Many years ago, there began a battle between light and darkness.
The blame lies upon a Master of the Keyblade, one who turned his back on his duty and became a Seeker of Darkness. To sate his curiosity for the unknown, he plotted to forge an ancient weapon and plunge our world into an endless war. It was only by the sacrifice of three brave Keybearers that his ultimate goal was not achieved.
The first Keybearer lost his body to the Seeker, only striking his enemy down by the strength of his lingering will. The second Keybearer shattered his own heart to destroy the weapon he was used to forge, surviving only thanks to the kind heart of another. The third Keybearer cast herself into darkness hoping to save her friend in spite of the machinations wrought upon him.
These three heroes remain lost to us, victims to a noble, yet imperfect sacrifice. In spite of their loss, the remnants of the Seeker of Darkness plague our world, threatening its fragile balance anew. The only thing we can do is carry on in their stead, fighting the battles they no longer can. That was what the King and the Sorcerer told me.
Suffice it to say, I disagreed.
An end to the walls of shadow comes as I step out of the corridor. The tide licks at my boots as sand crunches beneath them. The impossibly sunlit, yet still dark shore stretches out before me as it has once before. This place is known as the Dark Margin, the edge of the Realm of Darkness bordering on the light that allows entry to this plane of existence that might otherwise be impossible. After more than a year, I’m back and this time for more than a simple chat. I’m in search of an ally, one who may provide us the advantage we so desperately need.
The Keyblade Master lost here, her retrieval would be no easy feat for an ordinary person. The Realm of Darkness has a peculiar effect on those who would enter it. The longer you spend here, the worse the darkness takes its hold over you. The realm itself will toy with your mind, drawing out your memories to be twisted into a torturous farce. Faced with illusions and an unconquerable tide of Heartless, remaining here for more than the briefest time would assuredly drive any ordinary person mad with despair until they lose all sense of identity. Of course, what danger is that to someone who has no identity in the first place?
As a Nobody, I don’t belong to either Realm of Darkness or Light. I’m an in-between, a nonexistent being born from a heart powerful enough to defy the laws of nature. Because the darkness has no hold over me, I’m uniquely qualified to survive this place. Because I don’t exist, I can save the Keyblade Master trapped here.
Even so, I’m painfully well aware this is a suicide mission. That’s why I left Namine behind. Even without having to worry about the psychological threats, the amount of Heartless in this place is infinite by nature. It’s simply impossible to overcome this place like I would any other threat. My only chance of success here is to keep moving, track my target down, and get us both out of here before the darkness takes us.
Summoning up my swords, I use them as a focus to channel both the darkness and the light within me. Looking inward, I erase any excess of one or the other, striving to maintain as perfect a balance as possible. I choose to walk the road between, the road to twilight.
As if in response to my conviction, I feel a pulse from the blade in my left hand. Looking over my white sword, my attention is drawn to the seashells on its chain, a good luck charm for sailors hoping to find their way home. The token of favor the princess bestowed upon her chosen hero, its light seems to connect to the light of another, acting as a wayfinder between two lost souls.
Though I know she can’t hear me, I call out to her all the same. “...Alright, Kairi. It’s about time this thing started to work. Show me the way.” Tightening my grip on my swords, I begin to tread forward, into the depths of darkness with her light as my guide. “Show me to Master Aqua.”
