Grotesquery

Huey turned the corner to see an odd lady disconcertingly fixated upon her brooch. After noticing another lady nearby making a clear effort to socialize, Huey's clever noggin discerned that they were the ones who bumped into each-other. Huey walked over to the lady who was still invested in her jewelry and clearly spoke out. "Hello, Ma'am! My name is Huey and I want to know if you just ran into somebody."

Suddenly, Huey sensed a collision of terrestrial proportions occur not too far from where he stood. "My goodness!" He partially exclaimed. "That sounded hilarious! I better check and see if anyone's in a compromising position, that would be no good at all." Huey began sprinting towards what he believed to be the scene of the accident.

Huey walked out of the laundromat looking rather dapper for this time of year. He had recently decided to don his celebratory suit in honor of a rather special occasion that he only partially bothered to remember. After donning his intensely dignified hat, Huey began to stride down the streets confidently. "Ah, it's quite a beautiful day!" He said, gazing around at the bustling sidewalks of baker street. "Yes, such a wonderful day. The sun is bright and the birds are singing and everything simply feels as though it is aligned correctly." Huey took a deep breath and continued to think about certain things. Huey continued walking even though he didn't care much about where he was going.

I take it that's a no on the candy. Ah well, I suppose I'll just have to eat it all myself! Being friends with people does have its benefits.

What a jarringly apathetic statement! Oh, sorry. I meant just flat out pathetic. Actually, now that I think about it, perhaps insulting the person who's trying to kill my character is a bad idea. What say we start over? Would you like some candies, friend? Don't worry about cavities, I know a great dentist. His prices simply can't be beat.

Hahaha wow I swear this was a coincidence. Anyway, sign me up. Name: Arcmin Avatar: http://kh13.com/forum/uploads/profile/photo-42944.jpg?_r=1420338652 Partner: Ruby Rose Oh, and give me this death avatar: https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608046754041365505&pid=15.1&P=0

What's up, everybody? Today, I've got something a little different for you all. I hope you like it. I think you will. Now, you may or may not be aware of a certain online simulator that's been gaining some attention recently, a little gem simply called the Hunger Games Simulator. For those of you caught unawares, the game is meant to be a simulation of the Hunger Games; you can submit any 24 contestants and have them kill one another for a bit of idle amusement. I obviously decided that the best course of action would be to take 24 KH13 members and have them go at each others throats over the span of a seven day period. Of course, hilarity ensued. Here are some highlights from the session, along with some idle commentary from yours truly. Here are your (un)lucky contestants: (Note for the uninitiated: Xaon is Squirting Demyx.) LET IT BEGIN THE BLOODBATH YES DAY 1: Oh boy, we're off to a great start. Alas, Baylaust! Once again, you are taken before your time. This can only end in comedy. Huh. I wonder how that would work. I don't like where this is going. END: DAY 1 NIGHT FALLS ON THE FIRST DAY NIGHT 1: I expected more from someone with Winner in their name. You know, they'd make a pretty great rock band if they weren't forced to kill each-other. Whatever floats yer' boat, ladies. END: NIGHT 1 DAWN OF THE SECOND DAY DAY 2: Can't imagine anything better to wake up to than a knife in the chest. And she's doing a splendid job of it. I'm sure there's some universe out there where this is poetic justice. NOOOO!!!! NOT HIM, FRIEZA!!!! Here, take Shulk! Now there's something you don't see everyday. Neither of these things will end well for anyone. END: DAY 2 NIGHT FALLS ON THE SECOND DAY NIGHT 2: You could make an entire movie with that premise alone. Darn it, RoxSox! This is no time to get all philosophical! Pull yourself together! I wouldn't trust either of these people and one of them is me. This makes too much sense. I'd pay good money to hear those. END: NIGHT 2 DAWN OF THE THIRD DAY DAY 3: Dang Shulk you scary I have a feeling these two would make a great improv comedy duo. Like Abbot and Costello, but less engaging. We all knew it was only a matter of time. I honestly thought she would go for Shana first. How exactly would one poison a ghost? What do ghosts even EAT? I know that feeling. END: DAY 3 NIGHT FALLS ON THE THIRD DAY NIGHT 3: There are at least two people here that I wouldn't trust to watch me sleep. Okay so that happened END: NIGHT 3 DAWN OF THE FOURTH DAY DAY 4: I am not kidding, this literally happened RIGHT after the last one. You think they would have learned something from their peers. MURDER OF THE CENTURY EVERYONE GO HOME I'm guessing this is a frequent occurrence. You can see the pain in her eyes. I ain't even mad. In fact, all things considered, this is probably the best way I could have died. Thanks, Hatok. END: DAY 4 Arcmin died this round too but I'm not showing him because he's an attention hog. NIGHT FALLS ON THE FOURTH DAY NIGHT 4: Go, Shigeko! Claim your rightful place as the true Immortal Lord! This is what happens when you don't kill Ruby Rose when she tells you too. END: NIGHT 4 DAWN OF THE FIFTH DAY DAY 5: This literally just writes itself. At least she died with a smile on her face. Weiss would be proud. hahahahahahahaha END DAY 5: NIGHT FALLS ON THE FIFTH DAY NIGHT 5: I like where this is going. END: NIGHT 5 DAWN OF THE SIXTH DAY DAY 6: How would you like to be the one who dies of thirst in the "Hunger Games"? Jeez. END: DAY 6 NIGHT FALLS ON THE SIXTH DAY NIGHT 6: How shockingly anticlimactic. I honestly wasn't expecting much else. END: NIGHT 6 DAWN OF THE FINAL DAY Day 7: I LIED HATOK I AM A VENGEFUL GHOST AND NOW I'M BACK TO GIVE YOU DYSENTERY BOO I like to think of this as Karmic Retribution, in a way. END: DAY 7 NIGHT FALLS ON THE FINAL DAY NIGHT 7 THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE And the rest saw their better. Overall Placements: Link to the game if you want to give a try: http://brantsteele.net/hungergames/reaping.php

Also, is there a character limit on posts?

Taboo Name: Huey Belle Age: 16 Gender: Male Appearance: Curse: Curse of the Hyena Mark: Mark of the Hyena (Engraved Golden Tooth) Ability: Slightly Enhanced Physical Capability Side Abilities: Heightened senses in the dark Bonds easily with wild dogs Powerful immune system that protects against most diseases and hampers the effects of poisons Powerful jaw structure; possesses sharper canines Eating raw meat increases physical ability Personality: Huey is a very friendly person. He enjoys long walks on the beach, and eating. That’s about it! Oh, and if you happen to run into Faustino from school, tell him that Huey is still very sorry for what happened to his cat. He’ll understand. Bio: Huey is just about the most normal person you could ever imagine. He goes to school, does his homework, eats his vegetables, follows the rules, says nice things to his sister, obeys his parents, does not under ANY circumstances eat live animals, and has absolutely no knowledge of any mysterious tooth that may or may not have been implanted unofficially by a questionable doctor. I know that may sound a taaad bit suspicious, but trust me! Huey is an unequivocal, perfectly normal case. Yes, so flawlessly, hopelessly, painfully bland and normal. Although, I can’t be held accountable for any actions taken by people who believed everything said prior. Oh, and there’s one more thing you should know about him. No matter what, when, where, how, or why, there’s one thing that will never change about Huey. He’ll always get the last laugh. Hyeh heh ha ha! He also likes fancy clothes, but that might just be a phase. Favorite Animal: Dog!

Are mythical/prehistoric creatures (Phoenix, Dragons, Leviathan, Dinosaurs) allowed? Probably not, but I just wanted to make sure before I set anything in stone.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah Yes, please. Allow me to partake.

Friendship is just as mature a concept as love. It's like Axel said, "There aren't steps.", friendship doesn't magically evolve into love like a pokemon, it comes naturally. Friendship and love are two entirely different things, that require two entirely different kinds of stories. Kingdom Hearts has never been about love, and I feel that if it was introduced at this point or even beyond in the next saga it would just feel like it was forced in to appease the fans.

Then they kill each other. Based on: http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/860/242/a2b.jpg

Reality is a lie, told by a longing mind that hopes to be right.

Their friend Riku, on the other hand, would go on to have a strange and mysterious journey throughout time and space itself. Records of his legendary travels are few and far between, but scholars tend to agree that his decades long journey changed the lives of millions. Some say that he achieved enlightenment, others believe he fell in love with the true oracle of Kingdom Hearts itself and began a lineage of unrivaled heroes. All who know his name, however, agree on one thing and one thing alone: he lived and died a happy man.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ My eyes shot open as I jolted awake in a cold sweat, my heart jumping within my chest as I struggled to breathe. My eyes darted back and forth in a panic, so many questions raced through my mind that it was difficult to get a grasp on the situation. Where was I? Where was the woman from before? Was… was I safe? After a few moments of silence, I finally began to calm down somewhat, at least enough to regain a small sense of clarity. If I had to be honest, I was absolutely terrified of finding out where I was, but I reluctantly began to look around. Much to my surprise, I wasn’t in the throne room. In fact, I had no idea where I was. I looked down. In my hands I held a woolen blanket, wrapped around my shivering body. All around me, a grassy plain extended for miles, dotted with hills and winding dirt trails. It was cold and dark here, but anything was better than spending another moment in that room. Now finally starting to calm down to the point of coherency, I took notice of a faint light out of the corner of my eye and a crackling sound resonating not far from where I sat. I turned to face the direction of the noise, and felt my heart skip a beat as I noticed a hooded man kneeling before a small fire, only a few dozen feet away. My mind began to race again. Was he the one who brought me here? Strangely, he didn’t turn to face me, or even offer any kind of acknowledgment. For a few moments, I merely sat and stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. After what felt like ages, I noticed his head turn ever so slightly towards me, only to quickly turn away once more. From across the dark void between us, I heard a soft and gentle voice sound out. “So, you’re awake, huh?” I could hear the man clearly. His tone sounded distant, but strangely familiar. I slowly started to realize that he didn’t mean me any harm. I made to answer him, but my mouth was dry, it felt like I hadn’t spoken in days. Despite this, I tried my best to respond. “Wh… Where am I?” I muttered barely above a breath, my voice coarse and small. The man refused to turn from the fire again, yet he did manage a response. “Well, to be honest,” he started. “I was sort of hoping you could tell me. You could say I’m a bit of a drifter, so I don’t really know these parts all too well.” While he spoke, I noticed that he was poking the fire with a small, lithe stick. This wouldn’t have stuck out to me if he hadn’t looked so intent on keeping the flames lit. “I found you passed out on the side of the road a few hours ago,” he continued. “I thought you might have been a local, so I decided to hang around until you woke up.” The man paused for a moment, and then chuckled to himself. “I was going to tell you that falling asleep in the middle of nowhere was a bad habit, but then again that might make me a hypocrite.” I truly couldn’t believe it. Had that room, that woman… really been nothing more than a dream? It felt impossible. Everything was so real and clear; I could still remember it all with painful accuracy. Ignorant of my sentiments, the man spoke up once again. “So, do you have a family?” He asked. “Any home to return to?” After taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I shook my head, and tried to speak once more. “I… I-I don’t remember… anything.” For now, I decided to keep my experience in the white room a secret. After all, as impossible as it seemed, it really could have just been nothing more than a nightmare. Apart from that however, what I said was true. I honestly couldn’t remember anything. Once again, the man looked over at me out of the corner of his eye. The majority of his face was concealed by a rough hood, but I could still see his eyes clearly; a faint tint of blue shining in the dark. “Is that so?” He asked, sounding strangely unmoved by the statement. “Not even your name?” I thought back to my dream again. That person… he had called out something when he… I shook my head, trying not to linger on it. What did he say before that? The word he called out, it felt like it was meant for me. It was hard to remember anything clearly, but it sounded like… “Raid.” I looked up and over at the man, who was still waiting for an answer. “I think my name’s Raid.” I said again, a little louder than before. The man’s only response was to stare at me with a curious gaze. Even though I couldn’t see him very well, I could tell he was stroking his chin; a very expressive person, to be sure. “Raid, huh? That’s an odd name for a young girl such as yourself.” He said to me. For some odd reason, I was taken aback by his words. Not because they were actually surprising, but because they more or less made me realize that I had actually forgotten what I looked like, as ridiculous as it sounded. Slightly stunned, I released my grip on the blanket and began turning both hands over in front of my face. They were small, lithe, and bound in a pair of fingerless gloves. I then proceeded to grab a lock of hair and held it before my face. It was black, and reached down to my neck. Upon looking myself over, I noticed that I had on a gray collared shirt, over which I wore an open black jacket. After moving the blanket aside, I found out that I was also wearing a pair of dark shorts secured to my waist by a set of belts. The man glanced over at me once again, albeit very briefly. “And those are an odd set of clothes for anyone.” He said. My eyes widened slightly at his words, as I took a moment to look myself over again. I had to admit, what I was wearing could be seen as a tad bit… sophisticated. The man shrugged at me. “Not that I’m one to judge. After all, I’ve worn my fair share of clown suits before.” He said, before he once again turned back towards the fire. I looked up at him, certain that I was visibly starting to get annoyed. To be honest, I was getting a little fed up with this game of back and forth. “Who are you anyway?” I asked bluntly, determined to find out more about this person. The man looked back towards me once again, only this time, he lingered. “Who am I, huh?” He asked no-one in particular. “Well, I guess that’s fair.” Suddenly, he stood up, and began walking towards me. Needless to say, I was a little surprised at his brevity, but I was willing to let things play out if they got me some answers. Once he was in arm’s length, the man knelt once again. Even though his face was concealed, I could still detect the faintest of smiles upon his face. “I guess you could say I’m nobody.” He spoke to me, before promptly removing his hood in a single, reserved motion, revealing a head of unkempt and messy hair. “But you can just call me Sora.” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Xion: This isn't helping my existential issues and emotional duress. Roxas: Worst vacation ever. I know that's only one other vacation but still. Larxene: *Internally Seething* Marluxia: Brb making evil plans lol Luxord: You bout to lose that arm boy Demyx: You guys see the giant mushroom too, right? Axel: Hey guys I think I can see the castle from here. Saix: I truly do not know any of these people. Zexion: All around me are familiar faces Lexeaus: Oh god no one told me there was a camera please end me now Vexan: Oh! Get my good side! Xaldin: What do you mean this isn't a roller coaster heartless? Come on, why else would we be here? Xigbar: Aw yeah man live for adrenaline live for the CRUSH Xemnas: *Is clearly trying so darn hard to enjoy himself*

Hey, everyone! I'm grateful for the time you've taken to read this, so I'll make this introductory statement as brief as possible. Let's start with an explanation. My inspiration for this story came from none other than our very own Master Eraqus, whose story, "The Extreme Purifier"(Link), has been floating around the forums for quite some time. After hearing about his own inspiration for his story, a theory video by HMK and Skyward Wing(Link), I thought that it would be fun to pen my own take on the concept of an Extreme Purifier. So over the past few days I've been working on this brief prologue, and I've posted it here to get some outside opinions. I hope you'd be willing to take the time to post your thoughts, but please, do not say the story is perfect as it is. Oh, and just a heads up, some of this could be considered not safe for kids. Nothing graphic, but it definitely isn't Disney levels of innocence. Key: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ “The arrogance of the human mind is to believe that we understand anything. The humility of the human mind is to understand that we know nothing, but must strive to know all.” ~Nameless Report, Entry 9 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Out of nothing, I awoke. At one moment, there was only darkness around me, but in the next my senses returned like lighting. Pain and irritation shot down my limbs; my vision blurred as the dark veil obscuring my eyes was torn, revealing a harsh world of blinding light. I could barely move, forced to wait and struggle like an infant as my worthless limbs refused to obey me. Something wet stung my face. Tears, perhaps tied to the uneasiness that brewed within my chest. I could recall nothing. No sorrow, no bliss that would awaken such a stirring in my soul. I knew immediately that something was terribly, horribly wrong. The cotton deafness in my ears peeled away, as a barrage of dull noise assaulted me. I could feel something through the cold floor below, something shaking and reverberating. I feared what it was, but why I could not say. I struggled to my feet, my arms and legs burning with the strain. My head swam with a myriad of thoughts as I struggled to take in everything at once. And it was only then that I noticed the dull quakes were growing more frequent. Standing prostrate as I could manage, I peered around the room. Everything was white as snow, at least, all that I could see. I stumbled forward, my impaired vision forcing me to feel my way through the white void. My legs buckled, sending me stumbling forwards, yet I managed to catch myself upon a large cold object. I blinked away the wetness in my eyes, and focused upon my sight as hard as I was able. Slowly, a riveted surface came into view before me, and its definition rang a familiar tone in my mind. “A pillar.” I muttered to myself. Suddenly, the rest of my senses started to come flooding back. My vision sharpened, my ears stiffened, and my hands clenched shut. A choking breath caught in my throat as I was briefly overwhelmed, yet I managed to fight it off. Now at least partially lucid, I finally managed to take a full view of the room in which I found myself. Everything looked as though it had been white-washed, from the floors to the aforementioned pillars, an almost countless number of which adorned the large halls. They climbed high into the space above my head, disappearing into heights which my eyes could not reach. The room truly was massive; I could see very little beyond the spires that jutted up from the floor around me. After getting my bearings, I once again took notice of the monotonous quaking still resounding all around me. With little else to occupy myself with, I resolved to find the source of whatever the strange sound was, and hopefully some kind of clue that would shed light on where I was. I took a few careful steps, the dull reverberations almost throwing me off balance at certain points. Using the pillars to support myself, I proceeded through the seemingly endless room, towards what I thought may be the source of the incessant noise. Luckily, it seemed like my guesses were paying off, as I could sense the quakes growing louder as I continued on. Methodically gauging the distance to each thump, I slowly began working my way towards the epicenter. As I approached, I noticed that the pillars around me began to diverge and become less clustered in their arrangement. By observing the patterns in the pillars, I made a guess that they were gradually opening up to a large and expansive area. After a few more moments of careful treading, the Pillars began to disappear completely from my field of vision, becoming too distant for my eyes to follow. I found myself in a vast expanse of white, a place almost devoid of being, save for one lone structure. Not too far ahead, I noticed a large and extravagant marble throne, upon which stood a tall, fair woman. She possessed long and golden hair that flowed down her sprawling white robes, and wore an ornate mask that obscured her eyes. Kneeling before the woman was a haggard man, gasping for air and struggling to keep himself upright. In his hand he held a large key, which he used to support himself as he tried to stand. With some effort he found his footing, and immediately charged forward with a deafening yell. He braced the key with both of his hands, and in a single swing brought his full momentum crashing towards the woman, who merely stood, unfazed. I watched in confusion as the man’s strike was stopped short in the middle of the air, and as he was thrown back like a rag doll. Yet, despite seemingly striking nothing, the contact of the man’s attack reverberated through the chamber in an ear-splitting clang, almost as if he had struck an iron wall. The peal was so unbearable, that I was forced to cover my ears in an attempt to keep out the horrible noise. Following the man’s strike, a deft rumble shook the foundation at my feet, nearly rocking me to the ground. After the shock-wave had passed, I looked up and slowly began to remove my hands from my ears. The man, despite being tossed aside, quickly found his footing, and proceeded to leap forward for a second strike. I preemptively moved to cover my ears once more, as again the man’s attack merely bounced off an invisible wall, and another agonizing metal screech rang through the air. I looked up. The man who had been attacking knelt again before the woman, struggling to catch his breath. Suddenly, as if from nothingness, a voice sounded all around me, invading my mind and sending a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t even put into words how it felt; indescribably soothing, yet somehow terrifying, malicious and shrill all at once. Slowly, the voice began to form words from thin air, and those words began to weave into piercing thoughts. From the emptiness, it spoke. “Why do you fight, knowing what you know? Why do you resist that which must come to pass? You have seen the end… and it is soon. In time all will be complete and you will be revealed for what you truly are; pitiful worms mewling for the promise of a long-dead salvation. And you will fight and bicker and destroy for that which destroys you, and I will watch as this pitiful world is reborn into a land of promise and jubilation. You will be remembered as nothing more than a villain who fought this very salvation I sought for you, if you are fortunate enough to be remembered at all. So I ask again, why do you fight?” All was quiet. A terrible sense of dread filled my heart, something darker than anything I could possibly imagine was taking place. My eyes darted around the room, as I struggled to stifle my shivering body. Where had the voice come from? The man had done nothing, and the woman’s mouth had yet to move. Was there someone else here? Suddenly, the silence was broken by something almost foreign to me at this point, the sound of another person’s voice. The man rose to his feet, and addressed the woman directly. “What’s become of you?” He said softly. “You were once so full of hope, so full of joy. Your smile brought comfort to all; you could mend a broken soul and patch a shattered heart. You sought to make the world a better place… not to burn it down and start a new one!” The man threw his arm to the side in anger. “You’ve changed.” He muttered bitterly. “You’re no savior, you’re a monster.” The man raised his weapon and braced himself. “And you need to be stopped.” He finished. The woman showed no signs of emotion, no change in expression that would show the man’s words impacted her at all, if they were even meant for her in the first place. Once again, a cold chill racked my body, as the voice returned to speak once more. “Your words mean nothing, and your actions, even less. You know that you cannot defeat me, not now. There remain only two… and soon they will both receive their just rewards. As for the one who fights alongside you…” the voice stopped, and with it, my heart. A bitter wind blew by as I was assaulted with an indescribable sense of dread. “My dear!” The voice echoed. “Why, I didn’t see you there!” The woman turned towards me, her expression terribly lifeless as her concealed eyes shook my soul with their invisible glare. Suddenly, the man turned to face me, shocked and terrified. “Raid!” He called out, as he lunged for me with blinding speed. Almost faster than my eyes could follow, a large white spear appeared in the woman’s hands, and in the time it took for me to draw in another haggard breath, she had sent it flying towards my heart. Time froze, and it felt like everything would hang forever more in motionless terror. But in a split second that felt like an eternity, time began again. I looked up to see the man standing before me, his soft face and warm blue eyes meeting my terrified gaze. A large white spear-head stained in blood jutted from his chest. Struggling to speak, he muttered the words, “Run.” I was unable to think. Unable to breath. All I could do was turn and flee as fast as I could. The pillars surrounding the area began to shake uncontrollably, as a horrible scream ripped through the vast chamber. From within the pealing shriek, the voice from before called out in a shrill echo: “No! You will not escape me again!” I ran as fast as I could, not daring a second to look back. The pillars began to collapse around me, as darkness slowly started to encroach upon my vision. I felt my legs grow weak, and the air grow heavy. I felt countless arms reaching for me, desperately trying to pull me into the abyss. I felt pain and terror the likes of which I could have never even imagined. And then, everything faded to black. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I read the title and was all like "one of these things is not like the other". But yeah, that's an interesting observation. I'd probably go so far as to say it may have been intentional, but not enough to think that it posseses any real significance.

That's how Terra will get his revenge in Kingdom Hearts III.

“Aqua never understood why Terra liked the game so much. She especially never understood why she was so bad at it.” Checkmate All was quiet in the library. As it well should be, Aqua thought to herself, for a non-quiet library is an abomination to the senses. Aqua sat at a rather large table lain out amidst the countless scores of book-shelves, a small tome in her hands and a glazed look in her eyes. Yes, again, all was quiet. As it well should be. “Aqua.” It was taking a lot of effort to ignore him nowadays, but she was getting good at it. “Aqua.” Maybe not good enough. “Aqua!” Aqua sighed. Listlessly, she turned her spectacled eyes to the side and spoke audibly. “Yes, what is it, Terra?” She asked, trying her best to sound annoyed. Aqua didn’t know much of what she expected in return from her famously stubborn companion. Another question, perhaps? Some kind of biting or sarcastic remark? Perhaps even, if she dared herself fortunate, a healthy round of witty banter? Instead, all she received was a loud thump as Terra’s crestfallen image fell before her on the table. He turned to look at her, his eyes lidded and lax. “I’m bored.” Oh dear. Now this simply wouldn’t do at all. Aqua’s expression shifted to one of odd disgust coupled with something almost akin to pity. Fortunately, she managed to compose herself, and after masking her change in demeanor with a brief sigh, Aqua quickly found her way back to her callous ways. Feigning apathy, Aqua turned her gaze back towards her book and replied, “You’re in a library, Terra. Read a book.” Terra made some kind of noise, a mix between a sigh and some kind of long drawn out grunt, as he stood prostrate once more. He reached his arms outwards, motioning to the numerous shelves of books that surrounded them. “Aqua, I’ve lived here my entire life!” He said quite loudly. “I’ve read all these books. Seriously, you think the master would update his collection after 20 years, but NO!” Terra slumped over in defeat, but still managed to keep his head high. Aqua was trying her best to look uninterested, even though it was getting exceedingly difficult. “Have you ever thought about, oh, I don’t know, re-reading them?” She said, still refusing to turn from her book that she stopped reading quite a while ago. Terra turned towards her, a look of disdain on his face. “Aqua, I’m not like you. I’m not crazy enough to read through foreign Keyblade War erotica 7 times and actually enjoy it.” He finished with a slight smile on his face. “H-hey!” Aqua said, an octave higher than before. In a single motion, she stood and turned towards Terra, her cheeks red and her eyes furious. “Now you listen to me! ‘Passions of the Star Fruit’ is an underrated masterpiece, infinitely better than that primordial drivel you fill your Neanderthal brain with!” Terra’s smile grew wider at her words, as he stood up straight. “So, your tastes are a little more sophisticated, huh? Perhaps even… hierarchical…?” Aqua’s heart and face both began to fall as she slowly came to realize what Terra was building towards. “No.” She said suddenly. Terra’s unbearably cocky grin grew even wider. “One game. That’s all I want!” Aqua’s stare turned deadly, as she hissed out her response, “Not. On your. LIFE.” Terra’s smile fell somewhat, but it was too late to dissuade him. He had his heart set on one thing now. The game of kings. “Chess.” He said. “One game, winner gets the library all to themselves, and all the quiet that comes with it.” Aqua covered her ears in defiance; she wouldn’t let his words poison her resolve. “No!” She exclaimed as she turned to run out the door. “Never! NEVER!!!” On her mad dash out of the library, Aqua could have sworn she saw Ven passing by, a look of utter confusion on his face. But she couldn’t afford to stop and explain. All she could do was hold out faith that one day he would understand. And that he would never play Chess with Terra so long as he lived. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Aqua was good at a lot of things. She was good at chores. She was good at magic. She was good at reading and writing, and she fancied herself a competent critic. She could make wonders in the kitchen, and the things she could do with a deck of cards would boggle the mind of even the most accomplished illusionists. Terra was good at none of those things. But it’s not like that mattered much, Terra never really wanted to be good at anything like that. All he ever wanted to do was fight, which is why Aqua never understood why he loved Chess so much. Aqua wasn’t good at Chess. It was actually kind of shocking, really. Chess is more a game about outwitting your opponent than just plowing through them, which is why she should be good at it. But no, for some unfathomable reason, Aqua was absolutely awful when it came to the so-called game of kings. Perhaps it was some kind of cosmic mishap that occurred as she was being put together within her mother’s womb, Aqua didn’t know. But all that mattered to her was that she was utterly helpless when playing on a chess board. Terra, on the other hand, was a natural. It made no sense, and to be honest, it was actually kind of scary sometimes. No one could beat him. Not Ven, not the Master, not even people from other worlds. And least of all, especially not Aqua. It infuriated her to no end, and Terra knew this. It was something that she would never be able to change, something besides fighting that Terra was better at than her! Every time Aqua would do something incredible, or reach some kind of milestone, it didn’t matter. Because no matter what she did, Terra was always better at Chess than her. And no amount of accomplishments would ever change that. Learned how to summon fairies? Terra’s still better at Chess. Finished writing a novel? Terra’s still better at Chess. Learned Mega-Flare? Terra’s still better at Chess. Defeated a time traveling abomination of nature? Actually, Terra did that too, so it doesn’t really count, but you get the idea. And so, here she was. Hiding in a storage closet like a frightened little girl, the very notion of a simple game striking fear into her soul. “Aqua.” Terra’s voice sounded from outside. Aqua stilled her breathing, trying to trick herself into thinking that made her harder to find. “Aqua, I know you’re in there.” His voice sounded once again, but she wasn’t listening. She still had her hands to her ears. “Aqua, the Master taught us how to sense each-other’s auras years ago. You know that hiding is pointless.” He said, his voice muffled by the wall between them. Of course, Aqua knew that. But that didn’t mean that she was ready to accept it. “Aqua, please. Just one game, and I promise I’ll leave you alone.” Aqua pouted. He said please. His voice resounded one last time. “Please.” She sighed. He said it again. Carefully, she moved to unlock the door to her little hidey-hole. It opened to reveal Terra standing at the entrance, looking a little sad, but still expecting an answer. Aqua looked at him, her face tinted with small hints of worry and reluctance. “One game, on one condition.” She said. Terra’s eyes lit up. “Anything.” Aqua’s eyes narrowed in response as she grabbed his throat and pulled him in close. “Never. Again.” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Aqua begrudgingly took her seat at the table. Terra had already set up the game in the library, figures. He knew she would crack. Terra sat opposite Aqua, his cocky grin now out in full force. He rubbed his hands together excitedly as he gazed out over the chess board and said, “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” Aqua rolled her eyes. The amount of joy he was taking in this was rather sickening. Terra looked over at Aqua, his smile turning into a sly grin. “Ladies first.” He said, as he motioned for her to proceed. Aqua scoffed. “How courteous of you.” She said. Aqua turned her attention back towards the board, and began to absentmindedly stroke her chin in deep thought. Don’t misunderstand; she hated the game, but if this was really going to be the last time she played with Terra, she wanted to give it everything she had. After a few pensive moments, Aqua moved one of her pieces forwards. She was hoping to lead Terra into a trap too obvious for him to see, so that she could claim some of his more important pieces. Aqua may have been bad at the game, but she knew Terra’s style. He would try to win with as many casualties as possible, just to add insult to injury. Terra’s sly grin returned as control shifted to his side. “My turn.” He said maliciously. In a single motion, he moved one of his pawns to f3, a first move that almost always set the flow of the game in the opponents favor. Aqua almost jumped. The move was mad, even for Terra’s standards. She turned to look at him, and practically yelled, “Are you crazy?” Terra’s only response was to sit back, confidently, with that ever-present grin still etched on his face. “Your move.” Aqua’s eyes narrowed. Okay, so that’s how he wants to play. What followed was too much for any single person to recall. In what can only be described as a flurry of Chess bound fury, Aqua and Terra exchanged move for move on a second by second basis. For every piece that Aqua lost, Terra would go out of his way to make sure he lost two in exchange. And yet, somehow, Aqua still found herself on the losing end of things at every step of the way. In a matter of moments, the game-board had been whittled down to a sparse few pieces, and any outside observer would have immediately called it a stalemate. But Aqua knew better, Terra would never allow for something so menial. It was always part of the plan But then, the tempo shifted. Terra stopped, and his eyes grew wide. He paused for several moments, as he surveyed the aftermath of his endurance match with Aqua. Stunned, he looked up and spoke clearly. “Wow, Aqua. You might actually win this time.” Aqua’s eyes widened in response, as she too looked down upon the game-board. Sure enough, Terra had been locked into a desperate position. With only a pawn and two rooks left in addition to the king, his case seemed hopeless. Aqua couldn’t believe it. She was almost too afraid to believe it. As the utter crushing weight of the situation finally began to dawn upon her, the corners of Aqua’s mouth began to contort into a demented and toothy grin. “You’re right.” She muttered. “You’re right!” She said again, almost trying to convince herself even further. She looked up at Terra, whose expression was slowly growing increasingly distressed. His eyes darted back and forth across the game board, his mind desperately trying to find an impossible solution to an impossible situation. And Aqua was loving every moment. So, this is what the legendary Terra looked like when he was desperate. Delicious. Terra had said nothing, and he honestly didn’t need to. His face belied his dying confidence, and the slow realization of just how dire the situation really was. It truly looked like he would fold at any moment. Now, all that remained was the final move. Relishing the moment, Aqua leaned over the table, her slightly disjointed expression filling Terra’s haggard vision. It was time for the final blow. “Terra.” She mockingly jabbed. “It’s your move.” And just when it seemed like the entire world was about to stand still, fate decided to intervene. Of course it did. It always did. “TERRA! AQUA!” The Master’s voice resounded from outside. Terra’s hypnotized gaze on the Chess board broke as he turned towards where the voice sounded. Aqua’s crooked smile disappeared as she also turned in sort, her face red with burning fury. “WHAT!?” Aqua snapped in frustration. She really didn’t care what the Master thought of her right now, she could apologize when she was lucid. If the Master was surprised at Aqua’s tone, he certainly didn’t sound like it. “I need your help! I think Ventus is trying to fly on his Keyblade!” Aqua sighed, venting her inner rage as she started to calm down. “Master, I’m sure that you can handle –“ “He’s about to jump off the main plaza!” Aqua and Terra immediately turned to meet each-other’s gaze, their expressions shifting to a sour mix of worry and a strange kind of look that said, “not again”. “VEN!!!” They yelled simultaneously, as the two proceeded to high-tail it out the library and towards the front of the castle. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Aqua sighed as she placed a gentle hand upon her forehead, trying to quell the headache her young friend’s antics had brought. For hindsight, she replayed what he said in her mind, something along the lines of “Don’t worry! If I can’t fly, I’ll just come back up and try again!” Aqua sighed once more, although she had to give Ven credit. He could certainly make a very compelling argument for jumping to his demise. However, now that he was firmly planted in the study hall with an intimidating round of physics lectures ahead of him, Aqua could finally get back to her game with Terra. Turning into the library, Aqua was hardly surprised to see Terra waiting for her, pensively looking over the Chess board once again. He had left the scene a little earlier than Aqua, since Ven specifically demanded that she stay and tell him how old she was when she learned how to fly the Keyblade (she was sixteen, by the way. She beat Terra by a year.) Aqua wasn’t worried about Terra being alone with the board, however; she knew that he would never cheat at a game that meant so much to him. Aqua let a cocky grin adorn her features as she moved to sit back down. “You can look all you want, Terra, but sooner or later you’ll have to face the facts.” She said, her cockiness reaching the levels of Terra in his prime. “The simple truth is, you’ve finally los-” “Ah!” Terra finally said, as he made a quick motion with his Rook, capturing Aqua’s king in a single, devastating motion. “Child’s play.” He said confidently, as he crossed his arms in victory. “Checkmate, Kiro.” Aqua froze. She didn’t hear that. He was lying. What, one final jab to try and crush her spirit? Pathetic, simple! You’ll have to try harder than that, Terra. She looked down. Her king was gone. It made sense. No, this wasn’t happening. It just wasn’t. Aqua simply REFUSES to let it happen. Oh no. No, no, no, no. It was happening. It was. And Aqua couldn’t change it. She couldn’t change anything. She felt like a little girl again. Helpless, frail. She hated feeling that way. How could he do this? How could he make her feel this way? No, this was her fault. She made her feel like this. It was her fault. It was all her fault. That was just about the breaking point. Aqua could handle a lot of things. She could handle Amnesia, just fine. She didn’t need a majority of that part of her life, anyhow. She could handle the possibility of never having a boyfriend, because hey, that just gave her more time for her books. She could even handle one of her only friends almost getting himself killed, though that was pushing it. But this? Losing to Terra in Chess, even one more time? She simply couldn’t take it. And to top it all off, he used her nickname. How dare he. Aqua’s right eyebrow began to twitch rapidly, as her eyes started darting back and forth. She began to swing her arms sporadically, as her mind slowly began to fade into unfathomable pain and rage. All Terra could do was look on in concern and slight confusion. “Uhm, Aqua?” Suddenly, she turned to look at him, and yelled out something quite unexpected. “Swong.” It didn’t make much sense, of course. And Aqua never really found out why she said it, but everyone seemed to agree that it fit the moment. In a single, jerky motion, Aqua lept from her chair and out of the library. She sprinted down the halls while continuing to swing her arms wildly, as she began to laugh like a maniac. Terra got out of his chair, and looked back at her as she gallivanted off. “Does this mean you’re not open to a rematch?” He yelled after her. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Aqua ran out of the Castle and through the main plaza, passing Ven and the Master on her way out. Needless to say, Eraqus was confused, and Ven was terrified. “Stay here, Ventus.” Eraqus said, as he began to follow Aqua, perplexed. Terra immediately followed out of the building, and quickly took notice of Ventus. “Ven!” He called out, as he stopped and knelt before him. “Hey, did Aqua happen to pass by here?” He asked. Ven’s only response was a confused, “Uhm…” Terra looked up in a start, as a large pillar of flame erupted from the sparring grounds. He looked back at Ven and said, “Thanks, Ven, I’ll be back in a bit. Trust me; this doesn’t happen as often as you’d think.” He patted Ven on the shoulder, and then proceeded to run off towards Aqua. Eraqus stood before the large tornado of fire that had appeared not too far ahead of him, completely at a loss. “Aqua?” He spoke out, “Are you alright?” In response, Aqua’s voice sounded from within the tornado. “OF COURSE I AM, MASTER! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ASK SUCH A THING??? I JUST HAVE TO SHOOT A COUPLE THOUSAND FIREBALLS AT THESE STUPID FLOATING METAL RINGS!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!” Immediately following Aqua’s words, several balls of flame emerged from within the tornado and relentlessly struck the training equipment nearby. Fortunately, it was indestructible. It was then that Terra arrived on the scene. Stopping besides his master, he was forced to shield his eyes from the burning air and blinding light of Aqua’s fire. “She’s really going at it, huh?” Eraqus nodded in response. Terra turned towards the Master, and said, “Should we do anything?” Eraqus shook his head. “She… just needs some time.” He said. Terra looked back towards the giant pillar of flame burning before him, and the maniacal laughter that continued to sound within. Yeah, that was probably a good idea. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It took Aqua a good half hour to burn herself out. Honestly, if she could have, she would have gone on for days. But fortunately enough for her companions, she had a finite magic pool. Now, she lay upon a large circle of scorched grass, staring up at the sky. Tinted orange by the setting sun, it probably helped contribute to her growing sense of peace. Terra’s face entered her vision. Well, it was nice while it lasted. He looked surprisingly relaxed, given what had just happened. But then again, so did Aqua. “Hey.” He said. Aqua’s expression remained placid. “Hey.” She replied. Terra sighed, as he took a seat beside her. “You scared the life out of Ven, you know.” Aqua stayed motionless. “Sorry. I’ll apologize to him when we get back to the castle.” Terra nodded. “You better.” A long moment of silence followed, as both sat calmly before the sunset. Suddenly, Terra broke the stagnant pause. “I cheated.” Aqua’s eyes widened, as she finally sat up. She turned to look at Terra, and asked incredulously, “What?” Terra sighed once more. He turned to look at her. “I cheated. I moved before we left… and again when we got back. We skipped your last turn, so you would have won.” Aqua’s stare was piercing, almost empty. Terra could tell that she was still processing what he said. Finally, she managed a smile. “Thank you, Ara.” With that, she stood, brushed herself off, and walked away. Terra turned to watch her leave, and blinked. It was rare for them to use each-other’s nicknames, but that was probably the last thing on his mind. “Thank you…?” He said, to no-one in particular. Still a little surprised, Terra turned away and sighed. For a while, he sat quietly, mewling over the day’s events. If nothing else, it certainly turned out a bit more exciting than he thought it would at first. Maybe that was good enough.

Xehanort's always been a good sport about doing messed up stuff so I'm guessing we'll get something akin to Dark Souls and Akira blended together with every rpg boss ever sprinkled on top for good measure. And good seasoning. Basically, something like this: And that's a conservative guess.

7.8/10 too many hearts