KHNG: Dark Past, Bright Future

Ishine - The Dark Side of a Light Heart

We discovered a secret laboratory beyond the study through the door.  A painting of a Xehanort-possessed Terra hung on the wall which Kaijai looked at contemptuously.

"I hereby renounce my old ways," he announced, placing his hand on the painting, "You are a witness of this, Ishiné."

"Of course," I replied, "we all trust you here.  Me and Halios and Selena and Hyperian...we're all friends now, got it?"

Kaijai dropped his head, then nodded slightly as we continued through the next hallway.  We looked out over an expansive room that housed many electronic synthesis stations along the walls, machines devised for creating and replicating things using the supercomputer at which Kaijai and I stood.

"Needs a password," I groaned, "any ideas, mister used-to-be-Xehanort?"

"Perhaps," Kaijai replied, beginning to strike the keys.  On his first attempt he was able to guess the password right.

"The names of the Princesses of Heart," he said, "Those beings with hearts of pure light.  I could only have assumed as much."

Once the main menu was up on the monitor, we checked to see what the latest actions were on this computer, attempting to find the one who sent the Unversed after us.  What we found was even more shocking.

"The Organization is using this computer to manufacture...super-powerful Heartless!?"

"As well as Nobodies and Unversed," Kaijai confirmed, "no doubt the ones that attacked us.  And something else; something entitled, 'The Korrupt Project.'"

"Korrupt?" I questioned, "what's that?"

"The file is locked by a password.  I don't think I'll be able to guess this one."

"Whatever.  This is a tremendous find, we should report back to the others!"

But then, something happened; the computer shut down, and there was a bang down on the lower floor.  I looked out the glass and saw a black figure, too far below us to make out exactly who or what it was.

"Come on!" I called to Kaijai as I opened the doors to the elevator.  We hopped in and shot all the way down to emerge with blades at the ready to face a man in a mask, wearing the darkness in a similar way that I myself did.  The muscular patterns on his body were all black with red highlights on his chest and forearms.  He summoned a clockwork-gear Keyblade, and Kaijai made an astonished sound.

"Vanitas!" he cried.

Vanitas drew up his blade and readied himself for battle.

"Ah, I see," Vanitas said, "I knew that you could not have truly been destroyed. Otherwise, I would have perished a long time ago.  However, I do wonder what compelled you to switch sides."

"I've learned that the old ways are not as right as I once thought," Kaijai responded, "and I think I shall teach you the same lesson!"

With that, Vanitas engaged us.  He rushed at Kaijai, who blocked his powerful strike, leaving me able to counterattack.  My blow faded right through Vanitas, though, his image in front of us disappearing.

"Too slow!" Vanitas called as he fell from above us, striking the ground with his blade and causing large ice shards to erupt where it hit.  Kaijai warped away, but I was struck by one of the icicles in the chest.  Luckily, Kaijai cast a healing spell from the other end of the platform.

 I swung at Vanitas, but he flipped to the side and evaded me, launching a Dark Firaga in Kaijai's direction.  Kaijai summoned a whip-like beam of light from his Keyblade and extinguished the flame, following up by swinging it back around at Vanitas.  The light-whip wrapped around Vanitas' right leg, and Kaijai swung his Keyblade up, tossing him into the air.  From there, Kaijai leaped up to Vanitas, and brought his blade down on him, throwing him back into the floor and making a decent-sized crater.