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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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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Avari smiled and gave him a curt nod before pulling her hand away and once again started leading the way out of the alley. Marmadue asked about the heartless as they walked, and for once, Avari really didn't know how to answer. She folded her hands together behind her back as they moved and she glanced skyward, thinking. "I mean, they're monsters. They do bad things. They hurt people. I've never really thought about them beyond that."
As they stepped out of the alley, the stepped out onto Station Heights. There were a few people around, making their way one way or another; they'd give Marmadue and her a wary glance, but otherwise kept to themselves, giving Marmadue a wide birth. Avari gestured around the street as she turned to Marmadue, "This is Station Heights. It used to have a few shops, but now people kinda stick to Tram Common." She directed Marmadue's attention up the slope, towards the clocktower, "Up that way is the Station. The trains don't work anymore though, and the track's wrecked. I wouldn't recommend going up there; we recently had an earthquake, and a lot of the structure collapsed."
She then started walking down the slope, the opposite direction of the clocktower, "Most of us stay around Tram Common though, I think it's the safest place right now. It's just down here." Even as she showed him around this place, she could still clearly remember what it looked like before. Though she had adjusted to the new environment, talking about it reminded her of how bad it really was. It was a... refreshing perspective, if not a little depressing. Avari had focused solely on surviving, and getting stronger that she hadn't stopped to think about these things. Who's to say this world wouldn't be the next one to disappear, like all the others? Maybe it was just luck that allowed them to last this long. But then, what if this was the last world? What would happen to her, and Marmadue, and all the others?
Avari shook her head, letting the thought drift from her mind as she glanced over her shoulder while walking, "You coming Marmadue?"
"O-Oh. Yes, I see," Marmadue glanced down. No information on the Heartless, huh… Well, he couldn't really complain. He certainly wasn't too interested in trying to study them, considering how dangerous they seemed to be. Capturing one and then poking and prodding it in an attempt to learn something new… That was certainly a thought he wanted to push away from his mind as quickly as possible. That seemed like a really good way to get injured or… Or worse!
The Yuke had been anxious to get out of the alley he had landed in, eagerly following Avari as she led him elsewhere, staying to her side. Yet the alleys had been the only thing he really knew of this strange new world, everything else even newer and more foreign. Once the town opened up, there was so much more for him to see when the buildings weren't quickly blocking his field of vision, causing Marmadue to stop as he took in the sights. He had figured the buildings were tall and numerous before, but now that it all opened before his eyes…
There were so many buildings, encircling them. And there were so many tall buildings, reaching for the skies – taller than many trees he had seen! Yet surely this view would have been more magnificent if not sullied by the fact that many of those buildings lied down in ruins, in crumbled heaps that had lost their former glory. A terrifying, depressing sight for sure – yet, at the same time, everything was just so plain amazing. For someone who had lived his entire life in a rather small village, never to wander too far, this was an experience like no else.
Exciting. Frightening. He could already feel himself lost, even though he wasn't able to see how confusing and snaking the various pathways might have been.
They weren't alone now. There were more people, though definitely less than Marmadue had expected of a city this large – though then again, perhaps they were… Elsewhere? That was what he hoped. For the most part, the crowds were being ignored as the Yuke stood and turned his head around, looking everywhere around them at the new world. That certainly would have been another story had he been able to see another person resembling himself, someone from his tribe.
He could hear Avari, but her words were distant, almost more like some kind of narration that explained the things he saw, something he picked on unconsciously. Her calling out his name snapped him out of his stupor, causing the Yuke to quickly flick his head in her direction. "Ah, o-of course. Yes, I'm sorry," Marmadue stirred into action, heading off after the girl and tried to do a better job at keeping up this time around – after all, this sounded like the worst possible time to get separated! He would be so lost and know nothing about anything! "…I was wondering however, if you don't mind me asking… What are these… Trains you speak of?"
"You don't know what a train is?" She looked over at him, surprised for a moment, before realizing his world really must be a different place. "Well, it's this thing on wheels, and it takes people to far off places. Like there are places here in the city that are too far too walk too, so we use the trains to get around. They ride on the tracks you see above." She pointed up to some of the crumbling tracks that rose above the buildings.
"But like I said, none of the trains are running, and the Station is unstable." She paused, thinking about how she and Jin tried to find a way to Sunset Terrace by way of the Underground Alleys, but that was also inaccessible, due to both blockage and heartless alike. "Really, we're cut off from at least half of the city because of that. There could be others on the other side, maybe some people from your world."
As they reached the bottom of the slope and walked into Tram Common, there was notably more people around. Many were sitting around makeshift campfires, or fixing some damage to the buildings around them to avoid anything crumbling down on them. There were also a few, but no many, people who seemed to be keeping an eye out for threats, being the more combat worthy refugees. Again, some of the refugees gave Marmadue some suspicious glances, but with Avari at his side, speaking to him seemed to be enough. Besides, Marmadue didn't seem violent, so after seeing him around, Avari was certain he would have nothing to worry about.
"And this is Tram Common, like I said. Everyone sort of gathers here and help each other out." She turned back to Marmadue and smiled, "I mean, that's pretty much all you need to know. I mean the Sandlot is just down that way, but there's not much there. Oh, and if you see a big crack in the wall down that way, don't go through by yourself. That place is pretty isolated as well."
"Ah… Yes," Marmadue admitted, but the way Avari asked if he really didn't know what one of these train things was sounded like he really should have known. But no matter how hard he tried to rack his mind for an answer, nothing came up. An explanation wasn't far off however, the Yuke's gaze directed where the girl pointed. Tilting his head, perhaps the crumbling bits of stone spires had, at some point, been one, unified thing – like a bridge. Apparently that was what these trains used to move between different parts… "Oh, so something quite like a wagon."
The highest point in the science of transportation, surely. A box on wheels pulled by a larger animal.
The Yuke looked back down at Avari as she continued, staying to her side. It was something she had mentioned before, but it had almost managed to slip by him before she made another mention of it: the size of the city! To imagine that a mere settlement alone would be so large one couldn't just walk from one side to another was absolutely mind boggling to someone like Marmadue, his home nothing but a small village. He didn't think even Alfitaria would have been this large – but then again, it wasn't like he had ever been there himself!
"R-Really?" He gasped, and if he had tried to hide how amazed he was at that fact, he was failing miserably, "You mean… Ah, to think that a city could be so… Well, large," the Yuke continued, his head once again rising to stare at the distant… Tracks, as Avari had called them, trying to follow them with his eyes as far as they went. Were there more people on the other side of those tracks? He hadn't even fully seen the side he was on, and already he had been revealed more…
The pair continued their journey, with Marmadue doing his best to take in the sights so he could slowly learn the way the city was laid out. To be honest, he was starting to feel quite overwhelmed, if this city truly was so massive – was he ever going to learn to get around? But as they walked down the sloping path and reached the end, one thing became apparent: the handful of people he had seen before indeed hadn't been it all. The open area stretching out before him was filled with various creatures, the Yuke immediately turning all his attention towards them as his eyes scanned the crowds – and the crowds were returning the favor towards him, but that wasn't something he was able to pay much attention towards, ignorant of the stares. No, he had a goal in his mind, trying to find someone he could recognize. Unfortunately, he was unable to. No one looked familiar, no one had their head poking above the crowds like one would expect of someone as tall as a Yuke.
But… But maybe they just hadn't gotten there yet. He had help, after all. The others might not…
"Ah, Marmadue realized that he had just started to stare into the distance in silence, so he quickly turned to face the girl again. She had done so much, still warning him of the potential danger and reminding him to not head off on his own. "Y-Yes… Yes. I will stay clear of any such cracks, you have my word. I thank you for your guidance, Miss Avari. Why, I believe I would have been quite lost if, if you hadn't been the one to find me. How… Lucky of me," the Yuke couldn't help but glance around him once more. Somehow, the word lucky just didn't sit well in this situation. If his world truly was in ruins, destroyed by those creatures…
"…Is there ah, anything else I should keep in mind? Perhaps ah, the miasma…?"
Avari gave Marmadue a curious look as he mentioned a wagon, understanding what it was, but never having thought to compare it to a train. "I guess, but a train is much faster." It occurred to her as strange, that Marmadue hadn't heard of a train before. Perhaps they didn't exist in his world, but then again, there weren't any trains in Radiant Garden, but she had an understanding of what they were. Of course, Avari had always lived in places like this with possibly more advanced technology than what Marmadue was used to; she was a city girl, through and through.
But as Marmadue pointed out, this city was bigger than what other worlds might hold. The thought made her wonder what Marmadue's home was like, but given the circumstance she didn't feel it was appropriate to ask. He was still coming to terms with his home world being destroyed. Instead, she found herself reminiscing about her own home, "My world was big like this too. It was a big city with all sorts of places to explore; I remember getting into all kinds of trouble with my friends, finding our way into restricted areas, pretending to be spies and following the guards as sneakily as we could." She laughed as she recalled how irritated the guards were, as she and the others weren't very sneaky at all and got caught almost immediately. "And there was a castle right in the center of it all; I never got to go in, but I would have loved to see it."
She turned to Marmadue with her arms folded behind her as he asked her if there was anything else he needed to watch out for, particularly something he called a miasma, "Miasma? What's that?" It seemed there were things from Marmadue's world that Avari had never encountered before.
Marmadue's hand rose to the side of his neck, rubbing the feathers up and down absentmindedly. He was unsure if he wanted to be on a faster wagon, as they could go rather fast when the animal pulling them was asked to do so… But he was no caravanner. Perhaps they would have appreciated faster travel and these train things more than him – but he certainly was feeling apprehensive!
It seemed like Avari was willing to speak of the world she came from – and the past tense had a certain chilling effect to it, as her world was gone. Or so she had said, at least. Just like… His world. The Yuke swallowed, but listened all the same. But the girl did not seem to be stricken by grief as she spoke, even laughing as she reminisced of her old life. Would he too eventually be able to do that, or… Or would they perhaps find out their homes weren't destroyed at all and they could go home? Perhaps that was being a bit too optimistic, but it was something he hoped would happen, at least… "Haa… I see. It is so strange, to think that there have been such sights around us all this time…"
And he was only familiar with his own. A single world among what seemed to be many. A single world he thought was everything. If they would have known… Would they have even stayed?
But that wasn't the biggest surprise in store for him. It was Avari's time to ask him a question, not knowing something he was very familiar with. A thing so prominent in his life, that hearing someone not know about it caused Marmadue to take a step back, looking quite shocked. Perhaps this was how Avari had felt about his train question. Or… Perhaps not quite so extreme. "Y-You don't know?! Then–" The Yuke gasped, perhaps jumping up a few too many stairs at once in his train of thought, already rushing to the end while leaving the girl behind, who did not even seem to understand the concept.
Well, perhaps she did know it, just didn't call it the same. That was possible too. Marmadue calmed himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Yes, he shouldn't get too excited yet, even if all the signs were pointing to something that, to him, was a very good thing.
"…The ah, miasma is a substance my world is covered in. A… I suppose you could call it poisonous substance. Quite ah, fatal, you see. You could say that it is a very big problem," the understatement of the year, surely. But perhaps that was a clear enough explanation anyone would understand if they had ever experienced anything similar. For a moment, it seemed like the eyes behind the helmet had grown distant, their gaze directed elsewhere – might not have even been noticeable, if the Yuke didn't slightly reorient his head as he looked back at Avari. "Have you… Heard of anything similar?"
Avari's eyes widened as she and Marmadue came to a halt, Marmadue seeming shocked by her response about the Miasma, or whatever it was. Then he suddenly bolted forward up the stairs, and Avari had to run to catch up, and she was already looking around for some kind of fire or something to explain his sudden sense of urgency. But she saw nothing, and shortly after, he explained to her what this 'miasma' is, though Avari still found it confusing. A world filled with a toxic substance all over? That didn't sound good at all. She must have gotten really lucky then, to have been born in a world like Radiant Garden, and then to end up in Twilight Town. It was dangerous enough with the heartless, but she wouldn't know how to deal with this miasma Marmadue spoke of.
"No, I've never heard of anything like that before..." She frowned, looking up at Marmadue, "That sounds really bad though." She then looked around at the nearby refugees before glancing back, "I don't think you have to worry about that here. Just the heartless and well, the earthquakes." She then smiled again, "It's alright though, we all look after each other around here!"
"No? Marmadue stared in Avari's direction, not believing his ears. So… It wasn't just the name the girl was unfamiliar with, it was the whole concept of miasma. Not knowing of miasma, yet having been to two different worlds… Could it be? Could the miasma not be as widespread as he had first imagined? Looking up at the empty sky with the broken moon, he could enjoy just how… Clear the air was, despite how horrifying the sky might have looked to others who weren't expecting to see the hazy miasma above.
Even if his world was truly destroyed, the lack of miasma was enough to even make him happy. As long as he could find everyone else, as long as they were fine… This world, despite the broken buildings and the broken sky, seemed to just be much safer for them all, not having to worry about the miasma and the constant threat of well, succumbing to it.
Of course, there still were the… Heartless. They seemed to be a bigger issue than the monsters in their old settlements, but if they could keep them away by just sticking together, maybe…
The Yuke's head snapped in Avari's direction, for a moment having been lost in thought but now he was returning back to the moment. Perhaps it was a good thing his face couldn't be seen, or otherwise the smile might have been a bit out of place considering, well, everything that had happened. "Ah… Ah, yes. Yes, that is good," he spoke up, agreeing with a few nods. Some things were better perhaps left unsaid, who knew how a person might react to if someone was suddenly overjoyed about having their world destroyed. That seemed to open a can of worms he wasn't keen on opening.
"N-Not the Heartless and the ah, earthquakes. I could live without those. But, no miasma… That is something we have only dreamed of," Marmadue's voice wavered at the end. Right. We. Right now he was alone. In one piece, but alone. He was hoping he would find the others soon. "…Is there ah, anything I can do to help?"
"Wow. That sounds.. really bad." Avari couldn't imagine living with something as lethal as poison in the air. Marmadue then asked how he could help out around here, and she crossed her arms, thinking a moment as she looked around Tram Common.
"Well, no offense, but you don't seem like much of a fighter." She looked back to him, cocking her head to one side, "We could use a lot of help with repairing some of the fallen structures around here, or with helping the wounded. What kind of things are you good at?" It wasn't meant to be such a pointed, and possible offensive question, but she really didn't know what sort of skills Marmadue had, and how he could help the other refugees. Though it was surprising that he was so quick to offer help, when he was still processing the loss of his whole world. Perhaps helping others would help him get his mind off of things, and there were plenty of people in need.
Marmadue hardly could take offense to the statement that he didn't seem like much of a fighter – it was the truth, after all. Then again, perhaps he should have been worried that he didn't look capable enough to protect himself considering that he towered over the girl, but such a thought did not exactly cross his mind at the time. "Ah… Yes, yes, I am afraid you are right," he agreed with the observation, admitting that there wasn't any hidden powers there that could have turned the tide of battle or something. He really wasn't trained to handle something like that. The Yuke's hand rose to rub the back of his neck, ruffling his feathers slightly.
And he certainly had no experience when it came to fixing buildings. Perhaps that could change, it certainly seemed less daunting than trying to fight off those terrible monsters. But perhaps he could also try to offer his help in some other way. "I ah, am an alchemist. I-In training," Marmadue just had to make that distinction, lest someone assumed that he was some kind of a highly capable master alchemist, which he wasn't. Far from it. "And, ah, well… Perhaps that is not so useful in this situation, but my kind is also ah, often skilled with magic. I lack much training, but I might be able to provide some ah, services. Of the restorative kind."
"You mean like... healing?" Avari quirked a brow, and then smiled, "That's actually just the sort of thing we need. Refugees often show up in town already injured, and those of us already here deal with the heartless and the earthquakes daily. We could certainly use your help healing those people." Avari glanced around the clearing and she could already spot several refugees that were either fatigued or worse. There was little Avari herself could do, apart from fetch supplies like water or bandages, or blankets, but she was certain now that Marmadue could do much more to help out.
"Shall we introduce you to some injured folk then? Healing them would certainly make a good impression, and I'm sure it'll keep you busy; injuries happen often around here, as you can see." Avari then slowly turned on her heels and started leading Marmadue towards a group of exhausted looking refugees, some appearing to have minor wounds. She waved as she and Marmadue approached, and ignored the wary glances the people cast at Marmadue.
"Heya! This is Marmadue; he told me he can help treat your wounds." She glanced at Marmadue and offered an encouraging nod.
(Let me know if you wanna start wrapping up the thread, or if you wanna take it in another direction! ^-^)
"Ah… Yes," Marmadue clarified, nodding. He was indeed talking about healing – healing magic, in particular. He thought he had been very clear about that, even if he was a bit hesitant. Avari seemed to be thinking that it was a great idea, as the world wasn't exactly safe: many people came in injured or got injured due to one thing or another. Even the Yuke himself looked a bit scratched up if one really wanted to take such a close look at the skin underneath his feathers, but it was nothing serious. He was up and walking just fine.
It just had been a while. Really, despite how dangerous his own world might have been with the miasma, miasma was very deadly. It didn't leave anything to be healed, so no one walked into it unless they were prepared. Their little pockets of clean air were safe and uneventful, something Marmadue never left. He hadn't had a reason to really heal anyone before, well, this…
Still, he nodded. How couldn't he? The Yuke wanted to help of course, even if he wasn't so sure how it would go. He would have to try to make himself useful somehow, if he were to stay among these people. When Avari started to walk once more, he followed – even if his steps were slower and more hesitant, especially when he noticed the looks he was getting. Perhaps these people had never seen a Yuke before, either… Otherwise they wouldn't have looked so, so worried! To him, the idea that a very tall, feathered biped wearing a helmet might have been a frightening sight, was a strange one that didn't even quite register in his mind.
Marmadue swallowed as he stopped with the girl in front of a group, nervous as he rubbed his forearm with his other hand. Avari got right down to business, the Yuke offering a small wave of a hand with a quiet hello as he glanced away from the looks he was getting. Oh bother, what he had gotten himself into. "Y-Yes ah, if you would be… Fine with me trying," he spoke up, his voice a bit louder this time even if it didn't sound more certain. Marmadue definitely wasn't doing a very good job at convincing anyone, but Avari's presence was a great help. After all, the others knew her. Perhaps even… Trusted.
Swallowing once more, he took a step closer as if to test their reactions. Luckily no one seemed to be critically injured, which definitely made the situation less stressful. As the Yuke didn't want to be too forceful, his motions were slow as he bent at the knees to get closer to the smaller creatures, holding up his rather gigantic hand in comparison. Exhaling as a way to try to calm himself, Marmadue closed his eyes and did his best to focus as he worked to tapped into the magic that had surprisingly little use in his life. Before now, at least.
But he couldn't forget it. The magic was a part of him, his very being. Always right below the surface – a rather calming realization, honestly, as his hand started to glow with warm light.
((Yeah, should probably start wrapping this up and continue adventures in another thread! With more DANGER or something, hah. A couple of more posts here maybe? You could bring Maxwell with you to Marmadue in that other thread of yours and Marmadue might be willing to join with you on your mansion exploration.))
(Yeah sounds good to me! Looks like Max already got healed, but we can certainly bump into Marmadue in Tram Common!)
As Marmadue bent down to get a better look at the man, Avari leaned over to see this healing magic up close, placing her hands on her knees as she watched Marmadue work. The man pulled his arm away at first, as this tall, long-necked creature came close, but then, seeing the encouraging smile on Avari's face, he gave a curt nod to Marmadue and held up his arm to the creature. Avari could see the claw marks that had raked across the man's flesh, like many wounds Avari herself had fostered during her time spent here in Twilight Town. This group must have had a run-in with the heartless, and the scared expressions on their face was confirmation enough.
But as Marmadue took a moment to focus, his hand started glowing bright, and when it faded, the claw marks were gone, like it had never happened. Both Avari and the man's eyes widened, and Avari couldn't help but say, "Wow. That was amazing Marmadue!" And all the suspicion in the man's eyes vanished as he got to his feet and shook Marmadue's hand, "Thank you," he said.
Though Avari had been paying little attention to it, the other people nearby seemed to be put at ease, astonished even to see such a strange being like Marmadue come in and start healing, when they may as well have thought him to be another Heartless before-hand! Whatever was the case, Marmadue seemed to be making an impression on the folk here, and would certainly continue gaining their trust the more he helped out. Aside from small glances here and there, most of these people went about their business as usual, no longer as weary of the tall bird like creature that walked in their midst.
After the initial hesitation from the man Marmadue tried to heal, he eventually was allowed to touch the wound on his arm. Well, he didn't have to exactly touch it, per se, the feathered hand hovering over the wound as the glow spread. It felt warm, both on the Yuke's hand and surely on the man's flesh as the muscles slowly knitted themselves back together, the skin finally mending into the state it had been before whatever monster had scratched it open. Perhaps there was a little tingle as the magic worked its ways, but it shouldn't have hurt.
But there was something Marmadue noticed. While he didn't have all that much experience with healing, he did notice that… Well, it took him a bit more. Bit more time, bit more effort, even though the cut wasn't all that deep. He must have really been out of practice, and he hadn't even realized it! Clearly it was important to keep practicing old skills even if there was no current use for them, for the moment when they were needed…
He had been quite focused on not only the healing, but also his own thoughts, his gaze resting on the back of his hand. Avari's voice broke him out of it, stirring as he looked in the girl's direction, the light fading from his hand. She seemed to be… Amazed. And she wasn't the only one, the very same man he had healed getting up and grabbing his hand into a firm shake. A sudden change in the atmosphere, for sure – but then again, it was the Yuke who had done something to change it.
"A-Ah, no, no need to thank me, good sir. I was only doing what… Everyone would do," Marmadue had to take a moment to gather himself, responding to the shake by actually wrapping his fingers around the man's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Even though this creature was bigger than Avari and his hand reflected it, the Yuke's own still swallowed it.
But he was happy. While it wasn't apparent with the helmet obstructing his face, he couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He was still a bit nervous, but… But it seemed like with this little act, he had gained some acceptance among the people, despite their earlier suspicious glances. Most likely it would take more work to really be in good standing, but it didn't seem like he would never run out of work. "It really was nothing," the Yuke rubbed the back of his feathered neck, and even though his smile wasn't visible, it most likely was audible in the tone, even underneath the slight bashfulness. Of course, his own words seemed to snap him right back into a more nervous state.
"A-Ah, not that I mean your wounds weren't anything. They, they were. Very ah, serious. N-Not in the way that they were a threat to your life but ah," oh no, he was rambling. And only digging himself deeper here. Glancing in Avari's direction for help, he cleared his throat. "…I… Will be around. To ah, help. I am always prepared to heal anyone in need, s-so really, there is no issue with approaching me for such matters."
((Saw that, hah. But I guess Marmadue will be hanging in whatever the newest place that has refugees as a proper healbot, so he'll most likely be easy to notice. Maybe Avari wants to introduce all her newest buddies to everyone.))
(Yeah if she were to spot Marmadue, she'd certainly introduce them!)
"You are very kind... Marmadue was it? If you need anything, just let me know. In times like these, we all have to look out for one another." After their brief hand shake, to which the man looked at Marmadue's feather-covered appendage with a curious expression. And with that exchange, the man gave both Marmadue and Avari a curt nod before returning to his companions to continue their work around Tram Common.
Avari turned to Marmadue with a smile, "Well that's one way to make an impression! I bet lots of people will need your help around here." She glanced around, thinking for a moment, "If you'd like, I can help you track down some living quarters, and then I'll have to head out: I wanted to get in some more training before I turn in for the day. Will you be alright?"
