Fire Emblem Hearts
Chapter 6
The march to Ragna Ferox
"So Robin, what exactly are you looking for?" Kazuki asked, as he followed the girl down the streets of Ylisstol. He hadn't explored the city yet, but he could tell it was a hub of activity. He could tell there was so much culture just from how the people were dressed and how they acted. He was reminded of Hyrule Castle Town for some reason, in fact he could compare Ylisstol to the aforementioned town, if only to have an example in his mind.
"I'm actually searching for some necessities. I require some extra maps of Ylisse, to make sure I can plan a safe route. The ones back at the barracks are a bit outdated. I'm also in search of magic tomes, just in case Miriel and I need them in battle."
"Wait...don't you already have a Thunder tome? Why do you need another one?" he asked curiously.
"I can answer that. You see, magic is a weird entity. It's very powerful, but it takes enchanted runes to keep it bound. Those runes are written on the pages of tomes. However once the spell is used, it becomes scorched. A Thunder tome like the one Robin has is good for about 40 uses." Lissa chimed, stepping between the two.
"I didn't know that, there's so much about magic that I'm still trying to understand." the kitsune said, pausing as he glanced at some wares. Robin stopped as well, noticing the shop owner was selling healing items.
"There is quite a lot that I could teach you, Kazuki. Of course, I myself require a bit more knowledge. It's all muscle memory for me." she said, turning to the shop owner. "Excuse me madam, how much for the Vulneraries and the Elixirs?"
"That will be 300 gold for the three vulneraries and 500 gold for the elixirs." she replied. Robin nodded, placing the collective 800 gold on the table. She took the six bottles, placing them in her pouch.
"You know something, why is it that you can cast tier two magic?" the princess asked, causing the boy to frown.
"Tier two? Oh you mean spells like Elthunder? I'm not sure...I'm just...able too." Kazuki said with a shrug.
"Hmm...it's odd. I can only cast the El family of spells with their respective tomes. Yet you can cast Elthunder and Elfire. Not to mention, you can cast Elwind as well as Elblizzard."
"Hmm...now that think about it...I remember casting a huge ass spell once. When I was fighting some heartless, I was able to cast a spell called Elblizzaza. It was a ice spike, I just flung it out of my keyblade." the kitsune added, rubbing his neck. Robin and Lissa shared a look, both uttering a laugh.
"Elblizzaza? That's like, a level under ArcBlizzard, which is tier 3 magic. You need to be a well seasoned sorcerer to even cast something like that. Even if you have the correct tome, if you try to even cast it, you'd probably freeze yourself solid." Lissa said, brushing him off. Kazuki's ears twitched, his lips pressed into a thin smile.
"I see...maybe I imagined it. It felt too real though, it kind of exploded out of my keyblade." he muttered, a pensive look on his face. Robin remained silent, as they entered a Magic Shop.
Kazuki looked around briefly, seeing nothing but book shelves. All of them were separated by color, or rather by element. Even though he couldn't read Ylissian, he could very easily read the runes written on the spines of the books. He stopped by a shelf of fire magic. The low tier Fire Tomes were on the bottom shelf while the top shelf was filled with powerful magic. He spotted an ArcFiraga tome, and shuddered at the thought of the fireball that would produce. He also spotted one that caught his attention, a bright blue tome. He reached for it, pulling it from the shelf.
"Fox Fire?" he thought, flipping to the first page. His eyes scanned the words, seeing nothing but random characters. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.
"If only I could read." he mumbled, frowning. His hand suddenly felt warm, as if something had caught fire. His eyes softly opened as he glanced back at the book. Nothing had happened to it, but the runes were glowing slightly. He noticed they had all been rearranged, into Japanese of all things, characters he could understand.
"This magical tome, written by the Celestial Kitsune, holds the binding flames of the Kyuubi. A Legendary Kitsune who achieved transcendence. This spell book, allows those with pure hearts to learn the sacred magic of the Celestial Fox. Those unworthy shall burn under its flames."
"Uh...Kazuki, what are you reading?" Lissa asked, having walked up to the kitsune, who had been focused on the tome in his hand. He turned around, holding the book out to the princess.
"This...it was lobbed in with those fire tomes. It's a book containing sacred magic."
"I'd be careful with that tome, if I were you kid." a firm voice said. The two glanced up at the shop-keep, who was currently holding a Mend Staff out to Robin who was carefully inspecting it.
"Do you know what it is sir?"
"Course I do milady. That happens to be quite a powerful magic tome. Not even the best sorcerers have been able to crack it. It's written in some language no one understands. I remember some woman left it here years ago, but it hasn't sold." the man said. Kazuki looked at the cover of the book, seeing a rather familiar symbol on it.
"No way...this looks." he paused, summoning his keyblade. He held it up to the light, seeing the face of a Fox in the sapphire gem. The outline of the fox was a bright golden color, with brilliant blue eyes. Lissa looked at the gem as well, noticing the similarities with the book.
"Wow...that's a lucky find! Maybe this is destiny Kazuki! Maybe this book was meant to be used by you!" she said.
"I...well if you say so. Excuse me sir, how much for this book?" the kitsune asked, moving toward the front counter. The man quirked a brow, a small smile on his face.
"You're not the first person to show interest in that thing. Even a powerful Sorcerer from Ragna Ferox had a crack at it. She spent the better part of 5 years trying to unlock its secrets. I gave it to her for free, so I'll do the same for you."
"For free? Are you certain? That seems like high level magic." Robin said, almost dropping the Mend Staff in her hand. The man chuckled, shaking his head.
"I expect him to bring that book back within the week. If he doesn't and he actually learns how to use that magic, I'll uh...give the Shepherds free supplies for a year. Consider it an act of good faith." he said. Kazuki glanced at the book, a confident grin on his face.
"Sir, you got yourself a deal! I promise I'll master this spell book, and when I come show you, you better keep your end of the bargain!" he said, holding his hand out. With a shake, their agreement was sealed.
"Oh brother. Come on Robin, lets take these staves back to the barracks, we need to make sure we're ready for this trip." Lissa said, gathering the Mend Staves Robin had just purchased.
"Hey, I know we gotta hurry back, but could we stop by a clothing shop? I need some extra sets of clothes." Kazuki said, earning a glare from the two girls.
"Okay fine, how about we compromise. You carry the staves and we'll take you to the store, sound fair?" the white haired tactician asked. The boy thought about it for a second, his ears flicking to and fro as he thought.
"Eh...sure why not? What kind of gentlemen would I be if I didn't help the ladies out?"
"Ugh...come on Virion, let's go get you some panties." the blonde cleric said, heading toward the doors. Kazuki's ears stood on end at her comment.
"Wha...hey!"
xxx
Kazuki had been looking forward to his study session with Maribelle. However, he had found out the blonde troubadour had headed back home to Themis. She had left him a lesson plan to follow, along with some things she expected written out. He wasn't expecting her to actually put time into it, and was very touched with her. He had thought Maribelle was a rather snooty noble, but as Lissa had once told him, she burned out quickly. He figured she'd rather make friends with him than to ignore him for awhile. They already had experience on the battlefield, perhaps she had put her faith and trust in him.
Due to that, he had decided to continue his studies on his own. Now that he was beginning to write the Ylissian alphabet, it became a lot easier to write out sentences. While his penmanship was still kind of sloppy, he was improving. He did find it utterly embarrassing that he was being taught grade school level material, but he couldn't exactly complain. It was due to his dutiful studies that he failed to notice the woman that had sat across from him, at least until he heard the sound of the chair scraping on the floor.
"Pardon me, I do not believe we have met yet." the woman said, causing him to look up.
The word wizard described this woman perfectly. She had fair colored skin and bright red hair that was evenly cut at the nape of her neck. She had a thin pair of glasses on her face and brilliant eyes. Her attire consisted of a long sleeved shirt, matching pants, brown boots and a burnoose. She also wore a large brimmed hat. He sat up a bit, giving her a smile.
"My apologies, we haven't met at all. My name is Kazuki Morita, new recruit for the Shepherds. It's a pleasure to meet you." he said, holding his hand out. The woman nodded, giving his hand a firm shake.
"Likewise, my name is Miriel. I am a mage in the service of her grace, Exalt Emmeryn. I'm also a member of the Shepherds. I apologize for not meeting you sooner. My studies often times keep me away from the others."
"It's fine. It uh...tends to happen, I'm actually studying Ylissian at the moment. But you clearly have something on your mind, so how may I help you?" he said eagerly. He placed a hand on his tail pinning it to his lap. He had noticed whenever he was happy, it started to wag and he found it quite embarrassing. Miriel pushed on her glasses slightly, lips pursed in thought.
"Commander Chrom seemed to mention something quite intriguing about you. These shadowy creatures, the so called "Heartless" have stirred me into doing some research. I have found a few things that I wished to confirm with you. You are the holder of a mythical weapon, the keyblade correct?" she asked.
"That is indeed correct. I don't know much about it, aside from it being a magical medium. I also know it can lock and unlock any door, lock and chest." Kazuki replied.
"I see, so you are informed on that front at least. However, did you know that it also has the power to unlock a persons heart?"
"I'm sorry?" he asked, his face contorted in confusion. Miriel set a book on the table, flipping to one of the middle pages. She turned it to him, tapping the image with her finger.
"This here. To my understanding, it seems the keyblade has that ability. At least that's what I deciphered, this book isn't in Ylissian. It happens to be in those characters you taught Lady Maribelle. Hoshidan if I recall," she said. Kazuki pulled the book toward him, his eyes widening a bit when he saw the characters.
"She's right...this is in Japanese. But it isn't written vertically down like normal books...this is written horizontally. Probably to add images to the book. Hmm...this keyblade..."
The keyblade on the page seemed rather familiar to him. The handle of the keyblade seemed to be slightly square shaped, the corners bearing what looked like screws. The guards were blue in color, the handle itself being black. The pommel of the blade was flat, with a chain attached to it. The token was in the shape of a star. The rainguard was golden in color, the shaft extending upward. The teeth of the blade were in the shape of a five pointed star. This keyblade looked more like a blunt weapon than an actual blade. He furrowed his brows a bit, a pensive look on his face.
"Is something the matter? You seem to be pondering something," Miriel said, causing the boy to look up at her.
"No...it's just, this keyblade looks very familiar to me. I'm not sure why I...I've never seen one before. I had assumed my keyblade was the only one in the world."
"I see...from what I've deciphered, it seems the keyblade is a weapon that exists in myth. Its past is shrouded in mystery, and yet various stories seem to make this weapon a focal point," she said, fixing her glasses. She took the book back, flipping through the pages, this time stopping on one showing tokens. "These 'tokens' if you will, change the form of the keyblade. Some are magic based, others are more balanced, while others are defensive and offensive respectively. Tokens seem to be made from odd materials and magic. I wish to understand this process myself."
"Well I've never seen any of these tokens. I didn't even know the keyblade could change forms. I thought they were supposed to match the wielder's heart." Kazuki said, his eyes falling on the pages. He eyed the rose token in the center of the page, finding it familiar as well.
"Going back to the previous topic. The keyblade seems to be a base manifestation of another weapon. However, the last pages of this book seemed to be ripped out. I did see something that looked like the Recusant Sigil. Kye or Chi as it is often times pronounced. I surmise that those pages are lost to the annals of time. Which is why I require your assistance."
"You want my help? For what exactly?" he asked.
"Straight to the point I see...what I want of you is rather simple. I wish to see what happens to a human who is stabbed with a keyblade. If this weapon does indeed possess the ability to unlock a human heart, then I wish to study it." Miriel said, causing the boy to frown. He was about to reply, when he heard a voice in his head.
"What I'm about to teach you is to be taken very seriously. You are my apprentice and I feel like you should know this. As I prepare you for the Mark of Mastery, all skills need to be tested. This is one that you will not be tested on, but are required to know."
"Um...why are you getting so serious?" the male voice asked.
"Please, don't speak until I'm done. The keyblade is a weapon capable of releasing hearts kept captive by the Heartless. They are then sent to Kingdom Hearts, where they await a new host or for their previous one to be reformed. The keyblade can also release the heart of a person. You must never, ever do this." the female voice replied sternly.
"Huh...why not A..."
"I mean it Kazuki! Never! You aren't even allowed to ask me why. Keyblade Masters have this skill, and it is used only during times of need. When the heart of a person must be purged, to release the darkness threatening to overtake them. If you use this power on a person, their heart could be destroyed, and worse yet, they'll be lost to the darkness forever. Promise me you'll never do this, ever! Even as a last resort."
"But A..."
"Promise me Kazuki!" the girl exclaimed firmly.
"Alright, I promise. Sheesh, no need to get so aggro honey, I'm not gonna be stabbing randies with my keyblade. Just make sure Akira and Sabishii don't do the same. Knowing those two, they'll stab each other before they stab someone else."
"Kazuki...Kazuki!"
"Huh...what?" the boy said, blinking a bit. Miriel looked at him, worry written on her face.
"The color drained from your face, and it seemed as if you were quite lost in thought. What ails you? Are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine...just a memory. I must apologize Miriel, but I'm not going to help you. Someone once told me to follow my heart, and allow it to be my guiding key. I don't think using my Keyblade to release the hearts of people is a good idea. I kind of promised someone I wouldn't." he said, sheepishly rubbing his neck. The woman didn't same phased, placing a hand on her glasses.
"I see...I figured that would be the case. Regardless it is alright, I shall find another means to research this information, one that doesn't involve harming others. It was a pleasure getting to know you, Kazuki. Is it alright if I ask you questions about the keyblade from time to time?"
"I...well sure, but I don't know much. I'm just winging it, if I'm being honest. I don't have a frame of reference for anything." Kazuki replied with a frown.
"Hmm...then perhaps you should keep this book. It contains a lot of valuable information. Perhaps you can gleam something from it." she said, pushing the book forward. He gave her a smile.
"Thanks Miriel...say you are a mage right? How about we compromise. Whatever I learn about the keyblade, I'll tell you. I'll jot down some notes, provided I learn how to write, and give them to you. In return, you can teach me about magic, how does that sound?"
"Intriguing, knowledge for knowledge...I don't see why not. My magical studies could be of benefit to someone. Especially someone with such magical strength as you are. You are overflowing with mana...yes, I believe we will learn a lot from each other," she said, giving the boy a rare smile. He nodded, holding his hand out again.
"Well then, I'm glad to have you as my magic teacher then."
"Quite, I look forward to teaching you." she replied.
xxx
"Ugh...I'm so bored." Lissa mumbled from beside Kazuki, looking very annoyed. The two of them were currently in the Command wagon, the wagon that was currently at the front of the march.
Despite not having many soldiers, the Ylissian army was quite well adept. There were a few foot soldiers, serving as a detainment of sorts. Sully and Stahl were the only cavaliers, so they were tasked with watching the front and back of their parade. Only three wagons were being pulled by horse, the Command Wagon, the Medical Wagon and finally, the Supply Wagon. Currently, Kazuki was there, waiting for Chrom to arrive.
"I know it's boring Lissa, but what do you expect. Not a lot to do aside from walkin." the kitsune replied, his eyes scanning the words before him. He had finished his early lesson for the day, deciding to leave the last of Maribelle's lesson plan for the afternoon. Currently, he was reading Fox Fire, hoping to decipher some of the spells written within.
"Well of course I know that! It's just...I wish Maribelle was here. We'd be gossiping up a storm, or at least playing cards. Sumia isn't very good at card games, and Virion is well...Virion." she said, scrounging her nose at the mention of the Archer.
"Yeah, that guy is too prim sometimes. I tried talking to him earlier and he was way too suave. Wish he'd take the hint with Sumi though. She's clearly not into him but the guy keeps trying. It's kind of sad really." he said, biting back a laugh.
"You know, talking badly about our comrades is ill advised. Especially if someone were to let him know. I doubt he'd be inclined to bail you out if he heard you." Robin said, looking up from her charts. She had been quiet the entire time, jotting down their current path.
"That's the beauty of it, he isn't going to hear jack. He's...oh hang on a second." the boy paused, closing his eyes.
"So my sweet, do you know the true meaning of the crimson rose?" the voice of Virion said.
"Not really, flowers are pretty though...I don't exactly know the meaning of them. Oh, do you think if I find some periwinkles, I could make the Captain a flower bracelet? Do you think he'd like it?"
"Um...I..."
"I need to find some! Sorry Virion, we'll chat later."
"Pfft...poor bastard. He's barking up the wrong tree, Sumi is quite the airhead when she wants to be."
"You heard their conversation? May I have some details?" Lissa asked. Kazuki took a hold of her nose, giving her a grin.
"Mmm...nope."
"I can't breathe! Let go!"
"Kazuki, might I speak with you for a moment?" Robin asked, causing the boy to stop. Releasing Lissa's nose, the Kitsune made his way to the crate Robin was using as a table. He sat down before it, looking at the map.
"So, is something wrong?"
"No, our scouts reported seeing various portals in the vicinity. It seems we may run into some Risen. Oddly enough, there is a lack of Heartless in the area. You mentioned a dark orb being responsible for attracting them correct?"
"That's right. That hooded guy seems to be connected to it. However the Heartless seem to be erratic. They appear whenever there are strong hearts nearby. I surmise we'll only see them near villages, cities and towns. Where there are gatherings of light." he replied, eyeing the map curiously. He saw the crimson line cutting through the land, ending at the Feroxi Border. There were four others, two in blue and one in green, alternate routes it seemed.
"Of course...the Risen are also heartless. Powerful heartless, a Risen commander was in charge of a large group of them. Once I defeated it, they seemed to disappear. I believe they work like an army. The Risen are their commanders, the heartless are the foot-soldiers. Take out one and the other loses momentum." he said, knocking over the Risen statuette Robin had placed on the map. He noticed a few others shaped like Shadows, carved neatly out of wood.
"I see...I'll make sure to add that to my strategies. I wasn't aware they were this uniform, I was lead to believe they acted erratically."
"They do behave differently here. Back when I was in the Dark Realm, they seemed to attack by instinct. But here, it's as if their being commanded. Could it be the Heartless see the Risen as their commanders? Are they listening to their orders?" Kazuki mumbled, eyes narrowed in thought. Robin quirked a brow in curiosity, but decided to remain silent.
"Robin, Kazuki, glad to have caught the two of ya. It seems we're making good time. We should be near the northern border by weeks end. Our scouts have reported clear skies and empty paths, so we might make it there without a single battle." Chrom said happily, as he entered the tent.
"At this rate, I'd welcome a battle. I'm so bored!" Lissa cried, falling unceremoniously to the ground.
"I brought a coloring book with me, you can play with that if you want," Kazuki said jokingly, gesturing to his backpack. The girl grumbled, reaching for his pack.
"Anyway, if we continue down the main path, I fear we may be too open. Of course we are traveling through Ylisse, I doubt we'd be surprise attacked. That will change once we reach the Feroxi border. You may trust them, but I feel like we should at least be prepared. We also need to factor in any potential heartless and risen attacks." the tactician said, pointing to various points of interest on the map. Chrom looked it over, humming to himself.
"You think we may be attacked near the rolling hills?" he asked.
"Theoretically speaking, it is the most open. The Risen haven't shown much in the intelligence department. However get plenty of them together and we'll have an issue. Especially if they appear with a group of heartless." Robin said, uttering a sigh. She brushed some hair out of her face.
"Robin, you should take a break. You've been at this since breakfast, you'll get rings under your eyes if you stare at this map for too long." Kazuki said, slight concern in his voice.
"I'll be fine, I'll take a break once I plan out some more escape routes." she said, brushing him off with her hand. He was about to say something when a loud burp disturbed them. The three turned to Lissa, who was contently drinking one of Kazuki's sodas. His eyes widened, a small panicked cry leaving his lips.
"Gah! Lissa what are you doing?!"
"What? I just wanted a drink. I didn't know your pack was magic, this is ice cold!" she said, finishing off the bottle. The boy sighed, lip quivering.
"Dr. Pepper Cherry...my only Dr. Pepper Cherry...and it's been consumed," he said softly, bowing his head.
"Is this one of those drinks from your homeland? Might I try one?" Chrom asked.
"Yeah sure, as long as we find some duplication magic. I bought 15 of those before I left home. And so far, Lissa has drank more of them than I have," he deadpanned.
"Don't be a baby, just tell Miriel to teach you some duplication magic then. That way," she paused, pulling out a bag of honey barbecue chips. She looked at them oddly before opening them, pulling some from within. "You can share all of these snacks...with the rest of us."
"Hey Chrom, if I were to uh...kill a princess, how much time in prison would I get?" the kitsune asked, turning to face the blue haired prince.
"You'd go to the gallows." he said simply.
"Ah...well damn."
"Are those...the chips you mentioned?" Robin asked curiously.
"I dunno, they taste really good!"
"And what are these chips exactly?"
"Thinly sliced deep fried potatoes, usually salted. They come in various flavors, I particularly enjoy honey barbecue." Kazuki said, replying Chrom's question. The man was about to ask another question when the wagon jerked to a stop.
"Milord! Heartless are attacking!" Frederick cried from outside. Kazuki sprung forward, before either Chrom or Robin could gather their bearings.
The few soldiers were scrambling, trying to figure out an attack plan. Robin was still issuing out orders when Kazuki moved forward. Before him was a group of familiar foes. Reindeer Heartless, which he had been calling Darkdeers. They were the same size as regular Reindeer, with dark violet fur rather than brown. They had blue hooves and sharp looking antlers. He spotted the Heartless sigil on their flanks.
Among them were new ones, ingrown plants that were bobbing too and fro. It had a violet body, with pink petals around its face, yellow beady eyes bore into his own. The familiar crest visible on its chest. The final heartless types he could see were seed like heartless, with puffy cotton atop their heads. They were floating in mid air, launching cotton balls at the soldiers, as a means to stun them. The fluff seemed to make them start sneezing, stopping them from advancing.
"Darkdeers, Dire Plants and Seedlings, just what I needed."
"Everyone stay calm, stay away from those Seedlings! Their pollen seem to cause allergies. Watch out for the Darkdeers too, they like to tackle people. If I could get some magic to back me up, I'd appreciate it!" the kitsune said, summoning his keyblade. He dashed forward, pulling his keyblade back.
He delivered an upward swing at one of the seedlings, sending it flying back. He followed it with a downward swing, and then a horizontal one, taking it out of existence. He stepped back in time to avoid being knocked down by a Darkdeer. He angled his keyblade in time to guard against the returning tackle, instead knocking the creature back. This gave Chrom the opening he needed, slicing its head off with his Falchion.
"Thanks for the assist Chief!"
"Happy to help, glad to see you can handle yourself for a few minutes." he added, blocking the seed barrage from one of the Dire Plants. Kazuki rose his keyblade above his head, blue sparks dancing across the blade.
"Sparkstrike!" he chanted, delivering the fierce lightning infused attack. The Dire Plant hissed in pain, bursting into mist and releasing its captive heart.
"Learn a new trick?" Robin suddenly said, finishing off a few Seedlings with a single Wind attack.
"Muscle memory does wonders." Kazuki replied with a grin.
"Well, I just came up with a new strategy. With you as our medium, if we combine our magical energy, we might unleash a powerful attack. One known as a Limit Break. Perhaps we could give it a try?"
"Sure, anything to clear the path before more of them show up." Chrom said, finishing off the last Darkdeer. Not a second after he had said that, several more appeared in their place, along with more Dire Plants. They chuckled darkly as they started firing their bullet seeds at the trio.
"Uh Robin, that limit break?" Kazuki cried through grit teeth, trying and failing to guard against the attacks. He noticed the Darkdeer were preparing for a simultaneous charge. Robin opened one of her tomes, pressing her hand in the center of the page. She uttered something quietly, pulling a swirling orb from within.
"Let's show them our strength!" she chanted, throwing the magic ball into the fray. It exploded into a shower of lightning bolts, sending the Heartless flying into the air. Kazuki and Chrom took this as their cue, running straight at the group.
"We'll do this together!"
"Right!"
Kazuki and Chrom started slashing the heartless, which were seemingly floating due to the lightning. They focused on each strike, delivering heavy slash after heavy slash. With each strike they landed, their bodies glowed brighter and brighter, gathering with light. Chrom gave Kazuki a nod, the two of them jumping back.
"Robin!"
"I got this! Elwind!" the tactician shouted, unleashing a swirling gale at the Heartless. With a snap of her fingers, the blades broke apart, slicing the remaining heartless to bits. Several hearts burst from the remains sailing high into the sky until they disappeared. The three stood by for a moment, waiting for more of them to show up. One last portal opened up, a Risen Heartless showing up. It wasted no time, racing at the three.
"Well this one seems confident, I'll let you do the honors." Chrom said, handing Falchion to Kazuki. He gladly accepted it, racing forward as fast as he could.
He jumped into the air, spinning around, with a battle cry, the two flashed blades. The strike was enough to shatter the Risen's sword into pieces. With one final resounding cry, Kazuki rapidly swung his blades, each slash tearing into the Risen's body. He pulled his keyblade back, driving it straight through the Risen's chest. Spinning around on his heel, he swung Falchion hard, severing its head, ending its life. The heart it had captive sailed away, joining the others up in the sky.
"That was awesome!" Lissa cried, causing Kazuki to sigh. He shook his head as he turned to face the others. He held Falchion out to Chrom, who gratefully took it back.
"So...what do we call that?" the blue haired prince asked, glancing at Robin. She shrugged.
"Pride of the Exalt?"
"Oh, I like that!" the kitsune said, giving the tactician a grin.
"Is anyone hurt?" Chrom called out, turning to face his army. Lissa was already taking care of some minor injuries, with Frederick checking over their soldiers.
"Every one seems to be accounted for, we suffered no casualties. I must admit, that was a rather flashy move." the Great Knight said, glancing at Robin. She gave the man a firm look.
"I briefly recalled something I learned. Those that have strong bonds can combine their strength into a Limit Break. It will consume quite a bit of magic, but it goes garner some interesting results." she said, glancing at the area the small horde of heartless had shown up in.
"Rather convenient that you recalled this now,"
"Ah, don't cramp her style man. It was a sound strategy, and now we can move ahead with our march!" Kazuki said happily, tail wagging slightly.
"I am not cramping anyones style 'man'. I merely wish to protect the lives of my lieges. Which is why I am so wary of you two. However you are correct, let us march on. The Plegians will wait for no one." he said, once again taking the lead. Kazuki sighed, a frown on his face.
"At least we were able to take care of those Heartless. I can't help but feel like they spawned here because of me, though." he thought, glancing at Divewing, a frown on his face.
xxx
"Allow me to confirm what Robin has stated. You wish for me to teach you magic, yet she claims you already know tier two spells. You can also preform Elfire, Elthunder, Elblizzard and Elwind without the aid of a tome. Those are the basic magics, why do you require assistance?" Miriel asked, causing the boy to sigh.
"I just want more practice. I didn't learn Elfire until my mission in Alryne. I just felt this burning sensation within me, the name just appeared in my mind. I still don't know why it is I can cast magic without tomes. I wish to understand magic better, and perhaps learn duplication magic?" the kitsune said, a sheepish look on his face. Miriel said nothing, snapping her tome closed.
"I see...well you are an interesting case. As I stated before, you seem to have quite a lot of magical reserves within you. Much more than a starting mage. I daresay you have more reserves than even myself, at least when I was starting. Show me what you can do," she said. Kazuki turned to Robin, who merely shrugged, gesturing for him to go on. While she was busy planning the rest of their march, she did admit to being rusty with her own magic. Kazuki was glad he at least had the white haired tactician with him. Miriel was kind, but she was also hard to approach.
The march to the Feroxi border was so far going smoothly. Hardly any Risen had struck, and neither had any heartless. They were currently breaking for lunch, to allow everyone to take a break before marching on.
Kazuki took a few steps back, summoning his keyblade in a flash of light. He gave it a few swings, warming up a bit before taking it firmly in his hands. He held it straight up, the light around the tip seem to darken slightly. Sparks begun crackling, bright golden runes swirling around the blade.
"Elthunder!" he cried, launching the orb high into the air. He spun the blade around, taking aim at a nearby tree. This time it swirled with ice.
"Elblizzard!"
A shattering sound filled the air as the tree was frozen. Kazuki followed it with an Elfire spell, the medium sized ball of fire magic struck the frozen trunk, thawing the ice out entirely. He spun the blade around in his hand, a swirling gale enveloping the blade. He pulled it back, before swinging it outward.
"Elwind!"
The blade of wind magic moved forward, sawing the tree completely in half. The blade burst into smaller ones, shredding the trunk before it even hit the ground. Some nearby soldiers were looking on, impressed with the young Kitsune's magical ability. He panted a bit, feeling his magical reserves dip a bit.
"So, how was that?" he asked, glancing back at the mage. She remained silent, hand on her glasses. After a moment, she straightened up, giving the young man a firm look.
"That was terribly slow. My apologies, but despite the raw power your spells seem to have, you are lacking in the speed department. A mage that can't cast a spell faster than their opponent will suffer pain worse than death."
"O-oh?" he mumbled, not knowing how to reply.
"Thankfully we can remedy this. Your spells seem to behave differently, despite them having the same names as our own. First, allow me to point out the differences your spells seem to have."
"Differences?" Robin asked, brows furrowing a bit.
"Indeed, notice how his Elwind spell is far different than the one we cast. A normal Elwind will take the shape of three blades of wind, that will tear apart those that are hit with it. Those that survive the spell, or are able to slice it apart, will not be as affected." she paused, glancing back at Kazuki. "Yours however seems to coat your keyblade, in a swirling gale. You can use this spell to strengthen your strikes. Essentially, using a magic spell for a different kind of offense and defense."
"Hmm...I get it...rather than flinging the blade out, I can use it as a Windstrike, the effect of the spell is still the same. But the results will be a lot more devastating. Not only will the power of the keyblade be factored in, but so will the elemental damage of Elwind," he replied, having placed a finger on his chin in thought.
"Precisely, let us move onto Elthunder. It can work the same way as your Elwind. In fact, during that previous heartless battle, you used what sounded like a striking attack. Sparkstrike was it?"
"That's right Miriel. His keyblade was crackling with lightning magic." Robin added, earning a nod from the mage.
"Yes...using that maneuver to deliver a powerful shock to your opponent will be key. By paralyzing them, you'll be able to finish them in battle a lot faster. Elfire and Elblizzard can remain as is, projectile magics meant to clear the row when you can't get close to your enemy."
"Nice! I can use Elblizzard to freeze them in place, and then go in for a Sparkstrike! Or maybe slash and gash them with Windstrike and then finish them with an Elfire! Thanks Miriel, if I hadn't spoken with you, I wouldn't have thought of using my magic differently!" he exclaimed, a grin on his face.
"I merely kept to our accord. You taught me something new about the keyblade, after all."
"Wait...I did?" he asked, head tilted in confusion.
"Indeed, the keyblade can be used as a medium for magic. However, it seems spells behave differently when channeled through it. It allows you to use magic without the aid of a tome. Furthermore, its innate power allows you to borrow the strength of your friends in order to create devastating attacks."
"The limit break...its odd you know...that tactic surfaced in my mind but...in order for me to know something like that, I'd have to have known a keyblade wielder in the past." Robin said.
"Who knows? Perhaps you did meet a wondering keyblade holder in your past. Whatever the case, it seems we all have much to learn. You requested I teach you duplication magic correct? Something as simple as that is something I can do. Come, it should only take you an hour or so to learn it," the woman said, gesturing towards the Supply Wagon. He nodded, giving a wave to Robin as he left.
"Hmm...keyblade wielder huh? Did I know someone like that in the past? Could I have...maybe owned one? Why does that weapon feel so familiar to me?" she mumbled, glancing at her hand.
xxx
A soft groan left her lips as she stirred awake. She slowly sat up, her arms being slightly numb. She shook her head a bit getting some of the sand out of her hair. Her mint green eyes tried to focus on the ocean waves, the soft lapping of the water filling her ears. She placed a hand on her head, gritting her teeth slightly in pain.
"Where...am I?" she mumbled softly. She slowly stood up, a dizzy spell making her stumble.
She was a short young woman, standing just above five feet even. She was wearing a school uniform, nothing too fancy. Just a white blouse, under a blue blazer. She was wearing a matching pleated skirt, long white stockings and black shoes. She had a very pretty face, small almond shaped eyes glowing a fierce green color. She had fair colored skin, tinged slightly red with make up. Her lengthy black hair fell down to her waist. It was a stark raven color, fading into a platinum blonde.
Sabishii Shiina was confused, very confused. The last thing she remembered was being in school. She recalled speaking to her best friend Kazuki. They both spoke about a dream, a weird dream she had the night before. She barely remembered it, but one thing was vibrantly clear. The shadows she had fought had been very real. She glanced around the area, seeing nothing but darkness. The disc of the moon could be visible, peeking through the thick cloud cover. She slowly walked forward, stopping just before of the waves.
"This place...it feels familiar. Why does it feel that way? Why am I so tired?" she asked. She tried and tried to think, but everything was drawing a blank. All she remembered was the finer details of her life. But one new emotion surged with a few of those memories.
Doubt.
She didn't know why...but for some reason she felt like those memories weren't even real. Like the life she had been living up until that point, wasn't real. She knew that Kazuki was real, she knew that her other friend was real, despite him disappearing from their lives. She could feel it in her heart, but everything else. It felt like a hologram...like a very very long dream. She shook her arms a bit, trying to limber up. She needed to find a way out of this place, or at least find a city or a town she could get some help at.
As she turned around however, she noticed the small inky blots moving on the sand. Several of them had appeared around her, surrounding her entirely. Her back was to the ocean, no way to go but forward. Her eyes widened when she saw the things that had risen out of the pools.
Tall, shadowy creatures with long antennae, and sharp looking claws. They had glowing blue veins on their bodies, beady yellow eyes focusing on her small form. She took a shaky breath, not knowing what to do.
"Okay Sabishii...I know you like horror stories, but you gotta know something. How do you fight these things?" she said, asking no one in particular. One of the Neo Shadows lunged forward, causing her to cross her arms. She let out a scream of fear, slamming her eyes shut.
The creature suddenly hissed as it flew back, a visible gash having appeared on its chest. Sabishii opened her eyes, noticing the weapon in her right hand.
It was a medium sized weapon, a sword of sorts. The guard of the blade was angled, looking almost like the half of a heart. It was brown with small green vines wrapping around it. The rainguard was a soft bronze color, two bright green leaves were growing from it. The blade itself was cylindrical in shape, being more of a blunt weapon than a blade. It shined a soft violet. She noticed bright green vines growing from it, with a few barbs as well. A rose bloom seemed to be growing from the weapon, shining a brilliant red. The handle was small, from the pommel hung a chain, wrapped around with small sharp thorns. At the end of it was a token, in the likeness of a blooming rose. Sabishii cringed a bit, feeling a twinge of pain in her head.
"Divine...Rose?" she said softly. The blade gave off a bit of a glow, as if confirming her question. She nodded to herself, lowering the blade as she got into a stance.
"I've seen plenty of anime in my day, hell I've watched Samurai Champloo enough to know how to sword fight. You wanna mess with an Otaku then be my fuckin guest!" she cried out in a taunt. The Heartless said nothing, instead lunging at the young woman, who adopted a small smile.
A/N: Hey guys, I hoped you liked this chapter! A few of you were wondering when Sabishii was going to come back into the story and well here she is. A young woman who wields a Divine Rose Keyblade, one of my favorites from Kingdom Hearts Unchained, as well as Kingdom Hearts 1. My god was the Divine Rose broken in the original. It was stronger than the Oblivion, and was my go too keyblade. It's kind of a shame that in Kingdom Hearts 3, there weren't any Divine Rose Keyblades among the ones Sora used. I guess they were so broken that they didn't want Sora to OHKO the Demon Tide too quick, lol.
Kazuki got to meet Miriel this chapter, the Shepherds resident mage. Not only that, she has given him a book that contains information on the Keyblade. What other secrets will it hold? I wonder. Oh and there's the Fox Fire tome, which is nice. It was gonna nbe Micaiah's Flame but I changed my mind. Felt he needed a bit of Fox Fire in this story lol. It might even replace Elfire as his Fire Spell. Along with this, he uses another skill called Sparkstrike, a lightning infused Slashing skill.
Speaking of skills, I will make sure to amass the ones he learns throughout the story. He knows a lot of skills, t's just he doesn't remember them. It may seem like an asspull for him to "Suddenly use" one of these skills, but meh..it's fine. Oh right, we also have our first Limit Break for this story. I'll be sure to include those too. Anyway, I don't have much else to say, other than I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you all have a wonderful night, stay frosty! See ya next time!
Kazuki's Skills:
[Attack Skills]:
Sparkstrike: 1 hit lightning infused strike.
Strike Raid: 4 hit throwing combo [Judgment]: Strike Raid finishing move. Kazuki repeatedly strikes the target, finishing off the combo with diagonal slash.
{Magic Skills}
Elfire
Elthunder
Elblizzard
Elwind
Elruin (Light Magic)
(Other Skills):
Slapshot
Guard/Parry
Aerial Recovery
Zantetsuken
Counterguard
Guard Break
{Buffs/Debuffs} N/A for now
[Summon Charms]:
Ringblade Orb: Summons a Powerful Ally to the field. Must be mounted to the keyblade for it to work. Contract is necessary for the Ally to be summoned. (I wanna see if anyone can guess who this is)
[Limit Breaks]:
Pride of the Exalt (Kazuki/Robin/Chrom) Robin begins the attack with a lightning spell. Chrom and Kazuki take turns slashing at the enemy. Robin follows with an Elwind attack. Kazuki ends the combo by taking Falchion, and unleashing a dual combo. He stabs his keyblade through the enemy and slices their head off with Falchion in quick succession.