Rise & Fall

Taiyo gliders up again to pursue the Dark Thorn.

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Vega punches the floor to dispel the tornado and send the Nobodies back. He then switches to the Keyblade and uses Rock Slam, sending the projectile towards the Dark Corridor which is apparently going to stay open forever.

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Irritum: "The one in the Black Coat, where are they?"

*Eve starts up, then bangs on the door*

Eve:<Queen Elsa, who's there? Is it another monster?>
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Monu:<Maybe we should save this discussion for later. What's important is that we are here to protect you from creatures such as the one that attacked you earlier.>
---
*Safian slinks over to the entrance of the tent, snarling at any of the soldiers that come close*

Artexi:<If anyone tries anything, one of us to take her to safety. No one here's strong enough to take us on.>

~Arendelle~

*The Nobodies fly through the air, but gradually right themselves & slither back towards him. The rock enters the portal without it being clear whether or not it does anything, & the shapes of various high ranking Nobodies can be seen emerging, Berserkers & Sorcerers out in front.*
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*Taiyo is knocked from her Glider as a giant invisible Heartless turns around & leaps right into her. When Euryale runs to try to catch her, a bunch of snow is thrown up behind her as she finds herself smashed through the closest window.*
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Elsa<That doesn't concern you! Leave my castle now!>

*She shouts at the door, but looks at Irritum, making it ambiguous whom she is yelling at.*
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*The princess crosses her arms & stamps her foot.*

Anna<I refuse to go anywhere with people who might have tried to kill my sister!>

*She crosses her arms too.*

L"Then I guess we're all just gonna sit here while the kingdom freezes to death."

Anna<Why you--ooh! Fine, let's go!>

*She stalks off, Lilith following. Kristoff & the snowman sort of linger confused in the back.*
=================================
~Land of Dragons~

*As the other soldiers make their distance, the trio approach.*

Yao<We couldn't help but overhear your loud mouthed friend.>

Chien Po<We just want to let you know that we're with you.>

Ling<Yeah, Ping's one of us!>

*Thiera removes the helmet & smiles at them.*

Th"We appreciate the sentiment, but it's better if you let us handle this. We won't be staying in China afterwards."

*After staring at her blankly for a bit, Ling tries to pull back Yao's collar to check under his breast piece. The stout, angry little man slaps his hand away.*

Taiyo attempts to right herself and takes a defensive stance in the event the Heartless makes another attack.

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Vega shifts his stance, bringing the Keyblade back, generating a tornado which he then sends towards the Nobodies he had initially blown away.

Readying a Dragon Strike, he directs his attention to the Nobodies emerging from the Dark Corridor.

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Irritum begins to back away.

Irritum: "They are the enemy of all worlds."

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Azuma: "The captain might not agree."

Artexi:<Then we kick his ass 'till he does agree.>

*Safian settles outside the entrance of Mulan's tent, growling at anyone who approaches*
---
*Monu follows after Lilith*
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Eve:<Alright, I'll leave if that's what you want! Will you stop the storm so I can find Anna?>

~Arendelle~

*The Nobodies are flung further, but still not killed. In a flash, Vega is surrounded by Dragoons, which each swing at him as the Berserkers raise their weapons & the Sorcerers move their cubes in formation around him.*

Muffled voice<What's going on in there? Whoever you are, stop & come out with your hands up in the name of the Arendelle Guard!>
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*As it was explicitly said that Taiyo was thrown from her Glider, I am forced to assume she ate the ground just now. Said Glider lands about a dozen feet away, the sail bent from the force of the impact. She has difficulty standing, much less defending herself, so Hans moves in front of her with his sword outstretched, looking around.*

Hans<I can't see the enemy!>

*The snow around them rises up as Euryale leaps from the window, slashing. The snow melts & crashes against the buildings, soon freezing solid wherever it lands, exposing a looming shape covered in icicles loping to Taiyo's back side.*
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Elsa<I thought I made it clear, I have no control over this storm!>

*She shoos Irritum. Outside, the winds grow stronger, to the point where the Glider has difficulty staying level in the turbulence.*
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*And so they march in awkward silence for some time. Kristoff scratches the back of his head.*

Kristoff<So...now what?>

*Lilith points to the mountain peak.*

L"The Organization woman took off in that direction. There must be something there."

Kristoff<I don't think it's a good idea to climb up the mountain in that storm.>

Anna<That's no storm, that's my sister!>

Kristoff<...Maybe you should explain from the beginning.>

Olaf<Oh, sure! I was just standing on the mountainside, wondering, "Is this what it's like being alive?" when-->

Kristoff<I meant about Elsa.>

Olaf<Really? Oh. Well, when a man & a woman love each other very much....>

Anna<I'm not sure myself. I don't remember her having ice magic when we were little. I just remember one day she shut me out & never told me why. But when her secret got out during the coronation, she ran away.>
=================================
~Land of Dragons~

Ling<Well, maybe you should get on that before your kitty makes a scene.>

*As they approach, the Captain emerges, sour & locking eyes with Thiera.*

Shang<I see. You all knew. You sneaked into the army together. You should know that the penalty for impersonating an Imperial Soldier is death.>

*Thiera & Nero summon their Keyblades, but Shang just turns around & walks away.*

Shang<I will spare your lives for saving my own. My debt is repaid. Get out of my sight. Men, we're returning to the capital! Prepare to move out!>

Artexi:<Oh, don't give us that, you would have been toast without us and you know it.>

*Safian growls at Shang, even as he turns and walks away*
---
Monu:<I take it she might have had good reason to keep it hidden from you. In any case, hopefully you will be able to talk some sense into her.>
===
*Eve looks around for something to shelter behind, then proceeds to attempt to take cover behind it*

Taiyo recalls the Keyblades, casting Curaja on herself then Fira from the Stormfall on the Heartless.

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

Vega rolls, prematurely releasing the Dragon Strike on the Berserker and heads for and through the door, locking it behind him the lot of good it'll do.

Vega: "Stay back."

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Irritum leaves the castle, likely able to see their quarry.

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Azuma: "Leave it, we have other things to worry about besides your pride."

~Arendelle~

*Judging from the phrasing, she is presently awkwardly hovering beneath the balcony, so yes.*
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*As the Heartless burns, its invisibility blotches away. Shortly thereafter, it dries up & crumbles away, releasing dark wisps as it does so. As soon as it's dead, Hans steps aside, narrowly avoiding being bowled over by Euryale, come to offer standing support to Taiyo.*

E"Are you alright, cuttlefish?! Does it hurt?!"

Hans<Cuttle--?>

*He shakes his head.*

Hans<You shouldn't be dressed like that out in this weather. Let's discuss this inside the castle.>
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*They point their various weapons in his face, but stumble back when the door shakes & hairline cracks form in it. This new room is a side hall that turns to the right after a while, with more doors along its length. So many doors. Doors for days.*
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*Awkwardly trudging up the mountain, doing their best to huddle together against the storm.*

Anna<But why would she think she can't tell me, of all people?!>

L"Sometimes sisters get driven apart."

Anna<Oh, do you have a sister?>

L"Let's not talk about my family."
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~Land of Dragons~

Th"Yes, could we please not pick the fight that we were trying to avoid?"

*The trio fall in line in the back, pausing to look sadly at them, before following the rest of the army down the pass & leaving the Order all alone with Mulan.*

Mushu<Wait up! Don't leave yet! Wait for meeeeee!>

*The tiny dragon races into the village as fast as his wee little legs will carry him, before doubling over, panting smoke.*

Mushu<I'm--I'm back! What--did I--miss--?>

*Thiera opens the door to the Moogle Shop, where Mulan, having changed into her under-armor clothing & abandoned her disguise, is now sadly gathering her things.*

Mulan<We're going home, Mushu. Thank you all for trying to help me. I couldn't have asked for better friends.>

*Mushu's whiskers droop & he falls back into the snow, dragging a hand over his eyes.*

Mushu<They found out, didn't they? Ohh...I've brought so much dishonor on the family, the ancestors are gonna make shoes of me for sure! And maybe a nice handbag to go with 'em!>

N"Hey, sometimes honor isn't everything. We saved China, didn't we?"

Taiyo: "A little cold."

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Vega moves away from the door, attempting to catch his breath.

Vega: "Your weapons won't hurt them. Find the others with weapons like mine. They should still be near."

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Irritum casts Fearocity on Eve.

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Azuma: "I wouldn't celebrate just yet."

Hitomi: "Someone should follow the Chinese army."

What she means is Safian should as she is the most capable of doing that.

*Eve covers shield's herself with her glider's energy field, then casts Stop on Irritum*

Eve:<Whoever you are, go pick a fight with someone else!>

*Eve takes off back towards where she last saw Anna*
===
Monu:<Don't be too hard on your sister. I'm sure she did what she thought was best.>
---
*Safian enters the tent and gently head buts Mulan*

Artexi:<So you think that avalanche may not have been the end of the Huns, huh? Should we go check?>

~Arendelle~

Olaf<I'm confused, are you talking about Anna's sister, Lilith's sister, or...who's the funky looking donkey?>

Kristoff<Sven.>

Olaf<And what about the reindeer, what's his name?>

Kristoff<...Sven.>

Olaf<Oh, you're both--okay, that makes things easier for me.>

*By this point, the summit is visible, cloaked in dark clouds that furiously belch sheets of snow, & they've come across a large chasm.*

L"Seems we've reached a dead end...& we can't fly in this weather."
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*Whether or not the Stop spell hits, the now-darkened conditions make the black tornadoy spell stronger. Between the strain that puts on the shield & the turbulence, Eve quickly loses control & finds herself spiraling towards the ground.*
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*Hans supports Taiyo's other side as they move towards the castle door. He looks over to Euryale, covered with shallow gashes from her trip through the window.*

Hans<Are you sure you'll be alright? You're bleeding, though not as much as I'd have expected.>

E"I'll be fine."
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*The door continues to be beaten upon, the cracks growing worse & worse.*

Guard<He's right, the Prince & the Duke tasked them with aiding in our defense. You there, go off searching, the rest of us will hold the line!>

*A young man nods & runs off, leaving just 4 guards & a rapidly breaking door between Vega & the vengeful Nobodies.*
==============================
~Land of Dragons~

*As Mulan absent-mindedly scratches the lion behind the ears, Mushu shakes a claw dismissively at them before digging himself out of the snow & dusting off.*

Mushu<Naw, no way ol' Hunny Buns could've survived that. C'mon, girl, let's go home. We'll figure out something to tell your daddy.>

Th"We will come with you just as soon as we make sure the Heartless are gone. And as for the both of you--"

*She rounds on the Organization, putting her hands on her hips.*

Th"Don't forget that the Organization, which is to say you, are the reason why there were so many Heartless for the Huns to recruit to begin with! Not to mention what you did to...to our Master! So if you have any sense of self-preservation, you'll tell us where Roatha is & never bother us again!"

Mulan<Wait...what do you have to do with those monsters?>

*With all eyes on them, Nero steps back & suddenly becomes very interested in the snow.*

N"He's in Radiant Garden. I--I can't explain anything more than that."

*When she's close enough to the ground to avoid getting too injuried, Eve jumps off her glider, dismissing it in the process. She aims to land in deep snow if possible. Upon landing, she turns around and faces the direction she came from*
===
*Monu looks around for anyway over the chasm*
---
*Lions can't purr, or Safian would be purring*

Artexi:<...Whatever.>

Taiyo casts some Curaga on Euryale and by extension, Hans due to it being a minor area of effect spell.

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Vega: "The rest of you should leave as well. There's nothing your weapons can do against these monsters."

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Irritum moves because the hell with that nonsense. Turning invisible at the start of battle helps, the lot of good it'll do in the snow, but it helps enough. As it's not hard to miss a crashing glider and being better in the dark than most anyone else then casts Nightmare on Eve.

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Azuma: "And why not?"

Waiting for the inevitable reveal that the Huns are still alive and the totally good idea going to waste.

~Arendelle~

*The door finally explodes into splinters, a Berserker easily sweeping the guards aside with a single swing of its massive weapon. Along the way, it chucks said weapon at Vega.*
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*Euryale smiles as the wounds close up.*

E"Thanks, seastar."

Hans<Why do you keep calling her by the names of sea creatures?>

*Once they're inside, Euryale uses her free hand to help Hans close the doors, ignoring the pile of snow at their feet.*
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Kristoff<Until the storm subsides, we won't be able to get any higher to survey the area.>

L"Excuse me."

*Lilith up & pulls off Olaf's head. He shouts "weeee!" as she throws it into the air, up until his head lands back on his shoulders...backwards & upside-down.*

Olaf<Hey, where did everyone go?!>

*He turns around as he's searching for them.*

Olaf<Oh, there you are! There's a staircase through that pass over there, but why are you all hanging upside-down from your feet like bats?>
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*Luckily for Eve, the snow is plenty deep to cushion her fall. Unluckily for her, she is now sank waist-deep into the stuff. The summit is about 60 feet across, with a dropoff 20 feet behind Eve. The quickly building blizzard will make seeing each other & staying upright, much less fighting, rather difficult. As Irritum moves away from the castle to avoid being Stopped, he also does not reap the benefits of its cover.*
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~Land of Dragons~

Th"Who cares? Just forget about them."

*She picks up Mushu & grabs Mulan by the arm, the Savior of China reluctantly allowing herself to be steered towards the pass.*

Taiyo not being about standing around, aids in closing the door.

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Vega counters with Explosive Stream then follows through with Raptor Assault.

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Irritum casts Plague Maggots where Eve is.

*Eve opens a dark corridor behind her feet, she aims for the other side of the ravine, preferably behind some cover or something*
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Monu:<Do you think it will be safe to cross in this weather?>
---
*Safian follows behind Thiera and Mulan*

~Arendelle~

*Lilith turns the snowman around & fixes his head.*

Olaf<Oh, that's better! Well, if we can get to the other side, we can rest inside the castle there.>

L"There's a castle on the other peak?"

Olaf<Well, yeah, where'd you think the staircase went?>

L"...Of course."

*Meanwhile, they can see a Dark Corridor open in the haze ahead.*

Anna<What's that?>
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*Implying Irritum can see well enough to even know if his spells are hitting. Eve tumbles out into a blizzard on a slightly smaller mountain peak, where she can see figures moving in the distance.*
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E"That's not important right now."

*Euryale lets go so Taiyo can feel like she's helping, but soon has to catch her again because cure spells do nothing for fatigue.*

Hans<I guess you're right. Here, let me help you out of the snow, & I'll see if I can find some clothes for you.>

*Suddenly, a young guard comes running in. He unsheathes his sword & moves towards Taiyo, but Hans steps in front of them, spreading his arms out.*

Hans<At ease! These women just helped save Arendelle from a monster.>

*So he sheathes his sword & bows.*

Guard<My apologies, I thought they were the assassins, but they must be the warriors the Captain sent me to find! The halls are overrun with strange monsters who bear the appearance of men in white suits!>
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*Taking both attacks head-on, the Berserker slumps over, wounded & stunned. The Dragoons streak by overhead & are at Vega's sides in a flash, swinging with their spears.*
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~Land of Dragons~

*Thiera turns back, because Hitomi & Azuma are apparently just standing there.*

Th"Are you coming? I thought I said to forget about them!"

*Not needing to be told a 3rd time that he's not wanted, Nero turns & starts heading back towards the mountain.*

*Monu summons his keyblade, holding it in a defense position. Meanwhile, Eve closes the dark corridor, then steps cautiously towards the figures, yelling over the wind. She holds her own keyblade at the ready, in case Lilith wants to try and brain her again*

Eve:<Anna? Anna is that you?>
---
*Artexi turns and follows Nero*

Taiyo: "How'd he know to call for us?"

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

Vega rolls forward to avoid the attacks and grab the Berserker's claymore to wreck some shit with its whole being magnetic to Nobodies thing.

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

Disregard it's in their bio, they can smell the darkness and it's not like the place is infested with Nobodies and the like to obscure their sense of smell.

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Azuma: "It's not them we should be concerned with presently."

But this will be a great "I told you so," opportunity, they follow against their better judgment.

~Arendelle~

*I imagine the cursed claymore must buck & strain in his hand while the Dragoons dramatically overswing & cubes appear around him in a U-shape, blocking him off from the way he came.*
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Guard<The priest--he told us to look for others with weapons like his!>

E"Y--you m--mean the Or--or--organization--n!"

*With the adrenaline starting to fade away, the cold is really hitting them. Euryale's feet are so numb that she has to hold the wall for support.*

Hans<We can talk about that later. I'll go. For now, you just focus on warming up.>

Guard<I'll stoke the fire & find them something to wear, Sir!>

*He salutes & heads to build the fire in the fireplace I'm just going to assume is in the audience chamber, while Hans starts to head in the direction the guard came from.*
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*Scent does not immediately tell one where the smell is coming from, especially in a thick blizzard. Meanwhile, Lilith materializes her Keyblade & steps forward.*

Kristoff<You're going to fight her in this blizzard?>

L"The Organization is dangerous, they have to be destroyed."

Anna<But they haven't hurt anyone so far, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?>

L"Didn't hurt anyone? They're the reason the Heartless are even in this world!"

Anna<The monsters? But they fought the monsters, aren't they on our side?>

L"No. They must have just lost control of them."

Anna<And how do you know that?>

L"Because we've been fighting them for months, alright?! They killed my mother not 2 days ago! Now, for the last time, stand back!"

*The princess does stand back, stricken speechless, as Lilith keeps moving towards the blizzard.*
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~Land of Dragons~

OOC: More like an "I watched the movie" moment.

*As the Order is moving down the pass, they hear a shout of frustration. Mulan & Thiera turn to look to the mountain, where Shan Yu has indeed climbed out of the snow. He seems to be alone but for a small group of Rapid Thrusters & Shadows he's called to him. They then make a beeline to the Imperial City.*

Th"How is he still alive?"

Mulan<I don't know, but he's heading towards the capitol! We have to warn Shang!>
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*As the Organization reaches the summit, they too hear & see Shan Yu's resurrection. Nero turns, but finds himself face-to-face with a strange [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. 7 white portals appear around them, out of which similar Nobodies slither, tossing & catching their shuriken like yo-yos as they sway sensuously back & forth. Nero turns to a dainty yet spiteful laugh & sees Larxene coming down the mountain.*

Larxene<So the other kids don't wanna play with you anymore! That was so sad, are babies gonna cry?>

*She pouts & does that rubbing-your-fists-under-your-eyes thing before laughing at them again.*

N"What are you doing here?"

Taiyo: "The one from earlier?"

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Vega takes the Berserker on the claymore, moving, so it is partially surrounded by the cubes then goes through with the actions of Magna Storm.

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Irritum activates their armor and begins to trek through the door, away from Elsa's ice palace, back the way they came.

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This would be a great opportunity to say, I told you, but they know they're wrong and it'd be better to haul ass off the mountain to the imperial city.

*Eve kneels down in the snow, placing her keyblade on the ground. She yells so Anna and the others can hear her*

Eve:<I'm not going to fight you. I'm no match for the two of you, especially not in this blizzard. We have a bigger problem right now, and if we don't work together, hundreds if not thousands of people could end up dead.>

Monu:<What are you talking about?>

Eve:<This storm. Elsa's not doing it on purpose, and it's getting worse.>
---
Safian:<If you give me a message, I can run ahead and take it to Shang! That way, he'll never know I can talk.>
===
Artexi:<Oh, fuck off. Can't you see we're busy over here?>

~Land of Dragons~

L<You don't know the half of it. The Organization's in shambles right now, so we wanted to give you a present to make it aaaall better!>

*She snaps her fingers & dozens of Heartless gather atop the mountain  until it becomes wreathed in darkness. It rumbles, before an enormous [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] bursts from the side & circles the peak.*

L<Better for us that is! Haha!>

*She disappears without another word & the 8 Ninja Nobodies surrounding them hold their arms up, preparing to chuck their shuriken like frisbees.*
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OOC: Again, more like a chance to say, "I watched the movie."

Mulan<...You can talk?>

Mushu<A talkin' animal? Now that's just wrong.>

Th"We have nothing to write on. Let's just take the Gliders so we can get there as quickly as possible."

*She summons her Glider, gesturing for Mulan to get on the back.*
==============================
~Arendelle~

E"The Organization warning us about Nobodies? It must be some kind of trap. Excuse me, Sir, but we have to look into this as quickly as possible, do you have anything you can give us right now that we can go on our way?"

Guard<Well...I guess you could take some furs & scarves to wrap around yourselves. From the trade goods.>

*He points to a bunch of chests near the throne.*
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*He destroys the Berserker & Prince Hans enters, clashing with a Dragoon. He calls for Vega to look out as the 2nd Dragoon ironically gets behind him & stabs at him. In Vega's case, the Sorcerer has ashioned its cubes into a club to swing it into from behind. Another Sorcerer erects a wall of spinning cubes in the doorway to bar his path to the other Nobodies.*
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*Irritum is presumably aimlessly trudging through the snow on a separate mountain while Lilith keeps walking until she can get a clear view. She enters into the thick snow, pushing against winds that threaten to blow her off the mountain.*

L"Like you care, that's exactly what the Organization would want! Besides, it's not like we need your help anyway!"

So I guess Taiyo suits up in wear evoking some kind of viking chic thing.

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Vega rolls to avoid the Sorcerer's attack, yelling "Behind you," at Hans.

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And thus Irritum trekked through the snow because there are assholes in need of putting an end to.

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OOC: Because at no point has one encounter with main enemies ever been enough to defeat them.

They glider up and take flight to the imperial city.