Kingdom Hearts Union χ: Difference between revisions

Darkness disappears for a moment, before re-appearing and announcing that it cannot be destroyed, as it has no form. Darklings suddenly appear through a portal and surround Ventus, all stating "You", to Player's shock. Ventus gets up to dispel Darkness and the Darklings with a flash of light, and he maintains an aura of light as he speaks to Darkness. Ventus announces that, much like how Darkness used Ventus to reshape itself, Ventus will reshape Darkness into something that can be defeated. Ventus summons his Keyblade, but Lauriam tries to stop him, saying he does not want to lose Ventus too. Ventus reassures Lauriam, and strikes at Darkness anyway.

Ephemer, Skuld, and Player talk in a hallway, outside a room where Lauriam is tending to Ventus. Skuld expresses concern about the end of the world, while Ephemer expresses his desire to save everyone. Inside the room, Lauriam apologizes to Ventus for placing the blame of Strelitzia's death on him. He asks Ventus whether darkness is gone, or just a part of him - but his grief is stopped by Strelitzia's voice. Lauriam turns, startled, but nobody is there. Ephemer knocks on the door to say there is a visitor, and Lauriam exits the room to find Elrena. Elrena's Chirithy had apparently seen a girl that looked like Strelitzia, dressed in a white coat, walking toward town alongside someone in a black coat. The group tells this information to Brain, who reasons that this Strelitzia may have been made from her backup data. Lauriam reasons that they may find more answers in the real world, and the group goes to the lifeboat room, Lauriam carrying the still-unconscious Ventus.

Luxu and Darkness stand in the lifeboat room, the pod containing "the true Dandelion" now gone, leaving five pods unused. Darkness questions why Luxu follows the Master of Masters, to which he says he is not sure, but he is sure that the Master does not like Darkness. Luxu asks Darkness for its plan, which is to "accompany the chosen one into the future, so I can lay claim to worlds not yet created". Luxu summons his Keyblade and explains what he knows of darkness's circumstances: it had form when the Master of Masters was young, but then gave up that form to defeat light, making darkness become a whole. But darkness's will could not be maintained in this state, meaning darkness still needed a physical form, which requires infecting people who have hearts. Further, six darknesses with individual will currently exist: the one with Luxu entered the real world alongside Maleficent, while the remaining five are still in the data world. Luxu finishes by saying that this one darkness in the real world is the only one in his way - and the darkness responds that Luxu is the only one in its way, as well.

Of the 13 darknesses, the Master of Masters planned to have himself, Luxu, and the five fortellers inhabit the seven most-powerful darknesses of the group. However, he did not want them to merely be vessels, so he trained them to be resilient to the darkness - to be able to carry it, but to also have a chance of not being consumed by it. The passage about the "traitor" was put into the Book of Prophecies to plant seeds of doubt in the foretellers, which darkness could be baited with. This bait is strengthened by real, powerful emotions, so turning the foretellers against each other would make it even more potent. Eventually, the seven most-powerful darknesses would be tempted to take these seven vessels. For the remaining six darknesses, five would inhabit the Union Leaders, while the last would be sealed within the data world. To recap: these Union Leaders would be chosen from the Dandelions, an exceptional group of Keyblade wielders gathered before the Keyblade War, who were then transferred into the data world - all to ensure that the chosen Union Leaders would be strong-hearted and resilient as well. The Master finishes by revealing that Luxu was the "traitor" mentioned in the Book.

In the data world, Ephemer, Skuld, and Player ponder whether the others are safe, before they are approached by four darknesses. The darknesses ask for a gate so that they can pass out of the data world, a request that Ephemer strongly refuses. As the trio of Keyblade wielders prepare to start combat, Ephemer tells PLayer to take a lifeboat - but at this, Player's disposition singificantly changes. Player attacks Ephemer and calls him a fool - Player's heart has already been consumed by darkness, and Ephemer would have made a grave error by allowing Player to escape. However, the possessed Player proposes to return the body in exchange for a gate, but Ephemer once again refuses. Player and the four darknesses defeat Ephemer and Skuld, and Player holds their Keyblade above Skuld, preparing to end her life. In desperation, Ephemer fires a beam from his Keyblade that pierces Player's chest, forming a portal behind them that pulls in Player and the four darknesses in one fell swoop. Suddenly, the two pods that Brain sent appear, and Ephemer and Skuld get inside. Ephemer and Skuld arrive in the real world, and witness Daybreak Town crumbling into the darkness. Skuld is emotionally struck by the devastation, but Ephemer leads her back inside to safety. The two re-enter the pods, and Skuld begins to weep for the lost world. She thanks Ephemer for keeping her company at the end, but he reassures her that it is not the end. Ephemer briefly reminisces about Player and sheds a tear, before the pods close and the building collapses around them.

In a data cable, Player lies wounded on the ground, surrounded by the four darknesses. They commend Player for goading Ephemer into making a portal, but suggest that the darkness within should escape before Player's body perishes. Player laughs and seals the exit, revealing that they were never taken over by darkness - it was all an act. The darkness rages and rampages about the room, unable to escape. Player collapses in exhaustion, and embraces their Chirithy before the pair are enveloped in a white light. Player find themselves in a white void alongside numerous other Keyblade wielders: each one transforms into their heart, which their Chirithy then takes hold of, and each pair transforms into a [[Dream Eater]]. Player's Chirithy explains that they are connected to their wielders: if the wielder's heart disappears, then the Chirithy disappears, and if the wielder falls asleep, the Chirithy becomes their guardian as they sleep. However, Player has a choice to not sleep, if they wish. The scene fades to an unknown town, where a black-haired woman hands infant Xehanort to a blue-robed figure holding a walking stick. The figure brings Xehanort to the [[Destiny Islands]], where he grows into Young Xehanort. The figure watches over Xehanort from some distance, and then collapses once Xehanort walks toward the sea. Xehanort awakens in [[Scala ad Caelum]], and joins a young [[Eraqus]] in playing chess on a windowsill. The scene returns to Player, who chooses to not sleep. They embrace their Chirithy one last time, and the pair transforms into a heart, which flutters away.

Elrena remains unconscious in a mountainous area, as a thunderstorm rages overhead.

Brain awakens in an unknown town - the same as the one with the black-haired woman. A hooded man walks over and seems to already know who Brain is, before handing over Brain's hat. The man introduces himself as Sigurd, and makes a report by holding a hand to his ear. Sigurd states that it was decided Brain would escape Daybreak Town's destruction, appear in this time and location, and be welcomed by Sigurd's group. Brain is confused, but Sigurd re-assures him that he can explain more at headquarters. The pair walk to a square with a fountain, and Brain immediately recognizes the statue atop it. Sigurd explains that this is the original Keyblade Master and founder of the town, Scala ad Caelum - Master Ephemer, wielding the Master's Defender. Brain responds that he knows - and that Ephemer was a good friend.