"Well, first of all, let's start with where we are." Ryuga began, gesturing to the area around them. "Right now, we're on the outskirts of a place called Twilight Town, at first glance it would seem like any other world, with houses, businesses, and people going about their daily lives. But, that's only surface level stuff, the truth of this world is that it is placed perfectly between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness, the prefect place for anything that no longer belongs in either realm. Translation, this is the birth place of all Nobodies, a glorified trash can for the empty shells that were cast away by their hearts." He explained, regaining his condescending tone. "I don't know how much of your former life you remember, but if there are any blanks that need filling, this definitely isn't the place to do it. Fortunately, I just happen to know where you can find some answers, or rather, how you can find some answers. Interested?" He inquired, his dark hood hiding the smug grin on his face.
Hanox's expression remained stone-faced, something in his mind telling him that he should be annoyed by the amount of condescension that was in Ryuga's voice and body language. Hell, he could practically hear the smug smile the Heartless had on his face. The Nobody fought against the reflex to roll his eyes (and succeeded). He also pondered everything that the Heartless had said to him. There were in fact blanks that needed filling; a lot more than he wanted to admit. Hanox finished his contemplation and looked back at Ryuga, physically indicating that the Heartless had the floor.
"Sure," the Nobody said, giving a slight shrug. "How can I?"
"Sure," the Nobody said, giving a slight shrug. "How can I?"
"First off, for the most part, Nobodies are created when a Somebody has their heart taken by the Heartless, and if we're assuming that you're part of that majority, I think it's safe to say that your home world has a serious Heartless problem." Ryuga began, satisfied with Hanox's compliance. Ryuga then raised up his hand towards Hanox and opened a Corridor of Darkness right behind the Nobody. "Now, through there is a World with a Heartless problem of its own, could be where you came from, could not be, but in that World you'll find a boy who wields a sword shaped like a key." He explained. "That kid's job is to fight the darkness that is currently spreading throughout the worlds. If your home world is still around, chances are that kid is going to find his way there eventually, so if you stick with him..." Ryuga trailed off playfully in order for Hanox to finish the thought himself. "I just thought that would be more efficient than aimlessly wondering the countless different Worlds all by yourself, wouldn't you agree?"
I might be able to figure out what the hell happened to me, Hanox thought, finishing the Heartless' sentence in his head. The Nobody lapsed into thought. His conversation partner did have a point. Apart from aimlessly wandering the Worlds, he had nothing close to resembling a plan. In fact, he didn't even have wandering the Worlds alone as a plan. Hanox nodded slowly to himself before looking back at Ryuga. "I do have to concur that you might have a point there," he said. He adjusted his jacket's position on his shoulders for a second before turning around and walking towards the opening of the Corridor. Hanox peeked over his shoulder, looking at Ryuga out of the corner of his eye. "Thanks for the tip," he said before walking into the corridor, the mouth of the Corridor closing shut a couple of seconds later.
Kaze walked through the well-lit First District of Traverse Town, eyes moving back and forth, as if they were constantly searching for something. He had gotten there about a week ago, but he couldn't be sure. Ever since he had fled his home World, the days seemed to blur into one another. If anyone were to see him, they would see a tall, agitated-looking man in his mid-to-late 20s with short, untidy black hair and bright green eyes. He wore a black leather jacket with a high collar, a white v-neck t-shirt, jeans, and black sneakers.
He didn't know how or why, but they had come at night 10 days ago. They manifested out of the shadows, seemingly made of solid, corporeal Darkness. A lot of them seemed to swarm towards him, almost as if they were attracted to him. Kaze had managed to fight a lot of them off with his Keyblade, but more and more and more of them kept coming. Within two hours, Minata had been nearly overrun. When he hadn't been fighting the creatures off, he had been spending that time searching for his mother and girlfriend, but he hadn't been able to find either of them. In the end, after desperate searching, he had no choice but to flee for his life.
One couldn't immediately tell by looking at him, but if one were to take a look into his eyes, they would see a man grieving the loss of his World, his mother, and the love of his life. But something was bothering him almost as much. Darkness was something he had always seemed to gravitate towards and be comforted by. He much preferred the night to the day, and walking around on a moonless night had made him feel like there was the comforting hand of a friend on his shoulder. However, since Minata's demise, he didn't know what to think or feel. The comforting hand of a friend had - for the time being at least - turned into the death grip of an enemy. Those...things... that had been responsible for the destruction of his World resided in the Darkness, and that was throwing him for a loop. The reason he was wandering around in the well-lit main square of the First District was that he figured that those creatures hated the light, so he kept to it, despite the additional agitation that it caused him.
Unfortunately, this plan didn't work, as Kaze suddenly heard several whooshing sounds all around him. He stiffened, and his eyes widened with fear as at least 15 of the same kind of creatures from Minata surrounded him. "No..." he frightfully whispered to himself "not here too..." The creatures seemed to be edging ever closer to him, even as he stood there. Despite his fear, Kaze steeled himself, stuck his right arm out to one side, and summoned his Keyblade, it appearing in a burst of black and red fire. The weapon was all black with long red and silver stripes sinuously intertwining up the main body of the Keyblade. There were two large, curved teeth coming out of the top of the blade that looked almost like talons. The creatures seemed to back away in fear with the sudden appearance of the weapon, but only for a moment.
Kaze took this moment to look around at his adversaries. He counted 16 of them. Half of them were roughly human-sized and looked like they were wearing suits of armor. They even had metal helmets. The visors were open, revealing pairs of round, bright yellow eyes. The other half were also human-sized, and seemed to be made of solid darkness. They had two long tendrils that came out of the back of their heads, extending upward for several inches before dropping and falling limply behind them like braids.
The Keyblade wielder waited another beat before rushing at one of the armor-clad creatures. The thing seemed to spin spin at him, leg extended as if were trying to kick him. Kaze parried the kick with his blade, sending the creature back in the other direction. He then closed the gap with a lightning-fast dash attack, the creature exploding in a cloud of darkness. Two of the tendriled creatures rushed towards him, moving incredibly quickly. They slashed at him with their large, clawed hands and he only just managed to block the strikes, and more of the armored ones closed in on him as he did, followed by a couple more tendriled ones a split second later.
Not wanting to be overwhelmed, Kaze flipped his Keyblade to a reverse grip and did a quick spin attack, knocking his assailants backward. He then swiftly brought energy to the core of his being, building up power for his next attack. After about a second and a half, he had the requisite energy. He held his Keyblade aloft as the creatures closed in again. Without warning, Kaze took off in a dash attack even faster than before, moving in an erratic zig-zag pattern, sending most of the creatures up into the air. He then stopped on a dime and jammed the end of his Keyblade into the ground, giving it a quarter turn after doing so. Less than a second later, there was a loud rumbling sound as a pair of massive dragons made out of the same red and black fire out of which his blade had materialized seemed to just come out of the ground and spiral up around him, incinerating every single one of the creatures that were above his head.
Kaze turned his blade back to its original position, and the dragons vanished after a couple of seconds. He stood there, breathing heavily and leaning on his blade slightly for support. There were still a couple of the creatures left standing around him, slowly advancing on him. He let out a whine that was a mixture of fear and frustration. He took one more deep breath and got back into some semblance of a fighting stance, but he was slightly unsteady.
He didn't know how or why, but they had come at night 10 days ago. They manifested out of the shadows, seemingly made of solid, corporeal Darkness. A lot of them seemed to swarm towards him, almost as if they were attracted to him. Kaze had managed to fight a lot of them off with his Keyblade, but more and more and more of them kept coming. Within two hours, Minata had been nearly overrun. When he hadn't been fighting the creatures off, he had been spending that time searching for his mother and girlfriend, but he hadn't been able to find either of them. In the end, after desperate searching, he had no choice but to flee for his life.
One couldn't immediately tell by looking at him, but if one were to take a look into his eyes, they would see a man grieving the loss of his World, his mother, and the love of his life. But something was bothering him almost as much. Darkness was something he had always seemed to gravitate towards and be comforted by. He much preferred the night to the day, and walking around on a moonless night had made him feel like there was the comforting hand of a friend on his shoulder. However, since Minata's demise, he didn't know what to think or feel. The comforting hand of a friend had - for the time being at least - turned into the death grip of an enemy. Those...things... that had been responsible for the destruction of his World resided in the Darkness, and that was throwing him for a loop. The reason he was wandering around in the well-lit main square of the First District was that he figured that those creatures hated the light, so he kept to it, despite the additional agitation that it caused him.
Unfortunately, this plan didn't work, as Kaze suddenly heard several whooshing sounds all around him. He stiffened, and his eyes widened with fear as at least 15 of the same kind of creatures from Minata surrounded him. "No..." he frightfully whispered to himself "not here too..." The creatures seemed to be edging ever closer to him, even as he stood there. Despite his fear, Kaze steeled himself, stuck his right arm out to one side, and summoned his Keyblade, it appearing in a burst of black and red fire. The weapon was all black with long red and silver stripes sinuously intertwining up the main body of the Keyblade. There were two large, curved teeth coming out of the top of the blade that looked almost like talons. The creatures seemed to back away in fear with the sudden appearance of the weapon, but only for a moment.
Kaze took this moment to look around at his adversaries. He counted 16 of them. Half of them were roughly human-sized and looked like they were wearing suits of armor. They even had metal helmets. The visors were open, revealing pairs of round, bright yellow eyes. The other half were also human-sized, and seemed to be made of solid darkness. They had two long tendrils that came out of the back of their heads, extending upward for several inches before dropping and falling limply behind them like braids.
The Keyblade wielder waited another beat before rushing at one of the armor-clad creatures. The thing seemed to spin spin at him, leg extended as if were trying to kick him. Kaze parried the kick with his blade, sending the creature back in the other direction. He then closed the gap with a lightning-fast dash attack, the creature exploding in a cloud of darkness. Two of the tendriled creatures rushed towards him, moving incredibly quickly. They slashed at him with their large, clawed hands and he only just managed to block the strikes, and more of the armored ones closed in on him as he did, followed by a couple more tendriled ones a split second later.
Not wanting to be overwhelmed, Kaze flipped his Keyblade to a reverse grip and did a quick spin attack, knocking his assailants backward. He then swiftly brought energy to the core of his being, building up power for his next attack. After about a second and a half, he had the requisite energy. He held his Keyblade aloft as the creatures closed in again. Without warning, Kaze took off in a dash attack even faster than before, moving in an erratic zig-zag pattern, sending most of the creatures up into the air. He then stopped on a dime and jammed the end of his Keyblade into the ground, giving it a quarter turn after doing so. Less than a second later, there was a loud rumbling sound as a pair of massive dragons made out of the same red and black fire out of which his blade had materialized seemed to just come out of the ground and spiral up around him, incinerating every single one of the creatures that were above his head.
Kaze turned his blade back to its original position, and the dragons vanished after a couple of seconds. He stood there, breathing heavily and leaning on his blade slightly for support. There were still a couple of the creatures left standing around him, slowly advancing on him. He let out a whine that was a mixture of fear and frustration. He took one more deep breath and got back into some semblance of a fighting stance, but he was slightly unsteady.
"Whoa!" Ritsuka and Esmeralda gawked as Quasimodo guided them up into the bell tower. What should have just been storage space was instead filled with various nick knacks and decorations, all seemingly hand made, with the piece de resistance being a scale model of the city, illuminated by the light of the now setting sun.
"This is where you live?" Ritsuka inquired as he admired the space.
"Yes, I-I know it isn't much, but..." Quasimodo humbly confirmed.
"Are you kidding, this place is amazing!" Esmeralda countered, taking a closer look at the model city. "Did you make all of these things yourself?"
"Most of them." The Hunchback replied.
"They're beautiful." She said as she took a few of the figurines and admired them closely.
"Th-Thank you." Quasimodo replied, looking away with a shy look on his face.
"So, do you live up here all by yourself?" Ritsuka inquired curiously.
"Oh no, there's the gargoyles, and, of course, the bells." Quasimodo said, gesturing up to all of the metallic bells that hung above them. "Would you... both like to see them?"
"Yes, of course." Esmeralda enthusiastically complied.
"Lead the way." Ritsuka added.
"Follow me, I'll introduce you!" Quasimodo's face lit up, and with a new skip in his step he guided his two visitors higher into the rafters where the numerous bells were held. "That's Little Sofia, and Jean Marie, Anne Marie, and Louise Marie, triplets you know." He introduced each individual bell, expertly climbing and swinging from rafter to rafter.
"Uh... nice to meet you all." Ritsuka said, attempting to play along with the introduction, which Quasimodo seemed to appreciate. However, Esmeralda was drawn to one particularly large bell.
"And who's this?" She asked.
"Big Marie!" Quasimodo replied as he came down from the rafters to join them.
"HELLOOOOO~!" Esmeralda whimsically cried into the bell, her voice echoing between its walls.
"She likes you." Quasimodo insisted, gaining an amused chuckle from the both of them.
"What's up there?" Ritsuka said, pointing up to an open hatch on the roof that was led to by a ladder.
"Oh, I'll show you, I've saved the best for last!" Quasimodo stated as he eagerly climbed the ladder and beckoned them to follow. Ritsuka and Esmeralda did so, climbing the ladder and coming out onto the very top of the cathedral. Quasimodo continued to beckon to them until suddenly, a Corridor of Darkness appeared before them, Quasimodo stopping in his tracks and alerting his two visitors. "Oh no, th-th-they're back!"
"Stay back, I'll handle this!" Ritsuka insisted as he came forward and stood between the helpless civilians and the dark portal. He stared at the dark abyss, waiting for another of those soldiers to appear and attempt to take another, but after a few moments of waiting, it was not one of the familiar palace guards that came through but a tall, muscular young man, perhaps in his early twenties, wearing clothes that certainly wasn't a uniform of any kind, and had an elaborate tattoo climbing the length of his arm. Ritsuka was confused by the unfamiliar man, fully expecting another guard, but regardless, he came out of a Corridor of Darkness, so he kept his guard up. "Who are you!?" He demanded as he summoned his Keyblade, ready to defend his friends.
"This is where you live?" Ritsuka inquired as he admired the space.
"Yes, I-I know it isn't much, but..." Quasimodo humbly confirmed.
"Are you kidding, this place is amazing!" Esmeralda countered, taking a closer look at the model city. "Did you make all of these things yourself?"
"Most of them." The Hunchback replied.
"They're beautiful." She said as she took a few of the figurines and admired them closely.
"Th-Thank you." Quasimodo replied, looking away with a shy look on his face.
"So, do you live up here all by yourself?" Ritsuka inquired curiously.
"Oh no, there's the gargoyles, and, of course, the bells." Quasimodo said, gesturing up to all of the metallic bells that hung above them. "Would you... both like to see them?"
"Yes, of course." Esmeralda enthusiastically complied.
"Lead the way." Ritsuka added.
"Follow me, I'll introduce you!" Quasimodo's face lit up, and with a new skip in his step he guided his two visitors higher into the rafters where the numerous bells were held. "That's Little Sofia, and Jean Marie, Anne Marie, and Louise Marie, triplets you know." He introduced each individual bell, expertly climbing and swinging from rafter to rafter.
"Uh... nice to meet you all." Ritsuka said, attempting to play along with the introduction, which Quasimodo seemed to appreciate. However, Esmeralda was drawn to one particularly large bell.
"And who's this?" She asked.
"Big Marie!" Quasimodo replied as he came down from the rafters to join them.
"HELLOOOOO~!" Esmeralda whimsically cried into the bell, her voice echoing between its walls.
"She likes you." Quasimodo insisted, gaining an amused chuckle from the both of them.
"What's up there?" Ritsuka said, pointing up to an open hatch on the roof that was led to by a ladder.
"Oh, I'll show you, I've saved the best for last!" Quasimodo stated as he eagerly climbed the ladder and beckoned them to follow. Ritsuka and Esmeralda did so, climbing the ladder and coming out onto the very top of the cathedral. Quasimodo continued to beckon to them until suddenly, a Corridor of Darkness appeared before them, Quasimodo stopping in his tracks and alerting his two visitors. "Oh no, th-th-they're back!"
"Stay back, I'll handle this!" Ritsuka insisted as he came forward and stood between the helpless civilians and the dark portal. He stared at the dark abyss, waiting for another of those soldiers to appear and attempt to take another, but after a few moments of waiting, it was not one of the familiar palace guards that came through but a tall, muscular young man, perhaps in his early twenties, wearing clothes that certainly wasn't a uniform of any kind, and had an elaborate tattoo climbing the length of his arm. Ritsuka was confused by the unfamiliar man, fully expecting another guard, but regardless, he came out of a Corridor of Darkness, so he kept his guard up. "Who are you!?" He demanded as he summoned his Keyblade, ready to defend his friends.
Hanox came out of the Corridor, looking left and right. He seemed to be at a very high point in this locale, but before the Nobody could make any more assessments, he heard a male voice shout "Who are you?!" in very close proximity. Hanox looked in the direction of the voice and saw a boy a few years his junior with black hair and gold eyes. The kid was of average height and - as far as Hanox could tell - was pretty well-toned. He was also pointing a blade in the shape of a giant key. Jackpot, Hanox thought, before putting on a conciliatory air, holding his hands out in front of him in a gesture that told the hostile Keyblade wielder to calm down. Unlike with Ryuga, this wasn't just for show. The moment he had laid eyes upon the blade, he immediately knew on an instinctual level that it posed a very real danger to beings like him, and as such he was trying to defuse the situation before the kid had a chance to use it.
"Hey, take it easy there," he said, adding a hint of fear to his voice for good measure. "The name's Hanox. I'm not here to hurt anyone." Hanox hoped he sounded convincing enough. As he had found out in Twilight Town, he was a really good actor (good enough to piss off that Heartless), but not having emotions made it a lot harder.
"Hey, take it easy there," he said, adding a hint of fear to his voice for good measure. "The name's Hanox. I'm not here to hurt anyone." Hanox hoped he sounded convincing enough. As he had found out in Twilight Town, he was a really good actor (good enough to piss off that Heartless), but not having emotions made it a lot harder.
"Oh yeah, well the last person to come out of a dark portal around here made off with my friend, so don't expect me to let my guard down just because you say so!" Ritsuka retorted, lowing into a fighting stance as he glared at the stranger.
"Th-that's right!" Quasimodo stated as he came forward and stood beside Ritsuka. "We have Sanctuary here, so get out, now!" He demanded with a ferocity that completely surprised Ritsuka. The two shared a determined nod before returning their attention to Hanox, fully prepared for a fight.
"Hold on you two!" Esmeralda spoke up, placing a hand on each of her protector's shoulders. "I think he may be telling the truth."
"Huh?" Ritsuka breathed in confusion.
"Are you sure?" Quasimodo wondered.
"Trust me, a minion of Frollo's wouldn't show himself to us unarmed, maybe we should hear him out." Esmeralda suggested. Though she wasn't free of suspicion, she was willing to give the stranger the benefit of the doubt, and her vouching made Quasimodo stand down as well. Ritsuka on the other hand wasn't so sure, for even if he wasn't with Frollo, there were other threats to worry about that he couldn't exactly share with the two natives of the World. He looked over Hanox one last time, hands up and body stiff but ill-prepared for battle, and decided to trust Esmeralda's judgement as well.
"Alright then, who are you, and what are doing here?" Ritsuka demanded as he dismissed his Keyblade.
"Th-that's right!" Quasimodo stated as he came forward and stood beside Ritsuka. "We have Sanctuary here, so get out, now!" He demanded with a ferocity that completely surprised Ritsuka. The two shared a determined nod before returning their attention to Hanox, fully prepared for a fight.
"Hold on you two!" Esmeralda spoke up, placing a hand on each of her protector's shoulders. "I think he may be telling the truth."
"Huh?" Ritsuka breathed in confusion.
"Are you sure?" Quasimodo wondered.
"Trust me, a minion of Frollo's wouldn't show himself to us unarmed, maybe we should hear him out." Esmeralda suggested. Though she wasn't free of suspicion, she was willing to give the stranger the benefit of the doubt, and her vouching made Quasimodo stand down as well. Ritsuka on the other hand wasn't so sure, for even if he wasn't with Frollo, there were other threats to worry about that he couldn't exactly share with the two natives of the World. He looked over Hanox one last time, hands up and body stiff but ill-prepared for battle, and decided to trust Esmeralda's judgement as well.
"Alright then, who are you, and what are doing here?" Ritsuka demanded as he dismissed his Keyblade.
Hanox slowly lowered his hands as his body seemed to visibly - yet almost imperceptibly - relax after Ritsuka dismissed his Keyblade. The Nobody took a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking about how suspicious he was about to sound. "As I just said, my name is Hanox," Hanox said. "And by the looks of things, I came here to find you." Before the wielder could bring his Keyblade back out he continued, "Don't worry, it's not what you apparently think." The Nobody then took a peek out at the view. "Also," he said, a little more weakly with a hint of feigned nervousness in his voice, "do you mind if we move this conversation inside? I'm not the biggest fan of being several hundred feet above the ground."
Hanox remembered that his Somebody didn't really have a problem with heights, but the Nobody's current elevation was enough to give even him vertigo.
Hanox remembered that his Somebody didn't really have a problem with heights, but the Nobody's current elevation was enough to give even him vertigo.
Ritsuka was reluctant to let him inside Quasimodo's home, after all being in an enclosed space would be difficult to defend against him if he decided to turn on them. However, he left the decision to Quasimodo, who simply nodded in approval.
"Alright, this way." Quasimodo said as he guided everyone back inside. Ritsuka made sure to stay between Hanox and the others, in order to protect them in case there was any funny business. Normally Ritsuka wasn't so untrusting, but after losing Cynthiera, he couldn't take any chances.
"So, you said you were looking for me, why's that?" Ritsuka asked once everyone was inside.
"Alright, this way." Quasimodo said as he guided everyone back inside. Ritsuka made sure to stay between Hanox and the others, in order to protect them in case there was any funny business. Normally Ritsuka wasn't so untrusting, but after losing Cynthiera, he couldn't take any chances.
"So, you said you were looking for me, why's that?" Ritsuka asked once everyone was inside.
Hanox scratched the back of his head with his right hand, his mind working quickly. Something told him he couldn't straight-up say "Hi I'm Hanox, and I'm a Nobody," in present company, but maybe an abbreviated account would work. "Well, only a short while ago I woke up on the outskirts of Twilight Town, and I'm not exactly sure how I got there," Hanox said, shrugging. "More than that," he continued, "there are some blanks in my memory as well." Hanox looked away from Ritsuka for a moment, quickly contemplating how to describe the Heartless appearing to him and their subsequent conversation. Also, the Nobody wasn't really paying attention to his tone of voice, but to anyone listening to him he would have sounded oddly emotionally detached from what he was saying.
"As I was walking away from a mansion in the middle of a forest clearing," he said, looking back at the Keyblade wielder, "a hooded man in a strange bodysuit appeared and told me that there wasn't anything for me in town, before saying that if there were gaps in my memory, and needed to find answers, I should walk through the dark portal he created and seek out a 'boy with a sword who looks like a key' and stick with him, as that would be a better strategy than just 'aimlessly wandering the Worlds myself looking for clues'." When the Nobody mentioned the boy with the sword and wandering aimlessly, he made airquotes. "So I walked through the portal and ended up on the top of a massive cathedral and immediately ran into you," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching. Yes, he thought. That sounds good.
"As I was walking away from a mansion in the middle of a forest clearing," he said, looking back at the Keyblade wielder, "a hooded man in a strange bodysuit appeared and told me that there wasn't anything for me in town, before saying that if there were gaps in my memory, and needed to find answers, I should walk through the dark portal he created and seek out a 'boy with a sword who looks like a key' and stick with him, as that would be a better strategy than just 'aimlessly wandering the Worlds myself looking for clues'." When the Nobody mentioned the boy with the sword and wandering aimlessly, he made airquotes. "So I walked through the portal and ended up on the top of a massive cathedral and immediately ran into you," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching. Yes, he thought. That sounds good.
"Worlds?" Esmeralda said quizzically.
'Oh crud!' Ritsuka thought, panicking internally.
"What does he mean by "worlds"?" Quasimodo asked, just as curious as Esmeralda.
"Uh... beats me." Ritsuka lied. If the rest of his story was to be believed, then it was possible that Hanox simply didn't know about the importance of protecting the world order, but whether it was genuine ignorance or just a slip of the tongue, he needed to nip that nagging suspicion in the butt right then and there. "Anyway, I don't know about any of this "Worlds" business, after all, there's only the one world, the one we're standing on," He really hoped he got the message. "But, I have been traveling around, and I do intend to do a lot more traveling once I'm done here, so I guess it makes sense to stick with me if you're trying to find your way back home, but..."
'But just who told you about me?' Ritsuka thought to himself. 'Someone who knew who I was, who knew I was traveling the Worlds, knew the specific world I was in, and... can control the Corridors of Darkness. I really don't like the sound of that...' Before he could question any further, he was brought out of his thoughts by the appearance of five Possessor Heartless, balls of purplish black gas that somehow had mouths and two beady yellow eyes. However, they didn't surround them for long, as they then began floating around the room and possessed a few of the numerous gargoyles that laid strewn about, bringing them to life with dark powers.
"Heartless!" Ritsuka warned before summoning his Keyblade in defense. "Quasimodo, Esmeralda, get to the roof!" He instructed, the duo complying and making a break for the ladder. "Hanox, can you fight, cause now's the chance to prove you're really on our side!"
'Oh crud!' Ritsuka thought, panicking internally.
"What does he mean by "worlds"?" Quasimodo asked, just as curious as Esmeralda.
"Uh... beats me." Ritsuka lied. If the rest of his story was to be believed, then it was possible that Hanox simply didn't know about the importance of protecting the world order, but whether it was genuine ignorance or just a slip of the tongue, he needed to nip that nagging suspicion in the butt right then and there. "Anyway, I don't know about any of this "Worlds" business, after all, there's only the one world, the one we're standing on," He really hoped he got the message. "But, I have been traveling around, and I do intend to do a lot more traveling once I'm done here, so I guess it makes sense to stick with me if you're trying to find your way back home, but..."
'But just who told you about me?' Ritsuka thought to himself. 'Someone who knew who I was, who knew I was traveling the Worlds, knew the specific world I was in, and... can control the Corridors of Darkness. I really don't like the sound of that...' Before he could question any further, he was brought out of his thoughts by the appearance of five Possessor Heartless, balls of purplish black gas that somehow had mouths and two beady yellow eyes. However, they didn't surround them for long, as they then began floating around the room and possessed a few of the numerous gargoyles that laid strewn about, bringing them to life with dark powers.
"Heartless!" Ritsuka warned before summoning his Keyblade in defense. "Quasimodo, Esmeralda, get to the roof!" He instructed, the duo complying and making a break for the ladder. "Hanox, can you fight, cause now's the chance to prove you're really on our side!"
Hanox heard the emphasis on Ritsuka's words regarding this one being the only world in existence. Okay, mentioning other Worlds is a no-no, he thought. Funny, out of all the things he remembered about his past life, that wasn't one of them. He figured that it might be one of the blanks that needed filling. However, as the wielder was opening his mouth to continue questioning him, black clouds with yellow eyes and mouths materialized out of seemingly nowhere, possessing some of the gargoyles that lay about the room, making them come to life. He heard Ritsuka shout "Heartless!" and then tell Esmerelda and Quasimodo to get to the roof, leaving the two of them in there alone with the possessed gargoyles. Ritsuka asked him he could fight. One of the memories that had filled in during his trek through the Corridor of Darkness was that his somebody had been a hell of a gunslinger; unfortunately, Hanox had no guns to sling, but he still looked at Ritsuka and nodded once.
What happened next Hanox could only describe as instinct taking over. He stuck out my arms to the side, palms facing away from him, and channeled...something...through them. He could feel some sort of energy building up inside his hands for about 3 or 4 seconds, before it finally released and something solid and heavy manifested in his hands. Hanox looked down and saw that there were two massive, high-caliber pistols; one black, one white. The black one had a pattern of white thorns that wrapped around it, terminating in the same strange "X" symbol on the side of the grip of the gun. The white one had the same pattern, except it was black. "Stand back," the Nobody said to Ritsuka in a hard, emotionless voice.
Hanox looked around at the gargoyles, as if coming up with a plan of attack before with incredible speed and accuracy raising his guns and rapidly firing many shots at the closest gargoyle. Bullets of what could only be described as corporeal darkness came flying out of the muzzles of his guns. After a couple seconds, the gargoyle had cracks all over it and seemed to be leaking a thick, dark mist. Hanox ran toward it, charged up a little of his essence, and fired one distinct shot into its forehead, making the gargoyle crumble and destroying the heartless residing within it. With that, the other four gargoyles seemed to focus their attention on him. Two of them closed the gap with surprising quickness, forcing Hanox to do a quick, one-handed back handspring to avoid them, and instead of landing on the wooden floor, he seemed to sink right into a shadow on the floor, disappearing from sight. A second later he came careening out of a shadow on the far wall, pressing his pistols together. They glowed, joining together and extending into a large, powerful-looking shotgun. The Nobody landed on the floor, skidded a few feet before running up behind the two gargoyles that had attacked him and pulled the trigger of the weapon twice at each gargoyle, wielding the shotgun with one hand.
The muzzle of the shotgun discharged a blast of purplish black energy, severely damaging the gargoyle upon making contact. The second blast obliterated it. The same thing happened with the other gargoyle. Finally, there were only two left. Unfortunately, the closed in on him really quickly, preparing to swipe at his head. Thinking quickly, Hanox went down into a full split, the stone claws of one of the gargoyles narrowly missing the crown of his head. The Nobody channeled something into his hands before spreading them out to either side and blasting the two remaining gargoyles in opposite directions with Darkness energy. Quickly and smoothly getting back to his feet, the shotgun separated back into pistols and he fired them simultaneously at the gargoyles, hitting them square in the forehead and making them crumble. With all the Heartless being defeated, Hanox dismissed his guns, breathing heavily.
What happened next Hanox could only describe as instinct taking over. He stuck out my arms to the side, palms facing away from him, and channeled...something...through them. He could feel some sort of energy building up inside his hands for about 3 or 4 seconds, before it finally released and something solid and heavy manifested in his hands. Hanox looked down and saw that there were two massive, high-caliber pistols; one black, one white. The black one had a pattern of white thorns that wrapped around it, terminating in the same strange "X" symbol on the side of the grip of the gun. The white one had the same pattern, except it was black. "Stand back," the Nobody said to Ritsuka in a hard, emotionless voice.
Hanox looked around at the gargoyles, as if coming up with a plan of attack before with incredible speed and accuracy raising his guns and rapidly firing many shots at the closest gargoyle. Bullets of what could only be described as corporeal darkness came flying out of the muzzles of his guns. After a couple seconds, the gargoyle had cracks all over it and seemed to be leaking a thick, dark mist. Hanox ran toward it, charged up a little of his essence, and fired one distinct shot into its forehead, making the gargoyle crumble and destroying the heartless residing within it. With that, the other four gargoyles seemed to focus their attention on him. Two of them closed the gap with surprising quickness, forcing Hanox to do a quick, one-handed back handspring to avoid them, and instead of landing on the wooden floor, he seemed to sink right into a shadow on the floor, disappearing from sight. A second later he came careening out of a shadow on the far wall, pressing his pistols together. They glowed, joining together and extending into a large, powerful-looking shotgun. The Nobody landed on the floor, skidded a few feet before running up behind the two gargoyles that had attacked him and pulled the trigger of the weapon twice at each gargoyle, wielding the shotgun with one hand.
The muzzle of the shotgun discharged a blast of purplish black energy, severely damaging the gargoyle upon making contact. The second blast obliterated it. The same thing happened with the other gargoyle. Finally, there were only two left. Unfortunately, the closed in on him really quickly, preparing to swipe at his head. Thinking quickly, Hanox went down into a full split, the stone claws of one of the gargoyles narrowly missing the crown of his head. The Nobody channeled something into his hands before spreading them out to either side and blasting the two remaining gargoyles in opposite directions with Darkness energy. Quickly and smoothly getting back to his feet, the shotgun separated back into pistols and he fired them simultaneously at the gargoyles, hitting them square in the forehead and making them crumble. With all the Heartless being defeated, Hanox dismissed his guns, breathing heavily.
Ritsuka was fully prepared to do his part in the fight, but before he could move a muscle Hanox had already sprung into action. All the Keyblade Wielder could do was gawk as Hanox masterfully took out the possessed gargoyles one by one, but what really caught Ritsuka's attention was the darkness that Hanox utilized to do it. Now, Ritsuka was no stranger to the darkness, and though he didn't have a very high opinion of it in general, Master Yen Sid had always made sure to remind him that those that wield darkness shouldn't be considered inherently evil, and that if not used carelessly it can be a potent tool for good. However, the way Hanox used it so sparingly had him worried, to use the darkness so extensively without at least cultivating some light in the heart to balance it out was a surefire way to succumb, and yet, it didn't seem to effect Hanox at all. Once the battle was over, another thing became apparent to Ritsuka, the last time he had seen the darkness used to extensively was when his brother... failed his Mark of Mastery exam, and the darkness he saw then was dripping with malice, anger, and hate, it festered with negativity that frightened Ritsuka just thinking about it. And yet, the darkness that Hanox used was just... cold. It was frigid and empty, like a void that was only dark because of an absence of light, and the way he carried himself afterwards, as calm and collected as when he had began, it was... inhuman.
"Hanox... are you a Nobody?"
"Hanox... are you a Nobody?"
Hanox stiffened, wondering how the Keyblade wielder could've known that he was. He thought about denying it for a moment before just dropping his shoulders and nodding once. "Yeah..." Hanox said, his voice soft. "I am." The Nobody shook his head before continuing, looking back at Ritsuka, "I woke up barely an hour ago with an empty void in my chest and maybe a few memories of who I once was." Upon finishing his sentence, Hanox realized that he had sounded a bit sad, despite not intentionally adding the emotion to his voice. He figured that his mind might have done it subconsciously, as it knew that was the appropriate feeling for what he was saying. "I want nothing more than to find out what happened to me, and I think that tagging along with you would be my best option," Hanox said, scratching the back of his head again. "So please, let me join you."
While he waited for Ritsuka's response, he was wondering how he was able to be so emotionally expressive despite his lack of a heart, or at least fake it so well. It interested him, and might be something worth looking into later. Maybe I'm just a really good actor, he thought.
While he waited for Ritsuka's response, he was wondering how he was able to be so emotionally expressive despite his lack of a heart, or at least fake it so well. It interested him, and might be something worth looking into later. Maybe I'm just a really good actor, he thought.
It was strange, somehow knowing that Hanox was a Nobody actually made Ritsuka more incline to trust him. The Nobodies were different from the Heartless, they retained a sense of self, as well as memories from when they were whole, allowing them to fully grasp the gravity of their new existence, or lack there of. In a way they were more dangerous than the Heartless, as they could think, plan, and command the darkness in a way the mindless Heartless never could, but on the other hand Ritsuka was always sympathetic to their plight, knowing that somewhere out there in the worlds, his brother was probably going through the same thing. With this in mind, Ritsuka let out a defeated sigh.
"Alright." Ritsuka replied to his plead. He didn't know just how much of the sadness he heard in Hanox's voice was real, but he simply couldn't turn down someone in need. "I don't know how much help I can be, but if you really think sticking with me can help you, then welcome aboard." He said as he dismissed his Keyblade and offered him his hand to shake.
"Alright." Ritsuka replied to his plead. He didn't know just how much of the sadness he heard in Hanox's voice was real, but he simply couldn't turn down someone in need. "I don't know how much help I can be, but if you really think sticking with me can help you, then welcome aboard." He said as he dismissed his Keyblade and offered him his hand to shake.
Yuxara glanced around once more at the heartless surrounding her. Her thoughts wandered. She wondered if she could ever regain possession of her own heart, and regain the identity she had lost completely. Logically, she knew that she couldn’t trust anyone. Raixon seemed to have good intentions, justifiable with logic, but until she could have some intrinsic knowledge of her own, all she had to do was bide her time. Only then would she make the decision to continue as she was or do something else.
It was for this reason that Kostexu’s research intrigued her. And now, with the new information, there was a possibility that the mere idea could come to fruition. Her own skills lay more in combat and magic, consequently she kept herself out of the scientist’s way. But now, she hoped that maybe she could spur him into greater productivity with the possibility of an experiment looming around the near horizon.
“You’re well-aware of what we are, and what our mission is as the Organization,” she mused quietly, the ‘we’ that she referred to being herself and Raixon. “However, after our last note of reconnaissance, I think that we’ve found something that might interest you.” She looked back up at him, her violet eyes unwavering. “I ask of you the progress of your research because, there may be a chance soon in which I may encounter myself. You may have a chance to bring any of your theories into fruition.”
It was for this reason that Kostexu’s research intrigued her. And now, with the new information, there was a possibility that the mere idea could come to fruition. Her own skills lay more in combat and magic, consequently she kept herself out of the scientist’s way. But now, she hoped that maybe she could spur him into greater productivity with the possibility of an experiment looming around the near horizon.
“You’re well-aware of what we are, and what our mission is as the Organization,” she mused quietly, the ‘we’ that she referred to being herself and Raixon. “However, after our last note of reconnaissance, I think that we’ve found something that might interest you.” She looked back up at him, her violet eyes unwavering. “I ask of you the progress of your research because, there may be a chance soon in which I may encounter myself. You may have a chance to bring any of your theories into fruition.”
Staring blankly at the woman who had appeared, Kostexu was not focused on her or her expression. Her words danced past his ears in the empty air, not netting any sort of a response until moments later when he had to back track to recall what she had just told him. His eyes widened and his jaw tightened, immediately appearing to be upset over something. He most certainly was upset.
"Curses!" His deep voice rang out in the room. With purposeful strides, the man rushed back to his desk and began to flip through ivory sheets, spreading them atop his marble surface and slamming a fist down on top. He mumbled a few words to himself, took another sheet, looked it over, then another, finally letting out a deep exhale and leaning forward, bracing his torso with his hands on the marble desktop.
He growled back to her, perhaps a little too aggressively for one who was his superior, telling her that, "I'm not ready. I don't have any of my thoughts properly compiled yet. If you feel you'll find it soon, you may find yourself alone. Now, I suggest that if you want my help, you leave and stop wasting my time."
He went to drag the pencil over a sheet of paper and snapped it, the heartless seeming to frenzy at the increase in tension as he growled aloud. Soon? Then he wouldn't find rest. He wouldn't sleep or eat. This was far too important.
"Curses!" His deep voice rang out in the room. With purposeful strides, the man rushed back to his desk and began to flip through ivory sheets, spreading them atop his marble surface and slamming a fist down on top. He mumbled a few words to himself, took another sheet, looked it over, then another, finally letting out a deep exhale and leaning forward, bracing his torso with his hands on the marble desktop.
He growled back to her, perhaps a little too aggressively for one who was his superior, telling her that, "I'm not ready. I don't have any of my thoughts properly compiled yet. If you feel you'll find it soon, you may find yourself alone. Now, I suggest that if you want my help, you leave and stop wasting my time."
He went to drag the pencil over a sheet of paper and snapped it, the heartless seeming to frenzy at the increase in tension as he growled aloud. Soon? Then he wouldn't find rest. He wouldn't sleep or eat. This was far too important.
There was a sudden chill in the air, and it made the hairs on the back of Kaze's neck stand on end. There was a low and archaic whisper that lay just at the faintest threshold of his hearing, something that almost seemed to draw the wielder's senses outward, almost as if it beckoned him. Somehow, somewhere. To him, it was incomprehensible, the intent never clear, just the curl of a pull, coaxing him. It was there, consuming his senses for the barest moment before it was gone as if it had never been.
A few moments later, with the remaining neoshadows converging upon him, Kaze's attention was arrested by a metallic shing as well as a bright flare of light, a whumpf-whumpf-whumpf sound of something heavy spinning end over end. The white light would be bright enough for Kaze to need to shield or shut his eyes. The neoshadows gurgled in what could be interpreted as a bubbling low shriek of pain as they were slammed by the light and force of the large object that had just slammed into the three Heartless in succession, and they seemed to burst into smoke. However, there was something that seemed to exit the creatures and become absorbed into the blade as it passed...
Arcing like a boomerang, the spinning Keyblade flung itself back towards a space a good distance of about twenty feet or so from Kaze, and it was caught neatly by the raised, black-gloved hand of a similarly cloaked figure. Raixon's hood was down, and Kaze could easily see his feathered brown hair as well as the black blindfold that he kept around his eyes. The Keyblade in his hand was a deep slate-grey, but before Kaze could take in too much detail of the blade, Raixon dispelled it, and the way it dispelled seemed almost as if it faded into nothing, like the blade had only been a spectral ghost.
"A summon is a trying bout of magic and should not be used without the proper mastery of such power." The flat tone was perfectly neutral, and try as any might, there was no trace of amusement, or condescension, or any other trace of emotion, for that matter.
Despite the light, Kaze would feel the pull of the darkness coming from this man in equal measure. The darkness that had comforted him and yet the light that would keep him safe. A peaceful reconciliation between the two. Raixon quietly began to walk toward him, having a natural feel for the area despite the blindfold upon him. There was no mistaking the pull of the darkness that emanated from Kaze. That deep darkness had been but a distant memory, once his own. The Superior still found himself drawn.
He paused, keeping a healthy distance of about ten feet between himself and Kaze. "From whence do you hail from, friend?"
A few moments later, with the remaining neoshadows converging upon him, Kaze's attention was arrested by a metallic shing as well as a bright flare of light, a whumpf-whumpf-whumpf sound of something heavy spinning end over end. The white light would be bright enough for Kaze to need to shield or shut his eyes. The neoshadows gurgled in what could be interpreted as a bubbling low shriek of pain as they were slammed by the light and force of the large object that had just slammed into the three Heartless in succession, and they seemed to burst into smoke. However, there was something that seemed to exit the creatures and become absorbed into the blade as it passed...
Arcing like a boomerang, the spinning Keyblade flung itself back towards a space a good distance of about twenty feet or so from Kaze, and it was caught neatly by the raised, black-gloved hand of a similarly cloaked figure. Raixon's hood was down, and Kaze could easily see his feathered brown hair as well as the black blindfold that he kept around his eyes. The Keyblade in his hand was a deep slate-grey, but before Kaze could take in too much detail of the blade, Raixon dispelled it, and the way it dispelled seemed almost as if it faded into nothing, like the blade had only been a spectral ghost.
"A summon is a trying bout of magic and should not be used without the proper mastery of such power." The flat tone was perfectly neutral, and try as any might, there was no trace of amusement, or condescension, or any other trace of emotion, for that matter.
Despite the light, Kaze would feel the pull of the darkness coming from this man in equal measure. The darkness that had comforted him and yet the light that would keep him safe. A peaceful reconciliation between the two. Raixon quietly began to walk toward him, having a natural feel for the area despite the blindfold upon him. There was no mistaking the pull of the darkness that emanated from Kaze. That deep darkness had been but a distant memory, once his own. The Superior still found himself drawn.
He paused, keeping a healthy distance of about ten feet between himself and Kaze. "From whence do you hail from, friend?"
Kaze regarded the cloaked figure with some caution, still breathing somewhat heavily. On an unfamiliar World and less than two weeks removed from the destruction of his own, he wasn't exactly in a trusting mood. In fact, he was fairly paranoid, agitated, and didn't really trust anyone there. The man's voice was oddly flat, without any emotion in it whatsoever, and he couldn't see his eyes due to the blindfold, so Kaze couldn't divine the other wielder's intent through that method either.
However, there were a few things that told Kaze that the other was worth trusting. Firstly, the brunet had just slain the remaining 3 creatures when they had been closing in on him fast. Also, in addition to the strangely protective light emanating from the man, there was also a deep darkness that felt both comforting and strangely familiar to him. Kaze got out of his fighting stance and dismissed his Keyblade in the same burst of red and black fire with which it appeared. "Mih...Minata," Kaze replied, still somewhat breathless from the expenditure of magic, wondering what in the hell this stranger could want with him.
However, there were a few things that told Kaze that the other was worth trusting. Firstly, the brunet had just slain the remaining 3 creatures when they had been closing in on him fast. Also, in addition to the strangely protective light emanating from the man, there was also a deep darkness that felt both comforting and strangely familiar to him. Kaze got out of his fighting stance and dismissed his Keyblade in the same burst of red and black fire with which it appeared. "Mih...Minata," Kaze replied, still somewhat breathless from the expenditure of magic, wondering what in the hell this stranger could want with him.
You are on: Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Kingdom Hearts: Scattered Fragments (Private RP)
Moderators: Mina, Keke, Cass, Auberon, Claine, Ilmarinen, Ben, Darth_Angelus