The First Step. (Open to all)

Twilight Town was exactly the sort of place that someone who wanted to disappear could blend in. A quiet little town with ordinary folks living out their daily lives, oblivious to the greater universe around them.

Exactly the opposite of what Garth would have liked. It was too quiet here - and nothing exciting ever happened. Not like in the books he read. In every one of those stories and ancient epics (which were his favorites), something happened that made the hero leave home and family behind.

Home? Yeah, right. Twilight Town was a boring place. And family? He had no family. Garth had been an orphan for as far back as he could remember. He grew up alone, separated from the other children by something inexplicable. They laughed at him, called him names and shunned him. So he had turned his back on them and instead took to reading. He had memorized every one of them, and when those ran out, he started reading every other book he could.

Garth was right in the middle of one such work - a book of unusual poetry, sitting on Sunset Hill when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Garth had few friends growing up, but the one that stood above him was one of those: Brad Stewart. Physically he was his exact opposite: Long, shaggy blonde hair with deep blue eyes and smooth facial features with a dimpled smile. A Struggle Competitor two years running, Brad's muscles were well developed and was the subject of every wink and flirt of virtually every girl in town. In contrast, and in what some called part of their odd, contrasting friendship - Garth was skinny and had brown hair and eyes.

As far back as Garth could remember, Brad had been his closest friend and confidant. The one person in all the world he knew he could trust with his life. At two years his senior, (age 22) in some ways, he was like the older brother he never had.

"What's eating you bro?" The older man asked, taking a seat beside his friend. "You've been lost in thought lately."

Garth sighed. "Am I really so easy to read?"

"No, but I'm your best friend so I'm a bit better than most. And you have this thing where you come out here whenever you're upset." His expression turned playful. "What? Did Kim give you a mixed message again?"

Garth looked up, annoyed at his friend's choice of words. For the past five years, he had been attracted to the most popular girl at their orphanage. Now, she was simply the most popular girl in their side of town. With shoulder length brown hair, deep brown eyes the color of clean earth and a lively smile - she was the object of every male's desire and had no idea Garth even existed.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. They were friends, but of the stereotypical, awkward - "barely able to spit out two words" type.

The only one that knew was Brad, who for the most part had supported his friend - encouraged him to man up and make a move. Yet, as always, Garth withdrew into his books.

"Look, for the last freaking time, there's no way she'd notice, much less go out with a guy like me." Garth practically spat the last word out, and again, looked back down at his book, intent on ignoring his friend for the moment. Just until he finished the first passage.

"Each journey gives rise to chance encounters, and each encounter brings forth a farewell. When a farewell leads to a journey, the worlds open their hearts. Those chosen by the light, or ensnared by darkness. Friends who share the same bonds, though their paths may differ. When you doubt the path trod thus far, when the hand you held is lost to you, gaze anew at the heart that once was...for all the answers are within."

He thought about that for a long moment. It was curiously similar to his own situation. Whereas he had a desire to go out and see the world - to explore, Brad had no interest in anything beyond his sports and preparation for the next Struggle tournament.

But that wasn't what really caught his eye. What did it mean, the worlds? He checked again. It said worlds. Plural. That meant there was more than one.

He had a suspicion there was more to the Universe than just this one little town, (aside from the obvious) - but this just made him even more suspicious. He was so caught up in thinking about the idea of other worlds, he didn't notice Brad snapping his fingers right in front of him.

"Bro?" Brad said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Bro? Earth to Garth."

"Sorry, what?"

"Dude, you totally zoned out on me. What's going on upstairs?"

"A lot more than what's going on in your upstairs bedroom." Garth replied dryly. "There's nothing going on in that great empty space you call a head."

Now that was the Garth that Brad knew and grew up with.

"As I was saying, sometimes you just gotta take that risk - just, take that first step. I guarantee you'll find yourself in a whole new world once you've made it. And I guarantee you won't regret it."

This was going to be a good day for Hayden.

Before he even arrived in Twilight Town, he had removed his mask. This wasn't actually a new thing for him- when he cased worlds, he often removed his mask and appeared as a normal man. Normal was more subjective than he's have liked. Usually his clothing stuck out in some fashion, or if not that then his extremely fit figure gave him away. More than that, usually, the citizens of the worlds new each other at least a little bit. While most of them wouldn't readily identify him as a newcomer, they could hardly be expected to turn a blind eye.

Hayden stepped out of the tunnels, a corridor of darkness folding in behind him as he appeared. It vanished in a black and purple wisp, leaving the man to stride forward in his foriegn attire. He knew that he probably had the ability to conjure clothing out of darkness or some such nonsense, but that amounted to the same thing as being nude. While Hayden wasn't exactly a modest or shy individual, he still felt cold well enough. He hadn't been used to being bare, and the darkness was him... layering skin and sensation didn't seem to solve his problem.

But clothing? Yes. A t-shirt and some brown pants treated him well. It was a risk at blowing his cover, but he had taken the same risk before, and despite how observant some were they could only recognize the off-worlders if they were looking for them. Even then, that revealed nothing of who he specifically was, and as far as anybody knew the Foreteller of Blades disappeared after Disney Town fell to darkness. For all Amadeo knew, Hayden wasn't even there when it happened. In fact, as far as Hayden knew, five people were aware of his presence in Disney Town. And five people may think him dead.

These considerations swam through his head as he stepped from the shadows and stood in the unfamiliar district. A train car traveled from one end of a short track to another aimlessly, but the view was stupendous. Even still, Hayden could discern that the location on top of the hill offered him a better vantage point, and the young man strode forth. Well, no longer a young man. Twenty-three or not, he was no longer a somebody. He was Heartless now.

His skin was darker than most, but not a specifically dark shade at all. He was well tanned and well formed, his slender frame and muscles moving beneath his shirt comfortably. His brown pants swayed as he marched up the hill, his head high as he surveyed the area. He came to the top, and noticed some kids. His eyes narrowed as he almost soundlessly moved to a nearby position on the fence, listening to them communicate to see if it yielded any information, as well letting his golden gaze sweep over the city. In the distance, there was still a greater height to the town. There was more to it.

Hayden had been through the city before. It was Blades business, nothing even close to a personal matter. It occurred to him that he might need to do some searching to find out where Amadeo would be hiding. Gather information, leave, and then return when ready. This was the order of operations, and this one would be his largest. And, aside from locating Hikari (who would hopefully still be in Twilight Town healing) Amadeo was the last operation too.

Very abruptly, there was a shift in the atmosphere, and Garth felt it. It was like nothing he'd ever experienced - and though he couldn't quite understand why, there came an unspeakable feeling of dread. He felt like the entire natural order was oddly out of place - like the entire world was suddenly exposed to some horrific presence and was irreparably changed for it.

The feeling vanished as suddenly as it had come, but he shuddered.

"Did you feel that?" Garth asked, suddenly alarmed.

"Feel what?" Brad asked, raising one eyebrow. "What'cu talking about, bro?"

"I don't know how to explain it..." Garth said, slowly shaking his head and rising to his feet. Of the mysterious feeling, there was no trace. "It's like I felt a... presence."

"I think you've been in the sun a little too long." Brad said dryly. "You sure you're alright, Garth?"

He hesitated for a moment before he spoke. "Yeah. I just have a lot on my mind." He replied. That was true - and whatever he felt, it was gone now.

"Well, whatever." Brad said flippantly as he rose beside his friend. "Come on, let's go grab some ice-cream. My treat." He pulled out a small bag of Munny and jingled with a grin. "I'm sure that once you've got some food in you, you'll feel a lot better. Besides," he gently prodded Garth with his elbow. "Kim might be at the shop."

"Shut up, Brad."

He hadn't seemed to draw attention from the two, which was a good first step. Yet, some things that one of the boys spoke gave Hayden cause to focus on him. Closer inspection- a quick glance back at them, nothing more- revealed they were actually around his human age in terms of their physical appearances. Hayden zeroed in on the young man who said he had felt a presence. What an interesting development, though it could have been a mere coincidence. Hayden had doubted that though. It was cause and effect, almost certainly.

Hayden had decided that, just maybe, he could provoke a reaction somehow. If he still retained his mastery over illusion this would be a different matter entirely, but sometimes blending in required interaction. Even if it was an illusion, it was still Hayden speaking. The consequence to them discovering his identity was really low, to boot. There was essentially no risk here, and it would allow him to travel and better familiarize himself with the area with a younger crowd. It would just require a good cover story.

He turned slowly and approached the two boys. His confidence wasn't obvious, but he certainly wasn't apprehensive. He smiled a seemingly genuine smile at them as he approached, and greeted them with a resounding, "Hello!" Confident that he now had there attention he stopped a comfortable distance away from them and began to introduce himself. "Sorry to interrupt anything," he assured them. "But can you guys help me find the Mayor's Office?" Might as well skip to the most important question, and improvise everything else as needed.

Both young men took notice of the newcomer and exchanged glances.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Garth asked warily. "There's something very off about you, stranger."

"Garth, be nice." Said Brad, jabbing his friend in the ribs. Then he looked the newcomer with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about him, he's a little nervous around new faces. We'd be glad to help out." He outstretched his hand to the newcomer. "Brad Stewart. This is Garth. What's your name, stranger?"

Hayden chuckled lightly. This one called "Garth" was almost supernaturally perceptive, or just coincidentally paranoid. Still, Hayden felt the need to play up his new persona. "It's Hayden, and don't worry, I hardly mind," he chuckled as he tapped his brow with a finger. "My eyes color throws people off. They say yellow is an aggravating color and it turns out that, well, they're right. Some people respond to it worse than others."

He spoke very clearly and cordially, being sure to be as concise when he needed to be and keep as much information secret as made good sense to do. Telling them his life story seemed hardly a good approach, but a little bit of confidence, a little bit of poise, a little bit of awkward over-explanation of simple traits... very likable because it seemed unique. Very innocuous because it didn't make him stick out too greatly.

The eyes were a burden though. A knowledgeable individual would know why his eyes were this color, and he could no longer change their color because of his power "exchange".

Hayden grabbed the young man's hand with his other as he motioned to his eyes, smiling as they shook. "It's nice to meet you. But, yeah, your friend is correct. I'm not from this particular part of Twilight Town." He motioned to the great forest that lay under the train tracks. "My family has a small cabin out in the woods, and we've rarely needed to venture into town. It's also been difficult because, you know, giant wall." He chuckled.

"Anyway, I wanted to apply to go to school here next semester, but I have to get an ID from the courthouse first. At least, I think that's how it works. I wanted to see the Mayor's office before I did that, but I don't know where it is. Do you think you can help me?"

Dominik’s feet touched cold concrete in the middle of one of the alleyways in Twilight Town, the corridor of darkness dissipating behind him as he moved forward. He hated going into towns like this, but he was already pushing his luck with taking resources from the Holy Order. It is more likely than not that the High Priests were catching onto his attempts of performing the forbidden technique of Heretical Reincarnation. Yet he was so close, there is no way he was going to stop now. Not now that he has the Future King’s blessing.

All I need to do is make the flow of necrosis easier, that is the secret! There is a recipe of a token of worship within the texts of Verfluen, one skimmed by many an eye and yet it can be so easily synthesized. The effects are simple enough, but how it can be applied toward my goal is far too significant to pass up!

All he needed now were common synthesis materials. These materials, without a doubt were already in possession of the Holy Order, but Dominik could not afford raising more suspicions than he already has. The Jer raised his hood over his head, trying his best not to draw too many eyes as he began to walk through the street, despite the fact he now realized his attire did not benefit that goal.

Agh, I just need to find the shop, he thought, all I need are simple materials. I already have the rarer element of Obsidian obtained, its application toward necromancy ensured a horde, kept by the Holy Order, large enough for me to take a ‘sample.’ I just need to take the basic elements from here and leave this place.

As he made his way through town, he passed by a small group of boys. By how they spoke, they clearly were just getting to know each other. He kept his attention to himself, he didn't wish to attract unwanted attention.

Again, there was an ill feeling, but this one was far more faint. Garth shook it off. Maybe Brad was right. Maybe he was just being too wound up. So far, Hayden had been nothing but polite, and his story, though a little unusual seemed to check out. The people of Twilight Town were a reclusive bunch. They cared little for outside affairs.

"Accept my apology." He said out loud after a moment. "And yes, I'd be glad to show you the way to the Mayor's office. It's a little ways from here though. We have to travel to the other side of town to get to the mansion. Fortunately, I know a shortcut."

"Good! Now that we're all friends, let's go." Said Brad with a smile. "Just be aware, we've never met the Mayor ourselves. But I hear that they're real chill. Oh yeah, and before I forget," he gestured with the munny bag. "You wanna chill after we take care of business? We can go grab some ice cream. I got more than enough for three people."

Hayden smiled a big smile, expertly covering his extreme indifference. "Apology accepted, Garth." He extended a hand towards the young man in "friendship", attempting to make himself appear approachable and open. "And thanks, that sounds wonderful," he offered his gratitude to the young man as well, letting himself appear courteous. His amber eyes traced the pair, and he felt a ripple of power behind him as he turned his head slightly. The man that had just passed them seemed... suspicious. Mainly because he was wearing an elegant cloak with hood drawn over his face.

"I... would... love some ice cream," Hayden turning back to Garth and Brad. "After everything I mean, but quick question. What's with the scary cultist guy behind us?" He didn't say this part too loudly as not to draw much attention from the stranger, but just enough to get those around him interested. "I don't really come into town much, but I didn't know there were churches with such dedicated members here. Is that commonplace?" Hayden was attempting to insight something. He just wanted information- didn't really want to hang out with kids, although he would have liked to observe Garth some more to see if he was either sensitive to darkness or just a great guesser.

Dominik knew there were bound to be people suspicious of him, but what worried him most was the boys he passed. He sensed a significant amount of power from them, one of them giving of a larger amount than the rest. He wasn’t sure how much of their attention he attracted, but he’d be a fool to assume he walked past scot-free. For now, though, he will walk onward unassuming, but still be on the ready.

"Cultist?" Garth asked, looking around. That was when he noticed the hooded figure. "Hey! You!" He called out. "I thought I had felt something unusual, and I think he might be the cause of it. I don't know how to explain it - but I've felt some kind of... strange presence."

"Bro, do you even know how weird you sound right now?" Brad asked. "You're talking crazy."

Garth shook his head. "No, I'm not crazy. There's no mistaking it. There's something off about him."

"You said the same thing about Hayden here. What, you're suddenly some kind of psychic now?" Brad asked in disbelief. "Start making sense."

Garth ignored him and ran after the hooded man. "Hey! Come back here!"

Garth was off like a rocket before Hayden could advise against it, but this was the opportunity he had been hoping for. Hayden found the man curious, and additionally did not relish the thought of keeping the pair of teenagers company. He could feign interest for as long as was needed, but this helped make that less necessary. Hayden looked to Garth and the hooded man, back to Brad, and shrugged. "YOLO?" It was such a profound question or survival.

Hayden took off too after Garth, minding his speed and not going too fast. He kept pace with the young man, maybe a little slower at times, and initiated pursuit as well.

Of course he’s been spotted. What did he really expect after all? Well, one thing he did not expect was one of the boys to be so brash about it.

Verfluen’s grace, Dominik thought, if I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was some sort of damned thief by the way he was yelling.

There was no way around it now, the best way to handle this situation is act as innocent as possible. There was no way it was going to be easy. If worse came to worse and the confrontation became physical in some way or there is any sort of conflict, the best option will be to run and find the synthesis materials elsewhere.

He grit his teeth, Great. I failed to study the social life before coming here and now I’m facing the most insufferable of consequences.

The Jer breathed deep before stopping and turning toward the boys, “Yes, is there a problem?”