Double

World of Light

Sector 07

S.O.U. Headquarters
Luka, Xatow, | @DracoLunaris Midna | @TruthHurts22 Raz | @Yankee Pit | @Zoey Boey Sakura & Karin | @Multi_Media_Man Geralt & Zenkichi | @Archmage MC Suzie, Blazermate & Roland | @Lugubrious Goldlewis & Sandalphon

Word Count: 1,261
Level 7 Roxas: 30/70
Exp: 3
NEW EXP Balance--- 33/70

When morning came, Roxas sat up on the sofa and rubbed his eyes in grogginess. He was only just then realizing that he had passed out there on the spot last night. But at least the exhaustion was gone now. The morning at the Sumeragi Hideout went by pretty quick. In fact Roxas really only had time to eat a single piece of toast and drink a small glass of orange juice before Luka appeared. He explained that he was there to take Roxas and Raz back to the other Seekers in Sector 07, and the three of them went on a convoluted series of teleports until they were eventually dropped off on the SOU Building’s helipad.

”Thanks for the lift.” Roxas told Luka as they arrived and regrouped with the Seekers. The place wasn’t exactly a home, but it was the closest thing the Seekers had to one in this massive city. Plus it was a relief to see that everyone made it back here no worse for wear. The last time he’d seen one half of the team was when the Seekers split up after the mission at Vandelay Campus. And so he was glad that Karin, Geralt, Blazermate and everyone were all doing okay. And it also looked like someone had brought muffins.

Roxas couldn’t help himself. He’d skipped eating last night and only ate that one piece of toast back at Yuito’s hideout. So he hungrily snagged one of the unclaimed muffins that still remained and scarfed it down. While he did, he overheard Sandalphon and Goldlewis talking. He watched Sandalphon summon some screens that she used to show everyone images of a landmark tree. Something had apparently damaged it during the night while they were all asleep. And the situation only got worse from there.

The Machines were about to launch what sounded like a full-blown invasion of the city. And as everyone pointed out, most of the strongest factions had now been crippled by some means or another over the last couple of days. Did that mean that the Seekers were partially responsible for this? And who exactly was the one behind the machines anyway? Roxas couldn’t remember if they had ever figured that out yet.

But then, that’s when she appeared. Her voice was harsh and unfamiliar. But the black coat and portal of darkness she entered from were unmistakable, ”YOU!” Roxas cried, having to fight the urge to attack her on the spot. But the Nobody, whoever she was, explained a bit more about the situation - including providing the name of someone who she claimed was behind the attacks. How she knew this and whether or not she could be trusted was another matter, entirely.

When Goldlewis suggested they all get moving, Roxas appeared to be the only one who remained where he was. He was standing there staring at the hooded woman with icy-cold daggers of pure hatred, ”I’m not going anywhere.” he declared in a tone that none of the Seekers had heard him use yet. Clearly this was something that in his mind took precedence over even the crisis in Midgar, ”Not until I get some answers out of her.” he added, pointing a gloved finger straight at Xatow to really hammer home who he viewed as his enemy here.

The Nobody crossed her arms. “You’re being pretty irrational right now.”

”Oh, I’m sorry.” Roxas retorted with some venomous sarcasm, ”Were you expecting me to treat the group responsible for ruining my life and the lives of my friends with open arms and hugs? Think again! So spill it.” Roxas demanded of the Organization member, ”Who’s giving you your orders? Xemnas? Xehanort? What’s your game in all this? And don’t give me some story about how you’re trying to help. I probably know the Organization better than you do, so mind games aren’t going to get you out of this.”

“Xehanort, of course,” Xatow replied bluntly, her tone disinterested and a little bit put-upon. “Our game is the endgame, kid. We need you guys to kill Galeem so that we can fix everything.” She tilted her head slightly. “You didn’t think that beating Galeem would just turn everything back to normal, right? Like the universe is a spring that Galeem stretched out, and letting go would just snap the worlds back into place?” She shook her head. “Get real. What’s done is done. Luckily, you’ve got us to get things moving again.”

He shouldn’t have been surprised by that answer. Yet for some reason, he was. So even here, in spite of everything Sora had to go through to put the bastard down for good… He was still managing to live on and continue scheming. Even just thinking about the man and remembering all the horrible things he did made Roxas' blood run cold, ”I’m curious,” Roxas mused, ”How much do you actually know about Xehanort? I’m willing to bet you don’t know much.” he said with a shake of his head, ”But I know just about everything there is to know about him. The stuff that matters at least. So if you expect me to just trust Xehanort at his word, then you couldn’t be more wrong.”

In fact, Roxas already had at least one idea about what Xehanort was actually planning to do. But that was something he would keep to himself for the time being, ”I’ll defeat Galeem, alright. But I will NOT be some pawn in whatever game Xehanort is playing. You can tell him that if he thinks he’s gonna play puppet master with people’s lives again, he’s got another thing coming. Because when I’m finished with Galeem? He’s next.”

Xatow’s gaze lingered on him for a moment before she spoke. He couldn’t see her face within the darkness of her hood, but it was easy to imagine a bored, half-lidded expression. As long as he did what he needed to in the short term, she could care about the future later. “Okay.” She nodded her head in the direction of Midna’s portal. “Better get to it then, kid.”

Roxas hardened his expression, ”This isn’t over.” he warned. But after that he finally relented and rescinded his earlier refusal to leave. By this time, Midna had already made two trips with her portal. That meant Roxas didn’t leave until he had joined the third and final group to be transported out.

”Sorry for the hold up.” he told Midna and the remaining Seekers, ”But I couldn’t just leave it. Not without trying to get some information out of her.”

After the transport had been done, Roxas looked around himself at the place he assumed was Arahabaki. Hard to imagine such a massive area existing underneath the city. He could only imagine how difficult and complicated the architecture had to be in order for this to even be feasible. But Midna was right. It looked like Shinra was more on to them, their presence down here seeming to be suspiciously higher than anticipated. But in the end, he wouldn’t let that stop him.

”Just get me to the door we’re looking for. he told the other Seekers, ”Doesn’t matter how tight they got it locked up. My Keyblade will open it, no problem.”

Kingdom Hearts: Overwhelming Light

A Complete Anomaly

"A place to belong... Is that really so much to ask?

Name:
Tempus

Age:
18

Gender:
Male

Species:
Human

Completion Status:
Somebody, at least to his knowledge

Role in the Rebellion:
Scout/Spy

Anomaly Or Not?:
Anomaly

Homeworld:
No recollection

Weapon(s):
Chronostasis

Powers/Abilities:
Essentially a Time Mage. He specializes in the Stop, Haste, and Slow spells - while occasionally using spells like Comet and Gravity as a source of damage. While he is capable of the higher-tiered forms of these spells, the trade off is that he can't use any other types of spells. No healing, no elementals, etc. He tries to make up for this shortcoming by utilizing well-timed strikes and flourishes in conjunction with his Time spells.

Known Spells:
Haste, Slow, Stop, Gravity, Zero-Gravity
These function exactly as they do in the games.

Comet - Calls down a short rain of small meteorites that strike a single target with light/medium non-elemental damage. It's upgraded form is Meteor, which calls down a single large meteorite capable of striking multiple targets within it's area of effect for heavy non-elemental damage.

Backstory:
Tempus is a bit of an oddity, even for an anomaly. He has no recollection of the homeworld he was actually born on. Much of his early life was spent instead in Traverse Town, a world largely made up of castaways from other worlds - Tempus included. Beyond that he has spent a great of deal time hopping between worlds wherever he's needed as part of the rebellion. The impetus for his joining the rebellion came in the form of his Keyblade, that came to him for reasons he doesn't fully understand. This of course has resulted him being decently high up on the Organization's "to do" list as it were. Deep down he is also trying to search for his forgotten homeworld in the hopes of eventually filling in the blanks of his past.

Other:
Having no recollection of his actual birthplace, Traverse Town serves as the de facto "homeworld" for Tempus. But his lack of any real, tangible connection to any world he goes to seems to be the reason why he remains unaffected by the resets and time loops perpetrated by the Organization of Light. While he hasn't quite figured why his Keyblade came to him, his current theory is that it was a response to his desire to find his true homeworld.

Kingdom Hearts: Overwhelming Light

The Beginnings of a Character

Name:
Tempus

Age:
18

Gender:
Male

Species:
Human

Completion Status:
Somebody, at least to his knowledge

Role in the Rebellion:
Scout/Spy

Anomaly Or Not?:
Anomaly

Homeworld:
No recollection

Weapon(s):
Chronostasis

Powers/Abilities:
Essentially a Time Mage. He specializes in the Stop, Haste, and Slow spells - while occasionally using spells like Comet and Gravity as a source of damage. While he is capable of the higher-tiered forms of these spells, the trade off is that he can't use any other types of spells. No healing, no elementals, etc. He tries to make up for this shortcoming by utilizing well-timed strikes and flourishes in conjunction with his Time spells.

Known Spells:
Haste, Slow, Stop, Gravity, Zero-Gravity
These function exactly as they do in the games.

Comet - Calls down a short rain of small meteorites that strike a single target with light/medium non-elemental damage. It's upgraded form is Meteor, which calls down a single large meteorite capable of striking multiple targets within it's area of effect for heavy non-elemental damage.

Backstory:
Tempus is a bit of an oddity, even for an anomaly. He has no recollection of the homeworld he was actually born on. Much of his early life was spent instead in Traverse Town, a world largely made up of castaways from other worlds - Tempus included. Beyond that he has spent a great of deal time hopping between worlds wherever he's needed as part of the rebellion. The impetus for his joining the rebellion came in the form of his Keyblade, that came to him for reasons he doesn't fully understand. This of course has resulted him being decently high up on the Organization's "to do" list as it were. Deep down he is also trying to search for his forgotten homeworld in the hopes of eventually filling in the blanks of his past.

Other:
Having no recollection of his actual birthplace, Traverse Town serves as the de facto "homeworld" for Tempus. But his lack of any real, tangible connection to any world he goes to seems to be the reason why he remains unaffected by the resets and time loops perpetrated by the Organization of Light. While he hasn't quite figured why his Keyblade came to him, his current theory is that it was a response to his desire to find his true homeworld.

The "??" denote sections that I have questions about. Namely, what age-range should we be going for? And second, are we meant to be Keyblade Wielders or no?

World of Light

R & R

Suoh ~ Sumeragi Safehouse

Lili, Yuito & Hanabi | @Double Roxas | @TruthHurts22 Raz

Word Count: 2,786
Exp: +3

”Man, I’m beat…” Roxas said as he slouched onto the sofa. He tried to mentally consolidate everything that happened that day. Vandelay Campus in the morning. Beacon Hospital in the afternoon. The Other attack in the evening. Milla and Sasha’s platoons - not to mention the two Septentrians themselves. The assassination plot and Lili’s outburst. It was almost hard to believe that so many incidents and crises could happen in a city over the course of a single measly day. But it did, and the Keybearer was now just plain exhausted.

Raz took up a chair himself (one closer to Lili than not, wherever she decided to go) and, for maybe the first time since he joined the Seekers, removed his helmet. ”Not me,” he said, ”I actually do some of my best work in the span of 12 hours. In fact, I…” A yawn interrupted him, as much as he tried to stifle it. ”...maybe a little mental exhaustion.”

A can of lemonade-soda sat on the nearby coffee table, Roxas reached for it and took a good gulp of the drink. It was tasty, but in his mind he couldn’t help but have a craving for a certain something else, ”What I wouldn’t give for a sea-salt ice cream…” he mused, letting himself think of home and his missing friends.

From her sprawled-out position on one of the other couches, Hanabi chuckled wearily. “That does sound pretty good right about now. We kind of missed dinner, didn’t we?”

”Oh, uh…” Roxas sat back up with a brief jolt, having temporarily forgotten that he wasn’t alone in the hideout, ”I know it sounds kind of silly, but in a… job… I used to have, I’d hang out with my friends after a long day of missions and we’d eat sea-salt ice cream together. Guess today felt like one of those long days, ya know?”

Yuito appeared from the kitchenette, nodding. With his equipment off and his coat removed, he looked more or less like an average teenage guy. Someone who should be worrying about year-end finals before summer break rather than brain-devouring monstrosities and government conspiracies. In fact, he looked rather haunted, and not just by his near-death experience with Anima. Something was weighing on his mind, which made the brave face he put on that much more laudable.

“I’m with you there,” he said frankly. “If you guys are hungry, there are some rations in the little pantry here. Wouldn’t be a proper shelter without some. I’m heating up some stew myself.”

Hanabi sat up. “You’re a lifesaver, Yuito. I’ll put some on too.”

“I’ll get it, don’t worry,” Yuito replied, smiling warmly. There wasn’t much Hanabi could say to that, so she just averted her gaze, scratching her head as she smiled herself.

Maybe Hanabi didn’t notice it, but Roxas did. He’d gone through the same thing, after all, as did all the Seekers. And he could only imagine how many questions Yuito had, that there was no time to answer. At least… no time until now. He grabbed the can of the soda and quickly downed the rest of it. That gave him the perfect excuse to get up and go into the kitchenette. He dropped the can into the trash bin, and then he looked over at Yuito.

”It’s okay,” Roxas told him with a knowing expression, ”I was confused at first, too. We all were.” And so rather than immediately return to the couch he remained behind in the kitchenette so he could have a much-needed conversation with Yuito, ”Ask me anything, and I’ll tell you what I know.”

”And you, Lili,” Raz added, getting onto his knees in his seat so he could look over the back of his chair. ”Me and Roxas had a lot of time to get used to the whole, uhh, fake-world-mind-control stuff, and the two of you-” he nodded between Lili and Yuito, ”-kinda came into it at a really hectic time.” He nervously rubbed his cheek, side-eyeing Lili. ”Uh. Sorry about that, by the way. How I handled… that.”

Lili shrugged. “Just…ugh, don’t worry about it. We’re all in way over our heads.”

Yuito glanced over at Raz, then back to Roxas. His expression made his concern clear, as well as his relief now that he could get it off his chest. “It’s definitely an awful lot to take in. It doesn’t seem real. But the more I saw of Suoh since that moment, the more I realized just how unlike the Suoh I know it was.” He shook his head helplessly. “Everything’s jumbled up. Beyond recognition. How did this happen? More importantly, is there anything we can do about it?” He looked over at Hanabi, who was only half-following the conversation. “And…is there anything we can do for Hanabi?” He shifted his target of address to her. “I tried talking to you about it, but I don’t think you really understood.”

While she might have taken offense to this, Hanabi seemed more worried and self-conscious instead. “I-I’m sorry, uh, what didn’t I understand? Maybe I, uh, wasn’t paying attention or…or something, it’s been a long day after all, hehe…”

”Weeell… there's technically something we could do…

Roxas gulped, knowing exactly what was coming. And it would be the sixth time today that he had done this. But as far as the Nobody was concerned, saying “No” wasn’t an option, ”He’s right, there is.” He said in a hushed voice, ”It’s not easy, though. So we should only do it if you’re absolutely sure you want to.” After this Roxas started to feel like he probably owed Yuito more of an explanation.

”The way I helped you in Beacon Hospital,” Roxas then said after a brief pause, ”was by using this.” he produced a pink Friend Heart in his hand for Yuito to see, ”It’s called a Friend Heart. Anyone can learn to use them. You can throw it into someone who you want to free, and it’ll do just that.” After this he closed his hand into a fist to cancel out the Friend Heart, ”But there’s a catch. It only works on someone who’s been weakened or tired out first. But on the plus side, it fully heals and restores the person you use it on in addition to freeing them.”

Roxas paused for a moment to give Yuito a chance to process the information before continuing, ”Since you already had your soul sucked out of you by that monster in the hospital, I used one on you hoping it would restore your soul.” He paused again, then summoned Oathkeeper in his hand, ”But Friend Hearts aren’t the only method we have. My Keyblades have the power to free someone as well, and they don’t even have to be weakened first. But…” Another pause, but this prospect having a catch of its own shouldn’t have been all that surprising for the Psych-OSF soldier, ”...the thing that influences people - Galeem. It’ll make them resist and try to fight back. So it’s only practical if the person is restrained first.”

With a look of utmost solemnity on his face, Yuito absorbed everything Roxas had to say. Hanabi listened as well, her manner no less serious. While she couldn’t understand anything about Galeem, she could gather that something had happened to her -possibly in Beacon- that needed to be taken care of. The girl might not be sure what she needed to be freed from, but being free was always better than the alternative. Still, Yuito looked her way with a pained expression. “I don’t want anyone to hurt her,” he said. “So…let’s go with the second method. I’ll find a way to keep her still.”

Hanabi seemed a little shaky. “I’m really not sure what’s going on. I’m kind of scared, to be honest. But I trust you guys, and…I trust you, Yuito. Whatever’s happening, if you believe it’s for my own good, then so do I.”

Yuito took a deep breath. Then he smiled. “I know you do. You’ve always been there for me, Hanabi. Ever since we were little. My dad and my brother were always so distant, but you and Nagi made me feel like I wasn’t alone. You’re both my dearest friends. But that’s not all you are.”

Hanabi’s eyes went wide. “Not…all?” Yuito moved toward her, then wrapped his arms around her in a hug and pulled her close. In an instant Hanabi went beet-red, her face only inches from Yuito’s. She averted her gaze, so nervous that she couldn’t bear to meet Yuito’s eyes, but as he leaned closer she couldn’t look away any longer. Their lips met in a long-overdue kiss, so close that for that moment, there was nothing in the world but one another.

Raz chuckled nervously, hopping over the back of the chair, whispering to Lili, ”I, uh, didn’t know that was an option before.”

Clutching the hilt of the Keyblade, Roxas took a tentative step forward. It didn’t feel quite right to interrupt a moment like this. But this was what Yuito and Hanabi both seemed to want, and so Roxas obliged them. May my Heart be my guiding key. He tightened his grip on Oathkeeper, and held his breath for a hesitant moment.

Then he lunged.

The Nobody plunged the tip of the white Keyblade into Hanabi’s back. To any normal onlooker this would look like some kind of heinous attempt at murder. But thankfully everyone in the room knew better. The blade produced the searing white light from its tip that had become so characteristic of the technique being used. The Keyblade Purge was a power Roxas had admittedly only recently learned about. Within the last three or so days to be exact. And yet with each time he used it, he unmistakably felt like he understood it more and more.

Such as how to strengthen his footing for example. Roxas planted his feet on the floor and leaned forward into his apparent attack. Such a stance kept him from being pushed back by the resistance he inevitably knew was coming. And that was when the scream came from Hanabi. Roxas had failed to mention this particular aspect of the procedure to Yuito, and wondered for a moment whether he would falter and change his mind about proceeding. But the soldier appeared to be standing his ground and tightening his hold on Hanabi’s body. It looked like he was going to see this through after all.

Roxas grunted and breathed through gritted teeth as he pressed forward. Each inch seemingly increased the intensity of both Hanabi’s internal resistance, but to her credit the poor girl held as strong as she could, squeezing Yuito tighter as she fought through the pain. As usual, Roxas swore he could hear something else screaming from somewhere deep inside Hanabi. He wasn’t certain, but his guess was that this was Galeem. Or whatever aspect of Galeem that controlled people anyway. In some ways this was almost like an exorcism of sorts.

”Get! OUT!” Came the shout from Roxas, as if he was struggling against whatever had its hold on Hanabi. But the Keybearer stood his ground, and with enough exertion he finally twisted his weapon from its original vertical angle to a horizontal. It rather looked like a key being forcibly turned in order to open a particularly stubborn lock. But when he did this, both he and Hanabi became washed over by a blinding flash of radiant light. When that brightness cleared, it left Hanabi no worse for wear and - more importantly - freed.

She and Yuito broke apart. They both looked exhausted, and more than a little shaken up -either by the power of the purge or being used as a live stress ball- but they were okay. Against all odds, their strategy had worked wonders. As much as the purge shook Hanabi to her very core, her mind had been elsewhere–in a sanctuary of long-awaited happiness. Even now, she and Yuito were smiling.

”Hah… did you… see how her colors changed?” Roxas asked Yuito and Lili between heavy breaths, ”That’s how you know she’s been freed. Anyone… under Galeem’s influence… will look like she did. All muted… with glowing red eyes, and all.” Roxas stumbled over to the sofa and let himself collapse on it. This, he knew, would also happen. As much as he felt like he was getting the hang of the Keyblade Purge, using it this many times in succession was still going to take its toll.

”By the way…” Roxas said, now laying on the sofa with one arm lazily hanging over the edge, ”...there’s actually a third way to free people that we didn’t mention earlier: Defeating the area Guardian. If we do that, everyone in the region will be freed all at once. So that would mean all of Midgar, and probably Gutsford too I’ll bet. That’s why Raz and I came to Midgar with the rest of our friends.”

Both soldiers gave him a grateful smile. “We’ll think about all that in the morning,” Yuito told him. “We all need rest, you most of all. For now, just take it easy.” He took Hanabi by the hand. “As messed-up as things are, we can still make everything right, I know we can. It’ll be a long journey, but we’ll get there. One step at a time.”

Having just watched the Keyblade-based awakening, since he missed out on it when he and Roxas had tried to do it with Lili, Raz walked over to the couch. ”Sorry if it’s a bad time to ask if you’re too beat after doing that, but in the spirit of… team cohesion? I was wondering what you’re doing exactly, when it comes to freeing people like her and Lili?” He gestured to the hand Roxas usually held his keyblade with. ”And what’s with the giant key?”

”It’s called a Keyblade.” Roxas answered, ”It… um… huh, come to think of it, I have no idea where they originated from actually.” He mused, then continued after a pause, ”But I do know they’re a special weapon that only certain people with strong enough Hearts can summon. Where I come from we had these monsters called Heartless that come from the darkness in people’s hearts. The Keyblade is the only weapon capable of permanently destroying a Heartless. They’ve got other powers too. Like opening any lock. Or sealing the entrances to the Realm of Darkness where the Heartless come from.”

He thought for a moment and then added, ”And apparently they can free people from Galeem’s control. Admittedly I had no idea they could do that until after I joined up with you guys at Twilight Town. Remember when I freed Benedict when we fought him on the way here? That was the first time I ever discovered I could do it. I’ve just been… playing it by ear ever since, I guess.”

By this point Yuito and Hanabi had gone to actually eat the simple meal that Yuito had prepared. Once they finished the fold-out cots in the exercise room were where they’d sleep for the night, but neither of them could fault Roxas if he elected to pass out on the couch where he lay.

”The darkness in people’s hearts,” Raz repeated, musing. He hoped for something more, you know, informative, though he couldn’t fault Roxas for not being a Keyblade scholar anymore than he could fault himself for not being a brain surgeon. It was a little hard to wrap his mind around - it felt much more ‘magic’ than anything Raz was familiar with. But it’d been a long day, and he didn’t want to hold Roxas up with a round of 20 Questions.

It wasn’t like he could learn everything there was to know about Roxas’s home in just two days, the canonical length of time they’ve been together, after all.

”You did good today, Roxas,” Raz added, trying to leverage the slightly longer time he’d been a Seeker as enough seniority to make that call. ”And before I forget… thanks.” He left the Keyblader and moved back to Lili. ”Hey, how’re you feeling?”

Roxas offered no further responses, as he was now out like a lightbulb. To be honest this was a long time coming. He’d been running on fumes for a while now and had officially reached the point of no longer being able to stay awake. So there he lay on that sofa, finally getting that much deserved sleep after a long, LONG day.

Kingdom Hearts: Overwhelming Light

The Anomaly concept intrigues me.

Kingdom Hearts: Overwhelming Light

I have what is probably an unhealthy degree of loyalty to the KH franchise. So here I am!

World of Light

The Under ~ Mercy Dreams

Word Count: 1,144
Level 5 Ganondorf: 46/50
Exp: 2
NEW EXP Balance--- 48/50

More mind flayers, essentially the same as the ones that inhabited the cathedral up on the surface level. At least they looked that way to Ganondorf. It was all the same to him really. It just meant he already had a decent idea of how to take these squid-faces down. To that end he decided to forgo his twin blades for the time being. He recalled that these things fired soul rays as a ranged attack and decided it was better to use the Ikana Shield as a means to block those rays long enough for him to close the distance and put himself in striking range. Once this was done he cut down whatever mind flayers he could, utilizing the white sword in combination with his Ikana Shield.

When at last it seemed the mind flayers had been dealt with, Ganondorf sheathed the white sword and once again hung the shield up onto his back. When the Koopa Troop were beginning to make their way back into the area Ganondorf had entered from, he moved to follow them. But he stopped in his tracks when he heard something.

”...ster!”

It sounded faint, barely audible. Ganondorf turned his focus back toward the deeper sections of the prison and practically had to strain himself to make out what he was hearing.

”Master!”

And without sending any kind of message or signal to the Koopas, the Gerudo King began to silently make his way deeper into the prison, rather than follow his allies. He kept listening intently for whatever it was that was calling. ”Master!” He would occasionally hear the faint cry, ”I am here, Master!” As Ganondorf ventured deeper into Mercy Dreams, he began to notice the calling voice becoming clearer bit by bit - a sign that meant he was going in the right direction.

Ganondorf found himself taking twists and turns in the prison. Occasionally he would encounter a mind flayer and have to defeat it. And each time he had to focus his senses and try to hear the voice again in order to once again pick up the trail. After a while the voice calling out to him became a bit more clear. Then, after taking a few more turns it became clearer and clearer with each step. That meant that Ganondorf had to be very close. Despite how much louder and clearer the voice got, at no point did it ever lose its distorted nature. Was this work of some kind of ghost or spirit? Ganondorf couldn’t say, but at this point he was curious enough to find out either way. Equally perplexing was how this voice seemed to know him, yet was completely unfamiliar to the Gerudo King.

At last, Ganondorf stood before the door of a cell. It was locked tight, and it didn’t look possible to break open either. Whether this was by architectural design or magical design, he didn’t know. But it seemed clear to him that whoever was calling out was beyond the door, so did that mean they were an inmate in this prison?

”Ah, my master, you are here.” Came the voice from beyond the door. What little view of the inside was obscured by shadow. It was impossible to make out any discernible figure within the cell, it seemed. ”I am your servant, of course.”

”Who are you?” Ganondorf demanded, ”You seem to know me, and yet I know nothing about you.”

”But I am your tool, your sword!” retorted the mysterious voice, ”How comes it then, that my own master does not recognize me?” There was almost a hint of lament in their tone. And then, ”Ah, what’s this? Where is your usual glorious aura, Master? Surely your power has not, dare I say it, waned?”

Ganondorf scowled despite not being face to face with whomever this is, ”You best think carefully about the next words you speak. I will not have my power questioned or challenged by a faceless wretch in a prison cell.”

”I dare not offend you, Master. Naturally.” the voice responded with assurance, ”Ah, that must be it. If both your memory and powers are not as I recall them… A great shame then that you have been reduced to this, a mere shadow of your true self.”

Ganondorf’s first instinct was to lash out and retaliate. But something they said managed to perk his ear, ”A ‘shadow’ you say?” Ganondorf glanced down at the Triforce that branded his right hand. It was indeed true that he had not yet reclaimed his full power. But this stranger seemed to be hinting at even greater power still, and that thoroughly intrigued him, ”Explain!”

”I’m afraid I can’t explain to you, for certain.” the strange voice admitted, ”But if my memory serves me, then this state you are in can only have resulted from your defeat.”

”Fool! I have suffered no defeat!” Ganondorf snapped back angrily. Clearly this wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear, ”If you know nothing then I won’t waste anymore of my time with you.” At this Ganondorf began to walk away from the cell door.

”Wait, Master!” the voice called out, ”Remember who you are! And you will surely find a way to restore what was taken from you!” but the voice received no reply from Ganondorf, who continued to walk away.

”Remember!” it echoed as it faded away.

”Hmph!” Ganondorf huffed as he continued walking, ”Defeated? I think not.” But as much as the Gerudo King denied it to himself, he couldn’t ignore what the voice had been telling him. His mind went to at least one major defeat he had suffered, Galeem. But surely that couldn’t be it! Ganondorf felt more or less as he was the day he stood against that would-be god. That strange voice seemed convinced that greater power still was sleeping somewhere deep down.

It was at that point that his mind recalled the shrine he had been in alongside Rubick. A place that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. A sensation that echoed in the voice he had been conversing with. Something about all of this made him uneasy, not that he would ever admit as such outloud. These shadows and echoes of places and people from his home world clearly seemed to hint at things that he himself had never been aware of. Just more of a mystery he would have to make a point of solving after the Galeem problem had been properly dealt with.

”Even if it is true,” Ganondorf told himself as he made his way to try and regroup with Koopa Troop, ”It just means that I have a lead on even greater power that I can claim for myself.”

World of Light

The Under ~ Mercy Dreams

@Lugubrious Nadia Fortune | @DracoLunaris Bowser and Junior | @Zoey Boey Jesse Fadon | @Archmage MC Queen Sectonia

Word Count: 577
Level 5 Ganondorf: 45/50
Exp: 1
NEW EXP Balance--- 46/50

Now that he had a moment to get a better look at it, Ganondorf could see just how big the mess was that he and Jesse made in their descent back into The Under. The big heart was every bit as disgusting up close as it appeared from a distance. And it's destruction appeared to call or stir a bunch of disgusting creatures to scurry about in the darkness of The Under. He did ponder momentarily if this was going to cause any long term problems, but ultimately shrugged it off. if it didn't, all the better. And if it did? Well, he wasn't planning to stick around long enough to find out either way.

It was after he and Jesse had actually entered into Mercy Dreams itself that the Gerudo King heard a reply from Nadia. Everyone was scattered about, it seemed, searching for their target. She also asked him to keep a low profile. Low profile? The King of Evil? Those two things didn't exactly mix well, but at least Ganondorf had the advantage of being in a place that probably had no idea who he was, so there was that. Of course, moments after that was when he saw a mind flayer come crashing through the wall and sprawl onto the ground next his feet. And she wanted him to keep a low profile?

"You might want to tell that to the overgrown turtles." He said into his link pearl in response to Nadia, "They seem to be the ones making the lion's share of noise in this place." Then he disconnected his link pearl and shook his head in exasperation. But he was in no mood to start any trouble, and so when Bowser and Jr. greeted him he offered a shrug followed by a nod.

"We took a short detour to the surface to get here, but we're fine." Ganondorf said to Bowser. And then to Jr. he said, "So there's more of those mind flayers down here?" he asked, hinting at the troubles he and Jesse had just finished dealing with up above as he retrieved his twin great swords from their scabbards, "Oh very well, let's have us some chopped calamari then, shall we?"

He stepped forward to enter through the newly made wall in order to join up with the Koopa Troop. Before he went off actually start fighting anything he looked once more at Jesse, "Are you joining us as well?"

Before any more replies could be offered, Ganondorf heard Sectonia's voice over the link pearl. Something about a treasure being guarded by a horde. That did sound very tempting, but it looked like he was already stepping into whatever mess Bowser had started. Deciding not to completely disregard Sectonia, Ganondorf instead summoned a squad of moblin spearmen and instructed them to find Sectonia and back her up. The moblins immediately marched off to follow their orders after that.

"A few of my servants on their way." He said to Sectonia over the link pearl, "I'd come myself, but I need to clean up Bowser's mess first. You know how he is."

World of Light

Above the Under - Wasteland of Buried Churches

Starring: Ganondorf (@Double)
Word Count: 2,668
Exp: 3

By now, it seemed to be late afternoon, with the shadows of early evening beginning to stretch as the sun grew low in the west. At this point, it had been days since any of the Seekers who ventured into the Chasm had seen the sun or the sky, and for Ganondorf, it had been far, far longer. In the depths of the earth it was impossible to measure night or day by the passage of celestial bodies above, so losing track of time was all too easy, allowing hours, days, weeks, even years to run together like rain in the Home of Tears. How long had it been since Ganondorf had felt the sun’s warmth? Or filled his lungs with fresh air? The air here was crisp, and a little thin. To anyone with worldly knowledge, it would be obvious that this desolate place lay at high altitude. Probably somewhere within the immense mountain range beneath which the Under existed. Around the new arrivals stretched a rugged, rocky, uneven wasteland, dotted by countless ruins of what were once glorious cathedrals and church spires. These formerly splendid edifices, erected in fervent reverence, had been laid to waste by some manner of seismic activity. Now only sad, cracked, hollow husks remained, many bowed over as if in silent penitence. No straight roads connected them, and the twisted trees that eked out a living here clutched at the unyielding heavens with leafless, finger-like branches in desperate prayer.

Click for music

And yet, something rather deific in appearance could be glimpsed on one of the lower peaks that ringed this ominous place. A huge, golden wheel, not unlike a giant coin emblazoned with a smiling face, hung in the air there. Even from this distance, a crowd of people could be seen gathered beneath it. Petitioners, maybe. They were not as much of a concern as the other wanderers in these wastes, if those wretches could even still be called people, and not shells possessed by inhuman zeal. These monsters included the Phalaris with javelins and bronze bull helmets, gruesome convicts wielding the same rocks with which they were stoned to death, beheaded shieldmaidens, and more. Most horrible were the guardainfantes, naked giants adorned with little girls in dresses, who carried as weapons the carcasses of deer.

The Gerudo King had to be careful. He could lose track of time from just standing here and drinking in the twilight skies and fresh, seemingly mountainous air. But they had somewhere they needed to be. Much as he wished he could take this opportunity to rid himself of the Under, that meant shying away from slaying the Guardian. He couldn’t do that, not if Ganondorf wanted to eventually take the fight to Galeem, anyway. Better to pick apart the being’s pets and followers in order to weaken and reduce his power before going in for the kill. If he remembered the black coated girl’s words correctly, then the Seekers needed to look for a place called Mercy Dreams. That probably meant looking for a route that leads back underground.

Ganondorf could spot a few landmarks dotting the area. They were mostly temples, or churches, probably in dilapidated ruin judging by the state of the nearest one he could see most clearly. But there was at least one that looked promising, a big one way off in the distance. Impossible to tell what state it was in from this far away, but at least it was a start. Ganondorf considered heading toward the giant golden wheel at first, thinking someone there could maybe provide information. But it was honestly hard to tell the difference between people and hostile monsters. And the last thing he was in the mood for was wading into what could be a horde of hostile enemies.

”There.” the Gerudo King said, pointing a finger in the direction of the largest cathedral looming in the distance, ”The smaller buildings are probably in ruin. And that one is big enough to be the most likely to have an entrance to the underground within it.” he reasoned. And after saying this, he took the lead and forged ahead. They had a ways to travel, and Ganondorf preferred not to be out in this rugged wasteland after dark. As such, he kept his conversations to a minimum in order to focus on keeping a good pace.

After they had gone a short distance, the Seekers found themselves accosted by two trios of stone-throwing Convicted. Jesse and Rubick were able to dispatch one trio easily enough. And as for the other one, Ganondorf needed only to summon his Moblin archers to shoot them down. So far so good, but Ganondorf wasn’t about to let himself become complicit. He had a feeling that was only the start, and things would get a little tougher the closer they got to their destination. At least that was always how it seemed to go, anyway. They continued and after a bit longer found themselves facing a headless woman wielding a sword and carrying a tall, massive tower shield that looked more like a giant slab of stone. But he stepped forward and drew his twin greatswords, prepared to deal with this enemy personally. The Shieldmaiden’s shield made it difficult to find an opening. But after trading a handful of attacks, Ganondorf parried one of her light slashes. He then crouched and spun himself into a leg sweep that managed to catch the creature by her legs. This sent her sprawling backward onto the ground, where she was also crushed under the weight of the heavy shield she had been wielding.

The next encounter some time later was against a pair of javelin wielding men with brass helmets shaped like ox heads. The Phalaris initially attacked by keeping their distance and throwing their javelins. But those were telegraphed and easily avoidable. Ganondorf drew his swords and charged forward, resulting in one of the Phalaris rolling out of the way while its compatriot had its head lopped off by a sweeping slash of the Gerudo King’s blades. Nearby, the moblins opened fire on the second Phalaris, distracting it long enough for Ganondorf to get close and impale it with both his swords, then he wound up a Warlock Punch and knocked the helmet and head of the enemy right off its shoulders. This was essentially how all battles went. Foes would approach, and Ganondorf would make short work of them usually with a hard hitting finisher. And those that he didn’t battle, were similarly dealt with by Jesse or Rubick.

As for the travel, Ganondorf was always trying to maintain a brisk pace. It was true that the Seekers were occasionally interrupted by attacking monsters, but overall they were able to make good enough time. And with the sun hanging low and just about gone, the Seekers would at least stand before the large cathedral they had been trekking toward.

”Hm, seems I was right about it being in ruins along with the rest of the buildings.” Ganondorf observed. The whole building looked aged and dilapidated. The stone brickwork looked grimy and cracked in places. And the mist that filled the area gave the place a feeling of dread and unwelcome. But the Gerudo King would not be deterred. He and Jesse had come this far, and there was no point in turning back now. There were a handful of staircases, some even leading downward into what Ganondorf assumed was the Under. But the last thing he needed was to pick the wrong route and end up in some place far away from his actual destination. And so this, he felt, wouldn’t be as simple as it seemed.

Not helping matters was the large numbers of… people - for lack of a better word - milling about around the cathedral. They looked so deathly and gaunt one would wonder if they could even be called people at all. But they didn’t appear to be the masters of this place. Instead, that role seemed to be fulfilled by other creatures. Men-like beings with octopus- or squid-like heads wrapped in what looked like robes made of tendrils or tentacles. They appeared to be the overseers, almost watching over the human-esque creatures like wardens lording over prisoners. And there was something else above all of that. Suspended by chains in one of the tall towers was a large… heart? It sort of resembled one, but it was difficult to say. But even from this distance, it was obviously a grotesque and disgusting thing to look at. Ganondorf could only imagine what someone like Sectonia would think when looking at it.

The chains the heart was suspended on looked like they connected to a series of mechanisms, the controls for which were probably scattered about in key locations, ”This gives me an idea…” Ganondorf mused to himself, then got to work. Since he wasn’t sure any of the staircases were a safe enough route to take, the Gerudo King would instead make a route of his own. And destroy that accursed-looking blight of a contraption while he was at it. And it wasn’t long before the denizens of this cathedral became aware of the intruding Seekers’ presence. When that happened the Prisoners set about to defend the area at the orders of their Mind Flayer masters. In fact several of the Prisoners started clumping together to form floating hordes with what looked like single glowing eyes that fired dangerous looking rays as a form of attack.

Ganondorf wasted no time, and immediately summoned both his Moblins and his Phantom Self as a means of bolstering his and Jesse’s numbers. The summoned minions went to work, with the Moblins managing to hold back approaching Prisoners while Phantom Ganon went to work against one of the Prisoner Hordes. Ganondorf himself soon became focused on engaging an approaching Mind Flayer, drawing his twin greatswords in preparation for battle. The Mind Flayer attempted to fire a soul ray that Ganondorf was able to side-step out of the way of. He then charged forward with his swords, but was caught by an unexpected electric attack that left the Gerudo King momentarily paralyzed. The Mind Flayer grabbed at Ganondorf with its tendrils, no doubt preparing some kind of deadly attack. But before it could execute that attack, tendrils became riddled with bullets fired from nearby. It was Jesse, using her Service Weapon to give Ganondorf enough time and cover fire to recover from the paralysis. And then the Gerudo King quickly impaled the Mind Flayer on both his blades before yanking them both out in a horizontal cross slash that left the creature dead on the ground, cleaved in two.

”My thanks.” said Ganondorf to Jesse, who was already turning her attention to providing cover fire elsewhere in the battle.

As for Ganondorf, he pressed forward, having and cleaving his way through swathes of Prisoners as he went. Eventually he came upon an old lever that he thought might be connected to that big heart. It was guarded by another Mind Flayer, but unlike the first time Ganondorf was now wary of the paralyzing electric attack and was able to avoid it this time around. Once he was in melee range, the Mind Flayer attempted a shockwave attack. This pushed Ganondorf back a few paces, but the towering Gerudo warrior would not be so easily overcome. He simply pushed forward using his immense strength and soon enough the Mind Flayer’s head was rolling on the floor. After that, he was able to force the level down. That caused a chain reaction in some of the chains, but it alone didn’t appear to get the job done, ”Then I guess I’ll just have to find another.”

Ganondorf fought his way down a corridor, this time having encountered many Prisoners and a single Prisoner Horde. The Prisoners may as well have been child’s play for him to deal with. But that Prisoner Horde kept firing its soul ray and preventing Ganondorf from finding an opening to approach it. So he enlisted some aid, and summoned one of his Strikers: Blast Hornet. The reploid took flight and used his aerial superiority to easily avoid the soul rays. He then came crashing down onto the Prisoner Horde with his Stringer Attack. It wasn’t a killshot, but it damaged the monster and kept its attention long enough for Ganondorf to come charging in with his swords. A few strokes later and the Prisoner Horde was reduced to a pile of bodies on the ground. Not long after Blast Hornet vanished, Ganondorf felt the rumble of mechanisms and could see some wavering in the chains suspending the big heart in the distance. Last he saw her, Jesse was providing cover for the Moblins. This was likely their doing, ”Good. Another one bites the dust, it seems.”

At last Ganondorf found another lever. It was guarded by two Prisoner Hordes and a Mind Flayer. Ganondorf was starting to grow tired of these games. He summoned Riptor and sent the dinosaur charging straight ahead. He then hurled his swords at the Prisoner Hordes before they could fire their soul rays. And Riptor herself was quite agile enough to dodge the single remaining ray that was fired by the Mind Flayer. Ganondorf himself was advancing immediately after, deciding that now was as good a time as any to unleash the Darkness he had been building up in his weapons. He leaped in the air and came crashing back to the ground with a Warlock Fist that unleashed an explosive wave that enveloped the two Prisoner Hordes and eviscerated them. Then he grabbed his swords and charged the Mind Flayer who was too distracted by Riptor to stop the Gerudo King from practically hacking it to pieces. Riptor vanished and Ganondorf then activated the lever.

Either that was enough or perhaps Jesse had pulled another lever elsewhere. Either way he looked up and Ganondorf could see the suspended chains giving way one after another. And in moments the big heart came crashing down from the tower. With a huge rumble and boom it impacted the ground and forcibly created a gaping pit that could serve as a suitable route back down into the Under. By this point there was too much chaos and the enemies in the area weren’t even trying to stop him. Instead many of the Prisoners were attempting to flee en masse, which would also keep the Mind Flayers busy.

Minutes later, Ganondorf was running toward the newly opened pit and made a giant leap right into it. He could even see Jesse doing the same from another angle. And while Jesse could use her levitation to slow her descent, Ganondorf had no such power. But he did have something else, and when he needed it the Phantom Familiar teleported directly to Ganondorf and he was able to grab hold of it from below it. As long he held on, the Phantom Familiar would glide him back down into the Under safely. And naturally Jesse was able to levitate herself down. And down they went. Further and further until they could no longer see any sign of the surface they had descended from. But soon they could spot it down below. From one prison, directly to another, the pair of Seekers eventually touched down and found themselves staring at the entrance to Mercy Dreams.

Ganondorf retrieved the linked pearl earring that he had been given by Primrose during their stay at Pizza Tower and he put it on his right ear. If he remembered right, he was supposed to squeeze the pearl to activate it, ”It’s Ganondorf and Jesse.” he said, sending a message to any of the Seekers who would be able to hear it, ”We were a bit detoured, but we made it to the Prison. Where is everyone?”

World of Light

Suoh

The Otherlobe

Word Count: 876
Level 7 Roxas: 25/70
Exp: 2
NEW EXP Balance--- 27/70

The face that appeared on all the monitors was completely unfamiliar to Roxas. Most of what he talked about was too. But he did say one word that stood out: Arahabaki. That was the place the Consul talked about during the aftermath of the debate. So all this traced back to the Guardian somehow? When the transmissions all ended Roxas just found himself plopped down on the floor and slumping against the nearest wall. Man, he sure was beat. If they had to fight anymore tonight then he wasn't sure he was gonna be able to be of any use to anyone. He was even too tired to talk, instead just leaving it up to Midna and Pit to put the pieces together about Arahabaki.

Nearby was Sakura, grilling Raz about what he knew about Zanotto. Once again Roxas was just too tired, his legs and feet were just too tired to get up. So instead he just leaned his head and rested it against the wall, closing his eyes. So much information to process. So many names, people, and places to mull over. And somewhere buried under all of it was the identity of whoever killed Zanotto. At least that was what Roxas had convinced himself. They had the pieces of the puzzle, they just needed to assemble it. Maybe. Probably. Ah, but Roxas was never exactly the puzzling type. Not really. That sort of thing was always handled by others around him. Well now none of them were here. And that meant he'd have to wrack his brain and figure this out himself.

"Tall, blonde, one eye red and one eye yellow. Black and red clothes, a Psych-OSF soldier. I swear I've seen him before, but I don't remember his name."

Roxas managed to overhear Raz's description, and... huh? Come to think of it, he too could swear he'd seen a guy like that before. But where? And why? Ugh, so much stuff had been happening the last few days it was so hard to keep track of it! Come on... think, Roxas! Think! The Nobody was squeezing his eyes shut trying to make himself remember.

"...ran away, turning invisible."

Roxas' eyes shot open, and he practically rocketed back up onto his tired feet, "That guy!" he suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, no doubt getting everyone's attention. "I remember now! A few days ago, when our group first got here in Suoh. Me and Raz, we met a few members from Yuito and Lili's platoons at that Sumeragi Shrine - right before we freed Lili and the Others attacked. He was there too, even showed off his power to us!" Now the Nobody was desperately snapping his gloved fingers over and over. "But what was his name? Argh, come on!" Roxas tried to recall, feeling like the name was on the tip of his tongue.

His outburst got Luka's attention. While he'd been distracted by snippets of conversation with other Seekers, mostly Pit, he now furrowed his brow and bent his mind to the task of reiterating the description given by Roxas in his head. He also replayed his memories of that first day, right before he and Arashi rescued a few members of this very group from the press. After a moment, Luka's eyebrows rose suddenly. "Wait, Kagero?" He glanced down the street, back in the direction of Musubi's. "I don't know him very well, but his power is Invisibility, and he's in the area. Or at least, Tsugumi is, and they're never far apart. It must be him!" That begged the question, though, which Luka asked as he grimaced. "But why? What did he have against Zanotto?"

"Or whoever it was," Raz reminded everyone. He'd been in the same boat as Raz, not quite able to identify the killer based on the description so far. "If it's not Zanotto's spirit, then it wasn't really Zanotto, no matter what he looked like. I mean, that's how it works, right?"

"I don't know," Roxas admitted, "But it's the best lead we've got. The only one, really." Roxas was finally feeling a tiny bit renewed, like a small second wind. Or maybe it was more like his third or fourth one by this point? Well, either way, he was done being tired and mopey. It was time to actually get something done. And then something else dawned on him.

"We're... gonna have to split up again, aren't we?" Most likely no one wanted to make or hear that suggestion. But between reaching Arahabaki and pursuing Kagero, well, that was two different objectives that needed to be looked into. "Or I guess we'll have to table Kagero for the time being and focus on Arahabaki first." Well no matter what, at least they had a clear objective for once. It was starting to feel like those were in short supply over the last couple of days, so this was almost like a refreshing change of pace in a way.