Short Chapter, but so is the World in the game.

I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Enjoy it!


She touched down on this new world and deactivated her Armor. "Where…?" She froze in her examination of the place she had appeared. Crystalline water lapped against a white sand beach, and the sunset painted the sky a brilliant red. Over on a tiny island just off the beach was a tree on which star shaped fruit grew. She pulled out her Wayfinder, "An unbreakable connection…"

What were the chances that she would have ended up back here?

A splash made her look around, a few yards away there was a young girl tossing rocks into the gentle waves. Curious, Ember made her way closer.

"Who're you?" The girl asked, not even turning to look at her visitor. "I don't recognize you. And the Islands are small enough that I know pretty much everyone."

"My name is Ember." The redhead answered, and the girl turned to face her finally. Her black hair was cut into a choppy bob and charcoal grey eyes looked out from a lightly tanned skin, she wore a pair of denim shorts and a red t-shirt as well as red sandals.

"I'm Taika. But most people just call me Tai."

I'm Ventus, call me Ven. Ember smiled at hearing Ven's typical introduction echoed by this girl. Then she cocked her head, listening intently. The Keybearer's eyes widened. This girl couldn't be more than six - if that. So how, by the Darkness, did she have such a tempered Heart?

Taika looked down and tugged on her shorts. "I don't know about being angry, but I'm five."

Ember blinked. She hadn't said that out loud, had she? No, she hadn't, so how did Taika know what she had been thinking?

"The whispers told me." Taika once more answered an unasked question.

"Whispers?" Ember frowned, not understanding what she was being told.

"Yeah. Like right now, the voice that sounds a little like you says that you're looking for your friends. I hope you find them."

Ember just stared at Taika, completely nonplussed. "My voice…? Are you… are you hearing my Heart?" She wasn't sure where the idea had come from, but somehow she knew that this child was, indeed, capable of hearing the whispers of people's Hearts.

"If that's what it is." Taika shrugged. Inwardly Ember was still reeling, this girl was weird. "I should probably go," Taika announced, squinting at the sunset. "It's going to be dark soon."

"Say, Taika?" Ember interrupted, moving on instinct. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"I don't think anyone is really afraid of the dark," grey eyes blinked at the Keybearer in faint confusion "it's more that we don't know what's hiding in the shadows." Ember's heart skipped a beat. "Without the dark, we wouldn't have light, right? They complete each other."

Ember stared out across the water. "Not many people think of it that way. Most think that the Dark is evil. But what they don't know is that the Darkness was made to protect us from monsters."

"If people are a'scared of the dark, then they will stay away from the monsters, right? Because the monsters can't leave the darkness."

Ember laughed slightly. "Exactly. But you know, sometimes the Dark needs help beating the monsters, it can hold them back but it can't make them go away."

"Where do they get that help?" Taika's eyes were wide.

"What is your dream, Taika?" Ember asked instead of answering. "What does your Heart want more than anything?"

"Uh… I want to see everything. And I want to be able to protect my friends; the ones I have now, and the one's I haven't met yet."

"One day, you will." Ember promised, summoning her Keyblade and kneeling, Taika's jaw dropped in shock at seeing the weapon materialize. "Taika… I'm one of those who fight with the Darkness, who keep the monsters away. Will you help me? It's not easy, and sometimes it's lonely; people will be afraid of you because you use the Dark."

"But is it worth it?"

Ember grinned. "That's about the only thing I can promise you. That it's worth it."

Taika's expression told Ember that the girl truly understood what she was being asked to do. A breathless moment passed, then she nodded. "I will." Ember turned Flamedancer in her hands and offered it to the child hilt-first, after a moment's hesitation Taika wrapped her hand around the handle as best as she could.

"Then in your hand take this Key, and so long as you have the making, then by this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And should you prove yourself again, Darkness will be your ally then. The power is yours, to serve and protect, all the ones you have, and haven't met."

Flamedancer lit up under their hands and Taika let go in shock. Ember felt the weapon morphing in her grip, and when the light faded, she held a new Keyblade in her hand. The hand-guard was fiery wings, and the teeth of the blade looked like a bird. The infinity symbol hanging from the chain had the word Soulfire engraved on it.

"What happened?"

"Mmm?" Ember looked up from her 'blade and smiled at Taika. "Don't worry, it just evolved. Rare enough occurrence, but not unheard of."

"Oh."

Ember ruffled the girl's hair and stood. "You should head back, I don't want your friends worrying about you." Taika nodded and started off down the beach. "Taika." Ember called. "Don't tell anyone about me, okay?"

"I promise. Bye Ember!" The young girl ran off and Ember blew a soft kiss after her before activating her Armor and summoning her Rider.


AAaaannnndd guess who?! No, seriously, who do you guys think Taika is? (It's not that hard, take a guess..."

Hope to have the next chapter up within the next week, my last Final was today so I will have more time to write. YAY!

Next Chapter: Radiant Garden

**Wayfinder**