//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three 
// Story: Kingdom Hearts: Star Swirl´s Legacy 
// by NightmareShredder 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 3 – A New Adventure


Sora perched on the balcony railing high atop Twilight Town's Station Tower. He raised a stick of sea-salt ice cream to his mouth and took a bite as his feet kicked at the empty air.

Everything was as it should be in the in-between world. The sunset painted the sky and hills outside town the same bright oranges as it always did. The wind tugged at Sora's brown, spiky hair in the teasing way it had. The ice cream was as crisp and refreshing as it always was, but it still didn't feel right.

As a Keyblade veteran, but not quite a master, Sora was free to wander the worlds until his next chance to show that the Mark of Mastery presented itself. However, something was missing from every world he visited. His island was still a great place, but Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie had moved on with their lives while he was on his adventures. Meanwhile, the friends he'd made on those adventures all knew he was just passing through when he came to visit.

His closest friends, the ones he'd shared his adventures with, were all busy. Riku and Mickey had their missions as Keyblade Masters. Donald and Goofy had returned to guard Disney Castle in case Maleficent attacked there again. Kairi and Lea had to rush their Keyblade training for the upcoming battle with Xehanort even though, from Sora's perspective, it seemed like it would never come.

"Aghh! Who would have thought that waiting for a war would be so hard?" he groaned, flopping back to lie on the balcony and propping his feet on the railing. He lowered the ice cream to his mouth, but dropped it in surprise at the sudden sight of two piercing green eyes and a spiky red mane.

"Give me a break Lea," he complained, getting to his feet. "You scared the heck out of me." Still, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of his newest friend.

"Hey, you got it memorized!" Lea clapped Sora on the back and sat with him, lowering back down on the railing. "Riku still calls me Axel sometimes. I guess for that you can have my spare." He handed Sora a fresh ice cream, and they ate in silence for a while, watching the darkening sky.

Lea was the first to speak. "Man, this is weird. It feels like yesterday I was sitting up here with Roxas." He flipped the end of a yellow scarf over his shoulder. "There's just so much to get used to, you know?"

"Yeah, like seeing you out of that black coat." Besides the scarf, Lea was wearing an orange vest over a white shirt and beige trousers.

"Hey, I wore this stuff all the time before I became a Nobody, I think."

"That's what you came up here to tell me?" Sora nudged his friend. "I know you didn't plan on eating two sticks of ice cream all by yourself."

Lea laughed. "I just came here to have a quiet moment and get fat before heading back to Yen Sid."

"We can't have that, you lazy bum."

"What do you— Whoa!"

Sora grabbed Lea's scarf and threw him over the railing, jumping after him with a carefree laugh.

A cocky smile crossed Lea's face. "Ha! You asked for it, Sora!" Gravity seemed to release the two warriors as they summoned their Keyblades.

Sora grinned back and kicked his feet against the tower, hurling himself at Lea.

Lea caught the silver shaft of Sora's Kingdom Key on the serrated red edge of his own weapon. Sparks and starbursts sprayed as they clashed, disengaged, and clashed again.

The ground came up suddenly, but Sora broke their fall with a Reflect spell. He rolled to his feet and charged at Lea, who was still struggling to stand upright.

Lea was able to dodge by just giving in to gravity. He struck at Sora's knees as he passed, wreathing his Keyblade in magical fire. Sora blocked just in time with the Kingdom Key, but the force of the hit sent him flying.

"Is that all you got?" Lea taunted. "I told you I'd catch up in no time!"

Sora jumped back to his feet. If he wants a magic battle, he can have it!

With a swift sprint, he closed the gap with Lea, wreathing himself in a fiery vortex.

Lea brushed the flames aside. "Are you for real?" His blade cut through the flames, but Sora was already behind him. Lea's assassin reflexes let him match Sora's speed, but they couldn't force his blade through the magical barrier that flared into existence around Sora. It reflected the energy of the hit, forcing Lea backwards.

That was the opening Sora needed. He fired a barrage of ice magic at Lea.

Surprised by the sudden change of Sora's fighting style, Lea had to block the incoming projectiles instead of dodging them. The attacks left spider webs of frost on his blade and on the wall behind him.

With Lea on the defensive, Sora loosed a Thunder spell. The air sizzled with magical electricity, forcing Lea to his knees. Sora darted to his opponent's side, touching the Kingdom Key to the back of Lea's neck.

"Okay, okay! You got me," said Lea, letting his Keyblade burn to nothingness. Sora dismissed his own weapon in a flash of light and helped Lea back to his feet.

"Next time, try something besides fire. Got it memorized?"

Sora laughed at his joke, but instead of joining in, Lea slipped a hand into his vest. "What's up?" he said. "Did I hit you too hard?"

"Nah." Lea's hand reappeared, clutching a purple letter sealed with golden wax. "I just wanted to make sure you got this." 

"From Master Yen Sid?"

Lea nodded. Sora grabbed the letter and ripped it open.

"Why didn't you say so before?"

"'Cause you threw me off the tower!"

But Sora was too absorbed in the letter and all it promised to feel guilty. New worlds, new adventures, new friends, and maybe a new power? Yes, yes, yes, and yes! Lea smiled at Sora's obvious excitement. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah! Of course!"

"Come on then." Lea beckoned Sora to the station, where a violet train waited to carry them to the magician's home.





Sora smiled from ear to ear at the sight of all of his friends gathered in the Master's dusty, half-lit study. Riku and Kairi greeted him with warmth in their eyes, Donald and Goofy with a furious bear hug. King Mickey surveyed the whole scene with a giddy grin.

Master Yen Sid waited patiently, his hands tucked into the deep sleeves of his sorcerer's robe and his face wearing its ever-stern look, for Sora's friends to release him. Finally they did, and he greeted Sora's bow with a magnanimous nod. A quick clearing of his throat called the gathering to order. While Donald and Goofy snapped to attention at Mickey's side, the other four Keyblade wielders fell into line in front of the sorcerer's desk.

"Sora, Riku," he began, "Do you recall the signs that marked your first journey?" Sora peered quizzically at the Master, and Riku looked down at the floor, but neither said anything. Goofy, however, looked to his king for permission, and answered.

"Uh, yes sir. We saw the stars goin' out."

Yen Sid nodded. "That is correct. When a world falls to darkness, the light of its heart ceases to shine. But the process also works in reverse. When a new world comes to light, a new star appears in the sky."

"New worlds? You really mean it?" Sora blurted in his excitement. Kairi giggled, and Riku and Lea rolled their eyes at his lack of decorum, but Yen Sid nodded.

"These worlds were protected from the Heartless by a barrier even stronger than the walls that divide the worlds you know. As a consequence, they never fell to darkness or to sleep and never attracted the attention of the Nobodies."

"Were protected?"

"Yes, Riku. Although these worlds once possessed a power to hold back the darkness, their sanctuary is now broken and it will not take long for the Heartless to find them." Yen Sid surveyed the assembled warriors. "I want you to investigate the reason for their sudden appearance and protect them from the Heartless."

Lea folded his arms in front of his chest. "How are we gonna do that?"

Kairi poked Lea in the ribs. He grunted, and she sighed. "What Lea's too embarrassed to say is that we haven't learned how to get to new worlds with our Keyblades yet."

"Don't worry Kairi, the King thought of that," said Donald, puffing out his chest.

"Yup! Me and Donald picked up some navigation Gummies from the broken wall before we came here. Our ships are ready as soon as you need 'em!" He reached into his pocket and placed two blocks, one purple flecked with pink and white, the other scarlet streaked with gold, on Yen Sid's desk.

Lea still looked skeptical. Something about the whole process seemed to be putting him on edge. "And what, we draw straws or something to see who goes where?"

"King Mickey and I have already decided which of you will travel together," the sorcerer said, picking up the purple Gummi Block. "Donald and Goofy will join forces with Sora and go to this world. Riku, you will take Kairi and Lea to the other. Insomuch as you are Keyblade Master, do not forget to teach them, and to learn."

Sora took his block from Yen Sid with a smile on his face. He'd have liked to travel with Riku and Kairi for once, but he understood the Master's reasoning, and any adventure with Donald and Goofy was bound to be great too.

Riku, meanwhile, grabbed his Gummi from the desk. "Do we have any idea what we're looking for?"

"C'mon! Don't take all the fun out of it," Sora said. "The Keyblades always guided us where we needed to go." He grabbed his friends by their shoulders and pulled them close. "I know. The team who comes back last owes the other team a whole truck of ice cream."

"You really want to make it a race? I'm so in!" Lea exclaimed. Riku sighed in exasperation, but his eyes glinted with excitement.

Kairi giggled again. "You guys never change, huh?"

Yen Sid silenced them with a sweep of his hand. "The only other power able to withstand the darkness in such a manner is the light of the seven Princesses' hearts. This power is likely of the same kind, and the same number." An image of seven gems, each a different color, appeared to the right of the desk. Five of them clustered around a large, rosy sixth, while an even larger diamond stood alone.

"We can't let Xehanort get his hands on seven pure lights!" Mickey added. "He and the rest of the thirteen Seekers of Darkness could use 'em to start the Keyblade War all over again."

"Gawrsh, that sounds really serious!" Goofy remarked, scratching his head. Donald silenced him with a nudge.

Sora, however, greeted the task with bravado. "We'll find … whatever it is. And if the Organization tries to take it, they'll have to deal with us!" He started toward the door. "Let's go!"

Donald and Goofy followed him down the staircase, whooping and cheering as they went.

Lea looked dumbfoundedly at the door, then Riku, and finally Yen Sid. The Master smiled and dismissed them with a nod.

All seriousness fell from Riku's face. "Come on guys! We've got a race to win!"