[IC] 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Our Journey So Far…

Prologue

---

Kai, the Sea-Faring Boy with Oceanic Eyes

Aira, the Girl Who Smells of Sunflowers

Friends for as long as they could remember, Kai and Aira grew up with each other in adjacent houses. Their families were friends long before their birth, so even before they knew it, they were destined to be the best of friends. With such a close bond, when they finally were able to meet in the physical world, it was almost instant that their friendship blossomed into something truly magical. Their hearts bonded and they developed a deep caring for each other.

And it was this bond that they became a packaged deal. Though they didn’t realize it, their two dreams were connected in some way, though the exact reason for that still remains unknown. They woke up from a strange dream in their own way. Kai’s dream had him receive a warning about an impending doom that would soon fall upon his world, while Aira experienced a dream that dealt with her running away from a darkness, though no matter where she ran, it followed and consumed her. When they woke up, both of them were brought to reality differently. Kai received a loud awakening call as his head met the wooden foundation of the bunk bed he shared with his brother and Aira simply woke up as if nothing had happened, yet they couldn’t shake this feeling of something larger at play.

When Kai had made his way to the beach, along the way, he thought he saw something - or someone - near the entrance of the Underground Concourse. He shook this feeling off, of course, as he made his way to the beach so he could meet with Aira. She herself was feeling as if things hadn’t been the same since waking up from her own dream. She, of course, wouldn’t show this to Kai because if he had seen her anything but her usually cheery self, he would worry. But, as it would turn out, their conversation following their initial greetings, ended up being about the very thing she didn’t want to worry him about.

They told each other about their dreams and how it seemed like they were in the same realm and were oddly similar to one another. It wasn’t entirely the same, but they appeared to be connected in some way.

After trying to figure this out, it was Kai who would, yet again, seem to hallucinate about something. He saw the sea in front of him turn black, the skies grow dark, and the circular sun change its shape into a heart and it had a more pinkish shade as opposed to the usual red/orange scheme. The sight disappeared as soon as it had appeared, but that wasn’t the same for what Kai saw in his mind and what he was feeling thereafter.

He took a few moments to process it, asked Aira about it (to which she seemed confused), but he eventually let it go. Instead, he chose to focus on something else - like surfing and getting Berry Jelly dogs. Though the latter wasn’t denied, Aira had a different idea, which was quite uncharacteristic of her. Usually, she loved playing in the water as Kai surfed, but she felt like being Aira, the Explorer today. And much to Kai’s initial disappointment, he submitted himself to this new experience.

When she told him of the destination for today’s exploration, the Underground Concourse, Kai was more than willing to explore that place. He had an additional motivation to go through with it because of what he had seen earlier. Though, as they stepped into it, he heard a voice speak out to him. It wasn’t until later on when they had properly removed themselves from the town’s noise and were in the tunnels, that the reason was revealed…

Kai and Aira’s life was put in danger as these shadow figures with little, black bodies and yellow eyes rose up from the ground and surrounded the duo. Out of instinct alone, Kai put Aira behind him as he took his struggle bat and promised to protect her. His efforts were no good as the bat went straight through the creature. In turn, the shadow creature struck Kai and sent the teen back a few paces. Desperate, Kai was about to go back for round two. Just before he did, he heard a voice call out to him. After a brief conversation, his resolve to protect Aira in every single way that he could was confirmed. As a result, he was gifted a weird sword shaped like a key. It resembled his surfboard and the colors of the ocean. It was with this that he not only was able to protect Aira like he wanted to in the first place, the blade proved to be the only thing that was able to vanquish the shadow creatures back to their place of origin.

As Kai looked upon her face with gusto, he was overcome with a sense of relief as he had done what he had set out to do: protect Aira at all costs.

Later the same day, Kai and Aira had went home to try and relax. Tomorrow was looking like it was going to be a good day. And after everything that happened in the Underground Concourse, both Kai and Aira just wanted to forget and enjoy the time they could with each other and their respective families. However, it seemed as though that wasn’t in the cards for them because, not long after Kai had went down for a nap, he was awoken by a terrible, terrible scream. This was, of course the sounds of his family members.

Immediately, Kai went to check it out. To his surprise, he saw the sights of the same, shadowy creatures from before. His first instinct was to make sure his family was okay. They were unharmed, but it seemed like it wouldn’t be like that for long. Those creatures were pinpointed on them, so Kai created a diversion so they could escape. IT worked because they were on him. Kai dealt with these creatures in a swift manner. After it was all said and done, Kai was on high alert. When he stepped outside of his house, he saw everything was darker than night usually made it and it was crawling with the same creatures from before. In his desperation, he went to Aira’s hosue.

And as Kai entered her house, he was too late. She was just seconds away from being absorbed into a portal of what looked like darkness. The only thing he saw was the sight of a pink-haired girl with a scythe and Aira’s desperate plea to Kai.

---

Chapter I - As Dusk Falls, Dawn Traversed Through

---

[AlteredTundra]

Everywhere he looked, whether his sea-colored eyes glanced above him or if they went to his left, to his right, or even below him - every inch that surrounded the young boy - was all water. It seemed he was under the sea, though the location was absolutely unknown to him. He didn’t know what time it was, what day it was, where he was, or how he got here. Everything was a blank to him. The only thing that he knew to be certain, the only thing that was absolute, was that he didn’t feel like he was in any immediate danger.

As the boy was in a stasis of sorts, his body neither ascending nor falling, his mind wandered to places of intrigue and paranoia. It wandered from hope to despair. It was not eternally dark around him, for the water he was in provided the boy with enough light to see his hands in front of his face and about ten yards (give or take) in every direction, yet no matter where his eyes glanced, he couldn’t see which way was up or down; he didn’t seem to have any grasp of direction. If he moved, he assumed it was up, but then it felt like he was going downward. If he swam down, his sense of direction made it seem like he was going upward. He really had no way of telling if the direction he was swam in was actually the one he was really heading in.

Tired of being dragged from one corner of this endless sea of nothingness he was in, the boy swam as much as he couold, going ina ny direction his body allowed him to. He swam upward, twisted to the opposite of that, then went to the left of him, to the right, and just a combination of all four. It got to a point where he was tired and frustrated by it all. “I’m done!”

And on the dime of his admit to defeat, the boy was overrun by a wave of energy flowing from - well, he didn’t know exactly where; he only knew it was a bright light that had consumed him in no time. Though, as he was transferred into a white void, he didn’t feel threatened. Like with the water, it didn’t seem like he was in any real, mortal danger. The light was warm and welcoming, The boy had finally been able to stand upright. No longer was he falling in some direction or trapped in an oceanic stasis. The white void around him was the first time since experiencing this that he was finally able to know what was up and what wasn’t. As soon as he did, the white void around him peeled away, revealing a sea of radiant colors. Below his feet was the image of a princess of sorts. She was quite beautiful and had radiant, blonde hair. In front of him were pillars.

“Good, you’re here at last. Can you walk?”

Suddenly, he heard a voice speak. He looked around, trying to see where it was coming from. As his eyes look around him, he sees a total amount of seven sillouettes standing next to each other. All of them are of equal, or similar, sizes. They all were surrounded by a heart with a crown hovering over it. Then, just as he sees them, the voice speaks yet again.

“It’s okay. I assure you, you are safe.”

“Safe? Why? Am I in danger?” He says, somehow finding his new surroundings unsurprising; even more to the point, he felt comfortable.

He wasn’t certain if it was due to the familarity that he felt when the voice spoke, or if his surroundings eased his mind of any anxiety he might’ve felt prior. What he knew to be true was he felt like he could trust this voice.

A sound that was the equivalent to a nod was heard, then followed by, “Please do not be alarmed by what I am about to say: your world has fallen to darkness. It’s not the first, but it most certainly won’t be the last.”

Now was the time for him to be doubtful. “What are you talking about? Darkness? You mean the power grid?”

Amused, the voice laughed, though would continue, “no, by evil. It has fallen to the same darknesss that plagued the worlds one-thousand years ago has returned. Only you and the three other, reincarnaed Keybladers of Light, Darkness, Dawn, and Heart can stop it.”

The boy was officially freaked out. Keyblades. Darkness. Savior. It was too much for him.

Out of instinct, he started to back away, looking around him frantically to look for an escape. But there was nothing. He was standing on the only visible platform. However, as he heard the sound of glass starting to crack, he looked beneath him and saw the outer edge of the platform he was standing on starting to peal away. Out of his self-survival instinct alone, he ran in the opposite direction, however, every direction he ran was experiencing the same thing. It had gotten to the point where he was standing in the center and only the center had remained.

Just before the final pieces of the platform chipped away, a bright light shined right in front of his face, blinding him for a few moments. The last thing he heard was….

Kai immidiately jerked up, hitting his head on the bunk bed he and his little brother shared. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” He wined, rubbing his forehead. “Great, that’s going to leave a mark,” he wined again, though Kai was past it already.

He got up from his bed and sat there for a few moments, trying to recollect that weird dream he just had. Most of it was now a blur, but some things stuck with him. The feeling of being trapped in an endless sea of darkness, the sense of being protected by...someone, and then, as he got up from his bed and went to exit his room, the words you are my only hope came to him in the same voice that he thought he remembered. A peaceful, protective voice, but just like the entirety of the dream and all that it might’ve been, it had faded from his memory.

Kai shook his head, his golden hair, which had formed the ever-infamous “bed hair”, returned to his wavy glory. As he opened his door and went outside, the golden sun was out shining. The town he called home, Twilight Town, was in full bloom. And thank the god it was summer. That meant little homework and a lot of fun.

Just as he was going to leave, he heard his mom yell for him. “Kai! Come eat breakfast before you go play outside!”

And just like that, Kai’s cheery grin was gone. He closed the door and went back inside. I hope Aira is having a better morning than I am.

“Kai, come on! It’s getting cold!”

He groaned, “coming mom!”

[Hero]

Something's happening...

The sea-salt air wasn't as refreshing as it usually was. There was just something off about it, the scent of the sea making her stomach churn. The sun hung high in the sky, illuminating the sea and making it appear as if it was made of crystal with how it shimmered. In truth, it was a beauty that masked a mysterious and unknown future. What was going on beneath the surface? Her only answer was in the waves that continuously crashed onto the sand, its remnants reaching her feet and pooling around her ankles. Her bare toes dug into the sand out in an attempt to relieve her anxiety. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding, her grip on her sandles tightening slightly. The wind made her white dress billow around her, though the feeling in her chest distracted her from everything.

Truthfully, it started with the strangest dream. Well, the same dream happening for several days now. It was something that clung onto her even after she would awaken, and until last night, she couldn't quite remember it. But the night before it had appeared to her so clearly that she had confused it for reality. In the dream, she was in a city she recognized but couldn't quite name. She was running through the alleyways with a sense of urgency. It wasn't that she was afraid, but she knew if she looked back, she would get caught. At the next turn, darkness was all that could be found. Once her steps would stop, the darkness surged after her, and she would take off running again. But the darkness formed underneath her, pulling her within. No matter what she did, she couldn't fight it, and just as she was overwhelmed, there was this bright light...and she would be looking into a mirror. Or at least, she had thought it was a mirror, but now that she thought about it, it was like she was looking at someone just like her.

A gust of wind blew her long hair into the air, and her free hand had to grab her sunhat to keep it from flying away. The breeze finally felt good against the warmth of her skin, and as she opened her eyes, it was as if everything was back to how it was. Yet, there was no fighting the unease in her chest, and she had no idea what to make of this dream, this vision, this nightmare. She closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the breeze and let her thoughts stir beneath the sun.

[AlteredTundra]

Kai had done everything he could to both satisfy his mother so that she wouldn't worry about his well-being, so he made sure to eat his food at a reasonable pace. Not too quick so it was to worry her but not too slow that it would make her suspicious. Just casually eating it as she would smile at him and his younger brother. Eventually, he finished and put his plate on the counter, giving her a kiss and waving to her as he grabbed his Breeze Board from his room under one arm and his struggle bat under the other. All the while he did that, he had holstered his bag onto his shoulder and hopped out his window and used the adjacent buildings to make his way down almost to the ground level.

He hitched a ride on top of the cable car that ran through the middle of town to make it easier for him to get across town. He and his family lived in the Sunset Terrence district of Twilight Town. It was a relatively remote area of the town. It had a hilltop resort where most of the kids went when they wanted to observe the best view of the trains coming in and out of the train station. It also provided the best view in the early hours of morning when the midnight blue skies of night were given light with an array of violet and blue hues for the sunrise and when the time of dusk came, those blue shades in the sky and the white clouds were aligned perfectly with the sun to give birth to Magnificant, varying hues of red and pink, the sun itself fading down lower than the horizon.

That was among several reasons why this was the best place to live in Twilight Town. Everything from how everyone knew everyone to the scenery, Kai also had a lean to the beach, which was exactly where he was heading.

As he turned to look towards the tunnels, for a moment, he thought he saw something, causing him to miss his stop. He stayed on the car to see if he could spot it again, but when the cable car passed the tunnel, there was nothing. "Maybe it was just my imagination," he said to himself, jumping off and heading down a flight of stairs where he took in a whiff of the salty, sea air - a smell that he much loved about the sea. And paired with that, the sounds of crashing waves brought such a relief to him. Boy, did he love living here?

Kai made his way closer to the water, seeing a familiar girl standing just on the shore. "Sorry I'm late. Mom made me eat breakfast. And then, I missed my stop. I thought I saw something, but I don't know," Kai went on, ranting about nonsense like usual. He shook his head, returning to planet Kai, "anyway, how'd you sleep? I hope better than me. I had this weird dream about...I don't know, something bizarre and odd."

[Hero]

Looking towards him, Aira gave Kai a warm smile as he approached her. She listened as he informed her of his morning, catching her curiosity as he mentioned seeing something and missing his stop. Not that that was a big deal here in Twilight Town, as the trains were frequent and usually forgiving for those who missed their stops. At the same time, it didn't surprise her too much; Kai usually was off in his own little world. As the thought crossed her mind, she watched his gaze turn distant, and she suppressed a laugh by biting her lower lip. Luckily, he returned rather quickly, stating that he had had an odd dream. She couldn't help but stare at him for a moment. Was it a coincidence? No, she was overthinking things.

Instead, she let out a small giggle, looking back towards the never ending sea. Should she tell him about her own dream? And the way it made her feel? The unsteadiness gripped her heart once more, though as she looked at Kai again, all those worries seemed to go with the breeze. "It seems to be one of those days. I didn't really sleep well, either," She admitted, fully turning towards him. "Do you remember anything from your dream at all?" She decided to ask him.

[AlteredTundra]

"That's a good question."

Kai didn't know how to answer that. He remembered bits and pieces of the dream. He remembered being under water and feeling like he was being protected from drowning. He remembered being at a loss for words when he heard a voice and how, no matter what he did, he couldn't escape that stasis. It was like an endless loop and the only thing that was keeping him from drowning was, ironically enough, his mindset at the time. It was as if his desire to keep going kept him from sinking into the darkness. But how would he properly explain that to Aira? It was bad enough that he couldn't remember anything past the water part, but there was this feeling deep inside him, though he wasn't able to recall, he felt like something really important happened.

As his gaze left the sea and went to Aira, Kai simply spoke with an uncertain recalling of events. "I remember being under water. And a bright light. There might've also been a voice. I don't know. I just can't be sure.." He scratched his head, letting out a forced laugh.

[Hero]

Kai's expression as he thought about his dream alarmed Aira for a moment. He looked so lost, and for a moment he looked a little younger than he was. There was something he was searching for, an uncertain answer to a question he didn't know he had. Aira watched him until he spoke, the hesitation in his voice quite clear. It looked like they were both at a loss. Under the water, huh? She instinctively looked at the sea before them, and then back at Kai. He really seemed troubled by his dream.

Taking in a breath, she grinned, her hands behind her back. "Maybe it was about surfing?" She suggested with a small shrug. "I mean, you did wipe out really badly yesterday! I was almost afraid you weren't going to come back up!"

As she laughed at his expense, she placed her sandals on the ground, hat right next to it. Walking forward, she kept going until the water reached her knees, just below her dress. She looked back at Kai, gesturing towards the water. "I heard a story once that said that if you follow any river, it'll always lead to the sea. So if you ever get lost or lose your way, just follow the water," She told him, hands together. She paused for a moment, and then continued, "So...if we ever get separated...then you know what to do."

[AlteredTundra]

Though it was a serious moment between the two, childhood friends, Kai couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Only Aira would assume that Kai's dream that involved water would automatically mean it was centered around surfing. "I only wiped out because that wave snuck up on me. Honest." Kai huffed negatively, then looked at his usually cheery friend, then he sighed. His mind went back to the topic at hand, "I love how you went to that first," Kai said, grinning at her, "but that's not what it was about. I mean, not really. It's hard to explain."

And even after he had explained it to her and explained it in his head, Kai couldn't properly find the right word to explain the sort of dream he had. It was like nothing he experienced before. What was even worse was that something in the deepest part of his heart gave him a bad feeling. He knew it was just a dream and there was no reason for him to be so on edge. Why would a dream make you feel so paranoid about something that didn't even happen? Sure, those vivid dreams that were so intense and so life-like would cause one to feel as though they were real. Maybe that's what it was.

As he was going to respond to the last thing that Aira said, Kai suddenly felt something in his stomach. He didn't know what it was, but for a moment, when he had gone to gaze at the sea, that wasn't what he saw. In front of him, he saw darkness, smoke was rising from the sea, and the sky was as black as night with something that looked like a heart-shaped sun in the sky. He immediately shook his head and everything was back to normal.

"Whoa!" Kai jerked to Aira, looking at her, almost as if taken aback by what he just saw, "did you just see that, Aira? Did you see the black sea and the heart-shaped sun?"

[Hero]

Black sea? What was Kai talking about? For a second she thought he was just dodging what she was trying to get at. Pouting, she put her hands on her hips, looking away from him. She was just a little hurt, but the more she processed what he said, the more she thought of her own dream. It wasn't good to hide these things, and the uneasiness wouldn't go away, either. Was it a premonition? The sun like a heart...it sounded familiar to her, but it wasn't exactly something she was sure of, either.

"I didn't see anything," She admitted, dropping her hands. "A black sea...It isn't water, though, it's something dark that wants to swallow everything up. You can run all you want, but it will envelop everything. Every bit of light just...gone..."

[AlteredTundra]

Kai gave Aira an equally-intrigued, confused look. What was she talking about? He didn't say anything about seeing darkness or anything of the like - just a black sea and a heart-shaped sun. But now that she had mentioned something about it, he became solely focused on what she had said. His mind wandered deep, diving head-first into the 'what if' scenarios. Every part of him that was present tried as hard as they could to remember every intricate detail of the dream. Kai knew it was there. He could feel the emotions that came over him. The feeling being helpless while being helped; the feeling of being useless while being used. Everything and anything that happened to him was there, yet it was far out of his reach. It was like something was blocking him from accessing the entirety of that memory.

"Gah!"

Out of frustration, Kai let out an abrupt, sudden yell, no doubt alarming Aira.

"I'm tired of not getting anywhere on this trip down memory lane. I'd rather just enjoy this beautiful day," Kai said, giving Aira a grin, turning a complete 180 of his previous mood. "I've got my surfboard, my struggle bat, and my best friend. That's all I need today." Kai nodded to himself, even vocally confirming it with himself. "So, what do you say? Want to just enjoy this day and maybe go check out the passing trains later on top of Sunset Hill?"

[Hero]

Aira jumped, her foot slipping in the sand, and it took a dramatic flailing on her part to keep herself steady. Once she knew she wouldn't fall, she sighed in relief, though admittedly she was glad Kai was his usual self. She nodded in agreement, her heart melting as he mentioned her and earning him a matching grin on her part. For a moment, she wondered if she should prod him for a response to her previous statement, but she figured it'd be too embarrassing to ask. No way was she going to bring up her ulterior motives, either. If he wanted to move on, so be it.

But as fun as Kai's plans sound, she felt like doing something different. For the first time in her life, the water felt dangerous, especially after what Kai said. "Well, we could try something else for a change," She suggested as she got out of the water, slipping her feet into her sandals. "Oh! How about we go exploring instead?"

[AlteredTundra]

"Something else?"

Kai tipped his head to the side. This wasn't like Aira at all. She had always enjoyed their moments in the water, with him surfing and catching the waves and her being his support as he would crash and wipeout on shore. And when they had enough of their fill of the sun and sea, they would head into town and get a Terrance Dog, which was basically the usual hotdog sold in Twilight Town - just with a special Berry Jelly in place of mustard. Most didn't care for it, but Kai and Aira loved them. Alexander, the man who runs the only hot dog stand in Sunset Terance, which was located just a few clicks from the station, knew to save a few extra crispy dogs for his two favorite customers. And, after soaking in their town, the two would end the morning by going up to Sunset Hill to watch the afternoon sun and feel the breeze of the wind and the butterflies coming out.

So, one could imagine the surprise that Kai was experiencing right now when his best friend in the whole universe suggested they do something else.

"But..surfing. And our Berry Jelly Dogs."

It was as if Kai's entire world had come crashing down on him like a wave too high for its own good and forcing itself to collapse within itself. But, as Kai looked upon that gentle face of hers, seeing the fire in her come alive when she uttered the words of exploring, he knew he couldn't say no to her; better yet, he wouldn't. She was just about the most important person to him - other than his mother and little brother, of course - so, how could he possibly say no to her?

He let out a defeated sigh, then gave Aira a wide smile. "Fine. You win, Aira," He told her, shrugging somewhat, "just let me stack my board in our hut and we can go explore...wherever it is you want to explore."

[Hero]

There was no hiding the disappointment in Kai's expression as she dared to strike out against their usual. She didn't have it in her to admit that his mention of the black sea was hat scared her away from the water, and for a moment, she felt a pang of guilt as he mentioned surfing and their typical treats. Kai was never the type to strike out from the norm or go out of his comfort zone, so it wasn't unusual to get some resistance. Honestly, she was happily surprised when he would concede, and she clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Well, our Berry Jelly Dogs can come after, like always," She gently offered the compromise, if only to make sure Kai wasn't going completely out of his way. "And as for exploring...I'm curious to know what it was you saw on your way here. We can go along the train tracks and go through the Underground Concourse on foot."

Despite it initially starting as a suggestion, Aira's mind had already been set, and once Kai's surfboard was safe in the hut, the pair walked together to the station. Instead of boarding, however, the two would instead follow the tracks leading into one of the tunnels. Her initial curiosity waned slightly as the pair stood before the large entrance, the lack of light slightly intimidating.

Biting her lip nervously, she moved closer to Kai. "It was through here that you saw it, right?" She asked him quietly, her voice echoing around them.

[AlteredTundra]

As they walked back up the flight of stairs and went through the center of town along the train tracks, Kai was still moping around about not being able to surf. Even if the prospect of getting a Berry Jelly Dog wasn't off the table, Kai was still feeling disappointed that he wasn't going to get his feet wet like he had originally hoped he would. An upside of this, though, was his headache from earlier had more or less dissipated. That, at least, was something to be thankful for. He still couldn't believe how much his head was hurting and how foolish it was of him to jerk so quickly when he was on the bottom bunk.

Oh well, time to focus, Kai!

"Yeah, it is," he said, confirming what he told her earlier.

When they had come to the entrance to the Underground Concourse, Kai gave Aira a quick nod, hearing her voice echo through the large pathway of tunnels. Admittedly, he didn't know how deep or even where it led to. In all the time he had lived in Sunset Terrance, Kai couldn't recall a single time when he had explored this place. In fact, it wasn't until just a few days ago where the tunnel was open to the public. How odd that it magically was open to everyone.

That thought lingered as Kai glanced over at Aira, nodding once more as the two would go in. With his struggle bat in his hand, he took the first step. When he did, for a brief moment, he thought he heard something. This prompted him to freeze for a single second. But, just as quickly as he did, it was gone.

"It's so big in here. How was it that no one knew this place existed up until a few days ago?"

[Hero]

Only one step in and already Aira was nervous. Kai's hesitation did absolutely nothing to quell her fears, resulting in her planting her feet and refusing to move. It didn't help that she swore she heard something in the tunnels, although what exactly was a mystery. Suddenly she wished they were at the beach again, but as Kai spoke, she ended up wondering the same thing. Fear was just another part of the adventure, right?

Taking a few steps forward, she could see the dim lights barely illuminating the way in. Squinting, she didn't see anything of interest at first. What could have made that noise? Whatever it was, they weren't going to find out standing at the entrance. Beckoning for Kai to follow, Aira decided to lead the way. The tunnels were well built, and the further they went, the more secluded things became. The noise from the outside streets died down, the only thing accompanying them as they walked were their own footsteps. There wasn't too much to look at, though every tunnel started to look the same after a while.

Something out of the corner of her eye caused her to stop, something having turned the corner. It was small, but she wasn't sure what it was. "Hm? What was that?" She wondered out loud, frowning. It was so quiet they definitely would have heard footsteps, and whatever that thing was, it didn't make a noise.

Against her better judgment, Aria kept going, turning the corner and spotting a small, strange creature. It was completely black and had its back turned to them, twitching slightly as it looked at something else. That thing, she knew what it was, but how?

Taking a step back, Aira shook her head. "That's...!" She let out a small gasp, her head clearly recognizing the danger even though she couldn't possibly know how. As she turned around, she spotted a few more of them coming out of the ground, their large, yellow eyes set on the duo.

[AlteredTundra]

It seemed like the deeper they went into the tunnels, the less noise that Kai heard from the town. Usually, though not too much, it was pretty loud. The trains coming in and out of the station every five hours was when everyone in Sunset Terrace what time it was. But even that was muffled out because of the thick walls of underground concrete that these tunnels were carved from. What beautifully-crafted constructions they were, though. Every inch was measured perfectly and every path that Kai and Aira took were equal in height and even the way they each seemed to connect was carefully planned out. Just by looking at them, that was something Kai could surmise.

But, as with all things, especially when it came to exploring unknown territory, Kai’s attention went elsewhere. It went to how Aira took the lead, which was highly unusual for her. She’s been doing a lot of things that seemed to be unusual for her. Not wanting to surf or go to Sunset Hill, for one. Wanting to explore the new tunnels was another, but Kai was curious what came over her. This wasn’t the same Aira from yesterday. Then again, Kai was more on-edge than he usually was. He never was one to back away from anything, but when he stepped foot into this underpass, something about it didn’t sit well with him.

It was almost as if--

Kai was cut off mid-thought as he heard Aira speak, her sudden gasp immediately setting every alarm in his head. Without thinking, he took her behind him, gripped his struggle bat, and assumed defensive countermeasures. He didn’t think, he just did it. It was only after he saw what she was alerted to that he raised an eyebrow, looking around as there were more of some little, black creatures. They were about as large as a raccoon. They were entirely black like...like...the sea. And their eyes were golden...like the heart-shaped sun.

Again, Kai shook that thought, looking at Aira. “Stay behind me. I’ll protect you.” He promised her, gripping his bat as hard as he could. He put on a brave face for Aira but the truth was he was just as afraid as she was.

When one of these shadow creatures poised themselves to attack, Kai jumped the gun. At the same time that the creature lunged at Kai, he swung his bat. To his surprise, the bat not only didn't do anything to stop the attack, but it phased right through it, though that didn't stop the creature from getting a good lick into Kai, as the boy was sent about a pace back. He wasn't hurt in the process, but the action from the shadow creature did startle him, though not as much as his attack doing literally nothing did.

[Hero]

Seeing Kai's expression stilled her heart, if only for a moment. His promise was sincere, this much she was sure of, and she found herself nodding in confirmation. One of the shadows leapt forward, and Kai was prepared for it, taking a swing. To both their surprises, the Struggle bat would go right through the monster, striking Kai. It sent him back, and while he didn't seem hurt, he definitely seemed shocked. How could this be? She was so sure he wouldn't miss--Struggle was probably second to Kai's surfing talents--but those monsters seemed to defy all logic. Now what? Clasping her hands together, she nervously got closer to Kai out of instinct as she looked at the surrounding shadows stare at them. As her hand touched his back, she realized there was a bright light glowing from his chest. Blinking in confusion, she let out a small cry as the light surged around him, blinding them both.

"In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love."

As the light faded, Aira rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to the scene before them. Her eyes widened as she noticed a change with Kai. "That's...!"

[AlteredTundra]

He didn’t know what he was going to do. These little creatures with the golden eyes were increasing in the numbers and Kai’s efforts proved to be in vain. But at the same time, he wasn’t about to give up. If he had to be a diversion so that Aira could get away, he would do just that. There was absolutely no way he was going to let them harm her. As long as he had a fighting bone in his body, he’d protect her at all costs.

Do you mean that, Kai?

Kai looked around him for the person that just spoke to him, but he didn’t see anyone. Then, it spoke once more.

Do you mean that you will protect her at all costs?

As the voice spoke again to him, it started to resonate with him. Moreover, the voice was the same one from before. It was starting to come back to him.

“Yes, more than anything!”

In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder, you shall be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.

Kai reached into the bright light, his hand being surrounded by it. He felt a warmness overtake him, the entirety of his body engulfed in that same light. As it would fade, Kai came out of it relatively the same. He felt the same, anyway. But, as his oceanic eyes glanced down, there was an obvious difference. As clear as the ocean was in a cloudless day, a key-like sword that was in place of his struggle bat. It was of equal length and it was lightweight much like his bat. There was, however, a momentous difference. It looked like his surfboard and was colored similarly.

Kai smiled at Aira, then gave the creatures a similar look. “It’s their doom!” It took Kai just a moment to realize how corny that sounded. “...yeah, okay I heard it in my head,” Kai shrugged.

He lifted the key-like weapon and held it reverse-grip. Something about how it felt and how the stance he took with his back arched forward and his left leg in front of his left felt was natural to him. Then, as the creatures came at him, Kai spun around, somehow feeling lighter on his feet than he had ever been. His body was like a spiraling tornado of greed and blue, striking all of the creatures that came at him. Each corner of his weapon struck them and every single one that had been hit disintegrated into smokey blackness and little pink hearts floated afterward, fading only a second after appearing.

And all of this happened in a single jump. When Kai landed just a few paces away, he looked back at Aira, looking at her half-amazed, half-surprised face. It warmed his heart and gave him such a feeling of relief to see that she was unharmed.

"I'm so glad you're safe."

[Hero]

With weapon in hand, Kai was unstoppable. The shadows stood no chance against him, and with a single swoop, he eliminated them. Aira found her jaw dropping at the ease of his moves, it had come to him so naturally. She should have been used to it watching his Struggle matches, but none of that held a candle to this. As the shadows vanished, tiny little hearts floated away, released from their dark hold. If Kai hadn't vanquished them, would that have been their fate? Would they have lost their own hearts, too? The realization formed a pit in her stomach, but when all was set and done, the quietness returned. Aira let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, her look of amazement mixing in with pure awe. He was like a knight in shining armor...sans armor...and with corny lines.

Kai voiced his own relief, snapping her out of her daze. "Y-Yeah...thanks to you," She had to give him credit where it was due, though her eyes trailed over to the weapon in his hand. "That's...a Key..."

Despite never seeing it before in her life, she knew exactly what it was. But how? Furrowing her brow for a moment, she approached Kai, gingerly touching his arm. "Maybe we should get out of here before more of those things showed up...what if they're in town?" She asked, unable to quite hide the worry in her voice.

[AlteredTundra]

Kai would never be able to tell Aira how relieved he was to see that she was unharmed. If anything were to happen to her because of something that he wasn’t able to do, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. So, just to see her smile and safe from all possible danger was enough for him to smile as well. Though, he did raise an eyebrow or two at her(not at the same time) when she addressed the thing in his hand as a key. It was as if she knew what it was.

And only a moment later did Kai look at it and only did he realize that it felt really familiar to him. He didn’t know how to explain it, but there was something about the way it felt in his hand, the way he was holding it, and how it just seemed like he knew how to handle it that felt natural and as if he had been using it for years. Maybe it was just his experience with Struggle that was the reason for it.

“That has to be it,” Kai mumbled to himself, following Aira’s lead as the duo of friends would head back the way they came.

It wasn’t long until the sounds of the town would once again enter their ears. The second round of trains coming and leaving the station sounded off their engines, the ever-too-familiar horn going off. It was strange, but Kai actually missed hearing that. With everything happening from the dreams to the arrival of those little, black creatures, and then to the feeling that Kai couldn’t shake since then that he was being followed.

As the two of them had gone by Alexander’s stand to get two large Berry Jelly hot dogs just like Aira promised they’d get, they walked around town. Kai glanced up at the sky, seeing it was cloudless and the sun was way high up there. A gentle breeze passed through, giving Kai and Aira a surprising chill, blowing their hair back just briefly.

“This breeze feels nice,” Kai noted, smiling at Aira.

They continued to walk down the center of town along the train tracks, most of their dogs having been consumed by their hungry lips. The entire time they did this, Kai had heard these whispers in the back of his mind. At first, they were faint and barely audible by him, but the closer they were to his house, the louder they became. It was at the point where he could hear the voice speak out to him.

Kai! Run! They’re coming!

Kai had stopped as soon as he heard the voice scream into his head. He looked around him, then as if time itself was an illusion and had escaped him, Kai was transported to his room, or so it seemed like he was. He looked out his window and what he remembered it being daytime, now the sun had already set. There was still light out, though not much. Most of what he saw, which was from the base of Sunset Hill and the entirety of the town.

Kai didn’t understand any of this. How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was hearing that voice screaming into his head then turned around; and now, as he glanced around his room. For whatever reason, his first thought was that this was some sort of prank by his family. Not a nice one, but he couldn’t help but go there. He was on edge and hearing screams from deeper in his house didn’t help quell that feeling. Quickly, he rushed out of his door and saw his little brother and mother.

And it was the sight of the black creatures from before that put Kai even more on edge. TO make matters worse, he slammed the door when he came out and all of the twelve little shadow monsters that had cornered Kai’s loved ones in the kitchen had all turned their yellow, bug-like eyes on him. They wiggled away from his mother and brother, hugging to the ground as they reappeared just a few feet away from him.

“You want me, huh? For revenge?” Kai taunted them. He extended his dominant, left hand. Light surrounded it, shaping itself around his fingers and then extending in front of him. The same weapon from before was in his hand, held in the same reverse grip that Kai held it in before. “Well, then come on!”

They weren’t very bright. They had come at Kai, which they had to know was a trick to lure them away from Kai’s family. Oh well, he simply had done what he did before. Kai lunged forward, the same unexplained skillset overtaking his mind and he spiraled forth, the blade held horizontally. Each time the weapon connected, a weird sound unlike any other that Kai heard before, was heard. It was like a hammer hitting a ball. This was heard several times - twelve, in fact - as a dozen, small clouds of shadow, followed by twelve hearts, faded into the air.

Kai rushed to his family’s aid, though it seemed like they fainted. "Good, they’re safe. I better--”

Kai was interrupted by the alarming screams of the townspeople.

“What’s going on around here?” Kai asked himself. “Oh no, if they attacked my family, then that means..”

He wasted no time. He quickly made a beeline for Aira’s house, jolting through the front door. The sight he saw, however, was not one he had expected...

[Hero]

The usual interior of her home--a warm yet simple place--was in complete ruin. Whatever was left of the furniture had been slammed into the walls, a path of destruction laid out before Kai. The walls had been completely demolished, shattered glass weakly reflecting off the lights. At the end, the scene at hand was clear. Aira stood with her back to the wall, trapped with a terrified expression on her face as a scythe was embedded in the wall next to her.

A rose haired girl stood on the opposite end of the scythe, an emotionless expression on what could have been a kinder face. Her black attire gave off the vibe of sinister work despite her rather bright hair pulled into two very long ponytails that easily reached her thighs. Her gloved hand gripped the scythe, slightly raising it as she approached Aira. Her free hand grabbed Aira's wrist, pulling her off the wall, though she lifted her arm up, leaving the younger girl on her toes.

"I've finally found you, Cielle," She stated, her voice coming out rather coldly. "Trouble me no more, and come quietly. We are in need of your services."

Struggling against her grip, Aira shook her head. "I told you, that's not my name! I don't know what you're talking about!" She cried.

The girl didn't seem convinced, though at the arrival of another, she turned her gaze towards him for a moment. Her eyes narrowed slightly, though she said nothing. Instead, she released her scythe, and as it glowed, it exploded in what could only be described as a burst of darkness. Surrounding the two females, it spread rather quickly and seemed to cover the entirety of the floor around them.

"So, you return," She told Kai, showing him Aira. "This time, things will turn to our favor. Let's see how you handle things without your Dawn interfering," She said, lifting up Aira once more.

As she let Aira go, instead of simply hitting the ground, several tendrils of darkness wrapped around her legs, the rest of them enveloping the girl as she disappeared. Dragging her further into the darkness, Aira struggled against their grip as they reached around her waist. What was this?! In that moment, however, the wistful feeling of repetition hit her. She had been in this situation once. A long time ago, she had been dragged against her will into the darkness. Was that what her dream was? A memory? Was this history repeating itself? Her attempts to get out ceased after that thought crossed her mind, but she found her hand stretching out for Kai. No, no, this couldn't be happening! Why now?! Why again?! Again? It was...But...she didn't want to lose everything again...not like this...!

"Kai...!" His name escaped her without her realizing it, and his face was the last thing she saw.