Twilight Town

The Mansion

Day 35

"Merlin couldn't instruct you in the magical arts the way you needed, eh? I do apologize for sending you out there to that medieval world for nothing. It must've been an exercise in boredom." DiZ's scholarly voice spoke softly, his eyes shifting from the computer screen to the Heartless, his hands folded in his laps and his attention focused on him.

Kuro shrugged, wringing his hands and flexing out his fingers with measured stretches. Staring at DiZ from his seat in the center of the room. The lingering sensation of the desire to destroy the sword from the stone was powerful. It was intoxicating, and being off-world was a hard but measured opportunity to sober up from the feeling. From the moment his fingers left the steel, there was this residual phantom touch.

It felt as though his fingers were still trying to regain feeling after spending hours submerged in freezing waters. The numbing feeling punctuated by needle point irritations that made his whole body roll in pain with every bend and flex of his digits.

He cast a glance at the bandaged computer typer as he continued to type something into his computer. Images of egg shaped machines and vague words such as, 'memories' and 'hearts' appearing as quickly as they disappeared.

If Kuro hadn't known better, he would have assumed that DiZ hadn't left his spot in front of his monitor for the last several days. DiZ was still in the hunched over position in front of his keyboard, one hand scrolling through various windows on the screen and the other was holding a partially eaten Sea Salt ice cream when Kuro emerged from the Dark Corridor just a few short hours ago.

How he got the treat without arousing suspicion was beyond Kuro. Any man walking out in a red cloak and covered in bandages would be the talk of the town. At least, he'd imagine that the townsfolk would talk about such a man.

"It wasn't a waste, DiZ. Although Merlin couldn't help me because I'm Heartless, I had to reach out to some forest witch named Mim to get me to what I needed to get my magic all sorted. She concocted this potion with my hair and her cauldron. Like a real witch does. Even made a friend along the way." Kuro said with a nod of the head, feeling a shiver run down his back at the remembrance of the stout and horrid Madame Mim. He then recalled her more pleasant illusion was once again stirred with feelings of confusion. Then he thought of Arthur, his friend who was also now a freshly honored King. Kuro had to make a note to visit him soon, to see how the royal life was treating him.

"That must be a welcoming experience, to make friends that don't make attempts on your life with a flurry of bullets." DiZ said with a short wicked chuckle, a noise that made Kuro cringe before he turned his attention to the floor. Being reminded that Barret was so close to tearing him into bloody pieces wasn't a welcomed reminder, even if Kuro did initiate the fight.

Kuro watches the light that illuminated the right side of his profile shift and shimmer. Bathing him in a dark shade before the sun reclaimed the territory of his hands and right leg. The wind must've picked up and shifted some branches outside the mansion.

He turned towards the stairway leading up to the proper study, the sudden light igniting his mind now began wandering to the goading strumming that echoed in his mind and the impulse to shatter the steel of the sword.

It was a driving force, akin to an intense hunger. It was as though he were trying to satiate a ravenous appetite, through the destruction of the fabled blade.

"Something happened when I was in that world, DiZ. It made me feel… evil?" Kuro said the word with such venom, he swore he'd spit the taste out of his mouth onto the floor if he were less civil. "There was this… this primal thing that happened that made me want to destroy. To… Kill."

DiZ stopped mid keystroke, his chin steadily lifting up to properly engage with Kuro. Hands folded together in a tent as he rested his elbows along the arms of his chair.

"Go on." DiZ's words rolled out in a rumble, his golden eyes meeting Kuro's, who shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to his hands. The white wrapping that he applied a few days ago had begun to lose their initial bright white coloring, now fading out into a grimier and grungy chalky shade, his unlaced fingers curling into his palms that tightened into fists.

"There was this… Sword in this stone. It was to be inherited by the rightful king of the world and I held it… Even before I held it, I heard this noise that nearly drove me to madness. It was annoying, and piercing. And when I saw that sword, it stopped. Seeing that sword, it was truly…" Kuro eased his breathing, finding his mouth salivating at the mere mention of the blade. He gnashed his teeth nearly to power inside his mouth, clutching his fists and resting them at his sides. "I had this… drive to just straight destroy it. And when I held it in my hand for a moment, it was as if the whole world came to a standstill. I… I wanted to just ruin it and it took over all my senses. Is that a Heartless thing? It was such an incredible…"

Hunger.

Kuro shook his head, tucking his fists under his arms as he squinted his eyes. He couldn't understand where that came from, and he had hoped DiZ could provide some insight for Kuro. His eyes slowly rose from the floor to DiZ resting in his chair.

"Dusk," Kuro turned to the small Shadow, nodding his chin towards the heartless. Dusk glanced up from their spot on the floor, feet tucked underneath their sitting form. Dusk's paws fiddled with the edges of their wide brim hat. Straightening the edges out as to keep its form proper and fine. Dusk turned to Kuro, head cocking to the side. "Do you have any idea why I would be acting like that?"

"It's the sensation the Heartless feel towards the Light. There was a time when that same feeling of desire drove me to almost try to destroy you." Dusk spoke solemnly and gently, as if it brought them great shame to admit such a thing. Kuro walked over and ran a hand over the round crown of the Shadow. "It's an instinct. It's a primal response to the light. But for an item… a sword even?"

DiZ's eye narrowed as Kuro listened to the nothing that echoed from the Shadow. Their antenna flicked and moved, Kuro nodding and conversing with it. The older man glanced to the side, the display was tiresome. Their one sided conversations were a nuisance to him. He tapped the tips of his fingers together in thought, before returning to the screen.
"There have been noticeable artifacts in the realms that are used as a sort of, 'suit of armor' to protect the Keyhole and the world at large in their own way. One I know of personally is known as a Cornerstone of Light that belongs to the King and his kingdom. This huge sphere of Light energy." DiZ turned to the computer screen and resumed his typing and his work, his fingers moving ever so quickly as his words became a muttered nonsense under his breath. The screens once more flushed oranges and yellows, blues and whites, before settling on a star map of the realm. Among the various glimmering stars were the worlds. Showing all the known worlds that DiZ has noted and mapped out. "It isn't too far-fetched to assume the world must've placed a heavy burden upon the blade. Particularly one of such sentimental importance."

The center most of the map is the world Kuro assumed they were based on, with several other worlds expanding out in a range. Of the icons, one was labeled as Traverse Town. Just reading the word was like a breath of fresh air blew through the room. It filled Kuro's lungs and allowed his shoulders to fall to a slouch, his hands to lose their tension and his lips shift into an effortless smile.

That is what home must feel like for some people. Feel safe. Feel secure.

Without taking his eye off of the screen, he raised his right hand and curled his fingers to call Kuro hither. Kuro followed the wordless command, leaning over the red bandaged man and staring at the screen. DiZ rubbed his fingers together, before turning towards the Heartless.

"For the uninitiated such as yourself, the realm's worlds often have their powers placed into figures or objects of great importance. These figures I mention are more often than not Princesses of the Heart, all of whom have returned to their homes after Sora had defeated the Seeker of Darkness. As they had all been stolen away by that council headed by that malicious Maleficent and her terrible troop." DiZ explained as he scanned his eye over the computer screen. In the reflection of said screen, he was seeing Kuro's eyes squint in great interest at the mention of these 'Princesses' of Heart, wondering exactly what they are. DiZ returns to focus on the screen, typing up a storm of key strikes before a series of images appear before the screen. If he was so curious, DiZ would satiate that curiosity. As each image appeared on the screen, Kuro's eyes grew wider and wider, his mouth going slack as he processed what he was seeing.

The first Princess had skin as white as freshly laid snow, her hair as black as the pitch, with lips as red as fresh blood. She wore her smile with innocence, with a fair and compassionate twinkle in her eye. The label underneath read, 'Snow White.'

The second Princess had blonde hair, much brighter and fuller than the blonde that Arthur had. She had a sharp chin, pink lips and crystal blue eyes. They held a light in their eyes of boundless optimism and hope. Her name was, 'Cinderella'.

The third Princess was a child, no older than ten years old. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, like the previous princess, however her hair ran down her back in a mid back, with blue eyes that held not hope but imagination and wonderment. As if the world were a blank canvas, and all she could see were possibilities. Her name was simply, 'Alice.'

The fourth Princess, her hair was as golden as the warmest sunshine and lips that shame the red, red rose with how deep and crimson they were. Her skin was fair, her eyes a dashing shade of violet with a look of majesty in her posture and elegance in her stare. Her name was, 'Aurora.'

The fifth Princess has flowing long chestnut brown hair, her eyes held captivating hazel eyes and rosy cheeks. Her darling face held a smile that was reserved in the way it rested on her. A few strands of her brown hair fell in front of her face, shaping around her cheek and emphasizing her warm cheeks. Her name was, 'Belle'. Kuro smirked, he understood why that Beast was so determined to find her so long ago, she was quite a beauty.

The sixth Princess has tanned skin as dark as Kuro's own, high cheekbones, with bay colored eyes with full eyelashes. Her lush hair was resting along her shoulders. Her smile held a little bit of mischief, as if she knew a secret she would never reveal. Her eyes held contention, Kuro could tell. Her eyes could be rigid and serious while easing into a soft gaze with a thirst for frivolous fun. Her name was, 'Jasmine'.

The seventh Princess was-

Kairi.

Kuro's heart sank into his stomach. His eyes went wide as he saw her. There she was. Smiling effortlessly.

"A princess?" Kuro's eyes honed in on her, his hands moving and gripping DiZ's seat tightly as he leaned in. His nose an inch or so away from the screen. A huff of surprise escaping his open mouth. "Kairi's a Princess?"

"You met Princess Kairi?" DiZ questioned with a raised eyebrow, then looked Kuro over. His eyes met Kuro's amber stained stare, his jaw clenching as he cocked his head to the side in pure confusion. "Wait a moment. You actually met her and didn't try to devour her heart? As a Heartless… she would have been a prime target. I'd argue, the target for someone of your circumstances."

"Not for a moment. That makes sense why she's a Princess of Heart. She was ridiculously kind to me." Kuro grinned, shrugging his shoulders in an unconcerned manner. It never occurred to him to hurt her, not even for a second. He took a few steps back, a hand reaching up to rub his chin in thought as he stared at her image on the computer screen. Her blue eyes glimmering like seashore waves. It reminded him of-

"She fed me and disappeared when Ansem died. Just like the rest. I figured she just went home to that island with her friends and with Sora. It never would have occurred to me that she would be a princess. She was just… A nice girl." Kuro said in a hurry, as if trying to push out whatever was in his mind by uttering words to distract himself.

Kuro shook his head, yes, she did look similar to Xion. But he needed to stop thinking about her. It only served to bother him and upset him when he did. All he could do was hope that she was safe, wherever she was.

"Island… Oh, those islands. Yes." DiZ muttered before turning back to the screen. His own eye focused on the young princess as well. "If she is waiting for Sora to return, she will be sorely disappointed."

"Why's that?" Kuro inquired as he took a few steps further back, walking over to the other end of the computer room and approaching one of the more vacant areas along the wall. He takes his hand and presses it firmly against the steel wall. Letting his knuckles lay flat against the metal before retracting his hand letting his fist crack against the wall in a slow, motion practicing punch. Ensuring proper wrist rotation and solid foundation to guarantee no wrist bending on impact. He did so a few more times. "Sora decided not to go home?"

The punch following this statement was harder than the others, as if he unintentionally was trying to punch a hole through the steel. Kuro's jaw clenched on the impact as he rolled his wrist out and huffed out a groan of frustration. The idea of someone who had a home, a real home, and didn't want to go back to it drove him up the wall instantly. The arrogance. The privilege.

Kuro flexed out his hand, turning back towards DiZ. DiZ's eye reflected a look of contention, surprised to see such a reaction out of the Heartless. Not so much the rage, that was a sensible reaction out of a heartless. But the inciting incident? The mention of Sora. DiZ made a mental note of such a response.

"He's currently in the throes of Castle Oblivion. Being the plaything of the Organization." DiZ stated without much emotion or infliction, as though he were reading Kuro the weather in a city on the other side of the world. DiZ nodded his chin towards Kuro. "So, you were near a Princess of Heart and didn't have any inclination to harm her, but this sword was a trigger for you?"

Kuro nodded, another pitiful attempt of a punch knocking the wall mindlessly as he thought of the sword once again. He switched hands and worked on the form of his left hand. Left arm rocking and knocking into the wall gently.

"You see, Kuro, the worlds can harbor these Cornerstones of Lights, which isn't just an orb or a sword, it's just the object of significance that the world utilizes as a manifestation of the worlds' light to protect itself from harm." DiZ then felt his lips curl to a devious and malicious grin, a foreign and uncanny look on his face. So much so that it irked Kuro immediately. It sent a pulse of dissatisfaction and intolerable sensation into Kuro. As though a sudden chill were to hit his form. "When Ansem sent the scores of Heartless into the worlds, they were throwing themselves at the worlds' in waves of aggression and seeking their Keyholes. Not unlike the tide hoping to eventually break the stone it slams against. The Seeker played the long game. Hoping eventually, the deluge of darkness would be enough to damage and destroy the world on its own. Cornerstones of Light make it extremely difficult to infiltrate and annihilate the world. But you… you're capable of not only approaching the Cornerstones on these worlds but also locating and destroying them. Weakening the world to make them succumb to darkness so much easier."

Kuro stopped just before his hand knocked against the steel, turning his torso towards DiZ as his legs remained steadfast in their fighting stance. Left foot leading, knees slightly bent and core twisting to add power to the punch. Kuro let his hand fall to the side, his sights resting on DiZ.

"That's scary to think about. I'm like the ringer of the dinner bell." Kuro mumbled, his jaw clenching as he thought about how close he was to spiraling that world into chaos and destruction. How close he was to uprooting Arthur's world and thrusting it into one of darkness. But he didn't.

He made the choice to not do such a thing. He chose not to destroy the sword.

"It's the nature of your existence." DiZ stated with a simple nod and a crooked grin. Something he admired about the Heartless, like it or not, was their tenacity. They were like a fire that plumed, with every devoured heart accelerating the flame. The inertia was breathtaking and terrifying to watch in real time. "You're a Heartless, you shouldn't be blamed for your proclivity towards violence."

Kuro thought for a moment about the fact he was, by nature, predisposed to do harm and to inflict damage. It's in his blood to be ruinous.

"It's not like those with hearts are pacisfits." Kuro noted as he imagined the machine gun armed Barret and the ferocious Beast. He glares at the monitor with the Princesses of Heart, offering a smile. "So, what makes them so special?"

"They are devoid of darkness in their heart." DiZ said with a huff, his eyes scanning over Kuro to gauge his reaction to such a statement. Kuro's eyes fell into a sullen stare, the reflection of the Princesses reflecting across his eyes. Particularly Kairi's image. "You are like a mocking reflection of them. One so devoid of light in their heart."

Kuro's jaw clenched at the statement, it almost sounded sickened the way DiZ described the lack of light in his own being. Kuro thought of how he couldn't heal Arthur, because Heartless can't practice magic based in the Light. On the topic of Magic…

"So, I got my magic sorted thanks to a witch. Now, you told me you wished for me to practice my melee?" Kuro asked, with a nod towards the stairwell. He glanced down at his knuckles, flexing his hands into tight fists and webbing them back out. "Are you going to send me to another old friend?"

"Nonsense." DiZ waved off the notion, diverting to the screen and focusing on the star map. He traced his finger over the screen and passed by a few different world icons before settling on one. Its presence has resurfaced a few weeks ago, a victim restored by the Keyblade Wielder. He squinted his eye, before turning back to Kuro. It should be lacking any potential threats, and none of Maleficent's brood was from this world. It would be as good a spot as any to cut one's teeth. Plus, the lack of a Princess of Heart would mean there could be a Cornerstone placed upon the world. Perhaps it was time for another experiment, DiZ couldn't help but ponder. "That's a decent place to start. At least, for now. Once you're more battle hardened, I'll be sure to send you to places more appropriate for your… abilities. Should you need assistance, you know how to notify me."

DiZ waved a hand off to the side, the Corridor of Darkness appearing behind Kuro and Dusk. Kuro scooped up Dusk, and with a saluting wave off to the bandaged man in the chair, marched off onto the dark to his next destination. The sound of bells echoing in the depths of the Darkness calling to him…

Castle Oblivion

Axel started to get tired of the constant white halls. Sure, smoking out traitors and engaging them in their little fun games was a fun exercise in social minutia. With the layered complexities of loyalty to the Organization versus the loyalty to the members. It was invigorating. Picking and choosing the right batch of words and the correct inflection to ensure that he gets the information he wants and figure out whose playing which side.

But the halls were so damn white and clean, it was nauseating after all this time to stare at the same looking marble walls and those spheres of remembrance. It almost made him miss the grays and blacks that colored home.

But the Keyblade Wielder was making progress. He should be partly through floor five at this moment. And progress he was making. Axel's short skirmish with the boy was definitely a success in determining how much power was held in that key of his. Even if his mind started to change and recall false memories, the kid could fight.

Axel's meandering led him to the holding cabin of the little witch, the blonde haired girl who is currently repainting the puzzle pieces in Sora's brain. She sat there in her small chair, entranced by the shades and lines of her latest piece of art. It's an image of herself, Kairi, silver haired Riku and of course the brown haired nuisance himself.

Axel's wide legged strut took him to her side, his hands gripping the back of her seat as he leaned over her to inspect the drawing closer. His chest brushing up against the back of her head as he did so.

"Oh, that's so cute." He muses with pursed lips and a snide tone. The roll of his words made Namine retract and shudder, pulling her knees closer together and making her shoulders tight. "You're all holding hands together. Would make me shed a tear if I - you know - could."

"Thank you." Namine spoke at a low volume, barely loud enough to be heard in the near empty box that was her room. She finished the drawing with a few wide strokes to make Riku's hair, tearing the picture off of the pad and setting it aside. "He should start to think he remembers me now…"

"Excellent work, sweetheart." Axel teased, reaching down to pinch her cheek. Giving her a few shakes of the wrist before letting her go. Her cheek snapping back into place, a red bruise bright and harsh against her ivory complexion. Axel ruffled her hair about before he snickered on his way out of the room. "I'll let you know how the results turn out! Maybe you should draw him giving you his first kiss. That'll get the blood plumping. Maybe you'll finally have someone who cares about you."

Shutting it hard behind him. He had to meet with that witch Larxene, and he needed to start thinking of some snide things to throw her way when she would start running her mouth.

The abrupt slamming of the door made Namine tense so much that she nearly snapped her coloring pencil into two.

Namine resettled into her drawing posture and let a sharp sigh ease the tension in her chest. She stared at the picture she had drawn, a fake memory that would serve to drive Sora further and further into the depths of the castle. Which meant further and further into the clutches of the Organization and their plans.

A piece of her wanted to feel some sort of sadness for the manipulative nature of her magic. How she had such a domain over her ability to reconstruct Sora's life with just a few pencil sketches and some shading. But nobodies shouldn't feel - well feelings. So, the numbing feeling she felt must be a holdover from Kairi's compassionate and sympathetic nature.

She briefly begins to reconstruct a different memory, imagining she would be the one to give Sora his good luck charm, with that sweet promise to return the trinket to her. Cementing his determination to reach her. As she brushes her thumb under the sheet to flip it, she lets her thumb linger on the very bottom of the notebook.

Casting a glance over her shoulder, just for assurance she wasn't currently being watched, she flipped to the very last page.

There she had drawn him, with orange eyes and silver hair with a small shadow at his side. She quickly sketched out her figure, with blonde hair and blue eyes beside him. Their hands intertwined to promote a feeling of intimacy and friendship in a fabricated memory. She waited, and just as before, she disappeared from the page.

As if she drew in invisible ink, or some force had erased her attempt to draw a new memory. So odd, she could not figure out what the issue was.

She had a connection to Kuro's heart in a similar way she had a connection to Sora's. She could pilfer through his memories just as thoroughly, and witness events lived through his eyes.

She settled her feet into her position, heels and toes directly fixed to the floor before she shut her eyes and began to thumb through his memories. She traced back through to the delicate details of his mindscape.

Unlike Sora's now relatively organized and navigatable well of memories, Kuro's was much like a tangled mess. As if trying to reconstruct a house from memory after a house fire. His memories were hazed by embers and flames.

So she decided to go through the most recent things she could see. Her heart was accelerating and elevated when she witnessed combat, then her heart became gentle when in the presence of others.

She felt the way his heartbeat became irregular and the confusion in his mind the first time he saw Xion, his tussle with Beast in Hollow Bastion have her a glimpse into the depths of the rage that thundered in the Heartless, converting Dusk from a mindless nothing into his small friend gave her a chance to feel the warmth of compassion and warmth that could fill his heart. The instances of combat she had witnessed made her vicariously seething with rage. It burnt hot and made her jaw clench. Tears swelled in her eyes and her hands became rigid and held in tight fists.

There was so much anger in these memories of combat, a rage that Sora's fights never seemed to reach the level of. Sora got frustrated, and angry. But never was his temperament one of pure fury. But when she saw the laughter Kuro shared with Xion, and the way he comforted her with his words, she had equally only felt that occurrence once before. That level of intimacy and connection Sora would share with Kairi. It was not only just as warm and bright, but so familiar and darling. Namine would focus on that later, she had a personal mission in mind at this moment.

Then she found the precipice of his creation. The moments just before he took his first breath. And she began to sketch.

She felt the warmth that blossomed in her chest as Sora's once stoic and contemplative face immediately broke into that look of naïveté when he turned to face his companions and friends. A brilliant smile gracing his round face before he had accepted the inevitable choice of choosing her life over his own without hesitation. And as she found in her studies with Sora, Sora's emotional response in this moment was unlike anything she had ever felt before. He jumped into the dark without an ounce of fear of what would happen next.

All that mattered was her. A love unlike anything she had ever thought could exist. He would stop at nothing to ensure her safety. And if he was personally in the way of that, Sora did what he could to save her. Even if it meant the end of his life, it was all for the sake of her.

He had unlocked his heart to set hers free, and fell into the dark. And as Sora fell… Kuro rose out of it.

She found herself reaching for the black pencil as her eyes remained shut, her sketching now taking the form of harsh brushes and wide strokes. The emphasizing of the utter pitch around his heart began to take form. In a shape most comfortable and familiar of those that had fallen. With amber eyes and locks the shade of argent.

Namine's eyes opened and stared at her most recent drawing depicting Sora's sacrifice. His heart in suspension above his lifeless frame as it floated in suspicion from the bottom of the page, and a dark figure bursting out of the bloody red symbol of life was him. Coming out of the darkness like a raging phoenix out of the ashes of the fallen.

Namine reshut her eyes and then makes the same effort to scour Sora's mind palace for the same incident. It wasn't as difficult as tracing back Kuro's birth. Her navigation with Sora was as easy as opening the drawer to find a specific file. She just needed to translate the memory into an image.

When she closed her and sketched, she was lost in a similar fashion in the memory. Sora's recollection of the event is the same down to the last moment of life. And then when the blow was struck and he was sent off into the dark, there he remained. And the shadow that he became emerged.

Namine looked at the sketch and found Sora descending down into the dark, with the shadow of the Keyblade Wielder scurrying beneath his floating form as opposed to Kuro's rising up.

She made a single sketch of a rose in Sora's version of events, the flower piece remained. And in Kuro's drawing, the flower disappeared.

Namine must've compared the two images for what felt like ages, trying to figure out what exactly it was that made the two diverge so much. So much so that Namine couldn't even begin to tamper with Kuro's memories despite them being literally the same.

But one thing was for certain.

Kuro had his first breath because Sora willingly gave his last. It confirmed a suspicion that Namine inspected ever since she could and did speak to the Heartless moments after his birth. That he was not only connected to Sora's heart like Riku and Kairir were, he somehow was Sora's heart. His Heartless, to be exact.

This begged the question that Namine couldn't help but wonder.

How the hell did that happen? And since Sora's heart is currently battling in Castle Oblivion, how is Kuro, Sora's Heartless, trundling around in the Realm?

Namine tucked Kuro's picture under the last sheet in the pad, her eyes returning to Sora's memory of the events, what little of a smile there was had bled out of her face. A stoic, somber expression left its mark.

"How lucky you are, Kairi." Namine whispered, a hint of jealousy laced under her words. Her eyes linger on the image of Sora's sacrifice and the intense feeling of devotion and fondness he held for her. "To be loved by someone so much."