Well Krowley has kept SoS alive for a bajillion years...
#BanAelin2018
But Obama was president.
When I drew that I drew mok's soul, not his outer shell.
WHAT? MOK IS BLACK!?
The Premium and Contributor usergroups have two new exclusive pins to nab for their collection! The base designs were done by @Maka Albarn and @Cat~ respectively. So congratulations to you two for submitting great ideas! You both will be gifted 100 Munny for winning! "Riku the Wayfinder" ~ Premium Pin {Post Here To Claim This!} "All Hail the King" ~ Contributor Pin {Post Here To Claim This!}
All of these options should just read @Boy Wonder in different languages. Literally no one else is worthy of being missed. </3
Being stripped down and treated like vermin might not have bothered him since shame was an organic emotion but he was no damn toaster. This machine had pride. Not that pride would do him any good. He analyzed his means of escape and most of the options presented before him had over a ninety-nine percent chance in his destruction and those that didn't had a one hundred percent chance in his destruction. There was always the option to wait out the lifespans of everything around him but waiting such a length of time was not a preferable alternative. Going it alone came with infinitesimal odds of success. Logically, that meant gathering others willing to work on an escape. Without knowing more about who he was imprisoned with he had no way to calculate the chance of success for an escape. These were criminals after all and not everyone could be trusted or even have an appropriate skill set for him to work with. Leading was what he was programmed for Ace looked around at the others, noticing a handful of groups already forming and all he had to do was approach one as it was more efficient than going after individuals. "Greetings, Rami and Human." Realizing his tone was stilted and unnatural he compensated appropriately and took on a more lax tone of speech. "I am Ace. Not a h'min as you might say." He paused and gave a brief glance around at the other prisoners. "Apologies for interrupting your conversation. I felt it necessary to learn about those around me stuck in this predicament."
Being stripped down and treated like vermin might not have bothered him since shame was an organic emotion but he was no damn toaster. This machine had pride. Not that pride would do him any good. He analyzed his means of escape and most of the options presented before him had over a ninety-nine percent chance in his destruction and those that didn't had a one hundred percent chance in his destruction. There was always the option to wait out the lifespans of everything around him but waiting such a length of time was not a preferable alternative. Going it alone came with infinitesimal odds of success. Logically, that meant gathering others willing to work on an escape. Without knowing more about who he was imprisoned with he had no way to calculate the chance of success for an escape. These were criminals after all and not everyone could be trusted or even have an appropriate skill set for him to work with. Leading was what he was programmed for Ace looked around at the others, noticing a handful of groups already forming and all he had to do was approach one as it was more efficient than going after individuals. "Greetings, Rami and Human." Realizing his tone was stilted and unnatural he compensated appropriately and took on a more lax tone of speech. "I am Ace. Not a h'min as you might say." He paused and gave a brief glance around at the other prisoners. "Apologies for interrupting your conversation. I felt it necessary to learn about those around me stuck in this predicament."
Arctus cracked his knuckles and scratched the back of his head, unsure of why the one he saw before him was his next opponent. "Aeira, right? Look, I don't really have time to waste so how about I just plow right through you and get to the next fight? Good? Good." The girl immediately charged at him with great speed as rocks began to form two giant stone arms that hovered near her. This one was less talkative compared to Kaida's copy but since he wasn't here for conversation he did not mind this difference at all. Arctus called away his keyblade and dusted off his jacket while he waited for Aeira to come at him. "Alright. Let's make this quick." Arctus leapt forward and twisted, dodging out of the way of her first punch. She may have been faster but even she wasn't fast enough to dodge him a keyblade summoned at midswing from an extremely close proximity. Since he was able to swing his empty hand far faster than with a keyblade, the momentum it carried easily cut deep into her stomach and before his opponent could back away to get some distance between them he swung his blade once more at on of the arms while simultaneously casting Gravity. The stone arm came down on Aeira, crushing her and pinning her to the ground where Arctus was able to finish her off before she could even recover. "Guess I got lucky." Arctus spoke in an amused tone. But he knew better. Arctus headed through the next door. On the other side was another member of the Black Coats. "Hm..." Arctus checked the time and crunched the numbers in his head to figure out that this wasn't a comfortable stage to slow down in. "Sorry Luther but the timing on this is kind of odd so I'm not going to let this drag on either."
Arctus cracked his knuckles and scratched the back of his head, unsure of why the one he saw before him was his next opponent. "Aeira, right? Look, I don't really have time to waste so how about I just plow right through you and get to the next fight? Good? Good." The girl immediately charged at him with great speed as rocks began to form two giant stone arms that hovered near her. This one was less talkative compared to Kaida's copy but since he wasn't here for conversation he did not mind this difference at all. Arctus called away his keyblade and dusted off his jacket while he waited for Aeira to come at him. "Alright. Let's make this quick." Arctus leapt forward and twisted, dodging out of the way of her first punch. She may have been faster but even she wasn't fast enough to dodge him a keyblade summoned at midswing from an extremely close proximity. Since he was able to swing his empty hand far faster than with a keyblade, the momentum it carried easily cut deep into her stomach and before his opponent could back away to get some distance between them he swung his blade once more at on of the arms while simultaneously casting Gravity. The stone arm came down on Aeira, crushing her and pinning her to the ground where Arctus was able to finish her off before she could even recover. "Guess I got lucky." Arctus spoke in an amused tone. But he knew better. Arctus headed through the next door. On the other side was another member of the Black Coats. "Hm..." Arctus checked the time and crunched the numbers in his head to figure out that this wasn't a comfortable stage to slow down in. "Sorry Luther but the timing on this is kind of odd so I'm not going to let this drag on either."
Torrin nodded in understanding. Everything was complicated these days but just having an old friend around renewed his confidence to push onward. "Gone but not forgotten." Torrin repeated. "Once this is over, I'll find a way to put an end to the war. All those deaths will not be in vai–" The darkness around them spiked. Torrin felt a surge of magical energy from behind and rolled to the side just as a dark purple ball of flame sped past him, singing the tail end of his coat. "Oh! I was so close! Blasting a hole through your chest would've been a sight to see, right?" Standing before them with his hand still alight with dark flames was a familiar face...albeit sporting a few noticeable differences in appearance. As the group approached the end of the tunnel she could hear voices outside. Master Thallasa tightened the grip on her keyblade and looked back towards the others following behind her. "Get ready for a fight. Fflam, Eilonwy, Taran, you three need to stay behind us." "But I can fight!" Taran objected as he held up his new sword which began to glow in response. "You are not trained. For now, leave the fighting to us." They had already lost one of their number and she intended to lose no one else today. Thankfully, her tone kept Taran from objecting any further and the boy slid unhappily to the back of the group. As she predicted, the second the group approached the tunnel's end there were already a group of the Horned King's soldiers armed and ready for them, their weapons already drawn. "Out of our way." Thallasa demanded. As one would expect, the Horned King's thugs refused to move and held their ground. The only way through them was to fight. Three of the thugs charged first into the tunnel hoping to overwhelm them in the cramped space. Round 1 Aria Illiana Qamar Thallasa Enemies Remaining: 40 Thugs (20 AP) Rainbow Glow – Aria casts an armor of light on the party that lasts for 3 turns. Their defenses are increased by 30%. HP: 43/95 AP: 48/48 MP: 30/30 DP: 2/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard White Mage Link Boost Doublecast ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz+ Sonic Blade Vicinity Break STATUS None. Counter Heal – Illiana's Evasion is permanently raised by 1 Tier. Whenever Illiana dodges an attack she automatically regains 10 HP. HP: 23/60 AP: 60/60 MP: 13/30 DP: 3/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Combo Plus Black Mage Second Chance Defender MP Rage Black Wizard Doublecast ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll STATUS None. Serenity – When low on MP Qamar's defense is increased 15%. HP: 32/70 AP: 60/60 MP: 20/30 DP: 3/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Combo Plus Second Chance Finisher Plus Defender ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz+ Sonic Blade STATUS None. HP: 150/200 AP: 100/100 MP: 45/90 STATUS None.
Torrin nodded in understanding. Everything was complicated these days but just having an old friend around renewed his confidence to push onward. "Gone but not forgotten." Torrin repeated. "Once this is over, I'll find a way to put an end to the war. All those deaths will not be in vai–" The darkness around them spiked. Torrin felt a surge of magical energy from behind and rolled to the side just as a dark purple ball of flame sped past him, singing the tail end of his coat. "Oh! I was so close! Blasting a hole through your chest would've been a sight to see, right?" Standing before them with his hand still alight with dark flames was a familiar face...albeit sporting a few noticeable differences in appearance.
As the group approached the end of the tunnel she could hear voices outside. Master Thallasa tightened the grip on her keyblade and looked back towards the others following behind her. "Get ready for a fight. Fflam, Eilonwy, Taran, you three need to stay behind us." "But I can fight!" Taran objected as he held up his new sword which began to glow in response. "You are not trained. For now, leave the fighting to us." They had already lost one of their number and she intended to lose no one else today. Thankfully, her tone kept Taran from objecting any further and the boy slid unhappily to the back of the group. As she predicted, the second the group approached the tunnel's end there were already a group of the Horned King's soldiers armed and ready for them, their weapons already drawn. "Out of our way." Thallasa demanded. As one would expect, the Horned King's thugs refused to move and held their ground. The only way through them was to fight. Three of the thugs charged first into the tunnel hoping to overwhelm them in the cramped space.
"I suppose..." Avra followed after Chrysanthemum and the others as they started walking ahead her mind began to wander. "What happens when we become masters?" "Curiosity isn't like you, dear girl." Zeno smirked. "Shut it!" "I suppose the master will have deemed us worthy to learn techniques that only a master would be ready to utilize." Pagos answered in a monotone. "Hm...that makes sense. I guess I just expected something...more." Avra shrugged and shook her head. "When my eldest sister became a master she changed. She grew distant. For the longest time I thought it was just part of becoming one. We weren't always the closest beforehand but...ah...never mind. I shouldn't be going down that rabbit hole before the exam." "Why? You barely ever mention them." Koa slowed his pace to walk beside Avra. "More than one of us here knows how complicated things can be with family. Chrys knows too." "I'm sure they both still think I'm dead." Avra sighed. "I don't want to have this talk right now. So we won't. Got it?" "Uh...right...sure whatever you say." Koa spoke lowly as Avra took the lead to walk ahead passing by Chrysanthemum. Kefka pointed a finger to the sky and grinned, his eyes wild. "Is it warm in here? Or is it just me?" Fire began to rain down, exploding as the magical flames crashed into the ground to scatter the group. "I can keep this up all day! You brats look tired! How about you take a nap!? FOREVER!!!!" Round 4 Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Dark Kefka HP: 627/1,000 Attack Power: 19 Break Gauge: 70 / 100% Chrono took 26 Damage! (59/85HP) Tinarah took 23 Damage! (39/85HP) Takehiko took 18 Damage! (48/120HP) Temporis Imitatio – The more AP left unused at the end of the turn, the higher the chance Chrono will dodge an attack by leaving an afterimage of himself instead of Guarding. The Time Clone will attack with a random Active Ability Chrono has learned when activated. HP: 59/85 AP: 56/56 MP: 17/30 DP: 3/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Combo Plus Red Mage ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz Vicinity Break Judgment STATUS Solar Surfer: 2 Turns MY FRIENDS! – Whenever casting Cure on someone other than herself the spell heals 15 more HP. HP: 39/85 AP: 58/58 MP: 12/30 DP: 2/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Cure Boost Black Mage MP Haste White Mage White Wizard ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz STATUS Super: 2 Turns Provoke – Once per battle Takehiko can draw enemy attention from 2 allies. His defenses are boosted during this. HP: 48/120 AP: 44/44 MP: 10/30 DP: 2/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Reaction Boost MP Rage Wall ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz+ MP Gift STATUS Super: 2 Turns
"I suppose..." Avra followed after Chrysanthemum and the others as they started walking ahead her mind began to wander. "What happens when we become masters?" "Curiosity isn't like you, dear girl." Zeno smirked. "Shut it!" "I suppose the master will have deemed us worthy to learn techniques that only a master would be ready to utilize." Pagos answered in a monotone. "Hm...that makes sense. I guess I just expected something...more." Avra shrugged and shook her head. "When my eldest sister became a master she changed. She grew distant. For the longest time I thought it was just part of becoming one. We weren't always the closest beforehand but...ah...never mind. I shouldn't be going down that rabbit hole before the exam." "Why? You barely ever mention them." Koa slowed his pace to walk beside Avra. "More than one of us here knows how complicated things can be with family. Chrys knows too." "I'm sure they both still think I'm dead." Avra sighed. "I don't want to have this talk right now. So we won't. Got it?" "Uh...right...sure whatever you say." Koa spoke lowly as Avra took the lead to walk ahead passing by Chrysanthemum. Kefka pointed a finger to the sky and grinned, his eyes wild. "Is it warm in here? Or is it just me?" Fire began to rain down, exploding as the magical flames crashed into the ground to scatter the group. "I can keep this up all day! You brats look tired! How about you take a nap!? FOREVER!!!!"
Arctus spun his keyblade around his finger lazily and nodded at Shiro. "Alright. Cool. I understand. No prying eyes. I feel so free that I could even do this in my underwear, huh? Hah. Not that I'd do that. I'd neverrrr disrespect the sanctity of this super important exam. See ya later Shiro! Wish me luck! Uh not that I need it! Haha...ha...yeah I'll be going now. Cool? Cool. Byeeeee." He gave a short wave at him before heading forward towards his own set of stairs, feeling a little lighter in his footsteps with the knowledge that they wouldn't be watched. It hadn't been that long since he started this but with the pressure gone Arctus was feeling a sense of relief. When he headed up the stairs he let out a short huff as he allowed a small smile to cross his face. "Sixty minutes then, is it?" He whispered to himself. "I suppose I'll have to keep that in mind." The door clicked behind him and Arctus simply raised an eyebrow upon seeing his first opponent. "Ah...that makes sense. I did feel pretty bad about messing with that jacket of yours. Kaida, was it?" Once more he began to spin the keyblade around his finger and gave the room a brief look around. True to his word, Shiro was correct when he said that the test was private. "Well, that's a load off my shoulders. Performance anxiety, ya know? Never been fond of being watched. Gets me all jittery. So..." He tossed his keyblade up into the air and caught it in his left hand as he entered a defensive fighting stance. "Let's go, phony." Kaida for the most part seemed to stare at him rather unreactionary until the word phony. Then she summoned out her keyblade in her left hand and readied herself, "It's alright. I'll make you hurt for it at least a bit. That'll be your payment." and she reached out her right hand and quickly summoned out a second keyblade and crossed the two blasts of a thunderous spell in the shape of a bell at him. Arctus stabbed his keyblade into the ground causing pillars of rock to surround him and stop the Thunder Bell from even touching him. "Not getting hit by one of those again." He twisted the keyblade in the ground and the rocks began to rise from the ground and levitate. Without wasting any time Arctus began to strike the floating pillars to launch them towards Kaida. The blonde did her best to try and dodge herself out of the way, managing a couple of rolls and flips before inevitably his throwing found a trajectory that got a pillar to smack right into her and another smacked into her throwing her back into the ground as a third managed to crush her. She pushed the rocks out of the way and she stood up, rubbed her face a bit in pain and said, "Not bad. Though I wanna see you try blocking this!" and Kaida pointed her key up towards the sky and it quickly began to pour. She took the other key and pointed it above Arctus and shouted, "Thundaga!" as it called down from the sky. "You really don't want to play a war of attrition with me." Arctus ripped his keyblade from the ground and aimed it at Kaida. Gravity underneath his opponent shifted which would have thrown her straight up into the ceiling. Casting the spell did not give him time to dodge the first bolt which struck Arctus and singed his clothes and knocked him back. He was uncannily resilient however and managed to recover just in time to avoid the rest of the bolts. Kaida let out an audible "oof" as she hit the ceiling, not really expecting someone to come in with gravity magic being swung around as much as it was. She scanned the area below and kicked off the ceiling to try and land on the ground again, feeling herself a lot more floaty than she would have preferred. She let out a hiss of frustration as she cast curaga quickly on herself and let out a long exhale, "Time to go all in." and she ran straight towards Arctus with after images remaining behind her. She was heading in straight for melee and went in for a combo attack, aiming one keyblade towards his legs and another towards his head to hopefully knock him prone one way or another. "Dammit I should've expected this." Arctus growled and cursed under his breath. Had he gotten rusty? Either way, this fight was a wake up call to whip himself back in shape and forced him into a position he didn't want to be in so early. The air around him began to grow heavy and, with more strength than he intended to be using, did nothing to dodge Kaida and instead summoned a field of magical mines around him right as she charged at him. Kaida's eyes widened at the sudden magical bombs and she didn't really have a choice but to take the bombs. She glared, starting to get actually angry at Arctus at this rate and she pointed towards him and said at a low growl, "Stopga." There was a moment of long pause as it almost looked like the blonde was all over the place with her after images as Stopga forced Arctus to have to delay a bit longer before he could do anything, and at that point she just went full comboing all over the place to attempt more of a death of a thousand cuts type deal. Then she quickly backed away before the spell ended and threw herself as far back as she could manage, wiping the sweat off her face as she said, "You're... you're kind of tough to take down. More of a guardian type I take it?" One second he had the advantage and was certain of finishing this off relatively unharmed and the next he was being knocked back, cuts having been dug across his arms and legs. It stung but he knew his opponent was hurting far more than he was. "You know, if this interaction actually mattered I'd answer that." He touched his arm and winced, looking at the blood on his hand. "Ah...that smarts. I really hope Karina's having a better time of it than I am. Got the bad luck of the draw with you. Even as a fake you're actually kind of tough. Props to whoever made this simulation." Arctus took in a deep breath. "But I suppose this has dragged on long enough. Can't get left behind by my girl!" His tone sounded awkward as he said it, his fist pumping outward in exaggerated excitation. Arctus tossed up his keyblade and caught it just past its handle on the blade. He tossed it like a javelin right at Kaida. Whether it hit her or not did not matter. An explosion of spatial magic erupted from the keyblade the instant it came close to Kaida. Kaida's eyes widened in surprise at this attack as she barely managed out a, "What? How?!" before she was engulfed in it. When the magic disappeared, the blonde was somehow still standing, but barely as she let out a couple of breathes before she shook her head and grinned a bit and dropped her keyblades as they disappeared. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a yellow pin in the shape of a skull and tossed it towards Arctus, "Congrats, you made it through fight one. Word of advice from this fake though: magic can only get you so far against someone a little more resistant and you seem to be a bit slow. Start some cardio and get a little faster and slash that keyblade at them a bit more. You'll be miles ahead of the guardian curve." the blonde raised a hand up and waved a bit as the the data creation began to dissipate, "Only gets harder from here. Good luck." and the data Kaida was gone. He wasn't expecting any words of advice at the end of this but he appreciated the sentiment regardless of how sincere it may or may not have been. "Heh. If the real Kaida is anything like you, maybe it might actually be worth making a new friend. Thanks for the ride." He picked up the pin and gave a small wave at the data version of Kaida. Arctus turned it over in his hand, unsure if it was some kind of key to move on but noticed he could press down on it. There was a quiet click and in an instant his wounds began to heal and the strength he expended began to return to him. The door up ahead opened. Arctus glanced down at the yellow pin and smiled faintly before walking towards his path to the next fight. "See you later, kid."
Arctus spun his keyblade around his finger lazily and nodded at Shiro. "Alright. Cool. I understand. No prying eyes. I feel so free that I could even do this in my underwear, huh? Hah. Not that I'd do that. I'd neverrrr disrespect the sanctity of this super important exam. See ya later Shiro! Wish me luck! Uh not that I need it! Haha...ha...yeah I'll be going now. Cool? Cool. Byeeeee." He gave a short wave at him before heading forward towards his own set of stairs, feeling a little lighter in his footsteps with the knowledge that they wouldn't be watched. It hadn't been that long since he started this but with the pressure gone Arctus was feeling a sense of relief. When he headed up the stairs he let out a short huff as he allowed a small smile to cross his face. "Sixty minutes then, is it?" He whispered to himself. "I suppose I'll have to keep that in mind." The door clicked behind him and Arctus simply raised an eyebrow upon seeing his first opponent. "Ah...that makes sense. I did feel pretty bad about messing with that jacket of yours. Kaida, was it?" Once more he began to spin the keyblade around his finger and gave the room a brief look around. True to his word, Shiro was correct when he said that the test was private. "Well, that's a load off my shoulders. Performance anxiety, ya know? Never been fond of being watched. Gets me all jittery. So..." He tossed his keyblade up into the air and caught it in his left hand as he entered a defensive fighting stance. "Let's go, phony."
Arctus rolled his shoulders and looked up at the staircases. "Oh come on. It's combat. Can't be that hard, can it?" He replied to Shiro with a slight smirk. Arctus took a step forward and watched as Karina began heading towards her own staircase. He waved at the girl and gave her a confident thumbs. "You've got this! And don't worry about me. I learn faster by being in the moment." He called after her. Arctus waved once more at Karina but didn't head towards his own path just yet and instead turned to look at Shiro. "So uh, Shiro was it? Quick question. These...er...rooms you have us going to. Until we reach the final room, will anyone be watching our first six fights? I assume the last one is the big important one, you know?" He looked up to his staircase and rolled his shoulders back, waiting for his answer before he would head up towards it.
Arctus rolled his shoulders and looked up at the staircases. "Oh come on. It's combat. Can't be that hard, can it?" He replied to Shiro with a slight smirk. Arctus took a step forward and watched as Karina began heading towards her own staircase. He waved at the girl and gave her a confident thumbs. "You've got this! And don't worry about me. I learn faster by being in the moment." He called after her. Arctus waved once more at Karina but didn't head towards his own path just yet and instead turned to look at Shiro. "So uh, Shiro was it? Quick question. These...er...rooms you have us going to. Until we reach the final room, will anyone be watching our first six fights? I assume the last one is the big important one, you know?" He looked up to his staircase and rolled his shoulders back, waiting for his answer before he would head up towards it.
Torrin stopped walking and stood there, watching Boreas with a look of shock on his face. "No...are you serious!? O-of course you, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Though Torrin hadn't grown too close to Boreas's brother he had known him and spoken to him on several occasions. They weren't best friends but Torrin knew he could count on Boreas's brother if he ever needed something. "Dammit. I should have been there." The guilt he felt for not being there for Boreas was just as bad as the sudden sting he felt knowing that someone else he had known was gone. "I didn't know...****..." Torrin took another deep breath and went silent for a minute, trying to process what he had just been told. Feeling guilty was all too familiar to him by now. He didn't know how to make things right but he knew one step he could take to make it better. Once more he felt the darkness swell. It was coming closer to them. Their presence and their keyblades must have finally caught its attention. It wouldn't be long now until they too were pulled into a fight. "Look I can't change the past." Torrin looked Boreas in the eye. "But I can promise that I won't abandon you again, Boreas." He spoke with conviction. Kefka growled, his clothes looking to be torn from the cuts that the other's keyblades had left. "You'll pay for that!" The clown shouted in frustration. Before he retaliated he turned towards Takehiko who was calling him out. "OH REALLY!? Well I'll show you, you half-pint midget!" Out from the palm of his hand shot out a shard of ice and just before reaching Takehiko it split apart into three chunks and hit the boy from several directions. "Does it hurt!? DOES IT!?" Round 3 Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Dark Kefka HP: 747/1,000 Attack Power: 19 Break Gauge: 35 / 100% Shell: 1 Turn Chrono took 0 Damage! (78/85HP) Tinarah took 0 Damage! (42/85HP) Takehiko took 74 Damage! (31/120HP) MP Rage activated! Temporis Imitatio – The more AP left unused at the end of the turn, the higher the chance Chrono will dodge an attack by leaving an afterimage of himself instead of Guarding. The Time Clone will attack with a random Active Ability Chrono has learned when activated. HP: 78/85 AP: 56/56 MP: 17/30 DP: 3/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Combo Plus Red Mage ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz Vicinity Break Judgment STATUS None. MY FRIENDS! – Whenever casting Cure on someone other than herself the spell heals 15 more HP. HP: 42/85 AP: 58/58 MP: 20/30 DP: 1/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Cure Boost Black Mage MP Haste White Mage White Wizard ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz STATUS None. Provoke – Once per battle Takehiko can draw enemy attention from 2 allies. His defenses are boosted during this. HP: 31/120 AP: 44/44 MP: 10/30 DP: 1/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Reaction Boost MP Rage Wall ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz+ MP Gift STATUS None.
Torrin stopped walking and stood there, watching Boreas with a look of shock on his face. "No...are you serious!? O-of course you, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Though Torrin hadn't grown too close to Boreas's brother he had known him and spoken to him on several occasions. They weren't best friends but Torrin knew he could count on Boreas's brother if he ever needed something. "Dammit. I should have been there." The guilt he felt for not being there for Boreas was just as bad as the sudden sting he felt knowing that someone else he had known was gone. "I didn't know...****..." Torrin took another deep breath and went silent for a minute, trying to process what he had just been told. Feeling guilty was all too familiar to him by now. He didn't know how to make things right but he knew one step he could take to make it better. Once more he felt the darkness swell. It was coming closer to them. Their presence and their keyblades must have finally caught its attention. It wouldn't be long now until they too were pulled into a fight. "Look I can't change the past." Torrin looked Boreas in the eye. "But I can promise that I won't abandon you again, Boreas." He spoke with conviction.
"Don't be so rude to our new traveling companion." Thallasa scolded Illiana. "This is Fflewddur Fflam, a traveling bard. ...Er...did I say your name correctly, Fflam?" "Perfectly!" "Pleased to meet you, sir. I'm Eilonwy." Thallasa eyed the princess when she introduced herself, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm Taran." "And we should get moving." Thallasa stepped in to prevent people from joining in on the introductions. "There's no point in sticking around here. We need to get far from this place." "Hold on! Where's Hen Wen?" Taran worriedly spoke. "Aria got her out of harm's way but she ran off into the forest, from what we've been told." Seeing questions forming in the other's eyes she held up her hand to stop them. "Let's move first. Talk on the way out if you must." She turned around and motioned for the others to follow her as she began to lead them all back out of the tunnels. Kefka stumbled back but he appeared relatively unharmed from the trio's attacks. The clown grinned and held up his finger shaking it in front of the keybladers. "Nu-uh-uhhh. You brats have been naughty! And you know what they to do children who have misbehaved?" The clown extended his hand and shot several bursts of fire at the group. "They get burned alive!" Round 2 Chrono Tinarah Takehiko Dark Kefka HP: 879/1,000 Attack Power: 19 Break Gauge: 20 / 100% Shell: 2 Turns Chrono took 11 Damage! (43/85HP) Tinarah took 25 Damage! (22/85HP) Takehiko took 30 Damage! (70/120HP) MP Rage activated! Temporis Imitatio – The more AP left unused at the end of the turn, the higher the chance Chrono will dodge an attack by leaving an afterimage of himself instead of Guarding. The Time Clone will attack with a random Active Ability Chrono has learned when activated. HP: 43/85 AP: 56/56 MP: 17/30 DP: 3/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Combo Plus Red Mage ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz Vicinity Break Judgment STATUS None. MY FRIENDS! – Whenever casting Cure on someone other than herself the spell heals 15 more HP. HP: 22/85 AP: 58/58 MP: 29/30 DP: 1/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Cure Boost Black Mage MP Haste White Mage White Wizard ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz STATUS None. Provoke – Once per battle Takehiko can draw enemy attention from 2 allies. His defenses are boosted during this. HP: 70/120 AP: 44/44 MP: 5/30 DP: 1/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Reaction Boost MP Rage Wall ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz+ MP Gift STATUS None.
"Don't be so rude to our new traveling companion." Thallasa scolded Illiana. "This is Fflewddur Fflam, a traveling bard. ...Er...did I say your name correctly, Fflam?" "Perfectly!" "Pleased to meet you, sir. I'm Eilonwy." Thallasa eyed the princess when she introduced herself, raising an eyebrow. "And I'm Taran." "And we should get moving." Thallasa stepped in to prevent people from joining in on the introductions. "There's no point in sticking around here. We need to get far from this place." "Hold on! Where's Hen Wen?" Taran worriedly spoke. "Aria got her out of harm's way but she ran off into the forest, from what we've been told." Seeing questions forming in the other's eyes she held up her hand to stop them. "Let's move first. Talk on the way out if you must." She turned around and motioned for the others to follow her as she began to lead them all back out of the tunnels.
Just then darkness erupted from the ground in front of the trio. A massive dark pillar rose and as the blackness spewed out from the world's heart a high pitched cackle could be heard echoing through the area. "Ohoho! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD GET RID OF ME THAT EASILY!? You stupid little brats are going to burn!" The voice shouted madly. The darkness pouring out from the core began to condense and shrink. "I'm going to sprinkle the stars with your gooey bits! Oh yes I do think that will be fitting punishment for the insects who dared to humiliate me! YOU'LL ALL BE DESTROYED! Ahah...HAHAHAHA!!!" His voice screeched in laughter and a humanoid figure could be seen through the darkness, its eyes glowing gold. The eyes fixed on the trio and the laughter stopped immediately. "Eh!? What the hell!? You're not the ones I want to kill." The darkness spiraling out from the core began to vanish but the figure could still not be clearly seen. The person before them put his hand to his forehead and the golden eyes squinted as he scanned the horizon for signs of someone else but when he did not find what he was looking he sighed and shrugged. "Oh well! I'll make due with breaking your bones first! Then this whole world can go to hell!" He cackled and bounced around in place in a strange sort of dance as the world began to quake before him while electricity sparked in one hand and flames circled around the other. Without wasting any time the mad dancing clown snapped his fingers causing bolts of thunder to rain down on Chrono, Tinarah, and Takehiko. Round 1 Chrono Tinarah Takehiko ??? HP: 1,000/1,000 Attack Power: 19 Break Gauge: 0 / 100% Shell: 3 Turns Chrono, Tinarah, and Takehiko took 20 Damage! Temporis Imitatio – The more AP left unused at the end of the turn, the higher the chance Chrono will dodge an attack by leaving an afterimage of himself instead of Guarding. The Time Clone will attack with a random Active Ability Chrono has learned when activated. HP: 54/85 AP: 56/56 MP: 17/30 DP: 3/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Combo Plus Red Mage ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz Vicinity Break Judgment STATUS None. MY FRIENDS! – Whenever casting Cure on someone other than herself the spell heals 15 more HP. HP: 47/85 AP: 58/58 MP: 28/30 DP: 1/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Cure Boost Black Mage MP Haste White Mage White Wizard ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz STATUS None. Provoke – Once per battle Takehiko can draw enemy attention from 2 allies. His defenses are boosted during this. HP: 100/120 AP: 44/44 MP: 15/30 DP: 1/3 FORMS None active. PASSIVE ABILITIES Guard Defender Reaction Boost MP Rage Wall ACTIVE ABILITIES Dodge Roll Blitz+ MP Gift STATUS None.
"Yeah...Mika and I were close." He nodded. "But, speaking of the front lines, I have noticed your colors. Captain of the Emerald Company, huh? That definitely sounds like you. You deserved that promotion." Torrin thought for a moment whether or not to press on with a question that formed in his mind. He felt a spike of darkness behind him back where the others were and turned his head slightly. It was too far away to do anything about it and he just had to hope that the others could handle it. "Since I've been gone...who else did you lose?" "Aha!" The bard exclaimed pointing at a dark tunnel. "This is it." "It doesn't look guarded." Thallasa held up her keyblade and used it to illuminate the tunnel. "Are you sure this is where you entered last time?" "Quite certain!" Fflam called back. "Alright. Then stay close, everyone. I don't know if we'll be running into any danger up ahead so stay at the ready." Thallasa then headed inside first expecting the others to follow. "How long does this go? I feel like we've been walking for ages." Taran frowned. "I don't know." Eilonwy looked over at Taran. "Do you think we should turn back?" "We've gone too far to go back now. We have to keep going." Taran took the lead and Eilonwy's bauble floated after the boy to light the way. As the group continued to walk a faint glow could be seen ahead along with the sounds of footsteps and voices. "Someone's coming!" Taran whispered towards the others. The boy drew his new sword and held it out in front of him while Eilonwy's bauble retreated behind Taran. The glow became brighter and brighter as the sounds of footsteps came ever closer. Eilonwy took a step back cautiously while Taran held his ground. "Stop! Who goes there!?" He shouted right as the silhouettes of the people who were coming their way came into view. The glow dimmed and the blade it was coming from was lowered. The first face they saw was Master Thallasa's with Aria, Qamar, and Fflam right behind her. "Taran? Illiana! Are you both alright?" She asked. "The Master seems to think we're ready." Pagos stated simply. "I assume that means we are prepared for whatever he has planned for us." The boy said as he made his keyblade vanish. He took in a deep breath and scratched his chin as he began to look up at the sky. "Sometimes I wonder why the Master chose this world for our base of operations. Especially since Torrin and that other keyblade master came along and took Aria from under our noses. I know he wants to get her back but..." He shook his head. "I can't even imagine what's going on through his mind." "Perhaps it's best not to guess." Zeno commented. "Let's enjoy the victories we have. No need to be such a downer, Pagos." He casually spoke. "It's better than acting like nothing's gone wrong. We've already lost one of us." Pagos glared at Zeno. "Hey don't give me that tone. I miss Dentro too. Even if he was a jerk." "And here we are. Moving on without him. Life carries on...right?" Avra chimed in. Zeno sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Ah...such is life. Such a cruel mistress."
"Yeah...Mika and I were close." He nodded. "But, speaking of the front lines, I have noticed your colors. Captain of the Emerald Company, huh? That definitely sounds like you. You deserved that promotion." Torrin thought for a moment whether or not to press on with a question that formed in his mind. He felt a spike of darkness behind him back where the others were and turned his head slightly. It was too far away to do anything about it and he just had to hope that the others could handle it. "Since I've been gone...who else did you lose?"
"Aha!" The bard exclaimed pointing at a dark tunnel. "This is it." "It doesn't look guarded." Thallasa held up her keyblade and used it to illuminate the tunnel. "Are you sure this is where you entered last time?" "Quite certain!" Fflam called back. "Alright. Then stay close, everyone. I don't know if we'll be running into any danger up ahead so stay at the ready." Thallasa then headed inside first expecting the others to follow. "How long does this go? I feel like we've been walking for ages." Taran frowned. "I don't know." Eilonwy looked over at Taran. "Do you think we should turn back?" "We've gone too far to go back now. We have to keep going." Taran took the lead and Eilonwy's bauble floated after the boy to light the way. As the group continued to walk a faint glow could be seen ahead along with the sounds of footsteps and voices. "Someone's coming!" Taran whispered towards the others. The boy drew his new sword and held it out in front of him while Eilonwy's bauble retreated behind Taran. The glow became brighter and brighter as the sounds of footsteps came ever closer. Eilonwy took a step back cautiously while Taran held his ground. "Stop! Who goes there!?" He shouted right as the silhouettes of the people who were coming their way came into view. The glow dimmed and the blade it was coming from was lowered. The first face they saw was Master Thallasa's with Aria, Qamar, and Fflam right behind her. "Taran? Illiana! Are you both alright?" She asked.
"The Master seems to think we're ready." Pagos stated simply. "I assume that means we are prepared for whatever he has planned for us." The boy said as he made his keyblade vanish. He took in a deep breath and scratched his chin as he began to look up at the sky. "Sometimes I wonder why the Master chose this world for our base of operations. Especially since Torrin and that other keyblade master came along and took Aria from under our noses. I know he wants to get her back but..." He shook his head. "I can't even imagine what's going on through his mind." "Perhaps it's best not to guess." Zeno commented. "Let's enjoy the victories we have. No need to be such a downer, Pagos." He casually spoke. "It's better than acting like nothing's gone wrong. We've already lost one of us." Pagos glared at Zeno. "Hey don't give me that tone. I miss Dentro too. Even if he was a jerk." "And here we are. Moving on without him. Life carries on...right?" Avra chimed in. Zeno sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Ah...such is life. Such a cruel mistress."
Torrin stopped walking and turned towards Boreas, giving his friend a slight nod. "I am sorry I wasn't there. I know it wasn't easy for you. I've lost people who were close to me as well." In the distance was the wall of flame and ahead was a vanishing horizon that held a distant darkness that was corrupting the world's heart. Torrin could now feel that the darkness was holding still. "Your loyalty was never in question. It's just..." He scratched the back of his neck while pausing his speech as he found his thoughts difficult to put into words. He lowered his hand and switched his keyblade from his left to his right absentmindedly. "Your friendship is important to me." Torrin spoke quietly. After another pause he continued on. "Losing Mika several times over, even in that other realm, has made me wonder if it's safer for everyone else if I'm not around. But as the Light Chaser has proven time and time again, that's even more ineffective." Realizing he had mentioned Mika without any context Torrin faked a cough and turned away to keep heading forward. "Right...I never really gave you any details about her." Torrin felt the core reverberate under his feet though the vibration was not nearly enough to cause him to lose his balance but merely keep in mind that they were on a time limit. As such, he picked up his pace. "The other me killed her. Just the same as I did. She had turned into something else from which there was no coming back and my only option was to put her down. And I did." Torrin switched his keyblade back into his left hand. "In my time here she hasn't been the only one I've failed but she was the most important. Gone but not forgotten, right? I figure you'd know that just as well as I do by now." Thallasa shook her head and watched the keyblade disappear. "No...no. I will tell Master Atmos myself. I think it's best she hear it from me in person." Glyde's death was unexpected but, grim as it was, they needed to press on. Illiana was still alive as far as she knew and she intended to ensure that Illiana would be brought back safely. There were going to be no more deaths on her watch that she was certain of. "Illiana's still out there. So is Taran. We will find them and get them out." She spoke with determination. "Um e-e-excuse me but if you're so intent on this then allow me to help." The bard straightened himself up and stepped out from Aria and Qamar's shadow. "My condolences for your loss... If you're going to want to get back in the castle the crypts below are the best place to do it. There's only a few guards there. I don't know why there are any but for some reason they've been digging up skeletons and wheeling them away." "And how do you know this?" Fflam nervously tugged at his collar. "Well I maybe have been uh...I uh...found myself lost and..." "You were trespassing." Fflam reluctantly nodded in response. "Well the important thing is that we have this information now. Can you take us in?" "Why of course!" With a newfound sense of purpose the bard led the way forward, his eagerness to please overwhelming his sense of fear. "See?" Taran directed towards Eilonwy. "Taking the sword is a good idea! I'll be able to help." The boy spoke excitedly before immediately pulling the sword out from its sheath to give it a few clumsy test swings making it clear that he had never even touched a sword before. "Oh alright but be careful." "I know what I'm doing!" Taran said defensively. "Okay but still..." Eilonwy frowned a little but said no more on the subject and instead moved over towards an area of the crypt where torchlight was let in. She peaked through the hole in the wall that connected to a hall on the other end. "Illiana you should come see this. Come here." She motioned for the keyblader to look through the hole in the wall. On the other side was a small green goblin ordering the Horned King's men to cart in piles of skeletons into a dark room even further beyond. "What could they be doing?" "I don't know but we should get out of here. There's a path down here we can take." Eilonwy's glowing orb floated over towards Taran who was standing by a passageway leading out of the king's crypt and to the tombs of the knights who once served in the castle. "We should go before anyone finds out we're here!" "The Council is stubborn." The Light Chaser admitted. "Which is why a show of force is necessary to begin with." "Master?" Pagos stepped forward. "The way you talk about this Council...it sounds like you know them pretty well." The man chuckled and nodded. "You are correct, Pagos. I do know them 'pretty well'. I used to be one of them until we had a disagreement of sorts. They had the power to prevent worlds from falling into darkness and they refused to act on it. It's not a particularly complicated issue but it is what it is." He waved his hand dismissively. "It sounds more complicated than that." Koa said. "Uh...master." "Your world was on the verge of collapse before I pulled it from the brink, was it not?" "Yes..." Koa looked down. "Is there anything complicated in stepping in to save innocent lives?" "Of course not, master." "Then you understand." The Light Chaser rubbed his hands together and raised his right hand. "When all of you are ready, you will find me in Eventide's mansion at the far side of town. There I will begin your Mark of Mastery." He snapped his fingers and in a flash of golden light he was gone from sight. "Well then. That is...not what I was expecting." Zeno raised an eyebrow. "I do not know if I should be excited at the prospect of becoming a master or not." "So uh...any idea on what the exam is?" Koa asked. "Nope." Avra responded. Koa looked towards Zeno and Pagos but both merely shrugged.
Torrin stopped walking and turned towards Boreas, giving his friend a slight nod. "I am sorry I wasn't there. I know it wasn't easy for you. I've lost people who were close to me as well." In the distance was the wall of flame and ahead was a vanishing horizon that held a distant darkness that was corrupting the world's heart. Torrin could now feel that the darkness was holding still. "Your loyalty was never in question. It's just..." He scratched the back of his neck while pausing his speech as he found his thoughts difficult to put into words. He lowered his hand and switched his keyblade from his left to his right absentmindedly. "Your friendship is important to me." Torrin spoke quietly. After another pause he continued on. "Losing Mika several times over, even in that other realm, has made me wonder if it's safer for everyone else if I'm not around. But as the Light Chaser has proven time and time again, that's even more ineffective." Realizing he had mentioned Mika without any context Torrin faked a cough and turned away to keep heading forward. "Right...I never really gave you any details about her." Torrin felt the core reverberate under his feet though the vibration was not nearly enough to cause him to lose his balance but merely keep in mind that they were on a time limit. As such, he picked up his pace. "The other me killed her. Just the same as I did. She had turned into something else from which there was no coming back and my only option was to put her down. And I did." Torrin switched his keyblade back into his left hand. "In my time here she hasn't been the only one I've failed but she was the most important. Gone but not forgotten, right? I figure you'd know that just as well as I do by now."
Thallasa shook her head and watched the keyblade disappear. "No...no. I will tell Master Atmos myself. I think it's best she hear it from me in person." Glyde's death was unexpected but, grim as it was, they needed to press on. Illiana was still alive as far as she knew and she intended to ensure that Illiana would be brought back safely. There were going to be no more deaths on her watch that she was certain of. "Illiana's still out there. So is Taran. We will find them and get them out." She spoke with determination. "Um e-e-excuse me but if you're so intent on this then allow me to help." The bard straightened himself up and stepped out from Aria and Qamar's shadow. "My condolences for your loss... If you're going to want to get back in the castle the crypts below are the best place to do it. There's only a few guards there. I don't know why there are any but for some reason they've been digging up skeletons and wheeling them away." "And how do you know this?" Fflam nervously tugged at his collar. "Well I maybe have been uh...I uh...found myself lost and..." "You were trespassing." Fflam reluctantly nodded in response. "Well the important thing is that we have this information now. Can you take us in?" "Why of course!" With a newfound sense of purpose the bard led the way forward, his eagerness to please overwhelming his sense of fear. "See?" Taran directed towards Eilonwy. "Taking the sword is a good idea! I'll be able to help." The boy spoke excitedly before immediately pulling the sword out from its sheath to give it a few clumsy test swings making it clear that he had never even touched a sword before. "Oh alright but be careful." "I know what I'm doing!" Taran said defensively. "Okay but still..." Eilonwy frowned a little but said no more on the subject and instead moved over towards an area of the crypt where torchlight was let in. She peaked through the hole in the wall that connected to a hall on the other end. "Illiana you should come see this. Come here." She motioned for the keyblader to look through the hole in the wall. On the other side was a small green goblin ordering the Horned King's men to cart in piles of skeletons into a dark room even further beyond. "What could they be doing?" "I don't know but we should get out of here. There's a path down here we can take." Eilonwy's glowing orb floated over towards Taran who was standing by a passageway leading out of the king's crypt and to the tombs of the knights who once served in the castle. "We should go before anyone finds out we're here!"
"The Council is stubborn." The Light Chaser admitted. "Which is why a show of force is necessary to begin with." "Master?" Pagos stepped forward. "The way you talk about this Council...it sounds like you know them pretty well." The man chuckled and nodded. "You are correct, Pagos. I do know them 'pretty well'. I used to be one of them until we had a disagreement of sorts. They had the power to prevent worlds from falling into darkness and they refused to act on it. It's not a particularly complicated issue but it is what it is." He waved his hand dismissively. "It sounds more complicated than that." Koa said. "Uh...master." "Your world was on the verge of collapse before I pulled it from the brink, was it not?" "Yes..." Koa looked down. "Is there anything complicated in stepping in to save innocent lives?" "Of course not, master." "Then you understand." The Light Chaser rubbed his hands together and raised his right hand. "When all of you are ready, you will find me in Eventide's mansion at the far side of town. There I will begin your Mark of Mastery." He snapped his fingers and in a flash of golden light he was gone from sight. "Well then. That is...not what I was expecting." Zeno raised an eyebrow. "I do not know if I should be excited at the prospect of becoming a master or not." "So uh...any idea on what the exam is?" Koa asked. "Nope." Avra responded. Koa looked towards Zeno and Pagos but both merely shrugged.
Here are all the entries from the Contributor KHV Pin Shop Contest. Vote for as many as you want and the winning design will be given out to all Contributors before the end of the month. So, without further ado, let's get to voting already.
There can only be one! Here are all the entries from the Premium KHV Pin Shop Contest. Vote for as many as you want and the winning design will be given out to all Premium members before the end of the month. So, without further ado, let's get to voting already.
