Kingdom Hearts X; The Forgotten's Keeper

Chapter XX; The Story Lives On

A long time ago all the worlds were one. The people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of the light. In the center of the world was a town. In this town wielders of the keyblade gathered and trained to protect the light. They were led by five great masters who wore the masks of an animal. A unicorn, a bear, a snake, a fox, and a leopard. These masters took those with similar ideals under their wing and trained them for the battle against darkness.

As time passed a rumor of a traitor reached the ears of the masters and they soon divided, each searching for the traitor amongst their comrades. The unions began to zealously collect the light, fighting to ensure their union was the most powerful. And darkness was born and spread over the world.

The darkness swallowed much of the land as the panic of the traitor spread. It swallowed countless people as it went.  And soon an inevitable war broke out. Union turned on union, friend turned on friend, and blood turned on blood. In the chaos Kingdom Hearts, the true light appeared. But it was not a helpful light. The war killed everyone who took part, leaving no survivors. The world of light was lost to the darkness of the war.

But, the light is not so easily destroyed. It survived in the hearts of children, and the worlds as we now know them came to be.

The group of three sat together and looked at each other in shock. The white-haired girl looked at the silver-haired boy beside her who seemed lost in thought. To her other side, the black-haired boy was looking at their master in horror. She couldn't blame him. It was a terrible story. It didn't have a real happy ending.

"Whoa." The black-haired boy said. His blue-grey eyes darted to the white-haired girl then to the silver-haired boy.

"That's...terrible." The white-haired girl said. Her deep blue eyes clearly showed her worry.

"No one survived?" The silver-haired boy asked. His amber eyes were oddly curious. He didn't seem as bothered by the story as his other two companions. It didn't surprise the master. Xehanort had never been an easy one to shake.

"No one." The master confirmed.

"What happened to Kingdom Hearts?" Xehanort asked. The master smiled sadly.

"It vanished into the darkness, never to be seen again." The master said. Xehanort nodded and looked at the white-haired girl beside him. Tessara seemed much more shaken. But that was to be expected. The white-haired girl was a peacekeeper. The balance between the two very different boys. The black-haired boy, Eraqus, looked the most shaken. The entire concept of something like that occurring was lost on him.

"I can't believe something so terrible really happened," Tessara said softly. Xehanort put a comforting had on her shoulder. She smiled at him gratefully.

"Why are you telling us this?" Eraqus asked, taking a step forward.

"So you know, and so you learn. In the end, the traitor was never found, and the masters paid for that. But that wasn't what cost them the most." The master explained calmly. Eraqus frowned and looked over his shoulder at the other two. Tessara shrugged, while Xehanort only raised an eyebrow.

"Well, what cost them the most?" Eraqus asked, turning back to the master.

"They couldn't trust each other." The master replied calmly. Eraqus looked skeptical about this.

"Why is that so terrible? Obviously one of them was a traitor." Xehanort objected. Tessara nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, if they trusted each other wouldn't the traitor have gotten away with more?" She asked. The master smiled softly and shook their head.

"No, if they had trusted each other there wouldn't have been a traitor in the first place." The master explained. The three apprentices didn't say anything. They exchanged quick looks before looking back to the master. The master sighed before continuing. "I told you this story so you don't make the same mistakes. There will come a time each of you must choose your own path, and when that time comes you must trust each other. You can not often tell the villains from your friends at first glance, but you must trust your heart. You will all make different choices, and maybe you will not agree with another's choices. But you must believe in each other. Even if you don't know what the other is doing. And you must always remember, let your heart be your guiding key." The master said. Tessara was the first to react. She smiled softly and nodded.

"Don't worry master. I'll always be here to look out for these two. I'll be sure they trust each other." She said playfully. Eraqus shot her a look before crossing his arms and looking away as if offended.

"I'd trust Xehanort with my life, what are you talking about. He's my best friend!" Eraqus objected. Tessara chuckled in reply. Xehanort smiled and shook his head watching his best friends.

"I'll heed your words master. This tragedy won't repeat." Xehanort said, smiling to himself as if he had a secret to keep. The master didn't notice his look, however.

"I'm glad to hear that. Now off you go." The master said. The three apprentices all bowed before leaving the room. They spoke amongst each other as they left, laughing playfully. They seemed so light-hearted in that moment. The master smiled wistfully.

"I truly hope it doesn't ever repeat. But, I'm not sure it's avoidable. You three, you must not fall. Or I fear, the story will start all over again." The master whispered softly, sadness overtaking their features.

*<3*

The girl with blue hair looked out over Daybreak Town. Or the shadow of the town that remained in the realm of darkness. Her dark eyes watched the world sadly. She hoped to see them again. The shadows that played over and over. The shadows that remained of her friends.

The girl let out a sigh and looked down at her hand. On the back of her hand was a red Heartless emblem outlined in black. She hated that mark. It reminded her she wasn't human anymore. She looked up from the hill, hoping to see a meteor shower. She missed the party now. And Annora had said to hold onto this.

"Strange hiding place Arykii." A smooth voice. The blue haired girl turned and looked at the redhead watching her. The girl's golden eyes were filled with trouble like they always were.

"What is it Aryum?" Arykii asked. She hated that name.

"Nothing. Just curious. Didn't know you were one of the famous fighters in the keyblade war." Aryum said, strolling over to Arykii leisurely. Arykii rolled her eyes and looked at the blank, dark sky.

"Now you know," Arykii said simply. Aryum laughed softly.

"Yes, now I know." Aryum agreed. "So, will you tell me about it?"