Kingdom Hearts fic: Potentials - Chapter 6

[mistressofmuses]

In chapter 6: Kairi, Riku, and Sora spend a day together, trying to enjoy the calm before the storm.

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The following article appears on the private fanpage “SuperFocus” dedicated to the history of various Superhero organizations.

The Origin of the Defenders of the Light

The Defenders of the Light can trace its history back farther than superheroes being an expected part of daily life, though it started as an organization officially maligned as a vigilante group. Certainly a sharp contrast to its current place in the public consciousness as near-synonymous with heroism.

The original members weren’t superhuman, just men and women who devoted themselves to protecting their city and its citizens, even when that put them into conflict with local police and government. Looking back on their history, and on the corruption they helped to expose, it seems much clearer now that they were heroes, if more mundane ones than we’re used to now.

There’s no true agreement on who the first superhuman was. There have been people with extraordinary abilities and skills for centuries, and an even more extensive tradition throughout human history of quasi-mythical figures that could arguably qualify.

But there is no denying that there was a drastic increase in their prevalence around 15 years ago.

It’s been speculated (though this is merely one theory of many) that the catalyst for that spike was close to an additional 15 years prior, when our universe came into contact with another. As superpowers often manifest near puberty, this date of contact would be relatively close to birth or very early childhood for many of those who would ultimately manifest abilities.

(If dimensional interactions are truly a catalyst for powers to manifest, it is worth noting there was another such event a few years before the spike. This was when the child-hero Starchild appeared in our world, which is also theorized to have been a potential trigger.)

At the time of the first known dimensional event 30 years ago, there was little serious study into alternate realities, so the dimensional brush-up itself passed with little fanfare. But afterwards, individuals began to come forward with claims that they had come from another world entirely.

Many of these individuals were studied, some grew to prominence, and others faded into obscurity. But one young boy, Xehanort, began his own inquiries into his origins. He joined the Defenders of the Light as a child, taken under the wing of their then-leader Ansem. He grew up in the organization, and gradually worked his way to a position of leadership, taking over entirely after Ansem passed away.

In the first year following his ascension, when superpowers began to manifest with frequency that could not be ignored, he welcomed many from the region into the Defenders of the Light. As the original heroes that had founded the organization retired, superpowered heroes began to outnumber the remaining “mundane” heroes, until eventually powers became a de facto requirement for becoming a Hero.

As one retired hero famously said: “Heroism is a superhuman’s game.”

Now, most people view this as an ultimately positive move. The Defenders of the Light has grown within the city it calls home, and similar organizations have taken hold in other regions. These organizations offer a place that newly-manifested superhumans can turn to for help with their powers, and offer a career path that utilizes their genuinely unique skills. It’s contributed to a greater sense of public safety, even as similarly superpowered threats have emerged. The organization’s research department has also grown vastly, and leads efforts to understand what causes powers to manifest, as well as how they can be used, trained, and controlled.

While some people remain skeptical regarding the Defenders of the Light’s stated goals, none can argue that under Xehanort’s control, it has certainly grown to suit a changing world.

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( Chapter 6 )

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