Chapter I: Escape

Nightshroud: Okay, so if you're here, you probably followed over from my first story, Angel of Heart. If not, then welcome! In any case, this story is a sequel, starring the little brother of my heroine from the first story and takes place about eight years since then. That would place Sota at 15 (and Reyna, Tyson, and Namé at 22, and Kai at 23 if your interested after reading the first one). All right, I hope you enjoy!

Sota sat on the beach of the Destiny Islands, just having gotten out of school. He sat close to the water, which lapped close to his now bare feet. He loosened his school tie and rolled up his pants. He summoned his keyblade, Brave Soul, to his hand and looked at it. He swung it around a bit, then returned it to its place on his lap. He sighed as he gazed at it.

"It all seems like so long ago..."

"What does?"

"Aahh!" he cried, falling backward. His older sister Reyna laughed at him.

"Clumsy," she said with a giggle. Sota scowled and sat back up.

"Nothing," he said, vanishing his keyblade.

"C'mon, you can talk to me," Reyna said, sitting down. Sota stared out at the water. Reyna was about to give up when he spoke.

"When the Destiny Islands was attacked by that Amnael guy, it was so exciting getting a keyblade, fighting the Heartless, and saving the islands. But ever since then, nothing's happened. I mean, you can't give me a taste of that kind of excitement and then leave me hanging!"

Reyna laughed. "You know, adventures like I had aren't all fun and games. It's not easy at all, and you often have to give up something in return. Trust me, life's never the same after something like that. You're better off finishing school and getting a great meaningful career."

"That's easy for you to say. You already had your adventure, and know you're in college and practically engaged to Kai."

Reyna blushed and pushed him over.

"Anyway, I think it would be worth it, just to get a chance to go out there. I don't think I'd mind sacrificing something in return."

"Careful, these things never work out how you think," she said with a somewhat sad smile. They sat in silence for a few moments, then Reyna got up.

"I've gotta get back home to help mom with dinner. You just make sure you're not late. Again."

"Whatever," he said with a grin.

"Brat," she teased, punching his arm playfully. Sota watched as she walked towards the road that led into town. Sota summoned his keyblade back and looked at it.

"Why was I given this if I was never going to really use it? All I know is I need a chance to escape this place."

He sighed and vanished it. He got up and turned to walk away when he tripped and fell. He laughed and rolled over, looking up at the sky. As he looked up, he suddenly got a strange feeling, and he suddenly felt as if the ground beneath him melted away. In a split second, he could see the beach vanishing above him as he sank frighteningly fast underwater.

"What's going on?" he wondered. It felt like he was underwater, but he found he could breathe. He turned his head and could see something coming into view. His descent slowed, and he landed gently on a strange platform. It had a young girl with short black hair in pink with a red bow on her head. Around the border was a picture of a gate with a clownish head on top, and in circles around her was a young boy with spiky blond hair, a boy with short black hair and a shovel, a spiky, black haired boy with tattoo's on his arms, a pink haired woman in a witch outfit, a young man with long blond hair, a man with long brown hair in a ponytail, and a metal ball with a face and mustache attached to a hammer by a chain.

"Where am I?" he asked himself. He could have sworn he didn't actually speak those words, but a voice responded to him.

"You've been here before, haven't you?" it said. He found himself vaguely remembering something from a long time ago. Eight years in fact.

"I was here...when...when...I got the keyblade. But it was different."

"You are needed elsewhere," it replied. "Will you go?"

"Go? Of course I will! But where?"

"So much to do, so little time..." it said. Sota sighed. This thing, or whatever it was, wasn't very helpful.

"Power sleeps within you. If you give it form, it will give you strength. Choose well.," it said. Three pedastals appeared, one with a sword, one with a staff, and the other with a shield.

"Why do I need a weapon if I have a keyblade?" he wondered, summoning it to his hand. He walked over to the sword and grabbed it.

"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the form you choose?"

He nodded, and the sword faded, flowing into his keyblade.

"Now choose another."

He went to the platform with the staff and took it.

The voice said, "The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the form you choose?"

He nodded, and the staff faded and flowed into his keyblade.

"You have chosen the power of the warrior and the mystic, and have given up the power of the knight. Is this the form you choose?"

Sota nodded, and the shield cracked and disappeared.

"Your path is set," it said, and the platform around him began to quake and shattered into pieces, throwing him into the darkness. He felt himself falling again, and another platform came into view. This one had a teenage girl with long black hair and a school uniform, a white shirt with a green dress. On the border were the pictures of glowing pink jewels, and in circles around her was a young man with long white hair and dog ears, a young man with dark brown hair in a monk outfit, a young woman with light brown hair in a demon slayer outfit, a small boy with light brown/orangish hair, a fox tail, and fox ears, and a priestess with black hair.

"You have gained the power to fight. You must use this power to protect yourself and others."

He nodded in acknowledgement and stepped forward. Suddenly shadows on the platform began to move and take form. Three shadows emerged and began to inch closer.

"There will be times you have to fight. Keep your light burning strong."

They suddenly attacked. Sota dodged the swipe of the first one and rolled to the side as the other two came by. He swung his keyblade around and slashed through two of them, causing them to fade away. The third launched itself into the air at him. He jumped up and swiped his sword upword, cutting it in two. Darkness began to spread and envelop the platform, and he was dragged into it.

Sota wasn't sure if he had fallen unconscious or not, but he suddenly awoke with a start on a new platform. This one had a beautiful princess with long black hair and blue eyes. On the border were snowflakes, and in circles around her were a young blonde boy, a young girl with pink hair, a raven-haired boy, a silver-haired man with a mask covering the lower half of his face, and an elderly man with a ponytail and glasses.

"You will meet friends in unexpected people, and find enemies all around. Darkness spreads through deception, and You must learn to use the Sight."

"The Sight?" Sota asked. The image of a shadowy figure flying at him and attacking suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Wha-"

The shadow of a figure appeared in the middle of the platform, and held in its hands a shadow in the shape of a scythe. It flew at him and sliced, but Sota jumped out of the way.

"No way...I saw that ahead of time..."

The shadow vanished, and Sota looked around.

"What was that? Was that the Sight?" he asked.

"Step forward to find the answers you seek. But know this: once you step forward, there can be no returning to the safety of your peaceful life. Will you still go?"

At the end of the platform stairs suddenly appeared.

"No going back," he said with a nod. He ran up the stairs towards the next platform, the stairs fading away behind him. The final platform had a young black haired woman in a Japanese outift, with her hair done with a ribbon in the back. On the border were swords, and in circles around her were a young man with deep red hair and a scar on his left cheek wearing a pink Japanese shirt, a young boy with short spiky black hair, a young man with brown hair wearing a red headband and in white, with bandages around his chest, and a woman with black hair in a kimono, and a young woman in a ninja outfit with dark hair tied in a braid behind her.

"The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes."

He turned to see his shadow become 3D. It suddenly grew and formed into a Darkside Heartless. He took a step back, when the voice spoke again.

"Just remember, no matter how great the darkness may seem, your light can never be blotted out."

The Darkside took a step forward, it venomous yellow eyes staring at him.

"Just remember," said the voice.

Then it attacked. It brought its fist down on the platform with a crash and created a dark pool out if which Shadow Heatless came forth. Tyson slashed at Darkside's arm while avoiding the attacks of the other Heartless. He managed to jump on its arm and run up to its head where he bashed it repeatedly. The Darkside grabbed him and threw him across the platform.

"That didn't work," Sota mumbled sourly.

"You're not going to give up that easily, are you?" he heard an unfamiliar male voice say. It sounded like it was right next to him, yet far away at the same time.

The Darkside reared up and brought down its fist to the platform. Sota dodged out of the way and slashed at its wrist.

"You have great inner power. Magic is strong in you."

Sota felt something unfamiliar well up in him, and he aimed his keyblade at the Heartless.

"Fire!" he called. A ball of fire formed at the end of her staff and shot at its head. It connected, causing it to stumble back. He didn't see when it brought across its other hand and swiped at him, knocking him across the platform. He rubbed his head when he heard another voice.

"C'mon, you're better than that, right?" the voice said, female this time. This one sounded very close as well, but at the same time farther than the first.

"Again?" he wondered. He suddenly rolled to the side as Darkside's fist crashed into the ground next to him. He jumped onto its arm and ran up it towards the cavity where it's heart would be. It began to fire off dark energy from its center that homed in on Sota.

"Reflect!" he called, forming a shield that knocked away the blasts.

"You are the Keybearer, right? If anyone can do it, it's you," another voice said. This one was male, but with a slight accent and sounded the farthest away.

He jumped off Darkside's arm and stabbed Brave Soul into its heart cavity. It reared back in pain, and he fell backwards and landed on the platform. It groaned and crashed to the ground. It sank to the ground and dissipated, but left behind a pool of darkness which spread throughout the whole platform. Sota tried to stand, but the darkness began to claw its way up him.

"Don't let the darkness take hold of you. Hold fast to the light. Just remember, you hold the mightiest weapon of all..."

Sota's heart began to glow, and the darkness faded away in the light. Sota squinted his eyes, but the light was too bright.

"Ugh...someone turn off that light," he complained.

"Oh, you're awake!" Reyna said.

Nightshroud: Good first chapter? Hope so. This story is going to deal with anime worlds instead of Disney, but will have some original worlds and Final Fantasty characters. Anyway, if anyone can guess the four animes represented by the platforms and the four women that they're centered around, I'll let you create add an original world to the story, add a villain to the main bad guy group, or add an OC (they can be bad, but not part of the main bad guys, or good). Well, review and show some love! 8D

Next chapter: Intruder