Kingdom Hearts: The Keyblade War Part 2

[Eternal Dream]

~- You Can Have it All -~

"Could any one of you guys answer a small question for me? What is the true importance of a Keyhole? I know that they are said to hold the heart of the world and they are said to hold power of some sorts and all that unimportant stuff, but what is the true purpose of a keyhole? I can't seem to figure it out?"

Lucien studied the newcomer for a moment, a frown briefly visible before he assumed a neutral smile. But apparently, the youth felt he had taken too long to respond as, without another word, he took off, flying toward the Accessory Shop. In truth, Lucien felt this was for the best; questions about the Keyholes never ended well, the romance of limitless power going straight to the curious one's head. It was a sight Lucien had seen far too often, and one he didn't care to repeat here; especially since he could sense that something just wasn't quite right with this young man's mind.

Turning to study the transformed civilians, Lucien saw a man that actually managed to return one to their true form. Lucien quirked an eyebrow, impressed by the man's power, but any hope that the man may have gained from his success was an exercise in futility. He may have been able change the one, and he may be able to return a few more, but there was simply too many imprisoned souls for a being of mortal flesh to handle. Eventually, the man's body would give out, too much energy spent on the forcefully damned for such a fragile state as life to be maintained. Only an angel could purify all these souls; not even the nephilim could handle this, although Mira and Ivy would certainly try their hardest to.

"Sorry for the abruptness of my departure, but can you still aid me? If not... I understand, but if so, then it would be vastly appreciated."

Lucien turned to see the young man return, his business in the shop apparently done, and still just as curious about dangerous matters as before. But still, Lucien was polite, even if given to the inclination of withholding the truth when necessary. "The Keyhole? That's a rather touchy subject even in the best of circumstances; as it stands right now? I'd advice against chasing after fairy tales at the moment. No one that might know about it will be willing to discuss such a thing, not in light of recent events."

Lucien covertly scanned the crowd, waiting for the objection he was nearly certain was coming; whether this would come as childish, or a worth, honest debate, remained to be seen. In the meantime, though, the angel was already planning how to disengage himself from this conversation; the boy he was most interested in was already gone, no doubt off to check on his friends. And Lucien himself needed to get to work; already, he could feel the souls of the lost as they recognized him for what he was. He needed to disguise himself with an illusion if he was going to complete his job; and he couldn't do that if he didn't lose the witnesses. So, either the kid was going to decide that Lucien didn't know anything and split; or the angel was going to walk away from the boy himself. One of the two.

~- Don't Be Scared -~

Mira lashed her tail at Chi's haughty defense of his actions; his words about balance earned an eye roll and an especially scathing, "Balance? That guys doesn't know the first thing about maintaining the Balance if he things opening the Keyhole was anywhere near the right move."

Anyway Mira had better things to do than chase after idiots with delusions of grandeur. Turning her back on the departing Chi, Mira looked up at the brunette that had also spoken against Chi. "Thanks for your help! My name's Mira; sounds kinda like you know how the folks around here feel."

"Leon," he said coolly; the tone also implied that he wasn't going to answer Mira's unasked question and that she'd be better off not pressing him to.

"Okay..." she said slowly, trying to find some other way to get questions answered. She was just about ready to find Lucien when she spied Llyndellia walking off into one of the corridors. The mouse wasn't too keen on the girl walking off on her own, not with the kind of pain she was keeping locked up; but before she had a chance to follow, the portal collapsed on itself, sealing Llyndellia on her solo journey.

"Good luck; here's hoping the next time our paths cross you're still along the line of being in one piece," Mira murmured, a frown puckering her brow. True, prophecy was in Ivy's court, not Mira's, but that didn't stop the feeling that she was going to see Llyndellia again; there was a powerful feeling of destiny around the girl, which usually meant one thing: Trouble.

Turning away from where Llyndellia had left, Mira asked Leon, "The guys Llyndellia had been talking to before she left; do you know them?" Information, that's what she needed; Mira and her friends had a mission to finish, and they needed all the intelligence they could get.

~- Leave Your Hesitation -~

Willow wasn't too keen on these girls tackling Jordon. True, the seemed to know him, and he seemed to be okay with them. That's what had her worried, actually.

Coming to stand close to him, Willow gave the girls a very pointed look as she asked, "Um, Jordon? Mind giving me a gill in on who these girls are?"

It seemed like she wasn't the only on that was suspiciously curious. The older of the girls giving Willow a heated glare, she asked, "Who is she, Jordon?"

Jordon raised his hands in self defense, trying to keep the laugh to himself. "Come on, no need for a cat fight ladies. Lumie, Aries, this is Willow Vespera. Will, the sisters Nightsong, Lumie and Aries. Friends of the family and my unofficial sisters."

Sisters? That was their relationship to each other and Jordon? "Okay. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Smiling, Willow offered her hand to the sisters, then promptly elbowed Jordon when he rolled his eyes. Noticing his glare as he massaged his forearm, Willow just shrugged her shoulders, an innocent smile on her face. "What? I have to keep Ivy's best interests in mind; I was just making sure no one was being played!"

A flash of silver showed in Jordon's eyes as he snapped, "I'd never!"

Dropping the cute act, Willow shrugged again, a devilish gleam in her own eyes. "You're a Charmer; a girls gotta be careful even if she does have your full attention. And careful, Noctis; your temper's starting to get away from you. I don't think we need your friends getting introduced to your wild side already!"

Jordon growled at her, sounding more wolf than human, but then he closed his eyes took a deep breath and opted for throwing her a particularly dirty look. You're in a mood tonight, aren't you?"

"Yep!"

"Well thanks for introducing me. My name's Kataki. Pleased to meet you."

A new voice broke in, distracting both of them before things could get really dangerous. Turning to the boy that had spoken, Willow waved and bubbled, "Hi! My name's Willow, and this is my friend Jordon! Lovely place this world, right? Not too sure about the monsters, though." She nudged the broken body of an Unversed with her toe, a slight look crossing her face. Turning back to the girl Jordon had called Lumie, Willow asked brightly, "So, how long have you known our resident Charmer?"

~- Walking Through Walls -~

“It should do very well, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ivy. I’m Darien, and this is Ximálech. I was just here hunting down a few friends.”

Darien, huh? Didn't sound menacing as far as names went, but Varen knew well enough to go with his real instincts instead of impressions. And even though this man seemed to be acting very open, Varen could sense just enough from his body language to tell Darien was wary of them too.

“And yourselves?”

The question was an honest one, but those were the ones that were usually the most dangerous too. So, Varen did what he did best: he gave the truth without giving up the real truth.

"Kind of the same here. We're looking for someone, and having some fun with the adventuring along the way too." Turning to Ximálech, Varen asked "What about you?"

Varen had the strangest feeling he and Ivy had walked right into two guys with hidden agendas, malicious or not. Ximálech's distance was intriguing, but the barest peek at his thoughts had Varen backing away from his mind; the kid had been through hell in the last few days, so Varen wasn't about to intrude on his thoughts until Ximálech had sorted through the pain himself.

Turning away from Ximálech, Varen found himself watching Darien as the other man started on a fire. Keeping his face neutral, Varen sent a quiet thought to Ivy. Well?

There's something different about his aura; enough so that he warrants being watched. Try to get a reading on him when you get the chance.

Easier said than done; but ten-four, little sister. Explain the vision in return?

Later.

Nodding once, Varen returned to watching Darien, the faintest of grins on his face. Darien was suspicious of them that much was easy to see; he wouldn't be an easy one to get a mental reading on. Loading up a fire spell before shooting it at the pile of wood Darien had collected, Varen decided he didn't mind how difficult the read was going to be.

He looked forward to the challenge.

 

[Key Wielder]

Jayden had thought that Llyndellia’s absence would make him more comfortable, but it seemed that his punishment wasn’t over yet. Standing here with Neku, who had no idea of what her attitude was about this time, just made him feel worse. He never should have brought her here, and now what was he going to do? Odai expected answers, results. Not only had he failed to bring Nihilus back to headquarters, but he had failed to convince Llyndellia to join their cause, or at least to give up the information he knew she was hiding—they all knew she was hiding. There would be a lot to answer for when he and the chief saw each other again. He just hoped that the next time he met the surly Keyblade wielder, it wouldn’t be at the tip of their blades.

”What’s her problem anyway? She’s always such a downer, ruining everyone’s mood, running off and doing whatever the hell she pleases.”

Glancing over at his orange-haired companion, Jayden smiled sadly. It was the first time he’d seen Neku so irritated, but he supposed he would feel the same if he hadn’t brought it on himself.

“This time, I’m afraid that would be my fault,” he sighed, shaking his head.

He tried to put everything that had happened with Llyndellia out of his head for now as he listened to Neku’s halfhearted attempts to ease the tension of the situation, glancing around at the quite appropriately stated mess he had made. The Gizmo Shop clock tower was in ruins, the staircases were a mess of broken stones and destroyed benches from where the Guard Armor had careened into them. The only thing that was seemingly undamaged, ironically enough, was the fountain that sheltered the keyhole. The keyhole…

Chi had vanished while Jayden was busy, but he made a mental note to watch out for him in the future. He didn’t know what the boy’s game was or why his Keyblade seemed to need keyholes in order to return to whatever form it had originally taken; that would be something to ask Odai once the chief stopped screaming at him long enough to get a word in edgewise. Chi would need to be watched, however, just like Llyndellia. They may not be dark wielders, that much was certain, but their own agendas were just as dangerous.

”Well, I’ll help anyway I can, it seems all your other men are still preoccupied with the…commotion from earlier.”

Jayden rolled his eyes, imagining what they must look like back in the First District. “How difficult is it to round up a few piles of bones, I ask you,” he muttered, more to himself than Neku, before turning and beginning to limp back towards the doors to the district. “Guess we’d better go give them a hand.”

He led the way back to the First District, not wanting to force Neku to help him but hoping the redhead would follow. It wasn’t just that Llyndellia wanted him to keep an eye on him, although that was certainly part of it; she seemed to care about no one and nothing aside from the dark wielder she was trying to save, yet somehow Neku had wormed his way into her heart and stuck there long enough for her to at least begin to care about him slightly. Besides, Jayden couldn’t help noticing that there was something odd about the boy, something different than anything he had seen before. Everything the boy saw was like new to him; he got excited over the smallest things, as though he had never seen their like before. Wherever he had been before Jayden had met him, it must have been an isolated place. It didn’t mean Neku couldn’t look after himself, and Jayden had seen the exact opposite on numerous occasions now, but it did mean that there were things he didn’t understand—people and situations he could not yet fathom out. In such a time of chaos, he would need all the help he could get.

When he arrived in the First Distict, he saw that his men were, in fact, having a rather hilariously difficult time gathering together the skeletons, many of which were in motion once again within their traps. Does it never end?

Yet as he rounded the corner, he saw what he could only describe as a miracle: a man changing one of the skeletons back to its human form. Jayden could only watch in awe, completely speechless for a moment. So there was a way to change them back… So much for the great and powerful Nihilus if someone can break your spell that easily.

“Hey!” he called to the man, limping over to him and a boy who appeared to be with him. “That was amazing… Can you change them all back? We would be eternally in your debt.”

Jayden hated the words as soon as they left his mouth, but there was no taking them back now. There were those who would take advantage of being told they were owed a debt of gratitude; Odai would kill him for sure if this guy was one of those.

. . .

Darien listened in silence as Varen explained their presence in this world and turned to his companion, completely unsurprised when he shot a ball of fire to light the wood. Call it a dark being’s intuition, but he couldn’t help being suspicious. The answer was far too nondescript to be the whole truth, but then again, it wasn’t as if he had provided his entire life story either. That would take far too long and he would probably have to kill them afterward.

”Or you could just take over their bodies and use them for your own ends. That generally seems to be more your style, I think.”

Does your diatribe never end? I believe you’ve finally exhausted all the possible insults you could come up with.

”In four years, I’m sure I’ve come up with a few good ones. I’m just waiting for the right time to use them. Wouldn’t want things to get boring.”

Oh, I look forward to it.

”Sarcasm doesn’t suit you. A pine box, however…”

Nice.

”Thanks. I try.”

Good. Now shut up.

”Oh, but it’s so lonely in here all by myself, y’know? …Oh, wait…”

I may just take one of their bodies so I don’t have to listen to you prattle on anymore.

”You wouldn’t. Much as you hate to admit it, you like it here for whatever reason. Besides, there are still a few mysteries you’re dying to figure out.”

Really? Like what?

”Like what I know that you don’t.”

Darien smirked to himself. The tone of his other’s thoughts had changed; his talk of taking from these people what had been taken from him struck a nerve, it seemed. Even to the point where he would recklessly bring up that which was better left forgotten.

You mean the girl.

Silence.

Oh, don’t get quiet on me now—you’re the one who said it. Don’t worry, she is of little interest to me. For now, anyway.

Silence, then: ”What does that mean?”

Now who knows something the other doesn’t?

”Tell me.”

You’re in my head—can’t you figure it out for yourself?

”Enough with the games. Just tell me.”

But if I did that, things would get boring.

 

[Grandsword]

"i..could certainly try. after all, if Nihilus could corrupt them using my old body, than i should be able to purify them just as easily." Ordias said. he then moved to repeat the purification on the others. after he had finished, he took a knee using his keyblade for suport, tired out by the act. "hmm..that.. proved more draining than i expected." he muttered. he then turned his head to face jayden. "should have asked this earlier..but did my earlier message get through? it was hard to filter it through nihilus's control."

 

[SwagStarIV]

Chi assumed that with the rudeness of the boy before this one, he wouldn't get much. The way people acted about something that holds the care and light of their world made no sense to Chi. Chi began to think, If I can't get any information from this guy then I may have to go about things a little differently. These people act as if the only goals that matter are their own, but with the darkness rising by the second we can't continue in such a selfish manner. I do not care if I have take out this disorderly concept of living myself, but I will not allow them to continue to subliminally send our worlds into despair. Almost as if the boy in front of him where reading his mind, he was told the very thing he didn't want to hear.

"The Keyhole? That's a rather touchy subject even in the best of circumstances; as it stands right now? I'd advice against chasing after fairy tales at the moment. No one that might know about it will be willing to discuss such a thing, not in light of recent events."

It seemed like something that only a select few would know about or something everyone knew of, but talked about discreetly. The keyhole should be something that everyone protected, not some forbidden secret that leaves the rest of the world blind and vulnerable to the whim of those who do know of its secrets, value, and purpose. Chi then felt the insecurities of his former self begin to rise. Chi thought to himself, Back to this? What's wrong with these people? I could have taken care of that fiend by myself, but everyone came running to save the day. As much as I commend such valiant efforts and camaraderie, it was slightly uncalled for. I even lost the lounge of my fortress! Now I must deal with the very people that could help me, deter my determination and purpose as if I am some child to toy with! Chi paused and took a deep breath, then continued in thought, I am clearly underestimated... So... Let's change that.

Chi removed his newly established keyblade and pointed it towards the boy standing in front of him. "Listen kid... I don't have time to sit here and do the run around. So lets get to the point. You're gonna answer my questions, and I am gonna make sure that at the end of this you walk away the nice little pretty boy you seem to be." Chi swung his keyblade and summoned several light swords behind his back. The eight swords floated and rotated on his back. Chi then stated, "Sorry kid... But this I need to know!" Chi immediately began to attack the boy in swift and precise strikes. Each strike was aiming towards his torso. As he swung the blade he would made sure to swing with the sharp side, then twist it to the flat side, so that none of the strikes would commit any life threatening blows, and bruise instead. As he swung his blade, the light blade corresponding with the direction his sword was coming from followed, launching a second attack, and then returned to his back.

This technique ultimately turned each swing after his second into at least 2 simultaneous strikes. By the time he got to his fifth swing two light blades and his own keyblade were striking at the same time and all from different directions. Chi decided that 3 attacks at the same time were enough and he would hold the count there until he had a reason to up the count. Chi stated, "This shouldn't be to difficult right? So talk! What is it for? I don't need a complicated answer. Just an answer none the less! What is it there for? " Chi peripherally noted the limping fellow from earlier had confronted the guy he helped earlier. With that in mind, he continued to shroud his opponent in a flurry of slashes and stated, "Well?!"

 

[Story Keeper]

~- I'm Not Going To Lose Any Sleep Tonight -~

Leon listened to the boy's retort, feeling his hair stand on end, the brunette nearly shot off a snappy response. Normally he was more levelheaded, but he didn't want to lose something else that was precious to him. He'd probably attack everyone else too if he felt the need to. Noticing the mouse's aggravation, Leon bent down and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm the spell caster down. Leon looked up as the stranger commented, "You appear as if you live here. Can you tell me what this world's name is?"

Returning to his full height, Leon looked the stranger up and down, and keeping his stance closed off, he answered carefully, "You could say that I live here. It's called Traverse Town, it's a refuge for those that have lost their homes to the darkness. What are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking?" This man was closed off, and he was taller than Leon by a bit; yet Leon could tell that he wouldn't be able to get much more information off of the man.

Leon knew when a fight was a lost cause, that was the one thing he had over Seifer.

Looking over at Llyndellia, Jayden and Neku, he nearly called out to the three when Llyndellia summoned a portal and walked through it. He was a little surprised that Jayden and Neku didn't say anything, but then again the portal collapsed shortly after Llyndellia entered it. Leon looked at everyone by the fountain, trying to see who needed help the most. Walking over to a boy that had been knocked out, he crouched down and checked for a pulse. After making sure the kid was okay, Leon grabbed them by the arm and hauled them up to their feet; supporting the boy by taking the majority of his weight.

Before he could move, Mira asked curiousily, "The guys Llyndellia had been talking to before she left; do you know them?"

Turning to look at the mouse, he nodded his head and answered calmly, "Yeah, the blond's name is Jayden and the one with the fiery orange hair is Ze...Neku." He finished awkwardly, mentally slapping himself upside the head for the near slip of the tongue. Glancing back at Neku and Jayden, he frowned slightly before turning to glance in the direction of the dalamations house, a nagging feeling tugging at the back of his mind.

~- And I'm Getting Curious.... -~

"Well thanks for introducing me."

Aries giggled at the blush that crossed Lumie's cheeks at the teasing jab from Kataki. Still clinging to Jordon, Aries tilted her to the side in curiosity as her sister stepped aside to give Kataki more room to approach their childhood friend. "My name's Kataki. Pleased to meet you."

Laughing happily, Aries chimed in greeting, "Jordon, Kataki. Kataki, Jordon!" A thought crossing her mind, the bubblegum pink-haired girl added cheerfully, "Jordon, do you have some mice for me?" Her eyes sparkling with delight at the thought, her eyes snapped over to the white haired girl that was traveling with her friend. Sensing that the girl was the same as Varen, Aries asked curiously, "Who is she?"

She knew that it had drawn Lumie's attention, and before the darker haired sister could ask even more questions, Jordon laughed, "It's nice to meet you Kataki, and sorry Little Flower, I don't have any, but Varen has some mice for you. As for my friend? Her name's Willow Vespera, who's your....other guest? Where'd he go anyway?"

Aries frowned for half a second before she nodded her head, twisting around to look at Kataki, she noticed what it was Jordon was talking about, Oradias had disappeared at some point. Confusion shining in her eyes, Aries let Jordon go and walked toward her sister, trying to figure out where he'd run off to and when he'd disappeared. Shrugging her shoulders, she spun around and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Oh, it doesn't matter, I'm sure he's fine. Where have you been? And why haven't you stopped by to visit, do you hate us?"

She knew that it was silly, but Aries felt a twinge of sadness grip her at the thought that the brothers hated them. Blinking her eyes several times, she wasn't surprised when Lumie decided to step in and redirect the route the conversation was taking with, "Aries, you know they don't hate us. If either of them did, Varen would hate me for constantly teasing him about the Curtain Fire incident. Besides, you know that you can easily beat those boys with that one technique you learned while they were off who knows where "training", don't you Aries?"

Giggling, Aries eyes sparkled with mischief as she nodded in a agreement, a matching grin spreading across her face as the younger girl turned her eyes on Jordon. "Wanna play a game, brother?"

Lumie grinned sheepishly at Kataki and nearly apologized, but she suddenly grew aggravated when Aries chimed, "Hey, hey, Jordon guess what! I think Lumie's ----!"

Slapping her hand over Aries's mouth, Aries glanced at her sister with wide eyes; confused by her sudden reaction. Feeling her sister pat her head, Aries listened as Lumie laughed softly, "Okay, that's enough sugar for you, you little cutie. Why don't you go talk to Willow for a little bit?"

~- Didn't Know The Pain of Yesterday -~

Ximalech instantly had his guard up at the sound of leaves rustling, where those creatures back for round two? Looking over at Darien, trying to see what he thought of the chances... Looking back in front of him, Ximalech felt his breath escape him, he hadn't been expecting to see a young woman in a place like this. Shaking his head, he remained quiet and followed behind them without a word. Keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, but it was hard to do with the limited source of light he had. He listened to the pieces of banter that was passed back and forth, not even bothering to comment on it.

Siriné. He missed her, and the strong, gentle presence the girl in front made the longing even worse. It didn't take them long to reach a clearing for the night, and one look around to Ximalech that the only entrance into the area was the way they'd come. They would be safe here. Walking over to the girl, he looked her up and down and said after a few minutes, "My name's Ximálech Ryeta, it's nice to meet you. May I ask what you and your friend are up to?"

He didn't like her, not like that. He didn't think he could learn to love another woman, not after Siriné.

Another thought crossing his mind, he glanced around and added as an after thought, "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

~- Through Every Season Love Grows -~

Amalia looked around the first district, more than a little relieved that they'd been able to subdue the skeletons without slaughtering too many of them; yet she still felt sorrow for the fact that this didn't have to happen in the first place. Umbra was moving around trying to reverse some of the damage, but she knew it wouldn't do any good, he didn't specialize in transformation. You had to be able to rewind time or something like that, and it was too dangerous to attempt.

Walking towards a group of keybladers, she raised a hand and felt the trapped soul that rested within the skeleton. "Heal," she whispered, attempting to erase some of the damage that had been inflicted on the creature. She felt her lips tug into a frown as she saw that the spell only healed injuries, but did nothing to reverse the spell that had been put on the poor creature.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she shook her head and lowered her hand; her face once again a cool, collected mask. Turning away, she wandered through the crowd to find Umbra, meeting his gaze for several, quiet moments; she looked back around the district and asked, "Now what do we do?

She expected Umbra's answer, it was always that. Closing her eyes, she felt the tug of several different fates calling to her for attention. Opening her eyes, Lia shook her head and said firmly, "We leave in a few hours, until than, let's try to find something to do." Without another word, Fate Weaver and guardian both headed for the next group of people, which put them very close to a certain boy that had just entered. Turning her head to look at him, Lia tilted her head to the right, sensing that he'd already encountered death once and had gotten a second chance at life. Pulling away from Umbra, she approached the boy that had been attacking another and asked calmly, "What's your name?"

Amalia glanced at the door and saw that the keyblader in charged had reappeared, followed by an orange haired kid who's spirit seemed so broken. A sympathetic smile flitting across her face, Lia called, "The world isn't always so cruel, it can definitely have it's bright spots in there. Never lose your light, young man."

 

[Grandsword]

"hey! you leave him alone. he's not yours to beat down." Ordias called out, as he witnessed an attack upon someone. swiftly, much more swift than one should be able to do with a large weapon such as his keyblade, he ran in-between the two. blade pointed towards the attacker. "i don't know you. but i don't care. i've enough meaningless cruelty. continue this, and you'll fight me. Ordias Wilson, general of the order of fateweavers. Now. Back. The. Hell. Off!" he snarled out, letting thunder magic surge over his keyblade for a bit of extra persuasion potential.

meanwhile in the pridelands...
nihilus watched the small group that had gathered with a dark smirk. he hadn't expected to see humans here.."seems i won't have to wait to corrupt humans after all.." he thought with a slight chuckle, turning his gaze to the lion-based plague-spreader he had made. it snarled, awaiting commands from it's master. "gather the troops..give the visitors a scare.." he commanded. the plague-spreader let out a roar that pierced the silence. near instantly, a group of at least 30 corrupted gathered. all of them were based loosely upon creatures found in the pridelands. hyenas, lions, hippos and even an elephant or two. all shared only one aspect. that unnatural violet-purple glow in their eyes. nihilus gave a signal with his hand, and all hell broke loose. the corrupted charged into the area. "kehehekehe!! so..what do we have here? a little gathering of the lost? i do suppose that this is priceless. it's been a while since i had seen someone around here. see..usually the only ones around here are..well, animals. oh, yes. i'm sure you've noticed my..pets. it's a tiresomely boring process, but i think the results justify it. of course, it was a messy process. i hadn't really attempted to create on such a scale before. you'll have to excuse them if they aren't quite up to snuff. they're just prototypes after all. but, they're a good proof of concept. my corruption can be spread. quite effectively. i started..oh, about a couple hours ago. and i've already got about half this world under my command. look at them..so, beautiful. imagine..imagine all the worlds like them. it will be.. wondrous. an empire to span all worlds. no more conflict. no more of this war. all will be under one banner. and when that day comes..i'll destroy kingdom hearts. and listen with glee as all those who sought it, cry out in pain. you will be permitted to live, so that you may tell the worlds. tell them that the empire shall bring them under our banner. weather they'll submit and be allowed to live as they are..or be assimilated, is their choice." Nihilus said, walking into the clearing.

 

[SwagStarIV]

Chi was momentrily halted, but parried the man he helped earlier and jumped off his back. Chi continued to assault the boy he was already attacking and shot 3 of his ight blades off towards the guy he helped. Chi stated, "Then fight with those while I get the information I need." Chi mumbled under his breath, "I swear some people just don't know how to mind there own." Slowly chi began to talk louder, "Is this what it takes to get a simple explanation about a keyhole!? This is unnecessary... But thanks to you guys here I am, ONCE AGAIN, taking the position of the bad guy!" Chi had slowly began to lost his temper. With only 5 swords on his back, he began to attack more hasty. Now alternating between 3 and 4 attacks at a time. As his temper rose, Chi would temporarily grab one of his inactive light blades, causing the pattern to sporadically shift between 2, 3, and 4 attacks. Chi then sarcastically stated in a calm manner, "Sorry for the hostility, but the keyhole please?"

 

[Eternal Dream]

~- Resentment in Their Eyes -~

"Listen kid... I don't have time to sit here and do the run around. So lets get to the point. You're gonna answer my questions, and I am gonna make sure that at the end of this you walk away the nice little pretty boy you seem to be. Sorry kid... But this I need to know!"

Did he really call Lucien a kid and a pretty boy?

Lucien had expected an immature response to his warnings, but what he hadn't expected was the tantrum the boy practically had. He flew into a rage, striking at the angel in a flurry of attacks, turning the Keyblade at the last moment each time so that Lucien was struck with the flat of the blade instead of the cutting edge.

The foolish boy would have made more of an impression with the Keyblade's teeth.

"This shouldn't be to difficult right? So talk! What is it for? I don't need a complicated answer. Just an answer none the less! What is it there for? Well?!"

Lucien just stood there, a mildly amused, if greatly annoyed look on his face as the boy flowed into another technique involving several illusionary copies of his blade. Lucien had dealt with tantrums before; when some of the nephilim he'd trained had been barely ten when he first took them away, childish tempers were bound to overflow. But even so, this mortal boy believed he could beat the answer from Lucien? Without a drop of angel blood in his veins, or an ounce of common sense in his broken mind?

Utterly absurd.

"Hey! You leave him alone. He's not yours to beat down. I don't know you. But I don't care. I've had enough meaningless cruelty. Continue this, and you'll fight me. Ordias Wilson, general of the order of Fateweavers. Now. Back. The. Hell. Off!"

"Then fight with those while I get the information I need. I swear some people just don't know how to mind there own. Is this what it takes to get a simple explanation about a keyhole!? This is unnecessary... But thanks to you guys here I am, ONCE AGAIN, taking the position of the bad guy! Sorry for the hostility, but the keyhole please?"

Lucien waited a moment as Ordias interfered briefly before the boy swatted him away, then continued with his assault, whining about being made the bad guy because Lucien hadn't told him the secret of the Keyhole. Then, fed up with the childish antics, Lucien struck; swift as a lightning strike, he grabbed the blade, stopping it dead in mid swing. Leveling a cool look on the boy, Lucien allowed some of his centuries of experience to leak into his voice, erasing the boy's earlier assumption involving Lucien's youthful looks. "The Keyholes are kept secret for a good reason. Should the knowledge of such precious artifacts be for all to know, and all to protect? In an ideal world, yes. But this existence is far from Paradise. Many hearts are corrupt, unable to find balance when power is given to them; they become consumed by greed, coveting the strength that they believe will make them immortal. Others are driven mad by grief, grasping at the smallest, most unstable beam of light that means that they can have back what has been lost to them, not realizing what the cost of such actions would be; or not caring if they do realize it. For the knowledge of the Keyhole to be given to just anyone is asking for trouble. That is why it's trusted to only those few who have proven time and again that power won't destroy them by sinking them into lusting for more; to those that can accept the pain of death without letting it overrule them. This little demonstration of yours is proving that you can't be trusted with such secrets, instead of changing my mind. I'll only repeat myself once: Leave the Keyholes be."

There was no threat in Lucien's words, just quiet authority. Releasing the boy's blade, the angel allowed him to see his unmarked palm before lowering his hand to his side.

"What's your name?"

Lucien raised an eyebrow. First Ordias had stepped between, then this young girl came up; both attempting to distract the boy? Lucien felt a good natured smile tug at his lips; while there wasn't much that could do serious injury to an angel, it was always reassuring to see those that would stand up against a bully.

That didn't mean that he was going to egg on a fight, however. Lifting his eyes from the boy, Lucien turned to Ordias and said smoothly, "Thank-you for your honor, but it was merely a misunderstanding between the child and myself. My name is Lucien, and while I hate to be rude, I have some very important business to attend to that can't wait. It's been quite the pleasure meeting you, and I hope you enjoy your evening."

Lucien looked to the girl for a brief moment, satisfying his curiosity. He had felt her presence for over an hour now, but because of what had been going on, he'd filed it to the back of his mind for a more opportune time. Now though, he allowed himself to confirm his suspicion.

The girl was special.

Stopping by her very briefly, he whispered low, so that even her guardian couldn't hear him. "Meet me by the fountain in the Fountain Court in three hours. I think I can answer your questions, but they are answers best kept between only a few; come alone if at all possible."

Then, Lucien allowed his long stride to put quite a bit of distance between himself and the mortals. Finally finding a secluded area, he cloaked himself in illusion, making it impossible for any without heavenly blood to see him. Spreading marbled wings, the Angel of Death returned the way he'd just come, to assist the dead and dying in their journey between this realm and the next.

~- Belles of Society -~

"Yeah, the blond's name is Jayden and the one with the fiery orange hair is Ze...Neku."

Mira caught the subtle misstep in Leon's words, but didn't call him out on it. Was he about to call Neku by a different name? She'd also caught the hint that said the two might be allies of his, and maybe a stop for some info.

Well, they would be, expect for the teeny, tiny little fact that they were leaving! Turning to look at Leon, Mira noticed how far away his eyes seemed to be. Though she could sympathize, now was no time to be getting spacey. "Hey, looks like your friends are leaving you behind. Are you gonna keep standing around, or you gonna follow?"

Not waiting for an answer, Mira jumped up over the wall and made her way to the First District. That mess with the Guard Armor and that crazy head Chi had gotten her sidetracked, but now Mira really needed to meet up with Lucien. She hadn't learned much yet; but she needed to report what she did know so they could go from there.

Except, when she got to the district, the little mouse just saw Lucien's broad shoulders disappear around the corner; one look around the square told her he'd left so he could get to work. It also showed her Neku and Jayden; a girl with interesting energy and her guardian; and...

"Great, Crazy Head's here, too," grumbled Mira to herself as her eyes landed on Chi. But still, she plastered a smile on her face, even as the fading echoes of pain, both physical and emotional, crashed into her, making her want to crawl into a corner and cry herself to sleep. Stepping forward, she tried to shift attention from Lucien's departure to herself. "So, who was the crazy that went on the rampage here? This wasn't your idea too, was it?" The mouse threw the dirtiest look she could at Chi.

Yep, that is certainly the way to do subtly, Mira. Well done.

 

[Ðari]

((super sorry for the post delay!))

As he tilted his head and gave a soft listen, to the sound of somber and undeterred information the masked off worlder absorbed this. A world that provided refuge for those that have lost their homes to the darkness. Such darkness...an abominable darkness to lay siege to so many different homes.

"...What are you doing here, if you don't mind me asking?"

This inquiry broke the quiet river of his thoughts instantly. A hand formed to scratch his head, what could he possibly generate in retort to such a direct question? It then became clear to him, within the words he'd learned in moments prior.

"My home was consumed, but the darkness knew no apprehension of me...peculiar, I found myself wallowing in a pool. The next thing I remember, I awoke here in an alley. Talk about odd, i wasn't expecting trans-dimensional travel from darkness."

He'd folded his arms, and adjusted his scarf. Tugging his right arm in, the armor plating of his shoulder saw now mock up in its finish. His skin tingled with the coding of his defensive barrier type magic. Proceeding to pose a question, this would be very out of character for him.

"Would you or some other resident's mind allying yourself with a homeless off worlder? I might not look it now, but before I landed here, i knew how to omni-wield some fierce tools."

 

[SwagStarIV]

Chi's blade as halted, but the light blades which followed his attacks where still in motion. Chi stopped the blades before they clashed into the young man, and decided to listen to the explanation behind him keeping such obvious information from him.

"The Keyholes are kept secret for a good reason. Should the knowledge of such precious artifacts be for all to know, and all to protect? In an ideal world, yes. But this existence is far from Paradise. Many hearts are corrupt, unable to find balance when power is given to them; they become consumed by greed, coveting the strength that they believe will make them immortal. Others are driven mad by grief, grasping at the smallest, most unstable beam of light that means that they can have back what has been lost to them, not realizing what the cost of such actions would be; or not caring if they do realize it. For the knowledge of the Keyhole to be given to just anyone is asking for trouble. That is why it's trusted to only those few who have proven time and again that power won't destroy them by sinking them into lusting for more; to those that can accept the pain of death without letting it overrule them. This little demonstration of yours is proving that you can't be trusted with such secrets, instead of changing my mind. I'll only repeat myself once: Leave the Keyholes be."

Chi took these words to heart. In all the books he read they talked of a Keyhole which manifested the purest forms of energy which preside in this realm of life. From these holes the energy seeps into our reality and the specimen surrounding each one feed off of this energy and are naturally attracted to it. Some can sense and attract the energy more naturally than others, while some are simply oblivious to the fact that they do it at all. Now the power which spawns these energies is totally unknown to the collection of stars that make up the worlds we live and travel through, but most people don't know that this is the deciding factor to whether a world is considered Light, Twilight, or Dark. Chi has read so many books that he has mapped out this collection of stars and determined which worlds hold which powers. This guy seems to have a deep understanding of the keyholes, but unknown to him, so does Chi.

Chi had been tired of this world since he first arrived. He despised the fact that his world was destroyed due to his vigilant acts. Now he has been continuously misunderstood, and to even further his rage, this guy thinks that he doesn't have the will to manifest the powers of darkness, which apparently reside in everyone. Chi began to think, If this keyhole is something that people seek for immortality, then only the strongest of people will find it. Seeing how I already found it, my heart and intellectual spirit must suffice. I don't want them to see me as this villainous intruder, nor do I want to be seen as a weak hearted person. These people lack the understanding and don't care to find out. So... I shall do this on my own. I will raise the clouds of oppression and ignorance. This Keyhole is not what they think it is. The wonders stretch alot farther than they seem to realize. It's funny... I'm guessing they think I know nothing of the keyhole.

Chi watched as the young man began to go about his business, and Chi announced, "Hey!" Chi ran towards the young man and dropped on his hands and knees. With his head bowed, Chi stated, "I'm sorry for the harm that I may have caused you. Excuse my wavering temper, but... I just had to know. Thank you!" Chi raised his head with a huge smile, then continued, "I will never forget what you have told me, but... I will still continue to seek the keyholes. Hopefully we will meet again on better terms." Chi stood up and stated, "I hold the power of a God. In my world our kind are known as Reapers, but when I ended my cycle I was sent here, and returned to my human state. I sense an ominous presence from you, which is why I attacked so abruptly, but maybe we can spar sometime... On a more... Divine level so to speak." Chi began to walk away and said, "Thanks again! See you later!" With a wave of his hand he continued to walk towards the second district so that he may return to his library and leave this planet.

 

[Key Wielder]

...Using his body?

Things could never just be easy. Odai said to bring Nihilus to headquarters, but now what was he supposed to do? Arrest this guy, who was doing nothing but trying to help, and make him the scapegoat for whatever his evil counterpart had made him do? The two of them didn’t even look the same. They clearly didn’t have the same powers when Nihilus wasn’t possessing him, or whatever it was that he did. Jayden wanted to ask more and find out what exactly the man meant, but his head was already spinning. It was a question for later.

Instead he took solace in the fact that this guy knew what he was doing. His own Keyblade wielders looked ironically unwieldy as they tried to pull together a bunch of skeletons, but in an instant they were all back to normal thanks to this man’s magic. Whatever connection he had with Nihilus, there was no denying that this particular version of him was nothing to be afraid of. Perhaps he would even prove a valuable ally.

"should have asked this earlier..but did my earlier message get through? it was hard to filter it through nihilus's control."

“It was a little disjointed, but we got the picture,” Jayden said, still marveling at the man’s power. He nodded to his men to make sure the citizens were calm and comfortable; he doubted they were going to get away without being questioned. Odai would want to know every detail of what had happened. “Thank you for doing so much to help. As I said before, we owe you a debt of gratitude.”

There was no time to say more, however, as shouting met his ears. Jayden whipped around and nearly groaned as he saw the boy from before attacking someone across the square. His Keyblade appeared in his hand at his command, but he wasn’t the first to go running in. The man—Ordias—went running to the rescue, although the man being attacked hardly looked like he needed it. Admittedly, the look of mild amusement on the man’s face really was warranted. Chi was beginning to look like an angry duck, hopping around and screaming almost incomprehensibly. If it weren’t for the fact that he was tasked with protecting this town, Jayden would have been tempted to sit and watch. As it was…

He walked over, Keyblade in hand. A couple of his men glanced at him, waiting for orders, but he shook his head as he passed them.

“It’s all right. Just get the citizens out to headquarters if you can. They don’t need to hear this.”

“Yes, sir.”

While they were busy herding the still shell-shocked inhabitants of Traverse Town towards the Second District, Jayden watched, impressed, as Chi was stopped in his tracks. It was about time someone had managed that. The man’s speech was impressive, and Jayden made a mental note to remember his name as a girl came over to the group and he introduced himself as Lucien. That man was different, although Jayden doubted he should tell Odai about that on top of everything else he had to report. The last time he’d opened his mouth, a relatively innocent girl had gotten her heart torn out and stomped all over. Lucien didn’t seem like the type to let that happen to him.

He seemed to have quite a bit of power, as a matter of fact. Chi was on his hands and knees apologizing to him before he vanished into the Second District. Jayden watched him go with a look of suspicion and weariness. Honestly, there was no way he believed that Chi was just going to back down, and from the sound of his words, he would go right back to doing whatever he wanted once he was far enough away from Lucien not to get caught. He would have to be added to the list.

Llyndellia, Nihilus, Ordias, Chi. It’s getting to be one hell of a list.

In any case, Jayden had long since lost track of who was who, what was what, and where on earth they were supposed to go from here. The mess was getting cleared up now; the formerly demonic citizens had all been shepherded out of the First District. Everyone was beginning to go their separate ways. Move along, nothing to see here. The Second District was still a mess, but he would send word for that to be cleaned up once they got back to headquarters.

If I still have my head after that... No point putting off the inevitable, though.

“Neku,” he called back to where he’d left the orange-haired boy. So much was happening that he half expected him to have left by now. “I need to report in and get everyone started on putting everything to rights. Why don’t you find Leon and I’ll meet you both in the Eleventh District? Then we can figure out where to go from here.”

Jayden tried to pull the corners of his mouth up in a smile and almost managed it, but the thought of the consequences for his failures and missteps was about to come crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. There was very little to smile about.

Taking one last look around the First District, Jayden nodded in satisfaction that it was at least as calm as usual again before taking off for the base, steeling himself as he went.

. . .

Darien was still listening silently to the conversation, getting slightly bored, when things started to pick up again. He looked up from the fire he had built, raising an eyebrow at the diatribe that echoed out at them through the trees. Great, another worthless guest. At least this one sounds like he might be halfway interesting.

It only took the barest fraction of a second for him to realize that he was wrong: it was just another weirdo rambling on about something or other. Why was it that all the alleged bad guys thought that was the way to go? No one cared about why you did anything. There were only three things they needed to know about this particular fool: he was using darkness, he was spreading it through this world, and he wanted to corrupt or kill them as well. He could have cut out half of what he said and just gotten on with it if he hadn’t thought they wanted to know his plans.

Guess what? Half the World wants to destroy Kingdom Hearts, or else claim it for their own. No one really cares about how you, in particular, plan to do it.

”I dunno, that might be helpful information. Wouldn’t want him to get there before you, right?”

How many times must I tell you that snark does not suit you?

As tonight’s entertainment approached them, numerous other shadows stepped into the clearing all around them, perhaps two dozen or more. All in all, it wasn’t really bad odds. Given that there were no other people around here, it made sense that they were animals of various shapes and sizes. Most people would be unnerved to see a cheetah glaring at them through glowing violet eyes. Darien, on the other hand, was far too used to darkness to be bothered.

Lions and tiger and bears. Oh, my.

“I’m sorry,” Darien finally said, standing and stretching as though they posed no threat to him. They really didn’t. “It looks like you may have wandered into the wrong party. It’s quite understandable. The one you’re looking for is the Insanity Convention, which I believe they’re holding in Atlantica this year. Be sure to bring your scuba gear.”

He put one hand in the pocket of his leather jacket, the other dangling beside him, ready for the moment when he would have to summon his Keyblade. He doubted this guy was smart enough to just walk away when he had the chance. Few villains, especially the ones who would tell you their entire life’s work, were ever that intelligent.

. . .

Her legs dangled over the edge of the stone wall as she looked out over the valleys. This world was amazing, so much better than most of the ones they visited. It wasn’t exactly Kuzcotopia; it was far too calm and orderly, but she supposed that had more to do with the fact that Emperor Kuzco wasn’t here than anything else. As much as she loved the excitement, though, she had to admit that this world more than made up for it in sheer beauty. The mountains climbed up towards the sky all around her, the valleys so deep that she couldn’t even see the ground in the distance through the mist. It was like they were on islands, suspended high in the air.

The pink sky glowed with the first light of morning, but Llyn had already been up for a while. That was pretty typical: get up early, studies in the morning, training in the afternoon, dinner, bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. There was very little excitement in their daily routine. It was the worlds they visited that made it special, and given that they hardly ever traveled anywhere, it made the experience all the more novel.

She heard the footsteps behind her before Darien spoke, and she turned to smile at him as he climbed over the wall and sat beside her, grinning.

“Figured you’d be out here. The Master was looking for you.”

Llyn groaned, but her grin turned slightly mischievous rather than vanishing. “I didn’t mean to set him on fire. That stuff sort of just happens.”

“Yeah,” Darien snorted. “Funny, it’s only when you’re around.”

“It was just his hair. It’ll grow back.”

“By the time he’s thirty.”

They were silent for a moment before they burst into laughter. It was no secret that the wielders of the Land of Departure thought of them as a couple of ignorant bumpkins. It didn’t mean they had to take it sitting down, though. The first time they had come to this world, their merciless jibes and taunts had had Llyn in tears and Darien in fits of fury as he tried to defend her. That was a few years ago now, and while no truly physical altercations had arisen again, the hostility was still there. Most days, they just avoided each other, which was easy since there were only two of them. Yesterday, however, had been more difficult to negotiate. One of the other apprentices had taken her Keyblade while she was training with Darien, looking it over once before deciding that it wasn’t actually a Keyblade so much as a stick dressed up to look like one.

They could say what they wanted about her, but her Keyblade was another matter entirely.

Before she could so much as summon her weapon back into her hand, the boy’s hair had caught fire and he dropped it on his own, running around the courtyard like someone with…well, their hair on fire. It had been rather entertaining until the Master found out. Then it was just a matter of finding the right hiding place, which meant moving around the castle and grounds every time Master Niex got close. Darien had been nice enough to leave food where he knew she would be likely to go next. He always took her side.

“I don’t think she’s as ticked as she was last night,” Darien was saying, chuckling slightly. “I told her what happened and she was almost as mad as you were. She knows he deserved it.”

“Then why’s she still mad?”

“You didn’t show up for lessons this morning, duh.” He gave her a gentle shove, and she grinned.

“Another fascinating lesson. And what was it this time?”

“You know, how the worlds work and all that,” Darien shrugged, kicking a leg out over the side of the wall idly. “What’s between them, all that kind of stuff.”

Llyn made a retching sound.

“It wasn’t that bad. There were some cool books in the library about different realms that look pretty cool.”

“Realms?” she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Like, different planes of existence. No one is really sure whether or not they’re actually out there, but it’s neat to think about.”

“So, like, a world like this one in some other reality?”

Darien shook his head, but his expression was almost as perplexed as she felt. “Not like that. It’s like a literal universe exists at the same time as this one, not a mirror but not its own either. I didn’t really get it and the Master said she’d teach us when we get older.”

“Default answer,” she laughed, and Darien chuckled.

“Seriously. She’ll be saying that when we’re twenty at this rate.”

Realms…

. . .

”You did what?!”

Jayden barely flinched as Odai shouted at him. He’d seen it coming, after all.

“I let her go,” he repeated slowly, keeping his voice as detached as possible. The last thing he needed to do was sound defiant; this was going to be bad enough as it was.

“You let her go,” Odai said numbly, shaking his head. “You let her go when she was the one person who could lead us to one of the most powerful dark wielders we may be dealing with at the moment! No, that would be this Nihilus character, who you also saw fit to let slip through your fingers. You were tasked with bringing him back here whatever the cost, Commander. Instead you let him terrorize our people and walk all over you and your men like dirt! When you found out that he was acting through someone else, you didn’t even see fit to bring him with you for further inquiry! Commander, these are dangerous times where caution is not to be underrated. Darkness stands at our doorstep, as well as that of Kingdom Hearts! We and our brothers and sisters scattered across the worlds are the last line of defense against these people. I thought you understood the gravity of the situation, but clearly I was wrong.”

Odai seemed to run out of words momentarily, but then he was back on the offensive.

“A girl who can lead us to dark wielders. Some dark creature possessing people and terrorizing the worlds—whom, I should mention, I hear has been creating chaos in the Land of Departure, too—the man who would know about him, and a kid who thinks unlocking Keyholes is a bright idea. We don’t need to be adding problems to our plate, Commander. We’re supposed to be eliminating them. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Excuse me?”

Jayden swallowed. “Crystal clear, sir.”

“Good.”

The chief looked at him a moment longer before resuming his pacing, looking like the anger was leaking out of him to be replaced by his usual planning. What were they going to do next? Who should they go after? Which was the more important thread to tug on that would unravel the entire thing?

Although he knew it wouldn’t help his case, Jayden also knew he owed it to Llyndellia to make sure she wasn’t that thread, at least for as long as possible.

“Sir,” he began tentatively, fighting the urge to look at the ground as he spoke. “This Nihilus creature seems to be the most immediate threat. If you would allow me, I believe I can get more information from Ordias Wilson about him and we can investing—“

“No.”

Jayden frowned. He knew it wasn’t going to work.

“You’ve made it quite clear you can’t handle that situation, or the girl and the other boy.”

That hit him like a sucker punch. The chief had never treated him like he was incapable; he had been the one to push him harder than anyone else purely because he knew the opposite was true.

“Sir?”

“You heard me. You will be given a different assignment, Commander. We will need to spread the word about what has happened and do everything we can to enlighten the Keyblade wielders throughout the worlds to the danger plaguing the greater World. We will need their help with these matters, and we will never succeed if we do not project a united front.”

Frowning, Jayden couldn’t keep the contempt out of his voice as he asked, “So, you’re making me a messenger?”

“Hardly,” Odai smirked. “I know that whatever mistakes you’ve made, you aren’t that incompetent. No, your job will be far greater. I’m not just sending you to hand out fliers, Jayden. I’m sending you into the pits of danger to be a beacon to our friends, and to instill fear in our enemies. You are going to let everyone know that Kingdom Hearts will not be taken by anyone, dark or light, for their own gain.”

Jayden raised an eyebrow. He supposed that was meant to be a compliment, but it definitely seemed more like a punishment at the same time.

“And you expect me to do that…how?”

“You will be assigned a new unit to accompany you, as well as an assistant to help you spread the word and keep the men in order. One of the lieutenants should suffice, so you can have your pick of them.”

“Don’t let him get into too much trouble.”

Smiling, Jayden shook his head.

“Actually, sir, I think I may have someone else in mind.”

 

[Grandsword]

ordias leveled a glare at chi as he walked off. was that Boy, so arrogant that he believed he could assault multiple people and then just walk off?! "such brashness, such arrogance. it's no wonder that so many have fallen. it is arrogance of the highest order to think oneself above others. to place yourself on a pedestal, merely because you have knowledge, or because you have power." he paused. dismissing his keyblade. he then took a moment, as though remembering something.

" if you truly seek wisdom, than take these words and think on them: It is such a quiet thing, to fall. But far more terrible is to admit it." he said, hoping that the words reached the arrogant fool as he fled the area. ordias than followed after jaden, intent on fulfilling his purpose for coming here. when he reached what he assumed to be the light wielder's base; he waited outside for a moment, steeling himself before entering. "hello? i wish to speak to the leader of the forces here. i do not know if you are recruiting or not, but i wish to offer my aid." he called out, letting his hood down as to not look suspicious. though his snow white hair and the seemingly glowing white lines on his face would seem stranger than a hood

 

[SwagStarIV]

Chi returned to the second District and payed no attention to any of the previous combatants. As Chi took his final glance at the scene of the battle he thought, Finally. I will reunite the stability and confidence of my heart with the purity of light. If I must do this alone then I gues I will know when I leave, but... I see a rare chance that something change in their minds. They still saw what I did as stupid, even after the results. Their choice was obvious. I guess unleashing a disposable heartless like that for cleansing ones soul doesn't measure up and justify the occasion. I will find a group of people who will fight for the cause of peace! A group lead by neither light nor Darkness. A group with no leader at all! A group of the people! Who will show these times balance through the gift of twilight! Chi continued to walk down the stairs and down the middle of the district. As he approached the path to the Dalmatians a look of satisfaction glazed over his face. Due to his crude life this look wasn't exactly the idea of pleasant.

As Chi knocked on the door to the Dalmatians house, he waited to see if anyone had followed him. Chi then opened the door and was greeted by the rushing pups. Each one ecstatic in their own way. As the dogs began to settle down, the mom and dad dogs greeted Chi. They politely grazed his leg and he began to pet them as well. You would never expect someone like Chi to have such a compassionate side. Chi was lost in the nostalgia. As he sat with the dogs he began to vent, "Soon I won't be around to visit you guys any more. These days of simple entertainment will not be forgotten, nor tarnished by the words or actions of another. I shall never forget the first day I came here. You guys greeted me as if I were a lost pup of yours, and I hold immense gratification for that. The people destroyed the upper chamber of my fortress, so I didn't bring any snacks today, but I still have my going away present! I will bring it to you guys when I come back up and leave."

Chi stood up and took leave to the second room. The dogs stayed with the mom and dad dogs, while he used his device to open a hidden door behind the fireplace. He walked down a long stair case, which would lead him to the training room, but instead of following it all the way down he stopped beside a wall, and utilized his pin to access the elevator. Once the elevator arrived he headed towards his control room to monitor the damage. Though the damage that was sustained was limited to the lounge, the clock tower, and the area he slept in, these things now did not matter. He would soon be free from the bondage and soar the starry skies above. Once again he will be able to witness a new form of life. Chi removed all the data from his computer and put it inside of his device. the same device he used to open the secret passage was also a jump drive of sorts that carried and immense amount of data. All the books, pictures, research, history, battle data, magic levels, peak levels, aura calibrator data, and even the specs to the tower were all downloaded from his computer and put on this drive. As it completed he went to docking area below. His ship was docked and prepared for take off. All that was left was for him to collect the data and present the dogs with their gift.

Chi rode the elevator back up to the control room. The data had only form 13% of the data. This will take a long time... Well... Future here I come.