At the End of the Day [Open]

[Mikhail Rutherford]

It was odd.

He reached the conclusion as he once again stepped into Market Street. Even calling it Market Street didn’t seem right anymore. The large, neatly kept stores were all practically gone as well as their lively keepers and wandering customers. Even outside the establishments, people had had the tendency to swarm the streets with a vast range of reasons: window shopping, sightseeing, spending time with friends…

Mikhail recalled one of his earliest visits to Twilight Town. He had been lucky enough to drop by on one of their famous Free Ice Cream days. Locals and travelers alike took their place in line to get their hands on one of those sea-salt delicacies. It was a pretty busy day even for Market Street standards, and that obviously didn’t make things easier when a band of nobodies decided to attack. Still, as he reminisced the man couldn’t really complain. While he failed to obtain one of those cold freebies due to the subsequent chaos and confusion, he did end up meeting some of the people who’d gradually become close to him. They were allies, comrades… friends.

All of them were gone now, though. Free Ice Cream days were stuck in the past, as well as those lively streets and moments of comfort. Even the sun was gone. Mikhail believed that was the most unnerving detail of it all. Warm sunsets had found themselves replaced by broken moonlight and a cold sensation of emptiness. Survivor’s guilt and trauma aside, he could tell the atmosphere was getting to the general populace. The cheerful brightness that had once characterized Twilight Town’s denizens was barely sensed nowadays, much less seen.

Despite having lived there for a few weeks now, Mikhail clearly had yet to get used to its new state of normal. Still, he tried not to dwell too much on the past. Succeeding on that endeavor, however, was a completely different subject.

He made his way past abandoned buildings and remaining wreckage, eyes fixating on a dimly lit establishment at the end of the road. The faint, although nonetheless enticing scent of food made his stomach rumble in response. He had been dedicating the last couple of weeks to clearing part of the underground tunnel network. Conditions had improved as a result albeit slightly, but it was tiring work nonetheless. The man couldn’t blame his body from accordingly protesting.

Mikhail ventured inside the shelter. He believed it had been a gourmet restaurant back in the day, a belief supported by the pictures and decorations still hung on the cracked walls. The place, as expected, was packed with refugees and recent arrivals. During his first days there after the Nightfall, he figured Twilight Town had essentially become the new Traverse Town. The influx of people slowed down after a couple of weeks, but fresh faces usually meant another world had fallen to the darkness. The thought gave him a rather bittersweet feeling.

Eventually, he found a vacant place at the end of a table. Mikhail sat, his legs thanking him through waves of relief as he shifted to find a comfortable enough position. The man would just rest for a little while before obliging his stomach and getting his food ration for the day.

[Maxwell Tendas]

Max was feeling sore and disheartened from another fruitless day of searching for the keyhole with Avari. He had sparred with the girl some as they searched, doing what he could to teach her proper technique in what little time they had. The girl had some natural talent, and a whole lot of guts, but she wasn't progressing fast enough to really help in the fight against....whatever Heartless it was that they had seen in Gabranth's broken shell of a world. He made a mental note to find a way to get her to hang back during the fight, perhaps by getting her to guard Xion.

He walked along Market Street, lost in his thoughts as he moved toward what could be considered the last remaining restaurant in Twilight Town, where most of the world's denizens got their daily sustenance. It was a small place, but due to its status as the main source of food in the town it was usually packed full. Today was no different, with what was probably dozens of people milling about. The soldier moved absent mindedly through the place, still lost in thought about what to do with his young protege when he accidentally caught his foot in the leg of a chair and nearly knocked it and its occupant to the floor. As it was, he was so absorbed in his thoughts that he was on the floor before he knew he was falling.

He quickly recovered and regained his feet, apologizing as he did so. He looked at the guy who's seat he'd kicked and froze immediately as he saw a face he actually recognized from before the whole Atlantis fiasco. The man sitting before him was tall, his hair still a deep and dark black, but much messier than the soldier remembered. There were many things Max could see had changed about this old friend, but that was all drowned out in his mind by the fact that he was still alive.

Unbelievably, sitting right in front of Max was his best friend Mikhail Rutherford, very much alive and not a heartless.

A wide grin abruptly spread across the soldier's face, replacing his shocked expression as he laughed and grabbed his old friend by the shoulders, as if to assure himself that this wasn't some sort of dream or illusion.

"Sweet Relana," he said, still grinning ear to ear, "I can't believe you're here too. It's damn good to see you again."

[Mikhail Rutherford]

It wasn't long before Mikhail's own mind wandered off, attempting to figure out what he was to do after grabbing a bite. Getting some well-deserved shuteye would be nice, considering how exhausted he was feeling. The man hadn’t realized how draining the day’s work had been until then. And yet, he knew that Heartless activity was most active during “after-hours” (he’d call it “night” but that was hardly an indicative given the setting). Slacking off meant someone else could potentially be slain by the darkness. It was a stupid thought, but for some reason he felt patrolling the area was his responsibility.

The ongoing rumors about his vigilante persona just added fuel to the fire.

A sudden thud followed by a shake of his chair brought him back to reality. The man found himself losing his balance for the moment, barely keeping himself from falling by gripping the edge of the table. His brows furrowed, slightly annoyed at the offender’s carelessness. His consciousness, however, would soothe the burning irritation growing within him. The place was packed, after all. Someone was bound to lose their footing sooner or later. Clicking his tongue, the swordsman turned to look at whomever had bumped into him with such clumsiness.

That voice.

Mikhail’s body immediately tensed, eyes swiftly scanning the recovering human’s form. He’d heard that voice before. Hell, he would’ve even dared to say he’d recognize it anywhere. But that was impossible. Maxwell Tendas was dead, long dead. The former knight had seen the man’s ship fall further into the depths of the Atlantean Ocean. There was just no way he could’ve made it out of there on his own... was there?

Even then, this man seemed to share his comrade’s face. Brown eyes, scarred left eyebrow… it was all there. Mikhail’s own expression mimicked the newcomer’s: he was shocked, certainly caught off guard by this sudden turn of events. He barely managed to register to the soldier’s following words before finding himself shaken out of his daze.

“Max? You’re… alive but… how?” The words clumsily rolled off his tongue as he rose from his seat. His tone was distracted, his confusion clear. Mikhail stared at Max for a few moments. Alethia be praised, he was alive. This whole “dying then coming back” routine was getting old, yes, but the guy wasn’t dead. Overcome by a sudden wave of relief, he finally pulled his best friend into a tight embrace. “Man, you really need to stop pulling this crap. It’s not funny.”

[Maxwell Tendas]

Realization seemed to dawn on Mikhail as quickly as it did on Max. He eagerly returned his best friend's embrace. He broke it after just a moment and looked at his friend quizzically in response to his friend's statement.

"Wait, seriously?" Max said, chuckling, "You thought I died in the ocean? Did you just completely forget who you're dealing with?"

He grabbed a nearby chair and sat as he began to recount the story of what had happened to him following the leviathan attack: how he had used his water powers to push his disabled ship until he found a cavern. He told of how he had been stranded alone in the caverns and eventually found his way to the city if Atlantis, but not until the expedition had already left. He continued with his attempts to repair his ship, and then of how the Heartless destroyed the aquatic world.

"That was about a week and a half ago," he said with a shrug, arms resting atop the back of his chair as he straddled it, "I've been in Twilight Town ever since. How have I not run into you this whole time? I mean, I fought off a damned Darkside with help from a rabbit with a magical remote and a teenage girl who has lots of guts bit no experience. You haven't been avoiding me, have you?"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail's own nature almost begged him to refute Max's claim of invulnerability in the ocean, but he digressed. Bickering about such things seemed like a waste of effort and... honestly, he was just too glad to see his comrade safe and sound. Thus, he simply shook his head, a grin of his own spreading across his face as he began to listen to the hydromancer’s tale.

“You pushed your ship? Really now?” The vigilante snickered, his tone adopting the joking sourness he was known to show from time to time. The air of familiarity brought a change of tune to the scene, a welcome one. Yet his expression turned once again serious upon hearing of Atlantis’s ultimate fate. It was curious sensation, though that didn’t make it any less bitter. After all, they had saved the Lost World before. Mikhail had hoped, perhaps naively, that it hadn’t been affected by the Nightfall in such a manner. His thoughts led him to absentmindedly clutch the blue crystal hanging from his neck; Atlantis’s fall to darkness would explain the artifact’s recent faltering in strength.

“So that was you, then. I should’ve guessed. Only you’d be so reckless in a fight.” Mikhail’s teasing carried a certain truth, in a way. Though he had focused his efforts in getting people near Station Plaza to safety, he ended up visiting the zone once the fight had died down. Back then, he’d wondered if the Darkside itself had been the one responsible for the damage to the surrounding establishments’ plumbing. Of course, now he was able put two and two together.

“Hardly. I’ve been… keeping myself busy, sweeping some of the infested areas. I’ve actually been hanging around the underground tunnels these last couple of days. Maybe a bit too much for my taste… but someone has to do it, right?”

Mikhail let out a small chuckle as he spoke, soon to be followed by another one of his stomach’s rumbles. “I’m more than eager to share my side of the story, but I’m starving. Have you eaten already?”

The normality of the question amused him as soon as he said it.

[Maxwell Tendas]

"So that was you, then. I should've guessed. Only you'd be so reckless in a fight," his friend said teasingly.

"Hey, I prefer the term relentlessly aggressive," Max responded with a chuckle, "It sounds better."

Mikhail continued by mentioning he had been keeping busy by trying to help clear the heartless out, or at least thin down their numbers. The soldier chuckled as his friend mentioned he'd been in the underground a lot the past few days. Max found it amusing how close they had come to running across each other since he had arrived here from Atlantis. He had been frustrated before when he didn't know whether his friend was safe or not.

Now he found it amusing.

"Sure, let's get some food," Max said in response to Mikhail's inquiry, standing resting a hand on his friend's shoulder before leaning down, "We should find a more secluded place to sit. Things are bad, and we need to talk, but we should avoid causing as much panic as possible."

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail nodded, agreeing with Max's suggestion. The general atmosphere in Twilight Town was dire and hopeless enough to add even more on that department. The man quickly glanced to his side, eyes narrowing at a woman immediately averting her gaze from them. The stranger’s body tensed despite attempting to drink down her anxiety. It seemed as if Max’s tale of Atlantis’s fall had been enough to bring despair to some of the others in the room. Such reactions were understandable from a certain point of view. After all, there were still those refusing to believe their homes were gone; hearing anything contradicting that was bound to cause a reaction.

He rose from his seat, taking a place at the end of the line. Fortunately for them, most people in the room were already eating. The wait wouldn’t be as lengthy as it tended to be earlier in the day.

"My place isn’t far from here. It’s not much but we wouldn’t be disturbed there," Mikhail added. He stretched his neck, attempting to steal a glance at whatever was being served that day. To think he’d found most of the things served in places such as these so foreign once, back when his own world had just been destroyed. The former knight would eventually come to understand what the words “canned”, “delactosed” and even “ice cream” meant.

That day, however, Mikhail would find himself fortunate enough to find rice, steamed vegetables and a piece of fruit as his share of food for the day. The portions themselves were small, yes, but it was a quite logical strategy. After all, their food supplies were slowly finding themselves depleted. "Another problem to add to the list," Mikhail mused in his mind.

Mikhail would wait for Max by the door after paying. Once the hydromancer was ready to go, he’d push forward and venture out into the cold.

"So, besides beating down a Darkside every now and then, what have you been up to?" he inquired, leading the way to his apartment room.

[Maxwell Tendas]

Max nodded in agreement as Mikhail mentioned talking back where he had been making his home in Twilight Town these days. Somewhere private was best. He ran over how best to tell the story of his foray into the Corridor of Darkness, meeting with The Judge Magister, and the encounter with the large heartless. As he grabbed his food and handed over the munny, he followed the pyromancer to the door and out into the street.

"So, besides beating own a Darkside every now and then, what have you been up to?" Mikhail asked as they walked.

"Not too much really. Mostly trying to figure out this nightfall bullshit," the soldier said as he shook his head, "But considering I've only been back in Twilight Town for about two weeks? It's been a lot."

He looked at the pyromancer from the corner of his eye, "It's a story best left to private places.

"But what about you?" He continued, changing the subject, "how'd you end up back here? Have you been keeping The Guardians up and running?"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

A soft sigh escaped his lips as the subject was finally addressed. He wasn’t sure how to explain what happened to Max, much less to himself. Mikhail knew he had done everything he could’ve. Every precaution had been taken. Every warrior had been instructed in the tactics they had developed in such short notice against the Heartless. Jadis’s icy grip on Traverse Town was supposed to keep it safe even without the Guardians’ own forces. It was supposed to be enough.

Evidently, it wasn’t.

“I was,” he begun, taking in the current state of the street. Overall activity was still at minimum, with people mostly heading for their own homes or shelters to call it a day. It would only take about an hour to turn this part of Twilight Town into an apparent ghost town. An unsurprising motion given the current set of circumstances. People ached for certain normality but fortunately had yet to lose their heads while going at it. Lives were still valued.

“In a way, you’re walking beside what’s left of them.” Mikhail let out a dry chuckle to follow the quip, stopping before an old wooden door. It seemed to be barely holding together, having obviously suffered from the Nightfall’s initial ripples. Still, Mikhail managed to pull it open without letting it fall to pieces. “After you.”

Upon entering, Max would find himself within a small apartment room. The walls were cracked, the wooden floor wobbly at certain spots. Mikhail had attempted to make most of the space, however, keeping it as neat and tidy as he could. There was a single bed resting against the corner farthest from the door, big enough to fit an adult comfortably. A small shelf was located beside it; it held a miscellanea of objects including books, repair parts and what seemed to be a series of picture frames and memorabilia. In the middle of the room one could see a small coffee table guarded by a pair of wooden chairs on opposite sides. This set fortunately seemed to be in better conditions than the rest of the room. Finally, a small kitchen of some kind could be found set against the wall opposite to the entrance. It wasn’t as well-equipped as those found in worlds such as Radiant Garden and even some Gummi Ships, but the wooden stove and the series of hanging pans and utensils were probably enough to make a decent meal.

Most if not all of the objects and furniture found within had belonged to the apartment’s previous owner. As they had yet to make an appearance, the pyromancer presumed them lost when the Heartless first attacked. Unfortunately, such happenings weren’t as uncommon as one would’ve hoped.

But that would be a tale for another time. The story he was about to tell was dire enough as it was. Mikhail shut the door close after them, setting the food on the table before moving past it to grab a pair of forks from the wall.

“We regrouped at Traverse Town once we came back from Atlantis,” he began, his free hand slightly gesturing at the stove. It would only take an instant before the wood underneath found itself ablaze. “We had lost a considerable number of people back there, so we focused on recruiting to fill the ranks and strengthen our presence there.”

Mikhail rejoined his comrade at the table, taking the seat left unoccupied. “Destiny Islands’s fall caught us all off guard.”

The former knight would then proceed to tell him about how he’d learned of the Dark XII’s role in the tragedy. The Guardians had then scattered and travelled to other worlds in an attempt to warn and prepare them against the looming darkness. Some had been more receptive than others, but they had done good work overall. Mikhail allowed himself to smile, a remnant of the pride he had once felt at the group’s efforts and their small victories.

His expression would change upon mentioning the Nightfall. Mikhail and some of the others had been restocking at Traverse Town when it happened. They hardly had enough time to prepare and organize their forces once the Heartless made their move, sending wave after wave of darkness against them. The Guardians fought bravely alongside Jadis’s own forces and even some of Traverse Town’s common citizens. Still, they were gradually pushed back and eventually overrun by their enemies.

“And so the Heartless took the heart of the world, bringing me of all people here.” There was a small glint of irritation in Mikhail’s eyes. That wasn’t completely unexpected; after all, this was the first time he spoke of these events to someone other than himself. “Don’t get me wrong, Max. I’m grateful. I’ve survived not one but two of these assaults. But there were so many others that deserved to make it. If this is the new Traverse Town and they’re not here…”

His voice trailed off, the meaning of his words quite evident by now.

“Fighting for this world is the least I can do to honor their sacrifice, but I just can’t lead any more people to their deaths.”

[Maxwell Tendas]

Max felt his heart sink as Mikhail confirmed what he had feared: the Nightfall had been devastating for the Guardians, leaving the group all but eradicated. All except for Mikhail and himself. The prospect was troubling, to say the least. As they neared the pyromancer's new home in Twilight Town, he briefly considered asking after the details of the demise of a certain few members. In the end, though, he decided it would be a pointless gesture. After all, didn't he already know what had happened?

Mikhail held the door open to his new home, and Max stepped inside. It was humble, but nice when one considered the current state of the town. It had usable furniture and even some cookware. It was definitely better than the small sleeping mat Max himself had set up in and old abandoned shop. Then again, the soldier had become accustomed to rough accommodations in his life and really required no more.

They sat in the chairs by the coffee table and Mikhail began his explanation of what had happened since the expedition left Atlantis. He talked of regrouping at Traverse Town and recruiting new members, the fall of Destiny Islands at the hands of the Dark XII, and the Guardians scattering across the worlds in order to prepare them to resist them. Then he got to the Nightfall and his expression changed as he talked about how he and the other defenders of Traverse Town had been overwhelmed by the Heartless. Max's expression turned as grim as his friend's as he finished by saying he would fight for Twilight Town but couldn't lead any others to their deaths.

A silence descended upon the room as Mikhail finished, and Max let it hang for a few moments, studying his friend and weighing the words he would speak carefully. Finally, he spoke.

"I understand that. Probably more than anyone else," he said quietly, looking at his friend with a somber expression, "But I'm glad you're willing to fight, because I seem to have somehow found myself in charge of dealing with a problem we've got coming."

Without waiting for a response, Max delved into the tale of his trip through the Corridor of Darkness. He told of the gates which led to trials they were required to face in order to continue advancing and find a way back, leaving specific details that weren't pertinent out. He described things in greater detail as he spoke of their meeting with the Judge Magister, Gabranth, and the appearance of what they had started calling the Chaos Hide.

"This thing is massive, Mikhail," Max said, shaking his head while rubbing his forehead, "And I could just...feel the power coming off of it. It's not going to be an easy fight. We could really use all the help we could get."

As he finished speaking the last sentence, he just looked at his friend. There was an unspoken question between them that Max had left intentionally: Mikhail knew the soldier well enough that he didn't have to ask him outright. He just hoped that the pyromancer's trials since the Nightfall hadn't demoralized him to the point he couldn't fight at his best. Afterall, even that may not be enough to stop the Chaos Hide....

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail appreciated the soldier’s sympathetic gesture. This was probably one of the reasons why the friendship between them worked so well. While the pyromancer had a ridiculous tendency for finding himself in a state of complete and utter stress, he despised being pitied by others. The basis behind his tale was not to seek comfort nor attention but to explain, inform and hopefully keep it from happening to others. Maxwell fortunately seemed to get the idea, which was more than what he could say about others the younger male had encountered during his travels.

The subject was soon shifted to more pressing matters. Mikhail quietly listened to the hydromancer’s retelling of events, attempting to take in the most important parts of it. Then again, everything seemed to be relevant in a way. They had to be ready for the darkness that was to come. The Judge Magister could be a formidable combatant, but a one-man’s army would only persevere so much before breaking. This creature… this “Chaos Hide”… it would come to Twilight Town sooner or later and devour the world’s heart.

Max also spoke of a girl, Xion, who possessed the power to wield a keyblade. Unfortunately, she seemed to be under some sort of coma. That certainly complicated things in a way that did nothing but irritate Mikhail. To have a possible solution to this madness and yet be unable to use it… it almost felt as if life itself was playing with them. Still, if they found a way to wake her up she could be the key to saving Twilight Town.

First, some preparations would need to be made.

“Count me in. I’m guessing the rabbit and the girl you mentioned before are helping you out with this too?” It was good to know Max wasn’t completely alone on this matter. Still, as skilled and strong as they were, Mikhail knew they wouldn’t stand a chance on their own against such a beast. Some recruiting and organization would need to be done and…

No, he was done handling such affairs.

“And we need to start looking for the keyhole. This way, once this Xion wakes up, she’ll know exactly where to go to end this.” But where to start? It would take days, maybe even weeks for them to cover all of Twilight Town. Having some areas blocked off by the debris and the lack of train service weren’t making things easier either. “Even if we do manage to push the Chaos Hide back, it won’t be enough. You and I both know the Heartless won’t stop coming until the heart of the world is out of their reach.”

“Which brings us to the part where our only keywielder is out of service. Any leads on how to fix that?”

[Maxwell Tendas]

Max allowed himself a small smile as Mikhail volunteered to help and asked about Avari and Oswald. He had always been able to rely upon his friend for help, and he was glad to see that hadn't changed. Twilight Town was going to need every defender available to keep her safe from the Chaos Hide. One more, especially of Mikhail's caliber, would be immensely helpful.

"Avari, the girl, has the guts, and the will, to fight this thing," the soldier began, shaking his head, "But right now I'm afraid she doesn't quite have the ability to back it up. I've convinced her to guard Xion instead, in case she's still out when the Chaos Hide shows up. And Oswald? Idunno what he'll do. He's a bit of a wild card, in all honesty."

Max returned to silence as the pyromancer continued, mentioning finding the keyhole and asking about leads on how to wake Xion up. The soldier couldn't keep the grin off his face as he thought about how similar Mikhail's reactions to this situation were to his own: overall calm, collected, and calculated.

"Xion's coma seems to be magically induced," Max said with a shrug, "The moogles are researching for stuff I think, but otherwise the feathery armored guy I mentioned, Marmadue, is looking after her and trying magical solutions to wake her up. I doubt it'll work, though, because Gabranth said she was trapped in the final trial he put us through. I don't think she'll wake until she's completed it herself."

Max paused momentarily as he thought of his own trial in the remnants of Ivalice. He had been brought to an illusory version of his home, Dryden. The illusion had been good, and it had felt good to think he was back home. Even Donovan had been there. In the end, though, that was what had tipped Max off to the fact that it wasn't real. Afterall, he had woken up in Fort Sentra, and he had killed Donovan himself before they ever reached the fort.

"As far as the keyhole," he continued, shaking himself out of his thoughts, "I've been looking for it since we got back. Avari's been helping me, but it's slow work. We haven't covered much ground and we haven't found it yet.

"I'm doing all I can, Mikhail," he said with a sigh and a shake of his head, "There's just so much to do and for all we know the thing could be here tomorrow. If it does that, idunno if we can stop it."

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail’s brow furrowed as he heard more about Xion’s condition. All of this made him feel even more impotent on that matter. If the Moogles and even a skilled healer such as Marmadue had been thus far unsuccessful in waking her up, they were pretty much out of options on that end. It all seemed to be up to Xion and this “trial” of hers. Then again, how was she supposed to break out of the cycle if the scenario’s conditions remained unchanged? Mikhail didn’t want to admit it, but it sounded like a fool’s errand to him.

Still, they needed a keybearer to ensure Twilight Town’s survival. There had to be something they could do. Something he could do. ”What about helping her with this trial? Getting her a message from the outside. Something to mess with the standard circumstances.”

The answer would probably be the same, but he had to try. Again, there just had to be something…

”Not surprising.” He sighed, taking a spoonful of rice into his mouth. The chances of having just two people find a keyhole on their own were terribly slim, especially when none of them had a keyblade in their hands. After all, it usually took hundreds if not thousands of Heartless to successfully raid a world and find its heart in the process. ”I can help with that. Just let me know which areas you’ve covered and I’ll start looking elsewhere.”

Mikhail thought about approaching Shaizen later that night and asking him to help with this “keyhole searching” business. However, he quickly dismissed the idea. While having more people on board could help them cover more ground in less time, he wasn’t entirely sure if he could trust him with the matter. The Tirealian was a good man, yes, but the pyromancer wasn’t sure of how good he was at keeping secrets. The last thing they needed was an ill-intentioned third party wanting to find the heart of the world to satisfy their own desires.

His expression softened when Max admitted to feeling doubtful about their chances. Being a leader was hard work, a de facto one above all. Mikhail knew from experience that the amount of pressure and stress one was usually under could prove to be a little more than troublesome to deal with. Even so, Max couldn’t allow himself to crack now. Not when a whole world’s survival relied to a large degree on his leadership.

”Hey, Max.” Mikhail raised his eyebrows, placing a hand on the soldier’s shoulder. “Take a breather. You’re doing good, and you’re giving it your all. Everyone’s playing their part. The only thing we can do now is try to be prepared. We’ll end up fighting that beast. You know there’s no way around it. We can’t run and we can’t hide; there’s nowhere to go. It’s kill or be killed, so we’ll hit it with everything we’ve got. It’ll be enough. It has to be enough.”

[Maxwell Tendas]

Max leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him as the pyromancer mentioned maybe getting a message to Xion inside of her trial. That was something he hadn’t considered before, and it was as good a shot as any given the circumstances in which they found themselves.

“That’s something I hadn’t thought of yet,” he said with a sigh and a chuckle, shaking his head, “I guess it just sounds too simple to work. But it’s worth a shot at this point.”

As Mikhail mentioned he should take some time to rest, Max gave a small smile and shook his head. His friend was right, he could use a breather. He had earned it given that the past two days he'd been running on a cumulative two hours of sleep. Right now, though, rest wasn't a luxury he could afford. There were still too many things to do before the Chaos Hide arrived for him to sit back and rest.

"A breather isn't exactly something I can afford right now," he said in response, "There's too much to do, and who knows how little time to do it in? I'm damn sure gonna sleep like a baby once we're rid of this thing, though."

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Max’s words weren’t untrue. If there really was a massive Heartless looming around the corner, time wasn’t a resource they could carelessly afford to waste. Still, as capable and willing as he was, the hydromancer was just one man. There was only so much he’d be able to handle on his own. “Even so, you can’t be everywhere at once. Who else is willing to take part in this? What about the rest of the people that met Gabranth?”

Mikhail proceeded to shove some of the steamed vegetables into his mouth. His eyes briefly lingered at the window located directly behind his comrade. Training a civilian militia would usually be a good emergency measure… but then again, this “Chaos Hide” could potentially show its face in just a couple of days. There wasn’t enough time for that. As much as he disliked the idea, word of mouth and good faith would have to do.

If Twilight Town had made it through the first assaults, strong hearts were bound to be protecting it… right?

“Keeping volunteers alert and ready to fight would be great. Still, it’s not enough. Everyone should be assisting somehow… in any way they can: building shelters, evacuating the townsfolk, transporting basic supplies…”

The pyromancer had a hard time believing most of their food and water was stored in Market Street. Convenient? Perhaps, but a terribly foolish move nonetheless. The Heartless were fighting smarter ever since the Nightfall fell upon the worlds; he wouldn’t put it past them to start getting tactical and exploit these strategic spots to their advantage.

“I don’t really know any of the others... but you do. You need to get those trustworthy enough to help you coordinate all aspects of Twilight Town’s defense.”