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On with the chapter
(Extra long chapter, so take your time with this one)
Guardians of Remnant
Chapter 19 – Answers Part 1
Beacon Academy
The Atlesian dropships carrying the young warriors arrived by Beacon's Cliffside. Ruby and Yang soon emerged, Team JNPR meeting them as they walked off. The four huntsman were not there in the coliseum that day, instead choosing to train on Beacon's grounds. Upon the conclusion of their session, they returned to their dorm room, where they would then see Sora's transformation and the battle between Archer and Lancer, all on live television.
"Hey Ruby, how are guys holding up? Jaune asked. The red reaper gave him a small smile, staying silent. Jaune could see that she was still shaken up from the entire ordeal.
Yang stepped forward, "We'll be ok, today was just…crazy"
"How about the others?" Pyrrha asked.
Both Ruby and Yang turned around, watching as Blake walked off, supporting Riku who slowly limped off the ship. Behind them was Roxas, Xion, and Ven, all bearing scratches and bruises. Once they had stepped off the ship, it began to float back into the air, flying off towards the city
"I see" Pyrrha muttered "And Sora?"
Ruby turned to face Pyrrha, a pained expression on her face "He's still in pretty bad shape, so they're taking him to the nearest hospital."
"And what of Archer?" Ren asked
"General Ironwood plans on detaining him until tomorrow, he'll then be put into questioning" Ruby paused, looking to her sister "He asked that both Yang and I meet with him beforehand"
"Why?" Nora shot up
"He said he wanted to conduct a thorough investigation and our accounts of the attack would be of use"
"Weiss!" Ven called out, seeing the heiress sitting on a nearby bench, still rather dirty from her fight with Team FNKI, sitting next to her was Kairi, who sat silently as she stared at a star shaped charm in her hands. Surrounding the two was Aqua, Terra, Lea, Rep, and Namine. Despite his own injuries, Ven was still rather fast as he approached the group
Ruby and the rest of her friends made their way to the bench to join the others. Lea walked away, following Roxas and Xion as they instead chose to head back into the academy to rest.
Ruby could see Ven happily chatting up Weiss, the heiress lightly chastising the boy "That was pretty cool right, storming the arena like that?" Ven asked, referring to how he leapt into the arena, unleashing his attack, Salvation. He had a wide grin across his face. Both Terra and Aqua stood in awe how carefree he was being considering the severity of today's events. Weiss simply shook her head at the boys antics "Dolt" she responded, giving him a small smile
Soon the full group came together, few words were shared. All of them were relatively silent for a few minutes, each unsure of what to say.
Riku was then the one who decided to finally speak up. "I guess we all owe you guys an explanation" he said looking to both Team RWBY and JNPR. Minutes would pass by as he explained to them the nature of Sora's Anti form. He explained to them how, during his first journey across the worlds, he became a heartless when freeing Kairi's heart from within him. How, despite regaining his human form, wasn't the same after that. He told them of how he would change into that form, albeit accidentally, throughout his second journey. Both teams had horrified expressions on their faces hearing about how scared Sora was every time it happened, unsure of who he may have hurt or what he may have done while in that form. Riku finished with a puzzled look on his face "Although, I've never seen it that strong before. This time was different. Wherever Sora went, something did that to him"
Riku turned his attention to Kairi, still staring down at the charm in her hands. He knelt down in front of her, putting a hand on her shoulder, comforting her "Sora will be okay Kairi. He's been through worse, he'll bounce back in no time" he ended with a confident grin.
Still silent and averting her gaze from her friend, she gently lifted Riku's hand from her shoulder, got up and began to walk away, heading back toward the Academy "Thanks" she said before walking off, the charm still in her hands. Riku could see that she was taking this extremely hard, and it was probably best to let her go for now.
While Kairi appreciated Riku's attempt at reassuring her, he had no idea what was really bothering her.
Earlier that day, Amity Coliseum.
Shortly after Sora began to fight off his friends
The whole arena was thrown into chaos. Everyone rushing out of their seats and heading to the most nearby shuttle. She began to charge back in upon seeing the footage of Sora's anti form. She had to get to him, before he could hurt anyone. But as she approached one of the entryways into the stands, she saw of the corner of her eye, a flash of red. She turned, seeing Archer, both of his blades drawn running off in the direction that would lead directly to the floor of the arena.
Kairi turned immediately, chasing after the man. After about a minute of chasing him down, she caught up to him "Archer! Stop!"
Hearing her voice he stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face her. "Kairi?" he said, his eyes wide
Kairi instinctively called out her keyblade, holding it to her side "What are you doing here?"
"Sora…" Archer simply responded
Kairi's grip on her keyblade tightened, ready for a fight "Sora…What do you want with Sora?" she demanded
"I'm not going to fight you Kairi…you just need to trust me, okay"
"You attacked my friends. You attacked Ven and Weiss! I won't let you hurt Sora"
"Damn it…I…Listen, if I don't go now, Sora will die! Im not here to hurt Sora, I'm here to save him!" Archer pleaded
Kairi slightly lowered her keyblade, she could sense honesty in his words. "I…I.." she began, before being promptly cut off. A pair of swords materialized at her sides, the tip of the blades slightly prodding her neck. Kairi knew that any movement out of line could possibly mean death. Archer shook his head, looking down in shame
"I'm sorry", he said, taking a few steps forward, standing directly in front of the keyblade wielder. He extended his arm, slowly reaching forward. Kairi averted her gaze and closed her eyes
No! Kairi pushed the memory out of her mind. She just needed get away from everything. She stopped, turning around and watching the air ship that carried her friend fly into the city. "Sora…" she muttered. She needed to see him. She needed to know that he was ok. With that, she began walking to the nearest shuttle.
Back with the rest of the group, Ruby told everyone how Sora went off on a mission for Councilor Faraday the previous day. "He didn't tell me what it was for, just that it was keyblade business"
"Something must have happened wherever it was the Councilor sent him" Terra chimed in
"Wait, Ruby, did you say Councilor Faraday?" Namine asked
"Yea, why?"
"Authorities found her dead in her own office last night" Namine replied "Her console was completely destroyed by the time they arrived. They weren't able to recover anything. No security footage, nothing"
Aqua began rubbing her chin, deep in thought. That couldn't be any coincidence. Perhaps Archer silenced her? No, Aqua thought. She wasn't entirely sure of Archer anymore. He openly attacked Ven and Weiss one day, yet saved Ruby and Sora on another. Perhaps the resurrected Foretellers may be behind this. If that's true, she would need to speak with Ozpin about this.
To her luck, he would soon appear "Hello, children. I hope all of you are well, despite recent events"
The whole group turned to see Professor Ozpin walking toward them, cane in hand. Shortly behind him was Qrow, who walked past him and wrapped both Ruby and Yang in a tight hug. "Im glad you two are okay, Tai would have killed me if something happened to you" he ended with a small laugh
Ozpin walked past the group, planting his cane in the ground in front of him, standing proudly. Ruby watched as he looked out to the horizon, his gaze fixated on the coliseum, still floating in the distance but in complete ruins
Jaune stepped up behind the headmaster "Professor Ozpin?" he began "What's going to happen to the tournament? I mean…with the current state of the coliseum…"
Ozpin spun around, a warm smile on his face "worry not, Mr. Arc, the tournament will still go on as planned"
"But…how?" Jaune questioned
"General Ironwood has already informed me that reparations will be made. He's called in a few favors from Atlas. Additionally, Ms. Goodwitch will also provide her own talents in its reconstruction. The Singles round will commence in three days, once repairs are complete"
"But sir, don't you think that's a bit dangerous, considering what just happened?" Aqua questioned the headmaster, stepping up beside him
"The General has already been authorized by the Vale Council to triple the security around the stadium. I assure you, today's events will not happen again"
"But Sir…" Aqua began.
"Ms. Cordis, please…" he began, turning around to face the whole group "Please understand that the festival is seen as a symbol of strength and unity around the kingdoms. Disrupting the games will only create confusion and panic amongst the populace." He stated, bearing an intense glare "And this will only invite the forces of Grimm to our doorstep"
Everyone's faces fell, they understood his reasoning, but it didn't make them feel any better
Ozpin gave a small smile before speaking once more "All I ask of you all is to simply enjoy the freedom that you've been given. Take the next few days and enjoy yourselves. Visit your friends and loved ones. Just…make the most of it" he finished with a downcast expression.
"Of…of course sir" Aqua relented. Though in the back of her mind, she could tell there was something he was hiding.
"Besides…" he laughed "…don't you all have a dance in a couple days?"
Nearly all the faces of the young warriors went red, not having yet gotten a date to the big event. Ruby's face fell, she was probably the only one amongst her friends that actually did. But as of right now she didn't know when or if Sora would be well enough to even go. She wasn't even sure how she could face him after what happened. No that's not right, he wasn't in control. She couldn't be angry with him right? No, not angry, maybe scared? She didn't know what to think. Ironwood assured her that the hospital would contact her when she could go and visit
Soon enough the group would disperse, each of them going their own separate ways. Ruby decided it was best to make a visit to her home in patch, perhaps she might find some answers to her mother's connection to Archer. Did he really kill her? She wasn't satisfied with his answer. Was he being honest, or was he just trying to appease her?
Namine and Rep decided to take a shuttle to Central Vale, hoping to find a get well gift for Sora.
Jaune decided to go and visit his family, it had been far too long since he last saw them. Watching as he boarded a nearby shuttle, Pyrrha decided to run after him. Her face was a bit red as she ran after him, thoughts of the dance flooding her mind. She had been hoping to go with Jaune, perhaps this would be her chance
Professor Ozpin was ready to approach her, he had a proposition in desperate need of her attention. But watching as she ran off excitedly after the young Mr. Arc, he decided to heed his own words and let the girl enjoy this freedom.
Solomon's Temple
Sora stood at the base of the steps, looking up at Solomon, sitting atop his throne. "Welcome back" he said "I suppose you have questions"
"Solomon?" Sora began, confused "How did I get here? What happened?"
The King of Magic smiled "what's the last thing you remember?"
Sora was struggling to recall what had transpired. His memories were cloudy and unclear "I was in Merlot Labs, I…I fought Aced" Sora remembered, thinking back to his fight with the Foreteller "I wasn't strong enough to beat him so…I called out your name"
"And my Djinn came to your aid" Solomon added
"Yea…I felt…an incredible surge in power…the darkness…I had control. But then I lost…"
"And what happened next?" the King asked
"I remember feeling…angry, just angry. Why is that?"
Solomon, rose from his throne, descending the staircase slowly "Aced and Gula used what is known as a Grimm Seal, an advanced form of a Command Seal. They used it to change the tide of your heart, awakening the darkness that resided deep within"
Sora looked to him, still piecing together his memories. He now remembered charging at Aced, only for Aced to release some kind of red energy into his back
"Then I just remember being in a lot of pain, lying in Ruby's arms" Sora continued
Solomon continued to descend, now halfway down the flight of steps "You were attacked by a powerful Servant known as Cu Chulainn. The man you know as Archer soon intervened and you were taken to a nearby hospital to treat your wounds" he finished with a wide grin "You performed admirably. You truly are a blessing"
"I performed…I nearly died today!" Sora snapped.
"And yet you live. I call that a blessing in itself"
"What is wrong with you?" Sora demanded "Could you try to care, maybe even a little?"
At this point Solomon reached the base of the stairs, standing beside the boy "The only thing I care about is that you play your role, so that I may play mine" he responded with an emotionless stare.
"Wha…I…." Sora muttered, speechless the complete shift from the man he met earlier
He watched as Solomon walked past him, walking towards the edge of the pristine marble landmass. "Maybe Aced was right about you" Sora hissed
"Hmm, and what exactly did he tell you about me?"
"He told me that your "sin" created whatever the Chaos is"
Solomon looked confused for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter "I created Chaos! What kind of religious nonsense is Salem feeding them?"
"He showed me his memories. I saw how you destroyed the world, how you buried Kingdom Hearts in darkness!"
Solomon turned to face him "you only saw one side of the truth"
Sora balled his hands into fists
"The Truth…" Sora muttered under his breath
"Did you say something? Please speak up"
"The truth…" Sora repeated "…He said that…you had something to do with…Xehanort"
Solomon nodded "Yes…I was the one who planted the seeds that would eventually lead Xehanort down the path of darkness. But that's…" Solomon was quickly cut off by a sudden outburst of Sora's anger
In a flash of light Sora called his Keyblade to his side "You're the reason why my friends went through hell!" he yelled
Solomon tilted his head "please, do you really expect to fight me with that" he mocked pointing to the weapon.
Confused, Sora looked down, horrified to see his Keyblade broken in half. That's right, he remembered now. When Gula sent him to Amity Coliseum, he saw him break the keyblade in half
Sora fell to his knees, staring at the broken weapon. It's been a part of his life for so long, what would he do without it? He despaired at the thought, remembering how helpless he was at the end of his first journey without it.
Solomon looked down at the boy, his face almost one of regret
"Sora" he began "I'm sorry. I truly am. I chose the path with the greatest chance of success. And your friends suffered as a result" he walked forward, standing in front of the boy "But who would your friends be today if not for Xehanort? Who would you be? What kind of life would you lead?"
"I…I don't know" Sora admitted
"Well I do…" he said, he voice sounding far more menacing now "If not for the machinations of Xehanort, you and Riku would have lived a rather peaceful life, finally completing the raft you worked so hard on. Kairi would have never made it to the islands, still living happily with her family"
Sora looked up at him, his eyes wide
Solomon's face remained unchanged "And you would've died at sea. Your life ending in a terrible storm. You would be forgotten. You would be unimportant. You would be nothing"
"You're lying!" Sora shot back
"I am not. I see everything Sora. Or rather I can see the possibilities. It is my gift. A gift that I used to exploit you. To push you in the right direction"
"What? Sora questioned
You do not possess any form of future sight Sora. That was but a convenient lie. The visions you've been having... were nothing more than my doing. I reached out and touched your mind, showing you a glimpse of the future. Or at the very least, one version of it. You may still experience such visions, but they should stop…in time" Solomon admitted
"Why" Sora pleaded "why show me all of that"
"I've had my suspicions of Merlot Labs for quite some time. I wanted you to confirm them for me" Solomon replied, before adding "But it would appear the enemy anticipated this, and now they have sway over your heart. That's why I sent Cu Chulainn after you"
"You WHAT?"
"I came to him at his lowest moment. He had lost everything. So I made him an offer. In exchange for power, he would serve as one of my agents." He paused "Archer was quite resourceful using Rule Breaker like that. It severed his connection to the power I'd given him, the contract we shared…leaving him completely defenseless"
Sora stared down the Servant, daggers in his eyes. He could have died, and this guy treats it as if nothing happened
But then he remembered something. What Aced said to him during their fight. "You're nothing but a pawn in his game, just as we were, just as my mistress was. You are an agent of Chaos itself!"
"So he was one of your "agents" Sora said coldly "Aced claimed that I was an Agent of Chaos. What does that mean?" Sora demanded, anger flaring in his voice
Solomon stood there for a few moments before sighing "Very well" he simply snapped his fingers, the noise echoing in all directions.
Sora could feel a shift in the air, he turned and looked up by Solomon's throne, watching in horror as dark portals materialized, eleven individuals emerging from them. Their identities concealed with a familiar black hooded coat.
"What…how…huh?" Sora zipped back around to Solomon as a twelfth figure emerged beside the King.
"The Organization?" Sora panicked
"Stand down, Sora" Solomon advised. "You defeated the Organization, it died with Xehanort, you know that"
"Then…then who are they!?" Sora motioned to the figures standing by the throne.
A wide grin crawled across Solomon's face "They are the agents of my will. My eyes and my ears. They are the left hand that protects, and the right hand that strikes."
The twelfth figure silently walked up beside the King, handing him what looked to be a holographic report of some kind.
Solomon read it over for a few moments before handing the report back to him. He turned to the figure, giving him a warm smile "Thank you…" Solomon paused, gently placing a hand on the figure's shoulder "…Luxu" he finished, then turning his attention back to Sora
"Luxu?" Sora muttered under his breath
Solomon spoke once more "I needed to speak to you again, this gave me the best opportunity"
"Why?" Sora shot back
"Its about the Shadow" Solomon responded, a serious expression on his face
Sora looked to the King, confused "But you just said…"
I said that the visions of the future were my doing, yes. Your encounter with the shadow however, was not. It was memory deeply rooted within your heart, awoken most likely due to my interference.
"If that's true, then how come Namine never saw it when she repaired my memories? Why would she never tell me?"
"Even with all her power, she could not reach it"
"Why? I don't understand" Sora pondered
"That's why I brought you here…its time you know the truth"
About time. Sora thought to himself. He needed answers "The truth of what exactly?"
Solomon smiled "The truth of my past. The truth of my kind. The truth of the Keyblade War. The identity of the Shadow. Your role in the greater events to come. Everything."
Sora watched as Solomon walked to the edge of the marble landscape. He jumped forward as he saw the man take a step off the platform. "Stop! You'll…" Sora trailed off as he saw a new pathway materialize as Solomon walked forward. The king turned to him confused. "…fall?" Sora finished
Solomon smiled, continuing to walk forward, new pieces of the platform materializing as he continued on. "Come" he said
Sora reluctantly followed, taking a moment to look back and see the twelve agents of Solomon now gone. Both he and Solomon walked across newly created platforms for several minutes, Sora marveling at the celestial horizon "Just how big is this place?" he asked"
"As big as I need it to be. My temple is the manifestation of my second Noble Phantasm. I can manipulate the landscape as I see fit"
As the two continued to walk, Sora could now see a dome shaped building materializing in the distance. Upon arriving at its entrance, Solomon waved his hand in front its large imposing door. The door began to sink into ground, opening a path inside. Solomon motioned for Sora to enter.
Upon entering, Sora looked up to see a pulsating orb of light floating above the ground. "Whoa" he whispered, the rest of the room was completely empty, but he could feel an intense flow of power emanating from the orb
Solomon stepped up in front of the orb of light, placing his right hand upon it
"So what did you want to show me by bringing me here?" Sora questioned, keeping his gaze fixated on the orb
"You'll see" Solomon responded. In an instant the orb released a massive pulse of light. Sora instinctively covered his eyes, the intense light blinding his vision. When it subsided, Sora could only see darkness around him
"Solomon?" Sora called out, unable to find the King of magic
But soon enough, Solomon's voice began to echo around him
"I was once the King of an ancient, beautiful, and prosperous Kingdom" he said, causing the darkness to subside. Soon enough a large city materialized all around Sora, he looked around, taking in the sights. It was an oasis surrounded by sand. The people walked by Sora, completely unaware of his presence. They all held their heads high, smiles on their faces, and hope in their hearts. Sora watched as what looked to be a younger Solomon, help an elderly woman, happily conversing with her as he gathered food from the market. "I gave myself to the people, walking amongst them, not above them. I wanted to rule as a wise King who listened to the hearts of his subjects. For a long time there was peace, my people had food in their bellies and roofs over their heads" Solomon remarked. Sora walked up to the younger Solomon, attempting to reach out to him but only phasing through him.
"And yet, I always felt like there was more that I could do. So I sought out knowledge, learning all that I could. I spent many years mastering every secret there was to magecraft, hoping to utilize my gifts in service to my people. And still I felt that it was not enough" The image began to shift, Sora could now see Solomon soundly sleeping in his bed
"One night, as I lay dreaming, I heard the voice of God call out to me. They told me that that I was qualified, and that I should speak my wishes, for they would grant them. I had no use for gold or power, my only pursuit in life was wisdom. My answer satisfied God, who claimed that it served as proof that I possessed the necessary qualities to obtain true wisdom. When I awoke the following morning, I found ten golden rings upon both of my hands, proof of a wise man recognized by God. The Rings themselves gave me the power to control and negate all forms of magecraft, thus earning me the title, The King of Magic.
The image shifted again, revealing an open desert area, Sora could see hundreds of civilians running in terror. In the distance, large monstrous dark pillars, blood red eyes decorating their bodies, could be seen firing off pulses of energy into the air. Sora watched as the projectiles soared overhead, aimed at the fleeing citizens, some even flying towards the Kingdom behind him.
"Years later, my Kingdom encountered a new and terrible threat. The Seventy Two Demon God pillars of Ars Goetia. In response I left to confront them" Sora watched as Solomon flew through the sky, his body radiating in golden light, immune to the Demons' attacks. He landed directly in front of the massive demonic wall, staring the monsters down. Sora awaited some grand display of Solomon's magic, but to his surprise, all the King did was extend his hand, a bright smile across his face. "Despite their appearance, I could see that were only lashing out because they had no other choice. This was simply how they were created. So I gave them a choice. I told them that they could become so much more, that they could make their existence mean something other than destruction. I asked them to join me, so that together, we could build something beautiful.
Sora looked on in awe as the Demon God Pillars began to change colors. Their black skin began to turn white, the crimson in their eyes now a blue. The pillars faded away into particles of light and flowed onto Solomon's arms, intricate black tattoos forming along them. "As they are now, I like to think of them as a more benevolent existence, hence the reason I refer to them as Djinn rather than Demon.
The image faded away, replaced once again by darkness "I accomplished many feats in life, but like all things, eventually mine came to an end" Solomon said "However, death was not the end of my story, but a new beginning"
"But to understand what I became after death, you must first understand how the world came to be."
Everything went silent for a moment, before a faint light appeared in the distance. "In the beginning there was nothing, an endless void. But in time, three beings would emerge from the nothingness. The God of Light, the God of Darkness, and the God of Chaos." Sora looked on in astonishment as three beings emerged from the faint light. The God of Light was a being of pure gold. The God of Darkness was made of purple flames. The God of Chaos was pitch black, with bone like plating across the arms and legs, his eyes blazing a crimson red.
"Basking in the powers of creation, the God of Light created a realm to call his own. The Realm of Light was empty at first, nothing more than an ocean of light. But soon enough, life would emerge in the form of a world. This world was filled with light, a beautiful garden. The God of Light believed that this new world was worth sharing. So he used his power to create new life, giving birth to humanity"
Sora watched in amazement as the God of light created his world and its people. The light it exuded was almost indescribable. It was beautiful. Until a shadow emerged along the horizon.
"Jealous of his brother's creation, The God of Darkness descended upon the world, engulfing it in shadows. Both Light and Darkness would soon fight and war with one another. The Third brother, the God of Chaos, remained neutral, instead choosing to enter a deep slumber, and become one with the void. Countless eons would pass, their war never truly finding a conclusion. Weary of the fighting, the God of Light proposed that the two of them create a new world. Something that the two of them could both be proud of. The God of Darkness agreed, and the two began to depart the Realm of Light. The God of Light created a great door, one that led back into the void"
Sora watched as a large white door materialized before him, similar to the very door he and Riku closed at the end of their first journey.
"The Dark God then created the Realm of Darkness as a means of safely traversing the void" Sora watched as spiraling pathways spread itself throughout the void, like multiple branches of a tree. Dark creatures began to emerge, pitch black with bright yellow eyes. The Heartless. "The brothers wandered the dark realm for many years, until finally settling upon a point for their new realm. The Phantasmal realm. The two brothers used their combined power to create an infinite wellspring of magical energy, an object that is now known as the Holy Grail."
"The Holy Grail…" Sora muttered, watching intently
"Through the immense power of the Grail, the brothers wished for a world where Light and Dark would exist in equal shares. The Grail fulfilled their wish, creating their new world. The brothers looked upon their creation and smiled, naming the new world, Akasha"
Sora was now floating above the newly created world "Akasha?" he asked
"It translates to "Root" Solomon's bodiless voice answered "The God of Light used his power to create the Sun, while his brother created the Moon. With the completion of their World, the brothers recreated humanity. But their work was still unfinished. They once again called upon the grail, using its power to fulfil one final wish. The brothers wished for a means of maintaining their new world and preserving the balance. The Grail answered their call, creating two new forces"
Sora jumped in surprise as two swirls of light appeared before him. "The Twin aspects of the World" Solomon began "Gaia, the Earth mother, who acts as the planet's will to survive, and Alaya, who acts as the Will of the people. These two beings helped to maintain the balance of the World, preventing extinction. And together, their influence began to uplift humanity, granting them the gift of magic. True magic" Solomon finished, his voice almost one of regret
Sora watched in awe as he saw all of this. The very origin of all creation was being presented to him. He was speechless
"For a time, there was peace. Humanity built great civilizations intrinsically tied to the magic the aspects bestowed upon them. Phantasmal beasts inhabited forests that were bathed in magic. The old gods made their presence known, ruling over humanity. But Humanity proved to be…unruly. As they expanded their influence throughout the world, they became less dependent upon the gods, wanting to forge their own future."
The scene shifted to a large open valley, the light of the grail could be seen in the distance, protected by the Gods of Light and Darkness. Sora could see a large army charging in their direction. "It all started with a simple question. They asked their creators…Why? Mere disagreements became violent arguments. Arguments became demonstrations. Temples were burned and raided. Soon enough, humanity waged an open rebellion against the gods. The people were rallied together by a single great hero, a man named Solitas.
Sora looked on with a confused expression, he had heard that name before.
"Solitas led his people into battle with the promise of a new life free from the gods. A life that could only be obtained by claiming the Grail" Solomon paused, letting Sora watch as the battle unfolded, the gods using their immense power to wipe out waves of people, Solitas fighting with every ounce of his strength.
"Thus began the First Holy Grail War"
"The War lasted little more than two days. The gods slaughtered thousands. But it was all the time that Solitas needed. While his soldiers distracted the Gods, he made a run for the Grail. He succeeded, taking hold of the grail and running to safety. The Gods soon gave him chase, destroying all in their way. Eventually they were able to cut off his path, spewing flames of darkness and shooting bolts of light. Solitas turned and faced the Gods, holding the grail close"
Sora watched as the Gods of Light and Darkness cornered the Hero, ready to rain down their divine judgement.
"Accepting his own demise, Solitas would make a final stand against the gods and made a wish upon the grail" Solomon said
"O Grail hear my prayer…" Sora could hear Solitas begin to say "…While I may be meeting my end, I still carry hope in my heart! In my Absence, I wish for Humanity to find new heroes, so that they can surpass the gods!" he called out.
The Grail glowed an intense light and emitted a pulse that echoed throughout the world. "Solitas looked around him, despite making his wish, nothing seemed different. He had disturbed the balance of their world, and he would pay dearly" Solomon concluded
The scene shifted to a small jail cell atop a lonely mountain top. Sora could see Solitas, his arms and legs in chains. Bolts of light impaled into his back, and a mass of darkness around his neck. He took shallow breaths, the darkness limiting his ability to breathe. "The Gods tortured and imprisoned Solitas, promising that he would serve as an example for all eternity. They cursed him. Every night he would die. And every day he would be born again." Solomon ended, shifting the scene once more.
Sora found it odd that Solomon would cut the story right there. There had to be more to it than that.
Sora now stood directly in front of both the God of Light and the God of Darkness "With the conclusion of the First Holy Grail War, the fate of Humanity was brought into question. The God of Light believed they should forgive the humans, while his brother argued for their destruction. This single disagreement reignited an age old tension between the brothers. The twin aspects of the World, Gaia and Alaya, observed the Gods, taking notice of their differences. Over time they watched as their creators began to argue more frequently, their fights becoming ever more violent."
Sora watched in horror as the two gods began to fight once more, their blows shaking the earth around them.
"This finally came to a head when the God of Light attempted to seal the Grail away, afraid his brother would use its power against humanity. The Gods began to war once more. The oceans would boil, mountains were shattered, and entire cities were destroyed. Thus began the Second Holy Grail War."
Sora watched as their battle raged across the earth, ravaging everything in their path
"Sensing the imminent destruction of the world and its people, the Aspects came together to find a solution. And so they used their power to create The Throne of Heroes"
"What's that?" Sora questioned
"A metaphysical plane of existence that gathers the spirits of Humanity's greatest heroes" Solomon responded "It transcends the confines of time and space, able to call upon heroes across all eras, past, present, and future." Solomon paused momentarily.
Sora had a wide eyed expression as a large swirl of energy appeared in front of him, hovering above the ground
"You see, the wish that Solitas made, it created new…possibilities. It made it possible for beings such as myself to even exist".
The swirl of energy shot down a small beam of light, and in an instant, Sora could see Solomon emerging from the light. Solomon looked around, taking in his new surroundings. The swirl of light disappeared as it flew into the earth below "That was when the next step in my journey began. I was reborn as a Servant, the first Servant. I must admit that emerging into an unknown world was rather…confusing. But the aspects appeared before me and cleared my mind. I was to act as their protector, pacify the warring gods, and bring balance back to the world
Sora could now see Solomon soaring into the air, calling upon all forms of grand magic to hold off the gods "Ultima Firaza!" he heard Solomon shout. In a swift movement of his arms, a huge stream of fire emerged from his hands, swirling into the air and taking the form of a dragon, heading straight for the Old gods. Even the most powerful of Keyblade wielders could never cast such a spell. As the fire dragon collided with the gods, it created a massive explosion that scorched the earth below and the entire surrounding area. When the flames subsided, Sora could see the unharmed forms of the old gods, now directing their attention towards Solomon. Solomon held his right palm forward, an intense swirl of light and fire gathering just above it. He would use whatever force necessary to pacify the gods "Terraflare!" he shouted, unleashing torrents of pure destruction
"Even the most powerful of spells did little to harm the gods. Our fight would soon spread all across the globe. While my magic did little to them, their divine might did little to me as well. My rings could negate even the most powerful of attacks. As months became years, our conflict only intensified, and the people suffered as a result. In all the time I spent fighting the gods, I also began to walk amongst the people as well. Many suffered under the tyrannical rule of the gods. Many were untrained in the ancient magical arts. I freed those I could, taught them all I knew, and helped to reconstruct whatever pieces of civilization and culture were lost over time"
Sora smiled. He could tell that the memories Solomon shared with these people were ones that he held dear.
The scene shifted once more, this time Sora recognized it to be the Temple of Solomon, the open area before his throne. In the center of the area stood three figures. The first figure was Solomon, magical glyphs floating around him, seemingly in the middle of an intense ritual. The other two figures were different however. Both were female, but possessed no defining features besides the color of light they emitted. The one to Solomon's left glowed a brilliant green, a small patch of grass growing wherever she stood. The figure to his right however, glowed a blazing blue, small pulses of light emitting from her every step.
"We were making no progress and the world was on the brink of destruction. I convened with Gaia and Ayala in order to formulate a plan to end the war once and for all. After much deliberation, we decided on a course of action. Just as the gods created the Phantasmal realm using the Holy Grail, we could create a realm of our own. One that would serve as their prison"
The figures of Solomon, Gaia, and Alaya could be seen focusing their power, having it act as one. A single featureless object could be seen materializing between the three of them, gathering their immense power.
"Together, the three of us would create the unseen realm…"
Sora looked on in shock as the dull, featureless object began to take form. Two crossing keys, a brilliant green filigree, a large golden blade.
"The X-Blade?" he muttered
"The unseen realm…of Kingdom Hearts"
"You…you created Kingdom Hearts!? How!?" Sora questioned, clearly shocked by such a revelation
"The calculations the three of us had to make in order to complete such an undertaking took many years. If we were to imprison the gods, there was no room for error. Everything needed to be perfect."
Powerful booming sounds echoed in the distance. Sora looked up in horror as the sea of stars that dotted the sky of Solomon's Temple began to crack.
"Solomon we must hurry! The gods will soon breach the Temple's barrier!"the form of Gaia exclaimed
"Just a little bit more!" Solomon shouted, now using his power to guide a golden object just above the X-Blade.
"The Holy Grail!" Sora realized
"Everything was in place" Solomon's bodiless voice continued "All we needed now was to create a receptacle for the power of Kingdom Hearts. But in order to accomplish this, we needed the Grail" Solomon said, his voice low and full of sadness "I had some of my closest followers make a final charge against the gods and secure the Grail. Only a few made it back alive"
The energy of the grail began to collide with the X-Blade, filling it with power.
Sora looked up and saw that the cracks along the sky began to break apart until it shattered completely. The forms of both the God of Light and the God of Darkness began to descend upon the Temple. "RELEASE THE GRAIL!" they shouted in unison.
The figure of Solomon rushed forward, quickly taking hold of the Grail and keeping it close. The gods shot down flames of light and darkness, only to be stopped by the aspects. The forms of Gaia and Alaya flew up, using all their strength to hold the gods in place. "Finish it!" Alaya called down to Solomon.
The King of Magic nodded and took hold of the X-Blade in one hand, the Holy Grail in the other. With one slash of the legendary blade, Solomon projected an arc of light that soared into the air. The arc of light exploded behind the gods, creating a large ripple in the very fabric of reality. Sora watched as this ripple began to take the form of a keyhole, a sight that he was familiar with over the course of his journeys.
Solomon looked down at the Grail, staring at it for a few moments before throwing it into the keyhole. A large burst of light erupted from within it. The energy emerging from the keyhole began to pull at the gods. Powerful gusts of wind echoed throughout the entire Temple.
Whatever Solomon, Gaia, and Alaya did was seemingly working. The gods were struggling to escape the ripple. "I will not let it end this way!" The god of light shouted as he was nearly halfway into the keyhole.
"Mage, I will have you suffer for all eternity!" the God of Darkness snarled, now beside his brother. Both Gaia and Alaya, still holding the brothers back, struggled to push them through completely.
Solomon looked on hopelessly as the Aspects both turned to him in unison. Sora almost thought that he could see them smiling
"Thank you" they said as they made one final push into the Keyhole.
Sora covered his eyes as the keyhole emitted a blinding light. In an instant it was gone
Solomon began to speak once more. Despite Sora not being able to see where it was he was speaking from, he could tell his heart was aching.
"The day was won. The gods were finally defeated. They would be imprisoned for all eternity. But at what cost? The Grail was now gone…the gods were gone, but the Aspects…Gaia and Alaya…were taken with them. How would the world survive without their guiding influence? How would I survive? But…there was little I could do now. I placed my entire existence on the line in order to create Kingdom Hearts"
Sora simply stood by as he watched the form of Solomon fall to his knees and fade away, all of his strength expunged
"My task finished, I accepted my fate. And for the second time in my life, I met my end. But much like the first time, my journey was only just beginning" Soon enough everything faded to black, replaced by an empty darkness
"I remember a distant light quickly pulling at me. As I went to meet it, I suddenly found myself inside a barn, it was dark outside. I had been summoned once more. I took in my surroundings, trying to make out whatever details I could. There was a large hole in the ceiling, its edges singed. I deduced that this occurred alongside my summoning. The stars…the stars were different. It appeared as though much time had passed since my battle against the gods"
A new scene began to come into view. Sora was now in the barn, Solomon stood in place, two shadowy figures directly in front of him, the dim moonlight shining through the exposed area of the roof, barely revealing their features
"It…it worked! I summoned a Servant!" a young man's voice rung out. Sora could see one of the shadowy figures pump up one of their arms in excitement. The second figure began to cling to the young man, clearly unsure of the being that was summoned. "In…incredible! Do you think it's really him?" a young woman's voice rung out.
The figure of Solomon redirected his attention to the two in front of him. A small orb of light appeared in the palm of his left hand, illuminating the barn and revealing the two figures who had brought him back.
The Young man had tanned skin with messy brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing an almost bluish-green tunic with a tan undershirt, a blue cape and black trousers with brown boots. Both his tunic and cape were outlined with golden markings. Over all of this, he wore metal armor decorated with intricate patterns.
The Young woman had fair skin, pale blonde hair and light blue eyes. She wore most of her hair down, with a small section of it tied into a small bun that trails some of the hair down below it. Most of her bangs were tied back, aside from a large lock that framed her face to her left. She wore a white, sleeveless shirt with a raised, pale blue collar and a blue rhombus-shaped crystal on the upper chest. Her long, high-waisted skirt was white with a faint purple tint and a purple sash around the waist.
"You" Solomon began, pointing at the young man "You summoned me? What is your name?"
The Young man was taken aback from the sudden question, still in shock that he was able to summon a servant "Oh…um…my name is Ozma" he responded
Solomon turned to the young woman clinging just behind Ozma's left shoulder "And you?" he asked with a warm smile, it wasn't hard for Solomon to see she was nervous
The young woman gently let go of Ozma and stepped up, regaining her posture. "My name…My name is Salem"
No longer was Sora inside the barn, he now found himself along a green hill, a lone oak tree standing at the top. Sora could see Solomon using some form of magic towards the tree, strands of light emerging from his fingertips and spiraling around the tree. Nearby sat Salem, giving her full attention to Solomon's display of magic. She bore a bright and excited smile across her face. Ozma stood nearby focusing on his staff
"Alongside my new companions, I reemerged into the world. I needed to see what became of it in my absence" Solomon began "What I found was…concerning. As far as I could tell, several centuries had passed. Almost all traces of the old world were gone. Without the influence of the Aspects, magic began to fade. There were very few in this new world who were still capable of using such power. Those who could were often exploited, used as a means to an end"
Sora watched as Salem stood, walking up to Solomon and replicating the very spell that he had been using.
"It just so happened that the two who brought me back into the world possessed a natural affinity to the ancient magic. Ozma had some talent for time magic, but ultimately he chose the path of the warrior. He held little regard to the ancient arts and I found him to be a very difficult man to work with. As his Servant I was always curious to know what it was he would wish upon the Holy Grail. But he never told me, he never told anyone. Salem however, was eager to learn all she could about magecraft"
"I spent months teaching her all that I could. She was an excellent mage, constantly working at improving her craft. Though her reasoning for learning the ancient arts were vastly different than my own. I sought knowledge. She sought power as a means of protecting those closest to her. Regardless, I taught her, desperate to recapture the memory of the old world.
The scene shifted to that of a small town, engulfed in flames. Ozma could be seen fighting off a large group of soldiers, fully clad in pitch black armor, bone like plating sticking out of their arms. Salem was soaring into the air, shooting off a wave of darkness towards the soldiers, while simultaneously creating a barrier of light, protecting the local population from harm. Solomon stood by, simply waving his hand to the side, dismissing the flames with ease.
"In time, she became the most powerful human mage on Akasha. She had to be, if we were to win the oncoming war"
"War?" Sora asked
"Yes. In my long absence, the world had greatly changed. Several years after my demise, the Holy Grail, though contained within Kingdom Hearts, had seemingly reached out and manifested a will of its own. It hijacked the Throne of Heroes, using it to summon servants into the world to fight a new type of war. Humans who were capable of summoning a servant were dubbed "masters". As the grail built up energy over time, seven masters would be chosen to partake in this war. These masters would call upon servants to fight for them. The energy their clashes produced would slowly open a tear into Kingdom Hearts, at least temporarily. The last Master standing would then claim the grail and be granted a wish"
"And the Servants?" Sora asked
"What about them?" Solomon responded, slightly confused
"They were just ok being used like that?"
"They had little choice in the matter. Things were different back then. When a servant was summoned, a contract was forged between them and their master. They would lend the master their power, and the master would provide them a constant supply of mana. They relied on that mana in order to keep their existence anchored in reality. Many servants were treated as nothing more than tools as a result, though some would have a strong relationship with their masters. But more often than not, servants would be given false hope and false promises"
"In my absence, two more grail wars had occurred. The third Grail War ended with no victor, the path to Kingdom Hearts closed thereafter. The fourth however, ended with a Servant taking the grail to safety as his master died. He was unable to save his master, a young woman with noble aspirations. In their hour of victory, she was betrayed, her brother struck her down, desperate to claim the grail for himself. With her dying breath, she slew the traitor and commanded her servant to leave with the grail."
"He followed her command without question, leaving Kingdom Hearts and making his way to a nearby cave, his mana quickly diminishing. With his dying wish, this hero of justice would soon fade away, leaving nothing behind but his sword. The grail would eventually return to kingdom Hearts, bound once more."
"Ozma and Salem summoned me in order to partake in the fifth Holy Grail war. This war was…different. Because of how the previous two wars ended, the Grail changed the format of the war. It needed more energy, it needed more conflict, it needed someone, anyone, to claim it and finally make a wish. So it reached out and presented itself to the God of Chaos, awakening him from his long slumber.
Sora watched as the sky darkened, blood red lightning could be seen striking throughout the sky. Several hundred feet away from the town was a herd of dark creatures. Wolves, bears, gorillas, giant scorpions, and giant birds. Sora recognized them immediately
"The Grimm?"
"Yes. The God of Chaos made his presence known onto the world, creating an army of the vile creatures. He is the source of all Grimm. For five long years, war would ravage the world. More and more Masters were chosen to fight against the chaos, but ultimately, one by one, they would all fall. In some cases Servants would be summoned with no master, free to choose their own path"
Sora could now see something else in the distance. A single individual walking amongst the Grimm, commanding them
"And leading his armies was the fallen hero, Solitas. Long before the war even began, the God of Chaos whispered to the fallen hero, twisting his already broken mind and making him his champion. The God of Chaos freed Solitas, so that he could prepare this world for his eventual arrival. He would create the God's armies and act as the vessel for his will. Solitas would patiently wait for his new master's arrival. It was for the unique nature of this war that Ozma and Salem sought to summon me specifically. While much had been lost over the centuries, stories of my battle against the gods lived on. That barn where they summoned me, was the exact same place Gaia and Alaya first summoned me, completely unrecognizable. Ozma had used an ancient tablet depicting my image as a vessel to bring forth my spirit. They needed someone who could fight a god, and I was their last hope"
Solomon paused, letting the scene shift once more. Sora could now see Solomon, Ozma, and Salem simply walking along a flat plain.
"We journeyed across the land, slowly making our way to Chaos itself. Along the way we were joined by others who chose to stand with us. A young man with noble intentions, Anima Ironis. Accompanying him were his servants, King Hassan and Shirou Amakusa"
Three new figures suddenly materialized beside the warriors. One was a man who looked to be in his early to mid-twenties. He had short black hair with blue eyes. He was wearing shining white armor with blue accents along the joints. The second figure was a giant man wearing bone like armor, blue flames emanating from his shoulders and the skull mask he wore over his face. The third figure was a young man with long white hair tied into a ponytail. His clothing was a mixture of a traditional samurai outfit with some European influence. He wore a jinbaori style haori with crosses decorated on them, a traditional umanori hakama with Shin guards which had cloth straps that were used to tie the Shin guards to the lower leg. He also wore a collar shirt underneath his Kimono and a Cravat tied around his collar.
Solomon laughed a bit "I know he can be a bit intimidating, but Hassan had a just heart and a strict code of conduct. Shirou had a traffic life, one where he walked a path filled with suffering and despair. Despite this, his sole desire in the world was to ensure the safety of humanity. Anima was a renowned knight, much like Ozma. He traveled across the world, protecting the innocent. He and Ozma had a friendly relationship, though I always saw them more as…rivals."
Sora watched as Ozma and Anima began to fight against each other. It wasn't a real fight, merely a friendly spar. They were both smiling, their weapons locked against each other. Both of Anima's servants stood idly by, looking on. Hassan had his sword firmly planted into the ground, watching silently, Shirou had a small smile on his face. Sora laughed, thinking about Riku. The two of them were best friends since they were only children, but growing up on the islands, they would constantly try and one up each other, sparring by the Paopu tree, racing across the island, and even vying for Kairi's attention. Though Riku did that more to just tease Sora.
"Later on we were joined by another servant. Salem decided that she was ready to summon one of her own, considering I was technically Ozma's servant. And she summoned…the best of us. The Saint of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc. As beautiful as she was kind, she sought to restore peace to the realm. She had a strong sense of justice. She was…special"
Sora watched as a young woman now appeared alongside the group. She had long braided blond hair and amethyst colored eyes. She wore a blue battle dress, silver plated armor covering her torso, arms, and hips. An intricate silver ornament resting atop her head. Small chain links wrapped around her chest, wrapping around her back. A silver sword was sheathed by her side. She held a wrapped up flag in her right hand.
"She and I became close friends. I was a bit…enamored by her to say the least. I would often try to impress her, creating fireworks from thin air, bringing her flowers, but most importantly, fighting by her side" Solomon paused, giving a small laugh "I even cut my hair short. It was becoming rather messy and distracting. I thought "well perhaps she will notice me more if I revamped my appearance"
Sora smiled, laughing to himself as he remembered doing similar things in order to impress Ruby. In the months building up to their conflict against Xehanort, Sora tried to find something that the young reaper liked. But all he could ever find was that she liked weapons and cookies. He himself even tried to cut his hair a bit, but every time he tried anything it would soon return to its former spiky state. Only now did he find it strange how much he tried to impress Ruby, but when he had feelings for Kairi, he didn't do any of that. It just seemed to be more natural when it came to Kairi.
Snapping back to reality, he was surprised at the sudden change in Solomon's appearance. He now had short unkempt white hair. He no longer wore the intricate robe, but instead was now wearing the familiar Organization coat. He could barely recognize the man.
Sora now found himself along the edge of a forest, a Cliffside overlooking the ocean. The pale full moon shining overhead. Both Solomon and Ruler were standing at the Cliffside, facing each other and holding hands. They both seemed genuinely happy together.
"She made me feel…human. A luxury I was never able to enjoy. She taught me how to live in the present rather than look to the future. We found happiness where we could. But ultimately…we could never be together. We both had our own respective duties to uphold. But the two of us made sure to make a promise: to find each other again, in the next life"
"The next life?" Sora questioned
"While the morale of our forces were high, Ruler and I did not feel that victory against a god was entirely possible, at least, not without great sacrifice. I had to create an entirely different realm just to imprison the Gods of Light and Darkness. And that was with the aid of the Aspects as well as the Holy Grail. I would have no such aid this time. And now the God of chaos and his armies were slowly tearing a hole into Kingdom Hearts. Even if we did manage to stop them, there was no feasible way of completely sealing it again. But…if we were to die, then we would die fighting"
Sora sympathized with the King of Magic. He remembered all the time he spent fighting against Ansem, Xemnas, and eventually Xehanort, never knowing if he would he would make it back, placing his faith in the strength of his friends.
Suddenly six shadowy figures emerged from the forest, walking towards Solomon and Ruler
"But that was also when we met them...Six very special individuals. Each had an affinity for magic, though nowhere near as strong as Salem. They heard stories of our travels and wanted to study under me for guidance. I feared taking on any more students. Salem had become a very dangerous and powerful individual. Ozma became ever more secretive. But…" Solomon paused
"…They did not seek power. They sought knowledge. I was satisfied with their answer. Calling upon the X – Blade, I used its power to grant them weapons of their own, crafted from their very hearts, creating the very first Keyblades. These new disciples would become most precious to me. Ira, Aced, Invi, Gula, Ava, and Luxu. The Foretellers."
Sora's eyes widened as these six individuals became clearer. Each wearing different colored robes, each bearing a different animal mask. His mind flashed back and forth, remembering his fight against Aced. The pain Gula inflicted on him. And then there was the cloaked figure in the Temple, one of Solomon's Agents. "So…Luxu still works for you" Sora realized "But the others?" he questioned
Solomon remained silent before simply saying "I'll get to that soon, I promise"
Solomon continued with his story "I gave them a…different education than the one I gave Salem. I taught them the importance of maintaining the balance between the light and the darkness, the ideals Gaia and Alaya left behind, the history of the ancient world, and more. I developed a much more humorous tone when I was with them. Each were extremely talented in their own right. Ira was a master at molding the light into blades. Aced had a strong connection to the earth. Invi could bend the oceans. Gula could become one with lightning. Ava had a talent for illusions. Luxu could channel even the deepest darkness."
"Together we formed a powerful group and slowly pushed back the forces of Chaos. The people rallied behind us, choosing to fight by our side, dubbing us the Grand Order"
"The God of Chaos had yet to arrive onto this world. Day by day we would push Solitas and his armies back, eventually cornering them. However, we were already too late"
The scene shifted to that of a large open valley, similar to the one from the first Holy Grail war. Two opposing armies could be seen fighting each other. Sora could see Solitas directing his forces. Humanoid Grimm charging at the Grand Order's army. Sora shuddered a bit, recognizing them to be the Fallen, the same type of Grimm he fought in Merlot Labs. A large shadow slowly encompassed the valley. Looking up, Sora saw it. The sky was wrapped in darkness, hovering along the clouds was a massive black spherical structure. It had red veins and several white bone-like spikes.
"What is that thing?" Sora asked, only to receive no response. Sora soon felt a presence beside him. For the first time since beginning his story, Solomon appeared beside Sora. He was no longer a bodiless voice echoing around him, but standing by his side. I guess he eventually went back to the fancy robe and long hair, he thought to himself, now noting how different he looked when he had the organization coat.
"That…was his arrival" Solomon replied with a dark expression
The massive structure began to break apart, debris falling to the ground below. The boney spikes began to come loose, striking any unfortunate souls who were under it as it descended. Soon enough the structure shattered, entire sections of it crashing into the earth with incredible force, hell raining down from the sky. A massive black humanoid creature now emerging from the top of the structure. Unlike his brothers, the God of Chaos was the size of a skyscraper. He was only partially free at the moment, his bottom half still restrained within the structure. His arms thrashed around, desperately trying to free himself. He began to release a savage roar, his scream reverberating throughout the land. Both the armies of Man and Grimm found themselves frozen in terror.
Sora could see Solitas in the distance, enthralled at the sight of the feral god. "At long last!" he heard Solitas speak "Now! Rain down your divine judgement and show me the path!" he shouted in excitement, a crazed expression on his face.
The God of Chaos roared once more, his scream gathering energy. In an instant he released a torrent of flames, spewing in all directions. Massive explosions could be seen in the distance, destroying everything in sight. One torrent of flames flew straight at Solomon and his Grand Order. They readied themselves, only for a massive barrier of light to stop it completely. Confused, they all turned around to see Ruler, holding up her flag, struggling to protect her friends.
In the valley below, Solitas began to laugh maniacally, witnessing the destruction his master rained down. The energy from such a conflict tore open a hole in reality. This hole began to fluctuate with light, soon forming a Keyhole. A path into Kingdom Hearts was ready. Solitas smiled as he walked inside
Ruler's barrier soon dissipated. "Go! Stop Solitas!" she demanded
Solomon turned to her, clearly distressed, though he remained silent when he saw the look in her eyes
"What about you?" Anima questioned
"I'll do what I can from this side! But you need to go after Solitas and stop him!
"Ruler that's crazy! If you stay here you'll die!" Salem pleaded, motioning to the destruction raining down around them.
Ruler turned to Solomon, their eyes lingering on each other for just a few precious moments. Giving her a reaffirming nod, he used his magic to teleport everyone but himself and Ruler into the Keyhole. He stood there for a few moments, looking at the Saint one last time.
Ruler smiled "Solomon, we will meet again. I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me. But we will meet again. We promised, remember?"
Solomon gave her one final smile, turned around, the patterns on his arms glowing a golden light. "Please…help her…Ars Goetia" he whispered under his breath before teleporting into the Keyhole.
Once he disappeared, the ground began to shake violently. Ruler watched as the seventy two demon god pillars began to emerge all around the valley. They still possessed their white skin and pulsing blue eyes, symbolizing their nature under Solomon. In unison they cried out "Goetia!" firing off waves of energy towards the God of Chaos. She smiled, knowing that even if they weren't together, he was still by her side.
Sora and Solomon watched the scene unfold. Ruler held her flag proudly in front of her, focusing her barrier around the God of Chaos, attempting to slow him down. The demon pillars of Ars Goetia would fire off wave after wave of attacks, doing their best to damage the feral god.
Sora turned to face Solomon, who simply looked on in silence "how come you let her stay behind?" the keyblade wielder asked.
"I came to the realization that the only way we could defeat Chaos was to destroy both his mind and his body"
Sora had a perplexed look on his face, something that didn't go unnoticed from the King of Magic
"The God's mind was currently in control of Solitas. His body however…was just that. His body. No sense of reason or intelligence. Just a beast"
"Oh" Sora nodded understanding what he meant. Ruler would stay behind and destroy the body. Solomon would venture into the Keyhole and destroy the mind.
The two would stand there in silence as Ruler unleashed a variety of attacks against the mindless body the God of Chaos left behind, working alongside the demon god pillars.
Minutes would pass by, little progress was being made. She's not going to make it, Sora thought. Not at this rate. He chose to redirect his attention back to the keyhole, wondering what was going on within it. Solomon, along with the rest of the Grand Order, ventured within to confront Solitas. So why was he still being shown this? Was Solomon merely reminiscing, seeing Ruler fight? Or was there something that Solomon didn't want him to see?
Sora's head began to feel heavy. He gripped the sides of his face, gritting his teeth in pain. There were images and voices flashing inside his head. A featureless plane of reality, almost like an endless sea just touching the sky. Voices one after the other echoed throughout Sora's mind
"Hassan, Take him down!" the voice of Anima Ironis rung out
"I will not let you do this!" Salem screamed in defiance
"This is for the good of humanity" Shirou Amakusa proclaimed
"Protect the Master" Aced commanded
"Stay out of it! I can reason with him" Salem pleaded
"You can't stop me." Solitas snarled "NO ONE CAN"
"I WILL NOT LET HIM DIE!" Salem insisted
"The evening bell tolls thy name" Hassan said in a cold, almost metallic voice
"Is there no other way?" Ozma asked
"No! Ozma…I…I didn't mean….Please help him! Please help him!" Salem begged
"It's been tainted" Gula said "We're too late"
The pain soon subsided, his mind clear once more, Sora began to relax. Solomon said the visions would continue. He didn't expect it to be so soon. Just what happened inside the Keyhole? How long did he black out? Sora turned to face the King of Magic, only to find that he was currently giving him a cold stare.
Solomon simply stared at Sora, His golden eyes burning with energy. Sora cowered back slightly, Solomon knew that he was experiencing a vision, and he was not happy.
"What did you see? What did you hear?" he asked
"Um…I…" Sora stammered. "…I don't know…it was just flashes…it wasn't really clear" he managed to get out, hoping it would satisfy the King.
Solomon stared at Sora for a few more moments, before silently turning back to the battle in front of him. "The day was won" he said
"Huh?"
"Our battle with Solitas. We emerged victorious, slaying the fallen hero" he motioned to the field below, pointing towards the Keyhole "However…" he began "With his defeat, we were presented with another issue. What should be done with the Holy Grail? I along with the Foretellers wanted to seal it away. Never to be touched again. Ozma and Salem however, had other plans. They had their own desires. Desires only the Grail could grant them. They began to argue amongst themselves…and a battle soon broke out. Both Ozma and Salem perished in the ensuing fight"
No that can't be right, Sora thought. That didn't sound anything like what he heard.
Solomon gazed back at Ruler, a grave expression on his face "Ruler feared the worst had happened. That we weren't going to make it back out. If nothing was done soon, all would be lost. But…her heart was set, guiding her as it always has.
Sora watched as Ruler unsheathed her sword, wrapping her hands around the blade, pointing the flower shaped pommel towards the God of Chaos. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and knelt down, holding the blade close. Sora could hear her beginning an incantation
"The heavens tell of God's Glory. The skies proclaim His handiwork. Speeches poured forth during the day and knowledge during the night. A fire has ignited within my heart and continuously burns to remind me"
Blood began to seep down the blade, soon replaced by an intense golden light
"This is where I meet my end. My destiny now runs its course. My life's dream has reached its conclusion. Utilizing the last thing I have left at my disposal, I fight to protect the path He must walk"
A trail of fire ignited around the servant
"Goetia!" The demon pillars cried in unison as they fired off another wave of energy
"Lord, accept my sacrifice!" Ruler shouted, her prayer reaching its conclusion
The flower along the pommel began to gradually expand and wrap itself in fire.
"Hope awaits us all beyond despair! La Pucelle!"
A torrent of divine flames burst forth, shooting into the sky and striking the feral god. He roared in pain as it slowly pushed him back.
"Oh no!" Sora exclaimed. As Ruler focused all her strength into her attack, continuously producing her flames, Sora could see that her body was beginning to become more transparent, slowly fading away.
"Solomon, what's happening…huh?" Sora panicked, spinning around and finding Solomon with his back turned, slowly walking towards the valley below.
"Follow me" he said, devoid of any emotion
Sora gave one last look at the Saint of Orleans, still fighting with all her heart as she slowly faded away.
He ran after the king, catching up to him as he walked. They walked for about a minute before stopping along a large rock formation, a small cave entrance on its side.
"This is where your story began" Solomon said, pointing to the cave entrance.
"What do you…" Sora began to ask, trailing off as he heard the voice of a small child "…mean?" Sora finished
"Goetia!" the Demon pillars shouted once more, continuing their attacks
"It sounds like they're getting closer…we need to get out of here!" the small child's voice rung out from within the cave. It soon sounded as though a commotion occurred inside, whatever was being said was soon drowned out by the sudden scream of the God of Chaos.
"RAAAHHHH" it roared in excruciating pain
Sora looked back up towards the apocalyptic sight, watching as Ruler finally faded away, her sword dropping to the ground, the last of her flames shooting up and blasting straight through the chest of the massive god. Everything went silent for a few moments, the God of Chaos still in the sky above, now hunched over, silent and motionless. He now had a massive hole blown straight through his chest. Sora's eyes went wide as an ocean of blood began to pour down from the dead god, covering the entire valley below. A sea of black and red energy swallowing everything and everyone in sight. Many of the human soldiers who fought for Solomon hopelessly attempted to find safety, only to be washed away
"And finally the fourth trial, the Rebirth of Light. Life will fold upon itself in a desperate attempt to save what is left. As one's life truly begins, another is brought to an end" a deep booming voice rung out from the cave
It couldn't be. Sora remembered the dream of how the ground broke apart in the Secret Place, how he woke up and met the shadow. How scared he was as he desperately tried to get away.
He was only now realizing the truth. "I was here?" he asked "How?"
"The shadow you met in the cave. That…was the God of Chaos. Or rather, what was left of him. With the defeat of Solitas, his mind was scattered. And with his body now destroyed, he had little time left. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he pulled you into the Phantasmal realm" Solomon revealed
"Why?" Sora asked
"He wanted to make you his new vessel. But once he came in contact with you, he became a reflection of your own existence, hence the appearance of a small child" Solomon explained
"Okay…but why me?"
"He was the first to see your potential, long before I did"
The blood of Chaos began to make its way into the cave entrance. The black and red energy quickly flooding it.
"He was unstable. He lost control before he could take hold of you. You managed to flee, climbing to safety" Solomon added
"Oh…oh no…no, no, no, Sora! Wait for me! Don't leave me, Please! I don't want to d-AHH" The shadow's voice echoed from within the cave.
"How could I forget all this" Sora asked, overwhelmed with the truth of it all
"You were but a mortal child forcefully dragged into the phantasmal realm. Such an experience is far too intense for the human heart to bear. So it made you forget" Solomon trailed off, redirecting his attention to the now falling corpse of the God of Chaos. A massive explosion of smoke and dust soon covered everything in sight. Sora instinctively covered his eyes, protecting himself from the cloud. He could feel the presence of Solomon fade and disappear
When he relaxed his arms and opened his eyes, he found that it was now a clear, sunny day. In the valley below, large pools of the god's blood could be seen, seeping into the earth below. The few dozen humans who survived were all screaming and writhing in pain, covered in the blood of Chaos. In the middle of the valley was the Keyhole, the path to Kingdom Hearts still open.
Solomon, clad in his organization coat, emerged from the Keyhole, followed by Anima, his servants, and then the Foretellers. They all looked on at all the destruction that had occurred, grave expressions on their faces
Solomon gave a sad smile as he saw in the distance, the fallen sword of Ruler.
"We won…but at a cost" Solomon began, now a bodiless voice once more "The world was forever scarred"
The Foretellers walked up to Solomon, the king turning around, giving them all a small nod
"The world was now entering a new age...it was important that we made sure such a conflict could never happen again
Summoning the X-blade, Solomon shot a beam of light at the Keyhole. The Foretellers followed their master's actions and used their own keyblades as well. Soon enough the seven beams of light converged as one, sealing the path to Kingdom Hearts, the Keyhole closing shortly after.
"Together we closed the Keyhole, using our combined strength to change the locking mechanism. Now, only the X-Blade could summon Kingdom Hearts. However, it could only be truly opened when used alongside the Foretellers. This way, only the seven of us could ever open a path to the grail"
Sora could see Hassan soon fall to his knees, taking deep, winded breaths. Anima knelt down beside him, distressed at the Servant's health. A sudden red glow emanated from Anima's hand, prompting the Servant to stand back up. Anima gave him a reassuring nod, watching as Hassan turned around and began to head south, alone
"Thank you, Master" Hassan called out "If you or your bloodline ever shall need me…I will answer the call. Always"
The scene began to shift, an expansive modern looking city suddenly appeared in the distance, both Anima and Shirou vanishing from sight. "I had Anima and Shirou coordinate the reconstruction effort. Many towns and villages were destroyed throughout the war. I trusted that the people would follow them. And they did. Many looked to Anima for leadership. Many Servants would pledge themselves in service to him. Over time he would build the first kingdom in this new world, hoping to create a country that best represented the strength and unity of the Grand Order. Over time this kingdom would come to be known as Arcadia, The Crown City. It would serve as a beacon of peace and order for Servants everywhere"
Sora watched as Solomon and the Foretellers went east, heading in the direction of a large mountain range.
"My students and I still had much work to do. You see, the death of Chaos changed the land and its people beyond recognition. The seven of us would travel all across the world, restoring what we could.
The young Keyblade wielder watched as Solomon and the Foretellers came across a large pool of the black energy.
"All across the land, the Blood of Chaos had seeped into the earth, corrupting it, poisoning it. Where the blood was thickest, Grimm would consistently emerge and attack any nearby inhabitants. I was able to extract most of the blood, safely containing it. The pieces of land that were purified began to display… various elemental manifestations, formed within a crystalized state"
Sora looked on as Solomon used his magic to literally pull all of the dark energy out from the earth, converting it into a gaseous form, absorbing it all into the palm of his hand. The Keyblade wielder's eyes went wide in astonishment as various crystals began to grow out from the earth, all ranging from red, blue, green, and yellow.
That's strange, Sora thought, the crystals reminded him of Dust.
In the blink of an eye, Sora now found himself within the confines of a small home. He was in somebodies room. It was dark, the only light coming through the windows. About ten feet in front of Sora was a plain looking bed, its sheets and blankets partly hanging on the ground. A young woman was restrained to the bed, her arms shackled to the bedpost. Sora walked up beside her, only now noticing her features. She was somewhere in her late teens to early twenties. She was writhing in agony as a large black mass encompassed nearly half of her body. Her face partially Grimm. Sora jumped around as he heard a door creak open.
Emerging into the room was a plump older man, he opened the door wide, motioning to the restrained woman. Just a step behind the man was Solomon.
"My daughter…she's been like this…I didn't know what else to do" the man cried.
"It's all right. You did all you could. No parent should ever have to watch their child suffer" the King of magic responded
He gently knelt beside the woman, his presence seemed to agitate her further. She hissed and growled at him, displaying little semblance of intelligence. "Ssssoloomonnn" she barely managed to get out
Solomon simply extended his hand, stopping just in front of the woman's face. The black mass began to evaporate and flow into Solomon's hand
"There were thousands of other cases just like her" Solomon's bodiless voice rung out "The blood of Chaos was like a disease, infecting all who came in contact with it. I did what I could for all those I found, even taking the blood into myself in order to cure them"
"What?!" Sora shot up "But…"
"Do not worry. I made sure to place the necessary safeguards in order to prevent any form of possession or infection. My bond with the pillars of Ars Goetia also helped to minimize its effect on me"
The black mass began to recede from the woman, turning into gas and flowing into Solomon. After about a minute, she was completely clear of the infection, falling back to her bed, resting comfortably for the first time in weeks. Solomon unshackled her restraints, gently placed the blanket over her, and stood up, giving the now cured woman a small smile.
Sora could see Solomon's breaths become more shallow and uneven, his hands now clenched, visibly shaking
"Did it hurt?" Sora asked
"Yes. It was quite painful. But it was for the people. I couldn't let them suffer. Not like that. Regardless, the damage was already done."
The young woman began to shift in her sleep, turning over on her side. Sora's eyes went wide as a tail emerged out from under the covers
"Despite no longer bearing the infection, those I saved began to display animalistic properties. Cat ears, rabbit ears, tails, horns, antlers, scales, claws, and more. Their bodies had been irreversibly changed.
That couldn't just be a coincidence, Sora thought. He was describing the Faunus! But how was it that they existed in this world?
Solomon walked back to the door, facing the father. "She's all better now" Solomon was caught off guard as the father forcefully pulled him close and hugged him, his tears soaking his black coat
"Thank you…thank you" he cried. Pulling away, the father now noticed the long tail his daughter now had. "But…what about…that" he asked
Solomon shook his head "I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do about that."
"But…"
Solomon's smile faded, now replaced by a cold stare "Would you rather her be dead?"
"What!? Of course not! How could you ever ask such a thing!?"
Solomon's expression softened "Then love her as you always have. Be there for her. This doesn't change anything. She's still your daughter"
The father took another look at his daughter, and then back at Solomon "Thank you" With that Solomon left.
"Not all were as accepting as he was." Solomon's voice rung out "Many would curse my name, claiming that I had turned their loved ones into monsters. But their opinions of me did not matter. The people were safe. The earth was healing. We only had one last task before us in this world.
Sora followed the figure of Solomon through the door, exiting the room and now finding himself in a shadowy plateau, a massive pillar stretching up to the sky in front of him
"We had to contain all the Chaos I absorbed somewhere safe. So we built the citadel…or as it came to be known much later…the Pillar of Dun Scaith. I safely extracted all of the Chaos and locked it away. I then decided that I, along with the Foretellers, should depart from this world. Our presence here posed a threat to a newly obtained peace"
"Using the X-blade, I opened a path into the Realm of Darkness." Sora watched as he created a slash of light. It gradually expanded and became a small doorway, composed entirely of light. "And we departed. We ventured into the dark, not really sure where it was our journey would lead us. But…" Solomon paused, gathering his thoughts. Sora could see Solomon and the Foretellers journeying throughout the dark, Solomon dragging a large black box behind him. "Eventually we stumbled upon a door. The very door the Old Gods used to depart the Realm of Light and venture into the dark. We passed though, emerging into the world the old gods left behind so long ago.
Sora felt a gust of wind from behind him. Turning around, his surroundings were now different. He could see Solomon and the Foretellers standing in front of him, the world was covered in shadows.
"We were shocked to find the first world the God of Light created still intact, although it will still engulfed in shadow, courtesy of his brother. But what we found to be more perplexing were the humans. They had survived in this world, stumbling around in the dark for many years."
Solomon summoned the X-blade, turning back and seeing the faint light of Kingdom Hearts in the distance, deep within the Door to Darkness.
"We could heal this world, give it a new start." Solomon took the X-blade, plunging It firmly into the ground in front of him. Light soon emerged from the weapon, spreading in all directions, dispelling the darkness. Soon enough, light was restored to the world. The humans who survived had to cover their eyes as they adjusted to this new light.
"We rebuilt. We began anew. I…began anew. I needed to distance myself from the name of Solomon, that wasn't who I was in this world. Some of the humans knew me as Superbia, but most would eventually refer to me as the Master of Masters."
Sora was now atop a clock tower, overlooking a small town, many of its buildings bearing a purple motif. Solomon stood alone, looking to the horizon
"The seven of us created a new home for ourselves. Daybreak Town. I would rise up and become its leader. We finally had peace. No more gods. No more Grail. Yet, I still felt uneasy. So for the first time in many years, I chose to gaze into the future. I did not think it was possible but…." Solomon trailed off
"…another grail war was inevitable. One that would decide the fate of all creation. And at its heart were Ozma and Salem"
New images and voices began to flash inside Sora's head, though there was no pain this time and it was clearer to understand
"So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free world", but take heed... there will be no victory in strength" Salem said with an almost innocent smile, now bearing a more Grimm like appearance.
A figure that loosely resembled Ozma smiled in return and responded. "But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul" He said with a confident smile on his face. "I believe the soul is the doorway to something so much greater than we can possibly imagine".
"Oh, I couldn't agree more, but what does every door need?" Salem replied with a devious smile on her face. "A Key". She said plainly before disappearing into the darkness leaving Ozma alone.
Sora snapped back to his surroundings, now seeing the distressed form of Solomon
"I did not know how it was they survived, or how it was they were now in the Realm of Light. But they were different. Unrecognizable. Ozma was now a completely different person. Salem had become a monster. I looked through millions of different timelines, but every single one ended the same way…in destruction. There was only one timeline where the grail war could be stopped"
Sora was now in what looked to be a study. Solomon stood in front of the six Foretellers.
I saw what needed to be done. I began to construct a framework of events that needed to occur in order to stop the war from ever happening. And that framework began…with my betrayal. I gathered the Foretellers together in my private study and bestowed upon each of them a tome from the Book of Prophecies, which contained information regarding the encroaching darkness that would tear the Keyblade wielders apart. I instructed them to each create a Union, to seek out new Keyblade Wielders, and hold off the forces of Darkness. Additionally, I told them that they would each have an individual role to play.
Solomon, still clad in his black coat, now stood atop a green hill overlooking the town. A small patch of dandelions by his feet.
Ira, in his white robe and wearing his unicorn mask, approached him. Noticing his presence, Solomon spoke "So, did you look through the Book?"
"Yes" Ira confirmed "But I'm still analyzing it"
Now turning to face his student, Solomon had a humorous smile "Wow, no quick skim for you, huh?"
Ira's head fell, partially embarrassed "I just prefer to be thorough" He began to clench his hands into fists "Master, is what it says about the Keyblade War true?" he asked
"Oh, yeah that. Bummer, huh?"
"Yes" Ira simply replied
Solomon chuckled a bit "Oh, by the way, if one day I suddenly disappear, I'm countin' on you to keep the others calm. Okay?"
Even behind his mask, Sora could see that Ira was visibly shaken from the comment "Huh? Dis…appear?"
Solomon sat down, just beside the dandelions "Vanish? Dim? Fade? I don't know how to explain it. It's really just hypothetical talk"
"Okay…" Ira responded, unsure of his master's meaning, remaining in silence for a few moments before Solomon spoke once more
"This world is full of light. It's a world comprised of many smaller worlds, all connected, stretching as far as the eye can see" Solomon gently reached down and plucked a single dandelion, playing with the flower "One great light protects us all throughout this vast land. All worlds share one light…one fate"
"You mean Kingdom Hearts" Ira added, approaching his master, now standing beside him
"Yep! You're right on the money. People believe that the light that is Kingdom Hearts will be here forever. But if it were to disappear, the world would once again be enveloped in darkness."
"I understand. That is why you granted us these Keyblades. With these we can spread your teachings and protect Kingdom Hearts"
Solomon rose to his feet, taking a deep breath and looking to the sky "No, they're not for protecting Kingdom Hearts" he countered
"Huh?"
"The final passage reads, "On that fated land, a great war shall transpire. Darkness will prevail and the light expire"
"Isn't it our duty as Keyblade wielders to prevent this war from taking place?"
"Nah, not possible" Solomon said in a calm, almost humorous tone
"Wha-?" Ira was dumbfounded
"You really think you can change the future?" the Master asked
"Then…what do you want us to do?"
"We have to focus on what comes after. There's no use thinking of ways to change events that we know are gonna happen."
Ira shook his head "But, what about all of those who are here now? And the ones that will be here when the darkness finally comes? Are we to abandon all of them?"
Solomon began to walk past his student "C'mon, are you telling me that you think the world can be saved by just seven people? We only barely managed to save Akasha, and look at what it cost us. What makes you think this one will be different?" Solomon asked
"We have to at least try!" Ira pleaded "With enough Keyblade wielders we could..."
Ira was suddenly cut off, his master bursting into a small fit of laughter. Solomon was satisfied with Ira's resolve. This was just the reaction that he wanted from the Unicorn. "Well, if you wanna give it shot…"
Ira nodded confidently "Yes"
"All righty, good luck!" the Master said, walking away, his arms behind his back.
Sora now found himself back inside Solomon's personal study, Invi in her blue robe, wearing her snake mask, approaching her master
"So, to sum it up, I'll need you to observe the others. Easy breezy." Solomon finished with a warm smile
Invi was a bit surprised at such a request, curious as to what the master may have asked of the others. "A…All right" she responded
Solomon gave her a quick pat on the shoulder before pacing around the Foreteller. "Like I said, Ira may have to take over for me…But don't be shy. Just be fair. And do not be afraid to speak up! Even though I say "observe" Solomon was now facing the Foreteller once more "You'll need to be the mediator…make sure people get along" he declared
"I…I understand"
Solomon cocked his head, curious of Invi's sudden hesitation "something wrong?"
"its…Ira told me something about you vanishing? Out of nowhere you instruct us to create these…unions? The fact that we are destined to engage in a Keyblade War? And…I find it all to be unnerving. It's a bit overwhelming to be honest"
"Oh, come on. Lighten up a little! Maybe I'll never disappear" Solomon paused, giving an almost comical gasp "Wait. Do you want me to go?" he asked with a wide smile
"What? N…no! Of course not!"
Solomon laughed, "I was just kidding." He reassured her
"Oh…I see"
Solomon sighed, sensing the uncertainty in his young apprentice "Look, I get that change can be hard for everyone. But things need to keep moving forward. And you need to keep up. Otherwise, you'll just get left behind, all alone. So, now that you know what the future holds, Invi, what does your heart say?"
Invi opened her mouth as if to say something, but she just couldn't find the right words. Solomon gave a small, hearty laugh before speaking once more "May your heart be your guiding key. I say it all the time. You ultimately need to do what your heart feels is right. Its all any of us can do"
Invi smiled, admiring her master's conviction "Right"
Invi soon left. Minutes would pass by until the door would open again. Emerging into the room was Aced. Sora clenched his fists, half expecting another fight.
Solomon was sitting at his desk, looking a bit confused as to why the Bear Foreteller was there "So, what did you want?" The Master asked
"Uh…You didn't forget, did you?" Aced questioned, now looking as confused as the Master "You're the one who called me here" he declared
A mischievous smile creeped across Solomon's face "lighten up, I was just kidding! I didn't forget. Give me a little credit here. I was just testing you!"
Aced's posture began to relax "Right"
"Now then, allow me to tell you about your role. You're going to be Ira's right hand man"
"What? Ira's right hand man? What do you mean?" Aced asked, shock and frustration in his voice
"Well, Ira's gonna be the new leader after I'm gone, you see. So just stand by him" Solomon responded casually "Don't disappoint"
"Explain to me, Master!" Aced demanded "What do you mean Ira's going to be leader?"
"What? Is that disappointment I hear?" Solomon narrowed his eyes at the bear "Did you want to be leader?"
"No! I mean, if you had asked me to be the leader, that's a different story. But I wasn't trying…"
"You really wanna be leader, huh?"
"I, Well…"
"I know you want it, but that just isn't enough. Any chump can say…" Solomon stopped, swiveling around in his chair and pointing at Aced dramatically "You! Here's a huge promotion. Good job! And make you head honcho. But enthusiasm alone doesn't make a great leader. Ira needs someone like you to give him a push in the right direction"
Aced hesitated for a moment. "I agree…Ira is definitely the most worthy among us" he said, his voice slightly wavering, desperately trying to show faith in his master's judgement "I'm sure he'll make a fine leader" he finished, averting his gaze
"Then it's settled" Solomon exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement. He could sense the slight dissatisfaction Aced conveyed with his new role. And that was exactly what he needed.
"Wait, I agreed that he is worthy" Aced shot back "But why do we need a new leader, Master? Does…does that mean you will no longer be teaching us?"
Solomon's smile faded, now much more serious "Well…I might disappear one day…" he trailed off waiting for a response. He turned to Aced, who stood in silence, his mouth hanging open
"Hmm…maybe he didn't hear me. All right! Lets try that one again! Well…I might disappear…"
"Disappear!? Why? Where?" Aced demanded
"Speak up sooner if you're listening. That was embarrassing for me!" Solomon stood up, facing his student. "Anyway I don't know if I'm gonna disappear or not. My gaze only stretches so far. It's really anyone's guess right now"
"But…" Aced pleaded
"Regardless, whether I disappear or not, you need to support Ira. You and I know that he's quite serious. He's always just thinking and thinking and thinking behind that unicorn mask of his, so everyone else will be counting on you to spur him into action"
"Uh…right"
Solomon gave his student a reassuring nod "You might not be entirely happy with your role, I understand that. But please know, your role is the most important one. Capiche?" he finished, placing a hand on Aced's shoulder to show his support
"Huh"
"Shall I elaborate? Making Ira the leader is all good in theory, But sometime later you might think "ehh he's terrible at this" in which case it'll be your job to step up. Who knows? Your leadership might be just what everyone needs. And that is your true role."
Aced smiled, satisfied with this revelation
Solomon placed his right hand over his heart, a proud smile across his face. "May your heart be your guiding key. Best of luck, Aced!"
Time seemed to fly by. It was now night time, the pale light of the moon illuminating Solomon's study. He was alone now, sitting at his desk, writing something in a book. He almost appeared to be in a trance.
Soon enough Gula entered the study, he approached his Master, not noticing the strange behavior he was exhibiting.
"Mhm…ah…" Solomon muttered, as if discovering something incredible
"Master" Gula said respectfully, bowing before the man who taught him everything he knew.
Solomon did not answer, seemingly preoccupied "Hm…"
Gula stood up on his toes, trying to get a better view as to what the Master was doing. "Um…Master?"
"Oh, I see."
Gula took a quick look back at the door and then back at his master "If you're busy, I can always come back later."
"Sure" Solomon replied, snapping back to reality "Oh! No, no, no, stay!" Solomon began to quickly peruse through the pages of his book "Now where…Ah, here it is!" With a quick movement he tore out a single page from the book. He stood up, facing the Leopard Foreteller, presenting him the torn page.
"What's this?"
"Go on, read it"
The leopard looked down at the page, taking in its contents. Even from behind his mask, Sora could tell that he was caught off guard. Sora made his way over to the Foreteller, peering over his shoulder and looking at the page. He could not understand any of it, it was in some kind of ancient, long lost language. However, he did notice several symbols that resembled what looked to be a glyph of some kind.
"This is from the Book of Prophecies?"
"Yep. But it's a page that's not in any of your books. You see…"
Solomon was suddenly cut off by a sudden burst of excitement from Gula "It's brilliant! This is why you gave us all different roles isn't it? If anyone deviates from the job they were given, then they would easily be made out to be the traitor"
"Way to steal my thunder, well done"
"Thank you" Gula looked back down to the page "Then…this is…"
"Your role" Solomon answered plainly, walking back to his chair and plopping down in it with a loud thud. He turned to his student, a grave expression on his face "Even though there is a traitor, act normal and keep focused. Trust no one but yourself"
Daytime soon returned, the sun shining into Solomon's study. The Master was sitting alone at his desk, watching as Ava emerged into the room, in her white and pink robe, wearing her fox mask.
"What's written in the book is gonna happen. Ira can fight against it as much as he wants. Invi can deny it. It doesn't matter" He rose to his feet, clutching a book in his hands, and approached the Fox. "This world will be lost to darkness"
"But Master, isn't there anything we can do?" her face falling in despair
"Well, that's what brings me to your role. You might just be the only hope of keeping light from expiring."
She looked back up to her master, confused "Huh…Hope? Master, what is it that you need me to do?"
Solomon gave her a warm smile, gently placing his left hand atop her head, as if to comfort the Foreteller. The book he was holding now in his right hand. "I need you to find Keyblade wielders with potential, and create an entirely separate organization, independent of any Union. Then, like the seeds of a dandelion, let them fly to another world. When darkness falls, they will keep the light alive"
"You really think that…I'm the right person for this?"
"Ava, you're the only person for this" Solomon reassured her, now presenting her the book "Take this"
"What's this?" she said, opening the book and looking through its contents. Its pages had many names, pictures of individuals alongside them "This is…"
"That is a comprehensive list of every Keyblade Wielder within the Unions. Or at least, the ones I believe show the most potential, though I trust your judgement" he encouraged her. Solomon turned around and walked to a nearby window, looking out into the town below "When the Keyblade War begins, ensure they find safety, away from the fighting."
Ava continued to turn through its pages, taking note of all the many keyblade wielders under their command. However, she began to notice something strange. "Why are these nine Keyblade Wielders circled in red?" she asked
Solomon, still staring out the window responded in a cold tone "Oh. Don't worry about them. They aren't your concern. They're…special"
Unbeknownst to Ava, who merely accepted her Master's orders, Solomon was keeping his gaze specifically to the town square below. Sora walked up beside Solomon, now seeing what it was he was fixated on.
In the center of the square was a large fountain, three people were hanging out beside it. One was a boy with curly silver hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a white shirt under a black vest with grey accents, dark grey pants, and black boots. He also wore a red scarf around his neck.
Next to him was a girl somewhere in her mid-teens. She had long black hair, pink star earrings and light brown eyes. She wore a grey, zippered shirt under a black vest, and a studded belt around her black skirt. She had a red belt wrapped around her left arm, and two around her ankles. She also had black boots and knee-high stockings.
The third was another boy, who had sandy blonde windswept hair and blue eyes. He wore a half black, half white jacket, its collar was red and pleated. Underneath his jacket he wore a grey vest with several white angular pattern on it. Underneath the vest was a plain, high necked, black shirt. He was also wearing black and grey pants
That's strange, Sora thought, that kid almost looks like…Ven?
On a nearby rooftop was another trio. They were simply sitting atop the building, looking out to the town before them.
One was a girl that had long red hair and bright teal eyes. Her hair framed her face, her bangs falling over her forehead down past her eyebrows while the rest of her hair was tied back in two long pigtails. She wore a white dress with black straps that fell over her shoulders and tied together in a bow on the front. She also had matching white sleeves as well as thigh high white boots.
Next to her was a young man who had shoulder length pink hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a large collared white button up shirt with large cuffs beneath a black vest with tattered ends at both sides of the front and a tattered longer coattail style addition in the back. He also donned dark pink pants and sleek black boots
Beside him was a teenage girl with blonde, unkempt hair with two spikes at the front. She had green eyes and was wearing a white shirt with a black tie, belt, and dress. To finish it off she wore a turquoise jacket and boots.
Sora didn't know who the girl in the white dress was, but the other two he definitely recognized. This couldn't be possible, how was it that Marluxia and Larxene were here, in the far past? If that didn't confuse Sora, the next trio that sat along the outside of the square definitely would.
Sora saw three young men hanging out in a nearby dark alleyway. Two of them were concealed in shadows, although Sora could make out some details. One had green eyes and dirty blonde hair, fashioned in a strange mullet like style. He was tuning some kind of musical instrument. The boy next to him had short platinum blond hair with blue eyes. He was growing what looked to be the beginnings of a goatee and had several ear piercings. He was practicing some kind of card trick. Sora could clearly see the third boy. He had gray eyes and black spiky hair, which drooped down over his right eye. He wore a black coat with rolled up sleeves, gold buttons, and a large collar, grey pants, black cowboy boots, and silver cross-shaped earrings. Topping it all off was a black fedora with a black feather and a tan streak down the middle.
Sora didn't know who the third boy was, but he definitely resembled Master Eraqus. The other two he definitely knew, even though they were younger he could clearly see Demyx and Luxord.
Solomon simply smiled as he observed the nine young men and women in the town square. "They have their own roles to play"
I should take a moment to apologize. This chapter should have been out a long time ago. Shortly after I uploaded the last chapter I had winter break. I thought I would have plenty of time to get out this chapter but I kept getting caught up on things. Then before I knew it I was back at school and I basically had no time at all to make any real progress. Life just gets in the way. But I promise the next chapter will not take very long to upload. This chapter was originally planned to be longer, but I ultimately decided to split it in two, that way I could finally get it out.
So yea lot of important things in this chapter. The identity of shadow from Sora's vision back in chapter 14 - The First Move. The two figures from the very first chapter obviously being Ozpin and Salem. And of course Solomon's origin story, how he became the master of Masters, and some of the underlying motivations he possesses. How his actions led to the birth of the Faunus and the creation of Dust. His origin will conclude in the 2nd part of Answers. If it isn't clear, there is way more to his story than he is letting on, information that will be revealed later on.
Also just a little clarification, this version of Solomon has another Noble Phantasm, in this story it will be replacing Ars Nova. The one Ive supplanted in place of that one is Ars Goetia, a phantasm that summons forth the 72 demon pillars. Also for the scene when the God of Chaos is descending and Ruler sacrifices her life in order to stop it was strongly based on Final Fantasy XIV's End of an Era. For a more accurate depiction of what I was trying to convey in how destructive the God of Chaos was, the cutscene is YouTube.
The next chapter will be wrapping up Solomon's origin, dive into how Rin became "Suimar" and eventually one of Salem's Foretellers, Pyrrha will meet Jaune's father, who some Fate fans may recognize, Namine and Rep will have their own run in with a fate character, a certain clock tower professor, and Ruby will be heading home to Patch in order to learn more about her mother's connection to Archer
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Next chapter: Answers Part 2
Until next time!
InfiniteKingdom