Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Reappearing in his room, Helios motioned for the Moogles to sit on a small bench near the desk. They looked around warily, their round pom-poms bobbing as their eyes darted across the room. One of them finally spoke, its tiny voice quivering. "Where are we, kupo? Is this really safe? Why is that person not moving?"

"This is my house," Helios replied, though he mentally noted it was technically Merlin's. "The barrier around this place keeps the Heartless those monsters out—for now, at least. It's safe enough. Also, don't worry too much about him; he's a deep sleeper."

The Moogles exchanged glances, their tension easing slightly, though curiosity still danced in their wide eyes. "And how do you plan to get us somewhere safer, kupo?" one of them asked.

Helios smiled faintly, pulling out the three Lucid Shards he had collected earlier. "That's where you come in," he said, holding the crystalline objects up for them to see.

The Moogles stared at the shards, their expressions shifting from curiosity to alarm. "What are those, kupo?" one asked, taking a shard in its paw.

"These," Helios explained calmly, "are crystals formed from the energy of the monsters attacking the town. They're harmless now, just inert shards."

But the word "monsters" made the Moogles recoil. One of them shook its head frantically and said, "We don't deal with anything from those monsters, kupo!" They threw the shards away in panic.

Helios moved swiftly, catching the shards mid-air and chuckling softly. "Relax," he said, his voice calm and even. "I promise, these are safe. They're just condensed energy. I want you to take these and turn them into useful accessories or items."

The Moogles blinked, their fear giving way to confusion. "Accessories? Items? Kupo?" one repeated, tilting its head.

Helios stood and gestured for them to wait. "Give me a moment." He left the room, heading quickly to Merlin's study. After a brief search, he found the book he was looking for—a tome titled Introduction to Alchemy. He had tried to make sense of its contents before, but its complexity had thwarted his attempts. He returned to the room and handed the book to the Moogles.

"Here," he said. "This should explain what I'm talking about."

The Moogles opened the book and flipped through its pages, their tiny hands brushing over the diagrams and formulas. They looked intrigued, their curiosity growing. "This is advanced stuff, kupo," one of them murmured. "Turning crystals into equipment… it might be possible, but it's not something we've ever done before."

"Could you learn?" Helios asked, his tone patient but insistent.

The other Moogle nodded slowly, though its pom-pom bobbed with uncertainty. "Maybe, kupo. But it would take a lot of practice, and we'd need more materials to experiment with. It might take years to master."

Helios leaned back against the desk, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Materials I can provide," he said. "And time? I'm patient."

The Moogles exchanged glances, their curiosity now fully piqued. "So what exactly do you want from us, kupo?" one asked.

"I want you to take these shards and this book," Helios said, gesturing to both, "and practice. Experiment. Learn how to turn these into something useful. In exchange, I'll make sure you get to safety."

He opened a dark corridor behind him, its swirling black and purple edges glowing faintly in the dim light. "This leads to a place where you'll be safe," he said. "And if I find any other Moogles in the city, I'll send them to join you. You'll have everything you need to build a new life—and to learn."

The Moogles hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Alright, kupo," one said. "We'll take the deal. This sounds... interesting. And maybe profitable."

Helios smiled as he handed them the shards and the book. "Good choice," he said. "Once you're there, I'll leave it to you to explain everything to any others who arrive. I'll send more materials when I can."

The Moogles stepped toward the corridor, their tiny feet making almost no sound on the wooden floor. As they vanished into the swirling darkness, Helios watched the portal close with a faint sense of satisfaction. This had been an unexpected gain on his part.

As the room fell silent again, an idea began to form in Helios's mind. He turned his thoughts inward, directing his focus to Kurai. "Kurai," he said aloud, his voice low and thoughtful. "Sora could summon individuals with strong hearts whose worlds fell to darkness, right?"

Kurai's voice slithered into his mind, calm and full of dark amusement. "That's correct. Summons, as they're called in your memories."

Helios frowned slightly, turning one of the shards over in his hands. "Those summons—are they... crystallized light? Is that what's left behind when a strong heart filled with light falls to darkness?"

"Exactly," Kurai replied, its tone almost smug. "Just as darkness can be shaped by light, the reverse is true. When a powerful heart steeped in light succumbs to the shadows, it leaves behind a crystal. Those crystals retain the essence of the heart's strength, waiting for someone with the right connection to call upon it."

Helios's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "So, just as those shards were condensed darkness shaped by light, there are crystals of light shaped by darkness. That must be what happened to Kairi when Master Xehanort attacked her in the future. Interesting. Then theoretically it should be possible to make..."

Kurai chuckled, the sound resonating in Helios's mind like a dark echo. "A worthy goal in my opinion. But be warned: not all such crystals are easily found. Not all hearts are made equally and a massive amount of darkness is required. So if you wish to do so it might be better to drop the person in the realm of darkness."

Helios pocketed his hands as he decided he would need to study these materials further, to understand their true potential. And if darkness could both be crystallized, then perhaps crystallized hearts could be used as synthesis materials. It would probably destroy the heart in question but it's an idea to shelf for later.

"For now, I'll head back in the city to see if I can find any more Moogles and then check out how the castle assault is going," said Helios as he opened a dark corridor.