Here we are with the next chapter. We are going to be closing out the KH Union Cross game here, and we get to see some scenes from a different perspective.
So enjoy.


Tenebrae woke up in a cold sweat. His breathing was ragged as he took in deep breaths. He looked around and found he was in his apartment. His arms and head were bandaged. He reached tenderly to check his wound.

"Tenebrae!" his Chirithy said happily. It jumped on his chested and hugged him. "I'm glad you didn't disappear."

"I'm tougher than that," Tenebrae chuckled. He then looked at Chirithy and asked, "How did I end up back home? I was near the fountain plaza, at best."

"You were found, healed and taken home. I was able to find help, but I didn't see who. It was very dark."

"I see." Tenebrae got out of bed and put on his glasses. The bandages seemed fresh. Which meant someone came recently to change them. He looked out the window and saw the sun high in the sky. "Guess I missed the mission briefings. Oh well."

Tenebrae walked into his bathroom to clean up. He cleaned up the non-wrapped areas of his body. He finished his routine and looked in the mirror. Something seemed off to him. He put on his glasses and examined his hair.

'I don't recall dyeing my hair.' Tenebrae thought as he looked at himself. His bangs now had a long silver streak, going from the roots to his tip. It looked new, since he knew he didn't have time normally. But if this was a joke, it wasn't funny.

'It doesn't matter,' he thought as he put on his clothes. 'How long was I out though? And who brought me back.'

Tenebrae put on his pack and left his apartment. He was ready to take any mission he could. He did need the Munny and had to meet his quota.

"Ah! Tenebrae." The voice came from the fountain. And it was one he didn't expect to hear.

Tenebrae saw Master Ira standing near the fountain. The Foreteller's white robe and hood shone in the light. His Unicorn mask showed little of his emotions. But there was a smile on his face, as he looked at the Wielder.

"Good…. Afternoon? Master Ira!" Tenebrae bowed to the Foreteller. "it's both an honor and a privilege to see you. Though I'm not sure to what I owe the pleasure. Is something the matter?"

"Well, this is a matter regarding the incident from last night." Master Ira said plainly. Tenebrae tensed, as the Foreteller continued, "I am aware of the mission you had that day. However, I was not aware of any subsequent quests the same day. So, I would like to ask, why did you venture out at night?"

"I was curious, Master," Tenebrae said. "The mission was complete, as I had not found any knowledge on any disturbances. I was just trying to sate my own curiosity."

"While knowledge is good, your safety is more important. You went on an unauthorized mission against an unknown opponent. Had you fallen, no one would have known."

Tenebrae bowed again. "And again, I apologize Master. It was a matter I did not believe required alarm. I was purely investigating based on instinct."

"That may be. But you still went against the rules." Master Ira crossed his arms. "You will be barred from missions for the next two weeks. Use this time to improve your skills. Use that knowledge and improve yourself. You are dismissed." Master Ira walked away.

'Two weeks…. TWO weeks!?' Tenebrae thought as his anger rose. 'I can't miss two weeks of missions. I may have saved up some Munny, but I still can't be behind. Damn it!'

Tenebrae decided to head to the Library. He saw Laci running by. She seemed happy and was talking to the air. He shook his head and kept going. He needed to drown his sorrows the best way he could; by researching.

Tenebrae found multiple tomes to help with the information he had. He wanted to learn about that Dark Chirithy. It was like a normal Chirithy, but the transformation was what he was interested in. Was a Chirithy supposed to be able to do that? And what was that unusual symbol on its chest? It looked like akin to the Heartless symbol, but it was different.

'Is there some connection? I guess I have time. I need answers.' -

Tenebrae spent the next week going over any and all tomes he could. Anything that mentioned Darkness, the heart, or Chirithys. Though the last subject was a stretch. All the tomes had no helpful knowledge, and it was stressing him out.

Throughout the week, Laci would come by after her missions. Normally, she would focus on her own books and spells, leaving Tenebrae to his. Occasionally, he would hear her having one-sided conversations.

"Are you stressed out about something?" She asked randomly. He had mentioned his probation to her off-handedly. "Cuz you seem more tense than usual."

"I wouldn't call it stress," he growled. "Just trying to figure things out."

"Well I heard stress makes your hair gray. And Lucky says you seem very grumpy lately."

Tenebrae knew about the silver in his hair. It grew more each day. And as it grew, so did his anger. He wasn't sure if there was a connection, but he had too much to focus on now.

Laci's nickname for her Keyblade, Ladyluck, did worry him though. She always seemed a little different, but that made her a variable. Her mannerisms, her looks, her destructive tendencies. There were a lot that drew him to her. But Laci didn't need to know that.

"Well tell Lucky to piss off," Tenebrae growled. "I'm just trying to get an idea of something. I just need the right materials. But no book here has it. And I'm not allowed back on missions yet."

"Mmhmm," Laci seemed to space out for a bit. "Well I should get going. See ya." She left the library with happy steps.

"What an anomaly," Tenebrae said with a blush on his face. The more time she was around, the worse it felt. "I doubt this is anything more than a crush. It's illogical and pointless. Just like my life, I guess."

Tenebrae put away the books he was studying. He left the library, but was it was only midday. He had plenty of time to kill and nothing to do.

As he walked to the Fountain Plaza, he heard Wielders talking. "Stolen Lux." "Dandelions." "A war." These were the things he heard but didn't care about. All he wanted was knowledge. And he had to find ways to obtain it.

The phrase "Dandelions" did spark interest. According to rumor, the Foreteller Master Ava was recruiting Wielders who showed promise. Keval did not seem to be among the group, much to Tenebrae's pleasure. Cetus, Keval's friend from another Union, seemed to have made the cut. While he didn't have much information on her, Tenebrae guessed Cetus was a force to be reckoned with. Not that it mattered to him. Other than that, the Dandelions sounded like a waste of time.

The "War" may have been the only thing of interest. A lot of his books mentioned the war between Light and Dark. And it looked like the Keyblade Wielders shared a part in this war. It made little sense, but Tenebrae felt there was a connection. One worth exploring.

-Darkness! -

Tenebrae felt a chill. He looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He thought he felt a presence and went to investigate.

He went up to the eastern staircase of the plaza. This led to a flight of stairs, surrounded by buildings. One building opened to a stairwell going down. The staircase led to an open area, that looked like a closed-off pier.

Tenebrae walked to the edge. The feeling was still there, but he couldn't find the source. The presence was near him. In a puff of smoke, he saw it.

A Dark Chirithy appeared before him. It giggled as he stared at it. It seemed both lifeless and alive.

"You finally heard me. I was getting worried," It giggled. "But now, we can be together again."

Tenebrae readied to summon his Keyblade. "What are you talking back? You defeated me last time. And I won't lose again! Try Me!"

The Dark Chirithy tilted its head to the side. "Last time? I was by your side last time. And you didn't listen to me."

Tenebrae reached out for his Chirithy. Only for the connection to point towards the THING in front of him. He couldn't believe it. His Chirithy was tainted like the other. The thought should have scared him, angered him. But instead, it filled him with glee, with happiness.

"I do wish to ask," Dark Chirithy spoke. "That you leave. Nothing good will come of your current state."

"Oh yeah?" Tenebrae summoned his Keyblade. Unlike before, this summon felt, dark! He looked and saw a Key he didn't recognize. The guard was a deep turquoise and blocky. The blade was a dark brown with tan linings. The teeth of the blade formed a mouth of sorts. And in the center was a red marking that connected to the hilt. "What the!?"

"Darkgnaw." Dark Chirithy said. "A fitting Keyblade for someone keen to study the Darkness."

Tenebrae dismissed the Keyblade. He could feel it's Darkness. He wanted more of it. He NEEDED it!

Tenebrae shook his head of the thoughts and ran home. He didn't stop for anyone and threw himself into his apartment. There were too many things for him to process right now. He needed sleep for now. And Tenebrae hoped tomorrow would be better. -

Tenebrae laid in bed a few days later. No amount of research could help him. No new knowledge presented itself. And that pissed him off. He had nothing that could help him.

His only solace the last few days was Laci. Her presence made the study sessions bearable. It didn't completely negate the rage from not finding answers. She just seemed to numb it.

'And now I'm thinking about her,' he thought as he covered his face. 'She doesn't even seem interested. Why should she be? No one needs me. I should just disappear.'

That was the thought he fell asleep to. The next morning, he got ready and decided to walk around town. He went to the fountain to relax. When he arrived though, and interesting scene unfolded.

Near the fountain, two Wielders were arguing. Insulting and accusing each other. A third Wielder and their Chirithy appeared as the shouting escalated. Tenebrae decided to stay near a building by the southern staircase to observe. He saw the third Wielder get ready to intervene, but their Chirithy held them back.

Even from his spot, Tenebrae could feel the tension. Everyone had been on edge the last few weeks. A lot of people claim their Lux was being stolen.

Without warning though, the two Wielders who were arguing summoned their Keyblades. They were ready to settle their differences through violence it seemed. Even the third Wielder seemed shocked. Tenebrae wasn't sure what to think. But other Wielders had come to watch.

The two that were arguing went to attack each other. Only for the third Wielder to summon his Keyblade and stop them. Their Chirithy called out to them, but they were unscathed. The Chirithy even tried to call for peace between the other two.

The first two Wielders didn't seem pleased with the idea. Instead they went back to insulting and accusing each other, and other Unions. One mentioned a traitor that fell to Darkness. That statement made Tenebrae tense.

He watched as, again, the third Wielder and their Chirithy tried to be diplomatic. Of course, the two fools didn't seem to want to listen. It was only when a black-haired girl ran into the fray, did they seem to ease up. The Chirithy said her name was Skuld.

"Which Union do you belong to?" One of the two Wielders asked.

"It doesn't matter," Skuld stood in front of them. "Our only enemy is Darkness. Our Keyblades aren't meant to harm one another."

Those words worried Tenebrae as he gripped his heart. He watched as all the Wielders started arguing again. This time others from the audience joined a side making a small circle around squabble.

"The War has begun," one called out.

Tenebrae couldn't shake the dread felt. But there was more, anger, frustration, jealousy, all from the other Wielders. He could feel their negativity. He left the area before thing could get violent.

Tenebrae made it back to his apartment, sweating profusely. He noticed his Chirithy on his bed. Its purple fur and red eyes taunting him.

"Running away?" It asked, "Isn't that what you do best? Run and hide because you are weak?"

Tenebrae ignored it as he walked to his kitchenette. He grabbed a drink and downed it quickly. His throat had been unusually parched.

"They'll destroy you, you know," his Chirithy said. "They'll wipe you out because of me. Because of your Darkness. We are tainted and will be deemed traitors. Laci, Keval, everyone will call you a traitor, for relying on the Darkness."

Tenebrae summoned Darkgnaw. He looked at the Keyblade, searching for an answer. "I just need to study more. And then I can prove I'm no traitor. And it does look like no one will listen to reason. No reason for us to stay."

His Chirithy seemed to jump with glee. "Good! Good! And I know just the place!"

"So do I." With a quick slash of his Keyblade, Tenebrae cut his Chirithy in two. Its eyes widened as it well fell onto his bed. "But I don't need you. You'll only slow me down. And I'm not risking a repeat."

"You are a fool!" his Chirithy roared, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Maybe," Tenebrae sighed as he gathered provisions. "But I am no pawn."

He made sure to gather food and healing items, to stay safe. He grabbed a pack and stuffed everything into it. Within a drawer in his room, he pulled out a pair of goggles he bought. He had the crazy notion of using them to match with Laci.

He left his apartment and noticed no one was around. He adjusted the pack and walked to the Fountain Plaza. Tenebrae noticed his vision started to blur as he walked. He removed his glasses and saw everything was clearer. In the reflections, he noticed his eyes were red. He decided to put on the goggles to cover them and kept walking.

When he made it to the fountain, he tossed his glasses into it. "Guess I won't be needing these. And this may be the last time I'm here. Oh well." Tenebrae called a portal, thinking of one place that no one would think to look. As he was about to step through, a bell in the distance rang. A shockwave followed not a second after. Tenebrae dove through the portal, not even thinking to look back.

One person came to mind as he exited. 'Sorry Laci. I'll never get to say how I feel. But I feel you helped me stay grounded. Thanks.'


Again thanks to the Light Protector BloodRoseKnight for letting me use Laci, check her story to learn more about this ball of sunshine.
And we are leavng Union Cross, and you will see the Tenebrae you see on TikTok, so this will be fun.