Chapter 1 - Beginning without End

"Three elements combine to create a life: a heart, a soul, and a body. But what of the soul and body left behind when the heart is lost?" - Secret Ansem Report IV

Damned to watch for eternity I am floating over the events, since I have lost my heart voluntarily. Although I am forced to do nothing I am still thinking about the Heartless and those who come into being thereby - the "Nobodies"

I had to watch how my Heartless tried to reach Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds; I had to watch how my Nobody tried the same; I had to watch how they both failed and fell by the hands of the keywielder.

Oh, how easy it could have been for my nobody to become whole - but how should he think of fusing with the Heartless to bring me on the scene.

Heart, Body, Soul.

If a being loses its heart, it sinks into darkness and creates a Heartless. The remaining body develops an own will and becomes a Nobody.

The Heartless blindly try to win back a heart by stealing the hearts of other creatures, but the result are only more Heartless…

The Nobodies… apparently they are striving for wholeness. However, they are acting intelligent, they are planning and thinking.

What happens to the soul of a being when it loses its heart? It does not belong to the Heartless because it is materialized darkness, neither it does belong to the Nobody. So… if the Nobodies are those who do not exist, what is with the soul?

It remains, invisible, dumb. Cursed to watch all events as long as it does not get a chance to reunite with the Heartless or the Nobody - or both!

I, Xehanort, am such a soul. I do not know how one would call us. It is of no significance for me, as well as the Heartless do not care that they are called "Heartless".

I cannot hope to get an existence anymore. My Heartless and my Nobody are no more. Did I get at last, for what I was longing? Eternal life? No. I am missing the life itself.

I am not sure if I could call myself existing at all. Only the thought how I can kill time - what is time? Is it eternal? Will I ever be obliterated? - carries weight.

I am watching the boy for long time now. Sora. Despite of all his efforts Heartless and Nobody are still existing - are they eternal, too? How long do they exist?

The Key itself still stays at his place. I suppose this does mean is journey is not over yet. I, placing this fate upon him, am now watching what exit his story will show for me.

"The Keyblade is said to hold phenomenal power. One legend says its wielder saved the world, while another says that he wrought chaos and ruin upon it." - Ansem Report IX

"Sora! Riku!" The redhaired girl ran over the beach on which the hot midday sun casted its rays upon. She carried a bottle. The both boys she was running towards turned to her.

"What's up, Kairi?" one of them said, his hair fell on his shoulders - his name was Riku. He was the one of the friends who spent some time in the Realm of Darkness.

"Look at this!" Kairi pointed at the bottle in her hand. In it was a letter, bearing a black seal that the friends knew well enough.

"A letter from King Mickey?" Sora asked astonished, took the bottle, uncorked it and unrolled the paper.

My dear friends,

a lot of time passed, since we last met. I hope very much that this letter did reach you somehow as this would prove my theory that the worlds are still united. I do not know yet the reason for that.

I believe that you will find a way to visit me once again, because I need to tell you something you will hardly believe.

Sora, I know that you carry a heavy burden - and you too, Riku. However, if I am right, it would be the last time the worlds do need your help.

I hope to see you soon!

King Mickey

"That's not meaning the Heartless or the Nobodies are back, is it? But how? We defeated Xemnas!" Kairi shouted.

"As long as there is darkness in a single heart, it is difficult to eliminate them," Sora murmured.

"What'cha talking about?" Riku demanded to know.

"Yen Sid said that. Well, something like that. I dunno why I'm remembering that now."

"It's a good chance to get away from here, right? Nothing's happening here anyway," Riku retorted with a grin.

"Riku!" Sora und Kairi shouted together. "After we left the island the last time, it lasted two years to get back here!"

"I know. I wasn't serious at all. Anyway, we should try to get away from here. The King didn't write the letter for nothing."

"Yeah, that's right. But how should we do that? When Kairi arrived here, she used a Corridor of Darkness created by Naminé. Riku and I did not use a Gumi-Jet and the last of that we know is back at Disney Castle."
"Well… But if there's a Door to the Light, shouldn't there also be a Door to the Darkness?" Riku speculated aloud.

"For sure. But we can't just use it," Sora replied.

"There's no sense in discussing that now. We won't come to a point. If we need to begin a new journey, we will," Kairi said.

­"Anyway, the problem solved itself now," Sora said suddenly, while he was looking at the beach.

"What'cha talking about…" Riku started, but when he turned into the same direction, he broke off. "Not again…"

On the beach dwelled Heartless and Nobodies, they came from one second to the other, and they were becoming more and more.

"We must fight, Riku!" Sora cried, but when he was running towards their enemies and hold his hand out to call his Keyblade.

But nothing happened and no matter how often he tried, the Keyblade did not appear.

Riku had similar problems as he was unable to call his key, too.

"But… how can this be? We should…" the so-called chosen wielder of the Keyblade stammered. "How shall we defeat them now?"

"With normal weapons, I guess! Take a stick and go!" Riku shouted determined and ran past Sora, swinging one of the mentioned sticks.

The Heartless and Nobodies were, although showing themselves unimpressed by the weapons at the first moment, vulnerable to them. In a normal situation their number would only be impressing, but now it was threatening. Even Sora who had to fight thousand Heartless at once all alone, would be losing sooner or later. Riku had more strength, but he wasn't able to win either. Not to speak of Kairi, who possessed almost no combat experience, but fought bravely nevertheless.

It seemed that Destiny Islands was once again invaded by darkness…

"Sora, Riku! We can't win, we must escape!" Kairi shouted at the two boys, but Riku did only laugh cynically.

"To where? The island isn't large, they are too much! Sora… did you seal this world's door?"

"What? No. When we returned it never showed a Keyhole. I checked almost every day!"

"That could be our rescue! The world's hearts are connected to eachother! We are able to escape that way!"

Sora hesitated. He knew, as Riku did, that this path was one of great risks. The road using the world's heart leaded through darkness and one could lose oneself in it. But if they did not take this risk, they would be creatures of darkness themselves soon - them all, except for Kairi.

"Kairi! Come on!" Sora turned to the girl and for a short moment he thought he was seeing another person, a blonde girl that was shaking her head.

"Naminé…?" he whispered, but then the image vanished and he saw Kairi running towards him.

"Where are we going, Sora?" It was still her voice, not Naminé's. Sora shook his head. It had to be a illusion, nothing more.

"We are going to the world's heart to escape from there. We can't stay here, to many Heartless."

Kair nodded. Why should she hesitate, anyway? Sora thought. She doesn't know the dangers of darkness, she's a princess of heart.

But why can't I use the Keyblade anymore? It's like an unknown force keeps it away from me… Did it choose a new master? Am I not the fighter the King's searching for anymore?

There are still so many unknown worlds. / The Realm of the Present. / The Realm of Darkness. / The Realm of Light. / And, The Realm of In-between." - Ansem Report XII

Did I fell victim to a fatal mistake? When Heartless and Nobodies invaded the island together - how come that they are joining forces although their aims are so different? Much more important: Are lower Nobodies actually thinking or was that limited to the superior Nobodies of the Organization XIII because they kept their human self?

Questions and still more questions, but no answers in sight.

But at least I did find an answer, the one for the riddle why I had no difficulties to reach Destiny Islands, but such great problems to visit other worlds. It is not the unsealed heart as I supposed, it is the presence of Riku. The boy that once visited the Realm of Darkness was possessed by my Heartless. Could it be that some fragments of my former self did remain in his body and soul?

I do not yet know, however I hope that I still have the chance for existing again.

Where have I been? Ah, yes, I know. Why was Sora not able to wield the Keyblade when his island was invaded? I have some hypotheses, but I cannot prove them now. I need more time for research.

Is there a new enemy whose powers are on the same level of those the Keyblade possesses? The Key to all has his own mind… Did it happen on purpose? Would they dare to take such a risky way to escape if not in lethal danger?

Another question which I need to answer: How many Keyblades do exist?

Has everyone of them its own mind? I know of three now…

The Keyblade of the Realm of Light, wielded by Sora - or should have been.

The Keyblade of the Realm of Darkness, that the King took when he first visited that bizarre land.

In which realm lies the origin of the Keyblade that Riku owns? The Realm of Nothingness? Or a whole other world we do not know yet?

Oh, curiosity is overwhelming me, but uncertainty plagues me. I long for wisdom with all my…

Wait. I get aware of how senseless this phrase is. I do not have a heart. Fool that I was, sacrificing it voluntarily. Where could it be now? Waiting deep within the insides of Kingdom Hearts, waiting for me to reincarnate? But for that the body would be missing.

What happens to the body when the Nobody is defeated? Disintegrating forever? Or just disappearing, in redemption waiting for another chance of life? Could there a redemption for Heartless and Nobodies?

What are they? Despite of all research, this question is still unanswered.

Oh, how would I like to accompany the true wielder of the Keyblade, Sora, but how, he and Riku were separated. I am sure that Kairi is now at a place far away from her friends, too…

When they reached the world's heart, they saw a path which could make it possible for them to leave…

However, in the instant Kairi jumped into the bright light, its colour changed and Sora who ran after her, jumped into dirty grey.

Riku… he was the bravest of them, so it seems to me, because he tried to protect his friends… it may be a mistake, for that he did not see that he did not jump into bright light, neither into dirty grey, instead into darkest black when he left Destiny Islands.

After they all disappeared and I was feeling how this strange connection between Riku and me tried to pulled me to the boy, I could see how the Heartless attacked the world's heart while the Nobodies were only watching.

Before I left the island too, I could see how the world's heart vanished and a dusky veil covered the isle.

While I followed Riku along an odd path - it was not similar to a Path of Light, nor to a Corridor of Darkness - a new term reached my thoughts.

A heartless world

From where did it come? What was its meaning? But before that all: why me? Was it a memory? How glad would I be if I could remember all what happened to me before Radiant Garden… and also in between my time as a student of Ansem the Wise - forgive me, my teacher, that I betrayed you in this shameful way - and my new existence as what I now are large holes in my 'memory'.

I know that I reached the heart of the world one calls Radiant Garden somehow. However, how did I manage to open the door?