"I am pleased we were able to convince your father to release you to our custody, Miss Jasmine."

For them, Sora, Alicia, Tinkerbell and Riku were only traveling for what felt like a few days. Still, in that time they'd managed to secure two of the seven Princesses they needed to gather. Jasmine, accompanied at her father's behest by Aladdin; was their third. Only three to go. The group was on their return trip from the palace, but were asked to make a detour to Aladdin's old hideout, as there were a few effects he wanted to grab.

Such as a backup to his current blade, a finely jeweled falchion blade, rest in its sheath at his side. According to him, while the blade was of quality make, it never served to just have only one, in his old line of work. As such, they'd all made the climb (or jumps in Alicia and Riku's case) up to the abandoned storage-hut that was once Aladdin's abode. Pushing aside a few crates, he found…nothing.

"…that's…weird. I could have sworn I put them here…"

The dark skinned man was confused. A pair of straight daggers, he had claimed from the Cave of Wonders were hidden in a small box he'd hidden further behind a series of crates. Yet the box was empty…even though the sand that had settled around the crates looked completely undisturbed.

"Perhaps…someone stole them?"

Jasmine gave a soft snort. "An ex-thief becoming a victim of theft. Oh the irony."

"No…that's impossible. Sora, remember the box I had you lock? The one that would only open to me or you?"

"Uhh…oh! Oh yeah! When I came back before we fought…" Sora trailed off, looking down.

"Kurt Ziza." Tinkerbell finished for him, gripping his arm, recalling the terrifying fight against the bladed demon of the sands.

Jasmine looked between Aladdin, Sora and Tinkerbell in confusion, sensing the sudden tension in the air.

"Yeah. Then. Well…in the box I put a pair of daggers that were cold to the touch. I figured they'd come in handy later. I got them off the Cave of Wonders. Well…they're gone."

Daggers cold to the touch…

"Ser Aladdin, did you have them enchanted or rune inscribed yourself?" Alicia asked, an idea forming in her mind.

Aladdin shook his head. "No I just found them that way. I had Genie take a look at them and he said they were ancient. But their power would never fade, even if they somehow broke."

"Wait. Alicia…are you thinking it's like Yuffie's sword?" Riku asked the blonde Valkyrie.

She nodded in response. "Yes…it's likely that if Aladdin truly had the chest sealed by a Keyblade of all things, the only explanation is that those daggers were from Seth's time…and were erased along with him…just like the Yukianesa…"

Aladdin and Jasmine both blinked, confused. Sora sighed. "It has to do with part of the reason why we're gathering the princesses together. We've got a lot to explain but that…will have to come after we get everyone and get back to Radiant Garden."

"So they weren't stolen?" Jasmine pushed for clarification.

Alicia shook her head. "Most likely they vanished with their only Observer being removed from existence…"

Jasmine frowned. Upon attaining her Keyblade, she gained a vast deal of knowledge of abstract concepts, most dealing with the Heart and Existence as a whole. While not fully versed on the role of an 'Observer', she knew enough to know that things vanishing because a person effectively died was…bad.

"But as Ser Sora said, there will be a great explanation later, once we've collected you all."

Jasmine nodded.

"Oh hey there's still a warp point here." Sora called out, having looked around a bit. "We can just pop back to the ship from here."

It was agreed, and then done.

Pity that.

Because had Sora returned with the group to the place they first came from, that being the Oasis that separated the city of Agrabah and the desert leading off to the Cave of Wonders, he would have encountered a pair of people.

And had he encountered those two people, a strange sight would have been beheld. That of a single, blood red tear shaped crystal gathering a swirl of darkness, which released six rings of light before turning into pillars that connected and flared to form a giant rotating six-faceted jewel, the size of an average human teenager.

And should he have seen this event, he would have queried to its nature and purpose. And were he to have succeeded that query, a great many coming events would have been changed, if not prevented outright.

But as it was, he did not see the crystal forming. Nor did he see the six smaller ones form around it. And neither did he witness the slow, gentle rotation of the center crystal, as the smaller ones softly revolved around it.

And of course, due to none of the above being witnessed by him, nor any of his traveling companions, he did not see the young brown-haired girl, and her large, dark skinned, bearded companion, leap towards the city walls, only to break open two small thin objects, which in seconds formed two, personal aircraft.

As well, because the Gummy Ship was hovering just outside the planet's personal gravitational field, and not say, above the city or landed nearby, he did not see the glowing, swirling, grey and pale lavender cone shaped distortion, clouds of dust and shimmering particles spiraling within, nor did he see the two small glowing craft suddenly lurch forward and shoot through the distortion at an impossible speed.

For if he had…things would have changed.

Oh the end result would have been the same, regardless. But the path…

Oh the path would have been so very different.

Kingdom Hearts RE: Order

Chapter 20: Gathering of the Light

A blinding flash.

A rumble of thunder.

Walking through the collapsed ruins, she dispassionately gazed at her surroundings. The red waterscape again. As before, partially submerged broken buildings. Archways that seemed half-constructed. Pillars of marble and stone, chipped, missing entire chunks of themselves, yet somehow still standing. A swirling, angry clouded sky. To look up was to gaze into the eyes of madness. Red, violet, grey arcs of sparks of power shooting between the nearly black red clumps.

And yet she never felt safer.

Here. In this place. A feeling of loss, of need, of incompleteness…yet at the same time, a feeling of safety. A sensation of comfort.

There was something new…however.

It was still unfinished. Chunks missing from its form. But yet it stood, erect, like a monument…a testament to Will incarnate.

A single tower, off in the distance. Incomplete…but growing as time passed.

And as she stared at it…she spoke.

"Home…

I'm going Home…"

"She's getting worse."

"Yes. That's not exactly a thing we want."

Once again, Ino was sitting with the violet haired Goddess. Every week, on the same night, at the same time, her dreams would be cleaved through, and she would find herself in the conceptual space belonging to Tiamat; or rather just Tia, as she asked to be called now, due to her severe reduction in power. And every week, they would converse. Tia would teach Ino, in a manner not dissimilar to Seth, and Ino would bring news of the outside.

Their bond – if one could call it that – was not to the level that Seth's had been with his Goddess. Ino was merely an Observer, maintaining Tia's existence through sheer force of will. At one point, the Chaos Goddess could have easily both Beheld and Erased any world she desired…but with the loss of Seth – her only remaining tie to existence, and the primary source of her Power – she was at risk of fading away.

Though Tiamat had become such a being, during the time of Earth, that she didn't truly need believers in order to exist, let alone function; with Earth's destruction, and now Seth's erasure, since nobody but those Seth had come in contact with, truly knew of her existence (save one or two worlds that seemed to function as if based off of her time of origin) her power was severely diminished. Her very existence at risk.

And Ino…she was a studious acolyte, Tia would admit, but Ino's desire for Tia's existence was only due to Tia being tied to Seth. Because of this, a true bond could not be created between the two. Tiamat was stuck in a space of non-existence, powered by Ino's Observation, but with Seth's erasure, a massive chunk of her power was lost, permanently. Oh in time, with the right conditions, she could once again return to her Godly level of strength, but as it was, she was as a fledgling Goddess, a child, in terms of concept in comparison to some others.

And oh how it irked her. But then again, you would be angry too if you could cleave cities in twain with just a thought, and now were barely capable of burning a house down without exhaustion.

But as was said, the 'bond' between Ino and Tiamat was more of a business venture. An agreement. Ino would Observe Tiamat, and Tiamat would remain existing. All in hopes (Ino's hopes, that is) that Seth would return.

But as Tia felt she was getting too much out of the agreement – while not unpleasant, being as weakened as she was, she was no longer immune to the scales of Balance – she decided to assist in Ino's mental construction. Seth had done a good job helping the girl re-forge herself, but she still lacked focus, outside of him. She needed refinement, and that's what Tia was doing.

And at the same time, since Tia was unable to truly synchronize with Ino, the way she did Seth, and she no longer had the power she used to, allowing her to Observe anything she desired; Ino would update Tia on the comings and goings of the World. And with each update, Tia grew, just a little stronger.

"It's hard to believe it's been two months since Sora headed out…"

"When you think about it, it's not surprising. Each world, being disconnected from one another, has its own flow of time. Did that woman, Ariel, not say such? For Sora, it's been merely a year, if that, since he last saw her. For her, it's been twelve. Each World is its own reality, its own self-contained timeline. And all revolve in the greater Time."

"She's driving herself nuts."

"Not unlike yourself at one point."

"True…"

Kairi.

Kairi was slowly going insane.

This was obvious to everyone. She always looked as if she'd received little sleep, always pushing herself further and further. To hear her say it, the situation was much like when Seth had all but vanished from her perceptions, during his wanderings to restore Ino. She could still sense Sora, but the presence was weak, muted by distance and differing time. With Seth no longer existing in any form, to act as an amplifier, Sora's presence in her heart was quieter. More background than ever before.

On the one hand, that was a good thing. Less clashes in intention and emotion. On the other, it was bad, due to it being too 'quiet'. It was not unlike being near the ocean, hearing the waters crash upon the waves. To hear it so clearly, to fall in relaxation…and then to find the sound suddenly fading. As it became more familiar, you got used to it, it no longer was as loud, you could focus on other sounds, as you began to tune the waves out.

For Kairi, Sora's presence was that sound. With Seth around, that sound was always amplified. It was background, but still easily heard. Still very distinguishable. With Seth gone, that sound was weakened, muted. Oh it was still there, but it wasn't as obvious. Comfort could not be drawn as strongly from it, as she had gotten too used to it. And now, with Sora away for two months, and Kairi well aware of their connection, it was as if trying to hear the sound of the waves from farther from the shore.

And that was driving Kairi insane. It wasn't through anyone's fault, however. It is a side effect of becoming well aware of one's own bonds. Being a Princess of Heart alone granted Kairi the ability to sense her 'Heart Links', and their strength. Being the Keeper of the White Heart, however, boosted that ability tenfold. And being in a depression, from feeling that Seth, one of her most cherished, was gone, made her all the more aware of the connection to Sora.

While unlikely to ever break, the feeling of it could grow less noticeable…and that was a problem, at a time where she needed to notice it.

Kairi was throwing herself into the restoration of the Castle. Reconstruction of damaged or decayed areas, cleaning and updating of the many rooms and halls...with the arrival of so many offworlders, the Castle needed to be turned into makeshift housing. It seemed that every two weeks, someone had been thrown to Radiant Garden from the destruction of their world at the hands of Skeith.

And for some reason, they went there, rather than a different border world like Twilight Town, or even Traverse Town. Yet only theories could be thrown about.

"I hope he comes back soon. Kairi needs him."

Tia blew her hair out of her face. "Now…I can't tell if you mean Sora, or Seth." It was true though. Ino's steadfast refusal to believe Seth was permanently erased made it sometimes difficult to determine whom she was referring to.

"Both, honestly…but mostly Sora. After all, she did pick him."

"True enough…"

Seven Princesses. Each from their own home worlds, each bringing with them one of their closest companions. Each one bearing the same title 'Princess of Heart'. Technically six since one of them lived on this World.

Ten survivors. Each one from their own worlds, destroyed by the Terror of Death, the World Ender known as Skeith. There was no known return from this method of destruction, for this was not mere concealment of existence, or consumption of purpose. This was Annihilation. However, one of those had been Accepted by the World (or rather by its Princess), and now called this place Home.

Six Committee Members. Each of these had their initial Worlds consumed by the Heartless long ago. Of these, five came from the same world, one came from a different one. All of them, however, have come together under this World's banner, accepting it, and being accepted by it, as their Home.

And a shitton of Keyblade wielders.

All of the Princesses had Keyblades. At least one of every pair of Survivors had Keyblades. And yet none of the Committee members, had Keyblades. But there were others.

All of them gathered in a location that was very familiar for the Seven Princesses.

The Grand Hall. The place where Sora had his final confrontation with the possessed and corrupted Riku. The place where the gateway to a distorted realm, housing a dangerous Keyhole, only opened by the resonant powers of all seven Princesses of Heart of the Realm of Light, leading to the gateway of Kingdom Hearts, housed beyond the Realm of Darkness, resided.

And now, the place where all of these people, had gathered.

And above them, stood Kairi.

"To my fellow Princesses, Welcome. To everyone else, it's good to see you all here. To my peers, you've been likely told by my boyfriend and retainer, Sora, that there was a major problem that threatened every single one of our worlds, far more dangerous than the Heartless could ever be, in play." The redhead began. To her left, stood Sora. To her right, Ino, presenting a front where, would he have been alive, Seth, would have taken.

Even Kairi knew she'd have tried to get Seth to explain things, his rough, direct but sometimes humor filled speeches and descriptions being…helpful in more ways than one. But Ino told her, as did Naminé and her own memories of some of Seth's existence; that he'd have just stepped back and said: "It's your show, red. I'm just passing through."

"I'll get to the point. My Princesses, look to your right." The way it was set up was that there was obvious division between the seats. The Survivors were on the far right of the hall, the Princesses and their companions in the center, and the Committee to the left.

"All of those people there, are survivors from the latest threat. Each of their worlds has been Erased."

"D'ya mean like with the Heartless?" asked Alice, the once youngest Princess of Heart.

Kairi, however shook her head. "Worse. The Heartless…Consumed our worlds. Shrouded them in Darkness, pulling them into a state where they were tied directly to the Realm of Darkness. However, our worlds weren't in that state long enough to be broken down, thus, they were returned when Sora destroyed their leader, going by the name Ansem, and closed the door to the Realm of Darkness. Our worlds weren't so much destroyed as they were displaced."

Kairi took a breath and then continued. "There is…was…and is again, a force even more dangerous than the Heartless. As well, you all no doubt have noticed that the activity of the Heartless has greatly diminished. This is again due to Sora having closed the Door to Darkness, which was a conceptual gateway that was between the Realm of Light, our realm, and the Realm of Darkness, where the Heartless reside. Those Heartless that still continue to exist on this side of the door in an active state, are the Emblem Heartless; manufactured, fake Heartless that perform similar actions to the originals, but don't consume Hearts as much as they Seal them."

Kairi shook her head. "But that's not the point here. This…thing. Is called Skeith. The Terror of Death. It is a powerful being capable of destroying entire worlds on its own. It can hop between worlds in ways we can't track or figure out, it is hunting Keyblade wielders, and in the process, destroying Worlds."

"How? And if this creature is such a threat, why hasn't it been disposed of before now?" Queried Cinderella.

"That's the problem. It…it's too powerful. We…"

Ino suddenly stepped up and put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. She whispered something in Kairi's ear, getting the redhead to tilt her head in surprise, before nodding.

"Alright." She said, before taking a breath. "There was a man. A man who was just as powerful as Skeith."

"Seth, you mean." Again, Alice spoke up, and Kairi nodded.

"As Alice has pointed out, this man was called Seth. He was…the closest thing to a God I've ever encountered. He too, was a survivor of his world being destroyed…only his world was destroyed thousands of years ago."

Murmurs of the impossibility, save from those who had met the man.

"He survived due to the machinations and actions of two of his world's most powerful conceptual beings. Literal Gods, on his world. Almost two years ago, he was awoken forcefully by way of the actions of the surviving Nobody called Xemnas, the Nobody of another powerful man, called Xehanort."

Some of the princess' eyes narrowed. They remembered that man's name.

"Because Xemnas forcefully woke Seth, and then stole Seth's body for his own, Seth was almost banished to the Realm of Darkness, but held enough of himself to hunt Xemnas down. In the process he intended to reclaim his body during a moment of distraction…but I got in the way."

Silence and blinks.

"I got in the way, and instead of Xemnas being ejected, Seth's essence partially merged with mine, invading my body and pushing my consciousness to the background."

"Neva told me this…" Alice muttered.

"After using my body as a tool to pretty much hand Xemnas his ass, (snort from Riku) Seth left my body and reclaimed his…at the cost of the battle destabilizing my home, Destiny Islands…and erasing it."

"…he definitely never told me about that…" Alice spoke, horrified. Kairi turned to Alice.

"Don't…don't think less of him for it, Alice…please. It wasn't his fault. None of us knew what would have happened from the fight at our World's Core…and Seth was never supposed to be there in the first place. Its all Xemnas' fault, and he got rinsed. It…still hurts but he never intended the Islands to be erased…actually…we never told him. It's likely he figured it out on his own but…we never told him directly."

Alice slowly nodded, assimilating the new information.

"If he's so powerful, where is he then?" Aladdin spoke up.

"Missing." "Dead." Came two responses. The vague one, from Melody, off to the right side of the hall. The definitive, from Riku.

"Wait…which one?" asked Snow White.

Kairi sighed. "We don't know. Circumstances suggest he should be gone forever…but…well…some of us know just how complex his existence was, and are unsure. We're operating under the assumption that he's gone for good, because that's just the best course of action to take right now."

"What happened to him?!" Alice demanded.

"…Ino?" Kairi turned to the black haired girl, who stepped forward.

"For those of you who don't know, my name is Ino Memoria. I was once a fake Nobody created by Xemnas to act as a leash and then a drain on Sora, and Sora's Nobody, Roxas, to claim the Keyblade for Xemnas' goals. Because of the method of my creation, I nearly went insane with the revelation as to what I was, and was forced to fight my best friend and First Love, in order to set things right. I was defeated, as I intended to be, and expected to die completely."

She spoke…not with pride…but with focus, and confidence. A strength she never had until meeting the one she loves.

"Somehow, I didn't. Despite being a Fake, I ended up, through my collective experiences, creating my own heart. Though it was small and weak, upon my destruction at the hands of Roxas' Keyblade, my heart was sealed deep inside of Sora's, to a level that no one could detect me. Everyone I knew, had their memories slowly sealed away, my very concept being forgotten by the world. Seth…due to his awakening, inhabitation and subsequent permanent connection to Kairi, ended up somehow mentally landing in the space I resided. At first, he was unstable, appearing only for a few brief moments, unconscious and badly injured, vanishing before I could determine if it was a mirage or not.

After, he had found a way to get to my conceptual space without issue. He…saved me. From myself. I know some of you have met him. Some before he saved me, some after."

"I met him." Called out Belle. "He came to Adam's castle, appeared in my room without invitation, and proceeded to curse out an unseen person for showing up while I was in the nude. He refused to leave until I answered his questions, though he accepted my condition for him to stop looking at me. He was travelling with a little girl, who didn't want to follow my demands, until he explained why I demanded as such. The girl…his interactions with her seemed as if she was his daughter, but he…in a sense refused to explain their connection. He asked me his questions and turned down my invitation to join myself and my husband for dinner, proclaiming we'd likely never see him agai-

Suddenly Belle stopped and stared at Ino.

"…Life…and Death…" she spoke vaguely. "You…you are the…the result of what he was after, aren't you?"

Surprised, everyone turned to Ino, who smiled weakly.

"Yes. He did…many things. Positive and negative…all for the sake of finding a way to return me to existence. He made me a promise, and he made good on that promise. I used to be called Xion. I was a Nobody…no…less than that, I was a fake Nobody. But because of him…I became a person of my own."

"Wait just a moment." Came the voice of Jane, sitting next to the confused Tarzan. "But how is that possible? You said yourself that everyone who knew you, had their memories of you removed. Or…locked away, I think you were referring to."

"That's right." Ino said. "But that's why he did what he did in the end. Since he didn't learn of me until after I was destroyed as Xion…"

Jane's eyes widened. "He wasn't affected by the strange conditions…because he learned of your existence directly, after you already stopped existing. Fascinating…"

"That's exactly right. Because of him, I became real. I made my own name and existence. And I know firsthand, from experience fighting against him, and alongside him, how powerful he is. Though…a lot of that power was because of his connection to a being known as Tiamat."

"The ancient Babylonian Goddess of Chaos was Real?!" Jane suddenly blurt out.

And then she began to glow.

A soft, violet-grey haze of light appeared around the brunette woman's body, before seeming to detach and form into a single small orb. This orb then broke into even smaller spheres, that then rocketed towards Ino…or more specifically, the Driver that had appeared around her waist.

"What the-

And suddenly there was a low, deep roar. Before the Driver flared with light, spitting out a wall that formed into a large Crest comprised of seven triangles. The Crest float in the air for a few seconds, before being replaced by a single, glowing violet wall of light in the shape of a feral eye.

(BGM: Dark Souls – The Ancient Dragon)

"Well…this was unexpected…"

"T-Tia?!" Ino exclaimed.

"Hmm…ahh yes…I see now. An interesting coincidence. I didn't see this coming."

"Tia what the hell?!" Ino demanded. "You told me you didn't-

"Have enough power to actively interfere. I don't. I still don't. This is happenstance, nothing more. That woman there Knows of my existence, something I did not expect, and she holds a Weapon of Heart's Light. You should comprehend what that combination means."

"…a temporary power boost due to someone else temporarily Observing you."

"Quite. Very well, I shall make use of this. I am Tiamat, the original Chaos Goddess, and one of the only remaining remnants of the First World, known as Earth. The human in question is known as Seth, he was my Greatest Champion. Earth was destroyed, but before it was, I bound my concept, and the concept of another still active Goddess, to his. The idea was that in time, he would survive the end of Earth, and awaken much later, to live in the new reality created after Earth's destruction."

Everyone was silent. It wasn't often that a literal Goddess spoke to you directly.

"The other being they speak of…is the reason my Champion no longer exists, despite what Ino and Melody wish to believe. Though I would prefer to hold on to this increase in power, I will now use this, to show you the last events that my Champion experienced. You will see, and understand why Skeith is such a threat."

And with that, the eye flared, blinding everyone in the Hall.

My champion…my child…

He was one of two survivors. He was powerful, wild, skilled.

None of that mattered.

A city at night. Seth leaning on the edge of a clock-tower's spire.

He was bound to a blade. A curved longsword known as a Katana. The blade had a name, as it was created to combat the Keyblade, by his people. The blade was called Kitetsu. He attained it from a woman known as Midori. She was his mentor, his teacher, his friend…

He killed her, to gain the blade.

Suddenly a random distortion of prismatic colors formed. From within the center of the rippling, warping gateway came a massive being of stone.

But do not look down upon him for it. This was the will of the blade itself. The blade would follow its wielder to the ends of existence, however, should its wielder be killed by it, whosoever delivered the finishing blow, gained the right to wield the blade. This was due to the blade's concept, its power. The blade was created as to combat the magic of the Keyblade, the power of the Heart. To do so, the blade was given a power beyond its surprising durability.

A red haired boy raced at the creature, the monster having thrown gigantic chunks of ice at the clock-tower. The boy was defeated soundly, his tiny dagger doing nothing against the stone creature's skin. In seconds, the boy was bound to a blood red cross, before a gale of prismatic arrows slammed into his body. His screams of agony could be felt as his body was torn apart from within.

And only after the boy was erased, had Seth been able to break off a part of the tower and attempt his own assault on the creature.

Yet nothing worked. He attempted the Yukikaze, only for the creature to slip to the left. The Gekkou too was evaded, by a swift juke to the right. And the Kassha went right past it, as the creature ducked.

The blade's power, its purpose, was what kept him alive for so long. To Cut that which cannot normally BE Cut. The power to cleave through barriers of all sorts, to slice shields of immaterial make, to carve into protections that only a Keyblade would be able to break. His was a blade only of Destruction. The ability to Destroy that which it came in contact with, doubly so if it were of a nature that could not easily be broken.

Should the Kitetsu have been used to cut that which had an abnormal protection, that object, that defense, would be cut. The blade was without peer. Forged initially to be able to consume the blood of those it struck down, and use that power to temporarily create a phantom, shadow version of itself, at some time during Earth's history, it was re-purposed. It was still capable of the blood-infusion, but now, it was blessed, or cursed, to cut through all.

They watched him fly back, on the piece of clock-hand he was using as a mobile platform. He kicked off the black arrow, leaping even higher than before, his katana glowing with a pale, violet-grey shimmer.

They watched him swing, performing the Zero Phantasm. Reality was cleft in twain, space itself distorting in the wake of his strike.

A blade, certainly without peer. For the more abnormal defenses one had, the stronger the blade became. A blade that could possibly even cut God.

Before, every strike that Seth had made, the creature, Skeith, evaded. But this one? It made to block.

And it was useless.

The Kitetsu broke.

The look of shock in his eyes set the hearts of those who had cared for him plummeting into their stomachs. A single swing of the blood red, cross-tipped staff sent Seth flying back, where he slammed into the stone lip of the clock-tower's edge. The pain on his face caused sobs from some that knew his true power.

It was truly luck that allowed him to survive the first encounter.

He was stuck. Bound to the cross, the same way Peter was. Skeith lift its left arm, and that damnable bracelet appeared. Even those who hadn't known him, whom were just learning of him this day, became worried, seeing the look of pained horror on his face. Yet, as the arms of the device reached for him, just before the flares of light turned into arrows of destruction, a murky black distortion opened up behind him.

And for a brief few seconds, they saw the head and torso of a light-skinned, large chested woman with pale grey hair reach her arms out from the portal, grabbing his body from the cross and pulling him through. The moment the Dark Corridor closed, the arrows had screamed past, converging on where he had just been, moments previous.

He stood alone, on a dusty plain.

And yet even then…though he had almost been destroyed at its hands...he still chose to fight.

He looked…terrible. Dark rings circled his eyes, the movement of his chest suggested tired, haggard breathing. His hair was powdered with dust and dirt from the blowing winds, his clothes torn.

But this time, he would not fight alone. Our Pact allowed me to join my power with his consciousness. And now, having been fully awakened, I was well aware of my Champion's plight.

They saw him clutch his chest, gripping the space right over his heart. He tensed, eyes screwed up in what could only be further pain.

A violet glow surrounded him.

I too wanted this creature destroyed. This…monster…that had nearly erased my boy, the last link to existence I held. He called upon the terms of the Pact. My power was his to wield.

He dropped to his knees, coughing. His muscles were tensed far more than they should have been. Streaks of violet began racing along his body, hair beginning to flutter of its own accord, for the winds had been cancelled by the force he was emitting.

He fell to his side.

And the wall of power emerged.

Under other circumstances, he would be granted a mere fragment. Enough to strengthen him, increase his attacking range and power, extend the limit of his stamina, his health. His skin would be difficult to pierce, if only because of the Shroud he would be encased in, one that mimicked my form. But this…

The power took the form of a dark violet ring that slowly turned into a sphere around him. Off to the distance, the rainbow distortion that accompanied Skeith's emergence into normal space, appeared.

This required far more. I began to infuse him with every bit of power his body could handle, and further then even more.

The sphere rose into the air, where it pulsed. And then without warning expanded. Beneath it, the glyph of Chaos formed. The sphere expanded again, now resembling an egg made by dark energy. The egg expanded again, now becoming twice the size of Skeith.

We had performed this kind of unison only once before. To destroy the city filled with those who had captured his Wife.

And then the egg shattered. A massive beast of malice and destruction had been born. A roar of pure rage erupted from its gaping maw. Two massive black leathery wings flapped slowly. They were tattered, with gaping holes in them as if to be a moth-eaten curtain. Its torso was heavily muscled, arms leading into five gleaming claws. Its head was crested with a pair of curved horns reaching from the temples into the air, a narrow snout, six eyes leading in rows along the sides of its skull.

Its lower body was comprised only of a single, long, curled tail. Its back was covered in jagged spikes all along the backside of the tail up its spine to the back of its head. The tip of the tail had four angled spikes surrounding it, as if to be a claw or possibly even a drill.

A few of you had named this state the Raging Dragon God. It is an apt name, for in this state he knows only destruction. To crush, to rend, to kill that which stands before him. A single-minded desire to simply Destroy.

And destroy it did. Only moments after the roar, the Raging Dragon God raced for Skeith, bringing right claw down.

Destruction was its Forte. Its calling. To draw from the power of Chaos itself.

...And yet not a single thing hit it. Every swing was dodged. Every swipe of its tail was evaded. Open-mawed lunges did nothing. Even when its wings glowed with holy light, flapping and sending streams of purifying rays at Skeith, not a single thing hit.

And like the Kitetsu…it was all WORTHLESS.

The tail's spines began revolving, indeed like a drill. One jab, two, three, four five six not a single strike found purchase. Skeith was evading every single attack, projectile, physical, magical, immaterial, nothing could land. All while it was landing hits on the Raging Dragon God. Devastation was left in the wake of every single attack performed by the massive beast, yet Skeith emerged from it all unharmed. Even its final gambit, a massive array of projectiles that were launched from the symbol upon its breast, was evaded. A veritable wall of individual spikes of energy, one that would require, if anything, a massively powerful defensive barrier…

That too was dodged. Beheld in horror, Skeith slipped through the many waves of miniscule destruction, to deliver a final strike right to the crest upon the dragon.

I mentioned his luck before…well…all luck runs out eventually…

The Dragon screech-roared as shafts of light began piercing through its flesh. First one. Then another. Then another and another until its entire body was illuminated by glowing fissures. And then it exploded.

Our unison was broken. Even I did not emerge unscathed. My consciousness, my power, was ripped from his. Perhaps that is why…

Slowly, he tried to rise. But they watched as the damnable bracelet appeared again. He was injured, exhausted…

But once again, as the Bracelet prepared to fire, a distortion of darkness appeared. The woman from before stepping into the path of the now oncoming arrows of light. Her body shielded his, the arrows piercing deep into her torso, her arms and legs, everywhere they could. The arrows faded and she was thrown backward, into his arms. They saw the fear, the horror, the pain on his face as the woman's body shuddered.

And then broke.

Under normal circumstances…one would rise in rage. Rise and fight, even if futile. Not he. Not this day…

And again…the bracelet formed.

He was alone.

The claws appeared.

He was devastated.

They began reaching.

In those last few moments, I hurt. I hurt because he hurt. I knew pain. I knew agony.

The glowing lights at the tips flared.

I once again…knew defeat.

The arrows were launched.

He had lost the last thing. The last scrap of will. His greatest power…it was not his gravitational fields. It was not the Kitetsu. It was not his knowledge of the Keyblade.

It was his will. His will to keep going. His will to survive.

They saw him slump, as if in defeat. His eyes became dull.

They promised him. I was there to hear and witness that vow. They promised to be by his side always. And though his logical mind knew that such was an impossibility, his emotional core accepted those promises as truth. And one by one, first his Sister, then his Wife, then finally his Apprentice…they all perished, leaving him alone. And with each broken promise, he too became more and more broken. Until finally he gave up.

It was only the grace of a single child, a single, damaged little girl, that he continued. And even then, that only happened after he was forced awake.

She betrayed him. For his own sake. He was hurt…but she promised him. One final time. That not everyone who ever loved him was destroyed. She remained, and thus, when he regained his memory of himself, when all was returned to him, she promised, as they did, to be by his side always. Even if he rejected her, even if he hated her, she would never leave his side.

The arrows struck home.

To him…that final promise was broken. He had nothing left. Once again, left alone. Once again, the deepest of betrayals.

And he too…

With nothing left. With all promises tying him down broken. With no reason to continue. He accepted his end. That, Ino, is why I believe him to be gone forever.

Broke.

Silence.

Broken.

"Well…that was a certainly interesting lesson in history."

A voice called out. A voice that a fair few recognized. A voice that none of those people ever wanted to hear again.

"Xehanort!" came the enraged calls of many. And lo, they were correct, for the man they called stepped forward out of the shadows of the Hall.

"How the hell did you-

"I've been here the whole time." The dark skinned man, age obviously not having taken him the way it did Eraqus, cut off Riku's angered query. Yet before anyone else could speak, a crackle of dark energy erupted around the man's left hand, morphing into his personal Keyblade. A series of flashes and crackles answered, as all others with their own Weapons of Heart's Light, drew them forth in response.

However the man merely smiled and gently knelt down, placing his Keyblade upon the ground.

"I have come in peace. And before you ask, I used to work in this castle a fair amount, there is a side-entrance to this hall that leads to a staircase outside. That is how I was able to slip in with nobody detecting me."

"Peace?!" Kairi yelled. "With all that you've done, you expect us to believe you're not plotting something?!"

Xehanort nodded gently, acquiescing to her disbelief. "All that I have done…I could apologize for until I am blue in the face, and my words would mean nothing to any of you. My way was lost, my confidence in my power and will unwarranted. My original goal was for science if you can believe that. Eraqus, my peer, was blinded by the Light. Believing that only the Light had purpose to exist, and the Dark must be destroyed. I disagreed heavily. For as our Master had taught us, Light and Dark were two forces that made up the universe. Without both in equal balance, chaos would reign."

As much as he wished to refute it, Eraqus knew his old friend was correct. He found himself nodding unconsciously to the man's words.

"But the Light…the Light had become too strong. My wish, my true wish, was to see the Dark rise to match it. Balance, must be maintained, after all. Yes…yes I was jealous that Eraqus was chosen to be Master over myself. But more than that, I knew that he would further cause this imbalance to tip in the scales of the Light. I gave myself to the Darkness, both out of confidence of my own abilities, as well as to learn it, to master it, so the Dark could come to match the force of the Light. Yet…"

He shook his head.

"Yet along the way my path was changed. My original goal of bringing forth the Keyblade of Darkness, to mirror the powers of the Light, changed. My desire for mild experimentation, my desire to balance the scales, became warped. I became obsessed, not of attaining balance, no…but to forge an entirely new world. Rather than balance the scales of the existing reality, my goal, twisted by the Darkness, became to create and rule over an entirely new reality. One that was balanced from the beginning. I saw myself as potential ruler, and sought whatever method I needed to attain that."

"Your words are as of honey, Ser." Suddenly Alicia spoke up. "Yet why would any of us accept such, when we know what you did, regardless of your initial desires? I know your plan, Ser. You seek to try to wield the Art of Comprehension, to try to get us to lower our guard, to see you in a sympathetic light, perhaps to reduce our intended punishment of your actions."

She drew her blade. "But we will not be swayed by tainted honeyed words. Your actions, regardless of their intentions, have set in motion the possible destruction of everything we know, and everything we don't. Mayhap I step beyond my station but you sealed your fate the moment you revealed yourself to us this day."

A gentle flare of light appeared around the blonde maiden's waist, bursting apart to reveal a silver belt with a white buckle housing a grey gem, the pattern of a winged sword at its core.

"For all that you have done, for all that you have set in motion, I, Valkyrie, the Goddess of Battle, sentence you to Death!"

A pressure began washing over the whole room as Alicia rose her free hand above her chest, preparing to swipe it along the core of the belt.

But before she could…there was Movement.

A flicker of light. A frown marring Xehanort's face suddenly, as his left arm swung up, Keyblade crackling into hand from the ground at his feet. A loud clang.

"V-Ven?! What are you doing?!" Aqua cried out. She was expecting Alicia to attack!

"She raises a good question, Ventus." Spoke Xehanort, moderately surprised at the sheer hatred in the boy's eyes. He was prepared to defend against the girl, the one who called herself Valkyrie…not his once-apprentice.

"Payback."

Xehanort's eyes narrowed. It made sense… "Indeed. Yet you realize you cannot defeat me alone, correct? You should have left things to the girl."

"Yeah, well…thanks to you, I'm never alone." Ven snarled.

Xehanort blinked in confusion. What did that mean?

And then he suddenly lurched forward, and it all made sense.

Fading into view, the faintly shimmering form of Vanitas, clad in his mask and bodysuit, stood, his own Keyblade, the red and black Void Gear, stabbing deep into Xehanort's spine. Slowly, the grey haired young man turned his head in horror, seeing the faceless masked teen behind him.

"'Sup, bitch? Stings like fuck don't it?" Vanitas taunted him.

And then he lurched again, as Ventus capitalized on his distraction, and impaled his Keyblade through Xehanort's chest.

"H-…how…"

"We came to an understanding."

"After all, we are the same person. And I gotta admit, he's got balls to try to kamikaze me."

"Didn't work though."

"Worked well enough. Locked us away in that brat's heart for ten years."

"Gave us time to talk. A lot."

"And we decided, we hate you. Well, I've always hated you, since you ripped me from him."

"And then I realized, if he hated you, then I did too, somewhere. I'd have been happy never seeing your face again though."

"Yeah well, I wanted to hunt you down, he wanted to just let it all go."

"But then I realized, if he wanted to hunt you down, so did I. So we made a deal."

"We ever see you again, we kill you ourselves."

"Don't need you repeating what you did to me, to anyone else if I can help it, after all."

"With you gone, that stupid little x-blade plan of yours could be forgotten, especially since only that Light-humping dickhead Eraqus would have really cared about it. And that douche-pocket wanted to stop it from being made, not make it himself. I hate him too, but at least he would have just killed us and set us free from the hell you planned."

Ven nodded, pushing his reverse-gripped Keyblade into Xehanort's chest a little further. "The pain would have stopped…forever. It would have really sucked never seeing Terra, or Aqua again but…it wouldn't have hurt anymore. Nobody could have hurt us anymore."

"Do you have any idea what it's like to constantly feel as if every muscle is being torn apart at once? To have every waking moment be filled with anger, hatred, sorrow, confusion and overwhelming incomprehensible agony, just because you happened to be breathing?"

"For ten years I saw his life as he saw mine. And it hurt. It hurt in so many different ways. And we fought. And we argued and we raged. But then we came to an understanding. Everything wrong in our lives was because of you."

"I existed because you made me. I suffered because of you. We suffered because of you."

"So now, we're going to pay back the favor. Only, unlike you, we're doing it right."

"One of light, one of dark, wasn't it? It's no x-blade, but two equal parts fusing together in one intention, that's what you were trying to do, wasn't it, y'old fuck?"

A hoarse gurgle was all that could be heard from Xehanort, as slowly his body began fragmenting into particles of light. There was nothing he could have done. The only reason his body didn't fragment until now was because he was fighting it with all his will.

"Besides, we owe it to Sora to get rid of you. You should have stayed our problem to deal with, not his, nor Alicia's."

"We are responsible adults after all. Gotta set an example and all that bullshit."

"Exactly. What sort of role-model would we be if we left our business unfinished? It's just in terrible taste."

"Kid's got enough on his plate without your stupid-ass overcomplicating things. And while we'd have liked to see what that pert little blonde hottie would have done to you, it's still not right."

Ven leaned to the side, as did Van, both of them nodding.

"Time to die, fuckface!" They both spoke at once, shoving their Keyblades forward, Xehanort stiffening completely, before his body shattered into light. Slowly, the fragments rose, coalescing into an orb of light that slowly shrunk, a series of crystal-like formations appearing around it, as a vague, outline of a heart began to form.

Suddenly, there was a whistling noise, and a round, spiked, red object, tainted with dark energy, ripped through the forming heart causing the crystal formations to shatter, the light to burst outwards, and the heart shape to completely dissipate. Both Ventus and Vanitas looked behind Ven, to see, of all people, Ino, with her right arm outstretched, a second chakram in her left hand, at her hip.

"Fuck was that?"

"Judging by how Ven simply jumped up and moved to attack him, I figured it would be a good idea to watch and pay attention. When Vanitas appeared, having stabbed him in the back, I realized what they were going to do, and agreed. We have way more important things to be focusing on than some old idiot who can't be trusted not to mess with us for his own gain. I remember Xehanort as Xemnas, and he was a dickhead. That said, it's entirely possible to be revived, even from being reduced to a lingering heart. Miri's done it, Sora's done it, I've done it. By breaking the heart, I've removed practically any possibility of him ever coming back to bother us again."

Eraqus, Terra, and a few good others stared at the girl in horror.

Alicia just huffed, the Driver fading back into light. "Honestly, I was going to behead the prick…"

And then it got worse.

"She's right." Came the voice of Kairi, shaking herself from her surprise.

"Ino's right. They both were. Xehanort's the whole reason basically any of this crap has happened. While it's thanks to him I met Sora, and Riku, and so many others, it's also thanks to him that my boys…all my boys, have died at least once. Xemnas is why Seth woke early, which got Destiny Islands, my second home, completely erased. Xemnas is why Seth was forced awake, without his memory, without knowing who he was, which led to all of this. Because of Xehanort, Xemnas existed, and because of Xemnas, Skeith exists. As long as Xehanort could exist in some state, we'd all be at risk from who knows what."

Kairi stood straighter, and took a deep, calming breath.

"Ino, Ventus, Vanitas…Alicia. As Keeper of the White Heart, it's my duty to unite with the other six Princesses of Heart to properly maintain and defend the Realm of Light. As Keeper of the White Heart and technical quote-unquote 'leader' of the Seven Princesses of Heart of the Realm of Light, on behalf of all of us, I thank you, for swiftly reacting to, and eliminating a major potential threat to all of our worlds." Spoke Kairi, a sense of power and focus in her voice.

"…huh. Didn't see that one coming."

Suddenly, Ven dropped to his knees, clutching his chest.

"Was wondering when that was gonna kick in."

"Yeah…? Fuck you too, Van…"

Vanitas just chuckled. "Switch places then. I'm surprised you lasted this long. Been longer than five minutes, definitely."

"Must…not have noticed…"

"Take a break, idiot. Can't exactly tap Aqua's sweet ass if we're broken due to a chaotic imbalance."

"…dude…" Ven panted out. "are you trying…to get our nuts kicked in?"

Vanitas scoffed. "I can take her."

Ven just shook his head, wincing immediately afterward. "Van. Bro. I'm going to be out. You'll be at half strength. She kicked your shit in twice when you were alone, at half strength."

"…shut up and get out the way."

Ven gave a pained chuckle. He knew how his dark half worked. "Don't piss her off too much, alright?"

"Yeah yeah…just go to sleep, fuckass."

The shadowed form of Vanitas stepped towards the kneeling Ventus, bursting into wisps of dark energy that wrapped around the blonde teen's body. After a few moments of the sound of rushing winds, and the sight of swirling black mist, a pulse of force gently rippled off the now shadowed figure. The dark mists receded, revealing Vanitas kneeling where Ven once was.

"Gaaah, fuck. Feels good to be fully on the outside." The masked teen commented, standing and stretching. The black and red bodysuit resembling the internals of the human body, stretched with him. The dark half of Ventus reached up and unclasped his helmet, pulling it off and shaking out the black hair that emerged. He turned around, a wicked grin on his face.

"What." Spoke Kairi.

"The." Continued Terra.

"Fuck." Finished Riku.

Vanitas…looked exactly like Sora.

His grin widened.

"Ok…why do you look like me?" Sora asked, surprisingly calm.

Vanitas just shrugged. "Before this? I looked like a red-eyed Neo Shadow. The old fuck we just offed figured that Ven survived by linking with someone's heart."

"…and it was my heart he linked with. Alright…that makes sense then." Sora nodded to himself.

"…Sora. Honey. Explain. Now." Kairi spoke.

"I happened to be born around the time Ven's heart got split. At some point, his heart reached out to mine, since he was on the islands at the time I guess, and I helped him recover. Vanitas over there, is saying that he got a normal looking body around the same time. Which means that Vanitas was still connected to Ven, when Ven connected to me."

"Sora filled in the blanks with himself, technically."

"Wait if he was a baby how's the fuck that s'posed to work?!" Called out Alice, speaking the question on everyone's minds.

"The heart…" Ino began, "is not…a truly 'normal' thing. It's an immaterial concept, much like the Soul. It's…very possible that even a baby's freshly forged heart has 'knowledge' or rather 'instinct' of how to perform normal functions. Sora's heart…must have radiated with Ven's due to Ven's calling out in pain and fear during his dying moments. And then Sora's heart, having all of its conceptual power, due to being pure, untainted by human experience yet, was able to supplement Ven's. As an instinct."

"Yes, that makes sense." Eraqus nodded, stroking his chin. "The heart is a powerful and complex thing, capable of feats even the Keyblade Masters of the past never knew. We called ourselves masters yet we too were still learning and growing. What Miss Ino described is a very well documented phenomenon. The Heart seeks links with others, to resonate, to unify. That is what connects the worlds, and people as well. However…I must ask, how is it you are in Ventus' place at this time?" He turned to Vanitas.

"Simple. While the Kid was off gathering the princesses, Ven and I decided we'd work on separating our respective powers. After a while, we learned that by tweaking our unison slightly, he could project me as a sort of quasi-physical shade. I can't go very far from him, and he can't hold the projection up for longer than five minutes without feeling severe strain on his heart. I don't feel shit, cause I'm not the one doing the projecting.

We also learned that we can basically swap places. Still don't know why though."

"It's because you're both the same person." Naminé spoke quietly.

"Fuck's that mean?"

"The body is merely a 'shell' that houses the Heart and Soul. You two are the same exact person, just with different thought processes. If Xehanort hadn't split Ven's heart, and created you as a separate entity, you would just merely be a voice, maybe a series of impulses. But you were split from the whole, formed into a singular existence, even if incomplete. You were essentially a Nobody, only one with half a heart. Ven had the other half. With the two of you merged back together as one, both halves connecting at the seams where they were ripped apart, you, Vanitas, should have faded.

But Sora filled the blanks left behind when you were torn out. Essentially giving Ven a second half, returning him to being a complete existence, while you only got echoes of that. You were incomplete, Ven was re-completed, but without you, his original darkness. When you two re-merged into one, it was one plus one half. Which is why you still exist as a separate being."

"That's what happened to you, isn't it Naminé?" Kairi suddenly said.

Naminé looked up in surprise, but then looked down and nodded.

"You were always complete, Kairi. I was created off of you, but you were never split. So when we re-merged, it was a whole, with a half. Same with Roxas and Sora. Sora's heart was never truly lost. It still existed within you. You filled the blanks. When Seth made Ino, he did so by calling out all conceptual memory of her. Which ripped Roxas from Sora, but Roxas had a strong enough sense of being that he filled in the blanks on his own. He made his own heart. And when Seth pulled me out of you, I made my own heart."

"But Vanitas was still half an existence." Aqua said softly, to which Naminé nodded.

"So while Vanitas fused back into Ventus, Ven was a whole of his own. Vanitas was his original darkness, but now it was no longer fully compatible with Ventus. So his existence is basically like a…veil. Vanitas feels complete because he's back where he belongs, in Ventus' heart. But Vanitas has not fully merged with Ventus, not in the way Kairi and Nu did, for example." Naminé explained further.

"That's why Vanitas and Ventus can switch places. Vanitas basically becomes the primary focused heart, and as such, the body, the 'shell' changes to match him being in control, while Ventus rests. They are together, but at the same time separate, but because they were both at one point truly one being, neither the body, nor Ventus' complete heart, rejects Vanitas. Because ultimately Vanitas is Ventus, the missing half that got replaced."

Naminé then turned to Vanitas. "Before we merged for a while, I existed as an autonomous being outside of Kairi. I could even interact with her from the outside. When we merged, for a while it felt complete, but I 'woke up' at some point, and I realized something was wrong. Even then, I could still influence certain things outside of Kairi, outside of her will. Because Kairi and Sora had completed one another, I was basically a 'veil' around her heart, anchored to something within. There, feeling complete, but still capable of moving entirely separately to her will.

Ventus got completed by Sora. That's why he never felt the pain you did, until after you'd merged and he sought to understand you. You were incomplete as you were missing his half of the heart, thus you, like a Nobody, were driven to seek completion, to seek the other side of your heart. Ven was completed, filled in by an outside source, without knowing of your existence. You have merged with him, but because of Xehanort, you will always exist as a separate entity."

"…I should have broken his damn spine first." Vanitas growled.

"BUT!" Naminé yelled, derailing his thoughts and drawing his attention back to her.

"Ino exists. Roxas exists. I exist. We're all beings who have created our own hearts, and exist outside of our progenitors. If we can do it, so can you. And you've already started. You can control the shared body, and Ven can 'project' you, outside of him. I've…gotten good at Crystal Synthesis, and by doing so I've had to think a lot about how things can come together. I can't promise anything, but once we've dealt with our current issues, I'll make sure that we focus on seeing about maybe giving you, what we have."

"…a body of my own…" Van spoke surprisingly softly.

Naminé nodded. "Without any of the pain you once felt."

A/N: I suppose i took long enough on this one. at this point in the story, it's been about two and a half or so months since Sora left originally, to go gather the princesses of heart. While not seen much in this chapter, Kairi's been barely holding on to her sanity since he left, but with his return, she's stabilizing quickly. Next chapter...War.

Though that might take a while. I suck at large-scale battles. as well, i'm in the process of moving all my files to a brand new computer. it's been slow going, but i'm about half-way finished. i figured i'd upload this chapter to hold everyone over until i get accustomed to the new thing...