This ended up being one of the trickier chapters to write. If only because there wasn't an obvious choice for a secondary III hero.
The Onion Knight was derived more from the NES game, the trouble is that you can't just pull one of the other job classes from the game for your second hero, because most of the classes that are unique to III are simply upgraded versions of an already existing class. Still, I believe my choice ultimately is one that would be a logical choice.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Waiting to die… it was horrible, unthinkable, the fear ate him alive from the inside. To think that his master would have thrust mortality on him as he gave splendid powers to his fellow students. To make matters worse, Unei and Doga had strutted around, pretending that he had received the finest gift.
The ability to die.
Xande has once been a calm, disciplined, and self-controlled man at his core, but now these traits were only on the surface. He had become far more… unhinged, erratic, while his ability to plan had not faded, he also knew that plans took time, time he no longer had.
They had told him that a limited lifespan would allow him to convey meaning to his remaining years but… no, it was too terrible. What could have meaning if it would just be swept away with time? The only way to have meaning is to be there to see it all. He had to regain immortality, he had to.
Xande paced around the Crystal Tower, his staff firmly gripped in hand, considering his options. Master Noah's "gift" would not easily be undone, he had attempted to freeze time, yet that had been undone. Every plan that failed would be more wasted time, too many failures and his time would run out, and… no, he wouldn't even think about it.
Magic could only extend his life for so long, he needed to find a permanent solution to this gift… no, this curse.
Through magic, Xande sensed the approach of another, turning around, he came face to face with a figure he had never seen before. A woman unlike any he had seen before, with raven wings spouting from her very back.
Xande dismissed her as a product of the Dark Power he know channeled, he would have ignored her entirely, but then she suddenly spoke.
"Yes, I see…" The woman's eyes were closed as she approached Xande's back. "You've lost the gift of eternity, haven't you?"
Xande snapped back around, strands of darkness phasing into existence as his mouth turned into a scowl. Being reminded about his limited time… nothing enraged Xande quite as much.
"Who are you?" Xande restrained himself from attempting anything at that precise moment. If she had something to offer him, then she was worth sparing for the extent of the moment.
"The one who can allow you to live forever." Her eyes slid open as her lips turned into a subtle smile. Xande involuntarily growled, quickly surmising a desire for an alliance.
"And why should I believe that you can do that for me?" Xande turned back around and began to walk off. "With all my knowledge, I've yet to find a true release from this curse of mortality, how could you offer freedom from death?"
"Oh, not me, precisely." The woman, Ultimecia, turned away. "Our… leader, has achieved many things. Being immortal gives you the time to pursue many things."
Yes, he was aware of that reality. He had been immortal, he had mastered so much magic, staggering amounts of power, yet it was powerless before the ever present threat of death. If her "leader" was immortal, perhaps he might have looked into such things, he would have researched how to make someone immortal, if he had ever considered this a possibility.
He had no desire to have allies, anyone who might slow him down, or impair his desire to regain immortality, but the woman's leader might just be what he's been looking for.
"Very well, take me to your leader." With those words from Xande, Ultimecia turned around and began to walk away, until a chord of dark energy stretched across the room, catching Ultimecia on her neck. Feeling the awkward sensation on her neck, she backed away, only for Xande's hand to grab the back of her head.
"However, if you're deluding me, rest assured, I will find you."
The World of Darkness… how long had it been since he'd been here? He never thought he'd step foot in this place again… how had he gotten back here, again?
Luneth wandered around the eternally ethereal landscape of the shifting world, making every effort to piece together how he had gotten there, but nothing seemed to lead into how he had returned to where the last battle with the Cloud of Darkness had occurred at. Scratching the back of his head, Luneth paced around through the endless corridors, until tiring and sitting himself down by one of the pillars.
He wasn't the sort who asked too many questions, just enough to have an idea of what was going on. Barreling into a situation without considering anything and just operating off of reflex was natural to him, but this was somewhat different.
Still, he wasn't scared or worried, one of his personality quirks. He was, if anything, a bottomless well of courage, so were his friends, even if they weren't ones to act as fast as he did.
Taking a sword, his only weapon, he made a random swing in the air with the silver weapon. He had the strength to back up that courage as well, he was one of the Light Warriors chosen by the crystal, after all.
"Maybe I can just leave, like last time. Cut through a few guys, easy."
"You should think it through more then that."
Luneth blinked at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Turning around, he came face to face with a kid that looked younger then him.
"Hey, who are you?"
"I could ask the same thing to you." The kid cocked his head and scanned Luneth with his eyes. "Huh, that outfit… you ever been to Ur?" The kid inquired.
"Heh, yeah, I grew up there." Luneth tilted his head up, pulling his hands behind his head, "It's actually a pretty boring place, and I really only know Arc."
The kid lowered his head and raised an eyebrow. He had grown up in Ur, and not once had he ever seen anyone like this older boy. "Did you… really grow up in Ur?"
"Um… yeah, I was an orphan there." Luneth's eyes flickered very briefly to a just slightly remorseful look, before returning to his more common expression. "Anyway, who are you?"
"Huh, me? Uh…" the child paused, unable to answer the question on the spot. "Some people call me… the Onion Knight."
"Onion Kni-oh-" Luneth snickered, "Now that's a real awe-inspiring nickname."
"Hey, shut it." The Onion Knight snapped back, "I only came here to get you out of this place."
"Oh, you know how to get out of here?" Luneth's grin faded, "Well then, lead the way."
Right then, so I basically fused the DS and NES versions together there.
I've seen a fair number of people refer to the Onion Knight as "Luneth", but really, he's not. OK was a new character in Dissidia.
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