Nerevarine

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Mecca, Green Sahara
_{@Tenma Tendo@Double}

BGM: The Maiden

A genuine yet discomforted smile appeared on Audry's face, undercut by a look of sadness.

"You're bleeding", she spoke, eyes moving towards the fresh gash left over the girl's eye. Audry made no gestures of aggression nor hostility, merely a concerned look. "It's a long story but, I was sent to protect you. If you'll let me, I can heal you."

Audry advanced towards Capella, walking slowly, and reaching her hand out, slowly as not to invoke a defensive reaction from the other, but offering her the chance to comply. The familiar glowing green eyes no longer narrowed in opposition as before but open and inviting. "There is a lot that needs to be said, and to be explained. She looked away as she spoke, eyes turning away from Capella towards the ground. "I can't change what has happened before...but, I can only ask that you forgive the harshness of our encounters.". The smile returned to her face, "I'm Audry, I was sent to protect you.". Her hand remained outstretched, inviting the other woman to take hold of it, the palm and fingers emanating and glowing with faint energy, calming simply to look at.

"Where I am from, they call you Jadyata al-Nujumiyyah.", she spoke, "The Nazarenes, I mean. When I lived with them, they told me about how you saved the founder of their order, and how you saved the world from the False Messiah. But, something happened, and...they needed to send someone back to help you.". Audry returned to her awkward phrasing, eyes once more turning away. "So...they sent me.". Audry cursed herself under her breath. In the short time that she had arrived she had already more than likely compromised a good deal of the mission. The Nazarenes had proven themselves mistaken in their assessment of her abilities. The Gummi Ship was lost, Yevon had been lost in whatever spacial flux that transpired with the collapse of the ship's medium. "But I suppose I don't know your real name!", she responded, as if jerking herself out of the depressive slump back into a chipper mood, a bright smile returning to her face in that brief moment.

Below the Bluff
BGM: Malachi

As the procession approached the gates of Mecca, a small collection of the city's leaders had gathered, the tribesmen speaking among themselves until the advance of the Axumite excursion had finally appeared beyond the horizon. The forces of the Ethiopians were not particularly large, but the Meccans struggled to remain steadfast in the presence of such imposing soldiers. At the head of the party was the leader, Malachi, seated upon his mount, a dwarf elephant, one of the last of its kind, captured and broken specifically for his use. Flanking him were a collection of powerful soldiers, dressed in resplendent armor and luxurious furs, carrying long polearms to show their status. Behind the nobles was a small dispatching of infantrymen, dressed in simple armor and bearing banners of the Kingdom of Axum with them. The human soldiers bore a striking trait, glowing green eyes that seemed to shine out of the darkness of their helmets, as if phosphorescent. But perhaps what frightened the men of Mecca most of all were the legions of heartless that followed in formation with the standard soldiers, still small in number but nearly twice that of the standard swordsmen and the horsemen.
As the Axumites came closer to the gates, the three most senior tribal leaders stepped forward to meet them. Abu Talib, Abu al-Hakim, and Abu Lahab all undertook the ceremonial motions, Abu al-Hakim taking hold of a quiver of arrows, and throwing them at the feet of Malachi, who awaited the assessment from the decided diviner.

"Hubal smiles upon our negotiations" he announced.

BGM: Cleyra's Trunk

While up on the bluff, Audry's attention was briefly turned away from Capella as she heard the commotion and sounds coming from below.

"Huh? What the?"

She rushed over to the edge of the cliff to get a better look

Back at the city gates, Malachi stood upon a platform to address the people of the city.

"People of Mecca! While my army has come today to take control of your city, do not fear our coming, for the wise men of your tribes have settled upon an agreement that will ensure your autonomy even under the rule of our blessed Messiah. All we ask is the rights to take of your food and water as we need, and to root out any subversive elements that may dwell within your walls."

The Meccans remained caught in their fears, yet Malachi continued his speech.

"To prove that your right to worship your gods will continue under the protection of the Messiah, and that we will not force you to our ways, we shall provide an offering to your lords Hubal, Shams, Bal, Allat, Al-'Uzza and Manat, with the blood of one of our own to demonstrate the sacrifices we are willing to make for you as our subjects."

BGM: Extraction

With the wave of a hand, the soldiers at Malachi's sides advanced, pulling forward a collection of tinder and wood, which the leader ignited with a burst of flames. Meanwhile, the soldiers went back to retrieve the sacrifice. Between the two recent prisoners, the soldiers decided upon Ezra to be the sacrifice. The men took hold of him, dragging him through the sands over to the burning pyre. Though Shun was struck with the paralyzing spell, he would begin to feel the effect rapidly fading away. The armor he was cloaked in upon his arrival had weakened the magic, and now the effects began to decay away. All the while, the soldiers tossed the still stiff body of his brother at the feet of their leader, who took hold of Ezra, raising him before the three Tribal Leaders, and proclaimed,

"With this man, burned to ashes for the honor of the Gods and Lords of Mecca, may our new alliance and integration into one nation be fruitful and prosperous!"

BGM:A Shot of Crisis

"Yallahi! They're going to burn him alive!", Audry screamed in horror as she saw the pyre lit and the leader of the forces announce his desires. Without thinking, Audry leaped off of the cliff face, landing hard into the sand and rolling a short distance before taking off running full speed towards the conference. There was no time for thinking, just to save this man, whoever he may be, and get out before anyone noticed her. Not that she really knew how she was going to do it, but she'd figure it out when the time came.

Renovation's Might, Renovation
_{@Gentlemanvaultboy@MagusDream}

BGM: Fleeting Life

The image of a sling firing stone after stone faster than he could comprehend send a cold jolt down Hirutila's spine. It was moments like this that made him wary of this entire trip. The Emperor and the rest of these people were fools. He fought with swords and crossbows, this was an element that he was not certain he could even make the jump to effectively fight in. Georgia assured him that she had a method deal with such things, but the thought still left a feeling of deep unease in his stomach. The journey they were to go one seemed to get ever more difficult and imposing as time went on. This wasn't like piracy, pirates and the Marines he fought would at least have abided by the laws of his own world's reality, yet here everything was turned on its head. Hirutila sighed at the thought. Georgia even seemed to express discontent, the look of anguish on her face only served to make his anxieties increase. Georgia knew these things, yet she did not seem to be any more eased by her knowledge. It was terrifying to say the least.

Hirutila followed after the girl and her pet towards the two other new arrivals. Hirutila was unsure of how to parse the trio of brothers that had made their late arrival to the party. A strange mixture of innocence and stern orthodoxy was the theme that he perceived of these two who the little dinosaur had lead them to. Hirutila had to at least attest to the novelty of the creature. Never before had he seen anything quite like it, and what exactly it was and where it came from intrigued him. He had some ideas, the creature resembled a cross between a lizard and large bird. The Greeks living in Egypt often told tales of a local creature called an ichneumon, that killed and hunted dragons for food. They were like large roosters but lacked feathers for scales. Was this creature really an ichneumon? The girl did say that her ancestors came from Africa, though he did not place her as an Egyptian.

Hirutila perished the thoughts over the animal for a second and focused on its behaviors. The animal was certainly useful, like a dog of some sort, though he imagined far more dangerous. The third brother, Agni was his name if he remembered correctly, also made the dog analogy, but he emphasized the differences above all. Hirutila was taken aback by the sudden change he underwent at the strike of his younger sibling. Hirutila frowned, annoyed with the mysteries and surprises that kept popping up. He could only hope that things would even out eventually, though somewhere in his mind he seriously doubted that to ever happen.

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

fine by me

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Capella's Gummi Ship, Green Sahara
_{@Tenma Tendo}

A series of distressed kupos echoing out from the cockpit caught Audry's attention. Yevon had yet to make a return to the conference room, and the growing despair in the little creature's voice was catching her attention. Figuring that Yevon would likewise hear the noises and come to investigate, Audry leaped out of her seat, and began the advance towards the pilot's section. The first connection with feet upon the ground was met with a low vibration running throughout the entirety of the vehicle.

BGM: A Shot of Crisis

Must be turbulence, maybe we hit a storm... Audry pondered as she continued on her path. The vibrations became increasingly intense with each step, as a low, resonant sound began to echo through the air. Audry's eyebrows furrowed at the sound, unsure of what it could be, that was until she was knocked off her feet as she was thrown to the wall with great force and the lights were cut to darkness, managing to pick herself up and tossing herself into the doorway. Finally entering into the cockpit, she was met with a panicked Amalthea slamming onto the ship's controls, with a distressed kupo with each peck of the buttons and pull of the levers.

"Kupo! Kupo! Kupo!!!! We've lost control, the whole ship is going down, I can't control it, Kupo!

Audry's face was washed pale upon the news of the imminent descent.

"You've lost control!? Ho-How!!! I thought you were the pilot for this thing!"

Amalthea demonstrated the complete loss of control, pushing onto the light switch, but no lights returning. "The power is gone, kupo! The panel doesn't connect to anything! There might be something wrong with our engine, and if there is, kupo, it could be really ba...

The Moogle's fears were met with a loud explosion, followed by a series of smaller explosions.

The pale Audry immediately turned pure white as she heard the bursts. "Wh-what was that?"

Amalthea stammered out her reply, "The-The Gummi Blocks are collapsing, kupo. This whole ship is going to collapse in on itself!"

"What!" was all Audry could spit out before the entire room exploded into purple mist, as the Moogle standing just before her was pulled away at light speed, fading away into red before disappearing entirely. The former interior of the ship disappeared into an orb of purple behind Amalthea that disappeared with her, as Audry was left in pure darkness, only for the entire space around her to become consumed with light so bright that she could not help but let out a scream of agony before all consciousness was ripped from her.

Just outside of Mecca, Green Sahara
BGM: Sandy Badlands

Audry opened her eyes met with a curious crow that stared at her. The woman responded by shooing away the bird, which let out an annoyed caw as it took off with its kin. The heat radiating from above was more than she could bear, removing the heavy jacket she was wearing, and tying the garment around her waist, exposing the sleeveless black top underneath. As she looked to her sides, she caught sight of Amalthea and Capella, both unconscious, at her sides, but one of the party was not accounted for.

"Yevon?" she inquired, met with no response. "Yevon!" She called out, still receiving no reply. Audry rose to her feet, running a short distance into the sand, still receiving no response. That was until she was found by a figure in the sands

"Looking for someone?", the man asked.

Audry instinctively rose her blade, though the woman was quickly disarmed with a wave of the other figure's hand, as the blade dematerialized, reappearing in the other's hand.

Audry glared hatefully. "Who are you?", she snarled.

"My name is not important, Audry, what is important is the task ahead of you. A noble task indeed."

Audry screamed, "Tell me your damn name!"

The man smiled, though a look of disappointment was present as well. "Perhaps I have come at the wrong time... You must be distressed, very well. I will return when you are of more sound mind."

As if in the blink of an eye, the man was gone, only the silver sword of Audry in his place, stabbed blade into the ground. She went to pick it up, examining the weapon before returning it to the holster. A mirage, just a mirage..., she repeated in her head, as she walked back to the two other survivors of the explosion.

Barracks, Axum, Green Sahara
_@Double
BGM: Malachi

"Prepare the captives for transport, we will be departing for Mecca immediately."

The soldiers of Malachi were collecting a plethora of creatures to be transported through the Barracks portal to the exit portal to the Meccan encampment. It had been only a short few weeks, and already the Meccans were preparing for the total surrender of the city in exchange for being spared from total destruction. Malachi had a plan to win over their hearts, and the collection of cattle and other such creatures would be for such use.

A soldier under Malachi's command would be there to haul the two stunned captives into the cart next exiting the portal, which would be transporting Malachi himself as well. Ezra was quickly hauled into the back of the wagon with very little trouble. The soldiers then turned their attention to his brother. One whistled with admiration at the armor the other was wearing.

"Take a look at this one! How much you figure that cost him?"

The soldier took hold of Shun's paralyzed body, however, his hands quickly were pulled back, a cry of great pain coming off as he dropped the captive to the floor, looking on in horror at the burns covering the insides of his hands. "The armor is cursed!" the soldier shouted, getting the attention of Malachi, who walked over to the two.

"Control yourselves when handling my belongings!" The Mage shouted, looking over to the burned soldier.

"This one wears cursed armor, sir, we cannot touch him."

Malachi was intrigued.

"You, soldier, load this man into the cargo at once."

The other soldier looked at Malachi in horror. "You..You want me to touch him? After what happened to..?"

"Yes, pick him up and deposit him into the cart!"

The other soldier looked over once more, before doing as commanded, only to let out another scream as his hands touched the armor. Malachi looked over Shun, curious as to the nature of his wear.

"Very well, It seems I must take care of this myself," Malachi spoke, summoning his magic to levitate Shun's body up, and place him into the carriage without the need to touch him. "Now then, we depart for Mecca at once."

The soldier agreed, running to get the cart ready to leave through the portal. Mecca proper would be only a short while away.

"Inform the men to have the altar and the fires ready as soon as I arrive, the sacrifices will proceed the peace negotiations," Malachi informed them, as he took his seat next to the carriage driver.

And with that, the group was off through the portal to Mecca.

Renovation's Might, Renovation
_{@Gentlemanvaultboy}
BGM: Moogle Theme

"I will try to make myself as useful as possible. Though I do have some questions.", Hirutila replied, "Firstly, What is a gun?"

As Georgia inquired as to the location of the kitchen, Hirutila caught the odor of cooking vegetables in the air.

"If my nose is correct, it's just down this way." he chimed in, pointing in the direction of the smell. Leading her to the source of the smell, Hirutila peaked into the room, to be met with the sight of Moogles providing the dinosaur with a veritable banquet of food. Hirutila sighed at the nonsense, "Well, there he is." he spoke.

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

@RennyNo worries, I appreciate the heads up

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Axum, Green Sahara, 1218 AD

"It is a great honor to finally be able to speak with you,"

The clack of a ceramic cup against the wooden table run throughout the tent, bathed internally with sunlight filtered through thin red and white cloth. The younger of the two men, head covered with a white cloth and curled auburn hair took a sip of the drink, the refreshing mint contrasting against the heat. The older man, dressed only in simple cloth, with long black hair hanging in tight curls down to his waist, and glowing green eyes that contrasted against his black skin, smiled in response to his guest's words.

"Tell me, my friend..."

The other man interjected, "Please, your holiness, call me Kikkuli."

An eyebrow was raised when the man uttered out his name. "So, you are a Hurrian?"

Kikkuli shook his head, "My father was a Hurrian, but I am of Bnei Yisra'el by the blood of my mother."

"It seems unbefitting for a Ben Yisra'el to bear the name of a Gentile."

Kikkuli nodded in agreement, "I cannot help it, I was raised among them, I speak their tongue and it colors the thoughts in my head." The thought was broken by another sip of tea before he continued. "Among my people, there is hardly a man outside of the Yeshiva who can speak a word of the old language. I must say it gives me great pleasure in my heart that we may conduct this conversation in the Leshon Qodesh."

"So tell me, Kikkuli. Why have you come all this way from The Sahara to my abode?"

"When I heard rumors that the Messiah himself had revealed himself to the south, I was compelled to see the proof for myself." Kikkuli's expression changed from a mirthful smile to something far more serious. "I have seen the zealous followers, and I have seen your displays of magic, but this is not enough to distinguish a true Messiah from a common magician. Tell me, do you deserve to bear the claim that Immanu El 'God is Among us'?"

Emmanuel smiled at his guest, unphased by the man's skepticism, "My name was bestowed upon me by an angel of the lord, but I will be more than happy to satisfy your doubts, scholar."

"Does the blood of David run its course in you?"

"I testify before the lord that I am of the seed of David."

Kikkuli's expression remained unchanged

"And your purpose?"

"I shall lead the true believers from this exile in Abyssinia to crush the Egyptian domination of our holy lands under the undeserving Hasmoneans."

Kikkuli ceased his questioning, "Very well, you have stated your blood and your reason to be, yet, Emmanuel, will you not show me a miracle of my own?"

As if he was prepared for the request, Emmanuel took hold of Kikkuli's hands, as his own glowed with the same green color of his eyes, the energy seeming to seep out of his hands, and into those of the other. The intensity burned like molten iron though the flesh of Kikkuli, who gritted his teeth in agony, though in only a few seconds that agony gave way to a gentle warmth, as the man's eyes turned from their natural black into a glowing green like that of Emmanuel. Kikkuli caught sight of his altered form in a bronze mirror behind the prophet.

"By God, what have you done to me?"

Emmanuel smiled, "I have given you the same power of miracles that the Angel bestowed upon me."

Kikkuli was intrigued, looking over to the still steaming cup of tea, the man instinctively raised his hand, and as if by magic, the drink was frozen in an instant.

"You...You truly are Melek Mashiach!" The man exclaimed as Emmanuel nodded in agreement.

"And you, oh Kikkuli, will be the greatest of my followers, the one who will stand at my right. But the name of a Hurrian will not suffice for a man of your status. And so, on this day forth, you will not hold the name of a stranger, but will be known as My Messenger, Malachi."

Axum, Green Sahara, 1250 AD
_@Double

The two newcomers would be met with the total paralysis of their limbs, falling to the floor like mannequins as soon as they had entered into the new world, as a bolt of magic hit, spilling all throughout their bodies. Malachi's brow furrowed, as he watched the remainder of the portal finally dissipate away, falling out of existence without so much as leaving anything left of the soft, gummy material that had produced it.

"A shame," he mused, "though we are fortunate to have recovered more. And furthermore, I am quite fortunate to have acquired a little souvenir from the other side." he spoke as he approached the two new arrivals. The would still be conscious, Malachi had made certain of that. "Welcome, you will find there is no hope of escape, so you should not expend any needless energy attempting. It is fortunate that you have arrived, I have been in need of appropriate test subjects."

The mage held his hands over the two young men, feeling the great magical power that radiated off of the two. Then, a surprise. The faint feeling of something unusual, something intense yet implacable. Both of these men were in possession of artifacts of great power, yet they were somehow intangible, the mage felt these ephemeral curios and yet they were unable to be placed. No matter, it would be something to investigate at a later date.

"You wouldn't know it, but there is a shortage of subjects who have any kind of affinity for magic, they are quite fragile to it. But you, I'm sure you will do just fine."

The conversation was cut short by an interjection, "Lord Malachi, we have received word from a messenger that the lords of Mecca are requesting a public audience with you to discuss the terms of their surrender."

Malachi's expression fluctuated from anger and disappointment to pleasant surprise once again. "Very well, I will depart for the City immediately. Rago will report with me as well." The Magus' attention returned back to the two brothers. "Hmmm, I may have another use for you yet. And in truth, only one will truly be necessary."

With a flick of his hand, Malachi opened a tear into the wall of his laboratory, the fissure splitting open into a portal, though the appearance of the gate was remarkably different from the misty, evaporating one that had transported the brothers, instead having a far more stable appearance, like that of a glass window. With the other hand, Malachi levitated the two stiff bodies, carrying them with him as he crossed over the threshold.

Renovation's Might, Renovation
_{@Gentlemanvaultboy}

For a man who had spent the better part of his later life raiding and pilfering sea vessels for a living, Hirutila had a special dislike for conflict. As if chaos was following him, as Felix began his impromptu "lesson" on Asher, the sounds of commotion began to disappear in the other room. There was little need to sneak out, he was sure Felix could care less about his presence.

The old pirate returned just in time to get the general gist of what their leader was divulging on the next destination. However, the names meant close to nothing to Hirutila. When the time came to ask about splitting into teams, Hirutila responded upon his return.

"I'll go with Georgia after this Hitler.", He had little comprehension on why he should choose this tyrant over the other, but something inside of him was pushing him in that direction as if some fated encounter was to transpire.

The old man rolled his eyes at Tocsax's obtuse propositioning. Perhaps he was too cynical in the topic of romance for his own good, but he felt a bit of annoyance of the idea of the certainty of the young party getting distracted in the throes of emotion and passion. He was annoyed at himself for getting caught up in it when he was around their ages, with nothing more to show for it than a collection of estranged descendants. At least this Agni character had the social skills to match his would-be suitor. Maybe they would make a good couple after all. The old man chuckled to himself at the thought.

The trip would be a long one, he was sure. The old man would need something to keep himself occupied until they got there. Looking around, he caught sight of something that brought the first real smile to his face in years. A chess board, affixed to a table. The game looked unloved, though he would be sure to change that. He wondered, who among this motley crew would be a good opponent.

Hirutila went to proposition Georgia to play a game with him, though it was immediately obvious that the girl had something else on her mind. Ah yes, the dinosaur, there was a distinct lack of her companion. "Probably went looking for food," he mused over to the girl, "Animals are usually like that." He may not have understood just what exactly the creature was, but he knew that if there was anything that would be common among all living things, it was a predisposition to seek out a nice snack any chance they got. Hirutila caught sight of the stain of blood on the girl's sleeve, though he said nothing for the time being.

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Israel, Green Sahara
_{@Tenma Tendo@Renny}

Audry obliged to Yevon's request, climbing back onto the Horse, switching Capella into a more comfortable position to rest while they advanced the short distance to the ship. As the pair traveled across the rocky landscape, Audry glanced at her new traveling companion on occasion, observing the speed with which he moved. There was much about him that was odd, in her opinion.

I had assumed him to be human, but I'm beginning to doubt that...I'll have to remember to inquire about that later, if possible., she said to herself in her head, pondering.

It seemed like little time at all had passed when the party reached the dormant gummi ship.

"Alright, Moogle. You promised you'd be able to fly us around in this thing, so don't disappoint. Audry spoke to the little creature, who nodded at her in response.

"I would never dream of it, kupo."

With that, Amalthea was off, as she opened the door of the ship allowing the party to enter.

Kupo, the ship has a cargo bay too, so if you want to keep your horse, just walk it in.

Audry remembered the steed and smiled to know that she didn't steal this horse just to abandon it in the middle of nowhere. The girl dismounted the animal, taking hold of its reigns in one hand. As she began to walk the horse into the ship, she motioned for Yevon to come towards her, before handing Capella's still unconcious body to him.

"Find her some place to rest, if you can. I'm sure she doesn't want to wake up to see me alone. Might lighten her spirits to see you okay." Audry smiled a bit as she guided the horse. "When she's all taken care of, come find me. I'll try to explain everything as best as I can."

Amalthea fluttered up to Yevon, "There's a sleeping chamber on board the ship, kupo. I will lead you there, follow me!

The layout of the Gummi Ship was rather logical, though not totally intuitive. The sleeping chamber was filled with a small number of beds, and Amalthea landed on one of them motioning for Yevon to deposit the girl.

"She will be fine here, kupo.", the Moogle reported. There were more pressing matters to attend to, notably what they were going to do next.

Audry was situated in a central hub room, reclining in a small chair, combing her hair. The woman had a passive look on her face, seemingly calm, attending to her personal grooming, awaiting Yevon's return. However, the blase expression was a mask, nothing more.

Damn me, not yet started and already things are not going to plan. Audry's eyes darted back to the various corridors, hunting for any sign of movement, At least he's willing to help, better we gain an ally than another enemy.

Axum, Green Sahara
_@Double

Emmanual smiled as the open space gave way for a shadowy portal, and a familiar face exited.

"The siege of Mecca is going to plan's, my Messiah. The Meccan's are cut off from any support from their allies, and the leaders have already entered into negotiations with myself to secure the continued existence of the city. I estimate we have only a few more days until the walls are opened."

"Excellent, Malachi. You have done well." Emmanuel clapped his hands with approval and mirth as he heard the news, "Tell me, what is the status of locating the accursed child within the cities walls?"

"We have not yet located the child," Malachi reported, "I plan to personally initiate an investigation of the city's inhabitants to find and eliminate the child, as was done in Bethlehem."

Emmanuel smiled, "You have shown yourself to be a great asset to God's cause, Malachi. A...loyal servant to the cause."

"My only desire is to complete your ascension, as God intends," Malachi responded

"You are dismissed, Malachi."

Malachi nodded as he turned to leave.

---------------------------------------

Malachi's hand brushed against the material, recently salvaged after the excursion to Mecca. Reports of a downed ship, not unlike the one that was reported to have appeared with the arrival of the keyblader near Jerusalem.

This material was unlike anything that Malachi had yet encountered. Elastic and rubber-like in texture, the material radiated energy, the same magical energy that artifacts radiated. How exactly this material was to be used was unknown, but Malachi intended to make use of it however possible.

A rig had been created by the Magus to input magical electricity into the strange block, to test how it would react to high energy. The block was installed, as Malachi grabbed onto a pair of electrodes crafted from pure copper, and filtered electricity through the wires. The circuit was completed, and electricity flowed into the block, as the material began to react to the energy.

Without any indication, the energy was too much, and the block vaporized, sending force a blast of energy that flung Malachi back against a wall of the laboratory, and he opened his eyes to see something amazing where the block once stood, an open portal, evaporating away. Malachi advanced toward the portal.

"So, that's what it does," he said, smiling at the portal.

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Mecca, Green Sahara
_{@Tenma Tendo@Renny}

Nightfall had descended upon the city of Mecca, the sound of animals grunting and groaning as they were carried off by the worried hands of their owners. The sounds gradually went from the grunts of annoyed sheep and camels to a range of screams of pain as the people gathered the creatures into the center of the city, taking shimmering knives to their throats, painting the streets a vibrant crimson as the sacrificed's blood seeped into the sand and between the cracks of the stone. Body upon body tossed upon the stone altars of the Meccan gods, as the people pleaded and begged with their deities for salvation, from protection from the oncoming army of the Axumites.

As one of the Meccan men touched a torch to the pile of flesh and blood, lighting the animal carcasses on fire, a plume of smoke rose high into the air, as the ground was filled with the desperate prayers of the Meccans, and the weeping of women and children over the coming battles. From a distance, a group of men stood, looking on from a higher distance. One of them, a fat man with bright red cheeks to match his orange, coppery hair, chuckled slightly at the panic that went on below.

"Look at them, throwing their livestock and wealth to the Gods like it will save them."

The man standing next to him simply let out a small laugh, "Fear will do strange things to men, like forcing them to give up their food to deities when they would do well to save what little they will have to eat."

Another of the men, a rather short man, carrying some noticeable weight on him, with a small boy next to him, spoke up. "Abu al-Hakim, Abu Lahab, I don't think that it is appropriate for us to be mocking the people when they require leadership more than ever."

The red-haired man, Abu Lahab, simply sneered and scoffed at the other's objection to his mockery. "It is not our fault if they behave irrationally, Abu Talib, what right do you have to take away the amusement of watching them panic?"

The taller of the three men, Abu al-Hakim, raised his hand to silence his companion. "Make no mistake, Abu Talib, we have been taking the necessary steps to ensure that Mecca will be safe in the coming embargo. Negotiations have already been taking place between ourselves and the leaders of the Axumite army to ensure as minimal casualties as possible."

Abu Talib frowned at the responses, but he had no reason not to trust what Abu al-Hakim had told him. "Very well, if what you say is true then I suppose there is little more that can be done. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to retire home for the night. Come, Ali." the man said to the young boy by his side, who nodded and followed along with his father.

When the two were gone, Abu Lahab spit upon the ground where Abu Talib had stood, cursing him. The man then turned his gaze back to Abu al-Hakim. "You are certain they are coming tonight?"

"Absolutely," he responded, "I specified our location, shortly before dusk, while the people are busy with the sacrifices."

As if summoned from their words, the two men heard a rustling of plants as two hooded figures made their way into the tent that the men had assembled for this purpose.

Abu al-Hakim smiled at the sight of the visitors. "Just as we had planned, come in Gentlemen, allow me to pour you a drink."

As cups of wine were poured for the two visitors, the men pulled down their hoods, to reveal the faces of a man of obvious African descent, and another who looked to be more of a Jewish background.

"I am always punctual to my appointments, Ibn Hisham" spoke the clear leader of the group, sporting in a blue turban.

"Please sir, call me Abu al-Hakim. You have allowed us to call you by your birth name, Malachi."

The Jewish man smiled as he took a sip of the wine, "Indeed I have, I suppose it is only fair that I extend the same casualness to yourselves."

Abu Lahab slammed a fist against the table, "Cut the shit, Malachi, tell us what you want from us."

The darker man fixed his glowing Green Eyes upon Abu Lahab as he went to reach for his sword, only for Malachi to rest a hand on his arm, "Easy, Rago, there is no need for violence. Not yet at least."

Abu al-Hakim apologized for his associate's behavior, "Please forgive him, sir, you must understand that we are busy, and would like to end this conflict as soon as possible."

Malachi nodded, "My superior intends to devastate this city as an example of what will happen to those who defy him. I'm sure you already know this. But I am willing to give you and your people a chance to avoid that fate, if you are willing to meet my demands."

"If you are reasonable, im sure we can accommodate for you."

"It simple really, firstly we would like access to your food and water unimpeded when we arrive."

The two nodded at the request.

"Second, you will be having a visitor to your city, a woman from the west. You will know her by the color of her hair. When she arrives, I expect her to be captured and delivered to me. But I must warn you, she is more dangerous than she looks."

Abu al-Hakim chuckled, "I am sure that we can handle one woman, sir."

"I should hope so too," Malachi replied. "Those are my demands, once the woman is delivered to me, and we get our supply of food and water, we will leave your city undamaged. If there is no more to say, we will take our leave."

With that, Malachi commanded Rago to come with him. Leaving the two men to decide the fate of Mecca for themselves.

Renovation's Might, Renovation
_{@Ryteb Pymeroce@ShadowVentus}

Time as a pirate had let Hirutila know when the time was to get out of a situation. And a child screaming roaring flames into existance was absolutely the time for him to get the hell out of there. As soon as the fire was started, he took off running into whatever space would get him away from that whole mess. Hirutila was never good with kids, something he regretted when it came to raising his daughter. But that was a long time ago. Maybe he'd finally learn how to deal with them properly during this little adventure. Until then, the immediate need was to find somewhere he would not burn to death.

Quick thinking lead him to leap into the nearest room, not that he had any idea what that room would be. He was quickly met with a very sterile environment, and with a very theatric display as that fox kid was giving off some speech as he was messing around with the body of another one of the recent arrivals, before he saw the arcs of electricity leap from the fox's hands and strike the other, who quickly jumped up, angry and confused.

Hirutila just stood there, confused as well, scratching at his head as he looked over at Felix and Asher, no words to say, just a perplexed face that showed how on one hand he wanted to just turn around and leave, but clearly showed that right now it wasn't really and option.

"I know what you're thinking, but you don't want to go out there right now." He managed to stammer out to Asher.

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Near Jerusalem, Israel, Green Sahara
_{@Tenma Tendo@Renny}

A gentle trip was interrupted by the sound of a struggle coming from behind.

"Don't" Audry quietly requested, though it would appear that her guest let the words fall upon deaf ears. The struggling continued for a bit, though eventually, it died down, only to be followed with a plea of some sort. When the talk of death came, the horse stopped in its tracks, with the rider sitting still upon the horse. The imposing walls of Jerusalem lay above the hills ahead, as the horse whinnied and grunted, with the Moogle resting in Capella's lap looking up with an inquisitive look at the rider as she stopped.

A dull thud sounded as she dismounted the horse, still holding Capella in her arm as she went to approach her bound captive.

"Oh good, you're awake," Audry uttered, looking over Yevon as she spoke to him. "My apologies about the straps, but I thought you would prefer that I not leave you in the sands and that you would prefer not to fall from the horse."

As she spoke, Amalthea had spotted a familiar sight in the corner of her eye out in the distance. The Gummi Ship lay right where they had left it, only a few kilometers away.

"The Gummi Ship is straight ahead, kupo. I can see it.

As the Moogle pointed out the ship, Audry shielded her eyes from the rising sun as she made out the sight of a vague shiplike structure.

"Hmm, it looks like we made it." Audry returned her attention to Yevon, who, though he looked calm, was making his discomfort and anxiety very apparent though is words.

"The girl is fine, as you can see. A little tired." Audry reached into her coak, retrieving a knife, slashing through the ropes she had wrapped around Yevon's body, letting the man free himself.

"You're free to go if you please." she spoke, looking at the man. "But," Audry paused slighting, hoping to catch his attention. "I can tell that you are not from this place, not from this world. And I'm sure you can tell the same of myself. I think our destinies are intertwined, and that your and my own presence here have some kind of connection, and that we have something to do with her too.", she said, motioning towards the girl in her arms with a tilt of the head.

You're a strong man, and there are dark forces at work here. I understand if you would refuse, our first encounter was less than ideal." Audry turned her gaze to the sand, avoiding to look at her former opponent. "But it would be to her benefit if she had more than one pair of eyes looking after her. And I'm sure you would like to get to bottom of why you're here too."

Audry pointed her finger over the distance, too the Gummi Ship. "The Moogle here says it can work that thing. So if you want to come with, that's our next destination."

Unknown Location, Central Europe, Ongoing World War II

Zekaraya sat, eyes closed in the cockpit of the Gummi Ship, as the world outside of the vehicle began to coalesce into something a bit more familiar. The man opened his eyes as the voice of the angel disappeared into the ambiance. There was a brief moment of serenity as the ship soared, the pilot still tending to the wounds he had received in his last fight.

But that serenity was short-lived, as the rocking of fire knocked the man to the ground as the Gummi Ship began to twist in the sky. Zekaraya ran to the window, to see two planes occupying the sky with him. Gray machines, with wings emblazoned with a sharp cross. As the battery continued, the Gummi Ship sounded its alarms. Altitude decreased, as the ship lost its flight, and the blue of the sky was replaced with the dark green of foliage. The sound of snapping trees and the tearing of metal filled the area as the Gummi Ship tore through the forest.

The aftermath was true wreckage, as fire stripped the trees of their leaves. Zekaraya emerged from the wreck, the Gummi Ship was damaged, though he did not know how badly. At least, it still looked to be structurally sound, save for the holes punched into it by gunfire. So this was the accursed world. Zekaraya was not sure what to make of it, nor certain of where he was. As he exited from the forest, the swordsman spotted what looked to be a small village over the horizon.

As he entered into the little hamlet, taking note of its surroundings. Several men were stationed outside of a home, armed with, something. Zekaraya did not recognize the weapons in those men's hands. The swordsman approached the building, only for the men to approach, and stop him from getting any further. Zekaraya found himself unable to understand the men's words, as they spoke to him in some guttural language. The swordsman could only look on as the two attempted to speak with him, yelling at him when he did not respond to their requests.

But a cry caught the attention of Zekaraya, who quickly lost interest in the soldiers, looking at the house that they were guarding. A flash from the window as a child cried out, a man pressed up against the window, with a distinct band of colors. White cloth, with black bands across a fringed edge. A tallit, the men in this house were Jews, his kin, and these soldiers were...after them. The words of the angel echoed in his mind. A world forsaken by God... where those who follow the Law of Moses and those with black skin are persecuted, marked for extermination.. The fears were confirmed when the prayer shawl was stained red with blood following a sharp explosion and a flash of light from inside the house, as the soldiers turned to look on in surprise.

As if he had lost his mind, the swordsman sprung into action grabbing the head of the nearest soldier, and ending his life with a crack as the twisted and snapped the man's neck with ease. The other soldier looked on in horror, only to be met with the searing of flesh as a fiery fist slammed into his face. The final sight of the soldier would be the falling of sharpened steel upon his eyes, before fading into blackness.

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Israel, Green Sahara
_{@Tenma Tendo@Renny}

Audry paused, her lungs filling heavy as the breaths came and went. The green eyes piercing into Yevon as she simply stared at him, watching as the man finally collapsed. She tucked the gun back under her robe, wrapping her arm around her body under he breasts as she took a deep breath and another, cringing briefly and wincing before she slowly opened her eyes once more. Audry's eyes turned over from the man to the girl that she was sent to watch over. Audry stepped forward to aid the girl as she moved across the dirt to Yevon's body, though she relented from approaching further when Capella shot a gaze of her own back at her, prompting her to step back. As Capella placed the glyphs upon the wounds that Yevon had sustained, Audry continued to say nothing, simply watching as the girl manifested a collection of crumbling sigils upon the body of the fallen man. As Capella slipped into unconsciousness, Audry's eyes watched the glyphs as they crumbled away, though she took note of the cessation of the bleeding. The man would be fine, at least.

Audry vaulted the sword from her hand into the dirt, following up with an exasperated kick at the dust, scattering a few stones. She sat on the ground next to the two, face buried into her own hands as she seethed. So much for good first impressions... Audry thought to herself. Between the sound of her own breathing, she caught the faint sound of flapping wings slowly growing louder.

"You've certainly made a mess of things, haven't you, kupo?"

Audry lifted her head to look upon the source of the voice. A strange little creature, almost like a bear, fluttering in the sky. Audry recalled the creature, it was cradled in Capella's arms as she was falling. Thankfully the little creature was blessed with wings to keep it from being in any real danger. Audry simply looked at the little animal, unsure of what to think.

The Moogle returned the stare, as the two simply were transfixed on each other, unsure of what to say or do, until Audry decided to break the silence to satisfy her curiosity.

You...you're a moogle, aren't you?

Upon the inquiry, the small creature fluttered down to the woman, immediately returning her question with a few swipes and swats with her paws, to the surprise and chagrin of Audry, who stood up, only to fall back onto the dirt. The Moogle ceased her assault. The furry face of the creature made it a challenge to discern any facial features, yet the little creature exuded an air of annoyance. The Moogle fluttered up slightly, before landing on Audry's chest, staring into her eyes.

"If you are done asking stupid questions, kupo, now is the time to explain yourself."

Audry jerked up, prompting Amalthea to fly up, stopping at Audry's eye level, as the traveler glared at the Moogle.

"I already said, I am here to protect the Legendary Hero. I don't have to explain myself further to you!"

As Audry tried to turn away, Amalthea followed after, repeating this process until Audry was trying to shoo her away, though with little success in so much as touching her. An exasperated Audry ceased her attempts when the Moogle returned to her eye level. Audry glared at her, though Amalthea seemed unphased.

"How do you know the star-child, kupo?"

Audry sighed, before simply walking away, returning to the site where Capella and Yevon were resting. Audry picked up Yevon, hauling the man over her shoulder and depositing him onto the back of the Horse, strapping him down lest he tumble from the beast. She placed a hand upon the stabilized wounds, attempting to focus the magicite, as a soft light exited from her hands, and onto his flesh, as the wounds slowly began to heal. By the time he awoke, he would be fine, so she hoped. Audry then lifted Capella up, carrying her bridal style towards the horse, as she stepped up, seating herself as she took hold of the reins with one hand, and keeping Capella close to her with the other. The girl was light, light enough that she would not get in the way. Amalthea followed after, floating up to Audry, grabbing onto the woman's robe, though Audry responded by swatting her way, to which the Moogle responded with a swipe.

"What do you think you're doing, kupo? Where are you going?"

"Wadi al-Qamar, the Valley of the Moon. It's safe there, and they can rest."

"Kupo...if you insist on taking them, it would be smarter to go to Jerusalem, kupo."

Audry turned to look at the Moogle, "Hmm? Why is that?"

"The star child has a Gummi Ship for her waiting there. If you are serious, it will be a safer trip than traveling by horse."

Audry pondered over the suggestion. The trip to Jerusalem would take only an hour or two, as opposed to a full day to reach Wadi al-Qamar, and another 3 days past that to Mecca.

"Okay, Moogle. We will go to Jerusalem, but there better not be any traps waiting for me when we get there."

"I expect the same from you, kupo." Amalthea responded as she landed into Capella's lap, keeping a close eye on Audry.

Kingdom Hearts - The Lights of the Multiverse (KH and Alternate History) [Full]

Israel, Green Sahara
Collab with @Renny
_{@Tenma Tendo}

The rider grasped hard onto the sword as she stared down her opponent. The glowing green eyes fixated on the strange face she now was placed before. The lightning crackled, the smell of ozone radiating in the air as the sword was fixed in place, the wielder focused on how she would deal with the opponent. There was no time for caution, there could be no more free variables, the Legendary Hero must be protected, and any threats dealt with. The rider swung the sword forward, launching an arc of lighting towards the man, and she followed after with the blade forward, reading to slash.

Yevon’s mind was first and foremost focused on the oncoming battle. So was the primal ferocity of his race and even more so in the naturally gifted. Some had called him prodigious, others despaired he was more inclined towards destruction, an unnatural fit for the next Ryosuken. His right arm burned bright, the entire length of which flared with the subtlety of the wind.

He wrapped an arm around the little angel as a blast of fire roared from his arm with such force that it blew them three yards to the left. In mid-air he righted himself, making sure to land on his feet and keep the angel from harm. “This might be more difficult than I first thought,” he uttered, unwrapping her from his side.

He raised to his feet and darted towards The Rider at superhuman speed, taunting an instinctive reaction. I wasn’t expecting bolts to be flung. He must be a wizard of some sort.

The rider's eyes widened as she saw the bolts flying at her. She ducked and rolled, quicking dodging the attacks. Magic, he must be with the False Messiah, she gritted her teeth as she took note of Yevon heading straight for her. She immediately rose her sword up to defend against the blow, the magicite in her reacting to the threat of the blow, cloaking her in a magical defense that would at least absorb some of the shock of whatever this man would throw at her. Thoughts raced through her mind, just where did this guy come from? He doesn't look to be any kind of local. And that Gummi Ship, could he be...? However, as she snapped back to her thoughts, she saw Yevon was now right up to her, as she lifted the sword to defend against attack, she also slipped her hand under her cloak, grabbing onto a little surprised for her opponent.

The Ryuman smirked. He’s good. His reaction speed’s impressive too. Might need to try harder.

The Rider’s choice of defense was quick and reflexive, it revealed that he was a trained warrior. Someone honed either in combat or schooled extensively. Yevon aimed his hand down on approach, bracing his wrist and blasting the ground. He vaulted over The Rider, landing behind him with a thud. He swung hard with his left arm at his head. The full strength of a Ryuman behind it.

The punch connected hard, sending the rider tumbling down a short distance in the sand, the residual fire magic lighting the wrap the rider wore into flames. The woman grabbed it and tossed the garment into the sand, before stomping it out. The rider was revealed, as she turned back to look at the Ryuman. Her green eyes shown out like beacons in the desert darkness as she looked back. The rider immediately pulled out the weapon from her cloak, a handgun, and fired off a few shots at her opponent. The weapon, charged by the same electric magic that had flowed through her before, as she ran at the figure again, with her free hand charged with electricity, she shot a few bolts at her enemy, before leaping into the air to rain a few more bullets upon him from above.

Watching her roll was a tad enjoyable, though her glare had paused him for a split-second. They were intense, scary even, in contrast to her face. He rubbed the back of his neck as she stomped out her cloak, boredom now clear on his face. “Just stop. You can’t beat me, not even with that… whatever it is.” he gestured towards the oddly shaped weapon in her hand.

Then a loud bang resounded and he felt hot holes in his torso. For a moment he wondered what had happened. He stumbled back a few feet, spotting the opening of her weapon spewing smoke. What the… Black blood begun to dampen his shirt.

Fixated on The Rider now, he tried to retreat but the white-hot pain in his torso slowed him a bit. A bolt slid pass by him, slicing his cheek.

A fire begin to burn in his core, a mixture of pain and fear fanning the flame.

Yielding to the pain he landed and dropped to a knee. He glared up at the looming Rider overhead. As she released more deadly bolts at him, his body became consumed by a rapturous white flame and within the consuming fire, the sound of iron being repelled resounded. As the flames subsided, a blue and gold keyblade with a crystal-clear key-shaped blade floated in front of him, a hexagonal barrier suffused around it.

A clear, warm surprise rested in his teal eyes as he knelt behind the weapon.

As the rider returned to her feet, she was shocked to see the man manifest a keyblade. A keyblade? No, it can't be. Was he truly the one who had arrived in that Gummi Ship? The rider was unsure of what to do. If he truly was a keyblader, there was no way he could be an agent of the False Messiah. The rider relented, her fixation of anger fading away into one of surprise and uncertainty. Lowering the gun, she spoke out, yelling in the direction of her enemy.

"You! The weapon that you carry with you, are you not an agent of the False Messiah?" She continued to gaze at him, her weapons lowered, but not returned. "My name is Audry Hjaurtly, I was sent to defend the Legendary Hero and ensure that her quest is completed." as she motioned her head toward Capella. "Unless you wish to die, you would be smart to explain yourself." Audry kept her eyes on the keyblader

Oblivious to everything except the weapon in front of him, Yevon reached out and grabbed the hilt inside the crescent guard. The barrier fell away and as he held the blade horizontally, admiring it, he spotted the Ryuman language on etched on its blade.

“Protect the World” it read.

Thoughtlessly, he replied, “I’m no agent of anyone. I’m a Ryusoken of Avaloss, charged with a Heroic Duty. I followed your “Legendary Hero” because my Heroic Duty drew me to her. I don’t know what brought me here or crashed that ship but-” Yevon crumpled to the ground, his wounds finally blurring his vision.

“You’re plenty strong, Rider. I yield...” he murmured, falling on his side to the ground and losing conscious. His Keyblade vanished in a bath of white flames.