May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key
By SoulboundAlchemist
Chapter 7: The Key to Technology and Magic
“Oof!”
We ended up exiting the portal right outside the control room, right as the Doctor was stepping out.
“Ahh! Ms. Kairi! Just the girl I was on my way to see!” the Doctor said with a grin, as Luna, Chirithy and I pick ourselves up..
After getting back on my feet, I turned to the resident Time Lord. “I assume that means you’re ready for my gaming gear?”
The Doctor nodded. “Indeed. Sunset is currently making sure that the connected devices have a steady stream of power, via spell. She should be done by now. You’d be amazed how hard it is to get all the little knobs and bolts together. Nearly killed me to get it all working and functional!”
I nodded as we turned and followed the Doctor back into the control room. Inside we found Sunset underneath a table, eyes closed with hands and horn glowing with magic. “Perfect timing,” she said, eyes remaining closed. “I need you to place one of your devices onto the console to calibrate the spell that’ll keep them powered, and test the system.”
I nod before turning to the main console.
“Not that way,” she stopped me. “Over here on the table.”
I shrugged before going over and setting my bag down. I then open the top and begin rummaging around, pulling out the case that held my 3DS and PSVita first, followed by my Switch, my laptop, my iPad, and finally my PS4.
“Any particular one you want me to start with?” I asked.
“Doesn’t matter,” Sunset replied. “Just pick one and set it on the console. It should automatically detect it and start powering the device as soon as its set down. You should be fine.”
I give her a skeptical look before shrugging once again, and set my iPad down first. As soon as it made contact, the screen lit up, indicating that it was charging. “Nice work Sunset!” the Doctor exclaimed with a smile. “Now, let’s give the interface a test run.”
With those words, a holographic screen popped up. On the screen was listed the available media, which consisted of all my music, and one novel.
“Uh, Doctor,” Sunset said with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t think you set it up right.”
“No, no, that’s not possible, I made sure to be absolutely precise in my repairs, I double, no, triple checked everything! Believe me, I am quite thorough in my work, if I do say so myself,” the Doctor replied as he began fiddling with the settings.
“Then why is there only music and a book showing up?” Sunset shot back.
“Maybe because that’s all I have on there,” I replied, amusement coloring my words.
The two travelers froze before exchanging a look, then turned back to me. “In that case,” the Doctor said, regaining his smile. “Would you mind putting your Playstation on the console? We really do need to do a test run.”
I nodded before placing the rather large piece of hardware onto the console. Upon contact, the PS4 came to life with a beep, as a new screen blinked into existence in front of the Doctor.
“Excellent! Yes very excellent!” came the Doctor’s exclamation. “Anything in particular that you want to use for a test run? I have no idea what the youth are into these days. Probably something hip and with it as they say.”
I gave it a few seconds of thought before I reached into my bag and pulled out the ‘Bioshock Collection,’ selecting the disk for ‘Bioshock Infinite.’ “Will this do?” I asked as I handed him the disk.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow at my selection. “Are you sure?” he asked, to which I respond with a nod. He shrugged before turning to the console. “In that case, you’ll need to use the weapons found in the game. Your Keyblade would have replaced the melee weapon. Unfortunately, however, considering how important the Skyhook is in terms of traversal, that won’t be the case.”
I blinked in surprise. “So you’re saying that a lot of these games aren’t compatible with Keyblade training?”
“I didn’t say that,” the Doctor replied. “The console can create simulations based on the game assets, but since we’re going to be testing the system, we’ll be using the pre-built game scenario. Because of that you can’t use your Keyblade. Sadly video games aren’t known for there crossovers, well except within company like whenever Sonic meets Mario, or the Super Smash games….But I’m getting ahead of myself, the point is you can’t use your Keyblade in this particular simulation.”
Comprehension dawned in my mind. “Alright, I get it now. In that case, yes, use that game for the test.”
The Doctor nodded before inserting the disk. It was only a few seconds before a computerized voice said “Simulation ready. Please proceed into Simulation Hall.” After saying this, a total of two doors opened; one in the control room, and the other being the door Luna and I were originally trying to open.
The Doctor nodded again before turning back to me. “Alright, now, a couple things before you go in,” he explained. “First, to activate the simulation, you need to say ‘Execute simulation’ followed by the name of the simulation, that is very important please remember. In this case you would say ‘Execute simulation Bioshock Infinite.’” I nodded to this. “Second, for the duration of the simulation you will have a heads-up display. It’s basically the same display as in the game itself, but with a few added features. Specifically a bar next to where your health bar is that displays what you need to say to move forward.”
“Wait, you’re saying I’ll actually have to say Booker’s lines as I go through?” I question as my eyes widened at the amount of immersion the simulator brought.
The Doctor nodded. “Correct. On that note, unless you say exactly what the simulation wants you to say, you will not be able to move forward. Finally, you can leave the simulation whenever you want by saying ‘Computer, end simulation.’ Upon ending the simulation, it will ask if you wish to save your progress for later.”
I nodded, a grin plastering itself on my face before I turned and strode through the doors.
As soon as I entered, the doors closed behind me. “Um, execute simulation BioShock Infinite.”
Instantly the room turned pitch black before showing the game logo.
As soon as the logo faded I heard a voice that I instantly recognized as the game character Elizabeth say “Booker… are you afraid of God?”
I didn’t even need the prompt that appeared in my line of vision, instantly replying “No. But I’m afraid of you.”
I grinned as the quote from R. Lutece appeared in front of me, before fading to black once more. Then, I found myself in a rowboat with the Lutece twins.
“Are you going to just sit there?” Robert Lutece asked.
“As compared to what? Standing?” Rosalind Lutece replied.
“Not standing. Rowing,” Robert shot back.
“Rowing? I hadn’t planned on it,” Rosalind replied.
“So you expect me to shoulder the burden?” Robert accused as Rosalind handed me a wooden box.
“What’s this?” I ask as I’m prompted. The box is small and wooden, with a simple metal plaque reading ‘Property of Booker DeWitt 7th Cavalry, Wounded Knee.’
“No,” Rosalind, as per usual, ignored me to continue her argument with Robert. “But I do expect you to do all the rowing.”
“And why is that?” Robert asked.
“Coming here was your idea,” Rosalind replied matter of factly.
“My idea?”
“I’ve made it very clear that I don’t believe in the exercise,” Rosalind sniffed.
“The rowing?” Robert asked, confused.
“No. I imagine that’s wonderful exercise.”
“Then what?”
“The entire thought experiment,” Rosalind explained vaguely.
The next line appeared in front of me. “Excuse me,” I said, reading it off. “How much longer?”
The two continue to ignore me, with Robert replying to Rosalind tiredly. “One goes into an experiment knowing one could fail.”
I looked down at the box in my lap and opened it, finding a pistol, and intel on my mission as Rosalind replies “But one does not undertake an experiment knowing one HAS failed.”
“Can we get back to the rowing?” Robert changes the subject as I check my gun, and place everything else into my pockets.
“I suggest you do or we’re never going to get there,” Rosalind sniped back.
“No. I mean I’d greatly appreciate it if you would assist,” Robert insisted.
“Perhaps you should ask him?” Rosalind suggested waspishly. “I imagine he has a greater interest in getting there than I do.”
“I suppose he does. But there’s no point in asking.”
“Why not?”
“Because he doesn’t row.”
“He doesn’t ROW?”
“No. He DOESN’T row,” Robert said significantly.
“Ah. I see what you mean,” Rosalind nodded sagely.
The rest of the trip was spent in silence as Robert rowed us to a dingy little harbor just outside of a lighthouse.
“We’ve arrived,” Rosalind stated matter-of-factly.
I climbed out of the rowboat and onto the pier, glancing up at the lighthouse and the stormy skies. I turn back to the rowboat, only to see the twins departing.
“Shall we tell him when we’ll be returning?” Rosalind asked.
“Would that change anything?” Robert replied.
“It might give him some comfort.”
“At least that’s something we can agree on.”
“Hey!” I read off my prompt. “Is somebody meeting me here?”
“I’d certainly hope so,” Robert called back.
“It does seem like a dreadful place to be stranded,” Rosalind chimed in.
“Ah, well maybe there’s someone inside…” I muttered as I grinned to myself. This was going to be awesome!
“Computer, end simulation,” I said, stretching my shoulder about an hour later. “Save progress.”
The floating city of Columbia vanished as the simulation dissolved into a stark white room.
“I take it that the test went well then?” came the Doctor’s voice over the intercom.
“You could say that, Doc,” I replied with a chuckle.
“That was so cool, sis!” Luna’s excited voice came next. “Can I try one of these sim-u-la-tions?”
“Not until I’m sure that they’re safe for you to try,” I replied firmly. “A lot of the games I have could potentially be extremely dangerous, or are extremely scary.”
“Oh...OK…” I sighed as I heard Luna’s depressed response.
“Don’t worry Luna,” I heard Sunset say. “If I know the Doctor, he’s already working on setting up failsafes. You’ll get to try one of these fairly soon.”
“Speaking of, would you mind loading up the Hades Cup for me?” I asked. “I have some new magic to try out.”
“You mean that Shadow Slayer thing that Lex gave you?” Luna asked, previous depression forgotten.
“Shadow Dragon Slayer magic, Luna,” I reply with a chuckle. “And yes, I need to take it for a test run, so to speak.”
“Uh, well, I guess we can load that up,” Sunset said hesitantly. “Though, I’m not sure how a cup will help you with a test of your new magic…”
“Oh, nonono,” I said with a laugh. “The Hades Cup is a fifty round tournament in the first Kingdom Hearts game, found in the Olympus Coliseum area of the game. I have the game disk in my bag.”
“Gotcha!” the Doctor crowed. “Alright, lets see here. Well, this game is organized pretty well, nice level structure, easy to spot invisible walls, so it should be around… Ah-ha! Now, all I need to do is extrapolate the data, and we are good… to… go!”
“Building simulation… Simulation ready!”
I nodded. “Execute simulation Hades Cup.”
With those words, the blank white walls dissolved into the well known arena of the Olympus Coliseum.
“Seed 49, Shadow Brothers. Three Soldiers and seven Shadows,” the computer announced as the Heartless appeared before me. “Begin.”
“Alright, lets see if this works,” I said as the Heartless started moving. I opened my mouth, beginning to inhale. At first nothing seemed to happen, but after a second, the Shadow Heartless began to dissolve as a dark cloud was pulled into my stomach. Soon enough the Shadows, along with the regular shadows in the room, were gone. However, the Soldiers were still intact.
“Hm, so the Emblem Heartless can’t be eaten,” I mused as I dodged a claw swipe. “Let’s try something else.”
I jumped back, taking a huge breath as I do. “Shadow Dragon…” my cheeks bulged as I felt the magic building and saw a black magic circle in front of me. “ROAR!!” I scream as the pent up magic is released from my mouth, through the magic circle, and into a vortex of pure destruction, completely obliterating the remaining Heartless.
“Seed 49, victory,” said the computer as I gave a slight belch. Those Shadows were, surprisingly enough, quite tasty. “Seed 48, Wild Dance. Three Wight Knights and four Powerwild. Begin.”
“Alright then,” I muttered. “Let’s try THIS then!” I charge at the Wight Knights, Shadow magic already encapsulating my fist. “Shadow Dragon Iron Fist!” My punch was aimed squarely at the Heartless’s head, so you can probably imagine my surprise when it disappeared, along with the rest of it, after my fist made contact.
“Cool, I didn’t think it would be quite that effective,” I mused before turning back to my opponents. “Let’s try something new. I wonder…”
In all honesty, I had done a lot of theorising on Shadow Dragon Magic for years before I came to Equestria, so I decided to try one of my ideas. I raised my right hand, using my new magic to form a set of doors, before shouting “Doors of Hades” as they opened. From the darkness behind the doors, tendrils of Shadow magic lashed out, wrapping around the remaining Heartless, before pulling them in, closing as the last one crossed the threshold. I then closed my fist, causing the doors, as well as their contents, to be crushed.
“Seed 48, victory,” the computer announced, However, I barely noticed, as I had already collapsed to the floor, barely staying conscious as my newly created spell completely drained my reserves.
“Computer, end simulation!” the Doctor shouted as he rushed into the room, closely followed by Luna.
The last thing I saw before passing out was Luna’s terrified face, as tears began to leak out of her eyes.
I awoke with a gasp in a pitch black room. A low hum filled the air, and the gentle tick of a clock could also be heard.
“You know, you should really be more careful when experimenting with magic,” the Doctor’s voice came, accompanied by the hum of his sonic screwdriver. “Magic and tech, never a good mix, although some say it’s the same thing. Anway you’re lucky this room doesn’t have any windows. Your new magic needed pure darkness to recover quickly, otherwise you would have been out for a week! And before you ask, not that kind of darkness.”
I groaned as I sat up. “How long was I actually out then?”
“Mmm… about an hour, give or take,” he replied before snapping the lights on, forcing me to shield my eyes.
Once my eyes adjusted to the light I took a look around at my surroundings. I was in a large, circular room with a door on either side. In the very center there was a raised platform with something that looked like some kind of altar in the middle, with the Doctor leaning on it giving me a dirty look.
“What is this place?” I asked while climbing to my feet.
“A failed experiment,” the Doctor replied, before pointing his screwdriver at the altar. A moment later a panel slid open revealing a pocket watch wired into a mass of complex wiring. “A few years before Celestia hid the Tower, she found that watch lying on the floor of the room that eventually became your and Luna’s room. Considering my eh… interesting...no,no,no bad wording ...AH...unique, yes that’s it, unique eh… relationship with time, as well as the fact that it was saturated with Void energy, she assumed it belonged to me. Obviously, it didn’t. Long story short, we learned that it came from another world and decided to attempt world travel, which resulted in this room, as well as this.”
A wall slid aside, revealing a circular ring set into the alcove. My eyes widened as I recognized it.
“You mean you were trying to create a Stargate?” I gasped.
The Doctor tilted his head thoughtfully. “Hmm… Stargate… It has a nice ring to it, like a movie title. In any case, if you mean a way to travel to new worlds, then yes. But, unfortunately, we could never get it to work sadly. There always seemed to be something missing, something spicy, that tiny little thing that will make it just right.”
Turning away from the Stargate, I walked over to the exposed watch, pulling it out from its housing to get a better look.
I am the one who constructs and deconstructs, the partner and protector of the moon, I aid the innocent and protect children. If you require aid, Call my name and I will come forth, The Crimson Sage.
The creed played in my head, confirming what I had suspected. This was the token of someone who was Displaced as Edward Elric.
“Doctor, I may not know why your experiment failed, but I think I know someone who could help get it working,” I said with a grin.
The Doctor’s eyes lit up. “Well then, what are you waiting for? Get them here! Geronimo!”
I nodded, placing the pocket watch flat on my hand before saying. “I call the Crimson Sage to help me.”