Sorrow's Promise

Chapter 48

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When Riku and I walked out of the corridor onto a balcony, the rest of the group, including King Mickey, were gathered around staring at a man with shoulder-length blond hair.

"Is that...DiZ?" I whispered to Riku, noticing the familiar outfit he wore.

"He's going by his real name, Ansem the Wise, these days," Riku replied in my ear.

"My heart is telling me what I must do," DiZ was saying to the King, holding on tightly to some kind of machine that was shooting out a beam of light at Kingdom Hearts. The machine was sparking like crazy, and looked like it was about to spiral out of control. "Please, allow me to do what it says!"

"No!" King Mickey cried, but Riku bent down and grasped his arm.

"His heart's decided," Riku told him. "We can't change that."

On the other side of the machine from us, a dark corridor opened, and none other than Xemnas himself appeared. "I wondered who would dare interfere with my Kingdom Hearts." He turned from gazing at the sky to gesture towards us. "And look – here you all are. How convenient for me." Smirking, he looked to DiZ. "Ansem the Wise, you look pathetic."

"Have your laugh," DiZ answered. "I deserve as much for failing to see you for the fool you are."

"Students do take after their teachers," Xemnas remarked. "Only a fool would be your apprentice. After all, none of this would have happened without you. You are the source of all Heartless. It was your research that inspired me to go further than you ever dared."

"I admit, my disregard brought chaos to more worlds than one," DiZ replied with turning around. "But what were you seeking? You erased me from the world, only to take my name and continue research better left forgotten. Is this the answer you've been looking for?"

"All that and more," Xemnas agreed. "I'm carrying on what you yourself began, and I'm creating a brand new world, one heart at a time. I thought you'd praise me, but all you ever do is hold me back." He shook his head. "I understand, though. Unlike me, you have a heart, and you're powerless to control it. Consumed, by the jealousy you feel for the student who surpassed you."

I couldn't help but be slightly amused by their conversation. I was only picking up bits and pieces of their backstory, but to me they sounded like a couple of petty highschoolers fighting over popularity. Too bad this contest was a little more serious than homecoming queen.

"Xehanort. Foolish apprentice of a foolish man," DiZ commented. "You have surpassed nothing, only proved how little we both know. We may profess to know the heart, but its essence is beyond our reach. We're both ignorant, as oblivious as when we began. I'm afraid that any world you try to create..." He finally rotated his head to look Xemnas in the eye. "Any world of yours would be an empire of ignorance. That is why you and your creation are destined to fall!"

Turning back to his machine, DiZ grabbed onto it even tighter than before. "We've talked enough. Riku, you know what to do!" Riku nodded, and I frowned at him in confusion. "King Mickey, my friend, forgive me!" DiZ finished. "Farewell!"

Suddenly, a blinding white light burst out of the machine. As DiZ was overtaken by the brightness, I heard Sora gasp and saw him try to run forward. Riku had spun around already, however, and was holding out his arms to stop any of us from advancing. When Sora stopped struggling, Riku turned back, and we all watched in stunned silence as the machine exploded, sending white light up into the sky like some kind of mushroom cloud. I squinted, throwing my arm in front of my eyes to shield them. Though there was no actual fire, I could still feel the heat radiating from the explosion, and the light seemed to be closing in on us rapidly. Ducking my head, I held up my other arm, too, bracing myself against the wave of energy that threatened to blow us all away.