Text Kingdom Hearts: The Nocturnal Guardians of Light. Zero-Four

[Javelin434 3,164]

I got bored and decided "With my wall of text that is my OC bio, why not go all the F**kin way and do a darn story." 5 gallons of sweet tea, 2 monster energy drinks, 1 can of red bull, and some starbucks for good measure and this is what I got so far. Hopefully I can expand on this...

I still can't believe I caved in to two people replying on my status about this thing. Amazing what typing "Do it." can do

Basic synopsis: spanning Kingdom Hearts 1, Chain of Memories, and 2, this OC learns throughout his time with Kairi that there is more to life than bashing bad guys and following orders. Denied the basic joyful emotions that we all take for granted since childhood, he goes through a whole different kind of journey as he explores the other side of the heart, and with her help becomes a whole new person.

Also: Hazimie's fanfic is referenced here . Constructive criticism would be appreciated, but do so in chat. Please.

 

Prologue

Many are familiar with Yen Sid’s towering spire; that not-at-all humble house of magic, wisdom, and wizardry. They are also familiar with the most unusually placed corridor that just so happens to connect to his private suite. The details are rather very strange: the light grey stone floor remained pristine as the broom workers did their jobs, but the wall had a fine layer of dust that they seemed to have neglected. The corridor itself didn’t lead to any obvious destination. In fact, it ends quite abruptly into a blank wall, almost as if the powerful wizard was on some sort of magical budget, deciding to cancel his grand plans of adding on to the tower that had already commanded respect and awe due to the legendary single resident that resided within. It was easily overlooked thanks to the other extraordinary gizmos and trinkets that were scattered within the master’s main room. Casual observers may mistake it for a storage hall, yet strangely no tools or buckets of waters are to be found in the oddly unused area of the tower.

This seemingly useless corridor had a secret, however. What could it be? Perhaps it was an ancient artifact with untold power? Or maybe it was a forbidden keyblade, too powerful for all but the strongest of hearts? No, this corridor had something much more coveted, something with even greater universe-changing potential than an ancient, forbidden keyblade. Within this borderline holy hallway proudly displayed, hanging and glistening in the candle-lit room…

A bracelet. Not just any bracelet however, but the grayest, boring, depressingly unflamboyant bracelet that the entire universe had ever witness.

All notions of curiosity disappear when one decides to approach the hanging bracelet at the end of the odd corridor. With a single touch of the ghost gray dusty trinket, they are immediately whisked away in a stunning display of light as they teleport to another hidden world: The Academy. As the blinding teleportation light fades away from view, the familiar scenery of an empty corridor is replaced with a stunning view of a picturesque beach. The waves washed gently upon the shimmering sand, sending droplets of cool water into the air. The clouds themselves seemed to burn as the distant rising sun flooded the sky with its brilliant reds and oranges. After realizing that they’re standing in an ornate gazebo, connected to it via a pristine cobblestone pathway and a little distance away from it was what looked like an oversized sidewalk that ran parallel to the distant horizon. Upon looking to the left of the initial view, they are greeted with an awe-inspiring view of the Academy. The wide polished gray concrete sidewalk that they would find themselves standing on as they wander onto it led to a very large concrete lot. Encasing the lot on the opposite side in a lazy U configuration was a very large two story main building with equally impressive slightly smaller buildings flanking it on both sides. Upon closer inspection of the over-compensating sidewalk that may have been for bragging rights, it becomes evident that it wasn’t a sidewalk afterall, but a runway, complete with regulation markings and symbols. The main building to which the runway ran into was in fact a hanger as well as the main Academy building. Attached to the left of the main building were the Dormitories, easily identified by the designation “NG-14” that was emblazoned on the top left corner of the building. To the right of the main structure was the Library, identified with its seven bright white pillars that formed a semi-circle around the perimeter of the pristine metal and glass façade. This structure however is only a small part of the Academy grounds. Behind it were more structures, each with their own unique architecture and role to contribute to the arts of combat and warfare, however the only readable designation on one of the distant building was “KH-13.” Off in the distance, the faint sound of someone shouting cadence can be heard as well as the rhythmic footsteps of disciplined individuals marching to a familiar beat. It is here that the respective soldiers and knights of their worlds come to train and hone their skills. From the Royal Knights of King Mickey to the personal guards for private individuals looking to protect their scientific work from peering eyes and everything in-between, the place is abuzz with militaristic activities conducted by individuals from every world imaginable. From keyblade-fighting to the art of melee combat, the multi-complex Academy offers everything a Soldier or a Guard needs to carry out their job or duty on their respective worlds. While Master Eraqus and Xehanort train their own keyblade wielders in the Land of Departure, Master Yen Sid had secretly been training his very own. Here… on this hidden world.

It is within the walls of the building designated “NG-14” that The Nocturnal Guardians of Light train, away from the eyes of the masses, notably those from building “KH-13” and under the watchful eye of Zero-One “Auron” as well as Master Yen Sid himself.

Within an unmarked room in the dormitory, peering out of the window towards a palm tree off in the distant coast was a lone Guardian. Reciting the oath, it is here that we follow the story of Nocturnal Guardian Zero-Four.
 

I am a Nocturnal Guardian
A sworn protector of a Princess of Light

As a Guardian
I will do whatever it takes to ensure her safety and well-being
I shall remain in the shadows, hidden away from sight
I will intervene in worldly affairs only if she is in imminent danger
I will support and protect her prince to the best of my abilities

I am efficient and professional
I will not develop a relationship with a Princess
My blade shall always be true
Seeking out those who wish to do harm

But above everything
The Princess comes first. All else is secondary.
We are the night, to protect the Light
I am A Nocturnal Guardian
I am Zero-Four

Edited July 4, 2013 by Javelin434

[Hazimie 1,595]

Love the Prologue so far.So,is this Story are connected to mine?

[Javelin434 3,164]

Love the Prologue so far.So,is this Story are connected to mine?

Nope. The similarities end here. I just wanted to add that in for the lulz

[Javelin434 3,164]

Amidst the eternal night sky, From behind the distant horizon

Peer the eyes of a Protector. Behold the Guardian, 

its keyblade ablaze in majestic light

 

Chapter 1: Unrequited Moments

 

Resting upon the periwinkle colored sheets of a plushy bed sat an armored figure, which was odd given the comforting surrounding. His black armor with blue trimmings barely reflected the crimson sunlight that flooded the room as he stared through a window on the opposite wall, his ghostly grey eyes glistening in the sunlight, save for his right eye that was covered by a single sunglass lens. The light beige and grey trimmed walls of the room glowed warmly in the gentle red and orange sunlight, and the only sound in the room was the quiet hum of the lone computer screen sitting on a metal and glass desk in the far corner that was displaying a blinding wall of information regarding next night’s agenda and orders. His white and blue-trimmed arrow-rifle glimmered as it laid there on his lap, being meticulously inspected by its owner for any signs of wear. Outside the large red mahogany door that separated the room from the main hallway of the dormitories, very light footsteps were heard making its way towards it. He looked behind towards the door in time to witness the door handle twisting clockwise before the door itself swung open.  Standing there was a girl with pale skin, black and blue casual apparel with grey pants along with a purple belt, black hair and blue eyes that seemed to radiate a sense of kindness that could soften up even the toughest warriors. She stood there at the door frame, inspecting the room before looking at the armored figure. “Nocturne” she whispered, gently letting him know about her presence, “is everything alright?”  

 

“Of course, Luna” was his reply as he turned to look at her. “Just making final inspection of my weapon before calling it for the uh… day.” She quietly entered the room, closing the heavy door behind her. It was moments like this when she could catch him alone she had come to cherish, since every other time he was either out sparring against his other forms, flying his gummi ship or sleeping. Strangely, she never caught him when he was eating, and that alone raised many question, mainly when does he eat. Stretching her arms and legs before sitting alongside him, she let off a sigh as she rested her head upon his shoulders and looked out through the window. “Isn’t it beautiful?” she softly asked. He looked at her before gazing out and looking at the warm sunrise. “No matter how dark the night, the sun will eventually rise. Forever and ever always.” “Yeah” he started, “But as far as I’m concerned, seeing that means it’s bedtime for us Guardians and the start of the day for all the rest.” 

 

“But… bedtime isn’t for two more hours. It’s 7am for crying out loud.”

 

“So?”

 

“You’re such a hopeless sleepyhead, Nocturne.” 

 

“Gimme a break, Luna”

 

She giggled as he sat there, expressionless and unmoved for a moment before his mentality kicked back in. “I need to put away this rifle.” She stood up as he did, standing there as he went about the room, walking over to the computer to dim the display before heading over to the nightstand to the right of his bed. He leaned the rifle against it before slapping his left armor pauldron, making the rest of his keyblade armor disappear in a cloud of white. As the mist cleared, the soft fabric of his white and blue long sleeved shirt as well as his gray service pants neatly tucked into his black boots peered through the ever disappearing smoke. After untying the boots and making sure that his little ritual was completed, he crawled into his bed, nearly forgetting that she happened to be there. As he got comfortable, he couldn’t help but notice her staring at him with a look in her eyes that portrayed a certain emotion, an emotion that he himself had yet to understand and feel. “Is something wrong, Luna?” was the only thing he could ask, unsure why she was looking at him in that way. “Oh, it’s just… well…” she looked down, trying her best to complete the sentence without being outright blunt in stating her feelings. She looked at him again before diving into his bed, crawling underneath the sheets and snuggling up against him, nuzzling his neck in an attempt to provoke a tender response. “I’m cold, that’s all.”

 

“Spare blanket in the closet if you need it. Open the door, left corner, far side.”

 

“No, I like it here. Nice and warm already.” He let off a sigh before coming to terms that she wouldn’t be leaving his soft, comfortable, rectangular sanctuary anytime soon. 

 

She had always acted weird around him, so much so that the other Guardians noticed before they were deployed to their respective princesses of heart. Auron Zero-One, now deployed to Princess Aurora would give a disconcerting frown every time she was next to him. Aquila Zero-Three, who was now deployed to Princess Snow White always poked fun at her behind his back. Estelle Zero-Two, who was now deployed to Princess Belle had been giving Luna suggestions for how to possibly provoke a romantic response, but all of that ended in vain. Selene Zero-Seven who has yet to be assigned, was practically the same emotionless dunce as Four. Stella Zero-Six, now deployed to technical Princess Alice was always hopped up on sugar or ice cream to pay attention to anything for a period of time lasting longer than three seconds or keep her motormouth shut, but managed to connect the dots and jump to it's logical conclusion.

 

Speaking of the devil, the quiet hallway of the dormitory was suddenly filled with the frantic footsteps of someone quickly approaching, laughing out loud and imitating the sound of a rocket engine as they got near his room. In a second, the door busted open to the point that it almost flew off its hinges to reveal Stella with her arms outstretched, pretending to be a gummi ship as she ran into the room before abruptly stopping. She noticed Luna in his bed. “Awwwww! Luna Zero-Five and Nocturne Zero-Four, you two look so ADORABLE TOGETHER!!!” she exclaimed, ruining his attempt to fall sleep.  She looked out the window as she ran towards it, then running up to Luna before leaning right next to her face. “Isn’t it beautiful!? Why are you here, Luna? Shouldn’t you be asleep Nocturne?!” He pulled the bed sheet over his head, closing his eyes tightly while wishing they would just at least stay quiet. “I would if you could stop screaming, Stella. Besides, it’s just like any other sunrise. Now can you both please go away now? I wanna sleep. And what in the world are you doing here Stella?” She jumped on top of them both, grabbing their heads and rubbing them together. “I missed you all, so after visiting the others, I decided to see who was still left at the academy! And it looks like it’s just you two and Seven!” “I give up…” he coldly remarked before rolling off the bed in a pathetic attempt to escape the sugar-bomb girl, wrapping the bed sheets around him like a protective cocoon in the process. “Nocturne and Luna, sitting in a tree! K-I” her singing was interrupted as Luna tackled her to the ground, covering her mouth to prevent her from completing the song. She let off a muffled giggle as she spotted Luna blushing profusely, realizing how she felt. “Shouldn’t you be with your princess, Stella?” Luna asked before removing her hand from her mouth. “Heartless don’t attack every second of every minute of every hour of every day!” she exclaimed. Nocturne meanwhile had gotten up and threw a pillow at Stella, hoping to stop her from completing the sentence but was too slow to accomplish the task. “Pillow fight!” She threw Luna off of herself and returned the pillow toward Nocturne with a vengeance. The soft, plushie airborne projectile hit him squarely on the face, knocking him over but the fall was thankfully stopped by his bed. 

 

Before she could grab the pillow and repeatedly bash him while he was down, a gentle alarm was heard coming from the direction of the computer monitor. The screen continuously flashed red as the alarm continued to sound, The text “Zero-Four” plainly visible against the red and green alternating background. Immediately, Nocturne got up and went towards the screen while Stella stayed with Luna, watching in the background. “No….” Luna whispered, knowing what the flashing red screen meant as he leaned in to read the message. “Is it that time?” Stella asked, her attitude now mournful and serious as she worried about how Luna was feeling. “Yeah.” He turned around to face the two other Guardians before looking at them with a serious face. “From Master Yen Sid himself. A keyblade warrior has found another princess. Orders are to report to Master Yen Sid’s tower via gummi ship for immediate briefing and deployment.” He looked at Luna before replying nonchalantly “Looks like this is goodbye. But we all can meet again at the usual place in Twilight Town.” The slight reassurance didn’t help; tears streamed down Luna’s eyes as the boy that she wanted to be with is now being sent off to fulfill his lifelong purpose, possibly never to be seen again.

 

She knew that once a Nocturnal Guardian is deployed, visiting the others becomes a very rare luxury. The main reason why Master Yen Sid trains them as often as possible was to prevent any of them from developing emotional connections with the others as well as to prepare them for the lonely life that lay ahead once they were deployed. Almost no one is awake at night on the worlds, except for those up to no good or the heartless. Either way as far as the Master was concerned, a Guardian wasn't expected to make or have any friends. Though such isolation feeds the darkness within a persons heart, with proper training and limited to no contact with other people, the heart could be trained to function without the need for friendship or other basic emotional needs. The natural darkness within the heart could then be channeled to serve the Guardian's needs of fulfilling their duties, becoming a technical servant of the light. The relentless training worked on Nocturne Zero-Four; he was practically unable to form a proper friendship with the other Guardians, interacting with them only if required and otherwise keeping himself isolated with books. His heartless was just as disciplined as his whole, and Master Yen Sid couldn't be happier with the results. 

Edited July 3, 2013 by Javelin434

[Javelin434 3,164]

Chapter 2: Forlorned Farewells

 

 

After strapping on his arrow-rifle that was tucked away not too long ago, Nocturne Zero-Four promptly left the comfort of his own room as he headed to the main atrium of the building. Walking down the green-carpeted hallway, Stella and Luna were following closely behind, the latter now frantically trying to come up with a way to say goodbye that wouldn’t end with tears while the former was humming a tune of sorts. It was a rhythmic march with the three of them, and the carpet did little to soften the collective thumping of boots that could be heard and felt into the other dormitories. “Any information on the princess, Nocturne?” Luna asked, hoping to at least know his deployed location so she could visit once she got deployed as well. “Negative” he coldly replied, “but I’m sure more information will be presented once I get briefed with the Master.” Reaching the end of the hallway, he pushed open the steel double-doors that led into the first floor hanger complex within the atrium of the main building. He was greeted with a spectacular view of the circular main floor: on one side were 7 Gummi Ship hangers that were arranged in a half-circle configuration in respect to the large Guardian symbol that was vividly painted in the center of the floor, each hanger room entrance separated by a pristine white column. On top of the half circular-arranged hangers were not only the respective numbers of the Guardians, but also the classrooms that each of them had to attend to learn and hone their respective skills and weaponry, all connected by a floating walkway that ran along the internal circumference of the place. The other hemisphere of the main building was nothing but a large glass and metal facade that could be swung open for immediate deployment of any or all of the Guardians, depending on the circumstances. The polished cement flooring as well as the pristine white dome that enclosed the place echoed the march of the trio as he made his way to his hanger. All of the Hangers were occupied by a Gummi Ship, some belonging to the Guardians, the others belonging to the Sentinels. They were a special group, there to replace a Guardian should one be lost in their line of duty. 

 

As Four made his way to the hanger containing his ship, the sound of a metal bolt bouncing off the floor in one of the hangers caught his attention. Stopping for a moment, he decided to change his direction to see what just happened. He stood in front of the hanger entrance with a golden VII symbol emblazoned on the top center of the rectangular hole. “Anyone there?” he asked, his voice resonating within the hanger as well as the practically empty and silent main room. A few grunts were heard before a girl slipped out from underneath one of the landing gear bay. “Just me, Commander! What’s up?” she replied in a rather bubbly tone. “Oh, hey Sacra.” He sighed, relieved that the fallen bolt was from a person rather than from non-maintenance. “Playing with your ship?”

“Yup! Gotta make sure she can fly before I head out!” The explanation sent a slight chill down his spine. “Sacra” Zero-Seven was a Sentinel, so the fact that she said that was obviously a bad sign. “So… has a Guardian been struck down?” he asked, a slight tone of curiosity evident in his usual monotone voice. “Nope. But I’ve been moved to active standby status effective three minutes ago.” 

 

“So, that means you’re my replacement, Sacra.” The fact that he got to see the face of the Sentinel who would be stepping in should the worse happen didn't move him in the slightest bit. To know that his own life could easily be replaced by another person with a different number should he be struck down gave him a little peace of mind, but the idea only reinforced the notion of just how disposable they all are. A Princess is priceless to their respective worlds, to be protected at all costs, no matter how many unsung sacrifices are needed. For all he knew, there may have been a previous Guardian. “But” Sacra piped up, ruining his internal thought process, “Since you’re the main Guardian and I’m the Sentinel, Master Yen Sid has given me permission to freelance! After you leave, I’ll be off to explore different worlds! So, why are Stella and Luna with you?” 

 

“To watch him leave and say our goodbyes!” Stella exclaimed to the group, playfully saluting Four behind his back. Luna stayed quiet, eyeing his parked Gummi Ship that was sitting two hangers over as the others squabbled about standing orders, duties and expectations of a Sentinel.  The Overwatch, as the ship was named by Nocturne himself, was shining brightly under the florescent light with its custom black-and-white paint job beautifully accenting the ship’s exterior shape, looking like it was brand spanking new and never used once. The only tell-tale sign of the ship’s usage was the unmistakable charring of the inside surfaces of the triangular arranged thrust vectoring nozzle. She knew it wasn’t the case: it was used heavily, and it has seen real damage from live-fire shots from the other Guardians during their live-firing training exercises. She remembered the scenarios vividly when she was dragged into a group-wide training session with the others, how she was shot down by Auron, and how they both were neck-to-neck in a spectacular dogfight that left everyone amazed and shocked by how close it was…

 

“Luna? Hey, Luna?” She snapped back to reality to see Nocturne staring into her eyes. “What’s gotten into you?” Still in a reminiscence-like trance, it took a couple of seconds before he got a response. “I’ll… I’ll be waiting by your ship, Nocturne.”  She turned and started heading off, leaving Stella, Sacra, and him to continue their conversation. As she walked away, their conversation was easily heard thanks to their voices being resonated throughout the spacious, rather empty main atrium.

 

“Just stay on alert at all times, alright Sacra?”

 

“I’ll give you a year before I start checking for replacement orders, Nocturne. Unless I’ve been misinformed and you happen to suck really badly during training-”

 

“Well then, consider yourself the most luckiest girl ever! I’m sure he’s got this, so much so that you’ll be on vacation forever!”

 

The two girls shared a hearty laugh as he started to make his way towards the opening of Hanger Bay No. IV. Leaning against the nose gear of his ship, Luna had already lost herself in thought as she contemplated her options and reasoning aloud. “It’s a now or never moment” she said to herself in a low and sad voice, “but, how can I tell him that… that I…” her breathing became erratic as she started to lose her composure, bracing herself against the white and silver primary hydraulic shock absorber strut with her arms. The thought of never being able to see him again on a daily basis was hard enough on the lovestruck girl, and the fact that they’ll literally be worlds apart with mind boggling areas of vast emptiness as well as darkness adding on to the already unfathomable distances was too much for her to take. “Dammit…” she said through clenched teeth, a tear streaming down her right eye as she felt her own heartbeat getting faster and felt her legs getting weaker. “How can I tell him… before it’s too late?”

 

“Tell who what?” Nocturne asked as he came up behind her, perplexed with Luna’s question. She jolted for a moment before immediately whirling around, running into him and burying her face into his shoulders as she wrapped her arms around him. He could only stand there dumbfounded as she let herself go, no longer holding back from the sadness that had already taken over. “I don’t want you to go!” she screamed between sobs, her face still buried in his soft blue and white colored long sleeve shirt, the right shoulder now thoroughly soaked with tears, “I wanna be with you!” 

 

“Unless you’ve been deployed with me, that’s not gonna happen.” He pushed Luna off of himself but still had a solid hold on her body, their faces mere inches away from each other. “Pull yourself together. If seeing me is that important to you, request some info on my whereabouts once Master Yen Sid sends you out.” And with that, he released his grip before turning around to enter his ship. As he punched a button on the left gummi engine intake to lower the entrance ramp, she could only stand there and watch as he boarded his ship…

 

Four let off a heavy sigh as he punched another button inside the entrance room, closing the ramp behind him. What was that all about? After hearing the satisfying hiss of the ramp sealing the inside of the ship from the outside world, he promptly walked up the short flight of stairs to the main crew cabin quarters. The ship was fairly large enough to comfortably hold and sleep up to five people, but small enough to be as agile as a fighter gummi, much like the Majesty’s Highwind. Immediately turning around to walk up another flight of stairs, he soon reached the quiet cockpit of the ship. Placing his helmet on the side of the pilot’s seat, his little armored fingers started dancing on the dark grey console’s rather colorful buttons, slowly waking the mechanical dragon. The low drone of the twin engines started to get louder as he felt a gentle rumble in his seat. Outside the cockpit, he saw Luna stepping away from the ship as a red light flicked in the center of the dome. The metal and glass facade that made the other half of the circular atrium started to open up, sliding off to the sides and opening up the runway to use. The sound of the alarm in the atrium was barely heard through the glass canopy as the engines finally screamed into life, and Four barely pushed the throttle controls forward to ease the ship out of the hanger. The ship hesitated at first, trying to get over the initial inertia before finally moving out of the hanger bay. As he taxied toward the center of the atrium, he looked over to the three girls that were in front of hanger seven. Sacra was waving goodbye with a slight smile, and Stella was playfully giving a salute to him, to which he saluted back. Luna was staring at him with a gaze that gave him a slight feeling of uneasiness, a single tear streaming down her right eye. Her lips parted, almost as if trying to say something, but he was unable to decipher her words. He looked forward again and gave a hard rudder left, aligning the gummi ship down the center of the runway.

 

Applying the brakes and bringing the ship to a complete halt, Four started his preflight checklist. "Engines... Check." he started, running through an all too familiar pattern, "Flight Controls... Check. Life support... Check. Energy Levels... Green across the board. Performing weapons checklist. Dual Laser cannons... Check. Dual Missile Launchers... Check. Dual Rocket Launchers... Check. Dual Internal Railgun Systems... Check. All systems... nominal." After looking at the consoles with its dazzling array of lights that peppered it showing green across the board, the holographic pedestal that was right next to him flickered into life, revealing a black haired, pale-skinned blue eyed girl with a white tube top and a black mini-skirt. "All systems go, sir." she calmly replied. "Thanks, Victoria." was his response. "Here we go."

 

He shoved the throttle sticks forward, and the dual engines roared into action. The sudden acceleration forced him back into his seat as the surroundings quickly moved past him, the center markings for the runway becoming a continuous white blur as he neared scramble speed. Pulling back on the stick, the rumble of the wheels on the cement suddenly died away, leaving only the sound of the humming engines and the whistle of the air moving past the streamlined body. After flipping a switch to pull up his landing gear and hearing a solid thunk as the gear bay doors closed successfully, he pulled harder on the stick and aimed the nose of his ship towards a nearby star: Master Yen Sid's tower. Looking behind him, he was able to spot the circular glass facade that made the other half of the main circular walls starting to slide into its usual closed position. Off in the distance and a couple of kilos away from the Guardian structure, multiple 'Archer' class troop transports were sitting on a grassy field next to another building. "Hmmm... must be a mass deployment for one really big battle." he calmly remarked to himself as he returned his attention to the front of his ship. "I wonder if that Javelin-class unit is with them?"

Edited July 30, 2013 by Javelin434