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Hello, In case any Kingdom Hearts fan has missed it: the online fan event, March Caprice, is coming back around next year. I already signed up to be an illustrator and a writer. Although I have time to create my contributions, I don’t fully know what they will be about. Right now, I have an idea about drawing Sora with Final Fantasy Versus XIII in mind. It’s the writing part that I want to figure out. So far, I am thinking about writing something for Kairi, whether it’s a story or a discussion piece. Maybe if I bounce off some ideas, I can come up with a base plan to work off of. If I take the story path, I want the time setting planted in-between Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory and the upcoming Kingdom Hearts IV. The current ideas for the actual story are to focus on Kairi’s mentality and her opinions about her history, or rather her “weakness.” Would Aqua be a good mentor for Kairi or would Aqua end up restricting Kairi’s growth? Will there be a problem that requires the Guardians to deal with? Aside from Sora’s disappearance and the Lost Masters/Foretellers. If I take the discussion path, I might end up talking about what I would like for Kairi’s future post-Melody of Memory. I may have already mentioned a few ideas for a Kairi game (click here for reference), but I wouldn’t mind talking about it more as a conversation. All while coming up with new ideas that add up. There are already some concepts worth exploring, like the World Order. Ultimately, I want to see a game story that is about Kairi as the active protagonist. I want to know more about her as a human being, and none of the magical damsel role from the previous games. Who is Kairi without relying on Sora in any form? Who is she on her own and with other people? What does she like and dislike? Here is the question I should ask: how do you write Kairi as a person? Thanks for reading. (Also on DeviantArt)

Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU Also Available on FF.net | Ao3 | Tumblr Based on Chachacharlieco's Tarzan AU Chapter One- In Which They Disembark The Land of Departure. Home to Master Eraqus and his seven keyblade warriors. The oldest was Terra, 28, a Master. He specialized in brute strength and using his environment to his advantage. The second was Aqua, 27, the first Master. A mage with a gift of elemental magics. The next oldest was Riku, 23, the third Master. He had been chosen by the keyblade, but fell to darkness before he could wield it. Once he recovered himself, he came to Master Eraqus to train and banish the darkness from himself. Next in the line was Ventus, 22, a boy who had been studying under Eraqus for years. He had arrived in the Land of Departure with no memory of his past, and no darkness in his heart. Though he is not a master yet, his strikes continue to be the swiftest and most accurate, though not always the strongest. Next was Kairi, 16, a Princess from Radiant Garden. The newest student under Eraqus. She, like Ventus, has no darkness in her heart. Many in her home world believe that’s why she is able to wield the Keyblade. Finally, the youngest: Sora. Able to summon the keyblade at the age of three, the youngest anyone had in known history. Though, this is all that anyone knows about him anymore. The memories of those who knew him are bittersweet, and therefore, forbidden. As of late, the students had been busy on the field. Darkness was growing, taking over and swallowing worlds. The job of the keyblade warrior was to go out, find the heart of a world, and lock it with the keyblade, forbidding the darkness from overwhelming it and taking it over. So far, their efforts hadn’t been in vain. But as Master Eraqus waited for everyone to return from their latest missions before assigning more, the pupils began to worry that something was dire. They assembled in the foyer, preparing to depart for the next assignment. “I want to express my pride and gratitude for all the hard work you all have done in these hard times. Because of your efforts, almost all the worlds that were in jeopardy have been saved. Though some were lost to the darkness, we cannot dwell in what was. “There is one world left that needs to be locked. It requires all of you to go. Terra and Aqua are prepared to administer the Mark of Mastery exam to Ventus during your mission. Riku, your job will be to accompany Kairi whenever the party separates. This world is treacherous, and should not be traversed lightly.” “Master Eraqus,” Terra spoke up. “Though you gave Aqua and I instructions on what to look for in the exam, you didn’t actually say what world we were going to.” Eraqus looked down to the floor, hesitating. Finally he answered, “Terra, it is the world in which you took your Mark of Mastery Exam.” Aqua and Terra both gasped in shock and fell silent. Riku, Kairi, and Ventus studied the reaction quietly. Aqua often talked about her exam, and everyone had been around to witness Riku’s, but when questioned, Terra would simply supply, “I passed, that’s all that matters.” Eraqus and Aqua didn’t elaborate on it much either, only saying that the exam itself was a success, but something tragic had happened immediately afterward that was still too painful to talk about. Even ten years after the fact. “Master, surely there’s no reason to lock that world? There’s no people there.” “Whether or not a world is worth saving is not up to you to decide. I do understand your concerns and reservations. But as keyblade wielders, it is our job to protect all worlds from the darkness. No matter how rugged or barren it may be.” Kairi was the brave one that spoke up, “Master? What happened that was so...traumatizing?” Aqua, Terra, and Eraqus looked at each other, considering. Finally, Eraqus answered. “Ten years ago, not long after Ventus came to be with us, the five of us travelled to this world, Deep Jungle.” “Wait, the five of you? Eraqus, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus.” Riku counted off on his fingers. “Who was the fifth?” “Sora. A former wielder.” Kairi, Riku, and Ventus all gasped. “There was another one?” Asked Ventus, “Why haven’t you ever talked about them? And...why don’t I remember?” “It’s still too painful to talk about.” Terra admitted. “When you first came here, Ven, you weren’t really all there.” “I know,” he agreed. “But I thought I would be able to remember a whole other person.” Aqua smiled fondly, though it was bittersweet. “Sora loved you. When you were introduced to us, he started asking questions a mile a minute, so much so that you started crying because you were overwhelmed. He did his best to make sure you were always included in things. He actually got you to smile and laugh.” Ventus felt his heart ache. “Really? How old was he?” “At the time, he was six.” Eraqus explained. “Sora was...a prodigy. He was able to summon a keyblade at only the age of three. He couldn’t even speak in full sentences, but he was swinging a full length keyblade around.” “At three years old? That’s amazing!” “It was remarkable. The youngest in recorded history. He came from Riku’s world.” “The Destiny Islands? Really?” “Yes. It took his parents some convincing. I assured them that his training would be light until he got older, and that he would remain safe...but...” He trailed off, thinking. “It was the first world we took Ventus to. All of us went. Besides Terra’s exam, I thought it would be a good way to bond. When the exam time came, Sora and Ventus stayed behind at camp. And when we returned…” Master Eraqus stopped, clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head. Terra continued for him, seeing that Eraqus was having a hard time speaking. “When we came back, the camp was trashed. The tents were ripped to shreds, Ven was scratched and bloody, and Sora was nowhere to be found. When we asked what happened, Ven totally shut down. We searched for three days, but all we could find were his clothes, ripped and covered in blood. Ven found them first, and held them the whole way home. He finally came around to speaking three weeks later, and when we broached the topic of Sora, he had no idea who we were talking about. It seemed like the event was so traumatic he unintentionally blocked it out.” Ventus wanted to cry. His hazy memories at the beginning were often a sore spot for him, but to completely forget a person? A friend? It was heartbreaking. “Since that incident, I had placed a ban on Deep Jungle, but now since you are all capable of protecting yourselves, I am lifting that ban, with the hope that you will lock the heart of the world, and return safely. And for Aqua and Terra, the world may provide you with closure.” “Yes Master,” everyone agreed with a bow. — The flight was quiet. This was the first mission on another world where everyone was present. For this occasion, they borrowed a gummi ship from Disney Castle to get everyone there together. “What’s Deep Jungle like?” Asked Kairi, breaking everyone’s thoughts. “Well,” said Terra with a little laugh. “It’s a Deep Jungle. The trees stretch up hundreds of feet, and there’s all kinds of vines and plants everywhere.” “We set up camp in a bamboo grove when we went. But, it might be a good idea to set up somewhere else instead.” Aqua posed. “There’s no telling how much the world has changed since we were there.” “There’s no people there?” Kairi clarified. “No, but there were a lot of gorillas, if I remember correctly.” “Gorillas!?” Ventus and Kairi shouted in unison. “Now don’t get too excited!” Aqua reprimanded. “They’re still wild animals. This isn’t the zoo, and they will rip your arms off if you get too close. If you see them, leave them alone. Along with any other wildlife you see. We still don’t know what trashed the camp and took Sora. It could be anything.” Despite Kairi’s efforts, the ride fell silent once again. — They landed in the evening. The light fading under the canopy of leaves. “Well, doesn’t like we’re going to get much searching in for the time being.” Riku noted, peering up to the treetops. “You’re right,” Aqua agreed. “We best find a place to camp first, and then we can begin our search in the morning.” All together, they started hiking through the brush, taking care to watch out for snakes and other creatures. Kairi did her best to take it all in, the patterns on the leaves, the flowers desperately sprouting among the tree roots, the vines that twisted and tangled together to create lacy patterns. She stopped suddenly at a vine that looked brown, and oddly like a rope and not a vine. She followed it up with her eyes, and then announced to the group, “Hey, what if we camped up there?” The group halted and followed Kairi’s point, only to see a tree house sitting in the branches of the huge tree next to them. “I don’t remember seeing that the last time we were here.” Terra thought aloud. Riku summoned his armor. “I’ll go check it out, make sure it’s stable.” He transformed his keyblade into a hover board and ascended into the trees. A few minutes later, a boat lowered to the ground. “Hop in!” Riku shouted from above. They went one at a time, just to be safe, until everyone was up in the tree. “Wow, this place is really nice!” Kairi exclaimed, looking over the multiple floors. “That’s not the word I would use,” said Ventus, staring at the moss growing on the wall. Aqua spoke with Terra. “So there are people here after all.” “At least there were at one time,” he winced. “Who knows how long this has been here?” “At least a few years, considering the wood rot.” She kicked at a wall at the corner. “But it looks stable enough.” “Hello?” Kairi shouted up to the rafters. “Is anybody here? Do you mind if we camp here for the night?” “Don’t bother, Kai,” Said Riku, “this place is totally abandoned.” “I don’t know,” said Ventus, looking over some barrels and crates in the corner. “There’s some good stuff here. It might still be occupied.” “What person in their right mind would live in a place like this?” “If they aren’t expecting guests, I’m sure the place would look like junk.” “Hey, check this out.” Riku shoved a crate out of the way, revealing a fireplace made of rocks and clay built into the wall. “Looks like we’ll stay nice and toasty, and Ventus can make us Hobo pies.” “Yay camping!!” The group set to work setting up camp. There was no need for tents, but the boys strung up mosquito nets for some protection. Aqua and Kairi laid out the sleeping bags and stacked crates to make a dressing area. “If someone built this treehouse here, there must be water nearby.” Riku posed, “Aqua come with me.” “Why me?” “It’s only appropriate.” “Oh haha.” She said sarcastically, picking up her canteen. “Then I expect everyone else to get started on dinner while we’re gone.” “Yes ma’am!” Ventus saluted. Terra and Ventus worked together to put the ingredients for dinner together, while Kairi climbed up on the second level, which was just a balcony. There was a pile of rags laid out on the ground, and she wondered if it was supposed to be a bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. “Hello?” She called. “Yes Kairi?” Asked Ventus from below. “No...I just thought—never mind.” Soon, the sun set, and the team called it a day. They sat around talking for a little while, the excitement of all being together in a new world buzzing between them. “We should get to bed,” Aqua reminded, motherly. “The sooner we get up, the sooner we can get started looking for the heart.” “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man, healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Ventus parroted, like a good noodle. “Ah,” Riku chimed in. “But early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy, but socially dead.” “Good night everyone!” Terra shouted, ending the argument. — Kairi was an early riser. Awaking with the sun. Ventus was usually shortly behind. Eraqus had theorized that it was the light in their hearts that resonated with the early sun. That theory was held strongly, considering Terra and Riku were often up late into the night, and therefore up long after breakfast had been made. Just as usual, Kairi was the first to wake at the crack of dawn. The sun’s rays filtered in through the gaps in the wood of the walls. She blinked once, twice, and then realized what she was seeing. A pair of eyes were staring into hers, watching. She screamed, as expected. The shriek woke everyone in camp, as well as scared off whatever had been studying her before she had the chance to get a good look at it. “Geez, What gives Kai?” Asked Riku, just barely awake. “I was—there—it was—something was staring at me!” The rest of the team looked at each other and then burst out laughing. “Did you forget we’re in a jungle? I’m sure there’s lots of things watching us.” Aqua tried to pacify. “Oh great, thanks for bringing that up. Now I’ll never get back to sleep!” Terra whined. “Oh grow up. We should all get up and get to work already. This isn’t a pleasure outing!” “Hey Kai, do us a favor and next time you make eye contact with something, try not to scream, okay?” Riku muttered, still moments away from falling back to sleep. Kairi didn’t respond. She didn’t bother. But she knew one thing for certain: Those were human eyes, and they were the bluest she’d ever seen.

Hello everyone, This will be where I'll be featuring the third installment Transcendence as promised, and the first three chapters, Enjoy! Transcendence Book III Etio Fall Phase 1: Schizophrenic – Forty Years Ago “That is enough!” A young woman barked from the doorway, shoulder length gray hair wearing what looked to be a uniform. “You can't be doing this!” “Just shut the hell up already!” The gold haired man swung his arms across a counter cluttered in glass tubes and papers, the glass shattered on the floor. “You don't have to live with this!” After clearing the space he smashed the counter with his fist before moving on to the next part of the lab. “All of this research, these notes, this whole damn project was my work. This means everything we've been trying to prevent has been my own research!” “Gilgamesh you need to calm down, this is Bevelle, you of all people know you can't act this way.” “How did they even get it?” Gilgamesh had started thinking. “Maybe when I was working on the weapons, yes I think that's right, that me had to be working in Bevelle at the time.” “Gilgamesh I am pleading with you, we need to get out of here.” “Be quiet Haleigh.” He had started searching one of the walls. “They can't be this far along, there has to be a subject they're working on.” Gil punched a hole into the wood before moving onto the the next one. “Nothing's hypothetical with this damn place, they can create all the abominations they want and no one can even attempt to stop them,” Finding what felt like a small button hidden within the wooden grooves. “It's all about the result right?” Speaking sarcastically as a section of the wall opened like a door. “Oh no.” Haleigh's face went pale as Gil proceeded forward mumbling something she didn't make out. “Gil stop, what are you about to do?” “What needs to be done.” Haleigh's demeanor shifted. “What the hell does that mean Gilgamesh?” She clenched her fist at her side as she watched him create a blade in a room of enormous tubes containing what appeared as sleeping children. “Cleaning my mess.” With such speed he cut down one of the tubes and the child inside. Gil looked back at Haleigh with red streaks on his face. “This will be my penance.” A dozen blades appeared, floating at his sides. “These are children Gil, you aren't thinking rationally.” “Make yourself useful.” Gilgamesh's arsenal darted off to every tube in the room tearing all of their contents apart. “Burn all of this.” Haleigh had turned her head to avoid seeing the carnage. “Alright.” Biting down on her lip she did as Gil had asked and began to burn the lab. “What are you going to do now?” “August and Alastair, those were the names on the reports right? We track them down.” “And then what? Are you just going to tear apart Yggdrasil to find-” She stopped short the moment she noticed the armor clad knight in the hall. No one spoke out of the three of them, there was no point in explaining the blood and green fluids oozing from the hidden room let alone the growing scarlet flame in the lab. Gil raised his arm attempting to hold something invisible. “Nega.” The space around his hand distorted for an instant as a black handgun appeared. With a twitch of his finger a black energy shot from the barrel, the knight hadn't even had a chance to avoid being erased. The bullet made contact and expanded into an orb that took the knight and parts of the hall and doorway out of existence. “Havati, damnit Gil what the actual firetruck?” The gun in his hand disappeared. “Get it through your head, they're making killing machines, an entire army all to serve the greater good of Bevelle. Is that a world you want to live in?” “Bleeding hell Gilgamesh, what do you want me to do? I'm with Elipses remember? I answer to Carmicheal, what do you think he's going to do to me after he hears about this?” “We're putting an end to the Amori, if this research bares any fruit it will spell death for countless lives. You are my partner, I need this.” “What do you mean you need me? Look at me Gilgamesh, I'm still getting use to this heart and this arm, my powers are gone, I set things on fire with my mind now.” Haleigh rubbed her temples tiredly. “I'm still waking up with my room on fire sometimes.” “Haleigh Elyse Valestani, I have trained you since you were a child, the Aesir Candidacy was over a century and a half ago, you lost your arm.” Her fake hand tightened. “Gil.” “We took down Negalanthia, you lost your heart and your powers, that was almost seventy years ago.” He didn't seem to have a problem saying any of this to her with a sharp tone. “I am not a child anymore Gilgamesh.” “Then stop acting like one, everything you lost has been replaced, you did that.” “But what happens if they do have one of those things, the Amori, with them? How do we fight something like that? With those kind of bodies what could they be capable of doing?” “And that is exactly why we need to put a stop to this.” Gil held out his hand to her, waiting for her to take it. “This is the fight. Are you with me Scarlet?” He could see her hesitation in the form of a shaking hand, it clenched into a fist before raising up to hold onto his. “I'm with you.” “Good.” He gave her a smile. She did the same looking into the same red eyes as hers. “We need a drink.” Gil laughed only slightly. “Do what you like, but I don't drink anymore.” A set of black jaws formed beneath them as the living weapon Ba'ala swallowed them whole. Given the state of the time period it was rather easy to understand what those people were able to accomplish. In the second era of the man named Gilgamesh he paved the way for all of Bevelle's future success, through his feats and research that version of the homicidal prince had developed a profitable relationship with a dangerous hierarchy. Decades after the incident involving the criminal Alastair Harknet's and August Forlith's escape into the Void, another took up the task of finishing the research left behind by the second Gilgamesh. The Amori were brought into the world under the guise of an army of justice meant to serve one of the Aesir. This work was done by the man called Ludious Alcross. The prince worked on many things, weapons, airships, symbolences and even Anima itself. Yet his most devastating work was that of creating true life. Not something like the Homunculi which at a certain degree were artificial, this is because they lacked a soul. So what was one to do in order to learn how the creation of a soul could be reproduced? The Gilgamesh at this time was cunning and knew many things, he sought out a prisoner in the middle of a storming ocean, one that was said to have created a child, one for an Aesir to call its son. From a masked man covered in several tattered robes and scarves, Gilgamesh learned what it was to make life. However he had also unwittingly set several gears into motion that would further along a great masterpiece that had been set in place long before anything else. In truth this world is a lie, and on that day during the third era of the man named Gilgamesh, he would give his life to put an end to his mistakes. However Gilgamesh would give all that he had to stop the progression of his mistakes, this would only mean the fourth era of his life would begin. How many times could one like him fracture his soul, what would happen to the world around him if it was put back into one piece? Given the state of the world at the time, it might have been better if the man known as Gilgamesh Thanatos had never existed at all. The Amori that cost the third version of Gilgamesh his life was an exceedingly young girl, they couldn't kill her , not for lack of trying of course. In the end it was the fourth version of Gilgamesh that decided to attempt to save the child instead. Decades later Gilgamesh had changed the child in many ways in hopes of giving it a better life. He gave the child to a couple who weren't able to have children. A human woman in perfect health, but the feykin man possessed a certain quality that took his ability to have children. Anima. The story had a happy ending Gilgamesh thought. Only a few years after that, he learned he was wrong. – April Twenty Fifth, Seven days before the start of the Third Void Conflict “Do you understand?” A male voice asked from a phone. Isaac stood at the bottom of a flight of stairs beside a flickering lamppost. “To be honest I'm a little confused that you know all of this.” “I'm your boss Isaac, it's my job to know things. I have given you an order, will you follow it?” The voice asked sternly. Isaac paused for a moment as he considered the implications of his next set of actions. “I understand Carmicheal. I will eliminate Caleb Harris before anyone can get their hands on him.” “Good luck.” The line went dead and Isaac clasped the phone shut, exhaling tiredly. He leaned against the lamp post at the foot of the stairs when Caleb had arrived. “Do we need a cab?” He tried to hail one down from up the street. “Its just up the street. Sorry we're gonna have to cut this short.” Isaac apologized, putting his phone in his pocket as they started walking. “Work?” “Yeah a big job just came in and they need my help.” – The Eternal Desert, Present Day Sand that stretched on forever, a scorching unseen sun and a disorienting clear blue sky. Not a wind or sound. In an instant multicolored dust appeared from nowhere forming what could only be a person, a young man with a scar stretched across his face hacking on his hands and knees. Shrill didn't describe the sound he made taking the deepest breath of his life, “firetruck you Holomark.” Matthew fell over to his side still gasping as he remember it was definitely Holomark's, for lack of a better word, insane training that served as the reason he was still alive. “Thank you Holomark.” He drifted off to sleep on the hot sand with relief on his face. Phase 2: Lethargy At the end of a long tunnel a clearing had been what awaited Gilgamesh, wet stone walls and what appeared to be metal wreckage protruding trough the walls, floors and ceiling. He knew the root had to be close but couldn't stop himself from approaching one of the giant pieces and placing a hand on its cold surface, the feeling he got from it was odd almost sensing its unfathomable age. “I do not like this place.” His exasperation presented itself with a heavy and tired sigh. “It's likely that it's not to fond of you either.” An eerily familiar voice spoke out to Gilgamesh much closer than he felt comfortable. Gil's head shot up to find Phi sitting upon the wreckage, instantly taking a step back. “So it's you, one of Pride's valiant lapdogs.” Gil did his absolute best to ensure not an ounce of his animosity was hidden towards the man. “Separating us and messing with peoples minds, it's really starting to look like your skill sets don't go much farther than that, well aside from the whole tearing worlds apart but semantics and all that.” “You disappoint me Gilgamesh.” Phi was clearly looking down on him in every sense. “Not a shred of the man I once knew, it was almost hard to believe and I hardly recognized you.” “What?” Gil's pupils shrunk only slightly but enough for Phi to notice. “To clear the record I have yet to do anything to you or your colleagues it's this place you can thank for that fortune, and one last thing,” For just a brief second Gil swore he watched the man smile. “What made you so certain we've been following Sarrin?” There wasn't time for him to respond, the sharp pain reaching into his back had diverted all of his attention. Gil dealt with the pain quickly but found it hard to move a muscle let alone from where he stood, after great effort he was able to turn his head just enough to see a gray skinned woman elegantly dressed in a black dress littered in black feathers. A smile on her face and a pair of unsettling eyes, one purple one yellow. “N-Nyx..” Gilgamesh's mother, his worst possible nightmare. Her grin widened in her bemusement. “My little Thanatos, it's so good to see you again, I do hope you missed me.” She reached deeper and saw Gil's expression lose form and give over to shock. Something inside him had snapped, his mind had opened. Every bit of him began to flood out into his mind, things he didn't remember, terrors long forgotten. Words didn't seem to be able to fill the silence but Alistair would take care of that for them. “You're just not the brightest pair you know? I mean how many time do you need to impale someone before they think to themselves, maybe I should sit this one out,” The playfulness dropped from his face and tone with what he said next. “Maybe I just don't have what it takes.” He was pushing their buttons, a young girl in a gray coat with fiery orange eyes to be precise. “Yes let's start with you, pleasure before business of course.” Sophira wore a somber yet bleak expression, feeling resigned to fight, or rather a need to brake something. She took three supposedly calm steps forward before Hunter raised his arm and blocked her way. A feral expression showed itself on her face. “This again, what the hell is it with you?” She asked sternly as the lights in her eyes burned brightly. Hunter said nothing, turning on his heel to face her the same instant he planted his gauntlet into her stomach. The lights in her eyes died with a gasp forcing its way out, she flew back with a sharp tone in the air as her limp body bounced off of the stone and down the tunnel they had came through disappearing into the darkness. Alastair put a hand over his eyes for a second letting out a chuckle. “That was almost kind,” He drew a long broad sword out of the air. “But let's be honest we both know you're not capable of that.” Vwiess raised a thin flat tipped blade, a blue light coming from the slot in his mask. Without a word he lunged forward but stopped in his tacks after only a few paces to parry a small weighted spike attached to links of chains aimed for his chest. It wrapped around his sword, ripping it out of his hand and retracting into the swirling dark portal it emerged from. Not a second later the same blade had reformed in his hand with no seemingly no effort from the wielder. A whistle sang from Alistair's lips. “No point in disarming you is it?” Dozens of small swirling portals opened on every surface of the chamber. “I wonder how long it will take to put an end to you, little brat.” He snapped his middle finger with his thumb wearing a devious grin as two chains shot out at Hunter. A colossal swirl of bright and dark particles mixed together in some form of ordered chaos, Aeolus watched the motions closely almost understanding its nature. Truly an unstoppable force. “You failed me twice,” Having noticed the instant Isaac had appeared behind him he didn't bother to turn around. “Coming back here may not have been the wisest of actions for a failure.” Silence hung in the void for what seemed to be its own eternity, Aeolus didn't quiet recognize the feeling he was getting from the young man. It was two voices instead of one that came from Isaac. “Who are you calling a failure? You Faker.” Sarrin turned his upper body to look at the boy only to find that there was no one to be seen, he was alone seeming almost fazed. “You fool, you've given up your freedom.” Phase 3: The Boy From The Void For a long time I was asleep, For a long long time I was asleep. I use to hear a voice, a woman's voice that told me stories I don't remember, I heard her voice for a long time and then it was gone. A new voice came to me for the first time not long after, it said things I couldn't understand at the time and gave me something that changed me. Someone else gave me something similar once but I don't remember when. I lost what I was in a way, I felt broken. I was corrupted. I found my self in a place I knew I could never leave, it was the only thing keeping me together, keeping me alive. I learned it well, I spent so much time there I could describe every detail from the dark nothingness to the circle with branching lines illuminated by a dim and pale white glow down to the floating windows lined with tears in the emptiness that showed me worlds I had never seen. These were the first things I ever saw and I would see them for what felt like an eternity, this was the place I was born to. All I had were those windows and what it showed, So many things and places all of which I failed to understand. I watched and watched and watched until one day they went dark and the circle with the branching lines lit up so brightly that it showed me just how empty my world was. Everything returned to normal soon after and the windows had started over from the beginning. As time went on endlessly I began to learn and understand about the worlds I saw and the things called people in them, yet no matter how much time had passed or however slightly different each iteration was it would constantly end the same and start from the beginning. I continued to learn more and more, I absorbed it all desperately, it was all I had. Eventually I was even able to occasionally change what they showed me through my will and follow what I thought to be important events. I could never change anything, I couldn't warn them, The only thing I could do was watch them die and start over. This was more than I could accept, I rejected it entirely, refused to accept it, demanded more. I knew everything but could do nothing, it was then that I asked, what if I gave myself? I forced the windows to show me a reality where I myself participated in this world and they would stop. Each time I asked they would do this until they eventually showed me the same image I had never seen before. A child with long curly hair standing on a beach of black sand with a bright teal sea accompanied by a dark red sky littered in black clouds. I was shone this by the screens but simply seeing this stirred something within myself and I was shown that child's vision of the future. Without remembering it or even understanding it, I was left in wonder with the assurance that without these things I could still believe in it. I understood what needed to be done, what I needed to do. I gave up as much of myself as I could still making sure that I would leave enough to keep what I would leave behind alive in the same way that I was kept alive. The two halves along with myself could not survive without this place. Names were something that I never fully understood never having one myself yet I felt it necessary to bestow them upon what I'd leave behind. Providence, for the piece of me blessed with the ability to live in this place without fear of true death. Memento Mori for the one that would have the chance to make a difference with borrowed time. These were the only things I gave them and the only things they would know. I'm not sure how much of me is still that person, so much has happened yet I know I have barely lived a fraction of its life. I know I'm me but I also know that right now I'm not myself. There's just to much of me within myself and not enough on the outside. A young man had made it into my world and showed me that I could be more than I was but I seem to have lost sight of myself in the process. Maybe this is why I'm here, to line the pieces up. I do remember it though, those first words I was given, Memento Mori.

Hello everyone! We are currently looking for more staff to help contribute and work hard to keep KH13 great! Nothing beats contributing to the success of something you enjoy and love! We are especially searching for people to contribute to the KHX, Social Media,Translators, and News Teams. Joining the Staff has some wonderful perks, like working with fellow Kingdom Hearts enthusiasts who love giving back to the fandom with the latest news and updates, and being among the first to know any details we receive from said media outlets! For News Team: What we're looking for: - Passionate about the Kingdom Hearts series and up-to-date with the latest news. - Active enough and availability to regularly watch out for news and *respond quickly* when something appears. - Eagerness to volunteer, contribute, and engage in team work. - Reasonable writing skills and appreciation for fact-checking and accuracy. Optional for News but important for KHX team: - Someone who keeps up-to-date with Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ (Japanese version and International version) would be very helpful! - Japanese language skills. For Social Media: What we're looking for: A big interest in the Kingdom Hearts series. Active enough to regularly post on the KH13 Community Twitter, KH13 Tumblr & KH13 Facebook pages. Creativity Reasonable writing skills. Typical tasks: Posting KH13 fan-content (art, videos, discussions, fictions) daily Helping to create the Poll of the Day each day. Scheduling monthly posts: Kingdom Hearts anniversaries, Disney film/SE game anniversaries, birthdays, music (fan-made and original) & holiday posts. Looking for ‘other news’ to retweet on the Twitter page (t-shirts designs, music album/manga/novel releases, podcasts, etc). Coming up with ideas for new features or expanding on current ones. For Translators: We are currently looking for Japanese -> English translators to help contribute to the KH13 News Teams! We are looking for people who can give us translations of Japanese articles from popular gaming sources like Famitsu, Jump and Dengeki magazines, in addition to updates on the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts Union x[cross]. We will provide the text for you. If you are able to translate proficiently enough to help us understand the main highlights and the essence of what is being said please apply and we can work together on helping keep our fellow Kingdom Hearts fans informed and up-to-date! • Experience is not required as we're happy to try out new people, even those who have no formal experience translating things for others • We will be taking into account your proficiency level of course, but we encourage people to try out even if they're not super confident - because even if your proficiency is not 100%, we might still be able to use your help in translating short texts for us. • You will always be credited for your work whenever your translations are used ​If you are interested, don't be shy! Either post here or privately message me to apply. Let us know why you feel you would be a great asset to our staff. This is a volunteer job that we all enjoy and love! Good luck and will look forward to hearing from you!

Please read: Chapter 1 The cargo hold of a massive, great ship sailing off the coast, filled to the brim with things ripe for the taking. Sliding down a pole, his tail tucked up to avoid a repeat of the time he skinned the tip by getting it caught in a gear off the chains, Zidane landed softly on the balls of his feet, catlike. He walked off down the hall, past flickering candles in smoky glass holders, and went in a door, letting it slam behind him. "Man...it sure is dark in here.." He muttered to himself, his eyes barely able to see the floor, let alone anything ahead in the darkness of the room he'd entered. He took three timid steps forward, looking around in the vain hope of being able to see anything in the inky gloom, no light source aiding this fruitless search. "I guess nobody's here yet...figure's they'd all be late." He complained, crossing his arms, his tail flicking, irritated. He'd had enough: striking a match, he could only just see by its dim glow. The room was still empty, no matter what he did, so he tried to be patient, walking around with no real aim in mind, and poking around in drawers. After the first few matches burned the tips of his fingers, he light the candle gracing the simple wooden table in the center of the room, the brilliant glow letting him see at last. "Who's there?!" A voice demanded. "It's...uh...me, Zidane!" He called back. The door flew open then, and a group of people rushed in, smirking. "Hey Zidane!" A man with dark hair cried, "You sure are late! Sleep in again?" "Sorry, Blank...I...ahem.." Zidane cleared his throat. "So, where's the boss?" "Ain't here yet." A short man named Cinna grunted, rolling his eyes. Just then a door burst open, a big creature with armour that looked a bit like a dragon bursting into the room. It let out an ear piercing roar, as the small group fanned out into battle positions, attacking it from the left and right, swinging at any flesh that was open. "To your left, kid! Watch yourself!" Blank cried, taking a careful jab at the monsters left leg. Zidane dodged, feeling the rush of air go by as the monster's punch missed him by inches. A final blow broke the head open, revealing a face shadowed by a beard beneath dark glasses. "Oh...my aching head...you people..." The man whined, rubbing a sore spot on his skull. The group took deep breaths, Zidane's left arm hurting from a hard impact with the floor. "Hey, fools!" The man cried. His name was Baku, and he was the leader of the group. He strode to the front of the room, and grinned at them all. "You're lookin' a lot better! But you need to work out your doge, Zidane." Zidane nodded quietly. Baku strode into the next room, and everyone scurried after, Zidane still rubbing his aching arm. He'd need a bandage possibly. He hoped it was a sprain. "Alright!" Baku bellowed from the front of the room, "Let's start this meeting already!" Everyone took a seat, watching him closely. "Here's the plan: Tantalus, that oh so infamous band of merry thieves," He tipped a wink, "That's us, is headin' to the Kingdom of Alexandria." He nodded at a miniature of the kingdom on the table, detailing every spire and window of the massive place. "Our mission: to kidnap the heir to the throne... Princess Garnet!" Everyone was silent. "I'll take it from here." Cinna said, getting to his feet. "So listen up! Our ship's about to dock at Alexandria, and when it does, we're gonna put on our costumes, and perform "I Want to Be your Canary", the most popular play in all of Alexandria!" The others showed little enthusiasm at this. Cinna grinned. "Break a leg, Marcus: you're our lead." Marcus smirked, "Leave the actin' to me. I'm a born thespian. Course, the real kidnappers'll be Blank and Zidane." "I'll distract the audience from backstage with these." Blank said. He groaned. "Ughh...I can't stand oglops..." He grinned. "But I'll manage. don't you worry your pretty heads about me. And that'll be your cue, Zidane. " Zidane had been only half listening, and jerked to attention. "Uh... that's when I kidnap Princess Garnet, r..right?" "You bet!" Baku declared, "You're gonna kidnap the most baaaabe-ilicious beauty in all of Alexandria, Princess Garnet!"

So, I've been meaning to make this rant for years now and I finally decided to make this. Before I start, I would like to point out that this is all opinion-based. You could agree with me (which I highly doubt you will), you could disagree with me and that's fine (but if you try changing my mind or say I'm wrong then I won't care) or you could find this interesting, who knows? Anyway, this might be long, so if you're not into long rants I suggest you leave now. Let's begin: Essentially, I'm a pretty different individual to this topic here and you'll probably find this surprising so hang tight and get something to bite and/or scratch cause you're probably gonna cringe at my words. These past few years, after spending more time on the internet, I've been surprised by the huge dislikes and hate towards the stories of movies, TV shows, video games, etc. to which I personally enjoy a lot. Of course, there's nothing wrong with hating/disliking something as it is all opinion-based, I was just surprised. And after seeing these, to me, it almost feels like that there are 'rules' or 'laws' in order to make a 'good story'. They almost feel forced towards me that it kind of angers me sometimes. When I go watch a movie, for example, I don't give a crap at ALL about character development, background of characters, plot development and all the rest which I personally find to be stupid. All I care about is if the story is interesting or not, THAT'S IT! I don't care if characters were "one-dimensional", I don't care if the plot wasn't "paced well", I don't care if we didn't learn more about a character, I don't care if a scene seemed unnecessary, I don't care if... you get the idea. To me, constantly hearing these over and over again just feels like these are 'laws' that need to be followed. And like I said, I don't care. There are SO many stories that I enjoyed that I hear a lot of people hate. You want examples? Here you go: Maleficent Home on the Range Iron Man 2 Until Dawn Alice in Wonderland (2010) Fantastic Four (not the 2015 version, but I probably would've liked it, had I seen it) Jingle All the Way Master of Disguise Space Jam Cars and Cars 2 (Really don't understand the hate on these movies. I keep hearing "It's a bad idea" yet I never heard why. Pirates of the Carribean On Strangers' Tides Sword Art Online And that's just a few. You're probably banging your head to the wall right now aren't you? Well this is the big kicker here: I probably would like the movies Dragonball: Evolution and The Last Airbender if I hadn't seen their respective shows beforehand. Well, glad I got that out of the way, I just have one more thing to say which kind of relates to this. You ready? *Drops Mic*

MasterXemnas walked up to the counter to receive his order, when he opened the bag and peeked at his burger, he realized they hadn't put enough bacon on it and he slammed his fist down on the counter, causing the cashier to jump. "Fool! I asked for EXTRA BACON! What is this?" He asked, holding up two small pieces of bacon. "This isn't extra bacon! I demand to see the manager!" As the words left his mouth, Sora walked out and looked at him. "May I ask what the problem is?" "Fool. I asked for extra bacon and I get this!" MasterXemnas replied, throwing the two small pieces of Bacon at Sora's face. Sora pulled the bacon off and wiped his face clear of grease. "How about we take this outside?" "No." "FIne. You leave me no choice." Sora summoned his keyblade and attacked MasterXemnas. "Fool. You cannot beat me." MasterXemnas said, summoning his weapons and blocking Sora's attack.The fighting continued, slashing, blocking, and hitting each other before Elbow Juice came up in between the two and froze the weapons with a wave of his wand. He faced MasterXemnas with a to-go bag. "I believe this is your order sir?" He asked, handing the bag over to him. MasterXemnas peeked inside the bag, pleased to find a burger with 4 slices of bacon. "Fool. Yes it is." MasterXemnas replied, walking out the door. Lalalablah stood up from her spot in the back of the room. "What the heck just happened?" When no one answered she sat back down and muttered "Stupid people." to herself. ________________________________ How was that? This is the story I have wrote in accordance with the post: http://kh13.com/forum/topic/64761-permission/ Thanks to Lalalablah, MasterXemnas, Sora, and Elbow Juice for letting me use them as characters in this crazy story!

A/N: Hi. I had a bit of a rough sleep last night and so I woke up pretty early today. For some reason this idea popped into my head when I was listening to music (you'll never guess what I was listening to). So I present to you the first piece of KH inspired creative writing I have written in a good two years or so. I may be a little rusty so C&C would be welcomed! Enjoy. My Enemy The feeling came when Riku least expected it. Being able to keep the darkness within him locked away, he was able to feel it creeping up inside his heart. A feeling of suffocation, like chains were wrapped around his heart, pulling it deeper into the abyss. Every moment that passed, the feeling became stronger. Leaking from his heart and coursing through the rest of his body, like a swirl of energy travelling from head to toe, swaying back and forth. The sensation ran through his soul like a river but it would also reside most deeply where he had learned to trap it, within his heart. “How?...” The deep voice in his head asked him. “How are you doing this?” “Ansem... Simple. I'm not afraid of the darkness. And unlike you, I don't surrender to it either.” Riku answered. Enraged but never one to be defeated so quickly, Ansem, much like his human self, Xehanort, always had a back up plan. And in this case he would use her. Her. The one Riku had dived deep into the darkness to rescue in the first place. At the cost of both her heart and Sora's. The one Riku had told himself he had to forget and whose contact dwindled over the past year, never because he forgot about her but because he couldn't forget about her. Her who Riku had blocked out for so long that he almost could not match her fact to her name anymore. Kairi. Riku froze in his tracks, dropping to his knees and slammed the way to the dawn into the ground in frustration. Another secret that Riku had kept to himself, his feelings for her could now be used against him. Ansem had access to his heart and everything connected to it. He knew all about Riku and used the boy's memories against him. Except for the one memory that even Ansem could not access, Riku as a young child talking to a man on Destiny Islands, the man looked familiar but Ansem could not recognize him or see clearly what was happening at the time, but it angered him when he tried to access the memory. “How does it feel knowing you lack the power to save her?” Ansem asked Riku. But Riku knew that she was waiting for him and Sora to return home. In the meantime, he could not let Ansem use his friends against him like this. Placing the memories at the back of his mind he pushed himself up to his feet again, he was in Castle Oblivion after all, the realm of twilight, a place where Riku felt he belonged are both rejecting darkness and being rejected by light. Denying The Rising Ansem left Riku for a moment, to join with his nobody, Xemnas. Xemnas and the rest of the Organisation had Namine and she would be a vital part of their plan. She had the power to control the memories of Sora and those connected to his heart. “News?" Xemnas turned his attention towards his heartless self. Talking with a version of his own self was something he was becoming accustomed to, he never trusted or had the time for anybody else anyway. “He's not submitting.”Ansem said. “My attempts to reach out to the darkness in him, collapse under the light.” The air was silent between the two of them for a moment. Ansem turned to Namine, she spent all her time in the white room, so that's where they had to go to giver her orders. “Bring her in!” Ansem demanded. Riku had just finished fighting a group of heartless. But it didn't take a long for the surge of darkness to return to his heart. Only this time... Itch, itch. Something in his mind. He hated her. She was a means to an end and nothing more. And as for Sora, some best friend he turned out to be, he stole everything away from Riku. The Keyblade, his trust, his friend. Everything but the darkness. “What is?---” Riku's voice broke away mid sentence “They are your enemy.” Ansem finished it for him. Something's happening Mind distracting My pulse is raising The darkness fuelled by the hate, hate towards those who he fought so hard for only to be betrayed in the end. Riku was not an addict but he knew what it was like to have something you care about so much ripped away from your life like that. He needed something to fill the void left by his friendships being destroyed. “Arghhhh!” Only noise came out as Riku let the darkness devour him. Mental Torture Can't escape the paranoia The Way to The Dawn took a different form. The sharp edges, the dark grey colours and legendary demonic face etched just above the handguard. This was master Xehanort's keyblade. Riku was no longer himself. “Now. We will rid you of those who have hurt you. They are your enemy now!” Riku said to himself, his physical appearance and voice had changed. He was Ansem now. He lied to me He's hates me He lied to me He's using me He's dead to me Sora, he is my enemy! And with that Ansem opened up a portal to the dark corridor. Riku was going to find Sora and all the rest of them. One by one they will all fall to his Keyblade. Namine knew what she had done, she could only watch the events unfold now, she felt the same pain inside her that she had caused onto Sora and his friends. But she had a plan. No. She wouldn't let them use her like this. Not again. She began to draw a picture in her notepad. She wasn't the best drawer but her drawings had the power to instil memories in other people. A picture that was worth more than a thousand words. As she finished the drawing, she smiled at it. Sora, Riku and Kairi, sitting on the shoreline of Destiny Islands, watching the waves. The thought of pone day having friendships as strong as that herself made her happy. Ansem was in the corridor of darkness, betwixt and between. When he suddenly felt it. The feeling came when Ansem least expected it. Being able to keep the light within him locked away, he was able to feel it creeping up inside him. Like chains of light around a heart of darkness. “What?!” “No! No not now!” Ansem put his hand over his chest, exactly where his heart would be. The memories came flooding back to him. Friendship. An unbreakable bond between the three that even darkness could not consume. Riku, just like Terra before him, did everything he could to fight for that bond. The light shined bright within him. Ansem had not seen a light as blinding as this since he opened Kingdom Hearts was was equally as stunned that it was there at all. If I speak with human elegance and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I have faith to say to a mountain jump and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give all I earn to the poor Or even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr But I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere So, no matter what I say, no matter what I believe, no matter what I do I’m bankrupt without love. Riku had done it, he had taken back control of his mind, his heart and his body. But the internal struggle was not yet over. Ansem was still floating in front of him. The two squared off, facing each other, not one of them blinking or moving breaking eye contact. Ansem, though furious, stood with his arms folded, he knew it was just a matter of time. “Such a fool. Fight back as much as you want, your heart will eventually betray you. Every light must fade. Every heart return to darkness!” And Ansem, having used the last of his power, faded into the dark abyss. Riku knew he would be back. But for now he had love and friendship to fight for. Darkness was his only enemy.

I made this and I'm not really sure what else to do with it, so I guess I'll just post it here. It's a KH story about an original character I made up called Ziemia (Polish for earth, trying to keep up that trend) and her apprenticeship. Set pre-BBS. I originally meant for it to be longer but I decided I'd leave it hanging here. The context of the story should imply their fates. Hope you like it. ----- Ziemia sat quietly reading in her chair while her Master studied at the desk opposite her. While Ziemia filled her head with loosely fictional stories passed down through generations, her Master worked hard at unravelling the truth from the long-forgotten past. Ziemia highly admired that about her Master. He was so knowledgeable already, but he’d stop at nothing to learn even more. Meanwhile, all she ever did was drink in tales and fables even though there was still so much to learn. She didn’t mind that too much. She was still learning a lot from her Master every day and as long as she enjoyed her novels, did it matter that they weren’t real? Anyway, Ziemia found that she could learn a lot about herself by absorbing the views and thoughts of her authors and their characters and assessing them. Sometimes she did this with her Master, although that was hard to do since he didn’t see much point in them. Still, Ziemia was learning about herself through books and about the worlds around her through her Master. She was content. Yet as much as she tried to convince herself of that, she envied her Master too much to avoid comparing herself to him. His criticisms of her cut deep and her flaws were so apparent in their training against his perfections. She didn’t wholly like her Master and she certainly didn’t agree with him all the time, yet still she longed to have his power, his wisdom and above all his confidence. Whatever her differences with him were, there was nobody she respected more. Ziemia turned the page, almost at the end of her chapter. Most of the books she read were based on accounts of the heroes and villains of the Keyblade War, sometimes by surviving participants and other times by observant witnesses. They often weren’t accurate accounts (and when they were, her Master would take more interest), but Ziemia was only interested in the characterisations and stories. She loved it when one story portrayed light as the ultimate force against darkness, while another displayed darkness as the greatest power a warrior could ever wield and both would have convincing ideals behind it. Between both sides, Ziemia felt like she was learning more about light, darkness and the war than she ever did in her lessons. Her Master was quick to remind her that experience was the most valuable way to learn, but encouraged her to keep an open mind about light and darkness. Master and pupil had spent many sessions discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both light and darkness. To her Master’s disappointment, Ziemia was unwilling to utilise the darkness in her heart more than she was comfortable with. She’d never push it to be more than a dark corner of power she could weaponise in controlled bursts, afraid to try and unleash it any further. “Light and darkness are a balance,” her Master would say. “Unless you learn to balance the darkness in your heart with your light, how do you expect to reach your full potential?” “Forgive me Master,” she had replied once. “But if I’m not careful, the darkness will consume me. Many past warriors fell to their own power because they thought they were above it. Who’s to say I won’t corrupt myself? Someone could even use my own darkness against me!” “You think so?” Her Master stroked his chin, which was lately growing a small beard. “Darkness is difficult to master, yes. But once you accomplish that task, you need not ever fear it again. And you’ll never master it as long as you fear it.” “Of course, Master. But I need time. Under your tutelage, I know I’ll get there one day… It’s just not today.” “Ziemia…” He turned his head in thought for a moment. “There are times when people must take risks in order to proceed. Safety will not help you learn anything.” Yes, but it might help me live longer, Ziemia thought to herself but didn’t retort. She knew her Master was referring to her armour, which she still wore when they travelled through the lanes. Her Master was familiar enough with darkness to travel without it but she didn’t have faith that she’d cope that well. She hesitated before she next responded. “So have you mastered your darkness already, Master?” She felt nervous about the question but the old man smiled and answered easily. “Yes. But it’s not something I accomplished by cowering from it, Ziemia. You’ll understand one day.” “Of course,” she replied as she bowed. “Thank you, Master Xehanort.” *** Ziemia finished her chapter and put the book down. Her favourite character had just been killed. She always needed time to think when that happened. He’d trusted the wrong person and lost everything right when it counted. It was a dramatic, sudden and unfair end to such a worthy person. Sometimes life and death were equally cruel, but at the end of the day it was always their decisions that brought them to their close. Nobody was more at fault than their own selves. Ziemia wondered what legacy she’d leave behind; what lessons would her life set an example for teaching? She had no doubt her Master would leave greater ones, but she still hoped to match him in some way. He encouraged her to follow him in everything, but she wanted to be known for her own accomplishments and her own dreams. Characters that lived and died as somebody else’s number two were never respected and hardly loved. Besides, she knew from books that following too strictly in the footsteps of another was dangerous. If you follow the wrong person, their failures become yours. Indeed, Ziemia sometimes wondered if she was following the right person. Her Master’s knowledge was unrivalled, but his methods and ideals were highly unorthodox. She was unlikely to find a better Master anywhere else, but perhaps she should be more concerned about finding a good Master than a great one. For all his criticisms of her cowardice, she’d already taken a big risk in her life by siding with him and following in his footsteps. The pupils and teachers of her old school had been unnerved by him, but she decided to give him a chance and asked to become his apprentice. In some ways, she was glad that she did. She’d learned so much more since leaving her home and she’d never really fit in with the others anyway. There were times that she missed someone that she’d been close to, but still she’d always felt like an outcast. A friend that was never needed and rarely missed. Not that she’d come to Xehanort seeking companionship, but perhaps that was for the best. She didn’t know how to work well with people and so she was probably better off alone. All the same, Ziemia couldn’t figure her Master out. She’d lately been reading books that took time to write about character motivations: what these people were after, why they were after it, how far they’d go to get it and why they failed to achieve it. Sometimes she tried to apply this to her Master. What was he hoping to get out of all this learning? And why did he never feel the need to teach all of this history, even to her? If she didn’t understand where her Master was going, how could she claim to understand why she was following him? Master Xehanort stood up from the scrolls he was reading, a slight air of frustration around him. For some time now, they’d been spending their days travelling to whatever storehouses of records or banks of knowledge they could find. All to learn about the Keyblade War, which Xehanort appeared to already know inside-out. The more Ziemia thought about it, the more she wondered what the point was. Each time, Xehanort would absorb another vault of words, only to leave in disappointment or annoyance and repeat the process. Only now did Ziemia realise that he must be looking for something but whatever it was, he wasn’t finding it. “Ziemia, we’re leaving.” It was all he needed to say. Ziemia rose obediently, packing her book into her bag as she did so. Together, they headed out the door and into the open air, where Master Xehanort summoned his keyblade to open a gateway. Ziemia couldn’t resist a glance back at the little hut they’d just left. It seemed to have some kind of historical significance to Xehanort but even so, he had no real need of it. It was a cosy place though; the closest thing the two of them had to a home. They moved around so much, Ziemia didn’t consider anywhere a home anymore, but they stopped at this little place more frequently than others, usually just as a rest stop where the two of them would catch up on some reading. Ziemia was growing fond of it. It made her miss having a real home. Part of her even longed for a real friend, despite how much she tried to dismiss that gap in her heart. She turned back to her Master, who was waiting by the gateway. He looked at her with the anticipation of disappointment that he typically did while he waited for her to equip her armour. Ziemia was already reaching for her shoulder guard, about to summon it, when she hesitated. Maybe it was her latest reflections, maybe she was still sore from the loss in her book or maybe she was just sick and tired of never knowing what to do. Ziemia didn’t know for sure, nor did she really care. All that concerned her in that moment was stepping up and making a difference in her life. She wanted to grow beyond her Master’s shadow, to evolve as a keyblade warrior and as a person. It was a sudden spontaneous urge, a flash of desire, an impulse that meant the difference between order and chaos, light and darkness or life and death. It didn’t last, but neither did it refuse to leave a mark. Ziemia felt caught in a gravitational pull while she held on for dear life. She was struggling with the logic and sense of knowing her limits while respecting the dangers and the imbalance and ego within her that was pushing to defy her limits and make a difference in her life. She found herself at war with herself and no amount of inspirational words from the people she’d read about could put it right. There were too many factors and too many opposing sides to bring her to peace. She looked at the only real factor present, raising her eyes to meet those of Xehanort, looking to see what his reaction was. Her hand was frozen, hovering inches away from her shoulder guard; her hesitation was extremely obvious. Xehanort could see it and from the look he was giving her, Ziemia thought he looked intrigued yet doubtful. He raised an eyebrow at her, giving her the barest of smirks, as though daring her to make a move, not once saying a word, simply watching to see what she would decide. Ziemia was torn, but looking at Xehanort’s face made her lose focus. She could already see his face falling when she hit her pad; she could picture him shaking his head in shame as she passed through the portal wearing the protective gear that he loathed so much. She’d put up with his gripes at her reluctance for so long that in that moment, her annoyance took hold. She made her decision and lowered her hand. Master Xehanort’s slight smirk became a wide grin as Ziemia spurned her armour and stepped forward to travel without it. Even so, he never raised his brow, as though he were taunting her even now. As Ziemia came to a stop in front of him, staring at him with resolve, he still said nothing. He merely nodded his approval and stepped into the lanes between. Ziemia held back for a couple of seconds; one last hesitation of nerves forcing her to ask herself what she was doing. But there was no going back now. Even if she wasn’t ready, she had to make this choice. Ziemia summoned her keyblade and stepped into the darkness.

Yeah yeah, two topics in the same day. but, whatever. Okay, so what we do is post an instrumental/lyric-less song you love, and the person below you creates lyrics for at least the first verse of the song from it's main melody. Then they can post an instrumental/lyric-less song of their choice and keep going from there. The lyrics can touching, silly, nonsensical, loving, poetic, etc. However, keep it PG-13. I'll start. Melody starts at 0:17.