Rise & Fall

Artexi:<We have a present for you.>

*She gestures at Nero's pocket*

Artexi:<You should let him out.>
---
*Safian bounds off towards the alley*
---
*Monu casts Hawk's Dive on Lilith, then on himself as soon as he can*
===
Eve:<And if the Princess were to pass, who then?>

*She starts pacing back and forth in front of the door*

Eve:<But hopefully it won't come to that. Maybe we should check on them...>

Taiyo jumps to avoid that silly stuff, the Fenrir replacing the End of Pain. Also probably not a good sign.

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

Vega recalls the End of Pain and lunges forward with a vertical Fire Ring as if imitating Fire Surge as getting a spike through anywhere the ring doesn't effect would suck and moves in to hit Senthose with Magic Distortion. The thing meant to bring the hurt on to him.

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

They presumably follow. Or at least head in that direction since due to the invisibility they can't see the others to actually follow.

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

Axel's in luck as Irritum ain't gonna remember them. Doesn't even recognize them to begin with. Just knows the coat means bad.

And while Axel likely didn't mean it, Irritum ain't too happy about his preaching about being remembered. Also who wants to be remembered as some asshole constantly telling everyone his name?

~World of Darkness~

*Axel jumps down from the rock & walks over, shrugging.*

Axel<Whoa there, why the long face? Sure, we're lost in a dark abyss, but hey, at least we fit in. Plus, Vexen thinks he can find a way out.>
=======================
~Arendelle~

*Lilith uses Bark Barrier, causing the Samurai to fall back & sit as if meditating, with their swords stuck in the ground. Due to the speed boost, they eventually catch up with Taiyo, & arrive at the dungeon before their pursuers can catch up. Here, the spikes rip into Vega's shoulders & legs, but he does manage to get close enough to Senthose to force him to summon his Keyblade & parry the attack. Due to the weakness in his shoulders & arms, Vega buckles.*

S<I wouldn't come closer if I were you.>

*He points the energy orb, which inflates to the size of a basketball, at the trapped Euryale, whose desperation they can keenly sense as she searches for any Keyblade that might get her out of this predicament. Lilith narrows her eyes & tightens her grip on the Divine Rose. Nearby, Daisy raises the Ursus in a bunting position, casting nervous glances between them & Senthose. Because she took her blindfold & hood off, they can see her in all of her horrifying glory.*

L"You really think I'm going to let you leave here alive?"

S<Your choice if you want to risk your friend's life for a chance to "kill" a Nobody.>

*Speaking of, they can vaguely hear the Lesser Nobodies moving closer through the hall behind them.*
-----------------------------------------
*This proves moot as Hans exits, closing the door behind him, looking glum with his face over his eyes.*

Hans<We were just too late...the--the Queen has killed her sister....>

*With a shuddering sigh, he stands rigidly & begins striding out of the room, locking eyes with the guards before motioning for them to follow.*

Hans<Our only hope to save the Kingdom now is to bring the Queen back. Please come with me, as quickly as you can.>
=======================
~Agrabah~

N"But then we'll have to listen to him talk. On the other hand, he might poop in my--argh!"

*Nero clutches his chest & Aladdin starts forward.*

Aladdin<Are you okay?>

N"Fine--fine. Just a bit of heartburn."

*He stands up, trying to swallow his sudden nervousness.*

N"We--we came to check things out, but ran into a few problems. Took care of most of 'em, 'cept for this."

*He unzips his pocket & Iago flies out, gasping dramatically, Jafar's lamp still clutched in his talons. Aladdin recoils.*

Iago<Wait, wait, ya gotta let me explain! I've changed, I swear!>
=======================
~Disney Town~

*In the future, it should be stated if Azuma dispels the darkness shield, but assuming he has the sense to do that, Kefka's jeering gets fainter as they run.*

Kefka<Come out, come out, wherever you are! You can run, but you can't hiiiide! FIND THEM!>

*In the sky, they can see the Jellyshades disperse, as if searching for them. The Oathkeeper glows in a pale shade matching the moonlight to guide them through the alley. After a few twists & turns, they wind up on a plaza, with all staircases inevitably leading back the way they came or toward a race track. As they run, Unversed pop up, sensing their presence, but stumble around trying to actually locate them. Thiera Glides over the Floods at their feet to avoid hitting them while giant balloon Unversed with nozzle hands bob along nearby & a big Bruiser lumbers up the stairs. As she flies over it, a pair of giant floating hourglasses appear near the turnstile to enter the race track.*

Vega takes a step back, having nothing to draw in that energy attack. Nor does anyone else really. Even suggesting to burn the fingers, hurts his soul.

Taiyo: "Euryale's trapped in that?"

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

Hitomi can use her own flying capabilities to mozy around the Unversed, but Azuma has to creep about like a prowler.

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

The mention of that clod jogs their memory enough to know he's someone who should be eliminated forever. And it shows when their left hand goes Darkness Claw as seemingly being unable to die at their hands in this world won't stop them from trying.

*Monu grips his keyblade, knuckles turning white. He grips Lilith's hand with his other hand*

Monu:<Why are you here?>
===
*Eve's face turns white, and she turns to enter the room*

Eve:<I...I will join you in a moment, but first I want to see if there's anything I can do...>

*She opens the door and heads inside*
---
*Safian moves through the shadows when possible, stealthily sneaking around the unversed/nobodies/heartless*
---
Artexi:<If you don't believe him and/or want him dead, let us know.>

~Arendelle~

S<Nothing ever gets past you, does it, Taiyo?>

*He sneers at her before casting his gaze at Monu--who can feel Lilith shaking--& then nodding over his shoulder.*

S<Internal dispute. But, I guess nothing can be done about it now.>

*He points the Keyblade to the far wall, whereupon it shoots a beam of darkness, opening a Dark Corridor.*

S<After you, Daisy.>

*She casts a last disappointed look at Vega before heading toward it.*
----------------------------------------
*By the time Eve realizes the door is locked, everyone else has already left.*
======================
~Disney Town~

*Thiera's light glides over the fence, unable to see as Azuma comes upon the Bruiser blocking the staircase. It looks around in a direction just a couple feet over his head.*
======================
~Agrabah~

*Aladdin folds his arms, glaring skeptically at the bird.*

Al<I'm listening.>

Iago<Y'see, there I was, trapped inside the lamp. I found my way out, but Jafar ordered me to free him, & then he started threatening me! Can you believe the nerve of that jerk? He's the reason we were stuck in there to begin with!>

N"I dunno, this all still sounds pretty self-serving to me."

Iago<B--b--but I can tell you all of Jafar's secrets! His hideouts, how he found out about the Heartless, his plans, everything! C'mon, Al, please?>
======================
~Realm of Darkness~

*Rather than being shocked, Axel looks more disappointed as he shakes his head.*

Axel<Man, you're slow. I told you, there's no point fighting it out down here, we couldn't kill each other even if we wanted to. Just let me take you to Vexen & the other kid. Trust me, you don't want to be out there all alone. Plus, there's no way out over there anyway.>

As it would seem he's leaving, ain't nobody going to try to provoke Senthose. Especially when there are other things coming towards them.

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

Azuma Ghost Wolf's through that silly stuff and carries on. My wayward son.

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

Axel's gonna need to get over that Irritum ain't a happy meal right now. No matter what he says.

*Eve unlocks the door with her keyblade, then heads inside*
===
*Monu squeezes Lilith's hand*

Monu:<So you're just going to leave him with us? He must not be very valuable.>
---
Artexi:<...If Aladdin's not interested, I am.>
---
*Safian keeps sneaking around, following the others*

OOC: That is not dead, which can eternal post, & in strange aeons, even computer failure may die.

~Arendelle~

*Senthose holds up a hand as the Nobodies crowd the entrance threateningly, & they all stand at attention. By this point, Daisy has already disappeared through the Dark Corridor.*

S<Vega is your concern now. If you wish to destroy him, we can no longer stop you. But I did enjoy catching up, despite how clearly one-sided my sentiment is. Now, goodbye, so-called Order: I doubt we'll ever meet again.>

*When he steps through the Dark Corridor, it closes behind him. Following suit, the Nobodies disappear into their own portals to nothing & all of the fingers just melt, leaving the now-freed Euryale wide eyed & covered in blood. She flails a bit, swinging her Keyblade at nothing, & upon seeing that nothing is left to fight, attempts to climb to her feet, having difficulty due to the shakiness of her limbs. Lilith turns every bit of her wrathful stare on Vega, grasping the Keyblade at her waist with both hands.*
------------------------------------------------
*As soon as she steps inside, she catches a glimpse of the extinguished fire, as well as Anna (hair now almost entirely white) & Olaf lying sprawled unconscious in front of her before the door slams shut again, a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] roaring at her before swinging its fists to pound them all.*
======================================
~Agrabah~

Al<...Maybe we should talk about this at the palace. Jasmine & the Sultan should hear it, too.>

N"Ugh, I'll go get Demyx...."

*He turns & heads off.*

Iago<So about Jasmine & her dad, about how mad are they?>
=================================
~Disney Town~

*Azuma ends up cutting the Bruiser, which angrily punches the lamp post where his head used to be. It springs & smacks it in the face, sending it tumbling down the stairs, where it flails its limbs like a stuck turtle. The other Unversed turn & move toward it to investigate. Thiera's light, now in the grass over the fence somewhere, stops & twists about, presumably she is looking at the noise.*
=================================
~Realm of Darkness~

*Axel tentatively puts a hand on his shoulder.*

Axel<C'mon, buddy, snap out of it. Just follow my lead, & you can't go wrong.>

Artexi:<If I were you, I wouldn't make any snarky comments to them, unless you want a 100% chance of becoming tiger food instead of 90%.>
---
*Safian turns around to see what is going on*
---
*Monu swivels to face Vega*

Monu:<...It seems you lack both friends and valuable information. How unfornate.>
===
*Eve leaps away from the Heartless, yelling at it*

Eve:<Stand down immediately!>

*If that doesn't work, she uses Void Flare on it*

Vega: "I wouldn't still be alive if I didn't offer anything to warrant that."

Taiyo goes to help Euryale up which is probably gross because blood everywhere.

Vega: "I'd recommend she get that blood off of her quickly. I don't know the range of Daisy's abilities."

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

The idea wasn't to attack it, but while the Unversed are distracted, Azuma can hussle on out of there."

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

Irritum pulls away from Axel who is clearly wrong seeing as he's in the same predicament as they are.

~Arendelle~

*Unlike the others, this Heartless is utterly unperturbed, until Eve decides to shoot thorn beams in its face. Lucky too, as it recoils just before it would have slammed its giant fist down on Anna. The twin Heartless then do a sort of high five & blasts of shadow flit out of the keyhole toward her.*
----------------------------------------
*Whether because of its magical properties or the dryness of the artificial winter air, Taiyo only gets a bit of blood on her hands & shoes, most of it having already dried. This proves useful when Euryale, still quivering like a leaf, wraps her arms tightly around Taiyo & rises shakily to her feet, eyes darting around in every direction. Lilith regards her for a moment before returning to glaring at Vega, pointing her Keyblade at him.*

L"Explain! And be quick about it, my patience died with our Master! Who could both use company...."
===============================
~Agrabah~

*As Iago hangs his head, Nero jumps & gives a squeaky yelp, finding Demyx right behind him, waving his hands in the air like an over-excitable child.*

Demyx<We're going to the palace?! Why didn't you just say so?!>

*Meanwhile, Carpet parks in front of them, & Aladdin climbs on.*

Al<We'll want to avoid the guards. Carpet here can fly us right into the throne room.>
===============================
~World of Darkness~

Axel<Alright, you can stay here if you want. It's your funeral.>

*Axel shrugs, turns, & heads off toward the unmistakable sound of waves.*
===============================
~Disney Town~

*Not that anyone but Azuma can see, but he's cut off in front by Chrono Twisters & Belly Balloons from behind, with Floods flitting around his feet to sniff him out. As they rear back to attack, there's a whistling & a flashbang overhead as the area is bathed with purple smoke, which causes the Unversed to scatter but also strips away the Order's invisibility.*

???<I am the terror, that flaps in the night!>

*Thiera looks around, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice, which seems to be echoing all throughout the skyline.*

???<I am the leftover pizza, that gets all rubbery!>

Vega: "You should be more concerned with finding Eve. If her machines were able to nullify your Master's magic, who's to say they won't work on Yen Sid should Senthose make another attempt on his life? There's also the Roatha matter."

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

With the Unversed gone and now being visible, Azuma really hustles before some asshole clown shows up. And because the hell with this guy and his overly long introduction.

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

Irritum follows at a distance, intent on feeding the Organization to the Heartless when the opportunity arises.

OOC: Bet there won't even be Water Cores because you're lame. Also they're assholes.

*Monu casts Esuna on Euryale just in case, then crosses his arms, looking at Lilith*

Monu:<...One of us probably should find her. Can I leave you three to interrogate? Just send me a message if you need anything.>
===
*Eve moves towards Anna and Olaf, avoiding the shots to the best of her ability. She casts Stop on the Heartless, then drags Anna and Olaf to the other side of the room*
---
*Artexi sits down on Carpet*

Artexi:<Wait, why do have to avoid the guards? Aren't you and Jasmine...you know...?>
---
*Safian bounds over to Thiera, searching for the source of the voice*

~Disney Town~

*Thiera's gaze snaps to a glint up on top of a skyscraper, where a shape like a man sized bat or bird spreads.*

???<I---am Darkwiiiiing Duck!>

*The figure leaps, spreading its cape to slow its fall. As it draws near, the buttons of a purple cape become visible, as does a duck bill obscured under an absurdly wide-brimmed fedora. He pulls out some kind of gun & shoots pellets that explode in purple light as they hit the Unversed. In this way, he knocks the Chrono Twisters to the ground & destroys many of the Floods. Unfortunately, when he lands, the Bruiser manages to spring to its feet, bellyslamming him into the wall & stunning him. It rears back its fist, but Thiera glides forward, slashing it with an icy blade & freezing it solid. Hearing the swishing of the Floods flitting between her legs & the pinging of the Chrono Twisters trying to force themselves upright, she turns to confront the rest of the Unversed.*
==============================
~Arendelle~

L"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

*She turns back to Vega, stepping forward & shooting roots out of the Keyblade to press against his throat.*

L"You're not talking fast enough. Who is Daisy? What do you know about Roatha?"

*As Euryale starts to calm down, she rests her head against Taiyo's shoulder before turning it in Lilith's direction.*

E"Maybe--maybe we could find out more if we took him with us."
------------------------------------------------------
*Soon after Monu reaches the dungeon, as he approaches the entrance hall, he sees Hans & the guards outside the window. They've got some horses rigged up & are approaching the town exit.*
------------------------------------------------------
*The Heartless is frozen only long enough for her to do that, & just as soon as she finishes it stretches its arms out, her just barely out of the way of its grasping claws. However, Eve will notice the dark orbs flying into the statues & suits of armor that are so obviously a normal part of this room & not something I shoehorned in just for this fight. At each corner, a suit of armor & a pair of gargoyle statues come to life, advancing on Eve. Half of the gargoyles wield axes, the other half swords. The knights are armed with; hammer & buckler, spear & tower shield, hourglass shield & flail, & finally, kite shield with longbow.*
==============================
~Agrabah~

*Grumbling, Nero gets onboard, followed shortly thereafter by Demyx, who plays a few bars on his Sitar.*

Al<Yeah, things are getting pretty serious. We're--actually talking about getting married.>

Iago<Good for you, Al, you sure do know how to pick 'em!>

Al<Uh...thanks. But Razoul still hasn't gotten over the fact that I'm a street rat. He'll try to make trouble for us, & we don't have time for that right now.>

*As he explains this, they fly over the buildings & speed off toward the palace.*

Vega: "Another one of the Organization. Nero hid him somewhere after the monster was removed from him. He was unconscious, probably because the whole thing took a toll on his heart. Finding him shouldn't be hard as Nero has his own problems with the Organization that he wouldn't hand Roatha over to them."

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

Hitomi casts Tragic Sphere on the Chrono Twisters while the Floods are too close to Thiera for Azuma to attack.

*Monu sends Lilith a message, briefly explaining Hans' departure, then continues heading back to the direction he last saw Eve go*
===
*Eve uses Psychowave to blast the approaching statues/gargoyles back, glancing back at Anna to see if she's woken up yet*
---
Artexi:<Yeah, congrats on that. You know, you could have the Sultan throw him in the dungeon for a few days, or fire him. Just saying.>
---
*Safian summons her keyblade, then launches it at the Unversed, using Fire Raid*

~World of Darkness~

Axel<Not much of a talker, huh?>

Vexen<Why do you insist on picking up strays?>

Axel<Heh. Y'know, Isa--err, Saix used to ask me that all the time. It's so I can live forever.>

Vexen<Preposterous.>

Axel<Survived Vega's attempt to deep-six me, didn't I? See, it's working already.>
=========================
~Arendelle~

E"What's wrong?"

L"Hans is going after the Queen, & we can be sure the Organization will try to stop him. We need to handle Eve quickly & go after him. Come on, & bring the Organization rat with us."

*She heads out, informing Monu that they're on their way.*
---------------------------------------------
*In the entrance hall, it is eerily quiet, though he hears muffled noises emerging from the door to the sitting room.*
---------------------------------------------
*Not only has she not woken up, she was just thrown into the wall, same with the Heartless.*
=========================
~Disney Town~

*The Chrono Twisters are trapped in bubbles & then struck by a flaming keyblade, causing the bubbles to explode. They continue to lie on the ground, now heavily cracked with sand leaking out. The balloon takes the opportunity to rocket towards Hitomi in an attempt to bodyslam her. Thiera dashes, cloaked in a ring of fire, which burns up the Floods & explodes the frozen Bruiser.*
==========================
~Agrabah~

Al<It doesn't really work that way.>

*They fly through a window near the entrance, coming to a hovering stop near a throne decorated to look like a golden elephant head. Upon it, the little, portly, bearded man with the white robes & poofy hat claps his hands.*

Sultan<Oh, Aladdin, so nice of you to drop in! And it looks like you've brought friends! Um, just a moment.>

*He leans over slightly, cupping his hands around his mouth.*

Sultan<Jasmine, my dear, we have guests! Please come quickly!>

N"Uh, yeah, Sultan Senthose wanted us to...make sure Jafar doesn't still have goons after the princess, or something, I dunno."

*Nero scratches the back of his head while Demyx is trying to reach behind him & get Iago out of his hood.*

Although it would be better for him to slip out, there is the Eve problem and Dark Corridors not working in the current room. Also because using those is a terrible idea.

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

Hitomi casts Frost Surge while Azuma closes in on the Chrono Twisters someone didn't have to the good sense to let drown with Darkness Raid and follows through with Critical Impact.

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

Vega...?


Irritum looks none too happy to see Irritum although even without a spotty memory, who'd be happy to see that dweeb outside of being stuffed in a locker?

*Eve runs over to Anna, pulling her to her feet*

Eve:<Sorry! Sorry! I wasn't thinking straight...>

*Eve casts Void Flair on the closest heartless while speaking. Meanwhile, Monu tries to enter the sitting room, using his key blade to open the door if necessary. Assuming he manages to open the door, Eve screams at him*

Eve:<Get away from the door! It's a heartless!>
---
Artexi:<We've heard a rumor that someone is going to try to kidnap Jasmine.>
---
*Safian also becomes cloaked in fire as she bounds after Thiera, attacking any remaining unversed*

~Agrabah~

*The Sultan & Aladdin recoil, but Jasmine just steps forward.*

Sultan<What?! That's terrible!>

Al<Who said that? Did Jafar come back somehow?>

Jasmine<Hold on, why would your kingdom care about that?>

N"Oh, yeah, uh, I guess he's worried that this is part of some, uh, big plot. To conquer a bunch of territory & eventually we'll be attacked too. Something like that."

Demyx<One of the troops must've seen something & reported back to him. He doesn't really tell us how he knows these things. We're not in his Inner Circle. Definitely not Nero, since he went berserk that one time & got thrown off the castle roof.>

*Nero turns to glare at Demyx. He is not a fan of the Melodious Nocturne.*
================================
~World of Darkness~

Axel<So, we gonna talk about the elephant in the room?>

Vexen<...What ever do you mean?>

Axel<First Marluxia & Larxene ditch us, then Nero has that spat with Senthose but comes back on probation, & now Vega goes rogue. That can't all be coincidence, & I think you know more than you're lettin' on.>

*Vexen turns to Irritum, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Axel.*

Vega<You there. I'll need a sample of your data if the machine is to locate your heart.>
==================================
~Arendelle~

*Eve happens to attack the trio of Heartless that include the knight with the flail, which raises its shield to defend itself. The thorn beams dig into the gargoyles, but don't do too much damage. From her other side, a sword-wielding gargoyle recovers & dives at her, the hammer armed knight charging forward behind it, shield raised, as the axe-wielding gargoyle begins to spin. Anna's eyes flutter.*

Anna<Wha--what happened?>

*Meanwhile, the Thresholder reaches out to the other groups of Heartless, grabbing them before stuffing them through its door.*
---------------------------------------------------
*Outside, whether Eve warned him or not, Monu is shoved back as the door flies open & a pair of giant fists shove what appear to be suits of armor & gargoyle statues through. These turn out to be animate as they quickly fan out to surround Monu. The fists retract & the doors shut, at which point an identical copy of the Thresholder appears on this side. Lilith & co. can just barely see this going on from the hallway, also seeing Hans's expedition set off into the mountains. Lilith glances at the latter briefly, before turning to Euryale & Taiyo.*

L"Bring up the rear, & make sure he doesn't try anything."

*She points the Divine Rose at Vega, before running into the entrance hall, casting Lotus on Monu.*
===========================
~Disney Town~

*Vega easily destroys the Chrono Twisters, however Hitomi & Safian both hit the Belly Balloon head on, at which point it swells into a glowing red ball & rolls forward in an attempt to crush them all. The strange duck man recovers, shaking his head & pointing the gun at the Unversed, which fires a net, allowing him to slow its pursuit as if reeling in a fish.*

DW<Urgh--what're you waiting for? Get going, or it'll blow you all the way to Duckburg!>

*Not needing to be told twice, Thiera raises her Keyblade, quickly casting Aeroga on herself, Safian, & Hitomi, before retreating in the direction of the race course.*

Vega swaps out the Keyblade for his claws and uses Center to heal that shoulder wound from before and takes off towards the Heartless, Taiyo following assuming Euryale ain't dragging her feet because of icky blood things.

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

Hitomi and Azuma follow after them towards the race track.

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

Irritum makes it a point to give Vexen the dirtiest look they can show through the face wrappings before holding out an arm.

*Monu casts Tornado to attack the heartless surrounding him away. Meanwhile, Eve pulls herself close to Anna and Olaf so she can cast Psychowave to blow the heartless back again*

Eve:<Hans said you were dead! I came to check on you!>
---
*Safian retreats as quickly as possible*
---
Artexi:<We already had to destroy some strange...person heading towards Agrabah.>

~Arendelle~

*Euryale seems to be ignoring the fact that she's covered in dried blood & runs after them, digging her Keyblade into the ground & scooping up a bunch of rocks. The Heartless back away from the tornado. Spotting the approaching Keyblade wielders, the archer armor summons an arrow from darkness & fires it, at which point it turns into arrows aimed at each of them. Euryale & Lilith duck, the latter trying to transition into Sliding Dash to close the gap, only to be blocked by an axe swing, the sword-wielding gargoyle flying into the air to slash down at her. The other axe-wielding gargoyle throws its weapon at Vega, its sword-wielding countearpart & the spear armor leaping to dive at Taiyo. Meanwhile, the Thresholder spews out more dark orbs, which streak toward the halls.*
--------------------------------------------------
Anna<Hans...? Hans! Hans is evil!>

*As she talks, thick fog emerges from her mouth, & Eve can barely feel any heat from her. With one exception, the Heartless stumble back, one of the axe-wielding Gargoyles being frozen & going back-&-forth between stone & flesh as dark wisps emerge from it. Having dampened the force with their shields, the armors are quickly able to resume charging, while the force of the attack cancels out the force of the Sword Gargoyle's dive. It hangs in midair, before taking a swipe at the Princess's neck.*
============================
~Disney Town~

*The balloon explodes in a huge fireball, true to DW's word. He falls back on his tailfeathers as the weight he was pulling is suddenly gone. Pushing a button on his gun, the net retracts into it.*

Th"You said your name was...Darkwing, is that right?"

DW<No need to thank me, citizens. What I can't figure out is why you were on the streets in the first place. Don't you know what's going on in this town?>

*He doesn't look up at them as he dusts his hat off & puts it back on.*
=============================
~World of Darkness~

*Vexen returns the sentiment, but pulls out a machine that looks a bit like a short range taser with a glass vial on the other end. He holds it up to Irritum, where it starts lighting up as if it's doing something, some sort of pulsing energy substance gathering in the vial. He then plugs the machine back in the computer & goes back to typing.*

Axel<I can tell when I'm being ignored, y'know.>
=============================
~Agrabah~

Al<So what can we do about it?>

N"Dunno. Iago might be able to tell us more?>

*On cue, the bird flies out of Demyx's hood, & now it's Jasmine's turn to recoil.*

Jasmine<Rahja! Come here!>

Iago<No, wait! I've changed, I can help!>

*The Sultan puffs up, looking furious, but no more threatening than he usually doesn't.*

Sultan<Like you helped by putting me in a cage & forcing crackers down my throat?>

*Demyx reaches for his mouth, but fails to suppress a giggle. He avoids eye contact, whistling innocently when the Agrabah Trio glares at him.*

Vega moves to avoid the arrow and axe, sending a Lone Eagle at the Gargoyle.

Taiyo also moves to avoid the arrow, using Tiger Slash on the arrow shooting Heartless while casting Thundaga on the two approaching Heartless.

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

Azuma: "It's why we're here."

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

Irritum ignores Axel, expecting Vexen to say something.