Mystics Apprentice

This will be a blast! I'm so glad that you're here, @Elrandir. Your new character sounds quite intriguing, too, and the artwork sort of reminds me of Rabs. As for introducing Iseult, is she new to the Haven, or has she been there for a time? If she's been there, I'm having Rhiannon head to the shop, potentially with Hektor; perhaps they could meet there.

I'd say that Kolm heals through positive energy, most likely. I agree that he would not be able to heal himself fully, and definitely not right away. The fact that he is utilizing blood magic will likely augment his healing capabilities, but I do not expect him to come back from this fully, either. Many thanks for the feedback, everyone. I know that necrotic damage is a little different than your typical wound/burn, so I wasn't sure what the technical rule would be when it came to healing.

Kolm watched as Galla's summons protected her. While this would be a very opportune time to break down her defenses, he was not in any condition to do so. He felt the burning sensation die to numbness on his back, the blood slowly ceasing to drip from the stab wound on his arm. The healing process seemed to be working, though he was far from fully healed. Ultimately he felt it best if he continued to restore himself while Galla and her minions were otherwise occupied.

Mirai bundled in Malac's coat likely made their tale all the more convincing. She nodded in agreement to what Malac and Chikao offered, feeling that no further explanation from her would be useful in convincing them. She watched as the guardsmen's faces changed from surprised to apprehensive to protective. "That . . . is concerning news," one of them said with a frown. "What could the Empire be doing here? We've told them that we want out of their affairs." He gave them all a cool stare, noticing Mirai in her summer skirt and the others' flamboyant dress in contrast to the drab garments of the North. "You lot certainly aren't from around here, are you? Best get yourselves in the bed and breakfast and warmed up. This cold can be brutal, especially with the way you folks be dressed. You also don't want to be around when the Empire gets here, in case things get messy." (Hope it was okay that I seized temporary control of one of the guardsmen?)

The phalanxes made their move moments after Kolm's palm impacted with Galla's back. He gave his position away; they knew where he was now, chiefly since he allowed the invisibility mask to fall away as he froze the necromancer in place. Searing pain lanced his already wounded arm, one of the phalanxes landing blows wherever it could on his person. He drew his mace with his uninjured arm and rose it in defense, deflecting further stabs and simultaneously knocking the phalanx back with a wide swing toward its chest area. Kolm was too distracted to notice the unholy fire unleashed in his direction. It hit him square on the back, gnawing away at his dark trenchcoat and t-shirt before eating at his flesh. He cried out in agony, smacking at his back frantically though the flames only further spread. He dropped his gear and coat in one swift motion, before rolling on the ground to put out the fire. For a brief moment he remained on his knees, blood dripping from his stabbed arm and his back throbbing menacingly. He watched the blood trickle down his wrist. He'd resolved not to use blood magic in this fight, though not to harm her. Perhaps he could use just a small blood sacrifice to augment his healing magic–else he didn't think he would be in the fight very long. Still on his knees, Kolm slammed his open bloodied palm on the ground, a blue sphere surrounding him as if in a protective casing. He would attempt to heal himself, at least partially, while Galla remained frozen. He kept his eyes locked on the skeleton that had thrown the dark flames at him, prepared to take quick action if the need arose. (Can one heal after being afflicted with unholy dark flames?)

I am very sorry for the delay on the Yevgeni/Aqua scene. It was predominately my fault, as I took a very long time to respond around Anime Boston and get it all situated. It has now been posted, however, and I am considering foregoing Elia, Athena, and Alderon's final epilogues to close the RP for good. I think that @Elrandir and @Scrapmaster still had some content to add, right? Along with the remainder of @Nero Kunivas's scene? Did anyone else have anything for the RP?

(This scene was written by myself and Sora's Baby, taking place shortly after the coronation ceremony. The text for Yevgeni is in green, while the text for Aqua will be in an aqua blue.) The sentry's face was stony as he led the young elf down a stone hall illuminated by torches, resting respectfully within their brackets upon the walls. "Now, remember: mums the word," he uttered lowly, voice echoing. "I am only doing this because I know that he was your mentor. And . . . despite everything, I still don't believe Sir Malachite is a bad person." Perhaps Aqua would have been granted access to visit Yevgeni in his prison, though perhaps not, though the sentry, personally, did not see the harm in their meeting. Yevgeni's magic was suppressed, leaving the elf powerless even if Aqua did have some maneuver up her sleeve to free him–which he doubted. From what the sentry knew of Aqua, he believed the young woman to be gentle, timid, and kind. Opening the door to conflict did not seem up her alley. Finally the two wound themselves down a narrow staircase, to open up into a new section of the dungeons. There were a selection of three doors, each leading to a room which presumably held prisoners. "That one is where he is," he murmured, nodding toward the leftmost door, before approaching the guard on duty and saluting him. "Greetings! One of our prisoners has a visitor. Permission granted." "Oh?" The guard tried to get a better look at Aqua from under his visor, his lips set in a straight line. "Interesting. I didn't believe anyone would care to see this bunch." The sentry, who had led Aqua there, hesitated slightly. "She has come to bid her farewell, as he was her mentor, and they did have a relationship–" "Fine, fine. I don't care to know the details." The guard waved his hand, before procuring a key from his pocket and extending it to the sentry. "Get your business over with. He's being exiled on the morrow." The sentry whipped out the key and, assuming Aqua was following, led her to the door. A quick turn of the key and the door sprung open, which he would promptly close behind Aqua if she entered. This room was dimly lit and small, no larger than 8x8 feet. Two torches hung on the walls, along with other random odds and ends within the room. Despite the limitations, the room was surprisingly neat and smelled clean. "Aqua?" a familiar voice echoed from the corner of the room. If Aqua glanced over she would find Yevgeni, handcuffed, sitting on a cot at the far end of the room. The handcuffs were shackled to the wall by a long chain, though he would still be able to maneuver the room fairly well. "How did you get in here? Don't tell me they're locking you up in here too, because of your affiliation with me." Aqua walked into the room and heard the door promptly closed behind her. She looked toward Yev and gave him a small smile. "No one has been locked up with affiliation to you, Yev. I'm here of my own free will. I assure you of that fact." The female elf walked toward him until there were only mere inches between them. "You said you would talk to me, but you got taken away before we could do so." She explains, an annoyed sigh escaped her lips. The blond elf's face visibly relaxed, gaze studying Aqua's visage as it drew closer. "Well, that is good to hear, at least. Not that I had many affiliates anyhow." He turned and sat back on the cot, gesturing to the remaining stretch of it beside him in an invitation for Aqua to do the same. "Normally I would offer you a drink and a comfortable place to sit, but alas this prison has robbed me of all traditional hospitalities. There is water in that jug over there, and the only place worth sitting is the dank floor and this cot. I would recommend the cot. This place is filthy." Yevgeni mused over Aqua's statement, before smiling slightly. "Ah, yes. T'would seem that every time we get a chance to speak we are immediately interrupted. At least, for now, time should be a luxury to us. What was it that you were going to ask me, Aqua, before me and Nergal left for Isopolis? I have a question to return for you, but that can keep for the moment." Aqua sat next to the other elf with a perplexed look on her face. "Despite the circumstances, your manners never fail to impress me." She gives a slight smile as she compliments him. She then goes silent for a few moments. "It's odd, I suppose to think this might be the last time we chat. I feel like I'm using you to get information." She laments. "It's not really fair, is it? I'm just frustrated at the lack of real justice. I've seen the real evil in the world. War. Hatred. Senseless Violence. Needless Death. Those are really evil." She takes a deep breath. "I've gotten slightly off topic, I'm rambling on without asking my question, but I need to...ah...lead into my question. I need to explain a bit about my life before my question can make sense...fully." She looks to Yev rather nervously, unsure of how to proceed. "Oh, please," Yevgeni waved a hand nonchalantly. "I do not think that you are capable of truly using someone, Aqua, much less me when all you seek is information. I am a wealth of it, though I don't know if I house the information that you're looking for." He turned his head to watch her, the young elf who'd come so far during the time he'd known her. "It is a little sad to think that this might be farewell, but who knows? Anything can happen. Maybe our paths will cross again." It surprised him to see Aqua so distraught, especially over him. His shackles rattled as he placed a hand on her shoulder gingerly. "Life is unfair," he said softly. "And unfortunately you have witnessed some of the greater evils of this world because of me. It is I that have made you seen death and despair, and for that I am sorry." He chuckled darkly. "It's interesting. Both you and Nergal have been the most loyal to me, and it is you both that have suffered greatly from me. Perhaps I am just bad luck after all." "But alas, I interrupted you," Yev added. "We are both rambling now, it would seem." "Yev, I trusted you and I still do. I know you did the things you did for a reason." Aqua gave an airy laugh. "But, I'll be as brief as I can with this. I haven't had an easy life, I never had an easy life. I was born into a village that had...an odd view of what the world should be like...." She trails off. The female seemed to be internally debating something in her mind. "I don't know how to put it into words...it was a vile place. A village filled if bigoted elves that refused to see any merit or redeeming qualities of any non-elven creature." She hangs her head dejectedly. Yev's eyebrows furrowed slightly, both surprised and indifferent about Aqua's trust. "You have my thanks," he said finally. "Though I fear that I have disappointed you greatly with my choices, and ultimately gotten you hurt." He leaned his head against the stone wall, listening as Aqua explained a bit of history about her background. "I am afraid that there are bigoted elves aplenty," he murmured, reflecting upon himself idly. "But I apologize. I didn't mean to interrupt. Go on." Aqua nods slightly. "It's fine, Yev, really. Sure, I'm a little disappointed in the choices you made, but as I already stated: I trust you." She says truthfully. She then gives him a more serious look. "Before I can tell you more, I need you to promise not to tell anyone about this conversation. Please, I'm not ready to explain this all to anyone else." She says this a tense manner. He gave a dry laugh, leaning back with his hands propped behind him on the cot. "Who would I possibly have to tell? Besides, I am sure that I soon will be sent to my grave, so your secret will be laid to rest with me." Perhaps his statement was too grim, for he quickly covered with: "I will tell no one. You have my word." She frowned at him. "Don't joke like that...it's not good to think that way, even if it is true." She said with frustration in her voice. "But, thank you. The truth is that I'm not as old as I look, I age differently from normal elves." She explains quietly, it obvious she was being purposely vague as a way to gauge the other's reaction. "No sense in blinding one's self to the truth," he murmured, though dropped the subject as Aqua explained that she was younger than she looked. "How interesting. Pray tell, how is it that you age differently?" Yev was curious to see where this was going, and what secrets Aqua had been harboring about herself all of this time. Aqua heaved a sigh as she wasn't exactly eager to tell him what she was going to say next. "I'm not exactly sure of why it is. I was left alone in the forest one day when I was six years old." She looked down clearly saddened at the memory. "Oh." Yevgeni glanced away, uncertain of what to say next. Comforting people was never his forte, though he felt some word of condolence was appropriate. "That's . . . very saddening to hear. So I would assume that memories of your parents are fuzzy at best?" She gave him a sad nod. "I don't and I've spent my whole life wondering why I'm different. I want an answer, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for it. I'm scared of what I'd be told, but I think I already know the answer and don't want to say it." She took a deep breath. "I'm....I'm part human." She looked at Yev afraid of his reaction. His emerald eyes widened slightly in surprise. A half-human, half-elf hybrid . . . . This was something that was produced quite rarely , and he had never had the chance of actually meeting someone of such a nature. Until now. "Perhaps you are, and perhaps you aren't," he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "You are Aqua, regardless of your heritage. I am not quite sure why you would fear this answer, unless you fear the judgment that others will pass on to you, what with those purists out there. It makes no difference to me, and I am sure that crazy friend of yours, Elia, wouldn't care either." Yevgeni tilted his head slightly, long locks falling down his back. "You should not fear who you are, but rather embrace it. Your differences are what make you what you are, and you can use them to play to your strengths. However, I do wonder why you chose to tell me this, and what information I could possibly hold that would be of use to you." "I need to find someone that left the village before I was born. My Mother's Mother. I need to find her as I think she as the answers about myself that I want to know." She explains to him with a slightly hopeful look in her eyes. "Your maternal grandmother," he voiced, musing over her words as he absentmindedly rubbed at his wrist. "That could be interesting. I do not know who she is, Aqua. I do not know anything about your parents or your origins. Your appearance in Kilkis Seres, I will admit, was surprising to me. To find a young elf such as yourself with such potent yet unwieldy magic was out of the ordinary, to say the very least. I do want to help you, though, if I could." Aqua smiled. "Thank you for wanting to help. I don't know much about her. Just her name, Avis Tempest." She explains unsure of if Yev can help with only a name. "Tempest?" His head rose at the name. "I know of the Tempest family! I conversed with one of them heavily during my travels, and the gentleman introduced me to a woman who was his aunt, going by the name Avis. It is likely one and the same." He pinched the bridge of his nose, as though trying to recollect something. "The trouble is, they were traveling. I do not know where they are now, though I did meet them on the northern border. I believe this man said that he was traveling from the northern continent, Caligo, so perhaps your grandmother resides there." Aqua grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you, you've helped me greatly here." She looked relieved as if some great weight had been lifted off her back."Now, do tell me what you needed to ask me." She says as she composed herself to her normal calm manner. It was nice to see a smile on Aqua's face for a change. Yevgeni looked thoughtful upon Aqua's inquiry. "Well, I suppose it's nothing too important, but the question has been plaguing me: why did you follow us to Isopolis, and why, after everything that I've done, do you continue to trust me?" Aqua couldn't say the question shocked her. She had expected the questions but wasn't quite sure how to answer. " I was worried you'd do something you might regret and that you'd be killed for it." She said after giving her answer some thought. She looked at him as if in deep thought about something. "You intentions don't always match your actions, then again never did tell me those intentions. Did you? You hid things from me and I know that you aren't telling everything." She gave a slight frown. "I don't judge someone off of a few choices, and I know that you are at heart, not a bad Fey. Do you know how I know your good at heart? You were willing to help me." She explained. "So, I trust you, Yev. It's as simple as that." She said as her smile returned to her face. Yevgeni raised his head. "You would trust me, even when you admit that I have not been fully forthcoming with you, nor do you know the extent of my intentions?" He rubbed his arm thoughtfully. "Perhaps my aiding you was not genuine. Perhaps I sought your potent magic for my own personal gain, and yet"–he sighed, shaking his head–"somehow you can see through these possibilities to a noble character that I do not know that I have. Thank you, Aqua. Thank you for trusting in me, when few others would ever spare a breath in doing so." Noise could be heard from outside of the prison, consisting of the clatter of a spear and the voices of several men. Aqua would likely recognize the voice of the sentry who guided her inside, his voice high and nervous. Yevgeni glanced toward the door, and then back at Aqua before smiling sadly. "It would seem that our time has expired." He reached over and grasped her hand. "I am glad to have met you, Aqua. Whatever happens, continue to keep your chin up and make your mentor proud, hmm?"

Many things seemed to happen at once, more than Kolm could calculate or possibly avoid. Galla unleashed a rather large fireball at him, which he thought interesting. It did not take her long to deduce that fire was his weakness, it seemed. She was clearly well-versed in artes beyond that of necromancy. As he was preparing a getaway, he felt clawing from the skeletons' bony fingers as he was thrust into the dirt. "Get off!" he growled, kicking one hard in the knee joint and bringing the hilt of his mace down on the skull of the other. It was too late, however, and the damage had been done: the fireball met with the trio, its bright flames causing heat to sear Kolm's leg and rise up. It felt like he were smoldering within. Whether the skeletons were purposefully being sacrificed, he did not know, though it seemed their main job was to ensure that Kolm would take the blow of Galla's magic. Which he did. It took him perhaps longer than it should've to realize that his pant leg was on fire, his boot singeing to his leg as the stomach-wrenching scent of burnt leather and flesh insulted his nostrils. He swore under his breath, bringing a hand filled with cold to his ankle, putting out the flames and placing a temporary numbing on the wounded flesh. Would these injuries magically heal after leaving the arena, or was he going to be a wreck fighting a dragon later? He did not know, though if memory served, Galla and Pang seemed well after their match to the death. Hopefully he would, too. Trembling, Kolm rose to his feet, waving a hand about him as a swell of cold magic rose about him. "You have been lucky so far," he murmured toward her. "Though your luck is soon to run dry." With a wave of his hand, he became invisible to the naked eye. The skull had managed to poison him again, once more reducing his attack and defense, though he hoped to have the advantage of a sneak attack upon the necromancer. He fled behind her, and, kicking off from a wall, charged at her back with a palm outstretched, his hand glowing with a bright blue aura that would freeze what it touched, or at least partially. (Hopefully that wasn't too much for one turn. I sort of considered him touching his ankle to put out the flames to be a bonus action of sorts, but if you feel that I should retract his latest move just let me know. He could also miss Galla entirely if you wish, especially with his atk down)

No apologies needed, my friend. There is no way that you could've known that we had plans for the fight, nor that we were following special restrictions throughout it either. Thanks for understanding, and I do think it would be an interesting matchup. I am in agreement with Heart and think a 1v1v1 might be better for next time, but I would definitely love to see it happen and hope that you will consider doing such with us when they get back from dragon slaying.

I think a 1v1v1 is a good idea, though I'm a bit torn on the current 1v1 becoming such for a few reasons. Heart and I were planning it out via PM, and we were following special rules to make it more fair/challenging in that we could only use limited actions per turn (like one move from each hand, or what one could reasonable do in an action as opposed to several moves). I think we were also using this opportunity to build on Kolm and Galla, their similarities and differences, and I'm not sure how it would work adding another character. That, and I secretly am worried that Kolm and Galla would get crushed very quickly against Henry.

I really don't know, though when a 1v1 is declared I'm not sure if the arena would have any protocols so that it couldn't be interrupted. It depends on what the Haven's Overlord, @Vaude, thinks.

Kolm drew his mace, prepared to strike at the guardians should they get too close. It seemed that Galla used blood sacrifices to summon her skeletons. While this could prove menacing, Kolm understood that this likely also had its limits, if anything like his own usage of blood magic–something that he vowed to himself not to use in his fight against her. The explosion within the smoke caught Kolm off-guard. He side-rolled to try escaping the brunt of it, though he wasn't unscathed. Searing pain lanced down his right arm, blood trickling to the ground. He watched it, numb, battling his sudden urge to utilize this blood to augment his magic, though forced himself not to. Instead he struck his palms together, two rotary blades nearly as large as him emerging from behind him, formed from ice. They traveled the battlefield in a criss-crossing fashion, surging toward Galla. He had forgotten about the guardians for a time, along with the skeleton that was newly formed at Galla's side. (By the way, Heart, what were the terms for this battle? I realize that we didn't decide if they were fighting until one surrendered, or to the death as Galla and Pang had?)

The purple smoke ensnared Kolm, though he was already too committed in his movement to be able to avoid inhaling and treading into it. Poison, or some sort of it. He felt his muscles weaken and his focus detracted; it would be harder for him to coordinate his movements to successfully land blows, or avoid them. Thankfully his mace had indeed met with Galla's skull companion, causing it to have shattered from the impact. Kolm then raised a fist above his head, causing the ice trails underfoot to stretch up into large stalagmites ranging from 3-7 feet tall. The ice stalagmites would likely rise behind and around the bone guardians, and, unless Galla had another plan, it would be hard to shield from their chilly, sharp, range.

Lord have mercy; no wonder Galla rejected companionship or closeness, if what she said were true! The dark-haired mage's eyes grew wide as he watched Galla slit her own hand, in a fashion all too familiar to Kolm, before invoking the power of her skull companion as she did so. "Necromancy uses blood magic," he breathes, considering her for a moment before continuing. "Our magic stems from a similar root, only you invoke death and fear, while mine stems from the cold and the living." Words died in his throat before he could voice them. His expression betrayed his thoughts: concern, empathy, relation. The seemingly cold-hearted and cruel woman that Kolm met just the other day was slowly starting to come to light, and she was indeed different than he'd initially painted her to be. Not haughty, but distant, perhaps to protect herself from more pain. He tore his gaze from hers, unable to look her in the eye any longer. What was there to say, when he too had his own insecurities about trust and befriending others? "I am indeed," he answered, choosing to focus on channeling his magic rather than responding to the woman's earlier statement. Knitting a web of frost along his arm, Kolm unleashed it, streaking from underfoot toward his opponent. He then charged forward, mace raised and preparing to do a wide-arced horizontal swing, aimed at Galla's skull companion.

Kolm considered Galla for a moment. "I could use to sharpen my skills in all facets," he responded. He removed his gloves, setting them alongside his drink as he walked further into the arena, the dome light overhead gleaming on his back. "What is it like, using necromancy? Can you use other forms of magic as well? Galla was truthfully the only one of her sort that he had ever met, though the art did strike him as curious. Having tampered with forbidden dark magic such as that affiliated with blood sacrifices, the thought of necromancy didn't make his skin crawl as it might for some. He withdrew his mace, lightly swinging it before gripping it firmly with his right hand, getting into a battle stance should Galla decide to attack him by surprise.

Hey, congrats on getting the game! I hope that you enjoy it. I'm not the best gamer out there, but I found Proud Mode to honestly be way too easy. I thought Proud Mode was easier than standard mode for KH1, if that gives you a frame of reference. Plus, you will have less Lucky Emblems to collect in order to unlock the secret ending. Hope that helps.

Also, I forgot to ask, but how do we want to integrate meeting with the sages/Organization members? And are we allowed to create NPCs throughout their journey? I am uncertain of how much creative liberty we, the players, should have, and how far forward we should move things.

Surprise lit Mirai's eyes as the coat was extended toward her. "Really?" she asked, incredulously, fingers immediately stretching for the proffered coat. As eager as she was to accept, proper manners managed to surface, however, and she withdrew her hand. "But what about you? Will you not be cold?" Amidst the cold, Mirai tried to focus her thoughts toward the discussion of strategy, which did manage to distract her from her current state, if even partially. "I do not think our purpose should be to pit anyone against each other," she voiced. "Our job is to maintain peace and order, and meddling in the current affairs of the empire, these rebels, and Narshe does not seem like something we ought to get ourselves into. If we want to say we're scouts, fine, and tell them about the military forces approaching, but I do not think we should get ourselves more mixed up in matters than we have to."

An embarrassed giggle escaped Rhiannon at Hektor's praise, to which she smiled sweetly and said, "Quite the gentleman. I enjoy your company, too, Hektor." She fingered her spear awkwardly, uncertain of what to say next, before her violet eyes turned toward little Sylph as the top hat was placed upon her head. A smile crept over her as she tilted it to shield her eyes. "Well, well, I can't say that I have actually worn a top hat before," she commented. "Hektor, how do you wear one of these comfortably? Doesn't the additional height and rim get distracting?" She laughed softly, removing the top hat and placing it back on its owner. "There!" Good as new!" She cocked it, so that the rim covered Hektor's eyes, to which she laughed before patting Sylph's head. "Now then, I hate to part, but I must purchase some goods from the item shop before we leave on our next mission. Do you need anything, Hektor?" ------ Meanwhile, Kolm was rather disgruntled at Sylph's antics. He'd already become wary of the fairies after they seemed curious about his bandaged arm, and already he was in a foul mood because he was going to have to travel with Uzumeashy for the next unknown amount of time. At Uzumeashy's statement the cold mage spoke: "I think killing the dragon would be a mercy if we are to rob it of its gallbladder, a sentence which would leave it to either a painful existence or slow death. Unless, of course–" He was unable to finish, when Sylph dropped the top hat onto his head, which sank below his eyes and blinded him from the entire room. "Get it off!" he snapped, swatting at the hat and accidentally at Sylph. The fairy had seemed to comply, however, for she moved quickly onto Galla before he could blurt anymore insults. They had all agreed to reconvene for the journey, to which Kolm found reasonable. He ordered a bubbly juice beverage, which he took out to the arena. Perhaps some quiet time focusing his magic and listening to nature would calm his nerves before leaving. The mage hadn't been to the arena since first witnessing Galla and Pang's battle when he first arrived, but he managed to find his way. The seating was vacant, though the arena was not so, as Galla had already made her way in to the ring, perhaps readying herself for the mission as well. For a moment Kolm stood in the entryway, battling himself on whether to approach the necromancer. He knew that she valued her distance from others, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Instead he placed his drink down on one of the empty seats, and called over from where he stood: "Say, Galla . . . . What do you think? A friendly match before we leave?"

Sorry for the wait on my end as well. I was at Anime Boston all weekend. I will try to get a post in today.

I do not feel that romance has a very large place in the Kingdom Hearts series. If anything, it's refreshing to see a teenage boy and girl be close friends and care for each other without having to add the romantic aspect to it. I like the fact that Kingdom Hearts is strongly about friendship, and it teaches that you can have close bonds without having to be romantically involved. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge supporter of romance and I enjoy a great romance story along with romance when it is found in some series, but do I see it being necessary in KH? Not particularly. I'm also not sold on the canon aspect of Sora and Kairi's relationship. @Allwil13 made an excellent point that the Paopu fruit may keep two people in each other's lives in a platonic way, not necessarily romantic. I sort of got this vibe from KH3 myself, though there was certainly plenty of room to infer a romantic relationship if one wanted to.

"Very good." The sage straightened, noticing the form in which the transfiguring heirloom had assumed. He then procured a crown from a pillow resting on a pedestal: an ornamental band of true gold, embellished with two emeralds and curvatures to the metal. Awaiting Jynn to kneel, the sage retained his grip on the majestic piece, and once Jynn had knelt before him, he would place the crown gently atop his head. "I now crown thee," he started, "King Jynn Venas of Kilkis Seres. Rise!" A roar of applause deafened the chamber, many teary-eyed while others laughed and cheered. Bells sounded from above in the tower, its deep chimes echoing throughout the courtyard and boring through the window panes. It was a momentous occasion and a day worth truly celebrating. For some, it was closure, but for many it was a new beginning. ~Fin~ (This is it for me with the coronation ceremony. If you would like to add anything more you are welcome to do so until Sunday April 14th) Everyth Castanova – Final Epilogue The raven-haired mage returned to the World Below with her king, determined not to waste the life that Henry restored to her. Before her departure she discussed in length with the white mages about her condition of rapid aging, and the finest medics within Kilkis Seres pooled over hours of research, dedication, and utilizing the finest ingredients to concoct a potion which would reduce this side effect of her magic usage. Everyth was very grateful, though after this day she chose to put the majority of her magic to rest. Her powers brought forth a painful reminder of what she was, and what she lost. For many years Everyth remained dutiful to King Alderon, until his passing and his daughter succeeded the throne. It was around that time that Everyth fancied another life, one exploring what the worlds had to offer, and thus she returned to the Overworld. She spent time as a teacher, educating the younger generation of Fey about the exploits of the humans along with their adventures, and, of course, flirting with all of the handsome fey that she encountered. Her hard work eventually paid off when one of them flirted back, which began the chapter of a new era for the human mage. She happily married and lived out the rest of her days within the Overworld, adopting a pet wyvern named Flick, raising a half-human daughter, and learning how to utilize her magic in even more ways than she had been trained previously during her days as a soldier. Yevgeni Malachite – Final Epilogue The days passed in a blur, and Yevgeni wasn't even certain how long he had been imprisoned. Finally the day had come, when he was to be exiled. Apparently this was King Jynn's form of mercy, exiling him as opposed to sentencing him to a life in prison or death. He was sentenced to live out his days as a human would, deprived of his magic in a world that he had tried to destroy. Yevgeni couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the matter. With his magic suppressed, he was hardly a threat graver than the average prisoner. The elf was submitted to the human authorities, who would be transporting him to the World Below via airship with the rest of their scouts when their party was ready to return. Living within the human world was not precisely the worst sentence, and for a time the elf was willing to go, until he overheard gossip about events occurring in the North. In the night, Yev requested water from a kind serving girl. She seemed to fancy him, and he used this to his advantage. He felt sorry for taking advantage of her generosity, and he felt even sorrier that he would have to get her in trouble. When she returned he had asked if she would be willing to provide him with a candle so that he could finish a letter to a family member. While, obviously, giving him anything dangerous was prohibited, she made the exception, and what a mistake that was. The campsite went up in flames, with the soldiers scattered about. Once the situation was under control and everyone accounted for, it was discovered–all too late–that Yevgeni Malachite escaped, which King Jynn was promptly informed of. For centuries, no one heard his name spoken again. - - - - - - The streets of Semnar were dark, with few lamps fueled with undying embers. Yevgeni's footsteps fell softly on the cobblestone, his gaze meeting each door as he took in the scene of the modest village. In the day the streets had been once filled with children, though upon sunset the villagers would return indoors, where they would start their fires, eat their meals, and head to bed for another early rising of even more hard work. Such was the life of Isadora Malachite until she made her way south and fell in love with a king. Considering the wealthy home that he was raised in, it was hard for Yev to imagine that his mother had once been a peasant girl. The elf strode up to a cottage, rapping his knuckles along the oaken door and noticing that the structure was in immaculate condition. The door opened to reveal another elf who stood about a foot shorter than him, with gray-streaked dark hair and very green eyes. Her eyes widened as she took in his features, opening the door wider so that he may enter. With a courteous bow of the head, he did so. "I don't believe my eyes," she said, closing the door and turning around to gape at him. "Yevgeni Malachite, is that really you?" A sigh escaped Yev as he removed his gloves, approaching the woman to take one of her hands and kiss it. "It is indeed. It is good to see you again, Grandmother." She withdrew her grasp from him, striding across the room before taking a seat in a recliner. The woman watched him coolly. "Do not think that I do not hear what happens." His grandmother flashed a newspaper at him. "You are the talk of the town. What shame you have brought to this family! And now you come here seeking asylum? Only now do you recognize your humble origins?" Shame to irritation flickered upon the elf's face. "Perhaps I am here on other business and wished to see you again, Grandmother. Is that so wrong?" "I doubt it very much, Yevgeni." He furled and unfurled his fists, drawing in a breath to remain calm. "I am here because I desire to save a friend. I only ask to stay for one night, that is all, and if there is an apothecary that you may recommend I visit. My magic has been suppressed, and until I can unlock it I cannot even cast the smallest flame." "Oh, that must hurt your pride so much." Yevgeni winced as though she had slapped him. He knelt before the woman, blond hair streaming over his face. "I am truly sorry, Grandmother. I . . . my behavior has been unacceptable. I should have come to see you more, but instead I cast you out to earn the king's favor. And Veriti–I have tried, but I could not save her." The older woman gripped his chin, forcing his gaze to meet hers. Matching eyes in all ways, except hers shone with more age and years of experience. "Perhaps you could entertain an old woman with your tales around a fire," she said. "And some tea. Goodness knows that I have been wondering what you and your sister have been up to all of these years, especially since you do not know how to write letters. . . !" "I"–a smile flickered across Yevgeni's face–"very well. Where shall I begin?" "The beginning." (Elia, Alderon, and Athena's epilogues are to come, along with a scene featuring Yev and Aqua)

Kolm steepled his fingers and lowered his chin upon them. Uzumeashy's situation did certainly hold a gravity about it, and while her obnoxiousness in the cafeteria certainly irked him, he wasn't particularly inclined to be heartless enough to do nothing and allow her to die. He turns his head to glance over at Galla from over his shoulder. "I suppose I have nothing else to do," he muttered darkly. "Might as well help where help is needed." "Well, I'm definitely going," Rhiannon said, rising from her seat, her blond hair free of its usual braid and flowing in loose waves down her back. "Don't worry, Uzumeashy, and please don't push yourself. Let us handle the majority of the work, and you just sweep in for the gallbladder when the time is right." As she started to head for the shop to make some final preparations she stopped before Hektor and asked: "Are you going to join us?"

I'm happy with my current username, though I am wondering what risk is involved in changing one's username? Did I miss something and there's some glitch?

Mirai had noticed Malac tense, though didn't press the matter further in favor of falling in line with the rest of the group down the chosen path. The wind remained relentless as they trekked on, causing Mirai to grip the longer side of her skirt in hopes of sheltering herself further from the bitter cold. As they continued onward she took in what Ravia had to say concerning magic in this world, to which she nodded. "Good call. I'm glad that you have observed this, Ravia. The less talk we can conjure in this town, the better. This sorceress indeed sounds like she could be trouble if the empire's motives conflict with ours, though she shouldn't be anything that we cannot handle, especially if we work together." Unfortunately Mirai had little to offer in terms of intel; she had only shortly arrived around the time that the Lobos attacked her, leaving little opportunity to be able to observe Narshe and the ongoings. She unfurled a map with fingers that could barely function from the cold, considering it whilst observing the path beyond. "So I understand that the Esper we're seeking is in the mines," Mirai murmured, concentration laid out upon the map. "But there's the miners to consider. We should concoct a tale in case we run into any, lest they grow suspicious of us or deny us entry, which is possible even with a plausible tale."