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Post by Heroic Bilby on Nov 26, 2009 3:29:14 GMT -5
A faint buzz. The hint of darkness nearby. Was it the same he'd felt before!? No... different. The darkness of another heart. But for Cloud, who was not trained in such ways, to sense darkness from someone else meant they must have had it to an unnaturally massive degree. The SOLDIER would likely need to be on high alert to confront such a brazen threat to the peace of his friends' homes.
"Um... sir?"
It was a meek voice. incredibly meek, in fact. It called out to the blond from the top of the stairs that led to the ice cream store. It was a young, gangly-looking boy with unkempt reddish-brown hair and loose, threadbare clothing. He looked very nervous as he called out quietly to the powerful fighter in the market below.
"Have you.. ah... seen a knight in white armour... around here... maybe?"
The child, barely past his first teen years, seemed to tremble at the prospect of calling out to someone with his strained voice. He certainly wasn't sued to speaking at all. Regardless of how fragile Henry might have seemed however, one thing was certain.
All that dark power was coming right from him, and it wasn't under control in the slightest.
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Post by yami on Nov 26, 2009 3:41:08 GMT -5
 "Every great SOLDIER had an encounter with Darkness..."
Clearly they were deconstructing the restoration which this town was trying to achieve. Cloud wouldn't stand for it, not after his friends worked so hard. Thus he was taken aback when further up the stairs was a young lad. Barely into his teen years, Cloud wasn't going to pay him any mind at first. However it was hard to ignore that strong presence of darkness. Worse yet, he seemed to know about the White Knight. Cloud's eyes looked stern, he wasn't going to "jump the gun", yet it was easy to see a sense of bias in his eyes.
"What would a kid like you want with the White Knight...? You should go home, this isn't your fight."
Cloud muttered, yet he still moved up the stairs to properly approach the teen. Once he was within arms length, he would await the teens response. If he was just another local looking to play hero, he'd send him home. If he was an ally to the White Knight...then he was as good as dead on arrival. |
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Post by Heroic Bilby on Nov 26, 2009 3:51:46 GMT -5
"Ah... well... you see... that is... it's sort of like..."
Wow. OK. Now THIS was exactly why Henry never liked getting out of his suit of magic armour. The world outside was full of crazy scary guys like this spiky-haired MONSTER who looked like they could break him in half with a look. Well actually Cloud was very non-threatening in his actual appearance as far as most fighters go, not counting his giant sword of course, but feeling a true warrior's "fighting spirit" in its raw form wasn't something the boy was accustomed to thanks to his usual buffer. The people ruining the RGRC's work around town was putting Cloud's fighting spirit up a little, and the annoyance of feeling like fragments of Sephiroth's darkness were around had revved it up a bit more. He was restraining it tightly, but that little bit was still more than enough to overwhelm a complete newbie like the so-called Black Knight. Cloud may have stopped an arm's length from the boy but since Henry kept backing up nervously as the blond approached that wouldn't occur until the child had been pinned against the wall.
"Um... well they're like my... uh... well I don't really... really know what to call it... but uh.. oh, he calls me something though! Like a... a squire... type thing. A White Squire?"
Heartless. Soldiers. A swarm of them appeared around the two. The intense fear in Henry's heart because of Cloud had put the boy's Dark Battery into full gear, but without armour around him to power it just created an irresistible pull for the local monster population. Right now they had come upon two individuals with impressive darkness to feast upon, but the more tempered of the two was Cloud's.
Would the SOLDIER realize Henry was their target rather than their master before it was too late? Whatever transpired next the boy himself was paralyzed speechless at the reappearance of his constant antagonists.
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Post by yami on Nov 26, 2009 4:17:29 GMT -5
 "Encounters were rarely friendly..."
"White Squire...so you're the apprentice of the menace."
That was all Cloud needed to know, and no sooner did he make the motion to summon First Tsurugi. The blade literally inching close to Henry's neck as the heartless appeared. The strange thing about their strategy, was that they didn't appear to be summoned by the "White Squire", at least not in a way that was useful. No...something didn't add up in this equation. A 'White Squire' whom had so much built up darkness? A White Knight who also had a strange darkness. Surely the two of them were better called "Black Knight and Black Squire"?
Well, there was no time to ponder. For now, since the boy seemed paralysed, he'd deal with him after. First Tsurugi would soon howl through the air. A quick horizontal swipe was made to clear the immediate area. He then got into a running start, in order to use Fast Thrust upon an unsuspecting Heartless Soldier. If he was successful, he could then start up a steady chain. A chain which would no doubt ensnare the other heartless into Cloud's frenzy.
If this did not work, then Cloud would have to step up his speed with a much faster thrust. Regardless, small fry like this didn't need his full strength. No, he'd need to save that for when the boy's "Master" came around the bend. |
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Post by Heroic Bilby on Nov 26, 2009 4:29:45 GMT -5
"Ah... ah... oh... OH! WOW!"
The Soldiers were not their usual small fry selves. Leeching off of all the darkness that Henry was gushing into the world they became stronger, faster more resilient, even more coordinated. It was just a shame for them that stepping up from cannon fodder to army grunt didn't make a heck of a lot of difference to the destroying storm that was Cloud Strife. Caught in his blazing speed and inhuman power the Heartless were wiped out in record time. Henry, who watched it all unfold in mere moments, was struck in awe.
"Mister! You're incredible!" he gushed, apparently losing all sense of fear in his wonder over the blond's skills. He propped himself back to his feet properly, apparently forgetting the cold steel that had reached for his neck a handful of seconds ago. "Not even the White Knight could take out these guys so fast! But how did you do it without any armour? Weren't you scared!?"
The child seemed to be begging Cloud for an answer, his eyes weeping in their sincerity and hope. Perhaps, being engulfed in it himself for so long, Henry could sense a kindred spirit in Cloud because of what lurked in his own heart. The SOLDIER too had a darkness that was, in so many words, loosed upon the world without his consent at times. A darkness he had only recently brought under his control. In sensing this unknown bond between them, a bond that existed only on the level of hearts mingling together as they passed each other by in the ever-changing world, Henry's fear was placed aside just long enough to hope for something more than just safety.
What was the secret to courage? The White Knight had a shell just like Henry did. Could this stranger hold the true answer that the boy was really looking for?
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Post by yami on Nov 26, 2009 23:17:12 GMT -5
 "A moment of courage."
"So the would-be Hero can't hack the heartless, well not as fast."
Cloud couldn't help but close his eyes, a smirk gracing his features. The kid reminded him of someone, a boy who was eager to learn, eager to find his own power.
"Listen kid. True strength comes from the heart. Your heart...is with the people that care about you. Don't be a fool like me, always fight to protect. That's what gives you true strength---"
Cloud was interupted by footsteps, they came from the steps below. Taking a moment to turn, both men would be able to see a teenage girl, blonde; confidently walking up those steps. She had a powerful aura, revealing a Dark Light unlike any other. Cloud was surprised, had she found the answer to the darkness?
"It was a moment in time, engrained into the hearts of many..."
Anna Charleston had finally released herself from the White Knight's Tyranny. It had been awhile, with each moment of air she received; the Knight would stifle her back. This time it was convinced it was doing some heroic deeds around Radiant Garden. Unfortunately, it had been misinformed and lulled by money. How could such a valiant 'armour' be so...tainted? Perhaps it was it's user's fault. The darkness that built up within Anna's heart, even the constant light source wasn't enough to extinguish the darkness.
This little trio of Dark Heroes, gathering in the Market Place. It was Fate, yet it would take but a moment to occur. |
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Post by Heroic Bilby on Nov 26, 2009 23:42:38 GMT -5
Henry's eager face soaked up Cloud's cliche yet earnest answer without question. The young mind absorbed it all and then lowered his head back down, the gleam of hope fading slowly from his face until eventually he was staring at his feet and clutching his chest meekly.
'Fight to protect... but isn't that all I've ever fought for? I can't do that when I'm outside. Only the Black Knight can fight. Does that mean... does that mean I can never have courage until I can be strong on my own?' he wondered in feverish turmoil. To be able to live outside was what Henry dreamed of, but would gaining courage cost him his life? Maybe this man was telling him that it was OK to live as the Knight forever? That protecting others was more important?
Deep down Henry couldn't could not accept this. he didn't understand it himself, but Cloud's words rung true to his real desire. Henry sought the outside world because his heart was starved of light. Even if he protected others, while within the Enigmatic Shell his heart was cut off from the outside and could not form bonds. That was why he barely remembered the faces of those he had fought for in the past... and why he felt so empty and afraid so much of the time. No matter how much time he spent with people as the Black Knight he would never gain a strong heart. Compared to that, these few words shared with Cloud were like a feast to his soul.
"Do you really think I... huh?"
When Henry's eyes rose he saw a strange sight. Behind Cloud was a vague figure rising from the stairs, emanated a terrifying aura. He didn't really see the figure with the SOLDIER blocking his view, but he was already scared out of his mind. A new arrival on the scene broke his sense of small reality where it was just him and the blond. The fact that he was in the scary "outside" was once again forced onto the boy's consciousness, rendering his efforts to stay calm in vain.
"A... AAHHH!!!" he screamed, turning and jumping over the small wall to the square below and taking off across the marketplace to the pathway on the opposite side. The only thought on his mind was to get back to the place he'd stashed his suit of magic armour and get back inside of it ASAP.
Meanwhile, the tall, towering Darkside rising up out of the middle of the square in Henry's leaking Dark Battery's wake took full form out of the ground and turned its empty yellow eyes upon the two remaining "heroes".
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Post by yami on Nov 27, 2009 0:04:18 GMT -5
 "Wisdom was always passed through the ages..."
"Wait!"
Alas, Henry was screaming and out of there in a heart beat. Was this newcommer really that scary? Well it certainly aided in Cloud turning his attention towards her. She had a sense of elegance in her walk. Confidence also came to mind but more importantly, "What is someone like her doing here..."
As if there was much time to muse, within Henry's escape route; a towering Darkside had been summoned. Now was the time to fight, Radiant Garden just wasn't having a peaceful day.
"The power of light, this heroine wouldn't not tolerate anymore of it."
Anna hadn't paid much attention to Cloud initially. She took note of the two men chatting and was simply planning to purchase some items in the market. Items she hoped would keep her out of the White Knight's grasp. Unfortunately, trouble was brewing and she'd have to dispose of it. The Heartless, as she discovered, were not law abiding creatures. More than likely, they'd disturb the peace, which she needed in order to craft a plan. So, before Cloud could get a start, she took off. A simple After Image was left in her wake, yet she had already dashed to get atop the Darkside's arm as best as she could.
For Cloud, this meant he had an ally for this little foreray. Thus he prepared First Tsurugi once more, ready to strike down this foe with ease. |
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Post by Heroic Bilby on Nov 27, 2009 0:14:10 GMT -5
The Darkside's movements were slow as it turned its head toward its own right arm. There a glowing female figure had landed down, clearly intent upon exterminating it. Not far behind a powerful warrior readied his own blade. With these two on the scene it seemed like the Heartless wouldn't be around for much longe-SMASH!
The Darkside's left fist curled and slammed into the wall of the market square in the speed of a blink, completely different than anything its kind would normally be capable of, smashing the stones and cement into rubble that would rain down over the cliff toward the buildings below. Henry was not an especially fast runner given his underdeveloped leg muscles. The Dark Battery was still nearby, offering a plethora of darkness to feed and strengthen any Heartless in the area.
Unlike the Soldiers before it, the Darkside was no cannon fodder to begin with.
Whether or not Miss Charelston was actually between the giant fist and the wall when the two collided was yet unknown. Had she been caught by the monster's defence then the damage would be severe, but another target still remained. The empty heart-shaped space in the creature's chest began to glow as it turned back toward Cloud and reared back a little. Three dark energy blasts erupted form it, soaring like comets, even more enhanced by directly assimilating the ambient darkness in the atmosphere, and ready to home in and explode into the SOLDIER given the chance.
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Post by yami on Nov 27, 2009 0:29:40 GMT -5
 "The closer you get to the light...the greater your shadow becomes..."
Now her fist would be colliding with the Darkside. The Dark Light she emitted was not fading, rather it was increasing as their fight continued. Of course, there was still a second ally on the field.
"It was but one moment in time, yet it lasted forever..."
Cloud was amazed at the velocity of the comets approaching him. Yet his eyes were scanning the area for the little Battery. Well in Cloud's mind it was the White Squire, thus he was determine to find him before he could run off. It certainly looked suspicious that, as he was fleeing the scene, this powerful Heartless emerged. Was the fear that built up within Henry, so powerful...that it oozed Darkness from his very being? If so, then he'd need to be detained. Kicking off with a Sonic Thrust, First Tsurugi would aim to slash at the legs of the darkside as Cloud moved to the Darkside below. If he could trip the beast up, it would collapse to the ground, exposing it's head for a finishing blow. Hopefully in his mad-dash, he could evade the comets at the last moment, leaving them in his trail of blue streaks. |
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Post by Frog on Nov 27, 2009 0:51:02 GMT -5
An enhanced fits struck the Heartless' weakest point as a lightning-fast blade aimed to pierce through its toughest. Cloud's cuts would cause darkness to rip off and fade away, only to be filled in by more before a true wound was formed on the beast's body. Its upper half bucked down in response to Anna's assault but then its right hand forced itself down into the earth, creating a dark portal. Meanwhile the comets it a perfect U-Turn in the air and two zipped back toward Cloud while another aimed itself right at the girl perched upon monster.
However their response came the Darkside ripped a massive glowing sphere of dark power our of the ground and lifted it as it straighten back up. The Heartless released the force into the sky as it absorbed more of Henry's leftover power. Once high enough it erupted and rained deep red spheres of burning darkness onto the two heroes below, enough to taint the view of the sky red.
FLASH!
A bubble of white glaze filled the market, creating a dome into which the falling dark lasers simply cased to exist upon contact. The Darkside's devastating area attack was nullified, as were any of its laser comets that had yet to hit a target. The beast looked down to assault the interloper, a man in the form of a frog whose double-edged sword was shining.
Click went the small, unheard sound of Henry's amrour closing up around him on a nearby hidden side-street. Just like that Dark Battery ceased to empower the Darkside and its strength, resilience and movements were dimmed.
"Let us end this now!" he called loudly, not realizing that his words coincided with the weakening of the temporarily unmoving giant. He leaped high into the sky and then came falling back down with increased velocity, spearing the Masamune directly into the head of the threat. If Cloud and Anna also attacked at the same time then it would be a true coup de grace and destroy the fiend. That is, if Anna's Dark Light could survive exposure to Sir Glenn's magic-banishing field. If not she may have been temporarily rendered but an ordinary girl.
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Post by yami on Nov 27, 2009 1:29:05 GMT -5
 "A moment forever stolen..."
Already the Heartless would lunge it's right fist into the ground. Opening a Dark Portal, seeking to pull out a mass of dark energy from within. As it raised it's head, Anna prepared to launch the light javelin at the comet. At this point, the heartless released the force into the sky. It rained deep red spheres, which meant Anna had more on her plate than she imagined---
FLASH
A bubble of white seemed to glaze over the market. It was akin to a purifying light, the comets coming down towards them, as well as the spheres were nullified. Of course it was not just the enemy affected. Anna's Dark Light ceased to shine from her form. Her expression was that of shock. Yet the White Knight did not rest, sensing the Dark Light was gone, the armour began to materialize around her. Yet it's formation, though initially fast was soon interupted by a resurging flash of Dark Light. It mutated the armour around her, forming a dress armour along her elegant blue and white gown. Eloquence had emerged within her left hand as she maintained her position on the Darkside.
"Lest we forget, a SOLDIER was in sight."
Cloud too had problems to deal with, except his came in two's. Two coments were about to rain down upon his form. He braced himself as he was going to attempt to bat them away with the prowress of a SOLDIER. That's when the wave of white washed over the market. He was protected and no sooner did he pinpoint whom helped them. Of course, it was easy to do so, the knight had yelled loudly. As he leapt into the sky, Cloud knew he needed to assist the stranger. Thus First Tsurugi would be aimed to pierce through the Darkside's head, likewise his original ally had attempted to lunge the spear into the heartless' weakpoint also. Yes, a true coup de grace was formed and thus the fiend vanquished!
Ah, but who better to observe this from a dark corner.
"From the corners, he would take the final moment from the Heartless..."
Once more, the cause of all Radiant Garden's dilemas had emerged. His hood served to mask away most of his face, revealing soft lips, as well as the hint of a nose. Yet even that would soon fade to just darkness. The Organization ally had one more task to see, which was what had become of the White Knight. Would it's evil acts serve to create a commotion amongst Radiant Garden? If so, then it would be vanquished and the person inside could become a strong Nobody. The Organization needed more numbers after all. Strength usually came in numbers, this the agent knew all too well. |
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Post by Frog on Nov 27, 2009 1:39:39 GMT -5
The Darkside began to erupt bursts of vanishing dark mist until finally the very form of the Heartless gave in and dematerialized. Glenn fell to the earth and sheathed the Masamune once more before hitting the stone ground. The amphibian rose up and nodded to the other two present.
"I apologize for my hasty manner but I must inquire, was the cause of such a creature's appearance a man wearing all black? I was pursuing him under suspicions of foul play in the city, but I seem to have lost his trail."
Frog felt he had not a moment to lose. If the trail of the silver-haired boy had indeed gone cold then he would be best resuming his original purpose of hunting the shadow of Prince Janus Zeal. Little did he know that the true man in black was once again watching him, but this time without fear of being spotted.
Yellow eyes glazed over Anna's form. The white metal parts of her dress seemed very familliar. They looked as if they were ripped straight from the pieces adorning the white knight who had disrupted the strange scene he had been privy to just a short while ago... but there seemed little chance they were one and the same given their difference in size.
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Post by yami on Nov 27, 2009 1:49:13 GMT -5
 "A fleeting moment..."
"Where did you last see him!? We have no time to waste..."
Cloud sounded...rushed, anxious even. His eyes looked into Frog's own, before nodding. A bond of trust had easily been formed. This being was an ally, their goal was the same. They'd track down this man garbed in black. Already, Cloud's heart began to pound. He felt the presence of a familiar near by. It was familiar to the feeling he had when Sephiroth was near by; that darkness...
"I feel his presence near by, let's go."
Already Cloud had dashed off in the "general" direction he felt the darkness. Since Cloud was not trained at this type of tracking, it was easy to see how he could be off. In fact, for the Organization Ally, it was as if he hid in plain sight. Yet he observed his target, the one whom had killed him. Yet as he looked to the blonde, he felt...different. It was as if a part of him was complete when he was close. He had sensed this before in their earlier confrontation. Having narrowly evaded Cloud (which was no easy feat in itself), his mind was already on Red Alert.
However this little moment had some life left in it. In the distance, there would be footsteps, entering from the opposite direction of the market place. It would seem this crossroad of fate was destined to connect more lives. The mission had been an overall success, despite the side quests that were taken up. |
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Post by Heroic Bilby on Nov 27, 2009 2:07:58 GMT -5
Frog was caught by the hastiness in Cloud's response. Apparently he was not the only one who had been pursuing the stranger, which meant the Radiant Garden really did seem to be under some sort of underhanded sabotage. The knight simply hopped(Literally) after Cloud's lead, quickly yelling where he had lost Kadaj and ready to help him find this troublemaker and put a stop to it once and for all. Just before doing so, however, he tossed a small pouch from his belt on to the ground, which landed with a metallic chink, then let a few mechanical bolts spill out. They were the piece she'd gathered up earlier himself after the White Knight vanished. Hopefully leaving them here was all right, for now the knight had a job to do.
"OK! Who the heck did THIS!?"
A new form had appeared on the scene, standing right in the hole in the wall where the Darkside had punched through. He was long-legged, wearing red and black, and both sweating and panting heavily while holding two heavy burlap sacks(Apparently retrieved from the White Knight and the other girl). Guy's exhaustion was expected, even for one in his physical condition. He had just, after all, run all the way back up the cliff after failing to run up it a few minutes ago when a bunch fo rocks and debris fell down toward the houses below and had to be stopped, resulting in him rushing to pick up his bags AGAIN. Luckily he and Leon had both been on the scene at the time and situation was prevented from turning further sour. While he couldn't take the direct route Guy had Squall Leonhart was, of course, also on his way up right at that moment to find out what was going on and to inspect the extent of the damage.
"Oh hey! Did you see what happened here?" Guy questioned Anna between his heavy breaths, the teen's chest visibly going in and out as his lungs fought to supply his starving blood with oxygen. Meanwhile the other arrival on the scene would be coming into view after she had a chance to answer, a small bag of the last remaining pieces of Guy's delivery sitting right at his large boot-wearing feet.
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I did post in shades of grey if anyone even remembers that lmao