Quest 978: What Comes After

	; Maps:
Kana	激闘の果てに
Rōmaji	Gekitō no Hate ni
Target
	[[Enemies#\|]]
1000 Jewels; "Fates Entwined" Title; 5 Chip 6★ ;	None
JP Quest Rewards
	1000 Jewels; "運命を共に" Title; 5 Chip 6★ ;

Quest 978 takes place in Daybreak Town.

Story summary

Elrena's Chirithy saw Strelitzia with a man in a black coat, and Elrena comes to the clock tower to tell Lauriam.

Luxu prepares to fight Darkness, after learning the other Darknesses are still in the data world.

Brain, Lauriam, Elrena, and Ventus use the lifeboat to travel to the real world, while Ephemer, Skuld, and The Player stay behind. Before leaving, Brain gives Ephemer his Keyblade and the Book of Prophecies.

Script

[Ephemer, Skuld, and The Player are standing near a door in the clock tower.]

Ephemer: "I hope everything's okay."
Skuld: "I'm sure it is."
Ephemer: "Lauriam knows it wasn't Ven's fault, right?"
Skuld: "Should we check on them?"
Ephemer: "No, Lauriam said everything was fine."
Skuld: "All right."

Skuld: "Do you really think the world is going to end?"
Ephemer: "I'm not sure. There's a lot we don't know. About this world, the Keyblade Masters, darkness..."
Skuld: "Yeah."
Ephemer: "But think back to what Master Ava taught us. That when this world is shrouded in darkness, it'll just go to sleep."
Skuld: "I remember that."
Ephemer: "It's not much, I know, but it's enough to keep me from giving up hope. I played a part in bringing the Dandelions together, so I have a responsibility to save everyone. And I'm gonna try my best to do that."
Skuld: "It's not your responsibility alone. But whatever you do decide to do, you have our support. I want you to know that."
Ephemer: "Thanks for always being there, Skuld."

Ephemer: "Oh? Hi there."

[Lauriam stands next to a sleeping Ventus.]

Lauriam: "I'm sorry, Ventus. I know it wasn't your fault. I just needed someone to blame. Darkness is so...abstract. My anger needed a simple, tangible target."
Lauriam: "Selfish of me, I know. But some emotions are too much to bear."
Lauriam: "Tell me. Is darkness really gone? Or has it become a part of you, just like you said? If it has, then I—"

[Someone grabs Lauriam's arm from behind.]

???: "Hatred, anger, and sadness... That's exactly what they want. You have to let it go. What happened to my kind and loving brother?"

[Shocked, Lauriam looks behind him, but nobody's there.]

Lauriam: "Strelitzia!?"

[Ephemer opens the door to the room.]

Ephemer: "Lauriam. Someone's here to see you."
Lauriam: "Who?"

[Lauriam joins Ephemer, Skuld, The Player, and Elrena in the hall outside the room.]

Lauriam: "Elrena?"
Lauriam: "What are you doing here?"

[Elrena's Chirithy appears in her arms.]

Elrena: "Well, I thought you should know..."
Elrena: "It's about Strelitzia. Chirithy claims to have seen her."
Lauriam: "What!?"
Ephemer & Skuld: "?"
Lauriam: "You saw my sister? Where!?"
Elrena's Chirithy: "Maybe it wasn't her, but... A few days ago..."

[In a flashback, Elrena's Chirithy lies on a rooftop, and sees a figure in a black cloak and one in a white cloak walking together.]

Elrena's Chirithy: "I spotted someone who looked an awful lot like her headed toward town from the hill. And she wasn't alone. She was with someone in a black coat."
Lauriam: "But how?"

[Lauriam, Ephemer, Skuld, Elrena, and The Player discuss with Brain in the Foretellers' Chambers.]

Brain: "Hmm... We can't be sure of anything yet, but it's definitely an interesting piece of information."
Ephemer: "A black coat could only mean... One of the Keyblade Masters?"
Elrena's Chirithy: "Most likely."
Elrena's Chirithy: "Both the Master of Masters and Luxu fit the description."
Brain: "But the Master shouldn't be here, even if this were the real world. ...Wait a minute. Maybe—"
Lauriam: "What is it?"
Brain: "Do you remember why this data world was created?"
Skuld: "As a backup of the real one."
Brain: "Right. To save the world as it was before the Keyblade War. That means Strelitzia's data must be stored here too."
Lauriam: "Really?"
Lauriam: "I thought this place was just a copy of the world, not its people. Besides, if everyone's data was brought over, shouldn't there be versions of us here too?"
Brain: "Yep. Our data should be here as well. Could be that it's still locked up and hasn't been touched yet."
Brain: "Think about it. Elrena saw a glitched version of Strelitzia. If what Chirithy says is true, maybe her data is here and someone managed to access it."
Lauriam: "I don't understand. Why Strelitzia? And if her data does exist, does that mean we can bring her back?"
Brain: "I don't know."
Skuld: "Who would do something like that? As far as we know, all of the Masters are gone."
Lauriam: "We'll probably have more luck finding answers in the real world."
Brain: "About that—if what Darkness said was true, we should be able to use the lifeboat in the basement to get back. But if that's somehow linked to the end of this world..."
Ephemer: "We don't have time to think about that now. Come on, let's go to the basement."
Ephemer: "Would you mind carrying Ven?"
Lauriam: "Not at all."

[Everyone leaves, but Brain looks back at the desk, where the Book of Prophecies still lies.]

[Luxu and Darkness are in the room with the lifeboat.]

Darkness: "I don't know who you sent, but there are five left. Who will they go to?"
Luxu: "You didn't read that part of the Book?"
Darkness: "It wasn't of any interest to me."
Luxu: "So what is, then?"
Darkness: "Expansion."
Luxu: "I don't get you."
Darkness: "Nor we you."
Darkness: "You spent time grooming these wielders, only to trap and leave them behind in the data world. Why?"
Luxu: "Dunno. Who knows wht the Master of Master's thinking?"
Darkness: "And yet you follow him?"
Luxu: "Why not?"
Luxu: "I may not know the reasoning behind everything he does, but I can guess."
Darkness: "But you're not certain."
Luxu: "No. But I am sure of one thing. He is not a fan of darkness."
Darkness: "I see. That we understand."
Darkness: "We're not fond of light either."
Luxu: "So what's your brilliant plan?"
Darkness: "To spread throughout the data world using its signals. To accompany the chosen one into the future, so I can lay claim to worlds not yet created."
Luxu: "Right, expansion. So no matter what world or time I end up in, you'll be there too, huh. I don't think so."

[Luxu summons his Keyblade.]

Darkness: "Oh? I thought you were told not to interfere."
Luxu: "Yeah, to help the Dandelions. But I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing this for me."
Darkness: "I am formless. You cannot destroy me."
Luxu: "I know."
Darkness: "Then why waste the effort?"
Luxu: "The longer you exist without a tangible form, the more your will fades. Darkness had form when the Master of Masters was a boy, right?"
Luxu: "You abandoned it to defeat light—that's when darkness became a whole. But then you realized... ...that you couldn't maintain your will as one or as a whole."
Luxu: "Which is why... ...you still need a physical form."
Luxu: "You call it infection and expansion, but you're just stealing the bodies of those with hearts. You act like it's this grandiose plan, when it's actually kind of sad and pathetic."
Darkness: "Silence!"
Luxu: "You never even figured out his real plan, did you?"
Darkness: "What?"
Luxu: "Let me ask you this. Besides you, there are five other shadows with individual will. I know at least one is in the data world."
Luxu: "So where are the other four?"
Darkness: "You're well informed. Yes, six of us remained after the war, after which we found ourselves in the data world."
Luxu: "But you returned to the real world with the evil fairy. Meaning the rest are still there."
Darkness: "Yes."
Luxu: "Then you're the only one in my way."
Darkness: "As you are in mine."

[Ephemer, Skuld, Brain, Lauriam, Elrena, Ventus, and The Player arrive in the room with the lifeboat.]

Ephemer: "I count six."
Lauriam: "The evil fairy took the seventh."
Ephemer: "But there are seven of us."
Skuld: "So we're short one."
Brain: "Two. This one's broken, so we're down to five."
Ephemer: "What should we do?"

[Brain checks the computer, which shows Daybreak Town in the process of being destroyed.]

Ephemer: "What's—"
Brain: "We're running out of time. We need to decide who goes."
Skuld: "But we're not the only Dandelions."
The Player: "Yeah, what about the rest of the wielders?"
Brain: "They'll go to sleep. Just like a computer in sleep mode."
The Player: "Sleep...?"
Brain: "Master Ava taught us that, remember? When all is shrouded in darkness, the world will fall into slumber."
Ephemer: "Right."
Brain: "The Master of Masters knew this would happen and created a backup of the world. A place to shelter and keep us safe. That's where we are."
Brain: "And if somehting causes this world to freeze, it can be rebooted and restored. The end of this world is nothing like the end of the real one. Like I said: sleep mode."
Ephemer: "So it's not THIS world we need to be worried about."
Brain: "Even if we use the lifeboat to get back, we'll have to use it again to go wherever it is that we need to go after. And who knows where that'll be? Is escape really the right answer?"
Lauriam: "Whether we stay or go, it's a gamble."
Brain: "Right. But if no one goes back, then no one there will know what's happened here. There'll be no rescuing anyone left behind."
Ephemer: "And we can't let that happen. We Keyblade wielders need to live on."
Brain: "Ephemer and I should split up."
Ephemer: "Agreed. Brain, you should go back. Having you in the real world will give us the best chance to save the people here."
Brain: "Got it."
Elrena: "I'm not a Union leader or anything, so..."
Skuld: "Listen, the only way to make it out of this is to go back. We're the ones responsible for this whole situation in the first place. So you, Ven, and The Player should go."
Ephemer: "Brain, The Player, Elrena, and Ven each take one. Skuld, Lauriam, one of you should take the last—"
Skuld: "Lauriam, it's yours."
Lauriam: "What?"
Skuld: "If there's a chance you'll get your sister back, then you need to be there for her. Besides, you'll have a better chance of finding answers over there. You should take it."
Lauriam: "..."
Elrena: "I don't deserve a spot..."
Lauriam: "Yes, you do. You gave me hope for the first time since Strelitzia went missing. Help me find her. Please."
Brain: "There's only one way out of here and the seating's limited—for now. When I get back, I promise I'll find a way to save everyone here."
Ephemer: "Thanks. All right, we don't have much time. Who's going?"
The Player: "I'll stay. I'm not even a Dandelion,"
'The Player: I'm just here as your friend. So if you're staying, so am I."
Ephemer: "The Player..."
The Player: "Besides, I don't want to have to wait around for you again."
Skuld: "I'm not leaving you two here."
Brain: "Well, why don't we save one for later? I might be able to find a way to rescue all three of you at once."
Lauriam: "You already have something in mind, don't you?"
Brain: "Sure do."
Ephemer: "Then it's settled. Lauriam, can you look after Ven?"

[Lauriam nods, and carries Ventus to the lifeboat.]

Ephemer: "Hop in, Elrena."

[Elrena walks to the lifeboat.]

Ephemer: "Brain, take care of everyone."
Brain: "Will do. Here, take it."

[Brain summons his Keyblade.]

Ephemer: "But this is yours..."

[Brain gives Ephemer the Keyblade.]

Brain: "It was meant for you. This too."

[Brain grabs the Book of Prophecies, and gives it to Ephemer.]

Brain: "I didn't end up using it, but if you're ever lost, don't hesitate to have a look. It'll help you when you need it most."
Ephemer: "I'll hold on to these for now,"
Ephemer: "but as far as I'm concerned, they still belong to you. Master Ava entrusted them to you for a reason."
Brain: "I thought you'd be happy. Master Ava told me you've been wanting to read the Book for a long time."
Brain: "Besides, I'm pretty sure she gave these to me knowing I would do just this. May your heart be your guiding key, Ephemer. Just like mine is for me."
Ephemer: "Thanks."
Brain: "I'll be back for you guys."

[Brain walks to the lifeboat, while Ephemer takes place in front of the computer.]

Ephemer: "The Player, are you sure about this?"
The Player: "Yep! I'm right where I want to be."

Ephemer: "Be safe."

[Ephemer activated the lifeboat, and the four pods head for the real world.]