I have always been a Sailor Moon fan. In fact, Sailor Moon was my "gateway" to Anime in general. It holds a special place in my heart as my starter into a fandom that has brought about so many fantastic stories. With the way this story was going, it was only proper to give the Sailor Moon series its due.

Also, I know Kingdom Hearts is all about the heart…I recall one bad guy stating "why would I want such an insignificant thing as a soul?" It was obvious to me this guy had no idea the connection between the heart and soul and I kinda wanted to explore that a little with this story. That's why there is more about "soul" than "heart".

This chapter is short because it's a buffer chapter. I didn't have the heart to add it to the next one because the following chapter was just too…well perfect, thus this part was given it's own chapter.

Alrighty! Let's get to it!

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and Sailor Moon, their characters, settings, etc., belong to their respective creators. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME.

Chapter 33: Soul and Heart's Determination

Hikari woke with a start, brandishing her Keyblade at will.

"Calm yourself, child…" A soothing voice entered her mind. "You are safe here."

Blue skies, calm winds, and soft grass at her feet. This wasn't the crystal palace or the waste land around it.

"Wha…Where…?"

"Welcome to Elysion, daughter of the light…Forgive me…That is not your title."

A hand was presented to her, one connected to a young man in white robes and gentle ways. Just seeing him, Hikari knew he wasn't a child…No…This person…This being before her…Was much older.

She took his hand and made to stand. The young man seemed to grow a bit, adjusting his height so that the two were the same. He gave a smile before bending upon a knee and bowing his head.

"Welcome to the land of dreams, Princess of Heart…I am it's keeper…Priest Helios…"

"Um…" Uncomfortableness aside, Hikari gasped. "Hey! Where are my friends…That crystal palace!?"

The priest stood. "I was able to pull your soul from that place before anything could be done to its purity. Physically you are not here…But your soul is."

"My…Soul…?" Staring at her hands, she could see a slight shine around them.

"I knew something was amiss when your feet touched Earth's soil…" Helios stated. "It is rare to meet another from another realm…Let alone one of the chosen seven." He frowned. "I could not, in all consciousness, allow that evil to take you. Thus, I used what power I could to bring you here…I know you are the only one whom can save Crystal Tokyo." He shook his head. "Saved from one evil then given another all in one day…This does not bode well…"

"How…" Hikari stared at him. "How can I defeat this thing?"

"Please tell me what this evil presence is…Then perhaps I can help you." Helios told her.

She told him everything she learned in the Realm of Soul and Realm of Bonds. His eyes widened.

"I see…" Then they turned sad. "Just a horrible fate…Yet…There is still hope…The crystal…It is immense in its power…It can help you save everyone, including this poor soul lost in darkness. Though it is in the wrong hands, it will not be for long…"

"Crystal?" Hikari asked.

"The Silver Crystal…It can cause great damage, including destroying worlds…However, in the right hands, it has other functions, ones that goodness would wish to use constantly."

Hikari paused. "Tell me…this crystal…can it…purify a soul?"

Helios smiled. "It most certainly can…It can also reincarnate a soul into another body…Does that help you in saving us from this evil?"

Determined, Hikari nodded. "Yeah…It does…Thanks…" She took a deep breathe. "Go ahead, send me back."

Smiling he raised a hand. "I shall pray for you, princess of heart…With all my soul…This is not a battle of the heart, child of light…This is a battle of the soul…Some might see the soul as insignificant…a mere tool of the heart to use…However, that is certainly not true. The heart is influenced by the soul…Everything the heart does, everything the heart feels, is tied to the soul that is bound with it. Without a soul, the heart does not know what to do, it does not understand right from wrong, truth or lie. The heart needs the soul for direction, while the soul needs the heart for connection. Both are intertwined in fate…Once one understands this, all things are possible."

Hikari frowned. "I…think I sort of…understand…"

"You will fully understand one day…" He stated. "Most of the time, children of light are focused upon the heart…Never the soul…I give you one last piece of advice…It may help you in your time of need." He seemed to be staring straight into her heart as he spoke. Did he know what dangers she would be facing? "Sometimes in our darkest moments, we merely need to call upon that which we believe. What staves loneliness but the touch of a friend?"

A warm light engulfed her form but it was soon replaced by a deep cold. Hugging herself, Hikari noticed her terrain was not that of the crystal palace…No…

It was nothing…but a wasteland of snow.

Next Time: Into the Nothing