I really hope this came off right. I worked very hard on getting it just right.
Heterodox
He paced in circles, continuous circuits around the study. He had long since lost track of how many times he had passed the door, waiting. Where was he? Twenty minutes late now.
Xehanort was never late.
He knew the lead apprentice was sorely disappointed that he had ceased all further research on his project. Hopefully, this meeting would make the young man understand why it had been done. Some how, he doubted it would.
Xehanort had adopted the project as his own from day one.
The whole thing had started innocently, just a simple curiosity. The idea that the worlds could have a life and vitality all of their own, a heart that gave them existence was utterly fascinating. If Radiant Garden could thrive and prosper, why not other worlds? Why did some struggle, teetering continuously on the edge of total collapse?
As he continued his search for answers, he discovered amazing things. He'd always know there were other worlds; he was too much the scholar to not have. So many worlds and each of them wholly unique. And as he studied, he learned the truth.
And it had completely captured his attention. Light and dark had always been abstract concepts, something completely intangible. Only in reality they weren't. The worlds were made up of light and dark, contained by the heart.
Xehanort had been the one to discover Kingdom Hearts.
Kingdom Hearts, which was believed to contain all the answers. It was the heart of all worlds and shrouded in darkness. Why? Why would the heart of all worlds be encased in darkness? Was darkness the true state of everything?
Xehanort had a theory.
Perhaps darkness was the worlds and on a much smaller scale the heart's true essence. It was an intriguing idea and he had given his top apprentice the go ahead to pursue it. That was how they discovered the doors. Each world had one and it held that world's darkness. But it that door could be opened and released, what would that do?
Open the door to darkness, and one could purge that world of it. Would that put an end to pain, to hate, to suffering? How much better could things be if there was not darkness? In contemplating these things, he had forgotten one very important thing.
He had forgotten traditional thought. Darkness was needed as much as light. It took a visit from an old friend to remember that. He hadn't realized how distorted his experiments had made things. Stars were dying as worlds faded. He told his apprentice to discontinue the project.
Xehanort clearly had not.
So now he waited, knowing a confrontation was inevitable. His orders had been disregarded and he would not stand for that. More than that however was that his research had been corrupted. He saw this now. He didn't quite understand how it had happened but somewhere along the way, the apprentice had taken over.
Xehanort slowly opened the door.
