Chapter VII - Protecting the Illusion

"May your heart be your guiding key," Master said. I tilted my head in confusion, trying to ignore the weird throbbing familiarity of that phrase in my chest.

"What's with the weird phrase, master?"

"It's something keyblade wielders of old used to say to one another,"

"Oh, that's nice, I guess."

"It's not taught to many anymore, but I believe it's something all keyblade wielders should know. It's time you learned it." Master explained to me.

I smiled, nodding to myself, "I won't forget it."

"There's a second half to the phrase as well, something wielders would say back to one another when greeting each other, or to give another extra strength."

"Oh?"

"May your heart be your guiding key, and let your soul get you there." He finished the phrase.

I brought a hand to my chest, feeling the warmth of encouragement. I guess it worked. My smile grew.

"Some have said let your soul take you there, that's correct as well. You could also say, 'let your heart be your guiding key, and may your soul take you there,' but most agree on the first way I've taught you." He smiled to himself, closing his eyes and stroking his beard. Happy with himself, maybe even proud.

"Thank you, master, for teaching me this."

"(Y/n), may your heart be your guiding key,"

"And let my soul take me there."

They can take your world,

They can take your Heart,

Cut you loose from all you know,

But if it's your fate,

then every step closer

is a step closer to home

♥︎𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑑𝑜𝑚❦𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠♥︎

Mark of Memory

When I opened my eyes I was in a world I had never seen before. Clear blue skies, white buildings surrounded a square plaza which had a golden gate that led to a white castle looking overhead the town. Flowers from the patches next to me had petals break off and fly towards the sky. The wind was strong today.

Even though I had never been to this world, my chest hurt and ached, like it was longing. The world's name was right at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't name it. So I tried to push this feeling deep down.

Summoning my keyblade I began to investigate this place. Trying to figure out why, for the first time in my life, my head felt fuzzy. Like I couldn't remember something.

I've always watched people forget things. But I haven't, since the minute I opened my eyes I've remembered every detail I have ever seen. And tried to remember anything anyone's ever said.

I grip the handle of my golden blade, despite never being here, it's muscle memory as I go down the strangely empty streets.

I try my hardest to think back to before this. Had Mickey left me here for solo training? Had I tagged along with Dad on his hunt for the silver-haired angel?

"...your fear of the dark.."

"...A most crucial thing.."

"Have to do?"

"Dying world,"

"Great Improvements,"

"Duty!"

"Strong heart, overcome,"

"Never real."

Bit's and pieces came back to me all at once, and I tried to make them fit cleanly into the puzzle. But none of them went together in my mind to create a clear picture.

But what I did pick up put me on edge, a dying world. Strong heart. Something crucial. And my fear of the dark?

What is this? What do they all have to do with one another? I hold a hand to my chest. I need to figure this out.

A heartless popped up on the other side of the street, locking eyes with me. It came closer, the drone looked hungry.

I backed away from it, terrified of the look in its beety, yellow eyes. It comes closer to me and I run all the way back to the plaza. Out of breath by the time I get there.

I turn back towards it. The heartless melded into the floor and became a murky puddle as it skidded twice as fast as I could run, the only reason I was able to beat it was because it didn't seem to have a direct path it wanted to take, zigzagging wherever it pleased.

One heartless became three in a moment, coming out of the same inky black puddle. I could see the darkness radiate off of them, I could smell more were coming.

I readied my blade, trying to calm myself down. Breathing in and out I stepped back to assess the situation like Papa would tell me to do.

There were three heartless. Me, the keyblade wielder who in six years has never killed a single heartless and has a fear of the dark, which includes heartless, and a potentially in danger world.

Not the best odds. But I know, whatever this is can't be outside of my abilities, otherwise, Mickey would come and save me. Or master would send magic my way to help me.

Right, just keep that in mind and try your best, (Y/n). You can do it.

The heartless creep closer and I back away, I put weight onto one foot, placing the other behind me in case I need to move faster or kick quickly. Placing the blunt part of the blade forward I try and stare my enemies down confidently. Furrowing my eyebrows, this felt weirder now that these were real enemies and not training dummies.

But still, this felt right. Just weird.

They charged at me, attacking at the blade protecting my face. I pushed them away forcefully, watching them take a little damage but bounce back onto the ground. More came from nowhere. This will get out of control soon.

The new ones charge at me while the others recuperate. I cast Reflectaga and watch them bounce away. More coming from the cracks in this world.

The wind picks up and I have to close my eyes to prevent debris blinding me. I'm attacked again and I have to cast Blizzaga to keep them away from me.

I open my eyes, focusing on the heartless appearing. All drones, no knights, no spinning tops, no big bubble ones either, just drones so far. And I'm struggling. I can't take one down. I just can't do it. It feels wrong. As wrong as not breathing, as wrong as it was to open up my heart all those years ago.

A group of them shifts closer, they twitch and watch in unnatural ways. Their claws move as if they'll sink into the air and they start clicking together. As if communicating.

Then they charge. Stubby legs jump up and try to attack me with sharpened claws, I cast reflectega again. Watching them bounce off of me.

My shield wears off, and as soon as it does the wind picks up. More heartless join us. I see something begin to form in the sky, although faint I don't imagine it'd be a good thing. I stance up once more, getting ready for another attack. Carefully monitoring my decreasing mana. I was in a good spot, for now, the three high-level spells I had used had barely put a dent in my maximum load.

That wouldn't last forever though, something as a magic-user I was well aware of. I needed to push through this growing wall of heartless, come up with a plan, and protect this world.

I cast Reflectega again, just as the drones tried to attack me again. I almost lost my footing at their group attack. For mindless creatures, it seems they value the places you could get with teamwork.

Teamwork. Suddenly, I wish Mickey was here.

A lone heartless ran up to me and I bumped it away with the blunt side of my blade, realizing too late that another one from behind me also decided to attack, ripping into my back. I let out a scream and fell to my knee. Trying to grab the mini monster and pull it off as it tried to embed its claws deeper into my skin. It's friends coming while I'm on the ground and defenseless. Almost.

As soon as they jumped up to bury me in their pile I cast Reflega. Not caring to check the state of them as I pulled the heartless off my back. It's inky darkness burning my hand and I cried out. My shield went down and I threw it in a random direction.

The wind picked up and became permanently fast. It was so loud it was the only thing I could hear. The thing in the sky grew, it was a mix of colors from black to purple to red and green, maybe even some blue. It grew and grew, sucking air into it along with whatever else it could pick up.

I saw something big rise from beyond the line of the houses, a giant heartless stared down at me, tendrils that looked like hair floated around it. More like it appeared along the giant black hole.

More and more heartless sprang from the streets to fill the plaza, crowding together and creating pillars, yellow eyes turned red. Menacing, demonic auras came off of them.

A scene from my nightmares. I stalled, frozen in fear. This is the exact thing I'm afraid of, the exact thing my nightmares are made of. Why I wake up in cold sweat, screaming. A lump grew in my throat, my legs began to shake, tears welled up in my eyes very slowly.

I felt myself start to sweat as the heartless inched forward. I backed away, almost tripping on one before inching in the other direction.

I felt sick. My chest hurt. I couldn't do this. I can't. I don't want to be here anymore. I want out. I want out!

Mickey. Master Yen Sid. Where are you?

I held the blade that had become part of me in front of myself, trying to ward the towers and hordes away from me. Seeing more of the big ones towering over the buildings, all that I could see was watching me.

The twisting towers of heartless all came at me at once, I tried casting Reflectega but with them all coming at me at once it was useless, the four pillars broke through my defenses easily.

I screamed, feeling the burning of my body as my skin connected with their darkness, it passed straight through my clothes to get to me.

The horde piled onto me, pushing me onto the ground. Keyblade still clutched in my hand, but it was fading. My eyes were closing, still locked on it as the heartless tore into my skin with their claws, teeth making me bleed.

Tears fell out of my eyes as they closed. It didn't hurt anymore, at least. Everything felt numb. Briefly, I wondered if this was the end. if the past six years meant nothing at all. That I let everyone down, Cloud, Squall, Denzel, Mickey, and Master.

Sora and Mom too. I said I'd see them again.

So, why?

My eyes closed, still trained on the blade until the last moment. I felt myself fall, my heart felt like it was sinking.

And then I felt free, floating. Filled with equilibrium and a sense of calm. I opened my eyes and that sense went away. A wall of darkness was in front of me, all around me. I was floating in darkness.

"No!" I screamed, feeling it invade my mouth like water. Wisps in my lungs with no way to expel them.

I tried to summon my keyblade. But it didn't come. So I tried my hardest to pull myself to the wall of darkness, hoping that there was an end.

I scraped and clawed and banged and tried everything I could to break it. Break out. Tears burst from my eyes and I felt my breathing pick up, I was wheezing and sobbing.

I screamed again, even as it seemed impossible. Even as it burned again and I could feel my blood trail down my body from whatever marks I had sustained. My chest hurt, burned in a different way. An uncontrollable ache. My birthmark burned too. My stomach felt nauseous.

I slammed down on the wall one last time, feeling all my energy disappear as the wall burst open, darkness and myself flooding out.

I laughed apathetically, collapsing to the ground as the darkness swirled and pooled on the ground below me. I laid there, not having the energy to get up as I coughed, watching as I expelled some of the darkness I had inhaled.

I coughed more until my throat hurt. And it all came out. I queasily watched it join the other darkness, pooling around to join the giant cloud. Tendrils getting closer to my feet.

One of them got too close and tried to curl around my left leg, I kicked it away and it tried to come back quickly, with more force, trying to pull me back into the cloud of darkness that was going into the air, creating a storm.

I kicked it again, backing away and standing up. Almost tripping before I can stand on both feet. The cloud tries to take me again, more of it going into the sky. I turned the other way and bolted as fast as my legs could take me.

The grass around me was dead yellow, the trees I passed on this dirt and stone path were all decaying as well. Their leaves were the same dead yellow as the grass around them. The wind picked up and I clutched the jacket hanging off my shoulders up harder. My hair moved with the wind, blowing into my face. I pushed it back.

About a mile away I saw a broken stone bridge, falling apart even now. I raced towards it, as fast as I could possibly go. The darkness catching up with me.

I made it to the bridge, seeing a castle with seven towers at the end. I pushed myself forward, trying to ignore the burning pain in my lungs.

The bridge collapsed and I had to slow down to make sure I didn't fall into the rushing rapids below. The dark cloud was almost fully in the sky, yet some tendrils still tried to claw at me even as they rose up.

I slipped, my foot going straight through a hole after having to shimmy across a section that had entirely lost anything I could step on. My foot felt cold after I pulled it up, having almost got caught in the water.

The storm's tendrils of darkness grew bigger as my heart sparked with more fear, sensing an opening it pushed more darkness towards me. But I was up and moving, running the last stretch of the intact bridge. I got to the door, it had intricate carvings on it, with detailed little things forming together into a bigger heart at the center of the double doors. The smaller intricacies also seemed to be hearts.

I pushed open the doors. Slamming them shut on the darkness and hearing a bang from beyond it. I dropped to the floor, leaning against the door. Breathing in and out and feeling the weakest I've ever felt since beginning my training.

I laughed. A happy relieved laugh. I made it. I did it. Broke free from the darkness and lived. And now I'm here, wherever here is.

I stayed like this, on the ground leaning on the heart-carved door. I looked around, the castle was small for a castle, much smaller than Mickey's castle, or the one, I paused, what was I going to say? Oh, it's smaller than that castle in the world I was just in. The white one protected by the golden gate.

Two staircases are leading up to different sides of the castle, east, and west. In front of me was a large, empty room with a throne at the end. A moldy, musty carpet littered the cracked marble floor.

This place must've been beautiful once. When everything was alive.

I got up, looking around for anything more as to clue myself in as to where I am. I tried summoning my keyblade, feeling the familiar weight return to my hand. I held it up, smiling at my familiar, old friend.

"Good to have you back."

"Indeed, it's nice to have you back."

My breath hitched and I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It sounded so much like mine, but younger. I looked up, towards the stairs and balconies, not finding the voice. It sounded so far away, up, did it echo?

Looking in front of me to the throne it was a ways away from me but nothing nor no one was there.

"Behind you."

I turned around, stepping back and almost tripping on the carpet as it squished from my weight. I looked down. It was me. From when I was four or five.

"Ah!" I stepped back more, dead eyes stared into mine.

"Who..? Who are you?!" I exclaimed. Once again, I panicked. Who was she? How was this possible? Why was this happening?!

I don't understand!

"Kingdom Hearts."

I stared at the little girl, who was me, but also wasn't me because she just told me she was Kingdom Hearts. One thought entered my scattered mind and I said it aloud dumbly, "Huh?"

She repeated herself, "I am Kingdom Hearts."

She looked me up and down, her face neutral but it being mine I could see she wasn't even trying to hold back her judging look. She looked at my keyblade, staring at it intensely before her lips quirked up.

"Did you know," She started, not breaking her eyes of my blade, well, was it really mine when every blade was passed down from Kingdom Hearts to the keyblade wielders of old, who in turn passed it to the wielders now?

"That you're the only wielder that exists now that hasn't had a keyblade passed onto them, yet still wields a keyblade?" A knowing look was present on her face, but I didn't know what she knew, other than what she told me.

"I am?" I questioned her. Thinking back, master had a lesson on how you couldn't obtain a keyblade without it being passed down. It just didn't happen anymore. Maybe because of the horrible war so long ago. That's also the reason why children typically didn't summon keyblades nowadays.

"Think back, has anyone ever given you one? Have you ever even held the hilt of another blade?" I search my memory before shaking my head.

"No."

"Then are you related to someone who has a keyblade?" The realization hits me right then and there, I feel myself lighten up with excitement.

"Am I here so you can tell me about my birth parents?!" I asked, curiously. Of course, Cloud and Squall are my parents. But I can't say I'm not curious.

Kingdom Hearts recoiled, "You're here for your Mark of Mastery." She walked past me, going to the middle of the castle's throne room.

"But my master's the one who'll give me my Mark of Mastery, and he hasn't told me–"

"What were you doing before you came here? Think back."

Uncomfortably, memories began flooding my brain.

꧁꧂꧁꧂꧁꧂

"It's time now, (Y/n), you're ready." I straightened myself out, nodding at what my master said.

"Yes, master. If you think so then I'd be honored."

He shook his head, "It's not about what I think, it's about if you think you are ready." I averted my eyes. After six years of training, did I think I was ready?

"Yes, I'm ready, master." The old man nodded his head and I smiled, just happy to know he believes in me.

Mickey walked next to me, a smile on his face too. "You can do it, (Y/n), you have a strong heart and I know no matter what kinda test master Yen Sid throws at you, you'll be able to handle it easily," The usual laugh at the end of his sentence was comforting. I'm glad he also thought I could do this.

"So, where do we begin?" I asked my master.

"Throughout the course of your training you have shown great improvements, (Y/n), but there has been one thing, and one thing only, holding you back. A most crucial thing," I blushed in embarrassment, that was true.

"So for your Mark of Mastery, I believe you need to overcome your fear of the dark,"

I inhaled, waiting for him to continue. Already feeling dread creep inside of me. Looming.

"What do I have to do?" I asked him another question, trying to push down the dread and prepare myself for what was to come.

"For your mark of mastery, a dying world will suffice." Panic overwhelmed my system as I tried to make eye contact with my master as quickly as I could, but he had closed his eyes. Mickey had let out a cry of surprise like I had as well.

"Master, you can't!"

"I thought it was our duty to protect the worlds?!"

He brought a hand up to silence us, and both of us backed down.

"Yes, you are correct, (Y/n), if it is avoidable you should never risk the life of a world and its people. But if the world was never real, to begin with, that is a different story."

"What do you mean, master?"

꧁꧂꧁꧂꧁꧂

The memory ended there. I clutched my head futilely trying to stop my growing headache.

"I need to go back, I need to finish my test!"

"If you go back now, you'll fail." That stops me in my tracks. I know it's true, that if I go back and fail now I'll disappoint my master.

"It's cheating." Still, even if I disappoint him. If I'm not ready now, maybe I will be soon. But it's not right to just pause my test like this, Mickey and Master are probably wondering where I am.

"You have a test here, guardian." Kingdom Hearts told me. Three pedestals appeared in the room, one in the middle two by its sides spread out by a couple of feet in a triangle. A wand on one, a sword on another, and on the last was a shield. The sword had a heart engraved on its hilt, the wand had a wisp-like shape in it as well, the shield had a person's silhouette carved into it.

"Guardian?" I walked back up to her. The little me waited for me to look at them.

"Choose." She stated, motioning towards the objects. I stayed still, repeating myself, "Guardian?"

She looked at me, bored, "I will explain in due time, now choose."

"Test?" I asked, getting frustrated.

"Choose." Her voice became darker, her (y/e) eyes flashed yellow and I did what she said because she looked like a heartless that way.

I walked over, grabbing the wand, knowing I was much more adept at magic than swordplay. It called to me in a way that the sword nor shield did. The wand disappeared in my hand and Kingdom Hearts looked pleased.

"Now discard something else." I walked over to the sword, picked it up, and watched it disappear. I turned to Kingdom Hearts, wanting answers.

The littler me smirked, chuckling lowly, "I wonder how this selection will change, as you get older."

She turned away from me and walked back towards the door. There was a pause until the winds blew outside and I could see lightning flash from the windows before a terrifying thunder followed.

"I need your help, guardian." Kingdom Hearts said, nonchalantly. "You see, since darkness and light don't exist here and we clearly have a problem, I need you to get rid of that problem."

A creature popped out from the floor. Its eyes glowed yellow like a heartless and it had an un-zipped zipper showing off its sharp canines and gaping maw. Its claws were like the tips of the thinnest swords and its body was hunched over and constantly moving.

It was almost scarier than the darkness to me. Almost. Though by the way it looked I should really be preferring heartless.

I recoiled away from it but summoned my keyblade just in case. Taking my fighting stance, one foot in the back of the other for easier and quicker movements, and holding my keyblade up in front of me with one hand.

"This is a Bog, they're made of hearts that come here that were mostly made of darkness when they were alive. Bogs are created to find the redemption they couldn't achieve in their first lives. But it seems as though recently my keyblade wielders numbers have dwindled enough where these hearts aren't being put in place. I need you to defeat them and forcefully redeem these hearts before they cause more of a problem for those who live here peacefully." She explained to me.

"In return, of course, I will answer any inquiries you have or grant any wishes that are within my power to grant." The Bog ran toward me, I slashed at it, easily cutting it in half and watching it burst into a crowd of doves. I watched as they flew up and escaped through a window opening by itself in the ceiling. As soon as the last pigeon passed through the window closed.

"In exchange, I expect this fear of the dark to be quelled," I turned my head back to Kingdom Hearts, my younger form staring me straight in the eyes. "And for you to fully understand your role in this game."

"Good luck, guardian." The floor changed color, turning bright blue and glass-like before completely breaking. I screamed, falling through the floor as Kingdom Hearts apathetically stared down at me, still standing where the floor was even though there was nothing but air.

I reached out my hand, trying to grasp onto something. But I fell into the deepest darkness with the shards. My only solace was the keyblade in my hand.

"Don't disappoint me, Soul."