Welcome to Gaia! ::

[∫ ʋ ʓ ʋ ʁ ᾲ ɳ]
{You look like you fell down a tree and hit every possible branch on the way down.}

[Traverse Town :: Gummi Ship Hangar ]

Suzu walked into the garage after Sory with Kuu following close behind, the heiress hastily smiled at Cid before turning her eyes to their ship. It would be able to accommodate them all comfortably, at least judging by the exterior. And if anything, Sory had said he had extra gummis to spare as well.

"Well Kuu, you're the mechani-" Suzu stopped mid-sentence as something sailed past the group and exploded. She swiftly unhooked her scythe from her back and swung, trying to pinpoint the source of the magic.

[Moggie : Traverse Town : First District Gummi Ship Hanger]

Moggie felt rather nervous about being in this area of town. Seeing how close she was to the home she was trying to escape. She didn't want to be caught now when she was so close. If one of them saw her, she was afraid they'd find a reason to bring her back. That was something she didn't wish for. The moogle did feel her heart sink as they entered the hanger and Cid was there. Moggie took extra care to stay as close to Suzu as possible. Hopefully if he did see her, the old man would not hassle her to go back or mention anything about the other moogles that resided in the shop above his shop.

"KUPO!" Moggie shouted as she ducked for cover near Suzuran, she herself getting her rod out ready for use, to cast a fireball once they located the person responsible, "Where did that come from? Just tell me which direction and I will turn them into toast!"

[Is Artemis even around anymore? Should we include him? And what happened to Byoki?]

~Window~

[Traverse Town:: First District Cafe]

It was interesting, being surrounded by so many people he didn't know but were soon going to be close companions on a journey. Who were these people? What secrets and adventures did their past hold? The panic was still at the edges of Window's mind, but he was able to hold it off...for the moment. The food in front of him helped a lot with this. The new tastes and unfamiliar spices and herbs made Window's tongue almost dance with excitement, if such a thing were possible, though the visual imagery was laughable. The man was so focused on his meal that he almost failed to register the woman in pink who entered into the restaurant. He looked up, unable to immediately reply due to the occupation of his oral orifice, but he stood up hastily and struggled to swallow the mouthful of food. Coughing, he held up and twisted his hand in the standard salutations of his homeworld, also returning the slight bow, and greeted, "Ah, Aerith! It is a great pleasure to see you again! I trust your evening and morning were satisfying? What a surprise it is for you to join us here! Would you like to sit down?" Window began to look around for some empty chairs he could steal and add to the table, while simultaneously smoothing out his hair ruffled once again by Nalo.

As his gaze searched behind Aerith, he noticed her companion for the first time: Youni. As their eyes connected, Youni said his name. Again, just that one word carried so much in its single utterance. Even though it was his own name, the way it issued forth from her lips made Window look at it anew. For a split second, he thought about why he was named that and what his name meant to him, what it implied...but the moment passed, and Window released the breath he didn't know he was holding. Was she greeting him, or just recognizing him? In either case, he inclined his head in acknowledgment of her presence and replied, "Youni. It is a pleasure to see you as well. I hope my explanations were satisfactory last evening? I trust you are well?"

Returning to Aerith's question, Window continued, "Plans? From what I understand, Merlin will direct us to a 'gummi ship', though I know not what one looks like or how to sail it. After that...I have little idea of where to begin. The universe is so vast and large that I fear this may be a fruitless endeavor. The only solution that comes to mind is landing on a planet and questioning its inhabitants as to their records of surrounding worlds and consulting their star charts. I may have not been an Astronomer, but I still retain adequate knowledge of my world's position in the sky." Window omitted the fact that the sky was regarded with fear and trepidation, so only a few dared to study its frightening depths. Scholars of the Sky held a special place in Window's society--partly revered, but also outcast and tainted. Window just knew enough about space to satisfy his curiosity, but he made sure not to stray into the territory of the Astronomer. It was quite ironic that he was about to be venturing out into the inky blackness, and it only added to his mental imbalance. But, as usual, Window held all of this in well, and no one would know the apprehension the man felt towards the next few hours.

~.~Thales~.~

”You can bend it and twist it… You can misuse and abuse it…
But even the gods cannot change the Truth.”

[Traverse Town ~.~ First District ~.~ Gummi Hanger]

After receiving permission to join their group from Princess Suzuru, Thales kept his excitement to himself and pulled out his journal to jot down the occurrence of his journey thus far.

Day Two; Entry Number Three:

My lucky has improved! Last night I met a group of travelers who've allowed me to participate in their journey. Unfortunately, I spent all the munny I had on a room at the local in here in Traverse Town, but with everything we'll be doing as we explore the worlds I'm sure we'll find ways to obtain more currency.

As I write, we are on our way to the hanger where we'll be getting aboard a gummi ship to begin our travels. I shall update my journal frequently with every event. I hope I brought enough ink with me...

The young man was so busy writing in his journal that he gave no attention to the gentleman who were about to spar.

Thales put away his journal just before they opened the large gates to the hanger and were greeted by a blonde man chewing on a piece of straw named Cid. Just then, an orb of some sort of energy flew passed the group toward the side of the hanger and exploded! The attack put Thales on the edge; however, he did not ready his staff. Instead, he walked into the barrier Mitsudo created and scanned the hanger for the intruder. Then there was a second blast, which was quickly resolved due to Kuropo's quick reflexes.

"Maybe this wont be as easy as I thought it would be...," Thales muttered under his breath, finally readying his bo staff.

[ ¿ Ʌ Ӂ ͼ Ʀ Ѳ Ƞ ¿ ]

{When faced with Twilight, your heart will reveal its truest colors...}

[ Nirvana Tower : Sanctum of Twilight ]

For a few moments, all seemed quiet to Fortuna as she sat on the edge of the Sanctum of Twilight, a circular room of white-and-gray marble. This room was only the ground floor of Nirvana Tower, a structure with quite a few mystical properties. On one side, a door which lead to a twilight sun; on the opposite side, a door which lead to a twilight moon. On the two sides in-between the doors were a set of spiral staircases- one ascending, clockwise, until it struck a doorway just above the path to Light; the other descending, also clockwise, until it struck a doorway just below the path to Darkness.

Upon these circular walls was a single, repeating crest, colored silver amongst the white and gray- the Crest of the Keyblade Masters. On the ground, in front of the two doorways, was a pair of crests of unknown origin, their bottoms closest to each other, and they were enveloped in a circle of multiple lines, all twisting around one another endlessly. Each of these things Fortuna had asked her 'teacher', and each time, he had merely brushed the question away.

The tell-tale sound of a door opening and closing could be heard from the lower staircase, followed by the sound of footsteps. In moments, the cloaked, wrapped man known to Fortuna as Axeron strolled up the steps, hands idly gripping themselves behind his back as he entered the Sanctum.

"So glad you could make it," Axeron called somewhat cheerfully, if such a thing was possible for the man, as if he'd been expecting her arrival. "You have quite the day ahead of you."

[[For the record: pronounced AH-ker-on]]

[ ¿ Ʌ Ӂ ͼ Ʀ Ѳ Ƞ ¿ ]

{When faced with Twilight, your heart will reveal its truest colors...}

[ Nirvana Tower : Sanctum of Twilight ]

"As I have said before, all in due time," he replied, chuckling as he strolled to the center of the room and stopping, looking at her from underneath his wrappings (though his eyes were, by no means, visible). "Incidentally, that time... happens to be now."

"You see, Fortuna, by the end of this day, you will have come across another world similar to this, and now I feel as if you should understand the gravity of their existence," he began, his tone as cryptic but tempting as usual, always playing at knowledge but never being blunt with it. "This world, known now as Nirvana Tower, had another name before it obtained such a moniker, as did one of its sibling worlds, known as Castle Oblivion. Back then... they were known as the Land of Passage and the Land of Transition, respectively."

"As you have likely guessed, they have a third sibling world... the Land of Departure. All three, you see, are on the balance between the realms of Light and Darkness. In the beginning, all served as boundaries," he continued, his arms remaining behind him as he did so. There was a pause. "As well as training grounds for those who would enforce such boundaries- the Keyblade Masters."

"What happened, then, to this Tower and Castle Oblivion? They were each assaulted by a single, ruthless enemy... considered a champion of the Darkness itself, he struck down the Land of Passage first and, some time later, the Land of Transition. His name... was Xanatos."

"When the leaders of each world realized that their planet would inevitably fall, they sealed the Heart of the World away and, in the process, changed the very layout of the world to make sure Xanatos could never reach its heart. That, you see, is how Nirvana Tower and Castle Oblivion came to be. Their crests still haunt these halls as a reminder... and his mark still scars this floor for the same reason."

Axeron hesitated. "Before I go on, do you have any questions?"

[ ¿ Ʌ Ӂ ͼ Ʀ Ѳ Ƞ ¿ ]

{When faced with Twilight, your heart will reveal its truest colors...}

[ Nirvana Tower : Sanctum of Twilight ]

"Xanatos found them because he is... was a Keyblade Master himself, as were his followers," Axeron responded, nodding slowly to the young girl before him as she attempted to control her inner fury; he had seen those golden eyes in more than one of his pupils. "They sought greater power... and he attained it, at the cost of his sanity. Fortunately for the cosmos, the three Keyblade Master in charge of the Lands managed to seal away Xanatos... a seal which, as we both now know, was not eternal."

"This came at what some consider a steep price, for reasons most to this day do not understand... after Xanatos was defeated and sealed away, the True Keys themselves ceased to exist," he explained, bowing his head as if in reverence. "Some who are actually well-versed in the galactic record believe it to be the act of the worlds themselves, fearing that another Keyblade War might occur. Others believe that it was the imbalance made by the loss of two barrier worlds."

"Why it all happened, however, is irrelevant. The past can only give us clues, but the present must not be ignored. You have been seeking my advice and wisdom in order to topple Xanatos himself," Axeron spoke, lifting his head once more as he did so. "Well, I am certain of one thing- that you are not ready. But soon, you will take one of the final steps, for you see, you are going to infiltrate Xanatos' most recent set of allies... the Conclave of Ruination."

"They have been lying in wait for years now, steadily building power, working under Xanatos whether they realize it or not. Within the hour, however, they plan to announce their existence to the galaxy and, at the same time, recruit new members using a grand show of force," he wrapped up, the wrappings seeming to tug at a smile though it was impossible to tell. "You will go to them seeking to join. Xanatos will know you, I'm sure, but I'm also certain he will do you no harm, for you see... if there is one type of ally he prefers above all, it is one who wields the Keyblade."

"Do you now understand what a grand opportunity this is? You will be able to get closer to him than you ever could have hoped to," he explained, finally bringing his arms out from his back and stretching them wide, as if to show some grand picture. "From these people, you can learn more methods to channel the Darkness... and using that same knowledge, get close enough to strike them down."

[ ¿ Ʌ Ӂ ͼ Ʀ Ѳ Ƞ ¿ ]

{When faced with Twilight, your heart will reveal its truest colors...}

[ Nirvana Tower : Sanctum of Twilight ]

"As soon as you are able. The world you seek is called Wonderland," he replied, nodding slightly as he did so. "It is already infested with innumerable Heartless due to an attack yesterday by the Conclave. The Heartless have narrowed down the search for the world's heart, and Xanatos plans to take it in order to increase his power."

"He has done this to more than one world already, and tragically, it is all but impossible to stop him from taking this one, as well." His tone seemed solemn; cold, but not apathetic. "Before he does so, however, it is very likely he will call for... an audience. That is when you should show yourself."

[[Before you respond, Nich, need to ask you something]]