Kingdom Hearts: The Keyblade War Part 2

[saphexteni]

Location: Traverse Town, 2nd District

Seraphina Vitalias stepped out of the portal, only to find herself in a dark alleyway. She turned to find a locked door, and various buildings and rooms surrounding her. She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. I don't think this is where I meant to land... She looked around, hopeful to find any sign of where she actually was, but there wasn't any sign or anything that hinted to where she was. Seraphina frowned, afraid that she had, indeed, landed in the wrong world. It was her first time traveling to other worlds, and her current location, though strange, didn't seem as weird as other worlds she had seen in pictures from the books at the library back at her home in the Land of Departure. But that doesn't explain where I am...

She continued down the alleyway, hoping that she would come across something that might tell her where she was- she knew that she definitely wasn't where she needed to be. Wherever that was, it certainly wouldn't be this quiet. Her hand clenched into a fist as the memories flooded back. The man- or could he even be called a man? He hardly looked human, after all- had suddenly appeared as the "emperor" of the Land of Departure, and then pretty much declared all keyblade wielders to be rebels and supporters of the darkness that was taking over the worlds. The hatred Seraphina saw in his eyes, and the way all the citizens looked at him, as if agreeing with every word he said. She had no choice but to hide- everyone who knew her knew shes was an in-training keyblade wielder. There was no way she could let herself be seen and then captured.

And it wasn't long before Nihilus, or General Ordias, as he called himself, began trying to spread his influence to another world. After finding out which world he planned to go to, first, Seraphina made up her mind to follow him. Whether or not she could stop him, she had no clue. But she had to try- and she could not let him continue this mad quest for annihilation. And so, she set off to where she hoped would be the world called Traverse Town.

And here she was, walking down some empty alleyway, completely unsure of where she was. It was her first time using her keyblade to travel to different worlds, so it was no wonder she hadn't quite gotten the technique down yet. Now... what is this place called? It certainly looks like a town... as empty as it is. Maybe....

Seraphina's thoughts stopped as she suddenly heard a bunch of cheering from somewhere, however. It was being muffled, and as she turned a corner, she noticed a large door on the next level from where she stood. The cheering and talking was coming from the other side of the door. Suddenly curious, and feeling more sure of herself, Sera went for a running start, and jumped on top of the fountain that was in front of the door, and hopping easily on the upper level. No need to take the stairs she thought, smiling to herself.

She stepped forward, and slowly put her ear against the door, not quite ready to make an entrance to what seemed like a large crowd listening to a speech. Don't tell me...

"now, my subjects! Side by side we march as one, the light wielders being undone. fear and loathing cast aside, an endless tide they must abide!"

Sera's eyes widened. She recognized that voice! She was in the right place, after all! And Nihilus was here... trying to win over these citizens as well. If he succeeded.... well, at this rate, she and all the other keyblade wielders wouldn't be safe anywhere. She was about to swing the door open when she suddenly heard another voice- strong and clear.

"Your presence here disturbs the peace of this world. If you wish to bring grievances against the light wielders of this world, I ask that you accompany me to my superiors so that we may discuss this matter privately and responsibly. Your actions against the peaceful people of this world have already warranted punishment of the highest severity, but we are willing to work through the conflict without further violence."

Is it... another wielder? Sera couldn't imagine anyone else standing up for them, and with that much confidence. His words were phrased very diplomatically, she had to admit. Unfortunately, they won't work on someone like Nihilus... I can't just sit here. Now thinking carefully, she made sure to make sure her keyblade was not summoned yet, and slowly opened the door, trying to blend in with the other citizens. Some turned to look at her suspiciously, but she merely shrugged, and stood among them, listening to the general respond to the wielder, of whom she could see clearly now. He was a lean man, with very shortly cropped blond hair. His eyes were an icy blue, and she could see them calculating his own next move. This was someone with knowledge and experience.

Nihilus was now glaring at the man, a silent challenge and dare. Sera frowned, her eyes narrowing. Her fist clenched at Nihilus's claims, and she wanted so bad to knock the air out of the so-called emperor of her world. No matter what some keyblade wielder's goals and actions have been, past and present, it was wrong of him to claim all of them to be blamed for the darkness that had seeped in and taken over so many worlds. She could feel a slight heat in her hand as her firing passion began to summon her own keyblade unintentionally. She quickly quenched her emotions, and the heat disappeared from her hand.That was close... now's not the time. Sera noticed one of the Traverse Town citizens looking at her more closely than before. Trying to act cool, she merely smiled at him, and continued looking up where Nihilus and the blond man were having a silent staredown.

 

[Shinra]

"So that's why Locke was suspicious of me? Because I had a dark colored keyblade?"

"Yup, Kupo... I heard from Celes that his parents were killed by dark wielders just recently..."

"Oh okay... Well I assure you I'm not likely to be one of them because based on your brief description of them I don't think I'm one of them. I'm just trying to find my place in the world... or worlds in that case."

"I hope so too Kupo!"

Renn chatted with Mog quite happily until he spotted a girl appear not ten meters ahead of him and his new companion... He watched her from the shadows and wondered who she was. She walked through a large door beyond a wall-mounted fountain. Renn had also heard an indistinct voice from behind the door. Although to the girl who was closeby, He reckoned she could hear it clearly. He walked up to the stairs toward the door and Mog just floated behind the girl not a meter away and then just as easily Mog and Renn heard another voice as he caught up with his cute companion.

"Your presence here disturbs the peace of this world. If you wish to bring grievances against the light wielders of this world, I ask that you accompany me to my superiors so that we may discuss this matter privately and responsibly. Your actions against the peaceful people of this world have already warranted punishment of the highest severity, but we are willing to work through the conflict without further violence."

Renn could actually agree with what was said and thought: I can see why he asked for this, This seems to be a refuge for people who have no longer have their worlds to go to... Similar to the world I first encountered. He stayed still next to Mog as the girl went through the door and Mog soon tried to follow but Renn grabbed his arm and said: "Wait."

Mog hung his head, saddened because he wanted to learn the identities of the voices behind the doors.

"But I know you're as curious as I am, Kupo."

"That's true... Oh well let's do it."


They pushed through the doors and were surrounded by people, and about seven or eight people turned their heads toward him and Mog, Renn kept his face forward, averting their gazes and they soon turned their heads back to the podium. Renn noticed ahead of them the girl they observed with her fist clenched and noticed a few sparks of flame around it but it soon unclenched and his curiousity subsided for now and he turned his attention to two individuals standing tall amoung the crowd, the man on the podium and a tall lean blond having a staring contest. Renn was so busy focused on these individuals that he didn't notice Mog float up above the general height of the crowd and Break out into a voice that although cute, he commaned respect with the tone of voice that the blond had used.

"I completely agree Kupo! The only reason you're here is to bring the war to our doorstep! I honestly don't want that to happen because the one safe haven for those who have already lost their homes will likely lose them again or even worse their own lives Kupo! So I ask that you leave and take your war with you and if you don't, I'll have to show you out Kupo!"

Renn sighed and covered his face with his right hand. "Mog... You idiot." The crowd stared at both Renn and Mog as a result.

 

[Story Keeper]

~- Burns Like A Fire -~

Lumie nodded slowly, remaining silent and continuing to nod in answer to his questions. She tilted her head and looked Kataki in the eye, seeing the pain and fear that shone there. It felt strange to hear him like this, but she listened as Kataki explained in a rush, "By constantly punishing him, he would hate me, and through that, he would hate everything associated with me, the darkness, the stone-hearted killers we were trained to be... I didn't want to see my brother become a monster. I didn't want to see him end up like me."

She didn't realize she'd stopped tracing the lines until she leaned backwards, putting her weight on her hands that rested behind her, preventing her from fully touching the ground. Closing her eyes, Lumie absorbed all of the information he was giving her, trying to focus and think as Kataki continued rambling; it was kinda cute if she was being honest.

"You don't know our past, but by making him hate me, I kept him safe. I severed the bond we could have had so that he could grow up into the caring and compassionate person he is now. He wants to help others and do good, and the only thing left chaining him down... is me. He hates me more than anything in the world. He wants me gone, he wants me dead. All of that killer instinct is directed to me, and not to those who don't deserve it."

She glanced over at him; catching him staring into the fire, she watched the shadows dance across his face as the flames writhed in the air. Strangely enough, even if she didn't quite agree, she could understand why he was doing what he was doing.

"If he found out... I would do more damage than I ever have. I... don't know what to do..."

Shaking her head, she sat up and stared into the flames herself, searching for some kind of answer she could give him to help him feel better. Reaching out a hand, she placed it on his arm and whispered, "It's okay. I can understand why you did it; even if it's cruel, you were just trying to protect him." She paused and shook her head, trying to think of how best to manage this. "Yeah, I guess you can say that; I sometimes see things that have yet to happen. You and your brother were fighting because of something; I don't know what, but he accused you of throwing your friends aside. After that, someone snuck up behind you and someone got stabbed, I don't know who it was; everything had faded away into darkness by then...I'm sorry."

Lumie muttered something under her breath, but kept an outwardly calm appearance; she refused to show how mad the lack of information made her in light of how upset he was. "I guess you can say that's why I was being so hostile when we met. I can't see everyone's futures, I can only have visions of someone after I've made some kind of bond with them; so I'm a little surprised Darien showed up in one of my visions before I met him."

Hearing a scuffling noise outside, Lumie threw a glance in the direction of the entrance to their resting area. Shaking her head in dismissal, she asked, "So, where are you heading to after this world? I know I personally don't have a destination after here; all I know is that I don't want to get anywhere near Darien until I know how to stop what's going to happen between him and Aries." She met Katiaki's gaze and held it for several heartbeats; breaking eye contact she glanced at the entrance and felt her muscles tensing. That noise... was it more than just cat tails brushing against the shelter?

"Do you hear that?" She whispered quietly, nodding toward the entrance before she glanced back at Aries quickly; the younger girl was still sound asleep.

~- Can't We Catch A Break!? -~

"Hey Leon."

The brunette looked up at the greeting, more than a little startled by Neku entering the shop. Although why he was, the brunette didn't know for sure. Leon looked over at the counter where he knew the moogle would appear; going for cool but friendly, he shrugged his shoulders, then said, "Hi Neku." While Neku chatted with Stiltz, Leon looked at the catalog booklet and flipped through the pages, nodding silently as Neku asked, "Is... synthesis supposed to go like this...? I always just made them myself-"

Returning his attention to the catalog in front of him, Leon glanced back at the exit to the shop below, still looking for anything familiar. He'd already picked out the floor board in the middle of the room that should have had a long, deep gouge in it from him and Yuffie sparring; Yuffie's shuriken had scarred the floor after he'd teased her and dodged out of the way of her attack. Scouring the entire area just in case he had the spot wrong, he still couldn't find that plank, and he was positive the moogles hadn't replaced it on account of something about "adding character" to the shop. Becoming lost in thought, Leon didn't realize until the moogle had addressed him with, "--- is there anything I can do for you?" that Neku was finished with what he needed.

Snapping back to reality, Leon looked at the moogle in confusion and shook his head. A sudden thought coming to mind, he asked, "Do you by chance know if there's a girl named Yuffie Kisaragi around here?"

Leon didn't like how long it took the moogle to think on it; if Yuffie was here the moogle would've answered yes immediately. Instead, Stiltz shook his head and answered, "Nope, I haven't heard of or seen her; is she someone important to you?"

Despite how annoying she could be, Leon felt his heart break a bit at the moogle's response; shaking his head quickly, Leon looked away and headed for the ladder, muttering something about friends.

Stumbling as a rumble of thunder shook the shop, Leon growled angrily before he hopped down the ladder, summoning his gunblade as he ran out the door. Coming to an abrupt halt, his mind jumping back to the shop owner, nearly whipping around at the girl's shocked gasp. He could see why; it was the skeletal soldiers. Talk about a creepy sight for someone that wasn't use to seeing those kind of things; scratch that thought. Even for someone use to battling the undead, it was still unsettling. Shaking his head, Leon ordered quickly, "Get up into the synthesis shop and hide; we'll take care of this."

Her retreating footfalls was enough of an affirmative for him as he rushed out the door; scanning the square for any sign of Jayden or Llyndellia, his eyes found a blond stranger briefly before his eyes landed on Jayden. Vaulting over the low wall, Leon landed with a quiet "thump" before he bolted over to the keyblade wielder; sending a fireball flying at one of the skeletal soldiers, Leon pulled up even with the other soldier and asked, "Where's Llyndellia and what the heck happened here?"

~- Commotion and Surprises -~

Traverse Town, 3rd District

Umbra felt the rough stone scraping his back; readjusting how he was standing, he caught a glance of the door that led to the first district and then turned his head toward the second district. Glancing back at the purple-haired girl crouched by the fountain, he saw again the statue of two dogs that stood in the center of it; a gentle smile spread across the girl's lips as she felt the cool water run back into the basin.

"You ready to go, Umbra?"

He looked at Lia again, taking in her gentle and fragile appearance; if he didn't know any better, he'd have to say the girl was made of porcelain. Pushing himself away from the wall, he nodded in silence and turned toward the door, instantly falling into step next to his charge. Tensing his muscles, he scooped her up off of the ground as he felt the rumbling echo of a powerful bolt of lightning go crashing down into and through ground, making his legs feel numb and like jelly.

What was that? It felt like it could've been a bolt from heaven; the wrath of God even. Umbra mused silently, before quickly glancing up to make sure he wasn't about to get struck down for such a thought. Putting Lia back down, he pulled out his pistols and quickly made his way toward the door to the first district. Motioning for Lia to stay behind him, he shoved the door open with his shoulder, then immediately raised his gun and pointed it at the skeletal-like soldier in front of him.

Pulling the trigger quickly, he watched the bullet race toward the monster, before splitting the skull; getting a couple more shots ready, his eyes scanned the faces of the panicking crowd to see if he recognized anyone. And he did almost instantly; Nihilus.

Hair bristling with rage, Umbra shouted, "Dammit Nihilus; what the hell was the point of starting a riot here? I asked you to hold your horses until we reported back, didn't I?" A deep, dark rage danced in his eyes as he glared Nihilus down. Anyone who knew him would understand the reason behind his rage; but then again, if anyone was looking, they'd notice Lia peeking out from behind him.

 

[Grandsword]

Nihilus noted umbra's anger and turned his head to him
"blame herald malak, were it not for his..lack of patience, i wouldn't have had to intervene.

but due to his stirring of the crowd, armed keybladers were dispatched. ergo, the riot began.

it was stopped by a freak lightning strike and i had to give...encouragement to stop our troops from surrendering.
and that's how the current situation came about."
Nihilus explained, walking over to umbra, brushing off jayden as a threat for the moment. "if your companion's safety is your concern, i'll open a portal for her back to the headquarters." he offered. sure, he may not have cared personally whether or not the two survived..but an unfocused soldier was a week soldier, and a week soldier wasn't something he wanted umbra to become whilst he still held a use

 

[Key Wielder]

Darien hated the feeling that someone or something was watching him. The sudden exhaustion dulled his senses just enough to make him nearly miss the sensation, but the barest twinge of the muscles on his back brought him back to this world and this heart with more of a jolt than finding himself back in his own (sort of) body. Frowning, he glanced back to see his companion gathering his bag. Certainly it was just him that Darien had sensed... Not likely.

"Come on," he said quickly, setting off at a rapid pace toward the trees barely visible along the horizon. "It's a long way to go, and we'll want to find shelter somewhere before nightfall."

. . .

The more Nihilus said, the less Jayden understood him. Diplomacy was key, however, and he refused to rise to such obvious baiting. Instead, he plastered a perplexed expression on his face--it admittedly wasn't all that difficult--and shook his head warily.

"To seek Kingdom Hearts has never been our goal. We merely seek those people who would use it for their own ill ends so that we may keep them from destroying the greater World. Surely your purpose is then aligned with ours, and we can speak rationally as men," he added, shrugging slightly. Nihilus was staring him down, challenging him to attack first, but he would not give him the pleasure. It would only indicate that they were exactly what he accused them of being: dictators using the people for their own purposes. It wasn't true, and Jayden wasn't about to make convictions waver.

Before any more could be said, a voice rose over the crowd in a rousing defense for the Keyblade wielders, and a subsequent blast nearby forced Jayden to shift his attention to the Moogle and then Leon as he came careening over the wall and straight to his side. Great. Well, at least we didn't fire the first shot...

"Where's Llyndellia and what the heck happened here?"

Probably putting together a most spectacular plot for my demise, Jayden mused silently. If he was being honest, it was quite likely.

"Don't know," he grunted instead, willing himself to retain his calm demeanor while Nihilus was still here. That, however, was not for long as two newcomers came through the door from the Third District.

"Dammit Nihilus; what the hell was the point of starting a riot here? I asked you to hold your horses until we reported back, didn't I?"

Jayden was only distantly listening to the explanation as he turned his head slightly toward Leon, keeping his eyes on Nihilus in case he attacked suddenly. He seemed quite forgotten for the moment, though, and he used it to his advantage, speaking to Leon in a voice too quiet for anyone else to hear him.

"She's probably still in this world, but it would be better if you left her to herself for the time being. I'm sure she's fine. If we can't capture him," he barely nodded in Nihilus's direction, "we at least need to get him out of this world before he hurts anyone else."

In spite of his words, Jayden didn't make a move, glancing back at the other Keyblade wielders. They were still watching him closely, their eyes now and again flicking over at Nihilus as he spoke to his comrades, or whoever they were. He shook his head slightly, and their Keyblades remained slack in their hands. The weapons had only been for show, even when the first patrols had arrived, and all of this senseless violence could have been avoided. Still, Jayden made no move toward Nihilus or the monsters he had created: they were still citizens of Traverse Town who had come here for protection. Doing some quick thinking, Jayden began to formulate a vague plan...

 

[saphexteni]

Location: Traverse Town, First District

Seraphina turned and glanced at the strange floating creature. She hadn't noticed them entering the district from behind her- the same door she came through. Were they there, after all, and she just hadn't notice? I need to be more cautious and aware of who is around me... The creature (she had seen it before in a book back at home, though its name escaped her) made an outburst, to which Sera's hand suddenly clenched, watching the crowd of skeletal-like soldiers carefully. From what it seemed, they used to be ordinary people, and she wasn't sure what to make of them. Were they a threat? And what kind of mindset were they in? She was a bit confused by the entire situation, but pushed it to the back of her mind. Nihilus is the main culprit here.

The staredown between Nhilius and his challenger was suddenly interrupted when someone walked in through another large door on the other side of the clearing, shot one of the skeletal soldiers, and yelled:

"Dammit Nihilus; what the hell was the point of starting a riot here? I asked you to hold your horses until we reported back, didn't I?"

Sera was a bit too far to get a good look at him, but he looked semi-familiar. She might have seen him back on the Land of Departure... possibly. Nihilus then seemed to brush off the blond guy as a threat, and proceeded to his... subordinate? Though the other guy didn't get a chance to respond, either, as someone suddenly came up from the crowd, shot a skeletal soldier, and stood beside him. This one had dark brown here, cropped, and a bit messy, but he didn't seem to wield a keyblade.

Seraphina started as she felt the threat of the many skeletal soldiers looming over her. Though they hadn't made a move quite yet, she knew it was probably due to Nihilus being partially distracted by his blond challenger, and now, his subordinate, Sera assumed. But how much of a threat were they? She debated between summoning her keyblade, just to be on guard, but would that catch their attention? After awhile, she decided against it. Right then, if no one recognized her, she would be able to catch them off guard. And then there was that floating creature's companion- a dark haired, young man who looked to be about her age, even. Possibly a year younger. She tried to gauge him just briefly, wondering what kind of person he was- was he just a Traverse Town citizen, or not? Something about him seemed different, though... from his floating friend's outburst, she could safely assume that he wasn't the enemy, at least.

 

[SwagStarIV]

From atop the clock tower, Chi maintained a birds eye view of the situation unfolding. He thought to himself... Look at these fools. Changing the tides of the land into something as twisted and confused as my existence. The nuisance that stands between me and my destiny, the hordes of dust that collect before that place of useless synthesis, and the tunnel that leads to the not so well hidden base of the oblivious ingrate trash that walks this town. Stupid humans. Chi summoned his key and began to gaze into its corrupted design. He nonchalantly dropped it, then caught it by the key chain. Upon gazing into the design he felt the course of everything good and bad in him surge.

I dont have time for this. They are starting to bore me again. I need to change my key back to its glorious form, then i can return to my world and finish my legacy. These foolish imbeciles fight over something that neither side can completely control. Only the souls who are similar to mine can even fathom the concept of such a power. Something that carries the balance of this galaxy. The embodiment of this plane. Hypocritical light bearers claiming to protect, illegitimate dark wielders claiming to purge, and neither being able to do so without the other. They make me sick... Living to chide the other without ever acknowledging the fact that they can't even exist without the other. Neither one of them are aiding the people. Preemptive maneuvers means there is something to be preemptive about, but if you allow things to flow the way they should then life would be so much easier.

Chi left the roof of his new fortress. Every home he had ever been in seemed like a fortress that was used to keep him in and keep society out. While the clock tower was one of the biggest landmarks in Traverse Town no body actually entered it. Except for that one guy who came to make sure the repairs where right and was paid to never return. Chi had made this his lair. He already innovated the inside so that it used less space and resembled a lobby, functioned appropriately without breaking, projected a protective field inches off of the building itself, contains a working elevator, and kept a camera encased in the golden globe atop the clock tower. He uses this camera to keep an eye on the town, and now his eyes were fixed on the beauty that crowded his way to destiny.

The keyhole is said to be in the beauty mark of Traverse Town, according to one of the many books he has gathered from the hidden marsh. Chi stated in a bored and tired voice, "Sounds like the fountain to me." Chi entered his elevator and road up to the lobby. Chi approached the door that leads to the less obvious entrance as for not to be seen leaving the clock tower. He jumped to the roof of the clock tower and jumped down onto the obvious center of the district. Chi watched as another person was now accompanying the original beauty he saw. This put a change in his plans, and slightly angered him. He did not know why he had this awkward shy sensation, but he was embarrassed by it and his face turned red. This made him even more angry.

Chi walked up to the females with a red shot face, but a stern cold stare. He kneeled down beside them, completely ignoring there presence at the moment, and began to wash his face with water. He needed to cool off. Once he did his face turned back to its normal cold, pale color. He rubbed his face for a split second, and observed the females. He continued by standing up and walking into the fountain. He gazed at the painting on the wall, and began to think. After moments of wondering, he had devised a plan to figure how to reveal the keyhole in its natural glory. Chi walked up to the females, sat beside them, and stated, "Excuse me, but may i have your attention for a quick second. Would either of you know anything about a keyhole?"

 

[Xblade13]

Ximálech followed his companion away from the oasis, back into the scorching heat. They headed in the direction of the treeline barely visible on the horizon. Sweat began to slide down his face already. However, he now had a destination. He decided to save conversation for when they arrived at the jungle. Instead, he drifted in his own thoughts and memories.

---​

It had been a wonderful day at Radiant Garden. The sun was shining, the fountains played with their melodious sounds, and birds chirped peacefully. In the Outer Gardens, a young couple ran through the flowers, filling the air with their laughter.

"Catch me if you can, Ximi!" yelled the girl, running playfully from her companion. She was very pretty. Her brown hair was long, hanging down to her waist in the back. Her blue eyes sparkled with happiness as she glanced back at the boy. As she ran, her plain blue dress fluttered around her ankles. Around her neck, she wore a crystal necklace.

Ximálech ran after her, laughing. His black hair flew out behind him as he ran. His green eyes also shined with the obvious love he held for her. He managed to catch up with her, and hugged her around the waist.

They stood there, laughing. Then the girl grinned, and pulled Ximálech down onto the flowers. They lay there for a moment, staring into each others' eyes and smiling.

"Happy birthday, Ximi." said Siriné, hugging him. "I have something for you." She lifted her hands, taking the necklace off. She started to put it around his neck, when he stopped her.

"I can't accept this! It's your only family heirloom!" he said.

"Of course you can!" She giggled. "We are a family now!"

He lowered his hand, allowing her to put the necklace on him. She was of course right. They were engaged to be married the day after tommorrow. He fingered the little crystal heart. It was smooth, shining in many colors of the rainbow, like an opal.

He looked up at her. "Thank you." He then cupped her cheek in her hand, and kissed her.

She responded in kind, smiling. After a moment they broke apart, and Siriné poked him in the ribs. "Make sure you take care of it!" They both laughed at this.

And they were happy.

But the very next day would bring the Darkness. Radiant Garden was destroyed, and lovely Siriné was gone.

---​

Fresh tears stung his eyes as he remembered this. He reached up and caressed the crystal necklace, which still hung around his neck. -I will find you Siriné. I will.- he promised, for the upteenth time.

He opened his eyes, realizing they had made it to the jungle whilst he reminesced. The greenery grew thickly, ferns and trees and other things he knew not. The sun had gone down to the horizon, and the air was much cooler. At last they had made it.

Little did he know of the danger which had followed.

 

[Key Wielder]

As they walked, Ximálech appeared to be lost in his own thoughts, for which Darien was grateful. His own thoughts were forced back to what had happened earlier in the silence, and he wanted to get this out of the way quickly if he had to do it at all. His feet kept moving, taking him ever closer to the distant line of trees, but his mind was no longer engaged with the journey.

"What the hell was that all about?"

Darien looked up at him from where he sat on the edge of the pillar, one foot hanging casually toward the abyss while his other knee was drawn up to his chest. The look on his face was one of innocent confusion--too innocent.

"What was what all about?"

"Don't get smart."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

He growled low in his throat, unbidden but quite appropriate given his frustration. Darien simply raised an eyebrow at him before looking back out into the darkness. His eyes seemed to see nothing.

"How did she get here?"

"Who's to say that it wasn't us who went there?"

"One does not simply visit another person's heart," he scoffed, injecting as much venom into the words as possible. "It's not a vacation spot."

Darien shrugged. "Or perhaps you just don't know as much about the heart as you think." Just as he opened his mouth, a perfectly formulated witty retort on his lips, Darien continued. "Camping out in one doesn't count for much."

"I've certainly done well enough thus far."

"You know how to control hearts and bend them to your will." Now it was Darien who sneered, rolling his eyes. "You have no idea what a heart can really do when there is a strong will behind it. I would say you should try searching yours to figure it out, but we both know that wouldn't get you very far."

He ignored the jibe. "The heart is weak. All it does is lead you to your doom. I don't think I'm missing much there."

Chuckling softly, Darien eventually sighed. "If I wasn't so angry with you about the whole taking over my body situation, I'd actually pity you. Not much, but a little."

"Don't go all self-righteous Keyblade Master on me now," he replied, brushing him off. "As...enlightening as this conversation has been, you didn't answer my question: how did it happen?"

Darien didn't answer. He frowned down at him, remembering their last conversation.

"You told me she would be able to defeat me." It was so difficult not to laugh at that even now, although he would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly shaken from their recent struggle. "When I asked what power she could possibly have, you said I would find out. Was this what you meant? Is there some force which gives her the strength to do...whatever it was she did...?" His voice faded as he spoke until the final question was a mere breath of a whisper, spoken more to himself than his captive audience.

Wordlessly, Darien pushed himself back from the edge and stood up, turning to face him fully for the first time. As he was a mere shadow of Darien, their eyes were level as they surveyed each other, him searching for an answer and Darien searching for something deeper. After a few moments of silence, the latter smirked.

"By the time you find it, it might be too late."

Anger coursed through him and he moved to strike--but the blow never fell. Darien hadn't moved, yet his fist had gone through the side of his head rather than making contact. In spite of his anger, he felt suddenly humiliated. Shadows could do no real damage. They were ephemeral, insubstantial, scattered at the first glimpse of light. The man in front of him had an abundance of light, and it had protected him from the shadows he wielded. It was the only reason he was still here: a shadow could never be whole.

We'll see about that.

"Fine," he finally said, maintaining his calm façade in spite of the anger still roiling beneath the surface. "Have your fun. You two will spend plenty of time together once I beat her to Kingdom Hearts." He took a step closer, and his cool voice betrayed none of the hostility that belied it. "But enjoy it while you can. Once I open the door, your face will become nothing but a symbol of her misery whenever she looks upon it."

For the first time, a flash of anger in Darien's eyes told him he'd struck a nerve, but he didn't stay to revel in his relative success, if it could be called that. This was merely another stalemate, one that he would be breaking shortly.

When he came back to himself, Darien saw that the sun was falling below the distant horizon and they had reached the shelter of the trees. They were tropical and lush, full of colors that were quickly dimming in the fading light. Flowers sprang up here and there, becoming more pronounced as they walked further inside. The sand from the desert was still heavy at the very edge of the jungle, but it too began to disappear and soil appeared in place of the hard, dry rock of the desert. It made the walk easier on his now aching feet, and he slowed to a halt as he looked around them. None of his followers were here nor, if his senses were to be trusted, anywhere nearby. It looked like he was stuck by himself with this kid for the night.

"We should stop here until morning," he finally said, he voice sounding nearly as weary as he felt. The air was growing colder, so he slipped his leather jacket back on. "We're losing the light, and I don't want to think about what we'll run into in here that might be able to see in the dark."

It was quite a farce and Darien found it difficult not to laugh at himself. Him? Unable to see in the dark? It was hilarious, really, but he had pretenses to maintain. Normal people couldn't find their way in complete darkness, and the moon would be hidden above the trees as the foliage became more dense. Besides, those idiotic followers of his (Really, where is Kataki? I wonder if that worthless little Heartless even found him...) would be unable to find their way and would undoubtedly stop for the night anyway. It would be easier to find them when they were making noise, stumbling blindly through the jungle in the light of morning. Yes, waiting was certainly the better option.

Darien looked up at the trees above and frowned. "No low branches. Lovely." He hated the idea of staying on the ground, but getting into these trees would be difficult. In spite of his discomfort, though, he had no alternative and sat down on a tree root. As if he wasn't already uneasy enough, he could feel eyes on them, undoubtedly belonging to unseen creatures in the jungle around them.

. . .

...Every time I just want to be alone, someone shows up... Looks like my luck really can't get any better.

Before the little mouse had even answered her halfhearted attempt at friendliness, someone else walked up. He had an ill-favored look that Llyndellia couldn't help but distrust immediately. She watched out of the corner of her eye as he surveyed the fountain around them, but her hopes that he would move on without speaking were completely dashed as he finally turned to them.

"Excuse me, but may i have your attention for a quick second. Would either of you know anything about a keyhole?"

Llyndellia raised an eyebrow without answering. Certainly she'd heard of keyholes. The Master had mentioned them now and again, but she didn't remember hearing an explanation of what they were. The lesson: keyholes mustn't be opened, otherwise chaos would be unleashed on a world. Why? That was beyond her knowledge, something the Master always said she would learn later. Guess it's only something a Master can learn, she thought nastily.

The boy--for he appeared to be younger than her--was still waiting for an answer. While she couldn't say a little chaos in Traverse Town would be unwelcome (she could care less right now, and it would serve that stupid Jayden right for everything he'd done), Llyndellia knew better than to willingly help him in finding the keyhole. She might not know exactly what they were, but she knew enough to put together the fact that they were dangerous. If he was looking for it, she doubted it was for a good reason. There was a literal army of wielders to protect Traverse Town's, and he clearly wasn't one of them.

"A keyhole?" she answered, frowning pointedly at the buildings around them. "There are plenty on the shop doors, I guess. Why do you ask?"

 

[Eternal Dream]

~- When Fools Can be Kings -~

For a moment, the riot had quieted as the crowd's frenzy died down and confusion set in. But then, another voice rang out from the rooftops.

"Why do you all cease battle? Do you doubt yourselves and your powers? In that case, then I have a single decree: Don't believe in yourself! Believe in me! Believe in the emperor who believes in you! Now, my subjects! Side by side we march as one, the light wielders being undone. Fear and loathing cast aside, an endless tide they must abide!"

Raising his eyes, Lucien saw an armored man, the very same one that had taken up the standard bearer's call. If there had been any doubt in the angel's mind that the call to rally had come from the the newcomer, it was quickly dispelled as a dark void energy emanated from the figure, transforming some among the crowd into horrific, skeletal demons. This act received an almost immediate reaction from the crowd.

"I completely agree Kupo! The only reason you're here is to bring the war to our doorstep! I honestly don't want that to happen because the one safe haven for those who have already lost their homes will likely lose them again or even worse their own lives Kupo! So I ask that you leave and take your war with you and if you don't, I'll have to show you out Kupo!"

"Dammit Nihilus; what the hell was the point of starting a riot here? I asked you to hold your horses until we reported back, didn't I?"

Several spoke out in favor of the wielders, others for this "new order"; one man yelled at the armored one, Nihilus, for not waiting; while still others panicked at the sight of the transformed souls and began fleeing. Only two seemed to maintain their composure; the blond commander of the Keybladers and a brunette close by him both seemed very calm as they faced down Nihilus, who seemed more interested in a disgruntled follower than the commander.

Lucien felt Mira's worried concern as his own patience wore thin. Sending a quiet thought for the young mouse to hold her position, the angel shrugged his broad shoulders, allowing his cloak to fall open, revealing his street clothes. Finally making his presence known, Lucien stepped forward from his place at the back of the crowd, allowing a small amount of his commanding aura to show without touching his glory.

Standing just behind the Keybearer and his companion, Lucien leveled a cool glare at Nihilus that non the less snapped brown fire. Lucien allowed the armored one's eyes to glide over him, giving Nihilus time to see and realize that Lucien wasn't armed; he waited another moment for the self proclaimed emperor to realize that Lucien could call his weapon at any time he chose, and to realize that just because he was unarmed didn't mean he was weaponless.

Lucien's temper had been worn thin, almost to the breaking point; but it didn't show readily in his body language beyond a confident stance that showed quite clearly that he wouldn't be intimidated and a very slight tightness to his words. Indeed, it sounded almost like the two were old friends having a very lively, heated debate as Lucien shot back, "And yet, for argument's sake, it could be said that your plans could be just as dictatorial as the Light Wielders supposedly are. Instead of calling for a rebellion and supporting this riot that you say your subordinate foolishly caused, why not put forth your idea in such a fashion that perhaps you and the Light Wielders might be able to come to an agreement on instead of using transformation? Because at the moment, all I'm seeing is a group that risks themselves to keep others safe, and a possible tyrant that uses false promises and fear tactics to get his way that has a bitter resentment toward Wielders; a hatred that he doesn't even bother trying to hide, which suggests an agenda of his own. So, while the idea of siding with you and "freedom" is impossibly tempting, I may have to most regretfully throw my lot in with the "dictators" known as the Light Wielders. I'm just saying that's how it's sounding to me.

Was Varen rubbing off on Lucien, with his snark showing in the last part of that comment? Maybe; or maybe, this man Nihilus would have made an enemy of Death no matter how things had turned out.

~- Keyhole -~

"Yeah, I'm fine."

The girl claimed she was fine, but there was a hollowness to her words that made Mira believe the statement was an automatic response instead of genuine. But before she said anything further, Mira allowed the girl a moment to get use to the idea that yes, she was talking to a mouse; and one that had quite a bit to say if and when she was allowed to.

"You don't look like you're from here. Just visiting?"

Mira was just about to make a short quip to try and tease a real smile from the other girl when she felt just how short Lucien's temper had really become. Turning her head slightly, Mira shifted her weight, an excuse to leave on the tip of her tongue as she thought, Lucien, is everything okay?

I'm okay, this isn't anything I can't handle. Just stay put for now. If I need your help, you'll know.

Uneasy, Mira still forced her stance to relax as she returned her attention to her companion. "You could say I'm not from these parts. My name's Mira Mouse, by the way; it's nice to meet you!"

Despite the girl's pain and slightly closed look, Mira had found herself relaxing; but her guard went up almost as soon as she saw a boy approach the fountain. She sensed deep mental trauma; and while she couldn't tell what had caused it, she knew that it had a caused a deep fissure in his mind, destabilizing him. Mira knew that these people could be extremely dangerous, and needed to be dealt with in just the right way.

"Excuse me, but may I have your attention for a quick second. Would either of you know anything about a keyhole?"

Mira blinked, taken by surprise with the boy's request. "Keyhole?" she asked, her voice squeaking on her; "Are you a Keywielder?"

As the other girl made a rather snarky comment of her own, Mira studied the boy further. On the outside, he didn’t look like he was one of corrupt; but on the other hand without being able to read his aura like Ivy could… arg! She didn’t have enough training to make a confident decision based on the boy’s appearance alone. She’d only been with the others for three years, not nearly enough time for everything she needed to learn. The one thing she knew with certainty though was what Lucien had drilled into all of them from day one: They were responsible with keeping Kingdom Hearts safe and the Balance maintained; as such, that meant the keyholes by virtue of them being connected to Kingdom Hearts. While Mira could be jumping to the worst cast scenario for no reason, at the same time, she was wary of this boy and his split mind.

Waiting for his response, the young mouse sent a quick message to Lucien. Gonna have to stick around here and hold that thought. Things just might be getting interesting over here too.

~- Walk Softly Love -~

"Seriously Ivy? Just how long are you planning on staying up in that tree?"

Ivy looked down from her perch to see Varen giving her an amused, if faintly annoyed, glare. Willow had learned early on and very quickly that Varen, the most muscular of the group without being overly bulky, had a disadvantage with how small some of the spaces could become between branches as they crisscrossed over themselves. So, given the no fly zone nature of these canopies, tree branches had swiftly become a favorite retreat for the twins after they'd pushed all of Varen's buttons; once safely ensconced in the leafy branches, the girls would continue to tease Varen as his glare found them far overhead and out of his reach.

Laughing, Ivy called down to Varen, "Relax already, I wasn't planning an aerial assault or anything; it's just that I thought I sensed two other human auras, so I climbed up here to see if I could see anyone."

Raising a brow as the corner of his mouth quirked, Varen called out, "And the answer is...?"

Shaking her head as she began to ease off her perch, Ivy replied, "And nothing. I can't sense them now; it could be that they're already in the jungle, or it could just be that I... whoa!"

Having found a slick patch of moss on the thick branch, Ivy slid off much faster than she had been planning. Moving quickly, Varen managed to catch her; but as neither one had been expecting the incident, they still wound up finishing the trip to the ground, Ivy landing on top of Varen in a laughing heap.

Pushing herself up, Ivy studied Varen while she lay across his chest, giggling uncontrollably. Finally catching her breath, she almost cracked up again as Varen remarked, "You know, Ivy, this little liaison could be incredibly enjoyable, except for one small issue. You're the wrong sister..."

"And you're the wrong brother," Ivy finished for him, climbing to her feet as she finally subdued her laughter. Watching Varen dust himself off, Ivy comment, "We should get going; it's getting late, but I think we can cover just a little more ground, maybe get to the Oasis before..."

"No low branches. Lovely."

Quieting down as the voice reached the both of them, Ivy and Varen shared a quick glance before coming to the same conclusion, which Varen very helpfully projected into her mind, The owners of the auras you mentioned, perhaps?

Rolling her eyes, Ivy barely kept herself from slugging Varen as she started forward, following the sound of soft conversation. It didn't take long for them to come to an apparent campsite inhabited by two young men. It took even less time for her to come to a decision. Hang back for a moment Varen. I just want to watch them for a little.

Looking over at her, there was some obvious concern in Varen's eyes as he thought, What is it? A feeling?

Ivy shook her head, just watching the two before her. There was something familiar about one of them; if only she could tell what it was...

 

[SwagStarIV]

Great... She decides to act oblivious... Like this immense aura of hers can't be felt. I choose not to play games with her. Chi decided that this girl would be to complicated of a situation to dabble in. No matter how beautiful she may seem. There was something wrong with this situation. The mouse beside her brought a smile to Chi's face. He would think that someone of her stature could tell he was a key wielder, but none the less he decided to show his keyblade. While doing so the crown and both wings began to glow. He looked towards the mouse and stated, "This is not mine... Its power is flawed. Its beauty tarnished... I must restore it back to its gracious glory." He looked at the girl with the most disgusted face he could muster, and stated to the mouse with a now calm face, "I know its here... The keyhole that is. I also know the wrath it may wrought on this town of serenity and boredom, but my key must no remain the same."

Chi continued walking slowly towards the clock tower, stating aloud, "My name is Chi Agari. You resemble that of a great king i have read about. Unfortunately I just don't have the time to dawdle for information. Just know that I will reach the keyhole, and upon doing so I shall use its power to alter my key back to its original form!" Chi stopped a few feet away and stated to them both, "It would be wise not to be here when i return. I don't think the heartless will respond politely to your emanating light, or your keys." Chi continued towards the Third district in deep thought. One of those books must say how to reveal the keyhole from its hiding. I wish it could have been in the same book that talked of how to lock and unlock it, but yet again...

Chi found himself in front of the flame marked door sooner than he had thought. A couple heartless appeared and Chi summoned light blades to his back. Upon assembling the blades he removed one and used it to destroy the attacking heartless. Chi cast a fire spell into the door and continued through the darkness using his swords as guiding light. After crossing the marsh and entering the house, Chi begins to search the books scattered about the room. Eventually Chi ran across a book titled, "The Legend of the Bell." Chi began to remember that there was a bell above the clock tower, and read the book in search for a possible solution.

The book was a fictional story about a child warning the city of the an oncoming wave of darkness. He rung the bell 3 times and the people of the Town prepared for the arrival of the darkness. Upon the arrival of the darkness, the towns people began to hold hands and raise their light in unison, ultimately driving the darkness away through the purity of their light. Chi began to smile in a devious way. He grabbed the book, along with several other books that seemed to be of interest, and began to head back to his fortress.

 

[Grandsword]

nihilus was outnumbered..this much he knew. he realized that he had to plan wisely, lest he was to obtain undue damage.. too much damage would strain his focus and that would- "come to think of it..why don't you entertain diplomacy are you just that much of a brute..or do you fear that others will realize What you are?" nihilus narrowed his eyes at the intrusion on his thoughts.."i thought i silenced you..but you just can't shut up..can you ordias?" he mentally replied, sparing a glance to the others around him "we both know the answer to that..you're losing control..have been ever since the other half's host defeated you at the coliseum..i'll prove it.." with that nihilus felt a sense of detachment from his body..as though another had taken control..
"i don't..reason..with..them..because he won't let me...he is hate..pure hate.." nihilus spoke; though it was obvious that it wasn't him. the tone lacked that hateful undertone. instead it sounded tired and yet resolute like a warrior seeking rest from some great war "but..i have listened..and watched..this body is a prison..and nihilus is..is.." his voice wavered, shifting ever so slightly back to that of nihilus' own.. " ugh..no time..find ka..kataki..find voideus..stop..no..KILL nihilus.." ordias pleaded, using all the power he saved to deliver that one possibly final message..

 

[Xblade13]

Ximálech sat down at the base of a tree opposite the one where Darien rested. It wasn't the most comfortable spot, but it would have to do. His coat, which he now wore because of the evening cool, would at least somewhat serve as a cushion. He leaned his head back onto the tree's trunk, weary, ready to sleep. But he couldn't. He felt eyes watching them. He had ever since the oasis, but now it seemed like more.

Ximálech glanced around, but he was unable to see much. It was dark in the jungle, the canopy almost completely blocking the sky. The moon was also new, so what little light that it would have provided was nonexistent.

-Hopefully tomorrow we'll find his friends- he thought, as his eyes went over to the dark silhouette that was Darien. -Then I can be on my way.-

He still hadn't told his companion about his Keyblade. Or his plan of finding Kingdom Hearts to bring Siriné back. He had withheld that information for a reason. He had heard about the war between Light and Dark. The Light trying to protect Kingdom Hearts, and the Dark seeking it. He wasn't sure if either would be too happy with his plans. And he wasn't sure if Darien served either. Best to wait and see who his friends were. Then he would ask for a way off this accursed world, and continue his quest.

-Ah, but what are you going to do once you leave? You have no idea how to find Kingdom Hearts. All you know is stories and legends. You don't even know which way to go.-

This was true. He screwed his eyes up in anger at his own stupidity. Siriné was counting on him. And he didn't even know where to start. Tears streamed down his face again, and he suppressed a sob.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught his eye. He stopped crying, fearful of whatever now approached.

---​

The hyenas watched the two humans bed down for the night. When it seemed that the two men would be least prepared, they began slowly moving forward. The time had come. Grim started moving toward the younger of the two, while Zeri approached the other. The dark night served them well.

However, the one Grim was after jerked his head toward him. -He must've spotted me!- he thought. -Well, better now than never...- He laughed his high hyena laugh, and bounded for the man. Zeri did the same to her target.

---​

Ximálech had little time to react. He lifted his arms just in time to grab the beast's forelegs and hold him away, The hyena snapped and clawed, trying to break free.

Ximálech threw him to the side, and summoned his Keyblade. The opal crystal shined with a strange light, bathing the clearing in its shifting glow. He took his stance, which he had been practicing in the savannah. He placed his feet apart, holding the weapon above and his free hand below in a "come and get me" gesture.

The hyena rolled over, and bared its fangs, growling in anger. It then attacked again. But this time Ximálech was prepared. He swung at the beast, swatting him to the side. A small wimper came from the hyena, but it again rolled and began circling Ximálech.

He heard a scuffle from Darien's direction, and began to turn towards his companion. The hyena chose this moment to attack again. Ximálech didn't raise his Keyblade in time, and the beast bit his arm. The pain was immense.

"No! I will not be stopped by the likes of you!" he yelled at the creature. He managed to grab his Keyblade with his other hand, and hit the hyena with it, dazing it, and knocking it away.

Regaining freedom from the beast's jaws, he gathered his anger and screamed. He threw the blade at the hyena, and as it flew, spinning, through the air, it screamed like he had when he had lost Siriné. As it struck the hyena, it flashed a brilliant white. The hyena was flung across the clearing. It struck the ground, wimpered, and ran into the foliage.

Ximálech caught his blade, then turned to see how Darien was doing, Keyblade at the ready.

 

[Shinra]

Renn was suddenly overcame with anxiety as he heard a shifting tone in the voice of the speaker, named Nihilus he deduced from what the unrecognized tone of voice said. It mentioned two names, Kataki and Voideus. It also mentioned killing the speaker as well.

Mog looked over at Renn as the youth's expression turned serious. Mog could tell as he looked at Renn's hand. The glints of silver and black as the hand tightened around a now-invisible shaft. Mog grabbed the hand and screamed: "NO! KUPO! NO RENN! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Renn's pupils encompassed his entire eyes for a brief second or two and he quickly regained control of himself. But he also noticed he was holding tribute in his right hand. "Hunh?"

But it was already too late. A skeleton that spotted Renn on his way in charged at him and tried to impale Renn's head with it's scythe.
"And I wanted to learn some more. Oh well!"

Renn held tribute horazontally stopping the blade. Swiftly switching the grip to his other hand the scythe's blade was shattered and Renn quickly grabbed the shaft with both hands and swung the keyblade horazontally, breaking the neck portion of the skeleton's spine. The skull crashed to the stone street, breaking.

 

[SwagStarIV]

Chi returned to the second district prepared to test the bounds of this world and hopefully obtain his goal. It seemed so clear to him. The keyhole has unmeasurable power. With that in mind he went to the clock tower and entered into his fortress. Chi rode the elevator down to the watch room, to see that the scenery hadn't changed much. Including the previous females at the fountain. I warned them... But... If this is what it takes. Then so be it. Chi got back on the elevator and rode up a couple floors to his library. This room contained all the books that he had ever encountered from the house by the marsh. Upon storing the books he ran into one with a mouse symbol on it.

Chi remembered the mouse girl and decided to look into this book. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a book telling of the endeavors of an ambitious mouse and the rise of a kingdom. One thing did spark his interest though. It was a line talking of something known as, the cornerstone of light. If something as such existed, then he could possibly use that to restore his keyblade if all fails. Chi grinned at the image portrayed in the book. Something of such vast luminescence must be able to purify this twisted Key of mine. Chi place the book beside the other books with the royal insignia on it. Upon finishing his organizing he headed to the top of the tower.

He had exited the inside and destroyed the ladder to the top. Instead he used the walls in excitement of this new found possibility. Chi approached the bell noticed that there had been a baracade. He swiftly destroyed the wooden barrier with his key, and pulled the rope sounding a loud gong. Chi charged to the edge of the building and watched for any change. He saw the fountain painting begin to shift. Yes! I knew it! Here i come... Its my time! Chi turned to the bell and rang it another time. He was waiting for the gong to simmer down, as well as waiting to hear the painting complete its shift. He then rang it again and charged to the front to see his results.

Once the painting finished shifting Chi noticed water sprout from the fountain, and watched as the keyhole began to reveal itself. Chi began to laugh at his victory, jumped off the top and screamed, "Fiiiinallllllyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!" As he landed on the ground he began to walk up to the keyhole. With nothing in mind besides this opportunity. Then an uninvited guess dropped from the sky. The heartless separated Chi from his closely acquired destiny. He summoned his keyblade while yelling, "Get out of my waaaayyyyyyyy!!!!! You tin infested runt!!!!!"

 

[saphexteni]

Location: Traverse Town, 1st District

Seraphina jumped back, startled at the sudden attack of the skeleton soldier at the young dark haired man near her. She reached out her hand and yelled, "Watch out!" as the soldier ran at the man, its scythe raised and aimed directly at his head. She felt the warmth of sparks in her hand as something began to materialize in it. Before she could raise her arm to swing, however, the young man had drawn his own weapon- a keyblade, from the looks of it- and repelled the soldier's attack. It didn't take him long to dispatch the soldier, either, as the skeleton's head fell to the ground.

Sera stopped, just for a moment, surprised at the sudden skill shown by the dark-haired stranger. He's clearly experienced... and skilled. What is his motivation, here, in Traverse Town? He doesn't seem to be with the others... she wondered to herself. Before she could draw any more thoughts, however, she saw various skeleton soldiers beginning to move in towards him. Clearly, they now saw him as a threat- he did just take out one of their own. They all had their scythes raised, ready to do battle- and from the way they were moving towards her as well, they weren't differentiating from threats or "innocent" bystanders.

Seeing a chance to join in the fray, Seraphina didn't hesitate in drawing her keyblade fully for the first time in Traverse Town. A large spark of fire erupted in the palm of her hand, though she felt none of the heat, and in a split second, a flaming keyblade appeared, its hilt blazing and shaped like wings with flamed tips. The keyblade's blade side burned with real flames, ending in a large, hot fireball, whose flames moved back and forth with the air. Even the hilt seemed to be on fire, though none of it burned Sera. I've been wanting to test how my training with this thing has gone... Sera thought, with a grin, though for a moment, she wondered if these soldiers were still the same civilians.

But Seraphina glanced around to see a couple skeletons around the young man raise their scythes all at the same time, their backs facing towards her. Quickly, she raised her keyblade, aiming it carefully at one of the skeletons, and yelled "FLARE!"

At that, a small fireball shot out from the tip of her keyblade, and hit the skeletal soldier in the face, exploding in a three-foot radius around it, and also harming and distracting its other companion. The skeleton fell, slightly fazed, though not completely defeated. At least we know they do respond to situations around them... Immediately after the fireball exploded, Sera wasted no time, dashing up towards the other skeleton, and giving it a clean slash at its neck. Like the first one that was defeated by the other man, the soldier's head rolled off its body and cracked on the ground, though its body continued to move, though it was disoriented.

With that, Seraphina looked up, directly at the dark-haired man, and nodded in acknowledgement. "Hey. Thought you might need some help." She took a quick glance at his long, dark colored keyblade. Definitely quite different from the ones she normally saw, though she pushed the thought away. No time to wonder about that. She could see that the other soldiers were slowly moving in as well, finally noticing what had happened to their few companions, if they could even be called that.

 

[Key Wielder]

In spite of his weariness, Darien knew he would be unable to sleep tonight as darkness finally fell, obliterating the forest around them. It wasn't bad enough that they couldn't keep moving, but now he had to sit here all night standing vigil over his incompetent companion. Well, admittedly the boy hadn't proven himself to be anything less than average, but he had to assume that if he got lost in a desert and was so willing to trust a complete stranger, he wasn't the person Darien should trust with his existence. It was an inconsequential thought, though; he hadn't trusted anyone with his existence in centuries.

Ignoring the faint sound of Ximálech's tears, however, was going to grate on his nerves. Honestly, what was it with these pitiful humans? Were they absolutely incapable of keeping their emotions to themselves? He remembered his Other's words about having a heart and nearly scoffed aloud. If having a heart meant weeping in front of strangers in the night, he would pass on that.

There was another sound, and Darien stood and whirled around to glare into the darkness as Ximálech seemed to tense nearby. He had heard it too. Darien could see something faint, the barest outline of a figure close to the ground, and had only a fraction of a second to hurl himself to the ground as the hyena came soaring through the air, flying over him. In an instant, Darien's Keyblade was in his hand, and he waited calmly as the animal spun around, snarling, and came again for another attack. He dodged to the left and brought down his Keyblade, but he wasn't fast enough and only managed to graze the end of the creature's tail. It wasn't enough to do any damage, but the hyena was outraged nonetheless.

It circled him slowly, and Darien caught a glimpse of Ximálech fighting another hyena as he moved to keep his own adversary within his line of sight. Come on, then.

As if hearing his mental command, the animal came tearing toward him, moving back and forth quickly to avoid his slashing Keyblade. Changing tactics, Darien swept his leg out low and felt the side of his foot meet the yielding flesh of the hyena's stomach. He could hear the whoosh of air leaving it's lungs, but he didn't stop. His hand shot out, closed around the hyena's throat, and lifted it in the air as it tried to bite him without success. He glanced over and saw Ximálech best his foe, the creature running off into the night, before turning back to the creature dangling from his grip. It's just a stupid animal...

"But if you kill it, only more will come."

Grunting in begrudging acquiescence, Darien threw the creature from him. It took a moment to regain itself before rushing off after the other. Darien watched it go with wary eyes, but it was obvious they wouldn't be bothered again tonight. Not unless those hyenas wanted to be made into a nice coat. Brushing the fur from his hands for a moment, he turned back to Ximálech.

"Well, that was fun."

. . .

Llyndellia watched in silence as Chi gave his pathetic excuse for a cryptic warning and slithered away, an eyebrow raised suspiciously. Return his Keyblade to its original state? What an idiot. Her own Keyblade was nothing like it had been when she first received it, but that was her own damn fault. She was the one who changed, and the Keyblade reacted to its master's personality. It was probably the same with this guy: if it was weaker than it was before, that was saying something about the wielder, not the blade. And what would a keyhole do to help him?

"I don't like the look of that guy," she said aloud to her companion almost involuntarily. She didn't know that she should trust her, especially with how trusting strangers had turned out recently, but if Mira knew about Keyblades, she might at least be of some use. Mira, right. "And I'm Llyndellia," she added as an afterthought, her voice as distant as her thoughts. "Nice to meet you."

Her thoughts were still on Chi as the bell tolled in the Gizmo Shop's clock tower. Ordinarily she wouldn't have thought anything of it, but the few people in the Second District stared toward the sound with looks of puzzlement and fear on their faces. Llyndellia felt something strange in her chest, as though someone was squeezing her heart tightly in warning, and turned to see the stone face of the fountain turning with each chiming of the bells. Water blasted skyward from the fountain, and the stone began to shimmer in the shape of...

Oh, no...

"Fiiiinallllllyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!"

Llyndellia whipped around in time to see Chi returning, his face alight with ecstasy as he stared right past them, but he was stopped in his tracks. A deafening sound of clanging metal preceded a Heartless of enormous size, armored and glaring down at the man. He shouted futilely and Llyndellia fought a well-deserved eye roll as she summoned her own Keyblade. She hated herself immediately, but what else was she going to do? Open a portal and get the hell out of here, that's what.

But Neku was in this world. And Leon. And, loath as she was to admit it, Jayden.

It's like Radiant Garden all over again...

"Hey!" she shouted as she ran up to the Heartless. One of its detached fists came soaring at her, but she rolled out of the way as it pummeled the ground where she had been standing a moment earlier, sliding through the space between its feet and coming out in front of it. Her Keyblade appeared in her hand as she shot Chi a nasty look. "Are you insane or just plain stupid?"

. . .

Voideus...

That name was one that Jayden had hoped beyond hope he would never have to hear again. The professional side of him knew that it was a useless prayer, but he couldn't help it. What was a light wielder if not someone to err on the side of optimism? Only to the point of foolishness, in which case you're screwed.

Someone else came to stand near them that Jayden didn't recognize, but they hardly mattered. Nihilus seemed to be having some sort of mental breakdown, and now was his only chance to take him back without his full strength fighting against him and his men. Jayden took a step forward, almost giving the signal to his men to proceed...

When a shout brought diplomacy to an end. One of the skeleton warriors went charging toward a youth nearby, and a girl went to his aid. He hardly needed her help and dispatched the creature almost easily. Jayden's heart fell into his stomach. Even if they hadn't been redeemable, that accursed skeleton had once been an innocent citizen of Traverse Town. As its head smashed against the ground, there was a moment's pause before the plunge, and suddenly the other warriors attacked. Some moved slowly toward the two nearby, and the others just fanned out to attack whatever living thing they could. Dammit...

"Take them down!" he shouted to his men, pointing with his Keyblade toward the monsters as they approached. Odai would forgive him: they had no choice. "But don't touch Nihilus! He's not to be harmed." He turned to Leon and suddenly realized Neku wasn't with him. He almost said something, but time was of the essence as his men swarmed the monsters. Instead he shook his head and gave the other man a brisk nod before running into the center of the battle.

A skeleton spotted him as he sprinted toward Nihilus and turned its sword on Jayden, but the latter slid underneath it on the ground and came up on his feet, burying his Keyblade in the warrior's back. The creature made no sound, falling to the ground in silence. Another appeared its place, and another. Jayden backed up, throwing his Keyblade at one and grabbing the fallen skeleton's in one swift movement. His Keyblade crushed the head of one warrior, and he sliced through the spine of the other like butter with the enchanted sword, leaving it lodged in the creature's vertebrae as he caught his returning Keyblade. His path to Nihilus was clear.

 

[Smoofy]

The commotion had happened so fast.

Neku was slightly bewildered by the whole thing, in all honesty, so many people had gathered around what Neku brushed off as a bunch of crazies trying to "convince" everyone that the World was ending, but instead, it drew Leon, Jayden, and a few other strangers that Neku didn't realize. He peered out through a closed window and spotted a whole group of skeletal soldiers. Where did they come from?! The gaps in the window were too small to get a good look, so throughout the commotion Neku slowly opened the window, so as not to draw attention to himself. Keeping an eye on the one who called himself "Nihilus".

As he surveyed the First District, he noticed quite a few new people, they stood out more than the others in the crowd, and they all seemed on edge, just as much as he did. Which of them would be friends, and which would be an enemy?

"Someone do something, the suspense is killing me..." Neku mused to himself dejectedly. The tension in the air was thick, and once a strike was made against Nihilus, or Nihilus made a strike on someone, all hell was going to break loose.

So many words were spoken that frankly, Neku got kind of bored, and instead of keeping himself hidden, he rested his arms down, leaning out of the window. His chin rested where his arms folded, a disinterested look on his face. This was just boring talk. At least if there was a battle a resolution would be reached, but then again, with all the civilians here, a fight would be dangerous. Still, so many words.

Standing up, Neku hopped out of the window and landed lightly, rolling to break his fall. He stood up and looked into the crowd, of which a few people stared back, wondering where he had come from. He acted nonchalant about his entrance, it wasn't grandiose, just convenient. He had hopped out in time to witness Nihilus' freakout, and didn't pay it too much mind as he thought Nihilus was already mad enough, that was, until he heard Kataki's name.

This guy had made contact with Kataki, and he didn't quite understand what Nihilus was talking about or why he was freaking out, but if Kataki is associating with this man, it can't be good. All thoughts on his brother, Neku stormed over to Nihilus. It seems another youth had the same thought process, and one of the undead soldiers attempted to intervene. The attempt was futile, and the enemy was vanquished.

Neku paused momentarily. This outburst during the stand-offish confrontation made the youth stick out like a sore thumb. Neku stared at him in disbelief, then turned back to Nihilus, witnessing the Undead crowding around him, weapons raised. Moments later, a full on riot... no, a battle broke out.

Neku drew his sword. He raised the blade towards the enemies and shifted it to it's gun form. He was about to pull the trigger when his consciousness got the better of him. That used to be a civilian. Sheathing his blade, Neku charged weaponless into the horde. Unbeknownst to him, he had bumped into Jayden along the way, but he had his eyes on his target, and he was going to reach it one way or another. Unfortunately for Neku, he had missed Jayden's order, not that he would have listened.

The soldiers stormed towards them, with Neku charging through himself. He needed to get to Nihilus. He ducked, dodged, dipped dived and dodged his way through the onslaught, oftentimes becoming less than an inch away from death. He weaved through the clanging of bones (shudder) and steel almost effortlessly. The soldier's seemed weak and slow to him, whether that was because they were, or if it was because of the adrenaline surging through his body, he did not know. He was solely focused on reaching that man, one way or another.

After breaking through, Neku reached the man/monster. During Nihilus' moment of weakness, he gripped a spot on his armor's collar, and pulled him closer, his knuckles whitening from how much pressure he put on the armor. He raised his blade, pointing it at his face. He would rather drive the blade through his skull than simply blast him in the face.

If Neku was in the right frame of mind, he would wonder why any mention or thought about his brother would send him into a wild rage. Sure, it was natural to hold plenty of animosity, but to this level, it couldn't be natural borne hatred, could it? This was far too extreme...

But he didn't have time for that now. This was his only lead. This probably wasn't the best choice to make, but if this man could lead him to Kataki...

With his eyes narrowing similarly to his brother's, Neku snarled at Nihilus.

"Where the hell is Kataki?"

Neku spoke slowly and purposefully, accentuating each and every word, malice dripping from his lips. This man was already a terrible person, seeing as how he turned innocent people into undead soldiers, ending his life would be a great justice, rather than a crime.

"Tell me, or I'll slice you in two!" He snapped, not caring for any of his sympathizers or his opposition. The battle that had broken out held no consequence to him right now, Neku would get his information one way or another.

--

The boy was enraged beyond belief, Tia could feel it in his heart. He was wavering outside the realm of light, diving into Darkness.

The hatred this boy holds... it hurts... How could he feel like this... His friends are in this fight... does he not care for them...?

Please... don't fall into Darkness... Hold on to your light, so you may pass it on to those who need it...

Tia pleaded to the boy's heart, praying that he would hear her. She could feel the Light pulsating from him, but with each beat, a Shadow formed at the base of his soul, and if he wouldn't shine bright enough, he would be consumed by it...
"He won't hear you or me... He wishes to achieve his goals through his own means... he doesn't yet know that his battles don't have to be his alone... It is our job to teach him..."
The words were spoken with each pulse... It definitely wasn't the boy speaking back... this voice was calm, gentle, almost motherly.

Who are you...?

--

Quite frankly, Kataki was entirely embarrassed by his outburst, but Lumie seemed to handle it well. She listened intently to his words, allowing him to speak all he wished to say, not that she probably would have managed to intervene anyway.

Once he had finished speaking, he watched Lumie as she processed the information, her gaze fixated on the flames in front of them. He gaze was stern as she pondered about what he told her. Kataki was annoyed with himself how he didn't really give her any proper background, which must be why she was taking so long but... if he told her what it is he had done...

"It's okay." Kataki could tell it really wasn't. "I can understand why you did it; even if it's cruel, you were just trying to protect him."

Did she really understand, or was she just saying what she thought he wanted to hear?

"Yeah, I guess you can say that; I sometimes see things that have yet to happen. You and your brother were fighting because of something; I don't know what, but he accused you of throwing your friends aside. After that, someone snuck up behind you and someone got stabbed, I don't know who it was; everything had faded away into darkness by then...I'm sorry."

Kataki listened intently to Lumie's description of her vision. Was it something set in stone, or could it be altered?

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He said solemnly. Secretly he wished she knew more. He was frustrated, who attacked, and who was attacked? And who were Kataki's "friends"? Lumie and Aries? So many questions... when were there going to be answers? Kataki wondered if this is what Neku thought sometimes. Kataki would always play mind games to throw Neku off, and it pained him to see the anguish in his brother's eyes every time.

"So, where are you heading to after this world? I know I personally don't have a destination after here; all I know is that I don't want to get anywhere near Darien until I know how to stop what's going to happen between him and Aries."

"I'm supposed to meet Darien in The Pride Lands as soon as I can, but I'll be waiting until morning before I leave, if I leave at all. But I really must continue, no matter how much I don't want to..." He looked at her just as she began gazing at him, and their eyes met and were locked for a few agonizing seconds. He didn't want to leave them... He didn't want to leave Lumie...

"Do you hear that?"

Kataki was dragged from his inner thoughts by Lumie's question. Throughout all the noise in his head and heart, he never heard anything outside. Kataki stood up, focusing on his surroundings. Now that she mentioned it, he does
feel a little on edge.

--

What a pathetic excuse for a "shelter". Astex could have built one better himself in half the time, without the use of his powers, or so he would like to think.

The man was perched on top of a tree branch, his position obscured by the leaves about him. He overlooked the hut the young ninja had created. It seems the boy was getting attached to the two girls, especially the elder one. He supposed it was only natural, being who the boy was, he never really got to experience any form of platonic or romantic relationship, and with this being the first instance, it must captivate him entirely.

Unbeknownst to the teens inside, they were surrounded by Unversed. The small creatures scuttled around the area, breaking through between clearings. If he was going to break this small group in, he may as well have fun doing so... and with his current state of mind, Kataki was just fuel to the fire...

--

Kataki looked past Lumie, checking on Aries. Still sound asleep. Or so she seemed to be. He turned around and headed for the entrance. He took out one of his gunblades, inspected it, then turned back to the girl.

"Stay with your sister, I'll go check." He said, stepping outside into the pouring rain.

It was pitch black outside, and it took a moment for Kataki's eyes to adjust to the low level of light. It was also very surprising as to how cold it was here compared to outside. He shivered. God how he missed his coat. He took a couple of steps forward, peering into the high grass lining the trees. He saw nothing to begin with, only the grass gently swaying in the wind. However, he heard a strange scuttling noise... Was there a creature indigenous to this area that moved like that?

Kataki continued towards the grass, intending to examine the place the noise originated from.

To his left, a creature leapt out from the grass, intending to strike at his head. Quickly turning, Kataki grabbed the creature with his free hand by the... horn? And slammed it to the ground. With the creature firmly held in place, he examined it more closely.

A Heartless...? No, it was unlike any kind he had seen. Where the heartless were black, this one was a dark shade of purple, and instead of a round head, this one was pointed, with two sort of spikes protruding from the back of it's heads. It's small, diamond shaped eyes pierced through his, nervously looking about.

--

Pondering further, Astex thought that he could use Kataki's affection to his advantage. With the boy currently distracted by the Unversed and their appearance...

"Go. Give them a good scare."

At the base of the tree, pools of purple slithered around the way, sneaking behind the boy, and into the hut. It'll give the girls a nice introduction to their new threat, and it'll give something more for Kataki to worry about too.

--

Kataki blasted the creature and it disappeared into nothingness. But a heart wasn't released... so what were they? They looked similar to Heartless, and these ones functioned similarly to Shadows...

While lost in his thoughts, an Unversed had leapt up and scratched his face. He recoiled back, placing a hand on his cheek. It was just a scratch.

"Let's go then!" He yelled through the rain, slashing at the ever growing hoard of enemies, whatever they were.

 

[Grandsword]

as neku grabbed him, Nihilus regained control. "i do not know..nor do i care where he is! but..i know that voideus will ruin him.." he said and with a snarl, he kicked Neku away from him and ran into the scattering crowd, intent on fleeing and dealing with the thorn in his side..
yes, Ordias would pay for causing him to lose traverse town..
with that thought, he opened up a portal to the land of departure's throne room, sending the command to his corrupted soldiers to attack full force.
if he couldn't take that world from the light wielders, then he'd wound it gravely, embarrass them with an attack on their own soil, under their own watch..
he then collapsed upon his throne, and entered the confines of his shared heart..
"dive to the heart/ station of awakening.."

"so..you have come..to finish me off, i assume" Ordias asked as Nihilus appeared, the pillar they stood upon was tattered, voideus's influence, and Nihilus's corruption having twisted it's surroundings into a parody of both worlds that Ordias had called home, the silent architecture separated by the last standing pillar, which was currently obscured by swirling clouds.."you are a thorn in side..one that i will now remove!" nihilus declared, raising his sword to strike Ordias down, only to recoil when he blocked it, with a mirror version of his own blade. with surprising strength, Ordias began a vicious counter attack "Joker, voideus..the heartless, i hated them all..But none of them sicken me like you do!!" he screamed, letting loose a series of punches to nihilus's face, until nihilus grabbed his fist, and squeezed, bringing him to his knees "you're complaining to me?! i tried to talk sense into you! I TRIED TO WARN YOU! BUT YOU...YOU BUFFOON! YOU CLOSED YOUR EYES TO IT!!
IMAGINE HOW SICKENING IT IS TO SEE SOMEONE SO BRILLIANT AND YET SO STUPID! THEN IMAGINE THAT IT'S YOU!!!" Nihilus screamed, kicking Ordias in the face, then shattering his blade over his knee. by this point, Ordias was nearly unconscious. and Nihilus grabbed him by the neck, walking to the edge of the pillar, "we could have been gods together..but now, you're too dangerous to allow.." he said simply, before dropping him into the depths, watching his body, and heart, drift out of his own..

in the darkness between worlds...
ordias's heart drifted, his representational body having faded upon his exit from nihilus. "perhaps..perhaps, this is a fitting end..to fade away in darkness.." he said, weakly.. resigned to his fate. until he felt a warmth, a light beyond measure..
Someone was calling him, but he could not clearly hear it. He strained to see, but could see nothing. Then the voice came again, and this time he could hear every word "So you would forsake your friends?" it asked, and in a weary tone, he answered "Yes. No one will ever again be a part of my life. Every man or woman who has known me has ultimately fallen to death's touch. So i'll let them go. let them Leave me. let them Forget they ever knew me."

The voice that had replied was his own. He began to lose his consciousness, his focus wavered, and then another voice came to him from behind. "I have seen what you have done. Now you devote your life to atoning for your sins and redeeming your soul. Are you not as much a victim of that man as the others?" the voice asked..but this one was one he knew..it was..it was his father..whom he had lost with his first home "what would you have me do..i've nothing left.." as he said this, a chorus of voices rose, composed of all the allies he had met..the fateweavers, his friends from the castle of dreams..even the old master; drakona truth, who was among the first to fall to nihilus's empire..
"We will help you defeat Nihilus, we will give you all that we are, all that we were..our light is yours..be reborn, with new purpose, a new body and..a new weapon" the light intensified, and Ordias fell asleep.. when he next awoke, he lay next to a river. in his hand, was clenched a golden keyblade, inscribed with runic symbols on the handle, a twin shaft extending outwards, ending in a set of twin hooks, with similar runes engraved upon them.
he slowly got up to his feet, and looked upon himself; blinking..before hearing the sounds of battle.."now, my journey begins again.." he said, entering the fray, and mowing down the unversed in his way with his keyblade. his skill with a sword easily translating into his use of the new weapon

 

[Shinra]

Renn watched as the situation escalated, tribute gleaming in his hands. People trying to run from the skeletons into the nearby houses and Nihilus had disappeared into a portal of darkness. Renn braced into a battle position and three skeletons charged right for him and Mog. He stepped between them and caught one scythe of the one on his left with his keyblade, Such Chaos... Renn thought as he fought off his three attackers. The second one on his right tried to slice his feet off and Renn inched away toward the skeleton he was facing then he could feel a burning sensation rushing through him.

Mog could sense the magical energy building up in Renn. "Renn! unleash the magic now! The sensation should tell you the element it wishes to unleash."


"O-okay." When Renn touched the flow of magic, he realized he could control it. He felt the blazing energy within him and channeled it through his keyblade and swiped the weapon to the side letting the burning energy flow out. Unleashing a spiral of orange and white flames that incinerated the foes around him. "Whoa... magic."

"Watch out Kupo! More to come!" Mog said as a small staff appeared in his hands.