My people and I are all but prisoners of this tiny place.
Xehanort set the report aside and flexed his hand. The restrictions Ansem set on them did make them feel like prisoners in the castle. There was a new program on the computer to watch what they put on there, appropriately named the Master Control Program. Even with the MCP in place, Ansem watched them like a hawk at first, and it had been nearly two weeks before any of them were able to return to the supposedly locked-away section of the lab. Braig and Dilan were leading the other three in a construction project down there, a device they claimed would enable them to create Heartless from the artificial hearts. Xehanort left them to it while he focused on capturing Ansem's attention once more. The fire of new theories and experiments should put him back firmly in his mentor's good graces, and examining the heart of the world already burned fiercely in Xehanort's veins. If he could light that fire in Ansem as well, they would be free to go to resume their work without worrying about getting caught.
Satisfied with what he had written, Xehanort gathered his proposal notes and the two noteboards he would need, then left for Ansem's study.
He placed two careful knocks on the door to warn of his presence before opening it. "Master Ansem?"
The king had been reading, chin propped on one hand while the other tracked his progress on the page. But, when Xehanort entered the room, he favored his student with a smile - wane and sad, but still there. Xehanort felt his certainty that this would put things right increase, especially when he noticed the spark of interest in his eyes at the noteboards. "Xehanort? What brings you down here?"
Xehanort propped the boards on the bookshelves where his teacher could clearly see the drawings on them. "Do you remember when we were examining the blocks you brought us, and Braig commented on how they were more like children's building blocks than meteors?"
Ansem gave a small chuckle, the smile on his face becoming a little stronger. "Of course I do. It took over an hour to settle down the row and smooth everyone's ruffled feathers after Even asked why Braig was playing with Ienzo's toys."
Xehanort allowed himself a grin at the memory. "Well, that made me begin wondering about it, and it occurred to me: What if they aren't strange meteors at all, but parts of a wall that used to be around our world and, for some reason, crumbled?"
"A wall? How do you explain the night skies?"
"'Wall' is probably the wrong word for it. More like the world's skin, permeable enough to allow sun- and starlight in, but still an effective barrier." A pause, letting the older man process the idea. "All living beings have just a few things in common, one of them being that they have skins that protect them. Would it not make sense to conceive of our world as being a living entity in its own right?"
He was nodding. "A likely concept, and one that's often used in myths and literature. Go on, I can see you're bursting to tell me what you wish to do."
Xehanort smiled slightly, acknowledging how well his teacher knew him. "Living things also have another part of themselves in common...a heart." As he expected, the banned subject drew a slight flinch from Ansem, and Xehanort held his hands up to ask for patience to explain where he was going with this. "It's a well understood concept that our hearts are connected, demonstrated by how societies live and work together. If worlds have hearts, surely they too must be connected to each other?" He tilted his head, indicating the noteboard about these connections. "And, if humans have hearts and live on worlds that also have hearts, is it also possible that there is a place that is the actual heart of all worlds? A Kingdom Hearts, perhaps?"
"Just what is it you plan to do?" Ansem was still tense, but he wasn't rejecting Xehanort outright. A good sign.
"I want to find these connections, and the heart of all worlds. To do that I need to study the heart of this world."
Ansem leaned back, his eyes moving from Xehanort's earnest face to the noteboards. Connections between worlds, heart of the world, Xehanort's face, then back again. Ansem rubbed his hands over his face, then sat forward. "You may hang those in here, Xehanort. I will consider your proposal and inform you of my decision in a few days."
"Yes, Master Ansem."
The newly-created (and named) Soldier Heartless behaved much the same as their more natural counterparts, much to their satisfaction. Dilan and Braig practically radiated smugness at the fact that it was the two of them who came up with the idea of making Heartless, though Xehanort was quick to point out that all six of them had done the research that led them to this point.
"We've enabled the computer to make modifications to any of our Heartless so they can be adapted to our needs," Elaeus told him.
Xehanort looked up quickly from the Soldiers. "The MCP-"
"Has been blocked from accessing the files," Even assured him.
"When Master Ansem installed it, he forgot about the Tron program," Ienzo said. "The watchdog is just about the only thing on there the MCP doesn't have full access to, so I hid the Heartless files inside the coding for a few of its functions. Tron was created to protect our work, so they should be safe there. Unless," he added with a smirk, "You think the MCP is going to start taking over the computer or something."
"No...You did a good job. All of you did," he added. "This is probably the first step in creating hearts that are indistinguishable from natural ones."
But the two types remain distinct for the purpose of the experiment. So, I will mark the ones that are created artificially.
Xehanort strode down the hallway to Ansem's study, elation making his footsteps light. They were so close to unlocking the secrets to the heart, he could taste it. All that was needed was to confirm his theory about the door he had discovered, and that would surely come with his master's blessing.
Two measured knocks sounded, as always, before he swung the door open. His momentum halted briefly in shock at the sight of Ansem's guest, a mouse hardly taller than the room's desk, who turned as he entered. Xehanort bowed, quickly recovering from his surprise.
"Master Ansem, regarding the experiment I presented the other day... With your permission, I'd like to proceed-"
"I forbid it!" Xehanort flinched back from the harsh tone, his heart sinking as Ansem continued in the same tone. "Forget this talk of doors, and the heart of all worlds. That place must not be defiled!"
What could Xehanort have done that had changed his teacher's mind so quickly? "But Master Ansem!" he protested. "I've been thinking..." He trailed off as Ansem sadly shook his head, the words dieing on his lips.
"Xehanort... Those thoughts are best forgotten."
He started in surprise - Forgotten? Just like that? - and nearly pleaded for him to reconsider. A second look at Ansem's face told him it would be a wasted effort, though, especially when it was combined with the stranger's blatant staring at him. Dropping his arms, Xehanort gave another bow, then backed out of the room slowly, closing the door as he did so.
Lead-filled boots carried him away from the study and back to his chambers without his noticing. He sat at his small desk, chin propped in his hands and eyes unfocused. The conversation repeated itself in his mind, chased by questions without answers. How had it gone so wrong between himself and his teacher? He'd thought that Ansem would be proud of his ideas and theories, but he had shut down the research laboratory without a second thought. Why?
His gaze moved to the blank sheets of paper on the corner of the desk, awaiting his next Ansem Report. Could his master have become...jealous of his students? Especially of the one who seemed to be surpassing his work? Was that why he halted their research?
The chair toppled backwards as Xehanort rose and slammed his hands down on the desk, scattering the pages. "How dare he do this!"
King Mickey Mouse only stayed for a few days, most of which he spent in Ansem's study, deep in discussion. The apprentices were occasionally invited as well, giving them glimpses into the tiny king's vast store of knowledge. Confirmation about several of their theories about the gummi blocks was highly satisfying, as was the utter confusion on his face when half of the apprentices broke into snickers when the subject came up.
"The gummi blocks have been the source of at least one fight I know about, and possibly more I care not to," was the weary explanation Ansem gave him. Xehanort did not blame him for not pushing the matter further.
To Xehanort, the gummi blocks and resulting ships were less important than the tales about the Keyblade Masters. Mickey, and to their surprise, Ansem, both knew a great deal about the legends, though Mickey's knowledge far surpassed Ansem's. Xehanort devoured the tales of the Keyblade hungrily, especially after learning that they were closely linked to their wielders' heart. The conflicting legends were also very interesting, as well as the mention of princesses that were often associated with the blades.
Keys locked doors, or opened them. And the door beneath the castle had opened so easily to his touch. What was the connection?
"Xehanort, sir?"
Xehanort looked up from his book as the boy's voice broke the quiet of the castle library. It was one of the squires, often used as errand boys due to the lack of military need in Radiant Garden. He had met this one before, recalled that he had an unusual name. Something to do with storms or the rain or something. The boy looked only a few years older than Ienzo when he'd become an apprentice. "Yes?"
"Master Ansem sent me to fetch you. He said he wanted you to come to his study to discuss something." The boy – Squall, that was it – gave him a solemn look. "He sounded upset."
"Thank you," Xehanort said. The book was abandoned on the table, leaving him to face his teacher empty-handed.
The first thing he noticed was that the hidden door to the laboratory was open. That was highly unusual, since Ansem had pretended that the lab didn't exist once he ordered his students to stop using it. The second thing he noticed was that the pages spread out on the desk were covered in his handwriting, and Ansem did not looked the slightest bit pleased with him.
"Explain this, Xehanort."
"Master Ansem?" The reports were all self-explanatory, he thought, if one bothered to read them.
"Explain to me this travesty, Xehanort, that you have written in my name!" He stood, hands splayed over the pages. "You opened the door to this world, you conducted experiments without my permission, you deliberately disobeyed me-"
"We wouldn't have had to disobey you, Master, if you hadn't halted us, held us back-"
"Silence!" Ansem roared. He swept the papers off of his desk, knocking over the tanks of hearts as well. The crash as the glass smashed felt unusually loud in the small room. "I will not have you turning my kingdom into a hollow bastion of darkness!"
The entrance to the lab was no longer empty, as the other apprentices gathered in it. Something like betrayal flashed across Ansem's face when he saw them, realized where they had come from, and what they must have been doing. Xehanort saw the hesitation from the five, who looked between their senior member and their teacher, all of them wondering which side to choose.
He knew, suddenly, how he would make that choice so much simpler. "Do you wish to see it, Master Ansem?" he purred, moving around the desk.
Ansem eyed him warily, backing away...towards the lab. "See what, Xehanort?" he asked.
"The door, of course." Slow, measured steps, stalking his prey.
"No, I would rather not."
"I think you should. In fact, I insist."
It was almost too easy, seizing the older man's arm, dragging him down the walkway. The other apprentices parted in front of them, lifting no hand to help. They followed as he pulled their teacher deeper into the lab, past the holding rooms.
Ansem's struggles increased when the small door came into view, though to no avail. Xehanort nodded for the nearest, Even, to open it. They had worked with the Heartless for so long, peered through this very door for so many hours, that it opened easily under the touch of any of the six.
"Xehanort, stop this. You're not thinking clearly, Xehanort plea-" The pleadings cut off when the door slammed behind Ansem.
He leveled his gaze at the closed door, then glanced around at his companions. "Now," he said. "We can work without interruption."
