061: Untangling the Kingdom Hearts Saga Part 8 (Union Cross 3)

Welcome back to my long recap and summary of the Union Cross story! We’re finally almost done… this is the last installment. I’m not going to say that all your questions will be answered here because, well, it’s Kingdom Hearts. But a lot of them will be resolved. And that’s all we can hope for. If you would like to catch up on my previous Kingdom Hearts posts, you can check them below:

Maleficent and her foul breath. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

A brief recap of the story so far: The Master of Masters gave five of his apprentices a copy of the Book of Prophecies, roles to fulfill, and the title of Foretellers. The Book contained a chronicle of future events and the power to recreate future Worlds and their inhabitants in realistic projections. The sixth apprentice, Luxu, was given the Master’s Keyblade No Name which contained one of his eyes, and a black box that he was never to open. His role was to observe, thereby creating the Book.

Each Foreteller recruited young Keyblade Wielders to their Unions. One of these was the protagonist of the story, the playable character. (Hereafter referred to as Player and with male pronouns.) Player visited many Worlds and had many adventures, but little did he know that he’d done it all before. His memory had been wiped after a traumatic event known as the Keyblade War.

The Foreteller’s Unions fell into chaos ended in the War, which cost the lives of many Wielders, after which the Foretellers disappeared. Before this, Master Ava fulfilled her role by handpicking Wielders to become Dandelions. The Dandelions would go on after the War, visiting Data versions of the Worlds to collect Lux and recreate the real World. The Wielder’s memories were wiped to prevent them from remembering the War., all except for the Union Leaders. The five new Union Leaders have been embroiled in a murder mystery as one of their ranks, Strelitzia, was murdered and replaced. After investigating, it was revealed that the murderer was the living embodiment of Darkness itself, inhabiting Ventus.

We pick up now with the fallout from that discovery…

As Brain, Ephemer, and Skuld discuss Strelitizia’s murder and wonder why Darkness targeted her, Laurium overhears and staggers into the room, still weak from his fight with Maleficent. He wants to know why they think she was targeted and for what reason. (Remember he doesn’t know yet that she’s dead, although he does suspect it. And they’ve so far left him out of their talks with Ventus until they know more.) Laurium loses his cool and demands to know what they’re talking about. He grabs Brain by his stylish lapels, backhanding Ephemer when he tries to intervene. (Laurium is showing some of the villainous Marluxia he will eventually grow up to be after losing his heart and falling in with Organization XIII.)

Brain calmly explains that he’s realized this is Darkness’s plan. To cause a rift between the Union Leaders by instilling fear, doubt, and anger into them. It wants to turn their hearts against each other. Skuld convinces Laurium to let go of Brain and let them explain. But before they can do so, Ventus walks in, his guilt making him confess that he as responsible for what happened to her. Laurium limps over to a crying Ventus, demanding to know what the boy did to his sister. When Brain tries to stop him, Laurium summons his Keyblade and throws Brain back. Before he can strike Ven down, Ephemer summons his own Keyblade and blocks Laurium. On the floor, Ventus laments that it wasn’t really him who did it.

Darkness takes this moment to emerge from inside Ventus. Brain identifies that the shapeless shadow must be the true form of Darkness.

Luxu and MoM’s meeting. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Back in the flashback, Luxu asks the Master of Masters if he’s ever spoken with Darkness. He confirms that he has, but they weren’t able to communicate well. Darkness thinks differently from humans. Luxu asks if Darkness can understand them. MoM says yes and explains that it can understand them well because Darkness watches them all the time and could even be watching them right now. This rattles Luxu, who looks around. MoM laughs and lets him know Darkness isn’t in the room with them. They only approach people if there is a good reason. Interestingly enough, MoM’s speech changes here to use plural pronouns, indicating there is more than one entity of Darkness.

Luxu asks what will happen to the Dandelions if Darkness targets them. MoM says that they’d be in danger because Darkness is manipulative and unpredictable. But this can work in the Dandelion’s favor also, since Darkness has an aversion to those who are pure of heart. They also cannot understand human nature and motivations. Due to this inability to understand, they will always be enemies of humans. MoM has no idea what Darkness’s endgame is.

Laurium is about to lose it. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Back in the Foreteller’s Chambers, Brain calls Darkness a cliché since it appeared as a formless shadow. Darkness disregards this comment, stating that usually it’s invisible. When it is noticed it can take on a form and voice that humans can understand. Ephemer demands to know what Darkness wants. Darkness states that it wants nothing, it simply is… their actions don’t serve a greater purpose or goal unlike humans.

Laurium asks if that’s so, why did it do what it did to Strelitiza? Darkness responds that it was Ventus’s will. Skuld argues that Ven is gentle and would never wish that on anyone. Darkness agrees, but says that Ventus wanted power… making him a Union Leader was the way Darkness fulfilled that goal. They argue against this too, saying that Ven would never want power that was taken from someone else, not even a stranger.

This is just what MoM was saying… Darkness views things outside of human morality and reason. From Darkness’s perspective, the top Dandelions were the Union Leaders. The easiest way to give Ventus power was to make him into one, because at this point the Leaders were as powerful as you could get. Laurium realizes that it could have been any one of them… his sister was killed for an entirely senseless and meaningless reason. Laurium attacks but is easily knocked aside.

Brain asks Darkness why its actions are benefiting Ventus and Darkness explains that it read the Book of Prophecies— or at least the parts it was interested in— while it was still being written… which means it read it along with the Master of Masters. Ventus becomes a vessel for Darkness in the future (in Birth By Sleep) and so Darkness figured why not now? Ephemer asks if it is allied with their Master and Darkness says no, it has no need to ally itself with humans. But they are “old friends”.

Time to fight. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Brain asks why Darkness stopped hiding. Darkness explains that it wasn’t hiding. The humans just never noticed them before. Now that they’ve acknowledged Darkness, they have taken form. Brain, ever the shrewd one, notices that Darkness is using plurals and asks if there are more than one. Of course… shadows outnumber light. Brain asks his final question. Is this the only Darkness in the room at the moment? Yes. Brain summons his Keyblade and tells Ephemer and Skuld (the only ones left standing) to get ready. Brain leaps into action, attacking Darkness.

Quick side note: Brain’s Keyblade looks different from the others. Ephemer and Skuld use the default Starlight Keyblade that all new Wielders use in Union Cross. Ventus uses one we’ve seen in 358/6 Days, which is different from the one he uses in Birth By Sleep. (Having lost his memory, he likely couldn’t summon this old one anymore and needed a new Keyblade.) Laurium uses the Divine Rose, which is the Keyblade granted from the Beast’s Castle World. Brain, though, uses a Keyblade that looks an awful lot like the Keyblade used by Ventus’s future Master and Xehanort’s future friend Eraqus. (It’s called the Master Defender.) Why do they have the same Keyblade? Well, that would be spoiling things… I’ll get into it in a future post. Just file away the information until then.

Another boss battle. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

This whole time Player has been investigating the invading World with Wreck-It-Ralph, Vanellope, and the others. (See last post… as with all the Disney Worlds, the episodes and sequences there were interspersed with the other story cutscenes, and I chose to put them all together to save time and make it easier to read.) After stopping the Cy-Bugs in the Candy Kingdom, the Darkling that was following Player appears, merged with a Cy-Bug.

After Player defeats it, Cirithy points out that just as the Cy-Bugs were drawn to the Beacons set up in their game, the Darklings appear to be drawn to Keyblade Wielders. Which explains why the Darkling was following Player around, even though its statement of “Not you” probably meant that Player wasn’t the one it was looking for, and neither was Ephemer. So who was it looking for?

An interesting exchange happens after Vanellope crosses the finish line and rejects the notion that she’s a Princess. No matter what she was designed to be, she knows in her heart she’s a racer. Cirithy points out that sometimes people aren’t what they seem. In fact, inside Player’s heart could be a whole different version of himself. But if that version belonged to darkness…

With all the loose ends tied up in the final Disney World, Player decides to meet up with the Union Leaders to fill them in on what he’s learned and to see if the glitches have stopped now that the new World is stabilized.

The end is near. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Back in the flashback, Luxu is still worried about the Dandelions. MoM tells him that there’s light in the future, so that’s proof they’re going to be okay. He then admits that he didn’t read the whole Book of Prophecies because it’s too long. So he doesn’t know the fates of each individual. Luxu is taken aback by this… why wouldn’t he read all of it, considering their fate depends on the Dandelion's success? The Master points out that Luxu’s role is to keep watch over everything anyway, so he might as well watch the Dandelions too. But he can only watch. He cannot interfere in any way, no matter what happens.

In the present, Luxu stands on the hill at the outskirts of Daybreak Town, watching as the glitches spread and form a storm over the clock tower. The Dandelions are almost out of time and the World is about to end… again. Luxu was told to watch as the World ended, but the Master told him to do one more thing.

“What’s in the box?” (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

In his memory, Luxu remembers the Master giving him the No Name Keyblade and the mysterious Black Box. (We saw this sequence in Back Cover— see Part 1 for more info) but now we see the end. After presenting the Box and forbidding Luxu from ever opening it, Master relents to his Apprentice’s curiosity and tells him what’s in it. (Of course we don’t get to hear.) All Luxu can ask is why that would be in the box. Master says he doesn’t want to ruin the surprise, but he will give a hint. “When darkness strikes at dawn and the lifeboat departs, this world will have fulfilled its purpose. If that happens you have to see it through to the end and take a corridor to a new world as fast as you can.” The whole purpose of all of this was to nurture the Dandelions… the seeds of light that can be sown in the future. A future where the successors to the Dandelions will finally be able to stop the Darkness for good.

This, interesting as it is, doesn’t really shed much light on what’s in the Box… but it does seem to indicate that whatever it is will help the Dandelions make it to the future.

Darkness’s plan. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

In the Foreteller’s Chamber, the battle against Darkness wages on, with Skuld being knocked out. Brain is soon disarmed and Ephemer admits he can’t win alone. Darkness has no real interest in fighting. Brain says that he doesn’t believe Darkness has no agenda. It seems desperate to get in their way. The mysterious entity explains that data transfer requires a signal. The hearts and minds of humans use signals also and they underestimate how easily Darkness can ride those signals. They can easily spread and infect everyone. Skuld and Brain recover and stand against Darkness again. Skuld won’t let it get away with hijacking Ven and killing Strelitzia.

Darkness explains that they are one and many at once. But to be one requires will. Possessing Ventus they were able to divide into pure light and pure dark. In this process it was able to become willful and distinct. Laurium recovers and has accepted that it was Darkness who attacked his sister, not Ven. He also stands with them. Darkness states that one more ally won’t matter. That’s when Player and Cirithy finally arrive through the glitchy portal from Candy Kingdom.

Facing Darkness. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

The group is all together against Darkness, except Ven, who’s still unconscious. Darkness lets them know that even if they defeat it, they will still lose. Laurium argues that they’ll take Darkness down then use the lifeboats to get back to the real world. Darkness explains that even if they do that, when Maleficent activated the lifeboat, Daybreak Town started to fall to Darkness. They have nowhere to go. The lifeboats were the failsafe. If Darkness could not be defeated, the lifeboats activate and Daybreak Town is sealed up with Darkness inside.

Ephemer doesn’t want to believe they’re all pawns and that Master Ava meant for them to die. She brought them together for a reason and cared about them. Brain points out another difference— the new Union Leaders believe in their leader, unlike the Masters who fell apart once their own Master vanished.

The Darklings return. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Player, backed by his five friends, battle Darkness. But, as the Master of Masters said, Darkness is formless and cannot be destroyed. After they disperse it, it just reforms. Darklings surround Ven, changing their dialogue to “You…” which makes Player realize they’ve been after Ven all along.

A bright light flashes from Ven, dispelling the Darklings. He awakens, glowing radiantly.

Ventus confronts Darkness, having realized that since Darkness is pure dark, that makes him the pure light in the equation. Darkness used him to create a form for itself, so it stands to reason Ven would be able to reshape it again, into a form that can be defeated. Laurium, having forgiven Ven, worries that he’ll lose another friend, but Ven knows what he has to do, and assures them it’ll be okay. He draws his Keyblade and leaps at Darkness, causing an explosion of pure light.

More mysteries. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

While this is happening, we see Luxu enter the lifeboat lab carrying a white bundle. He finds Darkness monitoring the Data World. The two didn’t expect to see each other. Luxu is surprised Darkness could be here and also in the Data World, but this is the Darkness that assisted Maleficent. Darkness didn’t think there were any Keyblade Masters left in the real world and at first doesn’t realize who it is since it didn’t read the Book of Prophecies fully. Then it realizes that it’s Luxu, and asks why he’s there. He shouldn’t be interfering.

Luxu agreed that the Master said that he was to observe only… look but don’t touch. But after five years of thinking about it, Luxu understands what he’s supposed to do now. He activates the middle lifeboat from the console and it opens. Darkness expects he will use the lifeboat to escape, but that’s not his plan. He’s supposed to make his way slowly into the future, observing everything. No shortcuts for Luxu. Instead he puts his bundle in the lifeboat. It turns out to be a white robed figure. He states that this will be a seed of light to be planted in the future… the True Dandelion.

Darkness remembers a conversation with the Master of Masters where he learned about the three phases of the plan. The Foretellers, the Keyblade War, and the Data World. Darkness didn’t understand why MoM would waste his time with these plans when he has the Book of Prophecies. MoM explains that the Book only sees what No Name witnesses, and it’s not the same as omnipotence. MoM explains that with Luxu he has a “universal waypoint” and plans to not only travel into the future himself, but take others with him. Darkness suspects he’ll take the “seven crowns” (the Princesses of Pure Light) but MoM won’t confirm his exact plans. He says that although the Book is important, and interesting, it’s not everything. But it did show him a World of interest in the future… a World he can’t even conceive of.

Two missions left. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

And with that, we have come to the last two chapters of the story. (An interesting trivia fact, this episode was the next to last in the game, and contained no gameplay, just cutscenes. This was the only episode like that.) After the battle with Darkness, Ventus is unconscious in his room and Laurium is keeping watch over him. Outside his room, Ephemer expresses his concern over the end of the world and says he feels responsible for saving the Dandelions. Skuld says that whatever he decides, they’ll all support him. He remembers that Ava said after the World is shrouded in Darkness, it won’t stop existing, it’ll just go to sleep.

There is precedent for this in the series. Remember, the whole of Dream Drop Distance took place on the Dreaming Worlds, which had fallen to Darkness before they could be saved.

Laurium apologizes for blaming Ventus for his sister’s death. He just needed someone to blame, and it was easier to hold him responsible than an abstract concept like Darkness. He wonders if Darkness is really gone or if it has again become a part of Ventus. (We know it has due to the events of Birth By Sleep.) He feels a hand on his and a voice says that Darkness wants them to feel hatred, anger, and sadness. He will need to let those emotions go. She asks what happened to her kind and loving brother. He turns but Strelitiza isn’t there. The implication is that he was considering killing Ventus in the hopes that it would finally destroy Darkness. (And really, that was probably Ven’s plan all along.)

Elrena’s back. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Ephemer interrupts, saying that Elrena is here and she has news. She reveals that her Cirithy thinks he saw Strelitzia a few days ago, in a white robe, walking with someone wearing a black coat. He didn’t see her face, but saw blonde hair in the hood. (So that reveals for sure that it was Strelitzia who Luxu put in the lifeboat. Before this episode released, the running theory was that it was Ventus and that scene took place later.)

Discussing this with Brain, he speculates the man in the black coat would have to be Luxu, since the Master has been gone for years at this point. The Strelitizia that Cirithy saw is likely the data copy of her, since they all have data copies. (This is what they were using for Shift Pride, the PvP mechanic of the game.) Someone must have accessed her data before the glitches. He doesn’t know why… or if they could use the data to bring her back.

They all decide to return to the basement lab. Using the lifeboats to escape will trigger the destruction of the Data World, but they really don’t have a choice. As they leave the Foreteller’s Chamber, Brain glances back at the Book of Prophecies on the desk.

Luxu taunts Darkness. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Back in the lab in the real Daybreak Town, Luxu has sent his “seed of light” forward using the lifeboat. Darkness asks who will use the remaining five lifeboats. (Uh oh, there are seven Wielders…) Luxu points out that was revealed in the Book of Prophecies, but Darkness didn’t care about that part. All it cared about was expansion. Luxu doesn’t understand why Darkness didn’t read the whole Book. Darkness doesn’t understand why the Master left the Dandelions in the Data World to die or why Luxu follows the Master’s orders. The one thing Luxu and Darkness agree on is that they don’t like each other. Luxu points out that while he doesn’t understand everything the Master was doing, he does know that the Master wasn’t a fan of the dark. This is something Darkness understands, since it isn’t fond of light.

Luxu asks what Darkness is planning and it actually tells him. The plan is to use the Data Daybreak Town to spread to all the other Data Worlds. And also to use Ventus to spread into the future and take over everything from there too. Luxu doesn’t like this plan. The idea that Darkness will exists in all time periods is not okay with him, so he summons his Keyblade. Darkness finds this interesting… Luxu isn’t supposed to interfere. Luxu corrects it… he’s not supposed to help the Dandelions. But he can fight for his own purpose. Darkness points out that he can’t defeat it and Luxu answers that he only needs to delay it. He learned from the Master that Darkness used to exist in a physical form when MoM was a kid. He also knows that the longer Darkness remains separate from the whole, the less will it will have, which is why it has to possess beings with hearts. It says words like infection and expansion, but really it’s just stealing bodies. Luxu thinks this is sad and pathetic.

Darkness is angry at this so it attacks, but Luxu teleports to safety. He tells Dakness that it never figured out the Master’s true plan, which makes Darkness pause for a moment, confused. Luxu states that there are five other Darknesses (or shadows) other than this one. He knows one is with the Dandelions and asks where the others are. Darkness says the other four are also in the Data World, which means Luxu and this Darkness are alone. They start to fight.

In the Data version of the lab, the Dandelions have to decide who takes the five lifeboats and who has to stay behind. The monitor shows the glitches have reached a breaking point, so they don’t have time to wait around. Five can leave, two have to stay. Skuld and Player are worried about the other Dandelions, but Brain reminds them that they’ll be okay… they’ll be put to sleep like Master Ava said.

The last time they’re all together. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Although they have no idea what will happen when they use the lifeboats in the real world, they know that’s what they’ll have to do. Ephemer decides that as the leader he should stay behind and Brain would be a good person to send back to the real world so he figure out how to save the Data World. Skuld says that she will also stay behind and assigns the other pods to everyone else, explaining to Laurium that the real world is the only chance of him finding his sister. Elrena argues that she doesn’t deserve a pod since she’s not a Union Leader, but Laurium insists since she’s helped him in the search for Strelitzia. Brain reminds his friends that he’s going to find a way to save everyone anyway, so long term they’ll all be okay.

Surprising everyone, Player declines to take a pod. If his friend Ephemer is staying behind, he will too. Brain says that he already has a plan brewing, so it would be helpful to leave behind one lifeboat just in case.

The party splits up. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Now that the lifeboats have been sorted out, Brain activates them. Laurium promises to look after Ven. Before climbing into his own lifeboat, Brain promises Ephemer that he’ll take care of everyone. Then he hands over both the Book of Prophecies and his Keyblade, the Master’s Defender. His explanation for this is that he believes they were both intended for him anyway. (Which kind of confirms that Ephemer’s was the name circled in red.) He says that he never got around to reading the Book, but tells Ephemer to look at it if he’s ever lost. Ephemer takes them but promises to give them both back to Brain as soon as he can. Brain replied that he was pretty sure Master Ava knew he’d pass them on… and besides she always said Ephemer wanted to read the Book.

Ephemer implores them all to be safe and sends most of his friends back to the real world.

Hmm, 7 and 13… sounds familiar. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

We return to the flashback with the Master of Masters and Luxu. This is the big one, so pay attention. Luxu asks if he’s sure the World is going to end and MoM insists it’s unavoidable, which is why they must nurture the Dandelions. Luxu says he’ll get to work and tries to leave, dragging the box behind him. But the Master stops him, saying that he has one more thing to tell him. He starts by talking about how when he was young, Darkness had a form. It cast this form aside in exchange for indestructibility, but this also gave it the weakness of losing its will. To combat this, it possessed people’s hearts and stole their bodies, something that it did many times with the Master’s friends. “From seven, all is fulfilled. From thirteen, chaos is born.“ Casting aside its body created 13 distinct Darknesses, and the side effect of stealing people’s bodies was the creation of the Heartless. While in a body, Darkness is no longer invulnerable, so this is the chance to kill it. Since Darkness is drawn to people with strong hearts, the Master recruited the Foretellers and Luxu.

Plans upon plans. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

This gets Luxu’s attention and shocks him. They were essentially bait for the Master’s plan. The Master hastens to add that they weren’t simply vessels for Darkness. He trained them to be resilient— to have hearts that were strong enough to allow them to keep their minds and will even when possessed by Darkness. So the Master’s plan— this part of it at least— is to lure the seven strongest Darknesses into each of his apprentices and one into himself, split them all up so they’re less powerful, and then destroy them wherever they end up. To accomplish this, he sowed doubt and mistrust among the Foretellers, dropping the hint about a traitor in their midst. The Keyblade War was designed to lure the separate Darknesses into their new vessels.

But what of the other six Darknesses? Five will go into the new Union Leaders and the sixth will be stranded in the Data World after the last lifeboat departs. Luxu is aghast at this and speaks against his Master, telling him he can’t do this. He wonders how the Master can sacrifice so many people. The Master states that emotion cannot come into it— destroying Darkness is far too important. He’s seen how horrible it is for someone to lose their heart to Darkness and he wants to spare the rest of humanity from that. Besides, he says he has a plan to save everyone who Luxu is worried will be sacrificed.

Luxu has nothing more to say. Regardless of what the Master says, the act of destroying the Darkness within them will shatter their hearts. (We saw this happen to Ven in Birth By Sleep after his battle with Vanitus. He only survived by stowing away inside Sora’s heart to heal.) And besides, the Keyblade War itself will kill many of the Wielders. Still struggling with these revelations, Luxu leaves without a word. After he’s gone, the Master says to “let your heart be your guiding key” knowing that Luxu won’t fully follow the script. In fact, his plan depends on it. Luxu is the traitor mentioned in the Book.

Another secret revealed. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

So now we know the truth… it wasn’t Ava who was the traitor. It was Luxu. The Master knew that after spilling his plans to Luxu, the exiled apprentice would not be able to keep his word. This is why he states to Darkness that he now knows the Master’s intentions and sends Strelitizia off in the lifeboat. He’d realized by this point that the Master always wanted him to be the traitor. He revealed all this to Ava, spurring her into attacking him and kicking off the Keyblade War. And far in the future, at the end of Kingdom Hearts III, he opens the black box which the Master made him promise to never open. Luxu is completely off plan now, having had several lifetimes to think it over.

Another thing this cements is where the Foretellers went… during the Keyblade War they each were possessed by one of the Darknesses and left to wander until summoned back by Luxu at the end of Kingdom Hearts III at the crossroads. All except Ava, whose whereabouts are still unknown.

Darkness descends. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

In the real world, Brain works on his plan, sending Laurium, Ven, and Elrena on to points unknown in their own lifeboats. His plan is to send the remaining two lifeboats back to the Data World so that the three left there can come join him in the real world. He asks Laurium to keep his waypoint— his desire to see his sister again— etched in his heart. He promises he will.

As soon as Brain sends them off, he senses a presence in the room with him. It’s Luxu.

Back in the Data World, the three friends comfort each other as the world ends. The moment of peace doesn’t last long, as four Darknesses appear before them. Player is the first to notice and warns the others. The entities claim they’re not there to fight. All they ask if for them to open the gate so they can go throughout the Worlds. Ephemer refuses and one of the Darknesses threatens to possess Player. Again they refuse and ready for battle.

Ephemer tells Player not to fight, but to get into the remaining lifeboat so that at least one of them will survive. Player refuses, calling him a fool. He says this is why no one can defeat Darkness and attacks Ephemer with his Keyblade. Skuld tries to stop him but gets knocked back. Their friend says that he has been lost to Darkness.

Player says that once they open the gate, their friend will be released. Skuld realizes this must be the Darkness they thought Ventus destroyed. The possessed Player reminds them Darkness can never be destroyed. The two again refuse to open the gate, even if it means losing their friend. They cannot let Darkness spread and claim more innocent people. Player tells the other Darknesses to stay back and let him handle this.

The final battle of the game commences… Player versus his best friends (aside from Cirithy of course) Ephemer and Skuld.

The final battle. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

After a grueling battle, Player stands triumphant. He tells Ephemer to let his hatred grow, that it’s what makes Darkness stronger. He lifts his Keyblade to finish off Skuld, saying she should have gotten in the lifeboat.

Ephemer, weakened from the battle, lifts his Keyblade and opens a portal straight through Player. The portal pulls in Player and the four Darknesses. Crying, Ephemer apologizes for what he had to do to his friend.

Luxu meets Brain. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

In the real world, Luxu approaches Brain. They introduce themselves and Luxu asks where the others are. Brain explains that they escaped and he stayed behind to try and save the others that were left in the Data World. Brain explains his plan is to send the remaining two lifeboats back to the Data World so all three of his friends can escape. When they get back to the real Daybreak Town there will be three lifeboats that they can use. Brain will stay behind and stay alive as long as he can to try and wake the Dandelions.

Luxu explains that that would be useless. While Ava spoke true and Worlds taken by Darkness were put to sleep, along with all their inhabitants, the Data World is different. The Data World was created to be a kind of cage for Darkness. Anything in it would be unreachable. Plus, the lifeboat is incomplete. It can’t just transport a person whole into the future. As we heard Darkness inform Maleficent, that person requires two things to live in the future— someone with memories of them and a vessel to occupy. Brain confirms he pretty much suspected this. (Brain’s a sharp one, alright.) He doesn’t yet have a plan on how they’ll exist in the future, but he’s sure he’ll figure something out. Luxu identifies that’s he’s pretty smart, but it’s a shame he only lives once. With more time he could surely come up with something.

So now we see more of Luxu’s treachery… the Master told him he could check in on the Dandelions but forbid him from ever getting involved. Still, we get the sense that MoM knew— and intended— for Luxu to break his word and deviate from his path.

In the Data World, the two lifeboats materialize. Ephemer picks up the recovering Skuld and places her into her pod. He takes a last regretful look at Player’s unused lifeboat before steeling himself and getting into his own pod.

Player and the four remaining Darknesses are now in the passages between Data Daybreak Town and the other Data Worlds. The Darknesses congratulate Player on tricking the humans into opening the gate. Now they can spread and infect all the other Worlds as they planned. They suggest their comrade leave the brittle human form and join them. Player laughs.

This is where we get the truth… Player was never actually possessed. He sacrificed himself to save his friends and trap the Darknesses in their cage. He tricked both his friends and the Darknesses by emulating the speech and attitude of Darkness.

Ephemer locked his side of the gate after sending them through. In a last heroic act, Player uses his Keyblade to lock the other side of the gate, trapping himself in with the Darknesses and saving the other Worlds. The Darknesses swirl around, furious.

So where are the Darknesses now? There were said to be thirteen of them. We know five went into each of the Foretellers. Four are trapped in the Data Worlds. The tenth is in Ventus. Number 11 (the one who assisted Maleficent) was last seen battling with Luxu and is likely contained within the last apprentice now. That leaves two more unaccounted for.

Player, mortally injured from Ephemer’s portal, can’t remain standing. Cirithy appears and Player apologizes for dragging him into this. Cirithy forgives him. They hug and a bright light envelopes them.

Goodbye Daybreak Town. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Ephemer and Skuld arrive in the real Daybreak Town to find Brain gone and only their two lifeboats remaining. (Remember, they left one in the Data World.) They assume everyone made it out, even though the numbers don’t add up. (But you can forgive them… they’ve been through a lot.) They go out to the balcony of the clock tower and find their World being torn apart by darkness and glitches.

The sight is devestating. Ephemer leads Skuld back inside, knowing it’s too dangerous for them to be out in the storm.

We return to the Master of Master’s conversation with Darkness at an undefined point in the past. He explains more about the World beyond imagining that he saw in the Book of Prophecies. Darkness complains that the Master is hard to understand. It’s important for Darkness to know their enemy, however. MoM tells Darkness to imagine a chessboard, which should be simple to understand. It expands slowly, one fairy tale at a time but no matter how large the world gets, Darkness always expands to every corner. No matter where they run, no matter where they hide, Darkness is always there. Darkness explains that that’s because they’re friends.

Master says that he could use some time alone, so he’s planning on escaping to that new World… a World where neither light nor dark rules… a World of fiction. It’s different from the Data World. If you imagine hard enough, he says, you can make anything into a reality. It is, like he said, a World he can’t even conceive of. He says it’s a place where voices and light can’t reach. A —— World. (Yes, he spoke with a blank because we’re not supposed to know this yet. The mysteries in this are sometimes clumsy.)

The glitches are reaching their apex and the clock tower is shaking apart. The two get into their lifeboats. The generally strong Skuld is breaking down, crying. She thanks Ephemer for being there so that she doesn’t have to meet her end alone. Ephemer assures her it’s not over yet. He reminisces of a simpler time, of meeting and befriending Player. He begins to cry for his lost friend. As the lifeboats close, the ceiling falls in, leaving their fate in question.

Player, Cirithy, and other Dandelions float in a pure white void of light. Before the sleeping Wielder’s hearts can float up, the Cirithys store them in their star pouches. As Player watches, the Wielders— including his old teammates— vanish in light and their Cirithys become Dreameaters. (The helpful friend Spirits from Dream Drop Distance.) Player asks what’s happening, which is a fair question. Cirithy explains that they are connected to their Wielder’s heart. As we learned before, when a Wielder dies and vanishes, their Cirithy also vanishes. But now we learn that when the Wielders sleep, the Cirithys become their protectors, keeping the Nightmares away.

As Cirithy explains this, we see some of the Wielders choose to fade away instead of going to sleep, their Cirithys disappearing with them. Player asks if he’s going to sleep too. Cirithy explains that that’s up to him to decide. If he doesn’t go to sleep, his heat will melt into a new one, being reborn into another life.

Intriguing… (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Player sees a series of images of this possible life, seeing a dark-haired woman giving a baby to a strange figure in a blue robe. He sees the baby being taken to Destiny Islands where he grows up into a familiar white-haired youth. The old man dies of a heart attack and the boy leaves the island, awakening in Scala ad Caelum. Here he meets Eraqus and a new adventure begins.

Player makes his decision. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

Cirithy asks Player why he’s smiling. He says “It’s not over yet.” Cirithy tells him goodnight and hugs him one last time as the two vanish. Player’s heart floats away.

Yeah. That just happened. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

So, yes, Player chooses to die and be reborn after having flashes of the strange new lifetime that’s in store for him. The character that we played as all through Union Cross, the Player we built up from level 1 to being a strong enough Keyblade Wielder to stand against every Foreteller… is reborn as the main antagonist of the rest of the Dark Seeker Saga, Master Xehanort. (Also known as Ansem and Xemnes.) Player’s story ends with a noble selfless sacrifice and a choice to live again. Union Cross ends and Dark Road begins. The credits roll.

What the what?! (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

As is common with Kingdom Hearts, after the story proper, we are treated to a couple of secret ending scenes. One of the lifeboats float in a litter-strewn ocean which is the remains of Daybreak Town. The lid opens and we see the shadowy silhouette of Ephemer sitting inside it.

We then see Maleficent’s raven taking her cloak to the Mysterious Tower where we saw her reborn in Kingdom Hearts II. Laurium awakens in a field of flowers in the Dwarven Woodlands. Elrena is unconscious in the Forbidden Mountains of the Enchanted Dominion World. Ventus lies in the Keyblade Graveyard and is approached by a shadowy figure who we can assume is Master Xehanort, finding him before the events of Birth By Sleep. None of these three are near their lifeboats, and they all have their bodies.

The last one we see is Luxu… or is it? The figure continues to wear his black coat, wields the No Name, and drag along the Master’s mysterious black box. But then, after repeating the Master’s motto “Let my heart be my guiding key” he removes his hood to reveal that it’s not Luxu at all, but Brain.

Brain arrives. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

But, seeming to contradict this, Brain awakens without a lifeboat (or a hat) in a strange new town. A hooded man named Sigurd approaches him and hands him his hat, saying that he must be Brain. They were expecting his arrival, he says. It had been decided that he would arrive in this time period at this moment. He phones his headquarters with an update using what appears to be an earpiece.

Before he can show Brain to the headquarters, Brain asks the most important question he has… where are his friends? Sigurd explains that Brain is the only one who arrived in this time period. As for where he is, it’s Scala ad Caelum. The statue they’re standing under is the original Keyblade Master and the founder of the town.

The hero Ephemer. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

The statue is of Ephemer, holding the Master’s Defender Keyblade. Brain smiles, happy to see at least one of his friends made it out. And not only that... even though Brain failed to save the Dandelions, Ephemer at least was able to keep the light alive, as Master Ava intended.

Credit roll. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

And that’s the end of Union Cross. Quite the ending, ey? I found myself floored by the revelations of the last few chapters. It changes significant aspects of the Kingdom Hearts mythos forever (the origin of the Dreameaters, Vanitus, the past life of Xehanort) and opens up brand new exciting paths for the story to explore (the physical embodiments of Darkness, the fate of the sleeping Dandelions, the arrival of the other heroes in their respective futures). So this was truly an ending and a beginning.

As is always the case with Kingdom Hearts, we’re left with many unanswered questions. I could fill several more pages with questions alone. For instance, how did the Dandelions keep their bodies? Why did Luxu look like Brain? Why is there another Brain in Scala ad Caelum and how did he get there? I have theories, but I’ll save those for Part 10. That is where I will discuss this game’s impact on the series as a whole and the future of the franchise.

For now I will just say that the developers found a very creative and unexpected way of keeping the player character from simply dying at the end… he lived on as the antagonist. This whole time we played as the flip side of Master Xehanort… the light in his heart that he long ago left behind. It shows he’s not just a villain. There is no black and white. Even Darkness has a will and purpose, even Xehanort had friends and light in his heart.

I think the final battle against Ephemer and Skuld was jarring but very fitting. Friendship, after all, was the most important thing to Player, as shown throughout the series by his loneliness and his reluctance to leave behind the friends he met on each new World. In order to save his friends, he had to turn on them, making them think he was lost to Darkness. This clearly paves the way for his next life, where he will do anything to understand the unfathomable Darkness and rebuilt the World into something new.

This line hits different now. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

On my rewatch of the story, two parts in particular hit me very hard. The first was the scene where Luxu confronted the Master of Masters about training up the Dandelions just to leave them stranded in the Data World, forever lost to slumber. When the shutdown of the game happened, that’s essentially what happened to all of our characters that we spent so many hours, months, and years training up and spending time with. They’re all trapped out there in data form, unreachable, just existing in our memories. The second is when Skuld looks out at the devastation of Daybreak Town and muses about how much time it takes to create, while destruction happens so easily and quickly. My first thought when the announcement came was, “Why? Why does it have to end?” Couldn’t they leave the game up and just not update it anymore? That way more people could experience the story, we could continue going through Proud Mode, and just visit the universe of Union Cross now and then.

But I understand it now after some time has passed, at least in a meta sense. At the time of this writing, it’s been about a year and a half since the shutdown. Intentional or not, the developers made real life mirror the story. After the last lifeboat left, Daybreak Town was overtaken by Darkness and everyone there fell into slumber or chose to disappear. A short time after the last story chapter hit, the game became unplayable, falling into slumber. All we can access now are the character customization screen and the theater mode where we can relive the story… all we’re left with are our memories, basically.

Union Cross, when it first premiered, seemed of little importance to the rest of the series. It was set far before, it only tied in the characters we knew through the medals, and seemed like simply a vehicle to put the series on mobile and charge microtransactions to fans. However, as the story slowly unfolded, more and more ties to the rest of the franchise showed. By the end, and by its links within Kingdom Hearts III, Union Cross was shown to be a vital and critical chapter in the story. It is for that reason, the importance of it, and the inaccessibility due to the shutdown of the game, that I set out to put the story into a form where it can live on, be easily referenced, and saved for posterity. I wanted to enrich your understanding of the Kingdom Hearts universe. I hope I succeeded in this mission, and I hope that after reading the story, sharing the journey of these characters, that you can appreciate just how special it was to be a part of Union Cross while it existed. All we’re left with are memories, but I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.

The games begin. (Credit: SquareEnix, Disney)

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to two people for their unknowing assistance in helping me complete this trilogy of posts. Blogger Jametrious Brown-Hobson and YouTube creator Roboloidx. Without their content, this would have been much more difficult to complete. Jametrious put out a very complete and entertaining series of episode summaries on GameRant. His summary and analysis helped me to put my own thoughts into order and gave me insight into some things I’d missed. (Including some very intriguing theories that I’ll reference in Part 10.) Roboloidx exhaustively edited together cutscenes and battle sequences to tell the massive 12 hour story in a coherent and well-ordered way. This helped me bypass a huge flaw in the game’s Theater Mode. You see, within the game, the cutscenes were not put in sequential order, but were categorized by World. I shudder to think how long it would have taken me to cross-reference these scenes with the KH Wiki’s episode pages one by one to sort the scenes properly for this post. I am forever indebted to these two fans and you should certainly check out their stuff.

Also, of course, I feel gratitude to all of you for your patience over the two years that it took for me to complete these three posts and for reading them through. Thank you for bearing with me and supporting my work, I really do appreciate it.

There are only two parts left in my Untangling the Kingdom Hearts Saga series (for now). I’ll be back soon with Part 9, which is a breakdown and summary of Dark Road, the untold story of Xehanort!