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.
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All Canon Characters belong to the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Square Enix and Disney.
A loud cry escaped the boy's mouth as he tumbled out of the glowing green triangular portal - taller than some of the tallest buildings he'd ever seen. He hit the ground hard, his shoulder taking most of the damage - though the covering of snow offered ample enough cushion so it wasn't too painful. Still, he was aching as he stumbled to his feet, and watched the aforementioned portal wink out of existence after having only been on this planet for a fleeting moment.
Jim took a faltering step backwards, his right hand clasped tightly around a peculiar golden sphere that was a little bigger than his fist. His heart was drumming up a rhythm something awful, pounding like a hammer against his ribcage as the rush of the moment had not quite subsided. He'd gotten away from the pirates and weird little shadow aliens, and he had the map on top of it.
He didn't dare tuck the map into his pockets; he didn't want to risk it tumbling out when he wouldn't notice, or even worse, for his pockets to be pilfered by a passing thief. He shoved his pistol unceremoniously into his pants, but hung onto the sphere like it was a lifeline.
Even though the portal'd been gone for long moments, now, Jim didn't move, scrutinizing the spot as though he was certain something was going to pop out of it. Finally, he moved his foot back, sliding it through the snow as nothing showed up. Suddenly, without warning, he turned around and darted off, a stony, hardened expression to his eyes as he ran, his eyes wide and flashing to the side as though he was expecting to be attacked at any moment. In all honesty, he was; though logic had told him that he was probably lightyears across the galaxy from Treasure Planet, Silver had sneaked up on him before and would do it again if he had the chance. Jim trusted him as far as he could throw him, which was a damn shame because he was certain that he still admired the rapscallion somewhere in his bones.
But there was no point in thinking about this now. Jim ran, turning a corner - starting to shiver and wishing for his coat because of the chill - and realized that there were plenty of people milling about, and a few were giving him odd looks. He probably made for a sorry sight indeed, with wide eyes and quick breaths and a general sort of unhygienic look about him (he'd been out at space for months, what could he say, really?). But there were some who merely nodded his way with a pitying glance, as if they'd seen that look before...
Jim didn't dwell on it. He slunk through the crowd, collapsing in on himself, adopting that introverted look he'd perfected throughout the years. He was getting cold, and now that the high was wearing off and the logic of him being far, far away from Silver was settling in, all of his energy was ebbing away. He swallowed hard, continuing to clutch the sphere, and attempted to get somebody - anybody's - attention.
"Um, excuse me," he said - in that sort of awkward voice where one's not quite sure whether or not to be yelling or speaking in normal tones and how do you get people's attention anyways? - "is there a space port around here? I really need to get to a ship... A space port? An inn? Um, somewhere to stay?"
He may as well have begged to deaf ears for all the good it was doing him. He took a moment's rest by the side of a building, leaning up against it and rubbing his temples and holding the map so tightly that his hand was going numb.
Now that he was safely away from the danger, he hadn't the slightest clue of how to go about getting back to it... or even what to do next.
[STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-top:-20px]You can get addicted to[/style][STYLE=width:300px; background-color:#F4F4F4; height:300px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; font-family:arial; text-align:justify; border:4px solid #e6e6e6]Syn flicked his thumb, alighting a flame on it as his feet came to rest on his favorite chair. His normal spot- the small coffee shop off to the side of the First District- was alight with the warm glow of the candles as he sipped on his cappuccino. His blue eyes seemed to glow with that same warmth as he stared out over the snowy District under his windswept brown hair. Just another boring day in Traverse Town.
Or so he thought.
It seemed that they had a new resident. Like those before him, the refugee fell out of the sky and into the distance, a dark spec in the night sky. Syn wondered if he'd be the welcoming committee for this one. At this point travelers were coming more frequently, so it was second nature to point them in the right direction. Munny for a hotel was pretty easy to come by as long as they knew how to kill a few squirmy Shadows. And if they couldn't do that there were always chores that could be done.
The pyromancer pulled himself from his locale and tossed his empty container into a bin as he stepped into the light snow. The orange streetlamps lit the world around him into a wintery warmth as the survivor made his way towards the people of Traverse. Seeing as he had nothing to do, why not visit this one? The young boy- actually, he looked close to the same age as Syn- was asking about a space port. Hmm... So he obviously knew about Gummi travel. Perhaps he was from a more advanced World. He leaned against the same wall that the new kid had taken a liking to and held out a hand.
"Yo. If you're looking for a place to crash whilst you figure out what's goin on, we got a hotel in the next District." His luminescent gaze scanned the boy quickly- he'd seen that type before on a World that only recently died. "You should also probably dress warmer." His outstretched hand lit up into a small blaze, spreading warmth around them. He grinned mischievously- it was a fun little prank to play, the whole flaming limbs thing. "Syn's the name. How bout you?"
[/style][STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-bottom:-5px]a certain kind of sadness[/style]
It was not beyond Jim's notice when a stranger decided to take up residence on the same wall he'd lain claim to. He eyed the other suspiciously - he'd never been one to trust on first sight, no matter the good intentions of the other. But the hand offered to him to shake was friendly enough, and frankly, he had better things to do than go about being stubborn about any help that was offered.
So he reciprocated the handshake, flashing a slight smile that seemed a bit forced but hopefully was enough to express his gratitude.
A place to crash? That wouldn't do - he had to find a way to get back into the action! Maybe captain a ship to Crescentia or even Montressor - get a crew together - find Treasure Planet again -
His mind was going a mile a minute at it probably wasn't good for his overall state of fatigue. He was cold, and the sweat from the adrenaline back on Treasure Planet had dried on his skin, which only made the chill more pronounced. His eyes were still sort of wide and his hair was dirty and his clothes were the epitome of rumpled - it was obvious he'd just come from a scene of excitement.
Jim started to mumble something about not having expenses for a hotel when the other guy - Syn, he said his name was - conjured fire out of thin air. He stopped, mid-sentence, and stared at his hand, scrutinizing it, his own free hand stretching and flexing as if he could figure out how to mimic the action himself.
"Jim," he muttered in response, a bit distracted, by way of introduction. "How... how are you doing that?"
Being around aliens and whatnot all his life, he'd seen plenty of strange things - tentacle limbs, eyes that were in a creature's mouth instead of their head, things that were little more than a head with two arms that also served as feet - but this... this was different. He wondered if science was involved, but he couldn't make heads nor tails of the how behind the action. Which was strange, since Jim was usually the first to figure out how things worked.
The shivers had gone down slightly because of the fire, but his arms still found their way to his opposite shoulders, attempting to rub his body to keep himself warm - all the while still hanging onto the map, which was still warm from the machinations it had gone through earlier.
"Listen," he blurted out, tearing his eyes away from the flames, "I've got to get to a space port as soon as possible. D'you know how to get to the closest one from around here?" After a moment's breath, he wondered aloud - a bit reluctantly, since he didn't particularly like to be caught off guard, but if he didn't ask the hard questions he'd never figure it out - "Um, what is this place, anyways?"
For having studied astronomy all his life - and having traveled the galaxy before - he felt woefully inadequate in his knowledge. All of his resentments had built up, it seemed, for the shadow around his eyes was present again.
[STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-top:-20px]You can get addicted to[/style][STYLE=width:300px; background-color:#F4F4F4; height:300px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; font-family:arial; text-align:justify; border:4px solid #e6e6e6]"James, you're not in Kansas anymore. Welcome to Traverse Town, a world stuck in night and snow. It's here that people who are lost wake up... If they survive. I'm guessin' you just had a helluva good time with the Heartless- yellow-eyed black creatures. Means you're homeless, chief. There's nothing where you came from."
Syn pointed up to the sky. His eyes shimmered as he looked at the stars. "And if you're looking for a port, you're out o' luck. Not many come here with a ship." He grinned. "I mean, I've got the Gestalt but I can't leave port til I'm done with business here. And I prolly won't be able to getcha back to yer home." He ruffled his hair as a cool breeze shifted snow onto the back of his neck. This guy... At this point Syn was feeling like a broken record. He told them all the same thing- your world was destroyed, Heartless, blah blah, etc. It was almost infuriating that it never seemed to end. He mentally shrugged as the boy stared at the stars. He wouldn't find anything familiar. Not here.
"But in the meantime I can help you get a place at the hotel. Least I can do for a survivor. Maybe I can explain to you what things you might find out here in these new worlds. How to build a ship- all that good stuff."
[/style][STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-bottom:-5px]a certain kind of sadness[/style]
"It's Jim," he muttered, an automatic correction to the utterance of 'James.' Annoyance pricked at him, but he swallowed, holding it back so he could take in what Syn was actually saying. The sense of almost condescending camaraderie was obnoxious as well, and Jim found himself liking his informant less and less.
Then again, he didn't like most people, but that was besides the point... And anyways, a source of information was a source of information, no matter the shape or size it took.
He didn't understand the reference to 'Kansas,' but that was all right - it was probably just another obscure location in the midst of the Etherium. But he got the name of the place just fine; 'Traverse Town,' huh? That's a new one. But then, maybe that was just the name of the city and not the actual world. He filed away a mental note to ask later, when they'd gotten into some warmth - because he was downright shivering now.
The Heartless... ominous name, that. Oh yeah, totally subtle. Tch. Talk about slapping an obvious name onto a weird little alien package. (Also, talk about the land of mixed metaphors... sheesh.) But Syn insinuated that Treasure Planet was... gone? Because of the Heartless, or whatever? Oh. Oh shit. That couldn't be the case! Jim didn't think it was gone, just like that, but he didn't voice his suspicions aloud. His grip on the spherical map tightened, his knuckles - already pale from the cold - whitening still. There was one thing he could try, just to check - but away from Syn. Away from everyone.
He wasn't homeless, though. He didn't think so, anyways. Not unless the creatures took Montressor as well, at the same time...? He figured that a majority of the galaxy was safe, and that Treasure Planet as already an anomaly among anomalies. Whatever. He'd get home, and then go back to Treasure Planet - if it was still there. He had a map.
But, according to Syn, no space port. Ugh. "I'm loving th-this day," he grumbled under his breath, shivering and rubbing his hands as best as he could on his arms, still clutching the golden ball.
Louder, he said, "L-let's check out th-this hotel of y-yours." Internally, he cursed at his stuttering; he must just look like a little lost frozen kid, and that irked him beyond belief.
Still, he just wanted to get warm, and maybe listen more to Syn's explanation on how to build a ship.
[STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-top:-20px]You can get addicted to[/style][STYLE=width:300px; background-color:#F4F4F4; height:300px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; font-family:arial; text-align:justify; border:4px solid #e6e6e6]"Jim. Alright then." Synthest grinned as he talked with his new acquaintance. Definitely not from around this area- Syn didn't recall ever being to a world in which they had ports ready for Gummi ships. "You know, around here the people aren't as advanced as your World. The cities are simpler and unused to outside contact. When you do get a ship, or when you hitch a ride, avoid spreading stories of outside Worlds to the natives. It's this whole World Order thing."
He swung open the door of the Second District and in the distance the large sign was easily visible. The snow drifted past them, blazing neon orange from the streetlights of Traverse Town. Syn relished it- even in times of freezing cold the world around them lit up with warm colors. Traverse Town had a charm all its own and he admitted it was one of his favorite places. The flames wrapped around his fingers as he turned to his compatriot. A charming smile welcomed conversation.
"I suppose it's time for me to tell you about Gummi ships. They're different from ones you may have used before- they are made from the broken fields that once kept worlds separate. Fragments of the material can be synthesized together to form a vessel." He gestured to the sky. "The Lanes Between Worlds are very dangerous- the Heartless have grown accustom to it, and have evolved. They have essentially become vessels themselves, and wait in the shadows and astral clouds for travelers to come through. Which is why I don't mind giving you the spare pieces I've got in the Gestalt- I'm pretty well-covered so far, and I've pretty much maxed out my capacity limit. If I put anything else on it it'd slow it down."
"It's not much, but it's a start." The teen shrugged. "But as for maps to the other Worlds, that'll be difficult. We all have different paths for a reason- the most often-traveled attract the Heartless and even the occasional Nobody."
"Oh... I forgot- do you know about the Nobodies?" Damn- there was a lot to explain. [/style][STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-bottom:-5px]a certain kind of sadness[/style]
Jim trudged along after Syn, listening hard to his explanations. His moody teenage brain wanted to wander - and somewhere inside, he pouted, unhappy at being reduced to the young, ignorant boy - it was like becoming cabin boy all over again. Still, he'd grown up in that time on the Legacy, and it was time to start being an adult; his mom wasn't around, and Silver certainly wasn't around to keep his nose clean (damned pirate).
But everything Syn was talking about just caused Jim's heart to sink a little more. "What do you mean, 'World Order'?" he demanded, quickening his pace a little bit in order to stride alongside his guide, his hands still rubbing his arms to keep some of the friction going. The map had gone to his pocket by now, but he kept careful watch, making sure no pickpocket got any bright ideas. "It's not just my world, it's the whole g-galaxy that knows about space travel and the Etherium! And m-many other galaxies besides! Her Majesty's Empire spans across the entirety of one of them, and that includes hundreds and hundreds of p-planets, and you're t-telling me that nobody out h-here in this b-backwater galaxy knows a damned thing and I c-can't even tell them!?"
Oh god. Where had he ended up...? No widespread space travel, little knowledge of space travel... Jim stared at Syn, his expression a mixture between outrage, confusion, and the sinking feeling of being lost. He didn't say another word, merely lapsed into a stunned silence throughout the journey as Syn prattled on, the cold and the shock numbing him quite a bit. The only thing he could say for himself in this uncharted location in the Etherium was at least he had a map - a map that may or may not cover this part of the universe.
Most of what Syn talked about Jim didn't understand - The Lanes Between Worlds? broken fields that used to surround worlds? were the laws of space travel different in this part of the Etherium? - but he listened with all his might, as sullen and upset as he might be.
They neared the inn Syn had mentioned earlier when the topic of Nobodies - whatever they were - was breached. Jim shook his head, confused yet again - and now exasperated with the sheer number of things he just didn't know."Whatever they are, they're probably not what I'm thinking of," he muttered.
This place was weird. He'd almost rather be back on Treasure Planet.
[STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-top:-20px]You can get addicted to[/style][STYLE=width:300px; background-color:#F4F4F4; height:300px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; font-family:arial; text-align:justify; border:4px solid #e6e6e6]Synthest didn't know what to think. Spanned hundreds of planets... That sounded almost impossible. There hadn't been an empire like that in years. With the Heartless consuming Worlds left and right, all of the Orders and Organizations were slowly being eaten away. At this point, who knew how many Worlds were even out there? This pocket in the Realm of Light, protected by the seven Princesses of Light, was possibly one of the last true strongholds out there... So how did this kid just come from a place that spanned in the hundreds? His luminescent gaze analyzed the newcomer as he wondered.
"Well I'm gonna simplify it: You'll find a lot of people here who are lost, just like you are. When they got here, they knew absolutely nothing. Some of them knew of the Heartless, the creatures that destroy Worlds, but that was about it. That's all I knew. It's all you know. But give it time and you'll learn more and become accustomed to this new life- but your world, the one you're looking for, is gone and as far as anybody knows it won't come back. Hasn't for us anyway. That's why the Heartless exist- they seek to exterminate the Light and are drawn to bad things, like hatred and despair."
What else could he say? The guy's world was gone. He wanted to shrug, to remove the prickle of shame that came with being the bearer of bad news. He rubbed the back of his neck. He hated the way he sounded when he talked- it sounded insensitive, as if it were no big deal. When it came down to it, each world lost was a life lost to the survivors. Maybe it was the Darkness inside of him that made him this way- he sure didn't feel like the good guy right now. "I suppose I don't feel it anymore, that lost feeling. My world's been gone for years. So I don't mean to sound rude."
[/style][STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-bottom:-5px]a certain kind of sadness[/style]
Jim regarded Syn with suspicion after his outburst, fully aware that Syn was analyzing him with an expression that he couldn't pinpoint. Did he really not know about Her Majesty's Empire? What about the Procyons? The hundreds upon thousands of other empires and dynasties and what have you that all existed in the endless Etherium? Either this little pocket of space was highly uneducated, or the universe was even bigger than he'd ever imagined... what if more places existed like this, in this space-travel-less stasis? What if some didn't even know about the existence of other planets...?
That thought bothered him. So he stopped dwelling on it.
But another bothersome thought intruded upon his thinking - a thought that Syn brought up. Apparently, the world he came from was gone. Forever. Treasure Planet, the Loot of a Thousand Worlds. Winked out of existence. There was no freaking way that was true, in Jim's mind. That place had existed ever since legends started existing - or, he supposed, whenever Nathaniel Flint had been around, which was a hella long time ago. Planets didn't just... vanish. Did they? Well, he had a way to find out.
And if Treasure Planet's gone, does that mean Silver...? He shook his head - a fair amount of snow spinning off his brown locks - and banished that thought, as well. No, he wasn't about to be worried for that vile, backstabbing, misleading, son of a... no. He wasn't. Silver was alive, somewhere. It couldn't just be over that fast. They had unfinished business.
They reached the inn, and Jim had succumbed to a moody silence as he continued the path of thinking of things and then immediately trying to not think of them. He opened the door, and a blast of warmth greeted him, and despite his reservations about the guy, he held it open for Syn. After all, like he'd said... his world had been gone for years, and Jim had been treating him with less than kindness. He sighed, distressed.
There was a table by the window, lit by a single stumpy candle. He eyed it, expecting their conversation to continue. "Do you wanna sit down, or...?" He trailed off, not pursuing the thought (since he hadn't really had one in the first place). He sighed again, shuffling his feet.
"... You didn't have to do that," Jim said, abrupt and without preamble. "Help me out, and... stuff. So - I guess what I mean is - ... well, thanks."
[STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-top:-20px]You can get addicted to[/style][STYLE=width:300px; background-color:#F4F4F4; height:300px; overflow:auto; font-size:12px; font-family:arial; text-align:justify; border:4px solid #e6e6e6]"Way to go there bud, you just took the awkward award." Synthest chuckled, looking around the room. He'd been in the white haven known as Traverse Town quite often since his own crash landing here, and had come to know things about the place that others didn't. For example...
He rummaged around under the bed and pulled out a white box with the generic symbol for medicine on it. As he opened it he turned to Jim. "Yo, this here's got some clothes and a couple of rations if you're hungry. It's all ready to eat, and it's assured to prevent scurvy. Oh!" He threw a small coinpurse to his friend. "You should drop your stuff here- we gotta be out on the town, real deal. After all, you just got here- you can sleep later. Let's go out and act like idiots, have some fun." The blue-eyed teenager brushed his fingers through the fur on the collar of his jacket. He was curious- this was something new. Never before had he met someone from a place that knew of hundreds of Worlds. Plus, it wasn't often he got to meet someone his age that wasn't devoured by their own sadness at the loss of their home and family. This kid, while still obviously confused and distressed, was holding up.
"You got a weapon right?" His luminescent gaze swept the boy's way. "If you're down, we're gonna go visit some shops and kill some Heartless. Earn a little cash in doing so. If you don't like rations, we can stop by a deli or somethin- I'll show you around town." He was being rather bossy- it wasn't his general schtick, but he felt that Jim needed a little motivation. The kid was obviously unhappy and his mind was worlds away. Taking the stress out would help the guy ready himself for what was to come. Laying in bed all day mourning the loss of his World wouldn't help him much. [/style][STYLE=width:300px; font-size:20px; font-family:times new roman; text-transform: uppercase; text-align:center; color: #66696A; margin-bottom:-5px]a certain kind of sadness[/style]
Jim caught the coin purse with one hand, still fumbling a bit with the med kit he'd been given just a moment earlier. Instead of sitting down at a table - like he'd anticipated - Syn continued to speak, his tones increasing in excitement as the subject moved away from exposition. The boy listened, his shivers subsiding as the heat of the inn warmed him up, but he wasn't necessary liking what he was hearing. While exploring might be great - and he wouldn't mind exploring with Syn a bit later, if he could find the guy again - Jim was drop dead tired. He hadn't slept in at least twenty-four hours; when he'd last woken up, he'd been quick to be privy to talk of mutiny and betrayal, which had begun a set of chain reactions that left his emotions and mental well-being on the fringe.
Syn started talking about going off and fighting and having a blast in town and god dammit the kid just wanted to rest! He awkwardly juggled all of his belongings - the map, the med kit, and the purse - sticking the map in his pocket and the kit under his arm, freeing up one hand. "Look, um," Jim began, his voice barely above a moody mutter, "I appreciate it, but I really need sleep and a shower." He offered a tired smile that at first seemed forced but warmed into a real one, albeit a small one. It was true; he probably smelled terrible, as the hygiene on the ship wasn't exactly five star living (or even one star). He felt dirty and gross and bone tired - a hot shower, a cup of tea, and a long sleep sounded like the best idea right about now. He could worry about fighting and exploring and whatever Syn was prattling on about later.
He stood there awkwardly for a moment, and realized it was probably up to him to say goodbye. "Hey, so, uh, thanks for everything... again. Maybe I'll catch you later, huh?" While Jim hadn't exactly had the best first impression of him, the older, bossier boy was beginning to feel a bit like a friend, and he wouldn't mind seeing a familiar face in the midst of his explorations of this new place.
After a quick nod, Jim trudged off to go rent a room. The sympathetic innkeeper allowed him to stay one night for free, as was the policy of newcomers. Thanking him, Jim stumped up the stairs to his room, where he'd live for the next few months.
[/style]