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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There were at least ten of them now. Nothing Mars couldn't handle. A few Heartless were always a good way to keep his skills sharp.
Mars stood in the middle of a large group of a variety of Heartless. They seemed very eager to attack, and Mars knew why. The Keyblade. The Heartless feared every single Keyblade out there, which was why they would attack those that bore them.
"Heartless..."
He took a step forward with his right foot as he tightly grasped the handle to his sword. The sword made a soft whisper as he vigorously tore it from its sheath. As he did this he also summoned his Keyblade.
"...never learn their lessons!"
A poof of air, and Mars was gone! Another poof directly behind his first target and he was back. One swift swing of his Keyblade and with a larger poof that Heartless was gone.
Three Heartless came at him at once. One came at him low, another high, and the third was farther behind. With a small hop he leaped over the one sliding on the ground, flipped and cut vertically through the one in the air, immediately sending the Keyblade soaring through the air at the one trailing behind killing it as the blade cut right through both that Heartless and a few others in the distance. As he came to the ground he summoned a bolt of lightning which struck many Heartless in the area.
Two minutes later the threat had been eliminated. Mars was once again returned to his task at hand... to find Marluxia and to continue on his mission for power through Marluxia as his lackey.
However... Mars felt like something wasn't right in the shadows. Almost as if something was there...
It was silent, as it always was, upon the surface of that desolate world. A damaged and dangerous world was not one the tourists flocked to, and who could blame them? Sai stood silently before one of the many windows covering the Castle of the Heartless. Up in one of the higher rooms, Sai looked down upon the silent landscape, spotting only the occasional Shadow as it scurried by, going nowhere in particular. It was days such as these that would make Sai wish for a visitor of some kind, something to relieve his feelings of boredom. Unlike most of those other days, however, this day Sai would get his wish.
As he glanced about he spotted the movement of a larger figure than a typical Shadow, and less sporadic than a Neoshadow. Drawing his attention, Sai watched as the figure moved, only to be quickly surrounded by a group of Heartless. Assuming now that this figure had a heart, Sai figured he'd best keep an eye on this wanderer. He observed the warrior as he danced about with the Heartless, unknowingly putting on quite the show for Sai. He chucked in amusement as the stranger took to dispatching the wretched Heartless beasts. Having no real enjoyment in the existence of those lower Heartless and their instinctual actions, Sai did not mind to see them cut down one after the other.
That barren wasteland of a world seemed to come to life, in Sai's eyes, as the fight was drawing to a close. Having seen the keyblade wielded by the young man, Sai was more intrigued than prior, now having a legitimate interest, and not just one spawned of sheer boredom. He closed his eyes, exhaling calmly, and as he did this a strange material began to separate itself from Sai's body. The substance took on a human-like form before immediately retreating into the shadows.
Opening his eyes, Sai watched, now from ground level, as the last of the Heartless were eliminated. Refusing to hesitate, Sai casually emerged from the Shadows, clapping his hands slowly as he made his way towards the young man.
"Bravo, my friend, bravo." His words seemed friendly, Sai having decided a friendly and straightforward approach seemed best suited to the situation.
A smirk or a smile crept over his face as he looked at this wandering keyblade wielder. He was truly curious as to the intentions of this wielder of light who willingly wandered into the stronghold of both darkness and nothingness.
"You know...it's not often one chooses to visit this damnable world,"
Mars kept his blade drawn and his Keyblade at the ready. He remembered his training, and he remembered the mistakes he had made in the past. Never let your guard down, and as Xemnas told him in his training, always make use of the Keyblade immediately rather than save it as a last resort.
This man that had recently appeared was extremely calm, and spoke with words that would intend kindness. However, Mars felt a sheer amount of sarcasm in his voice whether it was there or not.
"Bravo, my friend, bravo." the man said as he clapped his hands. "You know...it's not often one chooses to visit this damnable world," he continued.
Mars relaxed letting his arms fall to his sides still grasping the handles of his weapon tightly, content on defending himself if he had to.
"I'm here to find some answers, that's all. I don't want any trouble," he said.
Mars turned so he was facing the man. Mars was apart of the Organization, wearing the signature cloak given to him by Xemnas. Though, with Marluxia's disappearance Mars had no idea what was going on in the Organization, and he was yet to bear enough courage to attempt and approach them to find out. He was hear to first find Marluxia and get some answers.
Considering Mars had never seen this man, it made sense that he was probably representing the Dark XII, or at least in some way. Mars could not be sure, however, and he chose to keep his speculation silent.
"I'm looking for Marluxia, have you any information? If so, please tell and I'll be on my way."
That's all Mars wanted. He didn't wish to kill this man. This man had nothing to offer Mars outside of information. If Mars had to, though, he'd kill to get this information.
(Ok, before I took like a year off from the forum Mars was a follower of Marluxia before Marluxia was banished or whatever happened to him. He was trained by Xemnas, and before I took my break Mars disappeared. He's back now, and has no idea what's happened in a years time, so he's on a search for answers.)
The chuckle rang through the air as the figure melted from the shadows. Silver eyes flickered beneath black hair, and Ienzo stared at the Heartless and Human who stood in front of him. Ienzo was so casual... Leaning against the wall, he let the shadow die behind him, dripping from him like oil. He pulled himself up and walked over to the two, his arms crossed over his chest.
His eyes flickered to Sai, and he gave a nod with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Sai. I hope that you are doing well after your Sleep. A return from the Darkness can be quite tiring, I understand." Indeed, I remember it well... The silver eyes drifted to the redhead and he nodded again.
"And you... Are a Nobody? Yet I can feel the Darkness in your Heart. You are human." Strange... This must have been what Marluxia was talking about. He said that he had owned a group. Well, this one had made a truly brave decision, searching for his master here. Hopefully they wouldn't get ambushed at the sound of that name. "Be careful... 'Marluxia' is a taboo around here now. He led an attack without asking his Superior, and was removed from the Organization completely. Now, he is a free agent." Ienzo just chuckled as he turned to Sai.
Sai stood still as the young man spoke. It was obvious to Sai that he was out of the loop, unaware of the current happenings. He shook his head at the mention of that treacherous Nobody. Sai was about to respond, but there was a sudden voice, coming from the darkness. Being Heartless himself, Sai knew full well who this mysterious newcomer was, and if it was any consolation, he was thankful it was not another of his Heartless brethren.
"Ienzo, it has been quite some time, hasn't it?" Sai spoke will false warmth, similar to the tone he used when talking with the keyblade wielder looking for Marluxia. Ït was...peaceful. Though needless to say I am ecstatic to be back."
He moved away from his side conversation, Ienzo already engaging the young man with his comments on the recent happenings around the Nobodies' stronghold. Normally, Sai could care less what one wished to do with their life, if they wished to run off after a worthless, renegade of a Nobody was of no concern to him. The only problem was, he knew Marluxia already had one unwitting keyblade wielder under his control, and he was not much a fan of the idea of allowing another to wander into the Nobody's grasp. Sai looked over at Ienzo, an almost emotionless look as he wondered if Ienzo had happened across the same thought.
Looking back over at the wielder he rediscovered that smile from a few moments ago, figuring it to be far more inviting than a cold stare. "If I may ask, why is it you seek that Nobody? What could he offer you, especially now, that you could not find elsewhere?"
Clearly the two that had approached Mars had history, and it was obvious they had to be on the same side, at least to a degree. He'd have to watch himself now, as Mars was unsure of their power, and to take on two at once would not be an easy task.
Still... he needed his information. He now had some, all he needed now was to find his master. His neck twisted as he looked to the man that appeared second and then to the one that appeared first.
Should Mars tell them he was thirsty for power? For the ability to save a life, and also to take it from anyone and anything. Should he reveal he wanted to take over the Organization himself? That Marluxia would be his key to doing so?
No... telling this to anyone might cause that information to leak through to Marluxia himself, and the rest of the Organization. Though, the Heartless brought up a curious question to Mars just now: Should I chose to stay with the Organization, or to continue with Marluxia. An interesting speculation.
"It does not concern you what my motives are. Though I can say they will benefit you in the future," he said as he continued to look back and forth between the two.
However, could Marluxia really overthrow the Organization now that he wasn't able to work from within it? So many questions left answered in such a short time.
Ienzo listened to Sai and then turned to the human.
This human would benefit them in the future? Did he know what they were already? Ienzo would have to ask Elaeus about the coats they had bestowed the Dark XII. They didn't seem to be working if this guy knew that they were Heartless.
And how could he benefit the Dark XII? They were currently winning the race, being bestowed in multiple Worlds. They were on top, for sure. He smiled as the man spoke, wondering what exactly he was planning with Marluxia.
"Do you know where he is?"
Where could Marluxia be? He wasn't here... He left the Caribbean. Oh, so many worlds to search. "I'm sorry. I really can't say... But if anything, he will be in a group. If that can help you any."
"So... What is your story? Are you a Nobody, or are you just a follower? I have to say, if you're human, you are quite unique to be within their group." Ienzo shot a glance to Sai. A Nobody? Nobodies... It wasn't that he hated them, it was just that they were destined to fight. They needed each other, yet they couldn't share. They could only lose and gain... Thus the war would always continue with them. ((Bleh post. I am sorry.))
Sai received the response he had expected, the young man unwilling to divulge any of his hidden motives. Wishing to discover all that he could from this mysterious visitor, Sai paid close attention to all that he said, trivial information included. He found it strange that the young man assumed that whatever his endeavors were, they would be of use to the Dark XII.
If your goals would prove to be in our best interest as well as yours, then would we not be able to assume we share a similar desire somewhere along the line?" Sai spoke, attempting to convince the young man he was in friendly company. "If what you say is true, would it not also be in our best interest to assist you? Seeing as it would in turn benefit us?" He offered, shrugging his shoulders lightly, immediately recrossing his arms, that being his most comfortable position.
He had only hypotheses as to what this person was up to, but, he figured, he could set that aside and simply attempt to work it out of the young man, and perhaps in the process find a mutual partner to some extent. Keeping his friendly and peaceful ruse alive, he broke only momentarily, looking back to Ienzo, meeting his gaze briefly. Seeing as Ienzo had posed the question he did, Sai was left to assume Ienzo hadn't a clue as to the boy's abilities. Without looking back towards his fellow Heartless, Sai spoke.
Interesting. Mars had said that his motives would benefit them only to see if he could get information out that he otherwise could not know. By doing so it appeared that there was more behind these two than at first glance, just as he had expected.
"They called me Human..." he thought. "Must mean they aren't. Obviously Heartless. Nothing else makes sense. And by the sounds of what followed my comment.. Dark XII? Either way, they aren't what I'm after, I'm after Marluxia.."
Mars took a step toward the one that mentioned the Keyblade. He didn't appreciate the fact these two were so comfortable, it made them seem cocky. Words nearly escaped Mars' mouth as he nearly resorted to his old self of rude remarks and immidiate threats, but in his year away from the action here he had grown wiser.
"I take it your Dark XII? It's the only thing that makes sense. You call me human like you aren't, and you can't be working for the Organization, I've been around there. If you are Dark XII, prove it and I'll make you a proposition."
Mars was straight to the point. His motives would remain a secret until he knew for certain who these two were, and what they could offer him. All that interested Mars was his own agenda, whatever these two could possibly get out of Mars in the end, as long as Mars accomplished his goal, it did not matter.
(( Lol, so tired, but I wanted to post before tomorrow. I know it's mostly bad grammar dialog, but it's all I could come up with haha. ))
Ienzo just stared at the male, wondering what this proposition was...
"Nah. I think I'll pass. Have a good one, though." He turned away and began to walk through the streets, humming softly. The human could and would do, but Ienzo had other things to worry about than a proposition of a Keyblader. He didn't mess with those, and wouldn't ally himself with somebody he couldn't trust. If only that had Sora's Heartless... That would make things interesting;
To obtain that amount of naivety and Darkness, that would be a achievement. As for the other human, he was one of millions that died every day. He looked at Sai again and waved. "Oh! I forgot: If you need any help..." The shadows around him rippled, and Neo-Shadows rose form the ashes. "Watch out for Nobodies. They're everywhere."
Sai would be a good addition to the team, unlike Relena or Dilan. He might actually do something... They just wandered around like imbeciles. He could tell that Sai would do some good now that he was Awake.
Sai listened to the wielder's words; his tumbling reasoning, and his eventual conclusion of a proposal. His attention was stirred by the idea of a proposition. From his view it seemed quite plausible and perfectly acceptable. It seemed like simple logic, really. If two were reaching for the same goal, indirectly or directly, why not assist one another at the chance of increasing one's efficiency and tip the odds in the favor of the individuals. Two heads are better than one; there were many sayings and the like on the subject.
Though he was entirely for hearing the young man's proposition, he was unsure as to the complication of the endeavor, having Ienzo there and all. His issues were instantaneously cleared up as Ienzo refused the proposition and made his exit. Sai turned to watch his departure, seeing him summon up a few Neoshadows upon taking his leave. He chuckled slightly as he turned his attention back to the keyblade wielder.
"Well, unlike my associate, I am more than willing to hear your proposition out. And if proof is what you need, and in the event those Neoshadows are not proof enough, allow me to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."
With a simple wave of his hand, not even bothering to acknowledge the creatures, the Neoshadows sank back into the darkness.
"Consider that both my proof and a sign of peace." Sai offered.
As far as he was concerned, this could do nothing more than benefit him, if not the Dark XII as a whole. Keyblade wielder or not, he figured help was help, regardless of where it was coming from.
Another turn of events. One had left, another had stayed.
When the Heartless were summoned Mars took a step back and readied himself. If he needed to, he'd kill everything here. However, after a short turn of events the when named Ienzo left, the other was willing to listen.
The Heartless were sent away, and this man claimed a period of peace. This was good. Before he said anything, though, Mars did some thinking. He wanted to be stronger. To become stronger he was originally going to take over the Organization with Marluxia and in turn someday have control over the Nobodies to a large degree. However, with Marluxia's disappearance, and through these turn of events... perhaps it would be better to find a group more 'suitable' for the task of taking over the Organization. An interesting dilemma.
Mars took one big dreath, sheathed his sword and dismissed the Keyblade. He turned to the man and grinned.
"Despite my being apart of the Organization... I want power. I've nothing to live for in this lifetime, so I've decided to become as strong as I can. If you want to destroy the Organization, I may be able to assist you in one way or another. If along the lines of doing so I get stronger, I guess I'll do whatever it takes," he said.
Mars had no idea what he was doing, saying, or thinking. His heart was corrupted by darkness thanks to Marluxia. And, without Marluxia to continue to control that corruption it had spiraled out of control into a pure desire for power. At this point Mars was a free agent of the darkness.
"I don't know what to live for. So I guess naturally all I want is power. So typical for a human, right? Do not judge me, and do not take me for weak. My path for power is much different than any normal human," he said with a serious tone.
It had been confirmed. The lack of Marluxia over the last year had completely transformed Mars. If the darkness continued to engage his heart without the presence of light... things might end up being 'torn' in multiple directions for Mars.
Sai listened intently to the words of the apparently troubled individual. He watched as the young man dropped his guard and began to really open up, if it could be called that. He spoke of a want of power, and of a willingness to cooperate, if it in turn would better him. Sai merely nodded as the explanation flowed out, not wishing to interrupt, as that would have been rude. With a quick, final comment on his journey for power the young man concluded his train of thoughts.
Sai stood silent for a few moments following, taking in all he just heard and selecting his next moves carefully. It was obvious this young man was lost without a guiding force; light, dark, or nothing, and it seemed to him that this young man might openly accept any sort of guidance as long as he felt it was moving him forward. Sai gathered that this kid had all but lost himself, very similar to how Sai had been shortly before his departure from human existence. He found great resemblance in this young fellow with himself, and this interested him to say the least.
"Let me begin by saying, my young friend, I would not dream of judging one whose desires are so very logical. Power is as power wants, and once one has had a taste, well, the rest simply falls into place." He spoke from true experience, knowing he could draw on his own history to speak to this young man.
"I might be so bold to say that what you seek is the only viable goal in existence. Power is the force by which one grows, learns, fights, survives; and I daresay those sound like quite the important factors of life, am I wrong?"
He posed this question to the young man, mostly to see where he was getting with the conversation at this point, not wishing to go on in a sort of monologue and leave the boy to take it all in at once. That would be idiotic.
(( Lol, its odd this comes up in this thread, the fight for power is a big topic in my Ethics class. ))
Mars was amused. The fact the man took the time to try and comfort Mars' thoughts was enough to show he was still interested in Mars' help. Whether it be because he wielded a Keyblade or not, Mars didn't care at all.
This man was also right. Every single Human, Heartless, and Nobody all seemed to fight for power. It was what drives them, at least to some degree in so many ways.
Mars looked to the ground, his mind racing, his eyes shut, his hands clamped tight making what felt like an unbreakable fist. He was strong now, yes, but imagine the possibilities! He could do anything! The ability to do what he wanted without people getting in his way was ideal! The ability to do as he pleases with no consequence to himself was also ideal.
Wait... what was he thinking? At one point all he cared about was himself. True, he still did, but to want to be able to do anything through power? This was new. Why was he feeling this way? What was happening?
Mars let out a huge sigh. He had no idea what was happening. Why did he feel this way? So many questions.. Yet none of them mattered. Mars had nothing to live for, this he kept coming back to. The fact that his life's goal of finding and killing his brother had been fulfilled, well that was just overwhelming. He had never planned beyond that. Perhaps, maybe, yes maybe that was the reason he had agreed to follow Marluxia. Maybe that's why he had just 'gone with the flow' since he killed Shore.
So much speculation... This wasn't like Mars at all. Another change? What the hell was happening?
"It makes sense. We all want to be stronger. Even those that say they are full of light and love, they too want to be stronger in some sense along the way. We all want power..." Mars started to say as his voice trailed off. What did he really want?
Though his mind was racing, Mars remembered one thing: He didn't take orders from anyone.
"I've been thinking a lot in these moments that have gone by, Mr. Heartless over there. What does one do when he has nothing to live for? You give me one hell of an answer, an answer that completely satisfies my question, and depending on that I'll do whatever you want. I'll kill everything you ask me to. Hell, I'll waltz right in the Organization's door and blow a hole in the wall so you can walk right in. Answer me wrong, though, I just don't know what I'll do..." he said as a smirk grew gently up the right side of his face.
His old self was returning, though in a much darker sense. Mars was losing control over himself, this was certain. Because of this the Heartless' position was very fragile. If Mars couldn't find his answer here, he'd find it somewhere else.
(Sorry for such a long post, haha, I just got into it xD Lots of personal relevance here, though its not personally about me.)
(I know what you mean. We went over it last year in my ethics class as well).
Sai stood patiently as the wandering stranger seemed to be in deep thought, perhaps a mental struggle even. He couldn't be sure without asking, but he wasn't about to do that, as it would be idiotic. He began to assume this young man was pondering something very strong in his mind, otherwise he surely would not be thinking to intensely about something trivial or shallow. As the young man spoke briefly, Sai but nodded, realizing he wasn't quite done with his train of thought.
He was proven correct as the confused young man spoke once more. This was certainly a shock to Sai, hearing what he was hearing from this seemingly young individual. He nodded slowly at the proposed question he now had to contend with. He was not about to rush into this answer, knowing that one slip could lose him a possible asset. He paused for a moment or so as he planned out what he had to say. Finally, figuring he was ready to respond.
"You pose quite the question, sir. I will say upfront, one needs something to live for in order to keep on living. One needs that driving force, that goal to reach in order to press on, especially when one loses their inner drive. Without that, one would simply fade away, wither into nothing, a hollow shell of a being. All of this until it ends, which by then is almost welcomed."
Sai took a breath for a moment, before continuing with his answer.
However, I would warn against carelessly attempting to fill that hole with whatever is lying around. Many things, if one attaches meaning to them, does nothing more than restrain one, cut them off from their life, and restricting the very lives they attempted to free. One must be wary of using things like care, kindness, sympathy, love, and innocence to feel that connection. Such emotions, when used to fuel one towards a desire, whatever it may be, forces one into shackles which are next to impossible to remove. If one lets such things happen, they will find that they are no longer driven by their goals, but consumed and controlled by it, losing their free will and intelligence in the process."
Sai uncrossed his arms in the process of giving his answer. This was taking a bit longer than he had expected. Then again, making sure he covered all of his bases was not such a bad idea, considering what was riding on his answer.
"That aside, to directly answer your question: When one has nothing to live for, he finds something new to drive him, to return to him that lust of life and progress. He must find what gives him that feeling. Though, I might ask you why you are looking for something to live for; when you've already got something to live for, something that obviously drives you. Power drives you, it empowers you, it is what makes you live, what keeps your heart beating, your breaths coming and going. Power is one of those forces which brings the greatest of drives to those who truly know how to use it; those who truly understand power, which most do not. But you, you do, my young friend. I can see it in your eyes, hear it in your speech."
(No need to apologize. I was really getting into my post too, including the previous one, though I figured I'd split it up, though this post allowed me to bet out most of what I was thinking of).
