A new story comes into the fray! Welcome to Kingdom Hearts: What Beloved Means to Me. I've wanted to do a Kingdom Hearts story since I first played the game back on PlayStation 2 and found out about Fanfiction, but I always felt a little...lacking in skill at the time to do one any justice with an OC. Plus with so many of them popping up due to their popularity, I didn't think I'd be capable of making a compelling fanfic unless I really knew what I wanted to write about.

So here I am now far older than who I was back then and much wiser with my writing techniques. I finally know what kind of story I want to write. It may not fully be fleshed out just yet, but I hope you all enjoy it's beginning and the progress it takes to unfold.

So here's the first chapter. Please review if you can. I know it doesn't seem like its necessary, but to writers your feedback is always helpful and your kind words help us all move ahead just a bit more to continue what we love and the adventures you love. X3

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Man, it would be cool to though. XD

Say, do you ever wonder about the stuff past the island? About the kind of places that you'll find once you have the courage to?

It sometimes scares me a little, actually.

I don't know what's out there. It could be anything. More ocean, more big islands that have people we can meet. Or maybe even other worlds that have monsters and heroes like in the books we read and talk about at our big campfires.

I'm scared sometimes, but I always knew deep down inside that if you were with me, I wouldn't be so scared anymore. We made a promise that we'd always be together. And that nothing was going to ever get in our way.

At least...that's what I thought.

So many things have happened since that day. Things I didn't think were even possible in my wildest dreams. I know now that there are really other worlds out there. That there is more than just Destiny Islands and the ocean. That there is so much more to explore and see!

But...you're not here with me.

Why? Why couldn't we stay together? Keep our promise? Why is all of this happening?

I wish Riku was here so I could get advice.

I wish you were here, Kairi. So that way if I got a little scared, you'd hug me and say everything is okay.

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If I'm being honest, I've been having these weird thoughts lately.

Am I still dreaming?

Like, is any of this for real?

Or not?

Silence.

There was no noise. No sound of seagulls calling out to their friends, no melodic crash of ocean waves or the sound of them pulling back with the tide. It sounded exactly like when you were being hit with a big wave and being submerged in water. The entire world just disappeared and was blocked from you.

You heard nothing but silence. Or rather, silence stopped you from hearing. It only made it harder for you to understand just what was around you. What twists and turns could come at you from any angle. The surprised in store for you beyond your own eyes.

Yeah, that's what it felt like.

Feels...like?

Wait...

"Huh?"

Eyes shooting open at feeling her senses come back to her, a young girl no older than thirteen struggled to try and move, feeling herself falling slowly down to...where was she falling?

Turning her head back and forth to try and figure out where she was, the young teen only gasped at the sight of...nothing. It was just empty darkness. Everywhere she turned it was black. No landmarks. No water. No people.

No light.

'Where am I? Hello? Someone help!' She screamed in her head, waving her arms and legs around in the hopes that it would somehow stop her from falling down to wherever she was going. Limbs flinging around through what felt like water, the girl opened her mouth at feeling the need to breath, afraid deep down this was the part where she was going to start drowning because she dint know how to swim.

And when she finally opened her mouth...

She took a breath of...air?

"What?" She spoke, again shocked that she didn't feel water going down her throat. Or...up her throat? Whatever the case was, she was still okay somehow. "How am I...?"

Still overtaken by the shock of not drowning, the girl began to turn her body upright, and continued to fall this time feet first. Her speed starting to slow down, she felt a solid surface catch her with a soft thud, but stared down to only see more darkness.

How was that possible? Could she just not see the floor?

"Hello?" The girl called, looking left and right yet again for someone. Anyone to talk to and get some answers. Was this some kind fo dream? This didn't look anything like the island. "Riku? Kai-ah!"

Taking a step forward to try and move around where she was, the girl jumped at a burst of light shining beneath her feet, only for it to grow in luminescence. Darkness that once covered the floor began to escape the light shining through, transforming into birds that the girl had never seen before. Pure white feathers falling around her like those of angels, the girl stared down at the floor slowly piecing together a stain glass picture of a pretty woman in a yellow, blue, and white dress. Her hair was dark like ebony, skin white as snow and lips as red as roses plucked from a blooming bush in spring.

And in her hand a single apple rested, a bite already taken out of it.

Looking back up to see the strange birds flying away only to disappear into the void of a darkened sky, the girl stared around her for any sign of something else changing, only to look back down at the stain glass portrait that was beneath her shoes, her reflection looking back at her just as confused.

The thirteen year old girl looked back at herself, dark brown hair ending just by the middle of her neck, strands swept back and forth in a ruffled style that would cause most to mistake her for a boy. A short boy, given that it seemed she hadn't magically grown any taller in whatever dream this was. Skin still its light caucasian skin tone and pressing her hands against her heart shaped face just in case, the girl sighed and scratched her head.

"At least I'm still me. Even my clothes haven't changed." The girl spoke to herself, pulling at her coral pink tank top beneath her white cotton jumper. Pulling on the thin fabric of her jumper as well, the preteen stared down at her bare legs, that the jumper only barely covered, wiggling her toes in her ankle high brown strapped sandals.

"Looks like I'm not hurt either. No scratches or bruises." Fingers grasping at a tiny crown charm hanging on her necklace, the brunette let her eyes wander back to the stained glass beneath her; its beauty making her feel a little less scared somehow. "What have you gotten yourself into, Samantha?"

So much to do. So little time...

Take your time. Don't be afraid.

Whipping her head back over her shoulder, Samantha jumped at seeing nobody there. But she'd just heard someone. Hadn't she?

"W-Who's there?" Samantha called out, attempting to sound confident despite her voice cracking.

The door is still shut.

"D-Door?" She asked, brown orbs scanning around for any sight of a door. "I don't see any door. Where am I? Who are you!?" The brunette yelled again.

Step forward. Can you do it?

Small hands clenched into fists at her side hearing yet another voice dodge her questions, Samantha pulled up all the courage she had and began walking further across the strange room. At the very least there was no way she was going to get mocked by some weird voice in her head.

Finding herself at the center of the room, Samantha squeaked in surprise as a rumbling shook the ground below her, nearly toppling her over. Getting her balance back, Samantha watched as stone pedestals sprouted up from the ground around her. All mirror copies of one another, their only trait that defined them differently was the item floating above each one.

Power sleeps within you.

On the left a shield; splashed with black and red with a strange symbol on it. It kind of reminded her of a mouse.

If you give it form...

On the right a staff of green floated atop the pedestal, a giant blue gem also shaped like the mouse head resting on top.

It will give you strength.

And at the center a sword, the kind Samantha would imagine would be from a hero's story. A gold hilt and a sparkle coming off the tip of its sharp edge, the same mouse symbol rested at the center of the hilt.

"Wow." Samantha gasped out, rushing closer to look at all of the strange weapons that had appeared before her.

Choose wisely.

"That weird voice again." Stepping back a bit in case something else strange happened, Samantha turned her head upwards to the empty void of a sky above her. "W-Which do I choose?"

No voice answered back.

"Stupid voice. It seems to be happy with telling me what to do!" Rubbing her hands in her hair sporadically at another confusing situation presenting itself to her, Samantha let her arms fall to her sides. "I...just have to choose. Right? That's not hard. I think."

Turning her focus back and forth to each pedestal, Samantha first went straight for the sword in front of her. Noticing the pedestal was a little bit taller than her, the kid took a few steps back before taking a running start and jumped, her smaller fingers grabbing the ledge and pulling herself up to the top.

It was a good thing she climbed the Paopu tree every day.

Standing atop the pedestal, Samantha grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it close to her, brown orbs looking over the cool looking weapon in her hands. It was kind of heavy; a lot more than the wooden play swords she and Riku used on the island. It was then that the bodiless voice spoke once more.

The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of great power. Is this the power you seek?

"The power I seek?" Samantha asked, not quite sure if she understood the question. "I don't know. Can I pick again if I don't like it?" She asked out loud to the voice, though she guessed it wouldn't answer her back.

Which it didn't. Again.

I...I don't know. I know how to use a sword thanks to all the practice with Riku, but I don't know if that's what I want.

Adverting her gaze from the sword, Samantha looked back to the wand that sat on the other pedestal. It looked kind of cool to her, and if this was a dream, a wand could only mean one thing.

"Umm...I'm not going to choose this." Samantha spoke up, feeling the sword disappear in sparkles out of her hands to rest back floating above the pedestal.

Jumping off the sword's resting place and rushing over to climb onto the wand's home, Samantha reached to grab the wand and smiled at the weightlessness it had. It sparkled with the bit of light that shone in the room, and with a flamboyant swing, Samantha waved the wand as if she was shooting out a magic spell.

The power of the mystic. Inner strength. Untold wisdom. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?

"Mystic? Magic then?" She asked, waving the wand around. "Yeah! I'll take this one weird dream voice."

Again the object in her possession disappeared in a flurry of sparkles, causing Samantha to cry out. "H-Hey! I said I wanted to keep that!"

You're path is set.

"H-Hey! Are you listening to me!?" Samantha yelled again, stopping her foot angrily against the stain glass floor that would never break from her childish strength.

Now, what will you give up in exchange?

Before she got to protest again, Samantha held her voice back as she felt a wave of confusion hit her. "Give up?" Turning back to stare at the only two items left in the room, Samantha frowned. "I have to give up one of them?"

What would happen if she chose the wrong one? Would she lose in this dream? Would she wake up or something?

I guess I just...have to pick the right one to keep.

Seeing the shield as the only weapon left she hadn't taken a look at, the brunette headed to that pedestal next and climbed atop to grab it, holding the large sheet of metal in front of her eyes to look at its interesting design. Samantha was never really a defense kind of person, but she could feel the appeal of it. While it was a little heavy, she felt safe with it in her hands. Like she could never get hurt, nor others who stood behind her with it protecting them.

The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. You give up this power?

Small fingers tightening around the shield at the description echoing around her, Samantha quickly threw the shield away from herself like it burned her very skin, shaking her head violently.

"N-No!" She screamed angrily. "How could I do that?! There's no way I'm not going to help my friends! What kind of question is that?" Samantha called out to the voice, knowing very well nothing would answer back. But still she was angry.

What kind of dream world would ask if she wanted to not help her friends?

"I wanna get out of here." Samantha muttered, worrying creeping up on her as she rushed towards the pedestal holding the sword. Quickly accepting to let go of the sword, and feeling the item disappear out of her fingertips, the voice spoke once more to the brunette.

You've chosen the power of the mystic. You've chosen to give up the power of the guardian. Is this the form you choose?

"Y-Yes." Samantha hesitantly answered, still half unsure if what was going on even meant anything. She wanted to pick the right answers, but were there even any right answers to choose? Or was this one of those dreams where nothing made any sense?

Cracking stone and rattling made Samantha topple over of the pedestal, barley catching herself from falling face first onto the glass floor beneath her. Eyes scanning around her to see the pedestal sinking away into the floor, Samantha took a step back, only for another noise to make her shoulders jump in fright.

*crack*

"Was that-aaaahhhhh!"

Unable to even finish her thought aloud, the glass floor beneath her feet shattered and left her with nothing to stand on, the familiar drop of her stomach returning as she fell downwards into darkness. Waving her arms and legs around in an attempt to save herself, Samantha turned herself upright and felt her body shift in speed, slowing her descent towards another stain glass portrait. This portrait however was not the same one she'd been standing on before.

Green and yellow was replaced with near pure white glass mixed with blue and purple, an elegant woman in a baby blue gown fit for a princess standing poised and graceful in the image. Around her where silhouettes of people dancing, a carriage, a horse, a castle, and a single shoe that looked very pretty glimmering in the light.

"Another one?" Samantha asked herself, wobbly on her feet after being planted on the new glass surface. Despite falling from what she guessed was the sky and the glass that had once been her floor going down with her, there seemed to be no sign of any shards of glass around her. It was as if it just disappeared into nothingness. The darkness swallowing it up like food. "This place is weird."

Suddenly, a warm glow began to build in the brunette's hand. Turning her eyes to look at her right hand, Samantha squeaked in surprise at a swirling orb of light in her palm she never remembered being there before, only for it to explode in a burst of color before shaping into...

"Ah! My magic wand thing!" Samantha exclaimed, her fear melting away in an instant and replaced with a smile. Swinging the wand around, Samantha hugged the staff close to her. "I thought that weird voice took you away."

You've gained the power to fight.

"Oh no, it's back again." Samantha muttered, looking around nervously at the empty dark void in every direction.

There will be times where you have to fight.

"I-I already do that enough with Riku, Tidus, and Wakka!" Samantha argued back to the voice, clutching the wand closer to her to feel more secure. Brown eyes moving around to look at the stain glass picture in front of her, the young girl felt her eyes widen at seeing...something move?

No! There was something there! She saw it!

Taking three steps back in an attempt to move away from the Eire shadows she saw on the ground, Samantha felt her throat close up and her voice begin to disappear at the sight of beady, yellow eyes appearing in the shadows, only for them to sprout up from the ground like daisies.

"W-What are those things?!" Samantha yelled, turning her head back tot he empty sky above her. If there was anytime she wanted the scary voice to talk to her, it was now. What was she supposed to do?!

Keep your light burning strong.

"M-My what?" Beginning to get backed into a corner where she stood, Samantha held her staff close to her, placing it a bit in front of her to act like a barrier between her and the little shadows approaching her. "What light? Like a flashlight? I don't have one with me. What am I supposed to do!?"

Feeling sweat begin to coat her hands and already shaking with fear, Samantha felt her eyes widen in shock at seeing one of the tiny monsters advance towards her and jump out of the ground towards her, clawed hands ready to strike her down.

"N-No!" Screaming at the top of her lungs and the urge to not get beaten by the scary monsters coming towards her, Samantha did the only thing she could think of in that situation and gripped the wand in her hands tight before swinging with all her might towards the shadow. Despite having her eyes closed, her weapon somehow had luckily hit the mark, pushing the creature back with a hard thud before exploding into a shadowy smoke.

Not feeling any pain except the pain of fear coursing through her body, Samantha opened her eyes and stared shocked at seeing only...two monsters left? Where had the other one attack her...

"Did...I beat it?"

Unsure of anything at that point, Samantha was answered with only silence and anger, as the other shadows left over seemed to look angry at one of their comrades now beaten by her hand. Knowing that she'd somehow saved herself, Samantha felt a renewed courage light up inside of her, slowly but surely helping herself push back the fear and shakes in her body. Gripping the magical staff tightly in her hands and glaring at one of the monsters in her way, Samantha ran as fast as her legs could take her and swung once more.

The shadow seeing her come straight for it took the moment to jump out of the way, moving to the left of the young teen's form. Claws outstretched for another attack, the shadow creature rushed toward her this time, ready to slice her side with everything it had.

"N-Not today!" Catching herself after the narrow dodge of the shadowy creature, samantha turned back and saw the monster come at her this time. Swinging the weapon as hard as she could like last time, Samantha barely got the creature with the jewel topper on the staff, hitting the monster right not he head as it exploded into smoke at her strength.

"I-I did it!" Samantha yelled happily, jumping up and down happily at seeing the results of the power she exhibited. "Take that weird shadow thing!"

Behind you!

"Huh?"

The strange voice calling out to her urgently all of a sudden, Samantha turned around to see the last shadow creature of the three sprout out of the ground and jump at her with all it's might. Seeing the last monster trying to finish the job the other two could not, Samantha readied herself for another attack and swung the staff in her hands like a baseball bat at the creature moving closer and closer to her.

The familiar sensation of something semi solid connecting with her weapon and colliding with one another, Samantha slipped from the force of her own attack and fell on her butt, wincing at how hard she fell as the creature exploded into smoke.

"Ow," Groaning at the hard fall, the brunette rubbed her sore behind and looked around to make use there were no more creepy shadows coming to get her. Happy to see there weren't any, Samantha looked around the empty, black void around her before looking up at the same empty sky above her.

Not sure where the strange voice even was or where it could be watching her, Samantha spoke up nonetheless, albeit a bit hesitantly. "Uhh...Thanks for warning me."

No answer back.

"At least say something!" Samantha screamed from her spot on the ground, pouting at not getting an answer at all. She and this weird voice weren't getting along at the least, but at least it could have said thank you back. Did it not have manners or something?

Just about ready to get up off the floor to figure out what to do next, Samantha felt her hand not move. Like it was...stuck. Brown orbs darting to her hand, Samantha screamed in fright at seeing a strange, inky darkness wrapped around her wrist, sticking her hand to the floor.

"L-Let go of me!" Trying to pry her hand out of the strange darkness, she tried to reach with her other hand to pull off the darkness, but felt dread reach into her stomach at seeing her other hand was stuck as well. Pulling with all her might in her tiny, bony upper arms to get away, it was no use as the brunette felt her whole body be pulled down back to the ground, her back slamming against the floor. The darkness starting to slowly encroach her vision, Samantha twisted her body left and right in an attempt to push the darkness off of her, all of the repeated lessons to stop, drop and roll when caught on fire her only strategy to get the darkness off

It wasn't fire, but this darkness had to be just as bad. Maybe even worse.

Her fighting seemingly useless against the strangely powerful darkness that had her in its clutches, Samantha felt herself begins to sink into the floor, her body being dragged underneath a black void as the few bits of light began to die out and disappear from her sight. With nothing else for her to do but continue to struggle, the brunette screamed with all her might.

"Let me go! I said let-"

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The last cry of the confused kid cut out as her head finally submerged into the darkness. Taken away and disappearing from the room, the only resident once again was silence,

The silence of a strange world that foretold strange, yet truthful things.

Well there was the first chapter of Kingdom Hearts: What Beloved Means to Me. I will try to get the next part out as soon as I can, but I've got college and work to balance. It might be a bit slow. Please enjoy until then.

Oh! And please review if possible. I've never done a KH story before, but I want to make a fun, engaging, and provoking tale of love and growth. If you can give any tips or feedback, I'd appreciate it. :3