I landed with a very large thud on a floor painted to look like a stained glass window and tumbled to the side. I leapt to my feet and held out my sword, prepared to attack if necessary. I didn't see nor hear anyone, so I decided to take a better look at the painting. It was of seven Disney women, the seven princesses of Kingdom Hearts, and a shadowed out individual in the center. I was trying to make out who the person was when a cold rod was pressed against my neck. "Don't move, lady. Keep your hands out where we can see them."
I did what I was told and as the man kept the rod at my throat another man checked my pockets and knocked the key blade out of my hand. "She's clean." The rod moved and I backed up, observing the two men. "You two look . . . familiar . . . "
"Yes, we probably do," said the first man. He was dressed extravagantly, wearing a black turtleneck long-sleeve shirt, black silken pants and a black flame-embroidered dress-robe. Black gloves adorned his hands and black boots covered in rubies covered his feet. His bright blond hair was teased and his gray-blue eyes shone mischievously, which matched his lips - always turned up into a sly grin. "We are from different dimensions, but you would best recognize us from literature, television, or fan fiction itself. I'm Adrian . . . and that is Nigel."
I turned to Nigel, who was eyeing me like a piece of meat, then back to Adrian. "Wait a minute . . . you're Adrian from Little Nicky . . . and he's Nigel, from the Replacements?"
"Sort of. I'm actually from a fan fiction story. Have you ever read the Animatown trilogy?" When I nodded slightly, he added, "That's my . . . dimension. In that dimension, I'm from Movie Metropolis. Nigel here is actually from the dimension you saw in his movie."
I looked back to Nigel, actually studying him now. His bright blond hair was slightly matted to his forehead, and his gray-blue eyes seemed as mischievous as Adrian's. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and shorts with a pair of gray tennis shoes. I looked back and forth between the two men. "This is too weird!" I started to walk away then realized there was no way out. We were basically blocked in.
"Why are we here?" I asked, turning back to my 'cell mates'. "How did you two get here?"
"Probably the same way you did, babes," Nigel spoke again finally, walking a little closer to me. "Our worlds were falling apart and crevices were popping up everywhere. Suddenly, this guy with white hair and topaz eyes comes at me and this shield pops into my hand. I blocked his attack, but I fell into the hole in the ground. I landed here . . . Adrian came along shortly thereafter."
"Same thing happened to me, only this magic wand appeared in my hand." Adrian showed off what appeared to be Donald's scepter. "I have no idea where I am or if Leigh is alright . . . anything!"
"I know my teammate, Shane Falco, disappeared into the crevice before I did. I hope he's alright; I owe him everything." He turned away, sadness replacing his flirtatious attitude.
"My mom was working at the restaurant behind my house when it fell into the hole." I felt tears finally running down my face at the thought of losing my mother. "We may just have to work together to get out of this."
"It's the only way you three will get out of this realm alive."
Before anyone could ask who had spoken, the floor shattered beneath our feet and we plummeted.
We were almost on the ground when a force grabbed us and lightly placed us on another plate glass floor. I had my sword at the ready, Adrian was ready to cast a spell, and Nigel was hiding behind his shield. "What's going on?" I called out to the voice. "Why did you bring us all here?"
"You three are just few of many from many worlds and dimensions brought into the realm of Kingdom Hearts," the voice replied. "There are ten individuals who were brought into this realm; Olivia Lindstrom, Adrian, Nigel Gruff, Vladis Grutas, Febre, General Thade, Penguin, Steelbeak, Xenophilius Lovegood, and Robert Reston. Each of those individuals will decide of their own free will whether they will travel down the road to either darkness or light. You three, however, are unique. You three will decide the fate of all the dimensions and universes in existence."
"How are we supposed to do that?" ask Nigel.
The voice said, "Each of you have been given a weapon which shall be your strength against the evil forces working against you. It will also help you strengthen your weaknesses and improve your strengths. Remember, you must work together as a team, or you will fail. All life in existence is counting on you." The voice faded away, leaving the three of us wondering what would happen next.
Suddenly, an enormous Heartless reached out and knocked the three of us off of our feet. I was immediately back up on my feet, the keyblade surging with energy in my hands. The other two were a little slower with their reflexes, but were ready to take this thing on. We rushed forward. Adrian and Nigel started attacking its arms while I immediately started bashing its head. It slithered around while our attacks hit before it knocked the platform sideways, so all of us were falling off and landing on the platform below us.
I manged to land on top of the Heartless, which had landed on the platform unconscious. Adrian 'floated' to the floor while Nigel managed to land on his rear. I kept hitting the Heartless with my blade as the other two joined in. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the Heartless vanished.
"Okay," said Nigel slowly. "What's next?"
Suddenly, the world we were in vanished in front of our eyes and was replaced with a town that seemed familiar somehow. I looked around and as I observed people and storefronts, I realized where we were.
We were in Traverse Town. Kingdom Hearts had officially began . . . and so had our journey.
