The Final War, Light Vs Dark

Gexln began laughing out loud quite a lot at the sight of Beuce being knocked into a wall from the force of the dark firaga. Once he saw Beuce's finger appear and heard the muffled words coming from his mouth, Gexln opened his mouth to speak. "Keep poking that finger at me and I'm going to have to break it, Beuce" he threatened. He decided not to proceed any further than that though, and so he came to the decision to try to further teach Xepphiras something else. He had to resist the urge to ask her to shoot another dark firaga at Beuce, for as tempting as it was it would probably cause problems. "So, aside from fire, have you ever used any other dark kinds of magic?" he asked, trying to get a feel for what Xepphiras knew and what she didn't.​

 

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After all these years, it seemed that he managed to catch Karina off guard. Not his intention at all, but he wasn't complaining. "What can I say, I enjoy being outside." There was a light chuckle as he gave his answer. It was something that he never truly understood about himself, but whenever he wandered around he'd always end up outside first even if there plenty of more interesting and attention grabbing places to go to. Maybe it had something to do with his habit of staring at the sky or maybe there was something more deep rooted about this it, whatever it was he didn't know nor did he care.

During the silence between the two of them, Kel's mind wandered to the past. Out of all the times that they've interacted, this was probably the first time that someone wasn't fighting or biting anyone. Though that was one and the only time that came to mind, it still goes without saying that this is probably the most peaceful he's seen Karina before, which was a good thing. He didn't feel like playing a mediator like he used to.

"Nothing really, it was as you said I simply wandered here and happened to overhear your voice. Now for my question, what were you saying in this corner?" His natural instinct of caring for his friends hadn't changed at all, unlike his appearance which had gone through a drastic change. Though there was a reason behind it, one that was supposed to be temporary, but it eventually grew on him so he decided to leave it the same.

 

R gave an understanding nod. She didn't want to go back to a place that brought back painful memories. "I understand." Said the heartless shortly before stepping into the black rift. A short walk in the corridor let him out in an open courtyard. It was a desolate and barren land, but one he recognized. This castle was in ruins, but it was indeed the same one he had seen. The one Xindai's mind had taken the shape of. That had been one of only two fights he'd been forced to use black sun in, and that had been combined with the power of the fabled eternity stone, the trump card he'd been planning on all war, to take him out. The dark creator was a truly terrifying opponent. Even if they managed to defeat the agents, should he ever escape...No. R wouldn't allow himself to think like that. There were the seals of five keyblade wielders. The amount of effort it would take to open that seal would be enormous, if they were even able to find him.

Making his way through the castle gates, he wiped the dust off a railing. This castle. It seemed to have been abandoned for years and yet...There wasn't as much dust as there should have been. It was almost as though there was a presence living here, they just didn't care to keep it tidy. "Stop, there's something here. This castle isn't so void of life as we thought." R said to the woman who had followed him through the corridor. He looked around, trying to detect any signs of movement. They weren't alone.


"So...You used the not nearly as awesome KH2 version of dark aura?" Beuce questioned. However, knowing she wouldn't be able to answer the question he continued on. "Well, if you want to be a dark mystic, we should probably train you in magic. We don't have time to give you proper training, so we're gonna need to start from the top." He said, then walked over to Gexln and pulled a marker from his pocket. After scribble something on his face quickly, he moved showing what he had just done. "So, we'll start with wind magic. It's mainly used for defense, but can also be a fairly strong offense. Use the darkness in the form of a wind attack to change the direction of the keyblade as you throw it. Try and hit the bull's eye." Beuce said, snickering. He knew how well glen handled dark raids, considering what he'd heard about the Shan-yu fight. Don't get me wrong, this was entirely to train riding hood over there and not at all for revenge! Nope. not. one. bit.


'Let's see how you like this ya *******! hehehe!' ...Okay, maybe a little bit. ​

 

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Once R stepped through, she glanced at Ananta then gave her a slight nod before entering the corridor herself. Once she was through, she looked around the abandoned courtyard and then up at the dark, cloudy sky. It was just the same as how she had seen a while ago while fighting within Xindai's Reality Marble. The area sent chills down Xero's spine while remembering when Xindai held her and Kaxar hostage to probe their minds for information.

Xero staggered behind R as he made his way into the castle; the inside wasn't exactly as she imagined but close to it. She held her scythe close and when R stopped her, Xero held her guard. If there was someone here,they'd better hope they aren't any of Xindai's minions; she would dispose of them once she found out.

"I have an idea," Xero began, "how about I use Armageddon and obliterate the place? It'd be like a reenactment of the Reality Marble, except to the real thing..." She said coldly, not caring what happens to this godforsaken world.

 

Well now, after about a month of being dead, or the writer having too much work for his own good, Kross was back, albeit a little spacy, his gaze focused to see that he was in the sactuary of Crystallis. He narrowed his eyes as the brightness of its world's light burned his eyes. He remembered speaking with Ananta...But what then? He sighed and sat in one of the many seats. Speaking with a friend was nice but with Ananta, it was really uncomfortable with the fact that she broke his heart. It felt really awkward to see her again. Everyone else was married and had children of their own. What kind of legacy did he leave behind? Nothing.​

 

Ananta left the library and walked towards the sanctuary. Once inside, she rested her eyes on Kross' back as she stepped closer to him. After standing directly behind him, she put her arms around him in a hug. "Hello again Kross, what are you doing here all alone?" she asked, releasing from the hug and standing in front of him. "Surely you didn't come here for the scenery?" she said, sitting down on a chair next to his. "Being so close to the Mother Crystal might have an affect on you, seeing as you are not one of this world. The others are fine, the walls protect them." she spoke, fixing her clothing and fiddling with her hair. "I will listen, you know, I don't mind." she smiled sweetly.

In truth, she wanted to relax for awhile. Everything was happening so fast around them, she wasn't too sure what was going on or how she would play out and participate in the events to come. As of right now, she also felt sadness in her heart from the loss of her husband, but it was more of the loss of a good friend than anything. She wanted to speak of the matter with Kross, but she didn't want to confuse him.

 

Kross was pulled from his musings, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. He recognized the warmth and closed his eyes, lightly patting her arms to return the gesture. "Hello again, Ananta."He greeted her back with an amused chuckle, her question drew his gaze up when she got infront of him."I just thought I'd get away from everyone else, enjoy some alone time." He answered. He didn't mind her company however, he invited it, Ananta was a good friend, even if she did hurt him, he couldn't hold a grudge. "This is a sacred area I'm guessing."He said, turning his head to her as she said she'd listen. He looked and watched the crystal pulse with life."Nothing gets past you, Ananta."He said and sighed out."....It's about our group..everyone has children, a legacy they can leave behind...a future that they can shape for their sons and daughters, whether it be bad or good. It's petty, I know..but I am envious..."He said."I know...I've never had the best luck with dating and romance...but fatherhood is something I've thought about..for a long time."
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R shook his head when Xero wanted to destroy the castle. "No. The research here is too important. If you destroy it, you may well damn us all." It was then the woman in a flowing tattered dress appeared from around the corner. She looked more like a ghost than anything. A melancholy apparition, seemingly caught in a task, not knowing its way. In some ways, this girl reminded him of himself. "Your husband...Xindai? I wasn't aware that he ever wed. I'm afraid he won't be back any time soon. He'd been sealed away, likely for eternity." R thought of something. Perhaps she's be willing to help them. "I require your help. Surely you've felt the power of the agents. If we don't act, there will be nothing left. Surely Xindai must have had some sort of research paper on the X-blade. If we could learn how to forge it, we may be able to defeat them." R pleaded with the girl. There was the possibility she wouldn't help them. After all, she was Xindai's wife. Yet...She seemed almost afraid of him rather than affectionate. Perhaps she had been forced into it. ​

 

"Envious? Of reproduction?" she said, blinking. "Having children is indeed something everyone should experience if they want, but it's not a necessity." she said, sitting back in the chair. Although, she herself had a child that would carry on her legacy when she's gone. She felt some remorse for Kross. "I can understand what you're saying, however, but you don't have to always be like that you know." she smiled at him. Leaning forward, she held his hand and patted it softly. "I'm sure you can find someone that you love. Maybe even an old flame?" she said, completely unaware of his previous feelings for her. To be truthful, she didn't even realize how he felt about her. She ignored him and went straight for Beuce and his charming personality. In the end, she found it was much too unbearable for her and...here she is, feeling the loss of a friend more than a lover.

"Seeing as Beuce is gone now, however, I do have to say...I sort of regret marrying him." she admitted, crossing her arms and leaning back. "Back then, I realize that perhaps I was too infatuated with his wily ways and the charming nature he gave off. That is why as the years went on, I began to lose the love I had and found I only loved him as a dear old friend. Now that he's gone, I can confirm such feelings are true...I feel horrible..." she said, tears attempting to swell up in her eyes. Ananta wiped her eyes and smiled at Kross. "I just don't know what I'll do now. Anta has no father..." she sighed, saddened. "I may have said that I didn't feel sadness from hearing Beuce was dead, but I take it back. I do feel a little sad. I feel sad that I made him suffer.."

 

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Kel looked at the voice recorder that had been placed into his hand with a curious look on his face. Was she recording herself or something? Though hearing her sigh, he looked up to listen to her assumed explanation. During which, his confused facial expression turned into a more surprised one.

By the time she'd finished giving her reasons and told him her plan, it took Kel a couple of moments to gather his thoughts. "So you were dead then, not something I was expecting to here." That was just something that he needed to say first. I mean, she definitely didn't look it at all. Anyway he went on to voice his opinion on her plan. "You sure you wanna go at it alone, I mean I'm sure Eon still makes a good meat shield."

He took a pause to sigh and scratch the back of his head before continuing. "Beside, if I thought that I could change your mind, I would've done so a long time ago." Despite it not clearly being shown on his face, he was concerned about what she was planning, but since he knew who he was dealing with there was little point in trying to convince her otherwise. That was why he made the Eon remark, to see if she truly wanted to go through with her plan alone. "Still I'll be sure that they get your message."

 

The keyblade went sailing right towards Gexln. As it was about to hit, he leaned to the side briefly to avoid it. He hadn't expected it to be so easy, surely keyblades had far better lock-on technolo-

WHACK

Gexln fell forward and his face slammed into the ground. Hit from behind, he had failed to realize that Xepphiras was in possession of an authentic Australian keyblades, because those exist. Placing both his arms on the ground in front of him and lifting himself up, he couldn't help but glare. Not at Xepphiras, but at Beuce.

"You know, some things never change. You're still as stupid and as immature as you used to be, somebody's going to have to beat some sense into you" he said as he held out his left hand. In it materialized his keyblade, but in a different form. It was no longer Midnight's Venture, but was the black Umbrella keyblade. "You've had this coming a long time" he said as he took a few steps forward and swung his umbrella with extreme force at Beuce's torso.​

 

"Might be envious...or maybe just brooding. I seem to do that a lot lately."Kross said, a little jokingly of course, he would never make ANanta uncomfortable with bad jokes. It seemed that the nice guy Kross was still inside this white haired brooder. Her mention of finding love, or even an old flame sparked something in Kross, it was a mixture of hope, sadness, an hurt. He pinched himself mentally, no time for emotions now.."Maybe."He repeated, red eyes looking at her."But I won't hold my breath."He said. When she mentioned Beuce, another emotion sparked in him...Jealousy. Beuce was Kross's polar opposite. While Beuce could give off a charming aura and a witty joke, or in the case of this post, a crack at the Fourth Wall, Kross was much more reserved, shy, serious but nice. He continued to listen as she vented. He saw her eyes water and he sat up. It was almost out of reflex, but he reached over and gently wiped the wet from her cheeks with his finger."I'm sorry Ananta..if I had the chance to father your son, I would have jumped at it long ago."He spoke, turning and looking forward again. Maybe it wasn't meant to be like that..After all, this was Kross we are talking about..​

 

R looked around, impressed at the office. It was a massive office that looked more like a library. It put the library in Crystalis to shame. If there were anywhere in existence they could find information on the X-blade, it would be in here. "You have my thanks...Dawn." The heartless said politely. This room was a treasure trove of information. He found detailed diagrams of the heart, in depth reports, detailing the nature of heartless and nobodies. There were even articles on dream eaters. One book in particular stood out to him. Pulling it off the shelf, he was shocked to realize what it was. "The...Tome of prophecy? This is where it's been all this time?" Honestly, he wanted to look into it, try and see the outcome of their fight, but he stopped himself. Knowing the future was never a good thing. Reluctantly, he placed the book back on the shelf and continued looking. Finally, he found what he was looking for.

Pulling off the shelf several dusty, unbound pages, there were images and passages detailing the life of the X-blade. It was a primordial object with a will of its own. It coexisted with Kingdom Hearts, the source of everything. This report even detailed the creation of Keyblades. It was fascinating. Here it was. This was the information he needed. "The X-blade...it has a will of its own. In its broken form, it will choose those capable of wielding its power, and manifest into their hearts. Twenty wielders, light and darkness in their heart is irrelevant, as the X-blade has the ability to change the power it holds to suite the wielder, much like keyblades..." R straightened the papers. They had what they needed. He had an idea of how to reforge it as well. If one obtained their keyblade through the dive to the heart, then perhaps..."Xero, we have what we need. Let us leave this place and return to the others. We may have a fighting chance."


"Yeah bring it o- wait..." Beuce stopped in his tracks, glaring beyond the fourth wall at his writer. "Wh-what?" I nervously ask. "The **** is that?" "what do you mea-" "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT! THE BANNER! THAT'S MY BLOODLUST BANNER!" "Well i already had it open and-" "SO YOU WERE TOO FREAKING LAZY TO GO BACK ONE PAGE AND GET IT? GDI RIENZEL! GDI! YOU KNOW WHAT JUST JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" "Bu-" "GO ON GO! GET OUT!" The writer sullenly walked out of the post as Beuce sighed, murmured something about ametuers, and turned back to Xepphiras. "Well, looks to me like we are helping. Didn't know you could do that little wall trick did you? The thing about darkness is it can take almost any shape or form. That's how R fights, he molds it into solid objects and uses those. Granted that's taking it to the extreme and would probably take a lot of practice but yeah. The darkness wraps itself around your will and takes on the shape of it. It can be almost anything you want it to be. The sooner you understand that concept, the faster you'll learn." ​

 

Ananta blinked at Kross' words. They were odd, but she knew he was serious and meant everything he said. Although, he was kind and compassionate in saying them at the same time. If anything, Ananta grabbed his hand as he pulled it away when he wiped the tears from her cheeks. She held it and looked down at their hands, clasped together. On her other hand was her wedding band. She wore it and almost never took it off. However, now...now she didn't even deserve this ring. Releasing Kross' hand, she slipped the wedding band off. Holding it up, she examined it and could see how it was worn from her always wearing it. Tossing it behind her, it clanked as it hit the platform they were on. It plummeted off the side and landed in the deep water below the Mother Crystal. As it fell, the energy that made it up began to deteriorate and disappear in the water.

Back above, Ananta smiled at Kross. "My past is in the past. I loved Beuce once. But not anymore. It hurts to know he is gone and I may never heal, but I know deep down he wouldn't want me to weep over him dying." she said, looking down. "But now I'm not so sure what I am supposed to do. Anta has a keyblade now, but he has school...he can't possibly be trained by me when I have my duties as a Sage. I suppose once this is all over I could send him off to train under another master, but I'm not so sure who should do it." Ananta said. And then it clicked in her mind. Looking at Kross, Ananta's eyes widened. "What if you stayed here? You could train him and perhaps even live at my house to train him." she said.

Whether or not Kross was happy at this was yet to be seen. At the same time, Ananta had no idea that Kross' feelings were still very strong for her.

 

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Xero gave a suspicious glare at the woman and followed her and R to the office. It was basically nothing but a giant library in her eyes and she had no idea what exactly she needed to look for about the X-Blade; so she left that bit up to R. Soon enough he started rummaging through the books and found what he was looking for. She listened to him as he read the passage out loud and then only looked confused as R said that they had what they needed, "W-Wait, what? Hold on R," she said as she looked at the book herself, "First, where are we going to find someone willing to wield this thing? Isn't it also supposed to be pretty dangerous to use?" Xero looked at R with a questioning glance.

 

Kross looked over when she released his hand from hers, only to see her take a ring off, her wedding ring. As she examined it in the light, so did he, It glittered, shone in the white light that the crystal provided. Then she threw it behind her, catching Kross a little off guard that she would get rid of such a beautiful ring, it may have been worn, but it still had its luster, He was more than surprised that she would get rid of something so easily. Her words caught his attention, What's past was past was right, he wished so bad that he could say 'you could marry me' but he just couldn't, it tore him inside but this was what was meant to be. She mentioned sending Anta off to train under a master, there was no way he was going to let a sage train Anta on how to wield a keyblade, a keyblade master was needed for that.When she looked at him, he looked back, her words, once again, catching him by surprise, He looked down and to the side, could he take on such a daunting responsibility? He swallowed a bit, then glanced back up to her."You must really trust me to offer such a responsibility.."He trailed off, red colored eyes meeting hers. After a few seconds delay, a small smile tugged at his lips."I won't let you down, Ananta."​

 

Ananta smiled and stood up. She walked towards Kross and hugged him. "Thank you Kross." she said, pulling from the hug. "If there's anyone else I can trust other than Eon and Karina, it's you. Kel too, but who knows what he's doing. He was never one to make friends, if I remember correctly..." she said, chuckling. "Anta will be happy to hear he'll be going to train under you once this war is over." she smiled. "He'll need another adult man in his life who will be a positive role model. Especially after his father tainted his mind..." she sighed, scratching her head. Sitting back down in the lounge chair she had sat in previously, she leaned back and relaxed. "How have you been? I don't remember if I asked you, but I was worried about you. You haven't talked to anyone recently and I thought you were dead." she said, turning her head and looking at Kross. "I was...scared." she said, looking sad. "I don't want to lose a dear friend like you, Kross."