Master Xehanort was standing on top of a roof top, looking down on the three young teenagers who had decided to eat at a cafe before departing this world. Xehanort had been watching for some time, he had to observe his new pupil thoroughly before introducing himself to her, the others were against the idea, but Xehanort knew that she would need guidance, she would need a master who could understand her limits and slowly push her past them. in a way, she was much like Terra.
A corridor of darkness had opened behind him and out walked a man in an organization coat, he had long blond hair, and a sophisticated look on his face.
"vexen" Xehanort said. Announcing the name of his visitor.
"lord Xehanort" he said.
"what have you learned? Why are the heartless avoiding her?" xehanort asked, her being his pupil.
"it is her dark aura, it is sending a hostile energy that frightens the heartless, causing them to flee before they are even in eyesight. the fact that she is also a keyblade wielder only adds to the sheer amount of fear they have." vexen said.
Xehanort was perplexed, there was no way someone could develop such a powerful aura, what was even stranger was that the heartless should have been given more of a reason to attack her, simply because her aura was practically screaming 'I'm powerful, attack me'.
He came to the conclusion that someone had sabotaged her, changed her darkness that he had given to her. And he knew exactly who the culprit was.
"maleficent" he said with distaste.
"the fairy?, what about her?" Vexen asked.
"she has manipulated my pupil, now she must face consequences"
"how delightful" vexen said as he planed to return to the castle.
"vexen, how goes your little experiment?" xehanort asked.
"rather well, all I need now is a piece of DNA, and it will be ready. I don't require much, just a strand of hair will do."
"very well" xehanort said, dismissing vexen.
He set his gaze back to the table they were sitting at.
"i just don't get it" sora said from the table. "you said you never found one heartless?"
"i'm telling the truth" ria said. "maybe its because of my connection to the darkness?"
"not possible" riku said.
"what do you mean, riku?" sora asked.
"i mean tha-"
"All darkness is different in some way, every dark heart is unique, your unique darkness would be seen as a challenge to the mindless creatures you call, heartless."
riku was interrupted by the voice of an old man who was standing a respectable distance from their table. They turned to see an old man, bald except for his thin eyebrows and curled, silver goatee. His ears were oddly pointed and his eyes were bright gold.. He had broad, hunched shoulders and a crooked back. His overall appearance was that of a somewhat feeble old man. but riku knew better, he could smell the powerful yet foul stench of darkness on this 'weak' old man.
"who are you?" riku said in a harsh and aggressive tone, while standing up from the table.
Sora and ria stood up as well, sora could see the nervousness in riku's eyes, this caused unease in him. Riku wasn't an easy person to freak out.
"calm yourselves, I bear no harm" he said. His lies only made riku's stress grow.
"who are you!" he shouted as he summoned his keyblade. "answer me!"
"my name is Xehanort" he said as he raised his empty hands into the air.
Riku could recall the name from the dreams of Terra, but that name was also associated with the heartless that haunted riku.
Sora showed distress to that name, that was the original name of the man who's heartless had kidnapped kairi, and the somebody of the leader of organization XIII, Xemnas. But something was wrong, this Xehanort looked old and frail, nothing like what Xemnas is. Never the less, sora summoned his keyblade.
"now why would you draw your weapons at me, I'm just a poor and fragile old man." he said.
"you're lying, I can smell the darkness on you, you're far from fragile, old man."
The old man gave a small chuckle. "nothing gets past you, does it?"
ria was perplexed, riku could smell darkness?, it had a scent?. Now that she took a small whiff, she could smell it too, his darkness had a strong and pungent aroma, which must have meant he was powerful, this also caused ria to become uneasy, but she didn't summon her keyblade, this old man might be powerful, but ria didn't really see any hostility coming from him, though his appearance did give her the creeps.
"what do you want?" sora asked.
"i only wish to make conversation with your little friend." he said, pointing to ria.
"me?" she asked. Wait a minute, he looks familiar "have we met before?" she asked again.
"yes, now you are starting to remember, ria"
ria had soon recalled the book that Mona had given her, and this old man had matched the description, this was him! The person who gave her the powers of darkness, and the same person who took her mother's life.
Ria now summoned her Keyblade.
"i know you!"
"yes, girl. That's correct."
"you… you killed my mother!" ria shouted. Sora and riku had both entered their fighting stances and prepared to attack on ria's move.
"you misunderstand, my dear." Xehanort said. He knew there was going to be some hostility, but he didn't expect this much. "allow me to explain myself before you all attack me"
ria wanted to just beat him senseless, this man was responsible for everything. The death of her mother, her becoming an orphan, and the darkness inside her. He didn't deserve an explanation. But she let him explain anyway.
"fine, tell me your side of the story, then i'll decide what to do with you." she said.
"i thank you, my dear. Now, where do I start?" he said while stroking his goatee. "well, the best places to start are usually the beginnings. Long ago, there was a world called the land of departure, in this world, keyblade wielders of both light and darkness would train and master their powers, your mother trained alongside one of my old friends. However, your mother believed darkness was a horrible and evil force, and that anyone who used the dark was to be destroyed. When I became a master of darkness, she approached and murdered my pupils… violently. They were still learning how to control their powers. they didn't even know how to defend themselves."
"really?" ria asked, she wouldn't believe her mother could do something so awful, but then again, she didn't know her mother, so it could have been a possibility.
Xehanort nodded and continued his story. "i realize that, in my act of mindless revenge, I had unknowingly destroyed the life of a young girl, you. I thought you would pursue me as I pursued your mother, so I gifted you with darkness, so that you may see the darkness the way your mother could not. Revenge clouded my mind at that time, and I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." he finished.
"well, I guess I can forgive you" she said.
"thank you, my dear. And as a way to show my appreciation, a gift" Xehanort said as he pulled out a large, rather old looking leather cover book, the tome must have had a thousand pages.
"this is the libro tenebris" (Latin for 'Book of darkness') "every keyblade master of darkness has added to this old tome, it has been passed down from generation to generation, my master gifted it to me, and I shall gift it to you." Xehanort said as he handed her the large book.
It took a fair bit of strength to hold the thing in her hands, it was very heavy.
"what is that for?" riku asked.
"it is a tome that describes techniques and powers that darkness wielders can use, a training manual of sorts" xehanort said. Riku opened on of the pages, even the first page held detailed instructions and diagrams of dark abilities, rituals and techniques.
"read the book, ria. Learn how to control your darkness. It is a gift, do not abuse it" he said as a dark portal opened behind him and he entered it, leaving the three teenagers.
"well, I guess its time for us to move on" riku said. Both sora and ria nodded.
"here ria, let me carry that" sora said, helping her with the large tome, riku looked over his shoulder and gave sora a thumbs up, his way of saying "good job".
They then left traverse town and begun traveling to a new world.