Last edited by Kieran; March 25th, 2012 at 06:36 PM.
“Love will be cruel to who it entices — love will have its sacrifices.”
— Carmilla Theme
"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
―Jim Butcher, Vignette
That is quite the post, Kieran.
[18:00] Spinach: Because I don't like Saber's personality but boy oh boy does she make my dick turn to diamonds when I see her getting tentacled.Originally Posted by lantzblades
[18:01] Leo: feeling superior to EU makes me hard
[16:16] <Bloble> Drakengard? Is that a rhythm game?
DISCLAIMER: Lunar Legend Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night, and all related characters and concepts are the creation and property of Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon, along with anyone who's happened to license them, like Geneon or Funimation. Kingdom Hearts and all related characters and concepts are the creation and property of Disney and Square Enix along with any movies or games involved, usually Disney for the movies and Square Enix for the games. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Illyria and all related characters and concepts are the property of Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, and licensees like IDW Publishing and/or Dark Horse Comics.
This is a not-for-profit, just-for-fun project.
Prelude - Dearly Beloved
A fallen hero . . .
“Sora and Riku are gone, Mickey is lost - and with them, perhaps, all hope.”
A looming threat . . .
“The others have always sought to gain control of the heart of all worlds, the source of all light . . . But I seek to create a new heart for all worlds - a heart of darkness, deep enough to drown the light for all eternity. Kingdom Hearts will become the kingdom of my heart - and all within it shall be mine.”
Old friends . . .
“You're Squall Leonhart!”
"My name's Leon."
". . . Who exactly do you think you're kidding?"
New allies . . .
“So, this is a Keyblade wielder . . . He sure doesn’t look like much, does he?”
“I don’t know - he’s so short I can’t see him at all!”
“Hey!”
“Who said that? OH HO HO HO HO!”
Three heroes . . .
“I was born to be the ultimate warrior - you will never defeat me!”
“If you were born, then you will eventually die - and if it can die, then I can kill it.”
Three sides . . .
“All things work in threes . . . The past, present, and future . . . The earth, sea, and sky . . . The light, the darkness, and the twilight that stands between them. This is the balance upon which all worlds have always turned. Now disrupted, it must be made right again - and you may be the only hope we have.”
“. . . I’m sure my seventeen-year-old self would find this hilarious.”
Three stories . . .
“I was never meant to exist! You have to destroy me - it’s the only way to end this!”
“Only untalented hacks believe that there’s only one way to do things. I’ll write you a better ending - I promise.”
. . . One destiny.
“You FOOLS! You would dare to challenge a GOD?!”
“It’s nothing we haven’t done before.”
“So many times, really, that I’ve lost track.”
“I just wonder where we’re supposed get the t-shirts . . .”
KINGDOM HEARTS III(NITY):
ANOTHER SIDE, ANOTHER STORY
Last edited by Kieran; October 6th, 2011 at 06:21 PM.
“Love will be cruel to who it entices — love will have its sacrifices.”
— Carmilla Theme
"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
―Jim Butcher, Vignette
Resposting?
WHAT'S THIS WORLD COMING TO?
Guess it's being re-written then?
I'm okay with this.
My Fanfics. Read 'em. Or not.McJon01: We all know that the real reason Archer would lose to Rider is because the events of his own Holy Grail War left him with a particular weakness toward "older sister" types.
DISCLAIMER: Lunar Legend Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night, and all related characters and concepts are the creation and property of Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon, along with anyone who's happened to license them, like Geneon or Funimation. Kingdom Hearts and all related characters and concepts are the creation and property of Disney and Square Enix along with any movies or games involved, usually Disney for the movies and Square Enix for the games. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Illyria and all related characters and concepts are the property of Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, and licensees like IDW Publishing and/or Dark Horse Comics.
This is a not-for-profit, just-for-fun project.
Chapter 1 - Dive Into the Heart
Dive Into the Heart
Takara awoke, to find herself lying on warm, smooth glass - stained glass tiles, forming a recognisable pattern once she raised herself up to try and see it. Against a pale blue background, Alice in Wonderland was depicted, curled in sleep and surrounded by a cast of crazy characters in a ring - the Mad Hatter and March Hare, the White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts with her card soldiers at the very top.
“Appropriate,” she murmured. Takara certainly felt a similarity between Alice and herself at the moment - she’d found herself a crazy world to fall into, too!
As if in answer, a voice echoed from the darkness. It seemed as much mental as physical, maddeningly familiar yet utterly alien, and equally ambiguous in regards to the location of its source - it could’ve been coming from directly above her, or broadcast to her from miles away.
“So much to do, so little time . . . Time is precious. You must move quickly along your path.”
She blinked. As often as she’d watched her two friends play and replay these games, she knew that wasn’t how that line went.
“Step forward,” the voice instructed, and she did. On reached the edge of the mosaic, a series of stained glass steps appeared, spiralling upwards into the distance. She climbed them swiftly but carefully - the video game characters might have been unable to fall from them, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t. Eventually, she arrived at another mosaic level - this one depicting Snow White.
“Power sleeps within you . . .” continued the voice, as a pedestal in the centre raised up, and with a flash of light, a sword suddenly hovered about it. It was of Western design, with a silver blade, a golden hilt, and the Mickey Mouse symbol on a scarlet “jewel” in its crosspiece.
“If you give it form . . .” A second pedestal, and a long wand, almost more of a club, appeared, topped with a blue Mickey symbol at one end.
“. . . it will give you strength.” The final pedestal appeared, with a black, pentagonal shield, emblazoned with the Mickey symbol in red, rotating above it.
“Which form will you choose?” it asked.
Takara considered the three carefully. In the video game, the choices represented Sora’s beginning stats - attack power, defence power, magical capability. In Kingdom Hearts II and all subsequent games, the difference in stats was far more limited - if you were allowed any choice at all - but these seemed to draw from the first game, which meant there were big implications in her choices. But seeing as she wasn’t a video game character, what would those differences be?
And why draw on the first Kingdom Hearts? Kairi looked like her older counterpart - in fact, maybe even a little older than that? So why go back to the beginning, for this? Why do it this way at all - why do I seem to be a Keyblade wielder?
Takara didn’t understand everything that was going on here. Her body seemed the same, so if it was a question of her existence adapting, like it had in Illyria’s Slayerverse, she didn’t appear to have changed much at all.
Maybe the choices won’t affect me - maybe it’s to determine the attributes of my Keyblade? That would make sense, since the Keyblade is the ultimate “form” of my “power.” In that case, what would be best? The warrior’s power is tempting - but I’m already in pretty good shape, and I know how to use a sword. What I’m weak on is magic, for all that everybody says I should have lots of potential. So, maybe a magic-oriented Keyblade to balance me out.
She walked to the wand, and grasped it.
“The power of the mystic . . . A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you choose?”
“Yes,” Takara said aloud, her voice very quiet in the emptiness. Abruptly, the pedestal vanished, leaving her holding the wand.
“Now, which power will you give up?” the voice asked.
Takara considered. If she was forging a weapon here, then . . .
“The power of the guardian . . . Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you give up?”
“Yes,” Takara said, and the other two pedestals abruptly vanished, along with what they’d held. Takara nodded in satisfaction - now she would have something that she could use to augment her shortcomings, and if it wasn’t the most physically formidable weapon around - her own skills and conditioning ought to compensate for the lack. She walked to the edge of the platform again, and followed the stairs upwards, to a floor inlaid with Princess Jasmine of Agrabah.
“That’s different,” she murmured. “I was expecting Sleeping Beauty, or Belle.”
She wondered for a moment what the significance might be. In the original game, the Princesses were the ones Sora didn’t personally encounter at the time - their characters were ultimately marginal to the plot. Maybe this meant that, if she ended up travelling between worlds, she wouldn’t be going to Agrabah? Pity - she’d always thought the Genie was funny . . .
Takara stepped onto the platform - and a set of double doors set into an archway appeared at the other end. She frowned. Why was it there? It wasn’t as though she was having to learn the functions of the buttons on her controller!
“In the course of your journey, you will have to open many doors, to many possibilities,” the voice announced. “Try to open this one.”
She scowled, noting that it had no visible handle - and then she understood. The Keyblade could open any lock and any door, including those to other worlds, and often with just a touch - but just as many of them were done via acts of will. This was meant to sharpen her focus, get her to understand how that function worked. The schoolgirl raised her wand and concentrated, trying to remember how her Servant had attempted to instruct her on how to feed him magical energy . . .
There was a flash of light from the wand tip, and the double doors sprang open. She walked through it, and ran up the stairs to the next platform - Cinderella. Once again, an arch of double doors appeared, this one open.
“In some cases, you will have to seal away danger. Try it now.”
Once again, Takara concentrated, and once again, she succeeded in willing the doors to move - and in this case, lock. The arch vanished in a flash of light, and she ascended once more.
This time, she found herself on a platform larger than all the others. Sora was the centerpiece this time, with Roxas and Ventus standing back-to-back behind him. Surrounding him were smaller images of Riku and Kairi with Sora’s silhouette at the top, Namine, Axel and Xion on Roxas’ side, and Terra, Aqua and their Master on Ventus’ side, with Donald and Goofy on the bottom, with the silhouette of King Mickey.
Takara frowned, looking at the elaborate piece - and the size of it.
Can we say “boss battle?” she thought sardonically. Sure we can. Wand raised and ready for battle, she stepped onto the platform.
At first, nothing happened, but she remained wary. As she reached the centre, right over Sora’s necklace, Takara suddenly became aware of how bright the light of the floor was - and how correspondingly long and dark her own shadow became in its light . . .
Instinct drove her to duck under the first swipe of the Heartless’ talons, and she rolled to one side before kicking herself up to face - herself, if someone combined her own features with those of a Neoshadow Heartless.
I was expecting a Darkside, not an Anti-Takara!
This made the fight more difficult. For all its size and power, a Darkside had a very limited - and more importantly, predictable - set of attacks. Knowing its patterns as she did, Takara could’ve kept out of its range until it was vulnerable with little trouble. On the other hand, facing what was essentially a dark-empowered version of herself . . .
I am in deep trouble.
The Anti-Takara was fast, and it fought like her. Oddly enough, it didn’t seem to have a shadowy replica of her weapon - but with its talons and her knowledge of savatte, it didn’t really need one. Takara, on the other hand, was barely fast enough to deflect its kicks with her wand. She blessed its extra reach every time she managed it, though.
She swept out with the wand in an arc, and the Anti-Takara leaped over it - but Takara rolled forward just as quickly, out of its dropkick, and came to her feet just in time to catch its foot, headed for her face.
Block, block, deflecting sweep - as long it keeps coming, I can’t go on the offensive, and it doesn’t seem to tire. There has to be a pattern, some weakness I can exploit . . .! It’s my own body and techniques the thing is using - think!
Mentally, she ran over her skills, honed by countless hours of repetition and instruction. She realised that she did have a weakness, however slight. While she was ambidextrous, she had a tendency to lead with her right arm and her left foot when attacking - leaving the corresponding sides more open to attack. Takara continued defending against her doppelganger’s strikes, letting it be lulled into a pattern . . .
There. As its right claw lashed out, Takara sidestepped and swung her wand down, as though she was splitting a log. The impact to the Anti-Takara’s collarbone was audible, and the last Nanaya quickly followed it up with a forward thrust to the solar plexus, and a roundhouse kick that sent the other quickly to the ground. It rose unsteadily, dazed for a moment, and Takara launched herself forward, striking it three times with the wand - the first two in a figure-eight pattern, followed by a hard spinning chop that whirled her away from her opponent, wand raised in a guard position.
She needn’t have worried. The creature dissolved away as she watched, melting into a dark pool - which quickly expanded to consume the platform! Takara ran to the edge, hoping for another set of stairs to materialise, but none were forthcoming.
What am I supposed to do? she thought frantically. Just wait for it to suck me in?
The omnipresent voice said, “Time is precious, but it is not yet gone . . . You walk the path to daybreak, though the darkness lies all around you. Stay true to yourself, don’t give up hope - and you will never walk that path alone. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky, the same heart. Follow the light of that heart, and you will see them again . . .”
There was nowhere left to go, now. The darkness drew her in, and Takara knew no more . . .
Shirou awoke, to find himself lying on a tiled floor - stained glass tiles, forming a mosaic pattern of a girl with golden hair, like Saber’s, in a white dress. She was curled up, as if asleep, on a pale pink background, and surrounded by images of thorns and what looked like wheels, for some reason. There were three other women hovering over her in the background.
“What on earth . . .?” Shirou muttered - and as if in answer, a voice echoed from the darkness. It seemed as much mental as physical, maddeningly familiar yet utterly alien, and equally ambiguous in regards to the location of its source. It could’ve been coming from directly above him, or broadcast to him from miles away.
“So much to do, so little time . . . Time is precious. You must move quickly along your path.”
“Only magi speak in those kind of riddles,” Shirou growled, “And I’ve got good reasons not to be too fond of either.”
“Step forward,” the voice instructed, and if he hadn’t spoken. On reached the edge of the mosaic, a series of stained glass steps appeared, spiralling upwards into the distance. Cautiously climbing them - less out of a desire to obey than a lack of anything else to do - he reached another massive pillar topped with a stained-glass floor. This one depicted another blonde girl, this one younger and with brighter hair, against a pale blue that was a shade or two lighter than her dress. She was surrounded by rabbits and cards, as well as a bizarre cat-thing and one of the ugliest women he’d ever seen.
“Power sleeps within you . . .” said the voice, as a pedestal in the centre raised up, and with a flash of light, a sword suddenly hovered about it. It was of Western design, with a silver blade, a golden hilt, and a symbol on the scarlet “jewel” in its crosspiece that Shirou recognised - even he’d been to Tokyo Disneyland before.
But what does Mickey Mouse have to do with all this? he wondered.
“If you give it form . . .” A second pedestal, and a long wand, almost more of a club, appeared, topped with a blue Mickey symbol at one end.
“. . . it will give you strength.” The final pedestal appeared, with a black, pentagonal shield, emblazoned with the Mickey symbol in red, rotating above it.
“Which form will you choose?” it asked.
Shirou snorted, and went for the obvious weapon.
“The power of the warrior . . . A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you choose?”
“Yes,” Shirou said, and the pedestal vanished.
“Now, which power will you give up?”
Once he’d confirmed the nature of the staff and shield, he sacrificed the “power of the mystic.” Magic, as the Mysterious Voice described it, just wasn’t his style. Far better to retain a defensive capability. After that, he’d climbed stairs to another pillar, this one with a picture of a brunette woman in a yellow dress, surrounded by household objects and roses. This one he thought he recognised - it was Disney, but which one, he couldn’t remember. The question was, why were these pictures important?
The question reoccurred, with far greater urgency, after he’d passed the Voice’s test on how to open and close doors, and moved on to the next pillar. This one was far larger, and depicted a boy with silver hair in its centre, with Mickey Mouse standing back-to-back with an orange-eyed man who bore a striking resemblance to his Archer form behind him. Smaller portraits surrounded them.
Why is this one so much bigger? Shirou wondered, waiting for a cue from the Mysterious Voice.
Instinct compelled him to dive forward, and Shirou felt the rush of moving air behind him as he did, rolling to his feet to stand and confront . . . Himself. Or, at least, a golden-eyed shadow figure of himself, holding a longer and sharper looking version of the sword in his hand.
This is going to be bad, he thought to himself.
Shirou’s shadowy reflection wasted no time in dashing forward, terminating his momentum in an outward slashing attack whose reach extended further than the actual blade based on sheer air pressure. Had he actually been there when it hit, there was every possibility that it would have sliced him in half. However, he was the veteran of thousands of battles, and easily read the coming attack - as well as its nature.
It’s using something closer to Saber’s fighting style - makes sense, given the type of blade. So is it not a perfect recreation, or is it more like me in that it’s just using the skills appropriate to the weapon? Which means - it has my lost powers, and I don’t?
If that was the case, this was going to be one of the shortest fights on record. Sure, he’d fought other, more powerful versions of himself before and won - but never without some form of backup, or at least more power than he could access right now. Even the most basic of Reinforcement was beyond him at the moment, which meant this guy had an edge he couldn’t match.
I don’t understand any of this! Why am I fighting this? What the hell has Disney got to do with anything?
The Mysterious Voice, sadly, was refusing even to taunt him with hints of answers. Instead, there was only the shadow, who was raising an arm in the imperious fashion Gilgamesh had - and phantasmal blades of violet energy were forming in the air around him.
Oh, that’s just wrong . . .
Shirou rolled out of the way as they shot forward, Gate of Babylon-style, passing within a hair over his head. He barely had time to rise before the shadow was on him again, pressing his defences as harshly and relentlessly as he himself would have, were the positions reversed.
I need a strategy, a weapon - something!
Shirou was not, by nature, a swordsman, and never had been. He had some training, yes - but he generally relied on the skills imparted by his weapons than his own body. His reason was simple: he simply had too many weapons to master them all fully, and trying would’ve produced conflicting impulses in his muscle memory during a fight. If he had any specific mastery of a blade style, it would be with paired slashing weapons, like Bakuya and Kansho. The shadow, on the other hand, seemed an utter master of using the broadsword they were both armed with.
Like I’m not at enough of a disadvantage . . .
The style that shadow was using was at least partly based on Saber’s - and he knew her movements as well as anyone alive. As a result, he could predict what attacks were coming, and dodge or block as appropriate, but it was only prolonging the inevitable. Unlike him, the shadow didn’t seem to tire, which meant eventually an attack would get through his guard - and without at least some level of Reinforcement, he didn’t have the raw power or speed to take advantage of the few flaws of the technique.
I don’t even have Avalon, to help me draw out the fight . . . Man, what I wouldn’t give to have Saber show up right now -
Light flared abruptly, centred on his empty hand, and the sword he held - and when it vanished, he suddenly held two long blades, shaped vaguely like keys. One was predominantly silver, red and black, and the other a mix of silver, gold and blue. And somehow, he knew their names.
Past's Shadow. Distant Utopia.
Shirou grinned wolfishly. While he had no real training in these specific, exotic weapons, or any idea of what enchantments they might bear, both blades were light and easily held in his hands, and felt eager to be used. So he had every intention of doing so.
The next time his doppelganger fired off his phantom blades, Shirou met them with wide, sweeping swings, batting them back - and charging to unleash a storm of combo attacks when they flew back and literally pinned his shadow to the ground. And even once the creature broke free with a flare of violet fire that sent him hurtling back across the stained glass, it was at a distinct disadvantage. Shirou was now able to use Distant Utopia defensively, to block or pin the shadow’s sword - and unleash his other blade without restraint. In no time at all, the creature dissolved into black mist - which quickly spread across the ground, trapping him like quicksand, and drawing him in, likewise. The odd swords dissolved into light in his hands, fluttering out of reach . . .
It was then that the Mysterious Voice spoke up.
“Time is precious, but it is not yet gone . . . You walk the path to twilight, upon the horizon of light and darkness. The proper effort can bring you into the light, but a misstep can condemn you to the darkness. The way is hard, but it can be done. Believe that those who choose fight their fate do not always lose . . .”
Then there was only darkness - and silence . . .
“Owww . . .” he groaned. The groan got louder when realised the ringing in his ears was being supplemented by choral music - and very familiar choral music, at that.
“Okay, between Type-Moon, the Whedonverse, and now this, it’s definitely official,” he muttered. “I’m either in bed and dreaming, in a coma and dreaming, or dead and in Hell. And if the next place I end up is Tokyo-3, the latter is the unequivocal winner.” He sighed. “ . . . And having said that, I’ve almost guaranteed it now, haven’t I?”
He was lying - and after a moment or two of gathering himself for the effort, standing - on the green background of a stained-glass depiction of Snow White. If the pattern held true, that meant that the Dwarf Woodlands were off his potential travel itinerary. He was dressed in a light silk t-shirt the colour of Ciel’s hair, lightweight cotton pants of navy blue, and his black Velcro running shoes - the same things he’d been wearing on his way home from the convention. They seemed to have been adjusted, however, because his current physique was more muscular than he remembered it. He was a far cry from rivalling He-Man, or Arnold as the Terminator of 1984, but he wasn’t seeing as many bones and veins as he remembered on his arms. Maybe something of Shinji Matou’s athleticism had rubbed off?
“So much to do, so little time . . . Time is precious. You must move quickly along your path.”
“OK, that’s different - and disturbing, because of it,” he muttered. Takara’s universe had thrown him a bunch of curves by being different - what would he find here that he didn’t expect?
Climbing the steps carefully (he had balance problems and a fear of heights, neither of which this design did anything to alleviate), he ascended to the next station - this one of Princess Jasmine.
“Rats - that means no Genie,” he muttered. “The only really useful summon in both games - though Tink and Bambi had their moments.”
As if he hadn’t spoken, the voice said, “Power sleeps within you . . .” as a pedestal in the centre raised up, and with a flash of light, a sword suddenly hovered about it. It was of Western design, with a silver blade, a golden hilt, and the Mickey Mouse symbol on a scarlet “jewel” in its crosspiece.
“If you give it form . . .” A second pedestal, and a long wand, almost more of a club, appeared, topped with a blue Mickey symbol at one end.
“. . . it will give you strength.” The final pedestal appeared, with a black, pentagonal shield, emblazoned with the Mickey symbol in red, rotating above it.
“Which form will you choose?” it asked.
Given the Kingdom Hearts options, he did as he had in the first game - selected the shield, and sacrificed the sword. He valued defence above all, and preferred some magical power, even if that meant his overall attacks were weak. The black disc hung lightly on his arm, and was easily swung, even if he had no real skill at it.
“At the rate I’m going through fictional realities, maybe I’ll run into Captain America, and he can teach me - heck, Disney owns Marvel now, doesn’t it? It’ll be too late to do me any good here, of course . . .”
The platform where he learned how to open doors was blank stained glass, but the sealing one depicted Cinderella.
“That leaves the possibility of running into Alice, Aurora, Belle, and Kairi - if the theory holds.” He climbed the next set of stairs with trepidation. “And unless you plan to offer me a tutorial on how to open chests, I’ve got to be getting close to the end of things, here . . . “
As if to mock him, the next station did include a chest-opening tutorial, which gained him a Potion - and a lot more questions, because Kairi was the central figure of the piece, along with Sora and Riku. That made absolutely no sense - weren’t they the heroes? Running into one or all of them was inevitable at some point in Kingdom Hearts, unless he was in the “Birth by Sleep” portion of the timeline . . .
“That could be trouble,” he muttered to himself as he ascended slowly to what he assumed was the final station. “I never actually played that game . . .” Most of what he knew came from Wikipedia, or the Kingdom Hearts version, and it didn’t always go into detail -
He stopped and stared. This station was larger than any of the others, with the oddest conglomeration of figures yet at its centre. Mickey Mouse at the centre, with Xion and that guy from Birth By Sleep - Terra - behind him.
“Why this configuration?” he asked himself. “What’s the common element . . . Darkness. Xion and Terra fell to it, and Mickey could wield the Kingdom Key Darkside because he supposedly had an affinity for it. But other than that, I don’t think they ever really met - not all at once, anyway - so why group them together here . . .?”
A rustle of fabric, like curtains being swept aside, caused him to turn, and see his shadow self, garbed as Avenger - right down to the guns in his hands. The tips of their barrels burned with violet flames.
“Oh, now that’s unfair!” he moaned, barely raising the shield in time to block the fusillade of fireballs that sprang forth. It held, but the impact drove him back, step by step - if he fell off the edge . . .
The sudden ceasing of the shots startled him, and he didn’t take in its meaning until his doppelganger dropped out of the air to land an elbow drop on him, driving him to the ground. Chest aching, he got up slowly - and realised that the gaunt shadow was taking an equally long time to rise.
If he does that again, and misses, I’ll have a clear shot!
He allowed the gunslinger to start up his shooting pattern again, moving sideways under the barrage to give himself more room to evade. Sure enough, the thing seemed fairly mindless - just like himself when he was angry. Tactics and strategy went out the window in favour of raw, animal fury and the desire to do anything that would hurt his enemy. In this case, it meant the elbow drop took place again - and this time, he was ready for it.
Once the gunslinger was on the ground, he began battering it with his shield, as best he could, hacking away with the edge and the flat of the item in a flailing sort of fashion, but it kept the shadow from getting up - at least until it melted into a puddle of darkness and wriggled away. When it rose up again, it was larger, more muscular, and its hands were limned with purple fire.
Oh, you have got to be kidding me - it has a second stage?!
The hulking brute didn’t bother shooting - it just lunged forward, swinging its clawed hands in blazing arcs. He dove out of the way the first time, watching as it paused after a few moments of frenzied activity, heaving as though exhausted.
Again, an opening - if I can avoid it a second ti -
The thought was cut off as it impacted him, swiping and searing. The ringing in his ears took on a familiar cadence, that of the “HP low - you are about to die” alarm. He wondered if it was just his imagination, or if he could really hear it. Still, he struggled to his feet, half-blinded by exposure to the flames. Still, on seeing a flash of purple, he dropped and rolled - and felt the charging Heartless trip over his legs.
Now or never!
He scrambled up and began hitting the creature again, over and over, as best he could. There was no pattern, strategy or plan, just the determination to survive, to not let the Heartless incarnation of himself win . . . He almost didn’t notice when it melted away again - but he did notice when the darkness tugged at him like quicksand. His shield-bearing arm was trapped, and he began to rapidly sink into the darkness’ embrace as well.
Over his panic, he heard the voice. “Time is precious, but it is not yet gone . . . You walk the path to midnight, through the deepest darkness to the promise of light. The way is difficult, but you possess the strength to walk it, so long as you do not forget the reasons behind your journey. Every shadow must have a light to cast it, and one cannot truly exist without the other. Remember this, and believe in the power of dreams once more . . .”
Anything else it might have said was lost in oblivion . . .
[Item Acquired: Potion]
Last edited by Kieran; October 11th, 2011 at 09:13 PM.
“Love will be cruel to who it entices — love will have its sacrifices.”
— Carmilla Theme
"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
―Jim Butcher, Vignette
LOVE THIS, AND IT DESERVES REPOSTING ANYHOW IRUN.
Anyhoo, if you are re-writing it (minor or major) than here's looking forward to the new bits.
Fortissimo EXA//Akkord:Bsusvier Video Walkthrough: COMPLETE (thread here)
Kadenz Fermata//Akkord:Fortissimo Playlists
Kisekitsukai (Seventh Chord) Playlist
Mahoutsukai (Magi) Playlist)
Final Arc Playlist
FGO Support Card (As of April 2023)Spoiler:
Kieran, I'm not sure if I like you or loathe you. On one hand, you give me hours of entertainment with just about any story you post.
On the other hand, you suck away hours of my life with just about any story you post.
Gonna go with like, just to be on the safe side.
Sound Epic Make it So.
Then let it break, if it shatters to pieces then forge an even better blade to take in hand. Should that blade crack then forge once again, untill the battlefield is a graveyard of blades that have fallen and but a single sword claims the field that embodies the world. Let that sword bear the world untill its time comes and time blows its dust to the winds. Then forge again.---Eric Dagger
Yeah - finally figured out a plotline I like, and one that deals with what I consider a major paradox of the KH storyline . . . Mainly, by making it the plotline.
“Love will be cruel to who it entices — love will have its sacrifices.”
— Carmilla Theme
"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
―Jim Butcher, Vignette
Looking forward to it all, Kieran.
My Fanfics. Read 'em. Or not.McJon01: We all know that the real reason Archer would lose to Rider is because the events of his own Holy Grail War left him with a particular weakness toward "older sister" types.
Are they still separate, also I want to see Takara kicking Sephiroths arse from the north pole to the south pole ^^ Please update asap.
Words to live by: Fate is a B****, Destiny is a whore, while Karma is just doing her job.
Violence solves all problems. If its not working then you are not using enough.
Even though I am male after taking a 'Which Fate/stay night Character are you?' quiz I am...
Tohsaka Rin You are Rin. Cool and collected, you think logically about most situations. You strive for self-perfection, and rely on others only for your benefit. You may be cold toward most people, but you can be friendly when you try. Indeed, it could be said you enjoy helping others that you care for. Whatever the case, you tend to think logically and don't let emotions cloud your judgement.
Yes, I still plan to have them as solo adventurers - though I'm going to be splitting their perspectives each chapter, like I do with Trinity, rather than devote a single chapter to each one (easier that way, if I get stuck). And yes, a Takara/Sephiroth battle can/will be arranged.
“Love will be cruel to who it entices — love will have its sacrifices.”
— Carmilla Theme
"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
―Jim Butcher, Vignette
I wonder what happens when you cut(kill in takara's case ^^) Sephiroths hair?
Words to live by: Fate is a B****, Destiny is a whore, while Karma is just doing her job.
Violence solves all problems. If its not working then you are not using enough.
Even though I am male after taking a 'Which Fate/stay night Character are you?' quiz I am...
Tohsaka Rin You are Rin. Cool and collected, you think logically about most situations. You strive for self-perfection, and rely on others only for your benefit. You may be cold toward most people, but you can be friendly when you try. Indeed, it could be said you enjoy helping others that you care for. Whatever the case, you tend to think logically and don't let emotions cloud your judgement.
Either Takara will be obliterated by legions of devastated fangirls with torches and pitchforks for destroying his sex appeal - or Sephiroth will be, as those same devastated fangirls destroy the unsexy abomination he's become. Or possibly both.
“Love will be cruel to who it entices — love will have its sacrifices.”
— Carmilla Theme
"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."
―Jim Butcher, Vignette
Or they will find they like him bald and REAP REAP REAP REAP.
ALso who are the first and last Characters and what has shirou experienced so far?
Then let it break, if it shatters to pieces then forge an even better blade to take in hand. Should that blade crack then forge once again, untill the battlefield is a graveyard of blades that have fallen and but a single sword claims the field that embodies the world. Let that sword bear the world untill its time comes and time blows its dust to the winds. Then forge again.---Eric Dagger
I'm glad to see you working on this again. The prelude has some interesting quotes in it and the first chapter was a good start!
Question: What is whedonverse?
Words to live by: Fate is a B****, Destiny is a whore, while Karma is just doing her job.
Violence solves all problems. If its not working then you are not using enough.
Even though I am male after taking a 'Which Fate/stay night Character are you?' quiz I am...
Tohsaka Rin You are Rin. Cool and collected, you think logically about most situations. You strive for self-perfection, and rely on others only for your benefit. You may be cold toward most people, but you can be friendly when you try. Indeed, it could be said you enjoy helping others that you care for. Whatever the case, you tend to think logically and don't let emotions cloud your judgement.
<---"You have a keyboard - Google it."
My Fanfics. Read 'em. Or not.McJon01: We all know that the real reason Archer would lose to Rider is because the events of his own Holy Grail War left him with a particular weakness toward "older sister" types.
I am lazy
Words to live by: Fate is a B****, Destiny is a whore, while Karma is just doing her job.
Violence solves all problems. If its not working then you are not using enough.
Even though I am male after taking a 'Which Fate/stay night Character are you?' quiz I am...
Tohsaka Rin You are Rin. Cool and collected, you think logically about most situations. You strive for self-perfection, and rely on others only for your benefit. You may be cold toward most people, but you can be friendly when you try. Indeed, it could be said you enjoy helping others that you care for. Whatever the case, you tend to think logically and don't let emotions cloud your judgement.
[tsundereillya]
"Fool!"
[/tsundereillya]
My Fanfics. Read 'em. Or not.McJon01: We all know that the real reason Archer would lose to Rider is because the events of his own Holy Grail War left him with a particular weakness toward "older sister" types.
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