In a cataclysm known as the Nightfall, the worlds were almost completely destroyed by a harrowing surge of darkness.
In the shadows of the ensuing chaos a new group has taken shape. Led by an Aegyl named Kalos, the 11th Hour touts an esoteric knowledge of how to combat the darkness and restore the worlds. They might be the worlds’ best chance at survival; but nobody really knows enough about them to confirm or deny their claims.
On the brink of collapse, the universe holds its breath in anticipation. Of restoration? Of destruction? It is up to individuals like yourself to decide.
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There aren't enough praises in the world I'd like to give to wonderful coders for the Proboards community. The following have contributed to World Destiny in some way: W3 Schools for countless how-tos and countless of other souls who have helped get WD up to where it is.
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(Warg post is warg. First post in a long while. Things'll improve once I get back in the swing. Dx)
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He looked like some exotic plant taken out of its environment, dressed in deep violet and bent over the inn table, face turned down towards his cup of tea. The liquid in the cup swilled around languidly, following his finger that hovered an inch above the rim. The scent coming from the brew was about the only thing keeping his eyes open, calming his frazzled nerves and exhausted form.
Malakai was use to having off days – getting attacked by Heartless, making acquaintances only to be forgotten by them soon after – but more or less he came out of each encounter perfectly fine, spirit unabashed and body unharmed. Today, however, he felt like crap… mostly on account of the cold.
His last encounter with the Heartless was a desperate one and eventually he had to call upon his element-bending powers to end it. The result of doing so, however, ended the battle with him being more or less completely soaked. Combine that outcome and the chilly night air… well… in the few days following, Malakai found himself as sick as a dog.
He sneezed violently into the sleeve of his coat.
It was an unwelcomed feeling, being unable to breathe normally, feeling drowsy and fatigued. He was so used to being awake and alert, full of vigor, so much that this momentary lapse in health made him antsy. Dulled senses were something he could not afford to have, not with the Heartless following him about like they were his own shadow. His own mounting paranoia - that the Heartless were stalking him for some specific reason – did not help either. Sick and neurotic… Two things he didn’t need to be, want to be, at the present.
Another violent sneeze. Another sniffle of utter discomfort.
Groaning lightly, he busied himself once more with his tea, all his energies focused inwards on unvoiced thoughts as he lifted the cup to his lips, hoping for a mostly quiet and calm evening in his dreary state.
A king was always on duty; personally it felt like during the last decade and more he was constantly running around going here and there, checking on this and that, checking on him, her and them. His responsibilities had continued to keep him on his toes, but after a while, the body needs to slow down and recuperate before the Rodent can cause any more damage to it than he already had. After fulfilling one mission, the King had greatly slowed down in his pace; he could feel all of his expedition getting a hold of him as he slugged through the First District. For the time being he would lax himself and dock at an inn before heading off again.
Still enigmatic as usual, the Mouse shielded himself in his black cloak as he tiredly thumped through the First District before pushing the inn’s door open. Despite how sluggish he felt, his paranoia was still alert as he glanced around hastily for any unwanted company. He haven’t heard any whispers of Maleficent, a wretched dark hearted fey, Ansem, an even more tainted individual, and the Organization, a band of void and apathetic Nobodies that can essentially do anything, since they lacked a heart to hold them back, but one can never be too careful when such opponents and game of hearts are afoot. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary or threatening, the King quietly walked inside to not draw attention to him.
Walking pass a table, he did jump in his coat once a harsh sneeze broke his inner peace; his round ears, which popped outside of his hood went stiff and tense before the King could lax himself. He looked over to see a young man hunched the table as his long auburn hair blocked his face. If he didn’t hear the man sneezed, he would’ve assumed that he had sloshed himself to sleep. The Rodent was told otherwise when his ears twitched as he sniffled and heard the man’s nose suck up his running mucus.
“Bless you, that was quite a -,”The King started politely, but his tail and ears dropped hearing the groan; he sounded very nasally and groggy. The overall stature was just unnerving enough for a white gloved finger to poke his side to see if he was still conscious to any degree, “uuuh are you feelin’ okay?”
A think black tail waved slowly in concern as the Mouse watched the slack form animate to drink; Mickey’s round nose instinctively twitched picking up the aroma of tea. Obviously someone was in a poorer state than he was; actually this could be him if he was less aware of his health.
Senses dulled and body sluggish, it took a moment for Malakai to register the voice, the prod to his side, the fact that someone else was nearby at all. He winced only slightly in surprise, tea sloshing out of the cup and down his sleeve as he turned his head only slightly to catch glimpse of a small figure through the corner of his eye, vision obscured by a curtain of his own hair. For a brief moment he tensed, but quickly enough settled when he sensed no aggression from the stranger. The blasted cold was making him more jumpy than usual.
“Mm… Yes, I’m quite fine,” Malakai said wearily. “Thank you for your concern, though. I’m just a little under the weather, that’s all. Nothing to serious.” He turned back to his cup and frowned slightly at what meager contents remained, most of it now seeping down his arm. He swished the contents around and quickly drained the cup before speaking again.
“Apparently Heartless, life and death battle, getting soaked, and the chilly night air make the perfect recipe for a cold. I suppose you can toss in a little ‘carelessness’ into that concoction as well, just to spice it up a bit. In the end I’ve got none but myself to blame for the finished product… And look at me, sitting here crooning like an old woman over a measly cold when someone comes over out of concern. I’ve seemed to have forgotten my manners again, do forgive me…”
Setting down his cup with a chink the geomancer turned to face the diminutive fellow, finally getting a good look at him with his one good eye. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am…” That’s all he got out before stopping short.
Malakai’s eye bounced from feature to feature of the stranger - large round ears poking from his head, slender tail swishing to-and-thro, and a round, black nose just poking out from beneath a black hood – before he started again.
“I am either losing grasp what little sanity I have left or am far more ill than I first thought… because you look like a mouse.”
Modesty was the first word to come to mind. Mickey doesn’t feign himself as an excellent judge of character; call it being humble; yet his optimism always sought out to find the goodness in people around him. With how his days been going, it was nice to catch a glimpse of light hearted individuals through the reign of darkness, and from the sounds of it, this gentle heart experienced his share of darkness activity, the heartless.
His ears naturally curled back and flattened; he knew it would be inevitable for people having first hand experiences with the heartless, but it didn’t make hearing the hardship easier or dulled him from guilt as if he could’ve prevented it all. He just hoped Sora would hop back on the bandwagon fast to help rewrite the wrong and clear out the chaos; with that in mind, he had to seek out the others: Riku and the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee. Everyone had a right to know and his friends and allies needed a heads up; maybe that could start an intergalactic watch over the worlds, because the universe was just too big for one mouse to look after. Despite his duties, he didn’t want to leave his company so sudden; in a way, he felt like he owed his company to him.
Polite, the word perked up the Rodent’s spirit, but his brows dipped in concern. Tilting his head, Mickey looked at the young man wondering if he was feeling worse; he immediately was at loss of words all of a sudden.
“You were saying…,” the King assisted to see if he could help his mind get back on track…if his ‘mind’ was still with him. Hearing him speak was a revelation, but it didn’t stop the short king to chuckle. Of all things, he didn’t stopped to think that maybe he was the reason for the flabbergasted stranger; silly Mickey for forgetting how uncommon an anthromorphic could be, “Well I’m happy to say that your eyes are workin’ just find, and your sanity is in tip top shape. Just call me Mr. M.”
Mr. M, such an elusive alias, Mickey Mouse; one can’t blame him for trying, since no one could really know who is on whichever side; Mickey didn’t get any bad vibes from the sickly stranger, but he couldn’t speak for everyone else in the pub.
(Found my moose. He was of playing with the woodland critters.)
A few moments passed before Malakai realized that he was staring.
“Oh yes! Pleased to make your acquaintance – ah – Mr. M was it?” Malakai finally said after a few moments of silence, giving the mouse a faint smile before letting a look of fatigue return to his countenance. “Forgive my lack of manners there; I will not pretend it’s due to this bothersome cold. You’d think after the living shadows, the resident maniacs, the cat-boy and the bunny-girl I’d be use to such unconventional sights by now, but I’m still a fish flopping out of water… A fish you can Malakai. I’d shake your hand, but I think it’s best I keep this cold among the things I don’t share.”
Names exchanged, Malakai took a moment to sip from his cup once more, breathing in the soothing fumes deeply as he examined the diminutive figure before him over the rim.
Mr. M. They only way the mouse could have been more enigmatic about his name was if he chose to call himself Mr. E. It didn’t take a genius – something Malakai certainly was not – to figure out that the mouse had an identity to hide. The name, the coat. He did want someone or something recognizing him. And Malakai wasn’t about to question: he sensed nothing worth worry about the mouse, so why should he press further into the kind stranger’s business?
None-the-less, the company was appreciated.
“Perhaps you would like to join me? For tea,” the man said as he set his glass down and nodding to a pot, steaming from the spout, which sat upon the table. “On me, of course. As apology for my previous rudeness.” He gave another brief smile. “You don’t have to, of course. Thought I should just offer a kindness for a kindness.”
Mickey gave one of his classic laughter, “No no, I won’t hold it against ya. Once upon a time, it wasn’t every day when you’re outside of your world only to see how big this universe truly was. After a while, nearly nothing could surprise ya, since you would expect the unexpected. Hey despite how much I’ve been around, I’m still discovering.”
The worlds were endless wonders making it impossible to know every edge, nook, cranny, and corners. This could account Mickey’s paranoia; one would never know who’s lurking in the darkness whether it’s something completely new or something that’s evolved over long years of stalking and waiting. From time to time, he tried to calm himself to not overthink things and not foresee troubles before they are viewable in a vantage point. He was only a Mouse like how people were only humans, so he couldn’t be aware of every danger and hazard, but the King would try his hardest to rid of any that came this way. For now, he would take up on the offer of warmth relaxation of tea with a polite king stranger breaking his dutiful solitude.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” the King said warmly to eradicate Malakai’s uncertainty. The small king climbed up into his seat and wiggled his bum until comfortable. Before continuing his conversation with Malakai, he ushered a waitress to supply an extra cup. “So Malakai, how long have you been in Traverse Town? I do hope that the world would be kinder to you.”
Traverse Town was a meek and humble world with its usual hustle and bustle, but nothing as grand as Twilight Town; the endless night influenced their activity since it gave too much homage to lingering heartless. Too bad the world hasn’t elevated itself to oppose the heartless, but even without them the world had its own natural ‘color-ness’ with the constant flow of survivors of distant worlds.
Although his weary exterior did not show it, Malakai was glad that the mouse chose to stay. It was a nice change of pace, to have some company for once.
“That’s a very good question,” he said softly when Mr. M inquired as to how long he had been in town. “In all honesty I’m not quite sure how much time has passed between my expulsion from home and my arrival here. The whole affair was, well, disorienting. And I’m pretty sure the fireball to the face and losing consciousness did not help in that respect. However, I suspect I’ve been here for… about a month at the very least. Surely no less than that.”
It was only recently that he started to get use to his new surroundings, the eternal night that seemed to cloak the world, and new means of living. The jarring shock from the change in setting had for the most part dissipated. All that remained now was the trepidation invoked by the presence of the Heartless and the internally-buried grief for the events that led up to his current circumstance.
“As I had mentioned before: fish out of water,” he said as a waitress brought over a second cup and then left.
Elegantly Malakai flipped his wrist in the direction of the teapot and then back towards the empty cup, directing like a conductor with a baton. Though it was not pure water the tea was close enough to the life-giving fluid and at his whim a small spurt of the dark liquid leapt up from the spout, flew in the thin arc, and settled down in the extra cup, not a single drop splattered. The display wasn’t really one for show… rather a force of habit, flexing his element commanding abilities to keep them in fine tune. He had little opportunity elsewhere to do so in this town.
“And your concern is appreciated, though I don’t believe the world is necessarily unkind. The people who live here, perhaps, but not the world. If anything, I suspect it’s those shadows – the Heartless – that are reason for all the fuss… or a deeper Darkness. One affecting people like some sort of sickness, changing them from the inside out.” Momentarily his good eye darkened, thinking back to his brother. A second later it disappeared. “Regardless, I’ve been able to fend for myself. If people decide to be unkind to me, they should be wary: I will not tolerate ruffians and bullies.” Nose tickling, he buried his face into the crook of his arm once more and sneezed. “Ugh… Though I won’t be doing much fending for myself while this cold persists.”
Fixing his disheveled hair back over the marred half of his complexion, the geomancer regarded the mouse. “Now, normally I would return the question: how long have you been in town? But you more or less answered that already. From the sound of it, you’ve been all over, to many more of these worlds. Day by day I’m learning my world view is far narrower than I first thought. And I guess if I asked where you came from… well, you would prefer not to answer.” His smile was a secretive one.
The Mouse hummed and nodded with a smile; even from a perfect stranger, he could still learn something new. No, he wasn’t simple-minded to think the world was bad, but it was just refreshing to hear such response. There was plenty of hope and light in the world, and he was conversing with it, “that’s very true.”
The King can genuinely say he liked Malakai; he was a conscious individual despite how narrow his knowledge was of the world. Still he had a noble sensibilities and wasn’t a push-over by no means; he could hear the confidence, strength, and firmness in his voice. Mickey would make sure he kept tabs on this one; yes, he doesn’t want the light to slip from him, but something was nagging at him to especially not this one fade. He was special and blessed Mickey with a glimpse of sunshine through his own mental chaos. It was as if talking to him was restoring and giving him peace in mind.
Reaching for his cup, Mickey nodded thanks to not interrupt him. With a few sips, he was flushed with warmth as the steam tickled his large black nose as he inhaled the aroma of tea. His eyes closed to enjoy the warmth, but a smile peaked behind the cup. His eyes smiled at Malakai humored how he caught and accepted his secret nature so well.
“Like you said before, the world isn’t unkind unlike the shadows, and to this day, I can never be too sure who’s waiting in there. You can say I can attract unwanted company,” Mickey replied to reason his cautiousness, before continuing to answer with the smallest of detail, “If you ever stepped into my world, you would know. There others Animals there, nor is it always night there.”
“It’s a peaceful world…well was. The town, the people, the courtyard…,” he sipped again, “all it took was darkness to flip it upside down. I would be there now, but duty calls to go elsewhere. The solution for my world is very well the same for others; unfortunately I have to follow the darkness to find the source.”
Placing the cup down, he laced his gloved fingers together and chuckled, “I guess you can say one can easily loose yourself lingering too long in there and pursuing it. It’s good to get a reality check; hence why I’ve been here longer than usual. Then again, it’s only been a couple of days.”
Listening to the mouse speak about his home made Malakai miss his own. He understood the sentiment, wanting to protect one’s home, he was more or less in the same boat. He also had to admire the mouse for the courage he possessed, willing to delve into the deepest shades in search of that which would help him and those that he wished to protect from the encroaching Darkness. He was almost envious of such courage.
He drained his cup and regarded Mr. M fondly.
“It sounds like you have a long, difficult road ahead of you, my friend,” Malakai said, and in earnest added, “I would gladly offer my aid to you, though I’m afraid I know not how much help I would be, nor what I could even do. I’m still a stranger to this idea of many worlds, talking animals, living shadows…” He paused for a moment as he refilled his cup, and softly he began to chuckle. “Such a weak proposal, no?”
Mickey chuckled, "Well as long as you have an earnest sincere heart with an eagerness to help, you can always be of aid. Actually that's all the worlds really need more people who care and not afraid to take a stand."
The Rodent King glanced around at the others in the pub, he wondered how many were just passing through or just making ends meet. He wondered how many are just coping with the ways things are versus acting. He knew that some had their own reasons whether its obligations, responsibility, or fears. Either way he wouldn't judge them, they would need to find their own way in the life like he had. His observant eyes landed back on Malakai, while his hands relied on his hot mug to war him, "If you care enough to stand, you'll eventually find your own place. How else can one explore the mysteries around them?"
He let the question linger and swim in Malakai's mind and cup, while Mickey downed his cup. His cheeks flushed with the warmth that filled his face and fluttered in his stomach. Then an idea perked up the Mouse; his ears twitched in wonder as he began throughouly search his pockets, "Ya know I think i got something in here for ya."
An artifact in his hand clank against the mahagony wooden table. Withdrawing his gloved hand, a blue and green star shimmered before dulling down revealing a star shaped gem with a thunderbolt as one of its arms, "Take it."
Malakai quirked a brow when the mouse set the object down on the table and asked him to take it. Normally he was wary of the strangers within that town – he had few pleasant encounters with the denizens – but the mouse… The mouse gave off an aura of genuine kindness, that he could be trusted and that he meant no harm. So it was with little trepidation that he picked up the peculiar gift.
He held the gem-like object up to his good eye, examining the blue and green swirls and star-like shape with intrigue. Its surface was smooth and glistened in the artificial light. A beautiful treasure, and a curious one. Malakai got a feeling there was something more to this jewel, though, beyond its glittering exterior.
“Thank you,” the geomancer said, regarding the mouse once more, “but… ah… What precisely is it? ”
Dec 28, 2011 16:55:56 GMT -4
Last Edit: Dec 28, 2011 16:56:21 GMT -4 by Larxene
"It's a Star Shard." Mickey answered, while pouring another cup, "Ya know when a world falls so does its barrier. You can say with those barriers up no one knew of other worlds; even if ya did you coudln't get to em."
The Mouse added a generous amount of honey and sugar in his tea before stirring it up with his spoon. He didn't need to test taste it for his nose twitched with satisfaction,"Well when it breaks it makes lots and losts of gummiblocks. If you have a gummiship, then that's were all of that stuff came from. Anyway those gummiblocks help you travel to other worlds and get pass those barriers. A Star Shard is a special one by just holding one of those you can teleport to others world."
"Sure it takes a while getting used to," Mickey knew from his experience; the star shard was unpredictable when he first used it as it took him practically anywhere and everywhere. Despite how random it was, it seemed he was always needed there as if it was a bigger scheme afoot that brought him to whatever world to begin with, "but if you follow your heart, it can always point ya to the right direction."
"So when ya not unsure if you can be of help ooor uncertain of where to go, just hold it. It'll show you the way, but I wouldn't use it until ya get better," the Mouse hummed a chuckle remembering how much of a zombie Malakai looked earlier with his head hanging over his cup of tea drinking in its steam.
Malakai had never heard about these barriers that Mr. M talked about, though he was not about to say so out loud. Carefully he listened to the mouse, fighting back a coughing fit, taking in what information he could in regards to the curious gem he now held in his hand.
A “Star Shard” he called it. A fitting name, Malakai supposed, since it kind of had a star-like shape to it. But what the object looked like mattered little after Mr. M described what the mystical object could do: teleport one between worlds. This was no ordinary trinket the mouse was giving him then, if it could do something like that…
Mobility between worlds… Malakai knew it would be an important asset he would need in due time if he was to better understand the wider multiverse that his small world was a part of – learn and plan his next moves accordingly. He just didn’t expect such a luxury to be handed him so soon, so unexpectedly, from a complete stranger. Just who was this mouse who possessed such powerful treasures?
Gone was Malakai’s notion that Mr. M was just a worldly traveler. No. He had to be something more… Cloaked in black, a faux name, cautiousness – he was in pursuit of something, and chased by something as well. The Darkness that threatened his home – but the Darkness was everywhere – and spreading.
Whatever Mr. M was part of, perhaps… it was bigger than all the troubles that Traverse Town had.
Gazing intently at the Star Shard in his hand, Malakai’s mind wandered back to words previously exchanged. He had offered to help the stranger, out of gratitude for his kindness, and the mouse gave him this Shard, an object with the power to move him between worlds… Why hadn’t he thought of it before?
Perhaps it was just not a gift that was offered, but also an unspoken request… There were more worlds out there other than Traverse Town that were experiencing troubles. Malakai didn’t need to think hard at all about what he would use this marvelous gift for.
Sneezing once more into the crook of his arm, the geomancer regarded Mr. M warmly, his spirit and resolve no longer dampened by his sickly condition. “Thank you, so very much… I will see to it that it’s put to very good use. I give you my word.”
Mickey surpressed a chuckle once looking up from his cup to see the young man just gazing at the Star Shard; from his eyes, he could tell his mind was going a mile a minute as if he could literally see the gears in his mind turning. Giving him reprieve, the mouse simple sat and even bounced a bit joyfully at the warmth that spread within him. Yes the herbal tea made his gut flush and warm to the point he could happily click his heels three times and wiggles his toes in shere delight, but sharing a wonderful company who he brought light to was more rewarding.
The sugar was starting to get to him as he felt a jitter, but the King was overall peaceful. It was a while before his mind can just center on one thing and can be constant for long that a minute without bouncing off towards his worries. It's as if this little break made him more mystically aware than his many world bounces and dark corridors roams.
His ears bent back once hearing a sneeze, and his round eyes scurried around for a napkin to offer, but the sight of Malakai's face made him halt; he looked so...rejuvenated and not sluggishly ill at all. His ears perked back up like a happy pup and smiled with a hum, "I'm sure you will. As much as I would love to stay, but the worlds are calling me. I must admit that this was a lovely mind opener."
The mouse chuckled, while wiggling a gloved hand in his pocket in search for some munny before making some clang against the table, "It's not wise to stay in the dark too long. It was a pleasure in meeting you Malakai, and do take care alright?"
With a bounce, he was off his seat and turned to stretch his hand out, "Until we meet again..."
“A mind opener indeed,” the geomancer said in return, and then frowned slightly.
Malakai had grown quite fond of this strange, mouse fellow during their brief discourse, and really did not want their encounter to end so soon. But alas, he supposed, whoever this stranger was, he had much on his plate to take care of. He understood and accepted that fact.
“Thank you, Mr. M, for everything.” He gave the mouse a genuine smile, and when was offered the hand laughed softly and shook his head, rusty locks swaying with his movements. “Again, forgive my rudeness, but I’d rather not shake your hand. Me being all germy, and such… I rather think you’d want to keep you health.” Instead he lifted his cup to the mouse and nodded his head in deference.
“Safe travels, my friend,” he said, clearing his throat shortly after. “Until we meet again.”