Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! May God bless each and every one of you, and may you have a wonderful year to look forward to, with unlimited possibilities! 2017 is going to be a good year, I can feel it!

 

So then, with a new year, I’ve decided to post a new story! I’ve had this story on my mind for quite some time now! Heck, I’ve had this story in my mind since I was writing the Keyblade War Trilogy, particularly around the beginning of Chapter III: Beauty Of Apocalypse! Back then, I thought of a cool concept, and then I played around with it, eventually imagining up more characters and an interesting background for them to dwell in, and well, here we are, with my new story! Obviously, it’s a non-KH story, like Seeing The World With Brand New Eyes and A Reason To Fight, which were two stories I wrote that are also not related to Kingdom Hearts! This is an original story, with characters and everything else all created by me, ya know?

 

Anyways, enough talking! Let’s get this show on the road! I hope you’ll all enjoy this new story!

 

Prologue: The Messenger

 

                “Where is he?” a voice asked.

 

                A soldier, well clad and with spear in hand, turned around at the sound of the voice, and faced the man asking the question.

 

                “I’m not sure.  He left quite a while ago.” the soldier answered. The other soldier groaned uncomfortably.

 

                “I don’t like this, Kren…he’s been gone for too long now! He was supposed to come back two hours ago!” the other soldier replied.  Kren looked up at the moon thoughtfully, and he gave out a sigh.

 

                “You’re right, Grim. It is kind of puzzling that Nero hasn’t returned…maybe he got delayed?” Kren suggested.  Grim shook his head.

 

                “I think more along the lines of an ambush.  I’ve heard rumor that the Craftsmen have been going on the defensive lately, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they attacked one of our own!” Grim thought aloud.

 

                “Perish the thought! True, the Craftsmen may be aggressive, but accusing them in such a way would be taking things too far…let’s just wait.  I’m sure Nero will be back any moment now!” Kren said, trying to reassure his friend.  Grim hesitated a bit, but then sat down on the ground.

 

                “For both our sakes, let’s hope Nero appears soon…” Grim said.  Kren nodded, but shortly afterwards, they heard a sound!  They both quickly took on their battle stances, with Kren holding his spear tightly and Grim drawing his sword from his sheathe!

 

                “What was that!?” Grim asked.  Kren noticed something moving a little bit north from them, and he pointed towards the trees!

 

                “There! I see it!  Prepare to attack!” Kren commanded, but as they prepared to attack, they saw a young armored man, walking groggily, his armor all shredded and bashed!

 

                “Good graces, it’s Nero!” Grim exclaimed, and he ran quickly towards the weakened Nero!  Kren accompanied him, but kept his spear in hand, just in case there was someone else lurking nearby!

 

                “Good graces, my boy, what happened to you?” Grim asked, holding Nero’s head.  The young man coughed up blood!  He seemed to be fatally injured!

 

                “I…I saw him…I saw him!” Nero gasped, his eyes ablaze with terror!

 

                “Who, Nero? Who!?” Kren asked, looking down at the young man.  Nero shifted his eyes towards Kren, tears forming as he tried to sit up.

 

                “T-the Wraith…he told me…to bear a message…to lady Ilia…” Nero answered.  At that, Nero and Grim looked at each other with great worry. 

 

(Start Song Here)

                “Don’t worry, my friend.  We’ll get you back to Lightbloom posthaste!” Grim said.  But before he could pick up Nero, something came out of the trees and attacked! Luckily, Kren, who had been at the ready, managed to block whatever was attacking them, and flung it back!

 

                “Back away, beast!” Kren shouted!

 

                “We can’t stay here! If Nero remains here any longer, he’ll bleed out to death!  We have to leave now!” Grim exclaimed worriedly!

 

                “I’m on it!” Kren said!  Inspecting the creature closely, he noticed that it was one covered in shadow.  It had flashing red eyes, and bore long, scrawny arms with razor sharp clawed hands! The creature hissed, and Kren felt a bit uneasy!  But then, he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together!

 

                “By the grace of land and grace of life, come to me, and give me protection!” Kren said aloud, and with those words uttered, giant roots rose from the ground, and impaled the dark creature, causing it to shriek in pain!  The creature was pinned to a boulder, the roots keeping it in place!  Confident that the creature was now restrained, Kren looked back at Grim, and then ran to his side!

 

                “Right, the creature is trapped, we have to leave now!” Kren urged!

 

                “Right!” Grim nodded, and with that, he closed his eyes and held his right hand upwards!

 

                “Eluzia!  Come and grant us safe passage!” he shouted!  Within seconds, a creature that resembled a giant wolf, but apparently made completely out of tree wood, came to Grim, and it growled softly, noticing the dark creature’s presence!

 

                “Come on boy, take us to lady Ilia!” Grim commanded as he and Kren mounted Nero and then themselves onto the wolf!  He howled and then started to sprint as fast as he could!

(End Song Here)

 

---

 

(Start Song Here)

                Meanwhile, Ilia, the one whom Nero was to relay the Wraith’s message to, was looking calmly at her garden.  She had a variety of plants and exotic looking flowers.  It looked like paradise, and the flowers gave off an alluring and peaceful essence to the air.  After a busy day, Ilia liked to simply stand there, contemplating her garden and taking in the scent of the flowers.  It brought her peace.  After all, being the leader of the Lifespring Clan was no easy task. Ensuring the prosperity of her people, keeping good relations with neighboring clans, attending to matters that concerned the well being of the world definitely took their toll on her.  And yet, despite all this, Ilia was always a calm and kind person.  Many people respected her.  She was a person that many looked up to.  She appreciated the praise, but thought it unnecessary.  Which is another reason she loved to be in her garden.  She could get away from the noise of people.  She reached out to touch a beautiful looking rose, when she felt someone come into the garden.  She glanced back and sighed.

 

                “What is it, Oracle?  Can’t you see I’m contemplating my flowers?” she asked, ever calmly.

 

                The Oracle, a man who wore a white cloak that concealed his face, simply bowed and crossed his arms.

 

                “Apologies, lady Ilia.  I merely came here to accompany you, as it were.” he stated.

 

                “I see.  Then tell me, what do you wish to discuss?” she asked.  The Oracle simply chuckled and walked to her side.

 

                “My lady, you always see right through me.  Anyways, I know that right now you are enjoying your private time, but there is something of importance to discuss…” he started.

 

                “Yes?  What is it?” she asked.

 

                “It concerns tomorrow’s meeting.  The heads of the clans will be there, as usual, but I’ve heard rumor from  our Everbloom Knights that tension will probably ride high.  Particularly when it comes to the Scorched Clan.” the Oracle explained.  Ilia looked at one of her plants and sighed.

               

                “I see…well, I’ll be sure to be ready.  In any case, I will do my best to keep the peace in the council room.” she said, as she turned to the Oracle.

(End Song Here)

 

(Start Song Here)

                “Indeed.  Let’s hope tomorrow goes by without—“ the Oracle began to say, when the doors to Ilia’s garden smashed open!  Through them, Kren and Grim came, carrying a bloodied Nero!  Ilia’s eyes opened wide and she quickly went to Nero’s side, while the Oracle remained where he was.  She knelt beside Nero, while Kren and Grim knelt across from her.

 

                “What is the meaning of this!?” she demanded!

 

                “My lady, Nero came to us like this…he said something about a message from the Wraith!” Kren explained!  At that, Ilia’s expression grew worrisome, and she looked at Nero.

 

                “What is it, boy?  What message could possibly be so vile as to leave you in this condition?” she asked.  Nero, coughing up blood, struggled to lift himself up.  But when he did, he went towards Ilia’s ear and told her what he could.  Kren and Grim didn’t know what was being said, but they knew it was something bad.  The look on Ilia’s face alone guaranteed it!

 

                “The Wraith…? Hmm, what troublesome times indeed.  The Council will have a hoot tomorrow…” the Oracle mumbled to himself.

(End Song Here)

 

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What is this mysterious message that Nero needed to deliver to Ilia? Who is this Wraith? What troubles lie ahead? Is all this an ill omen of things to come?  Stay tuned for Chapter One: “A Troublesome Affair!”

 

So yeah, that was the prologue! I hope that you all enjoyed it!  So then, as is customary with my stories, this story will be fifty chapters long! I hope you’ll enjoy what I have in store, I promise it’ll be good! I’d tell you more about the story, but I don’t want to spoil, so I’ll just let the chapters speak for themselves! The first chapter alone will have a bit of insight on the state of things!  So anyways, I’ll appreciate your support! Thanks for reading, and until next time, stay tuned for the next chapter!

Edited January 2, 20178 yr by The Transcendent Key

To KHLegendIII, I'm glad you liked it! There's one more little piece of the puzzle to add, which I shall do now!

 

Good evening everyone, I hope that all of you are doing okay! That’s right, ladies and gents! As with all my previous stories, this one will also feature an Epilogue! So here it is, and I hope you all enjoy!

 

Epilogue: The World After

 

(Start Song Here)

 

                Five years have passed since the life changing events that took place for Zaria and her friends. The world had been plunged into chaos, stifling under the grip of countless centuries of conflict and incessant violence. It had seemed that things would take a turn for the worse, and that the world would die out. But thanks to the actions of Zaria and her friends and the sacrifices made, the world was averted from oblivion, and ever since then, a new time of peace and prosperity came. True, there were some hurdles to overcome, like anything in this life, but slowly and surely, the world became a much better place, and everyone was able to keep their promise to Ilia and Vincent.

 

                Shortly after the world had been restored, the Craftsmen came back to existence, and Eros thanked everyone immensely for everything that they had done to ensure the world’s survival! He honored everyone with medals crafted with loving care for them, a symbol of all they had done! After that, they decided to travel to uncharted lands, to build and to populate and to hopefully pave the way for future generations looking to make their mark in the world and live in a completely new place. Their journey was blessed by Saphira, who promised to watch over them, which she did do.

 

                As for Saphira herself, she took it upon herself to be immersed in the doings of all the countries of the world, of all the kingdoms, doing her duty and overseeing the natural disasters, charting them and preventing them from striking, helping avert the disasters and preparing the people in case there was a storm too great. In addition to that, she provided counsel for people, and she helped them in any way she could. She turned her back to no one, and the people were grateful to her for it. And always in her thoughts was Ilia, her dear friend. She missed her greatly, but every time she looked up at the sky and the sun shining down, she knew that she was watching over her. That brought a reassuring smile to her face very time.

 

                Grim, along with Seth and Audrey, reached an agreement. Now that the Scorched no longer possessed their powers, there was another way they were discovering on how to provide the energy necessary for the Lifespring to produce the flora and fauna for the planet and maintain it. Grim knew just how much Vincent had struggled to do good by his people, so he made it his duty to always care for and extend a helping hand to the Scorched. They, in turn, helped him and the Lifespring whenever they needed it, and they reached a harmonious bond.  And with their cooperation, they were able to create enormous flowers, placing them upon the lands near Mt. Terios, so that when the sun would shine, the flowers would absorb all the light of the sun, therefore giving the Lifespring the energy they needed. It was a perfect fix. And one that Grim wish his people had thought of sooner. Even he had not thought of this. It would have been the perfect solution…but at least now, he could do good by Vincent, as Ilia would have wanted.

 

                Laren and Tatsumaki ended up marrying each other, and their wedding was a great celebration, one that all of their dear friends attended! After everything they had been through, they deserved this happiness! And after that, they were to have their first child! Tatsumaki was ecstatic, and Laren was immensely happy that he could live with her like this. He even thought at one point that this was all a dream. But thankfully, it wasn’t, and he held Tatsumaki’s hand, the two of them reassuring themselves that this was the happiness they had been longing for. They would discover new things, and they would raise a great family together. They had a bright future ahead of them!

 

                As for Zaria and Bane, they decided to travel the world together.  Now that the conflict was over, they could be able to wander to and fro, discover new things and simply enjoy the freedom of being able to go anywhere! As they traveled together, they became closer and closer. Their feelings for each other grew, and Zaria was immensely happy that she could be able to experience this. Bane, who had not thought he would end up having someone in his life that would give him such joy, felt overwhelmed and happy! The two of them enjoyed each other’s company, and they looked forward to each new day that would come!

 

                On one particular day, the two of them were strolling along a forest path. The breeze blew softly, refreshing and inviting! Zaria glanced over at Bane, and she smiled at him.

 

                “You know…I’m really happy, Bane.” she said.

 

                “Yeah…I know what you mean.” he replied.  The two of them stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

 

                “I’m really happy that I was able to live through this…I don’t regret anything that happened. I was able to meet all of you, who became the most important people in my life. You all brought meaning and purpose to my existence, and now that the world is safe and becoming a better place with each passing day…I just…it just feels overwhelming, you know?” she said.

 

                “Yes. We went through hell...but we got our just reward in the end. Now…” he said, catching his breath. “Now we get to enjoy days like these! Even though the heat can be a pain in the ass sometimes…” he finished.

 

                “Oh, Bane, did you just say a pain in the ass? That’s so unlike you!” Zaria beamed sarcastically. Bane rolled his eyes.

 

                “Yeah, yeah…” he chuckled.

 

                “Oi, you two lovebirds! Get over here already!” a voice called out. Zaria and Bane looked over, and it was Grim, along with the others, who were waiting for them with smiles on their faces!

 

                “Coming!” she and Bane said in unison.  Bane then raised an eyebrow and stared at her.

 

                “Remind me again why we are in this particular path? Not that I don’t enjoy walking, but still.” Bane commented.

 

                “Well…there’s supposed to be an ancient treasure hidden somewhere around here…and I want to be the one to find it!” she answered.

 

                “Ah, so you invited the others so we could all find it together?” Bane wondered.

 

                “No, it’s more of a competition. Whoever gets the treasure first gets all the spoils!” Zaria smirked.

 

                “Hmph, well isn’t that something?” Bane chuckled.

 

                “I think I found something!” Saphira shouted from afar! At that, Zaria panicked!

 

                “Wait, what? No!!! Come on, Bane, come on!!!” she exclaimed, as she took Bane by the hand and dragged him towards the others.

 

                What a competition this would turn out to be!

(End Song Here)

 

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And so, we have come to the final end of this story, my dear followers! I hope you enjoyed this epilogue! Now then, as I stated with my last update, another story is on its way, but I’m taking a short rest beforehand, so yeah! I hope you all look forward to my next story! Thanks for reading, everbody, and see you till next time!

Edited March 27, 20187 yr by The Transcendent Key

This was nice.

This was nice.

 

Thank you, I'm glad you thought so!  I'm pretty satisfied with the way I ended the story, and it marks off another of my works that I have completed! Excelsior! 030