Disclaimer: I don't own any of the following characters that appear in the story.
AN I was kinda spurred to write this short Kingdom Hearts fic basically because I just downloaded its theme song, Hikari (Titled Simple and Clean in English) and I went into this sudden KH craze. It won't be a long story… I'm hoping to limit it only to five long chapters so that I can get on with my other fics. Once again, Usagi-centered.
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Purity
Chapter One
Door to Another World
By Angel-Goddess
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Fourteen-year-old princess Serenity of the White Moon Kingdom squinted up at the vast blue skies, her exquisite sapphire-blue eyes staring at the semi-visible outline of the large neighbouring planet called Earth. It was faint and hard to see against the light of the warm sun, but you could still see it's beautiful whispery white glow and the blue features. The earthiens often called it the Blue Planet of 'Life'. Her pert full rosy lips tilted into a longing smile as she looked back down at the fully bloomed red roses that she was cutting from a large overgrown hedge.
She often hoped that she could visit that planet, but it was hard to wish for something like that considering that the Silver Alliance and the Earth didn't trust each other. The only human that seemed to bare the tiniest trust in them was the earthien prince, Endymion. Tall, dark-haired with mesmerising dark blue eyes and looking extremely handsome in his shining armour, Serenity had often admired him. But he was eighteen, and Serenity highly doubted that he'd ever look at her the way she looked at him.
"Serenity…"
Serenity's hand jerked and the sharp thorns bit into her sensitive milky-white skin, creating a long pink scratch that started to bleed. Red blood with silvery tints that indicated her immortality and heritage as the royal princess of the moon oozed out from the perfectly straight cut. She winced and turned around, flicking a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes as she tried to look for the source.
"Hello? Anyone there?" She called, slightly confused. Who had whispered her name? There was nobody she knew that had that breathy, mysterious voice.
Her sharp eyes took in the large empty well-kept rose garden, lush green grass and the fountain that had crystal clear water running nearby. A chill ran down her spine, it was odd. She felt as though someone was watching her but there didn't seem to be anyone around at all.
She shrugged it off and walked to the fountain to wash off what little blood had come out of the cut to rid it of possible infection. The first Mercurian queen had blessed water from the royal fountain when the Silver Alliance was first created, keeping it from impurities. As soon as the droplets of the water dribbled off her skin, the cut had already started to heal right before her eyes. It was also another power that she had inherited from her mother - the ability to heal quickly. She wiped her wet hands on her white dress, leaving damp spots.
"Serenity…"
Serenity swivelled around quickly to try and catch the 'culprit' but once again found no one around. Frowning, she licked her dry lips and nervously walked back to the roses that she was trimming, her heart beating fast. It definitely wasn't her imagination. Someone had been calling her name.
After cutting a few more roses from the hedge, Serenity could now see something wooden was behind it. Curiosity piqued her and she started to cut away the large bushes that covered it.
"A-amazing!" She whispered softly, once she had succeeded in uncovering it. It was an old wooden door that seemed to be there for so many years that the rose hedge had started to cover it from everyone's view. It was just above her knee level and she wondered what was inside. Bending down, she wedged her fingers in between the gaps around it, trying to pry it open. It took several attempts until she could open it and when she finally did, the rusty hinges had creaked loudly in protest at being used after so long.
Cobwebs greeted her sight and she let out a surprised shriek when a small spider dropped and crawled up her arm. She flicked it off and grabbed a stick to clean out the webs that blocked her view. She dropped onto all fours and peered inside. It was pitch black and she couldn't see a light at the end. She sat back on her knees, observing the small entry pensively. She would be able to fit into it if she crawled and she certainly was slender enough to squeeze through with enough room to spare. A rush of excitement filled her up, and a thrill of adventure overcame her senses. Serenity grinned widely and started to crawl into the hole.
She had been crawling in what seemed like a few minutes. It wasn't a nice smell inside the hole. It was musty, and also smelled like wet dirt after rains. Serenity flinched when the soft dirt under her knees and hands suddenly turned to cobblestones. Letting her hands wander around, she found that she was no longer confined in a small space and could now stand.
"Wow." Her voice seemed to echo slightly, which astounded her.
Serenity frowned when her eyesight didn't seem to adjust to the darkness even though dim light was filtering through the hole that she had just come from. "Umm … where is it…?" She wondered aloud as she fumbled around, looking for the hidden pocket in her dress. Finding the item that she needed, she held it up and commanded, "Light!"
The tiny clear crystal she held in her palm erupted with a white glow so suddenly that Serenity had to close her eyes to keep herself from going blind. She opened her eyes and marvelled in realisation that she was in what seemed to be a deserted temple or church. There were still wooden seats that were in rows, and an aisle in the middle that led to a large table. There was a large statue of the goddess Selene in what looked to be the altar while a large old piano stood beside it, it's complexion tainted with grime. Dust was everywhere and it was clear that this place hadn't been used in a long time.
There were double doors to the left, but were barricaded by large pieces of wood, as were the windows, which explained why it was so dark. "Why would someone barricade all this?" She whispered, directing the question to no one in particular. She slowly walked to the altar and looked down at the old large book that sat atop of it as if waiting for someone to read the information kept in its pages. She let her finger slid down on the cover, leaving a clean trail that was starkly visible against the white dust. Something dropped and she looked up only to see a figure in a black cloak that stood only a few metres in front of her.
Serenity screamed in fright and took several steps backwards to put some distance in between the stranger and herself. "Who are you?" She shouted, her heart beating fast.
"The door is finally open."
Serenity pursed her lips, "What are you talking about?" She asked, her voice strong and even.
"Chaos shall befall your world, Princess Serenity."
That statement made Serenity freeze.
The light from Serenity' small crystal flickered off for a few seconds before turning back on. The cloaked figure had disappeared, and Serenity wildly looked around.
"What do you mean?" She called. There was no reply; only the resounding echo of her voice was heard. What door? She wondered as she ran towards the tiny hole that she had crawled through to get to the deserted temple. I have to tell mother! She decided as she pocketed her light crystal and started to crawl quickly.
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Serenity stood up and started to run towards the palace. She was startled that the sky, which was beautiful only mere minutes ago, was now dark and gloomy and the wind was blowing wildly that you could hear its spooky hollow voice. It tugged and pulled at her skirts, making it a near impossible feat to run, let alone move around. She hiking up her dress and raced up the marble white staircase and shoved the large white double doors roughly.
She was baffled when she didn't see a single person in the long hallway, which was often buzzing with people - even at night. She briefly realised that a guard should've also been positioned near the entrance of the doors that she had just come through. Serenity felt her stomach flip; it wasn't the experience you get when you're excited, but the ones when you know that something was wrong… really wrong. It felt like she was walking through a deserted ghost palace as there was no sound at all, only the squalls of the wind that came in through the windows. There was nothing to indicate that anyone lived in the palace.
Serenity bit her bottom lip and made her way towards the throne room. Pushing the large intricately designed doors open, she cried out, "Mother!"
Her sapphire eyes widened in horror to see many soldiers, some she knew well, on the floor. Lifeless. The strange thing was that there didn't seem to be any bloodshed. Her eyes travelled slowly to the raised platform where the throne was located as if afraid of what she may see. Slumped over in the large throne was Selenity, just as motionless as the palace guards that scattered the floor.
"M-mother?" Serenity's voice came out quivering. Fearing the worst she slowly walked towards the queen, carefully stepping over the men.
Reaching Selenity, Serenity's shaky fingers immediately moved to the queen's wrist, feeling for the pulse that would indicate that her mother was okay. There was none. Serenity's throat tightened and she put her ear on her mother's chest, hoping for a heartbeat. Again, there was none. Tears started to cloud Serenity's view.
"Mother, wake up, please…" She shook her mother shoulders; a crystalline tear fell from her eyes, followed by another. Soon sobs wracked her small frame, and she was crying uncontrollably.
'Chaos shell befall your world, Princess Serenity…'
Serenity remembered the clocked figures words and her fists clenched, "Curse you!" She shouted, facing the ceiling as her tears continued to fall.
She wiped away the tears and hiccuped, looking around the throne room. There didn't seem to be signs of a struggle… minus the fact that the guards had their weapons out. Gazing back at the still form of the regal queen, Serenity noticed that Selenity was clasping something.
Crawling over to her mother, Serenity gently pried open her mother's hand and something dropped and rolled.
"Huh? The… Ginzuishou!" Serenity gasped as she picked up the small silver crystal with trembling hands. For so long she had admired the gem, but never once tried to touch it. Now the powerful family heirloom was in her hands. Her hand tightened around it. Something serious must have happened for Mother to have to use the Ginzuishou…
"Serenity! What are you doing here? You have to leave! Hurry!"
Serenity gasped and looked behind her. "Luna!" She pocketed the Ginzuishou and stood up.
The dark violet-haired woman who had been Usagi's guardian since she was born (and it was she who had also affectionately nicknamed her Usagi) ran towards her and grabbed her arm, "Usagi, hurry. We have to get you out of here!"
Luna's eyes were red-rimmed as she pulled the younger girl out of the throne room and towards the nearest exit, which were the rose gardens. It was clear to Usagi that Luna had been crying.
"Luna, please tell me. What is going on?" Serenity begged, wanting to know why all this was happening.
"The whole palace and the nearest village are infested with small creatures that are attacking us. They seem to be taking something out of people that cause them to be lifeless." Luna hurriedly explained.
A small dark shadow suddenly popped up in front of them. Menacing yellow eyes gazed piercingly at them, an evil little smile lighting its dark face. It was completely black, and had unusually large feet for its tiny size. It had four fingers and it stood on all fours. The thing couldn't be larger than just below Serenity' knee level.
Luna gasped and backed away, pulling Serenity behind her. "Usagi-chan, run when I tell you to."
"White lightning!"
Shining bolts of lightning lined with blue sparks struck the dark creature, throwing it into a room, which Luna immediately locked without the slightest hesitation.
Luna and Serenity turned to see the tall white-haired man, Artemis. Luna's partner and Usagi's other guardian. He wiped sweat from his brow and walked briskly to them, his white cloak was blowing behind him, giving him a rather superior look. Serenity would've giggled if the situation they were in weren't so serious. Artemis often liked to look 'gallant and gorgeous'. "Are you okay?" He asked, giving them a grin that showed his perfect white teeth.
"You show off." Luna remarked as she ushered Serenity out the door and down the long staircase in an effort to ignore him. They were often talked about as an item and they probably would've been if they didn't fight so much. But Serenity figured that it was probably the only way they could show their affection for each other without openly admitting it.
Artemis smirked at Luna; he was about to brag when they saw several shadows appear once again. "I'll take care of them, take Serenity somewhere safe!" Artemis ordered Luna.
"B-but…" a worried look appeared on Luna's face as she looked at Artemis, who was readying another attack.
He smiled softly at her, "Don't worry about me, Luna. I'll be fine, you know I will." He assured her.
Another blush started to form on Luna's cheeks, "A-Artemis… I-"
"Go!" Artemis shouted as he launched another white lightning attack at the oncoming black creatures.
Luna seemed to be torn between two decisions. "… Usagi-chan, please forgive me, but I have to help Artemis!" Artemis turned to look at Luna; something seemed to be sparkling in the depths of his ocean-blue eyes. Luna had seen the look he gave her for she blushed deeply and had hurriedly added, "He's not skilled enough to keep them at bay."
A scowl then crossed Artemis' face.
Serenity giggled despite the situation. "Luna, I completely understand. Make sure you tell him how you feel, ok?" Serenity smiled and started to run deeper into the rose gardens, leaving an open-mouthed Luna.
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Serenity started to crawl into the hole. It was the only place that she could think of at the moment that was momentarily safe.
"Light." She whispered, taking out her light crystal. Once again, the light from her crystal illuminated the desecrated temple.
She heard a distinct noise of shuffling behind here, where the hole was and she immediately panicked. She ran behind the statue but suddenly tripped. Instinctively she dropped her light crystal and reached out for something – anything – to stop her fall that just happened to be a large red curtain that hung behind the statue of Selene. There was a loud ripping noise and Usagi fell onto her stomach. "Ugh…"
She looked up at a large door that loomed over her. My only ticket out. I don't care where it takes me.She decided. She picked up her light crystal and opened the door, stepping inside.
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Everything was dark.
Am I dead? Where's my light crystal? Why can't I see it's glow? Serenity wondered.
There was no sound. Only her breathing. The silence was almost… deafening. How ironic.
Is this what the dead feel? I feel so… tired…Serenity stopped fighting fatigue and willingly let herself succumb into the darkness.
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"Hey, Leon! Look over here! Aww, the poor girl! She's out cold. We gotta help her!" A girl was bending over the still form of a younger girl who's white dress was completely caked in dirt that you could barely tell it was white unless you looked closely at the spots that weren't covered in filth.
The young man she had referred to as Leon walked over to check the blonde's pulse. "She's got a steady pulse." He stated in his usual blank tone.
"Well, aren't you gonna pick her up?" Yuffie asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
He shot her a blank look and almost glared sourly at her but instead, he bent down and picked up the blonde, heading towards the place that they stayed in.
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The blonde let out a groan and turned slightly. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing her exquisite sapphire orbs that was beautifully framed in long thick black lashes. Funny, the last thing she could remember was that everything was pitch black and she definitely wasn't lying down in a comfortable bed.
"Hey, you're awake! You feeling ok?" A sixteen-year-old girl with short black hair wearing a simple green top and brown shorts, looked down at the blonde girl. "You've been out for two days you know. Whatever happened must've been pretty stressful, huh?" She asked.
"Uhm … yeah… I guess you could say that." The younger girl replied, sitting up and rubbing her head. "Where am I?"
"You're in Traverse Town. The name's Yuffie! I found you in the First District, knocked out. This is Squall, he carried you all the way to this hotel. Isn't he just so kind?" The girl gushed.
"It's Leon." The teen that was leaning on the wall next to her corrected in a monotone voice. He had stormy blue-grey eyes that didn't seem true to the saying that 'the eyes are the windows to the soul', for his was blank, revealing nothing of his feelings. He had shoulder-length brown hair, his fringe slightly unkempt but seemingly staying in one place. He wore black pants and a white top that was covered partly by his black leather jacket.
"Um… I'm Serenity. But I guess you can call me Usagi." Serenity said, fiddling underneath their gaze. (AN I'm going to be referring to her as Usagi from now on)
"Okay, Usagi! Wow, Serenity, that's a really pretty name!" Yuffie complimented. "Sounds almost royalty."
Usagi immediately looked down, memories rushing back, "Thanks." She mumbled, smiling. But her smile was forced as Leon had noticed that it didn't reach her eyes.
"Can I ask you something?" Yuffie asked inquisitively.
Usagi glanced at the older girl, "Sure."
"What's that funny symbol on your forehead?"
Usagi's hand unconsciously moved to her forehead, and she gently traced the outline of the crescent moon insignia upon her forehead. "It's a mark … it disappears and appears every now and then." Usagi lied; she didn't want these people treating her differently. Yuffie seemed to accept her explanation for she had nodded, a look of wonder etched on her face as the little moon started to fade until you could no longer see a mere trace of it.
With a quick glace around the room, Usagi found it rather fascinating since she had never been in any room aside form the ones at the royal palace, which were all white and marble and had tints of gold. The colour scheme was mostly red, and had a few simple paintings hanging on the walls to decorate it.
It was only then that Usagi had noticed that there was a brown haired boy around her age on another bed, holding what looked like an oversized key with a golden hilt and silver body. "Who's he?" she asked curiously, "He looks uh … pretty beat up."
Yuffie chuckled, "Oh, that was Leon's work. He bashed the poor boy senseless." Seeing Usagi's eyes widen and look fearfully at Leon's direction, she giggled, "Don't worry Usagi, it was just to stop attracting the Heartless to him."
Usagi was about to ask about these 'Heartless' when the boy stirred and all eyes were immediately on him. When there was no further movement, Yuffie sighed. "Come on lazy bum, wake up."
Yuffie and Usagi was surprised when he moved again, his eyes slowly opening and closing a few times, trying to get used to the light. "You okay?" Yuffie asked softly, afraid that if she spoke any louder she would startle the boy.
Still a little dazed and a cloudy look in his eyes, he looked over at Yuffie and smiled, "I'm so glad that you're okay, Kairi."
"I'm not Kairi. My name's Yuffie." Yuffie said, tilting her head. A disappointed look immediately washed over the boy's face at those words. "I think you might've overdone it, Squall." Yuffie stated.
"That's Leon." Leon muttered.
"It's you! You're the one who attacked me!" The boy cried accusingly, pointing a finger at Leon and standing up. A wave of dizziness hit him, and he sat back down.
"Hey, take it easy. Here, this should get you back up and running." Yuffie handed the boy a small bottle of potion, who drank its contents gratefully.
"The Keyblade… We had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures. It turns out that's how they were tracking you." Yuffie told the boy, taking the empty bottle from him.
"But why did you attack me?"
"It was the only way to conceal your heart from them," Leon stated simply, "Hard to believe you of all people are the chosen one." He picked up the Keyblade and it disappeared, only to appear back into the hands of the mildly surprised boy.
Usagi watched the scene silently, but her interest about the large key didn't fade. "What's the key for?" She questioned, wanting to know more.
The boy glanced at her, seemingly astounded that she was there and smiled warmly, his blue eyes gaining the natural inner light that was absent only moments ago. "Oh, hi. Sorry I didn't notice you. I'm Sora." He introduced himself.
"Usagi." She answered automatically.
"The Keyblade's a weapon that can defeat the heartless. They're afraid of it. So naturally, they'd be after the Keyblade master's heart, because he can wield it. But I don't understand why it would choose a kid." It was Leon who answered Usagi's question. When she turned her attention to him, he folded his arms and gazed at her intensely with piercing blue-grey eyes that she had almost gotten lost staring into until Sora broke the silence.
"Kid? I'm not a kid!" Sora argued hotly. "I'll have you know that I can take care of myself!"
"Heartless?" Usagi questioned again. She felt as though they were talking in a language that she only half understood.
"Those without hearts. The darkness in people's hearts – that's what attracts them. And there is darkness within every heart." Leon replied, closing his eyes and moving his head so that it faced the ground.
Usagi was hit with realisation at Leon's explanation. Now she knew why she had found her mother and the guards on the floor, motionless. But there was one thing she couldn't understand, her mother was the most pure hearted person she had ever known and she had been attacked. So deep in her thoughts that she had tuned out to the hushed convsersation between Sora, Yuffie and Leon. The only thing that had pulled her away from her trip to memory lane was Leon's statement.
"Sooner or later the Heartless will find you. You'd best prepare yourself."
Usagi looked up, confused.
"Prepare myself?" Sora asked.
"To fight for your life. Are you ready?"
Sora looked a little hesitant, but a determined look slowly formed upon his face, "I'm ready!" His gleaming blue eyes landed on Usagi and he smiled at the blonde who in return gave him an odd look that made him grin.
There was a sudden gasp from Yuffie. "Usagi! Don't move!"
Usagi blinked, "Wha-"
Leon unsheathed his sword, which had - instead of an ordinary hilt – the butt of a gun. Sora it seemed had slid himself into a defensive stance and was staring intently at something behind her, glancing every now and then at her.
"Usagi, roll of the bed and run towards the door, now!" Leon ordered as he unexpectedly lunged towards her, followed by Sora.
Usagi squeaked in fear at the sudden move and ducked, avoiding Leon's deadly blade at the same time pushing her body weight forward so that she would do a forward roll right off the bed.
"Usagi! Come with me, hurry!" Yuffie shouted.
Clumsily, Usagi rose to her feet, running towards the girl who had thrown the door open and ran out.
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AN I want to make this story short, but it doesn't seem oto be turning out that way… hmm… oh well, I'll find a way to keep it way below 10 chapters if possible. I'm aiming for 5 long chapters
I'm not a real big fan of Kairi/Sora so… meh. Shrugs There will be pairings though. Even if it is only subtle hints XD. So vote for the pairings if you so dearly wish, and I might just agree with you.
Write a review if you wish for me to continue. Helpful reviews are encouraged. If you review please tell me whether you liked the story or not. And if possible, tell me why. No real point in saying "This story sucks. Because I said so." What does that tell me?
Much Love,
-:-Angel-Goddess-:-
aka Tenshi-Megami
