Well, I think I'm on a roll with these recent updates. Here's hoping I can keep up the momentum. No major announcements at this time, so get right on to the chapter!
Chapter Notes/Revisions and Alterations: Extended Scenes.
Chapter 11: Revelations Part One
After leaving Radiant Garden and Aqua behind, Jack had gone hunting in search of another trail left by the Organization. Mickey had disappeared during the previous battle in pursuit of Terra-Xehanort, but Jack had found no trace of where they might have landed.
None of his usual suspect places had panned out, and he had spent the last couple of days scouring the lesser known worlds farther out in the Realm. He knew that his best bet of finding Terra likely meant finding Mickey again, and so he had also been keeping an eye out for signs of light nearby. The mouse King's strength of heart was the purest that he had ever seen, and would undoubtedly lead him once he got close enough to Mickey's whereabouts.
That was the theory he had been operating on, and as luck would have it, he found something near one of the last worlds he ever would have suspected.
(Sacred Moon, Kingdom Hearts II)
The World That Never Was lay in ruins, and Xemnas' old castle had fallen completely into disrepair. The shadowed city was nearly all that remained of the original Organization's fortress world. Though a new Organization had formed, the world had been abandoned and remained home only to certain Heartless and Nobodies too accustomed to its shadowy corners to find anywhere else to go.
Sensing a powerful light energy from the Lanes Between, Jack had landed in the dark streets and had been steadily making his way for the past hour.
Though confident in his abilities, Jack remained cautious as he did not know how many enemies were lurking out of sight. Keeping his hood up and his Keyblade hidden, he flitted from shadow to shadow with ease. Remaining out of sight had helped him cover ground more quickly, but at the back of his mind he was worried about all of the enemies that he had already passed. Were he discovered, he would have a lot of angry Nobodies on his hands.
He had sneaked about halfway through the city when he began to hear a quiet echo of a voice. "Jack…."
Upon hearing it, he had stopped and looked around. He saw nobody, but could hear the voice still talking to him. "What do you hope to accomplish, Wanderer? You will never rescue your friend, but that is only half the reason you are here. Your excuse to the girl about running away was so that you could find Terra, but that was not the whole truth. You cannot bear to stand beside them because…" the voice said malevolently, until Jack angrily interjected.
"I know what you are about to say. You can sense my thoughts and you think that they give you a glimpse into my motives. Get out of my head, Xehanort. You were never good at predicting what I'm gonna do next. You had Terra figured out, and Ven too. But not me. Never me." he retorted, now knowing the source of the voice. But even though he knew whose voice it was, he knew the man was not physically there. Not even Xehanort would risk showing himself in a world full of Nobodies that did not answer to him.
"How little you remember, or have forgotten, boy." Xehanort replied curtly. Then, Jack heard nothing more. Shaking his head as if trying to get rid of the old man's shadowy grip, he started moving forward once more.
There was a deeper reason for his venturing alone than he would admit to Aqua. It caused him great pain to keep things from her, but he knew that he could not bear the look of pity she would give him if she knew the truth. He found it easier to struggle in solitude than for those he loved to take pity on him. For now, he would remain but a Wanderer; a blade in the dark to strike at Xehanort from the shadows. For while he walked in the darkness now, it had never and would never find a grip on his heart. Darkness would be of little help against the Organization, and Jack had sworn to his master that he would never submit to its promises.
Master Eraqus had been the father he had never known. His defeat at Xehanort's hands had been the catalyst for all of the things that followed. It was in Eraqus' name that he journeyed now, and in the names of Terra and Ven that he swore to help stop Xehanort from achieving his goals.
His thoughts came screeching back to the present at that moment, for he felt that something was amiss.
He had made a mistake somewhere. He had been too deep in his thoughts, and had not been careful enough.
His presence had been noticed. They were following him now, unsure of what and who he was. Even as he continued walking toward the heart of the city, they were behind him, out of sight. With each step he took, they were growing in numbers. By the time he reached the center skyscraper, they would have a powerful force.
However, he set aside his worries. If they wanted a fight, then he was not going to run any longer. They would feel the cold steel of his blade, and the flames of his resolve. No one was going to stand in his way now.
Finally, he walked into the large clearing where Riku and Roxas had clashed years before. He gazed up at the towering skyscraper before him and walked up to the steps. Once he reached them, he stopped and turned around. They had never made an audible sound, but a force of Nobodies stood behind him. So vast in number were they that he could no longer even see the ground. The Dusks swayed back and forth, studying him passively.
They sensed him as an intruder, but were silently questioning just who had returned to the place after so long. With a confident smirk, Jack reached up and threw back his hood. The Dusks gazed upon his short brown hair, hazel eyes, and facial scar, but even then they did not recognize him. He had not been a part of Sora's struggle with their former master. Unperturbed, Jack summoned his Keyblade. At the sight of the weapon, the Dusks immediately turned hostile and started advancing on him. (end Sacred Moon)
(Deep Anxiety, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix)
The first Dusk launched itself at Jack, but the Wanderer struck it with a powerful slash that defeated it in one hit. Narrowing his eyes, he turned his gaze to the rest of the advancing horde. "The light shall claim you all." he growled. He then sprinted forward with his blade held backhanded and began a furious offensive.
Falling easily into his battle mindset, he slashed and sliced through a group of Nobodies. He pushed forward so far that within moments he was at the center of the Nobody army. Remaining calm, he waited as the closest ones simultaneously attacked. He swung forward and struck down the first attacker, immediately turning around to block the next. Sensing another strike coming from the side, he yanked his blade and the Nobody he had blocked into the way of the next attack. The two Nobodies collided and exploded with the force of their impact.
More Nobodies started pouring forward, and Jack allowed himself to fall into a frenzy. The faster they came, the faster he forced himself to go at them. Before long, to any possible onlookers he would have been a blur. It had always been common knowledge that he was the most accomplished duelist between Eraqus' apprentices, even when Terra was physically stronger and Aqua a far better mage.
For several minutes the Nobodies advanced and Jack stonewalled them, neither side letting up. Finally, in a momentary lapse of reaction, a Nobody struck Jack in the leg from behind. Feeling the sharp sting of pain from the back of his thigh, Jack whirled around and let loose a barrage of lightning. Shouting angrily, Jack spun in a circle and dragged the lightning with him. It followed and forked outward, lighting up much of the remaining horde bright enough to cloud Jack's field of vision.
The Dusks hit by the lightning fell defeated, but the remaining ones came harder than ever. Jack found himself surrounded again. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he reared his Keyblade back into a ready position and prepared for another bout. "The darkness will not claim me before my task is done!" he shouted at them.
"The darkness will NEVER have you, Jack!" a familiar voice rang out. A shining orb of light energy suddenly went crashing through the front line of Nobodies closest to Jack and the Wanderer looked up for the source. That was when he saw Mickey skipping over the heads of Nobodies, striking them as he made his way across the army toward where Jack was standing alone. Three Dusks launched themselves into the air toward the oncoming mouse, but Mickey elegantly dispatched them with a single stroke apiece and flipped multiple times in the air before landing at Jack's side.
"I could have taken them alone, but thanks. I've been looking for you." Jack said to him as their enemies regrouped for their next offensive. Mickey nodded.
"But it never hurts to have backup. I've been looking for you too. Master Yen Sid said you went off on your own again when I managed to contact him. I have news about Terra!" he explained. Jack's eyes widened, until he reached past Mickey and struck down a Nobody aiming for the King's back.
"Finish this later. Let's clean up first." he said, his desire to finish the fight quickly even stronger now.
"Right!" Mickey agreed and leaped back into the horde. He cast another Pearl forward that cleared through a line before flipping through the air at a dizzying rate and expertly cleaving through them with his Keyblade.
Jack followed suit and forcefully impaled his Keyblade into the ground, sending out a shockwave of earthen energy that knocked all nearby Nobodies back. He then dashed forward and raced through the horde, affording each Dusk one stroke each. He then stopped and looked over at Mickey, who was surrounded again. Narrowing his eyes, Jack raised his Keyblade toward the sky. "Gather!" he cast.
A spiral of magnetic energy appeared in the air above the horde, drawing in most of the Dusks around Mickey. Once they were trapped in the air, Jack curled his fist and channeled fire energy into it. He then threw his fist forward, launching a Firaga ball that exploded once it reached the floating enemies. The spell was not as powerful as Aqua's, but still strong enough to demonstrate his mastery over the spell. The flames incinerated the floating Dusks and stretched down to the ground, catching many other enemies on fire as well.
Without a word, the two Keyblade Masters then got back to back. "There are few enough of them now that a powerful surge of light should finish the battle!" Mickey told him. Jack nodded and waved his hand over his Keyblade. The blade erupted in an aura of light energy.
"Ready when you are, Mickey!" he replied. Mickey waited for the Dusks to advance once again, drawing near to where they were standing.
"Now!" he yelled, waving his blade forward and casting out a sweeping burst of light energy. Jack followed suit, and within moments the light was so blinding that he could not see anything in front of him.
The sensation passed after a couple of moments, and he could see that nearly the entire horde had been defeated by the joint attack. The few dozen Dusks that remained stared at them a few seconds longer, before whirling around and fleeing into the surrounding alleyways. (end Deep Anxiety)
(Missing You, Kingdom Hearts II)
The battle over, Mickey dismissed his Keyblade and turned to Jack. Seeing the man's face for the first time in years, he stopped in surprise. "Jack, your face…what happened to you?" he said in worry upon seeing the long scar that stretched across the right side of the young man's face. Jack shook his head and looked away.
"Long story. So how did you end up here? Is this where Terranort's portal left you?" he reflected the question and asked his own. Mickey noticed Jack's dodging of the question, but chose to move on.
"Yep, this is where he went. He didn't know that I followed him through, and I managed to learn a few things while he was here in the city." he explained. Jack nodded.
"And that's where you learned something about Terra?" he asked. The King nodded.
"I heard him speaking to one of the other Organization members. They have a temporary base set up in one of the outer worlds. I don't think it's their permanent base, but they are there for the time being. That's where Terra and the rest of the Organization are." Mickey explained, repeating what he had overheard.
"Do you know the name of the world they were talking about?" Jack asked urgently. This was the first news he had heard since he had retrieved Zack.
"A dying and abandoned world called Gaia, but I'm not exactly sure where the place is." Mickey admitted. Hearing the name Gaia, Jack let out a breath and closed his eyes.
"Gaia….how could I not sense it?" he muttered quietly. Mickey looked at him curiously.
"Jack?" he asked. The Wanderer sighed and looked down at him.
"Gaia is where I rescued Zack from. If their base is there….if Terra is there…I never felt a thing. I couldn't sense his light. It makes me wonder if….his light is still in there at all." he muttered, his thoughts dwelling on his best friend. Mickey reached out and caught his hand to get his attention.
"Terra is in a dark place, one he can't escape from on his own. But you and I both know how strong his heart is. Terra needs our help, but he is still hanging in there. You know that, too." he said sincerely, trying to take Jack's worries away. Heeding his words, Jack nodded with reassurance.
"But the good news is that I know where Gaia is. My next step is locating Xehanort's base." he said, moving on to the next topic. Mickey smiled.
"Great! Then let's go get Sora and the others, and head straight there!" he said happily. At the mention of Sora, Jack turned away shamefully.
"No, Mickey. I'm sorry, but I can't return to the light. Not yet. Not until….I right my wrongs." he said quietly, as if ashamed to even mutter it out loud. Mickey sighed, a look of pity on his face as he looked at the Wanderer's back.
"Jack, what happened to you and your friends….none of it was your fault." he said firmly, hoping to get through to the young man. Upon hearing his words, Jack rounded on the King with overwhelming sorrow in his eyes.
"You don't know what I know!" he yelled suddenly. Immediately realizing his tone, he sank to the ground and put his face in his hands. "I'm sorry." he offered sincerely. Seeing his friend's distress, Mickey walked over and sat beside him.
"Then tell me what you know, so I can help you through it." he suggested. Jack closed his eyes, and slowly nodded.
"Even my best friends don't know the truths of my past. Not the whole truths, anyway." he muttered.
FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE EVENTS OF BIRTH BY SLEEP….
At thirteen years old, Jack was younger and scrawnier than he was at his current age of eighteen. As he walked through the streets of Twilight Town, he wore the same hooded vest that he wore in the present day, though the rest of his outfit was different. Underneath the vest, he wore a black shirt of different design to his later one, and his pants were dark gray. Indeed, there was very little color to his appearance overall.
His hood was up, and his reasons for being in Twilight Town are a story for another time.
He walked through the streets, his mind on the purpose for which he had been sent there. However, as he walked into the Sandlot he could hear crying. Stopping to look around, he noticed a young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes sitting alone on one of the nearby benches. At first, he kept walking. He had a mission to complete, after all. However, before he got very far, the boy's crying caused him to stop. Letting out a sigh, he turned around and walked over to where the boy was sitting.
"Hello." he greeted kindly and sat down on the bench beside the boy. The boy looked up and warily stared over at Jack. His eyes were swollen and red and his cheeks were still moist from his crying.
"Who are you?" he asked, sniffling as he tried to compose himself. Jack gently lowered his hood, revealing his youthful and scarless face.
"I'm not from around here, but I want to help you feel better if I can. What's your name?" he replied and asked the boy. The boy didn't answer for a moment, staring at Jack as if sizing him up.
"Ventus." he finally muttered. Jack nodded upon hearing his name and smiled.
"Why are you out here all alone, Ventus? You don't look old enough to be out on your own." he asked kindly, hoping that they boy had a family to go home to. Ventus looked away from him and stared hard at the ground.
"I don't have any friends. The other kids here pick on me and don't want me around them. My parents…." Ventus began before bursting into a fresh round of tears. Jack heard the boy's words and nodded slightly.
"That's something we have in common." he said. Upon hearing that, Ventus looked back up at him.
"I hate this place. I know there are other worlds out there, but the adults say I can't go anywhere because I'm only ten years old. They say I have to wait until I grow up. But, I don't wanna be here anymore. I want to go somewhere where I can find friends and people that like me." he explained.
The more the boy spoke, the more Jack's heart was stirred. The boy's words reminded Jack more and more of himself, and Jack felt pity. He knew that if he had not gotten the Keyblade, he would still be in Ventus' shoes. With that, he made up his mind and stood to his feet. Ven looked up at him, and he called his Keyblade to his hand. Ven widened his eyes upon seeing the blade. "Woah….what is that?" he asked in awe.
"It's called a Keyblade, and it allows me to do all kinds of things. It even lets me travel to other worlds." Jack explained. Ven continued staring at the blade, until Jack gripped the blade and turned it around, extending the hilt to the boy. "Take it in your hand, Ven." he instructed. Slowly, Ven lifted his hand and gently curled his fingers around the blade's sturdy hilt. The handle was curved inward on one side to allow for easier handling of Jack's chosen backhanded style. Jack then let go of the blade and allowed Ven to hoist it up all on his own.
Jack smiled upon seeing a small surge of light energy travel down from the blade and into Ven's hand, before disappearing a moment later. The Keyblade then disappeared, leaving the boy speechless. Jack reached down and touched the boy's shoulder.
"Now, when the time is right, you will find the means to leave this place. When that day comes, I hope we find each other again. You are my bond brother, and now we are forever linked to each other. When you feel sad and think that you have no friends, remember me. You have something better than a friend; you have a brother." he explained. Ven heard his words and nodded gratefully. Then, without another word Jack turned and began walking away. He pulled up his hood, only to hear the boy shout.
"Wait! I don't even know your name!" he said with worry. Jack smiled and turned back to him.
"Don't worry. We'll meet again, Ventus. And on that day, you'll know who I am." he promised. He then turned and continued walking until he was out of Ven's sight.
PRESENT DAY….
"So, you're the one who gave Ventus the Keyblade?" Mickey asked. It made sense, for it had always been a link without a story to explain it. But the question remained. Jack's story had been before he had ever met Eraqus, and yet he already appeared trained in the Keyblade arts. Shelving the question for now, Mickey vowed to revisit it later.
"If only I hadn't, we wouldn't be in this mess." Jack replied.
"What do you mean?" Mickey asked him. Jack's story had been touching, but it had not explained Jack's feeling of guilt and shame.
"Six months after I gave Ven that power, he manifested his Keyblade for the first time. At that same time, Xehanort was seeking an apprentice in order test his theories on the X-blade. By giving one to Ven, I ensured that Ven was taken by Xehanort. Everything that happened after, the birth of Vanitas, our clash in the Keyblade Graveyard, Ven's heart going to sleep, that is all on me. Were it not for me, Ven never would have been targeted by Xehanort in the first place." Jack explained, laying everything out for Mickey to see. The King sighed.
"But Xehanort would have chosen anybody, Jack. It's not your fault that he's seeking the X-blade." he replied. Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe not, but it's my fault he chose Ven. It's my fault that he took Terra for his vessel, and it's my fault that…." he continued, before choking on his words and cutting off what he was about to say. The way he stopped made Mickey believe that there was yet more than Jack was letting on, but he believed that he had heard everything Jack was willing to say today.
"Jack, everything you have done in the last twelve years has been in defiance of Xehanort and in defense of the worlds. You have more than redeemed yourself for whatever you may have done. By helping Sora, you can leave all of that behind you. Now come on. Let's go find Sora, and together we can figure this mess out." the King replied firmly and stood to his feet. Jack looked over to see the mouse's hand extended to him. He looked past it and could see the Star Shard hanging on Mickey's belt.
He smiled and stood to his feet, as well. "Thank you, Mickey." he said sincerely. He then reached out, but did not grasp Mickey's hand. Instead, he touched the Star Shard and caused it to start up. Mickey realized what he had done and looked up with wide eyes.
"Jack, what are you doing?!" he exclaimed. Jack backed away to make sure he did not get caught in the spell.
"I am sorry, your Majesty, but I will only join Sora when the time is right. Right now, I have a friend to save and I have to do it alone. It's my duty, and my promise." he replied. Before Mickey could say another word, the Shard lit up and carried him into the sky. (end Missing You)
Now alone again, Jack turned away from the skyscraper and started back into the city. "Now that I know where Terra is, I'm going to get him. I don't care if I have to fight through the entire Organization to do it." he thought firmly. He then summoned his rider and leaped upon it. In another few moments, he had reached the Lanes Between and set course for Gaia.
Alright, there we have it. I was actually surprised going back to the original chapter for this and seeing how well done it was the first time. It was definitely one of the better chapters in the original version, and it only needed some more depth and explanation to better it. I hope you enjoyed as always, and I'll see you next time.