Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls
Chapter 7: Plots and Plans
Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Square Enix and Disney
The skies of Radiant Garden were just that – radiant. The sun beautifully illuminated the town, lifting the hopes of its denizens. At the top of Ansem's castle, a lone figure looked over the town. The person's face was hidden by a black hood that matched his dark coat. He laughed at bright sun.
"The weather can be so misleading…" the man remarked. He revealed his face – tan skin with long silver hair. A portal appeared behind him, and another man in a hooded coat approached him.
"Hello, Xehanort," the figure greeted. Xehanort gestured his hands towards his companion.
"Come here, Braig," Xehanort kindly commanded. The pair walked towards the edge of the floor. Braig removed his hood for a better look, and stared at the ground in astonishment. Thousands of Heartless and Nobodies were gathered at the gates of the castle. The minions ranged from gigantic darksides and twilight thorns to relatively insignificant shadows and creepers.
"Whoa," Braig softly said. In one form or another, Braig had worked with Xehanort for years. They had achieved incredible accomplishments. But such an army would intimidate any foe.
"It's quite a military, isn't it?" Xehanort asked. Braig grinned and turned to his friend.
"So what's next?" Braig asked. The other man slowly walked back towards the castle.
"Our army has both Heartless and Nobodies. Heartless were the second common threat to the worlds. Nobodies were the third. What we need is the first…" Xehanort began to say. Braig narrowed his eyebrow in confusion. There was a threat before the Heartless? Then, the man's eyes lit up, realizing what Xehanort meant.
"You mean the Unversed," Braig affirmatively stated. Xehanort smiled at him.
"So you do remember," Xehanort said. He was pleased that Braig retained all of his memories as well.
"And in order to use the Unversed, we need their master, Vanitas," Xehanort explained. Braig chuckled, and his associate harshly glared at him.
"What's so funny?" Xehanort asked. Braig shook his head in disappointment.
"I guess you never realized it at the final battle. Vanitas took over Ven, but he was defeated by Aqua. He's not coming back anytime soon," Braig informed him. Xehanort nodded.
"I'm aware of that. But you don't know the full story, nor do you understand why I intended to have Roxas in the organization," Xehanort said. Braig and Xehanort once had Nobodies, who were respectively named Xigbar and Xemnas. These two Nobodies were an important part of Organization 13. Braig shrugged.
"Okay, you got me there. Why was he so important?" Braig asked. Xehanort wasn't surprised. Braig wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. However, he was much more than a simple tool.
"When I became a Nobody, I regained my former memories from being Master Xehanort. I spent years trying to find out where Vanitas was. Eventually, I found a way to contact him…" Xehanort started to explain.
Ansem's computer lab looked like a very high-tech room. Electric wires and circuits ran across the floor and ceiling. The room's camera scanned back and forth. Suddenly, it spotted an unknown figure. Before it could start an alarm, the figure blasted it with a flash of light. Xemnas entered a CD and began to type on the computer. The screen changed to a window. The Nobody typed in ANOTHER, and typed in other words disguised as x's. The words SYSTEM START appeared on the screen. Xemnas stepped out of the room, and rode an elevator to the bottom floor. The figure stepped on a bright pad. It flashed, and a section of the floor in front of the mysterious person opened. The Superior entered the opening, and the floor above him closed shut. He began to descend down a long spiral staircase, as a lengthy dialogue ran through his head:
"Master Ansem, regarding the experiment I presented the other day… with your permission I'd like to proceed," Xehanort's voice said.
"I forbid it! Forget this talk of doors and the hearts of all worlds. That place must not be defiled," Ansem's voice commanded.
"But, Master Ansem, I've been thinking…" Xehanort's voice began to say.
"Xehanort, those thoughts are best left forgotten," Ansem's voice stated.
Anger towards his former master filled Xemnas. In his opinion, Ansem was a mere fool who could never understand the magnitude of the power of Kingdom Hearts. Yet to Xemnas it didn't matter. Ansem was long gone, and even if he appeared again, he would hardly be a threat. Finally, the Nobody arrived at the bottom of the staircase. Two doors slid open, inviting the guest inside. Xemnas strolled down a long hallway with cell doors on each side. He arrived at another door, and it opened for him as well. The man stepped inside, and the doors closed behind him. The whole room was patterned with Nobody symbols. A chair was in the middle, and chains stretched out to other parts of the room. Xemnas sat on the throne, and the chains brightly lit up. He looked at two objects in front of him: a blue Keyblade and a suit of blue armor. Both belonged to Aqua.
"It's been a long time…my friend," Xemnas said to the armor with pure sarcasm. He began to laugh hysterically, and removed his hood. He resembled a former Keyblade warrior – Terra.
"In reality, however, I'm not Terra. Not in the least," Xemnas stated. Suddenly, the entire room turned black, except for the white chains. A transparent figure appeared. He had black hair, a bodysuit with black and red colors, and a Keyblade.
"How are you, Vanitas?" Xemnas asked.
"Not well. I hate being stuck inside of Sora," Vanitas replied.
"And how is that my fault?" Xemnas inquired. Vanitas glared at the man.
"Because, Xehanort, you promised me that you would find Ven's heart, and thus, find me. You found the heart inside of another boy – Roxas. So why didn't you remove me from his heart?!" Vanitas angrily questioned. Xemnas remained calm. He didn't want to argue with the apprentice of his past incarnation, Master Xehanort.
"I considered it, but ultimately, I ruled it out. Removing you from Ven's heart would have made Roxas unstable. He could have turned insane or lost his ability to wield the Keyblade. If I didn't have the Keyblade, I wouldn't be this close to achieving Kingdom Hearts," Xemnas explained. Vanitas summoned his own Keyblade.
"Have you forgotten that I have a Keyblade? I could have helped you instead," Vanitas told him. Xemnas shook his head.
"Your Keyblade is made of darkness. Instead of releasing hearts from the Heartless, it would have further corrupted them with darkness, completely destroying the majority of them. Most hearts cannot handle darkness," Xemnas said.
"Your excuses are meaningless! All that matters now is that I'm stuck in Sora's body!" Vanitas angrily exclaimed. Xemnas chuckled.
"Yes, he seems to bear quite a resemblance to you," Xemnas remarked. Vanitas couldn't believe it. Instead of figuring a way to help him out, Xemnas was making useless observations.
"I think you're missing the point. You're a shadow of your former self, master. Bring me back and I'll help you achieve your true potential!" Vanitas promised.
"I tried Vanitas. That's why I reprogrammed Xion to take over Roxas. Once he was absorbed, I would have freed your darkness from their heart. Only at that point did we have most of the needed hearts for completing Kingdom Hearts. That's why I felt you could be brought back then and only then," Xemnas explained. Vanitas sighed.
"Just find Sora and rip me from his heart! You'll be making a grave mistake if you don't!" Vanitas warned him. Xemnas smiled evilly.
"Patience, my apprentice. You will be back soon enough," Xemnas told him. Vanitas disappeared, and the room returned to normal.
Braig stared at Xehanort in shock. For the past decade, Braig had assumed that Vanitas no longer existed.
"So, right now he's inside of Sora?" Braig asked. Xehanort nodded.
"I've already figured out a way to bring him back," Xehanort informed his friend. Braig smiled mischievously.
"So it's checkmate?" Braig asked. Xehanort shook his head.
"Not quite. Aqua has returned," Xehanort informed him. Braig's jaw dropped.
"Aqua? The one who beat me to a pulp?!" Braig asked in shock. Xehanort turned to him with an emotionless expression.
"I thought you said you put up a decent fight?" Xehanort asked. Braig shrugged.
"Alright, so I lied," he admitted. Xehanort ignored his fib.
"She defeated me as well. Even though I had Terra's body, I still lost to her. After I lost, Terra locked his heart, which sealed away my memories. Nevertheless, my personality was dominant in the Xehanort who was Ansem's apprentice," Xehanort explained. The Keyblade wielder stepped toward the edge of the castle. He stared at the army with doubt.
"Even at this point, our army may not be enough. It's barely bigger than Maleficent's army, and the heroes easily defeated hers. So, we'll need a few diversions…" Xehanort stated. The man suddenly had an idea. A malevolent plan perfect for distracting the Keyblade wielders. He turned to Braig.
"Send these heroes on a false trail. Let them travel across the worlds, searching for their friends. While they embark on their adventure, I'll increase our army's size tenfold," Xehanort told Braig. The scarred man nodded, and vanished in a corridor of darkness. Xehanort raised his hands, and huge columns of rock blocked the path to the castle, closing it off from the town.
The town square was peaceful. Sora, Riku, Aqua, and Mickey stood outside of Merlin's house.
"So, Aqua, what should we do first?" Mickey asked.
"We're going to find Ventus. Then, we'll look for Terra," Aqua said. Sora held his stomach.
"Uh, could we get something to eat first? I'm starving" Sora said. Aqua nodded.
"Alright, we'll do that first," Aqua agreed. The group began to walk away. Suddenly, Aqua felt a hand on her shoulder. She stopped walking while the rest of the group continued.
"Excuse me, do I know you?" a voice asked. Aqua turned around and stared in shock. In front of her stood a man with spiky black hair. He looked fairly strong. Aqua raised her eyes in surprise.
"Zack Fair?" she asked. Zack smiled.
"Aqua. Wow, you look better than ever," Zack remarked. Aqua smiled.
"Yeah, you too," Aqua said. The two last saw each other twelve years ago.
"So, I finally became a hero!" Zack informed her.
"That's great!" Aqua exclaimed. Zack put his arm around her shoulder.
"So, about that date?" Zack asked. Aqua blushed nervously.
"I told you I couldn't make that promise," Aqua said. Zack groaned. Years ago, Aqua saved Olympus Coliseum, Zack's home. In return, Zack promised to take her on a date.
"Come on. Don't even think of it as a date. It'll just be a chance to catch up," Zack argued. Aqua was still unsure. She still had to make sure Ven and Terra were alright. How much could one date do though?
"Fine. We'll go out tonight," Aqua stated. Zack grinned.
"Awesome. I know a great restaurant in town. I'll pick you up at seven," Zack told her. He began to walk away, and Aqua looked at him in confusion.
"Wait, you don't know where I'll be!" Aqua called out.
"Don't worry about it, I'll find you," Zack replied. Aqua wasn't sure how she'd explain this to the others. But could she have feelings for Zack? Or was Terra the only one she wanted to be with? Aqua looked at the bright sky above her.
"Hold on, Terra. I'll find you soon," Aqua promised.
Disney Castle was truly safe from darkness. Its cornerstone of light repelled nearly any form of darkness from the castle. Donald and Goofy stood in the hall of the cornerstone with confusion. At the other side of the room was a portal of darkness.
"Ain't that the same portal we found a year ago?" Goofy asked. Donald nodded.
"Yeah, I wonder why it's here again," Donald said. Donald approached the portal, but Goofy held him back.
"You don't wanna go in there?! Remember what happened last time?" Goofy asked. Donald tried to remember, and then it hit him.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy stood in front of a dark portal. The portal was on the wall behind the cornerstone of light. The trio entered it, and entered a new landscape, filled with rocky structures. While Donald and Goofy continued to admire the rocky formations, Sora stared at a swirl of dust in front of him. The amount of dust continued to build, and it faded away, revealing an armored figure kneeling on the ground. His armor was mostly gold and red, and he wore a cape that flapped in the wind. The figure was holding a Keyblade that was stabbed into the ground. The armor was none other than Terra's.
"Aqua…Ven…" the figure thought to himself. It tried to speak, but could only emit ominous and strange sounds. Out of caution, the trio withdrew their weapons. The figure noticed Sora's Keyblade, the Kingdom Key.
"Keyblade…who are you?" the figure thought. Again, it was only a strange sound.
"I can feel it…we have met before…but when…" the figure started to think. Then, he realized that he mistook Sora for somebody else.
"No…it isn't you…it isn't you that I've chosen," the stranger said in his head.
"Why isn't it him?" the figure asked. Suddenly, he realized something. Sora's hair style looked very familiar. Then, he understood that he had the same hairstyle as Vanitas. He seemed about the same size as him as well. Did Xehanort's original plan fail and did he take over Vanitas instead? Could he be Xehanort in disguise?
"Xe…ha…nort…is that you?" the figure wondered. The boy could very well be Xehanort in disguise. After years of anguish, this lingering sentiment wasn't going to miss a chance for revenge.
"Xeha…nort…XEHANORT!" the figure angrily yelled in his head. He stood up, and grabbed his Keyblade. The figure pulled it out of the ground, and faced Sora. He jumped into the air, and dashed at Sora with his Keyblade pointing towards the boy. Sora blocked it, nearly losing his guard. The armor charged at Sora again, and the boy dodged the attack. The enigmatic soldier flew towards Sora again, yet Sora evaded it once more. Enraged, the armor whipped his Keyblade around himself. Sora glided away, and stayed at a safe distance. The figure landed on the ground, and Sora dashed at him. The boy swung his Keyblade, but the armored man blocked the attack with his own weapon, and struck the Keyblade out of his hand. He raised his Gaia Bane Keyblade, preparing to attack Sora.
"Thunder!" Donald screamed. At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck the armor, and it turned towards Donald. Sora's Keyblade reappeared in his hand, and he began to strike the soldier. After three hits, the soldier blocked Sora's combo, and kicked the boy away.
"Sora!" Goofy cried out as he ran towards his friend. Goofy gave Sora potion, and the two saw the armored fighter dash towards Donald.
"Take this!" the duck yelled. He blasted the enemy with a blizzard spell. His legs were frozen solid, but a dark aura surrounded the figure, and the ice melted away.
"Uh oh," Donald muttered. He began to back away, and the soldier dashed at him. He struck Donald with his Keyblade, knocking him to the ground.
"Donald!" Sora yelled. The soldier turned towards the boy, and suddenly vanished. Sora looked around in shock.
"Where'd he go?" Goofy asked. Just then, the armored man appeared out of nowhere, and hit Goofy with his Keyblade. Sora looked at his fallen friend.
"Goofy!" he yelled. The captain of the royal knights was unconscious. Angrily, Sora faced the armored man.
"Why are you doing this?!" he screamed. The figure made no response, and attacked Sora again. Sora blocked each attack, but his guard was weakening. Finally, his Keyblade was knocked out of his hand.
"No more!" Sora declared. He emitted a bright flash of light, and transformed into his Final Form. His clothes were mostly white with some black areas. Sora had two Keyblades now: Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He charged at the soldier, and began to relentlessly attack him with combos. The soldier blocked every attack with his massive Keyblade, impressed by Sora's strength.
"Such power" the figure thought to himself. The sentiment blocked one of Sora's attacks, and as a counter, he slammed his Keyblade into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked Sora away. Sora hit the ground next to Donald with a thud, and the soldier threw Goofy at him. Sora caught his friend, and furiously glared at the mysterious enemy. The soldier jumped into the sky, and his Keyblade transformed into a cannon. It began to spin, and blasted a huge sphere of energy at Sora. Sora used a reflect spell, but the sphere was still pressing against the reflect shield. Sora began to sweat as he used all of his energy to maintain the shield. Unexpectedly, the huge ball of energy exploded, breaking Sora's shield. Sora fell back, and struggled to stand up. The soldier slowly walked towards the weakened boy. Sora raised his Keyblade, and used a cure spell to heal himself and his friends. The trio stood up, and the soldier looked at them in confusion.
"Xehanort never cared for others" the armored figure thought. He stared at Sora in understanding. He had never really sensed Xehanort. Instead, he sensed Ventus.
"I see. Your strength is…what I sensed in you is…" the figure said in his head. He dug the Keyblade into the ground, and resumed his kneeling position. Sora and his allies stared at him with uncertainty.
"Sora, let's go back. We still have to deal with the Organization" Donald reminded him. Sora continued to stare at the man.
"Who are you?" Sora asked.
"I am…his memories…his rage…" the figure thought. Yet Sora only heard the strange sounds. He saw a portal appear next to him, and he, Donald, and Goofy entered the portal to leave the strange place.
Donald and Goofy stared at the portal, still unsure what to do.
"Well, I don't want to fight that guy again," Donald admitted with fear.
"Maybe it'll just go away eventually. Otherwise, we'll send a message to the King," Goofy suggested. Donald nodded in agreement, and the two walked away.
