[Filtered to Ienzo, Even, Aeleus, Namine, Riku, Xion] Back dated to shortly after Aeleus's post

[dork_of_keys]

[Sora is seen looking very serious for a moment and he's doing something with the communicator that's causing it to shake. After a moment of that, the image settles and he looks satisfied. Apparently he was pressing some buttons. Maybe setting a filter?

There's another quiet moment before he speaks up.]

Some of the stuff we've been talking about lately reminded me of something.

Namine, Even, Ienzo, Aeleus. Xemnas lied to you and to the rest of the Organization big time about your hearts. You did lose your hearts but what Xemnas wasn't telling you, and Xigbar seems to have known this too, was that there was a replacement forming. But if you knew, it probably would have developed faster and that wouldn't have been good for other plans they had going.

The point of Organization XIII was to provide Xehanort with thirteen different vessels for his darkness. Out of the guys you know, he got Xemnas, Xigbar and Saix. Apparently everyone else wasn't ideal for him. But he's found others already. He has twelve now and... he almost scored his thirteenth pretty recently.

[He doesn't intend to give any clues, but his poker face sucks. It may or may not be obvious from the pause or from his tone of voice just who it is that almost became that thirteenth vessel.]

There's more to it than that, but I don't have all the details. I just thought you guys should know this much at least.

[The message cuts out here.]

Comments

[colorbymemory]

[Namine pales.]

You-You're sure?

[It's a little much to take in at once, and she's not sure where to start any further questions.]

[dork_of_keys]

[Sora knew this would be upsetting for a lot of people to hear. It was upsetting to have to say it.]

I'm sure.

[colorbymemory]

So we could have done it, all along.

[If only they'd known. Did that mean that Roxas hadn't had to go back to Sora? But Sora had needed those memories...

She's focusing on that for now. One thing at a time.]

[dork_of_keys]

Yeah. I don't have all the details, but that's the basics.

[Honestly? Sora's been chewing himself up inside about just that since he found out.

He'll have to agree about one thing at a time. Headaches, and sometimes heartaches, are generally had otherwise.]

[colorbymemory]

Okay. Thank you for telling us.

[She knows him well enough to figure he's probably feeling bad about this.]

Sora...You didn't know. There wasn't anything you could have done differently.

[Xehanort's plan isn't something she really wants to touch, at the moment. She wasn't an intended vessel, apparently, so she'll leave that for the others to discuss.]

[dork_of_keys]

It just seemed wrong not to tell.

[That's an understatement, but he appreciates having some understanding.]

I know. It's just hard not to think of how things could have been different.

[He doesn't blame her for that. It's a mess and it's going to take a lot to put a stop to it.]

[colorbymemory]

[With how much she's seen of his memories, it'd be difficult for her to notunderstand.]

"Could have" doesn't always mean "would have," though, does it?

[Stopping Xehanort won't be easy, but Sora won't have to do it alone.]

[dork_of_keys]

I guess it doesn't.

[He knows he's not alone on that and it means a lot.]