Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
The Imbalance of Reality
By
Daniel Wood
Chapter 4: Jaron
So much has changed.
The world we once knew…it no longer exists.
I had it all.
Only to lose it forever.
That which once was…can never be again.
Survival demands it.
My name is Jaron.
Whether in life or in death, you can be certain of one thing.
I am the Saviour.
I am the son of a proud and noble ruler. I am the younger of two brothers whose childhoods were torn apart before they could even begin.
It all started when Sharak, the source of all darkness, invaded my life. He was the overlord of the universe. A dark insidious monstrosity that had no right to exist. After he was dethroned, he returned aeons later, hungering for revenge. Only a minute fraction of what it once was, the creature attempted to give birth again to the Heartless, its children that lived only to devour.
The first attempt resulted in the loss of my mother, who had only just given birth to me. I never saw her face until years later, when Sharak showed me.
When he returned to my world, taking it for his own.
He killed my father, Mahanah, scarred my face permanently and sent me and my brother Adam into exile. From there, things got better…before they became even worse.
In the years that followed, Adam and I grew up under the tutelage of the Council of Light, wise, omnipotent beings that dedicated themselves to the survival of good, and the opposing of evil. We were no longer, scared little boys. We were warriors…champions of all worlds. Together, we fought the Heartless, vowing never to let anyone suffer as we have.
Then the council was destroyed, along with their world. I was separated from my brother, neither one of us knowing whether or not the other was alive or dead. I accidentally killed one of my closest friends, thanks to Sharak. My life had been undone.
I had nothing left.
Except my mission…my guilt…my failure…my despair…
…my vengeance.
In time, as incredible as it seemed, I was able to rebuild my life. I soon found new friends, I was able to reclaim my lost happiness and focus on the task at hand.
I befriended the Keybearer, whose name I would learn to be Sora. I also befriended King Mickey's most loyal followers, Donald and Goofy. Together, we recruited the greatest heroes of the universe to form an army, our minds set on ridding all worlds…all HEARTS of darkness.
Me more than anyone else.
Eventually, it all hit the fan. My darkness grew along with my quest for revenge. I took off from my friends, who I revealed my dark past to. Things were never the same after that.
I journeyed to my old home, determined to destroy Sharak. I nearly beat him.
But 'nearly' isn't good enough.
I lost. Sharak won.
He enslaved me. Amplified the darkness in my heart, corrupting it greatly. I became his personal assassin.
I warred with Sora shortly afterwards, where we nearly beat each other to death. I failed to kill him, partly because of the damage Sharak had done to my heart. But I believe that it was mainly due to the fact that part of me…the old me, didn't want to fight Sora. I hated myself for what I had allowed myself to become. And how I fought to kill Sora, he never gave up in his hopes of saving me. Of REDEEMING me.
I will never forget that. I will never forget his forgiveness, his kind nature, his optimism and refusal to give up…
It inspired me to resist the corrupting darkness. Thanks to Sora, I was able to break Sharak's hold on me just in time to sacrifice myself to save my best friend.
I was not the one to destroy Sharak. As I lay dying, with my best friends by my side, forgiving me for all my misdeeds, I was more than confident that Sora would be the one to destroy Sharak. I had achieved redemption and was able to die happy, something I never thought possible.
After achieving peace, my heart and soul went to the afterlife, where I rejoined my parents in eternal bliss, watching down on all those that I loved.
Yes…it seemed as though the future would be nothing but brightness for everyone.
And that was what led to my unexpected resurrection.
Jaron groaned as he opened his eyes and looked up to the ceiling.
"Where am I?"
"You have reincarnated, Saviour. Welcome back to the land of the living."
The sixteen-year-old sat up out of the bed and looked to his side in amazement.
"Terron? Is…is it really you?"
"It can be no one else, Jaron."
The anomaly seethed in pain, clutching his chest and collapsed. Jaron immediately sprang off the bed and ran to the aid of the elderly man.
"Your deterioration is near full circle," realised the teenager, getting underneath Terron's left arm, trying to help him to the bed.
"It was delayed thanks to Sharak. But in my attempt to stop him, I may have doomed us all."
"Sharak has returned? But…I thought he had been destroyed…"
"He…had," explained Terron, weakly, as Jaron helped him to sit down on the bed. "But we had to…resurrect him in order to set everything right."
Jaron's scarred face expressed confusion. And then a slow understanding.
"How long have I been gone?"
"Too long, my friend. We are all…in grave danger, now."
The Saviour stood up straight, waiting for the explanations.
"I have to know the whole story from the beginning if I'm going to stop whatever number of dangers threaten us all."
"Then…allow me to fill your mind…" began Terron as he placed his hands on the boy's head, "with memories of the past. So…you can see it to truly grasp it. And understand it."
As Jaron saw all the events of the past unfold before him, Terron narrated.
"When you died, Jaron, your heart and soul retreated to a place of greatness, where you watched Sora, Adam and all their friends finally destroy Sharak and rid the universe of darkness. All that was left now was light. Peace and happiness now reigned. Dream had become reality."
"And then dream became nightmare. Reality began tearing itself asunder. The king, the Organization and DiZ…they all tried their best to stop the apocalypse yet could not. They all realised that they had to bring darkness back, to counterbalance the light, to ensure survival."
"For years, I had been under the protection of the Council of Light, as only you, King Mickey and a select handful of others know, Jaron. When Sharak destroyed the council, I fled to avoid myself from falling into the wrong hands. For a long time, I was able to remain anonymous. But knowing that doom was impending forced me to seek out King Mickey, the only person alive that I knew that I could trust. Mickey found me first. We discussed what had to be done. Time had to be reversed to the point where Ansem had been defeated. When Kingdom Hearts had been sealed. This was the ideal point to…'start over', as this was before Sharak arrived and caused havoc and turmoil in the running of all worlds."
"After much careful planning, I agreed to reverse back time, using what was left of my power. We both knew that my death was near. I agreed to put everything back to the way it was, on the condition that after my passing, the king, the Keybearer, and their friends would do everything in their power to ensure that things would not get too out of hand again. I warned him that I could not help again should history repeat itself."
"Mickey told me that he completely understood the situation and realised that because of the unpredictability of my powers, I could not ensure all would be EXACTLY as it was."
"After the King had contacted Sora, Riku and Kairi, telling them to come to Disney Castle so he could personally tell them what was happening, I began to prepare myself for the reversal of time."
"Then, out of nowhere, after Mickey had told me that the Keyblade master and his friends were on their way, Axel ambushed us. The king was knocked unconscious, and I, bewildered and incapable of defending myself, was captured and whisked away by the other members of the Organization."
"They brought me back to Castle Oblivion, where they ordered me to not only reverse time, but to ensure it so that your brother, Adam, would remain as he had been after Sharak's defeat. And also to arrange it so that he would arrive at Castle Oblivion. The Organization planned to shape him into another anomaly, unpredictable and powerful, in the hopes that he could actually destroy Sharak. They were also planning to use him to ensure dominion over whatever they wished. Once he had reached a state of being perfectly balanced, caught in-between light and dark, I would use my powers to lock his heart so Adam could remain an anomaly."
"At first, I refused to aid the Organization in their twisted schemes, but unfortunately, I had no choice but to acquiesce to their demands. Darkness needed to be brought back or reality would cease to be. And all the help would be needed in order to destroy Sharak and ensure that things would not grow out of control. Reluctantly, I agreed."
"Vexen, No. 4 of the Organization, had designed the experiment to bring out Adam's full potential. I later learned that the Organization had actually formed a temporary, yet unholy alliance with DiZ to rectify all the chaos. Together, along with the girl, Naminé, DiZ and the Organization set to work, doing all they could to prolong my living and reality's survival until they were ready to put their plan into action."
"Six months after my capture, it finally happened. The Nobodies, creatures controlled by the Organization, invaded Castle Mahanah. Larxene, No. 12 of the Organization, led the invasion. Adam, unprepared for the bizarre series of events that unfolded, could only watch his life, along with Sharak's meddling, be undone."
"The drain was enormous. The strain was ungodly but I was able to bring back darkness. Time had returned to the point where Kingdom Hearts had been sealed. All the damage Sharak had caused had been undone. But that also meant that the creature had to be brought back. Although we have all suffered the consequences, Sharak has certainly not been excused. His defeat at the Keybearer's hands has scarred him greatly. He no longer controls the Heartless and is now plagued by a great light that explodes inside him at random times, ravaging him and stopping him from initiating any form of takeover."
"Whilst Sharak was doing all he could to try and cure his condition, I helped Vexen develop Adam into a great and powerful anomaly. Vexen and his colleagues were able to shape Adam into what would be an ideal condition for him to fulfil his new role. I saw to it that Adam would remain that way…PERMANENTLY."
"After Adam was taken to the Superior, and then later DiZ, he left the castle, heading for darkness, readying himself for his inevitable confrontation with Sharak. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku and Mickey later arrived at Castle Oblivion. The following events that took place resulted in five members of the Organization perishing, Sora and his companions losing a significant portion of their memories, and Riku evolving into a powerful being capable of wielding the darkness effortlessly."
"As the Organization began to fall apart, Naminé and I found ourselves freed from their control. But my death was now very near. It was too late to do anything to halt it. I also knew Sharak would be coming for me. He had observed all of what had transpired regarding Sora and Riku. He also knew what I had done with Adam. Sharak soon learned that the only way he could cure his condition was by assimilating either Riku or Adam. Adam was beyond Sharak's reach. And an encounter with Riku met with failure. Theorising that I could be his only chance left, Sharak returned to the castle to find me."
"I had been able to elude him before, but because my time was running out, I was no longer able to shield myself. I ordered Naminé to leave me to finish restoring the true memories of Sora, Donald and Goofy. I was confident that Sharak would not be able to get what he wanted from me."
"He attempted to unlock my secrets by devouring my heart. The attempt both succeeded and failed. Although Sharak was able to stop his death, his disease still remains. It now sustains him, making it his curse to be alive. I gambled that it would neutralise him in some way, stopping him from reclaiming that which was once his. But unfortunately, Sharak had also seen my visions of the future. With such valuable knowledge now in his possession, there is no telling what his next move will be."
"As for myself, the interaction strengthened me enough to prolong my demise. But that was all."
Terron removed his hands from Jaron's head.
And then collapsed on the bed.
The Saviour's eyes opened.
He helped to make Terron as comfortable as possible.
"And now I have only just returned," concluded Jaron.
"Correct."
"Tell me. What must I do?"
Terron held his hand out. The Saviour took it and soon realised that the anomaly wanted him to help him to his feet. Jaron helped Terron out of the bed, supporting him as Terron motioned towards the doors.
"In order to combat Sharak," began the anomaly, growing weaker and weaker, "you…you must keep up with…with him. As much…as possible."
The two left the hidden chamber and made their way to the next room. They stopped before the doors and Terron handed Jaron a card.
"This is…the last of my power," explained the anomaly. "After this, I will perish. The card contains visions of the future. It is…not as…vast…as what Sharak has seen. But what he has…overlooked, is ingrained in that card. Use the power of the card to realise the visions as you step into the room. Once…once you have seen what you need to see…speak to Naminé. She will answer your questions…and point you in the right direction."
Jaron stared at the card. And then sadly looked to his old friend.
"I can't bear to see you die, Terron. I'm not strong enough."
Terron shed a tear and smiled sadly. He gently caressed the unscarred half of his face affectionately.
"My dear boy…you are a survivor. That speaks for itself."
The frail old man seethed in pain and turned his attention to the doors leading into the next room.
"I will show you the way. But you…are the one…that must walk the path. Naminé will guide you. Now go."
Jaron used the power of the card to realise the visions.
Still supporting Terron, the Saviour stepped through the doors and into the room.
The bright light bathed both of them.
The rain poured down from the dark skies. The thunder clapped and the lightning flashed violently.
Jaron stood in the pouring rain, immediately noticing that Terron was gone. He lowered his head and sighed in despair. Then he made himself come to his senses.
Snap out of it, thought the Saviour. You must pay attention to what's happening. People are depending on you.
He surveyed his surroundings. Tall buildings, with great neon lights, constructed the scene. The world was similar to Traverse Town, yet Jaron knew that this place wasn't one he had visited before. This city was something different altogether.
Jaron looked up ahead. A teenager, approximately his age, was walking through the square of the city, wearing the same attire that members of the Organization were known to wear. The Saviour's eyes narrowed. His engrossment grew even more when the vision closed in on him. Jaron couldn't make out the stranger's face, which was shadowed by his hood. Jaron could make out either blonde or light brown, spiky hair, and facial features that were strikingly, and disturbingly, similar to Sora's.
Could it be him, perhaps? wondered Jaron. But…why would he dye his hair? If it is Sora, that is.
The stranger stopped walking when he reached the centre of the square and looked up to the massive building just several feet ahead. His attention was then diverted when he noticed Heartless materialising out of the ground. Jaron recognised them as Neo-Shadows. Hardly rare but not exactly as common as the regular Shadows.
In seconds, the anonymous teenager was surrounded by dozens of Heartless. The Saviour then turned his attention to the building with the giant video screen. The image of Kairi puzzled him greatly.
This could mean anything. How far into the future is this?
At the top of the building, stood Riku, dressed in the all-too familiar raincoat and bizarrely blindfolded. Jaron never had the chance to know Riku personally. Nor had he met Kairi, but he knew they were Sora's friends. He'd had seen them all reunited after Sharak's defeat, so he recognised who they were.
Without warning, the unknown teenager, still surrounded by the Heartless, brought forth two Keyblades, one the Oathkeeper, the other the Oblivion. This was nothing new to Jaron. He had seen two Keyblades being wielded before.
It's not unheard of, but it is very rarely seen.
The Saviour noticed Riku tilting his head back and raising his arms. It was as though he was looking up to the sky, heralding the arrival of something.
It stopped raining, and the clouds parted to reveal a meteor shower.
The walls are breaking down again! realised a shocked Jaron. Disaster beckons!
Jaron's shock grew when he noticed a bizarre ring of purple flames surround the Unknown wielding the two Keyblades. What was haunting was the fact that the ring of fire was shaped exactly like the Heartless emblem.
Does this mean Riku has allied himself with evil forces again? wondered Jaron.
The Unknown readied himself to fight the Heartless.
Riku removed the blindfold from his eyes.
But the vision changed swiftly back to the blonde-haired boy. Jaron wanted to see if there was anything different about Riku's eyes, yet was annoyed when the vision had moved away, stopping him from learning more.
Why is he wearing that? It didn't seem as though he was blind. What does this mean?
Jaron could now see the blonde-haired boy's face close up. Again, he looked frighteningly similar to Sora but his eyes were draped in the shadow of his hood. He looked up and moved his lips, but no words came.
They didn't need to. Jaron could lip-read. And to add to his shock, he could read the words, "Where's Sora?"
He isn't Sora?! But I thought…
The vision then changed to pitch blackness. Jaron could only see himself standing in the darkness.
Then out of nowhere, the words "Where's Sora?" materialised before him. A great light shined in the centre of the endless abyss, with words appearing out of the shining light.
Door of light.
Behind the darkness.
Heartless.
Nobody.
For the next several seconds, nothing but words in a foreign language kept appearing. Jaron didn't understand the language and although wasn't ashamed of himself for not learning it, he was still annoyed that he couldn't understand what was going on.
Then without warning, the light exploded and the abyss was filled with words written in the foreign language. Then the words "This is the world in its true form" appeared. Then in an instant, sentences kept appearing out of nowhere. The words kept popping up too fast for Jaron to focus on. For several seconds, Jaron looked left and right, trying to remember as much as he could.
He managed to make a mental note of the quotes "You are the source of all Heartless", "Sora…why?", "You're Highness! But why!", "Sora…", "What took you so long, Kairi?" and "Sora" before a great light shined again and exploded again to reveal the words "We'll go together."
Before dissipating into the words "KINGDOM HEARTS."
Jaron was struggling to make sense of this…maelstrom of prophecies. The Saviour was overwhelmed by what he had just seen, and needless to say, it was so difficult to understand.
Jaron knew that he needed time to dwell on what he'd seen but before he could, he looked up to see one last vision.
It was an image of a beautiful sandy beach, with a lovely clear blue ocean, and a heavenly sky. On the beach was a young girl, with long red hair, and her hands clasped behind her back, looking up to see a shooting star.
The girl had her back turned, so Jaron couldn't see her face.
But he was sure that he'd seen her before.
Princess Kairi?
Jaron thought it seemed plausible. But then again, he thought that the dual-Keyblade wielder was Sora. When deep down, he knew it wasn't.
The vision ended.
The Saviour stepped out of the room.
Yet again, he surrendered to shock when he saw Terron lying on the floor before him, looking seriously ill and ravaged.
His death was imminent.
His eyes welling up with tears, Jaron ran up to Terron, knelt down beside him and put his right hand on his chest, whilst gently lifting up the anomaly's head with his left hand.
"Terron…"
"What…you…saw," explained the old man, "was meant…for you…and you alone. Godspeed, Jaron, my boy. God…speed."
The Saviour closed his eyes and lowered his head in sadness.
As Terron faded entirely out of existence.
The anomaly was no more.
Jaron, on his knees, shook his head in silent despair.
How many more must I lose? Will I ever find my peace? Will I ever be entitled to my happiness?
"Is he…?"
Jaron looked up when he heard Naminé's voice.
"Yes," the Saviour sadly replied. A long silence fell on the two, as they mourned their lost friend.
"You are Naminé?" Jaron broke the silence as he stood up. The young witch, knowing that they had much to discuss, gently smiled and nodded.
"Please, follow me."
Naminé led Jaron into the room where Sora was sleeping in the bizarre memory-restoring contraption. Naminé and the Saviour looked at each other for a few seconds, and then Jaron slowly walked up to the machine and put his hand on the glass.
"Where are Donald and Goofy?" asked Jaron.
"They're safely sleeping in another room," assured Naminé.
"How long will the restoration of their memories take?"
"There's…no definite way of knowing," sighed Naminé, lowering her head in shame. "It could take any amount of time. Weeks, months…maybe years."
"Curse the Organization," seethed Jaron in fury. "Curse them all."
Naminé was surprised. She knew Terron had briefed the Saviour on everything that had happened, including the fact that she had messed around with the memories of his friends.
"Jaron…you know that I…"
"I don't blame you for what you did, Naminé," interrupted the sixteen-year-old, affirmatively. "You were as much a victim of the Organization's games as the rest of us."
The Saviour removed his hand from the contraption and looked at the sleeping Sora.
"Do any of them remember what happened with Sharak?"
"They didn't at first. Probably due to Terron's lack of control over the time reversal. But when the restoration of their memories is complete, they will remember you, Adam and Sharak."
Jaron turned round to face Naminé. He had a lot more questions to ask her.
"Where are the other Organization members?"
"Gone. Where to, I don't know, though. I don't think they'll be giving us any trouble for a while, at least. Not after what's happened here."
"They'll undoubtedly be back," nodded Jaron in certainty. "Sooner or later. What about Adam? Just exactly how powerful is he now?"
"Vexen theorised that the experiment would make Adam potentially the most powerful being in existence, maybe Sharak's equal. As it is, the experiment resulted in him receiving powers he hasn't even discovered yet. He is safely in Riku's league. And as powerful as Riku is, there's no telling how powerful he may be when he realizes his full potential."
"And unlike Terron, both he and Adam have complete control over their powers," nodded Jaron, knowingly. "Sharak will be no match for them, not in his current state."
The Saviour turned his attention back to Sora.
"You know he was the best friend I ever had, don't you?" asked Jaron, solemnly.
"It's incredibly hard for any good person not to care about him," agreed Naminé. "He's a friend to all friends."
"For me…it was his courage. His strong sense of justice, standing up for everything that's right…"
Jaron lowered his head in remorse as he furthered "…his forgiveness and understanding."
Realising what the Saviour was saying, Naminé re-entered the conversation.
"We all give in to hate, Jaron," the young witch explained. "We all perform misdeeds. What matters is what we do to rectify our mistakes. If we redeem ourselves, than forgiveness and understanding of our actions is deserved."
The Saviour didn't reply for a few seconds. He contemplated Naminé's words, then thought back to how he had achieved his redemption for being fixated with darkness. For letting his desire for vengeance make him Sharak's slave. He remembered when Sora, who was angry at him for keeping his past secret, and turning his back on his friends in his pursuit of retribution, had come to forgive him, to help him beat Sharak's hold on him.
The rage and bloodlust gone, Jaron came to his senses just in time to sacrifice his life to save Sora.
That was his redemption.
Realising that Naminé was right, and knowing that it was time to stop feeling sorry for himself, Jaron cast aside his grief and desire for revenge, knowing that he was above that.
"I suppose so," the Saviour replied to Naminé's statement, turning round to face her again. "Other than Sharak and myself, has anyone seen Terron's visions?"
"No. Only you and Sharak have seen the future. Terron told me before he perished."
"Sharak has seen more than I have," Jaron said, remembering what Terron had told him. "How can I stop him from drastically interfering when his knowledge of the future surpasses mine?"
"Sharak's visions were imperfect," explained the witch. "Because he had invaded Terron's mind and stolen the glimpses of the future, and because neither of them had total control, the visions Sharak saw were distorted. Because of this, he overlooked a few things that you saw. And what you saw, you saw perfectly. That will be your advantage over him."
"One last thing. Has Sharak tried anything after his assault on Terron?"
"No. He's gone for now, probably still dealing with his curse."
"Still…he's crazed and arguably more dangerous than ever," stated the Saviour. "With Riku and Adam far away, the next thing he will do is come back for Sora."
"He knows that Sora won't be able to cure his condition."
"I don't think that's what he's interested in at the moment. With so much competition, Sharak will be looking to eliminate it one by one. And he knows just where to start."
Naminé's eyes widened in horror.
"Sharak can't interfere with the memory restoration! He can't kill them!"
"He won't," the Saviour said with determination. "He won't harm any of them. Not while I'm here."
Naminé smiled warmly, proud of the elder teenager.
"So, you have made your choice. Knowing what it would be."
"Yes," nodded Jaron. "Sharak has to be stopped. Along with the Organization. But Sora, Donald and Goofy need all the protection they can get whilst they sleep. And that's where I'm most needed. Any other schemes Sharak is concocting will be thwarted by Adam, Riku and the king."
Naminé fell silent again, knowing that she had something else to say.
"Jaron…you know that when time was reversed, many contradictions occurred. As a result, time has been rewritten in a way so that…"
"If I find that my home no longer exists in this new timeline," interrupted the sixteen-year-old, "if I discover that my father is still dead, and that the Council of Light and everything that I loved and cared about are still gone, never to return…than those losses will be the fuel to drive me and my cause. The pain will allow me to survive. Whatever happens…no matter how much we all suffer…we WILL prevail."
Naminé smiled, proud of the Saviour.
"That's true."
"Thank you, Naminé," smiled the scarred teenager, warmly.
"Terron left you some items you'll need for what lies ahead. Follow me."
I have lost my peace.
But I WILL reclaim it.
I am focused now. I have made peace with my past. My demons are exorcised.
All except one.
JUST one.
I let Sharak beat me once. No way am I going to let him beat me again.
Armed with new weapons, new attire and a new mask to hide my past, my scars, I stand my ground, on the alert, waiting for Sharak to arrive. Sora, Donald and Goofy are on their own journey, to recover their lost memories. They'll need all the help they can get. Naminé and I will watch over them, protect them with out lives.
That's what friends do.
I am also armed with knowledge. Knowledge more deadly than any in existence.
Knowledge of the future.
What I have seen has led to questions that I have no idea when they'll be answered.
All I know is that would spell disaster if this knowledge fell into the wrong hands.
And unfortunately…yet not surprisingly…it already has.
I do not know exactly what Sharak has seen, other than that is significantly more than what I have witnessed. But I do know that my vision was perfect. His was not. And I have seen things that Sharak has not, just like he as seen things I have not. He may have bigger advantage than me, but I have witnessed what I hope will be enough to give me a fighting chance.
And that's all you can hope for these days. Just a chance.
In a further attempt to even the odds, Naminé handed me a surprising document. She said that Terron ensured that this copy fell into my hands.
It was Ansem's report.
I had already seen it before, as I tried to explain to Naminé, not to sound arrogant, that I knew it all off by heart. She smiled at me and explained, "Not ALL of it."
She was right.
I always thought that Ansem's report on the Heartless, the Keyblade, the Keyhole and the heart was written in ten chapters. I was astonished to discover another three chapters that made me realise that I don't know as much as I thought.
I ask her how this is possible. She explains to me that very few people know of those extra three chapters. They documented incredible details regarding Kairi and the Unknowns. I then ask her if Sora knows about these.
She smiles at me. Her expression says, "Of course he does." I can only begin to imagine who else other than Sora and Ansem knows about these 'lost' chapters. Maybe Sharak already knows. Again, it wouldn't surprise me if he did but I need all the help I can get to keep up with my arch-nemesis so I have a chance of stopping him.
The Organization…what's left of them will return sooner or later. Whatever the Superior plans, we'll be ready for it. I never told Adam this, but I had actually encountered the Organization before. Long ago, when I was on a solo mission for the Council of Light. I battled one of their number, learning what they were all about.
And learning how to despise them.
Maybe one day you'll learn what happened in that encounter, but the important thing now is preparing for the future.
The war is coming. Old friends will reunite, enemies will do anything to win, and, as if things weren't tarnished enough, no-one's life will ever be the same again.
You won't get them, Sharak. You won't harm my friends ever again.
Because this time…I'm ready for you.
Naminé is busy watching over Sora and the others, rearranging the links in the chain of memories. I can't help but wonder what they must all be dreaming about. Good things, I hope. Remembering their mission, their loved ones and their promise to find them again. They deserve to be entitled to remember all the great memories after what they've gone through.
But then I think about what Naminé said. They'll definitely remember the war with Sharak when they wake up. Which means they'll have to face the bad times as well. But I know they'll be fine. They'll triumph over the odds. They always do.
Because I'm sure that they've no doubt learned what we've all learned. In order to truly survive in this harsh world, you have to embrace the bad along with the good. It's the only way.
But they'll never have to face anything alone. None of us will.
All for one, one for all.