"Let's see" Hajime said as he looked at the map of worlds," based on where your key beam is pointing it looks like we're going to the world of floating lands"
"Floating?" Chiaki asked.
"Yeah like not touching the ground" Hajime explained.
"I didn't know that existed" Chiaki said.
"Yep well just shows how unique these worlds are" Hajime said.
"Can people float?" Chiaki asked.
"No, but I've heard rumors of some that could" Hajime said," fortunately the world of floating lands has a barrier around it that will give us wings to fly"
"How?" Chiaki asked
"Remember the barrier around the sunken world?" Hajime asked," when ever you cross a barrier like that it transforms you to better traverse the specific world"
Just then a flock of seagulls flew past the boat. Chiaki looked at the peculiar creatures and focused on their wings.
"Soon we're going to fly like those creatures" Hajime pointed out," isn't that exciting?"
"I don't know" Chiaki admitted," what is excitement?"
"Its when you can't wait for something to happen" Hajime explained.
"Then I'm not excited" Chiaki said much to Hajimes hidden dismay.
...
Eventually they saw their desired world over the horizon. Giant land masses hovered over the water just like Hajime had explained. Surrounding the world of floating lands, was a barrier of golden light. When chiaki and Hajime crossed the barrier they felt a numb sensation in their backs before they formed wings. Chiaki developed bright blue wings while Hajime developed dull brown wings.
"Looks like you have blue jay wings" Hajime said,"their blue and white birds that tend to stick out"
"What about your wings?" Chiaki asked.
"Just your average house sparrow" Hajime said," it's nothing special".
Chiaki stared at her wings and looked at Hajimes wings. She didn't have to understand beauty to know that they were very different. Yet, for some reason, she felt compelled to comfort Hajime.
"Your wings look interesting...I think" Chiaki said.
"Thanks" Hajime said," now lets try flying".
Hajime flapped his wings and sure enough he was flying. Chiaki only observed since you only recently learned that humans could fly. Hajime noticed this and tried to show her.
"Here, spread your wings out" Hajime said to which Chiaki obliged," now just move them up and down"
Chiaki flapped her wings just as Hajime instructed and sure enough she started to fly like him.
"You're a real fast learner" Hajime said," it took me a week to learn how to fly my first time"
"Have you been here before?" Chiaki asked.
"About a few months ago" Hajime said," if I remember the shrine should by on the highest floating island"
Hajime flapped his wings and took off prompting Chiaki to follow. Chiaki looked around at the floating land masses covered in lush grass and stone architecture. The floating lands were only connected by waterfalls that flowed from the highest floating land to the lowest. One big floating mass, in the center of the others, held a village similar to twilight town. Though it looked abandoned upon further inspection.
"You want to look at the town?" Hajime asked.
"No, we need to focus on the heart fragment" Chiaki said.
"Okay, we're almost there" Hajime said.
...
The two soared for some more time until they spotted the highest land mass floating over a land mass containing a big lake. However In the center of the lake rested what looked like large a white stone. Upon further inspection, Hajime identified it as something else.
"Chiaki, I need you to protect my heart while Izuru handles this" Hajime said.
Before Chiaki could ask, Hajimes heart escaped his body and went to her. The body that was left behind grew long black hair as its wings transformed black like a ravens. From the lake, the white thing moved causing the water to ripple. The white thing lifted its head and wings to reveal it was a swan hopeless. It's belly was black as night and a golden heart insignia was on its head. Chiaki guarded Hajimes heart, while Izuru just watched the swan hopeless spread its wings and start to fly. With grace, the swan hopeless flew from its lake at straight towards Chiaki. Chiaki summoned her keyblade as she she flew away holding Hajimes heart. The swan hopeless eagerly followed through the gaps in the floating land masses. Even when chiaki flew through thin gaps the swan hopeless easily followed by temporarily folding its wings inward.
Just as chiaki was starting to run out of breathe, her keyblade acted on its own and shot a beam of black light. The beam hit one of the floating land masses giving Chiaki full control over where it would go. Seeing the power she now held, Chiaki used the floating land mass to wedge the swan hopeless against another floating land. The swan hopeless cried out as it struggled to get free. Chiaki tried to aim at the heart insignia, but couldn't land a hit while the swan hopeless frantically waved its head around. Just then A sharp boulder flung towards the swan hopeless and pinned its neck against the land. Seeing her chance, Chiaki aimed and fired the key beam at the heart insignia.
The swan hopeless sang one last beautiful song before turning into a cloud of darkness. Hearts rose up like stars from the darkness and dispersed to find their bodies. Meanwhile one heart stayed behind and entered chiakis keyblade. Chiaki looked up to see Izuru watching her from above. Knowing the hopeless was defeated, Chiaki flew past Izuru and towards the shrine.
At the shrine a piece of nanamis shined on the alter. It's radiant light caused the reflective marble to shine like heaven. Chiaki was about to accept the heart fragment when she noticed Izurus shadowy figure.
"Do you understand beauty yet?" Izuru asked.
"No" Chiaki said.
"Predictable" Izuru said.
"Why do you ask?" Chiaki asked.
"For comparison" izuru said.
"To what?" Chiaki asked.
"To her" Izuru said as he pointed to the heart fragment," based on my examination you are still her shadow".
"What does that mean?" Chiaki asked.
"You are hollow and inferior to her" Izuru said.
For some reason those words tugged a little at Chiaki. It didn't make sense considering that she had not been physically hurt.
"You may proceed with what you were previously doing" Izuru said.
Chiaki walked up to the alter an accepted the heart fragment. However now the warmth she usually felt, felt more like a burning fire. As the painful feeling of being burnt rose in her chest Chiaki fainted.
...
"Hello, what are you doing here?"
'I'm sorry, I kind of got lost. Do you know where mister Tengan is?'
"I think grandpa is training with my dad right now."
'Figures he would. I'll just ask him another time.'
"I can ask him for you. What do you need?"
'I want to ask him if I can become a night'
"Really? Why?"
'Well, I want to be able to do something I can be proud of rather than be a worthless nobody'
"Don't call yourself worthless or a nobody!"
'But its true'
"If you believe its true it will come true"
'Sorry'
"It's okay. Just remember that you have a greater freedom"
'A greater freedom?'
"You can go anywhere and do anything. Meanwhile I have to stay here and stay bound to my duties"
'Are you a knight too by chance?'
"No, I'm the heir to the throne"
'Wait you're a princess?!'
"Yeah, but I don't see how that really changes anything"
Nanami there you are. I was looking all over for you.
"Sorry mama"
Oh, and who's this little scamp?
"He's looking for grandpa, so he can become a night"
I see, then I'll go tell Tengan to meet with you. What is your name?
'H-'
...
Chiaki woke up back on the boat to see Hajime as always.
"How are you feeling Chiaki?" Hajime asked," you were out longer than usual"
"I don't know" Chiaki said.
