Kingdom Hearts: Kingdom Hearts: Light Chaser

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Avra cut off the roots as they popped up to limit the tree's attacks. Eventually, the sprouting roots stopped when Grandmother Willow realized that it wasn't going to cut it. "Glad I got to the root of that problem." She spoke confidently as she twirled her keyblade in hand and leaped up to charge forth once more only to be caught by one of Grandmother Willow's vines. "Ow! What a thorn in my side!"

While the young woman was under wraps, the tree fired off more magical leaves at Chrys barely managing to graze her before her Reflect spell went off and exploded on the tree's face. Grandmother Willow immediately dropped Avra. "You cannot win." The ancient willow spoke.

AP: 10/40

Chrys took 2 Damage! (40/100HP)
Avra took 16 Damage! (21/100HP)

Grandmother Willow: 216/450HP​

 

Bright Eyes stumbled over, roaring in pain as it swung back with its damaged arm that Chrono had attacked, knocking him back and into Illiana who guarded against Chrono. Bright Eyes continued to grow angrier and more desperate as the the battle went on now going after Aria and plowing through Take to do so. The Heartless brought its four arms down on the girl intending to crush her only to find that a barrier of light shielded her almost entirely from harm with Aria only being knocked to her back. Her bracelet flashed and flung the Heartless away though it hardly seemed scratched from the burst of light and had only grown more enraged. Darkness once more started rising from its body.

Takehiko took 6 Damage! (50/60HP)
Aria took 4 Damage! (34/45HP)
Illiana Guarded the attack! (25/25HP)
Chrono took 12 Damage! (23/45HP)

Bright Eyes: 269/400HP




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Torrin said nothing when Tinarah snapped back and allowed her to leave without a word from him. It didn't matter at this point to try to tell Boreas to relax with his speech since she was likely already out of earshot by the time he had finished. Torrin's brow furrowed as he turned around to ponder the girl's fragmented story. "There's another me in another realm." He spoke quietly in disbelief. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, folding his arms and unfolding them right after. "I...I never expected to hear of the existence of another realm. But with the way Tinarah's been acting and what she's said, it doesn't sound good."

The mention of Mika only made him more uncomfortable with what he had heard. "I don't understand how any version of me would be capable of doing the things she said. Or...maybe I do..." Torrin ran a hand through his hair and looked in the direction Tinarah had left.

"I think it's best we leave her alone for now. She's been through a lot. Too much." Atmos sighed. "Perhaps if Choma was here..." She trailed off.

"Maybe I should keep my distance from her." Torrin suggested before turning towards Boreas. He tried to say something but nothing came to mind. He wasn't sure if he was suddenly feeling guilty after what Tinarah said or if it was something else he just did not have words for. It shouldn't have bothered him as Boreas had said that because it wasn't them they had no responsibility for the actions of those bearing their faces from another realm. "I'm going to wait outside. I prefer fresh air." Torrin turned away to exit the castle, saying nothing more.

There was a long pause of silence but Tinarah would have felt that her call had been answered. Finally, a warm voice responded to Tinarah speaking with a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Tinarah? Yes...I have a feeling that what you say is true. Though my mind does not know you it seems that somewhere inside, my heart does. Curious that this would happen...You say you met me in both another realm and the past? Hm. I had not trained a student in quite some time..." There was another pause. Then a gasp. "I did not think this was possible... Could this be...? No, it is not possible for him to have fabricated this... Tell me, Tinarah, you did not come back alone did you? Please, tell me where you are. I wish to see the truth with my own eyes." ​

 

At least Stamatis believed her, even if he didn't remember her. She guessed Gero was right, in his mind he didn't know but he did know her in a way. He didn't respond however to her asking, mentioning that she wanted to know if Fost was alright, instead asking about where she was. Tinarah didn't mind telling him, but first she had to know. "What about Fost? Is he okay? He was the one who rescued me and figured out that I wasn't from the timeline, he brought me to you and I made him visit us often. He... He was kind of like an Uncle to me then. I wan't to know if he is okay." Tinarah insisted.

Finally Tinarah forced herself to relax, something that had been hard time doing recently. "I am at Master Choma's castle... in the mountains." Tinarah actually didn't have any clue where exactly his castle was. She was just there. "And no I didn't come alone, Ge- Master Gero brought me out of the realm in which I was trapped." She hadn't called him master in jail, but the way that Atmos spoke of him, she knew he deserved a lot of respect that she hadn't given him before. "We found our way to Master Atmos, Torrin and his friend Boreas, they are here at the castle now." Tinarah informed him so he was prepared if he showed up that it wasn't just her there. She didn't feel like letting him in on how tense things were between her and them though, she would let him figure it out for himself while she hid in her room a little longer. ​

 

The gentle breeze outside stopped. The snow falling outside past the barrier of the castle stopped in midair. Time had been frozen.

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"You must be Tinarah." Stamatis spoke quietly, standing at the entrance to her room. "You know of Fost? I see..." The man scratched his chin thoughtfully as his mind went through the details Tinarah had given him. "Curious...very curious..." He shook his head and smiled at the young woman. He cleared his throat and spoke a little more formally now. "Master Fost has not kept in close contact with us but he is alive. How did you find Master Gero? He has been missing for six years now. We assumed he was dead. I must see him for myself. Please, Miss Tinarah.."

 

Something shifted and Master Stamatis stood in front of her. Tinarah just sat there, it was the only thing to do to keep herself from running and hugging Stamatis. This Stamatis didn't know who she was, it would be weird to do such things no matter how much she wanted to. "From what I could tell.... he was distant before I arrived I think... I think as he put it, I made him soft. I want to reach out to him, but I am scared that he will just reject it because he doesn't remember me." Tinarah told Stamatis, as if she was talking to the one she spent five years training with, the one that knew her story.

Stamatis had asked her about Gero and Tinarah nodded, she supposed that she needed to explain again. "I found Master Gero after you... or other you tried to help me get home. You gave me this necklace and told me to focus my magic but where I ended up... it was still not in my time, somewhere in my future. I... I got in trouble trying to defend what you and Fost died fighting for and was thrown in prison to be used for something else later. It was there I met Master Gero. He said his student locked him there after he failed them, in that realm. When I finally was able to summon my own keyblade I fought back just enough to get him out, he created a portal for us, and now it is two days after I left, but I was gone almost 6 years." Tinarah tried to explain the meeting, giving some context but not all of it.

"Anyways Gero is this way." She said, getting up off the bed and feeling dizzy for a moment before manage to get her balance. She slowly lead Stamatis towards Master Choma's room where the man was sleeping. She hadn't really got a good look at Gero since they went through the portal, she hoped he was doing alright, managing well. Perhaps the rest would help him. She just hoped that she had been sufficient in helping him through this all. ​

 

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"I see...I am sorry you had to go through that. You do not seem well." Stamatis frowned at the girl. "Thank you for taking me to him. Times have been desperate and we need every able-bodied master ready for combat." When they approached Choma's room, Stamatis stepped inside to see his master peacefully sleeping on the bed. Stamatis smiled. "It's true..." He touched his chest, letting out a sigh of relief. "At last, we've found you Master Gero." Stamatis stepped closer and knelt by the elder man's bedside. "It has been difficult acting as your successor but I have done my duty just as you would have wanted. But even so...I have failed you. Ac..." He looked over at Tinarah for a moment and then back to Gero.

"He...he has outmaneuvered us. Already one of the Princesses is in his possession and we do not have the numbers to oppose him directly."

The snow began falling again. The sound of the wind rustling the leaves of outside trees could faintly be heard. The flow of time had resumed its natural course.
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Stamatis slowly stood up raising an eyebrow as a look of confusion crossed his face. "W-what? That's not possible."

"You always did like to make an entrance, Master Stamatis. But I outgrew you long ago. All of you." There at the doorway stood a tall man in a black cloak, his arms folded. He stepped away from the door, gently pushing Tinarah out of his way to stand in front of Stamatis. "Good work, Tinarah. There were other variations of my plan that would have led to this result but, complex as this was, this was a favorite of mine. Luring Stamatis out and away from the Council was more difficult than I would like to admit. I went through such effort to go for the oldest trick in the book. Divide and conquer."

Almost instantly Stamatis summoned his keyblade and grabbed Gero's shoulder but...nothing happened. "Your powers really have grown. But there was a time where you would have never dared to act against your masters."

The Light Chaser chuckled, his hands on his hips as he shook his head. "I have no masters. And I've come to rectify a mistake I made six years ago when I allowed the old man to live instead of finishing the job. I'm above such sentiments now."

"That hubris of yours does not suit you. Stamatis directed his blade now at the hooded man. "Tinarah, run!" Stamatis shouted as he charged forth and threw himself at the Light Chaser attempting to pin the man against the hallway wall to give her a chance to escape. "Don't worry about Gero and I just run!"

 

Tinarah lingered at the doorway when she brought Stamatis to see Gero. She watched how gentle and concerned he was over the man, it was true that that Gero had seemed to touch many peoples lives. She heard Stamatis say something about his successor and Tinarah wondered if this old man was once Master Stamatis's teacher. It was interesting to her, this interaction. Stamatis seemed to be a bit tense though as he went back to being more serious, needed the number to oppose the Light Chaser.

The world shifted again and Tinarah looked around a bit confused. Suddenly there was a familiar voice but not in a good way, as a hand on her shoulder moved her out of the way, and she was left staring at the back of a cloaked figure. It might have been a long time since she had seen him, but she knew who this man was, knew that voice. He complimented her and Tinarah couldn't help but feel this was all her fault, her own stupid fault. Stamatis was going to die because she was so weak and desperate to just know he was alive.

The conversation caught Tinarah off guard though. He would have never acted out against his master? Stamatis trained the Light Chaser? How did he turn into such then? How did all of this come about? Tinarah wanted answers but there was a battle to be had. Summoning her keyblade, Tinarah was almost ready to jump in and help. She wanted to protect Stamatis, but she knew, she knew that in her current condition she would be taken out in seconds. She needed help and there was only one man she could think of that she trusted enough right now to ask for that help.

Darting out of the room Tinarah ran for her own bedroom again, slamming the door behind her, locking it, even if the effort really wouldn't stop anything. Planting her keyblade in the ground she closed her eyes again. "Master Fost." She spoke the name in a little bit of a panic as she waited for that feeling that someone picked up. When the sensation came over her Tinarah started to speak without thinking. "Listen Uncle Fost, I know you don't remember me, but Master Stamatis came to see me and the Light Chaser tracked me... or us... I don't know. Now he is here and I think he is trying to kill Stamatis and Master Gero. I am not strong enough to stop them, but you might be. Please come and help, you are the only one I can trust. Search your heart, remember me. Remember Tinarah. Please! We need your help. I am begging you for this one favour, please before it is too late. I am at Master Choma's castle. Please. I beg you Uncle Fost." Tinarah called out for help. She couldn't fight but she could maybe get someone who could and save Stamatis.​

 

Bright Eyes fell over onto its back after the onslaught of attacks from the young keybladers. The Heartless remained still. Darkness began to rise from its body and Bright Eyes began to rise back onto its many legs and exploded into a dark rage. In a Desperation Attack, the Heartless extended its four arms out and aimed its horns at the group. Dark energy began to spiral around Bright Eyes's horns and between the two a magical orb formed and grew until it was launched into the group. The dark energy exploded, sending treasure flying in every direction and the sending three of the four flying back.

Aria took 5 Damage! (29/45HP)
Illiana took 9 Damage! (16/25HP)
Takehiko took 20 Damage! (30/60HP)
Chrono's Temporis Imitatio triggered causing him to dodge the attack! (23/45HP)

Bright Eyes: 212/400HP
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Torrin had been leaning against the castle wall, watching the snow fall outside the barrier that kept the grounds warm. He had begun turning over a ring in his hand, a trinket he once considered to be lucky after snatching it from a roaming Heartless a year ago. It hadn't been the first thing he had found in a Heartless's possession. Sometimes they carried stolen potions across worlds and jewelry from unknown lands. This ring, however, had caught his eye because of its strange make. It was never something that he would wear but considering the engraving of a name on it he had thought to keep it on him. Of course, it never proved to be lucky unless one would count not losing it after this long as lucky. When Boreas came out to speak with him he glanced over at his old friend and placed the trinket back in his pocket.

"Hm." Torrin took in a deep breath and exhaled. Though it felt good to have Boreas's faith in him it only relieved him slightly. "Thanks Boreas. It's good to see that you've still got that good sense of yours." He unfolded his arms and stepped away from the castle to head towards the edge of the barrier, his thoughts running faster in his mind than he could process. "I've been giving it some thought and-" Just barely Torrin heard a shout from within the castle. He didn't recognize the voice and feeling the same sense of alarm as Boreas, Torrin ran inside as well.

By the time the two made it inside both Atmos and a man with long flowing silver hair had their keyblades out and were furiously dueling against an unarmed hooded man who was parrying their attacks with his hands. Torrin's eyes widened. He knew who this was. "No...nonono! Dammit not now!" He looked over towards Boreas. "Get Tinarah and Gero. We need to leave. Now." Torrin ordered, keyblade already in hand as he charged forth. In an instant a white aura exploded around him as he wasted no time going into Critical Form and joined the other two Masters in fighting the Light Chaser who had been clearly holding the upper hand as he casually gripped Atmos's keyblade and flung her across the hall onto the stairs.


Meanwhile...Tinarah could have felt that her plea was heard by a presence but no answer came. The only response she received was a vague feeling of regret coming from someone on the other side. Fost did not arrive.