Today, the 28th of March 2012, marks the tenth anniversary of the game, Kingdom Hearts.
Now, I haven't been into Kingdom Hearts quite THAT long, before you ask. It was never a part of my childhood. I bought the second game when I was 11 or 12. I had originally wanted the first one, solely for the fact that Peter Pan was in it (I know, not the best of reasons...). I deliberated for weeks about getting the first one, but when I went back, determined to buy it, I found that it was gone, and in its place was Kingdom Hearts II.
I brought it home and started it. I couldn't understand the story. I couldn't understand Roxas' connection to Sora. I was completely lost. So I played along, blundering through the storyline, finding it VERY hard, even on easy mode, because somehow, the fact that Sora could heal and use potions went right over my head. For 75% of the game, I didn't know of any healing powers at all (other than Donald, occasionally). So I died a lot. Eventually I got stuck. And left the game to gather dust.
Then.
A couple of years later, I started going to a convention in my town called ReCon, ran by TokyoPop. It was a small one-nighter thing, held in a hall, but to me it was the best thing in the world because it was the first time in my life that I genuinely felt I belonged.
I returned to the next ReCon in cosplay (Ritsuka from Loveless) and there was were I first seen some Kingdom Hearts cosplays. Funnily enough, my neighbour, ~strawbetty, was one of them. She had a wonderful Olette cosplay. There were a few members of the Organization too.
After that night, I started researching Kingdom Hearts more. I looked at cosplays, cutscenes, summaries, etc.
Then I remembered I had the game.
I dug it out and began to play again, understanding it more. I needed some help from a friend, but I finally finished the game, and was more enthusiastic and determined than ever.
Eventually, I decided I wanted to cosplay KHII Sora. I got my cosplay and went to my very first proper cosplay meet-up (a BBQ). I received a lot of compliments, even though my wig kept slipping and my gloves were falling apart and my three-quarter length trousers were too long and kept falling down slightly (not enough to expose myself, mind you!). I made so many friends that day.
Coming up to my birthday, I ordered my Organization XIII coat and pink wig online. Cosplaying Marluxia started off as a hilarious joke to me, because I dislike the colour pink and couldn't possibly act as girly as the fandom depicts him as.
My wig arrived before my birthday, but my coat didn't, so I decided to do a schoolboy variant of Marly.
After that was Q-Con. My first big three day con. I went as Sora and Marluxia, since my coat had arrived by then.
It was there I caught the eye of someone special (~OranZ30) who later became my first boyfriend, and still is, despite the fact we broke up and got back together a couple of times.
I also cosplayed Xion quite a few times a while after that.
On the 26th of March last year, I held a KH cosplay event in celebration of the 9th anniversary (the 28th was a Monday, so we had it on the Saturday before) and met many more fans and cosplayers.
So, in conclusion, Kingdom Hearts really has changed my life for the better. It's given me excitement whilst waiting for the games, it's given me wonderful friends and a more than lovely boyfriend, and it's given me happiness.
No.
More than that.
It's given me hope.
It has made me see that even though I have an illness, I don't have to be isolated. I can join with others and bond with them, simply over our love for the games.
Happy anniversary, Kingdom Hearts. And thank you.
I really do love you.
I can't wait for Dream Drop Distance.

<3