One Sky, One Land, One Ocean.

The Keyblade.

A weapon of fate and destiny. A weapon that chooses its wielder. A weapon that channels strength, and choice. Light or darkness.

Light is not good nor evil. Darkness is not evil, nor good.

Each manipulated many times. Rarely mastered truly.

The Dark Bloodline is a bloodline of Keyblade Wielders. Whom uses the darkness, to master it. And withdraws light.

The Keyblade War spawn destruction and death. And separation of the worlds.

But today, the worlds are rechained, together. Not just sharing the same sky. But one Sky.

One Land.
One Ocean.

Celestial Grounds used to be a former world, made up of three parts, in order from north to south.

Celestial City. A busy mondern day metropolis.
Tri-Star Town. A town where time has almost no meaning. Being between old and new.
And finally Astral Town. Which today seems to have almost vanished. The Memorial of the Fallen forest has grown and covers most of the whole town. It's no longer Astral Town, now known as Astral Forest.

Within the snowy blizzard a figure was walking along the path to this place.

Completely blank from the snow. Only a small dot moving from a view. No sound either.

The figure walked along until they made it to the forest. A arch sign covered in snow.

"Astral T---"

Most of it broken off or covered with snow.

She began to work through the forest. The forest was dark yet bright from the snow. But there was a coherent path this figure knew how to traverse wisely.

And there was another arc sign deep, deep, deep into the forest.

The gate broken down, the lock lost in the snow. One half of the gate is on the ground, the other hanging on the hinges.

The figure began to enter this area. This one was brighter. It glew a bright blue. The trees with markings shined bright.

The figure went next to not a tombstone, a memorial of the fallen. The figure removed the hood revealing their face.


http://media.animevice.com/uploads/0/2262/94433-rty6456_large.jpg

Meanwhile, on a world known as "Asylum", no longer a fitting name, two teenage children were talking in an alley.

"Kage, you know you shouldn't do that!" said one of them, clearly female.

Her companion replied, "Relax, sis. We've been fine so far haven't we? Besides, it's not like we have a better way to get food." He placed one hand on the hammer in his belt-loop. "We haven't since we got here..."

"Well...that doesn't mean we can just take from people!" said the girl.

"Okay, what job do you think we qualify for, then?" asked Kage, clearly agitated. "I'm sorry, Hikaru, but I can't let you go without food, and I'm not going without food either. Besides, the people in this town have their own problems to worry about."

"So why do you insist on giving them more?"

"Because if I don't, we're both going to die, and I'm not going to let that happen. Not to you, not to me." Kage crossed his arms. "If you're not coming, I'll go alone."

Hikaru sighed. "You're too stubborn!"

Kage smirked. "Stubborn or not, I'm older than you are."

"We're twins!"

"So? I was born first."

"Ugh..."

Kage left the alley, while Hikaru remained behind. He headed across the street and around some corners until he reached a bakery. It looked empty...He grabbed a loaf of bread and made his way quietly to the door, where he bumped into someone.

"Thief!"

"Crap!" Kage made a break for it, jumping straight through the nearest window, and ran.

Somewhere in the land around Asylum, there was a boy at home in his manor. Living with his family and learning his way around the country side. The boy's name was Rosen, Rosen Di Vani. He was inspecting a book case, looking for it, the secret opening he saw his father enter the night before he disappeared leaving just a apology note. He ran his fingers under a cabinet and paused at a button. He pushed in on it and saw the wall slowly slide aside.

He ducked inside and gasped. It was like a lab, in fused with a wizards potion center. He walked further into the room and saw a desk with a dim lamp and a journal on top. Rosen reached up and brushed his bangs away from his face, then grabbed the journal. something was inside it, a flat tile with a symbol craved into it. After a while of reading it, he heard a crash and a scream, like a young girl being attacked. The boy shot up, grasping his book and running into the main hall way. There he saw a figure in a white coat, standing at a solid 7 feet and holding his little brother by the hair, his sister on the ground unconscious. The man turned slowly and pointed at him, six silvery knights appeared.

"Kill him, search the home." The man said as he walked up the staircase with Rosen's screaming and sobbing younger brother. 'Where is father? Sure he could have stopped this by now!' Rosen thought as he backed away from the knights, the closet one jumped at him.

Rosen ducked quickly, and kicked at it's side, a thick crunch resulting as the empty suit fell over, a hole in its side. 'their just empty vessels' he thought as he readied himself for the second. He jabbed at it cracking his helmet and it collapsed. He smirked it was like punching a hallowed out log. moments after he dispatched of the last one, he found his hands were bloody from the jagged edges in the armor. He took off up the stairs after making sure his sister was still alive, he had to see if his mother was okay before escaping with her. But once he saw the upper hallway,which was in flames he knew he wouldn't be able to save them both, but then he saw the man in white again walking into the master bed room.

"No! stay away from my mother!" He yelled, running after him, his rage was so sudden that he didn't mind the flames that were burning his suit jacket and pants. Rosen stopped inside the once elegant bedroom of his parents and found his mother laying dead, clutching something to her chest, another knight standing over her, holding his bloodied sword staring blankly at him. Rosen let his anger break, he jumped at the metallic puppet, tackling the slow,heavy beast to the ground, and stared punching it, over and over until it had more holes in it than a wall after gun fight.

Rosen was panting hard,hands bloody and ripped open at the knuckles as he stood. He leaded over his mother slowly, not letting himself shed a tear, no matter how badly he wanted to curl up with her body and wait to die with her. "I will not cry, not now." He seethed as he rolled her on her back slowly an gently. under her was a white box, long and a bit wide, and wrapped in chains and seals.

He touched it and lifted it quickly as he had more knight puppets coming. he smelt smoke, the manor was burning down fast, he turned to the balcony, and ripped the doors open, he ran out and leapt off of it, to the lake down below. Falling for what felt like ages, he landed in the water, the box acting as a flotation device. But as he looked up to his home, in flames, and looking like it was under siege, He knew his sister, brother and dear mother were dead.

"Why...Why us?" He asked himself as he swam to shore. He had to get away fast, but where could he go?

It was a bright day in the Synthisle Province. The town below Capitol Circle mills with people. In the years that have past after the restoration of worlds, very little has changed for the citizens of Synthisle.

The town itself, known as Twilit Hills, is filled with small homes and family businesses meeting the needs of everyone in the area. Many of the families even providing services for the royalty and parliament on Capitol  Circle.

Capitol Circle, the center of government for Synthisle Province, housed two buildings. The historic Castle Willright, home of the long-respected Willright family, and the Parliament Hub, a beautiful structure created under the reign of Lance Willright whom installed a constitutional monarchy to hold the meetings of the citizens' elected officials.

Outside of the town, the province is ringed by two vast stretches of land. To the south, beyond Twilit Hills, stands a vast forest, known as the Lost Woods, very few of the townsfolk venture into the woods due to the forest's confusing nature.

To the north, beyond Castle Willright,  lies the the sloping fields for which the town got its name. The sunsets from the hills make the entire landscape glow due to the odd, reflective wheat that glows there. The grass, known as Twilit Wheat, reacts to the long wavelengths of red light from the sun creating a shimmering effect across the entire plain. The wheat, harvested annually, also is a large source of income for the farmers and bakers of Synthisle. It is harvested and sent out as Shimmering Loaf, a medicinal bread used to cure any elemental ailment, a natural Panacea the bread was much easier to produce and therefore more affordable.

It was a few days before the harvest and two figures sat on the hillside looking into the setting sun.

"Big Bro, why does the sun set red?" The smaller of the pair spoke, lying down in the grass, her arms behind her head, Brenna Willright swept a leg absentmindedly through the grass as she looked towards the sun.

The young woman had a small smile on her face, her long red hair glowing from the surrounding grass.

"It's because red is the longest wavelength of light. So, it reaches the farthest. That's the reason your hair's red, your inner light is so strong that it presents itself in your hair." Without looking up from his book, Jonah Willright answered. His spiked black hair and trained demeanor was a stark contrast to his sister's much more carefree take to life and long flowing hair.

The two were polar opposites. Even their skills and magic were opposites.  Jonah was a mage. Concentrating on dark and water magic, he used a magical lexicon to amplify his magic.   

Meanwhile, Brenna was a fighter. Concentrating on light and fire magic, she wielded a large broadsword, longer than she was tall.

"Jeez, bro, loosen up a little, why don't you?" Brenna asked playfully.

Jonah gave a small smile, closing his lexicon, "I've got to look after you. Believe it or not, it's a big job."

Brenna rolled her eyes, "I'm not THAT bad!"

Jonah nodded, "Whatever you say... Remember, we're heading home after the sun's done setting. So, I don't want any arguments."

"No fair! The grass will still be lit for like three hours!" Brenna protested.

"Exactly, that'll give us the light to find our way home." Jonah responded.

All hearts are the same, in the end...

At the southern end of Tri-Star Town sat an inconspicuous building, a place that no heed was paid to. An old-fashioned dojo, surrounded by other buildings of the old style. If one were to reach out and try to push open the door... they would find that it is made to slide open to the left. And occasionally, a young man in search of adventure would try it, because teenage boys had nothing better to do apparently.

They would usually be driven off by the old man who lived there. He was an intimidating sort of man, despite his lack of height. Hunched and thin-faced, thin face half-hidden by his ghostly-white beard and hair, the only distinguishable feature of this old man's face seemed to be his deep, golden eyes. Those were the eyes of a man who had seen much strife in his long-past time... But were easily mistaken for those of a demon.

And those sharp eyes were perfect for scaring off those annoying youngsters. They worked wonders. He wore a black kimono, which resembled those sometimes worn by swordsmen of old, and it only made him more startling, as if he came from some other world, far removed from this one. However, if one did not meet the ancient man and find themselves forced outside, they would slide open the door and step into a place that hardly seemed decrepit; it looked like it was used rather often. No smell of mold or dust, but rather, one of sweat and blood. This dojo was obviously being used for training, but who could possibly be living here?

If you dared to explore further, there would be a door opposite the entrance. Stepping forward, you would notice that there is a mat beneath your feet, and several pairs of shoes lined up on it. Compelled to take your shoes off, you would set them down and close the door behind you before proceeding across the polished wooden floor.

Would you dare to encroach upon this sanctuary further still...? Well, then, open the door, sliding it open as you did the first door, and step through. You'll find an unexpected scene: a messy, disorganized home, books and scrolls and pens and paper strewn about, and a boy sitting on the floor in front of a low table.

He's an odd little guy, about ten or twelve years old, but reading a book that, no doubt, you yourself don't understand. It's written in some forgeign language, and the boy appears to be engrossed. He is wearing a blue robe that doesn't really resemble a bathrobe or anything like that... more like something a wizard or priest might wear. Sitting nearby is a strange metallic black rod with a small orb attached to the end by a metal fastening. It has a mystical air about it... and nearby, there is a steepled hat, which looks clowny and out-of-place, but the more you stare at it, the less unusual it seems.

His hair is short and golden-colored, partially covering one of his eyes. It's a little scruffy and unkept in back, sticking out at odd angles. His eyes are a startlingly bright red, a feature so dissonant with his otherwise simple and adorable appearance that you find it strange that you didn't see notice it first.

Stepping into one of the adjoined rooms, this one has a window, and a pair of beds. A young man of sixteen, perhaps seventeen years of age is sitting on one of the two, the larger bed. His clothes are an odd mix, a sleek black vest, a formal blouse to match, but covering his legs are baggy cargo pants, tucked into shiny black boots. He wears a pair of black gloves, and appears to be conducting something - perhaps an invisible orchestra - with his finger.

His unkempt hair sticks forward and up, and it's a wonder that you can see his eyes, which are the same shade of fiery red as the younger one. His hair is actually waist-length, tied with a ponytil to keep it from getting too unruly. Not that it does much...

Engrossed in the rythmatic motion of his finger as he continues to conduct, he absentmindedly knocks over a pile of maps of the world as he begins to conduct with his hands, sending them tumbling over and adding to the mess; it appears that the two boys are brothers, and they live together in this room. It certainly has the disheveled look of a room shared by brothers...

Passing through the antechamber where the younger brother is still reading, you'll find another door, one leading into a hallway. There are two doors leading to bedrooms; one is a master bedroom, probably shared by the two boys' parents, with a bed made for two, and a number of drawers lining the walls, a very organized room. The other is a rather bare room lit by a single candle, where the elderly man mentioned before sits on his bed, contemplating something, meditating about some important issue... or napping. It could be hard to tell. This room, too, is a complete mess. Either those boys' cleaning habits (or lack thereof) had rubbed off on the old man, or he had been the one influencing them like that in the first place.

Just as you begin to wonder if they have a bathroom at all, you step back into the hall, stumbling into the kitchen, where a woman with blue hair is having trouble trying to cook something on the stove... with that strange hair color, she couldn't possibly be their mother, could she...? Well, she had a strange way of carrying herself that definitely matched the whimsical nature of the older brother, and a gentleness that seemed to be identified with the younger one.

Finally, you would find the bathroom, which is located through a door in the room where the younger brother is still reading. Feeling like an idiot for missing that doorway in the first place, you would step back into the dojo, wondering what you just saw. An old, but well-maintained and frequently-used dojo, behind which is an oddball, yet friendly home.


Of course, not that you would ever get past the old man. He has a way of appearing there when you least expect it. Open the screen door and WHAM! There he is, scaring stupid kids away from his home.

So, to most, it appears to be a strange, old building that nobody ever explores because of the rumors of a demon taking the shape of an old man trying to devour the souls os all who dare approach.


"Pretty silly, huh?" The voice had a slight lilt to it, obviously a lighthearted person.

With a slight giggle, a much higher voice responded. "Hehe, yep. But couldn't you have gotten the point across without that long story? I mean, I live there. I think I know what it looks like..."

Scratching his head, the brown-haired young man from the story sighed. "Nobis, you don't tell a story like that! It'd be no fun if I just said 'The old dude scares everybody off' and left it at that."

The younger brother responded with a nod. "You're right, bro. Still... isn't it a bit much that the people in town all think old man Matsuda is a demon?"

The elder brother shook his head, his hair flying about, that cursed color... were he born to a previous generation, no doubt his bloodline would have had him killed immediately, lest he do as those of that trait had before him. "Nah. The old man'd probably be overjoyed to hear about that."

The two were walking down a crowded street, where the noise was so thick, nobody would hear their talk of urban legends and other such things. They were on their way home, not a care in the world...

...And to the heart seeking freedom, this place is a prison, surrounded by the unknown. Every heart yearns to strike out into the unknown around their prison, but are entrapped by rules, or physical boundaries, or weakness, or simply because... there's no reason to go out there.

Nobis, the younger brother, looked up at the elder brother with a slightly worried look. "Redemi? Big bro? Isn't it about time we went home?"

Snapping out of a stupor he had unwittingly fallen into, Redemi shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "...Yeah. Let's go. C'mon, I'll let you piggyback the rest of the way if you promise to help me sort out my maps when we get back!"

"Awwww, but you knocked those over yourself! It's not my fault you're such a klutz." The boy jabbed playfully at his brother.

"Please? Those maps are important to me, and I meant to put them back after that, but I stopped to help Mom out with her cooking experiment and forgot. I mean, trying to cook sushi? On a stove? That doesn't make any sense!"

Folding his arms, pretending to be grumpy, Nobis pouted. "Fine, but you have to eat my food if it tastes bad this time."

"Alright" Redemi agreed, smiling.

Carrying his little brother, the young man who had only escaped an ill fate because of the hand of time... ran all the way home, laughing all the way.

How foolish. Always, they will leave, and only then will they realize that their homes are the only places where they can feel at ease. They will stay away, if only out of stubborn pride... I should know that going out there will only bring me more heartache. But... all hearts are the same. I am no different.

Elsewhere, in a house at an area known commonly as Destiny Islands, a teenage boy lay asleep in his second-story bedroom, wearing a meer black shirt and pants. His black hair was slightly askew, and his feet just barely rested on his bed due to how tall he was.

A loud beeping woke him up. He groaned and reached to his side, hitting the off button on his alarm clock before slowly getting up and out of his bed. He sighed slightly before walking out his bedroom door and heading downstairs to the kitchen.

When he arrived, he found a woman slightly shorter than him getting a box of cereal down from a cabinet.

"Morning, Mom," he greeted as he walked in heading towards the cabinet where the bowls were.

Turning around, the woman smiled. "Good morning, Zakk. You sleep well?" she asked, trying to make small talk with her only son.

"Well enough, I guess," he said as he got two cereal bowls down.

As he did this, she went to the fridge and got out a gallon of milk before walking over to him. Zakk had already gotten two spoons from a nearby drawer and handed one to her. They both poured their cereal and began eating.

While eating, Zakk cast a glance to the cabinet his mother had absentmindedly forgotten to close, noticing it's rather barren state.

"Looks like we're running out of food," he said between spoonfuls.

Glancing back, his mother nodded in agreement. "I planned on heading to the store later today."

"I can go, if you want."

"No, that's fine," she reassured him.

"No, really, I'm not really doing anything today," he insisted.

"Alright," she conceded.

"Besides, I was thinking about swinging by there to see if they're hiring."

His mother was a bit surprised by this. "Really?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "I figured that, what with things being a bit rough since we lost Dad, the extra income might be nice."

Zakk's mother smiled slightly. It had been two months since her husband had passed, and while she'd been able to hold up well enough on her own, it was much more comforting to see her son taking initiative like this.

If only the twins at Asylum were so lucky as to have only lost their father. Kage spent at least 20 minutes trying to escape the baker.

"Whew," he sighed as he finally found that he did. "No way I'd have made that if I had a bigger hammer...I don't need a bigger one, though. Good thing." He looked around the town. "Now...if I just had the vaguest idea where I was..."

He spotted the castle off in the distance. Everywhere around the town he went, he heard of an "Organization XIV" that lived there, apparently nothing more than a mockery of the original, long before. Kage shook his head. "Man, they're the lowest form of scum," he mumbled to himself. He sighed, and set out around the town, trying to find Hikaru.
---
Hikaru herself had been having trouble staying in one place. Kage had been gone way longer than it should have taken to get a loaf of bread...the bakery was only around the corner. "C'mon, Kage, where are you?" she whispered. "If you're so much older than me, why are you so thick-headed sometimes?" Hikaru sighed. But what could she do? All she could do was use the most basic forms of White magic. Completely useless in combat. If she tried to find Kage, she'd just get in his way.

Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed, and Hikaru jumped. "L-lightning?" she said, looking up at the castle. Sure enough, a storm seemed to be brewing up there, but she knew better than to look. The group that had taken over that castle had been oppressing the town since before she and Kage had gotten there.

The lightning distracted her so that she almost didn't see the shadow creeping up behind her. As it was, she almost walked right into it. Just a Shadow Heartless, but the sight of it terrified her. Hikaru turned and ran, anywhere there weren't Heartless.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu6SyrpStPs&list=SP6AF26C5AFE28BFA4&index=5>
The wind swept silent over the valley, skirting over the glistening snow. From the rolling hillsides, all looked to be in slumber. The birds that once thrived on the berries of the valley are gone, having flown elsewhere long ago. Mammals of all sorts were hibernating, deep within the trees and earth of the valley. Beneath the rigid surface of the now frozen valley stream, fish swam idly, their activity slowed by winters gentle caress.

Atop the ice, a young man stood, silent, seemingly breathless.

The young man, eyes closed, listened to the wind that embraced him as it passed. His eyes opened slowly, revealing a startling shade of blue and emerald green. Silently, the young man stepped off the ice, making his way slowly through the valley.

After what seemed like an hour's long journey, the young man arrived at a modest manor that, like everything else in the valley, was blanketed in snow. On its sturdy oak door, a letter was tacked on. Curious, the young man removed the letter; it was addressed to him. Opening up the door, he stepped inside, removing a coat of militaristic design, a gift from a friend, placing it upon a coat hook. The manor was empty, as it usually was. The young man's folks had gone to live in Celestial City long ago, leaving the manor and consequently the valley to their only son. Making his way to a small kitchen, the young man sets about brewing some spiced black tea. After doing so, he sits down, and begins to read, the light from the frosted windows glistening over the letter in his hands.

To my dear friend Galia Kokoro,

I pray this letter finds you well. All is peaceful still in the Land of Shimmering Blades, although I can not be sure that it will bode the same for the future. Our last discussion before you left, regarding your lack of receiving guidance by fate like your ancestor; I know it must still trouble you. Your father reflected this to me in a recent letter, that during your last visit to your parents, you asked much about your great grandfathers innate gift. I understand your plight, as I struggled to find what my path was to be, and still struggle every day to keep it. If there is anything I have learned from my ancestor that relates to you, it is that fate is a guiding hand in our lives, whether or not its presence is felt. I pray this gives you some solace, though I know truthfully it will not at this time. In time though, you will find the meaning of what your path is to be, and what your ties to fate are. I have a sense that you will do so in the midst of others, each of whom seek something along their paths. I know you, more than anyone else, will watch over these individuals in their journey. As such, do not hesitate to visit your tutor's lands, need you of anything.

Sincerely,

Johann Kraus

Galia, stroking the back of his head, sighed. His mentor was always able to read people so clearly. He set the letter down on a table, finishing the last of his tea. He stood up, making his way upstairs to his room. Much like his ancestor, it was cluttered with bookshelves, which filled to the brim with books of all kinds. Astronomy, philosophical, economic, these books transcended all planes of thought. Galia had gathered them from the grand archives of his family, which was established by Gunamnex Kokoro over a century ago. It was located within Tri-Star town, its doors barred to all but those of blood. Galia had spent most of his short life there that it was presumed by many that he lived there. With great effort he obtained the right to keep a small portion of the archives at home, so much was his respect for the bloodline's past felt by the elders. Out of every category of writing however, it was the art of warfare that intrigued this calm, polite young man. He would spend hours pouring over such texts. He much loved the books written by Roland Kraus, his ancestors mentor. It can be said that reading them as a young child had inspired him to take up the art of swordsmanship, of which only being taught by Johann Kraus would do, as decided by his parents and elders.

Galia made his way over to a desk, his latest reading laid upon it. It was a rather old book, one of the oldest from the archive, one written by Gunamnex himself. It was an account of the world, of the places Gunamnex had visited. Galia enjoyed it very much, as like his ancestor, he too enjoyed the majesty of the world laid out before him. Just as he was about to sit down, he felt a gust of wind across his backside. It was startling, for the house was sealed up, the windows and doors shut tightly to preserve warmth. Looking down, he saw the pages of the book turn, stopping upon the page titled Astral Town. He looked around him for a moment, then nodded. Heading back downstairs, Galia grasped his coat off its hook, bundling it tightly. Opening the oak front door once more, he heads out, uncertain of what he is to do, only that Astral town, the original Astral town, is his destination.

Quiet. This is how he enjoyed the world. With his sister momentarily distracted by the beauty of the setting sun, Jonah took in the silent awe of nature around him. The wind slowly gliding through the grass causing the blades to rub against one another whispering softly to one another in the setting sun.

Jonah closed his eyes for a moment smiling at the serenity of the situation.

Brenna gasped, destroying Jonah's world of peace with the simple intake of breath. She stood up from where she was sitting, her frame was rigid. Jonah could sense her fear without even reading the emotion on her face.

"What's the matter, Brenna?" Jonah asked calmly, surveying the field and trying to catch what his sister had become so worried about.

"Heartless."

A single word and Jonah knew, the peace he had just enjoyed wouldn't be returning for a long time. He stood hoping that the young woman was mistaken, that she had seen an illusion caused by the setting sun.

However, she was right. A small group of Shadow heartless worked their way through the field towards them. Jonah opened his lexicon and watched the creature's approach, calculating their movements with calm eyes, "Brenna, stay back. Your fire will hurt the crops..."

Brenna nodded putting out the fire she had begun to conjure in her palm, "Y-yeah, you're right. Should I go tell someone?"

Jonah nodded as a small vortex of water gathered in his open palm becoming a tangible whip of liquid, "That'd be the smart thing to do. Now, go. I'm sure I can handle these few."

Brenna nodded, "You can do it, big bro." She turned on her heel and took off towards town.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbhEWzQ_vIA

Jonah eyed the first approaching heartless, the small Shadow approached as one with the ground. When it rose to slash at him with its lucid claws, the young man hopped backwards out of reach, flaying the small heartless with the tendril of water.

The small creature fell in two and dissappeared in a puff of black smoke to reform elsewhere. Jonah smirked, his worry clearing from his face, "Well, you aren't all that tough!" Another Shadow resurfaced further away and under Jonah's influence, the tendril of water lashed out piercing a hole in the inky blackness of the Shadow. It too, like it's comrade, dissappeared.

Jonah whirled around, letting his momentum carry the tendril of water outwards as he spun. It caught one of the last remaining two Shadows across the mid-section injuring it but not outright destroying it. The second ducked beneath the attack and moved towards Jonah as he recalled the tendril of water into his hand.

"Blizzard!" Jonah commanded the spell into action as icy spikes jutted from his palm towards the injured heartless, killing it on impact. The last Shadow reach Jonah just in time to catch him with a grazing slash tearing a horizontal line across the back of his calf.

"Gah!" Jonah jumped forward in reaction to the attack, turning on the remaining heartless, "Heh, you aren't the only one with claws, buddy."

"Dark Thunder!" A black bolt struck the heartless vaporizing it as Jonah stood favoring his uninjured leg.

"I better get home. Hopefully, they took Brenna seriously..." Jonah spoke to himself as he half-walked, half-limped back towards Capitol Circle.

The two boys were sitting down in the living room, on the floor before the low table, talking.

"So, you've learned how to set things on fire?" Redemi asked his little brother, smiling.

Proudly holding up the book he had been reading earlier, Nobis gleefully grinned. "Well... only in theory. I haven't had the chance to practice today, but I understand how I'm supposed to do it. Wanna go outside and try it after dinner?"

"Sure! Sounds like fun, as long as you're not using me as a target." The older brother agreed.

Announcing his presence with a strange chuckle, the old man sat down, musing over Nobis's studies. "You've been learning how to use magic lately... You're certainly a quick study. After all, you've learned to use Fire fairly fast."

Nobis blinked. "Uhm, but it took me a month to get this far. I'd hardly call that 'fast'..."

Handwaving it, Matsuda dispelled the boy's worries. "Oh, I once had a friend who would go on and on about 'magic this' and 'magic that', and I seem to recall him telling me that the basics of magic take a long time to learn, but once they have been mastered, spells are much faster. Some people take at least a year before they can use Fire. You've gotten it in a month? You're a regular prodigy, just like my friend was..." Trailing off, he looked at the floor, depression setting in.

Redemi picked up on it and desperately changed the subject. He didn't like it when the old man reminisced about his friends... he was once told that they had all died some time ago, and Matsuda would always look pained when he talked about them for too long... and his thoughts tended to lead back to his old friends, which made it more difficult to take him mind off of them.

"S-so! We went into the market today, and saw a fruit on sale that came from some foreign land! It was really strange. A star-shaped fruit, kind of yellow. You should've seen the price tag... Why on earth would a star-shaped fruit be so expensive?" He spluttered, saying the first interesting thing that came to mind.

Nobis nodded furiously, trying to call Matsuda's attention back to casual conversation. "Yeah, I saw it too! Crazy-looking fruit, crazy price, and it definitely wasn't from around here."

The old man instantly looked back up at the mention of the star-shaped fruit. "Ahhh, the Paopu Fruit. You're right, it's from a place far away from here... an island in the middle of nowhere, the only place I know of that it grows."

"Y-yeah?" The older brother nervously nodded, not sure whether he should ask more...

...But old man Matsuda wasn't about to be stopped. "I don't know how it tastes; I've never had one before. Even on the islands where they grow, they're not exactly common, and are only supposed to be picked if they're definitely going to be shared."

Nobis nodded, understanding as the pieces fell into place. "That explains why it was so expensive. A hundred-thousand Munny..."

Matsuda very nearly flipped the table right then and there. "WHAT?! Only a hundred-thousand?! It's worth ten times that price! Tch, I imagine they couldn't sell it at full price to anybody who doesn't know the true value of the Paopu Fruit..."

The two boys shared a curious look before asking in unison, "What do you mean?"

"The Paopu Fruit symbolizes an unbreakable connection." Nodding and calming down as he explained, Matsuda scowled in his usual grumpy way. "When two people share one, their destinies become intertwined, forever."

"Forever!?" The boys echoed in disbelief.

"FO-RE-VER. Yes. In fact, one of my friends shared one with his girlfriend... I'm glad things worked out for them." His scowl faded as he thought about old times... but he returned to his explanation before he could think about the fact that they were long over. "It doesn't matter what the relationship is. Siblings, friends, lovers, any two people who share them are bound to one another. Even bitter enemies would be affected by it, but I doubt they would share a fruit in the first place."

"It's truly incredible, a fruit that can make bonds permanent..." Matsuda sighed. "I almost wish I'd had one, but... well, I can't think of anybody I'd have shared it with. I was married to my work, back in the day, no time for love. Of course, working together with my friends was important, so I couldn't skip out on friendship. But now I'm just rambling..."

Redemi shrugged. "We don't mind. We really do like hearing about your travels. You've been to a lot of places, haven't you?" He smiled, thinking about the outside world... "I wish we could go out and see the world, too. I mean, wouldn't it be fun?"

Nobis nodded slowly. "Mmmhm! I'd love to see the place that fruit came from, and places like the desert city, that town where the sun is always setting... traveling would be fun."

The old man playfully raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that why you're studying magic, Nobis? And it would certainly explain the maps you borrowed, Redemi. Planning to see the world, hm? Well, make sure to take me with you if you end up leaving. But..." His expression grew solemn. "...Really, it would be fun, but you've no reason to leave. We can't very well leave your mother alone here..."

A female voice called from the kitchen, definitely their mother, Mollista. "Oh? You think I can't take care of myself? Just because my husband had to go and disappear while he was abroad doesn't mean I'll be all alone. Besides, I'm the only one here who can cook."

"That's debatable." Matsuda jokingly muttered under his breath.

"In fact, without you guys, I may be able to clean this place up! You're all so messy, it's impossible to keep the place clean. And I wouldn't worry about protecting me. Remember, I was taught how to fight better than your common thief or thug."

Redemi moaned. "Ugh, don't remind me."

Nobis burst out laughing. "Yeah, remember when you and Demi had a spar? You totally cleaned his clock!"

"His clock was filthy, and needed a good cleaning." She asserted.

The old man sighed contentedly at the thought of it. "Yes, it was a good time indeed... You know, I was around when your mother learned that."

The older brother's face reddened, and he slumped against the table. "Guys... please, stop talking about that. I'll never live it down anyway, but do you have to make it worse? Rub some more wasabi in it, why don't you?"

Matsuda stopped there, changing the subject. "Say, Molli, is the food ready yet?"

"Just a second. I thought I'd try adding something to it this time, just to make it special."

Mollista Kokoro stepped in, carrying a platter. She set it down in the middle of the table, sitting down.

Nobis looked at it with a strange look of curiosity and hesitation. "Is this... sushi? Cooked sushi?" He looked up at his brother apprehensively. "I thought you were joking!"

Adorning a serious face, Redemi shook his head solemnly. "Afraid not, little bro... she burned several of them before we figured out the right time to cook 'em. I can only ask... why? Why cooked sushi?"

Their mother almost looked offended. "Why? Well, why do you write music? It's an art! You do spontaneous things in art, and I did something spontaneous. No more questions, just eat."

Not daring to argue with the woman, all three of the guys immediately took a piece and ate it. Satisfied, Mollista took one for herself.

The evening passed with the four of them continuing to make small talk, eating the strange food that had been prepared, completely oblivious to the threat that would tear them away, seperate them from their home.

It pains me, but... I must leave soon. I must go, and make sure that they can continue to live like this...

The Shadow lunged at Hikaru, now backed against a wall in an alleyway. Is this it? Hikaru wondered. She couldn't fight. And she'd have been dead if not for the hammer that flew from seemingly nowhere and flattened the Heartless against the wall behind Hikaru. She looked at the alley entry and saw Kage there, nothing but rage in his eyes. He walked slowly up to his hammer and the recovering Shadow and smashed it against the ground with his full strength.

It exploded into blackness, some splashing and quickly dissipating on the twins. Kage spat on the ground where the Heartless had been and turned to Hikaru with a calmer face. "You alright?" he asked.

"I...thanks." Hikaru was trembling. These were those creatures...from back in Traverse Town...

Kage noticed a trail of blood running down Hikaru's arm, and noticed several scratch-marks near the edge of her sleeve. "Looks like it got you...sorry."

"Don't be sorry...at least I'm alive. I should be sorry, I left when you told me not to."

"This thing was tailing you, and if you'd been there I wouldn't have found you at all. Just hang on a sec while I see what I can do about patching that up."

Hikaru shook her head. "No, I can do it myself." She placed her other hand on the cuts, and her palm started to glow a soft white. "Cure," she said quietly, and when she removed her hand, the marks were gone.

Kage laughed. "I keep forgetting you can do that!"

"How? I use it on you half the time you go out for food!"

Kage shrugged. "Hell if I know, guess I'm a bit of a scatterbrain."

Hikaru sighed. "More than a bit..."

Meanwhile, outside their home at the end of Astral Town were were a couple of young teenagers. A boy with long black hair, and another teen; a girl with dirty blonde hair.

"Shh, Shh! You need to be quiet!" The girl said actually pretty loud.

"Making your voice rash and heavy isn't whispering!"

"We're not whispering we're quietly shouting!"

"Just shut up! Come on! Let's find out if this myth is real" the boy said.

Quietly tip toeing to the home-slash-dojo they place their hands in the door.

"You smell that?" The girl whispered.

The boy sniffed. "Sweat?"

"No....burnt sushi?" Her eyebrows lowered in confusion.

Zakk had just come downstairs, now dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans. He walked towards the front door, passing by a shelf holding up three weapons: a katana, a scythe, and an axe. He half-considered taking one with him, but figured there was no point in doing so for a trip to the store.

"Mom, I'm heading out!" he called.

"Hold on a second!" he heard her call back.

She came from just around the corner in the hallway with a small slip of paper in her hand.

"Just a list of things for you to get while you're out," she said as she handed him the paper.

"Thanks, I'll-" he began, stopping as he heard the sound of clanking metal coming from outside the door. "Can you hear that?"

His mother nodded, looking just as cautious as he did. Looking out through the peephole in the door, Zakk saw what was making the noise. His eyes widened slightly, and he'd hoped he was wrong about what they were.

"Mom," he said as he stepped back, moving towards the shelf of weapons, "Look through there and tell me that those aren't what I think they are."

She looked through the peephole as well, and was able to confirm his fears. Outside were what she clearly recognized as Heartless. More specifically, five Shadows and two Soldiers.

She kept her eye to the hole and held her hand out towards her son. "Toss me the sword."

Zakk didn't hesitate and took the blade from its shelf, tossing it towards her before grabbing the scythe for himself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?1&v=9X7WEZ8PkF0

The minute she caught the hilt, Zakk's mother flung the door open and ran out, cutting one Shadow down with a quick swipe of the blade. She immediately followed up by stabbing downward behind her, getting another one in the head.

The Soldiers both reared back for a kick and jumped at her. She held the blade up, ready to block, when her son jumped in front of her and knocked them both away with his scythe.

"You take the Soldiers, I'll finish off the Shadows," she told him, to which he nodded, running at the Soldiers. They both jumped at him, but he caught one in the arc of his Scythe and slammed it into the other one, knocking them both to the ground, the blade sinking into the ground next to them. He then pulled the scythe through them, dissipating both of them.

Meanwhile, all three Shadows had sunk into the ground and surrounded his mother. The two she could see in her peripheral vision rose and jumped at her. She immediately cut them down, taking both out in one swing.

However, in that brief instance, the third Shadow had snuck up behind her, readying to strike at her ankle. But before either of them could act, a scythe blade had wiped the Shadow out. The woman turned and found that her son had taken down the last Shadow.

"Nicely done," she complimented.

"Those were Heartless, weren't they?" he asked. She could only nod in confirmation. "I'd better head into town, see if any more of them are there. Here-" he handed her the scythe, "If I run into anything, I can fall back on the darkness."

She nodded, taking the weapon from him. "You be careful."

"Don't worry." With that, he took off on the road into town.

Before the two teenagers, the door slid open of its own accord, revealing a room that light did not touch. The light simply stopped at the doorway; everything beyond it was blackness.

Then, a pair of glowing shapes appeared in the darkness, made out to be eyes. Sharp, frightning eyes. The darkness peeled back, and the one to whom the eyes belonged became visible: and old man, fairly short, but not somebody to be taken lightly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V9-vEspL-k&feature=related

"Mheheh, aheh, why, hello." He greeted them with a bone-chillingly cold voice. "Welcome to the gates of hell... would you like to come in? Don't be shy... Aheh, Aheheheh..."

"DEMON!" They both yelled at the top of their lungs heading back to Tri-Star town.

Willright Castle Throne Room, the large audience chamber housed a number of festivals each year. In the midst of the newest preparations for the upcoming Harvest Festival, the current king of Synthisle stood overseeing the process.

"Father! Heartless! In the fields!" Brenna rushed into the chambers, her voice punctuated by deep breathes.

"Heartless? Hmm, I feared as much. Where is your brother, Brenna?" The man's emotion didn't change as the room became a hushed silence, everyone listening to the news.

"He stayed behind to fight them... He told me to come here and tell you about the invaders." Brenna informed as she caught her breath.

"Very well," The king turned to a nearby worker, "Inform the parliament. They'll need to vote on a course of action immediately."

"Yes sir, your highness!" The aide ran off with the news.

Just as the messenger left, Jonah entered. The blood had clotted on his leg forming a long red scab across the back of his leg.

An ethereal spirit exited the king's shadow and entered Jonah's. Slowly, the scab was reabsorbed into his skin and the cut closed without a scar. After the healing was finished, the spirit returned to the king's shadow.

"How many were there, Jonah?" His father asked plainly.

"Four Shadow heartless. I dispatched them without too much trouble." Jonah said with a small smile, pleased with himself.

"Very good... Both of you, come with me. We need to speak in private. Continue preparations for the festival as planned." The middle-aged man ordered seamlessly as he turned and walked towards the castle library. As the three royals dissappeared inside the doors, work continued as if nothing had happened.

The old man began to cackle like a lunatic, leaning on the door frame. "AHAHAHA-haha-heh... Ah, kids just don't change, do they?" Sliding the door shut as the lighting in the dojo returned to normal.

Stepping back into the room where everybody was eating, he sat back down, deftly picking up another morsel and stuffing it in his mouth with a pair of chopsticks.

Redemi heaved a sigh, acting as if he were dismayed by Matsuda's antics. "Why must you always scare away visitors? It's like you want us all to turn into old recluses like yourself."

"Well, they are pretty annoying sometimes... and I can only imagine the kinda flack I'd get if anybody saw my hat." Nobis countered, giggling at the idea of kids older than him running away in fear of the guy he was sitting at the table with, joking around and eating strange food.

The old man just shrugged, then swallowed his food before responding. "I know they call me a demon. That's not too far from the truth... Mweheh, aheheheh..."

That just earned him a sharp jab to the shoulder from Mollista. "I have defeated a demon. There is no limit to my fighting prowess!"

Rubbing his sore shoulder, Matsuda gave her a sour look. "I'll have you know, in my younger days, I would've taken you in a fight with no trouble whatsoever. In fact, even now, I could probably wipe the floor with you! ...But you keep the floor in this room pretty clean, so I don't think that's neccessary."

That just earned him a second punch. "None of your sexist jokes, old man. Why, when I was a little girl, I was strong enough to break your arm!"

"I've never had the most... injury-resistant arms." He lamely defended, rolling his now achy shoulder. "And I was skillful, not powerful. I could cut a leaf falling from a tree into a snowflake pattern before it hit the ground, I'm sure I could've beaten you."

"Tch, well, you were still an old man back then, too. How long has it been? Twenty-five years since I began training, and met you? I believe my father said you were an old friend of his..." The boys' mother trailed off, thinking. "Hm. Actually, I once asked permission to spar against you, as a joke. My father... gave me kind of a strange look. I thought he refused because I would injure you, but now I'm not so sure. And you look just as old as you did when we met, old man."

Nobis glanced at Matsuda with curiosity. "Really? That kinda makes me wonder how old you really are, gramps."

Standing up with mock indignation, old man Matsuda crossed his arms and standing up. "How rude of you, asking an elder's age! I'll have you know, I kicked more butt in my younger days than you could possibly think existed!"

"I never asked flat-out... I just said that I wondered." The young mage denied, swiftly taking a piece of Matsuda's food while he wasn't paying attention.

Redemi stifled a laugh, hatching a plan in his head. "...Well, little bro, I'm sure you would wonder what it's like to be as old and wise as Matsuda, you little shrimp."

The old man just nodded satisfactorily, but Nobis immediately stood up and imitated his previous indignated posture. "Why, 'tis a lie! Thou dost spread follies and stuff, and sit on a throne of lies, thou prattler of words!"

Taking the time while the two of them were distracted, the older brother quickly swapped his mostly-finished plate with his younger brother's, which still had most of its food, as well as what he had taken from the old Matsuda.

His mother whacked him upside the head for his antics, the sound causing the other two to look at him, wondering what happened while they were pretending to be offended.

Redemi just rubbed his head, calmly beginning to eat the food he had just sntached from his brother before they would notice. Matsuda, however... reached out and gave the boy a sharp whack across the back of the head, in the same place his mother had. "Don't think I was born yesterday, sonny."

Soon enough, they had all finished their food, and Mollista took their dishes away. "So, what'd you all think?"

"It was okay."
"Too salty."
"Tasted like a horse's-" WHACK!

Matsuda fell over, toppling onto the floor. "Please, Molli, it was a joke. Don't take it so seriously... After all, your cooking is better than your fightin-" WHACK! "C-cut it out, Molli! I'll stop now, okay? I bet you're just mad that I'm better-looking than-" WHACK!

Left sprawled on the floor in a daze, the old man just mumbled incoherently. "Mahaheh... Keys are deadly implements in the wrong hands, kiddies... pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, and France has no relation to Equestria...!"

Mollista set down the broom, and the two brothers stopped shaking in their boots. "M-Ma, please, you'll give him brain damage." The younger one objected.

"Ah, come on, I'm sure it'd be good for him. Cure his wisea-"

The older brother abruptly stood up. "I think we should clean our rooms now! R-right, bro?"

Nobis stood up with him, following him as he left the room. "Y-yeah! Maybe we c-can take a look at those maps again?"

"I feared this day would once come..." The king pinched the bridge of his nose wearily.

"What are you talking about?" Brenna asked inquisitively to his father.

"The heartless have returned. This attack wasn't the first... I'm afraid I can't ignore this any more. Even if the Parliament refuses to take action." The king said plainly running his hand along one of the shelves as if examining the books for new volumes that he hadn't read.

"What do you mean, Father?" Brenna pressed curiously.

"He's talking about world politics. The Parliament doesn't want to change anything. It'd cause a panic if they ordered everyone to stay indoors." Jonah explained bluntly.

The king nodded, "And that's why I brought the both of you in here to talk. I need you both to leave Synthisle. I want you to investigate the outbreak and find its source... If possible, put a stop to it."

"Leave here?! See the outside world??? Adventure!?" Brenna's spirits flew into high gear, "We'll do it!"

"I'm not so certain..." Jonah admitted.

"But, bro! You always talk about leaving!" Brenna protested, "I'll go on my own if I have to!"

"Absolutely not. It's a decision you both have to make as a pair." The king insisted.

"It'll be a dangerous journey. And I won't always be able to protect you, are you sure you want to go?" Jonah persuaded.

Brenna paused for a moment, her original spit fire attitude diminished. She put her hand to her chin for a moment as she thought. After a short silence, she nodded, "I'm certain. I'm strong enough. We can watch eachother's backs." Brenna looked to Jonah with a pleading smile.

Jonah's head bowed trying to avoid his sister's gaze. For a split second, their eyes' met and his facade broke. Slowly, he began to smile, "Alright, then... When do we leave?"

The king laughed at the pair's decision making process, "Very well... I would suggest you leave at the break of dawn tomorrow as to not cause a commotion. And one more thing," He rose his hand, "There is someone who will be going with you. She'll be joining you shortly so you should wait here." Then, the king turned and exited the library silently.

When the king left, his shadow remained. Slowly, the shadow peeled itself from the ground and took on a feminine form.

Jonah was instantaneously on guard. As he opened his lexicon, the shadow walked towards him steadily.

"Bro, what the heck is that?" Brenna said nervously, drawing her broadsword.

The figure appeared frightened by the weapons as the shadow seeped from her to the floor. She put her hands up defensively, "No, no, no! Maya isn't a threat!"

Jonah closed his book slowly, "It's just a girl..."

"Just a girl! Maya's a Willright family guardian! And don't you forget it!" The young woman sprinted at swinging at him with an open palm.

Jonah caught her hand calmly, "Don't tell me you're the person that Father is sending with us..."

"Maya used to be a lot stronger! Really!" She pulled her hand away from Jonah protectively hugging it to her chest, "Maya's a guardian."

"You don't look like much of a guardian..." Brenna admitted.

"Fine then! Maya will prove it!" Maya's face became icy calm as she looked between the pair.

"Pain and Panic" A distortion warped the space around her hands and suddenly, the young woman was holding two gleaming daggers.

She sprinted at Brenna and in the blink of an eye, her dagger was at the young woman's throat. Brynhildr lay on the ground far out of her reach.

"Alright, we believe you. You'd be a great ally." Jonah admitted, hoping to spare his sister.

Maya smiled dismissing the daggers, "Maya used to be stronger. Now... she's not much more than a glorifi- guh!"

"Did that seriously just happen?!"

"Oh dear..."

"Maya is fine! Her body is an illusion so..." Maya pulled Brynhildr from her chest, "That doesn't bother her much. Just feels funny..."

Jonah raised in eyebrow in absolute confusion as Brenna closed her hanging jaw manually. Maya casually walked up to Brenna and handed her the sword, handle first, "What's the matter?" She cocked her head to the side in confusion.

Jonah shook his head, "Umm... what were you saying before you tripped over her sword?"

Maya smiled at him cheerily, "Maya has no clue what you're talking about!"

Brenna looked at the strange young woman quizically, "You said something about illusions..."

Maya nodded, "Yep, yep, Maya has those all the time! Mr. Bear is such a mother****er." The young woman censored herself with a *bleep* noise produced from nowhere.

Jonah rubbed his temples, "I think we should all talk some more tomorrow... I'm really tired..."

Hikaru and Kage dragged themselves out of town, thankfully avoiding any more attacks. Kage split the bread, which he had miraculously managed to keep, and handed half to Hikaru. "Here...eat," he said.

"That...that thing back there, it was..."

"The same kind of thing from all the way back in Traverse Town..." confirmed Kage. "Those sick things...I swear by my own hammer that I will annihilate any given one of them that comes across me."

"Kage, no," said Hikaru. "What if you find one you can't handle?"

Kage let out a quick burst of laughter. "You kidding? I have a hammer, there's nothing I can't handle."

"Don't be so reckless. You can't heal yourself, and what if something happens like today? What if you end up fighting something way stronger than that one?"

"I'll just have to hit it harder," replied Kage, stubborn.

Hikaru sighed. "You're hopeless..."

"Maybe. But at least I know I can fight back. You, though...I just can't let you out of my sight."

"And I can't let you out of mine or you'll get chased by some baker with a big knife," replied Hikaru. "You're more trouble than you're worth sometimes, you know that?"

"Maybe. Difference is, I got away from the baker. You needed me to bail you out from that thing."

"That...that's not the point!"

"It's exactly my point. I need you to stay somewhere safe from now on, alright? Can't have my little sister getting hurt...not with Mom and Dad gone."

"We're twins!"

Kage laughed. "I know, I know. Just stay safe, alright?"

"Only if you do," replied Hikaru. Well, the two had one thing in common...

"Okay. It's getting late, you should rest," he said.

Hikaru yawned. "Mm-hm..."

With that, the two laid down beside one another and slept, too tired to worry about the hard ground they were resting on.

The two brothers, Redemi and Nobis, had begun picking up a set of maps that had scattered abou the room. There were quite a number of them; it wasn't such an easy task, but they were determined to find them all. Nobis had found one stuck to the back of a mirror, and one was clinging to the ceiling, high enough that Redemi had to stand on a bucket to reach it.

It took some time, but they finally retrieved them all. The fruits of their labor lay in a proudly organized stack on the desk, charts of faraway lands and unknown places. A whole world of fascination and mystery was recorded in these pages, and the thought of it excited the boys to the point of giddyness.

Redemi was quick to run through the papers, casting his gaze at anything he found interesting... but stopped and caught himself after a few seconds, regaining his composure and suggesting that they look at one map at a time.

There were no complaints from Nobis, who giggled at his older brother's enthusiasm. Choosing a map labelled 'Destiny Islands', they poured over it with childish glee.

There was a cluster of islands, surrounded by a great ocean. It was a strangely inviting sight; there was a larger island that was populated, and a smaller one that was marked as a play area. It was covered in coconut trees and beaches, and the map almost seemed apologetic: it could not convey the sense of beauty these islands held.

Next was 'Port Royal'. Dark and grim, this town was situated right on the ocean, and often saw pirate attacks, as noted in a corner of the map. Not the most wholesome place, either... an obstinate navy, obnoxious pirates, and obtuse citizens.

Another was called 'Agrabah'. A city in the desert, there was a vague map of its interior... it was noted that the layout often changed, and would not stay the same for more than a year. The real adventure was to be found in the desert: Details of the locations of various buried structures, ruins, treasure... even one location ominously named 'Cave of Wonders'.

The two of them continued to look at the maps, not truly understanding the significance of certain notes... what was 'LowHtlss%' supposed to mean? And in Port Royal, there was an ominous note about pirates whose true forms were revealed by moonlight...

Most unusual of all was the map of their own town. It had a number of indecypherable notes, including some that bore a familiar mark...

Nobis pulled off the glove on his right hand, looking at an identical mark. Three blades of unusual shape, meeting in the middle. He had been born with this symbol... as had Redemi, who was now removing his own glove.

This map... on the back, there were a number of notes about the Dark Bloodline, the Kokoro family. It mentioned something called "The Keyblade" and a few names...

"Kuroyuki"
"Byakurai"
"Ryuketsu"
"Yami"
"Homura"
"Surrashu"
"Adachi"

"Big bro? Do any of these sound familiar?" Nobis asked, pointing at the paper.

Redemi shook his head. "I'm not sure. I think I may have heard them once or twice... this Ryuketsu person definitely rings a bell."

"I think we oughta crack open a history book for that one." Nobis stated bluntly. "Ryuketsu Kokoro was an especially important man, but I can't remember why, exactly. We're related to the guy."

The older brother nodded slowly. "...Do you think all these people are related? The name 'Adachi' sounds a mite familiar, too."

"There's a picture with his name on it in one of the old albums." Nobis muttered absently.

Redemi shook his head to clear the thoughts brewing in it, but to no avail. "I borrowed these maps from the old man. What are these names doing on his map of Tri-Star Town? Is it his in the first place? Maybe..."

"You're reading into this too much, bro." The younger brother waved dismissively. "I dunno about you, but I'm tired. Let's put these away and get some sleep in, okay?" He motioned to arrange the maps into a pile, tripping over his own two feet. He fell to the floor, his hand catching one of the maps, pulling it down with him.

Redemi stared at the page that had fallen, a strange look of curiosity crossing his face. Nobis quickly stood up and followed his gaze... the paper had fallen face-down, and the back was full of names... strange, foreign names. Each of them had a skull mark next to them. The ink had faded on the names, to the point that even reading them would be difficult, but the skull marks were more easily visible, perhaps scribbled in more recently than the names.

Turning it over, Nobis saw that it was another map; but this one had been scratched out. The name was unreadable, the layout of whatever place had been drawn here... illegible. Any information that this page once held was now lost.

The two brothers looked at each other, disturbed by this glimpse into the unknown. What in the world was it? A hitlist? That was what it looked like... Had Matsuda been an assassin in his younger days, charged with killing all the people on the list? Had he destroyed the place on the map, and felt the need to destroy its written equivalent? Or... had somebody else gotten hold of it and destroyed the map?

The older brother gave Nobis a look, silently taking the apparently-useless map and slipping it into his own pocket. The two quickly organized the pile and set it aside, changing into clothes more suitable for slumber, climbing into their beds.

"...Demi?"

"Yeah, bro?"

"Do you think... we'll ever see places like that?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, I think we'll see those islands, and that desert, and maybe even have an adventure, find our dad... heh, we might even save the world, get girlfriends, become kings... but I don't think I want all that. Once you get a taste of something like power, or women, you can't help yourself. Some people just go crazy for it, and stop at nothing to get all of that. And it's never enough. I just want an adventure. If we don't find our dad out there... I'll be alright with that."

"...Bro? D'you really think we can have an adventure?"

"Someday... someday, I know we will."

And with that, they fell into sleep...




The long-awaited day, the day that marks the start of the adventure you so desired... has come. Are you ready? The door will open soon. Don't miss it; what are you doing, sleeping at a time like this?

Redemi groaned, coming back to consciousness for a brief second... then blinked his eyes open to see yellow ones staring right back. "Nani!?" He exclaimed, shoving himself back. "Uh... M-Matsuda? What are you-"

The old man was standing over his bed, and had managed to will the young man to awakening simply by staring at him. "I have little time to explain. Put on your clothes, Redemi, immediately, and come with me. Nobis, too."

"Just... never do that again. Ever." Complying with the old man's order, he hastily put on the outfit he had worn before. Nobis was already awake, and had donned his robe and hat. He was also carrying that magical rod, but... what could he need it for?

The older brother looked at Matsuda for an explanation as he strapped on his boots.

"You'll see why."

He also noticed that the old man had been holding his cane... differently. His grip was more tense, as if he were about to swing it about and break something.

Once they were all ready, they crept through the house, slipping into the dojo. From there, they began to walk.

"Does our mother know what's going on?" Nobis asked Matsuda.

He nodded.

"You're lying." Redemi bluntly stated. "But we can tell her when we get back, I guess."

"Let's go." Matsuda said, not looking the brothers in the eye.

Carefully sliding the front door open, they stepped out, closing it behind them. Matsuda immediately started walking at a strangely fast pace. Exchanging a look before following him, the brothers wondered what was going on. Had he somehow found out about what they saw...? No, no... Matsuda, while he was intimidating, he was no murderer. He wouldn't take them out somewhere, maybe a dark forest in the middle of the night, the night of the new moon, and silence them... would he?

Leaving the edge of town behind them, a forest came into view, giving the boys a heart attack. The old man chuckled at their distress. "What? Scared of a few trees?" Returning to his serious mood, he gestured to the darkness beyond their view. "...You know, this place used to be Astral Town. It was overrun with plant life, and eventually, it became a forest. Today... is a special day. Take off your gloves, young men."

Nobis carefully pulled the black gloves he worefrom his hands, pocketing them. His birthmark caught his eye, but for a different reason this time: it was glowing. Redemi had done the same, and was transfixed by the sight.

Matsuda pointed up to where the moon was, nearly impossible to see, as it was a new moon, the darkest it would be for a month. "You... are members of the Dark Bloodline. As such, the new moon grants you strength. However... it renders you unstable. Don't you feel the power welling up inside of your hearts? Be careful to keep it in check, or you'll meet an unfortunate end."

Gesturing towards the darkness again, he pointed to something... as they came closer, it became obvious. A rock with a glyph, glowing just like their marks. "...We are to follow these through the forest, and reach the place of meeting by midnight. There is no time to stand around and explain all of this. Come." And with that, Matsuda slipped into the cover of wood, Nobis and Redemi following him, uncertainty fading... replaced with curiosity and wonder, confidence and strength as they marched on.

And so, the descendants of Adachi, along with the secretive Matsuda, made their way to a place where one who would change their fates would appear.

The hour is upon us.

Kiryu turned her head to the sounds. Sword in lap.

"Who's there?"

Redemi slowly walked into view, leaving the thick cluster of tree he was obscured by. "I'm gonna be the one asking questions here, since you probably know more about what's going on."

"B-big bro, you probably shouldn't make this person mad..." Squeaked another voice, its owner clinging to his brother's arm.

"Nobis, Matsuda isn't telling us why we're here, so let's ask this guy."

"No need." The old man said, quietly walking past the two brothers. "Hm... have we met, young man? I don't believe we have. I would introduce myself, but we don't have time. It will have to wait; all you need to know for the next few minutes about us is that we are members of the Kokoro family."

Shaking his fist at Matsuda, the older brother was tempted to clock him. "Come on, now we don't even get to know who this guy is?! Will we EVER get an explanation for this?"

Matsuda immediately caught the young man's wrist, showing the glowing mark to Kiryu. "There lies your proof. Forgive the antics, I had no time to tell them. I feel that the explanation we are all about to hear will be satisfactory, so I doubt that anything I say will help."

The younger brother looked fearfully at the blade in the stranger's lap, clutching Redemi's arm ever tighter.

"Pardon my interruption as well, but I feel now as ever would be best to reveal myself" Came a voice from a nearby growth- covered stone wall. Galia Kokoro emerged from a broken down section of the wall, having been leaning upon it. He made his way opposite of the newcomers, closer to Kiryu.

"Guten abend my relatives" he said as he pulled down a bit of cloth from the side of his neck, revealing a birthmark of the Bloodline. Unlike the others, it had the appearance of an infinity symbol overlapping the middle portion of the birthmark. It glowed the same color as the others, although if you stared long enough, the color would shift slightly to a different color altogether.

He bowed quickly yet proper before speaking again.

"It seems we all were guided here by some force. Perhaps fate? No time to debate that now it seems though."


With that, Galia fell silent, sitting down not unlike a soldier in a trench, awaiting whatever it was that guided him here to reveal itself.

After a few hours, Zakk returned home. His mother, upon seeing him, asked, "Anything?"

"No," he replied, much to her relief, "No Heartless, just people glad to see that 'Maddie's boy' was actually talking to people."

"Good," his mother, Maddie, replied, "Anyway, it's late, we should both get some sleep."

"Alright, good night." The two of them then each went to their respective bedrooms.