Kingdom Hearts: Destati

[Merlin326]

this is my first attempt at a fan fic of any kind, so criticize lightly. Our story takes place right at the end of Kingdom Hearts 2...
****************

Kingdom Hearts:
Destati

Part 1
Prince of Shadows

Prologue
Paradise lost

Sora, Riku, and Kairi were enjoying yet another day in the sun on the Destiny Islands. Ever since the events with Organization XIII ended a fortnight ago, they had spent everyday on the beach of the islands sparring, running, and doing all sorts of things.

At the moment, Riku was sitting on a sideways growing tree, overlooking the ocean, when Sora ran up and sat down next to him. They were silent for a moment and then Riku spoke.

“Nothing’s changed, huh?” It was more statement than question.

“Nope,” Sora answered, “Nothing will.”

“What a small world.”

“But part of one that’s much bigger,” Sora finished.

“Yeah.”

They were silent for a few moments again and then Sora asked, “Hey, Riku… what do you think it was- the door to the light?”

Riku jumped off the tree next to Sora and pointed at Sora’s chest, “this.”

“This?” Sora asked.

“Yeah. It’s always closer than you think.”

Sora thought about it for a moment and smiled. Then Kairi’s voice broke the silence.

“Sora! Riku!”

Kairi came running up with a bottle in her hand.

“Hey, what’s up?” Sora asked.

“Look,” Kairi said as she held up the bottle. Inside was a message with an insignia on it.

“From the King?” Sora asked and took the bottle. He uncorked it and began to read the letter. Riku and
Kairi looked over his shoulders and read along with him.

Dear fella’s,

I got some bad news and them some worse news, with some good news mixed in. The Heartless are on the rise again and have begun forming some sorta army. Now, as you likely know, Heartless act on instinct. They cannot function in a higher manner needed to create an army of the size we’ve been seein’.

Worse still, it seems that Xehanort has reappeared again. Not his Heartless, not his Nobody, but his full and complete self. We’re not sure just how he managed to come back, but he is definitely behind all the trouble the Heartless have been causin’. This also explains why the Heartless are able to form an army.

However, we managed to find an old friend that may be able to shed some light on this. I’ll get right to the point. Ansem the Wise is alive. Somehow, the explosion back at the Organization’s base transported him to another world. He’s the only reason we have any warning about this Heartless army at all.

Sora, I need you, Riku and Kairi to meet us in Radiant Garden so we can form a strategy. Donald and Goofy will be coming by soon to pick you up.

See you soon.

King Mickey Mouse

“It can’t be…” That was all Sora could say.

“But it is,” Riku said, “Xehanort’s somehow come back and is getting the Heartless together again.”

“Three guesses what he’s after,” Sora said.

They were all thinking the same thing. Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all that existed.

“We’ve got to stop him,” Kairi said, “if he gets control of Kingdom Hearts…” but she couldn’t finish the sentence. Nor did she have to.

“We will,” Sora said, “Xehanort’s not going to be able to getaway from us. We’ve beaten him twice before, we can do it again.”

Suddenly, the ground shook and the sky darkened. Thunder clapped and the waves rolled higher. The island felt like it was breaking apart in two. Then it did.

“What’s happening?” Kairi said, getting to her feet when the shaking died down.

“The…the island…” Sora said, breathless from the sight. The island had split neatly in two, and Heartless were appearing right and left. Everyone summoned their Keyblades and started fighting the Heartless, but suddenly an elderly man and a helmeted being in a jumpsuit appeared from the sky.

“Sora, Riku, and Kairi,” wheezed the old man, “three of the Keyblade Wielders.”

“Indeed, master,” the other being said, “three of those chosen by the Keyblade, three of the chosen protectors of Kingdom Hearts.”

Both beings suddenly materialized Keyblades, and Sora asked, “Who are you?”

“I am the future ruler of everything,” the old man said, “restored to what I was after being foiled by three young pupils of my own: Terra, Ven, and Aqua.”

For some unknown reason, the three names seemed familiar to Sora, but he couldn’t tell how.

“I am the pupil of Master Xehanort,” said the other being, “I am Valzog.”

“Master Xehanort?” Riku asked, “Are you telling me that you’re Xehanort, old man?”

“Indeed, Riku. I am the true power behind that which you fear. I am the soon to be master of Kingdom Hearts. I am Xehanort.”

“Good,” Sora yelled, “then we can finish this now!”

Sora ran at Xehanort and swung, only for a barrier to appear and knock him back.

“You cannot defeat me,” Xehanort said, “I am far more powerful than the last time we fought, Sora. You
are but a fly to me. As are your friends.”

Xehanort held up a hand and bolts of lightning struck all three of them, knocking to near unconsciousness almost instantly.

“Kairi, I shall use you to open the path to the true Kingdom Hearts. Riku, your darkness will make you my puppet once again. And Sora, your heart will be the basis for my new experiment.”

Xehanort and Valzog moved in to capture the three, but suddenly a new voice spoke.

“Finally showed yourself, Xehanort? About time.”

A magic circle appeared in-between Xehanort and Sora and co., and a black haired youth entered through it. He stood easily 6 feet tall, clad in regal looking garments and, in his hand, was a sword etched with magic runes. His black hair ran down to his shoulders, his eyes crimson in color, and his build lean but powerful. And he was only 18.

“Who are you to defy the will of Master Xehanort?” Valzog demanded.

“Call me Xando,” the youth said, “but these three will not be yours this day, Xehanort. I will not allow it! I will stop your tyranny here and now!”

[R0ad H0g]

Cliffhanger! I liked your story, and I can't wait to find out what happens next and who Xando is!

[Ban Mido]

What RH said. I've only read part of it right now, but I'll read the rest later.

[Aceflyheight]

I just finished reading it. It didn't really interest me at first, but I was drawn in as soon as I began to read the King's letter. In my opinion, you're off to a great start and I hope that everybody agrees with me on that. Can't wait to read the next chapter. May the writing gods watch over you. lol

[Merlin326]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying this so far. Actually, that little cliffhanger is going to remain for some time. Part 1 of this story (the story as a whole is much longer than I origionally intended) will focus on the past of Xando, just why he hates Xehanort (or Master Xehanort as he calls himself now) and what his connection to him is. I will also say that Xando has an interesting connection to one of the main characters, but I'll let you speculate on that.

For any who may not recognize it at first, the part of the Prologue up to the contents of the King's letter is based off the ending of KH2. And to clear up any confusion before it arises, Valxog is the name i have given to the Dark Soldier that appears in Birth By Sleep.

Chapter 1 will be up sometime today or tomorrow.
Edit: good news and better news. good news: chapter 1 is up. better news: so is chapter 2.

Chapter 1
Dark world

Now we must interrupt our story about Sora and friends for some time, in order to more easily understand our new character, the regally garbed black haired youth named Xando. Just what are his motives? Here, we will witness the accounts of Xando, Prince of Shadows…


Nowadays, the world was not a safe place. There had been a time when the dark creatures known as the Heartless didn’t roam about and capture hearts at will. Once, the Heartless were kept locked away in a place called Kingdom Hearts. However, that age had passed.
Years ago, the Master of Darkness, Master Xehanort, who now ruled over the world with an iron fist, had destroyed Kingdom Hearts. Some tried to stop him but they had been wiped out easily, and the magical artifact known as the Keyblade destroyed along with Kingdom Hearts. After that, Master Xehanort took the many worlds that existed at the time and merged them into one, which he would rule for eternity.
The Master of Darkness had a son, Xando, also known as the Prince of Shadows. The price was similar to his father in many ways, but in others was completely opposite of him. The prince was emotionless and cold, but not cruel. He had no friends, nor did he need any, but he did not consider himself lonely. And while he didn’t really trust anyone else, he understood the necessity of allies in combat.

Xando was marching to the throne room, where his father waited. He was about to embark on a mission to find and destroy the rebellion base hidden in the desert east of the city. He was heading to his father for a final briefing before he and his unit moved out.
“Have you chosen your weapon for this assignment, sir?” said a tall, hulking giant of a man next to him. This man’s name was E, the prince’s private servant and bodyguard. He stood over seven feet tall, with hands that were the approximate size of spades and deadlier than any weapon.
“Yes, I have,” Xando replied, nearly rolling his eyes. He had picked a weapon hours ago; he thought it best to leave as soon as possible. He wanted to get this mission over with quickly; he never liked the dessert much. For this particular assignment, he had chosen a magic sword from his arsenal of lances, axes, spears, crossbows, bows, and every type of weapon imaginable. Each weapon had been magically gifted.
Without another word, they entered the throne room of Master Xehanort. He was an elderly looking man, perhaps over a hundred years in age. However, he still could wield a sword in combat without difficulty, and his magic was unparalleled. He was bald, the only bit of hair in sight being from his purplish grey goatee. His yellow eyes showed neither mercy nor compassion.
“Ah, you have arrived, Xando,” the old king muttered, “good. Now, let us get this briefing underway, shall we?”
Hours later, they were speeding through the skies to the sector of the desert the rebels were supposed to be hiding. Even so, it was about a 5-mile radius that they had to cover, it was not going to be quick. They landed the craft in the exact center of the area, and spit up into units, each one taking a square mile grid to cover.
However, several hours of searching revealed no trace of a rebel base, and the team regrouped and prepared to head out.
“Several hours of my time, wasted,” Xando mumbled to himself on the flight back, “another dead end.”
“Yeah, it was,” said soldier sitting across from him, “we have to put our necks on the line going out into the most dangerous part of the desert and find nothing but dirt.”
Another soldier was about to comment, when the craft suddenly shook violently, nearly knocking everyone to the floor.
“What going on?” shouted an officer, “pilot, watch where you’re flying this junk!”
“It’s not me!” the pilot shouted from the cockpit, “a storms coming right at us! The wind speed’s what your feeling back there!”
“Then go around!” shouted E.
A bolt of lightning hit the craft and nearly sent it spiraling.
“Not possible now!” shouted the co-pilot, “that bolt knocked out our main engines! Hold on to your lunch, cause things are going to get rough!”
Everyone got back into their seats and strapped themselves down. However, while the pilot may have been the best in the entire city, no ship could take the beating of one of the desserts infamous storms. The flight-craft was sent spiraling into the nearby mountains.

A group of figures cloaked in brown walked slowly towards the wreckage. They had seen the ship crash into the mountain and decided to search for survivors. But now, looking at the ruin, there was no way anyone could have survived.
“The craft exploded on impact,” said one of the figures, “the entire thing went up like kindling. If someone survived the crash, then they burned to death.”
A quick search of what remained proved this statement true. They found the bodies of a complete recon squad.
“Gather what gear is salvageable, leave the rest,” one of the figures said.
However, as they began to depart, they heard a groan. Some distance from the ruins, just around a corner, was a black haired youth.
“This one’s still alive,” said the paramedic of the group, “somehow, he got thrown clear when the ship crashed. He’s lucky he didn’t break every bone in his body.”
“Take him with us,” the leader of the group said, and one figure flung him over his shoulders and they walked away.

Chapter 2
Resistance

Xando awoke to find himself in a cell. Had it not been for one other thing, this fact would have been the most surprising thing to him. That fact was replaced by the surprise that he was still alive in the first place. Their craft had crashed into the side of a mountain; there was no way he could have survived that. He quickly noticed a small girl watching him; she was maybe 8 years old.
“You’re awake,” she said, “about time.”
“Where… am I?” Xando asked, still a bit dazed.
The girl kept silent.
“I’ll say this again. Where am I?”
Still silence.
“Okay. Let’s try something different. Who are you?”
“My name’s… Colette.”
“At last, a response,” he said sarcastically, “now tell me. Where are we?”
“I… can’t say.”
“You don’t know?”
“Oh, I know. It’s just… I’m not supposed to say.”
“Keeping secrets, are we? Do you know who I am?”
“No, not really.”
This surprised Xando quite a bit. Everyone on the planet knew who he was. Before he could say anything else, a masked figure entered the room, flanked by a number of hooded guards with swords.
“I see you’ve awakened,” the masked being said, “Colette, leave us be for a minute. I want a word with our guest.”
The girl left the room, and the guards waited by the door while the masked person unlocked the cell door and entered.
“I know who you are,” the masked being said, “the Prince of Shadows, Xando.”
“Then you know you must return me to the city as soon as possible,” Xando replied, “Else they will send someone to look for me. If they find me here, they may think you kept me here against my will. Let me leave now, and I will not say such, despite the obvious bars.”
“You don’t know who we are, do you?”
“Not really,” the prince admitted.
“We are the Resistance,” the masked entity said, “I am their leader, Z.”
Suddenly the gravity of his situation hit Xando hard. “You’re keeping me prisoner.”
“Smart one, aren’t you,” Z said, not even trying to hide the sarcasm, “The king is certain to pay a pretty price for your return. Until then you will remain comfortable here.”
Z then left the cell, saying, “Colette will tend to your needs. Call her if you need anything.”
And then he was left alone. Xando examined his prison. It was comfortable enough, with a large bed, private bathroom, and such things. There were only two things missing, windows, and a handle on his side of the door.
Xando then spent the next week waiting for the ransom to be complete. Despite himself, he grew somewhat fond of the young servant girl, Colette. She was wiry, had brown pigtails, big green eyes. Somehow, he envisioned her as a sister he never had. He could not understand why he was growing attached to her, though. After all, she was the enemy. She worked for the Rebels. But somehow, the young girl managed to melt the cold layers surrounding his heart.
“Here’s your dinner,” Colette said one night, “hope you like it.”
The meal consisted of bread, vegetables, fruits, and a number of rare spices only found in the dessert, along with some spring water from a nearby oasis. It wasn’t a princely meal, but had gotten used to it. Besides, he thought, I’ve had to eat worse when out on prolonged missions.
“Not bad,” he said, “this stuff’s better than I expected it to be.”
“I hoped you would like it,” she said, “I made it myself.”
“Oh really? You cook too?”
“Yeah, I do a lot of things around the place. I inherited that particular recipe from my mother. It goes great with fish.”
“Where is your mother?”
Colette looked down at the floor, “she… died, along time ago. I was only three. I… don’t really remember much about her.”
“I’m sorry,” and much to his surprise, he really was. He had never known his own mother, so he understood how it felt to grow up without one.
“It’s okay. The Resistance is my family now. And, maybe even…”
Her sentence was cut off as Z entered the room, followed by a number of guards.
“Okay, tomorrow you’re out of here,” he said.
“Finally got your munny, huh?” Xando said sarcastically as Colette scurried out the door.
“Nope, prince boy. It appears that your precious father doesn’t want you. We’ve given him a week to reply, and he has said nothing.”
The news hit Xando harder than a canon ball. “But, maybe he hasn’t gotten it yet.”
“Nope,” Z replied, “our spies in the palace say that he has read the message, but hasn’t done anything about it. Either way, you’re on your own tomorrow. We’ll drop you off into the dessert. Have a nice day.”
And with that, Z left him to ponder his future.

[R0ad H0g]

Nice chapter, it does a good job of explaining some of Xenado's past.

[Merlin326]

Yes that was my main concern as I was working on what is now parts 2 and 3. I realized there were some plot holes (Xando's past, in this case). I thought of doing flashbacks, however i decided that would get confusing after a while (Prince of Shadows takes place maybe 25 years after the events of KH2, assuming the prologue of Prince of Shadows never happened). It maybe a bit confusing but it helps everyone (including me, lol) understand Xando's character a bit better.

and without furthure adue, here is chapter three.

Chapter 3
Revelations

It was midnight. Xando woke up to find Colette quietly entering the room.
“Came to say goodbye, huh?” he asked. He felt empty inside, as if something was missing.
“No,” she replied, “I want to show you something.” She held out her hand to reveal the keys to the cell door.
Xando nearly smiled, “sneaky little girl, aren’t you? But what if they find out you helped me?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, opening the door, “you got to see this. It’s important.”
She quietly led the way through the winding caves and to another locked door at the end of the hall. She used another key and opened it, revealing a number of computers inside.
“Take this,” she said, handing him a data disk, “put it in one of the computers, and watch.”
Xando did as she instructed. Inside the disk, there was one file.
Project: ENDLESS
Xando opened the file, revealing only one visible item, a video. He clicked on the file, and began to watch.
After watching the video, he commented, “very interesting stuff. But what does it have to do with me?”
“There’s more, but it’s… what did he say… in crypt…?”
“Encrypted?” Xando guessed.
“Yeah, that’s it! Encrypted. Something called an Infinity Cipher. I overheard two of our scientists talking about it. They said something about you.”
“An Infinity Cipher, huh? Just perfect.”
“What is an Infinity Cipher, Xando?”
“A series of codes and passwords built around a system. Usually, the codes use a brand new base language. In theory, it takes infinity to decipher it. By the way, where did you get this file?”
“Over there, on that desk,” Colette said, pointing to a small desk in the corner.
Xando walked over to it, and found a pile of documents and papers. The top one caught his eye immediately. He sat down and began to read it, and then grabbed another, and then another, and read them all. By morning, he had finished reading everything on the table, and its revelations shocked him. Colette had fallen asleep on the floor, a blanket provided by Xando covering her.
“What are you doing here?”
Xando turned to find Z standing in the doorway, for once without his guards. Xando got to his feet, his eyes narrowed.
“Care to explain these?” he asked, gesturing to the pile of papers.
“I asked you a question,” Z demanded, “how did you get out of your cell?”
“I want an explanation, Z. These documents are from an old laboratory that was destroyed in a fire a year ago. And they concern me.”
Z struggled to find the words, “that’s… none of your concern. Just get out of here, before I call the guards.”
“I will not leave this room until I have an explanation, Z. Or should I call you Zentra?”
Z gasped behind his mask, “How do you…?”
“I did my homework, Zentra. You were one of the scientists working at that lab. It would be too easy for you to steal some documents and set the place ablaze. While everyone was busy with the fire, you would sneak out, to be presumed dead later on.”
“Your half right,” Zentra said, “I did steal some documents, true enough. However, I never set fire to the lab. Some of my best friends died that day.”
Zentra then removed his mask, revealing his face full of scars and burn marks, “look at this! I got these as I left that inferno! I can’t show my face for fear of someone mistaking me for a monster. And every one has agreed that what went on there was inhumane and better left forgotten. Remember that Xando.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Xando said coldly, as Colette began to wake up.
Zentra replaced his mask, “doing some research, I found out who started that fire. It was Master Xehanort himself.”
This was the biggest shock yet to Xando. “Why would he set fire to his own lab?”
“Because he was afraid. Afraid you would out the truth if you visited that place. He feared you would learn the truth of Project: ENDLESS, the king’s most despicable pet project ever. And he feared you would learn the truth about yourself.”
“And what horrible truth would that be?” Xando asked sarcastically.
“let me show you,” he said, and lead them to his quarters.

[R0ad H0g]

Good chapter, I can't wait for the next one!

[Merlin326]

Okay, chapter 4's up. also i want to add that i will be putting in references (sometimes outright cameos) of various sources. it could be something well know like Harry Pottor or as everyday as Burger King. as a fun way to pass the time until the next chapter, see if you can see what references i have put in this (and other) chapters. and as a final note, the parts of the data logs that are in random gibberish are just things that have not be decoded yet (in story i mean). hint: they contain spoilers.

Chapter 4
ENDLESS

Despite Z’s objections, Colette was accompanying them, curious as always. Inside Z’s personal quarters, he uploaded the disk containing information on Project: ENDLESS to his personal computer. He opened a hidden file and chose one particular document.

Loading...

“There,” he said as the file loaded, “everything you’re asking for is in there. We still have much to decode, the Infinity Cipher is much more complex than we first believed. There are entire folders we still can’t locate.”
He got up from the chair and let Xando sit and read. Though parts of the file were still in code, much of it was readable.

Load Complete.

Data file: 3743866

Codename:
Project: ENDLESS

Log 1
The king has asked us to begin a curious project today. He wishes us to create a Vepbs bwq vwubf, one who has the powers and relatively the same gwper as a jflhfjdshflajdhf sfhp. The king wishes to nas dfijaigj jhfasudhh sighurihge igjieh “super soldier” fidhfieh. With these ihfueoh, he will be able nuininaiafn iefneimfin.. This experiment may prove very interesting…

Log 2
Kjksdal;jgiengibesidpasf sdpsdfbuspdbuegk. It has been a fortnight since we started this project, without results. Akjdsjgaospgakcghaposhgaijsvh sudgoaisdbvudfaosidfhudhfdudhfsdf udsfoaifhsudfh Project: ENDLESS. Asdfhaodfjidjfidf. A young teenage boy, whom jadskfjaspdofihifhueufjifaijsdf asdjfh,, fkdjagj dfiefh. He appears completely ordinary in every way, paosdhfiohdfadfidjf asdfhudhfasdfhsdufhaodfu udfhuasdfhidfh suf science and might even become an ahsfidofhsidfij dfijdfijasdf scientists once this hhasdifhsdfoiafdhfhadfh. .

Log 3
We have created asl;djfsdfj;adkf si successfully today, a baby this time. Sdjafhasdfhidf Xando. Asid will be our final creation for hfadf adsjfhao dufhaus Project: ENDLESS. Now that we have enough ifiasdfhdifhadfh dusfhua beings, we shall begin fahsjdfhdf adf- our test subjects to fahsdfasdf dfhudfh dfu that will fasdjfsndf asdfhdfpasdfh adsfiuadf. They say a god created us humans. If that is true, then what are these things we have created? Moreover, what are we?

[error: logs 4 through 85 cannot be found]

Log 86
The situation aasdfjapofdhaidfajsidf. Many of our test subjects either die asfjasopdfjaosdfj sdfiihdfa ad or manifest adfaoifduapf asdfuhaidf their deaths; test subject 792 grew askfja;slkdfja;klsfj absdfuafabgi. However, a few subjects asjdfhalk;fdja sdfidf side effects. One of our subjects [corrupt data] adfhapof adfasiudjgasdgjisdgpasdg , making him a useful soldier in battle. Asjfakfjaslkjfa sfsangiujdgasdgjas guasgjhuid a good tactician. Then there is that other test subject [corrupt data] eats them for lunch now. Just what is he? Clearly, fasdfja ksdf dfi. And then there is the girl in room 10, aasdifhpahaisdga gidhebdiasd asdjgbaspdgids beu, for unknown reasons. Such a feisty little soul. However, our brainwashing helmets sdf;askfjajsdfhaius fasdfuasdgbejb eaoisduf, such a contrast to her previous state. The only interesting thing about her is fasdfhakjdfhaoiusfd asbfaoiuerhadgfuoaidhfoiae huahefiaehfafoiauefhabeufac eoaufbe when we kidnapped her. That’s interesting…

[error: logs 87 through 98 cannot be found]


Log 99
Final Entry
We are doomed. [corrupt data] psfajhoiaea eupah none of us leave here alive. Asfpasfa sdpnfa turned that fertilizer and gardening supplies we gave him into Ketchup Gas and Nitroglycerin, and the whole complex is now ablaze. Nearly everyone is already dead, from either the explosion or the gas. Asdfja;kdsfj adsfiadfapsdf sdfjbajdsfa gasdgioag, the girl in room 10, the man in room 5 [corrupt data], adsfjadjfha uage few of the scientists. For sure this project is terminated, there is just too much research lost. [corrupt data] Where the others have gone, I know not.
[data error. Remaining part of log cannot be found]


[END OF LINE]


Xando was speechless. He, like everyone else, had heard of the horrible and inhumane Project: ENDLESS. It was public knowledge that the scientists had experimented by putting numerous chemicals in a person’s bloodstream and attempting to change eye color by placing dye in their eyes.

However, Master Xehanort had said that he had been unaware of the more vile experiments, stating he only knew the goal, creating an “ultimate life form” and curing diseases and such things. Nevertheless, to think that he had actually authorized the experiment and its intents as a super soldier project were overwhelming.

Unbeknownst to him, the worst was yet to come. And before it was all over, the one being he called friend would be dead. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Back to the future.
Suddenly, the entire mountain shook. Alarms went off all around the complex.

“They’ve found us!” Z yelled, “All the king’s men must be out over our heads. Get out of here now, Xando! We don’t need you holding us back at a time like this!”

Xando had to make a split second decision. Up until last week, he would have pulled out his weapon and joined the imperial army and lead the attack against the Resistance. But now…

Z did not wait for a response; he had already left twirling his sword over his head. Xando would probably have just stood there, thinking, for some time if Colette hadn’t brought him back to reality.

“We’ve got to go, Xando. This place is going to fall apart before long!”

Xando was instantly back in the game. She was right; the ceiling looked like it would give after another rumbling. Xando nodded, but quickly grabbed the disk on Project: ENDLESS before leaving with Colette.

As they made their way through the caverns, they ran right into a unit of the imperial army. Both sides stopped short at the sight of the other, both surprised by the other’s presence.
“L… Lord Xando?” the lead officer stuttered, “you’re… alive?”
“Y… Yeah,” he replied, “I’ve been here for the last week. Didn’t fath… er the king tell you?”
“He said you had died, like the rest of the unit.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Valzog, the king’s right hand man; one of the few sword fighters that could best Xando in combat, “if he’s been here for a week and hasn’t returned, he must have sided with the enemy. He must die.”

Though hesitant, the soldiers followed the orders of their leader, and raised their weapons and prepared to fire. Xando’s mind raced for a solution that would get them both out alive. He could easily dodge the bullets of their machine guns without injury, but Colette was cowering behind him, and she would be hit if he moved. They were in the middle of a hallway with no doors, nowhere to hide.

“Kill him,” Valzog said emotionlessly, and the soldiers pulled their triggers. In a million to one odds, it
was in that exact instant that a bomb one of the fighter crafts dropped landed right over their heads. The explosion shook the entire mountain, throwing all the soldiers off balance. Needless to say, their shots did not hit Xando, instead hitting the walls and ceiling. Xando took the opportunity to escape with Colette; a cursing Valzog was all they heard behind them.

“idiots,” shouted the second in command of the unit in question, Zig the freed, smacking an
unfortunate new recruit named Stalker upside the head, “ dumbcuffs… sissies. Ve had a traitor in our clutches und you let him zlip away. Go after him und kill Xando. Do you hear me… stupids?”
However, another explosion went off and the unit fell into complete kaos.
-------
Meanwhile, Xando had made a slight detour to retrieve his weapon before escaping the headquarters. With a little help from Colette, he easily found it in the armory. Sitting on the lone table in the room was his magically gifted sword. As he grabbed the hilt, the runes etched along the blade glowed red, matching his eyes. Xando smiled.
“I pity the one who tries to stop us from escaping,” he said. Then they fled the cavern.

[R0ad H0g]

I can't decode the gibberish . Is Zig the Freed the same as Sigfried from Soul Calibur by any chance? Good chapter, I liked the slight change in style to that of a log.

[Merlin326]

sorry, i must have worded that bit strangely. i meant that it is in gibberish on purpose, because (in the stroy) the Resistance hasnt decoded the entire thing yet. Part of Xando's journey is going to be breaking the Infinity Cipher and discovering the startling truth behind Project: ENDLESS. and as for Zig the freed: not the one from Soul Calibur, but it is a Siefreed who uses an overly german accent (that entire section involving him and Stalker is a tribute to a TV show from 60's).

[R0ad H0g]

Two things:
1 What TV show were you refering to and
2 Will there be a completed translation of the log later in the story?

[Merlin326]

The TV show is called Get Smart. probably one of the best spy parodies/comodies of its time.
as for the logs, i will release new bits as Xando uncovers them. by the end of Part 1, nearly all of the logs (as well as a few other ones that were deleated by unknown forces) should be converted into plain english. I also want to point out the "[corrupt data]" parts, these will have importance later on...

EDIT: I'm going to post this new chapter before i go to dinner.

Chapter 5
The calm before the storm…

As Xando and Colette reached the outside, an army of soldiers, Valzog at the head, greeted them.
“How did you get ahead of us?” Xando asked, very, very annoyed.
“I don’t need to answer myself to a corpse,” Valzog said, “men, kill him.”

The soldiers raised their weapons, and Xando motioned for Colette to stay behind while he drew his sword. The unit of soldiers number probably 100, not including Valzog. You had to feel sorry for him, they soldiers would never stand a chance.

Xando held his sword in front of him, and it started to glow. Suddenly, several transparent copies of his sword began to float around Xando.

“Ah, Xcalibur,” Valzog breathed, “the sword with the power to create numerous “ghost images” of itself, all of which can be wielded telekinetically by its wielder. A good choice.”

Then he lunged at Xando, with the army opening fire right behind him. Xando gestured with his free hand
at the soldiers, and then blocked Valzog’s attack with his sword. The two of them were fairly matched. Xando would parry a series of attacks from Valzog and launch a combo of his own, only for Valzog to block and retaliate. The soldiers were not as lucky.

The magical ghost swords, incorporeal enough that the couldn’t be grabbed by anyone but physical enough to decapitate someone, easily cut through the ranks. Before long, the only ones alive on the battlefield were Valzog, Xando, and Colette who could only watch, having no experience in combat herself.

Now things were heating up for Valzog. He was stronger than Xando, and could easily defeat him in a prolonged battle. However, Xando had the advantage of numbers with his ghost swords, allowing him to attack from every possible angle at once. Valzog quickly weighed his options. The choice was easy.

“You win this round,” he said, and then vanished in a corridor of darkness before Xando could follow.

Xando sheathed his sword and dissipated the ghost blades. He and Colette then walked through the dessert for the remainder of the day. The sun was hot, and more than once, they were attacked by roaming Heartless or Nobodies, and the night was cold. Colette, though by appearances was wiry almost sickly looking, managed to cope with the harsh environment surprisingly well.

“So what now, Xando?” she asked as they stopped for the night.

Xando did not answer right away, since he himself did not know the answer. It was unlikely the Resistance was able to repel the empires forces, the odds were maybe a thousand to one against them, and the great dessert stretched for miles in every direction. Aside from the mountain that they had come from, there was nothing on the horizon in any direction.

“We get some answers,” he said finally, remembering the data disk on Project: ENDLESS in his pocket. He
had a “friend” that could possibly break the Infinity Cipher and, for the right price, would “forget” that he had ever stopped by. The problem was he lived back in the city.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I have a feeling Z knew more about Project: ENDLESS then he let on. Something about his tone suggested a bitter connection with the infamous project. I have contact in the city that may be able to enlighten us a bit. And if my theory proves true, Z has a lot of explaining to do.”

Colette decided to change the subject, “Xando, has it always been like this?”
“Could you be a bit clearer by that?”
“I mean, has Xehanort always ruled over the world?”

After thinking about it for a moment, Xando said, “I think it would be wise to compare stories. I will start. Xehanort has only been in power for the past 25 years or so. 25 years ago, he returned. Don’t ask me what that means, I don’t know myself. But he came back from somewhere and destroyed many of the worlds.”
“Worlds?”

“Yes. Back then, the world was actually made of several different, smaller worlds. Each had its own destiny and, for the most part, each was completely unaware that other worlds existed. Anyway, Xehanort came back and began searching for something called Kingdom Hearts. It was the heart of all worlds and the heart of all beings. In short, it was the heart of all that existed.”

“Kingdom Hearts… my mother told me stories about it, long ago.”

“There were a few who tried to stop them, including the Keyblade Wielders. They wielded magical artifacts called the Keyblade, which was connected with the wielders heart and Kingdom Hearts itself. The Keyblade Wielders, or Chasers, were led by a young boy named Sora. He and his friends, Riku and Kairi, led the few remaining Keyblade Wielders of the time in a war against Xehanort.”

“Sora, Riku and Kairi…”

“However, despite their best efforts, Xehanort found Kingdom Hearts and killed one of the Chasers, a king named Mickey. He absorbed all the power of Kingdom Hearts and essentially became a godlike being. Robbed of the power that sustained it, Kingdom Hearts was destroyed, as were the Keyblades connected to it. Xehanort took the many worlds and merged into one that he would rule for all time, while searching for new dimensions to conquer. He slowly killed the remaining Chasers until only Sora, Riku and Kairi remained, who quickly vanished into obscurity.”

Colette quickly realized that Xando was finished, and began her story, “actually, I know a bit more about the fate of those three. Sora, Riku and Kairi vanished into the great dessert, and formed the Resistance. Sora would lead them throughout the years, but he eventually disappeared some years ago. Riku went searching for him, but soon vanished as well. Kairi remained there and lead them for a time, until she grew ill and died.”

“That clears up quite a bit,” Xando commented.

“There… is one more thing,” Colette added quietly, “Sora and Kairi… had a daughter. Me.”

Xando said nothing. It explained a lot. The girl had a strange resemblance to the pictures he saw of Sora and Kairi. She looked very much like Sora, abit with red hair. However, there was an interesting twist that he decided not to reveal at the moment. A recon unit had found Sora 20 years ago, dead.

“How long after Sora vanished did your mother die?” he asked.
“Maybe… a year or two.”
Xando did the math in his head. 18 years ago Kairi dies. Yet, Colette was only 8. Then an idea stuck Xando. A horrible, terrible idea. 18 years ago Kairi dies. Colette is three at the time. 5 years later, she is 8. That would be 13 years ago. 13 years ago…

“Is something wrong?” Colette asked.
“No,” he said hastily, “it’s getting late, we should sleep.”
And while Colette slept the night away, Xando remained awake and contemplated. 13 years ago...

[R0ad H0g]

13 years ago? A cliffhanger, I like it! I thought that the Xcalibur was a pretty cool sword, and overall, your chapters seem to be great every time.

[Merlin326]

Thank you. i think the basis for how Xcalibur works will become obvious as we get towards the end of part one. on a side note, i would like to add that the "unofficial" theme for Colette is the song Fake Wings (dot hack//sign). if one interperates it the way i did... well, it forshadows the future. and as for the next chapter, I'm going to end it with a bang...