And we are back with another chapter Wielders! Going on from the cliffhanger, who did Tenebrae see? And will that be a good or bad thing for him. Read on to find out!
Tenebrae took a step back in surprise. Within a secret catwalk in a castle was Alicx. The pink and lilac haired girl was examining a door.
She seemed to be exploring the castle like him. But she didn't seem to have noticed hm. When she turned around, she was sighing in frustration. Alicx looked up and saw him, her golden yellow eyes blinking. She didn't acknowledge him and instead walked past him.
"Not even going to threaten me?" Tenebrae asked, not turning to look at the girl.
He heard her footsteps stop. "Why should I?" she asked. "I have nothing to say to you. Unless you just want me to blow you up?"
Tenebrae clenched his fist and turned to glare at Alicx. "Don't fuck with me! You remember me, you remember everything! Yet you don't remember the time we spent together? Did it mean anything to you?"
Alicx wave a hand, her body language showing she was annoyed. "Does it really matter what I remember? Besides, the moment you ran away from the War, we ceased to be allies. All of my friends perished during the War."
Tenebrae didn't have an argument for that. He knew he screwed up by running. But it was too late to change the past. He at least wanted some control over his future.
He glared into Alicx's back. "I regret that, believe me I do. Because there is something I want to tell you, but not this version of you. You are not the one I want."
Alicx spared a glance over her shoulder. "Well, I guess that makes two of us. I don't want anything to do with you."
Tenebrae took a breath to try and calm himself. He knew this wasn't Laci, but hearing her dismissal hurt. He knew, but he couldn't differentiate between who she was now, with who he fell for. He released a sigh and stood up straight.
Tenebrae summoned his Keyblade. "Luckily, I only trust one person who wears that coat. And if you reek of Darkness, I will dispose of you. So, I suggest you leave before this gets violent."
Alicx just giggled, which put Tenebrae on edge. "You? Violent? Please! You are the one full of Darkness, Heartless. So, don't interfere with my research." A corridor surrounded Alicx, as she disappeared.
Tenebrae immediately opened his senses to try and find Alicx. He cursed when he didn't sense anything. His worry grew, especially since he wasn't sure if the Organization was involved. Shaylex may know, but he doubted she was as informed as she could be.
Tenebrae decided to look the old-fashioned way. He needed to find Alicx and warn the residents of the World. He ran through the halls of the catwalk. Tenebrae took the stairs down two at a time, hoping to find Alicx before she could get away.
Tenebrae jumped through the secret entrance into the courtyard. He still could not sense Alicx, which worried him. At the very least, the Seeker decided to warn the residents of the World. He groaned as he headed for the door of the castle.
Tenebrae pushed open the door and looked into the Entrance Hall. There wasn't any change, luckily. He didn't sense any Heartless, so he decided to go find Belle. If anything, she would listen to him and then tell the Master of the castle.
Tenebrae walked into the hall. He summoned his Keyblade, just to be safe. He looked around again, keeping his senses open. He walked to the stairs and ascended them. The Seeker was about to head up the eastern staircase when a sound stopped him.
Coming from what he could assume was the west wing, a roar sounded through the castle. It wasn't human, but also wasn't a Heartless. If there was a monster worse than the Heartless, Tenebrae wasn't sure he should just leave. He needed to find out the source and get rid of it.
'Sorry Belle,' Tenebrae thought, heading to the western staircase. 'To be fair, she thinks I'm gone anyway.'
Tenebrae went through the doorway at the top of the stairs. He entered a long hallway that looked different than the rest of the castle. The walls were a golden color instead of purple. Tenebrae noticed many suits of armor in between countless pillars. The red carpet went through the hall and turned to the right. Tenebrae was impressed by the design.
The Seeker walked through the halls with caution. Since he hadn't been here, he needed to be careful. After everything else, he didn't want to lose his he-…
Tenebrae's instinct kicked in as he ducked. A sword whizzed past the top of his head, cutting a few strands of hair. He rolled forward to avoid whatever enemy had attacked him. He turned in time to see multiple suits of armor walking towards him. Each had a sword and shield at the ready.
'First stone, then wood, now metal!?' Tenebrae thought in shock, 'Of course the stone was possessed by the Heartless. I don't sense that Darkness coming from these though. They must have been denizens of the castle.'
Tenebrae ducked under another swing. He raised his Keyblade to block a strike from behind. There were too many to fight, and he wasn't sure if he should fight back. Tenebrae dodged a few more attacks as he jumped farther into the hall. He held up his Keyblade in a defensive stance.
"Listen to me," Tenebrae said to the group of armor, "I'm not an enemy. I wish to speak to your Master. I have a warning for him."
The suits stopped advancing. They looked past him then at each other. They turned back to where they came from and started walking back to their pedestals. It looked like they believed him but why hadn't one gone to find the Master? Tenebrae needed to find him to give the warning.
Tenebrae was about to move when he felt hot breath on the back of his head. He swung his Keyblade behind him and a large hairy arm caught his. Before he had a chance to see what had him, another hairy arm slammed into his face. He saw nothing but black. -
Tenebrae woke up in shock. He was sitting in the Unions' Library again. He clutched his head as he went over the past few events. For some reason, he didn't have many memories leading up to now.
Tenebrae removed his glasses and rubbed his face. He had trouble recalling most, but he remembered a mission. He had some assignment that he recently completed. He had come to the Library after it for his normal reading sessions.
Tenebrae looked outside and saw the sun was setting in Daybreak Town. It looked like he had some time before he was supposed to meet the others. But he still wanted to meet with Laci before then. Even if he went to the Library, he did what he could to spend time with the Alchemist.
Tenebrae put on his glasses and yawned. He picked up his books and put them away. He wanted to find Laci quickly before meeting with the Light Protectors. After he put the books away, he left the Library.
As Tenebrae walked through Daybreak Town, he let his mind wander. The last few weeks seemed strange. Tenebrae recalled moments where he just blacked out. There were even moments where his head had started to hurt. Anyone he mentioned it to just said he was fatigued and should rest.
Tenebrae made it to the fountain and saw Keval and Sha… Tenebrae felt his head throb in pain. When he shook away the pain, he saw Keval and Ashley talking at the fountain. The two seemed to be chatting after some training. They were the first ones to arrive, it seemed.
Tenebrae walked up to the fountain. Keval and Ashley smiled at him and waved. Tenebrae nodded a greeting. He sat on the edge and let the sun hit his skin. It wouldn't be long before the others showed up.
"So, Tene," Ashley said, sitting next to him, "Things with Laci are going well. Anytime we are on a mission, she always seems eager to get back. She really likes hanging out with you."
"Same of my end," Tenebrae said, with a smile. "She is different from most other Wielders here. Of course, that doesn't include you weirdos. As sad as it sounds, part of me is glad she blew me up when we met. And, I guess, she helped me open up more."
Keval wrapped an arm around his Union mate. "And we are glad too. Ever since you two got closer, you've been less moody. Everyone seems to notice."
Tenebrae wasn't sure why he was embarrassed. He knew he was happier since his meeting with Laci. That positivity had influenced his perceptions of the others. He was able to open up a bit more with the others. He was glad to be in l…
Tenebrae gripped his head and screamed in pain. It hurt worse than any injury he had received to date. His vision started to darken as the pain increased.
Tenebrae couldn't hear Ashley or Keval. It sounded like he was underwater, their voices were distorted. It got worse as the pain increased.
The pain subsided when a pair of hands touched his cheeks. The voices became normal, and his vision returned. The hands turned his head to look into Laci's brown eyes. She was smiling warmly at him.
"Hey Tenni," Laci said.
Tenebrae smiled back. He placed a hand over hers, enjoying the feeling of her warmth. A cough from behind Tenebrae caused him to blush. He stood up quickly. He coughed into his hand, trying to regain some composure.
The rest of the Light Protectors had gathered around the fountain. They all had amused looks on their faces. Tenebrae knew exactly why they did, but even that didn't ruin his mood. For once in his life, he was happy and in l…
The pain returned. Tenebrae gripped his head and screamed. It hurt too much. He didn't even know why. Tenebrae just wanted the pain to end.
"Why can't you let it go?" The voice of his Seeker version asked. "Can't you see the effect it has?"
Tenebrae looked up and noticed he was in the Keyblade Graveyard. The pain was muted, but still there. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread from being in this place. He looked around and spotted the Seeker version.
"What effect?" Tenebrae growled, "Happiness? Light? Positivity? These are all things that we need."
The Seeker version just sighed and put a hand to his forehead. He seemed bored and annoyed. "Yet here we are, traveling the Worlds because we were scorned. Finding the Princesses of Heart has done little for us. We have what we need, it would be best to give in."
"I refuse," Tenebrae said, summoning Starlight, the golden key shining. "We are close. We only need to find a stronger Light."
"You know that became invalid when we saw her, right?" the Seeker version said, crossing his arm. "And she wants nothing to do with us. Let's accept our place and let it in."
The Seeker version uncrossed his arms. One hand came up and was extended to the Unicornis. Without even moving, an aura of Darkness pulsed. It surrounded the two of them making a small circle.
Tenebrae looked around worried. He tried to focus on his allies. He tried to focus on the Light that he had gained. Even with it, the Darkness was suffocating. He didn't think his Darkness was this strong. He needed to find a way to get his Light back to that level.
The Seeker version looked hurt. "You still resist. I know we traveled to find strong Lights, but this is asinine. Just give in and we will have all the power we need. Power that may even get Alicx to acknowledge us."
"She isn't who we love!" Tenebrae shouted. "We don't need to impress Alicx. We need to find Laci. Then we can rejoin the Light Protectors and finally have friends. Friends like Shaylex."
The seeker version shook his head. "Love. Friendship. You know those won't last. Look at what happened to the Unions. We made the right choice by going to the Realm of Darkness."
"No! We didn't!" Tenebrae growled, swinging his Keyblade. "We ran away because we were scared. We can't be scared to open up."
The Seeker version sighed. "We are still at an impasse. Then I guess we just need to keep going as we have. Just do whatever you please."
The Seeker version held up his hand. He closed his fist, and the Darkness surrounded the two of them. Tenebrae felt himself disconnect, as everything around him went dark. -
Tenebrae groaned as he pushed himself up off a stone floor. His silver hair draped over his eyes as he sat up. He tried to recall the events leading up to this point. He sat back ad took in his surroundings.
"Stone walls? One window?" Tenebrae looked around confused. "Last I remember, I was in the hall of this castle's west wing. I was ambushed by some suits of armor. But they backed off and something else knocked me out."
Tenebrae looked around the room once more. There was one door in front and a window to the side. Towards the back of the room, there was a pile of straw. A small wooden chair was in the middle of the room.
"How did I get here?" Tenebrae asked aloud, though to no one in particular. "Where are the suits of armor? And what hit me?"
Tenebrae noticed there were a few pieces of bread on the floor. They looked fresh, only a few days old if he had to guess. But why would there be food?
"Wait a sec?" Tenebrae had a moment of realization. "I was knocked out! And whatever hit me must have put me here. Oh great, I'm a prisoner now."
Tenebrae heard the door open. He tensed as he turned to see who came in. The door opened and a cart rolled inside. There was a white teapot and teacup next to a plate with another loaf of bread.
"Oh, you're awake dear," a motherly voice said. "That's good. You were asleep for a couple of days. Now you can eat. Here, have some tea."
Tenebrae looked around. He was confused by the voice since he hadn't seen any humans other than Belle. Of course, he also had to be wary of moving furniture.
He walked up to the cart and poured some tea into the cup. 'At least they are feeding me.' Tenebrae grabbed the bread and took a bite. He lifted the teacup to his lips to take a sip. The tea was delicious.
A child's laughter rang in his ears. "It still tickles mama. And he isn't as rough as he looks."
Tenebrae flinched. He moved the teacup from his lips and inspected it. It was a white porcelain material. There wasn't much unusual about it, except for a chip in the rim.
A pair of innocent eyes looked past his fingers. The cup smiled at him. "Hi! I'm Chip."
Tenebrae blinked. He placed the teacup back on the cart. He took a step back, followed by another, until he tripped over the chair. Tenebrae shuffled back until his back hit the wall. He was trying hard not to scream in surprise.
"Why is he afraid Mama?" Chip asked. He looked to be taking to the teapot.
"Well dear," the TEAPOT!? said, "He may not be used to seeing things like us. We have been alone for almost 10 years."
'A talking teapot!' Tenebrae thought in fear. 'A teapot, a cup, and a wardrobe all talked! Not to mention the suits of armor and that furry thing. This entire place is cray. What could the Organization want with this place?'
"Are you okay dear?" the teapot asked, hopping to Tenebrae. "You seem a bit tense. You should have a spot of tea to relax."
Tenebrae shook his head, trying to keep his fear down. "No thank you. I'm just hoping this is another bad dream."
"No dream dear, but you were asleep," the teapot said, "I'm Mrs. Potts, and you've already met Chip, my son. We wanted to make sure you ate."
Chip hopped up to Tenebrae, with the loaf of bread on his head. The Seeker took the bread and ate it slowly. It was fresh and soft. The crust was crunchy, and the inside was flaky.
"Unfortunately, that is all we can give you," Mrs. Potts said with a sigh. "The Master didn't want to give you anything. But I was able to convince him to give you the bare minimum."
"Thank you," Tenebrae said. "I guess that hairy thing was a guardian for Belle then?"
"You know Belle!?" Chip asked excitedly.
"I met her and Madam Armoire, before I got knocked out," Tenebrae said with a nod. "I had planned to leave, but something came up and I wanted to warn your Master. Can you relay a message to him for me?"
"A message?" Mrs. Potts asked.
"There are people here who only want to do harm to him," Tenebrae said. "He needs to use whatever he learned and fight them."
"That's a weird message," Chip said with a laugh.
"But one we will give to him regardless," Mrs. Potts said. "Come on Chip, let's let the young man finish his meal. Pleases don't think so bad of us dear."
She and Chip hopped back to the cart and rode it out of the room. Tenebrae heard the door lock behind them.
Tenebrae waited as he ate the rest of his bread. He thought of his next plan of action. He had no more reason to stay now that he got to warn someone. It may cause alarm, but he needed to leave the World as soon as possible. He finished his bread and stood up.
Tenebrae summoned Kingdom Key D. He aimed the Keyblade at the door. With a quick flash, the door unlocked. Tenebrae approached the door and opened it enough to peek out.
The Seeker investigated the next room. It was dusty and cluttered. A stack of boxes and furniture lead up to a second level. Two suits of armor blocked the passage above. Tenebrae decided to focus on the door below.
Using his Keyblade, Tenebrae unlocked the door across the room. He approached it and again, he peeked out behind the door. He was greeted with the golden walls and red carpet from the West Hall.
Tenebrae noticed a flight of stairs was directly across from where he was. The next flight seemed to split off into two directions, but only one seemed to continue upwards. Either way, Tenebrae knew it wouldn't be necessary to explore.
Tenebrae moved through the door and closed it softly. The last thing he needed was to draw attention. He didn't want to go anywhere near that furry thing he encountered before. Tenebrae moved through the hall, avoiding the stairs. He needed to make it back to the Entrance Hall.
"It looks like I underestimated you."
Tenebrae was at the corner of the hall when the voice called out to him. The Seeker cursed when he turned around. Alicx was looking him like a test subject. He growled as he readied his Keyblade.
"Oh yes, that thing," Alicx said with a frustrated sigh. She then grinned at him, smiling like a predator. "Then I guess we will have to run a proper test. And I know just the way." She took a deep inhale and then screamed, "He' broken out! He's on his way to steal your rose!"
Tenebrae was very confused. He had no idea why Alicx yelled or what she meant. The confusion turned to fear when Tenebrae heard a roar. It was the same roar he had heard when he was searching for Alicx. Was it a creature the Alchemist had control over?
Tenebrae heard movement before he saw a source. Barreling down the stairs and landing behind Alicx, was a creature the Seeker had not expected. It towered over Alicx as it stared at Tenebrae.
Tenebrae couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. At best he could tell it was not a normal creature. It had features of different animals. The horns and head of a buffalo. The arms, claws, and torso of a bear. The jaw and mane of a lion. There were also the tusks of a boar. Finally, it had the legs, tail, and teeth of a wolf. Its eyes were the only things that weren't animalistic, being blue and human-like. It was dressed in ragged dark gray breeches and a dark purple cloaked lined with gold trim.
'A chimera!?' Tenebrae thought, taking a step back in shock. 'B-but, even in Daybreak Town, those are myths. That thing should not exist.'
"Meet the Beast," Alicx said. "He is the Master of this castle. And owner of the rose that you are trying to steal, Heartless."
"What!? What rose?" Tenebrae asked.
The Beast's roar was not the answer he was expecting. When he lunged at Tenebrae, the Seeker realized negotiations were off the table. Once the claws got close, Tenebrae recognized the hairy arms. The Beast was the one who had got the drop on the Seeker before.
Tenebrae jumped back out of reach. He kept his Keyblade in a defensive position. He only had a few options. And he decided to go with the least deadly of them.
Tenebrae turned and ran down the hall away from the Beast. He ran past the suits of armor, who looked at each other then forward, not moving from their pedestals. The Beast wasn't too far behind, running like his namesake.
Tenebrae ran down the stairs as quickly as he could. He went down and ran to the door of the Entrance Hall. As soon as he landed on the floor of the Hall, the Beast did as well. The chimera swung at Tenebrae, causing the Seeker to bend backwards.
Tenebrae did a backflip up the stairs behind him. He had to put some distance between them. He jumped back up the stairs and his back hit another door. Tenebrae duked as claws scraped the door, just missing his head. Tenebrae pushed into the door and jump back into the next room.
Tenebrae only had a split second to take in the new area. It was a beautiful ballroom. The floor was polished. The pillars holding the balcony were crafted spectacularly. The window had a breathtaking view, with a moon shining in the background.
Tenebrae jumped to the middle of the ballroom as the Beast roared at him. The Beast swung at the Seeker, causing him to dodge out of the way. Tenebrae wasn't sure if he should fight back. He blocked and dodged as the Beast attacked him.
'Time to go on the offensive,' Tenebrae thought.
The Seeker ducked under a punch the Beast threw. Tenebrae crouched low and swung at the Beast's midsection. His Keyblade made contact, sending the Beast skidding back. Tenebrae rushed in to give the chimera no chance to recover. Tenebrae swung overhead to knock the Beast down.
The Beast's claw grabbed the Keyblade mid-swing. Since Tenebrae didn't let go, the Beast threw the weapon and him into a nearby pillar. Tenebrae felt his back almost break as he impacted the pillar. The Beast lunged at him, but he was able to push off the pillar and avoided getting clawed in the face.
Tenebrae rolled under the Beast. He scored a hit on the back of the chimera's leg, before dashing back to the center of the ballroom. He held his Keyblade up defensively.
'He is a denizen of this World,' Tenebrae thought trying to catch his breath. 'I shouldn't use magic him, but I need to get away. But this… guy, is not letting up.'
The Beast rushed him again. Tenebrae held his ground. The Seeker blocked the chimera's claws. The two entered a power struggle. Tenebrae realized a little too late how outmatched he was. The Beast was able to push Tenebrae down to one knee. The Seeker needed to find a way out.
"I'm not an enemy!" Tenebrae shouted. "I'm not a thief! And I'm not a Heartless! I was planning on leaving days ago."
"Yet you sneak around MY castle!" The Beast roared. "You seek MY prized possession! You must be destroyed!"
"I wasn't looking for anything!" Tenebrae yelled back, "I'm not here for trouble. Let me leave."
"You will be destroyed for trying to take my rose!" The Beast roared.
'He's not listening,' Tenebrae thought.
Tenebrae let the Beast push, until the Seeker had his back parallel to the ground. Taking a breath, Tenebrae swung his free leg under the Beast. He used the momentum to slide beneath the Beast. The chimera fell forward, using his own force to slam into the floor. Tenebrae spun around and crouched, swinging his Keyblade. He made contact with the back of the Beast's leg.
The Beast roared as he buckled. Tenebrae jumped back as the chimera tried to swing at him. The Beast roared louder when he missed. He turned to attack the Seeker again. Tenebrae did his best to avoid the attacks.
Tenebrae was running low on mana and energy. He wasn't sure how the Beast was fairing, but the chimera didn't seem too wounded. Tenebrae wasn't sure how much more he could take. And, unless he wanted to kill the Beast, he was out of options.
"Let me leave!" Tenebrae tried again. "I will leave, and you won't have to worry about your rose. Just stop fighting me."
"Silence!" the Beast roared.
The Beast lunged at Tenebrae. The Seeker rolled out of the way, trying to gain distance. The Beast gave him no breathing room, swinging wide and clawing at him. Tenebrae tried to get out of his reach, but the Beast kept up the pressure. The Wielder's arms were getting heavy as he blocked any attacks.
Tenebrae was too slow to block a punch. It impacted his chest. The force was enough to send the Seeker flying into another pillar, but he didn't stop. The momentum carried him until he slammed into the window, which luckily didn't break or crack.
Tenebrae landed in a heap on the floor. He coughed up a little blood as he pushed himself up. His arms were shaking, and he could barely feel his legs. He noticed his Keyblade was gone, meaning it had dismissed after he hit the window.
Tenebrae felt a claw grab his throat. He was lifted and brought eye level to the Beast. He could feel the chimera squeezing. Tenebrae tried to pry a few of the fingers away, unsuccessfully. The Seeker was losing air and consciousness.
"Please no!" A feminine voice called into the ballroom.
Tenebrae saw the Beast turn to the door. Over his shoulder, Tenebrae saw Belle standing in the door of the ballroom. She had a look of fear on her face. The Princess of Heart looked ready to intervene.
"Go back to your room!" the Beast growled. "This trespasser must be dealt with. He wants to take my rose."
"He doesn't," Belle said, shaking her head. "Yes, he may have trespassed, but he was lost and looking for shelter when I met him. He even offered to help against the Heartless. He has aa weapon like Sora's."
"I've seen it," the Beast said, squeezing Tenebrae's throat. "Yet he turned it against me. He cannot be trusted."
"Please don't!" Belle took a step into the ballroom. "If you let him go, he'll leave. He isn't here for anything. He just wanted to help."
The Beast threw Tenebrae across the ballroom. The Seeker slid, stopping just in front of the Princess. He coughed and gasped for air.
'I'm alive,' Tenebrae thought, 'but only barely.'
"Are you okay?" Belle asked, kneeling beside him.
"I'll be fine," Tenebrae said, between coughs. He looked over to the Beast, who growled at him. He turned back to Belle, "I apologize for lying. I had every intention to leave, but something caught my attention. It's in my nature to investigate and explore."
Belle smiled and helped him to sit up. "You should go. I will speak with him. You can't stay here."
Tenebrae nodded. He watched Belle walk up to the Beast. He stood up and limped out of the ballroom. Tenebrae used the handrails to get down the stairs. He walked through the Entrance Hall and out through the door.
'At least he calmed when Belle approached,' Tenebrae thought as he walked through the courtyard. But how long can she keep him calm? His rage was anything beyond what I have seen. It was like he was blinded. Like, he couldn't see what was right in front of him. Just like I was…'
Tenebrae opened a portal. He limped through it, hoping to find a World he could rest at. As he went through, Tenebrae was unaware of the pair of yellow eyes that followed him. -
And there is the chapter, everyone! An old aquaintance, a dream, and a rough fight. There are times where I feel bad about hurting my Oc's the way I do. However, with Tene it's always well deserved.
Anyway, next chapter will be a new World, does that mean we'll see a new Princess? Tune in next time to find out.