Prologue

An endless field of darkness, an abyss that welcomed him with opened arms.

The young man knew no comparison for he never experienced such a vast region of dark nothingness nor such weightlessness. Alone in this vast world of obscurity is all he knew, with no pull of gravity or brightness of light. He didn't know he moved, floated in the darkness until, gradually, light met his red eyes. Above, that happened to be a thing, a direction he knew so well and thus, he craned his neck to look up beyond him.

His eyes swiftly rested on a circle of blurred color; small and distant. It didn't take long before that small circle began to grow in size, telling him that he moved at a slow gradual pace. With time, he eventually realized that colored circle to be a stained glass mosaic, one with the bright vivid green and warm brown of his forest home as the two dominant colors. What stood out the most to him happened to be the large mosaic image of himself taking center stage. The image of him showed his eyes closed and wearing an outfit very similar to his own, a form-fitting black shirt with slightly lose elbow length sleeves, silver gauntlets and greaves, brown pants, and a trio of belts with jeweled buckles and holding two sacks for items. His long silver hair and leporine ears contrasted beautifully against the vibrant green and brown around them.

A circle with three smaller circles stood behind the image of his likeness. Three of them were empty. Two held the faces of two women that contrasted sharply with each other with one being a 'flower' in appearance and the other being a 'mage'. Lastly, the image of an individual in pink robes and wearing a fox mask filled the last circle. Beneath these circles happened to be a backsplash of a city that held a large and tall clock tower standing high above the other buildings. Behind it stood the solitude of a large tree of an aqua-green hue, that of iridescent crystal. Both drew the eye to them first before allowing those same eyes to the rest of the image.

When he finally reached the giant mosaic, the pull of gravity finally took effect and began to pull him in. Due to its weak pull, he had enough time to flip himself so his silver-incased feet could touch the multicolored glass. With his hair settling softly behind his back, he finally felt the full strength of gravity and felt slightly reassured by its presence.

He stood where he landed, and looked slowly around him. He couldn't comprehend fully what he saw with his eyes. In front, behind, and all around him the darkness gave the impression of infinity but he didn't know for sure whether the darkness was an illusion or real. However, he knew for sure that he stood alone with the darkness as his companion and the strange mosaic under his feet being another.

Until he heard a voice, low and soft in its cadence.

You now have the gift…

His ears twitched in surprise as he looked around him once more. Quickly this time but he found no one. His eyes still saw nothing but darkness and the shining glass beneath his feet.

"Who's there?" he demanded, halting a moment when his voice proved to be too loud for his sensitive ears. "I don't need a gift from one I am not familiar with."

What form will it take?

Annoyance flared hot and heavy in his chest. If he happened not to be unnerved by the current situation he found himself in then the current unfolding events made him so now. But he could do little to change that or even reprimand the owner of the voice as three pedestals slowly rose from the glass surface he stood on. Each one held an item on their small surface; a wand, a sword, and a shield. He hesitated before he walked slowly and cautiously to the nearest one. It held the shield, and as he slowly bent down to examine it with his eyes, the voice spoke once more.

The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all.

He would be lying if he said that the shield and what his unknown and invisible friend said about it didn't intrigue him. However, he didn't grab the shield since he quickly decided to examine the other items and hear what the voice had to say about them. Being rash and hurried would prove to be unwise.

He went to the wand next and waited.

The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin.

One of his eyebrows rose at this. Both shield and wand had their strengths and flaws. Again, he decided to wait and thus, he went to the next item, the sword.

The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction.

The edges of his lips pulled downward as he stood back and reflected on each of the items' descriptions. He knew full well that the shield, wand, and sword weren't dangerous on their own but in the hands of those who held them. With a deep breath, he made up his mind and pivoted on his feet so he faced the sword. A few quick strides brought him closer and he grasped the handle. He quickly realized that the sword felt much lighter but chastised himself for being surprised. He was raised to be a warrior and guardian for his forest home and a small sword's weight shouldn't be something he noticed.

The sudden disappearance of the sword from his hands truly caught him off guard and the strong heat ignited in his chest.

Now, what will you give up in exchange?

He paused as his eyes rested on the last two items, his thoughts stilled. The wand drew his eyes, and he slowly approached it before grabbing it with his right hand. He didn't think much about its weight this time but about how fast it faded away in his hand.

Without warning and sound, the three pedestals slowly sank back into the surface, leaving no mark or trace that they existed.

You have a long journey ahead of you….

Along it, you will find the creatures that lurk in the darkness of man and child…

From the corner of his eyes, a spot of black on the bright glass mosaic caught his attention. He turned his head toward it and saw a pair of black pools marring the colorful surface of the mosaic. His eyes narrowed as he stepped back, preparing himself to the best of his ability. Rising slowly from those puddles of shadow were a pair of small insect-like beings with bright yellow eyes. Not sure how to proceed, he stepped back once more, and the disembodied voice spoke once again.

Don't be afraid…

For you have with you a weapon that can defeat them.

He felt something warm and slightly heavy in his right hand then. This brought a flash of bright light which revealed a unique….weapon of some kind. It bore no resemblance to a sword or claymore but it happened to be a vague mesh of skeleton key and sword with a deep cobalt guard. The main body of the weapon stemmed from the cross-guard and in a lighter shade of blue. The tip happened to be connected to a hollow star with an arrow on the other side, pointing away.

"A Keyblade!"

He only heard whispers of such a weapon on the wind passing through the verdant branches of his home, on the lips of his people, and the stories from the few voyagers traveling through. Stories that told the power of such a weapon and that power to repel the creatures like the ones before him. Questions began to flood his mind but before he could focus on them, one of the dark creatures leaped at him with claws outstretched. His years of training kicked in then, and he spun out of the way of the creature and his right arm swung down as the creature flew past. The edgeless weapon cut through it easily and he swung smoothly back into position.

It wasn't long before the other creature leaped at him, four more taking its place after rising from the pool of shadows. His muscles began to warm and strain as he leaped around the mosaic floor, his movements taking him away from the claws of his enemies and his senses helped him with his fight. He swung his weapon in a steady and deadly dance, parrying and counter-attacking the ferocious movements of the shadowy creatures. Three were quickly eliminated as he sliced through them with ease. The last one danced around him, trying to find an opening but ended up the same as its brethren with a final swing of his strange new weapon.

With his dark and shadowy enemies gone, he slowly relaxed. With a deep breath, his red eyes gazed around him. His environment stood the same as he arrived, a vibrant mosaic floor in an empty world of darkness. Those same red eyes finally landed on the Keyblade in his hand, and he slowly held it up so he could see it clearly for the first time. He didn't realize that a pool of darkness began to develop under his feet as he did so and only when it passed his ankles did he realize that he didn't stand evenly against the mosaic glass. He began to move, trying to pull his feet from the sticky blackness but it proved to be a fruitless endeavor; he continued to be pulled into its unknown depths.

"No!"

That happened to be the only word he managed to utter, the Keyblade glazing the dark surface ineffectually in his struggle. Soon he found himself neck-deep in that black pool, his stoic side of his character finally giving away as he began to scream in fear.

Out of the darkness of the world, a voice began to speak, to comfort.

Keep your light burning strong. Don't be afraid...you hold the greatest weapon of all.

Faolan Huorlwesfo walked for many miles under the blue sky, the coolness of gray clouds, and the beating sun. The ground beneath his feet from rock to sand to grass to stone did change and change again. Sometimes he rode airships, the vastness of the ground below and the air above becoming a whole new world. Other times, he traveled by Chocobo

There happened to be much noise, much chaos, and vibrancy in the sundry and myriad paths of other races, and it seemed to him that all the ways in all the world had become those of them. It happened to be a vast contrast to the calm and gentle flow of the rainforest that was his home; Golmore Jungle. A home he could not come back to due to his decision to leave the safety of its arms.

There were times that he missed the slow pace and natural silence of the wood. Yet, he often found himself surprised due to enjoying the sudden richness and difference of the outside world.

This moment happened to be such an occurrence as the bouncing flying Moogle, named Monat Sowa and new yet temporary traveling companion, whistled softly as he moved along. Faolan often side-eyed the small and fluffily round Monat as both of them continued through the mountain pass, Faolan riding a Chocobo, Monat often flying beside him and the caravan of traders taking up their rear. The Viera man smiled slightly as his thoughts reflected on the varied appearances of the Moogles but halted in his thoughts as Monat began to chatter.

"It won't be long now!" Monat exclaimed, moving like a wave as a gust of warm autumn wind rushed under his small wings. "You see that ridge before us through the trees? Five minutes or so, we would be resting for a bit on that ridge and seeing the vastness of Daybreak Town beyond!"

Before Faolan could speak on the statement, he had to urge his Chocobo to shift into a speeder pace when Monat suddenly surged forward, hiding a slight smile as both he and his Moogle companion did so. A multitude of emotions flared painfully in his breast as the trees flew past and the coolness of the shade gave away as they broke away from the verdant shelter.

The momentary blindness of the sun parted like a curtain as the sun's warmth touched Faolan's skin and an autumn wind, one promising the coming of winter, brought forth the smells of wood smoke, and baked goods to his sensitive nose. His Chocobo slowed and stopped, claws scraping against some stone.

"Now isn't that lovely!" Monet cried out in reverence and awe.

Raising his hand above his eyes, Faolan waited for his eyes to finish adjusting to the sudden brightness of the open ridge. His ears twitched, catching a faint sound of civilization as his eyes finally swept over the vast valley below. His breath caught in his throat as the vibrant colors of Daybreak Town came into view. The aqua-green leaves glittered like jewels in the sun as the Myrrh Tree rested on the valley floor and the large tower sheltered under its branches added to its majestic splendor.

"Beautiful indeed," he slowly remarked, his ears trembling slightly as the others of the caravan finally caught up with him and Monat.

The city of Keyblade wielders lay majestically before him, with answers to his questions waiting unwearyingly.

Beautiful Indeed.

AN: And that's it! Hopefully, it is enough to catch your attention and please, don't mind the length. This an AU that meshes FF and KH which explains why my oc is a Viera. I am very happy to share this story with you all since this project has been in the works for some time. It's still a work in progress but I worked out the major kinks so the minor ones left over shouldn't hinder what is to come before I finish working on them.

Anyhow, I am over to write the next chapter (hopefully it will be up around Halloween) and I'll be waiting patiently for any review that you might send my way (constructive criticism is always welcomed so don't be afraid).