Chapter 2: The Light Interrogations

Xehanort knew he was in trouble, that was for sure. They all seemed to think that HE had something to do with the boy's disappearance, but he knew he had never met him.

"It always comes back to Xehanort, doesn't it? If he had left us alone, we wouldn't be in this mess. Obviously, he did something! We should have made sure that Xehanort was truly gone! But now we have to worry about him!" The blue-haired girl pointed to him as if he were less than garbage.

The red-haired girl sighed. "But Aqua, if he's the cause, we can maybe make him fix it! Either way, we'll get some information. And besides, we can make sure he can't do anything."

Aqua glared daggers at him. "Kairi, it will never be enough to stop him. The only way to eliminate the threat he poses is to eliminate him."

Xehanort was left pondering exactly what he had done to receive such vitriol from these people. He couldn't have been that bad, right? Though a darker voice whispered, "If you were summoning Kingdom Hearts and rewriting the world, would any of these lives really matter to you?" Xehanort shuddered. But clearly, that was the wrong thing to do.

A key was instantly brought to his neck. "You think somethings funny, do you? I'll show you funny. Maybe we'll force another's heart in you? Or maybe have you fallen to light? You'd hate that, wouldn't you? It still wouldn't make up for the pain ad suffering you've caused though. You know why? Because you'd deserve it."

Xehanort began to sob. He didn't know why they hated him, what his future self had done, and had no clue what happened to that kid. But his rumination was cut short by a slap across the face.

"You don't deserve to cry. Not after what you did."

"What did I do?"

"What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU STOLE TEN YEARS OF OUR LIVES, CAUSED UNTOLD PAIN TO THE WORLDS, AND NOW YOU WONDER WHAT YOU'VE DONE? You are some SICK, TWISTED, person if you think that you haven't done anything. You know what? Maybe you should find out for yourself. Sleepza!"

And he fell into a deep slumber. But as sleep comes, so do the nightmares. Worlds collapsing, people fighting for no reason, being forced to fight your own friends, dying, fighting, sleeping, all in an endless cycle, all so painful, all so routine, all so—

He awoke in a dark room. When his eyes focused, he could see the outline of a barred window and a metal door, trapping him in. Golden chains adorned his body, one fit to contain a keyblade wielder. He was trapped in a prison cell. All he had was the cool breeze of the window, and the solace of the cold, concrete walls. The patterns in the concrete were mesmerizing, he could look at them for days, but as he became more and more entranced, a jolt from the door knocked him out of it.

Xehanort glanced around the room, looking for whoever opened the door. "Who's there?"

But no one was there. His chains began to pull on his legs though, as to issue him to move. The longer he waited, the more they pulled, and if he didn't move soon, it felt like they would pull his leg off! So, one step in the direction it pulled, another step there, going wherever it pulled him, wherever it would let him go.

And it led him into a room, where a certain red-haired keyblade wielder was sitting. What was her name? Ah yes, Kairi. Kairi looked pensive like she was figuring out how to best start with him.

"So, how's the cell?"

"Uh, the spirals are cool I guess."

Kairi pursed her lips. "Hmm. Now, I'm gonna ask you some questions, and you better answer them, or else I might have to send someone not so nice in here."

Xehanort looked down at the floor. "Oh, okay."

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Just an okay? No witty remark? What's your plan?"

Xehanort closed his eyes and sighed. "I am captured, am I not? I certainly didn't intend to be near the boy when he disappeared."

Kairi snarled. "His name is Sora. If you killed him, at least treat him with some respect."

"The boy's name was Sora?"

Kairi chuckled, only slightly maddened. "Of course you would never bother to know the name of your enemies. They're too unimportant, right? Even if he is at the center of your plan."

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. "Center of what plan? I've never met this 'Sora' in my life!"

Kairi's expression turned to stone. "Don't play coy with me. We both know how you almost succeeded in making Sora your thirteenth vessel."

Xehanort's eyes widened as he remembered Baldr's death count. After each and every person he slaughtered, he would say how many he had slew. And when it came to him and Eraqus, well, "That leaves twelve and lucky thirteen."

It didn't show then, but he was terrified. Not of him dying, he wouldn't have minded that. But of losing Eraqus.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke up. "Why thirteen?"

Kairi leaned in. "Don't you know? That was how many dark pieces the X-blade split into after the keyblade war. One for every dark piece."

"Hmm."

Kairi shifted in her seat. "Now, down to business. We want to know why you were there. More importantly, why were you in the secret place?"

Xehanort spoke with a distant look in his eyes. "I was there because I went through a dark portal and it took me there. I was tasked with exploring the new world. Since the new world that my older self wanted will not come to pass, I decided to tour the worlds in my future. The first one I began to tour, was my home, the Destiny Islands. I used to hide from my mentor sometimes in—what do you call it—the secret place, and I have many fond memories of the place."

"Bullcrap. At least try to be believable. If you don't answer the next one truthfully, I'm afraid you'll be meeting with people less amicable. What did you do with Sora?"

"I did not cause him to disappear, nor have I interacted with him before to my memory. I am not lying, and I don't need to!"

"Fine, have it your way. Stay here and wait for Riku."

Kairi stood up and exited the room.

After what felt like an eternity, a tall teen with silver hair cut short entered the room.

Xehanort spoke first. "I'm guessing you are Riku?"

Riku smirked. "So you do remember?"

Xehanort frowned. "What do you mean 'do remember?' What kind of question is that? Kairi told me that I was to wait for a Riku, and someone comes strutting in, who I assume is a Riku, because no one in this place would willingly search out for the person who apparently did all those horrible things that I don't remember, or probably did in the future! What do I—"

Riku put a finger to his face. "Cut the act. I met you in your youth. I know that you were an integral part of the Real Organization, in fact, you even helped with setting Sora up to be your thirteenth vessel, and if I recall correctly, you were number twelve."

"Number twelve, but I thought…"

But Riku continued on. "You were the second in command of the organization. I heard what you said, and I want to know what you meant. What did you mean when you said 'Your time in this world is-'? Hmm? Did you do something?" Riku knocked the table aside and began to shake Xehanort. "Tell me, you monster. TELL ME!"

"W-w-what the heck is an Organization? I was thrown to these islands, and I thought I was gonna be left alone in my homeworld, but noooooo, I had to be from the same world as my old self's enemies! I don't fricking know what my old self did, and I certainly am not a part of some shadow culty organization! I've never met that Sora in my life, the only time I saw him was when he was fading away! I don't know what happened to him, and honestly, I find it hard to care when you guys can't understand that I don't know ANYTHING!"

Riku opened his mouth to interrupt, but Xehanort kept speaking. "And for your knowledge, I am not the twelfth vessel! My old self said I was the fourteenth! Fourteen! What was I thinking when I was playing chess with Eraqus? Fourteen is too much! Fourteen lives are a lot of time to make a lot of enemies! I'm surprised I even GOT to thirteen!"

"Shut up."

And the golden chains curled around his mouth, preventing him from speaking. "I guess I know who was the person who first left the Islands. No wonder I was led to darkness following your example. You don't have to lie to us. Lying won't do you any good. So stop."

The chains loosened. "But I'm—"

"No more. I'm gonna get Roxas, maybe the similarities will jog some of your memories. And for good measure, Lea and Xion."

So he was left waiting again.

A blonde-haired kid entered, followed by a black-haired Kairi, and a fiery redhead.

Xehanort almost thought it was the boy from his dreams, but his demeanor was totally different.

It was the Kairi clone that spoke first. "You don't even recognize me when my hood's not up, do you?"

Xehanort was confused by this, the only person who had his hood up was the Lost Master, but that would mean that this was…

"Master Ava?"

The black-haired girl jumped back in shock. "What? No, I'm Xion, the last vessel forced into your little pity Organization you formed because the only persons who would want to be around you would be people imbued with small bits of you."

Xehanort sighed and lowered his head into his palm. The chains were very tight. "It seems like my older self was either very misunderstood, or a monster, and I feel from what I've seen of him that it is the latter…"

The redhead interrupted. "Yeah, yeah, enough with the chit-chat. And by the way, the name's Lea, got it memorized?"

Xehanort nodded.

"And I'm Roxas. I'm gonna say this once. What did you do with Sora?"

He stared at Roxas. "I keep telling you guys, I only saw him when he faded away."

Roxas got up. "Well then guys, I guess that was a waste of time like I thought it would be. You know, maybe if we beat him up, he'll talk."

Xehanort pulled his hair. "I've told you guys the truth, what would you want me to say? That I caused it? That I did something I didn't do? One moment I was playing chess with Eraqus, the next, I was in a pod, and my older self appeared on a big screen, and–and-"

They all just shook their head and went.

Then the blue-haired girl from earlier came in.

Xehanort just stared glumly at her, awaiting some question on something he had no clue about.

But what she did next surprised him. "You haven't been cooperating with us. You've been lying. So, I guess I have to resort to more drastic measures if you don't tell the truth. And I'll know. See that light at the top of the room? It glows green when you tell the truth, and red when you don't. So, I don't want to hurt you unnecessarily, no matter how much you deserve it, now do I?"

"No?"

A red light flashed above him.

"Hmm, I see how you feel. First question, what are you planning?"

Xehanort shook his head. "To explore the worlds."

Green light. Aqua pursed her lips. "Okay, what did you do to Sora?"

"Nothing, like I've told you guys."

"Hmm…"

"Fine, I guess you'd be able to trick it. Onto Ven I guess. You better give him some closure."

Xehanort pondered the name. "Ven?"

But she had left. And a person that almost looked like a Roxas lookalike came in. That's what was familiar!

Ven went first. "Hello, my name's Ventus, but my friends call me Ven. I just have one question for you. Why me?"

Xehanort hesitated for a moment. "I— I saw you in my dreams. I can feel other people's hearts. Like my mentor's. You were there, along with a black-haired boy, a white-haired boy, a pink-haired boy, a black-haired girl, and a blonde-haired girl with antennae, it was way back, but you are here! They were real! Real! I can't believe it Ven, you are real! Brain, Ephemer, Laur—"

A paw covered his mouth before he could say anymore.

"He's not ready for it, Xehanort. And you aren't his friend. So don't call him Ven. Let's go."

And they left. Xehanort was tired of these questions, tired of being denied any form of closure, maybe the Ven wasn't the same Ventus, maybe he was overthinking it, and maybe the last person was already there. A brown-haired man entered.

Xehanort sighed. "I guess you're the next interrogator."

"Don't play coy, I won't fall for your tricks again Xehanort. You won't get me as a vessel again."

Xehanort lazily began to speak. "What's your name?"

The man narrowed his eyes on him. "You know it's Terra. If it's some ploy to make me lower my Guard it won't work. Eraqus taught me how to resist a person's attempt to become buddy, buddy with me."

Xehanort shrugged. "Okay, I don't like you anyway. I just want to be left alone."

Terra shook his head. "That won't work either. That's another thing Eraqus taught me that you could never make me forget."

"Eraqus taught you?"

"You can drop the act, Xehanort. I know you were buddy-buddy with Eraqus when you were younger, but not in recent history."

Xehanort sighed. "I was just playing chess with Eraqus. How about you cut the crap? I know he's been dead, there's only one reason my future self would keep an image like that with a bunch of dead people. And he certainly wouldn't be so strict! I mean he's a jokester, the finest one I ever knew. You know what, I'm sick of you guys lying to me! He probably died as a hero, trying to stop some evil force, and that's why I tried to summon Kingdom Hearts! Maybe you were possessed or something!"

Terra sullenly looked at him. "I see now that we were mistaken. You truly cannot tell us more than you have. You do not remember the Organization, and you quite possibly only know that which the old you told you. I wish it was an evil force. And it might well have been me that killed him. But you orchestrated it, all for your master plan to create the X-blade. All of us were just pawns! But you! You struck the final blow that killed him!"

Xehanort shook his head. "It's not possible! How could I! I could never! Not Eraqus! Why, why why why!"

"I wonder that myself."

And Xehanort cried for a very long time.