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[Kyla: Core]


…since when has caring started being confused as weak?
Why is it every time I try to make sure we don’t just go blindly running into something I have to get threats like this?

What exactly would Joe have said- If I couldn’t handle it- then what? Go home? Yeah, like that makes sense right here and now.
She didn’t miss Noelle finishing that question.

Thanks Noelle.
‘I should have just kept my mouth shut.’ This was why she kept shut in the first place.

Thing go to hell in a hand basket.

“Last time I checked, we decided to try and save the world- if possible. But James – don’t get so close!! I don’t think that’s a good-” Ugh and then Noelle started screaming- “this is NOT the time to argue! And you- stop it! Anima can’t see you! Only I can!” That last part she directed at Louis who as flailing his arms in the air in from to anima- and then... it reacted for James.
Yes, talking was not working.

Talking to it was the last thing she thought to try- maybe a binding, sealing, -talking was not what she had in mind.
Kyla readied two things depending on what happened. But first she had to try and make Anima let go!

“Joe! The hands please!” Kyla launched another flight of blades directed at them specifically. She could see James suffering- his damage was going to be horrible! A lot.

A lot?!

“Noelle- when we get him back-“ and so help her they WILL- “ Please don’t heal them! Let me do it first. Trust me!”

[ Noelle ~ Core]

Noelle threw her hands up in exasperation and put a surge of magic into draining Anima while hissing quietly to herself, "'This is not the time to argue' says the girl who's trying to get the last word."

At this point Noelle had next to had it. Everything was going so well until Kyla had to sit and noodle around. She took a few deep breaths to try and quell her anger, directing a never-ending barrage of needles at the hand that scooped James up. The disintegration of the situation was just continuing and she worried that one little trip up was going to doom them. And then came Kyla's request. Noelle looked at the girl wild-eyed--had she not had self-restraint, her fist would have been unhinging Kyla's jaw.

"Trust you?!" She growled, "Trust you to what, cast a healing spell I know you don't have?! <********> no, I'm not going to wait for you to try and experiment with magic you don't know so you can be a ******** hero, when I can do my job and make sure he doesn't die on my watch!"

[Joe:Core]

Joe just kind of grunted at Kyla's response. What did trying to save the world have to do with fighting this thing? They were just trying to save Kyle right now. Which Noelle seemed to agree with, and Joe ended up smiling a little unconsciously when she had piped up a little earlier.

Well, okay, kind of smiled but it was there for only a split second, mainly cause James was doing something that seemed so foolish to the monk. This thing was attacking them wildly, and he was disarming and leaving himself open? Not that he technically stayed that way for long, Joe darting out of the way as James was snatched up, suddenly in an immense amount of pain.

Kyla went for the hands, and Joe did the same. Well, first he tried to close the gaping maw of the beast by flinging his staff with all his strength at the mouth, hoping to cause either some recoil or even closing it. Then he darted forward, grabbing at the hand around James and grabbing it-only to reel back in pain as touching the hand burned his hands, tendrils trying to latch on to him and keep him there.

With a grunt the male moved, quickly darting around and delivering a set of swift kicks to the Aeon's knuckles in an attempt to make it let go of the corsair. And also mentally groaning as the girls seemed to argue over healing him. And he had nothing to really add to it, let alone being unable to focus on saying anything considering his proximity to the enemy and his efforts to help James escape.

[Kyla: Core]


Kyla made to move quickly in tandem with Joe- but was caught off gaurd by Noelle's sudden emotional outburst-
Here?
What?

Of all the ridiculous, pretentious, presumptuous, outrageous things to accuse her of- and now of all times, right now- right when James in danger- was this girl insane???
The level of shock Kyla felt made her body vibrate with an emotion she couldn’t even describe. In that moment she realized something about Noelle that rocked the amount of respect she originally had for the girl- and made her seriously…seriously second guess it.
Despite every fiber in her boiling in a sudden rage she had never felt in a long time-it only lasted a moment before cooling. A very cold quiet came over her as she crushed the feelings down, ground them to a fine point until they crystallized.

“Noelle.” There was something sad, disappointed, and off about her voice… She looked at Noelle with a very dark look. Like the healer had said something that changed how Kyla fundamentally looked at her.

‘So this is what you’re obsessed with? That’s what you’ve been paying attention to?’

This girl wasn't the person Kyla thought she was..

The thought never, not even once, went through her mind.

“We are a team. Noelle.” She said with a weight that carried so much with it. As a team, they are supposed to trust each other to do their job. If Noelle took offence to Kyla’s request- like it was some ploy to play hero- it was ALL in her Noelle’s own mind and had no place here. They didn’t have time to explain every time- she didn’t have a chance to report to this person what she could do, and up till now - she didn’t think she had to in order for this girl to cooperate with other teammates. Kyla assumed as a team Noelle was mature enough to trust her to do her job.

Sora was right. Enough.
She wasn’t going to argue with her. And Kyla shook her head in utter disappointment at herself for even allowing this to distract her for even a second.
Because of her hesitation she didn't have a chance to tell Dawn, and now they were all healed. Too far for Kyla to trigger a more efficient rebuff. But maybe they would have time- so she went back to casting Warding Lotus on each person one-at-a-time again, hoping the moment of reprieve lasted long enough to finish.

{James : Core}

The corsair continued to mentally kick himself in his continued agony. He was glad that he wasn't alone in this scenario or he would surely have died. In a flurry of attacks all of them were focused on one thing, getting him free, which he appreciated greatly because he wasn't sure how much he himself, or his heart for that matter could take this punishment.

James wasn't sure what all was happening in regards to attacks, being faced towards Anima's mouth. However, he could feel impacts on the creatures knuckles and Joe delivered powerful kicks to the hands. The corsair couldn't help but feel some of the impact from them though as the force was transmitted through the hands and into his already pained body.

Relief came in the form of Dawn's Whispering Winds, which with their boosted magical power was strong enough to heal him entirely. However, in her hastiness, it was only a brief reprieve as the darkness seared into him once again causing returns yells of pain between desperate shallow breaths as he was still being crushed.

The continued blows to Anima and the final gouging of it's eye from Sora seemed to finally be enough for the monster to release him... by throwing him right into Joe, sending them both careening out of control. Thankfully the monk was able to stop them and James managed to right himself.

"If I... ever do something... stupid like that again... Please hit me as hard as you can...,' he stated half jokingly, half seriously between gasps for breath.

As Anima reeled from the pain of all of the attacks the corsair took the opportunity to catch his breath, not an easy task given he had practically had his ribs crushed by the force of Anima's hands, more than a few coughs escaped as he tried to get his breathing back under control. He got a good look at himself during that time his skin, every place that was visible and probably the vast majority of what wasn't visible was covered in painful black blisters. While Dawn's full-heal had helped a lot, due to it being cast so early he ached a fair bit, but he was far better off than he had been.

'Note to self... Do not try to reason with things that have been fully consumed by the darkness,' He thought as he flew back into formation, so glad for the aura wings because he doubted he would be able to walk after what he had been through.

'Admittedly, that wasn't the best idea,' The Lunar Wolf replied with what could be construed as a bestial chuckle, which he was doing his best to hide by sounding sympathetic.

'A perfect example as to why I think with my head not with my heart... I am fairly certain that was the stupidest thing I have ever done in my entire life!' the corsair replied, obviously still berating himself. If he wasn't in the middle of a battle he would probably be hitting himself upside the head countless times.

"Let's finish this!" the corsair yelled, refocusing on the battle as he charged his hexagun with energy, the Light Card in his left hand once again as he focused on keeping his aim steady. "Purifying Helix!" the corsair shouted as he unleashed another three spiraling light bullets at Anima's face.

[ Noelle ~ Core]

Sora's cry for them to stop had Noelle reeling. It was like someone had smacked her upside the head. Her gut sank as she realized they'd gone too far--she'd let her anger cloud her mind and she temporarily lost sight of their objective. What's more, she caught the look of distress on Dawn's face as she went to heal James. Guilt washed over her.

"Oh my god sorry sorry sorry." Noelle said in response to Sora's brief reprimanding.

'I messed up, I should have just healed him, I wasn't even thinking, I let myself get angry and distracted and--'
'Human, stop, it's alright. You've only recently even discovered these powers, it'll take time to grow accustomed to making these spells an automatic response. Go, heal him now.'

When James was free and caught by Joe, Noelle performed Scan on him to evaluate what kind of help he needed. Dawn's winds pulled him out of the red, but she still cast a Cure spell to make sure he was back to ship-shape. She would have to make a point to apologize again later for her slip-up. Kyla, however, seemed to have been too caught up in her own condescension to feel any kind of remorse. Noelle completely dismissed the girl's dramatic tone, and had to bite her tongue at her last comment. She still managed to roll her eyes and grumble to herself, 'Oh, she's FINALLY figured that out, it's about goddamn time.'

"Dawn!" The blonde called, pulling several seeds from her pouch and watching them start to glow between her hands, "Put one of these on everyone, I'm going to channel the health and mana from Anima into you all to give you an extra bost!"

No sooner had she relinquished her control over the seeds had they been picked up by a delicate breeze and delivered to each one of the fighters. As the seeds came to rest on their person, they would quickly start to feel the effects, though lessened by the split from the source.

[ Sora ; Dawn : Core ]

Kyla's reaction to Noelle, the cold, chiding tone, made Sora look toward the artist with a baffled, unbelieving look, eyes squinted and mouth slightly agape. Really? Kyla wanted to talk like...

... Really?

Slowly shaking his head and turning away from her, he decided to keep his mouth shut and focus on what needed to be done. Worlds forbid he open his mouth and just stir up more drama.

As Dawn spread Noelle's seeds around, he felt the slow syphoning of health and mana come into his system.

Not quite sure what else to do, Sora charged his key with the light energy Kyle had left with them and let it fly, assaulting Anima's swinging form with a Light Raid.

After working together with Noelle to spread each individual seed to everyone in one moment, Dawn felt the invigorating energy and smiled--reassured that even James would be getting the help he needed. She wondered what else she should try to do before things got out of hand.

James and Sora were working on their attacks. Joe was focusing, probably thinking of a plan. Kyla was working on something--'Putting the walls back up,' she thought, realizing the girl could only do that one at a time. She could have helped with that.

With nothing left to do, she went back to dancing, refreshing everyone's Haste and Faith, since Bravery and Bubble were still in effect.

[ Kyle ; ¿ Seymour ? : Station of Awakening ]



Kyle watched carefully, gaze unwavering, as Seymour—or Seyhanort, as Kyle had mused—began to slowly circle around him. With every step he took, the golden flames around him died off, smothered by an encroaching shadow. Those ancient golden eyes seemed to pierce him, unblinking and locked with his own.

There was a blur, an unseen split in time, and the clashing of metal echoed throughout the station. Kyle stepped back with one foot to brace himself, the shining Gungnir hovering between he and the blue-haired fiend, trembling as it held back the Maester Seeker.

They smiled.

"Such an able specimen," they said, standing confidently, unfazed, effortless. The station seemed so much darker surrounding the guado's form.

Another fractured moment later, another ring of steel, and Kyle reeled to the right, bloody Gae Bolg resisting the push of the dark key. Brown eyes met gold, and gold gleamed.

"So strong a heart," they spoke, their voices distant, cold, observant. "I will do much with this one."

"Christ, you really don't shut up, do you," Kyle growled, willing Gungnir to flash forward in a stabbing motion—

—which missed, as Seyhanort reappeared behind Kyle with a vertical assault. The dragoon slid into golden fire, which immediately smoldered into bare embers as the tainted blade based through it, and he reappeared a short distance to the guado's unguarded flank, releasing a bolt of radiant flame. All it struck were wisps of black smoke as Seyhanort reappeared in a smothering pulse inches in front of Kyle, stabbing forward.

Kyle yelped, contorting sideways and parrying with Gungnir in the opposite direction, while Gae Bolg attempted a diagonal sweep of its own. All it met were more wisps as Seyhanort reappeared a few feet away, surrounded by nothing but dead embers, smiling.

"Quick of wit and fleet of foot to match," they said, pleased. Kyle's chest heaved; they had breath to spare. "You do not disappoint, boy."

"Wouldn't want that, now would we?" he muttered, his hands beginning to light up, from fingertips to wrists, with charging circuits.

"It would be a set back, yes," they said, Seymour's normally haughty tone carrying the shared message. "But I still have so many of you to choose from."

Kyle shouted in anger, sending Gae Bolg spiraling toward the villain, only to have him reappear once again at his side, swinging. Kyle discharged a blast, deflecting and knocking back the invader long enough to leap at him with Gungnir at his side. The offense pushed Seyhanort to vanish once again, his reappearance bringing shadow behind the dragoon, reading another blow, only for Gae Bolg to return from the rear, still spiraling like a buzzsaw—

—into the dark Keyblade, angled from above his shoulder to protect his back, as if the readied vertical swing had always been a backward defense.

With a smirk, they casually flung the spear away and hopped a few feet backwards, allowing Kyle a chance to recompose. Silence fell. Their eyes remained locked, Kyle attempting to catch any sign of hostility, Seyhanort simply analyzing the young man in front of him.

"You'll do."

Kyle didn't have a chance to blink, let alone react, as Seyhanort rushed him, the dash releasing a pulse of energy that smothered every burning flame left on the station. All he could do was hop away from the first slash and mentally pull both his spears close to him. Yet by the time that was done, the fiend was behind him, swinging at him—and managing to cut into his shoulder.

With a gasp, Kyle rolled forward, gripping his shoulder while twisting in a full one-eighty. In the process, he unleashed twisting spiral of golden fire, threatening to burn Seyhanort if he pushed the assault. A bolt of black energy pierced the fiery light, flipping Kyle backwards. He was barely on his feet when the guado was at his side, twisting into a powerful blunt-sweep to his jaw that sent the dragoon careening sideways.

Contorting in the air, he attempted to helicopter-kick his legs, sending slashing waves of light in all directions—horizontally. Seyhanort, however, immediately descended upon him from above as soon as he landed, slashing down his chest and releasing a small burst of darkness as he reached the ground. In his recoil and panic, Kyle tried to bring both spears forward at different angles, slicing and gouging, except the guado had already disappeared in black wisps, reappearing and cutting deep into the dragoon's back with a diagonal assault. The gash forced Kyle forward onto his knees and, as a result, the fiend reappeared at his side, pulled his leg back, and kicked him in the side, sending him rolling along the station's darkening mosaic.

“So ends the story of the heart made whole.”

His breathing ragged, Kyle struggled to get up, rushing back to he knees only to have the tainted blade's blunt side strike the underside of his chin, knocking him onto his back.

“I commend you for your persistence, but it is futile. Destiny is never left to chance.”

From his position on the ground, Kyle tried to push up and away, willing the spears to defend him. Two quick dark blasts knocked them away and a third hit him square in the chest, merely making him slide back against the stained glass.

“Have you not heard? All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. Your earth-born heart is no different.” Seyhanort began, slowly walking toward Kyle's prone body. With every step, the very station itself seemed to grow dim, and the dark Keyblade began to give up a black aura. “Darkness sprouts within it. It grows, consumes it. Such is its nature.”

Everything was growing cold. Though only a manifestation, Kyle's body ached, the numerous lacerations searing him even now. In frustration, he mustered another blast of light fire, though it was deflected just short of the guado's face.

“In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came,” he continued, standing over the beaten dragoon. He leveled his keyblade, preparing a finishing blow. “So why do you resist? Why do you keep fighting? All of this was decided. In the end, your heart will be engulfed by mine forever—!”

In that brief instant, time slowed.


In a flash of movement, he was sitting up, hand up and out as if to catch the coming blade. In front of him, his two spears hovered vertically a few feet apart, with a translucent golden barrier formed betwixt them, holding back the attack.

The station was glowing again, and though he couldn't see it, his entire body very briefly flickered with a ghostly visage of a certain masked woman, a certain mirror-wielding blue mage.

Seyhanort's eyes narrowed dangerously, the yellow lights sharpening, becoming all-together inhuman in the way they bore rage, as Kyle slowly began to hover into the air, bringing himself to his feet while the barrier held. Gold met brown—and neither blinked.