Kingdom Hearts: Destati

[Merlin326]

very interesting Jones. i got my version from the idea of Black Holes, the Ing from Metroid Prime 2, and the nobodies mixed together. i am still debating whether to include the Void in this story or in any sequal i do. so far, there are 7 different individual sides in this story already, all of which working for the same thing. and as we get further on, we will discover the identities of these sides.

the ones i can reveal now are:

the Heroes of Light (Sora and co.)
Master Xehanort, Valzog, and their Heartless Army
Maleficent and Pete

and four unknown groups. each has their own adgenda, each with their own plans. all working for the same goal: Kingdom Hearts.

by the way, Jones, nice way of rearranging a famous quote into something realistic. i have seen that done to the quote "no news is good news."

and blendedhearts: i have never really considered working for SE, though (coincidently enough) i have been interested in designing video games as a career, so one may never know what the future will lead us too...

EDIT: i have a question for you all. how old do you think Master Xehanort is (judging by the pictures we have seen of the old coot). i am terrible at judging things like this i need to for future events. he seems about 60+ by the pictures...

with all due respect,
Merlin326

[R0ad H0g]

Yay! While I was reading the chapter, it reminded me of the Ing from Metroid Prime 2!

[Ban Mido]

Originally Posted by Merlin326

\EDIT: i have a question for you all. how old do you think Master Xehanort is (judging by the pictures we have seen of the old coot). i am terrible at judging things like this i need to for future events. he seems about 60+ by the pictures...

with all due respect,
Merlin326

I'm guessomg about 65ish. late 50's if he's been working on that beard of his.

[Merlin326]

happy thanksgiving all. and to celebrate, the next chapter...

can anyone guess where one of these quotes came from?
***************

Chapter 6
The best-laid plans

For five days, Riku and Kairi waited for Xando. For five days, they lived with Archsage Athos and Bramimond, learning the ways of magic (for Kairi) and stronger attacks of darkness (for Riku).

Finally, on the fifth day of waiting, Athos told them that he had sensed the use of magic; someone had used a Gate to enter the world. What’s more, the Gate had opened just outside Athos’s home. They walked up to the surface and found Xando, bruised but conscious and alive, waiting for them.

“Well met, Riku and Kairi. Let’s go inside, out of the heat, and talk then.”
Once they were out of the heat of the Wasteland, Xando related his story.

“My business took longer than expected, needless to say. I ran into a group of Heartless and had to shake them off my trail before coming to meet you. But it was worth it, in the end. I have found a way to get to the realm of darkness, and I know where Sora is.”

“You do?” Kairi screamed, nearly falling out of her chair, “we got to go then. Come on, guys! We’ve got to save Sora!”

Xando clearly looked uncomfortable about the situation. Riku could sense something was wrong, and that there was something he wasn’t telling them. However, Riku and grown to trust Xando, somewhat, and knew that he would reveal the rest when he was ready.

“There… is one problem,” Xando finally added, “but I must explain the mechanics of our method of travel before I explain the problem.”

“What is it?” Riku asked.

“As you may know, I can open Gates and effectively teleport anywhere in the universe. However, it does not come without a price. Whenever I open such a Gate, it taxes my physical and mental strength to do so. I cannot keep a Gate open for an extended amount of time without it costing me much stamina. Also, the greater the distance I effectively travel, the more stamina it costs to open it at all and to keep it open.”

“This is true,” Athos commented, “to go beyond your body’s limit with a Gate can cost you your life.”

“For this reason, I don’t travel by Gate when more mundane methods, like my two feet, would suffice. Even then, I am reluctant to open one unless absolutely necessary.”

“So you’re going to open a Gate to the realm of darkness?” Riku asked.

“It isn’t that simple,” Athos answered, “the realm of darkness and the realm of light are two completely different dimensions. It isn’t possible to bridge the two together using spells like a Gate. It’s like trying to go to every world in the realm of light with nothing but your two feet. It just isn’t possible.”

“That being said,” Xando added, “there is a way. The many realms that make up the known universe don’t overlap each other; they rotate in orbit around some unknown entity. Once every millennium or so, the realms of light and dark come so close that their terrains nearly touch. Given the distance between the two at this point and, in all modesty, my skills with Gates, I think I will be able to open a Gate to the realm of darkness long enough for us to travel there.”

“How long will the realms be close enough for you to open a Gate?” Riku asked, “If they do indeed rotate, they can’t be this close for very long.”

“That… is a problem I didn’t think about,” Xando admitted.

It was Athos who said, “Well, given the rotations of the two realms, I would say that they will remain close enough for Gates to work for about… oh, an hour or so.”

“Only an hour?” Kairi screamed, “You’re giving us an hour to storm Xehanort’s fortress, find and rescue Sora, and get out?”

“Apparently so,” Xando said calmly.

“When is this event supposed to happen?” Riku asked. Some part of him knew that this was the problem that Xando was referring to.

Xando was silent for a moment, the breathed softly, almost silently, “2 years.”
------------------------------------

For two years, Kairi and Riku trained, preparing for the day they would rescue Sora. Kairi would train with Athos in the arcane arts, Riku with Bramimond to learn of darkness, and both together with Xando on swordplay.

One of their tasks while they waited was driving off the Heartless that were hidden somewhere. They had found them infesting the underground catacombs that had once been part of the prison, and had exterminated them easily. The numbers in the cave, however, were far less than estimated. They assumed that most of the Heartless had escaped in the chaos to some unknown location.

Leon and the others were not kept in the dark as to the whereabouts of Kairi and Riku, of course. Athos had contacted Merlin and updated him on the situation and Xando’s plan, who would in turn relay it to Leon, King Mickey, and the others.

As the day of the event drew near, everyone grew nervous. Had Sora survived this long? Was Xehanort expecting them? Questions like these filled the head of Riku and Kairi as the day grew close. Xando, as usual, managed to keep his emotions in check and his demeanor has cold and calm as ever.

Finally, the day of the event arrived, it was mere minutes before the realms came as close as they would.

“How long until we leave?” Kairi asked.

“A minute less than the last time you asked me,” Xando replied. To himself, he couldn’t blame Kairi for being nervous. He had gone over the plan again and again in his head perhaps a million times, determined to leave nothing to chance.

In the two years they had been stuck together, he had grown fond of Riku and Kairi, though he hated to admit it, even to himself. In that time, Kairi and Riku had also grown more powerful combat-wise. Kairi was now a fair mage in her own right, and Riku had become even stronger with darkness.

Riku, too, was nervous, but for reasons of his own. “Xando, I still think this plan of yours is risky. What if something goes wrong?”

Xando would have laughed if the situation had not been so serious, “I am quite confident in my tactical powers, Riku. I have gone over the plan time and time again. I have taken every possible eventuality into account.”

“Are you saying nothing can go wrong? That the plan is foolproof?” Kairi asked, "i find that hard to believe."

This time, Xando did laugh. “'even the best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.”

When he noticed their looks asking for clarification, Xando added, “It means no plan is foolproof. Even the greatest, most strategic of plans sometimes go wrong. Part of being a hero, you two, is to prepare for the unexpected.”

After a few moments of silence, he added, “and the other half is being smart enough to know that you can’t plan for what you don’t expect.”

“And what do you do when that happens?” Riku asked.

Xando merely smiled, “you improvise, and don’t let the enemy realize that you’re doing so.”

Archsage Athos entered the room, saying, “It’s time, the realms will be at their closest point in moments.”

As if on cue, the earth rumbled beneath their feet. From what Athos had told them of this event, the same thing would be felt on every world in both realms. It signified the terrains of the two realms nearly touching each other. Athos led them to a magic circle in the center of the room.

“This will give the magical powers of Xando’s Gates a boost,” he explained, “making it less draining on him. I cannot make one for the return trip, though, so you might want to stay healthy, Xando. After you three have left, me and Bramimond will join up with Merlin and the others and plan our next move.”

Xando nodded in reply, and began to charge up the energies that would create a Gate to the realm of darkness.

“One last question,” Kairi asked, “there are only three of us, and we’re going to storm what is likely to be the most well secured and fortified location in the realm of darkness. Just how do you plan to do that?”

“Attacking the fortress of Xehanort is foolhardy,” Xando answered, “we are but three and his castle is bound to be well guarded. Going there is tantamount to signing our own death certificates.”

“…and that helps us how?” Riku asked skeptically.

Xando smiled as he released the energy that would make up the Gate, “if our enemy thinks the same…”

“…we may have our opening,” Riku finished, suddenly realizing just how clever Xando was when it came to war tactics.

“Exactly.”

And with that, the three of them walked through the Gate, and into the realm of darkness.
*********

and with that, we will take a short break to see what Xando was doing in his five day absence. the next chapter will be up sunday.

with all due respect,
Merlin326

[Ban Mido]

Nope. you lost me with the qoutes. Still good though.

[nojerom_14]

YAY you better put it up Sunday *takes out normal barrel-cerberus gun* i'm watching you

by the way, awesome chapter; wasn't totally expecting the two year thing to happen, but that part freaked me out too, you need to give some things like that lol

Edit: lost me with the quotes too, unless it has to do with the Gate and stuff, then maybe...

[R0ad H0g]

I see the quotes(best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry) I think, and have heard them before, but I don't know what they're from.

[Merlin326]

R0ad H0g, you have guessed the quote correctuly. and as it happens, this quote comes from the poem "To a Mouse". that particular line was also the basis for a nobel prize winning book (three guesses to the title of the book)

and for any who want to see the full version of the verse with this quote, i have put it in my sig.

as for the two year thing: since the start of this fanfic, i have had a war planned to take place. i figured that our three heroes (Sora, Riku and Kairi) needed to grow a little more mature in order for such a war to happen. i figured that two years of Sora being kept prisoner and Riku and Kairi trainning in combat would be a good exuss for changing their personalities a little in order to make things work (that and i dont think i could portray their real personalities easily).

it would also allow me to develop their fighting skills (especially Kairi's, who has had only one battle against the Heartless before this story) enough so that they could survive against numerous armies at once.

the two years also gives Xando the time he needs to get some certain... affairs in order. and even if the story no longer focuses mainly on him, he will have an important role in the fate of the universe. what these affairs of his are...

...to remain a mystery for some time.

with all due respect,
Merlin326

[R0ad H0g]

Is the book "Of Mice and Men" by any chance?

[Merlin326]

lol, perhaps i made it too obvious (i have a bad habit of that)

well, here is the next chapter, right on sunday (12 midnight right now). this tale shows where Xando gets his musical Ocarina, and will hint at something later on.

Fragmented Tale the 3rd
Between chapters 4 and 5
A Cruel Twist of Fate

Xando woke up at midnight so he would have enough time for his research. After several hours of calculations and observations, he knew that the Heartless were gathering on a world called the Wasteland. He set the information and a note he had written aside on a table and, stopping only to take one last look at his sleeping companions, disappeared into the night.

Ever since he had traveled back in time to this moment, he had spent every night working with the disk he had on Project: ENDLESS. He had decoded a few things, but much of the disk was still hidden. He had quickly decided he would need help in order to understand everything, and was hoping to find it quickly.

He then remembered the video Colette had shown him that day. Before he knew about himself, before everything changed. Against his will, his mind turned back to one day, while they were waiting for his friend Max to decode the Infinity Cipher…
--------------
Xando was teaching Colette how to cast spell, and quickly noticed she seemed to have a natural talent for magic. Though she was still so young, she was already grasping the basics that normally took years to learn. Only Keyblade Wielders had such a knack for spellcasting.

Xando quickly ducked and avoided a fireball, which Colette had accidentally misaimed and flung at Xando instead of the target dummy. The ball flew overhead and hit the wall, which caught fire immediately. Xando put the fire out with an ice spell and fixed the wall up quickly before Max could smell the smoke.

“Sorry,” an embarrassed Colette said, “I missed.”

“Pay it no mind,” Xando replied, brushing the cinders off his jacket, “I think that’s enough for today.”

They sat down on the couch and began to talk of the future. They both agreed that Master Xehanort had to be stopped at any cost, though neither of them could possibly imagine what that cost would be. After a few hours of chatting, Colette pulled out a strange instrument from her jacket. From his musical studies,
Xando recognized the instrument immediately.

“An ocarina,” Xando commented, “very nicely crafted one at that.”

“It was a gift from my mother,” Colette said, “she said she would teach me how to play it, but she… never got the chance. She got it from an old friend, back when the worlds were separate.”

Colette handed the sapphire colored wind instrument to Xando, “I want you to have it.”

Xando said in shock, “me? I cannot, Colette. It’s all you have of your mother. It’s the only thing left of
your family.”

“I know,” she replied, “but… I want you to have it, Xando. You… you treated me with kindness, despite the fact that I was with your enemies at the time. You… you’re like a brother to me, Xando. To me… you’re all the family I have left. Take this… so that, when you’re in battle, you’ll remember you have a reason to live. A reminder that you cannot die out there. Please Xando. Please… big brother.”

Hesitantly, Xando took the ocarina and placed it in his pocket, “if you insist, I will take it. And mark this, Colette. One day, when everything’s over, when Xehanort’s beaten, I’ll teach you how to play this instrument.”

The young girl’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, “oh really, Xando? You mean it?”

Xando ruffled his new foster sister’s hair, “I mean it, Colette. Now, let’s get some sleep.”
--------------
But fate had other ideas. In a cruel twist of fate, everything had changed. And her smile had been erased from the world.

“No,” Xando said to himself, “I mustn’t think about her. What’s in the past is done. I have already decided not to have friends again. The pain… it’s too great.”

He turned into a nearby alley, where two other figures were waiting for him. Both of them concealed their identity behind cloaks.

“Well now,” Xando said, “shall we begin?”
*********
these two mysterious figures will have importance as the story goes along. and no, neither one of them is the mysterious figure from the last Fragmented Tale.

i have two more Fragmented Tales to post here as to Xando's 5 day absence. after that, 1 or 2 more chapters, and that will be the end of Part II. after that, we return to Sora in Part III: Master of the Keylade. and then... who knows?

with all due respect,
Merlin326

[blendedhearts]

hmm, i wonder who gave it to kairi. i think i know. but all wondering aside, great chapters. i really wasn't expecting them to actually wait two years before going to save sora.

[nojerom_14]

that was lovely, Merlin. i like the instrument. =D

[Davy Jones]

Great chapters, Merlin. I caught up today after a five day absence (like Xando, except less exciting). Anyway, keep the story coming!

[R0ad H0g]

Good chapter, I think I know who the person who gave Colette the ocarina is, but I'm not very good at figuring out story lines with time travel, so I'm probably wrong.

[Ban Mido]

Kick ass man. Good work.