[Achtes]

***Continued from Previous Post***

"Yes."

The staff broke up into particles of light in a fashion similar to that of the sword. She watched silently as the lights winked out one by one...she would not be absorbing them like she had with the sword. The voice sounded again.

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

She nodded her consent. Standing there a moment, she began to wonder briefly what kind of dream this was...and why she was having it. She did love Kingdom Hearts...but that was just a game. Heartless didn't exist. There was no "door to the light". There was no Keyblade, no Keyholes. There was no Sora...Rumbling caught her attention. The platform she was standing on was beginning to break up, the delicate glowing stained glass shattering right beneath her. Before she had time to react, the platform was gone and she was falling again.

"Oh crap!" Artemis gasped, flailing madly.

It was dark all around her, without a trace of light to be found. Where had the light gone? Was she going to die? And then, in the distance, she saw a bright blue light. She fixated her gaze on it as though it were the only thing that could save her. She was surprised when she felt her feet touch down upon something solid. Looking down, it was the same blue light she'd been staring at...and it was another stained glass platform. There was a sword in her hand now as well. She turned it over, looking intently at it...it was the same sword she'd chosen on the previous platform.

You have gained the power to fight. Use this power to protect yourself and others. There will be times when you have to fight. Keep your light burning strong...

Fighting, using it to protect others, keep her light burning. Check. Sounded good. Now the question was, how would she get out of this crazy looking place so she could--

Behind you!

"Wh-wha!"

Artemis whipped around, her sword raised. It was one of those strange black shadows again! It twitched in a truly peculiar manner, watching her with those strange glowing amber eyes...It leaped at her and, in a state of panic, she swung the blade downward, catching the creature in the chest. It disappeared in an explosion of darkness, leaving a glowing heart floating in its place before, that too, disappeared. She blinked...

"A Heartless...and I just defeated it." she mused aloud.

A shimmering light diverted her attention. The light manifested itself into a strange door. Compelled to do so, she approached it and lay her hands on the handles. She gave a sharp tug...Nope. Not budging. She frowned slightly. How was she supposed to open it?

As she waited for some kind of instruction, another staircase manifested itself. Taking this as a sign to travel up it, she did so, leaving the door behind...for the moment at least. As she reached the top of the staircase, she was on yet another platform. But hovering in the center of the platform...was a light. Feeling strangely drawn towards it, she moved forward. Stopping just underneath it, she gazed upward. The voice came again, startling her after its long silence.

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

Her shadow? Cocking her head to the side in confusion, she looked behind her. Indeed, her shadow looked very black and stretched from where she stood, all the way to the edge of the platform. And then suddenly, it began to pull itself up. It stood in front of her, at first looking like her, but then growing and morphing...

"Uh...uh..." Artemis babbled, slowly backing up.

At last it completed its transformation, the end result looking like some giant hulking beast with strange tentacles. It had the same glowing amber eyes as the Heartless...it WAS a Heartless.

But don't be afraid. And don't forget...

Oh my God...she was actually going to have to fight this thing! It was all well and good when it had been a game, then there was a reset after your game over. But NOW...now, she was going to have to actually fight. Herself. She could die! Well...if she wasn't dead already, that is.

Gritting her teeth, she charged forward, attacking its massive hand. She switched between fighting the hand and the foot and back to the hand...but nothing seemed to work. Indeed, the creature barely seemed to notice it was being attacked at all. And then, suddenly there sprang forth more of the smaller Heartless shed seen before.

"Oh...great!" she growled.

They seemed to be sapping her strength with each attack, causing her attacks on the giant to grow weaker. Whirling around, she decided to focus her attacks on the smaller ones first. As each one was destroyed, she slowly felt her energy returning. When all the little Heartless had been defeated, she turned her attention back to the giant. And faltered.

There, on the heart shaped marking on its chest, formed a massive orb of dark energy. Quick...she had to do something quick. And then she remembered...its face! Of course! That was where she had aimed in the game! In her state of fear, she;d completely forgotten. Hefting her sword up, she charged.

"See how you like this!" Artemis roared.

She struck the creature in the face and it reeled back in pain. It fell to its knees and her sword disappeared...but the creature remained. Her feeling of triumph was short lives as a strange darkness began to develop beneath her, dragging her down into its depths...

Don't be afraid...

Like hell! She was beyond fear now...The massive monster stood and towered over her, perhaps to finish her off. And here she'd been thinking she'd won. Bowing her head, a rueful smile touched upon the brunette's lips...so this was it?

You hold the mightiest weapon of all.

Try as she might, she just couldn't move. The tentacles springing forth from the strange darkness wrapped themselves all around her, restricting movement and pinning her down. It was like some sort of strange execution...

So don't forget: ...

Artemis found herself slowly sinking into the darkness, the tentacles dragging her downward. No...she didn't want it to end like this! Not here! She was cold, alone and afraid...not here. Though try as she might, there was nothing she could do to prevent it. But even this was not enough for her to give up at least trying...and she continued to struggle.

You are the other one...who will open the door.

All manners of existence faded away, leaving a void of what once was in its wake.

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"We don't have time for this...we need to move on!"

"A-hyuk! Aw, c'mon Donald...we can't just leave 'er here."

"Goofy's right, Donald. If she were to get hurt because we left her here, wouldn't that make you feel bad?"

She could here...grumbling. Disgruntled grumbling at that. And voices. And the birds. Where was she? What had happened? Oh...that's right. Her dream. It had been so...so...real. And that Heartless...She disposed of the thought quickly not particularly liking it. But where was she now...?

Hesitantly...she opened one eye.

"Look! She's wakin' up!"

Suddenly startled, she bolted upright...and was met by three familiar faces. A brown haired boy with blue eyes was accompanied by a duck and a dog. She blinked...this was turning out to be one hell of a dream.

"Sora...Donald...and Goofy..." Artemis mumbled.

"Er...yeah. Do we...know you?" Sora asked, quirking an eyebrow as he sat down.

"No...but I know you."


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Alright, Chapter One completed. I promise there will be more action in Chapter Two. And, the group will be going to their first anime world...FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! Other anime I plan on having them visit include Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, and many others! If you want to suggest an anime, by all means, do so! Reviews are appreciated, flames are donated to local boy scouts to make smores with. o.O;;