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Fanfiction ► Memories are [NOT] Resolute



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Ðari

Look at you, armor-less
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Beyond the Final Destination
Special Memory: Trust Resolute Eight
Location: Arcadia; Graveyard > Tavern
Time: 2AM > 4AM





Arcadia; Capital City Street
Previously...Gunshots.
[Memory Fragment: Eidolan]


He could feel it in his legs as he bolted down the way of the alley. Those brats were fast, before he knew it they'd already disappeared into the shadows. These rebel forces were a bunch of misfits, and as Yamato looked over to Jay/Jaz he couldn't help but remember something from his personal history. Forces that seemed to dominate your very way of life, and those that stood up in defiance were merely used as examples for obedience. He could recall memories of power figures being put to death and merely used as examples of defiance.

Yamato and Jay/Jaz were huddled together behind some trash receptacles as the foot steps of soldiers passed them by. There was a steady beating in place, as Jaz laid her head on Yamato's chest. His adrenaline seemed to be accompanied by a building sense of resentment for how haphazardly they engaged in firing line with no visible threat. It irked him, but he ground his teeth in silence as the footsteps moved further and further away.

"Can we really do nothing." unaware the words left his mouth, he spoke out of frustration. "What are we even watching?? It'd be so easy to just-"

"Its not our war, Yamato." Jay said raising his head, "You really wanna get mixed up in this? Master already said the objective was to observe."

He shuffled around and Jay proceeded to pin him down to prevent any further movement. "Like it or not, orders are orders. Trust the master on this." Jay's muscles pulsed staring at the generals there perfectly lined up, he'd need only a few seconds to draw them into the zone and it'd deal them a massive blow.


"What does the master know about their suffering!? It's here and now, we can do something abou-"

"No. Before you get any ideas." Jay slapped his shoulder activating his keyblade armor and spawning his bike as the Lanes between sucked the two of them through the rift and he mounted his bike with Yamato in tow.



Arcadia; Graveyard
Fast forward to now

[Kingdom of Predators (HxH OST)]

It'd been some time since he'd been assigned another role of observation. The master had recently broken down to Yamato as well as his peers that, he would one day vanish from the world. The news settled a bit differently in the team, some of them being a bit more accepting and understanding than others. He found himself back on Arcadia, the night was late and he could feel the light of the moon beating down on his neck. There was a small wind-chill that blew across the grave yard and he heard one less whistle from the wind. There was the sound of a shovel being pitched into the dirt as it drew up more and more and casting it to the side, properly digging a six foot deep and sizeable hole.

A black haired main with red highlights and a clad, on his wrist was the Empire's emblem. He slung the shovel over his shoulder and slowly knelled down to place his hand on a casket. To whom it belonged to, likely anyone would guess a shit soldier to this atrocious army that ruined so many lives.


"Cheeky. Suppose this is your Karma, eh? Ocean." the man spat on the casket and lowered it into the pit. There was a loud banging sound coming from the inside of the casket. "Still alive huh? Just escape like last time, it was easy wasn't it?"

[ @Lumine ]
[ @Kingdomkeylight ]
****you know exactly what this reference is to lol****


The man taunted the poor fool who was locked within the casket and shook his head. Yamato could hear the banging from across the way, and his emotions certainly got the best of him. It took only a moment for him to slowly make his way over as the Empire's dog who was feeding more dirt into the hole. His fist was balled and he went to go for a strong right, his fist came out and slammed into something and bounced off like wall of some kind.

"Huh?" the man turned around slowly and placed both hands on the handle of the shovel, "Little busy here, you get lost in this graveyard? Or are you paying your respec-" he raised his hand and intercepted Yamato's fist and slowly lowered it, already proving he was physically stronger than him.

"Someone's crying for help inside that casket, you're just gonna bury them alive!? What the hell is the matter with you!"

"Oh him? Rebel scum get their just deserts. Besides, its just a job. Following orders, yada yada, you know what I mean?" to this man, his life held little value and he'd keep him there before he bs'd his way out of the casket like he did the castle.

Yamato finally catching a good look at his face, he was the same man from that group as before. "Rebel scum huh...that makes you an authority of the Empire then?"

"Depends on who's asking. I operate off of and ally myself with money for my security." he smirked, swatting his hand away from him and fixing his clad. "Salforge. A mercenary currently working a contract for The Empire. They don't much care much for me or my line of work, an awful client really. Yet results are what I've consistently supplied them with."

He shrugged and Yamato eased off his frustration sum once he started to understand this man named Salforge's dynamic here.

"Whats the matter Ocean. You're awfully quiet for..." the sudden realization hit him and opened the casket to see no one was inside of it. "Fuck. How the fuck does he keep doing that?"

Salforge felt a fist enter his back and he jerked forward ever so slightly. "Give me a minute here. I need to track down that piece of shit." he was already predicting his next couple of moves. "You an Anti-Empire Radical or something? Don't hold your breath on that one chief, your too young to be getting involved in their type of politics. I'm just another set of arms thats on payroll, I don't really care about the politics or the motives. I serve my own interests at the cost of my own ethics."

Salforge turned around and grabbed Yamato by the throat and lifted him up as he carried him out of the grave he dug for Ocean. "You know. I could just drop you in here, but if its one thing I don't do is lie about the quality of my services." Salforge released Yamato and he fell to the dirt. "You done trying to kick my back in when I'm not looking? Dishonorable, but not a bad strategy. I'm not getting paid to do anything to someone that has nothing to do with my assignment, beat it will ya?"

"So thats it? You'll just hurt more people just because it keeps the lights on?? What about their lives, what about their suffering? Their families."

Salforge shrugged, "You talk as if this is your first time ever experiencing war and warfare."

"Kuh!" Yamato jerked, "People don't have to die meaninglessly like dogs in the dirt."

"
Yet they've died whether I was apart of it or not. Like I said, don't tell me about my job, I know what I signed up for. Maybe your the one that needs to open your eyes to the gravity of what's happening in Arcadia. Hell, all worlds. This isn't some fucking fairy-tale, lives are put on the line and these people know what they signed up for. Run back to whatever tavern you slithered out from and drink yourself into a coma." Salforge shrugged his shoulder and slung the shovel over his left side before he started to talk away.

He was utterly speechless, his rage was starting to billow out of control. Yamato was known for having this extremely sharp and potent moral compass and a sense of compassion for others. He imbued strength from those that rose up in rebellion, and stemmed to aid them in with whatever means of tactical dismantling of this empirical systems that oppressed them. Clutching his fist, a miniature zone formed around and he ruthlessly went in with the intent to maim Salforge.

Salforge sighed, reacting about as quickly as he could using kido to quickly reverse Yamato's arm away towards the sky and pressing the rest of his body down towards the pile of dirt he was standing next to. "Listen to me young man and listen well. I don't kill or attack a target I'm not getting paid to, cease fire, we're not enemies unless you make it so. My advice? Keep it docile and go home."

Yamato wriggled around out of pure frustration, feeling the press of the dirt against his face. It was soft, but a reminder of how easily his youth and over-powering set of morals just couldn't allow him to watch and do nothing. He could feel Sal's grip loosen on him, and he slapped his hand away turning over to yell in irate tone.

"What do you even value other than yourself! HUH!? Your just like this prick I have to live with, paint everyone into boxes. Say that the actions you take is for our own good? WHAT DO EITHER OF YOU KNOW HUH!"

He spit in the direction of Salforge, as the wad of his secretion landed on his face.

"Dude does sound like a dick kinda yeah, but don't really know'em and don't really care to, and it sounds like you feel the same. Listening to you shoot your mouth off about me when i've said little to antagonize you, when you could've just as easily minded your own damn business, it's pathetic. Spit in my face? Well, some self-righteous shit you got going on with that little stunt, but it's fine."

Salforge lifted Yamato and tossed him onto the mound of dirt. "
I stand by what I said, if i'm not getting paid to care about you, you're not worth killing. It's simple, you want my empathy? My price starts at fifty thousand munny and I don't accept checks. Two contracts is my limit anyhow."

"Two..?" Yamato looked at Salforge quizzically, "What do you mean by that?"

"Not that its any of your damn business, but two clients contracted me at the same time. We're expecting a nice little show of force, just creates more opportunities for me to charge these Empire chronies more. Sounds like a win win if you ask me."

Yamato couldn't believe it, this man was a goddamn traitor. "Traitor...No...your con-man! Don't you have any class...like at all??"

"The hell's class? I'm only seeing a payday on my end." Salforge scratched behind his head before he pulled up a riceball and placed it in Yamato's hand. "You look like you haven't eaten in hours."

Placing it in his hand, he rubbed his index finger and thumb together insinuating it would cost him a pretty penny.

"YOUR SERIOUSLY GONNA CHARGE ME FOR THIS!?" the look of exasperation in Yamato's eyes as his stomach howled.

"Keep your voice down, are you trying to alert the guards?" he reached into his coat and pulled out a cigarette and lighter, "Thats a freebie. Do yourself a favor and go home."

The mercenary lit the cigarette, before taking a drag and exhaling the smoke in the graveyard. Yamato shook his head, as he started to eat the food he was given and the sound of his stomach quieted quick fast in a hurry. Salforge sat down on the tombstone without a name he'd originally planned for burying Ocean here. It was an annoyance, yet another set back but thinking about it now how anyone just avoided capture, even when it shouldn't be possible, he was petty enough to just kill him and bring his arms to Clement as the proof.

Yamato started off in the other direction and chose to depart without so much as a word. The mercenary shrugged, "Finally outta here? Good, I need to think."



Yamato sat down at the table, he didn't even really know why he was still here. When the waiter came over to him, he feverishly scanned his pockets for his wallet and realized that it was gone. 'That son of a bitch fleeced me!' scratching his head nervously there was a woman that came and sat down at the other side of the table.

"Put it on my tab." she said promptly taking a seat and showing her ID to the waiter. The woman looked over the table at Yamato and he instantly blushed, breaking eye-contact right away. As she loomed over the table, his gut twisted and his unease had set in.

"It's not often we get strangers in this castle town. Anyone with eyes can tell your an off-worlder, now." The leaned forward pensively and locked eyes, "What exactly brings you to Arcadia."

There was yet another bangle over her sleeve, the mark of the empire.

"You just another military Caliban?" Yamato's unease quietly resonated to mild disgust as he cringed and turned away from the woman. "I'm just here to watch, trying to understand the politics of war."

"There little to understand. Rebels are hopelessly struggling, their uncoordinated, and their information gathering skills are sub-optimal at best." She shrugged and took a swing from the mug before placing it down. "Is that where your empathy leads?"

Yamato took a drink, selfishly at that. "Sometimes survival evolves into a simple desire of wanting to prosper outside of an oppressive regime." he sighed, "It seems that's all these people want."

"They'll have to win. Winners are the ones that control the narrative of history after all." she slow clapped for poor Yamato, however neither exchanged names. "You're definitely curious, off-worlder. Best for you to actually go-"

"What are you doing out so late." a familiar voice came up from behind and tapping him on the shoulder, it was Shiki.

"What are you doing here. Running late errands?" Yamato more more dismissive tonight than normal.

"A search party was sent out for you when you just disappeared in the middle of the day without saying anything."

"I don't see why it even matters where the hell I go, aren't we all adults capable of watching our own asses?"

As the two of them prattled about the woman got up briefly from the table and left a pouch of munny there to pay for the drinks. Like snow, it was as if she drifted out softly and was gone. When Yamato turned around, he realized that she had just vanished mysteriously as she rolled in. Who did she think she was anyway, lecturing him like that. He sucked his teeth and slid out of the chair, disgruntled, walking past Shiki as she urged him to go back to the dorms, it was some time after 4AM currently.

"You're not even my partner, why the hell should I listen to you?" Yamato stormed outside of the Tavern and Shiki wasn't far behind before she grasped his shoulder firmly. "Is that what you do? Chase us down like a good little obedient lapdog. Pathe-"

The struck him across the cheek with a firm slap. "Yamato. Shut up already alright, listen for a second." Shiki sounded way more fluid and amicable than what his impressions were. "If you keep look at the rest of us as labels, single-stories, when are we going to get the agency to show ourselves."

She sighed, "I didn't come here because we aren't partners, or that its my job, I came here because I was worried about you and I happened to be the first one to find you." in her hand she had a note, "Here. It's from the Master. He said, he had a feeling I'd find you first."

Yamato's eyes softened a bit, he extended his hand and graciously accepted the note from Shiki. As he proceeded to open it, his eyes further opened wider. It was almost as if the Master at all times just knew what everyone was both thinking and feeling.


You stormed out of here in a hurry the other day
I know what your thinking, "It can't be true"
It is, I don't have much time remaining
But your anguish doesn't belong to just you
Yamato
Think of how everyone else is feeling right now
Thats been the goal all along
To bring you all together
Try to loosen up, if the person that gave you this note
Isn't Komaeda, look at them a little less harshly
Smile fondly, you're comrades, protect each other
They will be your support in my absence, so please
Trust them, not for me, but for yourself


-MoM

His arm fell lip and his head tilted back looking towards the sky. The warm bead of a tear seemed to thread itself down his cheek and he could feel another building within his eyes. Watering, eventually he let go and more started to flow like a river from the resolute.

"Hey...thank you and...err.." he shuffled a bit, a hand with a cloth dotted his eyes and wiped under his lashes, "Don't apologize for saying what you really felt, but consider us, all of us next time before vanishing without a trace."

Yamato nodded, "
Today. We are better." Shiki placed both hands on his shoulders, "Let's go home Yamato."

Shiki created a portal through which the two of them walked and vanished into the light just as the sun was breaking on the horizon of Arcadia.
 

Ðari

Look at you, armor-less
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Memory Fragment: Solid Gold [Saebyeolbe, Reforge]
Location: Saebyeolbe's Homeworld (????)
Time: 3PM





Something about today was off. Sae had left the dining hall hastily earlier without so much as a word. As his foot steps tread along the barren wasteland of his homeworld he had something of a grim look on his face. The news of the master's eventual departure completely out of his control was something that was difficult to face. Internally there was a conflict that could be felt that hinged on the suppression of how initial feelings of animosity he held and without the master, they festered wildly. He'd returned to a specific spot in particular and he fell to his knees.

A single hand stroked the mound of dirt and ashes. Mumbling a word, "Allison..." his eyes flared up with a sharp tinge of sorrow filled rage. He grasped at the dirt, lacing his fingers through to clump a ball of dirt in his palm.

"I owe the master too much for him to just...vanish from reality. Can we...give the power back if it keeps him here?" He said softly pondering the thought.

His skin bumped, hairs standing on all ends, goosebumps. A quick-turn and he was faced with what looked to be a massive...huh? "What the...that heartless is...white?" Sae stood confused.

Looking again, it was what he'd normally pin as a Darkside, but it was pure white. Emitting no survival instinct to kill or any malice whatsoever, so his hesitation at first seemed to alarm even himself. Tilting his head, he formed two-fingers and and jabbed the air, it dodged immediately by moving it's head slightly to the side.

"It's sentient...Oh for pete's sake, I don't have time for this, let me brood all by my lonesome." Sae had a gut wrenching feeling. "I take it you understand me then? Just leave me alone, this isn't the right place or time for whatever you're trying to do..."

Sae turned his back to in his head he named Lightside and crouched down to place his hand over the small mount of scorched soil. There was a weighted stomp coming from the Lightside and he sighed, issuing another warning. "Lets not come to blows for no reason at all. Something's weighing on my conscious right n-"

He was scooped up by the connection of a fist entering his back and he held the mound of dirt to his chest as he brushed against the gravel in the distance. Sae emerged from the rock, holding the dirt to his chest, with a twisted expression mixed with sorrow, rage, and exasperation. "....when did we stop listening..."

He was already in the spot under the light side returning the dirt to the spot he coveted so closely. His motion was so fast, but the Lightside, spoke??

"Sorry." it said stroking Sae's head, "Now not time to cry. Master have no time left."

"Whoa whoa whoa slow down there. It talks??" Sae stumbled about befuddled falling flat on his rear, "Hey now hold the phone."

"Olby" it said, and instantly it triggered Sae's understanding. "Ref...? That you? You've uh...gained weight."

He shrank down and to his child body and dove straight into Sae's arms swinging around his neck before perching on his shoulder. "Heeeeeeeeeey! Olby!" Reforge snickered as he followed him to this place. "I didn't even know this was a world." His child-state gave him about the proportions of a 4 year old, but he talked more like a grade-school kid.

"What's the matter?" Ref asked poking his face. "That face isn't joyful like usual, I need my joy boy."

Sae casually moved Reforge's finger away from his face. "Do you believe in second chances Reforge?" he said a bit more pensive than usual.

"Hmm? What's with that look?" Reforge couldn't help but be moved, yet he answered him "
Yeah I do. You looking to redeem yourself??"

He looked down, and across at the barren landscape. "This place was wiped out a long time ago. It was a world that proved to be a hub for criminals. As a child a grew up here and one day some vigilante came and purged the entire world in fire." Saebyeolbe sighed bedgrudingly.

"It's been years. Not a soul has reincarnated and returned here. No matter how many heartless I slay that remained here...no one has come back..."

Sae motions over to the spot he was sitting at before. Planting his rear on the scorched earth, he placed his hands together in prayer. Reforge looking over his shoulder trying to make sense of what he was doing. The truth of the matter, this wasn't the perfect place to grow up, but these people regardless of their status, were dear to him. Stories of great exploits, plunders, and fantastic tales of wealth and adventures had. A tear welled in his eye as his lip quivered a tad shirking a remorseful expression.


"Then maybe they haven't come back is because they don't want to." Reforge said blunting hopping off his shoulder. "Would you really want to come back to nothing? It's possible they reincarnated off wor-"

"What..." Sae gripped his face, "No...is it really that simple? How would you even know?"

"
Because it's already happened to me before. When I came with the master I saw people from my homeworld after a major incident appear outside of it in my travels, with no memory of where they were from originally at all. A fresh start, kingdom hearts is weird like that? I don't know!" Reforge scratched his head. "Whoever you're mourning over, it's possible their here."

He poked at Sae's chest. "This can happen sometimes, they'll seek refuge in the nearest available host."

There was a look of exasperation and despair written all over Sae's face. The durance of his body tensed in reaction to Reforge's claim, as if hearts were reacting to this. "Imprisonment...clawing to obtain freedom, but they can't so long-"

Reforge gripped Sae's wrist, "Noooooo Olby! You can't do what I think your gonna do!" he gave a stern tug and tapped his shoulder. "You gotta vent, its fine, but don't go hurting yourself out of guilt. An easy out isn't the answer, you really gotta work your way through it all."

Reforge gave him a look, "Whats with that look now...I wasn't...I mean, I wasn't going to do anything ridiculous." Sae gripped his fist tightly. "Shiki scolds me enough, I don't need to say anymore. You don't need to worry about me."

Saebyeolbe gathered himself, his eyes had a bit of a dimmer shift than usual. "The master will be departing from us in the foreseeable future...that's why I came here. To...hopefully think about it in solitude, and here you are." he stroked his temple.

"You been hella weird ever since he said it! I think we're all down bad about it, but don't be more distant than usual!" he was tugging at the sides of his cheeks, "Togetherness is how we pull through."
 

Ðari

Look at you, armor-less
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Memory Fragment: 70.5 [Shiki, Lucrecia, Eth, Iontis]
Location: The Dorms; Shiki's Room Balcony > Lobby
Time: 5PM > 6PM





The Dorms; Shiki's Room Balcony


"How's the scar on your chest been healing?" Shiki gave Lucrecia a show of concern.

"About as good as it gets. You wanted to talk?" Lucrecia sighed.

It was an off-day, neither number 2 no number 4 had been given an assignment today. This seemed to be the master's way of giving them more than enough downtime to really process the words he delivered recently regarding his departure. As Shiki looked just over the balcony, Saebyeolbe had yet to return, Reforge was also missing and likely went after him.

"There's a lot of unrest. The master's running out of time before he vanishes completely...you prepared to take everything on when he's-"

"Shiki." Lucrecia stopped her as she was visibly squeezing the railing over the balcony, "Even if what the master said is true...he wouldn't just...disappear...not without saying a word."

Shiki thumbed through her thoughts, her arms came unfolded as she pressed her hand to Recia's shoulder, "It's best we not be naive about what he means. His prophecy said as much, we should start thinking about what to do once he's-"

"Gone right?" Lucrecia sighed, "Like roles? Specific missions to complete whilst he's in limbo somewhere...that doesn't sound very astute."

Lucrecia was looking out at the sun as she was collecting her thoughts, "I've been thinking about what we're all doing here lately...the master felt it was vital for Luxu to nearly kill me and Jay...It just raises flags for me. Makes me angry."

Naturally Shiki was well aware of Lucrecia's short temper and even shorter stature. She understand there needed to be a certain finesse with which she delivered her intentions. "Recia...will you at least hear me out?" Shiki pleaded.

Lucrecia's eyes opened and she gave her a nod, "You've got a plan I take it?"

"It's about the traitor the master mentioned..." Shiki gave pause and her eyes hovered over her for a moment. "It could be that I'm a little too inquisitive for my own good sometimes, but I've considered there largely isn't a traitor at all."

Lucrecia sighed, "Didn't he say in the very beginning...that a betrayer is the one fit to lead." she unbuttoned her shirt and revealed the "IV" under he left shoulder and the scar line threading just to the right of it. "If this tattoo ever fades, then it means we broke the rules given to us."

"
Don't talk to me with optimism when everyone already suspects him. Tch.." she turned her back and stared at the sliding door, "Listen Shiki. The Master seems to know all of us very well, for years of our lives. If he says there's going to be a traitor...I have no reason to doubt his words. I trust that man. We're looking at tougher times in his absence, but i'll try to be as supportive as I can."

"Don't casts your doubts just yet Recia." Shiki pleaded, "There's a lot that's yet to happen, just keep an open mind is all I ask."



The Dorms; Lobby

"Eth...surely you've some input on the Master's...less than graceful statements of his imminent death."

You could hear footsteps from the floor above, Lucrecia and Shiki stopped as they looked down. Iontis was sitting across from Eth in the lobby, it appeared as though they were openly sharing their thoughts. Eth leaned forward and gave as neutral an expression as ever before he tapped the shoulder of the chair.

"We stick the roles we were given. It's our duty afterall." cold and calculated words. "The Master's spoke to us in length of the prophecy for as long as we can recall, there's no reason not to acknowledge it's accuracy, the thirteen of us were apart of it after all."

Iontis furrowed his brow, "...and what about the traitor?"

"Is your tattoo still located on your body? I'd say if it remains, you've nothing to concern yourself with." he opened his left eye and the "0" illuminated for a brief instant.

Iontis checked his right forearm and the VII was there. Lucrecia sighed again and rather deeply as she stood at the top of the staircase. "It's already started Shiki...the Master's still here, but the unrest is only going to build up from here on out."

Shiki had a bit of a pensive expression, the two below continued to talk. "Let's keep listening."

"I'm curious Eth. Who do you think the traitor is?" Iontis inquired leaning forward.

"I don't think there's a traitor at all Iontis. I feel like that scenario would be more possible if none of us knew each other, but knew the master. Imagine having to bare the scorn of your comrades you know intimately, it's possible you'll find yourself going against betraying the group. No matter how frustrated one becomes with everything that could potentially happen." Eth curbed his optimism a bit, but it was his honest take on the question.

"You don't even doubt the obvious-"

"I don't look for reasons to pin blame Iontis. You have to understand how dangerous your hubris and emotions can be when someone you don't have the best relationship with garners a lot of suspicion. If you act rashly without seeking to understand, you'll end up regretting the actions you'll take off sheer reaction alone."

Iontis folded his fingers laced as he gripped his palms. He was naturally a lone-wolf type, so he did seek to understand quite often, if not for Midna being his partner...he'd probably fully succumb to this idea to throwing all the blame to one person. His heart softened, and he thought of Midna before he spoke.

"You're right Eth. I wouldn't want to suspect any of you, especially not Midna. She's been a real saving grace for me, I'm sure Shiki and Saebyeolbe can say the same for each other also. We've all got our share of stories, but we're comrades like you said. There's no reason for us to go against each other, not willingly."

Eth raised his hand briefly,

"We can always duel one another to mitigate that growing unrest and suspicion while clearly stating the conditions of the duel beforehand."

Lucrecia was staring fixated, her teeth were clenched and Shiki's eyes noticed this odd set of expressions. "Everything ok?" Shiki inquired placing her hand on Lucrecia's shoulder.

"No...how is he not afraid..?" Recia shuddered a bit, "We're approaching a period without the Master's guidance, a war is already happening off-world, and he's just...so unusually calm, cool, and collected. Why?"

"You two at the top of the stairs." Eth said turning his head to catch a glimpse of Lucrecia and Shiki. "There is no traitor. Tell our peers, if they suspect someone, challenge them to a duel, set the terms, and utter the incantation. Reaching a consensus of understanding is what we will do over just finger wagging."

"Tch. Like I'm just supposed to listen to you big shot. I appreciate your help with healing this wound, but don't go acting like you're in charge around here!"

The instance with Luxu really rattled her cage more than she'd openly admit. As she pressed her hand against the scar, Eth began to speak.

"I'm sorry for what Luxu did to you Lucrecia." For a split second, there was a slight softness in his tone, "I'd rather we recognize each other as comrades with similar goals and interest than to become one another's enemy. At the very least, that is where my concerns rest."

Lucrecia stormed off towards her room, and Shiki followed after her out of concern.

"I see that you're absolutely serious here then." Iontis folded his hands and thought a bit more. "No matter what happens then, if we have those feelings towards each other, we can settle things diplomatically or with a duel. I'll pass that on."

Iontis rises from his chair and promptly excuses himself from the lobby out the main door. He left Eth there alone to ponder in silence, already starting to sense a pattern in everyone's behavior as of late. It should surprise no one to have a morale blow suffered in baring knews of the master's eventual parting.

"First Try, then Yamato, now Saebyeolbe, Iontis, and even Lucrecia's unease. What are you going to do master...when all of this is said and done. What will you do?"
 

Ðari

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Memory Fragment: 70.8 [Luxu, Komaeda, Midna]
Location: The Dorms; The Kitchen
Time: 9PM





In a move that surprised a few of them, everyone had drawn their straws. This time the three to wash, rinse, and dry were none other than Luxu, Komaeda, and Midna. For, easily the three that quite honestly haven't engaged with one another on in every combination outside of a large group setting. As Luxu removed his gloves and rolled back part of his coat, he sank his hands into the soapy water and feed the plates into his side of the sink.

"Worried? As if." Luxu snarked as he scrubbed, "This place has felt like a ghost town since the news blew everyone off kilter. Gotta say, it ain't lookin' good right about now."

Komaeda received the plate and ran it under the lukewarm water to feel for any specs. "Your asking me? Dear Luxu, you're making me blush, I didn't know you cared for my input" Nagito's face was beaming as he held his cheek through his sleeve. "The master in so many words gave some of us some important jobs. It'd be a shame if any disappointing results came as a result of this newfound sense of responsibility."

He handed the plate to Midna and smiled. "Nagi. Have some faith!" she swiped some of the foam from luxu's sink and plastered it in Nagito's faith.

"Hahahaha, i like your spirit Mini." Luxu snickered further, "It's Midna not Mini!" she was fully prepared to lather his face with soap and bubbles.

"Is that even your real name?" Nagito was wiping the foam from his face and continued, "Surely you trust us at this point to tell us what you real name is, mmm?"

"Nagi...no one here asks you why you have a first name and surname, it's Midna til I feel I can tell you all my real name."

"Yikes." Luxu said handing Nagito two plates, "May want to dial it down, she looks feistier than usual tonight."

Nagito shrugged, "Its funny how you'll deflect a simple question, compounding that even after all this time you still don't trust us? I can only imagine why that is." he rubbed his shoulder briefly, "Going off that, I'm sure the only one that knows is the Master and well...I doubt even Iontis knows your name."

"Th-that's...erm...." he wasn't wrong in this instance, "
Eventually." she said

Nagito quietly handed her the last let of plates to dry before he turned off the running water in the second sink for rinsing. This was a bit of a departure from his usual form of conduct and banter, but there was no better opportunity than now.

"You gonna ditch us too, Luxu?" he said as he was drying his hands with the cloth. Midna's reaction was sudden as she turned giving him a concerning look at what he just asked. "Nagito! How could you even ask such a thing!"

"He's not obligated to answer me, but I'll never back down from my curiosity." that usual grin formed on his face.

"You'll just have to wait and find out, roles are as good as rules. What line did the old man give you huh? May your heart be your guiding key? As if."

Luxu had no further inquiries, it'd be a slow waltz once things resumed as the master had foreseen them. Long as everyone stuck to the roles they were given, you didn't really have to worry about doubting anyone in this happy little flock. The dishes had all been taken care of, and it was now only Nagito and Midna left standing in the kitchen.

"Midna." He turned a gave a close-eyed smile, "Do you think I'm a traitor?" he asked such a bombshell question with ease.

She trembled a bit at the thought, a natural fit of hesitation overtook her, before she took a deep breath and exhaled. "No....and while you can be odd at times, I don't have a reason to distrust you or even look at you as a traitor."

"I'm glad you see the best in people if nothing else, don't ever change that about yourself."
 

Ðari

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Special Memory: Departure [All]
Location: Destiny Islands; Mainland
Time: 7PM






The Master rose his hands with a fit of joy as he stood on the edge of plateau. It was a rare sight for him to be with all of his protege in a place fit for recreation and to relax. The nostalgia had overtaken him, if only brief he started to reflect on his experience from his far and distant past.

"I'm sure you've all got many, many questions for me, so i'll get straight to the point." he turned and placed his hands on his hips leaning with is back arched forward sternly. "My wonderful resolutes. This will be our last meeting together. Here on the Destiny Islands calming winds and soft flowing waters."

Faces were twisting, tight with emotion across a fair amount of them, even Eth's stern and collected looking wavered in his eyes with a reflection of a tear forming on the other side. They had to contain their outbursts from here, as he was far from finished giving them his final parting words.

"Easy now. Things will only get more difficult from here on out, believe you me, I've seen my share of prophecy oh boy!" he ran his gloved hand under his nose from beneath his hood. "One by one over the course of time since I announced the truth to you. I began assigning each of you roles. Truthfully, only the upper six of you were entrusted with a double-edged sword. I didn't make this decision lightly, and I didn't undervalue the remainder of you either."

He released a light sigh as he stretched his arms to the sky to unravel the kinks.

"Support them as your heart guides you in the decisions you make going forward. I'll debrief myself after addressing you all, but I need to say one thing first." he turned his head all the way to the left looking directly at Luxu, "My direct successor, Luxu, will serve as my eyes from beyond the end of time. I understand you will keep watch over them, even if that requires you to be at a distance, you will be near, always."

Luxu gave a stern nod, "Yes Master. As if I'd just let them offtrack."

"Master what do you mean by that! He hasn't even tried to--" Saebyeolbe interjected.

"Trust each other. Understand?" The master stroked Saebyeolbe's head, "It's not an order, it's not a condition, but it's more of a request from a dearly beloved friend."

Despite not being able to see his face, they could all tell the master was smiling as he rested Sae in his arms who clutched extremely tight and started to sob as he was being held. The chain reaction coming from Resolute #1 prompted an ocean of emotions to flow over the group. Shiki fidgeted to attempt to keep her composure standing right next to them as the reverb was starting to rustle the sand from Try who was just to her left, the inside of her helmet fogged with streams of tears trickling down her neck onto her red suit. A burst of sobbing came from Reforge and Yamato, as Midna quietly was holding her hand to her mouth sobbing and Iontis too, cried.

"Hey now, come on, no crying everyone. You're going to be fine, lean on each other just as you've had to lean on your partner, extend that towards each other from here on out."

"It's kinda hard for us not to react this way master." Komaeda spoke, "You've been there for each and everyone of us in some way, many steps of the way for a good part of our lives. How could we ever prepare ourselves to lose you?"

Komaeda may have been speaking calming, but the tears flowed all the same. Even him, the most unorthodox and difficult to read among them had tears billowing out before his face tightened the same as the others. That smile was worn with a strain, as his face quickly wrinkled into a sorrowed expression awry with anguish.

"I promise...I'll come find you at the end of days...no what hell awaits...no matter what it takes!" he was trembling with a well of different emotions, starting to sniffle, "...That alright with you? Master..!!"

It move the Master significantly, he didn't forsee any of these words being spoken by Nagito. A smile formed, as he collected his thoughts while still holding a sobbing Saebyeolbe, and the others were starting to completely break in their composure outside of just a few key resolutes, still having a different time with it. He reached over and placed his messy head beneath his arm and clutched him together with Sae.

"You're more reliable than you've given yourself credit for. A guy who'd throw his own life away to save another, no matter how unhinged in temperament, has proven their trust."

These words unknowingly would be repeated to him in the future. Eth stared sharply as if this was unconsciously being engraved into his heart. The others began to collapse onto the master in droves placing their arms around their dearly beloved master and long-time companion.

"Please don't leave us..!"
"You can't go, what are you thinking old man!"
"Don't go anywhere...please!"
"Master..!!!"

The tears were visible on Shiki's face now. You could see the trails of crystal beads threading from her eyes as she quivered at the sight of everyone. Still beside Eth, before breaking away from him to clutch the master. Eth stood there, processing it all, as the Master started to slowly illuminate, looks like he really was at the end of his rope. Now wasn't the time to have any regrets, but Eth stood there searching for the right and most appropriate words, his composure and commitment to being level-headed throughout would forever remain in their memories.

"What do you want me to say Master...it seemed like an unavoidable fate for you and you entrusted us with...your very life. How is one supposed to feel...knowing this? It's overwhelming." he released a sigh. "As we discussed before hand, I will do as you have dutifully instilled in me. Plan for every contingency. Explore every option. Look out for each other...but most importantly."

Eth raised his head and stared at the master mouthing something inaudible as the others collective sobbing drowned out what he said. The master's brow twitched, almost in a negative response to his departure, what did he learn in the first year that would lead him to say such a thing? At a pivotal moment such as this, the single tear from Eth's left eye fell, and he joined them and clutched the master as well.

"You're all going to do great. I'm sorry I couldn't stay any longer, but I've reached the end of my life." He gave one final clutch across the entire group, "I love each and everyone of you. Thank you, for loving me."

The sobs grew more thoroughly pained and anguished than he was prepared for.

"Lets meet again, at The End of Time. I'll explain everything there, til then...Goodbye my friends."

His light defragmented and scattered into the wind. The group left to stand there, now clutching each other and grieving as a collective. The ripples of emotions swelling out of control here on the islands, with the sounds of the ocean washing away and muffling their sobs. The children that often gathered here were now looking oddly at them trying to make sense of their cries.

"Adults are so weird..." one of them said.

"One of their friends disappeared. Wouldn't you be sad if I disappeared one day?" the other child said.

"Tha-that's no fair!! You know I would be devastated if it was you...maybe it's not weird ok..."
 

Ðari

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Memory Fragment: The Melancholy 1 [Try, Saebyeolbe, Iontis, Yamato, Lucrecia, Eth]
Location: The Dorms; Master's Study
Time: 10AM





Five of them had gathered in the Master's Study. Saebyeolbe had been sitting at the desk sprawled forward unconscious in a pool of tears as his lip quivered. Quite literally crying himself to sleep, attempts to wake him had proven futile. The others slowly gathered not long after they discovered him, only coming here to of course search for the master himself. The disbelief that he was gone couldn't be shaken in these five, three possessing a duty to fulfill. Though in the wake of their master's departure into the afterlife it left them with a hollowness that couldn't readily be filled.

Yamato clenched his fist, he stared intensely at Saebyeolbe who was passed out laying on a pool of his own tears. It was sickening, pathetic to see such a prideful warrior be reduced to a moping mess in front of him.

"Is that what you're reducing yourself to Sae?" he whispered to himself, Try loomed over the desk and gripped Saebyeolbe by his collar and lifted him. "Hey. Wake up dude." she gave him a light shake, no response at all.

"He's gone you know. So why are you sleeping in here every night then? He isn't coming back don't you get it?"

There was still no response from Sae.

"Are you hearing me you fool? Must I talk louder?" she raised her tone while speaking, "He's....really gone..."

Sae finally raised his hand and gripped Try's wrist with a firm grip to force her to release him. He fell, plopping back into the chair, coughing as he gasped for air. Once he recuperated, he finally broke the silence.

"Do you know where he went?" The first words that came out, "You heard him...he said we'll meet again, so how do we get the End of Time?"

"Huh..? You're asking me? How should I know where that is or even where to star-"

"Then leave me alone Helmet." Sae cut her off and expressed his vehement disinterest immediately.

"Why you...!" almost instinctively Try raised a balled fist and reeled back, Iontis clutched at her wrist and her head turned.

He shook raised his free hand to plead for forgiveness and shook his head to disengage from what she was thinking of doing. "I don't advise you assault him Try. He's really hurt by everything that's happened."

"You just gonna cry and do nothing then?" Lucrecia's fist was shaking, "Saebyeolbe, this isn't like you at all, have some self-respect!"

"Stop talking...all of you. If you're not gon-"

"Shut up and listen to me!" She clutched both of his shoulder and stared at him dead on, "Everyone is hurting...we all just lost our best friend, not just you!" Lucrecia started to get emotional and Sae's eyes broke to resonate with her feelings.

"The master loved us. He trusted us, and delivered us from whatever hell we had to endure prior to meeting each other. So much of our lives can never be repaid to the master. Don't insult him like this..."

Sae didn't look her in the eye, but instead proposed an excuse. "If I knew that the master giving us our resolves would send him to his eventual demise I'd of never accepted it! Now we have to live with the guilt...that WE KILLED HIM. Dammit..!" Sae clutched his head and balled up into the chair in the fetal position.

"Is that what you think?" A voice came from the door to the study as Eth was standing in the threshold. "You think we killed the master Sae? So you'll dismiss the master's feelings entirely and his own decisions then? You're more naive than I realized."

"Stay out of this Eth, I'll be damned if you of all people scold him about emotions."

"Let go of me Lucrecia..." Sae removed her hands from his shoulders and wiped his tears on his sleeves, "H-hey! I'm not done talking to you Sae!"

Sae brushed past the group and Eth stopped him by placing his hand on his shoulder before he attempted to leave.

"What? Are you here to lecture me too...?" his head hung low and he rolled his eyes.

Eth sighed, "Focus on your role. It's what the master would want you to do, abandon this obsession with finding him...you won't like where that road leads you."

Saebyeolbe pushed through and continued down the hall and towards the stairs heading for the front entrance.
 

Ðari

Look at you, armor-less
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Special Memory: Trust Resolute One // One-Winged Angel
Location: The Dorms; Lobby > Training Field #1
Time: 11AM > 4PM





Prelude

It deserves to be stated that the master's goal was for his resolutes to find their own way without his guidance. To follow the suggestions outlined is in truth, what the master did not desire. Trust? What a boring a concept, suspicion and unrest, questioning one's motives and struggles are the very essence of the human heart. To work through these struggles, wouldn't you agree is the more interesting route to go down?

Saebyeolbe was by no means an exception or a hallmark of virtue. His past was always muddied with meddling out of a sense of self-righteous motivation, justly believing that his decisions justified the means he took. In the past Saebyeolbe had completely annihilated an entire empire and fought it's emperor to a stalemate, so what were his motivations? Anger. Retribution. Grief and Sorrow. Cultivated into a spur for power which the master fostered and instilled in him after years of rigorous training. It's easy isn't it, to become consumed in the bravado and revelry of his acts is an easy misconception, but to the more experienced...understanding his layered set of emotions, his disregard, and his awful communication of his pain were for his comrades willing to go the distance to understand him.



The Dorms; Lobby

There were some aggressive footsteps coming down the main hall staircase. It was Sae, undoubtedly in a fit of his own. His emotions were flaring, as if they could actively be felt as a pressure throughout The Dorms. A pattering of footsteps coming from the kitchen, swiftly as they were startled by the pressure.

"Huuuuuh? What's all the commotion about...Sae? Wh-"

He released pressure so intense it immediately knocked Jasmine out.

"Why does no one care about following the master into the after-life...are you really his trusted protege..." Sae was mostly talking to himself, dismissing Jaz as she collapsed right beside the dining room table.

"Saebyeolbe. Thats enough." Eth's voice came from the top of the stairs.

"Can I even trust them...do they even care about the Master...why aren't they trying to find him...?" He was muttering to himself entranced in a delirium. "I'll ask you again...where is the master? Tell me where he is Eth."

The pressure building from his latent emotions he'd been suppressing, much like entropy, was starting to expand as a physical pressure that was weathering the physical objects around the lobby and all rooms connected. Eth stood within a barrier forged in light as he drew a breath to sigh. A counter force billowed out, the slaking of chains producing a neutralizing wave over Saebyeolbe's pressure. She came walking down the side of the lobby from the women's dorms.

"Shiki..." Sae was at a bit of a loss for a split second, "Come with me. Let's go find him! I don't want to continue without his guidance, what are we even doing right now?"

Shiki's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed and she had some resistance twisting in her face. It was hard to see Saebyeolbe like this, she reflected on their conversation they had on his home world that was left in ruin. What more was he just holding in, to go through an outburst of this magnitude.

"Can we not do this right now Sae?" She looked at him straight on as if trying to hold back an urge to convey her melancholy, "...I miss the master too, but he trusted us with something far more important than securing his whereabouts."

Saebyeolbe took what looked like a stance of aggression, his face was rife with pain. Even Shiki was resisting the concept of finding their beloved master, it was burning him up inside and his hysteria was reaching an all time high. The power welling up inside of him was starting to shake the foundation of The Lobby, pillars were cracking and glasses were smashing onto the floor from the end tables.

"..........." he looked at Eth and asked something. "Eth. Duel me. If I win, you'll take me to the master."

Eth shook his head, "And when you lose, you must agree to my exact conditions which I will announce at that time."

"Lose...? Hah.....hahahahahahahaha! Me? Right...training field #1 in five hours." Sae's overwhelming pressure softened and his heart rate started to dramatically decrease, "Don't bother backing out. This has been a long time coming for you."

"If I must demonstrate the proper discipline and decorum to you're outrageous conduct and disregard to direct orders, then so be it."

Eth's light washed over the lobby and repaired the cracks, and broken objects within a flash. The brilliance lasted but a moment, before he turned to walk past Shiki whom didn't say anything more. She looked to Eth's back and down to Sae who'd turned his back at nearly the same time and headed towards the front door to wait for Eth at the training field. "I'm sorry Sae..." she rushed down the stairs to go tend to Jasmine who'd passed out from Sae's initial burst of pressure.

His ears perked, faintly catching her apology as the doors closed behind him. Sae clutched his heart and he trembled, there was no turning back now, he'd just have to push the sharpness of his double-edged sword down. His love and admiration for the master was paramount, it hurt him gravely to even consider the possibility he's no longer with him. Eth and Shiki deemed this course of action as irrational, self-indulgent, and dismissive of his comrades feelings surrounding the situation. It seemed only appropriate to live within your own woes...as a means to distance yourself from the pain of the rest of the group, it'd be too much of a burden to bare...and this course of action is the exact opposite of the role Saebyeolbe was given and he bordered on a knifes edge of a taboo that'd prove irreversible.



The Dorms; Training Field #1

It came. The soft cracking of thunder.

Sae was standing in wait taking a honing stone to his Alabaster. This was a much different environment from the one he'd been accustomed to, no advisory for his usual recklessness, just to be left to it til he either died or it consumed him. If Saebyeolbe was being brutally honest, he'd mean to test his strength against either Luxu or Eth for the better half of a year and then some. Often asking himself, what did it really mean to be a warrior resolute? Surely there wasn't another among them that thought this way.

"You're here." Sae raised his head and placed the honing stone in a pouch strapped to his thigh. His eyes widened, the entire band of resolutes, Luxu included had come behind Eth, "An audience? What are you playing at here, Zero?"

"You'll have your Duel Saebyeolbe, but for the sake of transparency, our comrades have a right to be informed of conflict between one another of this magnitude." Eth daintily rubbed his temple, while clutching. his umbrella. "Quite frankly, I don't wish to do this to you at all. We've all noticed your rapid change in temperament since the master informed he was nearing the end of his life."

"That's all the more reason to chase after him, if you're just going to validate my concerns, why are you hesitant to help me?!" Sae snapped, gripping Alabaster tight.

"Do you even know everyone's names?" Eth raised a finger and inquired.

"Everyone's...names...? What. What the hell are you talking about, of course i know their names."

"Then What's Resolute 10's name."

Midna was quiet. She couldn't recall ever having a single conversation with Saebyeolbe, but being that he'd been the talk of the group for some time now, knowing of him was a walk in the park. There was a stuttering shutdown that soon hit Saebyeolbe, he couldn't answer Eth's question; he'd look like an utter fool for having absolutely no idea what her name is.

"Silence? About what I expected. You're headstrong, stubborn, extremely selfish, and you make decisions on behalf of others without ever once consorting with them beforehand. In a nutshell, you haven't tried to understand any of us, and that makes you a liability to your comrades."

Eth was cruel, his cold words cut Saebyeolbe to ribbons when he was already in pieces emotionally with grief.

"What do you even know about me you arrogant heartless prick. Getting on your high horse and looking down on everyone like you've always done, who really doesn't know anything about any of us."

Eth held out a crystal ball, "You already forgot then." he took a breath, "I came to Try's aid on the lowest level of the realm of darkness. I mended Lucrecia and Jasmine/Jason's wounds from their lesson with Luxu. I even stopped a bullet from going through Komaeda's head around the time we first met."

He'd put the crystal ball away and purged Ethernal into his grasp. "Now I'm trying to prevent you, from making a fatal mistake from which you can't recover. Why? It's what the master would wish for anyone of us to do, so i'll honor my beloved master the only way I know how."

Was this really Saebyeolbe's true nature? He'd done well to conceal it behind a smile, but there was certainly an overflow of pain there long before even meeting the others. One had to consider that it was extremely likely he'd never really truly recovered from emotional trauma tethered to his past. The problem arose when he made zero efforts to connect and talk about these things, something he was notorious for which unfortunately prompted the others pry and pry more so than they would've liked.

"Lets just get this done. What are the terms?" he sternly asked

"No resolves. We'll duel with only-"

"I refuse. We use our resolves under the clause for training exercises. Don't take pity on me Zero. Thats what you're thinking isn't it?"

"Very well. The result would be the same with or without it, but I'll go along with your request Saebyeolbe."

"What can a specialist do against a brawler in terms of raw power and speed? No matter how you lay everything out, I'm going to overpower you." Sae spoke confidently.

"Then the terms. If you win?"

"If I win, you'll support my aspirations for finding the master immediately. He said to meet him at the end of time, then lets go looking for him!" Sae proclaimed as if were some manner of excited child.

"Alright, but if I win you'll abandon this obsession. You're to return to the dorms and assist myself and your comrades in dealing with the the current state of the worlds and further examine Arcadia's current crisis."

"It's a deal." he hastily extended his hand to shake Eth's, "Faster we get this done, the sooner we can begin our search party."

"I sincerely hope you'll be fine with an outcome where you potentially lose Saebyeolbe..." Eth urged caution as he entered the field.


The remaining resolutes seemed to circle from the sidelines watching with eyes and hearts fixed on their comrades. Saebyeolbe had a firm grip on his Alabaster as he was fully prepared to engage with everything in his kit. To be honest, battles of attrition that were based on endurance where the battles he could win for certain. He'd never actually seen Eth's style of combat, but being that he was specialist alongside Lucrecia and Komaeda, there had to be some manner of unique skill set he possessed. He was only now realizing he didn't really know "what" manner of resolve Eth even had.

Hesitation didn't win battles or wars. Sae's pressure was far from refined, it was enough to knock out Jaz sure, but Eth was unbothered as he had a tempered resolve, his expression was unflinching. It made Sae more nervous than he'd ever been, but he was a specialist, a largely resolve specific combat style that didn't hinge on Casts, Traps, or hand to hand. Surely, it would be a cake walk as Sae had originally assumed, taking to his battle stance.

Eth dismissed Ethernal, purging a sword of light in the respective hand.

"128 Blade Dance." Eth uttered, as he purged one-hundred and twenty seven complimenting blades into existence simultaneously. "Since its you, there's no reason to hold back."

Sae's fear started to bleed into his pressure being released immensely. The single blade that Eth held, in a two handed manner was sheathed, the blades started to merge, light flooding inward to combine with the single blade dramatically amplifying it's lethality.

"Stop." Eth uttered, time slowing to a halt, as he moved and swiped only once, "Resume."

Sae's motor senses finally caught up seeing a white line across his chest, as he could physically feel one-hundred and twenty eight cuts instantaneously. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Reverse-Loop" Eth snapped his finger, creating a time dial under Sae, instantly reversing the injury to then restart the cut over again.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Again." He snapped his fingers and lit him up a third time. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

That made for three-hundred and eighty-four slashes in total. Eth merely initiated the attack a single time, reversed the physical damage alone, and reapplied it while time flowed in regular intervals. Naturally he understood everything that was happening as it was happening, but the immense strain being put on Saebyeolbe's psyche was more or less the goal of this session. As Sae finally collapsed and fell forward, without suffering a single injury to speak of, Resolute One lay there unconscious on the field. Steam was resonating, leaving's Sae's mouth, his body was much warmer than usual and he had goosebumps from head to toe. It felt (to Saebyeolbe) that every single one of his cells had been erroneously over stimulated surpassing his immensely large threshold for pain, and he paused out to due to a dramatic increase in his basal body temperature. Once more, no injuries, but Eth under no circumstances could negate the overstimulation that occurred to Sae's body and cells with the application and removal of his attack.

Eth turned to lift Sae's unconscious form up and mounted him on his back.

"What just...happened?" the first question as the others looked on, they could only see Eth move from one spot to another and then Saebyeolbe collapsed. It was as if there were deliberate holes in their memory, appearing as if a time-lapse happened and they skipped to the end without seeing the battle take place. Sae's body was totally fine, but the physical trauma endured from the repeated attacks was something Eth's innate skill had no effect on, needless to say the physical trauma was an entirely different memory that his body would never forget.

"We begin making preparations for resuming our intended roles tomorrow, remember the terms we agreed upon. Saebyeolbe." Eth said speaking to the unconscious Sae as it finally started to rain on Training Field One.
 

Ðari

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Memory Fragment: Hard Reset [All]
Location: The Dorms; Master's Study
Time: 2PM





It'd been roughly a week since the instance where Saebyeolbe had challenged Eth and it resulted in a one-sided affair. Spending that time in the infirmary for half a day was about all he needed to cool off from overheating. It was still a mystery to the group what exactly even happened, and Eth provided no such clarity to them on the methods he used for a near instantaneous takedown. With all that being said, he called a meeting at that time, a week in advance to announce something important to them.

Coming through the door with a binder in his hand he closed the door behind him and motioned over to the Master's desk and sat behind it. The tension could be felt from every resolute present, truthfully it'd been some time since anyone unanimously agreed to sit with each other outside of the dining hall. The lamenting however would be brought to a shattering new resolution after today.

"I'm glad you all are present, even you Luxu." Eth gave a frigid wave to his partner, "Lets get started."

Eth opened the binder and began going through it transparency by transparency.

"I'm sure you've all been wondering what our next steps are with the master's departure, and really it's fairly simple." he raised his head and looked out at the rest of them with his solid and cold eyes, "We will be revising the balance of our two-man teams and be making three-man squads based on an existing hierarchy the master created before departing."

"What...hierarchy?" Sae muttered confused

"The master wouldn't divide us like that would he?" Jay was just as perplexed

"
This is a complete crock, no way that's what he wants us to do! YOUR LYING ZERO!" Yamato's outrage seemed the most authentic reaction thus far.




He placed the transparency on the projector, it even had the master's decal in the bottom corner. There was no mistaking it, this was indeed the master's doing.

"We were being graded this entire time. By the looks of it, the master found some inconsistencies in two-man team strength and devised we actively rank resolutes independent of whatever their "numbered" resolve is." He placed a glowing sword above where the projector sat. "The categories are as follows."


  • Social Aptitude - Your ability to connect and create synergies, stratagem, and trust with others
  • Mission Completion% - Scoring based on the overall number of successful missions completed
  • Resolve Mastery - Ones innate skill to use their resolves flawlessly as an extension of themselves
  • Combat Ability - Resolutes fighting style, use of physical skills, excelling in the midst of danger
  • Reactability/Prudence - Receiving information of danger and using the most cohesive decision-making
"There's only one resolute that got perfect scores." Eth eyes moved over to the corner of the room, "Shiki is the best in class."

"Whoa. Wasn't expecting that curve ball old man, holy shit." Luxu had the jitters

"Me..?" Shiki pointed to herself, firmly holding her composure, "Is that really the case...?"

Eth nodded, "Based on all of the data he collected from this group, Shiki received perfect marks across every category, ousting her as the prodigy of this group of twelve. The rest of us were scored and placed into tiers, here is what that list looks like."

Tier I - Top of Class

  • Shiki 5/5
  • Eth 4.5/5
  • Iontis 4.5/5
Tier II - High Class
  • Try 4/5
  • Saebyeolbe 4/5
  • Reforge 4/5
Tier III - Mid Class
  • Yamato 3.5/5
  • Luxu 3.5/5
  • Midna 3.5/5

Tier IV - Bottom of Class
  • Komaeda 2/5
  • Jay/Jaz 2/5
  • Lucrecia 2/5
-MoM

Everyone was staring at the board looking utterly confused, some were even flattered. It didn't matter to Eth either way, this was the truth and it was up to his comrades to accept it or don't, he only was focused on delivering this message in full. There was a critical stipulation, the three top were going to be paired with the bottom of class, 1 to 1 no matter what happened. It was outlined in his plans. As Eth continued to go through the binder, he could see the final decision the master reached clear as day.

"The master showed us where we rank, now here are the teams he chose. 3-man teams, four of them in total."

Team 1

Shiki
Komaeda
Try

Team 2
Eth
Lucrecia
Saebyeolbe

Team 3
Iontis
Jay/Jaz
Luxu

Team 4
Reforge
Yamato
Midna

-MoM

Eyes quickly started to shift around the room looking at this new set of teams born in the post-departure of their master who'd originally divided them into six pairs. The level of unease only seemed to increase, but his will was something that could result in forfeiting their resolve. It was evident that this lot, understood this principle and core foundation better than anything they'd dealt with thus far.

"Question." Komaeda raised his hand, "Whats the deal with that fourth team? When you do the math they don't have a top class to support them."

"It's almost as if the master knew you would ask that Nagito." Eth said placing a different transparency on the projector.

"Team 4 will be made up of the remainder that are moderately well-rounded between tiers II and III. Teams 1 - 3 will each have a top of class and bottom of class resolute to assist in developing the bottom class, order there on out was completely random." - MoM

Eth turned the projector off and removed the transparency. "In other words, Shiki, Iontis, Reforge, and myself are your new captains. The writing is on the wall, we will resume active operations to eliminate the X-series heartless and to balance the volatile war environment in Arcadia."

"Heh, as if. The old man never fails to keep things interesting even now." Luxu grinned looking at Iontis from across the room, "I'll be waiting on orders in the meantime. We done here Zero?"

Eth nodded, and Luxu departed from the room. Eth looked over to Lucrecia and Saebyeolbe and gave the two of them a wave.
 

Ðari

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Memory Fragment: 73.4 [Shiki, Komaeda, Try]
Location: Arcadia; Castletown
Time: 11AM





A mortar dropped right in the thick of the a town, blasting away a residents home to hell and back. Soot singed from the debris, and there were sounds of coughing. Footsteps were shuffling out, as empire soldiers with the emblems emblazoned on green bandanas tied around the soldiers wrists.

Try stood up, holding the tail end of our uniform...again.

"Mind telling me why I have to wear this get up...AGAIN...maids are so overrated." The reflection of Shiki in maid uniform was sheen in Try's helmet, "Disguises are necessary, we talked about this Try."

"You couldn't just give me a Tavern job as a waitress huh? Had to be a fricken maid..!"

"You'd of been in an apron one way or another." Komaeda shrugged, also dressed as a maid for the second time, "Ahem." he pointed at Shiki's bust

"You're setting the bar awfully high here captain."

"W-Wh-WHAT!? Hey stop saying weird stuff to her." Try covered her own bust as Shiki sighed, "If you're done having your fun, do I need to explain why we're here again." Shiki scratched her head but smiled fondly.

Below.

"Anja what are you doing?! Move your feet!" A young boy wielding tonfas was dashing around the mortar flames, "Slow down Derrick! I think we lost him." the young wanna trailed through the smoke clouds behind him.

"RRRRGGGGHHHH, what pest!" a voice boomed through the smoke, "Haruka sir! They're heading for the alleyway."

"Shit we've been narked, run!"

Mortars were going off as they bolted through the town at full speed. It felt like something out of a chase scene without the dramatic music. The tears fueled by racing anxiety and alot of screaming left the throats of Derrick and Anyja as they barreled through the streets in a complete panic.

"What the hell did you even steal from him??" Anyja shouted at him as she bolted just as fast.

Derrick dangled a set of jail-keys in front of Anyja, "Gotta bust out Capell and Concordia somehow right?" he swirled the keys on his tonfas and came to a crashing halt. "Shit shit shit! Dead end! Turn ar-"

"Nice little stunt you pulled there, rebel scum." A man with towering presence clapped his hands, "Whoa...this guys the real deal. Careful Anyja." Derrick said placing himself in front of her and the wall as his eyes were searching for any break in position and potential escape route.

Guns were pointed in the corner facing the alley's wall, red dot laser sights were painting locked targets on the two rebel teens. It seemed like they'd soon be taken into to custody by Commander Clement's patrol force.

Above.

"What's with all the explosions?" Try inquired, "
Looks like they've got a shooting range going on down there."

Nagi folded his arms, "Orders?" looking to Shiki as she was adjusting her apron, "We create a screen and i'll drop chains for those two to flee to the rooftop."

"Wait wait wait, you mean we're actually DOING something like meddling? No way." Try was befuddled, every order prior was basically the opposite set of instructions.

Nagi smiled in kind. "Your not as bad as I thought captain. I'll let them borrow some of my luck."

Serendipity purged into his hand and he closed both eyes, sealing himself up in the sphere of light. The soldier's heads from down below all of their heads jerked up captivated by the radiance Nagito emitted. Try kicked a canister off the rooftop, and it dropped right in the middle of the soldiers, emitting a smokescreen rapidly flooding the alleyway. Chains dangled downward, forming a climbable structure for the two rebels to disembark from their careless cornering.

Through the coughing and confusion, Clement steadied his hand, "Fire men!" the sound of gunfire and lead leaving empty shells firing into an alleyway that was bereft of rebels. "Blast! Clear the dust men, claim their bodies!"

The shells teetered meagerly to the ground, emptied. The sizzling from the holes left behind could be heard resonating from the wall, but there were no bodies. Clement's rage ignited as a cast a Dark Fira blast that utterly incinerated the wall punching through the other side of the alleyway.





"What a relief." Shiki said patting Nagito and Try on their heads.

"Whats this then?" A voice projected from behind them as they'd entered the Castletown during all the gunfire unnoticed. "Black, you sensed something unusual over here? I see only maids."

"The light that blinded the men on the ground came from up here. Peculiar."

"You need somethin'?" Try turned breaking Shiki's touch on her helmet.

"Afternoon loves. This chap'ere is Justice Black, one of my personal mercenaries. And as for Ol' me? Temblin, Garforge. Though the lads call me 'Wolf' Temblin. His highness personal knight and Regional Commanding Officer."

Garforge's armor didn't look too impressive, but there was an air about him that peeled back Shiki more than the other one did.

"
You reek of darkness...yet oddly tempered light...what are you? A Nobody?" Nagito was pinching his nose to feign the scent ebbing off Wolf. "It's so incredibly potent I'm going to throw up."

"Aye, your senses are sharp then? Lets a've a little chat shall we." Wolf strolled over to sit on an air conditioning unit as Justice followed and sat beside him.

"You'll have to give us a few minutes here." Try said turning to towards Shiki and Nagito, "This is nuts, what in the hell??" she said whispering loudly behind the helmet.

"I've only ever heard rumors about him, he's basically this world's Vanguard leader and highest military seat. Doesn't explain why he's randomly out and about worrying about a couple maid hands." Shiki's eyes averted, looking frantically for Nagito.

Nagito had sat beside him.


WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?!
WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING!?


Was the unthinkable already here? Nagito was staring at Justice small cube, muttering things about cause and effect to himself. "I'll test my luck today sure, what is it you'd like to know Mr. Wolf?"

"
Aye that's the spirit. For starters, what are you doing in the middle of a firing line?"

"Bad luck I'm afraid, our cleaning duties lead us to tend to hanging the laundry behind us to dry. We heard the gunshots below and took cover behind the door. Then along came you both."

"I see lad." Wolf gave a firm nod of his head and gave Nagito a smile, he tapped his shoulder and stood up. "One more question, why is that woman branded?"

Shiki's eyes shrank, nearly forgetting about the "II" on her neck, exposed. 'Shit!'

"Oh that? It's how Lady Ryoko keeps track of us. Numbers over names, easier to remember." Nagito revealed the "V" on his left upper thigh without hesitation.

There was an unreasonable amount of fidgeting coming from Shiki, Try couldn't help but notice. It was also prompting more indecent movement than she was used to seeing. Reaching to steady her shoulder while looking away, "Try to relax, your getting on my nerves and then some."

"Lord Wolf." Shiki bowed curtly, "We simply must return to our detail."

Wolf and Justice began moving towards the door, "Lets not dilly dally Justice."

"Sir." Justice thumbed behind as Wolf raised his hand, "If any of you find a loud, jubilant young child that gives out nicknames carelessly, tell him his younger brother misses him dearly. His name is Reforge."

With that, the two of them vanished into the doorway and that incredible set of pressure waned within mere minutes. The footsteps of the soldiers below them had all but dispersed to look for the rebels that fled. Even in chaos, there was some order kept within the capital streets. The three of them huddled around each other, all thinking the same exact thing when he was brought up. A monster like that was the younger brother to their comrade? Surely...

"Wasn't expecting to get that kind of news. So Ref's little brother is the strongest military seat on the most volatile world at present? What a nice little surprise..." Komaeda's palms where shaking as he clutched at his knees.

"Hey Nagito." Shiki clutched his head with a look of ire in her eyes, "Don't be so hasty next time."

He felt a cold sweat bead down his neck as he looked her in the eyes nervously.

"Can I take off this ridiculous uniform already..." Try sighed, "Not in front of me you will."

"Yet another perverted joke, you're insufferable Kommy."

"What? How the hell was that perverted or a joke? You're taking that way out of context, but I'd expect nothing less."

"You two...are ridiculous!" Shiki started laughing.
 

Ðari

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Memory Fragment: 73.5 [Lucrecia, Saebyeolbe, Eth]
Location: Radiant Garden; Cistern
Time: 1PM





Eth was thumbing through the reports from the Restoration Committee while sitting against the railing. It seemed as though the rate at which the heartless were multiplying hadn't lessoned since the X-series heartless appeared in the Crystal Ravine a ways back. It was troubling to consider the link between the two, they'd yet to encounter any "world altering" effects as outlined in the book of prophecies. He set the transparencies within a separate binder and closed everything up, stashing it into his inventory.

"We may be staying the night. If these reports are anything to go by, we should be expecting the appearance of a heartless-class we've never encountered before."

"Heartless...class?" Lucrecia prodded with inquiry, "Pureblood...Emblem...X-series...you're saying theres yet another category...? Explain yourself."

Sae had be lingering at the top of one of the steel supports perched between the path to the crystal ravine, and in between the castle dam. Alabaster was clutched between his knees, as his keen hearing was listening to the conversation the two were exchanging below.

"Your talking about the World Ender Class of heartless aren't you?" Sae intervened before jumping from his perch. "In our teachings master spoke of a class of heartless that could dramatically alter the world with their mere presence alone."

"
Astute answer Saebyeolbe." Eth complimented him, "There's no reason to think as a collective, all, are not linked. With how the X-series heartless have been making calculated appearances, this is the first time in history we've had to deal with sentient heartless that aren't a case the same as the Seeker of Darkness."

"Was there any condition to even provoke such a heartless to appear? Aren't these world protected by a manner of over-arching barrier to repel heartless of such a scale?" Lucrecia tapped the rail, "Even the Crystal Ravine isn't suddenly overrun with Darksides or Behemoths willy-nilly."

"Portals of darkness in nature are usually small. If they could bring an army here the size of a legion at the drop of a hat, it would've likely happened already. That goes for any single one of the worlds mind you." Sae rubbed his chin, "What keeps the walls strong? Any guesses?"

Lucrecia looked at Sae, "You're asking me? I haven't the foggiest, I'm sure the world is disconnected from others via a keyhole being sealed if I had to legitimately guess."

Eth was strangely quiet, buried in the remainder of the report in his hand, "We're talking to you Captain. Any guesses?" he raised his head, "You'd be right in your guess Lucrecia, though even if the bands of darkness are miniscule, collect enough and even the heartless can create a devastatingly large portal while the "barrier" holds."

Sae was staring at Eth, "
Listen Eth, I'm all for certain preventative measures, but if we're going to waste our days on scouting for these hear-" Sae stopped as footsteps barreled onto the scene, the smell of darkness ever vibrant. "Company??"

"What are you doing Rook, move it!" A sharp voice buckled as people in a group of three traversed onto the Cistern in a fit.

"What's with them?" Lucrecia folded her arms and stared, "
...Is that...no way, it can't be her..."

"Hmm?" Sae turned his head, "You know one of them Recia?"

"The small girl, she looks familiar, I feel like i've seen her before..?"

A screen appeared at the other end of the Cistern forming a wall and Eth turned his attention to the small group of three that bolted past them. "A moment of your time." Eth said leaning against the rail, "Care to explain the strong scent of darkness coming off of two of you?"

"Well look at that, you dorks were fumbling around and ran us into a group of vigilantes. Tch, don't go belly up now."

"I-I-I didn't know ok! No one is usually ever up here!" the young girl said in a panic

"Usually. That ain't the case today now is it? T, lets smoke'm."

"With gusto." The man emitted an intense pressure which distorted the Cistern's surrounding area.

Saebyeolbe felt a veritable press of darkness against his skin, his resolve was baked into it so the vibrations were at most an annoyance. Lucrecia had a more noticeable reaction, her body was tensing as she trembled feeling the malice laced into the wave that was sent out. Eth's was more...knee jerk as he clutched his fist tightly. Within this confined space, time stopped flowing, he noticed it immediately, that being said what happened next was extremely unexpected.




The trio mounted a counter-offensive from their side, and Saebyeolbe was the first to react. "Looks like they're gonna try something, eyes up."

Once the smallest of that group summoned a keyblade, the resolute had a completely different look. "Wait. That young woman's a keyblader, hold posi-"

The there was a slather of blood that slaked past Eth's left side, between his elbow, steel severing blood and bone. The young woman seemingly appearing already in a striking position severing his left arm just as his senses picked up on her movement. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, Eth didn't scream but his senses were starting to register the pain and his ears picked up on a shout of his name from his comrades.

"ETH!" Recia shouted forming Diem, to blast the air just in front of him, but the woman weaved out of proximity just as quickly. "They're serious?? Eth what was that, are you ok!?"

"Damn Vi. You didn't have to cut off his arm right off the bat." the other woman prattled on as she wielded her trident. The wall behind them weakened, "He was the one that put up this wall, didn't leave me with much of a choice Cal."

Eth sighed, his light was burning the edges around his severed arm and his gaze frumpled some. His body burned a light-conjuration of working hand as his right arm held onto the severed left. "Never thought I'd say this, but..." Eth's light expanded countering the intensity of the one fellow's darkness based world-shaping effect confined to a space. Time flowed, and a dial appeared at the nub of his arm slowly reconstructing his severed limb from his hand as he was rewinding the injury in real time. "Leave none standing."

"Holy shit! Did he just put his fucking arm back on?? We are NOT fucking with that kind of shit today!"

"No." a jungle of blades of light were circling the area, automatically programed to weave around Saebyeolbe and Lucrecia. "You'll pay for that little stunt in kind."

"Give'm some heartless to fuck around with Trace. We gotta get outta here, NOW!" Cal shouted hearing the prattling of her dark passenger inside her head, "Go!"

The ground rattled, filling with black as shadow and neoshadow alike started to emerge, and quickly get deleted by the blades of light straight through the eyes before they could even fully crawl out. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Sae had jumped over the lot of blade gripping his fist charged with a fire spell, "Crawling Fire!" he shouted throwing his wind up causing a borrow of explosions at their feet, slamming the lot through the barrier with insane force. "Shit! Overkill!"

Lucrecia was already in pursuit breaking through the smoke and cinders. The Noct and Diem were spinning around to blow the smoke away, and to her dismay, the trio of strange travelers had seemingly vanished. "They're not here, there's no portal either..?"

"One of them can transposition instantaneously across short distances. It was likely their doing."

"Damnit. Sorry about that..." Sae scratched his head as he walked over to Eth, "How's the arm?"

"After some extensive checks, it should level out with some light rehab." Eth was already inspecting the area around it, but was more taken aback by a keyblader supporting what looked to be people harboring heartless of some kind? He needed more information to be absolutely sure.

"Hey." Lucrecia's voice was close, as she was holding out Eth's arm and inspecting it, "Don't go too long without letting us look out for you." she grazed the line where he'd originally burned it at the stub.

"I think that's the kind of parlor trick that would only ever work on us once. We've seen it in practice once already." Sae snickered.

Eth held his silence a while longer. He had to give his attention away from those three unidentified assailants and put his focus into his sustained injury. His arm was fine for the time being, and it felt rather insufferable to have Saebyeolbe and Lucrecia both this close to him, it wasn't something that one would surrender themselves to overnight if at all. "Please. Your concern is appreciated, but I'll service my wounds myself." Eth rested his arm free from Lucrecia, "Saebyeolbe can yo-"

"It's Sae. No need to be so formal Eth." his tender smile was radiant, "Besides, Lucrecia's expressing her gratitude."

"Fair enough, Sae." Eth gave him but a humble nod, "I'd really like to research that group from before, might be a clue to how the worlds are supposed to one day collapse from the inside out."
 

Ðari

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Memory Fragment: Unexpected Casualties II [Jay/Jaz, Luxu, Iontis]
Location: Cul-De-Sac; De District Overlook
Time: 1PM





Cul-De-Sac; Brief History

There was something to be said about the Cul-De-Sac as a region. It existed in a similar position neighboring Twilight Town, Castle Oblivion, and The World That Never Was as an in-between world. The population flourished with a handful of adults, teachers, laborers, and few standing figures to run the world's markets and government. The remainder, were children blessed with the integrity and ambitions of the keyblade. It was said this was a region that historically awoke many descendents, the dream eaters who were encapsulated in sleep alongside their Chirithy partners.

As time would persist, their consciousness' would merge and become one. This generation of children that resided within the Cul-De-Sac were however, dealing with the aftermath of a recent disassembling of their world due to their own curiosity. For at the heart of their world lied a church with a door that had been locked for many lifetimes. Their curiosity took hold and they opened that door collectively as a group. These children resided in three factions in each region, Zeal's Call residing in Cul lead by Reforge, Vagrant Oricalcos presiding over De lead by Coralye, and Cult of Creative Kids presiding in Sac lead by Garforge.

This escalation put into motion events that would forever change the world as they knew it. Cul-De-Sac, a three region world had separated into those very same Regions. Cul, De, & Sac. The children to whom were fault for this instance were none other than all three factions. As their home had become disjointed and broken apart, the children were scattered at different parts at random being matched with their rivals and peers. They encountered a myriad of enemy types of varying shapes in size in the heartless and nobody variety. They were also introduced to an elite enemy that identified itself as a "void-heart", a different kind of nobody with a human-esque appearance as well as immense ferocity and power.

It was later learned that faction leader Reforge had a connection established with one of the perpetrators of the very same name. Reforge's origins in particular were revealed that he was some manner of heartless and human hybrid, in a similar vane to Ansem Seeker of Darkness, albeit with a twist. The young faction leader had in the heat of an intense battle gravely wounded an ally and had since been unable to recover faith from his followers and peers alike, blacklisting him as a criminal by the journey's end and resolving their broken home. It was unanimously decided to plaster his face all around the town but only after giving him ample time to depart with all of his things. With the death of Garforge, the Cult's leader, and Coralye left to admin the now collapsed three factions, Reforge's departure from the world to never return was in effect.

It's been several years since this incident, and the small rag-tag band of pre-teens are now full fledged high schoolers in the present day.


Cul-De-Sac; De Overlook
Previously...
[Memory Fragment: Unexpected Casualties]

If you thought it was hell for the dwellers of the Cul-De-Sac in a recent past, well...it would only begin to ramp up further. Recent reports of an anomaly forming in De Overlook had prompted the dispatch of a team of resolutes to effectively subdue the threat. The Master's influence on this world post historical event had left his impress in the form of his living apprentices, to whom visited this world along with him during their tutelage under the master. The children at the time, were now young teens and equally as vigorous and full of life as they'd gathered around the forming anomaly.

"What do you think this thing is? Some kinda portal?" Coralye folded his arms and scratched his head.

"Portal? You been watchin' a little too much Sci-Fi big fella." Ulmara shook her head.

"Can't see anything on the other side of it, or even a proper image of any physical object." Svether rubbed his chin.

There was a patter of foot steps that were heard coming from the other side of the anomaly. A good number of them, before a set of bodies emerged clad in all too familiar armor and emblems. Empire foot-soldiers heralding from Arcadia. A small platoon of about five men plus their commanding officer.

"This seems to be the place General, and by the looks of it." they immediately took notice of the resident teens, "these must be the keyblade children residing here."

"Hey. Your trespassing on our turf." Coralye gave them the side eye, "Turn around and go back."

The teens started to form around him, with an eagerness to scrap, cracking their knuckles like a bunch of thugs rarin' to go.

"Your orders General Capricious?" one of the general's men inquired.

"Do as he says." Caprious replied in kind.

"Hah! Thats what I thought-"

"This is a perfect opportunity for us to study that strange human we captured emitting unusual darkness." Clement snapped his fingers and what looked like a container came through the anomaly as the stood at the top of the bridge. "I
suppose letting it loose here is all the more reason to part with it. Men. Return and seal the way behind us."

There was a quick turn and the footsteps picked up backtracking their way seamlessly through the portal. There was what looked to be a cladded figure standing beside general Capricious. The heartless sigil was emblazoned on it's chest.

"You're free to utterly annihilate them all. Return once you've finished." Clement finished chattering and the anomaly dissipated behind the would be heartless.

"Whatever. One intruder is easier to manage than some stupid troop of adults." Svether stuck his tongue out to taunt to hooded heartless-thing, whatever the hell it was.

"It's rude you know." it spoke for the first time.

"Holy hell? You guys seein' this?? Damn thing said somethin'. Definitely got the heartless emblem on deck, lets show it a light show!" Daemus said with an arrogant smirk.

Their keyblades all seemed to burgeon nearly all at the same time. The clutched as it walked slowly towards the group before they attacked as a mob. It was emitting a black liquid, quickly solidifying into a feint indigo color, freezing the ground as it took steps. Expanding it's territory, the entire ground was blackened and they were stuck in the muck, zero traction.

"What the hell is this gunk? I can barely mo-" Coralye's voice was cut off as a flash freeze happened, instantaneously sealing the group of children into a massive chunk of their human shaped chunks of ice.

That was virtually all of them, frozen in hunks of a what appeared to be a massive blizzaga cast. The darkness billowed out from the heartless figure and you could see at the edge of it, a child that escaped the range of the AoE was stunned. It dusted it's clad to the side and summoned a keyblade, fixated on the child before lunging to clasp against some familiar steel.

"As if." a voice picking up the child, "You really gonna use your bare hands for whatever that is? You really are insane."

It was Iontis holding the intruder at bay with the steel gauntlets from his level 2 armor. There was a notable crack where the invader connected with ample force, clearly they were aiming to brutally injure the child. Jaz has motioned to take care of the frozen children by casting a fire spell that quickly warmed, and melted their icy tombs.

"Whoa..." Ulmara held her head, "I thought I was dead."

The two jumped from their single spot and and began to collide hit for hit across the buildings as the children watched.

"Rrrrrrgh, Damnit Lu Lu, who said you guys had to interfere huh? We had him!"

Luxu shook his head, "What was that just now, a blatant lie? As if. You were all on the verge of death and we snatched you up from the pearly whites just now. How about some gratitude."

"Their still young Luxu, let them brood over this...we should be helping Iontis...!" Jaz asserted, raising her head to the battle moving to the sky.

Iontis clutched the heartless hands, as it was emitting a constant flow of cold. There was a blurry visage behind it, that looked eerily familiar, it didn't seem to form fully however. Pushing away, he summoned his Bahamut Arc, cross-slashing met with steel. The force was tremendous billowing out in all directions. His armor had traits that adapted to all manner of weather and elemental affinities, a single freeze wouldn't be enough to put him down.

"I don't know what you are, but if the Empire's involved, allowing you to escape isn't an option." Iontis gripped his bahamut arc and prepared for their duel.
 

Ðari

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Special Memory: Trust Resolute Seven; All's End (Reveal)
Location: The Dorms; Master's Study > Cul-De-Sac; De District Overlook
Time: 11AM > 4PM






The Dorms; Master's Study (Flashback)

There was a rattling sound in the back of his head. It sounded like some kind of white noise, intensity of the vibrations were racing, getting faster and more profound. The image of what looked to be the Master seemed to flicker into the visage of Iontis mind vaguely speaking before making out something.

"Hey...hey.............HEY!"

His head picked up as he snapped into reality as quickly as he'd left it.

"You alright Iontis?" It was the master's voice. The sound of his clocks from within his office were ticking away, as if he'd blacked out briefly slipping into a low-state of consciousness sitting across from him.

"Oh...apologies master, I must've lost my train of thought." he quaintly apologized.

"So whats up? That worried look on your face is scaring me." The master poked at him in earnest. "Here to ask about the traitor perhaps? Or is it my timeline that your worried about?"

The master's students except for the ones he couldn't really pick up on, were virtually an open book. His enlightened state lead him to lace his fingers as he placed both of his elbows on his desk. Iontis fell silent, both were valid concerns that weighed heavily on his mind.

"It'd serve us better if either piece of information were...unsubstantiated.." he sighed heavily, oozing with discomfort.

"There's an inevitability called fate Iontis. Something i've seen my share of time happen true to form. My lifespan is a product of fate, it cannot be changed and it cannot be altered no matter what reaction based actions are taken in an attempt to stop it."

"Master...!" he stood up alarmed, heart palpitations were fast and stress induced. "You can't talk like that!"

"And I will not allow any of my apprentices to run away from the inevitability of fate. You're are one of my most heavily independent and self-sustaining resolutes, everyone will be looking to you one day when I'm gone for guidance and advice."

He firmly placed a hand on his desk, "It's inevitable. The decision was determined when I gifted my power to all of you. That much was never a mistake, should you have further doubts, be them about me, put them to rest now."

The Master pressed two fingers to pluck his forehead from across his desk as he eased back into the chair.

"Guidance...i've always had a strong preference to work out of sight and out of the way of others. Forcing me to partner with someone, was that your plan?" Iontis rubbed his forehead.

"Easy there tiger, everyone's needs someone to watch their back is all, and out of all the resolutes you could've gotten paired with you got the most resourceful problem-solver of the lot. I wouldn't be complaining, she'll scold you well after I'm gone, future or no future." The master laughed.

"Besides. When are you actually going to put it all on the line for them? It's not just you anymore youngin' there's people to lean on as well as count on and vice-versa. It's time to shake the lone-wolf nature and start working together now more than ever Ion."

The master shook his head and flicked his wrist with a snap.

"Count on..? Everyone is has been pretty individualistic save for Saebyeolbe's constant throwing his body in between others without so much as a word or their consent. If I start behaving like that out of sheer instinct, but all they need to do is stay out of harms way to begin with you'll be ringing my neck Master...!" Iontis advocated his disconcerting opinion regarding teamwork as alledging it does more harm than good in too many scenarios.

"If they just get out of the way no one needs to worry about standing in between myself and taking care of what needs to be handled. I don't look for them to help me if I am more than capable, and they're wasting their time worrying about me, I can fi-"

"Are you even hearing yourself right now Ion??" The master was utterly baffled by his assertion, "Have some sense of respect and acknowledgement for your fellow resolutes. They aren't just going to be there on standby while you try to do everything by yourself, it's almost as if you're admitting you learned absolutely nothing from Midna and your time together. All of you are more than capable as individuals, but your egos are tempered to be sidelined to build trust in another, that's always been the goal. I'd advise you truly think about that, because you don't want to find yourself in a situation where you've yet earned trust when support is something you'll be in dire need of."

He tapped his finger slowly on the desk.

"Remember Iontis. This hypervigilance for your own independence is a risky bet you're placing. Don't let it one day end up sabotaging you..."





Cul-De-Sac; De District Overlook
Purging what looked to be the grip of a gauntlet clutching tightly on it's hand. The shadowy image of darkness flailed behind whatever this thing was. Slowly forming a very familiar image that only Iontis, Eth, and Lucrecia had seen prior and his eyes widened in utter confusion.

"Is that...the Toxote X?" Behind his helm his face concealed his surprise coupled with bewilderment, "I definitely can't fight this thing near all these civilians."

The gears turned on his back, his armor began changing, coupling with two lifted panels revealing vents that thrusted a propulsion system. As the jets pumped out heat, he jumped straight off the edge of the outlook and took flight, his ankles and soles from the armor released a steady stream of propulsion as he took full omni-directional control of his movement in the air. His bahamut arc was reconfiguring and modifying itself into what appeared to be a grappling clamping device of sorts. He mounted it as an attachment to his left arm, firing like a bullet of sound, the project wrapped, buckle and chain around the enemy.

He hoised it towards him before the heartless started bombarding the chain with a shower of darkness arrows without relent, eventually shattering the bondage.

"Great...I've gotta worry about getting frozen within proximity and deal with ranged attacks from an X-series." Iontis eye-balled it from a distance as he suspended in place far away from the the civilians and properties.

"Heeeeeeey!" Jaz was calling out to him from the edge and Luxu stood beside her with his arms folded, "You need any help?"

"Him? Ask for help? As if." Luxu shook his head, "He clearly doesn't want to put the kids or us in danger, which is fine, but clearly this X-series heartless is possessing someone..." there was an odd tone of familiarity in Luxu's voice.

Iontis propped up his shield activating his drain skill to intake the darkness arrow bombardment. This felt as though it were going to go the same way as when it last time had to deal with it, even with the unwarranted assistance of Lucrecia. His mind was already perpetuating an idea in order to get in to where he wouldn't have to deal with the arrows which were in his opinion more lethal than that field of cold flowing around...well whatever this "thing" was.


"I've been pretty strict with you both..." Iontis sighed lowering his shield and returning it to his Bahamut Arc's keyblade shape.

"Pfft. What are you going on about now in the middle of a battle, whats the order captain?" Luxu rolled his eyes under his hood.

"I'll show you something i've been working on..." Iontis formed a fist and slammed the right into the left breast plate of his armor.

He released his armor entirely coupled into an electromagnetic field, revealing his underlying black body suit similar to Try's red one. His long flowing black hair was being swept upward as a torrent of air and electricity were building around him. He held his bahamut arc forward and guided the moving parts of metal, manipulating their size creating a sea of gigantic metalic fists that were charged with the affinities of Electricity and Rising-Heat.

"All's End: Metal Mechanica." he stood on a floating hand, where two others created foothold for Luxu and Jay/Jaz to observe from.

The remainder forming open palms circled around this Toxote X and it's possessed recipient and clasped it between the heat and lightning, effectively limiting the potency of it's ability to freeze. Luxu whistled at this display without so much as a shred of tact in his body, "Look at you! When were you gonna tell us you developed your own version of the Limit Break technique named 'All's End'? Full of surprises Ion, As If!"

Jaz clung to Luxu looking over his shoulder as Iontis' fist illuminated an amber/orange color. His concentration was on the growing ambience of blood lust festrong from the two clasping iron gauntlets. There was a loud noise battering at all sides of the palms that clasped shut. Slowly opening the hand a crack. Luxu's eyes shifted to the side, grabbing Jaz by the waist and jumping out of the way. A hyper-concentrated burst of cold air froze the hand they'd stood on, and it sank to the bottom of the world's cliffside hitting the water.

"I'm starting to remember...at least who you are...the name's Gavin." a voice came from the gripped Toxote X and it's possessed partner.

The battering grew louder as the hand fully peeled back and was frozen at the mechanical joints. The Toxote X primed an infiite number of arrows and kept firing away until the hand opened up. He twisted the side of his wrist revealing a scratched through "IV" on his right wrist.

"Using an All's End huh? Don't you know anything? They're meant to be lethal, lets stop playing games and actually fight now that I know exactly this is by no means a chance encounter. Guardian, put an arrow through all of th-"

Ice shattered, locking the Toxote X in an iron grasp of the fist as the remainder made physical contact with Gavin effectively sending him even further out into the stratosphere where he eventually became a star in the system. The Toxote X while retraining starting to disintegrate into a pool of darkness and fade to black under Iontis' metalic hand's grasp. Making such an audacious statement like that triggered him in a way he didn't expect, and it made whatever that thing was' capture elude them again. As the returned to the edge of the overlook they regrouped and spoke.

"Our capture proved unsuccessful, but no one was harmed I hope."

"As if. We still can't get over how pretty you are without all that armor." Luxu casually placed his arms behind his head and laughed.

"Another crisis has been averted, the children are fine, a common cold or two, but fine." Jaz gave a cheerful smile.

Iontis was worried about something else however, "Gavin, he called himself, he had Lucrecia's numbered tattoo scratched out on his right wrist. Even said he knew who we were. Did the master have fanatics that tried to assume our roles in the past?" this would bother him extensively considering he'd already encountered that heartless once already but now it had a human retainer? What was that all about?

He reached behind, and fastened his long raven-colored hair into a ponytail. The hands began to deconstruct and magnetize into his compressed plated armor. Finally forging his helmet to neatly form around his head. This was going to make for one hell of a report.
 

Ðari

Look at you, armor-less
Staff member
Joined
Dec 15, 2005
Messages
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Age
33
Location
Beyond the Final Destination
Special Memory: Trust Resolute Zero|Erase Everything
Location: Recluse Ward
Time: ??????



"Ethari..." a voice was heard faintly in the wind, "Ethari...!" there was a slight rustling in the darkness that surrounded him

"Wake up Ethari!!!"

Eth jerked, hitting his head on the ceiling of the top bunk's base, sitting up straight on the bottom bunk and rubbing his head feverishly. Within a memory he recaptured himself at an earlier point in time.

"Oii, Ethari...you know mom's gonna freak when you wake up late like this, we're going to the auction today. She didn't seem too happy though." the messy white haired derelict was Revy, his younger brother. "Get dressed ok? I'll be downstairs, mom's waiting for you."

He sighed, watching as Revy slowly disappeared from the threshold of the door. Like clockwork, he'd yawned, stretched and motioned his way to the bathroom with a change of clothes handy. As he proceeded to use the facilites, shower, and brush his teeth he looked at his eyes for the lack of sleep he'd gotten over the past week. Ethari and Revy were virtually just additional mouths to feed, their mother seemed to always be stressed as her employment often took it's toll on her time spent with them. On occasion she'd sent Ethari to the market with minimal funds to procure the bare necessities, milk, bread, eggs, butter, you know the ones.

As he came down stairs, his mother was waiting outside on the porch top of their otherwise small shack of a home. Her face seemed even more fidgety than usual, as she puffed a cigarette, with unease in her eyes and shoulders.

"Good morning mama, finally ready."

"Theres my boy." his mother kneeled down and she hugged him suspiciously tight. "Mom's gonna need you to look your best today alright?" bags under her eyes were looming from a serious lack of sleep.

A nervous pinch came from her press onto Ethari's shoulders, she didn't seem so much unlike herself. Standing up she took her son by the hand and skirted through the door with Revy not far behind them closing and locking the door. The door to their relatively small SUV opened and Ethari sat up front in the passenger seat, while Revy sat directly behind the passenger side.

"Boys." their mother said as she closed the door and paused, looking through the middle mirror at Revy. "Have I...been a good mom?"
She grimaced at the question as the car started to move onto the dirt road.

Revy and Ethari both were baffled by the question, it wasn't usually how they started a conversation.

"We've got so little...I'm really trying to provide a life for both of you...be honest with me boys...is this really the life you thought you'd have..?" a weighty sigh left their mother's mouth as she put the rest of her focus on driving.

It was eerily quiet between Ethari and Revy both, looking at each other in the driver's rearview mirror exchanges nervous glances and face frump. There was a sense of regret creeping up in the back of his mind...and throat, but he said something.

He averted his eyes to the mirror, "Long as we're together, it isn't so bad." Ethari said addressing his mother's distress.

The car rolled over the dirt road as his mother's face tensed up, clearly, she was hung up on something.
"I just want you boys to know that I love you."

"Well we know that mom!" Revy interjected leaning on the seat behind Ethari.

A sense of decompression came as their mother laughed, so did the boys. The car rolled just a bit further still and they kids took in the image of the countryside. Their mother was anxious thumbing her fingers, tapping on the wheel as she sighed billowing over with a lingering sense of dread. Sound seemed to drown out one moment and return rushing in all at once the next before the vehicle stopped and there rest a small shack atop a hill.

"Wait here Revy. Ethari and I need to take care of something alright?"

"Ok mama." Revy smiled, sinking back into the seat as Ethari closed the door behind his mother.

"Where are we going mom?" Ethari inquired as she held his hand and guided him up to the hill.

"Paying an old person of interest a visit." his mother said without further clarification.



Introductions // Meeting The Master
[Conspiracy - Paramore]
They were walking down the beaten path from the bottom of the hill for well over five minutes or so, you could see the car sitting at the bottom. As the path opened up, there was a small shack and a grandeur in scale old-oak tree sitting at the top of the hill. The two of them could spot him from the distance, a man clad in a black coat all by their lonesome under the tree. Twirling what looked to be a dandelion in one hand before blowing into it and watching the seeds carry along the wind.

"Hm..?" taking notice to Ethari and his mother, he turned around, "Well if it isn't Freya!" to catch Ethari with surprise he knew his mother's name, what was that about? He didn't know this man from anywhere...did he?

To Ethari's surprise, his mother, Freya sighed. "Om....Master...god why do you insist on people calling you this...?" she rubbed her frontal cortex where her temple was and released the most irritated and debilitating exhale he'd ever heard. "Listen, I'm not asking you this time Master, but it's gotten really bad for me and the boys as of late...I need you to take on my son Ethari."

"..Take...on?" Ethari repeated confused. "I don't understand, mom?"

"
I was waiting for you to bring him around again, what about the little one?" the master prodded the question rather ecstatic.

"Like hell I'll let you anywhere near him! Just do this for me and we're square, god I just want to be able to survive, you owe it to him~!" Freya seemed to pitch a fever along with a fit as she raised her voice in an irate tone directed towards the Master.

"Hey...w-whats happening...are you...leaving me here...?" he stammered, confused, "I don't know this stranger, mom please? I wanna go home with you and Revy!" he started to grab at her leg and her face twisted into an ugly grimmace.

"Do you want us to starve Ethari...?" her face twisted into that of a savage reprobate as she gave him an mundane look of disgust. "I can barely afford to feed the three of us...you'd prolong our suffering, think of me and your brother...this isn't easy for me to do, but I'm doing it for the three of us."

Ethari started to breathe erratically, almost in the sense of physically hyperventilating as he mother was firmly pressing him off of her leg and she turned to the master. "I'm counting on you to take care of him. Don't...tell him...ok..?"

The master was taken aback by that comment, "You'd really have me do that Freya? What about the youngest, I'd imagine neither of them know any-"

"I just want to forget...forget that i've even done any of this and go home to my sweet Revy..."

A voice came from the distance, "....Mom...?" Revy said staring at her as his older brother was on his knees barely able to breath from the stress, "Why's brother crying, breathing funny, and who's that?"

"Your brother's going to be staying with my friend the Master of Masters here for a little while sweetie, lets not dwell on it."

"No! I don't want to leave brother with a stranger, it's not safe!!" Revy's heart started to accelerate and an unusual anomaly that no one could explain occurred.


E R A S E_E V E R Y T H I N G
My Son....Ethari, my brother Ethari, I have two sons. I love my sons Ethari and Revy both. I love my brother Ethari dearly...

Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zero.


Ethari sat there holding his face, drenched in tears as he could feel a wave of power just leave him all at once.

"Whoa..." The master of master's interjected looking around as everyone's reactions and demeanor suddenly changed, "Now we're talkin'."

"Hmm? Master...what are..." Freya looked down at the crying boy, "Who's this? Another one of your protege?"


Ethari's eyes nearly popped out of his face as he started exasperating to the point he could barely breathe, "Mom! MOM! What happened, don't you recognize me??" he yelled in a perpetual state of panic riddled with confusion. "Revy! It's your older brother!"

"If this is some kind of pranks you children like to play...it isn't very funny to pretend to be someone's family that doesn't know you...Master, please discipline your ward with some proper manners."

"Mom!?!?! I'm serious! Revy, help me out here brother! I just want to go home with you bo-"

"Who are you...? Why do you know my name...I've never seen you before now...are we classmates..?" Revy looking his own brother in the eyes with absolutely zero recollection of whom he might be.

"Freya. Don't worry about this one, he seems to mistake you for his mother."

"Don't be ridiculous, I only have one son. I don't know whose kid this is, it's probably best if the child stays with you Master." Freya sighed and rubbed her temple fishing for a cigarette from her purse to take the edge off, "What'd you say your name was again young man..?"

Ethari was on the floor staring; it was like white noise filled his ears. His eyes were watered down with tears that bled from his eyes, falling like a spring rainstorm. His voice let out as he sobbed deeply as an expression of how everything just went awry, he couldn't make sense of what was worse. To be handed off originally to a complete stranger for the survival of his mother and his baby brother...or for his mother and brother both to have seemingly out of nowhere have forgotten about him entirely. He sniffled and stiffened up his lip as it was becoming more and more rigid over time, finally raising his head as she'd asked him a question.
"Ð" he said aloud before giving his mother who'd forgotten him a curt bow, "I'm sorry....for the confusion Miss Freya..."

"Ehh? Ð was it? It's no trouble, when I look at you though...you do seem kind of familiar...I'm almost positive we've never met bef-"

"
This is the first time." his eyes were filled with a quiet sadness, "My mother passed away from an illness recently...you share a resemblance, and I overreacted when I saw you...I apologize miss. You too!" he bowed his head to his brother to whom also had forgotten him.

His brother patted him on the head, "So'kay Eth. Maybe we'll be friends in the future? I'll see you around." Revy smiled and walked back over to his mother who was ready to leave.

"We'll be taking our leave now." Freya bowed and took young Revy by the hand and they proceeded to walk down the hill.

A chime and prattle of a chain, the dark presence of what could only be labeled in the future as an "X-series" heartless loomed in Ethari's shadow, with his eyes fixated on his mother and brother effectively walking out of his life. For them to return home and likely see picture of him...? Wouldn't that strike anyone as odd, but while he didn't know it at the time...these events set themselves in motion. His existence to them, would be erased for a time, and that limit would expire when that particular foe would fall well into the future.

Eth's tears were potent as he held his face, unable to hold back the pain of what he was experiencing, this had to be some really sick conspiracy against him. To be pawned off on a stranger...and some random coincidence his family's memories were wiped?? He just didn't know what to say anymore as he retreated even deeper into himself, only hearing the Master's voice break the deafening white noise inside of his head.

"Eth was it?" the master said resting his hand on his head and giving him a firm pat, "Come on in, from today you'll be under my care. I'm not entirely sure what just happened, but I won't leave you out in the elements."

Eth stared at his hands, it looked feint at first, as if he saw really small and tiny particle of fragmented glass or perhaps he was hallucinating? Small tiny micro-images of his mother and brother, scattered and not in one place, no organization, he didn't know what any of it meant. Looking away from his hands he looked at the Master and gave a slow and saddened nod before he sighed and disappeared into the hut.




Today // Radiant Garden; The Great Maw
[Full Moon Full Life - Persona 3 Reload]


It's a full moon again.
crazy how time flies
one might wonder, if my path is in the right direction.
But I do believe, things come to light by accident.

when it remains on, sounds like it was meant to
be.


That stupid white noise again...it was almost deafening.

"Eth.....Eth.....Earth to Eth! Can you even hear me!?" Lucrecia's voice ping-ponged like an echo in his eardrums.

"I heard you the first time Lucrecia." he was stern and the blades of light were moving in every direction as that group they were pursuing just ended up leading them into a trap in order to escape. "I didn't realize I spaced out..."

"Damnit, let me see your arm already, are you sure you're going to be ok?" She was inspecting his arm and she pulled out a roll of medical tape, "Sae! Just hold the line for another minute, I'll be right there!"

"Easier said than done Recia, little busy dancing around all these heartless." Sae held his Alabaster at his side with his other hand burning with a fire spell of some sort.

Lucrecia held Eth's left arm in a tight bind and pressed the tape especially firm to the area the young woman severed his arm originally. Eth's face tinged with a disgruntled expression as he experienced a pain sharp and intense as a newly minted edge of a dagger. She wrapped it tight enough to keep the blood flow unconstructed and proceeded to cast a weaker Regen spell on his arm. Eth's eyes couldn't help but wander, as he caught a brief glimpse of the Scar Luxu had inflicted on Lucrecia's chest some time ago before she finally released his arm from her grasp. He flexed his fingers and tendons both, forming a fist and moving his individual fingers again.

"Thank you, Lucrecia." he expressed his humble gratitude in his usual monotone way, and initiated a nod towards his comrade, "
It's about time we got out of here..." he stood up and faced the insane numbers of the mob.

The earth-shattering clods of a number of darksides approaching from all sides with shadows and neoshadows said otherwise. The group was effectively pinned against the incline of the maw unable to traverse upwards. Saebyeolbe was weaving through the lesser heartless like a man possessed felling them by the dozens with each passing second, even with his sharp reflexes and battle sense at an all-time high they effectively need far more firepower to even create enough space to secure an escape route. Sae jumped backward after clearing about fifteen meters worth of a semi-circle before protesting.

"
Hey, great that you're feeling better, but I'm not liking our chances here." he held his Alabaster firm and gripped with both hands as he panted staring forward at the hoard, "What's the plan Eth?"

"They move. Thats the plan." Eth pressed his bandaged arm.

"Have you lost your mind Eth!? Even we can't fell well over two thousand heartless without more resolute support." Lucrecia was firing off blasts from Diem leveling a small frontline with a sweep to just get replace nearly instantly. "See!? Is that what-"

A Darkside towered over and raised its hand to strike over the Lesser's directly on their position.

"Shit! I go-" The scars ripped off Sae's back and Eth flashed in front, "!!!!!!!!!!!"

A small light was coming from his finger, binding the fist from the Darkside as it appeared to be struggling and applying even more strength in an attempt to brute force moving Eth even a little. "Move." Eth said flicking his finger sending an expansive wave of light that lacerated like a wave frame traveling along the ground and cutting a maw in two.

"Whoa..." Sae's scar returned, but Eth wasn't done.

"Keep this between us, trust me." his hand hovered over his eye, and "0" illuminated "Body of Light."


All the journeys starts somewhere with a first step
No one's sure what lies ahead be bold and brave (Stand up!)
Roads may be, rough and tough

Though it will lead somewhere

His right arm lifted from his side as he started to radiate with light, and he stood there as a statue. Eth's entire body started to lose all semblance of hard line and dimension and he became overtaken by an extremely bright fluorescent light of pale gold. There were thousands of flashes per second happening under the dim light of moon being overpowered by the raw light his body took on. The flashes were so intense but as he stood in that single spot, for every flash, his light was punching a hole through the heartless inflicting thousands upon thousands of hit points in damage across passing seconds fanning across the radial area directly in front of him. This technique is typically omni-directional where it could hit, but out of respect and care for Saebyeolbe and Lucrecia both he curbed the targeting and range to directly in front of him amassing an incalculable number of hits punching through the heartless directly at the front. Decreasing the range to a cone of 180 degrees vs its usual 360-degree directional attack effectively meant the number of normal attacks were delivered faster at the front punching holes in the heartless over the course of mere seconds.

A fist came flailing through the barrage that Eth caught with his bare hand, crushing and disintegrating its limb traveling all the way up its arm. It interrupted his frenzied attack stumbling backward gripping its lost arm until it fell over crushing a pile of heartless. Eth waved his finger at the Darkside, "Now we can't have that."

Saebyeolbe darted past him sliding building an incredible amount of friction as he dragged his keyblade across the ground, "Can't let you do it all Eth!" he reared his keyblade, lifting it up to spark a potent fire spell, "Triple Firaga" the three fast traveling flame spells demolished the knocked down Darkside to cinders and ash.

The veil of light shattered over his body, and he became visible in his standard appearance. "Nicely done." he gave an appropriate nod and the quick flick a thumbs up from his wrist. Summoning Ethernal in his right hand, his blades of started to forge at his side before he moved in a similar vein like Shiki did, like waltzing across the battlefield with elegance only he had Lucrecia to navigate around complimenting her one-handed fencing mastery in a similar vein to his own. The two of them worked in harmony fighting the shadows and neoshadows as a duet.

An Invisible swam beneath the surface and Eth spotted the blade, pulling Lucrecia into his arms and running his ethernal through it's chest and a light blade through it's head, double-tapped. He looked down at her face, flush with red for a moment before steadily standing on her own. "Thanks Eth."


One day these quiet voices will be heard
Loud and clear, the story of the ones we miss (Stand up)
But shed no tears
Realize, what they left behind
Explore within the limits of the time
No one should need a permit to a way of life
No matter how far, how you go
How short it may last
Venture life, burn your dread

As minutes wound down, they collectively were panting as the number of enemies crippled. The Maw was about as clear as they'd seen it before under the light of the moon. Eth placed his hands on the shoulders of Saebyeolbe and Lucrecia, "Excellent work, both of you." he said as he panted before radiating with light one more time. "Lets go home."
 
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