Kingdom Hearts: The Dark World

Chapter 3-3: Atlantis - Heart of Atlantis

When Aiden returned to the palace, he found the Atlanteans being overrun by an assault of heartless hordes. From a distance, Milo and Kida could be seen signaling many of the townspeople to take refuge in the palace. Realizing the immediate danger, he slashed his way through most of the horde and got as far as the square. Several feet in front of him, he saw a small girl, crying, and utterly helpless to the impeding swarm. He lept over and grabbed her, bringing her to the steps of the palace, right before Milo and Kida. Kida went up to the little girl and instructed her to retreat inside. She came back to the steps to Milo and Aiden.

"WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?" Kida asked in utter shock.

"I DON'T KNOW! AIDEN, WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Milo screeched at Aiden.

"Heartless," Aiden replied, "They're after the crystals."

"How do we stop them?"

Aiden didn't respond, having minimal time to think with the heartless closing in. He remembered what the hooded figure said; the crystals contained light energy. Remembering this, he quickly peered at the crystal on Kida's neck.

"Kida, the crystal, you need to activate it."

"What? Why?"

"JUST DO IT!"

Kida activated the crystal, and a blinding flash of light shone in the direction of the horde, destroying the majority of them. Kida and Milo stood surprised. Snapping out of her trance Kida demanded both Milo and Aiden go inside. When Aiden stepped in after Milo, Kida readied her spear at Aiden's neck.

"You brought them here, didn't you?", she asked.

"No, no I didn't bring them here," Aiden said with his hands raised in the air.

"Then why are these things attacking my city, and how is it that you know what these things are?"

"They're called heartless. It's a long story, but they prey on worlds and seek to submerge the planets they come to into total darkness. They're here for the crystals."

"How do you know this?"

"I saw someone in the caverns. He told me. But I'm not going to let him take the crystals from you. And whatever you do, you can't hand over your crystals to him either."

She lowered her spear. "What do you suppose we do then? My people cannot stay locked inside of the palace forever."

"I need to find the keyhole to this world. If I seal it, they would never be able to attack this city again."

"A keyhole?", Milo asked, "What do you mean, like some kind of a door lock?"

Aiden realized that both Milo and Kida didn't know what he was saying. He summoned his keyblade before them, astonishing both of them.

"That is your key...sword?", Kida asked. 

"Yeah, keyblade," Aiden said.

"Wow, that's incredible," Milo said, "So how does it work? Is there some kind of secret button or magic that makes you able to summon it? And why is it so large?"

"I can summon the keyblade at will. It also acts as a sword of sorts."

"That's so strange. But I understand why it's called a keyblade now."

"We should focus," Kida interrupted, "Where would you be able to seal this....keyhole?"

"It's said to be found in the most sacred of places or in the most sentimental of possessions. It may very well be the crystal on your neck. Since he told me the crystals act as the city's life force, and you're the queen, it makes more sense. You're the heart of this world."