(Harmony's) POV:
Once we took care of the Heartless, Tron places his hand on the panel. A glowing blue light surges from the panel to his arm. After a moment or two Tron removes his hand and smiles.
"I'm as good as new! All my functions have been restored!" Tron exclaims.
"Oh boy!" Donald cheers.
The moment is soon over when we hear an alarm go off. A light from above nearly zaps us. Thankfully, we manage to get out of the way in time.
"Finally. I have full access to the DTD," a familiar voice declares. It doesn't take long for me to recognize it as the MCP's voice. "My takeover of the system is now complete. I might have anticipated such a simple password. What's this? An emergency destruct program for the town. Let's see how it performs."
"No!" Tron exclaims.
Tron places his hand back on the panel then presses its buttons.
"Program! You changed the password!" the MCP exclaims, not sounding happy.
"There, that should buy us some time," Tron says, giving the others and I a reassuring smile.
"Tron! Tell us what's going on!" Sora exclaims.
"The MCP's loading a hostile program into the I/O tower," Tron answers.
"He said emergency destruct program. Does that mean...?" Harada begins to ask.
"It means that if we don't do something quick, Hollow Bastion will be blown up into an oblivion," Madison answers, making all of us not like the sound of that.
"What do we do?" Donald asks, worried.
"We've got to protect the User town. Let's head to the tower!" Tron declares.
We all nod our heads in agreement and run as fast as we can to the I/O tower, with Tron leading the way. A lot of Heartless try to get in our way, but we manage to take care of them. Thankfully, it didn't take long for us to reach our destination.
"It must be total chaos outside," says Tron.
"I think there's gonna be trouble INSIDE, too..." says Madison.
"What're you talking about?" Heisuke asks.
"Take a look," she says, gesturing to a nearby terminal.
I'm not sure what the terminal is showing exactly, but there are a lot of blinking dots on it. Then suddenly, we hear a loud sound coming from outside. Deciding to find out what it could be, we leave the I/O tower, just in time to see a huge Heartless appear.
"I'm disappointed in you, program," the MCP says. "Why do you insist on allying with these selfish Users?"
"Because I want to help them," Tron answers with determination. "Something written in my code commands me to do what is right."
"Really? And what command would that be?" the MCP asks.
Tron shrugs his shoulders. "I can't really say for sure," he says, glancing at me and the others.
I smile at Tron. "It's because we're friends. They always help each other no matter what, to show how much they care about each other. They even promise to have each other's back whenever one of them needs help," I say, earning a nod of agreement from the others.
"Look out!" Hijikata exclaims, just in time for us to avoid an attack from the Heartless.
The Heartless then shoots out lasers, creating huge walls. The walls prevent us from escaping. Seeing that our only option is to take care of the Heartless first, we end up with no other choice but to fight. The fight proved to be difficult, since this Heartless was really fast and fought more like a computer program than a typical monster, but we were somehow able to defeat it.
The Heartless' body crashes to the ground, then starts to give off a bright glow. Thinking that it might explode, all of my friends and I take cover. Thankfully, in the end, it only creates a small explosion, making it not so life threatening. Once that was taken care of, the others and I head back to the I/O tower.
Tron doesn't waste any time on working on the terminal. Not only is he trying to prevent the MCP from using the dataspace, but he's also trying to get us back to Hollow Bastion. Since it would take too long to head back to the Pit Cell, he figured it would be quick for us to leave through the I/O tower.
"I really owe you one," Tron says all of a sudden. "With all my functions up and running, I think I've got a chance of getting system control away from the MCP. Now I'd better get to work. It's what my User would want."
"What Ansem would want..." I say.
I get that Tron means well, but...My friends and I know exactly what kind of person Ansem is. It was the reason why we had to defeat him, after all. I'm sure there must've been a time when Ansem was a kind and caring person.
In the end, however, he ended up becoming twisted; a mad man who was obsessed with darkness. But Tron doesn't know that. He doesn't know anything about what happened to Ansem. I turn to my friends, wondering if we should tell Tron the truth. They all nod their heads, telling me that he has the right to know.
"...Tron..." I say, then sigh. "There's something you need to know. We didn't get the password from Ansem. We just sort of found it, back in the User world. It was kind of an accident. And also...It's a long story, but Ansem--he was our enemy. I mean, he still is, but...Ansem did a lot of horrible things, so we had to get rid of him. Even though he's gone for good, he's still our enemy."
"Well, actually...he's my enemy too," Tron says, momentarily stopping from what he was doing.
Tron's words catches us by surprise. If nothing else, it made us confused.
"What do you mean by that?" Mieu asks.
"Ansem took ENCOM's original system and customized it for his own use. I was part of the original system, and Ansem modified me, too. So that makes him my User," Tron explains. "But Ansem is also the one who brought back the MCP. The Ansem I first knew wouldn't do that."
"Hold on. I thought you said you didn't know who created the MCP," Asch points out.
"You were lying," says Saito.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Tron apologizes, his expression filled with shame and regret.
"That's okay...It's just that..." I try to say, a little speechless.
"Now I REALLY don't get it," says Sora.
"I don't...understand it either," Tron says, just as confused as the rest of us. "But I think Users, like you, are going to be the ones who will finally figure it out. You have the ability to take illogical routes and still arrive at the answers you seek. Now go--before the MCP starts acting up again!"
"And what are we supposed to do once we get back to the User world?" Okita asks.
"Any data you need from the DTD can be accessed directly through my User's terminal. I'll keep a dedicated access channel open for you," Tron answers. "I changed the password, so you won't have to worry about the MCP for a while."
"Access channel?" Sora asks, confused.
Tron chuckles. "I knew you'd ask."
"Translation, please," Heisuke pleads, his expression showing that he now has a headache from trying to understand Tron's explanation.
"Think of it as a special door that only WE will be able to use," Madison explains.
Tron nods his head. "It's a very important link between our worlds. It's how we stay connected," the moment he says that, a light appears around us, meaning that it's time for us to go. Tron smiles at us. "You...my friends...are the new password."
At first, I'm confused of what he means by that. But after some quick thinking, I soon realize the meaning behind his words.
"Thanks Tron, for everything! Take care of yourself!" I exclaim, giving him a smile.
"You too! And give my best to the Users!" Tron exclaims, giving us a thumbs up.
With that, my friends and I leave, being transported back into the User world. Before I know it, we're back in front of Ansem's computer, where Leon was waiting for us.
"Well, that's that!" Sora exclaims with a smile.
Leon smiles back. "Look," he says, pointing to the computer behind him with his thumb.
The others and I look at the computer screen. There are tiny computer versions of me and the others with words that read 'Thank You!' underneath them.
"Must be a message from Tron," Nagakura says.
"I think you're right," says Harada.
"Tron...hang in there," I say, still worried about what the MCP and Commander Sark might do to him while the others and I are gone.
"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's tougher than he looks," says Madison.
"So, where do we start?" Leon asks.
"Thanks to Tron's help, we can now access the DTD," Hijikata points out.
Leon nods his head, then starts pressing the computer's buttons. A thought then comes to me.
"Hey, Leon? Where's Dad and the King?" I ask.
"They're both checking the situation in town. They'll be back soon, so don't worry," my brother says. "Hey, look, it's asking for a password."
"Better let me handle this one," Madison says. Leon makes way for her, then she starts pressing the buttons. "Tron changed the password so that the MCP wouldn't mess around with the DTD. He even gave us a hint."
"Oh? What kind of hint?" Leon asks.
"He said that his friends are the new password. And that's us, mieu!" our cheagle friend exclaims.
"In other words, he was talking about our names," says Okita.
"That's...to the point," says my brother.
"Well?" Sora asks, looking a little impatient.
"Give me a moment!" Madison exclaims, giving Sora an annoyed look as she continues putting down our names. The screen then changes, showing something else, making Madison smile. "That did it. We're in."
My brother places a hand on my shoulder, gaining my attention. "I have to go into town. Need to see what that last shakeup did."
"You're not gonna check out the data? It wasn't exactly easy to get!" Sora complains.
"Quit complaining. We can look at the data ourselves, and tell Leon all about it later. You're a man, aren't you? So, shape up," Hijikata reprimands.
"I'm coming right back. Hey, Harmony, why don't you get started on loading the data and copying it down?" Leon asks. "It's just a few keystrokes. Easy, right? And Sora, DON'T break it."
With that, Leon leaves the room, while Sora pouts at my brother's words. "Stupid Leon! Acting like I don't know anything!"
Luke speaks up. "Well, you did try to break it earlier."
"I still don't understand any of this computer stuff," says Heisuke.
"Agreed," says Saito.
"Which is why I'm going to be doing all of the computer related work," Madison offers. "Now, then, what should we look up first?"
"Riku and Kairi!" Sora quickly answers.
Madison gives Sora an annoyed look. "I told you before, Riku is fine. We just sort of split up to cover more ground," she says.
"Then why not just Kairi and Chizuru?" Harada asks.
Madison nods her head, then presses a few buttons. However, when she was done, the screen shows an icon that reads 'Data Error'.
"No good. Guess even Ansem's computer doesn't know their location," she says.
"Dammit!" Hijikata exclaims, angered by this.
"No way...Even Ansem's computer doesn't know..." Sora says, looking sad. "Don't you know anything...? Anything at all?"
"Let's try something else," Luke suggests. "Like the Nobodies or the Organization."
Madison presses the buttons on the computer and a new screen pops up. "Okay, now we got something."
The others and I try to take a look ourselves. On the screen is some sort of file with the Nobodies' symbol on it, along with a lot of words.
"What does it say?" Asch asks.
"Hold on..." Madison says, pressing some more buttons to take a closer look at the file.
However...
"The data is corrupt," the computer voice says.
"What?" Donald questions.
"Let me try again," says Madison. "There!"
"The data is corrupt," says the computer voice.
"Are you kidding me?" Asch questions.
"What is wrong with this piece of junk!? It doesn't know anything! Okay! That does it! Stupid computer!" Sora yells, then starts to slam his hands on the computer's keys.
"Sora!" Goofy exclaims, worried, trying to hold Sora back.
Madison quickly smacks Sora on the head, and then shoves him out of the way. "How many times do I have to tell you!? Computers are very delicate! You're going to make it worse!" she yells.
"But we need to find Kairi and Chizuru, right? We also need to learn more about the Organization, but it won't tell us anything!" Sora exclaims.
"I can see that. But haven't you realized it yet?" Madison asks.
"Realized what?" Okita questions, looking a little annoyed with our situation.
Madison sighs then crosses her arms. "Either we're looking at this the wrong way, or someone else got to this computer before we did, making it impossible for us to find the information we need," she explains.
Her words then start to make us think.
"You think Ansem might've done this years ago, to prevent us from looking at any of the files?" Asch asks.
"It's possible. But like I said, maybe we're also looking at this the wrong way," Madison explains. "I'd like to try something else. But I can't do that unless you let me, and promise to stop trying to break the computer. And by that, I obviously mean YOU, Sora."
Sora then starts to become nervous, afraid of the glare Madison is giving him. "Okay, okay! I promise!" he exclaims.
"Good," she says, then turns her attention back on the computer. "Okay. Let's see if this works. 'Ansem...the...Wise...'" the others and I become confused, wondering why she would look that up. Then, on the computer screen, an image of an old man appears. "It worked!"
"What do you mean, 'it worked'? Who is that guy?" Nagakura asks.
Before Madison can answer, a familiar voice speaks up. "Welp, I see ya got things workin!"
My friends and I then notice the King, Amaterasu and my Dad, who seem to have returned.
"Oh, Your Majesty!" Donald and Sora exclaim in sync.
The King holds a finger to his lips, reminding us to be quiet.
"Welcome back," says Mieu.
"Thank you," says my father. "Now then, we can finally find the answers we need."
"About that..." I begin to say.
"But it keeps on sayin' the data inside's all ker-skuffled," Goofy explains.
"It's true. When we tried to look up any information regarding the Nobodies or the Organization, the data appeared to be corrupted. I think someone might've hacked this computer on purpose, to prevent us from investigating any further," Madison explains.
"All we got is a picture of some guy we don't know," Luke says, gesturing to the man on the computer screen.
The King and my dad look at the screen, and their eyes widen with shock. "Ansem the Wise!" the King exclaims.
"How did you find this?" my dad asks.
"All I did was type in 'Ansem the Wise' and then it showed up," Madison answers. "I figured that instead of trying to find what we're looking for, we should try to look for something that we aren't looking for. And so, Ansem's picture appeared."
"Uh, Madison? What are you talking about?" I ask, confused.
"Come on, are you guys teasing us again?" Sora asks.
"Madison, you were right there with us when we came face to face with Ansem, remember?" Luke points out.
"Did you forget what Ansem looked like, Madison, Your Majesty?" Donald asks.
"Of course I do!" the King exclaims. "And this is him! I'm positive!"
"It is definitely Ansem," my dad says.
At this, the others and I start to become worried.
"Dad, are you and the King feeling alright?" I ask.
"Excuse me? Could you come this way, please?" Sora asks, gently dragging Madison and the King by the arm, while I do the same with my dad.
We head back to the study, then have Madison, my dad, and the King stand in front of Ansem's portrait.
"Look, THIS is Ansem," I say, gesturing to the portrait. "You know, the guy we all worked really hard to defeat?"
"Oh, that's right--we never finished explaining," the King says in realization.
"Explaining what?" Harada asks.
Madison sighs. "It's kind of a long story."
"For starters, the man in the picture is definitely the one who tried to take over Kingdom Hearts--the one that Harmony and her friends defeated. But, what they actually fought was his Heartless," my dad explains.
"Basically, who we fought back then wasn't really Ansem. Never was. It was just some psycho who went around telling everybody that he was," says Madison.
The others and I slowly process all of this.
"You mean..." I begin to say.
Madison quickly covers her eardrums, already predicting mine and the others' reactions. "WHAAAAT?" the others and I scream out in sync.
"You mean we went through all that trouble to defeat an imposter?" Asch asks.
"Yep. A fake. But he still had to be stopped," says the King.
"I can't believe this..." Hijikata says, pinching the bridge of his nose, looking as though he just received a headache from all of this.
"And you...You knew this whole time?" Luke asks, facing Madison, who uncovers her ears.
"Hey, it was a shock for me, too, when I found out," Madison says.
"Aw, I can't believe it..." says Donald, who is still processing this just like the rest of us.
"Hold on! If this man was a fake, then what happened to real Ansem?" Saito asks.
"That is one of the mysteries that we have been trying to figure out," my dad answers. "Some of the Organization members, who tried to come after us, are actually people who used to be residents of Hollow Bastion."
At that, my eyes widen in shock, as I recall Isa, who claimed to be a member of Organization 13.
"You mean...like Isa?" I ask.
"So, you've seen him already?" my dad asks. I nod my head, then my father sighs. "You see, while trying to figure out what the Organization's goal could possibly be, we soon found out that some of the Organization's members were all Ansem's apprentices, who helped him in his research. That's why our investigation brought us here, to Ansem's computer."
"Ansem the Wise should know all about Organization 13's plans, and what's been happening to the worlds," the King says. "I'm pretty sure he'll give us some help."
"But how do you know he hasn't become a Nobody himself? Just what kind of research were they doing?" Okita asks.
"That we don't know. Ansem was a peace-maker, which is why everyone in this world looked up to him for guidance. But whatever it was Ansem and his apprentices were trying their research on, it most likely didn't end well. One apprentice, this man in the portrait, tried to use Ansem's research for evil purposes, which ended up turning all of Ansem's other apprentices into Nobodies, thus creating Organization 13," my father explains. My father's words make us realize how horrible this 'fake' Ansem really is. I mean, how could he do that to all those people? Some of my friends even glare at the man's portrait, obviously thinking how twisted the man really was to have done such a thing. "We're not even sure where Ansem is right now, but we definitely need him for answers."
"Ya know, we came close to finding him once..." the King says.
"We've even been exchanging whatever information we could find, whether it had anything to do with Ansem or the Organization, by having my chimera deliver our messages back and forth. Since the Organization is unable to tell the difference between the presence of a Heartless, we figured that would be our only option to get in touch with one another, without having any trouble," Madison explains.
As we all try to process all of this, Goofy hums, thinking for a moment.
"Don't tell me there's more? I'm lost enough as it is!" Sora whines.
"Well, let's see. Some feller named Ansem, who wasn't really Ansem, became a Heartless. Does that mean a Nobody got created when that happened, too?" Goofy asks, making a valid point.
"Yup!" the King exclaims.
"'Fraid so. When a person with a strong will becomes a Heartless, that strong will will also create a Nobody. And some of us I'm sure remember pretty well of how powerful that Heartless was when we fought him," Madison explains. "And believe it or not, that Nobody is actually the leader of the Organization."
"Whaaaat?" the others and I ask in sync, just after Madison covers her ears again.
"I'm not sure how much more my head can take all of this..." says Nagakura, who looks drained.
"You and me both," says Harada.
"I know I've met this fake Ansem before, and I've seen the leader of Organization 13, too," the King says.
My father nods his head in agreement. "As have I. If nothing else, it felt as though I was around the same person."
"Then, where did you both meet him?" I ask.
My dad and the King think for a moment. "It was years ago, but I don't know when," my father says.
"Gosh...we can't remember," the King answers, with his arms folded together. "Ansem the Wise--the real Ansem--must know the imposter's true identity. That's why we've got to find him and ask him about it."
"Will we finally be able to get some answers then? About the Organization?" I ask.
My father nods his head. "Possibly."
"You...!" Sora exclaims, glaring at the portrait. "You started all of this! Because of you, Riku and Kairi..."
I place a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Sora, I know how you feel, but you need to calm down," I say.
Madison nods her head in agreement. "She's right. No point in taking it out on a painting of the guy."
Sora looks at us, and then sighs, acknowledging mine and Madison's words. I then decide to quickly change the subject.
"By the way, Your Majesty, have you or Dad heard anything from Riku?" I ask. The King and my father both straighten themselves at my question. "Madison told us that he's fine, but...Have you two received any recent messages from him lately?"
"He's..." the King begins to say. "I'm sorry. I can't help."
The way the King is acting, I can tell that he's hiding something. Even my friends begin to notice, too. Just what is it that the King isn't telling us about?
"Really, Your Majesty?" Sora asks, moving to stand right in front of the King. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sorry, Sora," the King says, looking away from Sora.
I shift my gaze to my father, hoping for some answers, but he immediately looks away. "Then what about Kairi?" I ask. "Organization 13 kidnapped her, along with a girl named Chizuru."
"What?" my father asks.
"Oh, no!" the King exclaims.
"It's true! When Madison and Riku had us sent to Twilight town, this guy, Axel, appeared not long afterwards. He came and took Kairi and Chizuru away," Sora explains.
"Which is why we came here in the first place, to get our own answers. But first, answer me this...How and why did you bring us back from the dead?" Hijikata questions, glaring at my father.
As much as I don't like the look my dad is receiving, I can't say that I blame Hijikata for being angry. Who knows what thoughts must be swirling through his head right now. And it's not just him: Okita, Saito, Heisuke, Harada and Nagakura...There's no telling how long they've been waiting to get the answer to the question they've been meaning to ask.
"......I'm also curious. I know you must've had your reasons, Dad. And I've enjoyed traveling with Hijikata and his friends, but...I don't think I like the idea of the dead being brought back to life. You shouldn't go desecrating people like that," I say, being honest with how I feel.
My dad sighs, then speaks up. "...The power of waking. It's used to help free people from their slumber."
"Slumber? We weren't asleep! We actually died, back in our home world, when there was a war going on!" Okita yells, not liking my father's answer.
"Not exactly. You weren't really dead at all," says my father.
"Explain," says Harada, who's giving my father a confused and irritated look.
"True, your bodies were gone, but your hearts never faded from that world. Either you had a strong attachment to the living, or something else was keeping your spirits there. I'm not sure what it was that kept you there, but one thing I do know is that the six of you were dead and asleep at the same time," my father explains.
"Is that even possible?" Asch asks.
"It has happened before, yes. At first, I knew Harmony would need more help in order to fight against Organization 13. So, I began my search on finding people who might be capable of lending her the help she and her friends needed. That's when I stumbled upon the world you come from. At first, I was confused on how it was possible for six men to be dead, yet still clinging onto the living. Never seeing such a thing before, I started to investigate," my father explains. "Eventually, my search led me to hear stories about the warriors of the Shinsengumi, who fought with all their might for what they believed in."
"And who did you hear those stories from?" Nagakura questions.
"Your friend, Chizuru," Dad answers, making all of our eyes widen with shock.
"...You met Chizuru...?" Heisuke asks.
"I did. While hearing her talk about you, it was then that I realized that the bond she shares with each of you is what kept your hearts alive, even though your bodies had already experienced death. I don't think she was aware of it herself. But I wasn't the only one who was curious about this phenomenon; the Organization also began to notice it themselves, which put Chizuru in danger," my father explains. "They thought that they could possibly turn the six of you into Nobodies, to fill in their ranks."
"WHAT!?" Donald, Goofy and Mieu ask in sync.
"Turn us into Nobodies?" Saito asks.
"Like we'd ever do that," Okita says.
"Even if Chizuru was held prisoner?" Dad asks. At this, we listen closely to Dad's story. "Because you are well acquainted with Chizuru, they knew that if you refused, they would make you join their ranks, by holding her captive. So, I did what I thought to be right. By using the power of awakening, I was able to restore your bodies to what they once were, then had you sent to Twilight Town, where you met my daughter and her friends. After that, I later had Chizuru transported to the islands that Harmony grew up on, where I thought she might be safe."
"But she wasn't. She wasn't safe. The Organization found her then, and they found her again in Twilight Town. And now they have her in their clutches, along with your daughter's friend!" Hijikata exclaims, on the verge of yelling.
"I know what I did was unforgivable. If you wish to hate me, then go ahead. But I do plan on taking responsibility. If you want to take my life, fine. All I ask is that you do it after we save Kairi and Chizuru, and put an end to the Organization," my dad requests.
Hijikata and my dad continue to look each other in the eye, neither one of them refusing to back down from this fight. The suspense becomes unbearable. Then, after what felt like an eternity, Hijikata sighs.
"Now I know where Harmony gets it from," Hijikata says. "Standing tall, being reckless, and taking responsibility for their actions...I guess what they say is true; like-father-like-daughter," the others and I become confused, wondering what he means. Even my father doesn't seem to understand. When no one says anything, Hijikata continues. "I'm still not happy with what you did. Your actions put my woman in danger. But you obviously had your reasons, so I'm willing to cooperate. But...When this is all over, I am going to give you a beating. Clear?"
My father smiles, probably satisfied with Hijikata's words. "When that happens, I'll be sure to take it head on with no complaints."
"What about you guys?" I ask, my attention on Hijikata's friends. "If you want to back out of this, I'll understand."
"Do you really need to ask?" Okita rhetorically asks.
"After everything we've been through, I think it's a little late to back out now," Harada points out.
Nagakura nods his head in agreement. "Even if we did decide to to call it quits, it's not like we can go back home and pretend none of this happened. Everyone in our home world thinks we're dead."
"Besides, the Organization has Kairi and our friend. We can't just let this one go," Heisuke says, determined.
"It's settled then. You'll just have to put up with us," says Saito.
I smile, glad to know that we all get to keep traveling together. And it's not just me. Asch, Luke, Mieu, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Madison, my dad and the King seem to be relieved, too.
"Harmony, everyone. Kratos and I were plannin' to go get help from Ansem the Wise. But--now I know I forgot the most important thing. Helping others should always come before asking others for help. We're safe and sound--and free to choose! So there's no reason we shouldn't choose to help our friends," says the King, who smiles from ear to ear. "Let's look for Riku, Kairi and Chizuru together."
The moment he says that, the whole place shakes all around us.
What the heck was that!?