Chapter XI; Answers
The world Master Yen Sid lived in was rather unimpressive. The entire world consisted of a patch of land, with a few bushes around the edges. There was a tower, that looked a little bent out of shape with more towers coming off it towards the top.
Before X and Terra could reach the tower a humanoid mouse ran out of the building holding a keyblade and something else the X couldn't identify. X blinked in surprise, just realizing. That was a rodent that was on two legs and walking like a human. Even more, he had a keyblade. Was just anyone capable of wielding those things? Why an oversized rat?
The mouse held up his hand that held the strange objected. X decided it was vaguely star-shaped, but he didn't know anything else. It could be anything.
"Alakazam!" The mouse said. Its voice was squeaky but obviously male. The object he was holding glowed brightly. Suddenly the mouse was flying into the sky in a zigzagging pattern, quickly becoming a white streak of light in the sky. X blinked in surprise once again.
"That was weird." X said. Terra glanced at him.
"Let's just go see Yen Sid." Terra said. X nodded in agreement. He hoped Yen Sid didn't turn out to be something as strange as the mouse they just saw.
They entered the tower and went up the winding stairs to the top of the tower. There were no turnoffs at any point on the stairs, making it clear they only had one way to go. As they entered the room at the top of the stairs Terra straightened up. X watched him but didn't move.
Inside the room standing at a window behind a desk was a tall man wearing a blue robe and a blue hat with stars and moons on it. He wasn't facing the two, so X couldn't get a read on him. But he looked like he might be smart. But that didn't mean he couldn't be tricked.
"Master Yen Sid." Terra said, catching the old man's attention. The old man turned to face him. He had a long grey beard and black eyes that alarmed X. "My name is Terra, and this is X." Terra said, not reacting to Yen Sid's appearance.
"Yes, Eraqus' pupil. I was expecting you, though the creature of darkness with you is a surprise." Yen Sid said. His eyes locked onto X in an accusing manner. X met his gaze calmly.
"I assure you, though a dark creature X is not evil." Terra said. X was surprised Terra was defending him. Yen Sid didn't seem convinced.
"Are you certain?" Yen Sid asked. X stepped forward calmly, knowing whatever Terra said it wouldn't be enough to convince the great Mage. X would have to act for himself.
"Please, Master," X began. "I swear I'm not like my lessers. I still hold some understanding of morality. I only want to help." He said. He kept eye contact the entire time, trying to pretend he was serious. Yen Sid didn't look fully convinced, but he dropped the subject.
"Very well. You are here because of the Unversed, correct?" Yen Sid asked, sitting down at the desk. X noticed a candle holder that looked suspiciously like a skull in a corner of the desk.
"Yes, Master Yen Sid. I thought it best to seek the counsel of one wiser than myself." Terra replied. Yen Sid narrowed his eyes at Terra's words.
"I am no longer a Master. I doffed that mantle." Yen Sid said. Terra looked confused by that. X himself did wonder why he gave up the title. That did point to him being a wise man. Him knowing he still knew very little despite all his knowledge.
"But sir, wasn't that your pupil we passed on the way in? He had a keyblade." Terra asked. Yen Sid nodded.
"You refer to Mickey." He agreed "He, too, sought guidance here. As a king, he is good and kind. But the weight of the crown has not cured him of impetuousness. He left with an object whose power he does not understand nor know how to control. Mickey imagines my Star Shard will be of help in his current quest. And, like you, he is eager to use his keyblade to set things right." Yen Sid explained. X decided the Star Shard must have been what the mouse had been holding. He also noticed Yen Sid didn't say anything about his pupil being a huge walking, talking, mouse.
"I'm not sure I even understand what's wrong. Master Xehanort is missing. And now I've learned there is a masked boy controlling those 'Unversed' on the lose." Terra admitted. He sounded extremely frustrated.
"To arrive at the truth, perhaps you should approach things differently. First, consider them one and the same problem." Yen Sid said calmly. Terra looked up at Yen Sid surprised.
"Master Xehanort and the Unversed are connected somehow?" Terra asked. Yen Sid thought about his words momentarily before speaking again.
"I must not make assumptions." Yen Sid said simply. Terra turned to X. X suspected he was going to ask about what he knew. As Master Xehanort's apprentice, he should have some knowledge of any connection.
"X, you know something about this, don't you?" Terra asked. X looked away, to a wall where a bookcase was.
"Yes, the creator of the Unversed. I know him." X admitted quietly. Terra took in a shocked breath. X distracted himself from his reaction by reading the titles on the books.
"The masked boy," Terra said. X nodded slowly, still reading the titles. "What do you know?" Terra asked. X frowned, not sure how to get around this one.
"I'd tell you, really. But Master Xehanort won't let me talk." X said, looking back to Terra. Terra was frowning, while Yen Sid looked very skeptical. "Trust me. I don't like this guy any more than you do." X added. Terra nodded, turning back to Yen Sid.
"Find Xehanort, Terra. That is where you should begin." Yen Sid said. He was focused on X, maybe suggesting he saw through X's lies. It was hard to tell. X couldn't really get a read on the Mage. And it annoyed him.
Terra and X left the tower soon after. X was concerned with the recent development. Maybe Terra would start mistrusting Xehanort. If he did that could throw the entire plan. Terra needed to trust Master Xehanort as close to the end as possible.
While flying through the lanes between it became apparent Master Xehanort was aware of the problem.
X had carefully balanced himself on the back of Terra's glider. He was leaning against Terra's back, watching the reality around them. It was a swirl of color that X supposed was pretty. It wasn't something one would see in any world. It was only found here, where the darkness hung close. And it was calming.
"Terra." A voice rang out loudly. X quickly identified it as Master Xehanort's. Terra pulled the glider to a stop.
"Master Xehanort?" Terra asked. X rolled his eyes at the fairly needless question. Who else could it have been?
"Terra come see me at once." Xehanort's voice said. Terra began flying again, with a new purpose that seemed to suggest he had a vague idea of where he was going.
Terra brought them to the world X had become very familiar with. The desolate landscape spread out beneath them, with cliffs rising up to meet them. Master Xehanort stood below on one of the spires of rock. His hands were clasped behind his back as if he were waiting for them. Terra landed in front of Master Xehanort and dispelled his armor.
"I've been to other worlds. I know all about the things you've done. I just don't understand why." Terra said, standing in front of Xehanort. X wandered off to the side, just watching.
"Someone had to safeguard the light...from the demon, I unleashed." Xehanort said gravely. Terra glanced over to X but didn't say anything. Xehanort continued, seeing Terra wasn't going to interject. "You must know about the boy by now, the one in the mask. His name is Vanitas. A creature of pure darkness. One of my making." He said.
"Vanitas," Terra repeated. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the ground. "Are you telling me he came from you?" He asked.
"He came from Ventus." Xehanort replied.
"Ventus?" Terra asked in shock, looking up to Xehanort. Xehanort nodded sadly.
"Yes, Vanitas was the darkness that was inside your friend," Xehanort said. Terra gasped loudly. X couldn't help but smirk, they had him. "It was an accident. While training with me, Ventus succumbed to darkness, and there was one way to save him; strip that part of him away. And thus Vanitas was made. In the process, I damaged Ventus' heart in the most horrific way. So I did what I felt was right, and left him with Eraqus. I knew the boy could not stay with me, the man who did him such grievous harm." Xehanort explained, feigning grief and regret. X was impressed with his acting skills.
"Master Xehanort. Ventus has gotten a lot better since then. You shouldn't blame yourself for trying to save him." Terra said, taking a small step toward the Master. Master Xehanort smiled just a bit.
"Well, thank you, lad. You know how to put an old man's heart at ease." Xehanort said. X held in a laugh. If he even had a heart. Xehanort was the most heartless person X had ever met.
"And what about X?" Terra asked, once again looking at the blonde who was wandering around. X stopped to face him, waiting for Xehanort's answer. He needed to know what story he would be using.
"I don't know where the boy came from. He appeared here one day, Vanitas was the one to find him. I merely hoped to lead him away from the darkness." Xehanort replied. Terra frowned.
"You didn't know what he was?" Terra asked. X frowned glancing to his gloved hand.
"Not right away. But it soon became clear he was lacking something. I had never seen a Heartless look so human, I hoped he would prove to be teachable." Xehanort answered calmly. He looked over at X almost warily.
"Which I was," X said calmly. Terra nodded and looked away from X back to Xehanort. Xehanort nodded in agreement with X's claim.
"Yes, though his power only lies in darkness, he has proven himself capable of protecting the light." Xehanort said. Terra nodded and returned to thinking for just a moment. X hoped the questions would end soon. They were becoming tedious.
"Master, why is Vanitas still free?" Terra asked.
"Ah, yes," Xehanort said. He had been expecting this question since the reveal of Vanitas' identity. "Well, I did my best to contain him the moment he emerged, but," Xehanort trailed off.
"He managed to escape." Terra supplied. Xehanort nodded.
"Vanitas uses the keyblade to sow seeds of darkness. And now you see; the worlds teem with his ghastly underlings." Xehanort said.
"The Unversed," Terra said. X nodded for Xehanort this time.
"He has no control over the darkness in his heart. The keyblade is not his to bear. He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation. Lend me your strength, Terra. Right this wrong I have wrought." Xehanort pleaded. Terra looked ready to help, but something seemed to hold him back.
"But I have no idea where to find him," Terra said. X glanced at Master Xehanort, he had to have a plan.
"What I can tell you about Vanitas amounts to this. His darkness is drawn to light, which he seeks to disrupt, and then destroy. It stands to reason he will strike next in the city of light, Radiant Gardens." Xehanort said. X nodded, that world had a bright heart. It was one of the brightest stars in the sky, no matter what world you were in. There was probably something set up there too. A trap of some kind.
"Don't worry, master. We'll take care of Vanitas." Terra said determinedly. He turned to X. X glanced at Xehanort again.
"Go on ahead. I have something I want to discuss with the old coot here, and we don't have time to waste." X said. Xehanort looked at him with a questioning look, but didn't argue. Terra nodded.
"Right." He said, before activating his armor and leaving the world.