A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! And I'm such a dork. I totally forgot to credit OCs!
Hazel – mine
Amber – WolfieRed23
Chronos – pureshadow013
Okay, I still need 4 second years, and 3 third years. I have closed submissions for first and fourth years. Also, unless I've talked to you, no more OCs from Radiant Garden, and none from Daybreak Town. Daybreak Town is considered a "dead world" in this story.
Alright, I think that takes care of the business end of things. ONWARD!
…
Episode Two – New Students
Part Two – First Day
Hazel, Amber, and Chronos made their way through the castle, Amber in the lead. After Master Aqua had announced their teams, they were sent to look for their rooms.
"435, 435…" Amber muttered to herself, looking at each door's number. Hazel, meanwhile, was looking around, clearly uncomfortable in the confined space of the hall, while Chronos seemed deep in thought.
"Aha!" Amber suddenly announced, causing her teammates to look over. Amber walked over to a door with a brass number plate on it. On the plate was the number 435. "Here we are," she said, opening the door.
Inside was a moderately sized room. There were three beds, their headboards lined against the wall opposite the door, and a large window behind them, open to let in the pleasant breeze and air out the room. The floor was hardwood, matching the wood of the head and floor boards of the beds, the three desks that were placed along the same wall as the door, and the large bookshelf that stood in the corner next to the last desk.
On the right hand side of each bed was a night stand, and there were three small dressers, one at the foot of each bed. The ceiling was high and crisscrossed with rafters, giving the room a large, airy feeling. On the wall to the right was another door, opened slightly to show that it lead to the bathroom.
"This is nice," Amber said, walking further in. Chronos followed her in, immediately checking out the desks and bookshelf.
"Yeah. Lots of book space," he agreed, before those two claimed their beds. Chronos took the one almost directly across from the bookshelf, while Amber took the one in the middle. Hazel hesitantly sat down on her bed, and the three looked at each other, the room filling with an awkward silence. For the girls, it was one thing to walk around town and get to know each other. It was another to suddenly be thrown in a room together, along with a guy they only met in passing.
"I guess we should unpack, huh?" Amber finally said, standing. Chronos nodded, also standing and going over to his stuff.
From his bag, Chronos pulled a number of different books, ranging from fantasy, to sci-fi, to history. There were even a few magic books, synthesis books, comics, and mangas mixed in. He froze as he put them on the bookshelf.
"Er, you two aren't gonna…" he trailed off as Amber pulled out a small stack of books, mainly fairytales.
"Can I just have a shelf?" she asked. Chronos nodded and looked over at Hazel, who smiled at him.
"Nope, I'm good," the wild girl said. Chronos smiled slightly at that, and filled the bottom two shelves with basic synthesis ingredients and equipment as well, leaving the one above that, but under his books, clear for Amber.
After placing her books there, Amber filled her small dresser with her clothes, leaving her bag of sweets and a journal in her nightstand drawer. On top of the nightstand was a pink, star shaped earing, and a bluish-green diamond shaped gem. Finally, she placed a stuffed animal on her bed – a grey tabby-cat with black stripes.
Hazel packed her few clothes into her dresser, and placed two black and white photos on her night stand. The first was of a man with a mustache in a suit, and woman in a dress, holding a baby. The second was of an older, short, balding man, and a young woman, her hair tied up, wearing a high collared dress. Around the pictures, she placed different wild flowers, pressed and dried. They were pale compared to their living counterparts, but still beautiful.
"So… now what?" Amber asked as they finished.
"It's starting to get late," Chronos said, glancing at the time. "And we start classes tomorrow. Perhaps we should go to bed."
The girls agreed, and each took turns getting ready for bed.
…
Falling asleep for each member of Team Dragon Light was difficult. Hazel was still wide awake long after Chronos and Amber had fallen asleep, tossing and turning on the bed in an attempt to get comfortable. Finally, she sat up and looked up at the rafters, then down at her blankets and sheets.
She quickly stripped the bed and climbed into the rafters, building a hammock-like nest from the blankets and sheets, and settled into it, finally beginning to drift off.
That's when Amber cried out softly in her sleep. Chronos frowned slightly and rolled over, away from the girl, but Hazel's eyes had snapped open, staring through the darkness at her teammate.
Amber thrashed slightly in her bed, muttering incoherently, before letting out another soft cry.
Chronos woke up that time, only to hear movement coming from above Hazel's bed. Looking over, he watched the wild-girl climb out of the hammock thing she had built, and move over to Amber's bed, crouching low to the ground.
"What are you doing?" Chronos asked quietly, rubbing his eye. Hazel glanced over at him.
"She's having a bad dream," Hazel whispered, before pulling herself into Amber's bed.
"I… er… see this. I meant… aren't you going to wake her up?" Chronos asked, propping himself up slightly on his elbow. Hazel shook her head and laid next to Amber, gently pulling her so that the other girl's head was on her chest. After a moment of listening to Hazel's heartbeat, Amber finally started calming down.
Chronos watched his two teammates for a moment as Hazel began to drift off, before laying down fully, trying to fall back asleep himself.
…
Ventus sat in the kitchen, a mug of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream in front of him. In front of him was an ancient book, full of pictures. He studied the one in the back of the book, depicting six people, before sighing and closing the book.
"What are you still doing awake?" a voice asked from behind. Ven nearly jumped out of his skin, before turning towards the door. Sora was standing there, looking at Ven in worry.
"Couldn't sleep. You?"
"Same. First day jitters, you know," Sora said with a smile, walking over to the fridge and grabbing a drink before sitting across from Ven. He glanced down at the ancient book closed and half-hidden under Ven's hand.
"Is that—" he began.
"Yes." Ven cut him off, before taking a sip of his cocoa.
"Oh." Sora sipped his drink too, deep in thought for a moment. "You're worried about her."
"Of course I'm worried about her," Ventus snapped, before his shoulders slumped with a deep sigh. "She's been through so much. And she keeps going through it. I just… don't know how to help her…"
"Ven, I'm worried about her, too. But… I'm also worried about you," Sora said.
"Me?" Ven asked, looking up at him. "Why?"
"You've been having nightmares, haven't you?" Sora asked. Ven didn't answer, preferring instead to look away. "I thought so. Have you… thought of talking to someone?"
"The only person who would understand is dealing with her own issues right now. You know if I burden her with this, it'll make things worse," Ven said.
"It doesn't have to be someone who understands everything completely. Just someone who's willing to listen. And you have no shortage of that," Sora reminded him. Ven looked up at him for a moment, before smiling slightly.
"Do you have a minute?" he asked. Sora grinned.
"Just a minute?"
"Well… maybe an hour or two," Ven said, looking down at the book. Sora smiled.
"Yes. What's on your mind?"
…
Amber felt more rested as she woke up this morning then she's felt in a long time. She smiled slightly, refusing to open her eyes just yet, though from the red of her eyelids, she could tell it was light in the room.
Suddenly, she noticed something… odd with her pillow. Well, a few somethings. First of all, it was a bit firmer than the one she fell asleep on. Secondly, it rose and fell slightly.
Finally, it had a heartbeat.
Amber's eyes flew open as she sat straight up in bed, turning to look. Hazel was laying in her bed, and it had been her chest that Amber's head had been resting on. The young brunet groaned softly in her sleep, before blinking her eyes open.
"Um… what are you doing in my bed?" Amber asked.
"You… you were having a nightmare. In my family, when one has a nightmare, someone else will sleep with them and let that person listen to their heartbeat," Hazel explained.
"Your… family?" Chronos asked. He had been awake for an hour or two, lost in his History book. But now, he was focused on the conversation happening between the girls.
"Yes. Akut and I would comfort each other all the time in the same way. He had lots of nightmares for a while." A scowl crossed Hazel's face before she smiled up at the silver-haired girl. "You're a lot lighter than a gorilla though," she finished with a smile.
"A… gorilla…" Amber muttered.
"Mhm. I'm from Deep Jungle," Hazel said with a grin, jumping off the bed to stand and lifting her head proudly. "I am the daughter of Tarzan, King of the Jungle, and Jane."
"Well… as much as I appreciate you comforting me last night... perhaps next time you could just… I don't know, wake me up?" Amber asked.
"Oh…" Hazel looked down, before blushing. "Humans only do that kind of thing for a lover or family member. That's right. Mother taught me that," she said, her cheeks growing even darker. Amber smiled, putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder.
"It's okay. I'm not mad," she said. Hazel smiled at that.
"Um, guys… maybe we should be getting ready for class?" Chronos suddenly suggested. Amber quickly looked at the time.
"Oh, right!" she gasped, before grabbing her stuff and darting into the bathroom.
…
Once ready, Team Dragon Light left their room, headed for their first class. Hazel was telling the other two more about her world – Tree Surfing, vine swinging, and swimming with the hippos and elephants. Amber was listening, while Chronos was deep in thought.
Since the Team Assignment Exam, when he faced Master Sora, something has been… bugging him.
"Master, are you okay? You look tired."
Chronos looked up at the sound of that voice, recognizing one of the fourth years, the one with bluish-black hair, talking to Master Sora. The Master smiled warmly at him, ruffling the boy's hair.
"I'm okay, Kai. I just didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night."
"Hey, guys. Um, I'll catch up, okay?" Chronos said. Amber and Hazel both turned to look at him.
"You sure?" Amber asked. Chronos nodded.
"Yeah."
"Well, okay." The girls continued forward.
"I'll see you in class, Master Sora!" Kai called as he jogged off. He flashed a friendly grin at Chronos as he ran by, which Chronos returned shyly. The young time mage then turned his attention to the Kingdom Key Master. He could see what Kai was talking about; there were faint bags under Master Sora's bright blue eyes.
"Er, Master Sora?" he asked. Sora turned again at the sound of his name, spotted the frail blond, and smiled.
"Hello, Chronos. Can I help you?" he asked.
"Well… I… I wanted to talk to you about the exam…" he said. Sora looked thoughtful for a moment.
"What about it? I thought you did pretty well…" he said.
"That's just it. I feel like I did too well. You… you're a Master, and I… I'm just…"
"Just starting out," the Master said in a warm tone, putting a hand on Chronos shoulder. "Which is why, to make it fair to you and your peers, I wear this during that exam." Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out an anklet. It was made of heavy black chain links and each link was set with a different colored gem. "This lowers my resistance to most status effects, like stop and slow," he explained. Chronos looked between that, and up at Sora.
"But… why?" he asked.
"Because we need a clear picture of every student's ability to place them in a team, and if I'm resisting their abilities, we won't get that," Sora said.
"Oh. That… makes sense," Chronos said with a smile. Sora grinned back at him, tucking the accessory back into his pocket.
"I thought it would. Now, get going. You don't want to be late for your first class, right?" he said. Chronos smiled a little wider.
"No. Thank you, Master," he said before rushing off. Sora smiled, watching after him, before yawning and heading to his own first class of the day.
…
Master Ventus stood at the front of the classroom as the first year students filed into the room. Chronos slipped in with the last of them and glanced around, only to find Amber and Hazel near the back. Mildly disappointed, as this was a class he wanted to be up front for, he walked over and joined them.
"Alright, guys, settle down," Ven said with a small smile. The class grew quiet, and looked at him expectantly. "Now, I know history isn't the most exciting, but it's important to learn, because it can, and almost has, repeated itself," Ven said. Hazel leaned over to Amber and Chronos.
"Is it just me, or does he look tired?" she muttered. Amber nodded.
"Master Sora had those same bags under his eyes," Chronos whispered back.
"Now, those of you who have spent time in Radiant Garden have no doubt heard this 'fairy tale,' but for those of you who haven't…" Ven trailed off like it should be obvious, before taking a deep breath.
"Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts." Ven's voice was steady as he told the story. It was clear he had told it many times before and had it memorized. "The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared." His voice dropped, growing a little sadder as he said this. But then he took a deep breath. "But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuild the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So, even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your hearts will shine with its power and push the darkness away."
Silence followed his words for a moment. Most of the students were staring at Ven. In fact, the only one who wasn't was Amber, who was staring at the desk in front of her, her red scarf covering her mouth and nose. Ven took a deep breath.
"While that story is called a 'fairy tale,' it is actually the story of the Keyblade War. The light, Lux as it was called back then, was fought over by five different Unions. As they had their unions fight over the Lux, darkness was born in their hearts, and it spread through their ranks like wild fire, until finally, the war broke out, and the world disappeared, swallowed by darkness." Ven moved over to the board and began to write on it. "The 'children' of the story, the ones who held those fragments of light, were called The Dandelions. And the true light, the door… is Kingdom Hearts."
By this point, Hazel had grown restless, her attention wondering to the window. Amber's face was completely buried in her scarf. The only one of Team Dragon Light who was completely interested was Chronos, who was already taking notes.
"This one, small story encompasses everything I will teach you in this class for the next four years. For this year, we will talk about the time before the war. The time of the first Five Unions." He motioned to the board where he had written the five Union names, with each Foreteller's name next to it.
"Each Union had an animal attached to it. The Unicorns had, obviously, a unicorn, lead by Master Ira.
"The Ursus Union was represented by the bear, lead by Master Aced.
"Anguis was represented by the snake, lead by Master Invi.
"Leopardos was represented by the snow leopard, lead by Master Gula.
"And finally, the Union of Vulpeus was represented by the fox and lead by Master Ava.
"Each of the Foretellers, along with a sixth man, were apprenticed to someone known only as the Master of Masters. It was because of him, and his Book of Prophecies, that everything began."
Master Ventus continued his lesson until it was almost time. By the end, Hazel was squirming in her seat, Amber was completely hidden in her scarf, and Chronos had taken about eight pages of notes.
"Alright, class, any questions?" Ven finally asked near the end of class. Chronos's hand shot into the air, and he asked multiple questions (some that even Ven himself claimed not to know the answer to), before they ran out of time.
"Don't forget the reading!" Ven called after the class as they rushed out. Once the room was empty, he sighed, turning back to the board.
"It never gets any easier…" he whispered to himself as he erased the five Union names.
…
A/N:
Hazel – mine
Amber – WolfieRed23
Chronos – pureshadow013
This chapter was EXTREMELY hard to write. I hope I got your OCs correct, at least!