Destiny's Marked: Chosen (Book 1)

The Sky: Long Live the King

     Aria groaned as she blinked open her eyes slowly, head dizzy from the ordeal she was suddenly thrown into. She heard a voice that sounded like it was blasting and echoed through her ear as the voice asked, "Are you ok?" Aria groaned in response, gripping her head, covering her ears. The voice softened and lowered in volume, "I see, you must still be feeling the effects of going through a portal." Aria shut her eyes tightly, curling up as she tried to steady the ground that seemed to sway underneath her because her head was pounding so hard.

     Through the mess in her head she suddenly heard a soft twinkling of bells that seemed to soothe her and her headache. She sighed contently and opened her eyes easily, a green mist with tiny balls of green light dissolving into nothing before her. She blinked drowsily as a short figure came into view, kneeling in front of her. It smiled and asked, voice now not echoing in her head painfully, "How do you feel now?" She mutely nodded and sat up, rubbing her eyes. When she removed her hands, Aria's eyes widened in shock at the figure that had helped her. Black mouse ears protruded out the top of his head and a grin was spread across his face. He wore a red short-sleeved jacket, the sleeves themselves black. His baggy pants were a matching red with zippers down the middle of his legs and were tucked into yellow high-tops that were huge in comparison to his height. Yellow bags were fastened above his knee and strapped closed by a black band and silver buckle.

     He chuckled at her shocked face, "Hello." She blinked and jumped at the sound of his familiar voice before replying with a small stutter, "H-hello. K-King Mickey." It was as if something snapped in her mind that caused her blank mind to clear and her eyes widened as she straightened herself to a sitting position before bowing respectfully. The mouse grinned kindly as he joked, "No need to bow or to refer to me as King! Geez, how many times must I say it?!" Aria returned the grin as she sat up. He continued, grin not faltering, "You know my name but I don't know yours." Aria replied with a small smirk, "Aria, Your Highness." He shook his head and laughed at her antics.

     His grin dropped as determination was set in his eyes, "So, Aria. Do you know why you are here?"

     "Um..." Aria hummed as she took a look at her surroundings, just now noticing the pale stone she was sitting upon. Freshly-trimmed grass enveloped the small stone island she and the mouse were and gold stone steps were off the right and left leading up to another plaza that was hidden from view. The grass ended multiple feet behind Aria as it became a jagged cliff into the nothingness of the surrounding atmosphere. It was literally the edge of the world. The dark sky was littered with millions of stars, some shining brightly, others dim. Bright balls of light resting on gold pedestals illuminated the deserted area.

     Aria turned back to Mickey, "Where... is here? It looks familiar, at least the style does." Mickey answered, "You are on the Land of Departure, before the original three lights in the mess Xehanort-" he spoke bitterly at the old master's name, "-created, united." Aria nodded as her theory was confirmed and responded to his first question, "I am not quite sure why I am here. I mean I have theories but none of them seem to be proper explanations for something that I thought would be impossible until now. "

     Mickey nodded, "I see. Do you remember the events that had transpired in Hollow Bastion in the dream I sent you?"

     "Yes but I didn't know you sent it so at first I thought it was just a dream. Riku and Sora were fighting Xehanort by themselves. The other five lights were unable to escape the worlds they were in due to the other twelve darknesses and their shadows."

     "Correct." the mouse King nodded in approval, "That was due to certain chains of events that did or did not happen that needed to happen or not happen." Aria nodded, face set as she guessed, "A splintered timeline." Mikey nodded again, "Yes, and that is the reason you and your friends have been brought here." Aria's eyes widened as she remembered the other three going through the portal with her, "My friends? Where are they?" Mickey answered, "You will see them again. They are spread over the different worlds as you now understand how difficult it is to travel through a light portal. Sora and Riku were unable to guide all four of you to a location that only I had in mind as I had created the portal." Aria bit her lip, "So... they are on their own?"

     Mickey thought a moment, contemplating his answer before replying, "In a sense, yes. But if the destiny of your hearts is to successfully help us, then no. You are with each other as Sora is with Riku, in your hearts." Aria held a fist above her chest and she stared at it, eyes lost as she searched her heart for her friends with her mind and sighed as she failed to sense their presence or feel any sign of them.

     "Don't worry, they're there." Mickey smiled sadly, causing her to look up and sigh again. Aria straightened herself and sorted her thoughts in the silence that had ensued after that before asking, "So what do we need to do?"