Vector to the Heavens

"Vector to the Heavens" is a musical composition by Yoko Shimomura that appears in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind. An new arrangment introduced in Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind is named "Vector to the Heavens -Xion-". It is the boss theme of Xion.

Development
The use of the word "Vector" in the title of the song was inspired by the, as Xion's original name ("No. i") contains an , also a mathematical term.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

 * Twilight Town:     (Final Form)

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

 * "Xion Attacks"

Kingdom Hearts Union χ

 * Medals

Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind

 * Garden of Assemblage: Xion's Recreated Data

Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory

 * "KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days: Chapter 1"

Other appearances
"Vector to the Heavens" plays as the background music for the "memória!" album's page on the Square Enix website.

Composition
"Vector to the Heavens" is approximately three minutes and fifty-one seconds long, and five minutes and thirty-five seconds long in the piano collections version. Regardless of the source, the piece has a time signature of 4/4 time. The original in-game version plays at a tempo of 98 beats per minute for the introduction and first phrase, 160 beats per minute for the second phrase, and 83 beats per minute for the third phrase. The instrumentation for both the original version and the HD remake are piano and strings.

The piece is characterized by a moving sixteenth note pattern in the left hand (piano version) or moving eighth notes (in-game version). The main melody's rhythm is a variation of "Musique pour la tristesse de Xion", incorporating various parts of the theme into this piece. Several measures of this piece feature the melody from Kairi's theme and Dearly Beloved. Unlike Xion's original theme, "Vector to the Heavens" is played in the upper spectrum of dynamics, with the "louder" dynamics more in use than the softer ones.

''Kingdom Hearts Orchestra -World of Tres-
An engraved music box was sold at the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra -World of Tres- concert and later distributed online. It features a short looping arrangement of "Vector to the Heavens". A similar music box containing "The Other Promise" was also produced.