Hollow Refugees [a Big Damn Heroes production]

[GuardianOfHearts]

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Seraph trudged up the bleak path, her gunblade across her back and one hand curled limply about the handle by her shoulder; ready as she was to fight again at any given moment. However, her appearance gave testament to her previous battles: there was a purpling blue bruise across her left cheek, like the shadow of a wing, and on her lip was an ugly half-healed cut that had trickled blood down her chin, carelessly wiped away. Though she didn't pause in her steady incline march, she was obviously tired, and there was a thoroughly wearied look in her green eyes. A sort of "leave me alone" look, like a deadened version of the one she had been known to wear in Twilight Town.

Twilight Town ... now there was something to think about. Seraph had already resigned herself to its fate, but the memory of what had happened just the night before last still left a hard feeling in her chest, as if her heart was holding on to something too heavy for it. Twilight Town, destroyed. Swallowed up by the darkness like a candle to a black wind. How had she survived that? One minute, she was bleeding from Shadow-scratches six feet under the ocean waves, choking on salt water and losing consciousness: the next, she was lying on a flat rock surrounded by water rising up.

It was a definite improvement to drowning, at least.

After Seraph had picked herself up, wet and very confused as to her sudden change of location, the Heartless had only given her a minute before appearing again. At least that group had not been the seemingly endless horde that had come to Twilight Town, but the four Wyverns and pair of Darkballs had still given her a beating. And that pattern had continued on and off for most of the day, Heartless attacking her with single-minded intensity, she defending and finally defeating them, then given a little more peace and quiet to try and heal herself and work her way up ... before more had come to challenge her again.

First, Seraph had made do with the store of Potions and Elixers she'd taken from her room in the Workshop as the Town outside panicked, throwing everything she'd made that day into her pockets and grabbing her gunblade before escaping. Somehow the downstairs furnace had been wrecked, and that had set the whole damn place ablaze. She had felt a twinge at that, leaping out her bedroom window and onto the rooftop next door. The apprentice had stopped to look back at her masters' Synthesis Workshop at the end of the street, seeing the windows lit inside by hungry flames. She would miss it, her home. But she hadn't had any more time to dwell on her grief, not with the Shadows pursuing.

But all the little battles she'd gone through in the past twenty-four hours had depleted her stores of restoratves; Seraph had nothing to heal herself with. She had never learnt Cure, never thought she'd need to. How wrong she was about that.

She could make herself more Potions and the like by hand, with a little ingenuity, but first she needed the materials. She was currently saving up the ones the Heartless had been dropping.

Not five feet in front of her, a swirl of black appeared in the air parallel to her eyes and a Darkball materialized. It's jagged Jack-o-Lantern mouth stuttered open to show the glowing void within; rather like looking into hell's abyss, Seraph thought, before it rushed her.

She drew Icefire from her back and ducked, allowing the Darkball to spin dangerously past her. Now armed, she faced it, and it hovered a few feet higher as if suddenly regretting its choice.

"C'mon!" Seraph barked, anger and frustration and exhaustion lending to this brief outburst. "Come and kill me if you can!"

The Darkball opened its sharp mouth wider, yellow eyes glowing brightly as it rapidly descended to her. When it was less than two feet from her face, she brought her gunblade up and shot it through that black, black maw.

The Darkball tumbled backwards and faded away into evanescent wisps. Something like a long bright splinter dropped to the ground: a Lucid shard, Seraph noted as she picked it up, thinking of the Mega-Potion she'd be able to make from it if this kept up: but how would a Mega-Potion help her anyway? She was alone.

 

[Wormwood]

All about him was black, pitch darkness, Ira sat marooned in his prayer, awaiting the answer of his god, a voice, a touch, a light, any response would do, He only wished to be removed from the bleakness. The candles had since been eaten by flame for a great while now and Ira had been trapped in the slithering drape of blight for longer than he could entertain even recollecting from memory. Worse of all he had not been at all able to read from the Codex in just as long a time, His familiarity with it's knowledge had waned considerably and only those words that had moved him the most had remained with him, granting hope in this time.
Ira's trembling voice broke into a hum, a hymn that had always been special to him, though it had been long since he had spoken any comprehensible words and recently it had come to the point where the only noises he could make were whimpers and croaks, if not only to make sure he had not become as deaf as he was blind.
It was not as though the priest had locked himself alone in the shadow of death of his own volition, heavens no, he was here as a victim of context, the blackness out there had been so much more menacing than that in here, a darkness that lived, a darkness that ate, a darkness that vehemently attempted to smother and snuff the light, it was a shadow that fought back, not one that bowed reverently before the light as it ought and had done for centuries if not a thousand times longer, there had erupted a great pride within the emptiness, a roar of defiance cancerous and malignant, tendrils of barbs dripping with the venom of usurpation, it's eyes mocking the glow of peace, a vacant expression of soulless contempt for the kingdom's will.
Blindly the hermit reached down for his lantern, and edged himself cautiously toward the large doors that led to the outside world, he grasped the mighty handle, whose pull would either let him out or let the macabre shadow's miasmatic spawn in. His fingers rapped against the iron of the handle, his wrist shaking uncontrollably as his grip slid away and Ira walked back to where he though his previous spot may have been, but he really didn't know
"Mah-bah"?
H coughed and forced out of his throat, a terrible attempt at a "maybe"
He began to think, what if the light had been showing him by not entering into this darkness that he needed to leave, that it was his responsibility to follow the path the light set for him, without expecting it to do everything for him.
He admitted he had pondered such a thing numerous times but was always too afraid to act on it, especially after seeing the tragedy of Radiant garden unfold as he, a warrior priest of the Sicarii, hid in a hole.
He had faced his crucible and had failed and for that he deserved to rot in bosom of Hel.

Hours went by, days even, for al intents and purposes a second in here was as an eternity to Ira and knowing how long he had spent mulling over the issue again was of little importance to him.
He looked back down at his lantern, light attracted the monsters, the only reason he hadn't used it to illuminate his prison,

The great doors creaked open and a dwarfed, shaking, cowering figure cautiously made his way out, his only stores of courag ebeing completely wasted on bringing himsel fot open the doors.
There could be no going back as he moved himself forward, barefoot and terrified.

 

[afrobutt]

I-I’ve been thinking these… odd things lately

Like, has any of this ever been real… or an illusion?

Falling… falling… he fell into the abyss of darkness that lie beneath him. How long had he been falling? A few seconds, an hour, a lifetime? He couldn’t remember, all thought had abandoned him since… forever? His one, single notion of a thought was repeating through his head, echoing upon his conscience. It soon became him, engulfing his very being.

Why am I alone again?

Days, or perhaps no time at all had passed. A slight disturbance entered his line of vision. It was an alien experience… like poking a hole within a dark room. As he floated closer, the disturbance became larger, reflecting a phantom glare upon it’s *glitter*ing surface. A giant mass of water, spreading across the horizon.

The ocean, my first true friend

He landed on it’s surface, the water showing no sign’s of failing under his weight. The void of darkness still hung above him, like a veil isolating he and his sea. He stared into the water, seeking his reflection. Nothing gazed back at him, he saw only an endless depth.

And then, a sound. Something fell into the water, he saw the ripples fleeing from the impact. Striding opposite the ripples, he found the origin of the noise, seeing an object floating just below the surface. He couldn’t clearly see what it was, it seemed to be a blurred item of light. Regardless, he got onto his hands and knees, and reached down into the water. As his hand waded through the water (How deep had this thing fallen?), he felt a gripping feeling running up his arm. His body shuddered, yet he continued to reach for the blur. His finger brushed up against it, a cold and metallic texture. He ran his hand across the strange items, looking for a hold or grip of some sort, and found it. As his hand clasped onto what felt like a handle, he felt a quick moment of surprise as he fell into the water.

Yet, it felt nothing like water. This water-like material leeched onto his body, restraining any movement. He tried to scream, tried to gasp, tried to say anything; to no avail. The water-ish substance grew dark, darker then the endless darkness he had fallen through only moments before. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. He began to cry, or attempted to cry. He felt darkness closing in around his eyes…

Himmel!

Himmel awoke with a start, bolting upright and breathing heavily. He placed his hand on his chest, willing his heart to calm. “A dream?” he said to himself, eyes wide. His head was aching badly, he winced as the beat of his heart synchronized with his heartbeat, and for a few minuets he did nothing but sit and hold his head. After a time, his body eventually calmed, his headache reduced to a slight throb; and he took his first chance to look around.

He started again, realizing he wasn’t in his bedroom. He was… defiantly not on the Destiny Islands. Wherever he was, the sky was a rosy pink; hanging over the water fa-… “The water is rising!” Himmel sat up from the cold ground he had been sitting on, fixated on this water… rising, like a child looking at a toy through a store window. Where he was, why he wasn’t on the Destiny Islands, nothing mattered to him at the moment. His mind thought only this new discovery, eyes wide with astonishment.

 

[Tobuoi]

Kairinne: Atop the large, heart-resemblant crest mounted at the front of the Hollow Bastion sat a young girl. Though, with all but her face concealed in a black and red suit with a texture not unlike flesh or muscle tissue, it was hard to tell whether or not she was human, let alone her gender and age. Indeed, Kairinne was human. However, what was inside of her was not...Rupal: a Heartless.

Rupal had somehow leaked into the darkness of Kairinne's heart, some time ago. Just how long it had been, Kairinne could not remember, because she was barely in control of her own body, half of the time. Currently, she was not. She was put away inside of herself, leaving Rupal in control. The Heartless hungered, for it had been days since she lasted acquired means of replenishing herself. A heart was what she craved so desperately.

In the distance, Rupal saw movement, past the rising falls. She lurched forward in excitement and as she did, a horde of Wyverns and Darkballs appeared. "No!" she cried in two voices. One was young but weak, Kairinne's, and the other sounded deep and hollow and inhuman. "Leave it! It's mine."

Rupal lifted herself into the air and soared in the direction of the hearts she would prey upon, but it took too much of her strength and she was depleted. She fell down, over the platform that was powered by some strange, flourescent blue electric current and was used to ascend and descend over the falls. The suit melted away, revealing Kairinne in her true form...unconscious on the cold, gray stone.

 

[INCALORA]

"Hello is anyone there? Where can I be," Cal said as he walked through a room that was half lit and the other side un-lit. He looked down and noticed that he actually wasn't walking on the ground, but a stream of aura. By looking at his face you could tell he was terrified, but yet felt at home on the substance. All of a sudden two people who looked identical to hiim walked up behind him. "Why hello there other we haven't spoken in....well forever really," said the one smiling in the dark.

"Other? I'm sorry you must have me confused with someone else," Cal said as he stared at the dark figure. "Why don't you come over to me," said the one sitting in the bright light. There was a brief moment of silence. Realising that these two figures were him Cal stopped in his place,"Ok tell me who you guys are." "Well let's just say you're...special," said the light one,"Yeah you're actually a rare, infact only case of aura child," the dark one said as he picked up where the other left off. "What the heck s an aura child," Cal asked as he began to pace back and forth. "An aura child is one made up of exactly 50% light and 50% dark. They are very powerful and have abilities that many can't obtain, but we won't get into that yet," both sides said at the same time.

Cal was freaking out. He'd never wanted to be anything like this he just wanted to be him. "Right so let's get on to the next subject there are these creatures called heartless and they're taking over everything. You have a choice to either join them or appose them," L. Cal said. "Yeah that''s great and all, but I need to know something what happens if I sway to one side more," Cal asked. "Well let's just say one of us will take over for awhile," D. Cal said as he smiled. "If that's the case I'm not going to choose a side I'll just be neutral," Cal said with a grin of triumph.

"That's just what we wanted," with that he was dunked into a pool of light and dark. They then reappeared at a door surrounded by dark and light. "We'll be checking in on you from time to time and each time we'll make you more powerful and smarter, but until then we can't let you go looking like that," both D. and L. Cal said,"It's time for you to make a weapon. Think of anything and how it'll work." There was a pause then all you kept hearing were oohs and aahs from both sides,"That's perfect and since you surrounded it by mystery we can improve it." They looked him up and down,"Ok since you represent aura now we're giving you some color," and with that NOTHING changed. "Wait what's different they look the same," Cal said. "You'll find out later, but for now taah-taah. Oh before I forget try gliding," Light Cal said.
"What fo," his sentence was completed due to the fact he'd landed on top of a castle. "Where's my sword Cal exclaimed,"It'll appear in that sheath on your back when you need it, oh and here's a parting gift," a small dragon fell on his head, " His name is Zorox and he's made of crystal and if you break it he's dead! Joking joking, but yeah have fun," and with that the Cal's left him. "Ok this should be interesting, but for now I'm going to work on my gliding." He then lept and and slightly glided to another building.

 

[Star Light]

Nicole was sound a sleep dreaming about her winning a struggle match. She was fighting with a struggle bat. She woke up hearing the station tower bells. She sat up in bed and stretched. She opened her window. She looked at her cat on her bed and dog on the floor. Another beutiful morning in Twilight Town. She got out of bed and slipped her slippers on. She went and got dressed.

Once she was dressed she ran downstairs. Her mother was making breakfast. She looked around. Her father must have already went to work or is working on gumii ships again.

"Morning Mom, you making pancakes?" Nicole said. Her mother was wearing a blue apron. She had a white sweater on, with navy blue skirt. A dark sky blue apron that had Mom sewed on the front. Nicole made that for her in Home Ed. She sat down at the table.

"Yes, pancakes. So today is the day, right?" er mother said bringing pancakes over.

"Yep, the struggle preliminaries. I'm going to the top. This year I will win." Nicole said. She started eaing. Her mother sat down.

"I'm cheering for you, honey." Her mother said. She smiled. She looked out the window. Nicole and her family lived in the Market Street: Tram Common. The tram goes past the window every half hour. That how her mother keeps track of time. It was currently 9:30am. Nicole finished up and took the dishes to the sink. She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her blue skate board.

"See ya Mom. I'm gonna go train for a while." Nicole said. She grabbed her struggle bat and went out the door. She threw her skate board down and attatched the struggle bat to her waist. She jjumped on and headed to the sandlot. She rode over to the one tree. She stuck her skate booard behind it. She looked to see other kisd there praticing. Some talking to each other. Others fighting each other. Nicole walked over. Everyone stopped doing whatever they were doing and looked. Even know Nicole lost last year, she was a legend for struggle's. A great fighter. She went and untatched her struggle bat. She took it off and started swinging it around. She was warming up her body. She stopped did jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups, and stretchs.

Nicole stopped for awhile. She started off. She was going up torward the back alley. She stopped and sighed.

"So your the great warrior Nicole. The fighter of Struggles." Nicole looked up to see a man wearing a black cloak.

"Who are you?" Nicole asked. The person walked up to Nicole. He made a portal behind her.

"If you become a nobody like I think you will then I will be your master." He said.

"What!?" Nicole said. She was confused. The man then pushed her into the portal.

She found herself on the ground somewhere. In her hands was a magic staff. She woke up. She stood up. She looked she was surrounded by heartless.

"Whoa!!" Nicole said. She was surpised by the new creatures and the staff she had. The staff kept pulling her torwards the heartless. She was somewhere new. She was confused. She looked around. She started swinging the staff at the heartless. After while they were all gone. The staff then disapeared. Nicole looked around.

"Where am I?" Nicole said. She was in a new world. A new world known as Hollow Bastion.

 

[turin]

They slithered through the darkness, creeping down the poorly lit alleyway. Little black figures slowly hobbling forward, like wild animals on the prowl, their bright yellow eyes, tirelessly scanning, searching for something. These creatures very existence causes chaos, beings of darkness with no regard for others.
Then the two figures come to an immediate halt. Their heads rear up, ears perk suddenly as if sensing something.
“Dranzzer!” shouts a voice, piercing the deafening silence of the night. Followed by a green streak of light shooting through the creature on the left turning it into smoke. The remaining beast jumps back in alarm. Panicked the monster abruptly turns around and begins to scurry away, but it is too late. Another green blast fires out in the night, and just as the first one this one does not miss its target. The beast is struck dead center in the abdomen and like the first is utterly destroyed.
Afterwards a man shrouded in shadows at the opposite end of the alley steps into the dim lights. Blake’s arm is extended with his gun raised, still smoking from its last attack. He continues pointing it forward down the alleyway, as if more of them will appear out of the shadows. His breath is heavy, body stiff.
“More of them,” he whispers.
‘It seems I am not even safe here anymore, maybe not anywhere. Those monsters, the so-called Heartless they seem to be growing in number.’
Blake finally lowers his gun, and collapses on one knee. He is distraught his face a mix of emotions: fear, anger, shock.
‘There all gone. There all gone. All of them. Mom and Dad, my friends, everyone. What should I do.’

Blake thinks back to that fateful the day his world was swallowed by the darkness. At first the heartless appeared small in number, but then they spread like a plague over Hollow Bastion. Everyone tried to fight against the darkness, but it was no use. The enemy was endless and ever growing. Battling them was like trying to stop the tide. Our efforts were futile everyone soon realized this was a battle we could not win. So those who could flee did. In all the confusion and chaos Blake was separated from his family and friends. Stranded and alone, he runs, against the darkness, the heartless, the inevitable. So many of the people here had already been swallowed by the darkness, would he be next.

Regardless, Blake would not allow himself to drown in his own depression. Pounding his fist on a nearby wall he rose to his feet. He needed answers. He needed to find his friends and family, and he could not do any of that by mopping on the ground. As Blake walked out of the darkness of the alley and into the light, he was filled with uncertainty, but at the same time his heart was filled with a resoluteness unlike ever before. He would not give into this darkness, but move forward and find the answers he needs.

Nevertheless, it was not safe here. He needed to move. And so gun in hand Blake began to run. Full speed to an unknown destination. All that he knew was that if he stopped, he would be swallowed by the darkness.

Edit: okay I edited it.

 

[Aphex]

Traverse Town. Such an elegant town. Utter silence, the gentle night breeze that swept throughout each district, the stars along with the moon lit up the eternal midnight skies and acted as a semi light source. All these things combined made up such a peaceful yet beautiful world. The downside of all this? The frequent attacks that take place every now and then thanks to the Heartless, attempting to feed off of the hearts of innocent civilians or at least what was left of the remaining population. Alas, even if they were taken care of, Traverse Town is forced to bear more oncoming assaults from these creatures which prevents the world from ever returning to its calm and peaceful state.

Derrick, a seventeen year old boy, stood on top of the Gizmo Shop that lied within the heart of the Second District. His weapon which was a unique blend of a broadsword and a tonfa, was held firm and tightly within his right hand for protection. His sets of hazel pupils gazed up at light emitting moon that felt oh-so very close, lifting up his left hand almost in a reaching out sort of manner. Just something about the view always gave him this form of confidence which kept him going on about with the rest of the day. This is something that Derrick could be found doing most of his free-time whenever he is no longer taking care of the Heartless.

"Such beauty."

The goggle-headed teen lowered his left hand and took in a deep breath, exhaling as his closed his eyes. The cool breeze blew and touched his face, making him feel nothing but relaxation. If only he could do this forever without having to worry about anything. . . that's all he could ever wish for.

 

[Crisis Break]

The gummi ship soared through the stars, siding by them with tremendous ferocity, daring to overpower the accelerator as a lone woman pounded on the pedal. As the ship grew faster, the mage flung aside her rose red beret, her wavy blonde hair dangling into her eyes. She had been venturing the vast space for a near week already, relying on the ship's now dwindling fuel tank and her ambition and intuition to find herself a world to land on. "Elemande, what have you got yourself into.." she murmured, slowing the ship a little.

How far was she from the castle? It had been a week of traveling, moments of stopping the ship and resting interspersed throughout the seven-day venture. Elemande snatched a book from a cabin, flipping through it to find a passage, one that she had read so many times that she had memorized it: 'The rifts of our universe are many, and in each corner of space lies a new world. Though the heart of each world is connected, the bodies of the worlds are separated, locked away from each other through a barrier of darkness. Only one key holds the power to unlock these barriers..'

"One key. I'm beginning to wonder if there even is a key.." Elemande mumbled, continuing to flip through the book. She sighed, realizing the desperate truth of the matter- the book was the same, and it wouldn't help her find a world. She flung it back into the cabin angrily, curling her fingers into her hair with a frustrated touch as she started to speed the ship up again. Before she could start up the engine, she looked up, before gasping in surprise.

She froze, her body stiffening at the sight. Her bright ruby eyes widened, the Lumina slowing down to accommodate what was in front of it. And slowly but surely, a gentle smile reached her scarlet lips. "So it begins.. the journey toward the key.." Elle whispered as she eased her ship closer toward the blackened castle, atop a cascading world of bubbles and metal. She had reached Hollow Bastion.

 

[Xinjust]

The enormous gears spun slowly but surely within the front of the hollow palace. A young man, Duxpic ((Dusk-Pic)), slowly rid on one of these gears, on the edge of one of its grooves. Slightly un-entertained, Dux leaped from the bronze whatcha-ma-call it, free falling into the lavender abyss. He gently landed on the marble flooring below, as if he were levitating. He tucked his white wings behind his back, only to see something unusual.

A young girl was lying unconscious on Hollow Bastion's transportation method, a circular platform with blazing blue threads to carry it to and fro. Dux was not disturbed by this factor, but he was curious. Spreading his feathery wings, he soared over to the platform, landing beside the girl in utter silence. She was absolutely gorgeous, to say the least.

When he looked back, he saw something else you didn't usually see at Hollow Bastion. A boy with a dragon, gliding from building to building at Hollow Bastion's community. He seemed to be training for some sorts, probably to accomplish an imminent ambition at Hollow Bastion's wake; to defeat the very Heartless that roamed them and their worlds.

Dux then decided to to give his attention else where, to another boy, only this one seemed to be fascinated that the water was rising upward. Dux's eyes followed the rising water, until his gaze led him to the skies. There, he spotted a U.F.O it would seem, entering Hollow Bastion's Hemisphere.

Then, he saw the most incredible thing of all. Someone.... he once knew, standing just below him. It was a young girl, seeming bewildered in his gaze. She had been a resident of Twilight Town, just like he was... once upon a time.

"Nicole?" he whispered to himself.

Dux summoned his Harp Sword from the void pocket it slumbered in, preparing to play a melody that might awaken this unconscious girl beside him, maybe she could explain what was going on.

 

[Star Light]

Nicole, looked to see a guy. She looked at him, she did not know how, but she knew him. She knew him before, she did not rember his name, but she rembered him. They would play togeather, talk, go explore Twilight Town, and when she started battling he always be there. Then he left. Nicole could not rember him, just his face and what they did.

"I know you, but at the same time I don't know you. Who are you?" Nicole said. She spoke with elgance with this person, not her usual go lucky struggle girl that she usually was. Ever since she came here she felt diffrent, something in her was diffrent. Nicole looked at the guy. She looked into his brown gold eyes. She looked at him. She had little memory of him.

"Who are you? How do I know you?" Nicole said. She was confused. She wanted to find out who he was.

 

[afrobutt]

Himmel blinked once, then twice. He’d been staring at this odd performance of water for about 10 minuets. "Concentrate Himmel", he said, shaking his head and sitting himself on the cold, rough floor.
“Think.” he said, massaging his temples in a circular motion. At first, nothing came to him, and then he had a sudden memory. He’d been sitting in class, staring out to the sea. It had been that terrible, yet beautiful time of day. When the sun was just setting on the horizon, illuminating the endless body of water. And yet, he was trapped inside Geometry, listening to a mountain of nonsense about…triangles? There was a triangle on the board, but Himmel couldn’t remember exactly what it was they were supposed to be doing with it. This class had been a terrible idea, and of course it had come from Kaila.

He started playing with one of his blond tails, yet another of Kaila’s unwanted influences. He wanted nothing more then to cut them, or at least get rid of the tips. They were pink! Himmel had never been one to worry about masculinity, but for the love of- pink. Out of the limitless combinations of color, she’d just had to pick- ugh, he was upsetting himself. But his wrists were bound, she’d threatened to hate him if he changed his hair style. Something about “The sensitive spirit of a woman’s creativity.” and “It looks fine damn it!”.

She’d signed Himmel up for Geometry in hopes that it would have a positive affect on his motivation. Since the day after they’d met, Kaila had always found his lack of care a nuisance. She was always complaining about how men should to be brave and fearless, determined to go out and do things like saving pretty young girls from packs of rabid dogs/wandering gangs. He replied dryly that she read too many romance novels. In a way, Himmel figured this was punishment for that remark.
“Himmel! Are you in this class to learn or fantasize about…”

His math teacher’s loud, shrill squeal of a voice woke Himmel from his daydreaming. He was back in… who knows where, sitting on the damp ground. He sighed, maybe Kaila had a point. His habit of letting his mind wander might get him killed one-

And then, as if an omnipotent deity had been listening to Himmel’s thoughts, a cry rang out. Not the cry of pretty young girls being attacked by rabid gangs of triangles. This was more the cry of something out for blood, an inhuman scream. Himmel sat wide-eyed, no longer worried about his mind fading off into the past. Not getting eaten by heaven knows what was his new priority, everything else was being pushed back by Himmel’s growing fear. Common sense took over, and he started looking for a hiding place. His current position held nothing promising, a few rocks rising from the water. Looking up past the rising water, he saw what looked like a castle. It was hard to see, the vapor from the waterisings made it a blur, but even through a veil of mist it gave off a sense of foreboding. Himmel weighed the options in his mind.

Take a chance with a one of the rocks around here, or go to a castle that could be even more dangerous.

Neither sounded appealing to him, and he was starting to think he could hear footsteps approaching. Growing panicked, he asked himself what Kaila would say.

You wimp! Don’t run and hide, fight it. You’re a guy! Guys are supposed to be strong and fearless, not hesitant to run into the heat of battle. Oh, and I noticed you didn’t brush your hair today. It looks awful when you leave it like that, and all that saltwater running through it doesn’t help. Agh, why do I even bother with you? It’s like you don’t even-

That was enough from his imaginary, yet accurate, vision of Kaila. Making a quick decision, he decided to make a run for the castle. At least he had a chance of finding help this way. Taking a deep breath (and absently playing with the bracelet on his wrist), he made a dash towards the castle.

 

[Tobuoi]

Kairinne: There was a strange sort of melody filling the cold, dry air. It was unlike any music Kairinne had ever heard before. The songs played in Radiant Garden were usually in some dark, minor scale rather than this one, light and peaceful. She heard not hearty chords, but individual strings being plucked. Kairinne had not woken up in this sort of peace in a long time.

It took a while for her consciousness to catch up with her senses. After a few moments, she opened her eyes, still trying to figure out where she was, what time of day it was, perhaps even who she was, let alone whoever was conjuring the music. The sight was overwhelming and it took much effort to make sense of it. Then came the feeling of the cold stone beneather her. Kairinne put her situation together, piece by piece.

She weakly brought herself up to a sitting position, hugging herself, noticing then the person next to her. He had large white wings tucked behind his back and was apparently speaking to someone below. Her eyes went wide as the realization hit her: she was no longer alone.

Inside of her chest, she could feel her heart beating faintly, as though a force inside of Kairinne was trying to restrain it. Rupal was furious with hunger, but Kairinne kept her at bay, for Rupal was starved and weak. However, it wouldn't be long until she recovered her strength and took over, yet again, perhaps for good.

"What are you doing here?" Kairinne demanded, not having the luxury of getting close to anyone for fear of hurting them. "You shouldn't be here. This world is done for. It's not safe." She glared at the foreigner hesitantly, wishing she could will herself into vitality. Instead, she remained there, sickly, achy, frail...

 

[Star Light]

OOC: I'm confused. Dubex, the one playing music was to me? I'm a bit confused.

 

[Xinjust]

((I spoke your name Nicole, then brought my attention to Kairinne and started playing music to awaken her. And you can just call me Dux for short.))

Dux had ambitions beyond words at the moment. He simply placed a finger at his lips to Nicole, while gazing upon Kairinne with his gold piercing eyes. "I'm going to heal you now, mainden." Dux abruptly stabbed his blade into the hard stone, driving the sword deeper, until it reached the curve of the harp. He gently closed his eyes, as his wings provided enthusiastic shade for the distraughted girl. His body highlighted by the sun, he took a deep ensuring breath, and released it to the cold air.

An in-humanoid voice spoke from his lips: "Perfect Harmony, we hinder thy name. Allow us to put the darkness to shame. Grace your blessings to this dame."

When Dux plucked the highest strand on his harp, a greenish hue surrounded Karinne. Sparkles floated through the air around her, as a spell binding circle shined brightly just below her. The restoration was beginning; restoring her strength, her wisdom, her courage, and yes, even her spirit. Being a Nobody, he had no emotions to feel about seeing Nicole once again. He simply smirked, as her words echoed through his mind. He plotted to ignore Nicole, and this girl after the process had ceased.

Once Dux thought Karinne had received enough charity from him, he snatched the Harp Sword with a swipe, cracking the platform they were on. The cracks began to manifestate all over the stone, until an eruption of quaking was finally felt. Dux's ears twitched, as he heard the sounds of footsteps drawing near like a magnet. When he gazed to the source, he figured it was the same boy from the Rising Falls. Feeling threatened from all sides, finally sensing two types of "beings" were around him; a human and a heartless of some sort, Dux took to the skies. "I hope you can fly, Heartless," he said to Karinne.

Dux severely regretted aiding his Heartless sister'en. Even though he was unaware of his non-existence as a Nobody, Dux felt a bad connection to Karinne, one that went beyond that of explanation. He soared over Nicole, her questions unanswered, gliding to the highest tower of Hollow Bastion's castle.

 

[GuardianOfHearts]

Seraph was currently on her back, her booted feet against a crumbling wall and her head cradled by an uncomfortable piece of wood. She was hiding in the ruins of a broken-down house in Radiant Garden's deserted town, silent of footfalls save for the whisper of darkness as Heartless passed.

So far, they hadn't found her.

In her hands, held just above her face so that her green eyes could make out every detail in the almost complete darkness, she was synthesizing more magazines. Her quick fingers flipped Frost and Bright Shards under and over each other, melting together with each muttered spell of Fira. The flames curled around her hands, but did not burn her: she'd be a poor apprentice if she was harmed by her own spells, after all.

With the half-liquified materials cradled in her palms, she whispered an urgent "Thundaga." Electricity sparked around the Shards, and a powerful yellow-white bolt crystalized them in the black clip. A grim smiled tilted her mouth at the corners, thinking that with this, the Heartless might not give her half the thrashing about she'd been getting so far.

Tapping the magazine, she pulled Icefire from its place beside her and inserted the cartridge with a satisfying click. The gun mage blew a short huff from her lips, tossing away the wild locks of hair that had decided to rest across her face.

Moving carefully, wary about making too much noise, Seraph quietly pushed herself up, gripping Icefire and using it as leverage. She tensed into a half-crouch with finger on the trigger, still a bundle of nerves despite being left alone for the past hour. From cracks in the timbre wall, she could make out a group of Neoshadows in the street in front of her safe house.

"Firaga."

BANG.

The wooden wall in front of her exploded in a flurry of splinters, Seraph appearing in the sizable, smoking hole that was left behind. One of the Neo Shadows had been directly in the crossfire and already disappeared in a whorl of black. Its fellows, however, had picked themselves up and were now leaping towards her.

Seraph flicked the switch that moved her customized magazine into position, bullets changing. She swung Icefire in the nearest two Neoshadows' direction and pulled the trigger again. This time, the bullet that was fired from the muzzle was a shard of crystalline blue: on contact with the Neoshadow, it burst and the spell within it spread. The Heartless froze in place, covered in frost, and its fellow was half-paralyzed, with one arm and most of its head frozen as well.

She lunged around them and began attacking the remaining two, Icefire's thin, jagged points ripping against black claws. Finally she drove it back and stabbed it through, then spun about to catch the other as it leapt at her. With those gone, she switched the bullets back to normal and shot the two motionless Neoshadows.

The defeated Heartless had left behind mostly munny, which Seraph took for lack of anything better, but off to the side was a fair Bright Crystal. She smiled briefly and pocketed this in her materials pouch.

She was ready to continue on her way, possibly to try and scavenge some more medical supplies [she was still bruised and was likely to get more bruised in the future], but something in her peripheral vision pulled her attention away. Frowning, Seraph tilted her head back, before blinking in shock: her previously hard green eyes widened in genuine blankness before narrowing as she took in this new sight.

A ship, flying towards the castle.

Seraph was not a girl with a plan. She was a lone gunner, an apprentice without a master, a lost and confused refugee. She did not really stop to think. In just a few moments she was running, nearing the castle and its new visitor to this ruined world. She did not yet know how alone she really wasn't.

 

[turin]

*click * *click * *Clack !* The sound of a door eerily creaking open could be heard .The room was dark and cluttered. A lone flashlight beam shined into the room, hovering on the floor and walls, until it finally settled on a light switch. Blake flipped the switch. The lights flickered for a few seconds, before illuminating the room. The lab was a mess, it looked like someone left in a hurry and had not come back in weeks.

“Ugh! What is that smell?” said Blake, as he waved his hand in front of his nose. He hadn’t been to his mom’s lab in years, but he did not think it would be this dirty. Papers and books scattered the floor, empty and half filled bickers covered the tabletops.

“I guess mom took of in a hurry. I just wonder where she went.”

Blake did not waste anytime. He shut the door behind him and quickly began to examine the laboratory. Blake left no book unturned and no beaker unexamined. Now in all fairness, Blake was a pretty smart kid, but he was not a scientist. He barely understood half the stuff he was looking at. The books and papers he read ranged from books on quantum and astrophysics to biology. However, there was a clump of papers mashed together on the floor that didn’t seem to relate to anything else in the lab. Blake couldn’t quite discern what these papers were saying. All he got from them is that they mentioned the heartless a number of times and something about a door and a key, but he did not truly understand what the pages were saying.

“Man, I am getting nowhere with this stuff. I need to find away to stop these Heartless.”

Just as Blake turned to leave something crunched under his feet. He looked down to find two sheets of paper he must have over looked. The two sheets seemed to be some sort of weapon systematics. On further inspection, the papers turned out to be blue prints for the very gun, resting in the holster, strapped to Blake’s back, ADDAE (A-DIE-AYE).

‘So this is what she had been working on,’ thought Blake.

He flashed back many weeks in his head, before the heartless had arrived on Radiant Garden. A few days before his mother disappeared she would coop herself up in her lab for days and only come home to eat or sleep. Then one morning when Blake woke up late, ADDAE was sitting in the middle of his room with note stuck to it. The note read:

My son, I must leave you now there is a storm approaching. I don’t have time to explain everything now. Just know that your father and I love you very much. This is my final gift to you. It will aid you in your coming struggle. You should not have any trouble figuring out all the functions of this weapon. It’s name is ADDAE, which means morning sun, it should keep you safe. Do not bother looking for me; I will be away for some time. Whatever, you encounter in the coming days your heart must remain strong and resolute. The answers are there even if you do not see them at first glance.
Love,
Mom.​

‘What?’ Blake thought. He had no idea what his mom was talking about. I mean his parents were never nig on giving him gifts, but he thought a gun was a bit much. Radiant Garden was a peaceful world nothing bad ever happened here. At first Blake thought his mom, was just being overprotective. His father had been away from home for several months on some work related event and was unlikely to return anytime soon. So at the time it just seemed his mom was giving him a weapon to look after himself, while he was on his own. Blake was accustomed to this. His parents would sometimes do irregular things, or be gone from the house for long extended periods of time. Nevertheless, Blake put ADDAE to good use sooner than he thought. Only a few days after his mom mysteriously disappeared the heartless began to appear. And the only course of action left was to fight.

But that was enough dwelling on the past Blake still needed answers. Coming back to the present, Blake dropped the blue prints allowing them to flop to the floor. He stepped out of the lab and into the street. Looking up at the castle far off in the distance Blake thought that if there was one place he could get some real answers it would be there. In the back of his head Blake new it was suicide. That place probably had the most heartless, in all of Hollow Bastion. Still it was better than just doing nothing and hiding for the rest of his life. From what Blake had seen lately no place was safe anymore. And so scarf whipping in the wind behind him, Blake setoff towards the castle, ready for whatever might await him there.

 

[Tobuoi]

Kairinne: Kairinne's body was grateful for the recovered strength, but Kairinne couldn't help but stare at the winged foreigner suspiciously. He weilded a power unknown to her, but she could not detect a heart within him. Either he had none or the vigor he had bestowed upon Kairinne was enough to keep Rupal at bay. This was not the case, for moments later, she felt the Heartless inside of her tug desperately. There were two hearts--perhaps even a third--below her. One of which was presumably the person the otherworldy being was speaking to when Kairinne woke up.

Kairinne's thoughts were interrupted and dismissed when the white-winged stranger pulled his harped weapon from the stone under them. His act sent cracks gliding in several directions throughout the stone platform.

"I hope you can fly, Heartless."

How did he know what she was? Or rather, what was inside of her? Regardless, Rupal could fly but Kairinne would keep her concealed in the darkest depths of her at all costs. As the stranger spread his wings and took flight, Kairinne got to her feet quickly and stumbled away from the descending rock. She embraced a tall pillar that was connected to the nearby black gate and watched as a large chunk of the platform fell away from her, down...It had been less than she had expected, but several unstable cracks remained. This did not surprise Kairinne. She had sensed that this castle, the Hollow Bastion, was protected by some dark force ever since she came here, away from the once quaint village of Radiant Garden. This was where she had encountered Rupal.

Still holding onto the pillar, Kairinne looked up to the skies. She saw the winged man, perched there, on the highest tower. She glared at him thoughtfully for a moment, deciding to pursue him some other time. She instead brought her attention to the girl who was just below her. However, a loud, menacing sound from behind, near the castle doors, drew her attention. She knew immediately that it was a Heartless. She looked back out into the center of the rising falls and saw a boy, presumably a year or so younger than her (Himmel). He was making his way towards the castle with great haste, across the large boulders that were planted in the cold water of the falls. Kairinne looked back at the beast. It was a large, purple Heartless--a Behemoth.

She stepped off of the pillar and unsheathed the two shortswords at her side, her limbs still feeling seperate from her. Kairinne proceeded towards the Heartless, ready. She hoped the others were, as well.

 

[Star Light]

Nicole ran through streets torward the diresction of the castle he went to. She could not understand who was he. She came to a wall falling apart. She jumped down bolder by bolder. She landed and ran through quickly. Many of the creatures surrounding her before showed up. That staff she got did as well. She then realized the staff was a magic staff. She was interested in magic and started learning magic last Feb. She already was good at magic.

"Firaga" She yelled. Flaming fire went torwards the creatures. She ran through the smoke. She was tired, but made it. She was at the castle. She puffed a little and looked up. She saw the guy. She looked around. She jumped up on a wide railing. Seh looked up at him. Into his gold brown eyes. Her blue eyes staring at him with mystery and curiosity.

"Hey you! Who are you!?" She yelled as loud as possible. She heard an echo. She stood up high. Her staff in her hands at her side. She kept a close eye on him waiting for him to answer.

 

[INCALORA]

"Wow I'm really getting good at this gliding thin," Cal said as he glided alongside his tiny dragon. As soon as he landed he heard a loud noise of some sort. He was shaken up by it and began to fall of the large tower. "Great what or who can make a noise like that," Cal said jumping and gliding onto a wall, "I guess I'm going to have to climb for awhile." It didn't take him long before he climbed up high enough to see the huge creature. "Dear God what is that," he immediatly knew that it was a heartless. As much as he wanted to test out the creature of giant status he knew he needed to train a bit more.

He decided to see if he could run on walls and glide also. This idea was a huge success he knew that he was very close to his goal for the day. He thought that it might be cool to glide backwards. "This stuff is hard I think that I'll practice some more," Cal said. Nothing less than a second later his pet dragon Zorox bit him on his hand. "Oww what the heck was that for," Cal responded to the action of the dragon. All of a sudden he noticed how sincere the creature was and realised what he had to do. It wasn't long before he noticed people in the area.

"Well little guy I guess we should get ready," Cal said as he he made a motion to the little dragon. He patted the dragon and told him to stay. Once again he was bitten by his little friend, but this time he didn't retaliate, but said,"Come on." It was only five seconds before he jumped down backwards and facing down with his eyes closed. It was elegant yet rugged, he had mastered gliding and had the appearance of a falling angel. He didn't know it, but his sword was beginninng to re-animate itself on his back very slowly and increasing his speed.