Rise & Fall

Taiyo casts Firagun on a snow monster which will wreck both of them, but some revisionist is gonna say the fire magic of some lameass is better than the fire magic of someone who gives no crap about all the cold.

Vega moves to close in on the Elsa clone to attack with Malarith.

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

Presumably invisible the lot of good it'll do them now because Thiera is awful at things, the two spread out not that either of them can see things that are invisible. This was not a thought out plan.

I am not sorry.


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

Those losers are going to have to accept that a Heartless will probably be thrown their way and it'll be a good time.

Xyukuse calls the Chaos Ripper and unleashes an Akashic Torment.

~Arendelle~

*A net of thorns digs into "Lilith" as it wraps around her & she finds herself rendered completely immobile, but not destroyed. Euryale flies high enough that, upon hitting the ground, the shattering ice causes her to bleed profusely. Disoriented, she's struck from behind by a wave of snow, which knocks her out. It starts to glow & change, until "Elsa" is forced to use both hands to drop the snowflake shield in front of her, blocking both the Wind Raid & Malarith. Lilith gets around & swings, but misses due to the Fire Funnel only being half as large as when she started.*

L"I was worried about this--the clone's powers grow indefinitely, just like the real thing's!"

*The Clone spreads its arms, shattering the snowflake shield into smaller shields that start to spin around it. Its hands glow & ice spikes materialize in the air all around them, poised to fire. The clone begins rising on a whirlwind of snow. Because Harley never specified which one Taiyo was fucking targeting, despite my asking several times, the coin toss says the undamaged one. As before, this melts part of it, particularly thinning its limbs, but doesn't destroy it. He's lucky I didn't make her blow herself up--except she sort of does anyway, because she's burnt by the splash damage. The snow globs harden over her face, inhibiting her vision & silencing her, & she feels herself being lifted up by the monster. The damaged clone begins crawling toward Euryale's unconscious body.*
===========================
~Disney Town~

*Kefka holds up his hand to intercept the bolt, causing it to zig-zag down the hall, only for it to deflect off of something invisible ("Gawrsh!"), Kefka unable to dodge because a lion was on his back. He shakes his fist in that general direction.*

Kefka<Grr--I'll remember this!>

*With his other hand, he snaps his fingers, producing a pair of glasses with swirled lenses, which he then puts on his face.*

Kefka<Peek-a-boo! I see--uh-oh!>

*A group of magenta circles appear underneath Kefka as rocks begin converging around him.*

Minnie<Oh, where are you all? I can't see you, & I'd hate to strike you with my magic!>

*Donald evidently doesn't care about this, as a fireball soars over their heads, in Kefka's direction.*
=============================
~Agrabah~

Jasmine<He helped us out when we had a problem with a cursed mirror...it's a long story.>

Phasir<I remember it well. Jafar isn't the only one who held secrets. This world is full of others like him--sometimes too alike.>

*The mist swirls as he moves his hands over the crystal, materializing into figures they can't quite make out. They appear to be a tall, thin man in blue sultanate garb, & an Egyptian woman standing far behind him.*

Phasir<Doubtless they will seek to capitalize on the power vacuum he left behind. They may even have allies...>

*The view zooms through the mists, moving past the distinct silhouette of Maleficent & an armored form, to a series of hooded, Black Coated individuals standing in the swirling darkness, the highest spreading his arms to encompass the figures below, a bit of a white tower & a heart-shaped moon behind him. Nero fakes a violent coughing fit to drag Jasmine's & Aladdin's attention away from it.*

Phasir<Perhaps from outside.>

*They look back to the old fortune-teller.*

Al<You mean from another kingdom?>

*The crystal ball suddenly clears up, returning to complete transparency, as Phasir leans back & appears to look at them through his blindfold.*

Phasir<Yes. I think, in the desert, you will find the answers you seek. The wind has a tendency of revealing the truth hidden behind the dunes.>
==============================
~Dark Realm~

*At first, only a few wandering shadows notice, & they come running to see what this freak windstorm is. Others turn their heads in their companions' direction.*

Axel<(That idiot's going to get himself killed!>

V<(Pay the fool no mind, simply follow me.)>

*He begins slinking along the side of the mountain range, moving away from Xyukuse.*

Taiyo tries to pry away at that garbage which shouldn't be too hard as the gauntlets of her armour has claws on it while Vega uses Corrupted Ram to barrel through that weak shield shit.

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

Azuma casts Tiger Ambush on Kefka while Hitomi casts Aquaja on Kefka.

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

Xyukuse jumps around sticking the Keyblade into the ground kicking up a tornado that does not kick up any debris for some obscure reason, likely also trying to screw those assholes over too.

Monu:<Hold on, I'll go heal Euryale!

*Monu races off towards Euryale, casting Fairy Magic on her when he comes into range, then he hurls his keyblade at the Lilith clone. Eve uses Void Flair, maneuvering the thorn beams to destroy as many of the icicles as possible, then sends the beams at "Elsa"'s face*
---
Artexi:<Can you be a bit more specific about where we should go? We're surrounded by miles of desert in every direction.>
---
*Safian leaps away from any magenta circles nearby, sending a fireball at Kefka, then leaps away from her previous position*

~Agrabah~

Phasir<You needn't worry. I am sure you'll find your way.>

N"Because you can see the future?"

Phasir<That is correct.>

Al<We can make do. Thanks, Phasir.>

Jasmine<I hope this is enough.>

Phasir<Your kindness is appreciated.>

*She puts a golden coin on the table, smiling as they head out, but Nero doesn't follow.*

N"You know more than you're letting on. Specifically about us. Why didn't you say anything?"

Phasir<You say I know who you are & why you're here, yet you ask why I didn't tell the princess & the diamond in the rough? Do you have a guilty conscience?>

*After pocketing his payment he stands up, pulling off his blindfold, revealing himself as a very not blind cyclops. Nero's own eyes widen in surprise.*

Phasir<I will tell you one more thing, on the house: You may leave the light to pursue a malevolent path, but one day, love will lead you back to where you belong.>

*As he speaks, a Dark Corridor begins billowing up around him.*
=========================
~Arendelle~

*Eve quickly sees that no matter how many icicles are destroyed, more just keep popping up, & she & Monu find their attacks blocked by the clone's shields. Euryale rubs her head, groaning groggily.*

E"What happened? I feel like I got hit by a whale...Taiyo!>

*She noticed that, though Taiyo managed to break the frost from her face, the monster had slammed her forcefully to the ground & was moving to jump on her. She surely would have been incapacitated, but Euryale quickly switched to the Oathkeeper, which glows & releases a wave of healing spheres. Four of them fly back into Euryale, returning her to full health, & as she stands she points the Keyblade at Taiyo, causing 6 to arc into her & return her to full health as well. Euryale then glances over her shoulder & turns, swinging so the remaining pair of orbs head toward Lilith.*

<RRAAAGH!>

*The crawling monster then leaps at her & Monu. Over by "Elsa," Vega manages to ram through a shield, scraping across the clone's hip before he's smacked by another & knocked back. It's enough to wobble the clone, causing some of the icicles to fall back into the snow. But it's enough for Lilith to throw an Explosion Raid into the gap he's created. The shields shatter, the snownado falls back to the ground, & the icicles shatter as the clone is hurled toward Vega, great gaps created in her body where her flesh has dissolved into paper. She reaches out, firing a wave of freezing energy at him.*
================================
~Realm of Darkness~

*The Shadows stop at the clouds of sand being kicked up, tilting their heads to peer curiously as their antennae waggle in Xyukuse's general direction. They're not too bright, it'll take them a bit to figure out what's happening. Meanwhile, Axel shrugs.*

Axel<Well, you're the boss, I guess.>

*He starts slinking off after Vexen, but looks back at Irritum.*

Axel<Are you coming?>
=================================
~Disney Town~

*All the spells mingle together in a messy explosion of water, fire, earth, & light. When the dust settles, Kefka is turned around with his ass pointed at the bulk of the forces. He slaps it thrice, blowing a raspberry at Safian as his body starts to evaporate. The clown's grin is the very last thing to vanish, letting out a maniacal laugh as it goes.*

Minnie<Oh dear, what could this possibly mean?>

Th"It means it was a fake, & the enemy knows we're here. What's more, we probably shouldn't breathe in the air he disappeared into."

Kefka's Echo<Ooh, scary! They even figured out about my laughing gas! Oh well, I've had my fun...they're all yours, Horny!>

*With that, the flames collapse, turning into a Welcome mat below the door.*

Vega rights himself and attacks with Fireram. Has Taiyo freed her face, she could have healed herself, but it's important to make Euryale feel special.

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

Azuma: "Not surprised. Who's the one the clown was referring to?"

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

Why the one who can turn invisible wouldn't just let those other assholes die or something is a mystery, but instead follows keeping their distance.

Artexi:<Uh, thanks for that?>

*Artexi glances at Nero*
---
*Safian bounds back towards Thiera and the others*

Safian:<It was too good to be true...>
---
*Eve moves to cast Fusion in a way that will hit the clone but not Vega. Monu moves back, using Wind Raid on the monster*

~Disney Town~

Th"Probably another foe, behind that door."

Minnie<That leads to the throne room. There was another sorcerer with the crown, who had a red cloak & great, big horns on his head. I didn't see much of him, but he gave off such an eerie chill.>

*With a loud "pop" & a resounding, "waaoowoow!" there is now an inky image of Goofy where the welcome mat used to be. He starts covering himself as if something is whacking him in the head, when the air begins screaming at him.*

Donald<Ya should've known better, ya big palooka, didn't ya hear her shay there were more trapsh?!>
==========================
~Agrabah~

N"But--is that--wait--what just happened?!"

*He throws up his hands as Phasir disappears into the dark corridor & Aladdin calls from outside.*

Al<Are you guys coming?!>
==========================
~Arendelle~

*I have no idea how the freezing & the fire attacks would interact, so I'm just going to say they're cancelled out & the clone collapses into paper when Eve's thorn beams impale it. Euryale uses Fire so she can run through the melting snow monster toward Taiyo, whom ignoring the fact that she couldn't heal herself fast enough without Euryale's intervention, apparently chose to do nothing while she was being jumped on. The remaining monster plants a heavy hand on her throat, protrudes ice spikes from its fist, & punches down toward her. Figuring Euryale has this, Lilith swings in the direction of her clone, which is blown apart by a bolt of lightning. The scattered papers swirl together behind it, recreating the Mimic Master. Its eyes glow purple & it pulses with dark energy, appearing to throw a tantrum. With a dull roar, it becomes cloaked with fire, holding its book out before it. Said book flaps like wings, propelling the monster into the air, whereupon it attempts to dive bomb Eve.*
==========================
~Dark Realm~

*The Shadows are still running around, peering curiously at whatever is going on with this windstorm. One approaches, becoming sucked up into the tornado. The rest, again not being too bright, make leaping attacks only to get sucked in as well. This sends every other Shadow not part of the tower clamoring over to Xyukuse, at which point the other Heartless begin to take notice.*

V<(If we are fortunate, he will attract all of the Heartless to himself. Then it becomes a simple matter of transmitting the signal before he is devoured.)>

A<(Somehow, I don't suppose your plan involves a rescue component.)>

Vega attacks the Mimic Master with Malarith while Taiyo blasts the snow monster with multiple Fire spells.

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

Azuma: "Disable the trap?"

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

Xyukuse jumps around away from the Heartless, likely kiting them towards those other assholes.

*Eve jumps to the side, casting Fusion on the Mimic Master. Monu follows after Euryale, sending diamond shards at the most holding Taiyo*
---
Artexi:<Uh...coming!>

*She exits, expecting Nero to follow*
---
*Safian sniffs Goofy, trying to figure out what exactly is going on*

~Disney Town~

*Goofy smells like an inky dog, & there's also a duck near him. A beam of light shoots from the point where Thiera's voice kept coming from, striking the door. There is the click of a massive lock...& then a normal-sized door embedded in the giant door opens, offering them a vague look at a gloomy throne room bathed in an eerie green light.*

Th"It should be safe to proceed."

Goofy<We can take a gander inside, Your Majesty, a-hyuck.>

Minnie<Be careful!>

*Goofy starts forward, but is held back.*

Donald<NOOO! YER COVERED IN INK, IF YOU GO IN, WE'LL LOSHE THE ELEMENT OF SHURPRISHE, YA BIG NUMBSHKULL!>
===========================
~Arendelle~

*Euryale's Keyblade shines & transforms into her familiar Ends of the Earth. Once close enough, she launches a 2 handed upward swing, which connects with the ice monster & sends it flying into the air. This frees Taiyo's throat enough to cast her spells, & the beast dissolves into snowflakes. Euryale stabs her Keyblade into the ground & puts her arm under Taiyo's shoulders, trying to help her up. Part of her helmet falls away, so Taiyo can see the concerned look on her face.*

E"Are you alright, seastar?"

*Meanwhile, having already been barely hanging on by a thread, the Unversed literally breaks in half, then into smaller chunks, the flames dissipating as it dissolves into wisps of darkness. With the sound of the fighting no longer drowning everything out, they can hear gasps of surprise. Lilith turns to look at the region where the fissure of snow has widened into a crater that they can see into, to find that Anna is thawing out. Elsa takes her sister's hands.*

Elsa<Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?>

Anna<I love you.>

Olaf<An act of love...can thaw a frozen heart...!>

Kristoff<I'm so glad you're back...but why did it take so long?>

L"The Unversed must have started interfering when it absorbed the Queen's powers. Now that it's gone, they are hers alone to control once more."
===============================
~Dark Realm~

*The surviving Heartless fall to the ground around him, & as the sand settles, the Heartless can now see him plainly & begin to surround him.*

Vexen<(Oh no, that just will not do....)>

*He puts his hand to his head as if he's about to use Goku's Instant Transmission, pointing at Xyukuse with his other hand. After a couple seconds, he thrusts his other hand out as well, & a torrent of ice erupts from under Xyukuse's feet, with at most a second until it will surround him.*
===============================
~Agrabah~

*As soon as they leave the city gates, Nero starts looking around. He points first to a mountainous region in the horizon, where the sky grows dark & cloudy.*

N"As I recall, that way leads to the Cave of Wonders. But what's over there? A city?"

*He moves his finger along the horizon, pointing to a few towers peeking over the dunes, backdropped by a comparatively less foreboding mountain range.*

Jasmine<It used to be, but it's been in ruins for as long as anyone can remember.>

Al<That could be where the bandits went when they fled Agrabah!>

Artexi:<I mean, they could have gone anywhere with a dark corridor, but the seer did say we should hunt around the desert, it is definitely worth a look.>
---
*Monu walks over to Lilith and puts an arm around her*

Monu:<Looks like a happy ending after all.>

*A small smile crosses Eve's face, but it vanishes as she starts turning around, looking around at the surroundings*

Eve:<What happened to Hans?>
---
Safian:<Could someone with a water spell clean the ink off?>

Taiyo: "Yes."

She nods, putting an arm around Euryale.

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

Azuma: "Think we already lost it. And continue to lose it everytime Donald speaks."

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

Xyukuse uses Blazing Tempest to move on out of that because he's having none of that nonsense and Vexen can kick rocks.

~Arendelle~

Elsa<Love--of course!>

*Euryale puts her other hand under Taiyo's legs & just lifts her straight into a bridal carry, because that's a thing she can do. Lilith seems more conflicted as she stares at the sisters.*

L"Yeah...I guess...."

*As they're doing that, Elsa gestures all of the snow into the sky, gathering it into the shape of a single giant snowflake, much like that one her clone created. With a final wave of her hands, it disperses, sending the cold magic flying off to every corner of the globe, instantly returning a comfortable warmth & vibrant colors to the region. An excited chatter can be heard from the nearby town as people open the doors & unshutter their windows*

Olaf<Aww, this is the happiest day of my life--& also maybe the last.>

*Seeing that he's melting, she twirls her wrist, creating a cloud that perpetually drops flurries on him. No longer dying, he jumps & claps as he smiles with joy. The cleared snow reveals that they're on a ship in the harbor, & Hans pulls himself from the cargo, rubbing his jaw as Anna beckons Kristoff back & steps forward to meet him.*

Hans<Anna? But--she froze your heart?>
==========================
~Disney Town~

*Goofy hides himself behind his shield & tiptoes inside. To his credit, he whispers his battle cry of "Ya-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!"*

Donald<WAAA-AAA-AAAH!>

*An invisible whoosh flies past Azuma & the sound of a loud THWACK followed by hopping can be heard behind him.*

Th"Ow! Something just struck me in the shin!"

Donald<Whoops...shorry....>

Minnie<Please, we need to hurry--every second we spend here, the Cornerstone of Light comes closer to being destroyed!>
=============================
~Agrabah~

*Soon enough, they're on their flying devices, surveying the remains of ancient arches, houses, & towers buried beneath the shifting quicksands. Cliffs rise up on all sides, with a massive tower extending past a crevasse in front of them.*

N"No Heartless so far--but they're definitely nearby, I can smell them."

Jasmine<What?>

*She turns to squint at Nero, who shakes his head.*

N"Long story, nevermind. The smell's coming from that tower, of course."

Al<The winds are too strong to fly over the mountains, so we'll just have to go through--careful, it could be a trap!>
=============================
~Dark Realm~

*This is enough to bring the Heartless' attention to him, with Shadows & Darkballs all flying toward him, & other yellow eyes advancing on him in the gloom. Even the tower starts to wobble as Shadows begin breaking free from it. Vexen continues his path steeped in the shadow of the dunes, Axel following close behind.*

Taiyo doesn't even know this snowman and being carried is nice. Too bad it's not to the bedroom.

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

They creep on into the big mostly empty room. What comes next is gonna suck.

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

While Irritum follows, Xyukuse continues to try kiting the Heartless towards those others jerks, kicking up sandstorms.

*Eve points her keyblade at Hans*

Eve:<What would you like done with him, Queen Elsa?>
---
*Artexi summon her second keyblade, staring at the sides of the crevasse and the ground as they fly*
---
*Safian stalks through the shadows in front of the others*

~Arendelle~

Elsa<Once my sister is through, I'll have him banished back to the Southern Isles. We'll see how his 12 older brothers feel about his behavior.>

Anna<The only one with a frozen heart here is you, Hans.>

*She starts to take a step back, but then grabs his collar & decks him in the face, sending him toppling over the rail & into the sea with a yelp. For some reason, there's cheering from the castle. Euryale gives a satisfied nod, before pulling off what's left of Taiyo's helmet--most of her armor was destroyed in the battle--& leaning in to give her a kiss. Meanwhile, Elsa turns around, looking from Eve to Lilith & back.*

Queen<I suppose we still have some business to discuss. I will meet you in the audience chamber in 1 hour.>
============================
~Disney Town~

*Minnie lets out a gasp once they see the state the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] is in. The once pristine, polished white halls are now chipped & grimy, dimly lit by only a lowly-glowing green fog surrounding the throne, upon which sits a horned, skeletal figure clad in a red robe. In the deathly silence between notes from the enchanted instruments behind him, they can hear his breathing carrying all the way across the 50 feet or so. A pair of bloodred pinpricks, presumably his eyes, pierce the fog from under the hood as he speaks in a booming, yet rattling, voice.*

Horned King<I know you are here. I can smell your blood.>

*When Thiera continues to creep forward silently, he raises his hand & points at her, not that the others can see. But he can see when he points to each of them in turn.*

Horned King<Perhaps you presume me to be bluffing...scullery maid, filthy beast, ignominious peasants, parlor magician, & impotent, would-be Queen.>

*Behind his shield, Goofy puts up his hand to cover his voice.*

Goofy<(He didn't notice me--I think it's workin', a-hyuck!)>

Minnie<Who are you? Why are you doing this?>

*The figure spreads his arms wide.*

Horned King<You may address me simply as, "Your Majesty." That is all you need to know, before you join my army of the dead.>

Donald<Yeah, right! This is whatcha get for inshultin' the Queen! Bwaaak!>

*A fireball soars toward the King, who catches & crushes it in the palm of his hand, leaving behind only smoke. He then swats away the shield Goofy had thrown, though the dog catches it as he rushes the throne. With his other hand, he points at a seemingly random spot on the floor, which begins to crack & glow red.*

Minnie<Oh dear!>

Donald<Queen Minnie! Hold on!>
=============================
~Agrabah~

*Once they get through, they can see that the main door has collapsed long ago, but there is a window large enough to slip through about halfway up. In fact, peering inside from their vantage point, they can see a rope ladder coiled just inside.*

Al<It looks like someone's using this place, but they've passed up several chances to ambush us now.>

Jasmine<Could they just not know we were coming?>

N"The Heartless would have sensed us & attacked on their own. Someone ordered them not to."
=============================
~Realm of Darkness~

*The Heartless have no idea he's trying to lead them to something, & all ram into him at once. As he falls to the floor, the Darkballs begin gnawing at him, while the Shadows descend upon him to rip him apart with his claws. There's so much pulsing black flesh & glowing yellow eyes in his way that he can't see what's happening outside of the dogpile, though Vexen takes the time to open his computer.*

Vexen<(I was afraid of this...the signal won't be strong enough until I get within 30 feet of the portal.)>

*Axel glances over.*

Axel<(The Heartless will finish with him soon--hope your message is short.)>

Vexen<(I should need only 57 seconds, however the Heartless are not sufficiently distracted as of yet.>

*True to his word, the Darksides only casually look on as the tower of Shadows collapses. Most of the Shadows are just a confused mess, though those closest to the swarm orient antennae to their friends' movements begin following the trail like ants.*

And kisses were had. Too bad an hour isn't enough time for them to play Hide the I Don't Know Where I'm Going With This.

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

Azuma uses Aqua Whip to lasso Minnie closer to him while Hitomi casts Silver Moon on her because the mutt with the shield needs to pay a visit to the Tempering Grounds if he really wants to be anyone's shield.

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

Irritum swaps Keyblades with Xyukuse who should be sufficiently wounded enough to unleash Retaliate and overall go completely berserk.

*Safian bounds after Goofy, sending glowing clones head to crash into the Horned King*
---
*Eve nods. Monu turns slightly pink, then pulls Lilith into a tight embrace and kisses her. Might as well get in on the fun*
---
Artexi:<Hm, maybe they don't want to risk hurting you, Aladdin. You know, since the head guy might be...>

*Her voice trails off and she looks away*

~Disney Town~

*The lasso hooks around something of Minnie's approximate size, the Silver Moon appearing several feet to the left of it. Azuma pulls Minnie to him, judging from the weight, just before steam gushes from the floor. Donald had raised his staff, but turns his attention back to the Horned King now that the Queen is safe, the floor exploding into a torrent of fire as he turns.*

Donald<BLIZZAGA!>

*Said King claps his hands & vanishes in a puff of red smoke as the glowing lions, a rain of icicles, & Goofy's leaping shield bash turn the throne into rubble. He reappears where Donald's staff is still emitting frosty mist, grabbing the air with a choking motion & appearing to lift something high above his head.*

Donald<Ack--kkhaa!>

HK<Why do the weak always struggle against the inevitable?>

*With his other hand, he points at Goofy. A blast of lightning shoots out, & with a grunt, he's knocked against the wall & slumps unconscious.*

Minnie<Thank you, dearie--oh, but how do we stop him from teleporting?>

Th"I have a few ideas, but they would be easier if we weren't invisible. By my estimate, we have about a minute left."

*Judging from the sound, Thiera is somewhere close to the right of Azuma, probably having sought out the lasso. A point glows nearby, & the Horned King is sucked up into a magnet orb, before being zoomed off in the direction of his destroyed throne. The red pinpricks spread through his whole eye sockets as his brows raise in surprise, though judging from the sounds emanating from his flailing right hand, he's still choking Donald.*
==============================
~Dark Realm~

*The Heartless are thrown off of Xyukuse by the force, though a literal tide of Shadows is threatening to consume him. The Darksides appear more interested, turning toward where the Heartless are gathering.*

Vexen<(Perfect. Now, if he can just cause enough of a distraction--)>

Axel<(I may have an idea.)>

*He bends to the ground & summons his Keyblades beneath the sand. A faint trail of smoke emits from underground, becoming much too faint to see from the distance, before a loud, humongous fireball rips through the ranks of the Heartless, sending Shadows flying every which way. Assuming it was Xyukuse's fault, the Invisibles charge in with their swords outstretched, while the Neoshadows step back to observe, & the Darkballs just bob around. The Darksides now appear completely invested in this, & advance on Xyukuse's position.*
=============================
~Agrabah~

Al<It can't be him. He's gone.>

*Jasmine puts a hand on his shoulder, while Nero just shrugs.*

N"Well, that's what we're here to find out. No sense waiting around outside, so long as the coast is clear."

*So he flies inside, dismissing his glider as he lands on his feet. Walking in a little ways, he can see a narrow, meandering tunnel with a flickering fire light at the end.*
=============================
~Arendelle~

*Lilith tenses up because she was just talking to Elsa & now she's being grabbed. She doesn't seem to react in any way other than confusion, & eventually steps back.*

L"We'd--we'd better go to the audience chamber."

*So she heads off back to the castle at a brisk pace, while Euryale sets Taiyo on her feet, frowning as she observes Lilith.*

Kristoff<What was that about?>

E"She's going through some stuff right now. Don't worry, we'll handle it."

Taiyo is disappointed that she's no longer being carried, but it's not like dreams come true. At least she's not Monu. That dude is awkward.

All the while Vega now has to wait before dispatching Eve.

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

Azuma casts Fira on the Horned King aiming slightly off to as to not catch his choking hand. Hitomi also wielding one of Taiyo's Keyblades still does the same.

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

Irritum takes their Keyblade back, using Vampiric Grip to move the likely bleeding Xyukuse who's probably wondering where a brief moment of his life went not in the path of the Heartless.

*Eve sets off as well, walking at about the same pace as Lilith and Monu. She glances back at Vega, but doesn't say anything*
---
*Safian jumps at the arm being used to choke Donald, clawing at it with flaming claws*
---
*Artexi follows along*

~Disney Town~

*The coin says the Horned King is hit dead on by the fires. They're distracting enough that he doesn't notice Safian until she's already tearing into him. After being smashed face-first into the ruins of the throne, he rises back to his feet, throwing her off. Judging by the open-palmed blast of icy wind, he dropped Donald somewhere along the way.*

<Get up! Come alive!>

*He next points above where Thiera, Azuma, Hitomi, & Minnie are clustered, causing the green mist above them to shoot tightly packed bars of lightning down in about a 20 foot diameter, though of course Thiera protects them with Reflega.*

<Kill!>

*His eyes still glowing red, he raises his arched claws to the sky, which pulse in darkness as cracks begin to spread from the floor beneath him. Glowing yellow eyes open in the shadows about the perimeter of the room.*

Minnie<If you stay close, I can protect you from the Heartless. Goofy should be fine for now.>

Th"No--there's something else coming out of those fissures!"

*If they inspect the cracks carefully, they will see glints of white & silver as the floor bulges, as if something is forcing its way out. The King himself now has his hood down, his cloak singed & slightly ripped on his arm. His flesh there hangs in tatters, but being an undead, it doesn't seem to bother him.*
==============================
~Dark Realm~

Axel<Don't move him too far, we need him to keep distracting the Heartless. Okay, Vex, take it away.>

*What appears to be a giant snowflake appears before Vexen, who climbs aboard & sits down.*

Vexen<It should be of little consequence to alter the refraction index of my Glider--perfect.>

*Vexen had set his computer into the Glider, which fused into it in a burst of icy energy, & clicked some buttons until it appeared pitch black. Next, he rises off & zooms after the hole in the sky, while the Heartless begin regrouping into a ring around Xyukuse. The Invisibles float back to join their Neoshadow breatheren, peering at him curiously, while the undamaged Darkballs zig-zag towards him, gnashing their teeth. The Darksides advance with surprisingly slow, dainty steps, & will yet take a while to be close enough to touch him.*
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~Arendelle~

*The streets are completely transformed, almost back to the original conditions of the festival, so it takes a while to wend their way through the crowds. As they near the castle, they pass a guard dragging the Duke away, in the direction they just came from.*

Duke<This is unacceptable! I am a victim of fear! I've been traumatized! I demand to see the Queen!>

Guard<Oh, I have a message from the Queen: "Arendelle will henceforth and forever no longer do business of any sort with Weasel Town.">

Duke<Weselton! It's Weselton!>

*Euryale pauses a moment to watch him kick his feet in tantrum before following Lilith inside. For her part, Lilith immediately heads to the audience chamber, which is now soaking wet in addition to being a mess of broken statues & furniture.*

E"Huh, I guess we forgot to close the window."
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~Agrabah~

*As they head into the tunnel, they can hear new [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Peering around the corner, they see a small group of bandits sitting around the fire, including the one from before & this rather [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], who smashes his fist against the ground.*

???<We've lost too many to your recklessness, Cassim! It's only thanks to those monsters we can still call ourselves the 40 Thieves!>

*The other bandits shiver at the mention of the monsters, but the blue bandit apparently known as Cassim crosses his arms & shakes his head.*

Cassim<We've had this argument many times before, Sa'Luk. The monsters have never raised a hand against us, & with them I could freely invade the palace without losing any more of our number?>

Sa'Luk<And we have nothing to show for it! Our coffers are getting low, & we can't live on fumes!>

N"(Are you positive he's not your dad? Because I could probably obliterate them all with a well-placed Shadow Flare.)"

Al"<(...Let's listen a while longer, try to figure out why they're after the lamp.)>

So they're in the audience chamber, Taiyo thinking about how in that hour they supposedly had, she could've had a nap. Or Euryale. Or both.

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The two ready their weapons to completely demolish the castle. Just in case.

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Irritum puts Xyukuse down who hits the nearest Darkball with Blood Beast and slashes at another with Explosive Cut.

*Eve and Monu both enter the audience chamber, the later standing next to Lilith*
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*Artexi summons her second keyblade, pointing them both at the crowd*

Artexi:<(Who wouldn't want three wishes?)>
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*Safian sniffs around for Donald, dragging him back to the others if he is incapacitated. If not, she bounds back there herself*