Disclaimer: All rights belong to Square Enix and Disney.

Chapter One: Sora

Gazing out at his room now that all of his stuff had been packed, Sora couldn't help but feel that it didn't look like it belonged to he and his twin brother anymore. It was strangely empty, lacking all of its usual clutter. Even the pictures that had lined the walls were now gone. That paired with the fact that rain was pouring down in sheets, just made Sora feel even gloomier than he previously had. It only ever rained on Destiny Islands a handful of times each year. Sora felt cheered slightly as he remembered his mom repeatedly assuring him that this room would always remain his and his twin brothers. Sora looked up when his bedroom door creaked open, revealing a familiar head of messy blond hair.

"...You really sure about this?" the younger newcomer asked, sitting down on Sora's bed.

Sora plopped down beside him and leaned back on his hands. Could he really be sure? He definitely wasn't as certain as his twin, who was beyond thrilled with the opportunity to study at the acclaimed Academy 13. A place they were truly lucky to get into. And likely only did because of their father being the well-known hero that he was. But Sora was optimistic, and determined to make the best of such an opportunity. This was only helped by the fact that one of his best friends would also be attending.

He turned to the younger teen with a grin. "Sure am!"

The younger teen pouted slightly and Sora gave him a one armed hug. He was going to miss his little brother. As annoying as he could be sometimes. Granted he typically spent his time arguing with and annoying Sora's twin brother, and though the two frequently denied it, Sora was certain that they really did love each other on some level.

"I'm going to miss you though, Roxas," Sora said, his expression growing serious.

Roxas scowled down at his hands before perking up. "I'll miss you too. But hey, maybe they'll let me attend next year! I'm sure I could get in."

Sora laughed but nodded enthusiastically as the door creaked again before it was then pulled the rest of the way open. Sora's twin stood there. Everywhere he and his twin went, everyone was always both surprised by how much they looked alike, and how different they appeared at the same time. Unlike Sora's brown hair and blue eyes, his twin had hair darker than their mothers, and eyes of a warm golden tone.

"Come on Sora, Riku's already waiting downstairs," his twin said, disappearing back out of the door. However he almost immediately poked his head back in with a smirk on his face. "Kairi's here too. She wants to say goodbye."

Sora couldn't help but smile slightly as he got to his feet. He cast one last sad look at his room and then left. Upon reaching the stairs he took them two at a time, hearing Roxas following behind him. Gathered by the front door stood not only Kairi, but Sora's parents as well as Roxas's twin. Yes, one thing Sora thought somewhat unique about his family, was the fact that there were two sets of twins it. His father Cloud, who Roxas and Ven, identical twins, were a spitting image of, and his mom, Tifa also stood by the door. Riku stood off to one side, looking as though he were intruding on the families goodbyes. Why? Sora wasn't entirely sure, Riku had long been considered apart of the family.

Sora approached his dad first, smiling up at him. He knew that he would be the easiest to say goodbye to, since he could trust his dad not to tear up.

"Bye dad," Sora said.

Cloud pulled him into a hug. "Bye son. Take care of yourself, and please attempt to keep your brother out of mischief."

Sora laughed and nodded, walking up to his mom next. He wrapped his arms around her. When he stepped back, his mom placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled at him, her eyes sad.

"I love you Sora. We're all going to miss you and your brother so much," she told him. "I just know that you're going to excel in this school. But please remember to call often."

Sora agreed, grinning as he turned to his other younger brother. "Bye Ven, you take care of yourself. Make sure Roxas does his chores."

Ven laughed, giving Sora a hug before grinning at him. "I will. See you later Sora. Don't forget to call me."

Agreeing to that as well, he now faced Kairi. He was going to miss her too. They had been friends for almost as long as he had been friends with Riku. He placed his hands behind his head.

"Bye Kairi, I—" His words were cut off when Kairi flew into him, wrapping him in a hug. Surprised, he only patted her back. Looking upwards, he saw his twin watching them with something in between a smirk and a sneer on his face and his face suddenly felt incredibly warm.

"Take care Sora," Kairi said, stepping backwards with a smile. "See you soon."

Sora nodded, giving her his best grin. And last but not least, he looked around for his other little brother. Granted Roxas wasn't very little anymore, and was very near his older brothers height. Catching his eye, Roxas walked over sadly. Sora didn't hesitate to hug him as well, though he was fully aware that it would embarrass him in front of everyone else.

"Bye Roxas. Keep mom and dad company for me," Sora told him, stepping backwards towards the front door.

Roxas nodded. "I will."

With all good byes taken care of, Sora turned around. For the the first time spotting a tall man who stood by the door, he had long gray hair but not from age. His expression was flat as he observed the family. When he saw Sora looking oddly at him he smiled ever-so-slightly.

"Hello Sora. I am the person in charge of your new school. You may call me Xemnas," he said, holding out a gloved hand for Sora to shake.

Sora shook it with a smile as Riku pulled the front door open and stepped outside. He carried only a small bag, similar to the ones Sora and his twin clutched tightly in their hands. The rest of their things had been shipped ahead two days prior. Sora followed his friend outside, while his twin quickly said his final goodbyes. He turned last to Roxas and Ven. Surprising everyone, the older boy ruffled Roxas's hair with a smile before pulling Ven into a quick bear hug.

"See ya later, kiddo," he said, stepping outside after his twin. "You too Ventus... Don't call too often."

Roxas grinned while Ventus laughed. "Bye Vani."

A small limo awaited them on the street. But before entering into it Sora raced around to the other side of his house and down towards the ocean. It would most likely be many months before he would be back. Vacations at the Academy were quite limited. After a brief moment he walked back to the limo, which Riku and his twin were already inside of. With Xemnas sitting in the row of seats in front of them, Sora slid in the back beside Riku. His twin was on the far side of the comfortable seating, scowling out of the window. Sora waved back at his family and Kairi, who were gathered outside, until they was entirely out of sight.

"And we're off," Riku said, leaning back in his seat.

"Can't say that I'll miss it here much," Sora's twin said.

Leaning forward to get a good look at his face, Sora scowled at him. "How can you say that, Vanitas?"

"It's hot and far too quiet. With so many nosey neighbors...honestly isn't much to miss," Vanitas said.

"What about our family?" Sora asked. They could communicate most of the time without words, and they were never found far apart, but at moments like these Sora felt he didn't understand Vanitas at all.

Vanitas shrugged. "Yeah, of course."

Since both Riku and Vanitas were silent after this, Sora went back over everything he currently knew about the school, though he had never actually seen it. It was an academy that groomed its students for leadership positions in the 13 adjoining worlds. Hence where it got it's name. Some students came already knowing what position they would take, as was the case with royalty. Others hadn't a clue. At the school students would be taught how to wield magic, and use their chosen weapons and abilities effortlessly. There were only three rules that if broken, could get you kicked out of the school and they were; physically fighting with fellow students, failing more than two tests, and digging up classified information. Due to reasons unknown to Sora, all students only had to tell fellow students and teachers their first name. However, some, for a valid reason only, were allowed to use a fake name. Last names and familial info was kept classified, and could only be revealed by the student the info belonged to. The only one in the school who readily knew all of said information was the person who sat in front of Sora; Xemnas. If any other teacher or student happened to know the identity of someone, they were bound to keep it secret if the other person wished.

Sora also knew that it was a very small school with a very small amount of students at any given time. And the only real way to get in was either to be a genius or be related to or close to someone of great importance. And of course, willing to enter into a position of leadership. Oh and the school was the safest in all of the worlds, which made sense to Sora, considering all of the royalty and such that attended.

After what seemed even longer, the hour trip around the island to the door to the other worlds was over. Sora slid out of the car, leaving the door open for Riku. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Sora followed Xemnas into a small but fancy building. Before it would allow anyone inside, it required a scan of Xemnas's face. Once all three of the teenagers and Xemnas were inside the unnaturally bright building, the door slid shut, sealing itself once again. Xemnas then briskly led them to the very back of the building which opened into a short but dark tunnel. At the end of said tunnel were double doors that were quite tall. Which Xemnas proceeded to pull open, gesturing that the newest editions to the students should step inside. Riku led the way with Vanitas bringing up the rear. Stepping through, Sora gasped, looking around in wonder. It appeared as though Sora stood on nothing, only time and space surrounded them, with what looked like thousands upon thousands of stars only just out of reach. Xemnas chuckled softly at their expressions and swiped his hand through the air ahead of them. 12 doors appeared, swirling until they surrounded them in a circle with the door leading back to Destiny Islands directly behind them being the 13th. Sora could barely suppress his excitement when Xemnas stepped towards the door clearly marked as a world called Midgar. The same world his father and mother grew up in. They moved before Sora and Vanitas were born so Sora had never been to the place. But the school's base was inside said world. Once on the other side of the door, they entered into a room with the same bright artificial light that had been in the other building. Xemnas led them purposefully from the building, letting the door seal shut on its own. Sora grinned, falling into place beside his twin as he made his way down the bustling street. Most people who passed them wore business suits and didn't even glance twice at the three newcomers' bright attire. Glancing to his left, Sora was glad to see a smile on Vanitas's face as well. They shared a look. Sora knew Vanitas was just as excited as he, to see a world they had heard so many stories about.

At the end of the long street waited another limo. This had become a new record for Sora. Two limo's in the same day when he previously hadn't ever ridden in one before. This time Sora sat in between Riku and Vanitas. Which wasn't a problem considering how roomy it was. But as eager as he was to see the town, he spent most of the ride to the outskirts of the city leaning over Vanitas to peer outside of the window. As they grew closer to their destination, clouds blocked out the sun and rain began falling against the window.

At long last they pulled up outside of a huge building that resembled a castle. Sora got out behind his twin, forcing himself not to bounce with excitement. He looked over at Riku who grinned back.

"This is incredible!" Sora said, speaking the last word in unison with Vanitas.

Once the car drove off back through the rain, Xemnas walked up beside his new students.

"Yes I thought the same thing when I saw it. It has been affectionately named The Castle that Never Was by a past student. After what it is. A castle, that was never used as what it was built for. It is also the first thing that was built in this city," Xemnas informed them. "It has of course been renovated since then."

With that information, Xemnas led them inside of the castle. Now the inside, while grand, elicited a scowl from Sora. The interior was almost entirely lacking of color other than gray, something which he found quite depressing. He could only hope that the rooms had more color in them.

"Follow closely. Believe me, you don't want to get lost in here," Xemnas said.

The man led them up many flights of stairs to the utmost highest tower. Unable to help himself, Sora raced over to a window directly across from their latest flight of stairs. The view of Midgar from where he stood was astounding, though slightly blurred from the falling rain.

"Come, this is the academies meeting room. It is tradition to introduce each new student to the others inside," Xemnas said, pulling open a pair of double doors and gesturing that the others should enter first.

Sora entered after the other two, and blinked from surprise. A large white table stood in the middle of the room, with 15 fancy chairs seated around it, resembling thrones more than chairs. Of the 15 chairs only 11 were occupied, and Sora wasn't entirely sure which ones were students and which were teachers. Some looked pretty close in age. What he did notice was that there was only one girl, something he found surprising. Only a few of the people seated there looked interested in the newcomers.

"Everyone, this is Sora, Vanitas and Riku. The newest members of our academy," Xemnas said, strolling around the table to take a seat. "I hope you make them feel welcomed."

Sora grinned, tucking his hands behind his head. "Hi everyone!"

A few of the students smiled politely, one waved with a grin. Riku led the way over to the three empty seats which were seated beside each other. Sora took the spot in between he and his twin, becoming slightly nervous by the open stares of their new classmates.

"I trust you understand our three most important rules?" Xemnas said.

"Yes," said Riku, while Sora nodded.

Xemnas smiled. "Very good. Then it is time to choose your weapons and abilities."

He moved his hand through the air and a neat row of pebble sized stones appeared. Vanitas, always quick to react without thinking, chuckled softly and reached to pick one up. He pulled his hand back sharply, making a noise like a hiss, as the one he reached for glowed brightly.

"What the heck are those for?" Vanitas asked.

Xemnas scowled at him. "If you had been more patient you would have found out before getting hurt. Each contain the power of a different weapon that will be given to you. You may choose, but certain weapons might not work for you. As was the case with the one you reached for, Vanitas. Choose carefully, the name of what each one is, is clearly written on the top of each stone."

Fascinated, Sora bent over the table, walking back and forth to make sure he got a good look at each one. There were many choices, but only a couple actually piqued his interest. Not to mention the fact that he didn't know what most of them even were. As he moved his hand past one it glowed a bright white, but unlike how it had just hurt his twin, it only let a warm soft feeling into Sora's hand. Liking the sense of security it lent, but honestly having no clue what a 'Keyblade of light' was, he picked it up with a smile. Only a mere moment after it touched his finger tips, it disappeared, leaving that warm tingling feeling slowly traveling up Sora's arm. He looked at his palm curiously, and nearly gasped from shock as an enormous key took shape in his hand. It was certainly suited to its name. He turned it over carefully, squinting when he spotted small lettering on the back. The words were; The Kingdom Key. Sora grinned wider, glancing over at Riku. His friend also held a weapon. It was in the shape of a sword but had a distinct quality to it that reminded Sora of his own weapon. He walked around Riku to peer over his brothers shoulder. Vanitas held what was most definitely another Keyblade, however this one for some reason sent a chill through Sora. Somehow it seemed to be pulsating with darkness.

The lights returned to their normal brightness and Sora looked up to see Xemnas watching them with a guarded expression. "Very interesting. Well then, Sora, your weapon is a Keyblade, a very powerful one called The Kingdom Key. A weapon of pure light. The ability that goes with it is not strangely, the power of light. Don't underestimate it's power," Xemnas said. He then glanced between Riku and Vanitas. "Riku, your weapon is currently a sword. It's title is Soul Eater. This weapon is neither light nor darkness, but will rather be guided by your own light and darkness. It is rather weak at the moment, but with much training and strength of your own heart, it has the power to transform into a Keyblade more formidable than either Sora's or Vanitas's. The power that is currently yours with it, is darkness." At last Xemnas turned his eyes onto Vanitas alone. "As for yours, Vanitas. Your weapon is a Keyblade. It is called The Void. A Keyblade as powerful and dark as your brothers is light. The power that goes with it, is of course, power over darkness. Be very careful when wielding the dark power within it. Interesting, that each of your weapons is a Keyblade or may become such a weapon. Granted, tendencies towards weapons tend to run in families. Along with the fact that many who come to this school, are capable and worthy of wielding so great a weapon. Now, with the weapons chosen, this meeting is concluded."

Authors Note: Hello all. This is a fanfic I originally started on a different fan fiction site but have decided to start posting it here as well. It's probably my favorite fanfic idea that I have come up with so far and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it. I have several chapters already written so I'll put the next one up in a few days.

The story will have multiple POVs, mostly Sora, Vanitas, Zexion and Riku but there may be others as well.

As always please read and review/comment.