GM Post

All over the Multiverse, Moogles would carry an invitation to all Independent Keyblade Wielders they can find, an invitation to the Palace of the Blachrenae on the World of Renovation. There, the message said, the fate of all Worlds will be resolved. 'Warriors of note' would also be invited, with the message saying that people with their skills would be needed 'to secure a future against the Heartless threat'. Note that with the world of Masikah, the Moogles would be accompanied by armed bodyguards with assault rifles and fragmentation grenades and even a flamethrower or two; it never hurt to be extra-prepared with pirates.

Either way, in each world, a Gummi Ship would be prepared to bring those who accepted the Invitation to Renovation, where the city of Constantinople was on high alert despite the relative peace. Gummi weapons, Magitech, and ordinary Earth guns and armored vehicles were deployed on the walls and streets, while more Gummi Ships were deployed in the airspace, along with ordinary airplanes and helicopters. The Palace of the Blachrenae itself was heavily guarded, but those who accepted the invitation would be let through with a minimum of fuss; even the very tilework was infused with the Light, which dampened any bad intentions towards the place and its inhabitants.

Those who can appreciate the beauty of the structure might observe its arches and colums and the red-bricked roofs and the landscaped gardens. There was also a fountain and despite the many guards, an abundance of butterflies and songbirds. Nevertheless, a line of black-clad special forces would go up to the foremost three or so Keybladers/Warriors of note, and say, "The Basileus, Basilissa, and their court are waiting for you."

At the head of this chamber were positioned two thrones of pure electrum, an alloy of Gold and Silver, upon which sat two 18-year olds; the first one also wearing black special forces armor, and a Byzantine Crown on his silver-haired head. A Keyblade of black and grey was by his side.

The second figure was a woman, still in physical girlhood, clad in a dress of pure black and white silk with pearls, and a similar diadem. Her hair was lustrous black, as were her eyes.

Flanking them were two more 18-year old boys; the first one wore a silk robe and carried a book and staff, the second one wore special forces armor like the armed men close to the throne, but had as his only weapon a shield with the image of a double-headed eagle. And lastly, and this would be a surprise to a certain Nobody, a Corridor of Darknesss would open, and from it would walk one last eighteen-year old male carrying his own purple-and-black Keyblade.

This young man would walk up to the three foremost 'adventurers', and give a slight bow, before introducing himself. "My name is Tocsax; the Basileus and Bassilisa on the thrones are Michael XIII Sideros and Maria di Italia, his wife. We are the leaders of the resistance to the Heartless tide and the remnants of the Old Keyblade Order. Or, if those terms do not mean anything, our simple explanation is that we are trying to save the various Worlds from those who seek to end them."

A purse of his lips as the boy continued, "This is the War Council, and we need you all for a quest, a quest that will bring rewards both material and...immaterial."

It was a world whose very existence could be considered an abomination by some. All worlds have two sides to them, two Realms - one of Light and one of Darkness. Much of what people call the "real" world is the Realm of Light. As for the other side, it was more often than not a desolate wasteland of Darkness, devoid of light and lived in only by the Heartless and their ilk. But this world... it was different. Not like the others. It wasn't a natural world at all, but one that was created with the explicit purpose of existing between both sides. The world itself resembled a metropolis of sorts, tall buildings stretching up as if reaching for the starless night sky. The sky itself was also unnatural, always dark and with no stars or even a moon. The city itself provided light with which to see, neon signs and markers in the roads. And yet, for all this lit up city, there were no people whatsoever. It had no life, no citizens, no animals, not even any plants or vegetation. It was for all intents and purposes, a purely synthetic city. This was, like those who called it home, a World That Never Was.

There was one unique feature to this lifeless city, and that was a great castle built in the center of a great pit that could only be accessed by a large bridge. The castle, much like the city, was devoid of life. But the building itself was brightly lit, not a single dark hallway to be found within its walls. It was also a very modern castle, appearing to be built from concrete and steel like the city skyscrapers. Beyond that the castle sported very hi tech decor. Its floors alight with neon markers and doors that glowed with markers to indicate where they led to. This castle, this very world could uniquely be described as existing within both Light and Darkness. Or neither, it actually depended on whom you asked. The castle's main audience chamber sported no less than thirteen thrones arranged to form a symbolic unfinished circle allowing their occupants to face each other directly. The thrones themselves varied in how high off the ground they were raised, and each were marked with a Roman Numeral numbered between I and XIII. Well, the thirteenth throne had yet to be marked, and it currently held no occupant. But the other 12 seats in the Throne Room of Emptiness housed humanoid figures cloaked in black coats, faces mostly obscured by their hoods. The thirteenth hooded figure stood in the center of the room, knelt before Number I's throne on a single knee like a knight bowing before his liege.

"Leader, surely one of us is better suited for this task?" the voice came from the Black Coat seated on the throne marked with the Number XII. He'd previously been the newest recruit before Number XIII's arrival.

"You dare to question our Leader's judgement, Xagram?" the booming voice came from Number II, who was considered to be second only to the Leader himself.

"Calm yourself, Rexon." Number III spoke, his voice much calmer and yet somehow even more threatening than Rexon's, "It was not an invalid question. I, too, am unsure of his readiness."

"Don't pretend to give ME orders, Xadeth! Last time I checked, I was Number II and you Number III!"

The Leader raised his hand. He didn't even say a word, but the motion was more than enough to silence everyone's murmurs and arguments. Many of the hooded figures sat upon their thrones in differing positions and postures. Number II took to his throne like a King or Dictator. Number III sat with his back rested against the chair's back, a more comfortable position but still business-like. Others like Number VI and XII sat in their thrones with one leg crossed over the other, appearing like businessmen attending a board meeting. Some kept their arms crossed, while Number X notably sat on her throne in a lounging posture with her legs crossed comfortable and hanging over one of the armrests. Even Number I appeared to favor comfort over business. He had one foot up on his throne, using his knee as an armrest rather than the actual armrest of the throne. He still hadn't spoke yet, but everyone could just make out a wide, constant grin and occasionally a light-blue flash coming from what would naturally be one of his eyes.

"I'm with Xadeth..." the Number I finally spoke. His tone was not particularly threatening, in fact it was almost downright playful, "...you should really take a chill pill Rexon."

"But - Er... Yes, Leader."

"As I was saying, before Xagram rudely interrupted me..." Number I's gaze briefly shot over to Xagram who seemed to jump slightly as if expecting some form of punishment that never actually arrived, "...that world, Renovation, it's leader's goal doesn't seem entirely separate from ours."

"How so? Our spies only reported something about Keyholes and Princesses. What does any of that have to do with the Organization's mission?" it was Number III - Xadeth, one of the only members who remained unafraid to ask questions of their Leader.

Number I's response amounted to... a shrug. Not an uncommon gesture, he seemed to shrug almost as often as he grinned. However, he did speak afterward, "It's not really those things I'm interested in. It's the people seeking them. If my intuition's right, and it pretty much always is, the key to our mission will be found within this Emperor Michael's goals. So that's why we're sending in our very own Zarxe. He'll introduce himself, extend the olive branch and Bob's your uncle we've got ourselves a little alliance."

This seemed satisfactory to rest of the Organization, as none of them questioned the plan any longer. At this the grin on Number I's face widened a bit, "Oh good, no more questions. Whelp, Zarxe, you've been given your mission. Pull it off and this thirteenth throne is all yours! So get out there and let our enemies know what it's like to face the Cold Inferno." that was nickname assigned to Zarxe. They all had been given one. The Cold Inferno, The Hero of Chaos, The Scion of Space, The Pale Horseman, and so on.

"It will be done, Leader." Zarxe finally spoke, his words were quick and without hesitation. No doubt he was a knight and soldier in his former life to be able to accept orders so easily. He stood from his knelt position and offered a knightly salute to the Leader. As he did so a Corridor of Darkness opened behind him, and Zarxe silently stepped through it.

Under the bright starry night sky, a lone ranger sat next to a campfire. A can of beans was all he had left before the sun had set, and now he had run out of supplies. He couldn’t go back to town for he valued the folks’ lives more than his. Wherever he went, the darkness had followed and consumed all of it. Its hunger was insatiable and its pursuit relentless. Even now with his strange key-shaped weapon that appeared out of nowhere, Lucas was running out of hope. Checking his revolver’s chamber, he noticed that it only contained five bullets. He smiled at the revelation. Click.

Nothing but the embers of his fire burning out could be heard for the next few minutes. However, as his light ran out, a new one would brighten up his camp site. The heavens themselves seemed to have opened up and illuminated the area, with a strange metal zeppelin landing before Lucas. Before he could completely process what was happening, the crew of the aircraft exited from their ship and compounded his confusion. Angels!, he thought as they announced their message to him. With no suitable alternative left, Lucas agreed to accompany them.

The sensation of flight was new and awe-inspiring, but it was nothing compared to the sight of their destination. The palace invoked a sense of prestige and wonder, like that of the Berliner Stadtschloss. Indeed, it had been a while since he had laid his eyes on such regal architecture. As he departed the Gummi ship on his ironhorse, Lucas had wanted to explore the grounds but was soon asked to make his presence known to the lord of the castle. He dismounted as he followed his armed escort. While it had been a few years now, he still knew the customs of nobility by heart.

Arriving before the Basileus and Bassilisa, he knelt down to one knee. After listening to speaker Tocsax’s pitch, Lucas arose to deliver his response. “Lords and ladies of the court, I am Lucas Smith Junior, deputy of the northern Rio Grande settlements and son of Edler Lukaz Schmidt von Aachen of Germany, representative of der Kaiser in the New World lands.” He would then draw his keyblade from his side, plunging the tip to the ground and placing both of his hands on the hilt. “However, I believe this is why you sent for me. Truth be told, I’m no swordsman and even then, I cannot quite see as to why this weapon of all things is that important. Perhaps you could indulge my curiosity."

Seth let out a long, defeated sigh as he stood over his adversary. Lying at his feet was another Faunus with a long grey tail, grey wolf-like ears, and short grey hair. His torn clothes along with his tail were matted and coated with blood. The snow under and around him was stained a crimson red. Seth let out a frustrated sigh. “Damn Shadow Bloods. We’ve got enough trouble with the Beasts, humans, and now these Phantoms. We shouldn’t be attacking one another just because of a clan war.” Seth let the blade he held drop to the ground as his left arm hung limply at his side. The snow under it was also stained with blood as small droplets of his own blood dripped from his fingertips. A steady stream of blood slowly traveled from the large gash in his shoulder, down his arm and dripped onto the ground. Seth Brought his right hand to his chest and closed his eyes as he began to recite, “May your guardian spirit guide you through the Between. May you safely travel from the Physical plain to the Spiritual one so you may know peace like your other fallen brethren.” Seth opened his eyes before he turned tail and walked away from the fallen Wolf Faunus. Seth stopped in front of a large drum-shaped wicker basket. Using his good arm he grasped the handle and began to drag the basket with him through the forest.

After an hour and a half of traveling through the forest, he came upon the village of the Moon Bloods and his home. As he walked into the village dragging the wicker basket behind him a few of the villagers saw him approach and trotted over to him to help with the basket. His mother, a slender Moon Blood with elegant, long pear colored hair walked over to him and huffed, “you leave the village for several hours and then come back injured. Why am I not surprised.” She had grown accustomed to him coming back with a few scratches, bruises, or even a black eye. However, her joking tone changed to concern when she saw the gravity of his injury.

“By the Gods Seth you’re really bleeding out,” she said as she rushed over to him and pulled up his sleeve to see the large gash in his shoulder. She gasped and asked, “What happened?”

“Ran into a Shadow Blood on the trail, but I took care of him,” Seth said proudly before he quickly added, “I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s just a flesh wound.” Seth knew how protective she was of him since he technically wasn’t a Wolf Faunus.

“Either way we need to have Jinx look at it,” she said before she grabbed his good arm and led him towards the healer’s hut. Great Seth thought. He didn’t much like the village healer. She would always try to belittle him and make him take weird medicines that tasted like rotten fruit. The only good thing she ever did was teach him about Herbology. As Seth’s mother walked into the hut with him close behind she found a short, elderly Faunus crushing leaves in a round clay bowl. Because of her hight, she stood on a stool that helped her see the contents of the table top.

“What has that idiot son of yours done this time?” Jinx asked as she continued to crush the herbs in the bowl and not look at her newest guests.

“I’m right here you know,” Seth said annoyed.

“I know, that’s why I said it,” Jinx said again without looking before she pointed a bony, leathery finger at a chair near a bed and added, “Sit there, I’ll be there shortly.” Seth huffed and looked at his mother who motioned for him to oblige. He sighed in frustration and walked over to the chair. As he sat down, Jinx seemed to appear out of nowhere next to him causing him to jump. Jinx paid him no mind as she examined his gash.

“And what stupidity caused you to get this?” Jinx asked before she hobbled back to the table. She climbed back on her stool and began to crush and mix herbs and other items into a wooden bowl.

“Hey, I was attacked by a Shadow Blood! Damn asshole came out of nowhere and attacked me while I was gathering your herbs,” Seth said as he put the emphasis on your herbs to make her feel guilty. Jinx said nothing for several seconds as she mixed the crushed herbs with a few liquids.

“Did you make sure you asked the Spirits to guide his soul,” Jinx finally asked before she got down from the stool and hobbled back over to Seth.

“Yes, I did. Even if we’re at war, no Faunus should be trapped in the Between. That’s what dad says anyway,” Seth said. Jinx climbed onto the stool next to the chair Seth was sitting in and patted him on his head.

“Good boy,” she praised before she added, “not this will sting a little. You can’t interfere with it going into your wound. Alright?” Seth nodded and waited for her to pour the medicine into his open wound. She let the slimy purple liquid drip onto his shoulder. He shivered at the cold feeling that accompanied it and he felt it slowly slither down his shoulder and towards his wound. When it touched the tip of his wound he felt a small prick like someone quickly pulling a hair from his skin.

“That’s not too ba-,” Seth began before the liquid went onto his wound and searing hot pain exploded into his shoulder and down his arm. His right arm lifted up and was about to grab his shoulder but stopped in midair. He tensed up and breathed in through gritted teeth as the pain intensified as more of the liquid poured into his wound.

“It’s going to hurt for several seconds. Let me know when the pain goes away. Then we’ll seal the wound up,” Jinx said as she hopped down and walked over to her fireplace. She took out an arrow tipped fire poker and placed the arrow-shaped tip into the flames. Seth continued to tense up until the pain started to slowly dim and after a while, he let out the breath he had held in. Jinx turned to him and said, “I’m guessing the pain is gone.” She then hobbled over to the table again and grabbed a spool of white thread and a sewing needle. She threaded the needle before she climbed back onto the stool next to Seth. She pierced the skin and began to sow the wound while the green liquid was still in his wound. Seth couldn’t feel the needle go in and out of his skin but could feel when she tugged and pulled on the thread.

“The hell was in that stuff?” Seth finally asked.

“The usual with an added bonus,” Jinx said. As she sewed she added, “It has spider silk from the Arachnid Clan at Web Canyon.”

“So basically you poured Spider shit into my wound,” Seth said.

“Seth!” his mother scolded.

“What? That’s what it is,” Seth argued. Jinx didn’t say a word as she finished up the sewing and hobbled over to the fireplace where the pokers arrows-shaped tip was glowing red. Seth saw what she had and stuttered, “W-what are you going to do with that?”

“You’ll see,” Jinx simply said before she hobbled over to Seth and placed the tip on his freshly sewn wound. Seth winced as he waited for the burning to start, but to his surprise, he felt nothing. He heard the sizzling of the poker and the smelled the flesh cooking before Jinx removed the poker and examined her handy work. She stepped back and said, “All done. You should be good to go.”

Seth got up and rotated his shoulder and smiled as he said, “Wow, it’s good as new. Thanks, granny.”

“You shouldn’t doubt my skills young pup,” Jinx said before she hobbled back over to her table. Before she could get there, there was a commotion outside the hut. The three looked at each other before they ventured out.

Outside the Hunters, all stood at the ready as strange people in weird armor stood at the village entrance. In front of the army was a small floating animal with a red ball bouncing above its head. As the three hurried over they heard a child’s voice speak, “Don’t worry Kupo. We mean you no harm Kupo.” Seth looked at his mom and mouthed Kupo? To which his mom looked equally confused. Seth, his mother, and Jinx were able to push through the hunters and stand between the soldiers with strange armor and the villages Hunters.

“Now that I have your attention Kupo, I’ve come with an important letter Kupo,” the Creature said as it floated around like it was dancing.

“A letter? You think it’s for father?” Seth asked his mother.

“I’m not sure,” his mother said as she shook her head. She turned back to the creature and slowly advanced while saying, “The village leader is out. I can hand the letter over to him if you would like.” The creature cocked its head at her before it suddenly shot past her and hovered in front of Seth causing him to jump back.

“It’s for you Kupo,” the creature said as it handed Seth the letter. Seth looked at the letter and back at the creature as he pointed to himself. The creature nodded as the red ball on its head bounced up and down. Seth slowly reached out and took the letter. He opened it and began to read it aloud. When he was finished he looked at the creature who was joyfully dancing in the air.

“Could this be real?” Seth's mother asked.

“I’m not sure. This could be a trick by the Shadow Bloods, but judging by how these soldiers stand it might be a trap set up by the humans,” Seth said.

“No trap Kupo,” the creature uttered before it added, “Will you come with us Kupo?” Seth looked from the creature to his mother who had a worried look on her face.

“I don’t know about this Seth. If Dagger was here,” She began.

“You Should go,” Jinx interjected. Seth and his mother turned to her as she continued, “If that letter was for Dagger they’d be presenting it to him. I think it is your destiny to go with them.”

“But what if this is a trap,” Seth’s mother argued.

“That little plushy thing says it’s not and I don’t smell any malice on it. I do however smell one of the soldiers who forgot to bathe,” Jinx said before a soldier in the back seemed to fidget. Jinx chuckled before she added, “Ultimately it’s up to him Serenity. Let Seth choose.”

Seth looked at the letter again and read it once more before he looked to his mother and Jinx. Seth turned his attention to the creature and said confidently, “I’ll go.”

“Kupo!” the creature joyfully exclaimed as it looped in the air. When it finally stopped it pointed to the forest and added, “Our Gummie ship is there Kupo. When you’re ready let me know and we will take you to our ship Kupo.”

“Are you sure about this?” Serenity asked.

“I can’t explain it, but something in my heart is telling me I need to go with them,” Seth said. He wasn’t sure about this feeling, but something was pulling him towards this creature and where it would take him.

After several minutes of gathering what he needed. Seth hugged his mother and waved goodbye to his village as he followed the creature and soldiers into the woods. As they reached the clearing, Seth marveled at the ship he was being led to. Once inside, the ship lifted off and took him to his destination.

“Whoa,” Seth said as he stepped off the ship and once again marveled at what was in front of him. The city was something out of a book. As he was led towards the entrance he watched a massive swarm of butterflies swarmed around a fountain. His attention was broken when a soldier let him know the Basileus, Basilissa, and their court are waiting for you. Seth cocked his head and said to himself, “Basileus and Basilissa?” these words made no sense to him, but he followed the soldier's none the less into the chamber.

Once there he watched as others were led into the chamber and then a group of people walked out in front of them. The youngest looking to Seth then spoke, “My name is Tocsax; the Basileus and Bassilisa on the thrones are Michael XIII Sideros and Maria di Italia, his wife. We are the leaders of the resistance to the Heartless tide and the remnants of the Old Keyblade Order. Or, if those terms do not mean anything, our simple explanation is that we are trying to save the various Worlds from those who seek to end them” Seth’s puffy white tail swished back and forth as he listened. The boy then spoke again, “This is the War Council, and we need you all for a quest, a quest that will bring rewards both material and...immaterial." Seth’s tail swished back and forth as he cocked his head at both the speaker and the king and queen. Seth then raised his hand and once he knew he had their attention he spoke.

“I have a question,” Seth began before he asked, “Why are you asking a Faunus for help? I thought all humans hated the Faunus. That’s why you drove us into the forests. Why ask for our help now?” Seth was royally confused. He had heard Humans despised the Faunus and would rather die than ask for their help

"I can't breath Kupo! A poor helpless moogle was getting relentlessly snuggled within the arms of Lilliana. Though not one normally performing superhuman physical feats, the sight of something so fluffy had awoken a primal force within her. Lilliana may not have a body with herculean strength, but 110% of the power she did have was clamped around the adorable little Moogle. Said Moogle had barely managed to give out his message before being hugged.

"Of course I'll help something so cute in trouble! Lead on to the people who need help, Fluffy!" Lilliana nuzzled against the moogle as she answered its request in a way that indicated she probably hadn't 100% understood the message. Then she turned to her squad, who she had been on patrol with. "Girls, I'm going to go help with this! Ruby, can you cover for me?"

"Pfft, yeah I can handle it. I could handle the entire heartless threat if they'd stop hiding from me."
"Be safe!"
"Bring me back a souvenir!"
The squad answered back, yelling over each other as Sapphire Pink traveled to another world.

~~

Lilliana was agape at how pretty the world she had traveled to. Everything was so pretty and bright! Nature and technology coexisted, butterflies in a city center! (She couldn't resist adding one of her own to the butterfly swarm, a pink healing one. This distraction fortunately gave the moogle time to escape.)

"So shinging.. Sparkling.. Radiant even! Like light itself is infused into the very stone! Is this what home will be like soon? Oooh, I can't wait!" Lilliana gushed as she twirled and flitted about, taking in the scenery all at once in a heady daze. She bumped into one of the special forces members trying to guide her even. While skilled in the arts of magic, the skill of proper military decorum she did NOT have.

Unfortunately, her decorum around emperors was just as bad, if not worse. If not stopped, she would be hugging everyone as they was introduced. Emperor, Bassilisa, Nobody, Sorcerer, Special Forces, Lilliana's hugs were nondiscriminatory, though fortunately not as constricting snakelike as the poor moogle had endured. All the while Lilliana would be introducing herself over and over again. "I'm Lilliana, also known as Sapphire Pink, the Radiant Heart! It's so great to meet you, let's be friends! You can count on me!"
@Letter Bee

Seth's appearance, unfortunately for him, would inspire Lilliana as she heard him speak up and turned to get a look at him for the first time. "OMIGOSH! Are those real! Do you have a tail too? Can I touch your ears! You are the cutest thing ever!" Rather than take him as cool, or scary, Seth's came across as adorable to Lilliana, despite the fact that he had practically a foot of height and a hundred and some change pounds on her. Bounding over to him with relentless energy, she bounced up to pet at his ears, not waiting for permission.
@Rex

The moogles were a strange sight. Some declared them to be of angelic descent. However upon further meeting the descendants knew the moogles, along with those who guarded them, were from an alternate timeline. The wise sages who read from ancient scrolls were the ones to make this known. The creatures that were being called darklings were now given another name, thanks to the moogles. Heartless. It was a strange name to most who heard it. Few did however. The kingdoms kept most knowledge given to them by these newcomers to themselves. Slow to forge an alliance the moogles decided to leave their offer open to those who would accept it.

This is where Ziton stepped in. He approached the village a moogle was setting up shop. He had next to him Baqar who couldn't help but stare at the adorable floating oddity. "I can tell this is where I need to be to find it. A way to another world. I am Ziton the Seeker, wanted man in this world. But my skills will be useful no doubt." He spoke softly. But almost as if talking to himself. His face was hardly visible beneath the hair and hat on his head. "Right.. This way to my ship Kupo!" The guards followed the small creature and so did Ziton with Baqar behind him. It was not long until they were on the gummi ship, a vessel that was odd yet fascinating for beings of this world. Ziton could not help but wear a grin even as they descended to the world that would serve as the first checkpoint for the birth of this tale.

Flying from the Gummi Ziton's leather coat opened almost like a parachute as he fell with Bawar clinging to his shoulders. He landed gracefully and looked up at the palace with a single piercing yellow and red pupil eye peering through his hair. "It's fantastic!" Exclaimed Baqar as he whipped around on the mans shoulders, giving awe struck looks to all of the lights and architectural designs. Other worlds sure were fascinating. But this was only the beginning. Aware of this Ziton merely eyed the premises. Seeing the different people surrounding the area. It seemed he and Baqar would be the only ones with horns attending this "party."

It was not long until they were greeted by the ones who summoned them all here. "It's close. What I'm looking for is near here.. And yet.. It's so far away." Ziton muttered to himself without alerting the concern of those around him. His eyes however were set on those who stood before him and the door to darkness. Most importantly those blades their wielded. Those were essential in what he was searching for. Somehow. He looked up now. Both menacing eyes of his were visible as he listened to them speak of a quest. He was eager to hear it and gain a better understanding of how to get closer to them and possibly what he wanted...

Emperor Michael was engrossed in thought about Zarxe, the Organization XIII emissary that had arrived some few days ago. Was it really a good thing that the Org. were sending a presumed olive branch? After all, they might not be - no, best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Zarxe might yet prove to be of aid in this quest and would be treated as an ally as long as it passed. That said, Tocsax was even more suspicious than he was, while at the same time happy to meet a fellow Nobody.

The Nobody Keyblader in question would then answer Seth Rush, "Let me explain. First up, while we are humans, this is a different world entirely, one where the technological advancements that led to the development of Faunus have not yet occurred. Therefore, we are able to view the events of your parallel universe in a more...objective light." He pursed his lips. "And by that, we don't hate you and no one here hates you for having Animal Traits." A look at Liliana as she petted Seth's cat ears. "Stop that! You'll overload me with cuteness!"

Maria di Italia, meanwhile, would be answering Lukaz, taking care to adhere to court protocol and proper etiquette between Empress Regnant and Aristocrat.

In a warm and elegant tone, she would introduce herself. "Greetings to you, Ser Schmidt, Deputy of the Rio Grande Settlements and son of Edler Lukaz Schmidt von Aachen, of Germany. I am Basilissa Maria di Italia, Queen Regnant of Italy - which was formed by Naples in this world - wife of the Basileus of the Basilea ton Rhomanion Michael XIII Sideros. In this world, our kingdoms are in Personal Union, and members of the Mediterranean League with the Sultans of Timurid Egypt and the Marinid Sultanate of North Africa and Granada. And as for your weapon, the Keyblade is the only armament that can kill off a Heartless without allowing it to regenerate elsewhere."

And with that, the young eighteen-year-old in a Wizard's outfit spoke, "Can't you guys explain to them the concept of a Multiverse and multiple universes or timelines to them first?! You can tell from their faces that they think we are mad, and that is an outrage which cannot be borne!"

This finally drew the Emperor's attention to his Court Wizard/Scholar. "Damianos," he spoke, "If you wish to use the Exposition Spell, you are free to do so right now."

He then turned to his newest guests, Ziton and Baqar. "One of you two has the ability to tell lies from truth, right? If so, you will be needed for this."

Another look at Tocsax. "Don't break protocol, now. Even though, yes, the scene is adorable." A smile.

Damianos sighed and lifted up a small wand with a golden image of a double-headed-eagle at its tip. The wand would glow, and the middle of the room would be filled with a holographic projection of multiple spheres, each showing scenes from the group's worlds, as well as universes/timelines that had not yet been explored. "Basically, we all live in the Multiverse, a collection of parallel worlds sprang off from the One Earth. There used to be One Earth, One Timeline, One Humanity and One History, but something happened to split it all up. Now, however, someone wants to reshape the Multiverse to his own image, and has unleashed the Heartless on most worlds as part of said plan for reshaping."

"And as the Basilissa said," the Wizard/Scholar continued, "The Keyblade is a special weapon that can destroy Heartless permanently instead of temporarily. And it is central for our plans to end the Heartless threat and the threat beyond said threat, the threat of Leo, the Second Mathematician."

@Rai@The 42nd Gecko@Rex@WXer@Double

“So not all humans hate the Faunas? I had figured we were going to a new planet, but I had figured they all were like mine,” Seth said before he added, “I’m sorry for assuming you all would hate Faunus. I'm not used to being around humans.” Seth scratched his head and bowed. That allowed Lilliana to pat his head. He didn’t seem to mind until she touched his fox ear. A chill went down his spine and he jumped back from her.

“P-please do not touch my ears or tail!” Seth yelled. It wasn’t a yell of anger, but of surprise. He then explained, “Sorry. My ears and tail are sensitive.” Seth’s tail swished back and forth on the floor before he let it wrap around his waist. He walked back to his chair and sat back down. He sighed and added, “Never had a human try to pet me before.” Not realizing he had said it out loud.

Seth watched as Damianos waved a wand and Holograms flowed in front of him. He marveled at the skeptical and his tail unwrapped its self from his waist and it swayed back in forth in excitement as he watched the scene unfold. It stopped when Damianos began to explain the multiverse and how each world was once one world. After Damianos finished Seth placed his fist under his chin and said aloud, “This is so marvelous. My world and essentially all words once were one. This is crazy, but then again it kind of makes sense. Granny wasn’t going nuts when she spat out that multi-world theory.” Seth then looked up at Damianos as a few things came to mind.

“You said something about Heartless, right? What are the Heartless and are they connected to the Phantoms that showed up in my world?” Seth asked before adding, “for that matter: what is a Keyblade? I understand it’s a sort of weapon, but I’ve never seen one. If I don’t have one will these work against these Heartless you spoke of?” Seth stood up and reached into a small black cloth pack on his back and produced two yoyos.

“These are the only weapons I have. Besides my claws and fangs,” Seth said. he then thought for a moment and added, "Since we're going to be working with each other. I should let you know about my. condition." Seth sighed and knew if they were to trust him. he'd have to leave all cards on the table.

"Faunus have a defect that will turn them into primal animals. we call the Faunus who turn Beasts. they let their Primal rage overtake them and they attack anyone around them. I've had an incident where I almost turned into a Beast. I want to let you all know just in case something happens. Also, we Faunus can turn into our animal counterparts. So if you have a stealth mission. I might be able to help."

Seth took in a deep breath and a puff of white smoke appeared around him. when the smoke cleared. In Seth's chair was a white Fox about the size of a common dog. Even though in his human form he was over six foot. His Fox form was much smaller in comparison. The Fox let out a cheerful bark.
@Letter Bee@The 42nd Gecko

((Collab between me and Double.))

Three Days Earlier

Zarxe's arrival at his destination was sudden. Such was the nature of the Corridors of Darkness. Renovation's architecture was noticeably different from what he was used to. It was also more lively, being lived in by actual people. Zarxe, though, wasn't particularly interested in any of that. He was here for a purpose, and for now he was going to focus on that purpose. Speaking of that purpose, Zarxe's entrance was in the very throne room itself. There was very few places the Corridors of Darkness did not allow someone entry to. The only real trick was simply knowing how to navigate the Corridors themselves. The Organization's members were all very adept at such navigation, and while Zarxe's own experience with the Corridors was still limited, it was enough for the purposes of this mission.

"Emperor Michael, I presume?" the hooded Zarxe asked of the figure sitting on the throne, "I am Zarxe, Number XIII of Organization XIII. My Superior sends his regards, as well as an offer." Organization XIII was not extremely well known, but there were exceptional individuals with connections to the Moogles who did know of them, or at the very least had heard rumors. Emperor was just such an individual, "But first, a test..." and Zarxe wasted no more words before he was dashing full speed at the figure on the throne. As he made a leap, his Crimson Blueblade summoned itself to his hand and he made to strike at the Emperor with the red blade and all it's fiery strength.

A blur of black speed as Tocsax suddenly appeared before the throne, purple-and-black Keyblade in hand as he parried the strike from Zarxe. A smirk was on the eighteen-year-old-looking boy's face as he tried to throw the Knight back with a gust of Areo.

"Hello, my name is Tocsax. Glad to finally meet one like me." And with that, he would attempt a quick flurry of strikes, some using Darkness and some using Light. As Zarxe presumably parried them all in front of shocked guards, Tocsax would continue, "Dual elements; an amazing technique."

He would then jump back once he had forced Zarxe farther from the Emperor, and say, "Your Organization is known to us; to me as well. I was part of a similar group of Nobodies once, you know?"

Zarxe elected to remain silent for the time being. Carrying on a conversation in the middle of battle had a tendency to be distracting, and Zarxe preferred to stay focused on the opponent before him. His initial strike was parried easily enough, that much was not unexpected. It was plainly obvious that Zarxe was not here as an assassin, or he would not have given his greetings to the Emperor before starting a battle.

His opponent introduced themselves as Tocsax, and the name alone was enough to tip Zarxe off as to what he was. This was also not unexpected. The Organization had discovered the existence of a Nobody among Michael's ranks when their spies first gathered information on Renovation. The surprising part was this Nobody's apparent command over Light and Darkness. Was this simply his own natural ability, or was it due to his Keyblade instead? The only real way to find out was to continue the duel.

Zarxe decided to use one of his stronger techniques. If his opponent could successfully defend against it and survive, then the test would be over and the Keyblade's power proven. Rather than igniting just one of his weapon's blades, both suddenly ignited with fire and ice simultaneously. With a sudden burst of speed and agility not previously shown, Zarxe went on the attack, six strikes in rapid succession that alternated between ice and flame. The Fiery Cold Flurry, other members of the Organization had come to call the technique.

Tocsax parried three ice strikes with darkness covering his Keyblade, two fire strikes with light, but then parried the last one with just his Keyblade alone, which proved indesctructable through normal means. He would then conjure up an unusual-looking Cannon that was barely recognizable as such - an Ultima Cannon*. Pointing it at Zarxe, the young man said, "So, shall we continue, or have I passed your test?"

*khwiki.com/Ultima_Cannon

Zarxe straightened his posture and allowed his weapon to vanish in a fiery-cold flash, "That will be all. I've seen enough. Now onto business." despite stopping the fight, Zarxe didn't relax himself, he still kept his business tone and maintained it even as he once again addressed the Emperor.

"It seems your goals aren't entirely different from the Organization's. My Superior has ordered me offer my strength to your mission. In exchange, the Organization will ensure no interference from any of the lesser Nobodies, and will even offer their numbers to your ranks if ever needed. Are these terms acceptable?"

"But they're so cute..." Lilliana pouted but nonetheless acquiesced, pulling back her hands from seeking out Seth's ears.

When Damianos brought up multiverse theory and such, Lilliana laughed and waved it off, "That's baby stuff! Every good show these days has multiverse theories and alternate timelines and another worlds. It was even the season 2 plot twist in ★Sparkle Shine Cutie Crusaders★ where the Sparkle Bright's nemesis Dark Night actually turned out to be the alternate universe version of her that had been living with her as twin sisters this whole time! And then we learn that the reason she was in the world she was in was because a disaster had occurred in her world and all her friends had cast a spell to send her to the universe we watch so that she could gather enough Sparkle Power to save her world. But something messed up with the spell and turned her back into a kid the same age as the her in our universe, and weakened her powers, so she grew up always thinking she was just the less special version of her sister which was why she had so much repressed anger about her sister. That's why she jumped at the chance when the Comet Witch offered her the Evil Omen Sigil as a way to harvest the main character's powers and save her world, because it gave her both a way to be as special as her sister and be as strong as her sister! When the alternate reality sisters finally reunite, defeat the Comet Witch, and agree to try and find a way to save both their worlds, it's a heartwarming finish to a show that surely deserves season three to resolve the story! UUUUUGH I'M SO MAD WHY DIDN'T IT GET SEASON THREE?" Lilliana then proceeded to drone on and on about some magical girl show. Apparently even a world that had actual real life magical girls, you still had shows about the same thing. Perhaps there were even more, due to the hope that one actually could become a real magical girl.

Regardless, Lilliana also took a seat with a frown and crossed arms, throwing herself down angrily. She seemed to have worked herself into quite a huff. However, that huff had absolutely nothing on the next thing to happen that conquered her angry mood faster than the eye could follow. There was a happy little fox yipping! Lilliana couldn't help but bring her hands up to smush her cheeks while her eyes sparked. "Awwwww..... That is... I was so wrong... THAT is the cutest thing ever. Though I guess it's still the same person, so maybe I'm not wrong? Hmm.... Operation Cute Fox Friend, go!" Lilliana got a little bit quieter as she thought out loud to herself, before deciding on a course of action and affirming it loudly.

"So, what's your name? You've told us a lot about who Faunus are, but not a lot about who YOU are." Lilliana then actually started talking to Seth rather than to herself. @Rex

"Tch." Ziton sucked his teeth at the sight of the keyblade. It resonated with.. something. It was the only thing able to kill these things for good? These two things were intricately connected then. No doubt, in Ziton's mind, getting closer to the source of that weapon will get him closer to the source of these.. heartless. Ziton's eyes peered over the keyblade with a menacing stare of desire. Baqar was still in awe of it all. He knew little of what was happening but was excited to see such elegant and noble looking individuals. Though he took in no thought on his own ragged attire.

Ziton stepped forward toward where the first keyblade was shown. He then stopped as they began to somewhat explain the multiverses. This briefly took his focus away from stealing the weapon. He rolled his eyes. "No matter what is said.. I'll find out what this all is about on my own." He then looked at the young wizard with a quizzical look that turned into a expressive grin. Inviting the comment on his clairvoyance. "It would seem I am needed." Ziton spoke softly. "How...?" Asked Baqar to no one in particular. But Ziton turned and looked down at him with a happy smile. "Finding out.. that's the fun part." He turned back to the wizard with a raised head allow his strands of hair to fall out of his face.

He gripped his hat and bowed gently. "I am Ziton the Seeker. I am the one you mention. I hope to be of use in our current turmoil." He then turned around to look at the other guests here. It was clear a few were from alternate worlds than this one and his own. But none seemed to resonate with anything he found necessary for furthering his plans. The wizard on the other hand intrigued him greatly.

Baqar however was eyeing the bright colors and designs of a young girls hair. Pink was rare in all worlds except for hers maybe. Whilst Baqar could barely understand the mulituniversal plot that was going on he could tell these were interesting people who seemed like a rarity in his world.

Lucas smirked as he viewed the representation of his world among the spheres. It was noticeably darker, not because of the Heartless but because of all smog generated by the coal and Ghostrock usage. Perhaps he got the short end of the multiversial stick because all the other keyblade wiedlers all had a fantastical aura among them. Surely their worlds had a similar sense of awe, he thought. Here he was a mere man among beings only mentioned in stories and myths but they were all brought together to stop the darkness that plagued every world, including his. How could he possibly refuse the call to battle?

However, as the others proceeded to talk about themselves and their worlds (and even about a stageplay about twin witches?), a thought entered Lucas’ mind that the others must surely wonder about as well. “Gracious hosts of the court, if I may ask, what exactly is our goal? Mentioning this progenitor Earth indicates to me that we will reunify this multiverse that you present before us.” He paused, pointing towards the holograms. “But surely such different worlds must adhere to a new normality when re-united. So, what does this new world order look like?” Lucas would inquisitively glance towards Damianos, and then to Tocsax before finally resting his gaze upon the imperial couple. He had a feeling that an inquiry that he had just made might have violated a code of noble conduct but living in the wild western frontier does erode proper behavior.

The Fox cocked its head at Lilliana as she talked about her show. There was another puff of white smoke and Seth once again took his half human half fox form while he crouched in the chair like he was still in his fox form. Seth’s ears twitched and he blinked several times as he asked, “What is Sparkle Shine Cutie Crusaders? Is that like a play?” Since living in the Moon Blood village Seth was never introduced to the innovations of Television. Most entertainments came from books or hunting. Sometimes the whole village would get together and celebrate a pup becoming a Hunter. Seth then cocked his head to the other side and continued, “Why didn’t the third season happen. Was it like some summers on Elysia where summer sometimes go through fall and it simply feels like fall was skipped over for winter?” this confused Seth. He didn’t understand why this Sparkle Shine Cutie Crusaders needed seasons.

When she mentioned he hadn’t introduced himself. Seth’s ears fell flat on his head in shame. With everything that happened. He had forgotten to properly introduce himself. Seth quickly got up from his chair and said, “I Apologize for my rudeness. I didn’t mean to not introduce myself.” Seth placed his hand on his chest and introduced himself, “My name is Seth Rush, son of Dagger Whitefang and Serenity Moon. I am part of the Moon Blood Clan. We are a group of wolves that worship the great spirit of the moon called Solstice. She is the one who keeps us safe and keeps our crops from dying.” Seth looked around not knowing what to say next.

“Ummm, that’s about it,” Seth said before he figured Lilliana’s phrase was something he had to say afterword’s. He looked at Lilliana and said in a monotone, questioning voice, “How does it go? Operation cute fox friend, go?” he raised his fist up slowly in the air, not knowing if he was doing it right. Seth looked around in hopes he was doing this right.

His right ear twitched and rotated as he lowered his arm and began to sniff the air. His tail stopped swishing and he turned towards the door he had once entered to be here and hissed,
“Someone’s here.”

“Someone's on edge,” a voice said through the darkness before a man walked through the inky blackness and into the light. He stood six foot three with short black hair and blood red eyes. His black jacket was open to reveal his white t-shirt underneath and his black pants with small dried spots of blood on them covered the tops of his tan work boots. He walked towards them with his hands in his pocket and an electric cigarette hanging from his lips. When he took in a small intake of air the tip of the cigarette glowed cherry red before he exhaled and white smoke poured out the corners of his mouth. The white smoke wouldn’t have the normal smell of nicotine, but the smell of lavender and a hint of honey.

“So this is the group that little fuzz ball talked about,” the man said before he looked around the room. He let out another puff of white smoke before he introduced himself, “Names Alexander Cross, but y’all can call me Alex. Where I’m from is known as Chrono and most of the people who know me there call me by my Alias: The Puppet Master.” Alex looked at everyone before he saw that Seth had turned towards him and had folded his arms in front of him.

“What?” Alex said before he added, “take a picture. It’ll last longer.” Seth’s tail wasn’t swaying back and forth. Instead, it had lifted up and stood straight like an animal sizing up its prey. His tail then frilled up as he narrowed his eyes at Alex.

“Why doesn’t your friend show themselves?” Seth growled.

“Friend? What friend?” Alex asked as he breathed out white smoke.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Seth growled again. The two stared each other down and if their stare could be seen. It would seem like two sparks of electricity colliding with each other in the middle. Alex’s stare softened before he suddenly and without warning began laughing.

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re the only one who actually saw through Charlie’s cloaking device,” Alex praised before he turned to the king and queen and added, “You know, you two need to up your security if I can sneak Charlie into this place.”

“Charlie?” Seth asked as he slowly calmed down. His tail had just set back on the ground when the sound of metal clanging on the floor echoed through the doors and towards the group. His tail shot up and his fur frilled up as he looked around to find the source. His right ear twitched and he turned towards the door as he saw something meld the light. The light shifted and morphed until a human-sized robotic velociraptor revealed itself and continued to charge towards the group. It let out a screech before it skidded to a stop next to Alex as its long metal claws left grooves in the floor. It stood next to Alex and let out a metallic hiss as Seth who had jumped behind his chair at the sight of the Raptor. He pointed towards it and yelled, “The hell is that!”

“This is Charlie,” Alex said as he motioned towards the robotic raptor. He smiled and added, “He’s one of several robotic animals in my Zoo.”
Alex would then turn his attention to the king and queen and a Chester cat smile formed on his face

"Now, I must inform you that a Bounty hunter's services are not cheap and I'm not going to give you some royal discount," Alex said before his smile grew and he winked at the queen and added, "Unless you want to persuade me." he laughed and continued, "so let me know what you need and I'll give you an estimate of how much it will cost. mind you, if you want me to kill a politician, it's going to cost you."
@The 42nd Gecko@Letter Bee

Tocsax would say to Seth, "The Heartless are the Phantoms in your world; Phantoms are your name for the Heartless infestation. As for the Keyblade..." He held up his purple-and-black weapon, "This is an example of one; let's just say that the laws of reality have to be twisted in order to make it a viable weapon. But don't worry; those with strong hearts eventually get these weapons; it is only a matter of time."

Damianos then looked at Ziton and Baqar and continued, "The enemy who has unleashed the Heartless, Leo the Second Mathematician and his Seekers of Darkness, has plenty of human minions as well, which is why warriors of all kinds will be needed."

The Emperor would then smile at Lukas, and say, "Finally, someone asks the relevant question. First up, the goal is not to reunify the Multiverse; too many lives will be at risk if we do that. No, the goal is to prevent our enemy, the one named Leo the Second Mathematician, from dissolving, then reshaping the Multiverse. This is to be done by denying him the weapon used to split apart the Multiverse in the first place. Damianos, end the riddles and begin the true exposition."

"Aye," was the Wizard's reply as his wand glowed once more, and the hologram of the Multiverse shifted into a single Earth, a blue-green globe spinning silently in the cosmos.

Damianos' voice acquired an unusual solemness as he continued speaking, "Once, there was One Earth, One Timeline, and One Humanity. In that world, in the years 2017 to 2019 in the Western Calendar, there was a boy, Ascot. Ascot was a genius, smart and inquisitive beyond his years. But he felt as though he lived in a world in decline, one that was sliding head-long into nuclear warfare. And so, he searched and searched for a way to prevent such a calamity. And he found it in old texts and new physics, ones that spoke of a mysterious force that we know today as The Light, or Lux. All Light flowed from a mysterious place called Kingdom Hearts, the Heart of existence."

The hologram shifted to a giant 'heart', one that looked like a sterotypical Valentines' Day Heart, only it glowed blue-and-white, while its left side was marked with darker spots that made it look like the Moon's surface. Damianos continued, "Kingdom Hearts was protected by its counterpart, the X-blade; pronounced 'Key-blade'. And Ascot managed to summon said X-blade to himself, becoming its legitimate owner and giving him the power to save his world...just as the bombs were being launched. Powerful weapons of mass destruction were those bombs, containing uranium and plutonium, mundane counterparts of the Ghost Rock from Lucas' world."

An image then showed of Ascot raising his X-blade at a wave of large rockets/missiles flying towards the city where he lived, and all of those vanishing. Another wave of his X-Blade, and another spell was cast, making it physically impossible to use nuclear material for anything but power generation; people can still use nuclear energy to make electricity, but any attempt to use uranium, plutonium, or any similar material to make weapons atuomatically caused those materials to turn to lead. The group can see Ascot smiling in mingled happiness and exhaustion...before his X-blade glowed brightly, releasing an uncontrolled blast of light.

~~~~~

((Take a moment to pause and rest to that you guys don't lose track of the details.))

"Ascot lost control of his powers in saving his world, causing the Multiverse to split into its component parts. What was one, became more, what was absurd, became possible. The X-blade broke apart into several shards, because its legitimate owner had tried too much without training or experience. And Ascot, weary beyond all reason, vanished into a Tomb, even though he was still alive." A white-and-gold masoleum appeared then, flying above some skyscrapers. "But that did not mean the end of all conflict."

Scenes were then shown of people wielding lesser Keyblades that resembled the X-blade, and making war with each other. "The people of the worlds fashioned weapons of their own, Keyblades that manifested from their own Hearts, and warred with each other to dominate Kingdom Hearts. They mostly killed each other, but a few repentant survivors foreswore any attempt to conquer the Multiverse, forming the Old Keyblade Order."

"The Old Keyblade Order prospered, taking new recruits from people with strong hearts. One of those recruits was someone from this world, Leo the Second Mathemathician. Leo was a bright soul, but one who chafed under the strict restrictions of the Old Keyblade Order, as well as doubted their beliefs in cosmology; that Light was always good. To him, Light and Darkness were merely two sides of the same coin; neither can exist without the other."

"In fact, in his view, Light was tyrannizing over Darkness, and so the worlds had to be remade, so that Light and Darkness had to be in equal balance. So, he moved to do just that, summoning a giant robot known as the Gurren Lagann, a weapon that was only slightly weaker than the X-blade in power, but had the weakness of depending on hot-bloodedness instead of the cold hard logic that Leo preferred."

"And he largely succeeded in destroying the Old Keyblade Order. There were survivors and retired members, but there was no more structure, no more organization. Leo was now free to accomplish the next set of his agenda."

"Under the guise of a student, Leo went to the world of Shining Field, a world where Genghis Khan was never born, and his son Hulegu never destroyed Baghdad, allowing the latter to remain a centre of knowledge and wisdom. There, he convinced Hakim the Wise, the Grand Vizier, to conduct experiments on Light and Darkness, experiments that caused the world to be consumed in the latter, and the Heartless to spread and become organized."

"And that is when worlds began falling and falling in quick succession." He then paused for breath.

"Michael, let me continue," said Tocsax, his face turning towards the group.

~~~~~

((Take another moment to pause and rest to that you guys don't lose track of the details.))

"I used to be a part of a group created by Leo, the Circle, which in turn was the precursor to the Thirteen - actually Twelve - Seekers of Darkness. From there, I discovered many of his secrets before defecting to Emperor Michael. The tales of my exploits would keep you standing for far longer than comfortable, so I'll make this brief."

"As certain peope here can see, I am a Nobody, and my name denotes that I am the Nobody of Ascot, the maker of the Multiverse for good or for ill." He then looked at the aforementioned Seth and Lukas, before saying:

"And...as anyone who knows how Nobodies are born, that means that Ascot has a Heartless as well." Tocsax would pause, then continue:

"First up, the Heartless, despite their name, are actually disembodied Hearts, consumed by Darkness and transformed into the terror we know today. Nobodies are the remnants of the original person or people whose heart was consumed, the mind, body, and soul. Basically, the leavings of the Heartless, which then come to life. Some of them are feral, unintelligent creatures no better than the Heartless. Others, made from strong-willed people, are indistinguishable from humans, except that they start out as lacking Hearts. They are born emotionless, but can, in time, regrow a replacement Heart as they grow older."

"That's what eventually happened with me," spoke Tocsax. "Either way, what I'm getting at...is that there is a way to restore Ascot. Two ways, in fact. One is to kill his Heartless, then me, restoring the Original Person. The other is to use a sufficiently strong source of Light to restore Ascot's Heartless back into a human. We are to either look for those sources of light, or kill me, then Ascot's Heartless when he is found. This will deny Leo the ability to make his own X-blade, by restoring the legitimate holder of the weapon..."

@Rai@The 42nd Gecko@Rex@WXer@Double@Gentlemanvaultboy

There was an old superstition among Orpheus's people that if a human ever turned and spoke directly to you then the sheer power of the wisdom that they were trying to convey would overload your mind and make you to explode. This idea was generally dismissed both by those that thought that the idea of the humans thinking anything anymore was absurd and the practically minded folks that simply stated that humans did not speak and never spoke. However to those that thought the humans had evolved their thinking to a point that they thought things so profound there was just nothing more important than thinking them the idea held more sway and always invited a certain degree of caution when in their vicinity.

Orpheus fell into this camp, and it was partly why he had not spoken. The other part was...well...just how did one greet their gods? What did you say? What were you supposed to do with your hands? Should you speak loudly and clearly so the can hear you, or softly so as not to hurt their ears. This is how King Peleus must have felt, he decided, standing around on Mt. Olympus surrounded by deities on his wedding day, some of them just goofing around like they were normal people. Add to this the culture shock of witnessing a bustling human city, all the noise compared to the serene and ghostly silence that permeated such places back home, the palaces grandeur contrasted with its uncountable small flaws giving it an unreal beauty unlike anything he had ever seen before, and it was little wonder that he had unconsciously retreated into himself as he moved through the city until what had drifted into the throne room was nothing but a crystal ball, purple light leaking from the busted gash up top. Further keeping him all defensive like this was the appearance of Tocsax, through one of those black portals. The same sort of black portal, same sound and everything. Seeing as no one else reacted to that, though, he decided to bide his time and wait for his nerves to settle.

Two concepts, however, provided by he self admitted Nobody forced his hand and made him speak up; The group he'd used to belong too, and the method to restore a Nobody to its normal form. The small orb shook, scattering a cloud of small fibrous crystal and emitted purple light. The light reflected on the cloud, shaping it until the clear imagine of a human body was wrapped securely around the core. "Sorry to interrupt." he said, desperately wishing that he could actually sound sorry for interrupting. He stepped forward, striding right up to Tocsax. This was where all his observations paid off! He would ask his question of the gods, and would do so with perfect decorum!

He wrapped his arms tightly around Tocsax, just as he had seen Lilliana do before she had introduced herself. As he let go, he tried to capture at least a little of the dignity Lucas Smith had injected into his own introduction for a times two introduction decorum combo. He could not, but that didn't stop him. "My name is Zeta 33,576 Orpheus and Eurydice. You can think of me as sort of an ambassador of the twenty-three servers, and there's something I have to know before we move on. These guys you used to run with, did they dress in big black coats?"

With all the conversing, and all the explanation going on, one would be hard pressed to remember that there was indeed a second black-clad individual in the Emperor's throne room. And Zarxe remained silent, though certainly still attentive. Most of what was explained were things the Organization had already discovered, either on their own or through their investigation of Renovation. There was only one real fact that was new, and that was the method by which the multiverse was created. The so-called X-Blade that opened the way for Kingdom Hearts. The Organization knew of Kingdom Hearts, the Leader even said that its raw power would someone to do virtually anything they wanted, they'd effectively be a God. Perhaps this was the reason why he took an interest in Renovation? Especially if Tocsax truly was the Nobody of the person who had wielded the power previously. Maybe, just maybe, the Organization was closer to its goal than the Leader originally led on?

We do not sense anything overtly strange.

A voice that sort of echoed in Zarxe's mind. It was Alpha, a Lesser Nobody that Zarxe commanded - one of seven that were known as Hunters. Even now, the canine-like Nobodies were stalking the palace grounds from the confines of the Corridors of Darkness, using them to remain almost completely cloaked. Alpha was essentially the pack leader, nicknamed such due their similarity to a wolf pack, though Alpha would always defer to Zarxe.

Except for that one. His scent is completely bizarre... No. That's not entirely accurate. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that he has no discernible scent at all. It's... rather confusing.

Zarxe could tell who Alpha was referring to. They just spoke up, saying their name was Orpheus. Of the entire motley group, he was most certainly the strangest of all. Alpha's analysis seemed to indicate that the person apparently existed while also not existing. A paradoxical situation that made the figure all but impossible to accurately gauge. Still, Zarxe remained silent. He probably looked even more stoic than the actual palace guards did. His hood also made it impossible to see and thus read his eyes and expression. One of the many advantages enjoyed by those who regularly donned the black coat of the Organization.

The others report nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary elsewhere in the palace.

While Alpha was technically in the throne room with Zarxe - albeit their presence was totally cloaked and masked by the Corridors of Darkness - the other six Hunters were prowling the palace grounds and corridors, acting as an almost constant recon of everything happening in the palace and reporting it to Alpha who relayed them to Zarxe. While very few in number, the Hunters were very good at the task they specialized in, that being stalking prey and - more recently - gathering intelligence. One would be hard pressed to find Zarxe in any position where he couldn't be made aware of something happening within the vicinity in a moment's notice.

"Mmm..." Lilliana nodded affirmatively, glad that Seth got it so quickly. "It's almost exactly like a play! A play that can be saved up and stored like a book, and watched by anyone in a later time, just the same as when it was first performed. Some think that it always being the same cuts out some of the uniqueness of the experience, but I think everyone getting to share the experience alike and talk about what different things they saw in the same performance is more important!"

"Think of a 'Season' in this context, as a volume in a series of books. And sadly, even more so than a book, it can take a lot of effort and money to make one. So.. That's ultimately why there wasn't a season three of Sparkle Shine Cutie Crusaders." Lilliana slouched a little as she while she was happy she was communicating clearly with Seth, she also was communicating a sore subject. But that changed in an instant as Seth mimicked her gesture of friendship. "Yeah! Exactly!" Lilliana jumped up to raise her fist to a similar height to the taller Seth.

"You're a robo-velociraptor! Neat! Can you go 'RAAAWR!'" Lilliana seemed not much phased by the robo-velociraptor, except in that it seemed like a nice person to introduce herself to. She certainly seemed to find it much more interesting (and less smelly) than its owner. Lilliana had walked up to it, put her hands in a dino-esque pose, and was now attempting to have roaring contest with it. @Rex

Michael might have to wonder if, despite her strength of heart, perhaps. Lilliana was not the wisest one to invite to a war council. She didn't seem to be paying much attention.

Seth looked over to Tocsax when he mentioned the Phantoms. He stood up and asked, “The Heartless are the Phantoms? That makes sense. I would think other worlds wouldn’t call the Heartless their proper name since it’s the first time they would see them.” Seth jumped when he saw the Keyblade manifest itself in Tocsax’s hand. Seth looked at his own hand and held it out like Tocsax did, but nothing happened. He let out a sigh, “guess I haven’t earned a Keyblade yet.” Seth soon sat down to listen and watch their explanation on why they all were here. He marveled at where his own world came from and what led up to the multiverse.

“So all our worlds were once one, but because of this X-blade, that world was split into multiple ones. Now, this Leo guy is trying to recreate the X-blade which could spell disaster,” Seth said as he placed his fist under his chin and thought as his tail swished back and forth. He stared into space before he turned his attention to Tocsax and added, “I’ll help. But I don’t want to have to kill Tocsax to do so. I might be a Hunter, but I don’t want to kill someone who I can sense has good in their heart.”

Alex looked at Lilliana and let out a frustrated sigh before he snapped his fingers. The robotic velociraptor began to twitch and morph until it changed into a small, thumb-sized capsule. Alex knelt down and picked up the capsule. He tapped the capsule on his watch and it changed to bright green zero and ones. They spun and slithered into the clock face. Alex then sat down in a vacant chair and listened to Tocsax and the others explain their situation and plan. Once they were done, Alex let out another sigh and a stream of white smoke escaped the corner of his mouth.

“So that’s all we have to do?” Alex said as he thought. In fact, he was thinking of how much to charge them for his services. Each number he came up with was either too low or too high. He finally decided on a number. A wicked smile formed on his face as he began, “alright, I’d say 350 thousand should do. For that price you get my services, babysitting since it’s clear you’ve decided to pick a child for this.” Alex would motion to Lilliana before he continued, “My skill set since I’m sure none of you have ever taken a life and I’m sure we’ll be fighting living, breathing people, and finally the reassurance that whatever your enemies offer me. I will not turn on you.”

“Are you kidding me?” Seth roared as he stood up and glared at Alex before he continued, “You’re honestly going to charge them for your services in this? We could be talking about the destruction of all the worlds and all you care about is money?”

Alex looked at Seth with one eye before he sighed and turned his gaze to Lilliana and said, “Could you keep your mutt in check kid?”

“Mutt?!” Seth yelled before he growled, “I’m a hunter of the Moon Blood Clan.” his tail now stood on end as its fur frilled up in anger.

“Let me be frank with you mutt,” Alex said as he turned fully towards him and continued, “I’m a Bounty Hunter. I don’t do things for free. I do them for hard earned cash and if you think I won’t make a quick buck on this. You’re stupider then you look.”
@The 42nd Gecko@Letter Bee

Speaker Tocsax’s words were hard to follow for a man who was aimlessly wandering the desert only a day ago but one thing seemed clear: he was ready to die to fulfill his duty. However, Lucas and the others could challenge this fate to save his life and countless more. What needed to be done was obvious… Too obvious for imperial courts usually filled with intrigue. It was time to push his luck.

“Your tale is quite noble and melancholic, lord Tocsax. While you did not need to tell us your reasons for your call of arms, you have graciously done so. However, if we are talking compensation for services rendered, I require mine upfront.” Lucas would state, capitalizing on Alex’s demands. By comparison, his shouldn’t be as outrageous. Maybe. “I will only swear fealty if I am knighted under his majesty. Granted, I am not of your world but I assure you that the customs of nobility in mine are guaranteed by divine right and honor. If successful on this crusade against the traitor Leo, then a fiefdom of my choosing from your majesty’s imperial holdings as well. Otherwise, you merely need to point, and I will strike down our foes with no hesitation.” Surely, with the fate of the multiverse at stake, a man could reap the rewards that he rightfully deserves.

With his word given to his hosts, Lucas continued to listen to the others speak. It wouldn’t be long before Seth had protested Alex’s demands. Perhaps he also had disdain towards Lucas’ as well but his rage towards the mercenary overshadowed this. “Calm now, fuchsmann.” He would say to Seth. “Hired guns might chase coin but he’ll only get to spend it if there are still merchants at the end of this ordeal. Though, quite frankly, it would be foolish not to lay out your demands so you have something to look forward to at the end of all of this.” This was as impartial as Lucas could get, taking both sides while not committing to either. @Rex@Letter Bee

For his first time meeting humans Ziton found them to be quite troublesome. They reminded him of seraphim, but without the wings and more reliant on their worlds technologies. If only they had to deal with the constant threat of rogue parties and dragons to boot. Though this situation was due to a single rogue, Leo the 2nd mathematician. Mathematician? Ziton's thoughts was reminded of a few who might also fit that description from his world. But none seemed to be directly involved in such things as this Leo fellow. Ziton found this man to be intriguing. What was to be gained? Curiosity began to settle into him as he listened. Attempting to focus on the details presented for anything that would lead him closer to what he sought.

Baqar listened intently as well, feeling as though this was something of great importance. He learned that he too could have a keyblade if only he had a strong enough heart. This made him turn to Ziton who he felt had a very strong heart and wondered if he would realize this and get one of his own. The smile on Ziton's face told what was on his mind. It was only a matter of time before he began dismantling this into a way to achieve more power. This made Baqar shudder to think about.

Ziton moves begins to speak. "If the goal is no mass loss of life why not just kill this Leo fellow, immediately. The issue seems to be you can't kill him. He's too strong for you. Be it force or skill he has you beat!" Ziton gave a cocky smile that cocked his head back and allowed his red and yellow eyes to be seen, piercing with their feint glow. "I can find anything, if you need that heartless of Ascot then I'm game." As others have already indirectly stated, Ziton is from another world. He doesn't care for the subtle ways of important people. He was a wanted man back home whether he saved the multiverse or not.

Baqar tried to not interject and remain calm through this ordeal. He was getting used to his trainers outbursts. "Maybe tone it down a bit will ya?" He pleaded. Ziton gave him a sharp glare before turning back to the nobody of Ascot. Then the questioned was asked by one of the last fellows to enter. A being of strange origin but appeared to be replicating a human. If they indeed wore black coats that would be very reminiscent of a cult. "Are we dealing with goddamn cultists here?" He chuckled at the thought.

Regardless he found himself itching to get his hands on a keyblade. It seemed he didn't have to steal one after all, for that he was thankful. His goals could lay else where. The others here could offer gateways to even more riches he could plunder. His side eye took in notice of Lucas's weapon. He also took notice of the strange magic capsule Alex made use of. Descendants were wizards at reverse engineering. Ziton's own weapon that sat holstered on his right hip was a testament to that.