Shadows Swarm

Azuma calls his Keyblade and charges the centaur while Hitomi falls back.

Ice runs up the length of the Oblivion while Hitomi uses Bad Moon Rising on Azuma to enhance the power of his Ice abilities.

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Taiyo: "Aphrodite sounds nice."

Eve:<I can take you there.>

*She starts heading out, however she stops to wave at Artexi and Axel*

<Coming?>

*Artexi follows*
---
Monu:<Apollo sounds nice.>

*He looks at Lilith again*

<What do you think?>
===
*Safian licks Thiera's hand*

<It's ok, you join Athena and I'll find someone else.>

L"It really doesn't matter to me."
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T"...If you say so."

*She looks at her hand, which is now all gross & slimy.*

Athena<What makes you think you would make the grade? What strategic insights can you offer?>
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*He is able to call upon more ice & break through the centaur's gladius. However, being part-horse, the centaur is able to leap aside just before the blade would make contact, leaving several enlarged Blizarras on a collision course with Azuma.*
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Axel<Nah, I got places to be, sorry. You go on ahead, though.>

*Axel waves goodbye.*

*Walking to the storage tanks then*

Artexi:<I see you have a mushroom too. Can I get one?>
---
*Safian starts rubbing against Thiera and purring*
===
Monu:<Are you sure?>

Azuma shields himself while Hitomi casts Stop Flow on the centaur.

L"No, wait, on second thought, I only said it twice, so yes, I'm sure."

E"Well, there's no reason to get snippy."

L"There is a lot of reason to get snippy! Roatha's been replaced by his Evil Twin, who's surely at Organization HQ by now, & everything he said before he left is true! Our mission has been nothing but a constant stream of failures! Senthose literally picks his minions up off of the streets & they're outmaneuvering us easily! I'm surprised Mom hasn't ordered us back & took over already. What if she doesn't even know?"
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*So they eventually find themselves in a room with assorted tables & equipment. 1 wall is dominated by a tank of green fluid with several Hearts floating in it. Pipes run from the top & bottom of the tank. Most enter the walls at other points, but a few run into smaller containers on the equipment containers. The Mushroom Heartless turns around & begins stomping angrily, pointing at a shadow by the door. It can be seen that its clipboard has a doodle of itself pouring something from 1 beaker into an identical beaker.*
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T"Well, my abilities are ideally suited for sticking close to other teammates & defending against attacks, but if I don't HAVE any other teammates, they also allow me to wait for enemies to approach to draw them into an inevitable defeat. Should they attempt to make distance & attack from afar, I can defend myself with barriers until I have an opening to use Magnet. Though perhaps I would benefit from doing some research into cloaking magic."

Athena<Interesting. But suppose your match was timed, or did not allow you to use magic?>

"Any enemy which refuses to approach me in a timed match is only hurting their own chances of success. If they don't care about that, I can still quickly reposition myself with Float & Fire Glide. If I am unable to use magic, I still know basic self-defense with the Keyblade."

*She holds out her hand & it appears.*

"Furthermore, my Oathkeeper is ideally suited to capturing enemy weapons & targeting their exposed weaknesses."

Athena<Most impressive. Consider yourself a valued member of my vanguard.>
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<Sorcery!>

*Thinking quickly, he throws the broken gladius at her to try to throw her off & tries to redraw his arrow while running.*

Hitomi directs a Keyblade to defend herself while firing Wisdom Shots with the other.

Azuma casts Dark on the centaur.

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Taiyo: "What if we get him back before she finds out?"

Artexi:<Uh, what's it doing?>

*Eve shrugs, but checks out the shadow*
---
Monu:<Then Apollo it is!>

*He claps his hands*

<Lilith, we can send your mother a message if you want. Also, we have helped save many worlds.>
===
*Safian looks happy, but she's a lion so it's rather hard to tell*

*As far as Eve can tell, it's just an ordinary shadow.*
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"Thank you. But, if you'll excuse me, I need to help my friend find a team of her own to join."

<Carry on, then.>

*The goddess turns back into a statue.*
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L"This isn't the vase that I broke when I was 12. And I ended up blaming Thiera for that, anyway."

*Zack stops in mid-squat.*

Zack<So, you guys are actually from another world? I've heard stories.>

L"No, shut up & go away!"

Zack<Oh, I know! You're on a secret mission right? Don't worry, my lips are sealed!>

*He actually makes the little lip-zipping gesture.*

E"Uh, alright. So, where can we find--"

Zack<Oh, if you just go down that way & take your 3rd right, there's an alley full of Moogles who can point you to any god or goddess that you want.>

*He points. Euryale looks, as if expecting to see something, then looks back & raises an eyebrow.*

E"Moogles?"

L"A common type of fairy-like creature with numerous special abilities."
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*He evades by running & leaps into the bushes. He disappears from sight, but they can hear him galloping around to Hitomi's rear end.*

The Keyblades circle around her while Azuma moves in closer to Hitomi.

*Safian rubs against Thiera*

<We better head back.>
===
*Monu bows*

<Thank you for letting us know. Shall we head over there?>
---
*Eve gets up and heads over to the valve*

Artexi:<Will I feel different?>

Eve:<You'll have to tell me.>

*The centaur, of course, leaps out at them.*
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L"I guess."

*Lilith slowly stands up.*
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*The mushroom tugs on Eve's sleeve, still pointing at the shadows.*
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T"I don't really want to. Besides, we still have to find a team for you, remember?"

*Safian's tail swishes*

<Ok. Let's go find a library or something.>
===
*Monu smiles, then exits*
---
*Eve looks at the mushroom*

<What is it about that shadow?>

Hitomi blasts it with Blizzard. And lots of it while Azuma hits it with Darkga.

T"I don't think they would let you in. In any case, my basic knowledge has proven to be quite accurate."
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*She is unable to attack before the centaur tackles her & starts stomping. He gets a head-on strike from Darkga, but it also begins lashing at Hitomi.*
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*She lazily follows after him, staring at the ground. After a while, Euryale follows as well.*

E"...She's taking this pretty hard. Wish there was something I could do."
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*The mushroom just points more emphatically.*

Azuma moves in close and pulls the centaur to him via Dark Impulse, following through with a single one-handed strike with Oblivion.

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Taiyo also follows.

*Monu falls back to walk beside Lilith*
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Safian:<So who's the nature goddess here?>
---
*Eve goes back over to the shadow, then looks back at the mushroom. Artexi looks annoyed*

T"Hm...I suppose that would depend on your definition. Gaia is the literal representative of the Earth. Demeter is the goddess of plants & harvest. Artemis is the goddess of the forests, animals, & hunting."
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*The Mushroom curls its stubby arm things over its head like fists & shakes them above its head. Then, with a jump & a spin, it disappears into a Dark Corridor, leaving behind the clipboard & labcoat, which fall to the floor.*
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*They soon arrive at Cosplay Alley. Euryale immediately spots the Moogle dressed as Artemis & heads over. Nearby is a Moogle with an enormous blond wig & a pink toga clasped with a heart, which is most likely Aphrodite's Moogle.*
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*1 of these hits manages to cut the string of the centaur's necklace, but his actual wounds are shallow, so he clasps it to his chest with his left hand & face punches Azuma with his right, rearing up for a horse kick.*

Hitomi casts Thundaga on the centaur.

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Taiyo goes to the Aphrodite moogle.

*Eve looks rather sad, and picks up the fallen stuff*

<I'll miss the little guy.>

Artexi:<Can I get my heart back now?>

*Eve goes over to the valve and begins to open it*
---
<I think Artemis sounds good.>
===
*Monu looks around for the Apollo moogle*

A. Moogle<Kupo?>

*There is a Moogle with a sort of caped armor who has a gold head crest &, more importantly, a sun on his chest.*
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*She knocks out both the centaur & Azuma. The coin falls to the ground & shatters, wisps of darkness leaving it. Artemis reappears in a tornado of leaves.*

<Good golly, what happened here?>

OOC: Thiera/Safian?

*Eve full opens the valve, while Artexi steps forward expectantly*
---
*Monu goes over to the moogle*

<Greetings. Are you Apollo's representative?>

OOC: Individually targetting abilities now hit multiple targets.

Hitomi: "We dealt with a poacher."

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Taiyo: "Can I join Aphrodite's team?"

OOC: When they are right on top of each other & it calls down lightning, yes. It's like you've never even played a Kingdom Hearts game.

Artemis<I see that. Well, if it ain't Chirion. Thought he woulda learned his lesson the last time. Well, this oughta teach him.>

*She pulls out her own arrow & shoots the centaur. Instead of piercing him, it dissolves into a vortex of leaves, which changes Chirion into a boar. She then jabs her bow into a tree, where it transforms into a branch, & walks over to inspect Azuma.*

Artemis<Looks like he was struck by lightning. If you kids're playin' with magic, oughta be careful where ya aim it at.>
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OOC: I already told you how this works on MSN, I'm not typing it again.
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Aphrodite Moogle<Only an act of true love will prove your worth, Kupo!>

*She throws a bunch of pink, heart-shaped confetti, which likely sticks to Taiyo.*

Apollo Moogle<That I am, Kupo. If you want to take the test, Kupo, just go back to the Coliseum & ask Phil to enter you in the chariot tug.>

*Euryale points to the forest.*

E"So, apparently, I have to fight some poachers. I'll be right back."
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T"Are you sure? What if she tries to hunt you?"

OOC: And that's the story of how single and multi-targetting became the same thing.

Hitomi heals heals him.

Hitomi: "Are there any others?"

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Taiyo doesn't look too excited to have confetti thrown in her face.

Taiyo: "That should be easy."

And so she follows Euryale to a dark spooky forest.