemed perfect for her, a white thermal shirt underneath a would-be EMT jacket and blue jeans. Being the White Magic guru, it seemed fitting. Her own little personal item was a small vial of golden glowing dust that Shiryl wore around her neck. Nick remembered the vial being full of supposedly pixie dust, but they never wanted to test it out, until now at least.
The three good fairies smiled at their handiwork. Then Flora snapped her fingers, which made a backpack appear on each of the teenagers' back. "Inside those you'll find limited supplies, so use everything wisely. You should find some shops to restock, they're pretty much everywhere." She giggled. "Now, back off to the Master."
The five Keyblade Wielders walked back out to Yen Sid's study to find him sitting at his desk now. "Good. It looks like you are all in order. Now, about transportation."
"We were going to ask about that, actually. How are we getting from here to another world?" Tabitha asked for the group.
"You will be flying, I'm sure," He snapped his fingers and suddenly a large ship was docked right outside the window. "This is the Vanguard. It's a Gummi Ship. With it, you will be able to travel to different worlds and gather your allies for your journey. Flying a Gummi Ship is not a hard thing, but it does have an auto-pilot. You must simply plot in the destination." He explained as Nick came over to the window and marveled at the ship in front of him.
"This is incredible! I'm sort of getting excited for this journey, even though I know what's at stake." He said, readying himself to board the ship.
"Nick, wait!" Melise rushed over to him. "Shouldn't we wait to see if Yen Sid has any more advice for us?"
Nick looked at his girlfriend, chuckling. "Yes, of course. Sorry, you know me. Getting carried away with things I don't have to." He laughed, being joined by the rest of their group.
Yen Sid even let out a small chuckle. "Yes, indeed I do have one more piece of advice for you all," The elderly sorcerer made his way to one of his bookshelves and took a single book down. Opening it, he extracted a small jewel-like object from the pages of the book itself and handed it to Elliot. "This is a Star Shard. Only use it if you are all separated, for it's powers can be a little... unstable. All you must do is think of your friends and the magic in the Shard will bring you back to each other. Since I only have the one, however, I urge you to only use it in emergencies, never lose it, and make sure you are in two solid groups if you are to separate from each other. This way, one group has the Shard and the other has their own ways of navigating the worlds. Now, be off, and begin your journey among the worlds to save them from ultimate destruction." He motioned for them to all board the Gummi, smiling at the young group.
Unable to control his enthusiasm, Nick ran into the ship first, rushing around looking and touching practically everything as the others followed him into the ship, laughing. Yen Sid watched the group go with a smile on his face, but his mouth twisted into a neutral grin as he watched Tabitha board the ship, a sense of foreboding surrounding him. I hope they do not turn on each other. This situation is already delicate, and something about that girl unsettles me. Be safe, young ones. He thought as he turned away from his window.
Prologue I End
Next Time
"Welcome to Besaid, ya."
"I can give you.. Ultimate power.."
"I was Jecht. Now, I am SIN!"
"..is, why? Why you... Melise?"
"We're not on the same side anymore, Nick. Next time either of us see you three, we won't hesitate to kill you. Goodbye, Chocobo."
