Skuld

Skuld is a Keyblade wielder introduced in Kingdom Hearts χ, who is part of the same Union as Ephemera.

Kingdom Hearts χ
After returning back to Daybreak Town, Chirithy commends The Player's success with their missions - though The Player admits that they're exhausted from all the work they've been doing. Chirithy agrees that it's been hard lately, citing the other Unions intensifying their efforts to collect Lux as the reason. Skuld hears this from afar and questions why The Player and Chirithy are competing in the first place, emerging through a Lane and reminding the two that all the Unions have the same goal: to protect the Light. Skuld states that it's when those who seek to gain supremacy over the other Unions and start collecting more Lux that the goal changes. Intrigued, Chirithy asks who Skuld is, prompting her introduction. After shaking hands with Chirithy and The Player, Skuld asks if she's right to assume that they know Ephemera - shocking them both. When Skuld notes their confusion, she explains to The Player and Chirithy that she and Ephemera come from the same party, and that Ephemera ascended the ranks rather quickly and easily - however something changed within him, and soon after that Ephemera left their Party. Skuld then adds that Ephemera had visited her in her dreams and instructed her to work alongside The Player - which Chirithy asks for clarification on - though Skuld admits that she's equally as confused. Furthermore, since Ephemera left their Party, they've crossed paths several times - though he wouldn't even acknowledge her, so she doesn't know why he's appearing in her dreams or why she's meant to work with The Player now, in fact she'd sought out The Player in hopes that they may know something. The Player explains to Skuld that Ephemera had appeared to them in a dream as well - and that he'd told them to wait. Hearing this, Skuld asks if The Player could return to the area they and Ephemera went to, only with her this time - but Chirithy outright denies this as a possibility because Master Ava had explicitly told them not to go near there. However, Skuld reasons that there had to be something there, especially since Ephemera had told her to team up with The Player. Just as Skuld is about to divulge one more thing, a loud rumbling is heard from afar, prompting Skuld, Chirithy and The Player to seek out the source of the sound.

Together, the group finds the Anguis Foreteller fighting with the Ursus Foreteller on the rooftops nearby, with Skuld questioning why the Foretellers are fighting, noting that it is just as Ephemera had said. This confuses and shocks both The Player and Chirithy, prompting Skuld to reveal that a while back, Ephemera had told her in one of her dreams that the end of the world was drawing near. Chirithy asks what that could possibly mean, but Skuld admits that she doesn't know, but that an ending comes without warning - similarly to Ephemera's sudden disappearance. This sparks encouragement within The Player - who insists that they get moving and begins to lead Skuld to the spot they and Ephemera went to - only for a hoard of Black Costume Heartless to emerge from a Lane in front of them. The Black Costume Heartless begin remarking on Lux, demanding that The Player give them Lux.

Unexpectedly, the Black Costumes flee as a Nightmare Chirithy appears. Chirithy questions who they are - only to realize that it's none other than the Chirithy he'd encountered before whose fur had darkened. The Nightmare Chirithy states that in the end, Lux is the source of conflict, so he recommends that The Player just hand it over, though it is fine if they want to keep it. When Chirithy remarks on the changed Chirithy, the Nightmare Chirithy asks if he likes its new form, to which Chirithy remarks that the Nightmare Chirithy has allowed the Darkness in. Confused, the Nightmare Chirithy asks why The Player, Skuld and Chirithy hate the Darkness so much, stating that the world has periods of day and night, and so does everyone else, so what are they afraid of. This leads Chirithy to the realization that the Heartless they'd just seen used to be Keyblade Wielders, which the Nightmare Chirithy confirms. Skuld is shocked by this revelation, and so the Nightmare Chirithy reveals that the Hearts of those who'd become Heartless feared the Darkness, and so the Darkness consumed them, whereas if you accept the Darkness you can control it and obtain true strength. Continuing, the Nightmare Chirithy reveals that the Black Costumes don't use the power of the Book of Prophecies' fragments (The Cards), which The Player and Skuld fight with, but Chirithy states that they're not meant to teach their wielders about that. The Nightmare Chirithy finds this intriguing, stating that what they're meant to teach is completely unrelated because no one could teach the truth of this world, it's something that they have to find themselves. Growing frustrated, Chirithy asks who the Nightmare Chirithy is tied to - but the Nightmare Chirithy simply laughs and states that it's someone close to them, before disappearing.

Appearance
Skuld has black hair that reaches to her mid-back and amber-colored eyes. She wears a gray zippered shirt under black vest, and a black skirt with a studded belt around it, and a brown belt around her arm. She also wears black boots strapped with brown belts with black, knee-high stockings, and a pair of pink star-shaped earrings. She is seen wielding an upgraded version of the Starlight Keyblade.

Etymology
Skuld's name is taken from Norse mythology, where she is one of the Norns, and is the one in charge of the future.