|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 6, 2021 12:55:39 GMT -5
With the last airborne Heartless destroyed by Tori’s Ruinga spell, the skies were clear of enemies—though the dark clouds above that hung and crackled with a dark energy remained. ”Yo, watch it!” Avoiding the minor monsoon his friend had unleashed upon landing on the shores, Henoke used his High Jump in the knick of time as he watched the remaining group wash away and slam against the rocks and massive cave on the island. ”C’mon—we can’t waste time!” Though Henoke shared Tori’s sense of urgency, the boy hung in the air for a moment, lowering rather slowly to the ground as his face flashed with surprise and impatience. ”Tch—what the hell?!” Stumbling as he landed off-time from the sudden Glide, the key-bearer hardly paused to think of the odd event as he merged his stumble into a powerful spinning lunge against the washed up Heartless that remained, stunned and damaged.
”Alrigh, let’s do this!” Releasing another heart from darkness, Henoke slashed through a dazed Pirate as he began to run across the soggy shore, directly towards the massive skull cave that emitted an eerie green glow, flickering as though countless candles were within. Somethin’s in there, alright… Though less of a ‘thinker’ than Tori, Henoke was still a Keyblade Wielder. He was able to sense the imbalance that was present here, even if he didn’t fully comprehend its gravity. Leading the charge, the orange haired teen slashed and hacked at what few enemies remained, rushing head first towards the massive mouth entrance that gaped before him…
Entering the massive cave, the sickly green light would cause Henoke to squint a bit, raising a hand at the sudden shift as his eyes adjusted. ”Woooooooah!” For a moment, the teen blinked in surprise, staggering. ”This’s crazy!” Within the massive skull-shaped cavern was a hoard of forgotten treasures and artifacts, rusted gold reflecting the eerie light emitting from the back. Chests lined with doubloons, trinkets, chalices and other artifacts, as well as mountainous piles of similar valuables and gems. For a moment, Henoke had completely forgotten why they’d come here, taken back by the sheer surprise of so much treasure tucked away. Perhaps that was also a goal of this place?
Letting out a long whistle, the teen had dropped their battle stance, though their Keyblade still remained in their grasp. ”Damn…ta think this’s just been stashed here…” Jolting for a moment, Henoke furrowed his brow. ”The Tribe Leader didn’t mention any o’ this, though?” Maybe the man who wore a bear mask wasn't interested in things like treasure, gems or gold? With a shrug, he turned to find Tori, who was sure to have followed shortly behind him. ”Well, guess we gotta try and find that mirror.” Though the cavern was piled with forgotten treasure, the green light emanated from the farthest back point. More sensitive to the darkness and the light, due to her nature, Tori would be able to feel that indeed what they were searching for lurked deeper in, through the small maze-like hoards that formed mountains and walls within.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 6, 2021 16:15:00 GMT -5
While the sudden sickly green was the first thing to greet them, Tori hadn’t expected at all what came alongside it. A moment of genuine surprise appeared in her expression, as her eyes looked to the plenty of treasure being kept in that room, steps slow and sure. Even though she knew that place was once a pirate hideout, the amount of treasure kept there was surprising.
Yet the question in her head when seeing it wasn’t how much it was worth, or what things were hidden underneath piles of gold. Rather, she was thinking more on who it once belonged to, before it was stolen.
”Well, guess we gotta try and find that mirror.” Tori looked at Henoke as he reminded them both of the task at hand —find the mirror that the Tribe Leader had described. The green glow was still visible, reminding the Spirit of the lurking forces in the place. Slowly but surely, mist swirled beneath her every step, knowing exactly where to look and how to find their target. The walls of treasure hardly bothered her, with her every move premeditated —or at least, it seemed that way.
Almost like she’d been there once before already —yet that much was obviously not the case.
“I have to ask… What’ll wait before it…”
The sudden thoughts echoed inside Tori’s head ominously, her eyes shifting to purple as she got closer and closer to the source. Driven purely by instinct now, the girl stepped forward, the Keyblade in her hand remaining the usual shape —it’s “fake” appearance— while she saved the broadsword back in its sheath.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 6, 2021 22:13:56 GMT -5
As Tori began to walk in a nearly trance-like state, Henoke had gotten somewhat distracted, noticing an old rusted golden crown among a random pile. ”Ooooohhh, cool…!” Within a breath, the teen had lifted the forgotten relic from the pile, causing a couple of loose items to clatter! and ping! against the stone floor. Heh, nice… Resting the slightly rusted and jewel emblemed crown onto his spiky head, Henoke grinned childishly while glancing around the surrounding piles. There’s so much stuff… Where was the mirror supposed to be? It was then that the teen noticed he’d lost track of his friend, causing him to stagger for a moment with a moderate shout of surprise. ”Ah, shit!” Stumbling over a loose assortment close to a pile of treasure, Henoke clattered to the ground as items began to fall and crash! around him, causing a sudden din like quiet thunder throughout the cave.
Having followed the sense of darkness further into the hideout, Tori weaved through the hordes of treasure with ease as she made her way towards the back. Hardly perplexed by the chaotic labyrinth of forgotten loot, the spirit would finally come across what was emitting such an eerie aura around the place. Tucked away to the furthest wall, guarded by piles of random treasure that seemed to have a foot-made path forced through, was a looming mirror. Ornate gold and jewels held faint rust on the frame, the glass somehow spotless and clean, reflecting the cavern around it perfectly. Surrounding the mirror however was a dark aura, a faint green glow emitting from the artifact itself as the light seemed to pulsate and dim before radiating once more. ”So…more have come…” A voice echoed not in the cave around her, but in the girls mind. In the mirror’s reflection was Tori herself gazing back at a distance between the hordes of treasure surrounding her.
”Your true form will be revealed…” Once more the chilling voice snaked its throaty melody, leaving no trace or echoes in its wake. From the mirror glass, the reflection seemed to warm for a brief moment as the green light surrounding the artifact grew intensely bright. From within the mirror, Tori’s reflection would skew and begin to grow shrouded by shadows. Darkness shrouded the reflection entirely as a whirlpool seemed to take its place. ”Let us see the mettle of what you carry…” Stepping forth from the darkness pooled in the glass was another Tori—this one crafted of pure darkness with yellow eyes that shone like a Heartless. Wielding a Keyblade and broadsword of identical style, though their details were shrouded by murky dark—the Anti-Tori lunged forward, leaping from the mirror itself and off of the ground. Rising high above the treasure piles, the dark entity lunged down, spiking with surprising force as it unleashed a dark version of her Elegant Flurry, black and purple lashing with speed and power that would match her own.
CRASH! The force of the attack caused the entire cavern to quake for a moment as loose piles of treasure began to tumble and shake.
[[ENEMIES: Anti-Tori!]]
CRASH! Unseen piles of forgotten relics and treasure toppled and clattered in the cavern. Darkness had erupted forth in an unseen space, causing the Keyblade Wielder to jolt as their hair raised. It’s here! Whatever he’d sensed, Henoke knew it’d been unleashed. He wasn’t really certain about just what it was that had unleashed—but the teen had been trained well enough to become somewhat sensitive to the feeling. ”Tori?!” Still searching through the lost treasure for his friend, Henoke shouted out, noticing that the green light had grown stronger than before, its eerie illumination reflecting off of the somewhat rusted and tarnished treasures. Damn it! He had to try and pin-point that feeling, if he was going to find her. Scrunching his eyes up in frustrated focus, Henoke tried to attune his senses to feel where the darkness was surging from.
C’mon, c’mon! Not feeling much of anything other than the fact it was around the area, the teen shouted out in annoyance before kicking at the ground. It was then that his Keyblade responded to something in the boy’s heart, tugging and yanking him in a sudden direction, nearly causing him to lose his footing. ”Woah! What the hell?!” Blinking in surprise and mild confusion at the weapon, Henoke scrunched up a look of annoyance as it didn’t respond any further. "Dumb hunk’a junk.” Rolling his eyes a bit, the teen raised their brow as they gazed down at the messy path scattered before them. Well…did ya want me t’go this way? Eyeing the hefty weapon in his grip, the boy began to rush forward, deciding to quit on their attempts at reason.
Gotta find Tori! Guided by merely that will alone, Henoke rushed through the abandoned treasure horde.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 7, 2021 5:22:10 GMT -5
Tranced so deep in her search, Tori was startled as a sudden thunder echoed in the cave, finally noticing where she was. Where had Henoke gone to? And what was the source of the noise? Her irises now back to a deep blue, she noticed a voice echoing inside her head. She looked around in a faint panic, feeling incredibly disturbed by the darkness nearby.
In front of her was the mirror they’d heard so much about —the glass spotlessly reflecting her own image, with a dark aura around it followed by a dim green glow. The girl’s body tensed up, spotting a Shadow of her own shape stepping forward.
”Let us see the mettle of what you carry…” Holding onto a dark replica of her own Keyblade and trusty broadsword was another Tori, comprised purely of darkness except of the vivid yellow eyes. Having never expected something like that happening to her, the Spirit was caught completely off-guard —only managing a rather sloppy guard against her own Elegant Flurry, used by the copycat.
Although she took some damage, Tori would manage to survive the worst of her own technique used against her, sliding back a little to create distance.
“Well, damn… Here I thought I could just smash it to pieces…” Tori cursed, frowning.
The grip firm on her Keyblade, the girl readied for a counter of her own. Now completely focused on the battle in front of her, Tori lunged forward with her Flash, looking to flank the Shadow in her image and take it by surprise —but if she knew any better, she knew she’d have to play even smarter than usual, wondering if the Shadow had her same skills when it came to both movement, and power.
Would it use her own strategies against her, of would it use strategies of its own? There was only one way to find out.
”Tori?!” Perking up just a little after hearing Henoke call for her, Tori looked past the towers of treasure around her, but never letting the Shadow escape her vision. At least he was still around, but how long would it take for him to arrive? The mist was still nearby —she could still use her own tricks past the Shadow.
Wanting to get rid of the problem at hand, a single wisp formed in her palm, floating softly over it before leaving swiftly in search for the teen, all while Tori kept the Shadow’s focus all to herself.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 9, 2021 14:17:33 GMT -5
CLANG! SLAM! Echoes of battle drifted throughout the cavern, snaking over the treasure hordes obscuring Henoke’s vision as he ran deeper in. ”Grr…the hell’s goin’ on?!” Knowing the sounds of fighting all too well by now, the teen grimaced as he searched for his friend, wondering just what kind of enemy had emerged in such a place. Shiiiiing! Floating around a corner was a faintly glowing wisp, one that caused Henoke to stagger in surprise and recollection. "Tori!?” He had been traveling with the spirit long enough to grow familiar with some of her powers, after all. Once finding the teen, the wisp would immediately turn around, beginning to head back into the treasure labyrinth. "Wait up!” Chasing after the projection, Henoke steeled his heart with determination and confidence for whatever lay ahead…
Having been caught off-guard by the specter, Tori’s disadvantage only lasted for a moment. Recollecting herself enough to counter attack, the spirit was a blur as she used her Flash ability to flank the dark replica. CLANG! Surprisingly enough, the girl’s attack would be met with the dark version of her own Keyblade, floating in the air behind the replica as it shimmered and radiated with a faint purple aura. ”Interesting—“ The same voice from before echoed throughout Tori’s mind, though the battlefield was silent save for the clanging of weapons and the padding of footsteps. Spinning in a rushing flurry, Anti-Tori’s dark Keyblade began to spin and slash in the air, attacking the real Tori from the from while they rushed to the side with their broadsword.
SHING! WHOOSH! Feinting a lunge before leaping backwards, while the dark Keyblade continued its assault, Anti-Tori unleashed a Dark Blizzaja spell. Columns of dark ice glowing faint green and purple ruptured forth, threatening to trap Tori and crush her in a powerful attack while the main weapon continued to slash and clang!
[[ENEMIES: Anti-Tori]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 9, 2021 15:53:39 GMT -5
Gritting her teeth as her Keyblade met a dark replica of it, Tori clicked her tongue, falling back a little. The wisp had done its work —she knew that much for certain. The mist still swirled around her, but the Spirit didn’t want to go all out just yet, unsure of what would happen next. Instead, she braced herself for the fight ahead.
”Interesting—“ The girl flinched, the voice suddenly echoing once more in her mind, catching her off-guard. In a rush, she found herself once more in the defensive end of things, blocking the spinning dark Keyblade and forcing her against a wall. Once she finally managed to get out of the spinning attack, she found herself surrounded by ice, encaging her and receiving the full combo of the Dark Blizzaja. Tossed aback and ending against a pile of coins and gold, clear injuries around her body, Tori groaned, struggling to get her footing back. She felt a faint trail flowing from her mouth downwards, yet she didn’t taste any blood. Bringing her gloved hand towards it, Tori looked agape as she noticed it wasn’t blood, but a white remain —the same thing that would happen when those cracks appeared.
What was going on? The thought lingered in her mind as she finally pulled herself back up, glaring at the Shadow in front of her. Was it because of who she —or rather, what— she was fighting with? A Shadow of her own self, a being purely of darkness?
“It’d make sense, given what’s happened until now…” Tori grimaced, “I still remember that bastard back at Castle Oblivion… It’s almost like…”
Almost like she was fighting the cloaked figure once more —it had the same sensation. It was just a strong as she was, although Tori wasn’t going all-out. The mist swirled even swifter, threatening to burst at any moment —but Tori wasn’t going to hold back anymore.
Even if it was just a Shadow.
“Know what? You’re just like that bastard…” the growled, “If you’re gonna step in the way of the balance of this world, so be it —I’ll just do the same as usual.”
A calm storm —the perfect word to describe Tori’s power swirling around her before bursting forward, her gaze vivid purple once more. The Keyblade now in its original form, held reverse in the girl’s hand, was resting calmly at her side.
“You’re not gonna give up, right, Tori?”
Chuckling with confidence, Tori drew a smirk, closing her eyes before lunging forward, her Keyblade shimmered in light, and gaze fixated on the Shadow in front of her.
She wasn’t pulling any punches now —she was angry, sure, reminded by a bitter memory of that which robbed her of everything she held dear. She wasn’t letting it happen to others, not while she had a say in the matter.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 9, 2021 23:15:03 GMT -5
Chasing after the wisp, Henoke grit his teeth as the echoes of clanging steel and grunting effort resounded throughout the cavern. Damn it, how big is this place?! Growing impatience, the hot-headed teen’s feet pumped harder, their adrenaline and anger fueling them further on as they chased after the specter their friend sent. SHIIIING! A cold gale resounded throughout the cavern, causing a chill to be sent through Henoke’s spine as his eyes darted around. The green light was still casting odd shadows over most piles of forgotten treasure, distorting the labyrinth he ran through. Thankfully, it didn’t matter—not with the guidance of Tori’s wisp.
Hang on, Tori!
Recoiling from the assault of the floating Keyblade, Tori was left in the barrage of ice that had been summoned forth. CLANG! Crashing against coins and artifacts, the spirit tumbled down and clattered to the cavern floor, scattering loose debris of treasure across the battlefield. ”Know what? You’re just like that bastard…” The dark replica stepped forward, the voice unanswering in the reference of an adventure from the past. WHOOSH! The storm that unfurled from the damaged spirit caused the reflection to stagger in surprise, raising a guarded battle stance as it leapt backwards for a moment. ”So—you’re taking this seriously, now?” In an almost mocking tone, the voice reverberated once more in silence throughout Tori’s mind. As the spirit’s Keyblade began to shimmer with light, her Anti form would also surge with a radiant purple aura, clashing against the eerie dim glow of green around them.
CRASH! CLANG! DOOOOOONG! Blasting forward as though a flood, a pile of treasure erupted from the side of the battlefield. Loose coins, goblets, crowns, scepters, and other artifacts of all kinds scattered and clanged throughout the cavern, some even bouncing and bashing off of the mirror itself. ”Tori!” Henoke stood with his Keyblade raised, a brief look of relief flashing across his face as his golden gaze fell on his friend. ”Woah!” Noticing the spirit’s Anti-Enemy for the first time, the orange haired boy blinked in surprise. ”Ah, there they are.” The voice resounded through both Henoke and Tori’s minds alike, not leaving any echoes or traces inside Skull Rock to be heard. ”I was waiting for the second Key.” Hearing the menacing tone lurking beneath the words, the hot-headed teen scowled as he readied a battle stance, locking Anti-Tori in his gaze. ”Tch—there ain’t nothin’ second 'bout me!”
The distorted voice surely had no idea it had struck a nerve. Not that it mattered much. ”Come boy—see your true form, as well.” Having burst into the battlefield from the hoards of treasure forming walls around them, Henoke was indeed within view of the glowing mirror. Though his reflection was somewhat distant and hidden between sections of rubble, the mirror glowed a brighter green as the reflection within began to walk over the debris of treasure. Forming from darkness itself as the reflection in the mirror misted over and shrouded in purple and black, a dark form of Henoke emerged as well. Toting a large and dark shrouded version of the same Keyblade, the Anti-Form gazed with shining yellow eyes, just like Tori’s. ”Huh?! Seriously!?” Staggering in visible disbelief, Henoke worked to recover his battle stance as a dark version of himself surged forward.
BBzzzzt! CRACK! Green and purple lightning collided into the earth from the empty air above, lancing and surging down directly towards and around Tori! Having used a Dark Thundaja spell, the Anti-Tori ruptured the battlefield while the Anti-Henoke pressed the frustrated and surprised boy back. Following the dark spell up with a Dark Fire Toss, the reflection continued to try and press the girl back. It was clear that the Anti-Form’s were working on taking on their true selves individually, separating the pair to focus on them one-on-one!
[[ENEMIES: Anti-Tori, Anti-Henoke]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 10, 2021 16:02:48 GMT -5
”So—you’re taking this seriously, now?”
The words were surprisingly hollow, despite the somewhat mocking tone behind them —Tori paid them no mind as she made a single objective in the battle. To beat whatever that Shadow was, and settle things the way they were once before. The struggle between light and darkness, as both Keyblades clashed with one another, caused the girl to glare with a bitter anger.
Already it was starting to annoy her.
Forcing herself backwards to take distance yet again, Tori was caught aback by the sudden blast of treasure at the side, perking up after she saw Henoke with his Keyblade raised, noting his relief as their eyes met. It was hardly a moment to relax, however —evident by the tone of the voice echoing in their heads. Her purple eyes looked straight at the Shadow, glaring while wondering what was going to happen next.
”Come boy—see your true form, as well.” Hearing how the voice was waiting for the “second Key”, Tori scowled as she noticed the mirror doing the same thing that she’d seen before —a dark silhouette of Henoke, stepping from the darkness holding a replica of his weapon and mimicking his abilities to their utmost limit. Leaving that fight aside, and instead focusing on her own fight, Tori managed her way through both attacks, locked solely on the shadow that was her enemy now. Weaving through the Dark Thundaja and easily blocking the Dark Fire Toss, Tori looked to close the distance to the Shadow, Keyblade still shimmered with bright light and mist.
“Too slow” she taunted, “This fight’s already over.”
A bright blue flash coiled swiftly around the girl’s arm, immediately taking the shape of a very familiar dragon. Snapping its maws wide open as Tori charged forward using her Blue Dragon Flash, purple eyes enraged and wanting to finish the battle as soon as possible.
The quicker they could figure what was going on, the better —for everyone’s sake.
“Seriously —who, or what are you?!” Tori asked, bitter, “If there’s someone lurking around here, show yourself already!”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 10, 2021 16:52:56 GMT -5
”Hrrk! F’real?!” Keyblades clanged against one another as Henoke skid back against the cavern floor, his sneakers skidding off of the rock surface as his arms rang with the vibration of the blocked hit that had sent him backwards. ”Your natural strength is rather wasted on you, don’t you think?” Invading solely the hot-headed teen’s mind with its familiar voice, the mirror seemed to hum in amusement as its dim green light shimmered and grew faintly. SHING! CLANG! Henoke met his anti-self’s dark Keyblade with his own, surprised at how fast they’d closed the distance. Tch—it’s really got all my abilities?! The only way it could’ve done that was with his own Sliding Dash; that, plus the strength behind the dark figure’s swings, allowed the rather thick-headed fighter to catch on rather quickly.
While Henoke and his dark-self fought, Tori had her own counter-attack to focus on. Weaving her way through the dark lancing lightning that crackled and sparked against the ground, the spirit made a quick and effective guard against the flaming dark weapon. ”Too slow.” Tori’s taunt would greet a blank expression of darkness as the yellow eyes stared back at her. While a bright blue began to coil around the original’s arm, a violent and dark purple sprang around the Anti-Tori’s. Mimicking the true spirit’s punishing attack, yellow eyes flashed in defiance to purple as the dark entity greeted Tori’s Blue Dragon Flash with its own version—the Purple Dragon Frenzy. Fueled by both the original’s copied powers as well as its own dark powers, the fast and critical attack would explode against the blue, causing a loud cacophonous eruption to explode over the battlefield.
KaKOOOOOOOOOOM!
”Woah!” Blasted off of his feet, Henoke braced himself and threw up a guard as he went soaring into a treasure horde. CLANG! BANG! CRASH! Exploding out from the other side, causing the entire small mountain to begin to crumble and clatter, the teen sprawled out on the cavern floor, groaning and bewildered. ”Urk…w-what the…?” Dizzy and dazed, Henoke sat up, his head spinning as he swayed a bit. An explosion of blue and purple had sent him flying from the battlefield, left gawking with ringing ears as he began to search frantically for any signs of Tori, or his enemy. ”Tor—” Just as he shouted out, struggling to his feet, another treasure horde burst open, the Anti-Henoke lunging forward with a dark flurry of attacks! CLANG! Throwing up a hasty guard, the orange-haired teen backpedaled, resuming a battle stance as his eyes darted around the area.
Where’m I now?! Tori was no longer in sight, nor was the mirror. Though the cavern was still alight with a sickly green, it seemed the collision of powers between the two Tori’s had sent Henoke and his doppelgänger flying to a different battlefield! ”Grr….c’mon! Seriously?!” Frustrated, his grip on his large Keyblade tightened as his gaze turned into an angry glare. ”Outta the way. I gotta get back ‘ta Tori!” Rushing forward, Henoke’s dark steel weapon began to crackle and spark with a golden light as he readied a powerful swing. Unleashing his Blitz attack, the boy pummeled forward, wanting to finish his fight to regroup with Tori as quick as possible. Stupid mirror…
”Seriously—who, or what are you?!” Tori’s voice range out throughout the battlefield of discarded treasure and rock, the explosion and smoke finally waning as the anti version of herself emerged from the settled exchange. ”If there’s someone lurking around here, show yourself already!” The spirit’s shouting would be greeted with a flood of torrential water as the Anti-Tori unleashed a Dark Flood spell in retort. ”It is as you see it. Here I was brought—and here I shall remain.” The same voice from before entered her mind as the waves came towards her, a vague and empty response as the green light in the cavern continued to dim and brighten steadily.
[[ENEMIES: Anti-Tori]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 11, 2021 6:14:14 GMT -5
With the powerful clash between her Blue Dragon Flash and the Shadow’s mimicry of the attack, Tori was tossed back, even angrier than before. No matter her approach, the Shadow was one step ahead of her throughout the entire thing. The mist was growing denser and denser, but at the same time it was starting to wane —knowing her power would only last for so long.
Apparently, the Shadows were the only thing lurking, not that it was to be taken as the entire truth. Still, it hardly stopped the Shadow to continue putting pressure. Unable to truly dodge the attack, Tori took the hit straight-on, managing a guard to lessen as much of the damage as possible. Firmly gripping her Keyblade, she dashed forward once more, with just as much speed as before, mist aiding her charge.
It was getting tougher and tougher to handle —tougher and tougher to remain calm. Something within her wanted to snap and run loose, to destroy the Shadow that copied her image as soon as possible, but doing so would most definitely cause her to collapse.
“We’ll see about that —who it is that will remain…” she growled as a reply.
Looking to retaliate after the Dark Flood went its way, Tori glared back, trying to spot any sort of advantage she could make use of. Given that she couldn’t spot any immediately, she continued to press on, dashing forward while unleashing a series of slashes and strikes, her own Elegant Flurry trying to break through the defense of the Shadow.
“No matter what it takes, I’ll take you down —even if you take me down with you.”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 16, 2021 12:30:44 GMT -5
SMASH! CLANG! Treasure hurled through the air, clattering against harsh stone floor and cavern walls as another powerful blow sent them flying. Henoke wore an annoyed expression, sweat trickling down his forehead as he pushed against the dark version of his own Keyblade. The struggle was one out of countless, the two matching each other in strength easily enough. ”Tch—who’d o’ thought some reflection could be so powerful…” Finally winning against the struggle, the orange haired teen shouted out with power as his slash went through, sending the Anti-Henoke flying once more into a treasure horde. CLANG! Clatter! Launched into the mountainous pile from the strength behind the blow, the shadow struggled to their feet as loose coins and other trinkets slid around on the floor and fell upon them. ”Why are you so surprised?”
The voice echoed in his mind, silent in the cavern around him. ”You yourself are but a mere reflection, too—aren’t you?” Henoke’s eyes widened a bit as a chill ran down his spine, his body stiffening and pausing as a look of disbelief flashed across his face. ”W-wha—?” His voice caught in his throat. How did this thing know about him?! The sweat on his forehead felt cold all of a sudden as the teen’s grip tightened on his Keyblade. ”What did you just say t’me?” Finally breaking free from the toppling pile of treasure, yellow eyes brightened as the green glow around the cavern continued to flare and flash. ”We are the same, are we not? Mere reflections of an original…” Readying a battle stance, the Anti-Henoke lunged forward. CLANG! Within the blink of an eye, the shadow had slashed out with a dark version of Henoke’s own Zantetsuken—
”Don’t even think o’ comparin’ me to you!” Having met the attack head-on with a murderous flare in his eyes, a powerful energy began to crackle and erupt around the teen as he guarded against the all too familiar attack. ”I’ll show you how real I am!” Roaring out with a fury that nearly sounded more animal than human, Henoke’s gaze went white as his body erupted with a sparking golden aura…
Greeting the Dark Flood with a guard, Tori waned through the magical water and fought against the torrent. Struggling through the spell and continuing with a head-on assault, the original betrayed their impatience. ”We’ll see about that—who it is that will remain…” The Anti-Tori hadn’t gone unscathed from the collision of their powers, either—though unlike the real Tori, they didn’t seem to struggle with the issues of the odd white slivers and cracks. Instead, darkness seeped from their very form, seeming almost as though it were growing stronger the more her own limit was reached. Clang! Swoosh! Clat! Forced on the defensive due to Tori’s Elegant Flurry, the shadow backpedaled with skilled footwork as they danced their own dark Keyblade and broadsword to meet Tori’s.
Though the key-bearer would succeed in pushing their enemy back, managing a few hits in between the hasty guard and footwork, the shadow was hardly out of options yet. ”I can sense your resolve…” Almost as though responding to the girl’s own thoughts, the voice echoed in Tori’s mind once more. ”As a means of respect, allow me to show you my own.” The Anti-Tori leapt backwards from the original’s assault, sinking into the ground as though a Shadow Heartless instead of landing on it. Lancing along the ground, undisturbed by any discarded treasure and fissures forming from the battle, the Anti-Tori would dart just behind and beneath the real Tori. WHOOSH! Bursting forth from the ground directly beneath her, darkness erupted as a massive pillar with a powerful purple and green hue and cacophonous gust.
Mixed in to the raw darkness was Anti-Tori’s dark Keyblade, shimmering with a radiant and powerful purple aura as they unleashed a Dark Judgement—seemingly having inverted the attack both in its direction as well as its element!
[[ENEMIES: Anti-Tori]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 16, 2021 14:22:59 GMT -5
The mist waned, following Tori’s hasty breathing. Even though her power was strong enough to make a quick end, something wasn’t right —the battle was far from over, even if she made use of all of her efforts. No matter what she did, the Shadow had been able to match her, despite having dealt some damage. Even if she managed to push the Shadow back a bit, her breathing was heavier by the second, unable to keep up with how much power she was using.
Truthfully, it was taking its toll faster than she thought it would.
”I can sense your resolve…” It was almost taunting —how the voice was apparently recognizing her efforts despite being the same darkness that was trying to break her and lock her back down in the Shore. The thought alone was almost repulsive, but it wasn’t a thought she could focus on for long.
A sudden roar of fury caught her off-guard, the mist finally dissipating, yet leaving faint traces of its presence in the form of small cracks over the girl’s forearms. The Keyblade changed back to its “fake” form, but Tori instead turned around, knowing the shout to be Henoke’s.
“Did he—?!”
The opening was clear —with Tori so concerned for her partner, the Shadow’s Dark Judgement would land a clean hit. Adding to the fact that it had melted into the ground, Tori had no means to predict its movements. She managed only to turn around just to see the attack land straight, tossing her with immense strength against a pile of treasure.
“ARGH!”
Coins were tossed aside, treasures spilling on the ground. A few hints of blood stained a few of the fallen trinkets, but it didn’t bother Tori that much, compared to the cracks opening slightly, stinging with fervor.
Groaning as she forced herself to open her eyes, she realized her body had become numb, not answering her at all. The Keyblade had disappeared from her hands, now unable to react or counter. The only thing she could do was glare, but other than that, she was useless.
“I can’t…” she mumbled, trying to stand up, “I won’t… Give up… I can’t…” Tori managed to much, if only a little, “Hen…oke…”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 16, 2021 15:07:41 GMT -5
CLANG! Swoosh! SMASH! Despite the hefty weapon in his hands, Henoke’s furious string of blows was insanely fast as he pummeled against the shadow’s hasty defense with his Ars Arcanum. A blinding gold light surrounded and crackled around his Keyblade as he used the ability, flaring against the dim green in the cavern almost as though it would consume it. ”Think I’m the same as you now?!” Roaring out in anger as he finished the string of combos, Henoke’s white gaze seemed to match the yellow orbs staring blankly back. ”Yes—feed your anger.” Echoing in his livid mind was the voice—almost mockingly calm. Despite having taken the brunt of his prior attack, the Anti-Henoke began to glow with a faint purple aura as its yellow eyes brightened. As its aura unleashed, its form began to alter and change, bulking in size as it grew more muscular than any human form could ever take.
”Ya think a growth spurt’s gonna help?!” Feeling insulted by the change, Henoke continued to press forward, letting his anger fuel his swinging arms as he lanced at the shifting enemy. I’ll destroy it! There wasn’t a doubt in his mind—Henoke would prove how little alike they were by defeating it. Closing the gap, an odd sensation invaded him—a faint moment of clarity amongst the fog of rage. !? Guided by pure instinct as a gut feeling came over him, the raging youth ceased their swinging and removed a hand from their weapon as they rushed to close the distance with their Sliding Dash. ”I’ll show you—“ It was a sensation that almost felt like when the Keyblade guided him—though he felt none of its power in this ‘pull’. ”WHO’S REAL!” His reached out hand began to glow with a faint black hue as it touched the hulking figure of darkness, the aura’s colliding and mashing for a moment before a powerful and blinding violet flash consumed the cavern.
SHWOOOOOM!
SKooooooooOOOm! The Dark Judgement struck true as Tori was distracted by the furious shout echoing throughout the cavern, delivered by none other than her missing teammate. ”ARGH!” CRASH! Clang! Cling! Clat! Coins, goblets and other trinkets exploded out as Tori was sent hurling into one of the many hordes around her. Cracks shimmered white as they slivered and splintered over her form, the Anti-Tori beginning to slowly walk over towards where the original lay prone and exhausted. Other than the cracks were visible battle wounds, blood trickling over some of the discarded treasure littering the ground as well as seeping from cuts and scrapes. ”You’re not like the usual hearts.” The voice echoed in the girl’s mind as the shadow stalked forward, both dark weapons still in hand as it closed the distance.
”Curious—certainly worth devouring.” The Keyblade disappeared from Tori’s hand, unable to sustain its presence with how exhausted and fatigued the spirit had become. She was defenseless as the Anti-Tori finally came to the foot of the ruined mountain of treasure the original lay heaped in. ”I can’t…I won’t…Give up…” Though she tried to stand, it hardly seemed to be working as she mumbled out a feeble resistance. ”Hen…oke…”
SHWOOOOOM! A violet purple light erupted throughout the cavern as a wailing gust exploded. Treasure hordes began to rattle and crumble as the green light from the mirror waned and dimmed. ”What?!” Surprisingly enough, the voice seemed shocked by whatever was happening, the Anti-Tori pausing as its yellow orb eyes darted to the direction of where the eruption had occurred. BOOOOOM! The walls of forgotten trinkets and artifacts forming the battlefield around Tori exploded out towards the mirror, a cacophonous crash ringing throughout as the battlefield rained with coins and trinkets (though Tori would be safe from the falling litter, due to her position). ”Urgh…feels…gross…” Staggering forward from the now cleared section as Henoke—though they hardly seemed their usual self.
Swaying somewhat on their feet, the boy’s face seemed muddled with confusion and irritation, his expression dark as he glanced around the battlefield. Half of the teen’s face was shrouded in darkness, almost as though snaking tendrils lanced and inched towards the center, consuming the right side as a yellow eye exposed itself next to his usual golden one. It wasn’t just the face, though. Henoke’s right arm was also shrouded in darkness, a faint black and purple aura sparking as though lightning around it. Even around the Keyblade he toted was the faint aura, purple lightning energy crackling along dark steel grey that seemed to darken to a steady black near the tip. ”There you are…” His gaze fell on Tori and the Anti-Tori, hardening as he noticed and glared at the mirror in the back of the cavern.
”Yo, you annoyin’ ass mirror…” Heaving up his heavy weapon to aim it at the artifact in the distance, Henoke grabbed at his head with his free hand, almost as though fighting off a headache while gritting his teeth and spitting out his words. ”That weak clone o’ yours tasted like shit!” Rushing forward with a new and surprising speed, Henoke roared out with a familiar furious rage as gold and purple energy crackled and exploded around him. Though powerful, the aura seemed to battle itself—the dark and light steadily battling each other, trying to see who would overtake who. It seemed whatever had happened to Henoke and his Anti-Form, the boy was able to wield darkness that hadn’t previously belonged to him.
CLANG! Anti-Tori’s weapons nearly crumbled against them as they were hurled backwards from the sudden weight behind the attack Henoke delivered. Skidding backwards towards the mirror, the Anti-Tori’s guard was shattered as the dark broadsword they carried dissolved in a dark vapor, apparently destroyed from the brunt of Henoke’s Twilight Blitz, a combination of light and dark fusing around the Keyblade for an enhanced version of the prior attack. It seemed that despite the odd powers the boy was wielding, as well as the rage he was allowing to fuel him, his mind was his own. Guarding the exhausted and wounded Tori by standing in front of her in a battle stance, the teen glared at the Anti-Tori and mirror alike. "Tori, you okay?" Though he hadn't turned towards her, Henoke's words betrayed the fact he'd indeed noticed the white cracks forming along his friend. Unlike the other battle wounds, those were wounds magic couldn't cure, a fact the boy knew all too well. Shit... Would she be out of the fight?
[[ENEMIES: Anti-Tori, Mirror]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 16, 2021 16:36:07 GMT -5
Unable to move as she was, Tori could only look as the Shadow drew closer. Despite having recovered a little bit of her footing, slowly but surely trying to stand back up, it wasn’t like she could dodge whatever came next. ”You’re not like the usual hearts.” Once more, it seemed that the Shadow was mocking her —although this time, it wasn’t a lie. Hearing how she was “worth devouring” however, brought her to a chuckle, a grin forming in her lips as she closed her eyes.
“Try it —you won’t be able to” she said, glaring back with a vivid purple gaze, still defiant, “Your master won’t allow it, no matter how hard you try. I’m actually amused to see that you don’t recognize what I am…”
Despite still wanting to press on, to fight back and prove the Shadow wrong, Tori couldn’t move —she was in a vulnerable position. That was all tossed aside, as a sudden blast of gust exploded, following by violet light, catching both the Spirit and the Shadow’s attention. A following explosion forced the Shadow to retreat, and now able to stand up, albeit injured and exhausted, Tori blinked in astonishment at the sight that came afterwards.
”Urgh…feels…gross…” Henoke stood there, swaying only faintly, with a hint of darkness surrounding his form —a sight that shocked the girl more than it should’ve. A sudden chill, much like before, crawled down her spine, spectating in shock at the appearance of the boy that she called “partner”. Despite it, it seemed he was still in control, removing one of the girl’s fears.
The teen hadn’t been taken by his anger once more —but the thread was a thin one, easy to snap with enough pushing.
He pursued after Tori’s Shadow, forcing it back after calling out the mirror he sought to destroy. The power he displayed was unlike any Tori had seen before —a combination of light and darkness aiding his charge. Unlike Tori’s powers, however, the forces seemed to fight for control, rather than remain harmonious in their attacks.
Why was that? And what was going on? All of those thoughts suddenly dissipated, her attention brought back as Henoke asked if she was okay, or not.
“What have you…?” the words escaped her, looking shocked, “What have you done…? Why are you… Like this…?”
The questions had escaped her before she could even think about them —unconscious thoughts rising on their own. By the time she realized what she’d asked, she looked embarrassed, quick to look away to reconsider her wording.
She was just shocked —having never seen something like that. Despite knowing the teen’s true nature from long ago, Tori didn’t know much about Replicas other than what she’d previously explained. So, what was this? What was happening to him?
“You’re not gonna turn your back against him now, are you…?”
The voice that echoed in her head reminded her of what was important —whatever happened to Henoke could wait. Right now, they still had an enemy left to defeat, as well as a mirror to crush. Gaining her resolve back, she nodded, her gaze determined, holding one arm with another.
“I can still go —although I won’t be in top shape” she said, “I’ll support you the best I can.”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 16, 2021 17:16:46 GMT -5
”What have you…?” Tori had found her footing, disbelief clear on her visage as she took in her friends new form. "What have you done…?” Keeping his eyes trained on the enemies ahead, Henoke’s face flickered into a smirk as he shrugged in response. ”Hell if I know. Somethin’ just sorta…happened?” Seemingly unbothered by the details, the teen readied himself as the Anti-Tori recovered from the powerful attack, though they were down a weapon now. ”I can still sense its presence within you…” The voice would go unheard by Tori, ringing solely throughout Henoke’s mind as the green light brightened once more from the mirror, clashing against the boy’s own black and purple. ”This is different than what’s occurred with others…interesting.” The Anti-Tori readied its next attack while the real Tori prepared to support Henoke in the coming fight. ”I can still go—although I won’t be in top shape.” Nodding at his friends words, Henoke’s eyes remained on the shadowy reflection coming his way. ”Yeah—take it easy. This should be over quick.”
Regardless if the teen had an idea or not, they seemed confident enough. While the Anti-Tori dashed forward through the floor, melding as though a shadow, Henoke remained poised and still, his weapon at the ready as he watched the darting movements. ”Heh—don’t think that’ll work on me!” The darkness around his right half flared as though purple fire, his darkened Keyblade lancing forward as he lunged from his spot in front of Tori towards where the shadow blurred along the cavern floor. SHINK! Stabbing with ferocious force as the darkness around his arm exploded out, Henoke’s Keyblade sank into the ground, spiking through the shadowy visage of his friend with brutality. ”Looks like you underestimated me—“ A wicked grin flashed across the teen’s face as the Anti-Tori recoiled, forced back up and out of the ground from the damage of the attack.
”Again—?!” The green light flickered momentarily as Henoke rushed in, his free hand shimmering with a faint black aura as he grabbed at Anti-Tori’s face. Glowing yellow eyes shone blankly through his fingers as the dark aura around his hand began to grow and expand. ”Tch—“ Grimacing as the aura began to consume the shadowy being, the green light waned and flickered once more as the mirror’s voice echoed in both Tori and Henoke’s minds. ”Even though it isn't yours—?!” It seemed whatever the teen was doing, it was something beyond the mirror’s knowledge. The black aura had completely surrounded the Anti-Tori, the darkness beginning to suck into Henoke’s exposed palm as the teen staggered and winced as though in pain. ”Urk!” The boy’s form glowed with a violet hue for a moment as the shadowy reflection was devoured and defeated.
”Nasty…” After staggering for a few moments, Henoke shook their head as though having been fighting off nausea—the aura slowly waning as the darkness on his right side began to grow and extend across him further. ”Impossible! An imitation shouldn’t be able to devour a reflection! Only the original can do that!” Roaring out in protest, the mirror shook as the green light grew violently bright, the artifact rattling against its place in the back of the cavern. ”I keep tellin’ ya—“ Speaking through clenched teeth, Henoke straightened, finally managing to overcome the agony he’d felt after absorbing the Anti-Tori. Most of the teen’s torso was shrouded in the same darkness that had consumed his Keyblade wielding arm, his orange spiky hair black and shrouded in vapor as only one golden eye remained on his otherwise dark face, the other yellow orb brightening as the violet aura around him settled into a dark outline.
”I ain’t no imitation.” Walking forward with a murderous glare in his single human eye, the teen lifted up his Keyblade, now mostly shrouded and devoured in darkness—much larger in size as the tendrils and aura added to its visage and extended its reach. ”Halt, boy! Look at yourself!” As Henoke closed the distance, the mirror’s voice raged in his mind. ”You’re no different than the reflections I create, by now!” For a moment, Henoke paused, glancing into the mirror’s flawless glass and viewing his form for the first time since absorbing the shadows. ”Tsk—“ Clicking his tongue, the teen glared at the view he saw—most of his form indeed nearly identical to those of the enemies they’d just been facing. ”—like that matters.” With a tone of defiance, Henoke slashed down with his raised weapon, golden and purple light exploding as it cleaved forward and shattered the ancient artifact—obliterating it into countless shards and pieces. ”I’m me.”
Speaking the words confidently, Henoke glared down at the ruined artifact as darkness seeped from its broken form. Releasing from the mirror was a dark vapor before dissolving into a faint heart released to the cave ceiling and disappearing. Believing the words he spoke, now truly without a doubt, the teen’s visage shimmered with light before he’d be obscured from view—a blinding gold illuminating the cave. ”Huh?!” Staggering and taking a step back as he squinted, Henoke blinked a few times in surprise and shook his head as the light faded. His form was his own again, the darkness surrounding him vanished as his heart identified itself, separate to the imitations devoured. There was no visible trace of the form he’d appeared in any longer. Just what the hell…? Before he could finish the thought, Henoke jolted in recollection as he spun on his heels, his now normal golden eyes searching for Tori.
”Heh—told ya I’d handle it!” Seeing that she was indeed okay (well, or at least standing), the boy flashed a cocky grin as though the battle had been in the bag from the get-go. Just as Henoke was ready to heal his friend (well, for whatever that was worth), a faint rumble caused him to spin back towards where the ruined artifact lay, readying a battle stance and glare. Clink! The pile of rubble had begun to shake, a piece jutting up from within and breaking free as it shimmered with a faint light. ”Oh—!” For a moment, Henoke wasn’t sure what was happening, until the object began to raise in the air and shimmer. Is that…a hook? Lodged to a small hunk of the mirror was indeed a tarnished and rusted hook—one with a cuff that was clearly used in place of a hand at one point. ”The Keyhole!” Just as he shouted it out, the object exploded in a radiant light—the cavern around Tori and Henoke fading as a vast abyss of light surrounded them, the object having transformed among the chaos into a large keyhole.
With a grin, Henoke offered his free hand out to Tori, raising his Keyblade with the other. ”Let’s finish this!” Once the girl added whatever power she had left to his, a radiant light would surround the two as Henoke’s Keyblade glowed and shimmered. Blliiiiing! CLICK! Lancing through the sky from the tip of his weapon, a ray of light shot forth faster than the blink of an eye—striking the empty space in the keyhole and sealing the worlds heart for certain. Just like that, the dark cavern returned to them—the light and Keyhole disappearing as they stood among the ruined hordes of treasure and ruined mirror pieces. Unlike before, Skull Rock was dim and dark now, no longer illuminated by the sickly green light of the mirror and the glinting treasure. ”Here.” Breaking through the dim, Henoke cast a Cura spell on Tori, surrounding her with the warming green glow as magical flowers bloomed and bells chimed. Though it wouldn’t do anything for the spirits bizarre sliver wounds, it would hopefully give the girl enough stamina and heal the more normal wounds from her prior battle.
”Let’s get outta here.” Offering to support her if needed, Henoke lifted his Keyblade, focusing as he forced it to glow with a dim and spotty light. It was hardly brighter than a torch, due to the teen’s lack of ability to command such an abstract power—but was a handy trick nonetheless for navigating their way through the hordes of treasures that would obscure the path to the exit.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 17, 2021 5:37:37 GMT -5
Tori managed to stand up straight, looking to the Shadow with defiance still evident in her gaze, unwilling to give up. Whatever was going on with Henoke could wait —the priority at the moment was supporting him and defeating the Shadow. Not that it was necessary, by the looks of things…
Henoke took the Shadow head-on, not wasting a second in forcing it back with these newfound powers of his. The Shadow seemed enraged, apparently not expecting any of that to happen. Before she knew it, Henoke had absorbed the Shadow in her form in what seemed to be mere seconds, the darkness encroaching his body growing stronger as response. What was happening to him? Why was he able to do that? The fact that she couldn’t really hear the voice anymore, but could still hear Henoke talking only helped in the confusion of it all.
”I keep tellin’ ya—I ain’t no imitation.” The teen walked forward, the darkness threatening to consume him whole —yet somehow he still managed to get ahold of his own mind. Surely now, in front of the mirror, he could see what had become of him —something Tori was fearful of. This wasn’t something she’d seen before, even if her recollection was fragmented and misty. If she’d seen it before, she would’ve felt it, reacted to it, but this wasn’t the case.
“Henoke…”
She could only try calling his name —not that it’d help. He’d shattered the mirror, and alongside it, the darkness surrounding him dissipated. Caught in her own thoughts, Tori flinched when Henoke turned around to face her, his grin almost ignoring the depth of what happened before. Or maybe he was feigning it? Whichever the case, things were going too fast for her to grasp. She stood back while the Keyhole was closed, somewhat reluctant to take part in it, unsure of what her powers would do if she were to interfere. Focused on her own worries, she felt the Cura spell take effect, healing the actual wounds and helping her recover some stamina, but nowhere close to closing the cracks in her body. Still, they stung less —mostly due to the fact that they were shallow to begin with.
“Now hold on a second” the girl stopped him in his tracks, worried, “What happened to you, back then? What’d you do? Are you alright?”
The darkness was gone —that much was evident. Still, the girl couldn’t help but worry it was still remaining, hiding somewhere inside his heart. Tori didn’t want to pry, though, not without invitation. Troubled as she was, she refused to let go until there were some answers.
But Henoke wouldn’t know them, would he? He was a Replica, after all —with most of the original’s knowledge lost over time, faint traces remaining either within the “new” one, or back at the Shore. Bits he never recovered. And then there was the fact that Tori herself didn’t know much about Replicas to begin with, other than the basics.
Did either of them have the answer, or was it a mystery that would never be solved?
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 17, 2021 12:57:38 GMT -5
”Now hold on a second—“ Tori halted the teen’s advance to find the exit, leaving him standing with a dumbfounded expression holding his Keyblade as though a torch. ”What happened to you, back then? What’d you do? Are you alright?” With a good humored sigh, Henoke scratched at the back of his head with his free hand, glancing up towards the cavern ceiling with an unsure expression. ”Hm…” Shrugging a bit, the teen seemed annoyed at trying to think of everything that had happened. ”I dunno…it kinda felt like when the Keyblade guides me…but, different—?” Letting go of the troubling thoughts, the boy thumped his chest with a cocky grin. ”It’s cool though—I’m good. It felt pretty gross…but…” For a moment, Henoke’s face flickered to a grimace, remembering the sour taste that the absorptions had had. ”I’m way too tough to give into somethin’ like that!” Recovering himself, the teen barked out a haughty laugh, resuming his confident and headstrong nature rather quickly.
It was clear that the Replica had no answers to Tori’s main questions—unsure about their own nature and abilities as an artificial being. Though the darkness seemed to be resolved for now, would there be any lasting side-effects of what transpired? Without knowing much about Replica’s or what they entailed, the two would merely be grasping at straws. ”I think I know who’d know, though…” Glancing around at the treasure hordes barring their path out, Henoke’s expression had darkened somewhat at the thought. ”The Organization.” The grip on his weapon tightened as his teeth clenched. Organization XIII, the name he and Tori had acquired while at Castle Oblivion. Though the mainframe there had given them information about his origin, most was lost or destroyed. ”Shit! I forgot to ask about them!” Kicking at the floor, Henoke sighed and shook his head, clearly annoyed with himself. ”I got too caught up with the damned Heartless again…” Frowning a bit, the boy made up his mind. The next world they went to, he’d make sure to ask the locals if they’d heard or seen anything about this ‘Organization’.
It wasn’t like he and Tori had any other leads, anyway. Tch—we didn’t get any closer… Glancing at the spirit’s wounds, Henoke was reminded of how much of a defeat this adventure truly had been. They hadn’t gotten any closer to obtaining Tori’s powers, either—if anything, they’d done the opposite, by threatening to push the girl to her limits. ”Well, should we meet back up with the others, to let ‘em know everything’s good now?” Raising an eyebrow at Tori, Henoke seemed to be sheltering the burden of his thoughts as usual. Truthfully, with the girls powers, it’d be easy enough for them to simply leave from here—with the Heartless gone, the others were sure to notice the world’s balance return. Though I guess it wouldn’t hurt to say bye… In a sense though, it was also a hassle. With his heart being somewhat troubled, the idea of a goodbye seemed somewhat sad and sour to the teen.
Nonetheless, he left the decision to his friend—secretly too annoyed and bothered too make a choice of his own.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 17, 2021 15:37:38 GMT -5
Faltering a bit at the good-humored sigh from Henoke, Tori seemed uneasy. Yet the teen began thinking on an answer rather quickly, as opposed to previous times, although any of them hardly helping. In the end, neither knew much about what had happened, other than it being perhaps something akin to instinct, according to Henoke. The thought alone was somewhat unsettling, but nothing much to do there, with what little they knew about Replicas to begin with.
That, and Henoke’s enthusiasm being far too much to just crumble easily. That much allowed Tori some reassurance, formed in a faint yet clearly uneasy smile.
”I think I know who’d know, though…” The mood turned somber, as the sudden reminder of the creators of the Replica were mentioned once more —the name Tori had managed to gather from the data at Castle Oblivion. Henoke suddenly faltered, catching her off-guard while he kicked himself for not asking about it at all, seemingly forgetting about it mid-fight.
Not that she was any better.
“I… Would like to say that there was little we could’ve gotten from that mirror…” Tori admitted, “Besides, you’re not the only one who forgot…”
Oh, well —it was a matter long gone. Nothing to do there, only move forward with a newfound resolve in mind. She noticed Henoke glancing over at the remaining wounds, shallow and almost closed to the point. She tilted her head with an amused smirk in her expression, followed by a chuckle and a shake of the head.
“Don’t worry about these —they’re not because I forced myself, before you ask” she reassured him, “Rather… The Shadow did hit pretty hard, I won’t deny it… In any case, they should heal just fine with a little more time.”
Having said that —plus admitting that she had been bested—, Tori looked away, to where they’d come from. With the Heartless now gone, it would be easy to go back to Jack, Izzy and Cubby back at Bucky as well as the Lost Boys. Henoke’s question was answered with a simple nod. Truth be told, Tori didn’t want to leave loose ends behind, and most of them had to do with the people they’d met throughout their journey.
Not to mention that it’d be a bit sour to just leave unnoticed. Wouldn’t that worry everyone?
“Let’s go back, before we leave for good” Tori agreed, “Although… How are we gonna get to Bucky? We don’t have any more Fairy Dust… Do we? It must’ve ran off already… And I didn’t see anything like a boat on the way here…” the girl hummed in thought, before a devious smirk teased Henoke, “Maybe we ought to swim our way back? It shouldn’t be too long, at the end of the day.”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 17, 2021 17:01:06 GMT -5
Tori’s reassurance about the mirror and having forgotten to ask about the Organization was somewhat reassuring. Even though it didn’t change the outcome, it was nice to have someone else in the same boat. Thankfully it seemed her bizarre ‘cracks’ would heal with some rest and time—far less severe than when they’d been in that weird castle. ”Let’s go back, before we leave for good.” Henoke nodded in agreement despite some of his prior thoughts—he’d figured Tori would want to say goodbye properly, anyway. ”Although…how are we gonna get to Bucky?” The spirit’s question caused Henoke to stagger in surprise as he blinked for a moment. ”We don’t have any more Fairy Dust…do we?” Henoke’s eyes and face shown with disbelief. F’real?! But, Tori had pulled out a whole pouch full, before—had they really used it all up?! ”Maybe we ought to swim our way back? It shouldn’t be too long, at the end of the day.”
The mention of swimming and the devious smirk the girl wore caused Henoke to scowl and roll his eyes. ”Tch—stop messin' with me…” With an indignant look, the boy rested his free hand on his hip and glared. ”C’mon, there's no way we used it all already, right? You had a full bag, before!” Was she being serious, or not?! A hint of annoyance and mild panic flared in his eyes as he thought of having to swim like when they were in Atlantica all over again. I'm so done with water... Though many might consider exposure therapy to be a good practice for overcoming ones discomfort and fears, it had quite the opposite effect on Henoke. It was clear that the very mention of 'swimming' continued to fill the teen with angst, just as always.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 18, 2021 2:40:08 GMT -5
While the expression in Henoke’s face was priceless, there was something that clouded Tori’s enjoyment enough to distract her focus elsewhere. A pouch of Fairy Dust? Did she actually have that all along, and simply forgotten about it on the way there? Perhaps during battle? It wasn’t like her to forget such an important thing, so when had she become so forgetful?
“Did Izzy really give me a pouch…?”
At the very least, she trusted herself enough to know where she would’ve saved such a thing —and definitely not in the pocket on the back of her shorts. Instead, items of such importance would go on her Hunter’s Pouch, knit closely to the sheath of her broadsword. Turning faintly around to pat it gently, she faltered with clear embarrassment after finding the item she was after.
“Ah…” the girl smiled with unease, “I guess Izzy did hand me over a bit… Must’ve forgotten with… Uhh… All that’s been happening…” she finished with a lie.
She hadn’t forgotten because of the fights or anything —she’d simply forgotten it with no reason whatsoever, left it aside at the back of her mind. Ignoring the obvious tantrum that Henoke would throw her way —with good reason—, Tori grabbed the pouch and opened it, revealing the golden glitter that was Fairy Dust.
Now how much would be necessary to share in order to return to Bucky no problem? Izzy had used a pinch all the times she’d been the one to share, so maybe that was the optimal amount? Allowing some of the powder at the palm of her opposite hand, in a proper amount for both her and the teen, she made sure to sprinkle it over the two in equal amount, before saving the pouch back where it belonged.
“Gotta hand it back to Izzy once we get there…” she reminded herself, “…The more I think about it, the more I take after Kosuke with forgetting important things…” with a sigh, Tori turned towards Henoke, unfazed by whatever would happen next, “With that out of the way… Let’s head back. Remember to stay away from water, though —it’ll wash off otherwise.”
Tori jumped a little, hovering to wait for Henoke before leaving the cave towards the open sea, watching her distance with the waves. With no Heartless in that world, the voyage promised to be a smooth and quick one, which in turn meant that the Fairy Dust would last longer.
As she flew back to where she remembered Bucky was waiting at, the last thought came back to her, causing her to smile.
Maybe it wasn’t so bad to forget, if it meant remembering something —or someone— important.
|
|