Part One: Traverse Town
“Elle… Who is this man?” Elle’s uncle, Fred, turned as the duo entered the room. Naix stood completely still, eyes wide like a deer in headlights.
To Fred, the only context he had as to what was going on was his niece entering their home with a boy garbed in a long black trench coma with a make he had never seen before. On the collar was a silver chain connecting either side with long, hanging ends that connected to the holes in the fabric at the base of the hood. The boy’s eyes were a bright blue, sitting in contrast to his light brown skin and short jet black hair. The boy stood over a foot taller than Fred’s dear Elle, and the scene could only be more suspicious of he found them alone in an alleyway in one of the more dimly lit districts.
“This is my new friend, Naix. Naix, this is my Uncle Fred. He’s been taking care of me since our world disappeared.” Elle stated, finally letting go of her firm grasp on Naix’s hand as she ran over to hug her uncle.
“Your world disappeared?” Naix asked as his eyes eyebrows curled up in sadness.
“Well that’s neither here nor there. Where were you from, son? And how did you meet my niece?” Fred placed his contraption down on the table in front of him, walking forward to get a closer look at the stranger.
“I… Don't remember. She found me when I woke up in this place.” Naix looked around the small single storied house. For all he knew, his entire life had been a long drag through the streetlight lit city streets. This warm, cozy home brought the boy at peace. The rolling warmth eminating from the fireplace, and the bright lights that shone to every corner of the place. The sheer brightness comfort of the abode relaxed Naix greatly, all while causing a slight sting to his skin for a reason unknown to him.
“Do you know where you are, Naix?” Fred’s face, once twisted with worry melted to a look of concern. To end up in a place like this with no memory, Naix would have had to seen things even worse than Fred or Elle had.
“No clue. I just woke up here.” Naix sat down at the chair Fred gestured towards with his hand. The older man walked back around the table to his original place, Elle sitting on the side between them.
“This is Traverse Town, a world to act as home to people who lost theirs to the darkness. I've heard many wise people say it only appeared to those who needed it. Elle was too young to remember, but, we lived in a world with a name that slips further and further with each passing day.” Fred started, picking up his metal chassis and placing it on the table. “If you don't remember anything at all, I guess you’ll have to stay with us until you do. As long as you keep out of trouble, there shouldn't be any reason for that to change.”
“I appreciate it.” Naix stumbled his words as he spoke, his eyes falling closer and closer together as he began to drift off to sleep. With a push of pure will, he kept them open, waking himself up slightly.
“Elle will show you to your bed while I clean my mess up. It’s right across the hallway from mine, so if you need anything, let me know.” Fred stood up, picking his invention off the ground as he rose and walking it to a ro out of Naix’s sight past the kitchen. “And Elle, I'll give you some Munny tomorrow afternoon. Our new friend here shouldn't have to walk around town like some sort of suspect.”
“Right. Don't worry, I'll pick everything out for you if you can't remember what kind of clothes you like.” Elle jumped up from her chair, once again grabbing Naix by the hand and dragging him along behind her. They walked down the hall, and Elle lead Naix into her uncle’s guestroom. Inside was a small bed and an assortment of books and statues.
“This is my room?” Naix asked obliviously, freeing himself from the girl’s grip to inspect his living space further.
“All yours! Unless I want to read a book, ‘cause then I'll come in really quick and grab one.” Elle backed out of the room, holding the door on as she exited.
“Thanks for the warning.” Naix waved timidly as Elle closed the door behind her, coating the room I'm faint darkness. For some reason, it felt more familiar to Naix that way. Less comfortable, but it reminded him of something at the edge of memory.
“My room.” Naix sighed as he took his jacket off, revealing his undergarments to be another layer of clothing. On the black shirt below his coat was a silver symbol resembling a spiked cross with the top half of a heart upside-down connected at the bottom.
“I wonder what it means.” Naix spoke to himself, pulling the fabric away from his skin before losing interest, removing his equally black shoes, and lying in the bed before him. A cold breeze flew through Naix’s room through a slightly adjacent window, returning the familiar feeling once more, but stronger now. Something about the combination of cold and darkness. The notion frightened Naix, prompting him to pull his head under his covers, basking him in the warmth of his blanket.
“... My room.” Naix said to himself lightly, as he drifted off to sleep.
The morning came with the chuckles and cheers of people outside Naix’s open window. As daylight shone through, Naix’s eyes opened with the flexing pain of adjustment. Unfamiliar to the concept, Naix grabbed his face and rolled off the side of his bed, hitting the floor as he cried out in pain. The door slammed open, and Naix could hear the faint chuckle coming from Fred as he paced across the room.
“It’s just your eyes adjusting to the light. When your eyes get used to the dark, it takes some time before you can open them back up in the light of day.” Fred placed his hand on Naix’s shoulder, silencing the groans of pain until it was no more.
Wiping the tears off of his eyes and squirting, Naix stood upright, his back to the sunshine of day in his window.
“Why does it do that?” Naix asked, following Fred outside the room into the hallway.
“Because that’s the way that light is. Darkness is easy to adjust to, it's the after effect of light’s absence. And it’s just the way things are.” Fred chuckled at his attempts to be wise as he grabbed a small pouch from his belt.
As Fred and Naix entered the front room, Elle ran up to her new friend, looking at him sideways as he wiped more tears out of his eyes.
“What’s wrong with him?” Elle directed towards maher uncle, who crouched down to her level, handing her the pouch.
“He’s getting to know the light. Remember to only buy one pair for now. We’ll get more after I'm done with this project.” Fred advised, patting Elle on the head as he slowly rose back up.
“What’s your project?” Naix asked, no longer squinting.
“Last machine I built returned power to the Third District, but I don't think it will last. Cheap wires. This time, I'm going to build a mechanism that will get the clock tower in the Second District up and running again. Then we’ have the money to spare on your wardrobe, son.” Fred commented as he went past the kitchen and into the room once more, closing the door behind him.
“We’re only going to buy you one outfit. You can wear these black clothes you got on you when we wash the ones we buy today.” Elle smiled, tossing Fred’s pouch lightly into the air repeatedly in her hands as she turned towards the door.
“So, what are these Districts? What do they have in them?” Naix asked as he closed the front door to the house behind him.
“Well, I found you in the Second District, where we’re going. It has a hotel, the clothes store, some houses, the gizmo shop where Uncle Fred works, and the belltower. The first district has a few shops, a cafe, and a few more houses. And we live in the Third District, which only really has the fountain and some houses over there.” Elle pointed behind her, down a flight of stairs next to the house.
There sat the most beautiful, and only, fountain Naix had ever seen. While most of it sat behind yellow tinted glass, the rest of it spouted water into a pool shaped like a quarter of a bowl.
“Wow…” Naix’s jaw fell straight down as he looked at the dozens of displaced people standing around it. He could see the light shining off of the pool, but that wasn't it. Something about the crowd caught his eye. Like a mass of stellar light that outshined the sun above him.
“What? It's not that amazing. I remember we had this fountain when I was a kid TWICE the size of that one. And if you put one Munny in the pool, it granted wishes.” Elle placed her fists on her hips proudly, eyes closed, and upper lip lifted to the air.
But the sight was too distracting for Naix to look away. When Elle grabbed Naix by the hand, dragging him through the door, Naix almost cried.
“You okay?” Elle stopped, watching a tear form in Naix’s eyes.
“What was that?” Naix stopped, turning to stare at the close door behind him longingly.
“What was what?” Elle looked at the door, unaware of the shining edges where the light peeked through like Naix saw.
“Those people. They all glee like the sun from here.” Naix turned his gaze to the floor, his hand across his chest.
“Back home I met this old man who told me about people’s Hearts. How Hearts have Light and Darkness in equal amounts.” Elle placed her hand on Naix’s back, looping her head around his side, attempting to comfort the saddened boy.
“Hearts… If I can see the Light in people’s Hearts, why can't I see my own?”
“Well, maybe you can't see your own Light. Like how I can only see my face when I look in a mirror!” Elle patted Naix’s back three times before turning away, walking forward and deeper into the Second District.
“Thanks.” Naix followed Elle, glancing back at the door before turning a corner, the door to the Light the out of sight.
“It’s perfect!” Elle clapped before reaching down to her belt, handing the entire pouch of Munny to the man at the counter.
Naix looked at his new wardrobe in the store’s mirror. He had a jacket over another shirt, the short, gray hoodie going down to the bottom of his ribs, ending where his plain white shirt took over in covering his chest, tucking into his bottoms. His pants were fitting to his legs but still slightly baggy, a sewn line down the center of each leg marking where the black and white began and ended. In addition to fabric clothing, Elle purchased jewelry she described as “Pretty”, a silver chain connecting to thin metal shaped into the outline of a heart and a black and white checkered pattern ring. It was an odd outfit for sure, but everything in the store was similar in its oddity. Elle just picked an outfit that at least matched.
“Thanks, Elle. But do you think we could find a longer jacket?” Naix requested, attempting to pull the ends of his hooded overshirt down to his hips to no avail.
“Nope. That was the longest one in the store. C’mon, we should get back before all those people at the fountain move over here. Then we’ll never get out.” Naix stared into the mirror as Elle exited the store. Something caught Naix’s eyes as he looked into the mirror. In the center of his chest was a hole straight through the same shape as the necklace Elle bought him. Just behind him, Naix could see the light of the clerk’s Heart in the mirror.
For a moment, thoughts raced through Naix’s head so quickly it felt like his skull would split apart. Before he had a chance to freak out, the cries of people just outside the store rang through the air. Through the glass window, Naix could see Elle’s back pressed up against the glass, joining the frightening chorus of screams as she shook with terror.
“ELLE!” Naix’s mind was focused simply on Elle, disregarding the horrible sight he just witnessed in the mirror.
As Naix ran out of the door, a four legged creature descended from a black orb in the sky, which disappeared as the monster landed. Without missing a beat, the creature stood hunched over on two legs, swiping a woman just next to Elle across the belly, blood and darkness leaking out of her as her eyes became coated in black. Her screams became muffled as she fell over, almost as if she was getting crushed with nothing wrong with her but the creature’s wound. With the immediate target down and most certainly dead, the creature turned its white eyes towards Elle, raising its deadly claws into the air once more.
As Elle screamed, Naix jumped in front of her, forearms crossed in front of him in an instinctual but useless guard position. The attack hit, landing right in Naix’s arms, knocking the boy away with little more than some cut on his arm.
“What?” Naix stood, watching as the creature reared for a second attack on Elle. Too far to protect her, Naix rant forward with his hand raised in a futile attempt to save the girl.
“NO!” Naix screamed, a burst of pure black and purple energy shooting from his uplifted hand, blowing the fidgety creature away, destroying it.
“Naix!” Elle ran over to the stunned boy, hugging him as his eyes widened with shock.
“What’s going on? Is this normal?” Naix said, panicking as he looked at his left hand.
“No! I've ever seen these things before in my life!” Elle cried, giving Naix the answer to the wrong question.
Another creature fell from the sky just above Naix and Elle. Before it could land, Naix threw Elle away to the side, putting his alright raised left hand upwards in yet another futile attempt to block the attack, half hoping another blast would erupt from his hand.
Suddenly, adverse to expectations, a bright gleam of light shone from Naix’s right hand, suddenly forming into a sword sized, metallic, angular key. To Naix, everything seemed to freeze in that second, while he himself was not suspended in time. The word “Keyblade” rolled around in his head, like a thousand voices calling his weapon’s name, heralding it appearance.
“A… Keyblade?” Naix yammered, observing the weapon. Before he could gain a grasp on what was happening, time continued flowing, the creature’s descent coming to an end. Just before the monster and it's coming attack landed, Naix prepared his guard, the Keyblade effectively blocking the heavy attack.
This creature had a different appearance than the other Naix had destroyed, but the same purpose. Tall and monstrous, the creature appeared to have stitches across its eyes and mouth, its dull gray flesh unchanging in color except for a red symbol on its chest in the shape of a broken heart.
His movement almost involuntary, Naix jumped into the air, his Keyblade above his head. With a cry, Naix brought his weapon down, cutting the monster down the middle, defeating it, it's body flaking away into the air like ashes as it fell to the floor.
Naix scanned the courtyard in the second district, the elevated pathways along the edges where he stood covered in monsters while the bottom level had scattered clusters of smaller ones chasing the civilians. When Naix caught their gaze, the monsters ceased attacking and turned to look at him. Despite their shapes, sizes, and colors, the monsters all had that same broken heart symbol and stitches on their eyes and mouths. The creatures all, at once, opened their mouths until their stitches ripped and let out an ear piercing cry before returning to the black orbs in the sky, disappearing from the Second District entirely.
“Naix…” Elle looked to her friend with wonder and terror as she stepped closer. When Naix turned back, his Keyblade disappeared just the way it came, no trace of it remaining. Before Elle could speak, a man ran up to Naix from the side, grabbing him and crying on his new clothes.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Before Naix could reply, a woman came up and joined in with the man, giving thanks. Suddenly, a crowd of survivors surrounded Naix, hugging him and crying all over him as he attempted to break free and comfort the horrified look on Elle’s face.
“Keyblade…” Naix said to himself, lying in bed under the light of morning. He brought his hands up in front of his face. His left hand emitted a dark blast that destroyed his enemy during his rage and fear at Elle’s attempted harm, while his right hand summoned a light that brought forth a weapon that saved everyone. He had no clue what kind of other powers were locked away inside the depths of his memories, but it scared him regardless of light or dark nature.
“Who was I?” Naix rose from his bed and walked out of the door.
Fred’s door laid open, the man nowhere to be seen inside. As Naix entered the front room, he saw Fred standing in front of the window next to the door, frantically looking left and right.
“What’s wrong?” Naix asked, looking around for Elle.
“It's Elle. She was gone when I woke up. I looked around the Third and First District, but I couldn't find her…” Fred lowered his head, shaking it from side to side. “And I was too much of a coward to check the Second District.”
“I'll go find her.” Naix ran to the door, opening it before Fred grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.
“She told me what happened last night. Do you think those monsters were here for you?” Fred asked, a simmering flame burning in his eyes, ready to unleash should Naix not give an answer that pleased him.
“I don't think so. They wouldn't have left after looking at me if they were, right?” Naix said earnestly, shrugging as he spoke.
“You're right. Please… Just go find her.”
“Hey, Vim! Look at the tough little girl cry. Wasn't she the one who called you a jerk?” The older boy commented, poking at Elle from behind as she cried, crouched up against the wall next to the door of the clothes store.
“Shut up! What’s wrong, little girl? Were you here yesterday?” Vim crouched down next to Elle, whose gaze never broke from the poorly cleaned bloodstain on the floor.
“Yeah…” Elle sniffled, wiping her tears off her eyes.
“People say there were monsters here, but the only sane thing I've heard was that boy you found started attacking people with some kind of weapon.” Vim stood up, crossing his arms.
“No! Naix saved everybody! You weren't there! You don't know!” Elle turned and stood, looking up defiantly to the three taller, grinning boys before her.
“Listen, I know it was scary to see, but we need to know so we can punish the bastard.” One of Vim’s lackeys chuckled and grinned as he cracked his knuckles.
“Shut your mouth! Innocent people died here! You can't just blame it on Naix because you don't understand what happened!” Elle yelled, eyes glazed with anger, her tears now completely gone.
“Something the matter, Elle?” Naix walked by Vim and his two followers obliviously.
“These idiots think you're the one who attacked everybody yesterday!” Elle pointed at Vim as Naix walked to her side, turning to face his accusers.
“Oh. Why would you guys think-” Naix was cut off by a fist striking right on the chin, knocking his head back. Vim stepped forward to follow up the hit as the other two boys went to assist. Before the third could walk past Elle, she sent four high flying knees right in between the boy’s legs, sending him to the floor, crying in pain.
“Why you little…” Vim turned as Naix stood, grabbing the bully by the shoulders and turning him back around to flip him over the ledge and down to the courtyard of the Second District. The other, not injured boy threw a wide hook to the side of Naix’s face. Too quick for the boy to register, Naix threw the back of his fist at the inside of the boy’s elbow, grabbed his wrist, turned, and threw him over his shoulder.
Defeated, the trio stumbled away towards the clocktower, mumbling about Naix’s guilt as the attacker.
“Elle. Your uncle’s worried about you coming out here by yourself.” Naix said with a smile and a kind tone, unfitting to someone who just fought like he did.
“Naix… Are you sure you don't remember who you are?” Elle asked frankly, grabbing Naix’s hand gently as they walked down the stairs to return home to the Third District.
“I remember… Darkness… Stars… A desert… And crying. That's it. I think with a bit more time, I’ll remember.” Naix shrugged, more at peace with his memory loss than Elle.
“What about that key? What was that?” Elle asked, carefully poking Naix’s right hand.
“I’m pretty sure it’s called a Keyblade. Other than that, I don't...” Naix paused, a sudden sense of dread shooting up his back. When he turned, Vim and his friends scams scrambling past Elle and Naix.
“MONSTER!” Vim cried, pushing Naix out of the way. After the attack yesterday, the Second District was entirely clear and deemed unsafe. The only remaining people occupying the area was now Elle and Naix.
“Elle, get home.” Naix released Elle’s hand and ran towards the clocktower. Elle shouted for him, but by the time she did Naix was out of earshot.
When he turned the corner, Naix saw a creature so large it sat comfortably at the top of the belltower like it was a seat made just for it. When Naix approached, the monster leaped down into the courtyard and pointed to the boy.
“They really are here for me…” Naix gasped as his Keyblade returned to his hand.
This time, Naix took a moment to observe the weapon. It was black with a white trim on the inside of every loop and edge. The handle was inside the bow of the key, in the shape of a heart like the necklace Elle bought for him, but jagged, as if it were built with metallic thorns. The shaft was hollow, black edged frames on each side connecting to the head both had a decal of chains, while the key wards in the shape of a jagged black crown.
The large being crashed it’s hand down to the floor just in front of Naix, knocking him backwards onto the ground. Surprisingly fast for its size, the creature dashed right on top of Naix, the boy lying on the floor just between its legs.
Like when Naix first drew his Keyblade, hundreds of voices rang through his mind. “Become whole, my liege. Schism… Schism… Schism…”
“Is your name… Schism?” Naix said, chuckling nervously.
The Schism’s stitches implanted across its face tore as the out opened. From its maw came a bright white light that descended in a beam on top of Naix’s body. The light enveloped Naix, searing his flesh as he felt his very being chip away. With every passing second, Naix could feel himself slipping. Be it because the blaring sound the beam emitted, or because his ears were burnt away, Naix could not hear himself scream. In just a few seconds, Naix would be gone. An all too familiar feeling swept over Naix, one of despair and emptiness leading up to his coming demise.
But suddenly it stopped.
The ring of swinging blades cut through the air as the Schism staggered, backing away from Naix’s damaged and simmering body. Though Naix’s eyes felt on the brink of melting, he saw two people, light glowing from their hands, cut Schism behind its ability to recover. Before the final blow was felt, Schism summoned a large black orb and disappeared into it.
“Who?” Naix stuttered as he grabbed his new, ruined clothes.
In a blink of his eyes, one of the figures held their weapon, a sword similar in shape to Naix’s own Keyblade, right in front of his face.
“Heal!” Naix’s sight returned in a sudden green glow. A woman with bright yellow hair and sleek white clothes stood in front of him. Another person, this one a man, approached Naix, also wielding a Keyblade. His hair was a dark brown and his face was akin to the woman’s.
“Where did you get that Keyblade?” The man asked sternly, holding his Keyblade at Naix’s head in an aggressive manner.
“What just happened?” Naix sat upright, holding his head.
“Answer the question.” The man drew back his weapon, posing for a powerful attack that would cut Naix down in a single blow.
“I don't know.” Naix stood upright, looking down at his Keyblade in his hand. The man and woman locked eyes, a confused and concerned look on both their faces.
