As Silver stepped onto the ship he took off his hat on seeing Captain Amelia. "Captain!" He enthusiastically greeted. Amelia was not amused and gave him a stern look. "Save your claptrap for the judge, Silver!" Once everyone was on board the vessel the engines fired and the sails were let loose. The ship boosted forth with incredible speed with Captain Amelia taking charge of the wheel to steer them weave in between falling debris. The vessel, being lighter and smaller than the RLS Legacy, maneuvered easily through the exploding core and towards the open portal that led to the surface. The closer they got towards the portal, the more unstable the planet's core became. Soon the rocks and flaming mechanical parts raining down became impossible to avoid and as an explosion took place overhead chunks of metal began to crash onto the deck, blasting holes through the ship. Silver jumped on top of Jim without a second's thought to shield the boy from the debris. One of the ships engine's overheated and burst from beneath the group. Even by attempting to find cover it would have been difficult to avoid getting cut and bruised. Takehiko was knocked back during the blast. One of the cannons came loose and rolled backwards, crushing his left hand on doing so. Despite the ship having taking a beating and with one fewer engine working they escaped the core and flew up into space. The explosion of the planet caused a shock wave that rocked the ship and damaged another engine but...everyone survived. The ship was left practically limping, the RLS Legacy had been destroyed, but everyone was alive. Torrin coughed and rubbed his neck, looking around the area they had been dropped off in without any kind of warning. "Atmos? Ideas?" He could not sense the Light Chaser's presence any longer but even still he kept his keyblade in hand just in case. "I've...I've never seen this place in person but we must be at the castle of the council." Atmos looked up, her mouth agape for a moment as she stared in awe of the massive castle before them. "Castle of the what? Coun-" Tinarah dropped like a sack of potatoes and Torrin raised an eyebrow. He supposed that he should have felt guilty but the way it had suddenly happened... He suppressed any sense of humor he might have felt at that moment, knowing it to be inappropriate and went over to the girl's side to check that she had not injured herself in the fall. "Hey are you...no, stupid question. Just stay still, everything's fine." He tried to assure her. Torrin looked over at Atmos. "Where are we?" "The Council of-" "Atmos, I didn't expect to see you bringing company." Down from the entrance of the castle came a blonde woman dressed in black with a resemblance to Atmos. "Allow me to introduce myself, strangers. I am Aster." Behind her trailed a young man and woman. Both had been called from their studies by Aster to come greet their guests as the other masters were scrambling to get a handle of the sudden burst of new information they received in Gero's return as well as the treatment of Stamatis's injuries. "These two are students training here." She pointed to the black haired female to her right. "That is Qamar, student of Master Kidemonas, and this," she motioned to the male on her left, "is Adalric, my own student." "So what?" Torrin asked, his eyes narrowing at the woman with impatience clear in his tone. Aster raised an eyebrow, almost amused, but ignored him and instead turned to look at Atmos. "What did you get yourself involved in, my sister? Stamatis came back half dead and Master Gero, after six years of being presumed dead, suddenly returned." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, not waiting for a response before continuing to speak again. "You know what? Just...just save it for now. We can do the small talk until your friends are summoned here to make sure everyone is on the same page. I am not going to repeat the same story twice in a row." "Who do you think you are? There are other masters here? What the hell have you been doing the past years? While you have been sitting on your hands doing nothing I've nearly died a hundred times over fighting your battles!" "Torrin, right? We appreciate the work you've done but right now you have no idea what you're talking about. So calm down." "Worlds have been destroyed! I've seen people die! I don't need your thanks, I need answers." Torrin stepped forward. "That's enough! You've made your point." Atmos placed her hand on Torrin's shoulder making him stop. He brushed her hand off and glared at the woman for a long moment. Trying to cut the tension Atmos continued to speak. "Tinarah needs help. She isn't well." "Of course. We can find her appropriate accommodations."
As Silver stepped onto the ship he took off his hat on seeing Captain Amelia. "Captain!" He enthusiastically greeted. Amelia was not amused and gave him a stern look. "Save your claptrap for the judge, Silver!" Once everyone was on board the vessel the engines fired and the sails were let loose. The ship boosted forth with incredible speed with Captain Amelia taking charge of the wheel to steer them weave in between falling debris. The vessel, being lighter and smaller than the RLS Legacy, maneuvered easily through the exploding core and towards the open portal that led to the surface. The closer they got towards the portal, the more unstable the planet's core became. Soon the rocks and flaming mechanical parts raining down became impossible to avoid and as an explosion took place overhead chunks of metal began to crash onto the deck, blasting holes through the ship. Silver jumped on top of Jim without a second's thought to shield the boy from the debris. One of the ships engine's overheated and burst from beneath the group. Even by attempting to find cover it would have been difficult to avoid getting cut and bruised. Takehiko was knocked back during the blast. One of the cannons came loose and rolled backwards, crushing his left hand on doing so. Despite the ship having taking a beating and with one fewer engine working they escaped the core and flew up into space. The explosion of the planet caused a shock wave that rocked the ship and damaged another engine but...everyone survived. The ship was left practically limping, the RLS Legacy had been destroyed, but everyone was alive.
Torrin coughed and rubbed his neck, looking around the area they had been dropped off in without any kind of warning. "Atmos? Ideas?" He could not sense the Light Chaser's presence any longer but even still he kept his keyblade in hand just in case. "I've...I've never seen this place in person but we must be at the castle of the council." Atmos looked up, her mouth agape for a moment as she stared in awe of the massive castle before them. "Castle of the what? Coun-" Tinarah dropped like a sack of potatoes and Torrin raised an eyebrow. He supposed that he should have felt guilty but the way it had suddenly happened... He suppressed any sense of humor he might have felt at that moment, knowing it to be inappropriate and went over to the girl's side to check that she had not injured herself in the fall. "Hey are you...no, stupid question. Just stay still, everything's fine." He tried to assure her. Torrin looked over at Atmos. "Where are we?" "The Council of-"
Behind her trailed a young man and woman. Both had been called from their studies by Aster to come greet their guests as the other masters were scrambling to get a handle of the sudden burst of new information they received in Gero's return as well as the treatment of Stamatis's injuries. "These two are students training here." She pointed to the black haired female to her right. "That is Qamar, student of Master Kidemonas, and this," she motioned to the male on her left, "is Adalric, my own student." "So what?" Torrin asked, his eyes narrowing at the woman with impatience clear in his tone. Aster raised an eyebrow, almost amused, but ignored him and instead turned to look at Atmos. "What did you get yourself involved in, my sister? Stamatis came back half dead and Master Gero, after six years of being presumed dead, suddenly returned." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, not waiting for a response before continuing to speak again. "You know what? Just...just save it for now. We can do the small talk until your friends are summoned here to make sure everyone is on the same page. I am not going to repeat the same story twice in a row." "Who do you think you are? There are other masters here? What the hell have you been doing the past years? While you have been sitting on your hands doing nothing I've nearly died a hundred times over fighting your battles!" "Torrin, right? We appreciate the work you've done but right now you have no idea what you're talking about. So calm down." "Worlds have been destroyed! I've seen people die! I don't need your thanks, I need answers." Torrin stepped forward. "That's enough! You've made your point." Atmos placed her hand on Torrin's shoulder making him stop. He brushed her hand off and glared at the woman for a long moment. Trying to cut the tension Atmos continued to speak. "Tinarah needs help. She isn't well." "Of course. We can find her appropriate accommodations."
The Heartless began to struggle to get back on its feet after once more being knocked over by the students and its horns began to glow as it readied another Desperation Attack. "Goodbye, Mr. Scroop!" Silver said without a hint of remorse as he fired off another shoot from his arm, striking the Heartless in the chest. Tendrils of darkness rose from its body as it began to disintegrate. Bright Eyes fell back onto the treasure and slowly began to sink underneath it until its body could no longer be seen. A heart floated up from underneath the treasure and disappeared. Aria gained 6 Levels! Takehiko gained 6 Levels! Illiana gained 4 Levels! Chrono gained 3 Levels! Glyde gained 2 Levels! Post in the OOC Thread for your rewards! Meanwhile, on Flint's ship, Choma had wrangled all the runaway pirates and tied them to the mast of the ship before helping Jim and the others finish the repairs. By that point, Jim had found and returned B.E.N.'s memory part in the hand of Flint's skeleton. Even from the battlefield the group would have heard B.E.N. exclaim something in terror upon recalling an important memory. "Flint wanted to make sure...that nobody could ever steal his treasure...so he rigged this whole planet to blow higher than a Kalepsian kite!" Just as the words echoed outward the core began to shake and the machines firing plasma into the core began to explode. "Get to the ship!" Silver shouted, leading the way back to the ship. "Hurry, people! We got exactly two minutes...and thirty-four seconds till planet's destruction!" B.E.N. shouted pulling out a clock from his chest and waving at everyone to jump on the ship.
The Heartless began to struggle to get back on its feet after once more being knocked over by the students and its horns began to glow as it readied another Desperation Attack. "Goodbye, Mr. Scroop!" Silver said without a hint of remorse as he fired off another shoot from his arm, striking the Heartless in the chest. Tendrils of darkness rose from its body as it began to disintegrate. Bright Eyes fell back onto the treasure and slowly began to sink underneath it until its body could no longer be seen. A heart floated up from underneath the treasure and disappeared.
Bright Eyes began to retaliate against the students, smacking Takehiko back with one of its arms at least 30 feet and with its other arm it smashed Illiana down into the ground knocking up gold with the blow. Bright Eyes charged for Chrono and kicked Aria on its way before attacking only for its claw to be stopped by Chrono's keyblade. The Heartless roared in anger and bared its massive teeth in what might have appeared to be a horrifying grin now that two of its four opponents had been knocked out. Takehiko was critically hit for 45 Damage! Takehiko was knocked out! Aria took 5 Damage! (24/45HP) Chrono Guarded the attack! (23/45HP) Illiana was critically hit for 32 Damage! Illiana was knocked out! Bright Eyes: 156/400HP Suddenly, several shots of gunfire struck Bright Eyes in the chest forcing it back. "Not so fast there! Ya blasted beast!" Silver ran over to the others and began helped both Illiana and Takehiko back up to their feet. "Come on ya brats. Get up and keep fighting!" Silver's words revitalized both keybladers forcing them back to their feet. Silver joined the party! HP: 85/85 AP: 0/20 MP: 0/20 Illiana: 5/25HP Takehiko: 5/60HP Bright Eyes: 136/400HP Bright Eyes began to drop Magic Orbs! Everyone regained 10 MP!
Bright Eyes began to retaliate against the students, smacking Takehiko back with one of its arms at least 30 feet and with its other arm it smashed Illiana down into the ground knocking up gold with the blow. Bright Eyes charged for Chrono and kicked Aria on its way before attacking only for its claw to be stopped by Chrono's keyblade. The Heartless roared in anger and bared its massive teeth in what might have appeared to be a horrifying grin now that two of its four opponents had been knocked out.
Alder clutched his chest and fell to one of his knees when Ria had been blasted right through. He coughed and breathed in slowly watching as Ria, now distorting into some kind of dark monster began to threaten them in an inhuman voice. Okay...okay that stings...dammit that stings. Alder was just recovering to try and fight once more but Ria simply vanished leaving him more unsettled than anything else but even that feeling faded too upon seeing who was the one who had gotten the jump on Ria. "M-Mora? That was one hell of spell you used." He walked over to the girl, smiling under his helmet. "Glad you're in one piece. Here let me patch you up some." He spoke as he cast a Cure spell on the girl. "Thanks for the assist." He eyed her new keyblade. "And welcome to the team." Turning back, he went over to hurry and continue digging a path into the cave.
Alder clutched his chest and fell to one of his knees when Ria had been blasted right through. He coughed and breathed in slowly watching as Ria, now distorting into some kind of dark monster began to threaten them in an inhuman voice. Okay...okay that stings...dammit that stings. Alder was just recovering to try and fight once more but Ria simply vanished leaving him more unsettled than anything else but even that feeling faded too upon seeing who was the one who had gotten the jump on Ria. "M-Mora? That was one hell of spell you used." He walked over to the girl, smiling under his helmet. "Glad you're in one piece. Here let me patch you up some." He spoke as he cast a Cure spell on the girl. "Thanks for the assist." He eyed her new keyblade. "And welcome to the team." Turning back, he went over to hurry and continue digging a path into the cave.
Avra and Chrys were both struck by more of Grandmother Willow's magical leaves. Avra seemed to be having trouble getting back up as she attacked in retaliation, her hair disheveled and her movement beginning to slow. AP: 18/40 Chrys took 27 Damage! (13/100HP) Avra took 16 Damage! (5/100HP) Grandmother Willow: 144/450HP Torrin looked over for a brief moment to make sure Boreas had left with Tinarah and Gero, finding no time to breathe out in relief when they made their exit. Torrin jumped up towards the top of the stairs, opting for the high ground to prepare to unleash a technique of his own he had never yet used on the Light Chaser. He knew that it would not be enough to take him down but even the Light Chaser could not possibly defend against it. Especially not while in this form. His keyblade began to glow as Torrin traced his finger along its blade and drew the weapon back as he readied the technique. During this, he watched the Light Chaser blast Stamatis in the gut with a beam of light, flinging him against the wall. Atmos cast a Cure spell but it did not seem to be enough to get him back on his feet. "This isn't going well for you." The man mused. "Of course i wasn't expecting more from you, Stamatis. Once I'm through with you the old man is next." As he spoke Atmos ran to Stamatis's side to try and help him to his feet while the Light Chaser began to approach. "Let's see you walk this off." Torrin closed the distance between the two in a single strike as he unleashed his most powerful attack, Shin-Zantetsuken. Windows shattered at the release of magical power. As fast as the attack came the Light Chaser was faster still. His blade was caught midswing and as the last of the energy from his form disappeared Torrin's eyes narrowed at the Light Chaser, unable to see his face under the shadow of his hood. "Haven't you learned by now? Your power just isn't enough." What will it take to bring this guy down!? Torrin's keyblade dematerialized allowing him to jump back and call for it once more but as he did the Light Chaser had already closed the distance and gripped Torrin by the throat, easily lifting him off his feet. "No matter how many times I crush you, you just keep getting back up for more. At first it was admirable." Torrin tried to take a swing at the Light Chaser but his blade was once again caught by the man's free arm. "Now, however, I've grown tired of it. Light's out for you." As Boreas carried Gero out of the castle with Tinarah struggling to keep up, there was a flash of light that came from Gero's body. In an instant the elderly man was no longer in Boreas's grasp. "That is enough!" Standing in the hall was Gero, his eyes hardened with determination. His voice echoed through the hall and caused the Light Chaser to turn his head and look over at the man now standing at the entrance. He dropped Torrin leaving the young man gasping for air and turned to the older man. "Awake at last." "I have not come here to fight you." Gero stated though his keyblade was already out and at the ready. "Fighting and running are your only options. And seeing as how much effort it's taking you to stand I already know what you're planning on doing." "How far you have fallen..." Gero shook his head regretfully as he looked at Stamatis who was still being tended to by Atmos. "We may have failed you but there is still a chance-" The Light Chaser vanished and reappeared standing in front of Gero in the blink of an eye. "Go ahead. Run then. I wanted to finish the job now but it looks like I can prolong your suffering even now. But when every one of your students has expired or betrayed you, you will only have yourself to blame, old man." The Light Chaser's words were spoken with an underlying tone of anger. "Or will you choose to fight me and die now?" He extended his hand to reach for Gero's throat but the elder master vanished in a flash of light only to reappear by Atmos and Stamatis. In another flash of light Atmos, Stamatis, Gero, and Torrin were taken away from the castle. Barely a minute had passed since Gero left Boreas and Tinarah before he now stood in front of the two, beads of sweat now covering his forehead from the exertion he had placed upon himself from getting the others to safety. "There is no time to explain. We must flee now." He approached the two and gripped their shoulders. Before they could respond the trio departed from the world. Tinarah, Boreas, Torrin, and Atmos had been dropped off in front of the steps of a grand castle that stood higher than anything they would have ever seen, its highest peak nearly touching the clouds. Gero and Stamatis were nowhere to be seen. The sky was turning pink from the sunset and around them were tree-covered mountains, their bases obscured by a thick mist. The castle itself was situated atop a mountain allowing them to look down at the mist. In the distance, barely visible, was a sea. There was no one around to greet them.
Avra and Chrys were both struck by more of Grandmother Willow's magical leaves. Avra seemed to be having trouble getting back up as she attacked in retaliation, her hair disheveled and her movement beginning to slow. AP: 18/40
Torrin looked over for a brief moment to make sure Boreas had left with Tinarah and Gero, finding no time to breathe out in relief when they made their exit. Torrin jumped up towards the top of the stairs, opting for the high ground to prepare to unleash a technique of his own he had never yet used on the Light Chaser. He knew that it would not be enough to take him down but even the Light Chaser could not possibly defend against it. Especially not while in this form. His keyblade began to glow as Torrin traced his finger along its blade and drew the weapon back as he readied the technique. During this, he watched the Light Chaser blast Stamatis in the gut with a beam of light, flinging him against the wall. Atmos cast a Cure spell but it did not seem to be enough to get him back on his feet. "This isn't going well for you." The man mused. "Of course i wasn't expecting more from you, Stamatis. Once I'm through with you the old man is next." As he spoke Atmos ran to Stamatis's side to try and help him to his feet while the Light Chaser began to approach. "Let's see you walk this off." Torrin closed the distance between the two in a single strike as he unleashed his most powerful attack, Shin-Zantetsuken. Windows shattered at the release of magical power. As fast as the attack came the Light Chaser was faster still. His blade was caught midswing and as the last of the energy from his form disappeared Torrin's eyes narrowed at the Light Chaser, unable to see his face under the shadow of his hood. "Haven't you learned by now? Your power just isn't enough." What will it take to bring this guy down!? Torrin's keyblade dematerialized allowing him to jump back and call for it once more but as he did the Light Chaser had already closed the distance and gripped Torrin by the throat, easily lifting him off his feet. "No matter how many times I crush you, you just keep getting back up for more. At first it was admirable." Torrin tried to take a swing at the Light Chaser but his blade was once again caught by the man's free arm. "Now, however, I've grown tired of it. Light's out for you."
"That is enough!" Standing in the hall was Gero, his eyes hardened with determination. His voice echoed through the hall and caused the Light Chaser to turn his head and look over at the man now standing at the entrance. He dropped Torrin leaving the young man gasping for air and turned to the older man. "Awake at last." "I have not come here to fight you." Gero stated though his keyblade was already out and at the ready. "Fighting and running are your only options. And seeing as how much effort it's taking you to stand I already know what you're planning on doing." "How far you have fallen..." Gero shook his head regretfully as he looked at Stamatis who was still being tended to by Atmos. "We may have failed you but there is still a chance-" The Light Chaser vanished and reappeared standing in front of Gero in the blink of an eye. "Go ahead. Run then. I wanted to finish the job now but it looks like I can prolong your suffering even now. But when every one of your students has expired or betrayed you, you will only have yourself to blame, old man." The Light Chaser's words were spoken with an underlying tone of anger. "Or will you choose to fight me and die now?" He extended his hand to reach for Gero's throat but the elder master vanished in a flash of light only to reappear by Atmos and Stamatis. In another flash of light Atmos, Stamatis, Gero, and Torrin were taken away from the castle. Barely a minute had passed since Gero left Boreas and Tinarah before he now stood in front of the two, beads of sweat now covering his forehead from the exertion he had placed upon himself from getting the others to safety. "There is no time to explain. We must flee now." He approached the two and gripped their shoulders. Before they could respond the trio departed from the world. Tinarah, Boreas, Torrin, and Atmos had been dropped off in front of the steps of a grand castle that stood higher than anything they would have ever seen, its highest peak nearly touching the clouds. Gero and Stamatis were nowhere to be seen. The sky was turning pink from the sunset and around them were tree-covered mountains, their bases obscured by a thick mist. The castle itself was situated atop a mountain allowing them to look down at the mist. In the distance, barely visible, was a sea. There was no one around to greet them.
Bright Eyes fell over onto its back after the onslaught of attacks from the young keybladers. The Heartless remained still. Darkness began to rise from its body and Bright Eyes began to rise back onto its many legs and exploded into a dark rage. In a Desperation Attack, the Heartless extended its four arms out and aimed its horns at the group. Dark energy began to spiral around Bright Eyes's horns and between the two a magical orb formed and grew until it was launched into the group. The dark energy exploded, sending treasure flying in every direction and the sending three of the four flying back. Aria took 5 Damage! (29/45HP) Illiana took 9 Damage! (16/25HP) Takehiko took 20 Damage! (30/60HP) Chrono's Temporis Imitatio triggered causing him to dodge the attack! (23/45HP) Bright Eyes: 212/400HP Torrin had been leaning against the castle wall, watching the snow fall outside the barrier that kept the grounds warm. He had begun turning over a ring in his hand, a trinket he once considered to be lucky after snatching it from a roaming Heartless a year ago. It hadn't been the first thing he had found in a Heartless's possession. Sometimes they carried stolen potions across worlds and jewelry from unknown lands. This ring, however, had caught his eye because of its strange make. It was never something that he would wear but considering the engraving of a name on it he had thought to keep it on him. Of course, it never proved to be lucky unless one would count not losing it after this long as lucky. When Boreas came out to speak with him he glanced over at his old friend and placed the trinket back in his pocket. "Hm." Torrin took in a deep breath and exhaled. Though it felt good to have Boreas's faith in him it only relieved him slightly. "Thanks Boreas. It's good to see that you've still got that good sense of yours." He unfolded his arms and stepped away from the castle to head towards the edge of the barrier, his thoughts running faster in his mind than he could process. "I've been giving it some thought and-" Just barely Torrin heard a shout from within the castle. He didn't recognize the voice and feeling the same sense of alarm as Boreas, Torrin ran inside as well. By the time the two made it inside both Atmos and a man with long flowing silver hair had their keyblades out and were furiously dueling against an unarmed hooded man who was parrying their attacks with his hands. Torrin's eyes widened. He knew who this was. "No...nonono! Dammit not now!" He looked over towards Boreas. "Get Tinarah and Gero. We need to leave. Now." Torrin ordered, keyblade already in hand as he charged forth. In an instant a white aura exploded around him as he wasted no time going into Critical Form and joined the other two Masters in fighting the Light Chaser who had been clearly holding the upper hand as he casually gripped Atmos's keyblade and flung her across the hall onto the stairs. Meanwhile...Tinarah could have felt that her plea was heard by a presence but no answer came. The only response she received was a vague feeling of regret coming from someone on the other side. Fost did not arrive.
Bright Eyes fell over onto its back after the onslaught of attacks from the young keybladers. The Heartless remained still. Darkness began to rise from its body and Bright Eyes began to rise back onto its many legs and exploded into a dark rage. In a Desperation Attack, the Heartless extended its four arms out and aimed its horns at the group. Dark energy began to spiral around Bright Eyes's horns and between the two a magical orb formed and grew until it was launched into the group. The dark energy exploded, sending treasure flying in every direction and the sending three of the four flying back.
Torrin had been leaning against the castle wall, watching the snow fall outside the barrier that kept the grounds warm. He had begun turning over a ring in his hand, a trinket he once considered to be lucky after snatching it from a roaming Heartless a year ago. It hadn't been the first thing he had found in a Heartless's possession. Sometimes they carried stolen potions across worlds and jewelry from unknown lands. This ring, however, had caught his eye because of its strange make. It was never something that he would wear but considering the engraving of a name on it he had thought to keep it on him. Of course, it never proved to be lucky unless one would count not losing it after this long as lucky. When Boreas came out to speak with him he glanced over at his old friend and placed the trinket back in his pocket. "Hm." Torrin took in a deep breath and exhaled. Though it felt good to have Boreas's faith in him it only relieved him slightly. "Thanks Boreas. It's good to see that you've still got that good sense of yours." He unfolded his arms and stepped away from the castle to head towards the edge of the barrier, his thoughts running faster in his mind than he could process. "I've been giving it some thought and-" Just barely Torrin heard a shout from within the castle. He didn't recognize the voice and feeling the same sense of alarm as Boreas, Torrin ran inside as well. By the time the two made it inside both Atmos and a man with long flowing silver hair had their keyblades out and were furiously dueling against an unarmed hooded man who was parrying their attacks with his hands. Torrin's eyes widened. He knew who this was. "No...nonono! Dammit not now!" He looked over towards Boreas. "Get Tinarah and Gero. We need to leave. Now." Torrin ordered, keyblade already in hand as he charged forth. In an instant a white aura exploded around him as he wasted no time going into Critical Form and joined the other two Masters in fighting the Light Chaser who had been clearly holding the upper hand as he casually gripped Atmos's keyblade and flung her across the hall onto the stairs. Meanwhile...Tinarah could have felt that her plea was heard by a presence but no answer came. The only response she received was a vague feeling of regret coming from someone on the other side. Fost did not arrive.
"I see...I am sorry you had to go through that. You do not seem well." Stamatis frowned at the girl. "Thank you for taking me to him. Times have been desperate and we need every able-bodied master ready for combat." When they approached Choma's room, Stamatis stepped inside to see his master peacefully sleeping on the bed. Stamatis smiled. "It's true..." He touched his chest, letting out a sigh of relief. "At last, we've found you Master Gero." Stamatis stepped closer and knelt by the elder man's bedside. "It has been difficult acting as your successor but I have done my duty just as you would have wanted. But even so...I have failed you. Ac..." He looked over at Tinarah for a moment and then back to Gero. "He...he has outmaneuvered us. Already one of the Princesses is in his possession and we do not have the numbers to oppose him directly." The snow began falling again. The sound of the wind rustling the leaves of outside trees could faintly be heard. The flow of time had resumed its natural course. Stamatis slowly stood up raising an eyebrow as a look of confusion crossed his face. "W-what? That's not possible." "You always did like to make an entrance, Master Stamatis. But I outgrew you long ago. All of you." There at the doorway stood a tall man in a black cloak, his arms folded. He stepped away from the door, gently pushing Tinarah out of his way to stand in front of Stamatis. "Good work, Tinarah. There were other variations of my plan that would have led to this result but, complex as this was, this was a favorite of mine. Luring Stamatis out and away from the Council was more difficult than I would like to admit. I went through such effort to go for the oldest trick in the book. Divide and conquer." Almost instantly Stamatis summoned his keyblade and grabbed Gero's shoulder but...nothing happened. "Your powers really have grown. But there was a time where you would have never dared to act against your masters." The Light Chaser chuckled, his hands on his hips as he shook his head. "I have no masters. And I've come to rectify a mistake I made six years ago when I allowed the old man to live instead of finishing the job. I'm above such sentiments now." "That hubris of yours does not suit you. Stamatis directed his blade now at the hooded man. "Tinarah, run!" Stamatis shouted as he charged forth and threw himself at the Light Chaser attempting to pin the man against the hallway wall to give her a chance to escape. "Don't worry about Gero and I just run!"
"I see...I am sorry you had to go through that. You do not seem well." Stamatis frowned at the girl. "Thank you for taking me to him. Times have been desperate and we need every able-bodied master ready for combat." When they approached Choma's room, Stamatis stepped inside to see his master peacefully sleeping on the bed. Stamatis smiled. "It's true..." He touched his chest, letting out a sigh of relief. "At last, we've found you Master Gero." Stamatis stepped closer and knelt by the elder man's bedside. "It has been difficult acting as your successor but I have done my duty just as you would have wanted. But even so...I have failed you. Ac..." He looked over at Tinarah for a moment and then back to Gero. "He...he has outmaneuvered us. Already one of the Princesses is in his possession and we do not have the numbers to oppose him directly."
Alder had been paralyzed, pain surging through him from his leg. He glared at their enemy managing to say through clenched teeth, "I...w-will...end you." Ria had finally stuck with what he could only assume was the monster's true form. Aevum. As the strength began to fade from his body the pain came to an abrupt stop when Daeni cut in, literally, followed by Cerdic who allowed Alder to jump back with his good leg to get some distance from Ria. "Thanks guys... I really needed that. Now let's make this creature regret its existence." Alder gripped his keyblade with both hands and raised his keyblade to the sky. "Thunder!" It was the quickest way he could get a spell in on Ria and he knew by now there wasn't anything to do but fight and keep Ria from getting their hands on them.
Alder had been paralyzed, pain surging through him from his leg. He glared at their enemy managing to say through clenched teeth, "I...w-will...end you." Ria had finally stuck with what he could only assume was the monster's true form. Aevum. As the strength began to fade from his body the pain came to an abrupt stop when Daeni cut in, literally, followed by Cerdic who allowed Alder to jump back with his good leg to get some distance from Ria. "Thanks guys... I really needed that. Now let's make this creature regret its existence." Alder gripped his keyblade with both hands and raised his keyblade to the sky. "Thunder!" It was the quickest way he could get a spell in on Ria and he knew by now there wasn't anything to do but fight and keep Ria from getting their hands on them.
The gentle breeze outside stopped. The snow falling outside past the barrier of the castle stopped in midair. Time had been frozen. "You must be Tinarah." Stamatis spoke quietly, standing at the entrance to her room. "You know of Fost? I see..." The man scratched his chin thoughtfully as his mind went through the details Tinarah had given him. "Curious...very curious..." He shook his head and smiled at the young woman. He cleared his throat and spoke a little more formally now. "Master Fost has not kept in close contact with us but he is alive. How did you find Master Gero? He has been missing for six years now. We assumed he was dead. I must see him for myself. Please, Miss Tinarah.."
"You must be Tinarah." Stamatis spoke quietly, standing at the entrance to her room. "You know of Fost? I see..." The man scratched his chin thoughtfully as his mind went through the details Tinarah had given him. "Curious...very curious..." He shook his head and smiled at the young woman. He cleared his throat and spoke a little more formally now. "Master Fost has not kept in close contact with us but he is alive. How did you find Master Gero? He has been missing for six years now. We assumed he was dead. I must see him for myself. Please, Miss Tinarah.."
Bright Eyes stumbled over, roaring in pain as it swung back with its damaged arm that Chrono had attacked, knocking him back and into Illiana who guarded against Chrono. Bright Eyes continued to grow angrier and more desperate as the the battle went on now going after Aria and plowing through Take to do so. The Heartless brought its four arms down on the girl intending to crush her only to find that a barrier of light shielded her almost entirely from harm with Aria only being knocked to her back. Her bracelet flashed and flung the Heartless away though it hardly seemed scratched from the burst of light and had only grown more enraged. Darkness once more started rising from its body. Takehiko took 6 Damage! (50/60HP) Aria took 4 Damage! (34/45HP) Illiana Guarded the attack! (25/25HP) Chrono took 12 Damage! (23/45HP) Bright Eyes: 269/400HP Torrin said nothing when Tinarah snapped back and allowed her to leave without a word from him. It didn't matter at this point to try to tell Boreas to relax with his speech since she was likely already out of earshot by the time he had finished. Torrin's brow furrowed as he turned around to ponder the girl's fragmented story. "There's another me in another realm." He spoke quietly in disbelief. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, folding his arms and unfolding them right after. "I...I never expected to hear of the existence of another realm. But with the way Tinarah's been acting and what she's said, it doesn't sound good." The mention of Mika only made him more uncomfortable with what he had heard. "I don't understand how any version of me would be capable of doing the things she said. Or...maybe I do..." Torrin ran a hand through his hair and looked in the direction Tinarah had left. "I think it's best we leave her alone for now. She's been through a lot. Too much." Atmos sighed. "Perhaps if Choma was here..." She trailed off. "Maybe I should keep my distance from her." Torrin suggested before turning towards Boreas. He tried to say something but nothing came to mind. He wasn't sure if he was suddenly feeling guilty after what Tinarah said or if it was something else he just did not have words for. It shouldn't have bothered him as Boreas had said that because it wasn't them they had no responsibility for the actions of those bearing their faces from another realm. "I'm going to wait outside. I prefer fresh air." Torrin turned away to exit the castle, saying nothing more. There was a long pause of silence but Tinarah would have felt that her call had been answered. Finally, a warm voice responded to Tinarah speaking with a hint of curiosity in his tone. "Tinarah? Yes...I have a feeling that what you say is true. Though my mind does not know you it seems that somewhere inside, my heart does. Curious that this would happen...You say you met me in both another realm and the past? Hm. I had not trained a student in quite some time..." There was another pause. Then a gasp. "I did not think this was possible... Could this be...? No, it is not possible for him to have fabricated this... Tell me, Tinarah, you did not come back alone did you? Please, tell me where you are. I wish to see the truth with my own eyes."
Bright Eyes stumbled over, roaring in pain as it swung back with its damaged arm that Chrono had attacked, knocking him back and into Illiana who guarded against Chrono. Bright Eyes continued to grow angrier and more desperate as the the battle went on now going after Aria and plowing through Take to do so. The Heartless brought its four arms down on the girl intending to crush her only to find that a barrier of light shielded her almost entirely from harm with Aria only being knocked to her back. Her bracelet flashed and flung the Heartless away though it hardly seemed scratched from the burst of light and had only grown more enraged. Darkness once more started rising from its body.
Torrin said nothing when Tinarah snapped back and allowed her to leave without a word from him. It didn't matter at this point to try to tell Boreas to relax with his speech since she was likely already out of earshot by the time he had finished. Torrin's brow furrowed as he turned around to ponder the girl's fragmented story. "There's another me in another realm." He spoke quietly in disbelief. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, folding his arms and unfolding them right after. "I...I never expected to hear of the existence of another realm. But with the way Tinarah's been acting and what she's said, it doesn't sound good." The mention of Mika only made him more uncomfortable with what he had heard. "I don't understand how any version of me would be capable of doing the things she said. Or...maybe I do..." Torrin ran a hand through his hair and looked in the direction Tinarah had left. "I think it's best we leave her alone for now. She's been through a lot. Too much." Atmos sighed. "Perhaps if Choma was here..." She trailed off. "Maybe I should keep my distance from her." Torrin suggested before turning towards Boreas. He tried to say something but nothing came to mind. He wasn't sure if he was suddenly feeling guilty after what Tinarah said or if it was something else he just did not have words for. It shouldn't have bothered him as Boreas had said that because it wasn't them they had no responsibility for the actions of those bearing their faces from another realm. "I'm going to wait outside. I prefer fresh air." Torrin turned away to exit the castle, saying nothing more.
Alder kept digging but from the sounds of the fighting going behind him, he couldn't help but turn around. Only Cerdic was in combat and Daeni was focusing on Mora. He would have called Daeni out and told her to keep fighting if Heartless hadn't come charging at Chrono. He stopped his task for a moment, calling for his keyblade to destroy those that went after Chrono. "Keep going. Don't stop." He readied himself to go after the Heartless coming for Daeni and Mora but...suddenly they changed direction. There wasn't any reason for Heartless to do that...not unless... There was only one person he had ever seen with this ability. Alder ran forward attacking the Heartless head on and destroying them but did not stop there. Even now he could already see darkness coming from the girl. He didn't know how it happened but it did. He feared the worst had happened to their young companion somewhere between climbing the canyon and now. "Daeni that's not Mora!" He leapt into the air and brought his keyblade up before he landed, smashing his weapon down with all of his might aiming right for "Mora's" face.
Alder kept digging but from the sounds of the fighting going behind him, he couldn't help but turn around. Only Cerdic was in combat and Daeni was focusing on Mora. He would have called Daeni out and told her to keep fighting if Heartless hadn't come charging at Chrono. He stopped his task for a moment, calling for his keyblade to destroy those that went after Chrono. "Keep going. Don't stop." He readied himself to go after the Heartless coming for Daeni and Mora but...suddenly they changed direction. There wasn't any reason for Heartless to do that...not unless... There was only one person he had ever seen with this ability. Alder ran forward attacking the Heartless head on and destroying them but did not stop there. Even now he could already see darkness coming from the girl. He didn't know how it happened but it did. He feared the worst had happened to their young companion somewhere between climbing the canyon and now. "Daeni that's not Mora!" He leapt into the air and brought his keyblade up before he landed, smashing his weapon down with all of his might aiming right for "Mora's" face.
Avra cut off the roots as they popped up to limit the tree's attacks. Eventually, the sprouting roots stopped when Grandmother Willow realized that it wasn't going to cut it. "Glad I got to the root of that problem." She spoke confidently as she twirled her keyblade in hand and leaped up to charge forth once more only to be caught by one of Grandmother Willow's vines. "Ow! What a thorn in my side!" While the young woman was under wraps, the tree fired off more magical leaves at Chrys barely managing to graze her before her Reflect spell went off and exploded on the tree's face. Grandmother Willow immediately dropped Avra. "You cannot win." The ancient willow spoke. AP: 10/40 Chrys took 2 Damage! (40/100HP) Avra took 16 Damage! (21/100HP) Grandmother Willow: 216/450HP
Avra cut off the roots as they popped up to limit the tree's attacks. Eventually, the sprouting roots stopped when Grandmother Willow realized that it wasn't going to cut it. "Glad I got to the root of that problem." She spoke confidently as she twirled her keyblade in hand and leaped up to charge forth once more only to be caught by one of Grandmother Willow's vines. "Ow! What a thorn in my side!" While the young woman was under wraps, the tree fired off more magical leaves at Chrys barely managing to graze her before her Reflect spell went off and exploded on the tree's face. Grandmother Willow immediately dropped Avra. "You cannot win." The ancient willow spoke.
@Zimmy
Torrin folded his arms and thought over what Tinarah had said, picking apart her story. Her details describing her disappearance seemed to fit everything he had already heard but the mention of another realm and being imprisoned were what caught his attention. Nothing in his training from either the Realms of Darkness or Light ever told him of the existence of any other realm. With the exception of the Realm Between but that could not have been where she ended up. Not with the kind of portal she emerged from. "Calm down, Boreas. It's alright for her to be on edge. After all, I nearly attacked her and her brother when we first met." Now it was his friend who had started pushing Tinarah for details and, though Torrin agreed with him on the assessment of the situation, felt that he was being too harsh to a girl who had seemingly nearly starved to death. "Did I hear that correctly? You were in a different timeline?" Atmos jumped in having returned from leaving something for Gero to eat when he regained consciousness. "Master Gero will recover. He's stronger than he looks. Much stronger." "Mm. Yeah. Also, apparently Tinarah was in another realm and imprisoned. Seems like a lot to go through for being gone for...what? Two days?" Torrin shrugged. "So you're convinced she's the real deal?" Atmos raised an eyebrow and approached Tinarah, kneeling beside the girl to touch a hand to her forehead to make sure she did not have a fever from the ordeal. "I can make you some more food when you're ready." "Pretty sure she is. I'm just...confused right now. We'll get you to the others as soon as you and Gero are ready to travel." Meanwhile... Bright Eyes roared as it was attacked and swatted two of its four claws at Chrono, knocking him over before charging forth towards the Take while its arms swung wildly in its wake. Illiana would have managed to block one of its angry claw swipes. Aria was knocked back in its attack and Bright Eyes stopped upon kicking Takehiko with one of its spiked legs. The Heartless screeched and snapped at the group with its four large claws frantically, shooting up gold in a sparking shower whenever it missed and buried its arms in the mountains of treasure. Chrono took 10 Damage! (35/45HP) Takehiko took 4 Damage! (56/60HP) Aria took 7 Damage! (38/45HP) Illiana Guarded the attack! (25/25HP) Bright Eyes: 337/400HP
Torrin folded his arms and thought over what Tinarah had said, picking apart her story. Her details describing her disappearance seemed to fit everything he had already heard but the mention of another realm and being imprisoned were what caught his attention. Nothing in his training from either the Realms of Darkness or Light ever told him of the existence of any other realm. With the exception of the Realm Between but that could not have been where she ended up. Not with the kind of portal she emerged from. "Calm down, Boreas. It's alright for her to be on edge. After all, I nearly attacked her and her brother when we first met." Now it was his friend who had started pushing Tinarah for details and, though Torrin agreed with him on the assessment of the situation, felt that he was being too harsh to a girl who had seemingly nearly starved to death. "Did I hear that correctly? You were in a different timeline?" Atmos jumped in having returned from leaving something for Gero to eat when he regained consciousness. "Master Gero will recover. He's stronger than he looks. Much stronger." "Mm. Yeah. Also, apparently Tinarah was in another realm and imprisoned. Seems like a lot to go through for being gone for...what? Two days?" Torrin shrugged. "So you're convinced she's the real deal?" Atmos raised an eyebrow and approached Tinarah, kneeling beside the girl to touch a hand to her forehead to make sure she did not have a fever from the ordeal. "I can make you some more food when you're ready." "Pretty sure she is. I'm just...confused right now. We'll get you to the others as soon as you and Gero are ready to travel." Meanwhile... Bright Eyes roared as it was attacked and swatted two of its four claws at Chrono, knocking him over before charging forth towards the Take while its arms swung wildly in its wake. Illiana would have managed to block one of its angry claw swipes. Aria was knocked back in its attack and Bright Eyes stopped upon kicking Takehiko with one of its spiked legs. The Heartless screeched and snapped at the group with its four large claws frantically, shooting up gold in a sparking shower whenever it missed and buried its arms in the mountains of treasure.
"Of course. Thank you for lending it to me." Atmos said as she returned the activator to Boreas. "I don't suppose you have more for Gero, do you?" "Already on it." Atmos was already holding another bowl and left to head up to the find the old man. At the speed which she reacted Torrin wondered if she was using her magic to aid in her cooking. A thought that never occurred to Torrin to do whenever he made food for himself. He wondered how many burnt meals he would have saved himself from eating had he used magic all this time instead. Too many to count, probably. "Being gloomy is kind of my thing now." Torrin joked dryly as he folded his arms and looked over to Tinarah. He could sense some kind of negativity coming from her that was directed at him but he wasn't sure why. Given what she was talking about he could only guess that maybe she had hallucinated some version of him too that...also threw her off a bridge? "You don't need to give us the full story right now. It'll save you some breath to do it when we're all reunited." "Before your...little time skip what was the last thing you remember?" He asked, trying to tone down the intensity of his voice. Given the way she spoke about the others it was hard to believe that she was anyone but who she said she was. He just wanted to see something from her that would confirm it though he wasn't sure what would really convince him. Meanwhile... Scroop yelled in pain when the electricity ran through his body. The pirate was knocked off his prey before he could recover and stared at the children with hate in his eyes. "You! You'll all pay for that!" Jim sprinted over towards Silver and helped the old cyborg up to his feet. "Thank you." Jim looked at Aria. "All of you." He directed to everyone else. "You came back..?" Silver spoke in shock. "Jimbo..." "Not now. Let's get you to the ship you rusty pirate." Jim chuckled and started to walk with a limping Silver to safety while the others had Scroop covered. "Be careful. Please." "No! You brats! I've been waiting too long to get my chance to get my claws on you. No one's going to help you now." Scroop threatened the group when they refused to let him pass to get to Jim and Silver. He snapped his claws at them and began to tremble, grunting in pain as something in his body began to change. His shining yellow eyes narrowed at the group. The darkness coming off his body only continued to grow. "I'll kill...kill...all of you yesss...crush your bones..." His voice lowered into a low growl. "Kill...Crush...Ki...Cru...." His words were no longer coming out clearly. As the darkness continued to build the other pirates who betrayed Silver panicked and began to flee. Soon there was an explosion of dark energy that obscured the red alien. When the darkness faded there only remained a Heartless twice the size of Scroop and twice as hideous. A BOSS BATTLE COMMENCES D-Links are ready! Bright Eyes: 400/400HP
"Of course. Thank you for lending it to me." Atmos said as she returned the activator to Boreas. "I don't suppose you have more for Gero, do you?" "Already on it." Atmos was already holding another bowl and left to head up to the find the old man. At the speed which she reacted Torrin wondered if she was using her magic to aid in her cooking. A thought that never occurred to Torrin to do whenever he made food for himself. He wondered how many burnt meals he would have saved himself from eating had he used magic all this time instead. Too many to count, probably. "Being gloomy is kind of my thing now." Torrin joked dryly as he folded his arms and looked over to Tinarah. He could sense some kind of negativity coming from her that was directed at him but he wasn't sure why. Given what she was talking about he could only guess that maybe she had hallucinated some version of him too that...also threw her off a bridge? "You don't need to give us the full story right now. It'll save you some breath to do it when we're all reunited." "Before your...little time skip what was the last thing you remember?" He asked, trying to tone down the intensity of his voice. Given the way she spoke about the others it was hard to believe that she was anyone but who she said she was. He just wanted to see something from her that would confirm it though he wasn't sure what would really convince him. Meanwhile... Scroop yelled in pain when the electricity ran through his body. The pirate was knocked off his prey before he could recover and stared at the children with hate in his eyes. "You! You'll all pay for that!" Jim sprinted over towards Silver and helped the old cyborg up to his feet. "Thank you." Jim looked at Aria. "All of you." He directed to everyone else. "You came back..?" Silver spoke in shock. "Jimbo..." "Not now. Let's get you to the ship you rusty pirate." Jim chuckled and started to walk with a limping Silver to safety while the others had Scroop covered. "Be careful. Please." "No! You brats! I've been waiting too long to get my chance to get my claws on you. No one's going to help you now." Scroop threatened the group when they refused to let him pass to get to Jim and Silver. He snapped his claws at them and began to tremble, grunting in pain as something in his body began to change. His shining yellow eyes narrowed at the group. The darkness coming off his body only continued to grow. "I'll kill...kill...all of you yesss...crush your bones..." His voice lowered into a low growl. "Kill...Crush...Ki...Cru...." His words were no longer coming out clearly. As the darkness continued to build the other pirates who betrayed Silver panicked and began to flee. Soon there was an explosion of dark energy that obscured the red alien. When the darkness faded there only remained a Heartless twice the size of Scroop and twice as hideous.
Torrin watched as Atmos rushed to get Tinarah something to eat while he watched over her. "Come on. Have a seat." He said, helping her into the main hall where there stood the chair of the master of the castle. He helped Tinarah sit, figuring no one would mind the slight breach of protocol. It felt strange to be back in a castle. Despite the fact that the decor was different and that this belonged to a master in the Realm of Light, the halls and the air about the place brought back memories of home. Perhaps it was the way Tinarah seemed to look at him but something about this situation reminded him of something that happened a long time ago. Spoiler Episode Torrin Fear Torrin extended his down to his Holt to help him up after their training session. Despite being a year younger than Torrin, Holt was just as tall and almost as strong as the fourteen-year-old. Still, Holt was not as tough nor as skilled as Boreas which meant Torrin had little difficulty knocking his cousin to the ground. "You're getting better. Maybe one day you might even beat me." Torrin encouraged though Holt hardly seemed happy as he threw off his training gloves out of the marked circle and stomped out of the ring. "First Nora, now Holt. Very good, my nephew. My children would do well to learn from you in the ways of unarmed combat." His uncle, a massive man towering over all of them clapped his hands together. "Still, the way of the keyblade is your destiny and you should not neglect it. Sparring with wooden swords will get you only so far and I've noticed your footwork still needs improving. But good work, Torrin. Keep at it. I'll see you tomorrow." King Joch passed Torrin, patting him on the head as he did so with Holt following the man with his head hanging low. He had hoped to see his other cousin still there but she had left after losing her match to him saying that she felt better with a sword or spear than a fist. Sometimes she was temperamental around him and once in a fit of rage she had told him that it was because he was chosen by the keyblade yet neither she nor her brother had been chosen. He never held it against her but the words still stung to hear coming from someone who might as well have been his own sister. Torrin pulled off his gloves and turned to head out from the castle grounds to retire at home for the day when the gentle sound of rustling grass caused him to pause and look around. His brow furrowed but he saw nothing when he searched his surroundings and so he shrugged and continued to walk. "Torrin! Come here. I want to show you something." Torrin smiled on hearing the voice of his cousin Nora who was two years his senior. He rushed over to the girl who had been waiting around the corner of the castle walls and grinned at her. She motioned with her head to follow her back to the castle's grand hall. Uncle Joch's throne was placed close to the back, behind it were stairs that lead up to the chambers of the royal family. Torrin once lived here while his mother was still alive but the memories of actually sleeping in the castle were vague and all he knew of life there was what others told him like how he used to chase Nora through the halls. The memories of his mother, however, had more clarity to them but often left him in a state of melancholy. "What are we doing?" Torrin curiously asked his cousin, having to raise his gaze slightly to look into Nora's eyes. The corners of her mouth curved upwards into a mischievous grin as she ran over to the other side of the hall, her footsteps echoing in the stone room, as she crossed to retrieve something she had stowed away behind one of the pillars. "We're going to spar with something a little more entertaining. Come on, it'll be fun." She held a sword in each hand, each clearly shining brighter than the dulled swords he had seen used in training sessions by the castle guard. "Seriously? A sword isn't a toy so put that back in the armory, Nora." "What? Are you afraid you'll get cut?" She teased. Torrin rolled his eyes knowing that this wouldn't stop unless he played along. Besides, he knew how to handle a sword and Nora was not about to get the upper hand on him. "Fine. Gimme. Just one round, okay?" He spoke figuring that this would end quick and easy and he could go home to catch up on his studies. "Yeah sure. Whatever." Nora responded casually as she handed him the other sword and twirled her blade deftly in her hand a few times in some kind of attempt to intimidate him. He gripped his blade with both hands and lunged forward aiming the tip of his sword for her hand hoping that just poking her would cause her to drop her weapon and give up immediately. Nora twisted her sword to catch his blade on her crossguard and suddenly closed the distance between them to kick Torrin square in the stomach knocking the air out of him and sending him reeling. "Too slow!" "Not fair! Use your sword! Don't kick! There's no kicking in sparring with swords!" He complained as he released the sword from the grasp of his right hand to place on his stomach and wince. "Ow..." "You think anyone on the battlefield would care about rules?" "No...but we're not on a battlefield!" Torrin lunged again only to have his sword parried effortlessly thanks to his haste and in trying to recover to strike again he felt his leg give out when Nora kicked him near his knee which caused him to grit his teeth to prevent from yelling out. "What gives!?" He growled and glared up at his cousin. "I heard about that little game you played yesterday with one of the royal guard. You pulled out your credentials and said something along the lines of being the heir to the throne and therefore he had to fetch you a glass of water. Do you recall doing that or not?" Torrin blinked, confused as to why Nora would be bringing up something so unrelated to anything while berating him for calling her out on the etiquette of sparring. He slowly rose back to his feet and resumed his defensive stance once more but before he could question Nora on her behavior she began an assault of her own, her blade cutting through the air with ease making a high swishing sound with each swing. The force of her attacks and the speed at which they came forced him to back away and his concentration had been so focused on keeping her from hitting him that he could not stop to ask her to calm down. Eventually, as he noticed that he was being backed into a corner, he knew the only way to make her stop was to retaliate and on the downswing of her sword he kneed her in the gut, stunning her, and used the opportunity to drop his weapon and pry her own from her hand. Nora fell to her knees and hunched over, coughing and wheezing as she struggled to catch her breath. Torrin's eyes widened and guilt overcame him as he moved to her side. "I'm sorry! Are you alri-" Almost instantly Nora jumped on him and made him hit his face against the cold stone. Her weight pressed on his back and he felt his right arm being twisted behind him as she gripped it tightly. Pain seared through his arm as hot blood dripped from his nose. "Stop it! Why are you doing this!?" "You don't get it do you!?" Nora screamed in his ear. "You're supposed to be our king one day and you're acting like a stupid child! Did you get a kick from that damn prank of yours just knowing you had power here? Where do you get off smirking at my brother and looking down on him like he's some kind of weakling?" "What are you talking about!? I'd never-Ah! You're hurting me!" His arm was twisted further behind him and no matter how much he struggled he could not break free. "Boreas dared me to-" The sound of bone breaking followed by his scream interrupted his words. He stopped struggling, tears now staining his face and pooling on the floor his face was still pressed against. "Coward! Hiding behind your playmate is a coward's move! You don't deserve the throne. You don't deserve to be a part of my family! You're an honorless disgrace to our people!" "S-stop...please..." He begged but only more pain followed as she twisted his arm again. "You never deserved the keyblade. All my father does is talk about how proud he is of you and how strong you've grown but look at you now. You're weak and gullible. You'd be dead if you were on the battlefield with how gullible you are. You actually looked concerned for me. Pathetic." Nora chuckled. "When I tell father how Boreas abused your power I'll make sure to have him and his family cast out. How's that for a joke?" "No...don't..." Whether it was true that she could do it or not, the thought of losing one of his only friends there was too much to handle. The only response he received was another laugh from Nora. Torrin closed his eyes the feeling of powerlessness overwhelming him even more than the pain he felt and when he felt he could fall no further into despair that was when he grasped the feeling of a stronger emotion boiling from within rising to its limit. Torrin gave into it and allowed it to take hold of him. A black aura enveloped Torrin. Nora yelped in pain as the darkness exploded off his body, knocking the girl back clear across the entire hall. Torrin stood up, his rage fueling his desire to make her hurt just as he had. Torrin looked down at the two swords laying on the ground then at Nora who now sat up gazing at her burnt palms as she trembled. Her eyes met his which were now alight with a crimson fire. His keyblade came to his hand and Torrin began to slowly approach her even as Nora tried to inch backwards and shake her head. "No Torrin please...I'm sorry!" "Now who's weak?" Torrin grinned and raised his keyblade but before he could bring it down on her he hesitated on seeing the fear in her eyes, her lip trembling as she broke down sobbing. "I'm so sorry...please! I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." She curled up and buried her face in her knees. The aura that swirled about him vanished as soon as it came, his eyes now back to their usual shade of blue. Whatever feeling of power he had in that moment was soon replaced by shame. He looked at his keyblade, the object that had driven his cousin into a jealous rage and threw it to the ground before turning to run out the castle. Atmos returning with something to feed Tinarah snapped him back to reality. Soup. Torrin raised an eyebrow, wondering if he had zoned out for that long or if Atmos was just really good at making food. Either way, food was here now and the scent of steaming bowl made his own stomach growl. Torrin looked over at Atmos and narrowed his eyes at the woman but she already had a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter. Torrin sighed, not pleased to be an object of anyone's amusement. "I think I can fix it." Jim answered Illiana. "Yes well it doesn't appear to be in too rough a state." "And I'll lend whatever assistance you need." Doppler spoke up enthusiastically. They climbed the mountain of gold and climbed onto the boat, B.E.N. needing Jim's help to be pulled up over and onto the old deck of the abandoned ship. The robot looked around. "Do you know what's strange? I can't tell you how frustrating this is...'cause there's something just--it's nagging at the back of my mind." Seated on top of a pile of gold and jewels at the center of the deck was an alien skeleton wearing a dusty torn up uniform and captain's hat. Jim's eyes widened in surprise. "Captain Flint?" "In the flesh! Well, s-sort of, except for skin, organs...or anything that--that--that resembles flesh...that's not there. And yet it's so odd. you know? I remember there was something horrible Flint didn't want anyone else to know but I just can't remember what it was." B.E.N. once more gave in to despair and began to sob. "Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose!" Silver fell to his knees and ran his fingers through the gold pieces, savoring the experience. "A lifetime of searching. And at long last...I can touch it." The sound of a pistol being fired could be heard even from the marooned ship. Silver yelled in pain and fell over clutching his side. The pirates had now gathered around Silver one of them holding a gun, still smoking, at their former captain. From behind the crowd Scroop stepped forward. "We'll be taking our share now." "You blasted traitor! I swear when I get my hands on ya you'll pay for this! All of you!" Scroop begain to approach Silver, his claws snapping at the old pirate to hold him down. "Do say hello to Mr. Arrow." Once more, streams of darkness began to rise from the red alien as he attempted to choke the life out of Silver, a grin crossing his face as he held the man down with his pointed legs. Jim had rushed over to the edge of the ship, looking down the mountain of gold to see Silver being attacked. His hands clenched, remembering everything Silver had put him through but even though he had been betrayed the old pirate had still tried to reconcile with him. As hard as he tried, Jim could not deny that he still saw Silver as something of a father to him. "Hey! Can you fix the ship without me?" "Me? Why yes, of course I can. This is what I do best!" Doppler responded. "Guys, I need your help. I can't explain it but Silver is in trouble and we need to help him!" Without any further explanation Jim jumped off the side of the boat and slid down the mountain of gold before running back to the pirates.
Torrin watched as Atmos rushed to get Tinarah something to eat while he watched over her. "Come on. Have a seat." He said, helping her into the main hall where there stood the chair of the master of the castle. He helped Tinarah sit, figuring no one would mind the slight breach of protocol. It felt strange to be back in a castle. Despite the fact that the decor was different and that this belonged to a master in the Realm of Light, the halls and the air about the place brought back memories of home. Perhaps it was the way Tinarah seemed to look at him but something about this situation reminded him of something that happened a long time ago.
Torrin extended his down to his Holt to help him up after their training session. Despite being a year younger than Torrin, Holt was just as tall and almost as strong as the fourteen-year-old. Still, Holt was not as tough nor as skilled as Boreas which meant Torrin had little difficulty knocking his cousin to the ground. "You're getting better. Maybe one day you might even beat me." Torrin encouraged though Holt hardly seemed happy as he threw off his training gloves out of the marked circle and stomped out of the ring. "First Nora, now Holt. Very good, my nephew. My children would do well to learn from you in the ways of unarmed combat." His uncle, a massive man towering over all of them clapped his hands together. "Still, the way of the keyblade is your destiny and you should not neglect it. Sparring with wooden swords will get you only so far and I've noticed your footwork still needs improving. But good work, Torrin. Keep at it. I'll see you tomorrow." King Joch passed Torrin, patting him on the head as he did so with Holt following the man with his head hanging low. He had hoped to see his other cousin still there but she had left after losing her match to him saying that she felt better with a sword or spear than a fist. Sometimes she was temperamental around him and once in a fit of rage she had told him that it was because he was chosen by the keyblade yet neither she nor her brother had been chosen. He never held it against her but the words still stung to hear coming from someone who might as well have been his own sister. Torrin pulled off his gloves and turned to head out from the castle grounds to retire at home for the day when the gentle sound of rustling grass caused him to pause and look around. His brow furrowed but he saw nothing when he searched his surroundings and so he shrugged and continued to walk. "Torrin! Come here. I want to show you something." Torrin smiled on hearing the voice of his cousin Nora who was two years his senior. He rushed over to the girl who had been waiting around the corner of the castle walls and grinned at her. She motioned with her head to follow her back to the castle's grand hall. Uncle Joch's throne was placed close to the back, behind it were stairs that lead up to the chambers of the royal family. Torrin once lived here while his mother was still alive but the memories of actually sleeping in the castle were vague and all he knew of life there was what others told him like how he used to chase Nora through the halls. The memories of his mother, however, had more clarity to them but often left him in a state of melancholy. "What are we doing?" Torrin curiously asked his cousin, having to raise his gaze slightly to look into Nora's eyes. The corners of her mouth curved upwards into a mischievous grin as she ran over to the other side of the hall, her footsteps echoing in the stone room, as she crossed to retrieve something she had stowed away behind one of the pillars. "We're going to spar with something a little more entertaining. Come on, it'll be fun." She held a sword in each hand, each clearly shining brighter than the dulled swords he had seen used in training sessions by the castle guard. "Seriously? A sword isn't a toy so put that back in the armory, Nora." "What? Are you afraid you'll get cut?" She teased. Torrin rolled his eyes knowing that this wouldn't stop unless he played along. Besides, he knew how to handle a sword and Nora was not about to get the upper hand on him. "Fine. Gimme. Just one round, okay?" He spoke figuring that this would end quick and easy and he could go home to catch up on his studies. "Yeah sure. Whatever." Nora responded casually as she handed him the other sword and twirled her blade deftly in her hand a few times in some kind of attempt to intimidate him. He gripped his blade with both hands and lunged forward aiming the tip of his sword for her hand hoping that just poking her would cause her to drop her weapon and give up immediately. Nora twisted her sword to catch his blade on her crossguard and suddenly closed the distance between them to kick Torrin square in the stomach knocking the air out of him and sending him reeling. "Too slow!" "Not fair! Use your sword! Don't kick! There's no kicking in sparring with swords!" He complained as he released the sword from the grasp of his right hand to place on his stomach and wince. "Ow..." "You think anyone on the battlefield would care about rules?" "No...but we're not on a battlefield!" Torrin lunged again only to have his sword parried effortlessly thanks to his haste and in trying to recover to strike again he felt his leg give out when Nora kicked him near his knee which caused him to grit his teeth to prevent from yelling out. "What gives!?" He growled and glared up at his cousin. "I heard about that little game you played yesterday with one of the royal guard. You pulled out your credentials and said something along the lines of being the heir to the throne and therefore he had to fetch you a glass of water. Do you recall doing that or not?" Torrin blinked, confused as to why Nora would be bringing up something so unrelated to anything while berating him for calling her out on the etiquette of sparring. He slowly rose back to his feet and resumed his defensive stance once more but before he could question Nora on her behavior she began an assault of her own, her blade cutting through the air with ease making a high swishing sound with each swing. The force of her attacks and the speed at which they came forced him to back away and his concentration had been so focused on keeping her from hitting him that he could not stop to ask her to calm down. Eventually, as he noticed that he was being backed into a corner, he knew the only way to make her stop was to retaliate and on the downswing of her sword he kneed her in the gut, stunning her, and used the opportunity to drop his weapon and pry her own from her hand. Nora fell to her knees and hunched over, coughing and wheezing as she struggled to catch her breath. Torrin's eyes widened and guilt overcame him as he moved to her side. "I'm sorry! Are you alri-" Almost instantly Nora jumped on him and made him hit his face against the cold stone. Her weight pressed on his back and he felt his right arm being twisted behind him as she gripped it tightly. Pain seared through his arm as hot blood dripped from his nose. "Stop it! Why are you doing this!?" "You don't get it do you!?" Nora screamed in his ear. "You're supposed to be our king one day and you're acting like a stupid child! Did you get a kick from that damn prank of yours just knowing you had power here? Where do you get off smirking at my brother and looking down on him like he's some kind of weakling?" "What are you talking about!? I'd never-Ah! You're hurting me!" His arm was twisted further behind him and no matter how much he struggled he could not break free. "Boreas dared me to-" The sound of bone breaking followed by his scream interrupted his words. He stopped struggling, tears now staining his face and pooling on the floor his face was still pressed against. "Coward! Hiding behind your playmate is a coward's move! You don't deserve the throne. You don't deserve to be a part of my family! You're an honorless disgrace to our people!" "S-stop...please..." He begged but only more pain followed as she twisted his arm again. "You never deserved the keyblade. All my father does is talk about how proud he is of you and how strong you've grown but look at you now. You're weak and gullible. You'd be dead if you were on the battlefield with how gullible you are. You actually looked concerned for me. Pathetic." Nora chuckled. "When I tell father how Boreas abused your power I'll make sure to have him and his family cast out. How's that for a joke?" "No...don't..." Whether it was true that she could do it or not, the thought of losing one of his only friends there was too much to handle. The only response he received was another laugh from Nora. Torrin closed his eyes the feeling of powerlessness overwhelming him even more than the pain he felt and when he felt he could fall no further into despair that was when he grasped the feeling of a stronger emotion boiling from within rising to its limit. Torrin gave into it and allowed it to take hold of him. A black aura enveloped Torrin. Nora yelped in pain as the darkness exploded off his body, knocking the girl back clear across the entire hall. Torrin stood up, his rage fueling his desire to make her hurt just as he had. Torrin looked down at the two swords laying on the ground then at Nora who now sat up gazing at her burnt palms as she trembled. Her eyes met his which were now alight with a crimson fire. His keyblade came to his hand and Torrin began to slowly approach her even as Nora tried to inch backwards and shake her head. "No Torrin please...I'm sorry!" "Now who's weak?" Torrin grinned and raised his keyblade but before he could bring it down on her he hesitated on seeing the fear in her eyes, her lip trembling as she broke down sobbing. "I'm so sorry...please! I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." She curled up and buried her face in her knees. The aura that swirled about him vanished as soon as it came, his eyes now back to their usual shade of blue. Whatever feeling of power he had in that moment was soon replaced by shame. He looked at his keyblade, the object that had driven his cousin into a jealous rage and threw it to the ground before turning to run out the castle.
Atmos returning with something to feed Tinarah snapped him back to reality. Soup. Torrin raised an eyebrow, wondering if he had zoned out for that long or if Atmos was just really good at making food. Either way, food was here now and the scent of steaming bowl made his own stomach growl. Torrin looked over at Atmos and narrowed his eyes at the woman but she already had a hand to her mouth to muffle her laughter. Torrin sighed, not pleased to be an object of anyone's amusement.
"I think I can fix it." Jim answered Illiana. "Yes well it doesn't appear to be in too rough a state." "And I'll lend whatever assistance you need." Doppler spoke up enthusiastically. They climbed the mountain of gold and climbed onto the boat, B.E.N. needing Jim's help to be pulled up over and onto the old deck of the abandoned ship. The robot looked around. "Do you know what's strange? I can't tell you how frustrating this is...'cause there's something just--it's nagging at the back of my mind." Seated on top of a pile of gold and jewels at the center of the deck was an alien skeleton wearing a dusty torn up uniform and captain's hat. Jim's eyes widened in surprise. "Captain Flint?" "In the flesh! Well, s-sort of, except for skin, organs...or anything that--that--that resembles flesh...that's not there. And yet it's so odd. you know? I remember there was something horrible Flint didn't want anyone else to know but I just can't remember what it was." B.E.N. once more gave in to despair and began to sob. "Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose!" Silver fell to his knees and ran his fingers through the gold pieces, savoring the experience. "A lifetime of searching. And at long last...I can touch it." The sound of a pistol being fired could be heard even from the marooned ship. Silver yelled in pain and fell over clutching his side. The pirates had now gathered around Silver one of them holding a gun, still smoking, at their former captain. From behind the crowd Scroop stepped forward. "We'll be taking our share now." "You blasted traitor! I swear when I get my hands on ya you'll pay for this! All of you!" Scroop begain to approach Silver, his claws snapping at the old pirate to hold him down. "Do say hello to Mr. Arrow." Once more, streams of darkness began to rise from the red alien as he attempted to choke the life out of Silver, a grin crossing his face as he held the man down with his pointed legs. Jim had rushed over to the edge of the ship, looking down the mountain of gold to see Silver being attacked. His hands clenched, remembering everything Silver had put him through but even though he had been betrayed the old pirate had still tried to reconcile with him. As hard as he tried, Jim could not deny that he still saw Silver as something of a father to him. "Hey! Can you fix the ship without me?" "Me? Why yes, of course I can. This is what I do best!" Doppler responded. "Guys, I need your help. I can't explain it but Silver is in trouble and we need to help him!" Without any further explanation Jim jumped off the side of the boat and slid down the mountain of gold before running back to the pirates.
Alder didn't look back over to check on Mora, deciding to trust Cerdic on this one(what a surprise). Though he wanted to help them fend off the Heartless he knew it would be worse to stay there too long while Ria caught on to what they were doing. And so Alder kept digging.
Alder didn't look back over to check on Mora, deciding to trust Cerdic on this one(what a surprise). Though he wanted to help them fend off the Heartless he knew it would be worse to stay there too long while Ria caught on to what they were doing. And so Alder kept digging.
They crossed over through the threshold onto a mountainous area. Torrin was glad to have brought his coat even if it had not completely dried. He nearly cursed at his lack of foresight but the castle itself was covered with a spell that kept the castle grounds themselves warm. Stepping from the snow and onto the grass there was an immediate change in temperature. though the air was still cold. "I already helped Aria. She's back with the others. She..." Torrin almost laughed at the thought, remembering how she reacted, but he still smiled slightly. "She's a sassy one. But...why would Chrono want you dead? He demanded to go on the rescue mission when we still thought you were being held by the Light Chaser. He was angry when Atmos and I said he couldn't go." Torrin pushed open the castle doors, thankfully finding that it was much warmer and cozier inside than outside. Eventually, the light leading them forward came to an abrupt stop. The pulsing signal that came from the map began to speed up as Silver set the boat down so they could disembark. "lt's okay, Morph. lt's okay." Jim patted the pink blob as it peeped out of his pocket. "Jimmy, I--I don't know about you...but I'm starting to see my life pass in front of my eyes." B.E.N. spoke nervously. The pulsing of the beam of light continued to increase in speed until they arrived at the edge of a cliff. The map suddenly closed on its own and the light vanished. "What's going on, Jimbo?" An angered Silver demanded. Jim's attention went back to the map but it no longer responded to his touch. "I don't know. I can't get it open." The pirates who followed Silver began to shout impatiently believing the whole hunt to be a farce. "Throw them all off the cliff!" One of the pirates shouted, pushed Jim to the ground. As the angry pirates began to aim their weapons at the group Jim quickly placed the map on the ground into a groove exactly the same size as the map bearing its same markings. The ground began to emit a green glow through the moss that covered the stone floor they stood on. A new holographic map appeared, hovering into the air. Just then, a beam of light shot up in front of everyone and spread into a massive triangular "window" that revealed an image of a starry sky on the other side. The pirates went quiet as they stared in awe. "The Lagoon Nebula?" "But that's halfway across the galaxy." Jim touched the map and the portal went dark before opening to a new view of an alien world. "A big door opening and closing..." Jim touched the holographic map again after examining it and seeing that it was a star chart. "Kinapis...Montressor spaceport...So that's how Flint did it. He used this portal to roam the universe stealing treasure." Silver pushed Jim out of the way and began pushing on several areas, opening the portal to new locations. "But where'd he stash it all? Where's that blasted treasure?!" B.E.N. scratched his head trying to remember something. "Treasure! Treasure! It's buried in the-" "Buried in the centroid of the mechanism." Jim finished for him. "What if the whole planet is the mechanism...and the treasure is buried in the center of this planet?" Jim moved forward and looked at the map for a moment until he found the image on the star chart of the planet they were on. Pushing it, the portal opened to the core of the planet, a massive area with jets of plasma occasionally shooting from massive machines in the ceiling into other machines built into the core. The entirely of the floor was covered in gold coins, jewels, antiques, and other valuables. The pirates cheered. Jim and Silver were the first to step through followed by the others. "This is all seeming very familiar. I can't remember why." B.E.N. spoke to Jim and the others once the pirates left them to their own devices as they were too concerned with collecting whatever loot they could carry to care about them anymore. "Come on, guys. We're getting out of here, and we're not leaving empty-handed." "Then we should secure that ship." Captain Amelia pointed towards a distant vessel docked on one of the mountains of gold that littered the area.
They crossed over through the threshold onto a mountainous area. Torrin was glad to have brought his coat even if it had not completely dried. He nearly cursed at his lack of foresight but the castle itself was covered with a spell that kept the castle grounds themselves warm. Stepping from the snow and onto the grass there was an immediate change in temperature. though the air was still cold. "I already helped Aria. She's back with the others. She..." Torrin almost laughed at the thought, remembering how she reacted, but he still smiled slightly. "She's a sassy one. But...why would Chrono want you dead? He demanded to go on the rescue mission when we still thought you were being held by the Light Chaser. He was angry when Atmos and I said he couldn't go." Torrin pushed open the castle doors, thankfully finding that it was much warmer and cozier inside than outside.
Eventually, the light leading them forward came to an abrupt stop. The pulsing signal that came from the map began to speed up as Silver set the boat down so they could disembark. "lt's okay, Morph. lt's okay." Jim patted the pink blob as it peeped out of his pocket. "Jimmy, I--I don't know about you...but I'm starting to see my life pass in front of my eyes." B.E.N. spoke nervously. The pulsing of the beam of light continued to increase in speed until they arrived at the edge of a cliff. The map suddenly closed on its own and the light vanished. "What's going on, Jimbo?" An angered Silver demanded. Jim's attention went back to the map but it no longer responded to his touch. "I don't know. I can't get it open." The pirates who followed Silver began to shout impatiently believing the whole hunt to be a farce. "Throw them all off the cliff!" One of the pirates shouted, pushed Jim to the ground. As the angry pirates began to aim their weapons at the group Jim quickly placed the map on the ground into a groove exactly the same size as the map bearing its same markings. The ground began to emit a green glow through the moss that covered the stone floor they stood on. A new holographic map appeared, hovering into the air. Just then, a beam of light shot up in front of everyone and spread into a massive triangular "window" that revealed an image of a starry sky on the other side. The pirates went quiet as they stared in awe. "The Lagoon Nebula?" "But that's halfway across the galaxy." Jim touched the map and the portal went dark before opening to a new view of an alien world. "A big door opening and closing..." Jim touched the holographic map again after examining it and seeing that it was a star chart. "Kinapis...Montressor spaceport...So that's how Flint did it. He used this portal to roam the universe stealing treasure." Silver pushed Jim out of the way and began pushing on several areas, opening the portal to new locations. "But where'd he stash it all? Where's that blasted treasure?!" B.E.N. scratched his head trying to remember something. "Treasure! Treasure! It's buried in the-" "Buried in the centroid of the mechanism." Jim finished for him. "What if the whole planet is the mechanism...and the treasure is buried in the center of this planet?" Jim moved forward and looked at the map for a moment until he found the image on the star chart of the planet they were on. Pushing it, the portal opened to the core of the planet, a massive area with jets of plasma occasionally shooting from massive machines in the ceiling into other machines built into the core. The entirely of the floor was covered in gold coins, jewels, antiques, and other valuables. The pirates cheered. Jim and Silver were the first to step through followed by the others. "This is all seeming very familiar. I can't remember why." B.E.N. spoke to Jim and the others once the pirates left them to their own devices as they were too concerned with collecting whatever loot they could carry to care about them anymore. "Come on, guys. We're getting out of here, and we're not leaving empty-handed." "Then we should secure that ship." Captain Amelia pointed towards a distant vessel docked on one of the mountains of gold that littered the area.
Torrin stared at the girl suspiciously but conceded to Boreas's point. "She seems to be telling the truth. But we're not heading back to the others. We're better able to handle ourselves should this be a trap if we're not worrying about them." He looked over at Atmos who, by the looks of her expression, seemed to be the most concerned about Tinarah's well-being. "I know it seems harsh, especially if this is Tinarah, but you haven't dealt with the Light Chaser as long as I have. We'll have to delay the reunion until we're sure everything's safe." "Have it you're way." She spoke unhappily. "At least let me-" "Heal her? It's okay. I can do that much." Torrin cast Cure on both Tinarah and the old man she came with but it did not appear to do much. Though it would have been enough to keep the girl from passing out. "Looks like you could use something to eat." Torrin spoke towards Tinarah, commenting on her sickly appearance. "Come on, I'm going to open a portal to Choma's castle so we can rest and-" "How would you know where that is?" "Back when you were taking your little nap after we arrived in Atlantis, I did some research of my own on both you and Choma." "You what?" "Don't act so offended. I had to be sure I could trust you. I do now, so let's just move on." Torrin extended has hand but stopped, looking over at Tinarah and Gero. Traveling via darkness probably wasn't the best idea with those two in their condition. Instead, he used his keyblade to open a portal. "Sorry about this but you hardly look like you can stand." He tried to be gentle while pulling Tinarah up to her feet. If she couldn't walk, he'd carry her if he had to but hopefully she had the strength to just lean on him if she needed it. "If you're right about who you say you are...your brother's going to be in for a shock. Same for the rest of your friends." Meanwhile... Silver chuckled. "You're just like me, Jimbo. Ya hates to lose." Now that the others were gathering and the odds were in his favor he decided now was the time to get moving. "Open it." Jim reluctantly turned the golden orb around in his hand and rapidly pressed a series of buttons on its shell. A green light streamed out from the map revealing a holographic image of the planet they were on. The pirates oohed and aahed at the map and before Silver could get a closer look at it the image vanished, appearing to be sucked back into the map as the metal orb shut closed. "If you want the treasure you're taking me too." "Hm." Silver scratched his chin and nodded after quickly considering the alternatives. "We take 'em all." The group was lead onto the life boat and, though it was cramped, there seemed to be just enough room for everyone. Silver's lackeys, including Scroop, stayed at the back of the boat with their weapons trained on the others in case they tried anything. Once everyone was settled Jim, who was the only one allowed in the front with Silver, opened the map again and this time a pulsing green line shot forth from the map stretching out for miles to lead them in the direction of the treasure. Silver then drove forward, speeding to follow the trail of green light. Roots continued to spring from the ground and Avra did her best to jump around and dodge the attacks but even she couldn't keep up and still was struck hard. She fell over and made a quick recovery to attack once more. Now that the two had done some considerable damage to Grandmother Willow, the sounds of rushing water could be heard outside the leaves that surrounded them. Once more, the leaves began to glow and fired off from their branches to strike the two girls. AP: 5/40 Grandmother Willow's magic locked Water spells! Chrys took 24 Damage! (27/100HP) Avra took 31 Damage! (22/100HP) Grandmother Willow: 300/450HP
Torrin stared at the girl suspiciously but conceded to Boreas's point. "She seems to be telling the truth. But we're not heading back to the others. We're better able to handle ourselves should this be a trap if we're not worrying about them." He looked over at Atmos who, by the looks of her expression, seemed to be the most concerned about Tinarah's well-being. "I know it seems harsh, especially if this is Tinarah, but you haven't dealt with the Light Chaser as long as I have. We'll have to delay the reunion until we're sure everything's safe." "Have it you're way." She spoke unhappily. "At least let me-" "Heal her? It's okay. I can do that much." Torrin cast Cure on both Tinarah and the old man she came with but it did not appear to do much. Though it would have been enough to keep the girl from passing out. "Looks like you could use something to eat." Torrin spoke towards Tinarah, commenting on her sickly appearance. "Come on, I'm going to open a portal to Choma's castle so we can rest and-" "How would you know where that is?" "Back when you were taking your little nap after we arrived in Atlantis, I did some research of my own on both you and Choma." "You what?" "Don't act so offended. I had to be sure I could trust you. I do now, so let's just move on." Torrin extended has hand but stopped, looking over at Tinarah and Gero. Traveling via darkness probably wasn't the best idea with those two in their condition. Instead, he used his keyblade to open a portal. "Sorry about this but you hardly look like you can stand." He tried to be gentle while pulling Tinarah up to her feet. If she couldn't walk, he'd carry her if he had to but hopefully she had the strength to just lean on him if she needed it. "If you're right about who you say you are...your brother's going to be in for a shock. Same for the rest of your friends." Meanwhile... Silver chuckled. "You're just like me, Jimbo. Ya hates to lose." Now that the others were gathering and the odds were in his favor he decided now was the time to get moving. "Open it." Jim reluctantly turned the golden orb around in his hand and rapidly pressed a series of buttons on its shell. A green light streamed out from the map revealing a holographic image of the planet they were on. The pirates oohed and aahed at the map and before Silver could get a closer look at it the image vanished, appearing to be sucked back into the map as the metal orb shut closed. "If you want the treasure you're taking me too." "Hm." Silver scratched his chin and nodded after quickly considering the alternatives. "We take 'em all." The group was lead onto the life boat and, though it was cramped, there seemed to be just enough room for everyone. Silver's lackeys, including Scroop, stayed at the back of the boat with their weapons trained on the others in case they tried anything. Once everyone was settled Jim, who was the only one allowed in the front with Silver, opened the map again and this time a pulsing green line shot forth from the map stretching out for miles to lead them in the direction of the treasure. Silver then drove forward, speeding to follow the trail of green light.
Alder would have rushed to Mora's side but Cerdic seemed to have it covered. "She okay!?" He called over towards Cerdic. On seeing Mora get pulled back up he said, "You should stay back for now." He realized there must have been more than a little darkness still lingering in the cave but they had to press on. He continued moving rocks, hoping his armor would be enough to protect him.
Alder would have rushed to Mora's side but Cerdic seemed to have it covered. "She okay!?" He called over towards Cerdic. On seeing Mora get pulled back up he said, "You should stay back for now." He realized there must have been more than a little darkness still lingering in the cave but they had to press on. He continued moving rocks, hoping his armor would be enough to protect him.
