Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Kingdom Hearts: Scattered Fragments (Private RP)

Hanox put an artificial thankful half smile on his face (that still somehow came out looking genuine) as he extended his own hand, taking Ritsuka's proffered one and shaking it. "Thanks," the Nobody said, feigned happiness and gratitude in his voice. However, while the Nobody wasn't feeling either of those emotions, he did feel a sense of satisfaction that he had been able to join up with the "boy with the blade that looked like a key".

Hanox let go of Ritsuka's hand and scratched the back of his head again. "Anyway," he said, "I think we should probably see if Quasimodo and Esmerelda are alright." Before they moved over to the ladder, however, Hanox continued, "By the way, I don't think I ever caught your name. Might I ask what it is?"

"Oh, right! I'm Ritsuka." He introduced himself, a little embarrassed that he hadn't done so yet. "And just so you know, it won't be just us traveling together, I have another friend that's out right now..." Ritsuka's mood sank as he remembered exactly why Moguri wasn't here at the moment. It was strange, nearly the moment Cynthiera disappears, another stranger he knew nothing about appears before him and joins the team. It almost felt like he was replacing Cynthiera, which made him feel awful, but Ritsuka quickly reminded himself that Moguri was hard at work trying to find her, and soon this duo would become a quartet. "...He's out investigating something, hopefully he'll be back soon and I can introduce you to him." With that said Ritsuka led Hanox up the ladder onto the roof where Quasimodo and Esmeralda sat on the very top of the roof waiting for them.

"Is everything ok?" Esmeralda asked as Ritsuka and Hanox approached.

"Yeah, no worries, the Heartless were taken care of." Ritsuka replied.

"And what about... him?" Quasimodo inquired, standing protectively in front of Esmeralda while Hanox a glare.

"Easy there Quasi, it's fine, Hanox is on our side, I promise." Ritsuka assured him, the two natives turning to Hanox as if to hear confirmation from the man in question.

Hanox regarded Quasi and Esmerelda with the same half-smile he had given Ritsuka inside. When they looked from the wielder to him, the smile widened a bit and he nodded once. "Don't worry, Quasimodo. Ritsuka's telling the truth," he said, cutting a glance at his new companion before looking back at the two Natives. "In fact, it was actually me who took out all the Heartless."

The false emotion in the Nobody's voice was carefully measured, Hanox making sure to add just the right amount of reassurance and geniality so that neither the hunchback nor the Gypsy would regard him with suspicion any longer. It didn't show on his face, but he was still wondering just how he was able to be so emotionally expressive so soon after being reborn as a being without a heart.

Quasimodo looked back at Ritsuka, the Keyblade Wielder's nod confirming Hanox's claim putting him at ease.

"Alright, thank you for your help, then." Quasimodo thanked with an appreciative nod of his head.

"I guess now all three of us are stuck up here." Esmeralda lamented as she looked over the railing at the city, now only illuminated by the light of the moon.

"Yeah, the soldiers are still guarding every door." Ritsuka said as he looked down over the railing to the bottom floor, where he could just barely see a few of the uniformed men outside the main doors.

"...Then we won't use a door." Quasimodo said, gaining everyone's attention.

"You mean... climb down?" Esmeralda said incredulously.

"You can do that?" Ritsuka inquired, he knew of the hunchback's acrobatic prowess, but to climb several stories down the side of a cathedral?

"Sure, it's easy, I'll just carry you down where the guards won't see us." Quasimodo assured her with a soft smile. "You helped me, so now, I will help you, just trust me." He insisted. Esmeralda still seemed hesitant, but it seemed her need for freedom, and trust for Quasimodo, overcame any of her doubts.

"Alright, I trust you." The gypsy replied.

"So do I." Ritsuka interjected. "Hanox, let's follow them down in case the Heartless or Frollo's lackeys try anymore funny business." He said to his new companion, confident enough in their platforming skills.

There were a few moments when the atmosphere of the lab became heavy, and darkness stirred. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. The Heartless, already somewhat agitated because of the mirroring of tension that Kostexu had exhibited, turned to Yuxara and stared at her for a few moments before huddling closer to her and clumping together a bit more thickly, only allowing her the barest of personal space so that she wouldn't bump into any of them.

The Nobody ignored them entirely. "Mind your tone, Kostexu," she murmured in a low tone, yet somehow her voice being precise enough that it was perfectly understandable despite the volume. "We have allowed you to your work so long as your interest aligns with our own. I may find her in a few days, a few weeks, a few months, years. Or perhaps even Raixon may find his own. I came only to say that such work may prove fruitful sooner than we once believed."

Yuxara dropped her chin a small fraction and closed her eyes, almost as if in prayer, as she recomposed herself. Her expression had never changed throughout the ordeal, her mild annoyance leaking not onto her face but into an unsteady flux of power, and she took a moment to restrain it once more, to keep her own balance of twilight. The temperature returned to normal, the tension dissipating, and the Heartless once again became somewhat indifferent if not somewhat perplexed. However, a few of them, particularly the Shadows, continued to linger by her side, as if expecting such darkness once more.

She opened her eyes again. "I wish only the best. I will let you know if any other news arrives." And with that, she turned, the Heartless parting for her like waters as she walked back towards the door of Kostexu's lab.

At his admission, and the exhaustion that he heard in his voice, Raixon nodded gravely, before turning his gaze skyward as if he could see through his blindfold. If Kaze looked up as well, he would see the glittering stars up above, and even as seconds passed, another star began to dim, flicker, and suddenly vanish. "And another world is lost to the dark," the Nobody remarked. Raixon was fairly certain that he was not from Traverse Town, else he would've found this fellow Knight some time ago.

He looked off to the side, into the distance. "Heartless," he mused quietly. "Creatures of darkness, the corrupted state of a heart that desires only another for itself. They are a menace. To all the worlds." He glanced back at Kaze, specifically at the Keyblade that he rested upon. "Fortunately, the blessed light of Kingdom Hearts has given us the only weapons that are able to banish them from whence they came, and save those captive hearts." He waited to see what sort of reaction his spoken words and new information would have on the refugee, though for the time being he moved no closer.

Kaze had indeed followed Raixon's "gaze" skyward and watched the star flicker and go out. The wielder let out an involuntary gasp at the sight, watching as yet another World met the same fate as his own. Kaze heard the newcomer say "Heartless" and he looked back at Raixon as the latter described them, and then watched as the Nobody "glanced" at his Keyblade and heard him say a few words on that subject as well. Or at least, Kaze assumed that's what Raixon was talking about.

After Raixon had finished speaking, Kaze lapsed into thought, his mind working furiously. If the Heartless were creatures of Darkness, and menaces on top of that, then why did the Darkness feel so comforting? Why was he drawn to it? What was that whispering before? How were the Heartless able to zero in on him specifically? Was he some kind of...perversion? Did his Keyblade act as some sort of beacon? ....Was it his fault his World had met its end? The last thought chilled him to his core. Kaze looked back up at Raixon. "...Who are you?" he asked, his voice very soft and still, as if he were trying to keep the dam that held back the flood of negative emotions he had been feeling since he had fled from bursting. "And why are you telling me this...?"

Hanox cut a glance at Ritsuka and nodded before looking back at the two Natives. "Good idea," he said, watching as Esmerelda got on to Quasi's back and then them starting their descent. "If something were to happen on the way down, they'd be defenseless." A few moments after the hunchback had disappeared over the side, Hanox moved over to the spot where the two had vanished and without even hesitating, stepped over the side, some unknown instinct telling him that he'd be perfectly fine.

The next moment, the Nobody found himself standing on the side of the cathedral as if he were standing on flat ground. His eyes widened a bit as he looked "down" at his feet firmly planted on the side of the massive building. He wasn't sure how exactly he had managed to do it, but he had somehow altered the field of gravity around himself, letting him stand horizontally as if he were doing so vertically. He looked behind him, seeing the edge of the roof and Ritsuka poking his head over it, looking down at him. "So, you coming or not?" the Nobody asked, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Ritsuka honestly wasn't surprised, he knew that Nobodies often had strange and unique abilities, and after the impressive display with the Heartless, something like this just seemed like par for the course.

"Right." Ritsuka replied to the snarky question. Ritsuka easily hopped down onto one of the gargoyles, following each step Quasimodo made while Hanox simply took a leisurely stroll on the side of the wall. As they climbed down, a few of the guards began patrolling the perimeter of the cathedral, but Quasimodo was prepared for this. The hunchback took a piece of loose stone from this pocket and threw it into an alleyway, the sound distracting the guards enough to allow them to get onto the ground.

"Well, this is it..." Quasimodo said as he let Esmeralda down onto the ground. "I'll never forget you, any of you..." He declared as he looked away with a sad look on his face. Ritsuka recognized that look, the loneliness in his eyes, he had felt the same way plenty of times, whenever he remembered Cable Town, his home, and all of the people he would never see again.

"Why don't you come with us?" Ritsuka suggested, gaining a surprised and confused gasp from Quasimodo. "You don't have to stay here, you can leave with us right now."

"What? Oh no, I couldn't, not after what happened today." Quasimodo refused, a pained look crossing his misshapen features as he remembered the tournament that Ritsuka only really caught of glimpse of. "No, this is where I belong." He insisted as he caressed the stone wall lovingly, yet solemnly.

"But...!"

"It's ok Ritsuka." Esmeralda said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's his choice, and just like I should be free to leave, he should be free to stay." She insisted, making the Keyblade Wielder reluctantly back off. The gypsy then turned her attention back to the hunchback. "I won't forget you either Quasimodo, but if you ever need sanctuary, this will show you the way." She then took a pendant hidden under her blouse off of her neck and placed it around Quasimodo's. "Remember, when you where this woven band, you hold the city in your hand." She said cryptically, Quasimodo simply tucking the trinket under his shirt.

Hanox watched the exchange between the other three, a look of sadness subconsciously appearing on his face again. He knew that the scene before him was a solemn one, and his mind was responding accordingly. The Nobody knew that if he still had a heart, it would currently be aching for Quasimodo. It was clear that the latter was lonely, but also couldn't really do anything about it. Based on the way Quasi lovingly yet solemnly caressed the wall, Hanox guessed that he didn't quite want to stay, but also didn't want to leave. In short, it was a choice of necessity, rather than one of desire.

The Nobody then saw Esmerelda put the trinket around Quasimodo's neck - the latter simply tucking it under his shirt - and heard her saying a cryptic rhyme. Hanox wondered what her words could've possibly meant. "Even though we just met," Hanox said, and only very recently got on good terms, he thought, "I won't forget you either." He offered the hunchback another half-smile; yet again, it was artificial, but it still somehow came off as genuine.

Quasimodo offered Hanox an appreciative smile at his vow, but the moment was lost when they heard the sound of the guards returning to the cathedral.

"Go!" Quasimodo urged as he himself began climbing back up the cathedral.

Esmeralda quickly made a break for it, with Ritsuka and Hanox following close behind. Ritsuka spared one last look behind him, his eyes meeting Quasimodo as he gave him a wave goodbye from the cathedral. Ritsuka really didn't want to just leave him there, but with the Heartless running around, Esmeralda needed protection, not to mention that Ritsuka would probably need to return to the cathedral anyway in order to meet back up with Moguri. The thought of the Moogle apprentice once again reminded him of their third missing companion, he could do little but hope that Moguri could find her, but as he followed Esmeralda through the streets of the city, he only just now realized how large and maze like it really was. Could Moguri really find her in such a big world?

Ritsuka was quickly brought out of his thoughts by the appearance of six Shadow Heartless, all of which leaped at Esmeralda with their claws brandished.

"Defense!" Ritsuka cried as he summoned his Keyblade and casted Reflectra on the gypsy, surrounding her a transparent bubble shield that easily repelled the Heartless. "Hanox, do your thing!" He said to his companion as he himself rushed to Esmeralda's side to guard her.

The same determined calm as when he fought the gargoyles settled over Hanox. He summoned his pistols before leaping backward several yards, doing a tight backflip in midair. Upon landing, he lifted his pistols into firing position and rapidly pulled the triggers several times, aiming at the closest Shadow Heartless. Every round hit it square in the back of the head, making it explode in a dark mist.

This seemed to get the remaining Heartless' attention, as they turned and started rapidly making their way towards him. Unperturbed, the Nobody charged up what seemed to be a ball of pure energy in his right hand and threw it straight into the air as a pair of the remaining Heartless leapt at him. Almost immediately, all five Shadows seemed to be sucked off the ground and into a tight gravity well around the energy sphere. Hanox turned his pistols into the shotgun before releasing the energy above him.

The sphere disappeared, causing the Heartless to fall straight down at him. Hanox pointed the shotgun in the air and fired 3 times, obliterating the Heartless. He separated the shotgun into his pistols before dismissing them and Nodding at Ritsuka and Esmerelda

As Hanox grabbed the attention of the Shadows, a quartet of Soldier Heartless appeared and surrounded Ritsuka and Esmeralda. Two of them immediately lunged forward with their rotating kicks, but Ritsuka managed to guard against them both, causing them to stagger back from the recoil. The other two however took the opportunity to leap up and try and claw at them from above, but Ritsuka reacted just in time.

"Gather!" He cried, casting a Magnet spell that caught the two Soldiers in mid air, trapping them in the orbit of two magnetic orbs. He then turned his attention to the dazed Soldiers, throwing a Strike Raid at one of them that cleaved through it not once, but twice, destroying it. The moment his Keyblade returned to his hand, Ritsuka had to parry the claw swipes of the second Soldier, sparks flying of the edge of the weapon with every strike before he finally found an opening and slashed at the creature's chest. It staggered back, allowing Ritsuka to leap into the air and bring a Quick Blitz down on the Heartless, cleaving it in two before it vanished in a puff of darkness. By now, Ritsuka's Magnet spell had wore off, the other two Soldiers falling back down to the ground, giving Ritsuka the chance to catch them both in a powerful Spark Dive that eliminated them both.

Ritsuka looked over to Hanox to see that, as expected, he had taken care of the Shadows, returning his nod with one of his own before they continued down the streets of the city in search of the Court of Miracles.

The trio quickly moved through the streets of the city, Hanox keeping his eyes peeled for any more guards or Heartless. Based on what they had encountered thus far, the Nobody had to guess that perhaps there was something trying to impede their progress. Hanox wasn't sure what (or who) could be behind it, however. They walked for another minute or so when another quartet of Heartless appeared in front of them. This time, their foes were a pair of Wyverns and a pair of Soldiers.

Before any of them could make a move, Hanox summoned his pistols again and shot each enemy once in the forehead to stun them. With that done, the Nobody dismissed his weapons and thrust his right hand out in front of him, his palm facing the four Heartless. After about a second or two of the Heartless shaking violently, both the Soldiers and the Wyverns slammed into the ground, seemingly getting flatter. After another couple of seconds, they exploded into the usual black mist.

Hanox stood there for a few seconds, his breathing starting to get a little heavier. He had put a little extra into that attack and as such was feeling slightly winded. Being newly reborn, he wasn't sure how much of his power he could use in such a short time span. They needed to find this place, and fast.

"Hanox, you ok?" Ritsuka asked his exhausted looking companion.

"This is far enough, I can make it the rest of the way myself." Esmeralda insisted.

"Are you sure, the Heartless get really antsy at night." Ritsuka warned, not wanting to leave the defenseless girl to her own fate.

"I'm sure, if I travel by myself I'm sure I can slip past them." She assured with a confident smile, but soon faded to a more troubled expression. "Thank you both for all of your help... I... I know I have no right to ask any more of you, but there's one more thing I need to ask."

"What's that?" Ritsuka inquired.

"Please, help Quasimodo." Esmeralda pleaded, much to Ritsuka's confusion. "I know I said it was his choice to stay, but honestly, that choice was made for him long ago, but Judge Claude Frollo."

"Frollo, the guy controlling the Heartless?" Ritsuka recalled.

"That's right, Frollo was the one who raised Quasimodo, who put him in the tower and told him never to leave... he told him he was a monster, and that nobody would ever accept him." She elaborated with a solemn and sympathetic tone.

"So... it's those lies that are keeping him prisoner." Ritsuka said, his hands balling into fists at the cruelty. He also couldn't help but sympathize; back in Cable Town, everybody, even his own parents, discouraged his dream of being a Keyblade Master, saying that it would only bring chaos and destruction if he ever came to wield one... that Keyblade Wielders were no better than monsters.

Hanox looked over at Ritsuka and tentatively nodded. He actually wasn't entirely okay. He had used a lot of power in a short amount of time, and it was starting to take a slight bit of a toll on him. Being newly reborn, he wasn't used to such large expenditures energy just yet. He figured that he'd have to learn to pace himself to avoid tiring himself out in the future.

The Nobody then heard his two companions discuss the relationship between Quasi and a Judge Claude Frollo, who apparently was controlling the Heartless on this World. They were saying how Frollo had made Quasi stay in the tower by feeding him the repeated lie that he was a Monster and no one would ever accept him. Hanox wasn't able to feel any anger, but if he could, he would sure as hell be pissed at this. What this Frollo character was doing to his new friend was an incredibly cruel form of gaslighting. Hanox also saw Ritsuka ball his hands into fists at this. Anyway, Hanox looked at Esmerelda and nodded once.

"...Ok, I'll do anything I can to help Quasimodo, I promise." Ritsuka finally said, staring back at Esmeralda with a determined gaze.

"Thank you." Esmeralda said with an appreciative nod to the both of them before fleeing into the streets of the city and out of sight.

"Come on Hanox, let's get back to Notre Dame." Ritsuka said to the Nobody before sprinting back the way they came to get back to Quasimodo.

They made it back to Notre Dame without any more interference from the Heartless, and the guards seemed to have returned home for the night, or at least were in the midst of rotating out for night guards, allowing Ritsuka and Hanox to climb back up to Quasimodo's room without much bother.

"Hey, Quasimodo, it's us, open up." Ritsuka requested as he knocked on the door that led into the bell tower.

"Hey, keep it down will ya, Quasi's trying to get some shut eye!" Ritsuka jumped at the unfamiliar voice, but nearly fell off the roof once he saw who it was coming from. Standing before him were a tiro of sentient gargoyles, all looking rather perturbed that Ritsuka was attempting to disturb their roommate's sleep.

Raixon kept his distance from Kaze for the time being, wary of the disturbance of darkness that the other Knight exuded but perhaps was still unaware of. A distortion that he himself had once caused, some time ago. However, in a gesture of what he intended to be interpreted as goodwill, he took a couple of slow steps forward. "My name...is Raixon. We are the same, you and I," the Nobody mused, before pausing to almost falter. Then he corrected himself. "Or, perhaps, we were the same. Harbringers of the darkness. Drawn to the tendencies of destruction, greed, hatred, envy, lust, else any other negative emotion that ever was more strongly than any other."

He paused, and with a faint flick of his wrist his slate-grey Keyblade faded into view, as if a specter materializing from the ether. Along the length of the blade were two parallel lines, one bright white and the other of deepest darkness. Raixon glanced down towards his blade. "However, these weapons, these Keyblades, give us a choice. They give us another purpose. They give us the power to stop the runaway darkness that destroys worlds like yours," he looked up again towards Kaze, before turning his gaze skyward again. "Or theirs." He paused, giving the fallen a few moments of solemnity.

"A choice to tread the delicate balance of twilight, a choice to abandon the dark hearts that have defined us and lead an existence with a greater purpose."

Kaze pondered Raixon's words. "Harbingers of the Darkness"? he thought, hand to his chin in concerned contemplation. If that was true, then he was forced to conclude that he was indeed a...perversion. Having that confirmed for him made him only feel even worse than he already did. Unbeknownst to the wielder, the roiling sea of volatility that was his Darkness grew only more volatile. He took a deep, shaky breath to calm himself down, but it doesn't quite work.

"Is that why the Darkness feels so comforting?" he asked. "And what do you mean 'abandon the dark hearts'?" Unfortunately, he had a sinking feeling that he knew what Raixon meant. He didn't want to think about it, though...

The Nobody could feel the roiling of the agitated dark, feeding on what he imagined was the tension and agitation of Kaze's negative emotions. The darkness whispered to him as well, but keeping reason in mind, he was able to resist it and keep it at bay, as it had no heart to gain a foothold from. However, if things continued, the likelihood of such danger for him would increase. "There is a way," Raixon began, nodding. "A way that you may be able to abandon the dark without the expense of life." He lifted his own Keyblade slightly, his blindfolded gaze turned downward towards them, unwittingly turning Kaze's attention towards the blade as well. "The Keyblade itself can set you free... if only you allow it to do so. It can set free the darkness of the heart and set one upon the path of dusk. It is a narrow path, and yet...should you remain faithful to it, the darkness can never consume you, nor the light blind you to the truth."

"Abandon your heart, and you will be reborn," the Nobody bade him. "Unless you wish that the darkness strengthen its hold upon you, using you as an agent of chaos. I offer you freedom from the chains that tie you to the dark."