Implications

While everyone is gushing over/analyzing the new KHIII trailer, I would like to discuss some things that have been bothering me for a while. There are some key differences between the two sets of Ansem reports in the first two major installments. The KHI set was written by Ansem Seeker of Darkness, or Apprentice Xehanort. In them, we get the impression that he was working independently, as Ansem the Wise and his apprentices were not introduced until the story became more fleshed out later on. If we were to still accept these at face value, we could come to one of two conclusions: one, that Apprentice Xehanort really had worked alone for the most part; or two, that the other apprentices had helped him and he just never mentioned them. The second set of Ansem reports, written by Ansem the Wise, mentions them quite frequently: Even did this, Ienzo said that, and so on. I'm convinced he used all their names as his password before Xehanort changed it to the names of the seven princesses of heart. What it boils down to is obvious: the real Ansem cared about his apprentices very much, while Apprentice Xehanort apparently didn't care for them at all. Out of all of them, though, Apprentice Xehanort was the only one with enough power to banish Ansem to the dark margin; the rest probably just sided with his arguments and helped him carry out his work in secret and not much else in the grand evil scheme of things (except Braig, of course, who had been tasked with keeping the amnesiac on point).
This also raises more questions than it answers about how it all went down, which we will probably never see as KHIII looks to have a different focus in mind and probably won't have time to explore all of these issues. The main question I have is a matter of who has what powers outside of their Nobody forms. Ansem the Wise gained his powers after he was banished to the dark margin, and Braig already had space powers when he fought Terra (whether or not it was enough for him to hop worlds before Master Xehanort made him a living horcrux is up for debate). Do all of their powers have to come from darkness? Ansem no longer has his the second time he ends up in the dark margin, presumably because his heart was no longer tainted with thoughts of anger and revenge; Riku also loses his after he and Sora defeat Xemnas. What about the rest of them? It's not like any of them studied magic like Aqua probably did, but it's hard not to associate the apprentices with their Nobody powers (and then there's Lea, who still has the powers of darkness and fire and wears the Organization coat even though he's a complete person). I guess if Ansem doesn't have any because the darkness has left him and he never had any to begin with, maybe it's for the best that they don't either if they didn't start out that way. They are scientists, after all, but that doesn't necessarily mean they didn't practice a little on the side (especially Ienzo, who will read anything he can get his hands on and had the power to cast illusions when he was a Nobody).
Don't get me wrong - I was excited about the KHIII announcement too. We're getting a flashback of young Eraqus and young Xehanort plus playable Mt. Olympus and the world from Tangled (I can't remember the name of it since all I can think about is Frozen, which is the same universe but not the same place). I know full well that the apprentices' story is not a priority (although it really should be since this is partially their fault) and that their appearance in Dream Drop Distance was Squenix throwing us a bone. It'd just be nice if they were treated as more of a plot point instead of a side note given the repercussions of their actions.