"Jayza, tell me the story."

"Again, Rix?" I pull the blanket over my little brother's body. At six years old, getting Rix to stay in bed is an adventure. He would just keep going until he fell down asleep if he could. It seems that the only thing that calms him down is the story. I'm not sure why. Normal kids don't find it very relaxing.

"Please."

"Okay, but you have to promise to stay in bed if I do." Rix nods his head vigorously. I pull a chair up to his bed and sit. "A long time ago, long before most people can even remember, there was a boy named Sora. He and his friends were great champions for the light. They battled the darkness with powerful weapons…"

"The Keyblades!" Rix squeals.

"Yes, The Keyblades. Great weapons with the power over hearts. The could be used to lock up the darkness or unleash it. Sora fought many enemies, the Heartless and Nobodies, all to protect the light and keep safe the greatest power of all, Kingdom Hearts. But there was one who proved to be the greatest threat of all, Master Xehanort. Once a Keyblade wielder himself, he was the source of all the danger. His Heartless, Ansem, and his Nobody, Xemnas, both waged wars to try to capture Kingdom Hearts. Both were defeated by Sora. But in the end, the two halves reformed into the original Master Xehanort. Once again, he went after Kingdom Hearts. And Sora battled him along side his friends. The final battle was great and terrible. In the end, Sora lost. Xehanort was able to open the door to Kingdom Hearts and unleash the darkness inside."

Rix pushes himself deeper into his blanket. His eyes are trained on me, unmoving. "The darkness was too strong, even for Xehanort and he was swept up into it, along with Sora and the other Keyblade wielders. The darkness settled over all the worlds, smothering the light. Sora and the others could not be found. Some say they were killed along with Xehanort. But others say that Sora is sleeping. Trapped in the darkness, but protected by the light and waiting to be awoken so that he can put the darkness back behind the door. And we wait for him."

"Thank you, Jayza." Rix turns to his side, causing his blanket to fall part of the way off him.

"You're welcome." I reach over to tuck him back in. "Why do you always ask me to tell you the story? You've heard it hundred of times already."

Rix's eyes start to close. "Because the story isn't finished yet." And then he's asleep.

I get up out of the chair and walk into the other room, trying to shake the feeling of unease that always settles on me whenever I tell the story. I wish Rix wouldn't ask for it as often as he does, but I can't deny him when he does. It's a story of despair, that is supposed have hope. I just can't find any these days.

I open the front door and step out on the porch. I sit down on the step and scan the beach in front of me. The waves lightly crash onto the sand, barely making a sound with no wind to push them. The water is dark, a perfect reflection of the pitch black sky.

"If you really are out there Sora, I wish you would wake up."