Departing from Oblivion (Open)

[Young Xehanort]

It's a shame, locking a World of balance to that of Oblivion. Said Xehanort as he stepped out of a Corridor to Darkness, looking up at the estranged castle from the outside. Castle Oblivion was formerly known as the Land of Departure, a world that Xehanort use to frequently visit. It also served as a place where a few major key events happened. However due to a force, most likely a Master, the World itself was locked away and hidden. The Land of Departure was a world of exact balance and whoever decided to lock it was smart, anyone could abuse a world with such properties. Xehanort then looked into the abyss beyond the castle. The seemingly never ending vortex harbored a storm which its clouds could cover the thickest blanket of Light, however Light still shined through. It was a perfect resemblance of its balance.

Young Xehanort, with his hood up, approached the castle doors. Knowing them, there must be a hidden entrance to the Land of Departure somewhere on this world. Xehanort stopped as he looked up at the castle again, placing a hand on his chin. What was their philosophy again? That even the smallest bit of Light shines through the Darkness? Hah.. how contemptible. Thought Xehanort mockingly. After reaching the doors Xehanort had turned around instead of entering the castle. With his back facing the door he stared out into the even darker abyss and a road that leaded to the crossroads. I am sure that one of them will come this way. If they lack the knowledge I seek however, what a shame for them. But if they do possess the whereabouts of the door, that would further me greatly.

Turning his head, Xehanort than peered at the castle once more. Losing myself in Oblivion would not be productive, in all probability it would be faster if I searched alone. It was true, Xehanort would probably find the door on his own faster. However it was more of his style to manipulate others in obtaining what he needs. It always felt satisfying to see their distraught looks. He turned back to face the road, watching it from behind the veil of his hood. Finding this door is only a simple part of the plan. It is not absolutely needed ...though having it would help us. So Xehanort then continued to wait there for anyone to arrive.

[Master Xehanort]

A corridor of darkness appeared before the cloaked form of Young Xehanort, momentarily after the large doors of the Castle had closed. The signature ominous howl from the bowels of black and violet shades took the air by force, grasping and tearing apart the silence with the portal's sudden appearance. For a few moments many would begin to question just who would spill from its depths, until the form of an individual could be seen emerging, by the first step of an unmistakeable black boot. Soon Master Xehanort had emerged from the makeshift corridor, and dismissed it with a casual wave of a hand, before he returned it to interlock the other behind his back. The elderly Keyblade Master's sienna gaze fell upon the hooded figure, as he recognized him instantly, only to give an appealing smirk paired with a nod of acknowledgement. It was good that his sense of calculations had not failed him over the years, and as he stood looking upon the hooded figure, Xehanort knew that time had only served him the better.

Things were going very smoothly, as Ansem had already started the beginning of a chain of effects unknown to many, just beyond the boundaries of the very castle he now stood before. Inside this castle of endless oblivion, where memories and minds alike were treated as whimsical as a child with munny in a candy store. Somewhere within the depths of this transformed version of the Land of Departure, there was a Keybearer with a shattered heart, and a fading Nobody, yet Master Xehanort was not one to care, even if he were to come into knowledge of these occurrences following their finale. No, there was much that needed to be put into motion still, and with the ambitions of the Masked Man continuing to ruse and occupy the Keys of Light for the time being, there was still much time with which to use wisely. Though in truth, time itself was of no concern to a man most power such as Xehanort, for it was in vast supply in power, much like light or darkness, and even the interstice that resided in twilight. There was no need to worry when the powers of the worlds were at his very fingertips.

The Dark Master took several steps toward the Mysterious Figure, his boots crunching softly in the dirt before the massive doors; the loud vacuum of the corridor no longer holding sway over the vicinity. He examined the form of an individual whom he knew quite well, one that Ansem had done well to pass on much knowledge to in a another time. This individual carried himself much like he had so many years ago, and there was no mistake about what a foreboding presence the man carried about himself. It was a euphoria of power, authority, and sheer intimidation; it was something Master Xehanort himself could be proud of, because it was a combination that only spelled success. The fruits of a road successfully traveled, without the hindrance of needless interferences.

The search for the pieces to form the X-Blade since his last mysterious disappearance had gone well, as the news that the legendary weapon was being sought after by a very dangerous individual had spread like wildfire. It was to be expected from the naivety of those who sought to protect the worlds from a true balance, and it allowed everyone to play into the hands of Xehanort, without any of them suspecting a thing. Much like his previous ploys to undertake the quest for the mythic Keyblade, many remained convinced that the true threat was the silver haired legend that searched the worlds for a single pair dark and light keys. For the time being this also served as a suitable scapegoat for his ambitions, keeping the ever paranoid and suspecting eyes of the light blinded from the return of true balance to the worlds. "So you are here, good. Have you been to awaken Terra's true disposition?" inquired the Dark Master to the hooded man, intent to know more about the development of a single, miniscule aspect of the scheme.

[Young Xehanort]

A portal had opened up before him with quite a display. The portal looked as it should, but it felt like it had more power behind it. Only a true user of Darkness could open such a portal with such force. Out of the swirling Darkness he saw a familiar face that smirked at him and Young Xehanort had given him a smirk back from under the hood. It was Master Xehanort, the older version of himself. Young Xehanort had felt really inspired by his older self or in reality he was inspired by himself. Regardless it was he who had set up all of this as time went on and it was he who was the mastermind behind everything. Young Xehanort had felt proud that he eventually grows to be such a successful connoisseur. However Xehanort has already had a taste of what his older self has had and will only grow to develop more of his elder's skills in the time coming.

"Terra has awakened his true potential, like the others shall." Said the younger self. "If it were not for us using him as a vessel long ago, the task would have been more exasperating. Though due to his gullible nature, his fate was sealed regardless." Slowly he reached up with both of his hands and placed them onto the sides of his hood. He pulled it down to reveal his long, silver hair and his golden eyes. "I have only learned so much through my travels. Enlighten me on what is going on in the Worlds." Xehanort said as he gazed into his older self's eyes. It was true, Young Xehanort had learned a lot due to his special powers. Though he hadn't observed every event, only the ones that were beneficial to him and related to his task. If Xehanort was to truly take hold of the denizens of the Worlds, he would need to know more key events that had happened.

Research was one of the many things Xehanort had enjoyed and he would always jump at the opportunity to learn more about the Worlds and events. Why if it wasn't for his curiosity and his thirst for knowledge about the other Worlds and the Keyblade War he wouldn't even be there. "The Keyblade War will soon be in our reaches once we obtain the others. And the dreams of the Keybladers of Light will be crushed, as well as the Masked fool." Xehanort said confidently. There was so much mystery to him about the Keyblade War. How did such a legendary weapon as the X-Blade shatter? What is the true Kingdom Hearts like? How did the Worlds truly function as a whole? It was a mystery shrouded in the Darkness that Xehanort held so close, and he was intent on obtaining it.

[Vanitas]

[atrb=style,border: 2px solid #000000; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 20px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 20px;][atrb=background, i52.tinypic.com/2zghpbb.jpg][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,442,true][atrb=height,450,true][atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,3,true] Evil tastes the tears of fear! tearing down your helpless fate Theme: Xehanort Tagged: Vani, Xehanort x2 Comments: Hope you don‘t mind your apprentice joining It was hard to say why Vanitas had come here. Sometime after his bought with the loser Ventus, Vanitas had begun to once more feel a sensation. It had been years since the sensation had come to him, but he could feel it. What’s more, it felt Stronger. That feeling of knowing, of wanting, of power. Something about it was so much stronger now, and he couldn’t ignore it. He might have before, to search for the answers he sought, but now, he simply could not. It had felt as though his heart had been pulled on in just that way that Vanitas was forced to heed the call. That dark temptation and power, the signature was so unique, so personal, so knowledgeable. Yes, he’d have recognized that power anywhere. But why had Vanitas come to it? Why did it make him come here, of all places? Even as yet another Dark Corridor opened and the masked boy stepped forth, head shielded in the Opaque signature mask, he could not fathom why here. What significance did this castle have? There was familiarity here, but he did not know it. Something was definetly familiar, both in the sights, the smells, and everything. Yet Vanitas did not recognize it right off. Perhaps it was some far off memory from Ventus, or… somewhere else. Who was to say why this castle and it’s bizarre architecture was so familiar to the boy. Once stepped through, Vanitas let the portal behind him close, turning slowly to face both the men in front of the doors. One wore a cloak like that Spiky-haired punk in Radiant Garden, but his features were different. The other… well, there was no need to describe the other. Both of them, though different ages, held the same signature. The same Lust for power, the same darkness within, the same desire. Vanitas could smell it, he could taste it, he could feel it. These men, though different, were one in the same. Not like Ventus and himself. No, there was no separate heart here. They were the same heart, the same desire. “…Master.” Xehanort. Finally, things seemed to be coming together.

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[Master Xehanort]

The devilish smirk remained on the face of the Dark Master, even as he continued to listen to the familiar voice of his younger incarnation explain the fate of Terra, and a row of teeth let loose an evil smile through his lips as he came to know of the success of Young Xehanort's endeavors. It pleased him to know end, and he simply nodded in acknowledgement when the other individual spoke of how simple it had been. In truth many of the affairs concerning the apprentices of Eraqus were simple, for the younger Keybearers were wrought with ignorance and naivety, and were consistently wary of the darkness and its power. They were prone to believe anything, and sought to bring peace and goodness to those who appeared to be in trouble, yet they were all mistaken. This entire war as well, was a mistake, created by the very stupidity that drove the ambitions of the heroes. These individuals sought to bring peace and balance, yet all they waged time and time again were the planting of seeds of destruction. They knew not what they did either, for they remained blinded by the valor and honorable notions of these endeavors to truly see what they were doing to the worlds. There was no saving them in the condition they were in now, and Master Xehanort knew this, he was well aware of the state of the spectrum, and how badly the scales were tipping out of balance.

Kingdom Hearts would fix all of this. In the end it mattered not what fate held for the worlds after they accepted the influence of neutrality, nor did it matter for any worlds finding themselves saved by the light. More darkened hearts would surely return to pull them back into chaos, and the conflict would forever continue, kept alive by the desires of the blind and deaf. Xehanort had a feeling of what would happen to the worlds if left to the tarnishing of this Masked Man, and while it would only benefit him in the end if these worlds fell, it compared in a miniscule fashion to everything he had already set in place. The trap for the incomplete X-Blade was already waiting to be sprung, and more hearts continued to search and bicker frantically over it, just as anticipated. More numbers continued to grow within the ranks of his new Organization, and it was only a matter of time before the third phase could be entered. Regardless, the forces of light and any efforts of Eraqus could not stop what was already in motion, stop the many wheels of this colossus of a machine that continued to drive forward. Kingdom Hearts would belong to Xehanort in the end, and no one could stop that.

Another sound of darkness coming to life caught the ears of the Dark Master, yet he didn't bother to cast a glance over his shoulder, for the presence emerging from the corridor had already been felt in an inertia feeling deep within his heart. The call had been sent, and as expected, the Master of the Unversed had arrived promptly on schedule. This pleased the oldest Xehanort to no end, for it only assured him that his past ambitions to form the legendary Keyblade still appealed to his creation, and the promise of endless destruction was too great for the Masked Boy to pass up. No doubt he had done his part to search for more powerful hearts of light, and in doing so had drawn the attention of the Seven, as well as the ever persistent silver haired legend. Only time would tell whether the actions of Vanitas had served great benefit, yet a man such as Xehanort held great faith within the abilities and power of his apprentice, and knew he had been the right choice for the tasks given.

"The state of the worlds continues to sway with the tides of this war, however everything is falling into place regardless. I am certain that the efforts of this Masked Man will only light the paths toward the remaining candidates," began Master Xehanort to his younger incarnation, then turned his attention to the doors of Castle Oblivion, wondering whether Ansem had finished clearing the castle for Young Xehanort's search for the door. The efforts here would certainly haste the progression of the collection, and the elderly Keyblade Master felt that this would not take long, especially considering the purpose behind this entire visit to the former home world of Eraqus. The pieces were coming together nicely, and all that remained was to put the puzzle together, and then, everything would be clear. Master Xehanort then cast a glance to Vanitas, and slowly turned to look upon the always familiar obsidian shield covering the boy's face. His past efforts against Ventus and Aqua at the Keyblade Graveyard all those years ago had been successful to an extent, as Xehanort was allowed time and a distraction to place his heart into Terra's. With the help of Vanitas, the path to the creation of artificial Heartless and the Nobodies had been revealed, and allowed the ultimate quest for knowledge to continue.

"While my younger self will need no assistance in uncovering the door within this clever facade, rest assured Vanitas, the Land of Departure is hidden inside somewhere," began Master Xehanort, who regarded the castle behind himself with a gesturing wave of his white gloved hand. It soon interlocked with its mate behind the old man's back. "This portal shall become essential in preparing the candidates, and so it must be acquired to be considered among our assets. The castle has been cleaned, so all is required for you is to make sure the portal is unlocked without hindrance. You will have to protect him," he then gestured with a nod to Young Xehanort, "until the task is complete. I am certain it will take no more than thirty minutes." Master Xehanort then walked slowly toward his dark apprentice, his boots crunching in the soft dirt with every step. Those signature sienna eyes fixated upon the darkened spheres Xehanort knew lurked behind the guise of the mask, and waited for a moment in silence. There was still much to discuss, but it would have to wait for another time, for Xehanort was continuing to finish his agenda, and there remained many possible candidates that would need testing, to prove to the Dark Master if they were capable of living up to his tasks.

"I trust this is not a problem, my apprentice?"

[Young Xehanort]

As Xehanort had thought, the Worlds were lacking proper balance. However it was not like they had not had that balance in the first place as they were plagued with the Light. Regardless the wars on the Worlds were helping the tide shift more to Darkness, Light, or Neutrality. However any World that was marked as Neutral ground truly wasn't neutral in his eyes. There were only so many Worlds that truly exhibited Neutrality. The Keyblade Graveyard and the original Land of Departure were two of them that could come to mind. Unlike the Keyblade Graveyard, the Land of Departure couldn't form the X-Blade. Only in the Keyblade Graveyard is where the X-Blade could be formed. The true shine of Kingdom Hearts would show itself when the X-Blade is formed correctly, without haste.

"Our chosen ones will soon fall into our possession. All that is known to them now will be abolished and will gain our heightened senses." Young Xehanort said as he noticed a portal open up behind his elder self. "That is their fate, whether they absolutely accept it or not." Out of the seemingly endless vortex stepped out a somewhat familiar face to him. The face itself was covered by a signature black visor that shrouded his entire head. Young Xehanort hadn't met Vanitas yet in person and only had used his likeness inside of the Realm of Sleep. Watching his journeys firsthand without experiencing them truly himself was quite the trip, as it opened up the knowledge of what was meant to happen for him.

"Vanitas, I take it." Said the silver haired boy, watching as the wiser Xehanort talked to him. He knew very well who he was, but Xehanort was always the formal type no matter how old he was. His golden gaze observed the Master converse with his Apprentice. In his Heart he had felt somewhat nostalgic ...yet he had not the chance to create Vanitas yet. It probably was the memories that he had learned through his travels. Or it could be that his more knowledgeable self's Heart was projecting its memories directly to Young Xehanort's Heart, due to the close proximity.

Master Xehanort had mentioned something about protection and Young Xehanort took notice of his nod. Nodding, his silver bangs swayed back and forth. "With such neutral ground in our grasp, the tasks that lay ahead will become much simpler. Due to the hidden nature of the door, it also gives us the privacy our meetings need. ...Assuming the wielders of Light know our whereabouts in The World that Never Was, as well as in the Realm of Sleep." He gestured his right hand towards the castle doors that were behind him, the black glove being contrasted against the pale yellow doors. "Admirably, the door itself is not lost to Oblivion. Unlike the hidden chambers within." The leather of his glove crunched as he curled his hand into a fist, causing a force to make the heavy doors swing open with ease. Xehanort quickly jumped forward to avoid being struck by the doors.

[Vanitas]

[atrb=style,border: 2px solid #000000; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 20px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 20px;][atrb=background, i52.tinypic.com/2zghpbb.jpg][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,442,true][atrb=height,450,true][atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,3,true] Evil tastes the tears of fear! tearing down your helpless fate Theme: Xehanort Tagged: Xehanort x2, Vani Comments: Yes Master I will do whatever you say my master. It had been odd to receive the call back in Traverse Town, but even then, Despite having been so close to insanity, so close to being vulnerable, and so close to defeating Ventus and ending them both, he had known to stop it then. He had left Traverse Town so quickly, not even sure if Ventus had managed to actually defeat his Unversed Counterpart or not. The memories of something that had happened what, only a minute ago, had already begun to feel fuzzy. The summon from his master was so powerful, and the lust for destruction and chaos… it had been the only reason he’d alied himself with the jester for a time, the chance for destruction and Chaos, but now that his master was back, there was purpose to the chaos. Standing here, behind Master Xehanort, looking upon his younger self in the cloak… it was disorienting, but did not make Vanitas falter. Did it mean he would have two masters? He recognized both as Xehanort, but he would serve only the older master, the one who stood before him, and now spoke of his younger counterpart, detailing everything to come forth. He could feel the Master bearing into his eyes, despite the opaque sheild covering everything about the boy’s face from view. Once, long ago, the master had looked on a face that was simply black with yellow, pupiless eyes. He had felt the same thing then as he did now. Strength. There was such strength in the frail old form of Xehanort. Did it intimidate Vanitas? Perhaps in a sense. It did not make him fear Xehanort, but it did make him respect him as a strong warrior, an individual he would ally himself with, so long as the plans of destruction were kept and formed. Xehanort spoke, and Vanitas listened. So, this world was Land of Departure, but in a different guise? It explained many of the questions already forming in Vanitas’s head. Coming here, it had felt light the neutral world of the Land of Departure, but it did not feel the same either. There had been something to happen here. Was that hat lead it to change form? Is this then what became of Radiant Garden? Had that world changed as well thanks to some great cataclysm, and now it was only beginning to fully rebuild? And Xehanort’s words… they suggested someway of changing it back? Could all worlds change though, to whatever image they saw fit? Could then Sephiroth prove to let his dreams come to fruitation? It mattered little. Xehanort spoke, and while no loyalty was felt to this master, Vanitas still felt compelled to listen, if only for all the prospective chaos and destruction. It seemed that while his master believed the Younger Xehanort to be formidable enough, he wished for Vanitas to travel within the halls of the Castle before them, castle doors that opened furiously, turning Vanitas’ attention to the man who asked if he was Vanitas. He offered no reply in return, staring at the man through the mask for moments before turning back to his master, who asked Vanitas to travel within the halls as a Guardian of the younger Xehanort. Vanitas once more turned to the younger Xehanort, then the older, and offered no physical response beyond a simple nod. “It shall not be, my Master. I will travel with your Younger self as you see fit.” He spoke clearly, turning back to the younger Xehanort, but continuing to speak to the older. “Would you wish me to tell you of what I have learned in travels, master? Or shall the information sharing wait?”

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[Master Xehanort]

While his younger incarnation began to speak, following the older Keyblade Master, his words spoke only truth. They were words that held authority behind them, much like his older self, yet the elderly Keyblade Master could feel the strong resonance between the individual and himself. They were one in the same, from different times, yet of the same heart. It was a wondrous thing to behold, time. It held formidable power when wielded by the proper hands, and was a dangerous yet highly beneficial tool. It provided Master Xehanort with a plethora of roads to take, each having yet to be discovered by the never ending pursuit of the elderly man and his undying quest for knowledge and power. While these many roads still needed to be traversed, the ones that had already being explored, and the ones that were currently being tread by many, were only providing Xehanort with a seemingly endless supply of that very element. Time.

As the doors to Oblivion swept open with the force of Young Xehanort's influence over them, Master Xehanort cast a glance back to the emptiness of the placid white entry chamber. Many had traversed into the halls of this ancient structure, and many had paid the price, falling prey to the chains of memories that bound their hearts. The traitorous and useless Nobodies of Organization XIII had also been sent here by his Nobody, Xemnas, to be put in place to test the strength of both Sora and Riku; though these bothersome liabilities to his search for proper vessels had served their purpose, and had faded into nothingness as they were intended to. It was quite simple, many of them did not possess the proper qualities and power to be able to serve a greater purpose than what they had, and Oblivion had taken them, just as the land had taken Eraqus' body many years before. While his former friend's heart still managed to survive on within the heart of Terra's eventually it had come to restore the Master of Light himself, and since then Xehanort consistently wondered what his former vessel had done to release the other Master. Had Terra unlocked his heart, and in doing so released Eraqus? How could that be possible though, for Terra still retained his form. There had been no plunge into darkness like Xehanort had forced before, and there was no creation of a Nobody and Heartless, so then how, how could Eraqus still be alive!?

It was puzzling to think of such matters, yet Xehanort was sure that the cause of all of these mysteries would eventually reveal themselves. All ploys and endeavors eventually revealed their purposes and origins, and it was only suitable that the Dark master bide his time to learn how these events had transpired. It had been a rather unexpected and surprising sight to see Eraqus wandering the Crossroads outside these walls, off in the distant plains that wandered to a fro throughout the Realm of Twilight. The conversation he had with the Master of Light was intriguing, and had worked to his benefit, for because of Eraqus and what had been leaked to the other heroes of the light, the focus was not entirely off of the threat he supposedly presented, but Xehanort remained enough steps ahead to continue his endeavors unhindered.

The Masked Boy accepted his newest task with no question, yet did not forget to regard the matters that had been handled prior. It was good to see that Vanitas remained concerned to share the information of his recent travels with the Dark Master, as expected, however as much as Xehanort desired to learn of what had transpired, it had to wait for another time. There were several tasks that needed to be carried out before reflecting back on the turbulent events that had transpired, and once they had been carried out, a black veil would be lifted over the eyes of the Light, blinding them all in confusion as to what was in store for them next. It was only a matter of time before the Masked Man and his lackeys would meet their end, and then the focus would doubtlessly turn to himself. Utilizing Sephiroth as a ruse to divert this inevitable attention would only serve its use for as long as the naive super warrior intended to search for Xehanort's quarry, and eventually precautions would be needed in order to remove the One Winged Angel from the picture entirely. In addition to this, numerous warriors fighting for harmony continued to search for this weapon, yet many remained ignorant to how it could be formed, or even found. There were liabilities and benefits within all these confused hearts, yet a man such as Xehanort left nothing to chance when it came to these matters, and already had in mind several of these individuals who could be preyed upon, and be put to use for his ambitions.

"We will have a chance to speak in due time Vanitas. For now, focus on the task at hand, and do not let the Castle hold sway over you. Inside awaits only memories." With that the elderly Keyblade Master turned away from the Dark Apprentice, then cast a sienna gaze to that of his younger incarnation. "I shall go now to begin the first test. Return to the World That Never Was once you have completed this objective," spoke the elderly Master of the Keyblade, acknowledging his younger self with a respectful nod. At that moment another Corridor of Darkness appeared, and began to rise to envelope the form of Master Xehanort once more. "We will return it to sleep soon enough." With the final sentence from the voice of the old man, he was overcome with the forces of the dark, and soon the portal vanished, leaving nothing in its wake where Master Xehanort once stood.

Master Xehanort has left the thread.

[Young Xehanort]

As the Master left Xehanort had nodded back to him. He was given his task and he was set to complete it. His gaze left his elder self as soon as he set off into the portal. Both Younger and Elder were on the same wavelength, if such a thing as telepathy existed they wouldn't even have to talk to one another. However that was not the case. The matter at hand now was to enter the Castle and to find the door to the Land of Departure. Vanitas was there with him, Xehanort was sure that having him there would only speed up the process. Though he did not need protection from the boy as he could fight for himself, but Master Xehanort very well knew this. Traveling in numbers wasn't a problem for Young Xehanort anyway. He usually had brought someone along with him during his travels in the Realm of Sleep, but that's because of other reasons.

The chains of his coat jingled when he turned around to face the now open doors of Castle Oblivion. Peering inside he took a look at the white entrance hall. Inside of the Castle was a nice structure, but Xehanort would prefer something more Darker. It was only the work of one of the Keybladers of Light that could make such a gloomy place on the outside seem so bright on the inside. One could say that the endless white of the halls matches the theme of the castle. Regardless of the interior Xehanort had walked toward the castle. As he continued forward he spoke to Vanitas. "If we are to find the door we must not get lost in Oblivion." The clicking sound of boots hitting tile was made as Xehanort had step foot from the dirt onto the white tile. "Time may be on our side, but it will not help us here."

Soon enough Xehanort had reached the next set of double doors in front of him as he turned around once more, staring at Vanitas wherever he was. "This castle has thirteen floors going up and thirteen floors going down. It also harbors special rooms betwixt and in-between and obtains various halls and rooms." Young Xehanort then folded his right arm to rest on his left arm's bicep, as he placed his left hand on his chin. "The door must be hidden well in one of the rooms, it is likely Eraqus and the likes would not leave it out in the open. There's also a good chance it could be with the Chamber of Awakening, however if that is so than it is hopeless for us to find it ..considering the castle's nature." He let his arms rest down on his sides as he turned to face the doors behind him. "These rooms can be effected by memories in the physical manifestation of cards..." He eyed Vanitas from the corner of his eye. "...That is so much I've learned through my travels. We shall not be using the cards, it will hinder our search and lead us to a false Land of Departure."

Reaching forward he grasped the handles of both doors and he pulled. Once the doors were opened it revealed a white room, similar to the one that they were in currently. However this room had much more doors, different platforms, and even a different structure. "Floor one has a low chance of harboring the door we seek, we shall search though." With that said Xehanort entered the room as he approached another door. He opened that door and took another look inside and found ...nothing. Quickly before he had gotten too occupied he spoke out. "We will not stay on one floor for too long, lest we waste time." Now only time could tell when they would find the door.

[Vanitas]

[atrb=style,border: 2px solid #000000; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 20px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 20px;][atrb=background, i52.tinypic.com/2zghpbb.jpg][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,442,true][atrb=height,450,true][atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,3,true] Evil tastes the tears of fear! tearing down your helpless fate Theme: N/A Tagged: Vani, YMX Comments: Bah Vanitas watched the sienna eyed specter of Xehanort disappear within the corridor of Darkness, his words ringing within his head. Inside awaits only memories, a cryptic message meant to help guard him from the trickery of the castle. Could the memories then be something related to Eraqus of the other weaklings of the light? Why Memories? He knew Ventus memories were broken, or so the boy sometimes claimed… but what of the memories of while they slept? Did the mention of bringing worlds into sleep hold more clues? It was a lot for the boy to parse out, and for now, he’d act to obedient servant. Like before, if Xehanort’s plans ever ended up putting Vanitas’ own on clash, he would not hesitate to end the old Master, even if he was now strong and formidable. Still, the promise of chaos, darkness, and power… Vanitas did not turn to look upon the Younger Master as he spoke, following only after hearing the click of boots upon tile instead of dirt. Entering the white halls brought back immediately the memories of the Land of Departure and it’s blinding white architecture. But even as the memories flooded him and seemed to become… manipulated, he kept his head focused and inside the game. He turned to the young Master and watched him through the Opaque mask, listening to his words closely. Both Masters… one younger, one older. Yet even still, both seemed to hold formidable power. The young Master seemed knowledgeable in this castle, and acted as though it would be their downfall if they were not careful. The mention of cards that held memories… Vanitas glanced to his hand and could see what seemed almost like something forming there. No, he would not dwell on his memories and cause the cards to form. He was stronger than that, stronger than this. Helping to search the floors had been, difficult. Having elect to head upwards within the castle, it seemed like there was a presence within these halls constantly. Memories? Remnants? Forgotten ghosts? It was almost haunting. Twice Vanitas had thought he’d seen Ventus out of the corner of his eye. At least once had been Braig, the gullible idiot. There was a stronger presence for the spikey-red headed man, but it too was a ghost that left when he turned to look. Two floors they had already traversed upwards, and as they reached another door to enter, Vanitas once more felt some sort of presence. “We may not be using the cards, but perhaps our memories are still creating ghosts within the marble.” he said, pausing at the steps to let the Young Master open it first. “If we do not find the door within the thirteen upward floors, are we to traverse the basement then too?” he asked, wishing to make sure. It had already been a great deal of time to go through these floors, and it each floor seemed to only get more and more rooms within it.

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[Young Xehanort]

It was awhile since they were searching the castle, a little more than Xehanort had thought. After searching the subsequent floors both Young Xehanort and Vanitas had reached the thirteenth floor. Traversing up thirteen floors and searching every single room would be tiresome for any normal being. Xehanort would refuse to give up the search, he vowed to complete any plan he had thought up of. The white halls had the appearance of going on forever. The Castle wasn't called Castle Oblivion for nothing, those who were in search of the Room of Awakening would be lost forever. Luckily for them it wasn't their main target. "Perhaps, but unlikely. These halls may take form of memories with the cards, but they lack the ability to act on their own. Its defense mechanism is to make us lost to Oblivion." Xehanort said as he stopped right before a door, nodding in compliance to Vanitas' next question.

"If we are unsuccessful in finding the door on the above ground floors, than the basement is the only other place to search." Opening the door Xehanort looked inside and smirked at what he saw. It was a long hallway which was as white and twisted as the others, but it abruptly halted at the end. No other doors, no windows, and no white fauna like the rest of the Castle had. Xehanort then traveled the hallway, but each step seemed to prove fruitless as the hallway kept getting longer each time he tried to approach the end. "The door is just beyond this hallway." Xehanort said as he analyzed the hallway, confused by its nature. "Like the rest of the Castle, this too is another trick." He lifted up his arm as he tried sticking it down the hallway, but all it did was extend again. Once he pulled back his arm the hallway retracted. His silver hair swayed back and forth as Xehanort looked at each wall. One of the walls near him had fauna, the rest of the hallway did not, but then he could see that there was fauna again at the end of the hallway.

"Found it." Approaching the wall with the flowers on in he stuck his hand through to test and as he thought, it wasn't solid. Jumping through he appeared over on the other side by a door. This door wasn't the same as the others. It had a complete golden coat of paint to it and there were green spikes on top like the entrance. Around the door was a bright aura that seemed like it could light up even the darkest of nights. Reaching forward Xehanort took grasp of the door, curling his fingers around the handles. With a swift pull he opened them and looked inside to see the Land of Departure. "Vanitas, we have found the door. The Master should be waiting." A dark corridor opened next to Xehanort as he stepped inside, smirking to himself that he had been successful once more. "A world of balance is now once again in our control, its neutral grounds will be in our favor." The dark corridor closed around him as he disappeared from the world.

Xehanort has exited the thread.

(Sorry about the long delay dude).

[Vanitas]

[atrb=style,border: 2px solid #000000; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 20px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 20px;][atrb=background, i52.tinypic.com/2zghpbb.jpg][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,442,true][atrb=height,450,true][atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,3,true] Evil tastes the tears of fear! tearing down your helpless fate Theme: Silence Tagged: Vani, YMX Comments:VANI HAS LEFT The searching of the thirteen upper floors had been taking on too long, and though the young Master had claimed that the ghosts of their memories would unlikely form without the cards, Vanitas could not put away the sense that he had felt the presence of the people from his memories. He clearly remembered opening a door upon the tenth floor while temporarily separated from the Young Master, only to see inside the images of Ventus, Terra, and Aqua, staring back at him, and raising their key blades in sync. He had prepared himself to attack, but almost as oon as they had appeared, they disappeared. It had senst a shock up his spine, and he closed the door to the dead end room on the floor and turned back to meet again with Young Xehanort. Exiting on the 13th floor had been a relief for Vanitas, if only to finally get out of the rooms that seemed to show his memories to him, even as ghosts without the cards the Young Master Xehanort had spoken of. He watched the master hs he entered the Hallways that seemed to traverse a hallway that got longer with each step he took, yet at one moment, Vanitas had stopped and watched the master walk. His walking was an illusion. The hallway did not get longer, it just kept you in place. Some sort of strange magic that distorted the vision. Perhaps the castle’s Name, Oblivion, meant something after all. That’s when the young master suddenly turned to the wall, sticking his hand though, then jumping through. Vanitas moved to the spot and glided through the wall on his feet, seeing the golden door before him and smiling. Finally. He smirked beneath the mask as the Young Master opened the door to the Land of Departure, watching him fade into darkness to alert their Master, Xehanort. Vanitas crossed his arms, stepping through the open door, onto the grass. The world was filled with the Light of the old Land of Departure, but almost as soon as Vanitas let his mask fall off his face to look upon the world, it’s broken façade came through. Castle Oblivion and it’s world was kept in a Neutral state, and the Land of Departure within was broken, as it had been when Xehanort had destroyed it so long ago after the fall of Eraqus. The skye was dark as night and storms ravaged the land. Even the castle that was the land of Departure was broken and in ruins. Yes, it would soon exist for the Darkness indeed, but Xehanort could wait. It had… been a while since Vanitas had been here. He wandered the grass and eventually found himself where his other half and their friends had trained, the broken equipment scattered about. Vanitas picked up one of the equipment pieces, looking it over and then tossing it over his shoulder. A Broken memory, but not a memory. This was the Land of Departure for sure, and it was still in ruins. What Xehanort’s plans for it was unsure to Vanitas, but he’d learn it soon, no doubt. Vanitas turned to leave, ready to summon a dark portal, when he caught an image out the corner of his eyes. He looked over, spotting what almost seemed to be another door in itself. He tried to focus on it, but each time he tried to look at the door, Vanitas found himself unable to focus. It seemed to disappear into the rock wall. What was odd, was the presence of a heart of light beyond it, or the memory of one at least. The Young master had mentioned something called a Chamber of Awakening, and it propped a question in Vanitas’ mind. What lay in the Chamber, and why was it so hard to find? Without another thought or word, he stepped through the portal, ready to report to Master.

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