"Xehanort, for the tenth time, no!" exclaimed Ansem. "But master," Xehanort complained, "my research will make your dreams of comprehension of the heart a reality!"
"Xehanort," Ansem replied, "these people are, well, people and their lives can't be put into such jeopardy for research. I'm not going to make a mistake like that again…"
"Master, I'm your leading apprentice. Why can't you trust me?" Xehanort said, not giving in.
"These are my people." Ansem replied, "You can't do this!"
Xehanort wanted to argue, but was too steamed to say anything. He turned left his master's laboratory.
He left the Radiant Garden castle. He walked towards the Postern. When he arrived there, he walked through the large corridors and reached a door. He opened it. Inside was a small room. This was his main research area. There were beakers and test tubes scattered across the floor. He had written important notes on the walls.
He approached one of the walls he gently placed. The wall flashed and disappeared to reveal an extremely large area about as long as an airplane runway and twice as high as the roof on one where he and the five other apprentices did their experiments of the heart.
"Even," Xehanort said to his fellow apprentice of Ansem as he entered the large room, "How is it coming?". Even was next to a large machine, adjusting it with a small screwdriver, "It's near completion, Xehanort." He replied, "But there's one more thing left that we need; a human heart."
"Good. As for the heart, I can handle that.".
Xehanort laughed, "If master Ansem doesn't want us to harm his people, then we'll obey."
Xehanort left the room, many ideas swirling in his mind….
He headed to the Postern the next day.
Even worked on modifications and adjustments to his elaborate machine. Xehanort returned to the experimenting room and walked up to Even. "Xehanort," Even said, "besides the heart, the machine is ready. "Good. Now Even," Xehanort started, "assemble the group. The goal of The Sixth Order will soon be realized!"
Even left and gathered the four other apprentices into the experimenting room.
"Gentlemen," Xehanort started, "you five along with myself will be the first experience the Heart's true nature. Braig, Dilan, Even, Elaeus, Ienzo. You five, members of the masters of the heart- The Sixth Order!"
Xehanort stepped over to the machine, "For this to work, we will need a heart. I will be the one to give the sacrifice." He paused "Our Heartless machine will finally prove to Ansem that we can go above and beyond the limits of his research where he was too afraid to pass!"
He stepped into a large pod beside the machine, which closed behind him. He gave Even a hand sign and he stepped over to the machine and punched in a code into the control module.
The pod filled with a black gas. The four apprentices observing the procedure were looking on with concern for their leader's safety.
Xehanort was no longer visible due to the gas. Even looked on with confidence. There was a loud ear-piercing screech coming from the machine. Everyone including Even held their ears in pain. Once the screeching ended, the pod opened. A figure stepped out of the pod. It resembled Xehanort but he had a dark appearance. "I…I…am darkness. I have no heart. It…it worked. Now we can focus on Heart research!"
The other members cheered until they saw another figure. He too resembled Xehanort but his aura was neither light nor dark. He wore a black cloak.
"What…what am I?" the new figure asked, "I don't even know what I am." "Well I know myself well enough to know that our research will be a success!" the dark figure exclaimed. The cloaked figure wanted to feel annoyed, but he didn't feel…well anything. He opened out his hand and pointed it towards the dark figure. The dark figure, out of no where, was blasted out of the Postern research area and disappeared.
"Now my friends," the cloaked man said, "you shall serve me in my pursuit in the repair of myself. I have realized I cannot feel. So I shall become…complete again…with the power of a heart. If removing a heart can make me this, then putting one back can restore me. And I shall make it your burden as well." He said.
He moved his hand so that his palm was facing the machine. It started to shake and then exploded. The dark gas caused the five other members of the Order to turn into these cloaked non-feeling things, as the dark figures they left behind disappeared into darkness.
"With these new forms comes new power." Xehanort said, "We shall use these powers to retrieve hearts. But we must act quickly, as like your dark counterparts, eventually you too will fade back into darkness. I can feel myself already starting to fade away…
"We will defeat those with hearts and keep them for ourselves. We don't deserve this since we were the ones trying to learn about the heart and better man's knowledge of the heart's strength.
"You five shall abandon your former names as will I. You needn't embrace any part of your complete self until we are complete."
He looked at his five partners who he had just transformed. They couldn't be mad at him since they could no longer feel.
The figure addressed them in the same order as he did before he was transformed, "Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexeaus, Zexion."
He paused and looked at his hands. He looked up, "And Xemnas."