Silly little thing to explain why Ansem is 'Ansem' and Xemnas is 'Ansem' with an X. Enjoy!
He pursed his lips.
"This…will not do."
The man opposite him looked just similar enough to be related to him, but different to be his own entity. He seemed none too pleased either, though for a different reason.
"Must you really go through all the trouble of place the Sigil in every name?"
"Of course. What is the point otherwise?" retorted the first man. His hair was sharper, more frayed than the second's. He looked at the man in the beige and black coat.
"You pick a name for us."
He arched his brows, offended. "Me? Isn't that your job?"
"Not for us. Understand how unbelievably asinine it would be to put another 'x' in our old name. Haxnextor? Xortaxneh?" The first made a face. "Ridiculous! I will not suffer it."
The second sighed and folded his arms.
"Fine. I'll think of a name."
Time passed. Too much time. The first grew bored of waiting for the second to do his job, but he waited none the less.
"I have it!"
The first flinched at the cry.
"Well? What is it? What name will you take?"
"I shall be...ANSEM!"
The first stared, blinking. "...You...are going to take the name of our old Master?"
"Of course! It's genius!"
The first squinted. "Explain how."
'Ansem' grinned maliciously. "He looked down upon our work. He tried to stop us, all our progress! What better punishment than to take his name and tarnish it beyond recognition? I shall be Ansem, Seeker of Darkness!"
With that, he turned with a flourish of his coat, grin of triumph affixed on his face, satisfied his job was done.
The first, still nameless, made a face when 'Ansem' was not looking. But, he knew it would suffice. And they had no better options.
"Very well. You had better begin your side of the plan. I shall work quietly in the meanwhile."
Ansem barely payed him any attention, wrapped in his own thoughts.
Truly, a Heartless through and through.
He vanished into a dark portal, and left the other man alone to think and ponder and find his own name.
He sat on the floor, folding his legs under the black coat he'd been born with, leaning one elbow on his knee and holding up his chin.
Golden letters floated up out of thin air at a gesture. Letters to spell the name 'Ansem'.
A large 'X' appeared in the mix with a wave of his hand. He swiped, and the letters spun like a carousel, twirling around and around, mixing until they settled.
"No."
Another flick. Another arrangement.
"No."
Flick.
"Hm. Maybe."
Flick.
"No."
He sighed, an act of the body he was rather an expression of any sort.
The letters settled. He sat up, eyes raking over the arrangement.
He jumped to his feet.
"Son of a-!"
He looked around for his Heartless half, though he knew it was far too late.
Surely it was mere coincidence, what those letters spelt, hovering before him tauntingly. Surely that name had not been chosen on purpose, just to form that.
He narrowed his eyes at the offending letters.
M. A. N. S.-
He swiped them again, harshly, and the words fell away into a golden jumble.
He would just have to endure it if such an anagram was ever discovered. But he would be sure to choose a name that discouraged such attempts.
Dark gold eyes settled on the letters, rotating to a still.
Those same eyes grew. The echo of satisfaction reminded him how to curl his lips in a smirk.
There. That would be his name.
Xemnas.