Kingdom Hearts: Eclipse

Prologue


Sucking in the cold fall air as the final dying leaves scrunched under his feet was a young teenager around the age of sixteen. He had black boyish hair that dark, sad brown eyes that constantly shifted from left to right as warm tears trickled down his brown cheek. He read the words of the tombstone in front of him that would belong to his deceased friend, whom he felt very attached to romantically. Clenched his gloved right hand was a red rose. It was one of many that once belonged to the same girl and would stay with her even after death. His throat tightened and he let out a feeble whimper as he sucked in another sob and dropped thre rose from a trembling hand. The cold rising moon behind him shined bright amongst the clear graveyard, strewn with multiple gravestones each with their own etched inscription telling a short tale of their lives. Whether or not it was true held some weight to them and those around them in the world of the living. It always depended on what the people of that world saw them to be and told what they thought of them. If it was good: a boundless adoration of their lives in one simple sentence. If it was bad: a underlying sarcastic shot of hatred towards their rotting bodies. Sadly, for the person this boy was so heavily mourning, it was neither. She had no true mark upon her stone like all the others, no writing that gave her death meaning, whether or not her actions were deemed pure. Nothing seemed to bind this girl's life with that of the living other than that one boy. However, the boy stopped his sobbing with an abrupt hush of the tongue when he heared the sound of crunching dead leaves behind him. His hand shot out and a shadowy bolt erupted from his cloaked arm and took form as his mouth pursed the words "blade." The feet that he had heard behind him ceased and shuffled about menacingly. As he heard this, more took audacity and flooded his hearing. Not too long after, all he could hear was the storm of crunching leaves all around him and low, hateful hissing of Heartless.

His dark eyes paced the first Shadow in front of him as it stared back with blank (yet angry) yellow eyes. What seemed to be black ooze dribbled from the monster's mouth and the mouths of the others about him. Sinking low into a balanced stance, the boy's hood threw itself off from the force of the clawed hand behind it, almost tearing it off. Instinctively, the boy rooled to his side, not even feeling the cold, wet, leafy ground and veering up on his back, lashed out powerfully with his weapon at the Heartless that previously attacked him. The grunt shivered back and, on its feet struggled to get back up. Letting out a shrill, almost deafening cry it fell backwards, writhing in what seemed to be violent pain. From the deep wound sizzled an unknown substance that slowly winked twice then faded. The monster sunk into a pool of darkness and disappeared, a red heart floating out from where it once lay.

Before the next Heartless surged towards him, the boy's eyes darted to the heart and raced towards it. Not paying attention, his side was immediately rammed into by a nearby Heartless that struck him powerfully. After saying "blade" again, another weapon from the same shadow bolt lashed out from his gloved hand and cut down the heartless that attempted to add insult to injury with an impaling claw. Seeing an opening, the boy's wrist arched high and moved in a cyclical formation and he uttered the words "Fireball!" A red hot ball of flame erupted from his weapon and caught the incoming Heartless in the chest. Like its other fallen bretheren, it fell upon its back and cried out in agony, cursing in alien tongues his opponent. Another red heart floated from its destroyed body and the boy leaped high and reached out his hand after dispelling the blade. The heart shone for a moment then surged into his body. The other heart, however, disappeared after being exposed to the emptiness of its void for too long. In a long, booming voice, the boy roared with beeastial vigor and charged the remaining Heartless around. The one brutal strike after another, they fell to his blade as tears flooded his vision. He previously had to live in this same darkness for an entire year for his training so he allowed his sorrow to blind him while he murdered every last Heartless standing.

As the remaining Heartless edged back in retreat, the boy dispelled his weapons and held out his hands in mighty protest. Mirror images appeared and charged a unified frost spell as their true being did the same. In one final shot, all the icy shards shot out into the Heartless like exploding shrapnel, craddling their writhing bodies in cold venegeance before behind destroyed by a series of arcane missiles. The hearts surged into the boy's outstretched hand and the mirror images dissipated completely.

He sunk to the wet ground and cried out in cursing tongues over the one lost heart. A dark portal opened up behind him and another black cloaked figure emerged. In a low quiet voice it spoke, "Are you done here?"

Ignoring his comrade's sarcastic tone he spoke, pain riddled in every word, "Yes, I got to speak to her."
The figure shuffled nervously at the battleworn environment, "Did they come after you again?"
Almost venomously, "Yes!"
The figure, understanding the boy's "false" anger, chuckled, "Why don't you kill them again?"
He stopped crying, "You know why."
"Hmph, as if you could really feel pain."
"I don't care if it doesn't really exist..."
"But you do, Thirteen."
Standing up, hood covering his head he turned around and started to the portal pushing pat his brother in arms, "I don't want to hear it, Eleven."
Eleven chuckled again and gently patted his friend's back, his voice suddenly changed to that of jovial comraderie, "Ah, don't sweat it, Thirteen. We'll find ours soon. Plus with those blades you have on you, you have nothing to worry about."
As he stepped into the murky portal, he turned slightly, "It's these same blades that are causing all this trouble. How in the world is it going to help me.
"You know he thinks you're the Adam don't you?"
He looked at the grave and said nothing.
Seeing the subject turning sour, he tried to comfort him, "I'm sure the Eve will come along eventually."
"How will I know?"
"You'll know."

As the two stepped into the portal a shadowy figure reached out towards them. It hissed for a moment but was shot down by a powerful shot from the man's bow. He smirked and spat on the ground the Heartless once stood as the red heart drifted into his friend. "Piss off, worthless carrion."

It wasn't too long before another small army of Heartless amassed in the graveyard and began to talk amongst each other in low gutteral snares and barks.

In only a year's time, darkness had already taken over the worlds.

 

Kingdom Hearts: Eclipse

Chapter I


It was only 7:00 AM when Thirteen woke up in his creeking, flat mattress bed. The white sheets fluttered off his body like a cloth from a balcony. He scratched his head and sat propped against the wall of his rrom. He looked about his room. Strewn all of ther place were glyphs and inscriptions and jewels and whatnot. A long drawn-out sigh erupted from his lips and shot up from the bed within the blink of an eye. The Mage techniques he learned from Five allowd him teleport among other things. From Five he learned the ways of Arcane, Fire, and Frost magic. His Arcane abilities allowed him to manipulate and toy about with the very fabrics of time and space. He smirked a little at the thought of ripping open the universe and disecting its most secret areas, touching whatever he wanted to and whenever he wanted to. To his right was a summoning circle. His smirk slightly turned to a look of soft agony as his memories of training under the Warlock known as Six. Six, among other things, was anything but kind to him. His ways of Affliction, Demonology, and Destruction would forever scare Thirteen and the twisted caverns of Fire and Shadow would curse him from the rest of his days. He had no idea that the void could yield such horrible, disgusting worlds. However, he learned to do many powerful things. Under his command were multiple demons. An Imp and a Succubus were among two of a small army of destructive beings from the darkness. He leaned back and his back craked loudly. He winced and thought back to his painful moments of training under...One...One was the individual who taught him Warrior techniques in Arms, Fury, and Protection. With Arms, he could wield any two-handed weapon and overpower any foe. Protection allowed him to become a stalwart potector, allowing him to take and deal massive amounts of damage with sword and board. Fury...was a nother story all on its own. When this technique was introduced to him, he realized his potential and even lust for violence. With two weapons in duality, he would rampage in a berserk rage, crushing and lacerating anything in his path. He cast a healing spell on himself from which he could only know from Four. Four gave him his Priest techniques. Within these came the ways of the Holy, Discipline, and Shadow. Holy gave him a wide array of healing techniques. These techniques were so strong...they could...even go beyond the grave. His eyes sunk and began to well up...Some Healer I am... But then he immediately straightened up under the shrewd Discipline learned. Then he chuckled at the thought of wriggling Heartless under his shadow techniques. Crippling the mind and destroying the body was a good way to get back at the monsters. As he walked to his dresser, he nearly stpped on a Relic. He picked it up and smiled. Two, the kindest and most jovial next to Four gave him his Paladin techniques. These were the most versitle because he was able to use the Holy, Retribution, and Protection techniques in unison to deal damage, heal and protect others. This also was great for defense when he was given long, soloing quests. On a small rack was a set of lockpicks and Thirteen almost laughed out loud. The Rogue techniques learned from Three allowed him to use Assassination, Combat, and Subtlety to eliminate target quickly and decisively with one blow or more from a flurry of attacks. At the same time, he learned aways to pick locks ad check from things like traps. He smiled again at the impish Three and his strange, quirky ways.

His thoughts immediately dissipated when he remembered that there was going to be a meeting within The Round Room of the Castle That Never Was. Seeing as he was already awake, he immediatey got himself ready, taking a shower, brushing his teeth, etc. After he finally dressed, he looked about his room again. It was still messy. Sighing again, he cleaned his room of the multiple reagents for his array of ten primary professions in Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Enchanting, Engineering, Herbalism, Jewelcrafting, Leatherworking, Mining, Tailoring, Skinning, and Inscription along with his three secondary professions of Cooking, First Aid, and Fishing. Each of these fell into the categories of gathering, production, and service. At the same time, these things made up for the massive amounts of Munny that the Organization needed to complete its daily projects.

He opened his black gloved hand toward the wall of his room and spoke. "Where Nothing Gathers..." a low rumble followed by sparks of bright dust flashed and swirled. Soon, they formed into a small portal. This portal reflected the area in which Thirteen was to reach. He peerd inside for a brief moment, nobody semed be there yet. Fittingly so, he walked into it. A rush of air and the deafening sounds of stars zoomed in and all of a sudden stopped...he was inside.

He searched the silent room for anything in particular. "As Adam...you must always be vigilent. Those that wish to destroy you are always present, even in the most alluring sanctuary, Thirteen" He looked down and closed his eyes, breathing in the silent air. Soon, his nostril caught the wind of freshly cleaned robe. He whired about, two daggers flashed into his hands. They dripped with poison he coated them with himself, another Rogue technique. However, he was immediately on the floor. He wrists and arms were completely loced into place, soon to be broken. Then he noticed the ponytail belonging to only one Nobody...Two. He chuckled and gently jabbed him with his own elbow, a short pang of pain surged up his body.

"You really gotta think about what can be when you cannot see, friend. It's very dangerous out here in the world we live in. Anything...at the slightest moment could grab ya and break ya down, see?"
Grunting, Thriteen answered Two, "Yes, I understand...may I please be released, you're going to break my arm."
Jovial laughter burst from the hapy voice of the Nobody and he released his hold on the boy, picking him up at the same time.
Dusting his robes and returning his daggers, XIII spoke in his usual low drudge of a a voice, "I hate those tests you give me, III."
He answered almost half surprised, "Aw, c'mon! A bit of neva hurt nobod," he scoffed and with a childish wave, repeated, "Nobdy...Heehee!"
XIII rolled his brown eyes at the tanned Nobody only three inches taller than him. In the back of his head he was still amazed that someone of his slender body (which looked like a twig) could easily disarm and subdue him without trying at all. He never truedt him either, as II had a knack for pick pocketing members for practical joke.
"What's that face for, yo?
XIII snapped out of his moments of thought and replied, "Nothing, I was only thinking."
III snorted with a swagger that annoyed XIII as much as it intrigued him by the way II could be so carefree given the crisis that made itself present to the Organization, "That damned Intellect Five has got in your head is always makin' you think, see?"
XIII shrugged and replied again, half-heartedly, "I try my best not to."
Sensing the conversation going sour, as it always did when any member would speak to XIII, III's green eyes fluttered behind to see a hooded figure come in through a portal of summoning. Out of it came Six, brining his dark foreboding aura with him.
XIII cringed as the burning red eyes of the pale faced, white long haired Nobody stepped into the room. His eyes darted viciously toward II and the tanned Nobody nervously shuffled his feet.
In an almost hateful voice, VI greeted them with a dark voice, "Hello..."
III smiled nervously and said, "Yo," giving a polite gesture.
XIII stared at VI. He always seemed to be angry, even when he never really was. "Hello, VI."
"Lovely night we're having...the darkness is very...ripe this evening."
"It's always evening, VI," said a slightly intellectual V, his noble brown hair that slicked back with small bangs that went down to his beared chin complimented his grin at the scowling VI as he stepped out of his own portal created from the Arcane. V and VI were always on opposite terms when it came to magic. The ways of Mage were a far cry from the ways of the Warlock. They equally hated each other, yet respected each other well enough to not be so outwardly offended by every sentence.
"Indeed it is," VI retorted almost violently.
"How goes the studyin', scholar?"
V attention turned to a pouting lip that could only belong to the now envious III, "I believe that things shall be under study in greater perspective in due time, III."
II blinked dumbly, "Er...y-yeah...in perpackertive..."
V chuckled in response and VI snorted angrily at the outward display of hautiness from V.
XIII leaned back and wondered what was real reason why they were all called to this meeting. Aside from One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and himself were the only one's still within The World That Never Was. For a series of missions, the remaining Nobodies, including Eleven (the only Nobody within the Organization that XIII really spoke to unless training) were away. All their meetings would always have all of them present. This time was different.

As II stepped into the, giving a hearty hello to all, IV followed. The two always seemed to be in conversation, always discussing the Holy Light and the glory it brought to all. IV, sounding as gentle as he always did greeted them also, but with a lower, somewhat weak voice. The blonde haired, foxtail hairstyled blue eyed II patted III on the back with a firm, powerful hand and the lean Nobody almost lurched over from the impact. II was heavily built. Yet his body sported enough mobility as to why he could move so fluidly in battle. His opposite in body compostition, IV, shifted his feet and kept his eyes to the ground, always afraid to look up. Yet, in combat, a sense of unknown vim and vigor possesed him.

All of them had one common goal: to regain their hearts and become whole. Yet they had one problem: learning that they would never truly regain themselves even if they got the chance.

And so would begin the long road to truth, a process that would in the end, destroy them all.