Kingdom Hearts: Pathway to Twilight

A Kingdom Hearts Fiction

Chapter 1

"So that's how it is then?" the blonde boy asked her as they sat alone in a brilliantly white room. "That's how it is?" "I can't believe it. I can't believe no one bothered to tell me what's been going on for the past two years." "I can only tell you what I know." The young girl told him. "I was so sure that I knew what had happened to you, but I was wrong. I didn't know they were going to use me like that. The Organization is a very powerful group; they have a lot of influence you know." "I had no control over what I was doing." Castle Oblivion was the sort that made anyone who happened to accidentally wander into it or enter it of their own accord lose their memories. They seemed to forget everything they ever knew, although they could feel something missing inside of them. Whenever they came into contact with someone from their past, something sparked inside them that made them remember bits and pieces of things but not in their entirety.

"Even with your explanation, that still leaves me clueless as to who I am" the young blonde said in agitation. "Maybe the time will come when you will remember who you are and why you're here" said the girl. "So, who are you again?" he asked. "My name is Namine" she told him. "I was brought here by this strange dream I had. I dreamt of this castle, and something led me here. I now know that something was the Organization." Axel wanted me to alter his memories so he would forget her, he would remember only me, but his will to hold on to her is what kept him going, that's why he escaped." "After the Organization was defeated here, he left, and I decided that their was nothing more for me to do other than to try and help him. That's why I brought you here. You have been chosen." The boy looked at her with a renewed sense of curiosity. "Chosen…" The words were barely audible in his whispered voice. "…to do what? What could I have possibly been chosen to do?" "You need to help him find her, you need to protect him" Namine said this with urgency in her voice.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" the boy replied, somewhat in disbelief. "I don't even have a weapon." "Yes you do. You have your heart." "My heart? How's my heart supposed to help me fight off those shadow creatures?" "You've just got to believe in yourself and it will come to you." "Clear your mind of all thought, of everything I've just told you, and concentrate." "Alright, but what happens after this weapon comes to me?" "We'll deal with that if and when it happens" Namine told him in a commanding tone. The boy closed his eyes and tried hard to empty his mind of anything and everything that would break his concentration. After a few minutes, a bright and shining light appeared in the room and in the boy's outstretched arms laid a keyblade. "This keyblade," Namine said, "will help you to defend yourself against the Heartless. It is your only weapon. It is the only thing capable of defeating them. Now that it has chosen you for its master, you must begin to train with it before you can set off to find him. Follow me."

The boy looked down at his hands in amazement, and then proceeded to follow Namine out of the large white room. They made their way to a room that looked almost completely empty except for a large mirror in its center. "This mirror," she explained to him, seeing the disbelieving look on his face, "will allow you to be trained in the arts of the keyblade. You must master the weapon before you will be allowed to start on your journey. Only then will you have proven yourself worthy to fight for him. Come to me when you are ready." And with that, Namine turned and exited the room leaving the blonde boy alone with his thoughts.

He was supposed to master something called the "keyblade". He didn't even really know how he had gotten inside Castle Oblivion, or where he was supposed to go after he had mastered the mysterious blade. Namine, who seemed to be just as mysterious and mystical, had told him that the Key would guide him to a boy named Sora, and that he would meet up with him somewhere in a place called Twilight Town. But before all of this happened, he needed to train himself for battle against the Heartless. It was getting late, so he decided that it would be best for him to try and get some sleep and begin his training in the morning when he wasn't so tired.

Later that night…

He was wandering down a shapeless corridor. His vision was blurred by something, yet he could make out the faint outline of a person wearing black. The further toward the figure he walked, the more his vision came into focus. He had seen this person before, but where? He couldn't remember, but just as he got close to the figure, he became startled as the cloaked man uttered something to him. "To travel this path you must give up something you hold so dear. If you walk down this dusty road, your memories may reappear." What was that supposed to mean? What would he have to lose in order to regain his memory? He couldn't think of anything that he had that he would consider losing. Not even his friends seemed to be that important to him.

Next Morning

The next morning brought a magnificent light to the room that he had been in the previous evening. He had some trouble remembering where he was at first, but then it all came back to him. He remembered his conversation with Namine the day before once he saw his reflection in the large glass mirror in front of him. It seemed that she was not yet awake, so he decided to have a look around the castle. He found what he thought was the kitchen, it had a large refrigerator and stove, but he was no good at cooking breakfast. This was not good, as he was very hungry. He had learned that Namine had continued to live here after Sora had defeated the Organization half a year ago. He looked around further and found that there was only one room in the castle whose door had not been ajar.

He tried hard to open it, but it wouldn't budge. He turned around to walk back to the "Conference Room" as he liked to call it. It was the room with the large table where he had first met with Namine one day ago. No sooner had he reached the room than she had appeared at the door opposite him. "Good Morning" she told him with a slight cheerfulness. "I know you were kind of shocked about what I talked with you about last night, but today you begin your training to go find Sora. It will be no easy task and you will be here for quite a while before you are ready." "The Heartless are very powerful creatures and can catch a person off guard quickly if they are not prepared." "What would you like for breakfast?" He had been so caught up in thinking about the door that he had only heard her the second time she asked, this time a smile crept upon her face. "You can cook?" he answered her. "Why of course I can! I've been here long enough; I've had to learn how to fend for myself!" He sounded embarrassed and ashamed as he told her, "Bacon, toast, waffles, eggs and sausage..." "…Oh and some orange juice too please." "My goodness" she said. "When was the last time you've eaten?" "About two days ago" he replied.

She quickly set off to the kitchen, and within seconds before his arrival there, managed to somehow create his food, exactly the way he wanted, from thin air. "Wow! How did you do that?" he asked in awe. "I've had some practice, you know, having to do things for myself now and all that" she added blushing. After a good meal, he felt that he was ready to begin his training and set off for the room where the mirror was waiting for him. Namine quickly followed him into the room. "Okay, all you have to do is look deep into the mirror, and you should be able to see something else besides your reflection inside it" she instructed him. He did as he was told, and soon after, he saw what looked like a vapor of white engulfing the inside of the mirror. A creature that looked like a shadow rose up from the white substance turning it a midnight black.

This surprised the boy, and he jumped back in shock. "It's ok" she assured him. "It can't really hurt you; it's not a real shadow. This is just part of your training; it's kind of like a decoy." The Keyblade, which seemed to have vanished after last evening, had reappeared in the boy's hand. The shadow passed right through the glass of the mirror and entered the room. "Strike it with the blade" he heard her tell him. He did and the shadow disappeared immediately. But then, as soon as it was gone, the entire room was filling with the black creatures, their eyes glowing a mysterious yellow. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this!" Namine sounded terrified. "They're supposed to come slowly, to get you used to fighting them!" Somehow, in the midst of everything, the boy seemed calm and had his eyes closed, almost in a state of deep concentration. And then, something happened that took Namine by surprise. In addition to the one Keyblade that he was holding, another appeared in his other hand. Somehow, he had managed to acquire two Keyblades. "How is this possible? The Keyblade Master is only supposed to have one blade.