Chapter XII: Arrival of the Queen of Darkness
"...Something Wicked this way comes..."
-William Shakespeare;
Macbeth, Second Witch
***~~~*** Squall's sixteenth birthday came and went. A quiet and abrupt celebration was held, between the four shut-ins. Afterwards, Cid left for a few hours and returned with chunks of meteor rock.
"What are you doing with all that?" Laguna asked, puzzled.
"Building. I'll be in the basement, working. Don't bother me, unless there are extreme circumstances," Cid ordered, wheel-barrowing the rocks down the basement.
"And what are 'extreme circumstances'?" Laguna asked.
"Death, childbirth, or naked women, bearing lots of food and asking for pleasure," Cid called from downstairs. Laguna scoffed. Cid had been busy with the meteor rocks for the past several weeks, that he had hardly been helping for any assassination scenarios.
And those were a flop. The best one they had was Laguna dressing as a woman, going to Ansem's bedchambers, seducing him, and getting him to drink poisoned wine. Needless to say, Laguna and Yuffie were the ones coming up with plots. Squall trained with his retrieved gunblade- the fiasco that nearly blew the group's cover- in the sewers, sneaking back inside during the night, and rising before dawn to retreat back in the sewers.
While Yuffie was drawing up floor-plans of the castle by memory, and designing a nice dress she could make, Cid was in the basement, hammering away, Squall was in the sewers, and Laguna was staring hopelessly at Yuffie's drawings, a knock came at the door.
***~~~***
Cloud and Aerith were in a meadow, not too dissimilar from the cemetery meadow, and were laying in the grass, a rowboat docked at the shore. There were watching the starless sky, the purple and blue and green clouds above, and thinking..
"What are you thinking about?" Aerith asked quietly, as if the clouds would eavesdrop if she weren't quiet.
"Mm? Nothing, really..." Cloud responded slowly. But Cloud was lying. He was thinking of the woman who plagued his dreams for his entire childhood... The woman who stalked him in his nightmares, bringing darkness, demons, death... As Cloud grew older, he brushed the nightmares off as macabre, yet childish nightmares. But it was this exact moment when Cloud realized one simple truth- they weren't nightmares, they were premonitions.
Thinking of the woman who was destined to help the 'One With Silver Hair' bring darkness, destined to arrive when the Hollow Bastion was at the pinnacle of its degeneration- it only meant one thing.... Sorceress Maleficent... She was here.
***~~~***
Ansem stared at the rotting book with awe. It showed a diagram of seven feminine figures, all in a line. Intersecting lines connected the figures hearts to one shape- a keyhole. The keyhole of the Hollow Bastion.
"Y-You are dismissed, Sephiroth," Ansem ordered absently, staring at the book. Sephiroth bowed, and left the mad king's laboratory. The book told of seven "Princesses of Heart", seven maidens whose hearts would complete the Hollow Bastion's keyhole. The keyhole that would lead to the heart of Hollow Bastion.
The heart of the a world, Ansem then deducted, held infinite knowledge- as the boy Cloud demonstrated the night he arrived. The boy born in the heart of the world, but too foolish to remember anything. He was useless.
"Yes... that's it... I know what I must do..." Ansem muttered. He sat down at his desk to write one last report as a human.
"Just as people have hearts, so do worlds. The same can be said of stars in the night sky. And deep within each world lies a door to its heart. The Heartless desire those hearts. Born out of darkness in people's hearts, they seek to return to a greater heart. Yes that's it. The Heartless come from people's hearts, as does the darkness.
Is the core of the world's heart the world of the Heartless? I will pursue the answer there and become all knowing. My path is set. I shall seek out the wielder of the Keyblade, and the princesses.
My body is too frail for such a journey, but I most do this.
I will cast it off and plunge into the depths of darkness."
***~~~***
Edea's orphanage was humble house, carved from stone, hanging on one side of the Bastion, overlooking the ocean, and the mountainous Depths in the distance. Beyond the Depths was the placid lake, dotted with island meadows, such as the one Aerith kept running off to with Cloud.
It wasn't that Edea didn't trust Aerith- it was Cloud that made her nervous. After all, she didn't have "The Talk" with any of the kids, she'd just let them sort things out for themselves, and by now, she thought that all the kids knew the risks. But that wasn't what was preying on her mind at the moment.
She was reading and heard a noise- a scratching outside. She put her book- a journal of one of the more sensual sorceresses in Bastionian history- down on the table next to her reading chair, and went outside to investigate. Scratch, scratch.
It was dark, by now, and Edea could hardly see anything. She held out a finger and after a soft thwit, the tip of her index finger on her right hand glowed. Scratch, scratch.
She held her finger out to the darkness of an alleyway next to her house and what Edea felt to be a response, watched as glowing orbs lit within the alley. Scratch, scratch.
Curious, Edea walked to the edge of the alley, but jumped back as she saw the darkness move. With a shuddering realization, she knew that that was shadows- it was Shadows. Heartless. Scratch, scratch.
Scratch, scratch.
***~~~***
Everyone in the house froze- except for Cid who didn't hear the first knock due to his incessant hammering- as another knock came at the door. Instinctively, Yuffie and Laguna went to the basement door, but discovered it was locked from the inside.
Frantic, as another knock came, Yuffie and Laguna ran upstairs, and breathed softly as one more knock came, before the door opened. Right below them, the two could hear shoes walking slowly on the hardwood floors. They heard the basement doorknob rattle, and assumed the visitor discover it was locked. Then they heard footsteps walking up the steps. They saw the doorknob turn, and the door fly open to reveal a tall figure swathed in swooping black cloaks- no, not cloaks, but black dust, and the cloths that weren't swooping, but, crawling. As a black creature- a Heartless- was tossed to the ground, they saw an extremely pale face of Squall.
"Help!" he choked.
***~~~***
Vincent Valentine sat in his darkened kitchen in his darkened house, and drank a cup of cold tea that just didn't seem to hit the spot. Knowing where everything was in the darkness, Vincent got up from the kitchen table, walked three steps to a cupboard, opened the door, and reached his hand in for a bottle of whiskey, but produced a large, soft, thing with glowing yellow eyes.
***~~~***
Five year-old Kairi lay in her bed, covers up to her chin, and watched in horror, as glowing yellow eyes surrounded her. Afraid of the monsters that come at night, she ducked under the covers, cocooning herself in silk and velvet, and wouldn't let anybody in.
***~~~***
Edea Kramer and Lulu Atchley had glowing hands. Hands that unleashed flames that burned the Heartless around them. Seifer Almasy and Zack Halcyon were doing fantastic sword attacks, turning all Heartless that came near them to black dust, invisible at night. Rufus Shinra and Fujin Seiken also held their own, also held their own, Sid Kramer backing them up with pistol fire.
All battling in the street and alleyways next to the orphanage. The fire from Edea and Lulu was their own light. But that was all they needed, until dawn ripped through the horizon.
***~~~***
Immediately, Yuffie produced a shuriken, and threw it at the mass of Heartless that clung to Squall. One Heartless disintegrated into a cloud of black dust, a glowing heart rising and vanishing. Laguna dared not fire from his pistol, but instead, tried peeling the Heartless from Squall's body, and using well placed kicks to dispose of the creatures on the verge of devouring his son. The two killed the Heartless to a beat, a slow, steady rhythm of Cid's hammering.
***~~~***
Ansem was in the library, with Sephiroth, reading. The boy had come through again. A book, that had a list of significant worlds. In it, were names such as "Olympus Coliseum", "Twilight Town", but one really caught Ansem's eye- "The Ocean of All Worlds- Destiny Islands". And next to that, was a small icon of a key.
This gave Ansem an idea for an experiment. Sinister it may be, to some, it was still necessary, for the pursuit of knowledge.
***~~~***
Vincent Valentine through the glowing-eyed monster to the floor, drew his pistol, and shot at the glowing eyes. It was over, and he saw a glowing heart rise a few feet above the floor, and vanish. Gave him quite a scare... Vincent found the whiskey bottle he was looking for to begin with, and started drinking from it.
What Vincent didn't notice was the other twenty Heartless in his home, pumping a camouflaged black fog that slowly poisoned Vincent's heart and mind.
***~~~***
Squall sat at the bar, shivering. His gunblade lay on the floor next to him, caked with dust patches...
"Here you go..." Yuffie said somberly, handing Squall a saucer and cup of tea. The china rattled as Squall's trembling hand accepted the china. He set the saucer on the bar, and drank the tea, spilling some as he brought the cup to his mouth.
He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and even from a distance, Yuffie could tell he was freezing. His skin was a pale grey, and black smudges were beneath his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in months. Laguna came down from upstairs, with another blanket which he took the liberty of wrapping around Squall.
"Thank you," Squall mumbled quietly, still shuddering violently.
"What happened down there?" Yuffie blurted out. Squall threw her a harsh glare in response, his ruffled chestnut hair, and white wool blankets making him look like an asylum patient.
"There were so many of them... I killed them when they were in small numbers, at first... But today... it was incomparable... Something's happened, something's made them come up.
"They surrounded me... Pounced on me... For several seconds, minutes, hours, they controlled, violated me, and made me come here... During that time, they showed me..."
"Showed you what?" Laguna asked quietly, barely audible above Cid's working.
"What they plan to do... Ansem is the least of our worries... I've seen them...All of them..." Squall muttered.
The wind whistled in the Depths. The lower cliffs were out of view from the top, and it was at the very bottom were They were slowly waking, resonating with Her presence. In a combination of all Heartless that were waking and all that were still dormant, they had an army that lied somewhere in the millions.
***~~~***
Ansem was looking into the pub's basement window. He remember what urge forced him to go to the old pub, but right now it didn't matter... Upon seeing what was in there, he knew how to conduct his experiment... He composed a report page in his head.
"In opening the door that stores a world's hearts, the wall around that world is broken down. We see this as a shooting star. Through this, I have been able to understand the reason why the material known as Gummi Blocks has the ability to allow travel to other worlds.
The cause of a world's wall collapsing is the appearance of the Heartless, but finding a world's door takes time. And robbing a world of its heart is a similar case.
If the door has been closed by the key known as the Keyblade, you probably cannot reach that world's heart again. Before the one with the Keyblade appears in this world, I must take measures to do something.
Supposing that there is a close relationship between the Princesses and the Keyblade, it seems likely that they will resonate with each other...
I have chosen one special girl. I do not know if she possesses a power like that of the Princesses. But, there is a chance, and this is an experiment. She may lead me to the place where the one holding the key is...
I shall send her off to the ocean of other worlds."
Rather than filing this report with the others, Ansem wrote it, but placed it within his robes. He then walked over to where his meteor rock samples were, and he began working.
***~~~***
It was a few hours past dawn, when Edea, Sid, and the rest of the kids were sitting in various places in the kitchen, all covered with black dust, all drinking one beverage or another, and everyone was talking excitedly. Everyone except Edea and Sid. They exchanged glances, and they knew. They knew this wasn't it. The worst was still to come.
***~~~***
Cloud and Aerith had fallen asleep next to each other in the meadow. The sun had broken over the cliffs, and as the sun hit their eyes, the two awoke. Aerith looked into Cloud's eyes, a brilliant green- almost identical to Seph's- and smiled.
"Good morning," she whispered.
"Good morning to you, too," Cloud replied, smiling back. The two kissed, and the sun continued to rise.
***~~~***
After sketching a set of blueprints, Ansem's real work began. He worked through the day, never-ceasing. He was going to conduct the experiment the next day, if it killed him.
***~~~***
Seifer walked through the waterways, and that is where she encountered the cloaked woman. His gunblade, the Hyperion, was already drawn, and he stood in his battle stance.
"Who are you?!" he demanded. The woman, cloaked, smiled at him.
"Shhh... It's alright, Seifer..." She crooned. Seifer looked at her fiercely, his resolve wavering.
"H-How do you know my name?" he asked sharply.
"Shhh... Don't worry about that... Put that down, there's no need for it..." the woman said softly.
"Who are you?" Seifer asked, the Hyperion clattering to the damp floor.
"I am Sorceress Maleficent. I have come here to halt the coming threat to the castle..."
"Darkness?" Seifer asked. Maleficent laughed.
"Oh no, silly boy. Darkness will be this castle's savior!" Maleficent replied, a black serpentine whisp of smoke sliding from her staff. The smoke slithered up Seifer's form, curling non-threateningly around his neck. "Light is the enemy! Blinding, piercing light!"
Seifer became somewhat in a daze and swayed for a few seconds before asking, "What do you want?" Maleficent smiled once more, her eyes becoming a putrid yellow.
"Just a little tour..." The smoke entered Seifer, going through his chest, wrapping itself around his heart.
***~~~***
As Ansem working, building, constructing, theorems formed in his mind, about the one with the Keyblade, the purpose of the experiment. The Keyblade, Kingdom Hearts, and the heart of this world. Shuddering of possibilities that would doom his pursuit of knowledge, Ansem worked harder.
***~~~***
Sephiroth had closed the last book. Now, he knew everything about everything. Beaming at his accomplishment, but still lusting for more, he set the book on the floor, and stood. As he turned to go home, a cloaked woman stood in his way.
***~~~***
Cid, after uncountable hours of working had finished. The fail-safe, in case something should go wrong, was complete, and he could rest. He walked upstairs to get some food and drink, and saw Squall, wrapped in blankets, and looking as if he hadn't even heard of a comb.
Yuffie and Laguna were talking quietly in a corner. Upon noticing Cid, Yuffie frantically waved him over. Cid smiled at Squall, raised an eyebrow at Yuffie and walked over to the corner.
"Yeah, what is it?" he asked.
"You've been down there working for too long! You missed a lot!" Yuffie screeched quietly.
"I'm sorry, alright! I was working on the fail-safe! Just fill me in on what I missed," Cid replied, holding his hands up in defense. And fill him in they did.
***~~~***
The next day, Ansem was pocketing an envelope and walked into Kairi's room. He heard quiet sniffling. Walking over to her bedside, he lifted up the covers and looked at the five year-old girl underneath, crying.
"What's wrong, dear?" he asked sympathetically.
"Uncle Ansem! The- The monsters! They wouldn't leave me alone!" she sobbed, wrapping her arms around her uncle's neck.
"Shhh.... Shhh... It's alright, darling, they're gone now... Say... Do you want to go on a trip?" he asked her, smiling. Kairi wiped her tears away and gave one last sniff.
"You mean like to Grandma's?" Kairi asked. "Grandma" is what she called Ma Dincht.
"No, someplace far, far away. How's that sound?" Ansem asked.
"Can you come with me?" the child asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, darling, I can't, but I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends!" Ansem said excitedly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah... There's someone in particular I really hope you meet... Here..." Ansem produced the envelope and gave it to Kairi. "Hang onto this. When you get to where you're going, give this to their king, alright?"
"Alright, Uncle Ansem..."
"Alright, now you need to get dressed! And to pack whatever you want to take, okay?"
"Okay!" she said, obviously excited as children tend to get when they go somewhere new.
Ansem left the room, and walked out to the balcony of his bedchambers, where he'd ordered the craft be delivered. He finished tweaking what needed to be tweaked, set the coordinates for the Destiny Islands, and started it up.
When Ansem returned to Kairi's room, he found her dressed in a white shirt and baby blue skirt, and was carrying a small leather rucksack, packed full of clothes and toys. He never noticed how much she looked like Dalaar... But that did not matter to the experiment.
"Are you ready?" he asked, smiling broadly. She grinned and nodded. He held her hand as they walked down the hall, into Ansem's bedchambers, and onto the marble balcony, where Kairi's destiny awaited her. "Now, don't forget, look for the Keyblade Master, alright? And it's very important you do not touch any of these controls, alright?"
"Alright! Uncle Ansem... I love you! And I'll miss you! And, and, and... I'm really scared..." the little girl said. Ansem smiled warmly as he helped Kairi into the craft, which strongly resembled an egg, with a door. As Ansem got Kairi situated within the flying craft, fastening her in, in case of a crash, tears slowly slid down Kairi's cheeks.
"Hey, don't be scared! You're a big girl! And big, brave girl! And besides... I'm positive we'll see each other again," Ansem reassured, kissing the girl on her cheek.
"Goodbye, Uncle Ansem!"
"Goodbye, Kairi... And good luck..." Reaching inside, Ansem pressed a button marked "Launch", and closed the door, waving to his niece. Ansem took a few steps back as the egg slowly ascended from the balcony, and was catapulted into the sky. Ansem watched for a long time, until the gummi craft was no longer in sight. That was when she showed up.
"Do you regret sending off your only blood-kin?" the woman asked.
"No... It is for the sake of knowledge..." Ansem replied, still looking at the sky.
"Ahhh... I suppose you want to know who I am..." The woman said, looking up at the sky, which had began to darken.
"It would be a nice gesture..."
"I am Sorceress Maleficent- the one who will be conquering your world now," the woman replied, smirking as much as one could.
"Ahhh... Yes... Rather than a battle of which I would surely disintegrate, I am giving you my world. I have done all I can do bound to this mortal coil.... I only ask one favor of you."
"And what is that?" Maleficent asked, intrigued.
"Tell my people that I disappeared. Don't tell them where I am going..."
"Are you afraid they will follow you?"
"No. I am afraid they will achieve an astral state before I. Leave me in peace, and I shall give you this world."
"Hmmm... A bargain... Yes... Alright. We have come to an agreement, King Ansem. I will seize this world in the name of darkness. I bid you a safe journey."
Ansem nodded, and left the sorceress alone on the balcony.
And he walked. And rowed, and walked some more. Ansem found himself back at the memorial of Tetsuya Nomura, the Hollow Bastion's first king. He gave a slight nod to the degraded memorial of the king, and Ansem jumped over the cliff, plunging into the everlasting darkness below.
"...Something Wicked this way comes..."
-William Shakespeare;
Macbeth, Second Witch
***~~~*** Squall's sixteenth birthday came and went. A quiet and abrupt celebration was held, between the four shut-ins. Afterwards, Cid left for a few hours and returned with chunks of meteor rock.
"What are you doing with all that?" Laguna asked, puzzled.
"Building. I'll be in the basement, working. Don't bother me, unless there are extreme circumstances," Cid ordered, wheel-barrowing the rocks down the basement.
"And what are 'extreme circumstances'?" Laguna asked.
"Death, childbirth, or naked women, bearing lots of food and asking for pleasure," Cid called from downstairs. Laguna scoffed. Cid had been busy with the meteor rocks for the past several weeks, that he had hardly been helping for any assassination scenarios.
And those were a flop. The best one they had was Laguna dressing as a woman, going to Ansem's bedchambers, seducing him, and getting him to drink poisoned wine. Needless to say, Laguna and Yuffie were the ones coming up with plots. Squall trained with his retrieved gunblade- the fiasco that nearly blew the group's cover- in the sewers, sneaking back inside during the night, and rising before dawn to retreat back in the sewers.
While Yuffie was drawing up floor-plans of the castle by memory, and designing a nice dress she could make, Cid was in the basement, hammering away, Squall was in the sewers, and Laguna was staring hopelessly at Yuffie's drawings, a knock came at the door.
***~~~***
Cloud and Aerith were in a meadow, not too dissimilar from the cemetery meadow, and were laying in the grass, a rowboat docked at the shore. There were watching the starless sky, the purple and blue and green clouds above, and thinking..
"What are you thinking about?" Aerith asked quietly, as if the clouds would eavesdrop if she weren't quiet.
"Mm? Nothing, really..." Cloud responded slowly. But Cloud was lying. He was thinking of the woman who plagued his dreams for his entire childhood... The woman who stalked him in his nightmares, bringing darkness, demons, death... As Cloud grew older, he brushed the nightmares off as macabre, yet childish nightmares. But it was this exact moment when Cloud realized one simple truth- they weren't nightmares, they were premonitions.
Thinking of the woman who was destined to help the 'One With Silver Hair' bring darkness, destined to arrive when the Hollow Bastion was at the pinnacle of its degeneration- it only meant one thing.... Sorceress Maleficent... She was here.
***~~~***
Ansem stared at the rotting book with awe. It showed a diagram of seven feminine figures, all in a line. Intersecting lines connected the figures hearts to one shape- a keyhole. The keyhole of the Hollow Bastion.
"Y-You are dismissed, Sephiroth," Ansem ordered absently, staring at the book. Sephiroth bowed, and left the mad king's laboratory. The book told of seven "Princesses of Heart", seven maidens whose hearts would complete the Hollow Bastion's keyhole. The keyhole that would lead to the heart of Hollow Bastion.
The heart of the a world, Ansem then deducted, held infinite knowledge- as the boy Cloud demonstrated the night he arrived. The boy born in the heart of the world, but too foolish to remember anything. He was useless.
"Yes... that's it... I know what I must do..." Ansem muttered. He sat down at his desk to write one last report as a human.
"Just as people have hearts, so do worlds. The same can be said of stars in the night sky. And deep within each world lies a door to its heart. The Heartless desire those hearts. Born out of darkness in people's hearts, they seek to return to a greater heart. Yes that's it. The Heartless come from people's hearts, as does the darkness.
Is the core of the world's heart the world of the Heartless? I will pursue the answer there and become all knowing. My path is set. I shall seek out the wielder of the Keyblade, and the princesses.
My body is too frail for such a journey, but I most do this.
I will cast it off and plunge into the depths of darkness."
***~~~***
Edea's orphanage was humble house, carved from stone, hanging on one side of the Bastion, overlooking the ocean, and the mountainous Depths in the distance. Beyond the Depths was the placid lake, dotted with island meadows, such as the one Aerith kept running off to with Cloud.
It wasn't that Edea didn't trust Aerith- it was Cloud that made her nervous. After all, she didn't have "The Talk" with any of the kids, she'd just let them sort things out for themselves, and by now, she thought that all the kids knew the risks. But that wasn't what was preying on her mind at the moment.
She was reading and heard a noise- a scratching outside. She put her book- a journal of one of the more sensual sorceresses in Bastionian history- down on the table next to her reading chair, and went outside to investigate. Scratch, scratch.
It was dark, by now, and Edea could hardly see anything. She held out a finger and after a soft thwit, the tip of her index finger on her right hand glowed. Scratch, scratch.
She held her finger out to the darkness of an alleyway next to her house and what Edea felt to be a response, watched as glowing orbs lit within the alley. Scratch, scratch.
Curious, Edea walked to the edge of the alley, but jumped back as she saw the darkness move. With a shuddering realization, she knew that that was shadows- it was Shadows. Heartless. Scratch, scratch.
Scratch, scratch.
***~~~***
Everyone in the house froze- except for Cid who didn't hear the first knock due to his incessant hammering- as another knock came at the door. Instinctively, Yuffie and Laguna went to the basement door, but discovered it was locked from the inside.
Frantic, as another knock came, Yuffie and Laguna ran upstairs, and breathed softly as one more knock came, before the door opened. Right below them, the two could hear shoes walking slowly on the hardwood floors. They heard the basement doorknob rattle, and assumed the visitor discover it was locked. Then they heard footsteps walking up the steps. They saw the doorknob turn, and the door fly open to reveal a tall figure swathed in swooping black cloaks- no, not cloaks, but black dust, and the cloths that weren't swooping, but, crawling. As a black creature- a Heartless- was tossed to the ground, they saw an extremely pale face of Squall.
"Help!" he choked.
***~~~***
Vincent Valentine sat in his darkened kitchen in his darkened house, and drank a cup of cold tea that just didn't seem to hit the spot. Knowing where everything was in the darkness, Vincent got up from the kitchen table, walked three steps to a cupboard, opened the door, and reached his hand in for a bottle of whiskey, but produced a large, soft, thing with glowing yellow eyes.
***~~~***
Five year-old Kairi lay in her bed, covers up to her chin, and watched in horror, as glowing yellow eyes surrounded her. Afraid of the monsters that come at night, she ducked under the covers, cocooning herself in silk and velvet, and wouldn't let anybody in.
***~~~***
Edea Kramer and Lulu Atchley had glowing hands. Hands that unleashed flames that burned the Heartless around them. Seifer Almasy and Zack Halcyon were doing fantastic sword attacks, turning all Heartless that came near them to black dust, invisible at night. Rufus Shinra and Fujin Seiken also held their own, also held their own, Sid Kramer backing them up with pistol fire.
All battling in the street and alleyways next to the orphanage. The fire from Edea and Lulu was their own light. But that was all they needed, until dawn ripped through the horizon.
***~~~***
Immediately, Yuffie produced a shuriken, and threw it at the mass of Heartless that clung to Squall. One Heartless disintegrated into a cloud of black dust, a glowing heart rising and vanishing. Laguna dared not fire from his pistol, but instead, tried peeling the Heartless from Squall's body, and using well placed kicks to dispose of the creatures on the verge of devouring his son. The two killed the Heartless to a beat, a slow, steady rhythm of Cid's hammering.
***~~~***
Ansem was in the library, with Sephiroth, reading. The boy had come through again. A book, that had a list of significant worlds. In it, were names such as "Olympus Coliseum", "Twilight Town", but one really caught Ansem's eye- "The Ocean of All Worlds- Destiny Islands". And next to that, was a small icon of a key.
This gave Ansem an idea for an experiment. Sinister it may be, to some, it was still necessary, for the pursuit of knowledge.
***~~~***
Vincent Valentine through the glowing-eyed monster to the floor, drew his pistol, and shot at the glowing eyes. It was over, and he saw a glowing heart rise a few feet above the floor, and vanish. Gave him quite a scare... Vincent found the whiskey bottle he was looking for to begin with, and started drinking from it.
What Vincent didn't notice was the other twenty Heartless in his home, pumping a camouflaged black fog that slowly poisoned Vincent's heart and mind.
***~~~***
Squall sat at the bar, shivering. His gunblade lay on the floor next to him, caked with dust patches...
"Here you go..." Yuffie said somberly, handing Squall a saucer and cup of tea. The china rattled as Squall's trembling hand accepted the china. He set the saucer on the bar, and drank the tea, spilling some as he brought the cup to his mouth.
He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and even from a distance, Yuffie could tell he was freezing. His skin was a pale grey, and black smudges were beneath his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in months. Laguna came down from upstairs, with another blanket which he took the liberty of wrapping around Squall.
"Thank you," Squall mumbled quietly, still shuddering violently.
"What happened down there?" Yuffie blurted out. Squall threw her a harsh glare in response, his ruffled chestnut hair, and white wool blankets making him look like an asylum patient.
"There were so many of them... I killed them when they were in small numbers, at first... But today... it was incomparable... Something's happened, something's made them come up.
"They surrounded me... Pounced on me... For several seconds, minutes, hours, they controlled, violated me, and made me come here... During that time, they showed me..."
"Showed you what?" Laguna asked quietly, barely audible above Cid's working.
"What they plan to do... Ansem is the least of our worries... I've seen them...All of them..." Squall muttered.
The wind whistled in the Depths. The lower cliffs were out of view from the top, and it was at the very bottom were They were slowly waking, resonating with Her presence. In a combination of all Heartless that were waking and all that were still dormant, they had an army that lied somewhere in the millions.
***~~~***
Ansem was looking into the pub's basement window. He remember what urge forced him to go to the old pub, but right now it didn't matter... Upon seeing what was in there, he knew how to conduct his experiment... He composed a report page in his head.
"In opening the door that stores a world's hearts, the wall around that world is broken down. We see this as a shooting star. Through this, I have been able to understand the reason why the material known as Gummi Blocks has the ability to allow travel to other worlds.
The cause of a world's wall collapsing is the appearance of the Heartless, but finding a world's door takes time. And robbing a world of its heart is a similar case.
If the door has been closed by the key known as the Keyblade, you probably cannot reach that world's heart again. Before the one with the Keyblade appears in this world, I must take measures to do something.
Supposing that there is a close relationship between the Princesses and the Keyblade, it seems likely that they will resonate with each other...
I have chosen one special girl. I do not know if she possesses a power like that of the Princesses. But, there is a chance, and this is an experiment. She may lead me to the place where the one holding the key is...
I shall send her off to the ocean of other worlds."
Rather than filing this report with the others, Ansem wrote it, but placed it within his robes. He then walked over to where his meteor rock samples were, and he began working.
***~~~***
It was a few hours past dawn, when Edea, Sid, and the rest of the kids were sitting in various places in the kitchen, all covered with black dust, all drinking one beverage or another, and everyone was talking excitedly. Everyone except Edea and Sid. They exchanged glances, and they knew. They knew this wasn't it. The worst was still to come.
***~~~***
Cloud and Aerith had fallen asleep next to each other in the meadow. The sun had broken over the cliffs, and as the sun hit their eyes, the two awoke. Aerith looked into Cloud's eyes, a brilliant green- almost identical to Seph's- and smiled.
"Good morning," she whispered.
"Good morning to you, too," Cloud replied, smiling back. The two kissed, and the sun continued to rise.
***~~~***
After sketching a set of blueprints, Ansem's real work began. He worked through the day, never-ceasing. He was going to conduct the experiment the next day, if it killed him.
***~~~***
Seifer walked through the waterways, and that is where she encountered the cloaked woman. His gunblade, the Hyperion, was already drawn, and he stood in his battle stance.
"Who are you?!" he demanded. The woman, cloaked, smiled at him.
"Shhh... It's alright, Seifer..." She crooned. Seifer looked at her fiercely, his resolve wavering.
"H-How do you know my name?" he asked sharply.
"Shhh... Don't worry about that... Put that down, there's no need for it..." the woman said softly.
"Who are you?" Seifer asked, the Hyperion clattering to the damp floor.
"I am Sorceress Maleficent. I have come here to halt the coming threat to the castle..."
"Darkness?" Seifer asked. Maleficent laughed.
"Oh no, silly boy. Darkness will be this castle's savior!" Maleficent replied, a black serpentine whisp of smoke sliding from her staff. The smoke slithered up Seifer's form, curling non-threateningly around his neck. "Light is the enemy! Blinding, piercing light!"
Seifer became somewhat in a daze and swayed for a few seconds before asking, "What do you want?" Maleficent smiled once more, her eyes becoming a putrid yellow.
"Just a little tour..." The smoke entered Seifer, going through his chest, wrapping itself around his heart.
***~~~***
As Ansem working, building, constructing, theorems formed in his mind, about the one with the Keyblade, the purpose of the experiment. The Keyblade, Kingdom Hearts, and the heart of this world. Shuddering of possibilities that would doom his pursuit of knowledge, Ansem worked harder.
***~~~***
Sephiroth had closed the last book. Now, he knew everything about everything. Beaming at his accomplishment, but still lusting for more, he set the book on the floor, and stood. As he turned to go home, a cloaked woman stood in his way.
***~~~***
Cid, after uncountable hours of working had finished. The fail-safe, in case something should go wrong, was complete, and he could rest. He walked upstairs to get some food and drink, and saw Squall, wrapped in blankets, and looking as if he hadn't even heard of a comb.
Yuffie and Laguna were talking quietly in a corner. Upon noticing Cid, Yuffie frantically waved him over. Cid smiled at Squall, raised an eyebrow at Yuffie and walked over to the corner.
"Yeah, what is it?" he asked.
"You've been down there working for too long! You missed a lot!" Yuffie screeched quietly.
"I'm sorry, alright! I was working on the fail-safe! Just fill me in on what I missed," Cid replied, holding his hands up in defense. And fill him in they did.
***~~~***
The next day, Ansem was pocketing an envelope and walked into Kairi's room. He heard quiet sniffling. Walking over to her bedside, he lifted up the covers and looked at the five year-old girl underneath, crying.
"What's wrong, dear?" he asked sympathetically.
"Uncle Ansem! The- The monsters! They wouldn't leave me alone!" she sobbed, wrapping her arms around her uncle's neck.
"Shhh.... Shhh... It's alright, darling, they're gone now... Say... Do you want to go on a trip?" he asked her, smiling. Kairi wiped her tears away and gave one last sniff.
"You mean like to Grandma's?" Kairi asked. "Grandma" is what she called Ma Dincht.
"No, someplace far, far away. How's that sound?" Ansem asked.
"Can you come with me?" the child asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, darling, I can't, but I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends!" Ansem said excitedly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah... There's someone in particular I really hope you meet... Here..." Ansem produced the envelope and gave it to Kairi. "Hang onto this. When you get to where you're going, give this to their king, alright?"
"Alright, Uncle Ansem..."
"Alright, now you need to get dressed! And to pack whatever you want to take, okay?"
"Okay!" she said, obviously excited as children tend to get when they go somewhere new.
Ansem left the room, and walked out to the balcony of his bedchambers, where he'd ordered the craft be delivered. He finished tweaking what needed to be tweaked, set the coordinates for the Destiny Islands, and started it up.
When Ansem returned to Kairi's room, he found her dressed in a white shirt and baby blue skirt, and was carrying a small leather rucksack, packed full of clothes and toys. He never noticed how much she looked like Dalaar... But that did not matter to the experiment.
"Are you ready?" he asked, smiling broadly. She grinned and nodded. He held her hand as they walked down the hall, into Ansem's bedchambers, and onto the marble balcony, where Kairi's destiny awaited her. "Now, don't forget, look for the Keyblade Master, alright? And it's very important you do not touch any of these controls, alright?"
"Alright! Uncle Ansem... I love you! And I'll miss you! And, and, and... I'm really scared..." the little girl said. Ansem smiled warmly as he helped Kairi into the craft, which strongly resembled an egg, with a door. As Ansem got Kairi situated within the flying craft, fastening her in, in case of a crash, tears slowly slid down Kairi's cheeks.
"Hey, don't be scared! You're a big girl! And big, brave girl! And besides... I'm positive we'll see each other again," Ansem reassured, kissing the girl on her cheek.
"Goodbye, Uncle Ansem!"
"Goodbye, Kairi... And good luck..." Reaching inside, Ansem pressed a button marked "Launch", and closed the door, waving to his niece. Ansem took a few steps back as the egg slowly ascended from the balcony, and was catapulted into the sky. Ansem watched for a long time, until the gummi craft was no longer in sight. That was when she showed up.
"Do you regret sending off your only blood-kin?" the woman asked.
"No... It is for the sake of knowledge..." Ansem replied, still looking at the sky.
"Ahhh... I suppose you want to know who I am..." The woman said, looking up at the sky, which had began to darken.
"It would be a nice gesture..."
"I am Sorceress Maleficent- the one who will be conquering your world now," the woman replied, smirking as much as one could.
"Ahhh... Yes... Rather than a battle of which I would surely disintegrate, I am giving you my world. I have done all I can do bound to this mortal coil.... I only ask one favor of you."
"And what is that?" Maleficent asked, intrigued.
"Tell my people that I disappeared. Don't tell them where I am going..."
"Are you afraid they will follow you?"
"No. I am afraid they will achieve an astral state before I. Leave me in peace, and I shall give you this world."
"Hmmm... A bargain... Yes... Alright. We have come to an agreement, King Ansem. I will seize this world in the name of darkness. I bid you a safe journey."
Ansem nodded, and left the sorceress alone on the balcony.
And he walked. And rowed, and walked some more. Ansem found himself back at the memorial of Tetsuya Nomura, the Hollow Bastion's first king. He gave a slight nod to the degraded memorial of the king, and Ansem jumped over the cliff, plunging into the everlasting darkness below.