#i will continue to look for better sources for the green and also pointy hat thing even though i also drew taako with a wizard hat

[trashyswitch]

All Aboard the Pizzaplex!

It's closing night of the opening day at Pizzaplex. Vanessa had been hired to keep guard over the place to make sure no thieves get in and rob them. But Vanessa would wind up getting quite distracted on her first night...And the deep voice in her head (who's lurking in hopes of doing crime) is only adding to the distractions.

{Words written in this format} represent Glitchtrap. This fanfic was suggested by an anonymous user. So, I hope you enjoy the fanfic! Sorry it took a bit.

Vanessa was keeping guard over Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzaplex. It was such a large building...It’s strange that they only hired one security guard for the entire restaurant. And inconvenient for her. Vanessa had to be on the run as much as possible to make sure she was thoroughly checking the entire side of the building. It wasn’t easy, and it didn’t pay much. But it is a pretty place to look at and it did get her out of the house.

Vanessa walked herself towards Roxanne’s Raceway and checked around there to make sure no one was hiding in the dark. The neon lights looked pretty cool on the surface, but it also distracted from what could be hiding in the darkness. That was one thing Vanessa found difficult. Everything is covered in bright, neon lights but none of the lights actually revealed anything hidden within the dark. Hence why she had her flashlight.

Vanessa had started to walk closer to the race track, when an animatronic with deep, red eyes showed up behind her. Vanessa immediately noticed the red eye lights reflecting off the metal. She widened her eyes and turned right around. The animatronic let out an ear-bleeding robotic scream and grabbed her!

Terrified and filled with adrenaline, Vanessa dropped her flashlight and screamed as well!

The robotic screaming quickly stopped and was replaced by autotuned laughter. Vanessa had placed her hand on her chest as she breathed heavily, and let out a sigh of relief. They’re not going rogue...They’re just being evil.

Vanessa growled. “What was that for?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Vanessa reacted, hitting the animatronic in the shoulder. “Which one are you anyway?” She asked, waving her now-injured hand.

“You don’t recognize me?!” The animatronic asked, before moving their face into the bright pink light. The light revealed it to be Roxanne Wolf. Her flowy grey hair rested itself onto her back as she knelt down to put Vanessa down. “Can’t handle a little scare once in a while?” Roxanne asked, showing off her claws.

Vanessa crossed her arms. “Not when it’s a robot doing it.” Vanessa replied bluntly.

“Aren’t you supposed to be keeping an eye on thieves?” Roxanne asked. “Huuuman thieves?” She over-exaggerated the word ‘human’ to emphasize that not just robots will go rogue.

Vanessa softened her expression. “Fine...humans can give people heart attacks too.” Vanessa replied.

{Damn right.} a deep voice inside of Vanessa’s brain, told her.

“That’s right!” Roxanne pushed Vanessa’s security hat down. “It’s been decades since robots were predicted to take over the human race. So stop being such a traditionalist!” Roxanne declared. “We’re not that hard to live with, are we?”

Vanessa fixed her hat. Then, she made a ‘well…’ kind of face and rocked her head side to side, meaning ‘you kinda are but you’re kinda not’.

Roxanne hummed. “Well, Monty’s pretty hard to live with. But the rest of us are nice! We were made for children, after all!” Roxanne told her.

{Yeah, made for killing children...} the deep voice added.

Those words didn’t exactly help her…

“So: was it fun seeing me scream and freak out?” Vanessa asked.

“Well, yeah! Very fun, in fact! Even the simplest things can scare people.” Roxanne admitted, curling and wiggling her fingers.

Vanessa’s eyes widened as an uncontrollable and childish smile grew onto her lips. The wiggling fingers took her right back to when her Mom would tickle and tease her. It surprised her, and always kept her in a giddy mood. Even the wiggling fingers would completely change her mood into adrenaline-filled excitement.

“Oh! So you DO like being scared!” Roxanne teased. “A bit of an adrenaline junkie?” She asked.

Vanessa nodded. “Yeah.”

Roxanne giggled and turned her eyes red for a moment. “Peek-a-boo.” She said in a monotone voice.

Vanessa widened her eyes and stared at Roxanne, growing nervous. “C-Come on Roxanne...You-you can’t get someone t-twice.” She tried to say.

Roxanne turned her neck slowly, and purposefully twitched her neck to the right. She scraped her foot on the ground, making a loud metal sound as she stared into Vanessa’s soul. “Play with me Vanny.”

Vanessa widened her eyes. DID SHE JUST SAY VANNY?!

{SHIT- SHE KNOWS. RUN!} The deep voice shouted to her.

Vanessa shrieked and immediately took off running. Vanessa yelped as the sounds of clanging metal and moving artificial joints filled the echoey kids mall. How did she figure out?! She hasn’t even been suspected, let alone caught! She continued sprinting around the mall and skidded to a halt in front of the ball pit.

“Come play with me Vanny! Let’s PLAY!” Roxanne suggested.

Feeling cornered and unable to do anything else, Vanessa took a headstart and jumped to try and get over the ballpit. But the ball pit was just so wide, that she wasn’t even close to making it to the other side. Vanessa fell feet first into the ballpit. When her feet touched, she got herself up and started ‘running’ through the endless plastic balls in the pit pool. Roxanne ran up to the ball pit next and grabbed a rope. With unbelievable percision that only robots possessed, Roxanne threw the life buey right around her body.

“NO!” She shouted, trying to remove the buey. But Roxanne pulled more and picked her up under the arms. “Gotcha!” She yelled. “I scaaaared you again!” Roxanne declared with a laugh.

“Put me down! That was so uncalled for!” Vanessa yelled. “And why Vanny as a nickname?” She asked, growing slightly nervous.

“Oh!” Roxanne looked at her own fingernails and flipped her own hair. “I took the name Danny, and used the 1st letter of your name! Vanny!” Roxanne explained.

Suddenly, Roxanne widened her eyes and looked at Vanessa closer with suspicious eyes. “Also, did you just say ‘uncalled for’?” Roxanne asked, placing her hand on her chin. “You were practically begging for it! You got very excited when I wiggled my fingers.” Roxanne said out loud.

Vanessa bit her lip and finally gave Roxanne an awkward, rough smile.

“Saaaay...Have you heard of the tickle monster? Maybe even met them?” Roxanne asked with a smirk.

{...You’ve got to be kidding me…} The deep reacted.

Vanessa giggled a little nervously. “Yehehehes, I hahave.” Vanessa replied.

“How about Roxanne the tickle monster?” She asked curiously with a raised eyebrow.

Oh no...Oh NO! PLEASE NO!

...Actually, please yes. It’s been years.

{What even is my life…} The deep voice muttered. {Out of all the people- You?!}

Vanessa yelped and kicked her feet as Roxanne’s pointy green fingertips dug into her upper ribs and armpits. She threw her head back with a big smile and let out a fit of laughter. “aAAAHAHAHAHA! WAHAHAIT, WHAHAHAHAT?!” She yelled.

“Now fear the mighty power of Roxanne the tickle monster!”

{........Oh...} The deep voice muttered.

“But yes! Don’t you know that Roxanne Wolf has nails built right into her fingers?” Roxanne showed off her thin, green fingernails proudly. “And they’re perfect for turning into the tickle monster!” Roxanne teased as she started up tickling with both hands again.

Vanessa twisted and turned around to try and get out of her grip. But the tickling was weakening her muscles. She was losing control of her body parts the longer she was tickled, thanks to the wolf-shaped robot that is Roxanne Wolf.

“CUHUHUT IHIHIT OHOHOUT! LEHEHEHET MEHEHE GOHOHOHO!” She begged.

“Now now, there’s no need to be so loud and fussy.” She reassured her. “Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your first of many tickle attacks.” Roxanne suggested.

Vanessa didn’t know what to do! On one hand, she wanted to be put down and go back to her job. But on the other hand…

Tickles didn’t seem like that bad of an idea right now…

Roxanne wrapped her one arm under Vanessa’s armpits and started lifting up her shirt a bit. Vanessa squeaked and giggled, shaking her head. “Nahahat thehere! Ihit’s vehery tihihicklihish thehere!” Vanessa begged.

“Really? Well I have some sad news for you:” Roxanne poked her belly button, making Vanessa squeak and kick. “I’m a rebel wolf~”

Roxanne shoved her hand under Vanessa’s belly and tickled around and in her belly button. Vanessa hung her head and kicked her legs outwards while she cackled up a storm.

Another pair of footsteps soon could be heard. “I hear laughter! Where’s it coming from?”

{Great...now you’re luring more animatronics over…} The voice muttered in her head.

“It’s Cackly Becky over here! She’s the source of the cutest laughter we’ve heard from any adult!” Roxanne replied.

WOW! Hey Freddy! Look at this chick!” Monty yelled.

“Monty, I’ve seen Chica before!” Freddy yelled back.

“No! Not Chica the chick, a security guard chick!” Monty grabbed the nametag and read it. “Vanessa!”

Freddy walked over with his microphone in his hand. “Oh! Pony girl! I see her all the time!” Freddy told them.

“I’ve never seen this bad babe around at all.” Monty admitted.

Roxanne frowned as she gave Vanessa a break and flipped her upside down. “She’s not bad. I’m bad.” Roxanne corrected as Vanessa’s slip-on shoe clapped against the ground. “This lady here in my claws, is a goody-two toes.” Roxanne teased as she gave Vanessa’s toes a little tickle.

Vanessa squeaked and giggled. “NOHOHOhohoho! Nahahahat myhyhyhy feheheheeheheheeeeet!” she pleaded.

“Ey lookie here! A senstive babe~” Monty teased, leaning over on his knees to get a better look at Vanessa.

{And people complained I was disgusting…} the deep voice muttered in Vanessa’s head.

Roxanne stopped tickling Vanessa for a moment and pushed Monty a few feet backwards with her foot. “You’re disgusting. You’re gonna be turned into gator soup if you treat any lady like that.” Roxanne spat.

Freddy looked over at Roxanne with a smirk. “You missed the pit.” Freddy mentioned. With a simple push, Monty stumbled backwards and fell right into the ballpit. Vanessa widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. She was SO gonna lose her job…

Monty popped out of the ballpit pool, gagging. He coughed up about 5 plastic balls. “That almost made me malfunction!”

“Nohow wahahait-”

“Your existance almost made me malfunction!” Roxanne shot back.

“EEEEEHEHEHEHE! FREHEHEDDYHYHYHY NAHAHAHAHAHA!” She cackled and laughed.

Roxanne and Monty looked down to where the new bout of laughter was coming from: Freddy was kneeling down in front of Roxanne, poking and scratching Vanessa’s belly button. Vanessa was giggling and pushing his hand away with no success.

“Kitchy kitchy koo!” He poked the belly button. “You click, then she laughs! Click, and laugh! Boop and gaggle! Beep, wiggle and cackle!” Freddy teased.

“BAHAHAHAHAHA! TOOHOHOHOHO TIHIHIHICKLIHIHIHISH!” She yelled to him.

“Too ticklish? Is there such thing as too ticklish? If so, how can I know?” Freddy asked.

“LAHAHAHAHA- *snort* LAHAHAHAUGHTEHEHEHEHER!” She yelled back.

“Your laughter?” Freddy clarified. He thought for a moment. “But...your laughter doesn’t change. How do I find out it’s too much based on something that doesn’t change?” Freddy asked.

Vanessa grabbed Freddy’s hand and tried to move it to her side. “HEHEHEHERE. TRYHYHYHYHY!” She told him.

Freddy looked at where his hand was located now and smiled. “Okay! If you say so!” Freddy started tickling her sides next. Vanessa squeaked and fell into a fit of high-pitched giggles. “Ooooooh! It DOES change! How interesting!”

“Ihihihi knohohohow!” Vanessa reacted with him.

Freddy moved to squeezing her hips next. “eeEEEEHEHEHEHEHE!” Vanessa’s laughter grew squeaky and moved up and down quite a bit.

{Your ticklishness is gonna be a problem in the future...I hope you know that.} The deep voice mentioned.

“Wow! Your laughter changes a lot like emotions do!” Freddy reacted, making the connection.

{Wow...In the 2060’s, animatronics can make connections. Who would’ve thought?}

“SHUHUHUHUT UHUHUHUHUP!” Vanessa yelled to the stupid criminal voice in her head.

Freddy’s smile dropped. “I...But why?” Freddy asked, sounding almost hurt.

{Don’t fall for it. He’s a robot. He can’t actually feel emotions. He’s just imitating human emotions and getting real reactions from you through fake-}

“Don’t stop.” Vanessa blurted out. Freddy blinked and tilted his head. “I...Sorry, I don’t want you to shut up. And I don’t want you to stop either.” Vanessa admitted.

Freddy smiled and went back to tickling her sides. “Okay. Thank you for telling me.” Freddy replied.

“Now THAT’S bravery!” Roxanne declared as she started tickling her toes again.

Vanessa giggled and danced her arms around upside down. She was loving it! The toes were such an evil spot to go for too! Roxanne had to tickle the middle of her foot sometimes to open up the toes. For whatever reason, that actually worked. Why? Who knows!

{Woooow...Look at you! Being all honest, and showing your vulnerable side to the animatronics that express fake emotions! Fan-frickin-tastic.}

Vanessa snickered to herself. The guy can’t even properly swear. What a fucking coward.

{...I can swear...Ass.}

Vanessa just about guffawed out loud at that. That’s it?! This man’s gotten SUPER soft. Must be all that programming turning his broken brain into mush.

{...If it weren’t for me using your body to continue doing the thing I crave so much...You would be my first.}

Vanessa giggled at both the foot tickles and at the deep voice. He’s all talk and no action. He’ll claim he’s ‘waiting for the perfect moment to strike’, but he’s really just not doing anything besides haunting her mind. Hence why he’s attempting to tolerate the one-sided tickle fight that was happening between Freddy, Roxanne and Vanessa.

...If he was so smart, maybe he wouldn’t have considered Vanessa as an option back in the VR game...

[milkandspoons]

greenish skin has been used on racist jewish caricatures. also, large hats (such as the ones witches are usually portrayed w) are used to identify jewish people when they went outside the ghetto. also, they completely ignored taakos canon ties to mexican culture. making him green/blue is an easy way for people to have a non-white character while not making him a poc either (bc apparently having two non-white poc is just too Hard)

Hey! this is a bit of a long answer, and i do appreciate you voicing this to me! 

like, i get that, and not to be the person to say ‘where are the sources’ but if this is a historic thing, i do wish for legit sources because personally i can’t find any through google, especially since the main post i’ve seen links sources with no evidence, and that sounds fishy to me. ive seen a lot of posts about my own culture made by people who arent my culture claiming things that make my eyes roll to the back of my head

as for the mexican thing, i do have two things, which I would like to say are 100% my opinion, from a hispanic person. i hate hispanic taako. is the only reason people think he is mexican is because his name. is. taako. if someone was named rice and they were asian, i’d be mad. if someone was named adobo and was flipino i’d be mad. fuck that so hard omg. 

AND WAIT HOLD ON A SEC MY SECOND THING: I LOVE MEXICAN TAAKO FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE MEXICAN AND SEE THEMSELVES IN  HIM. THAT SHIT IS A+ I LOVE IT. MMM GOOD SHIT (I personally headcanon Angus McDonald as Filipino suck it, world)

But the Mcelroys are NOT hispanic, and they’ve mentioned before they didn’t want to step in that puddle and avoid it altogether. White people making a hispanic taako rubs me the wrong way. mexican people making a mexican taako is the right way to go. if there’s one thing i hate, it’s checkbox diversity. there is something to be said about POC creators making POC characters and white creators making POC characters ‘just for diversity’ (which i am not claiming the McElroys of doing, I love them, but I have seen this often and people are often praised for it as well, which I hate) I dont care if the characters aren’t POC. i will personally go and support POC written characters made by POC authors instead. especially since this isnt some big famous media company like marvel or any blockbuster movie that will influence hundreds of thousands of people, esp since those who read probably already know whats up in the world, like the McElroys.

Also, here are some twitter threads from artists I respect that put other things I thought to better words than I could:

https://twitter.com/JessicaYMao/status/870415463251034116

https://twitter.com/toastasaurus/status/867853158843916288

also this one just made me scared to be an artist:

https://twitter.com/alizabees/status/870386373039206401

[the-arcana-randomness]

The Acrana Christmas - DAY 2 ~ Asra will be home for Christmas

Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy and sorry for it being a little late.  Read DAY 1 

It was who knows how much time ago that Asra spontaneously packed up and left on one of his trips, without saying a word to anyone. For some it seemed like only hours have passed while for others it felt like an eternity, but overall his presence was missed back home in Vesuvia, especially with Christmas waiting behind the corner.

Somewhere out in the open world, in an unnamed place on the outskirts of the Vesuvian state, Asra made his last stop before returning home. He was walking through the dimly lit streets looking for a place to spend the night. Everything was covered in glistening snow and it seemed like that wouldn’t change for a while since there were even more snowflakes cascading down. Even though Asra was wrapped up in a scarf and had his hat on, a few managed to sneak their way onto his hair where they simply blended in with the white curls. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a small inn and decided to ask the innkeeper for a bed.

As Asra entered the cabin his face blushed from the heat of fire, which was burning in the fireplace. He took off his hat, shook the snow out of his hair and off of his clothes and unwrapped his scarf, softly whispering to Faust to keep hidden in his bag. When he lifted up his head he noticed how nice the inn looked. It had such a homey atmosphere and was, from top to bottom, decorated with Christmas ornaments and lights. They had even set up a tree in the corner, which lit up in blue and purple and had cranberries and popcorn wrapped around it. Even the people who were sitting in the front room of the inn seemed warm and welcoming. They were all quietly chatting amongst themselves, some drinking mulled wine, some drinking hot chocolate, but all visibly happy and blushed from the warm fire they were gathered around. Asra noticed a short lady walking towards him. At first he thought it was someone’s child, but upon giving her a better look he noticed she was a grown woman. He also noticed she was dressed in green, red and white clothes with shiny tassels all over it, which resembled a tinsel garland. Her eyes were a very bright blue, almost white, her skin a pinkish-pale complexion with rosy cheeks, ears as if pointy, her hair a strawberry-blonde color and she had colorful eye-shadow.

“Hello, wonderer!” she greeted him in a child-like voice. “Are you lost? Need a warm drink maybe?”

Asra, as if on autopilot mode, smiled a soft smile: “Thank you, but no thank you. I’m not lost, just looking for a place to stay tonight.”

“Oh I see! Indeed a wondering boy! My, my… Where even were you headed in this blizzard, if I may ask?” the little woman smiled back.

“Home”, his reply short, yet full of warmth.

“Awww… There’s no place like home, especially on Christmas!” she winked at him.

Asra just politely nodded at the woman.

“Come with me sundowner. I’ll take you to the innkeeper and you can ask him for a room to stay”, she waved her hand and ran off with quick short steps, which Asra followed with no issue. She took him to a room in the back. This room was dimmer than the front room. The only light source was the fire in the fireplace and some twinkling Christmas lights. There were two sofas in front of the fireplace and a man was sitting in one of them. Asra couldn’t really make out his features.

“Innkeeper, look what the blizzard drew in! A wonderer, sundowner, landloper! Looking for a place to keep him safe for his road to home”, she said with a melody echoing in her voice. The man stood up and turned toward them. He was quite the tall man, but not the least bit intimidating. He was chubby, pale, with white balding hair, but a full, thick white beard, his eyes a soft brown and dressed in red pants with a big, black belt and a white tank top.

“Ho, ho, ho!” his laugh roared. “Welcome to my inn, wondering stranger.” The man’s words were full of warmth and love.

“Santa…” Faust whispered to Asra from inside his bag.

“No, no. He’s not Santa”, Asra reassured his familiar, “Just someone who… oddly, resembles him… like… a lot”.

“Whispering with company in the room is for someone from the naughty list”, the small woman spoke quickly, “Any questions, feel free to ask! Any requests, feel free to request! Any wishes… those we love!”

“A room is what you wish for, lost boy?” the innkeeper added.

“I’m not lost sir”, Asra felt the need to explain, “but yes, a room is what I’m looking for”.

“Are you sure that’s the only thing your heart desires?” the man smiled at him. That confused Asra and he was a little taken aback.

“Are you in any rush? Would you like to join me for some cookies and milk? Ho, ho, ho, ho!” The man chuckled.

“Um…” Asra snuck a glance at Faust, who looked at him with shining eyes.

“Coooooookiiieees”, Faust whispered. Asra sighed.

“Sure. I’d love to join you”, he added. The little elf-looking woman rushed back to the front room and Asra joined the innkeeper in the sofas.

“Tell me child”, the man spoke while handing him cookies, “what is your wish this Christmas?”

Asra looked at him for a moment confused.

“I don’t… really… celebrate Christmas, sir”, he said.

“Don’t celebrate Christmas?! Ho, ho, ho, ho! That doesn’t matter. Everybody deserves a little magic in their life, do they not”, the man winked with a smile.

“Do you not deserve to wish and dream just because you don’t celebrate?”

That sentence made Asra get a little lost in thought.

“Well… I wish I could make it back in time for Christmas to be with the ones I love. I know it would mean a lot to them”, he explained to the innkeeper.

“See? You do have the Christmas spirit in you! Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!” the man laughed with cheer.

“Even though, you say you don’t celebrate. Christmas is exactly about what you wish for! Being with the ones you cherish, sharing the love with them in any form – presents or letters or quality time spent together. It’s a very good wish.”

Asra had a smile on his face, but it was obvious to the innkeeper he was pretending the whole time.

“Having a good wish… and yet you look sad”, the man added. “What might be the matter, wonderer? Aren’t finding what you’re looking for?”

Asra looked up at him: “Thank you for your kind words, sir. I’m just a little tired and would like to rest. If you have a bed for me, I’d be very grateful.”

The innkeeper smiled and nodded.

“Of course”, he said, “have some more cookies and go get some rest. Is there a long road ahead of you?” As the man asked that, Asra’s fake smile dropped.

“Yeah… So long in fact, I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it back in time”, Asra explained, “especially, if this blizzard continues. But don’t worry. I’ll try looking for a ride to, at least, take me half way there, first thing in the morning.”

“I see”, the man said softly, “You should go get some rest. No use of worrying tonight. The weather outside is frightful!”

And so it was. The innkeeper called the elf-looking woman to go show Asra to his room, and soon enough, both he and Faust, fell asleep.

They woke up in the morning very well rested and Asra was happy to see it had stopped snowing, so he rushed to gather his things and continue his journey back home. He ran downstairs, hat in hand, Faust in his bag safe and sound and still wrapping his scarf around himself while rushing. At the exit, he heard the innkeeper call to him.

“Ho, ho, ho! Come here wonderer! There’s something you need to see.”

Asra, even though confused, went to see what all the fuss was about. As he walked out the back door with the innkeeper, he saw a sleigh with two horses waiting there.

“You said you needed a fast way of transportation, right? This sleigh and I will take you where you need to go”, the man said cheerfully. Asra was in disbelief.

“W-why?!” he asked.

“You had such a beautiful wish, landloper – to with your loved ones on Christmas! How could I ignore such a pure and selfless wish?” the innkeeper winked at him.

Asra smiled the biggest smile he ever could have.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” he said excitedly, like a child who just received the toy they wanted on Christmas day. “I’ll be home for Christmas after all!”

The innkeeper just laughed: “Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas, wonderer!”

[mimiplaysgames]

Strength to Protect the Things That Matter (Ch. 21)

Pairing: Terra/Aqua Rating: T Other characters: Garnet, Aqua, Hope, Rydia, Noctis, Riku, Kefka Word Count: 7,113

Summary: Terra has prayed for years. He wanted relief from having no one to talk to in the dark, except with the monster of a man who stole his life. One day, when two boys get a lead, he gets his chance - less than a week - to set things right before he loses everything again.

AO3       FF.net

A/N: I’m so damn excited to finally get to this! The flashback scene was inspired by @holyteapotofrussell ‘s absolutely adorable art that features Terra and Aqua as children.  They also wrote an equally adorable fic that fits their headcanons for this art piece. Please check out their work and send love! Thank you so much for allowing me to use this piece as inspiration. It’s been MONTHS since I have asked you for this, and I have been so blessed to get to you know you since. <3

I have been asked by a Tumblr reader to include pictures/video of Final Fantasy characters that have never appeared on Kingdom Hearts before. I included those links at the end of this chapter.

Clowning

The windows on the second floor of the hotel have large enough window sills that Terra can sit on one and stare away at the clock tower. Hope has given him an herbal drink brewed with acacia for strength and alertness. Everyone who volunteers to fight Kefka will drink this ahead of the battle. For now, all he can do is wait for orders. 

But it isn’t the fight with Kefka that occupies his mind. He holds his Wayfinder in his hand, stroking it as he daydreams about meeting her again.

Being that Aqua has been surviving in the Realm of Darkness for a little more than twelve years, Terra builds an image of her in his mind. She is about thirty years old now. The baby fat will subside, leaving hollower cheeks and stronger cheekbones. She will probably be curvier than before, in all the right places. If she smiles at all, the lines of her eyes will grace them. Her hair may have grown out, and it’s a wonder how long it is now. Maybe it already is showing sneaky strands of gray. Her eyes will be the same. Either way, she would still be pretty.

The sound of shaky wheels creep up behind him. Garnet is pushing a cart filled with bandages, multi-colored potions, and a large pitcher of water, approaching a door. He gets up and holds it open for her so she can slip through. The lights in the room are dimly lit in a warm glow, almost as if to be relaxing... but it’s a different story altogether. Inside are two rows of small beds, each with a person either sleeping, coughing, or dealing with pain. There are more people, as well - some with arm slings, others who do not have any visible injuries but are perhaps suffering nonetheless. Some of them approach her when she enters.

“Terra,” she calls as she is surrounded, “would you be a dear and fetch me those cups?”

She points to a number of cups that are placed high on a shelf - clearly too high for her unless she used a ladder. Terra states that he will help her, and follows her around as he pours each person in the room a cup of water. She speaks quietly to every single person in the room. He overhears her asking much of the same questions: if they have any pain, if they are thirsty, when was their last meal, if they are calm and comfortable.

For those in pain or who have open wounds, she uses her magic to heal them, holding her hands up close to the physical source, a bright light mesmerizing out of them as she works. It is not the same as the green healing aura that emits out of a Cure spell that all Keyblade wielders know (or from any other magic casters he’s seen). The color is nearly white instead.

And she does it effortlessly, almost like a thought, without having to pray for it or summon it vocally. Each time she does it, the dimness of the room brightens up just a little. It’s truly a special gift.

When she’s done, they head for the room directly next door: a small storage room with no windows, a row of cupboards, and a sink. Garnet drags a tall stool across to climb it, in order to store some things away.

Terra leans against the wall. “You are amazing with magic. It’s unique, where did you learn it from?”

Garnet stands straight as an arrow as she balances on the stool, almost as if she is aware that she may fall. She beckons Terra to hand her empty bottles. 

“My professor.” She smiles as her eyes travel into memory. “I’ve spent all of my youth in his library, with not much to do except to indulge myself in his works. He gifted me the use of magic... Of course, he was also good on his promise that I was to be presentable as a lady.”

He holds his hand out to help her balance. She hops off the stool.

“I was also in a library practically my whole life,” he says. “My Master ran an academy for Keyblade wielders.”

“And what did your mother think of this?” She reaches for a clipboard and writes in it, checking off an inventory list.

“My Master adopted me.” Terra chuckles, his cheeks warm. It’s one of the best memories of his life. “What about you? Did you have a mother?”

“No, I sprouted off some hole in the ground,” she says dryly, continuing her list as though she isn’t fazed by the question.

A nervous crackle - he didn’t realize it was such a poorly worded question. “I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

Garnet stops writing and dramatically turns to him with a grin on her face, touching the crystal that hangs off her neck. “This is my inheritance, from my mother.” She places the clipboard on the sink counter. “I do wonder about your own knowledge of magic. I know all Keyblade wielders can cast spells.”

“Yeah, and we’re each unique in how we mold it. But I’m not that good at traditional spells.”

“Yet you do know how to recognize skill with it. I beg to ask for the story behind that.”

He finds a chair and sits, rubbing his chin as a tight smile forms on his face.

“My best friend, Aqua.” It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like it used to. He wonders if she’s really a best friend anymore, in the case that he ruined everything about the two of them. He forces this thought out of his mind. For now, it’s better to pretend that nothing’s changed. “She’s really spectacular with it.”

The day was cloudy and breezy - but not the kind that left the sky dark. When the sun wasn’t beating down on the mountains so harshly, he could see the coloring of the trees and the rivers far away even better in weather like this. They were taking a walk on some short ledges, where the terrain was particularly rocky. As long as they promised not to go too far (and as long as Terra promised to hold her hand so they wouldn’t separate), they could venture much farther than the gardens within the castle perimeters.

Aqua had been with them for a year now, and had just turned nine. For her last birthday, Eraqus gave her a pointy hat adorned with stars and moons (much like an old friend of his, he said at the time). A wizard’s hat, because she had expressed so much interest in learning magic. She wasn’t wearing it now. It instead rested on top of a giant book of basic spells that she wanted to drag around with her.

Right now, she was practicing cartwheels and backflips. She was slow to start them as she braced herself before the execution, but she gracefully landed each one with perfection. Or at least she made it look that way. Her long pigtails flicked before landing on her shoulders again with each presentation of athletic ability.

But that was the thing with her. Perfection. Always trying to get Eraqus to notice it. Always trying to make sure she got it right each and every time. It made him look bad. It was annoying.

Terra was ten years old. Two digits, that was. He was supposed to be proud, and he was supposed to be better naturally because he was older. “I can do that, too,” he scoffed.

“I never saw you do it well,” she retorted with a smirk.

Eraqus had tried to get him to understand that he really was much better than her at most things - fighting, memorizing what was in the books, doing chores, being adept in the outdoors. He had tried to tell Terra to allow her to be proud of her flexibility and mastery of her own body.

But that still made him lesser. Worse still, she admired Eraqus for being a Master. And he wanted her to admire him as well, because he worked hard for it. “You’ll eat your words.”

His cartwheel, according to her, looked like a frog trying to hop with its stubby forelegs. What followed was an attempt at throwing himself even harder so his legs would straighten out. He could already do handstands - cartwheels were different.

What came next was a flop onto the ground, a tumble off a rock, down one of those tiny ledges, and a roll against rough terrain. His reward was several scrapes all over his arms, and a horrible throbbing sting on his knee.

“You ok?” she called to him, and he held his knee as he grimaced and squirmed a bit, shaking his head. She ran down to him, one hand holding the hat on her head and the other arm draped over the book, which was as large as her torso.

“Can you stand?” she asked as she sat beside him.

“No.” His voice was meek and he sniffed. The scrape on his knee was large and bloody, and tiny rocks wedged into it that made it hurt more. He told himself to keep it together. He had fallen way too many times to count that normally it wasn’t a big deal.

But when he got really hurt, the worst that came was the lecture the Master would give him.

“Let me help.” She said that too excitedly, and she brushed her pigtails and straightened the hat. She laid the book on the ground and flipped through it until she got to a page displaying calligraphy. The chapter was titled ‘Basic Healing Spells.’ She whispered what she was reading to herself, before facing him. “How does it feel?”

“It burns and it stings.” He slowly rubbed the dirt off the scrape.

She continued to read off the book, but waiting for her did not help the pain go away.

“Can you hurry it up?” He held his hands tightly on each side of the knee, hoping that the pressure would ease it.

She put her hands on her hips. “Shush!”

He leaned on his hands while she continued reading, sighing. From the corner of his eye, he could see that she held a finger to her chin. It looked as though, just for a second, she was ready to cast the spell because she started to face him... only to go back to sticking her nose into the book.

The stinging was coming in waves, and he leaned forward a little. “Before I die, Aqua?”

She gave him a quick, severe glare. She hated that word. ‘Die.’

“Sorry,” he said. He tried to breathe deeply while she continued to read.

Then she was ready. He held his knee while she waved her hand over it. She called out “Cure!” but what came was a horrendous burn instead. The kind of burn that would bite when touching something icy.

She had cast Blizzard by accident. He screamed as the ice dug itself into his knee. She yelled her apologies multiple times as he whimpered in pain, until she held her hands to her eyes and cried.

This sight made him uncomfortable, but he couldn’t understand why. “Don’t cry,” he said shakily. “I’m fine, really.” He grunted and breathed sharply. It hurt really badly, but the crying was what he will remember. It just made him sad.

“Can I try again? Please?” She wiped the tears flowing from her face, sniffling.

He hesitated first before agreeing, this time dealing with the sharpness of what felt like a knife rubbing itself while giving her all the time she needed.

She hesitated to cast again. She closed her eyes, telling herself audibly to just relax, and then called for a Cure spell again. It felt soothing, and it was like the pain was just lifted off the knee by some angelic force.

Relief. His arms went loose as he dropped onto his back, relaxing into the grass, gazing up at the clouds.

“I did it!” She laid on the ground next to him. She flashed a huge toothy smile, her face marked by dry tear streaks.

Garnet holds her hand to her mouth, almost in a way that gives him the impression that laughing as hard as she is would be considered unladylike. “She sounds brilliant,” she says.

“She is,” he says softly, his heart pumping as these words leave his mouth.

“Describe her to me.”

He gives her a wide-eyed stare, not knowing how to interpret such a request. “Um, well she has blue hair and blue eyes.”

Garnet, once sporting a smile, straightened her mouth into a line as she rolls her lips inward. “I was hoping for a more dramatized, romantic kind of description.” When he looks at her confused, she continues. “Much like what you would hear at a theater.”

He chuckles sharply. It isn’t exactly pleasant to have everyone around him read his feelings so easily, especially when he isn’t trying to be so blatant about them.

He considers a daydream of Aqua standing next to him. He would hold her close and kiss her in all the ways he was terrified to do before, because it kills him to wait longer. Because he should muster up the courage that he struggled with all these years, since she is still the one person who frightens him the most.

And yet, either way, he isn’t a romantic. “I don’t think I can do that.”

“You can start by comparing her to a symbol of your choice.” Garnet’s smile widens, her voice warm and encouraging. Hoping for entertainment.

At first he thinks about the unique way Aqua fights. It’s always mesmerizing to watch. “She dances when she fights. She... sometimes she’ll jump in the air and hit her enemies with a lot of...” What kind of person dances in the air? “It’s like looking at a ma-rio-nette.” The last word comes out rigid, as though he has tried to stop himself in the middle of it but he was too far into the word to be successful. Stupid.

Garnet’s brows furrow and her eyes narrow. “That was dreadful.”

“Can I try again?”

She holds up one finger, and he takes his time to think about it, going through several comparisons in his mind. His heart flutters, and finds himself wanting to get it right this time. He begins slowly, “Her eyes are like shallow ocean water, on a bright sunny day.”

Garnet claps her hands together. “That was so lovely.”

He laughs nervously as he runs his fingers through his hair. Not knowing what to say, he sits silently as she continues to gush about his words.

The clock strikes ten. Garnet’s laughter turns off, and she holds one hand to her heart, as if she’s monitoring how hard it’s beating.

When the clock is finished, a loud siren goes off. It blares loudly until it fades, only for it sway into a high-pitched scream again. Repeat. Garnet closes her eyes as it continues to weave back and forth into their consciousness, whispering to Terra that it’s a signal for a strict curfew - though most know to be in their homes by now.

When it’s over, she slowly opens her eyes, forcing a smile. “Come along, Terra. We mustn’t fear the reaper.”

The streets are completely empty except for the volunteers making their way into the third district, which is located several blocks from the hotel. It’s an incredibly modern area, where electric lights and fountains are fully utilized in its architecture. Riku tells Terra that this area has been recently quarantined. Normally, they choose territories farther away, but the more people go missing, the more Heartless will stick around in those previous battlegrounds. The numbers prove too much during an intense ten-minute fight. All the residents previously living in the third district have been evacuated.

In the corners of the block that will be the battle site, there are stacked cartridges, filled with ammunition for energy guns, offensive potions, first aid supplies, healing potions and smoke bombs. There are also small electric bombs placed high on a few of the buildings, and Terra is told to keep his distance from them.

Some people are even tasked with battering rams. Overall, it seems like the scientific team in Radiant Garden has spent a number of hours supplying the faction here with weapons. But what is most surprising of all is that there seems to be about forty people there, just to fight one Heartless.

They approach one of the hubs where some cartridges are stacked, where Hope is doing a final check-up.

“What are you doing here?” Terra asks him, surprised that they allow someone so young in such a dangerous arena.

“I’m a mage,” Hope says in a matter-of-fact way. He sounds nervous, but not enough to be intimated by the question. Almost as if he knows he has to be there. “I’m nowhere near as good as the others.” He gestures towards Noctis, Garnet, and Rydia, who are standing together in the middle of block, deep into a conversation that is impossible to eavesdrop from where they stand. Hope then turns quickly to Terra in an attempt to justify his words. “B-but I heal really well.”

Doesn’t this mean that he would be a target for Kefka? “Aren’t you scared?”

“Of course, we all are.” Hope scatters his sight on the clipboard in his hands. “This isn’t my first fight. I have survived the others, so I can survive this one.” He nods. These words are more for his own sake than for comforting Terra’s worry.

Hope then invites Terra to walk with him, and they approach Rydia, who is gazing into the electric lights as if she is studying them. She is holding her biceps like she is giving herself a hug, her long sleeves barely touching the ground. She gives them a tense smile, and reaches her arm out to embrace Hope.

“You ready for this?” she asks the boy.

“You ask me that every time.” He accepts the hug, and seems to relax when she places her hand on his head.

“And like every time, it won’t be an easy night.” She smiles widely at Terra. “But we have Terra for now. Maybe we’ll have it luckier.”

It’s such a warming thought that Terra feels his stomach swell. “That’s what I’m here for. We’ll both look out for you.” He ruffles through Hope’s hair, and it makes the boy smile.

Hope then hands Noctis his clipboard, which the latter places on top of several others. There are so many burning questions about what’s going on that Terra can’t help but speak out about them - against Garnet’s warning not to.

“I notice that the streets are empty. It seems like everyone else is hiding in their homes. Why face Kefka if you can just hide out?” Terra asks, trying his best to sound respectful, certain that they’ve all tried different scenarios in dealing with this situation.

Noctis’ jaw tenses before he speaks. “If no one’s outside to greet it, it will just destroy random buildings and crush everyone inside.” His tone is incredibly serious and raw. When he sees how shocked Terra is, he continues. “It’s a clown. It wants an audience.”

There is such contempt and anger in his tone that it’s undeniable. Regardless, Cid, who is passing by as this is said, loudly clears his throat and barked a “That’s highly inappropriate.” Noctis returns the statement with a glare so severe that if it had powers, it would have killed him.

Terra doesn’t know what to say in return, and a part of him wishes he never asked. How often did they experiment to learn something like that? Something on his face must have given his guilt away, because Noctis continues after a moment of silence.

“Those were some painful experiences. I remember being so scared every other night.” He flips a page on the clipboard. “The surprises always hit us the hardest, and when we lost the most.” He’s been at the same page for so long that it’s possible he stopped reading. “We’ve been fighting it for so long now that it seems like we know everything there is to know. And yet, sometimes, I still ask myself the same question: what if tonight is one where we will learn something new about it, and we aren’t prepared?”

Terra has been holding his fist, not realizing that he’s doing so. It’s not an easy subject to reply to. “I’m sure if you know everything about it, then tonight should go smoothly.” Is that an insensitive statement?

Noctis scoffs. “As smoothly as it could ever be.”

“Oy, we need to take the picture!” Garnet calls out to the two of them, and Noctis promptly agrees. He does it so quickly it’s as if the photograph is the most important event of the night.

Hope is setting up a camera that stands on a tripod, and Rydia makes a motion where she holds one open palm up and brushes it with her fingers. “This thing is amazing. It can create little paintings that have no brush strokes,” she says to Terra. The joy she is emanating is sincere, a rare source of light in such a tense night.

Rydia then calls out to other members that Terra has met, ordering him to stand in the middle since he’s the tallest. She tells Garnet and Hope specifically to stand in front of him (Hope replies that he’s still preparing the camera). Rydia stands to Terra’s right and rests her hand on his shoulder. Riku is beside her. Noctis stands to Terra’s left, with Cid by his side.

Noctis briefly pats Terra’s shoulder and says, “Welcome to the fam.”

Garnet turns, holding her fingers to her chin and pronouncing out a ‘Fam?’

Hope says that the camera is ready and rushes to his position while Garnet briskly faces the camera again and prepares her posture. Terra makes it a point to hold both of their shoulders, and gives a smile as the camera flashes.

As soon as it’s over, Hope scurries to pick up the tripod and runs to put it away. The group huddles around in a circle, waiting for him to come back. Garnet holds out her hand toward the center of the circle. Rydia places her hand on top, followed by Cid and Riku, and lastly by Hope. Noctis nods to Terra as if to invite him in, and he only rests his own when Terra complies.

“We’re here for another night,” Noctis says, his voice cracking. “And the only reason why I’m still whole, and why you’re all here, is because of all the friends we’ve lost. We’ll give them the remembrance they deserve. We’ll fight this thing, and tonight will be the one where we can finally breathe because it will be all over. I’m immensely proud to fight alongside all of you.” Even through a glove, Terra can feel the young leader’s hand tremble. 

Hope hesitates to speak, but does so anyway. “Here’s to many more nights where we can be together.”

Noctis chuckles. “That’s something Sora would say.”

Riku nods in agreement. “We should call him our mascot next time he’s here.”

Hope laughs at the suggestion, his eyes beaming. In some ways, imitating Sora seems to bring out the best in him.

Noctis takes a breath. “Be safe, everyone.” And he lets go. Everyone else situates into some pre-determined position, and Riku leads Terra to stand out in the open, behind the leader of the group. Garnet stands staggered behind them.

“You, me, and Noct will be the heavy hitters,” Riku says. “The others will support us from behind. You should know that Kefka carries six swords on its back. They are all deadly poisonous.”

“Lovely.”

“It will also freeze at some point and blow out a toxic gas - also fatal.”

Terra breathes out quickly. “Anything else I should know?”

“When it eventually materializes, cover your ears. Once the clock’s done chiming, it’s showtime.”

Riku leaves his side to find a position with some distance between them, and summons his Keyblade. Garnet holds a shortstaff in both her hands, and brings up the orb that sits on the tip of it to her forehead while whispering a spell. It glows, and a spinning crystal covers every individual on that block before completely disappearing. If Terra focuses on the space in front of him, he can see tiny sparkling particles.

The protection spell.

Hope brings out a large boomerang and holds his stance directly behind Terra, standing the farthest behind. Rydia pulls out a whip and waits by a manhole that is releasing a misty cloud. Cid readies a spear, and holds his place by the volunteers, his job to order them during the fight. The rest of the volunteers are ready with their energy guns, and explosive potions. The battering rams are set. Noctis stands the farthest forward as the leader, not holding any weapon but looking up, as if he is expecting someone tall.

The clock strikes eleven. No words are uttered. Terra summons his Keyblade and holds it close. Everyone around him keeps a lookout.

Eleven.

The bubbling sound that signals the appearance of a Heartless is deep this time, and a large black mass immediately forms right after the last chime. A tall, colorful, humanoid stomps onto the ground, and the entire area shakes.

It laughs. A mechanical laugh that sounds like it’s coming from a speaker, but it is so high-pitched that it feels as though Terra’s head is being crushed inside a metal crusher. He holds his head and yells out loud, hearing everyone else yell out as well.

Then it starts. Kefka is nine feet tall at least. Its joints are bolted, its limbs thin. It wears a ridiculous clown costume, with the black and red insignia that signifies its existence as a Heartless large on its chest. The colors on the costume are a sickly combustion of yellows, purples, greens, and reds, with a bright white ruffle collar that is pointed at the ends. Its shoes are mismatched.

It’s especially ugly in the face - it dons a white mask with red painted lines that mark its mouth and eyes, screwed onto the face. The teeth that are drilled into a permanent smile are sharp. The skin right around its bright yellow eyes are charcoal black. It is topped off with a garish feather sticking out of its hair. There are six swords, three behind each shoulder, which are as thin as needles.

Noctis summons a broadsword the first moment he gets and throws it at Kefka. He disappears. The sword flies into the air, and right before Kefka can block it, Noctis re-appears in the air and reclaims his weapon. He warps from various spots in the air as he strikes Kefka’s arms, which are up in defense. He strikes, then warps. Repeat. This process keeps him the air and makes him a difficult target for Kefka to grab.

The other volunteers start to open fire, aiming at its face. At first glance, the battle doesn’t seem too bad. Kefka seems slow to react, casting its gaze around as if dazed by all the violence directed at it. Then it sweeps an arm - a movement so quick that it can’t be predicted considering how long it takes for the clown to think. A group of men are thrown back. An explosion. It then tries to blast Noctis, who throws his sword onto the roof of a faraway building and warps there.

Garnet juggles between following Noctis in order to stay close to him and casting her white healing spells toward the people just injured. Rydia holds her hands ahead of her, chanting as the mist from the manhole solidifies.

Out from the mist flies a silver dragon. Riku jumps onto it, taking a ride across the sky. Cid yells some orders and runs around the clown while Terra follows.

At this point, Kefka is skipping around the block, its hands behind its back. Any time a person throws an explosive or shoots at it, its retaliation is tremendous and widespread. It stops. It dances, waving its arms. Explosions appear at random. There are plenty of sporadic cries, and men barking more orders. Hope makes laps as he he tries to heal anyone caught in the foray.

The dragon spreads a thick fog to hide some of the straggling volunteers as they carry out the injured from the immediate battlefield. Riku takes the right moment to jump off of it, striking Kefka from the top. Terra runs in an attempt to strike its legs - this is the perfect opportunity to trip it, considering that it is striding so casually in one direction.

Kefka shudders a moment. It makes an about-face and runs the opposite way, and Terra misses it.

The Heartless drags Riku its in hand before slamming him into the ground. The six swords float outward and Kefka makes a sweeping motion to strike Riku in a rush. He uses his Keyblade to block each one. The Heartless then waves in the opposite direction, the swords following suit. Noctis warps behind the clown’s head and makes several strikes. Rydia casts bombardments of fireballs and icebergs to push it back and away from the teenage Keyblade wielder. Her dragon comes and picks Riku from the ground, taking him to Garnet for healing.

The Heartless freezes for a moment, slowly turning to face Noctis. There is a widening of its eyes, as if Noctis’ strike is the most offensive out of everything else that is happening.

It doesn’t like its face or its head being touched.

“Let’s get him at the ankles!” Terra calls out to Cid, with the latter aiming to throw his spear. Terra strikes the ground, shattering the concrete and tripping Kefka some before it could attack Noctis. It doesn’t come down to its knees, but it eyes Terra. It stares as him as he sends shockwaves of light to attack it, its smile plastered.

It grabs Terra, too quick for him to dodge. It squeezes, and purple strikes of electricity engulf him, making the protection crystal around him visible as he screams from the pain.

Then it throws him before sending a dark blast of its own against him, shooting out from its palm. He hears what sounds like glass shattering as he lands onto the ground.

Terra can’t hear anything. Any voices are muffled and indecipherable. His vision is blurred, and he feels dizzy enough that he can’t feel anything. No pain. No fear. He just needs to stand up. But what for? He forgets where he is, and just wants to move. Just to figure out where he is so he can decide what to do. Just move, dammit.

His vision clears a bit. His face feels wind on it, his hair blowing. Right in front of him, rocks are floating. Gently spinning in the air. He’s like a feather, levitating above the ground as well.

He should have been face down on the ground.

When he realizes this, he falls flat onto himself, the rocks falling alongside him. There is pain in every muscle, and he’s twitching.

There are glows of green, literally pulling some of the pain out of him, and leaving behind a comforting warmth.

“You ok?” Hope calls out. The healer runs up to Terra, and helps him up. He continues to heal the Keyblade Wielder by gesticulating wide circles, so that Terra can start to be fixed all over. He mumbles to Hope that he’s fine, although he’s still dizzy. He isn’t sure what he just saw.

Some of the buildings have been destroyed and are up in flames. More bodies, uncertain if dead or alive, are being carried out of the area. Kefka is jumping around and twirling, making it difficult for Noctis to land a hit. Some of the volunteers wait until their opportunity, and run the battering ram right into the clown. They push it against a building, and a bomb goes off, knocking it forward onto the ground.

Terra hears a voice: “Darkness!”

Riku, covered in a purple aura, charges ahead to pick a sword fight with the fallen clown. The power gives him an edge in speed. He attempts to strike it in the face - the one place Kefka is most protective of. Riku hits furiously, following each with another. Kefka bellows a tremendous screech, which sounds like gears rubbing against each other in super speed.

It’s loud and worse than a nail scratch. Everyone close to the clown, including Riku, run as fast as they can away from it. Hope grabs Terra by the wrist and tries to get him as far back as possible.

From its neck and its joints a purple gas blows out, which flies far out and floats into the sky. No one is near it when this happens, and all wait until it dissipates before approaching again, giving the clown plenty of time to pick itself up and skip around. Another dance, another set of random explosions.

Terra, breathing heavily, readies his stance for when Kefka passes by him - although it’s difficult to do so. The pain may have been healed, but he is still unable to lift his heavy Ends of the Earth with confidence. He curses at himself for being weak. Hope stands by him, bracing for whatever Terra is silently planning in his mind. Maybe to heal him again. I can do this. I’ll trip him when he comes...

Should I use darkness this time? What if I turn against the others?

A sword is thrown up against Kefka’s cheek. It doesn’t even scar or leave a mark, but Noctis appears anyway, aiming just for the face. Kefka laughs, and it hurts every ounce of Terra’s head. It’s the worst headache he’s ever had.

When he comes to, Noctis is struggling to stand up, collapsed against a wall. Kefka prepares an energy blast in its palm. Garnet rushes and slides onto her knees, putting herself between Noctis and Kefka. She holds her shortstaff, the orb glowing. An intense pillar of light shoots upward from the ground, making everything shake. It sends a loud swoop before it swallows itself, and the light is gone.

It is enough to send the clown backward.

With his arm around Garnet, Noctis throws his sword towards the entrance of the third district, where all the injured are gathered. He dissipates, and she is carried through the air before being dropped behind the cartridges. She holds her sides, as if tired and in pain, unable to stand straight without leaning on someone else.

Rydia throws more fireballs, each one larger than the previous one. She engulfs Riku’s Keyblade in flames, and he rides her dragon again in another attempt to hit Kefka where it hurts. It blocks his attempts, and it ravages the dragon with a dark forcewave, throwing it aside along with its rider. Kefka rules its swords as they twirl around it, aiming it to make sweeping motions against the female mage. A boomerang hits the clown on the back of the head.

The clown hits Hope directly with a dark blast from its palm. The crystal around the boy becomes visible and shatters. He slumps on the ground.

Kefka laughs and everyone screams. It skips away.

Terra scuffles to Hope, who is still breathing. He cradles him in his arms. “You’re going to be okay,” he says. “I know a little bit of healing magic.” (It is true, but he’s not in the position to heal such a terrible injury.)

Hope writhes in pain, his eyes darting in every direction. He grabs Terra by the arm, and nearly scratches him because the grip is so desperate. “Don’t let me go to sleep,” he begs, a tear falling.

His breathing is sporadic, but it slows to a restful state. His eyes close. A warm pink-orange glow shines from out of his chest. 

Eraqus has always told them that touching a heart is forbidden, for it can cause irreversible harm. There is Hope’s heart, floating in the air. It looks bright, and Terra aims to grab it with both his hands but stops himself. It turns dark before disappearing, Hope’s body evaporating along with it. In his mind, it happens so slowly, cursing himself because he lost the chance to grab the heart and put it back. Even though it occurred over seconds.

“He’s too young,” he says softly. No one is close enough to hear him. He stares at his lap, where Hope was just laying. 

Ahead of him is Rydia, who witnessed it. Her face contorts into fury. She casts lightning, with a power so forceful that it spreads all over the area. It chaotically flies in every direction, hitting the clown. Thunder strikes when her magic marks her target, clapping several times.

She continues to send lightning against the Heartless, making it shake. Kefka walks in resistance against her casting, taking its time with every step. It keeps getting close to her, its swords floating behind it, and she can’t hold it back anymore.

Terra, silent tears coming down his own face, grunts and summons his armor. Just let the dark heat take over. Let it bring life back into his muscles. Let it give him the strength to wield his giant Keyblade. Curse this Heartless. Curse Xehanort for making it possible for it to exist.

He sprints forward, striking an ankle so hard that the monster actually trips to its knees. Shatter the ground. Strike its swords directly, strong enough to hold back the pressure that the clown is pushing against him. Send shockwaves of black and purple to damage the Heartless.

Kefka blasts him directly. If it weren’t for the armor, he would have been suffering the same fate as Hope. He is thrown against a wall behind him. Even with the armor for protection, being thrown this hard against such metal makes him ache. He is on his knees, breathing deeply into his helmet. He needs to get up. He needs to defend himself from the next energy blast that the Heartless is preparing for him.

He hears the crack of a whip. Rydia strikes the clown in the face, although she doesn’t scar it. She whips it a second time. A third, a fourth. She mouths spells as she summons a large fireball. Kefka grabs one of its swords and prepares to brush it across her. She hits the Heartless first.

Kefka steps through her fire, and swipes the sword across her, breaking her protection.

Then stabs her with it.

She stumbles backward, holding her oblique. Unable to get up, she looks up to the clown, and relaxes. Not because she is passing out. Not because she is too weak. It is much like the exact moment where a lamb knows that it’s too late to strive for life. She closes her eyes and waits for whatever it will do next.

Terra hates the clown more. He sprints in front of her and calls for another shockwave, throwing Kefka backwards and onto its back. He stays by Rydia, but instead of waiting for the clown to retaliate, he prepares a mass of darkness. It swirls and flickers around him, and he feels his Keyblade throbbing with the power. This is the end. I will destroy you.

Kefka stands up and stares at Terra. A swirl of darkness surrounds it and it disappears.

Terra looks toward the clock tower. Ten minutes past eleven. Terra shakes hard enough that the armor makes noises. He yells, because the darkness makes his head hurt so damn much. He pulls his helmet off. It’s so hot, and he’s sweating, but the exposure to the outside air doesn’t cool his face. I have to stay in control. I need to let this darkness go.

The pain is so bad that he cries out in half-breaths. He can still see the traces of smoke emanating through the cracks of his armor. He loses all feeling in his limbs.

“Are you alright?”

He looks up to see Garnet rushing as fast she can while she stumbles. She kneels in front of him. “Where does it hurt?” she asks.

“H-headache.” It’s too difficult to talk. Am I losing control of my mouth?

She holds her hand out by his temple. A warm white light, a pure light, and the pain slowly fades away. He can lift his limbs, and he stops trembling. His breathing steadies.

Garnet gently squeezes his wrist. “I saw what happened,” she says solemnly. “I must tend to the wounded, but I’ll be sure to add him to the list.” She gets up and meets with other people, including Riku, who are down on the ground as well.

The list. A same type of list that Aerith and Tifa collect to count how many people turn into Heartless after the end of a swarm. A pile of former identities. As time passes by, it’s only faces that are lost in the throws of it. Hope’s face.

“This looks bad,” he hears Cid say behind him. Noctis cradles Rydia in his arms, who has her hands up. She’s quivering with such a force that Cid has to be the one to carry her.

“Can you get up?” Riku limps over to Terra. “We are going to have a long night. There are always Heartless that pop up everywhere when Kefka’s been around. Including the hotel.”

Terra leans on his Keyblade to stand up. Garnet will come back after taking care of more immediate injuries to heal the both of them more, so they can be in better shape for the upcoming hours.

Some people are being carried in stretchers. Others have their arms draped on those strong enough to help them walk. Some are left behind for now - the unlucky ones who haven’t escaped this specific slaughterhouse. It’s just one that exists among the thousands of stars out there, each of them marked by Xehanort as his personal experiment.

Lambs for his needs, and Keyblade wielders as his tools.

For those of you who would like some references as to who these FF characters are. I added photos first and then some videos that suits their personalities:

Noctis (x) (x) (yep I’m cheap) Garnet (x) (x) (skip ahead to 4:19 for the vid) Rydia (x) (x) (that was difficult - this game was re-made for the DS) Hope (x) (x) (hard to find one without context or melodrama) Kefka (x) (x) (had to include his classic laugh)

[thegloober]

HALLOWEEN HACKS: 5 ways the new witchcraft trend could make you feel better (seriously)

We know what you’re thinking… Witchcraft? Really? At its most extreme, the new witchcraft trend is about casting spells, but it’s also about self-love, self-care, positivity and wellbeing. Elif Mazi mines some of its steal-able secrets

Though witchcraft has been around for a centuries, more and more witches are coming out of the broom closet, so to speak or taking a look at their reflections through crystal balls to understand themselves better. What makes this trend so powerful and why is it suddenly becoming so popular?

Firstly, we’re not talking American Horror Story-style levitating chairs or pointy hats (well, if you really want a pointy hat you can have one).

It goes beyond that. Today’s witchcraft trend focuses on meditation, self care and spreading kindness.

One of the most popular types of modern witchcraft is known as Wicca.

Phyllis Curott – writer and Wiccan priestess and shamanic practitioner  (who is also an attorney, as it happens) – explains what Wicca is all about:

*  attune your body, mind and spirit to nature’s rhythms to create a life of harmony, peace and fulfillment *  enter spirit realms and work with spirit guides, power animals and spirits of place for guidance and healing *  cast gorgeous spells and create sacred spaces and altars to nourish your soul *  practice empowering lunar and Sabbat rites to experience divine communion *  embody your spirit, empower your purpose and manifest your gifts

Might sound a bit out there but you might agree, there is an under-current of self-care, ritual and plain old fashioned wonder that intrigued us about the new witchcraft trend.

Here are five ways you can add a touch of magic into your life to help you feel better from the brilliant new book Wicca, from Harmony Nice.

Nice is a witch with a massive YouTube following (over 450K subscribers – trust us, this trend is big) who has a fantastic back story – she overcame self-harm, anxiety and dissociation through practicing this new breed of witchcraft.

1. Practice the law of 3

‘Whatever energy you put out into the earth, you will get back three times over’, says Harmony Nice . This mantra is essentially what Wicca is all about.

That’s basically an encouragement or reminder, if you will to think about your actions before you do them. What consequences will occur if you send that angry email? How great will you feel if you volunteer at your kids’ school event? Thinking before you act will help you become more mindful. I mean, who wouldn’t want to do a good deed and recieve something three times better? Sounds mythical, but it kind of makes sense. 

This law also urges a lot of witches to continue to do good deeds and put out more positive energy into the world, instead of being negative all the time. We know Karma’s a bitch, but the law of three is probably a bigger one.

2. Create an altar

Sounds crazy, we know, especially if you don’t believe in God. But it doesn’t have to be. An altar is basically a surface – however big or small you like – where you can place some objects that are significant to you.

Nice says that ‘an altar is great for focusing your thoughts, especially during practices.’ It works really well whether you’re a witch or not.

Because this type of witchcraft truly promotes self-love and growth, an altar in necessary. The same way it’s important to have your own room or office where only you utilise – your altar will be a personal space only for you that other people can’t come into.

Got a small table or shelf you never use? Well, now’s the time to start. On this surface you can add anything and everything that represents you.

Adding a happy photo with a motivational quote from your favourite author is a good idea. Or, you can place some candles and ribbons that will make your altar look pretty. The goal is to have a space for you, where you feel calm and comfortable, so you can feel at peace when you’re there.

As you will read below, crystals are a wonderful addition to add to your altar. This is a space where you can meditate and self-reflect whenever you need to.

3. Collect crystals

Whether you want to wear them as jewellery or place them around your home for gorgeous decoration, crystals can aid in helping you feel better. Not only can they boost your confidence if you wear them as accessories, but it is believed by many people – not just witches – that they hold special properties and powers within them.

Google searches for “crystal healing” in the last four years have shot up by 40 per cent, driven by the spirituality trend.

Crystals and witchcraft go well together because crystals have their own energies and powers. If you can channel energies from them – as you will see if you read on – then you can take your witchiness to a whole new level.

Nice says ‘having crystals throughout your home and carrying crystals around with you can affect your moods in different ways can also help with spiritual, mental and physical healing’.

Here is a short list of the most popular crystals that are in trend right now:

Turquoise – used for healing, protection, good luck

Amethyst – has calming properties, aids in sleep, and physical and emotional healing

Clear quartz – helps with health, healing, clarity

Citrine – amazing for concentration, positivity, success

You can buy some gorgeous crystals here and not only bedazzle your surroundings but also your wellbeing.

4. Meditate with objects

This can be used alongside your altar. In her book, Nice claims that ‘it’s always important to bear in mind that when you are feeling highly emotional or just not okay, it’s fine to take time for yourself.’

Whether you’re into witchcraft or not, meditation and self-reflection is always a good idea. By bringing a few minutes of peace into your day, you may reach a calmer and more positive perspective in your life.

There are many types of meditation, but object meditation is one that we can all do whenever and wherever we are. So how do we do this?

Take a crystal or an object that is personal to you. If you’re struggling to let go of someone, or are in need of some answers, this particular meditation is perfect. Hold onto the object – or perhaps you can even just visualise it if you can’t hold it. Truly visualise what is is you desire. If you don’t know what it is you want, ask to find the answers through the object you’re holding. By focusing on the energy emitting through your body, channeling it into the object you’re holding, and truly focusing on what you want, you can meditate with objects. The whole goal is ‘becoming one’ with the object.

There are so many forms of meditation, so it’s great if you can try a few and see which one you prefer. Here is a tutorial on different types of meditations that you can try by Harmony Nice herself:

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5. Find your coven

Now that really sounds bizarre doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be. Your coven, doesn’t have to be all witches, it can be your own tribe, where everyone is on the same page as everyone else – all practicing such tips as these to help yourselves and spread kindness. It’s as simple as finding your support system.

But just in case you’re interested in exploring witchcraft further and finding yourself a real coven, there are several types of Wicca such as Faery Wicca, Green Wicca and Draconic Wicca.

Ariel Willow on YouTube says that Faery Wicca is the belief that fairies, gnomes and other such creatures exist in the same world as us. Just imagine a world where everything in disney is actually real… Or, maybe not.

Green Wicca is the focus on plants and nature. Green witches usually practice magic where the earth, trees, herbs, plants and flowers are used for their medicinal and magical value.

Draconic is basically the same as the others but with… dragons.

For more information, you can buy Harmony Nice’s new book Wicca here.

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Source: https://bloghyped.com/halloween-hacks-5-ways-the-new-witchcraft-trend-could-make-you-feel-better-seriously/