Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate

[Hidden]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

The next time Seth opened his eyes, the sky was black.

Wha- ?

Kisara and her sister were gone; so were Raph and the Witch. He was alone on the island. They must have just left... he must have said something to them... but he couldn’t remember right now. Everything seemed out of joint, unreal.

What’s happening to me?

Seth looked back up at the sky, and this time recognition took hold and shook him back to the waking world.

Oh.

The storm. The storm was coming. Had come. The clouds that had hovered immobile on the horizon now blotted out the sky, having stolen the last three miles in a sudden, silent march. And the water...

...the water was as black as the sky it reflected, choppy waves eating away what was left of his small outpost on the sea.

Oh. Oh, this is bad.

The sense of anticipation, of destiny, had vanished. He had to get back to the main island, to his family, to shelter. But when he turned around, he couldn’t find any trace of the islands, any trace of anything at all. All around him was just an inky blackness and... nothing. Something squeezed at Seth’s heart.

You don’t even know where you are a voice said.

“Shut up,” Seth muttered to the empty air. “The islands are there. They have to be.”

And what if they’re not? What if you dive into the water, and never find land again? This could be the only shelter you have left.

Seth froze, immobile, on the edge of his island. He knew he wouldn’t have a chance of weathering the storm out here... but the thought of losing himself in that endless blackness paralyzed him, made him grasp at whatever firm ground he could find. For a long while he sat, crouched, head between his knees, as the waves beat higher upon his sinking shoreline. Finally his sea green eyes flashed up in the direction he hoped the islands were.

“No choice.”

In one smooth motion, he sprang from his crouch and dove into the inky ocean beyond.



He made it maybe ten meters before the sea swallowed him. It might have been a whirlpool–they were common enough during storms- but to Seth it felt like a great black hand had reached up and grabbed him. And it dragged him down

and down

d
o
w
n
.
.
.

Seth knew better than to fight it; you didn’t win those types of fights. His only hope was to wait for it to release him, then to struggle for the surface. But it never let go. And just as he was losing consciousness, fading to an even deeper black, he heard a voice; the same voice from the island, and from his forgotten dream. And it was saying...

“Now you have a choice to make.”


* * *
Next Chapter

The storm burst over the islands like a tripped landmine—all at once and without warning.

For one last, immeasurable moment, the charcoal clouds hung still in the sky; the wind had died or else was holding back its breath; and all the little shimmers of life on the island held out the promise of tomorrow.

Then the sky opened, and darkness poured out.

There was a flash, followed by a roar, and three long seconds of collective blindness and ringing. On the seaward side of town, the roof of a shack was incinerated and the tools and sawdust inside burst into flames.

At first, the darkness was indistinguishable from the rain, which poured down with indiscriminate fury. It stirred up the ocean where a boy had just disappeared beneath the waves; it washed out the choked alleyways where two gangs faced each other over homemade blades; it beat at the barricaded windows and warm lights people had set up to hold it back. But where the rain merely flowed on, the darkness pooled.

Out of these pools appeared shapes like nothing human.

Attracted to the presence of hearts, they took form in the town, in the alleyways, and within the barricaded little havens of light where people trembled and waited for the storm to pass them by. And slowly at first, one by one, those little shimmers of life on the island began to blink out.


The Heartless had come.

 

[Professor Ven]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

"Well, this wasn't exactly what I expected here! Wonder if they're having a nice luncheon with sunshine and perhaps a nice rainbow on the end we came from!" Theros shouted over in his usual, unchanged manner towards Julian, and the slim man suddenly twisted about, bringing his thin sword to bear down upon the evil ink blots that had come with the rain.

Their golden eyes haunted Julian. Just a dream, it was only a dream! And yet, it feels too real. When will I wake up? Is there ever waking up? Go away, you nasty, little things! He brought his great hammer down to smash another bunch of the dark beings, and yet, still more came. They continued forward, determined to reach where they had been headed for, dealing with the monsters as needed; if help had been needed there before the storm, it most certainly could be needed now.

Julian and Theros arrived, soaking wet, (save for Theros' reddish leather shoes, which seemed impervious to rain, mud, and the residue of the destroyed, and very most evil, ink blots) and too used to the routine of eliminating the monsters, at a point where they bumped into a boy with a bunch of gadgets and gizmos, a boy in blue, a girl in green, a boy in red with some others who looked like henchmen, and . . if it isn't-

"A bit bad of storm for you to be out in, eh, old man Seyward? Thought you'd be painting the spectacle rather than getting blotted by it." Theros' slim blade shot past the hermetic old man, slaying another of the foul ink blots. "Arm still working well since the accident?"

"And we should be going, Theros, before more come." Julian, to the discerning eye would have seemed not unlike a cornered bull. Only a dream, only a dream. "We should get on a boat or ship of some sort; the monsters keep coming on land, I fear. Which among you has a ship nearby?" Julian boomed his final question over the storm, his great voice practically echoing in the others' minds, as his great hammer once more took another bunch of those frightening beings with its swing.

 

[Ðari]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

As Gavin listened silently, he went nigh completely unnoticed as their conversation trudged along. A tiny echo, a grip on his heart seemed to appear with seemless intrusion. There was someone talking to him, the raven-haired deviant seemed to listen. His sense of time had begun to siphon away in slow motion, nigh frozen and suddenly as he shut his eyes, everything had begun to change.

He'd opened them to what he could only describe as a floating black prism, no bigger than that of an apple. Darkness, at least that is what it appeared like to Gavin as his hands enclosed around it, not touching. Intrigue, apprehension, and courage seemed to billow in Gavin's stomach. How he was cautious to the touch, the voice began to talk to him again.

Embrace the fate that lies ahead...turn to darkness.

Darkness. A word Gavin had never heard before, but only seen at sundown and without light on nights of a new moon. There need not be any fear of this darkness, Gavin knew he was strong enough to handle whatever was tossed in his way. As he took a gulp, the saliva trailed down his throat in slow motion, and his hands siezed the prism.

"I'm not afraid of the darkness, lets get out of here." he said as he'd soon been completely consumed.

------

When Gavin's sense of consciousness returned, things felt very different. The atmosphere soon became thick and tense, there was an expanse of a sky so dark that flitted behind him. The clouds were in prime form, as the rain came down, he stood ankle deep in the water, his back staring out into the sea as the waves crashed violently. Gavin's sea green eyes tipped and became amber as he peered sharply out into the water.

It is time that you left this world.

That familiar ringing in his ear, it seemed as if this was the invitation that he'd been waiting for. Pausing for a moment he'd thought about her. She possessed a strong heart and sense of justice, as the shark tooth pendant hung from his neck he realized he'd be venturing this path without her. Remaining in his thoughts, he gripped the pendant and a pool of darkness began to swim beneath his feet. Gavin had turned, changed even, and to the other islanders he held out his hand as the gorging sea behind him began to pick up steadfast. The tide began to recede ever so quickly, and the wave stacked high preparing to engulf Gavin in the water, but his stance was unmoving and absolute.

"It's time to go everyone. Time to leave home and see whats really out there, lets go." Gavin said one final time as the threads of darkness began to emanate from him.

Gavin's legs were stiff and unmoving, and he'd extended his hand to them. Behind the youth a raging wave of black water seemed to race towards the island, all the while the pesky creatures that had been forming in the midst of things began to take notice to them.

It was now or never.

 

[Von83194]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Izzy's dark brown eyes shot open to the roar of thunder. Groggily he rose from his bed, and walked downstairs. "Dad, you alright?" Izzy asked as he turned the corner to his fathers room. No answer. "Dad?" He looked inside, but didn't see him. "Oh no....." He quickly looked around the rest of the house and the outside, and saw his father's wheel chair by the door, which meant he was walking. And unfortunately he knew exactly where he was going. Izzuko grabbed his coat and head out side, back towards the beach.

His footsteps sloshed in black pools of water as he walked the path. He felt that with each step he was being slowed, pulled back by the darkness of the water. The rain seemed only to make it worse, making every step sink further and further into the mud beneath. Izzy felt a hand on his ankle as he tripped and fell, face first, into the biggest puddle yet. "What the-" He started, turning around just in time to see the shadow creatures emerge from the black waters behind him. Panic came across his face as he tried to stand and get away, as hands came from underneath him, holding him down, trying to pull him in. Izzuko struggled, slowly getting one had free, but then the other creatures jumped on him, more and more until it was just a dog pile on him. His muscles were sore, and slowly he gave up. And with one last breath, he sank into darkness.

The water was different than the ocean he was use to. It was cold, an unnatural cold, and just floating in it seemed to make him sad and depressed. The darkness was also unnatural, he completely unable to see his hand even though he was just inches below the surface. Time seemed to stretch on indefinitely as he floated in the pitch black water. Just as he though he was going to lose consciousness, he felt something begin to pull him out. It was a weird sensation, making him only wonder if this is how some fish felt. He breached the surface of the pool, renewed with energy, and began fighting off the mysterious creatures that swarmed around him. He managed to fight off enough to stand and made his way towards the shed used for fishing materials. He grabbed two harpoons off the back wall, and strapped one to his back with rope. Izzy spun the other in his hand, as more of the dark creatures began to swarm around him again. The roar of the sea and the sky deafened him, as the rain poured over his already drenched body. As if this night wasn't already hard enough, he thought.

 

[Orion]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Leroy was prepared to run the moment the creatures began appearing, most out of walls and emerging from shadows, some even materialising with some ephemeral fanfare. Kal put another obstacle between him and the Dragons, and when Theros and Julian practically bumped into him, it was too good an opportunity to miss. Gripping Chizuma's hand desperately in his right, Leroy yelled out to Kal before he even knew if the boy was following or staying: "Hope you've got wings, rotors or a spring in your step!"

The descending alley he ran down added to his speed, the cobble street lined with flat-roofed, single-story buildings. With the incline of the street, if Leroy stood at the threshold between any two structures, the roof of the building two doors down was below eye level. Perfect. His weapon was still buzzing in his hand, stationary but not yet disarmed. He spoke as, single-handedly, he attempted the precarious maneuver to get the weapon spinning once more and then reconfigured. "Getting onto the roofs, not stopping to climb."

He swung the weapon a little upwards and let go of its traditional handle to sieze the grip extending from the motor. With a wrenching of his fist that almost unbalanced him mid-run, the weapon once more spun to life, and Leroy was quick to grab it once more from its normal hold. At the same time, he adjusted his grip on Chizuma's arm, so that he held her tight by her right wrist, and that hand of hers held his own left in a similar fashion. "On three, hold my arm tight but away from you, got it?"

Leroy missed Chizuma's defiant, tight-lipped nod as his gaze returned to his weapon. He thumbed a cover open over a switch, and flicked it, making sure to quickly bring the weapon to point in front of him, then above. All the while the already-spinning blades adjusted about their pivot, in the space of a couple of seconds going from parallel to perpendicular. Though they were moving too fast to tell, they'd also shifted so that each blade sliced the air diagonally as it swung around its axle.

Leroy made to push Chizuma behind him at arm's length, so he was in the front right and she the rear left. He started the countdown, hands and arms tensing around their respective grasps as Leroy felt his revolving weapon already trying to pull away from him. By 'three' he was kicking off the ground with all his might, at the same time throwing Chizuma forward with all the strength he could muster. The moment their hammering feet left the ground, they overwhelming helicoptering noise of the weapon took over. It wasn't enough to ever fly by, but the ground pulled rapidly away from them as they advanced, quickly pulling above the doorways then roofs around them.

With the Smiles and Dragons running around, the streets - especially in this circuitous borough - were dangerous enough. With the appearance of the dark creatures, Leroy internally declared them a death trap, whatever the intentions of the otherworldly beings. For now, they'd escaped.

 

[Kazem]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Kal loved the rain, and so he reflexively turned his head skyward as it covered Kismet. Above the island was only darkness, clouds blocking out any astronomical source of light. Not knowing of what else was swiftly descending onto the island, eyes were closed and mouth opened, accepting the droplets from above.

I don't know what I'd do without you, washing away everything without reason or bias, but instead with natural power and grace. What it must be like to be one of a group whose size is limitless, only pausing to rest and gather before continuing. But what a short life that would be, falling down only to scatter, eventually bowing down before the sun and drying up, relying on the strength or demise of others for me to return to my moment of glory only to repeat the cycle over and over again before being inevitably trapped.

A small pool of rain had gathered in Kal's mouth before a droplet of inky black was added, spreading through the pool quickly and making it murky. The source dropped further and further down until it reached his throat, the contact between Kal and the droplet sending him into a rush of emotion, feelings and wonder.

There it was.

A spec. One tiny black dot surrounded by white so pure it was almost unbearable to look at. While being insignificant in proportion, the spec had a certain allure that called out to Kal, a charm that was irresistible to him.

Don't be afraid, it'll be okay. You only have to make one choice to see the path.

He could only nod and stare at the spec within his mind. Away from his attention, black spots converged and multiplied until the white that had once surrounded it had been surrounded itself.

It's straight ahead of you. Go on.

The voice without sound beckoned to him, without a sense of danger and only with that of peace. Inch by inch, the spec drew closer and closer. Sweat forming on his brow, Kal couldn't wait to accept it into his heart. He tried his best, but the black kept its pace, making him even more eager.

But then he saw something, just out of his attention. Disobeying the voice, he focused elsewhere and saw the silent black that awaited him, only a spec of white remaining within it. Confused, he silently cried out to the voice for help, instruction, advice, anything.

It remained silent.

He focused back on the black spot and found it was where it had started, drawing another noiseless moan. He wanted to complete each side, getting rid of the imperfection in both, but neither impurity would budge. Each particle began growing, the balance between the two swinging over the border without any signs of any greater amount of power in either color. Any superiority wasn't able to be seen, the thin line between the two forces rocking and twisting, spikes penetrating and voids being squabbled over. All too quickly, everything was inverted, black now white and white now black, sending Kal into a confusion no amount of smooth and alluring coercing could cure. The choice of what exactly to do wasn't even clear to him. To fight for or against a color? To emrabce the central orb of each?

I...I don't know what to choose. It's too hard. I just can't. No! Not now! Too much...it's all too much! Away. Just. Go. AWAY!


Two others had joined in the tension-filled meeting, Kal coming back to his senses just as Leroy shouted something about wings, springs or rotors. Frozen for less than a second more, Kal copied Leroy's speed and darted into the alley, arms holding on tight to the boards. Water swept down the hill, carrying with it any loose debris and making each step more and more unsure as rain continued to flow down with the black droplets following their example. It was only now that the beings with yellow eyes and antennae were noticed, though their other details were obscured with the speed Kal was traveling at down the hill, more attention payed to Leroy and Chizuma.

Until, that is, both of them flew up.

"A signal! There was definitely a call for a signal!"

Mumbling some creative curses, Kal saw a wave of yellow eyes piling at the bottom of the hill and making their way up towards him. They crashed through doors and screams were heard, joining up with the voices echoing all around Kismet. Hanging his head for a moment and sighing, Kal reluctantly dropped his hard-earned load and let it float swiftly towards the shadowy beings below, making a laughable dent in the horde. A blue marker catching his eye, Kal made his way to the right of the street and jumped forward with all of his strength, hands outstretched in a hail-mary attempt to grab the protruding metal rod placed there for situations where roof access was needed.

He flew for a lovely second, the feeling giving him his second breath and a grin to replace the worried frown that sat on his face since he took off with Leroy. Hands touching metal, fingers locked on tightly to the wet pole and twisted. With an "alley-oop" and a swing of his legs, Kal was in the air again before landing on his back above the alley, a heavy but expected "oomph" escaping his mouth, still grinning. And he continued to smile until he stood up and saw yellow eyes trained on him on the other roofs, though not nearly as much as what was in the street below. Pulling out his newly acquired machete, he looked upward and spotted the other two in the air, Leroy's device whirring and making quite a sight to behold. Blade in hand, Kal made his way across the roofs after the two, avoiding the little clawed beings as best as he could, jumping, turning and sliding out of the way whenever a pair of eyes appeared in front of him.

And as he ran for his life, a voice constantly called out to him, a word that was so simple and yet so immense that Kal couldn't even hope to comply right then, if ever. One word that urged, almost commanded him to ultimately and finally

choose.

 

[Von83194]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Izzy's body was soaked to the core, his clothing sticking to his bronze skin. His breathing was heavy, and his feet dragged in the sand. He had managed to fight his way this far up the beach, and although he was close, his destination seemed so far away. He used a harpoon for support, as he walked. It was then he remembered the last time he was here, or more specifically, how long it had been since the last time he was here. Almost a year. Izzy wasn't sure who would be madder, his dad, or his mom.

Izzuko could see the way to the grave from where he was now. Flowers of various colors grew around the beach. Bright oranges, calm blues, deep reds, a myriad of colors. He never learned what his mom did to plant flowers like this, but she never had time to do it before she died. He could still remember that day, entirely all too well.

They were in their old house. His father was trying to build a better one before the storm got there, but he was unable to finish it. His mother had insisted that if he had started back when she had planted the flowers on the path, they would have finished, but his father just laughed it off saying that they would be fine. "As long as I've been out on the sea, I can handle just about any storm she can throw at me." He said with a smile.

Thunder boomed above him, shaking him from his flashback, and he headed further away from the shore. There was another small path, but this one had no flowers. Izzy looked down and saw footprints, along with a third trail, and knew the his father was indeed here. He quickened his pace, arriving at his mother's grave, his father's body lying limp in front of her tombstone. Izzuko stopped in his tracks, his mind rushing back to that day again.

His mother's limp body lay under a large piece of the collapsed house. His father by her side, his legs under the pile, unconcious. Izzuko, sat in a still standing corner of the house, crying in a ball while the storm raged on around them. He snapped out of the flashback, and began to see the yellow eyes of the shadow creatures form around them. "Crap," he muttered, running to his father's side. He checked his pulse, and was relived to see that he was still alive, even if it was just barely. He stood back up as the creatures made their way towards them. As Izzy removed the other harpoon from his back only one thought crossed his mind. If he was going to lose his father tonight, he wasn't going to do it crying in a corner. He was going to fight, even if it killed him.

 

[Story Keeper]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Nothing Said Run For Cover -~

Mana listened to Kisara scolding her, telling her that she shouldn't have headed out to the island in the first place. She knew why Kisara was doing this, she could even understand it, but it could really irritating when Sara got like this. Exhaling in exasperation, Mana piped up, "I know it was reckless, and I'm sorry, but it was Snow's idea!"

"I know that Mana!"

Hearing an edge to Kisara's words that was rare, flinching at the sharpness, Mana wasn't surprised when the rest of the trip passed in silence between them. Hopping off the board when they reached the beach, Mana stared down at the sand even as Kisara's eyes felt on her. "Emmy, I'm sorry about that, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Shaking her head in dismissal of the apology, Mana trailed after her sister; slightly afraid of setting Kisara off again. It wasn't always like that, for the most part they got along really well, but there were times when Kisara just got really psycho and wouldn't listen to anyone so Raphael had to talk her down. "Hey come on kiddo, what's wrong?" Finally looking up, she stared at Kisara wordlessly, trying to figure out how to explain it before she shrugged it off. "It's nothing, don't worry about it.... Race you home!" She said quickly, before she took off running, the sound of Kisara laughing reaching her ears as Mana rounded the corner.

Giggling happily, the younger sister pushed herself harder even as Kisara continued to close the distance between them. A scream escaping her, Mana felt Kisara's arm slip around her waist forcing the younger girl to stop. "Haha, now that you've had your fun, no more running off, got it?" Kisara laughed, before she released the younger blond.

Nodding her head, Mana fell into step behind her sister again, feeling a lot more like herself as the two of them finished the trek home. Rounding the corner, the joking mood fled as a soft, "Uh-oh," slipped out of Kisara. Confusion coloring her features, Mana looked at their house and watched the door fly open, their mother stepping into the doorway and shouting, "About time you two got home, get in here!"

Looking at Kisara, she whispered quietly, "The storm?"

"Oh yeah."

"Kisara! Mana!"

Cringing in unison, Mana ran over to her mom, keeping her eyes averted as she slipped inside the house. Mana listened as Kisara shut the door behind them, even locking the door before their mom said tensely, "Mana, go to your room."

Looking between them, she opened her mouth to protest but Kisara cut her off with, "Emmy, go to your room. Mom wants to talk to me and it's nothing you need to hear, I'll come and visit afterwards."

"Promise?"

Kisara turned to look at her, an easy smile spreading across her face, Kisara answered, "Promise."

Nodding her head reluctantly, Mana quickly fled to her room and shut the door. Looking around her room, she walked over to her bookshelf, pulled out a sketchbook, grabbed a pen and sat down on her bed before getting back to work on what she'd been writing earlier that morning.

~-~-~-~

Mana laid curled up on the floor, using Kisara's leg as a pillow when a urgent knock on the door woke her up. Blinking sleepily, she looked up to see that Kisara had been woken up too. "Are you serious?" The tense question from their father instantly dashed the rest of the sleep induced fog from their minds; scrambling to their feet in unison, Kisara motioned for Mana to stay put while she headed out to see what was wrong.

Watching as Kisara shut the door, Mana turned to look out her window to see that the storm had reached the mainland. "That's strange," she whispered, climbing up on her bed, she pushed the window open and watched while the raindrops hit the ground; before they spawned creatures with yellow eyes. A scream tore itself free as one of them pounced on an island, killing the person and causing their heart to drift up into the sky.

Scrambling away from her bedroom window, Mana tumbled to the ground even as her door flew open. Twisting to see her mother grabbing some of her things, Mana nodded in silent agreement as her mom said hurriedly, "We need to leave right now." Quickly climbing to her feet, Mana looked at her bedroom door as a whispered heated argument drifted toward her ears; but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make out the words.

"Don't worry, you'll have Kisara and Raphael with you, you'll be fine as long as you stay with them."

That snapped her out of her daze like she'd been slapped across the face, turning to look at her mother, Mana asked, "What about you and father?" Instantly taking note of the backpack that had been filled, she listened as her mother answered, "Don't worry sweetie, we'll be fine. You should just focus on doing as you're told, okay?"

Uncertainty sliding through her veins like ice, Mana nodded her head and took the backpack her mom gave her. Following her mother out of the room, she cringed inwardly as the icy uncertainty thickened at the tight look on her father's face. Sneaking a look in Kisara's direction, she mouthed, "What's going on?"

"I'll explain later," Kisara mouthed back.

"Raph, I trust you know what to do?" Their father asked, his voice tight with frustration and fear.

"I swear sir, I'll keep both of them safe. Kisara, do you have your bow?"

Mana watched the brief flash of annoyance that crossed Kisara face at the question, but that didn't conceal the fear that had gripped the older sister. "Of course, do you really have to ask?"

"Good, keep it at the ready for use."

Oh no, that's not good. Mana thought, before she was being shoved toward the backdoor with Raphael and Kisara in front of her; both of the older teens armed and looking ready to fight. "When I tell you to, run." Mana looked over her shoulder at the words her mother spoke, before she could ask for the meaning of her words, her mother screamed, "Run!"

Feeling Kisara's grip tighten on her wrist, Mana allowed herself to be pulled out of the house; her eyes focused on her parents as the shadow creatures came through the windows and pounced on her parents. Forcing herself to look ahead of her, Mana tried to wrap her mind around the task of running and not on what she was positive had just happened.

No, this can't be happening. I don't even know what's happening, but we didn't have enough of a warning. We're finished... She thought, gently pulling her hand free even as she continued running after the two teens in front of her.

~- The Darkness Feels So Wrong -~

Snow could tell from where she was standing Seth wasn't happy, analyzing his expression a little closer; she glanced around to see that it seemed to have been because of the fact there were too many people on the island. Slowly backing away, she caught the telltale sign that he had heard the rumors about her. Clenching her fists, she shook her head, spun around and walked away; deciding against dealing with trying to explain the truth for the umpteenth time. She didn't look over her shoulder at the two guys chatting down the beach; reaching where she'd come in at, she pulled the cross between a surfboard and a sailboat out of its hiding spot before she finally noticed that Raph had caught up to her. Throwing a look in his direction, she mumbled, "I thought he was better than that, but maybe I was wrong. Whatever, I'm use to it, and at least he didn't make the same first impression as you." The last part came out slightly more cheerful, a lighthearted teasing edging her words before Snow headed out deep enough that she wouldn't be drawn back inland by the waves; but instead she'd be forced away from the island.

After she was far enough out, she then let the wind take her where it willed. She didn't care where it took her for the most part, the only thing she cared about, was that it was away from everyone else. Making lighthearted chitchat with Raph along the way, after all, it seemed as if they were constantly competing to see who and which was better. Her windsurfing, or him surfing in the traditional sense of the word.

At a bit of time, Snow looked in front of her and felt a rush of disappoint as the mainland came into view. Paddling rest of the way to shore, she smiled slightly as the sand brushed against her skin; tickling her feet as she picked her way up the beach. Dropping the board behind the rock, she glanced around for a moment to make sure no one had seen; before racing up the beach so she could get home before the storm hit; but not before she waved goodbye to Raphael.

Hurrying through the empty streets, Snowdrop tried to ignore the feel of the hairs on her arm standing on end. Snowdrop risked a glance out of the corner of her eye, watching as Kisara and Mana ducked into their house; a slightly worried look passing through Kisara's eyes before the older girl shut the door behind her. Unsettled by that flash of emotion, Snow broke into a run in an attempt to shake off the nagging feeling that had crashed into her like waves upon the shore.

It seemed as if only a few moments had past before she heard the distinctive rumble of thunder; stumbling slightly as the vibration raced up her legs; Snow looked up at the sound of rain falling and frowned in disgust. She knew things got dark during a storm, but this darkness was unnatural, otherworldly even.

Normally, she loved the dark of night; but this felt just plain wrong.

Hearing a slight sound behind her, Snow spun around to face it, fully expecting to see a member of one of the gangs behind her. "What the blazes is that!" She shouted, taking a step back as the bug-like shadow thing took a step toward her; it's yellow eyes watching her in contemplation.

Wrongwrongwrongwrong!

Snow was acutely aware of her heart beginning to beat rapidly in time to her thoughts. Taking another step back, she sensed it when more of the creature appeared behind her. Throwing a quick look over her shoulder, Snow snarled at them before the barest wink of metal caught her attention near the shadow of a building. Lips twitching up into a smile, she raced over toward the building, diving for what had caught her attention; Snow grinned as her fingers curled around the cool metal of a stick.

Willing her mind to slip into the lessons that Raphael had been giving her (in exchange she didn't bring up that time he'd been drunk); she spun around and shoved the end of the bo staff into the shadow creature closest to her. Sending it tumbling backward into another of its kind, taking the brief reprieve to look at the weapon in her hands. It was blue and silver, about ten inches on both ends and center piece being blue with the rest of it being silver. Standing it on end, Snow looked it up and down and saw that it was about sixty inches in length (maybe a little longer); making it where she was at most taller than it by seven and three-quarter inches.

Focusing back on her current situation, Snow barely had enough time to deflect the shadow creature's attack from its original target; instead it's claws wound up grazing her arm. Hissing between clenched teeth, Snowdrop glared at the monster before she swatted it backward, noticing a slight break to the right; she bolted toward it and smiled slightly as she heard the creatures behind her crash into the wall where she'd been standing.

Snow raced through the streets, searching to see if anyone else was trapped fighting when words reached her on the winds. "Time to leave home and see whats really out there, lets go." Following the voice to the source, she stared at Gavin in concealed horror as the darkness slowly wound its way up his body. Then, before she could stop herself, Snow shouted, "What do you think you're doing, Gavin?"

 

[Piercing Light]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

“Are we flying? Awesome!” Chizuma exclaimed as she did as told and held onto Leroy. The loud whir of his weapon cut through the air, and for a moment they were boldly defying gravity. But gravity, being one of the few things in the world that was a pesky constant, demanded they descend upon a roof. Landing on her feet Chizuma let go of Leroy, and held back the urge to ask if she could inspect his weapon. It wasn’t every day that she saw something like it. (It was actually every other day, but that’s semantics.) Instead she patted him on the back like a football player that had just scored a winning touchdown. “Nice going back there Leroy, I was sure Randal was going to force me to become his personal maid or something. And hey, SOMEONE has to be the nice guy right?” She said, peering over the side of the roof. “Something tells me those guys aren’t as cute as they look.” She commented on the ever growing crowd of small black creatures.

There was obviously something otherworldly about them. She had never seen any type of animal that had glowing pure yellow eyes, and a pitch black body that seemed to be made of darkness. She had no clue where they were coming from, the ant like beings they seemed to just keep pouring from the ground and poofing into existence at random. It didn’t make any logical sense, which was quite distressing. Chizuma took careful steps away from the ledge, and looked out to the horizon. The sky was also acting strange. She had seen what the skyline looked like during a storm, it being dark wasn’t unnatural. But this, the sky looked as if a sea of black paint had been dumped into it and was being stirred vigorously.

Kal soon made his way onto the roof as well, making use of some fancy acrobatics. But he didn’t stay still long, as the black creatures were now starting to appear on the rooftops. “Now there’s trouble in Kismet city… Leroy, We need to.. huh?” Chizuma looked down at her feet, which had become inexplicably stuck. A pool of darkness had slipped from under her. Struggling as hard as she could, her right foot broke loose and took the shadow with it. It turned out to be one of the black creatures. Chizuma screamed, hopping on one foot as she tried to shake it off. The creature crawled up her leg, causing her to panic and fall on her bottom. It continued to crawl across her body, it was targeting her head. “No you don’t! I’ll eat you first!” Chizuma screamed, opening her wide mouth and chomping down on the creature’s antennae. She shook it like a dog tearing apart a chew toy before flinging it off the roof. “Okay, we need to go now! I have to wash the taste of that thing out of my mouth!... And possibly record it, it was quite unlike anything I've ever tasted."

 

[Eternal Dream]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- The Storm that Comes My Way -~

“Wha-? I, uh...”

Raph kept his mouth shut, letting Seth find his words on his own. But that didn't he could keep his eyes from narrowing as he saw Seth's thoughts play out behind his eyes. Raph could tell just what the younger boy was thinking, because Raph had been feeling restless himself since the day before. But instead of the sense of urgency that seemed to radiate from Seth's ocean eyes, all Raph felt was a poisonous dread seeping through his veins, a dread so corrosive that it cracked a wall he'd held in place for years.

Fire, all around. Fear eating at his heart, tearing into him until he could barely lift his head. He was frozen, watching from his secret hiding place as the shadows grew longer. His home. Mama. Papa. Ezio. Donovan.

The shadows took everything.

“No. No, I’m staying out here. I can make it back on my own.”

Raph pulled himself back, boarding up the damaged barrier the best he could. Locking eyes with Seth, Raph could respect the almost challenge in Seth's eyes. The kid had spirit, if nothing else. Turning his back on him, Raph said, "Fine, have it your way. Although a word of caution. I know what it is your thinking, and let me tell you..."

His mother shoving him into the cupboard as his father and brothers fought off the shadows; the determination in her blue-grey eyes as she murmured, "Be still, love. Your destined for greater things than this night. Stay still, love, and they won't find you."

Raph shook his head, banishing the memory that had seeped through the patch. Finding his voice again, he spoke in little more than a whisper, "Destiny won't find you the way you think it will. It'll find you with an unforgiving bitch slap of reality, leaving you to wonder what the hell happened."

Not bothering with the tether, Raph splashed his board into the water before leaping onto it. Dipping into his strength reserves, Raph powered his way through the growing waves, his thoughts firm on reaching what had become his home in the last ten years. His mind divided between the mainland and a growing sense of restlessness, Raph didn't realize he'd drawn even with Snow until he heard her mutter, "I thought he was better than that, but maybe I was wrong. Whatever, I'm use to it, and at least he didn't make the same first impression as you."

Raph laughed, trying to keep the sound light and careless; although a miniscule edge of darkness still crept into the chuckle. "Thanks for the reminder Snow. And a reminder for you, maybe if you tried to keep a little more on the plane of normal, other people wouldn't sniff you out for being different."

She slid a glance in his direction, her eyebrow arching in disbelief. "Oh, like you work that hard at it yourself? Your the best surfer on the islands. I know a lot of it is how often your on the waves, but are you really expecting me to believe that you haven't used your heritage to enhance your abilities?"

This time Raph didn't have to work at it; the bark of laughter was genuine. "Right. You know my genetics favor land over sea any day, Snow. This really is just hard work." A slight smile played at his mouth, and the vice around his heart eased a little; despite what the others said about her, Raph enjoyed Snowdrop's company, sometimes feeling like she was the little sister he never quite got the chance to have.

Things were quiet for a few moments as they made their way closer to the main islands. Then, seeming to have gathered the nerve to say what she was thinking, Snow said softly, "Storm feels different. In fact," Glancing at him again, she lowered her voice, even though there was no one around to overhear them; "It feels like the storm that brought you here."

Raph kept his own voice low as his eyes searched the horizon, pensive unease tightening his shoulders. "Yeah, I know."

"You know it's a full moon tonight, right?"

He exhaled, all the mirth from a moment ago gone with the motion. "Yeah. Second one this month."

Feeling sand scrape against the bottom of his board, Raph swung his legs into the water and stood up. Grabbing the nose of the board, Raph hauled it out of the water, beaching it before he looked to Snow again. Worry creased her eyes, and he couldn't say he blamed her; he was anxious too. But still, Raph put on a reassuring smile as she asked, "You'll be careful, right?"

"Yeah. You too, Snow."

Raph watched Snow jog away until she was out of sight. Squaring his shoulders, Raph set off for his house, his eyes and mouth set into hard lines. The air was heavy with rain, and static crackled through the atmosphere, causing his hair to fluff out slightly. But it was that sense of other, of something different just across the horizon, that had Raph's step swift and staccato; this was a day that was long in coming, one he'd been warned would come.

It was time to make the final preparations.

~- Some Shadows are Simply too Hard to Fight

Kisara was half way between awake and not, a rather handy escape from the riot act she'd just been read. As expected, the girl had caught hell for her stunt, her mother going up one side of her and down the other; Kisara had been informed that she was irresponsible, reckless, and entirely too contemptuous of the ocean. She'd also been told that she was setting a bad example for Mana, one of the few points Kisara would readily agree on; Emmy had been at Look Out because she'd been looking for Kisara, so the only reason her little sister had been in any kind of danger today had been because of her.

So, the collateral of the whole altercation had been Kisara getting grounded for two weeks, her surfboard confiscated for the next month or two, and having to face the disappointment in her mother's eyes. Needless to say, the worst punishment was definitely the last one, but it was worth it to have gotten to ride some of the best waves she'd seen all year...

A knock on the door jolted Kisara the rest of the way awake, and the stirring against her leg told her that Mana was starting to wake up too. Easing a pillow under Mana's head, Kisara reclaimed her leg before swinging it and the other one over the side of the bed. Taking a step forward, she had her hand raised to open the door when it flew open, causing her eyes to snap wide open when she saw her father on the other side and the set to his face.

"Dad, what's going on?" Kisara kept her voice level, but the demand was there all the same. Before he had time to answer, a shriek pierced the air. Spinning around, Kisara had to gulp down a scream of her own.

Inky blackness filled the window, blotting out the scene of the storm that was raging outside. Mana was backing away quickly from the window, but the giant, glowing yellow eyes still seemed to follow her every move.

More thumping sounded from downstairs, causing their father to tense. Reacting to his fear, Kisara grabbed Mana's arm, pulling her farther away from the window and whatever that shadowy thing was. Moving toward the door, Kisara saw her dad's hand fist tightly around the sword that was strapped to his hip. Wait, what the hell? He'd never shown any inclination toward blades or any kind of weapon before now; when had that shown up?

"Grace?" Kisara froze as she heard her mother's name leave his lips, the question loaded with so much more than could be said right now. Thunder rolled through the house as feet pounded up the stairs, and Kisara heaved a relieved sigh as she saw her mother's blond head come into view, including...

"Raph!" The relief she felt had seeing her friend couldn't be put into words, and Kisara felt herself relax as he came striding into the room behind her mother. The momentary ease left her, however, when she took a closer look at him. Raph was wearing dark everything; dark tee shirt, dark wash jeans, black boots. The clothes were serviceable, fitting close so they weren't in the way, but not so tight as to be impractical. But what really caught her off guard was that he was decked out in a freaking armory. He had a sword slung at his hip, a belt with several, six inch sticks, multiple throwing knives, and two twelve inch daggers in holsters, a quiver full of arrows across his back and the bow in its own harness, and a brace on his wrist that Kisara knew hid a blade that could be extended with just a flick of his wrist.

"Where's the army...?"

"We need to leave, now."

Kisara spun around to see her mother loading up a backpack for Mana. Words were thrown around in a blur, too much for Kisara to remember clearly, but she did remember giving Mana as big of a confidence boosting smile as she could. Turning to look at her, Raph said softly, "Do you have your bow?"

Kisara gave him a withering look before striding quickly to her closet. Throwing the doors wide, she slung her own quiver across her back. Adjusting the fit across her chest, she considered taking the bo staff, but the five foot staff would be cumbersome to handle along with her arrows, so she passed over it and instead grabbed her own knife belt. Snugging the belt against her hips, Kisara finally grabbed the bow and turned around to face Raph. His expression serious, he warned her, "This isn't the archery range or the training circle, Kisara. This is going to be for real. Are you sure you can handle this?"

Kisara wondered where this side of Raph had come from. She'd known him for ten years, every since she'd met the then eleven year old boy when she'd first moved in. He'd never shown this kind of hardness in his features. He seemed... feral. It was like a wild animal had donned his skin, a wolf that was just barely held back by the lean muscles and strength she'd come to associate with Raph. She could sense his fear, how on edge he was. She could also sense he was hell bent on keeping some kind of promise.

But what was that promise?

She didn't have time to do more than nod an affirmative to his question, though, when a crash sounded from the front room. All five of their heads snapped toward the noise briefly; then, in unison, they made their way for the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. Suddenly, though, Kisara wasn't sure if she wanted to go out; between the storm and those eyes she had seen earlier, outside didn't seem like the safest place to be. But at the same time, did they have a choice?

Their mother sliding the straps of the pack across Mana's shoulders, the older woman hissed softly, "When I tell you to, run."

Fear rose in her throat, but Kisara tamped it down. Reaching out, she grabbed Mana's hand at the same time that Raph slid his against the door handle. Pounding sounded on the stairs, and Kisara's eyes flickered back in time to see more of those creatures pouring in from the hall into her room. "They're in the house!" She cried.

"Run!"

At her mother's command, Raph threw the door wide open, and he ran out into the storm, Kisara and Mana tailing just after him. Looking over her shoulder at Mana's gasp, Kisara felt her heart leap into her throat as those creatures buried her parents under a mountain of dark bodies. She almost slowed, almost let go of Mana's hand, when a thunderous roar rent the air, and the dark beings were thrown into the air...

By a lion?!

Before she could process whether what she'd seen was real or not, Kisara felt Mana's hand slip from her fingers. Looking ahead, Kisara kept a close watch on her sister, focusing on her and Raph, closing out the rest of the world. She'd have to pray that her parents made it out alive.

All Kisara could do now was look out for Mana.

 

[Ordeith]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

The street exploded into motion, faster than Bryant's eyes could follow—but in the scatter of red-clad bodies he spotted Chizuma, flying clear out of the street. Whether it was an intended function or not, her companion's strange weapon made an excellent getaway vehicle. Bryant allowed himself a private smirk. Whatever you might say about Garl and his son, they're mighty fine craftsmen...

His thought was struck down by a streak of lightning overhead, so powerful that it blinded him.
Shapes became streaks on a canvas too broad for him to see clearly.


Flashes of lightning above, dark shapes beside him.

Black clouds above, a flash of silver beside him.​

A boy he knew, his back turned in flight.​

Another young man, grasping at a starless sky.

Fragments of stained glass.
Fragments of sorrow.​

Eyes in the darkness, from the darkness.

Stairs, stairs, stairs...

The Heart of All Men.​

The Heart of All Worlds.​

...stairs, winding...​

The door,

and​

the key.​

...stairs to an empty throne, and the king's murderer.
A scattered dream, a far-off memory.​

Thoros Augur, glib and irreverent, pulled Bryant Seyward out of his reverie:

"A bit bad of storm for you to be out in, eh, old man Seyward? Thought you'd be painting the spectacle rather than getting blotted by it. Arm still working well since the accident?"

Somewhere in the midst of that greeting, the traveling merchant flicked his arm forward—and a sharp current of air whizzed past Braynt's face. The older man twisted around to see a puddle of black ooze at his side, churning feebly on the ground. Two sloppy protrusions suggested limbs, or perhaps antennae. For a moment the shadows struggled to regroup—before splashing to pieces beneath Bryant's leather shoe.

His mouth was turned upward in disgust, and his eyes were hard.
A very different man stood in place of the artist who lived on the hill.

He turned around to face Thoros, who had since returned his peculiar blade to its sheath. "Much obliged, Mr. Augur. I'm doing well," he said. "This old arm still has plenty of use in it. Now, who said something about a ship—you there!"

Bryant gestured to the larger of the two newcomers, a workman whose name he couldn't recall. "We're past the point of ships, sir. None of us have the technology to outrun these things; they can move anywhere a shadow can. Land just happens to be where the people are hiding." A quick, barking laugh spilled out of him. There was no humor in it.

"At this very moment," he continued, "our best bet . . . is in my studio at home. Don't question it! Please! Just follow my instructions."

The request would have sounded absurd from any other person—but again, this was not the artist who lived on the hill. All traces of light conversation had fled from his voice, which now carried the briskness of command. The grey-bearded gentleman moved with energy and purpose, stepping from person to person with a word already on his lips. He sent pairs of Crimson Dragons each on a different errand, if they were willing; if not, they were sent home to secure their families. To their leader, Randall, he offered only the latter option.

Within a minute, Bryant was finished and headed towards his home. He called back to those left in the alleyway: "If you're capable of fighting these monsters, follow me, or help anyone still in the street! If you're not, you had better follow me anyway!"

Bryant Seyward marched through the streets, his cloth grocery bag lying discarded behind him.
His eye was trained on the storm; his mind was lost in that scattered dream, that far-off memory.

_______________________________________________________________​

"Steward Brandt. Ex-Steward, I should say. What can you even call yourself now—besides a traitor?"
The young man stood at the edge of the dais, hands clenched around the Key.

"Well, I suppose I'm what's left. Or maybe I'm all there ever was."

 

[Hidden]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Next Chapter
Another burst of lightning, another scream of thunder, and this time the island itself convulsed in inanimate agony. The home that Mana and Kisara had just fled from, the home where their parents had disappeared under a squirming wave of darkness, split in twain, as a rift opened from one end of the island to the other. Kismet was coming apart.

Any landmarks beyond the swiftly disintegrating shores were no longer visible, lost in a whirlwind of darkness. But within the eye of the storm, the world was illuminated by a terrible glow. Charcoal black gave way to pinkish-red, as the clouds were lit from beneath by first hundreds, then thousands of hearts rising into the sky, to be swallowed by the darkness above. Glutted, the clouds churned and twisted upon themselves, drawing together into a single point that became a hole, and that hole began to swallow the world. In response, the darkness below took on ever more terrible shapes—long, humanoid creatures with whip-like antennae and long, flexing claws; gargantuan bodies with tiny heads but huge, swinging arms; and even small, winged monstrosities that took to the skies and massed upon their target like vultures. All of them were seeking greedily for the last remnants of life on the dying islands; all of them driven by the same primal hunger for their ultimate prey.

The heart of the world.

Among the last flickers of light were a young trio of hoodlums sprinting across the rooftops; an old painter, a smith, and a surgeon battling on the ground; and a boy on the shore reaching out for the darkness that was destroying his world. And a little girl, with jet black hair and sea-green eyes, huddled, hiding, under the prow of an overturned boat still tied down to the beach. The words inscribed on the side named it Queen of the Sea. The girl didn’t notice. She was waiting for her brother, or her parents, or anyone to find her, before the darkness outside did.

 

[Ðari]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Gavin in the present, a bit schizophrenic (at least lately) as he divided a line between these strange visions, dreams, and reality. It was hard to say, he needed to determine if this descent into the darkness that was swallowing the islands they stood upon happened to be ideal to him. As he touched his breast, his heart began to beat faster as if instilled with a sudden rush of Adrenaline. The woman he thought of before, her name was Violet. She was a long time friend of his, they were virtually complete opposites, though at times she could be persuaded to by his dark humor. Someone that he confided in, but not present on the islands as the others were, likely in town.

Gavin's palm dropped, his now amber eyes had sliced through the air into a fierce glare to the left. There was an overturned boat, slightly rustling and movement had gone under and around it. As the darkness swam under his feet, so did the rapid emergence of these black creatures. His fingerless gloved left hand cracked, his ears flit, as he could feel the adrenaline, the fight or flight response.

He staggered along with a mean vault, jumping from the balls of his feet and landing ontop of a large swinging monster. It was wide, wore a pot-like cap, and possessed a round body. As its footsteps clodded forward towards the boat, Gavin launched himself off of the monster's face into a diving motion. His hands against the sand, he recovered with a dive roll and dashed to the underside of the overturned ship. His eyes were wide, as he could almost barely make out the raven-haired girl with sea-green eyes as the area was only growing darker.

A hand reached out, darkness soon approached and formed at the base of his feet. The sound of the waters crashing against the Kismet's beach, these unknown monstrosities taking heed of their presence and pushed closer.

"Its time to go kid, follow me. I'll take you far away from here, i'll protect you. You just have to trust me." Gavin said in a dark, but serious tone. He'd quickly given the young girl an ultimatum, one she'd soon need to figure out before their world saw the end of days and them along with it.

 

[Hidden]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Sarah looked from the amber eyes to the extended hand, fingers poking out through well-worn gloves. This wasn't her brother; it wasn't her parents; and yet...

...it was someone.

Tentative fingers stretched out to meet the strange boy's hand, but before they could touch, her glance fell down and caught the darkness pooling at his feet. She might have let out a cry then, but it was lost in an enormous crack as the boat they had both been crouching under was ripped from its moorings and lifted overhead by a monster that eclipsed the sky. Small yellow eyes peered out beneath a round-pot cap, and Sarah's hiding place was gone. Giving not a single thought to the boy who had found her, she turned and sprinted down the beach as fast as her legs could carry her. As she ran into the pink-tinged darkness, her thoughts cried out for the one person she had been waiting for on that beach, before everything went wrong.

"Seth!"

* * *
Somewhere behind her, behind Gavin, behind the large body that still held the ship in its arms as though unsure what to do, the hole in the sky grew larger. It fed upon the hearts escaping their bodily hosts, upon the boats and houses and pieces of the island itself, and it grew. After it had reached a diameter of about ten meters across, it started sending dark tentacles down towards the island surface. These twisted together to form a vortex. Where the vortex touched down, it threw rock and trees and sand aside as it began to dig deeper under the surface. This was the final stage, the final conquest of the heart of this world.

And the darkness dug deeper.

 

[Orion]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Leroy inexorably felt himself drawn to an epicenter, regardless of where he endeavored to travel. Vaulting across rooftops with Chizuma in tow, he thanked his earlier decision to take to the skies - ever now and then a haggard scream issued from someone running for their lives in the streets below, black creatures chasing after them with fluid, malevolent grace.

Occasionally a flier would catch them on a roof and halt their progress, but the rapid revolutions of Leroy's weapon, when quickly shifted back to a pillar of cyclonic steel, made short work of the swooping claws that came their way. Swinging the thing felt good - its weight gave it a determined, slicing path, and its revolutions added a gyroscopic aspect to each attack that made every strike a near-unstoppable reality. Better not get too carried away, Leroy thought to himself. He still had a less well-equipped companion to think of, and tried not to revel too much in the contact with her, in a long-awaited connection maybe only potentially forged in a storm of world-ending scale. He was certainly jumping the gun, but it wasn't like the heart to be logical or to function in the right ways at ideal times.

The world around seemed to darken to a vague corridor between Leroy and the clear centre of the storm, a vortex ripping down from the sky and gouging into the ground, a growing glow emanating from the point of impact. The devastated spot of land bordered urban space and the beach, all mixture of natural and artificial substances and objects being thrown about as if a drill was corkscrewing down from the sky and digging into the world. The closer they drew, the more the sound of the tearing wind dominated, but also other noises fell away alongside dangerous obstacles: Screaming voices had died out completely, as people had fled the epicenter or been slain by the creatures. Similarly, those abominations too were less populous, and a whole range of questions popped into Leroy's head: Did they flee the tornado because it was a separate phenomenon to them, were they merely coincidental? Were they limited in number or did they feed on their victims, hence their current absence?

Too many questions, not enough answers. Sentient and primal dangers falling away as the hole torn into the ground by the dark sky's primeval might came round the corner.

 

[Eternal Dream]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Requiem -~

Kisara's feet pounded against the ground, clumping sand spraying up into her face with each foot fall. Just ahead of her, she saw the back of Mana's head, her hair dark blond and plastered to her head from the rain, the black and pink backpack slapping against her back as the younger girl ran. Lifting her face just a little, Kisara watched Raph as he ran in the lead, bow strung and at the ready while his eyes darted around, searching out any hostiles.

What's going on? It was all Kisara could think about. She loved storms; she savored the symphony as the rain beat a staccato rhythm against the glass, the whistle and pitch of the wind, the rolling percussion of thunder after lightning cleaved the sky in two. But there was none of that tonight. Tonight, it was all noise, the wind screaming, the rain pounding, and a strange, near silent hiss as black drops pooled against the ground, the almost, but not quite, near silence that heralded the arrival of the darkness.

A soft shriek sounded from Mana at the same time that Raph loosed a low curse. Biting back a small scream of her own, Kisara watched as one of the shadow demons sprang up in front of them. Long antenna swept behind it, and it cocked its head to the side, studying the three of them with what Kisara could only call curiosity in its glowing yellow eyes. For a moment, she had the ridiculous impression of a curious dog looking her up and down, but then the demon pounced, and Kisara stood frozen, fear ripping through her.

An arrow sheared through the beast, the fletching sticking for just a moment between the bulbous eyes before the shaft past straight through the thing's head. Kisara watched numbly as it faded into inky blackness once more before raising a shaky gaze to meet Raph's. He had his bow raised, his fingers only just falling from having released the shot. For a moment, his eyes were glacial, the hunt clear on his face. But then his features smoothed, the warrior relinquishing his grip and returning the boy she knew.

"What was that thing?" Mana's voice was soft, a breathy little quiver as she stared at the puddle that remained of their would be assailant.

"Heartless."

Kisara looked at Raph, surprise shining in her eyes. "How do you know...?"

"Questions later, Lioness. There's more where that one came from." He leveled a gaze on her, his blue-grey eyes radiating calm as he said softly, "Focus, Kisara. Everyone freezes up the first time, but you can't afford to do it again. Focus, or you'll get yourself killed."

Ashamed by her weakness, Kisara nodded. Drawing her bow, she steeled her resolve as more of those beings rose up. Turning her back to Mana, Kisara kept her sister as sheltered as possible, pulling in great, calming breaths. Focus. She heard Raph's voice again, this time as an echo from many a training session. She could hear the soft twang of the bow as Raph released his arrows, the near silent thump as the projectiles found their center deep within their targets. Focus, and choose one. Don't lose track of other hostiles, but focus your attention on one when fighting a group.

Raising the bow, Kisara picked her target, sighted down the arrow, and fired.

 

[Ðari]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Gavin's exasperation took hold, he was a little surprised as she ran past him to trek the other side of the beach riddled with monsters. As the massive and round abomination held up the ship, the sound of steel being bent as the monster crushed it. The youthful islander from his knees, sprung into yet another roll, between the legs of the monster and quickly chased after the young girl.

"Hey, wait a second damnit! It's dangerou-"

His words were cut short as a rattling followed and he tripped, causing him to slide across the sand. Quickly composing himself when she finally stopped moving, he darted her way and took her by the hand. Around his body the evidence that the darkness posed a hold on him was starting to manifest, but his eyes were tenacious and carried warmth.

"Weren't you listening to me? I said I'll protect you, you just have to trust me."

His grip at first firm, became gentle. Gavin turned his head and began to make note of the surface growing darker, more pairs of eerie yellow eyes emerging from the surface. At this point, he was beside himself and he needed to carry this young girl who cried out for "Seth" to him. At this point, even if he died, he'd need to secure the girl's safety as a priority. Gavin paused, the large monster in the distance holding the now mangled sheet of metal that was the young girl's hiding spot through the air in their direction. He stood there, as if petrified, when in truth he'd been looking inward once more.

Slowly he raised his left hand, it was gloved. The darkness had swarmed around the end of his wrist and almost instantly blew out like a candle flame. His left arm was half covered in a mechanism that looked like a raven-colored gauntlet. When the metal touched his left hand, it stopped as Gavin's fingers and palm held a firm grip on the steel.

"What...it's....light as a feather?"

The youth spoke confused, he could only assume when he made contact with the steel he altered its density almost immediately. He wasn't entirely sure what help that'd do him, but with the grip he maintained he tossed the boat behind him a ways off into the water. Examining his left arm, wrist, and palm once more, this was no ethereal product of his imagination this time. His fist then tightened and he held strong to his left arm as he braced against succumbing to his growing anxiety for the sake of someone else's safety, the girl's safety.

"No time to waist, are you coming or not?!"

He flared at her, sparking the physical eruption of a powerful aura of darkness. Its ghastly green glow was enough to light the darkest tool sheds in all of Kismet. He couldn't help but notice, the monsters began to spawn behind them as well. Gavin didn't understand why any of this was even occurring, but maybe he could do at least one good thing today. Alerting the young girl to follow in his shadow he broke into a mild run approaching the mindless creature that crushed the boat. He figured, if he could touch it and make it lighter, why not heavier as well? With a jab, his left hand thrust into the belly of the monster and he plucked it up from its stationary position. The path ahead of them was riddled with smaller and mid-sized monsters.

"Looks like I just found my bowling ball and set of pins."

His arm came down and he tossed the large creature from releasing his wound up arm. Surely enough...the creature literally rolled along flattening and knocking the other ones down in something of an asymmetrical line. 'Good enough!' he thought, gesturing to the girl it was safe to move along as they drew even closer to the vortex that burrowed itself into the ground. He'd then taken a breath and called out for the voice the young girl mentioned moments ago.

"Seth!"

 

[Kazem]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Oh. Oh no.

I forgot...I. I can't believe I just...forgot. Here I am, running off with those two, and the island is getting slaughtered. Everyone, out in the streets, in their homes, in the cellars...all being done in by claws, talons and...oh my god, do they...eat them too?

Breaking off from the trio around the time Leroy and Chizuma set off again, Kal made his own way across the roof tops, flying beings now swooping down on the few others that had though of the high ground as sanctuary. One such creature put itself in the way between Kal and his destination, almost as if it knew where that was, and simply waited there, silently taunting the hooded teen. Reaffirming his grip on the machete, the first swing was a quick one to cut down the monster diagonally. And the swing went through flawlessly, cutting right through the inky flesh. It didn't look like it minded though, as there was nothing left on the blade and no tear in its body.

You have got to be diddlying kidd-

The creature evidently still noticed the sentiment behind the strike and kicked out at Kal, sending him sliding backwards on the wet roofing. The machete let out a metallic clang as Kal reached up, gripping tightly to the edge of the roof. The winged monster floated closer and closer to Kal and gave no time for the choice to drop down to be thoroughly considered. The second his feet touched down on stone, he was off, sprinting like a mad man towards his house, hoping with every fiber of his being that wasn't busy clashing inside of him that he wouldn't be too late. If he ran as fast as he could, took all the shortcuts, avoided as many of those...things that he could, maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to at least say goodbye.

Because how can someone who can't save himself save his whole family?

Punting the smaller ones and twisting around the bigger ones, yellow eyes were passed as Kal's feet pumped as hard as they ever had, vision dark around the corners and noise not reaching him. Feet sliding on corners, rain and black blots falling on his face, breath haggard and desperate, there wasn't a single person on the island that could have matched Kal's speed. Years of running like this, with packages,from gangs, sometimes for charity, and others for quite a sum, with love letters and notices of eviction, they all built up to this moment.

But it wasn't enough.

He saw it though. Standing two stories high as always, some windows boarded, years of wear only beginning to show. He saw them too, his sister and mother, putting up furniture against what windows that weren't already covered by wood. And his eyes even met his sister's, desperation met relief and panic. A streak of lightning flashed and burned that image of her eyes into Kal's retinas for him to keep as a small swarm of armless creatures with curling hats floated downward. They circled the house, their colors a variety, and seemed pretty harmless compared to what other beings roamed the island.

The house was set on fire. Holes drilled into the sides by shards of ice. Harsh winds blew all of the windows in, not caring if they were boarded. Another flash of lightning burned yet another image into Kal's mind, this time of his horror meeting his sister's. And just like the lightning came down upon the house, they were suddenly gone. The house crumbled, burning, no screams being heard. Knees fell down hard on the wet stone ground, arms limp and eyes still looking onward, the look of horror on his sister's eyes still fresh. The creatures floated onward to another house, circling as they prepared to do the exact same thing, ignoring the helpless teen that had witnessed their symphony of destruction.

The first tears shed in years were not treasured by the storm, and were washed away just like the teen's hope and love. His mind was at peace, not daring to quarrel while the host was so fragile. White tendrils with blackened tips froze inside the formerly swirling mass of black, white trapped and almost consumed with the center of the vortex within his mind. Only a couple of houses over was the real one, digging deep into the island and tearing everything near it asunder, no light to stop it. There was no choice being thrust onto Kal anymore, the voice truly silent. And with the quiet tranquility, and heart full of emotion, Kal mourned.

 

[Story Keeper]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Blocked Out the Sunlight -~

Mana kept her attention focused on Raphael and not tripping over her own two feet. She didn't have to look to know that Kisara was right behind her; taking as much comfort from that as she could. Misjudging a step, she stumbled a bit and wasn't at all shocked when Kisara caught her arm so she could re-catch her balance. Fear overwhelming her, Mana glanced at Kisara to see how her sister was holding up; only to feel her fear increase as she saw the panic that lurked in the older girl's eyes. "Hey, it's okay Mana; just think about this as another one of those crazy training sessions Raphael likes putting us through; okay?"

Mana knew it was a poor attempt to comfort her, but she smiled and nodded anyway. Breaking into a run again, she quickly stumbled to a stop as a puddle of darkness and rain rose up in front of her. A soft shriek tore itself free just as Raphael spun around and gave voice to a curse. One second, Mana was staring at one of the shadow monsters that had forced them to flee the house, the next second she saw the creature burst into darkness and the arrow hit the ground with a soft thump. Caught off guard by the creature, Mana stared at the thing even as she asked softly, "What was that thing?"

"Heartless."

Mana's eyes snapped to Raphael, surprised at his answer she didn't catch the rest of the exchange. Eyes scanning their surroundings, she frowned slightly as a familiar wolf caught her eye. It was one of the ones commonly seen around town; it was medium size and light grey, the last notable thing about the wolf was a dark grey mask. Taking a step toward it, Mana didn't even notice that she'd stepped out of protective "circle" that Raphael and Kisara had created. Mana reached out a hand toward it, being careful not to startle the animal. Mana kept her eyes trained on the wolf, and thus tuning everything else that surrounded her.

Unfortunately, that meant that Mana didn't notice that a fox-like heartless was heading straight for her.

~- Ready For One More Battle Scar -~

Snow slowly backed away, giving up on talking to Gavin like the lost cause he was. It was obvious the Islander wasn't all there as of now; but that was something Snow was entirely too used to. Whipping around, she ran back the way she had come; dodging the Heartless that came her way as she searched for anyone familiar. A shriek of terror made Snow come to a stop, head snapping upward, she fell to her knees and covered her head as a shower of glass fell down around her. A hiss escaping her, she glanced at the new cuts that crisscrossed her lower arms.

Snowdrop! What have you done to yourself!?

The screeched words made her flinch, and yet it seemed to have been enough to make her climb back to her feet. Fingers curling around the metal of the bo staff, she spun around and slammed it into Shadow's stomach; shoving the creature backward, she took a few steps access the damage that had been done to it. A frown flitted across her face as she saw that not much damage had been dealt to it; grumbling slightly, she froze as a soft snarling sound reached her ears.

Sure, Kismet was known to have a small wolf pack wandering around it; but it stirred clear of humans. Carefully looking over her shoulder, Snowdrop felt a curse spring to the front of her mind. It wasn't a wolf, it was a fox. The creature's inky black fur clung to its bony frame, making it look like the creature hadn't eaten in months so it was barely alive. Holding its yellow-amber gaze for a split second longer; Snow felt her pulse jump as five more materialized out of the darkness and joined the first fox. Swearing, Snow bolted down the alleyway to her right; not at all surprised to hear the canine-like creatures giving chase.

Strapped down on a table, she squirmed against her restraints; trying to break loose even though she knew t was futile. Turning her head to try and catch a glimpse of what was going on; the twelve-year-old felt a surge of panic as the rushed, urgent voices of the adults reached her in hushed tones. Squirming against her restraints again; she stopped and turned her head the other way, closing her eyes in the hopes that the grown ups would think she was sleeping and might let slip what they were planning on doing to her.

"....ready for the test?"

"Does it matter if the girl is or not?"

"You're right, it doesn't matter."

Confusion washed over her at the words, only for pain to shove it aside as the whirring of machines reached her before a jolt of electricity shot through her. Gasping in shock, her eyes flew open a moment before another spasm latched on and raced through her; overriding her senses with a numbing sort of pain.

Stumbling slightly, Snow threw her hand out and braced herself against the wall. Feeling her heart racing, she took several deep breaths to calm herself down; only to be cruelly reminded of her four-legged pursuers. Pushing away from the wall, Snow dashed down the alleyway and felt a rush of relief as a group of people came into view. Pushing herself harder, she felt the relief double as the people turned out to have Raphael in it. "Raph, behind you!" She shouted, giving the eldest out of the two a heads up of the Heartless sneaking up behind him.

 

[Eternal Dream]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Inheritance -~

They must have remained stationary for fifteen minutes. The fear that had frozen Kisara had faded as the familiar motion of knocking and firing arrows over road her senses. There were times she missed, and times that it took as many as five arrows to push one of the demons back, but she succeeded enough for her courage to grow stronger as her resolve to protect Mana was bolstered.

"Raph, behind you!"

"Mana!"

Intuition had Kisara running before she'd even finished her turn. Distracted by some thing or another as only she could be, Mana had ventured beyond the ring of relative safety Kisara and Raphael had established. Kisara's panic returned full force as, reaching into her quiver to pull another arrow, all her searching fingers found was the soft cloth lining of the quiver. All of her arrows were gone. Tucking the bow into the empty quiver, Kisara lept forward, closing the last of the distance between her and Mana. Tucking the smaller girl close to her chest, Kisara rolled, absorbing the impact with her shoulder.

A snarl close to her ear had Kisara pulling Mana behind her again as she moved out of the roll into a crouching position. Kisara saw the fox stalking toward them, hunger glowing in its luminous yellow eyes. Reaching toward her belt, Kisara pulled a dagger out, a steady determination in her eyes. For a moment, neither she nor the fox moved as they sized each other up.

"Ezio!"

The sharp bark from Raph broke the spell. Growling, the fox pounced, its mouth opening to reveal inky, razor sharp teeth. Snarling, Kisara slashed forward with the knife, her frustration, fear, and fierce desire to protect Mana fueling the sharp thrust even as the hopelessness of the situation sunk in. Raph rushed forward at the same time that a grey wolf surged into view, both of them heading for the girls that were about to be ravaged. But even as they moved, it was too late...

A bright light flashed from Kisara's knife, turning the rain darkened night to blinding day in a moment. The fox yelped as the girl struck it, sending the beast flying ten feet away. The fox landed with a thump, effectively halting the other Heartless as a pained whimper escaped the fox. Shock registering on her face, Kisara looked down at the blade she now held instead of her dagger. "What...?"

"A Keyblade?" Raph's voice was filled with disbelief. Maybe even a little envy.

Kisara felt light headed. This was too much. The world was going to hell in a hand basket, her parents were likely dead, Raph, Mana and Kisara herself were likely to wind up dead tonight, there were demons spawning all over the island, she thought she'd seen a lion, there was a wolf not five feet away from her laying into the Heartless, this Keyblade, or whatever it was called. Her heart rate started to flutter, then race as her breaths came shallower and shallower, her eyes dilating and spots clouding her vision. Too much, too much, too much, toomuchtoomuchtoomuchtoomuch....

Something covered her mouth, stealing Kisara's breath away. Her eyes widened even further, her blurry vision clearing as the over oxygenated air in her lungs was slowly replaced with the correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Raph... Raph was kissing her, easing her out of the panic induced hyperventilation. But then, the taste of salt and honey overrode her brain, and a flood of sensation hit her. She felt her arms lifting of their own volition, wrapping around his neck...

Raph pulled away, leaving Kisara with a clear head and a strange sense of emptiness. A strange look was in his blue-grey eyes, but his voice was level as he hissed, "Listen, you're in even more danger now than before. Get to the vortex. It's the thing ripping the island up right now, so it'll be impossible to miss. Get Mana there safe. Get yourself there safe. I'll hold these things off as long as I can, but you girls have to run, got it?"

Kisara shook her head, her stubbornness returning. "No, I don't get it. Why are you staying? Why can't you..."

"GO!"

The command made Kisara jump, and she found that she actually had to go. Grabbing Mana's hand, Kisara did the second hardest thing she'd had to do all night. Turning her back on Raph, Kisara rand with Mana, leaving another person she cared about behind for the second time that night.