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Prologue
10 Years Earlier…Keyblade Wielder Headquarters
Five elected officials were gathered in a dimly lit room, each of the beings bearing grim expressions. The atmosphere was oppressive in nature, for the purpose of the meeting was strained with its importance. Any decision made within the pursuing hours would determine the fate of Keyblade Wielders across the worlds.10 Years Earlier…Keyblade Wielder Headquarters
It would also be the potential conclusion of the wretched war. So many fellow kin of the Keyblade Wielders had been cut down with the deeply rooted impressions of superiority. Their numbers had decreased by more than half.
One man of the five officials was particularly faced with the unpleasantness of the whole situation, as he had directly been affected by the war when his own son had been ruthlessly ended when he had dared to stand forward for his friend. His sacrifice was ever-present in the man’s thoughts as he watched in angry disapproval as the other officials bickered with their personal opinions. It was disgraceful beyond anything the man had seen thus far.
The man’s deeply set wrinkles became more apparent as his grayed brows pulled together, his hard, faded blue eyes glaring into the circle formed by the officials. His mouth was twitched downward, and his rumpled, receding hair even appeared to be dull with his solemnity.
“Enough!” The man’s voice cut through all others’ easily, though the roughness was unheard of. His normally even, smooth voice sounded strangled. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat wearily before continuing on. “We have been disgracefully disputing the matter at hand while putting only our own opinions down. We were elected by our fellow kin to lead us with a sureness and incorruptible faith that we previously had shown, yet now, when our position is at its most necessary level, we are ultimately failing. If we, who are by all means meant to be leaders, cannot come to a conclusion that benefits the greater majority then our Keyblade Wielding gifts will gradually become nonexistent with each kin slaughtered. We must act swiftly rather than pursue this reprehensible bickering.”
The others who sat at the rounded table exchanged shameful glances with each other, and several bowed their heads sheepishly. One woman, the youngest of the elected, merely nodded, keeping her emerald eyes downcast to the table. After a moment she brought a slender, pianist hand to her mouth and coughed. She brought her eyes upward at last and met the man’s.
“With the circumstance at hand I believe it would be best suiting our fellow Keyblade Wielders to be…cast to silence, so to speak, from those who we are meant to protect.”
“You must be insane you wretched redhead!” The woman cringed from the dangerous tone of the man who had yelled. The man who had shouted was well known for his derogatory statements, but as his past actions of honor still stood he had been elected.
“Iris! Enough!” the gray-haired man interrupted with distant thoughtfulness. His mind was racing at the proposition. Granted, yes, it did appear to be a potential downfall as well; corruption would undoubtedly be a more apparent species amongst their kin, but perhaps the forced silence would leave for there to be little superiority. It would force fellow wielders to keep their gifts at bay and potentially end the nonsense of “ruling” humankind rather than protecting it… Looking away from Iris and his vibrant, pulsating yellow eyes the man turned his own faded gaze to the woman.
“Crystal, I can see that your proposition has two flaws that attention should be directed toward…”
“Yes? What are they Reno?” Crystal’s voice was respectful, but it was clear that she saw no flaw with the idea.
“One,” Reno raised his index finger. Despite his old age his movements were fluid with youthful elegance. “There is the issue that many of our kin no longer respect our judgment. How are we to ensure that they will obey our silencing them to humankind?”
Reno allowed the question to hang in the air for a moment before he continued, his thumb moving in compliance with the second flaw. “Two, what of humankind, several of whom have already been exposed to our kin’s abilities? What of their memories?”
Crystal was silent, though the backs of her eyes told of her thoughts racing to come up with a solution. Iris, on the other hand, merely plopped his head into the palm of his hand, his elbow resting on the table. His expression was dull, appearing bored. Reno, suppressing a sigh settled his own mind to searching for some plausible conclusion. No other ideas had been proposed, and few other outcomes would likely benefit any at all…
“I…may know of someone who might be of help with humankind’s memories,” the voice was soft-spoken yet grew in confident with each word that followed. “You see, I know of a sorcerer who may be able to erase humankind’s memories, but I am unsure of his willingness to aid us.”
At this suggestion Reno was taken aback. It seemed so wrong to take away one’s memories, but was it not also wrong for humankind to be subjected to their kin’s dishonorable wars? Reno studied the man’s face with idle curiosity. The man had narrow features with a long nose and thin lips. His smoky eyes were set deep in her head, the eyelashes touching the bases of his dark eyebrows. With inky darkness of midnight the man’s hair was like a lion’s mane going down to the man’s mid-back.
“Do you think you would be able to persuade this sorcerer to helping us?”
The man stared at Reno with a chilled calmness. After several moments of silence he nodded. “I will persuade him,” his tone gave the inclination that he would persuade the sorcerer one way or another. Reno ignored the voice in the back of his mind that recognized the tone.
“So we have only one flaw remaining…any further suggestions?”
Silence.
“None?” Reno couldn’t deny the concern that plagued him. The flaw remaining was the most important flaw in the plan. If they didn’t find some kind of a solution then the whole plan would have to be cut off. Just as he was about to announce his thoughts the fifth elected official sighed.
“I know of someone who would be willing to help us…for a price.” Her grimness was out of character, as was the expression of submission that stared back at Reno. “She is a sorcerer who knows of a spell that can cast a binding curse, so to speak, on a certain kind of being…”
“Curse?” he couldn’t cast aside the skeptical tone in his voice.
“If one of our kin were to explicitly wield and betray their abilities to a human being, then their ability to wield the Keyblade could be eliminated for a period of time.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her brown, circular eyes were downcast, and she folded her scarred hands in her lap.
“Trina, what is the price?”
The woman shrugged a slight shoulder and looked up. “A spell that the sorcerer wishes to accomplish requires a Keyblade Wielder…a sacrifice.
“No!” before Reno could respond the black haired man interrupted. “You cannot mean to sacrifice yourself!”
Reno watched the man with a peculiar expression. The strength of the man’s words portrayed perhaps something stronger than purely comradeship.
Trina shrugged once again. “It is the only way to ensure peace… and I am the only sacrifice she would want. Her gaze rested firmly on the fervent man as though she were telling more than what was verbally emitted.
Reno rested both elbows on the table and put his face into his palms wearily. “Trina…”
“No, I must do whatever I can to aid our kin in reaching peace. That is what we were elected to do, no matter the cost.”
The dark-haired youth stood up hastily, his chair toppling over itself in an attempt to escape his fury. “You have no idea it will even work, Trina!”
“Yes…yes I do know it will work, and that is why I must do my part! You must understand, and you must do your part as well! Swear it!”
Silence became oppressive once more.
“Swear it!” she repeated, more sternly.
The youth sat his chair back up and collapsed into it. “I swear to complete my duty as sworn to prior to my election, Trina…” His voice was absolutely lifeless.
Reno gave the group of elected officials a moment more in silence before speaking with eerie calmness. “Then if there are no further complaints we will set forth with our plan immediately. Are there any complaints?”
No one spoke.
“Well then, we’d best be on our way to attaining peace once more.”
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