Chapter 4

Chapter 2 Dark World SHE DIDN’T KNOW HOW FAR SHE’D WANDERED through the endless darkness. It didn’t matter where she was, whether in a forest or on a mountaintop. There was no passage of time here in the Dark World; all she knew was she had been walking for so, so long. She had no idea how much time had passed back in the worlds of light. All she could do was keep trudging forward. Aqua raised her head, surprised to see a castle she recognized among the gloomy, alien sights. “Could it be?” She gasped. That was the castle where Cinderella had met Prince Charming. Why would Cinderella’s world be in this dark realm…? The large clock on one of the castle’s towers was stopped at midnight—the moment when Cinderella’s magic wore off. As Aqua started walking toward it, monsters suddenly appeared, barring her way. The foes down here weren’t the Unversed she had once fought. Aqua summoned her Keyblade and swung it, casting a spell. Her strength hadn’t faded, exactly, but she was exhausted from her endless journey. The creatures dispersed into nothingness. If this castle isn’t an illusion, it could mean something’s wrong in the realm of light. As Aqua walked closer, the road in front of her became more and more fractured. She would have to make her way forward across barely traversable wreckage. Even down here, the castle was still shining with light. It was like the darkness had swallowed it whole. Her chest fluttered. In all her time walking, Aqua had never encountered a single building to serve as a landmark, but now, that had changed. Now, she had the castle. Aqua continued down the broken path, and more monsters barred her way. Maybe they were excited at this new development, too. Aqua looked back and saw a whole mess of buildings just as warped and twisted as the road. The whole castle town must have been swallowed by this world—just as I was. Everyone in this world thought they were safe. Not just the people…but the dog waiting for his owner…the cat curled up in her nook… So much life. Trees and flowers… There’s no deeper sadness than discovering all that you knew is gone. The grief in this place is too much to fathom. Aqua clenched her fist. I must press onward— Nothing will come of looking backward. As she tried to encourage herself, the ground beneath her crumbled again, until there was nothing left of the road to the castle, while the hands of the clocktower began to turn. Time was moving, but now she had no way forward. A lone gear lay nearby. There is no “time” in the Dark World, but maybe— When Aqua tapped the gear with her Keyblade, it glowed and began rotating, both winding back the time of the castle’s clock and restoring the broken road. How wonderful it would be to be able to reverse time like this. To spend one more night beneath the stars with my best friends. Aqua raised her eyes toward the sky, a deep black expanse without the smallest glimmer of starlight. She thought back to that night before their Mark of Mastery exam. I wish the three of us could go stargazing again, and look for shooting stars. Aqua resumed her course toward the castle, wondering why her mind kept drifting back to those bygone days. I mustn’t dwell on the past—I mustn’t give in to the darkness. I have to keep moving forward. Aqua made her way toward the castle, defeating whatever monsters attacked her. When she reached the plaza in front of the castle, she looked behind her and saw that this distorted world was still part of the realm of darkness. She hadn’t made it back home after all. “Aqua.” She knew that voice. She spun around. Terra. Sure enough, he was descending the steps of the castle. “It can’t be. What are you doing here?” she asked as he approached. My chest feels tight— I thought I sent you back. “You should be in the realm of light. Oh no! Did you not make it out?” Or did something happen there…? Terra only stood in front of her, smiling gently. “Why won’t you say anything to me?” Aqua reached out to Terra, but her hand passed through him. “So what are you, a memory among these shadows? Are you here to…try to tell me not to lose heart?” she murmured as her friend vanished into light. This is all a vision. The world keeps our thoughts alive. But where did the people who lived here go once their world was taken away? At least they’re not here. So, they haven’t fallen to darkness. I’ll take what solace I can from that. Aqua entered the castle, but instead of the great hall, she found a forest. This world—it was Snow White’s. Has it been lost to darkness, too? Out of the corner of her eye, Aqua spied a glass coffin, the very same one the young princess had slept in. When she hurried over to it, she saw someone inside. “Ven?!” She called his name, but Ven soon disappeared in a flash of light. Another illusion. “Ven. What did you come here to tell me?” Aqua gazed softly at the empty casket. I know I promised to wake you up. I’m sorry. But I have to find a way home before I can help you. I just want you to know that it’s been you who keeps my heart strong. Keeps the dark away. Aqua quickly turned around as she sensed a presence behind her. It was an enormous mirror—more memories. That’s right. This is the mirror I saw in Snow White’s castle. Aqua saw herself reflected in the glass—and then the young woman inside reached out for the real Aqua and yanked her through the surface. The world within was the great hall of the castle, where the mirror used to be, but now there were so many mirrors that Aqua struggled to keep her bearings. She didn’t know which one she had come through anymore. All she could see in any of them was herself. I keep telling myself I can’t lose hope, I can’t fade away into the darkness—but that girl in the mirror is about to fall. Is this what it means to face your demons? Only your heart is hollow enough to be a demon’s. Aqua heard a voice—her own voice—and gasped as her reflection casually stepped out of the mirror toward her with a laugh. Aqua darted backward and summoned her Keyblade. “That’s not true! My heart is strong! I’ll prove it!” No one can save you. And no one wants to. The smirking doppelgänger attacked her body with her Keyblade, and her heart with her words. Your bonds of friendship only tie you down. That’s not true. It’s thanks to Terra and Ven that I’ve made it this far. They keep me from giving up hope. You’ll never see the realm of light again. I will. I know I will. After all, Terra and Ven are waiting for me. We’re held together by the bond between us. Is there any point in continuing this fight? Yes—it’s the only way forward. I have to, so I can see my friends again. Are you really worthy of being a Keyblade Master? My strength hasn’t failed me yet. I will continue to press onward, as a Keyblade Master. Just let go of everything and fade into the darkness. I won’t—I can’t. But my heart is in so much pain; she’s relentless. Which one of us is the real me? Maybe the things she’s saying are true. Maybe she’s the part of me already lost to the darkness. But… But still… “I won’t give up on my friends!” Aqua shouted as she struck the phantom with her Keyblade. The reflection vanished. Terra and Ven didn’t have anything to say. But my shadow… She wanted to destroy me. I’ve talked to myself a lot since falling into these shadows. But with the phantom, it’s as though all my doubts have gained a voice of their own. Aqua glanced at her reflection in the mirror again, but it was apparently through moving on its own. She’s the weakness in my heart. I know I’m alone here. Have the uncountable hours in the shadows whittled away the courage I never really had? I’m losing this fight. The darkness has found the cracks in my heart. Is this…the last apparition before it takes me over? Aqua turned away from the mirror and began walking again. Before her was a forest of thorns, part of the world where a witch named Maleficent had cast Princess Aurora into slumber. Had this world fallen prey to the darkness, too? Aqua spotted people beyond the briars. “Terra? Ven?” Are they…phantoms…? I don’t care if they are or if I fall into the darkness. I want to see them again! The thorny vines grew to obstruct Aqua’s path and reached out to grab her, forcing her to hack them away. She could see her two friends still some ways ahead. Progression through the forest was a process of fending off brambles and defeating monsters. Everything is trying so hard to keep me away from them, so why am I still seeing those visions? I know they aren’t real…but I miss them. She chased them through the forest to a giant creature unlike anything she had ever seen. A whole crowd of them, in fact. Aqua mustered the last of her strength and charged. I miss them. She thought of Ven’s smiles, of Terra’s determination, of Master Eraqus’s warmth, of Mickey and the other friends she’d met on her journey. I’m not alone— We’re all connected. Shoulders heaving, she tried to catch her breath once the last of the monsters was gone. There waiting for her were Terra and Ven. Terra slowly turned around. “Aqua, you’re—” He was speaking—she’d thought he was nothing more than a vision. “Terra. You spoke?” she asked. He opened his eyes. “Can you see me?” “Of course!” They weren’t… They aren’t illusions? “Terra!” Aqua rushed over to her friend. “I can see Ven, too.”