- [54 years later]
[Master Xehanort and Master Eraqus are in the Land of Departure. Master Xehanort is leaving.]
- Eraqus: "There is a reason the precepts bar us from such knowledge. Why do you seek the χ-blade? Would you blanket all the worlds in darkness, reduce them to nothing?!"
- Xehanort: "But darkness did cover the world once, in legend. We know so little about the Keyblade War—only that it was just the beginning. Amidst that crisis a precious light was found."
[The screen zooms in on Master Xehanort.]
- Xehanort: "It is a curious tale—and one worth exploring. They say ruin brings about creation. So what, then, would another Keyblade War bring?"
[The screen moves to Master Eraqus.]
- Xehanort: "When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of? I must have these answers."
[The screen zooms back out.]
- Xehanort: "The χ-blade needs to be forged, and with it, the door to the Keyblade War unlocked!"
- Eraqus: "Fool... You would risk an apocalypse out of sheer curiosity? I will never allow it, Xehanort. Not while I live!"
- Xehanort: "But once again you have it all wrong, Eraqus. Darkness is a beginning, you see, not an end."
[The screen zooms in on Master Xehanort.]
- Xehanort: "At birth, every one of us emerges from darkness into a world of light, do we not?"
[The screen moves to Master Eraqus.]
- Eraqus: "Poetic excuses!"
[The screen zooms back out, and Master Xehanort leaves.]
- Eraqus: "If words won't dissuade you,"
[Master Eraqus summons his Keyblade.]
- Eraqus: "only one thing will. Grah!"
[Master Eraqus charges at Master Xehanort, who has also summoned his Keyblade, and fires blasts of darkness at Master Eraqus. Master Eraqus gets hit in the face, and falls to the ground.]
- Eraqus: "That power..."
- Eraqus: "Has the darkness taken you, Xehanort?"
- Xehanort: "Not your concern."
[Master Xehanort leaves. And the screen goes black.]
- Eraqus: "I knew it. Xehanort—he could never let it go."
[A young Eraqus and Xehanort face each other at Scala ad Caelum. Eraqus wields the Master's Defender, while Xehanort wields the No Name.]
- Eraqus: "Your mind is made up?"
- [7 years later]
- Xehanort: "Kingdom Hearts is the only way."
- Eraqus: "What about our duty as Keyblade wielders?"
- Xehanort: "Our duty is to protect the world. This is the path we must take."
- Eraqus: "To think we became Keyblade Masters only a year ago... and now this."
- Xehanort: "We were both given the title, but you alone are the true heir."
- Eraqus: "You were bequeathed a Keyblade from the era of the Lost Masters. You were supposed to have inherited their weapon—and their resolve."
- Xehanort: "Since coming here nine years ago,"
[The screen zooms in on Xehanort.]
- Xehanort: "I've contemplated what it means to protect the world. This decision did not come easily."
[The screen moves to Eraqus.]
- Eraqus: "But summoning Kingdom Hearts is a drastic measure. How can you be sure that's the answer?"
[The screen zooms back out.]
- Xehanort: "And how can YOU be sure it's not?"
[Eraqus readies his Keyblade.]
- Eraqus: "Life has taught us far different lessons."
[The screen zooms in on Xehanort.]
- Xehanort: "Do you stand in my way as a true Keyblade Master?"
[The screen moves to Eraqus.]
- Eraqus: "No. As a true friend."
[Xehanort and Eraqus start fighting.]
[In the present, Xehanort, Eraqus, Urd, and Bragi are waiting in the classroom when Hermod comes in.]
- Hermod: "Master Odin wasn't there."
- Urd: "How did things end up like this? And now we can't even ask the Master whether or not we should continue our task."
- Hermod: "I vote to keep going."
- Urd: "Me too. I think that's what he would want us to do."
- Bragi: "And leave Vor behind?"
- Hermod: "No one's saying that. I still don't understand exactly what happened, but I'm sure we'll run into Vor and Vidar again somewhere."
- Eraqus: "I'm not. When she left, it felt like she was saying goodbye forever. If only I'd tried harder to stop her..."
- Urd: "So what should we do?"
- Eraqus: "I want to find her and bring her back."
- Urd: "How?"
- Eraqus: "There's a mirror in Dwarf Woodlands that can answer any question. It can tell us where she is."
- Bragi: "I'm in. I'm worried about her too."
- Eraqus: "What about you?"
- Xehanort: "I want to focus on the task at hand."
- Eraqus: "Wait, really?"
- Xehanort: "Vidar said he'd return once he was done with whatever he needed to do. If so, he and Vor should show up sooner or later."
- Eraqus: "Maybe they will. Or maybe he's just using her to complete this goal of his."
- Xehanort: "Even if he is, she'll be fine. She's tough. She doesn't need our help."
- Eraqus: "I know, but..."
- Eraqus: "I thought you actually cared about your friends."
- Xehanort: "Don't I? What about you? Would a friend try to manipulate someone's beliefs just because they don't line up with their own?"
- Eraqus: "I think a good friend would help them see the error of their ways."
- Xehanort: "Who's to decide what's right and what's wrong? Unless you know of someone who has a heart of pure light with no trace of shadow."
- Eraqus: "That's what a Keyblade Master is. And that's the kind of person I want to become."
- Xehanort: "Again with the Keyblade Master. It's just a title. You have to work hard and prove yourself to give it any meaning."
- Urd: "That's enough."
- Eraqus: "Bragi, you're coming with me, aren't you?"
- 'Bragi": "Of course. She's our friend, right?"
- Eraqus: "Sorry for being difficult. But we have to do what we believe is right."
[Eraqus and Bragi don their armor and leave.]
- Hermod: "...And they're gone."
- Urd: "You know Eraqus. Once he gets an idea in his head..."
- Hermod: "Are you sure about this, Xehanort?"
- Xehanort: "Even if we take different paths to locate the missing upper classmen, we're bound to arrive at the same destination. Eraqus should follow his heart on this one."
- Urd: "You two really do have a special sort of friendship. I wish I had that."
- Hermod: "Well, now that that's settled, we should be on our way. Xehanort, do you think we could use that mirror he was talking about?"
- Xehanort: "I doubt it. We left something of an impression on the queen, so getting close to it would be tricky. And even if we did, it might trap us again. Who knows if we'd be able to fight our way out a second time."
- Hermod: "All right. A different world it is. Let's jump in the gate and head somewhere new."
[Xehanort, Urd, and Hermod don their armor and leave.]
[Elsewhere in Scala ad Caelum, Vidar approaches Master Odin.]
- Master Odin: "You've returned."
- Vidar: "Yes. I've come to say goodbye—"
- Master Odin: "Be vigilant. Darkness like no other may soon be upon us."
- Vidar: "W-well, yes."
- Vidar: "Dark entities like the Heartless already reside in the other worlds."
- Master Odin: "What I speak of is true darkness."
- Vidar: "True darkness? I don't recall learning about that. What is it? How is it different?"
- Master Odin: "Thirteen ancient darknesses came into existence long ago. These most primitive of shadows are said to be true darkness. They exist without form and are the source of most darkness in this world."
- Vidar: "Darkness without form...?"
- Master Odin: "The seven most powerful ones were imprisoned within the Keyblade Masters of yore, who had offered themselves as vessels, and came to be called the Lost Masters."
- Master Odin: "Of the six shadows that remained, four were trapped by Keyblade wielders in the "realm between" of another world. Two are said to have been destroyed when the world collapsed, but of that there is no proof."
- Vidar: "You believe true darkness has returned?"
- Master Odin: "I do. And so I implore you to remember that the unknown you fear must not simply be regarded as darkness. You must learn to distinguish between the many different shadows; true darkness is no exception. Though unseen for a great many years, we must proceed with caution."
[Xehanort, Urd, and Hermod arrive at Beast's Castle.]
- Urd: "It's something all right."
- Hermod: "Not to sound like Eraqus, but I think I finally know what darkness feels like."
- Xehanort: "If he were here, he'd turn right around and go home."
- Hermod: "Definitely."
[The tree laugh.]
[Eraqus and Bragi watch the Queen and the Magic Mirror from behind a pillar.]
- Eraqus: "Achoo!"
- Bragi: "Dude!"
- Eraqus: "Sorry."
- Bragi: "This is a waste of time. Come on, we need to think of something else."
- Eraqus: "All right. Let's go."
[Eraqus and Bragi leave.]
[At Beast's Castle...]
- ???: "Help!... Mama!... Lumiere!"
[Xehanort, Urd, and Hermod rush inside, where Chip is surrounded by Search Ghosts.]
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Quest No. 76
Possible enemies
