Much of my life has been dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. That knowledge has guarded this world well. Not a soul doubts that. I am blessed with my people's smiles and respect. But though I am called a sage, there are things I do not understand. I believe darkness sleeps in every heart, no matter how pure. Given the chance, the smallest drop can spread and swallow the heart. I have witnessed it many times. Darkness . . . Darkness of the heart. How is it born? How does it come to affect us so? As ruler of this world, I must find the answers. I must find them before the world is lost to those taken by the darkness.
Ansem Report #2
Method Obtained: Talk to Aerith in the Hollow Bastion Library.
It is my duty to expose what this darkness really is. I shall conduct the following experiments. Extract the darkness from a person's heart. Cultivate darkness in a pure heart. Both suppress and amplify the darkness within. The experiments caused the test subjects' hearts to collapse, including those of the most stalwart. How fragile our hearts are! My treatments produced no signs of recovery. I confined those who had completely lost their hearts beneath the castle. Some time later, I went below and was greeted by the strangest sight. Creatures that seemed born of darkness . . . What are they? Are they truly sentient beings? Could they be the shadows of those who lost their hearts in my experiment?
Ansem Report #3
Method Obtained: Defeat Ursala in Atlantica.
The Shadows that crawl beneath the castle . . . Are they the people who lost their hearts, or incarnations of darkness? Or something entirely beyond imagination? All my knowledge has provided no answer. One thing I am sure of is that they are entirely devoid of emotion. Perhaps further study will unlock the mysteries of the heart. Fortunately, there is no shortage of test samples. They are multiplying underground even as I write this report. They still need a name. Those who lack hearts . . . I will call them the Heartless.
Ansem Report #4
Method Obtained: Speak to Aerith in the Hollow Bastion Library.
The Heartless appear in groups , and are multiplying rapidly. I've provided them both living and nonliving samples. They've responded only to the living. They seem multiplying after absorbing something from the living creatures. Their prey vanishes without a trace. I believe the Heartless are taking hearts. They are born from those who've lost their hearts and thrive on hearts seized from others. The hearts taken by the Heartless become Heartless themselves. Though I lack proof, I am confident in this hypothesis. I must also study their behavioral principles. Though they lack emotions, they do seem to have some intelligence. How to communicate with them? It's just occurred to me. Could they be the darkness in people's hearts?
Ansem Report #5
Method Obtained: Defeat Maleficent in Hollow Bastion.
To study the Heartless behavior, I picked one out for observation. It wiggled it's antennae and, as if sensing a target, headed deep into the castle. In the deepest part of the castle, it's antennae began vibrating as if searching for something. Suddenly, a strange door appeared. I'd never known of it's existence. It had a large keyhole , but it didn't seem locked. So I opened the door. What I saw mystified me. What was that powerful mass of energy? That night, I observed a great meteor shower in the sky. Could it be related to the door that I have opened?
Ansem Report #6
Method Obtained: Talk to Aerith in the Hollow Bastion Library.
A massive core of energy lay beyond the door sought by the Heartless. It may well be the ultimate goal of all Heartless. But what is that energy? I have devised a hyposthesis, based upon my observations of the Heartless. The Heartless feed on other's hearts, and they yearn for that energy core. That thing beyond the door must be a heart, too--the hearts of this world. There is no proof, but, having felt that immense energy, I am certian. That was the heart of the world. The Heartless are trying to take hearts not only from all living creatures, but from the world itself. But what do they mean to do with the heart of the world?
Ansem Report #7
Method Obtained: Defeat Oogie Boogie in Halloween Town.
I am now studying material from the meteors that rained down that fateful night. What a find! The material is foreign to our world. It is elastic to the touch, and when two pieces are combined, the bond easily. None of the records I’ve sourced even mention such a substance. Was it introduced to the world when I opened that door? I wonder how many other such materials drift through the atmosphere of this tiny world…I wish I could soar off and find out! Could there be uncharted worlds up there? My curiosity never ceases to grow. But I should stop speaking of such unrealistic dreams. For now, there is no way to venture outside this world. My people and I are all but prisoners of this tiny place.
Ansem Report #8
Method Obtained: Defeat Hades in Olympus Coliseum.
There is no doubt that the heartless are deeply connected to people’s hearts. Further study may unravel both their motivations and the mysteries shrouding the heart. As a start I have created a device that artificially creates Heartless. By recreating the conditions that spawn the heartless naturally, I should be able to produce them artificially. This device is the culmination of all my research thus far. The machine’s test run successfully created a Heartless. This may be a step towards creating a heart from nothing. The artificially and naturally created Heartless showed nearly identical traits. But the two types should remain distinct for the purposes of this experiment. So I will mark the ones that are created artificially.
Ansem Report #9
Method Obtained: Defeat Captain Hook in Neverland.
Simply astonishing! Today I had a guest from another world. He is a king, and his vessel is built of the material that composed the meteors. He called the pieces “gummi blocks.” It seems that my opening that door has opened a path to interworld travel. We talked for countless hours, but one story in particular caught my interest: that of a key called the “Keyblade.” The Keyblade is said to hold phenomenal power. One legend says its wielder saved the world, while another says he brought chaos and ruin upon it. I must know what this Keyblade is. A key opens doors. It must be connected to the door that I have opened.
Ansem Report #10
Method Obtained: Exclusively in Final Mix.
Just as people have hearts, so do worlds. The same can be said of the stars in the night sky. And deep within each world lies a door to its heart. The Heartless desire those hearts. Born out of the darkness in people’s hearts, they seek to return to a greater heart. Yes, that’s it. The Heartless come from people’s hearts, as does the darkness. Is the core of the world’s heart the world of the Heartless? I will pursue the answer there and become all-knowing. My path is set. I shall seek out the wielder of the Keyblade, and the princesses. My body is too frail for such a journey, but I must do this. I will cast off and plunge into the depths of darkness.
Ansem Report #13
Method Obtained: Speak to Aerith in the Hollow Bastion Library.
When the heart cast off the flesh, where does the body go?
Heart and soul are seperate, and the spirit remains in the body. But can we assume that the left over body and soul perish? Certainly when the heart changes into a Heartless the body disappears.
However, that is only this world's story; in another world, might've they change forms like the Heartless and exist there? If we take that to the case, there must be a you other than yourself existing somewhere. An existence neither of darkness nor of light. An in between existence.
Cast off by the heart, a mere shell, one who begrudges both the darkness and the light.
This mystery cannot be easily resolved. The relationship between the heart and the flesh is a complex one. But since we exist here, they cannot be termed as existent. Therefore, I shall call them . . .The none existent ones.
Credits:
Reports 1-5 by Fire Wolf
Reports 6-10 by Rain
