Kingdom Hearts III Imagined Final Confrontation
An imagining of the final confrontation of Kingdom Hearts III, based on a theory about Xehanort.
I have never been the type to write fan-fiction, but the buildup of anticipation towards Kingdom Hearts III has had my mind churning for a while now. I've cooked up some pretty hefty theories about how this sequel 10 years in the making will pan out, and so far, none of the new plot points have interfered with them. One of my biggest theories, in a nutshell, is that despite his appearance as an all-powerful, omnipotent criminal mastermind, the man known as Master Xehanort is not acting on his own intentions, and is in fact being directly influenced by an as-yet-unknown third party. I believe we have seen this third party before, many times, or little bits and pieces of it, but you'll have to refer to another one of my writings to find out who I think it is. Anyway, in honor of the release of Kingdom Hearts II.5 HD remix, I present my own interpretation of how I think the Xehanort saga will come to a close, after this third party is removed, and Xehanort is again reduced to just a sad, old man, whose original intent was to use Kingdom Hearts to search for a world that is a perfect balance of light and darkness. Enjoy, and please let me know your thoughts or your own theories in the comments!
Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, the rest of the guardians of light, and Yen Sid confront Xehanort at the door to Kingdom Hearts, after he uses the X-Blade to open it
Xehanort: "After all this time, would you still deny me my one wish? The destiny I have been searching for ever since I left my home? We are standing in the Heart of the cosmos, a doorway that leads to any and all possible worlds! Is there not a world within this Kingdom Hearts in which light and darkness are in perfect balance?"
Yen Sid: "Such a place does exist... inside each of us. We all must find it for ourselves. Have you forgotten those teachings, Xehanort? Each heart is a world unto itself, growing, changing with each new experience, dancing with others, accepting of light as well as darkness. We cannot truly comprehend how many hearts we will have touched in the course of our lifetimes, how many are connected by invisible, interwoven threads to our own. To achieve balance, you must open your heart to the countless others around you, and to the influence of both light and darkness."
Xehanort: "I have no heart! And what threads of it that survive have proven utterly useless! I have nothing left to lose, and a whole world to gain! There is but one place for me, and it is beyond that door! I am finished with you and this sorry place. Now stand aside!"
Xehanort steps into the threshold of the door to Kingdom Hearts, and is consumed by a blinding light. Sora, Riku, and Kairi follow him inside the light, and find themselves back on the Destiny Islands, emerging from the cave in the Secret Place. Xehanort has fallen to his knees on the beach, staring off into the sunset, in a trance. Riku approaches him from the side.
Riku: "Xehanort... What did you find?"
Xehanort (not taking his eyes off the water): "I found... myself. All the versions of myself throughout the many worlds... I saw...everything. Everyone else I could have become."
Kairi: "And what are you feeling right now?"
Xehanort (clutches over his heart, with a pained look on his face): "Sadness. And regret... for a lifetime wasted, traveling a path that leads to nowhere. It was all... folly. I thought I could have achieved immortality."
Sora: "Don't you see Xehanort? There's one way to live forever. Our friends and loved ones keep the memories of us alive. Even if we're worlds apart, and even after we're gone... we live on, in the hearts of others. I thought... you'd have figured that out by now."
Xehanort: "Beautiful." _(stares into space for a little longer, then turns to face Sora) _ "How could I have overlooked it?"
Sora: "Don't you have someone? Anyone? A friend?"
Xehanort: "I... (clutches his chest in pain again, as he sees a vision of Eraqus) did_..."_
Sora sighs, and giving a weak smile, holds his hand out to help Xehanort up
Sora: "Well, maybe now that you're home, you can find them again."
Xehanort looks up at Sora, and cracks a craggy smile, looking happy and sad at the same time
Xehanort: "It's a small world... after all." (Falls face down on the sand, and disintegrates into motes of light)
Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney Interactive and Square Enix