The Finale: Return of the Dark Days

Kala didn't see the point of living in such a boring town. Honestly, she was surprised she had lasted here for this long without decimating the population. It wasn't the first time such a thing had happened, but fate was fickle that way.

She had sensed the second man, and the Heartless, before they had appeared, but they were no threat. Although the man seemed to have some interesting information on the Local Man in front of her. She kept her dark eyes on him until he was finished speaking, flinching almost imperceptibly as the Local Man drew his knife and flung it at the second man.

Apparently one of those sentences struck a nerve. But then the Heartless, up until then an assumed captive, took the knife for the man. Something in her hurt for a moment as she stared a the spot where the Heartless had fallen before disappearing. Either suicidal, or it cared. Can a Heartless care? For some reason, the thought bothered her. That something so insignificant bothered her was strange enough. That she had spoken moments before was even worse. Clearly there was some disease in the air that was making her soft.

"Stalking is the sincerest form of flattery." She responded in a smooth voice, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword.
"You should choose your friends more cautiously." She continued, taking a step back. For what reason? Because she wanted to remind them that she was no wall flower.
"Because I don't wear what you call "underwear."
And because this could turn into something fun.

 

Neoph and Ana arrived in Roland's Ford a few hours before the meeting. "Here we are. Come on, let's go to my place." Neoph led Ana to a small house near a large building, which Neoph pointed out was the town hall. The house was clearly nicer than most of the other houses (or shacks as some might call them). He was in good with the mayor, and so he was allowed to purchase the home for a largely discounted price. Neoph entered the home and helped Ana inside. He grabbed a book of matches off the table and took one, striking it against the table. He lit a few candles so they could have some more light. "Stupid clouds..." Neoph mumbled. His house only had one window. Normally, that was enough to light the house during the day, but on overcast days like this, it might as well be night. Once Neoph lit the candles, he put the match out and set the spent remains on the table.

He went and got a bucket of water by his fireplace along with a sponge off a shelf above his bed and set it in the bucket. He brought the items to Ana. "We should probably clean your wounds first. Don't want them getting infected." He sat in silence for a second. Eventually, it was awkward enough to where he had to say something. "So, um... what exactly happened to you?"

 

His house was surprisingly nice. Better then Ana's family's had been, anyway. And much better then the bandit's camp. As he lit the candles, she examined the room, taking in the architecture, the furnishings, and the lack of possible things to kill or maim with. That last one was definitely important. Aside from the candles, he would have to use his own weapon to harm her, and she was confident enough that she could fend him off with her scythe. Unless everyone else in the town was in on it too. Then she might have just walked into another stupid trap. You're such a genius. She groaned inwardly before pulling a chair out from the table that the matches rested on, and sitting. Her legs welcomed the relief, but her mind was on hyper alert. It was amazing how much water could rejuvenate the body.

Ana accepted the sponge with muttered thanks, setting her scythe to rest against the table, and within easy reach. Gently wringing out the sponge, she placed it against the claw marks on her arm, wincing as the wound stung. Could these wounds get infected? She shuddered at the thought of her veins slowly being blackened by the poison that made up the Heartless, and scrubbed a little rougher, determined to get all of it out.

As she dipped the sponge back in the bucket, staining the water a slight pink color, he spoke. "What exactly happened to you?"
She slapped the sponge back onto her arm, this time biting her lip as the injury throbbed, and water was flung across her clothing and the table top.

"Nothing. What happened to you?" She muttered, unable or unwilling to talk about her past. It was too recent, too hard, and it would leave her in a vulnerable state. None of which sounded appealing at the moment. Or ever.

"Look, I appreciate all the....help." Ana hesitated for a moment before settling on the word. "But frankly, what happened to me will only become your business if the bandits aren't all dead." She sighed, staring down at the sponge before dropping it back into the bucket.

"Turn around. Or better yet, leave the room." She had a days old wound from an irate bandit with a knife on her back, and while she would like to take the opportunity to clean it, she would be damned if she did so in front of ogling eyes. Especially given the story her covered skin would tell.

 

Lance gave a stare over to the girl. She just made this entertaining with a single sentence alone. Not wearing underwear? Well that was a turn on if there ever was one. However, to Lance, it wasn't enough. She wasn't an ******* enough to meet his requirements. Perhaps if she wanted to see this world burn down to ashes as badly as him, maybe he'd let her into his heart. But screw it.

"Oh so you like people stalking you? That isn't weird at all. You know most would get a restraining order for such a thing, but I guess some women just like the attention. If you want I'm sure I could throw down some ones and fives down if you like it that much."

He could also notice her dismay when the heartless died. Did she care for the little things feelings? That was adorable! Thinking it had a conscious and all.

"Don't worry about Paul either. Those heartless are quite the sex fiends you see. Every single time a sharp object come around, they just cant help but make sweet sweet love with a dagger to their chest cavit- Did you just say you aren't wearing underwear!? Did you hear that Hunter, you really stole all her underwear from her?"

Before any of them could react, Lance continued his speech. "She doesn't even seem annoyed by this at all. My god you really are a stripper aren't you? I was just joking about the ones and fives but now I can tell you are serious. I am just glad to know that there are still people in this world that still enjoy the important things in this life: murder and female stripping. Hey Hunter, instead of the male strippers we got last meeting, we should totally have her do it!"

Lance clearly did not feel any form of threat coming from the girl. But, he wasn't the brightest either when it came to the sick sensation known as human emotion.

 

As Kala told made a comment on Hunter's stalking and told them to choose their friends more carefully, Hunter turned around. With a wave of the hand, he began walking off. "Yeah yeah, whatever. You're boring the crap out of me, unless you say somethin' interestin' i'm ou-" he began, but was cut off by the woman's next words.

"Because I don't wear what you call "underwear."

Hunter froze. Had he heard correctly? Spinning around quickly, the confusion on his face was evident. "Wait, what?" he asked, before Lance commented on Hunter taking all of the woman's underwear. "I can think of worse things, but somehow I don't think she's gonna strip for us. Look at that sword, does that look like the kind of thing a stripper would carry around?" he asked, before turning his head to look at Kala. "If you feel like proving me wrong, feel more than welcome to!" he called out. He then looked back at Lance. "There are two things I do in this town. I kill things, and I **** things. And right now you just deprived me of one of them. She ain't gonna let either of us near her with a ten foot pole because of you. I had this, you are a pitiful wingman, man" he insulted, before reaching into his pocket and grabbing a heap of munny and placing it in Lance's hands. "Go get blind drunk, forget this ever happened, and then show up to the meeting. That ought to make the meeting more entertaining tonight for all of us" the man instructed, patting Lance on the back rather forcefully.

He then took a few steps away and over towards the female. If his interest hadn't been grabbed before, the sudden mention of lack of underwear had surely gotten it then. "And now if you excuse me, Lance, I have some scoring to do. If you want to stick around go for it, but it'll only confirm the rumours floatin' round town of you liking men with you trying to watch me naked. Can't blame you for trying, I mean who wouldn't want to do me? I'd do me, but it's impossible. Such a romance will never be a thing, but that isn't the point. Just...I don't know, just do whatever you do" he added, calling over his shoulder. Turning his attention back to Kala, he gave a slight grin. "How about we start off fresh? You tell me your name, and I'll make one up that sounds all exotic and stuff to sound impressive, then you tell me some lie and I'll tell you one, and then on and on we go until we are goin' at it like bunnies. Or alternatively, we can go get blind drunk and then play darts, hunt some animals, piss off some locals, and then we go at it like bunnies. Take ya pick" Hunter said. He wasn't cocky, not at all. Not even a little bit.

(I'm 99% sure I won't be online for the next 3 days sorry! Please don't leave me behind D:)​

 

What was this? Was this karma? Lance began to cry at the sight of the money. Here he was talking about ones and fives and Hunter just gave him the props to demonstrate. He knew Hunter was with him now. Hunter just said some of those things to make it seem like he was being a jerk, but Lance knew what he must do next. This was going to make his entire day. After this, the meeting was actually going to be enjoyable because nothing else could ruin this day.

With a few steps next to Hunter who walked closer to the girl. Lance gave a wry smile. "So, Hunter just gave me some money here... Well..." Lance starts to throw the money onto the ground, mainly consisting of 1s and 5s. "Really, I just wanted to talk the talk, but Hunter whispered to me that he actually wanted to watch you strip. He just didn't have the balls to actually give you the money, so that is why this is here now. Anyway, you have your money. Now take off your clothes and show us your boobs and balls."

Just to mention... Lance was never actually given the talk and just thought women were different because they had boobs. He thinks fat men are women too because of their boobs.

 

If it had been possible, Kala would have set the young man on fire with her eyes. Unfortunately, the scientists hadn't deemed that to be an appropriate upgrade. So she would have to contend herself with the old fashioned way. Because while the comments about sex weren't particularly annoying, for some reason this young man struck her the wrong way. And she could choose to handle annoyances in a mature, calm manner, but her blood was already singing for violence, and because f*ck it. She needed to break something.

Pulling her sword from it's sheath, she flipped it easily to point at the Young Man, keeping the Local Man in the corner of her eye, in case he decided to help his comrade. "My name is Kala." She offered him before readjusting her grip in the hilt of the sword. He might as well know the name of the woman who was about to turn the world upside down. Or maybe just the town. She wasn't fully committed.

"And you." She focused her dark gaze on the Young Man. Hm. What could she say that would get through to him? Clearly, he wasn't very educated. And she was fairly certain that she hadn't received testicle implants. But then again, who really knew what the sick bast*ard had done? She wasn't going to worry about it now.

She swung towards him, slow enough that he could easily escape, but close enough to draw blood should he choose to stand there like a deer. Or a rabbit. And oh, she dearly hoped he did.

 

Ah, that was cute, a woman with a sword who thought she could cut him. That was just a darn shame though. From what he knew, there weren't many women who could fight in the past. Really the only two he could recall through text were Aqua and Larxene. There was another girl but she was better at being a damsel in distress.

But regardless of the situation, she still tried. He had to give her some credit. She actually managed to swing it correctly. However, what she failed to accomplish was to actually be effective. All Lance had to do was move slightly to the left. That was it. That is all he had to do and thus and did so, avoiding the blade with simple ease. Even if she cut him though, the regeneration abilities he had acquired would just put him back on full health. This was a reason why he didn't do tournaments. It wasn't fun always winning.

He began to clap towards her. "That was a good swing. I'm sure with some practice you'll be a great intermediate swordswoman."

 

((Don't worry about it, Glen. I'll just push the meeting back til you return since it's kinda important. ><))

Neoph cringed. Being shut down like that kind of hurt his feelings. With a deep sigh, he stiffened up. Quit being so sensitive... He thought to himself. Stiff upper lip. Just like father said. In truth, Neoph was always the sensitive type. As far back as he could remember, he'd cry over the littlest thing. His father, a scientist named Desmond Rampart, would always tell him "Stiff upper lip, son. Don't let them get the better of you." Neoph didn't care if they got the better of him though. That was just how he was. He was sad. His feelings were hurt, so he cried. Nothing wrong with that, right? The neighborhood kids thought so. Neoph the Cry-Baby, they called him. He hadn't cried in years though. Not since his friend Alvin taught him to turn sorrow into rage. But that was a time of his life he'd rather forget. Angry Neoph was dead and gone; and he preferred it to stay that way. He preferred to not keep that part of him alive even in memory.

Ana's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Oh, uh..." He looked around. The house was only one room. "Right. I'll just... i'll step outside. Um... just call me when you're done." With a small, shy wave, he stepped out of the house and sat on his front porch under his awning. That was one of the features to the house. A good thing he had it too, for it began to rain. Neoph was usually happy, but the atmosphere of the village today, the stress of his job, and the problems the world was facing very quickly began to wear on him. "You can't take care of everyone, Neoph." That was one of the last things Alvin said to him before he went off to war and never returned. Neoph protested that at the time, but now he was beginning to think that Alvin was right. He tried his hardest. He really did. But things only seemed to be getting worse. How long before the darkness descended on them? Neoph had seen what happened in places far-off. Places that probably no longer existed.

Children screaming, houses burning. He used to think he was a warrior of justice. He'd destroy evil men and never even realize that he was propagating the very thing he was trying to destroy. It was ironic. He'd destroy the sinners, yet he himself would spread the sin. That was why he was here, in Roland's Ford. That was why he put it under his protection. This was his penance. He would atone for his crimes if it killed him.

 

The quiet youth continued to run through the forest while the lady followed behind him.

"So what exactly is the problem?"

Lips remained sealed. There was nothing that needed to be said when all he had to do was just show her. The jumpsuits were not to be taken lightly; and that was an understatement. Every second that passed could potentially lead the man one step closer to a bitter end; although Higure had a hunch the masked swordsman could hold his own while taking a few hits. A small group of minutes passed before sapphire eyes could make out the shapes of silver creatures swimming through the air a small distance ahead of them. Higure stopped about 5 meters away, and dramatically pointed to the swordsman who was fending off the creatures. Other hand gripped the ring tightly as he glared at the creatures. With there being three of them out on the battlefield now, the odds had dramatically shifted in the swordsman favor. What was more, since the boy and the woman were a five yards away, the element of surprise was with them.

With the enemy now on sight, he had no problem whipping out the triple barreled sawed shotgun hidden behind the red cloak. Mana was still running close to dry, however with the masked swordsman and this woman, he was sure he'd have no problem with what he had left. Then a thought occurred to him which left him feeling really incompetent. Although, given that he just picked up a random stranger out on the road, who was to say that this woman could even fight? Oh he hoped with all his heart that this person could fight.

 

With a colossal sigh, Hunter took a step forward and unsheathed his own blade. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, and chances are neither would Lance. "Kala, Lance, quit fightin'. There's a meeting tonight and with all these godamn heartless appearin' everywhere and me causing some people to go missin' I'm sure there's enough talking going on already without 'oh hey did you hear about the cocky guy that got sliced in half by the random townswoman?'. I don't plan on staying there very long, so the less there is to talk about the better it is for everyone. Believe me, I'm the last guy that wants to see you two stop fighting, but just for the moment cut it out, alright? You can kill each other after the meeting. Hell, I'll even host bets for ya" Hunter stated. He didn't honestly think that Lance would lose, but there was far less chance of him trying to cut him in half than insulting the random woman. Besides, if he insulted the woman he'd never get to bang her. However, he still kept his guard up; if they kept fighting, he'd have to end it the only other way he knew. Which was fun and he hoped he got to, but rules and stuff prevented it most of the time.​

 

Lance looked over to Hunter and smiled. "I wasn't going to fight anyw- Wait! You're making people disappear too! Oh man, what are you doing with them? I like to-- Oh, you almost got me. You wanted to hear my techniques. An admirable thing. I'll tell you in private one of these days." Was he joking or serious? That was a mystery nobody could solve. There weren't any bodies for evidence after all, I mean.... You didn't read that.

"Well, the idiot is right, we really shouldn't have a dance in the middle of the street without any music or entourage. Its just boring if the only people watching are that couple who have been making out for the last 10 minutes." Lance looks over to Hunter and whispers, "Please tell me you were taking pics." Then turned back to Kala.

"Well, miss Calamari, I bit you adieu." And with that, Lance headed off to the meeting spot.

 

Ana was surprised when he left without much argument. Surprised and grateful. Working quickly, she reached back and rolled up her shirt, pulling her arms through so it rested around her neck. Taking the sponge, she bit her lip as she proceeded to work on cleaning her wounds, or the ones she could remember receiving. There was the skin that had been sliced opened by the whip, and the gash that had been caused from a rock. A neat line on her lower back from a knife. She was lucky to have not gotten anything worse when she escaped.

Letting the sponge drop back into the bucket, she quickly pulled her shirt back over her underthings and scarred skin, shutting her eyes for a moment and grounding herself. I am safe. I am well. I will heal. Everything is okay. At least she hoped so. She had to consider that perhaps this man, this "Neoph" wasn't as bad as he seemed. But there were others, and he knew them. She looked down at the blood stained water, gently massaging her fingers around the skin of the Heartless attack as the wound burned.

"I'm done." She called out, trying to make her voice loud enough to be heard over the sound of the rain, which she just noticed had started to pound against the roof. "And thank you." She murmured more quietly, half hoping he wouldn't hear. Because while she had her pride, she knew when she was beaten.


Kala stared as the Strange Man left. Her heart pounded and her mind roared that she should not let him go, but that's exactly what she did. She was going soft in this place. The Local Man was talking about a meeting, and Heartless, and people disappearing. She found she could give a shit less. Her fight, her fight, had just left. Walked away like a cat with the cream.

Hand trembling, she tightened and loosened her grip on the handle of her sword as she tried to pull the tattered fragments of her mind together. It wasn't so bad, if she got to fight, to inflict pain. If she didn't, the madness would degrade her state further. And she couldn't have that. Not because she gave any semblance of caring about any of these people, but because she herself didn't want to lose control. It would mean giving in, and she was not someone who cared to go out the coward's way.

Kala gently let the sword rest against the wall, balling her hand into a fist, unaware of any observers. With the need for violence still humming through her blood, she punched the wall, creating a crack in the mortar as her flesh sang with pain. The bloodlust quieted a little, and she repeated the action, dwelling in the pain instead of ignoring it. Twice more, and the need for death was sated. For now.

Shaking out her fingers and viewing the damage to the wall with disinterest, she picked up her sword, confident that her mind was back in one piece. For now.

 

Neoph was outside, still thinking on the way things were going when Ana called for him to come in. He stood back up and opened the door, heading back inside and closing it. "Heh. It's really coming down out there." He must not have heard her say thank you. "Rains pretty often this time of year." He sat on his bed. "So, um..." He wasn't really sure how to ask this. The last time he asked for something out of her, it didn't go so well. "So, what are you going to do now? I mean, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like, but..." He paused and coughed nervously. "You're eventually going to have to do something, right? Do you plan on going back home? Err... wherever home is." He kept his smile and got up from his seat to head over to another bucket of water from an area one might call the kitchen. "Can I get you a drink?" Neoph took a small wooden cup off a shelf and filled it with water from the bucket, taking a generous few gulps.

 

And just as Kala was satisfied, Hunter felt the need to say something. He had amazing timing, really. He went and leaned against the wall just a short distance away from the one Kala was beating up, and when she had finished he let loose a whistle. "Not bad, you pack a punch" he stated. He made no move to walk over to her; one look at the bloodlust in her eyes told him it was probably a bad idea. Still, no harm in stirring the pot.

"I'm surprised you let him go. I was kinda hopin' you didn't, I've been after a good fight for days now. People either ***** out or are just pushovers, there's no fury, no technique, no damn challenge. I mean damn, that wall probably has a better shot than winnin' a fight against me than most of the people 'round here do. It's ridiculous" he exclaimed. Glancing in her direction, he stepped away from the wall now. "So, are you going to kick his ass after the meeting?" the bounty hunter asked, more than a little curious.​

 

"Do you plan on going back home?"

Ana blinked, then looked away, her fingers still resting against her wounded arm. "I don't have a home." While it wasn't the best description of her situation, it was the shortest. She had no family or friends that were waiting for her return. Hell, she didn't think any of them were even still alive. Her previous home had been destroyed from the inside out, and after that she had wandered until the bandits caught up with her. She certainly didn't consider them to be a home worth returning to.

Her fingers tightened, putting more pressure then was necessary on the wound. What was she going to do now? It was something that desperately needed to be considered, but she felt too overwhelmed with the thought of making her own choices to focus on what her choice would be. Freedom had been something she had sought, fought for and been denied for so long, it was a wholly new feeling. And she wasn't sure what to do with it.

Realizing that Neoph was still waiting for an answer, she scrambled for something that was passable. "I guess I might...explore a bit." She winced, letting her hand drop as the pressure became too painful on the scratches. And it was that decision that got you into trouble in the first place.

But what else could she do? She wasn't made for the simple life of settling down and raising children, it simply wasn't in her anymore. She had been through too much. She wasn't strong enough to go traveling yet, neither was she skilled enough to defend herself from more then a few Heartless.
What should I do?


The Local Man was still here. He had watched her pummel the wall until her knuckles throbbed and her heart had calmed. She wasn't ashamed that someone had seen the display, but she was mildly concerned. It was a sign of weakness, and humans were born to be predators; they sought out weakness and exploited it.

"So, are you going to kiss his ass after the meeting?"

She breathed in through her nose and exhaled through her lips. I am calm. Not really, but there wasn't much else she could do. Unless....her eyes slid towards the man, lips curving into a smile underneath the cowl. "You've been after a good fight?" She whispered slyly, one hand stroking the cold metal of her broadsword while the other gripped the handle in what could only be described as a tentative hope.

"Perhaps we can serve each other's purposes then." Perhaps he would replace the other man, and give her enough of a fight to sate the violent desires that still roamed freely through her mind. And then she could get blind drunk and pass out on the floor somewhere.

 

"I don't have a home."

"Oh." Neoph fidgeted a little bit. "I don't know what to say. I'm sorry." He got her a drink anyway and sat down at the table, offering the cup to her. "Explore, eh? If you don't mind me saying so, you aren't really in a condition to explore by yourself." He paused for a second. "Um, listen. If you're..." He scratched the back of his head. "If you're interested, I have a little group that protects this town. Not gonna lie, the pay isn't very good. 100 Munny a week. But you can save the money so that you can have more options when you recover. Just an idea. I mean, I can escort you to Durlag if you want. But... I can't really recommend you going off on your own without having at least a week of recovery."

 

When the boy had pointed towards Aedion and the nobodies (which admittedly in Aello's head sounded like a band name) she understood and simply nodded before charging in and slashing at one of the nobodies. She could tell it was one Aedion weakened already based on how fast it'd faded, but she immediately went to the other ones without giving much thought and not saying a word to Aedion. That was her usual thing, not really saying much at all. Trying to figure out what was going on on her own was the exception to that rule.

Aello continued on hacking and slashing, isolating one from the other so she could take care of that on her own and trying to help split them so they weren't teaming up on one particular person.​