Aria had kept to herself for the rest of the evening. After showering off the grime from the last couple days, she was in her room changed into a tank top and a pair of shorts. She sat on the bed for a while, staring out the window while hugging a pillow. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged the pillow close to her. She was missing home, missing Amerath, missing the farm, and her aunt and uncle. Seeing so much darkness, destruction, and death was weighing her down. She knew it was life, this was what she signed up for. But to now be the cause of said conflict and being limited to help because of it made her heart heavy. Not only that, but to know she had something dark lurking inside of her ready to bring her down made her uneasy. Aria heard the sound of a piano waft through the air, and she quietly listened for a while. If she was back on Amerath and felt like this, she would have saddled up her Chocobo and rode off someplace quiet and serene, maybe play her wooden flute. But as far as she knew, there were no chocobos around here. She finally rubbed the tears out of her eyes and set up a small place to work at the table. She busied herself making friendship bracelets with the beads she acquired from the world with the space pirates, trying to keep her mind occupied with something. She needed to stop feeling so selfish about herself. She knew she wasn't the only one suffering. She needed to be the strong one, especially with what was at stake. After an hour or two working at her desk, Aria grew tired. She went and opened one of the windows to let in cool, fresh air and left the the bedroom door slightly ajar. Normally she would have the door close, but with the way the nightmare had been, she wanted to make sure someone could get to her quickly if something were to happen. As night drew on and she was snoozing, a shadow hovered over the window. Slowly it was pushed back to being closed, the latch locked in place. The shadow then closed the curtains over the window, making it darker in the room. It zoomed across the room to the door, closing it softly and locking it with a click. There was a quiet, dark chuckle and the shadow vanished all together. Spoiler: Nightmare Time Aria was sound asleep, snuggled under her blankets. The blankets began to move off of her on their own until they were removed completely. She was wearing a blue tank top with a chibi looking rainbow on the front of it along with a pair of black shorts. Soon she was rolled to sleep on her back, and then her arms were laid out on either side of her. A tiny blue light briefly appeared on her forehead, and then fizzled away all together. Aria furrowed her eyebrows in her sleep as shivers ran up and down the girl’s spin, causing Aria to move her head to lay to the side. She unconsciously tried to roll back in a fetal position on her side so she could be more comfortable, but something was preventing her to do so. A blue light appeared on her forehead again, causing Aria to shudder once more as a cool wave rushed over her, this time her teeth were chattering. The girl tried to open her eyes, but they felt weighed down somehow. She tried to move her arms, but they felt like they were made of led. She panicked in her sleep, trying to make herself stir somehow. Everything refused to cooperate though. It was as if she was paralyzed. ‘All to myself and no one to interrupt me… My, you seemed to not have such a good time since we last met… You seem so… disheartened.’ A long, shriveled finger touched her forehead again, sending an icy chill down her body. Aria shook involuntarily as the air around her seemed to cool down significantly. She focused on waking herself up by moving a finger somehow, or yelling out. Even those simple tasks proved difficult in her current predicament. ‘Tor-!‘ The thought was cut off being blinded by a brilliant blue light and feeling even more colder. Aria was determined to try to call out to someone through her heart again. ‘Grandpa Ge-!‘ A frosty wave went through Aria’s body, causing her to quake violently. Her chest ached terribly as it felt like an icy hand gripped her heart. ‘You insolent girl,’ the dark voice rang out in her head. ‘They won’t be able to help you, not now. Why don’t you just give in already, hm…? You’re going to get everyone killed after all with this… light of yours. Why not give in and let me take over for a while.’ Another frosty surge went through her being. Her bones and muscles began to ache from the cold that was going through her body. An inaudible groan escaped once more, only for it to be shushed by another touch of ice. Her skin was beginning to turn grey, and her lips blue. ‘Stop fighting so much,’ the creepy voice piped up again. ‘Take a break, relax… This won’t be so bad. No one wants you out there fighting anyways, but I can help… Only if you let me.’ ‘Never!’ Aria’s thoughts echoed with conviction. Another ice spell touched her forehead, and her chattering teeth became less along with the rest of her shivering. ‘The choice is yours… but you won’t last long my dear… Sooner or later, you’ll have to make a choice… Or, let me make it for you…’ Aria’s skin became greyer and greyer as the seconds ticked on. She was starting to feel this strange warmth, but it was just her body trying to fight off the cold. The air was chilly around her, and her breathing was becoming quicker, more labored as her heart was slowing down. ‘Help…’ her mind called out. A single tear slipped from her closed eyes, trailing down her paled cheek and nearly froze on her skin.
"My, such a brave and handsome fellow," Nagata cooed to Yukyo. "My name is Nagata... It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance... I'm sure it's a name you'll want to forget, eventually." She then looked to the boys and stretched her arms above her head, causing her midriff to show a bit before she lowered her arms and rolled her shoulders. "To Master Midarah we go? I'll follow you," she said as she walked off with them. ~~Smallish Timeskip~~ Master Midarah approved the mission and sent them on their way. It didn't take long for the group to get to the farm. The farmer, Mr. Marroc, greeted them all with a smile and a warm handshake with dirty hands (which Negata politely refused to touch). He then lead them to the back to meet the pet they were to be sitting. There, standing before the group, was a rainbow, buffed out, six feet tall, alpaca. It seemed to look at them with harsh judgement as it chewed its alpha. "This here is Fluffkins," the farmer introduced. "She's a one of a kind Horned Rainbow Mastiff Alpaca. She needs her wool groomed everyday with a special perfume to help her smell good," Mr. Marroc walked over to a large cabinent next to the pen, opening it to reveal sheers, a large rose colored perfume bottle with a hand pump, brushes and combs, and a huge nail file, and tools to clean out the hoofs. "Her hooves have to be cleaned and shined everyday, fed these here treats," he pointed to a bag next to the cabinet that had rainbow star-shaped pellets in them, "played with (mostly chase and playing with that large ball there), massaged, and have gourmet food handmade every day with various herbs and hay," he finished, pointing to a huge pile of fresh hay and a few barrels mixed with various good smelling herbs. "Her wool has magical properties that can change color to what the wearer wants, deflect most harmful magic, and keep the wearer dry, cool, or warm depending on the weather. Only way it can be at its prime is putting all of the extra effort to take care of her to make sure she stays happy." He patted his special pet on the nose, which made the alpaca close her eyes and nuzzle into the farmer. "I'll be sure to leave written instructions here. I should be back in three days... This is the first time I'm leavin' this girl behind. Y-you sure you can handle all of this? She can be mighty stubborn, but once she warms up she's sweet as apple pie." Lakoda gave Maria a sudden hug. She knew people would be her support when the time came, but she was still grateful to their help. She let go after a moment and smiled broadly. "I will go tell Master Midarah that we're taking this job. We're planning to leave soon. Meet us in an hour." ------------Time Skip to a Little Later that Day----------- Conrad, Everett, Maria and Lakoda journeyed about four to five hours, most of it by carriage ride and one point a ferry. After the ferry, they walked on foot to New Cresthill where the job was posted. The group walked through what it seemed like a tunnel of trees with thick brush on either side of them. Some wild black berry bushes grew here and there on the side of the road, which Lakoda would probably take a bite of any other day. Her stomach was churning, eyes darting back and forth between the walls of trees. Perhaps it was the mission in mind that was making her feel so antsy all of the sudden, the memories long ago trying to reach the forefront of her mind. Soon the group passed over a babbling brook, and came on the village of New Cresthill. It was a gorgeous setup with rows of cottages, stone and wooden fences, and greenery all around. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted in the air along with the smell of grass, running water, and farm animals. A girl with a gaggle of geese walked past the group, using a river reed to keep them in line as she walked to a pond nearby, a donkey pulled cart carried barrels of apples and sacks of berries. The village was bustling with life, so much so it almost looked like nothing was wrong. Lakoda stayed close to her comrades, looking at the people that gave them curious looks but still greeted them with a wave or a nod. They wandered in what it seemed like the village center with a well and various shops set up. Some in wagons, others in actual buildings. Sellers were calling out their wares to anyone who past by, trying to get anyone's attention. "Perhaps we should ask around for Levimu Drove," Lakoda's charm piped up. "Since the job came from them..."
Aria's eyes fluttered open as she stared down at the chocolatey mixture. "You're right," she mumbled. "I'm sorry. I'm being selfish." She let go of the spoon, letting it rest in the mixture against the pan as she waited for it to warm up gradually. "I hadn't felt much like myself after Quietus," Aria mused. "I feel... more tired. I'm trying to stay optimistic, I'm trying to stay strong to fight for everyone. I dreamed of being able to protect the ones I loved since I can remember. Even went against wishes for me to stay put and put myself out there at the front line. Now with everything with the worlds hanging in balance with me and others like me... I don't feel the same. I feel like... tch. I don't mean to be dramatic and gloomy, but I feel like... I'm dying in a way. I feel like I can't be trusted or contribute much. My strength is weaker than I thought it was. I can't be relied on when I'm out there trying to defend the worlds. I'm a moving target... I can't protect everyone like I wanted to." Torrin couldn't help himself but and laughed out loud at Aria's last words. "And now you're getting into my frame of mind!" He exclaimed in an amused tone. "I try to be everywhere at once, I force myself to go days without sleeping, and I've failed so many times trying to stay ahead of the Light Chaser. Like every action I take might as well be leading me into a never-ending chain of traps set by him." As frustrating as it sounded he still smiled. "I get how you feel. I hate it. I feel powerless too and sometimes all you can do is just keep trying anyway and reminding yourself that it's not your fault." Aria was startled with the laugh and turned to face Torrin. She listened carefully to him, and then hummed out. "I guess we're starting to switch mindsets," Aria joked. Hopefully it wasn't her fault as Torrin stated. "Thank you," she said quietly. She then turned back to the hot chocolate and stirred it some more before she tested it with a spare spoon. "Alright, it's ready." She poured some out for them and plopped in a few marshmallows before handing it to Torrin. "Mm...yum." Torrin eagerly took the cup in his hands, the warmth surging through his palms as he took a quick sip. "Ooo...that hits the spot." He leaned against the counter and watched Aria intently. Torrin took in a deep breath and tilted his head back as he started to relax, exhaling loudly. "This is nice." "Glad you like it." Aria forced a smile and turned off the stove, then took the mug in her hands. She felt the warmth through her bones and then averted her eyes to the liquid. She took just a little sip and then moved to lean against the wall. "Do we need to report to the masters?" she asked, not looking up at Torrin. "Nah...let them come to us. We deserve some time off. Or maybe Thallasa is giving them the rundown on what's been going on. I'm sure they've noticed that we're back by now. I mean a big white dragon just landed and took off in their courtyard." He took a large gulp of the hot chocolate, ignoring all instinct to show some manners, and wondered for a moment what his mother would have thought about him having been face to face with a real Flammie. He looked down at the black coat hanging off his arm and frowned. "Guess it's time for a change of wardrobe...I wonder if the Council has anything to spare...uh...but I guess that isn't so important to really think about. Sorry. I just...I'm gonna miss this coat. It's what I had when I left my home and it's taken six years worth of a beating. Even when my armor failed me that coat's been through it all. But...it's just a coat. It can be replaced." "I understand," Aria said. She took another small sip and then placed the mug on the counter all together. "Sorry about your coat." She then stretched out and rolled her shoulders. "Okay, chocolate time's over, let's get this wound dressed up. Don't want it to get infected now." For once, she didn't finish her hot chocolate. She barely even took a few sips. She placed her magical bag on the counter, digging around in it and pulled out a first aid kit. "Sit," she told Torrin as she opened it and laid out what she needed. She then went to the sink and fetched a bowl of warm water and some clean cloths. "Is your shirt stuck to you, or can you take it off?" Torrin blinked at Aria and looked over at the kitchen entrance. "U-um..." He scratched the back of his head. "Here?" He shook his head nervously. "I think I'm good thanks!" "Pft. Well, this place has clean water, and its an easy clean up. But we can go somewhere else if you want to." "Hm..." Torrin wished to go back to the privacy of one of their rooms but he wasn't stupid enough to think that it would have looked good for either of them if anyone saw them. At least this way if someone walked in, they would be able to see why he didn't have a shirt on. "I think we can stay here. A bit better for our image if someone walks in...ironically enough..." "Okay then, let's get started." As soon as Torrin took of his shirt, Aria got to work on the gash. "Someone really did a number on you," Aria muttered. She took a cloth gently began to clean the cut, trying not to aggravate it while cleaning off the dry blood by dabbing the cloth on the more sensitive parts very carefully. She was drained, she was still hurting internally, but that didn't stop her from helping out others. She would get her rest soon enough. When the gash was cleaned out properly, Aria took out another small bag that had an herbal smell to it. "I'm going to put some Queen's Avens on your cut. It'll sting for a bit, but it's suppose to numb the pain once it takes effect. Kind of gives this pleasant cooling and heating sensation." She pulled out a jar with some light blue salve in it, opening the lid and taking some of the ointment before carefully putting it around the cut. Soon she finished, and there would be a cooling effect around the wounded area to help ease the pain and the discomfort it would normally cause. She wrapped his torso in gauze, and then soft bandages that stayed in place firmly. "There... all done." Aria began to collect her materials, making sure to thoroughly clean the bloodied cloths and everything else that was used to take care of Torrin. "Just don't push yourself too much, okay?" Torrin remained still as he allowed Aria to do her work, nervously checking on the kitchen entrance every couple of second. He scrunched his nose upon smelling the strong odor of the herbs Aria pulled out but after a moment he realized that it wasn't so bad. "Feels ticklish." He muttered as a slight complaint. "But thanks..." He touched the bandaged and rolled his shoulders, twisting from side to side. "Almost good as new." He smirked. "I could go for another round against the Horned King. Hah...kidding. I can't promise I won't get hurt like this again, but I definitely won't try to block another magic sword with my body." He scratched his cheek and looked away. Torrin cleared his throat as he folded his arms across his chest. "Thanks though. I appreciate it. I'd um...well you know I can't exactly do the same for you. Wouldn't be proper for me to...uh....you know." Torrin turned away from Aria. "I mean if you were bleeding out that'd be different but...you know what? I'll shut up now." As Aria was cleaning up, Torrin was stumbling over his words. She pressed her lips together as she snorted a tad through her nose, trying to hold back a laugh. The subject of the conversation caught her off guard, and for a moment she forgot what was bothering her. “You’re really not good around girls are you?” Aria asked with a giggle. She was finished cleaning everything up and disposing things properly. She thought about her own cut on her stomach, knowing it was reduced now to a small, silver sliver already. It was hardly comparable to Torrin’s own wound. “I’m glad you’re safe and in one piece... instead of two. Or nearly two.” She rocked on her heels a bit and clapped her hands softly in front of her. “Well... I’m getting close to being worn out completely. I’m gonna start getting ready for bed... talk to Master Choma and everyone else in the morning.” "I'm good at girls! I mean with! Gah..." He pulled on his old black shirt, torn but now clean, and sighed. "I'm not used to this kind of stuff. Talking." He ran a hand through his hair. "Um...yeah...I'm glad too. That you're safe I mean. Oh and, not to worry you or anything, but if you have any night trouble, I'll try to be around in case anything goes wrong. Alright? Get your rest. If the Council asks about you I'll them them you're indisposed. For now, have a good night. At least...I think it's night. The light around here is odd." Aria giggled again, and then slipped her bag over her shoulder. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at Torrin. “Thank you... I really mean it.” She hesitated for a moment as if debating something, and then cleared her throat as she walked past. “Thanks again. Have a good night, Torrin. Try to get some rest yourself.” With a small wave, she walked out of the kitchen and made her way up to her room. Normally she would have rushed to Master Choma, or even Grandpa Gero. But this time, she wanted to be alone. She could speak with them when she had time to think to herself and process a few things. Torrin smiled to himself and nodded at Aria, returning the wave as she walked out of sight. For now, the only things he wanted to do were to get cleaned up, and find a fresh set of clothes for the next day. Even with all that happened and with everyone they lost along the way, the day's end still left him feeling better inside.
Aria watched as the Flammie took off and then looked to Torrin when he addressed her. She quickly rubbed at her eyes to hide any signs she was about to cry. "Okay...?" she asked with a raise of her eyebrow. She didn't know why Torrin was being so vague about what he needed to do and why she needed to tag along. "But afterwards, we really need to look at that," she said, pointing to the gash on his side. That was far worse than what she had to endure in the dream realm with Quietus, or it seemed like it anyways.
When the rush of air first hit her, Aria wasn't sure what to expect. Take had jumped up and Torrin was yelling about a Flammie? When she saw the big fluffy thing standing there on the grass not too far away from them, Aria's eyes went wide and she rubbed at them to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She heard Take mention something about it being a dragon of sorts, but Aria wondered how that could be with all the fluff. It looked like a super overgrown dog to her. She saw the dragon-thing blow back Take to the ground, and stifled a laugh with a snort behind her hand. She then saw the fear in his eyes, and remembered of Take's background with dragons, and felt bad for laughing. She watched him disappear inside, and Aria stood up, dusting herself off. Boreas stormed off, or rather jogged off in a bad mood, Qamar disappeared, Tinarah left... There was only a few people left out here. Aria gradually approached the flammie, glancing at Torrin briefly to see that he buried himself in the fluff. Aria giggled quietly to herself and then looked up at the magnificent creature once more. "You're gorgeous," Aria breathed as she reached a hand out hesitantly to the large beast to touch it. This thing was huge, and she figured it could bite off her arm if it wanted to. But if it was tolerating Torrin, she didn't think it would suddenly turn feral. It was as if everything hit Aria all at once. The loss of another teammate, dealing with a dysfunctional group and feeling like she couldn't really talk much or be herself, fighting a powerful foe, facing the Light Chaser, dealing with immense fear, finding out Take was a Prince of Heart... Her eyes looked tired as the adrenaline was beginning to wear off completely, and her smile wavered as well as her hand outstretched to the flammie. She felt a knot in her chest and blinked rapidly as tears threatened to spring forth. Now is not the time, she thought to herself. She felt overwhelmed with emotions, not knowing what to feel or do with herself now that everything important seemed to be addressed. She wanted to hug all of her friends tightly and tell them how much she missed them, but there were other urgent matters to deal with at that time. She was grateful almost all of them made it back in one piece from their journey. They lost only two, but it was still hard to fathom... Aria's eyes darted to the friendship bracelet, right next to the bracelet the Light Chaser gave her, only to look away from it and lower her hand that was outstretched all together. There was a freaking, mythical beast right there in front of her, but Aria couldn't bring herself to enjoy this occasion. She held her wrist close to her chest, pulling thoughtlessly at the Light Chaser's band that seemed to stay on her no matter how hard or how persistent she pulled on the thing.
Aria watched and listened to Torrin carefully as she kept her hand on Take. Her mouth fell open when she saw the gash in Torrin's side and the blood stained shirt. She knew he was struggling back there, but she didn't know how or how bad it was. As the explanation went on, it was sort of making more and more sense of why Take... But it was also still confusing. She glanced at Take as his body language seemed to change. "Take...?" It was then he started to laugh and... smile? This was a first for Aria. It was like a weight was lifted off Take's shoulders, and the tears were running freely down his face. She could see that the boy felt free for the first time since she met him... and what little he talked about his background to her, she knew this was a big deal. Qamar came in and gave her two cents, and while she was walking away, Aria hugged Take tightly. "Let those tears flow," she whispered to him. "It's okay..." She pulled away and smile a little at him. "I'm just glad we're safe here for now... And you," she called over to Torrin. “I’m gonna look at that gash in a little bit. What ever the cure spells didn’t cover, it needs to be taken care of a.s.a.p.”
Aria’s mind was racing faster and faster as the Light Chaser swatted her friend’s words left and right. She heard through her panic the threat the Light Chaser made to Torrin and the rest of the crew if they didn’t hand her over. She felt her mouth go dry and debated for a moment. What if she was to give herself up? Would that stop everything? It was then Torrin broke through her thoughts and she looked over at him. No, it wouldn’t stop this tyrant… In fact, it would quicken his purpose if she was to hand herself over. Then the man started to count down, and Aria’s heart stopped for a moment. She steadied herself and held her keyblade in her hands, yet they were shaking as panic tried to fight its way through reason. She felt a pair of eyes on her and glanced over to Take who was watching over her. The counting stopped, and when she looked to the Light Chaser, she saw him starting to beeline to the boy. It was as if time slowed down for Aria. Whatever reason the Light Chaser was running after Take for, it couldn’t have been good. Suddenly there was a thunderous blast with more blinding light, soon afterwards to be swallowed by darkness. Aria felt herself reaching out to her friend before her vision was clouded over in complete darkness. The panic was replaced with absolute fear at this point, and she swore she heard screaming coming from within her head. She shut her eyes tightly and clenched her fists, trying to hold on to reality. The scenery suddenly changed, and Aria wobbled with disorientation, reaching for her head. “Wha…” She opened her eyes and quickly looked around at her surroundings, seeing there was warm light and a castle standing overhead. Her mind barely registered they were back where they started from days ago, and she unsteadily sighed out in relief. She felt a presence by her side collapse, and she looked over to see Torrin on the ground, cursing at himself and standing up again. She was going to ask if he was alright, but she knew the answer to that. Still, she hesitantly reached out to him and patted him on the shoulder as if to tell him it would be okay and smiled a bit. Boreas then started to demand to be sent back while Qamar did her best to ease the situation. Her attention was suddenly drawn to Take when he shouted out and she frowned, stepping over to the boy. She slowly knelt by his side, placing a hand on his shoulder and rubbing it a little before she let her hand hover there in case he didn’t want physical contact. “Breathe Take…” Aria’s voice was quiet and shaken, but she did her best to sound calming. She then took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out slowly through her mouth. “Breathe,” she coaxed, breathing in slowly through her nose and out through her mouth again, and then a third time. She heard Enzo speak up and nodded to him before looking at Torrin. “Torrin… what was that…?” Aria repeated Take’s question softly. “Why… why did he go for Take… instead of me…?”
Well, the plan to summon the witches was a bust. And being called stupid and always ignorant again wasn't all that original to Aria. Still, she sent a glare toward fedora man's way. There was a blast, and Aria grunted as she shielded her eyes from the brilliant white light. She heard a new voice making an entrance, but her eyes and ears couldn't adjust fast enough to know who or what it was. When everything cleared up though, Aria felt her breath catch in her throat. Torrin was the first to step in front of her, which Aria backed up a little to be farther from the Light Chaser. It had been days since she last saw him, but all that he did to Tinarah stayed in her mind... She clutched her keyblade tighter, glaring at the man who saved her life, but also cursed it. It was then Tinarah suddenly jumped forward, and Aria gasped. "Tinarah, NO!" But Illiana reacted faster and stopped Tinarah in her tracks. As much as she wanted to do what Tinarah did, Aria knew he was a force to be reckon with. With all the powers she had seen thus far, and just now with him splitting a supposedly indestructible cauldron in two. Aria felt her heart pounding in her chest as her eyes darted around the room. This wasn't supposed to happen, not yet. Her eyes looked for the other princess of heart they just acquired, but then she forced herself to look ahead. Master Thallasa was taking care of her. Aria didn't want to be the one to give away their position. All the times she felt in trouble, she always called out to the person she trusted the most. But based on what she heard what happened last time when they faced the Light Chaser, Aria resisted the urge to even speak Grandpa Gero's name. What were they suppose to do? She could try to run like the last time they ran into the apprentices, but she had a feeling that wouldn't get her far. She could try to fight, but she felt like that would offer up the same results, if not more bloodshed. Memories of being physically trapped and calling out for help only to receive none for a while flooded the girl's mind. She had all the open space in the world right now and all of her friends were here to aid her, but she felt like she was caught in a rock and a hard place. The Light Chaser could really kill off anyone that defied him if he wished to...
Everything was happening all at once. Aria’s clothing went back to normal as Ardyn appeared. There was never really a time Aria felt resentful towards anyone until now. She knew he was the downfall of their teammate, and she was furious. She saw Torrin tried to step forward, only to be stopped by Ardyn’s fancy blades and Tinarah stepping in. She heard something about Ardyn being immortal, and a dragon? She glanced to Take in confusion, and then back to the scene at hand with her keyblade out and ready. Aria tried her best to think back to how they got the cauldron in the first place. She pressed her lips together, wondering if her idea could work. It wouldn’t hurt to try. “Funny, it wasn’t ours to begin with,” Aria spoke up. “We actually traded it with someone... And now our purpose is done, I think they’d want it back. OH LADIES!” She called out rather loudly, hoping she could some how summon those creepy witches. “WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR POWERFUL CAULDRON BACK?! WE DON’T NEED IT ANYMORE, AND THIS MAN WHO DIDN’T BARGIN WITH YOU OR US WANTS TO TAKE IT!”
"Take, you're amazing!" the girl called out to him. He protected her from being hit badly again, and he was keeping the team together. She really missed him. And Tinarah. And everyone else. She couldn't wait to get this fight over with so she could give them all a big hug and just go back to the castle with their mission pretty much done. Aria sprung towards the Horned King at an incredible speed, laying a few blows on the sorcerer before jumping back and firing two more Thundara shots again. She was almost back at full energy again, which was fantastic considering how the last fight she was in went. She was barely holding on and trying to keep her three teammates afloat all at the same time. Aria's Info HP: 100/110 MP: 32/57 FOC: 1/27 FLUX: 0/3 Aria used Thundara twice and attacked!
Aria couldn't agree more with Boreas' statement. As much as she missed everyone and missed talking to people in general without fear of being shut down, being prodded, or saying too much, there was a powerful enemy at hand. Boring, but powerful. Before she can jump in and do much, flames headed her way, singeing her skin. "Owowowowow!" One look to the soldier guy, and she could see the cause of the flames. That would be a problem... She patted her arms quickly to dose the flames before another attack rushed towards them. She caught a glimpse of the Sorcerer going straight for Torrin, stabbing at him before retreating back while she herself was thrown off guard and pushed back by the green smoke. Aria grunted as she crouched to one knee, trying to find the strength to keep going. She got hit hard that time and could feel it radiating through her being. Just as she was to force herself back up, light in the shape of music notes surrounded her and rejuvenated her energy once more. She looked to Tinarah and smiled a little. "Thank you!" she called to her friend. Aria summoned her keyblade once more, swinging it down in front of her. She closed her eyes as light enveloped her body, her hair floating upwards as her tunic rippled in the strange wind that seemed to surround the girl. The light became blinding before it disappeared all together, leaving Aria in a red like dress that looked like a red dawn. "My turn," she whispered quietly towards the Horned King. Her keyblade began to glow brightly as she zoomed towards the Horned King, attacking him with all her might. Aria's Info HP: 92/110 MP: 50/57 FOC: 1/27 FLUX: 0/3 Aria went into First Dawn (Drive Form) and used Attacked with Light III
I want corn dogs now...
"Aw, but Kefka was entertaining!" Aria joked. "This guy is kind of boring in comparison." It was like the sorcerer heard what she said, for the next thing she knew, she was knocked by by a fireball. First hit of the fight for her. Aria clenched her teeth and rose to her feet, steadying herself as she held up her keyblade. She was out of fancy moves, but not so much out of magic. "Okay, time to raise some chaos." Aria pointed her keyblade at the Horned King, firing two Thundara spells one after the other towards her target, and then went in for a straight attack, retreating back when she made her hit and kept her eyes on her target ahead Aria's Info HP: 81/110 MP: 22/57 FOC: 1/27 FLUX: 3/3 Aria used Thundara twice and attacked
The girl raised her eyebrow when she saw the methods of the new guy in how he fought. It was odd to say the least... "Uh..." Before she could respond to the guy's strange statement about her smelling like rainbows, Qamar made her way over and commented along the lines of he smelled too. Aria was confused and smelled the air, but the scent of the dungeon was pretty strong. Perhaps there was something she didn't know. She hoped that rainbows smelled nice at least. "I'm Aria," she introduced herself to the newbie without a second thought. "And you're Enzo, right? U-Unless that's the name of your attacks, but I figured it could be your name-?" The sudden tide in the battle brought Aria back to what was happening before her. Darkness was pouring from Torrin, which caused the girl to step back in surprise. She knew that Torrin was from the Realm of Darkness and he was a keyblade master, but his raw power was still a sight to see. Good thing he's on our side. Aria was knocked back by the strong force of the green fog, but miraculously enough she wasn't scratched. Most of the other party members were smitten though, and quickly brought her keyblade up and cast Leafga on Illiana and Qamar. "Hang in there!" she called to them. She then dropped down to an offensive position and charged straight toward the man in the brown robes. When she was close enough, she leaped high in the air above him and then performed her Sky Dive attack on the evil mister. Once she delivered her attack, she stepped back, casting another Thundara spell at the Horned King and then dropped down to a defense position to see what was to come Aria's Info HP: 110/110 MP: 30/57 FOC: 1/27 FLUX: 3/3 Aria used Leafga (on Illiana and Qamar), Sky Dive, and Thundara
Aria was taken aback when the skeleton army suddenly retreated back and held still. It reminded her of a fighting ring, unlike the open areas of the last few battles she had fought. It had a closed off feeling to it, and she was not a fan of it. She saw she was rather close to the Horned King, but she looked to the side and saw Torrin standing boldly there. She kept hold of her keyblade, and dropped to a defense position when the darkness became even more intense than earlier. "Here it goes," she murmed quietly to herself. She raised her keyblade high in the air and cast Rainbow Glow on the whole party, as well as Cheer. This guy seemed very powerful and she didn't want everyone to get beaten to a pulp on the first round. "Let's do this!" she called out to her friends. After Tinarah's ice spell flew by, Aria aimed her keyblade in the air again and cast Thundara on the Sorcerer. She then jumped back, preparing for whatever may come their way. Aria's Info HP: 110/110 MP: 48/57 FOC: 14/27 FLUX: 3/3 Aria used Rainbow Glow, Cheer, Thundara
There was a tug on Shawn's jacket. When he turned around, there would be... Thea? There was two of them?! "I'll still go on the pet-sitting mission with you!" she exclaimed and then clutched on his clothes while blinking up at him with big, innocent eyes. "Pwetty pweaaaaase?" She then looked at Gavin and Zephyr with a big smile. "You can come too!" Other Thea looked over to the Thea talking to Yukyo and waved a little. She then smirked and closed her eyes, smoke going around her before she grew a couple of feet and stood a little taller than Shawn. There was a hint of a smell of roses and violets, making the woman seem rather alluring for some reason. "Ah, that was fun," the tall blonde said with a mischievous smile. "But seriously," she rested her arm on Shawn's shoulder, leaning comfortably close to him. "I'm bored. I wouldn't mind tagging along and get out of the Guild Hall for a while..." Lakoda hestitated for a moment, debating whether or not to tell Maria what was going on. After some thought, Lakoda didn't see a reason not to trust her. Maria, like Everette, had been with her in the beginning. Although the girl never learned how to sign, she enjoyed reading Lakoda's notes she wrote to her and the conversations they would have through that. Maria was patient to sit for hours on end to have a slow chat with her to make sure she didn't feel alone. "This might be the monster that took my voice," her charm said for her as she handed the job to Maria to look over. "The very reason why I kept having horrible nightmares all those years while in the guild and why I can't talk or make a sound. Conrad and Everette want to go with me." It was a known fact for guild members that had been here the longest that Conrad had been on monster hunting missions ever since his arrival in the guild. Sometimes it was to follow on a hunch of a possible description of the hag, other times it was to help others out. "We're going to check it out. This is the closest any job came to describing the hag."
Aria was a little annoyed she wasn't getting back up, but she figured this would be the case. She grit her teeth and fought on, gradually making her way over to the Horned King. He wouldn't be able to hide behind the Cauldron Born for long. It was then she heard a familiar voice and her face brightened as she looked over in the direction it came from. "Torrin!" She called out with a grin. She almost was swiped by a sword, but ducked at the last minute and focused on the task at hand... sort of. "I was worried sick about you! The communicator wasn't working and I thought the worst happened!" Her fighting had picked up more vigor than earlier, and she brought her keyblade back to it's pure form, slashing down the skeletons all around her. She was trying to not focus on the ones coming back together, but more on gradually making a path towards the Horned King and where he stood. If they could take him down, these skeleton things would probably be no more.
“I didn’t doubt you for a minute you are coming with me,” she signed with a small smile. She then looked to Everette when Conrad asked him if he would come along with them. His response caused her to tear up, and she immediately hugged him tight. “Thank you,” her charm rang out as she kept him close to her. Everette had been with her since the beginning of her journey here in the Divine Rose. He even opted to learn sign language along side her, giving her a person to talk to as well as be her voice the first couple years here. When she became strong enough, he found her the charm she wore around her neck so she could “communicate” to others without worrying about them not understanding her. Not everyone was eager to learn sign language like Everette was Lakoda finally let go of him and wiped away her tears before hugging Conrad as well. “Thank you,” her charm said again. “Both of you... I wouldn’t be able to do this alone.” She let go of him and looked to each of them before stepping back. "I'm going to find Master Midarah to approve us for the mission. As soon as that happens, I'll pack up and be ready to leave soon afterwards. She couldn't afford to wait another day to go by with this monster on the lose. Especially if she was still wrecking havoc. "I'll come find you in a moment." With that, Lakoda bounded off back to the Guild Hall to find Master Midarah. When she came through the double doors, she realized the Master wasn't sitting at her usual spot by the fire. Perplexed, Lakoda turned to leave, wondering where the master could be at... As she was wandering down the hallway to figure out where to go, Lakoda spotted a familiar face. "Maria, have you seen Master Midarah? I'm looking for her to approve for a job," she said with her charm as well as signed.
"I still don't like him!" Aria called out to the rest of the group as soon as Ardyn left them. All his words seemed to contradict each other as well as his actions. They were not victims, but they were sure thrown into a pickle with the Horned King. Aria steadied her legs as she felt the castle shaking and had a look around. There was something else going on, but as soon as the skelektal army's attention turned on them, Aria had other things to focus on. "Okay, I really don't like him! But he might have a point. It's better to kick that horned thing in there than any of us making the sacrifice... Let's do this!" Aria raised her keyblade high in the air and began to swing left and right. Her keyblade turned into double bladed katanas, that which she began to utilize in cutting down the skeletons as well as dodge rolling, jumping on their heads, any way to cut a path towards the Horned King.
Lakoda turned to where she felt the hand on her shoulder, seeing Everette being there. She bit her lower lip, wondering how to answer him. She was hopeful this was the hag that took her voice, but she was also skeptical and frightened this could actually be it this time. She pointed to the paper she handed Conrad and began signing again. ‘There was a job posted this morning. It sounds very close to the hag, that awful creature who took my voice and murdered my family.’ Her hands began to shake as well as her breath as she realized she finally found the thing that she had been searching for years. It was too good to be true, but this description of this creature couldn’t have been more close to the hag than the other jobs she and Conrad took up in the past. ‘I have to take this job. This could be it. I could get my voice back.’
