I am a new day rising
I'm a brand new sky
To hang the stars upon tonight
I am a little divided
Do I stay or run away
And leave it all behind?

It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again

~Times Like These~ Foo Fighters

Chapter Three:

Chris came to rest on another platform, this one decorated with the pictures of three young men, two blonde headed teenagers, one in a black and white outfit decorated with x's, and the other wearing a black uniform and matching jacket. The third young man had light purplish-blue hair, and wore baggy purple cargo pants and a yellow jacket. All three held swords shaped like giant keys.

Chris took a step forward, the sword still in his hand.

The light in your heart is great

But so is your shadow

You will face struggles

But you will overcome your obstacles

You simply must learn to trust yourself

"Who said that?" Chris called out; he was getting tired of the voices. He brought the sword up in front of him, waiting for someone or something to show itself.

There is fear in your heart

But there is also hope

Never let the fear drown out that hope, and you will become invincible.

"I've had it up to hear with weird voices and falling forever! Show yourself!"

You're light is great

But the stronger it becomes, the longer your shadow will grow.

Prepare yourself.

"My shadow? What?" Chris looked back over his shoulder, but could see nothing. The light from the seven pillars cast multiple shadows on the ground, but they were all but insubstantial because of the bright light. But they wouldn't stay that way for long. Chris took a step back as first one, then another, and then another shadow condensed into a single pool of darkness, and a small black creature rose up from each pool's depths.

Chris took an involuntary step back, but then realized that he was surrounded. The seven shadows cast by the seven pillars had in turn given birth to seven creatures. Each of the small black things came up no farther than Chris's knee, but each had claws on the end of its two front appendages, and antenna on each of the creatures twitched, seeming to acknowledge the other's presence. Their golden yellow eyes turned one by one to Chris, and the sword he held in his hand. As one, they began to tighten their circle around him.

If you want to save others, you must learn to fight

You must learn to fight, and you must learn to never hesitate

Let your heart guide your hand

"Again with the voice!" Chris spun on the spot, counting his enemies. Somehow, they had doubled in number in the blink of an eye. Dropping to a defensive crouch, Chris brought the sword he held up. As he did so, the air around it began to shimmer, and blocks of light formed a ring around its length. The light condensed and sank into the blade, until finally, Chris was left holding one of the key shaped weapons from the stained glass floor below him.

The creatures surrounding him immediately backed off, but did not retreat entirely. They weren't going to leave. Grinning at the seeming fear that the creatures had of the key weapon he was holding, Chris took a step towards the nearest monster. It took two shivering steps backward, but then seemed to grow still. Sensing it was about to strike, Chris brought his weapon up and held it vertically in front of him. Suddenly, the small creature jumped straight towards Chris. He side-stepped and brought his weapon crashing down on the creature's small back. It seemed to slump in mid-air, and then disappeared in a flash of light.

"Well…that was easy?" Chris stared at the spot where the creature had been only moments before.

Guard up, Keybearer

Never lose sight of your surroundings.

Heeding the advice of the voice in his head, Chris spun to his right, just in time to use the flat of the blade to push away another creature. "What are these things?" Chris asked the air, and the voice in his head as he drew his blade through the body of another wriggling black mass, and was rewarded with a flash of light.

Heartless

Beings without minds, but possessing bodies and hearts.

"They're called Heartless but they have hearts? Makes no sense whatsoever!" Chris yelled as he cut through two more Heartless."

They are called Heartless because they seek out hearts, devouring them in order to procreate

They are the embodiment of darkness, and if you are not careful, they will swallow you as well.

Chris ducked as a Heartless leapt at his head. "Duly noted." He brought his weapon up to block another swipe from a Heartless' claw, and then drove his blade through its body. Now there were only three of the Heartless left. Chris ran three steps to the side, to put himself outside the corner he was about to be backed into, and then sent a Heartless flying with a kick. It flew off the platform, bursting into light as it flew off the edge. He swept his blade through the remaining two Heartless in one swing, and then lowered his blade.

Well done

But remember, Heartless dwell in the shadows, and nothing casts a bigger shadow than someone filled with light.

Such as a Keybearer

Chris quickly put two and two together. The voice just said that the shadows of Keybearers produced Heartless? He turned to look behind him. "Great…." His shadow had still not reappeared. Chris brought his blade back up, holding it out before him in a ready stance.

Suddenly, two figures landed on the platform in front of him.

Jon looked up after landing on all fours on the platform. Chris was standing in front on him holding some sort of giant silver and yellow key, and Haley next to him holding another key just like it.

"So…."Jon looked at Chris and Haley. "Are you guys getting the creepy voice in your head too?"

"It's more annoying than creepy…" Haley turned to look at the picture beneath the three friends, while Chris held up his key.

"It seems like we're all holding the same type of weapon…" The weapon in question consisted of a rounded silver blade ending in a large, skeleton-key-like structure on the end. The handle was wrapped in a type of blue leather, and the guard was made out of a yellow metal that was warm to the touch. Dangling from the hilt of each weapon was a small silver chain, and attached to each was a small heart-shaped charm.

The Keyblade

A weapon of creation or destruction

A weapon of the light, but not restricted to it.

You would all do well to master its many uses.

With those unspoken words echoing in the minds of each of the three young adults, the weapons, the Keyblades in their hands began to glow. Just as when the Keyblade appeared, blocks of light surrounded Chris's arm and the Keyblade itself. The shifting blocks of gold and white light suddenly changed color, to silver and a deep, royal blue. They slowly sank into the Keyblade, until its length glowed with light.

Chris looked to Jon and Haley, where the same thing was happening to them. Jon's left arm and his Keyblade were swirling with green and dark, blackish-purple light, and Haley's right arm and Keyblade were surrounded by ribbons of gold and red.

The light around each of their arms condensed, until each was left holding a Keyblade similar in shape, but different in color than the ones they had been holding moments before. Chris's weapon had retained its silver blade, but now sported a blue guard and a brown leather handgrip, and the keychain hanging from it had become a small sword, in fact, it was an exact miniature of the weapon he had taken off the platform earlier.

Jon's Keyblade now had a black blade, and a green hand guard with a brown leather handgrip, and a miniature of his staff hung from the chain attached to the end. Haley's weapon had shifted from a silver blade to a golden one, and now sported a bright red guard; a miniature of the shield she had received earlier dangled from the hilt of her blade.

Weapons to fight the darkness

Weapons to enlighten the darkest places

Weapons to protect the innocent

This is what a true Keyblade is

Your hearts have been opened