KINGDOM HEARTS: Edge Before End.
Chapter 0.1: Täuschung Ende-Part I.
"Ok, first things first...it said I had to give up something in exchange for that power, right? well...what SHOULD I give up? hmm. I know both a shield and a staff alike would give me advantages, but...in the end. It has to be this...sorry but I'm gonna need a whole lot of strength in order to pull through this. That's why...I'm giving "this" up." says Myst, making a start on his advancement.
After deciding to give up either the shield or the staff, suddenly; a rumbling occurs. "W-Whoa! what the!?" the ground beneath Myst's feet starts to give way! the platform shatters into glass, unable to sustain Myst's weight. "...Aw no." says Myst before tumbling straight down into the black abyss. "NOOOOOOO!" He screams out, falling deeper and deeper into truest Darkness...or so he thinks.
Soon after realising that Myst himself has instead landed upon another stained glass platform, this time around completely blank...he takes a deep breath. "PHEW! that was close...HEY! VOICE! YOU TRYING TO KILL ME OR SOMETHING!?" shouts Myst, demanding a response...only to receive none.
"No comeback...guess the voice truly is gonna wait for me at the end of all this. Still...this doesn't make things any easier. For starters...what the heck is up with this platform? it's completely white! there's no picture or anything on it. Last time it was me, but now...there's nothing. Absolutely zilch...what's going on with this thing?" says Myst, walking atop the blank platform and trying to assess it.
Once more, another Ghost appears! this time with backup. "! Aw jeez! more of them!? guess this wouldn't be a trial for nothing. But just what ARE these things!? tch! no time for talk! gotta work for my pay!" says Myst, making an analogy in place of saying normally that he must fight in order to live.
After combatting and defeating the Ghosts targeting him, Myst's sword vanishes into thin air yet again. "Ugh, that's annoying. Why does it do that!? always vanishing into Light...! wait a sec. Maybe...that Light...and all this Darkness is a clue, maybe? the voice said things about my Heart. But...I don't get it. How do Light and Darkness figure into my Heart? it just doesn't make sense...well...I guess I'll just have to ask the voice in person at the end of the road. If there is one that is..." says Myst, not seeing a pathway in sight.
To his surprise however, another Light emerges and creates a stained glass path for him to move up above. "!? ... He asks and he shall receive, heh." says Myst, making whimsical humour in order to keep his spirits intact. Running across the stained glass pathway, eventually...Myst finds himself tired out. "HA...HA...HA...AWW MAN! talk about...a strenuous trial! my legs can't take much more of this! I'm gonna be gasping for air soon enough. AND there's no water anywhere in this place! would it HURT to have a store here maybe!? HUH!? well voice!? geez. ! Wait a moment...I just remembered. What if..." Myst reaches into his pocket and finds a green coloured orb.
"Those Ghosts dropped this...what if...hmm...well. Here goes nothing!" Myst takes a nom out of the green orb before realising moments later...he is now completely revitalised! "!? SOOOOO GOOOOOD!" says Myst in sheer delight, unable to contain his palate. "I can't believe I'm back to full health just from eating this green orb! wait until I bring back some for everyone at home-! oh..." thinking about home causes Myst to feel slightly dejected...
"...Worrying isn't going to get me anywhere. I'll get back home...count on it!" refusing to let his situation hold him in place, Myst decides to continue moving forward. He repeats a pattern of moving from one blank platform to the next, fighting Ghosts over and over at each one. Eventually, upon reaching blank platform number VII...
"Sigh...seriously. There's nothing but white on these things...what's the deal with them? the only platform with anything on it was the one featuring me. And even then, that still doesn't answer my questions...dang it. I'm hoping...there's a real end towards all of this." says Myst, saying his thoughts aloud.
"...You know, you really shouldn't be talking to yourself like that. The people back in reality will think you are deranged or something." another voice emerges! Myst becomes shocked, realising it is not the same voice that was guiding him previously. "W-WHA!? another...VOICE!?" Myst shouts out before running to the centre of the platform, trying to get a better look of his surroundings.
Without warning...a silhouette phases into physical form and appears a distance in front of Myst. Wearing a hooded black coat...this unknown individual resumes speaking towards Myst. "So, you are one of the chosen; I take it? one of the locks..." says the individual, observing Myst whilst standing still in a straight manner.
"Who in the heck are you!? I've only seen the Ghosts and have heard the voice in this place...does that mean-" says Myst, starting to think the cloaked man is the voice itself; only for his theory to get a very quick rebuttal. "No, I'm not your personal Seer if that is the conclusion you are going to draw..." the black cloaked man decides to unveil his hood...revealing a slightly older young man underneath the cowl.
"!? H-HUH!?" Myst becomes shocked, seeing the visage of "a normal Human" from under the hood. "What? you were expecting something else? geez louise. Stupid teenagers these days...look, in case you might be wondering; the name's "Xander". Just like how the Seer is...think of me as a sort of "Spectre", capiche?" says the both strange and mysterious interloper, identifying himself as Xander...
"Xander...a Spectre?" says Myst, trying to make sense of things. "Oy vey, I swear; the next generation is so...bleh. Anyways listen up, I've got some info to share with you; kid. Those so called "Ghosts" you've been fighting? they aren't Ghosts at all. They're called "Illuminati", a rare breed of Heartless..." says Xander, presenting a shocking revelation.
Of course, Myst does not understand. "Illuminati? Heartless? ... ! wait. My ancestor...he said something once. Something...something..." says Myst, boggling his head for answers deep within. "...Sheesh, what, you thick in the head punk or what? sigh. Alright...here's the gist. Heartless are the Dark ones that emerge from inside Hearts...they feast on the Hearts belonging towards Humanity. Think of them like parasites and being the natural enemies of Humans themselves...except. Here in this Realm of Midlight...you could call the Heartless living around these parts "enlightened". Heartless at their basic core are only single minded and live upon instinct alone...they can't help but act like feral beasts. But here in this World amongst Worlds...they have only recently started to act just like Humans, within the centuries following the great Keyblade War. Truly incarnations of Darkness...with a twist of irony, involving Light of all things." says Xander, explaining about the enemies Myst has fought so far...however.
"...And? I'm supposed to care about all that? look dude. Seers, Spectres...Heartless, Humans. None of that makes any sense to me at the moment so there's absolutely no point in bothering to understand it all. What I DO understand though...is that this is a test. Someone is waiting for me at the end of it...and unless I fight, I won't be able to move forwards and get back home. Meaning...if you are just another opponent for me to beat...then I'll gladly fight you both here and now!" says Myst, summoning his sword and treating Xander as an enemy; the same as the rest of Myst's opponents up till now.
"! Oh? I see...so then my mysterious entrance and explanation doesn't faze you, does it? heh. I bet taunting wouldn't work either in this scenario...you seem a bit more brighter then certain others for it to work. In that case...I'll humour you and fight, just like how you want to. If you think me a "villain" then that's how I'll act...the way a villain responds to a "hero" in kind!" says Xander in a calm and composed manner.
Without warning, the enigmatic hoodie summons a sword similar to Myst's in terms of mystical powers. "!? A...Katana!?" says Myst, recognising the brand of sword Xander uses. "I'm what you would call a "special case", in your World; Katanas are the standard weapons correct? if so. Why don't you show me...the fighting style of "the ones whom stand between Light and Darkness!" says Xander, as he makes a declaration before pointing his Katana directly at Myst with a single hand.
"Tch! this guy...he's strong!" Myst can see that Xander has no openings, nor any weaknesses to exploit. Using massively overwhelming force, a single swing from Xander's Katana is enough to force Myst back and send his sword flying from out of his two hands. Landing backwards and with his sword equally landing slightly above his head, Myst is both swiftly and soundly defeated...
"UGH!" Myst shouts in pain whilst Xander sighs, summoning his Katana back into the void from which it had appeared. "Never challenge a Spectre kid, trust me; it will do your personal World a whole lot of good. Anyways, resuming where I left off...about the Heartless I mean." Xander kneels next to Myst still in pain, informing the defeated more about the Illuminati.
"In the other Realms, there are only two kinds of Heartless: Purebloods and Emblems. They exist here too but...the ones that take priority in this particular Realm are the third kind of Heartless: the Illuminati. Heartless that have gained actual sentience...not a common thing to happen around here. In fact, it's VERY uncommon...when I talked about the Illuminati earlier, I may have given the impression that they have existed here for a long time. In truth, the third kind of Heartless have only been around for as long as a year at best...I don't know what's been going on in other Realms but one thing is for certain. The Heartless here were immensely mutated as a result, they must have been affected by some kind of backlash or something...not that I care." says Xander, deciding to stand up from kneeling.
"Anyways, that's all I wanted to share with you-the "Unchained". Keep moving ahead and you'll find the Seer...if you complete the last task, you'll get out of here. For now...use this, consider it a gift for humouring me with that little exchange of ours." Xander summons a glowing green Light near the side of the blank platform, hinting that Myst should use it.
"See you around..."Number VII"..." says Xander, waving a hand back at Myst whilst taking his leave and vanishing into thin air. Myst struggles getting back up, cursing Xander for a bit. "Why you! ..." eventually, after managing to crawl all the way over towards the green Light at the side of the platform; Myst could sense that he was now fully healed.
"...Kh. That guy...he was wielding a Katana. The only people that should be able to wield those weapons are the "Midlight Guard" back home...so how on earth does HE have one!? dang it. But...there was something else that he said, something worth noting. The ones standing between...both Light and Darkness. I've...never heard about that...could my ancestor know something? considering everything, he just might. I can't shrug this off as coincidence anymore...it can't be." says Myst, rustling his wrist.
He next looks upwards, becoming blinded by a giant Light...seeing a pillar of Light itself shining down within the distance. "!? Could that...be..." says Myst lastly, wondering...if the end was near in his sight? if that was the case. It is now time...to confront the Seer-the one whom brought Myst to this both strange and mysterious place. What would await him...he couldn't say...
TO BE CONTINUED.
Xander:
Japanese Voiceover-Hiroki Tochi.
English Voiceover-Kaiji Tang.
