Rise & Fall

~Agrabah~

*Iago hovers & is about to say something when they hear indistinct yelling, over which a few voices finally win out.*

???<He's got a sword!>

Razoul<YOU IDIOTS! WE'VE ALL GOT SWORDS!>

*Nero seems to be sinking into his chair in response, though as his hue darkens & he starts flattening, it becomes apparent that he is literally sinking into the chair. Demyx looks to the sound of the noise, then to Nero, his face a mask of bewilderment.*

Demyx<What was--what is---are you okay?>

N"This way's faster."
==============================
~Realm of Darkness~

*Xyukuse ungainly stumbles right through him.*

Axel<...He hurt my feelings....>

Vexen<It appears his enunciation is now audible. Unfortunately.>
==============================
~Arendelle~

L"Good idea. Go look for some."

*She starts guiding the shivering, weak-kneed Anna to the window, which Olaf assists with. Outside, Euryale turns to Vega.*

E"Well, you heard the lady, we have to go beat up a foreign diplomat."
===============================
~Disney Town~

Merlin<I'm afraid you likely won't have any time to acquire any Spirits before we brave the castle, as it were. But fear not, for you'll have allies inside to help you.>

*He points his finger way up to the ceiling as if celebrating or saluting something.*

Th"We can worry about what to do with the Spirits once we find them. How long will it take to learn this spell?"

Merlin<No time at all, to be quite frank. Just a little swish & flick-->

*He waves his wand accordingly, a bright blue light emerging from its tip & enveloping them.*

Merlin<--And the rest is all in your heads. Err, literally. Will your Spirit allies into battle, & they will come.>

Vega: "Right."

I don't even recall if he knows Hans or not and they probably wouldn't let him lead the way anyways.

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

Azuma: "Strange how convenient this stuff always is."

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

Xyukuse: "Your feelings? If I had a heart, this would be where I'd die of laughter."

He still lets out a a good laugh.

Xyukuse: "You know those aren't your real 'feelings,' right?"

*Eve rolls her eyes, moving towards the window after Lilith and Anna. Monu follows as well*
---
*Assuming Nero isn't taking all of them, Artexi runs to a window or door in the direction of the noise to look out*

~Arendelle~

*Euryale starts to head out, looking back to make sure Vega is following. Outside, the wind begins to pick up & the clouds just dump a torrent of snow, resulting in the whole scene being obscured in white. Lilith hoists the princess up on her back & does her best to forge through snow that's practically waist deep.*
===============================
~Agrabah~

*Artexi runs back the way they came to see the throne room empty, the noises of clashing swords echoing from a corridor leading to the dungeon. Nero, now a shadow, darts into the shadow of the table & vanishes. Iago lands on Demyx's shoulder.*

Demyx<Uhh, hey, why don't I just keep watch from here?>

Iago<Great idea, Pal! I'll be his backup!>
===============================
~Disney Town~

Merlin<Why, that's what magic is for, my good fellow. Now all that's left to do is teleport you into the castle.>

Th"You won't be coming with us?"

DW<The castle has enough protectors, it's the city that needs my help.>

Merlin<Needs our help, you mean.>

DW<Listen, gramps, just like I told the other guy, I don't need a sidekick!>

Merlin<Sidekick!? Why, you malignant, malcontended mallard!>

*Once again, they level their weapons at each other.*
===============================
~Realm of Darkness~

*Axel shrugs, returning to a standing position.*

Axel<Well, ya got me there. Hey, Vexen, any chance you can get a message out to the castle?>

Vexen<The signal is not strong enough. Perhaps if the barrier between the realms were to weaken.>

Vega does follow and armours up when seeing the snow. Taiyo also armours up because snow and exposed skin are a bad combination. Something I can attest to.

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

Azuma: "How're you two supposed to cooperate at this rate?"

Hitomi: "Other one?"

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

Xyukuse: "You'll be lucky if Senthose is looking for you, Axel."

Artexi:<Too scared to fight, Demyx? Or have you turned traitor like Vega?>

*She points one of her keyblades at Demyx, still moving in the direction of the noise*
---
*Monu moves to help Lilith carry Anna, Eve trudging beside them*

Eve:<Do...do you need me to...?>

*Monu glares and shakes his head*
---
Safian:<Aren't...aren't there more important things you guys could be doing right now?>

~Agrabah~

Demyx<Hey, don't look at me, I told them they were sending the wrong guy.>

*At this point, a distinctive sound that can only be described as glass chains clanging together enters the sword sounds. The Organization should recognize it as the sound of Nero's Keyblade.*
============================
~Arendelle~

Anna<K--kr--kri-->

L"Kristoff! Where are you?! Anna is looking for you!"

*When the wind dies down a bit, they hear the sound of a faint, feminine yell.*

Anna<I--I th--think that w--was El--Elsa...!>

L"Well, that's the only lead we have right now, so...."

*She changes directions, trudging off toward it.*
-------------------------------------------
*Euryale follows their lead because she thinks this is a fine idea. They also hear the noise, so she trudges off towards it.*
========================
~Disney Town~

DW<I told you, I'm a lone hero!>

*Merlin reluctantly stows his wand away, causing Darkwing to follow suit with his gun. The wizard turns to the lion.*

Merlin<But you are quite right. I need to get you inside the castle. Then we can attend to any...personal business.>

*He & Darkwing shoot each other a glare.*

Th"Please at least do more damage to the Unversed than to each other while we're away."
===========================
~Realm of Darkness~

Axel<What's that supposed to mean?>

They should've brought a dragon or someone better suited for the cold because this is terrible. Whose idea was this again?

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

Xyukuse: "It means you'll be lucky if Senthose doesn't add your heart to his collection. What do you even do for the Organization? I bet whatever nerd shit Vexen does has more value than repeating a catchphrase."

*Artexi rolls her eyes and runs off in the direction of the sounds*
---
Eve:<Wh-why would Elsa b-be out he-re?>

*She trudges in after the Order members*
---
*Safian waits to be transported into the castle*

*As they trudge along, Eve can see that, in addition to her hair being completely white, Anna is now rapidly being coated by frost.*

Hans<You can't run from this!>

Elsa<Take care of my sister!>

Hans<Your sister? She returned from the mountain weak & cold! She said you froze her heart! I tried to save her, but it was too late! Her skin was ice, her hair turned white--your sister is dead--because of you!>

Elsa<No...!>

*The fog suddenly recedes, allowing them to see that Elsa has fallen to her knees, either not noticing or not caring that Hans is approaching her from behind with his sword drawn. They can also see Kristoff approaching the rest of the Order on a distant part of the ice sheet. After a second's hesitation, Lilith sets Anna down & charges forward, summoning her Keyblade. However, she's stopped when an [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] steps out of a dark portal. It tosses the book, which opens & hovers over the Queen, emitting a kind of vortex of light. It flaps back over, swallowing the Unversed, & disappears in a flurry of pages, revealing a copy of Elsa with a blank but faintly malicious expression.*
--------------------------------------------
*Now that the haze of the fog has lifted, Euryale, Vega, & Taiyo can make out the ships of the harbor. Weighed down by the snow on the mast, one of the ships groans loudly as it begins to fall on the approaching shape of a rider on a reindeer.*

E"Look out!"

*She takes a step forward, but jerks back as a huge crack runs through the ice. It starts to break apart, causing her, Taiyo, & Vega to drift apart on separate pieces.*
==========================
~Agrabah~

*After running through the corridor & down the stairs, she finds Nero fending off attacks from the Luna Bandits surrounding him. One almost cuts him while his back is turned, but Jasmine jumps on it, getting it in a fucking choke hold. It flails around long enough for Rahja to turn & rip its throat out, causing it to vanish back into darkness. Most of the guards are knocked out, but Razoul joins Aladdin in chasing after a tall, broadly built man with his face covered by the hood & mask of a blue cloak, Jafar's lamp tucked under an arm. He swings his sword, resulting in a wave of darkness that sends Razoul tumbling, but Abu skitters out from Aladdin's vest, wrapping his tail around his arm before grabbing a chain hanging from the wall. This allows Aladdin to not only stay upright, but get close enough to yank the cloth free, exposing the thief's [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Aladdin steps back in shock, despite Abu's protesting screeches & pointing.*

Al<...Dad?>

*The monkey's mouth hangs open as he looks between them. The thief's expression softens in confusion & possibly recognition as he lowers his sword. Meanwhile, Razoul rises to a lunging position, his sword ready to stab.*
==========================
~Realm of Darkness~

Axel<Well, I was supposed to rid us of our traitor, but that didn't work out so well....>

*As he scratches his head, Vexen approaches them.*

Vexen<Enough prattling. If we are to escape from here, I will need your assistance, loathe as I am to admit it. In order to transmit a signal to the castle, we will need to find a nexus the Heartless are using to travel to the Realm of Light.>
==========================
~Disney Town~

Merlin<Now, I should warn you, once I cast this spell, you won't be able to easily come back. If you will be in need of any supplies beforehand, you might consider handling that now.>

*He gestures to the various things on display in Darkwing's cave, mostly weapons & vehicles, but a few things which are recognizably Gummi Blocks. There's a Moogle Shop, but I don't believe they have any munny, so.*

And now they drift as trying to regroup would be a bad idea as only two of them have a means to traverse the water without dying.

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

Azuma: "What do the blocks do?"

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

Xyukuse: "Was it Marluxia or Larxene that got you? It'd be funny either way. I bet it was even more ridiculous."

*Artexi sends vines from both her keyblades to ensnare Aladdin's father*

Artexi:<You're going to regret trying to steal that lamb!>
---
Eve:<El-sa, look behind you! Hans is try-trying to kill you!>

*Eve and Monu both summon their keyblades. Monu casts Hawk's Dive on himself to increase his speed, then runs in a wide arc around the unversed, heading for Hans and Elsa. Meanwhile, Eve blasts the Unverse with a Book with Fusion, in the hopes of preventing it from making more copies*

~Realm of Darkness~

Axel<Actually, it was-->

Vexen<Don't encourage him! Just follow me.>

*He shuts the computer & heads off down the beach. Axel shrugs & follows along.*
==========================
~Arendelle~

*Euryale turns to the others, pointing in their general direction.*

E"Stay there! I'll come back for you!"

*Doubtless confusing the Hell out of Vega, Euryale dives into the frozen water. A second later, some of the ice shifts as something moves underneath it, & they see the now-unarmored Euryale rocketing through the water, arms tucked to her side as a red-scaled tail undulates behind her. This also has the convenient effect of washing all of the blood off of her.*
----------------------------------------------
*Whether because of hearing the attack behind her or just to get over the Unversed, Lilith double-jumps. Unversed-Elsa glances up, but mostly stares at the attack, sinking into the snow once it's fired. As Lilith twists in the air, doing her best to parry the beams coming her way, it pops up in front of Monu, along with a group of ice spikes aimed at him. Whether the real Elsa doesn't hear her or simply doesn't care, she makes no motion to stop Hans as he raises his sword, so Anna & Olaf start running forward.*
=============================
~Agrabah~

*The man shakes off his surprise, cutting the vines that approach him, before reaching back to open a Dark Corridor. Razoul lunges, but doesn't see Aladdin subtly shift his foot, causing the guard to sprawl across the floor, his sword sliding off to some dark corner.*

Al<Abu, get the lamp!>

*The monkey jumps on his arm, using his tail to wrap around the lamp's handle. Though they struggle, neither one is easily shaken off. Jasmine runs to them, yelling over the shoulder for Rahja to help Nero, which he does by getting behind him, roaring & deflecting any Heartless that try to attack with his claws. Nero mostly twists his Keyblade to & fro, blocking the numerous swings coming at him.*
==============================
~Disney Town~

DW<Ever hear of a Gummi Block?>

Th"We've used them before, yes."

*Darkwing turns to his computer & walks to the pedestals the blocks are on.*

DW<I'm thinking of using them to upgrade the Thunderquack & the Ratcatcher. There are 4 cannons, 3 shields, a buzzsaw, a spike, & a kind of energy-propelled dagger. But most don't seem to do anything but take up space.>

So they wait because Vega ain't capable of that shit and Taiyo ain't in the know of Euryale's plan.

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

Azuma: "Dagger thing might be cool. Don't think I can fit a shield on my glider."

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

The two follow, Xyukuse not going near Irritum because that sucker is creepy. Irritum doesn't go within arms length of those jerks because they are all jerks.

*Monu raises a granite shield to protect against the ice spikes, then hurls his keyblade at Fake!Elsa. Eve tries to get a clear shot at Hans, using Psychosphere on him if she can get one. Otherwise she runs after Anna and Olaf*
---
*Artexi casts Sparkga on Aladdin's father with one keyblade, then charges him, using Sol's Might with her other keyblade*

~Arendelle~

*When Euryale gets close enough, she pops her upper body out of the water, swinging her Keyblade overhand at the mast. Cracking it in half exposes Kristoff & Sven, who scrabbles them up onto a block of ice. She darts around it & starts pushing, & as the chunk drifts closer, he eyes her tail.*

Kristoff<Who--what--?>

*She looks up.*

E"Oh, right, we didn't meet yet. I'm Anna's friend through Lilith & Monu. You've gotta promise to keep this a secret, alright?"

*When he slowly nods, she points to the others.*

E"That's my mate, Taiyo, & Vega. I guess you could say he's like our frienemy."
-------------------------------------------------
*The shield protects against the lower spikes, but Monu has already been stabbed in the shoulders by the time it gets that high. As he's trying to get around to aim an attack, it darts toward Lilith as she struggles to rise to her feet, in the process creating an ice wall that bounces Eve's attack back at her. Lilith raises her Keyblade to block & tries Bark Barrier, which is naturally blown away by the avalanche as she finds herself bowled over.*

Anna<Noooooo!>

*While they're busy with that, Anna stands between Hans & her sister, raising her hand to his blade. The frost extends over her body in solid blue ice, hard enough to shatter the prince's blade when he strikes the hand of what now might as well be a statue. Some kind of wave of force blows him back, causing him to plow into a snow drift with a heavy flurry of particles obscuring his landing site. The Queen looks back at the scuffle & races to her side.*

Elsa<Anna! Anna, no! Please, no....>

*She cradles the statue's face, as what seems to be a last puff of wintry breath escapes it. Olaf stands by, looking vaguely helpless.*
================================
~Disney Town~

Th"Gummi Blocks can attach themselves to any portion of a Keyblade Glider. The so-called useless Gummi Blocks are also probably Material Gummis, which can be used to expand its size & shape."
================================
~Realm of Darkness~

*After walking for some time, a shape emerges from the gloom far ahead of them. It appears to be a pillar of darkness flowing into a small, faintly glowing hole in the sky.*

Axel<Right along the shoreline...makes sense, if the Realm of Light is on the other side of this ocean.>

Vexen<There will most likely be Heartless close to the gateway. Much more numerous & perhaps even more powerful than those already in the Realm of Light. I hope you are all ready.>
================================
~Agrabah~

*The man scrambles to block the blasts, which fly in every direction, including at Artexi. Whether she presses the attack or not, this causes Abu & the lamp to tumble across the floor, where Jasmine quickly snatches them up & hands them back to Aladdin before turning her attention back to the thief. A Luna Bandit manages to hook the Darker Than Dark between its blades & toss it from Nero's grasp, but he reaches out with a dark claw & blows it away. Resummoning his Keyblade in a reverse grip, blocking more sword slashes.*

*Monu casts Fairy Magic on himself, then runs back towards Lilith. Eve dives away from the incoming attack, then uses Stopra on the location where she thinks the Elsa clone will be when the spell hits*
---
*Artexi does press her attack, weaving around the incoming blasts as she goes*

Taiyo waves although the term mate is still kind of embarrassing. Euryale needs a new vocabulary.

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

This sounds mad tedious and I reckon just taking everything ain't an option.

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

Xyukuse scoffs at the idea of that loser talking about preparedness when it comes to battle.

~Arendelle~

*The noises from the battle carry over. Kristoff looks over in slack-jawed shock at the now-frozen Anna. Euryale heaves herself up onto the ice, tail drooping as she looks out at the battle, before turning to Taiyo & Vega.*

E"We need to get over there."
---------------------------------------------
*The spell hits the clone dead on, but appears to have no effect as the clone waves its hand, shooting icicles out at Eve. In addition, ice spikes materialize & converge from the ground & air around her. Lilith fights her way out from under the snow, sparing a glance to the Queen, who falls to her knees as she hugs her sister & cries, before looking back at Monu.*

L"The only thing we can do now is destroy the clone."

*With some hesitance, she points her Keyblade at Eve, a translucent lotus barrier forming around her.*

L"I hate to say it, but we need all the help we can get."
==========================
~Agrabah~

*When she makes contact with his sword, he falls back into the portal, reaching out to pull it closed as if drawing a curtain as he tumbles through. Some of the projectiles impact the Luna Bandits from behind, allowing Rahja to make a spinning attack. Nero grabs onto his tail so he can contribute with his own Keyblade slashes, finishing up with a Strike Raid to destroy the last remaining Heartless. Jasmine shouts that "he's getting away!" & runs toward Artexi & the Dark Corridor.*
=============================
~Realm of Darkness~

*As they continue up the beach, it becomes apparent that the pillar is behind some kind of mountain range. They can see Shadows wandering, spread throughout the beach, but the area is big enough that they haven't been spotted yet.*

Axel<Should we fly over the mountain?>

Vexen<Of course not, you fool! Do you want every Heartless within miles to come flocking after us?!>
=============================
~Disney Town~

*Merlin coughs awkwardly. Thiera shrugs & heads over to collect the Specialty Gummis, seeing no particular need for the Material Gummis. Darkwing mutters something like "freeloader" under his breath as he shuffles back over to his computer. When she comes back over, Merlin begins waving his wand.*

Merlin<Well then--if that's everything.>

*Safian quickly grabs a material gummy to make her glider a bit bigger*
---
*Artexi sends vines from both keyblades to grab the man, then tries to pull him out of the dark corridor*
---
*Monu nods, then uses Wind Raid on the clone. Assuming the barrier protects Eve, she casts Fusion on the clone*

And so Vega high jumps over there. I would assume Taiyo does as well since Euryale will likely swim over there because she wants to enjoy being able to swim even though this ain't a luxury trip.

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

I guess Azuma takes a material block or two if there's any left especially since Thiera is hoarding special blocks as if it were grain.

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

Xyukuse: "Yeah, standing over here is a great improvement from standing over there."

~Agrabah~

*He cuts them just before the Dark Corridor closes. Nero & Rahja join the crowd as Razoul runs off to retrieve his sword.*

N"Any idea who that was?"

Al<...No. I thought he looked familiar, but it's impossible.>

Jasmine<He had Heartless, he knew about the lamp, he must be one of Jafar's allies. Maybe he confused you with some kind of spell?>

Al<Yeah--that must be it.>
===============================
~Arendelle~

*Taiyo jumps to the ice block that Euryale & Kristoff are on while Vega jumps 2 blocks to get there, at which point it cricks & groans ominously.*

E"Hold on, I can push us to shore."

*She leans forward, falling in the water, & they can see her shape move under the ice. Assuming they stay put, she gets them within running distance of the battle in no time.*
----------------------------------------------------
*The barrier deflects the projectiles, so the clone raises a hand to create an ice wall, & pushes to send it toppling toward Eve. The Fusion blast breaks it into a series of still sizable boulders while the clone is forced to back into the Wind Raid. Lilith seizes on the opportunity to run it through from behind with Sonic Slide, turning to strike it again from the other direction. Ink flows from its wounds as parts of its torso fall away in reams of paper, revealing the darkness underneath its crumbling facade.*
=============================
~Disney Town~

*Takes more than 1 or 2 Gummis to do much for a ship, so let's say they each get 6, which can be reshaped later. Darkwing glares at them as Merlin flicks his wand & blue smoke consumes them. As the smoke is clearing, they hear a chaotic jumble of ticking, whirring gears, & so forth. It quickly becomes apparent why when they see the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] they've appeared in. Looking around, Thiera notices a generator that appears to be powered by the footsteps of a rotund, mostachioed mouse with a little jacket & aviator hat chasing after a bit of cheese hanging from a string.*

Squeaky voice<Oh no, they got in!>

*She jerks her head to her other side & looks around in confusion. Hearing a 2nd voice, she looks down to see a chipmunk with a black nose bonking a red nosed chipmunk on the head.*

Squeaker<You blockhead! They're obviously the ones Merlin sent to help us! Go get the Queen!>

Squeaky<Err, right, Chip!>

*He turns around, running up the stairs on all fours. Now that the smoke has cleared a bit more, they can actually see the place is pretty packed. Another mouse with a welding mask is working on a broken part of the machine up on a catwalk, handed tools by a procession of brooms, & behind them a bipedal cow, hen, & horse with a huge collar on his neck are waving at them.*
=============================
~Realm of Darkness~

*Axel briefly scratches the back of his head.*

Axel<Well, then, we gonna try to find some way through those mountains, or are we going around?>

Vexen<I recommend we do not trap ourselves, but nor do we move out in the open.>

*He holds a hand out to the nearby ocean, causing a fog to drift out of it & move toward them.*

*Artexi crosses her arms, dismissing her keyblades*

Artexi:<Who exactly did he look like? It's important that you tell us everything, even if you think it's impossible.>
---
Safian:<I guess these are our allies then?>

*She walks up beside Thiera, sniffing around*
---
*Eve dives away from the falling boulders, then joins Lilith in slashing at the clone, using Lethal Frame. Monu resummons his keyblade and sends diamond shards at the clone once he can do so without hitting an ally*

They get in there, Taiyo casting Fira on the clone while Vega attacks with Lone Eagle and Demon Fist.

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

Azuma: "Not the worst greeting we've gotten, but uh what are you fixing up?"

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

Xyukuse: "Why not do this when we got here?"

~Disney Town~

Chip<This is the Gummi Hangar. Normally these machines help us maintain Gummi Ships, but we thought we'd repurpose them to help fight the Heartless.>

Mouse<Unfortunately, they received a lot of damage during the attack on the castle, but now that we've found a way to get the power back on, I should be able to fix them.>

*She pushes up her welder's mask & smiles at them, holding out her hand.*

Mouse<Nice to meet you. My name is Gadget. I see you've already met Chip & Dale. Queen Minnie should be with you soon.>

*Thiera holds out a finger for her to shake.*

Gadget<I like your hair.>

Th"Uh--thanks."

*She turns to look behind her when she hears a much larger lady mouse in a poofy pink dress & evening gloves approaching, led down the ramp by Dale. The crown on her head signifies her status. Behind her is some sort of anthropomorphic lady duck in similar purple attire, with a golden tiara. Thiera starts to stoop, but the queen motions for her to remain standing.*
=========================
~Arendelle~

*When they first climb up on the shore, Kristoff moves to help Euryale, but she waves him off as her tail glows & splits into legs. As she stands, the glow spreads & she sets off in her armor, only slightly behind the others. Meanwhile, the clone spreads her arms & a wave of snow flurries starts to push out, but ceases when the Unversed finds itself Stopped. At some point during that assault, the rest of its skin falls away in pages & the Mimic Master is wailed on for a while, denting & scuffing its attire. When Lilith goes in for another stab, it smacks her away with the book, turning around & swinging down at Eve before moving to attack Monu. From when it hit Euryale, they could see that the attack released a pulse of dark energy where it hit. Euryale launches a Torrent while the slack-jawed Kristoff & Sven break from the group. They head several feet away, where Elsa has fallen to her knees, embracing the frozen statue of her sister & sobbing.*
=============================
~Agrabah~

*Aladdin throws a glance to Razoul, who has picked up his sword & is turning back to them.*

Al<I can't talk about it here.>

Jasmine<We can meet in my chamber. First we should think of a new plan for the lamp...there's a secret passage nearby, & we could probably get some of the traps from father's storeroom to help protect it.>

Al<If only Genie were here, he could put the lamp somewhere no one could find it.>

N"Well, until then, we can help you seal it in as many locks as you can. We should also go find Demyx & put the lazy jerk to work."
===============================
~Dark Realm~

Vexen<It won't last forever, fool! Do not question my methods, if not for the sake of my sanity, then to avoid injuring your diminutive brain from the strain!>

*Axel shakes his head before putting a hand on his hip & wagging his finger at them.*

Axel<Hey, if you 2 don't behave, I'm not takin' you out for ice cream after the mission!>