Dead Memories [Genesis, Angeal]

[Deleted]

Stepping out of a Corridor to Darkness and into the bright sunlight, the hooded woman noted that it had been a while since the dark keybearer had set foot on this world, and yet this lone beach held recent memories of many encounters. She had encountered Sora for the second time and met both Night and Master Xehanort here. Selena had also encountered Kadaj in this drear world while it was fallen to Darkness. There were a few things that just could not be forgotten.

The hooded woman walked toward the edge of the beach where the water met the sand and sat down. Glancing up at the night sky, the keybearer relaxed slightly and laid down to star-gaze. However as a precaution, 'Artemis' raised her right hand in front of herself and summons her keyblade before placing it to her side. She could never be too careful.

One world out of over a million...[/i] The dark keybearer quietly mused as she stared up at the stars glittering brightly under the dark sky. 'Artemis' knew that her home world, if it had survived the Heartless onslaught, was somewhere up there. Selena missed her twin sister and the windmill despite the other memories that she wished she didn't remember. Before she knew it, the keybearer had fallen asleep under the stars.

[Sorry for the crappy starter. I feel rusty.]

[genesis]

The home of the Keyblade Trio. It was a beautiful world, both in daytime and during the evening. The sunset from the docks or from Paopu Island was no doubt breath-taking. A pity that the night had befallen this world and the moment to witness such a scene has passed. No matter. There would always be sunrise so long as this world was left free of all malicious intent. The forces of Darkness were unpredictable at times. Who knew when or how they would strike next? The best one could hope for would for them not to show up at all. The wilderness of this world, the civilians enjoying their lives, no doubt settling down for a nights slumber; they did not need to be dragged into conflict brought about from strangers venturing across the world. Fortunately, this world was currently free from any unnatural forces of nature. No Darkness nor Light had been injected into the core of this world, through the Keyhole that was hidden away somewhere. Good. At least for now those who resided here were experiencing peace, of sorts. The longer it stayed that way, the better.

On the other side of the coin however, there were those who fought back the Darkness. It was their job to protect the world and uphold a greater meaning of the word 'peace'. The Trio who lived and left this world were a handful of those select few to carry out said task of defeating the Darkness. But... there was something wrong with it. Whether the impression of what a Keybarer was and what their duties were, was incorrect knowledge to a certain auburn-haired male, or whether Keyblade wielders themselves were simply not as cracked up as they ought to be, was a mystery. It was a painful mystery at that, one that was like an annoying itch in a hard to reach place, unable t be scratched, satisfied. This 'itch' was buried deep inside the mind of the Crimson SOLDIER and as day after day passed by, the itch grew more and more infuriating. Only a select few of the unknown number of Keybarers alive today had crossed paths with One of The Three and each and every one of them was unique in their own way... perhaps only Sora being the one who mostly resembled the type of character the SOLDIER 1st Class imagined them to be.

"Angeal..."
The poetic and calm voice of the Crimson SOLDIER called out to his friend, who he believed was walking beside him across the world known as Destiny Island. During the time 'Masked Man' was wandering the worlds, Genesis had been lucky enough to bump into his old friend once more while traveling the worlds along with Cloud Strife. Though their encounters were brief and few and far between, most of them dealing with either Cloud or their friend Sephiroth, it was always good to see the raven-haired man again.
"Tell me what you know about the Wielders of the Key, the Keybarers."
The One of Three asked as he glanced over his right shoulder, the leather of his coat creaking softly as the material tightened about his shoulders and back. The sea breeze blew in from the open sea, causing his hair to dance across his features softly before falling back into place. The single, large black angel wing sprouting from his left shoulder blade joining in the dance as the feathers rustled and the wing itself shifting ever so slightly in the soft, salty air.

"While I have crossed paths and indeed blades with a handful of them, I am unsure as what to think anymore. I thought I had my own view of them, but after the shenanigans with Sephiroth and witnessing that some Keybarers are not as pure as the likes of Sora..."
Genesis continued as he turned his back upon his old friend and sent his bright blue gaze off across the beach before him. The sea waves were gently crashing up the shore, though the salty liquid no where near the leather boots of the Crimson Champion. A shrug of the shoulders followed the calm words of the SOLDIER, accompanied by a mildly disappointed sigh and finished with a shake of his head.
"... I don't know what to think anymore. Aren't they supposed to be the ones to protect the worlds from the Darkness? To stop people such as you and I from walking upon foreign worlds?"
Genesis asked, keeping his back and wing facing his raven-haired companion though turning his head to peer over his shoulder once more as not to come across as being completely rude to Angeal.

[angealala]

It had been a while since he’d set eyes on such a beautiful night sky. This world was very scenic … Just the thing Angeal had been looking for during his, as of late, rather abundant quests. The sound of the tide brushing against the shore and the nighttime chatter of insects and other near-invisible fauna created a peaceful atmosphere that he would hate to eventually interrupt with the sound of his deep voice, or worse, the abusive clang of metal on metal that inevitably followed his very presence. This was more the place for meditation, in his mind, than for a fight. Deep down, he was very thankful that no darkness seemed to touch this place, and he hoped that the peace would remain.

The bigger Soldier silently sighed to himself, disappointed that his little camera wasn’t fit for taking pictures at night. Such a gorgeous sight definitely deserved a place amongst the others he’d taken so far. He supposed for now, a mental picture would have to suffice.

Angeal found himself being pulled from his meditative thoughts by the poetic sound of his companion’s voice. If he’d been any more absorbed in his own thoughts, Genesis’ voice may have blended so well into the sounds of the night Angeal wouldn’t have even noticed he’d spoken. They’d been walking together in companionable silence since they’d landed on this world, only making the occasional small talk when necessary. It was something the honorable Soldier had always appreciated about his childhood friend; Genesis’ ability to appreciate company without having to force conversation to stay interested. If he was right, the Crimson Soldier had been enjoying the peaceful atmosphere as much as he had.

Pausing in the sand, Angeal considered his friend’s question. “They’re the peacekeepers, aren’t they? The protectors of the worlds.” his deep voice rumbled an answer to Genesis. The explanation seemed simple enough, though the raven haired man knew it was much more complicated than that. He hadn’t met very many keyblade wielders, but much like any peace keeping job, he knew the role of protector meant a much heavier burden. However, something about it was itching at Genesis. Angeal had known his friend long enough to be able to tell, as the crimson poet wouldn’t have asked him such an odd question out of the blue. As the wind blew in the fresh, salty air, glowing blue eyes caught the subtle movements it caused it caused to his companion. Angeal knew that he shouldn’t hang on to sentiment, but he couldn’t help but be reminded what a piece of art his best friend really was.

The honorable Soldier remained quiet and intently listened to Genesis’ thoughts on the matter. While he wasn’t familiar with the large range of keybearers he knew were out there, he was aware that they weren’t all filled with pure intentions. As it was with any batch of apples, some were good and some weren’t the best. Being a foolhardy, optimistic man, Angeal wanted to believe that the keyblade wielders were all that he’d heard they should be. However, the realist part of him knew that they weren’t. They were meant to keep the peace, meant to keep the worlds closed off to strangers like himself, keep everything in balance. But, it was all too obvious that this wasn’t happening. At least, not like he thought it would be.

Was it because there weren’t enough of them? Or maybe, there was just too much trouble going on? There could be many different answers, he knew. Angeal frowned and looked out towards the ocean, blue eyes glinting in the bright moonlight. The otherworldly light shone on his white wing, drawn close to his back, feathers ruffling in the soft, cool breeze. He studied the tide for a moment, likening it to this very situation. Information they gathered was much like waves, pushing onto shore. Something knew would become known, and they would feel closer to an answer … Only to have it drawn back into the sea of confusion, leaving them just as lost as they had been before.

Angeal looked back to Genesis, hoping his eyes didn’t betray him the honest confusion he felt, “As far as we know, that’s what they’re supposed to do. There could always be something more, something else that we don’t know about.” Infuriating as it was, the Soldier knew that he may never understand the natural process of balance between worlds. It could be something that some people were just never meant to know or understand.

His gaze travelled back to the distant shore line, caught by the glint of the moonlight in the rushing tide. It was both reassuring, and sad, that if the keyblade wielders accomplished their task, he’d never see this beautiful place again. Angeal scanned the shore, looking for nothing in particular but a distraction from his deep thoughts. Glowing eyes stopped on something black lying near the shore, just up ahead. Intrigued, he muttered a quick pardon to Genesis and walked towards the incoming tide. As he closed in towards his target, he confirmed that it was indeed a person, a girl that appeared to be sleeping on the beach. He stopped a couple of feet away from her, dark hair and light feathers ruffled out of place by a stronger, cooler gust from the ocean. He observed the area around the hooded figure and noticed an interesting keyblade lying next to her. How … Oddly convenient. Typically, Angeal wasn’t the type of man to be so straightforward and wake someone up just to satiate his hungry curiosity, but if he wasn’t the one to wake her, the Soldier was sure his Crimson Companion would do the same; albeit probably a little more rudely.

“Excuse me?” Angeal asked the sleeping figure as politely as he could, without being so quiet he couldn’t rouse her from her relaxed state. Perhaps she could help shed some light on their apparent limited information.

[Deleted]

The dark keybearer would have been grateful that this night was one of her few rare nights that she didn't have to suffer through nightmares of her past. It would have been a night of dreamless sleep if it weren't for the two SOLDIERS that had apparently been talking about keybearers and "their duties for the worlds."

Before meeting Sora, Selena had long ago thought that she was the only one that wielded a very strange key that can poison Hearts. The keybearer knew nothing about the long and tragic history behind the weapon. She didn't know anything about Keyblade Masters who supposedly had the knowledge of the keyblade, keyholes, and the worlds and had the option of taking in apprentices if they so pleased. Selena had no idea about the order of the worlds. There had been no one there for her for a whole decade after all.

How could Selena know, when she had to survive alone for a whole decade? To her, the Heartsickness keyblade was her savior and her only faithful companion where her Heart's ability to creature fruitful friendships failed. It was her weapon of choice and need. It can easily be said that she is completely dependent on it and they would be right. The Heartsickness was the reason that Selena Wolfsong survived alone for so long.

Her personality is likely far from what everyone expected from a typical noble keybearer. Selena cared about her own survival even if it meant that her social life will be pretty much nonexistent. She wouldn't settle down after an adventure. She'll keep searching for the lost home world that her Heart ached and yearned for. Sometimes, right and wrong became dangerous shades of grey. Morality didn't exist in a cruel universe where Fate laughs at your misfortune. There was no loving God, Goddess, or guardian angel looking after her. It was just Selena and that poisonous weapon that was her faithful keyblade. Her survival mattered even when the lonely angel sometimes felt that she wanted to die.

'Artemis' didn't hear Angeal's heavy footsteps in the sand approaching her. However, the dark keybearer did manage to hear his inquiry and her eyes snapped open. Grabbing her keyblade, 'Artemis' awkwardly rolled in the opposite direction of where she had heard the man's voice. She sat up into a crouch and pointed her key at Angeal. The darkness was already forming around at the tip of her key. The dark keybearer didn't give the white-winged SOLDIER a chance to explain his presence nor did she ever acknowledge Genesis' presence. She fired Void Exinction[/color] at Angeal Hewley.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Void Extinction: A powerful blast of Darkness shoots from either her keyblade or her hand at the intended target. It may be used normally and in her Dark Form. It can also be used in battle and outside of battle. [Cooldown: 2 Posts]

[genesis]

The salty sea air shifted the auburn hair upon the SOLDER's head as the breeze blew in from the open ocean. The smell of the salt within the wind was very distinctive, as it usually always was whenever one visited the beach. It reminded him of the times Zack always went on holiday to Costa Del Sol with Cissnei, only that here it wasn't as excruciatingly hot and was in the middle of the night over the middle of the day. It was better this way here on Destiny Island anyway, for being the middle of the night, there wasn't anyone else around to bother either SOLDIER as they made their was across the beach, shifting between discussion and pondering their own thoughts. The Crimson SOLDIER had indeed returned to his own thoughts after the words given to him from his raven-haired companion. So, Angeal didn't really know too much either? That was fine, at least for now, but there would be a time when gathering information would become a primary objective. Stumbling around in the dark wasn't the smartest thing to do.

A pardon escaped the lips of Genesis' friend as he stepped forth and walked onwards across the beach. The quoter of LOVELESS halted his movement and turned his head to watch where Angeal was going and what he was doing. An eyebrow raised a fraction in the night air as The One of Three become momentarily bemused as to what had come over his old friend. The soft shifting of sand under leather boots danced alongside the crashing of the ocean waves and the rustling of the large palm tree leaves as Angeal made his way forth ahead of the Crimson SOLDIER. What could he have spotted? A message in a bottle? A treasure chest that drifted ashore? It wasn't really like Angeal to take a sudden interest in something like this, so whatever he had laid eyes on must have either really excited him or caused him to be worried or concerned. Most likely the latter.

Genesis' own feet carried him away a few paces as he turned his body inland and walked away from the crashing waves higher up the beach, enough so that he could see around his old friend and lay his own glowing mako-infused eyes upon whatever was before the Honourable SOLDIER. What he did see, caused his eyes to widen a fraction. There was a figure laying down upon the sands. Had they been in an accident out in the sea and had just washed ashore? Such thoughts were quickly dispelled and forgotten when two black wings were spotted beneath the figure.
Two wings... and a woman it seems from their figure... Could that be--
Genesis' thoughts were cut short as he stepped forwards and threw out his right arm as if trying to grab Angeal's shoulder.
"ANGEAL STOP!!"
The Crimson SOLDIER shouted out in warning, though as his words left his lips, did his eyes watch 'Artemis' roll to her knees and release a new attack upon the raven-haired man.

The blast of Darkness caused a cloud of sand to be kicked up that washed over the auburn-haired man. Clenching his eyes closed tightly, Genesis brought a gloved hand up to his nose and mouth to stop himself from breathing in any of the sand that covered him. A second or two after the wind died down and the sand had settled back upon the beach, Genesis carefully opened one eye to check what had happened. Both eyes opened fully as his arms returned down to his sides, the leather coat about his shoulders creaking with the movement. What the heck had just happened? A double blink and a short pause of silence later, Genesis glances at the black pauldrons covering his shoulders and swiftly brought up a hand to brush the sand off them. Sliding his fingers through his hair afterwards to remove any sand from there afterwards, Genesis returned his attention back to 'Artemis' and Angeal and wondered if he had dodged her attack and was now in the process of retaliating? Hopefully he wasn't...

[angealala]

"ANGEAL STOP!!"


The warning from his red-haired companion came just a moment too late, but Angeal registered it immediately. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he watched the girl move; and before he knew it, she'd fired something in his direction. With only his highly trained Soldier reflexes to save him, as well as Genesis' warning, the Soldier pushed his boots against the sand and quickly rolled out of the way, missing the blast by a fraction of a hair. He tumbled roughly against the sand, and scrambled into a crouched position with his hand on the hilt of his blade. He was now covered in a gritty layer of partially wet sand, but the itching feeling from that was the least of his worries. Blue eyes glanced over to the Crimson Soldier to assure that he was fine, albeit covered in a layer of sand, before Angeal turned his attention back to the girl who'd tried attacking him.

Was it because he'd startled her, or was she an enemy? There were many different possibilities, the ex-First Class considered as he watched the moonlight dance over their, hopefully not soon to be, battlefield. His talk with Genesis about keybladers seemed so suddenly important, now that he was staring down the barrel of one. This was the first time he'd ever been attacked by someone that possessed a keyblade. He knew there were some out there that had keyblades and weren't good; there were always a few rotten apples in every basket, after all. However, this had the potential to, possibly, be his first experience with one. Wasn't that a contridiction, though? Weren't only those pure of heart supposed to possess keyblades, weren't they supposed to restore the worlds back to their current states? The honorable Soldier would love eventual answers to his queries, but he preferred them not in the form of fast, dark magic attacks.

With a grim frown, he noted that he honestly didn't want to be on the opposing side of a keyblade.

The raven-haired Soldier raised a gloved hand to her, though he still didn't remove his right hand from his blade, and spoke evenly while giving her a fixed, stern stare, "I'm not here to harm you. You can put down your weapon." He wasn't sure that she'd actually do such a thing, so he kept himself in a position ready to defend himself and strike back, if necessary. "I just wanted to ask you something," his low voice rumbled over the sand, keeping his left hand out in a calm, peaceful fashion. Angeal wasn't looking for a fight, not when there could be a peaceful solution to whatever he had done to this girl. Of the famous three Soldiers, Angeal Hewley was always the peacemaker; the man who would try to put reason before actions if and when possible. Was violence his specialty? Maybe so, but he'd reasoned with both man and beast in his lifetime. As long as he was sure in himself, he could talk down just about anyone with an inkling of reason.


However, the white-winged man was more worried about his friend, Genesis. The Crimson Soldier wasn't known for his patience, and he feared his own friend may draw a blade faster than Angeal could speak his reason.

[Deleted]

When 'Artemis' had fired the shot at Angeal, she had barely registered Genesis' voice shout the warning to his friend but didn't recognize his voice until after the sand settled down. The cloaked keybearer was breathing heavily and her normally cold eyes were wide with realization that she had just almost possibly killed someone with her otherwise instinctual attack on the burly SOLDIER. The blast and the shout had been pretty much her wake-up call and it may be for the worse. She mentally shook her head quickly. Wouldn't be the first time so why get so worked up about it now, Sel...?

The semi-wet sand didn't only get the two SOLDIERs, but the angel also. Her hood had flown off when the dark keybearer rolled onto her knees and left her susceptible to the sand. She could feel head itch from the thousands of the tiny little grains knotted with her already tangled hair. There was a patch of wet sand on the hems of her cloak and if she stood up, her knees as well. Perhaps from her pallid complexion and the dark shadows under her eyes, it would be easy to see that the Nightmare of Hope had been overexerting herself from either over-training herself, forgetting to sleep, or even both.

The Nightmare of Hope kept her keyblade raised up and aimed at the SOLDIER who woke her up. Her grip was lightly shaking as if her own keyblade has suddenly became too heavy for her. It was then that the attire he wore somehow became familiar to her. ...Wasn't there someone else who wore something similiar...? Her eyes quickly froze to ice as she spotted Genesis behind him and frowned. Had he been standing there this whole time?

'Artemis' glared at Angeal as he told her to put down her weapon. That suggestion something one shouldn't say to her. The dark keybearer didn't trust him and she certainly didn't trust Genesis. She slowly lowered it, but didn't lay it down on the sand and kept a tight grip on the blade. For now, she was going to ignore the crimson SOLDIER. "What is it?" asked 'Artemis' as she kept a careful eye on where Angeal's hand was, which was on the hilt of his own blade.

She had no idea that Angeal wasn't the one that she really needed to worry about, but rather Genesis. Selena had forgotten how battle-eager he was during the tournaments rounds she fought him.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Void Extinction[/color]: A powerful blast of Darkness shoots from either her keyblade or her hand at the intended target. It may be used normally and in her Dark Form. It can also be used in battle and outside of battle. [Cooldown: 1 Post]

[genesis]

After the sand had settled, the sound of the millions of tiny grains softly landing back upon the large beach as well as splashing into the sea and landing within the hair and upon the shoulders of the three figures on the beach, Genesis smirked inwardly as he laid his bright blue eyes upon the sight of Angeal and 'Artemis' staring one another down. It was like a classic samurai showdown... only... less cultured. A woman with black wings and casual looking clothing standing down against a SOLDIER 1st Class... not quite two honoured samurai, but it was close enough for now. Genesis continued to smirk as his poetic mind transformed the scene into one of a play, or one from, history to be exact. The sea and sand were removed to be replaced with knee high, yellow/orange grass. The night sky had turned to dusk and had cast a gorgeous orange glow across the area. Angeal and 'Artemis' were clad in kimonos and held katana in their hands. It was perhaps a scene one may have expected to see in the early days of Wutai being built?

The waves of the ocean crashing upon the beach brought Genesis back to reality and he was glad to see that his old friend had managed to avoid the strange new attack from the winged female. Whatever that attack was, the Crimson SOLDIER knew that he did not want to be on the end of it anytime soon. Though seeing as such an attack was never used in any of the tournament rounds he had faced 'Artemis' in, he concluded that it was fairly new and possibly, not yet under control? However, regardless of what the answer to that was, the Quoter of LOVELESS was certainly impressed to see the Keybarer was growing stronger. Danger flashed within the blue eyes of the SOLDIER 1st Class as he started to walk forwards,his feet softly crunching the sand underfoot as he make his way towards his childhood friend and tournament opponent. Standing only a few feet away from them both and keeping his hands buried within the pockets of his long crimson coat, the auburn-haired man sent his smirk at both of them in silence.

Genesis could see the look within 'Artemis' eyes when she had finally spotted him and it amused him at her attempts to ignore him while focusing intently on Angeal. He really wasn't the one she should be keeping her eyes on, but on the other hand, Genesis could see the state the young woman was in. A lack of sleep, over exertion from possible training or traveling. The woman was in no condition to fight and starting a fight with her, would simple not be entertaining at all. For that reason alone, Genesis' hands remained within his coat pockets as he finally spoke up.
"Now that's rather rude. To speak such a thing to the man you just attacked. Perhaps an apology would be better suited? I thought Keybarers were supposed to be polite and helpful?"
There was clear provocation within his tone as the SOLDIER kept his attention locked onto the winged female. Half of him wanted to drew his blade to see what this 'new Artemis' could do, while the other half wanted to make sure she was alright. There was a feeling within the back of his mind that was telling him to keep his own guard up. It wasn't just the once Genesis had snuffed out the Angel's hopes of winning the tournament. Twice their blades had across and twice the woman had been defeated. There could be every chance she wanted to get her revenge for that.

[angealala]

Angeal continued to stare down the mysterious, cloaked woman from his spot in the sand. He didn't feel confident enough to remove his hand from his blade, not yet. As the world settled around the three of them once more, the former Soldier was able to take in the appearance of his attacker. A young woman, based on her looks, definitely younger than himself. She had midnight black hair that was speckled with wet sand, and icy, silver eyes. The kind of eyes that a hungry beast stared down a challenger or an unwilling prey with. Angeal stared back, in full concentration, his own glowing, blue orbs reflecting nothing put patience, calm, and his strong will. The silence that stretched between them; he knew it wasn't long at all, but it felt like an eternity. The wind whispered between the two of them, somehow audible over the crash of the waves. Tension and reluctance both were thick enough to be cut with a sword.

The sound of sand crunching under boots confirmed to the white-winged man that his friend was approaching them, and that he, so far, wasn't drawing his sword for an attack. Those steps were casual, though also calculated and precise. Angeal took these precious few moments to try and read the girl further. In all honesty, she was a stone's throw away from the other Keybladers he had previously met. They were cheerful, strong, and so young. This girl, while she was still young, was older than they were. Her pallid skin and the darkness under her eyes spoke of things someone her age shouldn't have yet experienced; possible starvation, lack of sleep, poor diet, over training, over exertion. The list was endless. These were all things that Angeal himself had either experienced, or seen another experience, in his lifetime. It was commonplace for the younger Soldiers to over train and, not purposefully, starve themselves.

This girl hadn't been taking care of herself. And, if he were a betting man, he'd wager that there was no one in her life to look out for her.

The mysterious keyblader responded to him, and Angeal opened his mouth to reply, only to find himself cut off by Genesis' remark. Carefully, the burly Soldier rose to his feet and glanced to his companion, the judging frown on his face speaking for him: was that really necessary? He gave Genesis a curt shake of the head, setting in stone his obvious disapproval. Yet, he wasn't surprised to hear a provocative remark like that from his friend. It wouldn't be in Genesis' style to do anything else, and Angeal may have actually thought something was wrong with him if the crimson champion had done anything else. But, the honorable Soldier still disapproved of his friend's tact, and turned to look at the girl before them once more, his hand dropping from the hilt of his blade.

He was sure he didn't miss the recognition on both of their faces. Genesis and this girl, they'd met before. That much he was certain of.

Angeal chanced a small sigh, hoping that Genesis didn't ruin their chances of getting the answers to the questions they were seeking. His gloved hand had fallen from the hilt of his sword, knowing that he and Genesis could easily evade and counter attack together, if such a terrible outcome were to become a reality. This was a time for talk, not a time to fight against a overexerted girl, burdened with a keyblade and Gaia only knew what else in her life. The dark haired Soldier wasn't sure that he could offer anything in exchange for information, but he'd try his best, if she refused to answer his questions otherwise. Glowing eyes glancing once back to Genesis before turning his full attention to the girl before him, Angeal took his chances.

"We wanted to ask you a few questions about the Keybearers," his voice was still calm, and somehow free of the aggravation that Genesis had managed to stir up within him. However, he was unable, as always, to shake the authoritative tone that naturally carried in his voice. He wanted to express to the girl that he was merely curious, and that if she was unwilling to speak to him, he'd back off without hesitation. After all, he knew that there were other keybearers out there, other people he could ask. But, it was unlikely such an opportunity would show itself soon. Not only that, but this girl ... Something about her was different than the other keybearers he'd met. Something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but something that kept his interest, that made him hope she'd cooperate with them and talk and explain.

Angeal realized, he was a lot more curious about this subject that he'd initially thought. And if he wanted information, he would have to wrangle control of this situation and fast, before Genesis or the young woman let their tempers fly.

[Deleted]

Since her last encounter with Genesis during the tournament before the previous, 'Artemis' had taken the time to learn some new tricks and both Genesis and Angeal were given a taste of what she could do. The tired woman that they were facing now was a result of such rough self-training. Under the orange glow of dusk, it was easy to see how unhealthily pale her skin was as a result of not taking care of herself. The burly SOLDIER had been correct to assume that there hadn't been anyone looking out for her; what he didn't know was that the Nightmare had basically taking care of herself for a bit over a decade now and that this was already a common occurrence for her. The Heartless, although strange, could only let go of little munny that's barely enough to let the dark keybearer get by to survive.

The dark keybearer shakily stood up, and sends a death glare to the Crimson Commander as he mentioned apologizing for her earlier action. Since her attention had been mainly focused on Angeal, 'Artemis' had noticed that he had been about to say something before Genesis stepped in. "Then you should be apologizing to your friend too for interrupting when he was about to say something, and to me for lumping me with the rest of the stereotypical keybearers." Her cold words tasted metallic on her tongue and even felt as sharp as a knife. She wasn't going to let him bait her into a fight and get the better of her. The Nightmare made a mental note to keep an eye on Genesis Rhapsodos also. He would be curious of what her new abilities were and if she had improved since their encounters in the two tournaments they had fought.

'Artemis' casually wipes the sand off the front of her pants and the bottom of her cloak, unknowingly freeing a few stray feathers from the cloth as well, with her free hand as Angeal spoke the subject of his inquiries. She noted the tone in his voice and frowned. The dark keybearer had never let go of her keyblade so she gripped it even tighter. "What of them?" Her voice unintentionally became harsh. She knew about curiosity; that sometimes it'll be the death of its victim or their miracle. Although they seemed older than her and thus have more experience, have they already learned the dangers that came with curiosity?

"I'm not too knowledgeable on the subject myself so if my answers aren't satisfactory, then you could probably ask Terra." Selena was honest about this statement. It wasn't until a short time ago that she had learned a bit more about her own weapon's history from Master Xehanort. The only reason that the dark keybearer had recommended the earthen keybearer instead of Master Xehanort was because she had assumed what MX had taught her was common knowledge and the fact that they may get along better than she did. Knocking out a fellow keybearer during a Heartless invasion to trick Terra into getting the fallen keybearer and himself out of there to save both of their lives would get anyone in hot water with him. She was sure that Terra had not forgotten that and was still holding it against her.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Void Extinction: A powerful blast of Darkness shoots from either her keyblade or her hand at the intended target. It may be used normally and in her Dark Form. It can also be used in battle and outside of battle. [Now Available]

[genesis]

The cool waves crashing up against the shore droned out all sounds that happened around the trio, at least to Genesis anyway. Whenever the salty liquid advanced up the beach, the disturbed seagulls from 'Artemis'' wild Darkness attack, could not be heard squawking in the air as they rode the air currents and hovered overhead. The wind brushing through the leaves of the palm trees did not rustle within the SOLDIER's ears, only when the waves were dragged back out to sea did the sound return. At times, no sound reached his ears for he'd be staring so intently at the winged woman that nothing else mattered. She was different, she was stronger and the Crimson SOLDIER wanted to know why. What had she been doing? How did she go about it? When did she begin possible training? With whom did she practice with? One did not learn new spells and attacked over night by simply sleeping on it... but that being said, this black winged woman had not slept in days... weeks.

A sideways glance was given to the Burly SOLDIER and an ever devilish smirk was the reply he sent to Angeal's disappointed frown. Oh yeah, Genesis knew already that Angeal knew of the meeting between the winged woman and the Crimson SOLDIER. The smirk told a thousand stories that Angeal was bound to pick up. Brightly glowing eyes flashed in the dim light as they too revealed the anxiety rushing through the SOLDIER First Class to discover what had made this woman stronger, and of course, that the only way to learn of this, was through combat. But perhaps it was Genesis' darker side surfacing? Maybe he wanted to humiliate her for a third time? Kick her down into the sand and show her that she's nothing. A Keybarer who can't even fight, can't protect herself, can't do anything. 'Artemis'' words broke the eye contact the Crimson SOLDIER had with the Honourable SOLDIER. The tall leather collar about Genesis' neck creaked subtly as he glanced back to the winged female.

"Stereotypical huh? What makes you any different from the rest?"
The LOVELESS Quoter asked, his hands within his coat pockets slowly clenching into fists before relaxing back into palms again. There would be no point in starting a fight. Firstly, 'Artemis' would not provide much fun in her current state and there was the definite fact that Angeal would stop him if he tried. He had asked his honourable friend in the first place when he knew of Keybarers, and having stumbled upon one, now would be the best opportunity of all to ask some questions of his own regarding them. But... what exactly to ask? How to defeat one? What makes one born of Darkness? Where Sora is? How to acquire a Keyblade for one self...? Genesis frowned on the inside while his smirk remained present on the outside. He thought back to what he had asked Angeal before they both chanced upon 'Artemis' herself and wondered if asking her the same thing would provide answers? He hadn't the chance though, for Angeal had spoke up first and Genesis simply kept his brightly glowing blue eyes fixated on 'Artemis'.

"Terra?"
The Crimson Champion asked with a raised eyebrow, his smirk vanishing to be replaced with a more intrigued expression. Who was this guy? The name was completely new to the point that he glanced towards Angeal with a quizzical stare in his eye to see if he knew anything. Attention was returned to Selena a moment later and the Crimson SOLDIER finally tugged his hands free from his pockets, his left dropping to his waist while his right rose up to head height, his fingers clenching as if they were about to grab hold of an object... his Rapier, perhaps? His blue eyes flashed with their mako-infused power as he stared at his fingers, adjusting them by fractions as if he were either posing for a photograph or an artist, or as if he were an actor on stage playing out his role.
"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess,
We seek it thus, and take to the sky.
Ripples form on the water's surface,
The wandering soul knows no rest."

A pause of silence and instead of summoning his Rapier or casting a spell, Genesis' right arm fell down to his waist, both hands finding their way back into the pockets of his long crimson coat which had softly begun to sway in the sea breeze as it blew in from the ocean.
"So many questions with so little time to answer them all. Do we seek out those answers Angeal by traversing the stars, or do we carve our own path and see where it leads?"
His head lowered from where he had been staring at his hand, only to return his attention back onto Selena. He watched her carefully, looking straight into her own eyes and waiting to see if she flinched or revealed anything that might give him a clue or a sign.
"For the Keybarer present does not seem like a legit Keybarer. A mistake, perhaps? An accident? An unwanted gift? Perhaps a curse or a punishment... Indeed, I have to agree now that she is not a 'stereotypical' Keybarer. She's something lesser."
That smirk came back and he revealed it to 'Artemis' willingly. Why was he trying to bait her, to provoke her? Perhaps it was due to her current state. Maybe he wanted to break her? He was poking away for sure, trying to discover whatever information he could about her. Was she a tough nut to crack or would she succumb to his questions? Perhaps neither and she'd simply stare at him as if he'd gone mad?

[angealala]

The young woman, blessed or cursed with that keyblade, spat out a response to Angeal's inquiry. It wasn't quite what he expected, for her to sound so hateful and resentful of other keybearers. Then again, he shouldn't have been expecting anything at all. He didn't react to her venomous reply, other than to continue to watch her curiously. The Soldier was trained, more highly than others, to observe and take in as much as possible from his target. Recon may not have been SOLDIER's specialty, that was Turk territory, but Angeal himself was trained not to miss anything. Any small cues, any seemingly insignificant responses, body movements, the list went on. Having known Genesis ever since they were children helped in such tasks. His crimson clad friend was a master of twisting responses, minute body movements, and tricky words. Having a daily dose of that would make nearly anyone extremely observant.

Genesis' quizzical response to the name Terra equally represented Angeal's reaction. He gave his friend a brief glance and a small shrug of the shoulders to show that he, also, had no idea who Terra was. Sure, their curiosity of the keybearers was bound to lead them in new and different directions as they searched, and this name would be helpful to keep. However, for the time being, it was essentially useless. How many billions of people lived amongst all the twinkling stars in the sky, and how many of them happened to be named Terra? A name of the earth, something strong, and something, most likely, common. For the time being, it didn't really matter. Angeal had met less than a handful of keybearers so far in his travels, and it seemed increasingly unlikely that he would find more any sooner. It was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Angeal listened to the calm wind and rush of the waves in between the silence. The alluring presence of unhindered nature always soothed the man while in a tense situation. It was one of the many reasons he'd kept bugs back in his small, SOLDIER issued room back during his ShinRa days. He could place himself outside of the situation, look at everyone involved, get a better feeling for what was happening and why. While keeping his eyes and ears attentive to the situation, Angeal shifted his mind for a moment outside of everything else ...

... And the amount of tension he felt was alarming.

The great white wing, and the small one beneath it, which had been previously stretched out in alarm tucked into towards the Soldier's back. Genesis was quoting LOVELESS, the girl wasn't making any immediate attacks. For now, all was calm, and Angeal could stand slightly less on edge, though not by much. He would always be ready for a situation to turn sour in less than a fraction of a second; something that both Soldier, and being Genesis' longtime friend, taught one. Genesis had always been provocative, using his colorful words and graceful movements to entice anger from those he wanted to scuffle with. He was, as well, perfectly practiced at being on the top of the dogpile. The Crimson Champion had grown up a mayor's son, had quickly progressed to a 1st Class Soldier (which exceeding hard work, Angeal would admit), but there hardly seemed to be a moment in between that Genesis could have ever been considered the little guy. Angeal himself, on the other hand, had always been at the bottom of the economic pack. It was not to say that growing up and remaining in positions of power had made Genesis a bad person. It wasn't that at all. Genesis was a hero, a savior to others at times, but ... He had his flaws, as many others did. And Angeal knew that some of it stemmed from his social position in life, combined with his own power and talents, mixed in with his personality.

I just wish his current behavior wasn't ... worrying me this much.

Angeal listened intently to his friend as he asked what they should do next. He knew it was a rhetorical question. There was really no telling what they could or should do, and although the raven-haired Soldier could give his opinion, their next move would be up to Genesis. While Angeal was a leader, and a very strong one at that, Genesis tended to decide who and what, when and where, while Angeal supported with more why. Mako bright eyes studied the Crimson Soldier's poetic form, and all that seemed to disturb them for one rare, peaceful moment, was the calm wind.

Then, it happened again. Genesis had turned his attentions back to the female Keybearer and began mocking her, questioning her ... Why was he doing this? Angeal's brow furrowed and his gloved hand unintentionally gripped, creaking comfortable, worn leather. What game was his old friend playing? What was the point in baiting this obviously exhausted, deprived girl? The Soldier knew that he hadn't been imagining the undeniable amount of tension between these two. What could have happened between them to cause such ill will? No, Angeal reasoned with himself for a moment, if she had shot at Genesis like she did to me, I'm positive that would have started a fight. These two know each other for sure, but ...

Angeal stepped forward, again, acting as a peacekeeper. "Genesis," he reprimanded his friend with a stern look and a raised hand, indicating with his left palm that his oldest friend should lay off, "That's uncalled for. We haven't even asked her a single question." He kept his commanding and stern gaze turned on Genesis, who he knew would probably immediately scoff at him. The Crimson Soldier had never really taken well to scolding, but it was Angeal's job to put his best friend in his place from time to time. This situation felt like it was escalating into a ticking time bomb, and the honorable Soldier wasn't much in the mood to babysit at the moment. He'd done enough of that on his ventures thus far, always seeming to run into teenagers and children rather than adults.

Looking to his right towards Selena, the Soldier softened his hard gaze into something respectful and apologetic. "I'm sorry about that. We aren't here to start a fight," he glanced back at Genesis, blue eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second as if to emphasize the point. He then turned his head back to the girl with the keyblade, "Just to talk, just to ask a couple of questions. If you don't mind, that is." Angeal could only hope, at this point, that Genesis hadn't ruined any chances of answers they could have gotten from this mysterious, albeit dangerous girl.

[Deleted]

Both Genesis and Angeal would be correct on the assumption that the dark keybearer hadn't slept in days. Although she had no way of keeping track of the number of days she had been training to grow stronger, it might as well be translated to weeks and it certainly showed. 'Artemis' felt that her knees were going to buckle on her at any given moment and the itchy semi-wet sand in her head was certainly not helping. She was doing her best to ignore the sand and resist the urge to scratch some of it off of her scalp. Hopefully, there were no miniature sand crabs hiding in there.

The Crimson Commander's smirk unnerved the dark keybearer and it wouldn't be far off as to say that she was worried. She knew him well enough to figure out that he was up to something especially after the earlier display of one of her new techniques. Genesis was likely curious of what exactly was her new strength and to figure out the limits of her such new abilities. 'Artemis' growled as Genesis questioned on what exactly made her different. "They depend too much on their comrades who will eventually betray them." She felt her hand that was gripping her keyblade so tight lose feeling and was shaking while her other hand twitched before she managed to ball it into a fist.

'Artemis' watched both Angeal and Genesis glance at each other after she had mentioned the earthen keybearer but decided not to provide any more information about him. She remained quiet and kept an eye on the burly SOLDIER as well. Any ally of the Crimson Commander's should be approached with caution even if they appeared to be not as cocky as he was. The dark keybearer tensed as her eyes spotted Genesis appeared to be grabbing his rapier as he quoted his lines only to reveal that he wasn't going for his rapier.

The dark keybearer could feel the cold sea breeze flow through the fabric of her cloak and she unintentionally shivers. The Crimson SOLDIER didn't seem to at first appear to be addressing her but rather to his comrade but as soon as he locked eyes with her own icy ones, stating that she wasn't a "legit" keybearer, Selena wanted to feed his Heart to the Heartless on a silver platter. She would've charged at him then and there if Angeal hadn't stepped in between them as if he had already sensed the amount of tension that was ready to have the two of them break out into a fight.

The burly SOLDIER then scolded Genesis for his 'uncalled for' words as if he was the younger brother and his defense surprised, if not stunned, her. So while Angeal kept his gaze toward Genesis, Selena quickly took the chance to indulge in a rather childish action. She stuck her tongue out at Genesis Rhapsodos with a barely audible "Mnyeh." before quickly returning to her normal cold facade by the time Angeal returned his gaze back to her and apologizing for his comrade's actions. When Angeal glanced at the Crimson SOLDIER again, Selena made another childish face directly at Genesis and quickly returned to normal when the burly SOLDIER's gaze returned to her. "Apology accepted. I don't mind and I'll answer to the best of my ability."

[genesis]

It was most certainly the wrong way to approaching interrogation or even simple questioning. This winged woman possibly had much information that was eagerly sought by the Crimson SOLDIER and with every word that left his lips, the chances of acquiring this possible information was growing slimmer and slimmer. Why? The most logical reason was one that both Genesis and the winged female both knew. The Tournament. Not just once, but both times. Whether it was coincidence, fate or just bad luck, Keyblade and Rapier had been crossed in both contests and despite the young woman gaining strength on their second encounter, Genesis' own powers were still too high. It was because of this, that the volatile and provoking words were leaving Genesis' lips. He knew how much she wanted to beat him and he knew that she was going to be a very worthy challenger once she was ready. Provoking her like this... well, it was simple motivation. Encouragement. The auburn-haired man WANTED 'Artemis' to grow stronger and hew KNEW that speaking to her like this was going to force her to train ever harder.

But, there were times when ones own desires had to be put aside and the work for restoring hope for others had to come in it's place. Finding out as much information about Keybarers was going to help this cause... but... Genesis REALLY wanted to fight the winged woman again after seeing her little 'demonstration'. Though his words were not effecting only 'Artemis'. Again, Angeal had looked his way and gave a disappointed look, more of a scowl this time. What was that for? Surely the Mako running through Angeal's veins was making him just as eager as Genesis was to see what 'Artemis' could do in combat. This was the first Keybarer he had met, right? So shouldn't his curiosity be even greater? That was the trouble with Angeal... he was always the peacemaker between The Three. Sephiroth and Genesis always ended up getting too serious in training and Angeal always came and broke them up. It always happened that way. The situation now was exactly the same, only with 'Artemis' instead of Sephiroth.

Genesis gave Angeal a dangerous smirk as he said his words were uncalled for.
"That's no way to talk to a he--"
The Crimson SOLDIER's comeback was interrupted as he caught movement out the corner of his eye and he instantly broke off his words and sent a dark glare towards 'Artemis', who was sticking her tongue out at him. Anger surged through the LOVELESS Quoter's body as he bore his teeth and narrowed his eyes, throwing his right arm out in preparation to summon his Rapier. Angeal's arm however was locked onto Genesis' sword arm within an instant and halted the summoning process. The auburn-haired man locked eyes with his old friend as if they were two stags locking antlers and barked loudly at him.
"ANGEAL!! LET GO!! LOOK, SHE'S MAKING FACES!!!"
As if on cue, 'Artemis' stopped the moment the Honourable SOLDIER returned his attention to her, but resumed once more as he returned his mako-blue eyes onto the Crimson Commander.
"SHE'S DOING IT AGAIN!!!! LET ME GO!!!!"
Genesis shouted, his anger very, very evident both in his voice and plastered across his face, however Angeal's grip held true and again he was denied the summoning of his infamous Rapier.

Giving up, Genesis snarled and tore his arm free from his old friend before he turned and stomped off across the beach, leaving large footprints in his wake before he came to a halt at the shores edge. Standing still, Genesis looked to his feet and watched as the waves lapped up against the shore, trickling about his boots as they reached them. Crimson gloved hands were balled into white-knuckle fists as he fought to control his anger at 'Artemis' stupidity. The only way he was going to get to her was by going through Angeal, and that was something he didn't intent to do anytime soon. Instead, he kept his eyes locked onto his boots as the water of the sea washed around them before his anger died down and his more iconic calm and composed exposure returned. Or had it? Turning his head skywards, the Crimson SOLDIER watched the stars twinkling in the night sky, keeping his eyes locked on the millions of worlds out there while listening in on Selena and Angeal as they exchanged words of their own. After a short pause, the LOVELESS Quoter spoke up loud enough for both the others to hear him.
"'Artemis'... do you miss your home?"
He asked out of the blue, tone back to bring calm and poetic as he pointed his right index finger up into the sky, pointing out a brightly flickering star that all of a sudden vanished into nothingness.

[angealala]

Babysitting was clearly the profession that Angeal Hewley should have taken up.

That, or he should have went a found another place to hire a newly revived, formerly dead monster. Either way, the burly Soldier's infinite patience was being tested to the breaking point once again. It wasn't an unusual circumstance really, as Angeal had played peacemaker between his friends as soon as they'd all met, really. Deep down, he knew that Genesis had been awed the first time they met Sephiroth, but he'd played it off as nothing of the sort. The Three had even tested their skills in combat against each other that very day. It was the first time, and would be one of the few times, where the fighting hadn't gotten out of control. Genesis's flare for the dramatic, his push to be the very best that he could; it caused problems from time to time. But, Angeal was his best friend, and he wouldn't let the Crimson man's temper get the best of him. As many times as he'd reiterated in his mind lately, the white-winged man knew that he, himself, was no conflict hungry monster. Despite the experiments, despite everything that happened, he was still a peaceful, honorable man. And, he would use his peacekeeping talents to keep Genesis out of trouble as much as he could when the two were together, if it was like babysitting.

His grip, strong and true, had found it's way to Genesis's sword arm the second the Crimson man had went to summon his Rapier. Calm, albeit frustrated, blue eyes locked onto an identical pair, immediately feeling the wave of shock and anger that Rhapsodos felt at his action. However, Angeal wouldn't budge. His gloved hand remained enclosed tightly around Genesis's forearm, even as the man beckoned him to look back at the Keybearing girl. He didn't see the supposed face she was making, but that hardly meant anything. She'd obviously done something to offend his black-winged companion, but either way, there was no way Angeal would allow him to summon his weapon and attack the girl. Genesis's lack of maturity was wearing his patience thin, but it held as strong as his grip on his friend's arm. The dark-haired Soldier narrowed his eyes at his companion, issuing a silent warning; if you draw your blade on her without a good reason, you'll find me on the other end of that strike. Just as he began to loosen his grip, Genesis had torn away and began to stop off in the opposite direction.

Angeal let out a lightly annoyed sigh and rubbed the back of his head with a gloved hand, unknowingly knocking loose the wet sand that had clumped there during his dodge from the girl's attack. He kept his eyes on the Crimson Champion's back for a few more moments, to make sure the man wouldn't turn around and attempt to attack in a flash. Feeling that it was safe for the moment, Angeal allowed his calm gaze to drift back to Selena. He couldn't help giving her a stern look as well, as if he'd known she'd done something to upset and provoke his companion, but he quickly dropped this look in favor of something neutral and peaceful. There was no need to make her feel anymore unwelcome in their presence than she probably already did. Though he couldn't bring a good-natured smile to his face, considering the tense happenings thus far, he attempted to come off as calm and peaceful as possible.

This day was shaping up to be an exhausting one.

Now that Genesis was away, hopefully calming down and not brooding, Angeal could ask this girl a question or two before he returned. The real mystery, though, was ... what to ask? There were more than a few questions floating around in the Soldier's mind, and it was hard to narrow it down to something that would be decent enough to ask first. They were all confusing, complicated ... Even things that he felt, after an answer, he still wouldn't completely understand. As he mulled over his options, he still couldn't shake the feeling of needing to apologize to this girl further. He'd woken her up from her sleep, something it seemed she desperately needed, and then she had to put up with Genesis's provocative comments and jabs. Was it even worth apologizing? At this point, Angeal was started to believe it wouldn't do any good. The best he could manage, at least, would be to satiate his curiosity as quickly as possible and then take his leave.

Deciding to go ahead and jump into the deep end of the pool of questions, Angeal finally began to speak, "Sorry to be so abrupt with the questions, but I figure the sooner we leave, the better." The bigger Soldier crossed his arms over his chest, taking a quick glance over to Genesis to be sure he was staying put before focusing all of his attention on the keybearing girl, "Could you tell me what it is exactly you do, as a keybearer? Each one I've met has been something different it seems, and I'm trying to get a clearer picture of a keybearer's end goal, Miss ... ?"

Oh.

Oh.

Angeal became suddenly aware that he had no idea what this girl's name even was. The humiliated shock passed over his face quickly before fading underneath an apologetic stare. Really, Hewley? And you thought that Genesis was the only one being rude. You never even got this girl's name. The Soldier thought bitterly to himself. To any others, it may have not really been that big of an issue. But, Angeal Hewley was a man of honor and dignity, morals and common courtesy. What a bone-headed mistake to make, something he'd have expected from Zack...

After their exchange of words, the calm, soothing voice of Genesis Rhapsodos took over the island once again. The honorable Soldier turned his attention back to his friend where it would rest for the time being, noting the contrast of the Crimson man's outfit against the dark ocean and sky. Glowing, blue eyes glanced up for only a moment, before coming back to rest on Genesis's form once more. What was the point of his question ... ? Asking whether or not she missed her home. Did Genesis know something else that he didn't? Whatever it was, Angeal had a sneaking suspicion that this was another jab at the girl, and he frowned with discontent. Was it really that much to ask to get information about Keybearers and then leave? However, as he did from time to time, Angeal Hewley was having an issue with displaying his ever growing lack of patience to his best friend. Instead, he tried to keep calm and focused; hoping that Genesis hadn't ruined whatever chances they may have at information gathering.