Here's a little something for Halloween. Hope you enjoy this little sneak look at the next story!
Prologue: Darkness Plans Rise.
The stars continued to shine brightly in the azure night sky, each a unique and distant world. Such has ever been the view from the Mysterious Tower. Its lone vigil sat atop a patch of land suspended above a vast void of orange.
Deep in its uppermost floor, its three windows shaped like stars and moons opening up to the vast sky, lies a room filled with cabinets and books, with two doors, one small and round while the other is tall and thin, lay at either end. In the centre lays a vast table, with a book, quills, and a skull acting as a candle holder spread upon it.
Behind it and situated in front of the windows, seated in a grand tall chair, sleeps a tall man with a long greying beard. He sleeps in deep meditation, dressed in blue robes with a deep red interior and wearing a pointed blue hat adorned with yellow stars and crescent moons. Suddenly, a cold breeze blows through the windows, flickering the flame on the candle. He opens his eyes, revealed to be but black dots, and glances over to his right. The shadows around him grow darker.
"Who goes there?" he asks, slowly rising from his seat before moving towards the shadows, a ball of light forming in his hand. A figure moves about in the Darkness, its form hazy and formless.
"Now, is that anyway to treat a guest?" the figure replies casually before stepping out from the shadows. Covered from head to toe in black clothing, a hood propped up over the head concealing the face in Darkness, he moves around the room without a care, despite the retired Master's eyes narrowing upon him as the ball of light intensifies in his hand. "You have a nice gig, looking over the worlds and such. Wonder how Invi would use it?"
"Who are you?" Yen Sid asks with a steel in his voice. "A member of Organization 13?" the cloaked figure looks to him before dismissively waving a hand in front of him.
"What? A member of those bozos? Nah. I've been wearing this long before any of them." The figure replies before continuing his walk around the room, his face(?) settling upon the door leading to the room of mirrors. "Besides, I'm not here for you." He turns around to look at him. "A little bird told me that you are planning to put two of your apprentices through the Mark." He raises a finger at the old man before he speaks. "Don't bother asking how I know. I just do. And I must say, whatever you have come up with will no doubt be great. But…" his voice falls, the joyful playfulness replaced by a cold calculation. "Will it really be Master worthy? Or is it just another dive into the realm of sleep? Tell me, how did the last one go? You almost lost one of them during it, didn't you?"
Yen Sid's eye narrow in anger at the acquisition. How could he have known Xehanort would ambush them and try to turn them into vessels!? The intruder continues to walk around as though he was on a stroll. "So that is why I am here. To put them through a REAL test. One that they will show that they really are as strong with their hearts as you believe. After all, it's how I put my six apprentices through before making them, Masters." Yen Sid's eyes widen at the comment, the intruder's identity finally coming to him, along with fear. Before he could even say anything, the figure blasts him with magic, sending him tumbling towards the ground in a deep sleep, his hat rolling towards his feet. "And that is why you need to step to the side for a moment and let me do the talking."
He turns his gaze from the sleeping Master and onto the stars in the night sky, one star, in particular, glowing brightly amongst its brethren. "Let's see if these two have what it takes to become the Fox and the Leopard…."
The sky glows a deep orange and yellow as the sea glows an orangish blue. A small tropical island lies nestled amongst the waves, the waters slowly and gently breaking upon the soft white sand.
Amongst the stone and tropical trees lies wooden structures built into an extending tower, a small shack next to a pool with a waterfall, and a small entrance to a cave nestled near it. A wooden bridge stretched out from the "main" Island of the "play Isles" to a small round island, with three trees swaying from it. Its most curious feature is a curved tree with a particular star-shaped fruit and an influential legend surrounding it. Such is told upon Destiny Islands.
Sitting upon its curved branch are two teenagers, both of whom have recently turned seventeen. Both of whom were more unique than their outward appearance would suggest.
The boy, a few inches taller than the girl, with spiky brown hair and sky-blue eyes, is wearing a black shirt under a black jacket, with red decals and a hood. His arms are covered in black palm and fingerless gauntlets, again with red decals. His knee-length trousers are baggy, with two small red belts around his thighs, held up by a blue belt. His shoes are yellow and black, while from his neck lies a silver crown-shaped neckless, held up by a silver chain.
The girl, whose hair is a deep shade of auburn with sea-blue eyes, is wearing a sleeveless pink and black dress that hugs her figure, with a black belt around her waist and a pink hood with black cat ears, over a white tank top. A Pearl neckless hands from her throat are on a black string, while on her right wrist are two bracelets of unique designs. Her feet are clad in black boots that reach past her ankles.
In their mouths are a single green leaf, the only remains of the Paopu fruit they had just shared. A year ago, they both shared one, cementing a bond and entwining their lives and destines from that day forth, a bond they have only strengthened, their love for each other forever their guiding lights.
"It's hard to believe it has only been a year ago since we fought in that war…" the girl speaks softly, to which the boy nods in return. "There were several moments which I thought we would fail, and Darkness would prevail, but we didn't. We won, and it was thanks to you, Sora." She gazes lovingly at him, to which he sheepishly rubs the back of his head with his right hand.
"Well, I didn't do it alone. I had all of you with me. Riku, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Aqua, Ven, Lea, Terra, Roxas, Naminé, Xion, but you most of all. It was thanks to you, Kairi, that I ended up in the Final World and put myself back together and rescue the others for that second chance."
Kairi blushes as she giggles softly at Sora, their hands intertwined on the Paopu Tree. Then, her face fell. "For all the good it brought me. But, even after all the training Lea and I went through, I still ended up captured by Xemnas, after he managed to weaken me in that prison of nothingness, he caught us with after I broke his guard."
She glances at the ocean, Sora following her gaze as he heaves a sigh. "Yeah. When I saw Xemnas grab you, I just froze. I should have rushed to help you, but I couldn't. Like some force was preventing me from moving." Sora sighs as he closes his eyes, his mind travelling back to that faithful day in the Keyblade Graveyard.
Flashback
Dark skies hover overhead as Sora pants from exhaustion. After having to fight through Twelve of Xeharnort's Thirteen before facing the madman himself, he was pushing himself to his limit. The Kingdom Key, his faithful companion since he obtained the legendary weapon at Fourteen, a simple metal cylinder with a crown for teeth connected to a yellow square handguard with a black grip, with a Mickey keychain attached to it, weighs heavily in his hands.
He hears Riku's and King Mickey's breathing behind him, deep and heavy, while he gazes at the tall pillar of rock above him. Then, standing at its top, with eleven copies of his Keyblade, No Name, hovering around him, 'Master' Xehanort gloats as another is formed in front of him.
"Twelve Keys we have now…" as the twelfth version of his blade hovers around him before forming six on each side, spread out like demonic wings as he summons his own. "Leaving just ONE MORE!"
He then shoots a ball of energy into the sky. The clouds part as a yellow moon shaped like a heart fills the sky. Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds, had been summoned.
"Now, Sora." He addresses the tired boy like a teacher "Darkness and Lights final clash."
Sora's eyes widen as he sees Xehanort lift an unconscious Kairi into the air next to him, his Keyblade pointed at her neck. She begins to float in front of him, his intentions clear as day.
"Kairi!" he cries, springing forward and running up the rock face, fear etched into his eyes. Xehanort's grin grows menacingly as he glances down at him briefly before returning his attention to Kairi.
"You require motivation." He speaks as though he is discussing the weather as he slowly raises his blade, ready to strike at her. Desperation encompasses Sora's heart, fear, and panic at knowing what Xehanort will do. Finally, in despair, and drawing upon a memory from Roxas, his former Nobody now Somebody (and arguably brother), from when he was in a similar yet different situation, he throws his Keyblade at him. White and yellow light surrounds the blade as it zooms forward.
So focused was Xehanort on his assured victory does he fail to see the blade until it collides with his. He gasps in surprise as he is flung back, his concentration broken as the spell holding Kairi in place fails, dropping her to the ground. Sora leaps from the stone wall, his body covered in the blue glow of Flowmotion, as he catches her and lands on the ground before a relived Riku and Mickey. However, their victory would be short-lived.
"Not what I had foreseen, but a clash nonetheless." They glance upwards, a smirking Xehanort glancing at them as a thirteenth key is formed. Sora's eyes widen in horror. He played right into Xehanort's hands, again! Just like in his Mark of Mastery!
"And now, the Keyblade War shall reach its conclusion!" he cries as he raises into the air, the thirteen keys surrounding him before vanishing into light, before surrounding Xehanort's blade, changing its shape.
When the light fades, he no longer held No Name. Instead, he now had the X-Blade, the very counterpart to Kingdom Hearts. Even its form, two Kingdom Keys fused, creating a cross shape with the teeth facing out, yellowish-green frills extending between the teen and guard, and finally, two blades extending from the centre of the crossed keys, a smaller blade within the other, raises upward.
"Ah, at last, the X-Blade is complete!" Xehanort exclaims in satisfaction before turning his gaze towards the pale moon. "Kingdom Hearts, I call upon your true form! Open the door and show me what lies to come!" A beam of Darkness shoots from the blade's tip into the heart-shaped moon, enveloping it in violet darkness; the sky changes from clouded to that of daybreak, contrasting with the darkened moon, a grim reflection of the corruption setting into it.
Sora could only look around in shock as he held Kairi close to him, desperately thinking of how to stop this.
Flashback Ends
Snapping fingers in front of him breaks Sora from his daydream, almost falling off the back of the tree. He turns and pouts at a giggling Kairi. "What was that for Kai?"
"I'm sorry! I tried to get your attention, but you were completely zoned out!" she says between her fits of giggles, which before long had Sora joining her. Eventually, their laughter abides, and they return to stare at the setting sun, her head on his shoulder with his head on hers. Then, suddenly, a letter appears from a blue mist into Sora's lap. Curiously, he looks at it before opening it; his eyes widen before narrowing at what was written. Curious, Kairi leans to see what was written.
Sora, Kairi.
I trust that you are well and have been continuing your training. I am writing to you to inform you; it is time for your Mark of Mastery Exam.
I have already summoned the others to attend. I have great faith in your abilities with the Keyblade, but this test will push your limits.
I will tell you all that I can upon your arrival and what your test will entail.
Yen Sid.
"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. We have been training for us to take the exam for the past year. But doesn't something strike you as 'odd'?" Kairi asks the brunette. He shrugs in response, his eyes still narrow after reading the letter a second time.
"If you are talking about how this test will challenge us past our limits, then yes. But if Master Yen Sid is calling us to take the Mark, then we better go. Besides, I've been waiting for a chance to re-take it after what Xehanort did during the last test." He heaves a sigh before pocketing the letter and jumping off the branch. "Still, so much for our plans this weekend." He says remorsefully to Kairi, who nods in return before jumping as well.
"It can't be helped. We are Keyblade Wielders, after all. Where this is trouble, we are needed." She smiles at him before clasping her hands behind her back. He smiles in return, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, your right. 'A Hero's work is never done!' as Herc would say." He says, imitating Hercules's voice to his best degreed, causing her to giggle at his silliness. "Come on, let's go and see Master Yen Sid." He pulls out a remote before pushing a button, and a beam of light encompasses them both, teleporting them to their Gummi Ship. Due to materials for making Keyblade Armor running scares, it was decided that each would have their own Ship until enough was found to make one for each and future Wielders.
They glance at each other before nodding, with Kairi entering the coordinates and Sora steering the Ship to a warp point before vanishing into the sea of stars.