Dive to the Heart: Difference between revisions

--> and its nature as the dreamer's heart is reinforced by the background music, the gameplay tutorial, and the strange way of speaking used by those within it (a manner also used by the remembered characters of ''Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories'').<!--the speaking bit is referring to the mysterious things that Memory-Aerith and the others say, though I guess we learn that's just Naminé. Not sure how to word this.--> However, the events which occur within it have a real effect on the waking world, and in two instances they are actually observed by outside forces.<ref>In ''Kingdom Hearts II'', the Organization observes and comments upon Sora's battle with Roxas on the Station of Awakening. In ''Kingdom Hearts coded'', Data-Roxas appears before Data-Sora on the Station of Awakening.</ref> In terms of gameplay, the purpose of the Dive to the Heart is to serve as a tutorial level, where the player will learn the controls of the game, choose how their character will grow, and fight their first boss. The player is guided through the Dive to the Heart by an inaudible, unseen "voice", whose identity is eventually revealed to be that of King Mickey for Sora's dive,<ref>''Kingdom Hearts Series Ultimania Alpha'', p. 087</ref> and Sora for Ventus's.<!--probably should add to Mickey's page, and mention the final rest bit too--><!--http://kh-info-block.tumblr.com/tagged/KH1NIA-->

To reinforce the dreamlike setting of the Dive to the Heart, Sora, Roxas, and Ventus each reach it by falling into an ocean. However, instead of drowning, they find that they can breathe, and land upon an ocean floor which erupts into doves, revealing the Dive to the Heart. In Roxas's case, this first Dive to the Heart is merely a memory of Sora's, and he enters his true dive three days later. The Dive to the Heart is composed of several enormous, illuminated stained-glass pillars known as "Stations", rising from unseen depths. Each Station has a unique shade, depicts a specific set of characters, and has its own specific part in the tutorial. In ''Kingdom Hearts'', there is an additional area of the Dive to the Heart based on [[Destiny Islands]]. The background music, "Dive Into the Heart (Destati)", initially begins quietly and hard to hear, but grows in intensity as Sora or Roxas approaches the final pillar, where they fight a manifestation of the [[darkness]] within them. At the end of their battle with the creature, the Dive to the Heart is consumed by the darkness emanating from it, dragging Sora or Roxas with it, but they either wake up or are rescued.

|Various stations appear in the opening. The trio's Wayfinders turn into Aurora's, Cinderella's and Snow White's stations before turning into the links of the [[Star Seeker]]'s [[Keychain]]. Later, a falling Aqua sees Ventus's station before [[Way to the Dawn]] and the Kingdom Key land on its head and shatter it, causing Ventus to fall.

After the tutorial chapter, the player enters another Dive to the Heart, where they can choose whether to continue the story with Terra, Ventus, or Aqua. This Station displays the trio's Wayfinders, but is purely a gameplay mechanic.

Chronologically, Ventus's Dive to the Heart, called "'''{{a|Ventus's Mind}}'''",<ref>In the ''Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX'' re-release of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix'' the image on the station is changed to that of the final '''Soul World''' station.</ref> is the first to be seen, and appears in an incomplete state due to his broken heart. It is here that Ventus comes in contact with the newborn Sora's heart, and his Station is restored. Ventus does not return to the Dive to the Heart until he involuntarily fuses with Vanitas, his pillar changing appearance with the sudden presence of darkness in his heart, and is renamed {{nihongo|"'''{{a|Soul World}}'''"|精神世界|Seishin Sekai}}.<!--WHAT HAPPENS?? ADD PLOT SYNOPSIS HERE-->

Ventus's Station is quite similar to Roxas's, but features a sleeping Ventus without his [[Wayward Wind]] at the [[Keyblade Graveyard]], rather than Sora with his [[Kingdom Key]] at Destiny Islands. The inner circle of emblems, which usually contains images of the sleeper's loved ones, only contains a stylized ''fleur-de-lis'', which also appears on the edges of the pillar. When Ventus is fused with Vanitas, Ventus's Station is modified—Vanitas himself now appears opposite Ventus, and both have their Keyblades. Half of the outer ring of symbols is replaced with the Unversed emblem representing darkness, while the other half is replaced with the [[Terra's Mark]] emblem representing light. The two symbols meet in the middle representing the twilight. The field of the [[Keyblade Graveyard]] is now filled with the abandoned Keyblades. The inner circle of emblems is replaced with silhouettes of Keychains for the [[χ-blade]], the Wayward Wind, and the [[Void Gear]]. After Ven defeats Vanitas, his station changes to a form similar to its original appearance, with some modifications. Ventus is now holding the Wayward Wind and wearing both his Keyblade Armor pauldron and his silver Terra's Mark charm, while the outer circle of emblems is filled with the Terra's Mark emblem and the inner circle of emblems is filled with his friends' [[Wayfinder]]s, possibly signifying that he has regained control of his completed heart.

After Ventus's body is placed within the [[Chambers of Repose and Waking|Chamber of Waking]], his heart connects with that of a young Sora, who appears in his own Dive to the Heart, named "'''{{a|Sora's Mind}}'''". His Station displays the landscape of Destiny Islands on the bottom, with Paopu Fruits and different elements found on or around the island encircled separately on the top.

All five pillars are known as {{nihongo|'''{{a|Awakening}}'''|めざめの園|Mezame no Sono|lit. "Station of Awakening"}}. On the first pillar, Sora is asked to walk, then is shown three weapons, the [[Dream Sword]], the [[Dream Shield]], and the [[Dream Rod]]. He is directed to choose one and discard another, and his choice determines his specialty, initial stats, and ability growth throughout the game. After choosing, the Station shatters and Sora falls to the second pillar, where he first encounters [[Shadow]]s, and is taught about battling and its rewards. The Station then sinks into darkness, and Sora awakens on the third pillar, where he is taught how to examine and interact with objects. By opening a treasure chest, moving a crate, and destroying a barrel, he materializes a door that leads to a dream version of Destiny Islands, where Sora meets facsimiles of his friends, [[Tidus]], [[Wakka]], and [[Selphie]], which ask him enigmatic questions that determine how he gains experience throughout the game.

The door reappears on Destiny Islands when the island is attacked by the Heartless, this time leading to the [[Secret Place]] containing the world's [[Keyhole]]. It reappears a final time at the [[Final Rest]] within [[End of the World]], leading to the remains of the Destiny Islands and the final confrontation with [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness]].

On the third day of his story, Roxas encounters a [[Dusk]] in the Sandlot and is sucked into his Dive to the Heart. Like Sora's, Roxas's Dive to the Heart consists of five stained glass pillars, but each of these depict the same image of Sora, Riku, Kairi, Donald Duck, and Goofy at the Destiny Islands, and the pillars are divided between only three Stations. Sora's eyes are closed, showing that he is asleep, while Kairi and Riku's are open, showing that they are awake; strangely, Donald and Goofy's eyes are still open, even though they are asleep as well.

[[Data-Sora]] manifests in a digital version of the Dive to the Heart that is virtually the same as the real Sora's dive. He spots [[Data-Roxas]], but does not recognize him before he disappears, and later mistakes him for [[Data-Riku]]. Sora is given the choice to choose between the [[Dream Sword]], [[Dream Shield]], or [[Dream Rod]] and which one he is willing to forfeit.<!--not sure how to mention that this determines starting commands--> However, due to Chip and Dale's reprogramming, the Dream weapons immediately change into the Keyblade, as in Roxas's dive. After fighting off an ambush by a swarm of [[Shadow]]s, Data-Sora enters the same door that Sora did in his own dive, but this door leads directly to the "real" Destiny Islands, rather than a dream version.

In a flash of light, he suddenly finds himself on a facsimile of the dock at [[Destiny Islands]], at sunset.<!--do we know yet if this is the same one we saw in KH1?--> Walking around on the beach, Riku encounters Roxas, Ventus and Xion, each asking him a different question: "What are you so afraid of?," "What do you value more than anything else?," and "What do you wish?" After Riku answers each of their questions, there is another bright flash of light, and Riku finds himself back on the beach, where he sees a message in a bottle drifting ashore. When Riku picks it up, a digitized version of [[Ansem the Wise]] appears, placed inside Sora's heart along with his research data. Ansem the Wise reflects upon the strength of Sora's heart, and theorizes that Sora may have the power to recreate people long thought lost forever. All Sora needs to do is be himself and follow wherever it is that his heart takes him. The rest is in the data in that bottle Riku just found.

Sora falls into the Dive to the Heart in his attire and body from when he first left Destiny Islands. A mirror appears and Sora sees himself as he is in the current day. Sora walks through the looking glass and becomes his present self. The mirror disappears and a series of screens begin to float around the platform depicting Sora's memories. Three screens in particular float in front of Sora: one of his battle with the possessed Riku, another of the King's appearance at the [[Door to Darkness]], and one more of Sora's first meeting with Donald and Goofy. A voice asks Sora which he desires, with the screens respectively representing vitality, wisdom, and balance. After Sora chooses one, three more screens appear depicting Sora's battle with Roxas, his promise to Naminé, and his reunion with the [[Dream Eaters]]. The voice asks Sora what power he seeks, the screens respectively representing that of the warrior, the guardian, and the mystic.

Following Xehanort's defeat, Sora uses the power of waking one more time to go back in time and try to save Kairi. During this journey, he travels through the Dives to the Heart of Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Roxas, and Riku, using the connections in the hearts of his friends to lead himself to Kairi's heart.