Kingdom Hearts 3.6 Chapter 154:
The Sailor, the Sea and the Ram's Horn 7.
"Daedalus...seek out the ones...whom have been chosen. It does not matter...if they are of the Recusants or not. All Hearts are equal...please. Daedalus..." says a both strange and mysterious voice to a young looking Daedalus, shown covered in wounds everywhere...behind him are Bodies of numbers amassing. This appears to be following...the conclusion of the very 1st Keyblade War.
"...Master Yggdrasil. To this day...I questioned the purpose you gave me, all things considered...I still do. Knowing that this task will stretch the millenniums...and everything that will become involved with it. Especially everyone...even still. I will follow...I am not the one. Destined...to bring change. I will find the bloodlines of the 24 that are your chosen ones...I will fulfil my obligation and teach them the ways, for better or for worse. I know...that you would not do this without a very good reason..." says the old Daedalus, as he observes Oric looking at his new Keyblade.
"There you go. Do you see it now? that is your Keyblade. Half sword...half Key. Hence, a Key-Blade. Mind you, this is not the shape I was expecting it would take. Keyblades in the past have mostly been the same...like this one." says the old man, as he summons his own Keyblade…the No Name! this greatly shocks Orichalcum, as he looks dead straight on at the No Name.
"That Keyblade…" says Oric before Daedalus interrupts him "Is the original model. All Keyblades look like this. Resembling a Goat...perhaps they tell a story. A story of Yggdrasil the World Tree once being a Goat or a Humanoid Goat like person." says Daedalus, having a theory on the model of the Keyblade's appearance. "A Goat?" says Oric. "Why yes...must like your friend there, resembling a Crow. Hmm...curious. It must all still relate back to Kye…" says Daedalus to himself.
"Huh?" says Oric, wondering what the old man is thinking about. "Never mind me for now. Let's see...I shall dub this new model the "Starfinder". How's about that? since you travelled most of the Star Seas by now...that would make you a Wayfinder of them. Hence, Starfinder. At any rate, that's not important. Stand yourself up, it is time to show you...how to help your friend and king." says Daedalus, saying the most important thing that Orichalcum has wanted to hear willingly thus far...the only thing.
"Raise your Keyblade with both hands, follow as I do." says the old man, raising his own Keyblade with one hand whilst Oric slowly, carefully imitates him. Before performing these manoeuvres, they chained the monstrous king to a nearby lamppost with a chain that Oric was carrying, due to serving as a knight captain in charge of capturing criminals, hence the chain to begin with. "Like this, correct?" says Oric, trying to follow Daedalus' example.
"Indeed, now then...just let the rest carry you forth. Trust me...the Road to Dawn will Light your way." says Daedalus, as Oric replies "Road...to Dawn?" says Oric. "It is the pathway we believe that will guide us forth with the Keyblades. Our Hearts...following a single, shared interconnected vector." says Daedalus, believing that Guiding Keys...and the Road to Dawn were both one in the very same...
"...Lighting my way. Huff...Torque. I trust you. I trust this old guy...but, more so. I trust...myself. I won't let you down again...hope this works. HUP!" says Oric, raising his Keyblade with both hands...and pointing it towards king Torque. Suddenly, a Heart shaped lock appears on Torque's Body! of course, around the place where his actual Heart is located. Inside...could be seen a monster with bulging crimson coloured eyes.
"There it is...now show me. Show me...the extent of not your blood's worth...but. Your Heart, young man." says Daedalus, tightly gripping his walking staff, as he de-summons his No Name Keyblade. "Torque...return! the king MUST return! there is still so much...for YOU to accomplish. I understand...everything now. I was never after your position, nor did I mean to hamper you in your way. The only thing I ever wanted...was to explore the outside Worlds. If my Dream, started of Greed led you to this...I will take responsibility for dishonouring you, my friend. Just please...come back to us! we still need YOU, my king. OUR king...KING TORQUE!" shouts out Oric, desperately trying to reach out towards the king one last time...as a bright Light emerges on the top of Oric's Starfinder.
From it, a Ray of Light beams forwards onto the lock of Torque's Heart. It banishes away the monster hiding behind it until at last, a clicking lock sound could be heard. The Heart shaped lock vanishes away into small particles of Light and leave the Crow like Torque, having stopped being abrasive all of a sudden. Afterwards, the feathers that altogether had made up a cloak of Darkness upon Torque's Body shot upwards. The Darkness was slowly until very rapidly dispelling from Torque's Body as a result. The remaining feathers circulated into a sphere...until next, it transformed into an actual crow!
"SQUAWK!" the crow made it's first squawk and had proceeded to land on Oric's shoulder, slightly unnerving him. "W-What!?" says Oric, gazing into the eye of the crow that gazes back. He then sees Torque pulling himself up and resting his backside on-top the ground. "My king! king Torque!" Oric rushes to Torque's side. "As I thought...the power of longevity. The power of the Heart itself...to breathe life into Data. Waking...only those belonging to the Recusant clans are capable of such feats." says Daedalus, observing Orichalcum helping Torque.
"...Ugh. Oric…that...you?" says Torque. "Yes king Torque, I am here." replies Orichalcum. "Urgh…if you are standing...and I am the one on the ground, bedside like. This only means...that you were in the right and I the wrong." says Torque, as he looks upwards to the Sky. "No king! no one was either right nor wrong! we were both mistaken. I myself...cause of not seeing my friend in trouble." says Oric, hating himself for everything that led to this...
"...Don't patronize me, Orichalcum. I understand...completely. I failed my duty...as king. I spoke of you ill beforehand...I believed you were the one leading the monsters...until I became such a one. Foolish of me...to think...that I could trust EVERYTHING on your shoulders, alone." says Torque, appearing regretful about something...
"K-King?" says Oric, not understanding the words that the king speaks. "...Months earlier, when I asked you to become a symbol for my people...I believed that I could any and all jealously that would stem afterwards. I was wrong...the people absolutely adore you. They trust in you, a younger fellow then I. Whilst myself...have been doing nothing. Becoming just like a Reclusive...and only seeking encouragement from YOUR actions, not my own. As king...such a thing is ill ilk. I refuse...to bound myself to the chains that are the youths like yourself." says the king, slightly getting up off the ground upon his back but feeling his previous wounds becoming aggravated.
"!? King Torque!" Oric tries to help him but the king pushes him aside, saying the following "Do NOT help me! that is an official order from your king, captain. Please...just...let me do this first. This...will be my first step..." the king struggles to stand up, holding his stature against the lamppost he was chained to. The chains had become loosened when he reverted back to Human, allowing him to stand and hold it.
"...Torque." says Oric. The king, wanting to maintain proper pride...manages to stand on his two feet, though he struggles and tries to keep his legs from wobbling at bay. "...Captain Orichalcum. Please...forgive me. For solely depending on you...I refuse to do as such any further. From now on...I won't let my self esteem be gained from YOUR actions...but by my own and my very own alone. That...is the king's decree...towards himself. He owes that much...towards maintaining balance in one's own self." says the king, referring how Regnum Stratera is called the Kingdom of Balance...
"...Sir!" salutes Oric to his king, as he praises him for his "manliness". "You have lost your way home...what will you do next?" says Daedalus, as he interrupts the conversation. "Old man! that's right...the Ram's Horn. Without it..." Oric tightly grips a fist, as a stern king Torque looks on. "Do not be so rash, boy. I gave you that conch because I wanted to test you...I still have much to tell you...about the 24 clans." says Daedalus lastly, turning away from the two younger men...whilst forebodingly telling one of them about the truth that he wishes to speak.
To be Continued.