Hey everyone,
Well, this story might actually end sometime this year and when I realized that – it shocked me. And I instantly knew one thing about myself. Once I finish this part of the story – I will probably instantly start on the sequel. Now I'm sure that some of you might not like that and want me to focus on others – like Fate's Finale – but I REALLY love this story. If anything, this story is my absolute favorite and I don't want to stop.
So sorry, not sorry,

Venquine1990
PS. I will still do my editing, I promise.


Chapter 36
Dive Into The Heart

30th of January 1996
Video Room, the Dimension
Sora's POV

After our wonderful couple of hours of learning how to ride a bike and a broom respectively, did Jessica spot a small note lying on the dresser set next to the doors leading to the Video room. She had picked it while flying, making a dive that had been absolutely amazing and proven that her skills have not been lost to her after her transformation. She read the note and told us that mum had taken care of the job she had left him.
I had asked what it was about and she told me something horrible. "I was afraid that Snape had told Dumbledore about his suspicions about Quirrell and that it had made Dumbledore aware of Voldemort being inside Hogwarts. Yet this had not been the case and Dumbledore hadn't found out about this until a few days before he fell for the trap laid out for him and Jess had been forced to go down the trapdoor to protect the Stone.
"No wonder you said that you wouldn't return to Hogwarts if Dumbledore had been aware of this." Riku had muttered and Jessica had nodded before she read on and said: "Listen to this. Snape actually had no idea that Voldemort was growing out of Quirrell's head – until an Order meeting that took place in August, when Dumbledore told the Order without the Weasleys present. He feels that, if he had known sooner –."
Yet the girl had faltered here and I had realized that she must again be remembering that horrible event of half a year ago. Dad had moved over to give her a comforting hug and then gently told her: "Jessica, sweetheart, you need to stop. Not stop grieving, but stop believing in these what if's. It won't give you anything, nothing but heartache." To which I noticed Riku looking at me and I had nodded at him before noticing Jessica looking at the video room door.

I take the initiative and move into the room, dad, Jess and Riku following behind me. "So, do you want to start with my first story or with the movie that actually starts it all?" I ask and Jessica asks: "What do you mean?" I move over to the set of DVD's and answer: "I mean my first adventure is this DVD, but this one stars people I met when I was five years old, before I discovered about everything I know today." To this dad says:
"I'd rather start with your first adventure, son." Which slightly concerns me as the last chapter really reminded me of all the bosses that Donald, Goofy and I faced and I can just imagine how Jessica and dad will react when they come – more or less – face to face with beings like the Guard Armor or even the Trick Master. Yet if there is one thing I want to do it's helping my sister forget about that horrible memory that still traumatizes her.
I then feel Riku grab and softly squeeze my hand and think: "It has to happen anyway. And I always had my friends at my side. Not to mention, this movie is going to be way harder for Riku, considering the way he behaved and all." And while I realize I should be there for him the way he is now there for me, do I pick up the disc.

Riku helps me turn on the TV and while dad seems amazed at seeing this technology at work, does Jessica seem to get ready to enjoy herself and I remember that this is practically the first time she ever went to see a movie. "And of course it has to be one full of action, drama and personal trouble." I think to myself as the disc slides in.
We all take our seats and to make things easier for dad and Jessica later, does Riku take the fourth seat and do I take the second, allowing for my sister and father to sit on the first and third and on both my sides. Yet what actually shocks me is that this movie actually starts with a gorgeous cinematic video that catches everyone's attention.

The video starts by showing of one of my eyes, closed and with some of my locks flowing over my forehead. And as the camera pans out, do I blink for a single time. Yet then a line appears in front of smoke that reads I've been having these weird thoughts lately, my voice actually speaking them before they vanish.
Yet in their place the words weird, real and or not appear before they vanish too and get replaced by the text like, is any of this real or not? And my voice is yet again heard saying this. And this time it's the word real that gets left behind and fades out after the rest of the text is gone. Dad looks at me worriedly, but then turns back.
Then, with the camera fading in and out as if someone is blinking, does the video focus back on me, my eyes lidded and my whole body, for some weird reason, flowing in the middle of a giant ocean, under water. Music now also starts to play up and the camera turns to being under me as I sink, the sun shining from above the water.

The camera turns again, focusing on how my lidded eyes close themselves again and I sink deeper, bubbles floating up from my sinking form. Yet just as the camera goes back to being below me and as I sink with a flourishing bow, do I open my eyes and does a bright light appear all around me. And suddenly I am elsewhere.

And elsewhere turns out to be a very familiar place as I am standing on the beach of the Play Island. I look around as the camera pans out again, yet as I adjust my eyes to the bright light of the tropical sun, does the camera show off just a bit of Riku's shoulder, his arm and his yellow sleeveless jacket with black trimming.
It focuses back on me and then a light transitions the camera from looking at me to looking at Riku, who is standing in the surf. The camera turns back to me and I want to take a step, yet for reasons I just don't get, do I stop as the camera focuses on the water, as if trying to make it look like there is a barrier between us.
I look up just as Riku turns his face and then turns around, reaching an arm out to me just as a huge wave starts to build up, ready to engulf him. And all the while a pretty catchy tune plays in the background with a female singer singing along. Yet it's not the singer, the music or the song I am focusing on.

It's the way that the camera focuses on me, Riku and the wave as I try to reach him, the wave approaches him and gets bigger and the way he just keeps standing there. It engulfs us both, yet while I get twisted and turned around in the water, does Riku just keep standing in place, still with his arm reaching out to me.
Yet just like our journey and the sides that we took on this trip, does the current push me away, regardless of how hard I try to reach Riku and yet again it looks as if I am drowning, yet where it had been dark before and where it had been day during the beach scene, does it now seem as if the sun has just reached the horizon.

Only upon closer inspection, do I realize that the camera is playing me as I am not drowning, but rather floating up and as this happens and as I break out of the surf and look around, does the camera focus on a young girl with long red hair who is wearing a white tank top with a pink skirt and white shoes with pink toes.
"That's Kairi. She's a close friend of ours and someone who played an important role during our first adventure." I mutter and to my shock does the video actually stop, to which Riku hums and says: "Looks like the DVD player is enchanted. Whenever one of us wants to comment, the DVD will stop so we don't miss anything vital."
This really impresses me and as the others keep their quiet, does the movie play on, showing Kairi with her arm raised and apparently shouting, even as the song overstems her voice. I wave back at her and cleave through the water, actually panting when I reach her and Kairi giggling at this before she looks up shocked.

I turn as well and the camera focuses from what she is looking at to where we are standing. And while the girl is looking at a gorgeous meteor shower, do I feel shocked when I spot someone falling out of the sky. And as the camera focuses closer on both the falling person as well as Kairi and me, do I realize who it is.
"This is my dream. This is actually where it really all began for me. I remember having a dream and – and then some really, really weird things happened." I mutter and while everyone is shocked, does Riku say: "Good thing we have this movie." At which I nod as I doubt any book could have done the next event true justice.
The movie continues and, just like in my dream, does the camera actually manage to switch the me falling for the me standing on the beach. I pass the setting sun, yet then crash into the water without looking like I injured myself. And as I fall deeper into the water, do I twist from being head first to being feet first as I land.
And while at first it looks as if I just landed on something dark and solid, does a single step cause for light to shine from the platform I am standing on, hundreds of white doves flying off the platform, which reveals itself to be made of stained glass, depicting a gorgeous black-haired woman with seven men's faces and lots of critters.
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. That's a famous movie from that same famous person I told you about." Jessica says shocked and I say: "I only got to meet her once and only shared a few words, but she is like Kairi; important to the movie." The others nod and I think: "Maybe now I can finally make sense of all this."

The movie continues and I realize that the song that came before has been replaced with a chorus as the camera zooms in on the back of my head. I turn around and as I do, does the camera turn to look up at me from my front. And from this angle, do 4 sentences show. So much to do, so little time, take your time, don't be afraid.
The camera then pans out as it shows Snow White and at the same time new lines appear. The door is still shut. Now step forward. Can you do it? I do as said and as I reach the center of the platform, do three pedestals appear. And above each, one item floats. Above one a sword, above another a shield and above the third and staff.
And as each object appears, so do new lines. Power sleeps within you. If you give it form … it will give you strength. And as the camera moves around me and shows all three objects, does one last line appear choose well. And just like I remember, do I move over the shield, jumping on the platform and grabbing it.

The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repell all. Is this the power you seek? And as I mutter: "Yes." Does the shield vanish and do the lines reappear. Your Path is set. Now what will you give up in exchange? And while I feel a little foolish now, do I watch my younger self move over to the staff.
The Power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. You give up this power? And while I feel like a failure of a wizard, does my younger self again mutter: "Yes." The staff vanishing just like the shield did as the lines reappear. You've chosen the power of the guardian. You've given up the power of the mystic.
Is this the form you chose? And this time I catch myself muttering along with my younger self as I say: "Yes." And with that do the three pedestals sink into the platform before the platform itself starts to break apart, shattered pieces of the stained glass falling down and causing me to dive down head first to a new platform.

Yet while the camera shows a gorgeous brunette surrounded by five panels, three showing parts of a castle and two others showing a horse and carriage, do I then land on this platform the same way I did on the other. And as I land, does the shield, colored black with a red rim and the Mouse symbol in the center appear on my arm.
You've gained the power to fight. A line appears and this instantly makes dad reach for my hand, me squeezing it and whispering: "Don't worry, I was fine." As the movie shows me moving around and fighting with the shield on my arm. Yet after only one neat sweeping motion of the shield, do the lines appear yet again.
Alright! You've got it! Use this power to protect yourself and others. And from just to the side of me do Shadows, Heartless shaped like humanoid bugs with antennas and large yellow eyes, appear from the platform, flat at first like their namesakes, but turning rounder as they stand up and start to twitch around and approach me.

There will be times you have to fight. Keep your light burning strong. "Even I got more time to prepare myself." Jessica mumbles and as she does this, do more Shadows appear. Yet to both her and dad's relief, do I easily dispatch of one of them, which actually causes the others to form back into flat surfaces and vanish.
Yet their relief is not to be as one Shadow actually reappears and uses his flat form to crawl over to my backside, the lines warning me before it can attack and my shield making short work of ending its existence. Yet as it bursts apart, do four new Shadows appear, trying to ambush me, only to fall at the butt of my shield.
The last of them vanishes back into the platform, leaving a shadow behind that grows and swallows up the entire platform. And as I sink into its murky depths and try to get rid of it, do I land on my back on one more platform, this one not showing a person, but rather a symbol of a royal looking heart, the platform pink, the symbol white.

And one light from high above shines onto a door that actually looks transparent. I move to stand in front of it, yet nothing happens and I say: "I just realized that I can't open it and tried looking for a way to do so." And the answer to this is shown as a new light causes for a fancy looking red and golden chest to appear.
"I saw a lot of those on my journey. They always came in handy. Had all kinds of stuff that I needed, whether right there and then or later on." I happily say, glad to finally have something that allows me to understand how this all started. And as proof, as I open it, does a bottle of Potion jump out of the opened chest.
I grab it and put it in my back pocket before a large crate appears. And while I try to just push it against the door at first, do I then break it with my shield, causing for another potion to fall out. "Yeah, that taught me that, sometimes, I need to break other people's stuff to get what I need. Not proud of it, but I had to."
I mutter and while my family nods, does the door fully take shape, the transparency vanishing and me stepping up in front of it. Yet as I step back, does the door actually open by itself, a huge light shining through and blinding me shortly before I look at it with lidded eyes as I slowly step forward, through the door and into the light.

Yet instead of another platform, do I arrive back on the Play Island, on a wooden platform to the north-east of the island where three teens, two boys and a girl are all loafing around. "Selphie, Tidus and Wakka. They're not really close, but they were good friends. We just – grew apart after all of our own adventures."
I mutter and Riku asks: "What were they there for? I don't remember them being there." To which I frown and say: "I – don't think they were really there. I think, whatever brought me to those platforms, visualized them to further help me with my first adventure." And Riku nods, while dad lets out a soft sigh of relief.

Hold on. The door won't open just yet. First, tell me more about yourself. And as I approach Selphie, does she ask: "What's most important to you?""Friendship." I answer to which she replies: "Is friendship such a big deal?" Which annoys my family, but I say: "That was just the power clarifying my answer, don't worry."
And Riku nods to emphasize this before I head for Tidus, who asks: "What are you so afraid of?" And Jessica mutters: "I know how that feels." As I answer: "Being different." To which Tidus replies: "Being different? Is that really so scary?" Yet I don't answer him and just move over to where Wakka is standing.
"What do you want outta life?" And both my sister and dad smile at me as I answer: "To see rare sights." To which I mumble: "I sure got that handed to me when I got here." Making the three of them laugh as Wakka asks: "To see rare sights, huh?" And as the camera pans out yet again, showing us all, do new lines appear.
You want friendship. You're afraid of being different. You want to see rare sights. Your adventure begins at midday. Keep a steady pace and you'll come through fine. The day you will open the door is both far off and very near. And another bright light filling up the screen ends this scene and transfers us to the next.

"Princess Aurora. She's from the movie Sleeping Beauty. Though not many like that movie as she barely has any speaking role in the entire thing." Jessica mutters and I sigh as I ask: "Remember what you said about having more time? This is definitely where that gets proven harsh." And instantly both of them are worried yet again.
I move over to the center of the platform, where a bright light shines right down from above. Yet unlike what I remember, does the giant Heartless not appear from my shadow. Instead, I get surrounded by several regular Shadows, that each fall at the butt and flat side of my shield, bursting apart as they do.

And only then does Jessica suddenly hum and ask: "Wait, what are those green orbs that constantly appear whenever you slay one of those – creatures?" To which I smile and answer: "They're health orbs. They make sure I stay healthy while fighting. That sphere on the ground does the same." I say as light makes one appear.
"At least you have that." Dad mumbles and while the video pauses with me standing in the middle of the panel, do I smile and say: "Yeah, they grew to have various sizes over time and other orbs also started spawning out of defeated Heartless as I grew stronger. Oh, and those Heartless are known as Shadows, by the way."
"Makes sense." Jessica mumbles and the movie goes on, yet then a small bit of light moves away from the panel, across the platform and off from it, where it forms into a staircase that leads to another platform, the steps of the stairs each a platform of itself and made of stained glass of various bright and cheerful colors.

I reach the center of the next platform and gaze up as new lines appear. The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes. At which I mumble: "Here we go. This is what I meant earlier." And as I turn around, does my own shadow come out of the ground and does it start to distort and change its form.
And a shadow, this one ten times larger than me with actual fingers, hair and a beard covering most of its face appears, causing me to step back in fright even as the line but don't be afraid appears. Yet I ignore this and try to run, only to almost fall off the platform and turn around, looking at the huge beast as it towers over me.
And don't forget… Yet the line doesn't elaborate and instead the fight between me and the giant Heartless begins. And to my dad and sister's concern, do I quickly realize that the only attacking point that I can actually hit with my shield is the being's hands, which turn into fists and hit the stage, causing for Shadows to appear.

I fight off both the Shadows and the beast itself, who also shoots balls of black and purple energy out of the hollow heart-like shaped hole in the center of its form and while most of these balls hit me, do dad and Jessica take comfort out of the way that I pick up every health orb that the Shadows drop as I defeat them.
Yet then a second wave of shadows makes me look fatigued and dad tightens his grip on my hand, yet I reach for my back pocket and quickly down a potion, dad sighing in relief when he sees my form looking back to top health again. The beast again shoots the balls from his chest, yet I avoid each of them this time.
And as I vanquish the wave of shadows, do we all spot a short aura showing around me, to which I say: "That proved I had grown stronger, gained experience and became better as a fighter." Which makes the hold dad has on my hand weaken, dad letting out a sigh to prove how relieved he is to hear me say this. And then Jessica says: "Well, Lady Destiny did say that your story would one day become a video game, I guess this is just one of those aspects."
I nod at this and mutter: "Gues I leveled up, if you want to use game terms." And shortly after, do I finish off the beast, yet instead of it vanishing, does my shield vanish, me jumping away as it tries to get in one last hit before it falls down, sinking into murky depths that now cover the platform just like they did a little while ago. And as we both sink down into the muck, do new lines appear.

But don't be afraid. You hold the mightiest weapon of all. So don't forget: And as I turn on my back and let out a silent scream as the shadows that come from the muck envelop me, does one last line appear. You are the one who will open the door. And the sight of a bright sun shining in a clear blue sky in the next shot to be shown.
Dad sags down in shocked relief and I mumble: "Pretty sure this is where I woke up and started believing all of that to be just a dream or something.""So that's why Kairi caught you lying on the beach that day." Riku mumbles, shaking his head before he mutters: "And I thought you were both just goofing off."
He then looks at me and mutters: "You went through one heck of a test there, Sora. But you proved you were well worth the results in the end. Though you really only proved that to whoever decided to test you in the first place. You were already a right winner to me, even if I didn't fully acknowledge how I felt back then."
And while I think: "Ditto here." Does dad sag in his chair and ask: "Is your entire adventure like this?" To which I shrug and say: "More or less. Traveling from one place to another, taking down bosses and restoring the light to any of the worlds I traveled to." Making dad groan and I ask: "Does it help that I was already fourteen?""Or that, because this is slightly shot as a video game, we will see evidence of Sora growing his levels?" Jessica then kids, making me snort.


Good one, Jess.
And you guys probably noticed that almost NOTHING about this chapter was changed or edited. I added a little bit to the start of the chapter to make it tie in with the last one and added the whole "video game" thing here and there, but left it at that. I'm going to be honest with you all, I don't think I will change anything about these chapters.
And with that I mean the chapters that describe Sora's story. I like the way I wrote those chapters, they're hard enough as they are and take up almost a day each – if not longer. I also don't want to change them for another reason; I'm afraid that if I change and/or edit them, I will add more content to them than is actually necessary. My descriptive skills, as I already mentioned in the original version, only go so far. So yet again, I have to say it.
Sorry, not sorry,

Venquine1990