Okay, I hope everyone enjoys this because I'm actually kind of impressed that I wrote this, it doesn't look like my usual style because this is about ten times better than how I usually write. I've already gotten some good feedback from people off the internet and I hope that its liked on the internet too. Read and review, if you have any questions or something feel free to PM me. Flames are not appreciated but shall be used for marshmallows or simply thrown back at you with a Molotov cocktail. Constructive reviews are welcome too!
It was a place much like the Destiny Islands, peaceful, small, and quiet for the most part. It was called Barlow's Haven, a cool forresty place that if you traveled deep enough through the woods you'd find the coast, overlooking the ocean and beach.
The Barlow ran was by a council of respected people in the small town, they weren't necessarily liked by all but they were wise, trusted, and respectable. Or so everyone thought this.
One of the more disliked members was Gent, a single father and considered one of the more stingy and grumpy members of the council. His daughter though was quite the opposite, despite her quiet demeanor, was an imaginative girl with strong will as well as a strong physique. One day dark beings called the Nothing appeared, standing at the edge of town after a long, hot day of work.
Gent was taken by the Nothing, as well as several other members, the disappearances continued for several days without any sign of yielding. The remaining council people gathered to try and stop the chaos. But they found no solution.
"Fight it." Came an almost inaudible voice, the members turned to see Chey, the daughter of Gent, and only the tender age of sixteen. To have lost her only direct family member... The council members thought the girl only said this for the loss of her father. The girl shook her head at the dilemma and repeated herself before turning on her heel and walking to the edge of town.
Many passed by Chey and tried to convince her to go home, save herself and not lose her life like her father. He had been at the edge of town crating fruit when he had disappeared so the edges of town were now feared by most. To all she quietly declined from the advice with apologies.
As the sun had almost hid itself among the trees, the sky had turned a deathly purple color, a bad omen to all. A woman close to her father begged Chey to go inside,
"I do not wish to see you die child!" The woman sobbed, bitter sorrow in her very being. Chey just smiled,
"I feel the same way, I don't wish for you or any of the other people in Barlow to die. I want to save you from the very thing you fear, allow me my stubborn attitude and let me do what is needed." Chey told the woman before her smile slipped slightly, revealing the seriousness of her words,
"Now please go home to your family, to see them now should be priority with the times we are in..." The woman flung Chey a look that contained worry, maybe a bit of fear before scurrying away to see her children for what may have been the last time.
At midnight the townspeople heard a loud series of clanging noises coming from the edge of town where Chey had stood her ground from other people. Families peeked out of their windows and saw what they feared. The missing council members had returned but not as themselves. They were now just a grotesque remembrance of the people they once were. All signs of their humanity were gone; their irises and retina were now a black as onyx, the pupils had become white with rage and savagery, shot through with tints of gold or a faded green color; their skin was now grey. Their ears had increased in length, resembling those of a shadow heartless, their limbs now savage and oblivious tools of death, famine, and destruction.
Chey stood where she had all day, watching the former people curiously. When they lurched at her to attack she did not run nor duck.
Chey swiftly pulled a long staff off her back, two long blades sticking out from each end that were made of a special metal only found in the mountains of Barlow's hold, the mountain that was Barlow's residing point. The metal is called Grethalite, what makes it special is the forming of it. Grethalite is harvested from the center of the mountain, and in its natural state has a horrible odor that can kill some, but if ingested in any shape or form kills as fast as cyanide.
Chey battled against the creatures, former people, but eventually they became too much for her to handle and started swarming the village. No one could mistake the shadowed mist that that surrounded small hearts that went into the earth, not into the sky towards the heavens.
The men of the town brought out their weapons and joined Chey in the streets. Most of these men died fighting for their families and many of those families died too in all of the chaos. Chey and two young men were the last of the fighters left standing. Ten or less Nothings stood around them, and these were the only Nothings left, if they died the remaining towns people might live.
The two young men, Leif and Dawn accepted their fate and charged four of the Nothings head on, Chey afterwards assumed the two to be dead. Chey stood before the last three Nothings, one was her father. It pained her to see his body and soul defiled by such evil, not darkness but restless evil. She killed him first. But the last Nothing. Something was peculiar about it, it held an intelligence that the others had not. It was the main Nothing, the others had all been puppets to distract others from the leader of the pack as it played games with its opponents head. An empty smile swept across its face fiving it an eerie look of fate. Before Chey had a chance to see it move the Nothing gave a shriek of eerie laughter and shot something through her chest. With a last feeling of searing white pain Chey hacked the Nothing in half with her weapon.
The girl woke to nothing, total calming Oblivion.
"What do you seek?" Came an eerily calm voice, reminding Chey of her father. Chey wiped away stray tears from her cheeks with a dirty hand. Chey then realized she was naked. Then she noticed the bizarre scar from the strange energy that was shot through her by the Nothing. It was a crude looking heart like the heart seen in the Villain's Vale or the one that Riku used to wear. But this one contained more lines dissecting it, creating a small black hole in the center, there was no color in it but shades of black and grey that faded into the hole. This must be the sign of a Nothing. Chey looked up into the darkness that surrounded her, a look of panic in her eyes.
"What do you seek?" The voice repeated.
"I don't want to be a Nothing!" Chey cried, "I just wanted to save the town! I wanted to live!" She shouted into the Oblivion, anger starting to slip into her voice, taking over any of the fear or panic she had left.
"Very well, I will do what you ask to see what you make of it." The voice decided, It granted Chey an eternal sleep or immortality so that when the young warrior girl was needed again, she would be ready to fight the evil. Only once since then has she been called upon. She may be needed once more. But to do so you must also know where she rests in her immortal slumber, for summoning her is a price to pay."
Sora blinked a few times after King Mickey finished reading the story. Sora had actually heard this particular story before, but it was just a well known fairy tail in Destiny Island right?
"If this story is true, why didn't she save the world from the Heartless? Why me?" Sora asked the King, sounding a bit whiny.
Mickey laughed at the Keybarers complaints.
"Because, she doesn't use a Keyblade and that's what the world needed most." Mickey explained as if it were obvious enough. "She's also very difficult to locate. Chey's resting ground is always in a different place every time she's called on and every fifty years." Mickey laughed slightly,
"The only thing we know about how they're chosen is that they're always similar but in completely different places, meaning different worlds. Its hard to find her so that people will hopefully learn to cope with their problems on their own and get stronger." Sora still had a very confused look on his face, it was becoming a permanent addition to his facial features.
"But if she's the one needed now then why did you call on me your Majesty?" Sora asked, making no sense of the situation at hand.
"Chey is unstable, being so detached from life and connected to the darkness. In our current affairs she is a tool you'll have to harness to defeat the Nothing.. She has the same kind of dark power as Riku's, one that can be used for good, but she's had centuries to perfect the art. That and Riku tries not to use darkness as much so he's come upon the path of Dawn." Mickey explained, becoming slightly breathless at the end of the whole ramble.
Sora absorbed all of the new information and something hit him,
"Wait, so she's an embodiment of darkness but she's not evil?"
"Exactly." Riku said, popping up next to Sora, "Not all darkness is evil, you know tat because of me Sora." Riku said, pointing his thumb back at his own chest.
"So Riku, Donald, Goofy and I have to fight the Nothings with the help of this immortal chick?"
"No, you'll be working with a slightly different team this time but Riku will be coming with you as a team member." Mickey answered before Minnie walked up next to him, Donald, Goofy and Daisy in tow. Minnie handed the King an envelope which he opened and read before whispering to his Queen. With a clearing of his throat Mickey turned to Sora and Riku who stood at attention.
"A gummi ship is waiting for you two in the hanger, the coordinates for your destination are pre-set and everything you'll need has already been loaded. Good luck you guys." Mickey informed them and led them to the hanger even though Sora already knew where it was.
"I hope she isn't too hard to find, but here's a list of possibilities. Be careful Riku, Sora." Mickey warned them, his voice was light and squeaky but his eyes were grave and fearful about the new journey Sora would be on.
Sora sat down in his usual seat on the Gummi ship, waving at Kairi who was standing next to Queen with a disgruntled look on her face, she had wanted to come with but the Queen had insisted she stay and start learning to use her power. King Mickey hadn't told him how Nothings were created, or if it came to it was there a way to kill Chey or was she really immortal?
"I wonder if Kairi will be alright while we're gone." Sora wondered aloud.
Riku laughed,
"I'm not sure, as long as she doesn't get kidnapped again." Sora grinned,
"Or hurt herself with her own klutziness." The both of them laughed at the thought of their friend tripping over a dust bunny or a hair brush.
The laughing subsided so Sora pulled out the paper Mickey had left him for finding his team and Chey,
"Radiant Gardens huh? Guess the Restoration Committee is going to be helping us." Riku mumbled to himself while reading over Sora's shoulder.
"I guess... There's a few worlds on here that I've never been to... Hey! Destiny Islands is on here as a possible hiding place!" Sora exclaimed but it actually made sense, being as this story was common on the island and Barlow's Haven was supposed to be similar to Destiny Islands right? So why wouldn't Chey's heart choose something close to home? Sora rubbed at his eyes and decided it would be a good time to take a nap.