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.
A special thank you to ChasingArtwork of Deviantart, who allowed us to use this stellar banner image.
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.
The icons you see across the site are from FontAwesome, an amazing icon library.
All images on this site belong to their respective owners or creators. Kingdom Hearts: World Destiny does not claim ownership of anything except our unique story.
All Original characters are the intellectual property of their respective RPers. Do not steal any characters or other creative works.
All Canon Characters belong to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Square Enix and Disney.
Riku gave Xion a small sideglance as she stood beside him in the small room. It was clear she was uncomfortable, and while he hoped she would at some point feel more comfortable around others, he knew it would take time. For now though, she could stick by him if that’s what she needed. It didn't take too long before more vaguely familiar faces showed up at the infirmary, mostly people Riku had seen during the fiht against the Chaos Hide. He hadn't taken the time to formerly introduce himself, however, or get to know any of them personally.
Eventually Aqua arrived as well, offering a greeting to both him and Xion. He gave a respectful nod and a casual, ”Yeah,” in response to the blue haired keyblade master. As the majority of people seemed to have arrived and started settling in, the moogle Whimsy gathered everyone’s attention, only to quickly suggest someone else begin the discussion.
It was Aqua who stepped forward first, giving both himself and Xion a curt nod before addressing the rest of the room. She first introduced herself to the crowd and revealed her keyblade as she dove into an explanation as to why they shouldn't seal Twilight Town’s keyhole. While Riku certainly agreed, telling the townsfolk that they flat out would not seal it didn't seem like the best way to earn their trust. He could see a few uncertain glances in the room, and one of the other refugees even stood up beside Aqua. He introduced himself as Max, and Riku remembered him amongst the fighters against the Chaos Hide. Max was quick to voice his reaction to Aqua’s forceful declaration, but overall he did agree to the plan, simply reminding her that this was a discussion everyone should be a part of before he returned to his seat.
Right off the bat, it seemed like they were on the verge of arguing with one another, and with much bigger threats looming behind the scenes, it wouldn't help if they started fighting against each other. Riku closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment before glancing around at all the faces in the room. He understood Aqua’s stance on the matter, and agreed with it, but the refugees of Twilight Town still deserved a vote. If they forced these decisions upon them, it would only drive a wedge between the keyblade wielders and everyone else.
Without leaving his spot in the crowd, Riku simply raised his hand speaking up, ”Our responsibility as keyblade wielders is to protect all worlds from the darkness. So that means we won’t turn our backs on this world. But there aren’t many of us with keyblades, and there’s greater threats hiding behind the scenes, not just heartless.” He paused for a moment before stepping forward besides Aqua, ”If we do come to the decision to seal the keyhole, only one of us with keyblade can stay behind here in Twilight Town; the rest of us will be leaving to find out how to restore order to this world and all the others. And once the keyhole is sealed, no one will be getting in or out of Twilight Town.”
Not to mention they’d be stuck with whatever resources they currently had, which after the major conflict against the Chaos Hide, Riku imagined wasn’t much. As he had been speaking, he caught the gaze of the woman with curly blonde hair- the pure heart of light. She seemed to have moved closer than he realized before he had stepped up near Aqua. He hadn’t realized why she seemed familiar before, and yet didn’t seem to look like any of the Princesses of Heart that he remembered. He tensed ever so slightly as he noticed her accusing stare, and it suddenly clicked why she was familiar. Alice, a girl from Wonderland who’d apparently grown much more quickly than he had somehow. Though her stare certainly told him that she hadn’t forgotten their past, she didn’t seem to be ready to confront him about it here. So he held her gaze for several more moments before glancing about the room again.
Post by Alice Kingsleigh on Sept 29, 2018 4:37:30 GMT -4
Still entranced by the odd and curious looking rabbit-like creature, Alice didn’t question taking the free seat directly behind him. This one seemed unlike any she’d met before. His features were round and simple, comprised of mostly geometric shapes. His fur – was that even fur in the first place? The girl was almost tempted to ask permission to pet him, but empirical knowledge reminded her talking rabbits didn’t take kindly to such urges. McTwisp himself didn’t. She smiled to herself, allowing her mind to linger a few moments on her dearest fluffy companion. Could this be a distant relative of his? A cousin thrice removed? While it certainly was a possibility, such parallels had previously been drawn between Marmadue and Uilleam, another one of her friends from Underland. The results had unfortunately turned out to be less than ideal, as Yukes weren’t exactly a subset of Dodo Birds.
The woman snapped out of her daydream, focusing once again on the monochromatic rabbit before her. By that point, the critter had probably already noticed her staring.
"Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to cause you any stress, let alone discomfort. You just reminded me of a dear friend of mine, and I couldn’t help but wonder if you two were acquainted – even related, perhaps!" Alice offered him a warm smile, placing her hands on her lap. On second thought, McTwisp probably would’ve been scandalized by her new friend’s lack of an undershirt… or any kind of shirt, really. If they were in fact related, someone had undoubtedly disowned the other.
"Probably not," she concluded, golden curls shaking as she put the matter to rest. "I’m Alice. And you are?"
While the woman attempted to strike up a conversation with the Lucky Rabbit, more and more people stepped into the small infirmary. She hardly knew most of this batch; a couple she’d spotted from afar while wondering the streets, but nothing more. Alice acknowledged their presence with a series of short glances. She was too preoccupied speaking to who she already considered a new companion to greet them immediately, anyway.
Then he came in.
Alice almost missed him. The effects of having her interest piqued kept her from even turning her head as the door opened. Her body, however, seemed to be in a much more perceptive state than her mind. So many years had gone by and yet… it hadn’t forgotten. It hadn’t forgotten a single detail. A familiar chill ran down her spine, leading her whole body to tense. Her expression froze. The princess looked up… and there they were. Cold, piercing eyes of blue. For a moment, she felt like she was twelve again, standing helpless within that golden cage next to the Red Queen’s throne. Alice drew a sharp breath. She hadn’t forgotten those eyes. How could she, when she’d relived the moment countless times in her nightmares?
Those eyes had been the last thing she’d seen before being taken to Maleficent’s castle and…
He looked away.
Shock and fear turned into confusion and anger, and that sudden want – no, that sudden need to know how. How could he stand there, knowing what he’d done to her? What he’d done to Jasmine? How could he stand there, knowing how he’d fallen so deep into the darkness? How he’d tainted so many innocent lives forever?
She didn’t fully understand it herself, but for some reason the princess didn’t hate him. She didn’t even want to hate him. She just needed to understand. She needed answers.
"I’m terribly sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me." The woman rose from her seat, head throbbing and heart pounding. Twelve-year old Alice wanted to flee, to just run out the door and hide until… well, until she was certain he was gone. As irrational as the thought could seem, she couldn’t stop thinking about how she didn’t want to be taken to that castle again. She shuddered at the vivid memory of the evil fairy looking down at her, grinning with delight at her sheer horror, the silver maned boy silently standing beside her. Why couldn’t she just shake it off?! She didn’t want to be taken by the darkness. Not again, not ever.
But the vow she’d made to herself days prior also came to mind. She said was done hiding. She said was done waiting around. She said the darkness wouldn’t take her or anybody else… and that she herself would fight to make sure of it.
"Remember: six impossible things, Alice. You can do this." The woman mumbled to herself, not realizing she had walked a few feet away from her previous location… and closer to her blue-eyed captor. She would need a good dose of courage if she planned to face those demons from her past. Some liquid valor from Underland would’ve been awfully useful right then… but Father’s advice ought to work just as well.
Besides, what better way of honoring her agreement with herself than questioning her aggressor of days past? Alice didn’t know if he kept his old ties to Maleficent and her group – right then he seemed to be in the company of people lacking attachments to the dark – but if he did, that was her best lead to finding out what they were up to this time around.
The princess finally broke out of her momentary downward spiral. Taking in her surroundings, she soon realized the meeting had already begun. One of the people accompanying him, a woman named Aqua, was quick to take a leadership role as she held– was that a keyblade? Alice’s curiosity was piqued for a moment as thoughts of a certain spiky haired boy came to mind. If this Aqua was anything like Sora, she certainly was worthy of being trusted.
Still, that didn’t explain her association with him. Was she just oblivious to the man’s true nature?
Hearing him speak drew her attention back to the discussion itself. Alice fixated her eyes on him, her gaze firm and simply full of everything she was experiencing. If she’d actually been listening to his words, the captain would’ve been able to understand this wasn’t the same man she’d met all those years ago. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t focus on anything but the tone and sound of his voice. Calm, logical, direct.
Their eyes locked once more, and Alice could’ve sworn she saw a hint of recognition on his face. A soft sigh escaped her lips. It was done. He knew who she was and…
Oswald was sitting on one of the chairs that either the Moogle, Whimsy, or Marmadue had set out didn't truly matter which they were both out, but for now he was mostly talking with the Yuke and looking at everyone who walked in. First a girl with leather armor with a bow and knives, then a pale girl in a captain's outfit who he caught staring at him, then all at once Mikhail, Riku, Xion, and Maxwell all came in, then after that Aqua arrived and it seemed everyone who needed to had come. However while this was all going on he felt eyes burning a hole into his head.
Turning around Oswald saw the pale girl looking at him, seeing this she apologized in the weirdest way, he didn't imagine someone of her stature seeing a talking rabbit before. "I, uh, don't think I'ce ever seen anybody you might know, but I'm Oswald," he said while putting his hand out to shake, but then she stood up and started walking towards Riku who had just walked in at the moment while mumbling something about impossible things. "Well that was strange but hey new person I guess, do you know them Marmadue?"
Then Aqua started talking about the world and everything, it was probably alot more poetic then Oswald would have said it, but it was the truth, so they were gonna somehow leave the world and visit this Castle Oblivion he had heard the weilders talk about after the fight with Dark Hide, whatever it was it would lead him one step closer to finding his way home.
This was far too uncomfortable for her, too reminiscent of those meetings where she stood below the Organization as they spoke about her like she wasn't even there. Memories of facelessness, of others viewing her as other people, how little she had a sense of self. Her hand clenched anxiously as others spoke, especially Aqua. The woman was familiar to her, in a distant memory not even hers, but authority worried her. Instead, her eyes wandered around the room, to take in who was there, eyes lingering on those she recognized. Maramude was a common face in these parts, Oswald had been in the battle, as had Max. Those names she had picked up. She let her gaze linger on Alice for a moment longer than the others, eyes going wide as she realized what Riku had meant by a pure heart. Sora knew her. She was a Princess of Heart.
It was then she knew what had to be done. There was still light, so she swallowed as Riku stepped back and called the Kingdom Key to her hand in a flash of light.
"For those who don't know my name, I'm Xion. I make no claim to the title of Master or any of that, but what I can tell you is I've been out there, I've played both sides of this conflict, and I've seen the suffering that this causes. I shouldn't exist, but I do, and it has to be for a purpose. The Organization, the Heartless, all of them thought they could isolate the worlds and take them out one by one, but there's always been hearts of light who fight for the right thing, and you've all proved to have the conviction to do so. Whether a Keyblade wielder, Princess of Heart, or on the side of the light, you have a duty. There's no one but us now, and hundreds of worlds where people have succumbed to the darkness we need to find. This world is precious, but it's the safest it is going to be for some time.
I'm not going to tell you to come with me, but if the Keyhole is locked, you won't be able to leave. It would be safe, but you would be closed off to the other worlds. I know I can't make you decide anything, and I'm not trying to. But I'll be leaving this world regardless of any other decisions. I know where the answers lie, and I'm going to find them to bring as many worlds back to the light as I can, to make up for my cursed existence. So... That's all I have to say."
Looking down sheepishly again, she stepped back and rested her hands on the guard of her Kingdom Key. She had said enough, probably too much. Who knew if it would do any good?
Post by Mikhail Rutherford on Sept 30, 2018 23:44:11 GMT -4
Mikhail raised an eyebrow at the silver maned woman. He was genuinely surprised to see another one of Max’s people – Gremdamites, as he called them – had made it this far unnoticed. Icy eyes lingered on the bow next to her. She was a warrior, no doubt about it. Her mere stance, even as she sat, gave that away. But her aura lacked the brash and rough qualities that were second-nature to Max’s. Instead, it spoke of other traits: tranquility, devotion… a slight air of wariness and caution, and a hint of something mystical the knight couldn’t quite place. There was also that light that shone, though dimly, deep within her core...
If only they weren’t surrounded by so many charged presences.
The pyromancer’s thoughts went to his own people as he took his seat. It had been a while – probably years – since he’d last toyed with the idea of there being other Elonians around. He’d looked hard for them at first, trusting that at least one of his brethren-in-arms had made it out alive. But the days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, and the more he traveled the more disheartened he became. There was no sign of Talya. No sign of Leo. No sign of Senya.
But Mira… he’d found her. Against all odds, they’d bumped into each other while partaking in that cursed tournament at Olympus Coliseum. She said she knew something more about Elona’s fall. Something important. They barely had a chance to catch up before…
They were gone. He’d made his peace with that a long time ago. If other Elonians had escaped darkness’s embrace, he’d know. He’d know.
Destroying the Heartless – every single one of them – was the only way to bring them back.
As conversations died down and people began taking their seats, Mikhail turned his attention to the pressing matter at hand. Aqua, the blue-haired keybearer from the Sandlot skirmish was the first to step up. Her general stance on the matter wasn’t a surprise for him. After all, the woman had clearly expressed her reluctance to seal Twilight Town’s keyhole when he first suggested the idea. He too had begun to see hints of that reasoning after his brief chat with Xion. What did catch him off guard, however, were the authoritarian undertones of her speech. The knight glanced around the room; clearly, he wasn’t the only one put off by this blatant disregard of other people’s opinions on the subject.
Max was the next to raise his voice. The soldier agreed with Aqua’s plan – an unexpected turn of events, given his pre-mortem thoughts on the topic – but didn’t waste his chance to chastise her for her self-righteous display. Mikhail probably would’ve interjected to second that last statement if the other two keyblade wielders, Riku and Xion hadn’t decided to speak up first.
Neither of them supported locking the keyhole, of course. This keyblade trio had faith in the answers that arguably lied within Castle Oblivion. Mikhail himself hoped they were right about that, for all their sakes. It was their only lead, after all, and if it didn’t pay off, well…
Needless to say, the pair’s words were much more likely to rally the public opinion behind them than their Master’s.
"I agree," the Elonian began, rising from his seat while refusing to take the center stage like most had before him. "We’ve all seen the destructive powers of darkness. We’ve all lived it. Most of us had our worlds taken and consumed by the Heartless. Hell, this place nearly suffered that same fate a couple of days ago. Yes, we’ve all made it this far to tell the tale. Yes, Twilight Town resisted and persevered. But it’s not enough."
"I’m Mikhail. Most of you probably don’t know me. I may not wield a shiny keyblade like our three comrades over there, but I’ve been fighting this fight for years. I’ve seen worlds fall, one after the other, and I’ve seen many brave people die trying to protect what little light is left." He turned to Aqua, Riku and Xion, and offered them a respectful nod before continuing. "If it hadn’t been for you three, Twilight Town wouldn’t have withstood that beast’s attack. For that, you have my thanks. While I agree following this trail is the best and only chance we have to get to the bottom of this, I don’t think leading the whole cavalry to this Castle Oblivion is the smart play here."
"This world – these people deserve an opportunity to survive. I understand the need for answers. I’m sure we all share it," Mikhail addressed the small crowd once again, his eyes briefly lingering on each of them. "But each of us has a role to play in this war, and not all of us can stand on the frontlines. The question is: once we, or whoever decides to follow the keyblade wielders, leaves, how do we make sure Twilight Town still has its best fighting chance against the darkness?"
Whimsy fluttered back to his comfy countertop as people began to speak up and discuss these “serious, important matters”. A soft sigh escaped him, pom-pom clearly toppling down in disappointment. Oh, he listened. He had to, after all. His fellow Moogles would expect a detailed report from him as soon as the meeting wrapped up. Whimsy just hoped all these people would stay and play with him for a little while once their “business” was taken care of.
Just as he’d begun to get comfortable, laying next Marmadue’s abandoned tray of refreshments, a sorrowful voice caught his interest. Whimsy turned his head back to the group, his movement sluggish before laying eyes on the black-haired maiden wielding… was that an oversized key? THE oversized key?
So cool!
As the Moogle took flight toward her, he noticed the blue-haired woman standing near the poor girl also held a similar weapon… though different at the same time. Who knew oversized keys came in different models AND assorted colors? Whimsy would have to write that down in his notes. He’d been explicitly told to keep an eye out for those things.
For now, though, the small creature found delight in gently landing on top of Xion’s head. So. Unexpectedly. Comfy. The perfect spot for a nap. Plus, if this cheered the girl up, it’d all be for the better. It probably would. Humans were often strange like that.
It was like the world was moving slower somehow as Avari regained consciousness. She was alone at the Station Plaza, weak and crumpled up on the ground. The pain she felt in her chest was immediate and sharp, and a gasp escaped her as she rolled her head back, coughing and choking on the blood trapped in her throat. Her gaze drifted to her right, resting upon the sight of the cracked earth where she had melted the brickwork with her magma spell to try and fight off...
The dragon. The creature was nowhere to be seen, nor were its neoshadow minions- or any heartless for that matter. Even just the thought of a heartless intelligent enough to speak was concerning, but what she had just encountered terrified her beyond reason. She found herself trembling through the pain just from simply recalling the dragon's voice as it taunted her. Why it had left her here when she clearly wasn't dead wasn't a question Avari asked herself at this point. All she knew was that she was alone, experiencing crippling pain, and that she needed to get help, find someone, anyone.
Through gritted teeth, Avari forced herself to her feet, stumbling a few steps as blood dripped from her torn clothing. Her sword was light as a feather as she scooped it up, and yet, it still hung from her grasp and drug against the brick as she wavered forward and away from the station. As she continued further towards Market Street she couldn't seem to find a soul around, it was like Twilight Town was abandoned out of nowhere. She couldn't help but start to panic, and the further she had to move the less strength she had.
----
By the time she reached Marmadue's makeshift infirmary, she was near collapse. The world was spinning like a top and her vision felt blurry, even the pain was starting to ebb away as her mind teetered between consciousness and shutting down. She met the door with all her weight, pausing a moment at the thud to catch her breath and allow her a moment to coax her hand to reach for the door knob. When the door swung in she stumbled forward, barely catching her footing as she took in the scene before her.
Relief washed over her as she found the room full of familiar and unfamiliar faces, but all the same, she had finally found help, and she needed to warn them. "D-..." She felt the world shift as she tried to speak, and her sword clattered to the ground as she fell to her knees. Still she had to tell them, "Dragon! Heartless dragon! At the station- it disappeared but..." She winced, grasping at her chest, "I couldn't... fight it."
Post by Maxwell Tendas on Oct 1, 2018 13:15:20 GMT -4
Max listened as others chimed in after him: the first, a silver haired boy who didn’t give his name but echoed the same sentiment as Aqua that he had agreed with: then a black haired girl, calling herself Xion, stepped forward saying she was leaving Twilight Town, regardless of the decision they made here, something Max could understand: then Mikhail piped up, adding onto the prior inputs by suggesting that everyone shouldn’t go to Castle Oblivion, but rather leave some people behind who could help defend Twilight Town. Max found himself agreeing with his friend on the final point of his. He was about to speak up and voice his support for it when a thud sounded from the door. It was loud, loud enough to catch everyone’s attention, and Max’s hand instinctively went to his sword, ready for a fight.
Then the doors opened and in came a bloody and panicked looking Avari.
She stumbled forward, barely keeping her feet as she took in gasping breaths. Her shirt was torn on the left side, revealing a deep and bloody gash underneath. She started to say something, but cut herself short as she collapsed to her knees and dropped her sword. Before the clatter of the metal even hit their ears, Max was bolting towards her.
“Dragon! Heartless Dragon! At the station - it disappeared but...” she shouted out to them all, seemingly barely conscious as Max approached her, “I couldn’t...fight it.”
Max briefly looked over the girl’s injuries from a closer vantage point. The gash was deep, and still bleeding. A trail of blood was soaking her clothing and running down her body. It could even be seen soaking into the waist of her pants. She also had dirt dug into her clothes and there were other numerous rips and tears in the fabric, which indicated she had been in a fight. A fight, it seemed, she had barely emerged from with her life.
“Marmadue!” Max shouted out, briefly looking to find the Yuke before motioning him over.
“We’ll get you taken care of, Avari. Let’s get you a little more comfortable first,” Max told Avari as he reached over and lifted her up gently before setting her back on the floor on her back, “Now, can you tell us what happened?”
It seemed like Marmadue wasn't the only creature that reminded Alice of someone she knew, her interest piqued by Oswald this time – who, unfortunately, didn't quite seem to know what the girl was talking about, either. And speaking of Alice, she suddenly started acting in a very… Strange manner, as more people had poured in the room. Last time she wasn't very upset when there was no happy reunion or someone who might have known a person she did, so the Yuke doubted that was why she suddenly excused herself. His gaze followed the girl, slightly puzzled and some worry had made its way in there too. Something he quickly shook off as Oswald turned to ask him a question. "Ah, Miss Alice, I presume? We are acquainted, yes…"
Marmadue sat and listened as the meeting started properly, the woman with the keyblade he had met after the onslaught of the giant Heartless being the first one to speak up. His gaze fell downwards, still not quite understanding the nature of the Heartless or these keyholes, but it was confirmation enough that they did exist and were something that could help them – but at a price. A heavy subject, that. The Yuke looked up once again as Maxwell raised his voice – definitely colored by disdain – and objected to some things, but ultimately agreeing with Aqua. That seemed to be the case with most. No one wanted to be trapped, if there was an answer somewhere out there. Getting rid of the Heartless, perhaps getting back home, something that just wasn't the rather depressing ruins of a broken world…
Not that he had the slightest of clues how one could leave, them all having been trapped even without locking this mysterious keyhole.
A question he had to ask later. There was the other side of the issue Mikhail brought up, something they all had witnessed even in Twilight Town. There were Heartless around, preying upon them, destroying what they could. And a particularly large one had just been there, taking everything they had to vanquish it for now! What if something like that happened again? What if something even stronger appeared? Marmadue rubbed the feathers on his hands, getting nervous with Mikhail's words. The truth wasn't pretty. Seemed like the offered solutions all could lead into great sacrifices, no matter what.
Thud.
The Yuke jumped in his seat as something hit the door from the other side, his eyes instantly flicking in its direction. Of course his mind followed the course it had taken: monsters? Again? Already? His body tensed up and he didn't dare to breathe. The handle rattled, the door opened…
And in burst Avari in a rather sorry state, barely able to keep standing. Blood had stained her clothes. Marmadue drew in a sharp breath. "M-Miss Avari!" He called out, standing up. Maxwell didn't have to tell him twice – he didn't even have to tell him once! The Yuke rushed over to the girl, kneeling beside her on the floor as Maxwell adjusted her position. Of course he was worried, afraid. Not just because Avari had gotten hurt, but why. It was as if all of his worst thoughts were coming true! "Please, just a little longer," Marmadue's voice was soft as he brought his hands above the girl's wounds and allowed his magic to start seeping out, covering them and the wounds in a warm, greenish glow.
"Ah, if someone could provide a pillow from amongst the rest of the bedding…?"
Post by Alice Kingsleigh on Oct 3, 2018 0:27:19 GMT -4
Princess of Heart.
Her own heart dropped as soon as she heard those words. Frozen in place like a deer caught in headlights, Alice’s gaze frantically swept the room. So much for secrecy and caution. She mentally kicked herself in the shins for allowing her emotional baggage to get the best of her. The woman had been so focused on Riku and the history between them that the meeting itself utterly slipped her mind. Now, she wondered what other tidbits of information had been shared so far.
Alice’s eyes were ultimately fixated on a figure sporting a black coat. Another of Riku’s acquaintances, it seemed, but, just like Master Aqua, they too held a key in their hand. That fact itself compelled her to listen – actually listen – to what this person had to say. As far as she knew, those weapons were a sigil of justice. Light itself had chosen their bearers… and that, in the princess’s mind, was enough to make them worthy of her trust.
The speech was good. Once it ended and the hooded wielder took a step back, Alice was left with a warm sensation in her core. The moment, though short-lived, appeared to fill the crowd with determination, and the words themselves carried certain truths with them. The princess still wasn’t sure if her role involved staying in Twilight Town or following the group elsewhere, but she knew she’d be pulling her weight somehow regardless. As a vessel of light, it was her duty to do so.
But the question remained: how did they know about the Princesses of Heart? Was it common knowledge among all wielders, old and new? Curiosity urged Kingsleigh to take a closer look at this cloaked individual…
Her heartbeat quickened as a sudden rush of familiarity hit her like a tidal wave.
That keyblade... she’d seen it before. And that face… was that… him?
Brown spikes gradually shifted into shortened dark cascades as Alice blinked a few times in disbelief. It almost felt as if she’d taken a drag from Absolem’s pipe of mystery herbs.
The captain barely had enough time to start rationalizing the mirage when something else crashed into the main door with a strong thud. She instinctively reached down for her sword and shield, but her hands just clumsily grasped at empty air. Ah, that’s right. She’d decided to leave those back at the shelter. Just her luck. The sudden call for improvisation led Alice to begin channeling light down her right arm. A small precaution, just in case whatever lurked outside the infirmary was…
A girl. A bleeding, hyperventilating girl.
One of the men – Alice vaguely recalled him as the first to stand up to speak after Aqua – immediately rushed to her side. Marmadue followed shortly after, not wasting any time to start treating the child’s wounds. It was the right move. Even from a distance, the severity of the damage was quite noticeable. The time to act was limited. The captain dashed to the pile of bedding in the room once the healer requested a pillow. Her impulsive pick turned out to be rather sturdy, but it would have to do for the time being.
"Here," Alice kneeled next to Marmadue. She tried to be as gentle with her hands as possible while placing the pillow under the girl’s upper body. Goodness gracious, this one looked much younger up close. The thought of the Heartless – let alone a dragon – targeting such vulnerable groups… it worried her, to say the least. The woman's thoughts flickered back to Riku for a split second. Could he possibly know something about this or even-
No. This wasn't the time to start pointing fingers at each other.
"Hello… Avari, is it? My name is Alice… and I’m a friend. There’s nothing to fear now. You’re safe, and you’re going to be alright. Mister Marmadue here will take good care of you." The princess held the girl’s hand in an attempt to comfort and soothe. Some would probably want to interrogate her, but Kingsleigh doubted the added stress would do her any good.
"Is there anything else I can assist with?" Alice turned to look at Marmadue, clutching the green glowing materia within her pockets with a free hand. The state of Avari’s wounds – especially the big one near her chest – made the woman feel a tad uneasy. Anything to help quicken the healing process would be much appreciated.
In truth, Aqua had been emulating Master Eraqus since the moment she opened her mouth. Give or take a stutter, of course.
The Master had always wielded such a gravitas that she had always found herself hanging on his every word when it came to lessons. She would lap up knowledge from him like a horse by the first stream for miles, and it was because of that innate respect for his ability to take command of a situation that she tried to speak in the same way he had to her, Terra, and Ven all those years ago.
But then again, that had never worked out very well for her.
"You're awful, Aqua."
Ven's words still cut deep to the core of her heart despite the passage of time. She had attempted to be a Master when she first tried to bring her boys home. That had been a mistake she paid for dearly. What they had really needed at the time was for her to be the same person she had always been. Their friend.
Aqua couldn't help but think about Terra's ire towards her when they'd crossed paths at Radiant Garden when Max spoke up. Had he really thought she was trying to claim authority over them just because of the keyblade?
"You have to," she started, cutting herself off halfway through the sentence. "Please, know that it was never my intention to make the decision for you, just as you can't make my decisions for me. If you choose to shut the keyhole and find a wielder willing to do it, I'll just have to leave for Castle Oblivion before that happens."
The keyblade vanished from her fingertips in another spark of light, and she gave the faces in the room one last look before retreating into the background as Max stepped forward.
Aside from the flash of embarrassment that manifested in a pink dusting over her cheeks, Aqua remained unphased by the encounter and was more than happy to listen to the others speak. Despite his gruff retort to her call to action, Max seemed reasonable enough. Riku too seemed to be of the same mind he'd been when she met with him at the old mansion, and Xion and Mikhail were also quick to support her. Yes. She was sure that things were going to be okay now.
And then Avari burst through the door wounded, out of breath, and screaming something about a Heartless Dragon.
Every hair on her body stood on end.
Just how many hits could this world take? The Chaos Hide had nearly tipped the scales in Darkness' favor, and now there was a full-blown dragon out there somewhere? Her blood was running cold, and her mind flooded with images of her time in the Realm of Darkness. The army of Darksides she'd been surrounded by, the myriad of Hell's Swarms, all of the scuttling swarms of gluttony craving nothing more than to rip the heart from her chest.
The Master's Defender flickered back to life in her hand out of reflex alone. Wherever this thing was, it could have followed Avari here. They needed to be ready.
Mikhail and Max were right. If she were to leave and take other wielders with her, they would need to leave someone who could fight in Twilight Town; someone who could handle the Heartless. The question was...Who?
Max had been quick to stand up and voice his opinion after the blue haired keyblade wielder spoke, and Lorena found herself sharing in his opinion on the matter, for the most part. Once he had pointed out that this was a decision for them all to discuss, and for the most part that seemed to smooth matters over. The next one to step forward was a young silver-haired man who didn't give his name explained the duties of a keyblade wielder, and how sealing the keyhole would prevent anyone from leaving Twilight Town. The black haired girl in the coat spoke next, telling explaining to them what their duty was, whether they had a keyblade or not.
Lorena glanced down as the young girl spoke, casting her gaze towards her unstrung bow that was leaning against the wall. For most of her life, Lorena's duties had been very clearly laid out before her, protect Relana and Azeran and her fellow acolytes, and spend her life studying the magic that her mentors had passed onto her. It was a responsibility that was ripped from her gradually, first with failing to protect Relana's life, and not being able to find Azeran once the heartless had invaded their world. Ever since then, Lorena had felt so lost; few other Grendamites trusted the aid of a former acolyte, so she felt powerless as she watched her world fall to darkness. As much as she resented the rest of the people of her world, she still wished she could have done more. And then she watched yet world, Radiant Garden fall not too long after, and she had nothing to show for the time she had wasted remaining in hiding from the rest of the world. Even here in this new world on the brink of destruction, she had still hidden herself away from everyone, too worried about being considered an enemy to help where it really mattered. She needed purpose.
So as the final speaker rose, a man who introduced himself as Mikhail, and he began explaining how they couldn't leave Twilight Town defenseless, his words resonated with her, and for once in a long while, she knew what she needed to do. Just as she rose to her feet, bow in hand, however, there was a loud thud against the door. Her grip tightened on the bow, hand ready to conjure an arrow, but she paused as the door swung open to reveal a young wounded girl. Several of the meeting attendees rushed to help, including Max as the girl weakly warned them of some sort of dragon heartless nearby. Despite the girl saying it had disappeared, Lorena took the initiative to step outside to ensure no danger had followed the girl here. She left the door open, occasionally glancing back at the crowd to assess the situation, but for the most part keeping an eye out for this dragon.
Dragons weren't an entirely new concept to Lorena, and Max was sure to know something about them too. While the dragon heartless in question may not have come from Grendam, dragons had existed in their homeworld, though their numbers had dwindled to near extinction. She had only heard stories of them making their home in the nation of Dryden. If this dragon was anything like the stories she'd heard, it would be a powerful foe to face now, especially so soon after the last major heartless attack. She wasn't even sure who all here was capable in a fight. After a moment or two of hesitation, she glanced back inside and called to whoever was listening, "I'll keep an eye out. If it followed her here, I'll warn you all." She then shut the door and found her way back up to the rooftops where she was most comfortable, keeping a tight perimeter of the building with sharp archer training.
Riku's gaze turned to Xion as she revealed her keyblade to the room and began speaking as well. She came right out and announced her checkered past, even though it was no fault of her own. She was seeking her purpose, and encouraged the others to do the same; everyone had a role to play in protecting a keyblade. He found himself giving a nod of agreement as he listened to her, but his gaze eventually wound up near Alice again from time to time. He needed to speak with her once this meeting was done. He was certain he needed to clear the air, speaking of checkered pasts and all, and warn her as a Princess of Heart that she may be targeted again.
He glanced over as another man spoke up, calling himself Mikhail. Riku recognized him as another who had taken part in the fight against the Chaos Hide, and gave him a respectful nod as he spoke. Mikhail was rightly concerned about who would remain to protect the town while they keyblade wielders and whoever else went off to Castle Oblivion searching for answers. He would have been more than willing to stay behind to help here, but while Sora was still missing, he had a responsibilitity as a master to help Aqua awaken Ven, and gather the remaining Guardians of light to fight against Xehanort and his Seekers of Darkness. With the town's strongest still recovering from their last battle, however, it did leave the important question of who would remain behind, and Riku wasn't sure he could bring himself to choose if he wasn't willing to stay behind himself.
He closed his eyes thoughtfully as he pondered this, but arrived at the same conclusion. Going after Ven was likely a trap, as Aqua had warned him before. They couldn't risk only sending Aqua and Xion to retrieve Ven and bring him back here, especially if Xehanort was waiting for Aqua to seek out her dear friend. It was going to be a dangerous journey, and they had to go in with as strong of a force as they could manage, without letting Twilight Town fall in their absence.
Then there came an abrupt thud at the door. Instinctively, Riku called his keyblade to his hand, but a moment later a girl stumbled through warning them about a heartless in the form of a dragon. Riku's mind flashed to Malificent, and perhaps Alice had thought the same, as he caught her gaze briefly before she began helping the others tend to the girl. If Alice was suspicious of him, he couldn't blame her, but he couldn't worry about that right now. Aqua drew her keyblade beside him, and he gave her a curt nod; if the dragon made an appearance, they would fight it off. The silver-haired woman volunteered to keep watch outside shortly after and closed the door behind her on her way out.
He had seen the fliers decorating the walls all over town for the past few days. It was one of those things to tack to the to-do list in the back of your mind and put it on the back burner for later. It had struck him as odd that the streets seemed even more desolate than normal. Perhaps you couldn't always see peoples' presences, but usually one could feel them. There was nothing particularly off-putting: no tell-tale signs of evil. It was just strange that tonight seemed even more lonely out here than usual.
Not that he'd given it too much thought. His mind was on another matter. There was an item he'd recently acquired. One he was interested in having one of the Moogles evaluate. It wasn't until he was half-way into his trip down to the Moogle's Shop at the center of Market Street when his lingering jade gaze caught just the right spot on one of the little papers plastered sideways along the wall. The soft light from the fragmented moon illuminated the time for the meeting. Wait... that was... now? Ahhh... He was going to be late! He snatched the paper from the wall. As he did, the corners of the parchment that were tacked to the wall ripped clean off. It didn't matter: he had what he needed.
He was lucky enough to have had no need for admittance into the small infirmary, so it was understandable that a bit more of his time might be eaten in just trying to -find- the place. It wasn't exactly like the building stood out like a sore thumb, or that anyone around here had the munny to pour into creating lighted signs or fixtures to indicate that the makeshift hospital was anything more than another ordinary shelter. The only indication he was close was a woman who stood guard along the rooftops. He hadn't missed her position: the Flurry had an eye for those sorts of things. To make up for his lack of brute force he had a fair amount of dexterity in the perception department. Of course, if the Archer hadn't greeted him yet, the confident redhead would give her a wave. "Good evening!" He began. The flier was still in his hand. He supposed he could tuck that into the pocket of his coat for now. "I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of the infirmary, could ya?"
Of course there was always the option that she would react in hostility. It wasn't out of the range of possibilities, and there were three weapons ready to come to his aid if a skirmish had to break out. But it would have benefited them both better if neither of them had to fight. Besides, there was a meeting going on that he was already late for.
A faded cloth drape made for a mock-up door to one of the small side-rooms in the infirmary. Era had been feeding a bedridden patient when she'd heard several people file in. Of course her duties were the first thing to focus on, but once the elderly man was finished eating, she set the bowl down and trotted over to the door, peeking out the side to get a look.
"What do you see?" The man's ragged and gruff voice questioned her. There was a little bit of peaceful stability at the base of his voice.
From the context she could gather it sounded a lot like a meeting about what the right action was for Twilight Town. This was just the sort of meeting that was up her alley! "It sounds like they're talking about whether or not to leave Twilight Town." These were the next steps. The actions that would decide the fates of the survivors; and the fates of all of those whom they still had the potential to save. Obviously Era was a bit excited about it, but she remained composed, staying at the bedside of the injured man. Her first concern was for the wellbeing of the people she'd already committed to taking care of. The group outside had grown louder. Just what was going on out there?
Mr. Frost cracked a gentle smile. "I can tell you want to be out there," he began. "You should go. Do what needs to be done to take care of things. You young ones are the only ones who can."
Those ice-blue eyes looked back at the man, the gentlest change in her gaze took place as she considered what he was saying. She had always done what she thought was right because it was right. She had been through many worlds declaring the impending Nightfall before it finally happened. She was familiar with spreading the Light and repelling the Darkness. But she was less familiar with this idea: that there were previous generations who depended on them to do what they no longer could. The idea sank deep into her gut, and she gave it time to settle in her mind before looking into the old man's eyes. There was a smile on her face that spoke of the determination in her heart. "I will," she politely replied. A few steps closer to the old man. She fluffed up his pillow, guiding the injured man onto his back, and offering him a drink of water from the little glass from the wooden meal tray she'd brought in earlier. "But first, I'm going to finish taking care of you." She tucked him in. It wasn't much, but anything she could do to help these people feel more like they were at home the better. "Can I get you anything else?"
He smiled at the small angel for a nurse. "No, thank you."
Era blew out the candle that was used to light the room, opening up the cloth drape door. And as she did, he spoke one more line to her. "The world needs more of you."
She smiled back to him. "Thanks Mr. Frost," she cooed. She thought about how much courage his words had given her. "It could use more of you, too." With that, she let the door close behind her and walked into the gathering. It looked like someone had gotten injured. She had heard something about a Dragon while she was attending Mr. Frost. It was worthy to note that a lofty fight might ensue, should the Dragon return.
The woman on the floor had more than enough help gathered around her, and in Marmadue's care she was sure to do just fine. Her attention turned, then, to what she could do. A glass of water from the small refreshment allotment, an extra blanket from the back... by the time Marmadue had finished with her there would be no need for bandages. Did the Yuke even know how beneficial he was? And what of him, when he was done? He was expending a lot of energy into taking care of Avari.
Once Era had fetched the items for the injured girl, she took a few steps away from the group, her attention on all the good that Marmadue was doing... And how best to support him for his efforts. All of the magic she knew was offensive. But maybe someone else knew. Era's eyes flicked to some of the other Denizens of Light gathered here and she cleared her throat. Perhaps nobody had really noticed her presence yet. "Hello everyone. I am Era; I've been a caretaker here at the infirmary for a few weeks now. You might not think this meeting concerns me, but I fight for the Light just like all of you." Her presence, although short for your average female, was strong. Not intimidating or forceful but definitely vibrant. "I know this might sound weird, but does anybody know any support spells? Hopefully this will work as well as I anticipate, but I'm thinking that if we can give Marmadue a little extra power, maybe he can fully heal her more easily." If they could ensure the care of Marmadue - maybe even feed him a little extra energy, perhaps he perhaps they would all be on their A-Game going forward. Of course that was a lot of positive thinking filled with a lot of ifs, but Era was just that sort of person. She was in it to win. In it for the good of everybody. It wasn't that she doubted the Yuke's powers - she was a living testament to how well they worked! But if the forces of Light were about to be divided, as the splinters of the conversation she'd caught onto earlier suggested, there was no harm in getting all the players to full capacity.