SHADOW OF OBLIVION

Interlude One

Ansem, both a meticulous scientist and an observant man, kept a report, a journal of his findings and discoveries about the world of darkness. The italicized sections of this interlude are quoted directly from Kingdom Hearts.

"Much of my life has been dedicated to pursuit of knowledge. That knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that. I am blessed with people's smiles and respect."

Saving the world? He was not interested in things that were so trivial. The thought of preserving life on such a large scale was of course significant, but not the top priority; understanding life and what gave it meaning ensnared the entirety of his attention.

For years he had studied, and for years after he had tested and pushed himself to the limits, surpassing his peers and pursuing topics no one had ever thought to research. In Ansem's mind, Meteor could not have fallen at a better time; ShinRa refused to review any of his work regarding alternate energy sources, even when Dr. Gast (may he rest in peace) announced his own support. No… to ShinRa, the ideas were dangerous for the company to even consider!

Forced to discontinue his research indefinitely (and considering it only a temporary setback), he focused instead on learning about the human psyche. A trip to Wutai opened his eyes to ancient ideologies nearly forgotten by man, and the new interest consumed Ansem's mind completely.

"But though I am called a sage, there are things I do not understand. I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times."

Many philosophies, he discovered, expounded upon the duality of existence, the most popular being "light and dark". The Lifestream was light; it nurtured life and protected the Planet from darkness, or the things that sought its elimination, such as JENOVA.

Magic as a practice also contained elements supporting this theory; a user could activate materia with the positive or negative energy of his own intent, and the effects upon the spell would vary. Many hypothesized that light held more power than dark, but wouldn't that negate such notions of equality and balance?

It was this question that drove Ansem into a completely different direction.

"Darkness... Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so? As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness."

The fall of the ShinRa and its ruling family had struck the first chord of his victory symphony, and Reeve, the president's replacement, set the key. Now, with the necessary funds and materials, the grand finale that would immortalize him forever was at hand.

.o.o.o.

Notes: I finally figured out how to use the rulers in document manager-- go me!

And now, dear readers, I offer a choice: whose point of view will appear next in this tale? I am currently at a crossroads where anything can happen, so I'm letting you decide for me. The choices are:

Cid Highwind

Cloud Strife

Vincent Valentine

Reno

Reeve Tuesti

Tifa Lockheart

And a second question: Should I continue the story with mixed interludes like this one?

Let me know!

-Omega Light