Blank Points
Within Terra's heart, Xehanort speaks to him, asking how he can remain there after having his body stolen. Terra assures the old man that he will take his body back one day, but Xehanort says that he will never return. When he asks Terra how he can hope to remove him from his body, Xehanort realizes that Eraqus managed to insert a piece of himself into Terra's heart before his death. Terra reaffirms that he will overcome Xehanort eventually, but the elderly Master tells him that possessing Terra was only one of many possible options he chose; if he gets ejected from his body, Xehanort is sure to have a backup plan.Some time later in Radiant Garden, the amnesiac Xehanort, still in Terra's body, has been taken in as an apprentice of Ansem the Wise. Braig appears and tries to remind him of their earlier plans, assuming that the amnesia was just a ploy, but Xehanort doesn't respond. Braig tries to see whether or not Xehanort is really in control of his own body, but he sees no signs of Terra retaking control, so he feels assured that it is still Xehanort he's speaking to. Braig assures him that he will watch out for him, but Xehanort doesn't seem to understand anything he's talking about. Behind them, Ansem and Ienzo are walking and eating sea-salt ice cream, but suddenly Ienzo turns around to look at Xehanort and Braig. Ansem turns as well and seems to sense something wrong with them.
More than a decade later, sometime after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, it is revealed that Ansem the Wise was banished into the Realm of Darkness after his machine exploded in the World That Never Was. After the many years since her battle with Terra-Xehanort, Aqua is still trapped in the Realm of Darkness. On the beach, she meets Ansem, who tells her that he lost his memories of who he was before being sent there. He notes that Aqua reminds him of a heroic boy he once knew. He explains to her that the boy used a Keyblade to save the worlds on multiple occasions. Aqua asks if his name is Terra or Ventus, but he says that neither of those was his name.
Ansem tells Aqua how he was obsessed with revenge on Xehanort and Organization XIII, which drove him to hurt innocent people. He says that, during the year the boy was asleep after Chain of Memories, he hid his research inside of him. Ansem expresses hope that the boy can bring hope to the worlds and fix the mistakes that he caused. When Aqua asks for his name, Ansem tells him: Sora. Hearing this name, Aqua realizes that he was one of the boys that she met on Destiny Islands many years ago. Knowing that the boy she met then had become the savior of the worlds causes Aqua to cry. Back on Destiny Islands, Sora tells Riku and Kairi that he needs to begin his next journey after having read Mickey's letter.
Secret Episode
The Secret Episode begins shortly after Aqua's battle with Terra-Xehanort, having just entered the Realm of Darkness. She holds on to the connection she has with her friends, and she uses that hope to keep going. She sees a portal of light open above her, but darkness rushes into it. Aqua is then attacked by the Heartless, which she has never seen before. At first, all she has to fight are Shadows and their stronger variant Neoshadows, but as she moves on she encounters Darkballs as well. After going a long way, Aqua is attacked by the ferocious Dark Hide, which she only barely defeats. After beating it, she comes upon the Castle of Dreams, which gives her hope. Despite that hope, Aqua is left to wander the Realm of Darkness for over a decade. Meanwhile, Ven is slumbering within Castle Oblivion, and Terra is under the control of Xehanort, who would go on to became Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas. The Wayfinder Trio is lost, and it will ultimately be up to Sora and his friends to save them.Tropes
- Gameplay and Story Integration: Since Aqua sacrificed her original Keyblade to save Terra-Xehanort, she's lost all the Keychains she had acquired across her adventure. She does have Master Eraqus's Keyblade, which is an Infinity +1 Sword and more than enough to take down the Heartless.
- "Jaws" First-Person Perspective: During the first phase of the Dark Hide's battle, the camera will shift to its red-tinted perspective as it charges at Aqua. Time slows down for Aqua as the Dark Hide charges, making it harder to react.
- Say My Name: "Blank Points" has a montage of all the characters lost during the series, saying the name of their future savior: "Sora."
- Time Skip: "Blank Points" flashes forwards to after the events of Kingdom Hearts II.
- True Final Boss: The Dark Hide is the final final boss of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix.
