Chapter 13
The Master's Plan
Balthazar felt a chill of anticipation run through his body as he waited patiently in the hallway next to the main elevator. He'd been here since early in the morning in anticipation of Ava's arrival, hoping he would be able to get some sort of sense of expectation for what was going to happen if Tadataka's information was correct.
The other Angels were all waiting in The Peculiar Hall, somewhat less patiently but still quite dutifully. Tomislava was just outside the room, so as to help provide them just an extra few seconds of lead time if necessary.
To say there was a great deal of tension among them would be an understatement, and it was a pressure they'd been feeling for some time. It was just past afternoon now, and as Balthazar bobbed quietly in the hall he began to wonder if anything was going to happen at all.
Quite suddenly, the tower began to shake and rumble intensely, and from the severity of it he could tell that there were at least three of the enormous Heartless monsters out in the town square. All eyes in the town would surely be on this issue, he thought, and so he closed his eyes and felt ever more cautiously for approaching visitors, certain that if anything were to happen it would be now.
There was a loud metallic clunking sound as the gears and mechanisms of the tower began to whir into action. Balthazar felt a wave of satisfaction as he listened to the platform rise up through the center of the tower, but this feeling was washed quickly away once more into worry as he sensed Ava. Whatever their fate would be, it was imminent.
He quickly floated into a doorway just down the hall a short distance and listened for the door from the elevator shaft. He sighed deeply, and once he heard the door open he waited for a few seconds before poking his head curiously out the door.
"Oh, hello Master Ava! You've come to visit again?" he asked, groaning inside. It sounded more forced to him than he had hoped.
Ava seemed not to notice anything off with his tone and bowed gently. "Hello, Balthazar. The Master has asked me to come collect you and the others and bring you all down to the courtyard behind the tower."
"Oh really?" Balthazar asked. "Well, I can go get them for you if you'd like. What are we going to do in the courtyard?"
"You'll see soon. Please let your friends know that, if there is anything dear to them that they'd like to keep, they should bring it along with them," Ava said, examining the empty hallway. "Though… I don't suppose you've got many belongings, do you?"
"Not… not really, no," Balthazar said. "Um, I think they're probably all hanging out in The Peculiar Hall right now, so I'll go let them know to come along."
Ava tilted her head curiously. "All of them?"
"Uh, well, I think so anyways. I'll go check. Would you like to come along? O-or, you can stay right here if you'd like," Balthazar told her hastily.
Ava stared at him wordlessly for a moment. "Are you hiding something, Balthazar? There is nothing for you to be concerned about, today will be a good day for all of you."
Balthazar sighed, his wings rustling restlessly. "We… we've been worried, Master Ava. There's been a lot of tension and fear about our future. I'm just… I'm just trying to figure out—"
Ava rested a hand on his shoulder. "The Master is entrusting you to my care. It is time for you all to leave the tower and live new lives, and not be trapped in this musty darkness anymore. If you feel it best to go and get the others on your own, I will wait for you here, but please trust that I have your best interests in my heart."
Balthazar closed his eyes as she talked, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "That… Thank you, Master Ava. I'll go get the rest now. It probably would be best for me to go by myself. I'll have them along soon."
Ava retracted her hand and bowed. "Thank you, Balthazar. Please do be quick — The Master's patience is… unpredictable."
He nodded, and turned quickly to make his way to the others. He tried to think of what he would tell them when he got there, but his mind was blank. All morning he'd practiced and recited quick, snappy messages for every possible outcome he could imagine, but now he couldn't remember most of them; and the ones he could remember just didn't fit right with the strange sense of contentedness he felt inside.
Tomislava saw him approaching from a distance and her wings instantly flapped to a ready state of alert. She stared intently, trying to gauge what sort of urgent message she was worried he might be trying to relay, but once she became aware of his smooth pace she seemed to calm down. "Everything seems okay then, huh?" she asked as he came near.
Balthazar nodded. "Yeah… I think it's going to be alright. We all need to follow Ava down to the courtyard behind the tower."
"Outside? With those giant heartless still thundering around out there?" Tomislava asked.
The tower rumbled beneath them, and it was at this moment Balthazar realized it had never stopped. "Oh, yeah. I think they're all on the front side of the tower. It kind of makes sense to me, actually, I think this way everyone's attention is sure to be elsewhere."
Tomislava's head bobbed approvingly. "Right, clever. Ok then."
The two of them entered The Peculiar Hall, where each Angel was already waiting for them. Balthazar glanced across them, and his own calm demeanor seemed to immediately release a good deal of their tension.
"So it's either good news, or we're so screwed there's no sense freaking out about it," Juangshi commented wryly, receiving a quick set of halfhearted slaps from quite a few of her companions.
Balthazar nodded. "We all need to follow Master Ava out to the courtyard to meet The Master. She says she's going to be taking charge of our care now and it's time for us to leave the tower. Uh, she also said that if there's anything you'd like to bring with you, that you should grab it before we go out."
Perere lifted up a small, patchy bag with frayed straps. "Good thing I packed up already!"
Balthazar glanced over to him in surprise. "You did?"
Hadrianus lifted a small bag of his own. "Indeed. We suspected this would be our last day here one way or another, so while we waited for you many of us have already prepared for our departure."
"That's not going to seem convenient or suspicious at all!" Juangshi said sarcastically, though she was hefting her own small bag as she did so.
"Right, well, I don't really have anything other than my watch here," Balthazar said as he lifted his small watch and took a look at it. "So if you're all ready, I guess we should head out."
The group murmured in agreement and solemnly set out behind Balthazar, making their way quietly towards the elevator. None of them spoke, and even Perere was unusually somber. They looked up and down the walls as they went, watching as the lights swayed as the tower shook, taking in the sights of their home for the last time.
Ava greeted them warmly as they arrived at the elevator, but none of them paid much attention to her actual words as they all found their way onto the platform. Ava quickly noted their introspective dispositions and didn't say anything as the elevator slowly clanked and ground its way down to their destination.
Once the platform stopped, Ava opened one of the doorways and the Angels followed her single-file through the short hallway out into the courtyard, where The Master of Masters stood patiently waiting with his arms folded behind his back.
As each of them arrived at the bottom of the steps into the stone-paved circle, an awaiting Chirithy would tug at them and hand them a small bracelet-like trinket. Balthazar got his first, and the others behind him began to push softly as they tried to see what he'd been given, only to be pleasantly satisfied when the Chirithy gave them one of their own.
Once they'd all made their way into the circle, The Master spoke up. "Angels! Well, look at how you've come along after all this time. You look like you're doing pretty well, but this tower's just not the place for you guys anymore. It's time to move on, don't you think?"
Some of them nodded, some of them looked towards each other, but they all kept a watch on The Master as they fidgeted with and wondered about the new bracelets.
"Well don't all speak up at once!" The Master said, resting a hand on his hip. "But seriously, it's time for you to go out and live in Daybreak Town. Those bracelets that Chirithy gave you are special magic devices I've created that will help you blend in. I've got a couple other things for you as well, but before that I'll tell you about how these work. There's some rules too, ok?"
They nodded almost in unison, their wings fluttering in excitement as The Master surveyed them all. "These disguises are going to hide your true forms. You'll look, sound, and feel like a regular person. As normal as they come! You've all been locked up in the tower because it's dangerous for you out here, and it's just as dangerous as ever. In fact," he said with an ominous shift in his tone, "It's only going to get more dangerous from here on out. But it's better than if you just stay up there." He pointed back up the enormous structure behind them.
"You guys need to keep your true natures hidden from the Wielders, you need to keep your identities hidden from some of the grumpier Foretellers. In fact, aside from Ava, just don't risk it, okay? Just be normal little Wielders living normal little lives," he said, looking out at them again with a nod of his head. "I guess I shouldn't forget the most dangerous thing of all — you guys really, really need to avoid catching the attention of Darkness, okay? There's a lot of it out here, and even though you'll look normal it won't change your true nature… you're easy targets for it."
They looked at each other nervously, and Balthazar spoke up. "What sorts of things do we need to do to avoid catching its attention?"
"Good question! In fact, Balthazar, I'm going to have to talk with you more on that very subject after all this is wrapped up. There's no good way to make sure it won't find you. Just try your best to keep from standing out too much. Join a Union, find a party, make friends! There's hundreds of Wielders out there and I'm sure you'll make all sorts of sweet, heartfelt connections," The Master said, clasping his hands dramatically.
Juangshi nudged Balthazar with her elbow. "Guess we already know who our party leader is, eh?" she said with a snicker.
"Definitely not!" The Master shouted dramatically. "It's touching to me that you've all become such a tight-knit little family, but out here you guys need to split up as much as possible. You should all blend in fine individually, but if you group up your weirdness is going to stand out. Keeping minimal contact is going to be the best way to make sure that Darkness, or anyone else who has it in for you, is going to have a lot more work identifying who's who."
Balthazar looked over towards Farah, who was nodding her head sadly.
The Master watched as many of them looked disappointedly towards their friends. "Aww, well, you'll make plenty of other friends! Wielders with good strong lights in their heart who can help protect you guys! On that note, I've heard some of you have learned how to fight using your dark magic?"
Tomislava and Spyridon nodded proudly, before realizing that the others seemed much more reserved. Tomislava shook her head, and spoke up. "Yeah, me and Spyridon have a pretty good handle on it. We tried to teach some of these others, but eh, not everyone has the knack for it, you know?"
The Master nudged Ava, playfully but certainly harder than she'd been prepared for. "See Ava, it'll be easy for you. I told you these guys can take care of themselves. Ah, but!" he said, turning back towards the Angels. "You Angels should be careful not to use that dark magic. Even though your physical form is disguised, Heartless will still see you as one of them. If you start fighting and destroying other Heartless with dark magic, it's going to get their attention quickly. In fact, you really should just try to avoid doing any fighting yourself if you can help it. Like I said, make some strong friends to do that work for you."
Tomislava crossed her arms tightly. "What, so we just have to slack around and let others take care of us and protect us?"
"You're welcome to try it! If you don't like that, I'm sure you'll find other ways to be helpful," The Master said, before holding his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I guess that's about it. Time to activate your disguises then. Bi`nh's been helping me test these out, so you don't need to be worried about if they're safe or not."
Bi`nh nodded, fluttering her wings gently. "Yes, they're quite safe and effective. Nobody has ever suspected I was an Angel of Darkness."
"See? A good review already," The Master said proudly. "Put the devices on your wrists, hold an image of yourself in your heart, and press the button! Simple as that."
Juangshi raised her hand, but didn't wait for acknowledgement before speaking. "So can we make ourselves look however we want?"
"Well, you better make sure it's a human!" The Master said in exasperation. "Don't overcomplicate it. Just think about the way you used to look before you were an Angel and the magic will sort everything out."
The Angels each put their bracelets on excitedly, looking towards the others and chattering about how excited they were to meet each other again. Once they were ready, they each closed their eyes.
Balthazar remembered the way he used to look. His long, curly black hair, his well-tanned skin, his deep blue eyes. It was the way he looked each time he connected to a Heart, and in those most honest of encounters he always missed his old appearance. Holding tight to this dear memory, he pressed the button on his device.
A wave of magic washed over him, and he opened his eyes to see that now on the stone bricks, in the open air, he once again looked the way he used to. No more did he have the dark, scraggly hands, or the heavy scaly cloak. He no longer felt the uneven weight of his wings behind him, and as he gasped in delight he began to pat himself all over to see if he really truly had changed.
Each of the others began to change as well, feeling themselves and looking at each other in awe as they saw their true selves.
Juangshi's voice was the first to break the magical silence. "Aaahhh yeah, upgrade!" she said gleefully, bouncing her somewhat excessively-sized bust in either hand with a pleased smirk.
Tomislava's mouth dropped at the sight, and she glanced down at herself. "Aw man!"
"Oh please, you're just fine, Tomislava," Bi`nh said with a scoff before turning towards the rest. "Just look at you all!"
Many of the Angels had seen one or two of the other's true selves before, when they would team up for conversion attempts, but for most of them, this was the first time they'd really seen each other as they really were meant to be.
The Master's voice spoke up loudly after a few moments. "A couple last things before you go!" he said, snapping his finger. The sound brought all of their attention to him. "To blend in here in Daybreak Town, you're going to need these."
They'd been so enthralled that they hadn't noticed a new group of Chirithy had arrived, each one carrying small keychains that they began to hand out to the group.
"Since you're all still Heartless, deep down, I can't risk giving you guys actual Keyblades. These are pretty similar, though, and work pretty much the same as a training Keyblade. The Chirithy should also be giving each of you a pouch with medals that contain magic attacks that you can use in a pinch. Like I said, you better not fight unless there's really no other option, but if you have to, use these," The Master told them, stressing his words carefully.
Balthazar picked up a keychain from a Chirithy, and as he inspected it it began to glow brightly and quickly took the shape of a spiky green-and-black Keyblade. He felt a small tugging on his pants as another Chirithy quickly fastened a small pouch of medals to his belt loops, and patted it on the head gently. The gray fur was quite soft to the touch, and the small cat's eyes narrowed as it reveled in the affection.
"Ava, it's your job from here!" The Master said with a wave, walking back towards the tower. "Good luck, Angels! Balthazar, please come see me once you're done here."
Ava shook her head. "I don't have much to add. As The Master said, you should all go find friends and join parties through all the Unions. Follow your heart to make the right choice. No matter which Union you join, I will be your leader and do my best to help you if you are in need. As I told The Master before, I am quite busy with my role. If you can't find me, please continue to look to Balthazar for help."
Balthazar sighed with a small slump in his shoulders, and then he heard Juangshi whispering teasingly as she skulked behind him. "You caaaan't escaaaape it!" she said with a chuckle.
Balthazar turned around and looked at his friends, taking in their faces and feeling a sense of satisfaction. "I… I'll do my best, everyone. It's been really great getting to know you all. I'll be just…" he paused, choking up a bit on his words, "Just as happy to help you guys as ever. Stay safe alright?"
Ava stepped forward, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Balthazar, but we must move along quickly to get everyone integrated with the other new wielders. The Master says we only have until the battle in town is over to finish."
Balthazar nodded. "Alright. I better get going to talk with him, then."
"Yes, but do not worry. Each of your friends will need to stay in contact with you so that you and I can help make sure everything is going well. You will not be alone for long," Ava said reassuringly.
"Thanks…" Balthazar turned towards the others. "Good luck with the initiation."
Khosrow shook his head. "We'll be fine, I'm sure. Don't worry about us."
"I'll see you soon, my friend," Areshmin said with a gentle bow. "But do hurry, it is not best to keep The Master waiting."
Balthazar turned towards the tower and saw The Master of Masters standing in the doorway, arms crossed behind his back. He wasn't sure what The Master wanted to discuss with him now, but he couldn't help but feel tense about it. Whatever it was, it was time now to go find out."
Balthazar had followed The Master inside the tower and was trailing behind, though not for a lack of trying. Either The Master was walking extraordinarily quickly, or Balthazar still needed time to get used to having functional legs again. Perhaps, Balthazar thought, it was both.
Shortly, they arrived in a small viewing room at the front of the tower. A glass window looked out into the town, and many wielders could be seen gathering around a fountain.
"Your friends should be joining them soon. It's the newest group to be inducted into town, you know! You'll all split up and find parties and, if you play your cards right, no one should be the wiser about your true natures," The Master said proudly, turning to look at Balthazar. He took in an impatient breath as he realized that Balthazar had no reply for him. "So, is it what you expected?"
"I don't really know what I expected," Balthazar said, biting his lip. It had been a while since he could do that, and he paused for a moment as he thought about how glad he was to still have these sorts of human inclinations. He turned towards The Master. "It's what I hoped, though."
"Well, glad I didn't disappoint you then!" The Master said, arms wide in flourish, before lowering them again with an abrupt shift in his demeanor. "Alas! Like all good things, this isn't to last. Your job isn't done yet, you know. There's one more big trial left in store for you Angels."
Balthazar sighed, looking back out the window to see Ava arriving with the others in the square. "I should have expected as much. Is that why you brought me in here? To warn me?"
"Perceptive! But you've always been that way, haven't you? It's more than just a warning though, I've got one last set of instructions for you," The Master told him. Balthazar raised a curious eyebrow, and The Master continued. "You guys are going to split up, go out, join parties, make friends — It'll be great for you! It should buy you a lot of time until Darkness figures out exactly what and who you all are."
"Buy us time? What happens when Darkness figures all that out?" Balthazar asked quietly, still looking out the window.
"Darkness is going to find you confusing, but it's not going to tolerate you guys longer than it needs to. At some point it's going to make a move to destroy you all… it's a matter of when, not if!"
"Shouldn't we stick together then? Maybe if all of us work as a team we co—"
The Master wagged a finger at him. "Ah, ah, don't even try it. I don't think you guys would even be able to slow it down. You're made of darkness, afterall. No, your best bet is to hide away as long as you can. Act like you're unfamiliar acquaintances, when you do have to meet. But when the day comes, when Darkness comes after you, I have one last-ditch trick for you guys. It'll only work once though, and if you use it too soon you'll just end up in danger again eventually; and it'll be even worse the second time," The Master cautioned him.
"So we should only use it when there's no other choice, then…" Balthazar said, sighing heavily. "How will I know when it's dire enough?"
"You'll know. It'll be pretty unambiguous," The Master said ominously, but shrugging simply. He chuckled at the look of confusion on Balthazar's face. "Can't tell you more than that, I'm afraid. Anyway, when the time comes, round up everybody that you can and go back to the lab where we all first met. There will be a machine there with instructions for you that will tell you what to do. It'll have a red tag on it — I know you have a good eye for those."
"I… Alright. I'll do my best." Balthazar watched as Master Ava handed out some bottles to some of the new recruits, then found himself staring at his friends. "Are they going to be alright?"
The Master folded his hands behind his back. "Can't tell you. Besides, our definitions of 'alright' were pretty different, last I checked. Just have some faith!"
Balthazar scoffed, looking over his shoulder out of habit towards where his broken wing used to be. "Yeah, I guess so."
The Master turned towards him abruptly. "Hey, don't be so glum! This is your new shot at life! Go on, go out there, have some fun, make some friends! Live a little! Your new best friend is out there just waiting for you to find them."
"You just told me my friends and I are going to be hunted down by an undefeatable Darkness!" Balthazar huffed. "I think I'm justified in being at least a little worried about that."
The Master waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, waah! We've all got targets on our backs, you know."
"Wha—! You don't have to mock me over it!" Balthazar said, face red with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "I still just don't understand how you can be so casual about all this!"
"Alright, Balthazar, look. It sucks, yeah, but just because certain doom is coming eventually doesn't mean you should let it ruin your life before it gets here. I told you anyway, I have an escape option prepared for you. You'll be fine, and you should have quite a while before Darkness makes a move anyways," The Master said. His tone felt somehow reassuring and dismissive at the same time.
"So I should just… pretend you never told me any of this?" Balthazar asked incredulously.
"No, don't do that. Just… be careful. Keep quiet. And enjoy yourself while you can. If you guys lay low, you should be able to buy yourself a lot of time before you get in any trouble. Just help encourage the others to keep a low profile and keep watch."
Balthazar's shoulders tensed, then dropped. "I…" he paused, then sighed. "Alright. I'll do what I can. Thanks, I guess, for the warning. What exactly is this escape plan you have?"
"I'd have told you details before if I thought I should share them. The less you know ahead of time, the better. Ignorance is bliss, you know!" The Master said, tapping a finger on top of Balthazar's head.
The young man grimaced. "Yeah, I think I can agree with that."
There was a small amount of commotion outside as the kids began to open their bottles, out of which several Chirithy began to appear and jump happily into the arms of their wielders. Only about half the group seemed to have received one, and some of those who didn't get a Chirithy seemed quite disappointed. The Master tutted. "What a shame, looks like we didn't have enough for everyone today. Don't get jealous yet, though! We'll get you one eventually."
Balthazar looked over at him. "Uh, thanks. I'm sure it'll be great to get one."
The Master peered down at him, hands on his hips. "It will be! It'll change your life. Now, we've spent enough time in here."
He walked over towards one of the tall windows and pulled at the latch, and as it opened Balthazar was surprised to see that this window was actually a door. The Master stood by it, holding it open and motioning outside. "Alright then, go on! Go find a party! Make some friends!"
Balthazar shook his head as he walked over, stepping tenderly outside into the bright light as The Master goaded him along. The entirety of Daybreak Town sat before him now, and he had no idea what to do with it first.
Daybreak Town was abuzz with the excitement and clamor that always came when new wielders were brought to town. The plaza was filled with these new youth, but also plenty of Wielders who had been around for quite a while. The Foretellers always made sure to strongly recommend their new Union members to join up with a party, and many parties were quite eager to get the first look at the new arrivals. There were also plenty of free-agent wielders who had been around for a while and were looking for a new party to join, so it was quite a busy day indeed.
Balthazar had followed a trail of somewhat crudely-made signs that led him to a row of booths staffed with Wielders from each Union, hoping to make it easier for new arrivals to find a good party. He looked along the booths, noting that each one had a drawing of one of the Foreteller's iconic masks on the front. There were several for each, and he wasn't sure which to choose.
Seeing his confusion and hesitation, a young man wearing an oversized patchwork costume hat came over to him. He waved as he approached, and greeted him enthusiastically. "Hello there! Ready to find a party?"
Balthazar looked at the hat for a moment. It was large, round, and white, with small inwardly-pointed triangle eyes sewn in over a protruding red nose. The top of the head also had a large red ball bouncing around the end of a wire antenna; the whole thing was like nothing Balthazar had ever seen.
The costumed boy noticed Balthazar looking at his hat and grew a proud smile. "Like the Moogle hat, eh? They sell some down at one of the shops by the bay, but I made this one myself!"
"I've never heard of Moogle before. Is he a popular character around here?" Balthazar asked curiously.
"Character?" The boy burst out in a hearty giggle. "No, they're a race of creatures. Very small, VERY fluffy. They like to sell and buy things. You'll see them when you visit a shop."
Balthazar nodded. "I see. Well, I think I was told I need to find a party first."
"Well you've come to the right place for that! What Union are you in?" The boy asked, motioning towards the tables behind him.
"Er, I'm not sure actually, I guess I missed most of the orientation. Ava's the one who brought me here, so I guess I'm a part of whichever hers is?" Balthazar said.
"Ah yeah, you'd be in Vulpes then. What sort of party are you looking for?" The boy asked curiously.
Balthazar raised his hand to his chin. "I'm not sure at all, to be honest. What kinds of parties are there?"
"Well, we're all supposed to gather Lux for the Foretellers, but you'll find different groups of Wielders go about it in different ways and with quite different amounts of dedication. Some travel through the Projected Worlds and defeat swarms of powerful Heartless in there, some focus on running different types of errands and missions for the Foretellers, and some band together into powerful 'Raid Parties' to summon and destroy especially gigantic heartless we call Raid Bosses," the boy explained, evidently quite well-rehearsed.
Balthazar's eyes closed as he thought. "Hmmm… Well, I'm not a very powerful fighter… I've kind of actually been told I ought to avoid it at all costs. Is there a kind of party that's good for someone like me?"
"Avoid…?" The boy asked in surprise. "Uh, well, I mean, there are certainly more relaxed and uh… disinterested parties out there, but I don't think any of them are here trying to recruit today. Why would they recruit you to be a Wielder if you aren't supposed to fight anything? Are you sure you're not just trying to get out of being useful?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"I guess it does seem a bit unbelievable when you put it that way," Balthazar said with a sigh. "I'm uh… I've got sort of a health condition, you see. Master Ava and The Master saved me, but my world is gone, so I've been sent out here. There's nothing else for me to do now."
The boy nodded, his expression softening. "Ah yeah, that makes sense… Sorry to hear that, friend. Well, you can look around a bit here and see if any parties would be interested in having you. Most of the Vulpes parties are over in the Northeast corner, so it'd be a good place to start. You don't have to join a party, necessarily, but if you really can't do much fighting on your own it'd be best for you to find someone who can and stick to them. This town may be full of Wielders, but there's Heartless all over the place."
Balthazar nodded. "I'll go take a look. Thanks for your help."
"No problem! It's why I'm here today! Say, you know anybody else from your group that might be interested in joining a raiding party? There's a bunch of them who are chomping at the bit for new recruits."
"I don't, sorry. Like I said, I missed most of the orientation, so I'm sort of just alone here right now," Balthazar said.
"Ah well, I'm sure they'll make their way here eventually." The boy plastered a big grin on his face and waved goodbye. "Good luck, friend!"
Balthazar waved back kindly, and began making his way through the bustling crowd over towards the Northeastern corner of the plaza. Here he saw several more booths set up, with banners along their front. The corners of the banners all had drawings of Ava's mask, and the party's names were written in proud, gaudy fonts. "Dark Smashers", "Lux Thieves", "Kingdom Saviors", and many more were staffed with Wielders happily talking to each other.
As he considered these, he heard a familiar voice from another booth nearby.
Tomislava was talking with one of the party leaders, and she seemed quite excited. "Of COURSE I'd be a good asset to your raiding team. I've been practicing fighting long before I came here, you know!"
The Wielder in the booth seemed unimpressed. "Yeah, but like, was it with a Keyblade? It's a totally different sort of thing you know. You can't just get into one of Vulpes' premiere parties your first day in the union, you know. Not without proving you've got some serious chops, anyways."
Tomislava puffed her cheeks and blew out air in a huff. "Whatever dude, it's your loss. If you're that exclusive, you've got to have some sort of like initiation test or something right? Come on, let me try that. I'll blow your friggin' socks off."
The young man sighed. "Ugh, whatever. Come on, there's a target dummy back in the alley behind here. If you think you're so hot, show me what you can do — but if I'm not impressed, you better leave me alone alright?"
"The only way you'll be unimpressed is if you're dead, pal," Tomislava said confidently.
The two walked back into the alley, and a few others nearby followed them; Balthazar included. He was curious to see what Tomislava was going to do. The alley was a dead end, with a wooden dummy at the far end and a ramshackle wooden gate closer to the front. The boy from the booth opened the gate and pushed her through it. "Alright fancy pants, time to live up to your claims then."
Tomislava glared at him for the shove, then summoned out her special training Key that The Master had given her. It was a long, crooked, icey-looking thing. She nodded approvingly at it, then pulled out a small sack of medals that she'd been given at the orientation. Balthazar could hear her muttering to herself. "Alright, so I use these medals with this somehow…"
The boy began tapping his feet, and called out impatiently. "Hey, you going to do anything today? I want some serious recruits!"
Tomislava turned her head back towards him with a disgruntled sigh. "I'm just getting ready! Hold your horses!"
One of the bystanders shook his head. "I don't think she's ever even used a Keyblade before, look at how she's holding it."
"What's she doing with those medals, anyway?" a girl asked quietly. "Doesn't she know how to load her medal deck?"
Tomislava sighed and shook her head. "Alright, you ready?"
"We have been for a while now!" The boy called out in annoyance.
With a surprising deftness, Tomislava quickly leaped forward towards the target, swinging her Keyblade at it. Powerful magic burst forth from her Keyblade as she did, causing the target to bobble around violently as she struck it. She jumped back shortly, then with a backwards somersaulting leap launched herself into the air, firing off a barrage of magic missiles that burst into flames as they struck the target. The group of onlookers gasped as they watched, but remained otherwise quiet.
Balthazar, however, felt a chill of worry run through him. He'd never seen these Medals used before, but he could tell quite well that Tomislava had used her own magic and not anything from the Keyblade. A heavy, ominous feeling came over him as he watched her finish her demonstration.
The target at this point was nearly completely destroyed, and Tomislava came back over to the boy with a confident strut, setting the end of her key against the ground and leaning against it in a proud yet casual sort of pose. "Well, that good enough for you? It's only my first day with a Key, so I guess I could learn a bit more, huh?"
The boy looked past her at the smoldering remains of the target dummy. "Uh, wow," he said. "That was… pretty cool actually! What medals did you use to do that?" he asked eagerly.
"Pshaw, forget about the medals," Tomislava said dismissively. "Medals come and go, yeah? You're not recruiting them or you'd be at the shops. You want talent and here. I. Am!"
"Yeah, I guess so!" the boy said in awe. "I mean, we've got a lot of others who are about at your level, but if this is only your first day with a Keyblade I bet you'll go pretty far!" He held out his hand welcomingly. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Just call me Tomi!" she said, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously.
"Alright Tomi, I'm Seabus. Welcome to the Fox Patrol!" he said excitedly.
"Aw yeah!" Tomi said, pumping her fist excitedly. "What now?"
"Uh, well, come back to the recruiting booth with me for now. After we're done I'll take you back to our headquarters and introduce you to the rest of the group," Seabus explained.
As they walked past, Tomi caught sight of Balthazar and gave him a prideful wink. Her face was beaming with a bright smile as she went, but Balthazar just couldn't shake a terrible feeling as he wordlessly watched her go.
The other spectators slowly made their way back out into the plaza, and Balthazar turned back to take one last look at the broken target dummy and sighed. Right before he turned to leave, a motion caught his attention, and he looked up to see what it was.
In one of the windows overlooking the alley, a dark shadowy figure was turning to leave. Balthazar shuddered, remembering the dark figure he'd seen on the balcony. Darkness was watching, and in his heart he felt certain that it knew just as well as he did exactly what Tomislava had done.