"Wait...Tinarah? Does that mean...no..." He looked at the girl, trying to see something he could recognize. It sounded impossible but the name could not have been a coincidence. Sure enough, she had the same eyes as the girl he met back at Eventide Town. "Chrono's sister? But how? You were gone for what? Two days? There's no way you could have aged that much." "Is it really you?" Atmos had come over and had deactivated the armor so that Tinarah could see her face. She would be well enough for the time being. "Whatever the case, we should be leaving this realm. She seems to be in worse condition than I was." Torrin looked over at Boreas. "Tinarah was the girl we were trying to get back from the Light Chaser. But she was a child. This..." He looked back at Tinarah, not wanting to leave anywhere just yet. He might have fallen for some trap back at the sleeping Eventide Town but he didn't want to make another mistake. "I don't even know how to explain this. If you're who you say you are, what's the name of your master? Where did we first meet? And if you are Tinarah, what happened to you?" Meanwhile... "Oh good! We have guests!?" B.E.N. exclaimed rushing over towards the entrance only to stop and look at Illiana when she asked about a back exit. "Well yes there's pipes that run through the planet but why would we want to leave when we have company over? That would be rude!" He looked at Aria who was already telling them to get down and stay because because those who arrived were dangerous so instead of running out he stayed put and frowned. Jim backed up into the home but by then he knew that Silver had already caught a good view of their hideout. There was no point in ducking for cover now. "Hello up there!" Silver shouted, holding up a branch with a torn white rag attached to it. He waved his makeshift white flag up at him. "Jimbo? If it's all right with the captain...I'd like a short word with ya. No tricks." "He can't open the map, can he?" Captain Amelia said. Jim looked over at her and she nodded at him in approval. Jim smiled over at Aria. "Just stay here. I'll be back." He turned to head down to the valley where Silver waited for him, Morph speeding ahead to rush into the large pirate and rub against the cyborg's face. "Ah, Morphy! I wondered where you was off to." Silver smiled as he poked at the pink blob, happy to see his companion. He looked at Jim but he averted his gaze quickly. "Whatever you heard back there...at least the part concerning you...I didn't mean a word of it." He spoke regretfully. "Had that bloodthirsty lot thought I'd gone soft...they'd have gutted us both." His tone began to change as he exaggerated his fears. "Listen to me. If we play our cards right..." He leaned in close to Jim, a sly grin on his face. "We can both walk away from this rich as kings. You open that map and an even portion of the treasure is yours." Jim chuckled and stepped back away from Silver, turning away. "You are really something. All that talk of greatness...light coming off my sails..." Jim smiled faintly as he remembered the things Silver had said to him near the start of their journey. "What a joke." Silver was taken aback and he glared at the boy. "I mean, at least you taught me one thing. Stick to it, right? Well, that's just what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make sure that you never see...one drabloon of my treasure!" "That treasure is owed me, by thunder!" "Well, try to find it without my help, by thunder!" "Oh, you still don't know how to pick your fights, do you, boy?" Silver whistled and from the life boat came Choma being pushed forward by a pirate aiming a gun at his back and Takehiko being dragged by his shirt by Scroop. "Now why don't you bring your friends along and lead the way?" Silver held up the map in his hand and tossed it to Jim who caught it and stared at the two being held captive before sighing and nodding slowly. "Fine..." Jim started to turn to head back. "No, call them over. Can't have ya running away with some secret back exit to mount a rescue, can we?" Jim growled and looked at B.E.N.'s home. "Guys! Come out here!" He called towards the others.
"Wait...Tinarah? Does that mean...no..." He looked at the girl, trying to see something he could recognize. It sounded impossible but the name could not have been a coincidence. Sure enough, she had the same eyes as the girl he met back at Eventide Town. "Chrono's sister? But how? You were gone for what? Two days? There's no way you could have aged that much." "Is it really you?" Atmos had come over and had deactivated the armor so that Tinarah could see her face. She would be well enough for the time being. "Whatever the case, we should be leaving this realm. She seems to be in worse condition than I was." Torrin looked over at Boreas. "Tinarah was the girl we were trying to get back from the Light Chaser. But she was a child. This..." He looked back at Tinarah, not wanting to leave anywhere just yet. He might have fallen for some trap back at the sleeping Eventide Town but he didn't want to make another mistake. "I don't even know how to explain this. If you're who you say you are, what's the name of your master? Where did we first meet? And if you are Tinarah, what happened to you?" Meanwhile... "Oh good! We have guests!?" B.E.N. exclaimed rushing over towards the entrance only to stop and look at Illiana when she asked about a back exit. "Well yes there's pipes that run through the planet but why would we want to leave when we have company over? That would be rude!" He looked at Aria who was already telling them to get down and stay because because those who arrived were dangerous so instead of running out he stayed put and frowned. Jim backed up into the home but by then he knew that Silver had already caught a good view of their hideout. There was no point in ducking for cover now. "Hello up there!" Silver shouted, holding up a branch with a torn white rag attached to it. He waved his makeshift white flag up at him. "Jimbo? If it's all right with the captain...I'd like a short word with ya. No tricks." "He can't open the map, can he?" Captain Amelia said. Jim looked over at her and she nodded at him in approval. Jim smiled over at Aria. "Just stay here. I'll be back." He turned to head down to the valley where Silver waited for him, Morph speeding ahead to rush into the large pirate and rub against the cyborg's face. "Ah, Morphy! I wondered where you was off to." Silver smiled as he poked at the pink blob, happy to see his companion. He looked at Jim but he averted his gaze quickly. "Whatever you heard back there...at least the part concerning you...I didn't mean a word of it." He spoke regretfully. "Had that bloodthirsty lot thought I'd gone soft...they'd have gutted us both." His tone began to change as he exaggerated his fears. "Listen to me. If we play our cards right..." He leaned in close to Jim, a sly grin on his face. "We can both walk away from this rich as kings. You open that map and an even portion of the treasure is yours." Jim chuckled and stepped back away from Silver, turning away. "You are really something. All that talk of greatness...light coming off my sails..." Jim smiled faintly as he remembered the things Silver had said to him near the start of their journey. "What a joke." Silver was taken aback and he glared at the boy. "I mean, at least you taught me one thing. Stick to it, right? Well, that's just what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make sure that you never see...one drabloon of my treasure!" "That treasure is owed me, by thunder!" "Well, try to find it without my help, by thunder!" "Oh, you still don't know how to pick your fights, do you, boy?" Silver whistled and from the life boat came Choma being pushed forward by a pirate aiming a gun at his back and Takehiko being dragged by his shirt by Scroop. "Now why don't you bring your friends along and lead the way?" Silver held up the map in his hand and tossed it to Jim who caught it and stared at the two being held captive before sighing and nodding slowly. "Fine..." Jim started to turn to head back. "No, call them over. Can't have ya running away with some secret back exit to mount a rescue, can we?" Jim growled and looked at B.E.N.'s home. "Guys! Come out here!" He called towards the others.
Sign me up, Scotty.
Torrin grabbed the girl and found it more difficult than he imagined to swim while holding a person. He lagged behind Boreas who was already reaching the shore by the time he was halfway towards it. "Dammit..." By the time he reached the shore he was beginning to shiver. His boots were soaked, his hair was matted on his head, his coat felt heavy, everything was wet. "You okay?" He asked the blonde girl since it seemed that the old man had lost consciousness. Torrin used his keyblade to cast a Fire spell on the ground beside them to warm them up. Atmos rushed over towards them and even under the armor he could tell that she seemed more concerned with the old man than anyone else there. "Master...Gero!?" She spoke in shock. "Who?" Torrin held back a shiver when he questioned her. "We thought he died years ago...but how can he be here? He looks exactly the same as he did back then." "Atmos, that still doesn't answer my question. Who is that?" Torrin held his hands towards the magical flames. "The Master of Masters..." There was a certain weight to Atmos's voice that...just didn't affect him at all. He still had no idea what that was or why it was important. Instead, he let her hover over the man while he returned his attention to their new guest who was still conscious. "What did you just come through? That wasn't like any portal I've seen. Who are you?" Seeing that the girl seemed troubled he thought that if she was going to answer him it would be best to offer an introduction. "I'm Torrin, that's Boreas, and over there is Atmos. You don't need to worry about us hurting you." He assured her. Before he could react Scroop got the jump on Takehiko and knocked Takehiko over making him hit his head on the floor. Takehiko was knocked out and as the alien made to attempt to choke him Choma stepped in and knocked Scroop away. "Not on my watch." Choma extended his hand, ready to summon his keyblade when Silver aimed his guns at him and the boy. "Careful there." Choma relaxed, not wanting to risk having Takehiko caught in the crossfire if he chose to attack now. "On second thought, we're already here so I think it would be better to bring you two along to show that we mean business." Meanwhile... "Nope! Not a clue haha..." B.E.N. reponded to Chrono as he continued to clean the oil stains. Luckily, the floor was made of metal so it wouldn't stain. "Thank you! Liana!" He shortened her name going in to hug her but stopped and looked outside to where Jim and Aria were, remembering the conditions Jim had set for him. He went back to cleaning and laughed nervously. "Thanks. That means a lot. Really." Jim said after a moment of reflection as he looked over at Aria. "I hope things work out for you, Aria. You're a good person." Jim added. On seeing Nini he knelt down to stroke the cat's fur and grinned. "Hey this reminds me of the pets I'd always bring home." He stopped petting the cat for a moment hearing something echo in the distance. He stood back up and squinted, just barely seeing a shadow descend onto the field in front of B.E.N.'s home. "Uh guys! I think we've got company!" As it came down into view and landed, Jim could make out that it was one of the life boats. Even in the distance he could see Silver's hulking figure jump out of the boat.
Torrin grabbed the girl and found it more difficult than he imagined to swim while holding a person. He lagged behind Boreas who was already reaching the shore by the time he was halfway towards it. "Dammit..." By the time he reached the shore he was beginning to shiver. His boots were soaked, his hair was matted on his head, his coat felt heavy, everything was wet. "You okay?" He asked the blonde girl since it seemed that the old man had lost consciousness. Torrin used his keyblade to cast a Fire spell on the ground beside them to warm them up. Atmos rushed over towards them and even under the armor he could tell that she seemed more concerned with the old man than anyone else there. "Master...Gero!?" She spoke in shock. "Who?" Torrin held back a shiver when he questioned her. "We thought he died years ago...but how can he be here? He looks exactly the same as he did back then." "Atmos, that still doesn't answer my question. Who is that?" Torrin held his hands towards the magical flames. "The Master of Masters..." There was a certain weight to Atmos's voice that...just didn't affect him at all. He still had no idea what that was or why it was important. Instead, he let her hover over the man while he returned his attention to their new guest who was still conscious. "What did you just come through? That wasn't like any portal I've seen. Who are you?" Seeing that the girl seemed troubled he thought that if she was going to answer him it would be best to offer an introduction. "I'm Torrin, that's Boreas, and over there is Atmos. You don't need to worry about us hurting you." He assured her.
Before he could react Scroop got the jump on Takehiko and knocked Takehiko over making him hit his head on the floor. Takehiko was knocked out and as the alien made to attempt to choke him Choma stepped in and knocked Scroop away. "Not on my watch." Choma extended his hand, ready to summon his keyblade when Silver aimed his guns at him and the boy. "Careful there." Choma relaxed, not wanting to risk having Takehiko caught in the crossfire if he chose to attack now. "On second thought, we're already here so I think it would be better to bring you two along to show that we mean business." Meanwhile... "Nope! Not a clue haha..." B.E.N. reponded to Chrono as he continued to clean the oil stains. Luckily, the floor was made of metal so it wouldn't stain. "Thank you! Liana!" He shortened her name going in to hug her but stopped and looked outside to where Jim and Aria were, remembering the conditions Jim had set for him. He went back to cleaning and laughed nervously. "Thanks. That means a lot. Really." Jim said after a moment of reflection as he looked over at Aria. "I hope things work out for you, Aria. You're a good person." Jim added. On seeing Nini he knelt down to stroke the cat's fur and grinned. "Hey this reminds me of the pets I'd always bring home." He stopped petting the cat for a moment hearing something echo in the distance. He stood back up and squinted, just barely seeing a shadow descend onto the field in front of B.E.N.'s home. "Uh guys! I think we've got company!" As it came down into view and landed, Jim could make out that it was one of the life boats. Even in the distance he could see Silver's hulking figure jump out of the boat.
Following behind the girl as she ran ahead Alder swatted away the Darkballs that tried to approach her until they were in the clear after having passed through some thick grass that broke up the terrain. Everything was slowly beginning to feel familiar and as he suspected, he was correct. This was the same cliff and they were back at the cave, still blocked from the cave in from when they had escaped. It all felt so distant now...As if it had happened in another life. "Moving rocks sounds pretty easy compared to fighting for our lives." Alder spoke up before crouching down to start working on digging their way through to get back inside. "The Extractor's in there but I'm pretty sure it's busted. I don't know if it'll even work if we try messing with it again. Was your idea to use it to...extract Ria?" He asked curiously. It was either do that or hope collapsing the cave again, this time with Ria inside it, would do the job.
Following behind the girl as she ran ahead Alder swatted away the Darkballs that tried to approach her until they were in the clear after having passed through some thick grass that broke up the terrain. Everything was slowly beginning to feel familiar and as he suspected, he was correct. This was the same cliff and they were back at the cave, still blocked from the cave in from when they had escaped. It all felt so distant now...As if it had happened in another life. "Moving rocks sounds pretty easy compared to fighting for our lives." Alder spoke up before crouching down to start working on digging their way through to get back inside. "The Extractor's in there but I'm pretty sure it's busted. I don't know if it'll even work if we try messing with it again. Was your idea to use it to...extract Ria?" He asked curiously. It was either do that or hope collapsing the cave again, this time with Ria inside it, would do the job.
Arctus smirked at Karina's reaction, finding her response more than a little amusing. "Soon then." Without anything else to say, eventually they arrived at their destination. Karina seemed to think that he wanted to go ahead and fight first but that wasn't his way. "Sorry, I think not." He paused and raised an eyebrow when Aeira stepped forward boldly making the enemy aware of her presence. "Besides, I think that girl has it covered. Why don't we just go around and flank them? ...Surely it won't fail a second time." He muttered somewhat bitterly.
Arctus smirked at Karina's reaction, finding her response more than a little amusing. "Soon then." Without anything else to say, eventually they arrived at their destination. Karina seemed to think that he wanted to go ahead and fight first but that wasn't his way. "Sorry, I think not." He paused and raised an eyebrow when Aeira stepped forward boldly making the enemy aware of her presence. "Besides, I think that girl has it covered. Why don't we just go around and flank them? ...Surely it won't fail a second time." He muttered somewhat bitterly.
"Not very subtle, are you?" Enok planted his greatsword in the ground and rested his hand upon its large hilt as he looked on at the group of would-be criminals. The Hym had won out against his better judgment to keep quiet and to himself. If he had it his way, he would have just waited for their little mission to go underway before making a move rather than join it but that plan took time and could have likely wound up with him leaving empty-handed. "The guards around these parts tend to be corrupt. Helping screw them over is up my alley so if you want an extra hand then I'm willing to join. Just try and discuss your plans quieter next time. The next person to eavesdrop on them might not be so friendly." Enok spoke his eyes darting over towards Dayla, the real reason he was there. Kord scratched his head feeling not quite dizzy but not quite normal. The sudden change of scenery and air disoriented him and made him question his own sanity. From the looks of it, he wasn't the only one confused and things remained...consistent at least. The Witcher he had tried to assist was still in chains. "If you're right then it'll be good to have you in fighting condition. Just hold still and let me..." He looked at the hatchet in his hand then at the chains. "Yeah...I don't think this is enough to break those chains." He looked over at their friendly neighborhood weather mage. "Do you mind getting those things off him? I would but it'd probably result in loss of limb..." If he transformed he new he could tear through the metal but being controlled enough to not bite off Aaron's hands as well was another matter entirely.
"Not very subtle, are you?" Enok planted his greatsword in the ground and rested his hand upon its large hilt as he looked on at the group of would-be criminals. The Hym had won out against his better judgment to keep quiet and to himself. If he had it his way, he would have just waited for their little mission to go underway before making a move rather than join it but that plan took time and could have likely wound up with him leaving empty-handed. "The guards around these parts tend to be corrupt. Helping screw them over is up my alley so if you want an extra hand then I'm willing to join. Just try and discuss your plans quieter next time. The next person to eavesdrop on them might not be so friendly." Enok spoke his eyes darting over towards Dayla, the real reason he was there.
Kord scratched his head feeling not quite dizzy but not quite normal. The sudden change of scenery and air disoriented him and made him question his own sanity. From the looks of it, he wasn't the only one confused and things remained...consistent at least. The Witcher he had tried to assist was still in chains. "If you're right then it'll be good to have you in fighting condition. Just hold still and let me..." He looked at the hatchet in his hand then at the chains. "Yeah...I don't think this is enough to break those chains." He looked over at their friendly neighborhood weather mage. "Do you mind getting those things off him? I would but it'd probably result in loss of limb..." If he transformed he new he could tear through the metal but being controlled enough to not bite off Aaron's hands as well was another matter entirely.
Avra smirked. "Really? Puns are what concern you right now!? How about the fact that this tree hits hard!" Running up behind Chrys she leapt over her fellow apprentice's head and cut down on Grandmother WIllow's face making the old tree grimace in pain. AP: 5/40 Roots shot up from the ground, striking both girls as they whipped about and knocked them to their backs. "See!? I told you about the bark!" Chrys took 20 Damage! (51/100HP) Avra took 20 Damage! (53/100HP) Grandmother Willow: 375/450HP Choma raised an eyebrow upon hearing Takehiko's sudden change in tone. "I agree. We should go up. It'll be nice to have some fresh air." As Choma spoke the familiar thumping came down to their level and out from the corner stepped Silver giving the two of them a hard glare. "Is there something wrong, captain?" "Don't you captain me, traitors!" Silver growled. "I know what ya two have been up to and it stops right now!" Out from the shadows two yellow eyes peered at them and Scroop stepped forward. "The stowaways have a way to escape the brig. I say we kill them now." Scroop snapped his claws at the two. "You thought you were so clever sabotaging our weapons but Scroop here stumbled on to your little plan." "Then we kill them?" "No you idiot! We use them to bargain! Our weapons will take too long to reset and we need the cabin boy to open the map!" "We only need one of them." Scroop spoke angrily. Faintly, the two keyblade wielders could see streams of darkness coming off of the red aliens bodies. "Do as I say or I'll keelhaul you. You hear me!?" Silver pulled out a gun and turned his robotic arm into a second pistol. "Tie them to the mast where we can keep an eye on them." Meanwhile... Jim faintly smiled at Aria and leaned against the entrance frame. "I never expected to be pulled into all of this." He said after a moment of silence. "I just wanted to do something...something to show that I wasn't a screw up. My mom, she was so hurt when the inn burned down. I wanted to make things right and now because of that stupid map everyone's lives are in danger." He looked down, turning away from Aria. Back inside, B.E.N. was humming to himself and drinking both cups of hot oil he had poured for the others. When Illiana asked about the markings he tilted his head and walked over to squint at them. "You know...I always thought they looked nice. A little homey touch of art!" He shrugged. "Flint...uh...he said the map originated from here and that the people who once lived here..." He attempted to scratch his head, unable to remember more, but on doing so he spilled some of the hot oil on himself. Being a robot, he felt nothing but he frowned on seeing the mess he made. "Oh no!" He rushed over to the kitchen, spilling some of the oil from the second cup in his other hand on the way, and threw the two cups in the sink before rushing back to start cleaning his mess. Torrin shook his head, unsure of what kind of plan the Light Chaser had that he could anticipate. He just didn't know. "Maybe I made the wrong move and allowed the first part of a trap to be laid but I wasn't going to leave her there." He summoned his keyblade once more, now that Boreas had agreed to learn the technique. "It's not something that'll change the tide of a large scale battle, but it's a nice little trick I learned when trying to keep the Chasers on their toes. See...what you have to do is..." Boreas learned the Keyblade Transformation Repeating Crossbow! "Don't try to push yourself into learning another form so soon. Weapons take a certain amount of focus and it takes time to get used to it. When the time is right you can try new forms." Atmos who had been watching seemed impressed and gave a nod of approval saying "hm" as she did so. She must have forgotten that she was in armor because Torrin couldn't read her expression given that she had a helmet on. "You know, now that I think about it, there's something else I could teach you if you haven't learned it alre-" The waves on the beach surged inland and nearly reached the trio. The wind kicked up and the scent of the ocean air only thickened in the gust. "There's never storms here." Torrin muttered, looking around for any signs of what could have caused the disturbance. He caught a glimpse of something in the distance over the water. The air rippled and Torrin could sense...something similar to whenever he used corridors of darkness to travel but this felt off somehow. Unsettling. The air ripped open violently sending a shockwave of magical energy that nearly knocked the three off their feet. Torrin barely managed to brace himself but still stumbled backwards. Now before them was a dark red portal that hovered over the water. Out from it stepped a young blonde woman and an elderly man, both too far away to discern any other details about them, before the portal closed. "What the...That doesn't look good." The two landed in shallow water but they seemed weak. "Not exactly how I planned today going...Dammit I hate swimming." Torrin did not know if they were going to drown in the cold water and rushed over to jump in the water to swim towards the two and help them to the shore.
Avra smirked. "Really? Puns are what concern you right now!? How about the fact that this tree hits hard!" Running up behind Chrys she leapt over her fellow apprentice's head and cut down on Grandmother WIllow's face making the old tree grimace in pain. AP: 5/40 Roots shot up from the ground, striking both girls as they whipped about and knocked them to their backs. "See!? I told you about the bark!"
Choma raised an eyebrow upon hearing Takehiko's sudden change in tone. "I agree. We should go up. It'll be nice to have some fresh air." As Choma spoke the familiar thumping came down to their level and out from the corner stepped Silver giving the two of them a hard glare. "Is there something wrong, captain?" "Don't you captain me, traitors!" Silver growled. "I know what ya two have been up to and it stops right now!" Out from the shadows two yellow eyes peered at them and Scroop stepped forward. "The stowaways have a way to escape the brig. I say we kill them now." Scroop snapped his claws at the two. "You thought you were so clever sabotaging our weapons but Scroop here stumbled on to your little plan." "Then we kill them?" "No you idiot! We use them to bargain! Our weapons will take too long to reset and we need the cabin boy to open the map!" "We only need one of them." Scroop spoke angrily. Faintly, the two keyblade wielders could see streams of darkness coming off of the red aliens bodies. "Do as I say or I'll keelhaul you. You hear me!?" Silver pulled out a gun and turned his robotic arm into a second pistol. "Tie them to the mast where we can keep an eye on them." Meanwhile... Jim faintly smiled at Aria and leaned against the entrance frame. "I never expected to be pulled into all of this." He said after a moment of silence. "I just wanted to do something...something to show that I wasn't a screw up. My mom, she was so hurt when the inn burned down. I wanted to make things right and now because of that stupid map everyone's lives are in danger." He looked down, turning away from Aria. Back inside, B.E.N. was humming to himself and drinking both cups of hot oil he had poured for the others. When Illiana asked about the markings he tilted his head and walked over to squint at them. "You know...I always thought they looked nice. A little homey touch of art!" He shrugged. "Flint...uh...he said the map originated from here and that the people who once lived here..." He attempted to scratch his head, unable to remember more, but on doing so he spilled some of the hot oil on himself. Being a robot, he felt nothing but he frowned on seeing the mess he made. "Oh no!" He rushed over to the kitchen, spilling some of the oil from the second cup in his other hand on the way, and threw the two cups in the sink before rushing back to start cleaning his mess.
Torrin shook his head, unsure of what kind of plan the Light Chaser had that he could anticipate. He just didn't know. "Maybe I made the wrong move and allowed the first part of a trap to be laid but I wasn't going to leave her there." He summoned his keyblade once more, now that Boreas had agreed to learn the technique. "It's not something that'll change the tide of a large scale battle, but it's a nice little trick I learned when trying to keep the Chasers on their toes. See...what you have to do is..."
Had some help doing finishing touches on cleaning character renders up from @cstar✰ (as well as a little detail to better sell the look of keyblade being planted in the ground). I'm kinda proud of this Light Chaser graphic.
"Yes. I don't like the plan much either but unless I decide to unleash all my magic against these pirates...that would be too messy." Choma folded his arms. "At least you shut down the ship's weapons. That was our primary concern." Choma paused, looking up and raising an eyebrow. The constant hum of the engines had faded into the background and were unnoticeable by now but when he tried to listen for it he could hear nothing. The ship had come to a stop. "Just be ready for anything." Choma warned Takehiko. "I didn't mention Aria before because I thought she had been lost forever." She answered Boreas before turning towards Torrin. "The Light Chaser must have saved her, then? She is a Princess of Heart after all." "Yeah. But...when I was leaving one of his apprentices, a girl named Chrys, allowed us to leave. I have to believe there was something behind it but I figured it was better taking Aria back than risk leaving her with the others." Torrin was clearly uncomfortable about it but he let the topic slide as there was nothing more to say about it. On hearing Boreas's description of the situation at home, he was surprised that the enemy had even made an attempt to attack the castle directly. He relaxed on hearing that the attack was repelled and that his father, the man who trained them both when they were younger, was still alive. "I see...things have been going well without me." He wasn't sure how to feel about it. It was good to know that things had not been falling to pieces or that his uncle was dying and they desperately needed Torrin to succeed him but the fact that he wasn't needed made him feel...something he could not quite explain. It had been his choice to leave but did they already forget him? Perhaps that would have been a fitting punishment for his actions. He did not know. Torrin took a deep breath. "Berengar and Grahame, dead? I'm sorry to hear that. I did not know either well but their children were kinder to me than my own cousins." And yet, he could not even remember their names. Had it really been that long? "You mentioned coming here to recover. I assume it had to do with that wound you had when we met." Atmos spoke up. "Yeah. A year back, just after I had passed my Mark of Mastery exam," Torrin paused and looked at Boreas, "right, I'm a master now. I had to speed up my training to help a friend. But don't go about using titles now. I don't care about that formality. Anyway...long story short, I found the Light Chaser standing over the barely breathing bodies of my second master along with the other students. They offered their light to me so that I could fight him but it wasn't enough. The effect was that I was now weaker to the light. More recently, during our last confrontation, he wounded me. That wound started to sever my ties to the darkness. I had a feeling that coming back here would undo the damage that my friends had unknowingly done to me as well as heal the wound I received in battle." "Now that I'm back to normal, there's a few tricks up my sleeve I'd be willing to teach. Turns out, I've learned a few things on my own that I could have never done with a master." "Oh really? And what's that?" "Well that depends on whether or not my old friend is up to taking some time to learn something new." "I will do what I must to protect her." The tree spoke, refusing to answer Chrys's question. Her mind was already set. "Your master will not have her!" When Grandmother WIllow shouted at the two the curtain of leaves that surrounded them closed around them to cut them off from the outside. A BOSS BATTLE COMMENCES D-Links are locked in this battle. The narrow leaves surrounding them began to glow and shot off from their branches to strike Chrys and Avra. The blades of the leaves were serrated and cut through their clothes easily. "Ah that stung! Watch it Chrys. Looks like grandma here has got some bite to go with that bark!" Chrys took took 29 Damage! (71/100HP) Avra took 27 Damage! (73/100HP) Grandmother Willow: 450/450HP
"Yes. I don't like the plan much either but unless I decide to unleash all my magic against these pirates...that would be too messy." Choma folded his arms. "At least you shut down the ship's weapons. That was our primary concern." Choma paused, looking up and raising an eyebrow. The constant hum of the engines had faded into the background and were unnoticeable by now but when he tried to listen for it he could hear nothing. The ship had come to a stop. "Just be ready for anything." Choma warned Takehiko.
"I didn't mention Aria before because I thought she had been lost forever." She answered Boreas before turning towards Torrin. "The Light Chaser must have saved her, then? She is a Princess of Heart after all." "Yeah. But...when I was leaving one of his apprentices, a girl named Chrys, allowed us to leave. I have to believe there was something behind it but I figured it was better taking Aria back than risk leaving her with the others." Torrin was clearly uncomfortable about it but he let the topic slide as there was nothing more to say about it. On hearing Boreas's description of the situation at home, he was surprised that the enemy had even made an attempt to attack the castle directly. He relaxed on hearing that the attack was repelled and that his father, the man who trained them both when they were younger, was still alive. "I see...things have been going well without me." He wasn't sure how to feel about it. It was good to know that things had not been falling to pieces or that his uncle was dying and they desperately needed Torrin to succeed him but the fact that he wasn't needed made him feel...something he could not quite explain. It had been his choice to leave but did they already forget him? Perhaps that would have been a fitting punishment for his actions. He did not know. Torrin took a deep breath. "Berengar and Grahame, dead? I'm sorry to hear that. I did not know either well but their children were kinder to me than my own cousins." And yet, he could not even remember their names. Had it really been that long? "You mentioned coming here to recover. I assume it had to do with that wound you had when we met." Atmos spoke up. "Yeah. A year back, just after I had passed my Mark of Mastery exam," Torrin paused and looked at Boreas, "right, I'm a master now. I had to speed up my training to help a friend. But don't go about using titles now. I don't care about that formality. Anyway...long story short, I found the Light Chaser standing over the barely breathing bodies of my second master along with the other students. They offered their light to me so that I could fight him but it wasn't enough. The effect was that I was now weaker to the light. More recently, during our last confrontation, he wounded me. That wound started to sever my ties to the darkness. I had a feeling that coming back here would undo the damage that my friends had unknowingly done to me as well as heal the wound I received in battle." "Now that I'm back to normal, there's a few tricks up my sleeve I'd be willing to teach. Turns out, I've learned a few things on my own that I could have never done with a master." "Oh really? And what's that?" "Well that depends on whether or not my old friend is up to taking some time to learn something new."
"I will do what I must to protect her." The tree spoke, refusing to answer Chrys's question. Her mind was already set. "Your master will not have her!" When Grandmother WIllow shouted at the two the curtain of leaves that surrounded them closed around them to cut them off from the outside.
"Really?" B.E.N. turned around looking at Illiana and Aria. "Aw...you make an old robot's heart melt." The robot began to smile when Aria moved in front of him to console him. He immediately went to hug Aria and practically squeezed the air out of her. Looking at the other two give in Jim shook his head and relented. "Look, if you're gonna come along you're gonna have to stop talking." B.E.N. jumped to his feet and leapt into Jim's arms. "Oh, this is fantastic! Me and my best buddies are lookin' for a..." Jim was now glaring at B.E.N. "Being quiet." The robot lowered his voice as Jim put B.E.N. down. "And you have to stop touching people." "Touching and talking. That's my two big no-nos." B.E.N. responded, still excited to be a part of the group. "Say, listen, before we go out on our big search...um, would you mind if we made a quick pit stop at my place?" Without waiting for a response B.E.N. rushed over towards some bushes and began to push them out of the way to reveal a clearing beyond and a lone giant tree standing in a green valley. In the distance they could just make out a hole in its side, likely where B.E.N. had made his home. "I think you just solved our problem." An hour passes along the journey... "Pardon the mess. You'd think in a hundred years I would've dusted a little more often but, you know, when you're marooned...you tend to, uh, let things go." B.E.N. had led the group to his home, a roomy space carved out from the tree that actually appeared to be more mechanical in nature than organic. Metal plates bolted together constructed the walls and floor and the area was littered with rusted metal furniture and ratty sheets that acted as curtains. As Doctor Doppler helped Captain Amelia up a steep step and into B.E.N.'s home the robot went over to the boiling pots that covered his ancient stove and poured out two mugs of boiling oil. "Aw, isn't that sweet? I find old fashioned romance so touching, don't you? How about drinks for the happy couple?" "Ooh. No. Thank you, we don't drink...and, uh, we're not a couple." "How about anyone else?" B.E.N. asked happily. After helping the Captain take a seat the Doctor cleared his throat and examined some of the markings that were faintly scratched into the walls of B.E.N.'s home. "Look at these markings. They're identical to the ones on the map. I suspect these are the hieroglyphic remnants of an ancient culture." "I'll...uh stand guard." Jim said, taking one of the guns they had brought with them before heading back to the entrance. "There you are." Choma rubbed his palms together, having rounded a corner to run face to face with Takehiko. "Some of these pirates are armed but if they try to go for any more weapons in the armory, they'll find that their guns are no longer functioning. And what of your progress? Did you accomplish your task?" Choma lowered his voice in case anyone was around listening. "I heard that the ship's sensors have picked up signs of the others. It won't be long before they're found but we're going to have to let this all play out for now. Risking a direct confrontation right now would result in loss of life. Our best hope for getting everyone out of here safely would be to let Silver and his men find the treasure and use that as our opportunity to retaliate."
"Really?" B.E.N. turned around looking at Illiana and Aria. "Aw...you make an old robot's heart melt." The robot began to smile when Aria moved in front of him to console him. He immediately went to hug Aria and practically squeezed the air out of her. Looking at the other two give in Jim shook his head and relented. "Look, if you're gonna come along you're gonna have to stop talking." B.E.N. jumped to his feet and leapt into Jim's arms. "Oh, this is fantastic! Me and my best buddies are lookin' for a..." Jim was now glaring at B.E.N. "Being quiet." The robot lowered his voice as Jim put B.E.N. down. "And you have to stop touching people." "Touching and talking. That's my two big no-nos." B.E.N. responded, still excited to be a part of the group. "Say, listen, before we go out on our big search...um, would you mind if we made a quick pit stop at my place?" Without waiting for a response B.E.N. rushed over towards some bushes and began to push them out of the way to reveal a clearing beyond and a lone giant tree standing in a green valley. In the distance they could just make out a hole in its side, likely where B.E.N. had made his home. "I think you just solved our problem."
"There you are." Choma rubbed his palms together, having rounded a corner to run face to face with Takehiko. "Some of these pirates are armed but if they try to go for any more weapons in the armory, they'll find that their guns are no longer functioning. And what of your progress? Did you accomplish your task?" Choma lowered his voice in case anyone was around listening. "I heard that the ship's sensors have picked up signs of the others. It won't be long before they're found but we're going to have to let this all play out for now. Risking a direct confrontation right now would result in loss of life. Our best hope for getting everyone out of here safely would be to let Silver and his men find the treasure and use that as our opportunity to retaliate."
Haven't checked to see if it's live yet, but today there's an update that adds Aranea as a training partner at camp sites, a standby option to change the time of day at camp, new items at Alessi's trading post in Altissia, new things in the tutorial, and the conclusion of the Assassin's Festival. Source: Gematsu
Torrin had always thought of what he would tell those he left behind if he ever encountered them again. Words of apology came to mind but he never thought anything would do how he felt any justice. As Boreas explained the situation Torrin could hardly pay attention, feeling that at any moment the reminder that he had abandoned his home would surface. But after six years of potentially building anger and resentment towards him instead of showing hate Boreas extended his hand towards him. Torrin stared at his old friend in shock for a moment, not having expected him to have just let it go. "Dammit Boreas...don't go soft on me." Torrin approached him. "Boreas you jerk." Torrin smirked and smacked Boreas's hand in a strong handshake before gripping his friends arm and bashing him in the shoulder with his own. Spoiler: An Alternate Ending The world exploded from the force of their manly handshake, killing everything in sight. From the surface of Treasure Planet the sky lit up by a distant star going supernova. Then Treasure Planet blew up as well. The only thing left in the role play were the two muscular arms of Torrin and Boreas. The End. "How is my uncle? And the war? Perhaps we'll have time to catch up on the six year gap but first things first. If I was able to I'd have gone back by now but there's...something else keeping me from returning as you already know. Our home could be wiped out if the Light Chaser isn't stopped. But with you here I have no doubt we'll succeed." Torrin looked over at Atmos, finding it amusing that she wore Boreas's armor. "Also, Aria's alive. She told me that Tinarah was supposed to have been returned by the Light Chaser but that never happened. No one knows what became of her but I did manage to return Aria." Atmos nodded in response. "Being here in my home realm...it's returned my strength to me. It's been some time since I've felt back at one hundred percent."
Torrin had always thought of what he would tell those he left behind if he ever encountered them again. Words of apology came to mind but he never thought anything would do how he felt any justice. As Boreas explained the situation Torrin could hardly pay attention, feeling that at any moment the reminder that he had abandoned his home would surface. But after six years of potentially building anger and resentment towards him instead of showing hate Boreas extended his hand towards him. Torrin stared at his old friend in shock for a moment, not having expected him to have just let it go. "Dammit Boreas...don't go soft on me." Torrin approached him. "Boreas you jerk." Torrin smirked and smacked Boreas's hand in a strong handshake before gripping his friends arm and bashing him in the shoulder with his own.
The moment he arrived at the top of the cliff he raised his blade to cast a Thunder spell to strike several of the Heartless before rushing in to cleave a few more with the keyblade. His intent was not to finish them all off but, rather, clear a path forward as quickly as possible. "Just keep moving!" He called out towards the others. "These things are just an obstacle, not our target." He added, now gripping his weapon with both hands as he pressed onward, swatting away the Darkballs whenever they approached him. "Just point us in the right direction and we'll go wherever we need to be." He glanced over at Mora, making sure she had not found herself in trouble yet before returning his attention to the Heartless ahead.
The moment he arrived at the top of the cliff he raised his blade to cast a Thunder spell to strike several of the Heartless before rushing in to cleave a few more with the keyblade. His intent was not to finish them all off but, rather, clear a path forward as quickly as possible. "Just keep moving!" He called out towards the others. "These things are just an obstacle, not our target." He added, now gripping his weapon with both hands as he pressed onward, swatting away the Darkballs whenever they approached him. "Just point us in the right direction and we'll go wherever we need to be." He glanced over at Mora, making sure she had not found herself in trouble yet before returning his attention to the Heartless ahead.
"Fantastic!" B.E.N. shouted in elation on hearing everyone's names, ignoring Illiana's threats and the general discomfort he caused, starting to approach them for another hug only to be pushed back by Jim. "Look we're kind of in a hurry. We need a place to hide and there's pirates chasing us." Jim spoke, trying to get around the robot only for B.E.N. to keep standing in Jim's way. "Oh, pirates! Don't get me started on pirates! I don't like them. I remember Captain Flint. This guy had such a temper." B.E.N. began to use Glyde as an object for the robot to lean against, oblivious to the fact that Glyde probably would not have liked it, while he spoke casually. At the mention of the name Flint, Jim's eyes widened. "Wait, wait, wait. You knew Captain Flint?" "I think he suffered from mood swings, personally. I'm not a therapist..." B.E.N. continued to speak, crossing his thin rusted arms. "But that means...Wait! But then you gotta know about the treasure, right? Flint's trove? You know, loot of a thousand worlds?" "It's--well, it's...it's all a little--little fuzzy." B.E.N. began to scratch his head and stepped away from Glyde, his voice beginning to stutter, as he searched his memory for the answer to Jim's question. "Wait. I--I r-r-remember. I do. Treasure! Lots of treasure buried in the centroid--centroid--centroid of the mechanism." His voice broke up as he spoke, the lights in his eyes shifting colors rapidly as he talked faster and faster. "And there was this big door opening and closing...and opening and closing! And Captain Flint wanted to make sure nobody could ever get to his treasure so I helped him-" The back of B.E.N.'s head, where wires were exposed began to spark causing the robot cried out. "Data inaccessible! Reboot!" Trying to snap the robot back to his senses Jim shook him. "B.E.N.! Wait, wait, wait! What about the treasure?" "I'm sorry. My memory isn't what it used to be. I've lost my mind. Ha ha! You haven't found it, have you? Uh, my missing piece? My primary memory circuit?" He began looking Jim over, forcing the boy to turn around to search him before being pushed away. "Look, B.E.N., we really need to find a place to hide. So we're just gonna be, you know, moving on." Jim started to walk away. "Oh, uh, so, well, then...I guess, uh...this is good-bye, huh?" B.E.N. sat down on the floor and stared at the ground dejectedly. Had he been an organic being it would have been easy to tell that he would have been crying. "I'm sorry that I'm so dysfunctional. So, uh, go ahead and...I do understand. I do. Bye-bye." Sighing, Jim stopped and looked to the others for some comment on the situation then back at the robot, feeling sorry for B.E.N.
No. A friend is someone you attack and they won't press charges.
A lot of simple stuff(mostly nothing too creative) in here but rendering images for these was the real thing that consumed most of my time. Spoiler
"Guess that's goodbye then. Travel safe." He directed this towards Kara and Chrys. Immediately after Cerdic called for his armor Alder followed suit. He wasn't going to spend another moment holding anything back. From here on out the only goal he had in mind was putting an end to Ria to keep this world safe. "This is it." He climbed up the cliff, heeding Mora's advice to not use the glider.
"Guess that's goodbye then. Travel safe." He directed this towards Kara and Chrys. Immediately after Cerdic called for his armor Alder followed suit. He wasn't going to spend another moment holding anything back. From here on out the only goal he had in mind was putting an end to Ria to keep this world safe. "This is it." He climbed up the cliff, heeding Mora's advice to not use the glider.
Jim stopped walking for a moment when Aria caught up to him and asked about the hot chocolate she left for him. He smiled, thinking back to the drink he had just before going to sleep. "Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't thank you sooner. Things just got so messy. Thank you." He nodded then looked around the area, not really finding anything of interest where they stood. "We're on Treasure Planet. It's where a famous pirate, Flint, hid his treasure before he disappeared. That golden orb I was carrying was the map that brought us here. Maybe if I still had it I'd be able to find where he hid it...then I could use the money to rebuild my mom's inn...That's why I'm on this journey in the first place." Jim opened his mouth to continue speaking but the sound of grass rustling caused him to stop and look around. "Shh." The attempt to quiet the others was mostly directed towards Morph who was still circling the group giggling the entire time. The pink blob quieted down somewhat but as Jim squinted his eyes he could see nothing in the dim lighting of the area. "Hmm..." Suddenly, a rusted up scrawny-looking robot came up behind them and grabbed Jim from behind wrapping its arms around him and lifting him off his feet. "Ah!" "Carbon-based life forms come to rescue me at last!" The robot shouted excitedly, dropping Jim and going over to bring both Glyde and Chrono in for an embrace that would have squeezed the air out of the two. "I just want to hug and squeeze all of you!" The robot cheered as he dropped the boys to rush over towards Aria and Illiana to embrace the girls as well. "Would you stop that!?" "I just want to hold you close to me!" The robot released Aria and Illiana and began to approach Jim and as he backed away. Seeing his reluctance to receive any more hugs the robot frowned. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that I've been been marooned for so long." The robot dramatically spoke in sorrow. "l mean, solitude's fine. Don't get me wrong. For heaven's sakes, after a hundred years...you go a little nuts! Ha ha ha!" Jim took another step back on seeing the robot's erratic behavior. "My name is, uh...B.E.N.! Of course, l'm B.E.N. Bioelectronic Navigator. And you are?" "Jim." "What a pleasure to meet you Jimmy!" "It's Jim." B.E.N. looked over towards the others. "And you are?" He looked at Aria. "And you?" Then towards Chrono. "And you?" Then towards Glyde. "And you?" He looked at Illiana. "And you?" B.E.N. looked at Morph who fled to hide behind Jim. Choma's focus was on the pirate named Scroop, watching the red alien intently as he glared at Takehiko before leaving to bring the ship closer to where the others landed. "Good work on handling the situation. Your master would be proud." Choma complimented the boy. "Don't worry about the map. Their desperation would have only grown had you kept it hidden. It seems, for now, they have no quarrel with us." He spoke as Silver had already turned his attention towards barking orders at his crew to keep the ship running at maximum efficiency. "You had the right idea wanting to stay behind. That pirate, Scroop, is teeming with darkness. I can sense it. But Silver...I believe there is a light in him buried under that gruff exterior. I saw it briefly when he looked at the Hawkins boy." He paused for a moment then lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. "Try to disable the weapons. If things get rough we don't want the pirates trying to blast our own people from the skies. There should be a control room around here." Atmos accepted Boreas's offer to lend her his armor. On activating it there was some discomfort as the armor formed around her but it would do for the time being. His words of a potential strategy used by the Light Chaser sounded reasonable but it disturbed her to think that the man she faced briefly in combat would have gone to destroy worlds one by one just to remove any potential opposition. If true, there would no wonder why Torrin had such hate for the man. "Perhaps no one can defeat him one on one but there are still..." She trailed off, not wishing to say more that would only bring in useless speculation. It was likely that by now Choma had spoken to the Council. Surely they had not been defeated but...if they were still around, why had she not received word from them? During a crisis like this they would have been in action by now. "Together we can defeat him. I know it." She said with an air of confidence. When Boreas opened another portal she briefly considered the ease of travel being a keyblade wielder afforded them. She stepped through without adding anything further to the conversation and walked onto night beach that was the Dark Margin. Torrin opened his eyes, sensing something off about the area. He had found time in to mull over his thoughts in the quiet of the Dark Margin, trying to clear his mind after recent events. Even after he had made up his mind he still found difficulty in just accepting the hand he had been dealt. It pained him to know what had become of Mika, for she did not deserve the fate that had befallen her, but there was nothing to do now but attempt to find some measure of peace. But he was no longer alone. A dark force had intruded upon his solitude and he called for his keyblade to approach the disturbance he felt. In the distance he saw to figures walking along the beach. One was in a black armor and the other--well, from that distance he couldn't be sure but there was some familiarity to it. For a time he thought he had been discovered by the soldiers of his uncle but as they approached... "Boreas? Is that you? And who's with you?" "This armor isn't really me, now is it?" "Atmos? But how!?"
Jim stopped walking for a moment when Aria caught up to him and asked about the hot chocolate she left for him. He smiled, thinking back to the drink he had just before going to sleep. "Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't thank you sooner. Things just got so messy. Thank you." He nodded then looked around the area, not really finding anything of interest where they stood. "We're on Treasure Planet. It's where a famous pirate, Flint, hid his treasure before he disappeared. That golden orb I was carrying was the map that brought us here. Maybe if I still had it I'd be able to find where he hid it...then I could use the money to rebuild my mom's inn...That's why I'm on this journey in the first place." Jim opened his mouth to continue speaking but the sound of grass rustling caused him to stop and look around. "Shh." The attempt to quiet the others was mostly directed towards Morph who was still circling the group giggling the entire time. The pink blob quieted down somewhat but as Jim squinted his eyes he could see nothing in the dim lighting of the area. "Hmm..." Suddenly, a rusted up scrawny-looking robot came up behind them and grabbed Jim from behind wrapping its arms around him and lifting him off his feet. "Ah!" "Carbon-based life forms come to rescue me at last!" The robot shouted excitedly, dropping Jim and going over to bring both Glyde and Chrono in for an embrace that would have squeezed the air out of the two. "I just want to hug and squeeze all of you!" The robot cheered as he dropped the boys to rush over towards Aria and Illiana to embrace the girls as well. "Would you stop that!?" "I just want to hold you close to me!" The robot released Aria and Illiana and began to approach Jim and as he backed away. Seeing his reluctance to receive any more hugs the robot frowned. "Sorry, sorry. It's just that I've been been marooned for so long." The robot dramatically spoke in sorrow. "l mean, solitude's fine. Don't get me wrong. For heaven's sakes, after a hundred years...you go a little nuts! Ha ha ha!" Jim took another step back on seeing the robot's erratic behavior. "My name is, uh...B.E.N.! Of course, l'm B.E.N. Bioelectronic Navigator. And you are?" "Jim." "What a pleasure to meet you Jimmy!" "It's Jim." B.E.N. looked over towards the others. "And you are?" He looked at Aria. "And you?" Then towards Chrono. "And you?" Then towards Glyde. "And you?" He looked at Illiana. "And you?" B.E.N. looked at Morph who fled to hide behind Jim.
Choma's focus was on the pirate named Scroop, watching the red alien intently as he glared at Takehiko before leaving to bring the ship closer to where the others landed. "Good work on handling the situation. Your master would be proud." Choma complimented the boy. "Don't worry about the map. Their desperation would have only grown had you kept it hidden. It seems, for now, they have no quarrel with us." He spoke as Silver had already turned his attention towards barking orders at his crew to keep the ship running at maximum efficiency. "You had the right idea wanting to stay behind. That pirate, Scroop, is teeming with darkness. I can sense it. But Silver...I believe there is a light in him buried under that gruff exterior. I saw it briefly when he looked at the Hawkins boy." He paused for a moment then lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. "Try to disable the weapons. If things get rough we don't want the pirates trying to blast our own people from the skies. There should be a control room around here."
Atmos accepted Boreas's offer to lend her his armor. On activating it there was some discomfort as the armor formed around her but it would do for the time being. His words of a potential strategy used by the Light Chaser sounded reasonable but it disturbed her to think that the man she faced briefly in combat would have gone to destroy worlds one by one just to remove any potential opposition. If true, there would no wonder why Torrin had such hate for the man. "Perhaps no one can defeat him one on one but there are still..." She trailed off, not wishing to say more that would only bring in useless speculation. It was likely that by now Choma had spoken to the Council. Surely they had not been defeated but...if they were still around, why had she not received word from them? During a crisis like this they would have been in action by now. "Together we can defeat him. I know it." She said with an air of confidence. When Boreas opened another portal she briefly considered the ease of travel being a keyblade wielder afforded them. She stepped through without adding anything further to the conversation and walked onto night beach that was the Dark Margin.
Torrin opened his eyes, sensing something off about the area. He had found time in to mull over his thoughts in the quiet of the Dark Margin, trying to clear his mind after recent events. Even after he had made up his mind he still found difficulty in just accepting the hand he had been dealt. It pained him to know what had become of Mika, for she did not deserve the fate that had befallen her, but there was nothing to do now but attempt to find some measure of peace. But he was no longer alone. A dark force had intruded upon his solitude and he called for his keyblade to approach the disturbance he felt. In the distance he saw to figures walking along the beach. One was in a black armor and the other--well, from that distance he couldn't be sure but there was some familiarity to it. For a time he thought he had been discovered by the soldiers of his uncle but as they approached... "Boreas? Is that you? And who's with you?" "This armor isn't really me, now is it?" "Atmos? But how!?"
Arctus had remained silent the entire time because he refused to acknowledge that a sentient chunk of machismo was going to lead them into battle. Besides, it didn't matter whether he introduced himself or not. He wasn't planning on becoming friends with the man. At Melus's little comment on him and Kiara (Karina?) lacking stealth he chuckled and crossed his arms. "I'd say I'm fairly sneaky. If Little Miss Hothead hadn't lost her cool I'm sure that first battle would have gone smoother. And I'm pretty sure I got the jump on her after that whole mind control business." He sighed, now that he reminded himself of it. Perhaps he should have kept quiet about it. That wasn't one of his finer moments even if it wasn't his fault. Still... "A rematch would be fun some time." He added a little more quietly, eyeing Little Miss Hothead.
Arctus had remained silent the entire time because he refused to acknowledge that a sentient chunk of machismo was going to lead them into battle. Besides, it didn't matter whether he introduced himself or not. He wasn't planning on becoming friends with the man. At Melus's little comment on him and Kiara (Karina?) lacking stealth he chuckled and crossed his arms. "I'd say I'm fairly sneaky. If Little Miss Hothead hadn't lost her cool I'm sure that first battle would have gone smoother. And I'm pretty sure I got the jump on her after that whole mind control business." He sighed, now that he reminded himself of it. Perhaps he should have kept quiet about it. That wasn't one of his finer moments even if it wasn't his fault. Still... "A rematch would be fun some time." He added a little more quietly, eyeing Little Miss Hothead.
"Take has the map? Is...is that a good thing?" "Who's take?" The Doctor chimed in. "I'm sure those new friends of yours can handle themselves. That muscular fellow seemed like the rough sort to handle a pirate like Silver." "No, no. It's pronounced Tah-kay." "Oh? Takey." "Tah-kay." "Takey." Jim rolled his eyes. "Actually..." The Captain was able to stand up straight without showing signs of pain after Aria cast her spell on her. She tapped on her side, wincing but noticing that most of the pain had gone. "Why thank you. That does feel better." She nodded her head towards Aria. "Mister Hawkins, you and your friends scout ahead. The Doctor and I will see what we can salvage from the boat." "Aye Captain." Jim led the way down past the stalks of the strange forest comprised of overgrown mushrooms and into the darker area covered by the thicket overhead. The deeper into the forest the greener the surroundings got, covered in foliage and tall grass that resembled seaweed more than grass. The rocks along the way were all covered in a thick moss and the ground was littered with smaller reddish brown mushrooms that made stepping through the area difficult. Silver released his grip on Takehiko and snarled as he glared at the boy then at the Keyblade Master. "Then we're going to find them and get the boy to open the map." "Why do we need these two then? Why don't we just kill them now and drop the dead weight?" Out from the shadows stepped a red alien with claws for hands and bright yellow eyes. "For the last time, Scroop, what I say goes! There'll be no insubordination under me!" At the irony of those words coming from someone who committed a mutiny, Choma raised an eyebrow in amusement but otherwise kept silent. "Now bring the ship over to where they crashed and we'll take a boat down to search for them!" Narrowing his eyes, filled with hate, Scroop reluctantly obeyed the pirate leader.
