(Chapter 1: The Awakening Part 1 )

Pink Sakura blossoms fell everywhere as the warm spring wind drifted about gently. The sun on high shone down upon the old and slightly withered building that was the dojo for the town.

From inside its front doors emerged a lone tall long red-coated figure. He sighed as he looked around himself sadly. Turning back, he looked at the place that was his home with a look of nostalgia before heading down the few stairs that led to his abode.

But suddenly, there was a sound of running from behind him, and as he began to turn to see what it was, there was a desperate cry, "Master, don't go!" A young girl then hugged onto his long red robes tightly from behind. Tears were pouring down her face.

Feeling them as they soaked into him, he was silent for a few moments, but then he turned around and bent down, reaching her level. He smiled at her and tried to calm the sobbing girl down as he held her shoulders firm but gently, "Now listen, I'll only be gone for a short while, but in that time, you can prove how truly strong you are. To me."

She looked up to him as her tears continued to pour down. He looked at her with a warm, loving smile and understanding eyes.

Turning to one of his pockets, he took something out. Opening his closed hand to her, he revealed a present inside for her. The girl looked at it puzzled and then looked back at him. He nodded to her silent question. Hesitantly she slowly reached her small hands across as she gently took the item.

Looking down at it for a few moments, he saw her look back up at him as she sniffled a little, her tears still pouring. However, quickly wiping her eyes with her long orange sleeve, he saw that she was trying so hard to smile for him, though she was struggling as her lips quivered. She said with what hard resolve she had, "Okay… I will; I'll wait for you!"

Smiling at her as she did this, knowing she was doing her best, he reached out his right hand as he stroked her head and hair... then after many moments, he slowly detached himself from the young girl. He walked along the path towards the gate. Looking back for a moment at the young girl, the strained smile still there, he told her, " Until I return, be strong…."

With that, he walked through the gateway as his days of long travel began and the young girl's many days of waiting for him began...

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Outside in the early morning hours, the birds were tweeting their sweet songs and flying into the air as the warm sun began to peer over the hills. Then the sunrise slowly turned the sky into a warm orange with rich yellow clouds making it even more majestic.

The light began to reach into a wooden window pane as it fell upon a messy sleeping bundle. It stirred slightly from this warm radiant disturbance.

"Mmm…" A young female voice groaned as the covers were removed, revealing dark black-haired locks in an untidy mess. She moved a hand to her eyes and opened them, revealing gentle lilac purple irises. She asked, puzzled, "Is it morning already?"

Looking around, she saw her old bedroom with its brown wooden floor and her few possessions glittering in the warm light. Blinking slightly, the girl sighed as she looked to her right at the dresser. Upon it, she saw her old candlewick, its flame burnt out. But the hair clip next to it was the most important thing that caught her gaze.

A smile then appeared on her face. Reaching for her treasure, she grasped it in her right hand and gently stroked her thumb over it. Its shape was a beautiful pattern of a Cherry Blossom with gold and silver beads making its centre.

Holding it in her hand, she then snuggled into her pillow. "Just another five minutes..." She uttered tiredly, wishing for sleep to come and get her again. For she felt so safe and warm at that moment...

"Nozomi!"

"Agh!" It was then that she was startled awake! Scrambling and getting up fast out of bed, she tried to process what had just happened! Looking around, she went to where she thought she heard that voice.

Looking out through the wooden paned window, she saw a young dark-skinned boy with lilac hair staring at her from the ground. He looked at her with an annoyed stare, asking, "C'mon, bed hair, aren't you ready yet?!"

Nozomi stared down at the boy, perplexed with confusion for a moment. But realization rushed over her, embarrassed she shouted down to him mad, "Wairu, you jerk!" With that, she began getting dressed as quick as she could!

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The number of Heartless that appeared in "The World That Never Was" was out of control for both Maleficent and Pete, who were struggling to fight back against the relentless hordes.

"Maleficent, there ain't never gonna be an end ta this!" Pete said, exasperated, as he bashed another heartless away with one of his grand fists.

Maleficent was undeterred; nothing was going to get in her way! "You fool, don't you think-!" Then suddenly she felt something, a strange power inside the castle. It was calling out to her. She stared at the staircase, confused at how and why she felt this power?

"Hey Maleficent, what do ya think yer-!"

"Be quiet, you fool!" Maleficent told him! Then closing her eyes, she felt the power hiding in the castle. It resided deep down inside the mysterious structure, somewhere far, yet it was so close to them. Maleficent opened her eyes, feeling its beckoning call, as a knowing smile began to grace her face.

"Yes… I do believe we could use that…" she smiled to herself.

Pete stared at her absolutely, confused, but before he could even have asked what she was talking about. He saw her raise her staff!

VOOM!

Suddenly a huge dark portal of power emerged from within the centre of the white staircase platform they were on. From within its strange murky depths, a blue light appeared. It was a light beckoning to the two of them as it throbbed with life.

Pete was wide-eyed in shock as he looked down at it, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Where did that portal there come from!?"

"Be silent! There is something that is calling for us… I believe we should meet its call…." She smiled as she started to walk to the portal.

"Call? Someone's callin ya? How do ya know that it's-" Before he could continue asking, though, Maleficent had already disappeared through it.

Pete stared on and then he heard a noise behind him, turning around he saw a huge black Heartless with claws and a slithering tongue that came charging straight towards him!

He turned pale as his ears fell! There was no time to hesitate as he charged towards the portal himself! "Hey, don't leave me here ta deal with this!" He cried out.

Then before the creature could get to him, he had jumped straight into the mysterious dark depths. The light that glowed brightly turned into a light turquoise shade. As the Heartless tried to chase after Pete-!

ZZZAAAPPP!

It was thrown back as the light flashed angrily against it. The creature was eradicated in seconds as its dark embers quickly away into nothingness...

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It was about ten minutes when Nozomi finally appeared, huffing and puffing as she made it through the front door. She had quickly dressed into her usual purple, blue striped long-sleeved turtle neck top and her blue trousers with the white veils around the knees. She quickly pulled her right arm through her pink waistcoat as she held the door frame. She looked to the gate and saw Wairu again lying against the stone gateway as he tapped his foot gently against it, waiting for her.

Seeing him and his calm disposition annoyed Nozomi as she quickly walked over to him.

He coolly opened his light blue eyes as he told her, "You're a minute later than usual…."

Nozomi, now in front of him, retorted, "Well, sue me if I'm not perfect, Mister clown pants! Besides, I know you left it to the last minute to get me didn't you?"

Wairu indeed did look like a clown to her, with his strange blue twin-tailed harlequin hat on his lilac-coloured hair. Added to this were his baggy blue pants with the weird chequer things on his knees. Then finally, his odd long grey gloves with tears embroidered in and his blue, black and pink coloured waistcoat.

Wairu didn't take the comment seriously as he detached himself from the stone pillar. "Not telling…." He said with a smirk as he walked down the gravel road.

Irritated at his smug behaviour, Nozomi then began to walk behind him. As they continued to travel this way in silence, she began to get bored as she looked at Wairu. It had been the same morning routine for the past few weeks, which annoyed her bitterly with him. Since she had to rely on him to wake her up just because she couldn't afford a new alarm clock.

Also, she couldn't understand why he got into this joker look, for she knew that everyone picked on him because of it. Especially one group in particular gave her a bitter feeling when she imagined their taunting faces.

Then as they made it into the Bamboo grove, surrounded by the tall green lean shoots. She decided this silence had gone on long enough, it was getting boring remaining silent as they walked on down the road. So she decided with a mischievous smile to make things fun!

Wairu, in his calm thoughts, listened to everything around him, hearing the birds high in the groves and the rustling bamboo. He was feeling at peace and one with nature. When-!

"Yoink!"

Before he realized it, he saw Nozomi had snatched his hat from him! Bouncing it in her hand, she asked him with a grin, "How do you like that then hat hair!"

Wairu was shocked but recovered quickly as he said, annoyed, "Give that back!" He rushed forwards to try and retrieve it.

Nozomi smiled as she dodged his attempts to get his hat back, then he turned around and tried to lunge at her. She moved faster and jumped over him as though they were playing leapfrog!

"Oomph!"

Turning around as she landed with some practised grace, she saw Wairu had landed flat on his face! Seeing victory was hers, she laughed, making a fist pump, "I always get you with that every time!"

Grumbling slightly, Wairu began to try and get back on his feet. Turning around to look at her with annoyance. He asked her, "Why did you have to go and pick on me!"

Nozomi's smile softened, losing its mischievousness. Walking over, she extended a hand to him and answered, "Because you do the same to me!"

Looking at her extended hand, Wairu blinked as he remained quiet. But seeing she meant well, and it was her usual playful antics, he smiled before he took her offer and stood on his feet again. He dusted himself off as Nozomi gave him his hat back, saying with curiosity, "But I do wonder why you still want to wear that hat….you've had it forever!"

Wairu looked at her with cool eyes, then took and placed the treasured article of clothing back on his head as he answered, "It's my secret…." With that, he walked on ahead, keeping his gaze now from meeting hers.

Nozomi stared after him as she raised a single eyebrow in question. But deciding not to take things so seriously that early in the morning, she smiled and quickly went to catch up to him...

Finally, after half an hour, they arrived at the red gateway that led to the entrance of the brown-bricked Bamboo High School building. As they stood in the dusty orange front courtyard, Nozomi complained, "I really wish we didn't have to come in so early on a Sunday…."

"Well, that's just the way it is…." Wairu then started to walk on towards the double windowed doors. But before he opened it to let himself in, he decided to reveal to her with a sly smile, "Oh! And you've got your waistcoat on inside out, plus you forgot to wipe off some toothpaste on your face!"

Nozomi, surprised, was quiet then as he left. She ran up to the doors and saw her reflection in the glass, she saw a stain of green on the side of her mouth, and indeed, there they were the inlays of her waistcoat! Annoyed at herself and him, she uttered, "You jerk!" With that, she hurriedly tried to sort herself out before finally entering the building to begin her morning education.

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Meanwhile, in the castle's deepest reaches, Pete stared at their surroundings with unease. They were within the deepest black chambers he'd ever seen. It seemed so ancient and barren as he saw the old brickwork. Looking nervously at Maleficent as he trailed behind her, he saw her smiling as she looked about. He assumed it was in growing anticipation of finding the source of the strange power that lurked further down the corridor.

"Hey, uh Maleficent, I don't like da feel of this…." Pete said as he stared at the eerie purple electric orbs that began to crackle with light as they made their way further in.

"If you find this place quite inadequate to your tastes, you may as well try to survive out there." She mused as she continued to walk on.

Pete blinked at this; what was better? Being down here in a dark corridor or surviving against a battalion of hungry Heartless? The answer was too obvious; "Well, I ah course not, I don't wanna go through that again! But… how do ya know whatever it is down here is gonna even help us out?"

At this, Maleficent turned around and looked at Pete with a look of dark knowledge as she grinned menacingly. This scared him slightly as he backed away a few steps, "Because this power is calling out… it wishes for a Master."

Pete blinked again as he asked, "A master, huh?" However, he didn't get a reply, so the two of them walked forwards for a while before finally, they came across what they were looking for.

Maleficent stopped, as did Pete, as they stood before a grand door with a strange Heart symbol in the centre with thorns all over it. It wasn't the emblem of the Heartless nor that of the Nobodies. Instead, it was two halves of a Heart; one side was upright while the other was opposite, and in-between the two was a diamond that seemed to keep the odd structure as one shape.

"I see then, so this is where it dwells…." Maleficent spoke as she placed her sharp-nailed hand onto this odd Heart crest. She whispered some magical words, and quickly, an immense green light began to shine as something underneath it began to move...

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It was now lunchtime, and finally, morning classes were over; walking outside, having finished her meal. Nozomi sighed, depressed, as she collapsed onto the log bench in the playground.

"Why do they have boring physics classes on a Sunday!" She complained.

Then, Wairu came and sat next to her as he said, "How on earth can you complain about physics? You're the top in the Maths class."

She then looked at him, annoyed, "Because at least in maths class, it makes sense! In Physics, it's the total opposite!" Looking away to the criminal classroom, which held the lesson she had to endure, she added, "And besides, who can understand a teacher who sounds as though they're talking backwards?"

Wairu looked at her again with disbelief as he retorted with an amused smile, "Well, maybe it's because your brain's on backwards?"

At this, Nozomi froze as she looked at him with annoyance brewing at his smugness. She then retorted angrily, "Oh, that's nice coming from Mr I want to become a wizard but can't even mutter one spell without making a mess!"

Wairu winced instantly at this, upset he turned his face angrily away.

….

An uncomfortable silence came between them as the revenging smile on Nozomi's face quickly disappeared and turned into one of worry and regret. She knew for a long time that it had been Wairu's childhood dream to be a Master Wizard. Because of his many failures to master the craft, he was very sensitive when talking about his abilities.

Nozomi began to reach out a hand to him to start some kind of an apology, saying, "Wairu I-" When-!

"Hah! I got it!"

Before either of them could have reacted, someone the two knew all too well had snatched Wairu's hat and hopped over the low red brick wall to run back into the main playground to re-join his gang.

"Reno!" Nozomi shouted, outraged.

He didn't stop, so she said, "Not this again!" With that, jumping over the wall too, she followed him hurriedly into the playground with Wairu following closely behind her, clearly desperate to retrieve his trademark accessory.

In front of the brown wood fort, she could see him and his gang as she arrived in front of them. In the group, she saw Reno in his red and white flamed vest and green pants as he dangled the hat around tauntingly while laughing. His red long spiky hair was tied back with his trademark goggles on his head, while he had his green eyes closed as he laughed out loudly. With his eyes concealed behind his black shades, Rude smiled smugly with his arms crossed in his black and white T-shirt waistcoat and long baggy trousers. Then, finally, there was Elena looking at them both with annoyance in her brown eyes, dressed in an orange skirt and a long-sleeved white long-sleeved blouse with red stripes, with white socks and red trainers on to finish.

Nozomi could hear that she was trying to persuade them, "Reno! Give back Wairu's hat! I've told you to stop doing this kind of thing!"

The red-haired goggle-wearing boy paid her no mind uttering, "Sorry, what was that? Can't hear ya! You're too quiet!" With a smirk.

"Hey!"

Then he and Rude looked over to see Nozomi had finally made it to their usual hangout. With a taunting tone, he asked her throwing the hat around in his hands, "Ah, so it's you, huh? Here to help your old buddy as usual, are ya?"

Nozomi was about to retort something back to him when suddenly Wairu intervened, stepping in front of her, "I don't need her to babysit me! I can take care of my own problems!"

She looked at him, shocked; why was he saying that? He had never tried to fight like this in the past. She asked him, "Wairu, what're you saying!"

Reno raised an eyebrow at this as he laughed, saying, "Oh sure… as though you can really fight for yourself, you always just used to cry at stuff like this, so why now the sudden change, huh?"

Wairu only glared at him as he said, "Who cares? It's my business! Now I want my hat back!" He said as he pointed at Reno threateningly.

Reno smiled eagerly, throwing the hat over to Rude, saying," Sure! You can have it back, Mister Wizard…." Then reaching his back, he brought out his hardened blue plastic rod sword as he said, " If you can even manage to cast one spell!"

Then Elena tried to intervene and say, "Reno, please cut this out already! It'll just be-!"

But it was already too late to stop him as he started to charge at Wairu, who looked on at him with fierce determination in his eyes, as he began to chant a red hot spell between his hands!

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Maleficent and Pete discovered they were in a dark chamber as the green light faded. In the centre of the room was an elegant black long shape resembling a coffin.

It was illuminated by a green diamond device in its center that created veined lines that beat with chilling life. These lines connected not just to the coffin itself but to the rest of the floor, showing that the focus of power was upon whatever rested inside it.

On closer inspection, as Maleficent proceeded towards it, she saw again that same two-halved heart crest on the side of the coffin that had been upon the door she had just opened.

Maleficent smiled and said, "Ah? So this is where it sleeps…." She got closer to the coffin.

Pete felt more and more nervous as he looked at it, and as he saw Maleficent get closer, he asked nervously, "Maleficent are ya sure ya wanna be touchin that thing? I mean, it's-?"

But he was interrupted as Maleficent said harshly, "Be silent, you fool! This power needs to be released and made useful…." With those words, she held her hand over the green diamond and added, "It requires concentration, so one more word out of you." She turned and said with sinister intent, "I'll feed you to the Heartless myself!"

Pete instantly shut his mouth as Maleficent turned back and began to chant in a strange language. He watched as the diamond over the coffin started to shine with a brilliant green light and move! He watched, opened-mouthed in astonishment, as the mysterious object unfolded and revealed a bed of some kind that raised up. Upon it was a sleeping figure completely shrouded in a sheet of black velvet, making it hard to see who or what could be underneath it.

Maleficent finally opened her eyes as the diamond burst and turned into shards that faded away into the darkness as its function was now complete. Unfazed by this, she gazed instead upon the shrouded being that breathed in and out gently as it slumbered underneath the black velvet sheet.

Maleficent's smile widened as she looked at the figure menacingly. Pete watched with wide eyes as he saw her take hold of the sheet and throw it away, finally revealing the sleeping figure underneath.

….

The silence was heavy in the air as the two concentrated on the sight before them.

After some moments of stirring, it was then slowly a pair of emerald green eyes revealed themselves as they opened for the first time in so many years. As they sat up and gazed at the dark ceiling above them. They finally looked upon the two beings who had caused their awakening...

(Art found: www . Deviantart lrme87)