I've heard the stories. About the kid who saved us all. About his dauntless efforts to save the worlds. I've heard those myths my entire life. And I've come to love them. Probably too much. I've dedicated my life to learning, teaching, and most of all, exploring these myths.
My stomping grounds are the castle grounds in Radiant Garden. My father, and his father, and his father, and so forth, tended the great castle of Hollow Bastion. I was always fascinated with the rich history of the castle and its former owner-er, owners. My ancestors tended the castle during those years. And it turns out being a groundkeeper for a powerful and intellectual individual has its benefits. Ansem the Wise, or the Real Ansem, was generous with our family. He gave us nearly an entire tower of Hollow Bastion to live. He gave us everything we could ever ask for. Xehanort, or the Fake Ansem, on the other hand, was much less generous. He gave us the bare minimum of provisions. We became slaves to the darkness- and hearts-crazed scientist. And we were there to clean up his mess after the tragedy, after six workers, including the master himself, died. Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, Ienzo. Ansem. The names of those lost.
We, the Tutor clan, took a vow long ago, to protect the castle of Hollow Bastion. We vow, each and every one of us, to uphold and upkeep the castle until he returns. Until he, the master of our castle returns. Until he finds a way through.
One: That One StormMy grandfather is a jovial old man, full of comical stories and gestures sure to keep anyone laughing for hours. But he also has a wise and sagacious side. And that is the grandfather I remember most.
One rainy afternoon rolled around. It is typical this time of year to receive an afternoon squall. Nothing out of the ordinary. I am wandering around one of the countless libraries in the castle, admiring the architecture and the craftsmanship of the old wooden shelves, when my grandfather stops me. He says, his voice slightly fragile from his many years but still with that jolly tone, "Alek my boy, take a seat. Do you know what day it is?"
"Granddad, I'm 18, not eight. I don't have time for another story," I say, although the child in me is still very interested in what the old sage has to tell. Like he always does, he ignores my remark and stares at me, his glossy blue eyes calling forth my inner curiosity. Finally I give in, and say, "Well, I got a little time." I scoot one of the old, wooden chairs in the library over to his desk where he sits. The only thing on the desk is a banker's lamp, a piece of old paper, and a blue ink pen. He rests his arms on the oak desk, and rears forward to share a piece of his endless knowledge.
I have two other siblings, Kaela and Jem, neither of which care about our grandfather. Or his stories.
"Today makes 119 years since the master died. Since he fell into the grips of the darkness. He and five others. They were the last masters of this castle, and to this day they remain memorialized until he-Master Ansem-returns. We've waited a century for him to return. And we will wait another."
Bewildered by this piece of obvious information, I say, "I already know this, granddad.
"I know you know, but what else do you know? The master is not dead."
His words are cryptic. "What? What do you mean, he's alive?"
"He never really died. He has been waiting, just like us, to return. Just, he is not entirely together." He stands and goes to one of the bookshelves. He pulls a book with a purple cover out a little way, and it makes a clicking noise. The shelf recedes into the floor, revealing a small room. He motions for me to come to him. I obey, although I am cautious. In the room is a portrait of the Fake Ansem, Xehanort, a long black case, and a large chest. "This," he opens the case, "is a keyblade." He takes it out, the metal glistening in the candlelight. I've never seen a keyblade up close. I've only read about them or seen them drawn in books. The guard is yellow-gold, worn from many, many years of storage. The handle, blade, and teeth are all silver. A small navy blue rainguard can be seen just above the guard. The teeth form the outline of a crown. A chain-or a keychain-is attached to the hilt of the keyblade. It looks like three intersecting circles. Suddenly, I realize what it is. "The Kingdom Key?! You have the Kingdom Key? Where did you get this?"
He chuckles and puts the key back into the case. "I never got this from anyone or anywhere. It just kind of appeared one day. And I can't hold it for long before it goes right back into the case. It's like it's trying to hide."
"What's in the chest? Master Aqua's armor?" I say sarcastically. He laughs and goes over to the chest, opening it to reveal its contents. He shuffles around and pulls out a book entitled Chronicle.
"This, Alek, is a book." He sets it down on a table and looks at me.
"That's interesting," I say even more sarcastically.
"Ah, yes, but open it. See what it has to offer." I open the book to a blank page. I flip to the next. Empty. Turns out the entire thing is empty.
"It's empty."
"Ah, yes, that's because it's never been written my boy. Never been written."
"Why are you telling me this? What else is in there?" I say, confused and annoyed. I can't believe I wasted my time.
"Well, I just thought you'd like to see. I know how much you like this kind of thing. You're brother and sister sure don't."
Now I feel bad. "Granddad, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just I'm almost done with school, and I can't just drop everything and listen to another story or see another artifact, okay?"
He nods and puts the book back in the case. He leads me out and "shuts" the bookshelf and begins to walk away. "I understand Alek. It's ok. Really. Now you do good on your examinations. Get yourself a fine job. Make this family proud." With those words, he exits the library, the old wooden creaking shut behind him.
That night, I lay in my bed, granddad's cryptic words echoing in my mind. I think long on "It just kind of appeared." How could something that powerful just appear all the sudden? Maybe because it is that powerful, I don't know. It mystifies me. I lull myself to sleep thinking about it, not even expecting what's about to happen.
I awaken to loud explosion, rocking the entire castle it seems. I jump to my feet, put on my robe, and dash outside of my room. There is a large balcony area that overlooks the town below right at the end of the hallway my room is. Frantically, I run outside to view what's taken place. Fire. Lots of fire. A raging inferno has consumed the town below. But that's not all. What seems like a black cloud has settled at the top of the castle. Over the Grand Hall. I dart towards one of the lifts that serve as elevators in the castle, hoping to go warn the others. As I step onto the golden metal, a gigantic dark fog crashes down onto the lift, sending it down into the depths of the castle. The fog fills the room, turning it inky black. Little black creatures with tiny yellow eyes swarm the room, immediately coming for me. I stumble into a room-mine-and collapse in the floor, the cloud slowly creeping under me, over me, around me, consuming me, the black creatures gathering around me-probably to kill me. I hear more explosions and the castle shakes. Is this the end?
Just as my hope fades, a bright light fills the room. Not natural light, something more. I'm about to close my eyes when I see him-granddad-standing there with…with a keyblade. Suddenly, all the darkness flees from me and seems to fade slowly away, some of them sinking into the floor and disappearing. "Alek!" he says, "Stand up! We've no time to waste! The tower is collapsing!"
Slowly gaining my composure, I ask as we take off down the now empty, but crumbling, hallway, "What's going on?!"
He takes a moment to reply, "Heartless my boy! They've come for the key!" So that's what they are. Heartless.
"What do they want with the castle? Where are we going? Where is everybody?" I am frantic, adrenaline shooting through my veins. We make it to the lift stop, which is now empty, the lift now a crumpled-up knot of metal a good ways down into the corridor.
"We'll…we'll have to find another way down." He looks around for a moment before an idea goes off in his head. "Follow me! Quickly now!" We run down another hallway, this one creaking under the weight of the crumbling tower. A group of wooden beams jolt upwards out of the floor, the hallway shifting and tremoring. "Hurry, Alek, hurry!" We are almost out onto a balcony when the tower finally gives way. Suddenly, we are tossed around in the hallway-deathtrap, I mean-doors, chunks of wood and metal, and other debris colliding with us on our perilous decent to the earth below. "Alek!" I hear granddad yell, "Take my hand!" I ask no questions and waste no time. I search the area for his outstretched arm. Finally finding him suspended above me, I grab his hand. I'm surprised that it doesn't shake like it normally does. But I guess this isn't the place. After all, we are freefalling from a collapsing castle. He takes his other hand, Key ready, and stabs the wall of the hallway, temporarily stabilizing us. Then, the key glows, and a glider-like vehicle appears just below us. He smiles and simply says, "My favorite feature." He lets go, and we are standing on the glider, still freefalling. He leans forward on a lever, and we fly out of the tower just as it crashes to the earth. I look back to see my former quarters now strewn about the Great Maw. My vision blurs from my tears.
We land on the High Tower, the tower leading the way to where the cloud is thickest, the Grand Hall. "Why are they here?" I have to yell. The cloud roars with what is like an ominous roar of a lion, making anything below a scream inaudible.
"The Key! They want the key. And perhaps the castle as well. Wouldn't be the first time someone's tried to fill this place up with Heartless. Nor will it be the last."
"Shouldn't we go and get it?" I scream.
"Heavens no! Getting the key will only attract them to us!" He ponders for a moment, and then says, "I must go into the Chapel. So I can vanquish this Heartless threat."
"I'm going with you. I—" A man appears between us, garbed in a black cloak. Granddad hoists his key.
The man's voice is eerily smooth and deep, almost like a father speaking to his young child, "I am the heir. I have come to take what is rightfully mine."
"You're darkness has no place here! Leave us!"
It's almost as if he didn't hear my grandfather, as he repeats the same phrase. "I am the heir. I have come to take what is rightfully mine." He pauses and then says, "The Key, Triad, the KEY!" Triad. My grandfather's name. How does he know it?
"The key belongs to the Realm of Light! NOT your Realm, Kaligo!" Triad screams. Kaligo. The name sounds familiar.
"So you refuse to show me the key? You REFUSE to SAVE your FAMILY from DESTRUCTION?!" Kaligo says, stepping closer
"Wholeheartedly."
Kaligo is silent, and then says, "Very well." He turns to me and stretches out his hand. Suddenly, the Heartless return to my side, clawing at my sides and pulling me into their grips. Kaligo turns around to Triad and says, "Still unwilling?" I shake my head. Don't give it to him. "Very well." He turns to the skies. Instantly, a huge Heartless-one that the books called a "Darkside" –slams its massive hands into the castle, giant pieces of debris crashing to ground below. An explosion comes from the town, and a cloud of Heartless storms the area. Lightning strikes another tower, leading to another explosion. The Heartless begin to strangle me.
After what seems like an eternity, Triad kneels. "Kaligo," he looks up. His expression is that of a defeated man, but I can tell there is a hint of rebelliousness in him still. Turns out I'm right. "The Key is…" he points at me. "The Key is there!" Just as Kaligo turns to me, Triad jumps up and slices through Kaligo, standing almost nose-to-nose with me, hunched over with his key in his left hand. He glances at me, and suddenly the Heartless disappear, and I can finally breathe. Kaligo stands there for a quick moment, seemingly unharmed by Triad's attack, but I can tell he's in pain. He falls to his knees behind Triad, gasping for air.
Right as the feeling of relief begins to settle in, Kaligo begins laughing. Sinisterly. He says with some difficulty, "You'll…you'll have to do better than THAT!" He stretches out his arm and opens his hand, summoning his own Keyblade. The blade is black and long, as I expected. But the hilt, which is incomplete, is a deep dark teal. Giving no time for us to react, Kaligo stands and stabs Triad in the back, ironically. Back-stabber. I scream, but Kaligo shoots a black flame in my direction, throwing me back into a pillar. Triad's face contorts and he screams, dropping his key. Kaligo pulls his keyblade out and grabs Triad by the throat, slamming him into a pillar. He gets right up in Triad's face and says, "The Tenebrae put a high price on your head. They asked me personally, every last one of them, to hunt you down and kill you for what you did. Do you think they've forgotten Castle Oblivion? Twilight Mansion? The World that Never Was? YOU failed us! You RUINED us! And you will pay!"
Triad retaliates, although the grips of death are getting to him, "You think I did all of that? You are wrong. WRONG!" He coughs up blood, but continues as if he's perfectly healthy, "You tell them that they are responsible. They must pay their own debts, I shouldn't. And neither should he." Triad points to me. "Alek, this is for you." He looks at Kaligo straight in the face, and exclaims, "LUX ӔTERNA!" Suddenly, Triad freezes in place, and a beam of light shoots from his chest and pierces Kaligo in the chest, Kaligo screaming loudly and falling to the ground. The light continues to shine, but it slowly consumes Triad. Hobbling to him, I grasp his hand and say, "No granddad! Don't go! I don't know what to do without you!"
Mustering up the last bit of strength, he says, "Alek, my boy, go to the library and get the key. Take it far away from here. Then, go to the Grand Hall and unlock the world's keyhole. A portal will open and you can leave before Radiant Garden is consumed. I'm sorry, my boy. Find your siblings and your parents. If they made it. I will guide you. Take my ring." He holds up his shaking right hand and points to a silver ring on his ring finger. "Take it…" I pull it off, tears running down my cheeks, and observe it. It's a darker silver than I thought. The gemstone is an aquamarine with some type of runes running down the sides. I clutch it in my hands and look back up at Triad. His eyes are closed, and slowly his body fades into light. I hear, although faintly, through the roaring clouds and wind, him say to me "I love you, Alek." And then silence.