The Journey of One

Chapter II

---

Location: Deep Jungle

  The second world was not unlike the previous world, Wonderland.  There were many trees here too, but they were bigger and taller.  The ground was littered with thick, unforgiving patches of deep green grass and there wasn't much light seeping through the canopy above us.  Dark, thorny bushes seemed to creep out of the shadows of this place.  I was able to make a guess as to where we were from all of this.  Soon, our antennas confirmed it: we were in a jungle called 'Deep Jungle.'  However, there was something strange that I couldn't understand.  I was unable to sense a Princess of Heart in this world.  Once again, I tried to search for a Pure Heart but found nothing.  This was most puzzling to me and I couldn't help but wonder why we were here.

"There is no Princess of Heart here… how can this be?"

  "We are supposed to find one of them, are we not?"

  "There is nothing more to think about."

"Yes.  If none are here, we must hurry and move on."

  "But why are we here at all?"

  "It doesn't matter.  What we must do now is search for this world's heart."

  "We find it, claim it, and then continue searching."

  Shaking off all doubts, we carefully traveled through the jungle, only shifting through small distances to be sure that we wouldn't miss anything.  Later, I began to think about the Keyblade Master, worrying that he may already have arrived here.  As time went on, my worries slowly faded since there were no signs of Sora or his two companions.  By the time the sun began to set, we had reached a clearing where the sound of a waterfall echoed in the distance.  Bamboo stalks seemed to create towering walls around us as we followed along an almost grassless dirt path. 

We reached a cliff situated over a vast, crystalline-blue lake with a river that flowed into the sunset faraway.  A rainbow-filled waterfall almost concealed a dark cave near us, but there was no doubt that the heart of Deep Jungle was within that cavern.  But before we could take one more step, three shadows jumped out from behind us: Sora, Goofy and Donald.  Remembering what happened last time, I nearly hesitated to leave the others behind to die but I knew what had to be done.  Reluctantly, I continued to swiftly shift small distances with some others toward the deep reaches of the waterfall cave.  At the cavern entrance, I glanced back for one brief moment thinking about the rest of us desperately trying to hold the Keyblade Wielder's party back, and then continued on.

  The cavern, reaching just past the middle of the waterfall, was strangely deep.  The rays of the sinking sun managed to refract through the waterfall, but as we continued inward the light became more and more scarce.  Soon, we reached a place illuminated blue by the glowing butterflies that encircled that place.  We could make out large tree roots in front of us, and many of these butterflies were grouped together at the center of the roots.  They fluttered away revealing a luminous Keyhole; this was no doubt the entrance to this world's heart.  Suddenly, I saw several of us get thrown into the wall from behind me.  I looked back and surely, there stood Sora waving the Keyblade around.  After clearing the others away, our eyes met and he dashed forward and struck me with the weapon.

It was like nothing I had ever even imagined when the Keyblade's edge pierced my skin.  I felt no real pain at that moment; only surges of energy much like the energy I felt from Wonderland's heart.  It was as though a light was burning something into me, something as pure as light, as soothing as darkness.  I did not know it then, but what I was feeling was a taste of the truth.  I saw many strange things, almost like visions of the future, flashing through my mind as the blade slowly slashed through my body.  That one moment lasted an eternity, and yet in the blink of an eye as the cavern slowly formed again around me.  The impact from the Keyblade had tossed me back, but Sora's intentions backfired as I was launched right into the Keyhole. 

I passed through with ease and darkness once again appeared all around me.  Several others also managed to crawl through the Keyhole before it was sealed by Sora.  The heavenly light was there just like in Wonderland, and we swam through the darkness toward it.  Each passing moment seemed everlasting in anticipation for that moment again, where the light envelops the body and mind.  And that moment finally came when I reached the blinding light.  With such strength did it surge through me, almost as if it purified me.  The overwhelming sensations proved once again insurmountable as we were once again brought to a calming slumber.  Our bodies began to change again, but it was different.  Our tails vanished; our claws became thinner and longer; and helmets and boots materialized on us.

When the Keyblade touched me then, it changed everything.  I had not realized it while I fell into the light at that moment but deep down I knew that at that point, my destiny was put in motion.  This was the beginning of my death.