The Story So Far

With KHIII coming up on the horizon and χ being pushed more and more, there's a lot of confusion over the game that hasn't left Japan in almost three years now. And summaries of χ are unfortunately (though understandably tbh) few and far between online, and complete ones are even rarer--even on usually reliable wikis. The game's story updates monthly, but not every monthly update is dedicated to the main story. So recently, I took it upon myself to compile the main story as it's played out so far.

The Background tab explains the setting and some of the important players and terms, and is thus not especially spoiler-y. The Plot tab is a summary of the main plot itself; the main story occurs exclusively in Daybreak Town, so there won't be any Disney worlds featured in the summary. MASSIVE SPOILERS FOLLOW.

Spoiler: Background

χ takes place long, long before any other story told yet--going back to a time before the Keyblade War of legend, the event that a Keyblade Master named Xehanort came to obsess over. This was a time where Keyblade wielders were many, gathering to protect the worlds from darkness.

A man known as The Master of Masters, during this time, had six apprentices. The Master of Masters gave each of his apprentices a new name, and to five of them bestowed a magical tome. These five apprentices came to be known as the Foretellers.



The tome they'd been given was called The Book of Prophecies. As its name might imply, this Book told of things that had been, things that were, and things which were to come. The Book could even call forth power from the future to aid Keyblade wielders in the battle against darkness.



However, when the Foretellers read the final page of the Book, they found a chilling portent: "On that land shall darkness prevail and light expire." To stave off this terrible fate, the five Foretellers created the Unions--Unicornis, Anguis, Leopardos, Vulpes, and Ursus.



The Unions were guilds of Keyblade wielders that shared the goal of protecting the worlds from the Heartless and gathering particles of light called Lux. Each Keywielder, regardless of Union, was guided by a cat-like creature, created by The Master of Masters, named Chirithy.



It's said, though, that the Unions' goals all differ past that point...

Spoiler: The Plot

You have recently joined one of the five Unions, and have been told by your Union's Foreteller to beware who you trust, as not all Unions share the same ideals or intents. Thus, you travel the worlds and collect Lux as a member of your Union, as you have been charged.

One day, your Chirithy meets up with another Chirithy...but this Chirithy is ailing. Their Keywielder has fallen to darkness. And each Chirithy is bound to its Keywielder--if a Keywielder falls in battle or falls to darkness, their Chirithy will vanish. Your Chirithy can only watch sadly as the other Chirithy fades from existence. Your Union's Foreteller then appears before Chirithy and laments that for all the Lux being collected--not only from their Union, but from all Unions--darkness is continuing to surge throughout the worlds. Chirithy voices the question: Does that mean that there really is a traitor among the Foretellers? But the Foreteller doesn't want to believe that yet...

Some nights later you have a strange dream of the Foretellers meeting with someone cloaked in black. Before you have time to do anything, you wake up with a start. You tell Chirithy about your dream, and after listening, he urges you to go back to sleep. Once you've fallen back asleep, another Chirithy appears outside your window and questions your Chirithy about the dream he's shown you. Your Chirithy insists that his goals are opposite of the other Chirithy's, and the other Chirithy notes that that could make them enemies and leaves. Your Chirithy wonders to himself if he'll be able to protect you...



The next day, you run into a Keywielder from your rival Union who has bitten off more than he can chew against a Heartless. Upon saving him, he introduces himself as Ephemer.



As thanks for your help, he divulges to you a secret he's discovered: The worlds you've been visiting have all been illusory constructs. Ergo, the Lux you've been harvesting isn't really from other worlds, but from Daybreak Town itself. There are countless worlds, after all, and it would be impossible to gather Lux from them all, so the constructs must have been made to gather their Lux. It's all very vexing. He wants to find out how these false worlds are being created. In the spirit of giving, you share with Ephemer the dream you've had, and Ephemer determines that the two of you need to break into the Foretellers' domain inside of the clock tower to investigate. Chirithy is unsure how to feel about the two of you becoming friends, since he doesn't have any friends to know how it feels. But you assure him that he does have a friend: you.



It takes you a day or two, but you discover that you can enter into the clock tower through Daybreak Town's sewer system, and after venturing a ways inside, Ephemer suggests stopping for the day and coming back another time, to avoid rousing suspicion by being gone for so long. You agree, and Ephemer declares the two of you to be friends beyond Unions. But that night, Ephemer returns to the sewers alone to investigate, apologizing to you as he does so.

He never shows up for your rendezvous the next day.

Chirithy reaches up to comfort you--and as he does, his cape lifts to reveal an odd symbol:



Flashback: It's the day before. Ephemer is in the main square in Daybreak Town, talking with the Vulpes Foreteller, Master Ava. He's fishing for answers about the rumored Book of Prophecies, but Ava refuses to give him what he wants. She changes the subject, asking Ephemer how he feels about his Union compatriots. He then tells Ava of a new friend he's made outside of his Union (that's you), and how the two of you have promised to meet up. Ava suggests he goes home to rest and prepare. Once Ephemer has left, she makes a cryptic remark about how friendships beyond Union boundaries are going to be more important than ever...



Back in the present, you awaken from another strange dream. Ephemer took you into the sewers, then said that you weren't ready, and disappeared in a flurry of dandelion seeds. Concerned, you decide that you need to go back to the clock tower to find out what's happened to Ephemer, despite Chirithy's objections. On your way, you hear rumors around town about a Foreteller gathering superior Keyblade wielders from all the Unions--and the rumors all agree that the Foreteller in question is none other than Master Ava. You also hear that she was seen the previous day with Ephemer.

When you make your way into the sewers, who should confront you but the Vulpes Foreteller herself? Trying to sneak into the tower has not made her very trusting of you. You tell her of the dream you had about Ephemer, and she concludes that he's waiting for you in the Foretellers' domain in a dream. She admits that she's met Ephemer, and that he's gotten caught up in some strife that the Foretellers have brought on. But then she accuses you of seeing her as suspicious, and she summons her Keyblade and challenges you to combat.



After some time, she calls off the fight and you fall, exhausted. She notes that you are strong, but that you have sadness in your heart, and that sadness can drag you down to darkness. But she also notes that you have a good friend in Chirithy. All that aside, however, you are trying to sneak into the Foretellers' domain, and Ava tells you in no uncertain terms that she cannot permit that, and that you need to go home. Ava muses as you leave that you must be the friend that Ephemer told her about.

Flashback: Ephemer is investigating the sewers alone, prepared to enter the Foretellers' domain, when he is confronted by an unseen figure. Ephemer asks who they are, and the scene fades...



That night as Chirithy watches you sleep, Ava appears in your room. She points out to Chirithy that had she been serious about the duel you'd had, she wouldn't have fought so simply--the fight was only a test. She asks if Chirithy was the one to show you the dream with Ephemer, and he denies it, leading Ava to wonder if the dream came from Ephemer himself. She explains that as he grew closer to the truth, he must have found himself caught up in another dimension that the Foretellers call Unchained. If Ephemer is the one who sent the dream, you must be nearing that dimension--and the truth--as well. Ava asks Chirithy to protect you from nightmares before disappearing, leaving Chirithy to wonder about what she's said...

Some time passes. Returning to Daybreak Town from a mission, Chirithy congratulates you on your good work, but you don't feel as good as he does. He picks up on this, and notes that collecting Lux has been getting harder lately. In fact, every Union has upped how much they've been collecting. Just then, a voice interrupts--"I wonder why we're fighting?"



She continues, reiterating that every Union's goal is to protect the light, but points out that people still compete and try to outdo each other. Is this not a change in goals? At Chirithy's prompting, she introduces herself as Skuld. She already knows your name...and that you know Ephemer. But she hasn't come by this knowledge through nefarious means; she's in the same Union as Ephemer. She muses that he hasn't been a Keyblade wielder for long, and that he was rather odd, and up and left a while ago. Her next revelation is much more interesting: Ephemer visited her in a dream, and told her to help you. She has no idea why, though; she's passed by him often and he's never so much as acknowledged her. But she thinks you may know something, so you tell her that Ephemer has been appearing in your dreams, too, and explain some of the other recent goings-on. Skuld suggests that the two of you try going to where Ephemer had wanted to meet you when he disappeared. Chirithy immediately objects, citing Master Ava's insistence that you not return. But Skuld argues that that's exactly why you should go. Would Master Ava be so insistent if there was nothing there? She believes that this is what Ephemer wanted her to help you with--

A loud noise stops you all in your tracks. Whatever it was, it was nearby. You both summon your Keyblades and go to investigate. But what you find isn't something you could have prepared for or imagined:



The Foretellers of Ursus and Anguis are locked in deadly combat, launching themselves across the town's rooftops. Skuld looks down, saying that Ephemer was right all along: In her dream, he told her that the end of the world is coming. Chirithy wants more information, but Skuld can't give it--she doesn't have it. She says the end always comes suddenly and without warning...just like how Ephemer disappeared.

"Let's go."

You're not about to sit around and watch. Skuld agrees, and the two of you leave, with Chirithy still trying to figure out just what's happening.

On your way, you're impeded by a swarm of strange-looking pureblood Heartless, clamoring for Lux.



The two of you fend off the Heartless, but they retreat before you can finish them off. In their wake, a new figure appears, to Chirithy's shock.



This Nightmare coolly says that since people always fight over Lux in the end, you may as well just hand it over to them...or, perhaps, you can hold onto it for a little longer. Chirithy comments shakily on the Nightmare's color, and the Nightmare shows off, calling it his new look. Chirithy sadly asks, more to himself, if the Nightmare has been completely consumed by darkness. The Nightmare retorts, asking why you all hate darkness so much, pointing out that all beings have both light and darkness in them, just as there's day and night in this world. "What are you so afraid of?"

Chirithy doesn't answer, instead asking a piercing question--those Heartless were once human, weren't they? The Nightmare answers in the affirmative. As you and Skuld absorb this horrific information, the Nightmare scoffs that weak-hearted humans are afraid of darkness, and then are swallowed by it; letting darkness in and controlling it is the path to real strength, not the fragmented power of the Foretelling. The Nightmare asks if you're fighting with your own strength. Chirithy answers that this isn't the main teaching, but the Nightmare dismisses it as unrelated, saying that the truth of this world isn't something that can be taught, it must be learned for oneself. Chirithy demands to know who the Nightmare's Keyblade wielder is. The Nightmare only chuckles, saying that you'll know soon enough...and then vanishes.

Determined now more than ever to find out what happened to Ephemer, you and Skuld return to the sewers leading to the Foretellers' domain. Chirithy, however, moves to stand in your way when you arrive at where you last saw Ephemer. He has a terrible feeling about all this. But Skuld isn't having any of that. She points out that Chirithy, being what he is, knows the layout of the inside of the tower. He warily acknowledges this. Skuld brightly says that he can lead the way, then. After hemming and hawing, Chirithy agrees, but only so long as you leave right after you take a quick peek around. You and Skuld readily agree to his terms, and off you go.

Finally, the three of you arrive in the Foretellers' study, just as you'd dreamed it. Skuld wonders if Ephemer made it here, and Chirithy interrupts her train of thought, pointing out that no one is here--and that that won't be the case very long, so the three of you need to leave, now, or you'll all be in trouble. Skuld is disappointed, but agrees, and you all start to leave--

"What are you doing?"

Your Union's Foreteller enters the room. (Aside Ava of Vulpes, the others' names are Aced [Ursus], Invi [Anguis], Ira [Unicornis], and Gula [Leopardos].) If you are in the Vulpes Union, Ira of Unicornis enters. They demand of Chirithy how you and Skuld were allowed to access this room, and Chirithy apologizes...but they ignore him. They ponder on how there was another trespasser a few days ago--your friend, they assume. You and Skuld affirm that it was Ephemer, and Skuld asks the Foreteller if they knew him.

The Foreteller's next words shake you: Ephemer's Union was a traitor to the goals of the Foretellers, and Ephemer himself was a spy, getting close to you to gather intelligence on your Union. And because of all this, you will never see him again--the Foreteller had him disappear.

You and Skuld are speechless. Chirithy tries to comfort you, and Skuld declares that the Foreteller won't get away with this. The Foreteller asks what she could possibly do, but before she can answer, Chirithy steps between them and begs for mercy. He claims to be responsible for the day's events, and asks the Foreteller to forgive you and Skuld.

But then, you step in front of Chirithy.

"Master, until today, I have devoted myself to the union, to gathering light, in order to save the world. I've even competed against fellow fighters I think of as friends. I thought it was just what had to be done to save the world, and I've tried not to dwell on what that means. But, in the middle of that, someone asked me that same simple question. That person was Ephemer.

"My encounter with him only lasted a moment, and he even broke a promise to me, so my memories of him aren't exactly fun, but they are huge and important in my heart. I'm sure that's because he is my friend. For a friend like that to be snatched away...

"Even if these feelings, anger and sadness, signify darkness, pushing them down is proving impossible. Even if I cross Keyblades with you, Master, I don't think I will come away from this with any kind of peace. Maybe I'll disappear, too. But even so, I'm sure that if Ephemer were here, this is what he'd do..."

You take a battle stance.

"Master, raise your Keyblade."

They acquiesce.

"Come."



You fight fiercely, but despite your best efforts, the Foreteller easily dispatches you, and you're engulfed in a blinding light. When it fades...you're back in the sewer.

The Foreteller notes how you avoided being swallowed by your sadness and anger, and commends you on your skill. Then they, too, begin to glow...



Master Ava emerges from the glow, and affirms that the location you fought in and the Foreteller you battled were illusions, made so that she could determine the strength of your heart and Skuld's. Skuld wants to know what all this is about, so Ava explains:

As Ephemer told the two of you in dreams, the end of the world is imminent. And if all are caught up in it, that will be the end of Keyblade wielders. To avert that fate, she enacted her own mission to preserve superior Keyblade wielders from all Unions into the next world. ...What? Skuld presses Ava on Ephemer's fate. Ava says that he must have sensed the coming end, and started investigating because of that premonition. Since he got to the truth faster than anyone before, Ava asked of him a favor: to guide the Dandelions in her stead. These Dandelions are the Keyblade wielders Ava has gathered that will not witness the end of the world, surviving to fight against the darkness another day. Establishing these Dandelions has been Ava's duty...but she cannot go with them, and must stay to witness the world's end. To that end, she sent Ephemer ahead so that he could guide the Dandelions.

In this world, there are Keyblade wielders who have fallen to darkness, of which the Nightmare Chirithy stands as a testament. To prevent darkness from surviving into the next world, she tested the hearts of many Keyblade wielders, and those who would not submit to darkness were chosen to be Dandelions. And now, she extends an offer to you and Skuld to join their ranks.

Skuld agrees, but you're silent. Skuld asks what's wrong, and you ask Ava what will happen to the Keyblade wielders who aren't Dandelions. Ava simply says that the world, at its end, will face a Keyblade War. The time to avert that fate has passed.

To Skuld's surprise, you ask for time to think over Ava's offer. The Vulpes Foreteller accepts your request, but emphasizes that you cannot speak of this, to avoid panic. And so you return to the fountain plaza in the center of Daybreak Town.

There, Skuld demands to know why you haven't accepted Ava's offer; if you'd said yes, you could be with Ephemer. You acknowledge that Ephemer is important to you, but then, so are all the other Keyblade wielders you've fought alongside. Chirithy and Skuld mull this over for a moment, and then Skuld asks to share a story with you.

When she first became a Keyblade wielder and joined the Union, she created a party...but no one would join her. But then, Ephemer did. For a while, it was just the two of them working together, and after a while it started to grow in popularity. As everyone got so invested in collecting Lux, Ephemer and Skuld had less and less opportunity to talk with each other. And then one day, Ephemer told her that he thought she'd be okay now, and left the party. She lost herself in collecting Lux after his departure, but the party started losing members, and soon enough, Skuld was on her own again. She thinks that Ephemer continued to worry about her after leaving, and that that was why he directed her to you.

Thanks to you, she's realized a lot, but she wants to see Ephemer again and thank him. That's why she's going to join Ava's Dandelions. The two of you shake hands and promise to meet again.

Later, Skuld and many others meet in the plaza.



Ava tells those assembled that they will relive missions and other things they've already experienced, but in a separate world, like a dream. She tells them that they are the hope. This sends a ripple of shock through the crowd.

Ava then lays out what will happen in the near future: Keyblade wielders who once shared the goal of protecting the light, divided only by the Unions, will make enemies of the friends they once fought alongside. She admits she doesn't know how long she'll be able to guide them true, wondering if one day she'll be swallowed by her own darkness and swing her own Keyblade in the middle of the strife. But this coming battle will have no victor, and the only fruit thereof will be destruction. But she wants these Keyblade wielders to live on, as seeds of hope. Instead of joining the fight, these Keyblade wielders will depart for an outside world. To this end, these Keyblade wielders will train separately every day.

"To you I entrust the future of the Keyblade Wielders, the Realm of Light. With your hearts guided by the key.

-THREE MONTHS LATER-
​

Rain falls. You lie on the ground...in the midst of a field of Keyblades.



I'd thought the end would be a horrific scene where the whole world burned away to nothing.

-A FEW DAYS AGO-
​

You head to the fountain plaza with Chirithy only to find two Keyblade wielders arguing with each other. Apparently this has been an ongoing trend; when you start in their direction, Chirithy tells you that once you start, you'll never stop, so you may as well leave them alone. But then they summon their Keyblades, and you jump between them as they move to strike at each other.

Chirithy scolds the wielders, who each think that the other is stealing Lux and accuse the other's Unions of being traitors. Chirithy appeals to them with the idea that all Unions are supposed to be working together, but is ignored.

Skuld arrives then, meaning to help stop the fighting. She's grilled on her Union allegiance, which she dismisses as irrelevant. She reminds the wielders that their enemies are creatures of darkness, not other humans. One of the wielders retorts that anyone stealing Lux is a creature of darkness. Skuld is appalled, and more wielders flock to the scene.

One of them is Master Aced.



He claims that the only thing that can be trusted now is the unity of a Union. Just because someone is a fellow Keyblade wielder doesn't mean that their heart isn't dark. The strength of a Union isn't how much light it collects; rather, a strong Union is justice itself, and that can only be proved in battle. When Skuld starts to object, Aced turns on her, asking if she isn't part of Master Ava's apparently not-so-secret organization, and if Ava's furtive actions aren't just a power display.

You step in, saying that you aren't a Dandelion. Aced questions your Union allegiance. When you answer with your Union, he summons his Keyblade and challenges you to battle. Despite your efforts, Aced trounces you soundly. He spits that you fail as a Keyblade wielder. That's when another voice calls out, commanding Aced to lower his Keyblade.



Master Ira arrives on the scene and rebukes Aced for turning his Keyblade on you. He's supposed to be a Master, and so has no business harming other Keyblade wielders. Aced grudgingly obeys, claiming to be only testing your strength. Ira retorts that he could sense Aced's bloodthirst, and that's why he came to check. Aced, angry now, claims that a final battle is no longer avoidable--he accuses his fellow Foretellers, Ira included, of being greedy to collect more Lux than each other, and so the battle has already begun. In the end, it's a strong leader who controls, and so rather than collect Lux, he will collect soldiers. Organization, after all, is imperative to maintaining balance, and there's nothing more organized than having only one leader. Aced declares that he will banish the other four Foretellers and unify the Unions under his own leadership. Ira warns him of being prideful, but Aced shrugs him off and tells him that he will be waiting in the land of the final battle before leaving in a portal.

The Keyblade wielders disperse from the plaza. Skuld asks Ira what's going to happen, and he replies that the agreed time is nearly upon them--the Keyblade War cannot be averted. Skuld asks why he's going to fight, then, if there's to be no victor in the war. But that's why Ira has to go: so that there isn't a victor. He warns you and Skuld to prepare yourselves, and leaves via his own portal. Shortly thereafter, you faint.

You awaken to find yourself in a shadowy field filled with Keyblades. To one side of you stand thirteen figures; to the other, nine. While you're still attempting to process this, the figures vanish, and a bright light shines from above. It's...



Chirithy and Skuld watch over you as you rest in your bedroom at Daybreak Town, noting that you've been through a lot today. Skuld expresses concern over the growing dissent among Keyblade wielders, and even the Foretellers themselves. Chirithy even notes that the Foretellers themselves have changed and completely fallen apart. It seems a battle truly is inevitable.

"Ephemer!"

You sit up in your bed, surprising Chirithy and Skuld, but they're glad to see you awake. You ask if Skuld has been able to see Ephemer; she hasn't, noting that he's supposed to be working under Master Ava's direction. She adds that she's been trying to recruit for the Dandelions, to keep as many people away from the war, but people just won't believe that the end is imminent. Morale has been dropping even among the Dandelions in Ava's absence.

...Wait, what?

Chirithy confirms that Ava has been missing recently, but wonders if Master Gula would know anything, since the two are friends. Of course, you insist on going to see Gula. Chirithy tries to tell you that you need to rest, but there's simply no time. Skuld agrees, and when Chirithy is still unsure, you assure him that you'll be fine.

After some time, the three of you arrive in an abandoned warehouse. A voice calls out, asking if you have business with them. Master Gula steps from the shadows, and notes that if you're here instead of out collecting Lux, then you must be two of Ava's Dandelions. When Skuld confirms this, Gula catches onto your game--you're looking for Ava. But what, he asks, will you do when you find her? She can't stop the Keyblade War, and what good would information do at this eleventh hour? Skuld protests that she can't sit by twiddling her thumbs while the world ends; she'll help as many people as she can to escape the battle. Gula notes that Skuld and Ava are alike, believing themselves to always be right. But rightness doesn't make one able to save the world. If anyone had that power, it would be the Master of Masters, the man the Foretellers were apprenticed to.



He anticipates you asking where he is, and says that the Master of Masters disappeared ages ago, and Ava and Gula haven't been able to find him since. The only person who may have any idea of his whereabouts is Lord Luxu--the Master's sixth apprentice. Chirithy notes that Luxu disappeared around the same time as the Master, almost as if he were following him. To Gula's lack of surprise, you ask about his whereabouts next. He remarks that Skuld really is like Ava. And there's the answer: Ava has gone to search for Luxu.

And as it turns out, she's succeeded--she catches up with Luxu, cloaked in black, outside of Daybreak Town. She asks what he's been doing all this time. His answer is simple: watching, as per his mission. Ava doesn't understand, so he explains. He wasn't given a Book of Prophecies as the Foretellers were; instead, he has to move to the future the Books foretell. And so he'll watch the world end and move on. This doesn't seem to help Ava. Luxu accurately guesses that Ava's sought him out to find information on the Master of Masters, but claims that such is futile. The world will end. Ava, now certainly uneasy, asks what he knows. Why, the missing page from the Book of Prophecies, of which the Foretellers know not: the Master's intentions.

Ava is floored. The Master's intention was for the world to end? Luxu cryptically says that his mission is to inherit the secret, and that's why he must keep the world moving to its end. The Master's intentions weren't concerned with the world's longevity. And so he will carry out his mission and watch. Ava demands to know what was written on the missing page, then comes to a frightening conclusion:

"Luxu...have you been behind all this? Are you the traitor?"

He summons his Keyblade.

-A FEW MONTHS LATER-​

Keyblade wielders swarm to the desert wasteland, led by the Foretellers. You stand in the midst of them.

The Foreteller's words weren't really heard at all. What was starting here, what was hapening before my eyes... The air here felt overwhelmingly strange. My vision and hearing were burning to pieces.

All at once, the Keyblade wielders charge at each other.

I immediately thought about the meaning of this battle. Before it was those strange monsters, but the enemies in our way now...were once friends.

Keyblades slash and cut through the air.

Like this, in this hopeless situation, people want to believe in a dream of hope until the very end.

You stand alone in the wasteland. Rain begins to fall.

"This isn't the end," you say.

Master Aced stands opposite you.

KINGDOM HEARTS χ [chi]
Final episode

-A FEW DAYS AGO-​

"Luxu...have you been behind all this? Are you the traitor?"

He summons his Keyblade.

Back in the warehouse in Daybreak Town, Gula speaks cryptically of discord and truth. Skuld asks what he means, and he elaborates: The sentence on the lost page from the Book of Prophecies indicates...

Back outside of Daybreak Town, Ava is stunned. Luxu affirms the true nature of the traitor and asks if she can handle that truth. She struggles with the revelation. He states that as part of his mission, he'll have to fight her. And even if there is another answer, it won't become apparent until after the final battle. He dangles one more question in front of her: Doesn't she want to know why the Master of Masters had the Foretellers give keys to their pupils? For the future of the world, right?

Ava rejects his question, telling him that he's being used. The Master couldn't want this. She summons her own Keyblade.

Skuld asks Gula what all he's spoken of means. He explains that the traitor is trying to end the world and berates himself for not finding out sooner. Skuld is still confused by what he's said about reading the wrong truth to find the secret. He simply answers that it will continue. And because of that, the bell signaling the final battle rings. It has begun, it has been decided.

Luxu and Ava spring at each other.

Chirithy asks Gula to tell you what the passage from the Book of Prophecies was. Gula says that he can't. What would be the point of knowing if the final battle can't be averted? As if to prove his point, the Daybreak Town belltower chimes. He tells you and Skuld you can go back one last time, as your Unions will be coming together.

As you exit the warehouse, Skuld tells you that she'll be going to join the other Dandelions, and asks you one more time if you'll come with her. You don't answer, and she says that she understands, but she doesn't want you to fight. Ephemer likely feels the same. You promise to think about it, shaking hands with her, and she takes her leave. Chirithy says that you should head back to your room, but as he starts, you stop him. You ask what will happen to him if you disappear. When he's silent, you confirm that he'll disappear, too, right? Sadly, he says that that is the case. Taking this in, you ask Chirithy what he thinks you should do. He answers that he doesn't want you to disappear. The Foretellers may clash, but he's not your familiar--he's your friend. And he doesn't want you to fight. You pick him up in a hug and tell him thank you.

"Oh? You're not going to fight?"

The Nightmare Chirithy stands before you. He asks if you're going to join the Dandelions and run away. Your Chirithy argues that the Dandelions aren't running, but the Nightmare Chirithy only scoffs, saying that eventually all those friends will abandon you. You finally ask what the Nightmare Chirithy is. He laughs--he says that all of you took that Strength Bangle to collect the sins of the worlds, but that sin turned into the power of darkness. You ask about "sin," and the Nightmare clarifies: Guilt. Your Chirithy is shocked, but the Nightmare brushes it off. This too, after all, was the Master of Masters' intention. But your Chirithy already knew that, right? Your Chirithy argues that the Bangles were supposed to cleanse the sins into light, but the Nightmare retorts, asking for his existence to be explained, then. Shouldn't the Master have predicted this? Your Chirithy can't find a response. Then the Nightmare Chirithy turns to you. You wanted to know what he was, didn't you? He was born from your darkness. His Keyblade wielder is none other than you.

Chirithy cries out that he's lying, but the Nightmare asks what the point of lying would be. He admits that he hasn't been by your side so that he could accomplish his own purposes. Suddenly, a portal opens, and the Heartless of fallen Keyblade wielders pour out. The Nightmare says that since you won't participate in the final battle, he'll have to see to your dreams. Chirithy pleads to know why he's doing this if he really is your Chirithy. The Nightmare answers that Spirits are different, that Nightmares exist to show nightmares. He lives to sever your connection.

You defeat the Black Costume Heartless, and the Nightmare commends you on your strength. The Black Costumes rise into the air. The Nightmare says that this is the crucial moment...and absorbs the three Heartless, becoming a monstrous creature of darkness.



Upon defeating the Nightmare beast, its form returns to the Nightmare Chirithy, who is fading. He claims the connection is severed. But right now, he encounters a different dream. Before he explains himself, he disappears.

-A FEW DAYS LATER-​

Rain begins to fall.

"This isn't the end," you say.

Master Aced stands opposite you.

"You," Aced growls. "I said I would eliminate you!"

You raise your Keyblade.

Aced is impressed with your spirit; that's what his Union wants. And so you fight. You manage to fend the Foreteller off, and he commends your strength. He approaches you slowly, and adds that because of your strength, he can't allow you to become a threat. He strikes, and you fall. As he's about to deliver the finishing blow, Master Ira appears to block the strike. Aced howls in rage, and the two fly away, locked in combat.

You stagger to your feet. Not yet.

You make your way through the battlefield. As you go, you encounter more Foretellers, who each challenge you in combat. Master Invi says that Ava has raised a good kid, and urges you to survive. Gula is impressed by your strength. Ira says you've grown well into a valuable Keyblade wielder. As you fight each Foreteller, you become more and more exhausted. Rain and Keyblades fall from the sky, and hearts float up into it.

Just as your battle with Ira ends, Aced falls from the sky to strike at Ira, who handily blocks the attack. Aced says that he's tired of waiting, and declares that he will rebuild the world as its new leader. Ira answers that he'll only disturb the harmony, and the two begin their clash anew. You fall to the ground, spent, and close your eyes.

...

You come to among scores of dead Keyblades embedded in the ground. Chirithy appears and hops on top of you to console you. "It's alright, it'll be alright..." He lays down on top of you.

The rain stops, and a brilliant light shines from above. You wonder weakly to yourself if a goddess has appeared to you. Not a goddess, but Skuld kneels down next to you, followed by Ephemer. Your eyes well up with tears and you reach out for him. "You...broke your promise..." you tell him. "You're late..." Ephemer admits that's his bad.



He extends a hand to you.

"We'll go together."

When you awaken, what will the world be like? The world you see, will it be the world you want? That's for you to decide.

Unchained 0 [ZERO]​

You and Skuld at the fountain plaza. You on the ground in the aftermath of the Keyblade War. Ephemer and Skuld kneeling over you. You standing on a stained glass pillar in the dark. You saving Ephemer from an Invisible. You and Ephemer in the sewers. Ephemer extending his hand to you. You and Skuld at the fountain plaza. You on the ground in the aftermath of the Keyblade War. You and Skuld shaking hands. Ephemer extending his hand to you. You on the ground in the aftermath of the Keyblade War. Ephemer extending his hand to you.

Sunlight shines down on you. "Ephemer... Skuld..."

You awaken, lying in an unfamiliar sunny forest meadow, with Chirithy on your chest. "What happened..." You wake Chirithy up and stand, trying to get your bearings. "Am I...?"

Chirithy asks if it was that dream again, noting that it seems like you've been dreaming a lot since that day, and asks if you're all right. You frown, confused at his mention of "that day." He prompts you: You were invited into the Dandelions by Master Ava, and after talking to Skuld at the fountain plaza, you accepted the offer. Ever since that day, Chirithy's noticed that it seems you've had strange dreams from time to time. But if that's true, you wonder, what were you doing sleeping here?

Chirithy muses that things have been pretty rough lately, and that you've been tired. Haven't you become more open-minded being in a new world? He reminds you that it's okay to take a break every now and then. He starts to walk off while you take this in, only for Chirithy to stop in amazement. You follow him and find yourselves at the foot of a bridge covered in tangles of thorns.

Chirithy says you won't be able to continue on this way, and suggests heading home to think of a solution. You nod in agreement, and then notice a crow flying overhead. Chirithy says it sure would be helpful if you had wings. And so the two of you take your leave.

On the other end of the bridge, the crow alights on the end of a scepter held by a green-skinned fairy.



The fairy asks the crow if it seems like it went well, then asks herself where in the world he went off to again. But then she decides it doesn't matter--Sora and his friends can't meddle in this world, since nothing can get through. She laughs to herself and walks off towards a darkened castle.

Reconnect.
KINGDOM HEARTS​

 

The story update for March has been added!

 

In all the hubbub over Unchained χ's release in North America, April did see an update to the main story of χ [chi], and it's a doozy! The contents of this update have been added to the OP!

 

Spoiler

It could be that the original owner would instead be Superbia, though I wouldn't put that past being reserved for the Master of Masters.

Since Agrabah finally finished up this month, I look forward to July likely moving the story forward again, what with the browser version shutting down in September.

 

July's story update has been added! Pictures will come shortly, aside from that one last important one.

 

The χ finale is here, and has been added to the OP. Pictures will be forthcoming.

Text adapted from translations by The_Echo of KHInsider.

 

STORY ?-?
OK​