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- Mar 19, 2005
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Ok, friends and fellow fans! Here's my fic. It might be a little confusing at first, but stick with it, I might just surprise you. ; ) The second chapter will expalin more........If anyone wants a second chapter..............
For the past two weeks, I had been having the same stupid dream every single night. And still it didn’t make sense. I closed my eyes and tried to remember it again...................I remembered darkness. Nothing but darkness. No, that wasn’t right. There were other things........images. Flashes of strange people and unfamiliar places, all blurred together, moving so fast that I could hardly see. That, and darkness................no, that wasn’t right either. There had been something else............A tiny pinprick a light, like a star in an impossibly black sky. I had run to it, without any clear reason in my head, only blind urge telling me where to go. And there had been a voice as well, a voice that had filled the darkness, saying-
"Guardian of hearts, your destiny awaits. Darkness approaches. You must leave!
I remembered feeling frustrated. Why couldn’t a get a clear answer instead of all this vague nonsense? For really, these dreams made no sense.
"How? How can I leave?" I had cried, still running towards the point of light, that unreachable star.
"Just believe. If your heart is strong, you will survive. There are those who need your help. You will be the one to protect them from darkness, the one to guide them back to the Light."
"Survive what? What approaches? Tell me!"
"A storm of Darkness. Today is your world’s last. Your home will disappear into eternal shadow. And you can only save yourself."
"What must I do!?"
"Your heart is your mightiest weapon. Use it, and believe."
With that, the dream had dissolved once more, and I had woken up, confused and disappointed with the first rays of the sun warming my face.
I dug my feet into the soft sand and lay back, staring up at the endless blue sky. A cool breeze glided off the lake and stirred the grass. I closed my eyes, letting out a quiet sigh of contentment. Everything was so peaceful, so serene. My troubled thoughts about last night slipped away under the influence of the sun’s idle rays. No matter how hard I tried to reel them back in, my worries continued to float away, getting lost in that never-ending sky.
"Hey Rhiannon." said a voice above me. "What’s up?"
I opened my eyes and gazed lazily back at my best friend, who stood looking down at me.
"You are." I replied. Jaxen laughed and flopped down besides me. I sat up and turned towards him.
"Ok. Now I’m down. What’s up?"
I shrugged and hugged my knees to my chest, resting my arms on my legs. My troubles came crashing back down to earth an instant. Stupid troubles. I hesitated for too long before answering. "The usual, I guess."
What else could I tell him? I had another apocalyptic dream telling me that I wouldn’t last another day. No that wasn’t exactly right. My dreams told me that I would last-but no one else. I tried to keep myself from trembling.
Jaxen’s dark blue eyes narrowed as he looked at me skeptically.
"What?" I asked uneasily. Jaxen had always been perceptive. It was unnerving sometimes.
"Rhiannon, there’s something you’re not telling me."
"No there isn’t." I replied defensively.
"Yes, there is. I’ve known you for eight years, and I know that the only time you look like that"–he pointed to my face–"is when you’re messed up about something."
I lowered my head. Stupid expressive face that showed my stupid troubles. I had told Jaxen about the dream, but that was a fortnight ago. I hadn’t told him how many times I had to relive it, or about my restless sense of foreboding. Neither Jaxen nor I were big believers in coincidence. We believed in fate. I looked up at him. Jaxen watched me quietly, patiently. I had to tell him.
"Jaxen, do you remember me telling you about a dream I had a couple weeks back?"
"Yes." he said slowly. "Why?"
"Well, that wasn’t the last of it."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that I’ve had this dream every night ever since I told you about it. They haven’t stopped, and they haven’t changed." I bit my lip to try and stop it from trembling. "These dreams are trying to warn me."
"Warn you about what?"
I met Jaxen’s steady gaze with my own tear-filled eyes. "Darkness." I shook my head slowly. "I don’t want to be lost in the shadows."
Jaxen took my hand in his. "You won’t be." He stared out at the lake with a faraway look in his eyes. "Rhiannon, there’s a light within our hearts that will always shine. That light can guide us, and others, through the darkest of times. Your heart is strong, and so is your light. It’s something that the darkness can never take away." He looked back at me gravely.
"Be brave, and be strong."
That night, I lay in bed and stared up at my darkened ceiling, mulling over my dream. All day, I had been filled with a sense of unease, like someone who senses a storm just beyond the horizon. Was it really true? What would happen?
Guardian of hearts...........
Since when did I have a title? Since when had I been anyone but Rhiannon?
You can only save yourself.
But what would I end up saving myself from?
Your heart is your mightiest weapon.
Why would I need to use my heart as a weapon?
A storm of Darkness.
Rain drummed against the window-pane above me. Was that the storm I needed to survive? I turned my head to look out the window. Everything was dark and blurred. It didn’t seem so threatening.
Boom
Thunder rumbled across the sky. The mountain trembled. No, it couldn’t be from the sky. And the lightning...........
Guardian! The time is now! Your heart will guide you!
I sat bolt upright. The voice..............the voice from my dream...............
The ground shuddered once more. Lightning crackledaround the mountain, a whip of white flame. For a moment, my room was lit up by that blinding light.
And so I saw them.
They were like shadows, rising from the darkness. They emerged from the floor as though slipping through water. Their eyes glowed yellow. They reached out to me with long arms that ended in claws. Instantly, I felt a sharp, wrenching pain in my heart. I clutched my chest with a trembling hand.
This can’t be happening! I thought feverishly.
But it is. I couldn’t linger in doubt; that wasn’t the way I would survive.
In that moment, a strange knowledge filled me of what was occurring. I knew what I had to do. Fired by a sudden courage and determination, I cried out to the darkness, "I won’t let you take my heart!" As though summoned by my words, a blazing light surrounded me, pushing away the darkness. This light wasn’t blinding, like the lightning, or cold, like the eyes that watched me. It was empowering and warm and alive. At the same time, I felt an unfamiliar strength flow through me.
Strength of heart. Is this what my dream meant?
The creatures recoiled as though struck. For a moment, they seemed unsure, almost timid. For a moment. Because I felt that whatever I had done to them would not last long.
In a fluid motion, I reached up, opened my window, and kicked away the screen.
The shadows jerked about, like marionettes with a trembling puppeteer.
Instinct guided me. Grabbing my cloak, I slipped out my window, not caring about what would happen, not knowing what was ahead. I was led only by the voice ringing in my ears.
Guardian of hearts, you must believe.
I do believe! I screamed silently as I fastened my cloak around my neck. Tell me how to leave this world!
Use you heart!
My feetpounded against the rain-washed ground. I ran through the woods along a path that would take me to the lake. Covered by the canopy above me, the rain lessened slightly, but it grew darker. I looked behind my shoulder every so often, but I was always a step ahead of the creatures. Eventually, they stopped chasing me altogether, which made me uneasy. It was as if they were saying, You can’t run forever, and you can’t escape. I didn’t even slow down before reaching the lake.I stopped by the water’s edge, gasping for breath. When my heart had returned to it’s normal speeds, I looked around, my eyes scanning the landscape. There was nothing but the tree-bordered lake. Usually, it was as still and smooth. Now, the rain shattered it, drops of silver flashing on the water’s surface like broken shards of glass
Boom
The ground beneath me shook again, this time more than before.
"Alright, you damn voice from my dreams. Where are you now? What am I supposed to do?"
Nothing answered me back. I cursed in frustration. Vague, useless thing. The world was ending, and I was standing in the rain, waiting for a disembodied voice to tell me what to do. It was all insane.
"Rhiannon!"
I turned around at the sound of a sweetly familiar voice. My best friend ran up to me, his black hair soaked and plastered to his face. A long knife glinted in each of his hands. Jaxen stopped in front of me, breathing heavily.
"Jaxen! What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question. I came to see if you were safe." His bright eyes looked me over worriedly. "Are you?"
"I’m all right." lightning flashed once more. This time, I could feel it clearly; darkness approached. The shadows have already come. I thought. Aloud, I said, "Jaxen, did you see the creatures?’
"Yes! That’s why I went to look for you. You’ve seen them too?"
"I just got away."
Jaxen nodded, and looked apprehensively behind him. "They’re all over the place. They chased me when I left. I had to fight my way here." He gestured to the knives in his hands. "I think I outran them."
"Jaxen, you remember the dream we were talking about earlier? Well, it’s coming true. And I can’t stop it. This world is going to disappear."
"Rhiannon!"
"I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. Our home isn’t going to last much longer...........it’s those shadows, I’m sure of it. I think I know a way to leave, and you have to come with me."
Jaxen looked away from me then. Through the rain, I saw his face darken. "Rhiannon........I can’t."
I panicked immediately. "Yes you can! You can’t stay here!"
"I have to! I can’t leave my family..........They need me."
"I need you too! I can’t do this alone!" I shouted, my voice close to hysteria.
You can only save yourself.
But I have to save him!
Tears stung my eyes as much as the rain. I blinked, trying to banish away both. I reached out and grabbed Jaxen’s hand.
"Please Jaxen! I can’t leave you behind!"
"You have to." With his free hand, he pulled off the white crystal he always wore around his neck, and pressed it into my palm. "Rhiannon, take this to remember me by."
Numbly, I let go of his hand and clutched the crystal.
"Jaxen......."
"Rhiannon." He reached out brush the tears away from my wet face. "Don’t cry. We will see each other again. Each of us has a light in the shadows, remember? As long as your light still shines, I’ll follow it. I won’t lose myself to the darkness."
I stared long and hard at his face, forgetting the rain, forgetting the thunder, forgetting the darkness. All that I could see was Jaxen. And all that I could think about was leaving him. I choked back a despairing sob.
"I’ll keep my light shining for you. I always will."
Boom
Jaxen and I both lurched forward, hands outstretched to keep our balance. As we righted ourselves, the creatures began appearing once more. Their soulless eyes glowed in the darkness. Jaxen stood in front of me, placing himself between me and the shadows.
"Rhiannon, go! I’ll hold them off."
I hesitated, knowing I should leave, wanting to leave, not wanting to leave him. Jaxen looked behind his shoulder at me.
"Rhiannon, please go!"
I gazed into his eyes for the last time.
With a final look of determination on his face, he turned away from me, facing the shadows.
I turned and ran, letting impulse guide me once more. The rain fell as fiercely as ever, slightly blurring my vision. I knew where I was going though. I let my feet take me on the well-known path to the cliff that overlooked Argent Lake and it’s forest. I had gone there so many times over the years that I could’ve found my way there with my eyes shut. It was Jaxen and mine’s favorite place, where we had spent many hours resting in the soft grass and gazing at the clouds. I shook my head as though to shake free those thoughts. I couldn’t think of Jaxen now, not when I was so close to leaving. I might turn back and lose my chance to follow my destiny. I should have known he would refuse to go; unlike me, he had family, and loved them too much to abandon them, even if it meant dying side by side........No! I couldn’t think of that! I willed my feet to keep going, and willed my heart to ease. I sped up, ignoring the burning pain in my chest that didn’t come just from running.
I was blinded by another flash of lightning when I reached the top. Blinking in the bright light, I walked out to the edge of the cliff, looking over at the lake, some twenty feet below me, For one reason or another, a conversation that I hadn’t thought of for eight years came floating back to me.
Sure is a long way down, huh Jaxen?
Yea. Could you imagine jumping from here?
No way!
It’d be a big leap of faith.
I remembered it well now. Jaxen and I were so much younger. Just a couple of naive little eight-year-olds. Just kids peering over the edge of a drop-off, marveling at the height and things that we had yet to understand, never thinking that we’dget caught up in such a mess.
What do I do now?! I called out silently to fate. Remarkably, I got the reply I had been waiting for.
Guardian of Hearts, just believe. The voice as loud as thunder and soft as the sky echoed in my heart and mind.
Above the rain, I caught the sound of approaching footsteps. I whipped around, my eyes narrowing defiantly as I saw the shadows again. I was uncomfortably aware of my lack of weapons. My mind wandered to Jaxen once more before I pulled it back.
Now. You know what you have to do. The voice rang in my heart once more.
"Yes." I murmured. "I know." I hung Jaxen’s gift around my neck and pressed it to my heart.
Leap of faith. I had to prove that I believed.
The shadows advanced, reaching for me once more. Taking a deep breath, I stepped backwards off the cliff.
The rain and I fell together, each racing to see who would make it to the water first. I concentrated, knowing that I had to make it, that I had to follow my destiny, and believing that I could. A warm light enveloped me again, and I closed my eyes, feeling overcome by a sense of peace that defied the storm. I heard the lightning and thunder, the rumbling of the mountain and the wind rushing past my ears, and I might have even heard Jaxen calling my name, but none of it mattered anymore as I plunged through the broken surface of the lake. Even then, I kept on falling, stopping only when I reached the pebbly bottom. I opened my eyes, and was overpowered by a bright flash of color and confusion surrounded by darkness. And within that darkness, within the disarray of color and shadow was a light, vivid and glowing that sketched out the shape of a keyhole, one that would belong to a colossal door. And then there was another tremor, but it grew into an earthquake that seemed enough to shatter the mountains themselves. Even from underneath the water, I caught flashes of lighting that crackled and flashed greater than before. The very lake itself seemed to tremble, and the mammoth keyhole pulsated with light. I was blinded once more, and threw my arms up in front of my face, yet at the same time, the immense darkness of the lake seemed to be pushing the light back, swallowing it and the keyhole. And I sensed then that this was the end that I had been warned of, and I clutched my heart for the pain of holding my breath and the strange hurt that seemed to be coming from the world itself.
Let me follow my destiny! Take me away!
I saw another light, growing stronger and brighter and closer until it became a tiny star hovering in front of me. In my last stage of conscious thought I cupped it in my hand, and to my wonder, it became solid, a touch of unfamiliar metal within my grasp, the only light that did not fade away as I closed my eyes and willed my heart to leave the darkness behind.
It had been another quiet day in Castaway Village, until, with a flash of light and a crack like a whip, a young girl appeared out of thin air and fell onto a patch of grass in the middle of the village square. Startled, the villagers dropped what they were doing and ran over to help. But when they saw the strange weapon clasped in her hand, they drew back, muttering amongst themselves and gazing at the cloaked, unmoving figure with fearful and hostile expressions on their normally kind faces.
"Is she.......alive?" asked a woman who looked at the still girl with anxious blue eyes.
A man standing next to her hesitated uncertainly, then bent down beside the girl and placed a hand on her neck "Yes, I can feel her heartbeat. I think she’s just unconscious." He stood up quickly, as thought afraid to stay close to her any longer.
"We need to get her out of the city now, before she wakes up!" someone shouted from the depths of the gathered crowd.
"I agree! We cannot have her destroy everything we’ve rebuilt!" an imposing looking man replied forcefully.
"You can’t be serious! She’s just another lost refugee, poor girl." A middle-aged woman with long hair said.
Poor girl? Don’t be a fool, Kyla! You know what the weapon she bears is! Don’t you remember what it can do?" the man responded.
"You can’t prove that she’s like the last one." Kyla replied. But she spoke with less conviction and more fright. "She.......she could be good." she added, faltering under the man’s dark stare.
"This girl can’t be trusted! I for one don’t want to give her the chance!" a young man spoke up fiercely. There was muttered agreement amongst the crowd.
"Wait!" cried a voice. A young woman pushed her way through the crowd. Kneeling down besides the unconscious girl, she put her arms around the cloaked shoulders and held her in a protective embrace. She looked around at the villagers with defiant eyes. "I’ll take her with me." she said. Then, "Everyone deserves a chance, Ramthus."
" Amera, you don’t know what you’re doing!" Ramthus replied angrily.
"I know exactly what I’m doing, and what I won’t let you do to this girl. Have you all forgotten the laws of this world? We cannot turn away a refugee in need. This girl is alone and homeless, there’s no doubt about that. She deserves our help, not our wrath."
"Listen to yourself Amera! This girl has been given a key! She will unlock the darkness once more if we let her live!"
"We don’t know for sure if that’s true! I wouldn’t expect a successor for the Darkness to arrive like all the other refugees. She was obviously able to escape the destruction of her world; that proves that her heart is strong." Absently, Amera brushed a dark lock of hair away from the girls face. Without looking back at the crowd, she said, "She is young and she is lost The least we can do is to let her wake up before we decide her fate. When she regains her strength, that will be the time to pass judgement. Nevertheless, I’m taking her home with me." Without another word, Amera stood up with the girl in her arms. The crowd backed away, and let her walk off, watching her with stunned expressions.
"Her heart may be strong." Ramthus murmured audibly. "But is it pure?"
It was darker than any night that had graced the skies, and colder too. I shivered, feeling the repulsive embrace of pure darkness as I had never felt before. Invisible shadows gripped my arms, pulling me deeper and deeper into the black abyss. I struggled, twisting back and forth to free myself. And then a pair of fiery eyes pierced through the darkness, eyes that were so unalike to anything I had ever seen, yet oddly familiar-
"Are you alright?" a strange voice penetrated into my darkened dreams. Wearily, I opened my eyes to find myself looking at a young woman, probably only a few years older than I. She had bright topaz eyes, long auburn hair, and rosy cheeks. Her mouth turned up into a small smile when I met her gaze.
"I’m glad you’ve finally awaken." said the unknown.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a few moments, then opened them again. Nope. She was still there. I wasn’t imagining it. I suddenly became aware that I was lying on my side in a bed. I shifted my shoulders a little. The blanket felt real. I rolled over until I was on my back. Hm. The ceiling looked normal. So I wasn’t dreaming. And I wasn’t dead, either. Or was I?
"Am I dead?" I heard myself ask while sitting up. Wow, did I actually just say that? I put my hand to my forehead. Maybe I was just insane.
The unknown laughed. "No. You’re alive and well."
I looked at her. She looked back at me patiently. Yes, that must be the case. I was insane, and she was a kindly doctor who put up with all the stupid things crazy people said. Because there was no way that my world had actually been swallowed by darkness. It was impossible! And I had certainly not had premonitions about it either.
Right?
"I’m not crazy, am I?" I asked. The idiotic questions keep on rolling Did crazy people even realize they were crazy?
"Not that I know of." answered the unknown.
No. Oh no oh no. This can’t be happening. Because if I wasn’t dead or crazy, than it was true. My world was gone. The shadows had destroyed it. And Jaxen...................he was gone too.
I covered my face with my hands. "No. Oh no." I moaned. I started to sob, tears flooding from my eyes, down my cheeks, soaking my hands. As I wept, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Then two strong arms encircling me gently.
"It’s ok. Cry. What happened is worth the tears." the young woman whispered in my ear. Without thinking, I threw my arms around her, burying my face into her shoulder. Someone whose name I didn’t even know was my only comfort. We stayed like that for a long time, until I finally stopped crying and pulled away. Wiping my wet face with even wetter hands, I looked at my surroundings. I was in a small and sunny room, with walls of bright azure that were covered with various paintings. A large, open window adorned the adjacent wall, and white curtains rustled in the breeze. All in all, a pleasant place to wake up in. But it was certainly no place that I had ever seen before.
"Where am I?" I asked.
The unknown got off the bed and wandered over to the open window, placing her hands on the sill. "You’re in a world called Castaway Village." she said simply. She seemed angry as she said this, her eyes narrowing as she gazed outside. After a moment, she turned away from the window and smiled again. "My name is Amera." she added.
I smiled back as much as I could. "I’m
Guardian of Hearts
Rhiannon."
Amera nodded, and her face fell as she whispered, "Did you.......leave........alone?"
My eyes widened. "How do you know what happened?" I asked.
"Rhiannon, this village is called Castaway Village for a reason. It’s because this world seems to be the place where those who have survived their world’s destruction end up. We don’t know why. But you are certainly not the first refugee to come here."
"How did I get here?"
Amera shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine. You arrived like all the others, just appearing out of thin air." she looked at me sadly. "You’re the only one to arrive today. I’m sorry."
I shook my head. "It’s alright. I didn’t have any family. I was an orphan. I lived with foster parents, but I didn’t really know them." Jaxen was the only one I cared about.
Amera nodded understandingly."You’re lucky. Many of those who come here grieve for those lost. It’ll be easier for you to move on that way."
I said nothing. I couldn’t tell her about Jaxen–not yet, at least.Because as I looked at Amera, I sensed that she was the kind of person that I would someday be able to confide in. When I was ready. If I ever was ready.
"Oh, I nearly forgot." Amera bent down to pick up something on the floor. "This is your’s, I presume?"
She held out a weapon to me. My eyes widened when I saw it. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. The handle was of gold, and the blade of silver. But what was so strange and remarkable about it was the shape of the blade itself, long and slender, tracing the outline of a heart at the end. Bewildered, I took it from Amera. As the weapon passed from her hand to mine, I felt a jolt jump through me, a shock of recognition as the smooth metal touched my unwary skin. The star that had come to me in the darkness. I remembered it now, shining brightly in the lake when all else turned black. I stared at it with wide eyes.
"It was in your hand when you arrived." said Amera
"What is this?" I murmured to myself. Amera surprised me by being the one to answer back.
"It’s called a Keyblade." she answered. I looked up at her, stunned.
"How do you know what it is?" I asked.
Amera sighed and sat next to me on the bed. "I suppose it’s better to tell you sooner than later. Rhiannon..........there’s something you need to know about this world."
I felt a rush of foreboding fill me. "What?"
"When you came here, most of the people.......well, let’s just say that you didn’t get a very warm welcome. That’s because the last time anyone in Castaway Village saw that weapon, something bad happened. Something very, very bad."
Hope you liked it!
For the past two weeks, I had been having the same stupid dream every single night. And still it didn’t make sense. I closed my eyes and tried to remember it again...................I remembered darkness. Nothing but darkness. No, that wasn’t right. There were other things........images. Flashes of strange people and unfamiliar places, all blurred together, moving so fast that I could hardly see. That, and darkness................no, that wasn’t right either. There had been something else............A tiny pinprick a light, like a star in an impossibly black sky. I had run to it, without any clear reason in my head, only blind urge telling me where to go. And there had been a voice as well, a voice that had filled the darkness, saying-
"Guardian of hearts, your destiny awaits. Darkness approaches. You must leave!
I remembered feeling frustrated. Why couldn’t a get a clear answer instead of all this vague nonsense? For really, these dreams made no sense.
"How? How can I leave?" I had cried, still running towards the point of light, that unreachable star.
"Just believe. If your heart is strong, you will survive. There are those who need your help. You will be the one to protect them from darkness, the one to guide them back to the Light."
"Survive what? What approaches? Tell me!"
"A storm of Darkness. Today is your world’s last. Your home will disappear into eternal shadow. And you can only save yourself."
"What must I do!?"
"Your heart is your mightiest weapon. Use it, and believe."
With that, the dream had dissolved once more, and I had woken up, confused and disappointed with the first rays of the sun warming my face.
I dug my feet into the soft sand and lay back, staring up at the endless blue sky. A cool breeze glided off the lake and stirred the grass. I closed my eyes, letting out a quiet sigh of contentment. Everything was so peaceful, so serene. My troubled thoughts about last night slipped away under the influence of the sun’s idle rays. No matter how hard I tried to reel them back in, my worries continued to float away, getting lost in that never-ending sky.
"Hey Rhiannon." said a voice above me. "What’s up?"
I opened my eyes and gazed lazily back at my best friend, who stood looking down at me.
"You are." I replied. Jaxen laughed and flopped down besides me. I sat up and turned towards him.
"Ok. Now I’m down. What’s up?"
I shrugged and hugged my knees to my chest, resting my arms on my legs. My troubles came crashing back down to earth an instant. Stupid troubles. I hesitated for too long before answering. "The usual, I guess."
What else could I tell him? I had another apocalyptic dream telling me that I wouldn’t last another day. No that wasn’t exactly right. My dreams told me that I would last-but no one else. I tried to keep myself from trembling.
Jaxen’s dark blue eyes narrowed as he looked at me skeptically.
"What?" I asked uneasily. Jaxen had always been perceptive. It was unnerving sometimes.
"Rhiannon, there’s something you’re not telling me."
"No there isn’t." I replied defensively.
"Yes, there is. I’ve known you for eight years, and I know that the only time you look like that"–he pointed to my face–"is when you’re messed up about something."
I lowered my head. Stupid expressive face that showed my stupid troubles. I had told Jaxen about the dream, but that was a fortnight ago. I hadn’t told him how many times I had to relive it, or about my restless sense of foreboding. Neither Jaxen nor I were big believers in coincidence. We believed in fate. I looked up at him. Jaxen watched me quietly, patiently. I had to tell him.
"Jaxen, do you remember me telling you about a dream I had a couple weeks back?"
"Yes." he said slowly. "Why?"
"Well, that wasn’t the last of it."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that I’ve had this dream every night ever since I told you about it. They haven’t stopped, and they haven’t changed." I bit my lip to try and stop it from trembling. "These dreams are trying to warn me."
"Warn you about what?"
I met Jaxen’s steady gaze with my own tear-filled eyes. "Darkness." I shook my head slowly. "I don’t want to be lost in the shadows."
Jaxen took my hand in his. "You won’t be." He stared out at the lake with a faraway look in his eyes. "Rhiannon, there’s a light within our hearts that will always shine. That light can guide us, and others, through the darkest of times. Your heart is strong, and so is your light. It’s something that the darkness can never take away." He looked back at me gravely.
"Be brave, and be strong."
That night, I lay in bed and stared up at my darkened ceiling, mulling over my dream. All day, I had been filled with a sense of unease, like someone who senses a storm just beyond the horizon. Was it really true? What would happen?
Guardian of hearts...........
Since when did I have a title? Since when had I been anyone but Rhiannon?
You can only save yourself.
But what would I end up saving myself from?
Your heart is your mightiest weapon.
Why would I need to use my heart as a weapon?
A storm of Darkness.
Rain drummed against the window-pane above me. Was that the storm I needed to survive? I turned my head to look out the window. Everything was dark and blurred. It didn’t seem so threatening.
Boom
Thunder rumbled across the sky. The mountain trembled. No, it couldn’t be from the sky. And the lightning...........
Guardian! The time is now! Your heart will guide you!
I sat bolt upright. The voice..............the voice from my dream...............
The ground shuddered once more. Lightning crackledaround the mountain, a whip of white flame. For a moment, my room was lit up by that blinding light.
And so I saw them.
They were like shadows, rising from the darkness. They emerged from the floor as though slipping through water. Their eyes glowed yellow. They reached out to me with long arms that ended in claws. Instantly, I felt a sharp, wrenching pain in my heart. I clutched my chest with a trembling hand.
This can’t be happening! I thought feverishly.
But it is. I couldn’t linger in doubt; that wasn’t the way I would survive.
In that moment, a strange knowledge filled me of what was occurring. I knew what I had to do. Fired by a sudden courage and determination, I cried out to the darkness, "I won’t let you take my heart!" As though summoned by my words, a blazing light surrounded me, pushing away the darkness. This light wasn’t blinding, like the lightning, or cold, like the eyes that watched me. It was empowering and warm and alive. At the same time, I felt an unfamiliar strength flow through me.
Strength of heart. Is this what my dream meant?
The creatures recoiled as though struck. For a moment, they seemed unsure, almost timid. For a moment. Because I felt that whatever I had done to them would not last long.
In a fluid motion, I reached up, opened my window, and kicked away the screen.
The shadows jerked about, like marionettes with a trembling puppeteer.
Instinct guided me. Grabbing my cloak, I slipped out my window, not caring about what would happen, not knowing what was ahead. I was led only by the voice ringing in my ears.
Guardian of hearts, you must believe.
I do believe! I screamed silently as I fastened my cloak around my neck. Tell me how to leave this world!
Use you heart!
My feetpounded against the rain-washed ground. I ran through the woods along a path that would take me to the lake. Covered by the canopy above me, the rain lessened slightly, but it grew darker. I looked behind my shoulder every so often, but I was always a step ahead of the creatures. Eventually, they stopped chasing me altogether, which made me uneasy. It was as if they were saying, You can’t run forever, and you can’t escape. I didn’t even slow down before reaching the lake.I stopped by the water’s edge, gasping for breath. When my heart had returned to it’s normal speeds, I looked around, my eyes scanning the landscape. There was nothing but the tree-bordered lake. Usually, it was as still and smooth. Now, the rain shattered it, drops of silver flashing on the water’s surface like broken shards of glass
Boom
The ground beneath me shook again, this time more than before.
"Alright, you damn voice from my dreams. Where are you now? What am I supposed to do?"
Nothing answered me back. I cursed in frustration. Vague, useless thing. The world was ending, and I was standing in the rain, waiting for a disembodied voice to tell me what to do. It was all insane.
"Rhiannon!"
I turned around at the sound of a sweetly familiar voice. My best friend ran up to me, his black hair soaked and plastered to his face. A long knife glinted in each of his hands. Jaxen stopped in front of me, breathing heavily.
"Jaxen! What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question. I came to see if you were safe." His bright eyes looked me over worriedly. "Are you?"
"I’m all right." lightning flashed once more. This time, I could feel it clearly; darkness approached. The shadows have already come. I thought. Aloud, I said, "Jaxen, did you see the creatures?’
"Yes! That’s why I went to look for you. You’ve seen them too?"
"I just got away."
Jaxen nodded, and looked apprehensively behind him. "They’re all over the place. They chased me when I left. I had to fight my way here." He gestured to the knives in his hands. "I think I outran them."
"Jaxen, you remember the dream we were talking about earlier? Well, it’s coming true. And I can’t stop it. This world is going to disappear."
"Rhiannon!"
"I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. Our home isn’t going to last much longer...........it’s those shadows, I’m sure of it. I think I know a way to leave, and you have to come with me."
Jaxen looked away from me then. Through the rain, I saw his face darken. "Rhiannon........I can’t."
I panicked immediately. "Yes you can! You can’t stay here!"
"I have to! I can’t leave my family..........They need me."
"I need you too! I can’t do this alone!" I shouted, my voice close to hysteria.
You can only save yourself.
But I have to save him!
Tears stung my eyes as much as the rain. I blinked, trying to banish away both. I reached out and grabbed Jaxen’s hand.
"Please Jaxen! I can’t leave you behind!"
"You have to." With his free hand, he pulled off the white crystal he always wore around his neck, and pressed it into my palm. "Rhiannon, take this to remember me by."
Numbly, I let go of his hand and clutched the crystal.
"Jaxen......."
"Rhiannon." He reached out brush the tears away from my wet face. "Don’t cry. We will see each other again. Each of us has a light in the shadows, remember? As long as your light still shines, I’ll follow it. I won’t lose myself to the darkness."
I stared long and hard at his face, forgetting the rain, forgetting the thunder, forgetting the darkness. All that I could see was Jaxen. And all that I could think about was leaving him. I choked back a despairing sob.
"I’ll keep my light shining for you. I always will."
Boom
Jaxen and I both lurched forward, hands outstretched to keep our balance. As we righted ourselves, the creatures began appearing once more. Their soulless eyes glowed in the darkness. Jaxen stood in front of me, placing himself between me and the shadows.
"Rhiannon, go! I’ll hold them off."
I hesitated, knowing I should leave, wanting to leave, not wanting to leave him. Jaxen looked behind his shoulder at me.
"Rhiannon, please go!"
I gazed into his eyes for the last time.
With a final look of determination on his face, he turned away from me, facing the shadows.
I turned and ran, letting impulse guide me once more. The rain fell as fiercely as ever, slightly blurring my vision. I knew where I was going though. I let my feet take me on the well-known path to the cliff that overlooked Argent Lake and it’s forest. I had gone there so many times over the years that I could’ve found my way there with my eyes shut. It was Jaxen and mine’s favorite place, where we had spent many hours resting in the soft grass and gazing at the clouds. I shook my head as though to shake free those thoughts. I couldn’t think of Jaxen now, not when I was so close to leaving. I might turn back and lose my chance to follow my destiny. I should have known he would refuse to go; unlike me, he had family, and loved them too much to abandon them, even if it meant dying side by side........No! I couldn’t think of that! I willed my feet to keep going, and willed my heart to ease. I sped up, ignoring the burning pain in my chest that didn’t come just from running.
I was blinded by another flash of lightning when I reached the top. Blinking in the bright light, I walked out to the edge of the cliff, looking over at the lake, some twenty feet below me, For one reason or another, a conversation that I hadn’t thought of for eight years came floating back to me.
Sure is a long way down, huh Jaxen?
Yea. Could you imagine jumping from here?
No way!
It’d be a big leap of faith.
I remembered it well now. Jaxen and I were so much younger. Just a couple of naive little eight-year-olds. Just kids peering over the edge of a drop-off, marveling at the height and things that we had yet to understand, never thinking that we’dget caught up in such a mess.
What do I do now?! I called out silently to fate. Remarkably, I got the reply I had been waiting for.
Guardian of Hearts, just believe. The voice as loud as thunder and soft as the sky echoed in my heart and mind.
Above the rain, I caught the sound of approaching footsteps. I whipped around, my eyes narrowing defiantly as I saw the shadows again. I was uncomfortably aware of my lack of weapons. My mind wandered to Jaxen once more before I pulled it back.
Now. You know what you have to do. The voice rang in my heart once more.
"Yes." I murmured. "I know." I hung Jaxen’s gift around my neck and pressed it to my heart.
Leap of faith. I had to prove that I believed.
The shadows advanced, reaching for me once more. Taking a deep breath, I stepped backwards off the cliff.
The rain and I fell together, each racing to see who would make it to the water first. I concentrated, knowing that I had to make it, that I had to follow my destiny, and believing that I could. A warm light enveloped me again, and I closed my eyes, feeling overcome by a sense of peace that defied the storm. I heard the lightning and thunder, the rumbling of the mountain and the wind rushing past my ears, and I might have even heard Jaxen calling my name, but none of it mattered anymore as I plunged through the broken surface of the lake. Even then, I kept on falling, stopping only when I reached the pebbly bottom. I opened my eyes, and was overpowered by a bright flash of color and confusion surrounded by darkness. And within that darkness, within the disarray of color and shadow was a light, vivid and glowing that sketched out the shape of a keyhole, one that would belong to a colossal door. And then there was another tremor, but it grew into an earthquake that seemed enough to shatter the mountains themselves. Even from underneath the water, I caught flashes of lighting that crackled and flashed greater than before. The very lake itself seemed to tremble, and the mammoth keyhole pulsated with light. I was blinded once more, and threw my arms up in front of my face, yet at the same time, the immense darkness of the lake seemed to be pushing the light back, swallowing it and the keyhole. And I sensed then that this was the end that I had been warned of, and I clutched my heart for the pain of holding my breath and the strange hurt that seemed to be coming from the world itself.
Let me follow my destiny! Take me away!
I saw another light, growing stronger and brighter and closer until it became a tiny star hovering in front of me. In my last stage of conscious thought I cupped it in my hand, and to my wonder, it became solid, a touch of unfamiliar metal within my grasp, the only light that did not fade away as I closed my eyes and willed my heart to leave the darkness behind.
It had been another quiet day in Castaway Village, until, with a flash of light and a crack like a whip, a young girl appeared out of thin air and fell onto a patch of grass in the middle of the village square. Startled, the villagers dropped what they were doing and ran over to help. But when they saw the strange weapon clasped in her hand, they drew back, muttering amongst themselves and gazing at the cloaked, unmoving figure with fearful and hostile expressions on their normally kind faces.
"Is she.......alive?" asked a woman who looked at the still girl with anxious blue eyes.
A man standing next to her hesitated uncertainly, then bent down beside the girl and placed a hand on her neck "Yes, I can feel her heartbeat. I think she’s just unconscious." He stood up quickly, as thought afraid to stay close to her any longer.
"We need to get her out of the city now, before she wakes up!" someone shouted from the depths of the gathered crowd.
"I agree! We cannot have her destroy everything we’ve rebuilt!" an imposing looking man replied forcefully.
"You can’t be serious! She’s just another lost refugee, poor girl." A middle-aged woman with long hair said.
Poor girl? Don’t be a fool, Kyla! You know what the weapon she bears is! Don’t you remember what it can do?" the man responded.
"You can’t prove that she’s like the last one." Kyla replied. But she spoke with less conviction and more fright. "She.......she could be good." she added, faltering under the man’s dark stare.
"This girl can’t be trusted! I for one don’t want to give her the chance!" a young man spoke up fiercely. There was muttered agreement amongst the crowd.
"Wait!" cried a voice. A young woman pushed her way through the crowd. Kneeling down besides the unconscious girl, she put her arms around the cloaked shoulders and held her in a protective embrace. She looked around at the villagers with defiant eyes. "I’ll take her with me." she said. Then, "Everyone deserves a chance, Ramthus."
" Amera, you don’t know what you’re doing!" Ramthus replied angrily.
"I know exactly what I’m doing, and what I won’t let you do to this girl. Have you all forgotten the laws of this world? We cannot turn away a refugee in need. This girl is alone and homeless, there’s no doubt about that. She deserves our help, not our wrath."
"Listen to yourself Amera! This girl has been given a key! She will unlock the darkness once more if we let her live!"
"We don’t know for sure if that’s true! I wouldn’t expect a successor for the Darkness to arrive like all the other refugees. She was obviously able to escape the destruction of her world; that proves that her heart is strong." Absently, Amera brushed a dark lock of hair away from the girls face. Without looking back at the crowd, she said, "She is young and she is lost The least we can do is to let her wake up before we decide her fate. When she regains her strength, that will be the time to pass judgement. Nevertheless, I’m taking her home with me." Without another word, Amera stood up with the girl in her arms. The crowd backed away, and let her walk off, watching her with stunned expressions.
"Her heart may be strong." Ramthus murmured audibly. "But is it pure?"
It was darker than any night that had graced the skies, and colder too. I shivered, feeling the repulsive embrace of pure darkness as I had never felt before. Invisible shadows gripped my arms, pulling me deeper and deeper into the black abyss. I struggled, twisting back and forth to free myself. And then a pair of fiery eyes pierced through the darkness, eyes that were so unalike to anything I had ever seen, yet oddly familiar-
"Are you alright?" a strange voice penetrated into my darkened dreams. Wearily, I opened my eyes to find myself looking at a young woman, probably only a few years older than I. She had bright topaz eyes, long auburn hair, and rosy cheeks. Her mouth turned up into a small smile when I met her gaze.
"I’m glad you’ve finally awaken." said the unknown.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a few moments, then opened them again. Nope. She was still there. I wasn’t imagining it. I suddenly became aware that I was lying on my side in a bed. I shifted my shoulders a little. The blanket felt real. I rolled over until I was on my back. Hm. The ceiling looked normal. So I wasn’t dreaming. And I wasn’t dead, either. Or was I?
"Am I dead?" I heard myself ask while sitting up. Wow, did I actually just say that? I put my hand to my forehead. Maybe I was just insane.
The unknown laughed. "No. You’re alive and well."
I looked at her. She looked back at me patiently. Yes, that must be the case. I was insane, and she was a kindly doctor who put up with all the stupid things crazy people said. Because there was no way that my world had actually been swallowed by darkness. It was impossible! And I had certainly not had premonitions about it either.
Right?
"I’m not crazy, am I?" I asked. The idiotic questions keep on rolling Did crazy people even realize they were crazy?
"Not that I know of." answered the unknown.
No. Oh no oh no. This can’t be happening. Because if I wasn’t dead or crazy, than it was true. My world was gone. The shadows had destroyed it. And Jaxen...................he was gone too.
I covered my face with my hands. "No. Oh no." I moaned. I started to sob, tears flooding from my eyes, down my cheeks, soaking my hands. As I wept, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Then two strong arms encircling me gently.
"It’s ok. Cry. What happened is worth the tears." the young woman whispered in my ear. Without thinking, I threw my arms around her, burying my face into her shoulder. Someone whose name I didn’t even know was my only comfort. We stayed like that for a long time, until I finally stopped crying and pulled away. Wiping my wet face with even wetter hands, I looked at my surroundings. I was in a small and sunny room, with walls of bright azure that were covered with various paintings. A large, open window adorned the adjacent wall, and white curtains rustled in the breeze. All in all, a pleasant place to wake up in. But it was certainly no place that I had ever seen before.
"Where am I?" I asked.
The unknown got off the bed and wandered over to the open window, placing her hands on the sill. "You’re in a world called Castaway Village." she said simply. She seemed angry as she said this, her eyes narrowing as she gazed outside. After a moment, she turned away from the window and smiled again. "My name is Amera." she added.
I smiled back as much as I could. "I’m
Guardian of Hearts
Rhiannon."
Amera nodded, and her face fell as she whispered, "Did you.......leave........alone?"
My eyes widened. "How do you know what happened?" I asked.
"Rhiannon, this village is called Castaway Village for a reason. It’s because this world seems to be the place where those who have survived their world’s destruction end up. We don’t know why. But you are certainly not the first refugee to come here."
"How did I get here?"
Amera shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine. You arrived like all the others, just appearing out of thin air." she looked at me sadly. "You’re the only one to arrive today. I’m sorry."
I shook my head. "It’s alright. I didn’t have any family. I was an orphan. I lived with foster parents, but I didn’t really know them." Jaxen was the only one I cared about.
Amera nodded understandingly."You’re lucky. Many of those who come here grieve for those lost. It’ll be easier for you to move on that way."
I said nothing. I couldn’t tell her about Jaxen–not yet, at least.Because as I looked at Amera, I sensed that she was the kind of person that I would someday be able to confide in. When I was ready. If I ever was ready.
"Oh, I nearly forgot." Amera bent down to pick up something on the floor. "This is your’s, I presume?"
She held out a weapon to me. My eyes widened when I saw it. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. The handle was of gold, and the blade of silver. But what was so strange and remarkable about it was the shape of the blade itself, long and slender, tracing the outline of a heart at the end. Bewildered, I took it from Amera. As the weapon passed from her hand to mine, I felt a jolt jump through me, a shock of recognition as the smooth metal touched my unwary skin. The star that had come to me in the darkness. I remembered it now, shining brightly in the lake when all else turned black. I stared at it with wide eyes.
"It was in your hand when you arrived." said Amera
"What is this?" I murmured to myself. Amera surprised me by being the one to answer back.
"It’s called a Keyblade." she answered. I looked up at her, stunned.
"How do you know what it is?" I asked.
Amera sighed and sat next to me on the bed. "I suppose it’s better to tell you sooner than later. Rhiannon..........there’s something you need to know about this world."
I felt a rush of foreboding fill me. "What?"
"When you came here, most of the people.......well, let’s just say that you didn’t get a very warm welcome. That’s because the last time anyone in Castaway Village saw that weapon, something bad happened. Something very, very bad."
Hope you liked it!
