Before The Storm(open)

[caiusballad]

Time had passed, yet it felt like it hadn't ever since that final battle with Lightning. Though it had appeared he had failed, he also had truly succeeded in his goal. As far as he was concerned Etro was defenseless. Lightning, the last time he checked had placed herself in a crystal state to preserve her sisters memory within her mind. Idly a finger tapped the armrest upon Etro's throne as his next move was calculated carefully.

"There is still Noel and the fools who helped Lightning against Orphan, but that matters not. Without Lightning to be their blade they are nothing. Nothing more than mere insects beneath my feet." As far as the Immortal Guardian was concerned he had no opposition. Yeul was finally going to get her chance at true happiness. A chance to live life without ending. And he was going to ensure that no matter what.

Slowly he rose from the throne, taking Ragnarok in hand from its resting place next to him and gave it one swing before placing it on his back. A lot of work needed to be done and surely Lightning's group of friends would try to stop him, yet he would ensure they failed. Extending an arm, a golden rift appeared before him, allowing him to enter whichever timeline he wished, yet instead he merely watched the different timelines to catch each different Yeul smiling. He wanted her to smile free of her curse, and he was going to ensure it at all costs.

[deshitana6]

(Let’s talk about your goal of insuring the one you care for so much remains happy, shall we?)

Pulse was proving more and more entertaining and useful by the days. First it had shown how worthy it was to be a home to his Heartless, next it had given him a new tool to use to crush his opponents, then it had shown him just what sort of defense this world had, and finally it granted him, his last wish—finding a potential ally to further his goals. He hadn’t wandered far from the battle that had hit the shrine that belonged to this world’s goddess of Light, Etro. For whatever reason, the goddess had left her world undefended and instead trusted the task to her chosen ones. After all, why do all the work and potentially get killed when pawns were the much safer route? This way work was done and the one in control lived to see another day. It was cruel in some people’s eyes. Cold and heartless, but on the other hand, logical and effective. Ansem saw no reason not to use such a method that had proved time and time again to work, even if the pieces sometimes got out of hand.

After all, he too was, but a pawn in the game. His mission was to fulfill his original’s goal. His tools? Himself and the Heartless always there to distract and lead others off track. Keep their eye on himself rather than where the original was. It was a game which in the end caused him to be destroyed time and time again, but that did not matter. His purpose was always served and each time, he and the others always got closer to the true goal. His work was not done, so the Darkness and the will of his original brought him back. He didn’t have to worry about staying weak for long for there were always Hearts to latch onto and drain. Bodies to be taken over until their purposes had been fulfilled and then like the toys they were tossed in the trash where the Heartless waited for the remains of their Heart. A vicious cycle that worked slowly, but progressively on a small scale; however, when applied to a larger scale such as the Light and Dark War, the progress was nearly halted as multiple variables were thrown into the mix. It made planning harder, especially when the threat of Light did not come from just the familiar, but the unfamiliar too. The Light flocked together to resist a force they could not possibly overcome while the Dark for the most part allied with each other because everyone was always a stepping stone for another.

A sad mess, but the Heartless didn’t care as long as the other Dark Warriors stayed out of his path and left Kingdom Hearts be. As long as they stayed away from his prize, he had no reason to attack another of the Dark. As unruly as they were, all would be brought to order once things were finally going his way, so he tolerated the chaos well enough.

In any case, the Dark Heart had lingered around the shrine for a long time simply exploring the large place that was now abandoned. He did not expect to find anything of use here, but when he suddenly felt a tug of Darkness within the strong hold of Light, he traveled through the shadows until he found the source of it. It was a man dressed in strange clothing, reclining on the throne of the goddess, lost in thought. Ansem observed him, waiting to see if this man had anything that would be of use to him. Sure, he seemed powerful, but that meant nothing if the man was wound up on a specific goal of his own that could not be shaken or on a path that could not be in turned used to reel him in. The Heartless was not concerned with paths of destruction or world take overs. No, he was after something more, something better than that, so he waited to see what he could learn.

When the man spoke, Ansem rolled his eyes thinking that this was just another power house out for revenge against those that had defeated him in the past. Revenge was nice, but he had already seen too much of that, so maybe he’d come back to this one later if that was all he had to offer. The Heartless, becoming a bit bored, was about to move to another part of the Shrine via the shadows, but stopped as he saw the man rise and then go through his actions of swing his weapon as he picked it up. Then holding out one hand, he opened a strange golden tear upon which many images of a young woman flashed by. Each image of the woman held a smile on them. A odd pattern that Ansem was quick to catch onto.

What was this? A loved one lost or perhaps trapped? Something the man wanted to protect? Were they perhaps separated by some terrible fate done to them both by the Light or others? Was she the reason, he had spoken of the this Noel and Lightning in such a way? Did they perhaps have something to do with this one’s misery? The questions went on, but were pushed and molded in tools as the man before him went from boring to useful indeed.

Ansem could not bring back the dead; however, if the girl was indeed someone this man would do anything for, then perhaps she could be used as leverage to get what he wanted. After all, didn’t those with such strong goals as to protect or to insure something for another do almost anything to make sure that said goal was achieved? He wondered, if using the girl could get him ally or would mentioning her bring trouble. Hmm…time to experiment, wasn’t it?

Deciding on his next course of action, wisps of Darkness began to gather in the throne that had been abandoned by the man. Slowly, the Darkness formed the elegant and cloaked formed of the Heartless named Ansem. He was reclining horizontally on the throne as if it were his own. He tilted his head slightly resting it on his hand as he leaned back slightly on the arm rest watching the man from the shadows of his hood with a bored expression upon his face. One amber eye was revealed, glowing lightly from the shadows.

“She is quite lovely. Who is she? If you don’t mind me asking,” Ansem began his tones calm and non-hostile. Depending on how the man reacted to his words would determine his next course of action.

[gabranth]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,460,true][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/a2vuas.png); padding: 5px; text-align: justify; color: #202020;] "Can you not see? She is his means of something worth fighting for; a means to regain his own honor and former glory. Someone he ought to defend. and be her shield were she may not." Stepping out from behind a column beyond the throne, the armored fallen knight stepped forth, dark black and red cape billowing behind him and lengthy swallowsword clutched in his right hand. "I would know, for I had too such a vice. Whether she dies or not is of no consequence of weakness, for he shall fight on without hesitation, compassion or remorse." He turned his helmeted head, to face the two. "That is good, you will need that conviction to drive that very blade into their blemished hearts. You have all but one emotion; endless rage. Let that hatred fester in your heart and drive you towards your goal; do not let her sacrifice be in vain." He marched boldly further towards the two, coming to a stop. "As for that Lightning, ah, she is a worthy foe. I have fought her before, as she keeps company with those that cling to her skirttails for protection, but her weakness lies in her strength." He held out a hand and slowly clenched fingers inward towards his palm. "Let us crush them with our supremecy and wipe their culpable kind from the face of this earth. So long as hatred walks with me, let us curse their very existance and drive their passage to oblivion."

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tags Caius, Ansem SoD credits rinne

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[caiusballad]

Now Caius was never exactly one to really like surprises. When Ansem spoke after seeming to appear out of thin air, Caius spun around to face the intruder. Ragnarok was taken in hand next, the tip of which found itself pointed at the intruders chest. "Her name is Yeul. Now explain how you entered Valhalla when the knowledge to enter this realm is known to only a few." Ragnarok's tip pressed against Ansem's chest with the smallest of movements, the look in it wielders eyes just begging for a reason to drive the point through.

Another voice reached his ears, leaving him to wonder if anyone could just enter Etro's realm now. Unlike Ansem though, this one could tell what Yeul was to him....and apparently knew Lightning to boot. "Her foolish friends have her strength no longer..." he said once Gabranth had finished, removing his weapon from Ansems presence as well. He did like the sound of crushing Lightning's followers. It would add insult to injury to her pain should she awaken from crystal stasis.

"Lightning is in crystal stasis clinging to a broken memory as we speak. We need not worry about her." His gaze shifted between the two, curious as to how their goals could aid him...and what their goals were. "State your intentions now, so that I can see if they are worth allowing you to ally with me."

[deshitana6]

Ansem had spoken his words and the reaction was not exactly surprising. The odd man before him spun at the sound of his voice before taking his weapon in hand and pointing it at him at chest level. The Heartless did not flinch as his eyes remained locked on the man as he heard him speak. He listened to the man give the woman’s name and then this place’s name before demanding to know how he had entered a place that was supposedly a secret. At this point, the man decided to move the blade closer and press against the tip of it against emblem that rested across the Heartless's chest under the cloak. The Heartless chuckled lightly, amused by the action as he remained where he was on the throne. Did this human think that death and pain scared him? Ha! He'd learn true fear if he dared to truly attack the Heartless. Right now, the man was lucky the Heartless had an interest in him and so in turn was tolerant of the small threats the human threw out, turning wrath into amusement and patience. Regardless of the offense, the Heartless answered him calmly enough.

“Secret? I am afraid I must disagree. There is nowhere that is a secret from the Darkness. It is ever present and in turn, so are those connected to it; however, you do not see those that lurk in the Darkness until they want you to at the exact time and place that is deemed right by fate,” Ansem responded back to the man holding him with his calm gaze for a moment before his eyes drifted to the sword pressed against him.

He observed the blade's workmanship, taking notice of its uniqueness before returning his gaze to the man, his smirk ever present.

“What a fine blade you have. I am sure it serves you well within battle and while you may be eager to kill, I am afraid your blade is pointed at the wrong person. I am not your enemy,” the Heartless said and then paused as he sensed another Dark presence from behind a column in the room right before the owner of the presence spoke, making himself known.

To his words Ansem’s smirk disappeared as the man explained something he already knew. He sighed at the words as he watched the armored man step forward in all his glory, blade grasped in his hand. He had heard about this man from the Darkness. It told the Heartless, he had delivered a rather special world to the Darkness. Destiny Islands, a world that so many including his original self had come from. A place of many battles and a typical strong hold of Light. It was now in their hands thanks to this armored man, so he could not be too angry with the man’s assumptions. After all, he did not know him, so judgement calls were to be expected.

Regardless of the offense, the Heartless simply remained in his position reclined on the throne as he responded back to the question.

“I did not ask what she was to him. I asked who she was. There is a difference,” he said in bored tones before falling silent and listening to the armor man speak. At first, the man was indeed boring the Heartless, who had little tolerances for speeches on love and protection. He had heard enough of those talks in his life time to know that they meant nothing if one could not step forward with actions to defend said words. What did interest the Heartless was the second part of what the man said. He was actually saying that the man’s love for the woman was indeed a strong point, but he could only succeed if he let rage and hatred fill him up and drive him to what he sought. A path that if taken, could sink the one who took so far into the Dark that they could not possibly hope to get out again.

Now that won the man some points with the Heartless. He could use an ally like that. One not bent on revenge, but simply pure hatred of the Light. That was the type of person that would not go down easily in war and would not be changed so quickly. An almost perfect representative for the Dark. Yes. Yes. He could use this. And the show only got better. Not only did this one promote the Dark in his own way, but he also in turned did exactly what Ansem had been planning to do. He gave the man a reason to side with the Dark by using the girl as leverage.

The Heartless’s eyes moved from the armored man to other to see what he may be thinking. There was definitely understanding there; however, how much of the bait the man was taking was hard to say. Regardless, the Heartless’s attention was drawn back to the armored man as he came back towards himself and the other man, stopping a safe distance away before speaking of the one called Lightning saying she was indeed a worthy foe. Another strong Light warrior to test, then? He hoped that if he did meet her, she’d be more entertaining than the Light that had abandoned Hollow Bastion. He supposed in time, he’d have to find out just how strong she was, but for now he put that little adventure on hold as he continued to listen to the speech the armored man was giving, liking what he heard more and more by the second.

He let the man continue to talk until finally the man asked in his own way for them to join forces and crush…no wipe out the Light completely. While the armored man was more than likely speaking about crushing Lightning’s group alone, he could see the man being a potential ally in the future, especially if this hatred he held for the Light was indeed broader than it seemed and a permanent stain on the man.

He could easily agree to helping one such as this…as long as that blade of his remained pointed at the Light and not him. As soon as the man decided to have a change of Heart then it would be he who would have to be worried about being crushed. With someone as passionate as this about his duty in the world, the Heartless would not tolerate betrayal from him, but at least for now the man had nothing to fear. He had at least won, Ansem over for the time being, so all he had to do was show what he had to offer.

Now what about the other? What did he think of the matter? Ansem’s attention turned to him as he listened to him speak on Lightning’s friends and how they no longer had the woman’s strength, the blade moving from Ansem’s chest as he spoke.

That’s right lower your guard and trust the Darkness. We will take perfect care of you as long as you serve us well, the Heartless thought as he could sense the man’s Heart at least lining up with Darkness when it came to the crushing part; however, there was still hesitation there. The man didn’t trust them completely which was expected from someone surrounded by strangers.

In any case, Ansem listened to what the man had to say and then watched as he eyed them both before asking them to state there purpose so that he could determine if they were worth aiding. A bit annoying since the armored man had made his purpose clear, still he supposed there needed to be a bit of explaining on his part, so he remained tolerant of those before him. He waited for the silence to speak, addressing both in the room.

“I would not be so fast to assume things in regards to this Lightning of yours. While she may have been crystallize there is a high chance that the Light has restored her to herself, so that she may once again fight on its behalf. Darkness does the same for its own warriors, so don’t be so fast to knock enemies thought to be gone out of the equation. The dead and the forgotten always come back to bite you if you do that,” Ansem warned the pair quietly, suggesting he may know more about the situation at hand than he let on to know; however, whatever he did know, he didn’t share anymore of his knowledge for the time being as he shifted his reclining position on the throne to a sitting one. He was quiet for a moment as he readjusted his position on the throne, leaning back in it as each arm rested on the arm rests of his seat. His face became shrouded in complete darkness, his amber eyes glowing from the dark depths the only sign that a face was there.

“As for intentions. I believe my armored friend here has made his quite clear. He seeks allies that will help him crush those that cause pain and suffering to those of the Dark. In your case, Lightning and her friends. I seek a similar alliance, except what I am after is a lot broader than a handful would be heroes,” he said and then paused for a moment, leaning forward slightly.

“Light is a thorn in everyone’s side whether they believe it or not. Always they cause someone to suffer in their conquest to bring “righteous” to life. They blame Dark for the destruction, but in the end they do the most damage. They destroy families and loved ones, take away what does not belong to them, and defeat each one of us and leave us to rot in the most disgraceful of fashions while they fill themselves up with their selfish victories. They seek to destroy what rightful belong in this world--the Darkness-- but I seek to stop that. Fix the balance and in turn, create a world where all this suffering can end. In this world, you’d be united with the one you seek to protect and she would be forever happy,” he said to the hesitant man and then looking towards the armored man. “And what you hate most would be crushed indeed. I have no qualms about joining you in your current endeavors. All I ask is for a little help in return."

The Heartless finished his talking and left the offer in the air. The speech was not a lie. He truly did wish to cease the infernal fighting against the Light and sink the worlds into the peaceful bliss of Darkness where the Heartless and those who accepted Darkness could thrive. Those that resisted would suffer and perhaps even die. There would be no challenge to the absolute peace he sought. The only thing he neglected to mention was the alternative motives behind wanting such a world, but he figured that was some information these two could do without. As long as they worked for the Dark, he would have no reason to bite them in the back.

[gabranth]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,460,true][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/a2vuas.png); padding: 5px; text-align: justify; color: #202020;] So, the grand warrioress Lightning that once fought him in his own pocket dimension outside the pitiful war of the gods had now entered some kind of 'crystal status'. The Judge Magister did not know exactly what that was meant to entail, but from the sounds of it it sounded as if she was incapable of any action or thought as if she were frozen in time. "So if Lightning is indeed out of the picture, why not let her come back to a world where she will fall to her knees in utter agony? Sooner or later, the darkness will claim her heart... but it will not be yours." he suddenly imposed, starting to march over towards Ansem and stopping just before his throne. If the human Heartless though of himself as above either himself or Caius as a new lord, he was dead wrong. "I will never work with the likes of you. I know what you are, Heartless" he sneered, and a single armored pointer finger leveled as Caius's Ragnarok once did at the Heartless Emblem on the man's chest. "Your kind is the undead, a scourge upon these worlds. Begone, should my blade claim you!" he roared, having passed sentance and judgment in one thought, and lifted up his swallowsword to slash harshly at Xehanort's Heartless. As he did, the Heartless simply vanished from sight, as if he had never been there. Gabranth looked around the shrine of Etro's throne, and sneered, not sensing the Heartless's presence anywhere. It seemed as if he had embraced cowardice and fled, and Judge Magister leveled his weapon alongside him once more as he turned his back on the throne and of Caius having witnessed the scene. He did not care if he had made a potential ally leave, only that the defier of the timeline knew one thing. "Heartless are pure abominations, he would have saught to exploit the darkness in our hearts until the Heartless claimed it for their very own. That is their very nature, there is no world without the Light in balance, much less one in which he would stand as equals." he explained to Caius, stopping some distance away from the throne. "I need not prove anything to you, bane of Lightning. All I wish is to see the worlds burn and crushed underneath my feet." He had his back turned to Caius still, but raise his hand free of his sword to remove his helmet, and tucked it underneath his arm. "You can use that hatred and waste your efforts upon me if you wish, or you can join with my rage and unleash it upon our enemies that would attempt to stop us. I am telling you now, either you can aid me in destroying all that the Light holds dear... or you get the hell out of my way." he finished, raising his head up to reveal short dirty-tan hair, and turned around fully to show his true face of furrowed dirt-brown eyes and battle-scarred expression of unbridled fury. (OOC: Sorry I took so long Caius, and with Ansem having left the site, I understand if you do not wish to continue this thread. Thank you for roleplaying with me, either way, and peace man.)

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tags Caius, Ansem SoD credits rinne

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[caiusballad]

Before he could get a word in to Ansem, Gabranth had struck him down, causing the Immortal Guardian to instinctively grip his own blade. After all,one couldnt be too careful around strangers. However even he knew how to tell the mark of a skilled warrior, and Gabranth certainly fit the bill in every way. A smirk soon played at the corner of his lips as Gabranth gave his warning, a plan of his own forming.

"Your offer seems tempting. The obliteration of all light, allowing chaos to spread throughout." if the could obliterate the Light from this world and allow the Chaos to escape Valhalla's gates, Yeul would be saved. Time and death together would become nonexistant. That would truly be all he wanted.

Narrowing his gaze towards Gabranth, the Guardian took a seat upon Etro's throne, fingers tapping the thrones surface. "You know Lightning's strength. I know her weakness. I will aid you stranger, on the condition this world is purged of all Light first. To succeed there, we must defeat those who cling desperately so to her skirts." A hand extended outward for the man to take should he accept the terms of an alliance. "You can call me Caius.

[gabranth]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,460,true][atrb=style, background: url(http://i53.tinypic.com/a2vuas.png); padding: 5px; text-align: justify; color: #202020;] He heard the answer of the only man left remaining, and it seemed they shared a common goal. "Such is the inevitible nature of things. Chaos can soon spread without, hatred of it's creation reigning supreme." Such was the nature of his own demise. Like the darkness, Gabranth had fallen as hatred overwhelmed him, allowed his brother's words of 'fighting for what he must' to sink in over his defeat, thinking it was the key to his brother's survival and keeping his honor. But no, he was not his brother... he was but his own man, and his own power that had always been strong had been hatred. He had just been cut down and overwhelmed in his prime, but he would not allow that to happen again. So when Caius spoke of eliminating Lightning's friends, it sounded like a reasonable ploy. If they were to go after Lightning in any way, her friends would rally to her side, and vice versa. But, were they to drive a wedge between them and make them doubt each other, then victory could be assured. Even if that did not work, this time a failsafe back-up plan was to be in order. "If we are to do this, then we must be smart and cautious how we go about it. No doubt Lightning and her friends will fight together if they were all so much as to become wise to us or our plan." The man extended his hand out to him, as if to make some sort of pact or oath to their alliance. "Know this, Caius. Should you or your allies seek to make me expendable, or should they or you turn your blade on me, I will already see to it to seperate your head from your shoulders." Despite this commanding yet reasonable threat, he stepped forward and clasped Caius's hand tightly and firmly, the way a working man's hand should be shaken. "As much as you would return the favor in kind. But let us endeavor not for it to come to that; it is our enemies who's bonds will be rendered asunder. For I am the Judge Magister and executioner, Judge Gabranth." he replied honorably to Caius, giving his name in return. He let go of his hand, and placed his helmet under his arm back on his head. "First, we target these allies of Lightning's of their loved ones and doubts. We take one of them, fell them, then draw them into a trap. If Lightning rallies to their aid, then we will have ensnaring ambush awaiting her as well. If not, it will be that much easier for her to be hunted and sink into the despair of knowing she has failed those she cares for. If we have doppelgangers of the enemy, so much more the easier." he collaborated with Caius, thinking how his portrayal of his twin brother Basch was that much so effective. (OOC: Sorry about the wait man.)

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tags Caius, Ansem SoD credits rinne

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