Chapter 1

Prologue

A Dream of Shadows, a Shadow of Dreams

The Land of Dragons

Zerix was carried to the Imperial City on a small log raft across the Chinese Sea. He was about eight years old at the time and no one knows where he came from or why he was brought here. Not even he could remember anything beyond his name. Being neither Chinese nor even of any Asian descent it seemed that almost no one wanted the boy. But eventually, Zerix was taken in by a soldier in the Chinese Army, one of the palace guards. He grew quickly and his swordsmanship developed quite nicely. Soon enough, when he was old enough Zerix signed up to join the Chinese Army. He was a quick learner and made quick work of boot camp and entered the army.

After a year or so, Zerix was sleeping in his tent at the campsite his regiment currently resided at. He couldn't sleep that night, but and yet he was too tired to rise. But soon enough he drifted of into a deep slumber. That night he had a dream, the strangest dream he ever had. He was falling, falling, falling endlessly, voices were speaking too him, but so many at once that he couldn't understand a word, suddenly every voice halt and he hit the ground hard. It hurt too, unlike in any other dream where he wouldn't have felt a thing. He hadn't even seen the ground coming, it was just there. Zerix brushed himself off and rose to his feet to look around. He was at the top of a mountain, or so it seemed. It was flat and snow covered, but there seemed to be no way to get off of it. It was more like a platform.

Zerix walked to the edge and looked down. He took a quick step back, it was pretty high up, and he couldn't even see the ground. Suddenly there was a voice it his ear, 'Turn, Key Wielder!' It ordered. The voice was strange, high, almost like a mouse if such creatures could talk. Zerix turned and looked around, nothing, wait no a small shadow on the ground. Too Zerix's surprise the shadow began to animate itself into a small black creature with yellow eyes and two short antennae. Zerix stood, staring at the shadow, it looked so harmless, but something made Zerix shudder. It seemed almost pure evil, without a heart. A Heartless. The word came into his mind as if it had always been, Heartless.

The Heartless jumped at Zerix, he drew his sword and parried the little creature away. Zerix slashed down, but his blade bounced off. He tried a few more times, but his blade wouldn't even touch the Heartless. It was no use. Soon enough the Heartless, stopped its attack. Zerix dropped his blade, exhausted. His blade hit the ground and… went right through, it was gone. Zerix was distraught; his precious blade was gone, disappeared. He had totally forgotten that this was a dream. He watched as the Heartless reared up to attack his helpless body and then he felt something in his hand, it just appeared, it seemed metal, but at the same time almost magical, it was too light to be any regular sword. Zerix lifted his new weapon and slashed at the charging Heartless, it exploded into wisps of darkness. Now that the creature was gone, Zerix could finally take a look at his new blade. It was red and gold, its tip in the shape of fire and a key chain on the end in the shape of a red and gold circle. It was not like any sword he had ever seen, not only that, but it resembled a key…

'Watch out Key Wielder, it isn't over!' It was the voice again. Zerix turned his attention away from his new 'keyblade' he was surrounded by things exactly like the creature before, Heartless. There must have been hundreds of them. Zerix backed up; there was no way he could take them all. His foot almost slipped of the edge of the platform, but he managed to regain his balance. He was in between a long fall and a dark place. 'Jump Key Wielder! Don't be afraid to go through the door.' Jump! Jump! Insane, but the voice had helped him twice before, it hadn't lied to him yet. What was worse, trust the voice or eternal darkness? Trust! Zerix jumped. He fell and fell and fell again, another never ending fall. Just as he was about to doubt the voice, he saw a bright light in the distance, in the shape of a door and he fell through it. There was a brilliant flash of light and the voice, 'Key Wielder, you have been called to assist the worlds! Once you see another Heartless it will be time to leave your world. Don't be afraid to go through the door!'

Zerix woke up, it was morning and the sun was just beginning to rise in the sky and it was time to report. Zerix reached for his sword, but instead he touched the KeyBlade. It was in the exact place he usually left his own sword, right next to his mattress. Impossible, could he still be dreaming… or was it real? Zerix took the blade and left. Over the next two years, Zerix quickly rose up the ranks of the Chinese Army using his new found weapon and skills, he could do things he could never do before. At this moment he is one of the Emperor's personal bodyguards. That was where the most important things were most likely to happen. The best place to wait for the call.

Please read and review, I refuse to post the first chapter until I get at least ONE review (or two weeks pass, either/or).

Next Chapter: Connecting the Worlds