I've been having these weird thoughts lately...like is any of this for real or not? I've found my own
thoughts to confuse myself, they seem like echoes of a voice farther away than my own but still
it picks away at my very mind. But it's not the only thing I've heard or seen, in my dreams I see it,
it's huge, it's dark, it's coming for me.
It's always the same, I go to sleep and it's there. This, this door. And when I open it, it feels like
I'm falling, but I can't scream, I can't move, I can barely think and it's like I just don't care anymore.
And then he appears, or it, this monstrous figure. A thing with immense power, it's huge, I can feel
it's darkness because it even darkens my own heart and it sickens me and it haunts me, taunts me,
and tries to take me away. It's horrible, it's petrifying howling stops me in my tracks, but through it
all in the swirling void that is it's mouth I can hear a distinct voice state to me in a faint but stern tone
"this world has been connected. Tied to the darkness... soon to be completely eclipsed. There is so
very much to learn. You understand so little..". These words give me such chills I try to ignore it all
but it's only a dream, right?
Waking up that morning Kevin rolled over looking at the time and saw that it was only 8:30 he rolled
his eyes and slapped his forehead as he lost balance and fell out of bed "uh ah!" he shouted as
he hit the floor. Dragging himself up off the floor he slowly walked to the bathroom dragging his feet
like a zombie as he went inside and closed the door. Soon after he immerged from the steam filled
room refreshed by a shower, and a new set of clothes. He had a big day planned out ahead of him,
he was to meet his girlfriend before going to meet his friends at an amusement park.
Skipping down the stairs Kevin made his way out into the bright sunlight which burned down on him.
He took a glance left and right before jogging across the street and making his way for the bus stop
so he could meet up with his beautiful girlfriend Melissa. Mel and Kevin, had recently celebrated
their one year anniversary of dating and Kevin was as happy with her as ever, only wish she was
more affectionate sometimes. The bus began to zoom by him and his eyes went wide as he began to
run fast trying to catch it, he pushed himself harder and harder and the bus stop and he dashed by the
door and ran back and hopped inside and put his money in the slot and took a transfer and sat down.
When he got to the metro he could feel the madness of the metro system already, screams and cries,
busy people being busier, crazy people acting crazier. Putting his transfer in the turnstile he pushed
on through and took a metro transfer and then skipped down the stairs to the platform where he began
to wait for the metro glancing down the tunnels, the darkness of the tunnels reminded him of the
howling mouth of the creature in his dream. Two bright eyes pierced through the darkness and the
howling started, Kevin stood back abit but relaxed it was the metro pulling up, he was becoming abit
too paranoid for his own good. As it came to a stop and the doors opened, Kevin walked inside and
sat down in one of the single corner seats, he liked to sit there because he could still watch all
the people around him but didn't have to sit near them to be pulled into their craziness.
The metro stops seemed to pass by at a blinding speed, all one long blur that felt like a strange
dream, the signs, the advertisements, the garbage on the floor the writing on the walls it all looked
strange and shaky. Kevin brushed it off, everything is shaky on the metro it's moving and jolting
around at a high speed. Before he knew it, it was time to get off. He had made it to Berri-UQAM,
he heard a strange buzzing sound in the back of his head, it reminded him of an alaram, but he had
suffered a few migraines recently so he brushed it off. He went to catch the other metro and got on
and made his way to Jean Drapeau, where he'd get off to meet up with Mel and friends to go to
LaRonde for the day.
He was there, so soon, it seemed so strange, the stops and time had flown by as if he had been
sleeping this whole time when all along he had been wide awake. Pulling himself up the stairs he
walked out of the metro station and saw Mel, Steff, Vanessa, Jesse, and Maud standing there
waiting for him. Kevin gave a smile and walked over to them as they then started to walk towards
the theme park, telling jokes, and laughing along the way. Things seemed jittery and shaky still
in Kevin's eyes, he thought a migraine was coming on but it seemed so different, he stopped
talking for awhile because of this hollow feeling inside. Mel looked at him and worried, but as
Steff was first to ask "are you okay Kevy?" she put her hand on his shoulder, he was totally
phased out in his own little world and then shook abit and looked at her "yeah I'm fine, I'm good"
he told her reassuring them a few times.
When they got to the entrance they all paid for their tickets and entered the park, the decision
was now for what ride to go on first. There was several decisions but as always with most people
the first ride to go on is the Monster, one of North America's few remaining wooden roller coasters
but it also happened to be the tallest one in North America. They all stood waiting in line still
joking around and laughing all the way through the line until they were ready to get on the ride.
I sat down beside Jesse, and Mel beside Steffy, even though I wanted to sit beside her. As everyone
got safely buckled in, the ride started and began to pull it's way across the track, and up the slope
the infamous clanking of the track and cart started as it pulled it's way towards the big drop. But
then something started to happen, the ride shook more than usual and the sky seemed to get awful
gloomy real fast, as if night were pulling itself in, the ride came to a sudden stop but it was still shaking
through all this the only thing I could think of is Mel's safety.
Then it happened, the most unbelievable thing ever. The dream creature, the large howling beast, rose
up from the long stretched shadows of the roller coaster, it's immense tentacles latching onto the tracks
and it's arms raised high up in the air it's glowing eyes seemed to only be starring at me. It grew even
darker outside, I was struck by fear as I sat there and not even the screams of the people on the cart could
break my silence, as the shadow engulfed everything.
But then, I woke. Laying back at home in my bed, it was all a dream, the entire day was just part of
my imagination. Sitting up I pressed my hand to my head and tried to wake myself up some more as
I then stood up and headed for the bathroom to take a shower and get ready, it was once again the day
to go to LaRonde but this time in a more down to earth reality. The same day again for the most part I
caught the bus and caught the metro and made my way to Jean Drapeau, the only changes is there
wasn't any weird shaking and no buzzing in the back of my mind like an alarm clock. Meeting up with
everyone it was the same jokes, but unlike before I wasn't phasing out from the shaking I was worried
about the upcoming moments in which we arrive to the amusement park and get on the Monster.
We all paid for our entry and as we walked in the park I grabbed Mel's hand and held it tightly and
pulled her to me and said "no matter what happens next, I love you" she gave me a weird look but
that's understandable, but had I let my dreams get the bets of me and I've become paranoid even
crazy maybe? We make our way for the Monster, I hold her hand firmly still and my heart beats
faster, my comical self is gone and the laughter fades from my ears I'm worried, I'm concerned,
I'm excited. Part of me wants to turn and run and take them all away, but another part of me wanted
the darkness to swallow me whole, at least then all my worries and concerns would fade away in it
and any pain would now be gone. We wait in line, I can see that everyone around me has a worried
look over me, I remain silent as we get to the front of the line.
The ride begins, the seating the same, the smells the same, even the girls across the way are talking
about the same stuff. It's all the same as we get pulled to our possible deaths up the track awaiting the
big drop, but I know the drop is bigger than expected and darker. I looked up and saw the sky, it was
becoming darker and darker as if a horrible storm was heading our way, it was the same like before.
Jesse was even talking to me about the same thing, but his voice was drowned out, the cart stopped
at the top of the track but it was still shaking and then it happened, the darkness, the shadow crept
from the surface. But it wasn't the same, I unbuckled myself and pushed out of the cart to hear the
voices of friends shouting at me, but I didn't care I jumped over to where Mel and Steff were and buckled
them. "Come on! Were getting out of here and now!" I shouted, Mel was hesitant she didn't know
what was going on and I looked her in the eyes and said "if you love me, believe in me" I extended
my hand to her and she took it as the three of us headed down the track.
Loud howling deafened us as the creature grew up to the cart and saw that we were now gone and
our other friends now following us, it knew now that I had seen this and that some how I had received
help from a higher power. It slammed it's fists into the tracking cracking it in two, the other people
scrambled to get out of their carts and to safety as the creature began to spit out off spring from it's
liquid like body, these creatures attacking people all over the park. Even with our head start the
darkness was too great and too fast for all of us as Mel looked back and saw her friends be pulled
down with the darkness and she screamed to my surprise, but I tugged on her and pulled her with
me. And then the shadow grabbed hold of Steff and tore at her pulling her down with it, Mel stopped
and ran back to help her friend, I turned and shouted "MELISSA!" as it now lashed out and grabbed
her, the howling seemed to grow louder.
No, not her, why? A sick part of me wanted to leave them all, save my own life and leave them all
behind, but then I knew what I had to do, I ran towards them both and grabbed them in my arms.
It grew dark, we had been swallowed by the beast, no matter what don't let go. I couldn't even see
them even though I could feel them in my arms, my grip was slipping, I couldn't let go, not now,
not ever. There was a small light that burned it grew larger, it seemed to come from my chest, I
wondered could it be my caring and my love for my friends and my girlfriend that shined through the
darkness. My hand was slipping Mel was drifting away and she fell from my grasp as I screamed
loudly for her, her voice to faint as she fell away from me, Steff was still in my other arm but I didn't
know how long I could hold onto her and how long I would have to, but before long even she slipped
from my grasp. I had failed them, I had failed myself.
I woke up, again. But this time it was all different, nothing was like before. Where was I? It was some
city, nothing like I had ever seen before, it was massive, full of tall buildings of a strange design.
I felt so alone but there was people all around me passing by and talking into to each other as cars
zoomed by, I didn't know how far from home I was and little did I know, I was farther from home then
I'd ever be ever again. The people seemed so strange, some looked like as if crossed between
animals and humans, some were small and some were huge, some people looked just human but
at the same time they were so different. I felt so out of place, then out of the voices there was one
that stood out and spoke to me but from where..I looked down and saw the strangest thing yet.
"You look kinda lost..you okay?" the little guy said, I just stared down at him, I had never been spoken
to by an ant before. "Uhm..I'm..lost I guess..where am I? Who are you?" I asked him as he smiled back
at me and said "Well..your in Ceron City, and I'm Flik the residential ant..unfortunately..I haven't been
able to find anyone I know yet..who are you?" he asked me, I smiled abit "I'm Kevin..I'm looking for
some friends of mine myself..they were swallowed by some thing..". Flik looked up at me and said
"the..heartless..", I didn't know what he meant was that the creature that ate my friends? Lowering his
head he said "they..they're a race of things..I can't explain..but I know someone who would be able
to explain it much better than I can..follow me!" he took off, he was kinda hard to follow since he was
so tiny.
I chased him through the crowded city sidewalk turning nearly crashing into people and then he turned
down an alley way and I followed him down it, but then he vanished, I had lost him, and I had lost all
chance in finding my friends, I had failed myself and Mel. But then something, something caught my eye
the alley way seemed blurry just ahead, I stood up and moved towards it and reached my hand out as
the alley seemed almost gel like. I pushed my way through and I found myself in a small library hidden
away from the public, it was magically hidden by someone, and then I saw Flik signaling me to follow him.
And as I moved past the book shelves, papers, and scrolls I came to an opening where there was a large
desk covered by old books and scrolls and a person behind them reading a scroll, Flik ran up the desk
and said "Hey I brought you someone, he's lost too". The scroll lowered and behind it was a mysterious
man with white hair, wearing all red, his mouth covered, and a hat with a feather in it on his head. Looking
at me he gave me a strange look as he said to me "I am the Red Mage, and you're different..", I looked at
him and said "I'm Kevin, wait..what do you mean different?" . There was a pause of silence but then he said
something that struck me deep within my very soul, "you're both human and heartless.." the Red Mage said
to me as I stood there not wanting to believe I was like the very thing that took my friends away from me.
"What! NO!" I demanded more answers I wanted to know more this couldn't be true, he walked over to me
and then paced around me. "There's no mistaking it..you are part heartless, some where deep inside you
you're unsure and your heart is never sure of what choice to make, that's probably why the heartless came
to your world so they could get you.." Red Mage told me, it stunned me that I was to blame for all of it, I
was the reason I lost Mel, it really was all my fault. "But.." Red Mage said which made me come back from
my saddened state, "but what!" I asked as he stopped in front of me and said "you may be able to change
this world, other worlds, and save your friends.." "but how?" I asked him and he responded "you're part
heartless, it is possible that you can freely travel worlds like they can, but you'd have to access your darkness
and be able to control it..do you think you can do this?". I thought it over it was the only way, and I'd have to
save Mel, I love her too much to let her go, and Steff and the others I can't just leave them, I wasn't sure if
I could control it or not but it was if I could or couldn't it was I had to.
"I must do this, I must save her, I must save them" I told him as he walked back behind his desk and picked
up a scroll and walked back to me, and handed me the scroll. "There are others who are trying to seal the other
worlds but there's only so much they can do alone, you must seal the worlds that you can to save your friends,
this scroll will tell you where these broken seals are in each world if you follow it's magic it will guide you" he told
me as I looked at it and saw an arrow glowing on it, and then looked back at him "yes, this world has yet to be
sealed, Flik and I can help you but we can only go that far and then your on your own..". Shaking my head in
agreement, none of this work really mattered I just wanted Mel back, I didn't know what part it was that urged
for her my heartless side or my human side, was it selfish or loving?
Moving from the warm and dusty library of magic tomes we came through the magical barrier and out into the
alley again. I hadn't even been here no more than thirty minutes and I was already being driven into some journey
of heroism and danger, I was no hero, at most I was an artist I drew images of battles and bravery I didn't fight in
them, but this time I had to. The Red Mage was so confident in his abilities, and Flik was abit over confident, me?
I didn't have any magic, or some intelligence capable of building gadgets like either of them, what did I have? My fists?
My uncertainty was no trait a great hero would have, I just tagged along behind the two of them, one brave red mage
and his curiously excited ant friend who had more courage than a creature his size should.
Following the scroll's directions it brought us to a building, a sky scraper that seemed to pass the heavens. We went
inside as it seemed that's where the scroll was leading us, into the lobby, it seemed normal people hustling and
bustling trying to get things done, we made our way for the elevator. Stepping inside, I felt out of place, but I'm sure
anyone would feel out of place in an elevator with half-man half-animal people around you, a overly talkative ant, and
a mysterious magical man by your side. We kept in the elevator watching the scroll waiting for it to show us where to
go, the top floor is where it lead us, we got off and saw we were now on the roof of the large building. The air seemed
thin on the top of the building, and from there we could see it, a glimmer in the distance, the arrow did not bring us to
the seal, it brought us high enough to see the seal. The seal was the sports stadium in the massive city, the way it was
shaped was almost like a key hole, we would've never noticed it from ground level.
Red Mage tilted his hate, and chuckled "never been one for sports, but it looks like were heading for the stadium". Going
back to the elevator, something in the air seemed different a blur then more of these blurs, sparks and strange voids exploded
in which the same type of creatures from the amusement park came out they wanted a fight and it appeared Red Mage and
Flik were ready to give them one, but was I? The Red Mage shot a several fire balls at them as Flik pieced together something
as they worked it out I began to panic not sure of what to do, then I felt it the sharp pain, it struck me lightning and I felt rage,
rage like I had never felt before. Lifting my hands I clenched my fists and rapidly began to dig them into the heartless creatures
and kept pounding away in a vicious darkness I didn't even know I had, my hatred for them taking away my love was just
as strong as my love for her. After a few hits they'd explode into smoke, Flik had built himself a cannon of sorts but I didn't
care my fists were all the cannons I needed, I almost enjoyed murdering these creatures.
Ever dispatching the heartless we made our way down the elevator and out into the streets again, this time we knew where
we were going and we weren't slowing down, Red Mage casted a haste spell on us that seemed to double or even triple our
speed. Making our way through the busy city streets we zoomed by cars and people, but as we made it to the sports stadium
a large explosion caught our attention and we turned to see what it could be but we already knew what else could it be. A large
round heartless of immense size had appeared with several of his smaller comrades, the large one threw cars to the side as
it slammed it's feet around causing chaos, we knew what needed to be done. Now I knew I had the power and I pounced into
action nailing the large heartless in the gut with my fist, only to be thrown across the street, his gut was like painful jello. Tossing
magic left, right, and center Red Mage attacked him over and over as Flik loaded up his canon and fired at him as much as he
could.
Standing up, I cracked my knuckles and darted at the smaller heartless and made easy work of them. But this large one was
difficult, I watched as Red Mage and Flik attacked it and their attacks barely phased it, moving around it I climbed on top of
a truck and readied myself then leapt into the air towards the large heartless and gripped my hands together as I came down
on it with a powerful smash to the back of it's head, it fell over crushing a car. And as I stood on it's back I ripped away with my
fists into it's back as it exploded into smoke like it's smaller team mates I had just killed. I fell to the street after it vanished as
we then continued on our way to the stadium, what had to be done had to be done. The stadium was like any other stadium
back on Earth, sure it was shaped like a giant keyhole but every place has their own designs. The field appeared to be that of
a football field, but what did we have to do? The scroll pointed to this spot and what is it we had to do there.
But then the ground beneath our very feet rumbled, we jumped back as it seemed the field itself came to life. The ground lifted
up and it had glowing yellow eyes, it was a massive creature made of dirt and grass, it's arm was the field goal post and it roared
loudly dust flying from it's giant mouth as a red light shined from it's chest showing an emblem of a black heart lined in red
it stretched down abit and had a cross of thorns across it. We all readied ourselves and stood back, we were ready for anything
Red Mage raised his hands and ran at the creature throwing flames at it from his hands, as Flik stayed back readying some
sort of gadget like before. A little more confident in my new abilities I ran towards the creature to back up Red Mage, as I got
close enough I dug my feet into the dirt that was it's body and climbed up it and slammed my fist into it's forehead, or what
I thought was it's forehead. It roared once again before smacking me off of it, raising it's pitch fork goal post of a hand it
slammed it down but I rolled out of the way.
It was stuck, it's own hand caused it to immobilize itself, now was our chance. Getting up I ran at it again, running up it's arm
I torn my fist into it's face as it cried out in pain, Red Mage stood back and casted some sort of water spell as I watched as this
ball of water formed in his hands but shot out like a geyser, it slammed into the beast knocking it free of being stuck but
we could tell the water caused it a good amount of pain. Stumbling back up the monster tried to attack us again, we knew now
to taunt it into getting it's hand stuck, I shouted at the monster "you could hit a wall your so stupid.." I couldn't think of
anything else but it seemed to work, it grunted then tried to kabob me with it's goal post but only to get stuck again.
Flik completed his gadget with a confident "ah ha!" as he ran off to the side of the field, I brushed it off for now, was he retreating
or did he have an idea? Red Mage threw another water spell at the beast as I pounded my fist into it's face, a combination of
brute force and magic. It freed itself again as we moved around avoiding it's attacks and trying to taunt it into throwing it's large
arm our way again, and it did and got stuck once more, but this time Flik was ready for battle as he whistled to me. Running over
as fast as I could, "what is it!" I asked him as he attached something to a broken fire hose, "take this! Ram it into the beast and
turn it on!" Flik said with a grin as I grabbed the fire hose acknowledging his idea with a smile. The heartless monster was nearly
free it tugged at it's arm, but I ran up it's arm one last time and slammed the fire hose into the back of it's head and turned the valve
Flik had made for it. Water poured into the beast and began to flush out of it as it roared loudly as it's arm that it tugged on pulled
apart, the creature now was becoming mud from the water.
As it diminished I looked at the Red Mage and said "now what?", he paused because even he didn't know exactly all the answers
in the dealings of the world keyholes. And before we could really think it through a chill ran down my arm as a dark sinister
looking key appeared in my hand, it was large and it's hand guard was that of long bat wings, my hand felt dirty almost burnt
while holding it. Flik and the Red Mage approached and looked at it, as a feeling over took me a power controlling me that I
didn't understand, as I drove my new keyblade into the ground. Doing this the stadium rumbled and the entire building began
to glow and shined as a thunderous sound locked the world away from the heartless creatures. "Well done, Kevin" Red Mage said
as he continued on "now to find your friends you must go onward to other worlds and seal them in conquest to find the world
in which your friends have fallen..but you must keep control of the darkness inside you or it will eat away at your very soul and
you too will become like the very creatures you hunt", I just nodded not thinking of the entire grandeur of this task. The force
took me over again as I lifted my hand to the sky unwillingly and the keyblade shined brightly and then in a flash of darkness
I was gone, away, Flik and Red Mage just looked on and hoped for the best.
Where was I going now? Who would I run into next? Can I control what's inside me? Can I survive? I must survive, for them,
for her, I must, because without her all I am is a heartless, just like the creatures who I fight the creatures who seem to be
part of one collective, one objective, to absorb all life and love in the universe not just my universe but all universes. And they
must be stopped, with every last ounce of heart I have I will fight them back to the dark and dank depths of their weary realm.
