I can't believe what happened that night so long ago. While I was asleep, I met Yen Sid in his tower from the Kingdom Hearts series. What he told me convinced me to write down in journals what happened.
All too soon, my time in that universe ended. When I woke up, the very same journals were with me on my bed. After considering what to do with them, I decided to publish them to see if anyone else had an experience like mine. However, since I own the rights to nothing that I experienced, and am making no money off of this, I'm putting it here.
But why did I originally want to publish in non-fiction? Well, I'll just stop talking and transcribe the journals, with additional details from my memories.
But first, a little bit about me. I'm Kana Berury Mooneyes. I'm 17, a little over 6 feet tall, and am mixed Brazilian/Native Hawaiian descent. I get my middle name from my grandma's hometown, and the rest is my father's Hawaiian upbringing. My few inches long, wavy hair is a deep brown, as well as my eyes and tanned skin. I may have some Tongan in me, giving me my strength, but I'm still limber enough to pass gymnastics. When I was in my dreams, I wore dark brown shorts and a blue shirt, designed like a tropical beach.
The first time I went to Yen Sid's tower, he and I were alone in the office room. The doors to both the stairwell and the side room (the one where Sora got his clothes from the Three Good Fairies) were closed and sealed shut. Even the windows were covered. "It is an honor to meet you, boy from the World of Origin," he greeted, head and shoulders performing a small bow. He was seated at his desk, a weird, big book in front of him. "Will you please tell me your name?"
"It's Kana. Kana Berury Mooneyes," I told him, bowing back. But I was curious, just a minute ago, I barely laid down in my bed at 9 PM. I always take at least an hour and a half to fall asleep, and I wasn't very sleepy before this dream suddenly started. "Am I dreaming, and so soon?"
"In a way," Yen Sid told me sternly. "While it may seem like a dream to you, it is certainly real for us in this universe."
"Wait, what do you mean by this universe?" I asked him. At first, I thought he was referring to 'my' personal dream world.
"Let me put it this way," Yen Sid began, "Centuries ago, these worlds were formed by different men. Decades ago, a man named Walt Disney appeared and gathered these individual worlds into one whole. He created me, to serve as his watching eyes in this world while he was gone. As such, I am immune to tampering by others, although I fulfill the role requested of me. More than a decade ago, somebody new came and organized these worlds after this order, introducing new people, places, and enemies.
"These men were from your world, Kana. Their dream self, or their imagination, was strong enough for them to discover their personal universe, and shape it to their desires. However, even though this world was created through a dream, this isn't any more a dreaming world than when I dreamed of you while searching the world that Walt Disney came from."
I thought I got what he was getting at here. Basically, every story, every dream, every 'what if', was just another multi-verse or alternate possible timeline. It doesn't care about another's history, it doesn't care about another's physics, chemistry, or even biology; it goes by its own rules. And if another world dreamed, made a story, or asked 'what if', it was creating or discovering another world.
Wait a minute... "Why did you search for me?" I asked him.
"Because Kana, you are a strong dreamer," Yen Sid replied. "While I could peer into the word of Walt Disney using this," he held up a pen, "I cannot enter or interact with it. Through it, I found you."
"That's Uncle Walt's Pen!" I exclaimed. I did the Disneyland hunt featuring that pen, based on the Kingdom Keeper's series, so I knew what the pen looked like.
"Indeed. This pen, given to me by Walt Disney, lets me peek into other worlds. I saw you dream your way into other actual worlds - not just worlds your dreams created - and interact with the people there. I saw you, Kana, in the real world, watching the films based on the worlds of Disney. I saw how knowledgeable you were, and how well you could play and beat some of the electronic games based on our world, known collectively to you as Kingdom Hearts. You have a strong dream self and great knowledge, which makes you the perfect candidate. Therefore, I chose you as the one for this mission, and summoned you to me."
"Wait, what mission?" I asked him. I admit that my knowledge of Disney is just about legendary. I knew about Kimba the White Lion and The Thief and the Cobbler, and how they were related to The Lion King and Aladdin (somewhat loosely for the second one). I knew about many of the TV cartoons, some of the related comics, who married Luke Skywalker, and that Mickey Mouse was drawn years before the ballpoint pen was created, contrary to the Kingdom Keeper's belief in the first pen. As for when it came to the Kingdom Hearts games, I was pretty sure I held the world record for 'Fastest time defeating Sephiroth' in Kingdom Hearts 2. It wasn't a 'no damage' record, but I only took damage when I wanted to be hit. "I don't see how all that makes me a candidate for anything, besides trivia shows."
"It is your knowledge of what was meant to be that makes you the perfect Keybearer," he told me. "You can restore World Order where the Heartless have tipped the balance and changed the future. You can also blend into the worlds more easily than other Keyblade Masters; you would know the things people of that world should know, and hence not attract as much attention to yourself. With the power of a Dreamer, you can be a great force for Light."
"Wait a minute," I told him. While I was super excited to be a Kebearer, I didn't quite understand anything he was saying. "What do you mean by 'power of a Dreamer'? Do you mean Flowmotion from Kingdom Hearts 3D's Sleeping Worlds?"
"Indeed, alongside powers other than Flowmotion. As a true Dreamer, you can create and control objects within this universe. However, because it was already defined by many, then Walt Disney, then another, it would take a lot of power to usurp control over his beings.
"But what do you mean by 'Kingdom Hearts 3D'? Is that the name of a game about this universe?" I nodded. "That is a game I haven't noticed while watching potential candidates, including yourself. Not even two hours ago, I passed Riku as a Keyblade Master, and sent him to fetch me Kairi. Tell me everything you know about what has occurred up to this point, and which game each event occurred in."
So I told him everything I knew. Whenever there was a 'Final Mix' or Re:Game, I told him what happened in that account. I started with Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep. I then launched into Kingdom Hearts. After its tale was done, I told the stories of 358/2 Days interrupted with Chain of Memories. Yen Sid was especially interested in these games, and asked many questions. I then told of Kingdom Hearts 2, Coded, and 3D. I briefly mentioned Kingdom Hearts χ, but told him I didn't have firsthand or even word-of-mouth experience with it.
He asked me for as close a quote as possible to anything Xehanort, Maleficent, Vanitas, an Organization member, or anyone else said during the games, but listened quietly to the rest of my tales. When the questions about the games I had played or watched were done, I told him about the teaser trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3, and how it had Heartless Swarms Sora could ride and the Master Keeper, Master Eraqus' Keyblade. I also told him the rumors of Marvel and Star Wars worlds being included in the game, and gave basic descriptions of those two universes.
I then told him about a couple mysteries from the Kingdom Hearts series. The main one he didn't know about was as to the creation of two certain Nobodies. In Re:Coded and KH1, we saw Kairi's body. It never became a Nobody. But after Sora released her heart, Namine and Roxas were born. Some people speculated that Sora has two Nobodies, created when he released Kairi's heart as well as his own and Ven's. Namine was born from Kairi's heart, while Roxas was born of Sora and Ven, or possibly only Ven. But if only Ven's heart made Roxas, then where is Sora's true Nobody self? And how did Sora's body get split into at least two to become Namine and Roxas, if Nobodies are born using the person's empty shell? I also told him how Sora may have Ven's keyblade, not really one of his own or Riku's, since Ven's Keyblade may be connected to Ven's heart within Sora.
After his final, clarifying questions and my theories to the mysteries were completed, Yen Sid spent a good five minutes thinking, stroking his enormous beard, eyes not truly focused on me when they were open. "I thank you for your knowledge, Kana Mooneyes. While it has made clear a few of the things the dark forces were attempting to hide, it still leaves many questions unanswered. It is unfortunate that Kingdom Hearts 3 is not due for release for a long time. But we cannot wait for it to come out, for our universe will surely move past it by that time, and your presence will not be needed anymore. I had originally brought you here to help us plan for the battle to come, using your knowledge to ensure that we win the way World Order intended. Instead, I charge you with this task. You are to define the balance of Light and Dark."
"Define it?" I asked, shocked. "What do you mean by that?"
"I will be sending you to lock worlds of strong Light so they don't fall into the Darkness. If, perhaps, the balance between Light and Darkness shifts, the χ-Blade will fail to forge, and the worlds will be safe."
"I'm not sure that will work," I told him hesitantly. "Forging it requires twenty hearts, not twenty worlds."
"That is indeed true. When I first heard the prophecy of the 7 of Light against the 13 of Darkness, I had assumed they would be individual Lights and Darkness. However, Xehanort is and has been manipulating hearts, such as his own and Ven's, to attempt the creation of substitute Darknesses.
"I fear he may try to do the same to create artificial Maidens of Light. Many of worlds have maidens whose Light can be substituted for a Princess of Heart, or merged with another to create such a being. If we spend too much of our efforts protecting the true Princesses of Heart whom we know, he may resort to using other maidens to complete his designs. It is your job to seal worlds with those maidens from his reach."
"I see your point," I had to admit. This would likely mean I was going to cover worlds not visited by Sora, and hence never meet him. But I was still game, no pun intended. "I'm in!"
"Indeed, your Heart is strong. You are up to this task." he then materialized his Keyblade. It looked a lot like the Star Seeker, but was black like Twilight, and had a straight blade that led to a silver moon and star. "In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the markings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be," he recited, then handed it to me.
When I touched it, I felt something, some kind of connection. If I was still skeptical about if I was dreaming, this cleared it all up. I was in the dream - explaining everything - for more than an hour and could actually feel the grip, weight, and balance of this Keyblade. Both things should be impossible if this was merely a normal visual and audio, 30 minute max dream. This world - no, this whole universe - was real, and I may be able to tip the balance in the Light's favor.
The Keyblade didn't disappear after a few seconds, like when Leon or Jack held Sora's. Yen Sid, content, took it back manually and vanished it. "Congratulations Kana. You are now a potential Keybearer. I will now send you to a Sleeping World. It will serve as an initial test."
"Thank you, Master Yen Sid," I said, now considering myself his apprentice. He then materialized a passageway to the Sleeping World for me. Before entering, I turned back to him. "What is the test? What if I wake up in the middle of the test and return to my universe?"
"The test is of your capabilities as a Keybearer," Yen Sid said mysteriously. "Do not worry about yourself awakening, for your whole journey will pass before you must awaken, and only a moment will pass in the world from whence you came. " Content at these answers, I went into the Sleeping World.
I wish I can say I passed with flying colors. I wish I could say I scrapped an okay. I even wish I had at least awakened that Sleeping World. But what happened there was too horrible for me to share right now. If you want to know what happened, figure out who I am and steal my journals. I may share the story later, but even now, what happened there, and who I grew to care too much for, is too personal to share right now.
I came out of that world screaming, then burst into tears. I was broken beyond belief. My faith in my abilities was shattered. Because of my knowledge, everything went unbelievably wrong. I was in no shape to tell anyone about what happened, but Yen Sid insisted I tell it to him.
Many minutes later, I did manage to give the basics of what happened to Yen Sid. I left many holes, but he understood. "Kana Mooneyes, I am disappointed in what has occurred," Yen Sid told me. Those words would have been daggers to my heart, if my broken heart had a piece left big enough to stab. "I had hoped you understood the need for secrecy and World Order."
"I'm sorry," I told him, tears still streaming down my eyes. "I can't do this. I can't be your apprentice. Don't let me dream here again. I'm not worthy to help you and Sora. I now understand the need for secrecy, but I broke it."
"Which is why," Yen Sid said, "you are now ready." Those words shocked me. "The test was not about discovering your Keyblade, nor even unlocking its Keyhole. It was to see if you understood the need for World Order. That is why I sent you to a Sleeping World, rather than one that can be lost to the Darkness. Should you fail to learn the lesson at first, no harm would come to yourself or that world. But should you learn from either your success or your failure, then you have passed."
While those words didn't help me get over what I did, it did make me feel better about myself. I stopped crying and stood up. "You're right Master. I vow to never again disturb World Order. I'm ready to go on your mission." Gone was the naive boy who thought he could take on a universe and save everyone. I had learned my lesson through loss and humility.
"You are indeed ready mentally. However, I can't send you out unless you have discovered your Keyblade. Have you done so?" Yen Sid questioned me.
"Yes I have!" I told him. To prove it, I summoned both my blades. They were similar to shorter, thinner versions of the Kingdom Keeper and Kingdom Keeper D. Their smaller size made them easier to wield single-handed, but there was still room on the hilt for two hands. But where the Kingdom Keepers had inverted Gold and Silver, each of my Keyblades was all Gold or all Silver. The Rainguards on them were Brown for the Gold and Green for the Silver, and the grips were a bright White and Tan respectively.
"I call them Truth Keeper," I lifted up the Silver one, "and Ideal Keeper," showing off the Golden blade.
"Interesting names," Yen Sid told me. "Their form and name are similar to the Kingdom Keepers. But where did you come up with the first word in their names?"
"Pokemon Black and White, as well as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Monsters Sun Dragon Inti and Moon Dragon Quilla," I answered. "Inti and Quilla's abilities are as different as the Sun and the Moon. Yet together, they balance and support each other, bringing the other back to life.
"Zekrom is a black dragon of Ideals. Like him, Darkness feeds off your ideals, turning them into your personal view of a better world, and inspiring you to change the current world to that image. This isn't necessarily evil; there are many good men who's ideals changed the world for the better slowly or through quick revolutions.
"Reshiram is a white dragon of Truth. Light is the truth of what is and was. It says the way things are is good, or the way things were was good. However, it can also blind people to another, possibly better future. It limits change, growth, and evolution. A caterpillar doesn't say 'My life is good, I'm a caterpillar, a caterpillar is how I'll stay forever'. He seeks an ideal, better life as a butterfly.
"To prevent the Light from blinding people, it must be checked by the ideals Darkness brings. But Darkness must be checked by Light, to make sure that the ideas can become Truth, and are either selfless or truly for the good of all people."
"Now I know you are ready, Kana," Yen Sid told me, a smile on his face. "While many know Light and Darkness cannot exist without the other, few have figured out a definite explanation as to why that is. You, young Mooneyes, have discovered one of those secrets, and explained it in a relatively simple manner." He then stood up and gave me a deep bow, much to my shock. "I would name you Keyblade Master, if only you had more experience wielding your blades as a warrior. To earn that title, you must show me your strength of both body and will, by protecting the numerous worlds."
"I understand Master, and thanks for the praise," I gave him a bow in return. "But I fear that I'll get too attached to a world again, and repeat the same mistakes as before. Can you send me to a world where I can break World Order? Bring out companions for my journey? If I had a companion, I may not make as strong a tie with the people at each world and... repeat what just occurred."
Yen Sid stroked his beard a few times, thinking it over. "You may. However, as far as what you know from your world, and what you see during your travels, you cannot bring a companion who has an unfinished fate. They must either be about to die and you save them, or they, in another way, are done within that world."
"I understand," I told him. We then spent the next few minutes thinking over who my companions, should I have more than one, could be. But in that first half hour, there were no warrior people in Disney that were: beings of Light, from worlds unseen by Xehanort, I knew I could get along well with, had completed fates, and I could convince to come on my quest and leave their home worlds.
So I turned my thoughts to worlds outside of Disney, and found a few worlds that could work. But first, I had to double-check if he could send me to said worlds. "Yen Sid, can you send me to a world outside of Disney? I have a few ideas as to my companions."
Yen Sid took awhile to figure that out. "Indeed I can. However, they must come willingly, and have completed their destinies. Also, the longer you spend there, with the portal open between both worlds, the more likely Heartless are to find the bridge and plague that universe. Also, your Keyblades are of this universe. While you cannot summon them in your original world which created them, you can summon them while in the world of your companion. But as long as they are there with you, they will create another rift for the Heartless to uncover. Regardless of this, you can still use any magic you learned without the need of channeling them through your Keyblade. Now that you know all of this, will you take the risk?"
"Yes," I told him without a second thought. Without a word, he took Uncle Walt's Pen, and opened the tome on his desk. Slowly, yet meticulously, he wrote on a single page.
"Take the pen," Yen Sid instructed me, waving his hand so that Uncle Walt's pen and his big book floated onto my lap, "and draw a portal to that world. It will become dormant once you enter the world, but will reawaken to let yourself and up to two others through. To awaken the portal, use one of your Keyblades. You may awaken the portal multiple times, but it will vanish after yourself or three others pass through, so make sure your companions are the first to enter and you are last."
Pen in hand, I looked at the book. The right page had a large rectangle made out of weird text; I was supposed to draw within it. On the left page, I saw myself, sleeping, with different text surrounding me. I knew this was how he anchored myself to this world, and knew what I had to do. I had to draw my portal, an image of that world from my memory. After thinking for a few minutes, I knew which world I wanted to search for my companion or two, should they be willing.
I had to draw slowly, since I was a bad artist. But, after a long time, I finished it. It wasn't perfect, but the pen seemed to understand where I wanted. In the background, a busy city loomed. In the foreground, across a body of water to the city, I drew a small island, made of one hill. Atop the island, I drew a huge tower shaped like a T.
When I finished, my picture glowed and a portal appeared on a blank spot on the wall. Before I approached it, Yen Sid created an enchanted compass for me. "This compass will direct you to warriors about to die, or whose destinies are completed. If you see it glow a bright silver and point to a person, you may ask him to join you as a companion. Should it glow gold instead, then that person may also receive his own Keyblade upon their arrival in this world. Also, do not worry about the time that passes by; months in that world will seem but minutes here."
"Thanks, Master Yen Sid," I told him. But while I walked through, I heard Yen Sid gasp in exclamation and shout something after me, "Seal that world's Keyhole! Trigon and Mal..." However, the last of his words were lost in the portal as I entered Jump City, ready to find my companion.
However, what I managed to hear worried me. Do all worlds, not just those 'compiled' by Disney and Square Enix, have a Keyhole? What did Trigon and Maleficent have? Did they meet before? Were they working together now? That last thought sent shivers down my spine; Trigon possibly married to Maleficent? If they were together, would I have to deal with Heartless, Fire Demons, Maleficent, and Trigon, all at the same time?! I'd have to call for backup, even with the Teen Titans there!
When my eyes adjusted from the bright portal to the nighttime Jump City, I knew I arrived far earlier than I wanted. I'd have to go through three entire seasons to get the two I thought could come, and almost every episode to potentially get the other one I thought may come. Then again, if I knew them from the beginning, it may be easier for me to befriend them and convince them to say yes. Also, at least the portal wasn't in an easy place to forget; it was right next to the Pizza joint.