(Not-so)Pro Tip when recording: Find a way to see if you're clipping while singing at normal volume. (Clipping is when your audio is so loud that it distorts. Most programs have something that measures audio levels and will go into "the red" when you start clipping.) Once you've got that set, turn up the gain and crank it until your normal voice almost clips so that when you record, your voice is louder. It is always better to have recordings that are too loud(without clipping) than it is to have recordings that are too soft. You can turn down a track that is too loud but turning up one that is too quiet gets messy really fast. Of course I could be preaching to the choir here and you all might already know this. Anyway, great job guys. c:
"Thank you." Torrin said on receiving the cup from Aria. In response he reached into his pocket and withdrew the note she had written. Gero appeared, followed by Thallasa, before he could say more. Torrin's eyes followed after Thallasa as she spoke and then shifted back over towards Gero. His interaction with Thallasa a few months ago wasn't much but it was enough to tell him that she was a good person, or at least appeared to be one. Still, he would have been more comfortable with Choma and Atmos coming with them and Thallasa staying behind. Both Thallasa and Gero had their attention set on the others of the group, with Gero giving a passing glance and smile towards Aria when she stood up. Torrin remained seated and allowed both masters to pass them by as they descended the steps. He took a sip of the hot chocolate. "This is good." He said with contentment. Torrin looked up towards Aria watching the gentle quake of her hands. He set his cup down to his side and turned Aria's note over. He traced his finger along the back of it, lightly singing the paper just enough to mark it but not burn it. He tugged at Aria's "Light Chaser" bracelet lightly to get her to sit back down. They weren't leaving immediately so there was not much reason to keep standing around waiting for something to happen. Torrin kept his eyes on both Gero and Thallasa as he wondered what world they would head to next. Without saying a word he handed Aria the note back to her and kept his attention on what was going on right in front of them. "Stamatis is fine, Tinarah. He is eager to speak with you when you return but I do not think he will wish to hear any apologies from you. He would like to get to know you better." Gero responded towards Tinarah. "And of course, you all can speak to your masters once more before departing. I would like a quick word with you, Takehiko, when you are ready." The rest of Gero's post became a filler so that this would not look awkward with the spacing and so that it would appear that Arch had not forgotten to write something significant here because Gero's post should have been longer than Torrin's but it just didn't turn out that way since Gero's personality is "racist old man" and Torrin's got a hundred posts of development and is easier to write than old man Gero. So here's a story about the time that I, Arch, befriended lilBueno aka Boy Wonder aka Jeff aka MY BROTHER. One time many years ago in the distant past we did not like each other. Then we were in an RP together. Then we bonded over the fact that our creative ideas meshed together really well. Then we became besties for life. Seeing as how that story did not fill enough enough space to make Gero's banner not look awkward and run into my signature here's another story. My dog's name is Francine. She's turning 16 this year. She's a good fluffy dog. The best fluffy dog. She tends to ignore people unless they have food. If I try to hug her while she's walking by she walks faster to get away. She's still superior to cats though because she's a dog and no matter how anti-social she is she's always going to be better than a cat. For safety, another story. My uncle (RIP uncle) took me to buy some SNES games when I was a kid as a present. He did this like three times in my life and it was great. One of the games I got was Secret of Mana. I dunno why they were only sold without their boxes but the games were already years old by the point I got them. Secret of Mana was released in 1993 so it might have been used but I don't remember there being a previous save on the cart. Either way, I played the hell out of SoM and realized it was the greatest RPG/ARPG/JRPG ever. Last week I bought its remake. Went to Gamestop since only they sold physical copies of it. Didn't care that the remake wasn't perfect or made with a high budget. It's Secret of Mana and it's my childhood dammit. Anyway, I suppose this should be long enough to get away with making this post. If Gero's banner still goes over into my sig I'll just add some extra spaces when I edit and be done with it. Hope someone enjoyed my stories. ~Arch
"Thank you." Torrin said on receiving the cup from Aria. In response he reached into his pocket and withdrew the note she had written. Gero appeared, followed by Thallasa, before he could say more. Torrin's eyes followed after Thallasa as she spoke and then shifted back over towards Gero. His interaction with Thallasa a few months ago wasn't much but it was enough to tell him that she was a good person, or at least appeared to be one. Still, he would have been more comfortable with Choma and Atmos coming with them and Thallasa staying behind. Both Thallasa and Gero had their attention set on the others of the group, with Gero giving a passing glance and smile towards Aria when she stood up. Torrin remained seated and allowed both masters to pass them by as they descended the steps. He took a sip of the hot chocolate. "This is good." He said with contentment. Torrin looked up towards Aria watching the gentle quake of her hands. He set his cup down to his side and turned Aria's note over. He traced his finger along the back of it, lightly singing the paper just enough to mark it but not burn it. He tugged at Aria's "Light Chaser" bracelet lightly to get her to sit back down. They weren't leaving immediately so there was not much reason to keep standing around waiting for something to happen. Torrin kept his eyes on both Gero and Thallasa as he wondered what world they would head to next. Without saying a word he handed Aria the note back to her and kept his attention on what was going on right in front of them.
"Stamatis is fine, Tinarah. He is eager to speak with you when you return but I do not think he will wish to hear any apologies from you. He would like to get to know you better." Gero responded towards Tinarah. "And of course, you all can speak to your masters once more before departing. I would like a quick word with you, Takehiko, when you are ready." The rest of Gero's post became a filler so that this would not look awkward with the spacing and so that it would appear that Arch had not forgotten to write something significant here because Gero's post should have been longer than Torrin's but it just didn't turn out that way since Gero's personality is "racist old man" and Torrin's got a hundred posts of development and is easier to write than old man Gero. So here's a story about the time that I, Arch, befriended lilBueno aka Boy Wonder aka Jeff aka MY BROTHER. One time many years ago in the distant past we did not like each other. Then we were in an RP together. Then we bonded over the fact that our creative ideas meshed together really well. Then we became besties for life. Seeing as how that story did not fill enough enough space to make Gero's banner not look awkward and run into my signature here's another story. My dog's name is Francine. She's turning 16 this year. She's a good fluffy dog. The best fluffy dog. She tends to ignore people unless they have food. If I try to hug her while she's walking by she walks faster to get away. She's still superior to cats though because she's a dog and no matter how anti-social she is she's always going to be better than a cat. For safety, another story. My uncle (RIP uncle) took me to buy some SNES games when I was a kid as a present. He did this like three times in my life and it was great. One of the games I got was Secret of Mana. I dunno why they were only sold without their boxes but the games were already years old by the point I got them. Secret of Mana was released in 1993 so it might have been used but I don't remember there being a previous save on the cart. Either way, I played the hell out of SoM and realized it was the greatest RPG/ARPG/JRPG ever. Last week I bought its remake. Went to Gamestop since only they sold physical copies of it. Didn't care that the remake wasn't perfect or made with a high budget. It's Secret of Mana and it's my childhood dammit. Anyway, I suppose this should be long enough to get away with making this post. If Gero's banner still goes over into my sig I'll just add some extra spaces when I edit and be done with it. Hope someone enjoyed my stories. ~Arch
Torrin folded his arms and blinked at the others. Take appeared to be excited to be out running. Boreas was shifting into drill sergeant mode. Qamar had prepared a picnic. Tinarah looked uncomfortable. And Aria was putting her hair up for the run. He decided to stay in the back to keep his distance from Tinarah and because being up in front meant having to interact more with the others which he wasn't completely up for yet. Just watching everyone else was enough for him. ...And it meant he could keep an eye on the Princess of Heart. Once everyone was set Boreas and Take took the lead to get everyone started. The roundtrip was a several mile journey and by the time everyone got back to the castle entrance the sky had turned a shade fiery orange. Boreas had kept a good pace throughout with Take trailing behind. The fastest of the group waited at the castle steps for everyone else to catch up before anyone could sit down on the grass to have something to eat with the picnic Qamar had ready. Sitting on the castle's steps Torrin leaned back against the steps and took a deep breath. He hadn't particularly felt like the run had cleared his mind and instead had just given him nothing to keep his mind distracted with. He was almost tempted to eat with the others who had chosen to eat but that would have meant either eating in front of others or just taking something to bite down on and running. Neither were appealing options to him. Several minutes after everyone had sat down and began eating, the front doors to the castle opened and Gero stepped out. The old man looked at everyone and tapped his cane against the white stone floor he stood on to get their attention. "The Council has reached its decision and has prepared an assignment for your group." Gero looked over at the door and motioned for someone behind it to come outside. "I am not in my peak shape and Master Stamatis is still recovering from his injuries. Furthermore, our students Adalric and Qamar will accompany you all on your mission. For those reasons we have decided that it would be best that Masters Choma and Atmos will stay behind to strengthen our numbers." He held up his hand to prevent any of them from interrupting him. "However, I have assigned a new team leader to you." Gero moved to the side and out from behind him emerged an unfamiliar looking raven-haired woman smiling down at the group. "It's good to see you again, Master Torrin." She bowed her head slightly at him before moving past Gero and down the steps past Torrin to get a better look at everyone else. "I am Master Thallasa. I've heard there were rumors of my unfortunate demise." Thallasa's smile brightened as she looked at the others. She held her arms out as if to say 'look at me I'm right here and real'. Her hands clasped behind her back. "I am sorry if I kept anyone in suspense. After being sent to track down the Light Chaser, things got a little messy. The Council ordered me to go into hiding until just now so I could help in the cause." Thallasa had been the one to tell Choma and Atmos where she had last tracked the Light Chaser too before she too had disappeared like all the others. Up until that moment most the two masters believed her to have been killed by the Light Chaser or captured. Even Torrin had been shocked to see her standing right before them. The woman took a moment to examine those gathered around and looked up at Gero, still smiling at the old man. "They look like a capable bunch. But one's missing, correct? Adalric?" Gero nodded in response. "Ah. Good. Then we're all nearly set to get moving."
Torrin folded his arms and blinked at the others. Take appeared to be excited to be out running. Boreas was shifting into drill sergeant mode. Qamar had prepared a picnic. Tinarah looked uncomfortable. And Aria was putting her hair up for the run. He decided to stay in the back to keep his distance from Tinarah and because being up in front meant having to interact more with the others which he wasn't completely up for yet. Just watching everyone else was enough for him. ...And it meant he could keep an eye on the Princess of Heart. Once everyone was set Boreas and Take took the lead to get everyone started. The roundtrip was a several mile journey and by the time everyone got back to the castle entrance the sky had turned a shade fiery orange. Boreas had kept a good pace throughout with Take trailing behind. The fastest of the group waited at the castle steps for everyone else to catch up before anyone could sit down on the grass to have something to eat with the picnic Qamar had ready. Sitting on the castle's steps Torrin leaned back against the steps and took a deep breath. He hadn't particularly felt like the run had cleared his mind and instead had just given him nothing to keep his mind distracted with. He was almost tempted to eat with the others who had chosen to eat but that would have meant either eating in front of others or just taking something to bite down on and running. Neither were appealing options to him.
Several minutes after everyone had sat down and began eating, the front doors to the castle opened and Gero stepped out. The old man looked at everyone and tapped his cane against the white stone floor he stood on to get their attention. "The Council has reached its decision and has prepared an assignment for your group." Gero looked over at the door and motioned for someone behind it to come outside. "I am not in my peak shape and Master Stamatis is still recovering from his injuries. Furthermore, our students Adalric and Qamar will accompany you all on your mission. For those reasons we have decided that it would be best that Masters Choma and Atmos will stay behind to strengthen our numbers." He held up his hand to prevent any of them from interrupting him. "However, I have assigned a new team leader to you." Gero moved to the side and out from behind him emerged an unfamiliar looking raven-haired woman smiling down at the group.
"It's good to see you again, Master Torrin." She bowed her head slightly at him before moving past Gero and down the steps past Torrin to get a better look at everyone else. "I am Master Thallasa. I've heard there were rumors of my unfortunate demise." Thallasa's smile brightened as she looked at the others. She held her arms out as if to say 'look at me I'm right here and real'. Her hands clasped behind her back. "I am sorry if I kept anyone in suspense. After being sent to track down the Light Chaser, things got a little messy. The Council ordered me to go into hiding until just now so I could help in the cause." Thallasa had been the one to tell Choma and Atmos where she had last tracked the Light Chaser too before she too had disappeared like all the others. Up until that moment most the two masters believed her to have been killed by the Light Chaser or captured. Even Torrin had been shocked to see her standing right before them. The woman took a moment to examine those gathered around and looked up at Gero, still smiling at the old man. "They look like a capable bunch. But one's missing, correct? Adalric?" Gero nodded in response. "Ah. Good. Then we're all nearly set to get moving."
Alder stepped beside Daeni and tilted his head looking down at what she had found hiding underneath a rock. He glanced over at the tree by the rock she had moved seeing that it had been marked with a star of some kind. Though he had no previous memories attached to it this was the same marking he had seen in the tunnels earlier. "Hm..." He peeked over Daeni's shoulder to read the paper she held, pausing only to react to the last thing she had said. "Wait what?" He turned towards the girl. "Other people's memories? As far as I know, none of us have gained someone else's memories. All I have are my own." Alder looked at her in confusion. "Just...how many other people's memories are in that head of yours? And why?"
Alder stepped beside Daeni and tilted his head looking down at what she had found hiding underneath a rock. He glanced over at the tree by the rock she had moved seeing that it had been marked with a star of some kind. Though he had no previous memories attached to it this was the same marking he had seen in the tunnels earlier. "Hm..." He peeked over Daeni's shoulder to read the paper she held, pausing only to react to the last thing she had said. "Wait what?" He turned towards the girl. "Other people's memories? As far as I know, none of us have gained someone else's memories. All I have are my own." Alder looked at her in confusion. "Just...how many other people's memories are in that head of yours? And why?"
Torrin began to head towards the kitchen, his mind split between remembering that he hadn't eaten and what Qamar was saying. He had planned on eating something earlier but one thing after the next came up and he had just neglected to do anything about it. He wasn't sure what to make of Qamar's life story nor why she would be sharing so much with him when he had no intention of doing the same. There were things he wouldn't even tell Boreas about. He glanced at the picture she showed him and tilted his head to the side. Boreas was right about the armor belonging to the Realm of Darkness. He didn't want to take the picture from Qamar to get a closer look so he just nodded though he was surprised to find anyone here with family back in the Realm of Darkness. "Odd...strange how none of those masters back there figured it out. Guess that shows how little they really know about my people." He would have said "our" people but Qamar wasn't raised in his realm. She didn't live through war and the hordes of Heartless that forced everyone underground or be told stories for years of how those in the Realm of Light wished to snuff them out if given the chance. "I can't teach you how to control the darkness. Maybe you can figure it out on your own with some inner peace kind of meditation or whatever but that's not what I do." He stopped at the kitchen and, unsure of what to check first he paused when he began to reach for the fridge and saw resting on the counter a large thermos. He raised an eyebrow and picked it up, seeing a note on it with rather expressive lettering. He read the note and blinked. You really are too nice for your own good, Aria. Knowing this would have been fuel for Qamar to poke fun at he just pocketed the note and opened the thermos. Then he started to feel guilty. She had left this for everyone, not just him. Torrin closed the thermos and was about to look in the fridge when footsteps came echoing into the kitchen. Apparently everyone was going for a run. Guess this'll have to be saved for everyone else after this. I can always eat...another day. I guess. He set the thermos back down. Thinking that watching Boreas take this as an opportunity to whip the students into shape would be amusing, Torrin decided he'd have a go at watching this happen.
Torrin began to head towards the kitchen, his mind split between remembering that he hadn't eaten and what Qamar was saying. He had planned on eating something earlier but one thing after the next came up and he had just neglected to do anything about it. He wasn't sure what to make of Qamar's life story nor why she would be sharing so much with him when he had no intention of doing the same. There were things he wouldn't even tell Boreas about. He glanced at the picture she showed him and tilted his head to the side. Boreas was right about the armor belonging to the Realm of Darkness. He didn't want to take the picture from Qamar to get a closer look so he just nodded though he was surprised to find anyone here with family back in the Realm of Darkness. "Odd...strange how none of those masters back there figured it out. Guess that shows how little they really know about my people." He would have said "our" people but Qamar wasn't raised in his realm. She didn't live through war and the hordes of Heartless that forced everyone underground or be told stories for years of how those in the Realm of Light wished to snuff them out if given the chance. "I can't teach you how to control the darkness. Maybe you can figure it out on your own with some inner peace kind of meditation or whatever but that's not what I do." He stopped at the kitchen and, unsure of what to check first he paused when he began to reach for the fridge and saw resting on the counter a large thermos. He raised an eyebrow and picked it up, seeing a note on it with rather expressive lettering. He read the note and blinked. You really are too nice for your own good, Aria. Knowing this would have been fuel for Qamar to poke fun at he just pocketed the note and opened the thermos. Then he started to feel guilty. She had left this for everyone, not just him. Torrin closed the thermos and was about to look in the fridge when footsteps came echoing into the kitchen. Apparently everyone was going for a run. Guess this'll have to be saved for everyone else after this. I can always eat...another day. I guess. He set the thermos back down. Thinking that watching Boreas take this as an opportunity to whip the students into shape would be amusing, Torrin decided he'd have a go at watching this happen.
Torrin shook his head, declining her offer. "No. Look, it has nothing to do with darkness." He was about to summon his keyblade again to try and give a better explanation. He had taught Boreas but that was only because he felt comfortable around his friend...and more willing to teach him. He furrowed his brow, thinking back to how he had explained it to Boreas and before he knew it Qamar was ready to fight again. He hadn't expected her to keep up the fight but at least she kept it fair by not using her keyblade. Until he saw her calling on her darkness again. He stepped to the side to avoid her punch. Her other hand scratched him just barely and he felt that blood had been drawn. His expression hardened as he caught Qamar's leg mid-kick and touched his cheek with his other hand. It stung just a little but it was enough to annoy him. Green light radiated from his hand as a Cure spell was cast to fix the damage that had been done. Still holding her leg he looked at Qamar and narrowed his eyes at her. "My turn." His grip on Qamar's leg tightened. Torrin twisted his waist, now picking Qamar up off the ground by her leg before flinging her against a wall. "You don't want to see what pure darkness looks like." Black chains wrapped around Qamar's body preventing her from moving or even summoning her keyblade. "You're playing with a force you don't understand." His memories traced back to his cousin and the fear he saw in her eyes when he channeled the darkness. The way it overwhelmed even her...it had felt good. But now, as he looked down at Qamar, it didn't even bring a smile to his face. His eyes remained their typical shade of blue. "I don't know if you were trying to push me into using it but we're done here." The chains vanished. "There's a difference between those who learned it how to use the darkness and those who breathe it." He spoke with some tone of humor in his voice. "Good match. I hope you learned something." Once more his hands returned to his pockets and Torrin headed back inside the castle.
Torrin shook his head, declining her offer. "No. Look, it has nothing to do with darkness." He was about to summon his keyblade again to try and give a better explanation. He had taught Boreas but that was only because he felt comfortable around his friend...and more willing to teach him. He furrowed his brow, thinking back to how he had explained it to Boreas and before he knew it Qamar was ready to fight again. He hadn't expected her to keep up the fight but at least she kept it fair by not using her keyblade. Until he saw her calling on her darkness again. He stepped to the side to avoid her punch. Her other hand scratched him just barely and he felt that blood had been drawn. His expression hardened as he caught Qamar's leg mid-kick and touched his cheek with his other hand. It stung just a little but it was enough to annoy him. Green light radiated from his hand as a Cure spell was cast to fix the damage that had been done. Still holding her leg he looked at Qamar and narrowed his eyes at her. "My turn." His grip on Qamar's leg tightened. Torrin twisted his waist, now picking Qamar up off the ground by her leg before flinging her against a wall. "You don't want to see what pure darkness looks like." Black chains wrapped around Qamar's body preventing her from moving or even summoning her keyblade. "You're playing with a force you don't understand." His memories traced back to his cousin and the fear he saw in her eyes when he channeled the darkness. The way it overwhelmed even her...it had felt good. But now, as he looked down at Qamar, it didn't even bring a smile to his face. His eyes remained their typical shade of blue. "I don't know if you were trying to push me into using it but we're done here." The chains vanished. "There's a difference between those who learned it how to use the darkness and those who breathe it." He spoke with some tone of humor in his voice. "Good match. I hope you learned something." Once more his hands returned to his pockets and Torrin headed back inside the castle.
Torrin stepped back and winced, his eyes narrowed at Qamar. He had seen the darkness in her but he hadn't expected her to actually bring it out in a fight. He was ready to keep up the fight and make her regret using his element against him and then...suddenly her attitude changed and Qamar was talking about learning from him. He raised an eyebrow and reverted his blade back to its original form before dismissing it. "Gliders are easier. Don't know why. But this isn't a master-level technique. It's just something I came up with in trying to even the odds against the Light Chaser." He shrugged. "Just focus on the form you want it to take and the rest will follow. It'll take a bit of getting used to holding that form with your concentration." Torrin placed his hands in his pockets and breathed out. "It just takes a different mindset. It's not complex but it's not something most people would try, I think."
Torrin stepped back and winced, his eyes narrowed at Qamar. He had seen the darkness in her but he hadn't expected her to actually bring it out in a fight. He was ready to keep up the fight and make her regret using his element against him and then...suddenly her attitude changed and Qamar was talking about learning from him. He raised an eyebrow and reverted his blade back to its original form before dismissing it. "Gliders are easier. Don't know why. But this isn't a master-level technique. It's just something I came up with in trying to even the odds against the Light Chaser." He shrugged. "Just focus on the form you want it to take and the rest will follow. It'll take a bit of getting used to holding that form with your concentration." Torrin placed his hands in his pockets and breathed out. "It just takes a different mindset. It's not complex but it's not something most people would try, I think."
Torrin's keyblade dematerialized an instant before Qamar's hand struck his and simultaneously reappeared in his left hand. He started a swing at her waist and feinted, turning the blade to swipe at her legs. Once more the keyblade vanished and reappeared in his right hand but rather than cut her again he stabbed the blade into the ground, burying the wing at the tip of his blade into the ground. Torrin pulled the blade out and it seemed to take much longer than it should have to pull the keyblade from the earth. In fact, when he did so the blade was now much longer and the tip had grown slightly, angling to look axe-like. The keyblade's guard detached and fixed itself to the tip completing the halberd with a point on the reverse and a spearhead. Torrin changed his grip on the keyblade to hold it as a pole arm rather than as a sword. Now with the extended reach afforded to him he stabbed at Qamar rapidly with the halberd, keeping her at a distance and out of weapon's reach from him. Once he was comfortable keeping Qamar on her toes Torrin then rapidly spun the keyblade around in a wide arc trying to catch her with the axehead of the weapon.
Torrin's keyblade dematerialized an instant before Qamar's hand struck his and simultaneously reappeared in his left hand. He started a swing at her waist and feinted, turning the blade to swipe at her legs. Once more the keyblade vanished and reappeared in his right hand but rather than cut her again he stabbed the blade into the ground, burying the wing at the tip of his blade into the ground. Torrin pulled the blade out and it seemed to take much longer than it should have to pull the keyblade from the earth. In fact, when he did so the blade was now much longer and the tip had grown slightly, angling to look axe-like. The keyblade's guard detached and fixed itself to the tip completing the halberd with a point on the reverse and a spearhead. Torrin changed his grip on the keyblade to hold it as a pole arm rather than as a sword. Now with the extended reach afforded to him he stabbed at Qamar rapidly with the halberd, keeping her at a distance and out of weapon's reach from him. Once he was comfortable keeping Qamar on her toes Torrin then rapidly spun the keyblade around in a wide arc trying to catch her with the axehead of the weapon.
uh...I see the word math in there somewhere.
This is your first message.
Don't know what anything says but this is just a reminder that KHIII has some beautiful graphics. Nice looking screens.
Pocahontas stared at the two for a long moment, watching their expressions closely for any signs that might have told her that the two were lying. "So...is that a yes?" Avra asked. "We really need you." "Why me?" "You have a pure heart. That's why. Look...there's a lot to explain, so can you come with us and we can explain on the way?" Pocahontas narrowed her eyes but nodded reluctantly. "Alright..." She said with hesitation. Avra looked at Chrys with surprise clear on her face. She hadn't expected this to go down so peacefully after the fight they had earlier. "Great. Thanks. You won't regret it." Avra summoned her keyblade again and opened a portal for them to go through. "Don't worry, it's safe." She said as she walked through. Pocahontas followed after leaving Chrys to go through last. "Good work." The Light Chaser was already waiting on the other side of the portal. "I knew you would not fail me." "And who are you?" The Light Chaser walked over towards the three and ignored Pocahontas's question as he approached. "Put her with the rest, Avra." "Wait wh-" The Light Chaser touched her forehead with his index finger and she fell backwards into Avra's arms, fast asleep. "Y-yes master." Avra said in shock as she looked back down at Pocahontas then at her master before dragging the girl off. "I trust that all went well, Chrys." He folded his arms. "That was our third. Soon it will be four and not long after that we will have the Seven. The others arrived an hour earlier. Perhaps you should rest with them. I believe they went to the tavern. It was something called The Black Mages." Torrin shifted uncomfortably when Aria had mentioned Mika's name. He had almost completely forgotten that the others had known her as well...at least, how she was after her memory loss. He wondered just how much of the Mika he knew had remained in the one they had known. He shook his head trying to get past the thought. Perhaps it was a question for another time or something best left forgotten. He looked back at Aria when she spoke of believing he would not turn out to be just as cruel as his other self. He smiled a bit feeling good that someone had faith in him. Even if he couldn't be sure how much she meant it, just hearing it assuaged his guilt. Apparently she wasn't even sure how someone like him could be from the Realm of Darkness though those words amused him because in the back of his head he could hear others from home saying the same about her and the Realm of Light if given the chance to meet Aria. "Thanks..." He said quietly watching Aria leave. Torrin almost jumped when someone else's voice addressed him. He looked over recognizing the same girl who had asked him to spar out of the blue from before. Instantly, he regretted ever allowing it to be a possibility. He had grown tired of just interacting with people and was looking forward to some time alone with his thoughts. He reached back in his pocket, toying with the trinket once more. His mind wandered to whoever might have owned the ring. Given that he took it off a Heartless they were probably long dead by now. Their world too. Jeez...when did I become so morbid? He thought to himself, taking his hand out of his pocket and folding his arms. "I'm fine. I've heard worse." He answered, trailing behind the girl who clearly was not going to let this sparring idea of hers go. "I've spent six years here. If a few harsh words were all that it took to get under my skin then I wouldn't have stuck around." She had a point about people not liking darkness but it wasn't something he hadn't already been reminded of hundreds of times before. The girl seemed to care only because she too had ties to the darkness. He could even tell which of the masters in the Council had dabbled in it. None of it really mattered though. It just wasn't the same as being born in it. The few people in the Realm of Light who used the darkness were often amateurs who got in way over their head and became Heartless. Torrin raised an eyebrow when she asked for him to not hold back. He hadn't sparred in a long time and he could not just turn off his natural "fight to kill" habits. He summoned his keyblade in his right hand. "Alright. Ready." He spun the keyblade in hand and kept still for a moment. Torrin ran straight for Qamar and cut at her horizontally which was stopped by her keyblade just as he followed up with a kick to her stomach which, when she backed away, barely connected. Qamar retaliated with a flurry of slashes and, though she was quite agile and tried to catch him off guard by coming at him from different angles, he parried each blow as he kept moving back to observe her fighting style. He kept his breathing steady as he stayed on the defensive right up until he felt he had seen enough. Torrin swung his keyblade upwards, deflecting Qamar's, and twisted his wrist to quickly strike her shoulder with he keyblade's pommel.
Pocahontas stared at the two for a long moment, watching their expressions closely for any signs that might have told her that the two were lying. "So...is that a yes?" Avra asked. "We really need you." "Why me?" "You have a pure heart. That's why. Look...there's a lot to explain, so can you come with us and we can explain on the way?" Pocahontas narrowed her eyes but nodded reluctantly. "Alright..." She said with hesitation. Avra looked at Chrys with surprise clear on her face. She hadn't expected this to go down so peacefully after the fight they had earlier. "Great. Thanks. You won't regret it." Avra summoned her keyblade again and opened a portal for them to go through. "Don't worry, it's safe." She said as she walked through. Pocahontas followed after leaving Chrys to go through last. "Good work." The Light Chaser was already waiting on the other side of the portal. "I knew you would not fail me." "And who are you?" The Light Chaser walked over towards the three and ignored Pocahontas's question as he approached. "Put her with the rest, Avra." "Wait wh-" The Light Chaser touched her forehead with his index finger and she fell backwards into Avra's arms, fast asleep. "Y-yes master." Avra said in shock as she looked back down at Pocahontas then at her master before dragging the girl off. "I trust that all went well, Chrys." He folded his arms. "That was our third. Soon it will be four and not long after that we will have the Seven. The others arrived an hour earlier. Perhaps you should rest with them. I believe they went to the tavern. It was something called The Black Mages."
Torrin shifted uncomfortably when Aria had mentioned Mika's name. He had almost completely forgotten that the others had known her as well...at least, how she was after her memory loss. He wondered just how much of the Mika he knew had remained in the one they had known. He shook his head trying to get past the thought. Perhaps it was a question for another time or something best left forgotten. He looked back at Aria when she spoke of believing he would not turn out to be just as cruel as his other self. He smiled a bit feeling good that someone had faith in him. Even if he couldn't be sure how much she meant it, just hearing it assuaged his guilt. Apparently she wasn't even sure how someone like him could be from the Realm of Darkness though those words amused him because in the back of his head he could hear others from home saying the same about her and the Realm of Light if given the chance to meet Aria. "Thanks..." He said quietly watching Aria leave. Torrin almost jumped when someone else's voice addressed him. He looked over recognizing the same girl who had asked him to spar out of the blue from before. Instantly, he regretted ever allowing it to be a possibility. He had grown tired of just interacting with people and was looking forward to some time alone with his thoughts. He reached back in his pocket, toying with the trinket once more. His mind wandered to whoever might have owned the ring. Given that he took it off a Heartless they were probably long dead by now. Their world too. Jeez...when did I become so morbid? He thought to himself, taking his hand out of his pocket and folding his arms. "I'm fine. I've heard worse." He answered, trailing behind the girl who clearly was not going to let this sparring idea of hers go. "I've spent six years here. If a few harsh words were all that it took to get under my skin then I wouldn't have stuck around." She had a point about people not liking darkness but it wasn't something he hadn't already been reminded of hundreds of times before. The girl seemed to care only because she too had ties to the darkness. He could even tell which of the masters in the Council had dabbled in it. None of it really mattered though. It just wasn't the same as being born in it. The few people in the Realm of Light who used the darkness were often amateurs who got in way over their head and became Heartless. Torrin raised an eyebrow when she asked for him to not hold back. He hadn't sparred in a long time and he could not just turn off his natural "fight to kill" habits. He summoned his keyblade in his right hand. "Alright. Ready." He spun the keyblade in hand and kept still for a moment. Torrin ran straight for Qamar and cut at her horizontally which was stopped by her keyblade just as he followed up with a kick to her stomach which, when she backed away, barely connected. Qamar retaliated with a flurry of slashes and, though she was quite agile and tried to catch him off guard by coming at him from different angles, he parried each blow as he kept moving back to observe her fighting style. He kept his breathing steady as he stayed on the defensive right up until he felt he had seen enough. Torrin swung his keyblade upwards, deflecting Qamar's, and twisted his wrist to quickly strike her shoulder with he keyblade's pommel.
Torrin almost sighed out in relief to learn that Aria and Gero were not actually related. Though the nature of their relationship was strange to him. Why would Gero focus so much on Aria just because she was one of the Princesses of Heart? Keeping an eye on her seemed reasonable but showing up for birthdays? No wonder why she was so fond of the man. "I wonder if he put on a friendly face for your sake." Torrin commented. "The attitude he had back there hardly seemed like something he'd have around a child." Noticing that Aria's attention was divided Torrin's gaze followed Aria's to see that she was concerned with both Take and Tinarah and probably had no idea who to help. Realizing that now was not the best time to talk he gave Aria a gentle nudge forward. "Go talk to her. I'd offer to help but I guess we both know how that'd go down." He only wondered how long it would be before the distrust began to spread. He had no idea if this situation just meant that he would have to keep his distance from everyone from now on just to keep Tinarah from panicking. "We can talk later if you want. Just focus on one problem at a time and don't stretch yourself too thin, got it? Being pure of heart doesn't mean you're obligated to solving everyone's issues." Atmos did not even have time to address Take's concerns when he pulled away and said he wanted to have some time outside. She frowned, seeing that something had been bothering Take even during the meeting. She started to follow after him when a voice came from behind her. "Atmos, bring Choma. There's something the Council needs you both to hear." Aster spoke. "Can it wait? I need to check on my student." Atmos turned around then looked back in the direction Take had left to. "What about if Choma were to just tell me about it?" Aster shook her head slowly. "No. I'm sorry but this can't be put off. And we need both of you here." Atmos clenched her fist and let out a long sigh of exasperation before relaxing and turning to look at her sister and glare. "Fine. But make it quick."
Torrin almost sighed out in relief to learn that Aria and Gero were not actually related. Though the nature of their relationship was strange to him. Why would Gero focus so much on Aria just because she was one of the Princesses of Heart? Keeping an eye on her seemed reasonable but showing up for birthdays? No wonder why she was so fond of the man. "I wonder if he put on a friendly face for your sake." Torrin commented. "The attitude he had back there hardly seemed like something he'd have around a child." Noticing that Aria's attention was divided Torrin's gaze followed Aria's to see that she was concerned with both Take and Tinarah and probably had no idea who to help. Realizing that now was not the best time to talk he gave Aria a gentle nudge forward. "Go talk to her. I'd offer to help but I guess we both know how that'd go down." He only wondered how long it would be before the distrust began to spread. He had no idea if this situation just meant that he would have to keep his distance from everyone from now on just to keep Tinarah from panicking. "We can talk later if you want. Just focus on one problem at a time and don't stretch yourself too thin, got it? Being pure of heart doesn't mean you're obligated to solving everyone's issues."
Atmos did not even have time to address Take's concerns when he pulled away and said he wanted to have some time outside. She frowned, seeing that something had been bothering Take even during the meeting. She started to follow after him when a voice came from behind her. "Atmos, bring Choma. There's something the Council needs you both to hear." Aster spoke. "Can it wait? I need to check on my student." Atmos turned around then looked back in the direction Take had left to. "What about if Choma were to just tell me about it?" Aster shook her head slowly. "No. I'm sorry but this can't be put off. And we need both of you here." Atmos clenched her fist and let out a long sigh of exasperation before relaxing and turning to look at her sister and glare. "Fine. But make it quick."
Alder stepped away from the control panel and kicked it lightly. Some of the damage to it had been repaired but there was no way it was ever going to function without all the parts in the right place to get the extractor working. "I'm not making any progress here. A little, but not enough. Me staying here won't do any good." He stated. "I agree with Chrono. We're better off sticking together. Ria's shown himself to be capable of taking us out two at a time. The only way we survive this is by staying together." Alder walked over towards Cerdic and Mora. "No offense but I don't see this ending well if just two of you go. Let's just make this a fast trip, alright? Hopefully Mora's attack bought us enough time to make it there and back before Ria returns."
Alder stepped away from the control panel and kicked it lightly. Some of the damage to it had been repaired but there was no way it was ever going to function without all the parts in the right place to get the extractor working. "I'm not making any progress here. A little, but not enough. Me staying here won't do any good." He stated. "I agree with Chrono. We're better off sticking together. Ria's shown himself to be capable of taking us out two at a time. The only way we survive this is by staying together." Alder walked over towards Cerdic and Mora. "No offense but I don't see this ending well if just two of you go. Let's just make this a fast trip, alright? Hopefully Mora's attack bought us enough time to make it there and back before Ria returns."
"Clever girl. Not too clever, but clever enough." Kaio mused. "Just like I said. Don't put all the chickens in one basket, right?" "Skia we went through this. Are you purposely so obtuse? Besides, we've already discussed this strategy before." "Settle down." Gero told the others, quieting them. "Normally I would be against such interference from the Realm of Darkness but in this case I would be foolish to refuse the assistance." His words were spoken with some reluctance to them. Gero looked over towards the distraught Tinarah and he nodded at the girl. "You can leave, Tinarah." He motioned towards the doors which opened on command for her to leave. Stamatis shifted in his seat, looking at the girl with concern. "Aria, I understand your reservations but by using this plan we can force the Light Chaser to come to us on our terms. Meeting him on the field of battle anywhere else would result in severe collateral damage, lose of life, and the risk of losing is too great to go about this any other way. The Light Chaser already knows about you and could come for you at any moment. You would be far safer here with us." Gero turned and looked over towards Glyde who spoke up once more. "He already knows she's here. The only thing keeping the Light Chaser from bursting through our doors is the simple fact that the Council's combined power is a force he does not wish to challenge directly. If any one of us were to leave this castle, that may no longer be the case." Qamar had spoken up about darkness or...something but his attention had been fixed on the Council and on finding the words to respond to Takehiko. Thankfully, Boreas spoke in his stead. Torrin looked over at Boreas and faintly smiled. The Council might have known too much about him but he was glad that Boreas kept the amount of information down to a minimum. The last thing he needed were the others worrying more about politics when there were better things to focus on. Aria had thoughts of her own, expressing her desire to not be left behind to be looked after like some piece of jewelry. He could understand that kind of feeling. Being trapped was not any different from being powerless and that was a feeling he did not wish to be put through again. Torrin admired the girl's sass. Perhaps it was the fact that there was a certain charisma she had about it. Either way, it did not seem that she convinced Gero of allowing her to leave. "You can't just force her to stay, you know." Torrin spoke. "So it looks like you're gonna need a plan B. Maybe if you told us where the next princess was we could go get her and leave her here with you guys." "Still so quick to speak without thinking, I see." Gero responded. Torrin crossed his arms and glared up at the man. "The Light Chaser will be expecting the first world we send anyone to hold one of the Seven." Gero looked over towards Aria and exhaled loudly, relenting on seeing the determination in her eyes. "Have it your way. We will leave a trail for you to find to reach one of the Seven. Doing this in a roundabout way may be enough to throw the Light Chaser off your trail but in the event he has captured five of the Seven I will expect everyone to return to prepare for battle against the Light Chaser. And Aria, by that point you will not be permitted outside these walls." Torrin raised an eyebrow, not having expected that kind of response from Gero. In fact, he was almost sure that the old man would have refused any compromise and would have attempted to lock Aria up right there and then. Despite how badly things had been going this seemed to be the first time that there was any sort of viable plan to fight back. Even if it wasn't the plan he would have chosen. At this point anything was better than nothing. "Are we free to go now or...what?" "This meeting has proven most informative." Gero spoke lowly, scratching his beard. "There is much left for us to deliberate on but for now all of you are dismissed until it is time for your departure." Gero gave one last cold stare at Torrin which was his sign to take his leave. He stepped back, watching as both Choma and Atmos bowed respectfully and turned to leave, exiting just before him. There was one strange question still lingering in his mind and he could not wrap his head around it regardless of the answer. Torrin moved over towards Aria as everyone left. He lowered his voice as he spoke to her. "Grandpa Gero? Are...are you two actually related?"
"Clever girl. Not too clever, but clever enough." Kaio mused. "Just like I said. Don't put all the chickens in one basket, right?" "Skia we went through this. Are you purposely so obtuse? Besides, we've already discussed this strategy before." "Settle down." Gero told the others, quieting them. "Normally I would be against such interference from the Realm of Darkness but in this case I would be foolish to refuse the assistance." His words were spoken with some reluctance to them. Gero looked over towards the distraught Tinarah and he nodded at the girl. "You can leave, Tinarah." He motioned towards the doors which opened on command for her to leave. Stamatis shifted in his seat, looking at the girl with concern. "Aria, I understand your reservations but by using this plan we can force the Light Chaser to come to us on our terms. Meeting him on the field of battle anywhere else would result in severe collateral damage, lose of life, and the risk of losing is too great to go about this any other way. The Light Chaser already knows about you and could come for you at any moment. You would be far safer here with us." Gero turned and looked over towards Glyde who spoke up once more. "He already knows she's here. The only thing keeping the Light Chaser from bursting through our doors is the simple fact that the Council's combined power is a force he does not wish to challenge directly. If any one of us were to leave this castle, that may no longer be the case."
Qamar had spoken up about darkness or...something but his attention had been fixed on the Council and on finding the words to respond to Takehiko. Thankfully, Boreas spoke in his stead. Torrin looked over at Boreas and faintly smiled. The Council might have known too much about him but he was glad that Boreas kept the amount of information down to a minimum. The last thing he needed were the others worrying more about politics when there were better things to focus on. Aria had thoughts of her own, expressing her desire to not be left behind to be looked after like some piece of jewelry. He could understand that kind of feeling. Being trapped was not any different from being powerless and that was a feeling he did not wish to be put through again. Torrin admired the girl's sass. Perhaps it was the fact that there was a certain charisma she had about it. Either way, it did not seem that she convinced Gero of allowing her to leave. "You can't just force her to stay, you know." Torrin spoke. "So it looks like you're gonna need a plan B. Maybe if you told us where the next princess was we could go get her and leave her here with you guys." "Still so quick to speak without thinking, I see." Gero responded. Torrin crossed his arms and glared up at the man. "The Light Chaser will be expecting the first world we send anyone to hold one of the Seven." Gero looked over towards Aria and exhaled loudly, relenting on seeing the determination in her eyes. "Have it your way. We will leave a trail for you to find to reach one of the Seven. Doing this in a roundabout way may be enough to throw the Light Chaser off your trail but in the event he has captured five of the Seven I will expect everyone to return to prepare for battle against the Light Chaser. And Aria, by that point you will not be permitted outside these walls." Torrin raised an eyebrow, not having expected that kind of response from Gero. In fact, he was almost sure that the old man would have refused any compromise and would have attempted to lock Aria up right there and then. Despite how badly things had been going this seemed to be the first time that there was any sort of viable plan to fight back. Even if it wasn't the plan he would have chosen. At this point anything was better than nothing. "Are we free to go now or...what?" "This meeting has proven most informative." Gero spoke lowly, scratching his beard. "There is much left for us to deliberate on but for now all of you are dismissed until it is time for your departure." Gero gave one last cold stare at Torrin which was his sign to take his leave. He stepped back, watching as both Choma and Atmos bowed respectfully and turned to leave, exiting just before him. There was one strange question still lingering in his mind and he could not wrap his head around it regardless of the answer. Torrin moved over towards Aria as everyone left. He lowered his voice as he spoke to her. "Grandpa Gero? Are...are you two actually related?"
"Thank you Tinarah. I am sorry to have to put you through recalling that experience." Gero spoke softly. "While over there it appeared that there existed duplicates of each of us though slightly different in some way. Naturally, the events that Tinarah describe have concerned me upon learning that amongst our guests are two denizens from the Realm of Darkness. One of them being Torrin over here. I will not say that he is destined to follow the same path as the Other I saw, but was still something that needed to be addressed." Gero paused when Glyde stepped forward to ask who exactly the Seven were and he raised an eyebrow then looked over at Atmos who shrugged in response. "How do you not know what the Seven are?" Master Kaio spoke up in an annoyed tone of voice. "Really, Master Atmos, what have you been teaching these children?" The man brushed his hair back and sighed. "The Seven are those with hearts of pure light. You've got one standing right there. A Princess of Heart." Kaio pointed towards Aria. "There you go. Any other questions?" "Come on now, Kaio. There's no need to be so rude. He was just asking an innocent question." Selene chimed in. "Kaio has a point. It's unusual for an apprentice to not know." "Not you too Thyella!" "No need to be so harsh on them. They're still just students." Kidemonas spoke up. "Mhmmm..." Skia was already leaning back in her chair seemingly disinterested in the conversation. "Enough!" Varos slammed his fist onto the table, causing the other masters to go quiet. Stamatis cleared his throat. "Thank you, Master Varos." Stamatis appeared to be in better control of his pain and was now sitting in a more natural posture. "Six years ago I confronted the Light Chaser and I attempted to talk him out of his crusade to rid the realms of darkness but it only resulted in me being thrown into a realm where later Tinarah would find me and help me escape." Gero said. "During my absence it appears that more worlds have fallen to darkness and I do not believe the Light Chaser to be the cause of this. There is no reason that he would go out of his way to destroy worlds when it would be time better spent searching for the Seven. With that in mind, it would fall on all of you to prevent more worlds from being destroyed." "And on the subject of darkness, for the sake of clarity it would be prudent that we know the purpose of both Torrin and Boreas's stay in our realm." The urge to leave immediately upon the conclusion of Tinarah's story was powerful. His stomach twisted into knots as guilt over what she had said. He reached in his pocket anxiously and tried to keep calm but now he was so frustrated that he could no longer look at Tinarah nor even Aria lest either look back him with fear or disgust in their eyes. The fact that Gero mentioned that it was something to be "concerned about" only served to unnerve him even more. By the time the old man called for Boreas and him to explain their presence in the Realm of Light Torrin scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me." He muttered under his breath in anger so that only Boreas might have been able to hear. He gave Boreas a pat on the shoulder and sighed out loud. "Let's just suck it up and get this over with." He wanted to call the Council, particularly Gero, out for what had been said about them but with so many others watching Torrin stuffed those negative emotions into their box where they could stay out of the way for now. With a deep breath he stepped forward. "Six years ago I came to the Realm of Light to study the people here. My world is currently the center of a civil war between denizens of the Dark. Some wish to leave and others, such as the side I came from, believe a mass exodus will damage the balance between our realms. Our people are distrustful of yours because of a war that the Realm of Light instigated centuries before Keyblade War. I came here to see if it would have been safe for my people to travel through realms." It was a half truth, one Boreas knew the full story to...as did Mika. "Just after becoming a keyblade master a year ago, that was when I encountered the Light Chaser. I saw him standing over the bodies of those I trained with in this realm. I fought him and lost. The world was destroyed yet I survived and for the past year I've been fighting him and his students. So...that's what I've been doing here. Satisfied?" Avra sighed. She didn't want to talk things out but if that was how Chrys was going to play it then she supposed there was no harm in trying. After all, if it didn't work out they could just knock the Princess out and drag her back to Eventide Town. "I'm Avra." She introduced herself, jumping down beside Chrys. "We're sorry about your grandmother but we really need your help here." "You both did this? And why should I believe either of you!?" Pocahontas began to back away from them. From her short period of observing these people the only idea that came to mind was a strange one but it was all she had. "Because...we too can commune with nature." Avra summoned her keyblade behind her back to use her body to hide it. She cast an Aero spell causing the grass to blow in the wind and colorful leaves to swirl around both her and Chrys until the spell ended. "We're on the same side." Though she was still suspicious Pocahontas stepped closer. "And what is this...great evil that you speak of?"
"Thank you Tinarah. I am sorry to have to put you through recalling that experience." Gero spoke softly. "While over there it appeared that there existed duplicates of each of us though slightly different in some way. Naturally, the events that Tinarah describe have concerned me upon learning that amongst our guests are two denizens from the Realm of Darkness. One of them being Torrin over here. I will not say that he is destined to follow the same path as the Other I saw, but was still something that needed to be addressed." Gero paused when Glyde stepped forward to ask who exactly the Seven were and he raised an eyebrow then looked over at Atmos who shrugged in response. "How do you not know what the Seven are?" Master Kaio spoke up in an annoyed tone of voice. "Really, Master Atmos, what have you been teaching these children?" The man brushed his hair back and sighed. "The Seven are those with hearts of pure light. You've got one standing right there. A Princess of Heart." Kaio pointed towards Aria. "There you go. Any other questions?" "Come on now, Kaio. There's no need to be so rude. He was just asking an innocent question." Selene chimed in. "Kaio has a point. It's unusual for an apprentice to not know." "Not you too Thyella!" "No need to be so harsh on them. They're still just students." Kidemonas spoke up. "Mhmmm..." Skia was already leaning back in her chair seemingly disinterested in the conversation. "Enough!" Varos slammed his fist onto the table, causing the other masters to go quiet. Stamatis cleared his throat. "Thank you, Master Varos." Stamatis appeared to be in better control of his pain and was now sitting in a more natural posture. "Six years ago I confronted the Light Chaser and I attempted to talk him out of his crusade to rid the realms of darkness but it only resulted in me being thrown into a realm where later Tinarah would find me and help me escape." Gero said. "During my absence it appears that more worlds have fallen to darkness and I do not believe the Light Chaser to be the cause of this. There is no reason that he would go out of his way to destroy worlds when it would be time better spent searching for the Seven. With that in mind, it would fall on all of you to prevent more worlds from being destroyed." "And on the subject of darkness, for the sake of clarity it would be prudent that we know the purpose of both Torrin and Boreas's stay in our realm."
The urge to leave immediately upon the conclusion of Tinarah's story was powerful. His stomach twisted into knots as guilt over what she had said. He reached in his pocket anxiously and tried to keep calm but now he was so frustrated that he could no longer look at Tinarah nor even Aria lest either look back him with fear or disgust in their eyes. The fact that Gero mentioned that it was something to be "concerned about" only served to unnerve him even more. By the time the old man called for Boreas and him to explain their presence in the Realm of Light Torrin scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me." He muttered under his breath in anger so that only Boreas might have been able to hear. He gave Boreas a pat on the shoulder and sighed out loud. "Let's just suck it up and get this over with." He wanted to call the Council, particularly Gero, out for what had been said about them but with so many others watching Torrin stuffed those negative emotions into their box where they could stay out of the way for now. With a deep breath he stepped forward. "Six years ago I came to the Realm of Light to study the people here. My world is currently the center of a civil war between denizens of the Dark. Some wish to leave and others, such as the side I came from, believe a mass exodus will damage the balance between our realms. Our people are distrustful of yours because of a war that the Realm of Light instigated centuries before Keyblade War. I came here to see if it would have been safe for my people to travel through realms." It was a half truth, one Boreas knew the full story to...as did Mika. "Just after becoming a keyblade master a year ago, that was when I encountered the Light Chaser. I saw him standing over the bodies of those I trained with in this realm. I fought him and lost. The world was destroyed yet I survived and for the past year I've been fighting him and his students. So...that's what I've been doing here. Satisfied?"
Avra sighed. She didn't want to talk things out but if that was how Chrys was going to play it then she supposed there was no harm in trying. After all, if it didn't work out they could just knock the Princess out and drag her back to Eventide Town. "I'm Avra." She introduced herself, jumping down beside Chrys. "We're sorry about your grandmother but we really need your help here." "You both did this? And why should I believe either of you!?" Pocahontas began to back away from them. From her short period of observing these people the only idea that came to mind was a strange one but it was all she had. "Because...we too can commune with nature." Avra summoned her keyblade behind her back to use her body to hide it. She cast an Aero spell causing the grass to blow in the wind and colorful leaves to swirl around both her and Chrys until the spell ended. "We're on the same side." Though she was still suspicious Pocahontas stepped closer. "And what is this...great evil that you speak of?"
...in a kingdom of thieves
An hour after everyone had time to finish their breakfast and talk amongst themselves everyone had been summoned to meet with the Council. Master Choma instructed the group that the meeting room was up on the third floor and when the time came he led them there. Like the rest of the castle, this room comprised of a mostly white and light blue color scheme with shades of gray accenting the furnishings. At the back of the circular room was a long raised table with eight seats along one side that rose ever so slightly in height the further inward the chairs went with the tallest belonging to to the master of the castle, the Master of Masters. On the top of the back of each seat was a golden insignia, the Mark of Mastery. There were no other seats in the area, forcing those who entered to remain standing for the duration of the meeting including both Qamar and Adalric as neither were part of the Council. Everyone lined up to face the Council. From left to right: Illiana, Glyde, Atmos, Takehiko, Chrono, Tinarah, Choma, Aria, Torrin, Boreas, Adalric, Qamar. "I'm glad to see all of you arrived on time." Gero spoke, looking down at the group. "I am Gero, the Master of Masters and head of the Council of Lights. Beside me is Master Stamatis the man who took charge during my six year absence. The other masters you see before you are Kaio, Varos, Aster, Skia, Thyella, Kidemonas, and Selene." He motioned to each one as they were introduced with only Selene making an effort to greet the group by waving slightly with a smile. Stamatis's face looked to be clearly showing an effort to hide his discomfort sitting there as he was still in pain and had not recovered from the fight with the Light Chaser. "I am aware that some of you might be familiar with some of us but please hold the casual chat for later. I know that, for most of you, you are just barely hearing the name Council of Lights. We are an order that was formed not long after the Keyblade War to prevent such a thing from happening again. We watch after the other masters, occasionally sending students their way, to ensure that the world order is maintained. If a master breaks our rules they are punished by us. If the Seven Pure Lights are in danger, we are the first to respond." Gero leaned against the armrest of his seat and scratched his beard. "The Light Chaser." He paused to allow the weight of those words to sink in and echo in the chamber. "He had been one of us at one point. The day he came to this castle seeking to be trained to be a part of the Council I could already see his raw power. It already rivaled my own back then and it only grew every day he trained here." Gero tapped his fingers against the armrest as his brow furrowed. "The three of us who knew him best failed him as his teachers. Had we been wiser or better men he might not have gone down this path. But it is too late now." Gero sighed and at the same time Stamatis lowered his head. "This castle holds the key to locating the Seven. As of this moment the Light Chaser is securing a third Princess of Heart. I do not know how he knew of her location but I know for a fact that he has not found all of the Seven. For that reason, we have remained at this castle. If any master were to leave, it is unlikely we would have the power to stop him. It may be hard to believe but that is truly the extent of his power alone. The damage he could unleash on every realm with the Seven would be unimaginable. For that reason, we only need to keep one out of his reach to keep him from achieving his goal." "Now...during my absence I experienced much that was new to me. As did Tinarah. The Light Chaser had found access to a new realm and trapped us there and events that occurred in that realm...they disturbed me." Gero motioned for Tinarah to step forward. "I am sorry to ask this of you but please, Tinarah, would you start from the beginning?"
An hour after everyone had time to finish their breakfast and talk amongst themselves everyone had been summoned to meet with the Council. Master Choma instructed the group that the meeting room was up on the third floor and when the time came he led them there. Like the rest of the castle, this room comprised of a mostly white and light blue color scheme with shades of gray accenting the furnishings. At the back of the circular room was a long raised table with eight seats along one side that rose ever so slightly in height the further inward the chairs went with the tallest belonging to to the master of the castle, the Master of Masters. On the top of the back of each seat was a golden insignia, the Mark of Mastery. There were no other seats in the area, forcing those who entered to remain standing for the duration of the meeting including both Qamar and Adalric as neither were part of the Council. Everyone lined up to face the Council. From left to right: Illiana, Glyde, Atmos, Takehiko, Chrono, Tinarah, Choma, Aria, Torrin, Boreas, Adalric, Qamar.
"I'm glad to see all of you arrived on time." Gero spoke, looking down at the group. "I am Gero, the Master of Masters and head of the Council of Lights. Beside me is Master Stamatis the man who took charge during my six year absence. The other masters you see before you are Kaio, Varos, Aster, Skia, Thyella, Kidemonas, and Selene." He motioned to each one as they were introduced with only Selene making an effort to greet the group by waving slightly with a smile. Stamatis's face looked to be clearly showing an effort to hide his discomfort sitting there as he was still in pain and had not recovered from the fight with the Light Chaser. "I am aware that some of you might be familiar with some of us but please hold the casual chat for later. I know that, for most of you, you are just barely hearing the name Council of Lights. We are an order that was formed not long after the Keyblade War to prevent such a thing from happening again. We watch after the other masters, occasionally sending students their way, to ensure that the world order is maintained. If a master breaks our rules they are punished by us. If the Seven Pure Lights are in danger, we are the first to respond." Gero leaned against the armrest of his seat and scratched his beard. "The Light Chaser." He paused to allow the weight of those words to sink in and echo in the chamber. "He had been one of us at one point. The day he came to this castle seeking to be trained to be a part of the Council I could already see his raw power. It already rivaled my own back then and it only grew every day he trained here." Gero tapped his fingers against the armrest as his brow furrowed. "The three of us who knew him best failed him as his teachers. Had we been wiser or better men he might not have gone down this path. But it is too late now." Gero sighed and at the same time Stamatis lowered his head. "This castle holds the key to locating the Seven. As of this moment the Light Chaser is securing a third Princess of Heart. I do not know how he knew of her location but I know for a fact that he has not found all of the Seven. For that reason, we have remained at this castle. If any master were to leave, it is unlikely we would have the power to stop him. It may be hard to believe but that is truly the extent of his power alone. The damage he could unleash on every realm with the Seven would be unimaginable. For that reason, we only need to keep one out of his reach to keep him from achieving his goal." "Now...during my absence I experienced much that was new to me. As did Tinarah. The Light Chaser had found access to a new realm and trapped us there and events that occurred in that realm...they disturbed me." Gero motioned for Tinarah to step forward. "I am sorry to ask this of you but please, Tinarah, would you start from the beginning?"
Atmos blinked at Chrono's question. "I suppose but...she's a little on the short side so..." "Master Selene should be around her height. I can ask her for something." Seemingly using it as an excuse to get out of the room, Aster opened a portal and left. "Well I suppose that's one way to go about it." Atmos tilted her head and looked at the spot where the portal had been opened and waited a moment for her sister to return. "How is Tinarah holding up?" Atmos asked while they were waiting. Some time passed and Aster returned through another portal holding some clothes for Tinarah. "Here Chrono. I think this should fit her." "I believe it might be best if you stay away from him. Being from the Realm of Darkness isn't a problem but, from what I have heard, he doesn't seem particularly...stable." Kide picked at his food absentmindedly before taking another bite. "As for that picture, I'm sorry but I haven't been able to figure that out. I might have been able to if Master Stamatis allowed me into Gero's study but there are books in there with forbidden knowledge that only the Master of Masters is allowed to know. But...maybe now that Master Gero is back, you can ask him when he is free. He's lived a long life. He might even recognize that man's armor on the spot." Kide shrugged, taking another bite. "Being a master is more than just skill. If it was, then there'd be more masters running around. To put it bluntly, neither you nor Adalric are ready yet. You both have your hangups to get over. That's not to say masters are perfect but being able to handle your darkness would certainly be a step in the right direction." Choma went over to Tinarah and the urge to kneel down beside her came and went. She wasn't that short anymore. "There was a commotion earlier. That student who entered your room...what happened exactly?" He questioned with concern still in his voice. "Is there anything you need right now, Tinarah? Perhaps a second helping of breakfast would help you." He tried to pass the suggestion off as a joke but it came off stilted and awkward. As he looked at Tinarah, knowing that this had gone wrong he could not hold back the words anymore. He could not just ignore what had happened to her. "If I had known sooner what happened to you..." He sighed. "I'm sorry Tinarah. I have failed you as your master to keep you safe." Gero's glare at Torrin finally disappeared when Aria made another attempt to break up their argument. He still believed the boy could not be trusted but he could not force them to not interact. For all he knew, being even harder on Torrin could lead him down the same path he had seen in the other realm. Aria showed him the bracelet the Light Chaser had given her and raised an eyebrow. He stepped closer and examined it carefully, turning the bracelet over to look at the charm placed upon it. Suddenly his eyes hardened. He pulled away. "I've seen this before." He spoke softly. "That bracelet will do you no harm. I am sorry Aria...I must go...do research. I do not have the power to remove it. But perhaps you are not the only one in history who has had those kinds of nightmares." Gero ruffled the girl's hair and attempted to smile but it would have been obvious that he was trying too hard to do so. "It has been good to see you. We will speak again later today when the Council convenes." He bowed his head slightly and turned to walk away, heading across the hall and up the stairs on the other side to the third floor of the castle leaving the two alone, Torrin still looking to be aggravated over the lack of progress that had happened.
Atmos blinked at Chrono's question. "I suppose but...she's a little on the short side so..." "Master Selene should be around her height. I can ask her for something." Seemingly using it as an excuse to get out of the room, Aster opened a portal and left. "Well I suppose that's one way to go about it." Atmos tilted her head and looked at the spot where the portal had been opened and waited a moment for her sister to return. "How is Tinarah holding up?" Atmos asked while they were waiting. Some time passed and Aster returned through another portal holding some clothes for Tinarah. "Here Chrono. I think this should fit her."
"I believe it might be best if you stay away from him. Being from the Realm of Darkness isn't a problem but, from what I have heard, he doesn't seem particularly...stable." Kide picked at his food absentmindedly before taking another bite. "As for that picture, I'm sorry but I haven't been able to figure that out. I might have been able to if Master Stamatis allowed me into Gero's study but there are books in there with forbidden knowledge that only the Master of Masters is allowed to know. But...maybe now that Master Gero is back, you can ask him when he is free. He's lived a long life. He might even recognize that man's armor on the spot." Kide shrugged, taking another bite. "Being a master is more than just skill. If it was, then there'd be more masters running around. To put it bluntly, neither you nor Adalric are ready yet. You both have your hangups to get over. That's not to say masters are perfect but being able to handle your darkness would certainly be a step in the right direction."
Choma went over to Tinarah and the urge to kneel down beside her came and went. She wasn't that short anymore. "There was a commotion earlier. That student who entered your room...what happened exactly?" He questioned with concern still in his voice. "Is there anything you need right now, Tinarah? Perhaps a second helping of breakfast would help you." He tried to pass the suggestion off as a joke but it came off stilted and awkward. As he looked at Tinarah, knowing that this had gone wrong he could not hold back the words anymore. He could not just ignore what had happened to her. "If I had known sooner what happened to you..." He sighed. "I'm sorry Tinarah. I have failed you as your master to keep you safe."
Gero's glare at Torrin finally disappeared when Aria made another attempt to break up their argument. He still believed the boy could not be trusted but he could not force them to not interact. For all he knew, being even harder on Torrin could lead him down the same path he had seen in the other realm. Aria showed him the bracelet the Light Chaser had given her and raised an eyebrow. He stepped closer and examined it carefully, turning the bracelet over to look at the charm placed upon it. Suddenly his eyes hardened. He pulled away. "I've seen this before." He spoke softly. "That bracelet will do you no harm. I am sorry Aria...I must go...do research. I do not have the power to remove it. But perhaps you are not the only one in history who has had those kinds of nightmares." Gero ruffled the girl's hair and attempted to smile but it would have been obvious that he was trying too hard to do so. "It has been good to see you. We will speak again later today when the Council convenes." He bowed his head slightly and turned to walk away, heading across the hall and up the stairs on the other side to the third floor of the castle leaving the two alone, Torrin still looking to be aggravated over the lack of progress that had happened.
