Chapter 5: Ansem At Last

The gummi ship landed on Hollow Bastion and the 11 warriors and 7 princesses got out. They entered the castle and went to the library where Yuffie was sleeping on the floor and Aerith was sitting at a table and reading.

"Sora, and friends, oh, and the princesses. What are all of you doing here?" asked Aerith.

"We're on a mission to stop Ansem once and for all, where are Cid, Cloud and Leon, they should here the story too," said Sora.

"Cid and Leon are working on the mechanics of the castle and Cloud is up on the balcony," said Aerith.

"I'll get Cloud, you two get Cid and Leon, when we get back I'll tell all you the whole story and we can figure out our next move," said Raz.

The three left and walked down a hallway together, when they got to stairs Raz went up and Riku and Sora went down. Sora and Riku followed the path to the castle mechanics where they found Cid.

"Sora, I see you found your friend," said Cid.

"Where's Leon?" asked Sora.

"He's back there," Cid pointed at the door behind him, "why?"

"We need you two at the library, we have a lot of people and we're going to stop Ansem once and for all," said Sora.

"I'll get him and meet you there," said Cid.

Sora and Riku nodded and left. They returned to the library and shortly after Raz entered. Soon after that Cid and Leon entered, and almost immediately after that Cloud entered with another man.

"Who are you?" asked Sora.

"My name is Auron, I too called this place home," said the man.

"Now that you're all here, allow me to introduce myself, I am Razelquin, the last Dark Hunter," said Raz before telling his story and the story of why they're all gathered together, "…which is where we now stand, we don't know how to draw Ansem out, but we know it is the princesses that will do it," said Raz once he finished.

"The final conflict will take place on End of the World?" asked Auron.

"Yes, once we get Ansem I can capture him and we'll bring him to End of the World," said Raz.

"How will you capture him?" asked Aerith.

"It is one of the dark arts I was sure to learn, he used it on me, and I now know it," said Raz.

"He won't show up here again, this world is lost to him," said Mickey.

"He is hidden in a place where only his allies can reach him," said Leon.

"And his only allies are the heartless, perhaps he hides behind the doors," said Auron.

"A wise guess, but it is unfortunately wrong," said a voice.

"Who are you? Show yourself," demanded Raz.

"I find it amusing that the only one who can help you bring out Ansem, is the one you neglect to invite to your get together," said the voice.

"I said show yourself," said Raz, his hand on the handle of his blade.

"How will you fight what you cant see, or get too? That is your problem with Ansem, but manners are needed before my help is given," said the voice.

"Will you please join us and give any assistance you can?" asked Raz through gritted teeth.

"It seems you learned from the Cheshire Cat, very well," said the voice and DiZ appeared before them.

"DiZ, you know how to get Ansem?" asked Riku.

"Ansem needs the hearts of the princesses, he tried mechanical ways to do it and failed, his last resort is natural ways, the heartless. But there is only one place where heartless can go, and it is where you must go. Once the princesses are close to being taken, he will arrive. I can't tell you what he will do once he arrives, weather he will watch as they're hearts are taken, or help the heartless, but that is you only chance at getting him out in the open," said DiZ.

"We have to take the princesses to End of the World, that's more dangerous that I thought this would have to be," said Beast.

"It is not necessary, you can leave now, I will watch the machine and be sure it does not open or is not taken by Ansem, and Ansem will live on," said DiZ.

"That's not an option," said Mickey.

"I will take those of you who do not wish to go to Castle Oblivion, while I am there, Ansem can not enter, it will be safe from the fight," said DiZ.

"Why can't Ansem enter with you there?" asked Raz.

"You're the one who stole and read his journal. You may have lost some pages, but you still read it all, Ansem was the first person to be taken by the heartless but keep his heart. His body became a shell and he gained a new one, looking nothing like his old one. If I were to remove these garments, you would call me Ansem, for I am his body, after his heart was taken. He will avoid me for fear of becoming one again, and loose his power over the heartless," said DiZ.

"I knew he lost his body, but I did not know it was you," said Raz.

"That's where I met you before," said Mickey.

"I am all the sanity and goodness Ansem ever possessed. I learned from the experiments that heartless are to be feared and avoided," said DiZ.

"We'll leave in the morning for End of the World, those who wish to come stay, others go with DiZ," said Mickey.

"I will return in the morning, allowing you all the night to decide, and possible, say your goodbyes," said DiZ before he vanished.

The group was in small huddles of friends when night fell. They were deciding if they should go, or stay with DiZ. When morning came DiZ was back, and only Aerith Yuffie and Cid went with him. The others got on the gummi ship and headed to End of the World.

The gummi ship flew low over End of the World, and the group could see that it was crawling with heartless, both real and false, there was no place fore them to land. The gummi ship had to shoot the heatless away so it could land. When it did and the group got out they formed a circle with the princesses on the inside so no heartless could get to them. After a short while the heartless stopped attacking. No one put their weapons away but they did relax a bit.

"I congratulate you on getting rid of the heartless on all the other worlds, and successfully bringing me out of hiding. But whatever your plan is, it wont work, I will take the princesses hearts, and kill you in the process," said Ansem.

At that moment a Behemoth charged out form the crowd of heartless and was about to attack the group when it froze in mid-step.

"I said I would do it myself," said Ansem, his finger was pointed at the Behemoth and it lifted off the ground and vanished, having died.

"Can you do that?" asked Sora.

"Unfortunately, no," said Raz.

"Are you going to fight me first or will this be a heroic act of giving up?" asked Ansem.

"I have a gift for you Ansem, but for you to open it we must be beyond the great doors," said Raz.

"Razelquin dear boy, I didn't notice you, I thought you died in you cell," said Ansem.

"Don't you want you gift my prince?" asked Raz.

"It won't destroy me will it?" asked Ansem.

"I was going to give it to you before I realized you went mad, it will have no consequence in the fight," said Raz.

"Why, then must I open it beyond the great doors?" asked Ansem.

"It is where I got it," said Raz.

Ansem grinned, "I suppose it's on the ship, I will meet you there, no heartless will be in your way," said Ansem as he began to walk away.

"I might not be able to conceal it, keep you back turned till I arrive," said Raz.

"I'll go with him, to be sure he wont," said Mickey.

"And us," said Donald and Goofy, Riku and Sora nodded.

"Very well, but the princesses will also come, I do not want to lose them, this way," said Ansem.