Camelot

England Proper


To say Arthur was excited, it was an understatement. The moment the pair of boys returned to the castle, they were thrown into the back of the wagon along with a few barrels of drinking water and honey mead, a few crates of game furs for sale, and the house of Ector hauled off towards the city with the intention of coming home with England under their thumb.

And the boy was grinning ear to ear, giggling to himself as though he were the luckiest man alive the entire ride. Kuro found the joy to be contagious, having spent the majority of the night in the back of the wagon smiling alongside him. The jostling of the vehicle rocking them in their spots for the miles and miles on the road that they needed to traverse to prepare for the tourney in the morning.

The bustling city had their taverns full of knights and lords from all over the country, all competing for a chance to win the prize and be crowned the king of England. Arthur's stepfather Ector had ordered a room for Arthur and his guest, a measure of goodwill from the lord as a gift for the promotion the boy had received hours ago. That and Kay refused to share a room with his squire.

'Improper of a knight' Kuro recalled him shouting out as he marched to his bedroom.

Arthur was delighted regardless, having dragged his rucksack into the inn's room with a purpose and began to carefully set aside the contents of his luggage to have no mistakes come the day tomorrow. His large overcoat and scarf for the cold morning and his tunic and leggings folded and primed to be grabbed.

Kay was already three sheets to the wind by the time the carriage arrived at their destination, and continued to drink well into the night from what Arthur and Kuro heard from their bedroom. From the poorly coordinated drinking songs to the sounds of rambunctious ramblings of the few that could remember how to speak in broken l sentences.

Kuro had found refuge in Arthur's company in the sounds of the uproarious bar crowd, the pair playing a few short hands of rummy in their rented tavern room, the only card game Arthur knew how to play off the top of his head and Kuro found he was thoroughly trumped by the newly named Squire in every round. This was followed by a few rounds of arm wrestling, which Kuro had the size and strength advantage on and won effortlessly. The pair didn't drink that night, Arthur didn't care for the taste and Kuro didn't want to accidentally feel the inclination to act upon his desire to start stabbing Kay in the face with a fork again the night before Arthur could properly squire for the dolt.

Eventually, Arthur decided it was time to rest, blew out the candle and began to retire. Kuro joined him, laying in the twin sized bed opposite of the younger boy. Dusk resting at the end of the bed and curled up onto a comfortable position at the foot.

The light that poured out of the bottom of the bedroom door wasn't too distracting, but the passing shadows didn't help ease them into a stirless slumber.

"Kuro." Arthur's voice broke the silence between them, Kuro's eyes glancing over to the boy with a raised eyebrow and a lift of the chin. "Are you excited for tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Kuro grumbled as he tucked his face into his elbow to block out the light, muffling his voice slightly as he continued to speak. "Not as much as you, I imagine."

"I just can't believe I'm here, it's a dream come true." Arthur spoke gently, his voice cracking from the weight of his joy resting in his chest. He snickered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "Kuro, you said your dream was to practice magic. And now you did. So, what's your dream now?"

"Good question, I think probably my dream now is to go to sleep." Kuro mumbled with a smirk, before shaking his head further into his elbow and letting out a sigh. "Honestly though, my dream now is to do something with this power I got."

"Like what?" Arthur asked, rolling over on his side to face Kuro. Propping up onto his elbow and staring at his silver haired friend. "You want to be a wizard like Merlin?"

"No, I-" Kuro began to speak, clenching his jaw as he turned to Arthur and peeked over his elbow with a single eye. Seeing the blonde haired boy staring at him with an undivided focus. Kuro moved his elbow out of the way, both his eyes meeting Arthur's stare with a softening gaze. Kuro glanced away for a moment, before taking in a sharp breath and exhaling. If anyone had earned an honest answer from him, it would be Arthur. "I… you know how Merlin said I was different?"

"Sure. That's why your magic doesn't work on me." Arthur stated, nodding with his words and patting his mouth to stifle his yawn. Arthur scratched under his chin with the same hand, squinting his eyes shut. "I don't know why-"

"Because I'm not of this world, Arthur." Kuro said plainly, waiting for a reaction from the boy. Arthur's head cocked to the side, his face contorted in confusion as he stared at Kuro. Kuro shook his head, huffing a short sigh. "I came here from a different world to learn magic from Merlin because I wanted to assist these people who need someone like me and I couldn't help them without learning a specific kind of magic. And now that I know that kind of magic I need, I'll be leaving soon to go back to help them."

Arthur's eyes squinted in thought, before he soon returned his back to the mattress and stared up into the ceiling. His face reflected a look of realization and disappointment, his eyes glossed over as his hands intertwined with one another and rested along his chest.

"So, you'll be leaving soon?" Arthur asked, his eyes closing gently as he controlled his emotions and measured his breath. Kuro let out a short huff, hearing that he was from another world and Arthur was preoccupied with how that meant he would have to leave eventually. "Like Merlin?"

"Maybe not as dramatically but yes. I'll leave after the tournament is finished, yeah." Kuro clarified, offering a smile that Arthur couldn't see right now. Hidden in his arm. "I couldn't miss out on you finally becoming a squire."

Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head and drawing the blanket over himself. Arthur's lips pulled into a smile as he found his body finally resting.

"What kind of world are you from?" Arthur asked, making Kuro let out a sigh of relief as he recounted the world he came from. Traverse Town. "A world like this or different?"

"It's a lot like this town. Less people, a lot less people." Kuro said with a yawn, his eyes shutting and his voice dropping to a low rumble. His baritone voice easing out of him with every word. "I spent a lot of time alone there. A lot of time alone in the dark. But it's not all bad. There is this view of the stars that is just breathtaking. The world is constantly under the cover of night, so I saw them all day long."

"That sounds nice. I always thought the stars were pretty." Arthur said softly, yawning as well before rolling onto his side and nuzzling into his mattress. "Did you have any friends there? In your world?"

"Just Dusk." Kuro stated, rolling onto his stomach and tucking his arms under his head. His eyes closed and his body slowly relaxed. The feeling of pins and needles rolling across his back as a breeze would blow across his cheek. "I don't have a lot of friends, if I'm being honest."

"Just me and Dusk?" Arthur mumbled, his hands absentmindedly tucking his head under his pillow finally settling into a comfortable position. Kuro thought of Xion, shaking his head as he rolled into sleep.

"Yeah…" Kuro lied, his heart slowing its beating and his breathing following suit. Slumber finally claimed him. "Just you two."


White walls and long hallways flashed before his eyes in a series of quick bursts of light, the ethereal glow of the room was blinding and nauseating. Kuro backed up, his hands swinging out and trying to drag himself away. That's when he realized that he found himself sitting crossed legged on the floor of his room. The flat eggshell walls around him were disorientating, he never had seen anything so unsettling. The sides of the walls were constantly climbing up to a ceiling that he couldn't see the top of. He then heard the sound of pencil hitting parchment, the shading and the sketching catching his attention immediately. His eyes turned to the source and he saw the artist in question.

She wore a white lace dress and sandals. Her blonde hair was straight and long, resting along her pale lithe shoulders. Her cheeks held a warm glow, and her eyes a cool blue color just like Xion's eyes do. Kuro rose unsteadily to his feet and slowly approached her, as she diligently drew away on her pad. Not noticing him in the room.

"What are you drawing?" Kuro asked, seeing her stop mid stroke and divert her gaze off to the side. She seemed to be trying to follow the sound of his voice, as if she was searching for him in the room. Unable to see him. He cleared his throat to get her attention, her eyes finally shooting to his direction and was taken aback by seeing him. She threw herself back in her seat. She raised a hand to rest along her red lips, as if surprised to see him. She cocked her head to the side, glancing over him with a soft smile emerging the longer she looked.

"It's you. You're taller than I thought you'd be." She whispered in a very familiar voice as if she were telling him a secret. Kuro's heart sunk into his stomach, recalling where he heard her voice before. It was her. The first thing he heard when he woke up what felt like a time ago.

"You're the voice." Kuro grinned, walking over to her with a short gait. He let his hands fall loosely to his side, approaching her with a soft disposition. She gave him a short nod, "You're…you're here. What are you doing here? Where is here?"

"I should be asking you that question." She giggled, her voice carried her laughter as well as his record player carried a tune. It was music. "What are you doing here?"

"I am sleeping- was-am?" Kuro shook his head. Making her laugh once more. "And now I'm here. I'm so confused."

"I can imagine. My name is Namine." She said with a beaming smile. Kuro reflected her smile, glancing to her pad and seeing a familiar sight. It was of a few stacked sticks, a female figure clad in black and one in red, one with blue eyes and black hair and the other with silver hair and orange eyes. She showed him the picture, pointing to the girl. "Do you remember her?"

"'Course. That's Xion. That's us eating a few days ago." Kuro said with a nod, squinting his eyes as he sees her turn the pad back to herself and take her pencil back in her hand. Kuro rested his weight on his back leg, shrugging his shoulders in confusion. "How did you see that happen? I was there for weeks and never saw a soul that wasn't a Heartless. Were you watching me?"

"No… I wasn't watching you. I just… you see I… let me show you something, Kuro." She said sincerely, as she took a peach colored pencil and sketched out an outline of a person. She watched pensively as the figure she attempted to draw alongside her sketch of Kuro faded as quickly as she drew it. She redrew the same shape and lines over and over again. Still the same result. It disappeared off of the page. However, when she took a black pencil and began to make the shape of a onyx blob, one Kuro immediately noticed it was supposed to be Dusk, the image of his small companion remained. "There it is again. This keeps happening every time I draw."

"What?" Kuro inquired, seeing her lip curl back into a half smile as she continued to draw. Confused by what she was insinuating. "What is happening?"

"Not sure yet. But it's something worth looking into." She said, glancing back up and giving Kuro a fine smile and a crinkle of her nose. She glances over him, a shine in her eyes as she did so. "Goodbye for now. You be safe, ok?"

"What do you-"


"Get ready, Wart!" Kay's voice thundered as the door buckled and was thrown open. The crashing of Arthur through the door and knocking against the floor had startled Kuro out of his sleep, who bolted up from his spot and let out a shout of surprise. Arthur had scrambled to his feet, quickly gathered his jacket and his scarf, trying his best to get as dressed as quickly as he possibly could for the sake of Kay. Kuro rolled out of bed, stumbling to his feet and grabbing his now pounding head.

"Kuro! Get up! Kay checked the schedule and he is going to be competing within the hour." Arthur said, tossing the scarf around his neck and rested the tail along his shoulders as he bounced excitedly in his spot. Kuro slipped on his boots, yawning softly as he rapidly stirred awake.

Dusk rose from their seat, rubbing their golden eyes with the palms of their paws, their sleepy yawns echoing in the room. Kuro rose from his spot, scooping Dusk up from their spot and resting them on his shoulder. Dusk's hands instinctively gripped Kuro's shoulders as Kuro followed Arthur out of the bedroom and into the bar. The partiers from last night were displaced, having never made it to their rooms for a proper rest following their binge drinking, dancing, and debauchery.

Kuro stepped over several bodies, his eyes fixed on the table in the center of the room that held two bartenders and what he assumed was either a man who got halfway out of his armor and gave up before he could deal with the two bartenders that were resting on his chest, or got half of his armor on and gave up when he realized that he wasn't going to be sober enough to show it off properly.

Arthur, with a heater shield in one hand and Kay's helm under his other arm, used his shoulder to push through the doors. Kuro, with another yawn and a stretch of the arms, followed Kay out of the inn and out onto the street. The group that represented the Lord Ector and his lands following the sound of the blowing horns and the sounds of combat.

A couple hours passed of pre ceremony pleasantries, the lords who organized the function explaining that the tournament would be done in an elimination match fashion, with the last one standing being named the king of England. The Lords and their families proceeded with doing a quick walk about the tourney arena with their banner held high. Lord Ector and Kay carrying their family crest and waving their banner with pride. Arthur and Kuro watched as the trumpeters blew their horns and the games finally commenced. The first round had fast approached with the knights atop their horses for the initial jousting match.

Their noble steeds race along the dividing fence, their lances in hand as they set forth to crash into one another. Attempting to knock one off of their bourse.

The first passing has their lances bounce off of the other's shields. And the second round had the knights exchange blows and be sent careening off of their horses and crashing to the ground at the same time. The horses are still riding off as their riders call out to their squires for their armaments.

Lord Ector, in full regalia, approached his son with a satisfied grin. His armor was shining, his coat was neatly combed through and devoid of any stains. Lord Ector clapped his son's shoulders, making a point to focus his attention on the combatants.

"Now, Kay. You're terrible on a horse." Lord Ector said through his teeth with a half smile, as if it were an unfortunate truth for him to hear. Kay shrugged with disinterest, accepting that he was not a successful jouster. "But you're strong with the blade. So, once you're on the ground, work that sword."

Arthur's eyes glanced over at the heater shield that he held and looked around in a quick panic. He had his defense, and Arthur could not find the offensive armament. Arthur turned to Kay, the color draining from his face.

"Kay," Arthur mumbled with a skittish expression on his face. Kay turned to the boy, his eyes squared and his face became more rigid and annoyed. His arms folded over one another as he waited for Arthur to continue. "I forgot your sword."

"Forgot my-" Kay cocked his fist and took a swing at Arthur with an armored glove. Arthur quickly raised the shield in defense, the punch being promptly blocked and ringing in the area like a gong being struck. Arthur dropped the shield immediately after, taking off back towards the inn to get the sword.

Kuro chased after Arthur, slipping through the crowd to keep up with Arthur. The pair raced through the streets, rushing towards the tavern in great haste. The duo made it to the doors, Kuro peering in the window and Arthur approaching the door. Kuro peered into the glass, seeing the once packed and boisterous crowd now an empty and barren hall. Not a single individual was in the building.

"The inn's locked. Everyone must be at the goddamn tournament." Kuro groaned with a growing sense of annoyance as he pulled away from the window, Arthur pulled and tugged on the handle of the inn's front door over and over again. Even planting his foot into the door frame to try and pry the door open.

Kuro walked over to join Arthur in pulling on the handle, only for his foot to catch something and nearly trip him. He glanced down at the dirt, seeing a loose brick collecting moss lodged in mud.

Kuro grabbed a hold of the brick, having weighed the benefits and negatives of what he now planned to do with it and had decided that he was ready to smash this brick through the window to help Arthur get Kay's sword for him. Consequences be damned, Arthur was going to be a proper squire.

Kuro moved his hand back to break one of the window pangs near the door, when something caught his ear. It was a sharp note, making him whinge at the sound. As the note carried, it eased from a sharp edge to a mellow tone. That's when he heard the sweet song of the same note being played. The sound reminded him of the single cord of a violin being strung harshly by its bow. The brick slipped out of Kuro's hand as he lost focus, sinking back into the dirt slowly as Kuro turned towards the sound of this sweet music. Trying to find the source of it.

"Do you hear that, Arthur?" Kuro asked, taking careful steps down the street as his vision began to blur and his mind began to hype fixate on the strumming of that single violin string. Arthur stopped mid pull, hearing the tourney's bellowing noise coming from the grounds. And just that.

"The horns? Yeah, the tournament is still going on." Arthur stated, turning to where Kuro was standing and seeing only a pair of imprints in the dirt. Arthur spins around and sees Kuro walking towards the church courtyard at the end of the street. Transfixed by some invisible noise. "And we need to get that sword. So we need to get inside and-Kuro?"
"What is that?" Kuro muttered as his feet carried him further down the way, the heels of his boots clipping on the dirt and the loose stones as he followed the sound. That's when he saw it, the object that called to him in the center of the church's courtyard is an iron fence surrounding a stone placed in the very center.

"Oh! Nice! Someone left a sword in that stone!" Arthur shouted as he chased after Kuro. But as Kuro ignored him, his eyes staying on the shimmering steel implanted in the stone, that's when the violin strings got louder inside his skull. The single note that was pulled with every single step he took now rapidly strummed to the rapid beating of his heart, the full body pulses echoed by a harsher string every third thump of blood pumper.

The screeching only grew more intense with each passing step. As Kuro reaches the edge of the fence, the sound suddenly stops. All sounds stop just. He no longer heard the All except the thundering heartbeat that echoes in his ears and the feeling of blood flowing out from underneath them.

Destroy the Sword. Draw it, and snap it in twain. Destroy the Sword. Shatter the blade into nothing.

Destroy the Sword.

The beckoning is a whisper that scratches this previously unfelt itch in his skull, his lips slowly curling into a vicious grin as his voided eyes focus solely on the object of this intense fixation. The voice called to him and he was going to answer. Kuro hops over the fence, walking over to the sword in the stone. His feet pulled him right to the edge of the stone, and his eyes now fixed on the handle of the blade.

With a steady hand, he reaches down to curl his fingers and firmly grasp the sword. And with a mighty and powerful pull-

The handle slips out of his hand and he stumbles backwards and crashes into the dirt. The sword did not budge, not even an inch for Kuro. Kuro gets back up onto his feet, teeth barred in a frenzy as he charges back up to the anvil and ties once more to draw the sword. Unsheathe it from its prison. Kuro's grip would shatter the handle of any other sword, the pull would free any other blade from the grip of its sheath. But this sword didn't move, if anything it solidified its handle and was bolstered by the attempt. It was almost as though it refused to answer him.

Kuro slammed a heel into the anvil, his fury rising at an unpredictable rate as he let out a growl in frustration.

"This damn thing won't budge." Kuro grunted, walking over to the fence and hopping back over. Kuro tightly gripped the fence bars, giving it a ferocious shake, trying to rattle the iron out of the dirt with a vigorous effort. Arthur stared at the sword and admired the reflection of the dimmed sunlight in its blade, his left hand rubbing over the knuckles of his right as he approached the sword. Kuro nodded towards Arthur, sucking on his teeth. "Wait here. I'm going to break down the door to the inn so you can get that sword."

"I can't wait, Kay needs a sword! I can't fail! Not today!" Arthur said, reaching over and grabbing ahold of the handle. As his fingers curl around the grip, there is a break in the clouds, cloaking Arthur in a ray of glimmering sunshine. Twinkling light bathing his form as he begins to pull.

Kuro's jaw drops, the young Arthur effortlessly unsheathing the sword from the stone, the large claymore nearly slipping out of his grip due to its weight and its heft, the blade nearly as tall as Arthur was.

Arthur stumbled back, the sword pulled up to his chest as he clutched it. Kuro's eyes grow ravenous as Arthur walks over to jump over the fence with the sword in hand. Arthur hobbles over it, laying the sword beside the iron rods and vaulting over the metal.

Kuro's hand's immediately grabbed hold of the sword, pulling it into his hands and inspecting the blade thoroughly. His eyes scanning over the edge and his hands tightly constricting around the weapon. Arthur patted his hands against his jacket, before reaching for the sword.

"Thanks, Kuro." Arthur reached for the sword, only for Kuro to immediately pull it away from him, putting a foot and elbow between them. Arthur's eyes narrow, his hand withdrawing slightly at the sudden reaction done by Kuro. His orange eyes were null and lacked that glimmer of life they typically held. His free hand tightening into a cocked fist and made a motion to strike. Only to be withheld at the last moment as Kuro saw the light in Arthur's eyes. Kuro grimaced in Arthur's direction, as an animal would posture when something threatened to steal away its food. "Kuro? Are you alright?"

Kuro's body jolted at the sound of sincere confusion and offense in Arthur's tone, the hairs on his neck standing on edge and his body shivering from a sudden chill in the air. As though he just regained feeling through his whole body. Kuro loosened his grip on the sword, immediately handing it over to Arthur. Who took the sword with a tight grasp.

"Sorry, I don't… I got…" Kuro stuttered in short bursts with heavy breaths, a hand reaching to rest on his left breast. Feeling his rapid heartbeat under his fingers. Kuro took in a deep breath, trying to settle his sense as he felt his tongue get uncomfortable in his mouth. As though he just ate something incredibly sour. "I wasn't myself for a moment."

Arthur offered a modest grin, clapping Kuro's shoulder and running off towards the Tournament grounds. Kuro found himself dragging his feet after Arthur, off put by the sensation he felt. The sensation of destruction and of violence disappearing slowly from him.

Arthur and Kuro returned to the grounds, walking up to Kay and Lord Ector, sword in hand. Kay was pacing back and forth, his face pulled into a scowl. His gauntlets clenched into fists at his sides as he waited impatiently. Arthur approached with a hesitant smile on his face. Kay saw him, rolling us eyes as he snatched the sword out of his squire's hands.

"That's not my sword, you ingrate!" Kay gestured to the sword in his hands, shaking it in Arthur's face with a few thrusts. The demonstration got dangerously close to his squire's face. "This is a bloody claymore! Not a hand a half! You idiot!"

"Why that's-" Lord Ector began to complain, only to rest his eyes on the sword and read the inscription near the cross guard of the blade. Lord Ector turned towards Arthur, grabbing him by the collar and giving him a stern shake. Gathering the attention of the nearby contestants. "Wart, where did you get that sword?"

Kuro walked over and grabbed ahold of Lord Ector's wrists and pulled them off of Arthur's body. Placing himself between the lord and his ward, his glare meeting Lord Ector's. The man was massive, but Kuro got tired of people trying to manhandle and strike Arthur.

"It's the Sword from the Stone!" Someone shouted, rushing to Kay's side and inspecting the sword. "He has the sword that was in the stone!"

"Stop everything!" A man shouted, calling the crowd's attention off of the men who were engaged in single combat. All eyes turning towards the yelling man. "Someone has pulled the sword from the sword!"

"I took it from the anvil in the church courtyard." Arthur said with a cowering demeanor, Lord Ector's voice growing louder as he shouted for people to be silent. The men around Lord Ector laughed at the idea that Arthur had pulled the sword. This twelve year old boy who was not even a hundred pounds soaking wet. Ector clenched his jaw, his pale cheeks flushing an embarrassed red and his eyes narrowing.

"Don't you lie, Wart! You tell me where you got that sword!" Lord Ector roared, only Kay to shove the sword back into Arthur's hands and laughter erupted from all around them. Arthur stumbled with the blade in hand, having clenched it tight to his chest. "Now!"

"Prove it! Make him do it again!" A man in the crowd suggested. The man's idea rolled into a battle cry the other men had begun to shout. They pushed and dragged the sword, which Arthur still held in his hand, taking it back towards the courtyard where the fabled stone rested.

When the reached the courtyard, the crowd gathered just outside the fence. Arthur's sword was snatched out of his hand by Lord Ector who planted the sword back into its original resting position. Embedded in the stone once more.

"Go on, Wart." Lord Ector bellowed, his fists resting on his hips as he impatiently waited for Arthur to do it again. Arthur's intertwined hands tightened, his head bowed with an anxious look in his eyes. "Do it again."

He hesitantly approached the anvil, a timid hand reaching for grip of the legendary weapon. Just as his fingers skin the sword, Kay charges ahead and slams Arthur's hand away.

"Now, wait a minute!" Kay shouted, shoving Arthur aside with a smack of the back of his gauntlet, approaching the sword himself. "Anyone can pull it once it's been pulled."

Kay proved his own hypothesis incorrect, as he gripped the sword and it did not even budge for a moment. Heel planted into the anvil and hands locked on the grip, he pulled and pulled. To no avail. It refused to let Kay unsheathe it.

Lord Ector, seeing his son being incapable of pulling the sword from the stone, rushed to his side to assist him in the tug. Refusing to believe that Kay wasn't deserving of said weapon.

When the combined strength of Lord Ector and Kay proved insufficient, four men approached in a rush to help the men prove that they needed more power to pull the fabled blade. However, it continued to prove to be pointless, even the combined strength of six men couldn't budge the sword.

Kuro shook his head, walking over and one by one, tossed the men aside to clear the way to the stone. Pulling them by the collar, by the shoulders, a few men he had to check with an elbow to the side and a slam of the shoulder. One by one, The men began falling to the wayside. The moment the last hand was removed from the blade, Kuro's eyes went blank once more when it was just him and the sword.

His gaze resting on the shine of the cheek of the steel, the glimmering light was hypnotizing. Kuro, with a full body roll of goosebumps and rushing of blood, diverted his gaze and turned his attention to the crowd.

"Now! We finished? Let him show you he did it! By himself!" Kuro shouted, his eyes meeting Arthur's and a warm glow radiating off of his friend. Kuro nudged his chin to the sword, seeing Arthur put on a brave face and approach the anvil. Arthur rolled up a sleeve, and with as easy of a pull as the previous attempt, effortlessly withdrew the sword from the stone. The clouds broke once again and bathed the boy in an ethereal light. The crowd drew silent, awestruck by the sight of what they had just witnessed.

"It's a miracle ordained by heaven. This boy is our king." A man spoke out in reverence, others beside him either joining him in the clasping of closed hands in prayer or falling to their knees to bow to their king.

"What's the lad's name?" A voice in the crowd inquired, Lord Ector's dumbfounded expression staring at his ward. His Wart. Now his King.

"Eh, Wart." Lord Ector grumbled in utter shock, only to quickly correct himself by falling to his knee and bowing to his ward. "Oh, uh, I mean Arthur."

"Hail, King Arthur!" The first utterance of the hail made Arthur's cheek blush as the sword rested against the ground and the beaming light stayed above him. Covering him in a heavenly light.

"Long live the king!" Kuro glanced around, seeing everyone one, knights, lords and peasants all bending the knee and giving praise to the rightful king of England. Arthur turned his attention to Kuro, just as confused and lost as he was.

"Hail, King Arthur!" Kuro, with a respectful nod and an impressed smile, followed the example of those beside him and took a knee to honor the newly named King.

"Long live the king!" Arthur's eyes passed over the crowd, his hands gripping the sword he leaned against the blade that named him king as though he would crumble to the dirt without it. There he stood, the boy who would be the King.


Arthur sat atop of the throne of England, still shocked beyond belief that he woke up to Kay shouting at him to get ready to be his squire to becoming King of all England just before noon. The crown that sat upon his head slowly sunk down his forehead and rested snuggly against the back of his ears. The robe he wore was massive, perfectly suited for a man twice Arthur's height and triple his weight. The massive crimson cloak dragged behind him by at least three extra feet past his heels, requiring him to bunch up the excess under his arm to properly walk around anywhere.

Lastly, the king's blade was resting along the arm of the king's seat, glistening in the light of the sun that shone through the stained glass windows that lined the upper walls of the high rise room.

Kuro sat on the second of a series of three steps staring up at Arthur with a small smile on his face. Kuro rubbed the step of the marble stair with his thumb, skimming across the smooth surface mindlessly.

"So I need to call you King Arthur, or can I just call you Arthur?" Kuro asked with a grin, seeing Arthur roll his eyes and shake his head. Kuro chuckled, shaking his head with Arthur as he did so. "I gotta say, I didn't expect you to be named King in less than an afternoon. That was surprising."

"You didn't expect me to be king? I didn't expect to be king! All I wanted to be was a squire. That's my birthright. That's my life. Now, because I pulled this dumb sword from the stone, I get to be king all of a sudden?" Arthur grumbled with a tightness in his shoulders as he blew a long breath out of pursed lips. Overwhelmed by the rapid responsibility thrown at his feet. "Swords being pulled from anvils lodged in magical stones is no basis for a system of government, Kuro!"

"You're telling me, Arthur. I didn't expect you to be crowned before noon! I guess go a few decades without a king, they really want the rightful one to get right to work." Kuro shook his head, his hands planting into the marble floor and shoving him off the step and up onto his feet. He claps his hands together, flashing Arthur a smile and a shirt chuckle flowing out. "Well, Arthur. As fun as it would be to see you work the courts and deal with the lords, I think I need to see myself move along. I need to return to my people and get a move on."

"Kuro," Arthur said as he got off of his throne and approached his friend, his free hand resting on the edge of the golden crown as the other dragged the sword up to rest the tip of the blade against the stone floor. The length of the blade was nearly as long as Arthur was tall, and the cheek of the blade wider than his thin legs put together.

Kuro's eyes took a second to admire the sword, before Arthur clears his throat. He gestures towards the fabled sword with a shrug, before suddenly shoving the grip of the blade towards Kuro. Who instinctively grabs the sword by the handle and grips it tightly. The mere act of getting his hands around the grip sending ghost bumps up his arms in a single wave.

"All I wanted to be was a squire, to do my job and be good at it. That's what I expected. That's what I prepared for. Then, when I try to be too good at my job, I pull this sword out of the stone and now I'm the King of England. I don't know much about politics, or ruling a country or anything like that. And I hope I'll have advisors and eventually Merlin will come back to help me along." Arthur sighs, running a hand through his blonde hair and he sucks hard on his teeth. His fingers tapping along the back of his head and letting out a short breath. His eyes went wide for an instance at the prospect of all his responsibilities at the age of twelve before softening afterwards. "But you? You're a warrior and a warrior will need a sword. And this one sword has given me nothing but trouble. You have fights ahead that I don't want you to be on the losing side of. So, would you take the sword from me, as a token of my appreciation for your friendship? Please?"

Kuro took the sword by the handle with his right hand, before flipping it in a quick wide arc and letting the flat cheek of the blade rest against his left palm as he stared into the shining metal of the fabled sword from the stone. His eyes intently glaring into the steel as he feels this rapid pulse echo harshly in his chest and vibrate through his back and up into the base of his skull. The humming of this awful compulsion overwhelmed his senses like a foul stench or a blinding light.

He couldn't hear Arthur's breathing despite being so close he felt it on his hands a moment ago, he couldn't feel his stare despite being in the presence of his shadow just a shy bit ago. The room got darker, as if the very flames from the torches were slowly diminishing. His heartbeat throbbing in his hands, feeling it reverberate through the sword. All that mattered was the sword in his hands. And what Kuro wanted to do with it.

Destroy it. Destroy it now. You know you want to…

The itch struck again, making his palm sweat and his eyes grow more lifeless the longer he glowered at the blade. His hand bending the handle up towards the ceiling as his other hand began to slowly move down into an alternate pressing direction. The strain of the motion making his hands get taut in response. His forearms flexing hard under his jacket sleeves. His mind focused solely on snapping the sword in twain, as his rabid instinct compelled him to do so. Even in his voided gaze, he felt his energy stain the weapon in his hands.

This bleeding spread of black ink that sprouted from his fingertips began spreading through the edges of the blade as Kuro was continued to be led astray in his desire to obliterate the fabled sword. Which to be rapidly approaching.

His will and power made these black webs sprawl across the cheek of the steel. Corruption spreads through the blade as spiderwebs etch outward from the center of their trap, the power inside him making the ancient sword weak enough to snap into two. Weak enough to destroy the treasured symbol of power. His mind echoing out the intent as a record would skip over the stuck track. Scratching, irritating, and driving him mad. Further driving him towards the breaking point.

Then, there was a reflection in the steel. Of tenderness and of a friendly spirit. Arthur's gentle eyes were mirrored along the cheek. The inscription passed before the younger boy's gaze. Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise King born of England. The markings along the cheek read and spoke of Arthur. The repetition of scorn that bled into his thoughts turned into reverence for a noble man, and a good friend. Kuro's eyes shot up to the shorter boy, who looked at him with admiration and a chivalrous smile. Graciousness and kindness in their glow. A kingly aura radiated off of the boy.

Kuro gave Arthur a returning grin, his right hand hesitantly but still loosening his hold of the weapon before finding the inner strength to finally turn the sword over in his hand and returning the birthright blade back over to the King. It was Arthur's sword, he couldn't break his friend's weapon.

Arthur hesitantly reached for it, only a signifying gesture from Kuro to properly take it made him take hold of the sword once again. That warm smile of the king disappeared as he gripped the handle sword. Burdened by the responsibility that it carried with it. Kuro folded his hands behind his back, giving a courteous half bow to him as he did so. Feeling the pounding his chest subsiding as the blade was pulled from his grasp.

"If I was meant to have it, I would have been able to pull it out, Arthur-King Arthur. But I didn't, and then it's not my place to take it now. But it's yours, Arthur. It's your sword, it's your calling." Kuro expressed as he lowered his shoulders and ducked his head. "It's your destiny, Your majesty."

Arthur gave a short chuckle, knocking Kuro's wrist playfully with his loosely held fist earning a laugh out of the older boy before dragging the blade up to rest on his shoulder as he hobbled over to the kingly seat. His large cumbersome robe dragged three feet behind him as he lumbered forward. Plopping down in a harsh fall, his cloak bunched under him cushioning his descent and having the royal crown shift and slip down rest along his brow, hiding his eye behind shimmering jewels and a wide gold band.

"I don't think I'm up for it, Kuro. Having an entire country depend on me, having to decide taxes and-and strategy and serfdom and war talks." Arthur said, his lips pulled down into a frown as he cocks his head to the side and shrugs. The crown was too big, the robe was too long, the sword was too heavy. Arthur felt ridiculous, a boy made to wear the attire of a man. A squire made to look like a king. "I'm not going to be a good king, I don't know anything about ruling."

"I don't think you'll be a good king, either. To be honest." Kuro said in a mumble as he approached, taking the crown and affixing it to have the back half rest along the base of the crown and the front half sit at an angle along his forehead. Kuro stepped away, giving Arthur a quick glance over. The boy who is King. His small shoulders were overtaken by the large cloak's fur lined collar, his feet dug into the interior lining of the trailing robe, and his head much too small for the crown. He didn't appear kingly now, but he did have a kind heart and a tempered spirit.

If anyone in this land could be king, it might as well be Arthur. If anyone could be a great king, it would be Arthur. "It'll take some learning, but I know in time that you'll be a great king. Sometimes, we don't get to choose what happens to us in this life. We don't get to decide what our inheritance looks like. Or what our future holds for us when it's outside of our control. What we can do is only choose our next move in response to the previous play. And so and so it goes until we lose."

"And my next move?" Arthur said in a high pitched, anxious tone. His voice cracking under the pressure he would be tasked with. He moves his thin hands to rest along the pommel of the famous sword, flexing out his thin arms and letting the robe sleeve drape over his knuckles and hands in a rolling wave of red fleece and white fluffy cuffs. "What would that move be for me then?"

"Honestly? Whatever you want, your grace." Kuro grinned, reaching over and tapping the backs of Arthur's hands through the rolled down sleeves. Feeling his bony knuckles through the fabric. Giving Arthur a reassuring squeeze of his hand. "You're the king, you get to decide what your next move is."

Arthur let out a short sigh. Straightening his back, squaring out his shoulders and tightening his fists. He turned to Kuro with a determined glare and a proud smile. He gave him a secured nod of the head, before diverting his attention to the front doors that seemed to run a quarter mile to the end of the hall.

"I'm king." Arthur whispered, nodding his head a few more times as if to secure his own words in his mind and in his heart. Hands losing their trembling as he tightened his hold of the sword. "I'm the king."

Kuro grinned, giving Arthur one last bow before ducking out to the side and away from the rolled out carpet that led from the huge iron gates of the castle to the high king's throne.

With Arthur crowned as king, Madame Mim currently ill with the flu, and Merlin having buggered off to parts unknown due to hearing about some forces that could be threatening the worlds at large, Kuro decided it was time to saddle up and move along.

He still had to find a proper way to world hop and with magic properly sorted, it was time to focus on his melee skills. Which meant having DiZ point him to a different place to work on his combat experience. Kuro reached into his messenger bag, pulling out the location device and hovered a thumb over the button.

"You'll be leaving, now?" Arthur asked with a stern expression from his throne, even if Kuro could see in his eyes the strain Arthur had held now to not begin to frown or pout. Kuro nodded, shaking the device in his hands. "What if I need-"

"Your calling is to the throne. To your kingdom. To your people. I have a calling, too. And mine requires me to… venture far away from this place." Kuro explained, seeing Arthur nod slowly and surely. His gaze returned to the doors ahead of him. "And you won't need me, Arthur. You don't need anybody. You're more than capable. You're stronger than you think you are. You just don't know it yet."

Arthur nods with a doubtful look on his face, hands beginning to tremble before reassuringly gripping his sword and finding the confidence to straighten his back and lift his chin. Kuro raised a fist, knocking the knuckles with Arthur's own closed hand, the pair exchanging an honorable stare. The silver haired warrior gave a respectful nod to the king.

"Will I ever see you again?" Arthur asked with a worried tone breaking his attempted stoic expression, Kuro's lips rolled up to a warm smile as he gave the young king a hopeful nod and sharp bow. "If not for your counsel, at least to see if you're alright?"

"I surely hope so, King Arthur. If our paths ever do cross again, rest assured that would be a good day for me. I look forward to it." Kuro presses the button and behind him a corridor of darkness appears shortly afterwards. Dusk scurries forward, into the depths. Kuro begins to slowly back pedal, tucking the device back into his bag before cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Hail, King Arthur! Long live the king!" He shouts out with the response of a beaming grin and a grateful laugh of the once and future king coming after.

Arthur gives him a short wave, before returning his hand to his sword. Gripping it securely. Gripping it with purpose. Kuro begins to be drawn into the dark with each back step, his orange eyes aglow amongst the shadows.

His sights on Arthur on the throne with a kingly, heavenly glow about him before the darkness eventually takes his sight. But still he continues to shout with pride and with joy from the depths of the corridor, his voice echoing out through the halls. Even long after the darkness consumes him. "Hail King Arthur! Long live the king!"


The Mysterious Tower


"...Mordred and Morgan are working to nefarious ends, Master Yen Sid." Merlin uttered with a nod and a fold of his hands. He glanced across the table over at the sorcerer. Unlike Merlin, Yen Sid's beard was a charcoal gray that wasn't wiry or unkempt, and ran as smooth as the similarly colored hair that rested along his shoulders. Yen Sid nodded with acknowledgement, his eyes taking a quick glance towards the doors on his right, then back to the wizard. Yen Sid let out a huff, before combing a hand through his beard. "And with the stability of the worlds already threatened so soon, it is only a matter of time before it is thrown out of equilibrium again. I needn't remind you of the consequences of such efforts. Between the blasted resource farmers and the-the-the Heartless and the constant work of the forces of the Dark, it is starting to feel like a losing battle, Master Yen Sid."

"I shall reach out to the King as soon as I can. I fear that he is currently preoccupied at the moment. As The Keyblade wielder has recently disappeared from all the known maps, Mickey has followed closely behind Sora. Leaving the worlds defenseless…" Yen Sid bemoaned, leaning back in his upholstered chair and pondering the circumstances. "This new faction trying to usurp the Heartless, the Organization currently working their games, and the work of Shinra currently underway, if there was ever a time for the realm to face an overwhelming danger unopposed it would be now."

"May the Light guide us." Merlin said solemnly, only for Yen Sid to respond with a clap, his hands crashing together in a harsh fashion as he rose from his seat. Towering over the much shorter Merlin. Yen Sid turned towards the window that was behind him, staring out into the vast orange vortex that surrounded his mysterious tower. The sullen eyes gazing out into the range of his dimension. "What is our next move?"

"It is not our position to involve ourselves to the extent that we already have. You know this." Yen Sid said with a dignified tone, his voice undeterred by the words he spoke. "Should the forces of the dark be called, the light will call upon its own champions when the time is right."

"But Master Yen Sid…" Merlin began to speak, only to be interrupted by Yen Sid with an imposing glare. The older sorcerer's bushy eyebrows exaggerating the already tense stare he gave. Merlin's hairs stood on edge, as he was quickly silenced.

"Due to the nature of our work, we cannot intervene." Yen Sid said with a stern voice. His tone carried with it an unknown amount of decades worth of experience and knowledge with him. The interests of the realm, in his eyes, were seemingly dictated by the universes with its own chaotic accord, rather than the power of a single individual.

"Understood." Merlin said with a defeated infliction in his voice.

"Merlin, what have you heard of any… outlying incidents involving the Heartless?" Yen Sid inquired, eyes squinted. "Any… unusual activity? The dangers that they may present need to be addressed immediately for our safety."

Merlin's eyes glanced over to his bony knuckles, his fingers twirling a loose strand of his white hair and wrapping it along his finger. Merlin debated the idea of telling Yen Sid of Kuro. On the one hand, the boy was a Heartless, and such matters could only lead to disaster should the worlds begin to face turmoil at the hands of this rogue agent. On the other hand, Kuro's good nature and attitude with Arthur gave Merlin the impression the boy had no interest in committing the sins of his brethren.

Kuro simply wished to live and to help, and if steered on the right path could be the answer to the issues that are currently plaguing Yen Sid's mind. However, Yen Sid's response to Kuro and his background could result in a reaction that could endanger the life of the young man. Which led to Merlin responding with a despondent exchange of words instead.

"No, sir. I haven't. I am sorry." Merlin responded, bowing and exiting the room. Dismissing himself to return to the world he just left. He felt as though he had missed something important. Leaving the Sorcerer alone with his thoughts. Of which there were many.

Yen Sid glanced towards the room off to his right, and walked towards it with a long gait. He waved his hands over the door, the magic sealing the door shut unlatching with the sound of a falling chain to the floor. Yen Sid entered this warded off room, entering the space. And with a wave of his hand, swiftly locked it behind him with a similarly magical lock.