KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT
(The Sequel To "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams")
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE GENERAL PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: HELLO THERE, ONE AND ALL! WELCOME TO "KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT" - THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL!
Now, I Know I said this story was not going to be posted until May, 2015. It may be April, yet I decided to start now in case anyone was getting TOO Impatient/Anxious for it.
So, HERE IT IS!
NOTE: THIS Story contains various elements from Kingdom Hearts and several Disney Movies. These belong to BOTH Square Enix and Disney alike.
In addition, this story was rated "T" due to some serious scenes in some of the Disney-based worlds. After all, This Story is intended to be DARKER than the first one was!
In Addition, the Theme Song for This Story is the classic, "'SIMPLE AND CLEAN'" by Utada Hikaru! This would be true, given This Story was one of the games in the official "'Kingdom Hearts'" Series!
Plus, I decided to continue the crossover with the Television Show, CYBERCHASE. Unfortunately, it's role is Not as significant as it was in the first story. Yet, it is Still going to continue until The End! I am sure you'll be looking forward to THAT!
Why? You shall find out... IF This Story ends up continuing into a SEQUEL!
Also (IF I MAY WARN YOU), this story contains plot points built upon what it known from "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams". If you have not read my first story, I highly recommend you take the time to do so BEFORE reading This Sequel.
Do you understand all this? I know it's a LOT of information at once. If you do, then you're ON A ROLL!
To start off, here is CHAPTER ONE! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!
CHAPTER 1
A New Guardian of Light
Night had finally fallen over the tall, crooked structure known as the Mysterious Tower. The stars above were shining brighter than Donald Duck remembered them being in years. Some of the dots of light were twinkling a little while others were brightening and then dimming. His eye were currently focused onto a pair of stars, one was blue and the other was a greenish-purple color. These two seemed to be sparkling gems amidst the vast blackness around them.
A twinkle. Donald stared at the greenish-purple star. Since it was the second star and to the right of the blue star, the duck mage had a feeling this star was very familiar. He just couldn't place when that was.
A deep sigh. It sounded a little like a groan. Gazing to his left, Donald's eyes landed upon Goofy. The knight was lying on his back in the grass at the base of the tower, his legs crossed and his arms tucked behind his head.
"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered aloud. "Sora and Violet have been gone less than a day, and already I miss 'em."
Donald shook his head. True, he also missed Sora. Things weren't the same without the brown, spikey-headed sixteen-year-old hanging around. In fact, everything had appeared eerily quiet within minutes of Sora's departure with Violet. Now the sounds of crickets chirping were starting to give the anthropomorphic duck a tiny headache.
Deep, deep down, Donald longed to see Sora return. He knew this time of absence was only temporary; Sora was in school, taking classes, doing homework… he decided to stop there.
If there was one thing Donald hated about school, it was homework.
"Well," a deep voice spoke up from Donald's right. "You know what they say. 'School's only for learning.' …Or was it 'School's school'? Maybe it was 'School's for smart students'!"
Donald gave a deep sigh as he caught a small glimpse of the figure leaning against the side of the tower's base. It was a tall, muscular duck with a large orange beak, red hair, and blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a red flight-cap, crimson coat, gray pants, and brown boots. His cream-colored scarf was loosely wrapped around his neck. His legs were crossed like Goofy's and he had his left hand tucked behind his head, the other hand was resting at his side.
Donald didn't need to take a second look to know this was the head of the "Disney Royal Air Force", Launchpad McQuack.
"Gee," Goofy said. "Lea sure hurried back to the Radiant Garden, Master Yen Sid's sent Riku away on some weird, mystery errand, and now he's talkin' with the King and Niccole about some of that there top-secret stuff."
As Donald gave yet another deep sigh, Goofy shifted his eyes over to the two ducks beside him. "Do ya think any of us will ever get to do somethin' important?"
"I dunno," Donald admitted. Of course, he would say that! Donald didn't want to confess how he truly felt. More than anything else (except beating his Cousin Gladstone's luck), he wanted to prove what he was made of by accomplishing a major task. After all, Huey, Dewey, and Louie needed a positive role model to follow. Not to mention, Daisy would be favor of such important jobs. Goofy had directly said it once again.
"Aw gee, you guys get all the fun," Launchpad complained. "You've been to many worlds, fought dozens of monsters, and made several new friends."
The pilot sighed. "All I've done is sort papers, watch planes take off and land, fly stunts at air shows, and teach others a crash-course in aviation," he said. "I miss out on everything everyone else does — even the King of the 'Mouse' Kingdom."
"That's the 'Magic' Kingdom!" Donald rapidly corrected.
"Well, it wasn't always funny," Goofy spoke up. "We had to fight all them Heartless and Nobodies and Organization Turkey."
Donald slapped his face. "That's 'Organization Thirteen'!"
"Oh yeah!" Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck! Now I remember!"
Donald rolled his eyes for a moment. How could Goofy have made such a mistake? Sure, the number 'thirteen' and the word 'turkey' did sound similar — but they were certainly not the same.
"Say Donald," Goofy added. "Didja ever wonder where Cloud and Sephiroth went?"
Donald shrugged. "Who knows?"
Launchpad looked downright bewildered. "Who's 'Cloud'? Is he from the sky?"
"No!" Donald stated, the annoyance starting to flare his temper. "Cloud is our friend! Sephiroth's the Darkness from Cloud's heart!"
Launchpad still looked puzzled. It didn't help in the least bit when Goofy blurted, "Gawrsh! Maybe Sephiroth is ticklish!"
Donald fainted in an instant. Goofy and Launchpad stared at him for a moment before gazing at each other and turning their eyes back toward the sky. The stars above seemed to be making unusual constellations.
A magical portal opened before the three. They leapt to their feet in surprise. The portal was a silver color with a hint of blue in the middle. Striding out from within was a young man at age seventeen with medium-length silver hair. His outfit primarily consisted of a yellow and white sleeveless jacket, blue T-shirt, long, thick blue jeans, and red and white shoes.
"Oh," Goofy welcomed the young man. "Welcome back, Riku."
Donald gave a wave. "Hi."
Launchpad chuckled. "How's the newest Key blade Mister doing?"
"That's 'Keyblade Master'!" Donald corrected in an instant.
Riku had to smile at the sight. Behind him, another figure stepped out of the portal before it sealed up. To Donald's amazement, it was a slender young woman with auburn hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a pink shirt and short, pink skirt with a flowery trim. Her shoes each had a golden daisy on the tongues. She had a necklace bearing a sparkling pearl around her neck and a couple silver bracelets on her right arm.
Goofy stared at the young woman. "Gawrsh," he muttered out loud. "I didn't know you was comin' here."
Launchpad seemed completely perplexed. "I may not have met her, but she reminds me of Webby."
Donald had to admit, this young lady did possess a similar appearance to what his Uncle Scrooge's housekeeper's niece wore. Other than that, there was nothing else he and the pilot agreed on.
The study was rather quiet. So quiet, it almost seemed you could hear crickets chirping from twenty miles away. As she continued to gaze out the window, Niccole's mind was spinning.
Where was he? It had been just less than five hours since Master Yen Sid had sent Riku on an errand, the details of which were apparently classified. Still, the absence of the silver-haired youth had made her feel nervous. It was something she had never wanted to tell anyone about — not even him.
The reflection of her golden hair with its ponytail caught her eye. When Niccole saw her navy-blue eyes full of concern, she had to sigh. "Riku… please hurry back."
This was not uncommon. Ever since she had first encountered him during the symphony in Wonderland, Niccole had felt a strong sensation of security whenever Riku was around. This had proven to be quite effective when it came to her needing courage. After all, she would never have defeated the powerful Heartless-Nobody in the forest if Riku hadn't been there to encourage her. Not to mention, she would never have seen the outside world and made so many new friends.
Of course, none of that would've been enough to prepare her for the incident at Hollow Bastion. The moment Maleficent showed up in the bedroom while Niccole was brushing her hair… she had been extremely anxious, knowing Riku wasn't in the room. Later that day, the annoying pirate captain and the blue-skinned man with the fiery hair had showed up and dragged her into the castle's chapel. Niccole remembered pleading for Riku to break out of the witch's spell, but….
She didn't know what had gone wrong. Being locked up in dungeon cell for nearly three months had taken its toll — especially when Riku hadn't shown up. All that time, she'd believed death was in her near future.
Niccole reached her hand to the left side of her cheek. She could feel it. Though the scar had healed, a tiny scratch had been left behind. She could feel the power of Darkness from it, something had longed to get rid of. Now, it seemed impossible — especially after she'd found out Professor Hojo was still around and now allied with Master Xehanort.
There was only one person she now trusted. It wasn't Riku. It was King Mickey… or Michael Mouse as she liked to call him.
"The Keyblade Wars of yore plunged the true Kingdom Hearts into Darkness, and the χ–blade was shattered."
Niccole spun around to see the elderly sorcerer and retired Keyblade Master, Yen Sid, seated at his desk. His long, blue robes seemed a tad too large compared to the throne-designed chair he was seated in. The pointed hat bearing a golden crescent moon and a few matching stars seemed to be tilted slightly to the right. The sorcerer was busy looking into the direction of a short mouse with huge, round ears and wearing casual clothes aside from some white gloves. Even though no crown was visible, this rodent was indeed a kind, caring ruler of an entire world.
"But the Light still shining in the hearts of children rebuilt the world that we know today," Master Yen Sid continued. "And the Light from the broken χ–blade was then divided into seven, to protect the number of pure hearts in the world. These became what we know as the 'Princesses of Heart'."
The mouse, King Mickey Mouse, had his arms crossed as though thinking very deeply. "Seven pure Lights… they must be the seven 'Princesses of Heart'. Nothing else has that much Light. It must be them!"
"Indeed," Yen Sid confirmed. "Those seven pure hearts form the very source of the majority of all Light in the world. If they are to be lost, the world will mostly give way again to shadow."
Niccole crossed her arms in thought. Although she understood very little about what made up the Light and the Darkness, she had a feeling Master Yen Sid and King Mickey were straight on target. She decided to continue listening.
"Thus," Yen Sid went on. "Even if we deliberately avoid finding our seven Lights to avert another Keyblade War, Xehanort will still target the seven princesses in order to forge the χ–blade. He will stop at nothing to obtain this goal."
Niccole nodded. "He most-certainly sounds like a real Heartless to me," she remarked. She paused. "Are you sure he doesn't have a heart of his own?"
Yen Sid and King Mickey stared at her for a moment. Niccole gave a big smile and returned to gazing out the window. She continued to listen to what the two were discussing.
"So," King Mickey said. "There's gonna be some kinda clash between seven Lights and thirteen Darknesses… "
He gasped. "Does that mean we cannot do anything to avoid triggering another Keyblade War?!"
Yen Sid looked down. "I did not say that," he replied. "However, there is still one possible action we can take to prevent this otherwise unstoppable calamity."
Niccole turned away from the window. She knew she had to hear this.
King Mickey looked like he was at a surprise party. "What is it?"
Yen Sid shifted his eyesight back to the King of Disney Castle. "To protect the seven pure hearts of Light, we will need seven other Lights strong enough to stand against the thirteen Darknesses. Even if their hearts are not pure, they will be suitable for a first line of defense."
King Mickey started counting on his fingers. After reaching the number 3, he sighed. "Then that means… we are missing four Guardians of Light."
Niccole pondered for a moment before opening her mouth. "Could I be one of them?"
Yen Sid and King Mickey turned to face her.
"Maybe," the latter answered. "But you're not a Keyblade Master yet, Niccole. I'll be too busy helpin' Master Yen Sid give directions to whoever the Lights are. Only Riku and Violet are ready to be Lights."
He paused. "So is Master Aqua… wherever she is."
Yen Sid nodded. "However, it appears we might find another one elsewhere."
King Mickey and Niccole both stared at the sorcerer. Yen Sid glanced at the two to ensure he had their undivided attention before proceeding.
"His name is Master Carlos. He was one of the first people Xehanort harmed. When he could not rescue his friends, he resigned from his title and has not been seen since."
"Really?" Niccole complained. "How can you find someone if you have no clue where they are? Sounds to me like this 'Master Carlos' does not want to be found."
Yen Sid shook his head. "That is not like him. Carlos was always willing to protect the Light and prevent the Darkness from upsetting the delicate balance of Light and Darkness. He was a very courageous, intelligent, and confident young man. I know he could be of some 'special assistance'."
"Whelp," King Mickey spoke up. "That makes sense to me. But how do you know if he's still around?"
"Yeah," Niccole added. "This could very well be based on complete assumption. We'll need some facts to prove it's true."
Yen Sid waved his hand across the desk. A scrap of torn paper appeared in a cloud of bluish smoke. He scooped up the paper and extended it outwards. "I found this the other day," he explained. "It was written in Carlos's handwriting."
Niccole reached out and took the torn paper. She turned it until it was right-side-up and started reading aloud.
"I am not where I used to stay.
Yet, I am not where I need to be.
My current location is secret, by the way,
In a place where no one can find me."
She stared at the writing. Despite the style being similar to that of a poem, there was something else about it that stood out. "I may not be excellent when it comes to riddles, but this sounds very suspicious," she concluded. "Seems to me, it states the same claim twice in a row. Why's it redundant?"
"Can I look at?" King Mickey inquired.
Niccole handed him the paper. The mouse read the next part.
"I can sense trouble is on the way,
Even in this world's spooky streets.
I should be safe, that much I can certainly say,
For here, the Light and Darkness peacefully meets.
This land is one I'd only heard about,
One that probably shouldn't exist today.
Their memories are gone and no one stays out,
Even time itself seems to have stopped, no delay."
"Whelp," King Mickey said once he'd finished reading. "Sounds like there's a strange world out there somewhere."
Yen Sid nodded. "I have a feeling that unknown world is where Carlos has been residing."
"This doesn't make sense," Niccole blurted. "There are no worlds with Light and Darkness mixed together!"
"That's not right, Niccole," King Mickey countered. "Haven't you ever been to Twilight Town? It's in the same realm as this tower. Here, the Light and Darkness are balanced."
"Yes," Yen Sid agreed. "There is also Castle Oblivion and Midnight Town. Not to mention the world of the Nobodies and Organization XIII. There are also more beyond that point, but that is a discussion for another time."
King Mickey nodded. He gazed at the paper. "I wonder what world this paper is from… "
The sound of a door opening and closing grabbed the group's attention. They spun around to see a tall, young man with silver hair standing in the open doorway.
"Riku!" King Mickey said with a smile. "You're back!"
Riku gave a nod. "That's right."
"Riku," Niccole spoke up. "How was it out there?"
Riku had to grin at the young woman. "Same as it's ever been. Sora's still taking classes and Violet's learning how to swim. Sora's mom is helping her."
His grin grew larger as he knelt down next to Mickey. "She's still having trouble keeping her wings dry."
Mickey smiled back. Niccole rolled her eyes. "I suppose this means you were on the islands, again."
Riku shrugged. "What can I say? It's my hometown."
Niccole shook her head. Riku smiled brightly at her before he turned to face Yen Sid. "Master Yen Sid," he announced. "I brought you the 'guest' you asked for, but… you never said why."
Niccole looked suspicious. "What 'guest'?"
Riku stepped to one side as a young woman stepped into the circular chamber. She was slender with auburn hair and bluish eyes. Her outfit consisted of a large pink shirt and short, pink skirt. The skirt had a flowery trim with roses that looked so real, you could almost pick up their scent just by looking. Her shoes each had a golden daisy on the tongues that matched the sun's color perfectly. The sparkling pearl necklace around her neck indicated she was from an island, whereas the silver bracelets on her right arm revealed she was from someplace else.
Mickey nearly leapt into the air. "Huh? Wow!"
Niccole crossed her arms. "And who might this be?"
Master Yen Sid nodded at the new arrival. "I have come to learn you, too, can wield a Keyblade. I am very glad you are here. Now you can learn the ways of a true Keyblade wielder."
The young woman reached out her right hand. A large key-shaped weapon appeared in it. It was a mixture of red, yellow, and blue colors with a heart-shaped handle (upside when the blade was pointed up), a collage of flowers on the blade where it was decorated in the form of a fancy, capital letter "E", and a golden, star-shaped fruit trinket at the end of the keychain. A tan-colored vine was wrapped around the shaft leading from the handle to the blade. One side of the handle had a blue extrusion that was shaped like a wave breaking upon the beach.
"I told you before," she declared in a firm voice. "'This time, I'll fight!'"
Seconds later, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad strode into the room. They rushed to the opposite side of the desk from Niccole and Riku. When they reached their places, they halted and saluted.
"Riku's back!" Donald announced.
Goofy nodded. "And he brought Kairi with him."
Launchpad was busy admiring the flowery part of the Keyblade. "Say," he marveled. "This means anybody can get a Keyblade — even me!"
Donald stared at the pilot before slapping his own face. He muttered a series of illegible garble ending with, "…Aw phooey!"
A/N: There you have it - THE LONG-AWAITED FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SEQUEL!
Of course, I'm sure you know this, but I'll say it anyway:
Launchpad McQuack is from the "DuckTales" -T.V. Series-.
Niccole, Violet, and any other returning characters from my first KH Story are among My Own Original Characters. This also includes the ones scheduled to appear later in this story, too.
So, I'm certain you've noticed much this Chapter resembles the Secret Ending of "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance". However, I chose to make it more of a Prologue to the main plot of this story.
In other words, Chapter 2 starts the main story itself. That's why I chose to post Chapter 1 early. Now, you shall have to wait until MAY for the next one!
Okay! I know you're probably wondering what happens next and tired of me yakking away. I shall let you go momentarily.
Lastly, here's this [important] reminder, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!
I shall inform you how many Reviews are required for the Third Story when I post Chapter 2. SEE YOU AGAIN IN MAY, 2015!
This is SoraLego278 saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers! Have A Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Day!"
