Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate

[Hidden]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

The Darkness burned like oil, thick sulfurous clouds billowing into the night sky as what was left of the titan seemed to melt into the surface of the island. And yet, even as the mage let down his staff and the lioness landed on her four feet, the darkness was reforming itself. Shadows below and darkballs above gathered themselves in the dozens and began to move outwards against the inferno. The wall of flames encircled the land-based shadows, but the darkness was no longer afraid of fire. Melting then reshaping again, it pressed on blindly. The darkballs swerved and spun overhead, diving in to gnash at the mage, the lioness, the boy without a keyblade. There was no strategy or plan of attack--the darkness would take them all, individually or together, and their hearts would disappear with the heart of this world.

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Above her, the man with two voices was breathing heavier. Sarah knew him, or at least had seen him walking around town enough times to recognize him, his grey beard and wide-brimmed hat making him seem like he'd make a nice grandfather. Even now, as he muttered soft words to her and patted her on the head, he sounded like a grandfather. But when he used that other voice, the hard and cold voice, flames blossomed from his hands and Sarah buried her face in his long pants-leg and dug her nails deeper into the fabric. At these times, she was as frightened of him as of anything else, but there was nothing else to hold onto.

Right now, though, Sarah was staring at the sleek lioness just steps away, her curiosity overcoming her fear for the moment. The beast was growling, snapping its jaws and jumping up on two legs to swipe away the flying black orbs that circled and dove around it, seeking an opening. Its fur was a brilliant white, with two green eyes flashing in fierce contrast. It was beautiful. Yet Sarah was sure she had seen a girl standing there just moments earlier, a girl calling out someone's name. That girl, whoever she was, was gone now.

"Firaja!" the harsh, cold voice above her yelled, and the world turned yellow and red again and Sarah buried her eyes in the strange man's leg--but not before glimpsing three more of the dark balls that had almost descended upon them turn into black goo and fall to the earth. A few droplets of one splashed onto her arm, and it burned where it touched, but her voice was too hoarse now to cry out. For the first time, it occurred to her young mind that she might die here. She had no clear conception of what that meant; all she knew was that the world had suddenly become a terrible place, and the voice above her was growing more strained in the shorter and shorter gaps between shouts and fireballs. There hadn't been any grandfatherly voice for awhile now.

Then suddenly, amidst all the noise and confusion, she heard another voice--neither the hard, cold voice nor the one that belonged to a grandfather, but a deep and powerful voice, as ragged as the storm around it but alive and almost happy. It shouted out a strange name.

"Steward Brandt!"

The leg Sarah was holding onto jerked violently, and Sarah peered around to try to make out the source of the voice. Against the darkness and the flames, all she could see was what looked like a man's silhouette. The deep, ragged voice continued.

"How much longer will you try to hold the inevitable at bay? This world is lost, along with all its inhabitants. There is nothing more for you here. You know what you must do."

The silhouette in the distance made a movement, as if it were tossing something away, and somewhere behind Sarah a dark portal opened up. Its fathomless depths frightened her, but her eyes were drawn to it all the same. They knew clearly, here was an escape.

"You can take the chosen ones with you, if you wish. It is pointless to try and save the others."

Sarah looked back, but the silhouette had vanished. In its place, shadows that had finally breached the firewall were scuttling towards them. No commanding words came from above her, and no fireball appeared to swallow them up. For the first time in what felt like forever, Sarah looked up. She could just barely recognize the old man she knew from the town. Perspiration beaded on his forehead, and his beard was a tangled mess. His eyes, which like his voice could change from gentle to fierce in an instant, were dancing unsteadily between the approaching shadows and the portal behind, as if, for the first time that night, uncertain what to do.

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They were almost into the portal when Mana turned back one last time and froze. Izzy, unable to budge her, stopped too.

"Wha-?" he started to ask, but Mana's eyes were lit from within and she started back towards the chaos without a word. Izzy quickly interposed himself between her and the danger.

Looking up as if seeing him for the first time, Mana entreated him, "Kisara's over there fighting that heartless, can you please try and help her out?"

Heartless? That must the term for the colossus behind them--it was a fitting name. Kisara, though, that was Mana's older sister. Under the pressure of the young girl's gaze, Izzy slowly, involuntarily, looked back. He turned just in time to see the world explode in fire. Shielding his eyes, and pushing Mana behind him, it was several long seconds before the world dimmed to visible hues again. When it did, the colossus -Heartless- was gone, but in its place dozens of smaller shadows were taking shape in the ruins. And opposite them stood a small group of islanders. Izzy couldn't make out Kisara among them, but he did see Julian Santagar, the blacksmith, and Bryant Seyward from up the hill. A younger boy, it might have been Kal, was also running towards them, and down on all fours what looked like a leopard or some other large cat was crouched.

Izzy was torn. He felt the urgent need to get Mana -and himself- off of this island which obviously wasn't going to hold out much longer. At the same time, abandoning the others -including possibly Mana's sister- to die in their place made his stomach turn. Indecisive, he took a half step towards the chaos in front of him...

...when a sharp cry spun him back around. He was just able to catch sight of Mana disappearing into the portal, and then she was gone, without a ripple to mark her passing. His decision made for him, Izzy unslung the keyblade from his back and swung his foot out towards the portal. Before it reached the ground, a thin tether of darkness reached out from somewhere behind him, piercing through his shadow and into his heart. Instantly, a spreading numbness swallowed Izzy's limbs, and though he was only steps away from the portal, somehow he couldn't make his legs cross those last few feet. He leaned against the pull, but his body remained stuck, tethered to his shadow and the darkness behind him.

"Mana?" he tried to call, but his voice came out a choked whisper. Can you still hear me? I'm coming... he finished in his mind, as his senses pitched forward into darkness.

 

[Eternal Dream]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Can't Wake Again from this Dream -~

Kisara couldn't think. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. This storm, these demons, the magic taking her shape and molding her into the skin of a big cat... it all had to be a dream. One giant, twisted mind-screw of a dream. Her parents and Snow were gone, eaten by the monsters. Mana, Kisara's sweet, distractible, sunny little sister, was swallowed up by some dark vortex; she couldn't even be sure if the girl was still alive. And Raph. Kisara's best friend on the whole island. He...

This had to be the worst nightmare of her life.

Except it's not, is it? A small voice whispered inside her mind. Kisara snarled, batting Heartless away from her with a broad swipe of her paw, wishing fervently that she could shut that tiny seed of doubt out of her mind just as easily. You should have known something was coming. Raph did. Your parents did. You're Mana's older sister. You're supposed to protect her at the smallest sign that something's amiss.

Kisara spun around, yowling, and sunk her teeth into a Darkball. She shook her head violently enough to snap its neck if it had had one; instead, it just dissipated into shadowy smoke and black, fowl tasting goop. No, she couldn't have known this was coming. How could she have known? No one could have...

And yet, isn't this like the storm that brought Raph to Kismet? Hadn't he come through a portal like the one that took Mana away?

Kisara stopped moving, pinning a Shadow to the ground beneath one massive paw. Her claws slid out of their sheaths, curling into either sandy ground or the dark ichor of the demon's body. She knew she should kill this thing, she knew she needed to keep moving, but she couldn't. Her breaths came in deep pants, the big cat's big lungs working to keep her body on an even keel in the battle even as her mind skittered away from her.

That was right. Raph had shown up in a similar storm, about ten years ago. Kisara hadn't thought much about it; the wind and rain that night had been near hurricane force, so why shouldn't a swirling portal be discounted as the product of an overactive mind of a frightened little girl? She'd never thought that the portal had been real, she just thought he'd washed up on the shore from either a far off island or a ship that had gone down in the storm.

You chose the story that your mind was most comfortable with. Just as your desire for this night to be a dream is your mind trying to protect itself from something it can't understand outside of the context of a fairytale. This is real. Your decision to leave your parents behind as an offering to these demons was real. Your decision to leave Snow and Raph behind was real. Your decision to leave Mana to go back for Raph... Real. Your choices tonight have cost you everything you hold most dear. Don't you get it yet? All of this is your fault!

Kisara howled, her guilt and self-judgment finally becoming too much for her to bear. Lunging forward, she ripped the Shadow's throat out as the lioness' survival instinct took over. Slowly, the blue-gold of her eyes was eclipsed by the green of the lioness. Kisara shut-down, leaving a wild animal in the middle of the islanders fighting for their lives.

And the cat was fighting for hers.

 

[Hidden]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

"...Izzy!..."

The voice came from a hundred miles away, or farther... the immeasurable distance between worlds. But somehow it reached Izzy, piercing the shapeless dark ether he hadn't remembered falling into, and it sounded a lot like Mana's.

Funny, he thought, why would I think of that?

But the more he tried to remember, the more confused his thoughts became. Disparate images swirled through the void... a storm, his father's wheelchair, dark shadows... fragments of memory struggling to coalesce in his mind... a key, the vortex, a colossus without a heart... the Heartless. That last name jerked on the strands of Izzy's memory, so carefully he drew it out, like steadily reeling in the line on a difficult catch. Pulling on that line, more memories came with it... a hooded man... a portal off the islands... and calling out to...

Mana.

Izzy opened eyes he hadn't remembered closing, and the sound and fury of the storm came rushing into his senses again. Fire no longer illuminated the sky, rain battered his cheeks, and Izzy was still just feet away from the portal Mana had disappeared into.

But he couldn't move. His body was upright, held in place by his own weight and the tension of that long tether of darkness behind him. He tried to raise a hand to where the keyblade was strapped across his back, but it was too heavy to move. It felt as if his entire body had turned to stone. His eyes drifted shut, as the safety and comfort of sleep beckoned to him.

No, a voice in his heart said, I've already made my choice. I have to stay awake. I have to protect Mana. His fists clenched convulsively, and in a shower of light, the keyblade appeared in his right hand. Not stopping to wonder why, Izzy swung his arm backward, and the keyblade sliced through the tether without resistance. Deprived of its support, and having used up its last reserves of energy, Izzy's body fell forward towards the portal. As he fell, he felt a sharp tug as something was torn from his body. Before he could even fully register the feeling, however, he was through the portal and plunging into a different world.

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"We're leaving," the voice above Sarah said, and Sarah looked up at its speaker. It was the grandfatherly voice again, and the face above her matched that, as the old man took a bare instant to smile at her. Then he was looking outwards again, and he shouted at a figure in the distance.

"Julian! Return! We can't help the others now, and this may be our only chance at escape!" He turned to Sarah. "Close your eyes, dear."

Sarah did as she was told, and that other voice came back and uttered those strange and terrible words Sarah couldn't understand, and for one last time the world beyond her eyelids burned orange. Then the old man was bending down and gently dislodging her from his leg. "Well, that was the last of it. Whatever hope we have, it lies through that portal." Having successfully disengaged her grip, he handed her over to the blacksmith, whose hands were surprisingly gentle. "Take her through first, Julian. And be prepared... we don't know what awaits on the other side." He was going to say more, but at that moment Sarah, who had just reopened her eyes, screamed.

Behind the old man and the blacksmith, long thin threads of darkness had reached out from the smouldering remains of the shadows and pierced the lioness and an older boy through. The lioness was still fighting weakly, but the boy made no movement at all as he lay on the ground. Shoving the larger blacksmith roughly towards the portal, Sarah's caretaker yelled one last time, "Take her!" and then he was striding towards the two prone figures. Raising his staff into the air, he uttered a single word, "Lumos!" and for a moment the entire world was bathed in light. The shadows withdrew, and the tendrils of darkness piecing the lioness and the boy dissipated. Scooping down, the old man picked the boy up under one arm with deceptive strength, and then moved towards the lioness. Only the lioness had disappeared... in her place lay a young girl with startling white hair, unconscious but breathing. The man took her under his other arm, and then, seeing Julian hesitating at the edge of the portal, shouted, "Go! I am with you!" and all five ran through the portal and into the world beyond.

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Back on the dying islands, the Darkness, undisturbed once more, devoured what was left of the world's heart. Before the last shreds of island disappeared, however, three dark figures were salvaged from the wreckage - three bodiless shadows, torn from their persons, each still connected by a thin tendril of darkness. The Darkness drew these shadows into itself, and then, glutted on its meal, scattered the remains of the island into oblivion. In the night sky, another star blinked out.

 

[Kazem]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

It was already all mad, but it was even worse as unimaginable things happened. A tigress appeared and attack the dark titan. An inferno came forth and lashed out against the giant beast. Darkness descended upon them all and sought to absorb them. It was crazy, it was furious, it was quick. But still his weapon wouldn't come back. He couldn't do anything. Here he was, challenging the titan and trying to prolong the life of the group he saw, all without a reliable weapon. A new voice rose above the storm, but the source was not able to be clearly seen beyond the wall of fire.

Nothing.

Kal could feel nothing. His legs must have given away as he found himself staring at the ground. His eyes were slits, barely able to be kept open as the chaos presumably kept on around him. Thinking was hard, words barely able to form as his conscious tried to yell at him to run, escape, to live. But the numbness...the lack of feeling...

...it felt kinda nice.

But it was suddenly gone. There was something else missing now, but he couldn't quite think of what it could be. There was a bright light seen through Kal's eyelids, completely closed now, and it was obviously something that wasn't the dark beasts' doing. He missed the feeling of nothing, but was glad that he could actually feel his body now. Moving it was another issue, but it turned out to be resolved as he was lifted up and carried, the light shining through his eyelids fading more and more until he was certain there was no light to be seen, even if he could open his eyes.

In this time of no light, there was peace. He could feel himself being carried, but he wasn't focused on who or what was carrying him. He was fascinated with how the peace drew out emotions in him. There was no conflict in here, no shouting, no screams. There was a sense of rushing from the one carrying him, but Kal couldn't understand why. Breathing in deeply. the teen took in the pure smell and enjoyed it, embracing it, and even missing it when there was suddenly light beyond his closed eyes. He craved to go back to the peaceful feeling, even though it was only felt for a small moment, and decided now was the time to let go of his tried mind.

And so he was there, being carried into this new environment, eyes closed and mind finally at ease since the black rain began to fall.

 

[Hidden]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Izzy awoke into a strange new world.

Eyes still squeezed shut, he tried to take stock of a myriad of aches and pains. His head felt ready to split, competing for his attention against a throbbing pain in his right thigh. His face was lying flat against something that felt disconcertingly like concrete, and, aside from the places that hurt, he couldn't seem to feel most of his limbs or extremities. Not a good way to wake up.

Night out on the town? he wondered to himself. Not likely. Izzy didn't indulge much in that type of behavior, what with his father and the shop to look after, and he'd certainly never gotten drunk enough to pass out on the street.

Knocked out? By whom? Sure, the inner streets of Kismet weren't always safe with the Verdant Smiles and Crimson Dragons always going after each other, but those were mostly younger kids and none of them had ever bothered Izzy before. He liked to think he was pretty well-liked on all sides—when you're a fisherman on a small island, it helps to get along with people.

What then? Izzy was drawing a blank. More than just not remembering what circumstances might have landed him here, Izzy discovered with a shock that he couldn't remember anything at all from the preceding night. Whatever hit me, it hit hard. Giving up on his fuzzy recollection, Izzy peeled his eyes open.


He gazed out, sideways, across an unfamiliar alleyway. Where am I? Kismet wasn’t that big, and Izzy had spent his childhood exploring every nook and cranny of the island and its city. He should at least recognize where he was.

Unless you’re not on Kismet, a voice in his head offered. Izzy painfully shook the thought aside as he climbed to his hands and knees. That didn’t make any sense. Of course he was on Kismet, where else could he...?

He stopped halfway through the thought and looked up again, this time facing upright. The buildings around him –tall, multi-story constructions made of some dark wood Izzy didn’t recognize– were equally unfamiliar, but Izzy didn’t pay attention to these right now. His left ear cocked up slightly, he listened for a long moment.

He couldn’t hear the ocean.

Izzy knew from lifelong experience that there was nowhere on Kismet where you couldn’t hear, however faintly, the sound of the ocean. The night air was dead still, but there wasn’t a sound. Which meant he really wasn’t on Kismet. Which meant...

...those “dreams” His pain forgotten, Izzy stood up in a single surge, eyes casting about him for some sign of Mana.

“Mana!” he called her name. “Mana, are you...?”

“Izzy!” a responding cry sounded, and Mana stepped out from another bend in the alleyway. Izzy rushed over to her and threw his arms around her shoulders, then leaned back to make sure she wasn’t hurt. She appeared exactly as he’d last seen her, at the mouth of the portal.

"Mana... what happened? You fell through that portal and I lost you and... Where are we?"

Seeing his questions echoed back in her eyes, Izzy quieted his own thoughts and slowed his breathing to normal. No sense upsetting the girl further. “Well, we’re both okay, and that’s what matters.” He winced as he said this, thinking of Mana’s cries for her sister back on the island. What had happened to them? Izzy didn’t have answers to those questions that he was certain Mana was asking as well.

He looked up as soft drops began to fall on his head and shoulders. Light grey clouds blanketed the sky above. It was starting to rain in Traverse Town.

 

[Story Keeper]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- New Journey, New Beginning -~

"Mana? Can you still hear me? I'm coming..."

"Izzy!"

Mana felt terrified, she didn't know where she was and if any of the others were okay. And if the girl was being honest, hearing Izzy inside of her head seriously freaked her out. She looked around the portal, frightened by the darkness that crept in on her from all sides. Spotting a girl across from her, Mana tilted her head to the side as the mysterious, young girl met Mana's blue eyes with her own blue pools. "Who are you?" Mana asked, curious as to why the other girl seemed so sad, almost like she had a secret she wanted to tell but she couldn't.

Mana watched as the other girl shook her head, before she smiled sadly and vanished in a flash of icy light and snowflakes. Puzzled by the fact that the other girl had vanished as suddenly as she had appeared, Mana looked down at the floor and screamed as the portal opened up the exit beneath her feet. Falling through it, she tried to slow her tumble of the portal so it wouldn't hurt when she collided with whatever awaited her.

Landing hard on the pavement, Mana took in a breath through clenched teeth as she pushed herself up. Looking at herself, Mana felt a small rush of amazement that other than being winded and feeling bruised, she was perfectly fine. She flinched at the quick stab of pain that shot through her head, raising a hand to her head, she felt the small bump on the side of it from where she'd wacked her head on the cobblestones. Gingerly climbing to her feet, she stumbled slightly as her head swam from the movement.

"Mana!"

Brightening up at the shout, Mana carefully made her way down the alleyway toward the sound of the familiar voice. Mana stepped out into the alleyway, looking to the right she brightened even more as her eyes landed on Izzy; relief that he was okay gave her a burst of adrenaline so she ran down the alleyway and threw her arms around the older island. "Izzy!" She cried happily, allowing herself to be pushed back so she could be looked over; she took the chance to look Izzy over to see if he was okay.

Finding nothing wrong with him, Mana hugged him again as he asked, "Mana... what happened? You fell through that portal and I lost you and... Where are we?"

Pulling back at the questions, Mana stared at him with such a sadness that definitely was uncharacteristic of the young girl. Mana knew that she couldn't provide any answers for him, so she looked down at the pavement and fought to keep her eyes from tearing up. Almost as if he realized what had happened, Izzy said gently, “Well, we’re both okay, and that’s what matters.”

Mana nodded mutely in agreement, that was something to be happy about; she wasn't completely alone. Her hand drifted up to the necklace she was wearing and started fiddling with the locket, and after a few minutes of messing with it; Mana raised her eyes from the pavement to look at Izzy, a sad smile on her face that clearly showed that she was happy he was okay and here with her; but that she was saddened by the fact that they'd just lost their home and she didn't know if her sister was okay.

Mana looked around the alleyway, trying to see if she spotted anything that'd tell them where they were; ignoring the fact that it had begun to rain. She didn't want to think about the islands, of the times she'd spend dancing in the rain with Raph, Snow and Kisara. Luckily, or unlucky, for her at that moment her vision chose to start swimming again; forcing the young girl to close her eyes against the sudden spinning of her surroundings. Whimpering softly, she sat down on the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees; trying to ignore the sensation that she was falling even though her eyes were shut tight.

 

[Eternal Dream]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Wonderland's Fading -~

The lioness lost herself in the frenzy of the fight, snarling, spinning, and slashing, destroying the Heartless foolish enough to come within reach of her claws and fangs. Fury and instinct glinted in her emerald eyes, blood lust flushing her veins with molten heat as the Heartless slowly backed away from her, wariness finally winning over their hunger. They circled the feline cautiously, attempting to find a way past what seemed to be an impregnable defense to reach the heart of the lioness' personal storm.

Their opportunity presented itself as a spike of dark energy rose from the ground. Striking fast as a cobra, the tendril pierced the lioness' shadow, causing the she-cat to loose a deafening howl as pain fired through her nerves. Her system overloaded, the cat collapsed, her sides heaving as her strength finally gave out. Black spots started appearing over the Heartless, slowly growing larger as the cat's vision grew fuzzy. The cat groaned, the sound steadily shifting into a low moan as the magic finally released Kisara, allowing her to shed the lion skin at last. The girl sighed, too tired to care anymore that she was about to die. A soft sound like falling footsteps reached her ears, but she couldn't gather the energy to care. Fixing a picture of Mana, Raph, and her parents in her mind's eye, Kisara ceased fighting the pull of the darkness, and she let it take her awareness far away.

~--------~

A soft sound like birdsong slowly shifted through Kisara's thoughts, alerting the girl to the fact that she was aware of her surrounding again. She tried to deny it, to let Morpheus take her back into the folds of his cloak. She knew, without knowing, what would happen if she fully came to. The bliss of nothingness would be broken, her heart and mind assaulted with her loss and everything she couldn't understand.

Kisara didn't want to think. She didn't want to feel. She just wanted to sleep, tucked away safely in the arms of dreams, spending her days on the board, paddling through the waves, and her nights around the bonfire, Raph's fingers moving over the strings as he picked out a melody from the guitar with a deft, practiced hand. She wanted to play volleyball, and she wanted to help Mana with her homework and Mom with making dinner. Kisara wanted to be sequestered in her room, hunched over her desk as her hands flew over the keyboard, the story flowing from her thoughts onto the laptop's screen, painting a picture of words that had to be seen to be believed. She didn't want to face a world without all these things.

She didn't have a choice.

Slowly, Kisara's eyes cracked open, the evening sun lancing straight through to pierce her poor, pounding head straight through. For a moment, the headache eclipsed the other pain, and all she knew was the ache in her skull. Then, as the realization sunk in that she was being carried by someone, her brain kicked into overdrive, and the instinct to either fight or flee overrode her senses. Growling low in her throat, she shoved out, breaking the hold of the man who held her.

Kisara tumbled to the ground, and she had to bite back a whimpered groan as the hard cobbles ground into her overworked back muscles. Even with all the training and mock fights she'd been a part of, she'd never hurt this much. She felt like every joint, muscle, sinew and bone had been yanked around, put in the wrong place and forced into the wrong shape before being wrenched back into their correct shape, size, and placement in her body. The pain was so intense, she didn't understand how she could still breath without crying.

Even as these thoughts were racing through her head, the girl was already scrambling to her feet. Tears stinging her eyes, Kisara did the only thing that her wrung out mind could think of.

She ran.

 

[Ordeith]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Together they waded into the darkness, leaving Kismet to its final moments.
Behind them, the roaring winds dwindled to a whimper. A few steps further, and all was silent.

Light followed sound, and soon Bryant was left with only Julian's silhouette to guide him.
"Keep yourself moving in the same direction," he shouted ahead. Even to himself, his voice sounded faint.

"Whatever you do, Julian, don't turn or stop!" Don't stop.

Bryant had traveled the Corridors of Darkness only once in his life, and his memory of that short time was hazy. Humans were not intended to walk these shadowy roads; the darkness devoured anything not consubstantial with itself, nibbling at the heart until nothing remained inside. Given time, it swallowed all sense of direction—followed by memory, thought, and identity. Even with such powerful hearts, these young people would not last a long journey...

But this is only a lane between worlds...
If it shares a boundary with the darkness, the other side can only be light.

He didn't feel confident in those thoughts; they hardly seemed his own. Still, they were Bryant's lone candle in the dark—and he clung to them, repeating them over in his head. At any given time, a branching path could cross back towards the Realm of Light. Eventually they would find one, if they kept in the same direction. For their sake, though, we need to find it sooner rather than later...

Taking a silent cue from its master, the Magus Staff—already levitating beside him—glowed brightly, and shot ahead into the dark. It passed Julian and the girl, and used a dozen shining fingers to probe for an exit ahead. Bryant watched and hoped.

In his arms, the limp young bodies felt like dead nothings. Even so, he clutched them tightly, and he did not stop moving.

The staff's light bobbed hither and thither, outward into space. Misty, low-hanging clouds—invisible in the darkness—dissolved at its approach, but nothing lay behind them. Outside the light's soft radius, all was one...

...until another light answered it. Then there were two somethings in the dark.
With renewed energy, the painter and the smith pushed onward—and through another portal.

_______________________________________________________________________​

Flat, sandy pavement rose to meet him. The shock traveled through his shoes, up his tired legs—but despite the ache, it was a good feeling indeed. Nothing could be sweeter than the feeling of stable ground beneath one's feet. What's more, Bryant thought, the ground feels decidedly thicker than the air above it.

It was an affirmation that all might be well.

One less burden pressing on his shoulders, Bryant took the time to survey their surroundings.

They had landed between two buildings, with little more than empty pavement before and behind them. Farther ahead, however, a sharp-edged wedge of sunlight cut into the alleyway; Bryant could see a busy market square within. The sunbathed brick was unfamiliar, as were the neon-rimmed storefront signs. The shoppers' attire was different as well—but they moved with a carefree leisure than reminded him of Kismet. He felt a sudden pang in his chest, a reminder of his ten years' failure. Will the darkness sweep this place away, too? How much time do these people have left?

Bryant closed his eyes, exhaled, and pushed those thoughts to another place. His work was far from finished; a few remnants of Kismet were still with him now. Julian, unwilling to rest until his fellow refugees were safe, leaned against the side of the building. The little islander girl lay at his feet, asleep. Bryant caught the gaze of the tight-lipped blacksmith, and nodded to him. "We ought to find someplace secure, preferably a hotel. Without local money, though..."

The old painter paused to consider their options. My thoughts just aren't together...
It felt as though he had missed some crucial detail in their surroundings—and though he hadn't even noticed it before, supporting two teenagers was taking a toll on his arms. We're all in need of some rest.

Suddenly the girl—the one who, hours ago, had transformed into a white-furred beast—squirmed, fell, and bolted from his side. "Wait, now!" Bryant shouted. "Don't—!"

He jerked forward on an impulse, but managed to keep himself planted in the alleyway. Without knowing the conventions of this place, magic was entirely out of the question—and the sight of a young lady fleeing an older man was unlike to draw sympathy. The girl stumbled into the market square, and disappeared down a street. "Well," Bryant sighed, "that is unfortunate. Julian, you'll need to find that hotel without me. Or a bench, at least. I'll meet up with you shortly..."

Mustering another wave of strength from his limbs, Bryant took his Magus Staff in hand, and set out to follow their wayward refugee. His hat, which had miraculously survived the storm and all that followed, proved useful in the glaring sunlight. He adjusted the brim to cover his eyes, and in doing so cast his eyes upward—just for a moment. He stopped. Well, don't I feel foolish? Things change, but old sights and old friends are closer than you'd think...

The ex-Steward looked on the streets with a brighter face, though no less tired, and renewed his former pace.
Rising high in the distance, the Sunset Station clock tower chimed four-'o-clock.

 

[Hidden]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

Mana was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees to her body, obviously still fighting off the shock. Izzy wanted nothing more than to join her, to curl up on the ground and cry like he hadn't in ten years, but his body and heart refused to cooperate. So he just stood there, not feeling anything, as he listened to Mana's quiet whimpers and the soft patter of rain on cobblestone. They stayed that way for a long time.

But eventually, the same as had happened on the islands, Izzy felt something tug him out of those dark waters, and a tiny sliver of strength reentered his heart. He remembered who he was and what he was determined to do. He reached down to where Mana was sitting. "C'mon," he said, surprised at the hoarse sound of his own voice. "Let's go look for the others." Gently guiding her up by the elbow, they supported each other as they walked slowly out of the alleyway and into the strange town.

The central square was lit by both the soft glow of lamplight and the harsher glare of electric signs. He noticed an Item Shop and an Accessory Shop, but in spite of the number of storefronts and houses, there weren't that many people out in the square. Those few he did see and tried to communicate with gave him a nervous glance and hurried on, though a few did look sympathetically at the young girl by his side. Izzy supposed they might have been put off by the strangers' odd garb and foreign accent, but there was more to it than that; their movements were quick and hurried, and their eyes had a permanent wariness to them. They looked like people accustomed to stormy weather.

Just when Izzy had despaired of finding any help among the townspeople, a strange voice spoke up behind him. Whirling around, he found nobody there.

"Down here, kupo." Looking down, Izzy found the strangest looking creature he had ever laid eyes on. It looked like a child's toy, with short, white fur and stubby little wings. Its nose was like a pink ball and its eyes were narrowed to two thin slits. Most astonishing of all, sprouting out above its head was a bright red pom-pom, which bobbed as it nodded up and down. "You look lost, kupo. Could you use some help?"

 

[Eternal Dream]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Calling -~

The afternoon sun was heavenly today, the wind scented with that perfect blend of warmth, spicy pine, and growing plants that signaled summer was at its height. Locking his fingers over his head, the young man stretched, arcing his back as a huge yawn cracked his jaws. Dropping his arms down again, he blinked, brilliant gold eyes gazing out from behind a curtain of thick, deeply black hair. There was only one problem with a summer afternoon on patrol all by one's lonesome.

You were likely to fall asleep if nothing exciting happened.

"That's it," he muttered, his voice pitched low as he gazed out over the edge of the roof again. "Today's a total drag. Time to hand the patrol over to someone else." Turning his thoughts inward, the young man continued in his mind, I've had enough today, Sal. It's just too damned boring to keep the patrol up today.

You aren't going anywhere yet, Leo. A deep, resounding presence entered his mind, and Leo rolled his eyes. He'd known what the old man's opinion was going to be, but that didn't make this watch any easier to manage.

I heard that, Sal grumbled, and Leo felt slightly abashed that he'd forgotten that he hadn't cut the Link to the older man, I am sending Irial out to relieve you, and you'll be coming straight back to the Den once he gets there. I need to talk with you about your lack of...

Sorry Chief, Leo cut across, his eyes focusing to golden lasers as he caught sight of movement below him. A young woman with snow white hair was below him, flying down the streets of Twilight Town like she was trying to outrun the end of the world. And once Leo took into consideration that he'd never seen this girl before, he had a pretty strong feeling that that's exactly what she was doing.

Running from the end of her world.

I gotta go, Sal. We've got a wild one on our hands. Looks like a Tabby, and a pretty young one at that. She appears to be heading for the Abandoned Mansion. Should I follow her?

Of course. Stay out of sight, but don't lose track of her. What's her status?

Leo took a deep breath, taking in the tangy bite of salt water, water lilies, and the pungent aroma of a cat scared out of its mind. He started walking, keeping a close eye on the girl over the edge of the roof as he shot back to Sal, Human, at the moment, but she doesn't seem very stable. Make sure you bring a Trickster with you, Chief; we're probably gonna need it.

Cutting the Link, Leo broke into a run, keeping pace over the rooftop with the girl in the street.

 

[Story Keeper]

Re: Kingdom Hearts: Night of Fate - Trial Run

~- Feel the Eyes Upon You -~

"C'mon, let's go look for the others."

Mana was happy that Izzy let her have her melt down; before he decided it was time that they got moving again. She nodded her head, before she half-climbed half-pulled to her feet, Mana leaned against Izzy for support as they headed into the center of town; not really paying attention to the weird looks she knew they were probably getting from the residents of the world. Shying closer to Izzy, she glanced at some people nervously before she felt Izzy pull away to go talk to the world residents.

Scurrying after him, Mana grabbed a hold of his shirt and felt the eyes upon them; the eyes on Izzy felt heavy because fear and the ones on her felt heavy because of sympathy. Either way, it unsettled her, only for it to happen even more as the residents recoiled from Izzy and continued to eye her sympathetically. Looking around them nervously, Mana wasn't sure what to think or do when a voice said from below, "You look lost, kupo. Could you use some help?"

Looking down toward the ground, the girl squeaked slightly as her eyes found the toy-like creature. Crouching down, Mana reached out a hand toward the moogle as she said, "Sorta, we're not from around here. Izzy, can I keep it?" The last part sounded a lot more cheerful, her hand hovering close to the moogle almost like she wants to go through and pet the creature; but wasn't entirely sure if she was permitted to pet it.

 

[Hidden]

Bryant lost sight of his blond-haired charge as she ducked through a large crack in the town wall. Clenching his teeth, the older man quickened his pace, but by the time he arrived at the gap, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Before him lay a long expanse of pine trees Bryant couldn't seem to remember from his previous visits to the town. He paused there a moment, feeling his years, torn over what to do next. He couldn't simply leave the girl. He had seen what had happened on the islands, he knew she was more than capable of defending herself; but he also knew that, whatever her instincts might be telling her, the last thing she needed was to be alone at this vulnerable time. Still, he did not know these woods, and he was afraid to leave Julian and the others to fend for themselves too long.

And, he admitted to himself, there is someone else on this world I very much wish to see...

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a shadow flitting overhead, and he threw his eyes up just in time to catch a dark silhouette cut across the evening sun. It was a human form--but it moved with all the grace and intensity of a cat on the hunt. So, Bryant thought, his heart lifting, Kisara isn't the only Shifter on this world. To discover a Shifter among Kismet's residents was, to say the least, surprising; if it hadn't been overshadowed by even more traumatic events that night, this discovery alone would have been enough to draw Bryant Seyward out of his hiding. As it was, there were still some questions he would have to ask the young lioness once he had recovered her. For now though....

Bryant's sharp eyes followed the trail of the already disappeared hunter. Perhaps it would be better to leave her to them for now. It would be easier for a Shifter to track her in her current state, and he was sure from experience that they would look after their own. It might even be good for the girl herself--Bryant wasn't at all sure that she knew fully the nature of her transformation. To meet others of her own kind would be a learning, and maybe even healing, experience.

Silently wishing her luck, Bryant turned his back on the woods. Surreptitiously, he placed his left hand on the side of the wall, and when he drew it back a silvery handprint glowed faintly in its place. Should the young Shifter return to this spot, it would lead her to him. Bryant Seyward then stepped through the crack back into town and went to retrieve Julian and the remaining two children.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Julian and the kids were right where Bryant had left them. The blacksmith hadn't managed to find them a more permanent shelter, but he had at least scrounged up an old blanket for Kal to lay on. The teen murmured fitfully in his sleep, as though held captive by some dark dream; the young girl, however, sat bolt upright with eyes wide open, staring intently at the old mage as he returned. Bryant addressed himself to the ragtag group.

“Kisara will be rejoining us… later. In the meantime, we must find a more suitable place to rest and recover.” He placed a hand on Julian’s shoulder, staring the smith in the eye. “Julian, I know of a shop owner in this town.” Raising his hand to forestall any questions, he continued, “He is a good, honest man by the name of Wallace. Tell him Bryan… tell him Brandt sent you. He will offer you and the children shelter.”

“And where would you be headin’?” the old smith asked warily.

“I must seek out another friend… one who I hope will have answers about what has happened to our home.”

“Why not we all go together?”

Bryant allowed himself a wistful smile. “My friend is good and wise, in his own way, but he is not the most… hospitable. It would be better if I approached him alone. It is also a long way off, and we need to find Kal a bed and preferably a doctor as soon as possible.” Seeing the smith was not about to argue further, Bryant detailed how to arrive at the shopkeeper’s home. As he turned to go, however, he found the young girl blocking his path. Sarah, her name suddenly occurred to him, her name is Sarah. Looking down into those sea-green eyes, he saw something reflected within them. Without a word, he reached down with his free hand, and just as gravely the young girl took it. The mage turned back to Julian.

“Keep watch over Kal. Sarah will accompany me on this trip.” The large smith shrugged his assent, and Bryant turned back to his smaller companion. “Tell me,” he asked cheerfully, “have you ever been on a train?”

 

[Story Keeper]

~- Concern filled Exhaustion-~

Mana looked at the moogle, curious to know what it was; and apparently it was curious about her. Her bravery from moments before faltering, she hid behind Izzy, her senses on high alert as she tried to stay aware of her surroundings. "You're in a world called Traverse Town, it's a world where those that have lost their homes can go to seek refuge while they're trying to pull themselves together. Judging by the looks on your faces, I'm willing to bet you two just lost your home so you're still a little disorientated from the ordeal of it." The moogle explained, looking from Mana to Izzy, trying to judge just how true his words were based on their reactions.

Tightening her grip on Izzy's shirt, Mana closed her eyes as her vision swam again; the area where she whacked her head on the pavement throbbing. "Don't worry though, I'm sure you two weren't the only ones to survive your home being destroyed; there's multiple worlds out there." The moogle amended quickly, mistaking Mana's reaction as concern for the other inhabitants of her and Izzy's home world.

Yeah, sure, she was worried about them, especially Kisara; but that hadn't been the reason for her closing her eyes. Although now that she'd been reminded, Mana's heart ached for them so she missed a bit of what Izzy and the moogle were saying. Tuning back in, she opened her eyes and smiled weakly as the moogle suggested, "How about we head over to the diner so you two can get something to eat and then we find you two a place to sleep? You two could use it after what you've been put through; and then we can look for your friends. Don't you agree sir? If for no other reason than your young friend here needing the chance to recover."

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not even here!" Mana complained, pouting a little as she looked at the moogle with a mock glare in her eyes. Looking at Izzy she added as cheerfully as she could, "Although it is right, I am kinda hungry and tired. Would it be okay if we followed its suggestions before we started looking for the others?"

 

[Javelin434]

[Since this is an introduction, it makes sense that this will be a little long. But no worries, I can easily make it shorter from here on out. xD]

Another day, another patrol... Lets hope I don't bump into anyone new.

Fully adorned in the signature World Guard attire, Sergeant Parker Snider was walking the streets of the Second District of Traverse Town. Armed with a flashlight and an enchanted sword with just enough magic to combat basic heartless, the vigilant protector was doing his usual runs around the town, watching out for both the little creatures of dark and for anyone breaking the law. Just because the world was full of refugees didn't mean that they were all grateful, and the long-time veteran had seen his fair share of bad people trying to take advantage of the confusion or worse, tried to off their rivals while claiming that the heartless were the ones to do it. The sound of heavy rubber boots forcefully impacting the cobblestone road echoed the streets, and the bright cone of light from his dinky little flashlight was more than enough to accomplish his ongoing assignment of being both an officer of the Town, and being a refugee's new best friend should he ever find one. He was diligent in his patrols, and the scuffs on his armored chest was more than enough to prove that to his superiors.

Satisfied that all was well in the second district, Snider decided to move on to the first district. Walking past the giant wooden doors that divided the districts, the familiar aroma of the nearby diner greeted his senses. As he deeply inhaled the sweet scent, the guard unknowingly looked up toward the starry night sky as he started stretching. "It never gets old," he mumbled to himself, "and that chef has some skillz. I wonder what-" Suddenly, a glint of light in the night sky caught his attention as it glowed brightly for a brief moment, then blinked out from the sea of white specks, never to return. "Oh dear... Another world bites the dust. Better start finding the refugees." After twisting his neck until he heard a satisfying pop, readjusting his black combat trousers and straightening his armored chestpiece, the guard once again started his patrol run, now looking at every resident in the area to see if he could find the new face in a familiar crowd...

 

[Hidden]

"Almost everyone's a refugee here, kupo," the strange little creature said, shaking its pom-pom morosely. "Everybody has an unhappy past." They were sitting at an open-air restaurant, their food already laid out in front of them. Their new friend had paid for it, using a currency Izzy didn't recognize, but he called it munny and gave Izzy and Mana a few coins each. Mana was already devouring the food on her plate; Izzy just managed to pick at his, his heart and his stomach not really interested. When he saw Mana had finished all of hers, he pushed his own plate in front of her.

"Is it safe here?" Izzy asked, still noticing the absence of people. His interlocutor hesitated a moment before responding.

"It's safe... in parts. The town is split into five districts. The first district, where we are now kupo, has remained relatively free from Heartless, thanks in large part to the guards who watch the gates. The second district was fine until a few weeks ago, but recently Heartless have been spotted roaming the streets at night. The Hotel is located in that district. The third district was overrun some time ago, and since then we haven't even been able to reach the fourth or fifth districts. A lot of my friends were in the fourth district...," he trailed off sadly.

Izzy wanted to sympathize with the pitiful creature, but the mention of "Heartless" brought back to his mind the horrendous dark shapes they had seen on the islands. If those monsters were here too, were they really any safer in this town, gates or no gates?

He was distracted from his thoughts by a sharp tug at his elbow. Mana, who throughout the conversation had been absorbed in her food, was now tugging on his sleeve and pointing out into the square behind them. There, where she was indicating, stood a strangely-garbed man staring straight up at the night sky. It was like he had been caught mid-stretch and had forgotten what he was doing, so intent was his gaze. From their position under the balcony, neither Izzy nor the others could see what had frozen him in his spot.

Abruptly, the man finished his stretch and, straightening the armor he wore across his chest, marched out of sight. "Who was that?" Izzy wondered aloud to himself.

"Him? Oh, he's one of the world guards, the people who defend the gate...," their companion started to offer, but Izzy was already on his feet and following after the vanished figure, Mana close on his heels. They caught sight of him again just as he was slipping through a pair of heavy wooden doors, and without thinking Izzy doubled his pace to slip through the crack behind him. Only after the doors had closed behind them did Izzy realize he had just taken Mana and himself into the second district.

 

[Javelin434]

"Him? Oh, he's one of the world guards, the people who defend the gate...," their companion started to offer, but Izzy was already on his feet and following after the vanished figure, Mana close on his heels. They caught sight of him again just as he was slipping through a pair of heavy wooden doors, and without thinking Izzy doubled his pace to slip through the crack behind him. Only after the doors had closed behind them did Izzy realize he had just taken Mana and himself into the second district.

[Eh, I can work with this.]

Oddly relaxed given his duties and circumstances, Sergeant Snider quickly glanced around the main foyer of the first district. No point doing this. New refugees are usually spotted in... Oh-no. The sergeant's gaze quickly snapped to the giant wooden gates that divided the first district from the second. Third... As if someone read his mind, several squads of Guards were seen sprinting towards the wooden gate, weapons and armor at the ready as they made quite a commotion with their loud footsteps and clanking of weapons on metal.

Instincts kicked in immediately as the sergeant bolted towards the responding guards, unsheathing his own sword and more than ready to help out his fellow brother-at-arms. Two gate guards on the other side were motioning the squads in, yelling the responding forces current orders, Snider included. "Get to the Third District! Secure the area and scout for refugees! First Squad, sweep and secure the second district!" A grin formed on the grizzled veteran's face: Guards aren't usually called into areas that were overrun with heartless unless the Sentinels cleaned up a majority of them. Well... Since I'm not in first squad, I guess I'm heading back to the frontlines... Running past the gates, one of the gatekeepers stopped him by grabbing his shoulders and yanking him back from the others. Curious, Snider whirled around to see who the buzzkilling defender was, only to recognize the perpetrator as his longtime friend. "What is it, Charlotte?"

Despite the rather aggressive looking uniform, the girl's soft blue eyes and blonde hair that wasn't covered by her helmet negated any form of intimidation. It didn't help either that she had a rather quiet voice, and for reasons the sergeant can't pinpoint, there was something about her that always make him feel queasy. "... J-just... be careful, ok?"
"I've survived this long, haven't I?"
"......"
"Hey, I'll be fine. Now let me go so I can help the others."

The other gate guard recognized the sergeant, and decided to give him words of encouragement. "I remember you being the first person I met when I first got here. Get in there and save some lives!" The two boys giggled as the girl released her grip, then resumed their duties as Snider once again bolted toward the sprinting guards. Not too far from him was the door to the vaunted Third District, supposedly overrun with Heartless and has since been a battleground between the guards and the creatures. Standing next to the door was his commander, easily spotted by his pristine armor and the decorative cord that adorned his shoulder. He too was shouting at the guards, but with a tone and inflection that could rally even the most weary of warriors. "Lets go, Lets go! Just one more push and we'll take back the Third! Move it, Guards! Move it!" As Snider ran past, the officer recognized the Sergeant and pointed his finger at him with a smile. "Not you, son." Confused, the sergeant stopped his run. "Sir?"
"Look behind you. Looks like some refugees are following you." The officer chuckled as he closed the giant wooden doors. "Mind getting rid of them and moving them back to First while the squad clears this place out?"
"But... What of everyone else in Third? You know I'd rather fight alongside them."
"Don't worry, the Sentinels did good. Just a couple of Knights and a company of heartless are left. Nothing a couple squads can't accomplish."

Frustration led to anguish as Snider reluctantly sheathed his weapon again, then did an about face to see who the refugees were. He spotted the two: a boy, and a girl. His negative attitude quickly gave way to professionalism and kindness as the guardsman slowly approached them. "Excuse me, I don't remember seeing your faces around here" he called to the two, "Are you two... new here?"

 

[Ordeith]

The train car was old indeed, but well-maintained. For all the extracted memories rolling through his mind, Bryant could still remember the station's opening day rides—and was pleasantly surprised to see how little had changed. The floor was still polished wood, the bench seats still orange plastic; with the addition of a few scratches and scuffs, everything was as it had been. Always a lazy afternoon here, he thought. Change comes at its own pace.

Eight-year-old Sarah was still clutching his hand firmly, and looked ahead with a flat, open expression. The shock of the past few hours still gripped her, as Bryant expected it would, but this change of scenery was enough to let curiosity lift her mind from those darker places. She scanned up and down the empty train car, passively absorbing the interior with her green islander eyes. Her exact thoughts were inscrutable as only a child’s can be.

“Well, Sarah,” Bryant said, “we have the entire car to ourselves. Why don’t you pick our seats?”

She hesitated, and gave each open seat a thoughtful glance before settling into the bench to the right of the door. Her old chaperone smiled, and settled down next to her. Sarah immediately placed her hand back inside his, and scooted closer; but she continued to look only straight ahead, watching everything and nothing. Bryant understood her feelings well enough. No need to say a word, my friend. You’ll have your time. For a while they did nothing more than look ahead, resting their eyes in the orange and gold.

Then the train’s intercom sounded, a low electronic chime—and the doors slid shut. Sarah turned her gaze upward at Bryant, who gave an exaggerated shrug at the car gave its first lurch forward. The girl snapped fully awake, engaging all of her senses in anticipation of a new experience.

And Bryant had a ridiculous idea. If everything here is as it used to be…

He fixed his eyes straight ahead, gripped the side railing, and pivoted around in his seat. The friction of his pants against the plastic bench made a loud, obnoxious squeak-squeak noise—and Sarah spun her head back up at him. Her face was screwed up in suspicion, but Bryant only stared ahead in imitation of the girl. And then the eight-year-old grinned—a silly, stupid, eight-year-old grin, barely containing a laugh. She didn’t actually laugh, though, merely shared a smile with the old painter. And that’s quite alright, he thought.

The special train, used only by a select few travelers, turned along its special track. Through the window, passing scenery made a show for its latest two occupants. For the younger, it was a new and alien experience; for the elder, it was mingled in a sea of memories that surged in the corners of his mind.

_________________________________________________​

They stepped out on the other side of the tracks, the other side of the sunset.
Surrounded by a grove of blue pines, a small, crooked tower stood wreathed in stars.

Here nothing had changed, truly.

Brandt the Pyromancer had made many visits to this place, in his last days as the king of Radiant Garden. His last visit was ten years ago, shortly before purchasing the old house on Kismet. Now Bryant was less assured of the tower master's welcome—but as always, he felt the wizard's presence in the very ground beneath his feet. Sarah also felt it; she gripped his hand just a little tighter.

The two approached the tower's doors with some apprehension, but Bryant breathed a little easier when they opened to his touch. They would not have done so if he were not welcome. Knowing him, he thought, he knows every detail already, down to what I ate that day.

Up, up, up the spiral stairs they climbed, Sarah before Bryant—not once releasing his hand.

Finally they passed through a pair of carved wooden doors, much like those at the entrance, and entered the wizard's loft. Yen Sid was visible only in the reflection of the moon-shaped window behind his desk. He kept his back turned to the painter and his ward, and when he spoke, his voice was slow and grave: "You should have visited sooner, my friend. Much sooner."

Bryant could not deny that. "I would have done so, Yen Sid," he said, "but peaceful life got the better of me. Strange as it must sound. I always kept an eye to the horizon—but after ten years, with nothing to show for it . . . I lowered my guard." He placed his free hand on Sarah's shoulder, and guided her over to an open chair. For once, in the presence of a seemingly greater authority, she seemed content to let him go for a while.

He continued, reading Yen Sid's reflection in the glass. "I'd never ask you to overlook the loss of an entire world, only to understand why it happened."

"But of course." The reflection did not move.

"And to lend yourself to the effort of stopping this—this storm that Hyne loosed, and none of us can rightly understand."

Slowly Yen Sid spun his chair about, and squared his face with Bryant's. The wizard's lips were pressed tightly together, his eyebrows knitted; anyone who did not know him would see rage, not determination, in those grim features. "But of course."

 

[Hidden]

Soldiers were running everywhere, swords were drawn, and somehow Izzy had led them into a warzone. "This is not where we need to be," he muttered to himself, holding out his hand for Mana to take. "Come on, Mana, let's get back to the first district...

"...Mana?"

The little girl who had remained resolutely glued to his thigh since they had arrived was nowhere to be seen. In a panic, Izzy searched all around him, but all he could see were identical armored chest pieces, and when he shouted her name his voice was drowned out by the sound of clanking metal and rubber boots. Finally, he spotted a familiar pink hoodie among the crowd. Somehow in all the commotion Mana had managed to keep track of the guard they had followed in here, and now she was walking directly towards where he stood talking with a much shorter guard, blond hair sticking out from under her helmet. Izzy caught up with his young charge before she made it to them.

"What are you doing? Come on, we need to go back to the first district. We need--," but even as Izzy trailed off from his last thought, he became aware that the streets had turned suddenly quiet, and most of the guards were gone. Of the handful that remained behind, one was walking directly towards them; the very same guard they had followed in here.

"Excuse me, I don't remember seeing your faces around here. Are you two... new here?"

The question was plain enough, and the guard had a pleasant demeanor, but Izzy still answered guardedly. "You could say that. We didn't mean to end up in the second district, we were just following... someone. It seems like you all have your hands full here." As he said this, Izzy peered over the guard's shoulder to where a final few soldiers were scuttling through the giant doors just about to shut. "So we'll just head back to first district now." Placing a hand on Mana's shoulder, Izzy turned to leave and had a sudden, sinking realization--he didn't know how to get back to the first district. In all the commotion, he had become completely turned around. To cover up his momentary confusion, he turned back to the guard, a little sheepishly.

"Actually, while we're here, do you think you could help us find the hotel? We need a place to stay the night."

 

[Eternal Dream]

~- Will I be Denied? -~

Kisara's heart beat high in her throat, her surroundings and the people she passed melting into a blur as panic set in. She ran down one street after another, unable to focus on any one thing except for one, nearly oppressive instinct: Escape.

A break in the blur of colors came in the form of a craggy fissure in the city wall, revealing a splash of green beyond the grey of the wall and the sun baked reds and browns of the paving bricks. Angling her path, Kisara bolted through, almost tripping as the hard paving stones gave way to the springiness of thick grass. The girl kept running, almost blind to the trees that surrounded her even as she wove in and out of them, the need to run overriding everything, even pain.

Kisara had only just broken through the tree line when she fell, a soft cry escaping her. This soft cry soon turned into a howl of pain as she tried to stand, only to tumble to the ground again, her legs twisted in such a way that they wouldn't support her if she tried to stand on just the two. She curled in on herself, feeling like her insides were on fire as sharp pain erupted at every joint and deep in every bone.

Why? What was the purpose of this? What the hell had brought this on? All Kisara could do was whimper, blood sliding down her chin as her teeth sharpened and punctured her lips. She scrunched her eyes tight, trying to block out the daggers of afternoon sunlight, but nothing worked. All she knew was pain. Let it end. Just let it end! She couldn't take the pain anymore; her own body had become her worst enemy, and she was powerless to do anything to control what was happening to her. Everything hurt, and even worse was the fact that the emotional pain still tore through what the shifting did to her body. Kisara wanted to die; she wanted it to be over. Please, just let it be over, let it end!

Just let it end...

~- Do You Believe in Bitter Tears? -~

Leo stayed back, hiding in the shadow of the trees, even though his instinct was to go right up to the girl and help her. He hated this part when it came to the job; she was too unstable to approach yet, but he couldn't bear seeing a pretty girl in pain. She screamed as the Shift ripped through her body again, and Leo clenched his hands into fists as he looked away from her, forcing himself to stay put. Please, let it be over soon...

Soon, the forest was quiet, and only the sound of labored breathing came from the girl's direction. Turning around to face her again, Leo's eyes widened as he saw the white lioness that was slumped on the ground, her sides heaving. He'd seen plenty of strays, but Leo wasn't sure if he'd ever seen one as striking as her before. Without thinking, he took a step forward, causing the pine needles to rustle softly.

The lioness' head snapped up, and Leo cursed himself as her eyes focused right on him. The cat struggled to her feet as Leo checked his posture to make sure he was as nonthreatening as possible before he took another step towards her, saying in a soothing tone, "It's okay. I promise, it's going to be okay."

She didn't seem to be inclined to believe him. She backed away, ears pinned tight against her head as a soft growl rumbled deep in her chest. Leo could tell it was just a display, though. Every inch of the lioness spoke of exhaustion, and he could see that the growl was as much a threat for him to stay away as it was a way for her to try to make herself feel better. For a moment, he watched her, trying to think. How should he approach her? Should he...?

"Approach her human, Leonardo."

Leo kept his eyes on the lioness, although he shifted his attention to the man that had just approached behind him. Keeping his voice at the same soothing pitch, he said softly, "Are you sure, Salamander? The other way might be beneficial at this point."

Salamander had drawn level with Leo at this point, and the boy could just see the man's reddish-blond hair as Salamander said again, "Human, Leo. The girl has lost everything she has ever known. Her emotions are in turmoil. She needs the comfort of the familiar if she is to calm them. Just speak to her, Leo; with that silver tongue of yours, you should be able to find the words."

Salamander handed Leo the Trickster the boy had asked for earlier, then Leo stepped closer to the lioness, watching her. The cat snarled at him, her eyes blazing. Leo respected what she could do, even in her weakened state, so he stopped once he'd grown to be within ten feet of her. This way, she would know that he wasn't going to leave yet, but that he'd also respect her space and not crowd her.

"I know it's hard," he said softly, causing her ears to prick up for a moment. Seeing this encouraging sign, Leo continued, "There's too much going on right now, isn't there? I mean, who'd ever think they could turn into a big cat, right? But it's not just you, pretty girl; it's called the Shift, and it's magic, something we can help you with if you'll let us. The first Shift is always really scary, and it hurts like hell for a while. But it gets better." The tone of her body language seemed to change as he spoke, giving Leo the courage to take a couple more steps toward her. When the girl didn't react to that, he said soothingly, "Let me help you, please, Lioness..."

A snarl ripped through the cat's teeth as she backed away from him again, causing Leo to freeze where he stood. Again, he watched her for a moment, watching as the pain flared high and bright in her blue and gold eyes. Leo went over what he'd said in his mind, trying to ferret out what had set her off. Realizing that it was only after the "Lioness" comment that she'd reacted badly, Leo said softly, "Someone used to call you that, didn't they? Someone from home?"

She glared at him, unable to hide how hurt she was. Leo's heart broke as he whispered, "The Darkness is hell, isn't it? It takes everything you care for, everything you've ever held dear, and crushes it right in front of you, breaking you at the same time. It doesn't matter what it is. Home, family, friends. Love..."

Leo's voice faded away as memory of his own home came rushing back. He remembered that last night, how Salamander finding him was the only reason Leo had been able to escape at all. He hadn't been able to help anyone. Lexie...

A soft nudge broke Leo's reverie, and he looked down to see the lioness standing at his side, her eyes showing the same pain and sympathy. Kneeling in front of her, he carefully put his arms around her neck, giving her plenty of time to back away if she wanted to. When she didn't move, Leo hugged her tight, whispering softly, "It hurts, and it's hell, but we have to survive. We have to go on, for the ones we cared about. We have to go on living for them."

 

[Javelin434]

Izzy still answered guardedly. "You could say that. We didn't mean to end up in the second district, we were just following... someone. It seems like you all have your hands full here."
"So we'll just head back to first district now." he turned back to the guard, a little sheepishly.
"Actually, while we're here, do you think you could help us find the hotel? We need a place to stay the night."

"You could say that. We didn't mean to end up in the second district, we were just following... someone. It seems like you all have your hands full here."

Sergeant Snider gently nodded in understanding as Izzy explained his actions. Slightly embarrassed by all the commotion caused by his peers, the guard blushed as he smiled. "Sorry about all that. We usually try not to be the center of attention but..." his voice trailed off as he tried to listen to the battles beyond the gate leading to the Third District. "It's been quite a mess for us... We're just doing whatever we can to make sure everyone here is safe."

"So we'll just head back to first district now."

The sergeant's smile quickly turned into a frown as the newfound strangers turned around and started walking away. He was about to reach for them and halt their efforts, but thankfully the two did it on their own as they turned to face him again. "Actually, while we're here, do you think you could help us find the hotel? We need a place to stay the night." A gentle grin formed in the veteran's face as he sighed in quiet laughter. Yup... You two are definitely the new ones. Thank goodness you're not on the other side of that gate. "Um..." he started, unsure how to politely tell them it was ok to admit they're new here, "It's... Right over there." He pointed a building that was nestled between two other housing structures, blending in seamlessly with the scenery. "Good call on that, by the way. We're still sweeping this area for any straggling heartless." Feeling a slight tug in his heart, he turned to face the gate guards that stood between First and Second District. "Charlotte!" The girl immediately responded by running towards him.

"Yes, Parker?"
"Can you please escort our new guests to the hotel? They'll be safe from harm as we continue our search sweep."
"Aren't you gonna come along with us?"
"I'm going to assist the search efforts. But I'll meet up with you in the hotel afterwards if we finish early enough..."

The timid girl blushed, silently giggling for a moment as she turned to Izzy and Mana. "Follow me. I'll get you two set up with residence." She motioned for the two to follow as she started making her way towards the Hotel. Snider stayed behind, completely confused about the girl's behavior. I wonder what was that all about... Shaking off the thoughts for now, the sergeant quickly formed up with the First Squad, assisting the team with the district sweep.