First Blood Shed

Well, at least for now it looked like everything was safe considering those Heartless just exploded and the pirates were repulsed for the time being. He began moving forward as soon as Thiera said the word quickly, but then he was stopped just as Lilith made Thiera freeze in place. Soon enough, though, there was something more important to deal with. Without saying anything, he pointed his Keyblade up at the Air Pirates and fired a blast of Light Orbit at them. "Eat plasma...End of Line!"

*The various spells tear through the Air Pirates, obliterating them. Monu presumably left the pirates just sitting somewhere, so Lilith quickly lets go of Thiera & uses Resin Raid on them.*

L"They don't seem to be injured. How tough are these guys?"

Th"That is just it, they can only be harmed in the moonlight. They are some manner of mystically-animated undead."

*Lilith furrows her brow, then concentration begins to dawn on her.*

L"That's--is that how Barbossa survived our fight?"

*Meanwhile, they hear sounds of another fight going on in a nearby, squat building conveniently marked with a jail sign.*
============================
*After Safian destroys 2 more Screwdivers, she starts to notice a problem with this plan: Every time she does, they turn on the direction they're being attacked from & cut the shit out of her.*

E"So what brought on this change? Is it the same thing that turned you into whatever you are now?"

*Since Buzzsaw Raid can only be active for a few seconds, Roatha catches the Keyblade again. Euryale disenages as he stabs at her tail, swinging the Ends of Earth behind her to keep the trio of Screwdivers back. While Roatha turns to face Taiyo with his Keyblades in a blocking formation, the Search Ghosts begin moving again, aimlessly swimming around, scanning the water with their search lights.*

R"Ah, that's right, you freaks weren't there when I fought Shitomi & Emo."

*Euryale squints at him as she rolls, swimming down & to the right, scraping her Keyblade along the sandy ground to pick up some rocks.*
===========================
*A high, nasally voice starts screaming for Sally.*

Sally<That's my father. I'd better go. Hopefully, he'll have a way to stop the berserk Tentaclaws.>

*After she leaves, Daisy turns her attention to Nero.*

Daisy<Do you plan to explain what's going on at some point?>

N"Roatha was possessed by the darkness. I used the Keyblade to get rid of the monster possessing him, but we couldn't destroy it. Now his Evil Twin is off somewhere, doubtless terrorizing someone else. Without him, we couldn't put Roatha back together. Lucky for him, my own heart was being corroded by the darkness. I had too much, he didn't have enough, & you know what they say, sharing is caring."

Daisy<I don't know anyone who says that.>

N"In this town, I can believe that. Anyway, between the 2 of us, we had enough parts for 1 working heart, which I guess I'm using for now. Eventually, it should grow & split in 2 again. Eventually. 'Til then, I took Roatha to Radiant Garden to sleep this whole thing off."
---------------------------------------------
*Meanwhile, Vega overkills a Tentaclaw & probably burns the facade of a house.*

Taiyo gives him something to block in the form of multi-casting Maelstrom from the Diamond Dust.

========================

Theoretically, moon magic could dispose of the pirate because moon, but as that magic generally shows itself in various colors as opposed to the stark white of the moon, maybe it won't.

========================

Vega goes to the front door of the laboratory, knocking on the door as he's not a barbarian who just barges in all willy nilly.

"Well, considering that there's nothing for us out here except an army of the eternal living dead that we really can't fight, what say we instead duck in there and have a look at what's going on? I think I hear another bit of, oh I don't know, battle going on." Kyohaku blinked a bit as he motioned his thumb in the direction of the place that seemed to be almost too conveniently labeled a jail. Hopefully, he thought, they might have been able to find some adversaries in there that would have been a bit easier to fight and wouldn't require the glint of the moon to make them anything less than invincible.

*Since she's getting cut up, Safian abandons that plan, teleporting a ways in front of the Screwdivers. Then she sends several shadow clones to crash into the remaining heartless*
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Artexi:<...He is very lucky to have a friend like you.>
---
Monu:<I'm glad you figured that out.>

*He looks at Kyouhaku*

Monu:<I suppose it is worth a look.>

OOC: Leafy, just so you know, I've reopened BDM. Also sent you some updates about what's going on over Skype.

N"Hardly. I'm the reason he's in this mess to begin with."

Daisy<I don't understand. If he was possessed this entire time, does that mean he was never part of the Organization?>

N"That's...a long story that we don't have time for. We should focus on getting rid of these Tentaclaws. I should be fine now."

*He stands up & heads for the door.*
----------------------------------------------------
*The door creaks open because this place is creepy. Or because nobody shut the door. Or because the alternative is making him awkwardly wait outside, because there's no way anybody upstairs would be able to hear him. Anyway, he sees an empty foyer with a spiral staircase leading up to a vaulted door.*
=================================
*Lilith reluctantly lets go of her sister.*

L"Yeah. Do you think an illusion of the moon would be able to render the pirates vulnerable? If we encounter them in there?"

Th"There is only 1 way to find out."

*Inside of the jail, some [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] is backed against the wall, desperately flailing his sword to keep a group of Pirate Heartless away from him as he tries to shoot them. Because it would be a huge clusterfuck if everyone tried to attack in this cramped space, Lilith shifts her feet, flower petals falling around her before she darts forward, dispatching them all with Zantetsuken.*

Jack<My beloved friends! You came to rescue me! Oh happy day!>

*Looking to the side, they notice that Jack is in a cell, waving his arms enthusiastically. The mystery man points the pistol at them suspiciously.*

???<You're friends with this wretch?>

L"No. Now put that toy down before we hurt you."

Jack<Aw, c'mon, remember the good times we had? Escaping an island on a raft of turtles, thwarting my treacherous first mate....>

Th"You didn't tell me that you escaped an island on a raft made out of turtles."

L"That's because we didn't."

Jack<Shhh! Of course we did, mateys, you remember that! Now how 'bout lettin' your good friend Captain Jack out of this big birdcage so he can fly free, eh?>
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*Roatha sputters as he's fucked up by an underwater tornado. Euryale sees him trying to escape into a Dark Corridor, so she darts forward & dive-tackles him, at which point they thrash & roll around in the water. A Search Ghost spots them & slaps Euryale upside the head, presenting Roatha with an opportunity to get loose, though he's so wounded he can barely swim.*

R"If I'm goin' down, you're comin' with me!"

*He promptly swings the Omega Weapon at Euryale, connecting with Dark Faith. The attack quickly expands to destroy the Search Ghost who was attacking her, another Search Ghost that had set its eyes on Taiyo, & is about to envelope her as well. Meanwhile, Safian destroys the Screwdivers, leaving only (as far as they can tell) Roatha & a Search Ghost moving away from them, searching blindly in the wrong direction.*

Taiyo takes off towards Euryale, regaining the Stormfall. Moving to not be directly in the path of the attack, she uses both Keyblade to ensnare Euryale with Aqua Whip and pull her away. Maybe.

===================================

So he enters and heads upstairs, closing the door behind him as any civilized person would do and leaving doors open leads to bad things. Like leaving a car door unlocked in a slasher film. Who does that?

*Monu crosses his arms*

Monu:<Why did the inhabitants of this town jail you in the first place?>
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Artexi:<Wait, we just dragged you up here for nothing? You should rest. We can get rid of the Tentaclaws. Hell, Vega's probably burnt them and half the town down already.>
---
*Safian looks back at Roatha and Euryale, then darts back towards them. She uses Dark Splice to enter the safe epicenter of the attack, then attempts to knock out Roatha again*

"I thought an illusion wouldn't work since none of my light attacks worked, but I guess it's worth a try." Kyohaku had figured before that he would have been able to use one of his light attacks in some way to simulate the moon. That hadn't happened, but it didn't mean that someone else's technique wouldn't work in the end. Eventually he just found himself completely confused by what the other was saying for the time being. "Wait a minute, escaping on the backs of turtles? Was this before my time or something?" Of course, he was a bit confused on what a turtle was too. Turtles, to him, were a type of computer subroutine. "I kinda second Monu's question too..."

Th"Turtles are a kind of reptile, or egg-laying exothermic vertebrate with scaly skin, of the order testudines, characterized by their encasement in a large, cartilaginous shell for defense. They are typically amphibious, omnivorous, and slow-moving, due to their gait being restricted by the shape of their rigid shell. They come in many varieties, which...perhaps is not the most important matter to address at the moment...."

*She adds the last part after Lilith starts to glare at her. The mystery man reluctantly lowers his gun.*

???<He was attempting to commandeer-->

Jack<Borrow!>

???<COMMANDEER a ship in His Majesty's Royal Navy, the Interceptor. I, Will Turner, bested him in combat-->

Jack<You got lucky.>

Will<BESTED him in combat, & now he's waiting to be hanged for piracy. I only came back to find out why this rabble is attacking the port.>

Th"That is also what we were hoping to learn."

L"Well, whatever it is, they seem to have found it. The music is fading from the town. They must be leaving."

Jack<Right, so you'll need a guide if you're going to be following them.>

Will<And why would we do a fool thing like that? Outside of Port Royal, they're no threat to the citizens. Let the Navy take care of them.>
----------------------------------------------------
*Euryale is groaning & floating a bit like a dead fish, wisps of darkness radiating from her heart. Roatha is too busy blocking Safian with the Ultima Weapon to stop Taiyo. He promptly jerks up to expose her underbelly & jabs the Omega Weapon at her chest.*
=================================
N"I'm fine. I told you I would only need a minute."

*He opens the door & heads down, where they see Vega now in the crowd. Dr. Finklestein is shaking his head in dismay, Sally massaging his shoulders with Jack by her side as the other inhabitants look on in worry.*

Dr<It's just no use! The Tentaclaws are easy enough to destroy, but they've formed some sort of subterranean root system. Each Tentaclaw is connected to all of the others, so they just grow back soon after they're destroyed!>

"I just asked if it was before my time." Kyohaku didn't want to admit that the definition of turtle he had been given there was very different from the one that he was thinking of. He just kept quiet as a result. That was when the concept of a guide came up and fortunately that shifted the conversation away from him. Sure, that also made the conversation involve a firearm, but it didn't make it too much less of a good thing as he was still feeling like he wouldn't have to say anything in response to what Thiera was saying at that point.

Taiyo disengages one of the Keyblades to blast Not!Roatha with bubbles.

=======================

Azuma: "If him accompanying us by himself is a problem, accompany us as his supervisor."

=======================

Vega: "Then that is what we'll destroy."

*Safian uses Dark Splice to teleport around to Roatha's back, then completes the attack*
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Monu:<Unfortunately, this are not quite your run-of-the-mill pirates. We will need to track them down, and to do that, we may very well need a guide...>
---
Artexi:<Any idea where underground?>

*The bubbles & Keyblade rip through Roatha as he suddenly becomes less solid & more like oil. The damage doesn't stop with just the holes punched into him; they widen & spread, until he becomes wispy & starts breaking into pieces, the reddish shadows dispersing throughout the sea. The Keyblades, of course, disappear as soon as his arms are ripped away. He smiles weakly.*

"You see? No matter how hard you fight, every heart returns to darkness.... You won't stop the worlds from blinking out either...prob'ly won't even make it...to see the end...guess soon we'll be...together again...after...all...."

*He lets out a soft laugh that trails into a sigh just before his mouth is pulled apart. All that's left is a heart radiating pure darkness, only the faint red aura of its rage to illuminate it. Soon that also snaps, blinks out, & fades away.*
---------------------------------------------
William<You can't let a pirate go free!>

L"Would you prefer to have these islands overrun by monsters & unkillable pirates?>

*For some time, William doesn't answer, & they just sort of awkwardly listen to the gales outside pounding against the creaky, old building, with the occasional interjection of thunder & lightning. Eventually, Lilith summons the Divine Rose & taps the cage's lock. After a click, it drifts right open, & Jack walks out.*

Jack<Thanks, love. So, you're to be me new crew, is that what I'm hearing?>
====================================
*Finklestein turns his wheelchair around, Sally stepping back to allow this.*

Finklestein<My specimens will link together, but unlike in the wild, they will not regrow when killed. So there must be a central plant that can regrow all of the others. As to where that is-->

N"It will be in the darkest, most dangerous place in Halloween Town."

*Jack Skellington steps forward, snapping his phalanges.*

Jack<Of course! Oogie's Mansion collapsed when the Tentaclaws planted there overwhelmed it. They must have been clearing the space. I'd be glad to take you there.>

*Nero leans over to look at Sally's worried expression.*

N"I don't know...maybe you should stay here, just in case more Tentaclaws start springing up. Keep everyone safe, y'know?"

Taiyo uses Wellspring to heal Euryale.

===============================

Azuma: "Don't get too ahead of yourself."

*Safian turns back to Euryale*

Safian:<We didn't...did we?>
---
Monu:<You'll be our guide. We are not pirates.>

*Monu looks kind of offended*
---
Artexi:<Yeah, you say here. Daisy, you can show us the way, right?>

Jack<Ah, but none of you have experience in sailing. So that makes me the Captain, now doesn't it?>

Will<Unbelievable! You're still planning to steal the Interceptor, aren't you!?>

Jack<Nobody expects lightning to strike twice. Also, borrowing.>

*Jack strides out, an incensed Will hot on his tails. If they follow, they'll see, over the walls, far into the port below, that the pirates are surrounding a woman in an obviously expensive gold-colored dress, leading her aboard the Black Pearl. Will rushes over to grab the railing while Jack looks over at him with a bored expression.*

Will<Elizabeth!>

Jack<This is the girl you can't woo on account of being just a lowly apprentice blacksmith, innit? Borrowing the Interceptor seems a much more attractive prospect now, right?>

L"...Where is this Interceptor?"

*Jack points to a relatively long, thin ship, far off from the Pearl, which Thiera & Kyohaku hid behind while the pirates were raiding the city. They can also see that there are still groups of Heartless moving about the city below.*

L"They must be trying to delay any attempts at following them."
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*Euryale rubs her head, having just barely regained consciousness.*

E"Uuungh...What happened? Where's Roatha?"
================================
*Daisy shivers, much to Nero's surprise.*

Daisy<Well...if I must.>

*As they shut the door behind them & follow them down the stairs, Nero speaks up.*

N"So who is this 'Oogie'?"

Daisy<The worst monster in Halloween Town. He didn't just scare people, he...you know, I'd rather not think about the things he did.>

*They open the door to find that the path to the grave yard has been cleared of Tentaclaws. Nero turns to Vega.*

N"Is this what you were doing out here?"

Daisy<Thank you, Mr. Vega.>

N"Yeah, really. Though we should probably get going, the doc said they grow back eventually."

Taiyo dismisses her Keyblades and throws her arms around Euryale.

Taiyo: "Are you okay?"

==============================

Azuma: "Those with functioning Gliders occupy the Heartless while the other's head to the ship?"

==============================

Vega nods, still not keen on being referred to as 'Mr. Vega.'

Monu:<Those of us who went to Neverland should have working gliders by now. We could just carry everyone to the ship, and just have one person act as a distraction.>
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Safian:<We...uh...we destroyed Roatha...>
---
Artexi:<Is this guy still around? And if so, can we take him?>

*Euryale is taken aback, her memory of events just before being KO'd having taken a hit. She nonetheless puts an arm around Taiyo's lower back.*

E"Yeah...I think so...wait, what?!"

*She looks at Safian in shock.*
---------------------------------------
L"No Gliders. Not where anyone can see them, & not in this storm."

*Lightning strikes a nearby section of the wall, blowing away some of the brick work.*

L"...Speaking of, we should probably get down from here. We'll just have to take on the Heartless on foot."

*As she & Thiera start walking down, presumably with the others following, Mickey tugs at Kyohaku's sleeve.*

Mickey<I'm sorry, but I have to return to Master Yen Sid. Would you mind if I take him with me?>

*Lilith looks back & slowly nods, then they head for a safe distance to use the Star Shard. Spotting them, a group of Shadows begins to climb the stairs.*
=========================
Daisy<I don't know, I haven't been back home in a while. But if his mansion is overrun by out of control carnivorous plants, I doubt he's around. Not that he hasn't come back out of nowhere before.>

*When they re-enter the graveyard, without the Tentaclaws around, they see a group of about 6 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] skittering around, with apparent disinterest in them.*

Taiyo: "I don't think it was him."

=============================

Could've sworn they were already off the wall, but Hitomi casts Aqualung on the approaching Shadows.

=============================

Vega: "More of the doctor's creations?"

*Monu sends diamond shards at the approaching Shadows*
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Safian:<He and his heart...were destroyed.>

*She looks at Taiyo*

Safian:<He smelled the same as before, except the scent of darkness was way stronger.>
---
Artexi:<Either way, shouldn't we kill them?>

*She summons her keyblade*

*They're Shadows, it doesn't take much to destroy them. When they reach the docks, they find the staircase barred by a Large Body which lumbers towards them. In the streets around them are numerous Pirate Heartless, with Hook Bats acting as air support. Lilith locks blades with a Pirate & kicks it into the water, while Thiera staves off the Large Body with Blizzard. The other Pirates come swashbuckling in as the Hook Bats dive down, swinging their hooks at them. They can see the Black Pearl taking off.*
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*Euryale shakes her head, then gestures to the empty spot of the ocean where Roatha was moments ago.*

E"No, that can't be possible, he was right here, we had him prisoner! I remember seeing him, & if he were dead, there would be a corpse!"
================================
Daisy<These are just normal Heartless.>

N"I don't know, they don't seem to be hurting anything."

*As they continue forward, the Heartless actively skitter away from them, heading for the presumed safety of Curly Hill.*

Taiyo: "What if it was a monster that looked like him?"

================================

Hitomi casts Thunder on the Hook Bats while Azuma casts Dark on the Large Body.

*Monu casts Tornado to blow the hook bats away and out of the sky*
---
*They keep moving, I guess*
---
Safian:<Like some sort of copy?>