And here we are with a new chapter. This chapter starts around the time of BBS, so expect to see some characters later, not necessarily this chapter.
Either way, enjoy the chapter.
The Realm of Darkness. A land devoid of Light. It's corridors and plains, surrounded by mists of purple that confused those who traversed its paths. Any who did not go insane, were often fools anyway. For the Darkness could drive even the most stable insane.
"HYAHH!" Silver and black zipped past as more Heartless were dispatched. Purple flames were seen occasionally as explosions blanketed certain areas. Sounds of combat echoed through the empty expanse.
A young man, with hair of silver and eyes of red, placed his Keyblade on his shoulder. The Darkgnaw matched its Wielder perfectly, as being one who used the dark. His black clothes seemed to be made to help ward off the Darkness. He drew up the hood of his jacket to cover his head. A pair of goggles went over his eyes.
'How long has it been? Has the War ended?' These thoughts plagued the Wielder. 'Damn it, Tenebrae! You should have at least tried to find HER!'
Tenebrae clutched his head. The memories of those he knew before hurt. He was a failure to them. He didn't fight in the War, and who knew how many perished. Were Laci and Keval part of that number? No, they couldn't be. Both were strong in their own way.
"How long have I been here though?" He asked into the void. He headed to his campsite. "How much time has passed? Would they even recognize me?"
He sat in his safe zone. No memories, nothing could make him at peace. Each day, for who knows how long, was the same. Wallow in pity, get angry, find and fight some Heartless, and then wallow again when his bloodlust was sated. There was nothing else he could do. The Realm of Darkness was just confusing.
"One must be insane to look for anything here. Yet there is talk of a Keyblade of Darkness here. Whoever wrote that, must have been on something."
Tenebrae rested as he thought. He spent a lot of time searching. And each time, the Darkness around him caused him to grow. That in turn made him insane, which made him bloodthirsty. And the cycle kept going, no matter how many Heartless he vanquished.
How long had it been? Was the War over? Did any of his… Union mates survive? Did La… she survive as well? What of Ke… him, did he make it past the War? And why was Tenebrae worried about them?
No one cared about him. So why should he care about him. They all ignored him! Made him seem WEAK! UNEEDED! Even Master Ira doubted him. How Tenebrae wished to take Darkgnaw and…
Tenebrae shook his head of the thoughts. The Darkness of this Realm was messing with his head. His deepest fears, his darkest desires. Nothing was safe from the Darkness around him.
And thinking of desires. There was one thing he wanted. Laci on his…
"NO! STOP!" Tenebrae clutched his head and shook it. The last thing he needed was a thought like that. He knew for a fact that she never cared for him, like he did for her. He wasn't even sure what his own feelings were.
Why did it matter? Who even loved him? The only one who did, he betrayed and destroyed. He was a murderer, a destroyer.
"NO!" Tenebrae summoned Darkgnaw and swung it around. "I am no destroyer. I am simply looking for an answer. I act in self-defense."
He had no idea who he was talking to. But the voices in his head did not help. He had been hearing them for a while too. And nothing seemed to stop them either.
Tenebrae left his campsite. He needed to find a new place to hold up. This spot was making it harder to think of new thoughts. And the voices had found and tormented him.
He walked along the Realm of Darkness. He climbed some hills and cliff to survey the area. He saw the endless void that housed some of the strongest creatures. He saw the giant gray blobs that had purple pulsing lights within them. The broken paths would have caused the most stable of minds to crack.
Tenebrae focused his mana and jumped onto various ledges. The cliffs always varied in height. So, he was able to practice his control by jumping at various strength. One thing that was positive about his new powers, he had a lot more to work with.
He landed in a clearing and looked around. Tenebrae could feel the Darkness everywhere. Though there was on close to him. He waited until the presence was close, then dodged out of the way. A shadow went by as it went from one end of the clearing to the another. It kept to a dense part of the edge, red eyes peeking out slightly.
Tenebrae grinned as the shadow lunged again. This time he timed it and used a reflection spell to stop its movement. When it clashed with the barrier, he jumped over it and focused his element. Shots of Darkness were released and struck the monster.
"I've been looking for a new plaything," Tenebrae said as he landed. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"
The creature before him was a Heartless. The dark body and orange tendrils spoke volumes. The chains around its arms and legs showed the captivity it went through.
Tenebrae charged at the beast. Giving it little time to react, he boosted his speed and scored multiple hits on it. When it started spinning, he used the momentum to jump away. Tenebrae felt the blood lust from the Heartless, which added to his own.
He focused as much mana as he could spare and summoned a purple fireball. Thrusting his Keyblade towards it, it shot multiple bursts at the Heartless. "Dark Firaga Burst!" Tenebrae had a smirk of glee on his face. He knew he wasn't doing a lot of damage. But the thrill made every second worth the minimum.
The Heartless charged through his attack. It swung with its claws, sending Tenebrae into one of the "trees" that was around the clearing. Tenebrae coughed up blood and fell forward, barely catching himself before impacting with the floor. His smile never left his face.
"Perfect." He stood up and smiled. "Time to end this."
His aura flared, the silhouette of his body and his eyes would have caused chills in a normal being. The Heartless took it as a challenge. Raising his Keyblade high, Tenebrae gripped the hilt with both hands. He positioned it so it was behind him in a ready stance. As soon as the Heartless was close, he took as step forward and disappeared. He ended up on the other side of it with his Keyblade extended in front of him. "Zanketsuken."
He swung his Keyblade down, and the Heartless was cut into two pieces. Both halves dissolved into satisfying black particles. Tenebrae licked his lips, tasting his own blood. The thrill was still there, so long as the damage was. He looked up into the black abyss and breathed out a sigh of pleasure.
"I need more knowledge, more information," he called up to nothing. "I need to know how it ended. Who is there to torture?"
"Do you really wish to know?"
The voice snapped Tenebrae out of his bloodlust state. He pulled his hood back and lowered his goggles. Tenebrae scanned the area for any new presences. Tenebrae stood his ground as he waited. There was no difference in the Darkness he felt.
The voice seemed to laugh. "Come now. It's a simple answer. Do you wish to know?"
Tenebrae growled as he looked around. "I want to know, what your game is? You sound different from the normal voices. Which means you are not in my head. So, show yourself!"
"If I do, will you answer my question?"
"No guarantee," Tenebrae readied himself. "Part of me is tempted to kill a sentient opponent."
"So violent. No wonder the Darkness clings to you. Yet… you still house Light. To think it has yet to be snuffed out."
"Yippee, I still have a heart," Tenebrae said sarcastically. "Oh, joyous day. Let's celebrate with a deathmatch!"
"Wouldn't be much of a match. Just your death." A shadow descended from above. Pooling in front of Tenebrae, a shadow of a figure appeared. Tenebrae was shocked to see who it was.
"Keval!?" The one before him looked almost like his old Union mate. He had the same build, hair color and facial structure. But one glaring oversight was the Heartless Emblem imprinted on his forehead. The black clothes were a giveaway as well, they didn't seem to look like his old style.
"Was that my old name?" "Keval" said. "I'm sure I rid myself of it when my weakness vanished. Oh no, I am Heloa, the Dark Storm. And you?"
"Tenebrae," he responded. "The Seeker of…" He wasn't sure. But Seeker sounded right. He was seeking answers, balance. "The Seeker of Eclipse."
"Eclipse?" Heloa seemed intrigued.
"A medium between Light and Dark. The one time when both are in harmony and balance."
"Well have fun with that down here." Heloa laughed. "You've been here quite some time already. I doubt you'll find the balance you seek."
"I can start by ridding this place of you." Tenebrae pointed Darkgnaw at Heloa. "And with our face, I'll have no regrets."
"You will have one," Heloa laughed. "You will regret challenging me and not heeding my warning. Now, do you wish to know how it ended?"
"What do you gain from me saying yes?" Tenebrae kept his Keyblade trained on Heloa. Ready to strike. "The fact that you know is one thing. But you have no reason to offer the knowledge to me."
"Let's just say, the knowledge will be enough to drive you over the edge. And that will decide if you can stay a Seeker of Eclipse, as you call yourself."
"Ha! Knowledge is power," Tenebrae scoffed. "And it will just strengthen me. I'll take your bet. I'll still seek balance, even with what I'm about to be told."
"Oh no, it's not about what you will be told." Heloa had a cruel smile. "It's what you will see. But, by all means, think of your home. And when you see it, tell me how well your balance stands."
'Home?' Tenebrae thought, 'I have no home. Not anymore.'
"Deal" Tenebrae thought of Daybreak Town. He raised his Keyblade and a portal appeared next to him. He gave one last smirk to Heloa and walked through. When he exited to the other side, his smile left his face completely. -
So things are becoming interesting. Can you guess the boss I used?
Thanks again to my friend Kale Thunderhorse Lampkin, for allowing me to use his Character Heloa.
What did Tenebrae see? Guess we'll know next time.
