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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 5, 2020 3:37:09 GMT -5
A dreadful atmosphere, alongside a foul wind, broke through the Rift as Tori arrived at the world. In front of the Rift, the looming castle stood still and foreboding. Even though she’d never been there before, Tori couldn’t help but frown with some bitterness.
The nature of the world, overall, was asphyxiating.
Tori glanced over to her gloved palm, feeling her Emblem burning with power. Were the still in the Realm Between, or in the Realm of Light? She couldn’t tell exactly, yet the power she was gathering seemed to lean towards the former. She’d have to be careful. With that thought taken care of, she turned towards her companion.
“You remember this place, right?” she asked, calmly, “Or… Do you only know the inside of the castle?”
Calmly, but surely, she made her way towards the tall door. Placing her gloved hand over the door, she pushed. It seemed to obey her reluctantly, as she had to push it a bit before they could even walk inside.
The bright white walls and clear white floor were all that greeted them. A simple corridor, leading to a staircase and, at the end of it all, a door. She waited a bit, to see if Henoke would have something to say about it all.
Otherwise, they could simply push forward.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 5, 2020 16:30:28 GMT -5
Stepping out of the Rift and into the world, Henoke’s quick pace halted as his eyes widened. Visibly surprised, he took a step back as he craned his neck to look at the castle before him. What the hell?! The large and jagged structure loomed against a night sky on a grassy landscapes, spires from the ground erupting near the entrance. The thing defied all laws of physics. Countless sections of towers sprouted out from the main castle, defying gravity as some were sideways or even upside-down. ”You remember this place, right? Or…do you only know the inside of the building?” A sheepish look came over Henoke as he yanked his eyes away from the castle, scratching at his cheek.
”Uh…” Scratching at the back of his head, he kicked at the ground. He had gotten lost after waking up in the depths of this castle—endlessly roaming the rooms and staircases that had all looked identical. Having finally given up on finding the exit, Henoke had used his Keyblade to escape, never having seen the world outside. His golden eyes fell once more to the jagged structure. ”It just looks different than how I remembered it…” Deciding on mumbling the small lie to save his pride, the teen followed Tori to the large and sinister looking doors. It looks so different, from the inside… He hadn’t imagined such a depressing looking place.
It made sense then, how he had felt after first waking up, now that he had seen the building for what it truly was. Crrrreeeeeakkkk! Goosebumps prickled his skin as Henoke heard the door protest as he followed Tori into the castle. !!! Squinting and lifting a hand to shield his eyes, Henoke had forgotten how harsh the whiteness of the place was on the eyes. ”Tch—hasn’t changed much.” It seemed his heart betrayed him as his tone showed his mixed feelings. Gazing at the long hallway that stretched before them, leading to the ornate white door, a hazy memory itched at the back of Henoke’s eyes. How long did I run through here…? He had been searching for Chirithy for most of it. A soft spike prodded at his heart.
Chirithy… How foolish it seemed now, with more of his memories in tact, running around an empty castle looking for a ghost that no longer existed. Shaking his head a bit, Henoke took a breath as he began to walk down the hall towards the staircase. Hmph—like I’m gonna let ‘em get away with this. Though the teen was struggling with new feelings, it also helped solidify his resolve. He’d definitely make whoever created him pay. There’s gotta be info here, somewhere… He had been too confused, too worried about his friends after first waking up to actually check the castle back then.
Tch— His past self was annoying him more than usual. Turning to look at Tori, Henoke leaned against the white railing that ran across the small platform the staircase led to in front of the door. Crossing his arms as he waited for her to come up the steps, the teen raised an eyebrow, tilting his head a bit. ”So—what’re you after, Tori?” She had mentioned wanting to come here for her own purposes—but he had been too excited about making his own progress that he had forgotten to ask earlier.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 5, 2020 17:21:41 GMT -5
Standing still as she loomed over the short hallway, Tori perked up as Henoke walked past her, seemingly thinking about stuff only he knew about. Not that she could blame him for it, as there were a lot of new things he had to consider as he made his move.
She wasn’t much different from that, anyways, as her own memory was a similar issue.
She walked towards Henoke as he asked what she was there for, and what her target was. Recalling that she didn’t have time to explain at all, she smiled with unease. Sometimes, things just went past her…
“Well…” she began, glancing over at him, “I’m first curious about this world’s nature. I can’t tell exactly whether we’re still in the Realm Between, or the Realm of Light —that, I want to make sure of as we go through this place” Tori finished, raising one finger, “Second, I want to know who resides here and for what purpose. If what we think is correct, then this might be the headquarters of those who’ve been causing trouble in the other worlds —releasing Heartless without a care, for them to consume those hearts one by one” a second finger rose, and as she continued, her gaze turned even more serious, “Lastly… I want to know if there are any remaining, that are like you. Other Replicas, that might’ve just woken up, or have yet to do so. Aside that, I want to see if I can find the purpose as for why they were made, but mostly out of… Righteousness… If you can even call it that.”
At that last comment, Tori looked away with an uneasy glance. Having stated her opinion on the matter more than once, her resolve was clear —if there were any Replicas that had awoken, then she’d give them a chance to recover that which they were missing. If they were still dormant… She'd release whatever memories gathered within them, to then destroy whatever remained altogether.
“I won’t allow someone to simply toy with people like that…” she thought, bitter, as she glanced towards the door.
She walked past Henoke, calmly, yet firm. If she wanted to get to it… She had to get moving.
“Stick around me” she said, glancing towards him as she placed her hand against the door, “This place behaves pretty strangely to those it’s unknown to… It doesn’t seem to work on me, though, so… As long as you stick around me, you’ll be fine. Whatever maze awaits us will be a piece of cake” she added with a smirk.
With that, she pushed the door with barely any strength this time, allowing her and Henoke a path to follow. A larger hallway greeted them, a few side corridors making an appearance on the white walls that made the world. She glanced around, trying to see if anything stuck out to her…
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 5, 2020 17:45:44 GMT -5
”I’m curious about this world’s nature.” Hearing once more of the Realm Between, Henoke glanced around the looming white walls. It’s definitely bizarre… If they were in the Realm of Light, he had never heard of a place like this before. ”Second, I want to know who resides here and for what purpose.” Tori’s second goal caught him off-guard. Taking a step and pushing himself from the railing, Henoke was full attention now. Who lives here…? But the place was empty, wasn’t it? He had run around for what felt like days, finding no one. ”If what we think is correct, then this might be the headquarters of those who’ve been causing trouble in the other worlds—“
He thought once more of his memory—the figures in black. It’s just like Belle said. He hadn’t thought any of them would still be living here, though. ”Lastly…I want to know if there are any remaining, that are like you. Other Replicas,” Fully surprised now, Henoke’s eyes widened at the thought. Other…Replicas? He hadn’t thought of that. Crossing his arms as he furrowed his brow, Henoke thought back to when he first awoke. There were other pods. The few he had checked had been empty—but there had been a good amount. He hadn’t taken the time in his panicked state to check them all.
Hearing how Tori was hoping to offer them the same thing she had helped Henoke with brought a faint smile to his lips. Resting his hands behind his head, he wondered why Tori did the things she did, even for strangers. Heh—she’s a good friend, Kosuke. It wasn’t the first time he had thought that, but having gotten to know Tori better during their time on that odd beach and really shown him her true colors. ”Stick around me.” As Tori placed a hand on the door, Henoke nodded, returning himself to the present and out of his thoughts. ”This place behaves pretty strangely to those it’s unknown to…it doesn’t seem to work on me, though” Henoke lowered his gaze, trying to remember his journey through the castle.
There wasn’t much… For the most part, Henoke had just been running through empty rooms. Was it ‘cause'a my memories bein’ warped? Or was it because he was made here, inside the castle? Confused, Henoke decided to ignore those thoughts—figuring he wouldn’t find any answers on his own. ”Whatever maze awaits us will be a piece of cake.” Seeing the smirk on Tori’s face caused Henoke to glance away with a faint scowl—realizing that his white lie from before had been seen through rather quickly. ”Yeah, yeah! Like I’d get lost…” He stayed close to her as she opened the door nonetheless.
Seeing yet another white massive hallway stretch out before them, Henoke was reminded of just how big the place was. He felt so small, standing within the castle, despite his height. Hearing his own whistle echo throughout the vast space, the teen eyed the side corridors that broke up the vast emptiness of the space. ”Tch—there’s so many…” Already a mild irritation had crept into his face as none of this looked familiar to him. Scratching at the back of his head, Henoke glanced over at Tori with a skeptical look.
”D’you really know the way…?” With the view before him as well as his own memories, the teen found it hard to believe that anyone could make heads or tails of this place.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 6, 2020 3:29:54 GMT -5
”D’you really know the way…?”
Brought out of thought by Henoke’s question, Tori turned towards him, and then away with another uneasy smile. Sheepishly, she avoided looking at him, although that most likely gave the answer away fairly easy.
“I never said I knew the place, did I?” she asked back, “I don’t know the layout, but that’s it. The world tries to make it so others lose their way inside, but… As I said, it doesn’t seem to work on me —it’s been trying to disorient me ever since we arrived.”
She glanced at the corridors, noticing that no door remained at the end of the hallway. Crossing her arms calmly, Tori began to glance at every corridor, trying to see if anything stood out for her, only to find out nothing did. With a sigh, she walked towards the nearest one, looking into it to see where it led.
“The place looks the same for anyone who’s never been here before, I won’t lie…” she thought, “But… So far, even though it’s tried to disorient me… I can sort of tell where we have been and where we haven’t…”
But where would be a good place to start? Not knowing the layout meant that traversing through the castle would be inefficient —going aimlessly until they found something. Not even sensing anything was annoying, even, causing her to frown a bit.
Without even thinking much about it, she ignored the first corridor, going for the one farthest away to the left, not expecting Henoke to really follow. Even though she’d stated that it’d be best for him to stick around her, he still had the option to choose a different path…
Right?
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 6, 2020 5:57:43 GMT -5
”I never said I knew the place, did I?” Sighing a bit at Tori’s initial response, Henoke shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. Jolting a bit as he felt something against his hand, the teen was distracted by a moment of dismay. The picture!! He had forgotten to put it back in the hut before they left! Carefully placing it into his pant pocket, Henoke sighed a bit as he thought of Kosuke. Sorry, man…I’ll give it back to you when I see you next, though! He hoped Kosuke wouldn’t return to his hut before he could give him the picture. ”Damn it...” How did he always get so distracted? Speaking of distracted, Henoke turned away from his thoughts to notice Tori roaming through the hallway.
Tch—you can’t lose your way if you don’t know it… He supposed he couldn’t blame her—he had gotten lost too, after all. Though the teen was tempted to roam through whatever corridor caught his interest, the earlier thought humbled Henoke enough to decide to follow Tori like she had suggested. Resting his hands behind his head as they walked, Henoke’s eyes would linger over each corridor entrance, trying to discern any distinctness from any. Just big and empty. He didn’t understand why anyone would need a castle this big. ”Hm…since it’s a castle…did a King live here?” It wasn't the first time he had wondered if this place was created by those who made him, or someone else. Whoever it was didn't want anyone makin' sense of it. That much was obvious, with all of the identical hallways and corridors.
Mumbling to himself as they made their way into the corridor of Tori’s choice, Henoke wondered what they might find awaiting them.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 6, 2020 6:30:11 GMT -5
Already a few steps ahead of Henoke, she couldn’t tell what was happening to him, focused as she was trying to find where to go next. It was identical in any way, but only faint differences showed her the proper way. Still, how would she get where she wanted to go, if she didn’t know the layout altogether? That question was causing her to frown, but following her gut, she thought she’d get there eventually.
If they were in the Realm Between, then time would go differently too, right? Wouldn’t they have as much time as they wanted if that world was the same as the Shore?
As she went through the corridor she’d chosen, she overheard Henoke wondering aloud about what that world was. She hummed over the thought a bit, as she tried to pick up anything that could help her explain.
“…Doesn’t seem like it” she replied, glancing ever so slightly back towards him, “Can’t pinpoint why that’s the case… But it’s odd —nothing really… Shows up.”
She tilted her head back and forth a bit, wondering. Something did feel off, but she couldn’t place what it was exactly. Why was that world so… stale? A shadow of what it once was…
Much like the Shore itself.
“Are… All the worlds in the Realm Between like this?” she wondered, to then shake her head, “Wait, no, that’s not right… Twilight Town’s also in this Realm, right? And yet it’s pretty damn normal…”
At the end of the corridor, another white room greeted them. Nothing standing out, much like before, Tori frowned. Was the route deeper inside the castle going to be the same along the way? The thought wasn’t appealing at all…
No enemies… Nothing special… It all seemed bland. Why was she there for, then? Just to find answers to her questions? Was she there just to help Henoke out?
“Guh… So frustrating…”
Suddenly, she perked up. The room in front of them had another walk of stairs, a bit bigger than the previous one. At the end of the stairs, a white fox was sitting there, for just a glimpse, but one Tori had noticed. Were they going the right way?
After being spotted, the fox stood up and walked away towards the door, disappearing as it crossed an invisible threshold. Tori rushed to try and catch up to it, but was unable to. She frowned, wondering where it had gone. Past the door? Determined, she opened it.
“…Huh?”
Tori tried pushing, but for whatever reason, the door wouldn’t budge one bit. Using her shoulder to try and force it open didn’t work either. She glanced over at Henoke.
“Hey, help me out? This door doesn’t wanna budge…”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 6, 2020 14:35:16 GMT -5
”…But it’s odd—nothing really…shows up.” Henoke frowned a bit as he nodded in agreement. It’s just like last time… The emptiness of the castle really created a weird feeling in the teen’s heart. It wasn’t a familiarity that he wanted to feel. Greeted by yet another white room, Henoke stifled a groan. Damn it…more white rooms. He remembered being driven crazy by the sterile-ness of it wall, his first time here. Seeing Tori perk up, Henoke was jolted from his thoughts as his golden gaze followed her own—his eyes widening as they glimpsed a white fox. ”W-woah!” Taking a step forward, a wide grin came over his face. A fox…! For some reason, the word ‘fox’ resonated with him—a hazy memory attempted to crack the surface from the back of his mind.
It failed to do so as the teen merely got distracted and excited by seeing something in this damned castle. Tori was quick to go after it—surprising Henoke as he moved to follow her. ”Oi, wait!” The fox disappeared as it reached the ornate white door, leaving Henoke to stagger in perplexity. What the—?! Where did it go?! Blinking as he scratched at his head, Henoke watched Tori struggle with the door for a second. But…how did it go through there? He hadn’t seen it open the door at all. Was the fox a ghost? A ‘Spirit’? ”Hey, help me out? This door doesn’t wanna budge…”
Walking up the steps, Henoke nodded as he gripped the handle with both hands. ”Urrrrrrgh!” First, Henoke pushed with all of his might. ”Rrrrrrg!!!” He tried pulling with all of his strength, too. ”Damn it!” Releasing the handle with an irritated look, Henoke summoned his Keyblade, preparing to swing it at the door. ”Tch—I’m gonna break it!” Blinking for a moment, looking down at the large steel-grey Keyblade in his hands, Henoke’s anger seemed to vanish as he suddenly scratched at the back of his head. ”Oh…right.” Seeming a bit sheepish, Henoke shrugged as he raised his weapon with a free hand.
”How ‘bout we use this?” That was when Henoke realized—did this door even have a lock? Standing in front of the door, the teen decided to examine it closer, trying to find a keyhole in order to use his Keyblade to unlock it.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 6, 2020 14:55:50 GMT -5
“Hmm…”
Seeing how both of their efforts proved worthless, Tori grew irritated, although not to the point she’d consider breaking the door down, unlike Henoke. Although that idea seemed to vanish rather quickly, much for her relief.
”How ‘bout we use this?” As Henoke raised his Keyblade up for her to see, Tori glanced back at the door, searching for anything that would indicate the presence of a keyhole. Wasn’t the Keyblade a master key, so to speak? Capable of opening any lock?
If so, then it should’ve been an easy fix, right?
“…We could try” she agreed, summoning her own, “Let’s… Try together, and see what happens.”
Taking a few steps back, hoping Henoke would do the same, Tori pointed at the door with her Keyblade. A beam of light quickly shot forth from the blade’s end, reaching towards one of the door’s sides, while Henoke’s Keyblade (if he’d done the same thing as Tori) would cover the other one. Two clicks echoed, indicating something had changed. Intrigued, Tori walked towards the door, placing herself at one of the ends while leaving the other to Henoke.
“Let’s see if anything’s changed now” she said with a nod.
“On three!” she shouted, hoping to coordinate, “One… Two… Three!”
With a bit of effort, the doors budged, this time allowing the pair to go forward. Tori had used a bit too much strength, and both doors had given up much more easily than the previous ones, and thus, she fell to the ground. Shaking herself back up, she looked around.
This time, the room in front wasn’t one with all white. The echoes of waves crashing against the sand were heard vividly, the floor now turned into golden sand. Blue skies and sea greeted them, revealing a world the two would be somewhat familiar with already. Seeing the scenery, Tori looked around, perplexed.
“What…?”
Hadn’t they just left the Shore? And yet… Why were they back there? And why did it look so much different?
“This makes no sense…” Tori thought in exasperation.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 6, 2020 15:28:09 GMT -5
”…We could try” Grinning at having thought of the idea, Henoke nodded as Tori summoned her own Keyblade. ”Let’s…try together, and see what happens.” Pumping a fist with enthusiasm as he leapt backwards to take aim at the door, light gathered around both Keyblades as beams of light shot forth at the door. Click! Click! Henoke’s grin widened as he heard the sound, feeling confident. ”Let’s see if anything’s changed now.” Following Tori’s lead, Henoke walked to the door and took the opposite handle. ”One…Two…Three!” Shouting out in victory as the doors began to open, Henoke found himself propelled forward as they gave literally no resistance.
”Ack!” Balancing on one foot, his arms swinging wildly in efforts to maintain it, the teen narrowly avoided his nose being punched into the ground. Huh?! Blinking, Henoke noticed that the ground wasn’t a white floor, but soft and golden sand. The sounds of waves caused him to whip his head around, taking in their surroundings. ”What the—!?” Visibly surprised, Henoke gazed at the bright beach he and Tori now stood on. ”What…?” Turning to her, the teen was at least glad to see she was surprised, too. Looking around, Henoke felt a faint familiarity. Is this…!? Crossing his arms a bit, Henoke tilted his head, glancing at Tori.
”Wait…is this?” It looked different than the Shore Tori and him had just been on, but something about it seemed to similar for him to ignore. They had just left that world to come here—how were they back? ”The hell is goin’ on?” Nothing like this had happened the last time he had been here…had something changed? Was it that damned fox?! Whipping his head around again, Henoke put a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun as he looked across the shoreline for any sign of the white creature. ”Tch—” Kicking at the sand a bit, Henoke shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, an irritated look on his face. ”Did we leave that castle somehow?” The look of it from the outside had made it seem like a labyrinth.
How would they have left so soon? What’re we doin’ here…? More than confused, Henoke sighed, knowing Tori was most likely just as lost as he was right about now. ”Wait!” They had just come through a door, right?! It's not like they had taken some portal! Turning around, Henoke’s eyes widened as the door they had entered through seemed to be gone. Behind them was just more open beach, blue skies seemingly mocking him. ”Awwww man!” Grabbing at his head, the teen stomped a foot in frustration. How were they going to get back, now?! Sighing a bit as he scratched at the back of his head, a small scowl still on his face, Henoke turned back to Tori.
”Well…guess there’s no goin’ back…”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 6, 2020 16:07:52 GMT -5
Henoke’s own confusion served to only confuse Tori further. Did they just… Leave the castle? It couldn’t have been so simple… But just how real the place looked was enough to doubt. Did they leave? Had they escaped, with no answers at all? The questions caused her to flare in anger, although unlike Henoke’s usual venting, she managed to keep it with her.
“This can’t be real…” she thought in anger.
The overall atmosphere just tilted her. Already hating the world the room was imitating, her anger was slowly rising. The Shore was a prison —although some memories made there were cherished by her, most were bitter, full of hatred and anger. Locked down in a world, taunted by the worlds outside of it…
“I hate it all…”
She took steps forward, closing her distance to the sea. It seemed… Fake. An imitation of the real thing, but still real enough to make her bitter. Not only that, but the fox she had followed was gone, and they couldn’t follow it at all. Something about that fox made her want to see it again, but it didn’t seem like it’d show up any time soon.
Tori clenched her firsts, resting at her side, scowling at the sight. An unreasonable hatred began to brew forth in her heart —a mostly bittersweet hatred, one she couldn’t help but let go of. Full of painful thoughts, the Shore was a world she didn’t want to know any more about —she wanted to return it to how it was before, but not to the point where she’d be locked down once more.
She’d gotten too used to her freedom.
“What is this world?!” Tori thought, exasperated, “Making illusions like these… No wonder people lose themselves here… But they're not pleasant.”
Even though she knew that it was purely an illusion, she couldn’t do anything about it. Her powers wouldn’t work, nor would the Keyblade —that was a given. But if it was a room… Then, even if the door they came through was gone, there was bound to be another door.
It couldn’t be a dead end. She refused to think of it as such.
Glancing at the face horizon, Tori’s scowl grew in shape, although faintly. Refusing to simply believe the world had “kicked them out”, accepting more the idea of that room making an illusion of the Shore, she began to walk, nudging Henoke to follow.
“This has to still be a room” she said, “As such, there’s bound to be a door out. There’s no way we simply left after crossing that door —I refuse to believe that.”
Having walked across golden sand, followed by the echoes of the waves across a nonexistent breeze, Tori looked down. Her hatred, still settling in her heart, seemed to hesitate. Something else, instead, was trying to force its way out, but she couldn’t tell what that was.
Suddenly, a headache. Groaning, Tori placed her hand on her forehead, feeling how her Emblem was somehow brimming with power, causing her to click her tongue. Her vision blurred out, taking her elsewhere—
Tori blinked a few times, but it wasn’t her blinking. She noticed her breathing ragged, and the feel of rain covering her from head to toe. On her hands, the crystal Keyblade was firm on her grasp, despite it being on the ground, her kneeling close to it as she recovered her breath.
“Where…?” “Tori!”
A familiar voice caused her to raise her view. Kneeling besides her, Kosuke looked worried. The echoes of war, shouting and the clashing of metal soon resonated on her ears, noticing her distance from the battlefield altogether. While the Tori in the memory didn’t react, the actual one did.
“This can’t… The Keyblade War?!” “You okay?” Kosuke’s worried tone caused her to turn back to the memory at hand. “…Yeah” Tori nodded, glancing over at him, “I can keep going.” “We should be able to make a Rift just a bit further ahead… Just hang in there, a little longer, alright?” “Heh… You’re one to talk.”
The sudden tease caught Kosuke off-guard, but he laughed it off with a smirk. Helping Tori back up, the pair ran further away from the battle, unaware of someone following on their tracks. While Tori hadn’t noticed, Kosuke did. Letting go of Tori’s hand, he unsheathed his blade to meet the person’s Keyblade.
“You’ll pay for this!” the wielder shouted.
Tori barely managed to turn around after feeling her hand empty, only to see the result of the clash. She reached towards Kosuke, who held his own blade firmly across, a clean cut on the wielder’s chest as he fell back. At the same time, the Keyblade stabbed in the man’s chest disappeared in light, but he wasn’t unscathed.
“KOSUKE!”
Tori blinked, noticing her vision blurry. Her breathing, much like in the memory, was heavy, desperate to a point. She found herself looking at the ground, tears falling through her cheeks down to the fake sand.
“Was that…?”
When he died? The moment where she began to forget him? ...Why was she remembering that there? It seemed too sudden… Almost planned. Gripping her fists, yet reluctant to step back up, Tori forced her eyes shut, gritting her teeth.
“They… Took him away from me…” thoughts flooded her mind —bitter ones, full of anger and sadness, “They knew we’d fail… And they sent me anyways… They took him away from me!”
She couldn’t help it —she slammed one of her fists against the sand in rage. Without a single other noise, she expressed her anger.
She was fed up being used that way —forced to do something without a say in the matter, to then watch as she lost those she held close to her.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 7, 2020 1:21:13 GMT -5
Settling down a bit, Henoke crossed his arms as he glanced around the beach while Tori walked towards the sea. It looks…different. It seemed much more…vibrant—alive. At the same time though, something felt…off. The sunshine didn’t feel as hot as it looked, the breeze nonexistent. The sea waves seemed to echo too faintly for how close they were to the water. It was almost like being in a dream. Weird… Seeing Tori begin to walk, Henoke followed at her gesture. ”This has to still be a room.” His face betrayed his surprise. The thought hadn’t come across his mind at all. Huh?! How was a room like this?! What was Tori getting at?
”There’s no way we simply left after crossing that door—I refuse to believe that.” Henoke rested his hands behind his head as they walked, an unsure expression coming across his face. ”But how’s a beach fit in a room?” He totally didn’t get this at all. Tori’s groan caught Henoke off-guard, causing him to stop in his tracks as Tori put a hand to her forehead. ”Hey—you okay?” Did something happen? Confused and not sure what to do, Henoke reached a hand out just as Tori fell to her knees. ”Woah, Tori!” Just as he went to kneel down, Tori’s fist thudded against the sand, surprising him and causing him to take a step back.
What’s with her?! Noticing the wet marks in the sand near her fist, Henoke’s face fell a bit. He wasn’t sure what was going through his friends mind, but he saw the anguish in her clenched fists. ”…” Giving her a moment to sit with her feelings, Henoke stood with his hands in his jacket pockets, his gaze drifting across the beach. It’s been hard for her, too. Had it been another memory returning that did this to her? Henoke definitely understood the anguish some memories brought with them. After what he felt was an appropriate amount of time, Henoke crouched down on his calves, giving Tori some space as he tilted his head a bit. ”You wanna talk about it?”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 7, 2020 1:37:15 GMT -5
Immersed in anger, Tori had forgotten for a second that she wasn’t alone. All noise seemed too faint for her to pick up, so she didn’t hear Henoke approaching whatsoever, nor had she noticed he’d taken distance to let her breathe. As he suggested talking about it, she perked up, eyes still somewhat watery, startled after realizing she wasn’t on her own.
She then looked down, conflicted. Did she want to talk about it? Even if she wanted, it seemed far too hard to just… Word it out. It was painful… She was angry after seeing that memory… In a sense, she was grateful that it wasn’t him who could see people’s memories…
Perhaps a small blessing. But… Was it still okay?
“I’ve seen his memories… All of them…” she thought, still looking down, “Would it be… selfish to keep this to myself…?”
She didn’t want to involve him any further, but something told her that, regardless of what she did, Henoke would be dragged further into this whole mess. He’d met Kosuke, and then had met her —it would only be a matter of time before everything else would reveal itself to him.
Knowing that, she decided it best to tell him earlier than later. Making up her mind, she nodded faintly, sitting properly while retaining her gaze away from his.
“It’s best… If I showed you…” she said, her tone somewhat broken, “It’s far too painful for me to explain it with words… But it’s selfish for me to keep it, when I’ve seen your most painful memories before…”
Glancing at her hand, she held it forward towards him, a pained look in her eyes, yet a hint of anger remained. Once he’d grab it, she’d show him. The same memory that she’d seen just mere seconds ago, but in a third person perspective. The rain… The echoes of blades pitied against each other… Every image she’d seen during that time. Even though the Wielder that was there wasn’t someone he’d possibly known, he’d know where and when it happened.
All of it. As if he had been there to spectate the clash happen.
Tori never raised her gaze, instead lowering it back once he’d grab her hand, trying to keep the emotions she was feeling to herself. They were far too painful…
All of it was.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 7, 2020 2:17:32 GMT -5
Henoke stayed crouched, letting Tori take her time answering. Having seen the look on her face, he had known that whatever had happened hadn’t been good. As she took a seat, seemingly ready to talk, he remained where he was, a serious expression on his face as he prepared to listen. ”It’s best…If I showed you…” He blinked. Show me…? Could she do that? Kosuke had done something similar…though not by choice. ”It’s far too painful for me to explain it with words…” Hearing that, Henoke’s own gaze lowered, hating to see the hurt that was clear in her tone. As she reached her hand forward, he nodded, determination clear on his face.
Reaching out, Henoke grabbed her hand—his vision blurring as he was yanked from the beach into an all too familiar battlefield. Seeing the events unfold before him, Henoke felt a mixture of emotions himself. Kosuke! Returning to the beach as the memory faded, Henoke was stunned for a moment—his body stiff as he felt the world spin. Kosuke… He had never imagined both of them dying in the same battle. Anger and guilt mixed in Henoke’s heart as his own fists clenched, raising to a standing position as he felt his eyes sting. Damn it! If only he had been able to stop the Foretellers—or find his Master!
If the war had never happened—Kosuke would have never died, and Tori and him most likely wouldn’t have been split apart for so long. ”Tch—“ Gritting his teeth, Henoke raised an arm to brush away the stinging in his eyes, refusing to let the tears fall as his face grew red. ”You failed.” A voice rang out in his mind from his heart. One he felt deep in his core. ”How many suffered because of your weakness?” Broken memories of the war flooded his vision, ones still new and fresh with their cuts. ”I’m sorry, Tori…” Lowering his arm, both fists clenched at his sides, Henoke stared out at the horizon.
A dark expression was on his face as darker emotions weighed in his heart. ”I—“ His throat closed up as he turned, looking down at the sand. How could he apologize for something like that? Nothing would ever be enough…not for what he had done, or rather, failed to do. The redness in his face began to clear, though his eyes were still faintly puffy and his cheeks betrayed where he had been rubbing at them. Shaking his head a bit, the teen remained silent for a moment, shoving his hands into his pockets as he fully turned back to her. ”You’ll see ‘im again.” He had to make sure of it, no matter what. It was the least he could do, especially with what he knew now. Though his expression was still slightly grave, the fire of determination blazed familiarly in the teens eyes, refusing to allow the darkness in his heart to swallow it yet.
”That won’t be the last memory.”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 7, 2020 3:37:06 GMT -5
Tori shook her head, not daring to raise her view up. Hearing Henoke apologize made her even angrier, surprisingly, as she knew he had nothing to do with the war happening to begin with. None of it —he had nothing to do with it all, just another pawn in someone’s game.
A game she was told to stop from happening.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Henoke…” she said in a faint whisper, “You couldn’t have known…”
Silence followed, although very briefly. Taking a few shallow breaths, Tori began to seemingly talk to herself, although loud enough for Henoke to listen.
“…I was allowed to leave the Shore… To avoid the war from ever happening…” she explained, hurt, “Kosuke and the others told me… That they wanted to help —they didn’t want me to do it alone… So, they did what they could… We tried convincing the Foretellers to stop gathering light, but only one of them listened… The others didn’t show any attention… And before we knew it, the war had begun… The others had gone back, but Kosuke stood with me when I told him I’d go talk with the Foreteller that listened, but… We never found her… And then…”
Tori stopped herself short, the pain only strengthening inside of her heart. Closing her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears to keep on falling, she tried to keep it down —to keep it enclosed to herself. But she couldn’t —the pain was too much for her to bear alone.
”You’ll see ‘im again.” Henoke’s words seemed hollow, even if their intent wasn’t. Hearing him mention that this memory wouldn’t be the last one she’d remember wasn’t enough to quell her frustration —not even slightly. It felt like a hollow promise, although not due to who was saying it, but rather what it was promising. She shook her head in denial.
“Even if I do, they’ll just take him away from me again…” she said, “They knew I’d fail… Ever since I left the Shore, they knew… And then they took him away, when I was finally starting to live…” Tori brought her hands to her head, shaking it in pure denial, “They’ll take everything away from me again! Not just him, but everyone else… Everything I cherish, they’ll take it from me!”
“Nothing will change…” she sighed, still shaking her head in denial, “Nothing… I’ll go back to how I used to be… I’ll go back to hurting those around me… It would’ve been better had I just stayed put… It would’ve been even better… Had I just never existed…”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 7, 2020 6:40:06 GMT -5
”You have nothing to apologize for, Henoke…” Though her intentions were pure, the words only stung, adding to the guilt he felt. Hearing Tori’s explanation of how her and her friends got caught up in the war only sparked Henoke’s rage. Stupid Foretellers… There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that given the chance, he’d make the same choice again. Tch—only I lost. He hadn’t recalled the exact instance of his death—but the glimpses he had of his past were enough for him to connect the dots. He saw the look on her face as he reminded her of his promise, and it only fueled his anger towards the Foretellers and those who had wronged them all further.
”Even if I do, they’ll just take him away from me again…” Hearing how little hope she seemed to have left was heartbreaking. ”They knew I’d fail…ever since I left the Shore, they knew…” Henoke’s fists clenched at his sides, a fire in his heart beginning to roar with vigor as he made up his mind. ”It would’ve been even better…had I just never existed…” It was too much for him to bear anymore. ”Don’t say that, you idiot!” Taking a step forward, he raised a fist to his chest. He couldn’t let her quit now. Not after everything she’d been through. ”Nothin' woulda been better about you stayin' in a cage...” No one deserved a fate like that. Tch, fate?! To hell with that. What even was that? He was worked up now, his earlier guilt being washed away by the flood of fire. The burning desire to torch the seeds of doubt worming their way deeper into her heart.
”No one’s fate’s decided!” Standing in front of Tori, Henoke crossed his arms, giving her a stern look. ”You’re underestimatin’ yourself…and your friends.” It wasn’t that he was angry with Tori for feeling how she felt—anyone would feel hopeless after going through so much for so long. But he’d be damned if he’d let her sit in it. ”Kosuke’s still tryin’ to find you, after all of that…” He looked away for a moment, a mixture of sadness and jealousy paining the back of his heart. ”…so’s everyone else. They’re all still fightin’.” He didn’t have anyone searching for him. They were long gone.
”If you quit now, how're you gonna look 'em in the eyes when they find you?” He knew they would—it was a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’. Henoke glanced back at Tori, wondering how to make her see that.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 7, 2020 14:16:45 GMT -5
After saying what she did, Tori clammed up. The sounds seemed to become fainter and fainter, a stready silence replacing them instead.
She wanted to stop hurting. Something, anything... Just to make it stop.
"Don't say that, you idiot!" Henoke's words somehow broke through the silence in her head, the sound of waves growing louder in volume as she glanced over towards him. Even though he seemed angry... Something about his words was brimming with confidence, with hope... Him continuing to talk only solidified that feeling.
"No one's fate's decided!" He continued on with his harsh tone, but Tori didn't have to look far to hear his worry. Mentioning her friends, and how they were most likely looking for her caused Tori to dive into thought once more. They were looking for her...
Kosuke was looking for her, after somehow being brought back to life...
All of them, fighting through who knew how many enemies just to see her, at least once more.
"He's right..." she thought after Henoke mentioned how she'd face them whenever she met them again, "I can't give up now..."
If the light and darkness really wanted to drag her back to the Shore to lock her down once more, taking away all what she cherished... She wouldn't stand by it. She wasn't going to let them take whatever they felt like taking, not if she had something to say about it.
She'd fight back if it came to it. Defy the very forces she was tasked to balance out.
She stood up, not looking at him just yet. Tori rubbed her eyes to remove any leftover sights of weakness, trying to calm down, although her face remained somewhat red, her eyes still faintly watery.
"...Thank you..." she muttered faintly.
Still without looking, Tori rushed towards him for a hug. Once she did so, she closed her eyes, trying to calm down. She needed to hold onto someone... She needed someone to reassure her.
At the very least, Henoke was there.
"I'm glad... You're here with me now..." she admitted in whispers, her eyes still closed and not even facing him, resting her head in his shoulder, "I don't know what I'd do... If I were here alone..."
While her back was turned, hugging Henoke tightly in order to calm herself down, the white fox stepped forward from seemingly nowhere, sitting down after a while as it watched the two and waited. What was once a single tail turned out to be nine, spreading in a fan formation as it waited for any of the two to notice it.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 7, 2020 14:45:01 GMT -5
As Tori stood up, Henoke waited for a moment, giving her the time to think. ”…Thank you…” Blinking in surprise as she rushed forward to hug him, Henoke found himself hugging back in a bewildered state. It…worked? For a second there, he had really thought he might have done more harm than good. ”I’m glad…you’re here with me now…” He felt a little embarrassed, but knew exactly what she meant. Me too... She had been there for him, too. Without her, who knows how he would have managed. Squeezing a little tighter, Henoke found himself wearing a broad smile, despite the turmoil of emotions that had just passed through them. ”Well, I’m not goin’ anywhere—so don’t worry!”
There wasn’t words to describe his elation at having brought her out of that pit of despair—if only for a moment. I won’t let her give up! Determined to make sure Tori was reunited with everyone, Henoke silently vowed to beat the living hell out of whatever kept trying to mess with their lives. ”Huh?” Blinking for a moment, Henoke shook his head, wondering if he was seeing things. Not too far off, sitting in the sand, was the same white fox they had seen in the castle. Its tails fanned out, exposing the multitudes as Henoke’s eyes widened. ”Yo, look!” Knowing she wouldn’t be able to see it while hugging him, Henoke let go of the embrace, pointing past her.
”It’s the fox!” He had never seen a fox quite like it though. Counting silently in his head, Henoke was surprised to see nine tails swaying behind the white beast. Why’s it got so many? Hadn’t he heard of something with nine-tails before? Some old story? Shrugging a bit, Henoke grinned at Tori, nudging her lightly with some enthusiasm. ”C’mon! Let’s catch ‘em!” Seemingly distracted and back to his carefree self, Henoke crouched a bit as he began to slowly walk towards the fox. At the end of the day, Replica or not, he was still just a mischievous teenager.
”C’mere, lil’ guy—“ He clicked his tongue a bit and held out a hand, nearing it with an excited look on his face.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 7, 2020 15:35:27 GMT -5
Tori silently thanked Henoke as he returned the embrace back, a soft warmth creeping through her heart and consuming the anger and sadness she’d been feeling up until then. Ravenously, the warmth ended with those feelings, causing her to relax properly.
Although she did want to keep hugging him just a little longer… Just a tiny bit longer.
”Yo, look!” Henoke broke the embrace, although she was quickly back to a composed self, wiping away the resting tears hidden in her eyelids. She blinked a few times as she saw the fox waiting for them, its nine tails waving softly on their own. Had it… Come to pick them up?
“It guided us here… So maybe it also knows the way out?” the question would probably have answers, but Tori had to ask it regardless.
She blinked a few times as Henoke suggested to catch it, approaching it while crouching and clicking his tongue to drag its attention. She couldn’t help but laugh a bit at the sight, while Henoke tried luring the creature near him.
The fox didn’t seem to care, however, a somewhat unamused look in its purple eyes as it looked over at Henoke. It stood up, quickly turning back to slap the boy softly with its tails, before jumping away a few feet, but not really leaving them behind. Having taken some distance, it looked back at the two, its tails now woven into a single one.
It was trying to lure them, not wait for them to lure it. “…It… Wants us to follow it?” Tori asked aloud, confused as she stepped forward a bit, “Maybe it knows the way out?” she suggested, looking at Henoke.
Before she could even say another word, the fox dashed away, much for her dismay.
“Hey, wait up!” Tori said as she began to chase it.
She ran across the sand, following the slippery creature that radiated against the sunlight, its white fur visible through every nook and cranny. Tori stopped after noticing a door in the middle of nowhere, and the fox standing near it before simply disappearing as it jumped through it. The door was in much the same fashion as the previous ones they’d seen in Castle Oblivion, and given the fox’s attitude before leaving…
It had to be the way out.
Tori placed one hand on the door, noticing how it opened rather easily. She waited for Henoke before opening it, stepping into another white room back in Castle Oblivion. Much like how she’d thought before, the “world” they were just in was simply an illusion —an image based on the real thing— that wanted to disorient them.
It seemed as if the fox wanted to help them across, as it stood at the end of the room they were just in. Standing back up, as it was once more sitting down, it quickly went through one of the three doors this new room revealed —the farthest one to the right. Tori looked at Henoke, calmly.
“Do we follow it, then?” she asked, tilting her head a bit.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 7, 2020 17:36:56 GMT -5
”Ack!” As the fox turned to smack at Henoke with its tail, the teen shouted out and took a step back in surprise. Rubbing the hand that had just gotten whipped, a scowl had come across his face. ”Tch—the hell!” Noticing how it didn’t simply run off was peculiar though, making Henoke raise an eyebrow as he tilted his head at it. Noticing it begin to walk away before pausing and looking back at them, the teen rested his hands on his hips. It’s like a cat. Was it just teasing him because it knew he wanted to pet it? ”It…wants us to follow it?” Hearing Tori’s voice, Henoke turned to look at her. Smiling as he saw her back to her usual self, the teen shrugged. Her guess was as good as his. Well…probably better, in all honesty.
”Hey, wait up!” Tori’s shout caused Henoke to notice the fox was beginning to dash off, causing him to shout out in surprise, too. The two were off, chasing after the four-legged creature through the sand until they came upon an ornate white door that stood out in multiple ways. What the—?! When had that gotten here? Seeing the fox leap through the door much like earlier, the two were quick to follow through as they emerged in yet another white room. It seemed Tori had been right, they had never really left the castle at all. ”This is crazy…” Henoke was struggling to wrap his head around it all. The fox waited for a moment before leaping through yet another door at the other end of the room—one out of the three.
”Do we follow it, then?” Looking over to Tori, Henoke had a devious grin on his face still as he shrugged. ”Sure, why not?” They didn’t have any other leads, right? Leading the way, Henoke ran across the marble white room, his sneakers squeaking and echoing across the smooth surface. The excited teen never once gave any notice of the ornate statues that lined the looming walls, rushing up the stairs of the raised platform to the three doors. Waiting for Tori to come next to him, Henoke reached for the door handle and pushed it open.
A breeze passed through as the door opened and exposed a sprawling forest around them, though it wasn't nearly as crisp or clear as a fresh one. Once Tori would also walk through, her and Henoke would find themselves standing at the base of an impossibly large and thick tree, the top branches and leaves creating a canopy that stretched out and blocked the sky above them. It didn’t stretch too far, exposing a blue and somewhat cloudy sky up ahead. ”This is…!” He recognized this forest—the tree he stood in front of. My home world?! Glancing around in awe for a moment, Henoke delighted in the golden speckles that speared through the thick leaf sky above, creating a sparkled and peppered forest floor.
”I can’t believe it!” Rushing forward, Henoke ran across the path, jumping over the occasional raised root from the trees that lined it. ”It is!” He could make out the town in the distance, the buildings wooden and humble yet sturdy and reliable, clumped together amongst tall forested hills with small winding roads and alleyways. Turning to look over his shoulder, Henoke waved for Tori to follow him. ”This is my home!” There was a childlike excitement in his face—he had forgotten all about the fox, their purpose for being in the castle, or the fact they were in the castle at all. There was a memory pressing him onward, filling his heart with a fiery light that urged his legs. Maybe— Long orange hair, with green eyes that shone like gems.
Maybe I can see her! His heart thudded in his chest as Henoke began to run down the forest path. Whether Tori followed or not was up to her, but it seemed the teen had gotten caught up in his own thing instead of the mission at hand.
”Huff…huff…huff…” Henoke stood at the end of the forest path, doubled over with his hands on his shaking knees. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he gulped in breaths. He had run way too fast for too long. Here it is! Lifting his head up with an eager smile, Henoke drank in the sight of the small town before him. He stood on the outskirts of it now, as the forest path dwindled away to reveal it. Lined with cobblestone roads and small brick alleyways, the town seemed alive as it was in the middle of the day. Faint sounds of talking, hammering and other miscellaneous noises could be heard in a din. Turning to see if Tori had followed, Henoke realized he had rushed off in a hurry. ”Heh…sorry.” Scratching at the back of his head with a sheepish smile, Henoke quickly turned back to the village.
”You down to explore a little?” Resting his hands on his hips, Henoke gave Tori an excited broad grin as he waited for her answer, having regained his breath and energy. He couldn’t help but be excited. His few memories of this place had been so broken and scrambled—having only even remembered it so recently, he was bound to want to see more. Hopefully Tori could humor him, as he seemed too excited to focus on much else at the moment.
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