Terra-Xehanort: Difference between revisions

{{Q|All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it—it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came.|Terra-Xehanort}}

After Aqua secures the stricken Ven within [[Castle Oblivion]], Terra's heart calls out to her to put an end to his possessed body. She finds him, amnesiac, within Radiant Garden's [[Central Square]], but he attacks her when Xehanort's heart stirs. She fights him off as Terra's heart struggles within, and the frustrated Terra-Xehanort turns his Keyblade on himself to rid himself of Terra's influence, inadvertently summoning a deluge of darkness that drags him into the [[Realm of Darkness]].<!-- Wasn't this done by Terra's will--><ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep]]'', Final Episode''': "In a desperate move to rid himself of Terra once and for all, Xehanort turned his own Keyblade on himself, and began to sink into the pool of darkness that spilled forth."</ref> Aqua follows and sends him back to the [[Realm of Light]] using her [[Keyblade Armor]] and [[Stormfall|Keyblade]], while she herself falls deeper into the darkness.

Terra-Xehanort is once more found comatose and amnesiac in Central Square, this time by his co-conspirator [[Braig]], who leads [[Dilan]] and their master, [[Ansem the Wise]], to the young man's location. Only able to recall the name "Xehanort", he is quickly taken back to Ansem's castle, where he is nursed back to health and becomes one of the king's best apprentices, serving as a research assistant alongside his other apprentices, Braig, Dilan, [[Even]], [[Aeleus]], and [[Ienzo]].<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 1]]''''': "One of my own apprentices, Xehanort, has volunteered to be a subject. The young man has served me ever since I nursed him back from death's door some years ago. He had lost all his memories at the time, but later showed remarkable intellectual curiosity and readily absorbed my teachings, gaining deep wisdom."</ref>

Some time later, within Terra-Xehanort, Master Xehanort and Terra's hearts argue over Terra's fate, both certain that they alone will one day succeed, and the elderly Master realizes that [[Eraqus]]'s heart has also taken root within Terra's. In the physical world, Braig attempts to discern whether "Xehanort" is truly amnesiac, or possibly actually Terra, but the confused youth shrugs him off, convincing Braig to bide his time.

[[File:Blank Points 10 KHBBS.png|thumb|200px|Xehanort, now as an apprentice for Ansem the Wise.]]

In order to protect the people of Radiant Garden, Ansem the Wise resolved to investigate how darkness originates and spreads within the heart.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 1]]''''': "Darkness...Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so? As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness."</ref> Xehanort volunteered to be a test subject for a series of psychological tests, which Ansem and Even hoped would uncover Xehanort's repressed memories.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 1]]''''': "I shall perform an experiment to probe the depths of a person's heart. One of my own apprentices, Xehanort, has volunteered to be a subject."</ref> At Ienzo's encouragement, Ansem constructed a massive laboratory, the [[Chamber of Repose]],<ref name="Chamber">'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix]]''''', '''Xigbar''': "The 'Chamber of Repose'. If you recall, that's where we spent our time researching the darkness that resides within people's hearts. It's a graveyard that was sealed by order of Ansem the Wise. The first thing Xemnas did once he got rid of him was to undo the seal and build a room in the back. Ever since then, he holds himself up in that room when he can, and he talks to someone."</ref> beneath his castle, to further investigate the heart and the darkness that lies within it.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 2]]''''': "Spurred on by my youngest apprentice, Ienzo, I constructed a massive laboratory in the basement of my castle."</ref> Eventually, he abandoned the research, deeming it too dangerous to continue.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'', Ansem the Wise''': "The true Ansem once studied hearts and the Heartless, but soon ceased his research for fear of disrupting the order of the worlds."</ref>

Xehanort and the apprentices presented Ansem with some of the results of their research, such as the existence of the Heartless and the door beneath the castle.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Ansem the Wise''': "The doors that appeared. The place the Heartless seek. I fear my research may have brought this upon us..."</ref><ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Xehanort''': "Master Ansem. Regarding the experiment I presented the other day...With your permission, I'd like to proceed—"</ref> However, Ansem suspected that the experiment was connected to the increased instability of the worlds, and his suspicions eventually led him to discover that his apprentices had been abducting test subjects. Distraught, he ordered them to cease the experiment and destroy their research, then sealed off the laboratory.<ref name="Chamber"/><ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 2]]''''': "Unbeknownst to me, my six apprentices then began collecting a large number of subjects on which to perform dangerous experiments into the "darkness of the heart." As soon as I found out, I called my apprentices together and ordered them not only to cease their studies, but to destroy the results of their research thus far.</ref> After this Subject X disappeared. Xehanort believed she had been hidden away by Ansem,<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 4]]''''': "Where is Subject X now? Has "wise" Master Ansem hidden her away?"</ref> though she had actually been taken by Braig.<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 1]]''''': "One day, a man came to take me from the prison. I could not see him for the darkness, save that he wore an eyepatch."</ref>

Shortly afterward, [[King Mickey]] arrived at Radiant Garden via [[Gummi Ship]], seeking the source of the darkness that had begun to threaten the worlds. Ansem and Mickey had a long conversation in [[Ansem's Study|his study]] about the [[Keyblade]], the Gummi Ship, and the stability of the worlds, upon which the intrigued apprentice apparently eavesdropped.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 2]]''''': "A tiny king named Mickey came wielding a legendary key — the infamous "Keyblade," said to bring both chaos and prosperity to the world. He was very knowledgeable on many topics, and we deepened our friendship as we conversed companionably."</ref> At the end of the conversation, Xehanort interrupted to request that Ansem reconsider ending their experiments, but was vehemently denied.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''''', '''Ansem the Wise''': "I forbid it! Forget this talk of doors, and the heart of all worlds. That place must not be defiled!"</ref> Frustrated, Xehanort secretly returned to the Ansem's Report, logging the details of Ansem and Mickey's conversation under the pretense that he himself was Ansem.<ref>'''''[[Ansem's Report 9]]''''': "Simply astonishing! Today I had a guest from another world. He is a king, and his vessel is built of the material that composed the meteors."</ref> However, on Mickey's advice, Ansem reviewed the research data, discovering Xehanort's additions to his report, and the true depths of his apprentices' depravity. No longer able to conceal themselves, Xehanort, Braig, Dilan, Even, and Aeleus banished Ansem to the [[Realm of Darkness]] in order to continue their research<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 3]]''''': "In the "Ansem's Reports" my apprentice Xehanort had written under my name, I found the records of his hideous experiments along with his hypothesis about the door that had appeared out of the darkness in my basement. (...) I, too, have had everything taken away from me, banished to a hollow realm of nothingness.</ref>, lying to Ienzo about what had happened.<ref>'''''Kingdom Hearts III''''', '''Ienzo:''' "They told me you'd gone mad. That you abandoned us."</ref> Xehanort unsealed the Chamber of Repose, and built a room at the back to hide Aqua's Keyblade Armor and Keyblade.<ref name="Chamber"/>

[[File:Lost Memories 01 KHMOM.png|thumb|200px|Xehanort prepares a young Kairi before sending her into the unknown.]]

By this time, he had regained his Keyblade, and possibly his memories as well. Choosing to bring the other apprentices with him, he steals their hearts while finally abandoning his name and vocally taking that of his erstwhile master, Ansem, to Braig's confusion.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''Braig''': "Hey! Do you remember now, or...Wait, did you never lose your memory?" / '''Xehanort''': "That's not my name. I'm not 'Xehanort.' My name...is Ansem."</ref>{{storylink|Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance}} In the process, this created the first eight members of [[Organization XIII]] including Isa and Lea,<ref>'''''[[Secret Report 6]]''''': "But we did not find her inside on that day or the next, or any of our subsequent visits. Had she been moved? Had we simply imagined her? Lea and I knew there was only one way to be certain. And so we stand before the castle gates today, not as trespassing children but in order to become Ansem the Wise's newest apprentices."</ref> as well as their Heartless. Xehanort himself was split into his Heartless, [[Ansem, Seeker of Darkness]], and his Nobody, [[Xemnas]]. By willingly releasing his own heart, the Heartless was able to retain his selfhood,<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 10]]''''': "But what if one willingly releases one's heart from one's body? Sora and Xehanort retained their selfhood even after becoming Heartless."</ref> and so both attempted to obtain [[Kingdom Hearts]] in their own way.<ref>'''''[[Secret Ansem Report 13]]''''': "His Heartless had attempted to draw out the great darkness of Kingdom Hearts, created from the hearts of all worlds. His Nobody, however, is now almost finished gathering human hearts to be assimilated into Kingdom Hearts as well."</ref> All the while, the two halves secretly cooperated on Master Xehanort's desire to create the [[χ-blade]].<ref>''''''The Story So Far: Darkness''''', '''Chirithy:''' "Master Xehanort's second attempt to start the [[Keyblade War]] involved pitting seven pure lights against thirteen darknesses. His heart and body acted separately. His heart, Ansem, manipulated [[Riku]] and [[Maleficent]] into capturing the seven pure lights he needs, the [[Princesses of Heart]]. His body, Xemnas, founded [[Organization XIII]], who would serve as the thirteen darknesses."</ref>

[[File:Reunion 04 KH0.2.png|thumb|Xehanort struggles with Terra for control of their body.]]

In the remains of [[Enchanted Dominion]], Aqua encounters phantoms of Terra and Ventus, pursuing them through the Forest of Thorns. Eventually, she catches up with them. Terra speaks to her, explaining to her that his heart is tied to the darkness and that he too is corrupted. He warns her that Xehanort is looking for Ventus, but as she explains that she has hidden Ventus somewhere where no one will find him, Terra's spirit transforms into Terra-Xehanort. Terra-Xehanort wonders if Ventus is in the [[Chamber of Waking]] and, when questioned by Aqua, begins to reveal his identity. However, Terra overpowers Xehanort's will, informing her of Xehanort's ruse. Surprised, Xehanort summons the Dark Figure's hands to drag Aqua into darkness, but his enraged host summons chains of light to fend off Xehanort.

Later, Terra-Xehanort wearing his [[black coat]] appeared alongside his fellow members of the real Organization XIII at [[Where Nothing Gathers]]. When Mickey confronts Master Xehanort, the resurrected Master gloats about condemning Terra to become his vessel.<ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''Master Xehanort''': "The broken boy who failed to be the blade... the misguided master who sacrificed herself for a friend... and the feckless youth who became my new vessel."</ref><ref>'''''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]''''', '''King Mickey''': "Seven guardians of light? Well, for Keyblade wielders, there's me and Riku and Sora. And my three missing friends, that's six. Then the seventh would be...That means...the thirteen seekers of darkness..." / '''Master Xehanort''': "Yes, little king. Perceptive. But Sora and another on your list belong to me now."</ref> As the heroes advance, the Organization's allotted time expires and its members's hearts, including Terra-Xehanort, retreat to their rightful points in time.

[[File:Light Expires 01 KHIII.png|thumb|200px|Terra-Xehanort reveals himself as a vessel.]]

[[File:The Answer 01 KHMOM.png|thumb|200px|Kairi's memory of Xehanort gives her a clue regarding Sora's whereabouts.]]

As an apprentice under Ansem the Wise, Terra-Xehanort wears a white lab coat with rather loose sleeves that is partway zipped down. The coat also has pockets roughly where Terra-Xehanort's hips are. He wears black boots that are identical to those worn by Ansem, Xemnas, and the members of [[Organization XIII]], with a white/silver lining along the top and an indentation on the sides. Underneath his coat, Terra-Xehanort wears a grey vest over a white collar shirt, along with a purple ascot around his neck. During this time, his hair is worn long, resembling Ansem's but much shorter, with two bangs framing his face. His eyes have gone from yellow to brown then to orange again and his hair has become whiter in color. His hair also sports three backward-facing spikes, one at the top of his head, and one on either side, just above his ears. The bangs and spikes also resemble those worn by Xemnas and Ansem.