//------------------------------// // {TENTATIVE TITLE} Kingdom Hearts: The Journey // Story: The Rejected Ideas Bin // by Darkened Paradise //------------------------------// Prologue: Call of the Heart 'Falling…' An eye slowly fluttered open to view the dark world around it, then closed once more at the feeling of weightlessness… 'I'm falling…' The eye opens once more to look "up" to the rapidly disappearing sky as she plummeted closer and closer to the dark ground below… 'But… what am I falling into…' Her eyes opened once more to gaze around, only to see specks of light shooting passed her and towards where the ground should be… 'Maybe… maybe I'm dreaming…' Slowly tilting her head to look down, the peach-eyed girl saw water, and plummeted into it, fading deeper and deeper into the dark depths of this oceanic tomb… 'But if this is all a dream…then why…' The girl falls deeper and deeper still into the dark water, the endless black mass consuming her vision once more while falling deeper still… 'Then why am I all alone?' "Welcome,” came a crisp voice from seemingly everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "Do not be afraid, I am merely here to help you on your journey." The voice came once more and the red-head looked around herself. "Now first, let’s have a look at you.” The voice came and the girl felt like eyes were all around the area just looking at her with a disturbing fascination. She was a simple thing really, her bright red hair reached her shoulders and was kept back with a simple braid, and the front stayed a bit curly. Her skin was tanned but not overly so, with a light athletic build, and her outfit consisted of a simple yellow shirt under a blue pair of short overalls that were adorned were zippers and pockets. A brown Stetson lay behind her head, kept there by a small cord that hung around her neck, and two thick leather gloves adorned her hands. Finally, two oversized brown boots adorned her feet. "Now, if you're ready," the voice said and with a flash of light a weapon appears hovering over the ground. It seemed to be a sword at first, with a three-foot long blade that had a straight edge with a bluish-silver tint to it while turning blue when it attaches to the handle, and the head had an odd cut to it…the best the girl could describe it as was a crown cut out on the top, giving it an appearance of a key. The pommel of the weapon was gold, with the cross-guard being a regal bronze as it curled down from above the handle down into the pommel. "Go on…take it,” the voice said and the red head hesitated for only a second before taking hold of the weapons hilt and shivering as golden beams of light formed over her arm and the weapon for a few moments. Looking at the weapon once more, the red-head found what looked like shadows moving below her swallow her up, dragging her back into darkness once more. The red-headed girl soon found herself struggling against nothing. She got up and rubbed the back of her neck at this, wondering just what the point of that was. "Now then, Hand to Hand came before armed combat. Without it, there would be no swords nor shields nor any other weapon that we use today,” came the voice. Immediately, the girl saw the area around her light up, revealing a ruby red stained glass area beneath her this time. This one had a young girl on it, wearing a silver gown with ten silver blades forming a wing shape around her athletic figure. Her back was curved along the edge of the glass screen, and her eyes were closed in what looked like a calming sleep. "However, movement is essential to ALL forms of combat, so lets start out with movement," The voice said and the red head looked at her arms then nodded her head in agreement with the voice. "Good, then you can jump, run, flip and move in any way you can for a little while," The voice offered, just as a blocks rose before her to meet the requirements it had asked. The girl rubbed the back of her neck, still holding the strange weapon in hand as she jumped up and flipped into the center of the circle, parkouring from block segment to block segment as she did so. The red head ran around through the platform a few times before flipping three times into the center once more, where the blocks flashed with white light and disappeared. Flying around, the girl did a few more tricks, and then came to a stop in the center of the light, the voice returning once more. "Good. It's nice to know that you actually listened to me." The voice mused and the girl frowned, crossing her arms and looking around, wishing the voice would hurry up already. "Now now, patience is a virtue my dear. And besides that, before you begin your journey, let me find out a little more about you…' The voice then says and she raised a hand as a bright light suddenly consumed her, making her grit her teeth before then opening her eyes again, gaping as she found herself in a totally white room. Besides being white, the room seemed to be made of metal, with the odd jagged set of spikes here and there. However, it was the three people in the room that surprised the girl since she had never seen them before in her life. The first was a tall woman with spiky, blood-red with orange flecks colored hair and two upside down tear marks below her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned back into a nearby wall, her eyes closed. She wore a strange black cloak with the hood down and a silver chain at her throat with pull strings beside it and a silver zipper down the front, a pair of black gloves and boots. Nearby was what appeared to be a man in an identical outfit to the man, the hood up and shadowing most of his face, leaving only his lower face visible. And to the opposite of that man was another girl in the same styled cloak, her entire form covered, as not even the slightest hint of her face was visible beyond the veil of shadows beneath the hood. "These three shall let me learn more about you, go on now, it's only a few questions," the voice said with an encouraging tone, making the original red-head frown as she walked over to the one without her hood on as she bobbed her head lightly to a beat exclusive to her. "Yo." The woman offered with a grin while opening her bright eyes as she raised a hand, the younger girl looking at her with a confused expression. "What is it that's most important to you?" The woman asked while looking into peach eyes of the younger red head, making said red-head frown in contemplation for a few moments before she answered. "My friends," she said, causing the older woman to hum for a moment, before nodding as if accepting her answer. That done, the younger red-head walked over to the man immediately right of her. "What do you fear most?" He asked her, causing the girl to frown in thought again. "Losing everything…" she whispered softly, making the man snort derisively and cross his arms over his chest, leaning forward at the waist. "Is that really so bad?" he asked in an almost mocking tone. The red-head ignored the question and made her way over to the last girl, who was standing with her arms crossed behind her head. "What do you want to want from life?" she asks and the red-head frowned once more, thinking deeply about what her answer should be… "I want to explore and see new things," she says and the girl nods her head slowly, the room suddenly darkening. "Your friends are most important to you. You fear to lose everything. You wish to explore and see new things…" The voice from earlier said in a thoughtful tone, making the red-head look around as the darkness swallowed her pulled her below again. "Your adventure has already begun, just keep a steady pace and you'll make it through just fine…" The voice echoed as she found herself on another pedestal, a new stained glass view on it below her. This one features a trio of kids as the most prominent feature, first was a muscular male with dark-soot blue straight hair and vivid purple eyes, then a girl with straight pink hair and blue eyes, and last a tall, regal looking man with spiky blonde hair and light blue eyes. The three were standing across the stained-glass, the two men standing on opposite sides with their swords drawn and pointed at each other, while the single girl stood in the center, her hands clasped together as if in prayer. Around the edges of this particular scene was a series of different symbols in an odd circular pattern. Looking at the rather intricate scene with a raised brow, she had to wonder what was up with all of these weird stained glass views that were somehow popping up below her when they shouldn't have been able to support her weight. "Every warrior has strength…" The voice noted and she twitched, wondering why the damn voice liked bothering her. "But now you must give it form." The voice then echoed, making her blink as several pedestals began rising up around the area. The first pedestal had a sword, the next one had a shield, then a short-rod, however, they went on with one that had an oddly shaped dagger on it, an old looking book of some kind, then one with a pair of gauntlets, next had one with what appeared to be an old bo-staff, and last was a ball of all things. Frowning, she walked over to the ball first and picked it off of the pedestal, looking at it with a frown. It was an odd ball, being made primarily from a blue crystal with a red tri-circle shape inside of it. (Dream Orb) "The power of the Athlete, amazing speed and agility, only the farthest reach limits thy path…" Placing the ball down, she turned to the next one and then picked it up with a frown. It was an old red Bo-Staff, with gold tips on the ends and an intricate pattern along its body, the tri-circle symbol placed at the middle of it in black. (Dream Staff) "The power of the Adventurer, an unyielding will, none shall keep them from reaching their goals…" Placing the staff back down, the red-head walked to the gauntlets and raised a brow. These were black fingerless gloves first, with plates of metal plates over where his fingers would be into claws, then a plate over the back of the fist, a gold ring for the wrist, and then a long plate for the back of the forearm, a sharp blade at the sides of them and the tri-circle at the back of the fist in blue. (Dream Gauntlets)"The power of the Fighter, unmatched Stamina, no matter how hard the battles they shall never tire…" Moving to the dagger, she twitched upon seeing it. It was black, and had three points on it with a red at the end and red leather wrapped tightly around its handle, the tri-circles was placed at the base of the blade just above the handle in white… (Dream Dagger) "The power of the Thief, the deceivers ultimate gift, they fear neither shadows nor darkness…" Shaking her head she put the dagger down and walked over to the book. Picking it up, she saw it was an old purple book with a white tri-circle symbol on it with silver trimming all around it. (Dream Tome) "The power of the Sage, ancient wisdom, a book filled with wondrous knowledge…" Placing the book down she then walked over to the shield. The shield was red, with a three-circle symbol on the front with a black background behind it and four red studs. (Dream Shield) "The power of the Guardian, kindness to aid friends, a shield to repel all…" Turning, she then made her way over to the wand and picked it up with a frown. It was green with a yellow tip, a small brown oval formed over the top with a blow tri-circle symbol formed at the very top. (Dream Rod) "The power of the Mystic, inner strength, a staff of wonder and ruin…" Next was an odd weapon; it was a simple broadsword, the blade was curved inward near it's hilt, the guard of the weapon being a yellow U shape with a red field with a black tri-circle symbol, the handle was black with blue lines forming several X's down it, with a gold pommel made into a spike at the end. (Dream Sword) "The power of the Warrior, invincible courage, a sword of terrible destruction…" The red-head looked at all the choices offered to her. While being an Adventurer or a Fighter seemed fun, she didn't think she could handle it without her friends. And what better way to be there for them if not as a Guardian? Her choice made, she walked up to the shield once more and slipped into her right arm. It felt remarkably light for something that big, and it she felt stronger just by holding it. Just as she swung it around a few times, she noticed the other pillars had crumbled, their weapons looking as if they had aged rapidly with all the dust that had been collected. "Your path is set…" The familiar voice echoed out as the shield disappeared in a flash of white particles of light. "Now what will you give up in exchange?" the voice asked. Almost immediately, the red-head walked over to the dagger and looked at it, sighing as she grabbed it by the handle and tossed in the air, causing it to vanish as it disappeared in a flash of white light. "You've chosen the power of the Guardian. You've given up the power of the Thief… is this the form you choose?" the voice questioned and she slowly nodded her head. as soon as she did, the ground beneath her began to rumble as the pedestals all fell into the stained glass. The glass beneath her rumbled, shaking as the glass shattered, dropping her down into the darkness below. Falling, the red-head reached back and took hold of the shield that appeared in her arms as she fell down towards…something. Landing, she looked around and found herself in an odd place, on top of yet another pedestal that made her stare and wonder just where the heck she was. This pedestal had yet another new scene, this one had something surprising on it. First off was a man with pink hair, a scale-like scarf around her neck, and a set of black pants and a matching black vest that left his chest bare. "I believe you've earned a gift…" The voice suddenly called out and a pedestal appeared, this one having a familiar set of gloves on it. Shaking her head, she picked the familiar gloves, and, finding her hands immediately bare, slipped them on. Looking around the red-head felt something stir inside her; seeing a light in the center of the room she walked over to it and stood still, looking at the brown leather gloves that was on her hands as she does " These are artifacts of a lost age…your ways of learning magic. They have not yet awoken…but do not worry. They will wake up soon." The voice suddenly called out while she looked at the golden bands that appeared over the leather around her wrist with a slight frown on her face. As she frowned, she couldn't help but notice her shadow continuously growing and expanding behind her. Turning around, she tripped over her feet at the sight of a giant black monstrosity with a heart shaped cut-out over its chest, its yellow glowing eyes glinting menacingly underneath a mane of black tentacles. “Always remember, young one,” the voice said, as the monster slammed its palm over her body, engulfing her in darkness. As she screamed in panic the voice continued, “The closer you are to the light, the stronger the darkness becomes. But do not fret…for you are the key who will open the door.” With one final gasp, the red-head extended one arm out to a faint white light…but found nothing there. She woke up screaming.