Fire Emblem Hearts

Chapter 8

Themis

xxx(The Dark Realm)xxx

"This place doesn't seem to end does it?" Ann mumbled, as she glanced at her brother. She was holding her keyblade tightly in her grasp. They had just fought off a Darkside, and had almost lost the battle. They were tired, but surprisingly, they didn't feel anything else. Neither hunger, nor thirst, nor the urge to go to sleep. The throws of time were seemingly absent as well, judging but the frozen clocks on their cellphones.

"It's the Realm of Darkness sis, Histoire warned us about this place. It seems Sabishii's heart called me here. Once I figure out where Kazuki is, we'll be able to go back to Lastation," the boy replied.

"So, why so quiet?" the CPU asked, glaring at Sabishii. The girl was trying to keep her distance from her. She held Divine Rose in her grasp, ready to strike if need be.

"I've got nothing to say." she simply replied. Noire tsked, clicking her tongue as she looked away.

"Shii, why don't you tell us what happened? It's been a long time since we've seen each other. Two years by my count. You and big brother were freshmen in high school."

"We were? Oh right yes, we were...it was weird. Me and Kazuki seem to have forgotten everything about you, the two of you. It was almost as if you didn't exist. As if you never had existed in the first place. Now that I think about it, I seem to have odd memories of the whole thing," Sabishii replied.

"Hmm...so Histoire's awakening theory was correct then. It's all starting to make a bit of sense."

"Awakening theory?"

"It's something that we're looking into. You see, awhile ago back in the Hyperdimension, a woman tried killing the goddesses. She wanted to plunge the world into darkness so she could seat herself atop it. She mentioned something regarding outside darkness. Something that we disregarded at first," Akira said.

"That's right, we all thought it was gibberish. The four goddesses, Neptune, Blanc, myself and Vert, seem to have an innate ability to protect our world. Our light far outshines the darkness, that's why we don't deal with the heartless. That also keeps the baddies out of our world. Histoire however was able to connect to an alternate version of herself, from a dimension where all of us had died," Noire continued, a frown having appeared on her face.

"Alternate dimension? I'm sorry, you are confusing me."

"It's fine Sabishii, it's all still very confusing to me. You see, the Hyperdimension is split into different versions of itself. Like a computer program if you will. The main hub is our dimension, then there's the alternate Ultradimension. There's also the Superdimension, one that's akin to our own, with only a few minute differences. Finally, there's the destroyed dimension, the one that's currently worrying us." Ann added. The four paused, deciding to take a bit of a break. Sabishii sat down at the base of a tree, tucking her legs close. She set her keyblade down within reach, in case she needed to fight.

"Let me guess...since this dimension is destroyed, the goddesses are no longer around. That means the darkness was able to get into this one. Now that it's taken over one dimension, it's threatening to leak into the others...almost like a virus entering a program through a backdoor."

"Precisely! Histoire theorized that the hearts of the goddesses were here in the Realm of Darkness. The goddesses are special, they harbor no darkness within their hearts. But when lose their hearts, their bodies go in a comatose state. It gave the ones behind this the chance to use those bodies as vessels. Now the goddesses terrorize their own dimension. However, if we find their hearts, we can purge the darkness from their bodies." Akira said, matter of factly.

"Of course, this is all just a theory. It just so happened that the moment we were going to enter the Dark Realm, Akira's heart got your message. So you better appreciate our assistance. We could have very well ignored you and went about our business," Noire snapped at the girl.

"Real lovely girlfriend you got there Akira, really digging her attitude," Sabishii replied sarcastically, earning a groan from the boy.

"Try not to piss each other off yeah? Look, Sabishii...I know the two of us messed up. I know you cheated behind my back, and I didn't react to it too well. I ended up doing the same thing you did to get back at you. This was all high school bullshit, we're well beyond that. So let's just shove that shit aside and focus on the task at hand."

"I suppose we can do that...you did disappear the day I decided to talk to you. It's funny though...the moment you disappeared, so did Adam. I lost all contact with him, I thought he had been a figment of my imagination too. That girl that you were talking to disappeared too," the ravenette replied, earning a look of confusion from the boy.

"What was her name again? You mentioned it earlier but it didn't ring a bell to me." he said. Sabishii pressed a finger to her temple, closing her eyes in thought.

"I forget...it started with an S...Stella maybe?"

"I think that was her name, she was such a sweetheart too. I truly thought Akira was going to get married with her. But now he has Noire, so he can't go skirt chasing anymore," Ann said, glancing at the goddess who had remained silent the entire time.

"Yes, and I do hope it stays that way, I don't want to share him with anyone. He's all mine,"

"Charming...regardless of that, it's weird that all of this is happening. Say Akira, when you got your keyblade...what exactly happened? Did you have an odd dream?" Sabishii asked, causing the boy to frown. He thought on her question for a moment, giving her a nod.

"I did...someone brought me to the Hyperdimension. One of the old goddesses, but I don't recall her name. That dream was a test, to see if we were worthy of the keyblade. Basically, we were diving into our own hearts, to unlock that hidden strength. If you had a Dive to the Heart, then I'm willing to bet Kazuki had one too. After all, I could feel him in this world for a brief moment," Akira said firmly.

"Now that you mention it, I can kind of feel him. I can smell him too, his scent is all over this place." Sabishii said, her nose scrounging a bit.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was part dog." Noire joked, noticing how the girl was sniffing around. Sabishii stopped, giving her an icy glare.

"Keep talking shit and I'll have my way with you. And trust me, it isn't going to be as pleasurable as you can possibly imagine."

"W-what? Akira do something, shes your best friend! Control her!"

"I said not to piss her off right? Sabishii knows what she's doing, and she has my full permission to slip a finger in if she wants."

"WHAT?" Noire exclaimed, eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh brother," Ann mumbled, tapping her cupping her cheek with a hand.

xxx(Ylisse)xxx

"Sparkstrike!" Kazuki cried, as he jumped forward. His blade crackled with built up lightning magic. He brought it down hard on the Risen, spinning on his heel to deliver a horizontal slash. He spun his keyblade around his hand, throwing an upward slash taking its head clean off. He panted a bit as it disappeared, watching its captive heart slowly rising from its body.

"Anna, we're getting swarmed over here!" one of the merchants cried. The redheaded woman, who Kazuki found out was named Anna, quickly raced toward them. She delivered several quick jabs with her katana, downing the Risen with ease. She retook her stance, eyes narrowed as she stared the heartless down.

"We gotta think of something, I'm starting to grow tired," she mused, a small smile on her face. Kazuki shook his head, keeping his eyes firmly trained on the three remaining Risen, three Myrmidons. Kazuki had realized they were the Samurais of the world he was on. Quick and speedy. He placed his leading foot forward, taking a traditional fencing stance, one he had seen Chrom use.

One of the Risen moved forward, aiming a speedy strike right at his chest. He rose his keyblade in time to guard it, easily pushing the creature back. Its lifeless eyes were glowing a brilliant yellow, like most heartless did. It snarled, attempting to bite him. Kazuki stood firm, delivering a punch to its face, quickly sweeping it off its feet. Before he could finish it off, a second Myrmidon moved forward, aiming a strike to his midsection, which he was forced to guard against.

Anna seized her chance, going in for an attack, stabbing her katana straight through the Risen's side. It barely reacted, rather it grabbed a hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly until she let go of her sword. The third Risen came in, delivering a firm kick to her chest, sending her flying back into one of the wagons. Kazuki moved back, channeling an Elwind spell through his keyblade. He ran forward, avoiding a strike from the Risen, a single downward slash cut him clean in half. He grabbed onto Anna's katana, forcefully pulling it out of the Myrmidon.

"Take this!" he shouted, spinning around, the sword hummed as it cut through the air. It metal clashed with metal, as the Risen rose his sword to block his incoming strike. His partner came in, katana raised above his head. Kazuki quickly flipped out of the way, in time to avoid a fate similar to the Risen he had previously eliminated. He turned back slightly, tossing Anna her sword back, which she easily caught.

"That was pretty good, you formally trained?" Anna asked cheekily, her sword loosely gripped in her hand.

"Something like that. You wanna distract the one on the left while I take out his buddy?"

"Mhmm...but if I get hit, you owe me," she said with a wink. She hastily moved forward, flipping her katana around. Using the momentum, she aimed a diagonal slash at the Risen, who angled his katana to meet the strike, sparks raining from the clash.

Kazuki did the same, rapidly slashing at his foe, meeting his strikes blow for blow. The Risen threw a kick at his side, and while it hurt, the kitsune tried not to let it bother him. He lost a bit of his speed, but was quickly able to recover, guarding against the next hit. He grit his teeth angrily as he pushed back against the Risen's sword. He noticed all of the scratches on the blade, smirking inwardly.

"If I take care of his sword, then he won't have a weapon to attack me with. Katanas are both strong and fragile, and that one has seen one too many hits. I gotta time this right!" he thought, as he ended their clash, hastily moving back.

The Risen started moving forward, aiming a piercing strike at the Kitsune. His ears twitched slightly, as his eyes followed the blade. He curved his blade, preparing to parry the attack. Rather than push against his force, Kazuki pulled his sword back, a funnel of wind swirling around the blade. He let out a cry as he swung, shattering the Myrmidon's katana with ease. It sounded almost like glass shattering, small pieces of metal filling his eyes. The Risen looked confused for a brief moment, as it tried to register what had just happened. Kazuki spun his blade around, angling it slightly.

"Zantetsuken!" he cried, thrusting it forward. A small cone of light formed around its tip, aiding in the piercing motion. A gargling sound filled the air for a brief moment, as the Risen broke apart. Kazuki turned back in time, seeing Anna stab her sword through the final foe. Kazuki took aim at it, blue flames swirling atop his blade.

"Anna, move back!" he cried. The redhead glanced at him, giving him a nod as she jumped back. A second later, a fireball struck the Risen, quickly destroying it. Everyone let out a collective sigh, watching the once captive heart rising to the heavens.

"Haah...man what a pain in my ass," the kitsune muttered, dropping to his knees. He licked his lips, glancing at his keyblade for a moment, allowing it to disappear from his grasp. A familiar pair of boots appeared in his line of sight, and he looked up, seeing the smiling face of Anna.

"You held your own wonderfully. I had expected you to die to these things, but color me surprised. Here, let me help you up." she said cheerfully. The boy warily took her hand, rising to his feet.

"You fought equally as well, then again I assume merchants have to know how to fight. Especially against bandits," he replied. The woman nodded, glancing back at the caravan. One of the wagons had been completely destroyed, hundreds of items spilled all over the ground. The other two were fine, however the canvas sides were torn in places.

"Our group has seen better days...it's a shame. Some of our closest friends were killed by those things. We had heard reports of these heartless, but we hadn't run into any of them, until now."

"They're really dangerous. A single strike to the chest is all it takes, then your mincemeat." he said. Anna turned to face him, her hair bouncing slightly.

"What do they want?" she asked. He rose a single hand, pointing to the center of her chest.

"That right there, they want your heart. In the end, it doesn't matter who or what you are. Animal, human, man, woman or child. If you have a strong heart, you're all the same to them. Those that lose their hearts, turn into heartless themselves. Those small creatures you described, that were mixed in with the Risen...I'm afraid those were your friends,"

"I see. Well, no sense in sugar coating the truth. We just gotta pick up our things and keep moving," she said. She remained silent as she moved toward the destroyed wagon. The boy followed suit, not exactly knowing what to see.

Anna stopped in front of a young woman, who was kneeling down next to a barrel. She was gathering up some healing items, vulneraries, elixirs and staves it seemed. She was dressed in rather simple attire, a short sleeved collared shirt, with a sleeveless cardigan over it. She was wearing a matching pleated skirt, and brown leather boots. Her legs were covered in steel armor, to protect her legs. Despite her arms being bare, he did see she had armored braces on, as well as protective pouldrons on her shoulders. As if sensing her presence, the girl turned around, meeting Anna's stern gaze.

"Hey Anna, nice job fighting out there. Wish I could have been useful," she replied.

"It's fine, you aren't up to snuff yet. We owe our survival to this guy right here, hook him up with some elixirs would you? He looks ready to drop," the redhead said. The young woman nodded, grabbing one of the big bottles filled with a brownish violet liquid. She stood up, turning to face the boy.

He narrowed his eyes a bit, for some reason she looked very familiar to him. Her long black hair was tied back in a single ponytail, that curved behind her back. She had bright eyes, and a beautiful face free of scars and blemishes. Now that he looked at her, she seemed to be a few years his senior, most likely in her 20s. She remained silent, holding the bottle out to the boy.

"Here you are, this should heal your wounds. Not only that, it should restore your stamina and your magic."

"Huh...oh right, sorry miss. You seem familiar, have we met before?" he asked, gratefully accepting the tonic.

"I don't believe we have. I've never met a...uh...fox boy before?"

"Fox boy...it's kitsune actually," he said, taking a gulp from the bottle.

"Like the mythical creature? I wasn't expecting to meet someone of Japanese lore in this world," the girl said. The boy coughed slightly, sputtering as he cleared his lungs of elixir.

"What did you just say?"

"I wasn't expecting to meet someone of Japanese lore in this world. Is something the matter?" she asked.

"No it's just...are you from Japan?"

"I am...wait, are you also from Japan?" the girl asked, earning a feverish nod from the boy.

"I am...I live in Shibuya. My name is Kazuki Morita, Class 2-E of Shujin Academy! It's nice to meet you miss," he said, holding his hand out. The girl looked at him oddly, before shaking his hand.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Rio Iwasaki, I graduated from Gekkougan High School a few years ago. I'm in college right now, studying for a Tennis Major. Well I was, before the world ended," she admitted, a frown on her face.

"So we do come from the same world, tell me...what exactly happened? I remember walking down the street. The ground beneath me shattered and I woke up here," he said, deciding to omit the Dark Realm parts. He didn't think she needed to know that stuff. The girl pursed her lips, pressing a finger to her chin.

"Well...it was a sunny day, I remember talking to my friend. The skies turned dark, we thought it was a rain cloud or something. We looked up and saw this...swirling mass of just, darkness. It's hard to describe. We tried to run, but the ground just broke apart, it was like that thing was sucking us!" she paused, taking a breath as she looked to the ground. "I don't remember what happened after that. I just woke up, and Anna was looking me over. Guess it was fate that was brought to this world."

"Fate huh? I guess so...I didn't think I'd find someone from my world here too. Say, do you happen to have a keyblade?" he asked curiously. She furrowed her brows, shaking her head.

"No...I don't. Funny enough, you aren't the first to ask me that. There was this cute little creature who talked to me not long ago. He said that he needed some help setting up shop here. Anna decided to let me travel with them, to sell these "Otherworldly" weapons to people. That little Moogle showed me how to fix weapons, including keyblades," she said firmly. She waved her hand before her, a strange magic power filling the air. A small work bench appeared before her, crafted solely out of magic.

"Whoa...okay, I wasn't expecting that," Kazuki said, taking a step back. The girl giggled, giving him a smile.

"It tends to happen, I'm still getting used to it. From humble tennis player to weapon's repair girl. If you need anything repaired, all you need to do is ask," Rio said, giving the boy a wink. Before he could say anything, a small ball of light swirled around him. He held his hand out instinctively, a small charm appearing in his palm.

"A summon charm?"

"So you know what it is? Great, I don't have to explain it then. Since we travel all around, I tend to be busy with Anna's clients. So if you need anything just give me a ring. And since you helped us out, I'll give you everything half off. So, do you require my services today?" she asked. The boy shrugged, deciding to see what she had to offer. He summoned his keyblade, placing it on the bench.

"Oh, a Divewing! Mog told me about this one...a special keyblade that's given to those who specialize in physical strength and magic. Capable of landing critical hits on weakened opponents. I never thought this would be brought to me,"

"You speak as if you've seen keyblades before." the kitsune said.

"I never have, but the encyclopedia that Mog gave me is quite informative. He gave me one that's chock full of keyblade designs, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. However, he said that I'm not allowed to give it to anyone, it could threaten the world order or something like that. I'll have this puppy fixed for you soon." she said, gesturing for him to leave her to her work. He shrugged, turning to Anna who had been busy picking things up.

"I can't thank you enough for your assistance Kazuki, if it hadn't been for you, I think all of us would have died. We're a tight nit group you know? All of us come from villages that aren't financially stable. Our trade is what allows us to care for our families. I'm just sad I have to be the one to break the news to some of them," she said sadly.

"It'll be fine...you're strong. And I know they'll return some day...when Heartless are destroyed, they often times return to their place of birth. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but I assure you, they aren't gone forever,"

"I'm glad then...and since you helped us out, we can strike an accord. I'll give you the Anna special. Everything that we sale is 5% off!"

"5%? That's kind of pointless isn't it? If you're gonna lower your wares down by five percent, whats the point of making an offer?" Kazuki cried, causing her to frown.

"You've got a good point, alright then...full price it is. We've got swords, we've got spears, we've got trinkets that'll last you for years! Step right up young man, welcome to Anna's Traveling Caravan!" she said with a grin and a wink. Kazuki sighed, shaking his head.

"I can't believe she has a motto. It looks to me as if this won't be the last time I'll be seeing Anna." the boy thought.

xxx(Themis)xxx

The city of Themis was one that was hailed for its beauty. Those who wished to live the aristocratic life ventured here. Thus, most of the citizens were rich elders or those who were born into wealth. That however didn't change the people, most if not all of the citizens were kind. For the commoners though, the pressures of society usually kept them from interacting with some of the people. There were those that didn't wish to speak with those of a lower class, due to being nobles and the like. That was something that Maribelle was trying to change.

She had been born a noblewoman yes, duchess of Themis. Her father was Duke Archibald, one of the most powerful men in Ylisse. He oversaw Themis and some of the surrounding areas. He as revered and beloved by his people. He was a person who Maribelle looked up to. However his ways were less than favorable at times. She had been raised as an aristocrat. Due to that, her noble upbringing often times pushed away those near her age group. She didn't associate with many people her age, because she was too "Snobby" or "Conceited". Hearing those words hurt, but she took it all in stride. If it hadn't been for her dearest Lissa, coming into her life during her low point in life, she would have probably become a shrew.

She was thankful for meeting the Ylissian Princess. The two had become best friends throughout the years. She had in fact pursued the Healing arts, as had her mother before her. Due to that, she needed to leave for the capital, to learn from the best troubadours around. She and Lissa had bonded over many things, the healing arts, tea, dolls and even boys from time to time. She was her most precious treasure.

Which was why, the duchess of Themis was currently bored. The matters her father had been called back for had been trivial. Another land dispute that the duke needed to look over. It was better than letting it go to the Supreme Court. The last thing anyone needed was to bother Exalt Emmeryn with something so trivial. Among those things, were the recent outbreaks of Heartless and Risen. She was worried, but knew her father's hired soldiers would keep the town safe.

She walked calmly down the paved brick streets, slowly turning her parasol. It had been awhile since she had taken the time to walk down the streets of her home. Most if not all of the buildings were made of brick. They were grand, bearing three to four stories each. There were high class restaurants, bars and clubs all around the pleasure district. The markets were filled with the best arms, tomes and clothing this side of Ylisse. Themis was truly a place where one could live the high life.

"I wonder how my dearest Lissa is doing. Is the march to Ragna Ferox going well? Had I known we had been called back for something so trivial, I would have gone with them," she thought, frowning slightly. Something pink caught her eye, and she glanced to her right at one of the nearby windows.

A dress made of the finest silk, colored in her favorite shade if pink. It wasn't as flashy as some of the ones near it. This one was simple, it had a square shaped collar, a decorated bust with sequins and a matching white belt. She smiled inwardly, imaging herself in something so simple. She could almost see herself in it, thanks to her reflection on the glass window.

"Hey look, isn't that the Duchess?"

"Yeah it is, it's been awhile since I've seen her walking the streets. She probably things we're of little importance to her,"

"She doesn't look that mean. I bet you she's really nice!"

"Pfft...doubt it. I heard, that she's a snobby bitch. She's conceited and has an big ego too. Such a shame, I doubt she'll ever get married at this rate."

Maribelle sighed softly as the two ladies passed by her. She was used to this sort of talk. She had refined the art of ignorance. Whenever she heard something like that, she would just tune it out. She tried not to let their words hurt her, but often times they stung deep in her heart. Her mood soured, she turned away from the dress shop, deciding to cut down the nearby alley.

"Perhaps Milo got a shipment of tea, heaven knows I need a cup right about now," she said softly to herself.
It wasn't long before she reached the Market Place. It was one of the busier parts of Themis. There was more hustle and bustle, mostly from the commoners and the hired staff of some of the families. She quickly made her way through the crowd, heading toward a nearby cafe, one that she frequented whenever Lissa was visiting. It was a nice outdoor cafe, with beautiful wooden furniture and even prettier flowers. Despite it being a busy time, the tables outside were empty. She quickly found herself at one, and it wasn't long before a server came to greet her.

"Lady Maribelle, a pleasure seeing you as always. I wasn't aware you had returned home,"

"Yes, I've been home for a few days now. We've been busy dealing with an influx of Risen attacks. Among other things, I'm very happy I was able to get at least today off." she admitted, clutching her parasol tightly. The man gave her a nod, pulling out a pad, though it was useless. He had already memorized her order.

"I suspect you'd like your usual, correct?"

"Yes, and could you perhaps add a slice of cake as well? It's been some time since my last one," she said, earning a nod from the man.

"Of course milady. I shall bring it out very soon," he said with a bow, reentering the cafe. Maribelle reached for a nearby newsprint, deciding to busy herself with a bit of reading. Of course the first headline she saw was a report of a Plegian attack. She frowned, skimming the text.

"When will that Mad King stop harassing us? Why does he even want war with Ylisse so badly? Does he not understand that the previous exalt's faults aren't Lady Emmeryn's? If I could, I would drive a stake through his heart!" she thought, as she opened the paper, deciding to read something else.

"Here we are Kazuki! The city of Themis, population, 1,200. Only about 10% of the population consists of commoners. The rest are high class individuals." Anna said, as she pulled her wagon to a stop. The boy had sat in front with the woman, deciding to act as a security guard of sorts until they reached Themis. He looked around, his eyes focusing on everyone and everything he saw.

"Wow...this place is..."

"Cushy? Sweet? Delectable? All of the above?"

"I suppose...why so many adjectives though?" he asked curiously. The girl giggled mischievously.

"Because silly, look around you! These people are loaded with money. I am a merchant, meaning I'm looking to increase my revenue. Sure I stretch the truth a tiny bit, but my wares are top of the line. I get them from my sister after all," she replied.

"So, in the end you are just after someone's meager restitution?"

"If that's how you describe it. As long as I get that precious gold, I don't care what I sell."

"Hmm...if I offer you 3,000 gold would you stay with me for a night?" he asked curiously. Anna raised a brow, eye twitching a bit.

"I usually stab people that ask me that, however seeing as you did save my skin, I'll spend the night with you for 8,000 gold."

"I was joking, even if I did I wouldn't waste 8,000 gold for one night," the kitsune replied. Anna grabbed a hold of his ear, tugging it hard.

"Listen here Foxy, the fact that I even pondered your request says a lot. 8,000 gold is nothing, especially because you get a sweet goddess like me. You best remember that when you end up with some disease ridden harlot!"

"Okay okay, sheesh! Fuck that hurts like shit...it was a fucking joke Anna, gods!" Kazuki cried. Anna gave his ear another twist, before releasing it. She placed a single digit under his chin, making him look at her. He could practically see the money signs in her eyes.

"Just know, that for 8,000 gold you are getting yourself quite the bargain. Next time we see each other, I might not be so kind. In fact, I may even ask 10,000 from you."

"Joy...whatever, will you be fine from here? I have some business in town to attend too." Kazuki said, standing up. He had a flushed look on his face, and he was clearly flustered.

"Yes, we'll be setting up shop in our usual spot for the next two days. After that we'll be heading back toward Ylisstol, as per our agreement." Anna replied. He jumped off the wagon, stretching his body a bit.

"Okay, try not to swindle anyone. I don't want to find your pretty little head rolling around the floor,"

"You and I both know I can defend myself. My sword stings something fierce after all. Catch ya around Foxy, try not to get your groin destroyed by a high class lady," she said with a wave. With a snap of her reins, the caravan was off.

"Alright then...now to find Maribelle. I guess I should ask around for her. Then again, some random kitsune asking for the Duke's daughter might be a bit weird."

He looked around for a moment, spotting a large mansion straight ahead of him. It sat on a hill, overlooking the rest of the city. He figured that was the Duke's mansion. Perhaps if he went there, he'd be able to at least speak to his fellow Shepherd. He was about to walk toward it when a faint smell caught his nose. He sniffed the air a bit, closing his eyes.

"Elderberry tea...I remember drinking a lot of it with Sabishii and Akira. It was her favorite too," he mumbled to himself. His eyes snapped open, brows furrowing a bit.

"Her? I must be thinking things. Jeez, when did my brain become such a muddled mess? Guess I'll just grab some tea before I go. Might as well go there relax than nervous as hell." he said, following the scent toward the nearby cafe. Before he entered though, he noticed a man coming out of the cafe. He stood before him, giving him a smirk.

"Pardon me sir, where do you think you are going?"

"Uh...inside this cafe for a cup of tea? Why else would I be here?" the kitsune asked in confusion.

"This is a fancy establishment. I'm afraid they don't serve your kind here,"

"My...kind? Oh, I get it...you are looking down on me because I'm not wealthy, is that it?" Kazuki asked, looking annoyed.

"Actually, if you were a common riff-raff, you'd fit in just fine. No this establishment doesn't serve your kind, as in, those that aren't human."

"Just because I'm a kitsune doesn't mean I'm some guttersnipe pickpocket. I happen to be a part of the Shepherds you know, and one of the people keeping your ass safe from the Risen."

"And this is exactly why your kind isn't allowed here. You are a foul mouthed lowborn individual, who doesn't belong in our town. If you do not take your leave, I shall call the authorities and report you," he said smugly. Kazuki clicked his tongue, tail raised slightly in anger. He had half a mine to bash the man with his keyblade. He turned to leave, his desire to drink tea all but gone.

"On what grounds?"

Kazuki's ear perked up slightly at the voice. It sounded rather familiar. He slowly turned his head, towards the table currently occupied by who he assumed was a woman. She hadn't bothered to lower her newspaper, calmly flipping the page. The man adjusted his ascot, a smug look on his face.

"Take a look at him, he looks like a thief. Like that band of kitsune that attacked the city of Stanton not that long ago. One of our border towns was pilfered by his kind. Why would this establishment want to serve him?"

"Ah yes, labeling the young man as a riff-raff without knowing him. Pardon me sir, but that isn't a kind thing to do. You see, this young man happens to be quite honorable, and in fact happens to be my acquaintance." the woman said, lowering her newspaper. Kazuki's eyes widened a bit.

"M-Maribelle?"

"Good day Kazuki, it's a surprise to see you too." she calmly greeted. The man grit his teeth.

"The duchess of Themis congregates with lowborns?"

"I hardly do that sir. However, we are both part of the Shepherds, an elite band of soldiers hired by Exalt Emmeryn herself. While we've only spoken briefly, I consider him a comrade. I shall not have you insulting him in my presence. Now shoo, you aren't even the owner, so you have no say in the matter," the blonde woman said, brushing the man off. He didn't say anything, he just took off, flicking his suit as he did.

"Erm...thanks for that Maribelle, I owe you one," Kazuki said, rubbing his neck.

"Of course, perhaps you could begin by explaining your presence here in Themis?"

"Oh that...well, how do I explain it. My heart lead me here." he said. She remained silent, gesturing for him to sit down. He hastily did, resting his tail on his lap. He folded his hands on the table, sitting up as straight as he could. She didn't say anything, perhaps pondering what he had said. Finally after a moment, she spoke.

"Am I to assume this is keyblade related?"

"Something like that, it's hard to describe. I was with the others, heading toward Ragna Ferox. But then this thing happened, it's hard to describe. It was an intense feeling in my chest...it lead me here. It used to be faint, but now...I don't even know how to describe it," the boy said, glancing at the table top.

"Hmm...so you felt like something bad was going to happen. Just a gut feeling. And instead of remaining by Lissa's side, and defending her against the Risen, you traveled all then way here. Is that correct?"

"W-well when you put it that way...it does seem kind of silly doesn't it?" he asked, scratching at his cheek. Faster than lightning, the noblewoman drew her parasol bringing it down on the top of his head.

"Yes it was! How dare you leave my darling Lissa alone? You ingrate! Can't you see these heartless are dangerous?" she snapped angrily.

"Ah...goddamn it! Maribelle what the hell was that for?" Kazuki cried, earning another whack from the woman.

"Swearing in the presence of a lady is unsightly. I shall add speech refinement to your lesson if you keep it up." she replied. The boy remained silent, holding back tears as he clutched his head. He could feel a goose egg starting to form. Maribelle sighed as she sat down, resting her parasol on her lap.

"However, there may be some merit to what you have said. If your heart guided you here, then that means something ominous is headed our way. I certainly doubt its anything for you to worry about however. You do have the power to drive back those foul beasts."

"Don't put too much faith in me Maribelle...I'm still refining my fighting style. I had to fight some Risen on the way here, and I got hit a few times. I wasn't able to save everyone in that caravan, by the time I got there, a few of them had turned into heartless." he admitted, biting his lip. He decided to omit the part where the cloaked woman brought the heartless down on them in the first place.

"Kazuki dear, this may come as a shock to you but...you cannot save them all. As a soldier you have to realize that. I understand it is a hard thing to stomach but, it is the way of life."

"That's bullshit, Maribelle. I refuse to believe that!" he snapped, glaring at the girl. Her russet brown eyes bore into his own, her gaze firm but soft at the same time. He clenched his hand over his heart, a hardened look on his face.

"It may be tough, but we can't give into the darkness. We have to save everyone we can. Even if we've never met them, we must always try our best. No...we will do our best, always. Even if I die, there will be someone there to pick up the torch. That's why I fight, so I can save the ones that need to be saved. So I can protect the ones that need protecting!"

He finished his little speech, taking a short breath. He briefly wondered where it had come from. He figured it was his heart speaking for him, rather than his mind. Maribelle remained silent, but he could see the small smile on her lips. The server returned, holding a tray in his hands, which had a beautiful tea set on it. The young noblewoman gave him a firm nod.

"Kazuki, would you care for some tea?"

xxx(The Dark Realm)xxx

Sabishii was astounded at the sight before her. The beautiful castle that lay beyond the small town was simply breathtaking. It was as if it had been built for a fairy-tale princess. The shining lights within the city kept the darkness illuminated, if only for a few brief moments. The castle itself seemed to glow a bright bluish white. Though the lights within were on, it was clear no one was home. The same was evident for the town, which lay abandoned, and partially destroyed. As if it had been abandoned there for a long period of time.

"So...what do you make of this?" Noire asked, glancing at Akira, who had remained silent. He had been staring at the castle, a frown on his face. His eyes were partially squinted, perhaps lost in thought. He strained his vision a bit, trying to see the hands on the clock, but was unable to due to the distance.

"This is...a world that fell to the darkness," he said, after a moment of silence.

"What? What do you mean a world? You mean this place was destroyed by the heartless?" Ann cried, earning a nod from her brother. He held his hand out, summoning Shooting Starlight to it. Holding it forward, they all watched with interest as the tip of the blade started to glow. Before them formed a keyhole, sparking slightly. Despite the boy's strain, nothing happened. He sighed, letting his weapon disappear.

"It's keyhole is destroyed...meaning the door to its heart, has been opened. The heartless devoured it, its people, scattered to the wind. I heard from Histoire that there's a city that appears from the ruins of destroyed worlds. Traverse Town, perhaps the denizens of this realm are located there,"

"This is too much for me! How can a world just be destroyed by darkness? It makes no sense...none of this makes sense!" Sabishii cried, her voice echoing through the empty village.

"It doesn't have to make sense, you just have to accept it. The keyblade chose you for a reason, now you have to figure out why that is. If you have energy to whine, you have energy to search," Noire replied, earning a glare from the ravenette.

"Hey, I don't know why the keyblade chose me either. I just popped into the Hyperdimension just as you."

"Hmm...now that you mention it, Ann...when you appeared in the Hyperdimension...what exactly happened?" Akira asked. She furrowed her brows, shrugging her shoulders.

"It was weird...I was just walking home. I felt like something was missing from my life. Suddenly, you flashed into my mind. The moment I did, my keyblade appeared into my hand. Heartless starting appearing...I fought some of them off, and then that's it,"

"Hmm...Sabishii, was that what happened to you?"

"I told you before...I was just walking home. I was going to hang out with Kazuki because he had a migraine. Suddenly, the skies turned dark...this swirling mass of shadows appeared above me. The ground shattered beneath my feet and I woke up here," Sabishii explained. Noire hummed, tapping her chin with a finger tip.

"It seems to me like this is all connected, now that I think about it, when I first met Akira he seemed tired. He was a bit sluggish when he was fighting, especially when we went up against that Ancient Dragon. Sabishii, you mentioned being lethargic as well. Ann, what about you?" the goddess asked, directing her question toward the blonde.

"Now that you mention it, I was pretty tired. Not just from the weird dream I had, but just in general. It felt like I was waking up from a very long nap."

Akira didn't say anything, glancing back toward the castle. He tried to think back on Kazuki and Sabishii. Most of his memories were jumbled, but he remembered hanging out with them in Shibuya. However, when he truly thought about it, those memories became slightly hazy. The paved streets of Shibuya turned into cobblestone paths. The houses and buildings becoming brick and mortar instead of steel. As he looked on, the castle before him morphed into something else.

A clock tower...a beautiful clock tower that seemed to loom over a city. The building was mostly blue in color, constructed with a mix of brick, mortar and steel. A large gear like pendulum could be seen, slowly swinging back and forth. The clock was moving ever so slowly. As soon as the hand struck twelve, a shockwave coursed through the city, causing the bells to toll loudly. He felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. He jumped slightly when he felt Noire place her hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong? You've said nothing this whole time," she said softly. He shook his head, frowning a bit.

"I have this feeling, like something really bad happened in the past. But I can't describe what it is. It doesn't matter, let's just start looking around. We'll see if Kazuki is taking refuge here, if not we can go back home. We can't spend too much time in the dark realm after all." he said, taking a few steps toward the town. None of the girls noticed the lone tear that ran down his cheek.

A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a few days but I finally got Chapter 8 all proof read. Been quite busy these last few days so I wasn't able to do anything at all haha. But I should be able to get back to regular posting, at least I hope so.

The plot is finally moving forward! Yes! How exciting! Lol, I do apologize of it's been boring but the story will pick up a bit in the coming chapters. I wish to finish the Ylisse/Plegia campaign by Chapter 20. The 2 year time skip between both campaigns in Awakening is when a lot of the Kingdom Hearts related stuff will happen. All of the details will start being pieced together and everything will start making sense. It also gives me a bit of time to work on HDN Hearts so I can bridge both stories together. I want them to eventually follow the same path, which means I'll probably end HDN Hearts and continue Fire Emblem Hearts before eventually starting HDN Hearts 2, which is not confirmed but will likely happen. I'm still trying to fit this into the overall Kingdom Hearts Timeline and its a bit of a challenge but I will be able to place it soon.

Now to answer our guest reviewer's questions, KazukiCucky, lovely name choice by the way, it made me laugh, no I will not be making any asspulls in the future and everything will be explained. It will take awhile for everything to make sense but I will make sure everything fits the story properly. I'm not a fan of asspulls so if something happens, it will be for a reason. If someone dies, then it's more than likely they will die permantly, but let's face it, no one in Kingdom Hearts truly dies. I'm certain Xehanort is still alive, the fucker.

Finally, I'd like to give MudkipOfDespair a shoutout. She finally made into the story bro! I hope you enjoyed her interaction with Kazuki, she will be appearing in more chapters down the line, I promise!

Whelp, this is it for now. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you didn't, eh, oh well I guess, haha. See ya all later!

Kazuki's Skills:

[Attack Skills]:

Sparkstrike: 1 hit lightning infused strike.

Strike Raid: 4 hit throwing combo [Judgment]: Strike Raid finishing move. Kazuki repeatedly strikes the target, finishing off the combo with diagonal slash.

{Magic Skills}

Elfire

Elthunder

Elblizzard

Elwind

Elruin (Light Magic)

(Other Skills):

Slapshot

Guard/Parry

Aerial Recovery

Zantetsuken

Counterguard

Guard Break

{Buffs/Debuffs} N/A for now

[Summon Charms]:

Ringblade Orb: Summons a Powerful Ally to the field. Must be mounted to the keyblade for it to work. Contract is necessary for the Ally to be summoned.

[Limit Breaks]:

Pride of the Exalt (Kazuki/Robin/Chrom) Robin begins the attack with a lightning spell. Chrom and Kazuki take turns slashing at the enemy. Robin follows with an Elwind attack. Kazuki ends the combo by taking Falchion, and unleashing a dual combo. He stabs his keyblade through the enemy and slices their head off with Falchion in quick succession.