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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She had seemed at ease, he was certain. Her features had been peaceful.
But they weren't, were they?
A silhouette of a blade flashed briefly against the light of a vibrant lamp, rimmed by orange fire in the brief moment before it swung again into darkness. Shadow swirled up and dissipated where it fell. The lights flickered, and the keyblade rose again.
Their conversation had been normal, right? They'd recalled old times, laughed about the old bonfire and the raft, and then Sora had showed up and it all fell into place. But, before he had gotten there. . .
"So what can one do here with everything. . . just rolling by? . . .Despite it all it seems this place always stays the same, you know."
Maybe not.
Another few swings. More darkness rippled to join the shattered pieces of the rest.
The Third District was empty. Even during the perpetual night of Twilight Town, residents had to sleep at some time or another - and this was it. Most took refuge in the First District, a couple more in the Second, but few chose to risk letting their guard down long enough to sleep in the heartless-ridden streets of the Third. At that moment said streets were barren of all but the embodiments of shadow, the majority of which were congregated around a silver-haired teen as he slayed Heartless after Heartless with his blade.
Kairi's face. . . maybe there had been more behind her doe eyes than he had given her credit for.
Her features shattered in his mind's eye as a large body appeared before him. Silent, the unheard roar remaining locked behind closed lips, Riku struck with the Way to Dawn in multiple, deadly blows, his momentum swinging him through the air even as the Heartless was reduced to wisps of darkness. More creatures took the place of the first. He continued to fight through them all.
Sweat rolled down his strained muscles as he swung again and again. The recent memory replayed itself over and over in his mind: returning to the Islands, apology at his lips; finding Sora, learning Kairi had gone; searching the play island, the mayor's house, the beaches, anywhere and everywhere that might be hiding his friend, refusing to believe she had just left.
And, further back, that conversation with Kai on the beach before he had departed. It hadn't been brought up, but he had felt like he was being given permission to leave. He'd felt an overwhelming sense of freedom then, feeling as though his strings had been cut - he could go. His friends would understand. So he thought.
When he'd returned to the Islands weeks later, the freedom was replaced by guilt and confusion. Riku had never expected them to wait for him, but somewhere in his mind, he never believed they wouldn't. An unintelligible mantra was set on repeat in his brain (resonating somewhat like 'I shouldn't have left yet'), he shoved it back; it rose again like a wave. And then Riku had found himself here. Battling Heartless like old times, but with a tirade of nameless emotion fueling his blade rather than survival instinct.
For now he'd fight, and relish the physical labor and the sturdy, familiar weight of the Way to Dawn.
And then he would look for her.
And if she didn't want to be found?
Jan 19, 2011 11:03:09 GMT -4
Last Edit: Jan 19, 2011 11:11:13 GMT -4 by Zephiris
The Cloaked Schemer, of course, was looking for the human that he loathed, the creature which brought about his death in a roundabout way. The Weilder who, along with his annoying friend, brought about the death of his allies and also his enemies within the Organization. He hated the pair all the same.
He was surprised when he actually found him, fighting off Heartless in Traverse Town. Zexion exited a portal from the Realm of Darkness high above where Riku was, on the roof of the clock tower.
Looking down, Zexion glared upon Riklu as though hoping that the heat of anger would cause him to burst into flame. As it were, it didn't work and Zexion was forced to take other action. Waving his hand, he summoned several Dusks and Creepers upon Riku, seeing how he would fare. Of course, they were under orders not to wound him fatally. Zexion wanted to tire him out a bit before confronting him.
Riku was just beginning to feel the stress lessen from his mind - the whole point of traveling to the Third District in the first place - when a faint sensation rippled down his spine. His mind snapped out of its regretful haze at once, and he kicked into high gear, finishing off his heartless attackers within moments. Before, he'd only been fighting for the sake of releasing the emotionally charged energy he had accumulated inside of him. But now he finished off the battle in a few shots of darkness from his palm - his first time wielding magic since his visit to Destiny Islands - and spun around to locate the source of his discomfort.
Nothingness was upon him before he could take a new feel of his surroundings. Within a split second he'd summoned a dark shield and broken it again, his grip relaxing a bit as he saw his opponents; dusks and creepers, nothing more than the Heartless he'd been slaughtering moments before. He turned his blade to them.
A moment later, however, and the Way to Dawn began to quiver. A familiar feeling rose like bile in the pit of Riku's stomach. He looked up. A flash of blue caught his eye before another writhing Nobody flung itself at him, catching him slightly off guard and jolting him off balance. The silver-haired righted himself quickly, and set about finishing the last of the Nobody swarm.
Minutes later, panting, he watched as the last Dusk spiraled into the nothing from whence it came.
Riku's silver eyebrows drew together, and he once again looked up. A darkness had settled over his heart as he recalled the last time he'd felt this sensation. But it wasn't possible. . . the source had been destroyed. . .
Zexion wasn't impressed by Riku's skills; anyone could fight off Dusks and Creepers. It was just a matter of how it was done, and person style- something Riku didn't have. Zexion watched as he was fighting, and noticed him look up and almost lock eyes on him. Good, he figured. He wanted Riku to know he was there.
It wasn't long before Riku finished off the Nobodies, and he sensed something was upon him. Good; this was working out better than planned. Zexion took the trouble of opening a portal in front of him and behind Riku, ending up in the latter position. He liked to appear behind people; it was an effective way to get attention.
He took a few steps toward the Keyblade Bearer with loud sounds resulting, to get his attention first. He then spoke: "It's been a while, Keyblade Wielder. I haven't seen you since just before I was destroyed, when you and your friend were in Castle Oblivion. A lot has happened since then, I'm sure you know."
Zexion. The foreboding feeling gathering in Riku's chest hardened into smoldering anger the moment his suspicions were confirmed. His eyes narrowed as a portal appeared before the blue-haired man, and he instantly went on guard, shifting his weight more equally on his feet as he prepared for an attack from all angles.
Steps behind him. Riku slowly turned around, cocking the Way to Dawn on his shoulder but refusing to release the tenseness in his body. The sounds meant he needn't yet fear immediate attack. Zexion could have just as easily struck him from silence. No, this time the illusion master wanted to be heard.
"It's been a while, Keyblade Wielder. I haven't seen you since just before I was destroyed, when you and your friend were in Castle Oblivion. A lot has happened since then, I'm sure you know."
Suddenly, the situation finally set in. Shock raced through Riku's veins. Number VII was here. Alive - or, as 'alive' as a Nobody could be. What the hell is going on?! His features remained stoic on their own accord, but within Riku there was a wisp of fear. Yes, the presence of Zexion and his torturing illusions was terrifying, but the man had been beaten before. It was the implications of his survival that struck a deep tremor within Riku.
He refused to let his thoughts travel any further. Not without more proof. But. . . 'I'm sure you know'? What was that supposed to mean? The mask that was Riku's face raised on eyebrow at the man before him. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said tersely. His eyes moved to lock with Zexion's, narrowed, defiant. He said no more. In the silence roared a demand for answers.
Feb 16, 2011 23:54:42 GMT -4
Last Edit: Feb 16, 2011 23:55:08 GMT -4 by Zephiris
'I have no idea what you're talking about,' said the silver-haired boy. Zexion kept his gaze for several moments, trying to decipher what he was saying. If he really didn't know... then where had he been? Had he really been stuck on his dull islands for the last... well, long period of time?
Zexion continued to keep Riku's gaze as he spoke. "Is that so? Well, I know you had a hand in the destruction of my superiors as well as a few inferiors. And you returned to your home world. However, you seem to be truly ignorant of recent events. I'd love to tell you, but I feel the need to do something else instead," Zexion said.
He raised his right hand calmly, palm-up. Dozens of Dusks and Creepers appeared, along with the illusion of a few upper Nobodies, like Assassins and Dragoons. There even appeared three Samurai. Of course, as said, they were illusions, which irritated Zexion to no limit. He really needed his own type of powerful Nobody to call upon. They would be his trademark creation. However, back to the task at hand.
With an icy glare, Zexion asked harshly (even for him), "Give me one reason I shouldn't decimate you where you stand."
Well now. This was interesting. First the Replica, then the real deal. It seemed that the Keybladers were returning after such a long hiatus. What Worlds had they been returning to in their long absence? Had they been in the Realm Between or perhaps in the Darkness itself? It made Ienzo curious; they seemed to pop up at the most fortunate times.
The Organization was rising again and what do you know? Riku shows up.
But Zexion? A shiver crept up the raven-haired Heartless' spine. His silver eyes focused solely on the Nobody. They had no bond; they were fractured and broken. Yet they were the same person. Such things in the world were unnatural. But Zexion worked like he did. They were both schemers, the Heartless just wore a mask of boredom or laziness. Would Zexion see through that? Did it even matter? Was Zexion determined to fight his Heartless?
Ienzo didn't even know if they were enemies.
"A reason? I have one." The dark-haired Heartless stood behind them, his black coat pulled close around his torso. That coat was his savior; it hid his signature. Zexion could smell the Darkness, but it made it far more difficult when you gave off no aura. "Perhaps you wish to survive long enough to get a Heart this time around."
The two mirror images, while slightly different, stood on opposites from Riku. The smaller Nobodies? Ienzo could feel their shadows- or their lack of ones. Ienzo overlooked them. The writhing shadows beneath his feet would persuade them otherwise to attack him. His Neo-Shadows could easily dispatch the lesser Nobodies.
"A triumvirate of destruction. Nobodies, Heartless, and beings of Light. Do we fight for Hearts?" His gaze went to Zexion. "Control?" Riku. "Or... Chaos?" The writhing shadows at his sneakers. He smiled. "Riku, if you'd like to know what has happened in your absence, we can talk this out like reasonal... beings." Ienzo had made his choice, even if it was a path that didn't traverse through Darkness. Ansem could give him an order; it was his own choice on the way to commit to those orders. Perhaps Riku would understand that they weren't so different.
Actually... Ienzo threw that thought aside. They were pretty different.
Zexion knew something that Riku didn't, he was positive. Actually, Riku was quite certain that a whole world of unknown had been born while he, Sora, and Kairi had settled back into life on Destiny Island, quite certain that they had restored the balance of light and darkness. Riku had known that set of scales better than anybody. And yet, here was proof denying their efforts. Proof that they had failed.
Riku's eyes narrowed, and he viciously pushed those thoughts aside. Instead he found himself nearly rolling his eyes as more writhing silver creatures came into being. The Nobody, apparently, was not going to relinquish the information from the start. Riku raised his Way to Dawn to attack, but a chill ran down the back of his neck before the silver-haired had a chance to answer Zexion's threat. He froze almost imperceptibly. Slowly he turned around.
Another dark figure had appeared in the streets of the Third District. Though it shared very little with the man behind him, Riku nearly mistook it as another of Zexion's illusions at first. It wasn't. The hairstyle, that was Zexion's - the eyes, something about them were as well. Who was this man?
In answer, Riku felt only a dreadfully familiar sensation. He struggled to place it, the relationship between being, nonbeing, and darkness that he felt and recognized.
He had no time to ponder the feeling, for at that moment both the newcomer began to speak and the Nobody illusions began to attack. Riku swung at as many as he could, this time aiding himself with his dark magic, wishing to finish them off as quickly as he could so he could focus on the matters at hand. But then words caught and snagged in his mind -
"A triumvirate of destruction. . ."
Riku pulled himself short. He paused, shifted the Way to Dawn without relaxing his grip, and looked at the stranger more closely. The lithe illusions were ignored as he observed only the men before him. A heartbeat. "Who are you?" he finally demanded.
No.
As he glanced from one pair of eyes to the other, Riku finally identified the feeling that had been creeping in the back of his mind the entire conversation.
He was reminded of Ansem. Ansem and Xemnas.
While Riku and his friends had been shielded on the Islands, something terribly wrong had occured in the worlds they had left behind.
Feb 22, 2011 2:29:05 GMT -4
Last Edit: Feb 22, 2011 2:30:38 GMT -4 by Zephiris
Zexion was all-around irritated when his other half showed up. He knew he always had a way of ruining a good psychological torture session, so why shouldn't the Dark side of himself? Ienzo was much too annoying. Zexion would have to take care of him one of these days.
Zexion dismissed his Lexicon, as well as th Nobodies while Ienzo gave his little speech. Crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes, he glared at the man who was much like his brother, in many ways, until he was finished.
"I suppose we must, Ienzo. Not to give you the idea that I respect you enough to introduce you to my Darker other half, Riku, but this is Ienzo. He's my Heartless- shocking, yes, but I suppose we'll get there. I'm not often one to get to the point, but I'd like to get on with your destruction. I will, however, let Ienzo do the explaining." This day took a turn for the worse. Who knew he'd be rushing a lengthy explanation to get along to Riku's demise?
He'd hoped he could find Riku. Zexion? Eh, not as important. After all, he wasn't even supposed to exist.
His silver eyes met Riku's. There was a resounding shock and a rush of confusion, then clarity. Hmm... Ienzo debated. Was this safe? Or was it foolish of him to face his other and the man who killed him? What all should he tell Riku? While he had no immediate problem with the Keyblader, Ienzo would inevitably end up fighting Riku.
He didn't envy that day.
The silver-eyed Heartless pursed his lips. "I suppose we should start with the beginning," he said, crossing his arms. Here we go.
The Heartless moved closer to the group and stood between them, forming a triangle. He smiled to himself at how appropriate the image was and continued. "You left for Destiny Islands. It's been a while, Riku, and in that while, the Dark XII formed." He gestured to himself with a flair. "But! Since we have not been killed, our Nobodies were unable to return, and eventually reclaimed their empty shells." His eyes flashed. "The Organization XIII is back." With Roxas, he didn't add. He wondered if Riku would even remember the blonde-haired kid. What did it matter that the Nobody had beaten the Keybladers to the ground?
He was, after all, a part of Sora.
The man threw his hair to the side, revealing his other eye, and yawned. His focus remained on the Light. He was ignoring his Other at the moment; while his shell would like to think of them as related, Ienzo felt nothing between them. They had the same face, but that was as far as this reunion went. This Nobody didn't bother him and he would waste no time on another enemy. "Riku... You should know, your Replica has returned from the Darkness as well. It seems that he was a faithful copy as he said he was. I found this out as I felt him near the Organization's castle." That would be a blow to the ego to their entire Organization. Whilst Ienzo couldn't particularly infiltrate their castle, using the Replica's body as a vessel had been ingenious. "I couldn't stay to hear the conversation, but the fact that he was there would make me think he's rebonding with his creators."
Oh, Ienzo couldn't wait to see what the future held.
(( Sorry guys. Internet shut down over the weekend. ))
Suddenly Riku was blindfolded again and plummeting from the skyscraper in the World That Never Was. Rather than a cloaked Roxas rushing at him from the ground, Riku was hurtling headlong towards truth - and there was no doubt about it, this was the truth. Not only were two beings standing nonchalantly before him as embodiments of proof, but the ice gripping his body made him realize that he had known it all along.
They were back. We had failed.
Of course, every Nobody had a Heartless. How was this overlooked? Or if it wasn't, why hadn't the King contacted the keybladers? Him?
As his grip on the Way to Dawn tightened to the point of pain, Riku's features remained passive. His emotions wouldn't rise to the surface. Not with his enemies so near. In a series of subtle breaths he organized his mind, utilizing each moment to temporarily fight back the rising sense of failure and chart a plan of action in his head. The weight of the dark information was stored away for later.
It was in that moment of clarity Riku realized that the fight had not yet been lost. It simply hadn't ended yet. The Light had won the last battle, and apparently they were on the verge of the next one. What am I now a part of? Riku wondered. A war between light and darkness?
He corrected himself. No. . . a war between the keepers of that balance and those who wish to upset it.
Riku's thoughts clung to the train of logic and followed it. Now, apparently, he needed to find King Mickey. He had to pay a visit to Radiant Garden, and discover exactly how much damage had been done while he'd been lounging on the Destiny Islands. Kairi. . . he would find her, too. The keybladers' jobs were not yet done.
In the aftershock of the first bit of news, Riku almost missed the following information. So his Replica had returned as well. All things considered it was a thorn after a bullet wound, but the tone of the man's voice caught his attention. Riku quickly refocused upon the pair before him.
"So you. . . are Zexion's Heartless," Riku confirmed. He felt the weight of his words as if they buckled the air itself. All the implications of that brief statement were enough to send his mind reeling.
But by then the nagging suspicion in the back of his head had grown into a roar, and Riku granted it voice. "Alright, why are you telling me this? I'm fairly certain you all aren't just here for the pleasure of my company."
Zexion nodded. "Yes, Ienzo is my Heartless. And yes, your Replica has returned. It is like a large reunion," he said sarcastically. He realized he'd made the same mistake he'd been making often. This humor thing was getting out of control. Perhaps he should visit Vexen...
And as far as Riku's suspicion, it was rather well-placed. "Good observation, my silver-haired friend- if friend accurately describes our relationship. I came to destroy you, quite frankly. Something I've wanted to do for quite a while now. But it seems that my dear opposite Ienzo has something important to tell us. Ienzo?" he said, turning to his other side.
Ienzo chuckled, his eyes on Zexion. "Important? Hardly." The shadows climbed up and solidified into a Neo-Shadow, which perched on his shoulder, looking around with bland curiosity. His silver eyes flickered between the two enemies. "And unlike you, Zexion, I have no intention of fighting whatsoever."
He flicked the Neo-Shadow off of his shoulder and it vanished into the darkness. He wiped the grime off his shirt that the Heartless was coated in. "But I did feel that it was fair to tell you of what is coming. Both of you." He glanced to Riku. "Perhaps you should speak to the RGRUC. Tifa or Merlin, whichever. They may have interesting news that I can't tell you in front of present company." He stared to Zexion. "I have no specific feelings towards you, neither like nor hate. We are not opposites, as you say, but separate entities. Think of the primary colors: Three of them. That is our existence at the moment, shared with Riku here."
Riku could help Ienzo if he played his cards right. Ansem the Wise... Ienzo wanted to find him, if he was still alive. That was why he was here, although he didn't say anything to the two. And as for Zexion... The Heartless wanted to make it clear that he wasn't going to play war with the little schemer. He had no interest in the kid, and blatantly, kind of feared the reaction a Heartless and a Nobody might have on one another. From his data... He didn't want to think of what the two could do if they killed each other off.
Riku said nothing to either, however, glancing between the two before him, eyebrows arched. He had learned so much, but they told him nothing. And he had a feeling they weren't planning to.
Ienzo had a point, though. He needed to see the RGRUC. Sora had mentioned and referenced them on so many occasions when recollecting their journey, it wouldn't be too hard to track them down. If they knew anything, they'd be able to tell him. And if they didn't, at least he would have allies to assist in figuring out what was going on.
Suddenly a dark thought flitted across his mind. Riku's grip on the Way to Dawn tightened ever so slightly, and suddenly his gaze upon the Nobody and Heartless turned coldly analytical. He was an idiot for overlooking this possibility. Zexion mastered illusions. What if this was all a sham?
He scrutiny of the ‘Heartless’ yielded nothing. There was no way to tell.
But even if it was true, Riku would remain unable to discern why the Nobody had confronted him in the first place. He wasn't one to waste time. Another plan was forming in his head, and he'd see it to action as soon as he could. The Worlds deserved that from him.
"Well then, if that's all." He turned, awareness centered behind him, not above expecting an attack the moment his back appeared bared.
Zexion said he wanted to destroy him. If that's true, he better get a damn move on it.