TRACES OF CHAOS [a kingdom hearts roleplay]

[Mason Stark]

TRACES OF CHAOS

To make this easier on everyone, please have your characters show up in Traverse Town, Deep Jungle, Twilight Town, Hollow Bastion, or the World that Never Was. Thank you! And thank you guys veryvery much for joining! >u< Now, let's start this! Let's gooooooo!

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The sky above recede back and covered over the stars and the little town beneath it. A pair of yellow orbs stared up into the deep, dark blue, seeing the speckles of white light gleaming overhead. Just looking up at the sky made images and thoughts cascade into view. Everything had remained the same, even when they had come so far... It was strange to think that she was actually normal (well, herself at least) the last time she was here.

The small Shadow Heartless sat perched up on a wall next to the descending stairs. Her antenna twitched as she remained in the First District, just watching the sky and wondering about stuff. Her actions were more and more conscious to her now, yet she was still a Heartless.

A small whimper sounded. In a cat-like notion, she reached up a claw and tugged on her antenna, rubbing it with her claw. She gave a mixed whimper and grumble, shaking her head. She wanted to be normal again, yet here she was, still a Heartless. She needed to get back to normal, but what bugged her was 'how' or 'what'. What did she have to do to be normal again?

With a leap and a small tumble to break the fall, the Heartless shook her head as she got back on her feet. She sunk to the ground on all fours and scampered off, as if curious about something. Perhaps it was just nothing... but she scampered off, nonetheless.

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

The only thing that came even to mind was a very loud scream. He remembered wind, falling... and now, groggy and dizzy, an onslaught of pain surged through him.

"Nngh..." the boy mumbled, his back against the ground as his blue orbs squinted and stared at the sky overhead. All he saw was bright blue, the silhouette of what looked like a broken roof made of wood framing the sky overhead. A grumble sounded as he sat back up, rubbing the back of his head as he hissed. Whatever happened, it really freakin' hurt...

He looked up at the sky again, then glanced down left and right. How did the train take them to a place like this? Where did the train even go, anyways?

"Vitani?" he mumbled, glancing around wildly for the girl. He looked again, looking for another. "Gigimon?"

Aexrn grumbled again, forcing himself up on his feet. He stumbled a bit, but he was up now, still hissing as he hunched forward.

Hands cupped around his mouth, he exclaimed, "Hey! Anyone here?!"

 

[FairSovereign]

It wasn't everyday that Dastan has strange individuals raining down upon him from nowhere, but this seemed to be one of those days. The day had been a wearing one. Heartless and Noody activity hasd been up recently in the Deep Jungle, and he felt fatigued from combating them. Though he knew it was for the good of the people, it was his hope that someday soon he would be entitled to a vacation.

"Just one day off..." Dastan mumbled to himself. "Just one. Then, I'll never complain again." That last part was a blantant lie of course, but who cared.

As Dastan walked, he could hear a faint scream and then a resounding crash from a nearby shelter made by some previous inhabitant, one, oddly enough, that he frequented on those days where he wanted privacy and quiet. Now, some foreign entity had invaded his quiet space, and there was always the chance that it was a heartless. With a will, he drew power from the realm of light, and felt his body become enfused with holy energies. Then, he felt the holy energies transform as the darkness within him blended with the summon energies. A silver, luminescent smoke came off of his body, swirling with an odd sort of semi-sentience about his form.

Someone called from within the structure, and Dastan went very still. Cautiously, he replied back with a somewhat timid,

"Hello?"

 

[Tyrant Raver]

How long have I been away from my roots?

Aboard the Twilight Express, the short kid had his gaze outside the window of the passenger cab. Watching stars pass through his line of sight like lasers zipping through the vast space, as if he was soul searching or angst about something. Due to his short, short size and noticeable head bigger than his body; he had to sit on his huge luggage to give him leverage to acquire the full view. Gazing blankly, as the train traversed the space towards the next destination: Traverse town.

Few minutes later, the bells rang and whistle blown. Which means the train is nearing its next stop. So he wore his cap back on his big head and got down from the top of his huge luggage. He carried his belongings and stood up by the door. Just in time for the train to reach the station.

As the kid got out the noisy hisses of steam from the train welcomed the chibi boy, as he made his first step on Traverse Town's grounds. Something he never got tired of. The kid looked left and right, observing the town as he got out the station.

After a couple of steps, he paused for a while and reached in his pocket. He pulled out his map and carefully read it as he continued walking towards the first district.

 

[Key Wielder]

“Fire!”

A blazing ball of light shot out from the end of Aqua’s Keyblade, missing the Neoshadow by mere inches as it dove to the side and renewed its assault. Flipping backward through the air, she landed catlike and sprung forward, summoning a barrier around herself. The Neoshadow went flying, stunned, but it was back on its feet in an instant with three more at its side. Behind her, she knew there were more emerging from the darkness. There always were.

Will this never end?!

As she cartwheeled aside to narrowly avoid an attack, she already knew the answer to her question. No, this wouldn’t end. So long as she remained in the Realm of Darkness, her life would be a constant battle against these creatures. The Heartless only had two objectives: to devour her heart, or to tear her to pieces and then devour her heart. The more she fought, the more they seemed to spawn. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that it was her heart that drew them to her, but she could do nothing about that. Sometimes she thought that she should just give up, let them take what they wanted and leave the rest of her to fade into the darkness, into blissful oblivion. Didn’t she deserve it after all this time, after all she’d suffered? Wouldn’t it be better than the meager existence she’d had for so long?

No. It wouldn’t be better. It would just be easier.

Aqua knew she didn’t deserve better—this was exactly what she deserved. Everything that had happened could have been different if she had done things differently. She didn’t have to end up here, and it was her own fault that she had. If only she had tried to help Terra instead of distrusting him, treating him like an enemy… If only she had tried harder to defeat Vanitas so that Ventus didn’t have to… If only she’d seen through Braig’s distractions… There were a million possibilities, things she could have done to change what had happened. Instead she had failed her two best friends, destroying their lives as well as her own. This was her punishment and she accepted it: to live in the past and battle ferociously for a future. Only this world had no concept of future. Time was practically nonexistent here, as the man at the dark margin had indicated. There was no future to look forward to because while years passed in the Realm of Light, Aqua hadn’t aged a day in this place. There was no future to anticipate. The past was full of regret. The present reigned supreme.

In the present, the Heartless were gaining ground. She had to be quick.

Letting her Keyblade hover in front of her, Aqua waved her hand and it went spinning ahead of her into the crowd, destroying some and sending others flying. But where one disappeared, three more took its place.

“Wind!” she cried as they pounced, her hair blowing in her face and slightly obscuring the sight of her enemies being lifted off their feet and thrown aside like dolls. It did little to truly injure them, but it gave her the small window of time she needed.

She drew all of her light, all of her strength forward. Images filled her head, images of her friends and her home. Training with Terra. Watching Ventus slowly regain his mental faculties and teaching him how to use the Keyblade. Laughing together as they watched the sun set. Sharing their Wayfinders on their last night beneath the same stars. They filled her head and her heart, clear as though they had happened only yesterday, and her heart welled up with emotion. Taking a deep breath, she slashed her Keyblade diagonally downward and the weapon changed, lengthening to twice its size and glowing with light. Like moths to a flame, the Heartless jumped forward. One more second…

Throwing her Keyblade into the air, Aqua held her hand above her head and the blade swirled in dizzying circles, destroying all of the Neoshadows as they plunged gracefully into its arc. As the light faded and the weapon, normal once more, returned to her hand, there was no trace of her foes left.

Breathing heavily, Aqua knew she would have to move on, but she was exhausted both by the battle and the emotional upheaval it had taken to win. She trudged to a nearby rock and collapsed onto it, sighing and staring at nothing in particular. Not that there was ever anything here to stare at anyway. The Realm of Darkness was dark, barren, and lonely.

At times like these, she missed the companionship she had shared with the old man at the dark margin not long ago. She hadn’t known how starved she was for it until she left him, but he had refused to come with her. His memories had still not come back, although she had been able to glean a little more from them with time, but he was adamant that if and when they did he would know what to do, and until then he would only hinder her. So, emboldened by his story of the two boys she had met so long ago and their efforts to keep the worlds safe all this time, she set out into the darkness once more.

But the old man wasn’t the only person whose path she crossed. Not long after she left him, she heard voices and silently went to investigate. What she found shocked her: a Heartless and a human. Derrick, the Heartless had called him, although it had no mouth to speak with. The two hadn’t been fighting, and when the small Shadow hugged him as best it could, Aqua’s heart had broken for them. They must have been friends, this pair, and one was now doomed to be a creature of the dark. So deep was her sadness and surprise that she barely noticed when Derrick, after a moment’s concentration, opened a portal filled with light and stepped through with his Heartless companion. When she finally came to her senses and made to follow, the portal closed before she could reach it. Her only escape route in years had disappeared with Derrick and the Shadow.

Try as she might, she could not get her master’s Keyblade to do the same. When her own inexplicably returned to her, it would not help either. The master’s had never felt right, not as comfortable and familiar, but it had been useful. Hers was more familiar in her hand and helped her in battle, but it would not open a portal to the outside no matter how much she wanted it. Thus she began her journey again, struggling to find anything else that may be hidden in this realm to help her.

Her mind worked through in words what she knew her actions must follow. She had to go. Where? The old man said there was a way out, but she hadn’t found one. Derrick had summoned a door, but she couldn’t find a way to do it on her own. He had been different, but she didn’t know how.

Wait…

Now that she thought about it again, it hadn’t been just Derrick who’d been different. His Keyblade did not give her the same feeling of light that hers, Terra’s, Ven’s, Mickey’s, and the master’s had. There had been darkness there, both in him and his Key. Was that the answer? Did she have to use darkness in order to escape it?

The darkness was evil, though. It devoured all, destroying the light and wreaking havoc and chaos on the worlds. Except Terra… He had used darkness in their exam and in the worlds he visited… He hadn’t been evil. At the end, he was just as worried about protecting her and Ven as he’d ever been, even with the darkness in his heart. The fact that there was too much allowed Xehanort to use him, but if she only allowed in a little…

I already have some, she thought suddenly. Master Eraqus had taught them that long ago. Everyone had darkness and light in their heart: Aqua, Terra, even Ventus before that side of him had been stripped away. The only ones who didn’t were the Princesses of Light. If she could only channel that…but how?

Anger. Rage. Hate. Jealousy. She’d seen them in her travels. She knew how they worked.

Pushing herself to her feet, Aqua allowed her armor to turn back into her normal attire, her face showing visible determination. She let everything wash over her, everything she’d been denying herself besides guilt. How dare Xehanort do this to them? He practically destroyed Ven’s heart all for some stupid experiment. And Ventus—he left home and she went through hell to bring him back only so that he could disobey her, go running off, and get hurt just like she told him she didn’t want him to do. Terra should have helped her bring him home, but instead he went off moping because the master was suspicious. The master… If he hadn’t told her to spy on Terra, this would never have happened. They would have worked together, figured something out. How could he, a man so dedicated to light, do so much to turn friends against one another? It was something Xehanort would do, had done, and had known Eraqus would do as well for the sake of the light.

The anger swelled in her chest and, for once, Aqua didn’t fight it. She let the hatred for Xehanort, the anger at her master and Terra, the rage at Ven’s actions, hatred of her own actions, everything burn inside her. When she felt she couldn’t take it anymore, she summoned her Keyblade and pointed it straight ahead of her, thinking of nothing but getting out of this place to tell them all what a mess they had made of things.

To her shock, the Keyblade vibrated in her hands a moment before light burst from the end and a portal opened before her. Aqua blinked in disbelief, and all of her angry thoughts vanished. Here was her way out, her way back to her friends! The fact that she had used the darkness to do it weighed heavily on her, but she shoved it aside for now and approached the portal. Light poured out of it and, smiling, she stepped into its warmth.

Aqua felt as though she were walking on a cloud, and then her feet hit solid ground. Reluctant to open her eyes, she took a deep breath. What if it hadn’t worked? What if she had gone to some other part of the Realm of Darkness? But there was sunlight pouring in through her eyelids. No, this wasn’t the same place, it couldn’t be. Slowly, she opened her eyes and let out a gasp of surprise.

“Radiant Garden?”

It was. Only the place was changed. Gone were the beautiful fountains and flora, in its place reconstruction equipment and debris. The castle in the distance had seen better days, scaffolding indicating that it was on its way back to its former state. She could only guess what had happened to the once beautiful world, but it was obvious the place was not the one she remembered. Dismissing her Keyblade, the portal vanished behind her and she stepped forward, hoping to find someone who could tell her what had happened here.

 

[Sean]

• Yumei

Twilight Town. A quiet collection of inhabitants that live day to day as if anything under their noses were completely void. The Heartless and Nobodies swept the ruby, brick roads of the town as if it was a common occurrence. As a matter of fact, it was. Some brave souls went out to dispatch the anomalies. Most days their efforts would work, fending off the monsters for days at a time and other days they simply would not be seen again. Of course those days would be rare and maybe happened what...every three months?

An obsidian haired boy perched himself on the balcony of the clock tower. From there, one could see every single inch of the hushed Twilight Town. Though he sat in silence, the mixture of the calm breeze and the churning of the train's wheels relayed some life in the immediate area. Below, a group of friends conversed on the subject of attending the beach later that day or tomorrow. The lighthearted argument soon converted to laughter and good spirits which inevitably reminded of a scene from, what was it, two years ago?

"Sora, Donald and Goofy. What a weird bunch,"

The youth pondered on taking another bite of his not-too-bitter and not-too-sweet sea-salt ice cream. But those names were some not to be forgotten that easily. And in recent events, Rena was the main attraction. As long as the worlds live to see another day without darkness he'd be perfectly content. Yet something bothered him. It was kind of a gut feeling; the kind you get when you know something big is in the works. However, Yumei shrugged it off as if nothing even phased him.

Turning the stick sideways, Yumei cleaned off the last pieces of his ice cream and satisfied his appetite as well as his curiosity about matters that existed outside the world of his own. A mental sigh ensued as he laid back with both hands supporting the backside of his head. As every minute passed he could feel himself aging older and older and his eyelids becoming heavier as well. Speaking of which, it was chance that his fifteenth birthday was the next day. And as most knew, he'd be spending it alone. And maybe in this very spot.

But as for the rest of the day, he had nothing to do. So maybe a small nap would be in order?

~~~~

• Tessa

"How long has it been? Eleven years? Twelve?"

The ruby-eyed Nobody seated rested her back against a wall overlooking the damaged castle that once stood as prevalent as ever. In fact, that's where her eyes lay instead of on the decade-long exile that was in her presence. Of course using a portal comprised of darkness to escape the darkness was a question within itself. But that was a question that did not necessarily need answering at just this moment in time. Finally, she locked eyes with the keyblader. The clear expression on her face made it evident that she was confused as ever. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she began to speak.

"So that's it right?" She pushed herself from the shady wall and continued, "Finishing the Mark of Mastery and immediately forced to see your friends disappear as well as a decade of your life," A brief pause ensued. If she had something to drink now would be the time to take it. "That's unfortunate for you...Aqua."

Even the utterance of her name caused chills on just about every part of the body. Tessa was doing an excellent job concealing her excitement. Holding back a grin was even a greater challenge. Though being the first contact outside of the Realm of Darkness she was bound to have questions regarding what happened in years past. Hopefully Tessa's knowledge would be up to par with her questions.

 

[Key Wielder]

"How long has it been? Eleven years? Twelve?"

Aqua started, glancing around for the owner of the voice. Turning around, she saw a girl near her age leaning against a wall, staring up at the same castle that had caught her attention. How did this person know how long she had been in the Realm of Darkness--and she did seem to know that that was where she'd come from. Aqua racked her brains but couldn't remember ever meeting this person, in this realm or any other.

"So that's it right? Finishing the Mark of Mastery and immediately forced to see your friends disappear as well as a decade of your life. That's unfortunate for you...Aqua."

Narrowing her eyes, Aqua fought the urge to summon her Keyblade. There was something inherently threatening about this other woman, something not quite right.

"Who are you?" Aqua finally asked, keeping her tone from becoming too suspicious even though it must have shown on her face. "How do you know about all those things? ...And what happened to this world?" she added, wanting to at least control the direction of part of the conversation.

Maybe it was the atmosphere, or maybe it was her last memories of this place, but Aqua knew she had to be ready for anything. The last thing she wanted to do was come back to the Realm of Light and seem weak, an easy target. She was a Keyblade master and had to act like it, otherwise there was no telling what would happen to her. The old man had said the worlds were much changed since the last time she traveled among them. Keyblades were fewer, their wielders limited to boys without the advantage of the training she'd gotten. Darkness was everywhere and the Heartless she'd thought only existed in the Realm of Darkness had found their way out. Now this person appeared before her, and Aqua could find nothing normal about her. There was no darkness, no light--she felt absolutely nothing. Who was this person, and what did she want with her?

 

[Mistearea]

Haruka

Saying that he expected to be showing up in this town any time soon would be a blatant lie. But here stands Haruka on top of the clock tower in the heart of Traverse Town. Even from here he can see the place that he used to spend most of his time as a little kid. But as usual this little amount of peace is broken the instant that he sees a small group of Soldier Heartless running down a nearby alley. He lets a small sigh escape his lips as he reaches behind his body and grips the hilt of what appears to be a curved blade with a small opening. He shakes it once to let the chain fall from his body before he leaps off the building. While he falls towards the ground he flicks the sword into a reversed grip and sends the chain towards the small group of Heartless.

One manages to escape by vanishing, but the other two quickly find themselves bound by the black chain as Haruka shifts his weight to land just in front of the group with the blade held out from his body. At that moment he listens as the two remaining Heartless vanish from existence and the chain falls to the ground. With a simple flick of his wrist as he sheaths the blade upside down on his back once more, he feels the chain wrap around his waist. It's at that moment that he gets the urge to see where it was that he used to crash during the night. With that he leaps from one platform to the next until he sees the house that he used to live in with a young man walking towards it and asking a greeting.

"Well this is different. I thought this place would always be abandoned," says the silent man in his mind.

Race

If there was any other joy in the world, it would involve a hamburger. Oh wait. There is one! Race just dances around the throne room of the castle in the World that Never Was with a hamburger in both hands and one in his mouth. To look at him one would think that he's doing the Waltz, but then he throws in things that make people think of the Tango and a few other dances. But the solitary dance doesn't last long. Race consumes the hamburger in his mouth in a few bits without ever touching it and grabs a nearby Dusk from the air. Ah the Dusks really know how to dance! And with his new partner he continues to dance to a music that only he hears until he suddenly stops and slings the Nobody into one of the smaller thrones.

"How are those ears, Cherry?"

With that he finds himself standing on a stage with a microphone hovering just to his lips. He looks to a trio of Dusks acting as backup dancers, a Berserker with a bass and two Samurai, one on a complicated set of drums and the other with a twin neck electric guitar. But to anyone that happens to walk in on the group, this is not the weird part. The weirdness starts when they notice that each Nobody is wearing tight leather pants with make-up every color of the rainbow plastered on their faces. And why is that Berserker wearing a tutu?! But that's just the base of the cake. The strange part really comes in when each Nobody begins to play the melody for a soothing version of Sanctuary while Race does his own thing with singing Hikari. Is this guy mental or what?

 

[Tyrant Raver]

Waddling like a Moogle, the chibi kid wandered up and down, left and right throughout the first district while reading his map. After what seemed like hours of walking, he stumbled upon an old abandoned house.

"Hmmm...."

His squeaky voice mumbled, big head tilted to the side and scratching his head.

"Darn it, I'm lost again. You just can't trust that old man to make maps. Suuure... He's good with gadgetry but he sucks at making maps."

Referring to his old superior, Cid, the chibi kid ranted about the map being too inaccurate for him to understand. Disgruntled, he took off his huge backpack and hopped on top of it; while in front of the abandoned house. He sat down from the top of his huge luggage and reread the map again. "I'll make a map he said. It'll be better than the last one he said..." The kid went on with his mumbling tirade while reading the city map.

From the alley just beside him, a cool breeze suddenly blew pass the chibi kid. He felt it but acted out that he didn't noticed it. It was not too long before a pair of glowing eyes appeared on the alley, then another from the shadow of his huge luggage. The lamp post's light began flickering as the cool breeze became more prominent. The glowing eyes then began popping up from every squint of shade. Then from of the darkness, out the claws and their gnashing teeth. Their jet black bodies crawling out of the umbral angle; from the walls the ground and even in tight spaces. Heartless, Neo Shadows.

"Mmm...?"

The chibi kid soon found himself surrounded by the Heartless, heavily outnumbered. He folded the map and again put it back in his back pocket. He raised his brow and "Alright then, guess it's inevitable to have minor inconveniences along the way and boy... Heatless are no exception." The chibi kid cracked his tiny metal knuckles.

 

[FairSovereign]

As Dastan approached the shelter, he got the distinct feeling that he was being watched. For a second, he focused upon that feeling, trying to distinguish what his instincts were trying to tell him. He could percieve, most of the time, when a heartless or nobody was near through pure and inexplicable impulse. It was a sort of sixth sense that could more or less detect anything that wasn't actually whole. However, his detective capabilities had warned him of other beings in the past, and he definately felt something nearby. After a few seconds of standing and waiting, he found it out of the corner of one eye. The source of his discomfort was a boy, older-looking than he, with blond hair and a sword upon his person. He stood on a tree nearby, and from what Dastan could feel, he was not a creature of darkness. Aequalis could sense that much at least.

Proceeding to walk into the near the shelter he said, in a slightly raised voice so that, perhaps, both strangers could hear him, "There seems to be a rather large influx of strangers in town of late." Dastan's voice came out smoothly, almost medlodiously to his intense relief for his voice had a tendency to spite him and break. His dialect and diction were scholarly, and formal, bespeaking his well educated nature. He continued to grasp a trickle of his power, ready draw a great deal more should conflict arise.

 

[Aphex]

Shing!

A weapon spun in the air, cutting through one of the Neo-Shadows that surrounded the chibi kid. The black blade with a red trim lodged into the ground where the creature once stood, a red heart with a devilish wing covering half of it hung at the end of the platinum chain which also hung at the end of the weapon's red hilt.

And from the looks of it, the Neo-Shadows seemed to despise the appearance of this strange weapon.

"Ey pipsqueak!" shouted a voice, the sounds of sneakers being heard as a figure could be seen among the group of Neo-Shadows. It looked as though this figure was actually pushing aside the creatures, muttering a few "'scuse me" and "outta the way" along the way before rolling along the ground. As they have done this, they ended up snatching up the weapon and held it in a reverse grip.

From there, it turned out that the figure was nothing more than just a teenage boy. A boy with those familiar hazel eyes and jet black hair(though, his hair was much shorter this time around).

"Couldn't help but watch from the sidelines," said Derrick as he pointed over to the various tables that sat outside of a shop. "I was going to greet ya but it looks like you've already found yourself the welcome wagon." he added as he glanced over at the kid, a grin coming that cocky face of his. "It also looks like you have a little bit experience in combat. How about we make this a quick one, yes?" With that, he quickly pivoted in place as one of the Heartless' lunged for an attack. It's attempted proved to be a fatal one as the key-like weapon cut through it with ease before being spun in Derrick's hand, charging forward for another counter-attack.

Though, as he helped the kid fend off the batch of Heartless', he couldn't help but glance around at the crowd, almost as though he were looking for a specific one.

"Now where could she be. . ." he muttered silently to himself, slashing through another Neo-Shadow while still being on the look out for someone.

 

[Sean]

"Who are you?"

The inquest was an easy one to answer as well as predictable. Her eyes tore away from Aqua noticing her uneasiness. Instead, her eyes focused back onto the distant and demolished castle in the distance. There were so many ways to attack the question as well. She planned to be perfectly honest, but the problems was wondering whether or not to be blatant about her existence or to be extremely vague. Either way, the conversation continued.

"How do you know about all those things? ...And what happened to this world?" Tessa lightly scratched her cheek and slightly warmed up a grin.

"Woah, slow down there, Lassy. First of all I'm just a Nobody, plain and simple," The answer was drenched in so much irony someone could quite literally drown in it. Tessa continued, "As for my knowledge, I've been around the block and met a few people in your absence. As for Hollow Bastion, er...Radiant Garden, Let's just say the search for Kingdom Hearts became overwhelming for all the worlds and not just this one."

If anything Tessa did not want to come of as intimidating nor friendly. She tilted her head sideways and sized up Aqua as if she were some sort of prized possession. A well placed hand on her chin relayed the fact that she was utterly curious about something or another. "Well!" Both hand were excitedly placed on her hips, "Now that you've got your answers, I'll need a small favor "

 

[Story Keeper]

~- Calm Yourself He Says To Me -~

White hair fell in green eyes, brushing the loose bangs away; she stared at her family. This was all she had left, her fellow Lost. Turning her head to look at the she-cat curled next to her, she reached out a hand and stroked the kitten's head. "How do you think our stray siblings are doing?" She whispered her voice like ice.

Climbing to her feet, the woman dusted her dress off. The sunlight caressed her skin, trying to give her a healthier look. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes and embraced its warmth. She knew where the others were; once more relieved by the link they seemed to share. Her fragment looked up at her, curious to know what her friend was up to.

Opening her eyes, she met its gaze. Cecilia tried to think of what to say, but there wasn't any point to it. Eternity knew what she was thinking. An icy smile touching her lips, she stretched and walked forward. Hesitating only when she felt the drop off, sitting down again; the girl pushed off of it.

Landing with a soft "thud", she turned and caught Eternity as she hopped down. Stumbling backward, she stroked the little cat's head. Putting the feline down, Cecilia turned on her heel and continued with her stroll; heading for the ones gathered in the town square.

~- As My Conscience Seems To Be -~

The candles flickered, casting shadows on the cobbled stone walls. Staring into the glass of brown pop, soft ripples spread across its surface. Turning the straw in a slow circle, a frown tugged at the boy’s lips. He’d been here for fifteen minutes, waiting for them to make the first move. Rising to his feet, he quickly ducked out the door; taking the plastic glass with him.

Riku was glad they had a to-go option. If they hadn’t, he would have needed to abandon his cola again. Weaving between the crowds, he kept his head down, somehow succeeding in not drawing anyone’s attention. The stone path gave way to grass, alerting him that he was close to his destination.

His pace quickened, footsteps becoming surer. Hearing a flapping over head, his head snapped up and hesitated for a moment. That stupid bird was there; the one that had chased him for sometime. Riku felt stonewall on his right, lifting his hand, he ran his fingers along the cool stones. Pressing in on one, he listened to the rumbling as it slid out-of-the-way.

Riku nearly stepped through when a portal of light opened, watching from his hiding spot; he watched a young woman step out. She seemed so familiar. Taking a step backward, so he was hidden in a deeper cloak of shadows; the boy listened as she gasped, "Radiant Gardens."

Wait a second, did she show up on the Islands? He thought, attempting to figure out who she was. Shaking his head, he reached up and brushed a silver lock of hair out of his eyes. She was one of the ones that visited all those years ago, and wasn't there a brunette too? Which meant there were no way things could get any worse, right?

Yeah right.

Riku hated his suspicions, a Nobody approached the woman and spoke to her; addressing the woman by Aqua. He watched Aqua try to regain control of the situation. She's freaking and obviously on the defensive. Sighing, he stepped out from his spot next to the wall and said, "Hey, back off Nobody. After all, don't you have better things to do then antagonize a girl that's shocked?"

At least he'd left his soda by the wall, so it was hidden from view. Good, he expected the situation to get pretty tense.

~- Thoughts and Laughs -~

Flip, flip, flip.

Several candle flames flickered, giving suggestion of something yet not relenting its secrets. Curled on the bed, a girl was enveloped in a bubble of silence. Tora moved only to turn the page; or to relight one of the burned out of candles. A calm, relaxing melody drifted out of her headphones, polluting her ears with the song.

Pausing mid-flip, the Nobody cocked her head to the right; hearing a strange yet familiar tune. Stretching slightly, she rolled over and blew out the bedside candle. Standing up, she went around the room and snuffed the others out until there was only one left; the one by the door.

Moving over to it, she put her hand on the door; twisted the knob and blew the remaining candle out. Stepping outside, Tora followed the sound until she stood outside of the throne room. A smile spreading across her face, finally recognizing the melody; she reached into her jeans pocket and paused her MPH player. She opened the door just a crack.

Peeking inside, Tora saw Race with a microphone in front of him; a bunch of lesser Nobodies surrounding him. Suppressing a giggle, she watched them continue with their little show. This guy's crazy, but it is amusing, she mused silently.

 

[Tyrant Raver]

"Ey pipsqueak!"

The chibi kid hopped down from his elevated position. As he was about to take stance, he felt an approaching presence from the distance. As the enigma drew closer, his identity came to view. Slashing his way through the Neo Shadow horde. A slight smile drew on his small lips. Seeing that he improved his sword skills and even acquiring the keyblade of his own.

"I was going to greet ya but it looks like you've already found yourself the welcome wagon."

Said the keyblader with a hint of cockiness on his tone. Well that surprised him a bit.

"It also looks like you have a little bit experience in combat. How about we make this a quick one, yes?"

"Hmhmhm..."

The chibi kid's tone changed from a little kid's to a gruff adult man. As he opened his eyes, his pupils changed from blue to gold. "Then let me weed them out for you--and if you have a weak will, I suggest holding on to something."
The rabid heartless altogether lunged at them while the chibi kid remained perfectly still, eyes closed and posture relaxed.

He then opened his eyes with a piercing glare, releasing an invisible wave of energy that stopped the horde on their tracks.

Haoshiki Zen!

With this Zen technique, grants the user the ability to dominate the wills of others. He can pick out weak-willed individuals in a large group and knock them out without affecting those around them. However, those with stronger wills can resist or even ignore the effects of Haoshiki Zen.

With the Haoshiki Zen executed, few Neo Shadows just dropped down, knocked out of their minds. While the others looked puzzled as they watched their fellow Heartless drop down and disintegrate.

The remaining Neo Shadows tried to escape by striding through the shadows. But not today. "Not today!" The chibi kid quickly channeled his chi to his metal fist and pounded the concrete with a tremor punch. The vibration created by his punch ejected the fleeing Neo Shadows from the shade, launching them on the air in mid-stride. He looked at Derrick and nodded, signaling to finish it off with one swoop.

 

[Mason Stark]

[FairSovereign, just so you know, Aexrn's in Deep Jungle. xD; Sorries I hadn't mentioned that before!]

With the squeak of the doors pressing open, Rena immediately yelped, ducked, and sunk into the ground with her arms pulled over her head. Crap! Who was that? She could hear footsteps, though there was really nothing more than that. Curious, the girl lifted her head out of the ground, antenna twitching while the rest of her form remained as a pool of darkness. What she found was an odd sight: someone really, really short? (Maybe a kid or something.) Odd...

Now, her curiosity was getting the best of her: how she wanted to follow after the kid, but she knew that, if he discovered her, she would be attacked right on the spot. After all, she was a Heartless and Heartless were the enemy. But, nonetheless, she was curious!

Sinking back into the ground, a pool of darkness trailed along after the chibi kid, the Shadow keeping her distance as far from him as possible without losing sight of him. She followed his scent and, soon enough, she found herself in a dark alley.

Mmm...?

As the Shadow lingered in the darkness, she could hear the boy speak. She had risen up for the cobblestone and remained back against a wall. Her antenna twitched, flattening back as she lowered herself closer and closer to the ground. He had spotted her, hadn't he? Oh no...

Unfortunately, it was quite the opposite... What he had found were Neo-Shadows. They leapt from the darkness, springing for the boy. Rena reverted back to the darkness, throwing her arms over her head. No! That boy was going to get hurt and there was nothing she could do... Even worse, who knows what would've happened if the Neo-Shadows actually found her, too.

shing!

The girl's yellow orbs snapped open and she looked up, seeing a figure charging forth.

Ey pipsqueak!

That voice... Derrick! Rena watched the fight ensue, staying as far back as she could from it, and watched as Derrick and the chibi boy fought off the Heartless. The boy had managed to finish them off, but Rena wasn't coming out; not yet...

A small whimper sounded from the alleyway, however, while her yellow orbs peered bright through the darkness. Maybe Derrick would've heard her then...

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

Blue orbs scanning around the new surroundings, Aexrn sought after figures and silhouettes throughout this place, yet all he found was an old house in a state beyond disrepair. He looked at all of the wooden boards broken and thrown asunder, the cloths of fabric that looked as if they had been ripped through by claws, and at the cracks in the walls where sunlight streamed through. Vitani and Gigimon were nowhere in sight, but perhaps he wasn't looking hard enough... He stepped forward, continuing on his search, when something caught his attention.

Hello?

A voice! Someone was here... The voice sounded muffled or distant, perhaps they were behind a wall or something. But the boy grinned, his eyes brightening. Hands cupped around his mouth, he exclaimed out, "Oy! Over here!"

 

[Aphex]

"Then let me weed them out for you--and if you have a weak will, I suggest holding on to something."

Derrick wasn't really paying any attention to the new kid considering he was far too busy fighting off the Heartless as well as looking for a certain someone but that voice seemed to bug him a bit.

"Geez, kid, you really hit puberty fast, huh?" he commented on his sudden change of tone, rushing over to another Neo-Shadow but couldn't help but notice something a bit odd. None of them were moving at all! It was almost as though something made them stop dead in their tracks! When the boy turned around, he soon ended up finding the reason why they did in the first place.

The pipsqueak! His eyes were different too and as Derrick glanced over at the Heartless again, they were beginning to flee! With just one punch, they were all airborne as the kid nodded over to his direction, that being the signal to finish this fight once and for all. Without hesitation, the boy gripped onto the hilt of his Keyblade tightly as a black flame started to conjure among the blade. Instead of just casting a regular Dark Firaga, he channeled it into the blade as Derrick then released the flame with one swift slash towards the Neo-Shadows. The flames engulfed them entirely and soon enough, they were dispatched in several clouds of black smoke.

"Glad that's over with," he blurted out, Keyblade now resting on his shoulder as he turned over to the runt. "Say kid, I don't know how you managed to do that but that was really impressive!"

But before that statement could lead into an introduction, the boy couldn't help but hear a faint whimper coming from the alleyway. It sounded vaguely familiar the more he grew closer to where it was coming from.

"There you are!" All though the kid couldn't see what exactly Derrick scooped up, it became obvious as soon as he turned around. Placing what appeared to be a Heartless--this one being much different than the rest considering it was Rena--on his shoulder, he quickly let on his hand for an old fashioned shake. "The name's Derrick by the way and don't mind the little one, she isn't harmful at all."

 

[Tyrant Raver]

The young keyblader reacted quickly and dealt the finishing blow as impressive as he expected it to be. This kid has potential, he had to admit it. So in the aftermath, he dusted off his small shoulders and shook his metal fist.

"Say kid, I don't know how you managed to do that but that was really impressive!"

The chibi kid raised his brow on that rather naive remark. Could not believe Derrick didn't recognized his real tone earlier. So he tightened again his throat muscle and changed his tone back to a little kid's. "Yeah... Well tough luck." The kid almost sounded modest in his reply.

As he went to check his luggage, see if anything's missing during the scrap earlier. As he finished checking his overload of a luggage; Derrick came back to him with a tiny Shadow heartless on his shoulder. He narrowed his sight on the little creature. But this one's different, it didn't have a malevolent aura like those Neo Shadows from earlier, but rather... harmless or neutral. He can't read it thoroughly, the creature's chi resonance was surprisingly dormant.

"The name's Derrick by the way and don't mind the little one, she isn't harmful at all."

The young keyblader reached out for a handshake. And due to his form he can't reach his hand, things went awkward fast. "Nice to meet ya, I'm R." To avoid embarrassing himself further, he just went ahead and said his middle initial rather than giving his full name. Just for the sake he won't reveal his true identity yet. He went back to his huge backpack and kicked it so hard that it launched to the air with ease, and the luggage weighed 10 times heavier than him. He caught the heavy backpack with one hand with ease and put it back on his back.

"By the way... I'm kinda lost around here. Can I go with you guys? This map ain't helping me."

Sounding like a kid lost in a park, the chibi kid asked for accompaniment from the two.

 

[Key Wielder]

"Woah, slow down there, Lassy. First of all I'm just a Nobody, plain and simple. As for my knowledge, I've been around the block and met a few people in your absence. As for Hollow Bastion, er...Radiant Garden, Let's just say the search for Kingdom Hearts became overwhelming for all the worlds and not just this one."

Aqua blinked. That was...highly uninformative. Of everything she'd said, only one part of the mess of rambling nonsense was useful: she hadn't given her name. Everything else was laughable, absolute garbage that answered less than Aqua's use of logic could have indicated. The fact that she'd refused to say her name, while seemingly trivial, told Aqua everything she needed to know about the Nobody (whatever that was): she was no friend however benignly pleasant her demeanor might be.

"Well! Now that you've got your answers, I'll need a small favor "

Raising an eyebrow, Aqua fought hard against the urge to laugh derisively. After everything she'd been through, all the traps she'd seen Terra and Ven fall into, did this girl really think Aqua would be so naive? She'd known from the beginning that this Nobody wasn't here to help, but because she wanted something. Now that Aqua thought about it, it made perfect sense; why else would she go to the trouble of finding out about her life if she didn't have a use for that information? She would have still been very young when Aqua fell into the realm of darkness, yet she knew about what had happened back then. Aqua wasn't sure if she wanted to know what this favor was, but she knew one thing: she wouldn't do it, whatever it happened to be.

"Answers?" she scoffed, shaking her head. "You really think you can give me a bunch of useless, cryptic information, call it an answer, and expect me to suddenly do you a favor? Sorry, I don't buy it. Whatever it is you want, you'll have to find it somewhere else."

Ordinarily that was the part where she would summon her Keyblade and let her enemy decide if it was worth it to engage her, but she held back with great difficulty. If she could avoid a conflict, she could get out of here quickly. As another figure stepped out of the shadows nearby, however, that prospect seemed unlikely. Aqua nearly groaned in frustration. What would this person want from her?

When he revealed himself fully, Aqua gasped when she took in his features, immediately recognizing the little boy who'd reminded her so much of Terra. Only, of course, he wasn't so little anymore. He was as tall as she was now, his face mature; he was probably around her age, or the age she'd been when they met. She wasn't really sure how old she was anymore... But even with how much he'd changed, she'd know those blue eyes and silver hair anywhere. Riku and his friend had partially kept her going when all hope seemed lost. According to the old man she'd left behind, she could trust him. Relieved but still wary, she took a step backward to keep them both in her line of sight. If something was going to happen, she didn't want to be taken by surprise.

"Hey, back off Nobody. After all, don't you have better things to do then antagonize a girl that's shocked?"

The pleasure she'd felt at seeing a familiar face evaporated slightly. Girl? Who's he calling a girl? I'm at least fifteen years older than him! ...Sort of...

Biting back her indignation, Aqua frowned. She had thought her antagonist might just be giving her a hard time with that "Nobody" business, but Riku had called her one too and they didn't seem to know each other. In fact, Riku seemed to be just as tense as her: prepared for a fight. But now she had to ask or it would gnaw at her. Glancing back at the girl, Aqua decided to direct the question to Riku instead. She'd never get a straight answer from the former.

"Riku, what is a Nobody?"

 

[Sean]

[Play!]​

From the moment he closed his eyes Yumei felt his chest sink in. It was not like a stinging pain but a slight pinch in his heart. All emotions of fear, anxiety, anger, indifference and happiness were all replaced with simple content. The warm rays of the distant sun disappeared, leaving nothing but a cold and hollow world around hims surrounded by nothing but immediate darkness. Sitting up, he could feel nothing. It was as if his bottom was seated on a marble floor that was clean down to the square inch. His body grew heavier, and soon the floor would give way; shattered like thin glass. The act of falling was not overcome with misgiving. Acceptance rather. The fall was slow, much resembling sinking further and further in a body of water. The boy clutched his chest.

Warrior of the Light...

Awaken.​

The voice was not audible and it rang through his head as a fire alarm would. But it was not as chilling or alarming, it felt...comfortable; inviting. Breaking the fall would be easy as Yumei's body tilted on cue landing on another dark and desolate surface. A very meager ray of light shined signifying just a slight marker of hope. "Hm," His half-witted eyes looked down as the darkness tore away at his feet like a flock of birds rushing out of sight. The platform was simple. Yellow in color, with a door in the middle surrounded by three familiar faces. Yumei's own in the top center while the profile of a blue-eyed brunette rested on the right and on the left, a black haired boy. The others seemed extremely familiar yet he could not quite place his finger on it.

Out of thin air, a pedestal appeared gracing its presence with a holy light. Yumei stared on as the pedestal came into figure. Following after it, a sword balanced on the air being held up by its own subtle nature. Anyone else in this situation would definitely be bothered to some extent. Asking questions pertaining to their whereabouts and the source of the voice. Yet Yumei did none of that. Every keyblader had to go through a trial of the sort. Knowing that the keyblade would not choose anyone who did not pass this specific series of events was definitely an edge forward. After a few steps, his hand reached out cautiously placing a lone finger on the grip of the airborne blade. Firm and smooth. The rest of the hand possessed the weapon and in a cinch, it disappeared in a burst of stardust evaporating into the darkness above.

Forward. Your path has been chosen.​

A winding staircase came into formation behind him. It's multicolored platform made it quite easy to follow up to the next station. Whatever was beyond this point he had to be prepared for. Whether it be for his own sake or for the sake of others there was no turning back at this point. A mental sigh slipped through his mind and as each stair was ascended Yumei's heart beat that much faster. His overwrought emotions were coming back to him. Almost to the point where he had to hold himself back from running up the rest of the stairs. Upon reaching the summit he was stopped in his tracks.

Do not be afraid. Place your best foot forward and approach.​

A dormant set of armor. A matte navy color outlined in yellow, cyan and crimson. And beside the standing armor, a keyblade stood as well. A washed look of fright and curiosity came over Yumei as another step was taken. And another. Hesitantly, the bewildered child came close to the vicinity of the armor. The armor's right hand budged just a bit, but it was noticeable enough to freeze Yumei in his tracks. The light illuminating from the ground was ever so bright as the armor reached for its helmet.

"Do you know, Rena?"

It spoke? Now that was down right creepy. Nothing out of any movie could have been scripted better. It took a few seconds to answer the question only because the boy was overcome with such confusion. "N-No. I mean...I've heard of her." His eyes eyes traced down looking away as if his answer did not suffice. "Why?" He continued as a follow up. Half of him wanted to know the question while the other half regretted answering the question in the first place. As if an armored character would take up enough time to answer him.

"I see."

He dodged the question altogether and tossed aside his helmet, revealing a blue-eyed blond. Despite the fact that those sapphire pools looking ever so empty, they were filled with promise. He pointed at Yumei's chest. "I can see your heart," a smile appeared. "I don't think you're here on accident. So lets see what you're made of, okay?"

"Alright."

A shaking hand reached out and through pure will light formed within his palm circulating and becoming greater with each passing moment. Unaided gusts of wind surrounded the platform rustling up Yumei's hair and clothing. A loud *click* resounded in the area and echoed into the darkness surrounding to two. In that instance, a keyblade formed, unlocking the true essence of his heart. It was a beautiful blade to say the least illuminating in midst of nothingness. Yumei's eyes gave away his emotions being shocked and in awe.

The armored clad reached down for his own weapon of choice. A reverse grip. A sideways swipe ensued, barely grazing Yumei at all yet knocking his concentration out of whack and backward a few feet. Immediately recovering was easy as a well placed hand on the cold surface maneuvered his body into a flip onto his feet. Sure he was new to fighting but maybe this bout would be a prerequisite as to what he would have to rally up against in the future. Yumei welcomed it.

"Get ready!"

~~~~

Several minutes passed an Yumei was out of breath down to one knee and using his keyblade as a crutch to support himself. His head tilted downward and upon his ruby eyes looking upward his foe was gone. And in his wake a door. Much like the one that was plastered on the ground of the first platform. Instead this one was immaculate. Glowing a radiant shine as if there was nowhere else to go. Yumei picked himself up and walked over to the door as if his body were just rolled down a hill. Heck, he just fought a keyblade master. What else did he have to do?

Be prepared. Your life will never be the same.​

"Note taken," The door opened slowly and the other side prided itself on just how much light it could give off. Yumei shielded his eyes with his forearm and progressed forward. What would be on the other side? A way back home? Or to some distant world miles and miles away from his own? There was no telling and darn sure no way to figure that out in the realm that he resided. On the other side, an inclination to turn back ensued. And there he was, the blond from before placing his metallic helmet back onto his head.

"Make sure she's okay...Please,"




"Who?"​

 

[Piercing Light]

"I can answer that one, if you'll permit me dear esteemed keyblade master." Vexil came from behind Tessa, walking towards the three as if he were invited to a party. "Tessa." He greeted his fellow organization member with a tip of his hat and a quick smile. He stood in front of her, giving a warming smile to Aqua and Riku as well. His motions were subtle and hardly threatening, and his arms were crossed across his chest. "You've been gone for quite some time haven't you? I've always wondered just what that realm was like.. Though I suppose you'd rather not talk about that."

Vexil was curious about quite a many things, however he knew more than he let on, and what he didn't know he figured was unimportant. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I wouldn't want someone to explain what a Nobody is that might taint it with a bit of prejudice, No offense to you of course." He said in a silky smooth voice, nodding to Riku. Putting on a more serious face he brought his eyes to Aqua. "My name is Vexil, and put simply, A Nobody is what's left when a heart leaves a body. Without the heart the body and soul create a new being. That's all we are really, isn't that right Tessa?" He said, addressing Tessa but keeping his eyes where they were. Lifting his right hand he rubbed his clean cut chin, shallow in thought. "I know you two might not be willing to trust an empty being such as I, however I believe we have a common goal in our desires." He turned his head to Riku. "You can take over from here, I'm sure you know of the Parasites... Right? I'm sure our blue haired friend here would want to know of them."

 

[FairSovereign]

Dastan proceeded to enter the house, pushing the door open with caution, stepping through the threshold with the care of one entering a lion's den. A trickle of power rested firmly in the boy's grasp, strengthening his body and mind, bringing him some small comfort in the face of potential danger. Though the person within didn't actually sound dangerous, he knew from experience that even the most seemingly innocuous of beings could pose an immense threat.

As he walked into the house, Dastan took note of the dwelling's familiar furnishings. There was a single table carved out of wood. It was of simple design, but sturdy, and around it rested four wooden chairs seemingly of the same make and craft. The table hadn't seen much use in recent months, but Dastan had taken the time to clean it on his occasional visits. At one end of the room there was a small fireplace made of metal, with a large pipe extending up through the roof for the smoke to exit through. Ashes still rested in the hearth from its last use. Everything was more or less as it should be...save for the rather conspicuous hole in the roof.

Dew drops, likely from broken branches above, fell into the center of the room like beads of gold as the sun shone down through the breach. Dastan let out a small sigh as he considered how much work it would take to patch such a massive hole, but he pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind as he considered the individual who had made it. The boy's eyebrows shot up as he observed a young man, again, older looking than he but likely several years younger, with a lanky frame and dazzling blue eyes. A stark contrast to Dastan's own of golden amber. The grey white tendrils of power which eminated from Dastan's body continued to move in that semi-aware fashion, but this time something was different. They seemed to be reacting to the newcomer's presence. Foreign emotions flooded his mind, and to his intense surprise, he felt something like...kinship coming from the power enveloping him. A connection to the boy who stood before him. The thought seemed absurd, but who was he to argue with such concrete signs?

Walking forward Dastan decided, against his better judgement, to trust the newcomer. The power around his body dissapated like so much dust in a strong wind, and he felt the strength and power it granted leave along with it.

"Is it a habit of yours, to decend from the heavens and break people's roofs?" He said with a hint of amusement.