Welcome to my fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it. Please review this. This story means more to my beta than you know.
Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts os not mine, but Kumo's personality is.
Prologue
There was a story that my father would always tell me when I went to bed at night.
It was a tale of one world, in complete and perfect harmony, sharing a supply of endless, beautiful light. "And for that while," he told me, "everything was peaceful on this very young earth. But there were those who would try to take the light for themselves, and encase the rest of the world in darkness. When the greedy ones – the 'dark ones,' as the common folk called them – found no satisfaction in their prize, they decided to destroy the light for good.
"This did not go over well, as you can imagine, and a grand war was started. One such as you've never seen in all of the years of your young life. The utopia began to crack and splinter from the hatred that engulfed the world, until at last, it split into hundreds of smaller worlds that scattered across the night sky. Each of them erected barriers to protect themselves, lest there be an invasion of such horrid darkness again."
"Are we one of those worlds, Papa?" I would ask my father at the end of the story, as I did every night.
"Yes, Kumoko, I believe we are." My father smiled, and his eyes shone down at me. His face was still on the edge of youth, despite the wrinkles around his eyes and at the corners of his mouth. I smiled back eagerly.
"Then why are there lights in the sky?" I asked, pointing out my bedside window. Most of the village lights had been extinguished, and the stars shone brightly down on our humble group of islands. "You said the light was gone forever."
"I said nothing of the sort, child," My father said, pretending to look offended, but then his eyes crinkled, and he grinned. "There are lights in the sky because the light still lives in the hearts of children."
My eyes widened." Like me, Papa?"
"Yes, dear, exactly like you." I was so happy that I could feel the tears coming to my eyes.
I clung to my father and whispered, "I love you, Papa," into the folds of his now slightly-dampened shirt.
"I love you too, child. Now go to bed. Your light won't glow as brightly if you don't get enough sleep, now will it?" He held me close, ruffling my hair.
"No, Papa," I smiled, wrapping myself in my blanket and resting my head on my pillow.
"That's my girl." I felt a soft touch on my forehead. I smiled, keeping my eyes shut tight.
"Goodnight, Papa," I whispered.
"Goodnight, Kumoko," he replied, sounding oddly wistful, as he closed my bedroom door.
I looked out the window at the stars. I imagined each one was begging to tell me its story. There were so many, and I wanted to hear them all. "Come to me in my dreams," I whispered. I saw a star shoot through the sky. That must be a star entering another kid's dream. I'd better go to sleep soon or my star might not come! I snuggled under my blanket. Darkness pulled me in and swallowed my thoughts. I had many dreams, but I didn't remember them.
Again, please review. And I hope you enjoyed.