KINGDOM HEARTS / X: Prince Phobos & The Beast of Black Howling
The rain fell in cold, relentless sheets against the obsidian spires of the World That Never Was. High above the void, perched on the precipice of a high balcony, two figures stood draped in darkness. The midnight-black leather of their Organization coats rustled faintly in the damp wind.
Prince Phobos adjusted his gloves, his golden eyes narrowing as he stared out into the abyss. "May your heart be your guiding key..." he murmured, the phrase tasting like iron on his tongue. "Picture this: a black coat stashes away a secret letter, then orders a white coat to search for it. What could his intentions possibly be? I can think of several reasons offhand, but guessing is pointless. Perhaps he simply forgot. Or perhaps..."
Phobos turned his head slightly toward the silver-haired marksman leaning against the pillar beside him. "...who gave the order? Was it Xemnas? Was it the Darkness itself? It’s tricky. Or was it the one who assigned me my task in the first place? You, Xigbar."
Xigbar grinned, a slow, yellow-toothed smirk spreading beneath his eye patch. He summoned his Arrowguns with a flick of his wrist, spinning one casually on his index finger before letting it vanish into thin air. "Asks a lot of questions for a guy on a losing streak, don't ya, Prince?"
"I’ve been falling a lot lately," Phobos conceded, his voice dropping into a dark, bitter tone. "Against Xehanort. Against Narissa. And we face an insurmountable obstacle—we cannot take the Seal of Nerissa from her while she wields the Heart of Meridian. Only a true heir to the throne can wrest that power from her hands. But you... you already know what holds me back. You are familiar with it."
"A fear of death," Xigbar said, his playful demeanor dropping for a fraction of a second, revealing the cold observer beneath. "So strong it rips your soul to shreds."
"Yes," Phobos hissed, clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white beneath his gloves. "So how do I overcome it?"
Xigbar took a step forward, leaning in close, his single eye gleaming with sharp intensity. "Only one power can overcome a terror like that, Phobos: the power of your own mind. And listen to me carefully—do not look to Will Vandom for assistance. You must do this without the Guardian. You must do this without your sister."
Xigbar tapped Phobos hard on the chest, right over his vacant, aching heart.
"A beast needs nothing except the hunger to fight, to survive, and to hunt," Xigbar whispered, his voice cutting through the howl of the wind. "If you wish to survive what’s coming... you must become a beast once more."
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