Not A Home {Open}

[Miko]

The orange light hung in the air as it usually did in this odd town that was trapped in a forever sunset (It was a wonder how anyone slept). A girl stood overlooking the ocean, standing on a cliff near the beach. The only thing keeping her from falling was a railing that had been conveniently put there as to keep fellow Twilightians from falling over into the depths of the water.

Her blue eyes seemed a bit distant as they reflected the orange hue of the sky; turning them an almost purple color. Her head hung a bit low, her hair cascading around her shoulders and around her face. She did not care to push the strands of hair to the side, her mind and priorities seemed to be else where. Elbows propped up against the railing she looked out over the ocean, at the sky. But this was not her primary focus, it was more so unanswered questions that were running through her mind. They continued to be repeated over and over, going unanswered. She wanted answers. Anything. All she wanted to do was go home; but from what she knew her world was destroyed.

And then, recently there was this voice inside of her head. Not her own. Definitely not her own. It spoke to her at random moments, sometimes when she was thinking and sometimes when she wasn't. It seemed random but it also seemed to have a purpose. Was it going to slowly deteriorate her mind? She let out a low sigh and raised her head some, looking at the brightly colored clouds. She saw small flickers of light through the dark orange sky. Stars. She knew there were other worlds out there, she had been to some but had decided to stay here. She pushed herself away from the railing, breathing out softly. But, she didn't want to stay here any longer. She felt alone here even though there were others here.

Silently she began to walk down the cliff towards the beach.

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

A short break in the twilight.
Tekuteku Aruku ~ Radiata Mix

After leaving the jungle his gummi ship moved swiftly through the vast open darkness on between the worlds, the scenery only served to remind him of that weird guy in the silver robe that he met. Regardless he just didn't care about someone with such bad fashion sense but Mickey and everyone else seemed to take him seriously enough which bothered him. As his thoughts drifted he decided to just not think about it anymore, by this point he reached a new world that seemed different then the others.

Another town, this one had a bigger clock tower.

A little check on his navigation gummi revealed it to be Twilight Town, with nothing better to do or a destination that would help him find the darkness he hunted for the sake of his father-- no maybe it was just a selfish act but he couldn't let someone else lose someone to that darkness. He did not hate the darkness but he wondered if he could understand it. To that end his gummi ship landed silently on the world, since he didn't want to land in the center of town he instead landed on the beach away from everyone and out of sight.

His ship turning into a white boat on the water with it's sail already fastened tightly.

Ain stepped from his ship and stepped into the water for the first time in a while. His eyes grew brighter and even managed a smile albeit a small one. Throwing off his jacket onto the deck of his boat revealing his rugged and muscular chest before he jumped into the water with a large splash and swimmed under the waves that glistened in the twilight, the water was cold but he did not mind it that much. With big strokes he let time pass as he enjoyed the water, not a single thought of the darkness on his mind.

As moments time passed more he burst from the water and held on to the side of his white boat, his eyes glanced to the cliff-side just in time to see someone coming down to the beach. His face lost expression again upon seeing someone else, perhaps instinctively due to his nature, his eyes looked dully at her before deciding to ignore her. Hoping that she would not come over to him...

[Miko]

As the young girl's eyes drifted out along the horizon she hadn't first seen the ship. But, as she began to walk down the cliff through a path that had been walked along many times before, feet having moved along any debris to form a pathway. She had been looking down at the ground at her feet as her boots scuffled along the dirt path and then as she looked up she saw the ship floating along the surface of the water.

She began to wonder what such a gummi ship was doing out there, but she supposed that they could land anywhere. Her mind began to wander and she wondered where it had come from and why she hadn't seen it earlier. Had it been underneath the water? Shaking her head some she though, 'it couldn't have been'. She had never heard of such. Continuing forward she reached the sandy and soft surface of the beach and advanced towards the water's edge where the surf met the sand.

She looked out towards he horizon at the ship and finally saw someone in the water, floating besides it. She watched him for a moment, wondering what he was doing out there. Stopping near the water's edge, just enough so that the waves did not reach her, she looked out at the water still.

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Sometimes it can't be helped, right?

As the waves crashed against his back had come down to the beach and was ignoring him as he was doing to her. Pulling himself out of the water onto the deck of his ship he grabbed a towel to dry off and went below deck to grab some dry/clean pants to wear. Finding what he needed he soon found himself back on the deck of his ship and put on his white and red jacket for good measure. Still pretending to ignore the girl he glanced over at her from the corner of his eye, how long was she just going to stand there and why is she alone in the first place.

Before Ain knew it he had forgotten to ignore her as he stated he would and grabbed a bottle of sparkling spring water from his cooler on deck and hopped onto the sands.

Ain walked upright like a soldier would, his expression void of all emotion as he did making him difficult to read. His loose-fitted clothing hung back due to the sea breeze that blew so close to the water, it was always colder next to the water then inland but he didn't mind the cold that much at all. Walking next to the girl he stopped and handed her the bottle of water, his eyes staring out at the water as well instead of at her as his six foot tall body towered over her small five foot tall figure. "Are you alone?" he asked dully as he stood nearly unmoving next to her. "It's chilly out here, you should go home to your family before you catch a cold."

[Miko]

Nyx continued to stand there, the orange hue of the sunset reflecting off of the surface of the ocean, cloaking her in an orange hue. Her eyes seemed distant as they watched the horizon. Her mind was wandering, wondering, thinking. She seemed to stand there idly as the man went back into ship and moments came out. Her eyes had moved from his ship and just to the horizon. Occasionally moving to look at the clouds or some other object in the distance. She began to look for stars. She knew stars were other worlds; was hers still up there? If so, could she find it?

There was doubt surrounding much of her thoughts. But, how could she be hopeful when she had seen her world swallowed whole by the darkness? And then, Jason hasn't even recognized her. Didn't want to be her friend anymore. She began to feel a bit of sadness as she stood there. She hadn't noticed that the man had jumped from his ship to the shore and had walked towards her. Before she knew it he was standing next to her holding a bottle of water out to her. She looked up at him a little started and embarrassed that she hadn't acknowledged him sooner. Almost shyly, she nodded. Then looked down ask he suggested that she go home to her family. She began to feel that etching sadness again that seemed to fill her heart now a days.

"I-I don't have..anywhere to really call home," she said to him, unsure of what to say. She did have a place here, but that wasn't really home. Home was where your family and friends were. And here she had none. Not even Radiant Garden had been home because even though she had made a friend, there was the longing to go back to her own world. To be with her friends and family. Her parents. She looked down for a moment at her hands as they were folded in front of her. "I feel..completely alone, even though there are still others around me.." she half whispered to him, though it was more so to herself.

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Deep wounds leave scars

The words of the girl he did not know really struck him, he neither had a home or family left to call his own. While he had since closed his heart to prevent further damage, even he knew deep down he was sad and alone in the many worlds. It didn't take him long before he looked down at the girl that he wasn't paying much attention to before, his eyes still cold as the air due to closed personality. A tiny girl doomed the same fate as him, but he was sure it was best for her to just find a nice world to live and create everlasting bonds with the people there.

Ain stood there for a long time without saying a single word or even making any large movements, the cool air had now turned to a cold wind but that did not phase him. His clothing flapped in the wind revealing the inside of his jacket was just bandages instead of a inner-wear and half yin yang symbol tied neatly around his neck that was previously unseen due to his wears. This world was pretty quiet wasn't it, as he not met a single heartless yet prompting a small sigh. After another moment he placed his attention back on the girl whom he had not been formally introduced. "Everyone is a little lonely, I understand that much." he stated dully as he finally decided to talk a bit. "I lost my family years before."

Taking a step away he turned slightly realizing that if a girl could just walk around it was probably useless to go searching for heartless. His expression still unchanged he looked back at her, while he was just going to leave her to her fate even he wasn't so cruel. "Is there anywhere you could go? You could come with me if you want." he offered grudgingly, his social skills obviously pretty broken. "Unless you want to stay here."

[Miko]

She felt a little guilty for saying that last part, surely others felt the same every so often but did they, or have they really experienced what Nyx has? Losing her family, friends and home to the darkness. She continued to look down for a moment as the man explained that everyone feels a little lonely. She wasn't a little lonely. This town, she had just ended up here not too long ago, and even though she had met a few people who had helped her, it didn't seem to fill the void that was there. The emptiness that she felt. It was like she couldn't be her true, happy self anymore because there was something missing... and that something might be missing forever. But thing was, could she live with it missing?

Blue orbs looked up at the man as he explained to her that he had lost his family years before. She swallowed her guilty feeling, she shouldn't be complaining. Surely there were others worse off than her, such as this man and he seemed happy enough. That at the moment he didn't seem too conservative, like he didn't really want to talk to her. She didn't really mind though, his company was enough, even if it was for a little bit. Maybe, meeting people along the way would fill the void for a little bit until she found something she could stick with. Some place that she would feel home at; if it couldn't be her real home. This place seemed fine enough, it was pretty and was in a forever sunset (but perhaps that got a little repetitive after awhile). "I'm sorry..." she said expressing her sympathy towards his loss. "My home..was dissolved by Darkness, I do not know of its fate.." she explained.

"I sort of just ended up here, I had a friend in a place called Radiant Garden," she explained. Her friend, Leanne, had been the where she had been semi-happy. Leanne always knew how to cheer her up. But, she wasn't even sure if she was there anymore. Or, how to get back there. Or, even if she wanted to go back. But she didn't want to leave Leanne behind. She looked at him a little shocked by his last statement. "Come with you?" she asked him, a little awestruck by his question. She had just met him and he was offering her to come with him. She didn't even know his name and yet she was expressing some of her past with him. She supposed if she didn't meet strangers, she might not get anywhere.

Her eyes seemed to light up as she looked at the man, "Where are you headed?" she asked, tilting her some as her mood seemed to brighten up some, if only by a little bit.

[Angelus]

Everto was home. And it was a long time coming. Yet for some reason, he felt no attachment to this place, or to any of it's inhabitants. Well, this wasn't entirely true, he did feel an attachment to one person from this world of eternal Twilight. His brother.

"Cado. I wonder if you're still here." It wasn't likely, after all, Cado had made it impossible for Everto to not have known he wouldn't stop searching for him until he found him. And it was because of that statement that Everto and Cado would play the game of Cat and Mouse until Everto was ready to face his brother. He walked down the beach, listening to the waves crash, the water reach for the town, and then retreat, as if its efforts were for naught. He listened to the sound of the gulls as they flew overhead, waiting for their next meal. All in all, this world was quite peaceful, a nice place to go to get away from it all. It was a world forever trapped in time, not unlike many of the worlds he had visited as of late. And yet, he hated it.

While being stuck in time was not a bad thing in Everto's opinion, it was a rather boring way to live one's life. That was one reason why he hated this world. There were numerous other reasons Everto could list if he so chose to, such as the fact that this world chose to live in neither the light nor the darkness, that his brother had chosen to embrace the world's natural state of twilight, instead of darkness or the light. There was also the fact that it was here that he was condemned for having been corrupted all those years ago. It was an incident that Everto was not to fault, yet the townspeople chose to do so. His actions afterward were of his own volition, at least as far as he claimed, but Everto was definitely smart enough to realize that despite the seemingly impressive control he had, he was little more than a slave. A slave to something much more sinister than he.

And it had once resided in this very world.

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

I'm dull, aren't I?

Ain turned around fully as the girl got more lively, while he did not know exactly how to express himself to that extent he was glad that she was different then he was. Talking to people was always difficult for him to do, and even acting was much more difficult then that as his own self felt empty inside. Empty but he still felt things but expressing what he felt was always a big stretch even with the biggest effort of them all. In truth his decision to remain alone was for that reason, because it was hard like his emotions were locked deep down and anything that got to the surface was dull as a board.

"Sorry about your loss." he stated dryly, not showing a hint of sadness or feeling for her. "I have no real destination, but if that is fine you can come with me."

Turning back he stood tall like a soldier yet again, and walked next to her once more. It was difficult to tell what time it was from the sunlight or rather the twilight, and may have been a bit tired without realizing it. Bowing to her in formality rather then a less formal handshake, something he learned as a marine officer. "My name is Ainus Kaim Orlandeau, people call me Ain but you you can call me anything you like." he stated while still in a bow, before raising back up and looking down at the girl.

[Miko]

Nyx watched as the man bowed before her after explaining that he had no real destination. Neither did she, maybe if she went with him, she could try to find some clues as to what happened to her world besides the darkness and if it was still left. Perhaps in the unexplored worlds she might be able to find someone else she knows? But, the first time that happened it didn't end too well. She looked down for a moment, shyly. Unsure of how to react to the man bowing as he introduced himself.

A small smile formed on her face, "My name is Nyx Phoenix," she said almost sweetly. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Ain," she added, as she spotted someone on the beach behind where Ain was. She looked at the person for awhile before looking up at Ain again.

"I suppose I could go with you," she stated. She had been wanting to actually get away from here for awhile but she hadn't really known where to go, plus she was trying to get over the little endeavor she had experienced in Radiant Garden. She had been happy there, if only by a little bit. Here she had been okay, but she hadn't really made any friends. She hadn't been very social and had kept to herself, mostly thinking and trying to come up with some idea as to what had happened to her as well as her world. She was also feeling more secluded and a little depressed.

"Don't trust him, don't trust anyone... you don't need them.." she heard a voice and then looked around, towards the person she had seen on the beach a few ways away. But, it was closer, like it was inside of her head or something..

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Are you too close to the darkness...?

Finally he learned the girls name, in a way he felt like she was emotionally broken just as he was which didn't make the most interesting conversations in the worlds. In a way he felt that something was off about Nyx for a moment, like a sudden cold feeling but it always could be the wind. He really hoped that she could cook, because he was absolutely terrible at cooking anything but sandwiches.

"Nyx, Are you..." he started, his expression a tiny bit more serious then normal but just as he was about to continue he noticed someone was on the beach as well and stopped what he was going to say.

Ain turned halfway to see the one that had appeared from seemly nowhere at all, it was the guy that had wanted to join forces with silver robe and expressed his desire for destruction so deeply in Deep Jungle. This guy was most likely dangerous, and a natural enemy of the light and anything moral. His eyes returned to it's more dull stare as he recognized the person that was there and though he didn't want to start a fight he in no way felt like he was trustworthy. "That guy, Everto, is corrupted by the darkness, a person like him only wants to destroy and gain more power without reason." He stated as he glanced at Nyx, realizing that if he were to confront him now it would put Nyx in danger so he did not act. "I'm not sure if that is the true nature of darkness or not, but from what I seen- The darkness is the power of dark desires alone."

Glancing at Everto he hoped that he would not start a conflict once they met, If he was lucky he might have forgotten he was even there in deep jungle...

[Miko]

Nyx's expression was blank for a moment as she stood next to the man, Ain. She had heard this voice before. But, it had been in her sleep. In dreams and sometimes nightmares. She recalled them. She then looked up at Ain, returning to reality for a moment as he spoke her about to ask her a question but then he saw the man as well. He then explained the man. Perhaps Ain had once known him and he had been corrupt. "Power of dark desires.." she restated out loud. Thinking. She would not ever want to be corrupt by darkness. To loose her heart and mind to such a thing.

"Look inside..you've already be tainted.." there was the eerie voice again. W-was it coming from the man? No. It couldn't be. But, was it coming from her instead? Inside of her? Her eyes looked vacant for a moment as she stood there almost frozen. A shiver went through her body as she thought about becoming corrupt to the darkness. Giving into such a thing. To such desires as Ain had so put it.

Looking up at him again she returned to reality, "Mr. Ain, you were about to ask me something?" she asked him, wondering what he was going to ask. She choose to keep the voice to herself. Thinking he might think of her of strange or psycho or something because she heard voices. "Ain..." she began again, wanting to ask him something else. "How? Why do people become tainted or corrupt by darkness?" she asked him. She held her hand to her chest, to her heart. Wondering if she was tainted. She had been...touched by the so called thing she had called the Darkness. W-what if she had become tainted? What if she might become corrupt by the darkness and soon give into its dark desires? She shook the thought from her head. She wouldn't ever give in to such desires. She wanted to be good. She wanted to help others and not destroy.

She looked down for a moment, almost as if in thought. "H-how do you know if you've been tainted or corrupted by such a thing as this man, Everto, has?" she asked, almost innocently.

[Ain_Soph_Aur]

Not the time or place

Ain glanced at Nyx and seemingly ignoring Everto for the moment. Taking note that she had called him Mister Ain which struck a cord with him but he let it pass as she had started asking many questions all at once. The line of questioning was increasingly worried, was this girl alright he thought deep down, why was she asking so many questions? As he stood there his undivided attention was now placed on Nyx as he was now staring at her but he said nothing for a good couple minutes, his thoughts not reaching the surface as he remained still and unemotional.

It seemed like he wasn't going to talk at all but soon his mouth opened to what he thought he knew of the darkness...

"Darkness is feelings you can't shake by telling your self that they are wrong, it lies deep in every person even you and me. Before I said dark desires but I will be clear, all negative feelings are darkness and even some you think are positive. To embrace them and be taken by them is what it means to be tainted- corrupted by the darkness. To live in light means to keep these feelings in check and consistently fight against the darkness but..." his dull voice spoke with interest as this was something he had been thinking a lot about. "That is all I know, whether I'm entirely right or wrong remains to be seen."

[Angelus]

Everto had lost himself in thoughts of his childhood, of days spent with his family, times well enjoyed. These memories then turned into ones filled with anger, a lust for blood, and his own fall into the darkness. He was looking toward the ocean, while his body was facing two individuals down the beach from him. Watching the ocean brought up something from his childhood, a feeling that he couldn't quite grasp.

"What is this feeling?"[/color] He whispered to himself, as if he would know the answer. His mind worked to find the answer, hoping his memories would hold the answer, but it could not. For now the feeling would be unknown, but if he had to make an assumption, the feeling reminded him of the calm before a storm. It was at that time that Caliga had returned to him, taking the place of his shadow.

Humans. One of them was from the jungle world with the Champion. The other, she has darkness in her heart. Much darkness. Tender darkness. So hungry." Everto shifted his head from the water toward the direction Caliga had come from, and indeed saw one of those from Deep Jungle. The other was a young girl, one he'd never had the pleasure, or displeasure of meeting. Something he would quickly remedy. He disappeared into a corridor of darkness, and reappeared behind the two travelers.

"Welcome to Twilight Town." Everto said to the two of them. He looked at Ain, what had briefly been a smile turning into a cold stare.

"Would you mind explaining what you are doing on my home world?"

He said this coldly, almost sounding rude, but he card not. He wanted an explanation. This world was in the Twilight, and although Everto's presence here could tip it more toward the darkness should he choose to do what he did best, Ain's presence could have the opposite effect. At least Everto assumed so.[/size]

[Slash]

They must learn.

Furiae sat quietly on the beach, watching the waves crash against the shore indifferently. The light shone on her, but her body almost seemed to reject it- her eyes, instead of being softened by the light, were as sharp and uninviting as ever. They turned towards the people walking along the beach, flashing the blue-white color of glacial ice.

An interesting conversation they were having. But trivial. Darkness and light were trivial things, and their importance was only in the minds of the stupid. There were more important things in the world. Darkness and light were human concepts, and without humanity they would no longer have any power or meaning. There were greater forces working within the universe. The fire of the stars, the void of space, the earth, water, and air of the worlds...and from the water came ice, who's image she had been created in. She was a part of it, so why should she concern herself with things that had nothing to do with her?

She sought for a way to express this to the others. They were so wrapped up in their petty concepts, completely ignoring her...Her need to teach them overrode her antisocial tendencies, and she spoke up. Standing and turning towards the girl, she said;

"Young one," (for she was young, at least in the terms of the mind) "you concern yourself with the wrong things. Those who are corrupted by darkness allow themselves, in a sense. There are greater things than light or darkness. Both can be transcended and ignored, if one dedicates themselves to one of these greater forces. All of you!" She gestured towards all of them, showing some passion towards the subject. "You fail to understand anything. You concern yourself with the most trivial of things. Light and darkness are human concepts. There are other things which can be adhered to, and all of you have not grasped the concept. I doubt if you can, but I will attempt to explain. Light and darkness were stable until the introduction of humanity. They existed- they were simply not important. Humans are the ones who tampered with it, who gave it such strength with their minds, who sought to balance it. But it is through humans that the darkness grows and manifests. And those who follow the light too closely are in their own sort of danger, for it can also corrupt and lead, ultimately, to darkness. The solution?" She was now gesticulating angrily, revealing a determination and verve heretofore unseen in her.

"The solution is to leave both behind! The heart can exist without either. Look around you. The solidity and steadfastness of the earth. The flowing serenity of the water, which can become an unstoppable force when provoked. The wild and free nature of the wind. And above us, the mysterious and unknowable void of space. The unquenchable fire of the stars! The uninviting ice of the comets and poles! All can be adhered to just as strongly as light or darkness. If they were, than there would be no problems. Light and darkness would be stable once more, and matter little. But people- you- concern yourself with these things out of selfishness, and allow yourselves to become their pawns. If one is corrupted, it can be remedied by casting aside these things and tying yourself to something greater than humanity. Do you understand?"