Author's Note: Welcome, my dearest reader, to my huble fan fiction to Kingdom Hearts. This is a tribute to one of my favorite games, but alas, so much to do and so little time, wouldn't you agree? Anywho, This story should explain it's self, but this is simply giving a history of each core character that I own. I hope you enjoy, and if you have any questions, that cannot be answered by thinking about it, than PM me. First fan fiction on this site, but I have had some experience. Even did a collobration Fan Fiction. But that got canceled due to the subeject getting confusing... Plot wise. Geeze, I wish they kept it as a minigame, not it's own, seperate plot... Wonder if anyone knows what I'm talking about...

Back story of Ansatsu Aisare...

He was born to a wealthy family that held a stake in almost every world. His family developed interstellar travel, weapons to combat darkness, everything and anything. But while he was away learning the secrets of the Keyblade and Twilight, almost all of the main family had died off due to a disease. This didn't phase the young boy for long, as he applied his life to keeping up the flow of everything and anything his manufacturing company was known for. He always knew without darkness there can be know light,

and dresses and acts accordingly. His attire being monochrome and his attitude changes from decision to decision. When Ansem the Wise asked him about funding a project of his, the Aisare couldn't refuse. After all, his research could help his own into genetics. But, in the end, it was just a bunch of research into darkness and the heart. But a few people stood out among Ansem's list of subjects. Kurogane, Alice [Not a princess of Heart], and Rie. Kurogane was going to be implanted with cybernetic augmentations, Alice was to be given the powers over dreams and the subconscious, and Rie was going to be a sort of 'Princess of Heart' copy. Her heart was going to be given as much Light as possible, before she explodes... Or so Ansatsu was told by one of Ansem's Apprentices. He checked up on the 3 individuals that caught his eye every time he was given the chance.

Then, one day, a fourth one entered the perception of Ansatsu Aisare. Mercer. That was the only name given to him. Mercer was a peculiar subject. He gave himself to the study of Ansatsu's development of super soldiers, but seemed to have just... appeared. 4 possible

Apprentices... All different, yet they all have the same properties... The Properties he needed to keep a line of Keybearers.

Mercer was the first to become his apprentice. His genetic augmentation was complete, and he still hung around,

looking for a purpose.

Kurogane was the second. Kurogane submitted because he wanted to learn to control his power, and use it to protect

others... A laughable effort at the time.

Alice and Rie joined at the same time, both sticking together and to the shadows to escape the savage ruins of Hollow

Bastion. He appeared before them, and noticed how starved they were in comparison to the others. He also noticed how quick to

anger Rie was. It took some time, effort ant rope, but he managed to calm her down. After elaborating about himself and why he

sorted them out, they were quick to come... Or perhaps it was the promise of a proper meal...?

The reason the billionaire took them under his wing was common in all four cases. Kurogane was an orphan and

ultimately alone, with powers beyond his comprehension... Alice was a small, tomboyish lass with no love to know... Rie was a

lonely single child, with abusive parents, but she'd never let on. She hoped they were burning in Chernabog's pit of fire... Mercer

was as mysterious and out of the blue as they came. They were young, strong, durable, and unknown by hardly anyone. Perfect all

around.

But, perhaps, the true reason-the reason he wouldn't admit-was he felt sympathetic for the children... Like they reminded

him of himself when he was that age.

Back story of Kurogane Kurushimeru...

Kurogane Kurushimeru was a child growing up alone in Radiant Garden, with his only friend being Rie Jigaku. One day,

Ansem the Wise approached him with the promise of becoming stronger than he could have ever imagined, and becoming

impervious to Darkness through machinery. Knowing he couldn't very well say no, and the pay day to good to pass up, he agreed.

Rie didn't know what to say when he told him this wonderful news to him. Rie encouraged him, but warned him to not go to far.

Rie being the only one with memory of him, Ansem had someone wipe her memory clean, and showed Kurogane that she had no

memory of him a month into testing. This made it easier to allow darkness into the young boy's heart. One day, when he was let

out of testing, he met a Keyblade Master. She was kind, and it made the orphan look for hope in his situation. He never got to learn

her name, but her weapon gave hope to everyone who saw it. When he was called back to the table, they tried implanting artificial

light into a heart nearing the Heartless transformation stage. The experiments were a success, and they continued until Ansem was

able to call them a 'law', and use them to further study the Heart. Presumably he had other test subjects to test this theory on, but

as far as Kuro knew, he was the only one.

During the ruination of Radiant Garden, his body was nearly destroyed, and was in dire need of cybernetic augmentations if he were to survive. His eyes, hands, entire left arm, half right, stomach, blood vessels, and legs. He was the only

test subject in dire need of them. But the tests got more intense, but he was getting paid for his participation. They tried inserting the proper amount of darkness into his heart, but the machines placed inside his body weren't allowing it. Thinking it a virus. They

repeated the process several more times until they were able to prove that, with the augmentations given, Darkness could not

corrupt the heart.

But isn't it because there was nothing to corrupt? His spirit lingered, torn in two, and metal fingers gripped his heart, their touch, so cold... He felt this way, but he couldn't argue with the scientist's reasoning. The experiments continued until Xehanort

killed everyone, turning them into Nobodies. He let the test subjects go, deeming them unworthy to be in his presence.

Kurogane's once bunky robotic augmentations were now smooth and slick, while still holding the power he was

promised. When he left into the destroyed city, he did so looking for something to latch onto. He wandered around the destroyed

financial district, until he found a black coat, two guns, which were colored black and gold, and a black pair of pants. He kept the

weapons in the pockets of the coat, and began to wonder into the further reaches of Radiant Garden. He wandered until he was

approached by a man with a top hat, peculiar clothing, a cane, and a pack of cigars. The man promised to teach him the secrets of

the weapon he so desired, and how to use his invulnerability of Darkness to his advantage in battle.

Mercer's Back-story...

Mercer was a small town boy. A world that would chew him up and eat him for breakfast. He lived, constantly, in the

shadow of the Aisare Tower. Not because he didn't have a choice, no... He lived there because it was easier to live in the shadows.

He almost never took off his hood, and only stole so he, alone, could live. He felt like he was stealing from the Aisare Tower, his

only 'friend', so he went into the complex's base. To his surprise, Tower was just the beginning. The Aisare Grounds were colossal.

There was almost nothing that wasn't in existence that wasn't here. Perhaps even more... He wandered, aimlessly, looking for

something he could do. Something that the Aisare Tower knew he'd be good at. It was then he stumbled across the owner. He had

a gait, and Mercer instinctively recognized the owner. Apologizing, he then asked if the owner needed anything. Much to Mercer's

surprise, he said yes. He said, 'a new strand of virus came from Radiant Garden, and he needed a perfect test subject.' The Aisare

smiled, and rubbed the kid's hood. The words he spoke were etched into the young boy's mind. 'I've been watching you... And I

know you'll make the best partner for the virus... Now, come follow me. We have much to do, and, oh, so little time to do it. Aide, tell

them to prepare the virus.'

The next few days were preperation. They outfitted Mercer, and made him sleep in the same room as the virus. When

asked why this was necessary, Ansatsu would smile, and look out upon his family's world.

"You must get to know the virus. It will enhance your strength, endurance, agility, and stamina, and ask for nothing in

return."

After that, Mercer began to carry it with him, and look at it while he was eating. A month after this behavior began,

Ansatsu told him the virus would be injected tonight, and he would be free to leave if he wanted. He didn't, and Ansatsu

approached him with the proposal of being something more than a petty thief. He could become a Vanguard, an Archangel... And

learn of those that could rely upon him for protection against being sought out by unknown horrors, and teach them how to fight

against it if they were willing.

Mercer was more than intrigued by this prospect. Protecting those in need was all he needed to feel like he was giving

back to his beloved tower, and his king, no, his God. He would be his Archangel, his black knight who would dirty his hands for his

king.

When he was told that his Master was going to Radiant Garden for more apprentices, Mercer was delighted. When he

first saw Kurogane, he knew he'd be a nice addition. He was skeptic of Rie, and had to knock her down more than once. Alice,

however, was someone he wanted to become his God's left hand... Himself being the right hand. He didn't know it then, but she

wasn't interested in the same way he was...

Alice and Rie's Back story...

Alice was a small girl being picked on due to her blindness. She had excelled in everything but sight, and had a little

magical power, her main focus being necromancing and psychokenisis. She would often tease others, using psychokenisis to tap

into their minds and show them either the darkest of places or their brightest dreams. Her powers didn't have an origin, as her

family were rarely seen, but they could've simply been a conjuration of the little girl's mind. Ansem took her in, and tested her mind.

She was starved, rarely given scraps, during her imprisonment. She had committed no crimes, but some people were broken when

they entered her mind... Willingly or not.

Rie's problems stemmed from her home life. Her father... was, a drinker. Her mother, was rarely home. Her only friend wasa young boy who'd stay near the park... They'd chat, and have a good time until it got dark. She had to sneak past her father, in

hopes he wouldn't wake and... Well, she doesn't like to think about it. She was taken in when Ansem saw what awful living

conditions she was in. Xehanort was put in charge of her, and he wanted to see how pure and full of light he could make a heart,

artificially, before the 'Heartless' came. Much like Alice, she was rarely fed. Both became scrawny, and when Xehanort released

them both, he tossed them books on spells and a knife, respectfully.

"Some of these men are crazy, no telling what they'd do..." He chuckled. Their eyes widened in horror, and snuck out, as

unnoticeable as two, ragged, pale women could. In most cases, Alice had to draw attention away from their route with a

psychokenisis image of something each psycho wanted.

When the looming figure of Ansatsu Aisare appeared before them, outstretching a hand and smiling gently, followed

by a tall hooded man, Rie was thrown into a trance of survival. Ansatsu was fluid in calming her down, dancing around her attacks,

holding his hat in one hand and spinning his cane between his inhumanely fast sidesteps, before he threw the hat into the air and

spun around the confused girl, and she was tied up with a nice bow. After explaining his plan to the young women, they were

hesitant. They were put into the unfortunate situation by a man, and were trying to find a sanctuary away from the crazed men of

Ansem's Asylum...

"We promise, if you come with us, we'll feed you regularly." the hooded man sighed, knowing it was the only way to seal

the deal. As if on cue, the stomachs of both girls growled loudly, as if threatening to eat the lungs if they didn't accept.

"W-W-Well, protecting all the people we don't know s-s-sound's g-g-g-good..." Rie stuttered, embarrassed, looking toward

the third figure. The man she looked at was walking toward them, a black coat on, a sack slung over his shoulder, and dead eyes

looking at Aisare.. Everyone would remember how he looked, his robotic eyes reading them all. When he reached the tree, he

looked at Ansatsu again. The Aisare smiled, and motioned towards the two girls and Mercer.

"It would seem that they fear you, Kurogane." Rie and Alice jumped at his name. He was on the blunt of the new

technology here, all theories were tested on him... Or so they were told. Mercer glared at the robotic man, until the Kuro glared back.

Overall ending...

"It's not polite to stare..." Mercer looked away after several seconds of locked eye contact. Kurogane's eyes shifted

often, as if to capture and record everything they saw. Ansatsu was ecstatic at this point, and applauded the group. They knew

why they were here, and they knew what they were promised. But it was how they react to each other, and how they would have to

work together from now on... One could say he was blissful to see what kind of out come would come out of the group. He led

them toward their ship, which looked recently beat with several bats, and then a few faces. There were several knocked out

bodies surrounding the ship, which only made the Aisare happier... That is, until they got back up. Mercer was going to take them

out, but the Aisare held up his hand, and quickly took out all the thugs except for 3. He then stood at the back of the group, and told

them to show him their power.

Kurogane was the most powerful, taking his out within a few seconds, without having to draw his two weapons he

found on his way here. Alice's was pleading to live, trapped in an illusion brought on by his own mind, and Rie battled like a clown,

saying she was wide open, but dodging each attack, and stabbing rapidly around the poor man's internal organs. The only one

who didn't die during the test fight, was the one Kurogane fought... But he rectified why by throwing the man into the wall, and

holding a gun to his head.

After a quick interrogation(What was to be said? People are afraid when cyborgs hold guns to their heads and his eyes

devour their soul?), they learnt that it was because Xehanort paid them to do it. Knowing it was none of their concern, they took off and headed toward Ansatsu's Manor Grounds. Their home for the next few years.