Torrin glanced over at Aria's room, hearing no signs of disturbance from it and headed over to the room next door to toss his coat on the bed. He sighed out and folded his arms, staring at the sad state of it. It was in no condition to wear right now but he had no intention of throwing it out. It was what he wore when he left home six years ago and before that it was a gift from his mother. A coat modeled after one his father used to wear ages ago. Of course, way back then he found himself swimming in it before he managed to grow into it. As he stared at it he wondered if Edna could fix it for him. Though given everything that was going on he decided to not go off and do that until everything had been settled. For now he would have to make do with something else. "But first...a shower is in order." He spoke quietly to himself. By the time he stepped out Torrin felt refreshed and better than he had felt in a long time. Of course, showering around the bandages Aria had given him was tricky but it wasn't anything a little magic couldn't help with. Torrin glanced at himself in the mirror to see that the dark circles that had begun to form under his eyes were now gone. He scratched his chin and grimaced upon closer inspection to see that his beard had started to return. "Gah..." If there was one insignificant thing he hated it was his facial hair since his hair was naturally silver and any amount of it made him look older. Thankfully, he happened to know a little trick with the Saber spell to remove that little problem. Torrin left his room after putting on his old clothes, giving another glance over at Aria's door, before leaving to see if he could find a storage room or anything of that nature where he could find a change of clothes. Considering that he felt that the Council was not fond of him, he decided against asking for any help looking around. Besides, it's not like they would mind if he swiped some unused clothes laying around. Skia shook her head. "No trick to it. I'm not the most patient person so I've woven so many spells into this thing that's practically impossible not to catch a fish. I don't see a point in playing fair with them if they have the nerve to be invisible!" Skia held the rod out towards Boreas. "Knock yourself out. Just wait until you feel a noticeable tug and reel 'em in." The master spoke casually. "Hm...how long have I been on the Council? I don't remember. Couple of years I guess. Long enough to have seen some real bad things happen." She scratched her cheek as she thought it over for a while. "Before Gero was taken from us for six whole years, things were a lot more exciting from what I've been told. Going out, saving falling worlds, enforcing the world order. That kind of thing. Lately it's just been a never ending guard duty for the castle." After what must have been hours of aimless traveling for Chrysanthemum, the monotony of wandering was broken when another keyblade glider and a person in a dark red armor rode up beside her. "I recognize that armor design anywhere. You're one of his students, aren't you?" A deep man's voice spoke to Chrys. "Traveling alone too? Well kid, you've wandered into the wrong neighborhood. The Council's going to have a field day with you. Guess I'm not showing up empty handed at all." Before the girl could speak up in protest or explain herself the armored man whipped his glider around without any hesitation and struck the girl in her chest, ripping her off her glider in a single swift action and knocking the girl out cold.
Torrin glanced over at Aria's room, hearing no signs of disturbance from it and headed over to the room next door to toss his coat on the bed. He sighed out and folded his arms, staring at the sad state of it. It was in no condition to wear right now but he had no intention of throwing it out. It was what he wore when he left home six years ago and before that it was a gift from his mother. A coat modeled after one his father used to wear ages ago. Of course, way back then he found himself swimming in it before he managed to grow into it. As he stared at it he wondered if Edna could fix it for him. Though given everything that was going on he decided to not go off and do that until everything had been settled. For now he would have to make do with something else. "But first...a shower is in order." He spoke quietly to himself. By the time he stepped out Torrin felt refreshed and better than he had felt in a long time. Of course, showering around the bandages Aria had given him was tricky but it wasn't anything a little magic couldn't help with. Torrin glanced at himself in the mirror to see that the dark circles that had begun to form under his eyes were now gone. He scratched his chin and grimaced upon closer inspection to see that his beard had started to return. "Gah..." If there was one insignificant thing he hated it was his facial hair since his hair was naturally silver and any amount of it made him look older. Thankfully, he happened to know a little trick with the Saber spell to remove that little problem. Torrin left his room after putting on his old clothes, giving another glance over at Aria's door, before leaving to see if he could find a storage room or anything of that nature where he could find a change of clothes. Considering that he felt that the Council was not fond of him, he decided against asking for any help looking around. Besides, it's not like they would mind if he swiped some unused clothes laying around.
Skia shook her head. "No trick to it. I'm not the most patient person so I've woven so many spells into this thing that's practically impossible not to catch a fish. I don't see a point in playing fair with them if they have the nerve to be invisible!" Skia held the rod out towards Boreas. "Knock yourself out. Just wait until you feel a noticeable tug and reel 'em in." The master spoke casually. "Hm...how long have I been on the Council? I don't remember. Couple of years I guess. Long enough to have seen some real bad things happen." She scratched her cheek as she thought it over for a while. "Before Gero was taken from us for six whole years, things were a lot more exciting from what I've been told. Going out, saving falling worlds, enforcing the world order. That kind of thing. Lately it's just been a never ending guard duty for the castle."
After what must have been hours of aimless traveling for Chrysanthemum, the monotony of wandering was broken when another keyblade glider and a person in a dark red armor rode up beside her. "I recognize that armor design anywhere. You're one of his students, aren't you?" A deep man's voice spoke to Chrys. "Traveling alone too? Well kid, you've wandered into the wrong neighborhood. The Council's going to have a field day with you. Guess I'm not showing up empty handed at all." Before the girl could speak up in protest or explain herself the armored man whipped his glider around without any hesitation and struck the girl in her chest, ripping her off her glider in a single swift action and knocking the girl out cold.
Torrin resisted the urge to grow angry over Qamar's words knowing that she could not have possibly have known what had gone on between him and his family. "Look...things work differently for me over there than they do for anyone else. It's complicated and it's too long of a story for me to go into right now. Right now all I want to do is get cleaned up, get a change of clothes, and come up with a better plan than fight the bad guys." He answered in exasperation. "The whole prince thing? I know you don't know any better but it's a sore subject for me." He turned to start walking away and paused for a moment, considering something she said. "Hm. I hope you find your real father. Though if you really are from Orphic Coast then the answers you're looking for are probably there. Though I wouldn't get my hopes up on finding anything there until the war is over." Torrin gave a short wave towards Qamar before heading out of the kitchen. The Light Chaser tilted his head and watched as Zeno landed right by his feet. The man shook his head and reached down to pull Zeno up by his shoulder and push the boy behind him to keep Zeno from making anymore rash actions. "Oh Chrys...and I had such high hopes for you." The Light Chaser spoke with great disappointment in his voice. He stepped forward and aura of immense power radiated from him. "If you would choose to raise your blade against me, you will fail. You know this." He took another step forward and the light emanating from him began to grow brighter and hotter until the grass burned beneath his shoes. "Despite all that has happened I will give you a chance at salvation. Lay down your blade and never return. Perhaps by our mission's end you too will come to find peace. I do not need to strike you down. A merciful punishment, is it not?"
Torrin resisted the urge to grow angry over Qamar's words knowing that she could not have possibly have known what had gone on between him and his family. "Look...things work differently for me over there than they do for anyone else. It's complicated and it's too long of a story for me to go into right now. Right now all I want to do is get cleaned up, get a change of clothes, and come up with a better plan than fight the bad guys." He answered in exasperation. "The whole prince thing? I know you don't know any better but it's a sore subject for me." He turned to start walking away and paused for a moment, considering something she said. "Hm. I hope you find your real father. Though if you really are from Orphic Coast then the answers you're looking for are probably there. Though I wouldn't get my hopes up on finding anything there until the war is over." Torrin gave a short wave towards Qamar before heading out of the kitchen.
The Light Chaser tilted his head and watched as Zeno landed right by his feet. The man shook his head and reached down to pull Zeno up by his shoulder and push the boy behind him to keep Zeno from making anymore rash actions. "Oh Chrys...and I had such high hopes for you." The Light Chaser spoke with great disappointment in his voice. He stepped forward and aura of immense power radiated from him. "If you would choose to raise your blade against me, you will fail. You know this." He took another step forward and the light emanating from him began to grow brighter and hotter until the grass burned beneath his shoes. "Despite all that has happened I will give you a chance at salvation. Lay down your blade and never return. Perhaps by our mission's end you too will come to find peace. I do not need to strike you down. A merciful punishment, is it not?"
Torrin slung his coat over his shoulder and glanced over at Qamar, glad she had not walked in sooner. "What? No. Of course I didn't ask her to do it. She's just..." Unsure of how to finish that sentence he moved on to the next point Qamar had brought up, a little surprised she wasn't aware of the situation in Orphic Coast. "It's in a bad state, that much I can say. For...I don't know...about twenty-four years now, a civil war has been going on. If you're asking about all this I guess you already know it's in the Realm of Darkness, right on the edge of it, and Boreas and I are from there." He wanted to add that he was sure Enzo was from the Realm of Darkness as well but he wasn't entirely sure just where exactly Enzo was from. Or if Enzo was even his real name. Putting aside the total mystery their newest party member was, Torrin continued, "The reasons for the war are...complicated. Easiest way to phrase it is that some people want out. Out of the Realm of Darkness and far away from the Heartless that reside there. Now since not every person from there is capable of just surviving in the Realm of Light and no one knows what the consequences of a mass exodus could do to the realms...and my people aren't too fond of the people from this realm...and the people of this realm aren't too fond of my people..." He shrugged. "The king wasn't willing to allow those people to just leave. Tensions rose. Something caused things to break and that's the basic history lesson of my home's current affairs." "As for the Night Sovereign? That's just one of the many titles people have given to the king of the Realm of Darkness. Yes, my uncle. He's a tough but good man. For as long as I've known him I've never seen him to be a cruel ruler. Strict but fair." Torrin left out the part about being a prince as he wasn't even sure if being away for so long allowed him to still be qualified to be one. Six years had passed and maybe one of his cousins had gained a keyblade in that time. He wasn't sure. He never asked Boreas. He almost didn't want to know. "Anyway...any other questions?"
Torrin slung his coat over his shoulder and glanced over at Qamar, glad she had not walked in sooner. "What? No. Of course I didn't ask her to do it. She's just..." Unsure of how to finish that sentence he moved on to the next point Qamar had brought up, a little surprised she wasn't aware of the situation in Orphic Coast. "It's in a bad state, that much I can say. For...I don't know...about twenty-four years now, a civil war has been going on. If you're asking about all this I guess you already know it's in the Realm of Darkness, right on the edge of it, and Boreas and I are from there." He wanted to add that he was sure Enzo was from the Realm of Darkness as well but he wasn't entirely sure just where exactly Enzo was from. Or if Enzo was even his real name. Putting aside the total mystery their newest party member was, Torrin continued, "The reasons for the war are...complicated. Easiest way to phrase it is that some people want out. Out of the Realm of Darkness and far away from the Heartless that reside there. Now since not every person from there is capable of just surviving in the Realm of Light and no one knows what the consequences of a mass exodus could do to the realms...and my people aren't too fond of the people from this realm...and the people of this realm aren't too fond of my people..." He shrugged. "The king wasn't willing to allow those people to just leave. Tensions rose. Something caused things to break and that's the basic history lesson of my home's current affairs." "As for the Night Sovereign? That's just one of the many titles people have given to the king of the Realm of Darkness. Yes, my uncle. He's a tough but good man. For as long as I've known him I've never seen him to be a cruel ruler. Strict but fair." Torrin left out the part about being a prince as he wasn't even sure if being away for so long allowed him to still be qualified to be one. Six years had passed and maybe one of his cousins had gained a keyblade in that time. He wasn't sure. He never asked Boreas. He almost didn't want to know. "Anyway...any other questions?"
Skia reached out and gave Boreas a firm handshake before stepping forward and casting her line into the stream. Rather than be tugged along by the current the line remained still, being held in place by some kind of magic placed on it. "You make it sound like invisible fish are weird." The woman spoke in a tone of amusement. She shrugged and stared into the stream, waiting for her catch to come. "Monotony is one way to describe it. Either way, someone's gotta bring in fresh fish to eat. Since no one else cares enough about them, it might as well be me." Skia smirked as a thought crossed her mind. "Besides. It might be fun to play catch with Selene. First time I ever did it was the first time I ever saw Varos crack a smile." "So, what brings you out here? Can't be the fish. ...Oh damn! I shouldn't have said anything! Would've been great to see the look on another person's face as they got smacked by another fish! Aw man..." Kidemonas walked in, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Shadows were under his eyes and his hair was disheveled. It was apparent he hadn't slept in some time. "Mm...what's up Ashter..." He stretched his arms out and yawned. "Oh? Qamar. You're back. Yoooouuu sly girl. What's with the long face? Be happy! My project is all done! Mm...project...sounds like potatoes doesn't it?" Aster stared at him with great concern. "What? I got sleep! A whole five minutes in five days! Woo!" He blinked at stared at Qamar for a long moment, not having even registered her question due to exhaustion. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it, looking at Aster and then Qamar before it finally clicked and the words replayed in his mind. "Orphic...Toast? Nope. Sounds yummy though. Sounds a lot like Orphic Coast though. Did you mean Coast? Silly Qamar. Stop thinking with your stomach. Hey! Orphic Coast! Isn't that where the Night Sovereign lives? Um...who do we know who's from there?" He scratched his chin. "Ah! His nephew is here isn't he? And that other guy...uh...Bore...Bory...Ah whatever." "I...clearly was unaware of how hard you've been working lately. Perhaps you should get some sleep." Aster spoke, a smile forming across her lips as she had never seen Kide like this before. "But maybe I should bring Skia in here first. She'd love to see this. Maybe Thyella too." "No! Back! I'll cut you." Kidemonas glared at Aster and pointed his finger at her. "I'm fine! Just need sleep...can I crash here? My legs don't work anymore..." "Absolutely not!" "Wow...and I thought Darksides were heartless." He scratched the back of his head and yawned again. "Mm...think my brain's working again. Just give it a second." He looked at Qamar. "Were you crying?" His eyes darted towards Aster. "Did you break my student?"
Skia reached out and gave Boreas a firm handshake before stepping forward and casting her line into the stream. Rather than be tugged along by the current the line remained still, being held in place by some kind of magic placed on it. "You make it sound like invisible fish are weird." The woman spoke in a tone of amusement. She shrugged and stared into the stream, waiting for her catch to come. "Monotony is one way to describe it. Either way, someone's gotta bring in fresh fish to eat. Since no one else cares enough about them, it might as well be me." Skia smirked as a thought crossed her mind. "Besides. It might be fun to play catch with Selene. First time I ever did it was the first time I ever saw Varos crack a smile." "So, what brings you out here? Can't be the fish. ...Oh damn! I shouldn't have said anything! Would've been great to see the look on another person's face as they got smacked by another fish! Aw man..."
Kidemonas walked in, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. Shadows were under his eyes and his hair was disheveled. It was apparent he hadn't slept in some time. "Mm...what's up Ashter..." He stretched his arms out and yawned. "Oh? Qamar. You're back. Yoooouuu sly girl. What's with the long face? Be happy! My project is all done! Mm...project...sounds like potatoes doesn't it?" Aster stared at him with great concern. "What? I got sleep! A whole five minutes in five days! Woo!" He blinked at stared at Qamar for a long moment, not having even registered her question due to exhaustion. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it, looking at Aster and then Qamar before it finally clicked and the words replayed in his mind. "Orphic...Toast? Nope. Sounds yummy though. Sounds a lot like Orphic Coast though. Did you mean Coast? Silly Qamar. Stop thinking with your stomach. Hey! Orphic Coast! Isn't that where the Night Sovereign lives? Um...who do we know who's from there?" He scratched his chin. "Ah! His nephew is here isn't he? And that other guy...uh...Bore...Bory...Ah whatever." "I...clearly was unaware of how hard you've been working lately. Perhaps you should get some sleep." Aster spoke, a smile forming across her lips as she had never seen Kide like this before. "But maybe I should bring Skia in here first. She'd love to see this. Maybe Thyella too." "No! Back! I'll cut you." Kidemonas glared at Aster and pointed his finger at her. "I'm fine! Just need sleep...can I crash here? My legs don't work anymore..." "Absolutely not!" "Wow...and I thought Darksides were heartless." He scratched the back of his head and yawned again. "Mm...think my brain's working again. Just give it a second." He looked at Qamar. "Were you crying?" His eyes darted towards Aster. "Did you break my student?"
"Don't worry about that." Torrin responded, looking at his cut. "That hurt my pride more than anything...well it hurt my body too but I've gotten cut and stabbed a lot...mm...kind of like a piece of meat. 'Cept I'm less tasty." He joked darkly. "Anyway..." Once they were inside the castle he lowered his voice to keep it from echoing about in the massive entrance hall. "You alright? You look...not...glowy." Aria smiled a bit and shook her head. "Well... I guess since the Flammie didn't eat you, you're not very tasty." She walked along-side him quietly, and then glanced at him when he asked if she was okay. More than anything she wanted to be honest, but she didn't know how much she should open up. She shrugged her shoulders, rubbing her shoulder idly. "I'm just... tired," she answered. Tired was a broad term, but she didn't know how to dive into it. "I didn't see Master Thallasa... I hope they're okay." Torrin chuckled and gave a slight nod towards Aria. "Hope she comes back. Fluffy." He headed down the hall with Aria not really intending to go anywhere except keep out of everyone's way. "The others are okay. I know they are. We saw them get out and by now I'm sure they're all getting some much needed rest." He assured Aria. "Worry about yourself for a bit. Would something sweet make you feel better? Hot chocolate? Cold chocolate? ...Chocolate...soft things?" He motioned with his fingers, pinching them together as if squishing something tiny. "Those little white things that kind of dissolve in your mouth after being soaked in the hot chocolate." "Marshmallows?" Aria asked with a chuckle. "Yeah, I guess some hot chocolate with marshmallows would work out. I can make some." "Yeah! Marshmallows." He nodded quickly. To worry about herself felt a little weird to her. She had been so focused on everyone else and the emergencies, she really didn't focus on herself... at least for long. "I didn't have any nightmares in the last world," she mentioned while they walked into the kitchen. "I had a weird dream of this... glowing light. And I heard something creepy in the background... but that dream didn't last long. It didn't make sense either." She started to pull out what was needed to make the hot chocolate, trying to keep herself busy. As they headed towards the kitchen Torrin watched Aria as she explained one of her experiences in Prydain and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hm...that's good to hear. Not the creepy bit but at least a glowing light is better than a nightmare creature that wants to hurt you." He leaned against the counter, taking a mental note of what Aria was doing to prepare before speaking again. "And the bracelet? Got any weird vibes about it so far? It lost its protective magic so...maybe when I'm back at full strength I could finally get rid of it for you." "It's not a tracker, that much I keep being told... But I still feel like the Light Chaser always knows where I'm at and what I'm doing. I feel uneasy about it..." She stared at it for a moment before she resumed back to making the hot chocolate. "I just missed you guys... It wasn't fun without all of you." "Yeah...I'm not happy about it either. You won't have to deal with it for much longer though. You can trust me on that." Torrin turned towards Aria and gave her a thumbs up. He then immediately felt awkward doing the gesture and shifted uncomfortably as he stuffed his hands back in his pockets. "Well the others missed you too I'm sure. They have known you longer." Torrin spoke, not really thinking of himself as part of the main group Aria had been a part of. Aria turned the stove on and then mixed the ingredients together in the pot. She gave Torrin a thumbs up in return. "Don't push yourself though," she said as she nodded to the gash on his side. "I know they probably did," she said as she stirred the ingredients in the pot slowly. "There was just a lot of things going on at once... and a lot of things to process." The heavy burden was coming back to Aria and she closed her eyes as she fell silent again. "Am I... going to get everyone killed?" she asked softly. "Or get everyone hurt...?" "I didn't enter into this fight for you. I protected you because those were the last words of a former master of mine but..." He spoke quietly, lowering his tone. "I...I've lost a lot of friends. It still hurts but every day it gets harder and harder to channel that blame...that hate I feel for the Light Chaser for what he took from me." He sighed and shook his head. "But I have more to fight for than just revenge. There's people I want to protect. My people. My family. My friends. There are people in these realms I care about that I refuse to lose." He looked at Aria. "I imagine that's how the others feel though. There are things here worth fighting for. Worth getting hurt for. Worth dying for. Regardless if you're involved or not." "Chrys? What's wrong? You zoned out and...are you crying? What happened?" Zeno stepped over towards Chrysanthemum, staring at the girl with confusion. "Why do we need to get out of here?" "It seems she's been sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. I am disappointed in you. The snooping about I expect from Zeno, but from you? I expected better." The Light Chaser stepped into view, his normally pristine coat covered in dust and peppered with pebbles from a ruined castle. "Master! I-I can explain!" Zeno frantically looked back at Chrys and then at his master. "No need. Chrys seems to be having second thoughts about our cause." "Master please! Tell me what's going on!" "This hardly comes as a surprise, though. Considering she has been working against us this whole time." "What!? No...that can't be true." "She aided in Aria's escape. She assisted Torrin in extracting her." The master explained, snapping his fingers to create an orb of light in his hand. The orb floated out and ballooned until it was nearly the size of Zeno's head. Within it images swirled around, images of Chrysanthemum with Torrin and Aria as she stood idly by while Torrin whisked Aria away out of Eventide Town. "No..." Zeno stepped back. "After a whole year, how is it that Torrin has escaped every encounter, every trap, that has been set for him? She helped him once. Isn't it reasonable that she's been helping him since the moment they met? Working against us, lying to us, allowing herself to side with the very darkness that will consume every world. It is my greatest mistake that I did not catch on to this treachery sooner..." The images now showed Chrys and Dentro alone together, with Chrys conjuring darkness in her hands. "Perhaps if I had...she would not have tempted Dentro to her side and he would still be with us right now." "Chrys..." Zeno shook his head in disbelief, a tear rolled down his cheek. His keyblade appeared in his hand. "Why...? I thought you were my friend... You betrayed everything that we stood for!" Zeno cried out turning against the girl and bringing his keyblade down on her.
"Don't worry about that." Torrin responded, looking at his cut. "That hurt my pride more than anything...well it hurt my body too but I've gotten cut and stabbed a lot...mm...kind of like a piece of meat. 'Cept I'm less tasty." He joked darkly. "Anyway..." Once they were inside the castle he lowered his voice to keep it from echoing about in the massive entrance hall. "You alright? You look...not...glowy." Aria smiled a bit and shook her head. "Well... I guess since the Flammie didn't eat you, you're not very tasty." She walked along-side him quietly, and then glanced at him when he asked if she was okay. More than anything she wanted to be honest, but she didn't know how much she should open up. She shrugged her shoulders, rubbing her shoulder idly. "I'm just... tired," she answered. Tired was a broad term, but she didn't know how to dive into it. "I didn't see Master Thallasa... I hope they're okay." Torrin chuckled and gave a slight nod towards Aria. "Hope she comes back. Fluffy." He headed down the hall with Aria not really intending to go anywhere except keep out of everyone's way. "The others are okay. I know they are. We saw them get out and by now I'm sure they're all getting some much needed rest." He assured Aria. "Worry about yourself for a bit. Would something sweet make you feel better? Hot chocolate? Cold chocolate? ...Chocolate...soft things?" He motioned with his fingers, pinching them together as if squishing something tiny. "Those little white things that kind of dissolve in your mouth after being soaked in the hot chocolate." "Marshmallows?" Aria asked with a chuckle. "Yeah, I guess some hot chocolate with marshmallows would work out. I can make some." "Yeah! Marshmallows." He nodded quickly. To worry about herself felt a little weird to her. She had been so focused on everyone else and the emergencies, she really didn't focus on herself... at least for long. "I didn't have any nightmares in the last world," she mentioned while they walked into the kitchen. "I had a weird dream of this... glowing light. And I heard something creepy in the background... but that dream didn't last long. It didn't make sense either." She started to pull out what was needed to make the hot chocolate, trying to keep herself busy. As they headed towards the kitchen Torrin watched Aria as she explained one of her experiences in Prydain and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hm...that's good to hear. Not the creepy bit but at least a glowing light is better than a nightmare creature that wants to hurt you." He leaned against the counter, taking a mental note of what Aria was doing to prepare before speaking again. "And the bracelet? Got any weird vibes about it so far? It lost its protective magic so...maybe when I'm back at full strength I could finally get rid of it for you." "It's not a tracker, that much I keep being told... But I still feel like the Light Chaser always knows where I'm at and what I'm doing. I feel uneasy about it..." She stared at it for a moment before she resumed back to making the hot chocolate. "I just missed you guys... It wasn't fun without all of you." "Yeah...I'm not happy about it either. You won't have to deal with it for much longer though. You can trust me on that." Torrin turned towards Aria and gave her a thumbs up. He then immediately felt awkward doing the gesture and shifted uncomfortably as he stuffed his hands back in his pockets. "Well the others missed you too I'm sure. They have known you longer." Torrin spoke, not really thinking of himself as part of the main group Aria had been a part of. Aria turned the stove on and then mixed the ingredients together in the pot. She gave Torrin a thumbs up in return. "Don't push yourself though," she said as she nodded to the gash on his side. "I know they probably did," she said as she stirred the ingredients in the pot slowly. "There was just a lot of things going on at once... and a lot of things to process." The heavy burden was coming back to Aria and she closed her eyes as she fell silent again. "Am I... going to get everyone killed?" she asked softly. "Or get everyone hurt...?" "I didn't enter into this fight for you. I protected you because those were the last words of a former master of mine but..." He spoke quietly, lowering his tone. "I...I've lost a lot of friends. It still hurts but every day it gets harder and harder to channel that blame...that hate I feel for the Light Chaser for what he took from me." He sighed and shook his head. "But I have more to fight for than just revenge. There's people I want to protect. My people. My family. My friends. There are people in these realms I care about that I refuse to lose." He looked at Aria. "I imagine that's how the others feel though. There are things here worth fighting for. Worth getting hurt for. Worth dying for. Regardless if you're involved or not."
"Chrys? What's wrong? You zoned out and...are you crying? What happened?" Zeno stepped over towards Chrysanthemum, staring at the girl with confusion. "Why do we need to get out of here?" "It seems she's been sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. I am disappointed in you. The snooping about I expect from Zeno, but from you? I expected better." The Light Chaser stepped into view, his normally pristine coat covered in dust and peppered with pebbles from a ruined castle. "Master! I-I can explain!" Zeno frantically looked back at Chrys and then at his master. "No need. Chrys seems to be having second thoughts about our cause." "Master please! Tell me what's going on!" "This hardly comes as a surprise, though. Considering she has been working against us this whole time." "What!? No...that can't be true." "She aided in Aria's escape. She assisted Torrin in extracting her." The master explained, snapping his fingers to create an orb of light in his hand. The orb floated out and ballooned until it was nearly the size of Zeno's head. Within it images swirled around, images of Chrysanthemum with Torrin and Aria as she stood idly by while Torrin whisked Aria away out of Eventide Town. "No..." Zeno stepped back. "After a whole year, how is it that Torrin has escaped every encounter, every trap, that has been set for him? She helped him once. Isn't it reasonable that she's been helping him since the moment they met? Working against us, lying to us, allowing herself to side with the very darkness that will consume every world. It is my greatest mistake that I did not catch on to this treachery sooner..." The images now showed Chrys and Dentro alone together, with Chrys conjuring darkness in her hands. "Perhaps if I had...she would not have tempted Dentro to her side and he would still be with us right now." "Chrys..." Zeno shook his head in disbelief, a tear rolled down his cheek. His keyblade appeared in his hand. "Why...? I thought you were my friend... You betrayed everything that we stood for!" Zeno cried out turning against the girl and bringing his keyblade down on her.
Torrin pulled away from Flammie and gave the dragon a pat on its side. "Good dragon..." He whispered as the Flammie turned to examine the other two who were petting it. Torrin looked around to find that now it was just him, Aria, Illiana, Chrono, and Enzo left in the courtyard. He hadn't even noticed when Qamar, Tinarah, and Take had left. His thoughts had been too hectic to keep any of the details straight and now...now that he looked upon the reality that was his mother's final story, it was hard to think of much else. Except when Enzo mistakenly called the Flammie a he. The Flammie didn't seem to pay it any attention but why would it? "Though I'm not against the name, this Flammie's definitely female. Her claws, her mane, the coloration on her feathers...they all match the descriptions of a female Flammie." Torrin reached into his pants pocket only to find that his hand went through the bottom. He breathed out in annoyance that even his pants would be so worn down. "I'm sorry girl, whatever snacks I had must've fallen out. If you want I could go to the kitchen!" The Flammie seemed to ignore Torrin as she lifted her head to sniff the air and in a single might flap of her wings, she took to the skies likely to search for food on her own. Torrin frowned and stepped back, waving slowly as the dragon took off. "Come back soon! ...Please?" He dropped his hand and sighed. He looked over at Enzo who appeared to be distracted with Chrono and Illiana. Though he felt a little guilty to leave Enzo without giving a better explanation of the long chain of events that brought him here Enzo seemed to be well off on his own. "Play nice, alright guys? Enzo's a good guy." 'I think.' Torrin added in his thoughts. "Um..." His attention shifted over towards Aria who had just been trying to pull at the bracelet the Light Chaser had given her. "Mind tagging along with me? There's something that I need to take care of here now that we're...well, here." He motioned for her to follow him as he picked up his torn coat from the ground and headed towards the castle entrance. Aster placed her hand on Qamar's shoulder to keep the girl from walking away just yet. "Look...why don't you wait here a while while I contact Kide to come get you, alright?" Aster asked. "Besides, I think I could use the company too right now." She spoke quietly. "These days there's so much blame being passed around that it makes it difficult to appreciate the few things that have gone right." She ran a hand through her hair. "Adalric may be gone but his sacrifice allowed you to come back, did it not? And there is one thing you seem to have forgotten." Aster placed her hand over her own chest. "Here. As long as you hold your memories of him close to your heart, he will never truly be gone." "You might not want to sit too close to that stream. Selene thought she could sit an relax by it and wham! Smacked in the face by a leaping fish. Course...she couldn't see it coming. You can't see the fish jumping through here. She had a bruise the size of an apple for a week on her cheek. Just don't tell her I told you that. She's got a temper for being so...frosty." Skia mused as she stepped in from behind Boreas, a fishing rod slung over her shoulder. "Ya know...early bird gets the fish but I've found that fishing at this time of day yields better results." She shrugged. "Er...you're that prince's friend, right? Boreal? Bore-man? No...Boris? Yeah. Boris. I'm Skia. Master Skia. Scoot over, you don't want to get hooked."
Torrin pulled away from Flammie and gave the dragon a pat on its side. "Good dragon..." He whispered as the Flammie turned to examine the other two who were petting it. Torrin looked around to find that now it was just him, Aria, Illiana, Chrono, and Enzo left in the courtyard. He hadn't even noticed when Qamar, Tinarah, and Take had left. His thoughts had been too hectic to keep any of the details straight and now...now that he looked upon the reality that was his mother's final story, it was hard to think of much else. Except when Enzo mistakenly called the Flammie a he. The Flammie didn't seem to pay it any attention but why would it? "Though I'm not against the name, this Flammie's definitely female. Her claws, her mane, the coloration on her feathers...they all match the descriptions of a female Flammie." Torrin reached into his pants pocket only to find that his hand went through the bottom. He breathed out in annoyance that even his pants would be so worn down. "I'm sorry girl, whatever snacks I had must've fallen out. If you want I could go to the kitchen!" The Flammie seemed to ignore Torrin as she lifted her head to sniff the air and in a single might flap of her wings, she took to the skies likely to search for food on her own. Torrin frowned and stepped back, waving slowly as the dragon took off. "Come back soon! ...Please?" He dropped his hand and sighed. He looked over at Enzo who appeared to be distracted with Chrono and Illiana. Though he felt a little guilty to leave Enzo without giving a better explanation of the long chain of events that brought him here Enzo seemed to be well off on his own. "Play nice, alright guys? Enzo's a good guy." 'I think.' Torrin added in his thoughts. "Um..." His attention shifted over towards Aria who had just been trying to pull at the bracelet the Light Chaser had given her. "Mind tagging along with me? There's something that I need to take care of here now that we're...well, here." He motioned for her to follow him as he picked up his torn coat from the ground and headed towards the castle entrance.
Aster placed her hand on Qamar's shoulder to keep the girl from walking away just yet. "Look...why don't you wait here a while while I contact Kide to come get you, alright?" Aster asked. "Besides, I think I could use the company too right now." She spoke quietly. "These days there's so much blame being passed around that it makes it difficult to appreciate the few things that have gone right." She ran a hand through her hair. "Adalric may be gone but his sacrifice allowed you to come back, did it not? And there is one thing you seem to have forgotten." Aster placed her hand over her own chest. "Here. As long as you hold your memories of him close to your heart, he will never truly be gone."
"You might not want to sit too close to that stream. Selene thought she could sit an relax by it and wham! Smacked in the face by a leaping fish. Course...she couldn't see it coming. You can't see the fish jumping through here. She had a bruise the size of an apple for a week on her cheek. Just don't tell her I told you that. She's got a temper for being so...frosty." Skia mused as she stepped in from behind Boreas, a fishing rod slung over her shoulder. "Ya know...early bird gets the fish but I've found that fishing at this time of day yields better results." She shrugged. "Er...you're that prince's friend, right? Boreal? Bore-man? No...Boris? Yeah. Boris. I'm Skia. Master Skia. Scoot over, you don't want to get hooked."
"Uh-huh...whatever you say, Red." He spoke towards Ignis who continued to play dumb. At least it was apparent she had done this song and dance before so it was good to know that he really was working with people who actually knew what they were doing. A breath of fresh air compared to some of the fresh blood he saw back with with the Black Coats. So far at least. He looked at Ananta and the other unfamiliar keyblader. "You should know the benefit of carrying weapons for self-defense." He answered Ignis with the tired old excuse he had heard since he could remember. Blades, guns, anti-magic armaments, all manner of weapons were carried by every civilian in his homeworld and the number of those weapons only increased for those working in "law enforcement". "So how did a strange-looking bunch like you three end up in a place like this? People don't just wander into underwater caves looking for lost civilizations. What's your angle?" He asked the trio.
"Uh-huh...whatever you say, Red." He spoke towards Ignis who continued to play dumb. At least it was apparent she had done this song and dance before so it was good to know that he really was working with people who actually knew what they were doing. A breath of fresh air compared to some of the fresh blood he saw back with with the Black Coats. So far at least. He looked at Ananta and the other unfamiliar keyblader. "You should know the benefit of carrying weapons for self-defense." He answered Ignis with the tired old excuse he had heard since he could remember. Blades, guns, anti-magic armaments, all manner of weapons were carried by every civilian in his homeworld and the number of those weapons only increased for those working in "law enforcement". "So how did a strange-looking bunch like you three end up in a place like this? People don't just wander into underwater caves looking for lost civilizations. What's your angle?" He asked the trio.
"Oh look at what we have here..." Zeno landed in the middle of the field and called off his keyblade. "Sort of romantic." He mused. "But why would they all be concentrated here?" Zeno looked around and folded his arms unsure of what to do from here. When Chrys landed she would have spotted a faint glow of a smooth oval-shaped marble stone with an aura of warmth about it. It was at least two feet wide and somehow managed to blend in to its surroundings. At first glance it bore no particular significance but its glow was enticing and drew the girl closer. "Qamar?" Aster came walking down the hallway to find Qamar knocking at her door. "It's good to see you're well!" She looked at the state of Qamar's clothes and raised an eyebrow. "Though you've looked better. Is everyone else here?" She stepped closer and put a hand on Qamar's shoulder. Aster's eyes watered but the woman maintained her composure. "Look...what happened to Adalric wasn't your fault. " Torrin gave a slight nod towards Aria. "Yeah. Don't worry too much about me. I'm fine. Really." He looked at Take and wondered about saying more to him but the boy appearing to be...glowing. If anything, Take seemed to be more than fine. Everything seemed to be under control for now. Torrin gave the remaining group a slight wave as he turned to walk away from them. "I'm going to head inside. I'll be at the entrance hall...not really doing anything. Just need to...uh...um..." In the distance the air rumbled. Torrin raised an eyebrow and stopped walking but saw no storm clouds gathering overhead. He blinked. Behind them there was a massive rush of air that forced him into taking a step forward to keep from losing his balance. The ground shook. The air reverberated with a warm but intense magical aura that felt neither akin to the light nor the darkness. Torrin froze in place. "Please...please..." He slowly began to turn around and his eyes began to widen with childish wonder as he gazed upon the glorious white feathered dragon that stood before him. Torrin stepped back, his mouth agape. "Y-y-you...F-flamm...flammflamm...." He stuttered, his hands shaking. "FLAMMIEEEEE!!!" He cried out as he leapt into the white fluffy dragon's side, practically disappearing in its fluff. His voice was muffled but still loud enough to be understood as he continued to embrace the dragon. "IKNEWYOUWEREREALYESSSSSSSS!!!" As excited as he was the Flammie remained calm, if slightly confused as it looked at the human, and twitched its ears curiously as it sniffed its new surroundings.
"Oh look at what we have here..." Zeno landed in the middle of the field and called off his keyblade. "Sort of romantic." He mused. "But why would they all be concentrated here?" Zeno looked around and folded his arms unsure of what to do from here. When Chrys landed she would have spotted a faint glow of a smooth oval-shaped marble stone with an aura of warmth about it. It was at least two feet wide and somehow managed to blend in to its surroundings. At first glance it bore no particular significance but its glow was enticing and drew the girl closer.
"Qamar?" Aster came walking down the hallway to find Qamar knocking at her door. "It's good to see you're well!" She looked at the state of Qamar's clothes and raised an eyebrow. "Though you've looked better. Is everyone else here?" She stepped closer and put a hand on Qamar's shoulder. Aster's eyes watered but the woman maintained her composure. "Look...what happened to Adalric wasn't your fault. "
Torrin gave a slight nod towards Aria. "Yeah. Don't worry too much about me. I'm fine. Really." He looked at Take and wondered about saying more to him but the boy appearing to be...glowing. If anything, Take seemed to be more than fine. Everything seemed to be under control for now. Torrin gave the remaining group a slight wave as he turned to walk away from them. "I'm going to head inside. I'll be at the entrance hall...not really doing anything. Just need to...uh...um..." In the distance the air rumbled. Torrin raised an eyebrow and stopped walking but saw no storm clouds gathering overhead. He blinked. Behind them there was a massive rush of air that forced him into taking a step forward to keep from losing his balance. The ground shook. The air reverberated with a warm but intense magical aura that felt neither akin to the light nor the darkness. Torrin froze in place. "Please...please..." He slowly began to turn around and his eyes began to widen with childish wonder as he gazed upon the glorious white feathered dragon that stood before him. Torrin stepped back, his mouth agape. "Y-y-you...F-flamm...flammflamm...." He stuttered, his hands shaking. "FLAMMIEEEEE!!!" He cried out as he leapt into the white fluffy dragon's side, practically disappearing in its fluff. His voice was muffled but still loud enough to be understood as he continued to embrace the dragon. "IKNEWYOUWEREREALYESSSSSSSS!!!" As excited as he was the Flammie remained calm, if slightly confused as it looked at the human, and twitched its ears curiously as it sniffed its new surroundings.
Torrin looked at his burnt and shredded coat, sighing out in annoyance. It had served him well for so long and it hurt to see it such a state but even then it was hard to feel anything but uncomfortable. Hastily pulling the coat off Torrin tossed it aside revealing the bloodied black shirt underneath that still had the large gash from when Ardyn had attacked him. "Boreas drop it. You're not going back to get yourself killed. I've lost enough people in this damn fight already." Torrin held up his hand to try to call upon his darkness and winced upon doing so. "Even if I wanted to, I've been burning up my strength faster than it came come back. Besides, for people like us your blade will come back in a few hours. Get some rest. Go for a jog. Do what you need to do to clear your head. I've got this under control." He spoke the lie with such confidence even he almost believed it. It took the rest of his self control to keep from having his hands shake at the sudden drain of strength. Torrin took a steady breath, his ribs aching in pain. Torrin eyed Enzo with some confusion and muttered a halfhearted thanks as he took the scrap of paper from him. Enzo's mannerisms were odd but so far he seemed to have a good heart...or at least a weird one. He wasn't fond of weird but it was better than the alternative. It was another piece of the journal that Tinarah had been keeping track of. Seeing nothing too relevant in it Torrin held it out towards Tinarah who had just asked for the paper. "Hang onto this." He took another deep breath, trying to recover his stamina though it did him no good. Torrin stared at Aria, unsure of what to answer when she questioned him. The Light Chaser had gone after Take and it was clear to him now that the others had noticed as well but as he began to formulate an answer, Enzo did so for him. Torrin shot Enzo a disapproving look but sighed and shook his head. "Takehiko's not a girl. Though I see where the confusion is. See, I was taught the same thing. We all were. Now it makes sense why I've heard The Seven mentioned before instead of Princesses of Heart." "Well...seeing as how the cat's out of the bag. Yes. Take is a Prince of Heart. Not a Princess. Prince. Pure heart of light and everything that comes with the title. I only figured it out back on Heroic Sanction but..." He folded his arms. "To be honest, blurting it out to everyone seemed irresponsible. I figured the Light Chaser didn't know and if all of you began acting weird around Take then it would've been obvious. I told Thallasa because she was a fellow master and if anyone could keep an eye on Take when I couldn't, she could." He intentionally left out mentioning that he had told Boreas to keep his friend out of the spotlight. It had been Torrin's choice not to tell others and it was his responsibility to take the others' judgment if they hated him for it. "Um..." Realizing that it would be an awkward transition he looked over at Enzo then at the others. "Right...When Ardyn attacked me he transported me to a dungeon where I found Enzo here. Hope you don't mind sticking around. We could use every able body we can get. The man we just faced was the Light Chaser. Let's just say he's the most powerful keyblade master in this realm and he's bent on destroying darkness everywhere. Including the darkness in people's hearts. Needless to say, not everyone can survive that. Light Chaser bad. Us good." He spoke simply. Torrin touched his shoulder and put pressure on it as he walked over towards one of the castle walls to lean against it in an attempt to relax. "The Light Chaser did get something right though...you all need to step up your training. Though now seems as good as time as any when everyone's had time to catch their breath and heal up." Torrin pushed himself off the wall and rolled his shoulders, trying his best to look fine. "Still. I'm glad this many of us made it out alive. I'm...sorry about Glyde." He glanced over at Qamar. "And Adalric. Regardless of whether or not the Light Chaser was right about him."
Torrin looked at his burnt and shredded coat, sighing out in annoyance. It had served him well for so long and it hurt to see it such a state but even then it was hard to feel anything but uncomfortable. Hastily pulling the coat off Torrin tossed it aside revealing the bloodied black shirt underneath that still had the large gash from when Ardyn had attacked him. "Boreas drop it. You're not going back to get yourself killed. I've lost enough people in this damn fight already." Torrin held up his hand to try to call upon his darkness and winced upon doing so. "Even if I wanted to, I've been burning up my strength faster than it came come back. Besides, for people like us your blade will come back in a few hours. Get some rest. Go for a jog. Do what you need to do to clear your head. I've got this under control." He spoke the lie with such confidence even he almost believed it. It took the rest of his self control to keep from having his hands shake at the sudden drain of strength. Torrin took a steady breath, his ribs aching in pain. Torrin eyed Enzo with some confusion and muttered a halfhearted thanks as he took the scrap of paper from him. Enzo's mannerisms were odd but so far he seemed to have a good heart...or at least a weird one. He wasn't fond of weird but it was better than the alternative. It was another piece of the journal that Tinarah had been keeping track of. Seeing nothing too relevant in it Torrin held it out towards Tinarah who had just asked for the paper. "Hang onto this." He took another deep breath, trying to recover his stamina though it did him no good. Torrin stared at Aria, unsure of what to answer when she questioned him. The Light Chaser had gone after Take and it was clear to him now that the others had noticed as well but as he began to formulate an answer, Enzo did so for him. Torrin shot Enzo a disapproving look but sighed and shook his head. "Takehiko's not a girl. Though I see where the confusion is. See, I was taught the same thing. We all were. Now it makes sense why I've heard The Seven mentioned before instead of Princesses of Heart." "Well...seeing as how the cat's out of the bag. Yes. Take is a Prince of Heart. Not a Princess. Prince. Pure heart of light and everything that comes with the title. I only figured it out back on Heroic Sanction but..." He folded his arms. "To be honest, blurting it out to everyone seemed irresponsible. I figured the Light Chaser didn't know and if all of you began acting weird around Take then it would've been obvious. I told Thallasa because she was a fellow master and if anyone could keep an eye on Take when I couldn't, she could." He intentionally left out mentioning that he had told Boreas to keep his friend out of the spotlight. It had been Torrin's choice not to tell others and it was his responsibility to take the others' judgment if they hated him for it. "Um..." Realizing that it would be an awkward transition he looked over at Enzo then at the others. "Right...When Ardyn attacked me he transported me to a dungeon where I found Enzo here. Hope you don't mind sticking around. We could use every able body we can get. The man we just faced was the Light Chaser. Let's just say he's the most powerful keyblade master in this realm and he's bent on destroying darkness everywhere. Including the darkness in people's hearts. Needless to say, not everyone can survive that. Light Chaser bad. Us good." He spoke simply. Torrin touched his shoulder and put pressure on it as he walked over towards one of the castle walls to lean against it in an attempt to relax. "The Light Chaser did get something right though...you all need to step up your training. Though now seems as good as time as any when everyone's had time to catch their breath and heal up." Torrin pushed himself off the wall and rolled his shoulders, trying his best to look fine. "Still. I'm glad this many of us made it out alive. I'm...sorry about Glyde." He glanced over at Qamar. "And Adalric. Regardless of whether or not the Light Chaser was right about him."
Torrin's eyes shifted over towards Illiana, giving the girl a nod of approval for holding Tinarah back from getting herself killed. "Boreas, Qamar, stand down." He looked over towards Thallasa who's eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the Light Chaser but rather than her attempting to move closer towards the main party she remained where she was by Eilonwy, Taran, Fflam, and Gurgi. The Light Chaser turned his head slightly to look over at Master Thallasa and chuckled. "Go ahead. Run. It won't make a difference. I'm only here for one Princess today." "Go!" Torrin called out towards Thallasa. "We'll be fine. Just go!" Reluctantly Thallasa nodded in response and a corridor of light opened allowing her to pull her group out of the world and into safety. The Light Chaser remained still for a moment, taking in a deep breath as he finally began to acknowledge the pointless words thrown at him. First, he started with Tinarah. "I see you're still upset about the pain I put you through. I know you won't believe me but I shall spend my own precious time explaining to you why I did what I did. You see, when you begun this journey as a frail and frightened child..." He took a brief pause to laugh quietly to himself. "Twelve years old...and after how many he's lost I'm surprised Choma was stupid enough to allow you to go with him. You clearly weren't skilled enough, strong enough, nor experienced enough to keep yourself from getting yourself killed. I gave you a fighting chance by accelerating your growth. You're welcome, Chrono. One day you might be thankful I saved your sister by giving her the ability to protect herself." He turned his head ever so slightly in Tinarah's direction. "Admittedly, you're far too emotional for your own good. What were you going to do if Illiana hadn't stopped you? Cut me? Stab me? Cast some low tier ga-level magic at me? If the broody prince over there couldn't harm me on his best day what makes you think you could even touch me? At least some time at the Council will do you some good." He summoned Dentro's keyblade into his hand and stabbed it into the ground. "Oh and Qamar? I suppose you didn't know Adalric quite as well as you thought you did. The boy was just teeming with darkness, the same as Dentro. Allowing them to put each other out of their pitiful existences was the best I could have hoped for. Seems like it didn't play out exactly like that though. Though it doesn't look like you were even the one to get the finishing blow. That's to be expected, however, from a weak-willed child. Honestly, I'm no messiah. I have no intentions of calling myself immortal or delusions of becoming a god." He turned slightly to acknowledge Boreas. "I suppose you must be tired of hearing me speak. Don't worry, it does not hurt my feelings. I will continue to speak for as long as I see fit but first..." With no warning a beam of light shot out from the Light Chaser's back, striking Boreas's keyblade causing it to shatter like cheap glass. Boreas would have been unable to summon his blade back for some time. "Be like Chrono. Play it safe. Stay quiet and perhaps I might choose not to teach you anymore lessons today. And if you're going to speak, at least put on an amusing act like Ezno over there." The sound of wings flapping could be heard coming closer. "Hm...I'd rather not harm such a pure creature." He spoke, looking up to the ceiling. "Torrin, it's about time you hand her over. We both know I could swat you and your friends away like flies. Don't put them through that kind of pain and humiliation." "I've learned a few new tricks. I'd like to see you try!" "Bluffing is beneath you. Even if you didn't burn yourself out on that horned creature that little trick of yours has yet to be mastered, has it?" "Tch..." "Mm...fine. If you'd have me play the role of villain, then I shall gladly act the part. I will give you until the count of three to hand over Aria." "Don't you dare hand yourself over. You're dooming everyone if you do." Torrin whispered towards Aria, keeping a hand out to hold her from making any rash decisions. "One..." "We'll make it out..." "Two..." "Just give me a chance to think!" The Light Chaser finally began to turn around to face them. "Thre–" The man froze and turned his head. Where he expected to find one pure light there stood two. Confusion gave him pause. How such a detail could have ever slipped from his grasp eluded him. But now, at long last, the truth stood before him with no one to protect it. There in the open. There he was, looking at Aria without even knowing what he was. Takehiko, the last pure light. Torrin's eyes widened upon realizing that the man had figured it out. He must have shouted a curse for being so careless but the Light Chaser did not hear it. He took a step forward towards the boy. Then another. Then he began to dash at the boy with no thought at all to it, no calculated courses of action running through his head, just a single desire to steal the last light away. At that moment a beam of searing white flames tore through the ceiling as Flammie tore through the castle to protect the party. It struck the Light Chaser right where he stood but it did little more than cause him to pause to block the attack with an outstretched arm. Rather than allow himself to be overwhelmed with the sight of a childhood fantasy, Torrin took the opportunity act. The castle began to collapse from the structural damage Flammie had dealt and just as the Light Chaser began to charge at them again darkness poured out from Torrin, consuming the entire chamber. When the light returned only the Light Chaser remained in the castle, grasping at the empty air where Take stood. The castle crumbled and collapsed to rubble. Torrin gained 2 Levels! The rest of the party gained 4 Levels and 1 Flux point! As the darkness washed away the group found themselves in the courtyard in front of Illusia's castle, the home to the Council of Lights. Torrin collapsed to his knees and hunched over, trying to regain his breath. "Why did that hurt so much?" He clutched his chest, gritting his teeth. Thallasa was nowhere to be seen but he could only assume she was already inside the castle. He looked over at Takehiko to make sure the boy was safe then over at Aria, unable to take a sigh of relief as he was too busy catching his breath. "Dammit...dammit!!" He punched the ground in frustration. "I should've known." Torrin shook his head and pushed himself back up to his feet. "Hm...is everyone alright? All made it out in one piece?" Out from the last remaining shreds of darkness from Torrin's massive dark portal came a torn piece of paper floating down, smacking Enzo in the chest with the gentle breeze of the wind.
Torrin's eyes shifted over towards Illiana, giving the girl a nod of approval for holding Tinarah back from getting herself killed. "Boreas, Qamar, stand down." He looked over towards Thallasa who's eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the Light Chaser but rather than her attempting to move closer towards the main party she remained where she was by Eilonwy, Taran, Fflam, and Gurgi.
The Light Chaser turned his head slightly to look over at Master Thallasa and chuckled. "Go ahead. Run. It won't make a difference. I'm only here for one Princess today." "Go!" Torrin called out towards Thallasa. "We'll be fine. Just go!" Reluctantly Thallasa nodded in response and a corridor of light opened allowing her to pull her group out of the world and into safety. The Light Chaser remained still for a moment, taking in a deep breath as he finally began to acknowledge the pointless words thrown at him. First, he started with Tinarah. "I see you're still upset about the pain I put you through. I know you won't believe me but I shall spend my own precious time explaining to you why I did what I did. You see, when you begun this journey as a frail and frightened child..." He took a brief pause to laugh quietly to himself. "Twelve years old...and after how many he's lost I'm surprised Choma was stupid enough to allow you to go with him. You clearly weren't skilled enough, strong enough, nor experienced enough to keep yourself from getting yourself killed. I gave you a fighting chance by accelerating your growth. You're welcome, Chrono. One day you might be thankful I saved your sister by giving her the ability to protect herself." He turned his head ever so slightly in Tinarah's direction. "Admittedly, you're far too emotional for your own good. What were you going to do if Illiana hadn't stopped you? Cut me? Stab me? Cast some low tier ga-level magic at me? If the broody prince over there couldn't harm me on his best day what makes you think you could even touch me? At least some time at the Council will do you some good." He summoned Dentro's keyblade into his hand and stabbed it into the ground. "Oh and Qamar? I suppose you didn't know Adalric quite as well as you thought you did. The boy was just teeming with darkness, the same as Dentro. Allowing them to put each other out of their pitiful existences was the best I could have hoped for. Seems like it didn't play out exactly like that though. Though it doesn't look like you were even the one to get the finishing blow. That's to be expected, however, from a weak-willed child. Honestly, I'm no messiah. I have no intentions of calling myself immortal or delusions of becoming a god." He turned slightly to acknowledge Boreas. "I suppose you must be tired of hearing me speak. Don't worry, it does not hurt my feelings. I will continue to speak for as long as I see fit but first..." With no warning a beam of light shot out from the Light Chaser's back, striking Boreas's keyblade causing it to shatter like cheap glass. Boreas would have been unable to summon his blade back for some time. "Be like Chrono. Play it safe. Stay quiet and perhaps I might choose not to teach you anymore lessons today. And if you're going to speak, at least put on an amusing act like Ezno over there." The sound of wings flapping could be heard coming closer. "Hm...I'd rather not harm such a pure creature." He spoke, looking up to the ceiling. "Torrin, it's about time you hand her over. We both know I could swat you and your friends away like flies. Don't put them through that kind of pain and humiliation." "I've learned a few new tricks. I'd like to see you try!" "Bluffing is beneath you. Even if you didn't burn yourself out on that horned creature that little trick of yours has yet to be mastered, has it?" "Tch..." "Mm...fine. If you'd have me play the role of villain, then I shall gladly act the part. I will give you until the count of three to hand over Aria." "Don't you dare hand yourself over. You're dooming everyone if you do." Torrin whispered towards Aria, keeping a hand out to hold her from making any rash decisions. "One..." "We'll make it out..." "Two..." "Just give me a chance to think!" The Light Chaser finally began to turn around to face them. "Thre–" The man froze and turned his head. Where he expected to find one pure light there stood two. Confusion gave him pause. How such a detail could have ever slipped from his grasp eluded him. But now, at long last, the truth stood before him with no one to protect it. There in the open. There he was, looking at Aria without even knowing what he was. Takehiko, the last pure light. Torrin's eyes widened upon realizing that the man had figured it out. He must have shouted a curse for being so careless but the Light Chaser did not hear it. He took a step forward towards the boy. Then another. Then he began to dash at the boy with no thought at all to it, no calculated courses of action running through his head, just a single desire to steal the last light away. At that moment a beam of searing white flames tore through the ceiling as Flammie tore through the castle to protect the party. It struck the Light Chaser right where he stood but it did little more than cause him to pause to block the attack with an outstretched arm. Rather than allow himself to be overwhelmed with the sight of a childhood fantasy, Torrin took the opportunity act. The castle began to collapse from the structural damage Flammie had dealt and just as the Light Chaser began to charge at them again darkness poured out from Torrin, consuming the entire chamber. When the light returned only the Light Chaser remained in the castle, grasping at the empty air where Take stood. The castle crumbled and collapsed to rubble.
As the darkness washed away the group found themselves in the courtyard in front of Illusia's castle, the home to the Council of Lights. Torrin collapsed to his knees and hunched over, trying to regain his breath. "Why did that hurt so much?" He clutched his chest, gritting his teeth. Thallasa was nowhere to be seen but he could only assume she was already inside the castle. He looked over at Takehiko to make sure the boy was safe then over at Aria, unable to take a sigh of relief as he was too busy catching his breath. "Dammit...dammit!!" He punched the ground in frustration. "I should've known." Torrin shook his head and pushed himself back up to his feet. "Hm...is everyone alright? All made it out in one piece?"
OOC: Reposting the Enzo post that was lost with the server change and posting what was sent in to me for Qamar's post. Enzo wasn't sure what was going on, but some grudges and plot seemed to be a brewin'. The skeletal king they were fighting had been defeated, and replaced with a slick man. The slick man was then replaced by a man with a deep, sultry voice. He was trying to play catch up with all the events happening around him. From what he understood, the group had a friend named Glyde and he was disposed of by this so called Light Chaser's master plan. Enzo didn't have much skin in this altercation but there were questions that he needed answered. He stood next to Torrin who he could hear was having an anxious sound to his voice. "So... you're the Light Chaser huh?... I've got just two questions for you." Enzo's tone turned serious as he glared at the man. "One; who are you? And two; SURRENDER YOU FIEND!" He pointed with his finger, just left of where the Light Chaser was actually standing. He looked to Torrin for some insight oon the man. "What did he do to you?" He quickly noticed one of the girls of the group also charge towards the man. "And what did he do to her?" "Long story. If we make it out of this alive I'll give you the rundown. Just trust me that he's bad news." Torrin muttered in response to Enzo, his eyes still fixed on the Light Chaser. Qamar grumbled, having had her hand shoved away and Illiana assumed she meant her sacrificing herself. "No, I didn't mean that, but sure, you can assume that." She shrugged. She was not prepared for suddenly being able to hear a voice and a loud boom that caused her nose to burn. The smell of metal burning sunk into her lungs, causing her to cough. Soon enough, she opened her eyes to see a man looking over the now broken cauldron as Ardyn ran away. Qamar stared in confusion, wondering who this guy was until she heard him speak out about who he was. He was the Light Chaser. The man who sent his students to terrorize them and to steal Aria. The man whose students murdered Adalric. Qamar glared at the man, her eyes averting to see Tinarah attempting to attack the man. Illiana took care of that by literally whipping the girl back. Qamar immediately turned towards Aria and the other Princess of Heart, taking a good look at them in case she had to rush towards them to help protect them. Once she had a chance, Qamar stepped forward and clenched her fists, using everything inside of her to keep herself from just throwing herself at this man and trying to attack him to no avail. "Yeah you talked about Ardyn killing Glyde, but what about the student of yours that killed my friend? You gonna take responsibility for it?" she asked, yelling at him. "Your students act like you're the damn messiah and all I've seen are them attacking people and killing people for no damn reason. So, Light Chaser, why are you here now?" she said, walking her way over to stand beside Boreas. "Don't you have better things to be doing?"
Castur was amused by the exchange between Rourke and Kida. From the sounds of it, the Atlanteans were a peaceful and advanced people. Though the fact that they wielded seemingly normal spears was quite odd. The lies the others said to him about being unarmed would have gotten a response from Castur but he had chosen to ignore the trio of keyblade wielders. When he moved forward to unshackle them he spoke quietly, "Thanks for not causing a scene. Would've really sucked if at the first sign of trouble you guys started waving your weapons around." He mused.
Castur was amused by the exchange between Rourke and Kida. From the sounds of it, the Atlanteans were a peaceful and advanced people. Though the fact that they wielded seemingly normal spears was quite odd. The lies the others said to him about being unarmed would have gotten a response from Castur but he had chosen to ignore the trio of keyblade wielders. When he moved forward to unshackle them he spoke quietly, "Thanks for not causing a scene. Would've really sucked if at the first sign of trouble you guys started waving your weapons around." He mused.
"Tinarah, while I appreciate the assist, it's safer for you to not get between me and the enemy." Torrin spoke through gritted teeth as he nudged Tinarah out of his way. "How cute..." Ardyn eyed Tinarah, his eyes momentarily darting over towards Thallasa and the natives of this world she was keeping behind her to protect them from Ardyn. "Oh and I wouldn't count on that dragon saving you again before I'm through with you." The man spoke towards Takehiko while turning his head towards the Black Cauldron. He traced a finger around its rim and nodded in admiration of its craftsmanship. "Yes, I do think that's just what I needed. What a terrible dark power you possess! A pity you were stuck in this miserable little world." Ardyn sighed and eyed Aria as she attempted to call out for the Witches of Morva. "Dragon? Was that what was outside?" Torrin muttered to himself. "Oh, dear, sweet, stupid child. Ah such innocent ignorance and the bliss it grants...though I suppose that would mean you are in a constant state of bliss." The faint sound of a frog's croak could be heard echoing against the stone walls. A look of shock and fear crossed Ardyn's face. "What!? Do you hear that? Oh how could this be!? My plans will be foiled by the great and terrible witches! No! Please! Spare this humble man!" Ardyn begged, dropping to his knees. "Oh please! Turn me into a toad if you must but do not feast upon me!" The croaking could be heard even louder and it soon became clear that there was more than one frog nearby. Ardyn blinked and looked around in confusion. He stood back up on his feet and looked around in dumbfounded manner. "Ah!" He cried out not in fear but in the manner of one who had remembered something important. "How careless of me." From his coat he withdrew three blue-tinted frogs squished together in his hand as they tried to escape the man's grasp. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Witches of Morva." He tossed the three frog-witches to the ground as they hopped and scampered away in terror from Ardyn. "Now then. Where were we?" He snapped his fingers. "Ah yes! Your deaths were at hand." The crimson blades flanking him pointed towards the keyblade wielders. A brilliant light exploded in the room, blinding the party and causing a loud ringing to daze the keybladers. A muffed voice could be heard. "This was not our arrangement, Ardyn." "What!? I did what I was asked and these children got in my way! Look at what you've done! You split the Cauldron in two!" "I would have never permitted you to use that thing. I do not have the patience to watch your every move. Attempt to cross me again and I shall put you in the grave permanently." "My my....very well then. As you wish." The ringing in their ears began to dull and other voice became more clear. "Good. Now that we have an understanding. You will leave the rest to me." "No...no...nonono..." Torrin whispered. The smell of burnt iron filled the air and one of the first things the party would have seen was that the Black Cauldron had been broken into two evenly cut pieces, the edges where it had been broken still glowing red from the heat and sparking with its dying dark magic. Ardyn was no longer in the room and in his place stood a tall figure cloaked in black with its back facing towards the group as it examined the remains of the Black Cauldron. Torrin was the first to act and had already positioned in front of Aria with his keyblade aimed at the figure, an aura of darkness surrounding him. Satisfied that it had been destroyed for good, the figure began to speak though without turning towards the children. "I see my students have yet to dissuade you all from abandoning this course of action. Unsurprising, really." The man's voice was calm with a hint of amusement to it. "I would have preferred to avoid Glyde's death but his presence or lack thereof changes little in the grand scheme of things. Still, if it makes any of you feel better, when all this is over I shall execute Ardyn myself for what he did to that boy. Hm..." He chuckled. "Though I suppose I'd have to put him down even if he didn't kill the boy. I won't tolerate his filth in paradise." "Oh. I suppose I have yet to formally introduce myself." Even as he continued to speak he did not turn towards the others, treating them as a mere afterthought not worthy of his full attention. He knelt down to touch the smoldering Cauldron and stood back up, dusting his gloved hands off. "You may have heard of me before. Does the name Light Chaser ring a bell?"
"Hm...I'm not seeing anything, Chrys. Oh! I think I see some chrysanthemums! No...those are daisies...or are they sunflowers? I'm not good at flowers. She said they were red and white, correct?" Zeno shouted over at Chrys while they were in the skies. He led Chrys forward to circle around town to no avail. After several minutes of searching he was starting to lose hope. "Perhaps today we'll leave without answers." He frowned. Zeno's eyes scanned Eventide but even as he squinted he could not see anything. He shook his head. "All this squinting is no good for my skin. I'll get wrinkles and that, my friend, would be the greatest tragedy of all." The Horned King stumbled back, weakened by the attacks of the keybladers. He clutched his chest and heaved, glowing red eyes glaring at the group. "No...this...this isn't possible...I AM IMMORTAL. THE CAULDRON'S POWER FLOWS THROUGH ME." He shrieked in rage. "You are children! INSECTS. I...I..." He stumbled backwards and pressed up against the Cauldron. "No...nonono NOOOO!!! I WILL NOT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!!! Ardyn. We had a deal. You will obey your contract. Kill them all." On command the man appeared beside the Horned King with a bright smile on his face. "Yes. I believe we did...but it looks like you no longer have the power to hold my contract. Thanks to those meddlesome children. Why thank you for doing such a kind service to me." "You treacherous snake! You will die for your betrayal!" "Oh I think not." "WAIT–" "Bye bye." With a quick shove Ardyn pushed the Horned King into the Black Cauldron causing the sorcerer to scream and disappear into its depths. There was a flash of green light as the green mist began to get sucked up right back into the Cauldron. The Cauldron-Born began collapsing into piles of inanimate bones with some of them getting sucked in with the mist. The group would have felt the immense rush of air as the Cauldron drew in its influence. Ardyn stood idly by while waiting for the last of the mist to drain into the Cauldron and in seconds it was all over. "Well that was rather dramatic now wasn't it? Now that our unpleasant horned friend is out of the way, I have this little trinket all to myself! What a glorious gift you children have given me." Ardyn tipped his hat to the group. "I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. You played your parts so predictably well!" Torrin's eyes narrowed as things when from bad, to good, to bad once more with the appearance of Ardyn. "You're not taking that thing anywhere. We're trashing that Cauldron and you if you get in the way." He spoke, pointing his keyblade at Ardyn. Blades of crimson light surrounded Ardyn at Torrin's threat causing Torrin to wince in response. "Care to go again, broody?" Ardyn looked at the others and grinned. "Run along now, children lest I do to you what I did to Glyde. I almost felt the flames of Hell from our last meeting but by now some of you should know that you cannot kill me. You've lost."
"Hm...I'm not seeing anything, Chrys. Oh! I think I see some chrysanthemums! No...those are daisies...or are they sunflowers? I'm not good at flowers. She said they were red and white, correct?" Zeno shouted over at Chrys while they were in the skies. He led Chrys forward to circle around town to no avail. After several minutes of searching he was starting to lose hope. "Perhaps today we'll leave without answers." He frowned. Zeno's eyes scanned Eventide but even as he squinted he could not see anything. He shook his head. "All this squinting is no good for my skin. I'll get wrinkles and that, my friend, would be the greatest tragedy of all." The Horned King stumbled back, weakened by the attacks of the keybladers. He clutched his chest and heaved, glowing red eyes glaring at the group. "No...this...this isn't possible...I AM IMMORTAL. THE CAULDRON'S POWER FLOWS THROUGH ME." He shrieked in rage. "You are children! INSECTS. I...I..." He stumbled backwards and pressed up against the Cauldron. "No...nonono NOOOO!!! I WILL NOT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!!! Ardyn. We had a deal. You will obey your contract. Kill them all." On command the man appeared beside the Horned King with a bright smile on his face. "Yes. I believe we did...but it looks like you no longer have the power to hold my contract. Thanks to those meddlesome children. Why thank you for doing such a kind service to me." "You treacherous snake! You will die for your betrayal!" "Oh I think not." "WAIT–" "Bye bye." With a quick shove Ardyn pushed the Horned King into the Black Cauldron causing the sorcerer to scream and disappear into its depths. There was a flash of green light as the green mist began to get sucked up right back into the Cauldron. The Cauldron-Born began collapsing into piles of inanimate bones with some of them getting sucked in with the mist. The group would have felt the immense rush of air as the Cauldron drew in its influence. Ardyn stood idly by while waiting for the last of the mist to drain into the Cauldron and in seconds it was all over. "Well that was rather dramatic now wasn't it? Now that our unpleasant horned friend is out of the way, I have this little trinket all to myself! What a glorious gift you children have given me." Ardyn tipped his hat to the group. "I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart. You played your parts so predictably well!"
Torrin's eyes narrowed as things when from bad, to good, to bad once more with the appearance of Ardyn. "You're not taking that thing anywhere. We're trashing that Cauldron and you if you get in the way." He spoke, pointing his keyblade at Ardyn. Blades of crimson light surrounded Ardyn at Torrin's threat causing Torrin to wince in response. "Care to go again, broody?" Ardyn looked at the others and grinned. "Run along now, children lest I do to you what I did to Glyde. I almost felt the flames of Hell from our last meeting but by now some of you should know that you cannot kill me. You've lost."
"Oh? That's interesting...I wonder just who is this Chryssa then. Perhaps our Master has a hidden romantic side?" Zeno flashed a grin at the thought. "So if he's been buying so many flowers...surely we should be able to see them if we fly, don't you think? Why else would he want us to stay here if it wasn't close to the item of his affection? How touching." Zeno spoke with genuine excitement. He walked forward and glanced over at Chrysanthemum when she expressed doubt. "Come now, don't be so dull. Personal is what makes this so...so spicy! Let's go meet this mystery woman!" Without listening to any other arguments Zeno ran forward and called for his glider, taking off into the sky.
"Oh? That's interesting...I wonder just who is this Chryssa then. Perhaps our Master has a hidden romantic side?" Zeno flashed a grin at the thought. "So if he's been buying so many flowers...surely we should be able to see them if we fly, don't you think? Why else would he want us to stay here if it wasn't close to the item of his affection? How touching." Zeno spoke with genuine excitement. He walked forward and glanced over at Chrysanthemum when she expressed doubt. "Come now, don't be so dull. Personal is what makes this so...so spicy! Let's go meet this mystery woman!" Without listening to any other arguments Zeno ran forward and called for his glider, taking off into the sky.
"Oh...well it's just that I haven't seen or heard from her in so long...I don't know if she's alright. And I have no way to travel to her." Lantana frowned and shook her head slowly. "But worrying too much is not good for this old heart. What was the question again?" "Her name. What is your granddaughter's name?" Zeno repeated for her. "Ah yes. Her father was fond of flowers. He must have picked it up after me. Her name was inspired by his favorite flower, your namesake, child." She looked at Chrysanthemum with a light in her eyes. "Chryssa. Her name is Chryssa." "Hm..." Zeno rubbed his chin and shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell. Erm. Thank you for satisfying our curiosity, Lantana." Zeno bowed his head respectfully in hopes of not having his hair insulted once more before walking off to give Chrysnathemum her space to say her goodbyes or speak any final thoughts to the woman. When Chrysanthemum finally decided to head over to him Zeno asked, "Does that name mean anything to you? Your bond with the Master is stronger than mine so...has he mentioned it to you before?" "You...you cannot beat me...I am immortal!" The Horned King screeched in a terrifying rage as he clawed at Qamar and Boreas, knocking them away from him. "You children know nothing of the power of the Cauldron! I will be the DEATH OF YOU! YOU PATHETIC INSOLENT SCUM!" From his hands a wave of flame erupted forth and toppled Tinarah and Takehiko, with Take taking the worst of it as his shield provided cover for Torrin, Aria, Illiana, Enzo. Chrono phased out of the attack, leaving behind three time clones that retaliated for him. Turn 5 Torrin Aria Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Illiana Boreas Qamar Enzo Chrono dealt 0 Damage! Illiana dealt 100 Damage! Tinarah dealt 105 Damage! Qamar dealt 50 Damage! Aria dealt 60 Damage! Torrin dealt 510 Damage! Boreas dealt 123 Damage! Takehiko dealt 67 Damage! Enzo dealt 0 Damage! Enzo's Poisonga dealt 20 Damage! Temporis Imitatio [Blade Beam, Ars Solum, Meteor Crash] dealt 145 Damage! Torrin was protected by Takehiko's Good Karma! Aria was protected by Takehiko's Good Karma! Chrono dodged the brunt of the attack! Temporis Imitatio activated! Pain inflicted! Tinarah took 29 Damage! Pain inflicted! Takehiko took 70 Damage! MP Rage activated! Stun inflicted! Illiana was protected by Takehiko's Good Karma! Boreas took 16 Damage! Qamar took 24 Damage! MP Rage activated! Slow inflicted! Enzo was protected by Takehiko's Good Karma! The party took 10 Damage from To Glory and Ruin's Explosive! The Horned King HP: 2,409 / 6,660 AP: 21 DEF: 10 BREAK GAUGE: 130 / 130% STATUS: Gravity, Poison, BREAK Torrin's Info HP: 63/130 MP: 39/40 FOC: 32/70 FLUX: 1/5 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn), Phantom Blade (1 Turn) [0 blades remaining] Aria's Info HP: 100/110 MP: 55/57 FOC: 1/27 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn), First Dawn (2 Turns) Chrono's Info HP: 137/145 MP: 30/35 FOC: 23/50 FLUX: 2/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn), ...Are My Power! (2 Turns), Pain (10 Turns) [DEF reduced to 0] Tinarah's Info HP: 82/160 MP: 67/90 FOC: 3/15 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn), Pain (10 Turns) [DEF reduced to 0] Takehiko's Info HP: 68/200 MP: 28/28 FOC: 28/28 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn), Paladin Form (1 Turn) [Good Karma: 67 Damage], Stun (10 Turns) [Ex-Arts locked] Illiana's Info HP: 60/70 MP: 32/40 FOC: 15/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn) Boreas's Info HP: 41/145 MP: 25/30 FOC: 13/33 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Rasp (8 Turns) [5 MP lost per turn], Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn), To Glory and Ruin! (1 Turn) Qamar's Info HP: 28/120 MP: 15/15 FOC: 41/41 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn), Domination (2 Turns), Slow (10 Turns) [SPD reduced to 0] Enzo's Info HP: 112/150 MP: 61/70 FOC: 15/20 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS:Slow (9 Turns) [SPD reduced to 0], Rainbow Glow (1 Turn), Inspiring Presence (1 Turn) Combat Guide Torrin saw the weakened state of the Horned King and spun his blade in one hand. "Looks like you're going to find out what being mortal is soon enough." Torrin spoke grimly. "He's breaking! Hit him with everything you've got!" Torrin shouted towards the others as he rushed ahead to get in the first strike. He started off by striking the Horned King with the full force of his keyblade then followed up with a long string of dark-infused lunges from a double dose of Chaos Blade before continuing the assault with Ars Arcanum. By the time Torrin finished he could feel sweat rolling down his cheek and his hold over his form slipping. HP: 53/130 MP: 39/40 FOC: 0/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin Attacked and used Chaos Blade x2 and Ars Arcanum.
"Oh...well it's just that I haven't seen or heard from her in so long...I don't know if she's alright. And I have no way to travel to her." Lantana frowned and shook her head slowly. "But worrying too much is not good for this old heart. What was the question again?" "Her name. What is your granddaughter's name?" Zeno repeated for her. "Ah yes. Her father was fond of flowers. He must have picked it up after me. Her name was inspired by his favorite flower, your namesake, child." She looked at Chrysanthemum with a light in her eyes. "Chryssa. Her name is Chryssa." "Hm..." Zeno rubbed his chin and shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell. Erm. Thank you for satisfying our curiosity, Lantana." Zeno bowed his head respectfully in hopes of not having his hair insulted once more before walking off to give Chrysnathemum her space to say her goodbyes or speak any final thoughts to the woman. When Chrysanthemum finally decided to head over to him Zeno asked, "Does that name mean anything to you? Your bond with the Master is stronger than mine so...has he mentioned it to you before?"
"You...you cannot beat me...I am immortal!" The Horned King screeched in a terrifying rage as he clawed at Qamar and Boreas, knocking them away from him. "You children know nothing of the power of the Cauldron! I will be the DEATH OF YOU! YOU PATHETIC INSOLENT SCUM!" From his hands a wave of flame erupted forth and toppled Tinarah and Takehiko, with Take taking the worst of it as his shield provided cover for Torrin, Aria, Illiana, Enzo. Chrono phased out of the attack, leaving behind three time clones that retaliated for him.
Torrin saw the weakened state of the Horned King and spun his blade in one hand. "Looks like you're going to find out what being mortal is soon enough." Torrin spoke grimly. "He's breaking! Hit him with everything you've got!" Torrin shouted towards the others as he rushed ahead to get in the first strike. He started off by striking the Horned King with the full force of his keyblade then followed up with a long string of dark-infused lunges from a double dose of Chaos Blade before continuing the assault with Ars Arcanum. By the time Torrin finished he could feel sweat rolling down his cheek and his hold over his form slipping. HP: 53/130 MP: 39/40 FOC: 0/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin Attacked and used Chaos Blade x2 and Ars Arcanum.
Torrin touched his arm and narrowed his eyes at the bloody stain left over his torn coat sleeve. "Just a scratch." He muttered under his breath, wondering how much longer his favored coat would survive. The thought concerned him more than the wound inflicted on him as it was one of the only articles of clothing he had left from his home. A brilliant flash of light returned his attention to the battle. Aria had called upon her own inner strength and was now doing battle in a red dress that radiated a powerful warmth. It seemed like everyone had been putting their all into the fight and had been drawing on their powers to beat the Horned King back. The sorcerer was looking in rough shape and he had actually been forced back several steps back towards the Cauldron. "We've got him on the ropes! Don't let up!" Torrin called out towards the others as he closed the gap between the Horned King and himself with a leaping diagonal cut. Four black blades surrounded the Horned King, suspended in the air for a moment before launching themselves at the sorcerer just as Torrin unleashed a flurry of rapid blows from an Ars Arcanum. He continued the assault by leaping into the air and coming back crashing down with a Sky Dive before Dodge Rolling backwards out of harm's way now that the dark blades at his side had all been used up and could no longer shield him. HP: 73/130 MP: 34/40 FOC: 32/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin Attacked and used Ars Arcanum, Sky Dive, and Dodge Roll.
Torrin touched his arm and narrowed his eyes at the bloody stain left over his torn coat sleeve. "Just a scratch." He muttered under his breath, wondering how much longer his favored coat would survive. The thought concerned him more than the wound inflicted on him as it was one of the only articles of clothing he had left from his home. A brilliant flash of light returned his attention to the battle. Aria had called upon her own inner strength and was now doing battle in a red dress that radiated a powerful warmth. It seemed like everyone had been putting their all into the fight and had been drawing on their powers to beat the Horned King back. The sorcerer was looking in rough shape and he had actually been forced back several steps back towards the Cauldron. "We've got him on the ropes! Don't let up!" Torrin called out towards the others as he closed the gap between the Horned King and himself with a leaping diagonal cut. Four black blades surrounded the Horned King, suspended in the air for a moment before launching themselves at the sorcerer just as Torrin unleashed a flurry of rapid blows from an Ars Arcanum. He continued the assault by leaping into the air and coming back crashing down with a Sky Dive before Dodge Rolling backwards out of harm's way now that the dark blades at his side had all been used up and could no longer shield him. HP: 73/130 MP: 34/40 FOC: 32/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin Attacked and used Ars Arcanum, Sky Dive, and Dodge Roll.
The Horned King grew angrier the greater the damage he received, his robe was now torn and shredded yet he continued to fight, ignoring the damage being done to his frail-looking body. In a puff of green smoke he disappeared and reappeared in front of Torrin, cutting his his arm with his pointed nails before teleporting back to the Cauldron where he launched off several more blasts of green fire at the group. Turn 4 Torrin Aria Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Illiana Boreas Qamar Enzo Takehiko dealt 87 Damage! Tinarah dealt 125 Damage! Aria dealt 115 Damage! Qamar dealt 175 Damage! Torrin dealt 320 Damage! Chrono dealt 128 Damage! Boreas dealt 113 Damage! Enzo's Poisonga dealt 20 Damage! Torrin took 17 Damage! MP Rage activated! Aria took 29 Damage! MP Rage activated! Chrono was protected by Takehiko's Good Karma! Tinarah took 29 Damage! Silence inflicted! Takehiko took 43 Damage! MP Rage activated! Imperil inflicted! Illiana took 30 Damage! Silence inflicted! Boreas dodged the brunt of the attack! Rasp inflicted! Qamar was protected by Takehiko's Good Karma! Enzo took 30 Damage! Slow inflicted! The party took 10 Damage from To Glory and Ruin's Explosive! The Horned King HP: 3,589 / 6,660 AP: 21 DEF: 10 BREAK GAUGE: 115 / 130% STATUS: Gravity, Poison Torrin's Info HP: 73/130 MP: 34/40 FOC: 52/70 FLUX: 1/5 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns), Phantom Blade (2 Turns) [4 blades remaining] Aria's Info HP: 42/110 MP: 32/57 FOC: 1/27 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns) Chrono's Info HP: 117/145 MP: 35/35 FOC: 23/50 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns) Tinarah's Info HP: 121/160 MP: 79/90 FOC: 3/15 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Silence (10 Turns) [Magic locked], Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns), Magic's Dance (1 Turn) Takehiko's Info HP: 83/200 MP: 28/28 FOC: 28/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Imperil (10 Turns) [Receive double magic damage], Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns), Paladin Form (2 Turns) [Good Karma: 27 Damage] Illiana's Info HP: 31/70 MP: 27/40 FOC: 28/28 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Silence (10 Turns) [Magic locked], Leafga (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns) Boreas's Info HP: 72/145 MP: 25/30 FOC: 18/33 FLUX: 0/3 STATUS: Rasp (9 Turns) [5 MP lost per turn], Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns), To Glory and Ruin! (2 Turns) Qamar's Info HP: 97/120 MP: 15/15 FOC: 41/41 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS: Leafga (1 Turn), Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns) Enzo's Info HP: 52/150 MP: 56/70 FOC: 15/20 FLUX: 3/3 STATUS:Slow (10 Turns) [SPD reduced to 0], Rainbow Glow (2 Turns), Inspiring Presence (2 Turns) Combat Guide "Master?" The elderly woman blinked at Chrys and frowned. "I'm afraid I don't know a Mr. Chaser but there is a man who visits every day to buy flowers. He's quite friendly and leaves a generous tip each time even though he doesn't need to tip. Is that man your teacher? You are fortunate to have such a good man teaching you." Lantana spoke as she walked over towards a rosebush outside her shop and began to water it. "As for why he would visit me..." She trailed off and leaned down to gently place the watering can on the ground. The woman shrugged slightly and chuckled. "Though I can hardly imagine what he's been doing with all those dahlias he's been buying...he told me they were for a friend here. Though I imagine whoever he's giving them to must be leaving some of them outside with how many they're getting. I haven't seen any around town though...perhaps his friend might know more if you're looking for answers. You can't miss the flowers, no one else buys them so the red and white coloring will give them away."
The Horned King grew angrier the greater the damage he received, his robe was now torn and shredded yet he continued to fight, ignoring the damage being done to his frail-looking body. In a puff of green smoke he disappeared and reappeared in front of Torrin, cutting his his arm with his pointed nails before teleporting back to the Cauldron where he launched off several more blasts of green fire at the group.
"Master?" The elderly woman blinked at Chrys and frowned. "I'm afraid I don't know a Mr. Chaser but there is a man who visits every day to buy flowers. He's quite friendly and leaves a generous tip each time even though he doesn't need to tip. Is that man your teacher? You are fortunate to have such a good man teaching you." Lantana spoke as she walked over towards a rosebush outside her shop and began to water it. "As for why he would visit me..." She trailed off and leaned down to gently place the watering can on the ground. The woman shrugged slightly and chuckled. "Though I can hardly imagine what he's been doing with all those dahlias he's been buying...he told me they were for a friend here. Though I imagine whoever he's giving them to must be leaving some of them outside with how many they're getting. I haven't seen any around town though...perhaps his friend might know more if you're looking for answers. You can't miss the flowers, no one else buys them so the red and white coloring will give them away."
"Kefka talked too much. I don't do witty battle banter with my enemies." Torrin smirked. "But I guess it did feel good knocking that clown down." Torrin stepped back and channeled his darkness cast Dark Saberza on himself causing a black aura to form around his keyblade. He spun his keyblade and readied for an attack when Qamar came to him asking a strange question at an odd time. "Not a good time, but if you want an answer, ask him yourself. Boreas is less tolerant than I am about the whole beating around the bush thing." He answered simply. "Oh and..." He charged forth, leaping high into the air while performing a rapid double front flip as he brought his keyblade down on the Horned King. Midswing in the followup attack his keyblade vanished and a blade of darkness appeared in hand. It shattered upon cutting the Horned King but Torrin kept on his momentum, twirling a newly summoned sword and spinning to deliver a backhand blow then following up with a nigh-instantaneous upwards cut with another blade of darkness that appeared in his right hand. Torrin flipped backwards, landing on his hands and pushing off the ground to vault farther back while summoning his keyblade in midair as he landed by Aria and Qamar. "That is showing off. Though...I'm pretty rusty at all the flashy flippy stuff." He shrugged. HP: 100/130 MP: 24/40 FOC: 52/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin used Dark Saberza and Attacked! "Not funny." Zeno folded his arms and turned away from Chrysanthemum. "A man has his pride you know." He muttered to himself as he kicked aimlessly at the ground. The old woman nodded at Chrys and looked from her to Zeno then back at Chrys. "Oh I don't see what the harm of it is. So of course, child. May I ask for your names? My name is Lantana." "I'm Zeno and that's Chrysanthemum. Chrys for short." Zeno answered for her. "Zeno and...Chrys..?" The woman's eyes stayed on Chrysanthemum for some time, something clearly going on in her mind. Her left hand began to shake and she held it still with the other, taking in an unsteady breath. "I-I'm sorry. It just sounds so similar to that of my granddaughter's...I haven't seen her in a very long time." Zeno looked at Chrys and gave her a light nudge, wishing for her to press the subject as well as ask about why their master would visit this woman.
"Kefka talked too much. I don't do witty battle banter with my enemies." Torrin smirked. "But I guess it did feel good knocking that clown down." Torrin stepped back and channeled his darkness cast Dark Saberza on himself causing a black aura to form around his keyblade. He spun his keyblade and readied for an attack when Qamar came to him asking a strange question at an odd time. "Not a good time, but if you want an answer, ask him yourself. Boreas is less tolerant than I am about the whole beating around the bush thing." He answered simply. "Oh and..." He charged forth, leaping high into the air while performing a rapid double front flip as he brought his keyblade down on the Horned King. Midswing in the followup attack his keyblade vanished and a blade of darkness appeared in hand. It shattered upon cutting the Horned King but Torrin kept on his momentum, twirling a newly summoned sword and spinning to deliver a backhand blow then following up with a nigh-instantaneous upwards cut with another blade of darkness that appeared in his right hand. Torrin flipped backwards, landing on his hands and pushing off the ground to vault farther back while summoning his keyblade in midair as he landed by Aria and Qamar. "That is showing off. Though...I'm pretty rusty at all the flashy flippy stuff." He shrugged. HP: 100/130 MP: 24/40 FOC: 52/70 FLUX: 1/5 Torrin used Dark Saberza and Attacked! "Not funny." Zeno folded his arms and turned away from Chrysanthemum. "A man has his pride you know." He muttered to himself as he kicked aimlessly at the ground. The old woman nodded at Chrys and looked from her to Zeno then back at Chrys. "Oh I don't see what the harm of it is. So of course, child. May I ask for your names? My name is Lantana." "I'm Zeno and that's Chrysanthemum. Chrys for short." Zeno answered for her. "Zeno and...Chrys..?" The woman's eyes stayed on Chrysanthemum for some time, something clearly going on in her mind. Her left hand began to shake and she held it still with the other, taking in an unsteady breath. "I-I'm sorry. It just sounds so similar to that of my granddaughter's...I haven't seen her in a very long time." Zeno looked at Chrys and gave her a light nudge, wishing for her to press the subject as well as ask about why their master would visit this woman.
