Alright so this is my first story. It'll be a collaboration with Loxare, alternating chapters. Spoiler: Prologue This is the story chronicling the events of the original world, and the war that shattered it. Long ago, The many worlds out there now were all part of one, much bigger world. On which, Keyblade wielders were commonplace. In the city of light, all was well and good. Everyone had plenty of food and water, there was no disease or fighting. Everyone lived happily under the wise king of Radiant garden, named Alastair. The wielders of the city protected the civilians from any dangers which might lie outside the walls of the city. When one died, their heart emerged from their body and floated up into the clouds, where it went after that was a complete mystery. Until one night, an enormous moon in the shape of a heart appeared in the sky, shining a pale blue light over the entire city. It turned the eyes of everyone in the city. From it, they could feel a sort of presence. It was warm and familiar. They could feel the souls of their loved ones who had passed inside of this new moon, and believed the beyond it, lied a greater kingdom than any of them could possibly imagine. One where hearts roamed open and free, with nothing to weigh them down. Thus they dubbed it "Kingdom Hearts". It filled them with a sense of joy, knowing they weren't gone and would one day be reunited with them. However, lost loved ones were not the only thing that could be felt. A great power, beyond all imagination, slept within. Some didn't care for power and just wanted to be with the dead that lay within. Some however, were not so selfless. They sought the great power within to further their own strength and conquer the world, corrupted by their need for superiority. After the appearance of the Kingdom Hearts, new wielders began to turn up everywhere. With this mass arrival of keyblades, came a mass arrival of soldiers. Some sought to defend Kingdom Hearts and the ones who lay within, others to obtain it's power and become the greatest nation the world has ever seen. With this conflict of views, war over it was inevitable. So, the long brutal war between the wielders of the keyblade over the heart-shaped moon and what was inside had begun. The keyblade war had started. Now five years into the war, our tale begins at the headquarters of the wielders of light as they were now called. A keyblade wielder named Terak Halberd has just been recruited into the war. Doing as he was told by a guard, he proceeded inside the castle the stood over the city of light. Not really, sure of what he's supposed to be doing, he simply wandered to where he was told and bumped into a man who fit the description of who he was looking for. A tall young man with short brown hair and emerald eyes. "Excuse me but, Are you Balthar?" Asked Terak shyly. He turned to the boy. "Yes that would be me." Said the man, who had an Australian accent, and paused for a minute. "Ah! You must be the new recruit i heard about." He said finally. "Come with me, I'll show you around." He turned and began to walk down a long hall as the young boy followed. Terak could've sworn he heard Balthar mumble something under his breathe. From what he could hear, it sounded like "They're getting younger and younger. I hope it's for the best." Once they reached their destination, Balthar turned and smiled. "Let me introduce you to the team you've been assigned to." He said, walking over to a group of people. First to be introduced was a girl with fluffy white hair, down to slightly past her shoulders looking to be about 19. She gave him an uninterested look as Balthar lead him over. "Yes, hello. My name is Ashiim." She said unenthusiastically and rolled her eyes. before walking away and siting back down. "Don't mind her. She's just not a people person." Balthar told the recruit. Next up was an enormous giant of a man with very short black hair. At 6"9, he towered over the rest of the group. he glanced over at him with a slight smile and extended his hand, which Terak then took to shake. His entire hand fit in the palm of this giant's. "The name's Godric. Nice to meet you." He said in a deed, grizzly voice like one would expect from someone of his stature. Terak felt somewhat intimidated by this behemoth of a man, but didn't let it show. "Terak. nice to meet you too." He said politely. Just then a tall man with smooth white hair jut above his shoulders, dressed in a red trench coat and camouflage pants ran up to him to him "YO! New guy!" He shouted. "The name's Beucefilous but if you can't pronounce that you can call me Beuce, Beucey, Fil, Steve whatever." He said rather quickly and let out a laugh. A petite blue haired girl dressed in a cotton blouse and a white skirt walked up behind him and face palmed. "I'm sorry about my brother." She said apologetically. Confusion grasped Terak's face. They didn't look similar at all. "These are our fraternal twins. Beucefilous and Rain." Balthar explained, having noticed his confusion. Rain smiled at him but it was forced. She was actually very shy and didn't like talking to people she wasn't closely associated with. he was introduced to a few more people as he went about, but someone caught his attention. A shady, hooded figure in the corner of the room. "Well that's about everyone." Balthar said, looking around the room. "Wait. Who's that?" He asked, pointing to the cloaked man. Balthar followed his line of vision to who he was talking about. "That's Gemini. You'll be lucky to get a word out of him, let alone an introduction. Best just leave him be." He answered. "Alright." He yawned. "Tired? Well it has been a long day. I'll show you where you can stay. Tomorrow we begin your training." Balthar said, leading him to a small room with not much but a bed. "Here we are. Make yourself at home." Terak laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. It was peaceful. He had no idea just how little of that he would have in the future. Spoiler: The Beginning of the End Terak opened his eyes after his first night in the City of Light, still tired from the reception the Keyblade Masters had given him. Hours of laughing and feasting and camaraderie; yet they still expected him to wake up at this hour of the morning? Climbing out of his bed, he caught a quick glance of himself in the mirror across the room. His sandy brown hair was dishevelled from sleep, hazel eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. Stumbling to his closet, he pulled out a grey shirt emblazoned with red embroidery, with blue crossed Keyblades on the shoulders. The Keyblades were the symbol of the Keyblade wielders of Light. After pulling on his shirt, he grabbed his pants and a few belts from the closet. One belt went around his waist and two around his chest. He didn't need the other two, but he had used them when he was training with actual swords, before he had come here. After carefully fitting his armour on his forearm, he was ready to go. Still yawning, he left his room and walked down the hall, still unsteady on his feet. Mornings weren't his thing. “Oi~!†The call came from one of the open windows leading to the courtyard. Terak stuck his head out, squinting in the sunlight. Balthar was in the training yard, shouting at him. “Terak! You're late! If you're not down here in two minutes, you're running a hundred laps around the castle!†Terak gulped. The castle was a wide, sprawling affair, with building added on in the centuries of peace. A hundred laps would kill him. Making a split second decision, he leapt from the window, disregarding the fact that it was three stories up, falling into the empty space above the courtyard. Moments before landing, he summoned his Keyblade, Redeeming Lore, and cast Aero, breaking his fall and allowing him to land safely in front of Balthar. Balthar cracked a smile. “That's exactly the kind of cheek that could win us this war. Now get over here. We have training to do.†He grabbed Terak's arm and pulled him past all of the students running basic drills. Not all of them were young: the Keyblade wasn't choosey about age and as many of the beginners were over twenty as over it. “It said in your file that you've gone through basic training at one of the outposts?†Terak nodded. “Yes. The one on the western border, just north of Viran Town.†His companion whistled. “Wow. That one's a hotspot for raids.†He pulled Terak to a stop in front of a circle drawn in the dirt. “All we're going to do today is test your strength. Then we can decide what to train you in.†“So we're...?†“Sparring.†Balthar pushed him into the ring the took a position on the opposite side. “Let's go!†They leapt at each other quickly and ferociously, treating the other as they would an enemy. At first, Terak was on the defensive, barely able to defend himself against the flurry of attacks. Soon however, he started getting used to Balthar's attack pattern and was able to launch a counter offensive. Finally, after what seemed to Terak like hours of fighting, Balthar disengaged his Keyblade from Terak's and booted him in the chest. Not anticipating a kick, Terak flew a few feet backwards before landing heavily on the ground. “Not bad!†Balthar panted, “Not bad at all. Even living on the border, I didn't expect you to have this level of skill.†He turned to the beginners, most of which had stopped training to watch, “Get back to work, all of you! I want to hear those practice blades!†The air was suddenly full of beginners continuing their drills. They weren't allowed to use their Keyblades until they had Balthar's approval. Terak, still laying on the ground, had to suppress a laugh. He remembered his pwn instructors at the outpost saying the exact same thing. “Need a hand?†Terak looked up to see Balthar extending a hand down to him. Grabbing it, he gave a quick “Thanksâ€, swaying slightly once he was on his feet. “So, what sort of training do I do?†Balthar thought for a moment. “This. Your training is doing exactly what we were doing a moment ago. Sparring with other wielders. Drills won't help you now, you're too far beyond them. I'll ask a few of the better wielders to help out. You can take a breather until I get your next opponent.†Terak nodded, then sank gratefully onto a nearby bench. Someone handed him a water skin and he dumped half of it onto his head before downing the rest. Fighting Balthar had been a workout and a half. His rest was over far too soon before Balthar came striding over, pulling one of the wielders behind him. It was one of the twins. Terak couldn't quite remember his name. Steve, was it? “Hey Terak! Fil here said he would spar with you next!†Fil? How had he gotten Steve from that? “Right.†Balthar gave Terak a quick once-over to make sure he had had enough rest, then nodded. “You two have fun now. And Beucefilous?†Balthar grabbed his shoulder and stared straight into his eyes, “This is what happens when you sleep in. Next time, it's two hundred laps around the castle.†Beucefilous gave Balthar a mock salute. “Yes sir!†Balthar shook his head, then walked away. Beuce turned comically towards Terak. “Ready to go?†Terak summoned his Keyblade. “You know it.†He was smiling as he attacked. A few days later, he was fighting Balthar again. They were doing three sets, five minutes each. But before Balthar or Terak could advance at the beginning of the third set, an explosion rocked the other side of the castle. “What?!†Terak turned to face smoke rising in the west. “Balthar, what's going on?†“The forces of darkness are attacking. Can you handle yourself in a fight?†He never turned his face from the smoke, obviously itching to go. Terak smiled. “Of course. I was trained on the western border after all.†Balthar cracked another smile, this one hungrier than the previous one. “Let's go then.†The fields was in chaos, the town was burning and soldiers in dark armour seemed to fill every space in sight. Terak hit the circle on his armour, closing his eyes before the sudden light covering his body blinded him. When the light cleared, Terak was covered head to toe in silver armour with red accents. Balthar was similarly outfitted in emerald armour. Terak tried to stay near Balthar, but the tide of battle quickly separated them. He noticed Beucefilous, fighting alongside his twin Rain. They looked like they were dancing, their movements were so coordinated. He had fought both of them, sometimes singly, but more often both at once, so he knew it would be very difficult for the darkness to overpower them. Instead, he made his way towards Ashiim, the snobby one he had met the first day. She was duelling two enemies at once and was having trouble. “I didn't need your help.†she sniffed when he had finally caught up with her. Terak rolled his eyes, even though she wouldn't be able to see it behind his visor. “That would be more convincing if you weren't breathing so hard.†He retorted as he blocked a swing. Redeeming Lore cut a path through the ranks of the dark wielders, devastating them. Suddenly, Godric, that giant of a man he had met on his first day, and Balthar were beside him. Together, they decimated the front ranks of the army, cutting towards the heart of their forces towards General Ignis. They had heard rumours of his battle prowess, directing his army with precision and skill. The four Keyblade wielders of light were hoping that if they could kill him, the army would fall apart. The first of them fell when Balthar took a hit in his upper thigh, the Keyblade from the Realm of Darkness ripping through his armour like paper. Godric quickly cut down the assailant, but it was clear Balthar couldn't walk anymore, and while his back was turned, another wielder in dark armour hit Godric high in his right shoulder, rendering it useless. Ashiim was next, a blow to her head knocking off her helmet and throwing her into unconsciousness. Making a split second decision, Terak motioned for Godric to pick both of them up while he fought for a way out. He knew he couldn't reach Ignis by himself and he also couldn't leave his friends to die. The ranks of the Keyblade wielders of Light were being decimated. No matter which way they turned, the leader of the enemy forces was there, always a step or two ahead. General Ignis seemed unbeatable. Not one of the wielders could land a hit, no matter how glancing. Even the best of the best of them could barely defend against his attacks. And once he had defeated each and every one of them, he turned his attention to a pair of twins he thought might be interesting. Beucefilous knew it was over from the moment the enemy split them up. The twin's teamwork was legendary in the lands of Light but separated, Rain didn't stand a chance. Beucefilous was the better fighter, better with his twin by his side. Still, he fought his way towards his sister, his single-minded determination leaving him blind to the danger behind him. The dark Keyblade caught him just under the ribcage, sending him hurtling to the ground. Then, somehow, the space between him and Rain cleared. Nothing was obstructing his view, but with numerous people holding him, as well as a Graviga spell, he couldn't get up to help her. She was being held from behind by at lest two people, her Keyblade laying forgotten on the ground. He was helpless as an imposing figure clothed in the darkest of armour came up and ripped off her helmet, as well as the armour covering her throat. He was helpless as the figure backed up a few steps then turned quickly, Keyblade coming up high, slitting her throat. He was helpless to do anything but watch as his twin, his sister, his best friend, confidant, accomplice, the only one he had ever truly trusted, died, a few mere steps away. “General Ignis,†one of the people on his back addressed the figure, “what about this one?†Beucefilous didn't struggle as his helmet was pulled off. He just stared at the General, at his sister's murderer, with all the hatred and sorrow and fury his heart had to offer. He couldn't see it, but he thought the General had smiled. “This one we keep. His darkness may prove useful.†A sudden sharp pain to the back of his head cast him into darkness. Spoiler: Imprisonment The group had just escaped from the city of light with their lives intact. Terak panted heavily as they stopped running. The city was no longer in view. The young wielder looked back in the direction they had come from. Godric was a few paces behind him, still carrying the injured two. He wasn't panting, but you could tell he was exhausted beyond belief. "Hey, you alright?" Terak asked, his voice full of concern. Godric just stood there, silent as ever. Until finally he set down Balthar and Ashiim. "We rest here. We’re a ways ahead of their scouts, so we should have the time to spare." Nodding, Terak hit the ground. He'd caught his breath a little by this point, but his heart was still pounding. A few minutes later, Balthar groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Looking around, he saw they were no longer in the city. When it occurred to him, he sat up immediately. "What happened to the city?! Where's Beuce?! And Rain?!" He shouted. Terak shook his head. "It was completely overrun. We don't know what happened to them..." There was a long silence. "I...See...†Balthar finally said.â€Beuce was constantly late, and slacking off when he finally did show up, but that was part of his charm. And Rain, She was always better at her brother’s side. It was encouraging to see such a bond...†Balthar said sorrowfully, knowing they were likely both dead. Regaining his composure, he stood. “We need to hurry. We’ll rest here, and then be on our way. The forces of darkness can’t be far behind.†He said seriously. Him, Balthar, Godric, and the newly conscious Ashiim, all gathered around. “I’ll take first watch†Godric stated after a few minutes. With that, the rest of the group dozed off. Later in the night, a group a silhouettes that blended into the landscaping so well, you’d barely be able to see them if you knew what you were looking for approached the group. Godric didn’t notice them until they were right on top of him, at which point he stood quickly. They were scouts. Arrived far sooner than he'd anticipated. Not particularly good in combat, used instead for hunting down any escapees and finding paths the armies could travel through. But their group was injured, and outnumbered. It would be a difficult fight as they were. “What have we here? Quite the brute isn’t he?†One of them questioned, inspecting Godric’s face. He was soon 12 feet back with a broken jaw. He yelped in pain, which only caused more of it and awoke the others. Balthar was the first one on his feet that realized what was happening. “Get up!†He shouted, making the others even more alert. They were all on their feet and back to back within seconds. The scouts had surrounded them, but seeing as they didn’t have keyblades, victory was possible. ~Fort Nox~ Deep in the fort controlled by General Ignis, Beucefilous was being held in a cell. Chained to the wall by his arms. “You failed…†a voice whispered to him. His head shot up immediately, but nothing was seen aside from stone and iron. “Who’s there?†He asked. A chill crept down his spine, as though he were being watched. Surely it hadn’t just been his imagination…A moment later, it came again “She died, because you were too weak to protect her.†It continued “No…There was nothing I could do…†He told himself more than the mysterious voice. “Precisely…Your lack of strength is what killed her.†“No…That isn’t true…NO!!†He shouted at the top of his lungs. By this time the guards outside his cell were beginning to get nervous. “You know it is…†No sooner had it finished its last sentence, Ignis walked in with two men holding keyblades. “Now, boy,†He began. “What the hell do you want?†Beucefilous scornfully asked his apparent inquisitor. “I’m going to ask you one simple question. If I don’t like your answer, well let’s just say it won’t be pretty…Will you join us?†He said menacingly. “Good god in heaven. There are just so many ways for me to tell you this. No. Never. Not in a million years. Absolutely not. No way, Jose. No chance, La- ACK!†He was cut off by a surge of lightning to his gut from one of the men standing next to him, which was then healed by the second to prevent him from blacking out. “No go huh? I love it when they do that†Ignis said with a wicked laugh. “Now, I’m going to tell you this. You are going to join us.†“Ah, c’mon. Where’s your sense of humor?†He asked weakly, which was met with another jolt, and a fist to the jaw, courtesy of Ignis. Again and again. For hours, He was electrocuted, and healed to prevent from the sweet relief of unconsciousness. “Look at you. You can’t do a thing. Just sitting there while they torture you…†“I’m gettin’ real tired of your voice.†Beucefilous told it. Apparently, Ignis thought it was directed at him. “Is that so?†He said, grabbing him by the chin and bringing his face closer to his. “Because of that little comment you just made, I will personally make your life a living hell, forever.†He said angrily. Beucefilous gazed into his multicolored eyes. One brown and the other red. “Let’s go. We’ll be back tomorrow.†He said, leading his torturers out of the room. As soon as they were gone, Beucefilous dropped the guard on his emotions. The terror on his face now clearly visible. Was that all he had to look forward to? For the rest of his life, nearly constant torture. Never allowed to rest… Never allowed to die. “You’re afraid. Only weaklings know fear.†It told him. Beucefilous shuddered. “I can’t take it...†“Worry not…I can give you the strength you need to escape your fate.†Something lit up in the Wielder’s eye. A glimmer, a spark. It was a shred of hope. The last he had. “Whatever it takes…Anything to escape this fate…†Though the phantom he spoke to couldn’t be seen, you could feel a smile in the air. “Excellent. The task is simple. All you need to do is open yourself. Let pour in what will, and you will taste strengh like you’ve never dreamed.†Beucefilous did as instructed. He opened his heart, down to the very core. He let it flood in. The darkness. Dark purple trails of energy began to surround his entire body. He didn’t care what it was, so long as it could help him escape. The chains which bound him were easily broken. As he fell to the floor and rose back up, he summoned his keyblade, now warped and distorted. His face and gone from terror and sorrow, to a fiendish grin. Spoiler: Bad news and worse news The guards standing at the end of the hallway leading to the cells couldn't believe their eyes. The new prisoner's door was opening like nothing, the lock suddenly ineffectual. The guard on the left, the more senior of the two, nodded to his partner, hand signalling him to sound an alarm and get the General. The younger man nodded and took off up the stairs as the older guard took up a fighting stance. “Stop where you are prisoner!” He yelled at the figure slowly advancing towards him, “Get back in your cell or I will put you back in myself!” But Beucifilous kept walking, his white hair shimmering in the torchlight. So the guard summoned his Keyblade and took a fighting stance. As a fortress at war, Fort Nox was well armed and equipped. The soldiers were the best trained or they were sent back to the elusive training camps until they became the best. Those who were even better were accepted into the special units. This particular guard had left the training camps with flying colours, but that had been a few years ago at least. He was positioned as a mere guard which had slowed his reflexes and softened his blows. He didn't have the experience that Beuce did when it came to the art of fighting. Even if he had though, it wouldn't have changed his fate. The moment he took his fighting stance, Beuce flew in, summoning his Keyblade. The guard's throat was cut before he had even realized Beuce had moved. Beuce stood for a moment, gazing at his Keyblade in wonderment. His Keyblade had once been called Protector, a twin blade to Rain's Defender. A long silver blade with a blue hilt, the only difference between his and his sister's had been the colour of the teeth, which had been green on his and red on hers. Now, his Keyblade had changed in response to his acceptance of the darkness. The shape was unchanged, but now the shaft was the deepest black, the hilt dark purple with green swirling around, like a dark candy cane. His eyes lingered on the teeth of the blade; they were red, like Rain's. He brushed his fingers lovingly over the colour, then headed up the stairs into bedlam. His Keyblade hadn't been the only thing to change, although he didn't know it yet. The Fort's lack of mirrors prevented him from seeing the new gleam of malice in his formerly joyous face. His eyes, once green, had turned a disturbing shade of purple, so deep as to be almost black. The colour of his hair had changed the least, but seemed darker, as if the white strands now had a black core. His tormentors had stripped him of his happiness, his good memories clouded over by the fog of hatred. Perhaps he could make new happy memories by killing every living soul in this building. Fort Nox had a basic layout, with only one wide staircase wrapping around the exterior, the various hallways and rooms simple offshoots of this. This made the Fort very defensible, since invaders could only fight four people abreast. However, it also ensured that, as long as there were no survivors on the floors below him, Beuce could climb the Fort gradually and slaughter quickly and unexpectedly. He wasn't sure where he would find Ignis, whose blood he most craved to polish his blade, so he had to go through methodically. He hadn't realized, but it had been the very blackest part of night when he had escaped, and most of the people he killed had been sleeping. Some of them woke up and tried to sound the alarm, but after a few swift strokes, those few joined their comrades. A short hour later, Beuce found himself outside of General Ignis's door, on the top floor of the Fort. A light shone under the door, a sign that the General was awake, either due to insomnia or work. Beuce smiled, a perverse mutation of the one that had caused others to grin just looking at it. This smile, if it could be called such, held no joy, and was only a placeholder for the emotions he wanted to be feeling. He wanted to be glad that Ignis was awake, wanted him to die knowing he had been bested. But true darkness cannot know joy, for that emotion is of the realm of light. And Beuce was far beyond the reaches of the light. He hefted his Keyblade and slowly opened the door. Terak woke at the slightest sound in the bushes. Since the defeat at the City of Light, he, Balthar, Ashiim, and Godric had been on the run from the remaining dark Keyblade Wielders while their wounds healed. It had been a harrowing experience for all of them, and none of them had been sleeping well. Carefully, Terak sat up, Ashiim and Godric were also waking, and Balthar, currently on guard duty, was staring intently at the foliage on the west side of the camp. A moment of tense silence passed when the bushes rustled again. Four Keyblades shot out in a flurry of light, two aimed at the bush, two on ready, in case the rustling was a distraction. His Keyblade shifted from attack when he saw the head that popped out of the greenery. “Gemini,” he sighed with relief, “Scare us to death, why don’t you?” The other three also lowered their weapons, but kept them out. Gemini smiled, knowing the effect her rustling had had on her fellow Wielders of Light. “Another time perhaps Terak. I have some information that needs to be heard by living ears.” Her smile faded as she thought about it. Balthar sat down and opened his bag of supplies. “Here,” he said, holding a meat bun out to Gemini, “eat, then tell us.” She scarfed it down quickly, knowing that the information couldn’t wait, but unable to ignore her hunger. “As always, there’s good news, bad news and worse news. The good news is that Beucefilous is alive.” Her eyes were downcast as she considered the bad news. The others broke into smiles and relieved sighs, not knowing what the other two pieces of vital information were. “The bad news is that Rain isn’t.” As quickly as it came, the smiles vanished. Ashiim, after a moment, quietly ventured a question, “And... the worse news?” “As a result of Rain’s death, Beuce has embraced the darkness.” “What?!” Terak shouted. The other three had similar reactions. “Are you sure Gemini?” She nodded. “I saw it with my own eyes. I was ordered to assassinate General Ignis at Fort Knox and was just outside the window.” General Ignis reclined in his chair, preparing for another night of slumber, in which his dreams of destruction were the most vivid. He could sense a presence outside his window, likely another peon of Light trying to kill him. He could dispatch of that one in a moment. However, the blisteringly dark presence which had been climbing his Fort for the past hour was much more interesting. And it was just outside his door. It opened slowly, inward. Ignis was mildly surprised to see the face of Beucefilous, the young Keyblade Wielder he had captured at the City of Light. He hadn’t thought the young man could turn himself to darkness so quickly. And such darkness. His skin was practically rippling with it. Yes, he would make a great pawn. Beuce stared into the eyes of his captor, his nemesis, and felt nothing. Not hatred, not even mild anger. However, when he looked down onto the General’s chest and saw a necklace there, he was flooded with such an intense desire to kill that even the Dark General had never felt. The necklace was Rain’s; he had one just like it. The darkness burst out of his skin and covered him like armor. His Keyblade came up and pulled him across the room, aimed at Ignis’s heart. The General summoned his Keyblade at the last moment. Keyblade clashed against Keyblade and the General was pushed back under the force of the blow. Relentless in his blows, Beuce continued pushing the General back. In a moment, the General made a small mistake. A small, insignificant mistake which, in a less deadly fight, would be meaningless. A mistake which Beuce exploited with all his might. Ignis forgot there he was fighting and his foot slipped as he stepped of the rug covering the center of the room and onto the more slippery stone floor. His balance shifted slightly to the right, his arm moving instinctively to protect his now-vulnerable left. A bare moment later, his right arm was bleeding profusely, and was barely able to hold the Keyblade. Beuce slammed his Keyblade down again onto Ignis’s hand, forcing the General to drop his Keyblade completely, and Beuce ran him through. As the General dissolved into darkness, Beuce reached out and grabbed Rain’s necklace off of his neck. The General’s Keyblade still sat on the ground, as if waiting. Curious, Beuce picked it up and instead of becoming darkness like its master, it started to glow with a dark light. Before he could react, the Keyblade rushed into his right eye. Beuce screamed as the Keyblade joined with his eye. It was the most excruciating pain he had ever known, more painful than almost having his leg severed in training. More painful than when a dark Keyblade had run him through while defending the City of Light. When he could stand to function through his pain, he was lying on the floor, curled in a ball and both hands over his eye. He could see. He could see the hundreds of Wielders of Darkness camped outside the Fort. He lurched over to a mirror. His right eye was the same horrifying shade of red as Ignis’s. A quick movement by the window caught his attention. He threw open the shutters and looked out. Crouched below the window on a platform with a knife in her hand was Gemini. She shivered, frightened of what she had seen and what she now knew. Beuce smiled. Slowly, he closed the window and walked away. There would be time to kill her later, but for now, her blinding light hurt his eyes. Opinions?
Ooh, nice. I like the story so far, it's pretty good. A few spelling mistakes here and there, you forgot to capitalize "I" in one sentence, you wrote "deed" instead of "dead," just a couple small mistakes. Other than that, I can't wait to read the next chapter.
little mistakes like spelling but overall Really good and interesting for a first story :) Can't wait for the rest ^^
Few mistakes,in spelling and grammar etc,but overall I like it so far dear. You keep the reader interested,which is always lovely. Looking forward to the next chapter~
Here's Chapter 1! Enjoy! Spoiler: The Beginning of the End Terak opened his eyes after his first night in the City of Light, still tired from the reception the Keyblade Masters had given him. Hours of laughing and feasting and camaraderie; yet they still expected him to wake up at this hour of the morning? Climbing out of his bed, he caught a quick glance of himself in the mirror across the room. His sandy brown hair was dishevelled from sleep, hazel eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. Stumbling to his closet, he pulled out a grey shirt emblazoned with red embroidery, with blue crossed Keyblades on the shoulders. The Keyblades were the symbol of the Keyblade wielders of Light. After pulling on his shirt, he grabbed his pants and a few belts from the closet. One belt went around his waist and two around his chest. He didn't need the other two, but he had used them when he was training with actual swords, before he had come here. After carefully fitting his armour on his forearm, he was ready to go. Still yawning, he left his room and walked down the hall, still unsteady on his feet. Mornings weren't his thing. “Oi~!” The call came from one of the open windows leading to the courtyard. Terak stuck his head out, squinting in the sunlight. Balthar was in the training yard, shouting at him. “Terak! You're late! If you're not down here in two minutes, you're running a hundred laps around the castle!” Terak gulped. The castle was a wide, sprawling affair, with building added on in the centuries of peace. A hundred laps would kill him. Making a split second decision, he leapt from the window, disregarding the fact that it was three stories up, falling into the empty space above the courtyard. Moments before landing, he summoned his Keyblade, Redeeming Lore, and cast Aero, breaking his fall and allowing him to land safely in front of Balthar. Balthar cracked a smile. “That's exactly the kind of cheek that could win us this war. Now get over here. We have training to do.” He grabbed Terak's arm and pulled him past all of the students running basic drills. Not all of them were young: the Keyblade wasn't choosey about age and as many of the beginners were over twenty as over it. “It said in your file that you've gone through basic training at one of the outposts?” Terak nodded. “Yes. The one on the western border, just north of Viran Town.” His companion whistled. “Wow. That one's a hotspot for raids.” He pulled Terak to a stop in front of a circle drawn in the dirt. “All we're going to do today is test your strength. Then we can decide what to train you in.” “So we're...?” “Sparring.” Balthar pushed him into the ring the took a position on the opposite side. “Let's go!” They leapt at each other quickly and ferociously, treating the other as they would an enemy. At first, Terak was on the defensive, barely able to defend himself against the flurry of attacks. Soon however, he started getting used to Balthar's attack pattern and was able to launch a counter offensive. Finally, after what seemed to Terak like hours of fighting, Balthar disengaged his Keyblade from Terak's and booted him in the chest. Not anticipating a kick, Terak flew a few feet backwards before landing heavily on the ground. “Not bad!” Balthar panted, “Not bad at all. Even living on the border, I didn't expect you to have this level of skill.” He turned to the beginners, most of which had stopped training to watch, “Get back to work, all of you! I want to hear those practice blades!” The air was suddenly full of beginners continuing their drills. They weren't allowed to use their Keyblades until they had Balthar's approval. Terak, still laying on the ground, had to suppress a laugh. He remembered his pwn instructors at the outpost saying the exact same thing. “Need a hand?” Terak looked up to see Balthar extending a hand down to him. Grabbing it, he gave a quick “Thanks”, swaying slightly once he was on his feet. “So, what sort of training do I do?” Balthar thought for a moment. “This. Your training is doing exactly what we were doing a moment ago. Sparring with other wielders. Drills won't help you now, you're too far beyond them. I'll ask a few of the better wielders to help out. You can take a breather until I get your next opponent.” Terak nodded, then sank gratefully onto a nearby bench. Someone handed him a water skin and he dumped half of it onto his head before downing the rest. Fighting Balthar had been a workout and a half. His rest was over far too soon before Balthar came striding over, pulling one of the wielders behind him. It was one of the twins. Terak couldn't quite remember his name. Steve, was it? “Hey Terak! Fil here said he would spar with you next!” Fil? How had he gotten Steve from that? “Right.” Balthar gave Terak a quick once-over to make sure he had had enough rest, then nodded. “You two have fun now. And Beucefilous?” Balthar grabbed his shoulder and stared straight into his eyes, “This is what happens when you sleep in. Next time, it's two hundred laps around the castle.” Beucefilous gave Balthar a mock salute. “Yes sir!” Balthar shook his head, then walked away. Beuce turned comically towards Terak. “Ready to go?” Terak summoned his Keyblade. “You know it.” He was smiling as he attacked. A few days later, he was fighting Balthar again. They were doing three sets, five minutes each. But before Balthar or Terak could advance at the beginning of the third set, an explosion rocked the other side of the castle. “What?!” Terak turned to face smoke rising in the west. “Balthar, what's going on?” “The forces of darkness are attacking. Can you handle yourself in a fight?” He never turned his face from the smoke, obviously itching to go. Terak smiled. “Of course. I was trained on the western border after all.” Balthar cracked another smile, this one hungrier than the previous one. “Let's go then.” The fields was in chaos, the town was burning and soldiers in dark armour seemed to fill every space in sight. Terak hit the circle on his armour, closing his eyes before the sudden light covering his body blinded him. When the light cleared, Terak was covered head to toe in silver armour with red accents. Balthar was similarly outfitted in emerald armour. Terak tried to stay near Balthar, but the tide of battle quickly separated them. He noticed Beucefilous, fighting alongside his twin Rain. They looked like they were dancing, their movements were so coordinated. He had fought both of them, sometimes singly, but more often both at once, so he knew it would be very difficult for the darkness to overpower them. Instead, he made his way towards Ashiim, the snobby one he had met the first day. She was duelling two enemies at once and was having trouble. “I didn't need your help.” she sniffed when he had finally caught up with her. Terak rolled his eyes, even though she wouldn't be able to see it behind his visor. “That would be more convincing if you weren't breathing so hard.” He retorted as he blocked a swing. Redeeming Lore cut a path through the ranks of the dark wielders, devastating them. Suddenly, Godric, that giant of a man he had met on his first day, and Balthar were beside him. Together, they decimated the front ranks of the army, cutting towards the heart of their forces towards General Ignis. They had heard rumours of his battle prowess, directing his army with precision and skill. The four Keyblade wielders of light were hoping that if they could kill him, the army would fall apart. The first of them fell when Balthar took a hit in his upper thigh, the Keyblade from the Realm of Darkness ripping through his armour like paper. Godric quickly cut down the assailant, but it was clear Balthar couldn't walk anymore, and while his back was turned, another wielder in dark armour hit Godric high in his right shoulder, rendering it useless. Ashiim was next, a blow to her head knocking off her helmet and throwing her into unconsciousness. Making a split second decision, Terak motioned for Godric to pick both of them up while he fought for a way out. He knew he couldn't reach Ignis by himself and he also couldn't leave his friends to die. The ranks of the Keyblade wielders of Light were being decimated. No matter which way they turned, the leader of the enemy forces was there, always a step or two ahead. General Ignis seemed unbeatable. Not one of the wielders could land a hit, no matter how glancing. Even the best of the best of them could barely defend against his attacks. And once he had defeated each and every one of them, he turned his attention to a pair of twins he thought might be interesting. Beucefilous knew it was over from the moment the enemy split them up. The twin's teamwork was legendary in the lands of Light but separated, Rain didn't stand a chance. Beucefilous was the better fighter, better with his twin by his side. Still, he fought his way towards his sister, his single-minded determination leaving him blind to the danger behind him. The dark Keyblade caught him just under the ribcage, sending him hurtling to the ground. Then, somehow, the space between him and Rain cleared. Nothing was obstructing his view, but with numerous people holding him, as well as a Graviga spell, he couldn't get up to help her. She was being held from behind by at lest two people, her Keyblade laying forgotten on the ground. He was helpless as an imposing figure clothed in the darkest of armour came up and ripped off her helmet, as well as the armour covering her throat. He was helpless as the figure backed up a few steps then turned quickly, Keyblade coming up high, slitting her throat. He was helpless to do anything but watch as his twin, his sister, his best friend, confidant, accomplice, the only one he had ever truly trusted, died, a few mere steps away. “General Ignis,” one of the people on his back addressed the figure, “what about this one?” Beucefilous didn't struggle as his helmet was pulled off. He just stared at the General, at his sister's murderer, with all the hatred and sorrow and fury his heart had to offer. He couldn't see it, but he thought the General had smiled. “This one we keep. His darkness may prove useful.” A sudden sharp pain to the back of his head cast him into darkness. CnC will be very much appreciated.
That... was better than the first ^^ It's getting more and more interesting. Great job :) and really can't wait for part 3. RIP rain...
Finally! Here's the next chapter Spoiler: Chapter 2: Imprisonment The group had just escaped from the city of light with their lives intact. Terak panted heavily as they stopped running. The city was no longer in view. The young wielder looked back in the direction they had come from. Godric was a few paces behind him, still carrying the injured two. He wasn't panting, but you could tell he was exhausted beyond belief. "Hey, you alright?" Terak asked, his voice full of concern. Godric just stood there, silent as ever. Until finally he set down Balthar and Ashiim. "We rest here. We’re a ways ahead of their scouts, so we should have the time to spare." Nodding, Terak hit the ground. He'd caught his breath a little by this point, but his heart was still pounding. A few minutes later, Balthar groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Looking around, he saw they were no longer in the city. When it occurred to him, he sat up immediately. "What happened to the city?! Where's Beuce?! And Rain?!" He shouted. Terak shook his head. "It was completely overrun. We don't know what happened to them..." There was a long silence. "I...See...” Balthar finally said.”Beuce was constantly late, and slacking off when he finally did show up, but that was part of his charm. And Rain, She was always better at her brother’s side. It was encouraging to see such a bond...” Balthar said sorrowfully, knowing they were likely both dead. Regaining his composure, he stood. “We need to hurry. We’ll rest here, and then be on our way. The forces of darkness can’t be far behind.” He said seriously. Him, Balthar, Godric, and the newly conscious Ashiim, all gathered around. “I’ll take first watch” Godric stated after a few minutes. With that, the rest of the group dozed off. Later in the night, a group a silhouettes that blended into the landscaping so well, you’d barely be able to see them if you knew what you were looking for approached the group. Godric didn’t notice them until they were right on top of him, at which point he stood quickly. They were scouts. Arrived far sooner than he'd anticipated. Not particularly good in combat, used instead for hunting down any escapees and finding paths the armies could travel through. But their group was injured, and outnumbered. It would be a difficult fight as they were. “What have we here? Quite the brute isn’t he?” One of them questioned, inspecting Godric’s face. He was soon 12 feet back with a broken jaw. He yelped in pain, which only caused more of it and awoke the others. Balthar was the first one on his feet that realized what was happening. “Get up!” He shouted, making the others even more alert. They were all on their feet and back to back within seconds. The scouts had surrounded them, but seeing as they didn’t have keyblades, victory was possible. ~Fort Nox~ Deep in the fort controlled by General Ignis, Beucefilous was being held in a cell. Chained to the wall by his arms. “You failed…” a voice whispered to him. His head shot up immediately, but nothing was seen aside from stone and iron. “Who’s there?” He asked. A chill crept down his spine, as though he were being watched. Surely it hadn’t just been his imagination…A moment later, it came again “She died, because you were too weak to protect her.” It continued “No…There was nothing I could do…” He told himself more than the mysterious voice. “Precisely…Your lack of strength is what killed her.” “No…That isn’t true…NO!!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. By this time the guards outside his cell were beginning to get nervous. “You know it is…” No sooner had it finished its last sentence, Ignis walked in with two men holding keyblades. “Now, boy,” He began. “What the hell do you want?” Beucefilous scornfully asked his apparent inquisitor. “I’m going to ask you one simple question. If I don’t like your answer, well let’s just say it won’t be pretty…Will you join us?” He said menacingly. “Good god in heaven. There are just so many ways for me to tell you this. No. Never. Not in a million years. Absolutely not. No way, Jose. No chance, La- ACK!” He was cut off by a surge of lightning to his gut from one of the men standing next to him, which was then healed by the second to prevent him from blacking out. “No go huh? I love it when they do that” Ignis said with a wicked laugh. “Now, I’m going to tell you this. You are going to join us.” “Ah, c’mon. Where’s your sense of humor?” He asked weakly, which was met with another jolt, and a fist to the jaw, courtesy of Ignis. Again and again. For hours, He was electrocuted, and healed to prevent from the sweet relief of unconsciousness. “Look at you. You can’t do a thing. Just sitting there while they torture you…” “I’m gettin’ real tired of your voice.” Beucefilous told it. Apparently, Ignis thought it was directed at him. “Is that so?” He said, grabbing him by the chin and bringing his face closer to his. “Because of that little comment you just made, I will personally make your life a living hell, forever.” He said angrily. Beucefilous gazed into his multicolored eyes. One brown and the other red. “Let’s go. We’ll be back tomorrow.” He said, leading his torturers out of the room. As soon as they were gone, Beucefilous dropped the guard on his emotions. The terror on his face now clearly visible. Was that all he had to look forward to? For the rest of his life, nearly constant torture. Never allowed to rest… Never allowed to die. “You’re afraid. Only weaklings know fear.” It told him. Beucefilous shuddered. “I can’t take it...” “Worry not…I can give you the strength you need to escape your fate.” Something lit up in the Wielder’s eye. A glimmer, a spark. It was a shred of hope. The last he had. “Whatever it takes…Anything to escape this fate…” Though the phantom he spoke to couldn’t be seen, you could feel a smile in the air. “Excellent. The task is simple. All you need to do is open yourself. Let pour in what will, and you will taste strength like you’ve never dreamed.” Beucefilous did as instructed. He opened his heart, down to the very core. He let it flood in. The darkness. Dark purple trails of energy began to surround his entire body. He didn’t care what it was, so long as it could help him escape. The chains which bound him were easily broken. As he fell to the floor and rose back up, he summoned his keyblade, now warped and distorted. His face and gone from terror and sorrow, to a fiendish grin.
Now that....was worth the wait and it just had it to leave off of the good part again lol Nice job Riku :D can't wait for the next part.
Back! Sorry for the long delay! Here's the next chapter. Spoiler The guards standing at the end of the hallway leading to the cells couldn't believe their eyes. The new prisoner's door was opening like nothing, the lock suddenly ineffectual. The guard on the left, the more senior of the two, nodded to his partner, hand signalling him to sound an alarm and get the General. The younger man nodded and took off up the stairs as the older guard took up a fighting stance. “Stop where you are prisoner!” He yelled at the figure slowly advancing towards him, “Get back in your cell or I will put you back in myself!” But Beucifilous kept walking, his white hair shimmering in the torchlight. So the guard summoned his Keyblade and took a fighting stance. As a fortress at war, Fort Nox was well armed and equipped. The soldiers were the best trained or they were sent back to the elusive training camps until they became the best. Those who were even better were accepted into the special units. This particular guard had left the training camps with flying colours, but that had been a few years ago at least. He was positioned as a mere guard which had slowed his reflexes and softened his blows. He didn't have the experience that Beuce did when it came to the art of fighting. Even if he had though, it wouldn't have changed his fate. The moment he took his fighting stance, Beuce flew in, summoning his Keyblade. The guard's throat was cut before he had even realized Beuce had moved. Beuce stood for a moment, gazing at his Keyblade in wonderment. His Keyblade had once been called Protector, a twin blade to Rain's Defender. A long silver blade with a blue hilt, the only difference between his and his sister's had been the colour of the teeth, which had been green on his and red on hers. Now, his Keyblade had changed in response to his acceptance of the darkness. The shape was unchanged, but now the shaft was the deepest black, the hilt dark purple with green swirling around, like a dark candy cane. His eyes lingered on the teeth of the blade; they were red, like Rain's. He brushed his fingers lovingly over the colour, then headed up the stairs into bedlam. His Keyblade hadn't been the only thing to change, although he didn't know it yet. The Fort's lack of mirrors prevented him from seeing the new gleam of malice in his formerly joyous face. His eyes, once green, had turned a disturbing shade of purple, so deep as to be almost black. The colour of his hair had changed the least, but seemed darker, as if the white strands now had a black core. His tormentors had stripped him of his happiness, his good memories clouded over by the fog of hatred. Perhaps he could make new happy memories by killing every living soul in this building. Fort Nox had a basic layout, with only one wide staircase wrapping around the exterior, the various hallways and rooms simple offshoots of this. This made the Fort very defensible, since invaders could only fight four people abreast. However, it also ensured that, as long as there were no survivors on the floors below him, Beuce could climb the Fort gradually and slaughter quickly and unexpectedly. He wasn't sure where he would find Ignis, whose blood he most craved to polish his blade, so he had to go through methodically. He hadn't realized, but it had been the very blackest part of night when he had escaped, and most of the people he killed had been sleeping. Some of them woke up and tried to sound the alarm, but after a few swift strokes, those few joined their comrades. A short hour later, Beuce found himself outside of General Ignis's door, on the top floor of the Fort. A light shone under the door, a sign that the General was awake, either due to insomnia or work. Beuce smiled, a perverse mutation of the one that had caused others to grin just looking at it. This smile, if it could be called such, held no joy, and was only a placeholder for the emotions he wanted to be feeling. He wanted to be glad that Ignis was awake, wanted him to die knowing he had been bested. But true darkness cannot know joy, for that emotion is of the realm of light. And Beuce was far beyond the reaches of the light. He hefted his Keyblade and slowly opened the door. Terak woke at the slightest sound in the bushes. Since the defeat at the City of Light, he, Balthar, Ashiim, and Godric had been on the run from the remaining dark Keyblade Wielders while their wounds healed. It had been a harrowing experience for all of them, and none of them had been sleeping well. Carefully, Terak sat up, Ashiim and Godric were also waking, and Balthar, currently on guard duty, was staring intently at the foliage on the west side of the camp. A moment of tense silence passed when the bushes rustled again. Four Keyblades shot out in a flurry of light, two aimed at the bush, two on ready, in case the rustling was a distraction. His Keyblade shifted from attack when he saw the head that popped out of the greenery. “Gemini,” he sighed with relief, “Scare us to death, why don’t you?” The other three also lowered their weapons, but kept them out. Gemini smiled, knowing the effect her rustling had had on her fellow Wielders of Light. “Another time perhaps Terak. I have some information that needs to be heard by living ears.” Her smile faded as she thought about it. Balthar sat down and opened his bag of supplies. “Here,” he said, holding a meat bun out to Gemini, “eat, then tell us.” She scarfed it down quickly, knowing that the information couldn’t wait, but unable to ignore her hunger. “As always, there’s good news, bad news and worse news. The good news is that Beucefilous is alive.” Her eyes were downcast as she considered the bad news. The others broke into smiles and relieved sighs, not knowing what the other two pieces of vital information were. “The bad news is that Rain isn’t.” As quickly as it came, the smiles vanished. Ashiim, after a moment, quietly ventured a question, “And... the worse news?” “As a result of Rain’s death, Beuce has embraced the darkness.” “What?!” Terak shouted. The other three had similar reactions. “Are you sure Gemini?” She nodded. “I saw it with my own eyes. I was ordered to assassinate General Ignis at Fort Knox and was just outside the window.” General Ignis reclined in his chair, preparing for another night of slumber, in which his dreams of destruction were the most vivid. He could sense a presence outside his window, likely another peon of Light trying to kill him. He could dispatch of that one in a moment. However, the blisteringly dark presence which had been climbing his Fort for the past hour was much more interesting. And it was just outside his door. It opened slowly, inward. Ignis was mildly surprised to see the face of Beucefilous, the young Keyblade Wielder he had captured at the City of Light. He hadn’t thought the young man could turn himself to darkness so quickly. And such darkness. His skin was practically rippling with it. Yes, he would make a great pawn. Beuce stared into the eyes of his captor, his nemesis, and felt nothing. Not hatred, not even mild anger. However, when he looked down onto the General’s chest and saw a necklace there, he was flooded with such an intense desire to kill that even the Dark General had never felt. The necklace was Rain’s; he had one just like it. The darkness burst out of his skin and covered him like armor. His Keyblade came up and pulled him across the room, aimed at Ignis’s heart. The General summoned his Keyblade at the last moment. Keyblade clashed against Keyblade and the General was pushed back under the force of the blow. Relentless in his blows, Beuce continued pushing the General back. In a moment, the General made a small mistake. A small, insignificant mistake which, in a less deadly fight, would be meaningless. A mistake which Beuce exploited with all his might. Ignis forgot there he was fighting and his foot slipped as he stepped of the rug covering the center of the room and onto the more slippery stone floor. His balance shifted slightly to the right, his arm moving instinctively to protect his now-vulnerable left. A bare moment later, his right arm was bleeding profusely, and was barely able to hold the Keyblade. Beuce slammed his Keyblade down again onto Ignis’s hand, forcing the General to drop his Keyblade completely, and Beuce ran him through. As the General dissolved into darkness, Beuce reached out and grabbed Rain’s necklace off of his neck. The General’s Keyblade still sat on the ground, as if waiting. Curious, Beuce picked it up and instead of becoming darkness like its master, it started to glow with a dark light. Before he could react, the Keyblade rushed into his right eye. Beuce screamed as the Keyblade joined with his eye. It was the most excruciating pain he had ever known, more painful than almost having his leg severed in training. More painful than when a dark Keyblade had run him through while defending the City of Light. When he could stand to function through his pain, he was lying on the floor, curled in a ball and both hands over his eye. He could see. He could see the hundreds of Wielders of Darkness camped outside the Fort. He lurched over to a mirror. His right eye was the same horrifying shade of red as Ignis’s. A quick movement by the window caught his attention. He threw open the shutters and looked out. Crouched below the window on a platform with a knife in her hand was Gemini. She shivered, frightened of what she had seen and what she now knew. Beuce smiled. Slowly, he closed the window and walked away. There would be time to kill her later, but for now, her blinding light hurt his eyes. Sorry for the long delay!
