A/N: A new story! Yay! This time it's about the KHUX one! This is actually related to LA, NB and FMN. A prequel you could say 😃

Anyway, enjoy this new story!

Summary:
The Union Leopardus gained a new member, a simple and quiet girl by the name of Nova. She had the goal as every other wielder. To gather Lux. The battle for Lux continued, but it wasn't just between the five Unions, but among her comrades as well. Tension continues to rise as each day became a competition. That is until, she met a boy from a different Union, who changed her view that collecting Lux is not everything. Just when she thinks she has found a friend, he disappeared. She continues to search for him, but things don't go as plan when the clock's ticking down to count the days until the fated day.

KH © SE, Tetsuya Nomura


Chapter 1
Start


Look deep inside your heart

What do you see?


'Huh?'

She was standing alone by the empty street. She glanced around, observing the unfamiliar surroundings around her.

'Where… am I?'

Every building around her were built in a half-timbered style. The roofs were painted a soft purple color, matching the wooden wall framing. The spaces between the wooden timbers were painted a beige color. Plants decorated the pastel-colored mosaic streets and the around the buildings' balcony. Despite the streets being empty and quiet, the place had a calming and peaceful atmosphere around.

'It was dark before…'

She looked down, staring at the stoned path. A few minutes ago, she was standing on a stained-glass floor with pictures of animals crafted onto the glass.

"Hey!" She stiffened when she heard someone shouted at her. She turned around, a nervous feeling bubbling inside her heart. A boy, with short dark brown hair with a pair of dark green eyes, was seen a few feet away from her. The look across the boy's face made the girl more nervous. It was a mix of anger and annoyance. "What do you think you're doing? Aren't you supposed to be doing your missions?" he questioned, or more like interrogated her.

The girl bit her lip, giving an unsure look. "…sorry?"

The boy frowned, a hand on his hip as he squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the frail-looking girl.

"Never seen you around. You must be new here." The boy concluded, straightening his posture. "Name?" he asked.


Banisher of darkness, gatherer of light—what is your name?


"N—Nova…" The girl answered, averting her gaze from the boy before she glanced at him timidly. "You?"

The brunet gave her a smug look. "The name's Jay from the Union Ursus." He grinned, puffing his chest out in pride. "You must've choose Ursus too. Master Aced should've shown up by now." He looked around, trying to find his master.

Nova tilted her head confusedly. Union? Ursus? Master Aced?

The boy—Jay—seemed to notice the look across Nova's face. "Typical newbie," he snorted out, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked away. Nova gave him a small frown and her frown disappeared when he turned his head to look back at her. "Didn't you go through it? The part where you choose your Union." He said.

The ash-blonde girl closed her eyes, trying to recall which part she had to choose a 'Union'.


Look deep inside your heart. How do you see yourself?

Which union does your heart belong to?


"Oh! That!" A smile appeared as she snapped her fingers in realization. She remembered she was given five choices. A unicorn, a bear, a snake, a fox and a leopard. She didn't know why she chose the leopard instead of the other choices that were given. She never heard or seen what kind of union the leopard is, but she chose it anyway. "I choose the leopard one." Nova answered, giving a smile to the boy.

Jay's expression suddenly turned back to annoyance. "Cih! You're from another Union!" he spat out, surprising the girl. She took a few steps back when the boy's eyes sharpened to glare at her. "Should've expected someone like you to be in those kinds of Unions! Weak wielders like you don't belong in Ursus!" he turned around, leaving the startled girl behind in the dust.

"Uh…" Nova watched the boy stomped away from her in rage. She didn't what made the boy so angry at her. All she ever did was just say her name and the 'Union' she picked. Truth be told, she was a little offended by the boy's words. She never did anything wrong to him. She just met him not two minutes ago. "Rude… I don't like you too." she huffed out.

The blonde turned around, deciding to head up the set of stairs. She wished she could see another person that could explain everything to her, but if the next person she meets is like Jay, then she rather be clueless for the rest of her life.

She slowly made her way up the stairs. Her eyes were gazing down at the stairs, but her mind was elsewhere. There were questions going around her head. A lot of things didn't made sense. One of those things were that she can't really remember anything from before she showed up in the stained-glass area. Everything was just blank. She knew her own name and age, but that's it. She can't remember where she came from, her family, or anything, but another thing was that she wasn't panicking over the lack of knowledge of her own past.

It was as if the worry was lifted away… or purposefully erased.

"W—Whoa!" A gasp escaped Nova's lips when something began to emerge from the ground. She stopped midway to reach the higher level of the town to avoid the strange appearance. She quickly turned around, making an attempt to run down, but she froze when the same thing happened from the lower ground. "What are those?!" she shouted, her eyes widened in surprise.

Strange black-ant-like creatures with yellow beady eyes began to form from the dark shadows. Its head began to shake before it turned to look at the girl standing in front of it.

Nova swallowed the lump in her throat. She tried to remain still. Maybe if she pretends to be a statue, the creature will leave her alone. Her plan seemed not to work when the creature began to slowly crawl towards her. She let out a shriek when the creature lunged at her with its' sharp claws. The blonde quickly stepped aside, avoiding the attack.

"Anybody? Please help!" Nova glanced around, trying to find anyone that could help her. It didn't matter if that rude guy—Jay—came to her rescue. She was willing to forgive his rude behavior if he shows up with a sword and start slaying the creatures. She ducked down, avoiding another attack. "H—Hey, I don't have anything—!" she yelped as the creature ignored her.

The blonde dodged an attack and without even knowing it, her back hit the wall. The creatures cornered her, standing in a circle to block off any possible exit routes. She frantically looked around. It was impossible to push her way across the black creatures. A few of the black creatures suddenly lunged at her all at once.

Nova raised her hand, trying to shield herself from the attack.

"N—No!"

She closed her eyes tightly, afraid of what's going to happen when the creatures attacked her.

A bright light began to shone from Nova's hand.

The light repelled the creatures away, sending them flying off.

Nova slowly opened her eyes. She didn't feel any pain, instead, there was an increase of weight in her hand.

Her eyes widened.

A large key was in her once empty hand.

The guard is a simple one, colored a deep pastel blue. The handle itself is a deep indigo color. The shaft is light-blue and rounded, ending with an orb past the teeth. Nova's eyes trailed down to look at the teeth of the weapon. A silver hollow star. She observed the weapon for a few more seconds, turning it around in her hand. It was a very simple design and very light in her grasp.

She stared at the strange weapon in awe before glancing up to look at the increasing numbers of the black creatures.


The keyblade holds the power of light—the power to drive away the darkness.


Nova stood up and held the handle of the weapon—the keyblade—tightly. She held the keyblade in a defensive position when the creature jumped at her. She pushed the creature away and swung the keyblade at the creature. Her eyes widened in surprise when the creature disappeared in black smoke.

Her eyes stared at the keyblade, a newfound courage growing in her heart. She swung the weapon again, killing off the dark creatures. With the keyblade in hand, she felt a lot more confident and less threatened by the creatures around her. But despite her new-found weapon and confident, she can't help but feel a little nervous about what would happen if the weapon hadn't appeared in time.

As soon as she saw an opening from the decreasing numbers, she made a dash for it up the stairs. She huffed tiredly when she reached the top of the stairs. Her eyes glanced around the empty plaza. A fountain was in the middle and there were a few shops, but the shops were already closed. There wasn't anyone she could go to for help. She wondered if anyone does actually live in this town. She turned around in her spot, swinging the keyblade at the creature that jumped at her.

Nova backed away from the stairs when the creatures began to crawl up to the plaza. When she was in a safe distance, she held her ground to face the creatures. She can't rely on anyone except herself now.

"O—Okay! Just you and me now!" Nova shouted as she ran forward, the keyblade held tightly in her hand. Her eyes widened when black fog began to appear, covering the whole area. She skidded to a stop as something large began to rise up from the ground. She tilted her chin up as the shadow began to grow taller and large in size. It was far larger than the ones she faced earlier. It was huge with a heart-shaped hole on its' stomach. "W—Whoa…" she gulped, taking a few steps back.

The large creature began to step out from the circle of fog. It moved its' arm and suddenly swung it down to smash the blonde girl. She quickly turned around, jumping away from the attack. She landed on the stoned floor, covering her head as the large hand smashed the street, creating a cloud of dust around them.

Nova coughed as the dust cleared. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get the dirt off. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and turned to look at the large creature. Her eyes widened when the creature was already beginning to prepare for another attack. She quickly raised the keyblade up to shield herself from the incoming attack.

Her eyes were shut tight as she heard a sound of a blade.

She slowly opened her eyes.

"You okay?"

A man dressed in a yellow and dark grey robe was standing in front of her. Her eyes trailed down to the key in his hand. It had a more complicated design than hers, with the all the spikes and color.

Nova snapped out from her thoughts and nodded her head. "Y—Yeah… thanks…" she stared at his back, wondering who the man was and how did he know she was in need of help. There wasn't anyone around and this guy suddenly showed up out of the blues. "Who are—?" the stopped when a large shadow loomed over them.

The two of them glanced up and the man dressed in the yellow robe quickly raised his weapon, casting thunder over the creature. The dark creature moved back, canceling the attack it was about to do. A large portal appeared behind the creature and it moved back inside.

"We'll talk later." The man spoke, glancing over his shoulder. "Chirithy, you know what to do." He continued before jumping into the same portal as the monster.

"W—Wait!" Nova stood up, reaching her hand out to the man. She knew that the man is probably more experienced than her, but she can't help but worry about his safety. That creature was humongous compared to both him and her.

"You don't have to worry about him," a voice said, startling the blonde girl. She turned around with a surprised look and raised her keyblade in defense. She blinked once. Twice. It wasn't one of those dark creatures. It was the exact opposite. A small cat-like creature with a gold and blue cape and a pink purse was seen standing in front of her. "He is your master after all." It—he continued.

Nova blinked, giving a look. "My what?"

The cat let out a small sigh. "He is the leader of the Union Leopardus, Master Gula—your union leader. You choose his Union." He explained and Nova thought for a moment before nodding her head. It explained a lot about the 'Unions' and 'Masters' thing Jay was talking about. Nova lowered the keyblade as the cat-like creature jumped closer to her. "This may be tougher than I thought…" he hummed, placing a stubby paw on his round snout.

"Uh…" Nova responded. She didn't know if she should feel confused or offended.

The cat lifted his chin up to look at Nova. "You may still be confused, but I'm sorry, I'll go ahead and explain first." He began and the blonde nodded once.

Finally, someone that will explain everything to her, even if that someone is an anthropomorphic cat.

Nova kneeled down to the cat's eye level, the keyblade placed on her lap as she stared at the cat with her indigo eyes.

The cat cleared his throat and jumped once. "You see, your pursuit of light made you the perfect candidate for a keyblade wielder. The keyblade is the power of the light's heart. Darkness is spreading and it's up to you to use the weapon to drive it away, gather light and protect the worlds." He paused, staring at the expression Nova was giving him.

Nova pursed her lips as her eyes darted to look at anything but him.

"I'm sorry are you keeping up?" the cat asked and Nova gave him a silent nod. The cat nodded and he continued his explanations. "Those dark creatures back there, are called the Heartless."

"The black creatures?" Nova tilted her head.

"Bingo!" The cat chirped, moving his stubby paw. "The beings from darkness, the Heartless, seeks out hearts and plunge the worlds into darkness. The only thing that can oppose them is the keyblade. That's why you need to protect the worlds from the Heartless with the keyblade." He finished.

Nova looked down to her keyblade. "That's… a big responsibility." She sighed out. She didn't want to complain, but was she really the right person to hold this kind of responsibility?

"Don't worry about it! I'm here to help the keyblade wielders." The cat placed his paw above Nova's hand that was holding the weapon. The girl raised her chin to look at the cat, who seemed to give her a reassuring smile. "My name's Chirithy and from now on, I'll be by your side teaching you lots of stuff! You can count on me!" he said enthusiastically.

Nova let out a small giggle. "I'm Nova and thanks, Chirithy." She shook Chirithy's hand and she can't help but feel happy.

"Oh yeah! About your keyblade, it's still incomplete." Chirithy looked down to the simple-looking keyblade in Nova's hand. "You see, the keyblade is just like you. Right now, you're just beginning your journey, but as you grow stronger, your keyblade will change forms to an even stronger one." He explained.

Nova raised her keyblade. "So… it kind of sort the ranks in our Union?" she asked, thinking about what her fellow Union members' keyblade.

"Eh sort of… you caught on things quickly than I imagined!" Chirithy giggled, covering his mouth with his hands.

"H—Hey!" Nova blushed in embarrassment.

Suddenly a swooshing sound was heard behind them.

Both Nova and Chirithy glanced back and Nova quickly stood up, bowing her head in respect when a familiar yellow robed man stepped out from the portal. The man—known as Master Gula—nodded his head in greeting.

Gula took a few steps closer. "You've managed to tap into the power of the keyblade. Lesser heartless won't stand a chance, but in order to defeat stronger foes…" he trailed off, making both Chirithy and Nova tilt their head in confusion.

As if on cue, the large creature—the Heartless—returned from the dark portal right behind them. Nova jumped in surprise at the sight of the large Heartless. She took a few steps back as her eyes widened in fear. Did her master really expect her to take this beast on her own? She didn't know what her master thinking. She felt a soft pat to her hand and she looked down to see Chirithy giving her a reassuring nod. The girl gulped before nodding her head, holding her keyblade shakily as she faced the Heartless.

"Don't be afraid, Nova." The young man stood beside the blonde, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You're not alone. That is what a Union is for. You must combine your strength with those who share your purpose and aspirations." As he finished, a few keyblade wielders ran up to them.

"Your friends will become your power."

Nova glanced around, staring at the boys and girls. They were like her. Keyblade wielders.

One by one, the keyblade wielders ran towards the large Heartless, each landing a hit to the monster. Nova stared in amazement when they could jump high enough to reach the head. The keyblade wielders could easily dodge the large Heartless attacks and gave a fatal hit to immobilize the creature.

Nova felt Gula gave her a light push, encouraging her to join in her fellow Union members. She glanced at him and he gave a nod. She turned to Chirithy and he too gave a nod. She looked down at her own keyblade before catching up with the others.

She stood beside a fellow Union member, standing in a fighting stance.

"Go on! Hit it with all you got, Newbie!" The girl grinned.

"Yeah! We weakened it for you, so don't worry!" a boy continued, giving a thumbs up.

Nova nodded her head. She ran towards the Heartless and dodged rolled away when the Heartless slammed its' large fist to the ground. She used the Heartless' arm to run up to its' head. She jumped up when she was close enough to the head and slashed the Heartless' head down with her keyblade. It staggered back as she landed safely on the ground with a soft thud.

Everyone watched as the large Heartless began to disappear in black smoke.

The ash-blonde haired girl let out a sigh of relief as the keyblade in her hand disappeared. Most of the keyblade wielders around her said their goodbyes to her and they went their own separate ways. Nova waved her hand goodbye to the Union member who exited the plaza last.

"There are other who collect the light," Gula's voice snapped her from her thoughts. She quickly turned around to pay attention to her master's words. A small frown was seen on the master's face. "But not all of them share the same goal of bringing peace to the world. You must discover who amongst us walks the path of darkness." He finished, his hands folded behind his back.

Nova nodded her head. "Okay."

Now that she has a good look at her master, he was younger than she expected. She actually expected her master to be an old man with a beard and grumpy attitude. The young master wore a mask, similar to the Leopardus symbol she saw at the glass-stained floor area.

"From today onwards, you are a member of my Union, the Leopardus." Gula stated and Nova nodded her head. The young master raised his hand and held something in his palm. The girl blinked and raised her hand too, opening it just as Gula silently instructed her. "This is what will differ you from the other Unions. It is necessary for you to wear it at all times." He placed the small item in her palm.

A leather bracelet held by a silver claps with the Leopardus symbol crafted in detail.

"Feel free to choose which hand you want to wear it." The young man waved his hand, giving a small smile.

Nova smiled back and wore the bracelet on her left wrist.

Gula cleared his throat, making both Chirithy and Nova look at him. "You're dismissed for today. Go ahead and rest, I'm sure all of this was a lot to take in. Chirithy will get you settled into your new home." He said.

"Of course, Master!" Chirithy saluted.

Gula nodded and summoned a portal.

"Thank you, Master!" Nova gave a deep bow.

The Union leader nodded his head before stepping into the portal.

Nova straightened her posture, staring at the spot where her master once stood. A smile appeared on her lips. This was a new start for her.

Chirithy jumped up and down. "Are you ready to see your new home? You'll love it, I'm sure!" he chirped, hopping to the stairs.

The girl followed the cat.

"Yeah."


This is where your journey begins


A/N: As you guys have noticed, I changed the dialogue a little bit to fit Gula! I based Gula's character on Back Cover, since the dialogue and personality on the KHUX were neutral. The quests where the leaders show up pretty much depends on us.

Tell me what you guys think of this new story! I would love to hear your opinions! :D