Editing The Gathering

 

[[File:The Gathering 04 KHII.png|thumb|right|300px|The three warriors picks up one Keyblade each.]]

'''''The Gathering''''' is the secret ending of ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''; the same scene is known as simply "Gathering" in ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''. Sunset Horizons is the piece of backing soundtrack used during the video. The term "The Gathering" first appeared in the [[Deep Dive]] video.<ref>''[[Another side, Another story...]]'' "A world between = A forgotten world. The Gathering."</ref>

The video starts with the view of a [[Keyblade Graveyard|desert]]. A semi-transparent [[Ansem's Report]] scrolls down the screen where one of them explains a detailed article on the Keyblade. There are a few shots of metal objects lying in the sand. The screen shows a man in armor, [[Terra]], standing amidst the desert waste, on the remains of a large construct decorated with various spikes. He looks to one side and sees another armored figure, [[Aqua]], approaching. Terra turns his head again and sees the third figure, [[Ventus]], also approaching. As Aqua and Ventus come closer, Terra walks towards three [[Keyblades]] standing alone in the wasteland, as the thing he was standing on dissipates in the same fashion as a dying Nobody. The three Keyblades are the [[Kingdom Key]], the [[Way to the Dawn]], and the [[Kingdom Key D]]. Terra takes the Kingdom Key, Ventus takes the Way to the Dawn, and Aqua takes the Kingdom Key D.

The screen zooms out to show Terra, Ven, and Aqua standing in the center of a field of [[Keychain]]-less Keyblades, one of which resembles the [[Fenrir]] Keyblade. They stand still for a few moments before something catches their attention and they all look up. A [[Master Xehanort|figure]], too blurry to make out in the heat, is walking towards the three Keybearers, and words appear briefly on the screen in this order:

*"[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep|Birth by sleep]]".

*"''Master of Keyblade''" could refer to [[Master Xehanort]], [[Master Eraqus]], or possibly the [[Mark of Mastery]]. It could possibly even refer to Aqua, who becomes a Keyblade Master after passing her Mark of Mastery Exam during ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''.

*"''The lost two''" likely refers to Master Xehanort and [[Vanitas]], or [[Ventus]] and [[Terra]].  It could also mean [[Ventus|Ven]] and [[Aqua]], since Terra's body has been seen throughout the series, but neither of them had been seen before this.

*"''Birth by Sleep''" refers to how everything is "born through sleep". It may refer to the [[Awakening]] of new Keyblade masters.

The conditions to unlock the video '''''The Gathering''''' vary according with the difficulty level chosen:

*'''Beginner Mode''' - Not accessible  

*'''Critical Mode''' - Finish the game and complete all worlds

Prior to the release of ''Final Mix'', which featured [[Birth by sleep (video)|Birth by Sleep]], a secret video continuing ''The Gathering'', there was heavy speculation as to the identities of the three armored figures. Once it was released, Nomura revealed the identities of [[Terra]], [[Ventus]], and [[Aqua]], noting that they had a connection to [[Sora]], [[Riku]], [[Kairi]] and [[Xehanort]], though he refused to specify to avoid spoiling plot points. This scene ultimately occurs in ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' ten years before the events of [[Kingdom Hearts (game)|Kingdom Hearts]], where it is followed by a vicious battle between the three warriors and [[Master Xehanort]] and [[Vanitas]].

''The Gathering'' was conceptual. The actual meeting in the [[Keyblade Graveyard]] of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua does not feature the three armored. Nomura has said that they were depicted as such in ''The Gathering'' because he did not have final designs worked out for any of them. Additionally, Terra does not stand on a vanishing metal structure, nor do any of the three Keyblade wielders pick up Keyblades associated with Sora, Riku, or Mickey. It is unclear what either of these parts may have been planned to mean. In ''Birth by Sleep'', Terra picks Riku as his successor, Ventus fuses his heart with Sora's, and Aqua accidentally picks Kairi. It is thus possible that the appearance of the [[Kingdom Key]], [[Way to Dawn]], and [[Kingdom Key D]] was meant to symbolize this succession, though the choice of Mickey is not consistent with ''Birth by Sleep'', as he was still wielding the [[Star Seeker]], and the Keyblades are mismatched between the three.

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|"'''The Gathering'''"

|<youtube height="240" width="300">Ml0xPYeunqE</youtube>

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[[Category: Secret Ending]]

[[Category: Kingdom Hearts II]]