“A flower…? Why…”
“It was a gift. I suppose she thought you looked sad.”
“Who was she?”
“Her name is Kairi. One of Radiant Garden’s little princesses.”
“A princess? But you don’t have any children.”
“One doesn’t need to be born of noble blood to be a princess. That girl’s heart is filled with incredible purity. Just like the princesses in our fairy tales, her heart yearns for nothing more than the peace and happiness of all people. They are princesses of the kingdom of wishes and fantasies; princesses at heart.”
“…That’s a rather unscientific thought.”
“Even scientists have to dream, less they want their minds to age and prune. But still…”
“Master Ansem?”
“I wonder… the nature of hearts, does it allow them to be truly pure? Or do all hearts contain even the smallest speck of darkness? Kairi is still young and innocent, unable to comprehend the value of possessions, the consequences of strife, or the sorrows of love. Will her heart always glow with that beautiful light, or will it be spoiled by the ruthless march of time? Are all hearts born pure and later defiled, or do life’s experiences bring out the darkness hidden deep within?”
“Intriguing… Master Ansem, why don’t you use her heart in your experiments? If we expose it to-“
“Don’t be ridiculous! Those experiments are far too dangerous to subject to a child.”
“Then… what about my heart?”
“Xehanort…”
“I’ve always felt unsettling emptiness in the place my heart should be. Yet, I exist. Surely there’s something left. It might be darkness. If the experiments manage to recover something, maybe I’ll be able to remember a portion of my past. My friends and family, the world I came from… maybe even my true name.”
“The consequences could be severe.”
“I have nothing to lose.”
“…Possibly. But perhaps it isn’t apparent to you what you still have left. I will consider it, but not before you give this decision the utmost thought.”
“…I will.”
“Come. We’ve lingered here long enough. Lets give the children room to play without the distraction of meddling adults. …You will pick that back up, won’t you?”
“I don’t need a flower.”
“Perhaps that is the reason your heart feels so void. Princesses need their princes… I’m sure the reverse is also true.”
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