A/N: Whew, this chapter was a brain teaser. Whelp, after the prologue this chapter takes place about 8 years later. Those of you wondering, I'm setting the story from this chapter onwards about 20-25 years after KH3.

Enjoy!

Amulet of Harmony

In the Luminous Highlands, resting on the base of a mountain and surrounded by a forest, was the ruins of the once peaceful town of Eveston. Just eight years ago, this town was ravaged by Heartless, and not just any Heartless, but Discord Heartless, much stronger versions of the common Purebloods and Emblems, led by a mysterious cult. The buildings were in shambles, the Knights of Harmony had fallen, and all its residents were wiped out. And now the town remains abandoned, having been labeled cursed.

However, within this supposedly quiet area, a melody could be heard. A melody coming from with one of the few structures that was still stand, albeit somewhat torn, the Shrine of Cosmos. With in this shrine was a fifteen year old girl named was Mizuhime Tenshi. She had shoulder length silver hair, draped over her shoulders. She wore a purple dress with a gold line on the bottom hem, black leggings, brown leather shoes with gold straps, a black belt around her waist with a pair of belt pouches, gold bracelets on her wrists, and in honor of her long holy knight lineage a pair of gold pauldrons decorated with green gems. Also on the back of her right hand, was a gold mark shaped like a heart with a pair of wings, a symbol of her status as the chosen Champion of Cosmos.

Young Mizu was playing on her ocarina, a hobby of hers she found helps relieve her stress. And boy did she need it. She hadn't been back home since that dreadful night eight years ago, the night she lost everything she had known, including her parents. She was the sole survivor, not to mention the target of the attack in the first place. The memories were overwhelming, and she needed to calm herself down. Fortunately, she was playing a very relaxing melody,(1) and it was working wonders for her.

When she finish playing she open her indigo eyes and looked up the statue of the Goddess, Cosmos. She then put her hands together in prayer. "May the goddess watch over me," she spoke.

"Feeling better, Mizu?" said a voice from behind. She turned to see a man with spiky chocolate hair, blue eyes and wore red.

Mizu smiled at him. "A lot better, Master Sora."

Sora sighed. "I really wish you'd stop calling me that. You know I don't care for formalities."

The girl giggled. "Sorry, Master, but I was taught to show my superiors the proper respect, unlike some people," she said almost teasingly.

Then a rabbit creature floated down and perched on Mizu's shoulder. "I personally don't know why you bother, Mizu," she said in her own teasing voice. "He hardly has the demeanor of a master. And he himself has a habit of not showing proper respect when he should."

The man rolled his eyes. "Very funny, Lumina!"

"It's okay, Master," said Mizu. "We both know you mean well no matter how you address people."

"Right! Anyway, shall we get going?"

The three then exited the shrine and stared up at the mountain right next to the ruined town.

"That's it," said Mizu. "Mount Lufaine. Name in honor of one of the founders of the Harmonist Holy Knights, Cid Lufaine. Location of the Guardian Shrine where the Amulet of Harmony is said to be located."

Sora rubbed the back of his head. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I've been seeing that place in my dreams every night for the past week. And every time, I am drawn inside. I...I think the amulet is calling out to me."

"If it really is calling her, then it must be time," said Lumina. "And you know we will need its power if we are to turn the tide against the Cult of Chaos."

The master sighed. "Well, we better get this done quickly," he said. "The longer we linger here, the more likely they'll find us."

The girl nodded. "Right, let's go."

With that, they all headed over to the mountain.

Little did they know, a flying mechanical drone was watching them from high above at this very moment. "Well, well, well!" a voice from the drone's radio sounded. "Look who's finally come home!"

The three of them climbed up the mountain's peak until they reached the entrance to a cave. They stared at the cave until Mizu spoke. "The Cave of Trials. No telling what I'll have to fight through in order to reach the Guardian Shrine."

"You sure you wanna do this alone?" asked Sora.

"I have to," answered Mizu. "Not only is it tradition for one to face the trials alone, but...I need prove to myself that I can stand on my own two feet."

Sora sighed. He wanted to tell her that he thought she was too young for something like this. But telling her that would've made him a hypocrite, seeing how he was no older than her when he started going to other worlds fighting monsters. And besides, he understood where she was coming from. No amount of training can ever truly prepare someone better than actual experience. And he knew he couldn't always be there to protect her. She needed this. "Alright! Never been one to deny when someone's heart has decided what they wanted to do. As the old saying of Keyblade wielders goes, May your heart be your guiding key!"

The girl giggled as she turned to her master. "Don't worry. After everything you've taught me, I'll be fine. Besides, I'll at least have Lumina with me."

"Yep!" said Lumina. "As her guardian Spirit of Harmony, I have special privileges. I'll be sure to watch her back!"

Sora chuckled. "I'll be counting on you for that." He then put his hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Just promise you'll be careful in there, okay?"

Mizu then embraced her master, which he returned. "I will," she said. They then let go and Mizu turned to the cave.

"Hey, Mizu," Sora said, prompting her to look back at him. "May the light shine upon you."

Mizu smiled, touched at his use of her people's religious phrase. "And you," she replies.

The champion approached the cave entrance. She paused for just at mouth. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was nervous. This would be the first time she did something on her own, without her master around. But she knew she needed this.

"Relax, Mizu," a familiar voice in her head sounded. "You can do this! Just take a deep breath, and move forward!"

Following the voice's advice, she took a deep breath and steeled herself before walking in.

Watching the girl walk in, Sora looked up at the sky and said, "I hope you really are watching over her."

Mizu strolled through the Cave of Trials with Lumina flying next to her. It was quiet at first, but then they both paused upon sensing an ominous presence around them.

Sure enough, Heartless appeared all around them. Shadows, Soldiers, and Red Nocturnes.

"At least these are just run-of-the-mill Heartless, so this shouldn't be too hard." Lumina commented.

Mizu took another breath as she held out her right hand. In a flash of light a weapon appeared in said hand. It was a Keyblade with a black handle its hilt was a pair of silver wings, right at the base of the shaft was a gold four-pointed star, its shaft was the lavender blade of a short sword, and its teeth were a gold heart framed by two prongs, and the gold keychain token matched the mark on her hand.

She swung her Shining Hope Keyblade twice before taking her battle stance: right foot forward, left wrist raised and facing forward, and Keyblade held in front of her.

One Shadow rushed to attack, but Mizu sliced it with ease.

A Soldier leapt up to her from behind, but Lumina caught it. "Luminous Sphere!" The spirit blasted it with a sphere of light.

A few Red Nocturnes hurled a few fireballs at them. Mizu deflected them before a cold mist gathered at the tip of her Keyblade as she pointed it at them. "Blizzard!" She shot a gust of ice at them, which froze them solid.

The rest was breeze, as they successfully slew every Heartless around them.

Mizu sighed in relief. "That wasn't so hard."

"You see?" asked Lumina. "Nothing to worry about!"

"Let's just hope that's all we're gonna face in this cave."

With that, the duo continued onward.

Sora sat on the wall at the cave entrance, he appeared to be asleep.

Soon, a Neoshadow that was covered in a red aura and had magenta eyes as opposed to yellow popped out of the ground nearby. After a short pause the Neoshadow leapt over to attack the Keyblade master.

Only to be slain by his Kingdom Key without him having to look. He rubbed his eyes as he stood up, before looking around to see a bunch of those Neoshadows with the same aura and eyes. "Discord Heartless," he muttered. He knew that the presence of Discord Heartless could only mean someone from the Cult of Chaos was here.

He couldn't dwell on that though, as they leapt up to pile onto him. Sora then raised his Keyblade high in the air. "Sparkga!" Three rings of light crystals revolved around him, grinding into the Heartless before knocking them back. More of them came at him as he charged energy into his weapon. "Ars Arcanum!" He then started slice through the monsters left and right with a wild spinning combo attack.

Once all of them were slain, another wave took their place. The Keyblade Master then decided to step it up. He held his Kingdom Key in front of him and then it began to morph. It soon transformed into a large mace, with a silver staff and a gold bludgeoner with silver crown shaped blades on the sides and a gold crown on top. "King's Mace!" (2) He then started slamming his King's Mace on the Neoshadows one by one. Sometimes the mace's bludgeoner would extend from the staff via an extendable chain, acting like a flail.

Sora crushed the Heartless until they gathered in front of them. Deciding to finish this, he charged light into the mace's bludgeoner. He then leapt high into the air. "Ultima Crash!" He swung toward his enemies, releasing the chain flail, which crashed into the ground and created an large explosion of light, obliterating every last Discord Heartless.

Sora sighed as his King's Mace reverted back to his Kingdom Key.

"Still fighting, I see," a voice sounded.

Sora turned to see an unpleasant figure. "Thaddeus," he said angrily. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face around here again after what you've done!"

The figure clad in black armor (aside from his bared chest and black maned head) approached the Keyblade Master. "And you have finally decided to come out of hiding," Thaddeus said. "Eight years you and the princess have been on the run from us, but we knew she would come back here eventually to retrieve the Amulet of Harmony. Our good old doctor made sure to keep surveillance of this place."

"Well, good for you for being prepared."

"I must say though, I've never pegged you for the type to lay low."

"What can I say? Training the Champion of Cosmos how to fight took precedence."

"And you hide away while your allies do all the fighting? Some Hero of Light!"

"In my defense, they were ones who insisted on taking care of everything while I focused all my time protecting and training Mizu." Sora than smirked. "Besides from what I hear, they're doing just fine without me. The Cult of Chaos must be slipping if my friends have managed to take back some territory from them."

Thaddeus growled. "The only reason the Guardians of Light managed to get a leg up is because of Lumina, and the power of Harmony she bestowed upon you all. Don't think just because you've obtained Discord's counterpart means you can truly defeat us."

"If you really believed that, you would even bother targeting Mizu now would you?"

"Say what you will. The light of the universe will soon snuff out. Now move aside, so we can deal with the girl."

The Hero of Light readied his Keyblade. "Not a chance!" He then charged over to the cultist, clashing with his axe, and locking weapons with him.

Soon however, Sora noticed something rush passed the both of them, heading into the entrance that he had just left wide open. "No!" he shouted as he looked back and saw a figure charging inside.

"Eyes on me, Sora!" said Thaddeus, who then shoved him away. "I'm your opponent!"

Sora cursed himself for letting his guard down, and letting another cultist passed. Now he was stuck fighting Thaddeus while someone else is going after Mizu. He didn't sense anything familiar about this one, so it definitely wasn't one he had encountered before. Mizu... Be careful! he thought to himself, having no choice but to trust her to deal with the unknown assailant.

Meanwhile, the newcomer was charging through the cavern in pursuit of his target. He came to a halt before a bunch of regular Heartless surrounded him.

However he just shook his head a raised his hand coated in dark red energy. Then the Heartless suddenly gain a red aura and their yellow eye turned magenta. The figure then pointed into the cavern and the newly turned Discord Heartless follow his direction.

"This better be worth the effort," he grumbled to himself. "I'm sick of pathetic weaklings."

Mizu and Lumina trekked through the tunnels, slaying every heartless that stood in their way. They also had to go through several obstacles along the way, including hopping on single-foot-sized steps to get across gaps, running up flat walls, and even solving a few puzzles.

Soon they came up to a large chamber with a golden shrine at the end, adorned with a crystal orb on top of a pedestal.

"So this is the Guardian Shrine," said Mizu. "I remember Papa telling me that once a knight passed a trial in this chamber, which I think had something to do with facing your dark side, they were bless with the Power of Light to become a Paladin...or if they were mage they'd become a Cleric." She then let out a sad chuckle. "Kinda gives me a sense of pride that my parents were both a paladin and a cleric."

"Well, seeing how you already have the Power of Light, not to mention the Power of Harmony, I doubt this chamber will give you that trial," said Lumina, "especially since you can't really face your dark side if you don't actually have one to begin with."

Mizu giggled. "Right. We're here for another reason." She then felt a warm pulsing sensation on her right hand. She looked to see that her mark was flashing. She then looked over to the pedestal and noticed that there was a symbol that matched her mark except it had a ring around it with a sun-like pattern.

The two started to approach the shrine, only to be stopped by another group of Heartless. Only these ones were not the run-of-the-mill kind. "Discord Heartless!" shouted Lumina.

"Then the Cult must have found us," Mizu said as she summoned her Keyblade.

A Discord Soldier charge at Mizu with its claws. The girl defended the attack, but found herself having to put more effort into holding it back.

Discord Nocturnes fired a fusillade of fireballs at Mizu, only for Lumina to fly in front of them. "Divine Protection!" A barrier of white light surrounded her, taking the flames and rendering them null.

Mizu pushed back the Soldier before slashing it a few times to destroy it. A Discord Shadow leapt at her, striking her in the shoulder, but she then knocked it back before charging light at the tip of her Keyblade. "Pearl!" She fire a particle of light the tore through the Shadow, before it struck a couple of Nocturnes as well.

Lumina charged at a few Soldier as she started twirling herself. "Angelic Spin!" She drilled through each and every one of them.

Mizu was freezing a Nocturne when a bunch of Shadows suddenly dog-piled on top of her from behind, pinning her to the ground.

Lumina took notice of this. "Mizu!" She then dashed into the pile and used her Divine Protection to repel all the Heartless off of Mizu.

Mizu stood up before raising her Keyblade in the air. "Thunder!" And bolts of Lightning rained on the Shadows. A gold aura then surrounded her as she charged light through her Keyblade. "Sonic Blade!" she shouted as she started dashing all over the place rapidly, while Lumina followed suit with her Angelic Spin, and together they struck down the remaining Discord Heartless.

Mizu was winded as she raised her Keyblade. "Cure!" A green light enveloped her, healing the injuries she received in this fight. "My goodness, that was tough."

"Indeed!" replied Lumina as she perched on Mizu's shoulder. "But we won!"

Mizu giggled as she petted her spirit companion. "You know, I think we make a good team, don't you, Lumina?"

Lumina nuzzled the girl's hand "Yes, we do!" Suddenly she sensed something hurling towards them. "Look out!" the spirit shouted as she projected a barrier around them to block a dark projectile.

"You need a tiny flying rabbit to protect you?" a voice sounded from the tunnel out of the shrine. "How pathetic!" They looked to see a shadowy figure standing before them.

"Excuse me!" Lumina shouted with annoyance. "I'll have you know, I am the Spirit of Harmony! Do not compare me to a simple animal!"

"As if I care," the shadowy figure said before looked to Mizu. "So you're the so called Champion of Cosmos, huh? You certainly don't look like much. Then again, you seem to have handled the Discord Heartless fairly well. Also I'm told that it's not very often that a Princess of Heart obtains a Keyblade."

Mizu pointed her Keyblade at the figure. "Show your face! Who are you?"

The figure stepped into the light, revealing a boy about the same age as Mizu with short red hair and yellow eyes. He wore a red vest, dark pants and boots, black fingerless gloves with red straps, and a chain necklace with a red medallion the had the white wolf head on it. Mizu couldn't help but wince at the numerous scars on his bare shoulders and upper arms, and couldn't help but wonder how he got them or if there were any more that she couldn't see. A calm yet angry look could be seen in his eyes. "My name is Adrian Cain. And I have orders to kill the Champion of Cosmos."

"Wow," said the spirit. "I didn't think the Cult of Chaos would recruit someone as young as you."

"It's none of your business," Adrian said as he summoned a weapon in his hand. It was a large sword with a bronze blade the had a couple chips on it as well as what looked like a couple of blood stains, was covered in dark tendrils some of which reached the tip forming an arrow shape, had a red gem on the hilt, and a short chain attached to the bottom of its black and red handle. "Now, come and fight me, Princess!"

Mizu stared at the boy before turning to her spirit companion. "Lumina, hang back. I wanna see if I can fight him on my own."

Lumina looked at her master with a hint of worry, but quickly understood why she requested this. "As you wish, Mizu, but don't expect me to sit and watch if the battle turns dire." She then floated behind Mizu to let her fight.

"Agreed," Mizu said. She had to admit, she was nervous about fighting a member of the cult all by herself. But like she told Sora, she needed to prove to herself that she can fight on her own. That didn't stop her nerves, as she knew nothing about this member nor how to fight him. But then she remembered one of the lessons Sora taught her: Don't think too much, or else you'll miss every opportunity your enemy gives you. Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow and trust your instincts. With that in mind, she went into her battle stance, ready to face her opponent.

Adrian's eyes narrowed as he took his own battle stance: Right foot back, slightly crouched, left arm raise with hand in a grabbing position, and his sword held behind him. "At least try to make this a worthwhile fight!" He then charged at the girl, clashing his sword with her Keyblade. The two clashed a few times before the boy leapt back and charged dark energy into his palm. "Dark Fira!" he shouted as he threw several dark fireballs.

Mizu dodged them before gathering fire magic into the tip of her Keyblade. "Fire!" she shouted and the launched a few fireballs of her own.

Adrian dodged, before charging at the girl again. They clashed a few more times, before locking blades with each other, which the boy was slowly pushing back. "Is this the best you can do?" he scoffed. "And here I thought this Keyblade was supposed to be testament to your strength."

Mizu gritted her teeth before saying, "Well, my Master told me that brute strength isn't everything." She then pointed her left index finger upward. "Thunder!"

Adrian however broke away before a bolt lightning could struck where he was previously standing. He then swung his sword, launching a dark red energy arc at her.

She dodged before pull back her Keyblade. "Strike Raid!" She threw the Keyblade, which managed to strike him in the shoulder. She summoned it back to her hand before charging light at the tip. "Pearl!" She fired a light projectile that landed square in his chest knocking backward.

However he got back up and darkness started gathering around him. "So you do have some fight in you," he said before letting out a battlecry as the darkness intensified. "Now come at me, Keyblade Princess!" He then gathered darkness into his sword. "Give me a real fight! Dark Wave!" He then launched a large burst of darkness.

Mizu braced herself before the blast knocked her onto the ground. She shakily got back up. She then took a deep breath before a golden aura surrounded her. She dashed at him, and start clashing with the boy several more times.

Adrian then kicked her in the gut, sending her back, before leaping into the air. "Dark Break!" He dived toward her with his dark covered sword ready to stab her.

She then gather light through her Keyblade. "Prism Windmill!" She dashed to her attacker whilst twirling her Keyblade in front of her.

Their attacks collided, and they're both sent backward.

Adrian chuckled. "Yes! That's right! I want this battle to be satisfying!" He then raised his hand high in the air. "Dark Thundara!" And purple lightning rained down on the area.

Mizu dodged the bolts left and right, but then one managed to hit her, causing her to cry out in pain as she fell to her knees.

"Mizu!" Lumina shouted as she started to flying towards her partner, only for Mizu to raise her hand in a halting signal, prompting the spirit to stop in her tracks.

The girl shakily stood up with a pained but determined look on her face. Adrian then charged toward her, locking blades with her once again. They struggled to push the other back again, but then the golden glow returned to Mizu and she manage to shove him away.

Adrian growled as he gather darkness in his sword again. "Dark Wave!"

Mizu, still glowing, gathered light into her Keyblade, pulled it back and onto the ground, and dragged her blade forward. "Shining Wave!" She unleashed a linear shockwave that left a trail of light beams coming up from the ground.

The attacks collided, however, Shining Wave managed to overpower the Dark Wave, and it impacted Adrian hard, causing him to shout in pain as he was sent crashing into a wall.

The dark swordsman grunted. "Damn it! I was far too careless!" He was about try and get up when the he found himself with his opponent's Keyblade up close and pointed right at him.

Mizu was panting in exhaustion, but kept a firm gaze on her enemy. "Leave now!"

Adrian growled before shouting, "Don't think this is over! Next time, you won't be so lucky!" He then disappeared in a dark portal.

Mizu dismissed her Keyblade as she let out a sigh of relief. She managed to successfully fight off her first member of Cult of Chaos. But she knew she couldn't let her guard down. She had this feeling that this wasn't going to be the last she saw Adrian in particular.

Lumina floated up to her. "You did great, Mizu! You just drove one of the Cult members away!"

"Yeah, but something tells me fighting the others will be more difficult."

"But this proves that your training has payed off! You'll be strong enough to face them in no time!"

Suddenly, the crystal on the pedestal glowed a golden light, gaining the duo's attention. "Impressive, bearer of the Mark of Harmony!"A voice echoed throughout the chamber. "You have shown courage and strength, as well as mercy to your enemy! You've proven your worth as the Champion of Cosmos! Now, place your marked hand on the Crest of the Goddess, and claim what you seek!" The crystal ceased glowing as the voice faded.

The duo then went over to the shrine the pedestal. Mizu then looked at her Mark of Harmony again, which was still flashing, before looking at the near identical Crest of the Goddess on the front the pedestal. She place her hand on the crest, and both her mark and the crest glowed brightly. Once the light dimmed, the side of the pedestal then split in two, opening up to reveal a golden amulet.

"By Cosmos," Mizu said as she grabbed the trinket and stared at it in awe. "So this is Amulet of Harmony."

The light spirit inspected it closely. "Wait a minute... There are supposed to be four gemstones on this amulet!"

The girl looked closely and noticed the four indentations, three circular around one triangular in the middle. They looked like they could be slots. "Huh! That's strange, I wonder where they are."

"Not on this world I'm afraid," said a voice from behind. They turned to see a blue star had appeared in the chamber. Then the star shifted into a ghostly humanoid shape.

Mizu soon recognized the person's face. "F-Father Christopher?"

The ghost nodded. "It warms my heart to see you again, Mizuhime."

The girl smiled and she approached the priest. "Same to you, Your Excellency! But how are you here?"

"It is one of the powers of the Amulet of Harmony. It allows you and those around you to communicate with Lost Souls."

"Lost Souls?"

"Sometimes when a departed soul winds up in limbo, whether due to some unresolved baggage or something they're clinging to, a piece of their heart lingers in the mortal realm. These are what we call Lost Souls." Lumina answered.

"That is correct," said Christopher. "And unfortunately, mortals are unable to communicate with Lost Souls without the power of that amulet. As for me, the reason I am here is that despite my demise, I feel it is still my duty to offer my guidance to the Champion of Cosmos before I depart for Elysium."

"I see," said Mizu. She then looked down in sorrow. "Father Christopher? I... I'm so sorry."

"For what, Mizuhime?"

"The Cult of Chaos...they were after me that night. Our home...my parents...the Knights of Harmony...everyone... They're all gone..." Tears started falling from her eyes. "...all because of me! I'm so, so sorry!"

The ghostly priest shook his head. "It wasn't your fault, child. No one could've predicted what was to come. Although, I should have. I had heard rumors of a cult dedicated to the God of Discord, but I never believed them to be serious. Had I known how much of a threat they'd be, maybe we would've been better prepared for such a calamity, though honestly given what we witnessed, I'm not sure it would've made much of a difference. But what's in the past is done, and it is unwise to dwell on it. In the end all we can do is move forward. The cult cannot be allowed to ruin more innocent lives. The fact that they can use the Power of Discord is very concerning. Mizuhime, I am so sorry to place such a heavy burden on you, but as the Champion of Cosmos, you are the worlds' greatest hope. If anyone can put a stop to the Cult's madness it is you."

Mizu wiped the tears from her face. "I won't deny that I'm scared, Your Excellency. But I know you're right. As the chosen Champion, and a child of Harmonism, I have a duty to uphold; a duty to Cosmos, to our people, and to all worlds. And more than that, I don't want anyone else to suffer at the Cult's hands."

Christopher smiled. "Glad to see you're still dedicated to our faith after all these years."

Mizu giggled before looking at the amulet. "So, you said the gemstones are not on this world?"

"Indeed! As you can see the amulet is incomplete. While alone it grants a boon to your Power of Harmony and gives you a limited connection to the Spiritual Realm, without the Celestial Stones, it will not be able to access its full power."

"Celestial Stones?"

"The Courage Emerald, the Wisdom Sapphire, and the Power Ruby;(3) each of these grant the holder of the Amulet of Harmony unique abilities to aid them in battle. It is even said that you can pass a stone's power to an ally who has a strong affinity with the virtue it represents. And then there's the Purity Diamond, said to be able to bind the other three together and capable of boosting Harmony even further."

"Wow! So what happened to them?"

"They have been scattered to other worlds. Which worlds I cannot say. But if you are to face the forces of Discord, you will need to find them and restore the amulet to its former self."

Mizu looked down, concerned. "But if they're scattered in other worlds, how do I find them? I mean, I know how to get off world, but it'd be like finding four needles in a giant haystack."

"The Amulet should be able to guide you." Father Christopher's ghost then started pacing around. "However, even if you find their location, you will also have to pass a trial in order to obtain them, each one different from the other. However, the Purity Diamond will be the most difficult, because unlike the other three, you will not be able to find it simply by looking for it. But that you'll have to find out on your own."

"Boy..." the Princess of Heart put her fist up to her heart. "It just couldn't be easy, could it?"

"Unfortunately... But I have faith that you'll be able to accomplish whatever task is thrown at you. You are your parents' daughter after all."

Mizu could help but chuckle. "Your Excellency, may I ask? How well did you know my parents?"

Christopher paused for a moment as he looked up nostalgically. "I knew them both quite well. Your father was a young knight in training when I first met him. A stubborn child he was, insisting on training more even if he was exhausted. He was loyal, headstrong, and dedicated to protecting his home. And as he grew, he became a cunning warrior, and a wise leader. I knew that if anyone in his generation would become a paladin, it would be him, and he did not disappoint. And you mother was a young girl with a magical gift and a strong love for Harmonism. She wanted to help spread our faith around the world, as well as help protect and heal anyone she could. It came as no surprise that she succeeded in becoming a cleric." He then looked at the girl with a bright smile. "And I can see with my own eyes how much you have both of your parent in you."

The young champion blushed at the compliment. "Th-Thank you! Though I think you give me to much credit."

The priest chuckled. "Oh come now, Mizuhime, don't sell yourself short. I saw your fight with that warrior of discord, and you handled yourself well. You should be proud of the progress you've made. And you will only grow stronger from here on out. Yes, I foresee you will become a great holy knight." He then put his hand on her shoulder. "Just have faith in yourself, keep your chin up, and know that Cosmos will be watching over you, and you will become the savior you were destined to be."

Mizu thought about what he said. She couldn't deny that she was still scared. However, looking at her Mark of Harmony, she knew she couldn't let fear stop her. She nodded before saying, "I won't let you down, Your Excellency!"

"Glad to hear it!" Christopher looked at himself, noticing he was starting to fade. "And now I believe my duty has been fulfilled, and the time has come for me to pass on to Elysium."

Mizu was saddened to see that he had to go now. "Do you really have to? I was hoping to talk to you a little more."

"I'm afraid so. We all have to rest in peace eventually. But do not be sad. For I, as well as your parents, will always be in your heart. Do not pity the dead, pity the living."

The girl wiped her watery eyes again before giving a sad smile. "I understand."

"And one more thing: That young warrior you fought, I advise you to keep an eye on him. Something tells me he is more than what he seems."

Mizu nodded. "I'll be on my guard." She then bowed to the priest. "And thank you again, Father Christopher."

"You are most welcome, Mizuhime Tenshi." Christopher bowed back. He then turned to the light spirit. "I trust you will aid her in any way you can, Great Spirit Lumina?"

"Of course I will, Noble Priest Christopher," answered Lumina. "I've been by her side all these years, and have grown quite fond of her. I'll be with her every step of the way!"

"Thank you. Now go forth, Champion of Cosmos! Use your powers wisely! And may the light of the goddess forever shine upon you!" With that, Christopher vanished.

Mizu was still sad to see him go. But it was no use dwelling on it. She looked at the Amulet of Harmony in her hand again before finally putting it around her neck. She took a deep breath before saying, "Well, Lumina, it looks like we still have more work to do."

"Indeed! Now let's get out of here and meet up with Master Sora."

"Right!"

Sora and Thaddeus were fighting until the dark warrior turned to the entrance as though he realized something. "Adrian actually fled? That princess must have driven him off. It would appear that you trained her well, Sora!"

The Keyblade Master smirked with pride. "I guess did! Now what are you gonna do, Thaddeus?"

Thaddeus growled before saying, "Don't think you can protect her forever! She will fall, mark my words!" He then disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness.

Sora dismissed his Keyblade as he let out a sigh of relief. The Cult has left, for now, and Mizu successfully fought off a cult member on her own. He felt a sense of pride that his training payed off for her. He still couldn't help but worry for her, but perhaps now was the time to officially come out of hiding.

Sora waited at the entrance until Mizu and Lumina finally came out, a new amulet now around Mizu's neck. "Welcome back, Princess! Is that the Amulet of Harmony you came her for?"

"Yes, Master," Mizu answered.

"Wow! Great job, Mizu! Look like you're well on your way to becoming a true Champion of Cosmos

"Thank you. Although, I've learned that the amulet is incomplete. Its four Celestial Stones have been scattered to others worlds. I'm gonna need to find them as well in order to unleash its full power."

Sora sighed. "It just can never be that easy, can it?"

"I know what you mean."

"So, the members of the Cult were just here."

"I know, I fought one of them. He said his name was Adrian Cain."

Sora scratched his head. "Adrian Cain? That's not a name I'm familiar with. But then again we've been laying low for so long. I think it's about time we made contact with the others."

"Okay!"

A/N: And there you after! A short demonstration of Mizu and Lumina's combat prowess as their journey begins. I hope you liked it.

Next time, I'll be properly introducing the main antagonists of the story, the Cult of Chaos.

Footnotes:

(1) In case you're curious, she's playing Dearly Beloved.

(2) I was somewhat disappointed that Sora's Kingdom Key doesn't transform like most of the others in KH3. So I decided to make one up myself. Based on the Kingdom Key's general design and name, I came up with the King's Mace. I hope you like it.

(3) Yeah I took inspiration from Legend of Zelda for this.

As stated before this is actually a complete overhaul of a very old story. Just for the fun of it, I decided to inform you of some of the changes made from the original, a little at a time as the story progresses. Here's the first batch.

Changes from original:

* The Opening: In the original I began with a Dive into the Heart and an homage to KH2's Twilight Town, but with only 4 days instead of 6, before tragedy occurs. In fact Mizu's home town, called Hikari Town then, was more akin to Twilight Town, right down to having a swordplay sport. Mizu was also the daughter of the mayor, and had a talent for sword fighting. This time I decided not to go through all that again, and decided to change her background entirely, and have her tragedy happen much early in her life to set up a more believable relationship with Sora.

* Harmonism: Religion wasn't actually a thing in the original story. All I had was a mystical amulet and two opposing spirits. I attempted to include snippets of a lost religion in my previous attempt at writing, but now I'm making it a full part of the story, taking inspiration from Dissidia Final Fantasy to have Cosmos and Chaos as deities of the afterlife.

* Lumina: Originally called Tairei before I decided to refrain from using too many Japanese names this time around. Her name is now derived from the word 'luminous'. Originally though, she didn't appear until just before the final level, in fact her awakening was the driving force of Mizu's journey in the first place, which was upon the completion of the amulet. Now I decided to have her awaken from the start by Mizu's pure light in a baptism ritual to better establish a bond between the two.

* Princess of Heart: Mizu's status as a Princess of Heart was kept under the rug for most of the original story. In hindsight, I probably did not handle the twist very well, and I think I was dancing around the obvious a little too much. Plus, it didn't make much sense to keep Mizu herself in the dark about it when it was (in that version) the primary reason she was being targeted by the villains (more on that next chapter). So I decided NOT to have it a secret and let Mizu be aware of it from the get go, especially since it's now canon that the seven pure lights can pass on to new hosts. There's actually a second part to the original twist, but I'll talk about that much later, though to be perfectly honest you'll probably figure it out on your own by the time it's brought up. Just know that this was the pretty much basis for the original story, which was the one thing I didn't want to change.