The day was bright and sunny, not at all like the day one might expect an adventure of this nature to begin on. No, there were no looming slate colored clouds to block out the sun's cheery rays, no crashes of thunder to interrupt the bubbling tunes of the songbirds, there was not even a drop of rain to dampen the cheerful green leaves of the verdant forests surrounding the castle grounds of Ansem the Wise. This was certainly not the kind of day to on which something terrible happens.

But something terrible was, in fact, happening and there was nothing which could be done to stop it.

The vibrant rays of light poured down on the expectant fresh green leaves of the roses, which, splayed outward, seemed to soak in the attention willing, needy. Their overseer watched with keen interest, and a subtle approving nod, a smile barely gracing his delicately handsome features, as though his emotions were carefully hidden behind his own beautiful mask. With a graceful, yet purposeful gesture, patted the dirt from his palms against his cotton pants and wiped the sweat from his brow. Comfortably warm as this weather may be, he had still been working since early morning to tend to the newest spring blooms as they struggled at their weakest.

"Lumaria!" The man perked, casting a glance over to the approaching female as she neared with purposeful gait. "Will you stop digging around the the dirt for five minutes and just calm down?" She snipped, casting a baleful glance from his face to his dirt covered hands, to the appreciative roses and then back again. Hand on one curvaceous hip, she sighed exasperated as electric blue eyes stared up into the crystalline tones of her companion's. "They look great. Are you done yet?" She asked in a tone that was quite clearly telling him that he was already done.

"For now, yes." He humored her with a winning smile, watching as her eyes were locked on to his hands with a exasperation that demanded he wash up immediately. "The new blooms have been accounted for but one can never be too careful." His voice was smooth, calm despite the sweat which glistened on his porcelain face, telling of exactly how many hours of concentration he had spent tending to the blossoms. They certainly showed it.

"They look great, let's go." She ended the subject, absolutely deadpan with a grudging grin on her impatient face. Running a stray hand through her short blond hair, she reflected that she should be used to this by now, she really should. Lumaria's obsession with gardening was nothing new, and frankly, her own allowance of it really did nothing to change this fact.

But why fix something that wasn't broken?, She gave an exasperated sigh, but then again, she was probably the only one in Radiant Garden who could give such a dramatic sigh and still look pleased.

Meanwhile, within the castle, things were going just as mundanely as they did on a daily basis, unbeknownst of anything which might be even minutely (or even heart-wrenchingly) amiss.

The library was vast. It was a kaleidoscope of the written word, a shrine paying homage to knowledge and those with the gumption, intelligence and general insanity to stick with it. Books lined the walls, ordered with the precision of soldiers in prim uniforms, awaiting commands to jump forth and serve at their master's whim. Cheery sunlight dodged and filtered through heavy velvet curtains which muffled the sounds of the outside world, closing the volumes in a protective padding of gentle soundless air, outlawing distractions dutifully and even forcefully.

Volumes were stacked from floor to ceiling, parchment spiraled neatly at their designated shelves and corners. The only aspect of the libraries which seemed out of place were it's occupants, who greedily devoured the text before them like men starved.

The blond man seated at a desk was hunched over peering down a scientific tomb and writing at a rate which many would argue was physically impossible. His verdant green eyes did not blink as they scanned the text, just as his hand did not pause in it's efforts. His cornsilk hair paled in the strong sunlight, casting it a in nearly white hues as he worked on tirelessly, a man obsessed and far too focused.

His companion glanced one crystalline blue eye over his own volume (the other eye characteristically hidden by a curtain of slate blue hair), to spy on his counterpart with a knowing frustration. He was in one of those moods again. With an easy shift in his padded armchair, for the study truly was like a second home to him, he adjusted his lab coat and slipped the book shut in lieu of a heavy piece of papyrus to peer down at to distract himself from the scritch-scritch of his companion's pen. With a roll of his eye, he knew without even bothering to ask that Even would be lost within his own studies for weeks, and may even forget that there are still people here in the castle with him with the same goal as he: to protect and restore Radiant Gardens and avoid becoming drones of the wicked Xehanort once again.

His slender finger ran across the rough surface of the page, testing and prodding as he read through the dead language with an expertise that only a prodigy could boast, but then again, could he really expect any less of himself? The drones of Xehanort were putting things lightly, and he shared the worry that he saw written all over his mentor's face. Even was not a man to take things lightly on a good day, what would stop him from taking it even worse on a stressful one.

And thus the tense silence between them hung thickly like a fog, even in the beautiful weather that threatened to interrupt them from the windowsill. Neither noticed. Neither cared. Ienzo was looking at Even; Even was looking at his book and no one was even thinking of the guards. Perhaps they should have been, because as Even sighed and ran a stray hand through his own blond locks and Ienzo muttered darkly that their studies were getting them absolutely nowhere, terrible things were beginning to happen right under their noses.

"Go away!" Dilan's voice was raw, loud, and nigh inhuman. The sheer tone of it was something which Aeleus recognized but certainly did not want to admit to. Admitting, even inwardly, was giving up hope and hope was what the former apprentices were running off of since their reintroduction to this world: hope and sheer, stubborn will to live once again as they did before.

The braided guard was hunched over, wheezing and doing his damnedest to cover his face, his eyes, anything at all and even going so far as to fling his weapon away from himself sloppily and haphazardly. They stood on the edge of the dense forest which surrounded the castle, and yet, even this bright, sing-song weather seemed enough to penetrate through the vast leaves of the soaring trees. None of their mood seemed to touch the braided guard as he staggered backward. The shadows of the trees leaned towards him, grasping at him like a needy lover.

"You're better than this, Dilan." Aeleus might have been able to convince himself that he was calm, but for the tremor in his hand as he clutched his axe, the leaden dread which settled in the pit of his stomach, heavy and unwieldy. The darkness was before him, around him, and eating away at his brother in arms. His words seemed all that might be able to reach him beyond physical force, and Gods forbid that he should have to use the latter. He cursed his luck, that his only available weapon be a spoken one, so unwieldy to a man of action such as himself. Words were the proper tool of an academic like Ienzo or Even, and were best left to them. He groaned, hating and fearing his own physical strength and knowing the outcome of the battle which was rapidly approaching.

"SAVE YOURSELF!" Dilan's voice was rapidly leaving him as the darkness gripped at his throat, clawing at him from the inside out, the ravenous beast which he so desperately sought to hide finally taking it's toll on the physical. Aeleus fought the urge to rush forward, to shake him out of this foolishness, this folly. He refused to let his friend be ransacked by the darkness which had plagued them so horrifyingly before. He would not allow Dilan to be torn asunder, to be converted back into his crudest, coldest, most inhumanly vicious form.

Back to Xaldin.

Aeleus rushed forward, not knowing what he was going to do, not knowing how to remedy what was so heinously amiss, but knowing that he needed to do something before it was far too late. "Fight it!" He urged, and his cry might have been something of a comfort if it wasn't for the fear in his eyes, for the weapon he had dropped in his wake (for how could he possibly fight Dilan?) but it was far too late before it even began. The tendrils wrapped about the guard and jerked him back before Aeleus could reach him. The anger on the man's face was unmistakable, yet the pain was so much more powerful. In a frozen, despair filled breath of a moment, Aeleus knew he was already too late.

Dilan was dragged into the darkness for a second time and Aeleus was left in the stunned silence of his wake. Numbly he stared forward, his mind not quite comprehending much else aside from the gentle sway of the blades of grass in the warm breeze on the spot where his friend had stood not just a few seconds before. With a deep breath, he let his heart beat slow, let the adrenaline which had been thundering through his system dwindle until finally he felt his senses return.

Dilan's sacrifice would not be in vain, and it certainly would not be the end. Aeleus knew what must be done.

"We knew this day would come." Even always had the innate ability to point out the most bluntly obvious fact at the most inopportune moment, but the gravity of it all had left the entire party rather mute. Someone needed to break that silence, and frankly, Even had never been very good at keeping his well-learned mouth shut. Thankfully enough for the lot of them, he was usually correct.

His poison green eyes scanned the congregation with a continually changing outlook. It was serious and heavy when he regarded Aeleus and Ienzo, yet tinged with disdain when it finally reached Lumaria and Arlene. Predictable, the master of the gardens reflected, locking eyes with the scientist as the setting sun cast a gentle glow on the humble living room, turning his normally pale skin to a lively pink. Aeleus' own face was shadowed with thought, knit with worry as he cast a dark glance to Ienzo, and then back to his massive hands which were folded neatly, politely before him. Arlene seemed eager to catch his own attention, and the expression which they exchanged spoke quite clearly where words simply could not. Thankfully, Arlene had no qualms about making their opinions known.

"We are so screwed." She chuckled bitterly.

"This is no laughing matter." Snapped Ienzo, sounding strikingly like his mentor for a brief moment before withdrawing back into himself, his own face unreadable. Aeleus knew exactly what he was thinking, he knew that tone better than his own voice. Arlene was probably right.

"And that is not entirely decided!" Even added speedily, his voice just a touch too loud, hinting at his expectation that he would have to fight to make his voice heard. When he did not face interruption, to his confused delight, he continued on. "Let us consider the facts before we doom ourselves to heartlessness once again."

"Fine, lets!" Arlene agreed, her usually sarcastic twitter far too shrill to cover the fear in her voice. "Xemnas is still out there and he's willing to hunt us down. We're sitting ducks and we don't stand a chance against a psycho like him! Darkness forbid that the villagers even try to pretend to care!" All of her points she ticked off on her manicured fingers were legitimate, truth be told. Lumaria had always admired her for that fact. Though she never longed to lead, she always had the uncanny ability to see the truth at face value, and such things were terribly useful, even when one did not want to know the truth.

"We stand alone, if we stand at all." Lumaria's voice was silk, hiding beautifully whatever emotions he might have been feeling. Steady, calm, even, he let on nothing of what he was thinking: a perfect assassin. Even twitched uncomfortably at this fact, knowing that their reputation around the village had yet to improve despite their prime efforts. The revamping of their inner technological guard system had rendered heartless attacks nigh unheard of, and their countless hours of study as to how to remedy the damage which had already been wrought had yet to account for much but lost sleep, excessive tension and an ongoing series of migraines.

Aeleus himself could not seem to remember the last time he had slept the full night through. He sighed deeply, feeling the academic's eyes on him, asking silently for his opinion. Worse yet, he felt the expectations of Ienzo as one crystalline blue eye fixated on him from the darkness of his own thoughts.

"He's right. If we fight, we die honorably." His voice was deep, soft, and almost regretful.

"If only it were so simple." Even groaned, running his slender fingers through his cornsilk colored hair as he shook his head slowly, as if trying to deny his thoughts, but being a man of fact and logic took it's toll. He could only see the situation for what it was worth, and frankly, it was worth a great deal of pain. "If we fight, we lose our hearts. Not only is Radiant Garden in danger at that point, but also every world we touch thereafter. We are putting lives on the line."

"So, do you suggest that we run?" Ienzo knew exactly where the conversation was headed, and his focused inquiry was a breath of fresh air in the muddled mind of his counterpart, Aeleus.

Lumaria'a bright eyes narrowing as they caught the last few rays of sunlight. "Do you take me for a coward?"

"I will not abandon Dilan." Aeleus persisted staunchly, and not for the first time during their conversation. Dilan had never been the same since the sudden disappearance of their 'guard' counterpart. The relationship between them was tumultuous at best to begin with, but it had always been something lingeringly strong, Aeleus reflected. His concern outweighed his curiosity as to exactly why the other man had turned to the darkness, but he was willing to bet that it had something to do with his braided friend's genuine interest in the other man.

That, and the fact that Dilan had been heartbroken at the loss of him.

"I have no intention of abandoning him either." Even agreed with an easily sensible logicality. It was the first thing that seemed 'sure' in their conversation since they agreed that they were royally screwed. "He is a powerful ally and we must re-convert him. This also means that we must be prepared to work with the keyblade masters to ensure that his heart returns intact and complete."

A beat of silence passed between them as they tried to deny the bitter taste of foul memories and defeat, of learning that Axel, or rather Lea, had been chosen by a keyblade, of reflecting on how very little he knew of the pain they had to suffer in his thoughtless, violent wake. Ienzo stifled a shudder and Even looked as though he had swallowed a particularly spiny insect. Arlene rolled her eyes. Men could be so very dogmatic at times, and she assumed that this may be because of their 'prideful' nature but in retrospect, it simply kept leading her to the same conclusion: Men are fucking dumb. She shared a meaningful glance with Lumaria, who's answer smirk was supportive, but the worry which sat heavily on his brow did not ease. Very peculiar.

"And then what?" She shot at Even, assuming him to be the leader of this discussion, the gears of her mind whirring as her eyes flashed cleverly and she fixed him with a clever grin. "We can either sit here and wait like a bunch of idiots, or we lead them in the wrong direction." Thinking on her toes, she decided with a small cackle, was definitely her strong suit. Even seemed dumbfounded and for a shadow of a second, as she held the eyes of the entire gathering. She crossed her arms, hoping that an outward sign of boredom would hide her discomfort.

"Yes!" Even all but shouted, quite pleasantly surprised with the prospect of an answer aside from the most obvious. Ienzo tilted his head pensively as Aeleus looked from the young woman to the scholar and then back, as though trying to garner something far deeper than just words of agreement. There was a plan simmering here, and one which simply needed a bit of extra attention to by the right people. "For once, your foul mouthed antics have produced an outcome which I do not entirely oppose with every fiber of my being." Yes, she knew it was too good to be true. Leave it up to the scientist to ruin a perfectly enjoyable moment. "If we were to travel away from here, I would safely assess that not only would we draw the darkness away from this world for the time being, but we could buy time for the keyblade masters to hunt down Dilan's heart to free it. Not only that, but there are the other former members to keep in mind."

The thoughtful pause brought to mind all those who were not present, those who had chosen to go and travel before even the thought of escape from the claws of darkness had begun. "Are we looking to warn them?" Ienzo leaned forward in his seat, fixing a steady look at Even, who answered in turn.

"It would only be logical."

Aeleus crossed his arms over his well built frame, uncharacteristically tense, yet understandably so. This was no small decision. "And, would we bring the darkness to their doorstep in doing so, if we truly are being pursued."

"But would it not be far worse if they were simply caught off guard altogether?" Lumaria murmured, clearly siding with Arlene. To his surprise, Aeleus nodded that he, indeed, had a valid point and yet he did not ease in the slightest. His stance was still tense as ever.

Ienzo shook his head, slowly and thoughtfully as though trying to piece himself together in the wake of being punched in the stomach. Sometimes, life was like that, he reflected in frustration. "This is very sudden." He admitted. Even hummed in agreement as Aeleus put a comforting hand on his shoulder. It made the young prodigy wonder exactly why anyone would ever consider the guardsman to be emotionally blunt. There was more understanding in that one action than he had felt since awakening.

"So, it's decided?" There was a note of restless finality to his tone, a hint of fear, yet decided assuredness.

With a frozen pause, each of them seemed about to protest. Even looked with absolute distaste at Lumaria, who glared back with an unreadable grin on his smooth features. Ienzo locked eyes with Aeleus for reassurance before he cast his glare on Arlene, who crossed her legs in a marked response and dared him to protest. Yet, they all remained remarkably silent. They knew, intrinsically, that there was safety in numbers. If they were to break apart, one could safely assume that their days were numbered. They hadn't the power to boast that sort of freedom at this time.

And who knew what Xehanort would be planning for them.

"We should prepare to leave." Lumaria broke the silence in what might have been considered a command if one looked just a touch too closely. Undoubtedly, it earned him a warning glance from the academic's piercing green eyes.

"I'll discuss this matter with the restoration committee." Even said bluntly, as though to contest Lumaria directly. Aeleus sighed softly. Some people never changed. "We will meet back here tomorrow morning. We leave at the break of dawn."

"Really?" Arlene blurted out, barely contained in her scorn of the notion. "Do you hate sleep or something? I know you don't get much of it, but that's no reason to rob a woman of her me-time! It's very important!" She finished with a scowl, finally settling for a rude gesture as she existed. Lumaria followed her smoothly, shooting one last glare at Even, who steadily returned it.

Aeleus seemed concerned with the broodingly silent Ienzo, who seemed rather concerned with himself at that moment. Even folded his hands on his lap and retreated into his own troubled thoughts.

The scientist had to admit, things like these simply were not to happen on days like this. It should have, by all arguments of the weather, been rainy, cold and miserable, and yet the benevolently gentle sun had settled just below the horizon line, turning the sky to a flaming red and dying the world a hopeful shade of pink.

It reminded him fearfully of fire.