"Oh and Master I didn't escape its destruction it is still very much alive at least for now inside that thing that ate it.

Lao's neck and back cracked as he whipped himself back towards Alister. His face read with a mix of emotions, none of them well or settled: his lips were pursed, holding back an outburst of anger; his eyes, however, read with a fear and concern that few of his students had ever seen in him. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking himself out. He walked slowly closer towards. "Did you just say 'the thing that' ate it?"

"That's what it sounded like to me." Ghave had spoken up once more, with a snide remark. "Maybe you should get your ears che--."

Ghave silenced himself at the silent command of a priest. The one seated in the middle of the trio rose to his feet. "Not now Ghave," he spoke calmly. Pacing towards Lao, he continued speaking, now less calmly. "Lao, you know what this means. You've known it to be true for some time now. The three of us can feel it in your Heart... We can also feel that you've not shared much about with your students."

"It had been nothing more than a paranoia!" Lao snapped, spinning around and snapping back at the priest. "A paranoia caused by old, dark memories. We took care of that problem years ago; we made plans to ensure that our provisions would hold."

"But they haven't held," the priest on the right intervened, not missing a beat. "The prison you and the other Master's conjured up for the World Eater has been breaking. It's reach is growing. It's swallowed several worlds on the Light's periphery."

"And now it's reached in so far as Avalon." Now it was the left priest speaking; he too moved from the table to join his companion. "It's only a matter of time before it reaches the inner worlds."

"Until recently the prison and seals had held quite strong," the middle priest pressed on. "But something is causing it all to come undone. The power of the Light Masters is waning without warning."

With a deep sigh, Lao finally managed to accept the priests' and Alister's telling as truth. "So, tell me: have you informed any of the others?"

The priests stood silent for nearly a full minute. Tension built in the room as they looked amongst themselves and the others in the room, as though looking for an answer foreign minds. At last, it was the middle priest who spoke up. "We have not. We came directly to you. We feared that if the World Eater continued its trend of consumption, we wouldn't have time to mobilize the other Light Masters. They'd have been swallowed up as soon as they readied themselves for battle, and there wouldn't have been time to call for aid."

"So we came directly to you," the right priest explained, sounding more like a military tactician than a man of faith. "We felt that if we told you first, you would be able to consolidate a resistance more quickly."

"Old Bastion was once the mighty stronghold of the Light Masters," the left priest said. "What better place to bring the Masters to than here?"

"All due respect," Lao said, now noticeably annoyed at the priests, "it would have been easier to send the others here. I'd have much rather dealt with them telling me of this than a trio of strangers. However, your visit is appreciated nonetheless. If there's nothing more for you to tell me, you may go in peace."

"Of course," the middle priest bowed out. "Our journey here has been one of length. We will rest here for now; but don't expect to see us before we depart. We would prefer our visit remain between us those in this room, and young Victor."

"Speaking of which," the left priest mused, staring at the door to the room."

Sure enough, not a second later, the door came open. Victor stood a shadow against the light from the hall. Suddenly, though, realizing he had just intruded on something important, he made to withdraw from the room. "Sorry. Sorry Master Lao. I should have know you would be busy here."

"No no!" Lao dished over to the doorway, blocking the closing door and pulling open against Victor's attempt to close it. "We were actually just about to leave. What was it that you wanted from me?"

"Oh. Uh. Right. You see Master, there's someone else here calling for you. Well, he was calling for a 'Keyblade Master said to reside in this castle.' So that could only mean you."

"Where is this young man?"

"Down in the Hall. We gave him some of what was left of breakfast. Oh yeah... He's another Keybearer."

"Pertinent information, Victor." Lao looked to the priests and the other apprentices, bowing to the former as he addressed the room. "Iris, Alister: come. Men of Wisdom, thank you. Ghave... do as you will." He exited into the hall, where Victor remained waiting. "Bring me to him," Loa ordered. Victor setting a brisk pace, the Keybearers made their return to the main hall.

Old Bastion
-Great Hall
Early Morning

Ren stretched his arms as he sat in his chair, a wave of sleepiness washing over him as he continued on with his meal. It was nice of the man who greeted him to have breakfast, though he did eat a little bit before coming here, but he accepted it and ate what he thought his stomach could hold without him getting sick from overeating. If he had declined his offer, he was afraid that he would come off as disrespectful, and the last thing he needed was to seem like some random punk that just showed up out of the blue asking to see the Master of the house.

It was something to see so many people here, or still eating as it were, in such a place. He wasn't really sure just how bad things might have been for some people on some of the other worlds, but he could tell some of them had really nothing left to go to, or in the least that is what kind of vibe one or two of them were giving him. However there were a few that gave him a smile as they ate, one family of three in particular. They sat not too far from him, the mother and father had finished eating and were giving their daughter time to finish her meal, it was obvious they weren't in much of a hurry from the tone of their voices. The daughter sat beside the mother on her left, herself being closer to Ren then the parents, as she toiled away at her... oatmeal, grits, he wasn't sure, though he could tell she wasn't enjoying them very well.

She glanced at Ren once or twice as he was started to take a bite into a piece of toast, her head dropping down to her bowl as fast as she could whenever he played as though he just saw her staring at her; he knew she was either just curious about him or was just trying to find something to keep her attention from her food. She would look over at him and Ren would freeze whatever he was doing and not move until she looked away so that he might continue doing whatever he was doing before she took notice. Each time, he would freeze, and he could see the development of a smile from the girl as she quickened her head movements, trying to catch Ren moving but he was pretty good at this game and wasn't going to slip up.

It wasn't long however, before her parents started to take notice that she wasn't exactly eating and was playing around to a stranger. They didn't seem upset, but at the same time Ren didn't want to make them become upset, so he stopped altogether when the mother urged her daugther to finish eating so that they could go. Ren had already finished his meal and someone had swooped in to take his dishes before he had time to even notice. They are very efficient here... I know that I was told to wait here, but how long could the Master's business be? Ren was not told as to where exactly the Master was, rather was told to wait in the Great Hall until the Master had finished his business elsewhere and would be with him in due time.

What do I ask, how do I act? I wonder if he is strict or a bit more laid back, hopefully not as crazy as the last "Master" of anything I've met before. Nearly set half the Academy on fire, that one... Ren's mind began to wander to thoughts of the past, not paying attention that there was someone standing behind him, tapping his shoulder. Ren snapped back into reality to realise it was the man that had told him to wait, with behind him who he figured as the Master of the castle..

Ren stood up and brushed himself off and bowed to him. "Sorry for spacing out there, everything is still woozy from arriving here. My name is Ren and I was hoping that you would be able to help me out with my... I guess you could say, predicament." Ren placed his right hand behind to scratch his head as he last word, unsure as to what it was he could call it.

"Ghave... do as you will."

"Great, so that's how you thank me for dragging wonderboy all the way from Hero's Requiem?" Ghave asked with impunity. He saw that before he could even garner a response, Lao was already rushing out the door with his squire-of-sorts and the two apprentices. Ghave scoffed. "Really... this guy is a work of art." He turned to the priests and pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Lao. "THIS is the guy that you're trusting to save the cluster?"

"Do you have someone better in mind?" The priest to the right responded gruffly. The priest to the left offered a delicate chuckle. Ghave rubbed the back of his head in response.

"Alright, alright. He's probably got some super, over-powered secret skill, huh? Some sort of hidden technique that lets him take out baddies in one blow?"

"Ghave..." The middle priest said, growing tired of Ghave's sarcasm.

"I bet in one flick of the wrist he'd down a dozen Heartless and swipe a girl off her feet--"

"GHAVE," the three priests resounded in unison. Ghave chuckled and waved a hand at them.

"Sheesh, you guys are too much. I'm just poking fun at the guy." Ghave turned back to the hallway and stared for a moment, though not at anything in particular. Cogs slowly cranked within his head as he processed just how large of an event he was taking place in, if only marginally. The fate of the cluster seemed to rest squarely in Lao's hands. Adrenaline began to pump through Ghave as he imagined the World Eater breaking out of its prison, and another days-long battle being fought to a standstill, every warrior being pushed to their absolute brink...

Snapping back to reality, Ghave turned to the priests and held out a hand. A simple shaking motion, like he was tossing up a ball, indicated all the priests needed to know. The middle priest retrieved a brown sack from his robes and placed it in Ghave's gloved hand. The red-haired Keybearer immediately opened it up and began counting the Munny- not a thorough count, just enough to make sure it was around the right amount.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Ghave said. "If you need me again, you know where to find me. In fact, I think I'll be sticking around here for a while."

"Ghave, what are you up to...?" Ghave shot a look back at the middle priest that was a mix of disappointment, disbelief, and sarcasm all in one.

"Oh, come on! Give me a little more credit than that! I just want to relax for a little while. It's been too long since I was back home," Ghave said. "Catch you later." Ghave sauntered out of the guestroom, making his way to the grand hall in which Lao and his apprentices now resided. There was apparently some commotion over a new arrival, to which he didn't pay much attention. Instead, he went up to Victor, standing a respectful distance from Lao, and quietly spoke.

"Let Lao know that if he needs me, I'll be around the castle. I know the cluster inside and out." Ghave then walked away, planning to mull about the castle and reminisce about when he was younger, staring awestruck at the castle's stone walls...

* * * * *

In a definitive series of strikes, Tendra was able to utterly vanquish the lion-like Heartless. The barrage of Dragon Fireballs slammed into the beast, causing it to recoil heavily; it appeared that the rapid volley of spells was too much for the beast, as it was staggered for a long moment. Tendra took advantage of that moment by leaping into the air and stabbing the beast in the back, running along its spine and finally slicing off the tip of its tail. The lion-like Heartless, mere inches from its demise, crumpled to the ground in defeat, but Tendra was not yet through; taking advantage of the beasts size and heft, Tendra grabbed the beast by what remained of its tail and threw it at the two remaining Darkwatch members. What were once hoots of victory and joy on Tendra's behalf quickly became truncated wails of fear as the blackened body of the lion-like Heartless slammed into the two of them, sending them flying backward into the rubble of the tower and crushing them between the two masses. As the Heartless's body dissipated, the bodies of the Darkwatch members remained slumped against the rubble.

The jungle grew dark as the sun began to set; night would soon be here. A lone Darkwatch member appeared at the scene through a dark portal, surveyed the area, then turned to Tendra.

"A fine job you've done, sir. Shame about the outpost, though. Axeus wants you to report back to the temple and get some rest. He said he'd get a more detailed status update from you later on, and for now it's important that you have your strength for tomorrow." The Darkwatch member then left as quickly as he arrived.

* * * * *

A lone girl, a young adult perhaps around the age of 20, stomped through the hallways of the temple. Each step made an echo in the cave-like, stone interior. The woman had a single shock of bright, almost neon-red hair in the form of a mohawk trailing from the middle of the crest of her forehead to where her skull met her spine. The hair flopped over lazily to one side, the spiky swaths swaying with every step she took. Her skin was toned a deep tan and her face bore an intense mixture of scarring and what appeared to be war-paint. In her arms was a tray of steaming food, including a beef-based stew and a hunk of bread, along with a small serving of fresh fruits from the jungle. The woman walked in such a way that she seethed animosity. Her face was twisted into a scowl and, while her gait was fast, it was one of annoyance rather than efficacy.

Soon, the woman reached a door; Isadora's door. She kicked at the door, hard, three consecutive times- a rugged sort of knocking, though she couldn't be fully to blame, as her hands were full.

Then, without waiting for a response, she kicked open the door. Welcoming herself into the room, the woman took a couple steps in and looked at the girl who was laying before her. For a brief moment she only stared, sizing up Isadora. She then scoffed.

"So, you're the new meat, huh?" The woman said. "You don't look so special." She paused and looked into Isadora's eyes with utter contempt. "Listen up. There are already a bunch of us Darkwatch members that don't like you. We don't care if you're Axeus's new pet. You'd better watch your back."

The woman flipped the plate of food onto the ground in front of her, spilling the stew and breaking the bowl it came in, as well as scattering the fruit.

"The name's Leyra. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of me. Oh, and the old man says he wants you to meet him in the throne room first thing in the morning." With a sardonic chuckle, Leyra turned around and began to leave.

* * * * *

Axeus sat upon his throne, lost in a fathomless pool of thought. His musings stretched so far and so deep, became so complex and intricate, that if a bystander were to peer into his mind it would be as if they were to look upon miles of spiderweb; each intersection a distinct thought, each thread a silken corollary. This was how he tended to spend his evenings, dinner, perhaps a bit of upkeep on the temple or his Darkwatch, and thought... lots and lots of thought.

The silver-haired master's eyes slowly opened, beholding the room in front of him. His throne room was rather large; almost large enough to accommodate my musings, Axeus thought to himself with a chuckle. It was growing dark outside, and Axeus knew that it was time for an important part of his evening. He slowly arose from his throne, the pains of age greeting him fondly. He was in much better shape than most his age, but even so he sometimes felt the drawbacks of being elderly. Quickly brushing himself off, he made his way out of his throne room and to the back wall, behind his throne. Axeus turned about and started walking toward the back of the room when the sound of a dark corridor opening gave him pause. He turned to greet his visitor: it was Veros that stepped out of the black portal.

"Ah, Veros," Axeus said. "What brings you to here at his hour?"

"Urgent news again, Master," Veros said, performing the salute of the Darkwatch. "It seems you have correspondence from another world. Yet another Keybearer wishes to train under you... I was not given details, I was just told to let you know that they would be arriving on Fallen Jungle. Soon." Axeus's face expressed interest and confusion. Yet another apprentice in such a short time span. What was causing these young ones to seek him out?

"Understood, and thank you for haste in delivering to me this matter," Axeus gave her a sincere smile. "Get some rest, young lady. You've certainly earned it." A bit overwhelmed with being treated so graciously, Veros hesitated for a moment, then once again saluted.

"Yes sir!"

As soon as Veros left the room, Axeus continued what he was doing before he was interrupted. He walked to the back wall of the room; to the far to the left and the right were two passageways leading outward, but Axeus situated himself directly in the middle of them, facing a blank section of the stone wall. He stood for several moments, letting darkness seep out of him and become a shroud so as to block the vision of any unintentional onlookers. Axeus then pressed a hand forward, touching the wall. After a brief moment, his hand began to sink into the stone like sand, and slowly Axeus pushed himself through the magical barrier. What waited for Axeus on the other side was something that only he had seen. A small, square room presented itself, full of magical equipment and paraphernalia as well as four particularly interesting features. Three of the features were large, glass cylinders, big enough to house a human and filled with some sort of strange liquid. A person rested in each one, seemingly asleep- the three were members of Axeus's Darkwatch, bottom-of-the-barrel scouts that he chose to fulfill a higher purpose than they could as spies. Tubes led from each of the cylinders into a single, fourth cylinder that sat in the middle of the room. Darkness seeped into the middle cylinder from each tube. The blackened energy that gathered there seemed to be taking the form of a human: a young woman, by the looks of it, though her specific features were not yet shaped.

Yes... soon. Axeus thought to himself. Soon I will have you... an integral part of my plan...

* * * * *

The Next Morning...

Axeus sat upon his throne, taking in a long, deep breath of the fresh morning air. He felt revitalized. Today he would be fostering two potentially huge components of his plan, as well as possibly receiving another. All of this didn't even account for his little... experiment, either. Yes, today would be a good day. The old master was in quite a pleasant mood... and he planned to show it by offering only the most rigorous training to his two apprentices.

He sat there patiently and waited for Isadora and Tendra to arrive.

The news of the World Eater rang in his head...How is that possible!? Was the World Eater slowly breaking out of it's prison? A sudden fear gripped onto his heart as he clenched at his chest, his breathing becoming heavy. Although he was a bright young boy who'm even could find joy in the darkest of moments...this caught him. His mind was clouded by the dark feeling of failure...how could he stop such a beast, let alone survive it's escape? He was almost on the brink of tears when he suddenly remembered....a promise. A long, forgotten one. The very same one that kept him going, to endure the pain of being slapped on the wrist by a wooden blade or when he fell flat on the ground after being swept off his feet. He calmed when he noticed Lao leaving the room.

Respectfully, he bowed to the Priest after getting up, "Thank you for your time, sirs." He said softly, with a smile, trying to brighten the mood a bit. Catching up with Master Lao, he looked up at him, with a look of worry. "Master...is it true? About the World Eater...?" The fear was obvious in his voice, but he remained determined to get his answer. "What will we do if it breaks free...you're the only one I know who can take this beast on...where will you find new Masters?" His mind was instantly racing with the thought of the Mark of Master and who'm he would choose to become a Master Keyblade Wielder. He knew that he would not be next, considering his age, but he wanted to be relieved.

Alister's eyes narrowed. Hadn't it only been a little while since that thing ate his world and apparently others from what he had gathered. "Wait one damn second!!" Alister was suddenly very angry. "How long has it been since my world has been swallowed by that thing? Has it only been months or has it been years as you seem to be talking like?" His eyes swelled with tears of fear and anger with a hint of sadness. "How is that possible!?" Alister couldn't hold his emotions in anymore. He turned to the doors of which the priests had left through and stormed out of the area of which they had been. Walking through the area next he got to the outside and sat on the steps. He normally could keep his emotions in check but for some reason he was now swimming in a pool of it. Drowning in himself the darkness that had infected him took over again. a portion of his body radiated darkness and Alister let out a yell and the darkness was extinguished but it left black marks on the steps of which he had sat on and on various places around him. Alister's vision blurred as he slumped over where he sat and lay there unconscious.

A powerful red dragon like aura was ebbing from Tendra body, he then collosped to his knees and panted as he had drained far too much energy too quickly. As he forced himself to stand he suddenly felt the pain of the beasts attacks on him as fresh wounds came onto his arms and legs. He looked at his wounds with a sigh, before he forced himself to keep moving to return to the temple. Little did he know that from those wound came nothing but a black mist which soon dispersed as the wounds closed up. This was a sigh that Tendra was not something human at the very least. Still he had a part of the heartless that he had trapped in the darkness and he would present it to master when he woke up. He walked to his room and flopped onto his bed going straight to sleep.

The next morning:
Tendra woke up at the same time he always did, at the crack of dawn when the first ray of dark sunlight came though his window, he stretched out his body and looked in a mirror to see something strange in his eyes, they had changed slightly in the night looking different but he shook his head ignoring it for now as he had more pressing matters to deal with now. He sorted out what he needed to and then went to the throne room knowing his master was already there so he walked in and bowed to his Master "Master, I have something to show you from the beast I fought last night" He said before he snap his fingers and the darkness brought out the lion heartless tail tip which he then presented to Axeus.