Trust is [NOT] Resolute

[Story Keeper]

~- Bloody Evolution -~

Jay walked along, her eyes darting around her to pick up the first sign of danger. It wouldn't take her long to shift, nor would it take her long to conjure her keyblades if need be. Her eyes glittered with a wolfish light, keeping the small other worldly residents from getting too close to her. They all either hid in the closest shop or bolted for the hotel, trying to get away from her as fast as possible. She was contemplating asking what was their problem, but the words died on her tongue as the ground began to rumble.

Head snapping up, she saw the darkside leaning against the door, peering over into the distract that laid beyond. Taking a step forward, Jay broke out into a run as she saw the mass of shadows that erupted from it and went over the door. Two boss level heartless? Whoever was on the receiving end was going to be in a world of hurt if they got hit by both of them. She only knew the Master to be able to handle this kind of thing by himself, and even that she questioned given the gap in her memory.

Anyway, she was getting distracted!

Jay spun out of the way as the darkside fell backwards, it head off from some sort of attack. Staring at it in shock, she was forced back into a battle ready mindset as another Demon Tower came from the previous boss heartless. An irritated side escaping her, Jay shifted into the form of a wolf and lunged at the mass of darkness. Biting down, she heard the collective howl of rage, and she barely had enough time to get away before it twisted her into its inner vortex.

Landing on the ground, she glared at the mass of darkness, challenging it to a fight. She could take it, she'd fought several shadows beforehand. Bracing herself, she lunged forward once more only to redirect when the vortex of shadows moved to retaliate. Landing by the fountain, she bolted up the steps, trying to get to a higher point so she could better analyze the situation.

I need to find her. I also need to defeat this thing so the residents can relax, but the order.... Jay thought, her mind playing tug-of-war with her heart. She was supposed to be flexible, but....

Dammit it to hell.

Jay jumped to the right, becoming human again as she hit the ground. Rolling across the ground, she scrambled to her feet. Holding out her right hand, she shot a blast of ice magic toward the creature, effectively making sure that its attention would remain on her and her alone. Quickly following up with a second ice spell, Jay called her two keyblades to her and dashed forward, using the remaining speed boost from the wolf shift. Her eyes glowed, hinting at the wild creature she'd just been.

String together a rapid succession of strikes, Jay rolled across the ground and heard them collide with the mass of darkness. Sprinting back to above the fountain, she glanced back to see that the tower had become smaller in result. Her palms barely touched the double wooden doors before she was running through them, the tower close on her heels. Leaping off the ledge, she saw an alleyway to her right and could have sworn she caught a glimpse of two people, including one wearing a red suit of armor.

Rolling, she sprang to her feet and turned to face the creature. Raising her hand, she sent the fireball that was resting in her hand towards it. It hit the creature in the face, setting the remaining ones on fire as she slashed it in an X formation with her keyblades. The remaining ones faded away, much to her surprise and it had her thinking that it was a low level Demon Tower. Jay dismissed the concern for now, and bolted for the alleyway she'd seen earlier. Rounding the corner, she saw the heartless that were there and the two people there.

"Really? Who else has the keyblade?" She demanded, before she flung Dark Paradise at the tower.

 

[purgatory]

Following up on Try's lead, I spotted it from the corner of my eye. Diem hovered over my Lucient and shot a beam into the eye that sat in the front of the keyblade. The resolve burned into it, setting the keyblade on fire and I clutched it tight with a twist of my body and threw it towards the light post that was buried into the Demon Tower that she'd pinned down. Releasing the flames that circulated through the keyblade a hellish nightmare of pyre erupted from the vicinity and I shielded my eyes from the fire that pitched straight up (Try has a helmet, she has blinders on at all times!).

"So much for--"

Was that growling I heard? An animal, not just any animal, it appeared to be something I'd heard before and the sound came echoing beyond the gate to the third district. My attention was gripped for a while and I could hear the Demon Tower stirring as the doors opened.

"No freakin' way man! Come oh-"

A fire ball passed my shoulder followed by the burst of a wind, hitting the tower and two swift strikes. That schwing sound, keyblades. Another one of us maybe...? My first thoughts, I'm not sure, but I was quickly impressed and finally the demon tower crumbled and the moving shadows started to fall to the side on fire and turning into burning black mesh and going under. A massive heart leaving the core, and evaporating into the sky, as a hand broke through the dark sky to assimilate the heart. 'Another Darkside..?'

"Really? Who else has the keyblade?"

No introduction? 'Well hello to you too...' Fair enough, I turned pretending as if I didn't hear what she said as that arm was still hanging from the sky. The clouds were starting to circulate down from the arm and a thick fog bank was starting to fill the first district rapidly. The three of us were a decent space from each other, but this fog felt pretty abnormal. My first instinct was to use diem like a small flashlight, but the smoke and fire from the burning and now defeated, Demon Tower could be seen in the thick bank, but barely. I could hear it, the sounds of what rang through my ears of heartless coming out of tiny little portals as malevolent colored light purged through the fog.

Darkballs. The master said these pure-blood heartless only appear in instances of significantly weakened light on a world, so much to the point that even dark sides could be found along side them. Well, his early theory in a much older part of my life had liven up to the standards of his all knowing insight. I wasn't happy with this, three of us, all women, were we...? I was questionable of Try's Gender, but I can't think of a male that'd wear that kind of body suit. There was a tack, tapping as the sound of laughing from the dark balls as they hovered 5 feet above the ground and zipped in every which direction. This wasn't my ideal situation to be in, but I needed to come up with a plan, we all seemed to be doing our own thing, if it's going to be wave after wave like this, conserving energy as best we could seemed to be the answer.

"If you can hear me...Girl that just arrived. Whats your name?"

I inquired hearing the sounds of what was roughly balloons hitting each other relentlessly as they started to steadily get bigger.

'WHAT?? They couldn't do that before, what the fu-'


My natural pessimism kicked in, I feel like we didn't want to be in the square if we couldn't kill these things fast enough. Were they going to explode? That'd devastate the surrounding buildings, it couldn't be contained like the fire in a vertical motion. This was bad!

"SCREW IT. JUST KILL EVERY HEARTLESS YOU SEE! IF THOSE THINGS EXPLODE PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOSE THEIR HOMES!!!"

 

[Lumine]

The other side of the Door​

Waves crashed upon the beach.

Shiki stood on a shore of blackened sands, the ocean a vast and dark thing reflected in her eyes. The sky was an abyss without a single star to illuminate its gloom. So dark it was, that you couldn’t tell where the ocean ended and the sky began. But then there was that lonely moon, sitting serenely in the center, too grand for reality and too close to the foaming waves. Its pale beams shed a haunting clarity on the strange and bizarre rock formations scattered through the beach. Their shapes a hesitance between arches and large skeletons, or perhaps, a different tale entirely.

This place…

The Dark Margin always felt like a place that wasn’t supposed to be. A sanctuary in the depths of darkness, right next to your demons. Isolated and Secluded. Unchanging. A place where time ceased. Eternity in an hour and infinity in the palm of your hand.

"Why are you here Shiki?”

There at the edge of the shore stood a woman that drew every glow to her. Her back was to Shiki as she looked upon the endless ocean with a light so powerful and terrible in its brilliance. A willowy and violent thing. Her long hair swayed like a ghost in the mute breeze.

“There’s nothing left to talk about. You really should worry about yourself and how you've been falling apart since the master left us."

I know you…

She held two keyblades in her hands, and when she turned around, Shiki’s eyes widened in recognition. Her name was just on the tip of her tongue, so close she could almost pronounce it. But it was painfully out of reach. She was not an enemy. She was… a friend? Someone dear. She KNEW her.

You’re…

“Are you going to chain me up next?”

Wait, what?!

Shiki was taken aback. Did she just say Chain her up? Did I… chain her or someone else before? Why would I? That was not right. She would never use her resolve like that. Not on anyone, not anymore.

“Just like you did to him and left him to die!”

To die? She fell back a step. Did I...? No. No, I wouldn’t… I would never do something like that. Not to a friend. I wouldn’t do something like that anymore.

Would I?

Her face blanched with surprise and disbelief. But the other woman, her anger was pure and sincere, and her hurt too. She was holding her Keyblades now aggressively, her wrath directed at Shiki.

I couldn’t have… Something...Something is not right.

“Fuck you! If anything YOU'RE THE-” Shiki whipped her head up just in time.

She felt her body move, Memento mori clasped in her hand. But she wasn’t moving. She spoke, but it wasn’t she who was speaking. Her voice came but it wasn’t her now. Shiki saw herself and realized, that she wasn’t really there all along. This wasn’t now.

“…I’m sorry *****…”

She opened her eyes.

She was looking at the stone door, her hand still on its rough and cold surface. She was back at the chapel, wrapped about with the silence and serenity of the place. She never left it. This… This was just a memory.

Shiki stumbled back and away from the door, breathing hard. She caught herself at one of the chairs around the table, and sat down in a daze. Her mind a whirl of thoughts. She ran a hand through her hair, and leaned forward trying to still herself.

Was I the…?

She couldn’t erase the look of anger and accusation in the other woman’s face from her memory. This wasn’t a fabricated ruse. No. It was too real. Too solid. She was once there and this all actually happened. She took a deep breathe, and felt the weight of the world settle on her shoulders.

Was I the one who started all of this? Did I… let my darkness become me again?

She looked at her hands sitting in her lap. I Know I defeated this before, I thought I…

She closed her hands, sighing. What did she do? What has she done to arrive here?

Master, why did you think I was a worthy resolute…

“Ah, Shiki” ♪

She was bedridden. Bandages wrapped about her left elbow and right shoulder and her midriff. Her dark hair was much shorter then, and the world was a way better place too. She was perhaps 18 or 19 of age at the time.

“You worry too much.”

The Master was leaning against the window next to her bed, looking outside. The sun rays were bathing him and the room in warm golden light. There was a lovely breeze sliding through the tree leafs and flowers right outside her window, and birds were singing and chirping in the early morning. The room was very plain but clean. A bed, a desk and a washing basin. They were only ever here for a short span of time. If it weren’t for Shiki’s encounter with one of the possessed titans, they wouldn’t have even needed to be here.

“Give yourself some credit, Kid.”

She refused to look at him back then, instead, she was staring at the opposite wall.

“What good is light, if it can’t stop the darkness?” She almost yelled in frustration. She didn’t want kind words back then, she thought. She was not enough. Her control was too weak. She failed herself, she almost failed everyone.

He sighed and then sat on the edge of her bed, and inclined his head at her. She tried to look away, but his head would obstruct her view regardless.

“Grumpy in the morning, aren’t we?” He joked and flicked her on the forehead.

“It’s never about control.” He said in such a jolly tone, as she massaged her forehead. “You have more than enough of that.”
She opened her mouth to object but he waved her protest away before it came.

“There’s more to your light than you believe there is, Shiki.” His voice was sincere then. Serious, to Shiki’s astonishment.

“Your light is not here to vanquish darkness or seal away your demons or control your fears. It’s so much more than that.” He produced something in his closed fist, and with his other hand opened the palms of her hands.

“If only you have seen how I saw it,” He placed something warm and fuzzy there, “Then you’d know why I wouldn’t trust anyone else holding something as fragile as this.” Just then she heard the chirp coming from her palms. There fluttered a tiny blue bird. It was so small, and so weak and beautiful. It could live a simple and contented life if things like Shiki didn’t cross its path. It looked at her for a moment, all wonder and questioning, then it flew away out of the open window. She didn’t notice the tears on her cheeks until the Master patted her on the head.

I have to keep moving forward. She squared her shoulders, her eyes refocusing in quiet determination.

She knew what was at stake. And she also knew what the Master trusted her with. She understood what she is. What she might be. She was sure this wouldn’t be the first of things she’d discover about the previous three years. There might be even more bitter truths to encounter on her path, but whatever she did. Whatever she will do, it’s guided by her heart. By her own truths. Her resolve is in it. And that’s all she ever needed to know. There was no going back anyways.

She finished reading the letter Akiko gave her. But she was past the point of being surprised now. It detailed what happened on this world, and mentioned another fellow Resolute by the name of Reforge. The boy in the wanted posters? It also revealed a bit of the past years, but only ever to have her ask more questions than contemplate the answers given.

So we are all idiots after all. She almost smiled wryly at the idea, as she obliterated the letter with a quick burst of fire. It crumpled into ashes, and fell to the ground mingling with the dust.

She stood up then, and stretched her hand in front of her summoning Memento Mori and with it a small shower of black feathers and inklings of light. She knew where she had to go next. Well, it was the most likely place for her to find more answers. So she could reach the end and meet the Master again. She conjured a thin beam of light with a quick flourish from her blade that elongated and stretched into a glowing portal of luminance. Before it closed, she lightly stepped through it and walked into another world.

She was greeted by a long road that winded and twisted through the darkness of time, and at the middle of it, eclipsing the eyes, stood her destination. A large, mysterious castle.

 

[Deimos]

Sae's eyes were serene and full of calm. He let out a very slow sigh and his breath hit his shoulder, thats right the invisibles were sending their barrage. As if staring down the barrel, the orbs floated mere feet away from his face, moving somewhat paced and sped along. Clearing his mind, he started to hear that voice again.

See I've been caught in between two extremes
From the high to low, gotta hide from the light of day
Feeling like I might just float away
Can't say what's real anymore
Or what the hell I'm living for
But it sounds so sweet when you tell me that you love me;


​

The darkness amassed and hit like stones, his body was being pelted with hit after hit after hit after hit. His body was assessing the structure of the orbs, damaging him in order to assess the pain he was feeling. It was familiar, the seer of his flesh burned, leaving a wafting trail as his body was molding his heavily afflicted areas, oh they would rue the day.

"Hello darkness my old friend."

The sensation was perverse, his body was unbridled with a thick vapor of black and it hung off his body like an odor. It was thick, even he was unrecognizable with two amber orbs cutting through the black mesh. They moved on a prayer, their wings carried them quickly to close the gap between them and Saebyeolbe who was a pure statue at the moment. Twirling their broadswords, one by one out of the seven, they were laying slash after slash into the resolute.

Space in which I'm in erased can't travel
Watch the stitches of my life unravel
And I'm battling what does it matter
Silence in a world full of chatter
Yeah I'm having a real hard go of it
Who gives a shit well nobody
Might turn to dust, but I like what you do to me too much


​

This pain seemed all too familiar to him, they carved into his body, running multiple grooves all over, and drawing blood finally. Saebyeolbe's eyes widened when I felt the hot liquid linger from his skin and pushed out a shockwave of his own light to shatter the mesh of darkness veiled over top of him and to scramble the invisibles vicious assault. There was a smile on his face, it was his blood being drawn, excitement. His body was tensing up, it hurt so much, but his adrenaline was telling his brain a different story as he prepped his Alabaster to arm for a counter-attack.

See I've been stretched to the max
Pushed every limit can't be brought back
Innocence well I lost that, feeling good well I'm off that
So I revel in the pain
Chemicals inside my veins
And it sounds so sweet when you tell me that you love me;

​

The taste of blood of blood is what set it off. He brought himself up and he actually resolved himself to fight, he had to fight harder. That was his role wasn't it..? What does one do with all of this pain they've been carrying for such a very very long time. His entire body tensed and his teeth clenched, the invisibles were swarming, getting faster, feeling the welts of their swords and the release a loud shriek. As they came, he raised his Alabaster and started to deflect their incoming strikes from multiple peripherals, doing a graceful deflect game in a circle. His footwork, twirling as he slid around on the white surface, but still had yet to land a single blow. Saebyeolbe's body flickered from his induravique resolve and some of his scars were peeling sharply turning into small dagger-like knives as he tucked in preparing to jump.

"NO MORE GAMES!"

I'm a ghost, a flash, a pure apparition
And it goes so fast, sure that I'm missing
Any hope of the path that I wanna be following
Take a drink, keep swallowing
Take a pill, tip the bottle back
Go in for the kill and I'm automatically feeling fine
Let me step out of my mind

​

He spun on the ground and shook their swarm of blades. In the air, from on high he spun and released a trail of knives purged from the scars hitting in multiple directions, managing to catch all seven of them, while the others landed on the ground near them. Swinging his body in the opposite direction, his tailspin was broken and he opened his empty hand and purged a compressed ball of Firaga to instead shoot it behind himself to act as a propulsion. Saebyeolbe's downward momentum kicked up and he placed both hands on alabaster the resolute came with a thunderous boom crashing into the white surface. The Invisible were feeling that definitely, it should be noted he'd normally never fight like this, not like with the knight either. This place, even he noticed it....he was healing passively every couple of seconds or so, too much was going on to pin the timing, but he was getting some of his health and stamina back.

From what I can detect the mess that I've been left in
Heart soon arrested beating slowly
And I'm facing a wall full of questions
Demons in my chest I confess they own me
And if only I could just break this trend
I believe that I might be myself again
​

The knives made from his scars that were scattered, started to go off all at once, illuminating the area with the resolute's light. Disorienting the darkness of this area and the invisible along with it. Flipping his keyblade over, there was a subtle release much like earlier and Saebyeolbe did the same thing from when he arrived. As they were blinded, he shut his eyes during the open flash-bang and move swiftly, connecting a serious chain of powerful blows from a very aggressive fronted Alabaster. This time however, you could hear the dissolution of the Invisibles one after the other as the light was cleaning up what remained of their forms and eventually dropping what looked like a chest as the area dimmed back to it's normal shade...if you could even call the place normal to begin with.

"I don't see nothing wrong with feeling like I don't belong...Anywhere but here. What. Wait...what am I singing?"

Saebyeolbe cupped his mouth, there were words going through his head again. Certain audio paths seemed to form in there somewhere, and a woman's voice yet again. He shook his head, smacking his face before kneeling down to open the small chest and pulling the contents from it. A single potion. His look was long and cold as his smile was frozen in place, as if to say that seven invisibles were worth. A. Single. Potion. He could feel his body turning to stone, was this depression? He definitely felt heavier from this disappointing loot haul.

The ball of darkness in which he was trapped in finally dissolved down and he saw it. Taking everything in, it stirred even The Scarred a bit, this place...was destroyed. The buildings seemed to float on massive deposits of land, the actual castle itself was scattered and broken apart. The surface seemed like a bottomless pit, but when you tapped your foot, it trickled like water. He looked towards the broken castle, and up at the moon hanging in the sky that painted a most ethereal landscape he'd ever seen.

 

[Piercing Light]

Try watched the second person show up in front of her today that had a keyblade. An adept fighter, a survivor of whatever had befallen the worlds, the chances of her being a Resolute were high. So were the chances of her being incredibly rude. Honestly, she shows up, shows off, and doesn't even state her name. The sound of laughing Heartless caught her ears. Right, those things were maybe one reason not to introduce oneself. But that wasn't going to stop her. "Whoever you are, my name is Try, and I am a Resolute. Does that mean anything to you?"

Try turned her head towards Lucrecia as the girl yelled at her, something about protecting the houses from the Heartless. How many of these houses could even be called homes anyhow? There didn't seem to even be at least one hundred people in this town.

If things were this dire what was she fighting to protect, a future built on ashes? Good fertilizer for sure, but where was the light?

"Fine! But the housing market here is a little barren don't ya think?" Try sprinted up to one of the Darkballs and leapt up to it's level. She gripped her keyblade in both hands and slammed it into the Heartless with it's blunt side. Along with Echo to further drive it through the air it was sent straight into another Darkball, causing them both to crash away from the buildings. She then raised her keyblade in the air and called down a bolt of lightning to strike them both.

 

[Ðari]

Time had become hyperbolic, the dominion had been reigned under the resolute's heel. A formidable opponent, the very castle itself, but Zero would not be denied of any information that aligned with the role his master bestowed upon him. Peeling back everything he could find, pages, notes, books, journals, logs, anything and everything physical that wasn't removed or destroyed he spread himself apart in paradoxes and collected them all and returned to the hidden room with the chair mounted in the center.

Frozen in time.
​

He turned the page, multiple times.
​

His style was more methodical and slow. Accruing whatever it is that was available about this place. It took an incredible amount of power from his resolve to time travel over large gaps of time without a waypoint, and even still he'd save that for later. There were still many things it appeared he had to relearn, to re-remember, and it all began in these halls that kept secrets from the world for far too long. Stopping a harrowed end, could it even be done..? How? Valid questions that popped up in his mind over and over again.

"This research...clones..? Likeness to the superior? Witch of memories...vessel...XIVth...Darknesss in Zero" he spoke in between each line. Small clocks seemed to form inside of his pupils and he was quite literally, speed reading through all of the material at 800 words per minute, and even that was considered modestly slow for him.

A slam was heard and added to the table, what felt like a small pile of books and papers. There was nothing here from recent...did the castle know he was coming here? That others would come here? The dates on these entries are from even before he was born, he couldn't find anything about harrowed ends, and these phenomenon had to date back even further than this. It then occurred to him, he could travel to the past, but the answer lies in the present. The master's set of instructions did briefly mention this place, perhaps he was missing something from Castle Oblivion?

He needed to dive deeper.

​

To know all of Castle Oblivion's Secrets.

​

This. It left him with one final option. With a spin of his heels, his black robe flit over to his right and he started towards the chair before he froze and his senses beget him. Sitting in the chair, yet another illusion of this place, arms crossed looking rather cross, hooded as well.

"You're really determined, aren't you? Someone else is here, do you know them?"

He froze for a moment, and stared at the illusion before it disappeared round the other side. There was another person here it said, so the chances are someone would make contact with him. Zero knew himself as more of the lone with limited attachments, this could quite possibly problematic for him. Averting his eyes from the throne, he left a marker to the right of it in the event he ever needed to respawn in this room and left it to secrecy. As for who this person was, he'd meet them on the ground floor staring at the front door.

 

[purgatory]

My panic was increasing, and my stagnation was rapidly starting to wane away. The memories that I had, sure I couldn't remember the past couple of years, but the master was a major influence in my past. I wanted so badly in my earlier years to be a good leader type. Qualities of a leader, my attitude, not the most ideal and there qualities I lacked sure, but I feel like I was missing something because even I couldn't explain how my body was starting react in the heat of things. These are mannerisms and likeness that even I could not explain, so someone else inspired me.

I fought this memory in my head for dear life, as the master left me with a gem in my mind to reflect on in this new world.

Oh, and Recia. Remember this, because you'll forget it. "You're the best. Thats why I have to defeat you." some cute things you like to live by, I'm sure the version of you that remembers this, will find it useful in times of crisis.

My hands were violently shaking and my light exploded. This world, this darkness that encroached on everything that this town stood for. I smacked my face, Try was clearly on board with the idea I pitched and my heart was all in. That was my resolve wasn't it? We're pillars to give whats left of this world a chance, while she'd been right maybe if we could do something it'd bring something more back to this town.

"Then we'll keep trying, until something changes, thats what a resolute does!"

I confirmed it, I was a Resolute.

My body just moved and kicked into a really fast sprint I brought my diem down and watched it spike slam into noctem. The pressure pulsed, this was the area of effect of my resolve.

"Diem et Noctem." I uttered, a my range of thirty meters allowed me to tag all of the dark balls in the area.

A smaller black orb floated over each one of them. I could move substantially faster with these temporary state of empowerment, it might night seem like much but multiplying my full speed times four, thats a 400% increase if you really did the math. If what the master said was right, then there was someone I must've really looked up to, and even though I've forgotten them, they'd motivate me well into the current state of the world.

I was a zig-zag whipping through the heartless hitting them with every thing I had. I didn't even realize it, but a second keyblade appeared in my empty hand that didn't exist before then. I was so exhilarated I didn't ask the question, I just used it to follow up hitting these heartless with everything I had. The result was dramatically different from hitting with just one. I didn't stop attacking a single target until it was a splatter of black ink and mesh before attacking the next dark ball. I made that mental note from before I lost control, this darkness was already enough of a problem, and more of them just kept spawning in, but I just would not stop fighting.

I didn't care how hopeless the situation seemed, this was what I was entrusted with, so my desire to survive resolved greater than the role of protecting the lingering remnants overcame me. Fighting back, my key blades where whirring while in my hands, there was a faint sound that dangled in my brain. "Chains" it sounded so familiar, and for split second it shocked me, as a dark ball head butted me full on and I lost all of my momentum getting launched directly into Try with a heavy impact.

"Shit! Sorry Try!"

 

[Lumine]

She walked the long road, her coat flapping behind her in the desolate winds. Castle Oblivion loomed at the end of it, like a hulking giant. A mass of bizarre contraptions and sense defying architecture, a twisted remnant of perhaps a once finer place. It was a constant enigma, a maze of old knowledge. The more you knew, the more you realized you did not know enough. Shiki was often intrigued by the place, but never too fond of spending much of her time within its walls. It felt like an elaborately designed trap, one where the glamor of the secrets the castle enticed you with would draw you further in its depths till you have lost track of time, purpose and finally yourself. It’s not wise to step within this place if you don’t seek the secrets you’re after with a clear and unwavering purpose. Never to venture past what you need. To want, is to condemn yourself to the spell of this Castle.

What happened in the last 3 years?

The contents of the letter troubled her. Greatly. More than anything, she didn’t understand why she wouldn’t remember. The Master knew she wouldn’t remember those years, he had told her so in their last conversation. And the letter said it was because of who she became in those 3 years. Well, what did she become? And why wasn’t she allowed to remember it. She had her own ideas, but they were all theories, and the question irked her. She wouldn’t allow herself any doubt though, not in herself. Never in the Master. So it had to be something else. He mentioned 10 other Resolutes. Did they too not remember?

I need more answers.

♪

She arrived at the door of the castle, and immediately sensed the Castle’s familiar overbearing and intrusive aura enveloping her. It was trying to protect its secrets and did so by inviting its visitors to search for them within, sending them into endless circles and mazes of their own unconscious creation. A fruitless, unending search. You either arrived at what you’ve been looking for, if you haven’t lost sight of it, or you’re left stuck there, perhaps forever. Unless you knew what you were doing.

She pushed the door open and walked in. Everything was all in white. The walls, the stairs, the floors and even the lights. Shiki stood out starkly against it with her black attire. She stood for a moment taking it all in till she heard the door close behind her. The castle consisted of similar halls, and chambers in the same white fashion. Each one looked so much like the other, you’d start to wonder if you’re going in circles or lost your way, but it was part of the spell of this place. Shiki knew the castle’s layout enough to not worry about that. She reached the other door at the end of the entrance, and raised her hand to push it open, when she sensed someone behind her. If this was one of the Castle’s tricks, she wasn’t going to let it take from her time. She didn’t have much of it.

“And you are?” She half turned around, raising her eyebrows in casual questioning.

 

[Story Keeper]

~- No Escaping -~

Jay knew that she was being rude, so she did deserve the reactions she got from the other two girls. She made a committal noise in her throat, agreeing to the unarmored one's command. She rolled out of the way of a dark ball, her eyes narrowing in answer. She called both of her keyblades, quickly slashing at the creature in an X formation, she pushed the phantom conversation with the Master to the back of her mind, she could focus on it later. Right now she had a task to do. Help the other Resolute.

Remembering Try's question to her, Jay moved closer and answered back, "Hai, so desu. Oname wa Jay desu." (yes, that's correct. My name is Jay.)

The stress of the situation made her slide into Japanese, something that felt right but she couldn't remember why. She danced out of the way of the dark ball that rushed her and Try, and right into the path of another one. It bowled into her, knocking Jay to the ground and injuring her right shoulder. Jay dismissed the keyblades and shifted her form, taking on the form of a wolf. A low snarl escaping her, she lunged at the ball of dark energy, pouncing on it she bit down hard which led to it howling in rage.

Jumping away, Jay swiped at it with her paw as her instincts tried to take over. She caught a glimpse of the other one being sent flying into Try, shooting the girl a look she snarled, "Chubukai desu!" (Careful!)

She knew it was stupid, that it wasn't technically the other girl's fault, but still she couldn't help the knee jerk reaction. The sound of teeth clicking together alerted Jay to another heartless, dashing away she ran and forced the dark ball to give chase. Approaching the wall, she slammed on the brakes and hunkered low to the ground, making the dark ball go soaring over her body as it slammed into the wall. She watched it burst into shadows, dissolving and releasing the heart it held. She knew though that there wasn't time to rest, there was still more to end.

Turning around, she faced the five dark balls that followed her. Sizing them up, she spoke coolly, "Kosaten." (crossroads)

Her resolve triggered, Jay moved from her wolf form into the form of a white tigress. She started clawing and biting all heartless that got too close to her, only to shift back to her human form a moment later. Dark Paradise and Redemption were clenched in her hands, and she lashed out at them, keeping an eye on Try and the other girl to see how they were fairing.

 

[Ðari]

The limits simply existed.

The Lines in between blurred.
​

They'd arrived.


​

He was in an accelerated mode just out of reach. These two were along the same time line but currently occupied different lanes in which that time flowed. Zero was curious now, this wasn't an illusion, illusions couldn't open the front door, but they could open every other door but that one. His eyes sharpened, he leaned against the wall next to the pillar out of line of sight. More intruders, to them he may as well be another illusion in this place of old, and that deceit is what he would lead on.

Closing his eyes shut, he rejoined the intruder on the same flow of time and his presence, once erased, became known. Who are you is the question on the other's mind right now, but information was precious, trust was not resolute, and neither were in his playbook. He stood there for a moment, quiet, too absorbed in a woman's voice, it almost sounded lifeless to him. Perhaps the slow of time had gotten to rotting his brain? He'd never be sure, but he was sure of this, once he saw her face the game of who are you became even more interesting.

“And you are?”

Curse the master for this torture.
​

Thoroughly enjoyable, masochistic, torture.
​

Come now. I know this might be cheating a bit, but I want you to be the only one to see this, it's a secret so even if you forget don't tell anyone! Got it? Alright, Wa-La! Pictures, a mugshot of everyone, even yours truly, though we look rather handsome in our hoods you know!

Master...how will this help me..you don't have pictures without--"

And he flipped each one over.

I know you, but I don't remember you, who...are you...?

It'd feel rather half hearted if he didn't reply and say nothing at all. Actions and movement gave him more substance than simply speaking, and thus he chose to act. Pushing from the wall he faded right in front of her, and as if he were ghost walking, brushed past with a tap on her shoulder and whispered closely.

"Tell me more about your past. The person you've always been.." he whispered, his touch firm and alarming, yet light, weightless and gone before long.

When next he was spotted, sitting on the steps leading through the next door. Nimble was not the word, but this navigator was intimate with movement and motion in tow. Raising his head and lifting but a single finger, a swirling mesh pooled into existence on the very floor of castle oblivion's red carpet. A portal of darkness, one not yet realized or felt in many years. As he sat on the steps, he pointed towards the portal and like before when he faded, he became visibly untraceably again as he moved away. Leaving the woman to her own devices, and to the portal to which he'd undoubtedly be on the other side of.

The courtyard was massive. The largest space of the entire building it felt like, and inquisitor like that doesn't just walk away. Information was to be guarded jealously, but through other means, he'd learn more about who this person was. You couldn't see it, but there was a remorseful softness hidden behind his time globed eyes. The price you pay for a history you may very well have been better off forgetting, but he needed to persist. She could be a clue, and he'd trust his instincts for now and reserve himself accordingly.

"I need to know."

 

[Deimos]

There was a subtle and quiet nod, Sae tread along the trickling purple surface that split like ripples as if he were walking on water. The sky was dark, purple, and the orbs the size of two story buildings conditioned themselves to fall. Here the air was thick, and larger spaces in between breathes were necessary to sustain oneself. The plopping of his steps, the sound beat off the surface as he headed towards the castle.

"This harrowed end. It's desolate and filled with nothing but darkness."

He stared into the distance, and held himself steady. That was just one of several possible scenarios he could encounter. For a resolute, he was strong, he was brave, and above all quite powerful. Yet these were things he did not worry nor care for, to him he needed to know his suffering would matter. He'd woken up to the worlds being imbalanced beyond measure and places like this harrowed end had to tell a secret or two.

"Master...I truly do miss your light-hearted seriousness, you were a paragon above others."

Saebyeolbe's heart ached, a sense of longing seemed to fill him. This kind of pain, was not able to be numbed by shock absorption, the woes of the heart. It even was a pain, that delved into things unseen, such as love. Who did he love? That void, heartbreak, it tolled like a bell inside his chest and he clutched it briefly. Like an obsession, this pain grew and it had it's afflictions that were well beyond his control.

"Theres eleven other resolutes, maybe one of them...can tell me something I don't know. I doubt i'll find them on this world."

There was a slight change in the wind. His ears flickered, and he could taste it, a powerful darkness that was utterly foul. A feral shriek echoed across the harrowed end, and the snapping of teeth. Running across the purple ocean, was a heartless on all fours. Saebyeolbe ducked hiding behind a rock. The heartless was galloping his way and started to pace itself and slow down, as it approached, closer and closer.

GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!

It roared nearly splitting the resolute's eardrums as he cupped them both. Holding his breath, he didn't breathe, he didn't make a sound as the heat dripping off the heartless breathe was felt from a few feet away. It stepped actively around, but didn't visibly see anything suspicious before galloping even further away in the opposite direction from whence it came. Sae looking in the same direction allowed for a decent amount of time to pass after the heartless fled and it was safe to move. Truthfully, he'd been fighter for longer periods of time than he'd like, and giving his body a chance to physically recover was what he really could use.

He rested his head against the rock and slumped all the way down until his rear end was planted. As pants escaped his breath, he breathed a bit easier in relief. There was still more to do, but for now he'd just focus on recovering a bit.

 

[Piercing Light]

Lucrecia slammed into Try, though the result was akin to a bag of chicken nuggets being flung into a stone pillar. Try lifted the girl to her feet with her right hand as if she were a newborn kitten. "You declare yourself a resolute and the next thing you do is leap for a maiden's arms?" Try teased. She switched her gaze to the other girl, who had responded to her in Japanese. She hardly understood the language, but something inside her reacted to the name Jay. "Jay... Got it." Try nodded her head and turned her attention back to the mob of Darkballs. The names Lucrecia and Jay registered in her mind as if they'd always been there, not only that but these two didn't completely feel like strangers. How annoying.

A Darkball flew straight for Try's face, she stepped forward and met it halfway. "Let's see how you like it!" she lunged her head forward, giving the heartless a devastating headbutt. As the creature was sent flailing backwards Try shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "I don't see any end to this, you two, you wouldn't happen to know where the door to the heart of this world is, would you?" Try asked as she kept her armored visage faced towards the enemy.

 

[purgatory]

[No 1 shots from anyone from here on out, here's where it really gets difficult]

~~~

​

This was only going to get worse. Try helped her up, and from what my ears could relay the other woman that had arrived had spoken in a completely different language i was not at all familiar with. I heard the name "Jay" somewhere in the wall of dialogue, and thought to myself, Jay? Is that your name..?​ Her retaliation was stronger than even I expected, the headbutt she inflicted on the darkball that knocked me into her was more than even I felt it deserved. I shook my head, and recentered my focus.

This wasn't going to stop. I rolled my head around in thought at what we could do, before long my diem et noctem timer ran out and my right hand was empty again. I dropped a pant from the brief collective of fatigue, but the darkballs started to spawn aggressively. Cutting my eyes over at the other woman she was fairing pretty well she had an unusual and that was putting it lightly, style. I could hardly give it my full attenion as I was waist deep in this tango with the darkballs I was now fighting with just my Lucient keyblade.

The light was strong, but this veil of darkness didn't seem to have an end to it.

"I don't see any end to this, you two, you wouldn't happen to know where the door to the heart of this world is, would you?"

My first thought was stunted by this announcement. I immediately turned to the door leading to the second district. How did this not even cross my mind?? Breaking into a sprint, I hiked the wall, near he accessory shop and shot straight through to the doors. With my open hand I pushed and instantly felt the sensation of a foul darkness past it. Mind you, I was trudging through darkness as the mist was still surrounding us, my Diem was my lantern guiding me through it. Under normal circumstances I would just use my keyblade to unlock the door, but I didn't have that kind of time right now. My diem and noctem expanded in size and I used both of them as a climbing stairway to surmount the wall and flipped over the wall of the town.

"No way..."

On my way down it felt like I was falling slow motion. The pressure of this part of the town was different, right away I saw three darksides huddled around in the pit area around the fountain. This was the next real surprise to me, one of them spotted me falling at the speed of a leaf and as if the effect of the atmosphere assisted it, it moved much MUCH faster than you'd expect. Going so far as to jump in my direct trajectory and with an open hand, clutched and gripped me firmly in it's hand and slowly brought me to it's face as it came crashing down with a not so graceful landing.

My fidgeting was even slowed, what the hell was going on in this part of town. I looked around and sure enough I spotted a 4th darkside, holding what looked like a diluted purple and pink orb in it's hands that was pumping out a kind of mist into the atmosphere. It was drastically having adverse effects on the gravity and movement of those there weren't of the darkness it seemed if it was enabling the much larger heartless to move as freely as they were. Clutching my fist, I had to think of a way to well, number one, get out of it's grip, and two, how I could beat these movement debuffs, even if temporarily.

Only one thing came to mind and I figured I'd give it at try at least.

"Reflect."

The crackling and building of what looked like a patterned barrier was cast around me, and it was expanding to meet it's usual radius, which forced the darkside's hand to open against it's will. It's natural grip, squeezed, causing it to bounce back and the shells explodeded until it released me from it's grip. I braced to my light, and brought Diem into my body this time. I felt it immediately, I was falling at normal speed and could move just fine in this veil of darkness much different from the light-refracting fog. When I touched the ground I immediately jumped, narrowly escaping getting crushed by the darkside's punch, but it didn't stop there. I darted to the right side closer to where the building narrowed into the small alley and it's massive body was too large to fit inbetween the gap that formed an L shape.

Looking past it the two other darksides that were on the ground were still immobile and staring at the fountain. They seemed clueless on bringing out the keyhole, to be honest, I didn't have the slightest clue myself. But if the landscape got any darker, I feel like in theory it'd reveal itself as a last ditch effort abolish the encroaching darkness. As I prepared to move, lesser shadow and neo shadows started to spawn in the alleyway and the darkside was acting as a gatekeeper to keep me from leaving. I'll admit, normally this wouldn't be an issue, but in this tiny space I had to move around it, getting ambushed here wasn't ideal.

"Damnit, no where to go, and this is a pinch attack, I'm gonna get overwhelmed here...come on, think."

Diem was my rock, but I needed to use it from within myself to enable my own movement in this thick veil of darkness. Seemed like using our resolves in the most literal sense was the most effective answer that I could come up with. Turning my head, they were behind, they were in front, and they were getting closer. I jumped and hiked the wall, but the neoshadows followed, as the shadows looked on menacingly from the ground. I wasn't physically strong like Try, so they were on me before I even got half way up the side of the alley wall, hitting my legs forcing me to jab my Lucient into the wall and swing onto the grip and plant a foot onto the steel. I jumped towards the roof's edge, sliding down the tile and gripping onto the gutter's drain pipe. Again, not very physically strong, so I held for dear life, summoning Noct under my foot to push me up.

The neo shadows acrobatics weren't just for show, they climbed the building much faster than me and proceeded to knock me off back into the alley, I released diem to allow myself to get caught in the dark veil to fall slower so I didn't break my damn neck and give me a moment to think.

"What am I even doing man...this is pathetic!"

Noctem was resonating with a dark vibe from the surrounding area and this time it entered my body vs. Diem this time, which grew in size and hovered under me allowing me to sit on it above. I felt a weird pulse, and everything started to get faster, as I sat there, releasing in a fashion, a very similar light that the rooftop darkside was producing.

Ching...Ching...


There it was again, inside my mind, the sound of chains. What the hell was that sound, but I was starting to feel something familiar thanks to the distress, using noctem inducted into my body gave me the tamest applications to dabble inside of tainted light. My hair started to change briefly to periwinkle and the faintest of indigos. I wagged my finger at the neoshadows climbing the wall and the all fell upon at once whilst I allowed Diem to float to the side quickly watching them jump directly towards the ground and hit the surface with a dark splatter, going under the surface.

"If you can hear me Try, get the darkside on the roof, I'm kind of trapped in this alleyway right now..."

 

[Vibrant Fervor]

Traverse Town: Infestation

A large door opens at the entrance of town as Iontis steps in wearing his keyblade armor. Despite the threat of heartless in this world, the town is very lively. He takes a look around the plaza to see crates on crates of festival decorations and props. Iontis notices fliers posted all over the place for an upcoming festival going on around the town. The fliers read that the festival should have already started but it seems to have been postponed. Another bulletin board flier mentioned an infestation of dark creatures in other areas of the town are preventing the festival from occurring.

Further investigations by Iontis reveal that all the residents have been relocated to this area, known as the First District, for the time being. Iontis takes note of all the tents and shelters dotted all over the district. There are even medical centers and soup kitchens being ran out of local businesses. The plaza is currently over populated and there is hardly room to transverse around. The doors to both the Second and Third Districts are blocked off by the town guards. When he attempts to enter the 2nd District, he is stopped and questioned by some of the guards.

"Excuse me sir, but what business do you have here? The Second and Third Districts are off-limits indefinitely until further notice. Please stand aside!" Iontis presses up against the guard and says "Back off and let me through. I saw the notices and I have the means of taking care of your infestation. Is there anyone who I can talk to and let me in?" The guards look at each other as three knights appear behind Iontis. One of them asks "Is there a problem here?" The guards stands at attention and reports "Sir Maximes, this man wishes to enter the Second District to take care of the creatures lurking there."

Maximes looks at Iontis for a moment and scratches his head. He talks to the other two knights with him and he greets Iontis. "Well met, allow us to introduce ourselves. I am Maximes Rosendor and these are my siblings, Optimay Rosendor and Netimen Rosendor. We are in charge of the town guards. Who might you be?" Iontis sighes for a moment and remember the Master telling him to play nice and help out. He also notices the knights mention their surnames. He doesn't remember if he had one. He looks at Maximes and sighs "All I remember is my name is Iontis. That's enough small talk, I want to help deal with your heartless problem."

The knights nod at each other and agree to let Iontis through. "You look capable but we want to go with you. We could use as much help as possible. You know what those creatures are? Can you share what you know to assist us in the future? Iontis thinks back and reminded himself that he put off coming here for a time because he dreaded the fact that he would need to humble himself down when the time came and that time is now. "Fine but take notes because I not in the business of repeating myself".

 

[Piercing Light]

A voice called out for Try to handle the Darkside, but it wasn't clear if the woman had heard it at all. She was too busy killing. Her keyblade cleaved through the lesser Heartless like a red hot knife through the flesh of a pig. One would typically slow down over time as they continued fighting, but as she engrossed herself in combat Try felt herself ever more invigorated. "HAHAHHA!! HOW NOSTALGIC!" She cried out. Her body felt as if it had stepped into it's home after years away, while her mind was left confused in the rain.

Even as the Heartless became more durable and she took the fight across the door she fought with the same ferocity. Multiple Darkballs slammed into her from behind, causing her to violently tumble across the ground before she finally stopped by crashing into a car. She quickly yanked herself from the car, jagged metal slicing into her abdomen and glass sliding off of her. Her body suit was torn open, revealing a part of what appeared to be a scar caused by a large sharp object.

The bodysuit began repairing it's self, one of the perks of an outfit made with magic. It would likely help staunch the flow of blood from her wound as well. She'd been knocked pretty far, so far that she'd been flung into the low gravity zone without realizing it. A clever trick, but for her it was nothing more than a nuisance.

Try looked up to one of the rooftops, the words that had been spoken to her just now making sense. She had to tear that Darkside apart. She jumped upwards towards the building, she then pointed her keyblade to the ground and cast a fire spell. It acted as propulsion in the low gravity, causing her to fly towards the Darkside. She used Echo on the magic, resulting in her boosting aven faster towards it. Gripping her keyblade in two hands she reared back and swung at it's head with all her might and speed behind it.

 

[Vibrant Fervor]

Before Iontis knew what hit him, he feels intense pressure on his back. The area turns dark and foggy as he hears the words "Wake up Wake up! Hey! WAKE UP!" Iontis suddenly wakes up on the ground of an accessory shop to three people surrounding him looking very concerned. The walls are littered with cabinets full of rings, necklaces and earrings of all various size, shape, and colors. One of the people speaks up "Excuse, but are you alright?" Iontis stands up and tells them what he remembers. "Umm... hate to tell you this but none of that took place. What I gathered is that you entered the plaza and got ambushed from behind by a bunch of those dark ball creatures and they exploded together, causing you to blast through the door as we were on lookout. Fortunately, you weren't hurt nor was the door damaged on impact. We reclosed it before any of those creatures could make their way in. Anywho, I am Maximes and these are my siblings Optimay and Netimen."

Iontis rubs his back and thanks himself that he had his armor on or else things would probably had gone sour. "I am Iontis… uh thanks for looking after me. Are you three the one ones left?" Optimay speaks up and says "Well, besides us three and you, there are four other residents upstairs. Our population was at one point much larger than this. However, those dark creatures outside invaded the town and turned everyone into more of themselves. Us seven were able to escape and take refuge here. I'm not sure how much longer we can survive like this. Some of us have to every so often venture outside to grab rations from the restaurant next door. It is dangerous but we must do it to survive this seeming post-apocoliptic world."

Netimen snaps his fingers and says" Um... I just remembered something. There were three other people that came into town eariler. While I was out looking for rations, I spotted three people heading into the Second District. They were wielding strange key swords like the one you have there in your hand. They were too occupied to see me or for me to reach out to them. Its been awhile since I last seen them. I hope nothing happened to them. The Second District where most of the townspeople were turned into the dark creatures." Iontis ponders for a moment" Sigh, to think I would be meeting so many Resolutes so soon. I suppose it was an enviabilty." Iontis asks "Is there a short cut getting into this Second District?" Netimen points up the ladder "Well, if you go up the ladder and out the door, the entrance to the Second District is there. We can provide you cover as you make your way to the entrance"

Iontis nods and everyone makes their way up the ladder. He steps out of the door and three siblings ready their weapons for any creatures that try to attack Iontis. He dashes for the door as Optimay fires some arrows at some dark balls, Netimen throws his boomerang at some shadow heartless and Maximes slices some neoshadows. Iontis enters the Second District to see two Dark Sides standing dumbfounded by a large fountain and a Darkside on the roof. He notices someone trying to get to roof one as it seems to be hindering movement in the area. He doesn't want to bother with the ones on the ground as that is too much to face them both alone. Iontis says "Bahamut Arc, give me strength!" He summons Bahamut Arc and it transforms into a dragon shaped glider and he flies up toward the Darkside on the roof. His movement is slow but he makes it up. Jumps down on the roof and changes keyblade to a homing disk "Scale Roller!" The disk flies toward the Dark Side and splits off into two to attack both arms in an effort to force the creature to drop the debuff.

 

[Lumine]

Shiki turned around.

A dark hooded stranger stood at the other end of the white entrance, silent and pondering. And in the distance between them, her question hung unanswered. A moment long enough to portray his hesitation or surprise.

What does the Castle want N-

Her coat rustled. A sudden breeze swept through her dark hair. There was a light tap on her shoulder. Her blue irises went wide.

“Tell me more about your past.”

Every muscle in her body tightened like a spring. He had just vanished and reappeared mid walk in front of her eyes, like the space between them had shrunk in a heartbeat.

“The person you've always been.. ”

She let go of her breathe. Forced her fingers to unclench and relax. She had just barely reigned them from cutting him down. She didn’t sense ill intent to his gesture, alarming as it may be.

This has nothing to do with speed. Her gaze followed the trajectory of his walk as he vanished once more and reappeared again seated on the steps in front of her.

Who the hell are you?

She didn’t realize that every sense in her was wide awake… and so very still. Shiki felt every motion and sound abandon her, and in the space they fled, the castle’s heartbeat thudded. The terrible weight of its memories, the potency of its intent, the sway of its captivating spell; they all rushed through her like a river undammed. Her senses expanded beyond the enticing whispers, past the secretive calls, and into the cracks of a heartbeat, eclipsing the moments betwixt a single breathe. The world livened and crystallized as Shiki’s presence quieted and stilled.

“My Past?” Her brows furrowed. What does he want with my past?

The stranger lifted but a finger and a dark portal swirled into existence behind her. He gestured for her to follow him into it and vanished again off the steps. She eyed the portal with suspicion. She might have expected trickery from the castle. Ploys to sway her or knock her off her path. But this… This was too weird. She could just ignore it and move on, search the castle and seek the truths. This too might be a ruse to waste her time. But…

He might know something.

There was a possibility in that and Shiki wasn’t willing to throw away the chance.

______________________________________________________________________________________


The Courtyard​

She walked out of the dark portal and into the expanse of the ruined courtyard.

Sure enough the hooded stranger was waiting there. All patience and questions. Shiki wasn’t sure why he wanted to learn about her or her past. She’d gather he wanted to know her present intent or her future quest, but the past… well, she had nothing to hide in it. She was long past hiding. She wasn’t going to deny him the knowledge though, if he was willing to share what he knows. There never was a place for trust in this endeavor.

“Why my past?” she drew nearer.

“I need to know.”

“Do you?”

Her boots came to a halt right in front of him. There was a ghost of a daring smile on her lips as she reached out her right hand invitingly. The quality of the air surrounding her changed. It became denser, darker. The lights surrounding them suddenly seemed to wane, whispers emanated from everywhere around them and an ethereal dark blue mist spilled around her figure like threads of silk flowing under water. It billowed softly and surged as if it were an ocean wave about to engulf the both of them.

"You might want to reconsider."​

 

[Ðari]

Incoming understatement of the day.

"You might want to reconsider."


​

And there it was.

​

Here they were, and as he retreated into his mind where he had quite literally infinite time to consider his decision, he decided to abandon that idea. Why the hell not, there was no better time than today to "carpe diem". Even in the dimly lit surrounding, he male looked down at the hand extended up to him mirrored his hand.

"Oh. Excuse me."

He said briefly, before he removed his glove and then firmly clasped her hand.

"Ladies first."

There was an old saying that wrang through his mind that the master used to say all the time when he was much younger. "May your heart be your guiding key." he said he would say this very thing to a much, much older group of people and he reflected on times of missing them. Effectively telling Eth that maybe letting his heart decide at times, would be the best decision. It had to be ignored in this instance, he was untouchable remember? Every instinct, every fiber of his being he was always in complete control of at all times. Outside forces, friendlies, hostiles, this was irrelevant as in his mind and at his core, need his say to do anything with regards to him.

A nearly impossible happening, but when the worlds are verging extinction, the impossible is going to happen in frequency.

His patience toiled and he waited.

​

And he waited, as the room grew darker.​

 

[Deimos]

Mortality was the beating drum that kept The Morning Star Rain afloat. Releasing his breath, his pant dry and with a sense of relief that was much needed. He sank to the floor slowly with his back against the rock and suppressing any extrapolating light his presence or even resolve would've given off. Eyes motioning from left to right, the thunderous clouds of darkened purple, and the crack of lightning that split through the sky. Even the smell, Hollow Bastion exhausted a foul and toxic atmosphere even the strongest of the strong would struggle to endure without the proper toolkit with them.

Rolling his eyes, the resolute was staring at his hands. Many scars and welts located on his palms interior grasp and the anterior of his hand. His body tensed, convulsed, and shook with bit of recoil for this body's limits. This was concrete for him, knowing he needed to stop and thus he did. Relaxing his muscles, mind you, he was still not used to the current state of his body, in fact his experience was largely brisk and feeling the ambience of his surroundings with his bare skin. He tucked the cloak he'd been given by the armored knight closer to him to guard him from the elements. The armor he wore from earlier was temporary with his keyblade's vehicle summon, beyond that he was largely nude. Couldn't explain it, he woke up relatively nude and muscular with holes in his memory.

Its funny thinking about these things in hindsight. The master's taunting message, when did it happen? Saebyeolbe closed his eyes and let his head sink into the rock as he just allow himself to drift. Sinking into the first darkness he'd submitted himself to outside of the harrowed ends...

Sleep.

The warrior was weary, the pains of the knight and invisibles onslaught were felt and crossed his dreamscape in remembrance. The patterns of beading breathes taken were light, unconscious, and slipping him into his most vulnerable state necessary for his resolve to take effect. Passive, not as bright or flashy, but his muscle were starting to repair themselves and release the tension the nerves in certain areas that sustained bursts of impact. His light breathes weren't quite snores, but he'd be down for some time slipped in between a patch of rocks out of even the sharpest set of eyes, sleeping soundly.

 

[King Naruto]

A thumping sound echoed loudly, pumping and pulsating throughout the head of the monster. He laid upon the street, enclosed within a small circle that three houses overlooked. The sound of his heart pumping louder and louder. It was as though his body was awakening from a long slumber; awakening from a long needed rest. Unfortunately this was no rest for the monster known as the Savage. He was face down in the black concrete, body limp like a vegetable. Black concrete burning and smoldering from the sun's influence. He could feel every bit of it and his mind began to slowly come back to him.


"Excuse me, sir." A voice rang out near him and he felt a hand touch his shoulder.


"My name is Yamato." The Savage spoke, his raising up slowly, grabbing the man's hand that had spoke to him. The trees began to warp around them, houses folding inward, the air turning cold as winter, and even the man's arm started to bend into an inhumanly shape. The man cried out in horror from what he was seeing, then suddenly it all stopped. It was only a moment but it all stopped in that moment. The man stepped back, eyes widening in horror as he saw who it was. Those were the eyes of someone that saw a ghost. Fear bleeding out like an open wound. Yamato could only stare with the coldest gaze.

"Komaeda." Yamato spoke with anger in his voice. He could remember his master's former words but he couldn't make out what they meant. Why would Komaeda be important? Why was supposed to find him? Maybe it was to consume him, an idea that Yamato was thinking about everything he saw including the man before him. Just then something caught his attention. He reached up to touch his neck, feeling the choker that was situated upon his neck. He knew not why it was there but it was of no concern for the moment. For now he needed to consume something. The special distortion formed again, the man had no time to react before his body was engulfed. A disgusting display in front of the entire street as the man's body began to dissolve and all that could be heard was his desperate scream for help.