Heartless Problem (Rocket/Open)

[nothito]

How the darkness had closed in on the Land of the Dragons.

Up in the mountains, the heartless were gathering. Slowly but surely, their numbers were growing as though they were planning some sort of immense raid on the Emperor's Imperial City! Just what would they do? Who would save them?!

Currently only one man was standing in the way of the heartless invasion. The man was garbed in a jet black cloak with the hood pulled up, obscuring his face from view. Arms folded, the man seemed to be simply observing the heartless as they gathered, taking no action to stop them as of yet. The man seemed to be waiting, but whatever for?

Beneath the hood, cold, calculating eyes sized up the invaders. Wouldn't it just be ever so convenient for a keyblader to show up and slay these beasts?

[Rocket!]

[ ENTER ALY ]

Convenient? Definitely.

Heck, it even happened.

Aleasa Harper was strolling forward with no small amount of caution. She still wasn't quite used to these Truesight Lense things... but since they don't come out...

Cwen, helpful remnant extraordinaire ("Hey, watch it pal.") was doing practically nothing to help.

They were only just now approaching the freaking city.

Groaning, Cwen jogged up and past Aly.

"C'mon slowpoke... just a little faster?"

Biting her lip, Aly shook her head vigorously. "Not a chance... I'm still trying to see with my eyes when I should be working on the new 'senses'..."

And it's true. Aly was blind as a bat. Instead, she was forced to rely on her newfound ability to "sense energy".

Vague? Yep.

"Huh?" Jerking her head up, Aly suddenly "looked" forward and past Cwen. Through her, actually.

Frowning, Aly gritted her teeth as she summoned her Keyblade Whisper of a Dream to her hand. "Cwen, there's--"

But Cwen was already figuring that much out. A grin was already starting to stretch across her face as she turned around--

--and promptly put the grin away.

MASSIVE Heartless army at 12 o'clock.

Aly's not up to that kinda challenge.... yet. Cwen thought. Turning around, Cwen opened her mouth and started to order Aly to turn the other way.

"H-hey, there's someone else down there!" Pushing past Cwen, Aly started jogging forward, keeping a part of her brain focused on the ground at all times.

Rolling her eyes, Cwen turned again and jogged after her.

"But the guy's... really powerful... why's he just standing there?" Aly mumbled to herself.

"A-duh." Cwen interjected, easily catching up to Aly. "Can you say Big Boss?"

Aly winced. And by now, the Heartless would've noticed the Keyblade...

[nothito]

At first, the cloaked man barely took any notice of his new company. Unlike what Cwen thought, the man in the Organization cloak was not the cause of the heartless invasion. Rather, he was simply a man content with observing. He had a vague hope that a keyblader, even the bratty one who had so viciously slaughtered him and his comrades would show up. This was a magnificent opportunity to send a ton of hearts to Kingdom Hearts, and yet there seemed to be no hero rising to the challenge of slaying them.

Scowling beneath the hood, the man sighed to himself. There had always been some keyblader lurking about to foil an evil plot and the one time where the Organization wasn't the cause of it, none to be seen. Oh well. To handle this heartless problem or let them overrun the city? That was the question.

Then suddenly he felt something. A familiar tingle he got whenever one of the mystical blades was near. Turning his head, he noticed the nearby person and the blade she carried...before she quickly banished it. He would have said something, but the heartless had noticed the blade too. A group of neoshadow heartless, about six in all, sprang into action and swarmed after the keyblader.

The man stood by and watched. Time to see if this wielder was as powerful as the other one.

[Rocket!]

Gripping the ribbon-laden Keyblade, Aly hesitated for a moment as the Neoshadows charged.

In that moment, Cwen flew forward and straight for the Heartless. Flipping upside down in a what had been a jump, Cwen gripped the ground and spun her foot around to whack as many of the Heartless as possible using the momentum from the jump to dramatically increase the speed of the kick. Letting go at the last second, Cwen let herself and her outstretched foot shoot out and solidly land on the right-most Neoshadow, trying to force it to the ground.

Assuming that works, Cwen will grin wildly, kick the thing in the face, and move on to the next one.

Decided for her, Aly resumed the attack. Raising her Keyblade, the bearer focused the Light in the weapon... and released it.

A massive spread of small sparks of Light suddenly jettisoned from the weapon for a left Neoshadow. Strong and fast, the flurry of Light swarmed the Heartless and showered with the Light.

[ Keyblade Moderate Heart Slot Ability Spark Flurry, with Boost Heart Slot, makes for a Strong ability. ^^ ]

[nothito]

All attacks by the keybearer and her summon were a success. All neoshadows were kicked in the face, one even being forced to the ground by Cwen's kick. The man in the cloak couldn't have cared less for the summon's abilities though. His eyes were locked on the keybearer as she unleashed light from the mystical blade that enveloped a neoshadow, effectively obliterating it and releasing...a heart. The man watched the heart float into the air and disappear, returning to Kingdom Hearts.

"Magnificent," the man spoke softly to himself before slowly wandering over to the battle between the keyblader and the heartless. Powerful, but the girl was far too slow when facing the beasts. The man watched as the neo shadows launched a counter offensive, with one neoshadow leaping into the air and performing a spinning attack against Cwen while the remaining three, not counting the one that had been knocked into the ground, surrounded the keyblader and all leapt forward at once with their claws poised to attack.

Slowly but surely, the man ended up standing but a few feet from the keyblader. Well out of the way of the fighting, but close enough to speak to the girl...if he wanted to. He seemed content on staying quiet as he merely watched the battle, arms folded as he observed.

[Rocket!]

"Uwahh!" Backpedaling, Aly started moving backwards as the Neoshadows suddenly surged forward. "P-Pulse Aura!" she shouted, throwing her weapon out in the Heartless' general direction.

B-BAM![/b] Red light suddenly shot out of the weapon as Aly swung it, reaching a full length of five feet, hopefully working as a good way to hit the Heartless and knock them out of harm's way.

"Hup!" Cwen grunted, lifting her right arm up to meet the spinning Neoshadow. A loud clang could be heard then, like blade meeting blade. In the inevitable moment where the Neoshadow jarred back, Cwen moved forward in a flash of movement, making an effort to grip the Heartless so as to toss it into the one laying on the ground. "Double-hitter!" Cwen said.

Aly nodded, vaguely, not really focusing. Using her 360 line of sight, the Keyblade wielder shouted out, "Hey, guy! Think you could help us out here?!"

She could see power coming from him, more than a lot... if the guy doesn't help soon...

[nothito]

The man sighed as he watched the girl fight. She was no Sora. She seemed to be afraid of the heartless, and much less reckless and powerful when compared to the keyblader that slew him. Looked like she had a loooong way to go. Perhaps she could use some assistance in slaying all these heartless?

Before Aly used the Pulse Aura, the cloaked man summoned forth his claymore in its released form, holding it in a relaxed manner in one hand as he watched and waited for an opportunity to strike. The Pulse Aura presented the perfect opportunity as it blasted two of the heartless into positions in which he could slay them. The hooded figure deftly threw his weapon at one of the heartless, allowing it to arc and slice apart the neoshadow. Meanwhile, he himself caught another neoshadow that was sent flying with his bare hands. Not wasting a second, the man flung the neoshadow at the remaining heartless that had been Pulse Aura'd, killing both the heartless instantly.

It seemed the strategy proved to be successful for all involved, as Cwen's similar maneuver defeated the remaining heartless. The hooded man's arms folded once more as he waited for his weapon to return to him. He knew that wouldn't be the last of them, and the girl should know that as well.

"That isn't the last of them," the man commented simply. "I'm not sure if I feel like continuing to assist you unless I receive something in return. I will help you slay as many heartless as you dare battle, if you assist me and my comrades in slaying heartless in order to harvest their hearts. Nothing out of the ordinary for a keybearer. What do you say? Am I to remain a spectator and watch you die? Or do you want to help me and my comrades by slaughtering heartless at our command and in return, receive our strength to back any of your endeavors?" the cloaked man offered quite simply, still hiding his face beneath the hood.

[Rocket!]

Aly could practically feel the power coming from the person in the black cloak. Seeing it in action did have her impressed, and she definitely wouldn't turn down some help against this kind of huge mass of Heartless! But...

Scratching the back of her head, Aly had to ask, "Well... what do you mean by 'harvest'?"

Cwen, on the other hand, was miffed at Mister Big Shot. She had enough sense to know when a potential ally was in the area, though, and kept to her own thoughts.

[Akito]

[lol, Pulse aura'd?]

"As tactless as always, Saïx," A voice from the darkness came, different but similar from the other cloaked man's. Where the other was gruff and cruel, this voice was sultry and refined; yet both of their voices were unmistakably cold, like they were empty. "You'll hurt her feelings if you speak like that,"

A figure much the same as the other man's build came from behind them, but he had not been noticed. He did not emit an aura of strength like the other cloaked man, he did not wear his power on his sleeve like some trite woman. He didn't...have any presence at all. Nothing, silence and emptiness, as if he could kill them without ever being noticed. An assassin of utmost grace.

As if dismissing the tension of the mood, forgetting the mass of Heartless that awaited them, the new arrival casually placed a friendly hand on Aly's shoulder. No killing intent, no malign subterfuge. He would answer her question.

"It is nothing. Merely, we have our own purposes and it coincides with yours. You bear a Keyblade, thus it is your responsibility to slay the Heartless," The man continued, hooded and almost indistinguishable from his comrade.

"We, no, I need your help, my dear, but you also stand to gain from it; you may refuse, but such a decision will be a death sentence to many," The man said it so casually, there was no expectation in his voice, no heavy onus that demanded justice and righteousness of her; there was only fact. There was only truth. After squeezing it affectionately, the man let go of Aly's shoulder and walked ahead, towards the mass of Heartless they faced. He strolled down the stairs without hesitation and in a quick, flicking movement, pulled back the hem of his hood as he turned back to the Keyblade master. Marluxia was this man's name, salmon pink hair, azure eyes and a smile that was given only to Aly.

"Nobody can force you to be a hero," Marluxia spoke, the coldness of his voice melting somewhat to a serene lake. "Please give it careful thought while we clean up this...mess," A scythe appeared instantly in Marluxia's hand as he turned back to face the enemies. The many enemies indeed. Who knew if Saïx would help, for even if they were once again members of the same Organization, they were hardly friends. Regardless, Marluxia faced the onslaught of darkness, head held high, a curtain of petals about him and scythe raised in a deadly stance.

[nothito]

(STALKER!)

What an unpleasant surprise.

The man didn't say a word aloud to their new arrival, but, once the claymore returned to his hand, the cloaked man's grip on it tightened ever so slightly. If Aly were to notice, it may signal something like 'danger' or 'trouble', but it was unlikely the keyblader would notice. After all, a man appearing virtually out of nowhere was bound to be more interesting than a similarly dressed man who radiated strength.

Unlike the flamboyant assassin, the other cloaked man who had just given his plea remained patiently silent as Marluxia took his turn in convincing the keyblader. If it were any member besides XI and I, the cloaked man would not have been concerned by their attempts at swaying the keyblader. He would have merely thought of it as unnecessary but welcome assistance. But those two particular members...they didn't work for the good of the group. They worked for themselves and only themselves, and never again would the trust of the mighty claymore wielder be instilled in them.

As the Graceful Assassin marched off to do battle, the remaining cloaked individual pushed back his hood, finally revealing himself to the keyblader and her companion. Long flowing blue hair, piercing yellow eyes, a jagged x-shaped scar, and a deep frown awaited their viewing pleasure. Sparing XI a single glance, the seventh member of the Organization stepped closer to Aly until he stood right in front of her, imposingly.

"The choice is yours keyblader," VII announced simply. "You have but three options. You can accept the offer I placed before you, one that is likely to be backed by the entire group that I represent. However, you can also follow the man you just met, a man who betrayed his own comrade in a drive for power, or you can reject us both and continue on your own journey. It's your choice keyblader, and I implore you to pick the correct one. I am Saïx, the seventh member of the Organization, and in light of recent developments, you have my assistance for this conflict no matter your choice." With another monologue down, VII stepped forward and stood a few feet away from the Graceful Assassin, prepped for combat.

(Someone else can control the heartless if they want. I'd be a terrible GM for them xD)

[Rocket!]

Oh GOD.

was the only thing that went through Cwen's mind. Well, that and

An organization of loony-baloonies.


Aly stood as she was, hand gripping the Keyblade. Her blank eyes showed little emotion as their inner senses were at work, examining the two who had so less-than-surreptitiously jumped into what could've been a simple "go smash win".

But it says something, that. Just randomly going out there and defeating Heartless wasn't a career-- it wasn't what Aly wanted for the rest of her life.

But tell tale signs were very present here. A slight white-knuckled grip, clearly visible with Aly's 360 vision.

The pink person was the strange factor, though. He was clearly powerful, knew what he was doing, but the almost perfect concealment...

Where... was his heart?

One quick comparing and contrasting later, Aly noticed with a small raised eyebrow that the blue haired guy was lacking that kind of... feeling... too.

They had distinct kinds of energy. Good or bad-- that kind of thing is indistinguishable.

But it raised more than a few questions.


WHAM went Cwen's fist against Aly's shoulder.

"Wh-- ow! Cwen--"

"Focusing, I think, is the best thing to do in front of an army of Heartless. So..."

Gripping Aly like a bean bag chair, Cwen casually tossed her bonded half head first towards the Heartless.


There would be much pain, much agony, and much to be said about Cwen's people skills... later.

[ WOW has it really been a month? ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ]

[Akito]

[MONTHLY SPEED RP]

Marluxia swung his hand and from the ground, black trees rose. Leafless and barren, these black trees grew like a fierce canopy of spikes and protrusions. They would tear through the enemy ranks, amassed and congregated so densely as they were and they would be obstacles to the approaching forces.

It was to be expected Saix would reply so. They had never been on the...best of terms. However, the Berserker lacked Marluxia's charisma and...he was weaker than the Lord of Oblivion Castle. Far weaker. What such a defiance had hoped to achieve, Marluxia felt no threat from it. However, there were boundaries the Neo Superior drew. Speaking ill of him was fine, but if that jeopardized their mission with this keyblader...Would the Lunar Diviner foresee his death in the stars?

[nothito]

(My month to post? xD)

Light.

As a gathering of neoshadows and armored knights surrounded the berserker, an orb of light left the man's body and floated lazily up and out of reach of the heartless, as though it was repulsed by their mere presence. Closing his eyes, yet keeping his nose trained upon the positions of the heartless, the man extended his arms to the orb of light hanging in the air. Waves upon waves of energy swarmed into the berserker, and Aly would likely be able to see the nobody's power growing and growing while the orb of light was present. When the heartless finally grew impatient of the man's posturing and charged all at once, he let a single phrase escape his throat:

"Can you feel it, the moon's power...?"

And suddenly the calm that the blue haired man had exhibited evaporated.

With a roar of 'rage', the beast within Saïx surged outward. VII swung his massive claymore in a sweeping arc in front of him, decimating all heartless unfortunate enough to be in his path. Those that attacked from behind? They hit the berserker, but what did it matter? They would die all the same. Growling 'angrily' as their attacks connected, VII turned and slammed his claymore against the ground, shooting out a wide circular shockwave of energy. It destroyed not only his intended targets, but also all heartless within range of the powerful shockwave.

Unlike the Graceful Assassin who preferred a sneaky and sometimes indirect way of eliminating the target, the Luna Diviner preferred to tear his opponents apart up close and personal. Spinning his blade in his right hand, tip of the blade touching the ground, smaller shockwaves then the one he had just used began emitting every time the blade touched the ground. The shockwaves poised to destroy all in the man's path, he surged forward straight into the thick of the enemy, perhaps carving a path for his 'allies' to assist him.

If Aly appreciated raw power, then Saïx was the most deserving in that respect.