Video Game: Kingdom Hearts SOS: The Road To Light

Discussion in 'Role-Playing Arena' started by Krowley, Nov 28, 2011.

  1. cstar stay away from my waifu

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    Kaida listened to the questions rapid fire and had a moment where her head was spinning. She placed her hands on AJ's shoulders and said, "Breathe." she then let go and folded her hands and brought them to her face, taking a deep breath before unfolding her hands, "Intact because we all just had this trial type thing, it's hard to explain in one description but some of us failed it." Kaida shifted her hand to the right and said, "I don't know if there's danger inside the castle yet, but I'm not gonna lie to you and say no." Kaida's hand dropped and she rubbed the back of her head with her left hand, "I don't know about your home but... if you're here in the realm of darkness... something had to have happened... I'm sorry."

    Kaida put both her hands on her hips and said, "I don't know if there's anything in particular to help out with right this moment, but any help we can get is great. We're... not amazing well put together, others just got here too. If you want to help, you can. And hopefully we could all find out what happened to your home but... I don't know all the answers. But if you wanna keep with a group to feel safe with a team for now, you're welcome here." Kaida looked a bit overwhelmed answering all those questions. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then she looked over at Hikaru and she asked, "So, Hikaru, did you pass it? The test I mean?"
     
  2. Maka Albarn It's called love

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    "Now, your first question that was asked of you," Master Leo began as he paced before his pupil, "'What is most important to you?' In the past, you answered that helping people was what you held high. But has your answer changed since then?"

    Xara pressed her lips together and glanced down, thinking hard. "Yeah," she finally said after a moment. "What's most important to me now... Is making meaningful friendships... Or even just one meaningful friendship." She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "After you disappeared, I didn't think I needed friends... And then being stuck in that dark place with no one to talk to for so long... It was really lonely..." She lowered her from her neck, and pressed it to her chest. "And it was almost... as painful as the time you disappeared. But I want to try again, to make a friend I mean."

    Master Leo stopped walking and faced his back towards the young girl. He smiled sadly and tears almost flooded his eyes, but he could not show his pupil his emotions at this time. It would make the vision all the more harder to leave. "Your second question that was asked of you all that time ago was 'What do you want most out of life?' You answered that you wanted "one awesome story" to tell your home-world someday." He chuckled at the wording and stroked his beard, his back still facing her. "What say you now?"

    The girl's hands pressed together and she continued to sit criss-cross on the cold, white floor. She fell into deep thought and closed her eyes. If being in the darkness had taught her one thing, it was how to meditate and really think. "I want to find my purpose in all of this," Xara finally let out. "What am I truly worth in all of this as someone who holds this... keyblade. I mean, seeing all those people at that pillar of light? The look in their eyes... They looked defeated and... lost." She shook her head and continued on, "I missed out on so much, I just know it. And... how am I supposed to live with that? All I did was stumble around in the dark the whole time, literally." She laughed halfheartedly and stared down at her hands. "I'm still surprised I can wield the keyblade at all."

    The old man's face grew serious as he listened to his old student reply. "You will find what you seek in all due time, my dear," he answered gently. "Last question," he stated, turning around to face his pupil fully. "You were asked What do you fear of most?, and you said to freeze up in situations or not know what to do in a middle of a crisis... What.... Do you say now?"

    "To let everyone down," Xara answered without hesitation. "To not find my purpose and... and having to..." She looked to the side and sighed. She couldn't answer it fully. She gradually stood to her feet and looked up at her old friend. "Having to be all alone out there... again. I don't think I can do it..." Tears started to come to the girl's eyes. "I don't know any of those people... Or if I'm going to be of any help. Something bad happened, and-"

    Hands were laid on her shoulders, stopping the girl's panic spree of words. "That's enough," Master Leo whispered gently. "My child, you are only thirteen years old, nearly fourteen... You should not be expected to know the worlds and everything about them right now this instant." Master Leo shook Xara's shoulders softly, forcing the girl to look at him. "You are doing the best you can. And you will continue on this path and find your way. You must believe in yourself, and stop being so hard to that wonderful soul inside of you." Things will come in time."

    Xara was suddenly hugged and she blinked rapidly. She sniffed and hugged the old man back, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment.

    "Now... It's time to go... You must wake up..."

    ~~

    There was a flash of light, and Xara stumbled out of the door she had went into what seemed like a bit ago. She blinked and realized something tickled her face and went to swipe at it. Her fingers were wet, and she realized that tears were coming down her cheeks. She sniffed and rubbed at them with the heel of her palm, and then paused when she heard voices talking. She looked up to see the group of people she saw at the pillar of light, or at least some of them.

    Not knowing what else to really do, and feeling kind of out of it, Xara walked hesitantly towards the group.... To the leader, Hikaru. That was at least one familiar face she remembered. Everyone else... not so much.

    What do you want out of life?

    Xara took in a deep breath and waved uneasily. "H-hey there," she called to the group standing around.
     
  3. Krowley Moderator

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    "I guess I did." Standing up to the thing he feared most must have meant he passed. He held his hand out to summon his keyblade. Without hesitation it materialized. "Well I guess that confirms it." The golden keyblade appeared in his hand without fail. He dispersed it away from sight after a quick nod that his passing of the trial wasn't a fluke. "In all honesty though, I've.... been better. That room showed me a lot of stuff I wasn't prepared for," Hikaru replied to Kaida. He looked onward as Luna rushed over to Karina. "Better than most it looks like. What happened to Karina?"

    As he asked, the purple haired girl that traveled alongside Ananta appeared before him. "H-hey there," she called to the group standing around. Hikaru looked to her and nodded. "Hey, good to see you again... Xara, was it?"
     
  4. Maka Albarn It's called love

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    Xara was relieved that Hikaru seemed to have recognized her. She nodded her head, glancing at the other faces around her. Some seemed just as confused as she was, others seemed kind of out of it. "So... I kind of overheard some stuff... we had to go through a trial?" She asked, scratching her head. "When I met up with Ananta, she said something about not being able to summon her keyblade... something about a witch's spell?"
     
  5. Fearless A good and beautiful child

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    To be completely honest, Gwendolyn hadn't expected death to be so frick-fracking cold. Although, perhaps she should have? They always called it 'the cold hand of death', so maybe that was an indicator of what death was meant to be like. Cold, empty, and boring. An eternity of nothing. In her defense, she'd been raised to believe the gods were merciful, and would reward you with a good afterlife if you were a good person, so she'd kind of expected a little more from her death. Like sunshine, and hot people, and that funnel cake that you could only get at the annual fair because they only made it that good at the fair. Or, hell, even a fruit basket would have been nice. She liked fruit.

    Instead, she got a whole lot of nothing. Either that meant she'd been an awful person, or the gods were a faerie tale that adults told to children to make them be good. Like Father Nicolas. Or the Tooth Faerie.

    A fuzzy something rubbed at her face, and there was a meow in her ear. Ah, so it seemed she wasn't alone here after all. Also, she was starting to think she wasn't actually dead, which was also pretty good news. She opened her eyes, and found her companion, the orange cat, looking at her with big eyes. She watched it for a moment, then sat up.

    "So I guess we're not dead, huh?" she asked the cat, picking it up and putting it in her lap. "Although I do feel like I got hit by a truck. That was some crazy shit."

    The cat meowed in agreement, and rubbed its head against her hand, so she continued to pet it in the dim light. There was only barely enough light to see by, harkened by a beacon in the distance that seemed to light the area for miles around it. Scanning, it was also the only thing she could see at all.

    "Well, we have two options, cat. We can either stay here forever, and probably die of starvation or some shit," Gwendolyn said, "Or we can start walking towards the light. Personally, I'm kinda for the second option, but this is a democracy, so what do you think?"

    The cat said nothing, only purring under her hand as she continued to pet it.

    "I'll take that as a yes. Also, you're a cat." Gwendolyn paused. "...Why the hell am I talking to a cat? ...Whatever. C'mon, I'll even carry you, you lazy ass."

    The cat again purred at her, and she stood, picking up the cat. She stopped, again, when she saw the silver key lying nearby on the ground. It was beautiful, and it seemed to chase the darkness away just by existing. And it had certainly helped against those shadows. Hesitantly, Gwendolyn reached down and picked it up. Might as well take it with them.

    ~~~~~~~~~~

    Gwendolyn had no idea how long she'd been walking. It had definitely been long enough that her arms were tired from carrying the cat and the giant key, and more than once she's considered ditching the key or making the cat walk. But no, she couldn't risk the cat wandering off. And the key, well... she felt like she should hang onto it. Call it a gut feeling, but another thing she'd been taught growing up was that her gut was usually right.

    At least it wasn't one of those 'no matter how far you walk you're never closer' bullshit deals like in those purple-prose novels written by old dead guys they made you read in school. She'd been able to see steady progress as the light definitely got brighter and more voluminous as she walked, and now it was bright enough that it could've been daylight around her. Not that there was much to see; this land was barren and rocky, and honestly, pretty depressing to look at.

    Either way, it had definitely been a few hours by the time she finally approached the source of the light, a beautiful castle that seemed terribly out of place in a world like this, and by the gods was she bone tired. She was dirty, and tired, and hungry, and she could absolutely do with a cup of tea and a lie-down, and if something attacked her right now, she knew she'd be screwed beyond all belief. Still, she had made it to her destination, in relatively one piece, and at least she had that accomplishment under her belt. At least she hadn't rolled over and died.

    Now she only had to hope that the inhabitants of the castle were friendly, or at least hospitable. Gwendolyn looked down at the cat in her arms, who was snoozing lazily, and at the shining key in her hand, and shrugged. Nothing to it but to do it, or whatever.

    She walked forward and shoved open the door with her shoulder, slipping inside, and leaning back against it to close it before looking around, only to find about a dozen strangers standing around. Right inside the entranceway. Who hangs out near the entranceway when they have an entire castle to hang out in?

    "Fuck," Gwendolyn whispered under her breath.
     
  6. Light-Rune Maven Seer

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    XXV Temperance
    The Story of Steel
    Part III: Truth

    ((*Note: If BGM is used, It is applicable for the entirety of the remaining contents of the spoiler tag it is associated with.))

    The sounds of spring could be heard all around. Birds chirped, trees rustled, a river could be heard raging, and a trickling stream resounded as if only a few steps away.

    It only made the current location all the more unnerving.

    Despite the soundtrack, the backdrop was anything but cheery: though there were sounds of spring, the trees were all bare. What few leaves there were were all perpetually floating in midair, as if time had frozen whilst they were in mid fall. The ground was caked in mud, but in contrast to the other places in this world, no rain was falling from the sky. The sun was setting, and it cast an sickly grey color across the entirety of said sky.

    This place felt like some kind of purgatory.



    "You came back to play with me!" Panchito was shocked out of his examinations and looked over to see an elder grey wolf pup wagging its tail in excitement as it ran over to Steel. For his part, the Artisian King leaned down and began scratching behind the pups ears, petting him, and just generally interacting with the hyperactive canine.

    "Yes Mar." Steel gave a smirk and a chuckle. "I came back to play with you. I understand how it can be for you here." Steel's eyes took on a sad gleam, but the pup, Mar it seemed he was called, seemed unaffected.

    "Awesome!" The pup began prancing in little circles in front of Steel. You can help me prank my brother, and hunt for bugs, and prank my sister, and fish, and prank my dad, and...! Who's that?" Mar had abruptly stopped when he saw Panchito, and was now staring curiously at him. Steel gave another chuckle.

    "Mar, this is my friend Panchito. Panchito, this is Mar." Curious, the little pup crept close to Panchito and sniffed him a few times before giving a large, toothy grin.

    "Hi Panchito! You're a bird! I eat birds sometimes!" Panchito gave a mildly horrified look and Steel began laughing his head off. It was natural that a child wouldn't hesitate to say such things; especially with an upbringing like Mar's. He decided to interfere before things actually went south.

    "Why don't we go find your older siblings Mar?" The wolf immediately brought his attention back to Steel at that.

    "Right! They're probably over in the fields! Follow me!" Panchito could only follow confused as Steel and Mar made their way deeper into the trees. Frankly, the Rooster was flabbergasted at the cheerful attitude that Mar was sporting, given the... less than matching background. It was quite awhile of walking before he realized that Winter and Gale were nowhere to be seen.

    "Mi amigo! Tu familia!" Steel took a moment to register what the bird had said, and took a look back to see only Panchito.

    "Hmmm? Oh yeah... don't worry they're... around here somewhere." Panchito was confused and a little uneasy, but he decided that Steel probably knew what was going on. However, he certainly had some curiosities he would like addressed at this juncture, seeing as things were only becoming more confusing.

    "So... who exactly is your little friend Senor Hope?" Naturally Steel was not entirely forthcoming.

    "A local."

    "He... lives here?" Steel smiled in response.

    "If he's a local, where else would he live?" Steel seemed quite entertained, Panchito didn't really have a negative or positive opinion of his joke.

    "He just seems... unusually cheerful for this place is all." This time Steel finally gave him knowledge that was a bit more concrete.

    "Well, he isn't usually this excitable." He supplied. "It's rare that he gets to interact with anyone as... Tangible...? As us?" A lump grew in Panchito's throat as he suddenly felt as though he had a very good idea of what was going on.

    "No that's not right. They're all perfectly solid..." Now Panchito just felt annoyed.

    "Of course, interaction is still a bit of a challenge, but ultimately-" The Rooster abruptly cut him off.

    "Senor, be straight with me por favor: What is this place?" Steel didn't seem to give much thought to being interrupted. He just shrugged.

    "Valley Serendipity."

    Serendipity. 'Happy chance.' The very name seemed to send chills up his spine, what with the place seeming to be a world of anything other than it's name sake.

    He didn't even notice Steel once again curling his hands into fist at the name. He hated this place.

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

    It took them all quite a bit longer than they all expected to find Mar's siblings. They actually weren't at the location he had originally believed, and in their continued search the young wolf wound up taking them on several side trips. Mostly fun and games with the little pup. Panchito actually enjoyed it, and Steel obviously did as well. The rooster liked the bug hunting the most, curiously enough. Perhaps it was because Mar started trying to convince him that he should try to eat the bugs, since he was a bird and all. The little creature seemed quite enamored with the possibility of getting to watch him eat the tiny insects. Steel on the other hand seemed to enjoy the fishing the most. He would look down into the poolx and stab his arm down into the water whenever he saw a fish. When he pulled his hand out, the fish would be speared on the tips of the unusually sharp fingers on his gloves. Needless to say, he wasn't going for catch and release.

    All three of them had quite a bit of fun, but naturally it couldn't last. The Valley seemed strangely devoid of inhabitants, but they did eventually come across another young wolf.

    "Hail!" Mar shouted as he ran to meet the slightly bigger black wolf. "Look, look! Steel is back! And he brought me a new friend!" Hail barely seemed to register the little pup though.

    "That's great Mar." 'Hail' barely looked up from the ground, which he seemed to be studying with intensity for some reason that Panchito couldn't fathom: there didn't seem to be anything there.

    "His name is Panchito, and he's some kind of bird! We all went fishing and bug hunting, and I tried to get Panchito to eat some bugs, but he didn't really want to do it, which made me a little disappointed cause it would have been really neat to see, if a little gross, and-"

    "Did you finish doing the things dad asked you to?" Mar looked vaguely put off, but didn't skip a beat.

    "Of course I did Hail! I'm not completely irresponsible you know!" Mar's muzzle was pulled into a huge grin, but Panchito could tell it was forced. Hail didn't really give much of a response.

    "That's good." He stated silently while still staring at the ground as if it was somehow more important than what Panchito realized was likely Hail's own brother. After that there was just silence. For the longest time, no one spoke a word. Panchito looked like he was going to step forward and say something, but Steel placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. When Panchito sent him a questioning glance, Steel just shook his head sadly.

    Mar himself was now giving a sad look of his own: his smile having slowly slid off of his face over time. He sighed.

    "I don't know why I expected anything different." He sounded older all of a sudden; like he had seen so much more than anyone should have at his age... or perhaps experienced something that no one ever should have to... Finally showing some actual form of acknowledgement, Hail tilted his head to the side, though still didn't look up.

    "I am inclined to agree with you."

    "Of course you are." With that, Mar turned around and began to walk off. Panchito wanted to follow; he wanted to comfort the child from whatever was troubling him, but Steel held firm. Perhaps he was right... Panchito was completely unaware of the situation after all. What could he possibly say? Was Hail just ignoring him? An older brother who was just annoyed with the younger? Or...?

    As soon as Mar was no longer in sight Hail's head shot up, and he darted his head back and forth looking confused.

    "What... just happened? Was... someone here...?"

    It was more clear than ever that there was something very wrong with this world.

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

    Steel led him to Mar.

    Night had fallen by then, and the world looked all the more eerie.

    "It's probably about that time, now that I think about it." Mar was pondering in a large Indentation in the ground amid a clearing. It looked to have formerly been a large pond.

    "What do you mean nino?" Mar was silent for a moment, and then...

    "Awhile back... I had a dream."

    "I didn't think much of it at the time... but really... I just didn't want to admit to myself that I knew... My fate was already sealed... The 'me' born here... was the second. A rebirth of a soul who met with a tragic end. The first... had already made his decision... The decision of what he would do when he was reborn... what he would do when he became me. There's no turning back from it now."



    "That was why...no one could interact with me... not really... they couldn't even register my existence effectively enough to even try... no one could love me. Not "Hail." Not "Summer." Not even my parents. They could only just realize I was there. Just enough so that... I could stay alive until the time came."

    "That time is now." Mar smiled. "I know you can do what needs to be done, so I can trust you!" Panchito was confused. He didn't get the chance to ask what the young wolf meant though.

    He froze when he heard an ominous, familiar clicking sound. He slowly turned around and saw Steel aiming his gun, his loaded gun, past him and at Mar.

    "What are you doing Senor Hope?!" Panchito tried to place himself between Steel and Mar, but found himself unable to move. Panicked, he waved his arms wildly as he shouted at his companion.

    "He is a child! One that's been left all alone! This is MURDER! Do you really want to murder someone? Aren't you close to Mar?"

    "Mar..." Panchito turned to the wolf at the sound of his voice. "...Hail... Summer... I chose those names you know. I made them up because... creating my own world, building up a paradise for myself... it was all I could do... to feel real. The name they gave me... the names they called themselves... I couldn't really talk to them at all... so those names had no meaning to me."

    "That name... isn't mine... because I was nothing but a tool."

    The air somehow became more stagnant, and a wind suddenly came from out of nowhere. Mar's eyes began to glow a deep blue.

    "The first me... he was 'lucky' enough... to be born as a sort of... temporal energy magnet. The darkness in him... it grew over time... it wasn't that he was evil... but he had a power that no one else had... and just enough darkness... to be used by HIM!" The wind picked up and a clap of thunder shook the ground.

    "He possessed me... and we called the resulting entity... Gray... Gray then proceeded... to use his newfound power... to absorb..."

    "...Everything!"

    The wind picked up, kicking dust from the ground and ruffling his feathers. The speeds were worthy of a tornado.

    "Before he knew it, everything he loved was gone! His family, his friends... Clair..." The sadness seemed to make the world's atmosphere even more stifling. "So many lives lost, but the evil one... it didn't care! It just wanted more! More to consume! More to Devour! So... it took the essence of the first one... and... he sent it away... to another time... another place... so that he could use him again... Use me again! He wanted to create an anchor... an access point. Once upon a time the day would come later, and I would merely leap from the top of a cliff when I realized the truth... but something changed at some point... Maybe Grey tried to stop me from escaping... maybe I thought I could give myself extra time. I'm not sure. All I know is that at some point... the day started coming sooner, and I wouldn't always remember in time... so the only way to ensure my continued existence... was to come back and take care of the problem myself. So... do you understand now? Why we have to do this? For the sake of this world... and countless others...

    Sors Alexander Hope Must Die!

    Another loud bang was heard, and at first Panchito mistook the sound for another clap of thunder. However, when he saw the blood on 'Mar' he quickly realized what had really happened. As the wolf pup... the child collapsed on the ground. He heard the sound of Steel's voice softly in his ear.

    "This isn't murder Panchito. It's suicide."

    Looking at the who had essentially just shot himself, The rooster was both horrified and saddened to see a wide, pleased looking grin on his face.

    "No es triste?" His smile quickly faded however.

    "This is all a lie though." His arms fell to his sides. His gun clattered to the ground. His eyes reflected his feelings to Panchito: that he had only encountered further sorrow since his death had occurred.

    "I... have memories of being Steel... but all I know for sure... is that one day I walked into the Land of Departure with those memories. Me though? I don't think... that I could be strong enough to face my own sacrifice head on like that... I'm not strong enough... I don't know who I am... but you though..." 'Steel' began to walk forward. He passed Panchito who turned around to see that the corpse left by 'Mar'... decided it didn't want to be all that still.

    A monster. That's what it was. Writhing on the ground, with the occasional patch of singed fur and, strangely enough, black feathers. It was larger than before, positively leaked darkness, and it's torso was wrapped in chains. It's eyes...

    It's eye was the same twisted identifier that Sors shared with his current siblings. It came to him suddenly.
    'Hail' was Gale and 'Summer' was Winter. It seemed rather obvious now, he might have noticed before if he had bothered to pay attention. So what had happened to them then? How were they connected to this creature... unless...

    Ignorant to the birds musings, Steel stood over his ghastly doppelganger with a look of anger.

    "You knew exactly who you were. You were a true hero... so why? Why did you decide..."

    There was the briefest of silences before Steel quite suddenly drew his sword and made to run his counterpart through.

    "...That you should be allowed to play God!"


    Just as suddenly as he had made to strike, his opponent blocked... with a matching sword. The two creatures locked eyes for a moment before the monster shoved the more humanoid of the two back and crawled to his feet.

    "...And what gives you the right to judge?" The tall wolf creature gestured to 'Steel' with his hands causing a sickened Panchito (who had long realized he would be not but a spectator in this battle) to realize they were cut up and covered in blood. You could quite easily see the muscle tissue as well, and it was far from the worst place that the other Steel had been maimed or deformed. One of his hands was actually little more than bloodstained bones, though his sleeves prevented one from seeing any of the gory details beyond that.

    "Have you not gone on your entire journey merely entrusting your comrades to their 'fates?' To some high form of destiny that you seem so confident will work its ways in their favor?" Sors clenched his fist once more before running in for a quick slash at his head.

    This would not be an easy battle, and not for the usual reasons that a test of the mind would imply. He now had an inkling of what was going on; he could sense quite clearly at the very least his relation to this doppelganger.

    He was a shard of it.

    Not: It being the dark representation of him. He was the one who was a shard of It. It would seem that he was a piece of the original Steel's power, and in his hearts' need it had called forth the Artisian King himself to test him. The real deal.

    That meant that he was the one who was the shadow here. He was the repressed true self that the world never saw, except what Steel repressed was his kindness and love and his light, and that terrified him because he had felt those things in such limited quantity since he had arrived at the land of departure.

    A hack, a stab, a slash. All easily avoided by the monster that stood before him, and the shadow himself was all to easily kicked into a nearby tree.

    "I will not deny that I have many, many flaws." He began as dodged the fist that wished to embed him into the flora he had previously crashed into. "But is it so wrong to believe that others can persevere? That their lives can be improved? Even if it is..." Steel managed to dodge the myriad of blows and stab his sword into the monster's chest. Leaving the sword in place, he retreated quickly to a safe distance. "I would think it would be considerably more wrong to take those lives into your own hands!" He raised his index finger to the sky calling down a bolt of lightning that found it's mark as the hilt of Steel's sword, sending a jolt of electricity through his opponents body.

    He leaped back in to deliver an axe kick to his opponents head, but the man caught his leg and threw him across the clearing. It seemed that the monster had a thing for keeping him at a distance... Though he didn't have time to give that much more thought, since the next thing he 'distanced' from himself was the weapon that the Shadow had embedded in his chest. Pulling his sword from the rock it had cleaved into, Steel thought about how this terrible creature was Steel. The boy who at the time was so obsessed with doing the world some good that he had sealed away his own heart to keep it from being corrupted by the negative emotions that had begun to run rampant.

    Clearly a misguided and fruitless action.

    It was to expected really. The 'essence' Gray took had essentially been a form of clone. Everything that Gray had absorbed was basically placed into an alternate version of the young wolf that he had used to destroy the entire "River", with only Gray himself being exempted from Sors' mind. There was an entire universe inside that head. An endless ocean of voices that all screamed out all at once for different things. Without his own heart to guide him, was it really any surprise that he had degenerated into nothing more than a vengeful ghost? Looking at it now made it seem so inevitable, and now the resulting evil- well now the resulting evil was about to crush him with a vending machine.

    He barely had time to back flip out of the way to avoid being flattened, all the while wondering where the monster had even gotten a vending machine in this place, since the Valley hadn't exactly had modern comforts even when it hadn't been some purgatorial wasteland. He quickly decided that pursuing that train of thought would lead him nowhere though, so he instead turned his attention back to the fight at hand.

    "Do you honestly think I don't know whose blood is truly on your hands?" Steel queried whilst fishing among the wreckage for a soda. Having found one he popped the tab and took a swig rather casually. "Lord of Avarice you are a fool if you truly think your ways are better than mine!"

    "Oh really?" The monster mimicked a grabbing motion with his paws, causing the can in the Shadows' hand to crush spontaneously before being telepathically thrown aside. He was rather disappointed at that.

    "Dammi-" His lament was cut short as he blocked a lighting fast blow from the monster that pushed him up against a rock wall.

    "From what I can see, you've been of almost no help to your allies whatsoever: Mostly just taking opportunities to flaunt your supposed self-superiority and intellect. I on the other hand?" The Monster pushed harder to overcome the Shadow, and the two once again locked eyes. They locked each others horrible, horrible, eyes. "Everything I do, I do with a purpose. The blood of all who have fallen shall one day vanish to be replaced by my own: A final grand sacrifice that will undo all of that pain, and prevent the torment that I would have inflicted. The night passing, and giving way to morning; with the break of day sporting a crimson sunrise."

    "Get over yourself!" Steel shouted with a sudden push to put them on equal grounds. "You're not Jesus!"
    The Monster seemed merely annoyed.

    "I am fully aware of that: The divine made himself sacrifice because he was perfect: He was the only one who could remove the sins of the world. I sacrifice myself only to prevent myself from unleashing greater evil: For my sins cannot be removed."

    "Who gave you the right to decide that?!" The Shadow, eyes glowing a golden yellow, gave a second, stronger push, actually sending the Monster reeling for a second. He did not give him time to retaliate. Pulling out his gun and pointing it at the Monster's face, a pull of the trigger and a shout of "Vlastemalis" were all that were needed to shock the monster into dropping his sword during the fiery explosion that followed.

    ...And then it was the Shadow who was on the offensive.

    Dual wielding the rapiers, the Shadow aimed blow after blow at the Monster; and though every slash, hack, and stab was dodged, it was clearly not easy for the creature.

    "What about the innocent lives you took merely because they didn't realize they were in your way? That they were trying to stop you from doing something that they perceived as wrong? Did you even bother to take the time to explain your motives to them?" Suddenly stammering, the Monster grasped for an explanation as he continued to dodge the blows.

    "They'll come b-"

    "I don't give a Scions' Cheagle whether they come back or not: the fact remains that you killed innocents. Why? Because you didn't care; their wills couldn't possibly hold as much value as yours!" The Monster looked scared now, and it was obviously slowing down, just barely dodging the Shadow's attacks.

    "That's all the same 'supposed self superiority' that you were literally just accusing me of! You're just as bad as Aux! Just as bad as Gray!" Then the Shadow began punctuating his questions with particularly powerful strokes.

    "What made you think you could take people's lives? What made you think you had the right to decide who could live or die? That you were somehow better than them? Worth more than them?! Did you not take the name of 'Artisian' in order to separate yourself from that arrogance? Who gave you..." The monster backwards over an exposed root and found himself staring up at the intimidating figure of the Shadow,
    who had pulled back the Monster's sword in preparation.

    "...The right to decide..."

    A stab. A stab with the Monster's own blade to pierce through where his heart should be. The blade instead made it's way through a crystalline structure, though it still met his life force as well on it's way through. It pinned him to the ground, effectively marking that the Shadow had won, even though they both knew that the Monster wouldn't die.

    "...That you were beyond redemption?"

    The Shadow released his opponents sword and knelt down to look him in the eyes for the last time.

    "Don't you realize?" With the adrenaline of the fight wearing off, the Shadow felt himself hit with the complete and utter sorrow of the situation, and tears fell from his eyes. "You have a power that no one else has: A power over time, space..., and fate. Do you really think you were given that power... just for you to be erased forever? You can exist here, can't you? Shouldn't that be proof enough?"

    The Shadow's face grew determined.

    "I believe your fate changed a long time ago. You were just too wrapped up in yourself to see it... to see that you were more..." Neither of them spoke for a few moments, the Shadow merely letting his words to the Monster sink in before he eventually continued.

    "You can do it Steel: You can be with your family... just keep holding on. Have patience... have temperance... and you can be... a true hero once more. Isn't that alone so much more than Gray would ever let you be?"

    Steel, the original real live Steel actually smiled.

    "For some who's me... you're actually pretty smart, huh? I guess we'll see then." He whispered as his wistful gaze fell to the sky. "How much good your advice is... In the meantime..." The Monster reached out and grabbed the Shadow's hand. "I did what I was called here for. Congratulations, by the way." With his other hand the Monster reached for the end of his Sword's hilt and pulled off... A key chain? "Take this. It's important." The look in his eyes held deep meaning. "It's yours. So take good care of it."

    After that the Monster faded away leaving nothing but a hoodie, and the Shadow and Panchito were alone once more.

    Steel (for he was the only Steel now, so such differentiation as 'Shadow' and 'Monster' were no longer necessary) was examining the key chain. At first glance, it looked like the key chain for 'Llama Head.' Which made some sort of sense: it was a key chain he had used fairly often after all. However, he still had the key chain for that keyblade in his pocket, and this one was glowing.

    "Bueno, eso paso." Steel turned to see Panchito looking down at him, hand extended in a silent offer of help. Accepting the hand, he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet by the (surprisingly strong) bird with a 'Muchas gracias.' To which his friend responded with a 'De nada!'

    "So... now you know the truth." Steel muttered as scuffed his boot against the ground, getting thick mud on it.

    "Yes, I do. I must say I never would have expected it. That's quite a secret to keep from everyone Senor." Steel merely stared at the ground. Didn't take a genius to figure out something was off.

    "Que esta mal mi amigo?" The bird was curious as to why his friend was acting so strangely when he had won.

    "It's just... we're not done..."

    "Que? How do yo-" Suddenly both of them were thrown back by a great amount of force.

    "Panchito!" Steel shouted as his lighter friend was thrown into woods in the direction of a cliff. He was given little time to worry however, as the storm that had faded returned, along with a slow, rather melodramatic clapping.



    "Excellent deduction old friend." Freezing at the sound of the voice, Steel turned his head to see...

    "You!" His fist clenched in anger at the sight of what looked like a palette swapped version of himself. The alternate's hair was white, and rather than the monstrous eye that Steel had, he merely had a horrifyingly empty grey orb.

    "Gray!" Steel's most hated enemy stood in front of a floating dark orb wrapped in chains. In the center was a metal cross plate with a keyhole in it's center. Steel could sense it; his truth was in there.

    "It must have been so hard for you to realize with all the action: you haven't even answered the third question yet... What are you so afraid of Steel?" The sadistic grin on Gray's face filled him with a righteous anger, but he knew that the cretin was right: He hadn't learned who he really was yet, only gotten some perspective on the original Steel. He hadn't even gotten a keyblade, so clearly something needed doing. Stepping forward, Gray stopped and watched amused as the boy scampered to his feet and took a step back in return.

    "I know it's not me... not really anyway." He resumed walking, grin growing as Steel continued to back away. "Could it be something silly? Like insects or water?" The man chuckled. "Hmm... no. You're far more afraid of what you'll do to them, aren't you?" Steel glared with bared teeth at his nemesis as he drew a sword. "You're afraid... of the consequences, aren't you? That you'll go to help someone, and make an irreparable mistake: Something you can never take back. Gray took several practice swings as he grew closer. "Let me put your mind at ease: Something terrible will happen if you go out there." He mocked as Steel fell backwards, much like the monster had moments ago. "Better you stay here." He went for a killing blow: The same blow that was used against the Monster, but one that would be far more permanent in it's consequences.

    Consequences.

    ...And then they were back by the hoodie and the root. As if they had never moved at all. Steel was still on the ground, but Gray's sword was frozen in midair. Confused, he tried to push it forward, but to no avail: there was a light surrounding Steel. A light that would allow the evil being to go no further.

    "You're absolutely right." Steel said as he picked himself up off of the ground. He grabbed the cloak as he rose; it's materiel transforming from the signature blue to solid black. "I'm terrified of consequences." He admitted as he began to wrap the hoodie around his waist. "You remember how my darkness was born, don't you? Fear. Fear of the consequences of a certain action. Fear that those consequences would ruin my life forever."

    "I was afraid of rejection."

    "I was afraid to tell Clair how much I cared."

    "It's the most stupid and embarrassing thing that will probably ever happen. To like, anyone. Ever. I essentially got an entire multiverse destroyed because I was too freaking afraid to talk to a girl. A girl who clearly cared just as much as I did. No, no, I had to be tied up in my 'what ifs?' The past may have reinforced my fear, but it also taught me something. So if you honestly think this was going to get to me Gray, let me ask you: Why the heck would I sit here shaking in my boots, when the consequences of doing nothing are so much more terrifying than anything else?" Steel shook his head in defiance and pointed his finger at the menace with his face. "You won't stand between me and my truth!" Gray gave a rather ugly looking sneer.

    "You don't even have the key to that lock!" In response Steel held out his hand in front of him.

    Suddenly Panchito was there, with the glowing key chain in his hands. Steel had realized why the bird was here, part of his test: This illusion was made from his own memories of the bird. In essence, that meant that Panchito had really been a part of himself all along. It had been necessary. Necessary for to work out for himself that he had made friends on his journey. Made family on this journey. Even if he had only seen them for the briefest of moments.

    Your heart will always remember the connections you've made.

    Panchito vanished; reduced to spark of energy that was sucked into the key chain: The shard of the Monster's power that had given birth to him.

    A keyblade appeared. It was entirely unique to any other he had ever seen. Grabbing the hilt, Steel could feel that this blade at it's core was him.

    "Artisian Shard"


    ...And he changed.

    He grew taller for one thing, slightly bulkier as well. His clothes seemed to grow with him, allowing for the same baggy look his clothes always had. He grew fur. His mouth extended into a muzzle. Quite simply he became a wolf; a callback to his first self. There were other changes as well though. The belt he wore, formerly decorated with six cross charms, was now compete with a new set. Each one seemed to be some kind of vague outline of the prominent features of certain animals. He knew the creatures well: the Mythos. Fantastic creatures his former identity had been built around. His gauntlets and boots changed from protective wear to a form more like armored covering, with the claw imitations stretching over his newfound actual claws, and leaving his paw pads completely bare. Chains wrapped around his torso in the shape of an X, held together in the middle a cross emblem and binding his old hoodie jacket to his frame.

    "I believe I am the key to that lock, thank you.

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

    Gray darted all around him sending deft strikes to every part of his body that he believed was even somewhat exposed. It was useless though. Whatever he tried, whichever direction he came from, Steel would always block it. Gray was clearly distressed by this. He had long since started sending out souls with his attacks. The souls of those he had absorbed in the River of Omega, would be a problem for most people, but Steel was apart of this entity: So Grays amount of thought on the subject was made quite clear between this and his constant taunts.

    "What happened to all that confidence? You seemed all ready to go before? Now you're scared all of a sudden?" Steel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The man was a buffoon. Powerful, but a buffoon. He had no self restraint whatsoever. He had long been trying to rush the Monster to his demise, and that hadn't exactly done the evil one any favors. If he had actually been paying any actual attention he would realize that Steel was gathering the souls that were being thrown at him with every blow. They would only do him any good against Gray... but that's all he needed them for. Gray's lust for power was his biggest weakness, and Steel was about ready to use it to kick him in the teeth...

    The villains sword slammed against his keyblade with a loud clang. It seemed that Gray had decided that he wanted a blade lock.

    Perfect.

    "So, this is just the slightly less terrifying option for you, is it?" Steel raised his brow in question: he had no reason to do anything than maintain the lock, since Gray's power was flowing into him. Just a little further, and this would all be over. "You chose to take action because doing nothing is worse, right? So..." Oh here he went. "Why not just end it all? Why not just vanish? You're not like the Monster: you can be killed before the appointed time. So why not? It would be so easy?" Steel shook his head.

    Just a bit further.

    "Because I have responsibility." This time it was Gray who raised his eyebrow. "I care about my family. I want to be with my family. I'm afraid of the consequences. When I awoke in this river, all I had were my memories of someone I wasn't: at this point it's not unfeasible to think I have no family here it all..."

    But from my earliest memories, the SoS has been apart of my life. They included me, even when I didn't particularly want to be included. They're all idiots in their own way, of course; from Hikaru to Karina, but isn't everybody? Doesn't everyone in every world... have at least one flaw? In the end, they've been with me since the beginning, and in this short period of time, we've all grown so much closer. I haven't been the best family member in return..."

    It was time.

    "I owe it to them to at least keep going." Gray was quite surprised when dozens of tiny white hands held him in place... in front of the key hole. "You'll never understand what that feels like: fool that you are." Steel spoke from some distance off as he raised his keyblade, a white orb of light forming at the tip. "You are a glutton who has grown fat and drunk of your glorious power, and you refuse to seek anything else... you have no temperance." He scoffed "Or even the most basic forms of patience really. Your fate has long been sealed... because you refuse to change."

    The charms on his belt began to glow; Griffon, Kitsune, Dragon, Cait Sith, Unicorn, and Jackalope. Resonating with his power, they all began to shed light.

    "Me though? Well... the more things about me change... the more they stay the same. I was once a cold and merciless blade, passing down judgement foolishly when I had no right, tasting the blood of innocents on but a whim... now..."

    As he spoke, the light gather around Steel's emblem and it began to change.

    "Now I am a blade tempered in the hottest fires of fate. A weapon of Justice not of my own fashion, but for the sake of others. I have regained the flame that burned so bright when the Monster's journey to stop you first began. However, whichever way you look at it, Ultimately..."

    The cross that had been there for all of a half hour vanished. It was likely for the best: He was no God. In its place was formed a golden heart token, like those worn by keyblade wielders.

    "I am still Steel." A beam shot of the keyblade and pierced through Gray's body. A horrifying wail broke through the clearing as Gray's heart, along with the collection of souls vanished in return to the river whence they came.

    Only his white hoodie was left behind.

    Gray was not finished: He was the Monster's greatest enemy, and he would not go down after nothing more than a fight with a mere shard of the ghost of time. Still, he would never haunt this Steel or his family, ever again. That was more than enough for him.

    The darkness vanished from his eye. It tapered off slowly until it was no more, leaving both eyes to be... more normal looking than before. Both now displayed a sparkling blue iris each, but the pupils...

    The pupils were grey. It was such a slight difference, it was likely no one would even notice.

    Picking up the hoodie along the way, Steel walked into orb to find what lie beyond. He could sense that Gale and Winter were already there.

    Steel went to his truth.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    XXV Temperance
    The Story of Steel
    Epilogue: Implied Knowledge

    Steel pushed the doors to the twenty fifth room open. He was a bit worn out if he was honest, though pleased as well. He finally knew the truth, and he didn't think he had ever been quite so happy. He frowned though as he looked back at the doors. The nameplate now read 'Tracy Steele.'

    "Screw you Noah." He hadn't meant it as anything more than a comment to himself, but he could feel the amusement that emanated from... somewhere. "Right, he's watching me. I suppose I should have expected that." Steel didn't really care all that much about what Noah decided to notate him as in the records, it was just... another new alias to get used to. It wouldn't matter though, since the only one's who would ever use it would be other shards and river guardians. To himself, he would always be Sors Alexander Hope first. Plus, to others in this realm, he would likely always just be known as Steel.

    Seeing the others walking about, Steel took a moment to appreciate his newest hoodie: It was strangely large despite the fact that Gray's form had only been the same size as his old one, and the whole thing draped over his new form rather easily, as if it were a small cloak. Between that and his scarf, you couldn't see his face at all. Perfect. While on the one hand he had resolved not to hide himself from the others any longer, the fact remained that he was at least humanoid before. The complete change to a anthropomorphic wolf would likely require some easing into. It was quite lucky then that he was generally covered from head to toe: anything that could even remotely be considered an abnormality in his outfit would likely just be attributed to his past eccentricity with said outfit. Sure he was a bit taller than before, but the only way you could currently tell he was really any different was if you shook his hand and felt the pads. He was Steel though. Who was going to run up and shake his hand without at least some kind of permission? There were a few neophytes scattered among the older members as well he noticed.

    Well then. He knew who he was, and he knew his path, now.... it was time to see what lie along it.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2017
  7. cstar stay away from my waifu

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2008
    Gender:
    Female
    3,252
    [​IMG]
    Kaida sighed a little in relief at seeing Hikaru summon out the keyblade. She noticed the design but before she could ask him if she could take a closer look, he made it disappear and a new girl spoke. Kaida didn't mind too much but she kind of wanted to look at the keyblade a little more. But she turned her attention to the girl, Xara as she was introduced. Kaida listened to Xara ask that and she said, "The whole... memories thing. That was the trial... wasn't it? I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be a trial. Ya know, to get these back." Kaida summoned out her keyblade, flipping it around a little before making it disappear.​
     
  8. Boy Wonder Dark Phoenix in Training

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2008
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Genosha
    2,239









    This song's for me: A reminder of how I intend my life to be.
    Every word I sing is an anthem against my own hypocrisy.










    The air around him was thick, dark, and full of whispers. The ground below him was hard and cracked. The giant Key in his right hand was heavy before it flashed out of existence. The dog leading him was...dead. Celio had no idea what was going on... but he marched on into the darkness, the whispers behind him.

    ~~~~~

    "Look, there he goes,"
    "He's the one, you know. The king's daughter, the princess?"
    "How dare he show his face! I would never-"
    "Well, what proof did they have?"
    "I'd lock him up, proof be damned!"
    "Tsk. What a coward."
    Celio walked through the market, blue eyes locked ahead. Though he avoided the stares, he could feel them. His headphones, a gift from the late princess, wrapped around his neck. They could block out the whispers all around him...but he deserved to hear them. He deserved the disdain.
    ~~~~~

    He was falling. Sinking. Drowning. Fading.
    He was surrounded by nothingness....no, not nothingness...it was darkness.
    Though he could barely breathe, Celio opened his eyes. He was descending towards a large, multi-colored platform adorned with the image of a beautiful woman. His body rolled and he floated onto it, landing gently on his feet. He could tell by the sound of impact that he was standing on glass. The rest of the silence...was eerie.

    So much to do, so little time....

    Celio looked around, tracking the voice, but...did he really hear it? The words were just... there.

    Take your time. Don't be afraid.

    He tried to speak out, but...he was silent.

    The door is still shut. Now, step forward. Can you do it?"

    Celio smirked, raised his right hand to his brush his hair away from his eyes, and took a step.

    ~~~~~

    "Woof!" Celio snapped out of his trance as the stitched-together dog barked. It stopped; its tails wagging ferociously at Celio. "You are..." the platinum-haired youth stopped, his eyes on the tail lying on the ground. "...a mess," he sighed. He leaned forward, picked up the tail, and reapplied it onto Sparky. How he knew the dog's name, he didn't know. It simply came to him, as the dog did. "Now come on. Where are you taking m-" "GRRR"

    Celio jerked upright. Shadows were coming into focus around him. Actual, living shadows. "You gotta give me a break sometime," he growled as his weapon appeared in a flash of light. He felt a surge of pain in his arm, but readied himself for battle.


    ~~~~~


    Power sleeps within you if you give it form. It will give you strength. Choose well.


    He stood in the center of the pedestals as he studied each weapon. A sword, a spear, a staff, and a shield. He picked each one up slowly and could 'hear' a description of each path. He fancied himself a warrior once, back home in the Paradise Kingdom, but now? They knew him as a coward, not a hero. He tried the shield, but felt sick at the words. The staff was placed back almost immediately; his sense of wonder caused him to lose her. But the spear...

    The power of the Hunter. Agile and bold. A spear of nimble prowess. Is this the power you seek?

    A hunter of what? He held the spear tightly and remembered...remembered what took her from him. It was the thing that caused him to be shunned. It was the source of his anguish. It was the reason she was gone. He tried to save her at first, but it was too quick. A hunter of that, he decided. He made his selection and the spear disappeared.

    Your path is set. Now, what will give you up in exchange?

    That was easy. Without any hesitation, he gave up the shield. He was not a guardian. He couldn't defend sh
    it.

    ~~~~~

    "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!" The king yelled. Paradise Kingdom's court sat in silence as the king rose to his feet. Celio was surrounded by knights, the same order of knights he had aspired to join.

    Celio's eyes were on the floor as he answered, "I...I t-told you. She just...disappeared." He was shaking with fear, shame, and exhaustion.


    The king took a step forward and glared at the commander of the knights. The armored warrior repeated that nothing was in the cave save for Celio's unconscious and bruised body. No monster...and no princess.

    Another step forward. "You...you were her best friend! She left with you and now..." The usually-stern voice cracked. "And you give me stories of some...monster?! With no proof and no other witnesses?"

    "I'm telling the truth-"


    "THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE AND MY DAUGHTER IS GONE?! Did you..." now the king was shaking, "did you not once swear to defend her with your life?"

    ~~~~~

    As the last living shadow fell to his weapon, Celio heard Sparky bark. The dog was already running further into the darkness, leaving him behind. "Hey!" He called out, lamenting his lack of a breather and followed Sparky. He turned around a corner and stopped; Sparky was nowhere around. "...Sparky? Here, boy," he called out quietly. He raised his voice and called out again, but there was no answer. He sighed. "Great."

    ~~~~~

    You've chosen the power of the Hunter. You've given up the power of the guardian. Is this the form you choose?

    He nodded immediately. The glass around him started to shatter at the edges. Celio panicked, but there was nowhere to run. Once again, he was falling into the enveloping darkness.
    No, there was a light below him! Like previously, he was now standing on another beautiful piece of glass, this one with a different face on it. In his hand appeared the spear he chose in a flash of twinkling light

    You've gained the power to fight.

    Round shadows circled around him and gathered at the center.

    There will be times you have to fight.

    Celio readied his spear, gripping it with both hands. Out of the shadows rose small, yellow-eyed creatures.

    Keep your light burning strong.

    They lunged. So did he.


    ~~~~~

    After several minutes of walking, Celio finally gave up. He let out a prolonged sigh and fell onto his rear and then onto his back. Closing his eyes for only a moment, he wondered if anybody back home missed him.
    "ERF?"

    "Wha!" He jumped up and saw Sparky sitting in front of him with a cocked head. "Where in the world did you come-" "AR-WOOF!" And the dog was off again.
    "Wait, you dead, piece of-" grumbled Celio as he ran after his companion.

    ~~~~~



    "Why did you talk me into this!?" Celio demanded as strange creature leaped over him, blocking his exit. It was twice his size and his eyes were set on his companion.
    She backed away, shaking as if those glaring eyes had a physical touch on her skin. "I just wanted to see what was down here! What is that thing?!"
    "That, Princess, is a very good question," Celio remarked, his homemade sword trembling. The hand holding it was bleeding from when the monster scratched him. He looked down for a moment, seeing the blood run down his fair-colored skin. "Next time you find some dark cave, drag along one of your actual knights, huh?"

    "Well, forgive m-AHH!"


    ~~~~~

    WHACK. WHACK. STAB.

    The last creature of darkness faded into nothingness. Celio stood straight. Maybe he would be able to-

    Behind you!
    He spun, spear out, and thrust. His spear tip breaking through pure black as the creature disappeared. Once again in silence, Celio contemplated his situation. This felt...like a dream. Of course. It had to be a dream. Some just and divine punishment for his failure and cowardice where he was forced to fight living darkness in perpetual silence, some small thread of power dangling in front of him, giving him false hope.
    The glass below him was swallowed in darkness.
    By the time he noticed, Celio was sinking and unable to breathe.
    Darkness took everything.
    Again.


    ~~~~~

    "Hold up! Where are you *huff* taking me?!" Celio yelled at Sparky as he tried to catch up to him. 'How can something run so fast when his legs are barely hanging on?!' As they ran, more and more creatures of darkness attacked. Groaning, Celio summoned his weapon and started swinging as he ran, trying not to lose his guide.

    ~~~~~

    Celio opened his eyes. He found himself on a new platform. In its center? A large, gray door with nothing behind it. With no real reason, he walked toward it. As he reached it, it opened without help, revealing blinding light. Celio stepped in.

    As his vision focused, Celio gasped. He was back in Paradise Kingdom! Standing on a red carpet in the middle of a large, golden floor with a throne in front of him. The king's court. Sitting on his throne was the king itself. Celio swallowed and turned. The princess was behind him, as if guarding the door. A strange smile on her face. She wasn't real. He knew. It was this damned dream.

    First, tell me more about yourself.

    He turned back and walked to the king. The king met his gaze, but Celio saw nothing in his eyes. The king spoke, neither in his official regal tone nor the friendly one Celio knew from childhood. "What are you so afraid of?" The words weren't his. How would Celio answer? He couldn't spea- "Being a failure." The words escaped his mouth without warning. The king cocked his head. "Being a failure? Is it really that scary?" Celio wondered what sense of failure the king, who had never done any wrong, had. Instead of asking, he turned and walked to the princess. His heart was heavy, but...he knew it wasn't her.


    She smiled. He recognized that smile. "What do you want out of life?" Unprepared for that question, he paused, but once again, "Honor and respect." The words came out without his intention, as if his heart was answering without his thought. Strangely enough, the two friends had discussed their life goals in their childhood. That was always his goal. She knew that. The princess's smile disappeared. "Honor and respect, huh?" Before he could push on, he felt a presence behind him. He turned and found himself face-to-face with himself. His own blue eyes stared back beneath his platinum hair. A pair of headphones (it was a very modern kingdom) gifted to him by the princess around his neck. Though his own sleeveless red hood was closed, his doppelgänger's was open, its golden zipper pulled down. Celio noticed it wore nothing below it whereas he had his a black shirt with a single sleeve on his right arm. He reached forward with said arm and his mirror image did the same. They touched hands. Looking down at his own, Celio could see the scar given to him by that creature on his forearm; his other self did not have that scar. "Other Celio" smirked and took his hand back before asking, "What's most important to you?"


    This time, no words were spoken. Celio stared at himself and thought hard, wanting to give himself the real answer. "I want...to redeem myself." The other Celio looked confused. "Is your reputation such a big deal?"


    ~~~~~

    "You have no place in my court, Celio Nuvola," the king said as tears filled Celio's eyes. "I let you into my home as a child and raised you alongside my darling daughter. You were always there to keep her grounded and held her back from her fantasies. Now she's gone. According to you, due to some mysterious creature no one has ever seen before and which left no proof of its existence, save for the cut on your arm. You would not lie to me, Celio. I know you too well to believe otherwise. However, your story makes no sense and my daughter, the princess of Paradise is still gone. I refuse to believe you had any real part in any wrongdoing, but that only leaves one explanation: you failed to protect her. My knights found your unconscious body as if you were crawling from the cave. Did you abandon her, Celio?"

    Celio could barely speak between his sobs. "No, I...it was too late. It already...she was...I went to find...help."


    The king sighed. "No proof of any crime; I cannot punish you. However, you are no longer welcome in my court, as my ward," the king stood, dismissing Celio, "or as a knight. You will never be either. Take your leave, Celio Nuvola di Angelo."


    ~~~~~

    Celio stood in the dream-court, his eyes were locked with his own eyes. He turned to look at the princess, the childhood friend he failed, but she was gone. He turned back to himself, but both his doppelgänger and the king behind it were gone. He was alone with the "voice" again.


    You're afraid of failure.
    You want to be honored and respected.
    You want to be redeemed.
    Your adventure begins now.
    As long as clouds darken the skies, your heart will not be free.


    He sighed, then he smirked. He looked up at the empty throne and replied to the voice. "Sounds good."


    The day you will open the door is both far off and very near.

    A blinding flash of light swallowed him.


    ~~~~~

    Alone in the darkness once again, Celio decided against calling for Sparky. "Probably shouldn't keep giving away my position," he figured aloud. He continued to walk down the path he assumed Sparky was following, though the darkness around him made it difficult to discern what direction he was going in. He kept his weapon ready, but a stinging pain caused him to switch hands. Raising his right hand to his face, he looked at it. Though his right arm was covered in a black sleeve and he wore a fingerless glove, he could see enough of his wrist and fingers. The skin was red with the texture of muscle and his fingers ended in small claws. He turned his hand to see part of it covered in blue, not red, and glowing. The random pain surges came with a burning sensation, but it quickly faded. There was something beneath the surface of his own body...this was his curse; the punishment for his failure.

    ~~~~~

    On glass again.

    The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes.

    Celio watched as his shadow grew and then rose from the ground. It continued to grow and grow and twist and twist until he was now facing a large, hulking figure of darkness with a heart-shaped hole at its center.

    But don't be afraid.

    Summoning his spear, Celio attacked.


    ~~~~~

    'This is it...I'm done.' He was on his back, sinking into darkness. He failed once again. Around him, the little shadows danced. Over him, the large one simply stared. Beneath him, the darkness was swallowing him. 'I failed...again.' He sank slowly as his breath escaped him. Though the spear of the hunter led him to victory earlier, this fight was just too much. These things...they moved like the one in the cave, the one that took her. The spear was now gone, it had disappeared when Celio realized he was going to lose and gave up.

    And don't forget...

    The voice continued to speak, as if ignoring Celio's fate. Everything started to fade away.

    You hold the mightiest weapon of all.

    A glowing light escaped from Celio's chest and started to float away as the creatures watched hungrily. 'This...this is what it did it to her!' He remembered...but it was too late. His heart was gon-"NO!!" He yelled and reached forward as he fell into the darkness, but he managed to grab the light with his right hand before he blacked out again.


    ~~~~~

    Sparky stared at Celio, beady eyes locked with blue ones. His tongue was hanging out and its tail slowly wagging as he sat there, in front of a cloud of darkness. "That's it, then?" Celio asked, stepping forward cautiously. "You're not going to run away again?" The dog simply panted. "Where are you taking me anywa-"

    "GR-ARF!" Sparky barked angrily. Celio spun with his weapon ready to see another creature. "Not...again," he groaned as it jumped toward him. "Stop!" He yelled and when it did so in mid-air, he swung his weapon and followed with "Thunder!" Bolts of lightning hit the creature and it disappeared. Celio turned to Sparky just in time to see the dog dive into the cloud. Sighing, he followed suit. He ran through the cloud and gasped in surprise. Before, he saw nothing but rocks and darkness. On this side of the cloud of darkness was a large castle, one bigger than his own king's. Celio looked around, but Sparky was gone again. Up ahead, he noticed a figure.


    ~~~~~

    Celio opened his eyes slowly. He was...alive? He looked down. He was standing on glass again. In front of him was that same hulking creature from earlier, the one that grew from his own shadow, his own darkness...his dark side. The next thing he noticed was the weapon in his hand: a giant key-like object with a black and gold guard over the hilt and a similar design around the tip of the blade. The next thing he noticed? His right arm felt like it was on fire. It looked as if the skin was burned off, revealing only the red muscle underneath and it was glowing blue. Before he could think about it, he was attacked again.

    ~~~~~

    He was victorious! The Key disappeared in a bright flash, like the spear before it, but Celio knew it was within him. the pain in his arm subsided, but its appearance remained. He pulled his sleeve down before the voice spoke again.

    You are one who will open the door.

    With that, he was dismissed and the glass shattered beneath him again and he fell into the darkness. He landed in a new land, one covered in shadows with nothing else in sight. In front of him was some sort of dog, staring lovingly at him. The parts of its body was stitched together and it bolts sticking out of its neck. It gave him a friendly bark and turned before looking back at him.

    "...you want me to follow you?"
     
  9. GarrettFinch Hollow Bastion Committee

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    Kaida told him to breathe. He already did this but he did it again anyways. A trial type thing. This was interesting. Failing it seemed to be a bad thing. A trial for what? Was he a part of this unknown test? Kaida then said that she did know if there was any danger inside the castle or not. She then went on about something happening to his home. "What?" He let the word hang there. "You are telling me that it is no longer there?" He stood there for a moment without a word. "I could not keep them safe." He was more talking to himself than anything. His world was gone? He did not know what to say. "It cannot be." Kaida then said that he could help. "I can help...." He had so many thoughts going through his head. Kaida then said he could stay. He was not sure what help he could give them. How was he to help them when he could not even help his own home. Kaida then turned to Hikaru and asked him about the test.

    He had the look of disrepair on his face while he watched the two. He was so unsure of what was going on. Something had happened Karina? So many names going around. Hikaru then summoned a keyblade. He seemed to be not even trying. The keyblade its self was gold. He then made the keyblade go just then. That was when someone new showed up. Hikaru called them Xara. Then there was talk about spells. It was almost too much for him. Kaida then summed her keyblade. "Does everyone have one?" he asked offhandedly. He opened and closed his hand without purpose. He had lost everything. He soon fond himself surround by more people. He did not think that there would be so many people.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2017
  10. Hexin Hollow Bastion Committee

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    (OOC: My inevitable poop post. Don't bother reading it. Seriously. Except for the last part where I say to everyone. Hah)

    Arriving to the beam of light protruding off into the abyss, it was a surprise to find every cast member of this key wielding force lounging about on the snowy trail. It appeared although they were all cast to the darkness, the light deep within was able to guide them to one another. D’daear had always thought what Base had told him was to be taken as a mere metaphor. Never did he imagine it to be taken literal. The young man has much to learn indeed. The dialogue kicked off soon enough in regards to the white robed man; whom D’daear at first was very uncomfortable with but saw that everyone was rather comfortable with. There were two mice as well, but he merely brushed their existence aside; not that he was being mean hearted or anything. Falling to the status quo, he merely accepted the White robed man and his intentions just like everyone else.

    He kept to himself as usual, and merely watched from the back as explanations to the situation were thrown to interpretation, and revelations were made to Hikaru and friends. It was a lot to take in, but at the same time with the way things were the young key wielder had learned to just take it as is. Not to say he did not care, so much so that wanting to care had proven to be much more troublesome than it was worth. To worry is to waste precious time indulging it. Better to let things be, especially when the situation is literally out of your control..

    Deep down, however, that was not how D’daear liked things to be. The idea of not being in control; of one’s own destiny or fairytale for that matter, had driven him to an imbalanced state. He had plans, goals, dreams, ideals, and a mission. Yet, it seems for whatever reason his fate became intertwined with this story. The group’s story. Things happen for a reason as the saying goes, but never without its repercussions that ripple throughout. That much he knew, and the more you think of those ripples the more you wish you had control. At least, that’s what D’daear wanted. Control over his fears, situation, and consequences. To him it was not fair, and it stung the wound worse to not even have the power to bring favor.

    As soon as the apparent Ally had redirected their attention to a now visible castle, irises widened in renowned focus and surprise. The royal prestige the castle displayed is a universal concept. Different design, same behemoth stature. Its towering presence brought out awe in D’daear every time. No surprise he’d feel the same way when eyes fell upon this castle’s structure. Just like in fairtytales.

    It rung a hymn in his heart. Yet, with everything he’d experienced up until this point, he didn’t know whether or not to correlate castles with a positive or negative sentiment. Beast’s castle, Haven, Wasteland, and even Disney Castle have all fallen to a terrible fate. Even what had happened to HER that day was in the presence of a castle. The castle; their castle, had swallowed her with its stone maw. By the time he had reached her, it was too late. He had been left with hands ill pressed against the cold slabs known as gates. The loneliness, fear, and uncertainty of that day. He could still feel it to this very moment. Perhaps such a prestigious estate could only be a bad omen of things to come.

    The castle had spellbound D’daear for a while, so much so that he had not realized his allies had already begun taken foot inside. Gasping he went after them if not with a little reluctance. When stepping inside the castle, he was met with the group whom had already begun to divide themselves as they all walked off to different doors; albeit not all at once.

    Being among the last to enter the castle, he had gotten a relative idea of where he was supposed to go. Of all the doors, there was one that stood out the most. His eyes stroked from afar the letters inscribed above a door. It read:

    D’daear

    XXXVI

    D’daear hesitantly made his way towards the door. It was obvious that each door was meant for someone specific; else there’d either be a ton of people outside discussing which door to take, or people would at least be going in groups to a certain door. Well maybe that and he doubted that he was the only one with a door to his name like if some mysterious tug was swaying him to a special destiny. Considering all the strange stuff they’ve been through, this also played a factor in the obvious. Come to think of it, these doors had a strange déjà vu feel to them. Reminded him of a certain monochrome world with portals that led the group involved to specific points in time. Hmm..

    At his leisure, D’daear walked up a specific flight of stairs that led him to his door among others. Steps halted for a moment at the front of the door. He wanted to know what awaited him beyond this door without actually setting foot first, but after making a quick scan of the doors frame or split doors, there was nothing to hint of what to expect. No design, no hidden inscription. Reluctantly, hands pressed themselves against the doors which surprisingly were proving to be heavy. Calling upon his arms, he worked to part the doors from each other, pushing with heavy soles. Head looked on ahead in order to get a sneak peek of what was to come, but irises were blinded by a light that suddenly burst from the slowly parting doors. It was inevitable to shut his eyes.


    The stars glow like radiant jewels in the cloudless sky. A prairie rustles with the wind on an island not far off from a city looming in the horizon. The island known for its many uncovered mysteries rests peacefully, undisturbed, and uninhabited by people. The prairie has a hill where one can easily view the oceans horizon. The very few who have visited the island have said you can see the mainland and the city from up there. With the yellow shards of light that fall from the heavens like the beginning of snow, and the city lights, it is said the city appears to be in a radiant mist.

    Mimicking the light of the city, the hill on the prairie emanated a faint glow in its horizon. An orb of translucent light emerged from a woman’s chest in perfect harmony, floating off in a solo waltz while the woman remained stationary with her arms in a welcoming gesture. Her eyes were closed in a serene expression as the orb of light gently lowered itself to the grassy bed that was the prairie. The light burst into a bright flash before subsiding to reveal an infant wrapped in a white cloth. A blade hit the ground with a thud while the woman fell to her knees before limply falling to her side. Purple hair clustered over her face as she lay there peacefully after succumbing to the strenuous ordeal of giving birth. They would lay there a while with the soft touch of wind spiriting past them every so often..

    When the woman came to consciousness, her arm was carefully laying over the baby, sheltering the infant while she slept. How the baby got to be underneath her arm, she didn’t know, but for certain she was glad to have the baby in arms. Carefully rising with infant cradled, the blade laying on the prairie dispersed into the light as the mother with child walked away.

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

    A desolate plain where life has all but ceased to coexist, two sides crashed with fury in a violent clash between right and wrong in this wasteland forged from years of geological history. Various canyons, and mountains having been shaped by nature’s gentle command have now fallen to wars forceful decree. Cries of all tone and pitch reverberate throughout the battlefield in the mixture of metal clangs and sparks. The heat of magic chars intended foes and scorches the field, and the freeze of cold magic leaves its enemies still and shattered. For nearly a day the sound of explosions resounded in the ears of warriors whilst metal clashes becoming their tune in years of tempered swordsmanship.

    On a summit overseeing the landscape, blades roared at their adversary in fiery blows as three warriors’ battle to the others end. One of the three is nimbly avoiding the others deadly bite with masterful foot and quick motions of their blade in parrying response to the other twos duo like skills. Wearing a helm with silver metal protecting the maw all the way to the back of warrior’s skull, a black glass like visor keeps the warriors face veiled from the two assailants. Armor consisted of rib like patterns, skin tight to the wearer that one would think the armor was actually made of the persons fascicles, fasciae, and tendons (Muscle fibers); making it look more like an organic-looking bodysuit worn all over the body rather than armor. Purple Belt straps buckle together to hold a shredded red/blue kilt. The armor taking on the figure of the warrior, it was without a doubt that the two assailants were fighting a female clad in intimidating armor. This was Delothia, and she was playing a key role in this violent of light and dark.

    That is to go without saying that out of the two assailants, one of the metal clad assailants was also a female. This warrior’s name was Gwynt and a brutal swing from the organic suited warrior had nearly lopped her head off had the warrior not footed her body properly. The opposing blade smashed onto the side of Gywnt’s helm, ripping off a nice chunk of metal and exposing emerald eyes that roared with unshakable strength as she backed off to recollect herself; while the taller assailant covering her footing by parrying another swing from Delothia.

    Running up the side of the summit, a tall boy with long strands of purple wafting in the air current could be seen with terror in his eyes. The wild sounds of fury resonated deeply in the air. Shards of light was being uplifted into the air around the clock, and it was terrifying D’daear. He made a left into a small tight pathway which required him to squeeze on through. Upon reaching the other side, he was met with a clearing with which he could take a nice breather. The door had led him to the heart of the battlefield where the chaos was ensuing. The scenery had knocked the wind out of him from the moment he had opened his eyes. An explosion had carved a 6 foot trench near D’daear and the concussive force had sent him flying back a few feet at the time. When he had gotten on his feet, it was a race to get out of that danger zone until he arrived to where he was now. It was odd however, as somehow he just knew where to run. As if guided by some unseen force.

    Allowing his lungs to have their fill of oxygen, ears perked at the sound of battle hardened warriors engaged in combat. It was coming from nearby. Out of curiosity, he meticulously made his way to where the noise was coming from, and peered around the corner. Blue irises widened at the sight of the three warriors clashing blades. The woman with the shredded kilt was holding her own against the other two. Her movements reminded him of someone, especially the manner in which she held her weapon. With blade facing the opposite direction, she held the blade to her back instead of the normal position. The movements here were a bit unrefined; as far as he could tell, but it definitely struck him as familiar. Not to mention that he had this feeling of familiarity with the masked warrior.

    Being from where he was, he could not get a solid view on the three. Wanting to get a closer look, he began to climb a top of some rock formations in order to better see from above rather than risk getting closer from the ground floor. He was frightened to say the least, but he could not stop himself. It was as if instinct was drawing him to continue watching.

    Delothia had jumped back in order to avoid a mighty swing from the taller warrior, and in retaliation she twirled the blade to a standard grip; a keychain was now visible from the angle and position d’daear was currently watching from. The tip of the blade was aimed at the two and a ball of black plasma was conjured before being unleashed onto the two. The taller warrior took a step forward speedily and swung his blade with great strength and precision. The Plasma and sword clashed for a brief moment, the man’s feet skidding against the dirt in the struggle for dominance. With a loud cry he called upon the muscles of his arm broke through the ball of black energy, unleashing a bang followed by black smog that engulfed the warrior and the area.

    The man was caught off guard, but the smog soon break free just enough as Delothia made her way through with her weapon to deliver a strong slice along the of the man’s torso. The armor was strong enough to withstand the blow, but it was left scarred and it wasn’t strong enough to completely nullify the damage. Feet fumbling, tall warrior fell back in pain quickly having to scurry to his feet as the masked woman was rather vengeful and had attempted to follow up her bite with a finishing blow. Delothia’s blade stabbed at the spot where the warrior should have been, only missing him by a second. Gwynt jumped in to fend off the dark warrior in order to give themselves a nice gap. With a quick exchange of parries, they backed off each other.

    “You should have finished me back then, Gwynt. You wouldn’t be dealing with me now If you’d just done away with me!” Delothia taunted.

    Emerald eye looked powerful with the scowl that could be seen from the broken helm that Gwynt was still wearing. Red strands of hair flowed out of the helm, velvet in their texture. She stood in front of the man who was slowly getting up, armor weighing him down from exhaustion. Being vulnerable for the moment, the red headed warrior was his line of defense. Taking a step forward, eye softened in expression.

    “This fighting is senseless… We can help you. You don’t have to suffer like this…”

    The masked warrior bent her head, hands tightening. Kilt swayed gently with a passing wind while she seemed to contemplate.

    With the fighting having dulled, D’daear was able to get a good look at the weapon the three had in hand, especially the masked warrior. His blue irises widened in realization as to the identity of their weapons.

    Gwynt’s image reflected off of Delothia’s helm as the head lifted itself.

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

    “Hey! What’s your problem? I’m trying to h-!”

    “Do you know what it’s like to have had- No, to STILL have three separate hearts forming yours?!” Delothia exclaimed back at D’daear.

    It stopped the adolescent dead in his tracks, any form of traction he may have had in this argument was now over. The purple haired woman took a few steps towards him.

    “EVERY…..DAY I’m left wondering who I am. When I’m out there fighting, helping THEM fight the darkness… I feel like I don’t belong there. I can sense their very disdain for me whenever we’re out there fighting this stupid war.” She paused, down casting for a bit. “Do you know what it’s like to be a slave to an idea? T-to be- He indoctrinated me to think, to BE a certain way… ”

    By now her voice was quivering, trying it’s best to conceal a pain in her tone. She looked up and gave him a deep scowl, holding back the perspiration.

    “He betrayed my trust. Used me. And threw me away like some soldier that had played their part...” those last words bringing a revelation in her eyes. “I-I-I…I could FEEL him controlling my every muscle and sinew... Like I had no will of my own, D’daear. You get that? And a part of him is still with me, his presence I can feel every day. He’s still there, haunting me in my darkness.” She placed hand on her own chest. “It doesn’t matter what THEY did to make me whole again. If he’s still there, then I’m not free yet. I’m scared he’ll claim me again. Control me again. If my heart isn’t my own, then I’m not ME yet. I don’t even think there ever was a ME to begin with… I’m just a fake… I don’t know who I am…”

    Her Emerald green eyes narrowed at D’daear, scowl having dissipated.

    “THAT’S my problem…”

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

    A much older Delothia is seen standing on a road made of stone leading to the castle of Perfec Eev. D’daear takes a few steps in her direction before stopping 3 meters away from her. Beside him, a black anthropomorphic rabbit stands next to him at about 3 feet in height. The boy gives the woman a gaze, almost transfixed in solemnity. It wasn’t a real person, at least not this version of Delothia. It was merely a guide taking on her form, much like Oswald who was standing next to him.

    She speaks. “What is most important to you?”

    “The ones I care about. Seeing them safe, happy, and thriving in life. That’s what’s important to me.” He said, eyes averting the woman’s gaze for a moment in contemplation before reaching a resolution. “Yeah, even if it’s at my expense…”

    The black rabbit leaned forward a bit, curiously staring up at D’daear.

    “…So finding Della. That’s what’s important to me right now…”

    “What do you want out of life?” she asked.

    “To become stronger. To be able to take hold of my own fate, and understand… that it’s not up to me… But it’s how I can handle myself. How I come across such strength, I don’t care. But as long as I can find the strength to protect those I care about, then I’ll be ok with my consequences…”

    “What are you so afraid of?”

    “Not so much what’s out there, but so much so the twists and turns I may face… It’s not knowing how to deal or handle those situations that scare me. Even more so alone.”

    Not saying another word, the purple haired woman merely smiled and removed herself from his path. As D’daear walked on by with the black rabbit right beside him, Delothia spoke just as the stone gates were closing behind D’daear.

    “Worlds unfold much differently than in fairytales. Their fates are written with multiple possibilities, but ultimately one ending. I’m happy to know you finally understand that.”

    Turning his head slightly to see the woman with peripherals, D’daear nodded his head before looking onwards toward the castle that awaited him.

    “Thanks Grandma.” He uttered with a hopeful smile.

    The Gates closed shut behind him and the two proceeded onward.

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

    [spoiler/]

    D’daear exited door XXXVI, seeing everyone all gathered. Proceeding to join the group, he gave them all a relaxed wave and a, “Hello.”, before noticing the new faces.
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2017
  11. Skyheart Joker

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    As Karina went on to explain what was the reasoning behind her staying with them, Stratos wasn't sure what to make of it. If all she wanted to do was run away and be safe forever from her home, then joining a group of magic sword wielding people that solved all the world's problems was neither the least conspicuous thing to do nor the most safe. Not to mention aiding them in doing so. Though, as she then went on to express how she had no idea as to who she was or what she was supposed to do, other than just keep going on, Stratos started to think on it a bit. Looking at her he said, "well yeah, you can hold on to things like friends and vengeance, but I'm not sure if those are deeply personal enough to make you want to keep going." Scratching his chin, still thinking he then said, "well, I'm not really sure what it is you should hold on to in specific. However, while you're trying to find who you are, just look for the one thing that you can't absolutely be without. And once you've found it, I'm sure the rest will fall into place just fine."
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2017
  12. Aelin Best Waifu

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    Friends. It was a stupid and unfamiliar notion. Whatever these people claimed, they never truly thought of her as a friend, or so Karina believed. She had made sure of that, pushing them away at every turn. Steel had only driven that point home when she met up with them. It wasn't out of friendship but out of pity that everyone offered her help. Karina could bet if she had emerged from her door standing tall with a new keyblade like everyone else, she would be the last person anyone approached, and frankly she couldn't blame them. She wouldn't even try to blame them.

    At least when Stratos spoke it sounded like he actually understood what she was saying to some extent. Perhaps out of everyone there, that was why Stratos was her favourite. While he wasn't over the top nice to her, somehow he managed to say what she needed to hear without it being a slap in the face, or trying to get creepily close to her. "I think I will have a long search ahead of me then. When you lost everything, you start thinking you don't need anything." Karina spoke out, not sure why she felt the need to say it, but it was sort of nice to get it off her chest.

    It wasn't by much but Karina had started feeling the slightest bit better, at least she was feeling well enough to get to her feet. The feeling of comfort faded quickly however when she heard another voice. Despite the concerned look on Luna's face, Karina couldn't help but draw away from her slightly, still remembering when she had first met Luna. They had barely been in the same area for an hour and Luna had tried to attack them, giving Karina a deep rooted mistrust of the girl, especially since that was one of the first experiences after fleeing her home world. Karina's eyes darted from Luna to Stratos, then back to Luna. She was unsure what to say at first. "I'm fine." She lied to Luna, avoiding bringing up what she had said to Stratos. She said that out of vulnerability, but she wasn't willing to let that side creep up with Luna, never with her, not when she couldn't predict the girl.
     
  13. Maka Albarn It's called love

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    "Well, I had mine all along. Never got it taken from me," Xara said quietly after everyone else in the small group responded to her questions and more. She extended her hand out and it appeared in a flash. She did a double take though when it wasn't the simple one she had, but it had gears and cogs lined up on it. "Whoa! It didn't look like this before. It just looked like a plain big key, I swear." She stared closer at it and glossed her hand over the metal work. How strange...

    She smiled to herself and looked up at the others. "Guess I still wasn't exempt." She waved her hand and it vanished. She looked up to see someone else come towards them and gave a little wave. "There's so many," Xara observed outloud. "So... any idea what we're supposed to do now? Are we supposed to go open more doors or something?" Green eyes glanced around the hallway of the castle, trying to figure out what was to be expected of them at this point. There was no letter this time to tell her where to go or what to do.
     
  14. Aelin Best Waifu

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    It was odd seeing someone simply walk in and just talk to random people when they were barely welcomed in in the first place. Aislinn found herself hovering by the door with the boy that had let her in. The other boy that followed them seemed to be making himself at home, despite hardly offering a proper introduction. In Ashen Rose, no one would act like that. That being said it was only more proof that she was not back home, no where near actually. Nothing of this place looked or felt like something from her home. When she passed through the darkness, it wasn't just bringing her to another part of her world, but another world entirely.

    Turning her attention back to the boy, Aislinn smiled. "Kel. I like that, it is a unique name." She replied graciously. She then considered his next words, it wasn't really an answer, but perhaps that was because he didn't want to give an answer. It never hurt to double check however. "Are you willing to give me a short version then? My apologies if I pry, but this hardly seems like the type of place a bunch of people as young as yourselves, would be hanging out. It seems a little... well dangerous if you ask me." She wasn't trying to imply anything but just state her thoughts, which she believed to be a fair way of thinking. She didn't know much about these people or where they came from however, so perhaps to them it wasn't as strange as it was to her. ​
     
  15. CrownMoksha Decimo

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    It was odd hearing that his name was unique though he wasn't exactly a good judge of that. Hearing her question, he started to think of a short way to explain why they were here. Well short and that would be easy to understand. "Hmm, well the short story is that the world we happened to be on was swallowed by darkness and the next thing we knew we were outside in the darkness." Kel paused his explanation to motion to the door and noticed the other person now standing by the door. Just where did she come from? He'll question that later, he still had some explanation to finish. "From there we followed a beacon that lead us here to get our keyblades back. That pretty much sums it up."
     
  16. Krowley Moderator

    Joined:
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    As there were now seventeen of them in the castle, all trying to regroup and reassure each other, a dark mist filled the castle halls. A very unsettling tune began to play while the atmosphere of the glooming castle turned from unsettling into full on creepy. From the entrance of the castle, the doors to the domain quickly shut itself, locking Dreamer out. The white cloaked man took immediate notice and rushed to the castle. "Children!" He banged on the door, but was pushed back by the mystical barrier. "No..." he grunted shaking the red electricity from his hands. A third mouse finally awoke from the Man's coat pocket as he rubbed his eyes in confusion. "What's all the hubbub then?" Jake from the Outback world was finally taking notice of the situation.
    "What is happening, Mr. Dreamer?" Bianca asked, concerned.
    "Mizrabel's entrapped them in the castle... I was afraid of this."
    "Didn't you say Mickey and his pals already took care of that old hag?" Bernard added.
    "Unfortunately, they only freed her light side. The darkness of Mizrabel still lingers like a dark remainder. She has possessed the castle and won't let them leave... Once they took their trials and dove into their memories, their hearts became part of the castle. I was hoping her evil spirit would be dormant by the time they completed the task... Apparently I was wrong."
    "So the children are trapped?" Bianca said.
    "Even the new ones?" Bernard added
    "The new ones... Of course. There's still hope!" Dreamer looked to the castle. "I just hope they're up to the task...

    Inside the castle a booming and baratone woman's voice roared across the halls.
    "You thought you could use my castle's powers and leave?... Now that would be castle of DE-llusion! Ha ha ha!"
    All seventeen of the castle's guests were teleported into a circular room. Karina was placed into a human sized orb in the center of the room.
    "Those who failed their hearts belong to me! And those who succeeded will be locked away forever!"
    The ones who took the trial were all placed in magical chests. Only Aislinn, Celio, AJ, and Gwendolyn remained.
    "What? Intruders! What insolence! You will be dealt with quickly! The Hellfire club shall succeed! All light will be extinguished!!"

    How this boss battle works;

    Boss Battle • Mizrabel
    R O U N D 1








    5,000/5,000 HP
    ◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘









    AISLINN - 43/43 HP

    ANANTA - LOCKED

    AJ - 40/40 HP

    BEUCE - LOCKED

    CELIO - 40/40 HP

    D'DAEAR - LOCKED

    GLEN - LOCKED

    GWENDOLYN - 40/40 HP

    IGNIS - LOCKED

    HIKARU - LOCKED

    KAIDA - LOCKED

    KEL - LOCKED

    LUNA - LOCKED

    STEEL - LOCKED

    STRATOS - LOCKED

    XARA - LOCKED
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2017
  17. GarrettFinch Hollow Bastion Committee

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    While waiting for some to say something to him, when a dark mist filled the castle halls. He continued to open and close his and then looked around. He wondered what was going on. He then disappeared and found himself in a circular room. Some woman was going on about something. Everyone seemed to be in a magic chest of some sort. He had no clue what was going on. He saw a chest not too far from him with someone he somewhat knew and one of someone he did not. Walking to a chest at random he opened it up and freed Xara.

    Xara was freed
     
  18. Maka Albarn It's called love

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    Panda
    Location:
    Fairy Tail
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    One minute she was standing there, the next thing she knew was that familiar darkness was back. Xara tensed and nearly jumped when she heard the voice of a angry woman. Well, that was probably the witch. Before she could blink or do anything, Xara was whisked away and trapped in some weird place. She banged and pounded against the chest, only to be set free not long after.

    Xara jumped out with her keyblade in hand, glancing around her. "Thanks!" She said to the boy she briefly met. She then saw two chests, one out of her reach, and another close by. "Hey! Go get that one, I'll get this one!" They were going to need all the help they could get at this point, and Xara felt as if she needed to get more experienced people than her on the job.

    The purple haired girl then ran over to the chest with her keyblade in hand and tapped on it, unlocking it and freeing Luna.

    Luna was freed.
     
  19. Aelin Best Waifu

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    Female
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    British Columbia, Canada
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    "It seems that our paths here are not so different...." Aislinn contemplated these things as her eyes glided over the group. "So you are all wield-" Aislinn was cut off by the sudden change, music filling the air. The doors behind Aislinn slammed shut, making the not normally skittish young woman jump a little, her keyblade, thankfully already in hand, ready for battle. Her head shot around scanning the room around her before a voice echoed through the hall. It didn't seem to be coming from any of the other members here. Next thing Aislinn knew they had been moved and most people were locked up. The girl who had not been in good shape floated in the center of the room and most of the others had been locked up. Only four of them remained standing.

    Unsure of what was going on or who the Hellfire club was, Aislinn turned her attention to the people who were locked up. "Hold on. I will do what I can." Aislinn spoke even if no one was really listening. Seeing who the others were freeing, Aislinn decided to try to free the person to her right. Aiming her keyblade at the chest she managed to unlock it, freeing the person inside. It was a girl with blonde hair and a yellow outfit. She gave her an awkward smile before turning her attention to their enemy.

    Kaida was freed.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 11, 2017
  20. Fearless A good and beautiful child

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    One minute, Gwendolyn was standing inside the door to this magnificent castle, holding her cat and her key, staring around at all these other kids hanging out, and the next she was in... somewhere completely different, with a lady screaming at her, and most of the other kids trapped in a circle. Somehow, this was the least surprising thing to happen to her today. Fuck her life, really, because everything that could go wrong, absolutely was going wrong.

    Well, this was eight shades of bullshit, but that didn't mean she had to sit around and take it.

    "Screw that! I do what I want!"

    First order of business; some help would probably be nice in this situation. Gwendolyn still didn't know what the key was about, but the other kids still out seemed to be using their own keys as weapons. That worked for her, so she copied the others and went to open the closest box she could see.

    Stratos was freed.