Chapter 2

A field of golden rye stretched from either side of the horizon. They ran close beside each other, she fell a little behind him. The sleepy houses that were tucked into the corners of the woods shone with a yellow warmth in the approaching evening. Their laughter bounced across the wide glens and meadows.

"Where are we going?"

The orange summer light was so warm…

The three girls sat around a campfire in the evening heat. The lights in the house were off, leaving it looking lonely and empty. Below on the trails the windows whispered through the trees and the silhouettes of their leaves danced and spun. The fire's heat was welcome even in the balminess of the sunset. They laughed and told stories, dreaming of that these days would never end….

"Let's make our summer wishes!"

The fire crackled merrily before them…

After a tired day they had all been tired out. Riding the ferries wheel over the sparkling lake was exhilarating. The carriage swung and shrieks of giggles rained thought the air. The millions of lights shone on the water from the boardwalk above. They were on top of the world.

"Oh, you're acting like such a kid…" She rumpled the frightened boy's hair.

The lights seemed to float mysteriously in the darkness….

They stood by their bicycles and stared at their friend. A strange silence had fallen over the three, usually the most talkative and rowdy. He smiled with a bit of sadness as he held his friends for the last time in a long time. The voices around the side of the house beckoned him to come. They both waved furiously as he started away from them.

"Come back soon!"

They watched him disappear around the bend….

The phone calls late at night…

The fireworks on top of the hill…

Playing in the heat….

It was never going to end…

And then… the rain… The august rain…. It had been oddly chilly that night…. Sitting by herself in the darkness…. And then…. Through the mist and storm…. Why had it been so cold in summer?

Don't cry….

And at once the darkness became thick and fluttery and the rain disappeared altogether. And below her feet thousands of birds began to take flight, loosing themselves in the immense nothingness of the realm in which she was lost. With every wild beating of wings and rush of cool air a jewel bright fixture revealed it self under her feet. A stained glass floor, glowing with an unnaturally intense aura was what she found beneath her feet. The pieces of ornate glass were like flaming confetti. An odd heat emanated from the delicate glass, the only warmth in this other wise cold world. She got to her feet and look around. Gloom filled every corner of the horizon. The was no discernable space. She tried to remember something; anything about anything. She couldn't.

What is this place?

What am I doing here?

Who…. Am I?

As she revolved around the circular platform with its ember-like glow, she sow a number of pillars leading up into the darkness. They were all covered with the same type of glass with its ethereal glow. She drifted forward and began to climb from one to the next, ascending higher and higher into the blackness of this empty world. A low sense of dread underlined her actions, but what else could be done?

As the platform that she'd started at became smaller and smaller, a new one became visible from the black mist. As she hoisted herself onto this intensely glowing tower she saw five identical pedestals at the end of it. Gazing down at the strange and wild depictions of people and creatures on this platform's flooring, she approached the pedestals. Placed solemnly across was a collection of the strangest objects. Each was quite bland, made of a dull gold and blue, glasslike substance. They each floated up right, surrounded by little sparks of light, glittering in the misty white aura that surrounded them. She passed a sword, then a lance, not daring to touch anything as of yet. Between a golden shield with a blue stone set in the center and a bow with a pale cerulean string was a sort of staff. It had a globelike stone at the end and a short cylindrical handle. With an uncontrollable instinct she reached her pale hand forward. It looked gray and alien in the feeble light as she grasped the handle of the staff. As soon as she pulled it from its resting place, a shot of heat ran up her arm and she felt short of breath, but filled with an illimitable source of might. The dreamlike gauze felt as if it was being lifted from her eyes and the world became sharper and clearer. She squinted through the bleakness and noticed points of light in the distance. A circle of nine lights shone like eyes in the dimness. She somehow desperately wanted to get over there, someone was waiting there for her. She gripped the homely staff with white knuckles and swung it about towards the platforms in the expanses before her. As she struggled for anything whatsoever, a word, a memory, a means of soaring into the vast remoteness before her, a dark mist began to circle about her ankles. She stopped, buzzing with life, her heart an immeasurable force of alertness. She swung around to face the width of the great glowing scaffold a beast of harrowing enormity rose from the intense glow of the glass.

The great glowing lanterns that were its eyes seemed to draw her wide-eyed gaze. It seemed to be shrouded in a cloak of blackness that ended in cruelly jagged tatters. The bony, brittle fingers were half the size of a grown man and were topped off with a needle-like claw. In the direct center of it's chest was a gaping hole in the shape of a heart. Its cloak flapped open at the bottom, showing no signs of legs or lower body.

"Seeker of the sacred arts of the arcane…" It's harsh voice seethed at her. "You dare challenge the Heartless?" She could not respond but merely held up the feeble staff for any kind of protection. But as she raised it her heart leapt even higher. The dull staff had been replaced by a richly decorated weapon which was shaped like an great key with a swirling orb fixed into the end of it. It was filled with all sorts of mixing colors, curling and changing. With the arrival of this extraordinary tool, courage flowed back into her body. She wielded it bravely, feeling a flow of power. Somewhere from behind her back she feel a swirling sort of spiral of energy. She closed her eyes and drew this energy towards her weapon.

"You have summoned the Keyblade…" The demonic being's voice reverberated through the cloudiness, a note or two of shock laced into its words.

"The… Keyblade…?" She spoke to herself, eyeing the weapons with interest. She pulled more energy from the spiral behind her head and forced it through the shaft of the Keyblade. At once the orb in burst into an angry red light and a flaming ball shot from the end of her Keyblade. It stuck the Heartless in the face and it recoiled. Without wasting a moment to marvel over this, she continued to shoot the radiating infernos at the behemoth. It raged back with a roar, swinging it's needled hand in her direction. She leapt backwards, falling onto her back, then quickly blocked another furious blow with the strength of the Keyblade. As the ebony hand reflected off her guard, She wrenched onto it's fingers and climbed up the arm, hardly trusting herself to think. Driven by instinct, she scaled the monster as it thrashed and desperately tried to remove her. She slid along the tattered cloak and into the vast hole in its chest. Drawing all that was left of the madly spinning spiral on energy behind her she forced through the orb in the Keyblade an uprising of ignited magic. It encircled the entire yawning area of heartlessness, burning through the creature's body It howled in agony, twisting towards the ground. She began to loose her balance as the beast undulated and thrashed about, darkness mixing with bright flashes of color.

"So you have chosen… the path of rigors and battle…." It breathed raggedly. It teetered for a moment in the frosty air, then crashed to the floor. The instant its vast being collided with the delicate glass that suspended them both, it shattered into a million rainbows shards. She went hurtling through the gloom at a heart-stopping speed with nothing but the slivers and particles of destroyed glass about her, still glowing like flares on a dark ocean. As she fell in uncontained fear, the plummeting jewels of glass around her sparkled and shone. As she stared deeply into the sparkles of intense color, dotting the impenetrable darkness, she saw the face of the one she used to know…

Sukane… My best friend, the person I couldn't get by without….

Ran… my dearest cousin, my most trusted friend…

Kazune… who was always there for me…

Riri… never without a smile…

Yukiko… her eccentric loudness was always there to look forward to…

Norito… Magnanimous and understanding, not to mention sharp as a tack…

Jin… Bubbly and talkative with an unending supply of vitality…

Kouji… Unchanging and quiet, yet always alert…

And…

Shinta… Whenever I'm with him, I can't help but smile…I…

Mitsumi stared at the reflections of these people as she fell downwards into pure nothingness, but with a new sense of calmness. Her eyes flitted to the Keyblade in her hand, the sphere of the glass spinning with mild colors. With a strangely contented smile, she shut her eyes and felt the cold wind rushed past her.

I'll find you….. I promise…

I'll find all of you….

---------------------------------------------

"OOF!" Mitsumi had just crash landed on something extremely solid and unpleasant. Near to her, two more voice were moaning and cursing. Mitsumi sat up in spite of her painfully pounding head and identified the source.

"RAN! SUKANE!" She leapt forward and hugged them both tightly. Noise of protest were heard as the three of them struggled amongst themselves.

"Get off!" Sukane bellowed, shoving Mitsumi off her chest and sitting up. Ran lay on the stone floor, whining and holding her head.

"What in the world is going on." She growled angrily, not moving from the floor. They all three looked at one another and yelped in surprise.

"You have one too?" The three simultaneously shouted. In all three of their hands three different Keyblade were possessed, but they all looked somewhat different. Sukane's was crimson red and shaped more like a sword than anything else. Ran not only held a golden and silver Keyblade that looked more lithe and delicate than Sukane's or Mitsumi's, but also a richly decorated shield.

"The… Keyblade…" Sukane whispered, stroking her fingers along the smooth metal of the weapon. "What is it?"

"It's… a weapon obviously…" Ran spoke slowly, as if thinking. "We've got to destroy those… those monster-y things with them, I suppose…"

"The Heartless…" Mitsumi was standing now, looking with a blank stare out in the distance. "Does… anyone have any idea where we are…?" All three heads turned around and stared at their new surroundings.

In the indigo evening the lights hung about in lampposts and lanterns, illuminating the alleys and pathways of the stone paved city. From where they were standing the could see an inky-blue sky littered with stars like sequins on velvet. Oddly shaped lampposts of iron sprouted out of royal green shrubberies and the air was dotted with glowing lights of all different colors. An shop window pulsed with welcoming yellow light as the townsfolk, dressed in radiant colors went about their business. A few small, fuzzy white creatures bounced about the smooth stone floor. They had squinty little eyes and big bobbing red ball attached to their foreheads. Behind them stood two enormous wooden doors with two windows of azure glass work, brightly shining through the night. Sukane led the other two towards a small, open air coffee shop, each table with a merrily burning candle. Another shop to the right of that had a large neon sign reading "ITEMS" above a set of windowed doors.

"Traverse Town…" Ran read carefully staring off at a blinking blue and crème colored sign across the courtyard of shops. It was suspended above another set of oak doors. The three approached it and saw that it led to another district of the town.

"Look at this…" Mitsumi pointed to map pasted over the wall nearest to them. "This city is made up of three different districts. We're in the first one right now, the shopping one." Sukane turned and led them up a set of stone stairs and past an accessory shop.

"That still doesn't explain why we're here…"

"Or how we got here, for that matter…" Ran put a finger to her lips. The three were silently pondering as they climbed up more steps and went by a restaurant and a workshops. They glanced around interestedly at all the different places and inviting colored lights as the discovered the entrance to the second district. A soon as they stepped through the doors and into the path, yet another surprise met them.

Amidst the sparkling lanterns and glittering flames a purple and black ring of light burst into the air before them. Directly in front of the iron work railing more and more creatures, which the took to be Heartless, poured out of the opening of blackness. These Heartless were of the same type that had assaulted them from their home. With not a moment to loose, Sukane, Ran and Mitsumi dashed forward, Keyblades drawn. Sukane ran from side to side, cutting down Heartless left and right. Mitsumi blasted them away with scorching balls of flame while Ran charged them with her shield and deftly went in for the kill. When all the Heartless were slain they stood in a circle, panting and feeling triumphant.

"So we've found you at last…"

The girls looked at each other first, then crept around the corner of the railing to see where he voice had come from. Down below in the center of the stone terrace stood three women, all of them taller than any of the three Keyblade wielders.

"Who are you guys?" Sukane spoke first, stepping forward bravely. Mitsumi gripped her Keyblade tighter when she suddenly noticed that they were the only ones around in the entire district.

"We are… nobody…" The woman who spoke now sauntered forward. She had dark, purplish hair that hung over her eyes, shrouding them completely. She wore a loose fitting black dress with wide, free flowing sleeves. A long, silver sword hung at her side. "We've been searching for you… You've finally awakened…"

Mitsumi suddenly remembered all that had happened clearly. How they had been wrenched from their home of Valencia Isle, thrust into the world of darkness, and plummeted through darkness only to wake up here. She also remembered the stranger who'd triggered it all.

You've all been asleep for much, much too long….

Hadn't that been what he had said before turning everything upside down?

"What do you know about what happened to us?" Ran spoke boldly, displaying her golden shield. The second woman floated forth. She had tremendously long hair that was soft and golden. It hung perfectly straight down to her waist. Her eyes were brilliant green and her lips ruby red.

"The time has come to talk… You've got much work ahead of all of you…" She had a husky and cool voice.

"What? How do you know us?" Mitsumi asked, bewildered. The third woman stepped lightly into view. She had wild, deep brown hair that swooped out all around, ending near her middle back. On her face was two upside down triangles painted in blue makeup.

"The Keyblades… only the ones that we seek can posses such a weapon…" She spoke decisively. "Come this way, we need to talk in private." The women led them up the stairs and into a building bearing a sign reading "Hotel".

"My name is Jalene…" The woman with hair covering her eyes announced as she took them through a hall with a collection of mismatched doors, deciding on a golden and red door painted with the number 2 painted on it. "This is Ronalee…" She gestured towards the long-haired woman.

"And I am Aimee." The last member concluded, shutting the door behind them. "Now, let's get down to business. You three have been chosen, by the Keyblades, as the most important members of a utterly imperative team." All three stared dumbfounded at the grave faces of the women.

"A-are you sure you mean us?" Mitsumi spoke carefully. "We're not really anybody special…" Jalene gave a cold laugh.

"The Keyblade just doesn't choose random people, you were meant for this."

"Meant for what? I still don't understand this whole mess…" Ran replied, puckering her lips in confusing slightly.

"Gather the five holy stars and journey to the origin of existence… That is the task of the Ten warriors of light…" Ronalee nearly whispered. "Once you do this… you will find.."

"Kingdom Hearts…" Aimee faced them all, a great seriousness crossing over her face. "Retrieve the one whose destiny is interlinked with yours. Gather the stars scattered throughout our worlds. Then you will reach Kingdom Hearts."

"Praytell, what exactly is this 'Kingdom Hearts'?" Sukane interrupted.

"We… are not exactly sure. Be we believe it is a way to grant wishes," Jalene answered. "And if your wish is to remember your true self and return home, then this is your quest."

"Our true self?" Ran mumbled, brow furrowing. "We just want to find our friends and get out of here…"

"Then find Kingdom Hearts!" Aimee shouted with vigor. "Open the door to all wishes and let yours be fulfilled… You will be able to piece together the shards of your broken memories…"

"How exactly do we do this, again…?" Mitsumi asked feebly, sitting down on the bed.

"I'm sure you don't need telling more than once…" Ronalee smiled somewhat and moved towards the door, the other two rising as well.

"Find a man named Cid." Jalene instructed, facing away from them. "He can tell you how to get to different worlds…"

"Different worlds?" Ran interjected, standing up suddenly. "Just hold on a minute! Why are you telling us this? What's in it for you, why are you so keen on us finding this 'Kingdom Hearts' thing? And why should we listen to you anyway?"

"Trust us…" Ronalee turned to face the three girls as her friends stepped through the door into the hallway. "You got no other way of finding your friends… Kazune and the rest of your team, I mean." Ran, Sukane and Mitsumi gasped. "Just talk to Cid…we've got to hurry and leave…"

"Wait! You know where Kazune is?" Sukane leapt up as the door shut with a snap. She leapt across the carpet and swung the door open, but nobody at all was in the hall. "Wait…" Sukane said limply. Mitsumi rose and walked beside her friend.

"They're gone…" She muttered, not even bothering to look around. She stood in silence, her mind alive and racing.

"What do we do now?" Ran spoke softly, joining the two in the empty hallway.

"Let's get some sleep… We've got a big day tomorrow…" Mitsumi declared, yawning slightly.

"Big day? What?" Sukane looked confused.

"Well, we'll be traveling to different worlds and everything, you've got to need energy for a thing like that."

"What?" Ran shouted, giving her a scandalous look. "You're actually going to do what those lunatics wanted us to do?"

"Well, of course…" Sukane looked stubborn. "We've got nothing else, anyway… We're three lost children stuck into a world we've never even heard of. If you think I'm going to let everything and everybody I hold dear be taken away from me standing down, you've got another thing coming. Ran considered this.

"Something does seem a little off… There's a mystery surrounding this whole thing… and what's all this about our 'true names' and such?" Ran rubbed her chin.

"I have no idea… but we can't just forget about the others, their lost out.. There… somewhere…" Mitsumi sighed, lying down on the bed and closing her eyes.

"Psh.." Scoffed Sukane. "You're just thinking about Shinta…" Mitsumi made a face.

"That is not true!" The other giggled. The all looked at each other and smiled a bit. The entire thing seemed mad, and yet… they were all ready for whatever was coming next. With this smile, this moment they shared, they all silently agreed to see the journey through until the end, all for one and one for all. As they turned off the lights and slipped into drowsiness, all minds and hearts racing, Ran spoke out.

"Is this room even paid for?"