Chapter 6

AS YOU AND SKULD WERE RUNNING ALONG THE PATH from Waterfront Park to the tower, three dark figures with wings and eyes of dull gold suddenly materialized in front of you. They resembled Heartless, and yet their humanity wasn’t entirely gone—they were an unknown, different sort of creature.

No… Are these…?

“…ux…Lux… Give…Lux…,” the trio growled as they crept toward you.

“What are you?!” Skuld raised her Keyblade to defend herself. “What’s going on?!”

One of the creatures croaked out a noise resembling an eerie laugh, and then all three of them sprang at once, screeching, “Give me Lux!” They fired bolts of magic at Skuld, but you burst into action and blocked them at the last moment.

“No way… I think these are…!” Skuld still couldn’t decide what to do.

If these beings were calling for Lux, that could only mean one thing. But was that even possible?

You did your best to fend off their attacks, but when you prepared to go on the offensive…

“No!” Skuld stopped you.

“…Heya.”

As the dark Chirithy sauntered up from behind the trio, they stepped back and ran off, leaving him to take care of the rest.

Meanwhile, I stepped in front of you and Skuld and faced my corrupted counterpart. This was my time to act, I knew.

“Aren’t you…?”

“You don’t look very happy to see me… Come on, I was just trying to help. I thought if I took away everyone’s Lux, there’d be no reason to fight over it anymore. Aren’t I the greatest?” said the black Chirithy, more to himself than to any of us here.

I shook my head sadly. “That color…”

“You like my new look?” he asked proudly.

“You’ve been tainted by darkness.”

I was truly aggrieved. There was certainly no coming back for him now. That “new look” meant he had fallen.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Do you hate darkness? Well, let me tell you a little secret: light and dark are two halves of the same coin. They’re like day and night. One can’t exist without the other. So you should embrace it like they did!”

I ignored him and pressed for answers instead. “You mean those three used to be human?”

“You betcha,” the black Chirithy declared calmly.

Skuld’s gaze dropped. “Were they wielders, too?” she asked, heartbroken.

“Right-o. But unlike you, those three can no longer use the power of the Book of Prophecies. The strength they fought you with was all their own! To be perfectly honest, they were pretty wimpy before. But darkness has a way of finding those with weak hearts and making them strong. Isn’t darkness so sweet?”

“Those aren’t the teachings!” I shouted before the dark Chirithy could say more. Every word out of his mouth was wrong.

“Teachings-smeechings! The truth of this world isn’t something you can teach, Chirithy. It’s something you have to learn for yourself.”

I had another question for him, and this one was important. “Who is your wielder? Where are they?”

You and Skuld stared at the corrupted Chirithy. I don’t know how many times he had showed up now, but every time his color was darker.

I was your Chirithy, but whose was he?

A knowing smirk appeared on his face. “Heh-heh-heh… Closer than you think.”

He did a flip into the air and vanished, just like I always did.

“It can’t be…” Skuld pressed her lips together and bowed her head.

“There’s nothing we can do. They succumbed to darkness,” I muttered in defeat, but her hands were clenched tight.

You placed a gentle hand on Skuld’s shoulder. She looked at you and nodded.

“Yeah. You’re right. We have to keep moving.”

The two of you set off again.

There was virtually nothing to break the silence as you and Skuld proceeded through the underground waterway—just the quiet rush of water and turning gears. You were both probably preoccupied with thoughts of the three fallen wielders and the black Chirithy.

You and Skuld came to a halt.

“Is this where you last met with Ephemer?” she asked, turning to you.

You nodded quietly.

“There has to be something up ahead,” she murmured.

I stared deeper into the blocked waterway, then moved to stand in front of you. “Are you sure this is a good idea? Between those three weirdos and that dark Chirithy, I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

I knew I had little chance of stopping you, but I still couldn’t hide my worry. You gave me a gentle pat on the head, but you weren’t turning back now.

“You know your way around the tower, don’t you?” Skuld said, looking into my eyes.

“Y-yeah, why do you ask?”

“Well, I was hoping you could show us the way.”

I instinctively looked over at you, and you nodded back at me.

“I—I suppose I could… But this area is off-limits, so once you get a quick peek, we’re outta here. Okay?” I said emphatically.

You and Skuld shared a glance, and then she turned back to me. “Got it.”

I let out a little sigh and walked into the clocktower.

After we climbed the stairs up and up and up, we reached the chamber of the Foretellers.

Skuld opened the door and peered around, and you stepped inside, too. You seemed slightly surprised; I’m sure you recognized it from your dream.

“What is this place?”

“This is the final room—the Foretellers’ chamber,” I replied. Skuld walked into the center of the room, which was surrounded by a mesh of gears instead of walls. The floor was scattered with piles of books and the tabletops with flasks and other scientific equipment.

“Do you think Ephemer was here?” wondered Skuld. I stepped up behind her to stop her from poking around the room any more than we had to.

“I don’t know. But there’s no one here now and nothing to see. Can we go now?”

My heart was pounding. We would be in huge trouble if someone caught us here, but I had no idea what the consequences would be.

“I guess. I was just expecting…more. It’s kind of a letdown, really. I wonder what’s so important about this place,” Skuld said, turning to you. You crossed your arms in contemplation.

Both of you had dreamed about this place.

Who had shown them to you? The dark Chirithy, maybe?

“What are you doing here?” someone suddenly asked from behind.

“Master Invi!” I whispered. It was the snake-masked leader of your Union, Anguis.

“W-we’re so sorry! We were just looking for someone,” Skuld apologized. But if anyone was in trouble here, it was me.

“Chirithy, I expected more from you. You know that this area is off-limits.”

“I-I’m sorry…” I followed Skuld’s lead and bowed in apology.

“I caught another wielder in here just the other day. A friend of yours?”

“Yes, he is,” you replied.

I looked over, surprised that you had spoken up so directly. You almost never talked.

Skuld was startled, too. “So he was here. Did you talk to him?” she asked Master Invi.

“Yes. But you must know that his Union gathers Lux for a reason that contradicts ours. He befriended you to get his hands on information, nothing more. But he is a threat no longer.”

You gasped.

“Did you—? Is Ephemer—?” Skuld started to say, but Master Invi cut her off.

“He’s gone.”

In an instant, the air seemed to freeze over. I murmured your name, but you remained motionless.

Skuld was trembling. “How could you?!”

“What are you going to do?” Master Invi asked, prompting Skuld to summon her Keyblade.

“Nothing!” I frantically tried to stop her.

Strong as you may have been, the two of you were no match for a Foreteller. Challenging one of them would doom you to Ephemer’s fate.

And yet Skuld stood stock-still, her Keyblade still directed toward Master Invi.

“Master Invi, this is my fault! All of it! They didn’t do anything wrong,” I pleaded desperately. I never should have brought the two of you here.

A gentle hand landed on my head—yours.

You quietly stepped in front of the Foreteller. “This whole thing was my idea,” you said. “I was the one who wanted to look for Ephemer, and for good reason. You see, I’ve gone to different worlds to gather Lux; a lot of effort has gone into the contributions to my Union.”

It was the first time I had ever heard you speak this much.

“I’ve even had to fight those I consider my friends. I’ve done everything that was expected of me without a second thought,” you continued, while Skuld and I watched in shock. “And then I met Ephemer. We didn’t know each other very long, but he left a lasting impression. Not all of our memories are good ones; in fact, he even broke one of our promises.”

I remembered how sad you were back then, when Ephemer hadn’t showed.

“No matter what happened, I knew we were still friends.” You were looking at me as you said it. You had called me your friend, too.

You then calmly summoned your Keyblade to your hand.

“But you took him away from me. I feel sad, I feel angry, I feel hurt. Maybe that means I have darkness in my heart; I don’t care.”

You turned your Keyblade toward Master Invi, ready for a battle.

“But I can’t let you get away with what you did to my friend. Even if I have to fight you, even if I don’t stand a chance, even if I may disappear… I will, because I know in my heart that Ephemer would do the same if he were here. Master Invi, I mean no disrespect, but this is something I must do.”

Master Invi called forth her own Keyblade and quietly shifted into a battle-ready stance. “So be it.”

“No!” I cried, but I couldn’t stop this.

You immediately leaped into the air for an overhead strike, but Master Invi blocked it. As Skuld struck out with her own Keyblade, the Master knocked both of you away. Skuld managed to land upright, but you went sprawling beside her. You quickly scrambled to your feet, though, and readied your Keyblade again.

The two of you didn’t stand a chance against a Foreteller—Master Invi wasn’t even using both hands. It was like she was testing you—which reminded me of something. Master Ava had also been less than serious when you two fought.

What if…?

I was powerless to do anything but watch, though.

Master Invi held her Keyblade out and fired off a magical light, which you were able to deflect. But it was the first of many, aimed at both you and Skuld.

Skuld shouted your name and charged in between you and the Foreteller. While she countered the magic with her Keyblade, you used the opening to rush in for an attack. Your Keyblade just barely grazed Invi, but hers landed a direct hit on your head. You collapsed.

I was beginning to fear the worst when a light filled the area.

The next thing I knew, we were in the underground waterway from before instead of in the Foretellers’ chamber.

Skuld and I knelt and watched you anxiously where you lay. Luckily, it didn’t look like you were injured too badly.

Your eyes fluttered open.

“Congratulations. You fought admirably,” Master Invi said gently, and then light engulfed her as she transformed.

“Master Ava…?” Skuld exclaimed. It was indeed the Foreteller in the fox mask.

Ava walked over to you and held out her hand, sending a wave of warm light over you that healed you until you could stand again.

“Thank you for showing me the strength of your hearts. I hope you’ll forgive me for deceiving you, but the Foreteller you fought, the room you were in, were both merely projections.”

“But why? What was the point?” Skuld asked.

“It’s as Ephemer stated in your dream,” Ava told us solemnly, though none of us wanted to believe it. “The world will soon end.”

Foretellers fighting each other, vanishing Keyblade wielders, and Ephemer, gone—all of it must have had something to do with the end of the world.

“But if all wielders disappear along with it, there will be no one left to drive away the ensuing darkness. So we must prevent this at all costs.” Master Ava paced slowly as she explained, then came to a stop. “My role in all this is to gather wielders with great potential, regardless of their Unions. They must survive for the world after.”

“The world after…?” I asked. I’d never heard about any of this.

“This is all so… I—I don’t understand.” It was a lot to take in; no wonder Skuld wasn’t sure what to say.

I imagine you weren’t, either; you just nodded in agreement.

“So what happened to Ephemer?” Skuld was cutting right to the chase: your friend’s disappearance.

“Ephemer must’ve caught wind of the fact that there was more to everything than what he’d been taught, so he started questioning things. He went looking for the truth because he knew there was one to be found. That’s how I knew he was the one.” Ava turned to look at us. “The one I could count on to lead the Dandelions in my stead.”

“Dandelions?”

I hadn’t heard anything about this.

“They’re a special group of Keyblade wielders that will remain after the rest of us are gone. It was my role to put the Dandelions together. But I have to be there when the inevitable events unfold, so I need someone to replace me when I’m gone. And I chose Ephemer. He accepted, and now he’s far away from here, waiting.”

“So then…he’s all right?” Skuld asked hopefully.

Master Ava nodded in reply. “Yes, he’s fine. However, this world is not. There is a wielder who has been corrupted, and the Chirithy you saw earlier is proof of that.” She walked over to us slowly. “But I want the world to come to be filled with light. That’s why only wielders with a strong resistance to darkness are chosen as Dandelions. So I ask both of you: Will you join us?”

You and Skuld looked at each other.

You lowered your head, while Skuld gave Master Ava a long look.

“Of course, Master Ava. Thank you,” Skuld replied, but you didn’t seem so sure. I watched you, worried. I would remain by your side no matter how you chose to answer, but—

“What’s wrong?” Skuld asked.

You raised your head again. “What’ll happen to the others? The ones who aren’t chosen?” you asked Master Ava.

Her gaze drifted downward for a moment, then she looked up and said, “They will have no choice but to fight in the Keyblade War.”

“The Keyblade War…?” Skuld whispered.

“I’m afraid it’s inevitable,” Ava finished sadly.

Everyone was silent for a time, until you looked at the Master again. “May I take some time to think about my decision?”

Your tone was firm. Skuld and I were surprised, but you remained resolute.

“Of course, take all the time you need. This decision is yours to make, and you should do what feels right. I just ask that you keep this to yourselves. I’m afraid the future is a very…sensitive subject.”

After we nodded in understanding, Master Ava turned away and left.

Once we were back in the square, we sat on the rim of the fountain and looked up at the sky.

“What’s holding you back from joining the Dandelions?” I asked you, even though I had some idea of your reasons. “You’d get to see Ephemer again!”

“Ephemer’s my friend, and he’s important to me. But so is everyone else, and I can’t just abandon them.”

“I understand.” I was a little relieved to hear that answer, honestly; it showed me that you were still the same you. Well, except for how much you were talking all of a sudden.

Then it was Skuld’s turn. “Can I share a story?”

You nodded.

“When I became a Keyblade wielder, I was so excited. I even made my own party, but no one wanted to join it. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Ephemer did,” she said, fondly recounting her time with Ephemer. “For a long time, it was just the two of us. But as time passed, others joined us, and we spent all our time gathering as much Lux as possible. With our busy schedule, Ephemer and I spoke less and less, until one day he turned to me and said, ‘Skuld, you’ll be all right on your own now.’ And then he left. I continued to collect Lux with my party members, but I guess people started to lose interest. One by one they left, until one day, it was just me again. And you know what? Ephemer was right. I was fine on my own. I never forgot about him, though.”

I wondered what had happened to Skuld during that time.

Gathering Lux is an important mission for Keybearers, but you’re free to do it however you want—with your Union, with your party, or even alone if you can’t get along. There are some people out there who don’t pull their weight. Everyone’s different, which sometimes leads to arguments and party breakups.

“And I know he never forgot about me either, because he led me to you. You helped me see so much. Thank you. Now I just have to thank Ephemer, and the only way to do that is to join the Dandelions,” Skuld said, then smiled at you. She hopped down from the edge of the fountain and turned your way. “Thanks. For everything.”

She held her hand out to you, and you got down off the fountain and took it.

There was no doubt in my mind that the two of you would see each other again. You would always be friends no matter how far apart you were.

You would see each other again one day.

The Master of Masters stood facing the Foreteller Ava.

“What’s written in the last page of the Book is gonna happen,” the Master finally said, breaking the silence between them. “The entire world will be lost to darkness.”

Ava closed her eyes. “But Master, isn’t there anything we can do?” she asked, her voice full of frustration.

“Well, that’s what brings me to your role,” he replied. “You might just be the only hope of keeping the light from expiring.”

Ava looked up and watched the Master intently. “Hope? Master, what is it that you need me to do?”

“Don’t get involved in any battles, forget the notion of Unions, find Keyblade wielders with potential, and create an entirely separate organization. Then, like the seeds of a dandelion, let them fly to another world. They will keep the light alive.” His voice was soft and earnest—he never spoke like this to the other Foretellers.

“You really think that…I’m the right person for this?”

“Ava, you’re the only person for this,” he gently admonished her.

Ava looked down for a moment but then quickly raised her head again. “I understand.”

The Master nodded quietly at her decision.