Setsuna's Fall

[raive]

Rules: This RP takes place between Setsuna and Corbax. While other characters are free to join, the plot mainly takes place around the two. This is also noncanon.

No godmodding or anything, that much should be obvious.
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Setsuna sighed, whirling his shield back into its normal position after defeating the group of Neoshadows that had risen up to attack him. Day after day, the Heartless attacks became more and more frequent, and they were starting to finally take their toll. Setsuna was exhausted, and the library was his only sanctuary - the Heartless never attacked him in there, for some odd reason.

It must be Yen Sid's book, he thought to himself. It seemed to shine with an unnatural light, but he couldn't carry it with him because it was too large. He had perused the book and learned all about the Keyblade War and the various Masters. He looked at his shield - it was very much like a Keyblade due to the fact that it could only be summoned by him and used by him. Destiny's Mirror, he thought. Why do you only answer to me? Through the shield, he had also gradually learned magic. He could only use two spells - Reflect and Cure - but he had felt empowered.

As he thought, he went to buy some ice cream from the vendor and caught sight of Hayner, Pence, and Olette. He considered joining them but thought not to. He was also starting to get slightly friendlier with Seifer, who respected Setsuna after Seifer nearly lost his heart to Heartless. He paid for the ice cream and began to eat it, walking along Sunset Plaza. In the end, he decided to go to the Sandlot to see if anybody was in a Struggle battle.

Once there, he found two younger fighters - a boy and a girl. Takuya Matsuki and Rika Yuyuko. They had recently moved to the town and had become fierce rivals, and Setsuna favored neither one. Takuya was known for his strong brutal attacks while Rika favored quicker jabbing strikes to gradually weaken her opponent's strength.

Setsuna sat down among the cheering people in the stands. Bets had already been placed, but Setsuna wasn't much of a gambler. Man... I wish the Heartless would stop showing up. Maybe someone with the Organization could show up and... I don't know... help me out a little bit. He liked Axras, Xeac, and Corbax, but he found that Corbax was his favorite. The two were alike - antisocial and unfriendly on the surface, but fiercely loyal on the inside. From his brushes with other members of the Organization, though, he didn't like the others. Vexen especially.

While pondering, Rika scored a mighty hit and the crowd cheered, but then Takuya recovered and jabbed back. I have to admit, this is fun, watching other people than Seifer and Hayner fight for once.

[cobra]

The wind blew as a hooded figure watched the fight from the other side. His hood was down, revealing his dark hair and piercing golden gaze. An Organization member had been looking over the fight, making mental commentary during the battle. He sighed, "What a way to spend my vacation..." he mumbled. He looked over in the stands, meeting the face of Setsuna. A feeling of happiness swept over him and he grinned slightly. He silently made his way over to the stands, tapping Setsuna on the back, since the room was limited, "Setsuna." he called to him, "It's Corbax."

[raive]

Setsuna turned around and broke out into a smile. "Ah, Corbax. Good to see you. I was hoping an Organization member would show up because, well... ever since you left a few weeks ago, I've had to keep fighting Heartless and they keep on getting stronger. The attacks are also getting more frequent. The library is the only safe place for me because Yen Sid's book is there and I think it keeps the Heartless at bay. Oh well. Do you have any suggestions on keeping them away, other than destroying them? Because when one falls, another seems to take its place." Setsuna had dark rings under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his icy-blue eyes had lost their intensity. He appeared to be healthy, but not as vivacious as he used to be.

"So, new Struggle combatants. I'm not competing this year, I have enough on my plate with the Heartless." He finished his ice cream. "Come on, let's go get some ice cream. Ah!" he said as Rika was declared the winner. He clapped a little bit in response to her victory and walked over to the ice cream vendor. "They recently started to sell cones, too. Want one?"

[cobra]

Corbax nodded, "That would be nice yes..." he said. He sighed, having noticed the lack of rest in Setsuna's eyes, "I understand that you have to protect Twilight Town... but, honestly, you have to rest sometimes..." he sighed, "Heartless don't enjoy visible light. Only the light of hearts. If you set up lights around the area, maybe they'll come less frequent." he looked over the town, catching sight of a few Dusks patroling the roof-tops, "We'd have Nobodys here to assist you, but they cause mischief when an Organization member isn't around... Axel told me one time, Dusks drew on Roxas' face when he was in a coma." he shook his head, "Dusks aren't that smart, therefore, they don't really stick to the orders given to them, but they're reliable and easy to monitor..."

[raive]

Setsuna looked at the Dusks. "I have no help against the Heartless. If I only knew how to control lesser Nobodies like you do... although, I guess I'd have to be a Nobody myself, and quite frankly, I don't like the idea."

He paid for the ice cream and held it out to Corbax. "It's really nice to see you again. So tell me how the others have been. Axras, Xeac... do you get tired of living with them sometimes? Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you on a mission? If so, maybe I can help." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, where they still looked rather dull.

He shook his head. "They got really close to taking my heart in the last encounter. One of those Neoshadows even had its hand up against my back. Ugh. It was so cold and lifeless... I bet it must feel horrible to lose your heart."

[cobra]

Corbax took the icecream and sighed, "This is my vacation day. Just a day off from missions is all this day is. Everyone's doing fine... I just came here since you're the only one here I can talk properly to..." he took a bite out of his icecream sighing, "You should really try to rest up with a light near you. Try to conserve energy too. Don't fight with your all... widdle the opponents down before going in..." he looked around, "Here, we'll go walk and talk, alright?"

[raive]

Setsuna nodded and, with his ice cream, began to walk with Corbax. "Corbax... what does it feel like, to have no heart? Is it like... an empty void in your chest?" He looked at Corbax. "I dunno. If these Heartless attacks increase in frequency, I may very well end up becoming a Nobody. And then... would I have to join your Organization?" He quieted down for a few minutes and then decided to move towards Market Street to go to the clock tower.

But then, he saw many Heartless materialize - Defenders, Neoshadows, Soldiers... those were the only three types, but there had to be at least 50. "Corbax, we have to fight!" He summoned his shield and held it close to his body. "This is what I've been talking about!" he called out as he repelled a couple of Neoshadows that moved close to him. A Defender launched a fireball at Setsuna, but rather than using his shield, he pulled Corbax behind him and yelled, "Defend!" A sparkling barrier popped up, repelling the attack.

[cobra]

Corbax drew his blade of light, "You stand down! I don't like the condition you're in right now!" he gave the blade a wide slash, but a Defender's thick belly caused it to reboud backwards, sending the momentum careening back into a jumping Soldier. It was slashed in half quickly. Corbax recovered quickly to defend an oncoming barrage of attacks from Neoshadows before countering, cutting through them. He shifted his blade to a bow and arrow and proceeded to pick off heartless that attempted to attack from the sky, "Setsuna, if you have the energy, get the heartless on the ground! I'll pick out those coming from the air-- GAH!" He was suddenly toppled over in the midst of his plan by a horde of Neoshadows. The Neoshadows continued to pile up on him, while the rest of the heartless began to target Setsuna...

[raive]

The last spell had drained Setsuna's energy, but he reached deep down within himself to unleash a second wind, whirling the shield around back and forth, slamming swaths of Heartless backwards. When he saw the Heartless on top of Corbax, he called out, "Corbax, no!" momentarily forgetting that they couldn't do as much damage to Corbax as they could to Setsuna. He leapt forward and quickly made short work of the Heartless, but as he stood there, panting, he felt something cold and lifeless on his back, and before he could turn around, he felt something cold punch straight through it and grasp his heart. "Corbax! They have my--" he fell silent as the Neoshadow pulled it free and held it up seemingly in triumph. Setsuna's vision blurred and he slammed the shield into the Neoshadow weakly, destroying it, but the damage was done and Setsuna's heart was gone. Setsuna's body began to shimmer and he collapsed on the ground. "Corbax... please... I..." his vision flickered again. "It's going to happen... I... I feel so cold... who's gonna protect Twilight Town?"

[cobra]

Corbax felt Setsuna wane. He growled deeply, "Damn you... GET OFF OF ME!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. His dark power suddenly surged out of control as the heartless near Cobrax were suddenly meshed into the darkness bursting out from the crevaces between the heartless. They were suddenly absorbed into the darkness, vacuumed up by the black spot on Corbax's hand. He growled, the pain of the darkness making him grit his teeth to the point where he almost could feel his teeth crack in the pressure. Eventually, the darkness was sealed, and Corbax panted heavily. He turned to Setsuna, suddenly hostile, "Setsuna! No! Your heart..." he looked at the back of his palm, "THe heart they took from you is with the spirit of darkness! I can't get it out! Just hang on! I just..." Corbax was panicing. Never in his life had he felt such an emotion before.

[raive]

Setsuna grabbed the front of Corbax's cloak. "I don't know where I'll go after this. It won't be here. I need you to promise me that someone has to protect Twilight Town!" And then, his hand was no more - his extremities were disappearing. Normally, his heart would have been hammering, but he didn't have one. "Promise me, Corbax!" Tears formed in his eyes as his body almost completely disappeared, but before it did so, Setsuna smiled. "I know someone will do it... my friend..." and then he was gone.

[cobra]

Corbax sat wide-eyed, staring at the ground where Setsuna no longer remained. His mind had flashed with memories of feelings to fill in what someone with a heart felt. Eventually, it came to sorrow, as tears rolled down his eyes, but he didn't wail or shout, for confusion was meshing with sorrow. He looked to his right hand, where Yang had been sitting, "Yang..." he called, "A heart was with one of the Heartless I absorbed... Do you have it?!"

"I felt the strength of Setsuna's heart pass through me. I sent it to Yin for her to take care of. That was Setsuna's heart..." Was what came from Yang. Corbax sighed. He'd find some way to give Setsuna's heart back as long as he had it. Now was the time to find him. The last time he was a Nobody, he remembered starting off in a distant place in another world... Maybe...

Corbax stood, using his memories of Setsuna to guide him to the Library where he usually worked. When Nobodies are born, they usually reside in the place they held memories at... If that were the case, then Setsuna's Nobody would be at his library...

[raive]

True to Corbax's guidance, Setsuna could be found at the library, working at the computer as if nothing happened. The one difference was that Setsuna no longer seemed... normal. He looked up at Corbax, who had come in. "Make sure you stay quiet. It's a library," he gestured. He stood up, walking over to the shelf with Yen Sid's book. "I know my name, Corbax, but it was a bit too long to use casually so I shortened it. Call me Naxus. I'm not Setsuna anymore." He looked at his hands. "It feels strange. That I'm a Nobody now. Like... how could it have happened to me? I was a strong warrior, and now..." he sighed. "I just..." Naxus held out a hand, willing a Dusk to appear, and it did, walking over to him. Thank goodness the library was past closing hours. What would you have of me, my liege? "I gotta think for a few minutes. Thank you for answering my call. You may go." The Dusk disappeared. Naxus sighed. "So... look, Corbax, I don't want to join your Organization. I'm on bad terms with Vexen. Yes, I know of Vexen. When I was younger, I spied on him executing a mission. He wasn't too thrilled when he found out, but I made my escape, and here I am now."

He sat down, resuming typing at the computer. "I wonder if I have a Heartless now, too," he said, unaware that Corbax had his heart.

[cobra]

Corbax blinked. He felt... a mixture of feelings once again. They weren't pintpointed, since his heart was with someone else, but he felt, relieved and disappointed. Relieved that Naxus was Setsuna; technically... but he was disappointed that Naxus wasn't... Setsuna. It was like a carbon copy of him. It lacked the emotion he held when he had existed as a whole. It was... saddening.

"Setsuna... I mean... Naxus..." he started. His memories began flowing smoothly, but quickly. His other wrapping his arms around someone he didn't know or see... Corbax strode over and repeated the action to Naxus. The gesture was awkward for him, but it was replicated perfectly. All the while, his mind repeated over and over agian What am I doing? while he spoke to Naxus.

"I feel as if I failed you when I fought alongside your other..." he said, tearing up ever so slightly, "I... I managed to seal your heart away within me. It's in the care of Yin... but I don't know how to get it out without damaging it... I've never sealed a heart using one of the spirits within me before anyway. I just use it as a last resort against purebred heartless... Setsuna is in me." he paused, taking a deep breath, "Naxus... I'm going to get your heart out of me somehow. I don't know how, but I will... It's to repay you for falling short earlier. Or rather... to repay Setsuna..." he shook his head, "I don't know... I'm just... I'm so sorry..."

[raive]

Naxus didn't know what to think when Corbax hugged him; it was alien for both of them, and although Naxus's emotions were not as pronounced now, he hugged him back. "It was the Heartless that did it. Not you. But yes, we have to think of a way to get my heart back. Maybe the spirits within you can release it themselves?"

He went back to his chair and began typing on the keyboard, trying to sound brave, although inside he was broken. "People don't have to know that I'm a Nobody here. I can still protect Twilight Town as I have been, but... I guess it just wouldn't be the same. I don't think I want to join the Organization, but one of those cloaks might be nice." He shivered. "Is it just me or is it a bit chilly in here?"

He then got an idea. "I think I know of a way to get my heart back. It may be possible with your technology. Your spirits are called Yin and Yang, yes?" He spoke to Corbax again, but addressed the spirits. "Esteemed spirits Yin and Yang. You have something that belongs to me, and I would like it back. Is there any way I can somehow make that happen?" To Corbax, he said, "It may sound ridiculous, but I saw it on TV... or something. Would it be possible for me to enter you and somehow get my heart back?"