Chapter Text
Chapter 01
A New Wielder
Mickey’s POV
December 1987
The Realm of Darkness sure comes true to its name, but I would still prefer it to be without all these Heartless. But of course for that the Darkness in peoples’ hearts first has to be vanquished – and that is exactly what makes me worry about Riku.
The boy had only recently tumbled so deeply into Darkness that he had lost himself in the progress to Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. To now be stuck in the Realm of Darkness can’t be good for the poor 8 year old. I wander around, fighting and striking down Heartless and hoping for a sign of Riku.
Then suddenly my Keyblade lights up and starts pulling at my arm, as if trying to lead me somewhere. Hopeful it has located Riku’s Keyblade I jump onto my faithful blade and move my body along as it maneuvers around corners and straight through Shadows and other Heartless.
Believing that my Blade will lead me to Riku, I feel shocked as the star at end of my blade lights up and opens a portal to a whole new world. Not wanting to leave Riku to himself in this terrible Realm, but knowing I could lose my Keyblade for ever, I lower my head and whisper:
“I’m sorry, Riku.
I promise I’ll find you.”
As I enter a whole new world.
The world seems different, like Port Royal, and I feel my skin, the fur around my head and the large size of my round ears much more than usual. Quickly hiding until I know what kind of creatures live here, my Keyblade points me deeper into the alleyway I hide myself in and as I look, my heart stops.
A young boy, no older than 6 at best, is surrounded by loads of Shadow Heartless, the small vaguely humanoid creatures all have their circular, glowing yellow eyes aimed at the boy and their hands, with each three-clawed fingers, are trying to reach the child.
Luckily enough does the boy have a Keyblade of his own, one I recognize as Sign of Innocence, but I quickly realize that he has no idea how to handle the Blade as he just clumsily moves it every time a Shadow tries to attack.
Knowing the boy needs my help, I summon my own Keyblade, The Star Seeker, and run at the scene, jumping up and running with my large round feet over the heads of the Heartless, knocking a few off that try to attack me.
I end up back to back with the poor lad and seeing we are surrounded by more than 40 Shadows, I whisper to him: “Jump when I say so, trust me.” In return the boy lies a hand on my shoulder, making me smile a little as I focus on the moon at the end of the Keychain attached to my blade.
Focusing on the magic within that very crescent moon, I feel the burn in the guard and push it through the rest of the blade, as I shout: “JUMP NOW!” The boy jumps and I turn a circle as I shout: “FIRE STRIKE!”
And while I keep spinning, does a ring of fire expand around us, burning the Shadows and making them vanish as their energy is consumed by the powerful Fire attack. I stop spinning and turn around to see that the boy is fine, but looking at me with wide, emerald green eyes hidden behind broken glasses.
But then I see new Shadows coming over and remember what Master Yen Sid told me when he trained me to learn how to wield the Star Seeker. Heartless feast on the Light of the Keyblade. Use a Keyblade outside this world and you will always attract Heartless, so be careful when you summon it.
I grab the boy’s hand, seeing an opening between Shadows starting to slink and shout: “Follow me, hurry!” And we run out of the alleyway, past a few roads with cars riding across it and through a dark tunnel that has a turn to the left.
Finally we arrive at a large playground with a swing, climbing device and several other play-devices where we both lie our hands on our knees and pant, me feeling confident we won’t be attacked by Heartless here, seeing how bright the streetlamps are shining on the playground, making me finally realize it’s night.
I look at the boy and say: “You know you’re quite young to be a Keyblade Holder. Why did you summon it anyway?” And the boy answers: “I didn’t want to be weak and surrender. Not to them. I’m forced to be weak to my cousin and his bullying, I didn’t want to be weak to them too. I wanted to prove my strength.”
I look at the young boy, contemplating his story and knowing I have to keep this short so I can go back and find Riku and so I say: “Well, I admire your need to be strong, but a lust for power attracts Darkness and that attracts the Heartless.”
The young boy nods and says: “I don’t lust for power, I just don’t want to feel like a weak wimp anymore. And is that what those creatures are called that you destroyed? Are they Heartless? And how did you make that fire anyway?”
I smile at his need for questions and say: “There are loads of Heartless. The ones we fought are called Shadows. And I was able to make that fire, because the Keyblade can let us produce Magic in several forms; fire, ice, thunder, wind, healing and even time.”
The boy now has an open mouth and wide eyes, the glasses almost falling off his nose and then he shakes his head and says: “Where are my manners? I’m Harry, Harry Potter.” I nod at the boy and shake his outstretched hand with my own gloved one, saying: “Pleasure to meet you, Harry. The name is Mickey Mouse.”
Harry nods with a smile on his face and then I look down and say: “And I hate to say this, but I have to go. I have to go back to the Realm of Darkness and find a friend of mine who has been lost there.” The boy looks down sad and asks:
“You don’t want to stay with me? You – you don’t like me?” Wondering if this spoiled behavior or not, I decide to stay just a little longer and say: “You know what, I’ll stay a little longer, but only to let you know how to use the Keyblade and cast magic – just the basic stuff, though. No six year old should be dealing with too heavy magic.”
But the boy shocks me and says: “Hey, I’m 7 and 5 months old, you know! I just look small because of these stupid cloths.” I look shocked and then say: “Six or Seven doesn’t matter. You’re still too young to deal with heavy magic like my Fire Strike.”
Harry nods and asks: “So what can you teach me, Mickey?” I smile at the boy, glad to know he’s not spoiled as he seems too interested in my studies for that and say: “Summon your Keyblade for me, Harry.” But Harry asks:
“How?”
And I open my hand, thinking of Star Seeker and feeling the connection activate to my wish. The beautiful blue Blade with stars, a crescent moon at the end and the bright yellow star attached to the inside of the crescent moon, appears.
Harry gapes and lets out a soft: “Wow.” Making me smile at his innocence, before I say: “Just think of the name of your Keyblade and the connection will activate to your wish. Your Keyblade is Sign of Innocence.” Harry nods and the Blade appears in his open hand.
I nod and say: “Alright Harry, I’ll just teach you a few basic moves, some abilities and some basic forms of magic. Then I really have to go, because I can’t leave my friend in that Realm for too long. It’s too dangerous for him to be there.” Harry nods and finally, when the sun rises again, is Harry kneeling on the ground, panting.
The hilt of his Keyblade is keeping his upper body up as he holds it with both hands and has his head on the top of the hilt, his entire body shaking with his pants, but I’m standing next to him with a proud smile on my face.
I see the sun starting to rise and use my Keyblade to open a portal in one of the larger shadows back to the Realm of Darkness. I lie my hand on the boy’s shoulder, which is wet with his sweat and say: “Never let your Light die out, Harry. It’s the source of your power and what makes your Keyblade strong.”
Harry nods, or perhaps he’s just moving his entire body in nodding shakes and one of his hands shakily moves from the top of his Keyblade to my hand and he whispers: “Mickey, when you find your friend and you’re safely back home, please, come visit me, okay? Don’t forget me.”
I nod at him and squeeze his hand in promise before walking off to the Portal. There I turn back to Harry, who has collapsed, the Keyblade gone, and is sleeping on the soft patch of grass he collapsed on.
Smiling at the child and hoping he will grow up to be a man I can be proud to call my friend, I think back to the training – amazed at how easily Harry went from attack and defensive moves to abilities and how he spend most of his time on the magic training – and think: “You’ll get there, Harry. You’ll be just fine.”
Before I jump through the Portal, using a Salvation attack to take down a powerful Neoshadow that tried to get through the Portal. I then quickly close it, not wanting another Heartless to get near my young friend and as I continue walking through the Dead lands that is the Realm of Darkness, I think:
“I’m coming, Riku.
Hang in there, young friend.”