The Dark Schemer
Paradox's information was very extensive and useful, much to Namine's gratitude. Knowledge of the world gave her a much better understanding of not only what had happened to it, but the patterns of the mutated monsters and people as well. Determining where each breed of the still living would be became much more accurate, allowing her to easily navigate the area without running into the mutant bat sweeping over what was once an airport or the ten story centipedes creeping through many of the still standing buildings. Between her portals and the understanding of what drew each of the beasts around there, she had only managed to be attacked again twice and both were easily resolved conflicts. She hadn't even had to break out anything from her bag yet. The rain was still an unavoidable issue of course, but by now, Namine had developed an eye for finding the safest places to hide.
Then there was the other aspect. With the understanding of her power and the magic brought into this world, she had been able to figure out how to dampen its affects on her senses. It wasn't gone from her mind by any means, whatever power these soul shards had demanded to be heard, but she had managed to pull away enough to sense what else was nearby, enough so that she felt completely safe even when she had to stop and wait out the rain. Though she wasn't sure whether she felt more relieved or disturbed as the world opened up to her again. She wasn't used to sensing out things in such destroyed worlds. Normally, in a barren world, she wouldn't use her power at all after an initial sweep of the area. The frequent emptiness left her feeling hollow and the minds of the beasts she sensed were disturbing on a whole new level. She couldn't even describe how it felt exactly, just that they were unappealing to touch. They were as mutated as their bodies and incredibly violent. A mindset that seemed mandatory for survival in this world.
Finally, there were her fellow otherworlders. Apparently there were two groups. One was a pair of vampires, though weren't much to worry about for her. Only one could see her as a threat, the other was comatose at the moment, and all of her powers were light magic, sometimes called holy magic, the greatest vulnerability to creatures born of demonic magic. No vampire would dare come near her with any kind of malicious intent. In fact, they would be keen to get as far away from her as possible. It was the other that was really noteworthy.
"Sakura, the Princess of Clow Country, born with enormous, law defying powers only for them to take her soul and shatter it into feathers that scattered to the dimensional winds. Fai, a powerful magician who strives not to use his power and steer clear of a tyrant he defeated in his own world. Kurogane, an incredibly, supernaturally, strong swordsman searching for his home. And Syaoran, the Princess' love and protector." Taking a moment to relax as the rain once more pounded against the windows, Namine couldn't help but grin at the thought of that boy. Paradox had been careful to inform her of all the facts regarding him. His kind were hard to come by. So loyal, protective, willing to become nothing more than a stranger to the love of his life, but staying forever by her side to save and protect her anyway. That was a fate far too painful for most to ever bear. Namine doubted she could ever handle it. She admired him greatly for that. But still, that was going to make what was about to come only that much harder, for everyone involved. "I wonder what will be harder for you." She mused, staring out into the distance. To the place she'd been assured that she'd find him. "The price of my help or discovering what you are, what you were made to be? Both are life shattering, but from my experience...I'd say the first one, no contest."
Her own heart ached as she connected the similarities in their plights. Learning what she was, what she was supposedly destined for...it almost broke her. It wasn't until her saviour came to see her in her cell that she dared to hope for anything beyond fading into darkness. If it wasn't for Roxas, and all the light and hope he radiated with, she would have been consumed by the darkness long ago.
But as bad as that was, being separated from Roxas, watching him disappear. Learning that she'd be tossed away from her friends, her family, her memories of them and theirs of her erased, that felt like her heart had been ripped out. She was just lucky that she had forgotten too at first. She'd still bore a horrible pain and sadness, but the lack of knowledge as to what had dampened it a bit. Then, when her memories started to return, and she started searching her head for what was lost, she realised that she could use her telepathy to restore not only hers, but everyone else's memories too, at least those that included her. All she had to do was find them. And with that, her hope was restored once again. The only problem was that the pain wouldn't truly leave until she could prove that it was worth having, that she had succeeded. Assuming that she was about to save Syaoran, she could only hope that he could see that hope too as the conditions of her help destroyed his world.
"Still, better I do it than he does." That thought was all Namine needed to harden her resolve as the rain receded. Her way was much more repairable, much less painful for everyone than the alternative.
Shoving everything aside for now, she grabbed her bag and opened a portal. The rain had stopped and according to Paradox, that meant that the humans would soon come out of hiding in search of food. She had to find the people Syaoran and his friends were staying with before the next rain, otherwise, it would be far too late to save him.
Besides, she'd already had more than enough of this world. She wanted to move on to Paradox's promise.
...
Luck was apparently on her side, for it was within two hours that she got her first hint of still living human life. There wasn't much in nature or a dilapidated city that you could confuse the sound of an engine for after all, particularly those of motorcycles. Pulling a pair of binoculars from her bag, she scanned the area and almost jumped for joy at the sight before her. Surrounded by flying sand and gravel, was no less than twenty bikes, each one carrying one or two people clad in thick, hooded, green cloaks. She couldn't see any of their faces, not that she would know what to look for beyond brief descriptions of her targets, and had no way of sensing their minds from this distance even if Sakura's presence wasn't pushing in on her senses, but she quickly grew hopeful anyway. If the ones she was looking for were with them, then great, if not, then they may still be able to provide information. They may still know Syaoran and the others.
Grinning to herself, she immediately created a portal to her side and stepped through, reappearing on the roof of another building ahead of the group. Crouching down, careful not to be seen, she pulled up her binoculars again and watched as they approached, this time taking in their faces. She was a little disheartened when she confirmed that none of them really looked anything like the descriptions she'd gotten, something only confirmed when she grew close enough to touch on their minds and confirm that they were all native to this world, but she didn't let that get to her for more than a second. Not that she could while the mental link was in place.
"Something's got them intrigued." She mused, her own curiosity being stimulated by theirs. Turning back around, she took a look off down their path, only to let out a gasp, dropping her jaw. "No way!" She cried, blinking twice before taking another look, just to make sure that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. But nope, the same thing was still before her.
Another giant worm, this one even bigger than one she'd taken down, was clearly visible for everyone to see about half a mile away and the green clad group were heading right for it fast. But what really drew Namine's attention, and probably the group's too, was the fact that the worm was completely immobile.
"That thing has to be dead." Of that, she was sure. She'd seen a couple of them since her arrival, though luckily she hadn't had to actually face one herself since the initial assault, and they never stayed still on the surface. Whether fighting or seeking out prey, they were active. The only one she'd seen one immobile was when it was dead.
That status was common in this world, but what really drew everyone's interest was how it died. Something that big had to be taken down by something pretty strong and it was definitely a fresh kill, but there was nothing in sight around it. Any beast that could have killed it would have started eating it immediately, which meant that the victor of the fight...
"Was another human group!" Namine practically shouted, excitement coursing through her as the gang passed her hiding place and moved on, quickly closing the gap between the groups. That was great news! That meant that she'd found two, probably different, groups, doubling her chances of finding the travellers. Not even waiting to stand up, Namine quickly created a portal beneath her and sunk into it.
...
That wasn't to say everyone else was so thrilled. In fact, some were downright furious.
Hidden far away, in a place few even knew existed and even less could reach, sat a middle aged man clad in dark, robes, emblazoned with a red bat symbol. His black hair, well into greying at the front and sideburns, surrounded a face that was perfectly sculpted for dark looks, scowls and evil smiles, with very thick and defined bone structure and a monocle placed over his right eye. The man reeked of magical power. And he looked ready to use every ounce of it to blow up the first thing he saw.
Sitting on an expensive couch, barely even noticing as his hand crushed a wine glass and spilt the red liquid over everything, his glare burned like fire as he stared at the magic mirror before him. It was a powerful tool and easily the most frequently used one as it allowed him to watch his plans play out. It was with this mirror that saw the moment that his plan came into action, the day that Princess Sakura's feathers were expelled throughout time and space, and allowed him to monitor almost every step they took from then on, regardless of what point in time and space that he'd pushed them to. It wasn't until the Dimensional Witch had interfered that it had ever had any trouble watching them, but even then, their actions eventually resurfaced within its surface. That had been a great nuisance to him, but he had found a way around it soon enough. This time however, was another matter entirely. For when he had lost them before, his mirror could show him nothing. This time, he knew exactly what world to look at, could see a little of it around the edges of the round glass, but the centre showed nothing but sheer, blinding white.
"Blast that witch!" He sounded more like a rabid beast than a person as he tossed what remained of his glass aside, shattering it against a wall. "Of all the times to interfere!"
"How are you certain that it is that woman's influence?" Another asked, this voice dull and feminine, near completely emotionless as a woman walked in, stopping behind the couch. Like the man, she was darkly clothed, her black, gothic dress also bearing the red bat mark, something that only stood out more against her pale skin and long, bushy black hair. Though her eyes showed intellect and hints of emotion, her face was just as blank as her voice as she stared at the mirror. "This kind of ability is not within the nature of the witch's power, nor is the level of interference."
"Perhaps, but make no mistake, she is well and truly involved!" The air actually rippled around him as his anger continued to fester and grow, his magic pouring out and around him, rising with his emotions. "The world they have entered is a critical one, you know this! I have taken the greatest of care, determining the dangers and magics held within it, making sure every detail was noticed and altered to match the needed state of affairs to ensure our success. Of all worlds, this one is where it is of the utmost importance that everything goes as planned. I even worked tirelessly to ensure no more dimensional travellers capable of interfering arrived! One way or another, she is involved!"
"Which would mean that she too understands the importance of this world and when they would arrive to it." The woman responded calmly, before her eyes flicked back the way she came, a sudden, undefinable emotion flickering through them. "Or has detected the new development beginning and is responding. If that's the case, then this is a plan long prepared, though I still do not know how she could have done this."
The scowl crossing the man's face only intensified as she went on. He knew what could do this. One of the powers that he had strived to keep his little pawns away from at all costs.
In his search for the power to defy the laws of the universe itself, he had come across a few possible sources. The most intriguing had been the powers of and associated with the Keyblades. The abilities of such weapons and their masters was truly unique. The power to unlock any door, literal and figurative alike, the ability to bypass all the sacrifices and demands for balance while travelling the dimensions with no limitations, that alone was desirable, valuable to his plans. But the powers these blades could unleash. Unlocking the hearts and powers of the worlds themselves. That was a power beyond even his imagination.
However, he was quick to determine that such power was likely to never be his. Keyblades could only be wielded by their masters and masters could only be created by the joined approval of a master and his blade. Then there was the fact that Keyblades were separated into two dominant groups, those with cores of light or darkness. A Keyblade of light was by far the most common, as those who wielded darkness were far less likely to ever grant power to another and often died before creating a single successor, and even they were rare. What's more, they are only forgeable with a heart that is dominantly light and are lost to their master if they are consumed by darkness. there was no way he could ever use one.
Still, his pursuit of them had led to other legends and connected powers. Namely, the Xblade and the war for the ultimate power: Kingdom Hearts. The source of all light. Both fascinated him immensely. The source of all light and life and the blade with the power that could hold it in check or release it. Either one of them alone would be the ultimate solution to obtaining his desire, together, with his knowledge and power added to the mix, they could make him the master of life, death and all in between. But of course, getting either one was quickly determined to be completely impossible. Many were currently trying and all their plans were clearly doomed to failure. There was but one who had even the slightest hope of obtaining one, but even he had failed many times before now and he had one of the few Dark Keyblades left in existence. Maleficent had come close recently, but that was with a world conquering, unholy army and in the end even that had not been enough. These were routes best left untaken.
Then there was the final one. A collection of powers born from the unnatural confrontations of the Keyblade War. Seven Princesses of Heart, beings with hearts of pure light, and thirteen warriors with hearts of pure darkness, each one to forever be reborn almost immediately after their death. The very existence of these hearts was unnatural. For every other living being in existence, the heart needed at least a small portion of light or darkness to survive. The ratios between light and dark could vary dramatically either way, but they both had to be there. Such law defying beings had definitely been intriguing.
Unfortunately, he never once found the Thirteen Darkness's, as the legends had deemed to name them. The Princesses of Heart however, were another matter entirely. He had found all seven. What's more, he even discovered the creation of an eight Princess of Heart and, even more encouraging, an almost intentionally created Prince of Heart and fourteenth Darkness. The possibilities these discoveries brought to his mind were endless. It was disappointing to learn that the Prince of Heart was created by a Keyblade and an unusual connection to a unique heart, but the eight Princess was still a sign of hope. It meant that the Princesses, like the power that created them, had the ability to transcend the laws of magic and nature far beyond their own existence. It was like acquiring Kingdom Hearts, simply with far less power behind them. Still, it would be more than enough to complete his goals.
Yet even that was not meant to be. It wasn't long after he started plotting and researching this eighth Princess more intensely that he discovered that a Keyblade forged from the hearts and powers of six other Princesses of Heart was involved in her creation and due to the power that each had now learnt to wield, their wills and those who protected them, getting all of them together again would be impossible. He could tweak others into making it happen, but placing them together would risk unleashing power that even he could never handle. And even if he got his hands on them, they were dangerous without intending to be and were only likely to capable of unleash the power he needed if they genuinely wanted to help him, something that would never happen. So he'd had no choice to continue on his plan with the princess of Clow Country.
But even then, he was grateful for the time he put into learning about these powers and their wielders, for it gave him a very great understanding. They were a threat to all of his plans, could do things that would ruin all of his work in an instant. The Heartless and Nobodies too, could have ruined it all for him in moments. So he had strived, planned and manipulated every move Sakura and her friends made to ensure that they never met any of them. It was a constant task, one of which he had almost failed many times over even before the Dimensional Witch started seriously interfering. The moves of Heartless could not be predicted and Keybearers travelled frequently in times of interdimensional crisis. He had often feared the day that they became aware of his actions and moved on him purposely. But still, he succeeded time and again, the feathers being found and the group taking their leave before Heartless or Keybearers could reach them. Six Princesses of Heart were, for the most part, stationary in their own worlds, so keeping them away from the Princesses' homes was all it took on that part. The other two were the only worry on that front and he had successfully managed to keep them apart too.
'Until now.' He was absolutely sure of it. The moment he'd feared most had finally come to pass. 'This light could only be from a heart of pure light. One of them has found the same world as them.' He had to do something now! Yuuko's plan, whatever it was, could not ever be allowed to proceed any further. Not now, not in this world, not when the boy was showing signs of waking. He would have to act quickly, decisively and brutally.
Fei Wang Reed absolutely refused to let the results all his hard work come crumbling down right as they were reaching the beginning of their final stages. Even if that meant snuffing out a few lights.
AN: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you haven't read VG7's newest chapter yet, sorry for the wait. My dead laptop tried to take this chapter and my notes with it.
