Roxas - Protection Stone

[the_last]

[As soon as Roxas chomps on the fruit, he will experience sudden disorientation, as if suddenly unfamiliar with being inside his body, perhaps not even knowing why he is there or who he is. It lasts for but a moment and then slowly fades... He will suddenly find himself in a place that seems unusually quiet and gray, as though the color were stolen but there remains just enough to suggest that things have been greatly subdued. There are also about three spots in the distance that seem to almost glow with gentle hues of color, soft and welcoming. Too bad, they seem much too far away to reach.

Within the gray is an expansive forest of every tree imaginable and dry, brittle grass that extends to mid-calf. Here and there, one might even spot some faded prints left upon the ground. The sky is equally gray, although not one cloud can be seen. But a dark mist seems to swirl around the forest, not too thick but clearly present.]

Comments

[unionoftheheart]

[he's still kneeling, locked in place, the white keyblade firmly in his other hand. more and more keyholes are opening, you might glimpse a spectral outline of the great crystal blade of the X-blade forming over his body]

[but it's not forming very fast. just enough of the darkness is trailing out of his hand in a rope to feed the armored darkness you fight that it seems to have at least interrupted the process, the balance is just a little bit off...]

[on the other hand, you bet that black Kingdom Key is finding your unprotected back, and finding it hard. whatever this shadow is, it's not holding back, that's a deep wound]

[twilight_boy]

[staggering from that; it's almost bad enough to knock him out. But not so severe that he can't put everything he's got into the most spectacular limit break light attack ever. What time is it? Magic Hour time!]

[unionoftheheart]

[oh it doesn't like that, it doesn't like that at all. it doesn't go down immediately, it puts up a fight, darting after you even as light pillars rip into it to try to get a hit in]

[a few of those pillars glint off of the white keyblade still in Ven's hand, and it glows brighter, the outline of the X-blade is fading, keyholes are disappearing--but your limit gauge is running out fast--]

[you have enough. just barely enough, you wouldn't have made it if you hadn't been pushing yourself to the absolute limits of your ability. but it falters under the force of the last bit of light you can summon, bits and pieces of armor peeling off of it to reveal nothing but darkness underneath, darkness boiling away to nothingness in the light]

[twilight_boy]

[sending one last light strike after it... and then collapsing to his hands and knees, unable to keep standing]

[unionoftheheart]

[all around you, keyholes are disappearing. the outline of the X-blade is gone, the lines of darkness on Ven's skin are few compared to the light. the metal is beginning to crack, peel, slough off, revealing normal skin underneath. he's shaking, he can move a little, though from the noises he's making it rather hurts--]

[unionoftheheart]

[--and then he collapses too, the white kingdom key turned back into Wayward Wind and vanishing, shaking and sobbing, an utter wreck]

[twilight_boy]

[crawling over to him. If there's any metal left, he'll do his best to pry it off, though he's got very little strength left] You did it. You're still here. You're still you.

[unionoftheheart]

[there might be a few bits and bobs here and there; it's a little sticky, and he flinches, but given how much that whole thing seemed to hurt that's kind of icing on the cake]

I didn't--I didn't do anything--I couldn't do anything--

[he scrabbles his fingers in the leaves, looking at you a little wild-eyed, he isn't sure what happened, how did you get hurt, the last thing he remembers you were denying him and letting the worst thing he could imagine happen to him, did you save him after all...]

[twilight_boy]

You stayed. We beat it. [flopping onto his back]

[unionoftheheart]

[he might just. need to curl around your arm like a limpet and sob into your shoulder ok]

I-I thought...you didn't believe me...that you were just going to let it happen...I was so scared...

[twilight_boy]

But you still fought it. Some part of you refused to just give in.

[unionoftheheart]

[shaking his head almost violently]

I couldn't, nothing I tried did anything...

What...did you do? H-how did you stop it?

[twilight_boy]

I just... I kept the darker keyblade as far from you as I could. And I fought it.

[unionoftheheart]

[breathless clingggggggg]

...th...thank you...thank you so much...

[twilight_boy]

Least I could do.

[unionoftheheart]

[yeah just. being a silent wreck for a few here]

[twilight_boy]

[just repeating] You're still here. You're going to be okay.