AN: This last part just ended, so this ending is a hybrid of new material, KH:DDD and another abandoned fic. I know Xehanort's personality change is a bit abrupt.

*KH doesn't belong to me. Thank you for reading and please leave a review!*


I'm sitting at my desk, the papers in front of me are only illuminated by a single candle, and it's late. And dark. I'm almost totally alone in the lab. I rub my forehead and slump forward. Although my concussion was pronounced healed some months ago, the headaches have gotten worse, and more frequent as of late. They make it hard to concentrate.

"Xehanort?"

"Go away!" I yell, and grab a paperweight off my desk, preparing to throw it at the person disturbing me, then I look up and see it's Master Ansem, concern in his orange eyes. Hastily, I put the paperweight down, and sweep the research off my desk before he can see it.

"Master Ansem, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you. What are you doing down here?" What I really want to say is What do you want? but I'm afraid it would sound too defensive.

He snaps his fingers and the lights come on.

I cover my eyes, not ready for the sudden brightness. "Oww..."

Master Ansem smiles kindly. "I just wanted to check on you. Ienzo said you'd be down here." He gestures around. "Why were you working with the lights off?"

I stand up, my now-long hair brushing the back of the chair. "I... prefer it that way. And it doesn't waste energy." Absently, I run a hand through my bangs, flattening them out and pulling them backward into a shape reminiscent of a bird's wings and crest. Before, they kept falling forward and getting into my eyes, now they simply stick up.

He sighs. "You do realize we live in a castle powered by running water?" I open my mouth to say, Of course I do, but he stops me with a wave of his hand. "Never mind that. When was the last time you were above ground?" I think about that for a moment and then open my mouth, but he stops me again. "Never mind that either. I want you to go up and get some fresh air. Go and do something that doesn't involve research." He looks faintly embarrassed, but continues, "Normally, I would never suggest this, but... Why don't you go and take Elenar somewhere? She's dying being cooped up inside, and the castle town boys drive her crazy. She'd love it if you offered."

Master Ansem looks at my expression and laughs. "Close your mouth; you'll catch flies."

I snap my jaw shut. "Wha-wha-what?" I can't think of anything else to say.

Finally, I find my voice. "Don't make jokes at my expense! Aren't you her brother?! You entertain the brat!"

He sighs again. "Oh, so you don't like her. She's been dropping hints for weeks that she likes you. I'm not sure whether to say bother or be relieved. Anyway," he looks around at the mess on my desk (I've been eating down here too, and there are plates in the strangest places), "Anyway, why don't you come up and join the rest of us at dinner? I promise I'll try to make sure you don't end up next to Elenar."

"Very well. Just let me clean up my notes, and I'll be right up."

"See you that you do. I will send someone down here to make sure you come up." Frowning slightly, Master Ansem walks over to and up the stone staircase that leads to the above-ground levels of the castle.

Carefully, I collect my scattered pages, and put them in a folder in the bottom drawer of my desk, next to a set of identical folders. The folders' labels read in black marker: 'Ansem Report 1', 'Ansem Report 2', and 'Ansem Report 3'.

As I walk over to the stairs, a small black creature wanders by. Curious, I stop and look at it. It's round, with twin antennae, and large round amber eyes. It sniffs my feet, and tries to bite my toes through my boot. I reach down and pick it up, and, holding it out at arm's length, examine it. It looks around, tries to bite me (How can it bite with no teeth, or mouth for that matter?) and then seems to smell something. I put it down, and it runs off, deep into the basement floors of the castle.

I'm fascinated, and I chase it past the cells where we keep the failed experiments (Or perhaps, not so failed?) and down, and down, and down. When it stops, it's by a door I've never seen before. I test it. It makes a click as soon as I touch it. It's not locked, though it has a keyhole, and it opens easily. On the other side, there's a huge light, a giant amount of energy. Confused and unsure what to do with it, I leave it as it is and walk back up. I'm still preoccupied, headache forgotten, when I get out to the lab, and nearly trip over another one of those creatures. "Huh..."

Elenar is waiting for me at the top of the stairs, tapping her foot. She smiles evilly. "Brother said you wanted to talk to me?..."

I groan, and start mentally planning out how to get my revenge on Master Ansem. Nothing too permanent, but definitely something...

"Yes, Master Ansem suggested I..." Then I have a great idea. "Take you and the children somewhere! I think I have a life time pass to Disney Town lying around..."

She pouts at being lumped in with the children, but I have the upper hand.

At dinner, as further punishment for coming up late, I get to sit next to Elenar, although Master Ansem insists it's just a coincidence. Bored, I look out the window, and suddenly, I see a star fall. Then another, and another.

"Look!"

Everyone gets up and runs out to the terrace. "Ooh... Aah!..."

I manage to get away from Elenar and watch the stars fall by myself. There's so many of them, they look like rain. I wonder if it's in any way connected to the door I found...

After dinner, I am in no mood to return to my late night studies, so I remain in my rarely-used room. It's mostly bare, with simple wooden furniture and a fireplace for when it gets cold. I take off my boots and coat, and fall asleep in one of the chairs, watching the fire.

So, of course I wake with a horrible crick in my neck.

Oh, mornings. How I dislike them. Everyone always wants me for something or other. As well as my research, people are what keep me below ground. Sometimes I want to pound my head against a wall. But I have the distinct feeling that that would be counter-productive.

"Grrr..." Already in a bad mood and with a headache threatening to come on, I fight my boot, trying to get it on. It feels like it's shrunk about three sizes.

"Wait a second..."

My feet have not grown that much.

I take it back off and examine it. All the apprentices wear similar boots, so we've taken to labeling them with our names or some other distinguishable mark. My boots have a white X on the soles, but these have nothing. I hear clunking from the hallway and look up to see Ienzo standing in the doorway, looking pained. He points to his much-too-large boots.

"I think these are yours."

Sure enough, when he takes them off and I examine the soles, they have a white X marked on them between the heel and the toe.

"Thanks, I was wondering where they went." I pull on my boots while Ienzo takes his.

I wonder if Master Ansem has thought about my proposal as I walk down the hallway from my room. He would't agree eariler but, perhaps, if I catch him before his morning coffee...

I knock on his door, and without waiting for an answer, enter and bow.

"Master Ansem- Ah, you have a guest..." I pause, waiting for Master Ansem to introduce his guest. He doesn't, so I continue, "Regarding my proposal, I'd like permission to begin-"

"No, Xehanort. I no longer support this. You and my other apprentices need to stop."

I frown. "But Master Ansem-"

Master Ansem shakes his head. "No Xehanort. Forget this 'Heart of the Worlds' and these doors. I forbid any more experiments!"

I bow, inwardly seething at his rebuke, but I keep my face a pleasant mask as I back away. "As... you wish, Master Ansem."

As I close the door behind me, I can feel his guest, a black mouse with large round ears, watching me. Just before the door clicks shut, I hear him say, "I've got the oddest feeling about him..."

Well, no matter, we have what we need, even a lab. We no longer need Master Ansem's permission to continue.

Hah, Ansem has no idea that he's been used. Experiment on me? No, thank you! How can I observe the experiment if I am it? At least... Not yet.


The next week, I awake with my head on my desk in my room and a piece of paper stuck to my forehead. Peeling it off, I realize what the schematics are missing and start scribbling furiously.

Ten minutes later, I am satisfied with my work. I get up and happen to catch sight of myself in the mirror. Do I really look that bad? I need to look in a mirror more often. Or maybe less often.

My white hair is long and unkempt. My brown eyes are bright with some combination of manic light and lack of sleep, turning them into twin copper pools and my face is covered with black ink from the paper I slept on. I rub my face with my lab coat's sleeve to try to remove the writing. It wouldn't do for Ansem to see these designs, especially not all over my face. But I am so close. I can sense it!

Then I catch sight of a note I wrote to myself that somehow got buried on my desk.

Today, I get to take Elenar and those children on that promised trip. Wonderful. My raised mood quickly drops again. I reach to remove my lab coat, and then wonder how odd it would look for me to wear it. Then a thought I'd been briefly toying with comes back.
I wonder if I should fake illness and just stay. With the way I look, it wouldn't be very hard.

No, Ansem would probably find out. And then I'd get another lecture.

A knock sounds on the door.

"Come in," I call, staring at the mess on my desk.

Behind me, I hear the door creak open, but I don't turn around. Let whoever is disturbing me get my attention. I cross over to a bookshelf, and pick up a book.

"Xehanort…" a voice says, its tone warning me not to try his patience.

I frown. It's Ansem, and judging from the ensuing giggle, Elenar too.

"Good morning, Master Ansem, Elenar." I turn and bow to Ansem, and nod to Elenar.

"Good morning, Xehanort. I-" Ansem looks at Elenar, seemingly thinking something over. "Elenar, please wait outside. I need to speak with Xehanort."

Elenar pouts, but nods, evidently recongnizing his expression, and leaves.

Ansem watches her until she closes the door then he turns back to me.

"Xehanort. I know what you are doing."

He does? Surely, he can't mean...

"You and the other apprentices are trying my patience. You can't just continue this with impunity."

Oh no. He really does know.

"I can explain..." Except I can't.

Ansem raises his hand.

"I don't want your explainations. You thought I wouldn't notice your files? That I'm so blind I wouldn't see the things you've found? Or what you're turning into? Have you even looked in a mirror recently?"

I back up, sliding my hand along my desk, feeling slightly like a trapped animal. At least he doesn't know about the machine. My hand hits the papers on my desk and knocks them into the waste basket and onto the floor.

"Oh how clumsy of me..." I say, bending down to pick them up.

"Let me," Ansem says, and bends down too.

"No, no. It's fine, really." I collect the papers hastily and we both stand up. One slips out of my grasp, and floats over to Ansem. He picks it up, and his brow lowers in a frown as his eyes flick across the paper.

"What is this?" Ansem doesn't sound angry yet, just... disappointed. "I thought I told you to seal off the lab."

"Ah..." I discreetly shuffle through my papers, trying to determine which one he's holding. It's the blueprints... "It's nothing you need worry about. I'll just," I reach out to snatch the paper away from Ansem, "take that now..." He moves his hand away, causing my fingers to close on thin air.

"Do you really have so little respect for me? Disobeying my orders right under my nose?" Now he's angry.

"No, no, I assure you, we have the greatest respect for you and your life's work..."

"'We'?" Ansem's gaze is as cold as ice. "Is everyone else working with you? What else are you doing behind my back?"

Uh oh. I have the sinking feeling that I just said the wrong thing. I consider trying to backtrack but decide not to.

"Xehanort. What are you doing?" he presses.

"Nothing you need to be concerned with. Ansem," I add belligerently.

His eyes flicker at my use of his name. "Xehanort..." Ansem threatens, but I'm far beyond being threatened.

I reach behind myself with my free hand, and put the papers in my other hand to the side.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you are giving me no choice."

"What? What are-?"

I pull my hand out from behind me, holding a heavy inkwell, and bring it down on Ansem's head. Ansem doesn't collapse as I expect, but just sways.

"You have a hard head," I note, dropping the broken inkwell.

"I have to deal with you." Ansem's gaze is steely, and his voice is even. He's keeping his anger under control. That doesn't stop him from swinging at me though. Ducking his fist, I move swiftly to the side and he hits my desk instead. I snap my fingers, and one of the black creatures melds itself out of the shadows under my desk.

"What is that?" Ansem asks, instinctively backing away.

"That? That is what we call a Heartless. You see," I step closer to him, "they don't have hearts. But they are very happy to take hearts."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about! Xehanort! You have to stop!"

I smile. "No. I don't have to do anything."

More of my Emblem Heartless come at my call, and surround Ansem. He tries to fight them off, but there's too many, and they quickly overwhelm him, knocking him to the ground.

I snap my fingers again and they move away.

Ansem stands, gasping. "Xehanort-"

I cut him off by wrapping my fingers around his neck. He's only my height, and I'm younger and stronger. It would be easy, so easy...

"Xehanort!" someone cries, and I realize Elenar's standing in the door, shock written on her face.

Tch... I drop Ansem, and step back as Elenar tries to run to her brother's side, but I hold out a hand and her time is frozen temporarily.

I gesture, and a dark portal opens under Ansem.

He glares at me, even as his feet and hands are pulled through. "You... You won't get away with this."

I fold my arms, watching my Master disappear. "Hm. We'll see about that."

As time unfreezes, Elenar stands, drawing a set of practice knives from within her clothes. "How could you?!"

The practice knives may be duller than real knives, but they'll still hurt and injure me. Not to mention, I've seen her throwing knives at targets (and portraits), and Elenar has deadly aim.

I do the only thing I can: I turn and leap out the window. A knife cuts a shallow cut on my cheek, but otherwise she misses me.

A surge of strange power rushes through me as something inside me awakens, and I easily land without injury. Dark tendrils swirl around me, focusing on my right hand.

Dilan and Aeleus stare at me. "What are you-" Dilan starts, but I shove both aside with my new power.

"Get out of my way," I hiss in a voice that sounds unlike me, older and raspier.

Aeleus moves to block the door, and Dilan stands back up.

"Sorry, but something isn't right here. You just stay there and wait until I get Master Ansem."

"You won't be able to find him." I smile.

Strong hearts. This is perfect. Do it, whispers something inside me, and I know what it wants. So I do it.


Braig walks down the halls of Hollow Bastion. Why's it so quiet? Something isn't right.

His pace quickens as he sees a blond body lying on the ground, but it dissolves as he kneels next to it. He stands. Could it be...?

Braig enters the lab, only to see Xehanort standing there with his back to Braig. On the floor are the rapidly disappearing bodies of Even and Ienzo.

"What have you done?" Braig demands and Xehanort turns, almost as if he were waiting for him.

He raises a hand, golden-yellow eyes flashing, and an ornate black keyblade takes shape.

Braig unconsciously takes a step back. "Does this mean you have your memory back, Xehanort? That's great-!"

Xehanort's lips curl, then he plunges the keyblade into Braig's chest and Braig's sight goes dark.


I watch Braig's body slump to the floor. "My name is Ansem." And I let my keyblade go.

Things have been set in motion, Xehanort.