Chapter 1: Foundation
Even before Balthazar had opened the door completely, Velcia was certain that the room was going to be perfect. She'd had her eyes closed so that she could wait to see the room all at once, but the scents of old wood and dusty leather that were already greeting her evoked exactly the sort of images she'd dreamed of.
"Ooh, what's it like?!" she squeaked out, eyelids fluttering with indecision on whether or not she was going to peek before he'd brought her to the middle of the room as she'd asked.
"Kinda empty. Kinda old," Balthazar said quietly, inspecting the area as he led her by the hand.
"It smells perfect."
"Does it?" Balthazar paused, then sniffed at the air and shrugged. "If you say so. I guess this is about as middle as you can get, so you should take a look for yourself."
Velcia's green eyes shot open, but her eyes fluttered as she held up a hand to block the bright light. The large windows let in a lot of sunlight and it was quite a bit brighter than she'd expected. She adjusted soon, and saw that the wide, empty room they were in had not been used in some time and the windowsills and knotted wood floors were dusty, but not offensively so. The brick walls were surprisingly pristine, apparently painted with a fresh coat of faded lavender before being abandoned for whatever indeterminate amount of time had passed.
Balthazar had taken curious notice of the way the wall had been painted in two tones that seemed to meet at about the midpoint of the room, but after noticing a similar boundary across the floor realized that the un-shaded windows had left the materials exposed enough to have bleached slightly from the sun. Nothing had been here for some time.
The two wandered over towards an open door in the rear of the room, peeking inside to find another space nearly half as large as the main area. Velcia's face lit at the sight of it, and she snuck under Balthazar's outstretched arm and past the leaning young man so that she could stand in the center of this space, too.
"I think this place would be perfect to fill up with shelves and keep all the party's journals, don't you?"
"Yeah, it can be your little office and the other room can be for whatever else," Balthazar agreed.
"Where were we supposed to get the furniture again?" Velcia asked.
"Ava said to talk to the Moogle. I think she said he was supposed to be the 'Array', but I haven't a clue what that means," Balthazar told her.
Velcia held her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "An Array…? Maybe she meant he has a great array of goods? Oh, no," her expression soured suddenly. "I don't know how we're supposed to get everything we need from a Moogle, we barely have enough Munny or Jewels as it is."
"Ava said this Array Moogle is supposed to get that sort of stuff for free, actually," Balthazar replied.
Velcia squinted, her nose scrunched and her brow furrowed. "Are you sure this Array is a Moogle? If there's really a Moogle who gives stuff for free, I must put him into my sketchbook."
"I guess we'll only know if we find him. Ava said we could let him know if we think we need a different meeting room for the party, but I think this should work," Balthazar said, taking another long look around the space.
"It's got the right smell. It has to be this one," Velcia insisted. "If… if you don't think it'll turn people away."
Balthazar cracked a small grin. "I don't know… we're going to have a hard time finding people who want to join us either way, but I guess if anyone is going to like this sort of smell it'll be the kind of people you're after."
"I suppose that's probably right," Velcia said, taking in another deep breath through her nose. "It smells like a library, and that's what it should be. What kind of record-keeper doesn't like a library?"
Balthazar hummed quietly and nodded, stepping over to the window and looking down to the street below. Across the street stood another row of tall buildings, so they did not get much distance to their view. Still, it was pleasant enough and their somewhat remote location isolated them from the more rambunctious and lively sorts of crowds closer to the center of the town.
There was a soft thumping against the door, certainly intentional but difficult to hear all the same; as if whoever was knocking was doing so with a small pillow. At least, this was the mental image which filled Velcia's imagination, and this is what she found she expected to see as she bounded towards the door and swung it open.
The Moogle fluttering just on the other side of the now-open entrance seemed shocked at the suddenness of it all, and indeed he was quite thankful that the door swung open to the inside and not out. He shook his head and clasped his fluffy paws together. "Greetings, Kupo! Master Ava said you'd be here today. Does this room seem like it will work for your party gatherings?"
"Oh, are you our Array?" Velcia asked, fingertips tracing the flap of the pencil case on her hip.
"Yes, that's right. I know that the rooms are a bit sparse, but that's just so that you can arrange them how you like from the get-go, Kupo," the Moogle said with a nod that made his whole body bob in the air. "If you know what you want, I would be happy to show you to the storeroom and you can take anything you find… so long as you intend to use it."
Velcia's eyes went wide as saucers, and she looked over at Balthazar with a sense of amazement as she slung off her backpack in a hasty bid to retrieve her sketchbook from inside. "Did you hear that, Balthazar?!" she asked.
"Heh, yeah I did. Thanks, Array," Balthazar said, nodding appreciatively towards their host.
"Huh? Kupo, my name isn't Array…" The Moogle said, head tilted. "You must be confused. I am the Residential Assistant for this building - the R.A.," the Moogle said, emphasizing the distinction between the two initials. "All that means is that I'm here to help make sure you have what you need."
Velcia's book was open at this point, her pencil flying across the page as she worked dutifully to sketch their tiny assistant. "Amazing!"
"Well, I don't know about that, Kupo, it's a rather humble job but one I enjoy all the same," the Moogle told them.
"Thanks, really," Balthazar told him.
The Moogle's attention was drawn now to Velcia's sketchbook. He was used to somewhat eccentric behavior amongst the Wielders and normally wouldn't have questioned her sudden dive into artistry, but the consistent flashes of her emerald eyes observing him over the top of the book was proving to be somewhat unsettling.
"I-is something wrong, Kupo?" he asked.
Velcia's face scrunched up. "I'm sorry! It's just… I'm really having a hard time getting your wings right!"
"M-my wings?" the Moogle stuttered.
"Well, they move around so much when you flutter like that," she told him.
"Are you drawing me in your book?" he asked incredulously.
Balthazar shook his head with a knowing smile. "Sorry, she's not really good at asking first. It's… it's a good thing, though, it means she thinks you're interesting. You can tell her to knock it off if you want, though."
"Me, interesting? Hm…" the Moogle eyed her for a moment, noting with some amusement that her pace and attention were not at all affected by this interchange. "Well, Kupo, perhaps this will help you."
Saying so, he floated down and dropped to the ground, sitting down and looking up towards her with a sort of shy pride. Velcia took this turn of events in stride, immediately dropping to the floor herself and propping her sketchbook against her raised knees with only the slightest of pauses between her pencil and paper.
"Oh, the shape of your wings is so curious!" she said, nodding with approval. "I like them!"
The Moogle couldn't help but blush a bit. "They're pretty standard for us Moogles, but thanks."
It was only a few moments later that Velcia dropped her pencil to the ground. She glanced down at the broken pencil tip and tutted to herself with a wince, but held the book out at arm's length and looked between the picture and the Moogle to be sure she hadn't wanted to make any more changes. After a moment, she gave an approving nod. "Perfect! The very first entry for our new party, Balthazar!"
Balthazar leaned over her shoulder, looking at the picture. The Moogle took back to the air and came around behind her so that he too could see what she had drawn.
"Oh, Kupo, you did a very good job!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, I think so too," Balthazar said.
"I'm glad to hear you think so," Velcia said, picking up her blunted pencil and writing 'The Generous Moogle' across the top of the page in a thick font. Balthazar couldn't help but chuckle at this, and stood up.
"Generous, Kupo?" The Moogle asked with some amusement. "You're very kind, but I'm only doing my job."
"Me too!" Velcia exclaimed, folding up her book. "Thank you for helping me to draw your wings."
The Moogle bowed graciously. "Is there anything else I can do to help?"
Balthazar quickly stepped between them before Velcia could speak. "Uh, if you could show us where we could find some shelves, that would be great."
"Oh! There are plenty downstairs in the storage room, Kupo! Follow me, I'll show you to the elevator!" The Moogle turned quickly, fluttering down the hallway as the two followed eagerly behind.
The work of moving shelves, chairs, and other various items of interest from the store room to the new meeting space had only taken a couple hours, but they were busy and exhausting hours nonetheless. Velcia and Balthazar were both quite hungry once the work was finished, and had made their way down to Beach Street to find some food at one of the many restaurants near the lighthouse.
This was a place they both loved. Balthazar found that he was fond of the sound of the waves and the salty sea air, and Velcia was never short for people to watch or sketch in her book. There was plenty to do, and plenty more places that were just fine for those who would rather do nothing at all.
A red-and-gold umbrella kept the two shaded from the sun while they ate, and the breeze over the brick wall was nothing but pleasant. They had a fine view of the sea from here.
Velcia had started into her food rather vigorously, but after making it through about half of her rice seemed to have been losing interest steadily. Balthazar watched her mood crash as he finished swallowing his last bite of pizza, and piped up once it had been swallowed.
"What's wrong?"
She startled momentarily, and shook her head. "It's just, now that we have a meeting place for our party… we really do have to try to make one, don't we?"
"We already have made one," Balthazar told her with a nod.
"We don't need a whole meeting place for just us two!" Velcia declared. "But I don't even know how to begin to ask anyone else to join us. Are we going to have to make one of those recruitment booths?" she asked, almost shivering in horror at the thought.
"I… I don't know. I guess it's something we'll need to figure out."
Velcia crossed her arms, her mouth pursed into a pout of disapproval. "You keep saying that. Don't you know anybody who we could ask?"
"Don't you?" Balthazar shot back.
"I-i…!" Velcia stammered, then took a dejected breath. "I've met a lot of Wielders, but… I'm not really friends with most of them. Even the ones that I do get along with… well, they're just too busy or…" she shook her head. "I really am serious that you're the first person I've met who said they thought what I'm doing matters at all."
Balthazar's face softened. "Sorry. I shouldn't have bit back like that."
"It's okay. But, really, don't you know anybody we could ask?"
Balthazar leaned back, shaking his head sadly. The large clock tower near the town center caught his eye, and he sighed. "The only other people I know in Daybreak town are my old friends, from before I came out into the town."
"Oh!" Velcia's eyes grew wide, and she leaned forward across the top of the table, speaking in a loud whisper. "You mean the secret ones, like that black-haired girl with the enormou-"
"Yes," snipped Balthazar in a hushed tone, "Those ones. I guess I could ask one or two of them…"
Velcia's face lit up, her fingers beginning to squirm with an eagerness to draw, but Balthazar shook his head with a forced chuckle. "I don't think they'd really understand what you're wanting to do."
"We could at least ask them?" Velcia suggested hopefully. "I am so interested to learn more about them."
Balthazar shook his head firmly. "I really shouldn't talk about this anymore…" he looked out across the sea to avoid her pout, but he could feel it nonetheless. "They're very boring. You wouldn't find them interesting at all."
Velcia gasped with a squeak. "You would never say a mean thing like that if you weren't lying!"
"For all you know, you've already met them," Balthazar deflected further. "In fact, I think I forgot what they look like."
Velcia's face scrunched up, and she tried to scowl at her friend. Balthazar couldn't help but chuckle at this ridiculous expression, which only encouraged her to redouble her efforts to very little effect.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you more, Velcia… but it's just not safe, for me or them."
"Oh… Alright. I'm sorry," she said.
"Yeah…" Balthazar sighed, and looked out over the waves. "Let's forget this party stuff for today. What should we do after lunch?"
Velcia looked back down to her plate of rice, and tried to take another bite. This, she found, was once again enticing to her and she quickly took another. "I don't know."
Two small puffs of smoke broke out over the table, and a pair of tiny gray cat-like creatures called Chirithy spun down from it and landed on their plush behinds.
"I know!" one of them said, its voice gentle and high-pitched. "Master Ava has given us your jewels for the week!"
Saying so, both creatures opened the small pink clasp-bags that hung around their neck on a gold-beaded chain, proudly displaying the small sparkling gems to their counterparts.
Velcia smiled brightly. "Oh, thank you Chirithy! I forgot that was today!"
Balthazar looked towards his Chirithy with a raised eyebrow. "Any other news from Ava?"
This Chirithy shook his head, and spoke in a surprisingly deep tone. "No, nothing. She appeared to be distracted by other business. I am sorry, my friend."
The young man let a breath out from between pursed lips. "I guess that means the others are doing okay, at the very least…"
"One can only hope," his Chirithy agreed, dropping down from the table-top and onto the chair beside his friend.
Balthazar turned towards Velcia, who was doing her best to eat with one hand and count her jewels with the other. "So… are you going to try to buy those Olympian sandals from the Moogle this week?"
"I… I don't think I have enough," Velcia said sadly. "And he said this was the last week they'd be in stock for a while."
"You can have some of my Jewels," Balthazar told her.
Velcia's Chirithy dashed onto a spot of the table between the two. "No!" it cried out.
"No?" Balthazar asked with an amused chuckle.
The small cat-like creature turned towards Velcia, fuzzy arms crossed tight. "You told me to make sure you bought medals this week!"
"B-but-!" Velcia exclaimed, dropping her food to quickly try to retrieve her scattered jewels from the table before Chirithy could. "This is my last chance-!"
"That's what you said last week!" her Chirithy scolded her, racing to pick up her jewels and deposit them safely out of reach inside its pouch. "Balthazar, can't you help me?"
"You did ask Chirithy to stop you…" he agreed, picking up a jewel and handing it to the small creature.
"Not you too!" Velcia cried, but she stopped grabbing for the jewels nonetheless.
"The sandals will be back someday, I'm sure," Balthazar said reassuringly, patting her on the back. "Besides… if we're going to start recruiting, we probably do need something a bit better than these Tier Two medals."
Velcia swept her arm across the table, half-heartedly pushing the remainder of the jewels back towards Chirithy. "I suppose so. But I've wanted the sandals for so long now."
Balthazar gave her an encouraging smile. "Well, maybe you'll get something special from the Medal Moogle. I have a feeling today might be your lucky day."
"You think so?" she asked, watching as the last jewel went back into the pouch.
"Sure. And hey, how about after we visit the Moogle we go find some place to hang out in Olympus. Just take the day off, you know?" Balthazar suggested.
Velcia's face warmed red with a smile. "I'd like that very much."
"We can go whenever you're done with your food, if you'd like."
She glanced down towards her paper plate and pushed it to the side. "I'm done."
Balthazar stood up, and grabbed both of the plates off the table. "Well that's settled then, let's go."
Velcia stood up with a nod and grabbed her backpack, then paused and glanced up at him sheepishly. "I'll… I'll be right along," she said, fingers tightening around the cloth straps.
"Whatever you say," Balthazar said, shaking his head. His companion had quite the variety of odd behaviors that he'd become familiar with, and though he still hadn't quite worked out the cause of this particular oddity it did seem to be a recurring one. He turned away without a word, smiling with some amusement at the sound of her sigh of relief, and went to dump the trash away.
As the trash fell into the can, he heard a small "hup!" of exertion from Velcia behind him, then seconds later the faint sound of something falling into the sea. He paused for a moment, both to give her time to feel comfortable in her secrecy and also to muse over what on earth she might have discarded in such a fashion.
Her footsteps clambered across the bricks towards him, and he looked over his shoulder as she came up beside him. Velcia's face was a curious host to a nervous embarrassment, and her lips were pursing visibly as her thoughts bounced around in the prison of her mind.
"You know," Balthazar started slowly, "I'm not even really sure I know what to hope for when we visit the Medal Moogle. It hasn't really felt like there's much point in me knowing what there even is to get, you know?"
"I think so," Velcia said. "I just hope I get more medals from Olympus."
Balthazar laughed heartily. "If I get one, I'll trade it to you."
Velcia perked up a bit. "You will? For what?"
"Whatever, I guess. I dunno."
"Well, if you see anything you like in my pack let me know," Velcia told him with a warm smile.
It wasn't long until they came upon the Medal Moogle's shop. There were several of them around town, each one exactly the same down to the brick. In fact, so exact was their construction that Balthazar had taken to trying to note every scuff he could across the store fronts to compare them. He wasn't sure if his visual memory was poor, or if he were simply imagining things, but it had for some time seemed to him that even these small blemishes and bits of damage appeared to be precisely the same no matter which store in the town he visited. Even still, he wasn't really sure he could trust himself to discern the truth of such matters, though the very concept was patently ridiculous to him.
Behind the large glass windows at the shop front were large banners, each showing highlight items this week. These power medals fueled the attacks of each Wielder's Keyblade by granting the Wielder access to complex and sometimes powerful magic spells infused within. They came in hundreds of varieties, with an enormous array of attributes and incredible artwork of various people, beasts, and more. Many of the subjects thus depicted were easily recognizable as being based on people from the Projected Worlds to which the Wielders traveled, but many more still had no such explanation.
As they entered the store, the lone Moogle fluttered to attention behind the counter. "Welcome, Kupo!" he greeted.
As Velcia and Balthazar approached the counter, their respective Chirithy poofed beside them in clouds of smoke, and readied their purses.
The Moogle nodded expectantly, turning towards the Wielders before him. "How may I help you today?"
"Just one set each, please," Balthazar told him, and the Chirithy each put a pile of the Jewels up atop the counter.
Once the Moogle had counted the jewels, he set a large glowing book on the counter, opened with. Then, he pulled a pair of pouches out from the case and poured nearly two-dozen blank medals out across the book's surface and began his incantation. The small metal medallions began to glow brightly, and before the images began to take discernible patterns the Moogle swiftly swept them into the pouches, half in one and half in the other. The medals seemed to be glowing through the bags.
The two friends watched this display with some anticipation, though they had seen it enough times that the sense of wonder had been lost.
Once the magic had subsided a bit, the Moogle picked up the glowing pouches and handed them over. "Best of luck to you!"
Balthazar gave a weak smile as he hefted the bag in his hand. "Thanks… you know, I still don't understand why it's random like this. There really isn't any way to get something more specific?"
The Moogle's thin eyes blinked nearly imperceptibly. "This is the way The Master of Masters ordered us to conduct business," he explained in a professional tone, somewhat dulled from overuse.
"...I guess I just don't understand why he'd want that," Balthazar said, shaking his head. He turned to Velcia now. "Well, do you want to open them here, or outside?"
"Outside, please!" Velcia said.
The two bid their farewells to the Moogle and returned outdoors, and began to make their way to the park. Velcia's eyes kept darting from the road ahead of them down to her bag, a sense of worry seeming to come across her face. She shook her head and turned her attention to Balthazar. "You do seem to wonder about the Medals a lot."
"Yeah, I guess I do. There's a lot of things I don't think I understand," Balthazar told her.
"Like what?" she asked, dropping her small bag of medals into the pouch on her hip.
Balthazar hummed to himself. "I guess it just feels strange how much it all seems like… a big game, I suppose."
"A game?"
"I don't know how else to explain it," Balthazar told her with a groan. "There are things that make sense, and things that don't. I understand very well why The Master and the Foretellers want us to collect Lux, and fight against the Heartless and the Darkness… I've seen what happens to worlds overrun by Heartless with my own eyes."
Velcia shuddered. "I'm so glad I haven't. I don't know what I would do."
"It's not something I ever want to see again," Balthazar said with a nod. "So I am glad that The Master has brought so many Wielders here to Daybreak Town, and found a way to create these Projected Worlds for them to train in. But, if we're meant to be working together to fight against the Darkness… wouldn't it be in everyone's best interest to have a more thoughtful way to obtain these magic medals?"
"More thoughtful?"
"It's like… a gamble, I guess," Balthazar shrugged. "You'd think Wielders should gain access to more powerful spells and magic as they learn and grow, but instead it's completely random who can get what, and they make such a big fuss about new medals and whatnot."
"That's what you mean when you say it feels like a big game?" Velcia asked ponderously.
"Yeah. There's other things too, like the big competitions and tournaments. I guess it makes sense a bit, since it helps motivate the Wielders to do their best, but… sometimes it feels like it's causing a bit of a divide between the parties," Balthazar told her.
Velcia tapped her fingertips together ponderously. "Well… how would you do it, if you were in charge?"
"Heh… you got me there. The Master of Masters can see the future every decision he's made is set just so to help ensure that light beats Darkness in the end. I don't agree with a lot of his decisions, but…" Balthazar closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "I guess we just have to trust that all of these strange decisions will turn out for the best, somehow."
Velcia smiled, and looked around the street at the buildings and people they passed by. "He must have something good planned."
"Yeah, I hope so," Balthazar said.
Shortly, the two came upon a bench at the edge of a grassy park. This area was somewhat secluded, and the air above the grass was crisp and cool. They sat down, and held up their new medal pouches.
"Ready?" Balthazar asked with an amused sigh.
"Ready." Velcia agreed.
A quick tug at the ribbon adorning the top of the pouch opened it up, and with only a small amount of gentle shaking Balthazar poured ten medals out and into his hand. They varied in size and the type of metal used, but he could feel their powerful magic. Sadly, he noted, he not only failed to get anything particularly new but there was also a distinct lack of the Olympus-themed Medals his dear friend so desperately hoped for.
"Ah, oh well," Balthazar said, dumping the medals back into the bag. "Guess I'll have to take a closer look at these later."
He looked over towards Velcia now, only to see her face shock-white as if she'd seen a ghost. Her wide eyes were locked on to the purple-black medal in her hand, her mouth agape.
"Uh, everything alright?" Balthazar asked.
Velcia jumped with a yelp, quickly scuttling the mysteriously shocking medal into the bag at her side. "I-! N-no-, I- I mean, yes!"
"...Really?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Velcia pleaded, turning her attention away.
"...Huh," Balthazar shrugged, glancing down at her bag momentarily. This was a new one to him.
His eyes drifted down towards her other nine medals which lay strewn across her lavender Olympian robes draped across her lap. "Hey, look at that!" he said with a smile, picking one of the pale-gold medals up gingerly. "This one's got Hercules! Just like you hoped!"
"I can't believe he's back already," Velcia muttered, eyes locked on the horizon.
"Who's back?" Balthazar asked.
"N-nobody!" Velcia squeaked, shaking her head and turning towards him. She jumped again, this time at the sight of the medal Balthazar was holding out for her. It was as if she'd exploded with delight, and the remainder of the medals in her lap clattered to the ground as she hopped around the grass with glee.
Balthazar could only smile at this, and leaned over to help her Chirithy pick up the fallen medals. He didn't always understand Velcia, but she never did fail to fascinate him.
Shutters clattered gently against their frames as the cool night breeze blew through the streets of Daybreak Town. Under an awning, just in earshot of the gently-burbling fountain of the town square, Balthazar sat on a wooden bench quietly looking up at The Master's tower, and the crisp white reflection of the full moon beaming back down to him from the many windows.
The breeze's chilly nibbles did not bother him, and in fact brushed past him all but unnoticed. For the little contemplation they did earn, it was only as long as it took him to wonder if he truly felt the cold or if his memories simply expected the sensation.
He cracked a knowing smile, and leaned back a bit in his seat. "Hello, Tadataka, wherever you are."
A voice broke out from the awning above. "Ah, Master Balthazar, you are as keen as ever."
The speaker, a young man dressed in an outfit that seemed to blend into the shadows of the night, dropped down to the ground; then stood and bowed respectfully.
Balthazar shook his head. "Won't you ever quit calling me that?"
"It is, at this point, unlikely," Tadataka said with a chuckle, sitting down beside his friend on the wooden bench.
"Is there any sense in me asking you to cut it out?"
"No."
"Right. Still… cut it out," Balthazar said, with a feigned exasperation.
"No."
"Augh," Balthazar groaned, shaking his head. He crossed his arms and looked over at his companion, noting the mischievous twinkle in Tadataka's eye. He sighed and leaned forward on his elbows, rubbing his hands together. "I'm glad you were able to come meet with me… I wanted to ask, have you guys had any trouble with the Darkness?"
Tadataka looked out across the square. "Are you speaking of the black Specters? They keep a keen eye on us at all times, but have yet to interact with us."
"So, there really is more than one?"
"We believe so. Juangshi and I have been keeping track of the times we have observed one, and we have on two occasions now noted the presence of such a Specter in two different places at quite similar times."
Balthazar groaned. "That's not good… I've noticed a form of Darkness following me, on occasion. It doesn't really seem to matter where we are. There was one time I was forced to use my magic, and I did expect to see it then; but the other times… I don't know why it was there. If it is true that there are many, perhaps it's just bad luck, but… it does feel as if I've been seeing them more and more."
"They do seem to be taking a greater interest in us," Tadataka said in a low voice. "However, they do not appear to be keen to interact with us."
"Alright… stay alert, and let me or Ava know if any of these forms of Darkness seem to be growing more bold or aggressive. I… I don't really know what we could even do about it, but it will be best to know," Balthazar said, holding his hand to his forehead with a sigh. "But if there really are several of them following us about… it will make it much more difficult to meet with the others. Ava's helped me keep in contact with them to some extent, but she's been getting busier and busier…"
"Juangshi has been quite keen on finding a solution to that problem, as well. Though, I must say, I do not believe any of her ideas thus far have much merit."
"As long as she doesn't do anything stupid," Balthazar sighed.
Tadataka bowed. "I will withhold my assessment on that matter."
Balthazar chuckled wryly. "We must be on the same page, then."
The two sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the rustling of the bushes beside them and the whistling of the breeze through the eaves above.
"I should be meeting with Ava again soon," Balthazar started, crossing his arms. "So, if you guys need anything I can let her know."
"We are content, but I thank you for the offer."
"It's hard to imagine Juangshi or Perere being content," Balthazar mused.
"Their opinion of our circumstances may differ from mine, but the truth is unchanged. We have what we need. Master Ava has given us a small apartment to share, and though not large it serves us well."
"Huh, you three are all staying together in the same place? Master Ava is okay with that?"
Tadataka nodded. "Yes, she says that, as our identities are known to the Darkness, there is likely little extra harm in us staying together."
Balthazar took a deep, uneasy breath. "I'm not sure how I feel about that, but if Master Ava's said so I can only trust it must be true. It must be nice to have a home, at least, I guess I should probably find somewhere to stay, too, instead of just wandering around at night."
"You have nowhere to stay?" Tadataka asked, eyes wide with surprise. "Master Ava had said she assumed you were staying with your new friend."
"Velcia?" Balthazar asked, a tangible surprise in his voice. "No, I don't. I wouldn't have thought to ask her… truth be told, I'm not even really sure where she lives, she doesn't seem to want to talk about it."
"I could find out for you, if you would like," Tadataka offered, bowing his head.
Balthazar's eyes shot wide open, his mouth agape. "What? No! Look, whatever authority you think I have, I'm using it to ask you to please absolutely not do that."
Tadataka burst out in sudden laughter, and Balthazar couldn't help but feel a tinge of confusion. "Are you… laughing at me?"
Wiping the corner of his eye, Tadataka gave a weak bow of his head. "I apologize, Master Balthazar. I find your manner quite agreeable."
"What could you possibly mean by that?"
"When dealing with ones such as Juangshi and Perere, they are quite affirmative in their demands no matter how shallow or petty their desire," Tadataka explained. "While you, in contrast, remain so gracious in your instruction."
Balthazar couldn't help but chuckle now as well. "When you put it that way… but, I am serious. Velcia's secrets… they're important to her, just like my secrets are important to me." He stopped, looking down at his open palms. "I… I've wanted to tell her, you know. Explain what I am. What we are. It doesn't feel right to keep it a secret, especially with those dark Specters on our heels because of it…"
"Then why do you hesitate?"
Balthazar shook his head. "How do you tell someone a thing like that? How would she take it? Sometimes I worry I'm the only friend she has. It certainly seems to be that way. If I tell her, and it scares her…"
Tadataka nodded slowly, folding his hands in his lap. "This is why, despite their abrasive natures, I stay with Juangshi and Perere. It is… difficult to connect with the other Wielders."
With a heavy sigh, Balthazar's turquoise eyes flickered back up towards the top floors of the great tower before him. "What was The Master thinking, sending us out like this?"
Tadataka looked up towards the structure as well, shaking his head slowly. "Who can say…? He must have believed we would find some greater purpose here. It is better than being locked in the tower, would you not also say so?"
"Yeah, it is. I don't think any of us would be happy to still be stuck up there, would we?"
"I do not believe so. The walls of the tower would feel more a prison to me than a protection, from the weight of the Darkness that pursues us. And how much easier its task would be, were we still there."
"We've got better odds out here, that's for sure… but still, it's a hard thing to live with. Every time I start to feel comfortable, I sense that looming Darkness and the anxiety comes back. I forget about it sometimes, when I'm helping Velcia, but night always comes again… and so does that pressure," Balthazar sighed.
"This, too, is something that my fellowship with Juangshi and Perere helps with," Tadataka said. "Though… it is still difficult for us all."
Balthazar leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. "I hope the others are finding friends. Ava will tell me they are doing well, but I get very little else. I'm not really sure she has time to learn the details," he paused, shaking his head and straightening a bit. "I'm sure we'll find a better way to keep in touch, somehow."
Tadataka stood up, pulling his sleeves a bit straighter. "I am sure you will. And now, before I depart, I must ask - is there anything I can do, to help you?"
Balthazar paused, mulling it over for a moment. "No… no, I don't think so. Not unless you know anybody who's keen to write books and organize papers."
"I do not believe I have met anyone such as this," Tadataka said with a hint of amusement. "Am I to presume this is related to your new friend in some way?"
"Yeah, we uh, we're trying to start a Party. Master Ava recommended it," Balthazar said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're kind of having a hard time finding the right sort of Wielders for it, though."
Tadataka chuckled. "I wish you the best of luck, Master Balthazar, but I am afraid this is an endeavor with which I will be most unhelpful."
"Kinda figured it would be a long shot, anyway," Balthazar said with a short nod. "Ah well. Thanks for meeting me tonight. It's good to hear you and the others are getting along well."
"Of course. It is good for me, in turn, to hear that you are finding your own purpose," Tadataka said with a small bow.
"Heh. I guess I am. Thanks."
After one final nod, Tadataka jumped up and grabbed the frame of the wooden awning above, pulling himself quickly onto the top of it and disappearing over the peak of the rooftop and into the night.
Balthazar cracked an amused grin as he watched his friend go, shaking his head softly once Tadataka had broken line of sight. "Some things never change."
Author's Note:
Curry's Husband here! It's been a while, but at long last this new story is finished. This story is a sequel to Angels of the Tower, starting a few months after that story ends. I've included both the Prologue and Chapter 1 to start off, and will be updating with one new chapter each weekend until the end. Thank you for reading, and I hope you like the story!
Also, I'd like to thank AmyHayaNora for the wonderful Cover Art for my story. She's such an amazing artist!
