Prologue
"Where Is This Place?"
Destiny Islands, Eastern Island...
A thirteen year old boy climbed up onto the swooping branch of a Paopu Fruit tree. Looking up at the clear blue sky briefly, he stretched out on the branch before closing his eyes again, dozing off to sleep in the tropical weather. He didn't know members of his family were now looking for him.
Elsewhere on The Eastern Island...
"Nick? Where did you get to? How did you two lose your brother?" Said a boy about sixteen years old with long silver-white hair and aquamarine eyes to two younger children, a boy with dark brown hair and aquamarine eyes and a girl that had silver-white hair and green eyes, both of whom looked to be about thirteen years old as well. "I mean, I know Nick is the eldest out of the three of you, but he's much more troublesome, so we consider him the most immature one, which means the two of you have to be more careful while looking after him!"
"We know, Riku," Said the boy, looking down at his shoes. "We didn't think Nick would just wander off the first chance he got. We're sorry."
The older boy, Riku, sighed. "I know that, Kiryu, I know. You and Seriana have to be more careful about watching Nick, though. I know he can be the most mature out of the three of you sometimes, but most of the time he's just immature. Mom and dad will kill me if we don't find him, so let's go and find him."
"Yes, Riku." Said little Seriana, twirling her foot in the sand beneath her feet before the two siblings followed their older brother around, looking for the oldest triplet.
After a few minutes, Riku saw Nick hanging out asleep on the Paopu tree. "Oh, there he is! Why don't we ever check that damn tree first? Nick! Nick, wake up, now!"
Nick heard his older brother and brought his head up, looking in Riku's direction with some of his jet black, silver-streaked hair obscuring his view. "Hey, Riku! What's wron-" Was all Nick able to say before a large bubble of Darkness appeared and swallowed him into it's confines. "Riku! Help me!"
Riku knew exactly what was happening. "Nick!" He called out. "Don't worry, little brother, I'll find you, I promise. Me, Sora and Kairi will all come find you. Just try to find someone I told you about in the stories about mine and Sora's trip throughout the Worlds. Find someone you remember from them and stay with them until they can get in touch with us or we find you first, alright?"
"Y- yes, Riku, I'll do that right away. But, can't you do anything to help me now?"
"I- I'm sorry, little brother, but I can't. For some Reason, the Darkness has claimed you. All we can do right now is wait it out and see what happens. But, that will have to wait until you've been transported somewhere. If I was to try and stop this process, your existence may be erased from all traces of time and space. Just remember my instructions and stay safe." As his older brother finished his sentence, the younger sibling was entirely swallowed by the darkness, disappearing from the Destiny Islands for only God knew what location, and it was up to Riku to find him. For, a brother's bond was just as strong as that of a parents for their children.
Turning away from where his brother had last been, Riku took Kiryu and Seriana's hands and walked them back to their family home.
Meanwhile, On the Western side of the Eastern Island...
"Rina! Shit, we couldn't save her! What am I going to tell my parents? They're going to kill me! First they lose me for two years, and now they lose their only daughter? I'm screwed no matter which way you look at it." Said the fifteen year old Sora, his girlfriend Kairi watching him scold himself as he watched his younger sister, the thirteen year old Rina, just disappear in a bubble of Darkness.
"Sora, there was nothing you could do. Remember what Riku said: When someone is being claimed by the Darkness, any interference will result in the complete reversal of the chosen person's existence in the Worlds. In fact, we should go and tell Riku right now. He's the person with the most experience in this sort of thing, right?" Kairi asked, brushing some of her long red hair back behind her ear.
Sora sighed, knowing his girlfriend was right. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go find him, now! I want to get my sister back as soon as I can." Kairi nodded and let the boy take the lead towards Riku's house, in search of help and possibly answers to questions that would surely make themselves known while engaging Riku in their future conversation.
When they got close to Riku's house, Sora and Kairi found Riku rushing towards his house, two of his three younger siblings following behind him. "Hey, Riku! Something has happened! It's Rina! She's been taken by the-"
"Darkness, right?" Riku asked, stopping in front of them. "Shit, so it affected you guys too. The Darkness took Nick as well. I was just on my way home to tell my parents that I have to go to the other Worlds again in order to look for him. I will not let my little brother fall to the Darkness in his heart like I did."
"But, that's strange," Kairi said, deep in thought. "I can tell how much Darkness there is in people's hearts. You two know this because you also know I'm the Princess of Heart from Radiant Garden. So, I know how much Darkness there is in all of your siblings, myself not having any, and both Rina and Nick have no Darkness within their Hearts, so why would the Darkness take them? Riku, you always had some Darkness in you, but it became much more apparent when you became a minion of the Darkness two years ago. It doesn't make any sense!"
"Kairi, calm down. There's got to be a reason why the two of them were taken and not either or both of Nick's other siblings his age as well. We just have to think about it. I mean, what if the entire Universe is in danger, and only by taking pure Hearts of the Light and training them in the Darkness can save it? I mean, it may not make sense, but it's the only thing I can think of, no matter how far-fetched it seems. Riku, do you have any ideas as to why the Darkness took them?"
Riku shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, guys. I have got no idea as to why they were taken. Perhaps we should ask Yen Sid? You know, after we tell our parents that we have to go traveling again in order to find our lost siblings."
"Yeah, I like your idea, let's do that." Kairi said, just wanting the excuse to be able to say hello to their friends in Twilight Town while visiting the old Sorcerer.
"So, whose parents do we tell first?" Sora asked, making both of the other teens look at each other in confusion, because neither of them knew whose parents they should tell first either, although Kairi's parents would really be considered Sora's, seeing as how her parents both died in Radiant Garden before she was sent to the Destiny Islands nine years earlier.
"Let's just tell my parents first," Riku said. "We all know that Rina and Nick are going to end up together, and wherever they're being taken, I can assure you they'll be together. So, we tell my parents first, then Sora's, and then we contact the King and tell him what's happening. I promise you, Sora, we will find them, no matter what."
"I know. Alright, let's go then." Sora said, following Riku, his two younger sibling and Kairi into his family's house. "By the way, Riku, what are you going to tell Lightning? You know she has a soft spot for Nick."
Riku's eyes widened as he realized that his girlfriend, Claire "Lightning" Farron would also be going with them, she also being a Keyblade Wielder, in search of his and Sora's younger siblings. "Shit!" He swore out loud. I forgot Claire was a Wielder. "Fuck! Forget my parents, guys, Claire's going to kill me when she finds out."
"When I find out what?" Said a new voice that made Riku stiffen automatically.
Turning, the group was met by Lightning, her short strawberry-blonde hair blowing lightly in the gentle tropical breeze. "Oh… uh, hey, Claire," Riku said, stammering. "It's nothing. Nothing to worry about, don't worry."
"Riku, you're acting like a schizophrenic person who just saw something that would freak them out into murdering someone, so what's going on? Why do you only have two of your younger siblings instead of all three?"
"Light, please don't get upset when we tell you what happened, because we all have to go off-world for a while." Sora said.
Lightning sighed. "Ugh, whatever, just tell me what happened!"
"Well, Nick and Rina have been abducted," Riku began, bracing himself for the worst. "By the Darkness."
Lightning's reaction did not surprise anyone present. "What? Let's go. We're going on a rescue mission."
"We can't just yet," Sora said. "We have to tell our parents first, you know that. We can't just go off-world without telling them."
Lightning's left eye twitched slightly. Usually, it was she that would come up with the decisions, for she was a much better strategist than either Sora or Riku, maybe even better than the two of them combined. "Alright. I'll go tell my parents. And Serah. After that I have to go see Snow about something, so I may be there a little later than you guys. But, we'll all meet up at the Gummi Hangar, right?"
"Of course, see you there." Kairi said, nodding to the other female as the newer Keyblade Wielder stormed off angrily.
Lightning had become a member of the group after they had found out she could wield a Keyblade. It had happened one day a few months after they had all come back home from the Organization debacle. Sora and Riku had been practicing combat while Kairi stood back a little further, using the magic that Sora had taught her to keep them alive while they beat the crap out of each other repeatedly. Suddenly, though, a small burst of fire came out of nowhere and suddenly Lightning had appeared in the middle of the battlefield, a Keyblade at the ready. It looked like a normal sword in almost every way, except that is had a trigger like a gun would have.
She had reprimanded the two of them for fighting each other, knowing that the enemy was the Darkness and not each other. She had gotten the conclusion that they were fighting each other from the intensity of their battle. Kairi broke off the sparring, all the while explaining to Lightning that it was all just training. Sora then asked the newcomer why they had never seen each other and asked about why she had a Keyblade. Lightning told him that her weapon, as far as she knew, was known as a Gunblade, but the Keyblade Wielders could tell otherwise.
Proving her weapon was a Keyblade was not too difficult, because all the other Wielders had to do was put their Keyblades down on the ground next to Lightning's, and the similarities in the four of them were too overwhelming for Lightning not to realize it. Then she told the others that the weapons' name was the Blazefire Saber, and it was a fire-type weapon, as if Riku and Sora didn't already realize that.
Soon after that day, the four had become great friends. King Mickey knew of Lightning's existence, but the two had never yet met face-to-face. So, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to meet. Back to the present, though. So, Riku and his siblings, Sora and Kairi all entered Riku's house and proceeded to tell his parents about what had happened to his younger brother.
Realm of Darkness; Dark Margin...
Nick awoke from the sound of waves crashing near him. Picking himself off of the ground, he looked around to find himself in an unknown place. It looked like a beach in a world of eternal night, with twisted rock formations arching in random spots of the vast expanse of water. Beginning to stand, he heard a groan from someplace and turned around to see a girl with long brown hair and electric blue eyes. Do I know her? Nick thought, having lost all past memory or he would have remembered the girl was his best friend Rina. She seems so familiar.
Rina, on the other hand, was looking at Nick as well. Why does that boy seem so familiar? Was the only thought in her mind.
World That Never Was...
This world was not the one to appear in the universe a year earlier. This current World That Never Was was only a copy meant to exist in the Realm of Darkness, or a Shadow World. This place was the new residence of th twelve strongest Nobodies in existence: Organization XIII. Since their thirteenth member was now with his Other and true self, he had not been defeated in battle, dying in the Realm of Light and then transferring to the Realm of Darkness, being denizens of the darkness themselves. Now, the remaining twelve members made a way of life here, all the while regaining their Hearts.
None of them could figure out how they had gotten their Hearts back, but Zexion and Vexen both speculated that the occurrence happened from the explosion of Kingdom Hearts, which had somehow thrust the misplaced Hearts into the Realm of Darkness to lie in wait until their rightful owners returned. After they had returned the Hearts had gravitated back to their original vessels, filling the empty void in each of the Nobodies' beings.
Now, in the circular meeting room of the Castle that Never Was, Xemnas and the other members of the Organization were having a spur-of-the-moment meeting that came about from the feeling that new entities had entered the Realm of Darkness. "Xemnas, why should we care about these two new entities that we feel have entered our Realm?" Asked Saix, his voice as monotonous as ever.
"Because, Saix, these two new energies are not of the Darkness, but of the Light. Neither of them have any Darkness in their Hearts, putting them on par with the Princesses of Heart. With our Hearts returned, we now have no clear goals but to live our existences out here in this unforgiving Realm of Darkness. But, with the arrival of these two new entities, we may be able to make our way back to the Realm of Light, and in turn, reconcile for all the harm we've done." Answered Xemnas, his tone bored as if he had explained this situation a hundred times before.
"I still think we should not rush this. What if they are Keyblade Wielders? There is no doubt that they would have heard of us. We are the Organization! Beings of the Darkness and enemies of all Keyblade Wielders! We cannot risk this, Xemnas!"
"Calm down, Saix, please, you're giving me a headache," Retorted the normally silent Zexion. "In any case, I agree with Xemnas that we take in these two new beings. In all life, Saix, there are risks that must be taken, and in my opinion, this is one of them, so quit your whining and, excuse my language, shut the fuck up!" This took everyone by surprise, even the members who were more friendly with Zexion for he was known to never use obscene language like some of the more unruly Organization members like Axel and Larxene.
Saix just grit his teeth in response as Xemnas spoke again. "Alright, then, now that the matter is settled. Marluxia, would you be so kind as to go and pick our two little newcomers up from their current location?"
"Of course, Master Xemnas." Said Marluxia, his shoulder-length pink hair falling in front of his face as he bowed in respect before creating a Corridor of Darkness.
Dark Margin...
Marluxia exited the Corridor of Darkness to find what looked to be two thirteen year olds sitting not too far but not too near to each other on the shore of the beach, both looking out towards the beautiful sight of the moon in the distance. Clearing his throat, the pink-haired former Nobody gained the attention of the two teenagers. "Hello. My name is Marluxia, a member of Organization XIII. I have been sent here to bring you both back with me to our base here. Please, follow me." He said- hood still up over his head- before opening another Corridor of Darkness.
Without hesitation, not knowing where they were to begin with, Nick and Rina followed the black-cloaked man into the vortex of swirling Darkness. Why does this seem so familiar? They both thought. It's like I've seen this thing before, but from where? Why does the name Organization XIII sound just that familiar as well? In a more annoyed tone they also thought. Why can't I remember anything?
World That Never Was...
Nick and Rina exited the Corridor of Darkness and continued to follow Marluxia to a very high-ceilinged room that had thirteen seats lined up along the wall, each seat located slightly higher than the last. In fact, the chairs were actually ordered in quite a random way, Nick couldn't believe there was a system of organization within the room itself. Only one chair wasn't occupied, which probably belonged to the man who brought the two to the room in the first place, Marluxia.
One seated person, the one positioned highest with shoulder-length silver hair and amber gold eyes looked down at the three newcomers to the room. "Hello there, young ones. My name is Xemnas, leader of the infamous Organization XIII. We have found here, in the Realm of Darkness, where beings of the Light, such as yourselves should not be permitted. However, you two seem to have been chosen, since there is as of yet no taint of Darkness in either of your hearts. So, we will take you under our wing and train you for whatever is to come in the future, for I foresee a devastating event will occur soon in the Disney Multiverse, and I fear that the two of you may be the first of our new saviors. I'm getting ahead of myself right now though. What are your names, young ones?"
Nick was never known for acting shy, and he wasn't about to start now. "My name is Nick. I'm sorry, but that's just about all I can remember about myself, not even where I'm from." Nick had worry in his voice.
"Oh, do not worry, Nick. I'm sure you will find a way back home. Seeing as how both of your Hearts are of the Light, then you are obviously supposed to go back to the Realm of Light. Now, what is your name, miss?"
Rina was a little shy, which wasn't like her normal self but hey, she was in a brand new place and surrounded by people she didn't know (except Nick, she had just forgotten about him) so she was a little scared of what was going on. "My name... Is Rina, sir. I don't really remember where I'm from, either."
"You do not have to be shy here, young one. None of us mean you any harm. Now, Marluxia, please show these two to their rooms. Make sure the rooms are not already occupied, please," Marluxia nodded but before they could leave, Xemnas continued. "Actually, put them in the rooms marked XIV and XV." Nodding again, Marluxia opened a Corridor of Darkness and lead the couple of teenagers through it before the Superior could say anything else. (Why Organization has a Room for a Number XV is beyond me. XIV is fine because of Xion, but XV? What were they doing that they never showed?)
The Next Day, Disney Castle...
"And you said that your younger siblings were... Taken... by the Darkness as if they were chosen by it somehow?" His Majesty, King Mickey Mouse asked the four young Keyblade Wielders.
"Yes, sir. Only one of my younger siblings were taken, and Sora's only sister as well. We believe that, if anything, they must have been found and may even now be taken care of by the Organization."
"Organization XIII? Why would you think that the Organization would be taking care of them right now?"
"Because they are the only ones who cannot die because they technically aren't alive. So, they would instead go back to the Realm of Darkness, where they belong. But, unfortunately for us, Kingdom Hearts also just happens to be in the Realm of Darkness. So, if any of the Hearts that belong to Organization members reside in Kingdom Hearts already..." Riku was cut off by Lightning's hand grabbing him and pressing into his skin, making him stop at the comforting touch.
"Then the Organization would have their Hearts and wouldn't have to harm either of your younger siblings. But, if you really think you must, then go and search the other Worlds. If they somehow were only taken to another World, then so be it, but know this: Kairi must not go anywhere alone. A Princess of Heart, albeit a Keyblade Wielding Princess of Heart, should never leave the safety of their World in the first place."
"But, Your Majesty, I've only been on my Homeworld before the Heartless first attacked. Since then, I've been on the Destiny Islands."
"Yes, I know that. Now, go and see if you can find your younger siblings. I just hope they aren't chosen by the Keyblade. I don't know what would happen if they happened to become Keyblade Wielders of Twilight. That may be a problem, for it would mean the start of a problem. One that nothing could prepare us for."
With that ominous warning spoken, the four Wielders left Disney Castle to go in search of the two missing teenagers.
