#apprentice xehanort

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 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!" Ansemsnapped. "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 the 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 white, 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.

<present day interlude not shown>

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," lenzo 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.

<present day interlude not included>

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... 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 experimentI 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.

<<PRESENT INTERLUDE

"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.>>

(Back to the past)

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 traverse the Ocean Between-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 form 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...