Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch: Darkness in Kingdom Hearts

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a barren wasteland, the very same world where he split Vantias from Ventus heart, Xehanort stood by himself near a cliff as if he was waiting for someone. Just then, a man in armor on a flying key-shape motorbike flew down from the sky before landing by Xehanort. Both the armor and the vehicle vanished in a flash of light before revealing himself to be Terra. The young man confronted the Keyblade Master but in a respectful manner, "I have been to other worlds. I know all about the things you've done. I just don't understand why."

"Someone had to safeguard the light... from the demon, I unleashed," Xehanort told the young Keyblade Master, before assuming, "You must know about the boy by now, the one in the mask." He then revealed to him, "His name is Vanitas. A creature of pure darkness. One of my making."

"Vanitas..." Terra hummed at the name before asking, "Are you telling me he came from you?"

The old Keyblade Master shook his head before correcting him, "He came from Ventus."

Terra gasped in shock, "Ventus?!"

Master Xehanort nodded as he admitted, "Yes. Vanitas is the darkness that was inside your friend."

Terra couldn't believe what he was hearing, Ventus didn't seem even capable of even thinking of darkness. That's when Xehanort lied about the truth about Vanitas's origin, "It was an accident. While training with me, Ventus succumbed to darkness, and there was but one way to save him... strip that part of him away. And thus Vanitas was made. In the process, I damaged Ventus's heart in the most horrific way."

"So I did what I felt was right, and left him with Eraqus," Xehanort looked away pretending to feel deep regret, "I knew the boy could not stay with me, the man who did him such grievous harm."

After a moment of silence, Terra looked at him with compassion, believing in the lie, "Master Xehanort..." He comforted him placing a hand over the old man's shoulder, "Ventus has gotten a lot better since then. You shouldn't blame yourself for trying to save him."

Xehanort barely held back a smirk, "Well... Thank you, lad. You know how to put an old man's heart at ease."

"So that's what it was," Terra thought to himself of why his friend couldn't remember anything other than his own name. He then turned his attention back to Master Xehanort, "Master... Why is Vanitas still free?"

"Ah, yes." Xehanort began to tell another lie, "Well, I did my best to contain him the moment he emerged, but..."

"He managed to escape," Terra assumed, once again believing in the lie.

"Mmmm..." The Keyblade Master nodded, "Vanitas uses the Keyblade to sow seeds of darkness. And now, you see... the worlds teem with his ghastly underlings."

Terra gasped in horror, "The Unversed!"

"He has no control over the darkness in his heart. The Keyblade is not his to bear," He turned to Terra with a pleading look in his eyes, "He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation. Lend me your strength, Terra. Right this wrong that I have wrought."

The young Keyblade Wielder looked like he wanted to help but was unsure of what to do, "But I have no idea where to find him."

"What I can tell you about Vanitas amounts to this... his darkness is drawn to the light, which he seeks to disrupt... and then destroy," Xehanort advised the young man, "It stands to reason that he will strike next in the city of light, Radiant Garden."

Terra looked like he was in deep thought before snapping out of it, he then bowed to Xehanort in gratitude as he now believed of where to go next, "Don't worry, Master. I'll take care of Vanitas."