Okay, this is the first piece of fanfiction I have written in a while, but I have

taken some classes and have hopefully improved my writing, this is a collaboration

fiction between me and my good friend Allie. She helped come up with the worlds and

some of the characters that are going to be involved in this piece of work. Hopefully

this will be a piece that I can finish, and I will have her nagging me to do so I promise

you that. So until then enjoy and the four main characters are copyrighted to me, while the

fifth party member (And any other she wishes to add) Are copyrighted to her. Everything else

is copyrighted to it's respective owners, thank you and enjoy. AND THIS IS NOT A MARY-SUE FICTION!

A birthday gift, all this over a stupid birthday gift. She had lost everything, her home, her family, everything was in darkness. And yet, and yet she saw a strange light, it was a small soft glow in the void of complete darkness but it was still there. She reached toward it, the palm of her hand growing warmer as it approached.. Closing her hand the warmth faded replaced by the cool metal feel of a small key threaded upon a white ribbon. Something else caught her attention, a faint voice called to her in the midst of the void.

"Chose...You must chose your own destiny, what do you wish for your strength to be?"

The sixteen year old looked around her, her brown eyes darting to three pedestals that appeared from out of nowhere. The voice spoke once again.

" The will of the warrior? The skill of a mage? Or the power to protect others?"

She took a moment to think, magic had always been something she had wanted to learn, but the power to protect others was also important, as was strength. After much deliberation she walked to the alter and picked up the magicians's staff.

" You have chosen to be gifted with the power of a magician, is this what you truly want?"

The child nodded and stepped back watching the rod fade into darkness, only two relics remained.

" In return for this power, there is also something which you must give in return, chose the power that you are willing to give up."

She still wanted to protect others the most, but she needed strength to do that. So she chose to put others before herself, sacrificing her defense in order to better protect those in need.

"You have chosen to protect others before your self...you are one of a generous and caring heart."

The girl gasped as the ground gave way beneath her, the voice called out once more with

a final warning.

"But beware...the closer you get to the light, the bigger your shadow becomes..."

"Wake up...wake up..."

"Wake up!" a high pitched voice cried. The girl slowly opened her eyes, her vision clouded by the blue strands of hair covering her face. She met brown eyes similar to her own, a wide smile was placed below them and shoulder length golden brown hair framed the woman's face. She didn't look much older than the young keybearer, perhaps only by a few years. "Are you alright?"

"Ugh..." The blue haired female sat up rubbing her head. "Wh-Where am I?"

"Why you're in Traverse Town silly!" The other said helping her to her feet. " My names Alle, what's yours?"

"Sami," The blue one replied. "My name is Sami..." Alle seized her hand, shaking it with much fervor.

"Pleased ta meet ya Sami!" She grinned. "Where ya from!"

"Um...New York"

"New York?" Alle questioned then shrugged her shoulders. "Never heard of New York before..." She glanced around. " Is anyone else with you?"

This struck Sami like a brick wall, her family, what had happened to them? And of all her friends to? Were they dead? Or simply floating around in an endless limbo? "N-No.." She stammered, "Yes, I mean...I don't know..." She looked down folding her hands over her lap. Alle furrowed her brow a bit putting her hand to her chin. Her brown wool jacket hanging down from her wrists.

"Tell ya what!" She beamed patting Sami on the back, "I'll help ya look for yer party mmk?" Sami looked up at her, her brown eyes widening some.

"Y-You promise?" Alle winked putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Absolutely!" She cried walking down to the second district, passing one of the pubs as she whistled trying to cheer Sami up.

Laughter, Laughter and gossip, angry shouts also joined the mix at times but most of the people inside were enjoy a good time. Wasted they all were, heavy upon the liquor they consumed whilst inside the small bar..or rather pub as some preferred to call it. After all that's what it was on the sign. Yet despite all the drunken fun and madness there was one who partook in neither of them. She sat at the back of the pub in the shadows, away from the light, away from the laughter, away from everything. Her face and eyes were shaded by the hood she wore, she would sip her drink time from time not seeming to care what was happening around her. But nothing else mattered...all that mattered was her mission. An oafish man approached her, quickly breaking her train of thought.

"What's all this then?" He swayed, his speech was slurred due to his intoxication, a putrid smell slapped the woman's nostrils but she didn't flinch. "What's a pretty girl like yourself doing back 'ere all alone eh?"

"Go Away..." She said firmly, her other hand sliding down to the belt around her waist, the other lifting the glass of beer up to her lips. He leaned in closer, his face inches away from her own and gave a cheesy grin.

"Aww don't be like that now..what say I buy you a drink?" The man put his arm around her, instantaneously her first instinct was to withdraw the saber that hung from her belt. But that would be a waste of energy, she still had to engage her true target. With a lightning fast motion she extended her hand, an invisible force tossing the man out the window sending glass everywhere. A hush fell over the tavern, followed by screams, some angered others frightened.

Some of the people in the pub chose to run, the ones that stayed would suffer an unpleasant fate. Each of them stood with clenched fists, the ones who were closest to the man had faces that were overcome by anger and rage. One of the men took his liquor bottle and broke it in half on the table, threatening the hooded figure.

"You challenge me?" She said turning to the drunkard, her dark brown eyes gleaming yellow from the lanterns about the cavern. "You are a foolish man, you are drunk and yet you don't even know what I'm capable of.."

"Your cheap parlor tricks don't scare me!" He bellowed lunging at her with the shattered bottle. Her eyes widened out of rage.

"Parlor tricks?" Sidestepping the attack she withdrew her saber and turned it on, a glowing red beam coming out of the gun like hilt and in a split second she severed his arm. "No, no, no.. This is true power!" The man cried loudly in pain and fell to the floor, clutching the wound and rolling around on the floor. In a drunken rage more charged at her yet with equal grace and skill she danced around their attack, plunging her saber into each and every one.

They all laid upon the floor with their comrade, some dead, others injured. The pub owner cowered behind the bar as she approached him slowly. Turning the saber off and putting it back in it's placed she fished a few dollars out of her pocket.

"Keep the change.." She muttered placing the money on the table and walked out of the bar leaving the men to their misery.

"Taire," A deep voice boomed from the communicator on her wrist, "Have you found the target yet?"

"Not yet master.." She replied in her flat voice bringing the com up to her mouth.

"Hurry it up..and make SURE that you bring her back alive.." the voice resonated again. Taire gave a slow nod.

"I know master...our lord wouldn't be happy if I didn't..Don't worry, I'll have her soon."

"Good.." Taire waited for a few minutes until she heard static on the other side. She brought her hand back down turning the com off and looked up at the doors leading to the second district of Traverse Town. She could sense her target near by..in the third district, it wouldn't be long before she had completed what she had set out to accomplish in the first place. She had to keep this charade going long enough to get close to her true objective...

"Yes, yes...keep jumping through the hoop," She told herself. "Everything will fall into place soon." She took her hood off for a brief moment, her dirty blonde hair wavering some in the wind. "Get ready or not keybearer...here I come.." A wicked grin spread across her face putting her hood back up and she walked through the doors to the second district, disappearing into the shadows.