In the barren wasteland, dust swirled through the air amid thirteen stone columns.
"So, why are you back?" Marluxia asked.
"Nice way to greet your old partner in crime," Larxene retorted, but Marluxia only laughed. "So, why do you think the old geezer took us back? He must know we backstabbed the Organization while Xemnas was running it."
Back in Castle Oblivion, Marluxia and Larxene had betrayed the Organization, but they were vanquished before they could realize their ambitions.
Marluxia calmly explained. "Xehanort doesn't care about you or me. To him, we're nothing but empty husks. The old Organization was the same. Xehanort needs thirteen vessels to hold his essence."
"Husks? Not me," Larxene complained. She never was good at taking orders. "You up for another coup?"
"Oh, please," said a third voice. "You couldn't do it last time. You gotta play it smart, like me." Marluxia turned to see Demyx, the former number nine, standing on the next pillar over with a sitar in his hands.
"What?! You're not smart!" snapped Larxene, slightly startled.
"Well, you heard what Marly said. I don't have to be smart." Demyx had always been known as a slacker since the days of the old Organization. He even had a nickname for Marluxia.
"Or capable, or likeable, or attractive. A cereal bowl would make a better vessel," Larxene snapped, jabbing a finger in his direction.
But he didn't seem to care; he just merely stopped playing his sitar for a moment to scratch his nose. "Whoa now, you are way out of line. I am extremely imposing…when I want to be. Which is, admittedly, almost never."
Larxene still wasn't having it. "Why haven't you gone to any worlds? Are you slacking?"
"'Course not. I've been on a special errand," Demyx admitted coolly.
"Huh?"
Marluxia joined the conversation between them. "They are planning to use Replicas."
"Those windup toys?" Larxene looked disgusted by the idea. In her opinion, the plan with the Riku Replica at Castle Oblivion was a total bust.
"Oh, no. The Replicas are way more real than you remember," said Demyx.
"Maybe they should bench you and give your spot to one!" Larxene burst out laughing. "You're dumb as a brick."
"Har-dee-har," Demyx muttered in a voice too soft to hear over Larxene's cackling.
"Vexen's latest Replicas are no mere puppets. The Riku Replica we used in Castle Oblivion was just a prototype. The next Replica, the one crafted from Sora's memories, was real enough to join our ranks. And Xemnas claims the new ones will be human in every way. If he ever finishes them."
"Oh... The thing is...I kinda told Sora and his nitwits that we're ready. My bad."
Larxene had a tendency toward impulsive behavior—just like Demyx, actually.
Then a fourth member joined the meeting. "Let them believe as much," a voice commanded as another Corridor of Darkness opened on a pillar.
"Ugh. Xemnas," Larxene remarked with unbridled disgust.
Xemnas ignored her and kept on speaking. "If they think that we have all thirteen darknesses, then they will panic. And panic leads to a lack of
preparation."
"Yeah, totally." It was hard to tell whether Demyx actually agreed, but he was clearly uninvested either way.
"Why is this thing a member again?" Larxene asked, aiming a finger at him again.
"Hey now! Pointing is rude," Demyx retorted, still strumming his sitar.
"The first six members of the original Organization were all apprentices to Ansem the Wise, and the seventh and eighth members joined thereafter. The thirteenth member was Roxas, a Keyblade wielder. So. How about you? How do you suppose I chose numbers nine through twelve?"
Numbers VII and VIII were Saïx and Axel, respectively. Numbers IX through XII were, in order, Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene.
"Because our hearts are über powerful," Larxene offered.
Xemnas shook his head. "Wrong. You have been brought together for another purpose."
"What? So that we can rot away on the bottom rung?" The reply came from the darkness gathering on top of another, unoccupied pillar, and Luxord stepped out.
"You're in, too? What is this, Organization Rehash?" Larxene said, rolling her eyes at the whole situation.
"I happen to play an important role. No one 'benched' me," Luxord informed her.
"You were listening? So not cool," commented Demyx as he tuned his sitar.
"One must hold one's cards as long as necessary," Luxord replied confidently. He closed his eyes for a moment.
But Larxene challenged him to show his hand. "What 'important role'? That stupid box that Xigbar claims is real but won't tell us a thing about?"
"You'll just have to ask Xigbar about that. Now, then... Xemnas, what is this 'purpose'? You didn't invite us back for old times' sake," Luxord said, deftly playing with his cards.
"You each hail from the same world: Scala ad Caelum, the City of Keyblade wielders. The ancient Keyblade legacy slumbers within you."
All four of them gave Xemnas their attention.
An uncertain amount of time passed as Aqua and the mysterious stranger watched the tide together at the dark margin...
Aqua took her lucky charm out of her pocket and glanced at it, as she routinely did. But this time, she was filled with a renewed sense of hope.
As Ansem glanced down at her, he realized that the charm looked so familiar. Who could she possibly be?
Suddenly, the two felt an evil presence behind them. "Who's there?" Aqua spun around, ready for trouble.
The man wore a black coat with its hood down, revealing his face. He had silver hair, dark skin, gold eyes, and an aura of darkness oozed from his skin. He looked a bit different, but it was unmistakably...him.
Ansem the Wise got to his feet as well, then gasped when he saw who it was. A man pulled straight out of his past. "You're..."
Aqua readied her fighting pose.
He completely ignored Aqua and addressed the other man. "Master...I must have a word with you."
It almost reminded her of the way Terra would address Master Eraqus. He's here for this man? Who could he possibly be?
Ansem the Wise removed his hood and turned his deep amber eyes on his former apprentice. "'Master'? So now you mock me."
"Do you recall those experiments of the heart you bade me cease? Among the test subjects was a boy."
"What boy?"
"He had lost his memory, just as I had. But...you can reconstruct memories. You did with Sora."
Ansem remained unperturbed. "What is your question?"
Xehanort reached out to grab Ansem's arm, but Aqua jumped in between them and swatted his hand away. She was not holding a Keyblade.
"I think you should go," Aqua said, remembering her vow to herself. She felt a strong desire to protect this stranger.
Ansem the Wise had no idea what to make of this mysterious young woman, but it appeared that she had also been wronged by Xehanort. If so, she would understand his pain only too well.
"A lost guardian of light? You wait here...for the king and his fool." An enormous black shadow rose behind Xehanort and batted her away, but Aqua landed on the sand a few yards away. "Where's your Keyblade?" he taunted.
"Don't need it!" she shouted, throwing herself at the dark figure once again.
Suddenly, Ansem remembered something important. She is missing her Keyblade? Of course. Now, I remember.
There was a suit of armor and a Keyblade lying next to Xehanort when Ansem first discovered him. Then, this girl must have been—
Aqua then sprang into the air and launched a kick at its head. Unfortunately, before she could get back to a safe distance again, the black shadow caught hold of one of her legs and held her dangling in the air.
Ansem the Wise ran over to her. "No more! I'll go."
"You are wise," replied Terra-Xehanort with a touch of laughter in his voice.
If only I had my Keyblade... Aqua used the distraction to kick the shadow with her free leg and escape. Once she was back on the ground, she drew herself up, ready to fight again, and glared furiously at him.
"Poor thing. I mustn't leave you with nothing," he said.
Pure, near solid darkness gathered in the gaping hole in his guardian's chest, then burst out in a wave that slammed into Aqua and sent her hurtling toward the black waters of the sea.
"Ahhh!"
Ansem fell to his knees in despair as he watched his only companion plunge into the water's depths.
The lightless depths drew Aqua down, deeper and deeper, swallowing her up.
No...
Terra...
An image came to mind of a young blonde boy sleeping inside Snow White's coffin. He would never open his eyes again.
Ven... I'm sorry...
She drifted down toward the bottom of the dark abyss.
"Sorry we're late."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy had finally arrived in Ansem's lab, rushing straight over from Arendelle.
"It's okay. You got here as fast as you could." Mickey was already waiting for them there, with Riku right next to him.
The five of them were happy to see one another again, but Sora got right down to business. "So, Ienzo. Have you been able to prepare the Replica for Ventus's heart?"
Without Aqua, the group was unable to locate his real body in the Chamber of Waking. However, if Sora found a way to recreate his heart from data, he'd have an alternate body waiting for him.
Even then spoke, his voice sounding a bit shaken. "It happened after you all left the last time. I arose and decided to walk out in the square, my first outing in some time. Yet my stroll was interrupted when a surprising visitor appeared."
"Who!?" Donald squawked.
"I believe you are familiar with Demyx."
Sora jolted. He hadn't heard that name in a while. But he definitely remembered him. He was the strange blonde-haired guy he had encountered in the Underworld. He defeated him during the assault on Hollow Bastion. "That weirdo? So, he's a member of the new Organization XIII, too!?"
"Yes, apparently so. I must say, I was surprised myself." Even then recounted their meeting.
In the plaza in Radiant Garden, two men were holding a conversation.
"Wh-what are you doing back in the organization!?"
"Oh, I see! You're jelly! It's because you got benched!" Demyx retorted indignantly.
"Quiet, you dunce!" Even snapped. "I am not jealous! I would never work for Xehanort again! So why in the world are YOU siding with him over us!?"
"Okay, man, look. Real talk? Backstabbing those guys would be stupid. If they find out, I am yesterday's toast. I mean, what's in it for me?"
"Forgiveness," Vexen answered softly.
"Huh? For what?"
"Men like us—in the pursuit of science, we sometimes make terrible mistakes. Lose sight of our mission to help people. But now I can help someone with my research. Now I can atone," Even confessed with utter sincerity, his gaze focused on some far-off point.
However, Demyx was less than interested. "I'm not a scientist," he stated matter-of-factly, then waved good-bye and made to leave.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Even put a hand on Demyx's shoulder and pulled him back.
"C'mon, dude. I'm useless; I'm chicken. We're not friends. I can count the number of times you and I have hung out on one hand—less than one hand! I didn't even know you in the old life!" And with that, Demyx disappeared into a dark corridor.
Meanwhile, in Ansem the Wise's laboratory, also in Radiant Garden, Ienzo stood deep in thought before a screen.
Suddenly a dark portal opened behind him.
"Finally. 'Bout time."
Startled, Ienzo spun around just as Demyx stepped out of the gateway with some sort of large object slung over his shoulder. An object that looked to be human shaped.
The Replica!
"Ooh. Nice place. It looks like Vexen was able to finish the program, after all. And best of all, I don't have to do any fighting."
"Demyx? Is that you?!" asked Ienzo. He was from the Organization; how could he have made it all the way in here...?
"Hey, Zexion! Long time!" Despite Ienzo's apprehension, Demyx cheerfully lifted a hand in greeting. "How's humanity treatin' ya? I rejoined the Nobodies, but, like... I just can't shake the feeling that I've been sweet-talked, y'know? We have sooo got to have a chat."
"Whoa, back up. What?" Ienzo was slightly confused.
Perhaps intending to confuse him even more, Demyx continued: "Oh! Sorry, sorry. I'm gettin' ahead of myself. I'm actually here on a top secret mission. Apparently, I'm so off everyone's radar that I'm just the guy to handle a special delivery."
"The dark corridors..." muttered Mickey, half to himself.
"...are beyond Even's faculties and mine now," Ienzo softly added.
"Demyx..." Sora clenched his fist. "It's because of him that we don't have a body for Ventus now!"
So, it was back to the original plan. Free Ventus's heart from Sora and reunite it with his own flesh and blood body.
Riku showed no visible reaction. He tried to remain focused on their mission. "In any case, another member of the old Organization XIII has been confirmed to be part of the new one."
Goofy then realized something. "We've run into Organization members in the other worlds, too."
"Also, they might have all thirteen members now," Donald added nervously.
Riku, Mickey, Ienzo, and Even all seemed taken aback by that declaration.
Sora got right down to business, recalling Larxene's words in the last world. "The Organization claims to have their thirteen darknesses."
"Do we believe it's true?" Mickey asked thoughtfully.
"Umm...I don't know. But we might know who most of the members are now."
Riku folded his arms. "Let's see. From the Mark of Mastery exam, we already know who several of the members are. And now Demyx. Do you know of any others?"
Sora recalled his journey throughout the worlds. "We ran into Luxord in the Caribbean."
He told everyone about the chest Luxord was looking for.
"It be a chest...where Davy Jones lock away the part of him that hurt. The pain it cause him was too much to live with...but not enough to cause him to die."
"And...what part of him is that?"
"Him heart."
"A creature absent a heart and yet somehow able to keep existing... Not even my finest Replica could claim that achievement," Even mused. "No wonder the Organization was after that box and the secret it held."
"Luxord, huh?" Riku didn't know much about him and had no idea what his motives were.
Riku tallied the members up in his head. So far, we've run into Ansem, Xemnas, Xigbar, Young Xehanort, Luxord, and...myself. Six. Adding Demyx would make seven. We encountered Saïx in the Sleeping Worlds. Eight. And the newly recompleted Master Xehanort is the leader.
"So, that makes nine."
But Sora wasn't finished. "In the Kingdom of Corona, we ran into one of the New Seven Hearts. A princess named Rapunzel. And an Organization member named Marluxia was after her."
"Marluxia!?" Ienzo recoiled at the name.
"Why am I not surprised?" Even sounded rather disgusted. He never did like Marluxia.
"I remember that name," said Riku. "He was the leader of Castle Oblivion that you defeated, Sora."
"Wait. I defeated him?"
"Yeah. Though you wouldn't remember. When you went to sleep, you had to forget your time in Castle Oblivion."
"No wonder he seemed to remember you," said Donald.
Goofy continued, "And there were two princesses in Arendelle, Elsa and Anna."
"And a woman named Larxene was after them!" Donald yelped.
Riku interjected, "She was Marluxia's accomplice in Castle Oblivion."
"Eleven members." Mickey's voice was a bit solemn.
"And don't forget we ran into Vanitas in Monstropolis!"
Mickey gasped at Goofy. "Vanitas!?"
"Vanitas?" Riku didn't recall anyone by that name. "Who's that?"
"He always wore a mask, so I'm not sure of his real identity. But he was Master Xehanort's accomplice ten years ago. And he controlled the Unversed!"
Sora recalled his meeting with Vanitas.
"My heart is made of just one thing. And the Unversed collected enough screams and sadness from those children to reconstruct it. But, even with all this negative emotion, my heart is still incomplete. I need something else. The half of me...that sleeps on inside your heart."
Who WAS that guy? And what's his connection to Ventus?
But Riku only had one thing on his mind. He looked over at his best friend. "Sora! That's twelve members we know of so far!"
"Then...who's the thirteenth dark vessel?" Goofy asked.
While Sora was thinking to himself, Donald spoke up apologetically. "We haven't found Terra yet."
Mickey knew it. "Then, if what Master Xehanort said was true, he must be their thirteenth."
Riku felt his heart sink. "Then...we're really too late?"
Goofy shook his head. "Hey, remember what Vanitas said? His heart's incomplete without Ventus's."
Sora finally spoke up again, albeit slightly dazed. "Yeah, you're right. He did say that."
He remembered what both Xigbar and Young Xehanort said to him:
"Find the hearts joined to yours."
Suddenly, it all made sense. "Oh! They're trying to bring back Ventus, too! That's what those experiments in Woody's world were all about!"
Donald squawked, "Yeah! So they could complete Vanitas's heart!"
Riku's voice sounded relieved. "So, the Organization probably does have all thirteen now. But one of those members isn't quite usable until we get Ventus back."
"That seems to be the case," said Mickey.
"So the Organization was after the Replicas," Sora said. "But what are they gonna do with them, exactly?"
Even explained. "In my original work on the Replica Program, I produced some twenty vessels. Most of the early results were failures, not one of them granted a number. Those twelve were merely puppets, barely human. The first success to emerge from that early lot was the Riku Replica."
"Which was destroyed in Castle Oblivion," Riku said, as if to himself.
Even nodded, then continued. "Subsequently, the second prototype was created, No. i. Strangely, I have no memory of its existence, though it remains in my records."
Everyone raised a skeptical eyebrow at that. Of course, memory was a very fragile thing, as they all learned in Castle Oblivion.
"No. i was essentially indistinguishable from a natural human, and was granted number status."
"Wait, really?" Riku pressed.
"Yes. Number XIV."
"But there was no fourteenth member," Riku argued. "I'm sure of it."
"No. i was among the initial lot, which naturally raised questions about its capabilities. I'm not surprised it didn't survive long, especially since I was no longer around to maintain it. However, if it could be granted number status, then I suspect Xehanort aims to use the rest of the initial lot as well."
Donald didn't like the sound of that. "Use them? How?"
"We all lost our hearts together that day. Now, we're the same as we were before; only our bodies have aged. Braig elected to become a vessel and has discarded his humanity. And Isa's body was taken away. However, they both exist in this time, in the flesh. But not Xemnas."
Goofy remembered running into Xemnas in Twilight Town. "Whaddaya mean?"
"Xemnas cannot exist in the present because there is already a Xehanort here: the old man in charge. The old man's humanity prevents his Heartless and Nobody, others vanquished in the past, and his younger self from being denizens of this time. To circumvent this, Xehanort is using the prototype Replicas I created in the past as containers, plucking his other selves' hearts from the time they existed."
it made sense to Sora. "I get it. So, their hearts needed bodies in order to exist in this time."
"Yes. That is correct," said Even.
Riku was putting all the pieces together. "So, you said you started with twenty replicas. Twelve were useless. And the Riku Replica and No. i were destroyed."
"Indeed," answered Even. "That left us with six Replicas which were left behind. The True Organization XIII had taken five of them already."
Mickey jumped at the realization. "Five vessels. Enough Ansem, Xemnas, Vanitas, Young Riku, and Young Xehanort's hearts!"
"And Demyx recently made off with the one I just completed."
Sora recalled how Xemnas taunted him before back in Twilight Town.
"Nothing would please us more than Roxas's return, of course."
"Was the sixth Replica they stole for Roxas?" he mused.
"We'd better go tell Master Yen Sid all of this."
Riku nodded at Mickey's suggestion.
The group made their way back to Yen Sid's tower.
The old wizard closed his eyes as he spoke. "When we awaken Ventus, the Organization will have all thirteen members?"
Mickey nodded along. "By the time all seven guardians are united, the organization will be ready, too."
"Right. Except we can't use the Replica anymore. Aqua's the only one who knows where Ventus's body is hidden," Riku reminded them gravely. "We still have to find her first."
Sora opened his mouth. "I'll go," he declared firmly.
"What!?" Donald and Goofy shared a worried glance.
I'll go. I have to save Aqua. But this feeling—does it come from Ventus?
"Is that wise?" Mickey asked uncertainly, but Yen Sid had the real question.
"The power of waking, Sora. Have you found it?"
"Uh...no? Probably not." Sora looked at the floor, confused by his own heart.
"Without that power, you are not ready to face the realm of darkness," the sorcerer told him sternly with a shake of his head.
"C'mon..." Sora refused to back down. He may not have the power back, but he was well aware of how dangerous the realm of darkness was. Plus, his heart was calling out to him, telling him he had to help Aqua.
And then Riku let out a laugh.
"What's so funny?" Sora asked him, visibly annoyed.
"Sorry. Master Yen Sid knows you a little too well. He said you'd try to stage a half-baked rescue," Riku explained, still grinning.
Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, and Mickey all started laughing, too. Everyone knew how Sora was.
"Yeah! Laugh it up!"
Sora's face fell, but then Riku continued, gentler this time. "Sora, I know you're volunteering because you're worried about me and Mickey."
"Yeah…"
Riku laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Well, thanks. Well, thanks. But the power of waking's important. You can come to the rescue once you've got that. Sound fair?"
"Yeah. All right," Sora replied, finally accepting what Riku was trying to say. I'm sure Ventus will understand, too. This just isn't the right time. "But be safe. No reckless stunts," he said, looking up at him.
Riku answered with a firm nod. "Yes, sir."
The other three had been watching this exchange from a little bit away and started whispering among themselves.
"Sora's the reckless one."
"No, not exactly. He just doesn't think."
"If only he listened to Master Yen Sid the way he listens to Riku. That would be a good start."
As Sora's constant companions on his adventures, Donald, Jiminy, and Goofy knew him all too well.
"I'm listening now!" Sora warned them, turning around.
After everyone had a good laugh, Yen Sid looked over the assembled team and issued instructions. "Very good. Sora will continue his journey to build his powers, while Mickey and Riku will focus on the search for Aqua."
"Yes, sir!" they all answered, their hearts and voices as one.