RolePlayGateway™

"Right, I can wait. Arthur might still be in trouble from any stray followers of Revis still active near the castle." Johnathan followed Jason torwards the castle, hopefully to an unharmed Arthur still alive and kicking.

"Hmm, I can't help but to feel like there is something we're forgeting." Johnathan did not stop to talk, but rather spoke directly to Jason over Jason's shoulder. Johnathan did not use sarcasm in his voice, nor did he feel he needed to. Johnathan had geniualy no idea what it was.

Jason nodded. He was aware of what was missing.

"Devin has not rejoined us. Hopefully, he is at the ship site."

When they arrived at the castle, Jason entered and found Arthur in the throne room. A few knights were gathered around, and a doctor was bandaging the king's wounds. Jason approached and bowed in respect.

"Your Majesty, we have defeated the traitor Revis and brought peace to Camelot once again."

Arthur nodded and placed a hand on Jason's shoulder.

"You and your merry band of friends have done Camelot a great service today. You will always be welcome here and treated with all the respect true heroes deserve. Thank you."

Jason nodded and stood up. He then took his leave and returned to his group. Looking at his friends, he smiled.

"Now, then, let's return to the ship and have that discussion."

(Deleted oops)

((Don't do that, I have to talk to Jason!))

Johnathan quickly saluted Arthur and then jurried off behind Jason, following him to the ship.

"I agree, I have a few theories on how your magic might not be magic." Johnathan walked to the XX, the fighter ship he had arrived to Camelot on. Just as he was about to grab the ladder to get into the cockpit, Johnathan remembered the question he had asked before.

"Jason, I don't belive that the nature of our discusion should be aired to the universe on the radio waves. If there is a docking bay in your ship, I would prefer we do that so we could have a private conversation." Johnathan looked at Jason, then nodded torward the Eliminator X.

Jason thought about it.
"Well, the radio is turned off in the Eliminator X, but if you want, we can have our discussion in the cargo hold."
He went over to the ship and lifted the glass cockpit covering open before pressing the button to open the cargo hold door. After closing the covering, he went into the back and sat down, waiting for John to join him. He had formed his own theory, that it was an elemental power, but he wanted to hear what John had to say.

Johnathan nodded to Jason, then climbed into the XX. Slowly, Johnathan programed a set of directions that would tell the XX to follow Johnathan's energy signature as close as it could without harming itself. Popping the cockpit window, Johnathan hopped out of the cockpit and climbed down the side of the fighter. Swiftly, Johnathan performed a small jog, arriving to Jason's near the Eliminator X's in a relativly small time.

"Well. . . We both seem to have a strange source for our magics. Instead of the mana, or lifeforce we gradually collect from the universe, we can instead use a different source to fuel the spells. Even, we also both can go beyond the conventional spells structure, and create even stranger abilities, spells, and effects on our enemies." Johnathan was thinking as he was speaking, trying to put the words across so that they would make sense to someone who was hearing this for the first time.

"However, we both seem to be takin our mana from vastly different sources, as evident by the way our spells play out. You, with light power added to your attacks. Me, able to control the body of a Heartless, or use there own power to increase my own abilities in multiple ways, some that might even mirror your's."

Jason listened to John's words and found some truth in them. Yes, his abilities were not limited as magic was, tied to the existence of the sorceror or sorceroress. Rather, his energy seemed to have a life of its own, and to expand that life, increasing its wielder's power in the process. He had known John had strange abilities, but until now, he had never thought to question their origins. Now, there was something to ponder.

He stodd up and looked at John.
"Yes, you're right. I do not believe my abilities are magic, at all. I believe instead that it is an elemental power granted to me by a higher life form. What this life form is, I do not know. All I know is that magic is not capable of the kind of power I can harness. It is...infinite."
His eyes widened as he said that, and he turned away, grasping the full potential of his power. If he truly was the Light's Chosen One, did that mean that he could truly and finally vanquish the Darkness? Was it possible? Turning back to John, he sat down and thought of his friend's powers.
"From what I've been able to tell, you are a human parasite. You can not only control your targets, but you can wield their abilities for a short time. When you possessed a Shadow, you could go two-dimensional. When you possessed a Large Body, you gained increased strength. Such abilities offer endless potential, all thanks to Cannibal."

He got up once more and leaned against the door frame.
"But we are not the only ones with great abilities," he said with conviction.
"Shien has vast magical potential, Shadow could harness the power of darkness, Ashleigh is the greatest thief ever, Rayn was a gifted pyromancer and Devin was a brilliant strategist."
He sat next to John and looked at him.
"Everyone of us has an ability that on its own makes us superhuman. But when put together, we become nearly unstoppable, even by enemies as old as time. Why are so many gaining such power as well as Keyblades?"
He got up and looked at him.
"John, I think the reason that we all have our powers is because this is it. I think that all of us have been charged with ending the darkness for good."
He turned away.
"I believe what we are heading for is the last Great War with the Darkness."

Johnathan felt Cannibal vibrate slightly from the unknown place it hid when Johnathan didn't need it. Apparently, it agreed with Johnathan about Jason's opinion. Johnathan stood then walked away from Jason, stopping after a few feet, back turned away.

"Jason, a war with darkness, with such a intangible substance as that, would never be over. Wherever there is light, there is darkness, and the brighter the light, the longer the shadow cast. I know its a bit of a buzz kill, but its true. Shadow can easily show you there is nothing to fear from darkness, only those that use it for evil ends. . . ." Jacks turned around, a smile on his face.

"Something just occured to me. Heartless reproduce by taking away the hearts of those who live, turning those victims into Heartless. Well, that means that the first would have to be created by some other force. . . . if not the Darkness, then I think we may be fighting the originator of the Heartless."

Jason chuckled a bit at John's statement.
"I did not mean fighting the actual element of darkness. Light and Darkness are eternal, coexisting together all across the universe. What I meant was that we are going into a battle with those that would use it for evil. A final war with our true enemy."
Jason listened to John's statement and thought about all he had learned from Aiden.

The Keyblade Society had been founded on the teachings of the very first good wielder of the Keyblade. He was the one who, according to legend, 'saved the world' with his use of the Keyblade. In contrast, the Harbingers of Darkness were founded on the teachings of the very first evil Keyblade master. According to legend, this one 'destroyed the world' with his Keyblade. The two battled, but history does not name a decisive victor. Perhaps that was because they both faded into their respective elements. His eyes widened as he realized the truth of who their enemy was.

He looked at his friends and clenched his fists.
"John's right, we are fighting the originator of the Heartless. However, we are not fighting the original. He faded into darkness long ago, choosing a successor to carry on his name over millenia. The same goes for the very first good wielder, who faded into the light. He chose successors in the same way, each one being fit for the task."
He stopped to take a breath, then continued.
"The last Chosen One for the Light was Sora, a boy from the Destiny Islands who fought alongside my ancestor Aiden. Now, it appears that I have been chosen, and on top of that, I carry the very Keyblade Sora wielded, the Kingdom Key."
As if on cue, the weapon appeared in his hand, and he held it at his side.

He willed his weapon away and looked at John.
"This means that our greatest enemy is the Darkness' Chosen One, who is most likely a member of the Harbingers of Darkness. If we kill him, we will put an end to the evil use of the darkness in our time. Perhaps, we may even end it for all time."
He unclenched his hands and sat down.
"But there are many things we must do before that. The first of which is travel to another world. We are finished on Camelot, so we should get our ships ready and go."
He climbed into the Eliminator X and began powering up the engines.

Johnathan nodded at Jason's words. While he argued with the semantics in his head, Johnathan and Cannibal both agreed. The evil darkness needed to be stopped for there to be equilibrium.

Realizing that the XX fighter didn't need to follow him, and that he could just pilot it himself, Johnathan ran too the XX fighter and climbed into the cockpit. Reprogramming the autopilot controls, Johnathan set them to follow the Eliminator X if it became more than a hundred feet away. This would allow Johnathan to relax until they encountered any Heartless ships in the space between worlds. Then he would have to take the controls and fight.

((Finally!))

Johnathan listened to the others on the com-link that he had tapped into using his ship. Merely sitting back and resting his eyes, Johnathan listened to the dialouge until something that Shien said caught his attention. 'Instead they pick evil keyblade wielders.'

"Evil keyblade weilders?" Johnathan timed in on the com-link, alerted by the information he had heard. Evil keyblade wielders wouldn't make sense. Would it?

"Guys, if there are evil keyblade wielders, than wouldn't that make keyblade not weapons of light, but weapons of balance? And what evil keyblade wielders? I've been flying around in this little ship for the past few days looking for you. I never got to see or fight anybody like that. When was someone going to tell me about this?"

Jason started up the Eliminator X and heard John chime in on the comlink. He had not thought to tell John about the Harbingers, as it had not come up. He pressed the button on his comlink.
"John, there's a bit more to the Keyblades than just that they are weapons of light. About the dark Keyblade Masters...they keep to themselves, only doing covert operations. I'll explain everything to you as soon as the opportunity arises. For now, let's focus on heading to coordinates 21-349-670."

Jason released the button and pulled the lever to make it ascend. As soon as it was high enough, he released the lever and pressed the button at the end of it, activating hyperspeed. His foot rested near the weapon pedal, and his defensive computers were on. An earlier diagnostics check had shown no damage to the Eliminator X, so he had no fear going into battle with Heartless and Nobody ships, which he soon encountered.

Weaving and blasting through their ranks, he eventually caught sight of the planet. Pressing a few buttons above his head, he guided the ship's descent down outside a rustic old gate. He activated the landing gear and turned off the ship as soon as it was safely docked. He decided to wait for the others to land before he disembarked. While he waited, he could see the words 'Halloween Town' carved into the gate. He wondered if that was the name of the world they had just landed on.

"F-F-Fire! Fire at the Cemetary! We must put it out before it spreads into Town!"

All over the seemingly rundown Halloween Town, denizons of every shape and size scrambled about in panic. The mayor was ringing his bell, calling for everyone to remain calm, but to no avail. Soon, a volunteer fire brigade hurried its way to the Cemetary. The mayor was still having trouble keeping the citizens calm.

"People, please. Remain calm! The fire brigade will have that fire out before you can scream 'Boo!'. If anyone wishes to help, then by all means."

Then there was a scream coming from the Cemetary. Again, citizens were thrown into a panic as they scrambled about. Most feared that the heartless had returned, and were trying to hide. Even the mayor began to tremble.

"Goodness... where are you, Jack? You know I can't do a thing without you around! After all, I'm just an elected official."

At the Cemetary, the fire still raged. The brigade had been halted in it's track by a strange figure they'd never seen before. He appeared like something out of a human horror movie. He was shrouded in a hooded coat, covered in stitched areas and black as a moonless midnight. Upon the figures face rested a grey skull mask with a crack about the left eye. The mask's left eye-socket was just a dull dark grey, but the right one sported a faint, eerie red glow. As the figured smiled a bit, imp-like fangs glistened in the moonlight. The left side of the figure's face was as boney as the mask he wore. The left hand appeared to be fully skeletal, as well, hinting at the stranger being half skeleton, half flesh.

The stranger stepped forward, fires appearing to spread with each footstep. The fire brigade backed off, either too stunned or too afraid to approach the apparant arsen who started the fire. Finally, a voice spoke up from the fire brigade.

"Who are you? What do you want with our town?"

The figure snapped his gaze to the speaker. It was a vampire that appeared to come right out of a classic dracula novel. The stranger raised his boney left hand, and when it suddenly burst into flames, the fire brigade gasped and began to scramble, including the vampire who had spoken up.

"..."

The figure was silent as a Firage Spell burst from his boney hand, hurled at the same vampire. When it hit, the vampire let out the scream that had set the town off into a second panic. The vampire lay helpless on the pavement as the stranger mercilessly pressed a black boot on the victim's back to keep it from getting back up.

"P-please... why are you doing this?"

As the vampire wimpered this, the stranger raised his boney, a black keyblade (Demonheart) appearing in a flash of dull, black light. The stranger was then poised to bring the keyblade down upon the vampire's neck to end its life in one, swift motion.

"N-no! Impossible!"

The stranger snapped his attention to the Mayor, who had come to investigate the cause of the town's panic.

"..."

"Jack told us that all who wield keyblades are good and would help us. So why...?"

The stranger glanced behind him as the fire drew ever nearer to town. He stepped off the vampire and turned back toward the Cemetary. The fire spread to the entrance gate just as the stranger stepped through. He would vanish into the sea of flames that now threatened Halloween Town itself. To make matters worse, different figures emerged from the fiery Cemetary: Dark Hearts.

Johnathan had also followed Jason without a hitch, dispite the small scuffle in the space between worlds. Landing his XX beside the Eliminator X, Johnathan popped the cockpit window and jumped from the ship onto the ground below, landing with a small squelch, something that surprised Johnathan because the ground was not muddy and his boots usually did not squelch.

Looking down at himself, Johnathan gasped when he noticed that his left arm had dissapeared, leaving a bloody stump with some small flesh dangling from the area, and the length had apparently been added to his other arm, which now hung down to his ankle at the finger tips and was now fifty percent bigger around. His body, however, had stayed relatively the same size, only reddish, like raw flesh, with dangling tentacles that twitched every few moments when Johnathan thought about them. His shoes were gone now, replace by feet with small claws on the toes instead of nails, but seemed to excrete some odorless fluid as he stepped, causing the squelch when he had stepped down from the ship. His face was hidden behind a wrapping of gauze, but a few tufts of hair and a single yellow eye were visible. On himself, he wore a set of shorts and a shirt, torn in multiple areas, as if to say he was attacked recently. A few small tentacles also hung out of these rips. Johnathan had only one thing to say.

"Eww."

When Jason saw Highwind and the XX land and his friends disembark, Jason left his ship, only to nearly fall on his face. Looking down to discover what was wrong with his legs, he almost screamed when he saw how green they were. In fact, his entire body was green and skinny, like a plant. His head was a jack-'o-lantern, with some of his facial features visble and his eyes glowing because of a candle in his head. He tested his strength and found that he was still as strong as ever. He could also use his Keyblade and Light powers, so aside from looking like a B-movie monster, everything was good.

However, when he heard screaming and saw fire, his leadership instincts took over.
"Shien, John, get ready! We're going in to face down our enemies!"
He used a light blast from his Keyblade to open the gate and dashed in, seeing roiling flames everywhere and Dark Hearts attacking the freaky citizens. Summoning Oblivion, he brought it down on the Dark Hearts, destroying them. However, more seemed to be coming in, and he knew that he had to put this fire out soon.
"Guys, cover me! I'm going to try and locate the town water main!"
He activated his Light vision and began searching for it in the uneven ground.

Somewhere deep in the forbiding forests outside of Halloween Town, the arsen who started the fire stopped walking for a moment. There was a familiar presence in the air that was not there until now. Someone had just arrived on this dark planet, and there was no question as to whom it was.

He looked over his shoulder, still able to see smoke rising from the distant town he had just torched. All he had done thus far was according to plan, including the arrival of the Light's Chosen One. The fire, as well as the Dark Hearts, would serve as a well enough distraction. All this, so that the stranger could search the area unhindered. What was he searching for? The answer was obvious. The keyhole was his current goal. Not that this figure had any interest in sealing it. He merely needed to know its location, so that his prey could be lead astray from it.

The first fundamental rule of war: Know your enemy. The enemy was known well enough, a youth wielding black and silver keyblades, as well as an innate manipulation of the Light. He had also demonstrated unarmed skill. But, like all warriors, he had a weakness, a flaw that defined him as the worthless human he was: compassion. His compassion for others would lead to his ultimate downfall. If his friends were to be put in danger, then he would go to all lengths to help them, even if it endangered himself.

The second fundamental rule of war: Know where to engage the enemy. It would have been easy, and less time-consuming, to simply ambush the prey in Town. However, such an attack would be doomed to failure. The town had too many escape routes which could double as instruments for the ambusher to become the ambushed. No, the battlefield would have to be much more wisely chosen then that. Once the hunter found the keyhole, it would be easy to leave a trail for the prey to follow. This trail would not only lead them away from their goal, but right into the hands of the hunter stalking them.

"..."

The keyhole had been found. One of the trees had a pumpkin painted on it. The picture was actually a door that opened up to reveal a keyhole inside the tree. All that needed to be done now was to set the trap. The masked figure silenty turned around, and backtracked toward Town some ways, before veering off course, leaving behind Dark Heart sentries for the prey to attack. If all went well, the Dark Heart bait would fool the Chosen One into believing that they were guarding the path to the keyhole, when in fact they would be leading him away from it.