[IC] Kingdom Hearts: Dirge of the World Eater

[Kurai]

(Wayward's post should be following soon, but for now we can start with the Dark Apprentices)

Fallen Jungle. A world perched on the edge of the World Cluster, the brink of oblivion, beyond which stretched what seemed like an infinite horizon of empty space. The world was a forgotten one. In ages past Fallen Jungle was believed to be home to nothing more than dangerous jungle beasts, empty ruins and the occasional vagrant. Some time ago, before the Battle of Ancient Desert and the twilight that followed, Keybearers would venture to the far-flung jungle world every now and again; some would come on expeditions to sate their curiosity, others as a test of their mettle, and some still in order to hide from the watchful eyes of the Cluster. However, over the years, interest in the Jungle steadily waned. Now, it's regarded as a dead world...

... how little the Cluster knows.

* * * * *

The jungle was quiet that day. The usual sounds of the birds, the animals, the weather, all were softened inside the temple complex. A rather large and imposing, if slightly rundown temple broke through the canopy and showed only a simple stone top through the greenery. The surrounding area was dense flora, making the modest clearing that housed the ruins seem impregnable. For those that did manage to make it through the walls of vines, thorns, and other dangers, a centuries old- structure would greet them; made out of what looked like sandstone, the temple stood at a decent height of twenty feet, drooping a little to one side due to structural damage. The outside walls still bore remnants of paint from whatever society put up the building in the first place: here and there, small pieces of what seemed to be murals remained, creating a tragically broken narrative across the gritty stone. The entrance was a simple gap in the stone. The inside appeared to radiate darkness. Small, shadowy tendrils licked at the outer walls.

Within the temple, down a corridor or two and past an ancient gathering room, sat an elderly man on a throne of blackened stone. He rested casually, leaning back into the rock, with his hands folded on his lap. He seemed to be staring impossibly far, past the walls, past the vines of the jungle, lost in contemplation. And so Axeus would sit, sometimes for hours on end, simply pondering, planning, checking for errors and mentally rectifying them.

Axeus sighed, resting his cheek on his hand.

"Is this what old age is like?" Axeus mumbled. "Sitting, thinking, withering? How I miss the days of battle, where every moment could have been my last... the days on Old Bastion, where the tensions ran so high they were almost tangible." He held a crooked hand forward, beckoning at nothing. "Yuan Lao, my ancient rival. You ousted us from our home, but we still survived... and now, an age of Darkness will engulf the cluster. The twilight will give way to dusk, and dusk to night."

Axeus paused as footsteps thumped on the stone, through the corridors and toward his throne room. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, his hands folded just underneath his eyes. Soon the person came into view: a young woman, no older than twenty, with short, prematurely gray hair and a dark robe strode forth. Upon locking eyes with Axeus she fell to a knee, head bent toward the floor. Axeus recognized the woman as a captain of his Darkwatch, a group of spies and scouts that kept tabs on Fallen Jungle for him. He wasn't the only one on the world, after all; there were other members of the dark faction, and while they had a tenuous and unspoken peace treaty, he still felt it necessary to keep an eye on them. Self-preservation was the nature of his faction, after all.

"Ah, Captain Veros. Stand," the woman obeyed. "You realize you interrupted my thoughts, yes?" Veros's lips moved to speak, but paused for a moment. Before continuing, she put a fist to her left breast, a display of fealty and duty.

"Apologies, my Lord. Important news. May I speak?"

"Granted."

"Two unidentified persons have entered Fallen Jungle. One is using a Keyblade glider and one is using a beat-up gummi ship... not even sure how they managed to get it flying."

"Hmmm..." Axeus grumbled. "Someone coming on a glider, eh? Any information on the two of them?"

"A preliminary Scan revealed that the girl in the gummi ship is a Keybearer as well. She harbors an immense amount of darkness in her heart, though the boy on the glider..." Veros looked down. "He's a bit more complicated." Axeus raised an eyebrow, allowing her to continue speaking. "He appears as a bright light wrapped in a sheet of darkness. Of course, this was just a simple Scan, it won't tell us everything." Axeus spent a moment in thought before answering. Two Keybearers, one in a gummi ship, the other on a glider; one a well of darkness, the other a light hidden with shade. Why did they come to Fallen Jungle? What did they seek? Normally, Axeus would simply let Veros handle the matter, and should something big come up, he would step in, but something was different today. There were two gaps in Axeus's plan that he had been pondering just as she had walked in... yes, today he would take a more forward approach. Destiny called.

"You did well bringing this to my attention, Veros. The powers of darkness beckon me, and I will heed their call."

"Lord?" Veros asked with a bow, awaiting instruction.

"Mobilize two groups. I want you to go to the boy on the Glider personally, along with two other scouts. Ground him by force, if necessary. Send Captain Zivahl to do the same to the gummi ship, have the girl land in this clearing. If they are hostile, kill them. If not, bring them to me." Veros saluted and turned on her heel, immediately going to complete the order. Axeus stood from his throne. A smile, almost too big for his face, stretched outward, casing teeth to bare.

He went to track down Tendra, likely somewhere in the temple, and inform him of the new development.

* * * * *

From out of the jungle canopy rose three figures on Keyblade Gliders, adorned in matching armor. They formed a triangular formation around the beat-up gummi ship. Captain Zivahl looked at the thing with disdain. How trashy it was! No self-respecting Keybearer would ride in such a mess.

"Pilot of the gummi ship," Zivahl yelled. "You are to follow me to a clearing up ahead. Do not stray from our course or we will bring you down."

If the pilot complied, she would be lead swiftly to the clearing in which the temple resided, and Axeus within it.

* * * * *

In another part of the jungle, a separate group of Keybearers formed a similar triangular shape around the boy on the Keyblade Glider. Captain Veros didn't know what Axeus wanted with the boy, but if it was his command she would follow it. She looked over to him and pointed downward.

"Land it, now."

Should he comply, they too would land with him.

[The Jest]

Space... The First Frontier...
Or at least it was for Kotaro.

It was the first time he has ever left his home for any reason, and never did he expect to do so on a Keyblade glider like this one. To him it was amazing this was even possible, that a simple weapon could turn into a vehicle for safe travel. It wasn't much in terms of design though, simply a triangular platform with a pedestal sticking out the its top end that had the controls, which were also quite basic; simply a indention in the shape of his left hand, which was actually flat until he placed his hand on it as if it was made of clay, and rod on the right of it to rev the engines for speed, slow it down, change directions, and by bending it up and down, he can control his ascent and descent. The design of it was beautiful though: A golden glider lined in ivory and decorated with diamond-shaped, clean-cut-and-polished sapphires across back of the pedestal. ...Or at least it would be beautiful, if 95% of the glider wasn't wrapped in ebony cloth. Streams of cloth were wrapped around the glider in such a messy and chaotic fashion, akin to a poorly-wrapped Christmas present with some of the cloth loose and hanging in the zero gravity of space.

He heard that space-travel was a bit dangerous, and while he may not have to worry too much about whatever danger comes with travelling unprotected, he couldn't take the chance. Luckily, One of the villagers gave him a gift, supposedly given by his friend when he was still alive. A fragment of his left shoulder armor by the looks of it, but moment he pressed his hand on it, it became a full set of armor, which was, oddly enough, a perfect fit. However, the design was more akin to a Dark Keybearer then his keyblade, understandable since it was taken from his friend and not something representing him. It was almost all black with crimson red linings across it, detailing the shapes of the abdomens and the veins of his arms as it reaches and covers the hands in blood-red. The helmet covered his face, masking the nose and mouth while placing a visor over the eyes like a usual helmet of this kind of armor. The red lines connect to the helmet and goes up tot he top in two different paths on the left and right of the face, the top decorated with what appeared to the the wings of a raven. The fact that the armor wasn't at all bulky suggest it was designed more for maneuverability and agility, rather then full defensive quality. Plus it has the extra addition of Kotaro's cape sticking out of it. Though, unlike how he uses it without the armor, it's clear the cape here is simply for decorative purposes only.

As he flew through the darkness of space, looking at the stars in the distance, he couldn't help but stay in awe at this scenery as the stars seem like they fly right past him, and others come into sight from the distance. Coming and going by with seemingly no end. It was hard to explain what he was seeing, But the starts in the sky gives way to light of colors in the depths of space, only for it to turn black by the time he reached the Fallen Jungle. The world itself, looking at it from space, looked naturally beautiful in his mind. From where he was he could see the trees covering the world, and could see the plants and animals below them. To any normal person, this was probably nothing much, or even something to be more terrified of, but Kotaro? He was awe-struck. Being raised in his village for so long, he's never seen anything like this before. Beneath the helmet were eyes wide-open and a big smile of excitement. This was the start of something great, he could feel it in his bones.

Without hesitation or fear, he dived down into the airspace of the jungle, the blackness and stars turning into a familiar blue sky as he looks down at the jungle below. It was even more amazing then it looked from space. He couldn't help but wander around the sky to look down at everything. However before he could do that, along came a few people, going around him in the Triangular formation. ...That's right, if this place is where his friend's master was, it's possible there were also plenty of others with keyblades, and with them gliders, as well. They didn't look too friendly, but considering that he did just enter into a territory where he's an unknown person, it's understandable that they aren't welcoming him at first.

"Land it, now." One of them said, pointing down towards the ground. Whether or not she's the leader of these three didn't matter, the last thing he wants is to make a bad first impression. With that in mind, he nodded to her in response and tried to find an open area to land so that they wouldn't get hurt when they land as well. When he found one, he stopped the machine and bent the right rod downwards, dropping the glider to the ground...rather hard making him drop off and slamming the back of his head to the ground. ...Well, it's a good thing he had that armor on him, or that would have hurt far more then it did. He took a second to get up, and looked around.

"Wow..." was all he could say as he saw the jungle around him. It's hard to believe, but he definitely is on a new world now, and what a place to start with. He then noticed the three who ordered him to land earlier. ...That's right, he almost forgot about them. He then stood to attention and looked at them, his glider vanishing and his keyblade appearing in his hand, the cloth wrapped around it and his cape flapping in the wind.

"I'd...urrm....I'd like to apologize for intruding...I'm not here to cause any trouble. ...Hmm....How do I explain this? ...Umm, ...I was told that a Dark Master of the Keyblade was here. If...he is here, I wish to...speak with him." Kotaro said nervously to the three. While this land fits what his friend told him about it, it's possible that he picked the wrong world, and if that is the case, it's possible the resident won't take kindly to the darkness, as most of them don't. As such, he had to say this in the most neutral way possible. Though thinking on it the second he said it, it's clear he was leaning towards being an ally of darkness. So here's hoping either he got it right, or they didn't catch on.

"...Well, we're off to a great start, now aren't we?" He thought.

[Little Bird]

Old Bastion, once a world symbolizing power and justice, lay in the age as a ruined husk of its former glory. Within the old city, nestled within a small valley at the foot of sheer cliff, the streets held out in a hush, where life once teeming had been shepherded away. Stray howls of wind cutting down from the highlands gave the emptiness, otherwise a peaceful tome to isolation, a haunted air in the early twilight hours approaching dawn. What damage had convened upon the structures has been ushered to by the steady hand of time as people abandoned the place some count of decades prior.

The inhabitants that remained there lived within and around an ancient castle, perched upon a cliff overlooking the city. A Goliath of a structure, the castles shadow was enough to shade the entire city beneath it as the sun's path allowed. It's strong stone and iron construction, even it's disrepair, domineered over the city and the surrounding landscapes, leaving now question as to why the mighty society of Keybearers had once chosen it as their home. It had no shortage of battlements when it was at its peak: four towers were placed at the corners of the squared walls of the main keep, marking the intermediate directions, each equipped with a set of weapons that could have made any invasion tremble. At the precise middle stood the "central tower" spanning up higher than the other four and support gratuitously by buttresses. From any of the towers, one could see clear across the world, so it was said.

And even if the inhabitants didn't realize it yet, the coming tide would make the towers a great asset.

-------

Upon a balcony of the castle's center tower, resided a man of some age. He sat cross-legged, back upright an neck at a full yet relaxed extension. His arms hung at his side, bent at the elbows, and fingers bent in the "okay" sign. His eyelids held shut, not too tightly but far from loosely, and without even the slightest sliver of a peek. In this meditative pose he exemplified the state of total, true relaxation. The body as it sat was without tension, yet featured a decisive control as it remained perfectly still; signified by the recently weathered look upon the man's face, be had been there meditating for hours, feeling the high breezes over the tower whip across his face even since night had fallen, the red of his cheeks sticking out even on his tanned skin.

For all of this, one might have expected the man to be unaware of his surroundings. But that assumption couldn't have been further off from the truth. He was well aware of the chilly air breezing about him; he had been throughout the night, which he had spent in that exact spot in that exact position. And that hadn't been all that he was aware of. His mind, focused and unhindered as it was, opened to the entirety of his surroundings. From the distant screeching of night birds making their circles about the castle grounds to the distant echoing of the ridges on the horizon, he was nearly perfectly in tuned.

This was by name Yuan Lao, a Master of the fabled Keyblade as per his title; the last of Keybearing Masters to reside there since they dispersed fifty years ago. A man of age, he had been through quite the sum of troubles in his lifetime, as to be disciplined to hold meditation for hours on end as he had been for the last eight hours. Despite that he had been awake through the sleeping hours, he was far from tired or sluggish; he maintained his posture and control even as the first of the morning light broke from over the horizon. As the light crept across the landscape at a quick pace with the rising sun it fell upon his face, dampening the wind's chill. Only then did the Master's come open, squinting as they stared in the direction of the sun.

With a soft utterance, "rise and shine," he rose to his feet, shook off the dust that been delivered onto his robes overnight and proceeded to the interior of the central tower. It was a long trek for being indoors, but one he had made for several decades whilst he called Old Bastion his home. The path took him through he Watch Room at the top of the tower and down a narrow spiral staircase through a succession of circular rooms, each equipped with old battlements, as small cannons pointed out the windows, from the castle's glory days, which he had tirelessly pursued the refurbishment of to little avail. Soon enough, he thought, stopping for a second in one of the rooms, staring wishfully at the weapons. As soon as an adequate engineer happens upon this place.; as deplorable and ungraceful as he found them, the cannons had ways been good at putting down sieges.

Moments passed, Lao simply staring in reminiscence of the old days, when the castle was a true safeguard. Then, as of being pulled from a trance at the beckoning of a rooster's call, he shook his head, turned towards the stairs and continued on his way down. At the bottom he entered into a corridor that stretched the front length of the castle's main keep, branching off into other corridors towards the sides and the keep's front and back ends. Orienting himself to his left, he flicked his hand, summoning the shimmering, shoulder-height staff that was his Keyblade. Cracking a slight grin, he proceeded forward.

Along that particular corridor, resided the rooms in which Lao's apprentices slept by night (when the actually got sleep). As the old Master passed by each one, he knocked the bottom end his Keyblade forcefully against the hardwood doors. "Arise! Arise! A new dawn is upon us!" He called for each set of knocks. "Breakfast is in FIVE minutes and you won't want to miss out on it." Sparing no time to ensure that his students heeded his words (as they had, over the course of time, become accustomed to his methods enough to follow them) he continued down the hall, turning the sharp right corner towards the back end of the keep.

Down another flight of stairs and along another corridor, he came to the Grand Hall, overlooking a sheer cliff drop into a valley below the castle. The hall had already been set by the few maids that remained on duty in the world's state: several long tables set parallel to each other, along which dozens of the castle'a refugee and traveler populations sat already scarfing down the day's first meal. As he made his way across the hall towards a set of empty seats in the far corner he stepped into the usual barrage of greetings to which he only had time to nod politely to keep up.

One greeting, however, couldn't be dismissed so easily: that of a younger man, adorned in armor and bearing a pair of short swords at his waist, approached with a clipboard and pen in hand. "Master Lao," the man said, bowing hastily as an afterthought. "Word from the night watch."

"Go on, Victor," Lao responded, ushering him along as he continued towards his seat.

"Just some new arrivals," Victor reported. "A band of merchants arrived around midnight looking for housing, we put them up in the south wing, a bit cramped, but they seems thankful enough just to get some beds to sleep in."

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Lao remarked, narrowing his eyes at the watchman. "Anything else?"

"Well..." The watchman hesitated for a second, drawing out the vowel as he searched for his next words. "A group of old priests, so they claim to be, arrived about an hour ago telling me they had to speak with you about something. They wouldn't tell me what, but they said it was a matter of utmost urgency."

"And did you bring them down here with you this morning?" Lao growled.

"No sir." Victor shook his head in disappointment. "They insisted on taking breakfast in their room, it's down the hall from the central tower."

"You should have come straight for me when they arrived!" Loa retorted, almost cutting Victor off as he whipped his seat out. "I may be able tune to the world around me in my meditations, but I can't read minds." He lowered into the chair, slapping his hands on the table in he process. "Things of importance must always be tended to without delay, remember that next time Victor."

"Yes Master Lao." Victor bowed again, and hurried off.

Lao watched the man scurry off to help a family find seating together before turning his thoughts to what matters the priests wished to discuss.

[Mike the Bloodwolf]

Tendra was indeed in the temple. He was sitting in front of a large statue which he cocked his head to get a closer look at before he ran his hand though his black hair. His yellow eyes glowed in the light. He had a samarai sword in a holder on his hip but he had been unable to access it in anyway, He felt a powerful connection with this sword and could not bring himself to be apart from it. He looked at the staute as he sort out his casual attire again before he turned round to leave the room. He wished he knew more about his past hell even if he knew what his real name was would be great. He stop as he felt presences enter the jungle in two different ways, he chuckled lightly to himself before he summoned his keyblade to him.

Tendra put his keyblade away when he saw Axeus coming towards him so he stopped and bowed as he said "Greetings Master, I am already aware of the two new arrivals in the jungle. Do you wish for me to go to them or do you have something else in mind for me?"

[PerniciousIntent]

Matilda, very much awake, laid still on her bed. The room was dark, save for the early dawn moonlight flooding through her open window, and her curtains fluttered, creating moving shadows. She was warm, dressed only in a tank top and shorts, and covered partially by her white sheet. The only thing she could hear was her own breathing and the occasional animalistic noise from outside. The only thing she saw was her ceiling, shadowed to a dark plane of expansive nothingness that beckoned just above her room, a daunting void of all light. She did not know why she was awake, but there were more than a few times she awoke predawn and stared at the stone above her with a passive visage.

The room, still dark, was not what the apprentice was thinking about. When she was alone, she thought of her failure back home. There was nothing left in that place; it was merely a husk of living shadows and disintegrating ruins. Fertile fields were ostensibly turned to parched plains of arid grit. There had been a mural in the Threnendold house, on the wall in their large great room, of the city from a distance. The city in the painting had rolling pastures and strong wood buildings, with a happy blazing sun overlooking its vibrant, prosperous main square. But, the young blonde girl wondered how different a view you would get from that same perspective. The pastures would be stretches of wasteland, the main square desolate, and the merciless sun would reign the countryside without relief. The community she had known her whole life was lost to a foe she could not fight at the time of the encounter. Heartless had not been unknown, but they were the problem of a distant yet menacing force much beyond them. They had never learned to fight them. If they had, all of Matilda's siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles would have been able to save the town from complete destruction. They had been complacent. She had been complacent.

The knight had never questioned her tutelage. She had, in her youth, placed complete and foolish trust in the competency of her family. If she had been more innovative or intelligent, she would have thought of the heartless before they had gotten there. But, then again, she was always the slowest of the bunch. If she had been stronger, then maybe it wouldn't have been for nothing. For Calista, the fall of her hometown had been more than the fall of dwellings and structure; it was the fall of her whole family, parents, brothers, and friends; they all fell in the attack.

Three of her brothers fell before her eyes, all in fights she was a part of, but couldn’t carry her weight in. Now, in her bed, she watched them, helpless because of her own many weaknesses and horribly pathetic excuses of ‘strengths.’ She had been too weak against the Heartless. They were unaffected by her steel blade, and her magic ran out too quickly to help against the dark tide. She saw her oldest brother cut down by sharp yet edgeless black limbs. She saw her third brother swallowed by the roiling tide of living shadow, and watched in horror as her last living brother closed himself outside the doors of the hall he locked his baby sister and remaining livelihood into. She saw herself trapped in that small corridor, the pleading faces of civilians lining dark, cramped walls. For days, the unearthly sounds of Heartless gnawing on the stone of the very building grated on the edge of reality and reminded her and the civilians that they had very little time to live. She remembered being totally and completely helpless, and seeing the hope and desperation in the eyes of her charges turning to anger and betrayal.

Matilda blinked and was back in her room, but echoes of the memories of being saved by Keybladers followed her back to reality. She was no hero as they, her experience in becoming one told her that much. She didn’t know why the Keyblade had chosen her, but she didn’t question it. She rarely questioned anything. She honestly thought, with all the lessons in responsibilities she was taught, that her Keyblade was more of a punishment than a blessing. She failed miserably at her purpose in life, so now karma made her relive that failure everyday by showing her how bad she was at all her necessary skills. She sighed and turned to the window; it was growing brighter outside.

Knowthing that it was only matter of time, Matilda slowly threw her legs over the side of her bed and stood. She stretched, lazily, and dressed in a loose white long-sleeved blouse and black jeans. Her armor was activated by a button on her left shoulder, which harbored a collage of armor spikes and metal accents. She pulled on comfortable shoes, and sat back on her bed with a brush. Mindlessly, the apprentice pulled the brush down and through her disheveled blond hair, watching her door without interest. Her days, as of late, had blurred together into an existence based totally on training: she did little else. She didn’t socialize much, no matter how much she was encouraged to do so, because she was not very good at it. There was not much left to do here other than train and talk. She put her brush down, and pulled her sheet up to make her bed. As she put her comforter back in place, she heard the voice of her Master in addition to a rasp on her door. She straightened her clothes and took a last morning glance around her sparsely decorated room before leaving.

Her steps through the castle were long and swift, and she reached the eating hall quickly. She grabbed her breakfast, a few pieces of different fruit, and made her way across the rows of tables. People always looked at the Keyblades, and hey were well known, but Matilda was made uncomfortable by their stares. Her walk to their table seemed much longer than it actually was. She took a seat unobtrusively as a man in uniform hustled away, looking shaken. Seeing the look on her Master’s face, she would have been shaken too.

[Double]

He sat upright on his bed, Kengo's legs crossed and his hands resting on each knee. He kept his eyes firmly shut in deep concentration. The only sound he heard was the brisk morning breeze through his open window. He wore only his shorts that he slept in, and nothing else. For a few weeks now, he'd spent many late nights and early mornings attempting the same meditation his master and foster father employed. For years he watched him spend entire nights alone on his balcony, in hot or cold, and remaining in meditation the whole night through and still feeling well rested come morning. Since he was already excelling at his other training regimes, Kengo decided, it was only a matter of time before he would be taking his training to the next level. That time was not now, however, as so far he had succeeded only in nodding off to sleep during his attempted meditations. But Kengo was a determined sort, and this, like any exercise or technique he had ever had to work hard at, would be no exception.

Soon enough, though, a single knock on his door told him it was time to give up meditation for the time being as he heard his foster father's voice calling everyone for breakfast. For a moment, Kengo even considered skipping breakfast and continuing his attempts at meditation, but a timely growl from his stomach convinced him otherwise. He got up, shaking his head in disappointment at himself and got dressed in his casual attire. No sense in wearing armor to breakfast after all, and it wasn't like the keep was under threat of attack either. While dressing, he occasionally looked over at a small nightstand stable, where a board game sat that appeared to be in the middle of a game. The game in question was one Kengo learned from Lao, and it depicted a board divided into a grid, with several flat, wooden pieces identified by oriental markings placed strategically around one another. When he was finally dressed and about to leave, he approached board and, lightly tapping one of the wooden pieces he carefully slid forward a few spots in a diagonal direction, then smirked confidently at his imaginary opponent and said, "Hm, let's see you think your way out of that one, Nemesis." the nemesis he referred to was actually himself. Kengo had made it a common practice to make a move on the game each morning when he awoke and each night before sleeping, alternating which side of the board he played on for each move. During the time that passed between moves, he was almost sure to forget the exact move he made and thus the next one would be purely reactionary. This, he concluded, was the definitive way one would challenge themselves at a game of strategy, and thus was one of the many ways in which he trained his intellect.

The move made, Kengo exited his room and shuffled through the flow of the crowd to where breakfast was served. He got his share, and took his usual spot in a seat not far from the Master himself. This of course resulted in him overhearing the conversation between Victor and his foster father. While he remained silent, choosing not to inquire about a matter that could very well not concern him, he couldn't help but be curious at the same time. He usually made it his business to be aware of anything and everything going on at the bastion, at least as much as was allowed. After all, with complete awareness of one's surroundings, one can properly react to any and all scenarios that might present themselves. This business regarding priests and urgent news was something he was completely unaware of, and he found himself desiring all the more to learn what he could about it.

Finally, Kengo dared to speak, "Sounds important," he said plainly, being one of the few who openly addressed Master Lao in such an informal manner due to the nature of their relationship, "or maybe, dare I say, suspicious?"

[CorruptedShadow]

Iris hid in the closet, peeking out of the small hole as he watched with horror. The very thing that he never expected to happen was being laid before his eyes, as the swarm of darkness, dotted with tiny, beady yellow eyes consumed his family. He held his breath to keep his location from being discovered. Suddenly the swarm had already assaulted the door of the closet and Isis screamed out...only to awake on his bed.

He ran his hand through his hair and sighed out, the echoes of Master Lao's calling ringing in his head. Kicking off the sheets, he stood from his bed to slip on a plain white t-shirt. His footsteps were noisy and heavy with laziness and his arms stretched out to accompany his even louder yawn. Suddenly, with a smile on his face, he ran down the steps. This was his usual routine, to keep himself moving and top notch speed, and to avoid slipping on the floor if he could.

Bursting through a door into the Great Hall, even though he was still only half-dressed for the day, he called out, "Good morning everyone!" He flashed his smile and jogged into the room, letting the smell of breakfast flood his nose. "Did everyone else rest peacefully?" He stared at Master Lao and the other Apprentices, looking at them with his always dorky smile and bright, glowing purple eyes, while he grabbed himself a plate of his favorite breakfast dish: Eggs, bacon, and grits.

[Sin]

I'm afraid.

An emotion Isadora had let go of long ago made its bed in her frazzled mind as she traveled through the foreign kaleidoscope of a vortex, not knowing where the rapidly-deteriorating gummi ship would take her to next. As much as she would have liked to have had a solid plan as for her going-on three-year journey to find the man Helena spoke so highly of, she didn't. She hated not being in control. All she could do was punch in the next set of random coordinates after coordinates and pray to a god that doesn't exist to her that a world with said coordinates would pop up on a cracked screen. She felt so hopeless--she had felt that way for the past year. She had nothing left besides the name Axeus embedded into her mind. She couldn't go back to the wasteland that was Otherverse even if she wanted to, which she didn't. She would rather be dragged by her short raven-colored locks with her nails digging into the dirt than see the faces of the people she grew to loathe. She didn't want to see any of those useless pigs ever again.

The journey through this vortex was longer than the others. The fraction of the screen meant to display the travel time was blocked out by a rainbow-colored pixelated mess from inverted broken glass. That was actually her fault--everyone gets overly frustrated sometimes. Her amber eyes danced while watching swirls of light and darkness outside the ship intertwine gracefully like a choreographed ballet. Colors of fuchsia, vermilion, and sapphire made their appearances from time to time, but for some reason, it was as if the shade of black was eating every color that wanted its chance to shine in various forms, much like the darkness in her life. It had a way of finding itself during her rare moments of happiness and eating away at it like a savage beast until there was nothing left. Isadora leaned back in the rotting chair she sat in, rubbing her eyes with a free hand. She was quite tired although she wasn't doing much besides waiting for the ship to arrive at its next destination--wherever that may be. At this point, she nearly believed that the fossil of a gummi ship wasn't taking her anywhere anymore, and that maybe she was stuck in this black hole of a vortex. She wondered if she minded if that were the case.

No, I need to find him. There was a reason Helena told me about him.

Her eyelids refused to stay open any longer. Settling into a comfortable position, Isadora drifted off to sleep. Hours later, the gummi ship finally landed. Harshly. Years of breakage after arriving in various worlds was demonstrated as it skid to a stop in the debri of Fallen Jungle. Isadora continued sleeping soundly, not noticing that she had arrived on what would be her last world to be searched. She did, however, jolt her tired eyes open at the sound of an unfamiliar voice:

"Pilot of the gummi ship! You are to follow me to a clearing up ahead. Do not stray from our course or we will bring you down."

The usually cooly composed Isadora scrambled in her seat into an upright sitting position, unable to see out of the gummi ship's windows. Violets and azaleas were smeared across them along with various types of greenery. For a few moments she couldn't tear her gaze away from the sight--it was like a beautiful painting created by a mentally unstable artist. She heard footsteps and her mind returned to its normal state. After admiring the dead flowers, she took a quick look-around at the ship. Whatever it looked like before in terms of deterioration, she knew there was no way it would be able to be used again. Her heart sank. The navigation screen of the ship was now completely broken and useless, so she had no information as to where she landed. If Axeus wasn't here, her three year long journey would have ended prematurely with no closure, much to her displeasure. Whatever hope she had left, she now clung to tightly.

Summoning her Plagued Apostle with one hand and pulling her black hood down to shroud her eyes, Isadora stood and slowly crept out of the ship. She was surrounded by a group of mysterious figures, yet for some reason, that didn't bother her. She didn't feel any sense of uneasiness. As much as she wanted to ask who they were and where she was, she kept her mouth shut and nodded towards who she figured was the leader of said group, keyblade gripped tightly in one hand just in case this turned out to be an ambush.They would probably provide her with the answers she desired without her having to utter a word.

Please be here.

[Kurai]

"Greetings Master, I am already aware of the two new arrivals in the jungle. Do you wish for me to go to them or do you have something else in mind for me?"

Axeus smiled. Tendra was always a perceptive one; Axeus should have known his apprentice would already be aware of the situation. Ever since he found Tendra as a child, he sensed great things from the boy. His unique proficiency for fire magic, taking after that of a dragon, amused and intrigued Axeus to no end. Over the years, Tendra had become more and more proficient in the ways of combat, but due to Axeus's endless planning, he had not been able to give the boy the attention he deserved. Now, he knew, it was going to be necessary to devote more time to Tendra's training, as he would be useful in the events that lied ahead. Yes, Tendra was a crucial piece of Axeus's scheme, a stepping stone to his greater goal...

"Ah, good, my boy," Axues said. "I've already sent two teams out to lead them here, there is no need for you to go. However, I would like you to greet them with me. If for some reason they are hostile and attempt to attack me, I feel like it would be good training to let you take care of them." Without giving Tendra a chance to refuse, Axeus turned about and began striding back to his throne room.

* * * * *

"I'd...urrm....I'd like to apologize for intruding...I'm not here to cause any trouble. ...Hmm....How do I explain this? ...Umm, ...I was told that a Dark Master of the Keyblade was here. If...he is here, I wish to...speak with him."

The group was slightly taken aback at not only the boy's groveling tone, but his forwardness. It turned out he came for the exact same reason they had. He wanted to see Axeus, they had commands to take him back. However, to Veros, he didn't look like the boy they searched for. He looked like a sniveling worm, writhing beneath them, begging not to be crushed. Her amber eyes flickered. Hatred welled within her as she stared at the boy. She summoned her Keyblade. It was an elegant and minimalist design, shiny black, with a single rod for the blade and a decoration toward the top that looked like a cross between a stylized wave and a rose. She briskly stepped toward the boy.

"C-captain, please calm down, we have our orde--"

"QUIET!" Veros commanded the scout who spoke up to her. The man immediately became silent and bowed deeply. Veros stepped before the boy, not a foot away from him, staring into his eyes. She sensed darkness within him, but not the kind she was used to: not like herself, not like Axeus, not like the members of the faction of which so many reside on this world. It was a complexly deep mix of light and darkness, but when the two forces were compared, it felt like the light was ready to overthrow the darkness at any given moment. The boy angered Veros. This was the thing that she and her squad went to investigate? This was the person Lord Axeus wanted them to fetch for her? She thought how easy it would be to simply say he resisted and had to be put down...

But, she couldn't do that. She respected Axeus far too much. He gave her purpose, as a captain of his Darkwatch; he gave her strength, as a mentor and guide. No matter how much she hated this boy, she still looked up to Axeus more.

"Listen here, you filth," Veros said, still only inches away from Kotaro's face. "You don't deserve to see Axeus. I don't know what brought you here, but if it were my choice, me and my squad would strike you down where you stand," Veros unsummoned her Keyblade and took a step back. "But, it's not my choice. The 'Dark Master of the Keyblade' you refer to is named Axeus, if you didn't already infer that. I am to take you to him. Address him as Lord or Master Axeus, and don't let me catch you out of line or I'll skin you. Got that?" Veros turned about and began walking. She would lead Kotaro to the temple in which Axeus resided.

"Good."

* * * * *

Zivahl, a man in his thirties, stood in anticipation of whatever would crawl its way out of the rubble heap he was assigned to. A shock of silvery-gray hair tore its way through the center of his short black hair that was naturally messy. He wore a black button-up jacket made of what seemed to be leather, the buttons stylistically trailing from his left hip to right shoulder. Why he wore such heavy clothing in the heat of the jungle was a question asked frequently of him by his peers, to which his answer was always the same: "There are sacrifices you must make to look as good as I do."

Now, as he waited for an answer from within the ship, if it could even be called that, he lamented the heat. It made him irritated and apathetic all at the same time, and he wanted nothing more than to find a shaded spot to rest. Sadly, duty called, and as long as Axeus needed something done he'd have to be there to do it. He summoned his Keyblade, a flashy thing consisting primarily of black and white, with two intertwining rods of metal forming the blade in a helical fashion. At the top was a dual-sided key head, with stylized hearts resting in the middle of each fin. He then flicked a gesture toward his squad, beckoning them to do the same. Three more Keyblades were summoned in subsequent flashes of darkness.

Finally, a figure crawled out of the filthy wreckage. Though cloaked, she clearly had the form of a woman, with the tips of short, black hair falling a bit past her neck. In her hand she gripped a unique looking Keyblade tightly, chains dangling from it and its colors matching Zivahl's own. She seemed to almost shiver. The woman appeared apprehensive, maybe even scared, but also ready to fight, to kill, at any given moment. Zivahl studied her for a moment. Seeing her Keyblade drawn almost made him think she had hostile intent, but the short nod she gave him as she stepped out of the Gummi ship's refuse quelled that thought. He lowered his Keyblade to his side, to show he was not about to attack her, and cast a Scan spell. After a few short seconds, he had gathered the information he wanted. She was still a fledgling Keybearer, untrained, for the most part, but with insurmountable potential in the form of a vast reserve of darkness inside her. Zivahl smiled.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," Zivahl said, resting a hand on his chin and visually inspecting the woman. "I'm not sure how you ended up on this rock little lady, but today's your lucky day. The big man wants to talk to you. You'll have to put aside your current goal and come with us for the time being," He smile became wry. "Don't worry, we don't bite, unless you bite first." He pointed to her Keyblade.

* * * * *

The two groups each led their respective quarry back to the clearing that contained the temple. Meeting back up there, Zivahl and Veros threw each other a simple nod; usually they might exchange some banter, but they knew that Axeus didn't like waiting. They could talk when they were dead, he'd say... jokingly, but with a twist of malice. The two groups convened around the young Keybearers, leading them inside the temple. As they entered the stone opening, the shadows of the temple licked at them, surrounding them with darkness. They would adjust to it in time, but for the moment the two young guests would feel a cold presence, caressing them, constricting them, threatening to overtake them. It wasn't so strong that it would cause any powerful reactions, but just strong enough to be noticeable.

At long last, they got to the throne room. Upon the blackened stone seat rested a tall, pale but strongly built man with flowing white hair. He grinned at the two newcomers and brushed his hand toward the Darkwatch, signalling them to leave. He then cleared his throat.

"Greetings, my guests. My name is Axeus. What brings you to this far-flung corner of the cluster?"

[Mike the Bloodwolf]

Tendra nodded as he listened to his master every word, when he was told to join him Tendra followed him without question. When the master had first found Tendra, he was hostile and though he could easily beat the old man in battle. He was very wrong however and he was easily beaten by the more experienced man. Tendra though he would be killed but instead the man offer him a chance to hone and train his skills under the condition that Tendra came with him and lived in the Fallen jungle. He had join him instantly and then he was given the name of Tendra, his Master told him it meant "He who is like a dragon". With Tendra Dragon fire ability that was no shock to him.

When Tendra enter the throne room, he took his place beside his master as the two new arrivals were brought in. Tendra made a dragon fire ball appear in his hand which he used the scan the two new comers. Master had only just taught his this move and Tendra was still learning the master it but he told his master what he got from them such as height, weight and age. Tendra own keyblade was imbedded in the ground in front of him though he could easily summon it to him in a heart beat.

[The Jest]

...Well, So much for first impressions.

The moment the woman made her Keyblade appeared combined with that look of agitated and anger in that face of hers was the moment Kotaro realized that clearly, he messed up. The black blade of her Key at least showed him that he's talking to the right people...but that also meant that the way he said probably seemed like he was patronizing them. ...Might explain why she looks so upset, to the point of yelling at her allies when they tried to calm her down. The more steps she took forward, the more inches Kotaro leaned back, his eyes widened and his lips opening up to reveal his clean white teeth in an expression of near-panic.

He blinked a few times as the woman began to speak. He stood completely still, as he felt if he moved at all, she may lash out in response, and listened to what she said. She then unsummoned that keyblade of hers and took a step back, and Kotaro in turn puled himself frontward back into upright standing position and sighed in relief. She then continued, explaining that the Dark master he was looking for was named Axeus and was indeed in this very Jungle. While he hides it with a gentle smile, in his head he was incredibly excited, enough to want to celebrate where he stood that he finally found the one he's looking for.

She then stated her instructions, ...her simple-yet-strict instructions, to which he nodded at. He wanted to say that he understood, and to thank her. However, considering how agitated she was, combined with what little he knows about Dark Keyblades and their wielders, she probably would have stayed true to her threat, or at the very least relieve of his tongue, something he would prefer to not be without. With her affirmation of his nod, he did as was told and followed them.

When he reached the clearing, well, to say he was awe-struck was an understatement, as his widen-eyes and an expression of excited happiness was etched upon his face. The temple he saw was absolutely fascinating in his eyes, from the decayed murals on the outer wall to simply the sheer age of this place. His friend told him that the Dark Keyblade master lived in an old decrepit temple from such a dead age, that it was like nature itself tried to consume it. With the plant life that seemed to extend to the outer walls of it, this definitely fit the bill. Even so, he wasn't prepared for such a place; there's so many things he could learn just by basic archeologic analyzing, to the point where the perhaps he can learn something by just taking a good look at its rock.

Alas, however, there were thing he had to do first; the temple itself can be explored later on. He looked to his side to see yet another group of people guiding another towards this temple, a woman in specific.

"If she came here without resisting...could she be here for the same reason I am?" He thought. They both walked up the steps to the stone opening of the temple, perhaps where the gate of this place once was, assuming it had one back then. Kotaro felt the gaping darkness reaching out for them as they reached the opening. It surrounded him, felt so cold, so dreadful...it was a terrifying feeling, something he's never truly seen before.

...Yet, he ignored the heart's yearning to fear this darkness and run as far away from it. The inner pleas to run were denied as he felt the cold air. It didn't remind him of any nightmares or terrors, it reminded him more of the gentle snowfall of a calm winter night. The air felt...right, there was no other way to explain it. It just didn't feel to him what like the terrible all-consuming void that people fear it to be.

"Close your eyes, think of a snowy night, when clouds blot out the light of the stars and the snow touch your skin for the first time." He remembered his friend's advice to him, and closed his eyes as he steps inside the temple, the fear and hesitation gone from him, as if stolen from his heart.

He opened his eyes, and as they adjust to the darkness of the room, he saw heard a voice on the other side of the room, the voice of someone greeting him, of Axeus greeting him. His eyes widened as he tried to focus on seeing that far, and sure enough saw two people, one sitting on the throne, and one standing right by it. His friend did mention an apprentice other than himself, that must be the one he talked about, which means the one on the throne must be Axeus. With a happy smile on his face, he ran across the throne hall, stopping near the throne, and immediately dropped to one knee.

"Lord Axeus, Master of the Darkness, It's an honor to meet you. ...My name is Kotaro. Years ago, an apprentice of yours named Tamius Sabath disappeared from the face of the universe, suppposedly thought to be lost in battle. ...In truth, he landed upon my world, where I hospitalized and nursed him back to health. Until recently, Tamius lived in my village and we stayed by each other's side. ...But he went back into battle, and was quickly defeated by someone or something. ...I regret to say he passed away three weeks ago. With his last breath though, he granted me his power, and in his respect, I claimed his surname of Sabath. I have been searching the universe for a week to find you, and now that I have...I request to take his place at your side. ...I wish to be your apprentice, and learn from you what he could not." Kotaro explained to him.

[Little Bird]

In silence and stillness, Yuan Lao sat at the end of his table, practically alone as many that might have spoken to him held their tongues when they realized that he wasn't in much of a speaking mood. He was leaned against the back of his chair, as though thinking it a recliner. A classic 'deep thinking' pose, he gazed blankly across the hall, intimidating the few people that managed to catch his eyes with their own. Even as his students took their seats at his side, he remained passively attentive. It wasn't until he heard Kengo's voice speaking over his air of silence that he focused in on the apprentices, all of whom, by then, had arrived at the table.

The Master looked to Kengo as he would have looked at any of the castle's guards or attendants. The boy had been amid the keep since he was an infant; Lao, with the help of others living and working in the castle had played vital roles in his upbringing; so naturally, his affinity towards news, gossip and political matters from the worlds beyond Old Bastion was nothing meager. He scowled, more so towards the continued focus on the troubles of the wise men than at Kengo's commentary. "Suspicious? Possibly. Important? I would certainly hope so. Many a man of wisdom has happened upon Old Bastion seeking to inform me of one matter or another. None have ever been so secretive of their reports before; even eating in their quarters is something out of the ordinary for most visitors. Above all else, this is something worrisome. Any news that can't be shared in public bids all the more ill to the people of this world, and others."

Lao's head shook. His scowl evaporated and a soft smile took its place upon his face. Looking around the table he met each of his apprentices directly in the eye. "But let us not worry about the priests just yet," he said. "We will eat. Then we will all visit their quarters. I will speak to them in your presence. It could be a valuable lesson in your training; a Keybearer must be knowledgeable of the state of the world's beyond their home. For now though, let us enjoy our breakfast." Removing himself from his seat, he moved towards the buffet, where a gracious selection of foods had been set out by the cooks. Decisively, Lao helped himself to a trio of pancakes topped with a modest covering of syrup, eggs and a large bowl of mixed fruits before returning to the table; overall, in a better mood than he had been moments before.

[Sin]

Isadora trailed behind the leader of the mysterious group, Keyblade still within her grip, swinging at her side. Two of the group members stayed behind her, so she never let her guard down, just in case this did turn out to be some sort of attack. The leader's crooked smile and sarcastic tone had been somewhat unsettling earlier, but she had yet to utter a word. The group had formed some kind of a misshapen circle around her, as if they were her personal guards. It was quite foolish to think that they were anything close to that though considering the lack of details about the situation she found herself in. His words echoed in her ears: "Don't worry, we don't bite, unless you bite first." Her eyes shifted towards her extravagant Keyblade, chains wrapped loosely around the shaft with dead, yellow eyes that were planted in two spots. As powerful as it looked, she still felt somewhat awkward with it--as if the very image of her holding it was some sort of bluff. Although she didn't have a chance to learn much about it and how she could become one with its movements, she desperately wanted to. It was as if the darkness in her heart was seeping energy through her palm and into the weapon whenever she held it.

Her eyes danced around her environment. The group had remained silent for the most part after the lack of introduction, so she was able to listen to music the jungle created. Birds sung songs of joy to one another, leaves whispered secrets into the wind, and dead, stiff branches and flowers crunched underneath her feet with each step she took. It was calming, which was especially nice considering the previous shock of her rude awakening. Breaking away from the near-daydream, she thought back to what the leader said earlier. The "big man" wants to see me? Could it be... Axeus? Or could it be some other enemy? She almost wanted to break the silence by asking who this man was, but she didn't bother considering she'd find out soon enough. She didn't really know how to use her weapon very well, but if it came to it, she sure as hell would do her best.

After a little while of walking, they finally reached their destination--a rustic looking building shrouded in various forms of greenery. From another section of the forest, another group emerged. All except one of them had the same look as the members of her group--one was a boy that almost comically stood out from the lot. He had an aura about him that screamed happiness and light; Isadora slightly frowned before shifting her gaze back on the temple. Once the leaders of the two groups acknowledged each other, they entered the temple. As they slowly crept through the entrance, a wave of uneasiness came over her. It felt like someone was blowing snowy air into their sweaty faces. Negative thoughts and darkness overcame her entire being. It was as if the invisible demons of the night were invading her body--however, she didn't mind this feeling. It felt right. The darkness in that temple felt like a newfound home. Relishing the feelings, Isadora closed her eyes, following the group's footsteps with her ears until a booming voice was heard.

"Greetings, my guests. My name is Axeus. What brings you to this far-flung corner of the cluster?"

Isadora slowly opened her amber eyes, fixing them on the being that sat atop his black throne proudly. His face and the look in his fiery eyes felt like they were hypnotizing her. He almost appeared inhuman--like some sort of being that flung itself from the darkest world in the universe. His presence captivated, mystified, and thrilled her. She wanted to know more about him.

...Wait. He's Axeus. It's him.

Her heart leapt in her chest excitedly. The crash on this world didn't turn out to be the end of her journey. This is where it would all begin--Helena's spirit felt like it was filling her brain with joy. Her face did not show these emotions, but feelings she didn't know she had filled her being to the brim. It was an odd experience, to say the least. Before she decided it was time to speak, she was interrupted by a fireball moving across the room, first making its way around the other kid next to her, and then circling around her body. She was confused and slightly irritated, making this known the Axeus's... minion that stood by his side, him mumbling something about gathering details regarding their height, weight, and age. Why was that even important? She would have told this directly to Axeus if he desired to inquire.

She opened her mouth to speak once again before the other kid, now known as Kotaro, rushed forward towards the throne like a child spotting a candy store and introduced himself, sputtering some type of nonsense regarding his previous partner, Tamius. She scoffed to herself when he mentioned how long he had been searching for Axeus... one week. A week! If only her journey had lasted a mere week. Try three years, kid. She ran a free hand through her slick black hair and silently sighed, waiting patiently for her turn to speak while shooting visual daggers his way. She hoped that at the very least, he had a fighting spirit, because his mouth was nothing to make note of.

Kotaro's introduction finally came to an end, and Isadora glanced around the room, making sure no one else wanted to chime in. The room was silent and had a cold aura which made her spirit calm. She looked up at Axeus and saw that he was waiting for her to speak, and taking a few steps forward, now just a few feet behind the still-bowing Kotaro, she lowered her head, picking it back up to meet his gaze a few moments later.

"I am Isadora of Otherverse, Master. I once knew a Key Bearer named Helena that fought alongside you in the battle with the World Eater--she told me many things about you." She paused and half-grinned deviously, making sure he knew that Helena had only great things to say about him, and that even though she had never met him, Isadora gave him her utmost respect. "I have been searching three years," saying this with emphasis on the last bit, shooting a glance at Kotaro and then continuing, "for you, and I suppose my journey has now come to an end. It would be an honor to become your apprentice as Helena wished."

[Kurai]

Before the two Keybearers could speak, Tendra had taken the liberty of using a fire-based scan ability on them. It was an ability Axeus had devised, realizing that Tendra's grasp of dragon fire could reach past simple attacks. Axeus used it as a way of testing the dragon boy's odd abilities. After the orb had finished scouting the Keybearers, it returned to Tendra, at which point the boy relayed the information gained to Axeus. As Tendra told him their height, weight, and age, among other menial details, Axeus simply nodded in affirmation. Perhaps dragon fire should be kept to attacks, he thought, as the scan ability didn't give him any information he couldn't have inferred for himself. Either way, Tendra's help was appreciated.

Axeus looked over the new arrivals as they reacted to his booming recognition of their arrival. The two were young, a boy and a girl, their auras starkly contrasting. The boy, who was first to act, rushed over to his throne and knelt before him.

"Lord Axeus, Master of the Darkness, It's an honor to meet you. ...My name is Kotaro. Years ago, an apprentice of yours named Tamius Sabath disappeared from the face of the universe, suppposedly thought to be lost in battle. ...In truth, he landed upon my world, where I hospitalized and nursed him back to health. Until recently, Tamius lived in my village and we stayed by each other's side. ...But he went back into battle, and was quickly defeated by someone or something. ...I regret to say he passed away three weeks ago. With his last breath though, he granted me his power, and in his respect, I claimed his surname of Sabath. I have been searching the universe for a week to find you, and now that I have...I request to take his place at your side. ...I wish to be your apprentice, and learn from you what he could not."

Axeus's eyes widened. He got requests for apprenticeship relatively often from those within his faction. He usually relegated them to his Darkwatch, instead making use of them as a spy or scout, and having them train under a Captain. After all, so many of the trifling Keybearers were not worth bothering with. It wasn't since six years ago, when he had found and defeated the ambitious Tendra that he had felt someone was promising enough to be an apprentice of his. In Tendra's case, it was the interestingly unique dragon fire that caught the eye of the old Master... the boy himself, while foolish enough to try to attack Axeus, was groomed as a reliable underling in the years past.

Though he had felt the pang of destiny's call upon hearing of the two unknown arrivals, he couldn't have guessed the boy would be seeking apprenticeship. Axeus's mind slowly traveled backward, remembering his warrior Tamius that he had trained. As Kotaro explained, Axeus had thought him dead several years back; a difficult loss, to be sure, but not an impediment to his larger plan. Tamius was a strong fellow, both in body and heart; a staunch follower of the darkness. Why then, did he take a boy like this under his wing? Axeus scrutinized the young man in front of him. His speech, his body language, his heart which leaked light under a sheathe of darkness... they confused the Master, to say the very least. Had Tamius only put up with the boy because Kotaro had helped heal him? No, it couldn't be. Axeus had taught Tamius to never show mercy, not even to a friend. There must have been another reason. Axeus spent a long moment pondering, feeling out the boy's heart. Finally, Axeus smiled. There had been many with light in their hearts that came to him in the past. Each one had been snuffed of that light or killed. He had no reason to fear that this boy would turn out any differently.

"Kotaro, is it?" Axeus asked in a meandering tone. "And you say it was Tamius who trained you. A fine warrior. He once took down three different Keybearers at once, harnessing the power of darkness to the utmost extreme before collapsing after their deaths. It does not surprise me to hear that he had fallen in battle, as I suspected so long ago... the only difference was it was years later, after cultivating another... namely, you." Axeus then paused and looked to the other arrival, this time a girl. She was older than Kotaro, and held a much colder visage. She seemed to exude darkness from her very being, tendrils of it writhing outward at Tendra's intrusive scan, and at Kotaro's dramatic story. Once it was confirmed that no one else was planning on interrupting her, the raven-haired woman spoke.

"I am Isadora of Otherverse, Master. I once knew a Key Bearer named Helena that fought alongside you in the battle with the World Eater--she told me many things about you.I have been searching three years for you, and I suppose my journey has now come to an end. It would be an honor to become your apprentice as Helena wished."

Axeus again paused for a long moment, simply staring into Isadora's eyes, his face a mix of troubled, thoughtful, and inquisitive.

"Helena..." He nearly whispered, not breaking eye contact with the young woman. Axeus tried to remember back, all those years ago, to the battle on Ancient Desert... or Heroes' Requiem, perhaps he should say. The utter chaos, carnage, and destruction that was wreaked by the impossibly terrifying World Eater. However, on that day, he did not feel fear; no, he felt alive. The eternal steel of the Keyblade in his grip, the heat of the battlefield personified in sweat dripping from his brow, the pulsing of countless hearts in unison, fighting not for an ideal, but for very survival. He tried as best he could to pick through the memories, searching for the face he had known, the one who had been at his side during the battle. Yes, Helena. He remembered. They had not met before the battle, and yet, they fought together as if they were one. Upon the defeat of the World Eater, or rather, its imprisonment, Helena had joined Axeus on Old Bastion for a time. They became close, indulging in each other's company in ways that he remembered quite fondly. Ah, the pleasures of youth, Axeus thought with an inward chuckle. However, when Axeus and the other Dark Keybearers were exiled from Old Bastion, Helena decided to part ways with him. She desired once again to see her homeworld of Otherverse. Nothing waited there for her, she said, when Axeus nearly pleaded for her to stay, but something called her that she could not ignore.

"When the tides of destiny call, there is no choice but to heed them," she had told him. With a tender kiss on the cheek, she departed. It was the last time Axeus had seen her.

Part of Axeus wanted to ask about Helena, how she was doing, if she was still alive... but he knew those were questions for another time. He snapped back to the present, nodding solemnly at Isadora.

"Yes, I knew Helena," Axeus said, returning Isadora's devious smile. "Otherverse is a very far world... in fact, it's the farthest possible world from this one. Your journey must have been long and grueling. It is commendable that you made it this far, child." Axeus looked over the two once again, turning to Kotaro, then back to Isadora. Two young ones that he had never met before, both with connections to his past, both seeking to be his apprentices. Indeed, the tides of destiny were calling. Isn't that right, Helena? "This is certainly an unexpe--"

A series of crashes followed by the doors to the throne room being thrown open interrupted the elderly master. A young woman in tattered black clothing, bruised and limping, came rushing through as quickly as she could with the injuries she had sustained.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Axeus growled, his fists curled on his stone armrests.

"Ma... Master Axeus..." the woman sputtered through wheezing breaths. "A heartless... loose in the jungle... destroyed one of our outposts... consumed most of my squad..."

"A SINGLE Heartless?!"

"Had been eating... jungle beasts..." the woman coughed up a bit of blood, desperately trying to continue. "Please..." Axeus looked to the boy beside his throne.

"Tendra, I want you to go take care of that mess. All of it... the remaining squad members included." The woman's eyes widened. Axeus stood from his throne and approached the woman, calmly, with a quick but steady pace. She fell to her knees, grasping her chest as Axeus stopped before her. He summoned his Keyblade.

"M-Master, please...!"

Axeus kicked the woman in the chest, hard, causing her to keel over and sputter more blood. He turned back to the two new arrivals, meeting their eyes with an impossibly cold stare.

"Know this," Axeus said. "If you come under my wing, there is no room for mistakes." He stabbed his Keyblade downward, impaling the woman. A truncated scream escaped her. He then turned the Keyblade, making an unlocking sound, as the woman dissipated into a pool of darkness and reformed into a shadowy form with yellow eyes. With a snap of the fingers, that too dissipated, leaving only trails of darkness in its wake. Axeus then unsummoned his Keyblade and turned back to Isadora and Kotaro.

"This is the life of a Keyblade wielder of my faction. Kill or be killed; succeed, or be removed. Ours is a world of fear, pain, and devotion. If you are to be my apprentices, I expect you to follow me without question..." Axeus paused, a small smile tickling his cheeks, as his tone became a bit lighter. "I sense greatness from both of you. When I first heard of your arrival on Fallen Jungle, I knew within my heart that you two would be important to me, to my destiny. For two young ones that I've never met, both with connections to my past, both wishing to be apprentices, to come to me the same day is unprecedented. I have no doubt that you two will be my finest apprentices. So, think of this test as more of a formality..." Axeus waved his hands in an outward motion, summoning two groups of three Neoshadows each. "Isadora, Kotaro, you have two options. Defeat these Heartless and prove to me that you are worthy...

... or die."

The two groups of Heartless lunged forward. One rushed at Kotaro, two of them flanking him, and one rushing down the center, its claws aiming for the boy's throat. The other group bounded toward Isadora, two jumping directly at her, one clawing at her chest and the other her legs as the third looked for an opening.

Axeus watched in anticipation...

* * * * *

Somewhere near the temple, but still swathed in deep jungle, what was once an outpost tower sat in ruins. A swarm of Shadows danced to and fro, ripping down trees and jumping in hoards at the remaining Darkwatch. At the center of the mass, atop the destroyed building, stood a lion-like Heartless, a Darkwatch member underneath its claw. The menacing Heartless roared into the trees, challenging any who were strong enough to try to face it.

[CorruptedShadow]

Isis plopped back down onto a seat, chewing on the different assortment of foods that he had collected onto his plate. He sighed out after taking his first bite, "I don't know how our Chef does it...he makes the food taste great." After eating for a while, Isis placed his plate back down onto the table and looked up at the Master, staring at him a bit curiously. "Master, I have a question..." He said, trying to sound as proper as he could. Really, he was getting excited about the question, but it was quite a serious topic for the moment. "I was just wondering...when will we be taking our Mark of Mastery exam?" Although Isis was still too young and inexperienced to take the exam, he was a rather curious boy. The thought of becoming a Keyblade Master only rustled him even more. By then, he was already standing up, with his arms on the table, his eyes locked on the Masters.

For a second, Isis felt a sort of spark of joy and guilt run over him, and it was at that moment that he realized he was standing up. A bit embarrassed, he sat back down and slumped in his seat, grabbing a piece of toast to nibble on as he awaited what the Masters response was. He didn't expect it to be harsh, but he knew it would be the truth.

[Mike the Bloodwolf]

Tendra nodded and quickly took off to find the Heartless that had been causing all the trouble as he tried to figure out what kind of Heartless could cause this sort of damage to the watchtower and the area itself. He soon found his target as he summoned his keyblade to him and flip up to the best vantage and then he activated his scanning ability to see if he could get any information on it. He growled as he got nothing so he thought to himself as asked himself "What would Master do against this thing? Hmmm this is a annoying dilemma". He then began to free run as he got closer to the beast hoping his master could give him some advice somehow.

[The Jest]

Kotaro stood on his knee in silence as this woman, now named Isadora, explains her reasons for coming here as well. It was only fair, as she was at least polite enough to wait until he was finished. She mentioned how she also knew of a Keybearer who knew of Lord Axeus just like he did. The moment she mentioned how long she has been searching for the Dark Master, she gave a glare at him which made Kotaro look away to the side. He can tell by it, that what he said about how long he searched for him insulted her. How wouldn't it? He only looked for a week, she did the same for three whole years. It must have been three years full of problems, full of challenges and obstacles.

The Otherverse was a place he never heard of, but there's not much he could do about that, since he never been outside his world before now.

One last thing to note was who it was in her case who influenced her to come here. Tamius mentioned something about the World Eater, supposedly a monstrous force that, given the amount of time, could probably devour the universe itself. Unlike this Helena, of course, he never saw it or fought it with Lord Axeus, as it was fought and supposedly sealed up years before Tamius was born. To hear Isadora's story, to hear about Helena, his eyes grew wide with a spark of fascination. Whoever she was, it sounded like she was an amazing warrior and all-around woman. Certainly someone worth investigating. ...But if this lady did fight with Axeus all those years, ...why did this girl leave her? Did something happen in this Otherverse? ...Did something happen to her?

Before he could say anymore on it, in came another female wielder of the Keyblade, looking like she needed medical support. She claims that her squad got attacked by a Heartless...Wait, A heartless?

"So then, even Lord Axeus can't control all of them?" Kotaro thought. He then watched as Axeus ordered Tendra to kill the Heartless...and any survivors of this woman's squad, before he then summoned his keyblade and kicked the woman right in the chest. So this was the Master's Keyblade. Looking at it, there was no doubt it belonged to him, the design making it look like a Keyblade of nightmarish imagination. If the Keyblade's design is a representation of the wielder's heart, ...then a question is raised in his head: ...What was it that made the Dark Master who he was? What drove his heart to forge something like that? His thoughts were then interrupted when Axeus began to speak to them again, his stare like a bitter blizzard to his heart.

""Know this," The Master began to explain. "If you come under my wing, there is no room for mistakes." He then proceeded to kill the woman, making her body fade into darkness and come back as some kind of shadow. Kotaro closed his eyes for a second as it happened, before looking again to see the Shadow form.

"...So, this is how a heartless is made? But it's so...small. ...Could it be that...she didn't have as dark a heart as the others?" Kotaro thought. He then looked up at his Master as he continued his first lecture.

"This is the life of a Keyblade wielder of my faction. Kill or be killed; succeed, or be removed. Ours is a world of fear, pain, and devotion. If you are to be my apprentices, I expect you to follow me without question..." ...Kotaro knew this. He knew what he was getting himself into by joining the Darkness. Tamius explained enough for him to know this. ...Still, is it right even in the standards of Darkness to go straight to killing them all, to release their darkness after just one failure? All things go into the darkness eventually, he knows this as well...but what bothered him the most, wasn't the act itself, as such an act may be warranted one day, but just how quickly the Master resorted to it. Perhaps such acts of darkness empowers him, so it's best not to question it for now. He saw him continue...

"I sense greatness from both of you. When I first heard of your arrival on Fallen Jungle, I knew within my heart that you two would be important to me, to my destiny. For two young ones that I've never met, both with connections to my past, both wishing to be apprentices, to come to me the same day is unprecedented. I have no doubt that you two will be my finest apprentices. So, think of this test as more of a formality..." His tone was lighter, softer, from a blizzard to a mild shower of snow. But immediately afterwards, he summoned two groups of three heartless, similar but appearing much more powerful compared to the one the lady became.

"So he CAN control them... But then, what makes the heartless out there so different?" He thought. He stood up as he looked at the two groups. He then heard Axeus conclude his first lecture...

"Isadora, Kotaro, you have two options. Defeat these Heartless and prove to me that you are worthy... or die." He said. As if on that note, the two groups dashed at the two apprentices. As they approached Kotaro, a stream of unconscious thoughts went through his head. The way they moved towards him suggests that they were intelligent enough to produce strategies. But it only seems like they're capable of basic strategies like this. Two on the sides heading to flank him, and one in the front heading to tear his throat out it seemed. With that in mind, he had to think fast putting pressure on the right knee of the leg he extended outward to the front. His left hand clenched into a fist and near the right side of the waist.

"This is it. ...Concentrate." He thought. He stood there for a while, as the heartless came closer and closer. When they were close enough to finally go for the killing blow, he pushed enough his force on his right knee to make him jump back a step or two while then summoning the keyblade into his left hand and swinging it horizontally from right to left as fast and with as much force as he could muster on such short notice. Since two of them should flanking, he would hopefully have at least struck a good cut those two. Landing from his miliseconds of airtime from the jump and hopefully now down to one, with the momentum of the first slash, he would raise the Keyblade above him and attempt a vertical slash from top to bottom down the middle of the last heartless, hopefully cutting him in half.

For the perceptive, one thing to notice would be his keyblade: A very accurate representation of his heart. It would have been an angellic keyblade with a golden blade and the teeth encrusted in sky-blue sapphires, the keychain would have been a sun, and the hilt would have the wings of a dove or an angel crafted on top of it. But right now, the Sun was wrapped in chains, the wings of a dove darkened into the wings of a raven, the golden and jewelry were darkened by dirt and decay, and the entirety of the blade, was wrapped in a sash of black silk.

[PerniciousIntent]

In the few moments in which only Master Lao and Matilda were seated at the table, she greeted him respectfully and quietly, but neither expected nor received a response other than an acknowledging nod. From her plate of fruit, she gingerly lifted an apple, looked at it as though looking for imperfections, and then took a hesitant bite. She possessed a small appetite and had barely looked at her food as she had served herself in a rush having been made uncomfortable by the attention of Old Bastion's curious populace. She inspected the rest of her food as she started eating and found it acceptable. As she ate, the table was graced with the presence of her fellow apprentice. "Good morning," she said congenially in response to his loud entrance, but she did not engage further. In her experience, she didn't need to. Iris was talkative enough to entertain himself most of the time. Even though she was fond of the boy, and genuinely considered him a friend, she did not revel in his joyful colloquy.

She did not want to be rude and eavesdrop, but as Master Lao made comments and explained the appearance of a few wise men to another person seated nearby, his blond apprentice listened with a cocked head. These kinds of lessons and experiences were her least favorite, but she knew communication was the skill she lacked most. "What kind of news cannot be shared with the public?" She questioned in a reserved tone. As she thought more on it, a feeling of dread knotted into existence under her sternum. She shook her head, coming to the conclusion that she was likely overthinking things, and bit into a nectarine. Master Lao did not appear too disturbed, and even though she knew it could merely be a facade to keep her and Iris calm, she trusted him and believed it. But after more thought, she wanted to ask the wizened man, 'what if they had brought news of urgent danger? Could you really leave everyone here defenseless to bring our forces to the aid of another?' Matilda was not against aiding others that needed it and anyone who knew her knew that; her whole childhood comprised of lessons that taught her to do exactly that. Her top priority, however, was her direct charges, and the people of Old Bastion fit that role. The idea of leaving them without defense from the unabating Heartless made her mouth taste like bile. She figured, had she asked, Master Lao would answer and assuage her concerns with hardly a thought, so she kept it to herself. She forced herself to take another bite of fruit.

After a few tense moments as though trapped in a bubble, it popped as Master Lao forcibly dropped the subject. Matilda was quiet as Iris predictably kept talking, but nodded to his words as to not be rude, not in dismissal. As he rose the topic of their final exam Matilda swallowed thickly and looked to Master Lao to see his response. Her... negative(to put it lightly) opinion of herself convinced the young apprentice that her time would be long in coming if at all, and she knew the Master's response would be honest, if cryptic. She was curious as to how he would respond. His words could rarely be taken at face value, as is common in instructors to encourage individual thought and interpretation.

[Sin]

Isadora watched as Axeus slipped into a momentary trance, the mentioning of Helena most likely stirring up memories of the far-off past. It was fascinating to see this stoic person's face soften in a matter of seconds, but he soon snapped back out of it. She wondered whether he would have questions for her regarding her past companion, and she secretly wished he wouldn't ask--not now. Considering his reaction from a few moments ago, she couldn't imagine the effect that mentioning her death would have on him. Although he seemed as if he could handle it, she knew that sometimes the people with the hardest outer layers could have them penetrated by buried feelings in an instant. She figured that when the time came, she would open up about Helena. However, now was not an appropriate time to do so. Isadora positioned her feet parallel to each other and twirled her Plagued Apostle in her hand lightly, glancing down and back up again to meet Axeus's gaze once again, noticing him grinning at her. After speaking a few words regarding her tough journey, he was about to expand on another thought before he was cut off by loud crashing noises followed by a woman stumbling into the throne room. Axeus's mellow expression changed as quickly as lightning flashes in a cloudy sky, his fists angrily curling.

A woman fell to the cold floor, clearly fresh out of some sort of battle. Her clothes matched the condition of Isadora's gummi ship and her body was badly injured. Isadora turned slightly to examine the woman and looked back at Axeus, his amber eyes glowing with rage. For some reason, seeing him like this excited her. She wanted that type of energy flowing throughout her body as well, and hell, did she wish to fight whatever beat this apparent failure of a Keyblade Bearer to a pulp. Her fantasies of slaying Heartless single-handedly were cut off when the woman hacked out blood from her lungs, making a disgusting mess all over the ground. Isadora took a few small steps backwards as to avoid the pool of blood that rolled towards her black boots. She wondered what Axeus was going to do to her considering she didn't look like she was of use at this moment. He didn't seem very understanding towards those who failed him, especially considering the attitude he was presenting. She didn't have to ponder upon this for long when he stood from his grand throne and walked towards the woman, now only a few feet from Isadora. She was surprised at how tall he was and she turned fully around to observe the next chain of events: Axeus kicking the wounded woman straight in the gut. Isadora couldn't hold back a half-smile at the sight, gripping her Keyblade even tighter as he turned to face her and Kotaro.

"Know this, if you come under my wing, there is no room for mistakes."

His words echoed throughout the throne room with an air of superiority and rattled Isadora's bones as he impaled the woman with a mighty blow from his Keyblade, turning it in her chest. An unlocking sound was heard and the woman melted into a pool of black matter, she being reborn into a Heartless as two bright yellow eyes blinked slowly and somberly. Isadora felt no pity for this woman considering she couldn't meet Axeus's expectations. She was a failure. Isadora did not plan on suffering the same fate as this woman--not so long as she breathed the same air as he. He continued speaking and Isadora firmly nodded at his words, assuring him that she understood every syllable. He then summoned two groups of three Neoshadows, one group staring into Isadora's eyes as the other group's were fixed on Kotaro. Isadora grinned, placing her Plagued Apostle between both of her palms and leaned forward, ready to prove herself worthy to her new Master.

Wait. These are... Neoshadows.

Memories of Helena leaving her to protect her from the swarm of Neoshadows so many years ago flooded her mind, and for a few moments, Isadora felt frozen in her place. She breathed heavily, anger rushing through her body while her blood ran hot, as if hell itself pumped it through her veins. She could finally take revenge on them... finally feel like she wasn't useless after all. Helena, I will avenge you with every Heartless I will strike. I will become powerful. Isadora closed her eyes, hearing the Neoshadows' quick footsteps draw near, and exhaled slowly.

When she re-opened her eyes, she lunged forward, throwing herself at the Neoshadow that was leading the group towards her. Its long antennae bounced in the cool air and its fingers reached out to her, ready to claw at her chest. Isadora brought her Keyblade up above her shoulders and swiftly sliced it through the Neoshadow's shoulder and across its abdomen before it could touch her, eliminating it as it dissolved into the air. She was somewhat surprised by herself having not really had experience fighting with her Plagued Apostle, but it was as if she felt Helena's spirit invading her body at this moment. She didn't feel afraid, unsure of herself, or awkward. She felt strong as her heart pumped loudly in her ears. This surge of adrenaline was exciting to her, and she couldn't help but wear a wild smile on her face as she battled.

The other two Neoshadows split up, one launching itself into the air while the other circled her, at one point attaching itself to her leg and squeezing it. Isadora managed to spin around, raven locks dancing in the wind, and kicked it into the air, it skidding across the room appearing unscathed. She took a mental note of the other one hopping farther away and locked eyes with the one that was currently airborne, dodge-rolling out of the way just in time, immediately afterwards jumping back onto her feet. As the Neoshadow was about the land in the spot she was just in, she spun around wildly and sliced it across the chest and once more vertically from the tip of its head to its feet in two rapid slashes. As it dissolved into the air, the last Neoshadow leaped onto Isadora's back and begun clawing at her. She twisted around and was caught off guard for a moment, her cape getting in the way. She ripped it off her shoulders, throwing it to the floor as three of the Neoshadow's long phalanges gripped her face, covering her mouth. With a free hand she tore it away from her face and threw herself against the nearest wall, the Neoshadow loosening its grip on her back, it falling off of her and to the floor. Within a second, Isadora gripped the handle of her Keyblade with both hands and her amber eyes lit up, taking advantage of this opening. With a swift and powerful stab, she sunk her Keyblade into its chest against the wall and it disappeared into bits of black matter around the end of her weapon.

Breathing heavily from the battle, Isadora ripped her Keyblade out of the wall and walked over to where she had tossed her cape to the ground, throwing it back on over her head, shrouding it with its hood. She felt energized from the battle, both relieved and surprised that she only received a few minor scrapes on her back that were easily hidden underneath her cape. Perhaps this was the potential Helena assured her about so many times--that Isadora would one day discover her potential as a Keyblade Weilder. This must have been what Axeus sensed of her, as well. It was now crucial to her to become his prime apprentice--that was her newfound goal. She wanted nothing more than to make him proud and to be taught the elaborate ways of the Keyblade, for when she battled with it, after figuring her spirit for living had died long ago, she finally felt alive.

[Kurai]

The area in which the outpost was situated was a rather large clearing, hidden in the midst of jungle, with patches of overgrowth breaking into it here and there. The outpost served as a base of operations for one of the legs of Axeus's Darkwatch; its loss would mean he would have difficulty maintaining watch over that section of the jungle. To Axeus, loss of knowledge is loss of power, and the failure of the Darkwatch in this matter was no trifling thing. In some ways, the Darkwatch, though less qualified, had more responsibilities than Axeus's apprentices. The apprentices were simply groomed for combat, sculpted in his image, in order to become masters and further his goals, whereas the Darkwatch had the ever important- and decidedly deadly- task of keeping Axeus informed of the happenings in the jungle. This reconnaissance wasn't an easy task. The main threats were threefold: one being the ones they spied on, who generally didn't take kindly to it, another being altercations like the lion Heartless currently wreaking havoc, and the last being the price for failing to complete their assignments. Most likely, it was numbers alone that allowed the Darkwatch to be as strong as they were.

There were three remaining members of the Darkwatch still fighting in the clearing, or rather, attempting to clear a path for their escape. They hacked their way through Shadows, thinning their numbers considerably; even a Darkwatch could dispose of these low-level Heartless with ease. The lion-like beast was what they feared. The dread was painted on their paled faces. Then, Tendra entered the clearing, approaching the beast by leaping, ducking, and flipping over the jungle's obstacles. When he broke through the wall of vines and into the fray, the remaining Darkwatch immediately turned to regard him. With renewed vigor they sliced their way through the Shadows in order to get closer to him.

"Tendra!" One of the Darkwatch called out. It was a young boy, no older than 16, that had come to Axeus, like Tendra, in order to be trained. However, Axeus rejected the boy and instead sent him to be trained under Captain Greith. The boy, followed by two older members, came to a halt in front of Tendra, panting heavily. The boy spoke again:

"Tendra, I'm so glad to see you! Axeus must have sent you to help, right?" The boy, named Elz, pointed to the lion Heartless. "That thing wiped out our whole damn squad! We're the only ones left! The ones that were supposed to be on patrol duty are nowhere to be found, and the Captain was with them! The beast must have taken them out and made its way to us," the boy looked at Tendra with hopeful eyes. "So, what should we do?"

Just as the group met up with Tendra, the lion-like beast roared and leapt toward them. It bounded through the clearing quickly and easily, however, it stopped short in front of a large, burning pile of building and vines, likely set ablaze during the battle. The creature snarled at the fire and deliberately avoided it, correcting its course and leaping toward the group of four, claws and fangs bared in attack.

* * * * *

Axeus watched as his apprentices fought the spawn of darkness in an intense battle of life or death. The elderly master was fully ready to let these two die before him should they not complete his task; for him, this was like watching a play, and he was entertained to the fullest. Like he had said, though, in his eyes it was merely a formality. He could sense their power, their potential, and knew that even these more difficult enemies could be overcome, be it through tactics or brute force, seething anger or calculated actions. As he watched the two young ones fight, he began to see their personalities blossom. The boy seemed to use more planning in his actions, but his execution left something to be desired. Axeus was unsure whether it was because Kotaro was hesitant to carry out his own plans or simply lacked training. Either way, he handled the situation rather adeptly, as expected from one trained by Taimus. However, something confused Axeus. He saw none of Tamius's brutishness in the boy. How could one be trained under such a relentless warrior and end up like this? Axeus rubbed his chin, his curiosity peaking once again as he noticed Kotaro's Keyblade, a blade wrapped in chains, in cloth, its form almost hidden. What lurked underneath that dark cover? This boy had proven to be more than met the eye, and Axeus would have to keep a close watch on him. As scarce as trust was in his faction, there was certainly none for Kotaro. Axeus didn't like the mystery that this boy posed, it was threatening, and he thought for a moment it might be best to nip it in the bud...

But then, he remembered the words of Helena, and his heart softened. Yes, as strange as Kotaro was, he was an important part of Axeus's plan. He knew this intrinsically. That is, unless the boy fell to the Neoshadows.

Axeus then switched his gaze to Isadora. He couldn't help but feel a stark contrast between the two. Where Kotaro offered him worrisome insecurity, Isadora simply radiated darkness, making him feel much more comfortable around her. Yes, Kotaro too had his darkness, but there was something to be said about being so calm, so passive, especially having been trained by one like Tamius. But, perhaps it was partially Axeus's fault; maybe his memory of Tamius was skewed; maybe he wasn't the ruthless killing machine he remembered him to be. That aside, Isadora's connection to Helena also made him feel closer to her. However, despite his preconceived notions, Axeus was fully prepared to let them prove themselves through battle and training. As he watched Isadora's gracefully merciless fighting, however, his favor toward the girl only grew.

In a flurry of moves that seemed to last only seconds, Isadora charged the Heartless. Axeus could feel the emotion, the rage that built up inside her and spilled forth as she fought. His eyes widened as he watched the dance of death, his heart pumping quickly, excited by the carnage. Like Kotaro, she dealt with the mid-level Heartless rather adeptly, though in a very different way. She charged headlong into battle, fighting with unparalleled ferocity, and not letting up until her enemies were crushed. He loved it. She handily took care of the three that Axeus had sent her way, and, panting from exhaustion, went to pick back up her cape that she had tossed aside in battle... Axeus smiled.

You won't be getting off that easily, child.

* * * * *

Kotaro performed a split-second dodge as the three Heartless converged on his position, leaping back and cutting horizontally. His blade connected with the two to either side of him, causing them to be staggered, but not outright destroying them. This gave him enough time to perform a powerful finishing strike on the first Heartless, whom his leap but Kotaro just out of reach of. The strike was strong enough to destroy the Neoshadow in one shot, something that Master Axeus would surely take notice of. However, the two at his sides had recuperated at this point, and sprang toward him from both sides. They whipped themselves into a vortex-like attack, spinning through the air toward Kotaro, becoming veritable whirlwinds of claws and death.

As Isadora whipped her cape up from the ground and threw it back over her shoulders, a pool of black from underneath it took form and in a split second, a Neoshadow leapt out, swiping its claws at her chest and barreling toward her in an attempt to knock her down. It seemed that one of the Heartless she thought she had defeated simply took the form of a pool of darkness, lying in wait under her cape for when the time was right to strike...