In spite of the brightness that blanketed the entire zone, the eyes of Rika’s new employer had never closed once. The glow had receded onto its source: Rika Masaki was now glowing, empowered by Light and crossing blades with the one who tested her emotional limits. Seeing the anger behind those precious emerald eyes had brought Aeva pride, not because the torment was enjoyable, but because she had succeeded in her objective here. The table that separated them was knocked aside, the coffee mug shattered to bits and the remaining contents scattered beneath the shards. Rika put all her force into that one attempted slice and while she wasn’t known for her strength, Aeva had nearly overreacted in her own defense. Beneath Rika tendrils of blackness had erected, a single tendril inches away from her throat, several more to her chest. That moment of rage had brought to her alarm she hadn’t felt in decades, and were she unwise it may have cost her one of the universes saviors. In Rika’s hand was a weapon of legend, angel wings surrounded the handle and a colorful tip. Rika’s new weapon radiated goodness, quite contrasting Aeva’s own weapon: A falchion sword colored in red, purple and blue that was shaped like a demonic wing. Above the handle rested an eye, the handle covered in dark braids. Aeva had reverse-gripped it and deflected Rika’s own attack, and the two remained locked like this. Pepper had not moved an inch, but Aeva knew how stressful it could be when she couldn’t defend her master personally.

[b]“At last …I was afraid I’d have to get much more serious about tearing you down, but it seems part of your potential has awoken.”[/b] Aeva mumbled, staring Rika dead in the eyes. The thief hadn’t moved much and the stalemate was resulting in no advantage on either side. Aeva was not trying to win or prove a point, the point had already been made and the goal had been completed. Letting the tendrils beneath Rika recede back into her shadow, Aeva had forced herself up against Rika’s weight and quite easily as well. [b]“While you’re standing there wanting to kill me, observe what’s happening around you.”[/b]

Rika, for all of her hate towards this woman for her comments and actions, hadn’t immediately responded to her desires. Normally she was entirely aware of the environment surrounding her, but in her haste to attack she had abandoned all sense of her surroundings in favor of putting an end to suffering. The cold stare of rage she directed at Aeva was abandoned; Rika looked, and she listened, finding fear and a new realization to cope with. Surrounding her were people of all faces and appearances, the people she was trying to protect, frozen as though time itself had come to a stop. Everyone, everything, was unresponsive. No noise. No words. The stillness was frightening, and it was almost as if …

[b]“…It wasn’t real.” [/b]She said in a hushed whisper to herself, but in spite of this realization she hadn’t released the pressure on Aeva herself. Just as the revelation had come to life, every person there had begun to dissolve, losing all color and sinking into the ground in a mass of dark puddles. Receding into the ground slowly and frighteningly slow, the ground was coated entirely in those puddles and not a shred of the normal color remained. Slowly, all those puddles had drawn to the source: Aeva. Her shadow had called the others home to her. They traveled along her body and surged through that creepy weapon of hers, entering the strange eye on the handle. Being closely connected to such dark power, her own weapon, a weapon she had finally noticed wasn’t her typical Sai, repelled itself from Aeva, causing Rika to take a step backwards and point at Aeva with uncertainty. The surrounding area now was dark and grim, and it was then that Rika took another look: The brilliance of the area, how clean it appeared and how fine everything looked was also just simulated from this woman’s own dark power. This area was abandoned and looked just like the rest of Hollow Bastion, only much more hopeless in that no one was around. [b]“Nothing here was real …”[/b] Rika muttered again, staring at the weapon in her hands with dumbfounded emptiness. All that anger she felt, all that concern, it wasn’t for anyone in the end.

[b]“It was real to you. You held no stake with any of these people, you were free to walk away, yet even so you stood up to me, who held all the cards, and struck without fear.”[/b] Aeva’s weapon had faded in an eerie dark cloud and disperse, its use no longer necessary. Pepper had moved to gather the funding that had spilled over from the drawing of Rika’s weapon and the clash that followed, and then returned it to Aeva’s own hands. It was then that she tossed the munny at the thief’s own feet, but it appeared she had yet to move on from this discover very well. Aeva saw the confusion in her eyes, and the constant stare at the weapon she held. [b]“From the spit and mucus that boy coughed up to the good quality ground you stepped on, all of it was my doing. No one was going to get hurt. Believe it or not, I’m on the ‘right’ side.”[/b] 

Rika nearly scoffed at that. Simulating children dying and others getting hurt constituted as ‘right’? [b]“I’d hate to see what you do to people who are ‘wrong’. I have questions for you, a lot of questions, but I'll start slow. What is this thing? And why is it glowing like this?”[/b] Rika held up her weapon, surrounded by a strange yellow-white glow. The weapon itself was almost like a short sword and it was pretty lightweight too, just like she liked her weaponry. For some reason she didn’t want to let it go.

[b]“A keyblade.”[/b] Aeva responded plainly. [b]“My knowledge of it is basic: Legends say its wielders brought ruin, others say it brought salvation. They choose the wielder, and in that moment your heart called out to it.”[/b]

[b]“I already have my own weapon.”[/b]

[b]“You don’t need to wield it if you choose, but know that it will be close to your heart. You are its master now, until the day you no longer need it at your side.”[/b] Folding her arms, Aeva looked towards the distance, feeling a familiar presence a distance away and approaching at a casual pace. “[b]You are one of many individuals who are going to decide the fate of this universe, and much like the legend of your new weapon, you are capable of bringing ruin, or salvation to all. I chose you much like your keyblade did, because I recognized the potential in you and knew that with the right push you could be driven on a path you were destined for.”[/b]

Rika stared at Aeva, unsure of how to react to this. No one was truly harmed and it was all a test? It was a cruel one to put on her and there was no telling how she was meant to just ‘move on’ after something like that. Her attention went to her weapon, which suddenly vanished in a flash of light. [b]“!?”[/b]

[b]“Not to worry …call to it again when you need its light, and it will return.”[/b] Aeva returned her vision to Rika. [b]“No more pretending you’re invincible, I have completely dismantled that identity in favor of showing you who you really are. Will you help free this universe? Will you defend it?”[/b]

Rika and Aeva had shared a long moment of silence, which only ended with Rika walking backwards for several steps and turning away.[b] “Next time we meet, tell me more.”[/b] She waved her hand carelessly and stepped away from the situation, walking off to return to the rebels with new resolve. 

Aeva looked to Pepper and let out a huff of satisfaction. Rika Masaki had abandoned the munny and would come to terms with her new conscience, just as she was expecting, and just as she was told. She wouldn’t have been allowed to leave without her confidence that she was fighting for the right side, but now her pride needed to recover. It wasn’t easy to fold in front of people, and to discover she was suddenly chosen as a wielder of a weapon such as the keyblade meant that she had a lot to take in in a short amount of time. So Aeva would leave it at that: The Rebels have a secure new weapon at their disposal, and Aeva got to succeed. Rika was only a single part of this story, a single wielder of a weapon that would save this world and countless others. There were more to reach, but for now they’d follow the small band stationed here closely, knowing that fate might lead them to the others much more naturally. 

[b]“That's one.”[/b] Aeva mumbled, turning around and joining beside Pepper to come face-to-face with...

~-~

[b]“Am I going to join you?”[/b] Lin stared blankly at Ace, uncertain of where this question was coming from. Shizuka and Ace both knew who she was, what she was about, and should have known better than to ask such a thing. It was a long time since they had met, but her opinions on the world had never changed, not once. Knowing of the goal of the Unbound and certain her destiny lied with helping them, Lin grinned widely and flicked Ace on the forehead, hoping to induce at least a little entertainment, if not a girly yelp. [b]“Everything I’ve trained for since we last met led up to this. I’m not leaving until we help free these people, and we’ll do it together like we promised that day!”[/b] 

They parted ways swearing to meet again and swearing they’d free their homes, and all worlds near and far. To back out now would mean dishonor and disgrace, Lin wasn’t surrendering, and most definitely not chickening out. 

[b]“This time for sure, I’m going to show you guys what I can do. Let’s move out!”[/b] Lin had hastily turned around and ran off, not even certain where she was going, but suddenly having the urge to run and focus this hot-blooded passion in it. Her story was just beginning.