Rendezvous [Vanitas, Invite]

[Master Xehanort]

The wind had picked up to some degree in the last half hour, billowing sand relentlessly throughout the thousands of uneven rows of Keyblades, the many epitaphs and markers that remained as nameless reminders of the less fortunate who fell during the last Keyblade War. It provided little opportunity for those out in the open field, and crossroads between the Keyblade a chance to visualize much, and made for poor grounds on which to meet for appropriate conversation. As this was the case, a Corridor of Darkness opened up upon one of the many cliffs that lay in border of numerous others, high enough to provide suitable shelter from the sanded winds. The Darkness of the portal spewed out onto the hard, flattened rock that supplied a suitable overlook of the vast fields that spanned for miles below. From the depths of the Corridor walked the old man that was Master Xehanort, an individual who appeared frail and weak, but retained a vast and wide assortment of power. Much like any arrival into solitude, the Master banished his means of travel to nothingness, then interlocked his hands behind his back as he neared the edge of the plateau.

This land had many fond memories for the Master of the Dark, and held many more to come as he cast upon the earth a gaze of sienna that surveyed it's many details. There was no life to speak of for miles, for that he knew and could sense, much like several of the times he had traversed the cosmos back to this desolate place. The orient of all things to have transpired, here beneath his very feet. A calm, but confident smile crossed the face of Master Xehanort as he silently pondered his last fight with Terra, upon the top of a pillar not far from here that had grown into a steady crumble since then. The fruition of all his plans, a simply marvelous experience in this lengthy lifetime.

It was soon to be time that his apprentice, Vanitas, would arrive from his past assignments with information regarding such. The defeat of Stroud will have provided many interesting changes about the worlds, and with everything slowly returning to what it had been prior to the Horsemen, there would be many more roads to take. His encounter with the Master of Light in the Realm of Twilight was one Master Xehanort had come to regard often since it had transpired. Eraqus was a man that had endured much, and yet still retained his naivety of the Darkness as firmly as he had upon his heart's release from his body. The man still believed that Light was the only force in which to place his trust and wisdom, however Xehanort knew that he was wrong, and would continue to remain wrong so long as he carried such beliefs. Perhaps it was that exact fear of the Dark that made him so suitable for the information concerning the Man with Silver Hair. If anyone would give chase to such a powerful menace of the Darkness, it would be Master Eraqus and his apprentices. Much like bloodhounds had a nose for anything they hunted, Eraqus had a nose when it came to hunting Darkness, bound to seek it out to the ends of any earth like a crusader blinded by his king's orders.

Everything was slowly falling into play for the start of the newest conflict, and with the power of the Horsemen dwindled to nothing, the Master could work progressively with little hindrance predicted. However time would tell everyone what hand he would play, and who would suffer his wrath before the conclusion. Little did Master Xehanort know though, that events in the Battle of Unity were already pulling things steadily into motion.

[Vanitas]

Not too far from where Master Xehanort stood, another portal of darkness suddenly appeared, swirling up from the ground like it was bursting out from a long imprisonment. As the portal swirled violently, about, a short being emerged from the portal. The figure was dressed in a black and red, body suit which covered him from head to toe, with his face, hidden behind a dark mask. The elderly Keyblade Master had nothing to fear, for he knew who this being was, and who's face was behind the mask. It was none other than Vanitas, a being of pure darkness, who Master Xehanort had created many years ago. He had come here on the request of his Master, to discuss his 'progress.'

As a being whose heart was completely devoid of even the smallest spark of light, Vanitas had held no concept for certain emotions that were associated with the light. Such emotions that Vanitas could think of, off of the top of his head included, love, compassion, peace, and perhaps most notably, kindness. Although Vanitas did in fact know that these emotions existed in the universe, he had absolutely no idea what it felt like to harbor such emotions. It was simply, and impossible thing to do, for one who's heart was filled to the very core with nothing but darkness. Vanitas had often laughed out loud in a form of mockery whenever anyone would even mention those types of feelings and emotions to him. These feelings even extended towards his master. Vanitas did not feel, any sort of love or compassion towards Master Xehanort, a man whom he had served for many years. His master could die right then and there, and Vanitas wouldn't even look twice.

Even so, the Masked Boy, did see eye to eye with his Master in terms of what their goals were. Vanitas had always had a desire to see Kingdom Hearts unlocked, just as his Master did. However, what Vanitas had actually wanted differed somewhat from his Master. While his Master wanted to see Kingdom Hearts unlocked for the sake of knowledge and power, seeking to uncover the deep mysteries of the Keyblade War. Vanitas also wanted these mysteries uncovered, but for the mere sake of relishing in the chaos and destruction that would arise from such an apocalyptic event. Chaos was something that Vanitas thrived on. Unlike most dark beings, he had no desire for conquest and authoritative power. He merely wanted to see those around him suffer, and see everything around them brought to ruin. Such was the nature of someone with a heart of pure darkness.

Regardless of their differing desires, Vanitas knew that his, and his Master's goals would be still best accomplished through working together. Moreover, Vanitas knew that his Master would still need him in order to further his plans. In a sense, furthering his Master's plans was exactly what Vanitas had been doing. He was in the process of forming an 'alliance of convenience' between himself, and Organization XIII, seeking to use them to further his Master's goals to obtain Kingdom Hearts. It would be just like the last time. The pawns would be set in place, being kept in the dark about the end results.

Vanitas walked up to the edge of the plateau directly behind Master Xehanort, and asked him calmly, "You summoned me, Master?"

[Master Xehanort]

The arrival of his apprentice only brought about a calm nod in the Dark Master, acknowledging that he had been right in his calculation to meet the creator of Unversed within this hallowed world. As the wielder of the Void Gear Keyblade spoke to him, Master Xehanort turned his had to look upon the familiar sight of the featureless black mask that protected the face of his apprentice. Surely it was something about his apprentice that brought about a sense of anonymity and fear into those who encountered him who knew not of his nature, a quality to keep the wary upon their toes. Appearances were indeed deceiving, for the Master and his Apprentice were fine examples of this reasoning. Another would be the mysterious man whom he had encountered here some time ago, prior to the downfall of Stroud and the conclusion of the Battle of Unity. The individual in question retained a certain poise about him, one that betrayed the very nature of his heart and misguided those who were easily fooled. The Darkness within that man was indeed powerful, however like all beings who fell prey to its temptation rather than control it, such a thing provided an aptitude for weakness and the ability to be controlled. No matter the threats he had received, Master Xehanort was not intimidated by the man with silver hair in the slightest. If anything the man was but a power hungry individual, who had heard of or encountered Keyblade lore before, whether by first hand experience or a simply read in a library, it remained certain that he knew just what he was after.

It made enough sense to come to this conclusion, for why else would a man harboring such Darkness choose to visit a place such as this? Master Xehanort took about another glimpse of the darkened sky riddled with sand and dust, and the faint glimmers of sunlight that broke through the clouds as the thought of that man came to mind. One who demanded such information and knowledge for such power could not be trusted, nor directly controlled, which only lessened the usefulness of such a person in the eyes of Xehanort. No if this individual was incapable of being controlled, one could only guide them as a labyrinth guides an unwary adventurer towards it's prize, keeping them in the dark about all ill intended obstacles that would seek to harm them. "Yes, I trust your meeting with the Nobodies went according to plan?" inquired the Master as he turned to face the boy in the black mask.

Master Xehanort gazed about his apprentice for but a moment, surveying him and the vicinity with sienna spheres before raising his attention back to the sky. Several clouds moved overhead, and through their faint masking, he could see many of the stars in the dusk of orange and blue. They were brighter than he had remembered, and clear evidence of the worlds restoring themselves from the alteration of Stroud's instinctual madness. "It has come to my attention," began Xehanort before he returned his sights to that of Vanitas. "That there are others whom have placed their sights upon the X-Blade, and Kingdom Hearts. In light of this knowledge, and the destruction of Stroud, we have been given an opportunity to confront these irrelevancies without any means of hindrance." The old man crossed his arms behind his back once more, then paced to the middle of the plateau behind Vanitas, then turned to pace back towards the edge.

"Vanitas, please, tell me the extent of your recent travels. Have you been to see Ventus?" asked the Master as he came to his Apprentice's side, and regarded him with an inquisitive look before he passed him by to look over the edge of the plateau once more. With whatever knowledge that he had recently obtained, the Master could better make judgement on what to do about Organization XIII and Eraqus.

[Vanitas]

One of the many things that Vanitas absolutely could not stand, whether it came from himself, or his Master. Of course he knew better than to address his Master's failures directly in front of him, knowing full well, what the consequences would be if he did this. In regard to Vanitas' own failures, they were one of the very few things that had been able to cause Vanitas to express genuine fear. In particular, it was his failure to defeat Ventus and his losing control over the χ-blade, which was the most recent instance of such a scenario. At this point, it was this previous failure that was now driving Vanitas, to succeed where he had failed before, and forge the χ-blade to successfully unlock Kingdom Hearts, thus 'redeeming' himself in the eyes of his Master.

He figured that his meeting with the Organization was the beginning of this 'redemption,' the meeting had in fact gone very well. He had discovered that one of the top ranking members had quite a one-track personality, with a singular desire to reclaim his heart. Manipulating him with the hope of getting his heart back would hopefully be simple. Moreover, they appeared to be relatively uncaring about the fate of the worlds in general, which was another good thing.

What Vanitas most wanted to address was Xigbar. The nobody had claimed that he had an alliance with his Master, and Vanitas had been unaware of this 'alliance' or the inner workings of it. He felt that the Master owed him some answers about this. However he decided that it would be best to address another subject like Ventus, for two reasons. The first was because he knew that potentially angering his Master initially was a bad idea. The second was because he absolutely detested talking about his light half, and wanted to get it over with. Vanitas said to his master, "Indeed I have. I fought with him not to long ago, near this very spot in fact. That kid is as dumb as ever. Unfortunately, for some reason he seems to be somewhat weaker than before. As I'm sure you know Master, the χ-blade can't be forged unless Ventus and I were to fight with evenly matched strength. I think that it would be a good idea to seek out 'backup candidates,' after all, Ventus isn't the only one with a heart of pure light." Vanitas eyed his Master fully expecting him to know what and who he was referring to.

[Master Xehanort]

Master Xehanort acknowledged the words of his apprentice with great care, listening intently with every moment that he spent in silence in contrast to the masked youth's report. He nodded silently, deeming the news of Ventus' strength as an unfortunate denouement yet recognizing the wisdom in his accomplice's suggestion. Yes it would prove beneficial to seek out others of the Light who wielded the Key, test the resolve of their heart, and provide him with a suitable replacement to oppose Vanitas for the forgery of the X-Blade. There was one who bore great significance to this idea, and bore an on par if not equal power comparison to that of the Unversed's master. The news that the Nobodies had taken his bait was the consolation prize in this report, for it remained certain that the hollow creatures still sought Keyblades for their purpose. In turn it made Vanitas all the more useful towards their endeavor to recreate an artificial Kingdom Hearts, a deed that could only aid the pair of Dark Keybearers in the long run.

Master Xehanort kept his gaze focused upon the distant field of magical weapons as he pondered the facts that had come to light over the duel between the two boys, and wondered if the comatose sleep Ventus had endured had possibly weakened him further. It remained a possibility that would hinder his plan if he remained adamant about the youth's involvement, which made the use of another's heart all the more practical. "I believe the sleep he endured has only weakened Ventus from the strength you faced here last. Your idea is a significant one at best, Vanitas, we will need to search out possible replacement because of this." spoke Master Xehanort as he raised a clenched hand to chest level once more. Indeed they would have to begin their search soon, so as to preemptively gain ground on those who would seek to disrupt his plans.

"The Nobodies are of no concern to us. If you continue this ruse while searching for Ventus' replacement, I presume they will have no other reason than to simply keep an eye on your progress in freeing hearts. Yet it would remain wise to never let your guard down to them." he began once more in speech, however took the time to glance back to Vanitas before he paused. The Master narrowed his eyes as his gaze met the ground, pondering the use of an individual who had served to be an ever useful tool in the past. No doubt the likes of Braig was bound to remain in the worlds somewhere, and could serve to their benefit once more. Master Xehanort had thought about the variety of useful pawns that could be manipulated again, some bearing more use than others through terms of association.

The Master regarded his ever faithful accomplice with an open palmed gesture, beckoning for the youth to join him near the edge of the cliff as he returned his gaze down to the ever expansive field of Keys. In truth there had been thousands slain over the field, and how fitting it was that the future rulers of all that existed stood there overlooking the remains of the great strife. The Keyblade War would be brought about again, and Xehanort would sit upon his throne as he unleashed it upon all those unsuspecting in the worlds. "Is there more you would wish to share with me?" he asked out of nowhere, sensing in the air that something was a midst in regards to the feeling he received in Vanitas' aura.

[Vanitas]

Vanitas was not surprised that his Master was able to tell that he had even more to say, even when his facial expressions were hidden behind his mask. Master Xehanort had always been able to read even the smallest, non-verbal cues, and most other people would have never been able to tell that Vanitas had a few questions for his Master. The first question, obviously revolved around Xigbar, and why exactly, the nobody had been in league with his Master, and more importantly, why Vanitas was not informed of it. He would get to the other question in moment, but for now the focus was mainly on Xigbar.

Vanitas asked his Master, "About that 'Organization', Master. One of their members told me that he knew you from somewhere, and even that he had been in league with you. He even knew about the legend of the χ-blade. His name is Xigbar. He is easily identifiable by an eye patch over his right eye. If what he says in true, what caused you to ally with him, and more importantly, why wasn't I told about it?" The last sentence of the question was said in somewhat of a raised tone, which suggested that the words were tinged with anger and frustration. Frustration which wondered why Master Xehanort had not informed his apprentice about this occurrence, if it were true that is.

Vanitas prepared himself for his Master's response to his question, he wasn't sure if he would be told the true, or if parts of the Master's story, would be tinged with lies. Vanitas would do some more investigating later, and question Xigbar to see if their stories matched up. Vanitas was someone who did not appreciate being lied to.

[Master Xehanort]

As he anticipated, Vanitas did have more to share, which only provoked a smile of appeasement upon the face of his master. More talk of the Nobodies and their 'Organization' followed, with specific reference to one of it's members that went by the name of Xigbar as it were. While the name in particular did not strike any immediate acknowledgement, the description Vanitas gave of the man began to bring back the memories of a most useful individual from the past, whom had made his impression some fifteen years ago coincidentally. "Ah yes." began Master Xehanort as he cast a somber look upon the ground, rather approaching the memory of this man than the mere stone before him. The dedication the youthful gunner had shown was in itself admirable, as was his desire for the power of the Keyblade. It was most unfortunate that Terra had rearranged the promising tool's face, however in the Master's opinion, it did the wise cracking youth some good.

"The man you speak of, used to be referred to as 'Braig' prior to becoming a Nobody, my apprentice. I had lied to him, promising to grant upon him the power of a Keyblade, and he accepted the truth that I could bestow this upon him. This being nothing more than a ruse, as you should very well know, that not every heart can wield such a weapon." began Master Xehanort, filling in the little details as he occasionally glanced back over his shoulder every now and then. If this Xigbar was indeed the Nobody of Braig, and still remembered the deal they had struck those fifteen years ago, then perhaps he would have an additional means to crumble this Organization XIII. "He played a necessary role in bringing Ventus to you fifteen years ago, however remained nothing more than a pawn I required, to assist Terra in falling to the Darkness within his heart." As the Master finished his last sentence, he turned back to Vanitas with a look that would simply let the youth know that there was nothing more concerning the subject to mention. Sienna eyes wandered toward the peak of the cliffs they now stood upon, then to the darkening sky as he pondered his encounter with Eraqus for but a moment more.

"When I encountered him in the Realm of Twilight, I informed Eraqus of the darkened heart that seeks to forge the X-Blade. As a result he intends to inform the other Masters, which only leads me to presume that this shall become their highest priority." added Master Xehanort in a darker tone. It was of vital importance for Vanitas to know where the lines were being drawn for the next conflict, that way the Apprentice of Xehanort could make better judgement in his decisions that would undoubtedly come. Master Xehanort saw this pre-planning as a means to swiftly gain an upper hand on those who would step in his path, and stand between himself and Kingdom Hearts. Indeed it would be better to displace those individuals by setting them on others whom intended harm towards their peaceful lives. There were many obstacles between him, and his enemies now. Aside from the villains themselves, there was now a formidable amount of Heartless and Nobodies still raging chaos throughout the worlds, and soon the Unversed would add to the weight of such a burden. Fortunate it was that Vanitas came with his own army of embodied negativity, for it was but another reason that made Ventus' dark half a more vital asset to him than any darkened heart he had encountered.

[Vanitas]

Well, Vanitas couldn't say that his Master's information regarding Xigbar had come as a surprise. Apparently, Xigbar was as gullible as he was cocky. Vanitas had seen Xigbar's cocky, and laid back attitude quite a bit upon their first meeting, it was not shocking in the least that he was equally easy to fool. To think that his Master would actually grant such a fool a Keyblade was quite comical, and even caused Vanitas to laugh out loud. Xigbar, or Braig, if that was what his name used to be anyway, was not in any way shape or form deserving of a Keyblade. The fact that he had lost his heart to the darkness, seemingly so easily was proof enough of that.

In response to his Master's response Vanitas said, "That doesn't surprise me at all. That idiot definitely seemed like the kind of person who would believe anything. He should be grateful that he was even able to lay his eyes on a Keyblade. If the rest of them are like that then they should be easy to fool."

Vanitas noticed the motions of his Master, and made them out to mean that there were other things to discuss. He agreed with his Master's assessment that they could worry about Organization XIII later on, and focus on a seemingly more immediate threat. He was somewhat irritated that his Master didn't fully explain why this information had been withheld from him, but decided that it wasn't really important for the time being.

Vanitas decided for the time being, to remove his mask, as he began to listen to what his Master was saying. He lifted the helmet off his head and held it at his side in his right arm. Vanitas knew that it was of the utmost importance that he and his Master's be the first ones to forge the χ-blade. If what his Master said was true, and that there were now others who sought out its great powers, then they would have to move quickly. His Master, words even suggested that the Keyblade Master's of the light were now going to focus their efforts on this, 'silver-haired man' which suggested that less of their effort would be devoted to stopping him and his Master. He decided to state his opinion on this, "Master, perhaps we could use this situation to our advantage. If what you say is true, then the forces of light will not be able to focus as much attention on our plans as they would if these other 'darkened hearts' didn't exist." Suddenly, another question popped into Vanitas' head. He knew that many of those who sought out the χ-blade in the first Keyblade War, were blinded by their desire for power, that they did not consider all of the avenues by which such a power might be acquired. This new dark being might be no different for all he knew. Vanitas asked his Master, "This silver-haired man you met Master. You say that he seeks to forge the χ-blade. How much did he actually know about it, particularly with regard on how to obtain it?"

[Master Xehanort]

When Vanitas' suggestion was spoken, Master Xehanort regarded it with a light chuckle in the irony that the boy of darkness had already foresaw the benefit of spreading the Light's forces thin; a thin smirk was born upon his face as a result. Sienna eyes regarded the removal of his mask, making contact with the golden spheres that had been hidden beneath it prior to this action. Xehanort was pleased in the fact that Vanitas was quick to catch on to the plan, and admired such traits that would provide him reasonable suggestions such as this. Indeed he was correct and absolute on creating this apprentice from the darkness in Ventus' heart, for he had never known such a useful and successful asset. He nodded silently to agree with Vanitas on this matter, and listened further as the 'silver haired man' came into topic once more. Again he regarded the memories of the individual whose eyes burned green with hatred, and pondered for a moment in silence after his accomplice had finished his question.

The most notable traits that he recalled about this man, was of course the silver length hair; in addition, there were the green eyes, the massive sword he carried, and the aloofness about him in the fact that he only flew with one wing. A rather odd and seemingly impossible feat to accomplish when put to thought, however given the witness of such an event, proved to be within the realm of reality. Rather what intrigued Master Xehanort the most about this strange being, was not the otherworldly inertia he garnered from him, but rather the absence of any Light in his heart whatsoever. Such a find was a rare gem among the worlds, much so enough that it was due to the fact the man had not become a Heartless. He did not feel identical to any Heartless he had encountered in the past, nor anywhere similar to that of an Unversed either. The possibility of it being a Nobody was thrown out of question for the mere fact he retained an aura potent enough to be detected by any Master of the Key, maybe perhaps any Apprentice at that. However despite what mystery lay in wait regarding this man's heart, Vanitas needed to know the details he sought, for he needed as much perpetration as Xehanort could provide for the road that lay waiting.

"When last I saw this man, he approached me yonder in the fields." began Master Xehanort, taking time to pause and gesture to the open plains littered with dead Keyblades. Once he had done this he returned his gaze back to the ruthless eyes of his apprentice, and nodded silently. "The enigma knew not of the knowledge on how to form the X-Blade, however he was well aware that a Master possessed the information required to." finished the Master, whom walked past the mask-less boy to hold out his hand. A faint light emitted from his palm, to reveal a semi-translucent 'X' that hovered just above the fabric of his white glove. "It is fortunate I left when I did, deciding then to withhold what he so desired even after he threatened to take my life. No doubt the creature will still harbor an ill will, and will have perhaps grown more desperate to acquire this from another Master. Which is why..." paused Xehanort as he trailed off into silence, turning back to look at Vanitas once more as he clenched his hand into a fist; the small 'X' vanishing in a miniature shower of sparkles.

"For the sake of appearances, I must remain in the good graces of Eraqus, as before with the last Mark of Mastery exam. If the secret of the X-Blade is taken from the Light, then these villains may possibly require our attention. However, if the other Masters have nothing to suspect, or fear from us, Kingdom Hearts will surely be ours and the Keyblade War shall begin anew as planned." Master Xehanort finished the last sentence with a triumphant smile upon his face, pairing it with a fist raised near his chin to further emphasize the feeling behind the words to Vanitas. The chaos that would follow and ensue was surely something Xehanort believed his apprentice would relish in, given the nature of his heart and it's absence of Light.

[Vanitas]

An evil grin suddenly appeared on Vanitas' face. It was Just as he had suspected. Whoever this silver haired man was, he was out for power, and power alone, and did not yet have the necessary information that would allow him to devise a plan on how to obtain it. This meant that if he and his Master stayed one step ahead of this mystery man, then they would have little to fear from him, at least in Vanitas' mind anyway. There was always the potential for more beings to emerge with similar intentions regarding Kingdom Hearts, and the χ-blade, and they would present their own complications, both positive, and negative.

Vanitas listened to his Master's words, and he was able to gather those thoughts into a small, and simple phrase which he felt, summed his Master's words up quite well, and that was that 'deception is key.' Deception had always been a key component of Vanitas' and his Master's plans, for it was absolutely necessary when their plans seemingly went against every belief that the forces of the light believed in, and devoted themselves to. Vanitas did have concerns that his Master would have difficulty 'keeping up appearances' to the forces of light. They were bound to be highly suspicious of him following his previous endeavours with Vanitas, and would likely watch him carefully for anything out of the ordinary.

Vanitas grinned as he watched his Master as a gesture of determination, and confidence that Kingdom Hearts would soon be theirs. He knew that they were destined to succeed, and destroy anyone who got in their way.

However, from what he had gathered, he knew that the pathway to such a goal would be long and difficult, and would require a high amount of patience. Vanitas decided to address his Master's plan, which he agreed would be the scenario that would be most likely to succeed, as to what his own role could play in it. "Master, they will still be very suspicious of you, and as far as I can tell, the only reason that the forces of light would trust you is because you have actually been in their good graces before. I don't have that luxury. While they might be able to trust you again, they will never trust me. Perhaps it would be best if following this meeting, we broke off contact for a while. Any trust that you were to build with them would likely shatter upon discovery that you were still meeting with me. "

The strategy of deception gave all the more reason for Vanitas to seek a new heart of light with which to merge. In particular, someone with a pure heart of light who was not yet aware of their plans, as Ventus most certainly was. Vanitas said to his Master, "I will begin my search for a suitable being with a heart of pure light, and I will continue to meet with Organization XIII to learn more about them, and how best to manipulate the."

[Master Xehanort]

The distant howling of the Graveyard's winds had seemed to die down since the arrival of the two Dark Keybearers, which provided enough stillness in the air for the clouds to slowly disperse, and reveal the vast canvas of stars within the night sky. The setting sun had finally set, pulling the land into a quiet, yet eerie silence that remained watched over by moonlight. It was a comforting sight to see the many Shadows birthed from the shade of the many keys beyond, pierced into the sand of the fields beneath the great cliffs. Master Xehanort regarded this, and that of Vanitas' words with a confident smile as he returned to the edge of the cliff side. The idea that Kingdom Hearts was once more within reach of his grasp, was too much glee for the Master to simply contain within the confines of a mere smile, no. The old man raised his hands to the sky in a wide spread gesture, to acknowledge all the stars and worlds as though he spoke to them, but rather let out a laugh with a tone birthed from evil.

[goldenrod]"Soon, the power of Kingdom Hearts shall be ours, and the worlds shall crumble in the chaos of the Keyblade War!"

[/color] spoke the Master in a loud sense of triumph, slowly bringing his arms back to his side. He addressed Vanitas' intentions with a nod of agreement, knowing full well that any failure with either of these tasks would only come with effort. He expected his apprentice to fulfill his obligations, and prove himself more stronger than Eraqus lackeys. However he was not concerned with Vanitas' possibilities of screwing this up, for he remained confident in the boy's abilities ever still. "Agreed. I shall send for you again when I feel the time is right, Vanitas. Go now and see to these deeds bearing vital importance." he spoke in a softer volume, gesturing away to an empty space of the plateau as he once more took his focus upon the stars.

There were many things that needed to be accomplished in the coming time, and it would require a vast amount of patience. Such a capability had been long obtained by Master Xehanort in his long life, and so expected all good things to come in time, to come to those who wait. No doubt he would have to bide his own time for a short while, then await for any sent by Eraqus to seek him out for whatever absurd reason they had created. Perhaps it would serve to his benefit to seek out some of the Warriors of Light, and inform them of this silver haired man's intentions as well. It would only help lure them away from Vanitas' trail even more, and would bring about the results of the search for a pure heart of Light faster. Fortunately he knew just the place to start in search of any pawns of Light, a rather familiar world that he had visited many times in the past.[/blockquote]

[Vanitas]

Vanitas was somewhat surprised that his Master did not have a little bit more to say. He expected his Master to address some sort of inconsistency with regard to his suggestion that the two keep a low profile for a while. He had expected that he would need to take in at least a few more suggestions from his Master. He was pleasantly surprised that he would not have to do this.

Vanitas was perfectly content on working alone. He was certainly more than capable of doing so, as he had shown his Master several times. He wasn't like some sort of toddler who needed to be given every direction in order to understand what needed to be done. He was quite the opposite in fact. Vanitas grinned as he lifted his helmet above himself, and placed it back on his head, once more covering his face, "Then if you have nothing more to say Master, I'll be on my way." Vanitas suddenly turned around, away from the cliff of the plateau, as a dark portal suddenly swirled into existence, a few feet away. Vanitas then slowly walked towards the portal, and casually walked into it. The dark portal then began to disappear, and a few seconds later, neither the portal, nor the Masked Boy, were anywhere in sight.

[Master Xehanort]

A rather sinister smile crept upon the face of Master Xehanort as he continued to stand upon the moonlit cliff side, even after Vanitas had made his departure to whatever unknown destination he had chosen. It was then that he came to realize that everything that had transpired fifteen years ago, had once again started anew, yet this time around there were many variables in the equation which would undoubtedly alter the way things played out this time. It was without a question that the likes of the silver haired man, and anyone else who sought the X-Blade would be dealt with soon, which only provided the cue for the Master to see about tending to other things first. It was time to lay more seeds of Darkness to sprout within the garden of Light, and in due time, would only better his situation. For many more moments in silence the old man continued to stand upon the vacant cliff side in deep thought, pondering many things as his ever calculative mind broke down various scenarios, and determined the precise equations that would require certain elements to produce the correct result. Like a game of chess he anticipated every move with the most careful of decisions, often taking great time to account for every slightest detail that could result in disastrous terms. It was such thinking that was required of that of a Master of the Keyblade, for the ability for flawless improvisation in the midst of conflict was a vital asset very few possessed in these confusing times. It was then that Master Xehanort had concluded his meditation, and turned to wave a hand over the sport that Vanitas departed from, creating his own Corridor of Darkness from the depths of the earth. Soon he stepped through the dark portal, letting it close behind him as he traversed through the paths of Darkness, to a new world that awaited his influence.

Master Xehanort has left the thread. The thread has ended.