Rise & Fall

OOC: I'm going to say you lot should add your characters' birthdays to the age fields in the character topics, that way they're there when I figure out how time works in this RP.

~Arendelle~

E"Well, while we have the time, maybe we should address the kraken in the room."

*She shifts her eyes at Vega in a way she hopes is discreet, not that it matters when Lilith fixes her glare on him.*

L"We could use someone with inside knowledge on the Organization. But if you try to run or give me any reason to think you might double cross us, I'll kill you myself. And I'm sure the Organization would be happy to help."
==========================
~Agrabah~

N"(Phasir did hint that the bandits had allies. This might be bigger than just wanting treasure.)"

*Speaking of bandits, a Bandit Heartless poofs in beside Cassim, everyone but him & Sa'Luk jumping. They turn to the Heartless, who points its sword in the heroes' direction.*

N"(Shit! Bail!)"

*As soon as he turns around, he notices that Jasmine has donned her "street rat" disguise at some point when they weren't looking, but he doesn't have time to question this, as more bandits appear to block their way out, slicing the Collision Magnet he tries to secure to the ceiling. Meanwhile, the human bandits are rising to their feet & looking at the tunnel, drawing out their weapons.*

Sa'Luk<You let intruders get this far in?! Why did you order the Heartless to hold back!?>

Al<(Hold on, I think Jasmine might have the right idea!)>
================================
~Disney Town~

*Bony arms emerge from the floor, literally tearing their way out of the chasm as skeletons of anthropomorphic animals armed with various medieval weaponry emerge around the Horned King.*

Minnie<How horrible!>

Th"Those...those are not Heartless...."

HK<Of course not, little girl. The Heartless are a means to an end.>

*With that, he claps his hands, teleporting behind them. Thiera probably whirls around, readying her Keyblade, but the Horned King just continues to stare at them with his empty eye sockets.*

HK<That end, an undying army to sweep across all worlds, recruiting endlessly as they go. A necropolis where I shall reign forever as a god.>

*He points at the Order, & whether the others attack either of him or his legion, bright flashes of blue light reveal the Bolt Towers surrounding them, as spears of lightning shoot toward the quartet. By this point, Safian has tracked down Donald, & since he's not reacting, he's probably incapacitated.*
===============================
~Dark Realm~

*The 1st Darkball recoils, some of Xyukuse's wounds closing, & the other is knocked aside, now on fire. Geysers of fire emerge from the sand, preventing the others from reaching him. The Darkball he originally attacked retaliates by rapidly diving at him like a cannonball while the Shadows charge forward in an apparent feeding frenzy. The Darksides are still on their way, except for one, which unfortunately decides to get on its knees, firing blades of energy at Xyukuse from its hearthole. If they squint, they can just make out Vexen doing something near the hole to the Realm of Light.*

Vega: "Someone who had more interactions with Senthose would have even more insight. Someone like Eve."

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

Hitomi casts Silver Moon on herself and those closest to being hit with lightning while Azuma shoots the Lightning Towers with Wolf Storm.

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

Xyukuse blocks the Darkball with the Frolic Flame and jumps over it with Over the Horizon to both fuck it up and avoid the incoming attacks, healing some wounds with that HP Drain passive.

*Monu looks uneasy, and rubs the back of his neck*

Monu:<Whatever you think is best.>

*Eve crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, but doesn't say anything*
---
*Artexi runs away with the others, turning her outfit into one similar to Jasmine's*

Artexi:<(Like this?)>
---
*Safian grabs Donald's shirt with her mouth and prepares to drag him towards either of the healers as soon as she can without getting hit by the incoming attacks*

~Arendelle~

*Euryale grins & throws a Christian Side Hug around Vega, & since she doesn't know her own strength, it probably hurts.*

E"Well, there you go, now we're all--"

L"If you say, 'friends,' so help me--"

*While they're arguing, the door opens behind them, Queen Elsa finally stepping inside.*

Elsa<Sorry to keep you waiting. Just a moment.>

*With a wave of her hand, she causes the dampness in the room to solidify into mist & drift out the window, closing it as it passes. She also points to the fractured table, blasting it with what can only be described as a freeze ray that causes most of the horizontal section to be propped up on a block of ice. Once finished, she untucks a roll of paper from under her arm & unfurls it on the table top.*
=============================
~Agrabah~

*There's really nowhere to go, but fortunately the Heartless aren't attacking either.*

Al<(Kind of. Just follow our lead.)>

N"(Y'know we already look like creepy bandits, right?)"

Cassim<You there! How did you find us? What are you after?>

*Al, Nero, & Jasmine turn toward him. Cassim's eye perks particularly as he sees Aladdin. Sa'Luk just scoffs & raises his bronze tiger claws.*

Sa'Luk<Who cares what they're after? If they've invaded the stronghold of the 40 Thieves, it can't be anything good!>

*Jasmine steps forward with her fists on her hips.*

Jasmine<Oh yeah? Not even if it's to lend a hand? We heard you had a member shortage.>

*A murmur goes up between the bandits. Sa'Luk rolls his eyes as if he's heard this a million times. Cassim's scratches his chin, a shrewd look in his eye as he remains focused on Aladdin.*
=============================
~Dark Realm~

*He lands in a crowd of Shadows, which fortunately become engulfed in a wave of flame before they can react. The Darkball appears to be confused & just starts circling around as its buddies hang back, their horns twitching. Unfortunately, this didn't stop the blasts from the Darkside, which are almost upon him.*

Axel<(Hope Vexen gets done soon, I can't protect him for much longer before the Heartless notice he has help!)>

*Sure enough, the Invisibles & Neoshadows are turning about to look around. The Shadows ignore them & forge ahead for Xyukuse.*
================================
~Disney Town~

*Hitomi manages to get off 4 spells, & knows they hit herself, Minnie, Thiera, & Azuma because everyone fades back into visibility. As soon as they do, & Thiera sees the lightning beams deflecting off of them every which way, she swings to catch the Horned King's right hand in the hollow portion of her blade. As bluish, ethereal chains spring from it to bind his arm, she twists & tries to pull him over her back & onto the ground. The King responds by digging in his heels & tossing her aside, at which point a number of Bolt Towers surround her, rearing up to slam down on her.*

HK<Block my spells if you wish. I will slay you with my own hands, if necessary.>

Minnie<Light!>

*He looks down to see that Minnie had latched herself onto his leg during the scuffle, appearing to give him a hug. It's not a hug. He roars as a burst of light energy emerges from her, burning away the desiccated flesh from half his body in great patches. After a brief struggle, he manages to kick her off, striking her to the floor with his left claw & snarling down to his half-exposed skull, which now has shards of barrier embedded in it if he even notices. Afterward, he moves to clap his hands, but notices that his right hand is slow to respond.*

HK<You've interfered for the last time, rodent! What's this--a seal?!>

*Meanwhile, as Safian is dragging Donald, the undead manage to pull themselves from the chasm. Fortunately, a group of lightning goes tearing through a wing of them, blowing them apart & throwing smoking, fractured bones in every direction. Unfortunately, it's not nearly a majority, & the closest ones go leaping & slashing at the pair, green ichor dripping from their bodies. As the crowd begins to disperse, a large puff of green smoke emerges from the hole, & she can see that it appears to be seeping from a staircase beneath the ruins of the throne.*

How Vega doing the lords work and throwing Eve under the bus is a sign of a friendship is a mystery, but mermaids are weird.

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

Using the Stormfall, Hitomi casts Bubble on the Lightning Towers surrounding Thiera while Azuma swaps to the Fenrir to do the same on the undead monsters although at a slower speed.

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

Xyukuse uses the Frolic Flame to Dragon Shield the Darkside's attacks while with the Chaos Ripper, lets a Magma Might loose on the Shadows.

Eve:<Thank you for speaking with us, your majesty.>

*Monu continues to look uncomfortable*
---
*Safian pulls Donald away from the charging undead, then sends glowing clones to smash into the Horned King's chest*

Safian:<Donald needs a healer badly!>
---
Artexi:<Yeah, where do we sign up?>

~Arendelle~

Elsa<Of course. I am grateful for all you've done for Arendelle. However, I also have a responsibility to keep violence out of my country. Which is where this document comes in. Please, come take a look at it.>

*She steps back to allow Lilith to hover over it. Euryale gives Vega a playful shake & then lets go of him.*

L"'Effective immediately, the parties known as the Order & the Organization, hitherto represented by & referred to as "the undersigned," are to cease all hostilities within Arendelle's borders.'"

E"It's some kind of contract?"

Elsa<An armistice treaty. You may do with the Heartless as you wish, but all other matters pertaining to Arendelle's defense must go through me. I intend to remain neutral, but watchful.>
===========================
~Agrabah~

Sa'Luk<On a headstone.>

Cassim<My lieutenant is correct, in a sense. You must succeed in a trial by combat. The roof of this tower should be a sufficient stage. Sa'Luk may select 3 allies to even the fight.>
===============================
~Disney Town~

*Without skipping a beat, the skeletons hit the ground & dash forward to slash at Safian, while their fellows race around to try to pincer her. Also, I suppose a couple are now floating in bubbles. Curiously, the Horned King spreads his arms wide. It becomes apparent why when the darkness bathing him washes over his exposed ribcage, annealing the torn flesh back together.*

HK<I thank you for my rejuvenation. As payment, you will be the first to join my Army of the Dead. Then again, it would be rude to make Her Majesty wait.>

*He shifts his foot under Minnie's unconscious body, kicking her toward the army of the dead. He then rushes forward, reaching to grab Azuma & Hitomi by their throats with each claw. Aside from that, more Lightning Towers begin drifting behind them. Thiera rolls for the opening created by the first bubble spell, narrowly avoiding a shockwave attack. Once in a squatting position, she points at Safian, teleporting herself between her & Minnie.*

Th"I'll do what I can to help, but it may be best to just get them to safety!"
=================================
~Dark Realm~

*Xyukuse deflects the blasts, but notices another Darkside is upon him, curling its fist to punch down at him. He manages to destroy a swath of Shadows, & the rest stumble back from the lava, unsure of how to get to him.*

Axel<(I think Vex is done, & not a moment too soon!)>

*Sure enough, the sands shift as Vexen's glider comes down. He slides off, dismissing it & stowing his computer.*

Vexen<The mission was successful, now let us retreat from whence we came.>

*True to Axel's words, the Heartless have spotted them. The Invisibles charge in with their swords drawn, while the Neoshadows leap into the air to turn themselves into giant shuriken. Axel lets loose an explosion in the sand, flinging up a cloud of hot dust & melted glass, before Axel pulls Vexen onto his glider (transformed from his other Keyblade) & reaches out for Irritum.*

Vega: "If the Organization returns, they won't follow any document. And they'll be coming for you."

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

Hitomi swaps Taiyo's Keyblade back for her own and blasts the Horned King with Deadwater Devastation while Azuma uses Force Arrow.

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

Xyukuse jumps backward, throwing a Gravity Raid at the Darkside while Irritum distrustfully boards Axel's glider.

Eve:<Please ignore him, your majesty. He does not speak for me, or the Organization. I will inform my superiors of the agreement. Our...conflict does not concern you or your kingdom, and I'm sorry we brought it here.>

*Eve sends the following message to Senthose*

"Ice mage not joining but very powerful. Will remain neutral if agree not to fight with Order in kingdom. Plan to sign but wanted to let you know first. Think this is the best option."
---
Safian:<That darkness came from a passage way beneath the throne!>

*Safian sends glowing clones out in a circle around herself and Donald to crash into the charging monsters*

Safian:<Please, do what you can!>
---
Artexi:<Sure, sounds great to me.>

~Arendelle~

As you will.

*Lilith tersely signs it before throwing the pen to Euryale, who catches it & comes forward. As she reluctantly signs & hands it off to Taiyo, Lilith turns to the Queen.*

L"Just remember who really brought this war here. You met the Organization first & the Heartless second."

Elsa<Speaking of, I froze the darkness inside of Hans and the Duke. The Heartless shouldn't be an issue, but if they are, I will be sure to send a Moogle.>
=========================
~Disney Town~

*A scimitar digs into Safian's shoulder as the clones appear to do nothing. As a bit of green fluid dips into her wound, it begins to bubble & sizzle, expanding in size. Thiera blocks an attack from the shambling hoard approaching from the rear & her Keyblade flashes, expanding into a golden sphere of light around them. It flashes & bursts, blowing the skeletons closest to them apart in chunks, while sending the others staggering back. However, the pieces begin dragging themselves forward, reconnecting as they go along.*

Th"Whatever is animating them must be down there--darkness appears to have no effect on them!"

*Meanwhile, the Horned King roars & holds his hand in front of his face as his body sizzles. Stumbling back, he trips over his robe, but slaps his hands together when he lands, disappearing in a puff of red smoke. Meanwhile, the Bolt Towers swing into Hitomi & Azuma from behind, like giant hammers.*
===============================
~Realm of Darkness~

*Presumably now under the Darkside, Xyukuse hits it in the stomach pretty easily, though what good it does is unknown. As the monster takes a swing at him with his other hand, Axel's Glider soars off in the direction of the canyon. They find themselves pursued by Invisibles, save for a trio that stick their swords in the ground & disappear, corresponding rings of dark fire forming around the Glider.*
===============================
Sa'Luk<Let's put your monsters to good use, then. For a change.>

*All of the Bandits disappear, being replaced by a trio of Luna Bandits, who follow Sa'Luk to the crumbling staircase leading for the rooftop. Nero, Aladdin, & Jasmine follow.*

N"(The Heartless should be easy enough for the pair of us to take care of. Try to stay clear of Sa'Luk until we can back you up.)"

Al<(We'll be fine, don't worry about us.)>

J<(Let's just agree to help wherever we can, alright? We're all in this together.)>

Taiyo signs and presumably passes the pen to Vega who also signs and doesn't drive the pen into Eve's eye, but passes it to Monu.

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

The two move to avoid that stuff, Azuma casting Darkga on the Bolt Towers.

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

Xyukuse moves to avoid getting hit and so he can climb the Darkside's arm as is the right thing to do when it comes to those jerks.

Thank you.

*Monu signs, and as all of the other Order members have signed, passes the pen to Eve, who signs it as well*

Eve:<Please do. Though, with your abilities, I'm sure you would be more than capable of handling threats.>
---
*Safian roars in pain and fury, pulling away from the scimitar and shadow traveling to the crack in the floor*

Safian:<Come on, he'll be back soon! We have to go down now!>
---
*Artexi follows, summoning both of her keyblades*

~Disney Town~

*As it wasn't really specified what they did, I'm saying they were hit when trying to run away, & are now lying severely injured on the floor. Especially Hitomi, who is stunned. Fortunately, the Darkga appears to be holding them off. Unfortunately, more are drifting in from the surroundings.*

Th"Mind the chains!"

*Thiera hoists Minnie over her shoulder & strikes the ground, causing an image of a sun dial to appear beneath her. It launches out a torrent of chains, which wrap around the Undead (& possibly Safian), binding them in place. Fortunately, this solves the problem of Safian having just teleported in the center of the undead hoard. Unfortunately, she can hear the sounds of more things moving below, as well as explosive noises.*
============================
~Arendelle~

Elsa<With that out of the way, we were thinking of resuming the festival. Will you be staying for the celebration?>

*As soon as she asks that, Lilith & Euryale turn at the sound of the door opening as a Moogle waddles in with a letter under his arm. He jumps, fluttering his little wings, & bows, pompom jiggling awkwardly.*

Moogle<Kupo! Beg pardon, Your Highness! Didn't know you were in here, Kupo! Was told this is where I could find "The Keyblade Order.">

L"...I don't think we will."

*At the same time, Eve hears Senthose's voice mention that he has a plan to root out Marluxia.*
=================================
~Agrabah~

*As the groups set up in rows facing each other at the far ends of the circle, Nero's foot taps a rock, which he watches idly as it falls & falls, bouncing off of the tower as it goes. He doesn't hear it enter the quicksand, whereupon it begins to sink. Most of the bandits stay behind, only Cassim staying to raise a sword between them.*

Cassim<When the sword falls, you may begin. Ready--steady--!>

*With that, he swings down & nonchalantly steps back, not seeming to be bothered by the charging hulk of a man & the Heartless at his back. Nero points the Keyblade at them & starts charging Ragnarok, because apparently he is not fucking around. Not having any weapons, Aladdin & Jasmine get in a defensive position & hold their ground.*
=================================
~Dark Realm~

Axel<Hang on!>

*With that, he dives, avoiding each ring just before it would close, & pulling up just before he would hit the sand, the Invisibles becoming lost in the wake of the sand left behind. He materializes his Keyblade & throws it behind him as he goes. Which might have been impressive if it didn't sail right past the right side of the Darkside's head. It looks idly at Vega running up its arm as it rears to its full height, its friend shifting up behind it. Vexen, of course, makes no move to help, but to be fair, he also looks like he might have shit himself.*

*If she can reply, Eve says that she is on her way*

Eve:<Unfortunately, I have other business to attend to as well. Thank you for the invitation. I hope you enjoy your new position.>

*She bows*

Monu:<Sorry that we can't come.>
---
*Artexi immediately casts Spark Raid with one keyblade and Sparkra with the other*
---
Safian:<Can you get Donald too? He should be right beside you!>

*Safian fires some fireballs at the heartless approaching Azuma and Hitomi*

Taiyo seems somewhat disappointed at not being able to stay as that means further putting off doing things with Euryale. Life is cruel.

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

Azuma swaps to the Diamond Dust casting Curaja on Hitomi before directing the Keyblade to the Heartless, casting Firagun on them.

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

Xyukuse runs up the Darkside's arm and jumps off, calling his glider and taking off after those jerks on Axel's glider because double dying here means not rekilling those Organization jerks.

~Disney Town~

*Fortunately, he manages to heal Hitomi & destroy the Heartless. Unfortunately, more Heartless are closing in all around, swinging in for additional attacks. Thiera quickly taps Donald's & Minnie's heads, creating glowing glyphs which pump healing energy into them, revitalizing them.*

Donald<Queen Minnie!>

*He casts a healing spell on Minnie, despite that she's already rapidly returning to full health. Thiera glares at him.*

Th"That was completely pointless, why didn't you just heal Goofy?"

Donald<Don't tell me what to do! And get thish confounded thing offa me!>

*As he scratches at his face feathers, Minnie starts to wriggle.*

Minnie<Oh--excuse me, but if I can get to the throne, I can use the Cornerstone's power to clear away these monsters!>

*Whatever they're doing, they'd better do it fast, as more Cauldron Born appear at the bottom of the steps, Shadows at their feet.*
==========================
~Dark Realm~

*The Invisibles are still confused from the dust cloud, Darkballs can't move that fast, & nothing else here can fly, so assuming he can avoid the homing blasts from the Darksides, he's home free.*
==========================
~Arendelle~

Elsa<I understand. Good luck to you all.>

*After exchanging salutations, Euryale looks over to check on Taiyo, then flashes her a smile.*

E"Aw, fin up, I'm sure the next world'll be nice too!"

*Euryale gives her shoulders a squeeze & starts leading them out, while Lilith glares at Vega.*

L"Just stay where I can see you."
==================================
~Agrabah~

*Sa'Luk darts aside, & the Luna Bandit behind him blocks, sending her projectiles back at her. Fortunately, Aladdin holds out his sword to deflect them toward Sa'Luk. Another bandit does a somersault slash at Nero, only to be blocked by the Darker Than Dark.*

N"Almost forgot how tricky you lot are. Thanks for reminding me."

*He fires the Ragnarok into the sky, where it spirals before falling back down toward the enemies. The final Luna Bandit gets around to Jasmine's side, so she ducks its blade & palm thrusts its face, causing it to stagger back toward the edge. Sa'Luk, having rolled away from the initial attacks, is forced to jump back again as they crack the ground where his feet were a split second ago.*

*Safian shadow travels back beside Queen Minnie, then sends glowing clones to clear a path to the throne*

Safian:<I'll go in front of you! Hurry!>
---
*Eve and Monu both say their farewells, then Monu follows Lilith out. Eve opens a Dark Corridor and returns to the World That Never Was*
---
*Artexi leaps towards Sa'Luk, using Sol's Might with both key blades and slashing at him*

Azuma switches to the Fenrir and casts Bubble Ward on himself and Hitomi following through with Undine in the direction of the various Heatless, so they look like they're on the bad end of some watery Lovecraftian horror.

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

Taiyo: "...Right."

Taiyo doesn't have fins. She's now a confused kitty. Vega's not intimidated by Lilith.

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

Xyukuse moves to avoid the incoming attacks and is most definitely thinking of shooting down Axel, but he needs Vexen alive.

~Disney Town~

Th"Please stop using darkness-based attacks!"

*Though visibly perturbed, Thiera's angry voice sounds a bit like an exasperated librarian, but she does set Minnie down so she can run to the ruins of the throne. Azuma is able to hold off the Heartless long enough for Minnie to get there, at which point she holds up her hand & a pulse of white energy surges through the throne room, zipping around the Order, incinerating the Heartless & Cauldron-Born, even blowing away the mist & grime. In the end, the throne room is restored to its former pristine white, & with the exception of the obliterated throne, only slightly worse for the wear. Taking note of Goofy, Thiera casts Cure, only for Donald to cast Curaga immediately afterward. She glares at the duck as Goofy comes running forward with his characteristically awkward gait.*

Minnie<The Cornerstone of Light is in the room below. Be careful, we don't know what's down there, & it's hard to say if my powers will continue to work.>
===============================
~Dark Realm~

*The problem with homing attacks is that they home. He is closing in on the canyon, beyond which there are still several pillars protruding into the sky. Axel turns his Glider aside to weave around them, a frazzled-looking Vexen hanging on for dear life.*
===============================
~Agrabah~

*Sa'Luk blocks with his claws, & considering the guy killed a shark with his bare hands, I'm going to say they're evenly matched. However, the glow of the Keyblade causes him to squint, forcing him to look away. On top of that, several dark blasts rain down on him, causing his stance to slack. Sa'Luk is having a bad time. More projectiles rain down on the Luna Bandit teetering on the edge, causing it to fall to its doom. Aladdin clashes with the remaining Luna Bandit as they charge toward each other, ducking under its 2nd attack. As Jasmine does a running slide to knock it on its ass, Nero's foe manages to dodge the attacks, at which point he darts forward & sticks a Dark Firaja in its face. It flails around briefly before being destroyed, releasing its heart just in time to join that of its fallen friend.*
=================================
~Arendelle~

*Lilith materializes the Keyblade & jabs Vega in the back until he marches. Those who aren't keeping them stuck in this world forever pass through the throne room & into the courtyard, overhearing the conversation of the nearby Anna & Kristoff, the latter with a brand new wagon as he twirls her through the air.*

K<I love it! I could kiss you--I mean-->

*He sets her down, looking around awkwardly.*

K<If you'd like--may we--we me--wait, what?>

Anna<We may.>

*Eventually, she does kiss him. Hearing a scuffling, Euryale looks to her side, where Olaf is trying to smell the flowers with his carrot. Feeling in a good mood, she rests her head against Taiyo's & gives her another Christian Side Hug.*
=============================
~The World That Never Was~

*Artexi finds herself, as is custom, on the Altar of Naught, with Senthose looking up at the rapidly growing heart shaped moon. Xigbar is ascending the stairs nearby.*

Xigbar<Hey, I was managing the Moogle Monitors like you asked, & we got a message from a Door to Darkness, of all places. Can you believe that?>

*Reaching the top, he finally notices Eve, giving her a wave. Meanwhile, Senthose turns around to see his visitors.*

Xigbar<Oh, hey, Doc. What's up?>

Vega walks because Lilith forgot he could disarm and disable her real easy like. In multiple ways.

Taiyo reciprocates Euryale's vanilla show of affection.

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

Azuma: "Could it be any worse than what was up here?"

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

Darkside's homing attacks are notoriously easy to avoid. Even easier when one can put a pillar between the attack and themself which Xyukuse does and that is why Darksides were never threatening.

*Eve gives Xigbar a smile and a polite wave, then walks up to Senthose, respectfully dipping her head to him*

Eve:<Who was the message from?>
---
*Monu tries smiling at Lilith to lighten the mood*
---
*One of Artexi's keyblades stops glowing, and is covered by a snake mirage, which then breaths poison gas at Sa'Luk. She slashes at him again with her other, still glowing key blade*

~Arendelle~

*Lilith attempts to smile back. It looks like she has rictus. It's horrifying. Hearing them approach, Euryale turns toward them & cocks her head in concern.*

E"What's wrong with your face?"

L"I don't like being stuck with your new boyfriend."

E"He's not my--"

L"Whatever, it's time to go! We can take off from the back of the castle. And make sure you all keep a close eye on Vegas or Vargus or whatever his name is. If he so much as takes a wrong turn, shoot him down."

*Olaf stares at them from nearby, but returns to his flowers when she gives him a withering glare.*
==============================
~Agrabah~

*The gas causes him to convulse, as it does, & since I don't know where she's hitting him, I'm going to say the same spot. It catches on his shoulder, causing him to careen off the side of the tower just as Aladdin does a charging sword move that sends the last remaining Luna Bandit flying. It digs in with its swords in an effort to keep from falling over, but Nero shoots it with a basketball-sized darkness blast, & it plummets to its doom. With that, Cassim walks to the center of the arena, looking stern.*

Cassim<It seems you've killed Sa'Luk. The rule of the 40 Thieves is very clear on what must come next...you're in.>

*He beckons them forward with a smirk. Aladdin & Jasmine head toward him, though Nero hangs back a bit, waiting for Artexi to catch up.*

Cassim<I don't believe I caught your names.>
==============================
~Disney Town~

Th"We will just have to find out. Try not to fall too far behind."

*She heads down the stairs, deploying her fire tower shield in front of her. No sooner does she do so than she hears the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] change, giving her a clue of what might be down there. Near the bottom, a few Shadows retreat from her flames, while a few more jump out of the boiling dark clouds of a black cauldron, which seems to be spilling darkness & green gas throughout the castle. However, most of it swirls around the Cauldron & the Cornerstone of Light--a humongous glass sphere atop a pedestal, clouded over, cracked, & emitting a sickly bloodred light--in the midst of which a pair of figures are standing. The Horned King is partially hunched over, smashed skeletal remains of various species at his feet, what passes for his breathing ragged. He faces Kefka, who twirls on one foot & claps his hands, calling a bolt of lightning down on the lich's head, which drops him to his knees.*

Kefka<Aww, what's the matter Horny, tired of dancing? Tell ya what--you can take a break if you lick the dirt off my boots!>

*He sticks his shoe in the undead's face, leaping back as he lashes out with his claw.*

HK<Do you really believe I could be laid low by a mere mad jester? I am a god among mortal me-->

Kefka<Blah, blah, blah! C'mon, Horny, let's not fight in front of the kids!>

*He points at Thiera & any who have followed her down the stairs. The Horned King looks over his shoulder, hissing at them. Attacking might be difficult, since Thiera's still taking up most of the doorway, but there's probably a good 2 or 3 feet over her head. Donald waves dismissively, while Goofy puts a finger to his lip, & Minnie covers her mouth with her hands.*

Minnie<How awful!>

Donald<Bah, I shay we jusht let 'em kill each other!>

Goofy<Err, but Donald, whattabout the Cornerstone?>
=================================
~The World That Never Was~

Xigbar<Well, here's the real kick in the teeth: It came from Vex.>

*Xigbar is waving his hand through the air for some reason.*

S"He must have found some means to transmit a message from the Realm of Darkness."

Xigbar<Yeah. He wants us to track down his Heartless & kill it. 'Pparently, he's also down there with Flamesilocks, the creeper you & X-face almost killed, & Xywhateverhisnamewas. The ornery musicy kid.>

*Xigbar starts tapping his head, as if trying to recall.*
===============================
~Dark Realm~

*He is successful in leaving the Heartless behind, now if they can just get through the canyon, they can get back to the Dark Margin.*

I guess they're going out behind the castle even though they've probably already exposed themselves to the entire world.

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

Azuma: "Skeltal looks like he barely has a leg to stand on."

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

Xyukuse continues following, not shooting Axel down as cool as that would be. Seriously, fuck that guy.

*Safian slips into the shadows*

Safian:<(Yeah, he won't last much longer. We should attack Kefka now, while the Horned King is still around.)>
---
Eve:<We should help Vexen and Axel, but I'm not sure what should be done about Xyukuse and the "creeper." What if they attack us as soon as they get back here?>

*She looks at Senthose*
---
*Artexi hurries over to Nero's side*

<I'm Artexi.>

~Arendelle~

*As they fly up to the upper atmosphere, they see the people celebrating below, the palace gates wide open so that everyone can come & go. They appear to have started ice skating on a rink that appeared in the courtyard out of apparent nowhere. Flying up past the ice palace, they are met by the curious site of a snow golem with 1 leg shorter than the other. But unlike the ones that attacked them earlier, its spikes have all been retracted, & it wears a tiara on its head. It waves at them as they disappear into the depths of space.*

L"The letter is from Radiant Garden. It says there's some things we should see."
=================================
~Disney Town~

*As they're deliberating, the Horned King lunges out, wrapping his claws around Kefka's throat. The mage's tongue lolls out & his eyes bulge as he is shaken.*

HK<You insolent fool! I will feed your body to the Black Cauldron--your flesh will feed my Cauldron Born--your soul kindle the fires of my armies as they sweep across all worlds, making way for my-what?!>

*His bark of surprise comes from the fact that Kefka had just exploded into confetti, the real Kefka appearing just behind the apparition. With a "hi-YAH!" he kicks the Horned King hard enough to send him colliding with the rim of the cauldron. As he tries to counterattack, he finds the hem of his robe sucked into its depths, & turns to try to pull it out.*

HK<No--you'll not have me!>

*Unable to extricate himself, he's forced to grasp the rim, trying in vain to push himself away. A mysterious light from below illuminates a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] on the cauldron. At this point, his robes begin tearing & even the remaining flesh is stripped off, flying into the bowl.*

HK<My power cannot die!>

*His feverish eyes blink out as he's stripped down to the skeleton, the bones disassembling & being pulled inside with a flash of lightning.*

HK<CURSE YOOOOOOooooooou!>

*Meanwhile, Thiera decides to use the distraction to surge forward, waving her fire shield around to keep the Heartless back.*

Th"I'll protect us from the Heartless! Attack Kefka!"

*At this, Donald raises his staff to call a series of lightning bolts down on the clown, Minnie holds out her hand to hurl an orb of light, & Goofy rockets forward, kicking up cartoonish dust clouds. Just as they are about to collide, in a flash of light, Goofy is once again thrown into the wall & knocked unconscious, while the spells appear to have been swept up in the torrent flowing between the Cornerstone of Light & the Black Cauldron. Kefka smirks at them, eyeing them up as if they were food.*

Kefka<It's too late for that now. Besides, you wouldn't want to interrupt the show before it reaches its climax!>

*As he raises his hands, the spells spiral toward him, both the Cauldron & the Cornerstone being pulled from their resting places. Once again, as they collide with him, there's a flash of light, only this time it's followed by a shockwave that causes the roof to start caving in, the dust obscuring whatever is going on with Kefka.*
===================================
~The World That Never Was~

S"They are of no consequence. I can easily deal with them myself."

Xigbar<That how you plan to handle Queen Whatever-Her-Name-Is? Can't help but notice she isn't here.>

*Senthose looks up, somehow picking the exact star Eve just came from to gaze at.*

S"Now, wouldn't that be an interesting match? Both of our powers have limitless potential."

*He looks back down at Xigbar.*

S"But no. If she wants to be left to her own devices, let her. We have more important things to do."
===================================
~Agrabah~

N"Nero."

Jasmine<Call me "Jade." Like the gemstone.>

Cassim<You have some unusual names...but I like that last one. Very fitting.>

*He looks to Aladdin, & both seem to be deep in thought, as if debating something internally.*

Al<I'm...Ali.>

Cassim<That--no, it can't be--forgive me for prying, but that wouldn't happen to be short for "Aladdin," would it?>

*Aladdin slowly nods.*
===================================
~Dark Realm~

*In that case, they land back at the Dark Margin without incident, Axel dismissing his Glider & stepping easily onto the sands with a stretching yawn. This is in stark contrast to Vexen, who stumbles for the nearby rock to drape over as he tries to control his motion sickness.*