The Tides Go Out

by Regiss

Four months later, the war between Maleficent's Heartless and Braig's Nobodies threatens to consume all worlds. In the middle of the conflict, Sora, Xion, and their friends continue the search for Riku while also dealing with Vanitas, who will stop at nothing to get Ven's heart. Sequel to Remember the Tides.

48. Memory of Xehanort - The Apprentice

Chapter 48: Memory of Xehanort - The Apprentice

Kairi's eyes blinked at the man standing on the other side of the table. Xehanort looked down at Naminé with his cold, unmoving golden eyes and she gulped. Braig was one thing, but him… Xemnas hadn't prepared her for the proper Xehanort. And now that his look of irritation was gone, replaced with one of interest ever since Naminé had woken up inside Kairi's heart, the nervousness in her gut was even worse. He was studying her, watching her every move.

Wham! Something dropped onto the table from above, causing Naminé to flinch back slightly. She brushed Kairi's red hair out of her eyes and glanced up as Braig set a pencil down on top of the sketchpad that he had supplied her. Kairi's eyes drifted down, and Naminé frowned slightly as she thumbed the pages of the sketchpad. It was old and worn, but she supposed it would do for…whatever Braig wanted.

"Master Ansem, please sit down. This will be over soon and then your nightmare problem will be solved." Xehanort and Naminé both eyed Braig warily, but Xehanort complied. Wood dragged along the carpet as Xehanort pulled a chair back and sat down on it with grace. He crossed his legs in front of him and rested his elbow on the arm, using his fist to prop up his cheek.

"Ansem…?" Naminé's gaze drifted from Braig back to Xehanort. He didn't look like a Heartless to her. As the word left her lips, however, Xehanort glared daggers at Naminé and she averted her eyes. She tugged nervously on the pink fabric of Kairi's dress and took several deep breaths.

"Is this happening or not?" Xehanort asked. Oh good, his agitation was back again.

"Right." Braig stepped forward and Naminé stiffened as something cool and sharp pressed against Kairi's neck once more. She turned her head as best she could to see Braig threatening her again with the blades on his Arrowgun. "Now listen here, Naminé. You're going to dig through Master Ansem's heart and bring up all the happy memories you find." He narrowed his eyes. "Catch my drift?

There was a subtle, second meaning behind his words. Xehanort picked up on it too, and as he frowned at Braig Naminé in turned frowned at him. Memories…? He was calling himself Ansem, so…

It clicked into place, she understood. But Braig had made a fatal error in this gamble of his.

"And if I say no?" Naminé asked. "Like I disobeyed you back at Castle Oblivion?"

Braig took her threat in stride, however. He grinned and tapped his finger against the trigger while the blade tapped Kairi's neck. "As if you would. You're not in a position to bargain; if you say no, then Kairi dies. You're the only reason I'm holding on to her, and without you she's useless to me."

Naminé's blood ran cold. Kairi… That's right, there were two lives on the line here, not just hers. Sora'd never forgive her if something happened to Kairi; and if by some miracle he did, she'd never be able to forgive herself. She reached for the pencil with a shaking hand.

Xehanort shrugged. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, both eyes focused on Naminé even as he spoke to Braig. "I have no idea what you intend to get out of this, Braig," he said with an edge in his voice. "If you try to brainwash me that boy Vanitas will come after you."

"Don't worry one bit, Master Ansem. You'll come out of this right as rain." Braig placed a hand on his chest. "Cross my heart."

Xehanort grunted in reply but complied nonetheless. Still crossing his arms, he shut his eyes and took in several deep breaths. His breathing slowed with each one until he sat as still as a statue. Naminé did the same, except for her hand which began to gently sketch across the paper. She didn't open her eyes to look at the drawing. She drew the silver-haired man in front of her, but not where he was now. An image formed in her mind: a town square in early dawn...

"Young man, what ails you? Can you speak? Tell me your name."

"Xeha…nort."

"Xehanort?"

x-x-x

Deep within the corridors of the Bastion, he moved swiftly and with purpose. Long, silver hair bounced slightly with every step his new black boots took. A tanned hand reached up to adjust the ascot he wore before adjusting the long white lab coat. He had a meeting with that blond man to get to—Even, wasn't it? But his mind was on other things.

It had been three days since he arrived in this world, this Radiant Garden, and had been taken in by its ruler, Ansem the Wise. But it had only been one day since he had been able to leave his bed. His body had been in horrible condition after he had been found in the city center, and the finest doctors in the Bastion weren't sure he would make it. But it wasn't the pain in his body that had been holding him back. It was the pain in his mind.

Xehanort… That name, it had to be his name…didn't it? It was the only thing that made sense. After all, it's what he had told Master Ansem before he had passed out. And yet, there was something about it that just felt off, like something inside of him screamed every time he heard the word. Why does that name haunt me? It's the only thing I can remember. And that…gruesome image…

The woman struggled both for freedom and for air, gasping desperately. He tightened his fingers. She was the unanticipated variant, the spanner in the works. She threatened to ruin everything if she wasn't stopped. It would be so easy, so simple, to end it all right here and now, just like he had with Era—

"Hey! Mister Master!"

Xehanort was suddenly assaulted from behind. An arm wrapped around his neck and draped over his shoulder, causing him to lurch forward as the offending man caught up with him. Xehanort grunted in surprise before he stood up, looking at the other man with confusion and irritation.

This one-eyed man, Braig—Xehanort didn't like him. Since he had arrived Braig had been giving him the oddest looks, and even if he hadn't been acting strange he still looked the part. Xehanort had never in his life seen someone with pointed ears and golden eyes… had he? Several seconds passed by without Xehanort saying anything, Braig's face turning more into a frown with each tick of the clock.

Braig rolled his eye. "Oh c'mon, you don't even know your pal? Please, tell me the amnesia was just a sick joke." He hung his head in an exaggerated expression, pulling Xehanort down slightly as well. "Boy, this is some cliché."

Xehanort had had enough. He grimaced and prepared to shove Braig away, but gasped when suddenly Braig's hand on his shoulder tightened. Braig stood up quickly and looked Xehanort in the eyes, man-to-man. His voice dropped when he spoke up again. "Hey, you're not…Terra?"

"Such a terrible darkness. Fight it, Terra, please!"

Xehanort narrowed his eyes, a gesture which Braig replied in turn. "Just gotta check." He removed his hand from Xehanort's shoulder, and an instant later was back to his jovial, annoying self. Xehanort dusted off his shoulder but kept his gaze locked on Braig. What had that been about? Who was Terra? That voice—

"As if! Well don't sweat it. I got your back." To emphasize his point, Braig slapped Xehanort in the back with a toothy grin on his face. Xehanort rolled his eyes and rounded the corner, but to his dismay Braig followed beside him. "So, where we headed?"

"Even's lab," Xehanort replied curtly. He didn't do Braig the pleasure of looking at him as he spoke.

"That old loon? What for?"

Xehanort scoffed. "'Old loon'? He's the chief of medicine at the Bastion after studying under Professor Hojo for decades. …And not very much older than you, besides."

Braig barked out a laugh. "Oh, so you've done your homework?"

Was it really that entertaining? Xehanort looked aside and adjusted his ascot once more. "It's not as if I had much else to do while bedridden."

Suddenly, another slap on his back while Braig laughed harder. "Ha! True enough, I suppose. Well, here we are, Xehanort! And I believe the doctor is in."

Xehanort blinked. Were they really already at Even's? He hadn't expected it to be so near to Master Ansem's study, a room which he had been in once before where he had agreed to an apprenticeship. Master Ansem had been very kind, and Xehanort felt he had to repay that kindness in some way. He'd been extremely eager to get to work, but Master Ansem had insisted they have Even check his health one last time.

"Yo, Xehanort! You coming or what, man?" Xehanort suddenly realized that Braig was standing in front of him, one hand holding the door open and the other pointing into the sterile room beyond. Xehanort shook his head to clear his thoughts and then stepped through.

Braig let out a low whistle, and even Xehanort found himself surprise. Entering Even's lab was like entering a whole other world. As opposed to the dull reds of the hallways they had just come from, the walls were a stark white. A large computer sat against the far wall, near a masterfully crafted mahogany desk. Medical journals were neatly and meticulously arranged and filed in a wall of bookcases. The whole thing was a far cry from the laid-back atmosphere he had encountered in the rest of the Bastion (which admittedly wasn't much of it).

"Ah, Xehanort. Yes, Master Ansem said you were up and about." Even got up from his desk and set down a pen. But when he saw his other quest his ever-present frown deepened, his brow creasing. "And what are you doing here, Braig?"

Braig shrugged. "What, I can't come to a friend's doctor appointment?"

Even raised an eyebrow while Xehanort took a few steps deeper into the lab. "He won't leave me alone."

"Come on, man! Don't be like that. We can be the best of pals." Xehanort and Even stared at Braig for a moment in silence, while Braig looked at the two of them with his hands on his hips and a smirk on his face. But Even was having none of that.

"Out, Braig! I won't have you messing with my equipment. Go, I don't know, entertain Ienzo."

"I think he's with Master Ansem."

"Then go see the both of them!" Even shoved Braig out into the hall and slammed the door shut, swiftly locking it before Braig could get another word in. As he did that Ansem undid his ascot and removed his lab coat, then sat down next to Even's desk.

Even sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before he turned back to Xehanort. He nodded to himself and picked up a stethoscope. He rolled his chair around his desk and sat down next to Xehanort, placing the stethoscope in his ears. "I must say, I'm impressed you're up so soon."

Xehanort flinched slightly as the cool metal pressed against his chest. "Is it really that big of a deal?"

"Your body was in shambles, Xehanort. I didn't expect you to live, let alone walk around." Even put the stethoscope aside and retrieved a thermometer. Xehanort opened his mouth and allowed it to rest under his tongue for a few seconds. Even's face scrunched up when he read the numbers. "All normal. Bizarre."

He rolled his chair back behind his desk and turned to his computer. "And you feel fine?"

"Physically, at least," Xehanort responded as he slid the long white sleeves of his coat back over his arms. "My mind is still rather foggy."

Even smirked and typed something. "Yes, amnesia. It's like something out of a bad novel. I've never seen a case quite like yours." He glanced up from his screen. "Do you remember anything at all besides your name?"

His fingers tightened around the woman's neck. Her eyes were growing distant and unfocused, her struggling was lessening. She gasped out, begging him to stop in a choking, halting voice.

"Nothing," Xehanort lied.

"Mm. Well, I'm a physician, not a psychiatrist. I am afraid I can't help you there...though I must admit I'd like to learn more." Even finished typing something and stood up. "Still, as far as I can do for you on a professional level, Xehanort, you are in perfect health."

"Thank you, Even." Xehanort didn't look up at him as he was too busy tying his ascot. He stood up and dusted off his coat. "I suppose I'll be going then."

"Yes, I suppose so. Oh! One more thing." Xehanort turned as he heard Even's footsteps against the linoleum floor. "I heard you joined Master Ansem's apprenticeship. You may be under the impression we are colleagues now."

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. What an odd way of phrasing it. "Well, yes. And I'm looking forward to working alongside you—"

"That is where you are wrong." Even placed his hands behind his back. "I am the eldest apprentice here. I am your senior, Xehanort, and don't you forget it." Without waiting for a response he turned away and walked back to his computer. He began typing away again, having completely forgotten Xehanort's presence.

Xehanort frowned and turned away, put off by Even's behavior. Still, he supposed there were all sorts of people out there in the world.

As he opened the door, he found Braig waiting for him and still smiling. Xehanort groaned.

x-x-x

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

Xehanort, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, and Ienzo stood in Ansem the Wise's study, the small room rather cramped with the six of them plus Master Ansem himself all packed into it. The lord of Radiant Garden sat at his desk, an expectant smile on his face and the remnants of an ice cream bar in his hand. Xehanort finished reading the paper that Master Ansem had handed the six apprentices and set it down on the desk.

"Darkness of the heart?"

"It was something Braig brought up to me a few weeks ago, back when those monsters were attacking." Monsters? Yes, Xehanort had heard of them, though he hadn't seen them. They had vanished the day before he had shown up. "So, what do my dear apprentices say? Would you like to help me in this research?"

The ever silent Aeleus hummed in thought, while the imposing Dilan grunted. "Do you really believe in such a thing, Master Ansem? The very concept sounds absurd."

But Master Ansem merely chuckled and tossed the ice cream stick into a bin under his desk. "Hasn't this Bastion's history of research into the heart proven enough that it's a real force, Dilan?"

The man shrugged his crossed arms. "The idea of some magical core of a person that controls emotion and memory just doesn't work with me, sir. I am sure Even agrees with me."

Even rubbed his chin. "I'd like to agree with you, Dilan. It does sound like something out a certain fairy tale we all know. But I can't argue with the test results, and the Bastion has years of them to back it up. Hearts do seem to hold a special power, just as the children's stories say." Dilan let out a soft hum of disapproval, but otherwise quieted.

"Children's stories?" Xehanort asked. Low chuckling rippled among the apprentices at his question, which only confused him further.

Braig slung an arm around Xehanort's shoulder, and pulled him close. Xehanort let out an agitated sigh, but made no move to fight it. "It's an old bedtime story, pal. The kids love it!"

Master Ansem smiled. "Ienzo, you know the story, don't you? I've heard the librarian telling it to you and her granddaughter."

"Yes, sir." It caught Xehanort off guard that Ienzo responded, and indeed his quiet voice seemed to surprise the other apprentices as well. The little boy had barely spoken a word since Xehanort had gotten here, and he had begun to assume the child was mute. Ienzo nodded slightly and held the book in his arms closer to his chest. Xehanort tilted his head to get a better look at the worn novel: Foretellers and Unions: The War for Kingdom Hearts.

Ienzo spoke as if reciting from memory. "Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it and darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared."

"I've never heard him talk this long," Braig whispered to Xehanort. Xehanort didn't respond, however; he was too caught up in the boy's words. It sparked something within him. Lights begin dancing in his eyes and he suddenly found himself hit with a splitting headache. Rubbing his eyes and holding his head did nothing to help; if anything, the pain worsened.

"We know so little about the Keyblade War—only that it was just the beginning."

"But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children," Ienzo continued. "With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. Someday a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light, the Heart of All Worlds, will return."

As soon as Ienzo's mouth closed he seemed to retreat. He didn't move, but he was able to metaphorically blend perfectly into the background, giving off the aura that he didn't want to speak anymore. Xehanort noticed a slight blush on his cheeks and did as the boy wished, turning from him back to Master Ansem as the other apprentices did. Their master was awaiting them with a knowing smile.

There was an awkward silence as the apprentices considered Master Ansem's proposal. On his part, Xehanort was actually eager to get started. Something about Ienzo's story caught his interest, and if he could learn more about the supposed power of this Heart of All Worlds he had mentioned, maybe…maybe he could restore his memory?

It was a long shot, but Braig seemed to have the same idea. "Well, I'm in! And hey, who knows? Maybe this thing could snap ol' Xehanort out of his amnesia." A spark appeared in Even's eye at Braig's words while Xehanort smiled gently, comforted that he wasn't crazy for thinking that.

"If it's for the pursuit of knowledge, then I agree." Even grinned, his green eyes sparkling.

"I-I as well, Master Ansem," was Ienzo's quiet reply. He eyed Xehanort warily, but when Xehanort turned back at him he quickly looked away.

Beside him, Aeleus rubbed his chin. "Xehanort's puzzle would be an interesting case, to be sure."

Dilan scoffed. "If it allows me to prove to you all that hearts are nothing but organs, then I am in as well."

But Master Ansem wasn't so sure. He gave his newest apprentice a wary look, with many thoughts obviously going on behind those aged eyes of his. Finally, Radiant Garden's ruler sighed. "I suppose if you wish to, Xehanort, I cannot stop you. Very well, we will begin the experiments of the heart on Xehanort. Our goal will be the retrieval of his memory. Everyone, you are dismissed for today."

As the other apprentices began filtering out of Master Ansem's study and talking amongst themselves, sharing hypotheses and theories, Xehanort walked silently in the other direction. His footsteps echoed hollow in the empty hallway, one hand cupping his chin and his brow creased. His mind was still on Ienzo's story.

Hearts, light, darkness, and the Heart of All Worlds. The curiosity that they had piqued was more than just a desire to regain his memory. From the very depth of his being, he wanted—needed—to know more.

x-x-x

"It is my duty to expose what this darkness really is. I shall conduct the following experiments:

"*Extract the darkness from a person's heart.
"*Cultivate darkness in a pure heart.
"*Both suppress and amplify the darkness within."

Xehanort looked up from his report as he entered the new laboratory that Master Ansem had constructed in the basement of the Bastion at Ienzo's insistence. It had been a month since the meeting in Master Ansem's study, and in that time Xehanort had gotten increasingly impatient as his desire to know more had grown. He had spent lunches brainstorming and swapping theories with the other apprentices, and had especially learned to appreciate the ideas that Braig had suggested. Xehanort had found himself increasingly less annoyed with the one-eyed man's presence as the lunchtime meetings had gone on.

But now, a month later to the day, the time had finally arrived. Xehanort folded his report and put it in his breast pocket as he looked out at the massive laboratory that was before the six apprentices. Seriously, it was enormous. When could they ever possibly need that much room?

"Over here, boys." Six heads turned to see Master Ansem standing to their right, in front of a computer the next room over. The room was considerably smaller than the vast hall just an elevator ride away and was packed to the brim with machinery. "I am proud to announce to you all that the Bastion's heart research laboratory has been completed and is now open to use as you six see fit." Smiling, he turned to the computer and activated it. A screen popped up asking for six passwords. Ansem began typing.

Xehanort, Braig, Dilan, Even, Aeleus, Ienzo.

The machinery around them whirred to life. Lights switched on both within the computer room and in the hall outside, illuminating just what kind of machines they were dealing with. Xehanort heard Even murmuring to himself, assessing the situation under his breath, while the others looked on in impressed silence.

"Well, I can see you all approve." Master Ansem walked past them with a chuckle. "In the following months, I will check back every few days to see how you lads are doing."

"You will not be joining us?" Aeleus asked.

Master Ansem sighed and shook his head. "I would love to, but a king's work is never done. Maybe some day, hm? Until then, farewell my friends." As Master Ansem walked off, a feral grin appeared on Braig's face.

"Well! Gentlemen, if you'd do me the honor of joining me downstairs." He swept his arm dramatically and moved toward the elevator at the other end of the room without waiting for a response. Even and Xehanort followed after him immediately, while Dilan, Aeleus, and Ienzo exchanged odd looks.

"What's this about?" Aeleus asked. He moved forward, leading the latter three to the elevator. "Have you three already decided where to begin our experiments?"

"Without consulting us?" Dilan added.

"You'll find out soon enough," Even said as he pressed the down button on the elevator. "It was young Xehanort's idea." Xehanort nodded in reply, patting the pocket which held his report.

The elevator was so silent as it lowered that Xehanort didn't even know it was moving until it dinged to signal that they had stopped. The door slid open and the apprentices stepped out into the large, empty, cold room beneath the computer room. Braig and Even immediately made their way over to some hastily assembled machinery. Xehanort heard the three behind them gasp when they got a good look at it.

"Is that a child?!" Aeleus demanded. He marched right up to the machinery and shoved Braig aside. The boy was asleep and hooked up to life support, but didn't seem to be in need of it. His skin was lightly tanned from days of playing in the sun, and his blond hair was spiked up.

"Sure is." Braig spoke as if he didn't realize the obvious uncomfortable situation that Aeleus, Dilan, and Ienzo were put in. "Gentlemen, meet mister Cloud Strife. He'll be our test subject this evening."

"What?!" Aeleus and Dilan shouted so loudly that Xehanort had to cover his ears. "What happened to Xehanort being first?" Dilan demanded.

"Never mind that!" Aeleus shook his head and held a protective arm out in front of little Ienzo. "He's just a child! What do you think you're doing, Braig?!"

"It was my idea," Xehanort replied calmly, though in truth it had been Braig who first suggested it. Three sets of eyes turned from Braig to him, but Xehanort didn't flinch. To be honest he was surprised Dilan was reacting this way after how cold he had seemed last month, but evidently he placed value in human life despite his lack of belief in the heart. Xehanort sympathized, but if this got them answers, then Xehanort believed it was worth it.

…Wasn't it?

Braig crossed his arms as Even began working the machines. "The kid volunteered for it! And besides, we can't experiment on Xehanort first. Who knows what this'll do to him?"

Aeleus grit his teeth. "And a child is fine?!"

"What part of 'the kid volunteered' didn't you get, dude?"

"You think I'd believe—"

"Enough!" Xehanort shouted, silencing both of them. "Young Cloud isn't going anywhere, Aeleus. He was a trainee in the Bastion's defense force. They swear fealty to the crown and servants of the crown. His coming here was an order from a direct superior."

But despite the chain of command, Aeleus narrowed his eyes at Xehanort and clenched his hand into a fist. He raised his arm, ready to punch, but a gloved hand rested on his bicep. "Dilan?"

"…Let's just see where this leads," the black-haired man said. Aeleus stared at him for a few seconds before lowering his arm. He stomped off in a huff, but stopped only a few yards away and looked at the display with his arms crossed.

Xehanort's stomach clenched as he looked at the unconscious young man resting under Even's watchful eye. He felt uncomfortable about it too, to be honest, but Braig had assured him it was fine. He had said that all of the Bastion's historical experiments had used military as subjects. Master Ansem would be fine with it and they'd get the information they needed.

"Is it ready?"

"Almost." Even pressed a button on another machine and then nodded. "It's ready. I must say, Xehanort, I'm impressed with this design. It will really extract the boy's darkness? How did you come up with it?"

"…I'm not really sure myself." That wasn't a lie, the knowledge of how to split a heart in two just popped into his head one morning. Xehanort picked up a remote control near Cloud's unmoving body and then began to walk toward the silent Aeleus. "Okay, everybody step back. We're going to stat our experiments by pulling the darkness out of the boy's heart." He pressed a button on the remote and turned around to watch the magic happen.

A device that had been suspended above Cloud began to glow. Even quickly removed the sheet over Cloud, exposing the adolescent's bare chest, and walked back to join the others while the glow brightened. Then, from the tip of the machine, a beam fired into Cloud's chest. The instant it made contact Cloud's eyes snapped open. His body lurched forward, his back arching up, but steel bindings on his wrists and ankles held him in place. The boy's screams of pain were unimaginably loud; they even drowned out the sounds of the machine. Xehanort spared a glance at his colleagues faces, and they all watched with a mix of awe and horror, from Braig to Ienzo. He had to admit, he felt the same.

The machine ceased its work, but the light didn't fade. As Cloud continued screaming bloody murder convulsing as if he was having a seizure, a bright pink light emanated from his chest. His back arched once again and the light retreated, followed immediately by an explosion of purple and black energy—darkness, they had done it!—that stretched like a massive pillar and reached all the way up to the ceiling of the great chamber.

The pillar collapsed in on itself and the darkness coalesced. An orb of black formed just a few feet above Cloud's chest, and in that same moment Cloud's convulsing suddenly ceased. His eyes closed and he lay completely still, dead if not for his shallow breathing. The orb continued to hover above him, pure darkness swirling around it, and then it started to shift in shape. It elongated and thinned out as the darkness began to calm. It lowered onto the cold metal floors and then began to fade away, leaving a shocking sight behind.

Xehanort's blood had run cold. Something about this was incredibly familiar to him.

"Is that what I think it is?!" Dilan gasped. Five apprentices ran up to the two adolescent young men that now rested in their laboratory. The second was just as unconscious as Cloud was, and while his build and face resembled Cloud's their hair was completely different. Where Cloud's was blond and spiky, his was long and silver. Absently, Xehanort found himself running a hand through his own hair.

"What happened?" Ienzo asked. None of them, not even Xehanort, had an answer.

Slow clapping caused five heads to turn. Braig nodded his head and broke into a wide smile. "Congratulations, everyone! Give yourselves a round of applause!" When he stopped clapping he walked up to the new boy and picked up his unconscious body.

"What are you talking about?" Aeleus asked.

"What, isn't it obvious? The experiment was a success, of course!" Braig gestured to the sleeping silver-haired boy in his hands. "We extracted the darkness from Cloud's heart, split it in two. This boy is his darkness made real, and Mister Strife is nothing but light now."

Even examined a screen attached to the machine. "A heart devoid of darkness, stripped clean of it at that…" He spoke to himself, as if remembering something.

"What do we do now?" Dilan asked.

"I can't argue with results." Aeleus picked Cloud up as Braig had the silver-haired one. "We'll need to build cells to hold Cloud and this new boy…as well as future 'volunteers'."

Braig and Aeleus began to carry the two boys away, and Even started chattering to Xehanort about what they could do now that they had succeeded in this experiment. But Xehanort wasn't paying attention. His mind was on the scene he had just witnessed, a boy's darkness extracted from his heart and born as a new being. Why did he get the sneaking suspicion he had seen that somewhere before. And, perhaps more importantly, how did Braig know what that had been…?

"What is going on in here?!"

Xehanort's eyes widened and he whirled around, his horrified expression matched by the other apprentices. Braig and Aeleus had stopped mid-step and come to a complete halt. Behind him, Xehanort heard either Even or Ienzo drop an instrument, but he didn't look back. His eyes, as were all of their eyes, were locked at the person who now stood before the six of them.

Ansem the Wise.

He was beyond angry. He glowered at each apprentice in turn, his expression softening only briefly as he looked at Cloud and Cloud's doppelganger in Aeleus and Braig's arms.

"Master Ansem—" Ienzo was cut off when their master raised a hand, silencing him and anyone else who was about to speak.

"I heard screaming and came to investigate," he said with a dangerous edge in his low voice. "I gave you six freedom to conduct your research as you pleased, but that did not mean you were free to go about kidnapping children!" He raised his voice at the last words, his shout echoing off the walls of the hall.

Xehanort gulped. "He had sworn fealty, he was a trainee—"

"He was a boy, Xehanort, and look what you did to him!" Master Ansem's anger made Xehanort recoil. The man was red in the face. He breathed deeply in through his nostrils and exhaled through his mouth, then pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. "What are you six going to do with those boys now?"

"…Wait for them to wake up, I suppose," Dilan suggested.

"We'll…watch over them." Even's words had an obvious double meaning to them, but Master Ansem's energy seemed to have left his body. He didn't argue it.

"Good. Right answers. And then, after doing that…you will destroy that disgusting machine and any results you may have gotten from it!" The apprentices responded with immediate disagreement, their six voices melding into a cacophony as they each called for Master Ansem to reconsider. One glare from the older man silenced them all. "My decision is final."

Xehanort grit his teeth. "But Master Ansem, this may be my only chance—"

"My decision is final, Xehanort! I took you under my wing and nursed you to health, and you will obey my commands! This Bastion belongs to me, not you!"

Xehanort's hands clenched at his side. "Well maybe it should."

Master Ansem turned around and stepped back aboard the elevator. "But it doesn't."

The moment the doors shut, Xehanort spun around and slammed his fist into the wall. It left an indentation in the metal, which he paid no attention to. "Aeleus, Braig. Let's bring them into the lower basement and set up cells."

Aeleus eyed Xehanort warily. "But Master Ansem said to stop."

"And you're just going to listen to him? We've come too far to stop now!" Xehanort reached into his pocket and retrieved his report As Braig and Aeleus shrugged at each other, Xehanort began to add more to the paper.

"The experiments caused the test subject's heart to collapse, including those of the most stalwart. How fragile our hearts are! My treatment produced no signs of recovery. I confined those who had completely lost their hearts beneath the castle."

x-x-x

Much time passed with the apprentices performing their experiments in secret, and much more quietly at that. They had gathered more test subjects from the Bastion staff and performed a myriad of experiments on their hearts. Whether they had survived or not, each subject now sat in one of the small cells that had been constructed in a second basement before the laboratory.

Xehanort was walking down the hall with Dilan and Ienzo at his side. They had just delivered the latest subject to his cell, as while as checked on Sephiroth, as they had dubbed Cloud's doppelganger. Where Cloud was comatose and unresponsive, Sephiroth was speaking—if only in broken, simple sentences. He was there most successful experiment so far, they'd need to keep an eye on him.

Just before Xehanort opened the door to the stairwell, he felt a tug on his arm. He turned to see Ienzo holding his sleeve. "What is it?" But the little boy didn't respond. Frowning, Xehanort followed Ienzo's line of sight (and, as it turned out, Dilan's as well) and looked down at a shadow in the corner of the hall.

Was it his imagination, or was that shadow moving?

No, he wasn't seeing things. Before the trio's very eyes, the shadow began to bulge. It rose up from the ground like a dome and then expanded. It somewhat resembled Sephiroth's birth, but was also something all its own. The shadow took shape, darkness extending outward to form—were those antennae?

It wasn't just a shadow, it was a creature. Its antennae and short limbs twitched as it stared at Xehanort, Ienzo, and Dilan with beady, unblinking golden eyes. It tilted its head and then turned around, climbing up the wall and slinking into the shadows once more. Xehanort let out a breath he didn't know he had held, but his exhale turned into a gasp of surprise. All around them, from every even slightly shaded part of the hall, more of the insectoid shadows began to rise out of the earth. Their antennae twitched, their claws dug into the walls. One slipped between the bars on the door of a prison cell, and one scream and pink flash later,it crawled back out with a companion.

"What are they?" Ienzo asked with just a hint of fear.

Dilan rubbed his chin. "Could they be what's left of the test subjects who didn't survive?"

"An interesting theory. Those who lack hearts..." Xehanort grinned. "I will call them the Heartless."

x-x-x

"The Heartless appear in groups, and are multiplying rapidly. I've provided them both living and nonliving samples. They've responded only to the living. They seem to multiply after absorbing something from the living creatures. Their prey vanishes without a trace.
"I believe the Heartless are taking hearts. They are born from those who've lost their hearts, and thrive on hearts seized from others. The hearts taken by the Heartless become Heartless themselves.
"Though I lack proof, I am confident in this hypothesis. I must also study their behavioral principles. Though they lack emotions, they do seem to have some intelligence. How to communicate with them?
"It's just occurred to me: Could they be the darkness in people's hearts?"

Xehanort set his pen down and rubbed his eyes. He was the only one in the laboratory this evening. Well, morning, really—it was 2 AM. He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, resting his feet on the desk as he did so. The Heartless utterly fascinated him, more than anything else. He had moved on from experimenting on living subjects to focus on them instead, which Braig was all for though Even scoffed at him. He didn't really care what the others thought, they were all nothing to him.

A skittering caught Xehanort's attention. He looked over to see a Shadow crawling across the floor, which surprised him. They weren't in the lower basements and he hadn't expected to see a Heartless all the way up here. So far they'd been staying below.

"How did you get here?" Xehanort stood up and approached the Heartless, which suddenly stopped moving and looked out the window into the vast lab downstairs. Its antennae twitched and then it was off, melding into the ground and crawling through the glass. "What…? What's it after?"

Xehanort quickly inputted the names of the six apprentices into the computer and hurried to the elevator, hoping he didn't lose sight of the Heartless. As soon as the doors opened at the bottom he ran out, just in time to see the trapdoor in the floor open up and reveal the massive staircase into the lower basement. Luckily, the Heartless appeared to have been waiting for him. It stood on the cold metal floor until it caught sight of Xehanort, at which point it continued its descent.

Xehanort found that he had to sprint to keep up with the Heartless at this point, and besides that it blended perfectly into the darkness here with only its eyes as a point of reference. But soon enough they emerged into the bright whiteness of the prison hall. Heartless skittered across the walls and through the cell bars, but Xehanort kept his sight on the one he was following even as his eyes adjusted to the sudden light. He stopped to catch his breath and then continued forward, following the Shadow to the end of the hall.

And then the Shadow disappeared.

Where had it gone? He wasn't sure. There had been no melting into the floor as Heartless did, it had simply vanished the instant it came in contact with the blank white wall. Xehanort frowned. He took a few steps forward, examining the wall, and then pressed his hand on it. And in the blink of an eye, a door had appeared.

Xehanort gasped in surprise and stepped back, but it was just a door, its not like it could attack him. He examined it carefully, noting the large keyhole emblazoned on the front of it. Still, it didn't seem locked. And maybe beyond it he would find the Heartless—or whatever the Heartless had been leading him to. Taking a deep breath to brace himself, Xehanort pushed the door open.

The other side was a round and empty cavern. It was carved out of stone, but not the blue stone that most of the world was made out of; no, this was a deep purple instead. In the distance he could hear the echo of a waterfall, perhaps in some other cavern beyond this one. But his attention wasn't on that, oh no; it was on the center of the cave. There, carved into a stalactite, was another keyhole. But it wasn't a shape this time, it appeared to be an actual keyhole in the rock.

When Xehanort moved to approach it, however, he tripped over something metal. As he caught his balance and stabilized himself, he glanced down at his feet and raised an eyebrow. "Armor?"

Abandoned blue and silver armor lay on the floor of the cavern, positioned in such a way that it appeared as if the owner had died and then decayed away and left the armor behind. He crouched down on his haunches and picked up one of the gauntlets, holding it close to examine it. It was exquisitely crafted, built for ease of movement as much of defense. Belatedly, Xehanort was surprised he knew so much about armor.

As he set the gauntlet back down, something else caught his eye. It looked to be a blade pierced into the ground. A weapon? Well, if there was armor, that'd make sense. Xehanort reached for the blade to examine it as he had the gauntlet, but the moment his fingertips so much as brushed against the metal electricity surge throughout his body.

"Agh!" Xehanort clutched at his head, the weapon and armor forgotten. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, images were flashing before him: a sleeping beauty, a floating heart, a desert graveyard, a keyhole.

Xehanort's hands were on the ground now, and the pain was so intense that tears had begun to form in his eyes. Was it just the blurriness the tears had brought, or was energy beginning to form around his hand? What…was that? What was that?! What was he summoning?! Xehanort clutched at his face with his free hand and screamed as black lightning danced at his fingertips.

The Keyhole flashed. It was unlocked.

And Xehanort ran. He ran out the cave, down the hall, and up the stairs. He ran through the halls of the Bastion, through the front gates, and out into the city. He ran until his feet screamed in protest and his heart pounded in his chest. And only then, only when he was about to collapse from exhaustion, did the pain in his head cease.

Panting, Xehanort slid down onto the ground and rested against a stone wall. He rubbed his eyes again and chastised himself for being up so late. That's all it was, just stress and sleep deprivation working in conjunction. But…he had seen something. When the Keyhole had flashed, he had seen so much. So it couldn't all be in his head, could it?

"Hey, are you okay?"

Xehanort looked up as the sweet, soft voice spoke to him. His blurry vision came into focus and he took in his surroundings; he was in the outer gardens, clear on the other end of the city. How had he run so far in such a short time? And who was calling him? He looked to his side, where he found his face mere inches from a little red-haired girl in a white dress.

"What's a little girl doing outside this late at night?

The girl frowned and tilted her head. "It's six in the morning, silly! I'm out gathering flowers for my grandma"

Six in the morning? How?! It had been two when he had— He had lost track of time in his brief lapse of sanity. That had to be it. It also explained how he had gotten out here in what seemed like such a short time; he had actually been running for hours. Xehanort groaned and rubbed his eyes. He had been up all night, damn it.

The girl smiled. "I'm Kairi! Who are you, mister?"

"Xehanort." He looked up at the sky, where it was still dark. Six, hm? He supposed he hadn't been out in a while, but was it always this dark at six? That didn't seem right.

"It was nice meeting you, Mister Xehanort. But I should go see my grandma now."

Xehanort smiled despite himself and climbed up to his feet. "Yeah, you go do that. It was nice meeting you too, Kairi." He ruffled her hair and Kairi giggled, then the two of them began to walk off in opposite directions.

And then the sky exploded with light.

Both of them froze in their tracks and stared up at the sky. Kairi even dropped the bouquet she had been holding. Before their very eyes, it appeared as if every star in the sky was falling from the heavens. A meteor shower, but why? Lights streaked across the darkness and rained down on Radiant Garden—including right there in the gardens. A meteor crashed into the pavement, and Xehanort's curiosity took the better of him. He knelt down and picked up the celestial object only to be met by something gelatinous and decidedly not space dust.

Xehanort stood up while examining the red cube in his palm, then stared up at the starry sky. "What in the world…?"

x-x-x

"A massive core of energy lay beyond the door sought by the Heartless. It may be the ultimate goal of the Heartless. But what is that energy? I have devised a hypothesis, based upon my observations of the Heartless.
"The Heartless feed on other's hearts, and they yearn for that energy core. That thing beyond the door must be a heart, too—the heart of this world. There is no proof, but, having felt that immense energy, I am certain. That was the heart of the world.
"The Heartless are trying to take hearts not only from all living creatures, but from the planet itself. But what do they mean to do with the heart of the world?"

In the time since the discovery of the Heartless, even Master Ansem had grown aware of them. Immediately after the discovery, Xehanort had visited Master Ansem and asked—begged, really—to allow him to begin experiments on the Heartless. He would have done so even if the fool had said no, but official channels would allow for easier test subjects. But Master Ansem had been just as horrified of the Heartless as he was fascinated, and had asked that Xehanort give him a few days to consider.

And now Xehanort had grown impatient.

As he walked down the empty halls, his footsteps echoing as they always did, he could hear Master Ansem's voice. Was he speaking to someone? Did he have a visitor?

"The doors that appeared. The place the Heartless seek. I fear my research may have brought this upon us..."

Well, Xehanort's research was far more important than whoever it was he was speaking to. He knocked on the door and then, without waiting for Master Ansem's acknowledgment, opened it up. On the other side, he did indeed find a visitor—a humanoid mouse, dressed in red. The mouse blinked up at him with curiosity, but said nothing.

The stranger's appearance momentarily caught Xehanort by surprise, but he didn't show it. Xehanort bowed deeply with one heart over his chest, then straightened out and stood with his arms at his sides. He was going to make a good impression here, he wanted Master Ansem to say yes. "Master Ansem. Regarding the experiment I presented the other day…" He paused for a moment, allowing time for the man before him to recall the proposal. "With your permission I'd like to proceed—"

"I forbid it!" Master Ansem jumped to his feet and slammed his hand down on his desk. Xehanort noted that the old man was eating ice cream again, relaxing while he did all the real work, but said nothing. "Forget this talk of doors, and the Heart of All Worlds. That place must not be defiled."

Xehanort leaned forward, moving his arms as he begged for approval. "But, Master Ansem! I've been thinking…"

Master Ansem shut his eyes shook his head. "Xehanort…" The mouse's ears perked up at his name. "Those thoughts are best forgotten."

Xehanort froze. He ground his teeth and grunted in anger, but said nothing. Bowing lowly as he must, he gave Master Ansem one last glare before turning around and shutting the door without ceremony. The instant he was out of sight, Xehanort slammed his shaking fist into the wall.

Ansem the Wise was a fool. He'd go through with the experiment anyway, and nothing would stop him. He would learn everything he could about the Heart of All Worlds.

x-x-x

When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be you.

The unknown voice taunted Xehanort in the back of his mind. He had been feeling nauseous all day, and with a splitting headache besides. As a medical professional, Even had ordered Xehanort to stay in his room. He had assured Xehanort that they had the Heartless covered, and he was even going to be dissecting one alongside Braig after lunch. So he had pushed Xehanort to rest. Doctor's orders.

But Xehanort refused to listen to orders from anyone anymore.

He stumbled through the halls of the Bastion, one hand grasping his head, as his thoughts tormented him. Was this even the right way to the lab? He wasn't sure; the whole damn place looked the same. Damn Ansem and damn Radiant Garden's architects. Damn.

You must become a higher existence.

Ansem cannot be trusted. Ansem will try to stop you.

Remember the plan. Stick to the plan. Mark the recusant.

"Lea! Lea, where are you?"

Xehanort stopped. That last voice hadn't come from his head, but from further down the hall.

"Great, just my luck that we get separated. Those two guards are gonna toss us out again and it's going to be all your…" The speaker, a boy dressed in blue with equally blue hair, rounded the corner and found himself face to face with Xehanort. "…fault?"

"Who are you and why are you here?" Xehanort asked with as much authority as he could muster in his in his present state. "Civilians aren't allowed in my—" He paused. That wasn't right, was it? "…in the Bastion."

"I-I'm aware of that, sir." Despite obviously knowing the situation he was in, the boy recovered from his shock quickly enough. "My name's Isa, sir, and I know I shouldn't be here. I'm just looking for my friend, Lea. We sneaked in here as a prank, it was stupid. As soon as I find him I promise I'll leave."

Xehanort chuckled despite himself. Sneaking into the Bastion as a prank? This was a kid who enjoyed defying authority. He snorted; rather like him, come to think of it. Ansem and Even would both give him a stern word or two for getting out of bed in this condition. But he supposed both he and this Isa kid were rebels, fighters, re—

"…recusants…" Xehanort muttered under his breath. The word seemed to trigger something within him. A memory? More like a feeling deep within his heart.

Isa frowned. "Huh?"

Black lightning once again began to crackle at Xehanort's fingertips, and with his eyes locked on the boy's face he raised his hand. The words came unbidden from his lips.

"As your flesh bears the sigil, so your name shall be known as that...of a recusant."

x-x-x

"Ah!" Xehanort sat up suddenly, wide awake. He looked around, shaking his head back and forth. Where was Isa? Where was he? This wasn't the hall that he had been in just a moment ago, it was— Xehanort blinked. It was his bedroom, and he was sitting at his desk with a paper, a pen, and several of those bizarre meteors from the other night.

Xehanort blinked, groaned, and wiped away some drool at the corner of his mouth. Was it a dream, had he been sleeping? And if so, what had he been doing before he had fallen asleep. His eyes fell to the paper before him. Another report.

"I am studying material from the meteors that rained down that fateful night. What a find! The material is foreign to our world. It is elastic to the touch, and when two pieces are combined, they bond easily. None of the records even mention such a substance.
"Was it introduced to this world when I opened the door? I wonder how many other such materials drift through the atmosphere of this tiny world... I wish I could soar off and find out! Could there be uncharted worlds up there? My curiosity never ceases to grow.
"But I should stop speaking of such unrealistic dreams. For now, there is no way to venture outside this world. My people and I are all but prisoners of this tiny place."

"Wait a minute..." The date in the corner was the day after the day it should have been. So was the meeting with Isa not a dream after all? And if not, why didn't he remember anything else from the rest of yesterday…?

There was a knock at the door. Xehanort quickly folded up his report and hid it in a drawer before the door opened, revealing the aging, foolish face of Ansem.

"What is it?" Xehanort asked agitatedly as he began to piece together more meteors.

Ansem sighed at Xehanort's tone before speaking. "I just came to check on you. I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye lately, Xehanort, but I still care for your well-being." Xehanort dropped the meteors on his desk and turned to face Ansem, albeit with a scowl on his face. It didn't seem to faze the old man. "And Even has told me of your condition. I know those meteors interest you, Xehanort, but perhaps you should—"

"I'm fine."

"Xehanort, I know you. I know this fascination will consume you just as the Heartless did. But right now what you need is sleep."

"I said I'm FINE!" Xehanort shouted, knocking aside his lamp as he did so. The shattering as it crashed into the floor silenced the both of them. Long moments passed as the two men stared at each other, until finally Ansem shut the door without a word.

Xehanort turned back to the odd meteors, but eventually found himself doing nothing but stacking the multicolored blocks into towers. This was stupid. His mind was in other places. Groaning, Xehanort shoved the blocks aside and stood up.

Forget Even's orders. I'm going to the lab. I need to learn more about the darkness.

x-x-x

"There is no doubt that the Heartless are deeply connected to the people's hearts. Further study may unravel both their motivations and the mysteries shrouding the heart.
"As a start, I have built a device that artificially creates Heartless. By recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, I should be able to produce them artificially. This device is the culmination of all my research thus far. "

The Heartless Manufactory, they were calling it. It was the largest machine they had built yet, taking up both walls of the massive laboratory. It was the result of months of research on the hearts, darkness, and Heartless. The ultimate culmination of everything they had achieved so far.

And it was finally ready.

Down from the floor in middle of the Manufactory, Braig signaled Ienzo up in the computer room. The young man—he had hit puberty in the last couple months—began typing away at the computer, and a moment later the lights in the Manufactory dimmed. Xehanort looked up form his report and watched with bated breath as the hundreds of mechanisms and devices that lined the walls began to glow with a dangerous red light. It illuminated the room and continued to glow brighter and brighter, ever brighter, until it was practically blinding.

And then the machines released their light.

Bolts of lightning flew from the machinery, striking designated spots on the floor. The Heartless Manufactory was alive with a marvelous symphony of electrical energy, thankfully frowned out by a silencing spell that Braig had placed on the lab's entrance some time ago. The display of colors and sound before the apprentices awed all six of them into silence, not that any words would have been audible.

When it was all over, when splotches of color danced in their vision and bells rang in their ears, Xehanort looked out over the Manufactory. Cheers rose up from the apprentices, congratulations and applause at an experiment well done. Xehanort felt Braig's friendly hand clap onto his shoulder.

Before them stood a short figure, its golden eyes staring ahead unblinking. Its inky black skin was covered by the blue spandex and silver helmet it wore, but its true nature was revealed through a red and black heart insignia of Xehanort's own design.

"The machine's test run successfully created a Heartless.
"This may be a step toward creating a heart from nothing. The artificially and naturally created Heartless showed nearly identical traits. But the two types remain distinct for the purpose of the experiment. So, I will mark the ones that are created artificially."

x-x-x

"Man, stop pouting. Even I was starting to notice how much you needed a break."

Xehanort sat on a bench in Radiant Garden, Braig beside him. He had wanted to continue looking into the Heartless, but all of the apprentices were starting to become wary of just how much he was letting this consume him. Eventually Braig, the one who had pushed him the most, had to force him to leave the Manufactory—to leave the Bastion entirely, actually.

"Mm," Xehanort grunted in response.

Braig laughed. "Anyway, dude, I'm gonna go get us some lunch. Stay here, alright? I shouldn't be too long." As the one-eyed man walked off into the city, Xehanort watched him leave. Braig was a bizarre person, and even after all this time he still occasionally looked at Xehanort oddly. His mind fell back to their first proper meeting, that day in the hall. Braig had seemed so certain that they knew each other…

"Oh! Mister Xehanort!"

Xehanort looked down to see a familiar smiling face, framed by red hair. He smiled in return. "Hello there, Kairi. It's been a while."

Kairi smiled. "Yup! Hey, I saw you with a man in the guard uniform. Do you work at the castle?"

"Yes, I do."

"Wow! So does my grandma! She's the librarian."

"Kairi, why'd ya run off like that?" Kairi turned around and Xehanort looked up, half-expecting the voice to be the grandmother Kairi had mentioned. However, despite being high-pitched it was still distinctly a male's voice. His eyes fell on the speaker…and he gasped.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mister Mickey! I just saw Mister Xehanort, who I knew."

Mickey seemed to stiffen up at Xehanort's name, just as he had when Xehanort had seen him in Ansem's study. Who was this mouse who walked and talked like a man? How did he know Ansem and Kairi?

"You're…Xehanort, she said? Yup, Ansem said that too…" Mickey frowned and stared down at his feet, which earned a confused glance between Kairi and Xehanort. Then, as quickly as his sober mood had come, it vanished. Mickey glanced up and chuckled. "Sorry! I was just thinkin' of someone I used to know. Well, it's nice to meet ya Xehanort!"

He held out a gloved hand, which Xehanort shook. "You too, Mickey. I've seen you once before, in the castle. How is it you know Kairi and Ansem?"

"Gosh, Ansem's my pal! As for Kairi, I guess she is too. We met a little under a year ago, now, me and—and…another friend." Xehanort raised an eyebrow as Mickey trailed off, but said nothing. "Anyway, Xehanort, Ansem said you were found something beneath his castle?"

Xehanort frowned. Why was Ansem sharing information like that? But he nodded. "Yes. It was…a Keyhole, I believe."

Mickey nodded. "…Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure."

Kairi jumped up and down. "Me too, Mickey! I can keep secrets too!"

Mickey chuckled and held out his hand. In a flash of light, a sparkling blade was in his hand, light blue in color and decorated with stars. Immediately, Xehanort's memory went back to the cavern where he had encountered the armor and, more importantly, the blade buried in the floor.

"Wow!" Kairi gasped.

"That weapon…" It wasn't identical, but it was definitely the same type of sword.

Mickey grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "It's called a Keyblade. Ya see…"

Braig never did return. For the next few hours, Xehanort and Mickey had discussed much. Xehanort learned more than he had ever known before; he had learned of Keyblades and of Keyholes, of Princesses and of hearts. Other worlds, Gummi blocks, Gummi ships…it all made his head spin.

And it all sounded so familiar.

x-x-x

Xehanort was alone in the computer room above the Heartless Manufactory. The machines around him had long since turned off, and the lights with them. Now the only source of sound or light was coming from the computer as he worked on a new program—a Master Control Program. He was nearing the end of his experiments, on the verge of figuring out every secret about the Heart of All Worlds. Now it was time for the finishing touches.

When the MCP was finalized, Xehanort closed the window and left himself illuminated by the blue glow of the desktop. He rested his face in his hands and sighed. He really should be getting some sleep. How long was it now? A week? He'd even begun eating his meals down here.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap…

Footsteps. Rushed footsteps, to be exact. Someone was approaching, and whoever it was was not in a good mood. Xehanort grimaced; neither was he. He was tired and cranky, and nothing was going to stop him now. Whatever problem the apprentices had, they would just have to deal—

"Xehanort! XEHANORT, answer me!"

Xehanort turned around as Ansem barged into the computer room looking angrier than he had ever been, more than even after Sephiroth's birth. Xehanort, in turn, looked at him with half-open eyes. What was his problem? He was just doing experiments, research. He lazily looked over Ansem, at his red face, his shaking body, the reports in his hands—

Ah. That was it.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Ansem demanded, marching forward and slamming the papers onto the keyboard.

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. "Did you even read it? I should think it's self-explanatory."

"What?! Yes, I read it, and that is exactly the problem! Xehanort, not only did you perform these horrible acts of cruelty against your fellow man, but you performed them in my name!"

"It's not as if you were putting it to much use."

"I thought I told you a year ago to stop this madness!"

That got Xehanort's attention. "Madness?!" He jumped up to his feet, knocking his chair to the ground. "Madness?! Old man, you mean brilliance! I have dug deeper, gone farther, than you ever dared to dream!"

"You are a fool," Ansem spat.

"You are the fool!" Xehanort shouted, and with his shout the entire room shook. Ansem did not let that go unnoticed, turning up to the ceiling with concern. "Look at me, damn you! While you sat in your office eating ice cream like a child, I have performed experiments with the very forces of life and creation! I will achieve—no, I have achieved a higher existence!"

But Ansem was not looking him the eye. No, his gaze was on the floor. "Xehanort…"

"Pay attention to me!" A powerful wind blew around Xehanort. "I should be the ruler of this castle, not you! I am the one who achieved this all, not you! I have SURPASSED YOU!"

"Xehanort! For once in your damned life, look at what you are doing!" Ansem cried, no longer in anger but in fear. Xehanort's own rage gave way to confusion, and he looked down at himself. The shadows in the room had expanded, growing toward him. Tendrils of blackness rose up from the floor and weaved through the air around his legs. Xehanort's arms fell to his side and his head lowered.

"I…"

"Xehanort, it isn't too late…"

When he felt Ansem's hand on his shoulder, Xehanort couldn't help it. His body began to shake, his shoulders began to heave…as he burst into laughter. It started low and grew louder, and he threw back his head with his arms stretched out to his sides.

"I've done it! After all this time, those months of hard work, I've done it!" Xehanort's laughter slowed and he rolled his neck, locking eyes with a horrified Ansem. "And you… You would take it all from me!"

He thrust his arm out and grabbed Ansem by the neck. Darkness surged around his body, making him stronger, enabling him to lift the struggling man off of his feet. Ansem struggled both for freedom and for air, gasping desperately. Xehanort tightened his fingers. Ansem was the unanticipated variant, the spanner in the works. He threatened to ruin everything if he wasn't stopped. It would be so easy, so simple, to end it all right here and now, just like he had with Era—

Fighting through the pain, Ansem choked out a question. "Has the darkness taken you, Xehanort?!" Xehanort faltered at the words. His arm slacked every so slightly, his fingers releasing their hold just barely. Ansem smiled as best he could. "Xehanort, if you follow this path, the Bastion will become as hollow as your heart!"

Was…this right? He couldn't… No, no! The man in front of him was lying! Lying! A hideous, horrible liar! He only wanted to steal his research, steal his glory! His power!

"There's no turning back," Xehanort hissed. "I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

The shadows shot up before him, and then Ansem was no more.

x-x-x

"Opening the door to a world's heart causes its walls to crumble.
"These fragments are seen as shooting stars.
"This explains why these "gummi blocks" can travel freely to other worlds.
"I know the catalyst of this collapse—the appearance of the Heartless. However, it will take time search out the worlds' doors and to retrieve each heart.
"Furthermore, the doors can be locked using a Keyblade, making the heart forever unattainable. I must take action before the wielder of the key appears in this world.
"If the princesses and the Keyblade are connected, they should resonate.
"I've chosen a girl. I don't know if she holds the princesses' powers, but I will find out. She may lead me to the key bearer.
"I shall set her free and observe."

"Mister Xehanort?"

Kairi stood under the dark night sky, the stars blocked by the storm clouds that were rolling in. It looked like it was going to rain any moment now, and rain hard at that.

"Mister Xehanort, Grandma will be wondering where I am…" He said nothing, barely even heard her words in fact. He stared up at the sky with his hands at his sides, and when several long moments passed Kairi fidgeted awkwardly. "I'm gonna go, Mister Xehanort."

"Kairi, tell me something." Her tiny footsteps, which had begun to move away from him, stopped. He didn't look back, but he could tell that she had turned around to face him again. "How much do you know about the Keyblade?"

"You mean that cool thing Mickey had?"

"…Heh." He turned around and faced Kairi, looking not just at her but through her. The powerful light was making his body scream, but he endured it. Yes…there was no doubt about it. "Anything else? Anything at all?"

"Um…" Kairi tapped her chin and looked up in thought. "Uh, I think the girl I met last year who saved me from the monsters had one. Why?"

"And you don't know anything else?"

"...I don't think so, Mister Xehanort."

"I see…" He flexed his fingers. A subtle motion, but one that got the reaction he wanted. "Well Kairi, you're free to go."

"O-Okay? Well, see you again, Mister Xehanort!" Kairi smiled and waved goodbye, turning to leave.

Her shadow followed her. It expanded, it surrounded her. Kairi gasped. She screamed, she begged. And he stood there watching, watching the light of her necklace shine. Perfect. He watched as the corridor collapsed in on itself and vanished, then turned around and walked back toward his castle.

For the final step, he needed to gather the apprentices.

x-x-x

"Hey! Is this how you wanted it?!"

His vision returned slowly. His mind was foggy, his memory a blue. What…happened here? Where was he? The laboratory…the computer room. Where was…? His head turned, his unfocused eyes wandering, until he found two figures lying on the floor, wisps of darkness rising up from their bodies as they faded away. Was…he the one who did that? His fingers tingled, like electricity was coursing through his hands…

"Xehanort! You wanna fill me in?" He turned toward the voice, pausing for a moment to look out at the Manufactory below. The one-eyed man was walking over to him, but he was looking at the fading ones.

Xehanort…? That name rang familiar, but… No, it wasn't right. Who…was that? Him?

He held his hand out in front of him. Black lightning crackled at his fingertips, followed by a brilliant flash of light. The key appeared—the key he had used to open the door, to mark the recusant. "I am…"

The one-eyed man jumped back in shock and held his arms up defensively. "Hey! Do you remember now, or… Wait, did you never lose your memory?!"

Pain struck his body. He shook his head, willing the hurt away. Not again, it wouldn't take him again. "That's not my name. I'm not…Xehanort."

Remember the plan. Stick to the plan. Mark the recusant.

"My name…is Ansem."

---

Hoo boy, this was a long one! When I sat down to write it, I did not expect it to be 12,000 words, but here we are. I could have split it into two, I suppose, but there are two other Memory of Xehanort chapters in the future to cover two more eras of his life, and so I didn't want to have two chapters devoted to just Apprentice Xehanort while those only got one. Oh well.

Believe it or not, I actually knocked it all out in one single day. I was super excited to get to this chapter too, but it was more daunting than I realized. I had to go back and check the Ansem reports a bunch of times to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I hope you enjoyed it!