Editing The Gathering

{{Game|KH2|FM2}}
[[File:The Gathering 04 KHII.png|thumb|300px|The three warriors pick up one Keyblade each.]]
"'''The Gathering'''" is the secret ending of ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''; the same scene is known as simply "Gathering" in ''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]''. [[Sunset Horizons]] is the piece of backing soundtrack used during the video. The term "The Gathering" first appeared in the ''[[Another side, Another story...]]''.<ref>''[[Another side, Another story...]]'' "A world between = A forgotten world. The Gathering."</ref>

==Synopsis==
[[File:The Gathering 03 KHII.png|thumb|The warriors look to the distance, noticing the approaching figure.]]
The video starts with the view of a [[Keyblade Graveyard|desert]]. Semi-transparent [[Ansem's Reports]] scroll down the screen where one of them explains a detailed article on the Keyblade. There are a few shots of metal objects lying in the sand. The screen shows a man in armor, [[Terra]], standing amidst the desert waste, on the remains of a large construct decorated with various spikes. He looks to one side and sees another armored figure, [[Aqua]], approaching. Terra turns his head again and sees the third figure, [[Ventus]], also approaching. As Aqua and Ventus come closer, Terra walks towards three [[Keyblade]]s standing alone in the wasteland, as the thing he was standing on dissipates in the same fashion as a dying Nobody. The three Keyblades are the [[Kingdom Key]], the [[Way to the Dawn]], and the [[Kingdom Key D]]. Terra takes the Kingdom Key, Ventus takes the Way to the Dawn, and Aqua takes the Kingdom Key D.

The screen zooms out to show Terra, Ven, and Aqua standing in the center of a field of [[Keychain]]-less Keyblades, one of which resembles the [[Fenrir]] Keyblade. They stand still for a few moments before something catches their attention and they all look up. A [[Xehanort|figure]], too blurry to make out in the heat, is walking towards the three Keybearers, and words appear briefly on the screen in this order:

*Master of Keyblade
*The lost two
*Memory of [[Terra-Xehanort|Xehanort]]
*Chasers
*[[Keyblade War]]
*It all began with...
*[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep|birth by sleep]].

==Possible meanings==
*"''Master of Keyblade''" could refer to [[Xehanort]], [[Eraqus]], or possibly the [[Mark of Mastery exam]]. It could possibly even refer to Aqua, who becomes a Keyblade Master after passing her Mark of Mastery exam during ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep''.
*"''The lost two''" likely refers to Master Xehanort and [[Vanitas]], or Ventus and Terra.  It could also mean Ventus and Aqua, since Terra's body has been seen throughout the series, but neither of them had been seen before this.
*"''Memory of Xehanort''" refers to the memories that [[Terra-Xehanort|Xehanort]] lost when he developed amnesia. Nomura has explained that these are related to the reason that Sora and Roxas can dual-wield, and why Roxas seems to have a heart.
*"''Chasers''" could refer to Terra, Aqua, and Ven, who are chasing Master Xehanort and Vanitas. It is possible that "Chaser" is a rank, as well, as in the real world, "chaser" refers to one who engraves metal.
*"''Keyblade War''" refers to an ancient war fought between Keyblade wielders.
*"''Birth by sleep''" refers to how everything is "born through sleep". It may refer to the [[Dive to the Heart]] of new Keyblade masters.

==Characters in order of appearance==
<gallery>
File:Keyblade Armor (Terra) KHBBS.png|[[Terra]]
File:Keyblade Armor (Aqua) KHBBS.png|[[Aqua]]
File:Keyblade Armor (Ventus) KHBBS.png|[[Ventus]]
</gallery>

==Unlock criteria==
The conditions to unlock the video "The Gathering" vary according with the difficulty level chosen:

===''Kingdom Hearts II''===
*'''Beginner Mode''' - Not accessible
*'''Standard Mode''' - Complete [[Jiminy's Journal]]
*'''Proud Mode''' - Finish the game and complete all worlds

===''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix''===
*'''All''' - Finish the game and complete all worlds

==Application to subsequent games==
Prior to the release of ''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]'', which featured "{{c|Birth by Sleep|video}}", a secret video continuing "The Gathering", there was heavy speculation as to the identities of the three armored figures. Once it was released, [[Nomura]] revealed the identities of [[Terra]], [[Ventus]], and [[Aqua]], noting that they had a connection to [[Sora]], [[Riku]], [[Kairi]] and [[Xehanort]], though he refused to specify to avoid spoiling plot points. This scene ultimately occurs in ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' ten years before the events of ''{{c|Kingdom Hearts|game}}'', where it is followed by a vicious battle between the three warriors and Master Xehanort and [[Vanitas]].

"The Gathering" was conceptual. The actual meeting in the [[Keyblade Graveyard]] of Terra, Ventus, and Aqua does not feature the three armored. Nomura has said that they were depicted as such in "The Gathering" because he did not have final designs worked out for any of them. Additionally, Terra does not stand on a vanishing metal structure, nor do any of the three Keyblade wielders pick up Keyblades associated with Sora, Riku, or [[Mickey]]. The previously known Keyblades they picked up hinted at their fates at the end of ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'': Terra picks up Sora's Kingdom Key, a Keyblade from the [[Realm of Light]], symbolic of Terra remaining in the realm. Ventus picks up Riku's Way to the Dawn, symbolic of his half light/half dark nature in balance with Vanitas, and the fact that the two become one being again. Aqua picks up Mickey's Kingdom Key D, a Keyblade from the [[Realm of Darkness]], symbolic of Aqua trapped in the Dark World.

==Video==
{| class="video"
! "The Gathering"
|-
| {{#widget:YouTube|id=FOlPXtXTSXc|width=300|height=240}}
|}

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

{{KH2}}
[[fr:The Gathering]]
[[Category:Secret Ending]]
[[Category:Kingdom Hearts II]]