Link to the OOC and Signups: http://kh13.com/forum/topic/64921-light-fall-ooc-and-sign-ups/

 

Lets Get This Show On The Road

Roaring wind and swirling blacks and purples blanketed everything, eyes squeezed shut as the world stretched and tore; pulled backward through the Space Between, there was nothing that could be done as the island was ripped into infinitesimal pieces in the darkness beneath his feet. His brown hair was matted down hard against his head, damp and cold against his forehead. His arms were pressed to his sides as he traveled, though he wouldn't have had the strength to fight whatever was pulling him along if he wanted to. He ground his teeth, pulled faster and faster through the darkness, feeling as though his legs might be left behind if it didn't slow down.

Bright white light suddenly burst through the tiny gap in his eyelids. The blue eyes snapped open as the urgent pulling sensation gave way to gravity; his arms and legs came free, his neck snapping up to see what he was flying toward as he was blasted from the portal, long black claws raking out after his body, snaking through the air toward him, as if it were going to snatch him like a fish on a hook and send him whizzing back the other way. Arms came up to shield his body unnecessarily; the short-lived portal snapped shut only moments after his exit, the shadowy claws bursting into wisps of smoke before his eyes. His moment of relief was cut off by the wall. Sneaky buggers, walls.

His body clung to its yellowed surface for a moment, leaving the former Keyblade Master to slowly peel off and fall to the dirt with an unceremonious 'flumpf'. Pain reverberated through all his limbs, spreading from the back of his head. His bare hands were scraped and already covered in dirt and sand, and shaking as he tried to bring his arms under him to bear his weight. "No... No no..." He coughed, his whole body shuddering once as his arm slipped, bringing him back down to the earth.

Lying on his stomach for minutes that felt like lifetimes, he closed his blue eyes once more, silently wishing himself away from his dirty resting spot, his mind forcing him to relive the incident once more.

He'd been sitting on the floor of his house, back against one of the couches in the living room, that silly ear to ear grin spread over his face, his hands wrapped around a spiky auburn haired young boy, both of them laughing as they wrestled on the floor. A typical summer night, it seemed; roughhousing on the floor, shooed inside by an oncoming storm. As twilight wore into evening, and his son was ushered on to bed by his wife, the retired Keybearer took the moment to relax, letting his head sink down into the cushions of the couch, staring up at the ceiling fan as it spun hypnotically slowly. The smile still on his lips, he pushed himself to his feet. "Dad?" A shaky voice of a younger girl, echoing down the stairs to him. As she asked him to come up, he was already taking two steps at a time, for no particular reason other than he could! He hopped around the corner, poking his head into the room. Another auburn haired kid was kneeling on the bed in her pajamas, pointing out the window to something. Sora chuckled, pushing some of his own light brown locks out of his eyes as he walked over to the window to see what was so startling. "It's just a squall; you remember how they turn the sky funny colors." He took a look for himself, despite his own assurances. Blinking a few times, he pushed off the window sill, standing frozen in the middle of the room for a long moment.

Before he'd fully registered what he was doing, he'd thrown on actual clothes and was beating feet out the door; just a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt, as his old adventuring outfit didn't really fit him anymore. The Keybearer was in a hurry in any case. He never would have been any the wiser if he hadn't looked out the window... Just woulda gone to bed...

He skidded to a halt in the grass in front of the mayor's home, fists clenched tight as he glared up at the figure. It was as black as the sky all around it, like a shadow in a dark room, and the only thing lighting it up was its hands held up to the sky: thin white bolts of lightning were arcing up every few seconds, becoming more and more frequent until the moment Sora arrived. The man on the rooftop lowered his arms to his sides, the hood peering vacantly downward; its contents were a mysterious void in the shadow. As they stared each other down, the skin on the back of his arms was crawling, spreading slowly up to his neck and then spreading down his spine. How he'd managed to miss such overwhelming darkness...

His bright blue eyes snapped open again, bringing him back to the bit of dirt he was recovering on. His head was still aching, pulsing throughout the rest of his limbs, but he managed to control his arms enough to bring his body upright, leaning back on his wall, blinking slowly at the world he'd arrived in. "The Land of Departure, huh...? Aqua..." he murmured to himself, pushing off the wall and stumbling up the hilly path that led to the main building.

He was back on the grassy field in front of the mayor's house, golden flashes all round his hands as the paired Keyblades appeared. The hood jerked backward, as if the person underneath had let out a chuckle. Leaning forward, the cloaked figure was off the rooftop in an instant. Gloved fingertips, arcing white sparks, were centimeters from his face before Sora realized he needed to move. Leaning back, he swung Fenrir hard, connecting awkwardly as he fell to the ground. The hooded figure vanished into a puff of smoke, leaving the Keybearer to stare at it for a moment, wondering what had just happened before white light lit up everything above him. His head snapped forward; the man was suspended in the air in a spin, hands pressed together, wild arcs of electricity shooting off to nothing around him as he brought the hands to bear. A sudden release of pressure in the air for a split second, and everything went silent... Just for a second.

Sora was skidding backwards over the grass, his heels catching on something as his momentum carried him along, sending him spinning and tumbling back until he finally rolled to a stop on the edge of the beach. Water rushed through his fried pant legs, two still-smoking handprints on the back of his calves where the connection was made. The remnants of the attack were still making him twitch and spasm when he heard slow, deliberate footsteps moving steadily closer. "To think... that this is all the force to be mustered... by the strongest of the Wielders."

He reached the interior of the keep, still supporting his sore body on door frames and walls as he staggered his way up the hill. His soaked jeans weren't helping at all, as the slightest breeze sent chills up his spine, making him feel even more lifeless than Sora thought possible. He called for anyone, receiving no reply as he tried to make his way down corridors and up staircases. It seemed the masters in training had already fled, and Master Aqua was gone with them.

As he mounted the final spiral staircase, he was leaning heavily on the banister, and nearly toppled back down when he finally came to the landing. Doors up and down the dormitory were left wide open, the contents of some strewn out into the hallway; one door looked like it had been blasted or torn off its hinges. The heavy oak doors at the end of the corridor was barely cracked open, but scorch marks marred every inch around it. His voice was caught in his throat, reaching out to push on one of the handles, which looked as though someone had tried to melt it away, the barrier creaking slowly as he entered. "Empty... What could have happened here..." His mumbled words gave away his despair, as he sunk down inside the Master bedroom, his back pressed to the door.

The points of his Keyblades were digging hard into the sand, as Sora used them to prop his body upright, two more scorched hand prints on his back. He was panting hard now, his whole body weighted down with water, long brown locks sticking across his face and forehead as he stood at the edge of the island, his bright blue eyes just barely able to make out the curved tree where he and his friends had spent so many carefree days and nights, wondering up the unforgettable experiences they might have on other worlds. Half-lidded and trying to wipe sweat and a sticky crimson substance from his eyes, he heard another boom of thunder from across the main island, bringing up his Keyblades as he waited for the shadow to strike once more, hoping to catch it off guard and land a lucky blow. A hefty gust of wind rushed past, a precursor to the danger that was causing it, Sora gritting his teeth hard as he waited for sudden pain. "What good are you?" The voice was hard and hushed, the sand around the shadowy figure's feet swirling around him as he came to a sudden halt, making the Keybearer stumble backwards as he tried to figure out where his opponent was coming from so quickly. "Well... No use wasting time... Hardly worth the effort... Doubt you're going to save anyone..." The hood turned, looking down along the dunes, catching sight of the woman with her long auburn hair flowing in the breeze. "Least of all, your friends..."

Another boom broke the clouds above them, and everything started to swirl. Pieces of houses were already being pulled in, ripped out of the ground as winds immediately started to gust over the islands. Sora took off down the beach toward his home, all thought of the battle gone, only wanting to reach her before everything was ripped apart again. The ground shifted, a column of earth shifting up in front of him, leaving his section of beach to sink below the raging waves, foaming as they rushed in toward him. He leapt up, managing to drag his worn out frame onto the section of land above him.Almost there... Just a bit more...

His feet sank into the sand as he ran, hopping over fractures that were appearing all along the island, yelling for her to grab the kids and go, to run, to get away... A palm wrapped around the back of his head, pushing him forward into the sand. It wrenched his head back, holding him down to watch what was going to happen... "Ahh... my favorite part... the sappy goodbyes..." Twisting and trying to fight away from the grip on top of his head, he felt a knee crushing down on his back, and the hand, bunching up in his head, yanked hard. Pops issued all along Sora's spine. The earth shifted again, the house suddenly dropping down several feet, before the whole piece of land started to shift. The swirling clouds, glowing bright yellow in the middle and turning purple along the outside edges, were a sickening whirl of color overhead as they drifted toward the eye. The movement was enough to unbalance the shadow, Sora's arm wheeling around over his head, actually feeling the connection this time: Sleeping Lion managed to catch right along his attacker's chest, knocking the shadow of a man flat on his ass. The Keyblade Wielder jumped to his feet, ready to try and jump the gap, but he saw the look on his wife's face... she'd made it outside again, his son and daughter holding onto her tightly, both of them calling for him to hurry. It was the sad little smile, the sort she hadn't worn in years, and that slight shake of her head, that kept him standing right on the edge of the abyss. "Remember what I said?! I still mean it!..."

His eyes open once more, still sitting alone in what had been Aqua's bedroom, his back resting on the door and his legs sprawling out across the tile floor. His body no longer shook as he rose once more, testing his grip as he turned to a wardrobe next to the entryway. He pried it open, finding nothing but a burnished plaque inside: "Step right up." He pulled off his tattered clothes, the hand prints on his back and chest making the shirt flimsy to the point of almost disintegration, and did as he was told; his last words to Kairi were ringing in his ears as he shut the door, feeling warmth surround his body.

 

Being electrified and shot through space can make it easy to forget who you are sometimes...

The doors sprung open again, giving him enough light to see what had been done. He flexed his glove-covered palms, looking over the scuff marks on his fingertips, the only visible reminder of what had just happened. "Remember... I'm always a part of you, too. And I'll come find you; always will..." The glove squeaked as he clenched his fist, the grin slipping back onto his face as he straightened out his jacket, throwing the doors open and strode back down the mangled corridors. "Kairi... Riku... I'm coming to get you... Seems like our war isn't over yet..."

Edited November 2, 201311 yr by PaperWeight

Zion and Xion had watched the sparing silently. Xion stepped up to Hikaru.

"Here..." She lifted his arm. "You're keyblade will always be perfectly balanced. No matter what, it will be perfect for you. That's the magic. As for the name, all keyblades have names already. Summon your blade and close your eyes. The Keyblade will tell you it's name." She smiled. "And...there's more to fighting then swipes. Rolls, jumps. Magic. All comes in time, but first...You should learn about the Keyblade itself, instead of fighting."

Letting go of his arm, she summoned her blade. "This is Two Become One. Originally I held the Kingdom Key, but it changed to this after I found my true self. It allows me to enter my Final Form no matter what, and allows my magical attacks to be stronger." She demonstrated by holding her blade out so it was covered in a blue-white aura. "This is Event Horizon, my Limit Break. Not everyone has one, but it shows how my Keyblade works it. Brighter, stronger. And more powerful."

 

Zion had hopped over to Cody and Luna.

"OI. I LOVE YOU LUNA, BUT IF YOU TWO DON'T KISS RIGHT NOW I'LL SLAP YOU BOTH SILLY!" she looked...serious. "I am dead serious. I love how cute Luna is, but the chemistry you two have is impossible to ignore. So for the love of the Clock Tower, kiss dammit. KISS!"

"S-scary..." Hikaru said, seeing Zion's ... Appreciation of their affection. "This is amazing... Magic, other worlds.... It's overwhelming when you think about it..." He then looked at the sky, and pondered..."my true self...hmm, never thought about stuff like that, come to think of it... I was always hanging out or doing chores to think of that stuff..." He put his hand to his chest "I need a heart to be a user though.... However that works...I have a long way to go before I get one of those ..."

Ventus walked over to Hikaru. "It's ok, you'll get the hang of this in no time, trust me. Now one of the basics for battle is to know how to dodge attacks, that's why most of us have perfected the dodge roll technique. Its very basic, but extremely useful, ill show you. Try to attack me, and ill show you what it can do."

"Alright!" Hikaru then swung one of the swords at ventus, only for him to dodge roll out of the way. " Hmm, that seems harder than it looks," Hikaru tried to do it, but could not do it with grace or speed, and he stumbled to the ground.

"Ventus! Battles are not all about fighting. If he doesn't even know the name of his Keyblade, how can he win?" Xion frowned. "Jumping to fighting is unneeded and only going to get him killed." She was not amused.

Holding her hand out, she helped Hikaru up. "He must learn the basics of the Keyblade. Name. Powers. Responsibility. A great weapon of wonder, ruin. Salvation and damnation. Fighting is the last thing a new wielder should learn. If he can't appreciate and fear the power he holds, how can he know the most important lesson - when to not fight?"

She glanced at Zion. "As scary as Zion might seem, she is a softy. But take heed - Ventus and his hot-blooded fighting will fall to her. She is an accomplished wielder and a Master. She can seem weird....but like Kairi, there isn't an ounce of darkness in her heart. Now breathe, summon yur blade, and tell us it's name."

Edited November 21, 201311 yr by Oathkeeper136

"Hmm, can I do it with no heart?" He thought. He stretched out his hand, and thought of these 'key blades' might do.

To his amazement, one appeared in his hand. It had a clear silver hilt, with blue flame decals, representative of a soul. His blade was clear and semi transparent, as if it was water itself. He examined the weight of the blade. It was lightweight and sharp, seemed to be for quick slices and stabs. He felt a sensation of magic course through the blade. One one of the sides was a heart shaped symbol, the sign of what he lost. Well, it has a sense of humor, Hikaru thought. "Wow!" He said "I got one! It's name is...hmmm... I don't know... I guess like you said I'm supposed to know the name immediately, but I don't, so..." Hikaru thought. " I got it!" He exclaimed "It will be Nihil. I was taught that word means nothing, so, that's what it's name shall be!"

"The Keyblade has always manifested in one who has a heart. There is no other way to obtain a Keyblade. You must have a heart to have one." Xion examined the blade. "You did not name it. This Keyblade was always Nihil. Most Keyblades are unique to one's heart...like Zion's. Forward Unto Dawn...it's the heart of light, that always looked to the sunrise. If you find yourself, and are worthy of change, maybe even yur blade will change from nothing...to something else." Xion looked to Zion. "Her second blade...the other end of Forward Unto Dawn. It was not always the color of sunrise. It was the colors of night." She looked...distant. "a change is always there. You just have to find I."

 

Snapping back to reality, Xion blushed. "Sorry. I went off didn't I?" She smiled. "Nihil is your blade. But do you trust the Keyblade? Are you sure that you can trust it with your very life? Do you believe in the Keyblade? For that, is the first step to becoming a chosen Keyblade Wielder."

"If this helps me save people from the fate I had..." Hikaru paused, admiring the blade and it's power "Then I'll use it, and believe in it to the fullest! " he swung the blade around a bit to test the feel. Even thought this blade was not complete, it seemed like it belonged to him and his battle style. "Alright," Hikaru said "I'm ready for more training...when I master this roll, of course..." He tried again, and nailed it."Yes!" He screamed in triumph. However, he failed the second attempt. "Oww...celebrated too early..."

Hikaru pulled himself up "So... What do you guys do, exactly? I mean, I get that you protect the world, but how? And what else is around this place? And, to a greater point, who's going to train me?"

"Ventus! Battles are not all about fighting. If he doesn't even know the name of his Keyblade, how can he win?" Xion frowned. "Jumping to fighting is unneeded and only going to get him killed." She was not amused.Holding her hand out, she helped Hikaru up. "He must learn the basics of the Keyblade. Name. Powers. Responsibility. A great weapon of wonder, ruin. Salvation and damnation. Fighting is the last thing a new wielder should learn. If he can't appreciate and fear the power he holds, how can he know the most important lesson - when to not fight?"She glanced at Zion. "As scary as Zion might seem, she is a softy. But take heed - Ventus and his hot-blooded fighting will fall to her. She is an accomplished wielder and a Master. She can seem weird....but like Kairi, there isn't an ounce of darkness in her heart. Now breathe, summon yur blade, and tell us it's name."

 

"Right, sorry Zion. I forgot about that, it's been so many years since i started wielding the keyblade, i forgot the basics a bit." He scratched his head embarrassed.

 

Hikaru pulled himself up "So... What do you guys do, exactly? I mean, I get that you protect the world, but how? And what else is around this place? And, to a greater point, who's going to train me?"

"Well, i've told you who the heartless are. They are the ones who cover the worlds in darkness and get them sent to the Realm of Darkness. In order to stop them from flooding the worlds, we have to seal the keyholes to stop the darkness from pouring through and shielding the worlds from the heartless. Thats what the keyblade is for. There are also those who use Darkness for evil purposes, like this one man, named Xehanort, who tried to forge the original X-blade and bring another war, which would've most likely destroyed the worlds, like the first one almost accomplished. We stopped him 20 years ago, but now we fear a new threat may have surfaced, and so, we've gathered here. Sora and Kairi's home world has already been engulfed by the darkness, and now we're planning on what to do next."

"Sora..." Said Hikaru "That's the guy who helped your heart, right ventus? Maybe he can help me!" He stopped "Or he can't... Either way, I can't think about me so much, with others suffering such fates." He stood at attention. " So, what's the course of actions you are thinking of?"

"Well yes, but my case is different from yours. I lost my heart from my body, but i didnt become a nobody, i went into a deep sleep. No one knows why. But you became a nobody, so i'm not sure how we can help. We'll find a way to help you, so don't worry."

 

Ventus thought about it. "Well, i figured that maybe we should start heading to the worlds with Princesses of heart, and try to protect them and keep them safe. What do you guys think?"

"So, what are these princess of heart ?" Said Hikaru, "And are we splitting up for these plans? What do the bad guys want with them?"

"Well, i'll let Kairi explain this, since she's a princess of heart herself." Ventus pointed towards Kairi.

Zion had hopped over to Cody and Luna.

"OI. I LOVE YOU LUNA, BUT IF YOU TWO DON'T KISS RIGHT NOW I'LL SLAP YOU BOTH SILLY!" she looked...serious. "I am dead serious. I love how cute Luna is, but the chemistry you two have is impossible to ignore. So for the love of the Clock Tower, kiss dammit. KISS!"

[CURSE THIS PG-13 RESTRICTION!]

 

For the first time in a while, Cody started letting his guard down as he closed his eyes and relished in the warm feeling of Luna's soft and plushy head being pressed up against his chin. He heard the squabble between Ventus and Hikaru and knew that there was still time to indulge for a bit before having to get serious again. Without his vision, his other senses started to make up for it as he started noticing the smaller, tinier details of the raven-haired protector. The slight scent of honey and vanilla from her hair relaxed the usually stoic and serious Guardian to a level that he had yet to understand or comprehend. He could feel her heart beating fast despite wearing his bulky armor. Her breathing was calm and rhythmic, lulling him into a trance as he actually started to zone out, if not outright fall asleep while embracing the girl. Luckily, someone shattered the sanctuary and roused the battle-ready protector back into reality. "Oi!" he heard Zion shout.

 

Awww.... And I was just starting to really enjoy it. he thought to himself as he started to gently scratch the back of her head. She started to giggle as her head moved to accept the playful action. "I LOVE YOU LUNA, BUT IF YOU TWO DON'T KISS RIGHT NOW I'LL SLAP YOU BOTH SILLY! I am dead serious. I love how cute Luna is, but the chemistry you two have is impossible to ignore. So for the love of the Clock Tower, kiss dammit. KISS!" Cody smiled at Zion's remark as he opened his eyes and felt Luna's head twitch. "So much for the moment" he quietly whispered. Instinctively, he looked down in an attempt to nuzzle her soft hair only to once again have the tip of their noses touch. Luna's smile was gone, her lips quivering as a certain twinkle in her eye made him feel... sad? 

 

"Wh-...what happened between us, Nocturne?" she whispered. Cody felt a sharp pain in his heart as it suddenly went cold, the warmth of her breath gently caressing his lips being the only thing tethering him to the moment. With Zion moving on to teach Hikaru a thing or two about combat, the two were finally alone. " I was blind" he quietly replied, his heartless starting to take over as his left eye glowed. "I was so blinded by duty and obligations that... that I couldn't let myself go." She gasped, surprised by the response as tears formed in his eyes. "I miss you Luna. I really do. But now you're with Zion."

 

"Well... she was screaming for us to kiss not too long ago." Luna reminded him. They both giggled. "S-so.... What do you say? For old times sake?"

 

Cody gently brushed aside the bangs of her hair, revealing her full face as her creamy white cheeks started turning a rosy color. "I don't know if I'm allowed to" he whispered, taking in her full beauty for the first time. "You and Zion... it'd be wrong to interfere with such a beautiful relationship. I don't want to make things complicated for you."

"How... How do you know about relationships?" She softly protested, realizing that a golden opportunity was quickly escaping from her grasp. 

"I've read enough books about it. I've also noticed Riku in relation to Sora and Kairi..." 

She gently placed a finger on his lips, shushing him for a bit as he took a deep breath. "I love you, Nocturne. I've always had, and I always will. I may be with Zion, but you're the one who stole my heart."

"And I've always had you in mine" he tenderly replied back. "I just... didn't realize it until now." Their gaze only deepened as they slowly tilted their heads up, letting their lips lock in blissful union. For the moment that they kissed, nothing else mattered. It was just them in their own little world as Zion and Ventus continued their crash course of knowledge with Hikaru.

 

--------

 

Kairi was hugging her beloved husband as Ventus pointed her out to the newcomer. Still entranced about being reunited, it took a while for her to collect her thoughts. "Uh..." she started, "Princesses of heart are people with hearts of pure light. It might not make much sense to you, but we do have to protect them from the impending darkness." She looked around at the small gathering of keyblade wielders. "I think there should be enough of us to take care of this threat." 

Edited November 22, 201311 yr by Javelin434

"S-sorry for ruining your moment miss..." Hikaru said. "If it's not a burden, I'd like to go with someone. If that person could train me on the way... If not, I understand."

Zion waited until their lips met, then left them to their moment. Moving towards the othe group, she slid behind Hikaru.

"I can train him." She piped up. "I'm a Master, so I'm qualified."

 

Xion smiled at her beloved, moving to nuzzle Zion's cheek. "And she's kinda gentle, so you won't be hurt...much." the girl chuckled, Zion blushing in response.

"It's okay..." Hikaru said whilst scratching the back of his head "Like my master Zio used to say ' if it doesn't hurt, it's not training'!" He blushed " Man, it's like I'm a stranger that walked into some other families house..." He looked at Zion. "So master, where are these princesses of heart?"

"Are they on other worlds?" Hikaru asked "if so, how do we get there?"

(Anyone here?)

(FYI Josh, just use the edit button. And people are around, but we all have work and do end up hanging with friends, so be patient.)

 

"We get to other worlds using gummi ships - which come in all shapes and sizes - or other means, such as teleportation or Doors to Light. I can use Dawn Gates or just lounge in a warship -"

"Something she prefers, because there are beds." Xion said, smirking.

(Sorry, I was just bored... Me being an only child, and couldn't hang out with anyone 2day...)

"Whatever suits my master the most, I will go in" Hikaru said with a butler like air.

[i'm struggling to think of a direction until the RP host gives us one...]

 

With Cody and Luna really sinking in to their precious moment, Kairi welcomed in the newcomer. "We're gonna need all the help we can get" she announced, "good to have you on board. Now we just gotta figure out how to get you to other worlds."

(Has anyone seen anything of PaperWieght recently?)

Aqua backed off as Hikaru and Ven sparred, trying to think. It bothered her that there was a world under attack, but they didn't know which one. Her mind drifted to the man Hikaru had mentioned. Was he fighting the darkness? Or was he a part of it?

(Did you look at the announcement? If so, I haven't seen anything. And the sparring is already over...)