Just like last chapter, this one may be a little more of a mellow chapter. But we do have another special Protector with us.
So let's get on with the chaper!


The dinner was a fun affair. Conversation was upbeat as the Light Protectors talked. To Tenebrae, it was like watching them back at the Unions. Seeing all the groups happy and joking. But this time, he was a part of the conversation, even though he didn't say much.

When the dinner was done, Tenebrae left. As much as he wanted to stay, he felt like it would be better on his own. Things felt a little too bright with them. But he had plans to come back.

Tenebrae jumped to another rooftop to rest for the night. He had a dream like the one on the beach. Him and all the Wielders he's met in Daybreak Town. It filled him with a happiness he hadn't felt in a long time.

When the sun rose for the next morning, Tenebrae was awoken by the rays. He stretched, not feeling as sore as usual. He found a place to jump down without drawing attention. He jumped down his rooftop.

Tenebrae headed towards the Light Protectors' apartment. Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned quickly and saw a figure in a black cloak. They noticed him and walked into one of the tunnels.

'They were waiting for me?' Tenebrae thought. 'Xigbar said the Organization wouldn't care for me. And I met Shaylex by chance.' He followed the cloaked figure.

Tenebrae entered the tunnel and looked around. Leaning on a wall on the other end, Tenebrae saw the red-haired man that came for Shaylex last week.

"Axel, right?" Tenebrae asked.

"Oh! You got it memorized." Axel pointed to his temple. "I'm flattered."

"How did you find me?" Tenebrae tried to ignore his irritation. "Shaylex and I have met up once, and it was in your home world. We didn't have time to set a meeting place."

"Honestly, Twilight Town is a small place. And you stand out buddy," Axel smirked. "I saw you by chance, and thought I tell you Shaylex is fine. She's just been busy."

"I'm not worried," Tenebrae shrugged. "She is strong. I'm sure she can handle anything you lot throw at her."

"I like the attitude," Axel chuckled, "Well, I'll tell her I bumped into ya. Anything I should say?"

Tenebrae shook his head. Anything he wanted to tell her should come from him. "Nothing at all. Is that it?"

A corridor appeared near Axel. "Yeah. Catch ya later." Axel walked through the portal.

Tenebrae left the tunnel soon after. He needed to meet up with the Protectors. He was glad to know Shaylex was fine. But he had to worry about himself as well. He made it to the apartment and was met by Rylan, who opened the door.

"Morning dude," Rylan smiled, "You're in luck. Keval is cooking today."

"Then I'm glad I ate before I got here," Tenebrae said, walking into the apartment.

"He isn't that bad a cook. He probably only loses to Mojie, and that's cuz she uses love when she cooks." Rylan laughed.

Tenebrae shook his head and smiled. It was nice to see them able to joke like that.

"Welcome to the Thunderdome!" Keval called out from the kitchen. He had come out with a variety of breakfast foods. "Oh! Hey Tenny!"

Tenebrae looked at Rylan. The latter had an embarrassed look on his face.

"Yeah, he does that every morning he cooks," Rylan chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm definitely not eating anything he made." Tenebrae went to a couch and sat down. He saw the other come out of their rooms to eat.

As the Protectors ate, Tenebrae listened half-heartedly. It was just normal conversation. Until Mojie said something interesting.

"Every time I go, it's not the same," she sounded on the verge of tears. "It was such a beautiful place."

"Hey, don't worry Munchkin," Ray said. "A lot of worlds came back. Maybe it did as well."

"That's the thing," Mojie sniffed, "I've been there recently. And…and…"

Tenebrae sat up. "What is she talking about?"

"One of her favorite worlds to visit," Solas said. "She claims it isn't the same as it once was."

"Sounds interesting," Tenebrae said, putting a hand to his chin. "I don't mind checking the world out. Give me a name, and I'll go."

"No, I still want to visit it," Mojie said, "I just can't bear to see the World as it is."

"Well, I need a mission, and you want return." Tenebrae got up and stretched. "So, let's consider this our joint assignment. We can check out the World and see what can be done."

Mojie seemed to perk up and nodded. She ate quickly and went to her room to change. She came back dressed in her twin-tails and sweater.

Mojie walked to the door and summoned her Keyblade. It was the same as the one Keval was wielding. The white of the weapon seemed to work with the girl's innocence. She used her Keyblade to open a portal.

Tenebrae followed behind Mojie as the two entered the portal. Tenebrae looked around confused when they exited.

In the distance, Tenebrae saw the giant castle from Hollow Bastion. But if this was the world Mojie spoke of, then how did she not know? He saw some building in front of the pair. It looked like someone was trying to rebuild.

"We are in Hollow Bastion," He said. "I was here with Rylan recently."

"You're Wrong!" Mojie shouted. She was on her tiptoes, trying to get in his face. She wasn't as convincing as she wanted to be. "This world is called Radiant Garden. It was a beautiful World! I don't know when it became like this."

"Calm down," Tenebrae pushed the female Wielder back down, sighing. "Look, we came to check out what happened. So, let's do that. Look over there, there are some stairs we can go down."

Tenebrae pointed to a staircase off to the side. He started descending them, with Mojie following behind him. Tenebrae could tell she was nervous. He could feel plenty of negativity coming from her.

Tenebrae noticed Leon in the distance. The brunette was directing a few individuals in a building project. The male was being efficient with his orders.

"Follow me and follow my lead," he told Mojie. When she nodded, he approached Leon.

"Leon, right?" Tenebrae asked.

Leon turned and looked at the pair. "And you are?"

"Tenebrae," he smirked, "Last we met, I wasn't sure I could trust. I hid my features because of that. I came here before with a man named Rylan."

"I remember. And I can see why you would hide at first. But you didn't have me fooled."

"Fair," Tenebrae said with a grin. He did reach behind him and grabbed Mojie. She squeaked as he pushed her in front of him. "Well this one is another of Rylan's friends. She and I were curious about this World, or anything we can do to help."

"Since you survived the castle, you know how to fight," Leon said, placing a hand to his chin. "Do you know about the Heartless?"

"We do. Let's say we are Heartless Hunters," Tenebrae said as Mojie darted behind him.

"Well then," Leon had a smirk on, "There are some areas still swarming with Heartless. Can you hunt some down and help to reclaim the area?"

Tenebrae and Mojie nodded. The pair were handed cards from Leon. They read, "Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee". Tenebrae glanced at Mojie and saw her get sad.

"Here," Leon handed Tenebrae a few pebbles. "When the Heartless are cleared, throw one of these to the ground. They will set off a beacon for us to know where to go."

"Noted." Tenebrae took the pebbles and pocketed them. "Let's go, Munchkin."

Mojie seemed to blush when he said the nickname. The pair descended another staircase that led deep into a crevasse. The blue mountains looked just like he remembered from the rising waterfalls. It was oddly nostalgic.

The pair walked away from the buildings before Tenebrae spoke. "Whenever anyone says Hollow Bastion, you get sad. Why is that?"

Mojie flinched. She pressed her fingers together. It looked like she was debating something.

"This World is called Radiant Garden," she said softly. "It was a thriving World years ago. It looked so beautiful in the books. But seeing it now…" Mojie started to tear up.

Tenebrae could feel her sadness and pain. However, he had no experience when it came to emotion. Only anger and rage. He wasn't good at helping an emotional person.

Luckily for him, some Heartless appeared. Both Wielders summoned their Keyblades. Mojie's stance showed she wasn't a physical fighter.

"Time to start our mission," Tenebrae said, before he charged the swarm.

Tenebrae relished in the battle. Even though he was fighting, he still had his special awareness. He noticed Mojie was using water-based magic. Her magic looked strong, as she was able to wash away some of the larger Heartless.

"Keep them occupied!" Tenebrae rushed and armored Heartless, Striking it down with his flame. When the Heartless were in between the two Wielders, Tenebrae called out to Mojie. "Now! Hit them with your strongest spell!"

Tenebrae shot a large fireball at the Heartless. Mojie sent a large jet of water towards the Heartless. The two spells collided and caused an explosion of Light and Darkness. Tenebrae had to cover his eyes to avoid getting blinded.

Tenebrae opened his eyes and looked around. He didn't feel any Heartless. And he saw Mojie off to the side. She was catching her breath.

Tenebrae walked up to the younger Wielder. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Mojie looked flushed. It was almost like she was drained already.

"We can rest," Tenebrae took out one of the pebbles. He threw it with all his might, a few meters away. The pebble shined on impact, and a pillar of light appeared. "We don't need to continue right away. Just rest."

"But I can still fight," Mojie argued weakly. "We should keep going."

Tenebrae sighed. "We have no time limit. So, we can take breaks." Tenebrae picked up the other Wielder and walked to a wall. "So, sit and recover."

Mojie flailed in his arms as he walked. Tenebrae set her on the wall and ignored her pout. She had the adorable look of a puppy. It made Tenebrae kind of worried.

'How could someone like her become a Wielder?' Tenebrae thought. He looked over at Mojie as saw her snacking. 'Besides her magic, there isn't much that shows she was from Daybreak. She's timid and emotional. How could she have made it through any solo missions?'

"You know Keval, right?" Mojie asked.

"He and I were part of the same Union," Tenebrae answered, a little surprised by the question. "But we weren't exactly friends."

"But you guys get along so well," Mojie had a sweet smile, "Are you sure you aren't friends now?"

The question stung a bit. Tenebrae didn't have any friends. If Keval thought they were friends, more power to him.

"I'm quite sure we aren't," Tenebrae sighed. He got up and ready to go. "Come on, let's clear some more Heartless."

Mojie got up and dusted herself off. She followed Tenebrae quickly. The pair cleared more of the mountain crevasse. They repeated the pattern of clearing, setting a beacon and resting. Mojie had to be forced to rest when she used too much mana.

As they walked between battles, Mojie told Tenebrae about Radiant Garden. She told him of its looks and beauty. She seemed to glow as she talked. Tenebrae could feel her Light and positivity.

The pair finished clearing an area that overlooked the castle. Tenebrae was surprised to see it still standing. He had a feeling it should have crumbled from the Darkness that came from it.

"It used to hold the ruler," Mojie said. "The castle in the distance. But I heard he disappeared. Then this World was destroyed. When I came here, it was so sad to see this World."

"Not to sound heartless, but I don't see why it matters," Tenebrae said. "This World is back. The Darkness may have reformed it, but it should still have the same heart. So just look at it with your heart."

Mojie looked at him worried. But she nodded and closed her eyes. He saw a warm smile appear on her face. She seemed to enjoy what she saw.

Tenebrae did the same and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. He felt the connection to the Heart of the World and saw it.

There were so many buildings. Gardens could be seen. Clear water was in fountains and waterfalls. The Castle of Hollow Bastion was replaced with a magnificent structure. There were so many beautiful things about this World. So much Light that was contained in the World.

"It really was beautiful," Tenebrae said with a smile. "I should have come here to visit before."

Mojie nodded. She had a smile that would have warmed a person's heart. She seemed a bit to pure to be a Keyblade Wielder. But Tenebrae guess that was why.

"We should back track," Tenebrae said. "This way we can head back to our starting point. Unless there were other places you wanted to explore?"

"No, we can head back." Mojie's smile never left her face. "Thank you."

'She thanked me?'

Tenebrae smiled, "You're welcome, Mojie."

Tenebrae led the pair back to the town-like area. Leon explained how they saw the beacons and would head out to rebuild. When everything was done, the pair went back to their point of entry. Mojie opened a portal back to the Light Protectors' apartment.

"Hey Momo!" Kevaled waved from the couch. "Hey, look at you, you're practically glowing. How did it go?"

"We helped the World out," Tenebrae reported. "And I learned something interesting about the Worlds."

"Really? Well hey, that's good." Keval was smiling like a goof. "What about you Momo?"

"I got to see the World I read about," Mojie giggled. "And Tenebrae helped me to do it."

"Well look at you Tenny. Trying to become a Master?"

"Nope," Tenebrae said definitely, "I prefer to research. I don't think I would make a good teacher." He turned and walked towards the door. "Besides, I like to conduct tests, not grade them. Have a good night."

Tenebrae walked away before either could say anything else. He didn't dislike the group, but he worried about opening up to them. After the last few missions, he felt his Light grow. While that wasn't bad, it felt like he was being suffocated.

Tenebrae thought about exploring Twilight Town a bit more. He walked to the train station to see where he could go. Asking about the trains, he learned there was a local line that was free of charge. Any other line would cost a fair amount of Munny.

Tenebrae took the local line and exited in a new part of town. He walked down the stairs of the station. The setting was different, with a lot more houses making a small maze. Tenebrae noticed a large tunnel, that seemed to lead to an underground path.

"There is a tram here too," Tenebrae said aloud as he watched the train go. "Are people just that lazy?"

He walked around the area. Tenebrae noticed there was an odd alleyway. There also seemed to be a decorative waterfall. Tenebrae then noticed a path that led up a hill.

Tenebrae took the path up. He was surprised to see a mini diorama of Twilight Town at the top. There were benches on the edge of the hill, perfect for watching the sunset.

Tenebrae took the moment for what it was and sat at one of the benches. He watched the sunset and felt at peace. He had to thank the Light Protectors for that.

The ones he has interacted with, had helped him to find a piece of himself. Keval helped to spark his competitive nature. Rylan helped him to learn his restraint, while rekindling his love of research. Solas had helped him to relax and get rid if his stress. Mojie reminded him it was oaky to open his heart.

But why didn't he want to stay with the Protectors? Tenebrae placed a hand on his chest and focused on his Light. It was almost non-existent in the Realm of Darkness. After hanging around Shaylex and the Light Protectors, he could tell his Light was getting stronger. Whether that was good or not, only time would tell.

Tenebrae decided it would be good to rest up for the day. He yawned as he laid back on the bench. He had a smile on his face as he fell asleep. He had another dream about all the Wielders he met, and Cetus was added among them. All of them felt close. -


Aww look at my angsty boy, learning about himself. Hopefully it will be enough to help him.
I will thank Mojie_cosplay, one of my good friends on TikTok, for letting me use her character Mojie. I'm grateful for them letting me use her, and like with the others this isn't the last we will see of her.
Until next time!