The Man Who Sought The World.
The wind howled, dirt and dust flying, cutting all unprepared for it. The air was dry, not a drop of moisture anywhere, the earth under his boots cracked and dead. To the uniformed and foolish, this world was nothing but badlands.
But he knew they were more, much more.
He found himself coming here more and more, walking the same dead and barren paths, yet discovering more with every road he walked.
But each of these discoveries had one thing in common:
Death, the end of all things, be they man or world.
And the beginning of something greater…
It was here, on this dead world, this graveyard of the fallen, that Master Xehanort would end the world as he knew it.
Master Xehanort turned his golden eyes towards the massive shattered vistas and craters below, gloved hands behind his back, the edges of his silver and black cloak rippling with the wind.
Once, long ago, the precepts had barred him from this world, saying the truths hidden within it were for the eyes of masters only.
In hindsight, he almost agreed with their choice.
Almost.
Once had learned the truth, once had seen the vast rows, field upon field of rusted and shattered blades…
He had to know the answer to two simple, but important questions.
"How?" He breathed, ancient voice crackling like blackened leaves over a roaring fire.
"And why?"
Master Xehanort turned his gaze from the 'seat of war' below, and began his approach for the plateaus and canyons onward, his slow strides crunching gravel and breaking the overwhelming silence of this dead world.
Much of his adult life he had spent searching for the answers to those two, simple questions.
Simple as they were, the answers were anything but.
The 'How' perhaps was the easier of the answers to uncover.
The Keyblade Masters of all worlds had waged war.
That was the only (and obvious reason, he thought himself, cursing his younger self for wasting so much time on that) answer that made sense.
Yet, at the time, it had made no sense at all.
Master Xehanort paused as he reached the entrance to the canyons, turning to look at the ruined plains one last time. Then he resumed his march, stooped form vanishing into the rocky cliffs around him.
Why, he had asked.
He had been taught that Keyblade Masters were upholders of peace and justice, defenders of the precious light within the hearts of all worlds.
So, why, why would they raise arms against each other?
Master Xehanort stepped under the shadows of the trench, the gales of wind unable to pierce here, offering silence. He breathed easier in the darkness.
His ancient features twisted into a smile, cruel and amused.
There in lay the beginning of the answer to 'Why'.
The darkness within all.
The precepts had lied, hidden another truth from him.
Wielders of the Keyblade did not only fight for the light… but for the darkness around the light.
That hadn't shocked him so much.
He already knew of the alluring call of darkness, the power it offered, and much of the truths he had uncovered had been hidden within their depths.
He paused in his steps, amber eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
Unfurling his hands from behind his back, he looked at his open palms.
Light, and darkness.
A battle, nay a war that had raged since the beginning of time.
Both must exist for the sake of the other.
But that war of all wars, a war between Keyblade wielders, had done the impossible.
It had shattered the foundations that had shaped the world.
It had destroyed light and darkness…
Leaving nothing.
Or, he thought, hands clenching before moving behind his back.
So it seemed.
A war between light and darkness…
Simple as it was obvious.
Too simple.
Such an ancient battle surely could not have escalated into full blown war.
There must have been another answer, a true answer.
Again, he had been astounded and frustrated by the truth of it, more time lost and more truths would have to be found.
The war had not been fought as a battle of ideals, of where light and darkness must finally discover who was truly right and greater…
But for the fabled 'light' itself.
The heart of hearts…
The light within darkness…or the darkness around light?
Call it what you will, it only has one true name.
Kingdom Hearts.
The thousands of wielders clashed, their Keyblades turned against one another…
Yet, none had claimed Kingdom Hearts for themselves.
They had all died.
And the world lay lost.
But somehow, here he stood, on the remnants of that world, a leftover within his own, a reminder of what should never have been.
Master Xehanort reached the next pass and turned, looking over the trench one last time.
He rubbed his chin, gloved fingers sliding over his silver goatee.
Kingdom Hearts…
Such a force, if one walked through it's doors, would allow them to be reborn, to step free of the flesh of men…
And be reborn as something greater.
Power unlimited, knowledge vast and unbound…
Worthy goals.
But, again…
How?
No Keyblade could unlock the door to Kingdom Hearts.
Keyblades he had learned were manmade counterparts to Kingdom Hearts itself, pale imitations.
And finally, there in lay the truth of truths.
War over Kingdom Hearts…and something else.
It had taken him so long…but with the final years of his youth, his prime, he had uncovered it.
The ultimate truth the precepts had barred from him.
Master Xehanort stretched his hand out, and magic and power rose in his palm. With little effort, he shaped it, bent it to his will. The magic gathered and took shape.
Light flared over his palm and a transparent, glass like structure appeared.
It flared and darkened, glowing gold and fading to shadow.
The letter 'X' …
Ancient, with various pronunciations…
All with the same meaning.
Death.
An ending.
And yet…
A beginning.
The old world had fallen, and a new one, a world made of smaller worlds had been born, walls of light to protect the hearts within them.
Light to protect light…
Light eating away at the darkness all worlds needed.
A cancer.
Master Xehanort clenched his fist, shattering the magic before resuming his march, into the final fissure before his true destination.
The final truth had answered everything…
The X-Blade.
The one, ultimate key, the true 'Keyblade' needed to unlock Kingdom hearts, and step through it's doors, over the threshold of humanity and into the den of the higher beings, the gods themselves.
No, he thought, smiling again, burning eyes flaring.
Beyond godhood even.
So, here he stood, truth in one dying, gnarled hand, and knowledge in the other.
What was to be done?
He needed the X-Blade to unlock Kingdom Hearts but his form was so old, so frail…
Death but a stone's throw away…
And along his final steps of the path of life, he found Ventus…
And with him, it had begun.
From Ventus, came the empty one…
Vanitas.
Pure light…
Pure dark…
The two components needed to create the X-blade.
And through Ventus…
He had found Terra…
His vessel, the arc to sustain him as he claimed the X-Blade and unlocked Kingdom Hearts.
With the power and knowledge he would gain from it…
He would tear down this world of oppressive light and create a new one, built upon a foundation of darkness…
Darkness around light…
Ruin protecting creation…
As it should have been, as it had always should have been.
Master Xehanort stopped and stood, arms crossing behind his back, ancient features twisted in a smile of anticipation.
A lifetime of knowledge and a plan with no holes for anything to fall through, no measure and countermeasure not taken into consideration.
And even if by some cruel, divine joke, he would somehow fail here…
This was but one road he had uncovered, one path that lead to Kingdom Hearts…
Master Xehanort was unable to wipe the grin off his face as he resumed his confident stride, through endless rows of rusted, shattered Keyblades, each impaled on the spot their wielder had died upon, the dead dirt under him stained with ancient blood.
He would hold it all in the palm of his hand…
Master Xehanort extended his hand out, fingers flexing in anticipation…
"Soon," he rasped.
"It will all be mine…"
Guess whose birthday it is?
MINE!
Yep, nineteen years ago today, I was brought into the world.
Soon the world will be regretting that.
But anywho, as a birthday present from me, to me, I decided to write a oneshot/monologue thingamabob featuring my fave KH character-
(Smug looking Tera, Xemnas, despondent Lingering Sentiment, happy looking Aqua, smirking Riku and card shuffling Luxord all wait in anticipation.)
Master Xehanort!
All of the above mentioned characters: WHAT?
Master Xehanort: Ha! Eat it young people!
(Shrugs)
What can I say? He's the most badass old man in VG history.
whelp, I'm off to do birthday stuff...which isn't much considering it's a weekday.
(Waves goodbye.)
Till next story/chapter, faithful readers