I opened my eyes as I could see I wasn’t in my room in the Canterlot castle, but rather a dark place with a stained glass that was the only area in the place. I looked around, confusion taking my expression as I could only utter one word.

“Huh?”

Where am I? Or, more specifically, where was I? Is there a reason for why I’m here?

You’re here…

I jumped at the voice that echoed in the place. What was that? Who are you, voice?

Who, me? I’m...your other half…

My other half? What do you mean by…

I felt my Keyblade manifest in my hand as I saw three shadowy blobs coming from the star-shaped stained glass, which was what I guessed it was from how I could see the glass from my position on it.

I got into a fighting position as the Heartless jumped out of the ground and began their attack on me. I rolled to the side, and then attacked the first Heartless with Oathbringer while the Heartless screeched in pain as it vanished into darkness.

I barely managed to duck under an incoming strike from behind me by the second Heartless. I took my chance and struck it with my Keyblade as the creature was vanquished. I saw the remaining Heartless about to attack me again, and I let out a burning light that caused it to screech in a high pitch that damaged my poor ears as it vanished to darkness.

I rubbed my ears from the volume of the Heartless’ screech. Man, that hurt.

You tell me…

That voice again...why are you here? Is there anything I need to know?

Yes...you may need...answers for...the Keyblade you wield…

Huh, I do need some answers from a couple of questions I had since it manifested in my hand back on Earth.

I looked down at Oathbringer as I heard the voice speak again.

You may have known...that you’re its chosen one...correct?

Yes...I guessed that correctly when it came to my aid in my dire need of a weapon against the Phantoms back then. However, there’s still some questions left unanswered in me that I need to let out.

You can ask...as long as you’re asleep in the Real World…

I’m still asleep? But…I feel this is where I am in my awakened state.

You still don’t understand...this is one where we’re in your...heart…

In my heart? Strange, I don’t feel like it was this much darkness in it. Can I turn the Light on to show me where we are?

No...you cannot. We’re...in the deepest depth in your heart...where your Light cannot be reaching down...you’re in the darkest piece of your heart...Daniel…

Huh? How’d you know my name?

Simple, I am...your other half…

I get that. But, how did you know my name? Aside from being my other half, that is.

You can say...luck...and a bit of truth from...your birth…

We’re not going to talk about my dead family, voice. I’m done being their ‘property’.

Very well...what about your new...family?

The ponies? Well, that’s what I am going to find out for myself, and they showed me kindness and support when I arrived in Equestria.

I could sense the voice was chuckling from the sound of it.

You’ve grown soft…

I have. You can thank those ponies for it.

Indeed...now, as for your...Keyblade...let’s just say...you’ve been the chosen warrior of the Light since your birth and subsequent life with it…

Ugh...are we going to skip my human family’s part of the story? Get to the point, thank you.

Very well...the reason you were chosen...was because Master Eraqus wanted to see...a special child from the world which created this so-called game series...you called it, ‘Kingdom Hearts’, correct?

Yes, my people are creative...why are we going to that topic? I don’t get it.

It’s just...to prove you’re worthy...for being a Keyblade wielder...Daniel…

Hmm...alright. I can take that. So...what of it?

You see...there is much to Kingdom Hearts...than more than meets the eyes…

You mean, it’s very real and not a game, right? I got it after I explained it to the ponies I befriended during a single day of being here in Equestria.

Yes...that’s the point...you’re thinking quick on this, Daniel…

Call it something of a quick mindset of things.

The voice seemed to be enjoying itself again as it talked with me.

I saw a staircase appear from in front of me as it probably led to a different stained glass in my heart.

Go forth...see what your heart has...in store for you…

I stepped onto the staircase as I was soon on the second stained glass platform in my heart. When I looked down, I saw it looked like Princess Twilight and the others with their heads in the glass while I had my Keyblade as I saw my eyes were closed.

Kind of like that with Sora in the first game…

I felt my Keyblade manifest itself in my hand again as I saw more Heartless come out of the ground and prepared to jump at me...when the ground shook with the Heartless vanishing quickly after they appeared.

I was confused, yet surprised.

This is a testament of your...strength and love...for your friends, Daniel…

So, a test to see I’m worthy of Oathbringer, then. Well, let’s see if I can prove myself to the voice, shall we?

The larger creature with yellow eyes was much stronger than the normal Heartless. Maybe that’s because this is Darkside? The one that appears before Sora in his heart?

I readied myself in a fighting stance as the large Heartless raised its arm up and prepared to lash it out at me. I jumped barely in time to the side before it had hit me, which would end up really badly if it did.

I saw my chance when the arm was stuck in the glass floor, and I ran towards the creature’s right arm as I struck it many times in a row with my Keyblade while the Heartless roared in pain before retreating its arm. I saw it had black orbs from its two arms ready as it threw them to the floor of the stained glass.

A couple of smaller versions of the Heartless appeared from the orbs, and I smirked before charging at the jumping enemies.

I was slashing, cutting, slicing, and struck each Heartless down with relative each with Oathbringer, and I could feel my Light getting stronger by the amount of determination and care I had in my heart.

The bigger Heartless reared its arm back again, and it lashed out at me before I jumped away from the strike while the arm was stuck again on the stained glass floor. I took my chance and ran up to it like before and continuously struck the Heartless many times when it roared in pain once more.

I felt my Light being stronger than before, and I took the final shot at striking Darkside down once and for all as I want to wake up in the Real World. My body started to light up with a bright white aura, and Darkside hissed in pain from the amount of light I was giving out before I pointed my Keyblade’s blade tip at Darkside and I let out a powerful beam of light at the Heartless, with the beam clashing with Darkside’s body as it roared in a painful way when it was vanquished from sight.

I lowered my Oathbringer and heard the voice again.

Well done...you truly are worthy of the Keyblade, Daniel...may your heart be your guiding key, my dear other half…

Huh? Where’d that come from?

The voice was gone as I couldn’t hear it anymore.

I felt it was time to wake up to the Real World, and I saw a shining light coming from the far ahead in the darkness...

Author's Note

A short chapter, and the final one for the first half of Act 1. And also today's second chapter posted. I wanted this to be a sort of "awakening" to Daniel's Light within the darkest bottom of his heart. I hope I did it right, when I showed where he was in the scene.

I have a feeling we'll be hearing the voice in his heart again once we get further into the plot of the story. I have a great sense we will at the end of this season.

I'll be taking a break from writing six chapters in a short time. I need my energy re-energized with ideas to what the next nine chapters will be about. If you got any ideas I can use, I'll see to it. Thank you all for enjoying the work! I'm grateful for you to like what I write, especially since it's my first 1st person view story in a long time. I hope you will enjoy the second half of Act 1, my friends.

See you till next week!