Kingdom Hearts II: The Darkness-Nothing War
By
Daniel Wood
Chapter 1: The Story So Far
She breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she'd lost them. Why were they chasing her, these horrible white creatures? Why were they relentless in their pursuit? What had she done to earn their ire?
If only she could remember…
It brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't remember a single thing about her past. And she was all on her own. No friends, no family, no home…no anything.
She was nothing.
No, she shook her head dismissively and determinedly. I HAVE to be SOMEONE. Everyone is. But…who am I? I need to know!
Whoever she was, where she had come from, the teenager knew that she had to find out. Not just because of her burning desire to unearth her past, but also because there were forces at work who wanted her dead. Knowledge was the key to her survival, and even though she herself did not know it, knowledge was the key to her completion.
Anyway, she was safe now. Only for the moment, but still safe regardless. Now she had time to begin her quest, to find out who she was. What would happen after she learnt the truth? She didn't know or care. Only the fulfilment of her current goal mattered.
One small comfort to her was that while she had been fleeing from the white nightmares, she had been able to take care of herself. Somehow, she had been able to wish for a gateway to another world. When it looked as though her doom was imminent, she had prayed for a way out of this nightmare, not wanting to die. To her amazement her wish had been granted. Along with another wish; her wish to fight back.
Before she had made her escape, she had been able to summon sai daggers to her possession. She had been blessed with the knowledge of how to use them effectively, taking a considerable number of those white monsters out of the game permanently. She was inexperienced, though. And that had ultimately led to her wish of escape.
And now she was in another world. It felt familiar. Traverse Town it was called. Of course, the only way she knew that was because the friendly townsfolk had told her so. But a small part of her felt as though she had been here before. Her intuition, along with the peacefulness and welcoming nature of the town, meant that she could stay here for a while.
She was hungry and thirsty. She wished she had some munny for a nice hot meal and a drink at the café in the town's First District. And a room at the beautiful hotel in the second district. It sure looked nice and cosy. She needed all the basic pleasures to sustain her and make her feel better after what she had been through.
But she could last for a little while longer. There were plenty of jobs going round, as advertised on the notice board outside the Accessory Shop. In the meantime, she noticed the café was a cyber one. Meaning computers and internet access. That would be her best chance of finding out what was going on.
Thankfully, the computers could be used by non-customers. The town's hospitality also shone through again. The staff could tell instantly that she'd been through hell as soon as she walked through the door. Not wanting to take advantage of their generosity, the unknown teenager said that she couldn't, on the grounds that she had no munny. The staff wouldn't have any of it. Traverse Town was a sanctuary for survivors whose worlds had been lost to darkness. A safe haven for those had been subjected to madness and evil.
In the end, she consented. The coffee and bagel made her feel a little better, as did the genuine compassion and warmth that radiated from these townsfolk, who knew that the gratitude in her eyes was more than sincere. It was such a relief that there was calm after the storm.
An hour of searching on the web, though, did nothing to shed light on the situation. Merely news events, general gossip and unconfirmed rumours were all that she could find. General knowledge that she already possessed.
She lowered her head sadly and sighed in despair.
I'll never find out. Why has this happened to me? I feel like…I don't belong here. It's as those the whole world is against me because I shouldn't exist.
She was just about to leave, when she noticed an advert popped up on screen. Unlike all those dozens of previous ones that had just irritated her, this one had succeeded in capturing her attention. Mainly because of what it was.
The ad possessed a weird emblem of some kind. The teenage girl recognised it. It was an amalgam of a black heart with a cross at the bottom. The entire symbol was outlined in red and there was a jagged red 'x' that was placed across the heart shape of the emblem.
Curious as to why it had popped up, she clicked on it. A new window opened on screen, asking for a password in order to allow further entry. The outsider was confused. Why had this come up all of a sudden? She knew much better than to chalk it up to coincidence. Someone was trying to help her get the answers she was seeking. But who?
She then thought back to the emblem. Maybe that was the password?
She typed in 'Heartless' into the entry bar.
Wait a minute…Heartless…those without hearts. When a person loses their heart, that heart becomes a creature of the darkness. They collect hearts, feasting on the hearts of people and worlds themselves. And they seek the ultimate prize…the heart of all worlds…Kingdom Hearts.
Before she entered her guess at the password, the teenager paused. She remembered, and that surprised her.
The emblem had jogged her memory. That had led to the name of beings that the emblem was associated with. And that name had led to what the beings actually were, what they were all about.
Chain of memories, she nodded, sure of her theory.
She entered the password. To her disappointment, the words 'ACCESS DENIED' appeared on screen.
Should've guessed. That would've been too easy.
Another ad popped up on screen. It had nothing to do with what was happening now. And for the outsider, it was one irritating ad too many. She angrily closed the ad, not caring in the least as to what it was all about.
Sea salt ice-cream, she seethed angrily. That's the last thing I need right now.
Then a figurative light bulb flashed in her head. A very bizarre and creepy theory crossed her mind. It was a long shot, unquestionably…but…
Blazes with it, she decided, opting to take any chance to find out what could be the key to her survival.
She entered 'sea salt ice-cream' into the password display.
If there was any doubt that someone was trying to help her find out who she was before…there were definitely no doubts anymore.
What if it's somehow those white creatures?! Trying to lure me into a trap?! No, calm yourself…whoever you are. You have to believe that there's some good out there. Like these people in Traverse Town.
'Whoever you are'. She couldn't believe she had called herself that. But what else could she call herself. She had lost her memories, including that of her name. It brought another tear to her eye.
No one should be without a name…an identity. It's not right.
Her instincts took over, and she concentrated on the screen. At that point, the information displayed had taken her eyes and would not let go.
There were so many files being displayed; chronicles on important past events, data files on the Heartless and other things. The other files were labelled 'Keyblade', 'Ansem Reports', 'Nobodies', 'Princesses of Heart', 'Keyholes', 'Organization XIII', 'Council of Light', 'Terron' and 'Sharak' among so much more.
Keyblade, Ansem…the nameless teenager nodded, the haze starting to clear in her head. Yes…I've heard of them. Definitely.
Before she made her next move, the stranger stopped to take a thought break. This clearly wasn't a website. And someone had clearly helped her hack into someone's computer. And the odds were that it wouldn't take too kindly to intruders.
Whatever the consequences were, the nameless teenager was prepared to run the risk. She already knew that she was in danger. What difference would a little more make when right before her were the secrets she needed to progress?
She reminded herself that she was still safe here in Traverse Town for the time being, and then accessed the file labelled 'Chronicles'. There were many chapters displayed, so logically, it was best to start from the beginning.
She accessed the document titled 'The Beginning; Keybearer, King and Heartless', sat back and let the computer tell her the story.
TWILIGHT TOWN MANSION COMPUTER.
OPERATIONS MAINFRAME.
CHRONICLE DOCUMENTS ACCESSED.
THE BEGINNING; KEYBEARER, KING AND HEARTLESS.
There are many worlds out there. But they all share the same sky. One sky, one destiny. One by one, the stars in the sky were going out. All worlds were in dire peril. Mickey Mouse, the king of Disney Castle, sensed the danger and left his world to investigate. The King, a very knowledgeable individual, knew of the legend of a mysterious weapon called the 'Keyblade'.
There are two legends regarding the Keyblade, both of them conflicting with one another. The first legend documents how its wielder used it to save the world. The other legend documents how the wielder used it to bring chaos and ruination upon everything.
Regardless of which legend is accurate, the Keyblade is the key to everything. Choosing to believe in the legend of hope, the King left a letter behind to two members of his court; Donald Duck, the court wizard, and Goofy, captain of the royal knights, and ordered them to find the chosen wielder of the Keyblade, emphasising its importance, and that without it, all was doomed. Donald and Goofy, respecting and trusting their king's wishes, departed Disney Castle in their gummi ship, leaving for Traverse Town in search of a man named 'Leon'.
Elsewhere, a beautiful paradise existed called the Destiny Islands. And there lived three teenagers, Sora, Riku and Kairi, who day after day yearned to visit new worlds beyond their home. They asked each other the typical questions that adolescents do – about the outside world and their own existence. The three friends had decided to build a raft to try and set sail for worlds beyond. But all three of them were blissfully unaware of their true destiny.
Out of the three, it was Riku who wanted to get off the islands more than anyone else. His desire became an obsession and one fateful night, the night before they were to set sail, he visited the Secret Place and opened the door to the heart of his world. In doing so, Riku had destroyed the walls that shielded his islands and separated his home from the outside world. But what he had also done was unleash a terrible storm that started ravaging the Destiny Islands.
Sora, who had been having weird dreams of fighting strange creatures of the darkness, awoke on that stormy night. Making his way to the island, Sora quickly learned that his friends were there also. The creatures from his dreams (which Sora would later learn were called the Heartless) attacked the Destiny Islands and Sora, whose fighting skills were considerable having been gifted and practicing, was no match for them. Sora found Riku, who allowed the darkness to transport him to another world. Sora resisted, however, and soon found the Keyblade in his grasp. At long last, Sora was able to fight back. He laid waste to the Heartless Shadows and soon found Kairi at the Secret Place.
At that point, the door to darkness flung open and Kairi disappeared. With his home now on the brink of extinction, Sora battled the giant Heartless identified as a Darkside. Although Sora defeated the monster, he was unable to stop the inevitable from happening. The Destiny Islands fell to darkness, and Sora was sucked into the vortex.
It had begun.
END OF CHRONICLE
Sora, Riku, Kairi…Mickey, Donald, Goofy…
She didn't know them. She hadn't met any of them ever. But she had heard the stories. People she loved…people who had looked after her had told her all the tales about them. The strength of their hearts, the measure of their valour and compassion…
They were the main characters of the story.
Everything revolved around them.
But there were other players, ones who had important roles to fulfil. And who also had the power to shape life's events.
Leaving Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Donald and Goofy with the choice to accept these changes or deny them.
And the power to fight to survive, for justice, peace and happiness.
The nameless teenager knew this. And she knew that she was one of the other players, linked to the main cast somehow. Someway.
She decided to access the next document.
FROM SEARCH TO KINGDOM HEARTS.
Donald and Goofy arrived in Traverse Town to begin their search for their King and the Key. Sora, likewise, had arrived but Riku and Kairi were nowhere to be found. After regaining consciousness, the newly-appointed Keybearer once again came into conflict with the Heartless. Shortly after, Sora was found by Squall Leonhart (Leon) and Yuffie Kisaragi, who had lost their world to darkness, and ergo forced to flee to Traverse Town. They then proceeded to explain to Sora the secrets of the Heartless, the Keyblade and the other worlds out there. Donald and Goofy were also found and brought up-to-date on the situation by Leon and Yuffie's companion, Aerith Gainsborough.
Another Heartless attack united Sora, Donald and Goofy for the first time. In the town's Third District, the Keybearer and the King's followers battled and defeated a legion of Soldier Heartless and their leader; a Guard Armour. Sora, Donald and Goofy then introduced themselves to each other and cemented their new friendship. Leon, Yuffie and Aerith wished them good luck and saw them off. Sora, Donald and Goofy's mission was now clear; to find their friends.
But in time, they discovered that their quest would go beyond that…
"Indeed it did," the unknown whispered to herself, nodding in further remembrance. She needn't bother reading the rest of the chronicle now. Because she'd heard the story before.
After the trio had departed from Traverse Town, they journeyed to many worlds, met new friends, battled Heartless…
And also waged war with new, insidious enemies.
Sora and friends learnt that the Heartless were after hearts, including those of the worlds. It was Sora's mission to not only fight the Heartless, but also to seal each of the worlds' Keyholes, prohibiting the creatures from taking them.
In time, Sora discovered that the Heartless were being controlled by a frighteningly powerful being. A sorceress called Maleficent, who wanted to conquer and enslave all worlds. Aside from being a much feared and formidable adversary, she was also very knowledgeable and intelligent. She had learnt of the Heartless, the power they offered and the ultimate source of power and knowledge. The source of all creation to be precise.
The door to darkness, the realm of Kingdom Hearts.
Taking over the ruins of Hollow Bastion (the original homeworld of Leon, Yuffie, Aerith and their comrades, Cid Highwind and Cloud Strife), Maleficent lead an alliance of villains and the Heartless to destroy countless worlds and to capture seven maidens of the purest heart. Collectively known as the Princesses of Heart. They were the key to revealing Hollow Bastion's keyhole, the pathway to Kingdom Hearts. They were the key to unlocking the door to darkness itself.
The unknown thought back to what she had learned of Maleficent.
The sorceress was also a great strategist. She had certainly chosen her allies well. Hades, god of the Underworld. Jafar, grand vizier of Agrabah and a powerful sorcerer in his own right. Ursula, devious sea witch of Atlantica. Captain Hook, a murderous and feared pirate of Neverland. And Oogie Boogie, a monstrous nightmare from Halloween Town and somewhat of an innovative, inventive genius.
Together, the inner circle had conquered much, captured the princesses and posed a tremendous threat. And even though it fell apart one-by-one thanks to Sora and his friends, Maleficent survived and stood tall, outlasting them all except Hades, who had taken off to pursue his own plans for domination after a fallout between the two.
Maleficent had even succeeded in recruiting Riku, manipulating his heart, turning it towards darkness and setting him against Sora. Maleficent had also known that Riku was the real Keyblade master all along. She had also known that Kairi was in fact one of the seven Princesses of Heart. Maleficent had played the game well, orchestrating the events so that she could claim Kingdom Hearts' power. If anyone could've taken over the heart of all worlds, it was her.
But despite all her knowledge, intelligence and power, Maleficent had overlooked two things which ultimately led to her downfall. One, for all her preaching of darkness, she had paid no attention to the same force eating away at her heart. And two, she was also unaware that she herself had been used by another, more evil, more knowledgeable and more powerful enemy.
Ansem, the seeker of darkness.
Ansem was a wise man who ruled Hollow Bastion. He was also a scientist, researching how the heart worked. His experiments had led to the creation of the Heartless and the ruination of his world. He sought out ultimate knowledge and darkness, and had orchestrated the whole affair. He had castaway his own body to enter the realm of darkness, used the power he had obtained to control his creations, manipulated Maleficent into doing all the work for him, and had used Sora, Riku and the Princesses of Heart into showing him the way to Kingdom Hearts.
Although Riku was the true Keyblade master, he had chosen darkness over light. Sora's strong heart and the power of all the friends he had made throughout his journey enabled him to win the Keyblade back. Sora, Donald and Goofy would go on to defeat both Riku and Maleficent, and it was then when Ansem had made his presence felt. He possessed Riku to gain more power and a body. He battled Sora and it was then that Sora learned the truth. When Kairi had disappeared off the Destiny Islands, her heart had retreated to Sora's. She had been with Sora all along. But in order for Kairi's body to awaken, Sora had to sacrifice his heart. Sora had turned into a Heartless but became human again shortly after when Kairi's feelings for Sora restored him.
Sora, Donald and Goofy then travelled to the End of the World, the home of the Heartless, made up of worlds taken by them. They confronted and defeated Ansem, ultimately destroying him. Donald and Goofy finally found their king, who was behind the door to darkness and wielding a Keyblade. Riku, long having seen the error of his ways at that point, was also behind the door. Together, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku and the King closed Kingdom Hearts, and using the two Keyblades, were able to seal it. The King had promised that there would always be a door to the light for him and Riku to escape to. So after a painful goodbye, Sora, Donald and Goofy were separated once more from their friends. The worlds were restored, peace had returned, and all went back home to where they came from.
Well, all except Sora, Donald and Goofy, who still had their quest to finish. They had to find their friends.
The enigmatic girl sat back in her chair, pondering what else there was to learn. Yes…that was how their first adventure concluded. But their was still many a loose end.
Ansem and Maleficent were deceased. Along with Ursula and Oogie Boogie. The fate of Jafar and Captain Hook was unknown. Although defeated, it was possible that they were still alive. Hades was definitely alive. He had been using the Olympus Coliseum to host the Hades Cup to attempt to destroy Sora and the demy-god Hercules. And even though that scheme had ended in failure, Hades still survived and still had control of the Heartless.
There were also other matters. Mysterious ones. During a visit to Hollow Bastion, Sora and friends had battled an enigmatic man, hooded and dressed in black. He was exceptionally powerful, safely in Ansem's league. His presence had raised a whole lot of questions that had gone unanswered.
And then there were other issues. Such as why the nameless adolescent felt that two years after Ansem's defeat…she had lost her life. And that she had been used as a way to torture someone close to her.
The unknown teenager evaluated what she had remembered and learned from the files. Sora, Donald and Goofy were in another world now, looking for their friends. The enigmatic man was still at large. And the Heartless still roamed. The chronicle titled 'From Search to Kingdom Hearts' was dated a year old. The nameless girl strongly doubted that things were still the same now as they were twelve months ago. But before she decided to learn what had happened next, she decided to study the file labelled 'Nobodies'.
Those mysterious white creatures that had pursued her, they were not Heartless. She had gone over the entire Heartless database and had found no file matching the description of her hunters. But Nobodies…that was something she had never heard of before. As soon as she heard a name of something, it all came flooding back. But…with the name Nobody, there was nothing. No one had ever told her stories about any Nobodies.
She studied the first entry in the Nobody database. There it was. The creatures that had attacked her. The file she was reading now was that of a Dusk, the most common form of Nobody. They possessed frightening agility and flexibility. But there were other Nobodies, all different and with unique powers of their own.
The enigmatic girl read the basic summary of the Nobody database.
'When a strong-hearted person, be they good or evil, becomes a Heartless, the body the heart leaves behind begins to act with a will of its own. The body is driven by the soul that is left. The result of this process is a creature called a Nobody, a mere shell that does not truly exist at all. Unlike the Heartless, who ally with whoever's the strongest, Nobodies are only under the complete control of Organization XIII."
Organization XIII didn't ring any bells. She certainly hadn't heard of them. But why would they send Dusks after her? She hadn't met these people before either.
Another force…one that may not be as vast as the Heartless but still threatening regardless. A third force…nothing, in fact, that begrudges both light and dark.
She accessed the database on the Organization. As the name implied, it consisted of thirteen members. Yet there wasn't anything listed here on what their objective was or what they were exactly.
But it was irrelevant for the moment. Someone had clearly been busy. Of the thirteen members that made up the Organization, only seven were confirmed as active. Five were deceased and the remaining one was missing.
The teenager found that she couldn't access any of their individual files. Had the computer finally detected her as an unauthorised user? Was it trying to stop her?
She thought of the possibility that the files weren't uploaded yet, but that didn't make any sense. Why upload so much about the universe and leave this out of the database?
The nameless girl looked at the list of Organization members.
1. Xemnas, The Superior. (Active)
2. Xigbar, The Freeshooter (Active)
3. Xaldin, The Whirlwind Lancer (Active)
4. Vexen, The Chilly Academic (Deceased)
5. Lexaeus, The Silent Hero (Deceased)
6. Zexion, The Cloaked Schemer (Deceased)
7. Saïx, The Luna Diviner (Active)
8. Axel, The Flurry of Dancing Flames (Active)
9. Demyx, The Melodious Nocturne (Active)
10. Luxord, The Gambler of Fate (Active)
11. Marluxia, The Graceful Assassin (Deceased)
12. Larxene, The Savage Nymph (Deceased)
13. Roxas, The Key of Destiny (Missing)
They all sounded formidable. The nameless teenager found it a shame that she couldn't know more about them individually. She tried accessing their individual files again but to no avail. But she then saw an image of one of them, hooded and dressed in a black rain coat.
Just like that powerful enigmatic man that Sora had battled at Hollow Bastion! If there're THIRTEEN of them…!
She calmed herself. It was seven now, possibly eight, depending on whether or not this 'Roxas' was still alive.
Although there was still nothing that could be found here about their objective and how they could control these Nobodies, the unauthorized user theorised that maybe she could learn more about this Organization XIII from the next chronicle. She exited the database and went back to the 'Chronicles' section. After 'From Search to Kingdom Hearts', the next chronicle in line was titled 'Second Rise of the Source'.
Now, the nameless adolescent thought, tell me what I DON'T know.
SECOND RISE OF THE SOURCE.
When the world came to light, darkness was created naturally as an opposite to counter-balance. To ensure the world's survival. The darkness immediately gained sentience after its birth and, having judged light to be the inferior force, declared war. It ravaged countless worlds, forcing people to submit to its will. The light defended itself valiantly but ultimately had to surrender to the inevitable. The source of all darkness had conquered everyone and everything. Upon its victory, the source crowned itself emperor, put darkness in everyone's hearts, declared itself the 'superior of all' and took the name 'Sharak'.
Sharak ruled this age of tyranny and despair for aeons but all tyrants must come to their end. The light rose again and countless armies of heroes challenged the ruthless god. To eliminate the light once and for all, Sharak spawned the very first generation of Heartless to oppose his enemies. The following battle was one of a titanic scale. Many lives were lost but the light triumphed.
Not all of the light had faded during Sharak's conquest. There was some light that he could not consume, so he sealed it behind a door and stowed it inside himself, using all his darkness to keep it shut. But Sharak had become too cautious, forgetting that the light always shines through in the deepest darkness. The door to light opened and Sharak, the Heartless and darkness itself was eliminated.
In the age of peace that followed, all had forgotten about the darkness, blissfully happy in the light. But unknown to the world, a small trace of darkness still remained. It was undetectable and indestructible. This was all that was left of Sharak, who for tens of thousands of years, lay comatose. And one day, people began fighting over the light, everyone wanted to keep it for themselves. The animosity awakened the source of all darkness and he immediately began putting darkness back in people's hearts, and started consuming others. Eventually, Sharak had regenerated himself but only up to the point where he had to adopt a humanoid form in order to survive.
Shortly after his rebirth, Sharak set his goals. Revenge on the descendants of those who had vanquished him and reclamation of all worlds. Although only a fraction of what he had once been, Sharak nonetheless re-emerged as an ungodly powerful threat. He awoke to discover that Ansem had resurrected the Heartless and was after Kingdom Hearts. Finding the situation interesting, Sharak allowed Ansem (and Maleficent) to proceed, thinking of it as a back-up plan in case Sharak himself would ultimately fall.
During a Heartless invasion of the world called Castle Mahanah, Sharak killed its powerful ruler, a wise man called Mahanah, in combat and took his world for his own. And at the same time, tormented his surviving children, Jaron and Adam, and exiling them to Traverse Town.
Renaming the world 'Castle Sharak', the source of all darkness gathered his strength and his forces, planning anew and identifying his enemies and possible allies. After reclaiming the majority of his knowledge, he decided on what he should do. Sharak learned of the Nobodies and Organization XIII. Accepting they were a threat that would interfere with his agenda, Sharak journeyed to their stronghold and killed a handful of their strongest members, crippling the Organization as a means to 'send a message'. He also attacked the Council of Light, a society that was responsible for keeping the worlds separate and ensuring peace. Sharak destroyed the council and again attacked Jaron and Adam, who had grown to become formidable teenage soldiers of the Council. Adam suffered amnesia and was exiled once again to another world. Jaron (who the Council had appointed 'The Saviour') was forced to retreat, appointed with the task, of finding Sora, Donald and Goofy and aiding them in their quest to destroy Sharak once and for all.
Two years after Ansem's defeat, Sora and friends came into conflict with Sharak and found themselves outmatched by the more powerful monster. Jaron arrived in time to save them and briefed them on Sharak's history. Using his powers, Sharak was able to resurrect Maleficent, Ursula and Oogie Boogie and reunite them with Jafar, Hades and Captain Hook to form the Council of Darkness, along with the great swordsman Sephiroth. Sora, Donald, Goofy and Jaron travelled to other worlds, fighting Heartless as they went, and building an army of their own, consisting of the greatest heroes of the world.
In time, Jaron's hatred for Sharak turned into an all-consuming desire for vengeance. It wasn't long before Sora and the others learned the full extent of what Sharak had done to the Saviour, and as a result, the Saviour travelled to Castle Sharak alone to confront the emperor. Jaron was defeated, enslaved and used as a means to torment Sora.
Sharak's forces eventually invaded Hollow Bastion, resulting in a terrifying battle. The creature had captured the Seven Princesses of Heart (including Kairi), and with Maleficent, Jafar, Hades and Ursula to help him, Sharak was able to reopen the sealed Keyhole. Sora, Donald and Goofy (along with Adam who had regained his memory) confronted Sharak again. In the altercation that followed, Sora was finally able to do the impossible and defeat the creature by himself. The defeat drove Sharak completely insane but Sora was unable to stop him from taking the darkness from Hollow Bastion's keyhole. At that point, Sharak had remembered the door to light inside him. Having always fought of himself as pure, unmatched darkness, the revelation drove Sharak even further into madness and fuelled his power, making him deadlier than ever. Sora would've lost his life then and there if not for the sacrifice of the Saviour, who had resisted Sharak's control to save the life of the boy who he deemed the best friend he ever had.
Sora and all of his friends then travelled to Castle Sharak, where the monster revealed to them that long ago, he had put part of his darkness into Kingdom Hearts as a means to further his dominion over the world. Sharak reopened Kingdom Hearts and reclaimed his power but his insanity had reached its peak and was thus unable to utilise all of his power. In the upcoming battle, Sora and friends were finally reunited with Riku and King Mickey, and together they finally destroyed Sharak, his allies and the Heartless, completely and unquestionably erasing darkness in all its forms from the universe.
Sora, Riku and Kairi were finally reunited. Peace returned to all worlds and all lived happily ever after.
END OF CHRONICLE
The nameless girl's eyes widened, she started to hyperventilate and the tears started to fall.
No…PLEASE. NOT HIM. ANYONE BUT HIM.
She remembered the monster. Unlike Sora and his friends and enemies, she knew Sharak personally. She knew of his cruelty…his deep and unmatched malice…his crazed desire to enslave life itself, coupled with his ungodly power…
Only a fool would never fear Sharak.
Jaron the Saviour and Adam…sons of Mahanah…
It came back to her.
She was friends with both of them. She had spent so many days laughing with them, playing with them…doing all she possibly could to try and rebuild their damaged hearts.
But Sharak would not relent. He would never relent until he had won.
And the Council of Light…they were her guardians. They had found her and given her a home and care. And shortly after that, she had met Jaron and Adam, finding that they had a lot in common and befriending them.
And then…
And then…
Why can't I remember what happened next?! she seethed in despair, lowering her head in frustration. She then remembered where she was and quickly wiped away her tears, calming herself and noting not to draw too much attention to herself.
This chronicle didn't make any sense. If everyone was living happily ever after, why was she being pursued by Organization XIII? Hadn't Sharak dealt with them? The teenager also noted that the chronicle was dated a year that hadn't even happened yet.
The user concluded that the events of 'Second Rise of the Source' were unofficial, and therefore a contradiction in the story, an anomaly that was not supposed to have happened yet did regardless.
Needless to say, that confused her greatly. It didn't make sense, and it frightened her further. It justified the theory, the possibility that she herself wasn't supposed to exist. Along with all this other madness.
She rested her mouth against her fist and looked at the screen long and hard. There were two more chronicles left.
Maybe they had the answers.
Maybe.
CASTLE OBLIVION.
For an unknown length of time, there has existed a human called Terron. At best, he could be classed as a walking impossibility. He was a great and powerful anomaly, with the talents to use both light and dark in any way, essentially turning imagination into reality.
The Council of Light found him, placed him under their protection and charged him with the burden of peacekeeper. It was Terron's responsibility to ensure that war never broke out between the worlds. Very few people knew of Terron's existence, knowing what it would mean if the wrong people enslaved Terron.
Although Terron was by all rights, a fine, noble and honourable man, his powers grew unstable and unreliable. His time was coming, and he himself knew it. The Council of Light could only remove him from his duties and lock him away. The only thing that could be done was to allow Terron's powers to consume him, so he would no longer be a threat to anyone.
But when Sharak destroyed the council, Terron fled deep into anonymity to avoid falling into the wrong hands. For a long time, the anomaly remained hidden. Unfortunately, after Sharak had been vanquished along with all darkness, all reality started to fold in on itself. King Mickey did all he could to stop the impending doom but it was only delaying the inevitable. Hypothesising that everything needs both darkness and light to survive, the only thing that could be done was to bring the darkness back.
The King found Terron and the two agreed and planned to reverse time to the point where Ansem had been defeated. That way, darkness and light could exist again. Knowing that this would only work once, that Sharak would be reborn as a result and that many ramifications would follow, Mickey promised that he, Sora, Donald and Goofy and their friends would ensure that things would not get out of hand again.
After hours of careful planning, Mickey contacted Sora, Riku and Kairi to let them know what was happening. But before they could put their plan into action, Mickey and Terron were attacked.
Axel (No. 8 of the Organization) rendered the King unconscious and kidnapped Terron. The anomaly was brought to Castle Oblivion, an Organization outpost. The members who had survived Sharak's attack regrouped there and had also learned of the impending apocalypse the world was facing. Organization XIII explained to Terron that they not only wanted him to reverse time back to the point where Ansem had been defeated, but also to ensure it so that Adam (one of Mahanah's sons) would remain as he had been following Sharak's defeat. Vexen (No. 4 of the Organization) had sensed something special about him and therefore planned to shape him (using his science and Terron's power) into another anomaly, so he could be used as a counter-measure against Sharak. Knowing that he had no choice, Terron reluctantly complied with the Organization's demands.
Following Sharak's defeat, Adam had come to rise as the ruler of Castle Mahanah. He had married and had a child. And for a year, Adam had maintained peace and happiness as a good and respected ruler. But his happiness was shattered once again. The Nobodies attacked Castle Mahanah and Adam was defeated by Larxene (The Organization's No. 12). Adam could only watch his life being undone, along with Sharak's meddling.
Time had successfully been reversed to the point of Ansem's defeat. Sharak was reborn, no longer having control over the Heartless. Because of his destruction at Sora's hand, he has now been cursed with a great light that dwells inside him, exploding at random times, ravaging his being. While trying to search for a cure for his condition, Sharak journeyed to Castle Oblivion to observe the events that would follow, as well as seek out Terron.
Adam awoke from his exile in the halls of the castle, and soon remembered what had happened. The experience that followed resulted in a psychological and violent fight with Larxene, in which Adam triumphed and evolved into his new form. Terron locked his heart to make Adam perfectly balanced between light and dark, gaining frightening new powers as a result. Vexen's experiment had succeeded. Adam was taken to both Xemnas (the Organization's leader) and then the enigmatic outsider known as DiZ. Adam learned the truth behind what had happened, including the temporary truce between DiZ and the Organization. Adam left Castle Oblivion shortly after, embarking on the twilit road to nightfall. His objectives are currently twofold; to maintain the natural order of events, and find Sharak and destroy him properly. Knowing that his past life has been erased, Adam has now called himself 'Hi-Jax', as a means to distance himself from that he considers to be 'no more'.
Shortly after Hi-Jax's departure, Sora, Donald and Goofy arrived, and Riku soon followed. Both parties went through different ordeals. Sora and his friends arrived to continue their search for Riku and the King. Sora was targeted by Marluxia (No. 11), who had been appointed by Xemnas as keeper of the castle. Using Naminé (a young witch with power over Sora's memories and those around him), Marluxia, Larxene and Axel plotted to rewrite Sora's memories in a way that would give them total control over the Keyblade master, so they could take over the Organization together. Knowing of the conspiracy, Vexen, Lexaeus (No. 5) and Zexion (No. 6) plotted to use Riku to oppose the renegades' plans.
Riku was plagued by his fears of darkness and the guilt of his past sins. He was also suffering because Ansem had survived by escaping into Riku's heart. During his ordeal, Riku was forced to confront Ansem, his fears of darkness, his past, and the Organization, as well as an exact replica of himself that Vexen had created using Riku's data.
The more Sora, Donald and Goofy progressed through Castle Oblivion, the more memories they lost. Vexen, in an attempt to thwart Marluxia's plans, almost revealed the truth to Sora but was terminated by Axel.
Riku battled and destroyed Lexaeus in an extremely hard-fought contest, but afterwards nearly fell prey to Ansem's power. Only the King's light was able to save him on that occasion. Meanwhile, Sora had become obsessed with Naminé, and had come to blows with the Riku Replica (who was also being used as a pawn) because of it. Axel had betrayed Marluxia and Larxene by allowing Naminé to reveal the truth. Sora, Donald and Goofy destroyed Larxene and learned the story behind Marluxia's scheme. Running off to finish things, Axel (who had now revealed himself as a double agent assigned to investigate the conspiracy) prepared to terminate Marluxia for his betrayal. Marluxia had taken Naminé hostage, however, and was able to cause a diversion while he escaped, leaving Sora to battle Axel.
Axel was defeated but had faked his death to convince Sora otherwise. Shortly afterwards, he regrouped with Zexion where they plotted to dispose of Riku, seeing no need for him anymore.
Marluxia was finally destroyed by Sora and Naminé was saved. The Keybearer then sealed Castle Oblivion's keyhole and went to sleep along with Donald and Goofy, as a means to regain the memories they had lost at the expense of losing their memories of the castle. Naminé began overseeing the process, seeing it as her turn to help Sora. Shortly after Marluxia's death, Zexion went after Riku, tormenting him over his sins. Riku was nearly destroyed but was saved at the last minute by Naminé (who was pretending to be Kairi). Riku's fears were erased, the past was put behind him, and he was able to master the darkness effortlessly, essentially turning it into his greatest weapon. Zexion only just managed to escape from Riku but his reprieve was short-lived. Axel turned on him using the Riku Replica, who assimilated Zexion.
Riku nearly fell prey to Ansem again, but the arrival of King Mickey saved him. The King had at last been able to escape from the realm of darkness and had finally caught-up with Riku. Shortly after, Riku met with DiZ, who had secretly helped Riku escape from the dark realm and guided the former Keybearer throughout the castle. Riku then engaged his replica in battle and destroyed it. He then met Naminé, who explained to him about what had happened to Sora. After being reunited with the King and DiZ, Riku confronted Ansem and defeated him.
Riku and Mickey then left Castle Oblivion, embarking on the twilit road to dawn. Terron and Naminé, now freed from the Organization's control, had managed to avoid Sharak finding them. Now desperate and living on borrowed time, the creature went after Riku, hypothesising that because of his unique mastery over light and dark, he could learn his secrets and be able to cure his condition. Sharak's attempts at bargaining were thwarted. He was forced to flee, and Riku, having now remembered the events of Sharak, learned of Terron and continued his journey with the King.
Sharak returned to Castle Oblivion, gambling on Terron being his only chance for survival. Now dying because of what he was, Terron couldn't stop Sharak from trying to assimilate him. The process both succeeded and failed. Sharak was able to save his own life, but still remained plagued by his light that would ravage his being at random times. Although hindered even further, Sharak had been able to use Terron's power to see visions of the future. How Sharak will use this to his advantage remains to be seen. Since then, he has set his sights on finding either Riku or Hi-Jax to assimilate their data to cure himself. His other plans include vengeance on the surviving members of Organization XIII and Sora, as well as reclamation of Kingdom Hearts.
Because of the reversal of time, Jaron has also returned to life. He was briefed on the events by Terron, who gave the Saviour visions of his own as a means to combat Sharak. Terron passed away into nothingness, leaving the Saviour and Naminé with the task of protecting Sora while his memory is being restored.
Hoping to use Sora for his own purposes as a trump card, Sharak (in a last-ditch effort) attacked the castle again and invaded his heart. Naminé and Jaron were able to repel the monster by convincing Sora (in his dream state) to fight back, thus expelling Sharak from his heart.
Sharak's whereabouts are currently unknown, but shortly after the event, DiZ, who has supposedly taken Naminé under his wing, strongly advised her to transport Sora, Donald and Goofy to a world called Twilight Town. Jaron seconded the notion, given Sharak's constant attacks and the fact that the Organization still had dominion over Castle Oblivion. Naminé consented and Sora and the others were soon transported to DiZ's mansion. The Saviour, choosing to trust DiZ, has allied with him.
END OF CHRONICLE.
The nameless girl breathed in deep.
She had gone over the events of Castle Oblivion four times now. And she thought she had got it all now. Not very easy to do given the depth and complexity of this chronicle. She was surprised she hadn't gone insane because of the events.
Right…so everything's up to date now. Sora's sleeping, Sharak and the Organization are planning anew, Riku and the King are doing their thing, Adam…I mean, Hi-Jax is preparing himself for war, along with the Saviour…I assume Kairi's still on the Destiny Islands.
Jaron, Hi-Jax and Sharak were outcasts of a timeline that had been erased. That much was certain. Whoever the nameless girl was, she knew that she must be like them.
An exile…an anomaly…part of a world that had never been.
So now she knew what she was.
And that was something. It was a start.
And now it was time to find out who she was.
She was about to get up and leave when her eyes locked on the last chronicle.
'The Betrayal of Roxas'.
That's a point, she realised. There were several of these people who weren't anywhere near Castle Oblivion at the time of all those happenings. So there should be eight survivors left at their main stronghold. So why is this Roxas missing? What's happened to him? What did he do?
Was there really a need to know about this? She had learnt all the essential stuff. Now she had to decide what to do next. Such as find out what other ramifications the reversal of time had done. Was the Council of Light alive again too? Did Castle Mahanah still exist? That was what she wanted and needed to know more than anything.
The unknown thought about it long and hard. The Organization was still after her. Maybe Roxas could actually help her?
Asking one of these sociopaths for HELP?! They've betrayed, fought, plotted and killed one another! I HAVE gone insane! Still…why has the lowest ranking member got an article focusing on HIM? He must be different somehow.
She shrugged and accessed the final document.
THE BETRAYAL OF ROXAS.
When Sora journeyed to Hollow Bastion to rescue Kairi and sacrificed his heart to wake her up, he turned into a Heartless. Because he had such a strong heart, his Nobody was born.
The Nobody was born in Twilight Town and found by Xemnas, who had learned that the boy could use the Keyblade because he was Sora's Nobody. The Superior gave him the name Roxas and recruited him.
Because of Sora's short time as a Heartless, Roxas' memories of his original life…
ANOMALY DETECTED!
UNAUTHORISED USER HAS GAINED ILLEGAL ACCESS TO THIS DATABASE!
INTRUDER ALERT!
INTIATING EMERGENCY SYSTEM OVERRIDE.
TRACING HACKER SIGNAL TO SOURCE OF ORIGIN.
The girl's eyes widened in horror. They were coming for her.
A message appeared on the screen, commanding her to flee. Choosing to take her anonymous helper's advice, she got up out of her chair and quickly left the café, remembering to thank the benevolent staff once again while doing so.
She ran to the centre of the First District, knowing that she didn't have time to concentrate on what she had learnt about Roxas.
She skidded to a halt when the legion of Dusks materialised before her.
The townsfolk fled screaming. The girl's shock soon faded when she remembered that she wasn't helpless. As the Dusks danced around her in formation, preparing to strike, she summoned her sai daggers as her face became one of grim determination.
The Dusks stopped moving.
They then shuddered violently, and pounced for her.
"I can't die yet," she declared. "I won't."
And then everything went dark.