![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Parallel Lives
Aug. 14th, 2012 07:59 amOkay, so Parallel Lives, is the AU this account was made for.
Tl:dr
Braig actually betrayed Master Xehanort and sided with the trio during the final Birth by Sleep events. Ten years after the "war" a very weird phenomena/glitch/whatever you may call it caused him to switch places with Xigbar in the canon verse. While Braig is lost and confused and pretty stunned at seeing how badly things have gotten (and how many enemies he's made) Xigbar is taking full advantage of the opportunity. Braig's very presence seems to throw the entire chain of KH events off track while Xig has put the world in danger. A race against time and against all hope, Braig is trying to get home so he can stop his personal doppelganger and somehow set things right.
Actual summary:
Ten years ago, Braig Withers made the hardest decision of his life by betraying the master, teacher, and guardian he had always looked up to. At the final moments in the battle for the X-blade, he had sided to with Aqua and Ven to defeat Vanitas, hide the blade, and in rescuing Terra, Xehanort was sealed away. With their home destroyed, the three keybearers made something of a home in Radiant Gardens, while still traveling to take care of minor events around The World.
The years have passed, and Braig never got to leave Radiant Gardens since that one short run with the master, but things have settled rather peacefully. No one ever did find out what happened during that week or so he vanished into thin air, or even how he managed to come back crippled, but after discussing what happened on both sides of the incident with Terra the two have come to the conclusion that between the painful reminder to both of them, the connection it has with Xehanort, and it being a high point in the stupidity of their youth, they've agreed its a secret between them. They've both moved on anyway, each married with kids of his own, and Terra has been busy training the new boy in town, Riku, in the way of the blade. Braig is still an apprentice himself, but among Ansem's apprentices he's become something of a leader (though Even never misses the chance to point out that Braig named himself, not that any of them ever agreed to this.) He's still well known, and liked, among the royal guard, but thankfully, or unfortunately, nothing really major has happened to the city since the Unverse left.
As the ten year anniversary of the Battle for the Blade, aka the avoiding of the apocalypse, drew near, the four of them decided they should have a get together seeing as Aqua and Ven don't usually stay long in Radiant Gardens these days. Even if they all keep in touch, there is still some news to catch up on, including the surprise of Ven bringing along with him his own apprentice; a young boy named Sora who had only received the keyblade earlier that year. Introductions were had and stories were shared, not only for the adults as Sora and Riku were more than happy to wander off by themselves so Riku could show his best friend the new world and talk of what had been going on since he'd been away. Ven took Aqua and Terra aside to discuss with them some important matters regarding the boys, saying they would meet up with Braig in the library afterward.... which is where he went.... but didn't stay.
Perhaps it was something about the day. Perhaps it was something about the newcomer. Perhaps it was simply a cruel twist of fate. Whatever the case, as Braig was waiting alone in the library, there came a subtle shift in the air and a soft whispers he couldn't make out. Warping up to the second floor, thinking someone might be coming, he had intended to spy on them but that was the last normal thing he would remember as it seemed when he tried to teleport, he blacked out. When he awoke, it felt like hours had passed and the library was cold and dark and after looking more closely had appeared unused for quite some time. The castle was silent, eerily silent, as he couldn't hear any people moving or talking or the sound of the city outside. Running into the hall only confirmed this as the place looked abandoned and dirty and slightly broken in places, but there was some noise now as he noticed strange black creatures aimlessly wandering on the floor below. How long had he been asleep? Or was he still dreaming? It didn't feel like a dream, especially once a large black blob with a face full of teeth tried to attack him. After staggering against the wall, guns drawn, the dark blob was vanquished by a familiar face, or at least who looked like a familiar face, as Lexaeus asked "Xigbar" if something was wrong for him not to instinctively fight back.
Braig was too overjoyed to see some form of life to the place to hear the name, and it was only after he questioned Aeleus about what happened to Radiant Gardens that he noticed the man wasn't in uniform... and giving him a very strange look at being called by name... and holding a strange weapon in hand.
Lexaeus wondered the same thing about him, asking if Xigbar had lost his mind while exploring the long forgotten Hollow Bastion. Yes it had been their home at one time, but how could the man not remember what happened here? After concluding that something in the fortress was having a terrible effect on him, Lexaeus went to grab Xigbar to drag him back The World That Never Was to have him looked at for his own sake.
Braig realized that this thing that looked like his friend really gave him a weird feeling that it wasn't. There was something very off about him, and the way he spoke to him left a subtle chill. Braig turned the gun on the Aeleus doppelganger but when he realized he didn't have the heart to shoot, he decided to run instead. Passing empty rooms and black hungry monsters, he kept trying to convince himself it had to be a dream, no matter how real it seemed. The man in black was still after him, the creatures were still after him, and it seemed there was no human around who could help him. It made no sense. It wasn't until he saw out the window at the lack of city, the broken ground and water extending into the distance it struck him how bad it all was. With the dark clouds overhead, he hadn't seen a scene like this since he went with Aqua to their home world and saw for himself what Xehanort had done. It couldn't be the same thing though, Xehanort was gone! .... Right? As the situation sunk in, he began to feel weak and clung to the rail for support when Lexaeus caught up and decided to knock him out for safety's sake before taking going home.
After some confusion and discussion with the rest of the Nobody Apprentices, the group was able to clear up a few things including that Braig really was Braig and that Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus and Zexion weren't doppelgangers but they technically weren't his friends either. Also the truth about Radiant Gardens came about and how it had been nine years since Ansem was banished, the group lost their hearts, Xehanort took over, and the world fell to Darkness. They also came to the conclusion that with Xigbar missing, and Braig in his place, the best plan of action they could hope for was to try to switch them back before Xemnas discovered him for who knows what he would try to do with such an opportunity. However, having a human in the empty realm would likely attract anything in the area such as the Lessers or Heartless and eventually the higher ranks so the former scientists decided it would be best to try to hide him on one of the other worlds. Not for worry or care about Braig, mind you, but for some slight concern what sort of effect his presence might have on their universe and the fact that if anything happened to Braig on this side, they likely need both sides of the coin in one piece in order to switch them back.
Braig would like to get home, very very much so as the more he seems to learn about his "other half" the more worried he is about his friends and family having to deal with it. In the meantime though, he's been moved to Twilight Town and told to stay low.
... Like that's gonna happen.
Tl:dr
Braig actually betrayed Master Xehanort and sided with the trio during the final Birth by Sleep events. Ten years after the "war" a very weird phenomena/glitch/whatever you may call it caused him to switch places with Xigbar in the canon verse. While Braig is lost and confused and pretty stunned at seeing how badly things have gotten (and how many enemies he's made) Xigbar is taking full advantage of the opportunity. Braig's very presence seems to throw the entire chain of KH events off track while Xig has put the world in danger. A race against time and against all hope, Braig is trying to get home so he can stop his personal doppelganger and somehow set things right.
Actual summary:
Ten years ago, Braig Withers made the hardest decision of his life by betraying the master, teacher, and guardian he had always looked up to. At the final moments in the battle for the X-blade, he had sided to with Aqua and Ven to defeat Vanitas, hide the blade, and in rescuing Terra, Xehanort was sealed away. With their home destroyed, the three keybearers made something of a home in Radiant Gardens, while still traveling to take care of minor events around The World.
The years have passed, and Braig never got to leave Radiant Gardens since that one short run with the master, but things have settled rather peacefully. No one ever did find out what happened during that week or so he vanished into thin air, or even how he managed to come back crippled, but after discussing what happened on both sides of the incident with Terra the two have come to the conclusion that between the painful reminder to both of them, the connection it has with Xehanort, and it being a high point in the stupidity of their youth, they've agreed its a secret between them. They've both moved on anyway, each married with kids of his own, and Terra has been busy training the new boy in town, Riku, in the way of the blade. Braig is still an apprentice himself, but among Ansem's apprentices he's become something of a leader (though Even never misses the chance to point out that Braig named himself, not that any of them ever agreed to this.) He's still well known, and liked, among the royal guard, but thankfully, or unfortunately, nothing really major has happened to the city since the Unverse left.
As the ten year anniversary of the Battle for the Blade, aka the avoiding of the apocalypse, drew near, the four of them decided they should have a get together seeing as Aqua and Ven don't usually stay long in Radiant Gardens these days. Even if they all keep in touch, there is still some news to catch up on, including the surprise of Ven bringing along with him his own apprentice; a young boy named Sora who had only received the keyblade earlier that year. Introductions were had and stories were shared, not only for the adults as Sora and Riku were more than happy to wander off by themselves so Riku could show his best friend the new world and talk of what had been going on since he'd been away. Ven took Aqua and Terra aside to discuss with them some important matters regarding the boys, saying they would meet up with Braig in the library afterward.... which is where he went.... but didn't stay.
Perhaps it was something about the day. Perhaps it was something about the newcomer. Perhaps it was simply a cruel twist of fate. Whatever the case, as Braig was waiting alone in the library, there came a subtle shift in the air and a soft whispers he couldn't make out. Warping up to the second floor, thinking someone might be coming, he had intended to spy on them but that was the last normal thing he would remember as it seemed when he tried to teleport, he blacked out. When he awoke, it felt like hours had passed and the library was cold and dark and after looking more closely had appeared unused for quite some time. The castle was silent, eerily silent, as he couldn't hear any people moving or talking or the sound of the city outside. Running into the hall only confirmed this as the place looked abandoned and dirty and slightly broken in places, but there was some noise now as he noticed strange black creatures aimlessly wandering on the floor below. How long had he been asleep? Or was he still dreaming? It didn't feel like a dream, especially once a large black blob with a face full of teeth tried to attack him. After staggering against the wall, guns drawn, the dark blob was vanquished by a familiar face, or at least who looked like a familiar face, as Lexaeus asked "Xigbar" if something was wrong for him not to instinctively fight back.
Braig was too overjoyed to see some form of life to the place to hear the name, and it was only after he questioned Aeleus about what happened to Radiant Gardens that he noticed the man wasn't in uniform... and giving him a very strange look at being called by name... and holding a strange weapon in hand.
Lexaeus wondered the same thing about him, asking if Xigbar had lost his mind while exploring the long forgotten Hollow Bastion. Yes it had been their home at one time, but how could the man not remember what happened here? After concluding that something in the fortress was having a terrible effect on him, Lexaeus went to grab Xigbar to drag him back The World That Never Was to have him looked at for his own sake.
Braig realized that this thing that looked like his friend really gave him a weird feeling that it wasn't. There was something very off about him, and the way he spoke to him left a subtle chill. Braig turned the gun on the Aeleus doppelganger but when he realized he didn't have the heart to shoot, he decided to run instead. Passing empty rooms and black hungry monsters, he kept trying to convince himself it had to be a dream, no matter how real it seemed. The man in black was still after him, the creatures were still after him, and it seemed there was no human around who could help him. It made no sense. It wasn't until he saw out the window at the lack of city, the broken ground and water extending into the distance it struck him how bad it all was. With the dark clouds overhead, he hadn't seen a scene like this since he went with Aqua to their home world and saw for himself what Xehanort had done. It couldn't be the same thing though, Xehanort was gone! .... Right? As the situation sunk in, he began to feel weak and clung to the rail for support when Lexaeus caught up and decided to knock him out for safety's sake before taking going home.
After some confusion and discussion with the rest of the Nobody Apprentices, the group was able to clear up a few things including that Braig really was Braig and that Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus and Zexion weren't doppelgangers but they technically weren't his friends either. Also the truth about Radiant Gardens came about and how it had been nine years since Ansem was banished, the group lost their hearts, Xehanort took over, and the world fell to Darkness. They also came to the conclusion that with Xigbar missing, and Braig in his place, the best plan of action they could hope for was to try to switch them back before Xemnas discovered him for who knows what he would try to do with such an opportunity. However, having a human in the empty realm would likely attract anything in the area such as the Lessers or Heartless and eventually the higher ranks so the former scientists decided it would be best to try to hide him on one of the other worlds. Not for worry or care about Braig, mind you, but for some slight concern what sort of effect his presence might have on their universe and the fact that if anything happened to Braig on this side, they likely need both sides of the coin in one piece in order to switch them back.
Braig would like to get home, very very much so as the more he seems to learn about his "other half" the more worried he is about his friends and family having to deal with it. In the meantime though, he's been moved to Twilight Town and told to stay low.
... Like that's gonna happen.
