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Post by hoodwink on Jul 15, 2020 17:07:17 GMT -5
Everything happened fast—Kujo felt the rush of energy as M’Lyn’s fairy worked its magic, failing to reach the Miqo’te in time as the Demon Tower closed in. BANG! A torrent of light bullets shot out, blasting into the large Heartless and causing it to veer off course. Crashing into the swampy forest ground instead of M’Lyn, wiping out most of the other Shadows on the ground, the collision shook the ground beneath their feet as dirt and mud were strewn across the battlefield by the strength and speed of the spinning Heartless. Within a second, Jack had begun unleashing a swift combo, his Finishing Blow causing another brilliant burst of light to illuminate the entire swamp—washing away the green hue only for a moment.
”Kujo! You’re okay!” Alice’s voice rang through the comm just as Kujo had finally made his way to M’Lyn. Jack had successfully drawn the Demon Tower’s attention once more, going toe-to-toe with the gigantic Heartless up ahead with a pair of odd looking guns. Those again? Where had the odd sword gone? ”Allow me to support the two of you, and focus on the battle ahead!” M’Lyn brought him out of his thoughts—a determined look setting onto his face as he glared up at the large Demon Tower. ”Yeah! Beat that thing to the ground!” Hearing Alice’s passionate cheer caused Kujo to smirk—the quiet and reserved girl seemed to be riled up. ”I’ll be on the look-out if there really is someone controlling it!”
Tch—this thing's no joke, huh? Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kujo began to walk up to the Demon Tower, his Akogare flying into him, causing the man to be swallowed by a brilliant light. Within a moment, Kujo stood next to Jack, facing off against the Demon Tower, though his appearance had completely changed. Rather than the floating specter being at his side, Kujo wore his Akogare's armor as though it were his own, his body covered in a vibrant purple aura that radiated power as he readied his plated fists. His eyes flashed the same galaxy hue as his guardian—this was a power he rarely unleashed: his Enraged Heart. ”Let’s do this!” Jack seemed more than eager to leap back in. Nodding in agreement, the two would launch into action. Figuring Jack’s guns were suited for range, Kujo leapt directly for the Demon Tower, calm and composed as he became a streak of purple, closing the distance. ”WAKERU!!!” Unleashing a torrent of armored fists and blinding light, Kujo soared through the air to meet the Demon Tower head on—
Hopefully, backed up by or following Jack’s upcoming attack.
[[ENEMIES: Demon Tower]]
Aboard the Almira, Alice’s systems would continue being on constant alert. The sheer amount of dark energy concentrated in the single section of the forest they were in was making it hard to distinguish individual threats. Searching for the possible ‘controller’ would prove difficult—though not impossible. Shortly after Kujo’s transformation, a new presence would pin-point itself on Alice’s radars—one that was too big to hide. One giant source of darkness, slowly growing by the second, coming from beneath the swamp directly. It seemed to be far below the group, somewhere under their feet...though it wouldn't have a specific shape, appearing mostly as a 'blur'. If there was someone controlling the Demon Tower, like Kujo suggested, it seemed they were amidst an insane level of darkness that was rising steadily.
Who or what could survive that...was uncertain.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 16, 2020 12:27:31 GMT -5
Following Kujo's assault, Jack aimed both guns at the massive tide of Heartless, bullets of light shooting forth to meet its target. With M'Lyn backing their backs, there was no way they could lose! Jack's newfound courage allowed him to press further, jumping as he slid around once more, his guns shooting a myriad of bullets in unison, that remained a few seconds around before honing into the enemy. His Bullet Hell ability was focused solely on the Demon Tide, ignoring anyone else in their path. If Kujo were to take a look, he'd notice the bullets purposely avoiding him, turning whenever they were too close to him to then regain their path and land.
M'Lyn chanted a Ruin II spell, the sharp lights finding their way towards their enemy. Still keeping distance, and with Eos hovering near Kujo, she focused on supporting as best she could, although that could hardly be an issue. If it came to it, she wouldn't mind joining the fray along a sword and shield, much like the Gladiators back in Eorzea. Such thoughts, although old, brought a faint smirk on her face.
It was clear that neither teammember was willing to give up against the enemy.
Meanwhile, Alice was keenly analyzing the sittuation, focused solely on the task ahead. There was a clear source near them, but pinpointing exactly what it was would prove difficult. Not only that...
But it seemed like they were stepping on it, as the source lurked beneath the murky waters tainted with darkness.
"There's something underneath you" she said, trying to remain calm, "I can't tell what it is, though... But it might be the same thing as whatever the water is..." "Tch... So, hidin' underneath us, eh?" Jack groaned, glaring at the murky depths near them, to then focus on the Demon Tower, "If whatever's lurkin' deep is what's controlling this thing, then we're in a pickle..." "It's really strong, though... Can you really do something about it?" "Heh... Don't underestimate me, sis!"
Jack's shout caught Alice and M'Lyn by surprise. Such unlikely bravado, coming from him, was unheard of, not fitting his usual demeanor in the slightest. Yet Jack didn't seem phazed by it, instead continuing his assault by shooting upwards. A thousand lights gathered in the darkened sky, lingering faintly before they fell down with impressive speed, akin a thousand arrows being thrown from the clouds. While his Bullet Rain was powerful on its own, it wouldn't be enough to end the battle proper.
And Jack knew that.
"Don't let up!" he ordered, "We'll force this thing to a corner before it can even try and outsmart us!"
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 17, 2020 1:21:33 GMT -5
With the combined attacks of the trio, a radiant light erupted throughout the swamp, causing the immense pool of darkness to recoil and snake further from the shores. The Demon Tower erupted into a roar as it recoiled, thrashing throughout the swamp as it tried to escape the light. ”There’s something underneath you” Alice’s voice rang through Kujo’s comm device as he landed back on the mucky ground. Below? Quickly scanning the area with eyes brimming with stars, Kujo only noticed the large tree in the center of the pool—isolated on its own tiny island.
Other than that, the place was deserted. Jack’s Bullet Rain brought Kujo’s attention back to the battle, showering the Heartless with a powerful spray of light blasts. Unable to dodge the full front of the attack, the Demon Tower was blasted with countless shards, each one shedding more Shadows from its large form, dissolving them into a dark vapor and releasing the hearts trapped within. ”Don’t let up!” Kujo smirked at Jack’s command, enjoying the newfound confidence his teammate seemed to have.
”Didn’t plan on it.” Just as cocky, Kujo smirked as he clenched his armored fist, rushing across the mucky ground in a blur of speed. The Demon Tower wasn’t defeated yet, but seemed to be in bad shape—it had grown smaller in size due to the countless blows chipping away at its form, its movements not nearly as fast as before. It’s time to end this. He couldn’t do it alone though, even he had to recognize that fact. Then we can deal with whatever’s below us… It was always one thing after another. Can't I catch a break?
Glancing at Jack as Kujo charged forward, he couldn’t help but feel a hint of competition. ”Guess it’s my turn to show off—“ Leaping back into the air with an incredibly high jump, the purple aura surrounding Kujo seemed to amplify as it seeped from him—raw energy, leaking forth from his own heart. ”Totsu—“ Closing the gap, Kujo hoped Jack and M’Lyn would back up his attack, putting his all into it. ”ZENSHI!” The aura surrounding him seemed to explode in a wash of purple, and for a moment, time around Kujo seemed to slow—everything other than his fists. Pummeling the Demon Tower with all his might, Kujo’s armored fists rang out like a clapping blast of thunder, erupting at an impossible speed.
All of it would happen within the blink of an eye, causing another flare of light to erupt as he made contact.
[[ENEMIES: Demon Tower??]]
Beneath the murky swamp, in the bowels of the forest, the figure moved as though in trance. He could sense the impending doom of the creature above—knowing that it was only a matter of time before his haven would be found. ”It seems I’m out of potions—er, options.” A bright green light cast heavy shadows all throughout the area, gnarled roots snaking along the walls as though alive. Before them was their treasure—the secret they needed to discover.
With a shaking hand, they reached out—
On the Almira, Alice’s radar would finally begin to be able to pinpoint the mass beneath the trio. The large area that would continuously appear as one static mass would finally solidify to a singular point in the forest, a higher intensity than even the swamp itself. Directly in the middle of the ‘water’, a large singular pinpoint could be made out, massive and swelling up larger by the second.
It seemed whatever was happening was happening quick!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 17, 2020 14:47:59 GMT -5
While Jack dashed once more towards the weakened enemy, guns firm in his hands, and M'Lyn kept on pressuring it with her non-stop support, Kujo's attack only furthered the window for a final attack, a window Jack wouldn't dare miss. All the while, Alice looked with keen eyes at the battlefield from afar, keeping track of everything in order to support the trio as best she could.
Closing distance once more following Kujo's Totsuzenshi, Jack smirked as he unleashed a barrage of bullets. However, a faint hue forced him to glance elsewhere, redirecting his aim and splitting the shots equally between the two targets. A horrid green light had made itself focus of Jack's barrage, some bullets honing onto it as if they tried to hurt it.
"There you are..." he thought with a frown. "Ah! What-?!" Alice's voice echoed with shock, "Everyone, stay away from whatever the hell that thing is!"
M'Lyn's focus turned towards the greenish light on the center of the swamp, her mouth slightly agape. Shaking her head, she took a few steps back, already having quite the distance between her and the swamp, and also the Heartless, channeling a Stone spell that honed to the Demon Tower, already slow and weakened.
Jack, on the other hand, seemed to have another thing in mind.
"I ain't lettin' you off!"
Within the blink of an eye, he threw forth a Thunder III spell at the Demon Tower before jumping with impressive strength, aiming at the Demon Tower with a face full of rage. His fingers triggered, another barrage of light bullets aiming to decimate the enemy with one full blow.
Regardless of the damage dealt, although confident in its strength, Jack rushed towards the green light, both guns still firm in his hand.
"You guys finish that thing off!" he ordered loudly, "I'll take care of this!" "Ah... JACK!"
Alice's shout wasn't enough to stop her brother diving head first into the dark tree, where the light was coming from, his gaze firm as before. Alice tried to reach him, but he was not answering to anyone anymore, other than his own voice. M'Lyn was also distraught by it, but knew that focusing on that right now was useless.
First, she and Kujo had to deal with whatever was left of the Demon Tower.
Pitch black. Even after blinking a few times, Jack couldn't see a thing in front of him. Where was whatever controlled the Demon Tower above him? He grimaced, but didn't falter. Inside the rotting tree, the path only continued downwards, but he wasn't stopping there.
It was by his hand that he had to end it.
Hey, wake up. Are you there? "H-Huh...?"
Inside his head, echoed two voices, the pair very similar between them. Almost as if it was the same voice -Jack's. While his gaze didn't move around, in his head was a constant confusion. Still, his aim remained the same, regardless of who was in control.
"W-Who's there?!" The part you keep rejecting of yourself. The person you once used to be, now a shell of the past. "...!" Don't bother about that now. Do you see it? "See it...? You mean... That figure, lurking deeper inside this place?" Yeah. Can you see it? "'Course I can! What about it?!" It's your time to do the work. You've already done it before, so it shouldn't be an issue for you, right? "If it's like back in San Fransokyo... Then hell yeah! Bring it!"
The voice laughed -a vibrant, cheerful laugh, one Jack wasn't expecting due to the voice's harsh tone towards him. The shell of who he used to be before... While he was curious to know what that meant, he knew that there were more important things to do at that point in time.
First, he had to find the figure lurking in the darkness.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 17, 2020 17:16:51 GMT -5
As Kujo landed on the ground, his plated fists steaming from the friction of the speed they had delivered the attack, a blaring green light erupted forth from the odd broken tree in the center of the swamp. As M’Lyn’s Stone spell provided further support against the Demon Tower, which was now less than half its original size and flailing throughout the swampy forest in rage, Jack’s Thunder spell would erupt throughout it, causing the Heartless to finally break apart, becoming a normal mob of Shadows, weakened and frantic. It seemed all of their powerful attacks had finally broken the insanely strong Heartless apart, leaving nothing but small fry in its wake. ”You guys finish that thing off!”
Jack’s yell had followed up his barrage, catching Kujo off guard as he turned to see Jack race towards the darkness that surrounded the tree emitting the odd green light. ”JACK!” Alice’s scream pierced through the comm, though Kujo couldn’t focus on trying to stop his teammate, as the Shadows were quick to surround him and M’Lyn. Thankfully, due to the radiant light from the trio’s prior attack, most of the darkness saturating the swamp had retreated, allowing Jack to make it to the island the tree sat on safely.
Having blocked the oncoming attack from some Shadows, Kujo turned to find Jack missing—having disappeared. Damn it! Where did he go?! Only somewhat irritated, Kujo sighed, realizing there was little he could do in this situation. Jack had left him and M'Lyn to deal with the Heartless, so he must have a plan, right? Maybe that weird weapon will help him...
[[ENEMIES: 30 Shadows!]]
While Kujo and M’Lyn dealt with what the Demon Tower had become, Jack disappeared into the broken and gnarled tree’s cavern-like entrance. Just as he would enter the tree, seeing a tunnel-like path that led downwards and rushing towards it, the green light would suddenly vanish—leaving him in a gnarled and twisted tunnel with no light. ”You’re too irate—er, late.” The odd voice from before would return, echoing through the dark cavern as the green light would slowly begin to return.
Jack would be able to make out the tunnel he ran down once more, walls crafted from both the earth itself as well as the thick and gnarled dying roots of the hollowed tree above ground. Ahead of him stretched more downward tunnel, the green light growing brighter the further down he would go, casting heavy shadows all over. Nearing the end of the tunnel, the green light would begin to dim again, this time a bone-chilling wind beginning to howl through the tunnel. Darkness rode along the wind, a vapor that lashed out and pushed with heavy force. Protected by the Keyblade, Jack would be able to make his way to the end despite the powerful gust, emerging in a large underground room that had darkness hanging stale in the air.
In the center of the underground chasm was a radiant blinding light, appearing almost like a giant orb, though it was too bright to focus on for long. Though it appeared nestled into the earth, large tree roots and vines snaking around to form a cage-like protection around it, darkness had seemed to somehow taint it, causing the odd green hue. Before it stood what appeared to be a Heartless, one who’s shape was composed of pure dark energy, similar to how Dopey had appeared.
Wearing a yellow/brown cap, the figure’s form seemed to be made up a bristling beard made of darkness, hiding its body and most of its face. It fixed its yellow orb eyes on Jack, a pair of broken spectacles hanging unbalanced on a large and twisted nose. ”What can you do against this powder—er, power?!” Within a moment, the battle began as the ‘Heartless’ seemed to quell and shake, the earth beneath Jack's feet shaking as suddenly sharp rocky pillars erupted forth from the ground!
The pillars would erupt and lance with incredible speed towards Jack!
[[ENEMIES: Spectacled Heartless]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 18, 2020 6:12:40 GMT -5
Now focused solely to the offensive, M'Lyn dismissed Eos and her staff, replacing her weapons for a bow and arrows, taking aim at the nearest shadow before shooting a single arrow at it. Since Alice was distraught by the current events, she was somewhat useless until she managed to recover.
"After this, we follow!" M'Lyn shouted, "That dumbass better do things properly..."
The gust of darkness forced Jack to close his eyes, but he kept onwards. The guns were once again gone, and the blade was once again firmly in his grasp. Even if he couldn't recall how he got there, he didn't question the blade's call, guiding him through the darkness towards the source of the green light. When he arrived at the large room, he took his time to look around, wondering if there were any enemies lurking in the shadows. The bright light, protected by vines and roots, was the first thing that caught his attention, standing agape for a bit before noticing its state.
"What the hell is that?! he thought in shock. This world's core. By the state of it, it's not gonna last for much longer...
Jack's eyes narrowed, soon catching onto the figure in front of the light. The figure and demeanor reminded him quite a bit of Dopey, before he managed to return him back to his prior state. So, was that the last dwarf that they were missing?
The pillars of earth startled him, being shot towards him with incredible speed. Thankful for the blade's power, Jack parried the attack almost effortlessly, although his own strength was there to support him. He then rolled to the side, his eyes fixated on the figure in front of him with a frown.
"You don't wanna underestimate me, buddy" he taunted with a smirk, a bit more confident, "I don't wanna fight'cha, but you ain't leavin' me a choice here..." he poised with the blade in front of him, "So do me a favor and stand still for a sec, 'kay!?"
With that, he charged forward, the blade in his hands slowly gathering light around it. Just like before, Jack didn't want to fight anyone if they were indeed people who he could turn back from being a Heartless. If he'd managed to do so with Dopey...
Why not once more?
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 18, 2020 17:07:08 GMT -5
”After this, we follow!” Kujo nodded as he destroyed yet another Shadow, the others quick to fill its spot. ”That dumbass better do things properly…” Smirking a bit at the comment, Kujo swept an arcing kick to allow them more space, thinking about what had happened earlier. ”He’s been pulling some stunts lately…” That odd weapon of his was really something else. Even just from the time of their arrival on this world, Kujo had seen a lot of progress on Jack’s part. He was still pretty of reckless, though.
Pulled out of his thoughts, Kujo staggered as the ground beneath his and M'Lyn's feet began to shake.
[[ENEMIES: 24 Shadows]]
As Jack dodged the oncoming attack, the Heartless had turned towards the large orb, reaching out towards it with a muttering. ”I need…more power!” Jack’s taunt forced its attention back to him, startled by the light that was beginning to surround his Keyblade. ”Aha! It’s that board—er, sword!” The spectacled Heartless backed away for a moment, preparing to fight as it kept the world’s heart at its back. ”Do me a favor and stand still for a sec, ‘kay!?”
The light shot forth just as the spectacled Heartless turned towards the world heart once more, reaching out with a muscular and sinewy taloned hand. The green light surrounding the area brightened as the cavern begun to shake, darkness pouring out from the world heart and into the spectacled Heartless. Just as the beam of light was about to reach its mark, the being launched forth its own blast of pure dark energy, colliding with the beam in a loud and powerful explosion of purple and green as the two fought against one another. With the beams locked in a clash, pushing on each other back and forth, it seemed Jack and the Heartless were trapped in a battle of one’s strength of heart. Grinning with malice, the spectacled enemy's yellow eyes seemed to brighten as the darkness in the cavern seemed to slowly begin snaking towards them.
"I'll stop you from musing—er, using—that sword!" The darkness continued to creep down from the walls, seemingly swallowing the cavern they stood in slowly. The world heart shone with a sickly green, giving Jack visibility despite the growing darkness around him.
[[ENEMIES: Spectacled Heartless]]
The hell's he doin'?! Kujo grimaced as the shaking beneath his feet continued. Glancing over his shoulder at the tree in the middle of the swamp, the man noticed the green light shining brighter than before, the darkness that surrounded the small island quaking and rising as though a storming tide, the darkness lashing out against the shore and the island in the swamp. The Heartless in the area seemed to pause for a moment, sensing the eruption of dark energy far below.
Kujo used this chance to attack. Glowing with his familiar purple aura, the armored man gathered up his energy as the Shadows slowly began to return their attention. ”DokiDoki!” Countless small heart-shaped light bursts launched forth from Kujo, swarming and exploding around many of the Shadows. Rushing in after his attack, the man hoped to be able to go aid Jack quickly, as things seemed to only be winding up! Tch—things might get bad for 'im... Pushing back his doubt, Kujo's choice solidified. Jack had entrusted him with this task, believing in his own strength to get the job done. Fueled by a new determination, Kujo's armored fists flew with a new fire, one born from doing something he hadn't done in too many years.
Believing in a friend.
[[ENEMIES: 17 Shadows]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 18, 2020 17:33:06 GMT -5
M'Lyn's feet staggered as the ground beneath her quaked, the sickly green light only solidifying a bad sensation in her heart. Whatever was happening was not good, and she didn't need to be told in order to know such a thing. Frowning with clear anger, M'Lyn jumped upwards, her bow and arrow aiming swiftly from Shadow to Shadow, focusing on getting the leftovers out of the picture.
Just like Kujo, she also wanted to help in any way she could. Not only that, but Jack's actions had been far too reckless.
"He's in for a mouthful once he gets out! And if he can even do whatever he wants alone!" she thought with a flaming fury.
Dropping back to the ground, M'Lyn took aim once more, straightening her pose and unleashing a powerful arrow at the many Shadows around her, her Heavy Shot looking to catch off-guard as many enemies as possible.
Just how long would it take before they were defeated?!
Jack flinched, not expecting the retaliation at all. That wasn't in the plan at all! Still, he struggle was proving fruitless, and Jack knew it. Breaking the attack and allowing the Heartless' attack gain the upper hand, Jack rolled quickly to the side, before dashing towards the creature without any discrimination.
Whatever it was doing to the world's heart, it was about time to stop it.
"Enough of you!"
Closing the distance, Jack slashed horizontally, not caring anymore about whatever would happen. But before he could even try and beat the Heartless in front of him, he had to do something about the world's heart, first!
Right now, you think that's a good idea?! The voice inside his head echoed with both shock and rage. Jack smirked as he looked towards the Heartless. "If this thing's focusing it before me... Then surely it's gotta be important!" Jack stated back with a confident smirk, "So, think ya can try and beat me? I ain't losing to the likes of ya, not here, not ever! Ya hear?!" Jack's gaze narrowed, his blade firm in his grip, "I'm saving y'all like it or not!"
The darkness around him seemed to dissapear, as if the blade in his hands casted off the shadows once more. The blade shone brightly, unlike before, its light radiant and pristine. Jack's eyes focused on the Heartless in front of him, and smirked.
"Let's fight for this world's sake, then!" he shouted, shooting the light to fight the sickly green on tainting the world's heart, "Try as much as you want -I'm not giving up!"
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 18, 2020 18:32:15 GMT -5
”Enough of you!” Jack’s sudden charge certainly caught the spectacled Heartless by surprise, who hadn’t expected him to dodge the blast. Shiiing! the Keyblade met against the bristling ‘beard’ crafted of darkness, trying to ensnare it only to fail as the Heartless was launched away from the world’s heart. ”So, think ya can try and beat me?” Roaring in anger, the Heartless stood back up, having to raise an arm to shield its yellow eyes as Jack’s Keyblade began to shine once more—this time far more intensely.
”Let’s fight for this world’s sake, then!” The light that he shot forth towards the Heart caused the Heartless to scream, unable to stop it as it penetrated the veil of sickly green around it.
Kujo grit his teeth as he destroyed another Shadow. M’Lyn and him were thinning through the ranks, but it was certainly taking longer than he had hoped. The ground beneath his feet had stopped shaking momentarily, only to resume at an even more intense rate, causing his attention to once again fall towards the island in the swamp. ”What the—!” The green light that had been shining from the tree was flickering, waning from green to white to purple, the darkness around the swamp beginning to form tendrils that snaked out towards the island. ”M’Lyn!” He wasn’t sure what was going on, but immediately Kujo leapt back towards his comrade, readying his plated body as a shield.
SKOOOOM! A powerful blast erupted forth from the tree—a blinding white dominating the scene.
All around, the underground cavern shook, large gnarled roots falling to the floor, jostled from their place above. Jack’s arms would shake and tremble as the Keyblade fought against the darkness ensnaring the world’s heart, a blinding light surrounding him. As the beam of light broke through the remaining layers of darkness, finally reaching the heart, the Key-bearer would hear an echoing CLICK!—the same sound he had heard in San Fransokyo. ”Nooooo!!!!” The Heartless roared out in futile rage as a white light erupted from the world’s heart, blasting away any trace of darkness—
Even Jack would be momentarily blinded by its radiance as he felt an unseen force pushing his body at an immense speed.
”Tch—give me a break.” Kujo couldn’t believe it. Standing in front of M’Lyn, the armored man was bewildered as he lowered his arms, having raised them to guard himself and the Miqo’te from the blast. Not being made of darkness, the two were fine—though he had had no way of knowing, of course. All around them the Shadows were gone—eradicated in one swift moment, all the hearts released into the sky. Despite the natural darkness of the forest they stood in, everything seemed to brighten just a bit.
Jack would find himself sprawled out on the swamp floor, near M’Lyn and Kujo, a spectacled dwarf beside him. Just what happened down there? Glancing towards the swamp, Kujo would be further stunned to see the water returned to its normal state—murky and gross, but not made of darkness. What really surprised him was the island in the middle—it was no longer there—seemingly vanishing out of thin air. The hell’s goin’ on?
Shining with a bright light, Kujo returned to his usual state, his Akogare’s armor vanishing, replaced by his usual attire. Feeling like he had missed something huge, Kujo walked over towards where Jack and the dwarf lay. ”You’ve both got some explaining to do.” His face was as stoic as ever, despite the inner relief he had felt at seeing Jack’s safe return. The dwarf with glasses stirred, sitting up with a dazed look. Their beard was shorter than most of the others, their red tunic and tan cap battered and dirty from being underground. ”W—what?” Looking around, the dwarf fixed their glasses position as they glanced between the three strangers.
”Oh—! Stranglers—er, strangers! No, it isn’t safe!” Trying to scurry to their feet, Doc faltered and fell to their knee, wincing as though in pain. Wait a second… Kujo had heard that voice before, hadn’t he? More confused than before and steadily growing more irritated, the man in lavender glanced over at Jack, raising an eyebrow. "Well?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 19, 2020 4:29:34 GMT -5
”M’Lyn!”
Kujo's shout and following dash towards her startled M'Lyn. She barely reacted as Kujo poised himself before her, and as the light consumed everything around them, she closed her eyes shut.
After she felt the light vanish, softly unlike how it came, M'Lyn looked around. There were no more Shadows remaining, most likely either erradicated by the sudden blast of light or retreating after something. Yet the lack of the dark shadows looming around the swamp proved to her that the latter wasn't the case.
She perked up as she saw Kujo walking towards Jack and a dwarf, both sprawled on the ground in a daze. Back to her cold demeanor, M'Lyn reminded what exactly she wanted to do to Jack if he came out victorious. Crossing her arms, she awaited for his response.
Jack groaned, unsure of what had happened. The bright light that appeared as he heard a loud click had blinded him, to them be forced out of... Whatever that place was. He shook his head, trying to get rid of his daze, but then Kujo's voice echoed around him. Jack looked up, finding his team member with a clear irritation written on his face, to which Jack could only smirk with unease.
"Well... A quick comment: I can't recall much of it..." Jack admitted, sitting back with a cheeky smile, "But it doesn't mean I can't explain, though -not this time!" "Get to it, then?" M'Lyn said, bitterly. "I wanna ask first, though: did I pull up some cool moves again? From while I can't remember?" "..." M'Lyn's glare turned to one of ice, as if ready to assasinate him. "Okayokayokay, I got it" Jack sighed, as he stood up in order to meet his team members properly, "I don't recall much of it, though... But I remember standing in a pretty loomy-lookin' cavern... And I saw this world's core -its heart." "Its... Heart?" M'Lyn blinked a few times, dumbstruck. "Yep. There was a Heartless messin' with it" Jack pointed at the dwarf near them, "The same kind of Heartless we thought Dopey was. AKA, our missing dwarf. So, anyways" Jack resumed to his tale, "I kinda fought, since this time, it gave a bit of trouble... But, as you can see... I'm fine! And..." he smirked with glee, but with a hint of seriousness and victory in his eyes, "If you'd recall what happened back at San Fransokyo, Kujo... The same thing happened -a click. Next thing I knew, something blinded me, and I was tossed out along this old fella. Imma take a guess and say that you also saw it? The light, I mean."
M'Lyn simply nodded, knowing Jack's words to be true. After all, it wasn't like him to lie so boldly about something, less if it had to do with others' safety. With a smirk, Jack turned towards the dwarf, and then looked for Dopey.
"The other one's still around, ain't he?" he asked. "He should" M'Lyn looked back behind her, trying to spot him amidst the lurking shadows that made the swamp, "He might've been far too frightened, though, from the light from earlier." "Keh, can't blame 'im. In any case..." he glanced between Kujo and M'Lyn, "Let's grab these two back to the Cottage and head out. We're done here, unless you two have something left pending?" "Other than a scolding for you, not really."
Jack flinched at M'Lyn's words, noticing a sly smirk on the Miqo'te's lips as she turned around to look for Dopey and head out of the swamp, back to the Cottage. Jack, on his part, looked at the dwarf, pained on the ground. He could only guess the reasons why, however, but he didn't want to talk about it then and there. Instead, he carried the dwarf in a similar fashion to the others prior, and smirked.
"You got a lot of explanation to do, four-eyes" he teased, and then chuckled, "Doc, was it?"
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 19, 2020 12:00:24 GMT -5
Sighing as Jack admitted to having some gaps in his memory, Kujo crossed his arms and shook his head. Thankfully it seemed he was able to at least make sense of some of it, though, which was far better than the last time something like this had happened. ”I saw this world’s core—it’s heart.” M’Lyn and Kujo shared a dumbstruck expression. The world’s…heart? Did worlds really have such a thing? What did that even mean? ”Kujo…the same thing happened—a click.” He knew exactly what Jack was talking about. Did that mean that what had occurred in his home world had something to do with a ‘world’s heart’, too? ”Imma take a guess and say that you also saw it? The light, I mean.”
Kujo scowled at that, muttering: ”Tch—you could say that.” He was still irritated at having thought the blast had been lethal. At M’Lyn and Jack’s mention of the other dwarf, Kujo glanced towards the spectacled one, who had gotten up to their feet and listened to Jack’s tale with interest. ”So…it was a heart?” Thankfully, Dopey emerged from the nearby forest thickets, having finally figured out it was safe to return. The silent dwarf in the purple cap beamed as they saw Doc, running up and immediately pulling the dwarf in for a hug. ”You got a lot of explaining to do, four-eyes.” Jack’s tease brought Doc out of the embrace, seeming slightly sheepish as they pushed Dopey off.
”Yes, I’m Doc.” Sighing a bit, the dwarf glanced between the three, shifting his gaze from them to the swamp that lay before them. ”Like your friend, my memory’s all muddled…” Scratching at his capped head, the dwarf’s brow furrowed as he seemed to be thinking hard. ”Some weird monsters had started to show up…they were coming from the Spooky Forest, so I decided to interrogate—er, investigate!” Dopey stood beside Doc, nodding along with their retelling, holding one of their hands in their own as they pat it reassuringly.
”I didn’t want to bring trouble to my friends, so I went alone to try to see if I could solve the problem.” Doc looked away from Dopey at this point, seemingly embarrassed. ”Is that when the Heartless got you?” Kujo had his own questions—having only heard of people turning into Heartless once their hearts were taken. If Doc had truly had his heart stolen, how would Jack have been able to change him back? Shaking his head, Doc furrowed his brow once more, struggling to remember. ”No—I found a place here…the one your friend was deciding—er, describing, before things got bad.” Doc glanced over to Jack, before gesturing towards the swamp. ”It was where all the monsters were coming from!”
”Someone was there…messing with a big orb!” Doc seemed frustrated, fixing their glasses and stroking at their beard in thought. ”He was in all black...but I can’t remember anything after that.” Kujo listened to Doc’s memories with intrigue, the few questions he had answered only forming into new ones. Someone in all black? That wasn’t very descriptive. Crossing his arms, Kujo mulled over the information Doc had given them, eyeing Jack and M’Lyn, wondering what was going through their heads with all of this.
”That sound familiar to either of ya? A guy in black?” Both of them had traveled far longer than Kujo had. For all he knew, this was a known problem. They hadn't run into anyone that fit that description through their time on this world, though...and they had checked all over for those damned dwarves.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 19, 2020 12:48:56 GMT -5
"Hmm..."
Jack listened closely as Doc described what he could remember of the sittuation. Just like Grumpy had told them before hand, Doc had gone on alone in order to investigate the Spooky Woods, not really knowing what lurked ahead. Even though his actions might've seen chivalrious, Jack couldn't help but think that, just maybe, it would've ended differently had he gone with someone else. Still, what was done was done, and there was no way to change the past. Glad to have put the Heartless issue aside, Jack focused on a few other things he had in mind.
Until he heard of something rather interesting to consider.
”Someone was there…messing with a big orb!” Doc's comment caught him off-guard, but didn't startle him. He'd seen the shape the world's core seemed to take -that of an orb. The fact that someone was tempering with it, before the Heartless Doc became temporarily, was a crucial fact.
Someone was willingly placing the worlds in danger, dragging Heartless in their wake.
"Wait, how would I know that...?" As the thought crossed his mind, Kujo placed his doubts bare.
”That sound familiar to either of ya? A guy in black?” "Not to me" Jack shook his head, "Although it's interesting to note that there are people willing to go that path..." "...The Ascians, perhaps?" M'Lyn pondered with seriousness. "Hmm?" "...No, 'twould be most unlikely" the Miqo'te quickly shook her head, "Even if they knew of the worlds outside, what would be the point when their target has not fallen just yet?" "Uhh... Hey~! Earth to M'Lyn?"
M'Lyn blinked a few times, only just noticing she'd been rambling on without making much sense to those around her. With a quick apology, she dismissed her thoughts as "nonsensical", but Jack wasn't having it. The boy smirked, both hands poised in his hips, as he looked at the Miqo'te with clear interest.
"You ain't pullin' the wool over my eyes, ya damn Miqo'te. What were you just talkin' about?" "...I was thinking that maybe the Ascians were to blame" M'Lyn shook her head, "They're both a race and a cult back where I'm from, and they dress mostly with black robes. However... The forms they take are but an Illusion, and doubtless they wouldn't use such tricks if they thought to possess whatever was lurking here." "You think...?" "I considered it, but it's most unlikely. After all, even if they knew of other places, they wouldn't be stupid to run various large errands when their primary target is still undone. They're tactical like that -much for my dismay." "Hmm..." Jack frowned, "Well, whoever it was, Imma bet on the fact that they won't be commin' here again -not after what I did."
Jack smiled proudfully, much for M'Lyn's unease. Still, with the possibility of it being enemies known to her being rather slim, she didn't have much to worry, and instead decided to head back to the Cottage. Jack was with her, quickly following suit, not before nudging Kujo and the other two dwarves to follow along.
It was about time they returned home. And the team needed a much deserved break.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 19, 2020 13:24:53 GMT -5
Part of Jack and M’Lyn’s answer confused Kujo (mainly M’Lyn’s), but the man sighed as it seemed that neither of his teammates had run into any mysterious men in black during their prior travels. ”Well, whoever it is, Imma bet on the fact that they won’t be comin’ here again—“ To that, Kujo nodded in agreement. If what Jack had done was the same as what had happened in San Fransokyo, the world was safe from the Heartless threat—for now. He must’ve left before we got here… It would do him little good to wonder about the mysterious figure Doc mentioned, so the man in lavender let the thought go.
Following Jack and M’Lyn, Kujo and the dwarves would have a peaceful walk back—undisturbed by any threats. Chirp! Chirp! The sound of birds as well as other critters had returned to the world, filling the swamp and forest with their usual melodies. Arriving back at the Cottage, the group would find the other dwarves already working on repairs (other than Sleepy, who lounged peacefully on a nearby wooden beam). All were more than glad to see the return of Doc and Dopey (other than Grumpy, who seemed to never be glad about anything). After a rather loud and eventful reunion, the dwarves would gather around the three heroes, all eager to pay their thanks.
”Why, it was a stroke of good luck that you all came here!” Happy beamed as he stood amongst all of his friends once more. ”Indeed! Why, I’d hate to think of what would’ve concurred—er, occurred—if you hadn’t shown up!” Doc agreed with Happy, beaming at the three with a pleasant face—making it hard to imagine they had ever been a raging Heartless to begin with. ”Pffft—we would’ve been fine!” Grumpy crossed his arms, giving Doc and Happy a glare before turning his head, glancing at the trio from the corner of his eyes. ”But ya did save my friends—so you’re not all bad.” It seemed to be as close to gratitude as the dwarf could muster. Turning towards Bashful, Grumpy nudged the nervous dwarf with his elbow, gesturing towards the three heroes.
”Y—yes! Tha—thank you, for s-saving me! And e-everyone!” The dwarf’s face had grown incredibly red before he had finally ducked behind Dopey, who beamed at the trio with a friendly wave. Sleepy perched up only for a moment, opening a single eye lazily with a yawn as they mumbled a half-hearted goodbye. ”You’re all free to stay as long as you need!” Doc smiled at the others before turning towards the Cottage, under construction. ”We won’t be able to offer much, though—not until everything’s fitted—er, fixed—up!”
The other dwarves laughed at the joke, though Kujo rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. Tch—free labor, huh? Wait, what had they come here for, again? ”Hey! I found—ah—ACHOO! I found it!” Sneezy emerged from the Cottage entrance, having made his way into the building during the conversation. In his hands was a large trunk (well, large to him, it was more like a medium sized box to the three), which he placed before Jack, M’Lyn and Kujo. ”Here! As thanks, for saving us!” Wiping away the dribble from his large nose, the dwarf looked up at the three with a smile. ”What?! You can’t be serious!” Grumpy shouted out in protest, though Doc shook his head and gave the dwarf a look, silencing him. Opening the box, Happy revealed countless shiny gemstones and diamonds.
”They’re from the--ah--ACHOO! From the mines! We’re real good at diggin’ ‘em up!” The other dwarves (other than Grumpy) all nodded along in agreement, feeling it was the least they could do to show their thanks to the three that rescued their friends (and their world, though it seemed none of them fully grasped that concept, thankfully).
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 19, 2020 15:16:44 GMT -5
The way to the Cottage, peaceful as it was, was like a breath of fresh air. Jack smiled faintly as he listened to the sounds he'd expected when he first arrived -birds chirping and the rustling of creatures across the forest.
Once at the destined place, he hadn't expected the welcome. Well, maybe Grumpy's was a predictable one, but the gratefulness the dwarf hid behind his words was still new to him.
"I still ain't used to being treated a hero... Or similar, for that matter..." he thought as he looked awat, hiding his fluster.
It was only until Sneezy -who he recalled more fondly due to what happened- showed up that Jack perked back up. At the sight of the gemstones, including a few pieces of metal, Jack's face lit up with interest.
It was a pretty useful gift for him, although maybe not for the others.
"Heh... Ya didn't have to" Jack said, rubbing below his nose trying to appear grateful, "And... You're welcome. I'm glad we could help you out!"
Jack grabbed the box from Sneezy's hands with care, a smile permanent in his face. He couldn't help it, really -he was happy. Happy to have been able to help those who needed it. The reward that came after all that, although unexpected, was pretty useful for a person like him. Gems, metals and diamonds were all materials he could use to tinker or even create devices they could use in the future.
In fact, he already had an idea on what to use them for.
"Well, I'd like to stay, but we gotta keep moving" Jack proceeded calmly, "Again, glad we could help you guys out. But we ain't gonna be stayin' here for the night -we've got other places to go to. Who knows? Maybe they're in trouble, as well!" "Sharp as usual..." M'Lyn thought, noticing his white lie in order to get away. "So... Yeah. We'll be leavin' now. Take care -all of you!"
Jack turned towards the Forest, where Alice would be waiting for them with the Almira, not before waving the dwarves good-bye. M'Lyn simply nodded as a wave, not really interested in the proper formalities at that point.
She just wanted a break.
Once they'd be out of hearing-range, Jack let out a sigh or both relief and excitement. Such action caused M'Lyn to raise a brow in curiosity, wondering just why he was so interested in a box full of jewels and shinies.
"Why are you so fond of those things, to begin with?" she asked. "Hmm... Let's see..." Jack seemed as if he was in a trance, rummaging through the contents of the box, "Decent amount of tin... Some iron over there... Ooh~, some gold, too! And as for the gems here... A lot of 'em work as catalyts or connectos..." "Jack, can't you focus?" "Hmm? Oh, sorry!" Jack replied cheekily, "So, why am I so interested, eh? Well... A lot of these things are pretty good quality materials... Heck, I can prolly make a Magitech Core while I'm at it!" "A... What, now?" "Oh, you... Don't know about it... Right... Well... I'll tell ya once we're back in the Almira. For now... They're pretty damn useful for me!" "If you say so..."
M'Lyn rolled her eyes, and kept silent until the group could see the Almira at a fair distance. Alice didn't seem like she was outside at first, but the bridge was quickly lowered as they approached, Alice rushing down to meet the trio. Her face wore a pout, a bitter one, glaring directly at both Jack and Kujo.
"Urgh... Don't worry me like that, you two!" she said, frustrated, "What were you two thinking back there?!" "Uhh..." Jack looked uneasy, to then look away, "I... Uhh... Do I... Need to remind that I kinda don't know what happened? Partially?" "Even so, you could at least worry a little bit about those worried about you!" Alice said, still pouting, to then turn at Kujo, "And you should stop being so reckless! What if you hadn't come back from that?! What are we supposed to tell the rest?!" "Alice, don't you think you should calm down?" M'Lyn asked with unease, only noting that the girl wasn't reffering to her in any way or form. "Haa..." Alice sighed, and then, still pouting, looked at Kujo, "Does it still hurt?" she asked, pointing at the nose.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 19, 2020 16:12:01 GMT -5
Kujo merely raised his brows at Jack’s apparent glee at the rocks and gems. Guess they’ll be put to use for somethin’. Other than selling them, Kujo had no idea what they’d be good for, though. But hey, he wasn’t the brainiac always working on something. ”Well, I’d like to stay, but we gotta keep moving.” The dwarves (other than Grumpy, who seemed to care less) all looked slightly crestfallen, though Doc nodded in understanding and seemed to have expected as much. ”Take care—all of you!” All seven dwarves would wave, the more enthusiastic ones shouting out more last-minute goodbyes.
Following Jack and M’Lyn away from the Cottage and back towards where they had left the Almira, Kujo thought back on what an odd world this was. With nothing but the small dwarves, a bunch of rocks, and a spooky forest, this world didn't seem to have much going on. It was almost the complete opposite of a bustling world like his own. ”Why are you so fond of those things, to begin with?” M’Lyn asked the question Kujo had thought earlier as they made their way through the peaceful green forest, the bright sunlight of the day a nice contrast to the dark swamp they had been in for so long. Excited over the treasures, Jack was making less and less sense to Kujo and M’Lyn the more he talked. The hell’s a Magitech Core? Kujo had never heard of such a thing. Thankfully, neither had M'Lyn, which made him feel less out of the loop.
Arriving at the ship, Kujo was surprised to see Alice poised and ready—a glare fixed on her normally pleasant and peaceful face. ”Don’t worry me like that, you two!” He wasn’t used to being lumped in with Jack—typically he and M’Lyn were the ones lying outside of the girls wrath. ”You should stop being so reckless! What if you hadn’t come back from that?!” Kujo glanced away, remaining silent and composed through Alice’s storm, shoving his hands into his pockets. Can’t I catch a break? It was a conflicting feeling—on the one hand, this was a hassle, but on the other, there was a slight warmth to knowing that she had been so worried.
”Does it still hurt?” For a moment, Kujo didn’t understand what she meant. Raising a hand to where Alice pointed, he touched the nose that he had had to break earlier, noticing that it was the faintest bit crooked. Tch—damn thing must’ve healed too fast. Looking down at Alice, Kujo waved a hand nonchalantly. ”It’s nothin’—really.” He felt bad about making her worry—the relief and anger mixed on the girl’s face was clear to see. Conflicted by emotions he frankly wasn’t used to, Kujo found himself at a loss for words. It’s easier fighting Heartless… Thankfully her anger seemed to have subsided for the most part.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 19, 2020 16:56:33 GMT -5
After recieving Kujo's answer, seemingly nonchalant and not worried, Alice's pout grew harder. It wasn't that she wasn't frustrated she couldn't help, or that her help was dismissed like that, but the attitude of it all was aggravating.
"Stop acting so tough!" she shouted. "Chill out, sis! If he says he's fine, then he's fine!" Jack said with an uneasy laugh, "It's Kujo we're talkin' about -he's a tough guy, remember?" "That's not an excuse, though!" "Haa... What a headache."
M'Lyn sighed as she placed one of her hands in her forehead, walking towards the ship and ignoring the rampaging going on. Jack chuckled with unease once more, Alice only pouting as a reply, before he inevitably rubbed her hair into a messy bunch, much for her dismay.
Such was a relationship between an older brother and his younger sister.
"Wha-Hey! Ja~ck!" Alice pouted, bitterly. "Come on, Alice -let's get back in gear, 'kay?" "Not until you two start to realize the weight of what you do!" "Oh, so that's why M'Lyn ain't bein' targetted?" "Exactly!"
As a reply to that last comment, Jack only rubbed Alice's hair to an even bigger mess, no matter her pleas for stopping or her punches. He then walked inside, Alice left alone still pouting. In the end, though, she chose to sigh and follow, knowing it's be useless to keep discussing things further.
While Jack headed to his quarter in order to leave the crate with the materials he'd been given, M'Lyn and Alice remained at the ship's bridge, the Navi analyzing the info they'd managed to get on their journey.
Still, what their mission truly was would perhaps remain in mystery.
"...Even though you did some reckless stuff, what we managed to find out is super useful" Alice said, back to her calm and collected self, "I've been sending some of it as it's come by... I'm sure Elena's going to be happy with all this!" "Speaking of her... Has she said anything?" "Nope" Alice shook her head, "She hasn't sent anything regarding a follow-up mission, either. Until she does so... I guess we'll be roaming around space for a bit!" "Marvelous -another cruise..." M'Lyn said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she sat down.
Jack came back as they finished, looking between the group as he was told the same thing as before -for the time being, they'd be roaming around in space until a world piqued their interest or they recieved word from Elena. Knowing that, Jack thought for a while, before glancing towards at Kujo with a sly smirk.
"Well... If we ain't gonna get anything from Elena... Then we get to pick our destination..." he said, "Imma leave it to you, in case something catches your fancy. In the meantime... Imma be workin' on my own projects!" "With that box you were carrying?" Alice looked confused as she turned towards him. "It's a buncha materials I can use to mess around with stuff! I was thinkin' on trying to make a Magitech Core, since I've got the blueprints for it... Who knows? Maybe I can even perfect it! If I can do that, can't wait to see Lid's face once I tell her!" "You two've been working on that for how long now...?"
Jack shrugged sheepishly, much to his sister's dissapointment. With nothing left to say, the ship took off as silent as usual, the white vessel going at the speed of light through the now vast space, filled with starts where the eye could see.
For now, the Brigade would be wandering off in space, waiting for words on either HQ or Kujo's decision.
Whichever it was... The group would have a large room to relax.
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