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[h3]Twilight Town[/h3]
Roxas’ [@Double]
[b]Word Count:[/b] (3,741)
[b]Level 1 Roxas[/b] (4/10)

[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZfklbV1.jpg[/img][/center]

Among the most southeastern reaches of the World of Light, at the tip of the peninsula beyond the acrid fumes of the miasmic [url=https://i.imgur.com/jTioFLJ.png]Sulfur Pools[/url], the shallow lakes of toxicity and perennial yellow-green haze slowly but steadily yielded to increasingly healthy foliage, clear waters, and finally, a quiet city awash in the orange-gold rays of endless sunset. This was Twilight Town, sleepy place forever stuck on the transient cusp between day or night, just as it also seemed to be stuck in a small patch of safety between the chemical wastes and the unyielding sea, with its denizens stuck alongside it. For them, time often seemed to pass as if in a dream, with the days blending together as they lived and found their happiness in the moment, never quite able to awaken along with the dawn or drift off into the dusk, thanks to the sunset-scarlet gleam in their eyes.

Though the days might sometimes seem dull, the people here never wanted for company, at least. The city possessed a powerful sense of community united by its vibrant culture, and especially in its various districts, everybody knew everybody, and nothing brought people from all over the place together like Market Street. The long, winding, sloped avenue snaked through the whole place, all the way from Station Heights down through the neighborhoods and terraces to the Tram Common with its iconic circuit around the marketplace and the lonely piers beyond, where no vessels ever seemed to dock. Just about everything one needed could be found along its length, including [url=https://i.imgur.com/S5xvcJM.png]dining[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/svu7Nyq.png]cafes[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/RJl4c9W.png]workshops[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/ZquAbuX.png]a distillery[/url], a [url=https://i.imgur.com/oJbJekk.png]hairdresser[/url], [url=https://i.imgur.com/oNJSKcR.png]convenience stores[/url], and even a [url=https://i.imgur.com/ZquAbuX.png]clockmaker[/url], as well as public services like the [url=https://i.imgur.com/YXy8USt.png]Firehouse[/url] and the [url=https://i.imgur.com/fgswmI5.png]Barracks[/url], where the [url=https://i.imgur.com/Yxnf0m6.png]militia[/url] trains to be able to handle whatever trouble might arise, from within or without. Beyond lay all sorts of houses, where [url=https://i.imgur.com/jzlHZ9V.png]all sorts of people[/url] live. A narrow beach ran along the shoreline, while coniferous woods lined the hills beyond the walls. At all hours of the day trains slowly puttered across the elevated tracks, to and from the Central Station at the highest point of the hill the city sat upon. A number of residents can trace their path back to the one train in particular: the subway from Nyakuza Metro, whose mysterious and unpredictable phantom train has brought in many an outsider in search of a peaceful place to live, away from the danger and uncertainty of the outside world. Few who come, however, ever see fit to leave again, and the existence of 

In this place of perpetual twilight, only the grand [url=https://i.imgur.com/cv1haDI.png]Clock Tower[/url] that rises and looms over the Central Station stands as any testament to the forward progression of time at all. Tolling the hours with its melodic bells, it provides the citizenry a loose approximation of when to go about their days, as well as a breathtaking view of the city from its top, where one can with melancholy gaze out across the impassable sea, or the perilous Sulfur Pools, and wonder if there’s anything out there.

Sitting on the roof of the Clock Tower that overlooked the town was a blond haired boy. He dressed casually on this particular morning, wearing a white open jacket plus black and beige pants combination rather than the “work-related” attire he wore on other days. He let his legs dangle over the side of the Clock Tower’s face, sitting with a posture and facial expression that looked almost forlorn, as if staring at something a million miles away. In the boy’s hand was a bar of light-blue ice cream on a stick. It had always been his favorite snack, and yet today he almost seemed to be ignoring it, with some blue drips beginning to melt off the tip.

And then, Roxas finally seemed to remember the existence of the ice cream and hurriedly took a bite of it. It was good, as usual, a delicious mix of sugary sweet and sea-saltiness. And yet, sitting there alone, it just wasn’t the same. He managed to finish the ice cream nonetheless, but now he was just left sitting there, with nothing on his mind except for memories of home. Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate. This [i]was[/i] home, just… sometimes it didn't feel like it. Probably just his imagination.

He thought back to the beginning of this strangeness. He awoke, still in Twilight Town. But he couldn't help but feel that something was off. He felt like he didn't recognize anyone, and his friends were nowhere to be found. Maybe they’d gone somewhere? And maybe the strangers were just some new folks moving in?

Roxas had remained in and around Twilight Town for the next two months after that. When a militia was formed to help keep the town protected, he was quick to enlist in it. His knowledge of Twilight Town and skill with the Keyblade allowed him to pretty quickly make a name for himself as one of the militia’s best fighters. He’d had to fight a few skirmishes but overall they were able to keep things peaceful for the time being. But in all of that, he kept hoping to find some sort of sign of his friends. No luck. Now he was beginning to think he would have to start exploring this world if he wanted any hope of finding them.

“Well…” Roxas said to himself when he finally stood up on his feet, “...no more sense in lollygagging. May as well go report for duty.” he flicked the now-bare ice cream stick over into a nearby rubbish bin. And then he picked up a conspicuous looking black coat that lay on the floor of the roof nearby. After a quick change, Roxas was back out onto the streets of Twilight Town.

It was no exaggeration that Twilight Town had seen some significant changes lately. It had gained a much more colorful citizenry. Some humans still, but there were also the [url=https://www.mariowiki.com/Twilighter]Twilighters[/url]: doll like people who had originally inhabited a [url=https://www.mariowiki.com/Twilight_Town]Twilight Town[/url] of their own. And some of that architecture could be seen in various parts of the districts. It was almost as these two towns had been stitched together to form some kind of amalgamation of the two. It was an interesting renovation, he had thought to himself the first time he noticed it. But the Twilighters weren’t the only colorful inhabitants. There were occasional Toads, Koopas, some Moogles as usual, among many others.

Using the familiar Market Street, Roxas was able to find his way to the building he was looking for. During this walk, he was greeted occasionally by passerby, and he tried his best to greet them all in return. At a certain point the eternal sunset was starting to shine in his eyes and so he went ahead and pulled his hood up in order to give his eyes some brief shade. He eventually reached his destination and pushed open the door to enter. Once in, he pulled the hood back off and glanced around for the commander.

“Reporting for duty!” he said with a bit of gusto. Even if all he ended up doing today was a patrol, at least that was better than sitting and doing nothing.

“Ah, good morning, Roxas. You’re just in time.” Captain [url=https://i.imgur.com/dRtGgTp.png]Auru[/url], the elderly but strongly-built resistance veteran who now led the militia, seemed glad to see the small organization’s best fighter. A handful of the other members hung around the Barracks as well, slightly more than one would expect for any average, lethargic day in Twilight Town. Roxas identified the bow-wielding Cra, the paladin Iop, the druid Sadida, the fur-clad Osmodas, and the roguish, skeleton-faced Sram. After they greeted their friend, Auru continued. “We’ve got something of a situation, it looks like. A few hours ago, some Twilighters making their way through the Underground Concourse reported some strange noises, like shifting rock and animal cries. After a little searching they found a new tunnel, surrounded by some odd, green stuff we’re calling the Creep. We sent Sadida to take a look.”

The young woman nodded as she stepped up officiously, her attempt to look serious and important dissonant with her typical mellow, cheerful nature. “Yes, I scouted it out. The Creep looks like moss and isn’t harmful, I don’t think, but it’s alive, and worse, it’s spreading. Slowly, but surely, and wherever it clumps together, strange brambles and tentacles start growing. And when I went in farther to look, I found a cave totally overgrown with the stuff, guarded by strange, mean-looking creatures. There was a large hanging growth that looked important too, and right now the monsters looked like they’re focused on defending it, but if they decided to mobilize they could cause a real problem.”

“So we’re sending you six in to clear it out while this infestation is still young, before it gets any worse,” Auru supplied. “Any questions?”

Roxas stiffened his posture a bit and saluted, “Can do, sir. You can count on me!”

He thought about it a moment and then asked the only question he could think of, “Did the creatures have any markings on them? Like, red heart-shaped emblems or maybe white ones that split off into 3 arrow points?” it probably sounded like an oddly specific description but it was one Roxas knew all too well. While there was no knowing if these creatures in question were what he was suspecting, he still knew that at some point he was bound to start encountering them. As long as he still possessed his Keyblades those creatures would always find a way to show up and rain on everyone’s parade. But it was also just as likely that these creatures were something entirely different.

Either way it wouldn’t matter. If they threatened the town, then they would just have to stop them. He also couldn’t help but be curious what it was the creatures were apparently guarding. Some kind of treasure? A nest? Maybe they were protecting someone who was hiding out there? Whatever the answer turned out to be, he’d be sure to figure it out. And stop them, if it was a threat.

The Sadida shook her head. “No emblems, sorry. There wasn’t anything that special about these creatures, other than them being really nasty, and barely resembling any animals I’ve ever seen before.”

“Well, if they’re just beasts, they shouldn’t be much of a problem,” the Osmodas told the group, crossing her arms with a boastful smile. “After all, animals are my specialty. Whether it’s caring for them, or putting the bad ones down.”

“Should make for decent sport, at least,” the Cra boy remarked offhandedly as he expertly re-strung his bow. His Iop friend next to him just grinned, eager for a chance to prove himself.

Despite all the reassurance, Auru didn’t seem inclined to relax. Instead he walked over to the main table with a box and set it down, revealing it to be full of short-range handheld radios. “Well, let’s hope everything goes as smoothly as you think. I’ll be here as usual, in case anything else comes up. If things go south -not saying they will, mind, but just in case- just call with the walkie-talkies. This is the best way in…” He put a hand on the table and tapped at the hand-drawn map of Twilight Town, highlighting the nearest entrance to the Underground Concourse with his index finger. “Right then, no time to waste, kids. Hop to it!”

Every headed for the door, quickly making their way through the Barracks’ courtyard of training dummies and practice equipment to Market Street beyond. Even the nearest entrance to the Underground Concourse was a little off the beaten path, a fact not lost on the more competitive members of the militia. “No time to waste, eh?” the Sram smirked, his expression hidden by his mask. “How about a free-running race then? Loser takes point!”

The Iop’s eyes glowed in anticipation. “Oh yeah, bonehead? You’re on!”

“Like you don’t always end up taking point, anyway…” the Cra muttered, rolling his eyes.

“You boys better watch out!” the Osmodas warned them as she stepped up to the makeshift starting line. “I’ve been working on my whip technique. I’ll be swinging around so fast, you won’t know what you’re looking at!”

“Oh yeah?” asked Roxas as he crouched down at the starting line, “I know this town like the back of my hand. Every alley and every backstreet. Try not to get lost on the way!” he glanced back and forth between his teammates, “Ready… GO!” and he sprang forward in a full sprint.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLibIaUIwuw[/youtube][/center]

The race was on! To start with, Roxas sprinted out ahead a bit before suddenly ducking between two shop buildings. He jumped toward the wall of the shop he faced and then pushed himself up and toward the opposite wall. Then he repeated that process in order to get himself up onto the roof of the first shop. But he didn’t slow down, Roxas instead kept running on forwards. When he reached the edge of the roof he simply made a big leap to the roof across the way and kept right on going. When the next rooftop looked too far to simply jump to, Roxas instead made a jump for a nearby power line cable and just let his momentum slide him forward until he was close enough to drop down to the next rooftop.

Osmodas may have had her whip and Sram had his agility but Roxas had tricks of his own. His knowledge of Twilight Town’s layout and a certain talent for just being able to reach seemingly unreachable places all while remaining in a good flow of fluid momentum. And that was currently getting him by at the moment. And then he heard the Tram approaching as he neared its rail. The Tram’s route would more or less get him in the direction he was heading. And so he made for the edge of the roof he was currently running on and leaped off the side. When he hit the roof of the Tram, he paused to let it carry him forwards. He even turned around and gave a sheepish wave to anyone who was still lagging behind him at this point. The Iop, having run at full tilt along the street, could only gasp for breath with his hands on his knees as he watched his ticket to victory roll away.

Roxas let the Tram carry him a short distance, hopping off just before it would be going up to the Sunset Terrace. As soon his feet hit the pavement he was off in a run again. This time he made a b-line for a nearby tunnel entrance into the Underground Concourse. Unlike earlier he didn’t look to see if anyone was near, deciding instead to keep his focus forward. These tunnels were almost like a maze and were incredibly easy to get lost in. Even if Roxas had gotten here first, if he wasn’t careful someone else could pass him up and beat him to the tunnel without them even noticing each other.

But Roxas had some memories of exploring these tunnels with his good friend Pence. That felt like ages ago, and he knew that [i]that[/i] Pence and Twilight Town were the virtual ones, but the memory still felt real even to this day. And despite it being virtual, Ansem had been very meticulous in it’s design and had made it as 100% accurate as possible. That could give Roxas a slight edge here, if meant he was less likely to get turned around. Eventually he started to notice patches of green here and there. That had to be the “Creep” that Sadidas had mentioned. Great! That essentially gave Roxas a visual confirmation of where he should be going. From that point it was a matter of following where the mossy stuff led.

“Ha… ha… ha…” Roxas breathed heavily as he slowed to a stop. He was pretty sure he made it to the right place, but now he needed to figure out if anyone had beaten him here.

After a few moments, the sound of a heated argument reached him through the miniature labyrinth of the Concourse. “...Should have known you had something up your sleeve when you suggested it!” he heard the Osmodas saying. “How were you sliding across those rails?”

“Heheh, I thought you were happy with your whip?” came the smug, raspy voice of the Sram. “Maybe I’ll tell you…over lunch?”

“In your dreams!”

A loud, hearty panting announced the presence of the Iop, whose red face Roxas could practically picture. “No way, you three beat me?”

“...I’m surprised you got here this fast, just barreling through the streets.” Over this distance, the low tone of the Cra was nearly inaudible.

“Well, I…aha, there you are! At least I beat Leafy! And Roxas, too! Hah”

“I wasn’t racing, silly!” the green-haired girl laughed. “Don’t know about Roxas though, I didn’t see him. C’mon, this way!”

The Iop’s heavy footfalls echoed through the underground corridors. “I saw him ridin’ on the Tram. But he’s not here, is he?”

“Wouldn’t be so sure,” the Cra muttered.

Sure enough, the archer had the right idea. After a few moments the five turned a corner to find Roxas waiting for them. “Augh,” the Sram groaned. “Shoulda known…”

“Maybe he snuck by you while you were showboating,” the Osmodas teased, nudging the rogue in the ribs.

“Hehe… told ya I knew all the shortcuts.” he said with a victorious grin.

“Well, this is definitely the spot.” The Sadida put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the chamber. “It’s definitely grown a bit more, too. Gross…”

With a grunt the Iop crouched at the edge of the creep. “This stuff?” After just one whiff he balked, his expression one of disgust. “Ugh, it reeks!”

Roxas took a sniff himself and then quickly pinched his nose shut, “You’re telling me!”

“We’ll just have to deal with it,” decided the Cra, nocking an arrow to his bow. “Is everyone ready?”

“Yeah, let’s get this over with.” The Sram waited for the Iop to stand up before pushing him forward onto the Creep. “After you, Whites.” 

With a sigh the paladin readied his sword, and started across the squishy, pulpy mess of biomass toward the tunnel. It looked wide enough for two militia members to stand beside one another comfortably, and though a blessing that discovery also begged one question: just what sort of monster needed a tunnel that large to begin with? While the underground Concourse featured its own serviceable illumination, this tunnel was dark, far too dark for the light of the Iop’s eyes alone to get him through. “Hey, anyone got a light? Can’t see the way through.”

Roxas did not, in fact, have a light. Or did he? He gave it some thought and said, “Lemme try something.” and held out a hand. With a flick of the wrist, the white Keyblade known as Oathkeeper appeared in a small flash of light. He pointed the weapon forward with both hands, aiming it down the dark tunnel. A thin beam of light shot from the tip of the weapon and arced down the tunnel. Unfortunately it wasn’t a permanent light, but Iop would at least get a brief glimpse of what was ahead, “Well? Spot anything?”

“No monsters,” the sharp-eyed Cra reported. “Just watch your footing, and we’re good to proceed.”

Carefully the group proceeded down the tunnel, keeping noise to a minimum. The Sram had already faded into the shadows, his presence undetectable even by his allies, which left the other five to feel their way through. The Sadida produced her little mushroom lantern that she used to navigate this path before, and alongside the Iop they led the way. Gradually traces of orange bioluminescence shone through the tunnel, telling the fighters that they were getting close, and after another few moments the main cave opened up.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/K2dRgD1.png[/img][/center]

The Sadida’s report turned out to be accurate, although it didn’t quite do the scene justice. True to her word, the entire cavern had been overgrown by the creep, every formation and stalactite festering with meaty moss, orange pustules, and the occasional tentacle armored by blue chitin. At the center of the mess hung a big, fleshy node, suspended by the tendrils that anchored it to the ceiling, which pumped like a freakish, oversized heart. In here the air itself was humid, hot, and heavy, as well as terribly rank, and the newcomers would doubtlessly be sweating before long. It was as if the militia had reached the innermost cavity of some giant organism, and like any organism, it featured plenty of self-defense systems.

Throughout the cave they could see a number of dog-sized [url=https://i.imgur.com/ey6LsaX.png]Skulks[/url], nasty creatures with bladed legs and rows of grinding fangs. Less common, about four in number, were the more sturdily built [url=https://i.imgur.com/qz5PEj8.png]Gorges[/url], capable of vomiting up the seeds of new growths. In nooks and crannies perches six or seven [url=https://i.imgur.com/nTJ4DTZ.png]Lerks[/url], ready to swoop down and fly at any threats. The worst and easily most upsetting creature, however, was a pale-skinned mutant humanoid, the [url=https://i.imgur.com/CT661Ez.png]Scout[/url], with a head covered in tubes. From those tubes extended a web of long feelers, blindly groping for any signs of an intruder as it wandered around the cave.

“Whoa…” said Roxas in a hushed tone, “This is all just living here under Town?” this was a weird assortment of creatures, and that was saying something considering what he was used to seeing. He went ahead and summoned both his Keyblades, but held off on going into action just yet. Instead he looked around at his teammates with consideration, “Any ideas on how we should approach this?” he asked.

Dark monsters hunting for Hearts. Nobodies trying to incite Heartless attacks. Summoning a fortress maze in the middle of a barren wasteland. Those were all things he had seen before. And yet somehow none of that compared to these things. That one with the tubes was the most unsettling one of all. It was like they may as well have just stepped out onto the surface of an alien planet.

[i]Come on, Roxas. Don’t freak out now![/i] He thought to himself. [i]You’ve got a job to do.[/i]