"It's too late Tronahex. No one could forgive me now, not even your King." Eoxodem's words lingered in Tronahex's mind as he passed through the Gate of Emptiness. Why didn't you just come with me Eox? We would've been great. We would've stopped the Darkness at last, the one thing you always dreamed of! Tronahex remembered when he and Eoxodem had first met in the Organization's stronghold. He remembered Eoxodem's thoughts as they talked for countless hours while traveling through the massive castle.
"I want to rebuild this place and call it my own!" Eoxodem was almost shouting now, and Tronahex tried to keep him quiet.
"Ssssh! What if he hears you saying things like that?"
"Think outside the box Tronahex! We don't need him anymore, he's gone insane, you know it as well as I do!"
"Maybe, but…" Tronahex stared off into space and thought for a while.
Eoxodem came to Tronahex's side and spoke softer than he had been. "You're the only one here who makes me feel important. If anybody's going to help me take control of this place, I want it to be you."
Tronahex felt a tear rolling down his cheek as he remembered that time. What happened to you?
Disney CastleKing Mickey, Royal Knight Goofy, and Court Magician Donald were all assembled in one place at one time, a rare occurrence in a castle this vast and confusing. The only reason the King gave for bringing them to the Library was, "A terrible emergency."
"Gawrsh, what could it be?" Goofy asked his partner, Donald.
"Well, we defeated the Organization, and the Heartless are all but gone from the worlds. We'll just hafta ask the King."
Arriving at the massive library, Goofy and Donald found the King sitting at his small white desk concentrating hard on a single piece of paper in front of him.
"I'm glad you fellas came," the King said, standing up from his seat and walking towards them. "There are many things I need to explain to you guys."
Goofy gave Donald a confused look, then turned and quickly saluted the King, who waved it off and asked them to have a seat. As if by magic, two chairs sprouted from the ground underneath them, and they sat.
"Where to begin, where to begin?" The King was pacing slowly across the room through the entire conversation. "Well, I suppose I need to tell you about the Chasers, to begin anyway."
Goofy looked confused again, but Donald was focused on the King. "Chasers?" Goofy asked. "Never heard o' them."
"I didn't expect you to. During my time at Ansem's house in Radiant Garden many years ago, I learned of them. Apparently, Ansem had written a very special report on them titled 'Ansem Report 0.' In the report, he claimed to have organized the Chasers, calling them his 'Mercenaries of Light.'" The King held his hand out and the Keyblade appeared in a small flash. "The Chasers were a group of four warriors whom Ansem trained to be the Keyblade wielders."
"But I thought you, Sora, and Riku were the Keyblade wielders?" Goofy asked, growing more confused by the minute.
"Let the King finish!" Donald shouted.
The King let out a small sigh. "I had thought we were at the time, but when I read the report, it became clear to me. During the Keyblade Wars that took place hundreds of years ago; thousands of men and women with strong hearts became Keyblade wielders. Whether their hearts were filled with Light or Darkness, the Keyblade accepted them and became a part of them, as it has done for Sora, Riku, and me. However, although every Keyblade was just as powerful as the next, they were used for many different intentions, most of them leading to the destruction of their wielder. I wonder sometimes if the Keyblades shared one heart and were trying to single out those with truly strong hearts? Anyway, after the Wars were over, only a few strong-hearted individuals remained."
Goofy wasn't sure if the King would say it or not, so he asked. "The Chasers?"
"Exactly. When the Wars ended, Ansem took in the four surviving people and began to train them to use the Keyblade to its full potential."
"Gawrsh your Majesty, you mean Ansem was a…"
"A Keyblade Master, yes Goofy. Ansem was a Keyblade Master, before…" The King's voice trailed off. After a moment, he continued. "Never mind that. Anyway, the four warriors that Ansem trained, Eoxodem, Xa'kiir, Kurix, and Tronahex, began learning of their hearts' strengths and weaknesses and soon became Keyblade Masters themselves. But that's when the trouble started.
"Xehanort, Ansem's young apprentice, became fascinated by the idea of multiple Keyblade wielders and secretly explored the thought for quite a while before Ansem caught him one day. This was about the same time that Organization XIII was born. While Xehanort's Nobody, Xemnas, formed the Organization, Xehanort himself secretly brought the Chasers under his loyalty one by one, until all four were on his side. They, along with the Organization, created Castle Oblivion and the World that Never Was, where they built their stronghold and kept watch over the Heartless and Nobodies."
When the King was done, he sat back down at his desk. "I must tell you guys something else. For a couple of years now I've kept a terrible secret from you. I think if I'm telling you this, you should know." The King let out a short sigh again and stood up. "Tronahex, the last of the Chasers to join Xehanort, has been in the Castle now for well over a year."
"What!" Donald shouted with a panicked expression on his face. "I never saw anyone in the castle before!"
"You've never seen him because I told him not to LET you see him. He's a master of stealth, so I'm sure he's been right over your head before, but you didn't look up."
"But why, your Majesty?" Goofy asked, still looking slightly nervous.
"I took Tronahex in because he was sick of working for Xehanort. He came to me one day, having heard many stories of me from different sources, and asked me to train him to use his Keyblade for Light. I gladly told him I would, but that the two of you must never see him. I thought with the problems concerning Sora and that mess, you two didn't need anything else on your plate at the time."
The group was silent for a few moments, and then Goofy finally spoke. "Gawrsh, your Majesty. Not to be rude, but why're ya tellin' us this now?"
The King grabbed the small piece of paper from his desk again and came towards them. "Read this," was all he said, handing his comrades the small paper scroll embedded with his seal.
To Sora and Riku
Emptiness is coming to your Islands and will arrive within the week. Please be careful of the Chasers. Do not bring Kairi, for she is in enough danger already.
The King
Goofy and Donald read the note twice, making sure to take in everything it was saying, then Goofy spoke. "Gawrsh, your Majesty, shouldn't you have sent this to them by now? Sounds pretty important."
"There's only one problem, Goofy." The King sighed again. "I didn't write that note. Turn to the back."
On the back of the small scroll was a paragraph in small handwriting.
My King, this is not the Real note. I've already sent the Real one to Destiny Islands. The Emptiness should be there by now. I can only hope the Keyblade wielders are safe and that my former comrades, the Chasers, do not get to them first. I'll contact you if something new arises. Xehanort is alive.
The King sighed again and let a small chuckle out. "Tronahex DID always have such a recognizable handwriting."