20

Writer's Note: Seem to be doing these more than I had originally intended. Meh. OK, this is more of a "me" chapter than normal, as I'm offering my views on light and darkness, which, I think, KH2 and CoM have been hinting at, so I'm taking the liberty of expressing my views within this story, with the ever so slightest of modifications to match the situations, however from the looks of things, I'm trying to fit it in as it appears the games are taking it. Also, make sure you read Vexen's explanation of dark and light a couple times, as that will lay foundation for the rest of the story's dealing with the light and darkness, just make sure you understand it, it will save you trouble later on P.

I realize I'm probably breaking a storyline rule, and that is alowing everyone to know DiZ was Ansem, because as far as we know, only Vexen knew that. And Riku, (hence the "Riku in the trailer" theories etc. etc.), but Oh Well,

P.S.-Thanks people for the reviews, I actually feel motivated to continue now. P OK, onto the REAL Founding

Lexaeus

"Excuse me," I heard a deep voice behind me. I turned around and saw DiZ standing there, his arm pointed at a spare bedroom, "but your friend is waking up."

"Thank you," I said, and went in to see Zexion. He was sitting up already, Vexen attending to his bedside.

Although maybe I should rewind a bit. See, since Maleficient came and "tempered" Zex's heart, we'd had a battle with the Heartless, and Zex had some wierd powers. Then Maleficient and some brown-robed guy came, I had since learned he was called Ansem, and tried to kill me to 'unlock' Zex's power, as they had put it. When Ansem had seen Zex would never be completely darkness, he ordered Zex killed, and while Maleficient tried to kill him, I guess the same thing happened to me, I had tapped into some darkness the way Zexion did, and Maleficient tried to kill me. I was saved by Vexen, and introduced to DiZ, who was Ansem's "shell". I still didn't quite understand what was going on, but we were now in some place called Twilight Town. It was similar to Traverse Town, but other than being heavily populated, the difference was pretty big, I was lost in it, but I'd spent these past three days in DiZ's home mostly. DiZ said there were other things to discuss, but he'd wait until Zex was recovered, as he had collapsed after the battle with Maleficient.

"Hey Zex, how you doing?" I asked walking up to him.

He managed a weak smile, "I assume it looks worse than it feels," he said.

"You're right about that," Vexen interjected, he was a scientist of some kind, and as such was a bit more qualified to play doctor than the rest of us, not by much mind you, but quite a bit comparatively, "Maleficient shattered your arm. Any normal person would never be able to use it again. Lucky you," he finsihed up.

"Whatever," Zex said blowing him off, but he compensated by showing a little gratitude, "Thanks though...uh, what's your name?"

"Vexen," he said, "you're lucky you survived though, most of the work's been yours."

"Where are we?" Zex asked looking at me.

"A place called Twilight Town," I answered, "another world. Guess you got your dream after all, huh?"

Zex lowered his head, "Yeah," he quietly muttered, to himself I suppose. I had expected him to jump up and down for joy, busted arm and all, he'd waited for this for so long. I think I was happier for him than he was.

"How long have I been out?" he said turning back to me.

"About three days," I said.

"Give or take a few hours," Vexen interrupted again, a trait common with him I suppose, although I hadn't noticed it until like five minutes ago when I came in. Odd, maybe it was Zexion? Who knew.

"Pardon the intrusion," DiZ said, bowing to us slightly as he entered the room, "but are you feeling better Zexion? Perhaps I can offer you some food? Any accomodation I can offer?"

Zex put his hand up in respectful refusal, "No, I'm quite fine."

"Very well, if you are sure," he turned to Vexen, "is he recovered enough for emotional strain?"

Vexen gave him a strange, questioning look, then almost instantly he seemed to remember whatever it was, and realization lit up his face, "I'm sure he can handle it, all that needs mending is the bone, which will take a few weeks if he keeps it inactive, but no, I'd say he's ready to walk about and carry on as normal."

"Good," DiZ said, and turned to look at Zexion, "do you know who it was who attacked you?"

"One was Maleficient," Zexion said, looking up into his memories of the event, "and the other I don't know." He looked suspiciously at DiZ, I figured he had made the vocal connection. DiZ and Ansem had the same voice, maybe he remembered enough of that night to make that connection.

"The other was my true self, Ansem," DiZ explained, "I am his shell, the body lost when the heart left." He shook his head, realizing he had probably gone too far too fast. "You know of the Heartless, yes? Well when someone loses their heart, their body and soul seperate, and become one as I, a nobody. When that happens, the heart can either roam free, or, as is most common, be devoured by a Heartless. Ansem, however, sacrificed me, his body, to attain darkness and its power. As such, he roams freely with Maleficient, controling the Heartless, attacking world after world. This is where you come in, you have darkness in your heart, Zexion."

This made Zex shift uncomfortably in his bed, but DiZ raised a hand as if to settle him down, "But this is not a bad thing. Darkness resides in every heart, as does light. Light resides within even Ansem, through me, as I am still a part of him. Your darkness, Zexion, is powerful, and your mind is equally powerful, making the combination a deadly one. Your friend Lexaeus here has darkness as well, his darkness is larger, but what remains to be seen is if he can control it as well as you. But Ansem, I believe, has not adapted to his bodyless state as well as he would hope, and is attempting to accquire a body to use as his own. However, that person's heart must fully embrace darkness. You have not, and this is wise, you have recognized the strength of your darkness, and at the same time the necessity of your light. You are unsuitable for Ansem to possess. Perhaps Vexen is in a better place to explain the difference?" he offered, gesturing at the long haired scientist.

"Well," Vexen began, "light and darkness are different, but not quite the way you think. Light has become synonymous with good, as darkness is now synonymous with evil. Though the definitions are much more complicated than that. Your light is your individuality, your power of will. Light is what seperates you from a Heartless, your individuality, your emotions, and your ability to choose, the attributes a Heartless doesn't have. Darkness isn't quite the opposite, but is on that side of the scale." He looked up, combing his thoughts, which seemed kind of sporadic, although I had once heard an old saying that says the most brilliant have the least common sense. "Actually scale is the wrong word. Light and Darkness should be seen as a pie, I suppose in lame-man's terms. One third is the 'darkness' slice, another third is the 'light' slice, the final thrid is actually two pieces of one sixth, that seperate the light and darkness, making up the 'twilight' and 'dawn' areas. All of us in this room are in the twilight areas, excepting DiZ, who is in the very center, belonging to neither slice, as he began as nothing. See, all humans, as children, only possess light. There is an old story on my world that children rebuilt the world destroyed by darkness with their fragments of light in their hearts. When one begins in light, and moves towards darkness, they become twilight. Dawn is a very rare creature, as one must begin in darkness, and come towards light. Darkness is difficult to describe, for it is power, and pain, and negative emotion. But...it is hard to describe this, but it is also love. Love for itself, for others of darkness. It is something which Ansem also realizes."

"What do you mean?" I asked the scientist, this was a strange conclusion. How could darkness be love?

"In our world, there is a constant, self-defeating struggle. See, darkness and light need to coexist, otherwise they cease to exist. Without light or darkness, to show its opposite, the one that remains ceases to be light or darkness, and simply becomes existence. Yet these two forces have a driving urge to destroy each other. And they both have the same reason: peace. Both darkness and light crave serenity. As they are independently, they are opposing forces, that do not understand how to blend with each other, as we have learned. Most being capable of light and darkness are forced to choose. And when that happens, they still desire the same thing, they desire tranquility. That is what Ansem seeks, as he destroys world after world. He seeks the door that will open everlasting darkness, a place that will not contain this struggle. A place of pure peace, and love, for all beings exist as one."

"Wait," Zexion interrupted Vexen this time, "Ansem has destroyed worlds?"

Vexen looked somewhat embarrassed, "Oh yes, forgive me, I have forgotten you do not know of that. Ansem has used the Heartless to destroy worlds' cores, the 'Heart' of the world, if you will. In doing so he is upsetting the balance of light and dark, and that place of pure existence is what I believe he is attempting to unlock."

DiZ looked over to Zexion, "That is why Ansem could not accept you, for you retain just enough light to upset his balance, even enough to upset Ansem's own determination. He doesn't want to lose his resolve, which may happen if he were to possess you."

Vexen spoke up again, "Your light is your blessing. However, we haven't a way to battle Ansem," he said rather depressingly.

"What do you mean?" Zexion asked, "can't we just get a bunch of fighters together and meet him head on?"

"Wait," I jumped in, "what about all the Heartless? We'd never be able to destroy them all."

"The Heartless aren't a problem," Vexen corrected me, I was pretty shocked about that. "The real problem is Ansem himself. Being pure darkness as is, he can't be defeated unless there is darkness at least stronger than him. And finding someone with an ability for becoming twilight, who also has darkness greater than Ansem, if not multitude's more powerful. The odds are against us, added on to that a being of twilight must also wield light, and we end up with a near impossible situation."

"There is another way," DiZ quietly spoke, looking at the floor. "We could find the key master." I looked at Vexen, this was where I expected him to say something like 'Of course how silly of me!', but he didn't know what DiZ was talking about either. Seeing the confused expressions on our faces, DiZ explained himself, "Ansem once met a king from a distant world, very soon after the meteor shower. He spoke of a 'key', something, a weapon most likely, that would come to the light when its need was greatest. Only the being it chooses can wield it. Different from the princesses, who would be of pure light, the master would also possess darkness, but that darkness would not be like normal darkness. It was something special, I don't know how, but it would result in the most powerful heart in all the worlds."

"Yes...I can see how that works, then their strength must merely match Ansem's, it would require the smallest tip of the scale to turn that battle. A tip we could set off if need be."

We agreed it the best policy. It was decided that we would be resistance on the worlds Ansem and Maleficient were attacking, and try and stall them as long as we possibly could, to buy the 'master', whoever it was, as much time as we could. DiZ introduced us to two other people who were also involved with this darkness and light concept. We all met a few hours afterwards, after Vexen had gone out and gathered them, introductions were made, everyone brought up to speed, and we decided to do as we four had thought of, to delay Ansem's advance upon the worlds.

"Can someone teach Lex how to use his power?" Zexion asked as we agreed to our plan. I was surprised, I didn't think Zexion would come to bat for me in a sort of awkward situation. Then again, he was very different from the Zex I knew those months ago, before the meteor shower.

"Yes, I will handle that, in between his assistance to Vexen, who will be in charge of the search for this 'Master'," he looked around at everyone else, "the rest of you will take part in the delay tactics until Vexen finds this champion. When I feel Lexaeus is ready to join you, he will help as well. And if we are going into battle, we will need some kind of chain of command."

"Quite," Vexen spoke up, "and I move that DiZ be elected our superior." The rest of us voiced our agreement. And, probably not to show any elitist attitude, or something, either way, I interpereted it as false modesty, "And, to rank us, I would say, ranking in order of our assossiation with DiZ, based upon our first meeting." Maybe he just didn't like Zexion? That would place him at least second to last. Last come to think of it, as I met DiZ technically three days before him.

"If there are no objections, then I suppose we could..." DiZ said, looking to anyone for objection. I felt I should, but as I saw it, I couldn't prove anything, and perhaps this was a good idea anyway, I was probably letting personal feelings get in the way again. "Very well, then," DiZ concluded, "then we shall all be ranked, why not by number? If you desire me to be your leader, than I shall be Number One. All the way down to Zexion, who shall be Number Six, agreed?" We all said we had no complaints.

"We're gonna need a name," Zexion said, "If we want to be official and all."

"Yeah, this organization needs to be recognized," I said.

"Why?" said Vexen across the table. "We don't want attention drawn on ourselves, yes? Perhaps it should be simple, or, more to the point, as Lexaeus said, Organization. The Organization."

We all looked to DiZ for his opinion. All he did though was smile, and say with a faint chuckle in his voice, "It's as good a name as any."