A Reunion of Recent Allies

[Marmadue]

Marmadue was giving nods to Shaizen as he talked about the Materia, as he too found them quite useful to say the least. Access to different types of magic without having to study and practice… Well, sure, using them still required some practice, but it was much different from learning a new spell from scratch.
"Most curious, are they not? I cannot say that, ah, Materia are completely unfamiliar in principle to me, as they quite resemble the Magicite of my world… But they still are quite different. It would be fascinating to learn more about their origins and how they have formed to have the power. Ah, and, how they work, in the first place," the Yuke seemed to be really fascinated by the little magic rocks, but perhaps that was to be expected now. Figuring out how things worked kind of came with his old profession – and he was more of a scholar, interested in studies and experiments rather than, well… Going out hand to hand with the Heartless.

Despite him wearing a helmet, it was probably quite obvious that Marmadue was worried about Shaizen wanting to go out on his own to test out his Materia against monsters. That carefree and relaxed posture grew tenser, his hands crossed in his laps as he leaned closer ever so slightly. The man might have been a trained professional who could handle himself in a fight… But that didn't stop the Yuke from feeling concerned!
"Mh," was a short reply that felt like the beginning of something more. He wasn't really into Shaizen's plan, but… He did have to practice somehow as well, so he was ready when it was needed. But wasn't there a safer way…?

The talk about weaker magic had made Shaizen recall something as well, however. That perked the Yuke right up – not that it was a good thing to hear, but hearing that someone else might have been experiencing it and it wasn't just in his head… That was something!
"Haa… If you too have noticed it, there could indeed be something affecting magic. Indeed. And, ah, it is a good thing to keep in mind. It would do well to not be too bold and assume your capabilities are identical here to as they were in your world. It could lead to overestimating the following magic, and…"

Well, that would be quite bad in the heat of battle…

[Shaizen Latross]

    Shaizen wasn’t too surprised at the fact that Marmadue had little experience with Materia, the same as himself. It seemed there were many things that were different about each world. By this time, he figured there were many different worlds, and each most likely were unique in their own rights. Like with Materia. Luniel didn’t have Materia, not like what he saw here anyways.



    “I know what you mean. We have naturally and unnaturally created gems in Luniel we call Reservoir Crystals. While they hold arcane energies similar to the way these Materia do, they cannot be used in the same way. They are accessed through extraction machines to power things in the cities. All attempts to use them the way one does with Materia always failed.”



    Shaizen would silence his talk as he saw Marmadue’s reaction to his plans to traverse the backstreets of Twilight Town. He remembered how the Duke had explained that he wasn’t one for combat, and wondered of the man might also be uncomfortable with others fighting as well. It would be a discussion for another time, however, as he had another theory for the lack of magic they both seemed to be having.



    “Well, another thing it could be is this world’s own balance. Luniel is a world that remained in balance between Light and Darkness. One side of the world was complete Light, the other bathed in Darkness. I was always in a city that rested between the two, so neither really changed my own magic while I was there. However, this world is almost nothing but Darkness. Could be the Darkness if affecting our magic. If it is, I guess all we can do is find ways to use magic other ways, such as Materia. Or just wait it out and see if we adapt.”

[Marmadue]

It was rare to hear someone go into details of their world – at least Marmadue never asked, as it could be quite touchy for many of the refugees who had ended up in Twilight Town. Remembering something they had lost was not the most lighthearted topic. But to hear more about Shaizen's world… Well, he was quite interested, listening intently. Seemed like Materia-like stones of magic occurred in other worlds as well, though nothing was quite identical. How fascinating! Magical stones that had reserves of power to use sounded quite useful indeed. He couldn't help but wonder if Materia of this world could be harnessed in a way like that, too…

Shaizen and his world ended up being quite the treasure trove of new information that actually sounded like it could have been a part of their current issue. Stroking his chin, the Yuke was getting quite into this possibility of the dark being what affected them, especially if that was what affected the people in Shaizen's world of Luniel. Twilight Town certainly had not seen a speck of sunlight during the time he had been there!
"Ah. That does sound like, ah, a sound hypothesis. It could be what plays a part in our dilemma," Marmadue nodded. Well, if the dilemma even existed. He would have had to ask if other had noticed anything being wrong, to see if anyone else was affected. But what could they do about that? Well, testing the effects of light would be quite difficult at the moment… But perhaps time indeed was what would help them get used to the darkness…?

Not that that was the only interesting thing of note. No, while the Yuke had done his best to keep quiet while his guest was talking about such interesting topics, this world of his was starting to sound like quite the foreign place indeed. And that, that made him curious.
"Light, and dark… Ah, you used to live in a state of perpetual twilight?"

[Shaizen Latross]

    Shaizen had realized that, while he had not been asked of it, he had begun rambling about his world. Perhaps, even though he had come to a certain resolve, he still missed Luniel. It was something he figured would be common and unsurprising. Most others probably had the same feelings about their own worlds. They were all dragged away from their homes by some force or other. Still, he was unsure if Marmadue had wanted to know everything Shaizen had told.



    Looking back to his host, Shaizen realized that he had no reason to worry about such things. Marmadue seemed rather interested and intent on taking in everything he had said. This being the first time Shaizen had spoken of his own world since he arrived here, he was happy to see such interest. He held the same interest in learning of others’ worlds, he just had no comfortable way of asking about them.



    “Yes, that could be what it is. Or not. We really can not know until the subject is investigated. Darkness has varying effects on all things, no matter their make. Magic, terrain, creatures. All are affected. We can never be sure exactly how it has affected us as well.”



    Maramdue’s question about his world caught Shaizen a little off guard. He had never really thought about the state of the entirety of Luniel. Even if he had, it wasn’t quite that simple.



    “Well, yes and no. Half of the physical world is covered in Light, the other in Darkness. Between them, running through the entire world, is a strip of natural neutrality. The Light and Darkness kind of… cancel each other out. It is known as the Land of Silence. And it would be the part of the world that is perpetual Twilight. It is also where the capital city of Tireal is, which is where I was mainly stationed.”

[Marmadue]

Marmadue nodded. For now, it would be difficult to say if Shaizen had hit the nail on the head with his idea. They needed to hear from others as well, find a way to test it… Ah, that sure would be the difficult one to figure out. They could still keep an eye on their own condition to see if it got better or worse with time – or if there was anything else that might suddenly affect their magic, something they might not notice that they were looking out for it…

While he was thinking, the Yuke had been stroking the bottom of his helmet in deep thought, but he allowed his hand to return to his lap as Shaizen explained more about the state of his world. He couldn't help but tilt his head to the side ever so slightly. At first it almost sounded like there was no twilight between the darkness and the light, but then, there was.
"Ah, pardon my curiosity. It just seemed like an interesting coincidence, your home situated in twilight and you now appearing in Twilight Town," not that there had ever been any twilight during his stay there, but apparently in the past, that was all there had been.

"…I am getting the feeling that ah, our concept of light and dark are not quite identical," Marmadue mused, almost like he was thinking out loud… But his gaze seemed to be directed at Shaizen, as if to check if they were on the same page.

[Shaizen Latross]

    Marmadue’s response would catch Shaizen by surprise, making him sit up a little and tilt his head. While he himself had indeed been situated in a part of his world that would be considered Twilight, he had also traveled most of Luniel, and seen all manners of Light and Darkness within his own world. Despite this, however, the two powers of his own world never clashed as they seemed to do everywhere else from what he had heard. Perhaps Light and Darkness changed between worlds as well, just like societies and magics?



    “Hmm… well… I honestly have no answer to either of those. It is obvious that all worlds are connected, having ended up here from a world that would appear separate from other worlds. Despite that, what you say does ring true. While Light and Darkness seem to be in constant battle here, they never clashed in Luniel until the Darkness took over. Yet, from what I hear, other places seem to be in constant battle between the two as well.”



    Shaizen would scratch his head before placing his head in his hands and shaking his head a little. Thinking of these things brought up so many questions, and so few answers. Having known only the teachings of Luniel his whole life, the information he was coming across now was more than enough to throw him off.



    “Gah! Light and Darkness in battle, worlds being taken without warning, Heartless attacking with strategic warfare. Things are not as simple as we were lead to believe in Luniel. I fear for any other Tirealians who may have survived and been whisked off elsewhere. Especially if they had no help when they got to wherever that may have been.”

[Marmadue]

Marmadue's head started its slow tilt to the other side – he honestly didn't really have much of an idea what these lights and darks and their constant battle was. While he had been silent while Shaizen had explained things before, now the Yuke really wasn't making signs that he was understanding what he was hearing well enough to really have a conversation about them. Well. He supposed that he could understand the darkness part somewhat, now. He remembered what happened on his world, after all. What led him to Twilight Town…

Shaizen's sudden raised voice caused Marmadue to jump in his chair, such an outburst quite unexpected considering how silent everything else around them was. But perhaps it should have been expected from his guest. Perhaps the man hadn't had much time to talk and think about all this before – and it certainly took another someone to talk to to truly get somewhere in some topics – so new ideas presented themselves to him now. Unfortunately, the Yuke was still in the dark. Figuratively.

"Ah… I suppose you are more familiar with them? The ah, Heartless," he asked once he had the chance. So many knew nothing, the Yuke included. Any extra information would be quite welcome – knowing one's enemy was quite useful, after all.
"I… Am afraid I am not. Not before they… Ah, it was quite sudden, my first encounter," Marmadue glanced down at his hands, still resting on his lap,
"I cannot say I have heard of this battle between the ah, light and dark either. Such is not what I had witnessed in my world, at least."

[Shaizen Latross]

    The topic of Heartless was one the Shaizen WAS familiar with. They were the main reason the Phoenix Guild had first been formed. Shaizen had fought many times against them in his world, though most there seemed to be weaker, if not just as common. At least they were common in the Darkness Domain. While they were seen now and then in the other half of the world, they were rather rare in Light’s Landing.



    “Yes, I knew of the Heartless my whole life. They were the only thing in Luniel that were actively hostile. While deeper in the Darkness Domain they were known to be rather powerful, elsewhere in the world they were little more than a nuisance at their worst. Occasionally a large one would pop up, but it only ever wandered around aimlessly. Only attacked when it just so happened to bump into some form of civilization. Until that happened, we would just leave it be.”



    Shaizen would pause for a minute and think. There were quite a few differences between the Heartless from Luniel and those found in Twilight Town. Twilight Town had more variety, as well as stronger versions of those Shaizen already knew of. Despite all the differences, there was one major thing that had caught Shaizen’s attention, and that made him worry more than any other.



    “I’d have to say the main difference in the intelligence, their ability to strategize. In Luniel, Heartless were just like animals. They would wonder the wilds, occasionally attack a passerby, and other things that a wild animal might. But, they would never work in groups the way they do here, working towards a specific goal. If they worked in groups in Luniel, it was out of rage or just out of the will to survive. Here, it’s like they are a trained army. Completely different, and rather terrifying.”

[Marmadue]

Marmadue couldn't imagine having grown up in a world where the Heartless existed… But then again, it wasn't like his world was free of danger and monsters, either. What Shaizen described sounded quite different from the state of Twilight Town, however. Seemed like they might have been attracted to dark places somehow – considering that Twilight Town was almost seeming to swim with them sometimes – but it sounded like they were much fewer in numbers, much more… Manageable. Like they rarely made their way where they could actually pose a threat to the people of the world. The Yuke glanced down. Was there a reason for that difference…?

It was something his guest brought up himself, almost immediately. Marmadue glanced back up at the man's face, and he could definitely understand the unease. The Heartless were monsters indeed, and he had no idea how intelligent they actually were… But they weren't just like wild beasts. Well, at the very least they were quite intelligent beasts, in the way they moved and fought. Some even seemed to have definite goals in mind, but was that an instinct or something greater?

"Hm," the Yuke exhaled, making a soft sound. Rather terrifying indeed. Had the Heartless always been like that, had they always had the ability to be what they were now? Was it a new ability they had gained or was there something else behind them? Or… Someone? Marmadue's gaze had once more managed to wander slightly as he held a finger to his chin in thought, but it returned back to Shaizen.
"You… Do not think they might be controlled, in some way? Whether that is ah, more of a commander of an army or an animal trainer carefully instructing their beasts, I do not know, but… I would not wish to completely overrule your past experience with the Heartless. It would make sense for there to be ah, a reason for the change in their behavior."

[Shaizen Latross]

    Shaizen would be caught in thought, realizing the likenesses and differences between the Heartless of his own world and this one. A difference that, to him, seemed as much a difference between wild beasts and soldiers in an army. Yet in the end they all seemed to have similar base characteristics. Thrive in Darkness, attack that of Light. As well as basic attacks and power. While they did seem more powerful here, they used the same attacks as they had in Luniel, just more powerful. Then again, seeing they were creatures of Darkness, the total Darkness in Twilight Town would have such an effect on them.



    “Hmm… controlled? Their own commander? Well… that would be an interesting twist, and it would explain why they are more organized here. It would also make sense as to why they all attack in groups, like when that big Heartless attacked. It brought a group that fought alongside it. And then there were secondary groups that attacked the citizens of Town specifically. Not as powerful as those in the main, but enough to take those who might not be able to defend themselves. I myself fought some of them. And it was uh… not easy, especially for the type of Heartless they were. Mainly weaker.”



    Shaizen would cross his fingers together and place his chin in his hands, closing his eyes for a second as he thought some more. He had learned so much since he had come to this place. And he had seen more than gave him even more questions. Were there more to Heartless than anyone had ever thought? Were they actually working towards some goal? He had a feeling that, if he wanted answers, he might have to talk to more people, those who seemed to have connections outside of Twilight Town.



    “Marmadue? Do you know who those uh… key… sword… people are? Or where they are from? I have been here a while, but I have yet to see any of them myself. Makes it seem as though they always have some big important business to deal with. And the way they actively took part in the battle against the big Heartless. I don’t know why, but I just get a feeling that if there are answers, they could be the best bet to finding them. Especially when that one seemed to know about the attack beforehand, no?”

[Marmadue]

"Ah… I do not know if I would like to call that interesting," Marmadue rubbed the back of his neck, his voice quiet and trailing off. While it certainly did feel like the Heartless were being commanded by someone – or something – it definitely wasn't a favorable outcome! Even if that would have explained things. But the Yuke didn't know much about the Heartless – and he knew even less about what it would be like to control them. Shaizen, meanwhile, knew about the monsters and seemed to have experience in commanding troops. The fact that he didn't outright shut down the idea was… Well, that probably meant it made sense. Unfortunately.

Marmadue lowered his hand, his movements slightly twitchy and nervous from this latest revelation. He did bring up the idea himself, but perhaps he had hoped for a different reaction, something less unsettling. His gaze had drifted downwards into his hands, but it was quickly brought up when Shaizen's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Ah, yes. The keyblade wielders…
"Ah, well. I cannot say the place of their origin, but ah, if by asking me who they are you mean if I have met them and can name them… Yes, that would be the ah, correct assumption. There has been the occasion when we have worked towards a common goal – though, ah, we haven't had that much time to share our stories yet," the Yuke started, giving the man a small nod,
"It does indeed seem that they know more. I believe that there will be ah, a meeting of sorts at a later date."

But what they actually knew about the Heartless and everything else… Well, many terms that Marmadue hadn't quite understood had been thrown around earlier, so it was difficult to comment on those. It did seem like something, at least. But there was one thing the keyblade wielders hadn't known – at least, the Yuke didn't know if they had known.
"Ah, though I must correct you. It was not a keyblade wielder who alerted us to the presence of the monster. A complicated tale, that…"

[Shaizen Latross]

    Marmaude’s words of a meeting made Shaizen perk up in interest. The fact that these Keyblade Wielders were hosting some sort of meeting meant there were probably at least a few, enough to form some kind of councilesque group. While he still had no real idea what a Keyblade was, he had heard enough to know they were powerful. If there were enough of the Wielders to make such a meeting, he would imagine there was a good chance they knew what was going on, with both the Heartless and the worlds being taken.



    “A meeting, huh? Must be more Wielders than I initially thought then. I figured there was maybe three, four… MAYBE five. If there are enough to make a meeting of sorts, then there are either more than that, or they are just looked up to on a rather large scale by those in this world. Either way, this meeting may have some answers… or more questions. Do you know if the meeting is open to just anyone? Or do you need some sorta invitation?”



    The next words Shaizen would hear caused him to sit up, his eyes locked onto Marmadue. Someone other than a Keyblade Wielder knew about the Heartlee, and was able to get ahead of it to warn others. The knowledge of this made Shaizen realize that the wielders weren’t the only ones who could take such an active role against the Heartless. Until know, he had believed he was restrained to the immediate areas around Twilight Town. But if someone without a Keyblade was able to go out and grab that information, that opened up certain possibilities.



    “Wasn’t a wielder? That’s… rather surprising. And… well… in certain ways… opens new roads. Dangerous ones, for sure. But ones that I didn’t think were possible before. If someone without a Keyblade went out and found that out, that means that, with great risk, others could. Needless to say it would take a lot of planning and cooperation from multiple people, but we could go outside town if we needed to grab certain… resources. Or look for answers. It’s obvious by now that if someone is controlling the Heartless, they aren’t based in Twilight Town. They would be out there, somewhere. I wonder of the Wielders thought about that…”

[Marmadue]

"Ah… Three that I have seen. But it is not just those wielding the keyblades who need to voice their concerns. We are all ah, unfortunately involved when it comes to the fate of Twilight Town," Marmadue pointed out to Shaizen who seemed to be having the feeling that the keyblade wielders were the only ones important enough to matter. While neither of them really seemed to know what the status of those with the keys even was, his guest at least was elevating them to quite the grand status. Perhaps he was right, but without knowing more, Marmadue couldn't give them quite the same treatment – even if they had been what made the difference between winning and losing.

"I do not know all the details of the upcoming meeting, but I am certain that ah, we will be given that information soon enough. I do not see why it wouldn't be accessible to anyone who would wish to partake in it," the Yuke continued, shifting in his seat slightly,
"The ah, reason for it is what to do now, after all. I have heard the mention of there being ah, a key that could protect us from the Heartless, locking the world, ah… Well, I am afraid I do not quite know the details of that, either. It seems that these keyblade wielders knew about such, but did not wish to proceed with such a proposal due to its consequences. That is why a discussion must take place, to ah, weigh the outcomes of these different actions. It will affect us all."

Marmadue did feel how Shaizen's eyes had focused into him as he spoke more of the mysterious stranger that had given them the warning. Such an intense gaze was enough to force the Yuke to glance aside, almost nervous. Nervousness that turned into guilt when he realized he had give the man so much hope with an incomplete story, his gaze drifting towards the floor.
"Ah… I am afraid this was not someone who… Went out, so to speak. He… Was not here, in Twilight Town," Marmadue stroked the side of his neck. He did mention that it was a complicated story. Where to begin…
"A rip had appeared in the air. Perhaps a dimensional portal of a sort, I ah, am uncertain of its inner workings. An invitation was sent, so that anyone willing or capable could investigate what was within. I ah, ended up volunteering, in case my help might have been needed…"

It was clear the Yuke was figuring out the next thread to grab and connect to this story, searching for words during a moment of silence.
"…I do not know if it could even be called a world anymore. A place of ruin," a description one could have offered for Twilight Town as well, but Marmadue never had. Not that he could, anymore.
"Yet there still was someone there. Judge Magister Gabranth, that was ah, what he introduced himself as. I lack the knowledge of if he was exactly ah… Living, but he did speak to us. He seemed to be quite familiar with the Heartless that attacked us."

[Shaizen Latross]

    “An outsider that opened a portal to here? Well, now that is interesting. I just figured he was from Twilight Town. Even then though, he still had knowledge of Twilight Town. That could be something. Especially since he opened a portal to this place… and… others could go through it…”



    Shaizen’s voice would trail off as he became lost in a certain thought. Someone from outside Twilight Town first confirmed that there were other worlds still accessible, even if they were in ruin. Worlds where other survivors could be, as well as resources to aid in the fight against the Heartless. That was his military trained mind thinking. His other side, the one that cared more for the survival of others around him was thinking something completely different.



    “Marmadue… a portal was opened from somewhere, and those here could go through it. That means other worlds are accessible. We might not be as stranded in this world as we thought. Someone outside was able to open a portal, maybe those here in Twilight Town can. We would just have to… figure out how. Maybe we could take the citizens here somewhere less… Heartless infested.”



    He looked up to Marmadue, waiting for what his thoughts on the subject were. Either way, while it may be an extremely long shot, it was a small ray of hope in a ruined and desolate world. Those living in Twilight Town who couldn’t really fight were on a timer, one that counted down to the day when there might not be others to protect them. For Shaizen, their safety was a priority. And to keep them safe, a safer location would be needed.



    “Marmadue, i have a favor to ask you. Once that meeting takes place, can you fill me in on what is said? I was never one for such things, since the man who raised me most of my life was a member of Luniel’s Council. I always felt out of place at the meetings. Plus, with so many in the meeting, someone will have to keep watch for any Heartless that might see it as an opportunity, no?”

[Marmadue]

"I do not know how much it was that he knew, but this Judge Magister seemed to be more knowledgeable than one might have initially assumed, considering, ah… His predicament. I am afraid we did not have much time for questions," Marmadue glanced down, perhaps a bit regretful that he was unable to provide much information. Or perhaps now that the beast was taken care of and Twilight Town had managed to recover somewhat after the attack, his thoughts could wander back to the man who had given them the warning. Was he… Still alright?

"…It certainly seems that the ah, wielders of the keyblades are positive that there is a way out. That was the ah, impression I have gotten from this far. The portal that we saw was referred to as a… Corridor of Darkness, by Mister Maxwell. He did not consider them as something… Good. Ah, but, they might not be the only way. Or their ah, disadvantages might not outweigh their advantages," he quickly looked up, almost as if in an attempt to keep Shaizen's spirits high now that he found something to believe in, not wanting to bring him down with his own concerns. It was looking more and more likely that there indeed was a way to get out!

Not that they knew exactly how they could do that, but perhaps talking to the Keyblade wielders was the, ah, key. They seemed to have much knowledge in things that the rest of them had not even heard about, so joining the meeting seemed like a good way to figure what they could do. As Shaizen asked for a favor, the Yuke tilted his head slightly as he listened. The man had been quite interested in the meeting, but… It seemed as if he wasn't the kind of a person who enjoyed actually partaking in them. After a moment, Marmadue nodded in agreement. He was unsure if he could really add anything to whatever conversation was going to be had, but he certainly could listen!

"Ah, very well. If that is your request, I would gladly fulfill it."