Hey everyone, I'm back with a new chapter! Now first off, I just want to make sure I get this cleared up for later down the line. This story's main timeline will be focused on Skuld/Subject X during the one year gap between Xehanort's defeat and after the events of Melody of Memory. The scenes with Lea, Isa, Roxas and Xion will be taking place after the events of Melody of Memory. Just wanted to get this cleared up so the timeline won't get all mixed up.
Also, I know about Nomura's interview for Dark Road and while it's confirmed that Xehanort's mom isn't Skuld but possibly related to her, it has caused some people to doubt that she is Subject X. I still think that she is since there is strong evidence that points to it being the case. I guess we'll just have to wait to see what happens, but for now, I'm sticking to this theory.
Through this story, she is still referred to as Subject X, due to her not remembering her name. But in most instances, she is called X. This is because of two things. One, it's pretty obvious no one would like to be referred to as a test subject or an experiment. Two, most of the time the "X" isn't just an "X". Examples are the x-blade and Kingdom Hearts x(chi). But so far, we don't know if the "X" for "Subject X" is just the letter or if it means chi. So I decided to do both. When she is referred to as Subject X, then it is the letter x. But if it's the "x" alone, then her names is pronounced at "chi".
And if anyone questions why Xigbar/Braig/Luxu doesn't just tell her what her real name is, I think he doesn't tell her to make it easier for his plan. That's all I'm going to say about it because explaining to much of it will be an immediate spoiler for you all before the future chapters come out.
This is your content warning! Due to her being captured and experimented on by Terra-Xehanort, she does have some PTSDesque symptoms. There is also manipulation by authority figures. So make sure your prepared before moving forward.
Chapter 1: My New Life Begins
Am I alive?
I awoke in a cell, alone until the researchers came with their tests and their prodding to uncover my identity.
I had no answer to offer them. Four friends, and a key...that is the sum total of my memory. I could not even recall my name. I was simply called "X" there. My only solace was the time I spent talking with the two boys who would come to visit from time to time.
One day, a man came to take me from the prison. I could not see him for the darkness, save that he wore an eyepatch. Even now, years on, I feel no closer to understanding who or what I am.
May my heart be my guiding key.
We see a 15 year old girl inside of a dark cell. She has long black hair and is wearing a white hospital gown and pink star shaped earrings. She is sitting on the floor, staring out into space when she hears the sound of footsteps. The girl flinches and looks at the door. We see the door slowly open and the girl backs into the wall.
(Scala ad Caelum, The Stairway to the Sky)
The scene flashes back to reality. We see that the 15 year old girl is now a 26 years old woman. Replacing her hospital gown, she is wearing a black jacket over a gray hoodie, a black skirt, a pink belt, gray stockings with lighter gray stars on them and pink sneakers with white laces and black soles. She is looking at her surroundings in slight panic before she starts to calm down. This is Subject X.
We see that she is sitting on a bench at The Stairway to the Sky. She lifts her head up and looks at the sky.
"Another nightmare about that place." Subject X is trying to calm down after having that dream but is a bit irritated. "You need to calm down. Your not their anymore. Your free and those scientists don't know where you are. Everything is okay."
Subject X stands up and proceeds to walk around. She takes a look around the market stands, looking at the different objects. While looking around, she starts to relax and enjoy herself. She notices a stand selling different charms and accessories, and decided to take a closer look. A woman with blond hair in a braid, wearing a blue long sleeve dress and blue flats notice Subject X looking at the charms.
"See anything you like?" The woman asks her.
She looks at the charms and stops when her eyes land on one of the charms. It is a red sun with a blue crescent moon on the right side of the sun with a purple star in the center, attached to a black cord. Looking at the charm causes Subject X to smile and think about the two boys she met eleven years ago, making her feel a wave of calm that she hasn't felt in years.
"I would like to buy this one please." Subject X tells the shop owner, pointing at the sun and moon charm.
Subject X pays for it and the shop owner gives her the charm. "Thank you, have a nice day." The shop owner tells her. Subject X leaves the stand, carrying the charm in her hand. She lifts it up and it shines in the sunlight, making Subject X smile.
"This charm... gives me a sense of peace. One that I haven't felt in a long time."
(Scala ad Caelum, Lost School: X's bedroom)
We see Subject X in a basic bedroom with a simple bed with white pillows and sheets, a wooden desk with a chair, a blue lounge chair, a bookshelf and a wooden dresser. However, the room is shown to be in slight disarray. The once cream colored walls have various words in black paint on them, one of the white curtains on the window has been ripped, and various books on the shelf have fallen and scattered onto the wooden floor.
Despite the state the room is in, Subject X refuses to acknowledge it and is just laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She lifts her charm up to stare at it and thinks aloud to herself.
"I wonder how those two are doing? It's been more than a decade since I last saw them. I wonder if they still remember me." Subject X continues to think about them as she rolls on her side and clutches and charm close to her heart.
Suddenly, she hears a knock on her door. She jumps at this until she hears a voice.
"You in there kiddo?"
Subject X takes some deep breathes to calm herself down before she replies. "Yes, I'm here Luxu. You can come in." She tells him as she puts the charm in her hoodie pocket.
The door opens and Luxu enters the room. He has long dark hair with gray streaks in a long ponytail, pointed ears, upturned eyebrows, a gold left eye with his right eye covered with an eyepatch and a large, jagged scar that extended from his left cheek to under his left eye, wearing his signature Organization clothes. He walks up to her, carrying a black coat in his arm.
"So, how have you been?" Luxu asks her.
"Good. I took a little walk around the market place."
"Well that's good. Glad to see your doing well, kiddo. I know that it was hard for you in the beginning, but now, you know how to take care of yourself when I'm not here." Luxu tells her.
Subject X notices the black coat he is carrying in his arms. She decided to ask him about it.
"What's with the extra coat? Is that for me?"
When she inquired about it, Luxu decided to cut right to the chase.
"Yup. I have some old acquaintances that are here. Actually, you already know them."
Hearing him say that surprised her.
"I do?" She asks him.
"Yeah, but you don't remember them. I figure that it would be best to reintroduce you to them. Plus, one of them are MIA. I know you can't take her place, but I think it would make them feel better to know that there is someone similar to her with them. With any luck, you will just be standing in for her, until she returns."
Luxu tells her a short version of the situation. He extends the coat to her, indicating for her to put it on. She gets off the bed, grabs the coat and puts it on.
"There you go. Now, pull the hood over your head and you'll be ready to see them."
Subject X puts the hood on, like he told her. However, she felt like she needed to bring this up.
"If I already know them, why do I have to wear the coat? Are you trying to hide me from them?"
"Hiding, as if. I think they would be more shocked to see you here. The last time they saw you, they believe you either perished, or you escaped to another world after the battle. So I think it would be best if you keep your hood up around them. Think you can do that for me?"
Hearing what he said greatly confused and worried her. This made her even more curious about her past. She wasn't able to contain herself and decided to ask him some questions.
"Why would they think I lost my life? Also, what battle? Did anyone else survive, and how did I leave and end up in Radiant Garden?"
Before she could continue, Luxu raises his hand, to signify for her to stop asking questions. She immediately stops and looks at him.
"I know you have questions about your past, that's why you'll be getting the answers you've been seeking. Just follow me and you'll learn everything you need to know. We better get going. Don't want to make them wait for too long."
Luxu turns around and walks to the door. Subject X follows him and they leave the room.
(Scala ad Caelum, Lost School: Meeting Room)
The meeting room is shown to be a large room with brown walls, blue and powdered blue tiles floors, and blue door and a giant, round wooden table in the center of the room with six chairs. One of the wallets is shown having three giant windows, while the opposite wall has a bunch of bookshelves, filled with various shelves. The wall with windows have some seating with blue cushions.
There are four, distinct individuals inside the room. All four of the individuals are wearing a hooded clock, a long sleeve shirt, sash, robe, boots and an animal mask. These people are the Foretellers, also known as the Lost Masters.
One is a young man wearing a white, hooded cloak that has gold embroidery and purple tassels, a while shirt and sash with gold embroidery, a light blue robe, and light blue boots. A white unicorn mask with gold trim and red lenses in the eye holes covers his face, with long sliver blue hair in a ponytail attached to it. This man is Ira, the leader of Unicornis Union.
Standing next to the bookshelf is a young woman wearing a light blue hooded cloak with gold embroidery and turquoise tassels, a purplish blue shirt, sash and and heeled boots. She wears a blue, black and silver snake mask over her face and some of her cloak cover her mouth. This woman is Invi, the leader of the Anguis Union.
Sitting at one of the seats by the windows is a boy wearing a pale yellow hooded cloak with dark gray embroidery and light blue tassels, a yellowish-tan shirt and sash with dark gray embroidery, a dark gray robe and dark gray boots. He wears a white leopard mask with yellow lenses in the eyeholes that covers most of his face. His name is Gula, the leader of the Leopardus Union.
Lastly, we see a muscular man pacing back and forth. He is wearing a tan hooded cloak with black embroidery and gold tassels, a light brown shirt with black embroidery, a light brown sash, a tan robe and black boots. He wears a dark gray bear mask with yellow lenses in the eyeholes that covers most of his face. His name is Aced, the leader of the Ursus Union.
They are all deep in thought about what Luxu told them and how much has changed since the Keyblade war.
"So, this is what became of our home. It looks so different since we have last seen it." Ira says out loud to everyone, voicing his thoughts.
"At least we now have a home to return to." Gula gave his input.
"I'm not so sure what to think of this. Everything was planned from the beginning, and now, our home has been rebuilt. But it's under a different name. It's just a lot to take in." Invi says out loud.
"No matter what we did, we couldn't stop it. So, what was the point in all of this?" Aced says out loud.
Before they could continue, Luxu enters the room with Subject X following him. The foretellers were confused, seeing the extra person. Some of them hoped it was Ava, but quickly dismissed the notion.
"I hope I didn't keep you all waiting." Luxu tells them.
The all walk over to the table and everyone but Subject X sits in the chairs. The Foretellers continue to give her confused looks. Luxu notices that she hasn't sat down, so he gestures to the chair next to him. She acknowledges his silent command and sits in the chair.
"So, now that we're here, we should start talking about what's next." Ira decides to lead the discussion. "Luxu, do you know where the master is now?"
"I do. I was surprised when I first went there, but it seems like he is doing okay." Luxu tells them.
"Where is 'there', Luxu?" Aced asks Luxu, wanting to know where the Master of Masters is.
"A reality that is completely separate from ours, a fictional world. A world called Quadratum. I didn't think something like that would exist. But, when I was pretending to be a student here, someone else learned about it. So I decided to check it out myself." Luxu tells them about Quadratum.
"Quadratum... another reality." Invi says to herself.
"Based on what I learned, it is considered an 'afterlife' of sorts for us here. But even if you do move on there, by natural or unnatural means, you can be restored to our side of reality. But, the process for that is not easy. You can also travel there by opening a portal. A much safer way without giving up your life. But it's important to be careful. It is very different from our reality, and we can't let the people from there know about our reality. That is all I really know about it." Luxu gives them an explanation on how Quadratum can be accessed.
"And you said someone else learned about it?" Ira continues to push for answers from Luxu.
"Yup. I was filling in as a classmate here while carrying out my role. Went under the name Bragi. But when they believed I was killed, I had to go into hiding. It would have caused problems if anyone saw 'Bragi' wandering around. When I remembered what he learned about unreality, I decided to use that time to check it out before I gained a new vessel. Who would have thought a place like that existed. Good thing I decided to keep an eye on him." Luxu explains to the Foretellers how he learned about unreality.
"So that means he will eventually return. He will come back." Gula says, with his voice expressing a mixture of relief and slight anger.
"Now that we know he will return, we better make sure everything is ready to welcome him back. We can hear what he has to say about his plan once he's back." Ira tells everyone present.
"Now that we went over half of what we should do, we need to go over the fact that Ava is missing." Luxu decides to bring up Ava's absence.
"Did Ava really not make it?" Invi speaks her's and everyone's thoughts out loud.
"Ava was always so optimistic and she always made sure everyone got along. She was always loyal to the master, and her magic at creating illusions and healing are the best. Did she betray us?!" Aced says outloud, completely frustrated by her disappearance. He is completely frustrated over the fact that Ava didn't join them in their reunion.
"I don't think she is betraying us. Like I said, she had her own mission and carried it out. Wherever she is now, she is probably unable to return to us, until the time is right. But if she can't return, then we will need to be prepared." Luxu tells them. He gets out of his seat and walks over to Subject X.
"Since Ava won't be joining us anytime soon, I thought it was best to have someone as a backup member. I know you all have been curious about her since you saw her enter the room with me." Luxu refers to Subject X.
All of the Foretellers look at her, completely confused. They have all been wondering who she is and why she was with Luxu. Ira decided to ask about her.
"So, who is she?" Ira asks Luxu.
"I found this young girl in a world called Radient Garden. She was in trouble, so I brought her here to keep her safe. Be gentle with her though, she doesn't remember much of her past." Luxu gives them a simplified version of how he found her, purposely leaving out the details of her life as an experiment.
"The poor girl." Invi says to herself. She feels sorry for the girl that couldn't remember her past.
"But is it a good idea to bring her in?" Ira asks Luxu, not liking the idea of getting someone outside of their group involved.
"Ira has a good point. Besides, can she even use a keyblade?" Gula decides to Luxu.
"Don't worry, she has the potential. But she is gonna need some help in learning the ropes. She hasn't been properly trained yet. But if we all pitch in, she will be wielding her keyblade like a professional." Luxu tells them his plan to help Subject X learn how to use a keyblade.
All the Foretellers remain in silence. They all know that with Ava gone, they will need someone to fill in for the Vulpes Union.
"So, what's her name?" Gula asks Luxu.
"Like I said, she can't remember her past. So for now, just call her X." Luxu tells them.
(Scala ad Caelum, Lost School: X's bedroom)
After the meeting, Subject X returned to her room. She is sitting on her bed, contemplating about the events that happened. Suddenly, her door opens and Luxu comes in.
"So, how are you holding up?" Luxu asks her.
She thinks for a bit before she responds. "Honestly, I don't know what to think. But, I guess for now, I want to ask you why you never told me that I have the ability to use a keyblade?" She decides to ask him.
"It was too dangerous at the time. If you started learning how to use the keyblade and traveled to other worlds, then Xehanort would have found you and dragged you back with him." Luxu explains his reasoning to Subject X.
Upon hearing the name Xehanort, Subject X was shocked. Her eyes are wide with fear and she was unknowingly holding in her breath. Her mind drifts, thinking back to when she was used as Xehanort's lab rat. She starts to panic and looks around her room, afraid that Xehanort will suddenly appear in her room.
"Relax, your safe. He isn't going to find you here. Training you back then without anyone to help keep you safe from him would have caused problems. Now that we have more help, we can start your training." Luxu explains his reasoning.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned a keyblade for her. The handle is pink with a black circular guard. The hilt is a pink star with a gray outline. The shaft is a swooping black tail towards the hilt and fades to pink with a gray star at the teeth and a black x on the opposite. This keyblade is called Guiding Star. He extends Guiding Star to Subject X.
"Here, this is for you. I figured it was best to have a keyblade made for you, since you can't summon your original one."
Subject X reaches out her hand and takes the keyblade. She lifts it up and swings it around a little. As she is doing this, she feels a bit of familiarity.
"This feeling... holding this in my hand. This feels so familiar, like I used a keyblade before. Then again, Luxu did tell me that I use to use it before." Subject X thinks this to herself.
"I would suggest going to sleep early. Starting tomorrow, we will be teaching you how to use your keyblade. Now, get some rest." Luxu tells Subject X and then leaves the room.
After Luxu left, Subject X continues to stare at her keyblade. She eventually sets the keyblade next to her bed, stands up and walks over to her desk. She opens up a red journal and writes.
X's Diary, Entry 1
Scala ad Caelum, the world where keyblade wielders would be trained to protect the worlds.
I have been living here since Luxu got me out of my cell in Radient Garden. But I still haven't been able to remember anything of my past.
Today, Luxu brought over some of his friends and introduced me to them. He claims that I met them before. Four friends, that is one of the things I remember. Could he have meant that they are my four friends that I struggle to remember?
Afterwards, Luxu gave me a keyblade and told me that we would be starting my training tomorrow. A key... keyblade... Was I really a keyblade wielder? Holding it in my hands, I can feel the sense of familiarity. Hopefully, I can pick up on my training easily and my memories of using one will return.
May my heart be my guiding key.
Here's the end to this chapter. This chapter was some time coming but I'm glad I managed to finish it. I will be working on the next chapter, hopefully I can get the next one out much sooner then this one.
The X's diary is basically this story's version of the reports/Roxas diary from the Kingdom Hearts series and 358/2 Days. Eventually, I'll be including the Foretellers reports, expressing the thoughts of Luxu and the Foretellers.
I hope you all enjoy. Let me know what I can do to improve anything and I will release the next chapter as soon as possible. Bye!