Re: Fate Gone Awry

[Haar_Dragon]

"Why not here?" suggested Dispatch. "What rule says we have to have a Castle Asylum? Don't get me wrong...it's my only real home, and I want more than anything else to...well, one, crush those bastards that destroyed it, but two, to rebuild it. But we can't do that right now, not until every last member of Organization XIII is dead and gone. Like I said, I vote we screw with them as much as possible, but the first step to that is recon, boring as it sounds. I think we should scout out the Organization's plans, but while we're at it, look for new talent and see if they're interested, rather than the way we got together in the first place, which was...coincidence."

[khfreak358]

"I'm not talking about a new HQ," Siks explained, "It seems obvious that this would be the place for that. No, I'm talking about supplies, resources, stuff that'll really help us when we do finally take on the Organization. Setting up in a new castle is one thing, but without the proper equipment to back it up, it'll wind up just like the last one. Though, you are right about recruitment. But, as far as recon goes, I'm not sure we're in the best position to perform direct recon on the Organization. If we had one Achilles' heel in this last fight, it was that we tried to fight the Organization head-on, and all at once. With our low numbers, if we get caught during recon, we're doomed. Though, recon could help the recruitment drive." Siks stood up from his chair. "Kotank, stay here and look around the castle, see what resources we do have lying around. Dispatch , you and I are going to Twilight Town to pick up essentials, like food. While we're at it, let's keep our wars to the ground; we might come across something of interest."

[Haar_Dragon]

<I'm going to assume you meant "ears" to the ground, rather than "wars.">

Dispatch nodded. "You have a point, but isn't the point of recon to NOT get caught? Well, whatever. If we're gonna do this, it might as well be now."

[khfreak358]

<… f*ck.>

"Plans can go awry, it's not a risk I'm willing to take yet," Siks explained before opening a DC and walking through.

[Haar_Dragon]

Dispatch followed, hands in his pockets.

[NebulaGregarZX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqDshaqRuBY - Night of Fate, KH1.5 Mix

Disney Castle

Rexial reeled back, his face stinging. "Ow, what...?"

He hadn't been struck by Mickey... they were still a fair distance apart. His attacker had been...

"A Heartless!" The king yelled in surprise, summoning his Keyblade and dispatching it. "How is that possible?!"

The swordsman had fallen on his backside, and was transfixed for a second by the Keyblade. A smooth, curved blue blade covered in a star pattern, a crescent moon at the teeth, a chain made of stars and ending in another moon. It was a sight to behold.

He snapped out of his stupor, remembering that, oh right, there were HEARTLESS. Several more had just shown up, and Mickey was cutting them down with a vengeance. "If they're here, then...!" The short king dashed off in the direction of the throne room.

Rexial had deluded himself in his time here. He forgot about the Heartless, just because they hadn't shown up here... which in itself was strange. There weren't many places that were free of Heartless. If there was something here keeping them away, and something had happened to it, that must've been what Mickey had run off to investigate.

Having gotten back on his feet, the swordsman looked around for a second. "Oh, right, Heartless. Well, they're all pretty weak-looking, so I'd better exterminate them before going after the King."

They ignored him, focused on Mickey. Probably because of the Keyblade...

"Hey, pay attention to me, you little pests! His Majesty's the least of your worries at the moment!"

The majority of the group had run off in pursuit of the King, but a few stragglers had caught sight of Rexial. "NOW you've got it. Come get some, you pathetic creatures of shadow!"

One of them leapt at him, and he raised his blade to block... but the blade didn't come. It wasn't there. "...Where's Drak-OW!"

He'd been tackled to the ground by the Shadow, several more piling on while he was down. "Urgh... No, what's going on!?" Why can't I summon Drakus!? I can't fight without my weapon!

Everything began to fade to black...

"Thunder!"

With a familiar squawk, lightning bolts shot down on the assailants, reducing them to wisps and freeing the boy. He wasted no time standing up. "Who-?!"

Donald, the court wizard, stopped in front of him. "Get to a safer area already! We'll take care of the Heartless here!" He took note of the boy's wounds, casting Cure on him before running to the next group of Heartless. They were multiplying quickly...

As Rexial was about to thank the duck for his help, he heard a scream from the direction Mickey had gone. It was definitely female.

"Queen Minnie! Daisy!" Donald yelled, the Heartless beginning to surround him, leaving him no way to escape.

"I'll save them!" Rexial volunteered, making a dash for the door leading into the castle itself... but even more Heartless showed up, blocking the way over there. They caught notice of Rexial, and quickly decided that he looked tasty.

There was an explosion on one of the walls, an another familiar shape was sent flying through the air. "Look out belooooow!"

The boy jumped back, watching as the captain of the guard, Goofy, crashed down on the Heartless, wiping them out for him. "Thanks, Goofy! I owe you one!"

"No problem, uh... Recks? Raq? Wreck-it Ralph?"

Rexial would have corrected him, but he caught a glimpse of what Goofy had been fighting on the walls: Wizard Heartless. Those were among the stronger varieties... He wouldn't be able to damage them at all as he was now. He ran past the armored, anthropomorphic dog and sprinted into the castle. He just had to run past any Heartless he found...

As he made his way into the hall, he noticed a strange light covering the throne room door. It was probably a barrier of some kind. There was another scream, and this time, he could tell it was from the room at the end of the hall, the Library. "Hang on, I'm coming!"

As if on cue, more Heartless popped up. They had been hitting the barrier, trying to get in, but now there was something else to chase... a defenseless kid who had wandered in, yelling, as if he were some kind of hero. "Well... that's a problem!"

Rexial went for a Hail Mary, not stopping or slowing down for anything. The Heartless were blocking his path directly, though...

He tried to run on a wall, but that power had been lost to him as well. "Sorry about this, Your Majesty!" The boy kicked open a window and leapt out, clutching the edge. He shimmied along the ledge a bit before pulling himself up, watching a few Heartless jump out after him, some falling into a river below, a couple managing to cling to the walls.

The boy saw them crawl along beneath him, trying to cut him off. "Good thing these guys aren't intelligent enough to catch me..." He scrambled onto the roof, making a dash for the far end. He couldn't move as fast with so little space, like there was on the ledge below.

As Rexial continued his charge, the Heartless amassed themselves behind him. They had mostly followed him, not thinking to leave behind any to ambush him on the way back, or so he hoped. He reached the end and jumped off, spinning 180 degrees and catching the edge of the roof, swinging into the window and crashing through. Tumbling onto the floor with some minor cuts, he smirked. "Looks like my body is at least still as strong as it was before. Not much of a leg up, but it's better than nothing..."

He pushed open the door and rushed inside, shutting it behind him. He had come into the Library, where a mouse much like Mickey, but clearly female and sporting a dress and tiara, was cornered with a similarly-dressed duck. "Are the two of you alright?!" Rexial half-shouted, half-asked. He was still tense from the chase a moment ago.

The duck was the one to answer first. "What does it look like!?"

"Please, can you do something about these Heartless?" The mouse asked, much more politely.

"I... I'll do my best!" Rexial looked around, diving at a nearby broom. It waved its arms in protest for a few seconds, but thankfully, the Heartless in the room seemed to be too distracted by the new arrival to decide who to eat first.

He used the pause to his full advantage, whacking one of the Shadows good. It was sent flying into a wall, but it wasn't dead. Still, this was an improvement. The broom-wielding boy was quick to bat away the Heartless and get between them and the two ladies. "Mind if I cut in?" Some of his cockiness came back as his fighting instincts kicked in.

Still, even though he could harm them, it wasn't enough. He would take too long to destroy these simple Heartless, and if he took too long, then the more advanced ones from the walls would infiltrate, and he'd be dead meat...

Fear started to take him as memories rushed back into his head. He had been eaten by the Heartless once before. "I... I... I...!" His grip tightened. "I won't let that happen again!" Rexial yelled.

His yell had done something. He could feel power surging through him... no, this wasn't his strength, and his yell hadn't done anything. "What?!" It was a strong light, supplied by the mouse. "What is this?"

"You can fight, right?" She kept calm. "Will that help you?"

It was powerful, but unfocused. If he could just turn it into an attack...

After a second of concentration, the energy burst forth, creating a circle of protection from the Heartless, and actually blasting them away. "W-what was that?!"

"Faith." The lady mouse answered.

[Faith is a skill that Queen Minnie can use when in tandem with a light-aligned fighter.]

"I had faith in your ability to protect us." She clarified.

"Oh. Uh..." He blushed. "I'm not such a great protector, but that power could definitely help us out. You can't use it on your own?"

"No, I need somebody else to use it. Oh dear!" She put a hand to her mouth. "I forgot to introduce myself! I am Queen Minnie, and this is Daisy. What's your name?"

"It's Rexial. I'm technically a prisoner here... H-hey, wait, Daisy, didn't I see you when I crashed here?"

The duck paused for a moment, recalling the incident. "...Oh, right! You were that suspicious person! I didn't recognize you."

Minnie looked at the door. "...I'm sorry to ask this of you just after we've met, but Rexial, could you please escort me to the audience chamber? I have to check on something there immediately."

"Count on me!" He agreed wholeheartedly. "We'll have to rely on your power to get through. Neither of us can fight them on our own, so we stick together, alright?"

"Okay."

The two rushed out of the Library, asking Daisy to lock it behind them. Minnie placed a weak seal on it to keep the Heartless at bay if they attacked. "Oh, dear!" She said as she turned around.

Ah, crap, I forgot I busted the window...

"The Heartless are even worse than I thought!" She cried.

Rexial breathed a quick sigh of relief. "Okay, you ready? Then let's charge through!"




After a brief struggle, they reached the door, blasting the remaining Heartless to shreds. "I'll open the seal." The queen held up her hand, and the strange light vanished, a rectangular door swinging inwards, comically smaller than the massive gate it was a part of.

The two hurriedly stepped inside, seeing even more Heartless... "Oh, no! How did they get in here already!?"

What caught Rexial's attention was that the throne, along with the slab it sat on, had been slid to the side, revealing a stairway down... And the King was rushing down those steps, the passage sealing behind him.

"Queen Minnie, we'll have to deal with these Heartless!"

"Right."

The two plowed through with their combined power, reaching the throne itself. The two readied one giant blast, eliminating all the stragglers in the room before Minnie opened the passage again.

Without pause, the two sprinted down the steps and into a new room...

It was circular, with dark vines covering the walls, bristles and thorns everywhere. In the center was a pedestal, upon which a giant orb sat, radiating light into the dark space.

Mickey was already there. "What's goin' on with the Cornerstone of Light? It's supposed to keep all the Heartless away... so why are they here?!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8lHK3WN3S4 - Villains of a Sort - KH1

"Ah, that would be my doing."

Green fire burst from the floor, a distinct, dark figure rising from it.

Both the King and Queen recognized her, speaking in unison. "Maleficent!"

Rexial glared at her, sweating slightly. "Who?"

"Ah, so the rats have come to watch as their home crumbles." She sneered at them. "Subduing the light from your petty stone is surprisingly easy... when you've got somebody on the inside."

"What do you mean?!" Mickey asked.

"Why, that boy behind you! He was all too eager to assist me..." Maleficent pointed to Rexial.

The boy snapped at her. "Why would I help you!? I don't know you, and I think I'd sooner attack you!"

A flicker of confusion crossed her face before it settled back on that arrogant smile again. "Hm, perhaps the King should be more careful with his guests. Yes, you were the perfect back door to his abode... which I intend on making my own!" She declared.

Mickey was a little confused. "But that's not... Rex doesn't have enough Darkness to be used by you!"

"I know he couldn't have been the one to help you." Minnie stated. "You're lying, Maleficent."

Rexial, though, wasn't so sure. Maybe... I didn't get rid of my Darkness as effectively as I thought. Could she have been able to tap into it, and use me as a foothold anyway? "Rrrrg... I'll prove that I'm not your puppet, you witch!" He leapt at her, forgetting that he had no weapon, and had discarded the broom from earlier.

"Attacking me, the mistress of all evil? You're just a hopeless pawn." She backhanded him aside, sending him tumbling into the thicket. "Just lie there while I settle this little real-estate dispute."

He wordlessly pulled himself back up, charging at her again.

"Oh, you amuse me, boy." She turned to face him, swatting him aside again.

Rexial laid where he landed... only to pick himself up again, rushing at her once more.

Irritation crossed her face. "Don't be a nuisance, child!" This time, she bashed him with her scepter, sending him flying at the wall. The vines wrapped around him, trapping him this time. Maleficent summoned a fireball, throwing it at the boy.

C'mon, tap into those memories... you may not be a Nobody anymore, but you gotta summon the weapon made from your memories... you gotta... come on...! He struggled with himself, knowing that he was basically screwed.

A black shape shot in front of him, deflecting the fireball. "What are you doing!? You are supposed to obey me!"

The form landed on the ground, then stood up. That shape, the blade in its hands, its posture... it was Rexial. No... merely a shadow of him.

"Now!" Mickey yelled, leaping at the witch. She disappeared into her green flames again, escaping...

"You poor fools... as long as that shadow remains in your world, I can return here without your wretched Cornerstone interfering. I will be back, mark my words..."

Her voice echoed in the small chamber as she vanished. The shadow of Rexial turned to glare at the real thing before vanishing.

"Rex! Are you okay?!" The King cut him free.

Rexial landed on one knee, severely winded. "Sorry... I guess I'm bringing you some trouble, Your Majesty."

The queen dismissed his worries. "We have dealt with her before, we can deal with her again. But she had never been able to come here before... the Cornerstone of Light keeps her at bay, as well as her Heartless."

"Well, I guess my darkness must have given her a way in. I... threw it away, but I guess it'll come back to haunt me." He laughed sadly. "Aheh, heh... She'll be able to come back as long as I'm here, right? So I'd better leave as soon as I can. I'll explain everything to you, but please, I can't stay here if I'm drawing that creep to your home."

"Gosh, you don't hafta leave..." Mickey sighed. "...But I know how ya feel. Don't worry, I can let you go. I won't ask for the details, but you've got some trouble to sort out on your own. Come back any time you need a hand, Rexial." He extended a hand.

The boy looked at the gloved hand of the King. "...You're crazy. But, hey, I think I'm just as crazy, so why not? I'll come back someday." They shook hands firmly. "You'll be able to deal with the Heartless here and clean the place up while I'm gone, right? My shadow is going to follow me when I leave, so you won't have any trouble with him from now on."

"We can handle it." The queen reassured him. "We can prepare a ship for you once we clean out the remaining Heartless. Please, stay in the Library until then."

"Alright. Thank you, both of you." The boy nodded. I'm not going to let them suffer because of me.




A few minutes later, he was in the Library, all alone, listening to the sound of a nearby clock.

"Why did this happen? How come Maleficent is able to use my darkness? And how can I fight if I've lost all of my strength?"

He asked himself questions, dwelling on the situation, He couldn't feel the Heartless presence disappearing yet, so he had some time to kill. He couldn't stand waiting like this.

Rexial sat back in the chair, closing his eyes. He was tired, and needed a rest from all this craziness.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY2UMsLlfGE - Destati KH1.5 Mix


So, you're running away, huh?

Rexial found himself standing in that place he had been before... his Heartstation. "Is... this a dream?"

Coward. First, you throw away your Darkness, then you throw away your new friends.

"Who...?" He looked at the source, seeing a mirror, dividing the circular station in half. His darkened reflection was the one speaking.

In the end, you're doing nothing but throwing things away. What will you do when you discover a new secret in your heart? Throw it away?

"Shut up... I don't need the darkness, and all it's doing for me is driving me away from my new friends."

Oh? Your castaway shadow is the cause of all this... but think about it. If it were under your control, it would not be a source of anguish for your friends.

"What do you mean?"

You selfishly threw it away for your own sake, not giving regard to the consequences everybody around you would face...

"Shut up...!"

...And your old friends have probably abandoned you by now...

"Shut up!"

...When you return, even if they had put faith in your return, they will put you aside, now that you're useless.

"SHUT UP!" Rexial yelled, punching at the mirror, unable to break it.

You can't accept the truth. You deny the things you already know. You expected to be given power, as if you could afford to choose...

"Even if I can't fight... I know there's got to be something I can do for everybody. There has to be..."

Don't delude yourself.

"It's not a delusion... I just... believe in everybody. I know there's a place for me with my friends, whether I can fight or not."

You'll just run away again when they have to protect you.

"...You've got me there. But... I'll learn to fight again. I won't need special powers or any crap like that, just a sword in my hands. I may not have power, but I CAN still fight!"

...Then let us see how far your determination will carry you. I will not call out to your enemies until you leave this place... but the Heartless will hound you without mercy, and I will be ready to act as your executioner if you do not prove to me that you intend on keeping this path.

With that, it all faded away again...




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWdooFMUDL4 - Friends in my Heart KH1.5 Mix


"So, it's time to go?" Mickey asked. They were standing in the Gummi Bay, a ship having been prepared for the boy.

"Yeah. You guys can take care of yourselves, I know." Rexial was carrying a small satchel containing some healing items, maps, a book, and a letter of thanks from the Queen. It had the King's Seal on it, which meant that he could use it to get shelter from people if he had to.

The short king reached behind him, holding out a short sword to the boy. "Ya needed a weapon, right? I had to call in some Moogles and get it synthesized pretty quickly, but I can't let a friend go out alone. And this is from all three of us - Goofy and Donald and I." He held out a star-shaped item.

"What is this?" Rexial asked, curious.

"It's a special charm. I have a friend who used to carry one with him. Actually... three friends. It was the symbol of their connection with each other. They call it a Wayfinder."

He took the sword, attaching it to his waist. "Are you sure you want me to have this?"

"Of course! You'll never be alone, as long as you have that charm."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"Just call me Mickey, okay? We're friends."

"Okay... Mickey." He got down on one knee, hugging the short king. "Thanks for everything you've done."

"One last thing!" The king stepped back, pulling out Rexial's sword. "Bow your head, please."

As he did so, Mickey rested the flat on one of the boy's shoulders, then the other. "By the power vested in me as King, I knight thee, Sir Rexial of Disney!"

Neither of them could hold in their laughter at this point. It was like they were old friends already.

Taking back his new weapon and leaping into the cockpit of the ship. He thought to himself that, maybe, having friends wasn't a bad deal for either end. Mickey didn't have a problem with their friendship, and had supported him so much.

As he took off, he waved one last time, then gave a mock salute to the King. "See you soon, Mickey! That's a promise!"

"I'll hold ya to it! See ya, Rex!"

And with that, a hole in the floor opened up, and his ship dropped out through the bottom, to his shock. "Waaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuughhhh!"





He came out of the tunnel, finally in Interspace. "Alright, then, time to head for Asylum... ugh, Heartless ships are closing in! I'd better scram, fast!"

Rexial didn't waste a second booting up the navigation system and commanding the ship to use the Warp Drive.

"I've got to find out what's been happening while I was away..."


<Ah, finally re-wrote it! And I think it's actually an improvement.>

[khfreak358]

Susan was still assisting the excavation on Asylum when one of the servants approached her.

"Number XVIII, sir!" She addressed.

Susan turned to her. "Yes?"

"The Hawk's sensors just detected a Gummi Ship coming out of Warp above the world. It seems to resemble a design seen on a world of Disney Castle. We believe they may be here to help."

"I'll handle this, keep working on the castle," Susan instructed, the servant nodding and leaving as Susan walked just out of the excavation site.

[NebulaGregarZX]

The ship, a basic Kingdom Model, touched down on the grounds. Less than a minute later, a familiar figure stood amidst the rubble.

"...How could something like this happen?" He asked himself, glaring at the space where the Round Room once stood, most of the chairs toppled, but one continued to stand. The young man closed his eyes, unable to think of what to do now...

[khfreak358]

Susan approached the boy. "I'm guessing you're with the Organization. I'm new here, my name's Susan." She spoke softly, understanding the trauma he must be going through.

[NebulaGregarZX]

"...'Susan'?" He opened his eyes, looking at her. "Did you say... the Organization? Yes, I'm... I'm Number II, Rexial. What happened here?" His expression was still downcast. "You're not about to tell me... that everybody was wiped out, are you?"

[khfreak358]

"No," she assured, "Most of them are just unaccounted for. Siks, Kotank, and Dispatch went to Castle Restoration, but they're fine. Xeromus, on the other hand…"

[NebulaGregarZX]

He immediately turned and grabbed her by the shoulders, a glint of hope returning to his eyes. "They're alive?!" He released her, realizing that he'd moved without thinking. That's strange... I'm usually more in control of myself.

Rexial turned back to the one remaining chair. "...So, our leader is gone, huh...? ...Sorry. You guys are probably counting on me to take his place, but I just don't know if I'm strong enough to lead anybody. Siks is probably doing a fine job. But... please, what happened, exactly? I missed something important..."

[khfreak358]

"We had an encounter with Organization XIII," she explained, shaking off her slight surprise at him grabbing her. "Their leader destroyed the castle. We're trying to excavate what's left. I can probably contact Siks for you for more details, he may have left Castle Restoration by now."

[NebulaGregarZX]

"We fought and lost, huh...?" The boy bowed his head. After a brief pause, he chuckled sadly. "Aheh... Man, things have been a trainwreck this whole time. I lose my heart, trying to play the hero. I get my ass kicked fighting Xemnas, because I tried to be a hero. I throw away my ability to fight, thinking that it's the right thing to do... and now, I lose my home, too."

"Not anymore. This is going to be the last time we lose. We'll get stronger, we'll overcome everything, and eventually... we can avenge our leader. We're down, but not out. I'll head for Castle Restoration right away. I'm not going to lead you all, but I'll see what I can do to help. Thanks."

He looked back up at the sky, determination welling back up inside. Without warning, he ran off, leaping into the cockpit of his Gummi Ship again and starting it up. "Susan, watch yourself!"

[khfreak358]

"You, too, Rexial!" she shouted up to him.

[NebulaGregarZX]

And with that exchange, the boy's ship blasted off into space, going into Warp Drive as soon as he was offworld.




A few minutes later, he was walking up the steps to the gate, the ship parked in front. "Looks like Castle Restoration is safe, at least..."

[khfreak358]

From outside the castle, Rexial could hear an animalistic-sounding howl of pain.

[NebulaGregarZX]

"That sounded like..." Rexial sprinted in the direction it had come from: the hall before him.

[khfreak358]

Rexial came across Kotank, working on some kind of computer terminal. It seemed as though, while repairing a slight malfunction, he had slightly singed his fur. He was still whining slightly from the pain.

[NebulaGregarZX]

"You just can't catch a break, huh?" He shook his head, grinning at the sight of his friend. Stepping into the room proper, Rexial looked at the disobedient machine, then at the wookie's burn. "Hey, Kotank, want me to run and get a first-aid kit?"

[khfreak358]

Kotank looked up in surprise at hearing Rexial's voice, jumping up and pulling him into a hug.

[NebulaGregarZX]

"Woah! Aheh, I missed you too, man! Ack... C-could you put me down for a sec, I'm having trouble breathing...!"

[khfreak358]

Kotank released him and gave an apologetic-sounding howl. He then pulled up a word processor on the now-properly functioning computer and typed in "What happened to you?"

[NebulaGregarZX]

Catching his breath, Rexial made a grimace. "Well... I got held up on the way home. I ended up in a place called Disney Castle, ruled by King Mickey. He ended up giving me a ship and letting me go, after some things happened... it's a little complicated. I flew back to Asylum and found the castle in Ruins. A new member named Susan told me the survivors had escaped here."

"Where's Siks? I'm betting you guys made him the acting leader, and I don't want to bother you with typing up a giant summary of what's happened."

[khfreak358]

"He and Dispatch went to get supplies from Twilight Town," Kotank typed.

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