Everyone seemed to enjoy the first chapter of this story. I got some nice comments on everyone's characterization so far and I'm glad that you like it. This chapter will have a few more characters and really dive into where things split off from canon.
Specifically, there are two main changes. And we'll get to see them both in this chapter. Which turned out be a very long chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Some mistakes could never be undone.
In the pursuit of science, he let himself be tricked. Or maybe he tricked himself. He didn't recognize the path that he was following back then. All that he knew was that Ansem the Wise suddenly told the apprentices to drop their research while Xehanort whispered just a little further and they would have their answers. They didn't recognize the shadows already surrounding them even as they willingly stepped deeper into them. They listened to Xehanort, following him as their humanity seemed to be scoured away with each test subject and with each experiment.
Then they investigated the deepest darkness at Xehanort's coaxing and lost their hearts completely. What followed made their past experiments pale in comparison.
It wasn't a single mistake, but a long series of them that spanned a decade. And he couldn't undo them. But perhaps he could atone for them a little.
Ever since he woke up whole, memories of Axel taking advantage of his battered state to burn him to oblivion still tormenting his mind, he knew that he needed to fix things. It was a second chance. An opportunity for redemption. And when they snatched him up because the real Organization XIII needed his research and his replicas, he accepted the role and became a secret traitor within their ranks in order to make up for those mistakes.
A dangerous endeavor. He knew the fate of those who went against the original Organization XIII. Even without their fiery assassin and "fixer" to handle such problems, betrayal would be met with harsh and terminal punishment. But it was a risk that he accepted.
He lost his heart again, but he sacrificed it for the right reasons this time.
He didn't need his emotions or his heart to achieve his goal. Even without the guilt, the shame, and regret, he would not deviate from his course of actions. His memories were enough to keep him focused on his intentions to repair his past mistakes. And not having a heart made Vexen a much better actor when it came to hiding his plans and motivation.
Though apparently he did not hide them perfectly before that point. Otherwise, why would yet another member who wished to atone approach him? One who knew how to make a difference, but was too tightly bound by his role as a chosen vessel for any direct action. He could only give Vexen the information and keep as much suspicion off him as possible. The plan could hardly be called a plan at all. But it was enough for him to accept the offer and become a Nobody once more.
Vexen's current laboratory was nothing compared to the setup that he once possessed at Castle Oblivion, but he had enough room and equipment to create the new models of replicas. He had finally perfected his creations. But the most important part about his new workspace was the privacy.
"You know that they aren't going to be happy when they figure out what you're up to," said Demyx, leaning against a counter as he tuned his sitar with not-quite-nervous energy. "How long do you think that you can hide this?"
"Long enough for you to sneak everything to our old comrades."
Vexen carefully wrapped the small figure in a white sheet. Two of his most recent models of replicas, the most human and stable versions of his work, had been removed from the pods and rested on a worktable. They were blank slates until more data was added in the form of memories and hearts, real or programmed. Until then, the replicas appeared as pale, hairless, sexless, featureless, and lifeless dolls to the uneducated eye. It would be easy for the ignorant to not realize how difficult it was to create an artificial body that could adapt physically to match the inputted data to the point of matching a natural human on the molecular level. All the biological processes of life, the internal organs, the genetic material within actual cells… Unlike his first few models of replicas, these would be stable and indistinguishable from any other human.
His first functional model to reach completion, No. i, wasn't nearly as complex, but he still considered it as an amazing accomplishment. One that Vexen didn't get to see reach its full potential. Not merely because of his unpleasant immolation at the hands of Axel, however.
All recollection of No. i and the replica's time as an active entity might have disappeared upon its destruction, a side effect of its existence being purely built on an unsteady foundation of stolen memories, but evidence remained. His original notes, mission reports, and even Lord Xemnas's detailed description about reconfiguring No. i into something deadlier (and less able to hide its inhuman nature) in a final attempt to have the replica absorb Roxas's remaining power. All of that written material was turned over to Vexen so that he could perfect the final products, ensuring that the replicas could be completely human and flawless.
It also gave Vexen a glimpse of how No. i developed and eventually malfunctioned without his oversight. Such a shame that the complete erasure of his creation could have possibly been prevented if he had survived to tweak and modify the replica when the problems developed.
The Superior believed that recreating No. i, specifically based on the point in time right before his final modifications and her battle against Roxas, would make an ideal vessel to finish out their ranks. An empty shell with the ability to wield a Keyblade and all the power that it would have absorbed by that point would certainly be useful for the upcoming battle. And a little reprogramming to make it more obedient and perhaps even having it imprint on one of the more loyal vessels to perfect the job. In that state, it would not have a heart of its own and they could instead program a simple one that would be easily overshadowed by Master Xehanort. Based on the data provided by their experiments in San Fransokyo and the strange world of toys with hearts, it should work.
Such a shame that Vexen had different plans in mind. As did, surprisingly enough, Saïx. The Organization would not expect what was coming.
They had already claimed one replica and gave him an imitation heart, downloading the information from their Riku Replica from Castle Oblivion and tweaking the design to be a bit more cooperative and loyal. He was already operating as planned, carrying out missions on other worlds. And other replicas already held the hearts that Master Xehanort had chosen. But the Organization would not be claiming any others.
Vexen moved to the second replica and wrapped it just as carefully. Sneaking one replica out without anyone noticing the loss was feasible. Attempting a second was the very definition of foolhardy. But he was aware that due to Roxas and Naminé's unique natures, they might not have reintegrated with their Others fully. And Vexen theorized that the pair could still exist to an extent and may be retrievable if provided with new physical bodies, something that Saïx implausibly considered as well. Sneaking out two replicas might be dangerous, but hindering Master Xehanort's plans while simultaneously assisting the Keyblade wielders made logical sense. The risk versus reward ratio proved it to be the most rational course of action for his goal of atonement.
And in the grand scheme of things, Vexen was hiding something far more treacherous in his laboratory than a pair of waiting replicas.
"I know that you are taking a tremendous risk, my old friend," said Ansem the Wise, resting his hand briefly on Vexen's shoulder. "Thank you, Even. I am certain that these will greatly assist the others."
He knew that he should feel pride at his master's words, guilt and regret over his past actions, nostalgia at the use of his old name and a sense that he didn't deserve it any longer, and dozens of other emotions. But Vexen gave up his heart a second time in order to infiltrate the new version of Organization XIII. His emotions were gone. Not even the fear of what would befall him if this treachery came to light remained, though Vexen had no inclination to let them destroy him or reduce him to a mindless Dusk. Self-preservation wasn't an emotion; it was an instinct. He felt nothing.
But he remembered how he felt when he decided on this entire course of action: the guilt over his past actions and how his original mission to help people with his studies had fallen apart long ago, the desire for atonement, and the resolve to repair the damage at any cost. And Vexen remembered his respect for Master Ansem, his companionship with Aeleus and Dilan, and his fond affection for bright little Ienzo. It didn't matter that Vexen could no longer feel those things. He remembered and he used those memories to continue.
And to push back the darkness that Master Xehanort tried to drown them in. The chosen vessels were more strongly affected by what he was doing to them, their personalities and motivations becoming corrupted into reflections of his own. Not enough to completely erase them or else Saïx wouldn't be able rebel even the small amount that he did by passing along his idea to Vexen and keeping attention away from the scientist. But more than enough to ensure that they couldn't escape or disobey. But even as one of the spare vessels, Vexen could notice the fainter influence on himself now that he knew to watch for it. And he remained thankful for how faint it was and that it was merely his influence rather than Master Xehanort's heart.
"Be grateful that I am valued here more for my vast intellect rather than physical prowess. For my purposes, it is far better that I was 'benched' from a more active role," said Vexen. "The lack of close supervision and the access to all the necessary data is the only reason that we have a chance. And not having that man's heart inside me due to not being one of the chosen provides me with a little more freedom than most."
"And I'm completely off the radar." Demyx grinned. "This will teach them to underestimate me. Secret mission time. And best of all, no fighting."
Vexen ignored Demyx pumping his fist in the air and his victorious expression. He had plenty of practice ignoring his antics when necessary. Instead, he handed a disk to Master Ansem and a pair of small folded clothes. While he recalled Naminé wearing a white dress, it was far easier to sneak away the Organization's black coats. They already prepared smaller sizes for the Dark Riku Replica, as Luxord once described him. At least the replicas would have something to wear once activated.
"Take these with you, please. Maybe Ienzo and the others can do some good with data on that disk." Inclining his head respectfully, Vexen said, "It contains all my research."
His work on the Replica Program. His observations on Naminé and her unique nature. His collected data on Sora and Riku from Castle Oblivion. The more limited data on Roxas. The reports that Xemnas shared with him, originally intended to help his work rather than for Vexen's more personal goals. Detailed descriptions of No. i, the original Riku Replica, and the new version. A written assessment of the members of the real Organization XIII that he'd identified and studied so far. Every experiment, test, theory, and study that he'd worked on for the last decade.
It was his life's work, all gathered together on the disk. It looked so small to hold so much information, but he managed to collect it all. The guardians of light should be able to find something that could help them. Should the worst come to pass, Vexen might still be able to help people even if he was destroyed for his betrayal.
"Are these things going to be heavy?" asked Demyx, studying the wrapped figures suspiciously as he let his sitar vanish. "I mean, I don't want to hurt my back or anything, but I doubt you'll let me make two trips."
"They each possess the approximate mass of a half-grown adolescent, yes. But you are capable of carrying the weight. And once you deliver the replicas and Master Ansem to Radiant Garden, I highly recommend keeping a low profile. Find an isolated world and hide. And if the Organization locates you, lie and claim that you are on assignment from me."
"And if they know that you aren't on their side anymore?" asked Demyx, picking up the first replica and balancing it on his shoulder.
Vexen gave him a flat smile and said, "Then you were fooled by a superior intellect and are completely shocked by my unforeseen betrayal." Taking a few steps forward, he said, "If I can develop some capacity for acting, then you should be able to demonstrate the same with a little effort."
"So when it all goes wrong, they'll put all the blame on you and they'll just think I'm an idiot," said Demyx. With a grunt of effort as Vexen helped him get the second wrapped figure on his other shoulder, he added, "I guess that's better than being a Dusk."
"I wish that you would come with us, Even." Ansem the Wise reached for him once again. "You could come home with us."
Taking a step back, he said, "When they realize that the replicas are gone, they will search for me. I can't make the search easy for them nor can I lead them to you. But do not concern yourself over my welfare. With my mind and a head start, I should be quite capable of evading pursuit."
Ansem the Wise didn't look completely convinced, but he quietly nodded his acceptance and pulled the hood of his black coat into place. Demyx gave Vexen a crooked smile before a dark corridor formed.
"Master Ansem," said Vexen, making the pair pause before stepping through, "I have no right to ask anything of you. Not after what we did. But when you see Zex— Ienzo… Please tell him that I am sorry. He was a child and Xehanort was a charismatic man that Ienzo looked up to. That I looked up to… But I was an adult, I was partially responsible for watching out for the boy, and I was smart enough that I should have seen through Xehanort's intentions before he turned our ward into a Nobody. I was a blind fool and a failure in the end, but I failed him most of all."
He once cared about the bright and intelligent boy that Master Ansem took in, the youngest of the apprentices. He wasn't always the best when it came to dealing with people, even before he lost his heart, but Even did once care for all of them in his own way. But then they were led into darkness, gave in to the darkness, and then were consumed by it. And at least Ienzo should have been protected from that fate by his elders.
Vexen couldn't feel the guilt and regret anymore, but he knew that it would be squeezing his heart if he had one. He knew what he should feel. Just as he knew that the look on Master Ansem's face meant that he shared similar guilt and regret. If Vexen never got the chance to speak to the youngest apprentice again, he should at least send his apologies while he still could.
"I will pass the message to Ienzo," said Ansem the Wise solemnly. "But I await the day that you return and can speak to him yourself, Even. And so that I can properly apologize to you and the others for my own transgressions."
Something faint flickered in his chest. Something warm and soothing. Something that Vexen would have assumed to be emotions if he didn't know better.
After everything that they did to the man… despite their crimes and betrayal of their master… even after anger and revenge consumed him for a time… Ansem the Wise still seemed to care about his fate. And hoped to see him again.
Bowing his head respectfully, Vexen said, "Perhaps. Farewell, Master Ansem. And once again, I am sorry."
The dark corridor vanished, leaving Vexen alone. He looked around silently at his laboratory. His specialized equipment, his pods holding halfway-constructed replicas, his notebooks of observations, his computer… Everything that he could possibly need to research whatever topic that sparked his curiosity. He could study without limits, experimenting and testing with no regard for rules, permission, or morality. Once, this place and the opportunities would have been his greatest dream as a scientist.
But those days were long past. Experience had taught him better.
Selecting a large beaker of clear liquid from the counter, Vexen calmly poured the liquid on every surface in the room. When he ran out, he found the bottle of the more concentrated form of the chemical that he normally stored in a locked cabinet and continued. He took extra care to saturate the computer system. Then he picked up a second beaker with a different chemical solution.
With his powers focused on ice and Demyx specializing in water, no one would immediately tie them to this particular act.
Vexen dropped the beaker, the glass shattering as the two liquids met and ignited. The expected chemical reaction. And the initial spark set the rest of the carefully-spread chemical ablaze. The laboratory was instantly engulfed, destroying all remnants of his research as Vexen fled the inferno through his own dark corridor.
Aqua knew that she should already be standing respectfully in his study to greet Master Yen Sid.
Actually, what she should be doing was returning to Ventus. The very first thing that she wanted to do as soon as it truly sank in that she was back in the realm of light, that she finally made it home, was to keep her promise. She was supposed to come back for Venus sooner. Every part of her urged Aqua to race to the transformed Land of Departure and retrieve him.
But without her Keyblade, she couldn't travel between worlds like she used to. Master's Defender protected and served her well during her time in the Realm of Darkness, but it was still Master Eraqus' Keyblade and not her Stormfall. They weren't in sync enough for her to transform it into a glider form and reach the Land of Departure. Not to mention that her armor was gone and traveling that way without protection was foolhardy. For now, she was dependent on the other Keyblade wielders and their strange vehicle called a Gummi Ship.
And even though she claimed to be fine, they didn't believe her and practically forced her back to the Mysterious Tower with them. Riku and Mickey did need a chance to rest and recover after what happened, guilt stabbing her whenever their movements included a wince. And Donald and Goofy were very quick to fuss over her and the others while Sora flew the strange craft towards their destination.
To be honest though, once they brought her to one of the bedrooms that seemed to manifest as soon as it was required by someone, Aqua suddenly felt all the years of wandering through the dangerous and timeless landscape. The weight of it hit almost without warning. She practically passed out instantly on the bed, truly sleeping for the first time since she fell into the Realm of Darkness. Aqua slept for what must have been hours, sprawled across the soft quilt while a lamp glowed gently and kept the shadows at bay. Her dreams were filled with Terra and Ventus. She should have immediately gone back for Ventus, she should have figured out a way to borrow the Gummi Ship herself, but not even guilt and worry could change the fact that her exhausted body demanded rest and forced her into slumber.
And when she finally woke, three familiar fairies descended on her with a warm breakfast and promises of new clothes in the near future. Sleep, food, and cleaning off the worst of the grime with the provided wash basin helped her feel human again. Not completely like herself, but at least a little better.
She was in the realm of light once more. It wasn't a dream or hallucination. It was real.
Aqua sat on the edge of the bed, trying to motivate herself to go upstairs and speak to Master Yen Sid. Flora had told her that Master Yen Sid would like to speak with everyone whenever she was ready before the fairies had withdrawn to give her some privacy. Aqua knew that she should go up there and that the sooner she spoke with him, the sooner that she could return to the task of finding her friends. Terra and Ventus were her responsibility and she'd failed them both for far too long. She needed to get moving and yet Aqua hadn't moved since the fairies had left.
She couldn't wrap her head around it. Being back. Being herself.
Part of her still expected for the shadows to swallow her up. She couldn't stop remembering how it felt, the darkness sinking into her… corrupting her thoughts and emotions. She remembered the way it felt as it tried to smother the light in her heart. She remembered how the darkness, the sorrow, the misery, the fear, the hopelessness, the resentment, and the anger took over until that was all that was left. She remembered how the darkness felt on her skin and inside her, how it looked as it wrapped around her, and how it smelled as it filled her lungs.
She never wanted to experience anything like that again.
What would Master Eraqus have said if he could have seen her a few hours ago? Twisted by darkness until she was no better than the vicious creatures born in that horrible place? Would he have even recognized her in that state? His student and newly-named Keyblade master? If he'd lived long enough to witness her fall, to see her succumb to weakness and fail his teachings so thoroughly… She wasn't certain that she even deserved the title of "Master" when she'd failed everyone.
Terra…
Ven…
Taking a deep breath, Aqua hardened her resolve and slowly pushed herself to her feet. She'd rested long enough. She couldn't let fear paralyze her. She was in the realm of light again. She was safe. But her friends were still in trouble and Aqua couldn't stand around while they needed help.
After they were safe… Once her friends were home, she fulfilled her responsibility, and she redeemed herself…
She could worry about herself once the others were safe.
Holding that thought close, Aqua quietly slipped out of the bedroom and climbed the spiraling staircase until she reached the door at the top.
Inside, Master Yen Sid sat behind his desk with a calm and stern expression. The others spun around and grinned at her arrival. Riku and Mickey looked less exhausted and battered than the day before, though Aqua still felt the same stab of guilt for what she did to them. Donald and Goofy waved at he as she slipped in. And Sora's smile practically seemed to glow, the boy folding his hands behind his head in a familiar manner.
It was almost eerie how much he reminded her of Ventus.
"Aqua!" he greeted cheerfully. "Are you feeling better?"
"I am. Thank you, Sora." She smiled warmly. "All of you. I am grateful for what you've done for me. I just wish that I could have returned to help you sooner. I have only heard pieces of what has occurred in the time since I was trapped, but it sounds like you have faced more challenges than you deserved."
Riku and Sora were so young to be charging into the Realm of Darkness and similar heroics. Her grasp of the passage of time might have been a little fuzzy lately, but it truly didn't seem so long ago that she saw them as small children on the Destiny Islands. And even now, she couldn't ignore how young they were. Sora was clearly around Ventus's age and Riku wasn't much better.
Well, surely their master was confident in their skills and experiences if they were allowed to attempt something so dangerous. She could only imagine how many years of training and studying that the pair must have undergone to reach that level. She'd spent over a decade learning from Master Eraqus and Aqua knew that he would hesitate to send even her into the Realm of Darkness unless there was no other option.
"We are most fortunate to have you safely returned," said Master Yen Sid. "Much has come to pass in your absence, Master Aqua."
Leaning closer to Mickey, Goofy said, "Yeah. Did you know the king is a Keyblade master now?"
"Riku too," said Sora proudly, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders. "He passed the Mark of Mastery exam right before he and King Mickey went looking for you. I guess we should be calling him 'Master Riku' now. What do you think?"
As the older boy ducked his head in embarrassment, shoving Sora playfully even as he bit back a grin, Aqua could only stare. Riku couldn't be older than sixteen or seventeen. Master Eraqus always said that he would never consider subjecting anyone younger than eighteen years old to the Mark of Mastery exam. The responsibility was too great and the trials too difficult. Was it the current threat that accelerated proceedings so much or had Riku started his training at an especially young age, giving him a slight advantage? When did Master Yen Sid find these young Keyblade wielders?
On the other hand, Riku and Sora had demonstrated quite clearly that they were skilled and experienced at both combat and facing the darkness. They'd both faced her in the Realm of Darkness and came out with their lives and hearts intact. Not to mention that even finding a path into such a place without succumbing to the darkness in the process couldn't have been easy. Perhaps she should judge them on their competency rather than their ages.
No matter how much they reminded her of Ventus, igniting her protective instincts while also making something in her chest clench.
The door opened, interrupting her thoughts as two more people joined them. One was a tall young man with a mass of spiky red hair. His black coat reminded Aqua strongly of the two strangers that she encountered in the Realm of Darkness: one kind and one cruel. The second figure, chatting excitedly with the man even if she had to crane her neck to look up at him, was a girl wearing a pink outfit and a smile. Her reddish-brown hair, her blue eyes, her beautiful necklace, and the strong light that Aqua could feel radiating from her all seemed familiar. She looked completely different from her companion, with the young man both drastically taller and about a decade older, but they seemed surprisingly in sync with each other.
"Kairi!" shouted Sora, the name enough for Aqua to abruptly recognize where she met the girl years ago.
Her face lighting up at his greeting, Kairi launched herself at the teenage boys and wrapped her arms around their necks in a group hug. Riku apparently didn't expect her act, but Sora was beaming. The trio started laughing in their shared embrace. Aqua couldn't help smiling at the rapid words tumbling from Kairi and Sora. He seemed to be describing dozens of worlds while repeatedly stating how much he missed her and wanted to show her everything. And Kairi was talking about how hard she'd been training, how much she'd learned about magic and how to use her light in new ways with her Keyblade, how Axel taught her a trick to keep people from kidnapping her, and how amazing everyone's new clothes looked and asking what Riku did to his hair. But as much as she was telling him, she still sounded a little calmer than Sora as she spoke.
Riku eventually broke off the embrace to clasp the pair on the shoulders and said, "We've all been busy apparently. Sora and I found Master Aqua in the Realm of Darkness. And Kairi and Axel finished their training."
"Though Sora is still working on the Power of Waking," muttered Donald.
Sora gave him a half-hearted glare before the boy, Donald, and Goofy chuckled at each other. Aqua found herself smiling, enjoying the warmth of friendship coming from them.
"He'll get it." Mickey nodded his encouragement. "I believe in him."
Leaning against the closest shelf, the tall man said, "He's always had a knack for pulling off impressive tricks and getting new powers out of nowhere. I've been around long enough to know that much." Scratching the back of his head briefly, he added, "And sorry that we're late. Merlin dropped us off in Twilight Town and I don't know what you've done, but I can't open a dark corridor to the tower. We had to take the train. So I think that you owe me munny for the tickets, Master Yen Sid."
"Most of our enemies make use of corridors of darkness to travel between the worlds," said Master Yen Sid solemnly as Aqua tried to comprehend someone speaking to the retired Keyblade master in such a manner. "In order to ensure that this place remains a secure sanctuary for all the guardians of light, I have used my magic to block those paths from reaching into my domicile. Though perhaps it would be prudent to use the corridors of darkness sparing, Lea."
Tilting his head in confusion, Sora asked, "How do you still use those, Axel? Ienzo said that the rest of them couldn't do that anymore."
"Stubbornness, talent, and a refusal to accept not being able to do it after I woke up," said the tall man with the uncertain name. "Though I suppose having a lot of anger at my old boss probably helps too."
"But if Lea truly intends to continue and accept the risks of traveling those paths, that particular magic is only protecting the tower itself. Beyond the threshold, there is nothing to keep him from using the corridors of darkness." If Aqua didn't know better, she would almost think that Master Yen Sid was enjoying the look on the red-head's face. "Though I don't suppose he considered the possibility after his first attempt to directly enter my study failed. He does seem to have a preference for the dramatic."
Glancing aside and scratching the side of his head, the tall man gave a self-deprecating chuckle. Kairi giggled at his reaction even as she tried to smother it with her hand while Donald and Goofy went into full laughter.
"He isn't wrong," said Goofy. "Axel does seem to like making an entrance."
"I apologize," Aqua interrupted. "Is your name Lea? Or is it Axel?"
He stiffened briefly at her question. Then he shrugged awkwardly, still not meeting her eyes.
"Technically, it's Lea. But when most of these guys first met me, the name was Axel and they aren't that great at change. I mean, I did tell them to memorize that name. So for most of these guys, I don't care too much which one they use now. Axel or Lea." A finger tapped his temple. "Got it memorized, Master Aqua?"
"There seems to be a lot that I need to memorize," she said. "I have missed so much. What has Master Xehanort done in my absence? Since he took… Terra?"
Everyone exchanged uncomfortable looks. Then they began to explain. It was mostly Mickey and Master Yen Sid who spoke, but Riku brought up a few things as the story unfolded. A story of how a young amnesiac Xehanort, the old man's heart in Terra's body, was taken in by Ansem the Wise and made one of his apprentices. How they studied the mysteries of the heart. How curiosity became pride became arrogance, leading Master Ansem and his six apprentices down a corrupting path. And how Ansem the Wise tried to turn back only to have the others betray him, too deep in the darkness and plunging deeper still. And then their hearts were lost to it.
After her time in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua had a rudimentary understanding of those shadowy monsters. Heartless, Mickey had called them when he briefly found her there before they were separated once again. Creatures spawn from darkness. Specifically the darkness that dwelled in hearts. Mickey managed to explain that much. When someone lost their heart to darkness, a Heartless was created.
But despite that scrap of knowledge, Aqua couldn't help feeling lost when they started talking about Xehanort's different… pieces or something.
"Hey, guys," interrupted Lea. "I might be wrong, but I think our rescued Keyblade master doesn't have a clue what you're saying now."
"Oh." Mickey smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I guess we forgot some basic information. She's been gone for so long. Let's see…"
"I've got this," said Lea, stepping away from the shelf that he'd been leaning against for most of the conversation.
Crossing his arms, Donald asked in a suspicious voice, "You?"
"I might not be one of the original apprentices, but I did work for Ansem the Wise for about a month and a half before everything fell apart. Granted, he was so busy trying to figure out what was going on with his other apprentices and what they were hiding that he barely noticed the two of us poking around, but I still picked up some stuff. And can any of you honestly claim to know more about Nobodies than me?" A slightly wistful expression drifted across his face as he briefly glanced at Sora. "Besides, I have experience answering questions and teaching people about stuff."
No one argued with him. At most, there was a momentary look of sadness from Sora and Kairi before the pair nodded.
"Very well, Lea," said Master Yen Sid. "You may explain this part of the tale."
He gave a brief nod before a confident grin overtook his face. Then he approached the center of the room so that all eyes would be on him. Aqua knew a born showman when she saw one.
"Now, the way that things are supposed to go is that you've got your heart, which has your emotions, your memories, your connections and bonds to other people, your personality, and basically everything that makes you somebody. Then you've got the driving force that keeps you alive and going. Call it your soul, your spirit, your will, your life, or whatever. Ansem the Wise wasn't as consistent on that one since most of his focus was on the heart. And then you've got your body, which does the helpful job of containing your heart and soul. You need all three to be a living and complete person," he described. "The natural way that it is supposed to go is that you're alive and running around, doing whatever it is you decide to do with your life, until one day your body can no longer contain your spirit. Maybe you got too old or too sick or you tumbled down some stairs and broke your neck. Whatever the case, it's gone and there's nothing left to animate your heart and body then. The driving force is gone and you're dead. That's how life and death is supposed to work. But Ansem the Wise and the others wondered what happens when something else is lost instead. Like the heart."
He crossed his arms and leaned against the desk, his back to Master Yen Sid. Donald looked like he wanted to say something, probably about how it was disrespectful to ignore the retired Keyblade master's presence like that, but Lea was still talking.
"The lost heart becomes a Heartless. Doesn't matter if the heart fell to darkness naturally, if it was stolen by another Heartless, or someone artificially introduces a lot of darkness into the heart somehow. Like experiments in a creepy basement where they dragged off kids and people that no one would miss." He shook his head, as if trying to banish a particular train of thought or memory. "They got really good at creating Heartless artificially and Emblem Heartless like that are particularly useful for collecting hearts. But most Heartless don't retain much of their original personalities or appearances. I can only think of two off the top of my head. Xehanort's Heartless, who went around calling himself 'Ansem' because apparently he wanted to add identity theft to his list of past accomplishments along with his earlier possession of this Terra person and then Riku. The other one was Sora after his girlfriend used her light to wish him back to the right shape."
"Kairi's my friend," interrupted Sora. "And I was only a Heartless for about five minutes."
Aqua pretended not to notice that both he and Kairi looked a little pink, that Riku and Donald were smothering chuckles, and that Lea was smirking. Kairi marching over to kick Lea in the shin with her boots and his good-natured laugh and apology were a little harder to ignore.
It was a clear reminder of how young most of them were.
And no, she wasn't thinking about how she reacted when Zack asked her for a date when she visited the Olympus Colosseum. Not at all. She buried that memory.
"And when I was a Heartless," continued Sora, still showing the hints of a blush, "I was a little Shadow and they look nothing like a person."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you were technically still a Heartless after that. Kairi just managed to fill in the missing pieces with light," he corrected. "Vexen could probably explain how better than me. You looked, acted, and sounded like yourself, but you were a Heartless when you beat Fake Ansem the Body-Snatcher, when you locked the door with Mickey and Riku's help, and your entire time in Castle Oblivion. Though I guess you still don't remember that part."
"You can't be serious," said Sora, looking overwhelmed.
Lea responded with a breathy chuckle, but the smile that he gave Sora held too much loneliness for Aqua to call it a true smile.
"Trust me. You were a Heartless for a year, even if you weren't a normal one. Otherwise your body wouldn't have been running around all that time as an amnesiac zombie with a Keyblade."
That cryptic statement seemed to make the room feel more somber. Riku looked away, guilt flickering over his face. Kairi tried to give him an encouraging smile as Lea buried his hands in his pockets. But after a moment, he seemed to push past whatever was hanging over them and continued.
"Anyway, that's what happens to the heart when someone loses it. But that still leaves the body and soul. When a particularly strong heart, regardless of how much light or darkness is in it, turns into a Heartless, occasionally something happens. There is still a body and a will to animate it left over, so sometimes it continues to live. You end up with something that isn't meant to exist. A creature without a heart, rejected by both the light and darkness as being wrong and unnatural. Which is why they form in places where the two are balanced instead of wherever that person lost their heart. Places like Twilight Town, Castle Oblivion, or—"
"The Land of Departure," interrupted Aqua, remembering what Master Eraqus taught her about her home.
Shrugging, Lea said, "I guess. But anyway, those beings without hearts? The leftover pieces? Those are Nobodies. Most are pretty simple and act on instinct like how Heartless do if there's nothing powerful controlling them. Only instead of seeking out the darkness in people's hearts, they are drawn towards the hearts themselves. Because even the simplest of them can tell that they're incomplete and know what they're missing. That they aren't meant to exist. They know that they should have hearts and that they don't. And they'll do almost anything to try and fill the void."
Wrong and unnatural. The description sounded accurate. Beings without hearts? Alive, but empty and hollow? How could something like that even form? Something in Aqua rebelled against the very concept. As bad as the Heartless might seem, spawned from darkness and little more than monsters, they at least had hearts. They were hearts. But those Nobody things went against everything that Master Eraqus taught her about the worlds.
Aqua shivered. What was worse? Darkness consuming the heart or not having one at all? She didn't want to face either fate.
"But just like the Heartless, a few Nobodies get to keep their old shapes and look like they did as humans. They even get their memories funneled over from their Heartless. Those are the most dangerous ones. Xehanort's Nobody goes by the name of Xemnas, which was just his stolen name of 'Ansem' with the letters rearranged and an X tossed in. Then he collected the Nobodies of the other apprentices and did the same thing to rename them. Rearranging the letters and adding an X."
"Adding the Recusant's Sigil," muttered Sora, scowling briefly.
Lea's brow furrowed briefly in confusion at his words. Then he shook his head and continued, his tone showing hints of anger or frustration over what he was describing.
"Xemnas gathered up the Nobodies who managed to hold onto their old human forms and called them Organization XIII. Sometimes they even purposefully turned people into Heartless in the hopes that they'd have strong enough hearts to come back as Nobodies. He took those confused and disoriented new Nobodies in and gave them a purpose. And without hearts, you need a purpose. Something to fill the numb emptiness. Because all you have left is the memory of emotions and sometimes not even that. Memories that are particularly strong emotionally are… fuzzy. Like looking through fogged up glass. You can make out the general shapes and such, but it isn't easy to pick out any details and you're separated from it. So maybe you remember being someone's friend, but maybe not the specifics and you're disconnected from it. Like it happened to someone else instead of you."
He shifted slightly, as if trying to get more comfortable and failing. Aqua had a feeling that when he volunteered to explain things, Lea didn't really think through exactly what he would end up talking about.
"So yeah, Xemnas managed to get them to follow him by promising hearts of their own. Even those who didn't really want their old hearts and all the past emotional drama that they could remember, they still wanted hearts of their own because they wanted to stop being incomplete, empty, and numb."
Something in the way that he described Nobodies, too personal and too intimately aware of the experience, made a connection in Aqua's head.
Lea. Axel.
Rearranged letters and an X.
Oh…
"And he lied," said Sora, unable to bury the righteous fury in his voice. "He lied to all of them."
Lea glanced at him and said, "He planned to give us hearts all right. But turns out they would all belong to the old guy." He turned his attention back towards Aqua. "And he kept some rather important facts secret. Nobodies start out without any hearts. They don't have to stay that way. Xemnas tried his best to keep us without hearts. The Organization spent all their free time in a dark and empty city, discouraged from interacting with people and bonding. And were continuously reminded that Nobodies can't feel. So whenever they thought they felt something faint, they blamed it on remembering emotions rather than actually feeling anything. Or believing that they were tricking themselves, that it was all in their heads. Which caused them to bury those feelings and double down on the apathy and cruelty, trying to be the emotionless creatures that they supposedly were. Ironically, for a bunch of people who wanted hearts, all we were doing was smothering the start of the newly-forming hearts."
He kept switching between "them" and "us." She didn't think that he really noticed that he was doing it. But Aqua knew that her suspicions were right. Lea, or rather Axel, had been a Nobody. She was suddenly thankful that she kept her discomfort with the concept to herself.
"And no one thought to mention another interesting fact." Lea stepped away from the desk. "Turns out that if a Keybearer takes out a Heartless and releases the heart, then the two halves can find each other. And that person can be recompleted. Which would have been nice to know before… well, it doesn't matter. Except it means that Xehanort also came back and is a creepy old man again. Meanwhile, Ansem and Xemnas apparently joined the fun with time travel, but don't ask me to explain that part."
"And several members of Organization XIII didn't get a proper second chance at life as their original selves because Xehanort grabbed them again to use as vessels," said Riku darkly.
Glaring at the ground like it personally murdered his entire family, Lea nearly growled, "He's half-possessing them. Xemnas or Xehanort or whatever you want to call him? He's got his claws into them. Into Isa. And no one noticed what he was doing until it was too late. I didn't see why he was changing…"
There was so much history that she was missing. Aqua could feel it. Just as she could still feel an uncomfortable amount of darkness in Riku. There were so many pieces of the story that she didn't know. She barely knew how Sora gained his own Keyblade; she certainly didn't do anything to give him that power when she met him as a child and it was rarer for a Keyblade to select someone unconnected. Not impossible, but rarer. But even if she didn't know everything, she'd realized something important about all of them.
"I suppose that we all have people that we need to find," she said quietly.
Terra.
Ven.
She'd failed them both for so long.
"We found you," said Sora. "We'll save everyone else too. All of them. You'll see."
"I know where Ven's body is hidden," she said slowly, "but his heart…"
Sora, Donald, and Goofy perked up suddenly, looking excited. But before Aqua could question them, a strange melody began to play and Sora started digging at his pocket. Aqua didn't know what the flat rectangle thing he pulled out might be, but it seemed to be the source of the music. Sora pressed something on it and the noise stopped.
"Sora," greeted a voice from the rectangle. "I was hoping that you might be able to come to Radiant Garden. We've had some… unexpected developments that could help."
"You mean you're close to getting Roxas back?"
"First, we would like to get some more current data on you and the state of the hearts within you so we can compare it to what Ansem the Wise recorded months ago," continued the voice on what was clearly some type of communication device. "But yes, we are hopeful that Roxas will be in a body of his own shortly. And if that goes smoothly, Naminé should follow."
More mysterious remarks. More names that meant nothing to her. But where parts of the previous conversation had darkened his mood, Lea had stiffened at Sora's question and looked like something knocked the wind out of him when the voice answered. There was a small, disbelieving, and yet hopeful smile on his face.
But then Kairi threw herself at him in a clearly unexpected hug and Lea was left off-balanced in more than one way. There was a brief flicker of something on his face as he looked down at her, like he was trying to remember something, but the expression disappeared after a second. The girl laughed slightly before releasing him.
"I told you," said Kairi. "Now you'll see Roxas again."
"Guess I'll need to find some ice cream as a 'welcome back' gift then," he said with a nervous-sounding chuckle.
"Wait, is that Lea?"
As Sora turned the rectangular object around to face them and Aqua glimpsed a young man near her age on it, Lea waved and said, "Hey, Ienzo. Guess you've been busy. I'd ask how you managed to figure this out, but I have a feeling that its complicated."
"You never had the patience for long explanations. But if you could come with Sora, that would be helpful," said the newly-identified Ienzo. "Among other necessary components such as a compatible vessel, we require a way to awaken the hearts within Sora enough for them to find their new bodies."
"But that sort of sounds like you would need the Power of Waking then," said Goofy.
Crossing his arms, Donald said, "Told you that you should have been focusing on that, Sora. Master Yen Sid said it was important."
"We may have a way to work around that," said Ienzo. "Any attempt to mechanically extract the hearts could prove as dire for Sora as what caused him to become a Heartless in the first place. Certainly not an ideal situation when we want both of them. But with the right 'spark' to serve as a catalyst, those hearts might wake up enough to guide them into their own bodies. Sora, you claim that sometimes you feel Roxas' emotions in response to certain stimuli, such as when you are in Twilight Town or you see those three children that he knew in the digital version of the town?"
"Hayner, Pence, and Olette," he said with a nod.
Aqua tilted her head in confusion. She was completely lost now. Sora… had more than one heart?
"We're hoping once we get more current scans of the state of those hearts, we could try awakening at least Roxas using… Well, someone that he cared about. And while I was gone before I could know Roxas very well," said Ienzo, briefly glancing to the side uncomfortably, "from what I can gather and from what Dilan recalls observing, Roxas was closest to Axel."
"And you think that will be enough to restore him?" asked Riku.
Nodding on screen, Ienzo said, "We'll try with Roxas first. And if that is successful, we can move on to preparations to attempt the same with Naminé."
"That's great. We'll be there soon," said Sora before turning off the device and turning towards Master Yen Sid. "I guess Riku and King Mickey can help Aqua bring Ventus back. Or at least his body." Scratching his head, he asked, "Where did she hide him anyway?"
Finally able to contribute something to the conversation again, Aqua said, "I used Master Eraqus's Keyblade to transform our home, making it difficult to navigate and impossible to explore completely. Searching through it is pointless. Some rooms and floors you can find, but others shift and change and adapt. I'm the only one who can find my way to the room where I hid Ven. He's safe in the Chamber of Waking."
A startled laugh made her glance at Lea as he said, "Castle Oblivion. He's in Castle Oblivion? I didn't see that one coming. Guess we know what Xemnas was looking for now."
"So we know where his body is now," said Goofy, "and we already knew his heart's inside Sora."
"Wait. His heart is where?" she asked.
"How many hearts are you carrying around in there?" muttered Lea, staring at Sora.
Standing up, Master Yen Sid said, "Very well then. Riku, Mickey, Aqua. You will go to Castle Oblivion and retrieve Ventus's body from where it slumbers. Sora, Donald, Goofy. You will go to Radiant Garden with Lea and Kairi to see what can be done to help with regards to restoring the hearts to these new vessels. Perhaps a few lost allies will return to us soon."
Aqua smiled to herself as everyone quickly formed a line as soon as the former Keyblade master stood and the casual atmosphere became more focused as he gave them instructions. For the first time in a long time, the path to helping Ven seemed clear. Even with her confusion and remaining questions, she felt confident. She was closer than she'd been in years. She would have him back soon.
So the two major changes is that Vexen managed to sneak out two replicas (at the cost of knowing that he wouldn't be able to hide it, so he's pretty much having to make a run for it afterwards and cover his trail as best he can in a less subtle method) and Aqua actually going to back to the tower to rest before they go to rescue Ven (which leads to her having some different companions with her). Let's see how this might change the series of events moving forward.