Shadows of the Past

Artexi:<They're good people, or try to be anyway. That doesn't mean we aren't. Even if I could, I wouldn't go back.>
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*Monu summons his keyblade*

<I feel kind of bad about attacking them.>
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Safian:<Did you win at least?>

Azuma: "That Saark guy is gone at least."

Hitomi: "A small victory."

"If they stand against us they forfeit any mercy," Mortal said, "Besides, we're in a rush, remember."

--

Noct shrugged and said, "Whatever, I don't really feel like arguing about who is the nicer person. If there isn't something better to do than that I'll go to sleep instead."

*As her fire runs out, Thiera blasts ice to stop any goons from attacking them head one. Mortal & Monu each find themselves attacked by 2 goons wielding spears & maces, respectively.*
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R"Actually, Tron sort of implied that Avici could bring him back if he wanted to."

L"So if this 'Sark' is not revived, then we will be in serious trouble?"

R"Seems that way."

L"Then I guess we have no choice. We'll have to avoid that world until we learn more about it."
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N"Well, I'm going out looking for Heartless. So there is that."

Azuma: "You think there'll be anything about it not in the library down there? On another note, Lilith. Mind if we talk for a minute uh..."

He looks around before pointing at some space debris or something that'd be around.

Azuma: "Behind that garbage over there?"

*Monu uses Air Raid on the two goons attacking him*
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Artexi:<Oh, I'll come!>

Mortal stabs her keyblades into the ground to use Horror of Akrotiri on her aggressors.

--

Noct shrugs, "I suppose it is better than just staying here."

*Why he let go of his Keyblade to attack things right in front of him is beyond me. He mauls the mace-wielding goon to death & Mortal eliminates her attackers. Thiera finishes off the group with Thunder, then taps on the castle doors, which open up to darkness.*
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L"Uh, sure."

*So Lilith flies behind some space junk.*
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<Thought they'd never leave.>
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*Meanwhile, the other 3 members of the Organization are hanging out in space. Nero points.*

"That was fast. There's a huge amount of Heartless building up in that direction."

*Not many attacking moves. Monu looks to Thiera and Mortal*

<Shall we proceed?>
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Eve:<Shall we talk inside?>

*She gestures inside her quarters*
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<Then let's go that way!>

*So she does*

Mortal creates a ball of fire, and uses it to light up the place, "Lets."

--

Noct remains quiet, wondering if Eve was a into chicks, then shrugging because she wasn't sure she could get passed the green tinted hair anyway.

*And so they enter a circular room. At the back of the room, with a staircase on either side, is a tall platform upon which sits a throne. And, on the throne, a really goth lady with a staff. Obviously, they can't see much of her face, due to the limited lighting*

T"Are you Maleficent?"

<Don't ask foolish questions, Child. And don't bother telling me your names...Thiera...Mortal...Monu....>

*She points to each of them in turn.*
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*Team Rocket Nero also blasts off again. As he's following Artexi, 3 Dragonfly Gummis approach from the direction they are headed in.*
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*Senthose follows.*

*Eve leads Senthose through another door inside, completely skipping the lab and ending up in a small sitting room with two chairs. Eve sits in one, gesturing to the other*

<So, how did it go?>
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*Monu grips his keyblade*

<You are obviously well informed.>
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*Artexi fires on the gummis*

Mortal points her keyblade at the witch, "Knowing our names doesn't grant you any power over us!"

--

"Well, I suppose we were here for the heartless anyway," Noct said, snapping out of her day dream. She doesn't attack because her glider can't do that.

*Nero also fires, & the Dragonflies are dispatched in no time.*

N"Those were either scouts, or lost. There will be more, so stay alert."

*Soon, they pass into an asteroid belt. A particularly large asteroid explodes nearby, sending debris at Artexi & Noctis, while a Driller swings its other drill at Nero.*
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<Why, that is what magic is for, child In particular, I have power over darkness & sleep.>

*She waves her hand over the gem in her staff, & tendrils of darkness seep off of Mortal like an odor. Thiera looks at her, shocked.*

<And you, my dear, have a great deal of sleeping darkness. Best not grow drowsy.>
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<I had to pick up Braig on the way. The Order found out about Avici, so he had to leave. I sent the first wave of Heartless to Radiant Garden, & dropped Braig off with the witches & wizards. The Keyhole was easy enough to find. It was protected by a simple maze.>

Eve:<So, what's done is done. What is your plan now?>
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*Artexi dodges around the debris, then fires*
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*Monu looks to Mortal then back at the fairy*

Noct tries to evade the debris, doing her best to keep Artexi between her and the asteroid.

--

Mortal examines herself then looks back at Maleficent, her voice more resolute than before, "You don't scare me. I'm stronger than any darkness. I'll overcome it even if the darkness comes from within!"

<Little aspiring Keyblade Master...darkness is a force far older & vaster than you could possibly comprehend. You'll learn that in good time. But in the present....>

*She stands up.*

<It would seem that we both have pressing business to attend to elsewhere.>

"What? You're not mad that we've invaded your castle?"

<It has grown too small for me. You may have it, & all within...provided that you can pay the price.>

*She waves her hand over the gem in her staff again. This time, it glows with green fire, throwing her twisted grin & flashing eyes into harsh shadow.*

<All those who from my dungeon break, from their nightmares, shall never wake! Princess Aurora shall not be saved. As for the lot of you...I did say that everything in my castle would be your burden to bear.>

*At that point, what is clearly a giant sewing machine kicks down another door & gallops into the center of the room, whereupon it rears up on its back "legs" & kicks its "forelegs" like a horse.*

"It has the symbol, it's an Unversed!"

*Meanwhile, Maleficent spreads her arms & disappears in darkness & green fire, her laughter reverberating even after she's gone.*
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*Nero has no choice but to swing his Glider forward, as a shield. The attack puts a crack in it & sends him spiraling into another asteroid. Once he regains control, he fires lasers at the asteroids around the driller, causing them to slam into it, breaking its helmet & stunning it. Noctis & Artexi notice that some of the "asteroids" on the horizon are changing direction & moving towards the trio.*
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<Avici has his Keyblade now. He will need to be introduced to the rest of the Organization. We can say that I created him at the request of the Radiant Garden staff, who couldn't control their computer system after Ansem's...untimely disappearance at the hands of the Heartless. Which, of course, we were asked not to talk about to outsiders.>

Azuma takes a looksy behind the debris or whatever as if looking to see if anyone else is paying attention.

Azuma: "Roatha went a little crazy in the computer world. Like a split personality or something of the sort."

*Eve shrugs*

<Sounds reasonable.>
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*Artexi points at the astroids, then fires on the driller again*
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<Damn it!>

*Monu uses Wind Raid on the sewing machine*

"A... a sewing machine? I was expecting something... better," Mortal said, disappointed, "Like, something big and majestic." With a small sigh she creates two fireballs and launches them at the giant sewing machine.

--

Noct squints, "I'm not exactly an astronomer, but I don't think asteroids are supposed to change direction like that."

L"What are you talking about?"
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"It's a big, dangerous monster, & you're complaining that it's not big & dangerous ENOUGH!?"

*The Wheel Master, now sporting slight black marks & cuts on its "face," points its spindle at Mortal & fires a thick stream of yellow thread, which only hits Thiera's ice wall. It then starts swinging around the arm that its wheel is on, the wheel also spinning more rapidly.*
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*The Driller explodes, leaving behind pieces of itself.*

N"Probably more ships."

*Nero fires in that general direction.*
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"Then I'll be heading for bed. No need to tell him the plan, for obvious reasons."

*He stands up.*

"Well, yeah..." Mortal said, "I mean, where is the glory in killing this?" As she talked, Mortal launched another fireball, then prepared herself to dodge whatever was going on with the wheel arm.

--

"Well, get on that then," Noct said, reclining back into her glider while everyone else worked.

*Eve looks down, a sad expression flitting across her face, then stands as well*

<Good night then.>
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*Monu raises an earth shield to block the arm*
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*Artexi glares at Noct*

<What's gotten into you?>

*She also fires in that direction*

T"We're fighting to protect, not for personal glory!"

*It chucks the spiked wheel, which bounces off of the earth shield & a couple of pillars to come at them from behind. Thiera blocks with another ice wall, at which point it flips into the air, & falls towards them. The Wheel Master also jumps towards their location.*
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*When the Dragonflies get close enough, they begin firing, mostly just destroying nearby asteroids.*
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*And so Senthose fucks off via Dark Corridor.*

Azuma: "What I just said. The boy isn't right. There's something inside him and it's not pleasant to be around."