Hero

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

"He's staring at me again, isn't he?"

Seeing as how Kai was a stranger to the world, Cielle and Aerith had taken the lead. The boy trailed behind, staring intently at Cielle, who had definitely taken notice. It was less that she found it annoying, rather she was embarrassed, really; his stare was so intense, filled with a longing that honestly threw her off guard. She didn't know how to handle it, nor did she really want to mention it to him. So instead, she asked Aerith, who had looked back at a distracted Kai and nodded in confirmation.

"So your sister ended up in his world," Aerith quietly said to Cielle. "It looks like fate has brought the two of you together."

"Not yet, if the Darkness has her..." Cielle said.

"I meant you and Kai," She corrected herself, smiling as Cielle widened her eyes in surprise. "I'm kidding!"

She didn't bother responding. No way could she confide in Aerith about her embarrassment now, lest the older girl have a field day. Luckily for her, the sounds of another fight distracted her, and her heart raced as she saw Leon fighting the rather large Heartless. It was definitely bigger than any run of the mill--likely the boss Leon was after. In that moment, however, Kai mentioned its name. Cielle noticed his hesitation, though she felt there was no need to comment on it. Not yet, anyway.

"We'll divide and conquer, then," Cielle said as her keyblade formed in her hand once more.

"I've got your back!" Yuffie cheered, and together the two girls ran forward to join Leon.

The young man looked at the pair, shaking his head. "It's got a few tricks up its sleeve. Be on your guard," He told them.

"Understood!" Cielle confirmed, charging forward.

Meanwhile, Aerith placed her hand on Kai's shoulder, noticing his hesitation. "Are you alright?" She asked him gently.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Patience, patience...it wouldn't do to lose your cool at a time like this...although he is making it VERY difficult.

Seeing Kai use her as a stepping stone again only served to heighten Cielle's annoyance, though she clamped her mouth shut as she watched his display of power. It was raw and in dire need of polish--he definitely had a little experience fighting, but not like this, and not with the Keyblade. She supposed she should have taken the moment to count herself lucky for her own training, but even though they had won against the Large Body, there were bigger fish to fry.

Aerith watched Kai closely, though said nothing. Instead, Yuffie would be the first to acknowledge Kai. "That was pretty cool! I had no idea Keyblade wielders could do stuff like that," She said, grinning.

Cielle dismissed her keyblade and placed her hands on her hips. "Don't praise him, he hasn't the slightest idea what he's done," She couldn't help but point out, annoyed. "Your recklessness is going to get you hurt!"

"It got the job done, didn't it?" Yuffie defended him, elbowing Cielle. "You're just mad 'cause he took care of it all by himself. All those years of training versus a little natural talent really shows who's on top, hm?"

Letting out a huff of indigence, Cielle crossed her arms, trying to hide her red cheeks. "I've come this far, haven't I?" She snapped.

"Now, now, the important thing is we're all safe," Aerith intervened, placing her hand on Cielle's shoulder.

Shrugging Aerith's hand off, the young girl seemed to get over her annoyance. "We need to get to the Third District, Leon could use our help," She changed the subject.

"Whatever you say, Your Highness~" Yuffie teased, giving Kai a wink. "Let's get going, then!"

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Well, someone was certainly eager to go. He had the right idea at least, and Cielle found herself following his lead. She probably should have been the first to strike, but assessing the situation is just as important as running in swinging your weapon around. Except...Kai did just that and got results. Okay, maybe she needed to act more and think just a little less. Fine, whatever, right now their concern should be Yuffie's safety, anyway. Luckily for the ragtag group, the ninja girl was relatively unharmed, if not having taken a slight hit to her ego. She was less than pleased to see her attacks ineffective against the Large Body, and was determined to bring it down.

"I'd say welcome to the club, but this is one club you don't really want to join!" Yuffie chirped back, pointing at the Large Body. "All my attacks keep bouncing off its fat body! How the heck am I supposed to beat it?!"

As Yuffie spoke, Cielle searched the area. "Weren't you with Leon?" She asked as Aerith joined them.

"Yeah, he went over to the Third District, said something about going straight for the head honcho," Yuffie replied. "I was thinking of going there, too, but then this guy showed up!"

Head honcho? Cielle had a bad feeling about that. He must have gone there after she had bumped into Kai. But he had a point--dealing with the small fry was a waste of effort. Going for the one in charge would scatter the rest--a typical battle tactic.

"Then we'll take care of this one and follow suit!" Cielle declared, keyblade aloft. If hitting it head on wouldn't work, then she would go for its head.

Kneeling down, Cielle jumped high into the air. As she went for the strike, she noticed one of its arms aiming right at her. Bringing up her keyblade, she blocked its punch, though it did send her a short distance away. As she readied herself for its next strike, she realized it was giving her all of its attention. "Strike it from behind while I have its attention!" She ordered Kai, blocking another hit.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Kai was fiercely determined to save his friend. As much as she understood, however, Cielle felt that maybe he had yet to understand the seriousness of the situation in its entirety. She caught Aerith's eyes, and the older girl silently prodded Cielle the go-ahead to explain the situation. Staring at the blonde haired boy for a moment, she tried to find the words when a yell was heard. The following sound was one of metal scraping against metal. It seemed to be coming from the plaza, although once she was able to focus her hearing, Cielle realized that those were the sounds of a sight happening.

Aerith seemed to know what was happening even before she reached the window, having risen from her seat as soon as the shout was heard. "That sounded like Yuffie...!" She gasped, looking at Cielle.

Then the time for action had come. Without a moment's hesitation, Cielle summoned her keyblade in a flash of light and sprinted out of the house. Aerith made to follow, stopping at the door to look at Kai. "I'm sorry, we'll explain things later," She told him. "Our friends are in trouble!"

Cielle practically flew down the stairs, skidding to a halt as she watched the scene in front of her. A large, rotund Heartless was charging at a girl with short hair. Wow, that Heartless was a little bigger than the ones she was used to, especially with the numerous shadow Heartless around it. Why were there so many of them? Aerith's magic must have waned without them realizing it.

"Yuffie!" Cielle called out to her. "Are you okay?!"

"Just peachy!" The ninja replied, swinging at the Heartless, only to find her shuriken bouncing off of its stomach. "Oooh! I hate these guys!"

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

This boy was just full of surprises. Just when Cielle thought he couldn't surprise her any more, something had apparently clicked in his mind. He was all too happy to share it, and by sharing it meant that once again, much to Cielle's annoyance, he felt the need to grab her by her shoulders. Why?! She had half a mind to run, but as he spoke, his words dawned on her. Aerith had definitely caught what he said as well, a concerned look on her face following the end of Kai's rambling. For a moment, both Aerith and Cielle looked at one another, then at Kai. As she was unsure how Kai would react (and feeling that he was just a tad all over the place) Cielle had to wiggle her way out from his grip, clearing her throat to retain her dignity.

"They may have mistaken Kai's friend for you," Aerith suggested. "Did this girl dress oddly? Maybe she had a scythe?"

With Kai's nod as confirmation, Cielle had to think for a moment. "If what you say is true, then I can guarantee your friend is safe," She stated. "Although I must apologize. The girl you saw, she is called Despa. She's been chasing me around for some time and must have assumed your friend was me."

For a moment, Aerith seemed troubled. "I wonder how long it will be until they realize the truth. The Darkness will do whatever it takes to find the Keys."

Cielle perked up for a moment, suddenly remembering what she had wanted to tell Aerith. "Speaking of the Keys...Kai has one, as well," She said. "I strongly suspect him to be the Key of Light."

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Seeing Kai in Aerith's arms made him look so vulnerable. Cielle looked down at her knees, at a loss for words, though she looked up as Aerith released Kai. He finally admitted that he believed them--finally! Before she could properly sigh in relief, however, Kai honed in on her. Gah! Just as she was feeling bad for him, Kai went and invaded her personal space bubble! Cielle shuffled nervously, feeling her cheeks flare up. Why did he have to be so close?! That smell of the sea came to her again, and she had to move her seat a little to get some freedom from him. How was she supposed to know why she had some mysterious identical twin out there?

"That's a good question," Aerith said, stifling a giggle at Cielle's discomfort. "Do you have any family, Cielle?"

The pink haired girl fell quiet for a moment, looking down at the ground. "...W-Well," She started slowly, fiddling with her fingers. "My grandmother told me once that I had a sibling...but they went missing a long time ago."

Aerith put her hand to her chin. "Hmm...I guess we would have known if you had a sister, huh?" She couldn't help but tease slightly. "It would've been hard to hide for your family."

Cielle gave Aerith a glare, a finger to her lips, though she quickly decided to steer the conversation around. "L-Listen, I mentioned it before, but if you've made it here, to Traverse Town, there's a good chance your friend could have as well," She hastily changed the subject. "And if not here, then perhaps in another. Believe it or not, there are many worlds besides yours, this one, and ours."

"That's right," Aerith agreed, smiling. "There\s no need to lose hope just yet."

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

The last thing either of them had expected was the seemingly calm youth to just up and snap. Cielle almost screamed when he grabbed Aerith, but to her surprise, the older girl was still very composed. Indeed, Aerith was very understanding, doing very little, but she knew the news must have been shocking. There was no other way, though: the truth was what he needed to know. Slowly lifting her right hand, she gently wiped away his tears, and once she was done, she pulled him into a sweet embrace. She held onto him tightly, holding him close to her, knowing he would probably lash out at any second.

"It is," She quietly answered Kai. "It's hard to hear, but it's the truth, Kai. You need to understand what we're telling you isn't a joke or a lie. Please believe us."

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Cielle stared at Kai as he introduced himself. For some reason, she felt like correcting him. Why would she want to do that to someone she just met? That probably was his name, anyway. But it felt like...it felt it wasn't right. Why? Huffing in annoyance, instead she invited herself to have a seat at the table, daintily crossing her legs as she sat properly. The situation was definitely making her feel nostalgic, though she shook it off, simply raising her chin as she watched Aerith and Kai.

Aerith took his hand, politely shaking it before letting go. "Kai, is it? The feeling is mutual," She said, though she took the opportunity to examine him for a moment. Despite the Heartless attacking his world, he didn't have a scratch on him. She was impressed, although she needed to focus on the bigger issue at hand. It seemed to be a case of mistaken identity, although she felt that perhaps Kai was simply in denial. Cielle wasn't looking too pleased, and at Aerith's inquiring look, she waved it away. The brunette supposed she should get right to it, then. Going around the room, she approached the small kitchen counter and pulled out a pot of tea with a few cups. Setting in down on the table, she motioned for Kai to have a seat.

"Tell me, Kai, where are you from?" Aerith asked as she poured out three cups. At Cielle's questioning look, she simply pushed her cup towards her and then took a seat. "Or I suppose what I should be asking is...are you aware your home is no more?"

"Aerith..." Cielle said, though the brunette stopped her by raising her hand.

"He should know where he is," Aerith told her sternly, and then turned her attention back to Kai. "Where we are right now is called Traverse Town. You should know you're a very long way from home. And if you're here, it means your world has fallen to darkness."

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Aha! So he was a Keyblade wielder as well! That definitely explained the warmth she felt. This boy had a light within him, just as she suspected. Although her excitement was quickly replaced by annoyance as Kai used her weapon as a stepping stone. How rude! She couldn't quite hide her pout of annoyance as he landed, dismissing her keyblade to cross her arms tightly. No, she needed to focus, the last thing she wanted was to get caught off guard again. The best thing to do would be to keep moving as she had planned.

"It isn't safe here, follow me," She stated, leading the way.

As they walked, she could definitely feel him staring at her. It started to make her uncomfortable, all things considered, and any time she looked back, she would catch him looking. Geez, at least he could try to hide it! As she wanted to say something, however, she saw the light on in the little house, and beckoned him to follow as she broke into a run.

Opening the door revealed a cozy room with a few pieces of furniture. The most notable feature was a desk being occupied by the house's resident. She was older than Kai and Cielle, sporting long brown hair wrapped into a braid and kept together by a pink ribbon. Her pink dress was simple, her brown boots touching the floor as she stood from the desk. She looked at them with green eyes, a small frown on her face.

"Cielle? And..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Kai.

"This is...I don't think I caught his name, actually," Cielle realized. "Aerith, would you please tell him I'm not Aira? He keeps calling me that and doesn't seem to believe me when I tell him otherwise."

"Really now?" Shaking her head, Aerith approached them, looking at Kai. "Hello there. I'm Aerith, what's your name?" She asked him, her gentle voice prodding him for an answer.

Sum up your week in roleplaying in just 3 words

I am happy.