The girl sat up with Qamar's help and gave her a curious glance with an eyebrow quirk. "Oh, i-it's okay," Aria said with a smile. She was thinking back on the Valerian tea and didn't want to make the same blunder as she did last time. "I'm just tired more than anything, and just only a little sore-" She was cut off when she was suddenly hoisted up off the ground and resting against Qamar, but rather stiffly. "Um..." Aria blinked and then couldn't help but to feel nervous with the way Qamar seemed to be shaking under her weight. She instantly felt bad and held up her hands a bit while waving them side to side. "I'm fine, really! I'm... little princess?" She pursed her lips together as if she swallowed a lemon and scratched her hair a bit. "I... don't know how I feel about that..." She didn't know how to take that title. It sounded cutesy, and most of all diminutive, like she wasn't capable of much except smiling and day dreaming. Even though that's probably not what Qamar meant. But with all of the negative titles she had been getting lately, she was trying so hard to prove herself and didn't want to seem useless or a burden to everyone. Even though she was the Princess of Heart, the Light Chaser told her that she didn't have to be a princess to earn that title. She grew up on a farm. That was all. Only Torrin saw that vision of how she came into this world when they were in her Dream Realm, so as far as she knew, she wasn't much more than an abnormal person with a normal background. She looked to Torrin who's grumpy side seemed to appear once again and she lowered her hands to rest carefully on her stomach. "Qamar, it's okay. I can walk if I have support... I mean, I'd rather not. But everyone is beat up and tired. I don't want to cause anyone more pain. Put me down, I'll be fine," she said with an encouraging smile. The faster they could move on, the better off they'd be. She then glanced over at Tinarah who seemed to be having a hard time. Aria's heart went out to the girl. There wasn't time to really talk and bond since her return... Just only that one time over hot chocolate and food after the Council meeting. At least she's spending time with her brother...
As soon as Take moved, Aria waved her hands in the air. "WhoOoOaA-AGH!" She lost her balance and fell backwards on the ground, landing on her back with an omph and laid there in a daze. This is my life now... She decided to stay on the ground as pain radiated through her body, lifting her arm and placing it over her eyes to block out the sunlight. Aria then realized Boreas asked them to report, and nobody had updated him. "Oh yeah, what happened. So we were fighting Heartless, and trying to find Master Thallasa... Torrin figured out she was at Edna's Mansion, and she found the keyhole there. So he sent Take cause Take can handle himself on his own and he's the stronger one of us." She kept her arm over her eyes but smiled a little as she spoke. "But yeah, we had to keep the Heartless distracted I guess... and then Quietus sent a blast towards Torrin and me. Torrin tried to save us... But his shield kind of disappeared. And then I stepped in... And I don't remember much that happened except a blinding light, pain, and then darkness." She lifted her arm from her eyes a little as her face fell, resting it on her forehead. "I... got stuck in a nightmare... That thing... It attacked me; trying to choke me out. I thought I was going to die, but then Torrin somehow got in my dreams. And then I heard Take's voice calling out to me... And I was brought out of it, and here we are now..."
Aria wasn't expecting the knife to be pulled out and was slightly worried. She flinched when her clothing was cut away from the wound. "Does it look bad?" she asked with a wince as she was letting Take hold her up. But the question was brushed aside when there was a searing pain. She clenched her fists tightly together and breathed in sharply between her teeth. "S-So this is gonna leave a cool scar, right?" she asked, not hearing Torrin's warning towards his friend. She laughed nervously and then before she knew it, it was over. "Thanks," she said with a small smile as small beads appeared on her forehead. She wiped the back of her head and nodded to Take to show her appreciation to him as well. "Sorry for leaning on ya..." She then was addressed by Torrin and she glanced over at him. She knew he eventually addressed all of them, but she couldn't help but to smirk a little. "Aye-aye," she said with a little salute and then cringed as she held her side a bit when she moved too quickly. "No cut or use of all shield power will slow me down. We still got a princess or two still to save." Aria was beyond tired, sore, and she could curl up on the ground here and now and take a nap, but they couldn't afford to stop. She would stop when she passed out again, and she wasn't sure when that was going to be. Nor if she could at this point. Not with the nightmare creature seeming to grow stronger and stronger each time she was asleep.
As they grew closer to the others, Aria was feeling heavier and heavier. She took in gulps of air to keep herself awake, seeing flashes of the nightmare creature through closed eyelids. How was she ever going to sleep again at this rate? In her clouded state, she could see flames shooting up around the one called Boreas and hear his angered cries. He seemed super mad, and the fact they were going closer to this raging man made her nervous, but she was too weak to really protest much. After what it seemed like a minute, it all stopped together and Boreas seemed to calm down. Remind me not to get him mad... Aria felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Qamar. She shot the girl a smile the best she could, but it looked pathetic. "I'll be okay," she mumbled softly. She removed her hand from her abdomen and gave her a thumbs up, only to wince and hold her stomach once more. It was then she was hit with the news that the guy she barely met yesterday had died in battle... To see Qamar's reaction stunned Aria, her face losing color. She didn't exactly see it happen, but she could only understand so much how devastating it was. Her heart went out to Qamar seeing her fall like that and break down. She glanced at Torrin, and then moved away from his support, being careful as she limped over. She was trying to crouch down in front of Qamar, but then ended up falling to one knee instead and grimacing from the effort. She took the crying girl in her arms and pulled her close, leaning somewhat on her since she was having trouble holding herself up for long. "I'm so sorry...." Aria hugged Qamar to her and held her for a moment, trying to give what spiritual healing energy she had left to try to soothe her. After a few long seconds, Aria let go of her and placed a hand on Qamar's shoulder. "We're here for you," she offered. "I know it's not the same, but... We're here." She then rubbed the girl affectionately and then pulled her hand away, forcing herself to stand up and nearly doubling over in pain as she did so. Boreas then offered to look at any wounds, and instantly Aria's thoughts went to the cut on her stomach. "Me, pick me," she waved one hand tiredly as she went back to Torrin, only to make it to Take and leaned against him heavily instead so she wouldn't fall over. She would never tell anyone what happened in the nightmare, but this cut was bothering her too much to hide it or ignore it for long. She then noticed Illiana knocked out cold and frowned deeply. Aria didn't have anything left to give to help anyone out and she felt terrible for it. Aria heard Tinarah speak to them and saw just how beat up she was as well. "We're here, and in one piece," she said with a weak smile. She held her abdomen a little tighter and winced, her legs threatening to give out again. "I need to sit," she muttered under her breath, yet to her it felt like she stated her needs loudly for everyone to hear.
Aria felt another warmth of green light wash over her, which made her able to stand without shaking badly. She still leaned against Torrin for support, and then wrinkled her nose at him when he said he did in fact blame himself. "Stop that," she whispered to him. "I would smack you upside the head if I had enough energy right now." She grunted as they moved and clutched her abdomen tighter. "You're lucky," she said with a forced smirk. She then listened to the questions and answered exchanged of why Take was sent to go and why Aria stayed behind. "N-no offense taken," Aria sighed out as she continued to use Torrin as a support as they moved out of the crater. "I already know my u-usual labels. I'm glad it was me and not you," she said to Take with a half-smile. "This bracelet thing kinda saved us..." And more, but she didn't understand the more part and didn't feel like trying to explain herself. She then felt the heat from Torrin's arms that it was strange and sort of hot and she glanced down at the one by his side. Her eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her lips. "Torrin, you're arms..." She then remembered he was the one who tried to block the blast in the first place before she stepped in. And what Take was saying earlier about the burn potion suddenly made sense now... "Thank you, for saving me back there I mean. To you as well," she mentioned to Take. Had he not been there to help her wake up, she didn't know what would have happened to her and Torrin in the Dream Realm. Aria then fell back in silence as they trudged forward. She didn't want to walk anymore. Each step was a jarring pain in her side, and she felt like she could lay down and take a nap right then and there. Even with what had happened, and the ache in her neck, and especially the cut under her costume was a reminder of what could have been had she stayed unconscious. She nodded off by Torrin's side and jerked her head up, seeing that they were going to be reunited again. Everyone else looked rugged for the wear themselves. The Light Chasers were no where in sight. "Good, they're gone...." Aria mumbled again, tightening her hand around Torrin's shoulder a bit to keep herself up.
2 HP 2 AP Gain Vicinity Break PLOX Fire Spell of FIRE Upgrade Water THE END
The princess of heart opened one eye, turning the shadow that loomed over her. She offered a weak smile to Torrin and removed one of her hands from her stomach, taking his and pulling herself up. She winced and cried out a little as she pushed herself to stand, leaning heavily against Torrin and holding herself again. "I'm sorry," she gasped, feeling bad for being like this in front of the people that cared for her. Her legs shook under her weight and her vision swam as she tried to adjust to the pain that radiate not only through her abdomen but her entire being. She hadn't felt this weak before and she took in quick, slow breaths to steady herself. After a moment, she looked over at Torrin, keeping one eye open as she grimaced through the pain. "I don't blame you at all," she mumbled just for him to hear. She was referring to what happened in the nightmare. She knew he didn't mean to hurt her like this, and she wasn't mad in the slightest. She smiled halfway and then winced, threatening to fall down to her knees again. She put her all into saving the two of them from certain death. At this point, she was pushing herself on the brink of total exhaustion to stay awake and upright.
Aria felt some relief wash over her as a healing spell was cast on her. It still didn't help with how tired she felt. She felt like the life was zapped out of her and her eyes flickered shut, only to force them open again. She heard Torrin's voice and she was glad knowing that he was safe from harm and had actually survived the blast. Aria tried to sit up, only to wince and seethe out in pain between her teeth and laid back down. Her stomach was stinging badly underneath her costume and she placed her hands over the place where it hurt to try to soothe it. She then barely remembered the nightmare, how Torrin tried to save her with his keyblade, only for her to be used as a shield against the dark creature and her to receive the blow instead. She didn't blame him though, not for one second. It was an unpredictable, tight situation to be in. "I'm not... dead..." Aria replied through gritted teeth as she took in quick, short breaths of air to not hurt anything else. She hated to be in pain and weak in front of everyone, but it couldn't be helped. "I'm really.... tired.... and sore....." Red was showing through her uniform and leaking just a bit on her hands. It could have been much worse had not the cure spell been cast on her. "I'm really glad to see... all of you..." She smiled weakly at Take, only to grimace and shudder as she curled up on the ground. It was a miracle they actually survived the explosion at all. She wondered if it was thanks to the cursed bracelet, or something else she didn't understand. "Wh-where's everyone else...?"
The head of the creature rolled off, yet a monstrous howl could be heard still. Aria was released and she gasped out weakly. The monster was off of her, turning to face Torrin without its head. It was in rage and shrieked at Torrin as dark swirls emitted off of it. Spoiler: Origin Story of the Nightmare Monster Torrin was suddenly brought into another vision of sorts, making it hard to focus on the current situation on hand. Just like in the world of heroes, there were heartless attacking everywhere. Civilians were running and screaming, being pounced on by the various creatures and having their hearts ripped away from them. This only caused them to turn into more dark creatures, which seemed to overwhelm the streets. I was here before she was born... The vision flashed to a woman heavy with child, trying to run with the rest of the survivors. She dressed in a fine, yet simple green dress with gold threads sewn in a floral design around the trimmings. She was suddenly blasted with a dark blast and screamed out as she collided heavily to the ground. I could not dwell in her heart.... A man called out to the woman, possibly her name. He was dressed in royal attire and fell to his knees beside her. She was clutching her stomach, becoming pale with the pain as her eyes closed tightly together. But there was another place I could be... "Someone help me!" The man yelled out. Despite the dangers hanging around the couple, a few people stopped and turned back around, quickly forming a human chair of sorts with their arms and helped the ailing mother-to-be up from the ground. And I had stayed here all this time... The vision flashed to where the woman was now laying on a make-shift cot in a crudely set up tent. She was screaming in agony, and then her head fell back on the pillow as someone dabbed her head with a cloth. "It's too soon!" she gasped out weakly. "It's too soon..." "You're going to die, and this child is going to die if she doesn't come now. It's going to be alright. You can do this. Come on, a little more!" And I have grown... Soon there was a cry of a baby, wailing at the top of her lungs. The new mother was exhausted, yet she was still conscious and crying silent tears. "Aria..." she whispered. Someone was beside her to help her hold her newborn, still whimpering and letting out softer cries. The child instantly grew quiet though when she was placed in her mother's arms, and the mother closed her eyes with a tired smile on her face. Fool... You think you can come in here and be rid of me so easily...? The vision faded, and the monster was gathering its strength after a hard hit. Its head reformed back on its body and it opened its mouth, showing rows and rows of sharp teeth. As soon as she dies, then I will be reborn into the world... And the Light will be mine... The dark creature then turned its head creepily at Torrin. There was a silent pause, and then it suddenly lunged at Torrin, ready to try to rip him to shreds with its long claws and try to be rid of this intruder in its realm. Torrin was confused as to what he was seeing. His sight blurred yet he could see clearly...but not what he wanted to see right before him. Instead, his eyes beheld another scenario entirely while the creature spoke in a raspy inhuman growl over where it had come from. By the end of the vision, when a woman it followed called out the name of her baby, he realized what he had just witnessed. His eyes widened in shock. This thing had lingered in some part of Aria from the day she was born. It made him sick and disturbed him how this parasite could have lasted there so long. How had I not sensed what this was earlier? He had felt it in her before when he first saw the scratches and bruises it left but it was only now that he could feel the true danger it posed to Aria and to everyone else should it escape. "No!" He shouted, drawing his keyblade to stop its claws dead in their tracks. "You're not taking her! You're going to be nothing but a bad memory!" Torrin jumped back and extended his keyblade into a halberd and used the polearm to stab at the creature, taking advantage of the weapon's reach to keep out of its claws. "The only thing that's yours is your own destruction!" Torrin spun the polearm to use the axehead in an attempt to cleave the thing in half across the waist. The creature screamed in pain as it was stabbed. It looked around quickly, and then smirked through the pain. Is that so...? Dark wisps suddenly shot out from the creature, wrapping around Aria's wrists, waist, and legs. It zoomed back away from Torrin's attack, holding the girl in front of him like a shield. The blade barely grazed her uniform, slicing it and leaving a slight cut on her stomach. Aria whimpered out in pain, but couldn't do more than that. Her energy was drained, and her literal heart was frail from the attack she endured earlier. Her head was hanging down with her hair in front of her face, too weak to move or fight. In the waking world, her actual uniform was still intact, yet a crimson liquid began to soak through where a small cut had appeared. Take had just knelt by her when this happened. This is my realm you're in, boy... Better step lightly. "What!? Damn you!" His hands shook on seeing Aria hurt by his own hand. The keyblade vanished from his hands realizing that this was a losing battle. He couldn't destroy the creature here and even if he could it would never let him do it without killing Aria first. The only way to stop it was... "You need to wake up! That's the only way this is going to end!" He shouted in desperation. "Concentrate on getting out of here. This is just a dream and you have the power to leave. I know you can do this Aria!" Aria whimpered and hardly moved as Torrin spoke to her. She was so tired and so drained by this point. Everything felt heavy and slow. It was then she heard another familiar voice calling out to her from somewhere far away. "Aria! You've gotta wake up!" T-Take...? The darkness went over Aria’s nose now, blocking her airway once more. She felt that familiar feeling of dread like this was going to be the last time she was alive. You will never escape me, it seethed. Even if you wake up, I will still be here... waiting for you. Aria suddenly felt a force grabbing her by the shoulders and practically pulling her out of the nightmare. The creature scream shrilly as it was forced to release her. She felt herself starting to float upward and cracked open her eyes to see herself going towards a welcoming light. As she was coming near it, Take’s voice was becoming louder and more clearer. Torrin at this point would be awaken from the dream as well. Aria suddenly opened her eyes and gasped out, coughing pathetically as she was trying to get air in her lungs. She relaxed back against the pavement, breathing shallowly as she tried to keep her eyes opened and focused on the boy hovering over her. “Take......” Her voice sounded strained and cracked slightly from exhaustion. There were bruises that were beginning to appear on her neck, there to remind her how real the experience she just went through was.
Aria felt dread swell up in her throat and watched in horror as Torrin stepped out in front of her. She saw his full darkness begin to take over as the blast came closer and shielded her eyes from the brightness of the attack. She could feel the power radiate through her whole being and for the second time ever in her life, she felt completely helpless and scared. Aria glanced up in time to see the blast push on Torrin’s shield, only to make it disintegrate and tear it apart. It was like the world stopped for a moment, and Aria knew they probably had a slim chance of making it out at this point. "Torrin!" She embraced the young man to her tightly, burying her head into his shoulder. Just then, her bracelet activated, placing the two of them in a bright, protective bubble of light. It was intensified by a brighter, white-like glow that was radiating from Aria herself, as if a hidden power within was activated to further protect the pair. The light barrier suddenly flickered and dimmed, shattering as the blast was coming to an end of its full force. Aria felt herself being ripped away from Torrin as she was blinded by the glow. Her back suddenly slammed into a hard surface, knocking the wind out of her. The back of her head was soon to follow, and then everything suddenly went black. ....KO'd...... The princess of heart laid motionless on the ground. Parts of her costume had been singed, and dirt and grime smudged her skin and clothes. She was laying on her back in the road, her hair cascaded behind her and one arm laying to her side while the other one rested by her head with her palm up to the sky. Aria's eyes flickered opened and started up at the bleak sky in confusion. Everything was out of focus, and her ears were ringing badly. She tried to will her body to move, only to come to realize she was paralyzed. She groaned and tried to call out for help, but no sound came out of her throat. Everything felt heavy, and everything ached and throbbed. She tried to focus her eyes someplace else, only to see the world was in black and white and no longer colorful. All of this was only a dream. Aria was not moving a muscle while the fight kept going on around her. She squinted her eyes in confusion, closing them briefly to try to stop the ringing in her ears. She then opened it and was face to face with the cloaked creature from her nightmares... It was standing over her, tilting its head and evilly smirking at her with its sharp pointy teeth clearly visible. It then hissed and grabbed her throat, squeezing it between its clawed hands, cutting off all oxygen. Aria tried her best to find the strength to fight, only to weakly flail her arms at it and not make them move how she needed them to. Aria was gagging in real time, her body working hard to shift under the weight and move away, only to be held down by an unseen force. She tried to claw at her neck, only to not be able to reach it and could only shut her eyes more tightly as she struggled to find air. The creature let out a snicker, pressing harder on Aria's throat. Her attempts to fight were becoming less and less as she started to feeling a tingling sensation from her finger tips traveling up her arms and into her deprived lungs. She was seeing stars, her vision gradually fading to black. The princess of heart had slowly stopped struggling, her pale face turning into a purplish-blue as she fought for oxygen. Her hands fell limp on the ground, and it seemed the little life she was clinging onto was disappearing fast. HP: ???/80 AP: 40/40 MP: 4/30
Aria could see that Torrin was slowing down but was determined to fight. He threw away his cloak, while hers was still intact for the most part. It was holding together rather well. She was feeling a little worn down, but she felt the end would soon be near. Take would find the keyhole, and Master Thallasa and him would be able to seal the darkness away. At least she hoped it worked that way. She took out at least a couple more dark balls, and then looked over at Torrin. “How are you holding up?!?” She yelled over the dull roar muffling their voices. Thundara was cast on some Red Nocturns from her keyblade, taking out that small group before it overwhelmed them. Aria barely dodged rolled from an attack by a Neoshadow and counterattack by getting up and spinning around to hit it from behind her. She noticed the dark fissures starting to pop up and gripped her keyblade more tightly. “Hey! Should we move out of here?!” She asked as she etched more closely to Torrin to make sure they didn’t get separated in the chaos. It was just the two of them, and Aria didn’t want to fall into a dark chasm again. She didn’t think she’d get a second chance like last time if that came to be. HP: 55/80 AP: 0/40 MP: 4/30 Used Dodge Roll Thundara Casted Enemies Defeated 2 Darkballs 1 Neoshadow 8 Red Nocturnes Enemies remaining 76 Darkballs 57 Neoshadows 28 Yellow Operas 20 Red Nocturnes 27 Blue Rhapsodies
Aria nodded her head to Torrin. The creator of Aria didn’t really have much to elaborate on except that’s Aria kept slicing and dicing at the Heartless, even if her link was gone with Master Choma. HP: 67/80 AP: 0/40 MP: 12/30 1 Neoshadow 1 Darkball 6 Shadows Enemies remaining 36 Shadows 94 Darkballs 59 Neoshadows 44Yellow Operas 44 Red Nocturnes 44 Blue Rhapsodies
They didn’t last long in the air, but that was predictable given how everything around them was falling apart. It was harder to breath once they reached the ground, but given the cues, Aria went to work fighting the heartless gathering around them. It was then Torrin announced Master Thallasa needed help, and one of them needed to go. Take was chosen. Aria didn’t like that they had to be separated like this, especially with Take going alone. He even cast a Stonera spell on them to keep them safe from harm. “You too!” She called out to him. “And good luck!” They needed it. If they were planning to get out of this world alive, they needed to find that keyhole and seal it. Hopefully the darkness would go away completely when that happened. It was so suffocating and deafening. Aria felt scared, but was putting on a brave front and doing her best to keep on going. HP: 73/80 AP: 0/(55) MP: 12/30 Linked with Master Choma: Round 3 of 3 2 Neoshadows 1 Darkball 7 Shadows Enemies remaining 40 Shadows 112 Darkballs 59 Neoshadows 60Yellow Operas 54 Red Nocturnes 63 Blue Rhapsodies
Aria was able to take out more heartless until she saw Take receive the brunt of the fight. She cast a Cura spell on him, as well as on herself. "You okay?!" She called to her teammate since he took a rather hard beating. Aria then saw that Torrin was planning on heading out and looked to Take. "Let's go!" she called as she placed a hand on his shoulder and slightly pulled him towards the glider. Aria had a bad feeling that things were going to go South quickly. And they did. As soon as she and Take reached the glider, she felt the building under her shake. She quickly got on and extended a hand out to Take to take. The pressure seemed to increase around them and the wind seemed to pick up into a dastardly speed. The darkness seemed to only deepen more and Aria could feel something within her stir along with the rattling of the earth. "I hope everyone is okay." But as she said that, she couldn't even hear her own voice. Whatever was happening at this point was super bad, and its power was almost unbearable. If Master Thallasa couldn't find the keyhole to this world to help seal off this darkness, then they would have to take Take's suggestion to heart and leave... As much as she hated that. HP: 66/80 +15 from Cura= 80/80 AP: 0/(55) MP: 12/30 Cast Cura on Takehiko: +15HP= (84/100) Linked with Master Choma: Round 2 of 3 2 Neoshadows 1 Darkball 7 Shadows Enemies remaining 79 Shadows 125 Darkballs 65 Neoshadows 75 Yellow Operas 72 Red Nocturnes 72 Blue Rhapsodies
Aria looked over at Torrin just in time to see him stab his keyblade in the ground. She then raised her own in the air and cast Thundara on some Red Nocturnes that were getting too close for comfort. She heard the sound of glass shattering and turned to see the fragments fall to the ground like rain as the darkness seemed to grow even stronger. She then saw the Shadows and other heartlesses started to crawl up from the side of the building and then she heard what Take said. "You're right, I'm not liking the idea of leaving Master Thallasa behind," she said as she kept on fighting the heartless getting too close to her, "but I am liking the idea of getting off of this high place." And on cue, lightning seemed to spider across the sky above her. "Torrin, I don't think it's safe to stay up here much longer!" Aria called over to the dark master as she felt rumbling under her feet. One, they could get hit by lightning, and two, she didn't trust the integrity of this building. Not with the immense power that was being displayed that took out ALL the windows on the building next to them. It seemed to only get worse as time stretched on. HP: 76/80 AP: 0/55 MP: 22/30 Cast Thundara on 8 Red Noctrunes Linked with Master Choma 8 Red Nocturnes 2 Neoshadows 1 Darkball 7 Shadows Enemies remaining 262 Shadows 126 Darkballs 71 Neoshadows 90 Yellow Operas 79 Red Nocturnes 84 Blue Rhapsodies
"Doom clouds work too!" Aria then scrunched her eyebrows in concern when Torrin said he couldn't connect with Master Thallasa via the communicators. She hopped on the roof as prompted to do, standing there anxiously as she wondered what they were going to do next. "What are you planning to do?" But her question would have to wait, because a swarm of heartless was heading up to them. It was then the Light Chaser's words and the time she spent with him crept back into her thoughts. She remembered the LC's words about her not being able to leave Sleeping Eventide because she would attract the darkness and cause the world to collapse on itself. She wondered if his words held some weight and her light was attracting the darkness towards them. She frowned at the thought and summoned her keyblade, holding it with both hands. "Clear out the Heartless, figure out what to do next, got it!" She charged at the ones that were popping up from over the edge and onto the roof, immediately using her Sonic Blade to take at least seven of them out rapidly. The rest of her strength, she divided it up to try to take out as many as possible. It wasn't impressive like Torrin's strength. It felt like she was barely making a dent in the numbers. Nevertheless, she remembered the Demon Tower and how difficult that was. And now they had their magic and full strength back. We can do this. We can win. HP: 80/80 AP: 0/40 MP: 30/30 Uses Sonic Blade Blue Rhapsodies 6 Yellow Operas 5 Red Nocturnes 6 = 17 Heartless Taken out 95 Yellow Operas 113 Red Nocturnes 124 Blue Rhapsodies
Aria glanced back in time to see Chrys jump into the situation with the other Light Chaser students. She felt a twinge of sadness, remembering their short time together while Aria was with the Light Chaser. The girl knew there was no way she was going to go willingly with LC’s plan any time soon, and leaving now was the best choice. She was stunned that Qamar offered to protect her in Torrin’s place, which didn’t seem very logical, but it was nice she supposed. They were off though, and Aria held onto Torrin as they took off into the rocky turbulence. They weren’t up in the air for long though, and soon they had to make a landing on one of the tallest buildings. Aria got off the glider as soon as it reached the top of the building and gazed warily at the darkening sky. This was giving her all sorts of anxiety remembering how she almost fell completely into darkness the first time, and how her nightmare monster made the darkness all the more sinister. She then ventured close to the edge, and blinked rapidly against the high winds. “I’m not seeing much of anything!” She called out to Torrin. “Except the swirling vortexes of terror.”
The girl was relieved to see that her friends were alright and everyone seemed to be getting their strength back. Aria was getting all sorts of answers to her questions, most of them being to get a move on and live to see another day. Or at least, get out of the situation to see how they could better help. Or fight it head on. In which either case, her thoughts and the answers she was getting were interrupted when someone jumped into the fray... Aria only recognized Dentro from the guy Torrin crashed through the window and made a mess of the breakfast table. She flinched when the keyblade was suddenly pointed at her, and then she stiffened, clenching her fist. No... How did they find me?! Aria's mind went to the bracelet and she dug her nails into her glove. It didn't track, she was told that by at least two masters... But something wasn't right. Another familiar face jumped in and Aria found herself holding her breath. "Koa..." Her eyes darted over to Illiana, remembering the talk they had back on the pirate ship about her sibling. She half-listened to Koa's demands. It was as if Aria wasn't even there and she was some chip to bargain in a war. That, and she didn't full-heartedly take the Light Chaser's side... Not with erasing all of the darkness for good from people part of the plan anyways. Her hand pressed against her chest, thinking on to the nightmares she had as a kid that haunted her even now. Wouldn't destroying all of the darkness in someone be just as bad as taking away all of the light? She snapped out of it when Torrin called for her and looked to see his glider was ready for her, and she heard Take being called as well. She didn't want to leave the others behind, but she was at risk here if she stayed. "Should have kept me with you while you had the chance!" she called out to the Light Chasers. "Good luck guys!" she called to her teammates, especially to Illiana. Aria then made a mad dash for the glider and hopped on, waiting for Take to join them as well. She wasn't quite sure why he was coming along, but Take was one of the people she trusted the most in this party. At least she would be with familiar company besides Torrin.
Aria glanced over her shoulder to Torrin, but she didn’t get to speak to him. Soon things took a turn for the worst and Aria straightened to attention. She watched in horror as Kefka broke out of his bounds, but she was more horrified with the darkness that was starting to pour all around him. She saw flashes of the demonic creature in her nightmares, and heard its evil laugh in place of Kefka’s. She felt her mouth go dry as unpleasant memories suddenly flooded her mind. Maybe it was because she opened up about it a bit to Take a few days ago, and some more to Torrin just last night. Or maybe the nightmares were messing with her head... Spoiler: Tales of a Princess: Children Can Be Cruel, Part 2 10 Years Old She had done it. She snuck away. Aria was sitting on a hill by her chocobo tied to a tree, which was now growing in his nice fluffy yellow feathers. There were still brown patches sticking up here and there, but that’s what made Dubble so special to her. While her aunt was busy with a guest at the door, Aria snuck out the back and grabbed her equipment before riding off. Today she was going to make herself useful and prove to everyone she could handle tough jobs just fine. She was dressed in a green army jacket with a scarf around her neck, her quiver of arrows attached to her back with her spear resting in its hold and her bow around one arm. The months were a little colder now, but there was still work to be done on the farm. Crops were being harvested and brought in to be distributed among the farmers that lost theirs to the wrenfel as well as to the village. No matter how many times the farmers went back to their farms to try to rebuild them, they would become overrun by the monsters again. They didn’t have time to fight the beasts though, they had mouths to feed. So the children of the farmers, ages ten and up, were supposed to be on guard duty and do their best to pick off the wrenfel that came too close to the Dorin’s farm property and check on the other two farms still standing. It was a quiet day today, but Aria felt like she could get caught any moment and was rather tense. She was doing something she was told not to do, and rarely did she disobey. She sighed out through her nose, and then perked up when she heard the sound of laughter and chocobo feet approaching. She ducked down behind the shrub and made Dubble sit down and hide behind the large tree to stay out of sight, just in case it was a couple of workers heading her way. But instead, it was a group of boys. There were six of them, sharing three chocobos to ride. The oldest looked to be about 13 or even 14 while the youngest one looked to be around Aria’s age. They stopped by the pond that was below, tying up their chocobos to posts and sitting on crates while pulling out their lunches for the day. Aria was relieved it was kids her age. Maybe she could join them in finding wrenfel? She stood up and approached the group with a wave of her hand and a nervous smile. “Hey guys!” The group of boys looked up, surprised to be approached by someone else. When they realized who it was, the oldest ones groaned while the younger ones looked away or looked to the ground. One of the older ones nudged his friend and whispered in their ear, which in turn the friend smirked and set their lunch down. All the reactions she received at once confused Aria. She knew about the talk that this whole thing with the wrenfel was her fault, but she didn’t think others really believed it. The two boys that were talking to each other stood up and approached Aria, folding their arms. One had brown, shaggy hair and green eyes while the other had blond hair shaved on the sides save for the top and blue eyes. “And what are you doing out here? Are you trying to get us killed?” The one with brown hair spoke. Aria was stunned. “N-no, I came out here to help.” The brown haired boy scoffed. “To help? Pft, did you hear that, boys? The cursed girl wants to help us out.” Aria felt guilt punch her in the gut. So the rumors were true; everyone believed Aria was causing all of these problems for everyone lately. The destruction of the farms, the shortage of food because of that, the unhappiness and fear that came from this was all because of her. She remembered the talk she had with her uncle this morning and clenched her fists tightly. “I am not cursed! And this isn’t my fault!” She yelled at them. The group fell silent for a moment. They weren’t expecting Aria to try to stand up for herself. The two boys that were standing in front of Aria exchanged looks with one another. Then looked at her. “Do you want to put that to the test…?” The blond one asked in a dark, menacing voice. Aria opened her mouth to speak, but then was suddenly shoved to the ground. She looked up as the boys began laughing at her, the others cheering the two eldest ones on. She realized her bow was ripped away from her when she was pushed to the ground and went to stand up, only to be shoved down again, hard. “You want to help?” The brunette spat at Aria as he stood over her and mocked her. She was then grabbed and hoisted up, her quiver of arrows being stripped away next, and then her spear. She was held roughly by her arm and she went to hit them off of her, only to be shoved and then grabbed from behind so her arms were pinned. Aria panicked and tried to move away, but whoever had her held on tighter. “Let go of me!” She yell, trying to kick her legs to no avail. “You can help by just disappearing already,” The brown haired boy seethed at Aria. He then grabbed one of her legs going up to kick him, and then held the other one more tightly. Aria tried to wiggle and squirm out of the hold, but the boys held onto her tightly as they hauled her over to where the empty crates and boxes were. “I am not cursed!” She screamed as she struggled to get out of the hold while the others in the group cheered and jeered, save one small boy. Suddenly, she was thrown down roughly into an empty chest. When she went to raise her head, the lid was slammed down, bumping her head. Aria cried out and held her head as the sound of muffled laughter could be heard outside the wooden contraption. “Guys, this isn’t right.” “Shut up, Tobin.” “If you don’t like it, then leave. We’re going to get rid of the problem once and for all.” Aria recovered enough from being hit on the head and pushed up on the ceiling, only to not be able to make the lid budge at all. There was hardly any room in this box; she couldn’t even use her legs to push up on the ceiling it was so cramped. “LET ME OUT!” She screamed in terror. She pounded the surface above her, only to be met with what she assumed was a kick on the side. “You shut up too. You wanted to help out, didn’t you?” “Well now is your chance. Alright, let’s drag her out.” Tears were streaming down Aria’s cheeks as she realized what was happening. She kicked, yelled and slammed her fists all around her to try to get out, but they had her locked in tight. “Why are you doing this?!” She shrieked, her own voice deafening her in this tiny space. “I’m not a curse! THIS ISN’T MY FAULT!!! LET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME OUT!” Her pleas landed on deaf ears. She felt the box being dragged on the ground as she continued to kick and punch at the wood to try to break it. Aria began to sob after struggling for what it seemed like a while, and then she felt the box begin to roll. Her small, thin body slammed against all sides of her wooden prison for a good minute until it suddenly came to a stop. Her head was spinning and her body ached and stung in various places all around. The girl pulled into a fetal position, her knees pressing against the wooden sides while her hands rested behind her neck as she moved her chin close to her chest. What did she do exactly to deserve this? Why did they feel the need to do it? “UNCLE LANAR!!!” Her voice tore through her throat, and she ignored the throbbing in her head and the ringing in her ears from shouting out in an enclosed space. Her chest shook as she cried some more. “AUNT ANJA!!!” No one ever replied to her screams for help. Aria shuddered and then scrambled up to her feet as soon as Kefka had been sucked into the darkness. She then turned to Torrin, eyes wide with fear. This couldn’t be happening, not again. She had a feeling the Light Chaser wouldn’t be here to save the world this time. She looked at her bracelet briefly and then back to Torrin. “What do we do?!” She asked, yelling above the noise yet trying to stay calm as she could. “We can’t just leave this world suddenly behind!!! Not like this!” ((OOC; forgive the bad coloring. Phone is being a dumby.))
Delivery of Cakes- Shawn, Yukyo, Lakoda Lakoda only smiled a little when Shawn mentioned she handled herself well. Memories of her past tried to flood into her mind, but she wouldn't allow it as she kept watch to on the road. "Thank you." She was about to offer her opinion about what was in the boxes when Yukyo spoke up. He then offered to take over the reins and she handed them over. "Really, it was scary, but I've been through other stressful situations before," she said with a shrug. She then moved to the back and patted Yukyo on the shoulder, inspecting the boxes herself. No damage was done, and so she covered them up with the quilt and secured them nicely. "If there is something in here, maybe she didn't want to tell us so we wouldn't give it away by accident." A Price Unpaid- Gavin, Zephyr, Thea "I get in through a tunnel that's underground. It leads to the storage room under the Town Hall. The mayor and his cult followers use it to steal the children away at night since they can't quietly take children away from their own homes since I arrived." Izra frowned a bit at and folded her arms. "We really don't have time to confront the Mayor at this point though. The sooner we rescue Selena, the better chances for her survival are. Xislyn can drain a child's essence for weeks, but it's better to rescue Selena as soon as possible." "I know where she's at," Kyo spoke up. "Where Xislyn's lair is, I mean. I've been close there a few times. Just be warned, she does have a 'pet' that guards her grounds. Both Xislyn and her pet has a powerful poison, so stay on your guard." Izra sighed and looked to the three. "I'm ready to head out when you are. I will need my flute back though," she said, glancing at Thea. "Don't worry, no one will fall asleep or be enchanted. I can choose that willingly. Only my desired targets are affected by that part of the magic." Village in Peril- Conrad, Everette, Samuel When Conrad returned and did as Samuel instructed, he sighed out in relief, only to be surprised with the dabbing of a cloth on his own forehead. He would have chuckled if the situation wasn't dire, but instead allowed himself to smile a little. He half-listened to Conrad's report as he was close to extinguishing the worst of the effects of the poison in the little girl's body. The rash had bubbled to the surface momentarily, only to lessen and shrink down to tiny, red dots that gathered around her face and then scattered down her body. "Those bastards need to pay... Poisoning the water... Who are these people anyways? With their only water supply left contaminated, we need to find an end to this crisis, and fast." Renza's breathing was slowly coming back to normal as Samuel worked on her. Her body shuddered here and there, clutching on Conrad's hand tightly and then relaxing with each shudder. Samuel knew it was the body wanting to go into seizure, but he wasn't going to let it. The healing light around the girl glowed brighter, and Renza groaned softly. All fell quiet when Conrad began to hum. Only Samuel recognized the the melody, but it seemed to help Renza relax more and more. After a few moments, Renza's eyes fluttered opened. "Conrad..." she mumbled, turning her head to the side as she was taking in slow, deep breaths. "She's coming out of the danger zone," Samuel said to Conrad. "Thank you..." The chief's eyes widened with the news and he suddenly became worried. "That's... That's not good," he mumbled. "Every house and building has their own rain water system, stored just outside... Come with me." He then hurried over to the town hall where the water-storage was and brought his lantern up, setting it on a hook right by the spigot. He then took a ladle and turned the water on, collecting some droplets and then turned it off, holding it up to the light. The water was murky instead of clear with an odd, purple-ish color. Chief Yolvun brought it up to his nose and took wiff and then lowered it while making a face. "This... this isn't like earlier." He held it up to Everette to see.
