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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2017 3:33:50 GMT -5
The glowing portal nearly blinded her when it appeared on the ledge above her. After so long trapped in the Realm of Darkness, her eyes had adjusted to the dim gloominess of this world, and such a bright light appearing so suddenly burned. Aqua recoiled away from the portal with a cry, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she tried to block out the light with her hands.
Finally, her eyes had adjusted enough that she could look at the glowing doorway in her peripherals, though it still hurt to stare directly into it, much like staring into the sun. It's sudden appearance was bewildering, but the appearance of such brilliance in the middle of the Realm of Darkness could only mean one thing:
A door back to the Realm of Light had opened right in front of her. It seemed impossible that the thing that she had been searching for for so long was suddenly right in front of her, but the proof was right there, blinding her every time she looked too deeply into it.
Unless, of course, it was some sort of hallucination. She had been in this hopeless place for so long, she wouldn't be surprised if it was just her mind showing her what she so desperately longed to see. She had even seen her friends, Terra and Ven, once - she still wasn't sure if it had actually been them. They had felt so real - but this portal did, as well.
Aqua spared a glance down to the ocean of Heartless that filled the canyon below her, then back up to the glowing portal above her. The decision was easy, and she hoisted herself up to the ledge. Maybe it was just a trick of her mind, or an illusion created by the Realm of Darkness that would only draw her further into the shadows, but she didn't care. Anything was better than being here - and if there was even the slightest chance that the doorway would lead her out of this place, wasn't it worth taking?
Aqua stumbled through the portal, wincing as the light blinded her once more -
And fell through it, back into a world of never ending night
The forest the portal had taken her to was unlike any she had seen in the Realm of Light. Though trees grew in abundance, they had no leaves, and their trunks were bleached white. When Aqua found her feet and knocked gently on one of the trunks, she could feel that they were hollow. The trees had been dead and petrified for a long time, by the feel of it. There was no grass or undergrowth beneath their boughs, and she couldn't even hear any birds or other animals moving through the canopy or on the forest floor.
For a moment, Aqua was sure that the portal had simply led her deeper into the Realm of Darkness, and despaired. Then, she felt a breeze rustle through the branches, and a deep inhale brought the briney scent of the sea to her nose. No ocean in the Realm of Darkness smelled like that - it was always missing some indefinable thing that this one had. Not only that, but when she looked up, the stars twinkled through the boughs.
Aqua smiled. She had made it. She suppressed a near-hysterical giggle. She had made it out of the Realm of Darkness - bruised and battered, but not broken, and the Realm of Light was still safe, still here to welcome her back.
Though perhaps it was welcoming her back with less-than-open arms. Though this strange forest was definitely in the Realm of Light, there was a...presence in this place that set her on edge. A twig snapped somewhere to her left, and Aqua whirled, summoning her Master's Keyblade in a flash of light that lit up the forest for a moment.
Whatever had surprised her did not seem eager to make itself known, and Aqua eyed the trees nervously. She was likely just paranoid after her time in the Realm of Darkness - or at least, that was what she hoped it was.
Either way, she couldn't stay here. Terra and Ven needed her, and she needed to leave this place. Aqua set off through the forest, away from the strange noise in the trees - but despite assuring herself it had just been a trick of her imagination, she couldn't make herself let go of her Keyblade. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2017 4:27:31 GMT -5
As Aqua would wander the forest she would notice that dim blue lights akin to lanterns had suddenly appeared but with no presence holding them as it seemed as these dancing flickering lights led Aqua deeper into the forest like a trail lit by these phantom lights. If Aqua followed the trail she would come upon a large mansion in the distance with people doing their daily routines but upon closer inspection Aqua would notice they were spirits who lived at this Haunted Mansion.
One of the spirits would take notice to the woman that was Aqua as he floated over to her in a non threatening way. The ghost was dressed in a bow-tie and had been carrying a notebook which was tangible but allowed the ghost to write in it.
"Ah you must be our house guest today." The ghost would say as he led the way into the mansion. "Right this way please."
As Aqua would walk by she would see the ghosts taking notice of her almost in shock to see another living being this far into the forest. The ghost butler would then somehow open the door for Aqua before leading her inside. The interior of the mansion was not as beat up looking as the exterior and actually looked livable for anyone who would be staying there or visiting. Upon entering the keyblade master would see a full layout of different foods and drink all at what could be called a feast. The ghost butler bowed then exited but not before saying his goodbyes. "Master Vicra has been expecting you. Please have a seat and enjoy." The butler ghost would say before vanishing. On the other end of the table lay a throne like chair but was currently empty at the moment, until suddenly an old man dressed in royal purple with a wooden cane had appeared above the table standing on what could be impossible to most as he had been standing on the roof of the mansion upside down and looking down to the table below him and Aqua near it.
"Ah so you made it then! Excellent!" he would say as he vanished from sight then reappeared onto the empty throne like chair.
"I will admit I didn't expect anything when I made that portal into the dark realm, well maybe a few heartless but that's beside the point. You are here now so I do hope you can help with this old man's request?" Vicra asked as he then looked at the young woman that was Aqua now noticing she was banged up and her clothing torn up, presumably from constant attack from the heartless. "I see. You were trapped in there for a long time then?" Vicra then gestured to the ghost butler with a word. "Gerald I need your assistance." The same butler that led Aqua into the mansion appeared before him. "Ah Master Vicra what is it?" The butler would ask. "Please fetch the keys to Lady Farris' room." The butler nodded then vanished again. Vicra looked back to the woman that was Aqua. "I am Vicra, the Spirit of Darkness here in Copia. But I imagine you have a lot of questions for me which I will gladly answer in time." Vicra then gestured to the food in front of them. "Please eat. Lady Farris has made quite the spread. She is our chef here at this mansion and will be your roommate should you decide to rest here." Vicra said with a light smirk. "I bet you are thinking this is all too good to be true? That it's all a dream? I assure you chosen of the keyblade this is not a dream." Vicra said with a chuckle as he then vanished from sight again. "Please relax and regain your strength, you are going to need it." Vicra had said in more of a warning like fashion.
Gerald then arrived back with the keys and nodded at Aqua seeing how Vicra was being a bit concerning to Aqua with his antics. "Don't mind Master Vicra he's a bit of an eccentric, but please enjoy your stay." The ghost butler said as he handed her the keys to Aqua then vanished from sight again.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 3:34:19 GMT -5
As Aqua walked, she began to notice flickers in the corners of her eye - something that was there that would disappear as soon as she looked directly at it. The deeper she traveled into the forest, the more tense she became, more and more certain that something was watching her.
Until the moment when the glittering light appeared in the trees to her right. Aqua was surprised when it didn't disappear as soon as she turned her head towards it, and she cautiously approached. When she got close enough, another appeared several meters ahead, like it was leading her to something.
Or to someone.
Following floating ghostlights in a seemingly haunted forest after exiting the Realm of Darkness seemed like a bad idea. What if it was a trap of some sort?
On the other hand, even if this place was haunted, it was also the first place she had been drawn to after exiting the Realm of Darkness. It was strange, sure, but Aqua had been to strange worlds before. Wasn't she obligated to follow the lights and discover the mystery of this place?
If the lights had surprised her, it was nothing compared to when the man appeared right behind her. Aqua nearly jumped out of her skin when the man in the tuxedo greeted her. The man traipsed off with only an invitation to follow him, guiding her through the woods.
And was he...transparent? Stranger and stranger, Aqua thought. Though she was still wary, she followed him further into the forest until they came upon a mansion. The estate, much like the forest, was in a state of disrepair, but was far from uninhabited. Several more transparent people floated through the grounds and around the mansion - some even paused in their walk (float?) to say hello to her. Aqua did her best to stammer out a polite greeting in response. Are they...ghosts?
As soon as they entered the mansion, Aqua's stomach growled - loudly. She had the grace to blush, though thankfully no one commented on it, dead or alive. The halls - much better taken care of than the outside of the house - were filled with the most delicious smell. Thankfully, her ghostly attendant seemed to be leading her to the source of the divine scent.
The hall he led her into had a table that was filled end-to-end with food, some of which Aqua didn't even recognize. Aqua quite literally wasn't sure how long ago her last meal had been - she had eaten quickly at Master Yen Sid's tower before taking Ven back to the Land of Departure, but that would have been more than ten years ago by now. Time had no meaning in the Realm of Darkness, nor did physical needs. One did not need to eat, drink, or sleep there - and even if they did, Aqua doubted she would have been able to rest and relax long enough to do so. However, now that she was back in the Realm of Light, all those needs seemed to come rushing back, her stomach reminding her painfully that she hadn't eaten in well over a decade.
However, this place hadn't run out of surprises for her yet, and a man hanging from the ceiling - this one not transparent - addressed her and invited her to his table. He recognized her as a wielder of the Keyblade, and claimed he had been the one to release her from the Realm of Darkness. All he asked in return was an unknown favor before he disappeared again.
Aqua hesitated at the table after his disappearance. Not only had her host rescued her from the Realm of Darkness, but he was a spirit of Darkness himself, and one who apparently needed her help. Though she was hungry, his kindness could be a ruse. Aqua knew nothing about this world - would accepting his food and a place to rest be like entering into an agreement, one that would force her to help him regardless of his nefarious designs?
Then again, she had already accepted his help, albeit unknowingly, when she had taken his portal to leave the Realm of Darkness. If this was a strange pact, the terms on her end would have already been drawn up. Taking some of the food couldn't hurt. Besides, the woman who he had addressed as the cook - Mrs. Farris, she thought her name was? - was watching her so hopefully as she approached the table. She wondered when was the last time someone had visited this strange place, and how long it had been since the chef had last prepared a meal for someone new. And she was very hungry.
So Aqua allowed herself to indulge in the food a bit. A plate with some sort of roasted meat, fish wrapped in a flaky pastry, roasted vegetables, several different rice dishes, even a creamy desert decorated with a snowflake made of spun sugar. Mostly, she drank water - after so long without it, even just the plain liquid tasted like ambrosia - but she also allowed herself of something that tasted like sparkling fruit juice.
Finally, she pulled back from the table, sated and happy. After such a wonderful meal - and so long without sleep - she was sluggish and tired, and her limbs felt heavy. Still, she couldn't allow herself to rest yet. There was a discussion that she needed to have with the master of this house. Instead, she thanked the kindly cook for her meal and asked for directions to meet with her employer.
The room she directed her to was warm and cozy, with a fire roaring in the hearth and the walls lines with bookshelves. A couple of plush chairs were placed on either side of a desk.
"Hello, Vicra," she greeted the Spirit of Darkness, her voice civil but cool. Though the chair on her side of the desk was empty, she did not sit down in it. "My name is Aqua - but something tells me you might already know that. I wanted to thank you for opening that portal into the Realm of Darkness. You took a great risk in doing so - it would have been easy for the Heartless to slip through, but it also allowed me to escape. For that, you have my eternal gratitude."
Aqua hesitated for just a moment before going on. "However," she continued, "I cannot in good conscience aid you with your problems. You are a spirit of Darkness, and I am sworn to fight Darkness in all its forms. Though you have been kind to me, I can't help sow chaos and discord, no matter how helpful you have been. I'm sorry." Her words might gain her a one-way trip back to the Realm of Darkness, but Aqua was prepared. Better to be thrown back there than to help someone fulfill an evil purpose. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2017 15:25:25 GMT -5
Vicra had expected this answer as Darkness and Evil had often gone along as the same thing but Vicra just clapped at her with approval almost as if he was mocking her. "Actually my dear in this world you are in right now Copia is unlike most of the ones you have been in I presume. You see the Goddess of Light Koa' is an associate of mine she and I hold the balance of light and dark to maintain order and balance here in Copia." Vicra then smiled at Aqua as she seemed to want to leave. "I assure you I am not of the same darkness you are used to. I imagine your Master taught you the dangers of the darkness and how evil it is. But did they teach you that both Darkness and Light cannot exist without the other? Where there is Light there is also Shadow and where there is Shadow there is also Light. It's the basic principle of Yin and Yang."
Vicra motioned Aqua to sit down to her chair then continued. "Yes the dangers of the realm of darkness may have kept you in the dark about what Darkness actually is. Heartless are manifestations of pure uncontrolled darkness but what happens if you are able to control that darkness? In the past many attempted to control that darkness to no avail but they lacked one key factor in order to fully do so, Light." Vicra had smiled and chuckled. "Yes that is right it is Light that allows you to control the darkness or rather it allows the Darkness to come to the Light. In simple terms if these two elements can co-exist with the other their will be balance. I am the creation of Light fused with a great evil that had plagued Copia. I am Victor the Hero of Light fused with Nesra the Necromancer who had plagued the world. I am both Light but also Darkness, in other words I am what happens when Darkness becomes one with Light." Vicra smiled cheerfully. "Yes I agree that Darkness by itself is dangerous and even unpredictable but in all of your travels have you ever met someone like myself? Someone who is both Light and Shadow?" Vicra had asked in curiosity. "As for my request It was a simple one. My dark half Nesra has been revived as a Heartless. To keep the balance we need you, a chosen of the keyblade, to release his heart from his heartless body. But as you know this will be a challenge as he is a necromancer and he will attempt to raise the dead to his advantage." Vicra sighed then ended his story.
"Well, what are your thoughts on all this Master Aqua?" Vicra had said ending his lecture to the young woman that was Aqua.
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