come on guys its obvious kairis grandmother is aqua and ven is soras dad.
Celio Got'Em while the Gettin's Good.
You already know, but in~ Excited to see what you do with that! I'll wait until you finish the form before officially accepting whichever version of Poke you're using~
After reading the wiki, Celio decided that joining the others in the Limit was the best use of his own power. So he Got'em. Celio joined Get'em!
My guess would be the system it's originally on. PS1 games get remade/rereleased PS2 games get remastered. I don't know much about the video game industry, tbh, but a remastered PS2 game can pass for a visually inferior (though slightly?) PS3/PS4 game, but a PS1 game would have to be remade entirely.
"Yes!" called out Celio as he realized the progress they were making. There might be hope yet if they keep up the assault....aaannnnnd people were locked away again. Groaning disapprovingly at the evil woman's abilities, Celio aimed his weapon at the nearest chest to free a comrade. Celio freed Steel! (sorry, at work).
Link to Main Thread In this Crossover RP, there was a massive war between the forces of evil and the forces of good called the War of All Things. Before the War, a being named Smithy tried to take over the Mushroom Kingdom but was stopped by (Super) Mario and his friends, who were helped by a "star sprite" named Geno. After being defeated, Smithy was able to power-up and traveled through different universes, worlds, and dimensions in order to take over everything. He was helped by many different villains from all kinds of realms. To stop him, Geno traveled to other worlds and recruited his own army made up of many different heroes. During the War of All Things, a new realm was created with an artificial planet called Star Haven. After Smithy was defeated, Geno founded an organization called "Star Warriors" and based it on Star Haven. Since many realms were lost during the war, Star Haven also became a refuge community for those who lost their realms. The Star Warriors help each other out in their respective realms as well as defend the realms from outside threats. Original Characters from other RPs are allowed with their home RP being considered an entire realm as well. Star Haven Realms Rainbow Road & Star-Gates The Villains Gang List of Realms Star Haven The world of Star Haven exists in a realm by itself. It is an artificial world, created during the War of All Things. The Star Warriors turned Star Haven into a base of operations, a home, and a sanctuary. Originally, the world was barren with only a single tower built as a headquarters, but it has since evolved into its current state. Star Haven now has a sprawling city called Hub City, built around Star Keep (the Warriors' headquarters). Around Hub City lies a massive field, covered in fields and forests, with a cavernous mountain to the north. Surrounding that is a great ocean with seemingly bottomless depths. Though there are a few islands scattered about, there is no civilization on Star Haven. Hub City has become a home for those who lost their realms in the War and a frequent hang-out for others, though many others have made their permanent home there. Keeping guard over Hub City from Star Keep is Exor, an enormous and sentient sword that defected from Smithy's army. Star Haven itself is an "evolving" world. The fields, trees, islands, and even the mountain itself formed themselves in the 3 years since Star Haven was inhabited after the War. It isn't completely rare to see the land shift and new landmasses grow from it, as if the world was alive. Originally lifeless, different creatures have appeared and grown in number throughout Star Haven. While some appear to be simple animals, others are monsters. Some seem to be original to the realm, but most are native to other worlds. How they started existing on Star Haven is a mystery, but has added a form of adventure to those who live in Hub City. The Star Warriors are often tasked with exploring the outer skirts of Star Haven, but nothing stops the other citizens of Star Haven from adventuring. Realms The different worlds and universes that make up the omniverse are divided into different "realms." Star Haven is its own realm. While realms were originally completely isolated from one another, the War of All Things weakened the walls between realms and freed up travel between them. Travel between realms can be done mostly through the Rainbow Road, a cosmic path with a glass-like multicolored surface where Star Gates --gateways to other realms-- can be opened. Many realms are alternate versions of one another, closer to each other than to other realms. It's quite common to find parallel counterparts of the same people within them but with alternate histories, personalities, and powersets. Due to the War of All Things, most realms are now aware of other realms. Several villains have tried to use the knowledge for their own evil plans, but are stopped either by the Star Warriors or the inability to easily access Rainbow Road. While most realm-specific items can work in other realms, the most powerful ones seem to work only in their home realms. Strangely enough, some abilities can't work in other realms either. The many paths of Rainbow Road connects to various realms. The area around Rainbow Road resembles outer space with stars in the distance. The roads themselves are long, maze-like, and wrap around planet-sized orbs that represent different realms. Once close enough to one of those orbs, a Star-Gate can be opened with its respective key. The gravity of Rainbow Road is unique and only specially-protected vehicles can travel it. The Star Warriors can upgrade any vehicle with "Kart Power" to allow travel on Rainbow Road. Though special technology is required to access and travel Rainbow Road, certain people have specific abilities that allow them to do it --as well as travel through realms without Star-Gates-- without help. Though Smithy's army was defeated in the War of All Things, it wasn't completely disbanded. Enough of the villains kept contact with each other. An unofficial evil version of the Star Warriors, the Villains Gang does not have the resources that the Star Warriors do. As such, they can't coordinate as well and aren't much of a threat to the omniverse. However, it is easy enough for them to become enough of a threat to singular realm. They can open a limited amount of Star-Gates using keys stolen from Star Warriors and some of them can even travel through realms by their own ability. Membership in the Villains Gang is noted by the "Bad Guy Pin" (seen above) that all members wear; the pin can also be used to communicate with each other. There is no real leader or hierarchical organization because the cliche is true: supervillains can't work together! This list will be updated with realms that are visited by the Star Warriors. Realms will not be added until someone actually visits them. Star Haven -will be added when the RP starts- Rainbow Road -will be added after RP starts- CHARACTER LIST {Will be updated with details soon} Geno (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars) - Boy Wonder Calem (Pokemon XY) - Boy Wonder Link (Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask) - Boy Wonder Terra (Final Fantasy VI) - Boy Wonder Tommy Oliver (Power Rangers) - Boy Wonder (reserved) Garcia Hotspur (Shadows of the Damned) - Boy Wonder (reserved) Dr. Robotnik (Sonic the Hedgehog) - Boy Wonder Vile (Megaman X) - Boy Wonder Captain Boomerang (Suicide Squad) - Boy Wonder (reserved) Adam Milligan (Supernatural: Acolytes of Azazel) - Boy Wonder Leo Zealot (Final Fantasy XIII: Slaves of Fate) - Boy Wonder Deus (Re: FFXIII: Slaves of Fate) - Boy Wonder Rules The basics: no godmodding, powerplaying, etc. Be civil to each other, follow all of KHV's rules, follow my rules, etc. Any "reality-bending" powers will only work in their own realms. You can have as many characters as you can reasonably handle, but you have to follow rules 3 and 4 strictly. Please try not to take all of the main characters from one franchise (all five Power Rangers from the same team, all four girls from RWBY, a whole team of Avengers, etc.). The rule is no more than half of the main characters can belong to one person. No more than 5 characters per post; let's not overwhelm each other! Characters with companions can be counted as a single character post (characters sharing a body, a Digimon tamer and his Digimon, a Link and his fairies). Characters can be from anything. Books, movies, comics, television, music, web-comics, video games, etc. Characters don't have to officially be a part of either the Star Warriors or the Villains Gang, but they can't travel realms without being one or having help from them. You are allowed to play with your characters' powers and tweak them from the canon as long as it makes some sense. For example, my Power Ranger (Tommy Oliver) can switch between his different powers (Green, White, Red, and Black) and use each of their individual powers and weapons, but can only use one at a time. Different versions of the same character are allowed as long as they're controlled by different people and are from clearly different realms. Original Characters from RPs are obviously allowed as long as they were your own OCs. You cannot (obviously) use anybody else's OCs. OCs have to be from another RP. No brand new OCs unique to this RP are allowed. No new OCs to other RPs either. As long as the OC was introduced at any point of the RP (even if you never got to post as them!), you can use them. You have to link to the RP in their character profile. OCs can be from RPs on or off KHV, as long as you can give me a link to it. For simplicity, RPs that OCs come from are considered dead realms. We will not be visiting them. Good OCs have to be living on Star Haven and can be Star Warriors. Evil OCs can be hiding out either on Star Haven or in another realm. Existing characters that you used in an RP (i.e., you used Cloud Strife from FFVII in an RP) can be used if they are different than the real versions. Their realm (the RP) is will be considered destroyed in the War of All Things. You are allowed to say the RP that your OC is from "finished" if you want to use the OC with more story, powers, etc. As in, if your OC's planned arc never finished, you can say it did before their realm was destroyed so you can use a more developed character. When posting your character form, please link to some kind of source that has info on them (original character forms/RPs for OCs, wiki pages, websites, etc.). You don't have to go into that much detail on them! You can claim characters for use later. They'll be reserved. If you go too long without using a character and somebody else wants to use them more actively, we might talk together about working something out. Otherwise, you can reserve whoever. Just remember not to overwhelm yourself and be reasonable! Character Form Username: Name: Appearance: Source: Alignment: Short Bio: Powers/Weapons:
In this Crossover RP, there was a massive war between the forces of evil and the forces of good called the War of All Things. Before the War, a being named Smithy tried to take over the Mushroom Kingdom but was stopped by (Super) Mario and his friends, who were helped by a "star sprite" named Geno. After being defeated, Smithy was able to power-up and traveled through different universes, worlds, and dimensions in order to take over everything. He was helped by many different villains from all kinds of realms. To stop him, Geno traveled to other worlds and recruited his own army made up of many different heroes. During the War of All Things, a new realm was created with an artificial planet called Star Haven. After Smithy was defeated, Geno founded an organization called "Star Warriors" and based it on Star Haven. Since many realms were lost during the war, Star Haven also became a refuge community for those who lost their realms. The Star Warriors help each other out in their respective realms as well as defend the realms from outside threats. Original Characters from other RPs are allowed with their home RP being considered an entire realm as well. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Years and years ago, a being named Smithy tried to take over the Mushroom Kingdom using the power of wish-granting stars. Though he was defeated by Super Mario, Smithy made one final wish that was inexplicably granted and gained the immense power of the dimension-crossing Culex, a multiversal Dark Knight. Using his new power, Smithy built a team of like-minded villains from many different realms and set out to conquer everything with his new army. The star sprite Geno --who was initially tasked with foiling Smithy's evil plan-- decided to follow suit and crossed his own dimensional barriers to gain allies. What followed was a brutal war across many universes known as the "War of All Things" pitting heroes and villains from all reality. Though many realms were unfortunately destroyed and many lives lost in the war, the villains were defeated and reality was safe once again. In the aftermath of the war, Geno founded "Star Warriors," an inter-dimensional organization composed of heroes from many different realms tasked with both protecting the fabric of reality and aiding each other in defending their own realities. The Star Warriors set up base on Star Haven, an artificial world created during the War of All Things by Smithy. Meanwhile, some of the villains have banded together to form the Villains Gang. It has been 3 years since the Star Warriors ended the War of All Things. Star Haven has developed into more than just a headquarters for a team of crossover heroes that protect the omniverse; it's now a refuge for those who lost their realms as well as a community that anyone can visit from any realm. Star Warriors The Star Warriors are heroes from all across reality, hailing from different realms. They initially came together to stop an evil army from conquering the entire omniverse. After the War of All Things, the Star Warriors built a base on Star Haven and became an actual organization. Together, they have three goals: 1. defend the fabric of the omniverse against threats, 2. help each other out in their own realms, and 3. give shelter to those who lost their realms. Lately, they've picked up another goal: explore the outer area of Star Haven which has been mysteriously evolving. The Star Warriors are led by Geno and accept anybody that can be considered a hero, regardless of which realm they call home. They are divided into squads for official missions, but when not actively deployed, can travel the omniverse freely as long as they follow the main Star Warriors rule: do not cause trouble in anyone else's realm. Link to OOC/Discussion Thread
"Now we're making progress," remarked Celio with a grin. He felt the warmth of another Cura and noticed how most of his compatriots were healing each other. Though he hadn't cast that spell himself yet, he was sure he knew it. However, he was still aware of the strength-boosting Aero still in effect. Realizing he was better off continuing his assault, he rushed Mizrabel another time. Celio attacked Mizrabel!
Is that a new keyblade
Celio would've said something witty, but he was too hungover so he just attacked instead. Celio attacked Mizrabel!
So second trailer is out but more importantly this edit of the trailer is out:
Celio ran around in battle, hoping Sparky could take care of himself. If anything, the little dog seemed to be taking care of others! There was something to be said about seeing someone Sparky revived immediately be knocked back down afterward, though. Feeling stronger than before, Celio forgot all about his cursed arm and continued to fight. Celio attacked Mizrabel!
"Mo-ther-F-UGH!" Awake again after another attack. Once again, a peaceful dream turned into a hellish nightmare, Celio jumped awake in a moment of heated panic, and a wave of bliss snapped back to reality. His arm surged again, but quieted itself after he re-summoned his weapon. Is that what being cured felt like, or was it the revival in general? Or was his curse marking his experience? He mumbled another thank you to the second person that revived him, and started moving towards the evil woman again. "I...am getting tired of this already," he grumbled, ducking towards the side away from the cloaked woman's direct line of vision. They were making progress....slow, painful progress. Celio looked around. He had hoped strength in numbers would make a bigger difference, but every few minutes Mizrabel easily knocked out a handful of them. Raising Heavenly Ascension, Celio stared at its wing-like tip. ''Woof!' He jerked his head. "...Sp...Sparky?" He looked around, but he didn't see the zombified dog, though he could have sworn he heard it. There was a tingle in chest, something pulling to get out... and was that an organ he was hearing...and thunder? Celio raised his key to the sky. A light erupted from its tip and rained back down as a single lightning bolt in front of Celio. Where it struck now lay Sparky, lying lifeless on his side. Celio aimed Heavenly Ascension back at the sky and a second beam-of-light-turned-lightning-bolt struck Sparky. That did it! Sparky, reanimated, jump to life and into Celio's arms. It licked him on the cheek and then ran to the unconscious fighters. It licked each on the cheek as a surge of electricity connected their body with Sparky through the bolts in his neck. After the last one, Sparky ran back to Celio, barking gleefully. His tail wagged hard. The little patchwork dog ran around the battlefield, keeping an eye on everyone. Celio Summoned Sparky! D'Daer, Glen, and Ignis were revived! (as was anyone else who is unconscious that I forgot)
Celio dreams were full of light-green skies during a rising sun as he laid in a peaceful meadow. The wind picked up, making his hair dance. He turned his head to look at the sun. It was a light orange; Celio almost thought it was smiling on him as it laid it a blanket of warmth upon his skin. And then a thicker blanket of heat. And then a heavier layer. And now his skin was on fire. The sun turned a hellish red as it shot straight to the center of the sky, screaming in agony as Celio burned. "Agh!" Then he woke, hacking and sweating as he rolled to his knees. He was surrounded by light and seeing...flowers? An aura of cool calm quickly alleviated his pain and panic. So that's what it was liked to be knocked unconscious. The last he remembered, the cloaked woman had used some sort of magic against all of the giant key wielders. So...giant key wielders = good and cloaked woman = evil (that would explain the maniacal laugh). So the magic knocked him out and someone else's magic had healed him. Celio turned to see who had done it and nodded. "...Thanks. Celio, by the way. I mean...that's me, my name." He shrugged. "Wait, magic!" Celio knew magic now! He had used some against the living shadows! He looked at the woman and raised his Heavenly Ascension (the name which he gave his weapon) to cast magic. As he readied his weapon, he noticed some of his...comrades....were locked away in chests again. Deciding against his initial plan, Celio aimed his key at the locked chest nearest him. A beam of light opened the chest, releasing its prisoner. Celio forced a smile at him. "Strength in numbers, right?" Celio Freed Beuce!
You sticking around?
FIRST Impressions? Megaman X vs Zero in a Pokémon battle. Who uses what?
"Wha-" Celio had worked his way into the castle and saw a group of people before a flash of light transported him (and the others) to a different room. Before he knew it, they were trapped and many of them were locked away in...magical chests? Life is much different now than it was a few days ago. The good news was that they had a clear enemy. Celio prepared to summon his weapon, but noticed others freeing the locked ones using their own...giant...keys...okay, whatever. This was his life now. Turning to a nearby chest, Celio had prepared to summon his own weapon, but a surge of pain rang through his arm. "Agh! What is-?" He grabbed his right arm and watched as the blue parts of his cursed skin glowed furiously. He writhed in pain and stumbled backward before being hit by Mizrabel's attack. Celio blacked out for a second. When he regained his composure, he realized someone else had opened the chest that he planned to. Cursing his curse, he stood up. He fought back the pain and swung his damned arm as his weapon, Heavenly Ascension, flashed into his grip. He aimed it forward, toward the battle. Dangling from the hilt was a small keychain in the shape of headphones, something he didn't notice before. He remembered how the princess of his kingdom had gifted him those headphones long ago. The pain in his arm subsided and the glow dulled, as if held back by his focus on his childhood friend. "Okay," he sighed, "That's a start." With that, he ran forward to join the battle and attacked. Celio Dealt 25 Damage!
...it's a shade of what?
This song's for me: A reminder of how I intend my life to be. Every word I sing is an anthem against my own hypocrisy. The air around him was thick, dark, and full of whispers. The ground below him was hard and cracked. The giant Key in his right hand was heavy before it flashed out of existence. The dog leading him was...dead. Celio had no idea what was going on... but he marched on into the darkness, the whispers behind him. ~~~~~ "Look, there he goes," "He's the one, you know. The king's daughter, the princess?" "How dare he show his face! I would never-""Well, what proof did they have?" "I'd lock him up, proof be damned!""Tsk. What a coward."Celio walked through the market, blue eyes locked ahead. Though he avoided the stares, he could feel them. His headphones, a gift from the late princess, wrapped around his neck. They could block out the whispers all around him...but he deserved to hear them. He deserved the disdain. ~~~~~ He was falling. Sinking. Drowning. Fading. He was surrounded by nothingness....no, not nothingness...it was darkness. Though he could barely breathe, Celio opened his eyes. He was descending towards a large, multi-colored platform adorned with the image of a beautiful woman. His body rolled and he floated onto it, landing gently on his feet. He could tell by the sound of impact that he was standing on glass. The rest of the silence...was eerie. So much to do, so little time.... Celio looked around, tracking the voice, but...did he really hear it? The words were just... there. Take your time. Don't be afraid. He tried to speak out, but...he was silent. The door is still shut. Now, step forward. Can you do it?" Celio smirked, raised his right hand to his brush his hair away from his eyes, and took a step. ~~~~~ "Woof!" Celio snapped out of his trance as the stitched-together dog barked. It stopped; its tails wagging ferociously at Celio. "You are..." the platinum-haired youth stopped, his eyes on the tail lying on the ground. "...a mess," he sighed. He leaned forward, picked up the tail, and reapplied it onto Sparky. How he knew the dog's name, he didn't know. It simply came to him, as the dog did. "Now come on. Where are you taking m-" "GRRR" Celio jerked upright. Shadows were coming into focus around him. Actual, living shadows. "You gotta give me a break sometime," he growled as his weapon appeared in a flash of light. He felt a surge of pain in his arm, but readied himself for battle. ~~~~~ Power sleeps within you if you give it form. It will give you strength. Choose well. He stood in the center of the pedestals as he studied each weapon. A sword, a spear, a staff, and a shield. He picked each one up slowly and could 'hear' a description of each path. He fancied himself a warrior once, back home in the Paradise Kingdom, but now? They knew him as a coward, not a hero. He tried the shield, but felt sick at the words. The staff was placed back almost immediately; his sense of wonder caused him to lose her. But the spear... The power of the Hunter. Agile and bold. A spear of nimble prowess. Is this the power you seek? A hunter of what? He held the spear tightly and remembered...remembered what took her from him. It was the thing that caused him to be shunned. It was the source of his anguish. It was the reason she was gone. He tried to save her at first, but it was too quick. A hunter of that, he decided. He made his selection and the spear disappeared. Your path is set. Now, what will give you up in exchange? That was easy. Without any hesitation, he gave up the shield. He was not a guardian. He couldn't defend shit. ~~~~~ "WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!" The king yelled. Paradise Kingdom's court sat in silence as the king rose to his feet. Celio was surrounded by knights, the same order of knights he had aspired to join. Celio's eyes were on the floor as he answered, "I...I t-told you. She just...disappeared." He was shaking with fear, shame, and exhaustion. The king took a step forward and glared at the commander of the knights. The armored warrior repeated that nothing was in the cave save for Celio's unconscious and bruised body. No monster...and no princess. Another step forward. "You...you were her best friend! She left with you and now..." The usually-stern voice cracked. "And you give me stories of some...monster?! With no proof and no other witnesses?" "I'm telling the truth-" "THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE AND MY DAUGHTER IS GONE?! Did you..." now the king was shaking, "did you not once swear to defend her with your life?" ~~~~~ As the last living shadow fell to his weapon, Celio heard Sparky bark. The dog was already running further into the darkness, leaving him behind. "Hey!" He called out, lamenting his lack of a breather and followed Sparky. He turned around a corner and stopped; Sparky was nowhere around. "...Sparky? Here, boy," he called out quietly. He raised his voice and called out again, but there was no answer. He sighed. "Great." ~~~~~ You've chosen the power of the Hunter. You've given up the power of the guardian. Is this the form you choose? He nodded immediately. The glass around him started to shatter at the edges. Celio panicked, but there was nowhere to run. Once again, he was falling into the enveloping darkness. No, there was a light below him! Like previously, he was now standing on another beautiful piece of glass, this one with a different face on it. In his hand appeared the spear he chose in a flash of twinkling light You've gained the power to fight. Round shadows circled around him and gathered at the center. There will be times you have to fight. Celio readied his spear, gripping it with both hands. Out of the shadows rose small, yellow-eyed creatures. Keep your light burning strong. They lunged. So did he. ~~~~~ After several minutes of walking, Celio finally gave up. He let out a prolonged sigh and fell onto his rear and then onto his back. Closing his eyes for only a moment, he wondered if anybody back home missed him. "ERF?" "Wha!" He jumped up and saw Sparky sitting in front of him with a cocked head. "Where in the world did you come-" "AR-WOOF!" And the dog was off again. "Wait, you dead, piece of-" grumbled Celio as he ran after his companion. ~~~~~ "Why did you talk me into this!?" Celio demanded as strange creature leaped over him, blocking his exit. It was twice his size and his eyes were set on his companion. She backed away, shaking as if those glaring eyes had a physical touch on her skin. "I just wanted to see what was down here! What is that thing?!" "That, Princess, is a very good question," Celio remarked, his homemade sword trembling. The hand holding it was bleeding from when the monster scratched him. He looked down for a moment, seeing the blood run down his fair-colored skin. "Next time you find some dark cave, drag along one of your actual knights, huh?" "Well, forgive m-AHH!" ~~~~~ WHACK. WHACK. STAB. The last creature of darkness faded into nothingness. Celio stood straight. Maybe he would be able to- Behind you! He spun, spear out, and thrust. His spear tip breaking through pure black as the creature disappeared. Once again in silence, Celio contemplated his situation. This felt...like a dream. Of course. It had to be a dream. Some just and divine punishment for his failure and cowardice where he was forced to fight living darkness in perpetual silence, some small thread of power dangling in front of him, giving him false hope. The glass below him was swallowed in darkness. By the time he noticed, Celio was sinking and unable to breathe. Darkness took everything. Again. ~~~~~ "Hold up! Where are you *huff* taking me?!" Celio yelled at Sparky as he tried to catch up to him. 'How can something run so fast when his legs are barely hanging on?!' As they ran, more and more creatures of darkness attacked. Groaning, Celio summoned his weapon and started swinging as he ran, trying not to lose his guide. ~~~~~ Celio opened his eyes. He found himself on a new platform. In its center? A large, gray door with nothing behind it. With no real reason, he walked toward it. As he reached it, it opened without help, revealing blinding light. Celio stepped in. As his vision focused, Celio gasped. He was back in Paradise Kingdom! Standing on a red carpet in the middle of a large, golden floor with a throne in front of him. The king's court. Sitting on his throne was the king itself. Celio swallowed and turned. The princess was behind him, as if guarding the door. A strange smile on her face. She wasn't real. He knew. It was this damned dream. First, tell me more about yourself. He turned back and walked to the king. The king met his gaze, but Celio saw nothing in his eyes. The king spoke, neither in his official regal tone nor the friendly one Celio knew from childhood. "What are you so afraid of?" The words weren't his. How would Celio answer? He couldn't spea- "Being a failure." The words escaped his mouth without warning. The king cocked his head. "Being a failure? Is it really that scary?" Celio wondered what sense of failure the king, who had never done any wrong, had. Instead of asking, he turned and walked to the princess. His heart was heavy, but...he knew it wasn't her. She smiled. He recognized that smile. "What do you want out of life?" Unprepared for that question, he paused, but once again, "Honor and respect." The words came out without his intention, as if his heart was answering without his thought. Strangely enough, the two friends had discussed their life goals in their childhood. That was always his goal. She knew that. The princess's smile disappeared. "Honor and respect, huh?" Before he could push on, he felt a presence behind him. He turned and found himself face-to-face with himself. His own blue eyes stared back beneath his platinum hair. A pair of headphones (it was a very modern kingdom) gifted to him by the princess around his neck. Though his own sleeveless red hood was closed, his doppelgänger's was open, its golden zipper pulled down. Celio noticed it wore nothing below it whereas he had his a black shirt with a single sleeve on his right arm. He reached forward with said arm and his mirror image did the same. They touched hands. Looking down at his own, Celio could see the scar given to him by that creature on his forearm; his other self did not have that scar. "Other Celio" smirked and took his hand back before asking, "What's most important to you?" This time, no words were spoken. Celio stared at himself and thought hard, wanting to give himself the real answer. "I want...to redeem myself." The other Celio looked confused. "Is your reputation such a big deal?" ~~~~~ "You have no place in my court, Celio Nuvola," the king said as tears filled Celio's eyes. "I let you into my home as a child and raised you alongside my darling daughter. You were always there to keep her grounded and held her back from her fantasies. Now she's gone. According to you, due to some mysterious creature no one has ever seen before and which left no proof of its existence, save for the cut on your arm. You would not lie to me, Celio. I know you too well to believe otherwise. However, your story makes no sense and my daughter, the princess of Paradise is still gone. I refuse to believe you had any real part in any wrongdoing, but that only leaves one explanation: you failed to protect her. My knights found your unconscious body as if you were crawling from the cave. Did you abandon her, Celio?" Celio could barely speak between his sobs. "No, I...it was too late. It already...she was...I went to find...help." The king sighed. "No proof of any crime; I cannot punish you. However, you are no longer welcome in my court, as my ward," the king stood, dismissing Celio, "or as a knight. You will never be either. Take your leave, Celio Nuvola di Angelo." ~~~~~ Celio stood in the dream-court, his eyes were locked with his own eyes. He turned to look at the princess, the childhood friend he failed, but she was gone. He turned back to himself, but both his doppelgänger and the king behind it were gone. He was alone with the "voice" again. You're afraid of failure. You want to be honored and respected. You want to be redeemed. Your adventure begins now. As long as clouds darken the skies, your heart will not be free. He sighed, then he smirked. He looked up at the empty throne and replied to the voice. "Sounds good." The day you will open the door is both far off and very near. A blinding flash of light swallowed him. ~~~~~ Alone in the darkness once again, Celio decided against calling for Sparky. "Probably shouldn't keep giving away my position," he figured aloud. He continued to walk down the path he assumed Sparky was following, though the darkness around him made it difficult to discern what direction he was going in. He kept his weapon ready, but a stinging pain caused him to switch hands. Raising his right hand to his face, he looked at it. Though his right arm was covered in a black sleeve and he wore a fingerless glove, he could see enough of his wrist and fingers. The skin was red with the texture of muscle and his fingers ended in small claws. He turned his hand to see part of it covered in blue, not red, and glowing. The random pain surges came with a burning sensation, but it quickly faded. There was something beneath the surface of his own body...this was his curse; the punishment for his failure. ~~~~~ On glass again. The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes. Celio watched as his shadow grew and then rose from the ground. It continued to grow and grow and twist and twist until he was now facing a large, hulking figure of darkness with a heart-shaped hole at its center. But don't be afraid. Summoning his spear, Celio attacked. ~~~~~ 'This is it...I'm done.' He was on his back, sinking into darkness. He failed once again. Around him, the little shadows danced. Over him, the large one simply stared. Beneath him, the darkness was swallowing him. 'I failed...again.' He sank slowly as his breath escaped him. Though the spear of the hunter led him to victory earlier, this fight was just too much. These things...they moved like the one in the cave, the one that took her. The spear was now gone, it had disappeared when Celio realized he was going to lose and gave up. And don't forget... The voice continued to speak, as if ignoring Celio's fate. Everything started to fade away. You hold the mightiest weapon of all. A glowing light escaped from Celio's chest and started to float away as the creatures watched hungrily. 'This...this is what it did it to her!' He remembered...but it was too late. His heart was gon-"NO!!" He yelled and reached forward as he fell into the darkness, but he managed to grab the light with his right hand before he blacked out again. ~~~~~ Sparky stared at Celio, beady eyes locked with blue ones. His tongue was hanging out and its tail slowly wagging as he sat there, in front of a cloud of darkness. "That's it, then?" Celio asked, stepping forward cautiously. "You're not going to run away again?" The dog simply panted. "Where are you taking me anywa-" "GR-ARF!" Sparky barked angrily. Celio spun with his weapon ready to see another creature. "Not...again," he groaned as it jumped toward him. "Stop!" He yelled and when it did so in mid-air, he swung his weapon and followed with "Thunder!" Bolts of lightning hit the creature and it disappeared. Celio turned to Sparky just in time to see the dog dive into the cloud. Sighing, he followed suit. He ran through the cloud and gasped in surprise. Before, he saw nothing but rocks and darkness. On this side of the cloud of darkness was a large castle, one bigger than his own king's. Celio looked around, but Sparky was gone again. Up ahead, he noticed a figure. ~~~~~ Celio opened his eyes slowly. He was...alive? He looked down. He was standing on glass again. In front of him was that same hulking creature from earlier, the one that grew from his own shadow, his own darkness...his dark side. The next thing he noticed was the weapon in his hand: a giant key-like object with a black and gold guard over the hilt and a similar design around the tip of the blade. The next thing he noticed? His right arm felt like it was on fire. It looked as if the skin was burned off, revealing only the red muscle underneath and it was glowing blue. Before he could think about it, he was attacked again. ~~~~~ He was victorious! The Key disappeared in a bright flash, like the spear before it, but Celio knew it was within him. the pain in his arm subsided, but its appearance remained. He pulled his sleeve down before the voice spoke again. You are one who will open the door. With that, he was dismissed and the glass shattered beneath him again and he fell into the darkness. He landed in a new land, one covered in shadows with nothing else in sight. In front of him was some sort of dog, staring lovingly at him. The parts of its body was stitched together and it bolts sticking out of its neck. It gave him a friendly bark and turned before looking back at him. "...you want me to follow you?"
