Here are some SnowAgumon evolution concepts:
Double
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I'll join if no one minds. I'd love to create a proper Ice elemental Greymon line for SnowAgumon to evolve into.
Twilight Town
@Double, Roxas | @Lugubrious, Scout | @Archmage MC, Sectonia | @TruthHurts22, Wonder Red
Word Count: (603) +1 Exp
Level 2 Roxas (0/20)
There was a bit more commotion than usual in the Market Street, all thanks to some new arrivals. This wasn't particularly unusual, new arrivals came every so often and would cause a brief stir. But things had a habit simmering back down after a day or so. In fact, the only reason Roxas even became aware of any new arrivals was because he happened to be out patrolling when the commotion started. He wasn't alone, either. Hush the Sram Rogue was nearby as well. When Roxas looked to him after the commotion after the commotion started, the Sram just offered a shrug. It wasn't until they went a little further up Market Street that they heard a familiar voice calling them over.
"Hey Hush, Roxas, over here quick!" it was Nock, the Cra Archer. He was gesturing to them while focusing his gaze on something happening above him, "Up there, you see it?" he was motioning toward the Clock Tower. Roxas and Hush looked up and had to squint their eyes before they finally spotted what Nock had seen.
"What... what is that?" asked Roxas, having never seen anything like it before.
"I think it's a... bug of some kind?" Hush offered with a shrug.
"Some sort of bee." said Nock, able to more easily discern details from farther away thanks to his training as a sharpshooter, "And it must be a pretty big one too to be visible from this distance."
"What's it doing?" asked Roxas, straining his eyes to try and see it more clearly.
"I dunno." answered Nock, "And Ram's nowhere around to try and tell us either. I just hope it's not trying to make a nest or it could be trouble."
"Well? Only one way to find out." said Hush, offering the same suggestion the other two were thinking.
"Yeah, I agree." said Roxas, "Let's see, can you report this back to the commander, Nock?" asked Roxas, gesture back toward the direction of the Barracks, "Hush and I will get a closer look."
"You're not gonna try and fight it alone?" asked Nock with an incredulous tone.
"Nah, not if we don't have to." answered Roxas with a shake of his head, "I just wanna take a closer look and find out what it is first. Once you catch up with us with some backup, then we'll decide what to do."
"Alright, sounds good. Be right back." and with that, Nock took off back toward the Barracks.
Roxas and Hush had taken off further up the Market Street in the direction of the Clock Tower. But the two quickly realized that the crowded street would get them there too slowly for their liking. Roxas spotted what looked like a decent route they could take via the rooftops to avoid the crowds and bolted straight for it, "Follow my lead!" he told Hush. And moments later went sprinting by a two of the new arrivals without even realizing it.
The two strangers in question would probably notice fairly quickly that these two individuals were bolting in the same direction that their companion had flown off in. In fact, if they watched them for long enough, they would see the one with the skull face vanish altogether and become invisible while the black-coated blonde kid appeared to run straight up the wall of a nearby shop building in order to reach its rooftop. From there he seemed to quickly and spryly dash, jump, and even rail-grind his way across the Market Street rooftops and in the direction of the Clock Tower that the Queen Bee had gone off to.
The Sorcerer kept his mouth shut through all the exchanges, still not bothering to actually introduce himself. Strange characters and oddities just coming and going as if they didn't care one lick about protecting the existence of the Multiverse. It all made him that much more frustrated that the old man insisted on restricting what they could do or say. Otherwise this whole thing would be little more than a trifle to deal with. Even when one of them tried to shake his hand, Canaan just stared at them with an incredulous gaze and offered no hand in return. With no other choice, he followed along with a frustrated sigh. He had a feeling this was all going to become very annoying in the future.
Entering the Throne Room, Canaan's mood remained unchanged. While others may have thought to bow or kowtow to this monarch, Canaan on the other hand barely acknowledged her existence. The power she displayed seemed mediocre at best in his professional opinion. Something any two-bit hack on a stage could accomplish with smoke and mirrors. But he did detect actual power somewhere in this castle. Something more legitimately impressive to him, but it was not the Queen. The magic he detected emanated from somewhere beneath them, possibly the dungeons or somewhere else down in the basement levels. What he hadn't said to anyone was that the story of a Queen trying to kill a Princess was one that existed in his world, albeit as a mere fairy tale. Still, if this world was anything like that fairy tale, then the magic he sensed would have to be...
"Are the rest of you coming?"
Canaan gave the blue-eyed one a very slight blink-and-you'll-miss-it sideways glance but not much else. If his suspicions were right, then what he sensed was the Queen's Magic Mirror, and it had real power. And that was enough to fully intrigue the Sorcerer. He lingered a moment, only walking away when he was the last to do so. And still not offering so much as a glance of acknowledgement to the Queen. He made sure to lag behind the others, a smirk appearing on his lips.
Note to self: investigate that Mirror. It could be... useful.
On a small island in the center of a creek sat an unassuming ant hill. Who knew this small little ant hill was the centerpiece of an entire world? Well, Canaan certainly didn't know that when he first arrived. Although the fact that he was the size of an insect served as his first clue. He had to use his own magic to give himself a disguise to blend in, in this case the look of a red ant, though still retaining Canaan's characteristic scarlet eyes.
The little red ant stuck out like a sore thumb when among the crowds of blue ants that occupied the island. Why were these ants not attacking what would otherwise be seen as an invading species? Well, it was because Canaan had come to this colony in the company of one its own. When he first arrived, Canaan had found himself in a city like location lived in by all manner of insects. He happened upon a blue ant in search of what he called "warrior bugs" and told him he could probably fit that bill. And after recruiting a group of other bugs Canaan found himself here. Things hadn't exactly gone too well. In the first place, Flick - the blue ant - had mistakenly believed the other bugs to be warriors when they were in fact a circus troupe. But he managed to come up with a workaround involving a mechanical bird to frighten off their enemy with. But now that enemy was here and had discovered the fake bird.
"Looks to me like you ants forgot your place." said the grasshopper, appropriately named Hopper. He was absolutely fuming with anger at the idea that someone had tried to stand up to him, and he currently had Flick at his mercy, "So let me give you a little reminder." he said with pure hatred in his eyes. That's when Canaan spotted it. There was... Darkness growing in that grasshopper's Heart. And as if on cue several Heartless appeared around him and went on the attack.
Not good. The bugs were ill-equipped to deal with Heartless, and they'd be wiped out if Canaan couldn't put a stop to this, "Flick, you deal with Hopper!" he shouted to the blue ant, then gestured to the creatures with his staff, "Leave those things to me!" the blue ant - despite being tired and ragged - nodded with a look of determination in his eyes. And as he went to confront the grasshopper, Canaan focused his attention on the Heartless. He swatted away one that tried to lunge at him and then flung a Water spell at two others, destroying them instantly.
"You're wrong, Hopper." Canaan could hear Flick say as he fought off the Heartless, "Ants are not meant to serve grasshoppers." Canaan could only listen, as his attention was focused on keeping a growing horde of Heartless at bay with a flurry of Water spells, and even a stronger Watera spell at one point, "I've seen these ants do great things. And somehow, year and year they manage to pick food for themselves AND you!" Canaan swatted away another Heartless, changing tactics and instead switching to Fire spells next. "So who is the weaker species? Ants don't serve grasshoppers! It's you who need us!" even Canaan paused to look around after hearing the murmured voices of other ants, "We're a lot stronger than you say we are... and you know it, don't you?" and although Hopper was about to squish Flick, he was interrupted by the Princess as well as all the other ants finally taking a stand.
At this point the Heartless seemed to start vanishing, perhaps due to Hopper's own Heart faltering. But Canaan knew they'd be called back to this world again eventually. But at least it seemed like his presence in this world was no longer required. Now he just needed to make sure things played out and then he could find a secluded place to open a portal so he could- his thoughts were completely interrupted when the Gummi Phone suddenly went off., "Gah! Geez, old man, thanks for the heart attack!" he complained as he grabbed the phone and made it stop ringing. Sure enough it was a message from old man Xehanort alright, but unfortunately Canaan was a tad bit busy at the moment. Although, as Canaan watched it was becoming clear that Flick and the insects could take it from here. So he managed to catch the glimpse of Flick whom he gave a simple nod and wave, indicating that he needed to leave. Flick looked a bit sad at the sudden departure, but had to keep his attention on the matter of hand.
With that, Canaan ran off somewhere where he could find cover. Once away from the commotion, he was able to safely open a portal that would take him out into the Lanes Between. He dispelled his disguised, donned his protective armor, and stepped on through. According to Xehanort's message, Canaan was needed in a place called the Dwarf Woodlands. Some queen was about try and have a Princess killed and she was apparently too important to let die, though Canaan didn't quite understand why. Still, he couldn't just refuse a request from the old man. He saved his life after all, and so Canaan felt like he needed to repay that debt somehow.
Meanwhile, a new portal opened up in the castle courtyard where Keybearers where gathering. An armored figure stepped through it only for the armor itself to immediately dispel, revealing a red-hooded young man with eyes of scarlet, "'Protect the secret of the multiverse' he says," the scarlet-eyed youth was apparently grumbling to himself, "while also informing us that a host of intergalactic bounty hunters are on their way. Good luck maintaining the secret after they all start showing up here, old man." he rubbed his temples with his fingers, clearly looking exasperated by all this. He also didn't seem to be all that bothered with introducing himself either, as he had yet to acknowledge any of the weirdos in front of him.
The dual wielder’s question was one that all the militia members were busy asking themselves. While all five faced their fair share of monsters while out on their travels prior to winding up in Twilight Town, nothing they’d see was quite like this.
“This is weird.” As he squinted around in bewilderment, unable to make heads or tails of the scene and not sure what to attack first, the Iop’s lip curled. “Stinks, too!”
“Eh, not as bad as you before hitting the showers,” came the snark of the Sram from the shadows.
His bright-eyed companion tried to glare at him, but thanks to the rogue’s stealth, couldn’t tell where he was. Instead he bared his teeth in one random direction after another, the mission momentarily forgotten. “Say that to my face, Hush!”
“For all you know he is saying that to your face, and you just can’t see it.” quipped Roxas, in spite of himself.
“What we need isn’t bickering,” the Cra reminded them, his low but urgent. “We need a plan.” He glanced at the Sadida. “Can you tell us anything about these creatures from last time?”
The girl scratched at her neck bashfully. “Uhh…not really, sorry! I only got out clean because I stayed far away and booked it the moment one looked my way.” Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fists, and opened her eyes with renewed determination. “B-but I can tell you one thing. This stuff around us might look like moss, but it isn’t, and those things scattered around aren’t like any plants I’ve ever seen. They react to their surroundings. You can see them twitching around, and while you can’t feel it through your shoes, this creep is moving beneath my feet!”
Roxas lurched back step but quickly regained his footing, “Ew, gross! How are you not wigging out right now?”
As the Cra pursed his lips in disgust, the Osmodas kept her eyes on the cave’s denizens. “These animals, too. They’re not behaving naturally. No hunting, no foraging, no butting heads, no sleeping, even. They’re just standing idle, like they’re waiting for something.” She crept forward slightly to risk a closer look. “Their eyes,” she then whispered. “Glowing orange, just like on the plants. And that thing in the middle…”
She scooted back into safety, her expression cloudy. “Maybe…they’re like ants, and that thing’s like their queen. Some kind of hivemind, and this creep…if it’s alive like you said Leafy, then…”
“It’s not just their territory. It’s their body,” the Cra murmured. He peered at the giant, dangling organ. “And that’s their heart.”
The Iop grinned. “Then it’s easy! Take out the heart, and the rest dies!” He jumped up with his sword in hand, and before anyone else was even close to ready, prepared to charge out into the open.
“You really think that’ll do it?” Roxas asked the Iop. Not that he would complain if it actually did turn out to be that easy, “Well… only one way to find out: How about this?!” and without warning he swung his arms in a forward circular motion. His hands loosened their grip on the handles of the weapons and they both went flying forward in opposite, circular arcs. If this was a lucky enough shot, they might even graze a few things on the way as they both circled in on their intended target: the hanging growth that his teammates had concluded was like a heart.
The others, who’d jumped up to stop the Iop before he did something impulsive as usual, went googly-eyed as Roxas took over in the jumping-the-gun department. “Wait what?” the Sadida yelped.
“We didn’t make a strategy!” the Cra protested.
When the Keyblades unfortunately missed their mark, Roxas immediately summoned the weapons back into his hands. With that, their presence was officially known to whatever these things were. No point in hesitating now. Roxas sprang forward, deciding that he was done waiting, “Here goes nothing!” He was trying to make a straight run toward the hanging growth he had aimed at moments ago, being careful to take occasional swings at anything that lunged him along the way.
Well, it was go time now. The Iop and Osmodas charged after him, shouting, while the Cra nocked an arrow and followed. He jumped up onto a cave formation to offer arrow support from afar, while the Sadida nervously hung back. With no plants to manipulate and a terrain that couldn’t support new ones, her abilities were limited. Instead she summoned the Ultra-Powerful Doll, hoping to build up the team’s numbers and even the playing field. “Do your best, everyone!”
Just like with the race, Roxas channeled his memories of the Town he called home. He ducked and weaved about as best as his memories and instincts allowed him to. All in an attempt to slip past the beasts and attempt an aerial, x-shaped slash of his Keyblades against the hanging growth.
Just before he reached his target a Lerk dove for him, its swoop perfectly poised to knock Roxas down to start digging in with nasty teeth and claws before he could complete his attack. From the shadows, however, the Sram burst forth, embedding his knife into the flier’s belly, then pivoting to pin the dying creature to the ground. “Go!”
The x-cut hit home, carving a meaty cross through the flesh of the core, but though the bizarre organism writhed as it let out a guttural groan, it turned out to be a lot tougher than it looked. Its central mass boasted a boatload of health, while the rubbery cords that suspended it absorbed and bent with physical force. Worse still, the instant Roxas touched it, all the monsters in the whole cave took notice. A cacophony of screeches, roars, and bellows bounced off the walls as they swarmed in to protect the core.
Unfortunately for them, the Iop had the same plan. “Hraaaaaah!” he yelled as he charged in, swinging his sword in wide, punishing arcs. With his brute strength he could even knock over the Gorges, who posed the greatest threat. Tentacles slapped at him and Hydra growths shot painful spines, but he persevered all the way through to the front line. At one point it looked as if he’d be buried below the monsters, but around him welled the elemental power of Sadida’s Tear, healing him and blasting away enemies in a fount of magic water. It then turned to steam as the Osmodas and her Gobette summons powered through, alight with a flock of incendiary crows, fanned flames, and burning whip strikes. As Roxas watched, a well-aimed arrow shot down a Lerk mid-flight, proving that the Cra had his back. “Cut it down!” the Iop yelled as he made his way over, then turned his back to face the monsters with his sword upheld. “We’ll keep ‘em off you!”
“Just be quick about it, and keep an eye out in case any sneak around!” the Sram cautioned before vaulting over a charging Gorge to land on top of it and steer it into its allies.
“Got it!” said Roxas, looking back up at the growth-heart… thing. And that was when he spotted Iop nearby, “Mind if I get a boost?” he asked, the Iop responding by briefly sticking the blade of his sword in the ground and holding both hands out together. Roxas bolted toward him and jumped up onto the Iop’s tightly closed fists who then foisted him upward with all the strength he could.
“Here I come!” shouted Roxas, giving an upward swing with Oblivion right into the growth. After this he twisted his around in a series of quick aerial sweep attacks with his weapons. Not particularly strong attacks individually, but they could certainly add up when strung together into a combo like this. When Roxas started to fall back down he performed another dual Strike Raid, hurling his Keyblades upward in very much the same fashion he had done at the very beginning of the fight. Unlike then, this time the blades were thrown close enough to the growth to hit their mark at full force, and then a second time while circling back around toward Roxas, “Take that!”
Roxas landed back on the ground at just about the same time his Keyblades returned to his hands. Nearby he spotted a Lerk swooping down from behind the Iop, and he was quick to throw one of his Keyblades up at it to prevent it from back-attacking his friend, “Gotcha!” said Roxas, unaware of a different Lerk swooping down for him, only noticing it after an arrow from the Cra shot it down. He shot a quick thumbs up at the archer in gratitude and then caught the returning thrown Keyblade without even needing to turn around.
By that point the combined efforts of the squad seemed to be putting a dent in the enemy force, such that it was, which coincided perfectly with the damage done by Roxas to the core. Unfortunately, these monsters were quickly proving themselves to be a lot less braindead than they first appeared. They shied away from the Osmodas’ flames as she fought alongside -and at times drew aggro from- the Iop, and rather than oppose the enemy team at full force the Skulks latched onto the Osmodas’ Gobbettes and the Sadida's dolls to drag them away from the defenders and into the monstrous pack, where they could be torn apart beyond the militia’s reach.
The real problem, however, turned out to be the Gorges. Rather than throw their lives away in close-quarters combat, they retreated when wounded in order to vomit up masses of infestation, which soon developed into new Hydras. Once grown the living brambles began to shoot spikes, which alongside the Gorges’ spit attacks made for an unexpected amount of projectiles from multiple angles. This made defensive positions even harder to hold. While the intruders occupied themselves with the Skulks and Lerks, perhaps as intended, the Gorges slid around the fringes of the fight on their bellies, continuously spawning Babblers and dousing their allies with healing spray when not taking potshots themselves. As long as they remained, this battle of attrition would not be in the party’s favor.
Worse still, the monsters had worked out where the team’s sharpshooting, healing, and elemental magic was coming from. “Eek!” the Sadida squealed as the Skulks leaped at her, chasing her around until she was backed into a corner. With no other options she turned polymorphed herself into a hardwood tree, boosting her self-healing and defense but nullifying her offense and anchoring herself in place. Lerks swarmed the Cra faster than he could shoot them down, forcing him to ditch hide sniper nest before they knocked him from it. With their support on the run, the frontliners wouldn’t hold, and the Cra knew it. “We’re in trouble,” he matter-of-factly said into his walkie-talkie as he dodged through the horde. “Repeat, we’re in trouble. Is this thing on? Please send help!”
Roxas could hear his teammates behind him. They were beginning to struggle, and would run out of time if something didn’t happen now. He heard Cra radioing for help, but it was likely that help would not get here in time. He looked back up at the heart, seeing that it took a decent chunk of damage from all his previous efforts, but was still hanging there strong. He couldn’t afford to let this drag out. He had to hit it, and he had to hit it with everything he could muster.
Roxas closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “No more playing around…” he said under his breath, “...I have to end this!” After all the battles and struggles he had gone through against the Heartless, the Organization, against Xehanort… the idea of these creatures being the thing that made him struggle seemed ridiculous. No, he was stronger than this. He knew that. And it was about high time he started remembering some of that strength.
Roxas launched himself upward. But rather than go for a straight attack against the Heart, his aim was just slightly off. Instead he hooked one of his Keyblades onto one of the cords and let his momentum swing him up and back around. Only then did let himself get in a passing slash with the opposite Keyblade. But he had effectively slingshot himself back down to the floor. He hit the ground with bent knees and immediately pushed himself back upwards, this time at a diagonal angle toward the nearest wall.
Along the way his trajectory took him past the Iop, and he held out his Keyblade for a passing slash at one of the Gorges he was fighting. But then Roxas came to the wall and he twisted around so that he would hit it feet first, his knees bent and ready for him to instantly launch himself off the wall and back toward the Heart again. Now his body seemed to glow with a faint light that left behind a thin sparkling trail in his wake as he seemed to be outright flying toward his intended target.
Like before, Roxas hooked his Keyblade onto a rubbery cord, but this time his speed and momentum allowed him to swing around it multiple times, slashing at the Heart with each pass until he seamlessly switched positions and swung himself on a cord on the opposite side. Once again he swung himself around, slashing at the Heart along the way. And then he slingshot himself toward the opposite wall from where he had come from.
Similarly, he passed by the Sadida now currently in her tree form, and let himself crash onto the ground amidst the creatures attacking her. Still without losing a beat, Roxas spun himself around with his Keyblades arms outstretched in order to perform a punishing spin slash against the lot of them. But he was gone again after that. Launching himself up at the near wall and pushing himself back - once again - in the direction of the Heart.
He hooked onto a cord, but instead of swinging around on he used it to merely position himself onto the Heart directly. He held both weapons up and pointed them downward, “Get out of my town! And take your friends with you! HAAAAAA!” He thrust the Keyblades downward, trying to stab them as deep into Heart as he could get them.
Just as the Militia teetered on the brink of losing control and being overrun by the Kharaa monstrosities, their team’s star player had awakened. Driven by his memories and his determined refusal to let his friends down, be they new or old, he’d ricocheted through the chamber in a series of daring and punishing maneuvers, his flowing motion a dance as smooth as silk. Again and again the keyblade wielder appeared by a beleaguered ally to strike their attackers down like a bolt from the blue, then was gone in a flash to land another critical hit on the dangling heart. Finally, all that momentum fed into a singular double-bladed impale to spell the end for this wretched infestation.
The heart cried out, its scream deep and guttural, and it thrashed like an insect in a spider’s web, wriggling and writhing on its suspension cords. A luminescent fluid, viscous and putrid, poured from the wound. And yet, the hideous organ would not die, at least not yet. It would be a few more moments before it bled out, and in those moments the fight raged on.
With help from Roxas all over, however, the battle had taken a turn for the better. With the crucial moment of preparation granted to her, the Sadida unleashed a Poisoned Wind to wipe out the creep around her. As the Skulks leaped toward her, she concentrated her power to call forth a Manifold Bramble, the sheer hardiness of which allowed it to spring forth even from inhospitable stone. “Don’t come any closer!” The spiky branches coiled around the monster and pierced their bodies all over, leaving them to die in the thorny embrace of the Sadida’s new protective wall. She did not hesitate to then cast Drain to steal their life and redistribute it to her allies all around.
That boost was just what the Osmodas needed. She used Summoning Warrior to take her flagging minions’ strength for herself, then as the Iop held off the monsters, cracked her whip at the nearby Hydras in Tentacles in turn. It wrapped around them and then burst into flame, destroying them one at a time. The Gorge who made them slid around on its belly to reposition, but the Osmodas spotted it in time. “Not so fast!” Her whip lashed out and wrapped around its neck. Gritting her teeth, she tried to pull it toward her, but the hefty beast almost yanked her off her feet. “...Whites!”
“Yeah!” With a terrific swing the Iop knocked up the Babblers swarming him, unleashed a Flurry of punches that killed each and every one, then turned to grab hold of the Osmodas’ whip. “Now, Rammy! Yaaaaaah!” They pulled together, and the Gorge sailed their way, bellowing. Moving in sync, the pair struck home with a coordinated Super Iop Punch and Crackler Punch, and in a singular impact of fire and earth they reduced the Gorge to chunks.
Meanwhile, three Skulks and two Lerks had backed the Cra into a corner, but as they dove in the Sram appeared from the shadows again, unleashing Rascalry. “Going somewhere?” A burst of watery skeleton hands met the monsters mid-leap that dealt damage, stole armor, and left weak points all in one. Before they could recover, the Cra’s Storm Arrow kicked up a whirlwind that bundled them all together, and when they fell they landed right in a cluster of the Sram’s Shadow Traps. “...All yours, Nock!”
“Then that’s a wrap,” the Cra muttered, drawing his final arrow. It exploded above the trapped enemies, and a rain of arrows fell upon them, silencing their despicable cries for good.
The Militia’s teamwork left the enemy force in tatters, and with no reinforcements, it was time for Roxas to finish the heart for good–maybe with a little teamwork of his own.
Once the heart started its violent shaking, Roxas immediately dislodged his Keyblades by simply dismissing them. After hopping back down to the chamber floor he re-summoned them back to his hands. Around him everyone was getting their second wind and seemed to be finishing off heart’s protectors. That left only the target itself, clearly on its last leg.
Deciding to be a bit fancy, Roxas performed a short little flourish with his Keyblades before hurling them back up at the heart for one final Strike Raid. At the same, the Cra had taken aim and fired off an arrow that sunk into the heart with perfect aim just before Roxas’ blades whirled through it and boomeranged back down to their thrower. As for the arrow, it suddenly produced a fiery explosion, the heart finally meeting its end. Its eulogy came as a hideous chorus from its remaining spawn, who wailed in pain and terror as they shriveled up and died.
“Yes!” Roxas cheered, performing a slightly longer flourish with his keyblades. He spun them both at his sides before making two x-slashes at the air in front of him, “Victory is ours.” he proclaimed as the Keyblades vanished from his hands and he turned back around to give the team a congratulatory thumbs up.
“Let’s head back. I dunno about you guys but I think I’ve had my fill of dark creepy tunnels for one day.”
The Sadida, who looked close to tears, let out a shaky laugh. Even if all the Khaara monsters seemed to have keeled over when the heart died, she was still on edge. “Ha-ah. You said it.”
“Any serious wounds?” Though bleeding from a couple bites himself, the Cra looked around at everyone else first. “If not, let’s go.”
With the Osmodas and a few Gobbettes in front with the lantern and the Iop taking up the rear, the team moved out. On the way they exchanged a bit of praise and, as usual, a lot of banter. Around them the creep withered away like plants in the dry season, gradually turning to ash, and bit by bit the reprehensible smell began to fade. Once back in the Underground Concourse the fighters could both breathe and move around a lot easier, although one final surprise awaited them. Just before they reached the ramp that led back up toward daylight, a huge commotion reached them from outside, and all of a sudden a horde of familiar faces appeared. In the lead was the bare-chested Sacrier with his ink-black tattoos, followed by the feline Ecaflip, the mop-headed, bespectacled Feca, the bearded Enutrof with his trusty shovel, the Eniripsa on fairy wings, and finally Auru himself, a fantastical bazooka slung over his shoulder. Their battle cries came to an abrupt end as they slid and tumbled to a stop in front of the original squad in comedic fashion.
“You’re alright!?” the Sacrier stormed, his teeth bared. “You BOZOS nearly gave us a heart attack!” He pointed at the Eniripsa, who’d evidently been crying the whole time. “Look what you did to Blush here!”
The Feca pushed up his glasses, his expression frosty. “Hmph. Looks like you got us all riled up for nothing.”
“Can it, you two!” the Osmodas spat. “We were fightin’ for our lives in there!”
“Is this you kids’ idea of a practical joke?” the Enutrof questioned, tugging on his whiskers in consternation.
“No, sorry,” the Cra winced. “I forgot to follow-up my call to say we pulled through. It was a close call.”
The Iop threw an arm around Roxas’ shoulders. “You shoulda seen this guy, though! He was flyin’ around like a freakin’ boomerang, all shwing, shwam, shoom! Finished that fugly heart right off!”
Roxas could only offer a shy smile, “You guys finished off all the others. I would’ve been toast if I’d been down there alone.”
“Heart?” the Eniripsa squeaked, her watery eyes wide. “T-there was another Enrirpsa in there!?”
“Obviously not, you airhead,” the Ecalfip drawled.
“Y-you’re so mean, Ante!”
“Quiet, you all!” Aura crossed his arms. “The important thing is that they’re all safe, and whatever that was is dealt with. Right?”
“I think so.” answered Roxas, “The green stuff started withering into ash after we destroyed the growth. So it doesn’t look like there’s gonna be any more of those things.” he looked to the Sacrier and fanned air in front of his nose, “Trust me you were lucky not to have to go down there. Stuff seriously reeked! Feel like I’m gonna need a week-long bath after smelling that.”
But after that he returned his attention to the commander, “I don’t remember seeing any sign of how those things got down there to begin with though. Maybe letting someone investigate the remains is called for here?” not that he presumed to tell the commander what to do, but surely he wasn’t the only one having that thought, right?
“But whatever the next move is, do we have permission to head back to the Barracks, sir?”
Auru nodded. “We’ll go back for now. Figure out what happened here later. Miss Blush, heal ‘em up, won’t you?”
“R-right away, sir!”
As the Eniripsa got busy, the united Militia moved out, headed back home to celebrate another job well done.
As he watched them all be healed, part of him couldn’t help but make comparisons to his old friends. The Iop often reminded him of Sora, since the two of them definitely shared a similar headstrong attitude. Their attitudes were a bit different but the Osmodas and her fiery whip always managed to remind him of Axel. The Sadida and the Eniripsa often made him think of Xion, while the Cra’s sharp wit and the Sram’s affinity for the shadows always made him think of Riku without question. But they were different in their own ways as well.
And that Creep stuff… what even was that? Where did it come from and just… why? Unfortunately those particular answers weren’t going to come today. And the fight itself, particularly its finale. Why exactly did Roxas need to “remember” his strength like that? It wasn’t like he had forgotten about all his previous battles and yet… he shrugged it off. Maybe he’d just been slacking off in the time since those days? Yeah, that had to be it. Maybe if he just spent more time against the practice dummies it would all come back to him more easily.
And then it was his own turn to be healed. Honestly, Roxas wasn’t nearly as hurt as any of the others. He’d been lucky enough to avoid fighting against the defending creatures and instead just focused on the heart, which hadn’t actually fought back against him. But he let the Eniripsa do her thing anyway and made sure to thank her for her trouble.
“Oh! I just thought of something, I’ll meet everyone back at the Barracks!” Roxas announced before he bolted off in another direction. It looked like he was headed in a different direction down Market Street. He swung by a particular stall and the vendor greeted him with a smile.
“Heya Roxas, back for more already?”
“Yeah, but I need a whole box this time.” he said, pulling out a silk pouch and pouring some Zenny from it onto the stall counter.
“You’re not planning to eat it all by yourself?”
“Nah, it’s for everyone at the Barracks.”
“Ah, got’cha. Here ya go! Try not to get brain freeze!”
“Thanks. See ya later!” Roxas grabbed the box and waved as he ran off back in the direction he had come from. He needed to go straight there, or else it would all melt. He ran fast, taking a shortcut he knew that would get him back to the Barracks just after the rest of the militia arrived.
“Sorry about that guys,” Roxas said as he burst through the Barrack doors, “but I got us all a little something. Tada!” he presented the box, and opened it to reveal some light-blue ice cream bars, “Dig in guys, ice cream’s on me!” he said, while also being quick to snatch one up for himself.
This was always his favorite part of the day. Coming back from a tough mission and celebrating with an ice-cream. Of course, it was something he did all the time with his old friends. But now Roxas wanted to share that little tradition with his newer friends. Granted, they weren’t all sitting up on the Clock Tower, but the location didn’t matter. Only the memories that were made.
“Score!” said the Iop, snatching up a bar and practically inhaling it, “Ow ow ow!” he yelped in response to brain freeze.
“Looks yummy.” said the Sadida as she took one and licked at it carefully.
“Alright, sure.” Sram snatched one up and licked at it with a shrug.
“Could definitely go for a snack!” it was the Osmodas, taking a bar for himself and nibbling on before taking a bigger bite.
“Eh… what the heck, why not?” sighed the Cra. Sweets weren’t usually his thing, but if everyone else was going to eat one then he may as well.
Roxas laughed to himself at his friends’ antics. And this time, the ice-cream tasted much better.
Among the most southeastern reaches of the World of Light, at the tip of the peninsula beyond the acrid fumes of the miasmic Sulfur Pools, the shallow lakes of toxicity and perennial yellow-green haze slowly but steadily yielded to increasingly healthy foliage, clear waters, and finally, a quiet city awash in the orange-gold rays of endless sunset. This was Twilight Town, sleepy place forever stuck on the transient cusp between day or night, just as it also seemed to be stuck in a small patch of safety between the chemical wastes and the unyielding sea, with its denizens stuck alongside it. For them, time often seemed to pass as if in a dream, with the days blending together as they lived and found their happiness in the moment, never quite able to awaken along with the dawn or drift off into the dusk, thanks to the sunset-scarlet gleam in their eyes.
Though the days might sometimes seem dull, the people here never wanted for company, at least. The city possessed a powerful sense of community united by its vibrant culture, and especially in its various districts, everybody knew everybody, and nothing brought people from all over the place together like Market Street. The long, winding, sloped avenue snaked through the whole place, all the way from Station Heights down through the neighborhoods and terraces to the Tram Common with its iconic circuit around the marketplace and the lonely piers beyond, where no vessels ever seemed to dock. Just about everything one needed could be found along its length, including dining, cafes, workshops, a distillery, a hairdresser, convenience stores, and even a clockmaker, as well as public services like the Firehouse and the Barracks, where the militia trains to be able to handle whatever trouble might arise, from within or without. Beyond lay all sorts of houses, where all sorts of people live. A narrow beach ran along the shoreline, while coniferous woods lined the hills beyond the walls. At all hours of the day trains slowly puttered across the elevated tracks, to and from the Central Station at the highest point of the hill the city sat upon. A number of residents can trace their path back to the one train in particular: the subway from Nyakuza Metro, whose mysterious and unpredictable phantom train has brought in many an outsider in search of a peaceful place to live, away from the danger and uncertainty of the outside world. Few who come, however, ever see fit to leave again, and the existence of
In this place of perpetual twilight, only the grand Clock Tower that rises and looms over the Central Station stands as any testament to the forward progression of time at all. Tolling the hours with its melodic bells, it provides the citizenry a loose approximation of when to go about their days, as well as a breathtaking view of the city from its top, where one can with melancholy gaze out across the impassable sea, or the perilous Sulfur Pools, and wonder if there’s anything out there.
Sitting on the roof of the Clock Tower that overlooked the town was a blond haired boy. He dressed casually on this particular morning, wearing a white open jacket plus black and beige pants combination rather than the “work-related” attire he wore on other days. He let his legs dangle over the side of the Clock Tower’s face, sitting with a posture and facial expression that looked almost forlorn, as if staring at something a million miles away. In the boy’s hand was a bar of light-blue ice cream on a stick. It had always been his favorite snack, and yet today he almost seemed to be ignoring it, with some blue drips beginning to melt off the tip.
And then, Roxas finally seemed to remember the existence of the ice cream and hurriedly took a bite of it. It was good, as usual, a delicious mix of sugary sweet and sea-saltiness. And yet, sitting there alone, it just wasn’t the same. He managed to finish the ice cream nonetheless, but now he was just left sitting there, with nothing on his mind except for memories of home. Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate. This was home, just… sometimes it didn't feel like it. Probably just his imagination.
He thought back to the beginning of this strangeness. He awoke, still in Twilight Town. But he couldn't help but feel that something was off. He felt like he didn't recognize anyone, and his friends were nowhere to be found. Maybe they’d gone somewhere? And maybe the strangers were just some new folks moving in?
Roxas had remained in and around Twilight Town for the next two months after that. When a militia was formed to help keep the town protected, he was quick to enlist in it. His knowledge of Twilight Town and skill with the Keyblade allowed him to pretty quickly make a name for himself as one of the militia’s best fighters. He’d had to fight a few skirmishes but overall they were able to keep things peaceful for the time being. But in all of that, he kept hoping to find some sort of sign of his friends. No luck. Now he was beginning to think he would have to start exploring this world if he wanted any hope of finding them.
“Well…” Roxas said to himself when he finally stood up on his feet, “...no more sense in lollygagging. May as well go report for duty.” he flicked the now-bare ice cream stick over into a nearby rubbish bin. And then he picked up a conspicuous looking black coat that lay on the floor of the roof nearby. After a quick change, Roxas was back out onto the streets of Twilight Town.
It was no exaggeration that Twilight Town had seen some significant changes lately. It had gained a much more colorful citizenry. Some humans still, but there were also the Twilighters: doll like people who had originally inhabited a Twilight Town of their own. And some of that architecture could be seen in various parts of the districts. It was almost as these two towns had been stitched together to form some kind of amalgamation of the two. It was an interesting renovation, he had thought to himself the first time he noticed it. But the Twilighters weren’t the only colorful inhabitants. There were occasional Toads, Koopas, some Moogles as usual, among many others.
Using the familiar Market Street, Roxas was able to find his way to the building he was looking for. During this walk, he was greeted occasionally by passerby, and he tried his best to greet them all in return. At a certain point the eternal sunset was starting to shine in his eyes and so he went ahead and pulled his hood up in order to give his eyes some brief shade. He eventually reached his destination and pushed open the door to enter. Once in, he pulled the hood back off and glanced around for the commander.
“Reporting for duty!” he said with a bit of gusto. Even if all he ended up doing today was a patrol, at least that was better than sitting and doing nothing.
“Ah, good morning, Roxas. You’re just in time.” Captain Auru, the elderly but strongly-built resistance veteran who now led the militia, seemed glad to see the small organization’s best fighter. A handful of the other members hung around the Barracks as well, slightly more than one would expect for any average, lethargic day in Twilight Town. Roxas identified the bow-wielding Cra, the paladin Iop, the druid Sadida, the fur-clad Osmodas, and the roguish, skeleton-faced Sram. After they greeted their friend, Auru continued. “We’ve got something of a situation, it looks like. A few hours ago, some Twilighters making their way through the Underground Concourse reported some strange noises, like shifting rock and animal cries. After a little searching they found a new tunnel, surrounded by some odd, green stuff we’re calling the Creep. We sent Sadida to take a look.”
The young woman nodded as she stepped up officiously, her attempt to look serious and important dissonant with her typical mellow, cheerful nature. “Yes, I scouted it out. The Creep looks like moss and isn’t harmful, I don’t think, but it’s alive, and worse, it’s spreading. Slowly, but surely, and wherever it clumps together, strange brambles and tentacles start growing. And when I went in farther to look, I found a cave totally overgrown with the stuff, guarded by strange, mean-looking creatures. There was a large hanging growth that looked important too, and right now the monsters looked like they’re focused on defending it, but if they decided to mobilize they could cause a real problem.”
“So we’re sending you six in to clear it out while this infestation is still young, before it gets any worse,” Auru supplied. “Any questions?”
Roxas stiffened his posture a bit and saluted, “Can do, sir. You can count on me!”
He thought about it a moment and then asked the only question he could think of, “Did the creatures have any markings on them? Like, red heart-shaped emblems or maybe white ones that split off into 3 arrow points?” it probably sounded like an oddly specific description but it was one Roxas knew all too well. While there was no knowing if these creatures in question were what he was suspecting, he still knew that at some point he was bound to start encountering them. As long as he still possessed his Keyblades those creatures would always find a way to show up and rain on everyone’s parade. But it was also just as likely that these creatures were something entirely different.
Either way it wouldn’t matter. If they threatened the town, then they would just have to stop them. He also couldn’t help but be curious what it was the creatures were apparently guarding. Some kind of treasure? A nest? Maybe they were protecting someone who was hiding out there? Whatever the answer turned out to be, he’d be sure to figure it out. And stop them, if it was a threat.
The Sadida shook her head. “No emblems, sorry. There wasn’t anything that special about these creatures, other than them being really nasty, and barely resembling any animals I’ve ever seen before.”
“Well, if they’re just beasts, they shouldn’t be much of a problem,” the Osmodas told the group, crossing her arms with a boastful smile. “After all, animals are my specialty. Whether it’s caring for them, or putting the bad ones down.”
“Should make for decent sport, at least,” the Cra boy remarked offhandedly as he expertly re-strung his bow. His Iop friend next to him just grinned, eager for a chance to prove himself.
Despite all the reassurance, Auru didn’t seem inclined to relax. Instead he walked over to the main table with a box and set it down, revealing it to be full of short-range handheld radios. “Well, let’s hope everything goes as smoothly as you think. I’ll be here as usual, in case anything else comes up. If things go south -not saying they will, mind, but just in case- just call with the walkie-talkies. This is the best way in…” He put a hand on the table and tapped at the hand-drawn map of Twilight Town, highlighting the nearest entrance to the Underground Concourse with his index finger. “Right then, no time to waste, kids. Hop to it!”
Every headed for the door, quickly making their way through the Barracks’ courtyard of training dummies and practice equipment to Market Street beyond. Even the nearest entrance to the Underground Concourse was a little off the beaten path, a fact not lost on the more competitive members of the militia. “No time to waste, eh?” the Sram smirked, his expression hidden by his mask. “How about a free-running race then? Loser takes point!”
The Iop’s eyes glowed in anticipation. “Oh yeah, bonehead? You’re on!”
“Like you don’t always end up taking point, anyway…” the Cra muttered, rolling his eyes.
“You boys better watch out!” the Osmodas warned them as she stepped up to the makeshift starting line. “I’ve been working on my whip technique. I’ll be swinging around so fast, you won’t know what you’re looking at!”
“Oh yeah?” asked Roxas as he crouched down at the starting line, “I know this town like the back of my hand. Every alley and every backstreet. Try not to get lost on the way!” he glanced back and forth between his teammates, “Ready… GO!” and he sprang forward in a full sprint.
The race was on! To start with, Roxas sprinted out ahead a bit before suddenly ducking between two shop buildings. He jumped toward the wall of the shop he faced and then pushed himself up and toward the opposite wall. Then he repeated that process in order to get himself up onto the roof of the first shop. But he didn’t slow down, Roxas instead kept running on forwards. When he reached the edge of the roof he simply made a big leap to the roof across the way and kept right on going. When the next rooftop looked too far to simply jump to, Roxas instead made a jump for a nearby power line cable and just let his momentum slide him forward until he was close enough to drop down to the next rooftop.
Osmodas may have had her whip and Sram had his agility but Roxas had tricks of his own. His knowledge of Twilight Town’s layout and a certain talent for just being able to reach seemingly unreachable places all while remaining in a good flow of fluid momentum. And that was currently getting him by at the moment. And then he heard the Tram approaching as he neared its rail. The Tram’s route would more or less get him in the direction he was heading. And so he made for the edge of the roof he was currently running on and leaped off the side. When he hit the roof of the Tram, he paused to let it carry him forwards. He even turned around and gave a sheepish wave to anyone who was still lagging behind him at this point. The Iop, having run at full tilt along the street, could only gasp for breath with his hands on his knees as he watched his ticket to victory roll away.
Roxas let the Tram carry him a short distance, hopping off just before it would be going up to the Sunset Terrace. As soon his feet hit the pavement he was off in a run again. This time he made a b-line for a nearby tunnel entrance into the Underground Concourse. Unlike earlier he didn’t look to see if anyone was near, deciding instead to keep his focus forward. These tunnels were almost like a maze and were incredibly easy to get lost in. Even if Roxas had gotten here first, if he wasn’t careful someone else could pass him up and beat him to the tunnel without them even noticing each other.
But Roxas had some memories of exploring these tunnels with his good friend Pence. That felt like ages ago, and he knew that that Pence and Twilight Town were the virtual ones, but the memory still felt real even to this day. And despite it being virtual, Ansem had been very meticulous in it’s design and had made it as 100% accurate as possible. That could give Roxas a slight edge here, if meant he was less likely to get turned around. Eventually he started to notice patches of green here and there. That had to be the “Creep” that Sadidas had mentioned. Great! That essentially gave Roxas a visual confirmation of where he should be going. From that point it was a matter of following where the mossy stuff led.
“Ha… ha… ha…” Roxas breathed heavily as he slowed to a stop. He was pretty sure he made it to the right place, but now he needed to figure out if anyone had beaten him here.
After a few moments, the sound of a heated argument reached him through the miniature labyrinth of the Concourse. “...Should have known you had something up your sleeve when you suggested it!” he heard the Osmodas saying. “How were you sliding across those rails?”
“Heheh, I thought you were happy with your whip?” came the smug, raspy voice of the Sram. “Maybe I’ll tell you…over lunch?”
“In your dreams!”
A loud, hearty panting announced the presence of the Iop, whose red face Roxas could practically picture. “No way, you three beat me?”
“...I’m surprised you got here this fast, just barreling through the streets.” Over this distance, the low tone of the Cra was nearly inaudible.
“Well, I…aha, there you are! At least I beat Leafy! And Roxas, too! Hah”
“I wasn’t racing, silly!” the green-haired girl laughed. “Don’t know about Roxas though, I didn’t see him. C’mon, this way!”
The Iop’s heavy footfalls echoed through the underground corridors. “I saw him ridin’ on the Tram. But he’s not here, is he?”
“Wouldn’t be so sure,” the Cra muttered.
Sure enough, the archer had the right idea. After a few moments the five turned a corner to find Roxas waiting for them. “Augh,” the Sram groaned. “Shoulda known…”
“Maybe he snuck by you while you were showboating,” the Osmodas teased, nudging the rogue in the ribs.
“Hehe… told ya I knew all the shortcuts.” he said with a victorious grin.
“Well, this is definitely the spot.” The Sadida put her hands on her hips as she surveyed the chamber. “It’s definitely grown a bit more, too. Gross…”
With a grunt the Iop crouched at the edge of the creep. “This stuff?” After just one whiff he balked, his expression one of disgust. “Ugh, it reeks!”
Roxas took a sniff himself and then quickly pinched his nose shut, “You’re telling me!”
“We’ll just have to deal with it,” decided the Cra, nocking an arrow to his bow. “Is everyone ready?”
“Yeah, let’s get this over with.” The Sram waited for the Iop to stand up before pushing him forward onto the Creep. “After you, Whites.”
With a sigh the paladin readied his sword, and started across the squishy, pulpy mess of biomass toward the tunnel. It looked wide enough for two militia members to stand beside one another comfortably, and though a blessing that discovery also begged one question: just what sort of monster needed a tunnel that large to begin with? While the underground Concourse featured its own serviceable illumination, this tunnel was dark, far too dark for the light of the Iop’s eyes alone to get him through. “Hey, anyone got a light? Can’t see the way through.”
Roxas did not, in fact, have a light. Or did he? He gave it some thought and said, “Lemme try something.” and held out a hand. With a flick of the wrist, the white Keyblade known as Oathkeeper appeared in a small flash of light. He pointed the weapon forward with both hands, aiming it down the dark tunnel. A thin beam of light shot from the tip of the weapon and arced down the tunnel. Unfortunately it wasn’t a permanent light, but Iop would at least get a brief glimpse of what was ahead, “Well? Spot anything?”
“No monsters,” the sharp-eyed Cra reported. “Just watch your footing, and we’re good to proceed.”
Carefully the group proceeded down the tunnel, keeping noise to a minimum. The Sram had already faded into the shadows, his presence undetectable even by his allies, which left the other five to feel their way through. The Sadida produced her little mushroom lantern that she used to navigate this path before, and alongside the Iop they led the way. Gradually traces of orange bioluminescence shone through the tunnel, telling the fighters that they were getting close, and after another few moments the main cave opened up.
The Sadida’s report turned out to be accurate, although it didn’t quite do the scene justice. True to her word, the entire cavern had been overgrown by the creep, every formation and stalactite festering with meaty moss, orange pustules, and the occasional tentacle armored by blue chitin. At the center of the mess hung a big, fleshy node, suspended by the tendrils that anchored it to the ceiling, which pumped like a freakish, oversized heart. In here the air itself was humid, hot, and heavy, as well as terribly rank, and the newcomers would doubtlessly be sweating before long. It was as if the militia had reached the innermost cavity of some giant organism, and like any organism, it featured plenty of self-defense systems.
Throughout the cave they could see a number of dog-sized Skulks, nasty creatures with bladed legs and rows of grinding fangs. Less common, about four in number, were the more sturdily built Gorges, capable of vomiting up the seeds of new growths. In nooks and crannies perches six or seven Lerks, ready to swoop down and fly at any threats. The worst and easily most upsetting creature, however, was a pale-skinned mutant humanoid, the Scout, with a head covered in tubes. From those tubes extended a web of long feelers, blindly groping for any signs of an intruder as it wandered around the cave.
“Whoa…” said Roxas in a hushed tone, “This is all just living here under Town?” this was a weird assortment of creatures, and that was saying something considering what he was used to seeing. He went ahead and summoned both his Keyblades, but held off on going into action just yet. Instead he looked around at his teammates with consideration, “Any ideas on how we should approach this?” he asked.
Dark monsters hunting for Hearts. Nobodies trying to incite Heartless attacks. Summoning a fortress maze in the middle of a barren wasteland. Those were all things he had seen before. And yet somehow none of that compared to these things. That one with the tubes was the most unsettling one of all. It was like they may as well have just stepped out onto the surface of an alien planet.
Come on, Roxas. Don’t freak out now! He thought to himself. You’ve got a job to do.
@mattmanganon Yup, it's the Nick Cage movie. Lol
<Snipped quote by Double>
Sure thing, I'll PM you in short order. And I can understand where you're coming from with Majima, but hey, maybe someday. We're all just trying our best to capture our characters, and there's always bound to be some discrepancies. I mentioned...uh, somewhere, in the OP that minor reinterpretations of characters are fine. Looking forward to working with you!
Thank you, and same.
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