Chapter X: The World That Never Was (Part 2)

I felt myself falling again. Was I traveling to another world? The only differences I felt were that I was falling faster and it wasn't so lighthearted.

My feet pounded into the ground in a flash of light. I couldn't see anything as my body lurched forward.

"Oopsy-daisy," Came a familiar voice. "Wasn't easy putting you into a second sleep, and he almost woke you up."

I looked up to see Xigbar. I began to stand up. "So then, all that stuff I just saw- did you put that in my head?"

"No. That wasn't 'stuff,' it was a dream. The falling asleep part was definitely our bad. But we can't put stuff in your head. Hey, I got an idea. Ask your heart. See if it's got a clue."

I dropped my head as I began to think.

"Well...my heart was aching." I said slowly. "That's why I kept going."

"Oh... Thank you, Sora's heart, for pushing him right into our clutches. Aren't hearts great? Steer us wrong every time."

I became frustrated with him. But it did make me realize something.

"You know, right, because you all have hearts! Axel and Roxas and Naminè, and that other girl. I felt what Roxas felt and...they laughed together, got mad, and they grieved. You have to have a heart to cry."

Xigbar laughed, "It's about time you've noticed."

"Indeed. A heart is never lost for good," A deep voice said from behind me. "There may have been variances in our dispositions, but a number of us unquestionably showed signs of a burgeoning replacement."

I turned around and faced him. It was Xemnas!
"Once born, the heart can also be nurtured. Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind and convince it to renounce its sense of self. But understand, one can banish the heart from the body, but the body will try to replace it the first chance it gets, for as many times it takes. And so I knew, even after we were divided into Heartless and Nobodies, it was just a temporary separation.

I placed my hand over my heart. Rage had began to boil. "Why, then? Why did you lie to them and tell them they had no hearts?"

"Xemnas and Xehanort formed the Organization for a specific reason- round up a bunch of empty husks, hook them up to Kingdom Hearts then fill them all with the exact same heart and mind. Translation-they were gonna turn all the members into Xehanort."

"Make more Xehanorts? You tricked your friends to... But you-aren't you scared of just turning into someone else?"

Xigbar raised his head and grinned maliciously, raising his golden eye. "Me? I'm already half Xehanort."

I stared into his eye. "That's nuts..."

"However- through weakness of body...weakness of will...or weakness of trust- most of the original members we had chosen for the Organization were inadequate. Thus, naturally, they never had a chance to attain their goal. Yet, even this was to be expected."

I gritted my teeth as I listened.

"We have learned of the heart's folly, we have achieved our other goals. This last excursion has proven to be a worthy closing assignment for the Organization.

"Just stop it!" I blurted out. "You treat people's hearts like bottles on a shelf, but they're not!"

I summoned my Keyblade, I knew it was time to finish this. "Hearts are made of the people we meet, and how we feel about them- they're what ties us together even when we're apart! They're what...make me strong."

"Duh!" Xigbar exclaimed from behind me. I wheeled around to look at him. "You're strong because of the ties you have with other people. As if the Keyblade would choose a wimp like you. But no pouting. We see much bigger and better things in your future once you side with us."

I sighed as I looked to my Keyblade. "I know the Keyblade didn't choose me, and I don't care. I'm proud to be a small part of something bigger- the people it did choose."

Xigbar gasped, and I knew what was behind me. They were always there. "My friends. They are my power!"

"Those are just words. You've lost. Fine. See where your power gets you here. Xemnas! He's all yours," he said before disappearing.

I turned to face Xemnas, who looked undisturbed. He slowly raised his hands above his head. All of a sudden, the ground beneath me began to shake and two buildings floated behind Xemnas. I clutched my Keyblade and stared right at him.

"As your flesh bears the sigil so your name shall be known as that...of a recusant." He said.

I didn't quite understand what that mean, but I didn't care. The buildings came crashing down a few feet before me. I ran past them and straight to Xemnas. I leaped into the air and slashed him across the chest before landing on the ground swiftly. I turned around to see his weapon drawn to me; I leaped back as I could feel the wind from the saber graze across me gently, but I wasn't hurt. I swung at him again, and I was startled to feel myself being forced back. He had summoned some kind of force field around himself. Frustrated, I threw my Keyblade at him, throwing him back as it returned to me.

"Take that!" I yelled.

He growled and came at me again. I raised my Keyblade and felt the force of his blow. I felt my legs sink a bit before his weight came off of me. I quickly rebounded and attacked him again. He disappeared.

"Where'd you go?" I gasped.

I felt a sharp pain in my back and fell forward. I turned my head to see him standing over me.

"Cure!" I yelled quickly as I felt my bruises disappear. I rolled away and turned. He was just standing there.

"Huh?"

I then saw it. All four force fields around me. Before I could see what his plan was, I jumped out of the trap. Xemnas began to shoot at me as I ran. I looked back to see a black ball, then Xemnas popping out. I quickly rolled and dodged the bullets. I got back up and saw him standing again.

We both leaped into the air at the same time and began to fight again. I swung repeatedly, knocking him back down. He got back up and spun around me, making a circle of bullets. I jumped into the air as they all collided. I attacked as he disappeared behind me. I then turned and knocked him back.

In a flash, Xemnas was back at the other end of the field. Buildings began to rise around him. I ran forward as the weight of them falling shook the whole ground. My eyes widened as a building landed right before my feet, sending the ground away.

Somehow I began to fly. Xemnas sent more buildings into the air.

"This is really getting old!" I yelled to him.

One of the buildings came before me. I split it in half and somehow landed back on the ground.

Xemnas immediately began shooting at me again. I ran straight to him and hit him multiple times, knocking him on the ground.

He raised his saber at me. I quickly knocked it out of his hand and began to pant. Xemnas began to float away. He was covered in darkness. Then, he disappeared.

I dropped to the ground. I was so tired. I turned my head when I heard a noise. I looked over and saw the man with silver hair again.

"You...again." I panted.

"You just make it too easy." He said. "I know you think you've won, but you lost the moment you dived this far in. You're in the deepest pit of slumber, and you've worn yourself down to nothing. There's no returning to the world above."

"What do you mean?"

"We told you. It was not the Sleeping Keyholes that guided you. They are not the reason you are here. You've been on a path, one we laid out for you. That sigil on your chest is the proof."

I reached for my chest and glanced at the white X on my shirt.
"What?"

"See? That sigil, the X, it tells us where you are at all times. You had wondered aloud before- why we kept showing up where you were. It's because we need you, Sora. Or, to be more precise, we need what will be left of you- the thirteenth dark vessel."

"Why...I..."

"Why was it assured you would come here today? Because I followed my destined path, and I'm here looking at you right now. You can move through time, but time itself is immovable. Today, all of my selves throughout time were meant to gather here, and to welcome you, Sora, as our thirteenth member. These facts cannot be changed."

"What's...gonna happen..." I asked slowly. I felt myself slowly losing consciousness.

"I have now told you all that I know. We are all here, and what the future holds in store is beyond my sight. I will return to my own time, and grow into the man who becomes all these others. While I know this future now that I have lived it, returning to my own time will erase the memories and experiences I have gained here. Still, my appointed path is now etched in my heart, which will first lead me to seek the outside world."

I stared helplessly as I saw my body slowly be consumed by darkness.
"Riku..."
"Your heart will sleep forever in the folds of darkness. And your body will be another vessel for me. So light gives way to darkness. Goodnight, Sora."

With a wave of his hand, everything went dark.

I felt my body slowly falling. I felt as though I recognized this place. A heart was following me, and it seemed so familiar... I thought my body would be consumed by darkness, but the heart stayed with me. It began to glow, and armor appeared on me. Protecting me from the darkness. I landed gently on a platform and was left there alone...

Somehow...I was aware of everything that was happening, but I was unable to move. I knew I was sleeping, but I don't know how I could sense everything.

My body was set in a chair in some kind of white room... It was very quiet in there.

I'm not sure how long I was there. Time seemed distant to me. It could have been hours or even days.

"Sora!" I heard a familiar voice call. It was Riku! I know it was! He came to save me! And he was okay!

As I thought things were going well, I heard him being thrown back. That man must have come back!

"Hands off my new vessel," He said.

"'Vessel'?" Riku asked.

"Yes. We originally had our sights set on you. But, you developed a certain...resistance to darkness. So we did what the Keyblade did, and moved down the list. Roxas...now there was a worthy candidate. But, unfortunately, he became too aware of himself, and returned to Sora. Organization XIII's true goal is to divide Xehanort's heart among thirteen vessels. Thanks to you and Sora, we learned not all our candidates were fit for the task. But, we managed to make up the difference. And now, Sora, the thirteenth vessel, is within our grasp."

"Thirteen...Xehanorts?" Riku asked. Then he gasped as I heard the members begin to take their seats. "What is..."

"The real Organization XIII."
"The Organization?"

"I am Xehanort from the most distant past," He said. So he was Xehanort! "My future self gave me a task- to visit the splintered versions of myself in many worlds, and ensure they gathered here today."

"From the past?"

"There are restrictions to movement through time. First, you must leave your body behind to do it. Then, there must be a version of you waiting at the destination. Upon arrival, you can only move forward as per the laws of time. And you cannot rewrite the events that are destined to happen."

"What have you done?"

"My most future self will arrive soon. Then, time for all of us will return to normal, and I will go back to my era to live the life fate has in store. He can vouch for that."

All of a sudden, I heard Riku gasp again. I then heard something like an explosion.

"Stopza!" Yelled a familiar voice. Could it be- "I'm glad I'm not too late."

"Mickey!" Gasped Riku.

I was so glad to hear Mickey come around. But how could he have gotten all the way over here?

"Just grab Sora so we can go! I can't stop them for long."

"Okay!"

As I thought everything would be okay; I heard Mickey cry out.

"Mickey!" Riku called out.

"I said, hands off!" The younger Xehanort exclaimed angrily.

"How can you be moving?" Riku asked.

I then heard him summon a Keyblade.

"Oh no. Are you..." Mickey trailed off.

"Be gone." Said Xehanort.

Both Riku and Xehanort had disappeared, and I was left to wonder what would happen to Riku.

Mickey and I sat there for what was only about a couple of minutes before Riku came back.

"Are you okay, Riku?" Asked Mikey.

"Yeah. Thanks, Mickey." Said Riku.

That's when I realized time went back to normal.

"Master Xehanort!" Exclaimed Mickey. "We were right about you!"

"All of this was decided. My twelve selves would welcome me here on this day, when I would return a complete person. It is the future which lies beyond my sight." Said an old but strong voice. I could only guess it was Xehanort.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Mickey.

"In ancient times, people believed that light was a gift from an unseen land by the name of Kingdom Hearts. But Kingdom Hearts was safeguarded by its counterpart, the x-blade. Warriors vied for that precious light, thus beginning the 'Keyblade War.' The violent clash shattered the x-blade into twenty pieces- seven of light, and thirteen of darkness. And the only real Kingdom Hearts was swallowed by the darkness, never to surface again. I once tried to create my own pure light and darkness to forge the x-blade, but the attempt ended in failure. In my eagerness, I had lost sight of the correct way to achieve my goal. I acted rashly. I can admit that now."

"What you did back then- your mistakes- changed the destinies of three of my friends!" Mickey snapped.

"Ah, but destiny is never left to chance. I merely guided them to their proper places. The broken boy who failed to be the blade... the misguided master who sacrificed herself for a friend... and the feckless youth who became my new vessel."

"I couldn't find a way to save 'em. But I wanted to believe that their sacrifice stopped you for good. Why? How was I so blind? I should've seen it, as soon as Maleficent started gathering the seven princesses of heart."

"Yes. They were all my doing. I used the evil fairy to find seven pure lights for me, just as I prepared thirteen vessels to fill with pure darkness."

"But you failed. Sora stopped you in your tracks on both counts," Riku cut in.

"Yes, he did. That dull, ordinary boy- a Keyblade wielder so unlike any I have ever seen. However, I have not abandoned my ambitions- the seven guardians of light and the thirteen seekers of darkness." I could feel Xehanort's gaze fall upon me.

"Seven guardians of light? Well, for Keyblade wielders, there's me and Riku and Sora. And there's my three missing friends, that's six. Then the seventh would be... That means...the thirteen seekers of darkness..." Mikey trailed off.

"Yes, little king. Perceptive. But Sora and another on your list belong to me now. And that puts you three guardians short. But worry not. All of the pieces are destined to appear. Your seven lights just like my thirteen darknesses, whose final clash will beget the prize I seek-"

"The x-blade!" Both Mickey and Xehanort said in unison.

"But first, the thirteen darknesses shall be united. All the seats have been filled. And now the last vessel shall bear my heart like the rest!"

I felt the chair that I was sitting on begin to rise. A certain panic began to build up inside of me. What would happen to me? What would happen to the others? Would I know what is happening anymore?

"No!" Mickey shouted, starting to run.

"Sora!" Riku yelled, joining Mickey.

Xemnas pinned Mickey to a wall as Ansem knocked Riku to the floor. I wanted to help them. But I just...

That's when I heard it, Xehanort's heart was headed towards me. But then something happened- it stopped!

"He made it!" Mickey exclaimed.

"You!" Xemnas said.

My body was quickly lifted in all of the commotion. It also felt surprisingly warm.

"Axel!" Braig shouted, pounding his chair.

"Axel? Please. The name's Lea. Got it memorized?"

I have never been happier to have Ax- I mean- Lea around before.

"You're not supposed to be here!"

"Promises to keep. I'll always be there to get my friends back. What, bad timing? You had your perfect little script, but you kinda forgot to write the sequel. Now, let's find out what happens!"

"What now, you old coot?" Xigbar asked Xehanort, completely furious. "Our time is up!"

All of a sudden, I felt my body jerk in Lea's arm and I heard the sound of metal against metal.

"Isa!" Lea gasped.

Whoever Isa was didn't say anything, and Lea jumped down off of the chair. I then heard Mickey and Riku escape.

"Why are you here, Axel?" Riku asked.

"No, I told you my name's- Agh, whatever, Axel, fine. Now let's get outta here!" Said Axel in a hurry.

"Right!" Mickey said.

Axel jumped back as something grabbed Riku and Mickey. I couldn't see what it was, but it didn't sound human.

I then heard screaming. No, it definitely wasn't Riku or Mickey...

Something freed Mickey and Riku, and I'm pretty sure I knew who it was. Or, who they were.

"Were we supposed to do that?" Asked Donald.

"I think so," Goofy replied.

"Goofy, Donald! You saved us!" said Mickey happily.

"We are out of time. Neither the union of light nor darkness has been achieved, and we must all return whence we came. But, the gathering of the seven and thirteen is nigh. Let us finish this at the fated place, once your lights and my darknesses have joined together!"

And with that, the room was quiet once more.