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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Antique smiled up at him when he took her hand; she was sure by this point that Roze was not an opposing force, at least, not for this moment. Even though she logically probably should have been. But with Roze she felt a sort of peace wash over her, even though it was drizzled with melancholy. Her free hand delicately took the rose carefully; the same hands that could wield the claymore at her side seemed to be more suited for handling roses.
"Thank you, Roze," she said quietly, as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. They looked delicate, though her hands were rough and calloused from handling weapons a good deal of her life.
"I have lots of questions, like--"
She turned around swiftly at the sound of another voice. "Oh!" she said, with a bit of surprise. "Hello, Fluffy," she beamed. Ever since that day where his hair had poofed in the rain, she had called him that nickname ever since. Her hand slid out of Roze's. A rabbit? Her hands went over her ears, just to make sure.
Making sure she wasn't sprouting bunny ears, she tucked the rose that was gift from Roze behind her ear, threading her hair around it. Old habit, really. When she was younger she would have made a crown of flowers. It suited her, really.
And then there was this kind of long winded speech about darkness and Heartless that held her attention. Antique's face turned a bit red, not really knowing what to say. She glanced up at Roze, wondering what he was going to reply.
"Redemption..." Antique mouthed, as she looked at the ground. Was that possible for someone like her, too?
Post by shinjihirako on Nov 27, 2009 3:39:21 GMT -4
He held a stoic face as a man interrupted his conversation with Antique and went on about humanity. "Redemption is something that does not exist, doing something good to cover up something bad is still wrong. Acts of evil and good shall remain in your book of life for all eternity. And as for the Heartless, one who is not one of them couldn't understand. We gather hearts and seek about bringing the worlds into a never ending darkness and through that we will have peace. Humans on the other hand war against one another and do not care for the peace they preach about." The appearance of Mikael had made him return to his calm but spiteful tone.
He looked towards Antique again the smile back on his face. "So tell me Antique, what did you wish to know." The spite gone the aura he sent out remained un-hostile. He would hope the man not pursue this matter any further for he did not feel like repeating himself.
((Well, when I first saw the thread I did tell Antique that maybe I would be joining. She didn't say I couldn't join, so I took it as a yes. So yeah, a made a mistake. Sorry for any problems I may have caused, Naoya, Antique.))
Unfortunately for Roze, that wasn't going to happen. Yes, even though the Heartless's arguments were good, they weren't enough to shake Mikael's believes. "If redempton doesn't exist, then peace is a lie. Why? It is necessary to forgive in order to leave in peace. If we don't forgive those who have harmed us, our hate will continue to grow, and grow. Sacrificing others for this "greater good" you speak of won't fix the problem. Darkness can't exist without light, and what you're trying to you will break the balance and bring chaos to the universe."
"Some time ago I was a servant of Light, and considered everything related to Darkness evil. One day, I realized how mistaken I was. The universe needs to be balanced; Light can't rule the universe, the same with Darkness. This leaves us one lone path to follow." The answer was quite obvious: Dawn. Mikael turned around and grinned at Antique. "Don't let it trouble you that much, you aren't transforming into a bunny."
"Redemption is something that does not exist, doing something good to cover up something bad is still wrong. Acts of evil and good shall remain in your book of life for all eternity."
Antique clutched the fabric around her chest and pulled at it as she looked at the ground. So, no matter what she did, she could never make the red on her hands wash away? On the emotional level, anyway. One would never be able to tell what Antique's profession was anyway, except for the Claymore hanging on her side. The things she had done for fealty's sake hung heavily on her heart. Because she had thought it was the right thing--but really, coming to Traverse Town had confused her. It had brought things to light, really, that she wasn't quite sure she was ready to deal with. Roze said that her heart was full of light, but it was hard for her to imagine. Antique, who felt like she was a black knight with a maiden's face.
"So...there's no way I can ever make up...even for the bad things I've done?" Antique asked quietly. "I can't, so to say, cleanse my heart?" she laid a hand softly over her chest. Back in the day, what she had done...she thought she was doing good. She knew the wool had been pulled over her eyes, so to say.
She smiled at both of them. Maybe the Heartless existed for a reason, to bring that balance back. And Roze was very kind, she just found it very hard to dislike him. Mikael was a very kind fellow too, she could sense that.
"In the end, I suppose I'll never know. Both of you make very good points," she said and sighed.
"Don't let it trouble you that much, you aren't transforming into a bunny."
Antique threw her hands over her ears and yelped. "I better not be!"
Post by shinjihirako on Dec 3, 2009 21:19:13 GMT -4
"So...there's no way I can ever make up...even for the bad things I've done?"
"Do not think of it that way, though it may not be redeemed nor forgotten, it does not mean you must continue to think on it. What has been done has been done, that is the past, this the present. So if you have something that troubles you and you want to speak about it, speak." Roze spoke happily always knowing that if one had a problem, if you had a friend you wouldn't be alone with it.
Roze chuckled at the mans response, not at him but simply the idea. "You have mis-interpreted what I have meant Mikael, though redemption is something that does not exist forgiving another for the evil they have commited is still possible. Trust may be placed once more in them and even friendship, but the sin they commited should not go un-remembered. And to think sacrifices must not be made in order to help others, such foolishness. Anything that is worth having will have some sacrifice, the peace of the universe will require it as well. And who is to dictate that such a thing will happen Mikael? The universe had started off as darkness until the light ushered in, who is to say it was not fine the way it was? To dictate the never ending darkness or light as right or wrong is simply self-righteous. Perhaps my dream is not right for the universe but to bring peace I would do anything. I would pursue the never ending light if I thought it possible, but an existence between just brings out strife, war, anger, and sadness..." At the end of his minor rant Roze drifted off slightly. His hands wormed into his pockets slightly and almost seemed lost in thought.
Roze had spent at least a year wandering the worlds and within that time he had decided that the world could not exist as it was. As he started thinking further he began to once again question his ideals though like had a month or two ago. Was this the right path to be following? Was it possible to exist in a universe between light and dark? His head started to hurt again and he left those thoughts alone for another time.
It was then that Mikael decided to stop arguing about redemption. Now that he thought about it, it wasn´t a subject as important as the other two. However, deep down in his heart, the man knew that Roze´s arguments were good, really brilliant. The Heartless had wits and intelligence, something really uncommon in his kind. He really deserved respect.
"I must say, you have a point there. What is done, is done. We can´t change the past, unless we are time wizards." A mental image of Mira casting Stopga came to his mind, but he quickly shook it off. "Yes, everything needs sacrifice, which can be seen as hard work and dedication. If someone attacks you, you have all the rights to defend yourself. But how can you say that breaking innocent people´s dreams of life is necessary for peace? Most of them didn´t know of the Heartless as they died, they didn´t know about their powers."
"All of us harm the worlds, unless we wish the balance of the universe. Call it self-righteous, but you know its true deep down." He looked up, glancing at the bright stars. He remembered that story, that fairytale, about light and darkness. But, was it real? After all, fairytales are nothing but lies. "About a decade ago, a traveler visiting my world told our people a story about light and darkness. It goes somewhat like this: Long ago, the world was united and filled with warm light. People loved the light, and eventually began fighting over it. Then, Darkness found its way into people's hearts. Darkness consumed the hearts and light of the people, and in a flash it spread... The world disappeared into the darkness. But a glimmer of light remained in the hearts of children... Children gathered their glimmers of light and recreated the worlds. The recreated world, however, was no longer united... It was divided into several smaller worlds. Because the true light was still hidden deep within the darkness."
He looked down, glancing at Roze once more. "People need light, just as they need darkness. Right now, darkness has the advantage, and its power has lead its wielders to fight for it. Creatures will always fight against each other, its in our nature. Total piece will never be reached, but having an in-between universe would be the best course of action." Funny, people wanted power, but didn´t know how to use it. They were like children with a TV; they could change channels, but they would never know were did it come from.
"So if you have something that troubles you and you want to speak about it, speak."
Antique's eyes squinted lightly as she looked at the ground, a troubled expression on her face. Loose palms clentched at her sides for a few seconds, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. Speaking of her troubles, even thinking about them, brought up too many nightmares that she wasn't quite ready to face yet.
No, not yet. Not...yet. Perhaps she was being spoiled by Traverse Town in the sense that no one really knew her, and that she never really spoke too much about herself, or her troubles. Knights didn't do that.
"Perhaps...at another time," she said quietly. She wasn't ready to let out of that Pandora's box. Not quite yet. Besides, listening to these two talk back and forth seemed to be alot more interesting. She stared at her own hands for a little bit. Both made very good points, and though she knew in a vague way where she stood, she whispered.
"Possibly... We humans can exist without fighting but many of us have chosen to fight." She thought of Clarent, remembered how it had settled into the form that was most familiar to her. "For what reason? To protect something? Protect what? Ourselves? The future?"
She paused, and began mumbling, "If we kill people to protect ourselves and the future, then what sort of future is it, and what will we have become? There is no future for those who have died..." She shut her eyes, and remembered, very clearly, the people that had stained her hands red.
"And what of those who did the killing? Is happiness to be found in a future that is grasped with bloodstained hands? Is that the truth?"
She gripped her hands in front of her. They were questions that really had no answers to them, but things she had been pondering for awhile. Suddenly noticing she had just basically let out a stream of thought that probably meant nothing to anyone, and even confused herself, she blushed.
Post by shinjihirako on Dec 10, 2009 18:39:43 GMT -4
"So do you believe hardwork and dedication would save this universe? Even you must realize that sounds foolish. If you are not ready to make the callous decision of sacrificing another to bring about peace then you will not achieve it. Roze spoke though his voice was distant. Callous decisions were required and always would be if one wished for progress.
Roze chuckled slightly at the story. Folktales like that were just that, folktales. "Incredibly incorrect Mikael. Darkness must always exist before the light comes in. Darkness shall always win the race against light for arrival. It's sad but it's the truth. And the Heartless don't require it, we exist within darkness without light. We Heartless only fight with one another when we are cursed with intelligence but even that is rare. So if darkness spreads to all the worlds and envelops the universe in it, then we will have peace for only the heartless shall remain. Unfortunately, your kind would no longer exist, and I shall miss it." He was not lying, he liked humans that wanted peace but he despised the ignorant.
"Now, Antique if don't wish to speak of it I shall not force you, but if you ever feel like it, I shall have an open ear for you. And though it is a sad prospect, I believe it is the only way. I don't ask for your alliance simply your understanding. And even should my hands be stained by blood I will exist for the lives that I have taken, for the ones who could not experience it. And do not apologize for voicing your thoughts, though I don't understand the seed they come from I do understand the flower it creates." His voice unwavering he spoke confidently though with sorrow. He wished there was another way to bring about the peace but so few thought they could exist together, something even he had once believed.
(Sorry if the post is crap but I'm trying to think up the history for my character.)
(Sorry for the BIG delay, I lost muse for this thread)
"Well then, I would be the fool who believes on those shenanigans. I believe that peace can be achieved without spilling as much blood as you Heartless suggest. You need us." Those were appearantly weak words, and Mikael doubted that they would shake Roze. However, everyone had a voice, an opinion, and he was determined to express it.
However, as soon as Roze started to explain the small perfect world of darkness, Mikael couldn't kill a small chuckle. Nope, he hadn't gotten his point. At all. They needed to coexist, both races needed each other. Well, not really; humans could live without Heartless. "Roze, Roze, Roze. What you are suggesting will bring your downfall. You Heartless need food, correct? And hearts are your food, right? So, killing your heart supplies will leave you to an everlasting era of darkness, yes. But, it would also bring a famine to your people. Maybe you can survive several months, a year or two with luck. But you'll eventually die... and cease to exist."
Then, the blue haired started to speak once again. A brainstorm came from her lips as she asked several questions about life and the future. "Antique..." he began, walking up to her before placing a hand on her shoulder. "All of us make mistakes... sometimes terrible ones. But what counts is to learn from them to be better." He looked away for a second before continuing. "I have harmed many as well as killed... I thought it was right, to kill. I thought that the powerful should live and the defenseless should die. However, I learned that it was not true."
"And that's what counts, learning from the past and to keep going forward." After finishing his small explanation, Mikael let her shoulder go, just to add something in a very low voice. "Don't worry, we all have a voice here."
"A world without humans?" Antique asked, and thought about it. Her higher commander had told her that peace always came with a high sacrifice. Humans were always doomed for conflict. It was a pity, but she knew that was so. Her occupation even spoke of it.
"Kind of hard imagining not existing..." she said quietly. Or being anything but a human. She wondered what she would be like, if she were a Heartless. Hopefully something pink. Or blue. Then again, she had no idea what it'd be like. Were all Heartless human once? She'd seen people BECOME Heartless, but only the shadowy kind. Nothing that looked human, like Roze.
...And even should my hands be stained by blood I will exist for the lives that I have taken, for the ones who could not experience it.
That struck her as beautiful. She smiled meloncholicly at Roze. "I think I'll borrow your idea..." she said quietly. All the lives she had taken. If redemption wasn't truely possible, then perhaps she should try and exist for the dead. It was a beautiful idea. "I've..." she said, and looked at him. "I've done horrible things. At the time, I thought it was right. I mean...the things I did...there was always the idea that it was wrong, but that I was doing it for the greater good," she said. She glanced at her hands.
"Even now, the actions I've taken fill me with...great sorrow. The way I present myself, how kind people are to me...I..." she said, her eyes guilty. "Sometimes? I feel like a wolf in sheeps clothing. A..monster sometimes, you know?"
Mikael put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up and smiled at him after his story. It was nice to know she wasn't the only person in the boat that she was.
Post by shinjihirako on Jan 1, 2010 3:04:51 GMT -4
"Incorrect Mikael, do not speak of a subject if you don't understand it in its whole. The heartless need no hearts except their own to maintain their form. The pure bloods like myself don't even seek out the hearts of others, that is the Emblems job so that we may grow in number. If you need proof simply examine my life span, though it may seem unlikely I have existed for over 100 years as a heartless though I retain my form. I'm probably the longest living heartless to date and the oldest one alive. Though at the time I spent living our numbers were not as large as they are now, it is thanks to the creation of Emblem heartless that our numbers have increased so much..." Roze trailed off in his speech at the end thoughts going through his head once more.
Heartless, the beings that made up the Dark XII and also what he and his friends/allies/acquaintances such as Seed, Maverick, Kuja, Even, and Elaeus were apart of. The thing was, Roze knew little of the organization besides the fact that they wished for a universe of darkness much like himself... though he was unsure why. He needed some info, he'd ask Elaeus the next time he saw him. He saw Antique's lips move as he was thinking. Seeing that he left his thoughts alone for the time.
"I've done horrible things. At the time, I thought it was right. I mean...the things I did...there was always the idea that it was wrong, but that I was doing it for the greater good Even now, the actions I've taken fill me with...great sorrow. The way I present myself, how kind people are to me...I... I feel like a wolf in sheeps clothing. A..monster sometimes, you know?"
A monster now that was something different, though he could detect the darkness in her heart she had held none of it in her actions even though she considered the actions evil. Brimming with light but at the same time holding a regret, perhaps that is where the darkness leaked from. "A monster you say, well I shall say that you don't look it. Though just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder the view of monsters lurks in the same eye. So it is for yourself to decide if you are a monster, understand?" With that said roze backed up against part of a wall and half-closed his eyes. Roze was not tired but he wanted to think a little. He wasn't sure what to think of either of them completely. Mikael was wanting peace on both sides but would also harm heartless if they were showing threat, would he do the same if it was his kind attacking a defenseless heartless? That was undetermined in his eyes.
As for Antique, in his eyes she was a bulb of an unknown seed that could grow into something beautiful but at the same time could end in something horrible. It would depend on what influenced her. If someone such as Mikael were the main influence she could become a possible threat and he did not want that. But if he tried to influence her it may result in something worse such as hatred towards him and his kind. He shook his head, why was he even caring, though he didn't want to hurt her why would he care about what she thought of him. He only had one person he trusted which was of his own kind, trusting her would be putting himself in danger. He sighed frustrated and decided that it was not a problem to be solved today.
(No computer (using friends) + minor muse = slow and somewhat shoddy replies, sorry.)
The first sentence of Roze's argument slightly annoyed Mikael. "Not talking about something I do not understand? This guy should learn to follow his own advice." And the way Mikael saw it, Roze spoke of many things he did not fully understand. For example, he spoke of forgiveness, but claimed redemption was not real. To be trully forgiven, you need to feel sorrow for your actions. To heal that sorrow, it is natural that you do things to repair the damage. Yes, like the Heartless had said earlier, that would not make the mistake disappear, but it would at least lessen the harm it may have caused.
The next part, however, had slightly shaken his thoughts.
"The heartless need no hearts except their own to maintain their form. The pure bloods like myself don't even seek out the hearts of others, that is the Emblems job so that we may grow in number. If you need proof simply examine my life span, though it may seem unlikely I have existed for over 100 years as a heartless though I retain my form. I'm probably the longest living heartless to date and the oldest one alive. Though at the time I spent living our numbers were not as large as they are now, it is thanks to the creation of Emblem heartless that our numbers have increased so much..."
The Heartless did not need hearts to exist. Roze claimed that they only stole hearts to increase their number; the pyromaniac could slightly see this part of his logic. They used humans to protect their children before they took them. Mikael had to admit it was quite clever, though cruel. Fortunately, the argument had not only harmed Mikael's believes. No, Roze was giving him weapons without knowing it. Knowledge about the Heartless. For now, the young man would continue to leech on the information, especially the one about Purebloods and Emblems. "Heartless subclasses? Great, I wonder what..." His thoughts trailed off as the answer reached his mind. The Heart Symbol. The one at most of the Heartless: Soldiers, Wyverns, Large Bodies, Shamans, Defenders, Gargoyles... even the Guard and Opposite Armors the witch Maleficent had summoned months ago. This left Shadows, Neoshadows, Darkballs, Invisibles and the Darkside he fought with Fearon as Purebloods. Everything fell into place correctly... everything except one thing.
Roze claimed Purebloods didn't desire Hearts. Then why were Shadows always following people around? Mikael had talked to others about the destruction of their worlds, and most of them claimed to see a horde of Shadows stealing hearts. Max was one of those people, and he had seen pretty much about them. "I get your points, Roze. I really do. But when you say Purebloods don't desire hearts, I'm thinking you might be referring to "Intelligent" Heartless as yourself? I mean, the destruction of the many worlds involve Shadows most of the time."
Pause.
"Also, Roze. Forgive me if I have sounded arrogant or slightly ignorant. I just get carried away sometimes. Besides, it's not like I sit and have a talk with one of your people every day."
A small chuckle.
"They usually try to kill me before I can say hi." After nodding in appreciation, Mikael turned to Antique, who was having a moment of guilt. She desired forgiveness. She needed redemption. "Sorrow is the first step in the journey of forgiveness. It comes to every single one of us in a different way, but we all know when it does. Like I said before, what counts is learning from our past and mistakes. If you feel sorrow, you are not a monster. The name suits the ones deaf to the call of justice."
"A monster you say, well I shall say that you don't look it. Though just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder the view of monsters lurks in the same eye. So it is for yourself to decide if you are a monster, understand?"
Antique nodded slowly. Fuschia eyes glanced at the ground, thinking over the words. Just like Jadis, Roze was up there in age. Though nowhere close, but still. He had "lived" alot longer than she had. It made him an elder, and she never did just throw advice from someone who experienced everything alot longer than she did away. She didn't look like a monster now, but what about on the battle field? An inward groan. She'd never seen herself fighting, but she always had to wear a mask...when things started turning ugly.
Was she a monster? Had her world survived she would have been a war hero. Would she have been happy like that? She had to do what she did. There had to be change...she couldn't just sit and watch her world rot. She couldn't kill more people unnessessarily. People starving. People disappearing. She couldn't just...blindly follow orders anymore. But what did it make her?
When you look at me, what do you see? The costume I weave, disfiguring me?
Never sure.
"Sorrow is the first step in the journey of forgiveness. It comes to every single one of us in a different way, but we all know when it does. Like I said before, what counts is learning from our past and mistakes. If you feel sorrow, you are not a monster. The name suits the ones deaf to the call of justice."
She smiled up at Mikael. She did...feel sorrow. But...was that really right?
Post by shinjihirako on Jan 9, 2010 0:05:03 GMT -4
"Actually Mikael, I mean they did not need them. The purebloods have three other goals, one of which I'll be keeping to myself. The first is simply to reduce the number of opponents, therefore you humans and the nobodies. The second, to find the keybearers, and take their hearts..." Roze spoke coldly and all hints of kindness were etched from his voice. Even a small flash of yellow floated across his pink eyes. His right hand though barely noticable could be seen with small flecks of darkness peeling their way across his hand.
"So long as the keybearers exist, the emblem heartless can truly die. Purebloods could die without their intervention though." The callous tone persisted though the yellow and black had disappeared.
"Well, I shall be leaving for now. Antique, should you ever be visiting Twilight Town give me a visit. As for you Mikael, though we have different views, I am glad you do not wish for our death." That said Roze's right hand was once more coated in black and the edge of his coat had turned black. He held the now blackened hand out to his side and a portal of darkness opened up, small wisps of the darkness straying out here and there. "Au revoir." That said Roze stepped through the portal as it closed behind him
Keybearers? Antique had heard that term used once before. Caxnon had said something about the keybearers, if she remembered correctly. This was something she was going to have to look into a little bit later. Why would someone want the heart of a keybearer? To get keys? Couldn't one just make a key instead? Or use a hairpin?
She noticed Roze's change of tone though, saw the speck of yellow run across his eyes. For a second, fright got to her. Then, a fascinated curiosity. Perhaps it only struck her then that Roze was a Heartless. Really kind of hard to believe--he seemed so...human. There was definitely alot she needed to learn. Questions came to mind, and for a few seconds, she was a little disappointed in herself that she didn't get to ask them.
Roze said something about visiting him in Twilight Town. Touching the rose in her hair that he had given her, she nodded fiercely.
"I will!" she said, a little bit too intensely than she would have liked. Thinking better of it, her cheeks pinked, as she watched his coat and hand turn black, then walk through the portal of darkness. It closed behind him; Antique stood with a dazed expression on her face.
"What an interesting person..." she remarked to herself. Twilight Town. She had no idea where that was. She'd figure it out eventually, though.
Remembering that Mikael was here shook her out of her trance like state. She shook her head thoroughly, and laughed. "Oh sorry--I!" she said, then realized how late it was getting.
A panicked look crossed her face. "I need to get going! I'm going to be late!" she said, and waved Mikael a quick goodbye before running off.