Chapter 26

CHAPTER 2 UNDER THE WORLD THE MAN’S BLACK CLOAK FLUTTERED BEHIND HIM as he marched forward. The present, the past, the future. Human, Heartless, Nobody. Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas. His plans had already advanced past the point of no return. With Demyx’s demise, the group calling itself Organization XIII had lost more than half of its members. Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Marluxia, Larxene, Demyx. And Roxas. All the fallen ones—do they bear a grudge against me? But they were Nobodies. They had no hearts with which to hold any ill will. They couldn’t even understand what the heart is. Now, then… I wonder if that little king remembers me? Xemnas gazed up at the enormous moon in the night sky. Sora carved a path through the untold thousands of Heartless. “Leon!” The members of the Restoration Committee all fought with everything they had to protect their town. Sora and his Keyblade fought their way toward them. He couldn’t see Donald or King Mickey anymore. Where did they get to…? Or Goofy. Who would never wake up again. That can’t be real. Can it? The people of Radiant Garden had lived in peace, with Ansem the Wise maintaining the balance of their world. In the center of the town was a small research facility where Ansem and his apprentices carried out their many experiments. His apprentices numbered six—Xehanort, Even, Ienzo, Braig, Dilan, and Aeleus—and each was brilliant in his own way. Ansem, however, had only one objective: to uncover the secrets of the darkness in the heart. With Even’s assistance, Ansem performed a little experiment on Xehanort. It was meant to awaken the memories sleeping in Xehanort’s heart. Ansem no longer understood what had precipitated it. But at some point, the research slipped from his control, and his apprentices found experimental subjects on their own. They continued the studies in an enormous laboratory built under Ienzo’s direction. And then the night when they opened the Door to Darkness, meteors rained down on their world. That meteor shower was the reason his apprentices’ unusual activities even came to Ansem’s attention. “You’re conducting experiments without my supervision?!” he bellowed at his apprentices, all gathered in his study. “But Master Ansem—,” Xehanort began. “I don’t want to hear it. Shut it down immediately!” Ansem snapped. “I won’t have anyone opening the Door to Darkness.” Xehanort, the young man who had once lost his memory, desperately persisted. “But the truth of the worlds is there.” “I will not allow it! Out. I’m sealing off the entire laboratory.” At that, the apprentices all gloomily hung their heads and left the lab. Ansem made sure the door was closed and locked behind them before he sank into a chair and let out a bone-deep sigh. Could those six have hit upon anything about the darkness in the heart? Had they grown entangled in that darkness themselves while pursuing its mysteries? There was no doubt Ansem himself had led to all this as the one who’d begun these experiments. He tried to think what he could do to correct this grave mistake— And that was when it happened. Axel looked down at Goofy where he lay sprawled on the ground and uncertainly scratched his own head. “Uh…hello?” he tried, not too loud, and then he prodded at Goofy’s cheek. “C’mon, get up already.” “A-hyuck?” Goofy didn’t open his eyes, but he managed to slightly move his head, which had a sizable bump. “Seriously…” Axel sighed. “For a king, that guy sure doesn’t know what he’s doing.” “—?” Goofy’s eyes blinked open. “Oh, there you are.” Axel had been peering into Goofy’s face, so he retreated a step. “Organization XIII…?!” Goofy jumped up with plenty of life in him and readied his shield, but then a dizzy spell washed over him. He spun around on one foot and fell flat on his behind. “Take it easy, will you?” Axel crouched down and dabbed a potion on Goofy’s head. “Who’re you?” Goofy rubbed at the bump and looked up at Axel. “I’m not telling.” “Gee, you’re not in the organization?” “Again, not telling.” Axel folded his arms, smirking down at Goofy. “…You smell like Pluto,” said Goofy. “What, that again?” Axel let out a sigh and gave him a hint of a real smile. “Sora and the others went that way, Goofy.” “Without me?!” Goofy sprang to his feet. “You better go catch ’em.” “Well, uh… Thanks, pal.” He nodded and waved to Axel, then ran off with plunking steps. Axel watched him go and then vanished into a dark rift himself. It was a while after the night of the meteor shower. “Xehanort!” cried Even, bursting into the experimental lab in the basement. The other apprentices looked up from the various computers where they were sorting their data. This lab also served as a facility for producing Heartless in mass quantities. “What’s the matter?” asked Dilan with a nasty smirk. “Did Master Ansem say something again?” “No—there’s a visitor from somewhere else,” Even replied. “Apparently, there really are other worlds.” Xehanort frowned. “What does that mean?” “Someone calling himself the king of one of those worlds came to visit Master Ansem. And from his appearance, it’s obvious he is indeed from another world. Said his name is Mickey, I believe…” “So, the opening of the door affects the worlds,” Ienzo said quietly. Aeleus and Braig had nothing to add. “Let’s go and see.” Xehanort got to his feet and wasted no time heading for Ansem’s room upstairs. Even followed him. As he helped Leon and his friends fight, Sora eventually reached the shelter of a small ravine, created by heaps of boulders crashing against one another. “You okay?” King Mickey asked. He and Donald were already there waiting for him. “I’m fine, but…” Trying to catch his breath, Sora looked away, hanging his head. “Oh… Goofy…” Donald’s gaze dropped, too, as he spoke the name of their dear departed friend. Silence fell—but it was soon broken. “Hey, fellas!” called an easygoing voice. Sora, Donald, and King Mickey exchanged a glance and turned toward the sound. It was Goofy, waving to them cheerfully. “Why’d ya go and leave me behind like that?” “Goofy!” They ran to him. “Y’know, that bump on the head really hurt.” Goofy ran to meet them. The king was the first to reach him and throw his arms around him. “Aw, Goofy!” “Gawrsh, Your Majesty, it’s okay. I get bumped all the time,” he said, totally innocent. Sora and Donald’s eyes met, and they broke into grins. “Quack!” Then Donald stepped forward and whacked Goofy in the shin with his wand. “Ouch! That hurt, too!” “You’re really here!” Donald blurted, as Goofy hopped about in pain. “Whatcha talkin’ about?” “Don’t ever do that again!” Donald was about to burst into tears. “Do what?” Then Donald and the king looked at each other and laughed. “You had us really worried there, Goofy!” Now Sora launched himself at Goofy in a tackle hug. The four of them huddled together. “So, I guess we gotta keep fighting, huh?” said Goofy. Sora nodded. They could still see the horde of Nobodies in the distance. But the creatures had stopped moving. “Huh?” King Mickey cocked his head. “What’re they doing?” Sora’s heart started pounding as he squinted at them. “Well, we better go find out!” said Donald, and the four friends set off again. As they emerged from the ravine, they saw someone there—a man in a black cloak. He turned toward them and slowly pushed back his hood. The face underneath strongly resembled Ansem’s, with silver hair and sharp glinting eyes staring down at them. “It’s him!” cried Donald. “The guy who’s not Ansem!” “You mean his Nobody!” Goofy corrected him. “And the leader of Organization XIII…” Sora glared at the man. Then King Mickey exclaimed, “Wait a minute—that’s it!” Ansem’s study was piled high with books and documents. At the large desk in the center of the room, Ansem sat munching on an ice cream pop, listening intently to the visitor from another world. The blue salty-sweet ice cream was his favorite—sea-salt ice cream. “Wise Ansem, I’ve come to seek your advice,” said the king. Ansem smiled. “I’m glad we have an opportunity to speak like this, my friend. Your hypothesis is most intriguing. To be frank, it’s not easy to stave off the urge to test it.” He paused there, taking another bite of ice cream, and his expression darkened. “Still, I’m concerned about the stability of the worlds.” He knew that the door had already been opened. It was the reckless actions of his apprentices, merely based on his own experiments, and yet he couldn’t help but feel the blame lay entirely with him. “Yep, that’s what worries me, too,” the king replied. “The doors that appeared and the place the Heartless seek… I fear my research may have brought this upon us…” Ansem rested his forehead in his hands. Then there was a knock at the door. A young man stepped into the study—Xehanort. “Master Ansem, regarding the experiment I presented the other day… With your permission—” “Which is denied! Forget this talk of doors and the heart of all worlds!” Ansem stood to stare down Xehanort and told him with quiet finality, “That place must not be defiled.” The heart was sacrosanct. And the darkness within the heart must never be tampered with. Darkness in the heart would invite darkness in the world… The world would be corrupted, and its stability would break down. And they must not let that happen. “But Master Ansem… I’ve been thinking that—” Ansem shook his head. “Xehanort, those thoughts are best forgotten.” Defeated, Xehanort took a step back, nodded, and left the room. “I remember now! It was Ansem’s apprentice Xehanort!” cried King Mickey. The Nobody only smirked. “The leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort’s Nobody!” The Keyblade flashed in his hand as the king rushed at him. “Let’s go!” Sora tried to follow—but found Nobodies blocking his way. He lashed out with the Keyblade. “Move it!” “We can’t let Xehanort get away!” Donald called. “Right!” Sora replied. Donald and Goofy gave him a thumbs-up, and Sora turned. Then he ran straight into a mass of Heartless. Xehanort pondered what he’d heard of the conversation between Ansem and King Mickey. So there was a key called the Keyblade, said to have the power to open any door. There was a strange material that enabled one to fly through the Other Sky—Gummi blocks, fallen pieces from that meteor shower. And something about women known as the Princesses of Heart. All these immensely important shards of information began to fit together in Xehanort’s mind. “What in the world were they talking about?” said Even, who had been trying to eavesdrop. Xehanort ignored him and continued down the stairs to the basement laboratory. He flung open the door, and the others all turned to him at once. “Aeleus, where is the girl?” Xehanort asked. “She’s asleep…” Aeleus pointed to the capsule room in the back. The girl was very particular—unique among people. They had not been able to create any Heartless using her heart. Perhaps because she was too young, or perhaps… Xehanort disappeared into the capsule room. He had no idea how many Heartless he’d taken down. Sora gasped for breath as he waited for Donald and Goofy to catch up. “Sora!” They hurried up to him. “Where’s the king?” Sora asked, a little worried. Donald and Goofy frantically scanned the area. Then Donald pointed. “Over there!” “Your Majesty!” They dashed to where the king gripped his Keyblade and glared at a silver-haired man atop the cliff. “Xehanort!” “How long has it been since I abandoned that name…?” the man murmured as if to himself, not even turning to glance at the king. “Out with it, Nobody!” Sora readied his own Keyblade. “Where’s Kairi? Where’s Riku?!” “I know nothing of any Kairi.” Xehanort’s Nobody slowly turned to face them. “As for Riku…you might try asking your king.” Then a dark space opened behind him, and he slipped into it. “Stop!” King Mickey leaped into the darkness after him. “Your Majesty—!” Sora scrambled to follow, too, but the rift closed before his eyes, and they were gone. “…” His outstretched arm fell limply to his side, and he slumped to the ground. The king knows something about Riku? Then why wouldn’t he tell me? I missed my chance to find out… Riku, where are you? “Sora…” Goofy put a hand on his shoulder. “Sora, Goofy!” Donald shouted from behind them. “The Nobodies are all gone!” Sora got up, and they peeked over the edge of the cliff. The land below had been swarming with Nobodies—and now they couldn’t see a single one. Goofy cocked his head. “Gawrsh, what’s that mean?” “Means you fell right into their trap.” At the sudden voice from behind them, the trio jumped and whirled around. It was the red-haired organization member, Axel, leaning against a boulder. Sora and Donald automatically prepared for a fight, while Goofy tilted his head again. “It’s a setup by Organization XIII, okay?” said Axel. “Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless.” “Xemnas?” Donald repeated. “The guy you just saw. He’s their leader. Got it memorized? X-E-M-N-A-S.” Goofy rubbed at the bump on his head. Isn’t this the same fella who just helped me out? “So Organization XIII wants to get rid of the Heartless?” he wondered aloud. “Pfft, no. Look, every time you take down a Heartless with the Keyblade, a heart gets released, right? That’s what the organization is after.” “What are they gonna do with all those hearts?” Donald demanded. Axel shrugged. “Not telling.” “You’d better!” Donald began waving his wand. Then Sora realized something and peered into Axel’s face. Wait—do I…know his name? I’ve never seen him before, but I know him. He felt sad somehow, like he missed someone. That voice, that attitude… Axel. His name is Axel. But who is he? Oh—I remember. The guy with the scar on his forehead said he was trying to find Axel. Sora’s mind raced. No, there’s something else… He…he did something…! “You— You’re the one who kidnapped Kairi!” Axel twitched a little at that. “Bingo. The name’s Axel. Got it memorized?” he replied, eyes narrowed as he smiled sardonically. “Where is she?!” cried Sora. He flinched again and then scratched his head. “Please just tell me!” Seeing Sora nearly hunched over in his desperation, Axel’s gaze rose to the sky. “Look, about Kairi… I’m sorry.” The air began wavering. “Axel!” another voice called. Someone stepped out of a dark portal—the man with the terrible scar on his forehead, Saïx. “Uh-oh.” Axel preemptively shielded himself and stepped back, and then another rift in space opened up to absorb him. “No, wait!” Sora rushed to stop him. Saïx blocked his path. “We’ll ensure that he receives a suitable punishment.” Before their eyes, the darkness engulfed Axel. “I don’t care about any of that! Just take me along with you!” Sora pleaded. Saïx slowly turned and looked down at him. “If it’s Kairi you’re worried about, don’t. We’re taking very good care of her.” “Let me see her.” “Is she that important to you?” “More than anything.” Sora clenched his fists. He had to see Kairi, no matter what it took. “Show me how important.” Sora lowered his eyes for a moment, and then quietly knelt down, his head bowed low. “Please.” “So, you really do care for her,” Saïx mused. “In that case…absolutely not.” Sora sprang to his feet again. “You rotten—” “Are you angry? Do you hate me? Then take that rage and bring it down upon the Heartless.” Saïx snapped his fingers, and an array of Heartless appeared one by one behind him. The trio quickly assumed their fighting stances, as Saïx went on with a low monologue. “Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. And yet they know not the true power of what they hold. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free…until they weave together to form Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes at last, we can truly exist.” He almost sounded as though he were reciting an incantation. “Was that supposed to—?” Sora began, but someone else spoke over him. “What do you think you’re prattling on about?” Sora knew that voice. And indeed, Maleficent had appeared behind them. “Kingdom Hearts belongs to me! The heart of all worlds, the heart of all that lives. A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must be my dominion!” She raised her staff. “Maleficent, no! No more Heartless!” cried Sora. “I do not take orders from you!” With that, a ring of Heartless appeared around Saïx, creeping closer and closer. “Fool…” Saïx snapped his fingers again, summoning Nobodies, and in a matter of seconds they defeated the Heartless. Having completed their task, they turned on the trio. “Oh no!” Sora braced himself for the Nobodies to attack, but a green haze rose up before they reached him. “…Huh?” It was Maleficent, now standing in front of them. “While I keep these creatures at bay, you devise a way to vanquish them—forever!” The blast of green flame, for once not directed at Sora, began obliterating the Nobodies. “Maleficent…?” Sora tried to approach her. “Do not misunderstand me,” she said without turning around. “I shall have my revenge on you yet.” “Maleficent!” he shouted again. The Nobodies were swarming her. “Go! Now!” Maleficent was covered in those silver creatures. “I don’t take orders from you!” He was about to run ahead and help, but Donald caught his sleeve. “Sora, c’mon!” “But…we can’t just…” As Sora stood there hesitating, emerald fire rose from her. She vanished, and a writhing cluster of Nobodies fell in a pile. “Maleficent!” he called, but she was nowhere to be found. “Now, then—where were we before that interruption?” Saïx snapped his fingers once more, and the Nobodies disappeared only for the Heartless to replace them. “Which side are you guys on, anyway?” Sora complained. “The Heartless ally with the strongest,” said Saïx, as if the rhetorical question needed an answer. At his signal, the Heartless advanced. “…Rrgh!” They couldn’t very well not fight something that wanted to hurt them. The Keyblade arced through the air, and the Heartless turned to light and dissolved. And in each burst of light, a tiny heart floated into the sky. “No—the hearts!” Sora cried, clutching the Keyblade tight. The more Heartless he defeated, the more hearts would become part of Kingdom Hearts. And if that was exactly what Organization XIII wanted, he couldn’t let himself slay any more Heartless. But the creatures were closing in. “Keep going, Sora. Give us more hearts!” Saïx said by way of farewell and disappeared into a dark portal. “But…if I can’t use the Keyblade…,” Sora murmured, his fingers still gripping it. “Imbeciles. You can’t be trusted to do anything!” As Maleficent’s voice rang out again, darkness spread beneath their feet, swallowing up the trio. And then, a huge and brilliant light… “Sora! Donald! Goofy!” Leon called, seeing a great flash from atop a distant cliff. At the same time, the Nobodies surrounding them disappeared. “Relax. Those three won’t go down that easily,” Cloud said beside him. “The Keyblade’s chosen one… Good deal for him.” He stowed his enormous sword against his back and walked away. “Sora…” Leon watched the light shoot up into the sky and fade. He smiled and murmured, “We’ll meet again.” Sora, Donald, and Goofy found themselves in pitch-black darkness. They could hardly see a hand in front of their faces, but Sora knew that Donald was sprawled on top of him, and Goofy on top of Donald. “Ohh, ouch…” Goofy massaged his bruised behind. “Get off already!” After Donald shoved him away, Sora could finally stand up. Goofy scanned the darkness, although there was nothing to see in any direction. “Gawrsh, what is this place?” “It must be the realm of darkness!” Excited, Sora started pacing. “Kairi! Riku!” Maybe they were here somewhere. He had to try. But there was no answer. And then they heard faint footsteps in the distance. Donald turned toward the sound. “Who’s there?!” A small box had been placed on the ground. Someone was here—they could almost see a person, but it was too dark to tell. Donald rushed toward the box and picked it up. “What’s this…?” He held the box up to his ear but didn’t hear anything strange. “Are you sure you wanna open…that?” Goofy worried. But Donald had already done so before the sentence was over. Inside, there was a single photograph and an ice cream pop. Sora took out the picture to examine it, peering at the four people in it. “Gawrsh, it’s the gang from Twilight Town,” said Goofy. “There’s Hayner, Pence, Olette…and…uh…um…” He could only name three of them. The other was a boy he’d never seen. But Sora said the name. “Roxas.” “You know him?” Donald asked, mystified. “No… The name just popped into my head.” Sora stared at the boy in the picture. “That’s Roxas.” The wave of emotion he felt reminded him of the moment when he’d remembered Axel’s name… A hint of sorrow, like he’d left something behind. “Hmm… But we don’t know him, do we…?” Perplexed, Donald picked up the ice cream bar. “Are you sure you wanna eat…that?” Donald popped it into his mouth before Goofy had finished the sentence. But he took it out again. “Salty! No… Sweet!” The ice cream floated into the air and began glowing. A beam of light shone upward and illuminated a keyhole. “Another gate’s open!” Sora held up the Keyblade to release a matching beam of light. They heard the click of an opening lock. And then brightness surrounded them. “Huh…?” They disappeared into the light. Keeping his breath quiet in the inky dark, Riku watched Sora and the others from a distance. He couldn’t simply tell them the answer outright, but he could give them a hint. He really did want to see Sora and talk. But that was impossible with this appearance. The things that mattered the most were what he couldn’t tell Sora. It had always been that way. No one would teach you the important things. You had to figure them out for yourself. But he could hope…that Sora might discover the secret of the two objects. Riku cloaked himself in the darkness and vanished into it.