Rise & Fall

Flying through the stars, off to some super dull place, but not as dull as everything about the Horned King's unnecessary appearance.

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

For all the good it'll do, Azuma tosses a Blizzard Raid into the dust cloud where Kefka was last seen.

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

Irritum rights themself while Xyukuse lands. If it weren't a pointless gesture, he'd bash Vexen's head into the rock.

Eve:<Ah, sorry about that. I thought Queen Elsa might be willing to join us at one point, but in the end she seemed to be comfortable ruling her people. If we leave her world alone, I do not think she will attack us. Anyway, what do you have in mind?>

*She directs the question at Senthose*
---
Monu:<Then that's where we'll go.>

*Presumably they head over there*
---
*Artexi's grip tightens on her keyblades*
---
*Safian shadows travels a bit closer, trying to get a better look at what's going on*

~Disney Town~

*Thiera uses Reflect, because everyone seems to have missed the fact that there's a castle falling on them. The shield holds against the huge stones falling on them, blowing them away when it's dispersed, but heaps of dust & smaller debris still rain down on them afterward. Thiera tries to wave it away from herself as she goes into a coughing fit, & the scene has now gone deathly quiet, except for the sounds of Minnie & Donald running off, the latter shouting for Goofy. Through the gloom, an angelic silhouette starts to appear. Safe in the shadows, Safian has a clearer look at the new & improved [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] as he deflects the Keyblade with a gust of wind from his wings, squinting disdainfully at the Order & then at the sky, through the massive crater he's reduced much of the castle to.*

Kefka<Why do people insist on creating things that will inevitably be destroyed? Why do people cling to life, knowing that they must someday die? ...Knowing that none of it will have meant anything once they do?>

*As the dust clears, they see him snap his fingers, a literal lightbulb appearing above his head. He grabs it, holding it up, & as the glow brightens, the various debris lift up around him. As he flaps, lifting off, his wing feathers begin to flush gold. His somber tone gives way to maniacal laughter.*

Kefka<I have a great idea! I'll build a new kind of castle--a monument to nonexistence, looking out over the husk of this dead, destroyed world! And again, and again, and again, until they all meet the same fate!>
==============================
~Radiant Garden~

*As they approach, they see the sky around the world is buzzing with Gummi Ships, but none of them attack. In fact, some are leaving the world entirely, several of which are large structures imitating freight trains. There are also asteroid-mounted guns, which seem to ignore them.*

L"Looks like Cid's Gummi Ship business is really booming...I don't know if we'll be able to get this cat back in the bag...."

*And so they descend through the atmosphere, landing atop one of the castle towers, where the chainsmoking pilot himself is there to meet them. Only curiously, he's not smoking, instead having some kind of wheat stem in his mouth. Lilith exits the Gummi Ship, & he waves as she approaches.*

Cid<'Ey there, kiddos, long time no see! S'pose you wanna start by checking on that other kiddo--what was his name again? Rotor? Rotweiler? Roth?>

*Lilith takes a step back in surprise.*

L"Roatha is here?"

Cid<Well, yeah, didn't your sister tell you? She's the one who brought him in. Left a note for Vince saying so.>

L"That isn't possible, we only recently found out he was still alive--including Thiera. So, I guess Nero must've brought him in pretending to be her--but why?"

*Lilith shakes her head, before glancing back at Euryale--who also dismissed her armor & glider, but stayed back to watch Vega as per her instructions--but she only shrugs. Meanwhile, Cid reaches up to flick the wheat as if it were really a cigarette.*

Cid<Don't really care. You wanna see 'im, or not?>
==================================
~Dark Realm~

*Axel leans back, folding his hands behind his head. He also notices Xyukuse, glancing over.*

Axel<Oh, hey, you're still alive. Good for you. So, what now? We just stay here until the cavalry comes?>

*Vexen regains his composure & turns toward them, brushing his bangs out of his face.*

Vexen<Absolutely not. If we stay in the same spot, the Heartless will inevitably track us down, & we have no shelter here.>

*Axel shrugs.*

Axel<There might be some caves somewhere nearby.>
================================
~Agrabah~

Cassim<So then...I guess I didn't imagine the resemblance.>

N"You want us to just leave you 2 alone?"

Jade<We'll be right downstairs if you need us.>

*Nero starts to follow "Jade" out.*

Cassim<So--am I right to say you & Jade have a thing? Haha, that's my boy! You know what they say-->

Al<Dad, why didn't you ever come back home?>

*Cassim lets out a heavy sigh & stares wistfully over Aladdin's shoulder, at the faint towers of Agrabah.*

Cassim<Believe me, son, I did just that the instant I amassed my fortune. But I could never find you or your mother again, and so--I assumed that the 40 Thieves were the only family I had left. Is she also still--I see....>

*He had looked back at Aladdin, who was quietly shaking his head.*
==================================
~The World That Never Was~

S"It's actually quite simple. For whatever reason, Marluxia insists on performing in the Olympus tournaments, & remains convinced that we can't track him. So, all we have to do is arrange for the next match of the games. We will be watching even before he arrives, & I have no doubt we'll find out where he's hiding once he returns there."

*Monu dismisses his glider*

Monu:<Yes, we would like to see him. Thank you for watching over him.>
---
Eve:<I see. How many of us will go?>
---
*Safian remains hidden in the shadows, and sneaks around, looking for a good vantage point.>
---
*Artexi hurries after Nero, whispering in his ear*

Artexi:<(Oh shit, he probably knows who we are if he recognizes Aladdin.)>

So they're going to visit some vegetable who won't even know they're there.

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

Not even touching that baby's first nihilism which doesn't even make sense because creating things? Hysterical. Azuma casts Darkga while Hitomi casts Thundaga on that chump.

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

Xyukuse just heads towards the light or whatever as good nihilism involves destroying the present systems and apparatuses and there's a lot of those standing in the realm of light.

~Disney Town~

*Once again, the magic seems to curl around Kefka, this time launching in a torrent back at them. Since blocking it with Reflega would be like asking him to do it again, Thiera quickly holds the Oathkeeper up & uses the Runic dome to dissipate it. By this point, mostly because I'm trying to get to the next scene already, his flight speed has picked up to the point that he's now outside of Safian's jumping reach.*

Th"So your magic has improved, I'm sure we'll find some weakne--"

Kefka<BO-RING! You'd be more fun as a doll!>

*He points at her, & several things happen virtually at once: A crown materializes & rushes down toward her head, Minnie's ear twitches & she shouts for Thiera to look out as she pushes her out of the way, & then she turns around, releasing a burst of holy energy from her hands at Azuma & Hitomi, a blank expression in her eyes & a 2nd crown now on her head. Donald is too busy trying to search through the slabs burying Goofy to notice this.*

Kefka<Ooh, even better! You're about to learn why "oppose" rhymes with "dispose!">

*With that, he flies off so fast that it could be mistaken for teleporting in a flash of light, were it not for the debris of the castle still visible floating around him.*
===========================
~Radiant Garden~

*They're lead through the now-familiar Lift Stop, so it doesn't take them too long at all to get to the hospital wing, even though it's several floors below. As promised, Roatha is lying there unconscious, with all sorts of monitors & tubes hooked into him. Lilith promptly summons her Keyblade, while Cid takes his place leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Euryale tightens her arm around Taiyo in a show of support, clenching her jaw as she stares on.*

Cid<Aerith's already tried healing him with magic, if that's what yer thinkin' of. Oh, that's right, you haven't met yet--well, I'm sure she's 'round here somewhere. Best white wizard y'ever did see, or whatever you people call yourselves.>

L"Then we'll just have to try something more specific."

Cid<Knock yourselves out. The others can hold out a lil' while longer.>
================================
~Agrabah~

N"(I don't think so. It was dark, Aladdin was closest by far, & Jade here didn't look like a homeless person.)"

J<(Aladdin will probably say that he was robbing the palace at the same time, & we were the lookouts.)>

*As soon as they get down to the next room, they're promptly surrounded by the other thieves looming up on all sides. They reach out & promptly lift the trio up over their heads, crowd surfing style.*

<<<<WELCOME TO THE FORTY THIEVES!>>>>
================================
~Dark Realm~

*Axel & Vexen drop their conversation to watch this moron walk into the ocean.*
================================
~The World That Never Was~

S<As luck would have it, you're up next, & most of the players are in an ideal position. Once this foolishness with the crazed clown & the coma are sorted out-->

*Xigbar waves his hand in front of his face, prompting Senthose to sigh.*

Xigbar<Hey, hey, slow down! We don't ALL have the all-seeing-eye, or whatever!>

S<Half of the Order are dealing with a deranged magical clown in Disney Town. The other half are visiting Roatha in Radiant Garden. If we can orchestrate them properly, then they'll all be in position for the next round of the tournament before too long.>

Eve:<Ah yes, I forgot I signed up for that. Since it looks like we have some time before hand, should I assist in rescuing Vega and Axel?>
---
*Monu summons his keyblade as well*

Monu:<Thank you again for watching over him.>
---
*Safian snarls at the retreating clown, then turns around and sneaks around to Minnie's back. Once she's in position, Safian carefully fires a small fireball at the evil crown*
---
*Crowdsurfing*

Taiyo holds on to Euryale while Lilith is probably gonna try something really invasive.

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

Hitomi swaps out the Pain of Solitude to the Oathkeeper to Runic the magic coming at them while Azuma swaps to the Fenrir an uses Aqua Whip to grab Minnie and yank that crown off of her.

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

Xyukuse's going because those losers ain't doing shit.

~Disney Town~

*Both the Holy Burst & the Aqua Whip fizzle out, since they're inside of Runic. Now apparently armed with the Pain of Solitude, Thiera stands & casts Stop Flow, but Minnie holds out her hand, creating a pink energy barrier to intercept the spell. Her head jerks slightly from the fireball, but the crown remains unharmed, & she charges a light ball in her other hand for a few seconds before it flies at Safian.*
==================================
~Agrabah~

*Some seedy partying ensues as the bandits offer them drinks & demonstrate talents ranging from knife throwing to rope charming. Eventually, Aladdin & Cassim come back down, the latter with his arm around the former.*

Cassim<Attention, everyone! A moment of your time!>

*Once everyone goes silent, he gently pushes Aladdin forward, who gives a sheepish grin & wave.*

Cassim<I'd like to introduce Aladdin--my son.>

*Another cheer goes up, & once again Cassim waits for it to die down before continuing. He then snatches a goblet of wine off the table & raises it, the other thieves responding in kind.*

Cassim<With he & his friends helping, I've no doubt we'll succeed in seizing Jafar's lamp on our next attempt! A toast, to the future of the 40 Thieves!>

*As they cheer again, Aladdin comes over. Nero tips a goblet to his lips, using it & the noise to disguise his whispers.*

N"(Your dad seems to know a lot about the lamp. How'd he find out about it?)"

Al<(He says they were hired by a guy named Mozenrath, ruler of the Black Sands. The deal is that he gets the lamp right after they use it to get the Hand of Midas--a legendary treasure that turns whatever it touches to gold.)>
=============================
~Dark Realm~

*About 30 feet out, he's met by a riptide, which threatens to pull him under. At the shore, Axel turns to the others, & points in the direction of a rock formation.*

Axel<So...wanna just leave him, & go find those caves?>

Vexen<I thought you would never ask.>
==================================
~The World That Never Was~

S<We'll need to locate & slay their Heartless. We should be able to safely limit our search to worlds where fire & ice Heartless congregate. Heartless which will most likely be fairly powerful.>
==================================
~Radiant Garden~

*Lilith points the Divine Rose at Roatha's chest, at which point what can only be described as a Door of Light springs forth. Cid whistles.*

Cid<So, I take it yer gonna go inside 'im?>

L"Something like that. Maybe we can find what's keeping him from waking."

*She turns to look back at Taiyurlevega.*

L"I don't want him coming along. I want him out here where you can keep a close watch on him."

Cid<Why, is he shady? He does look a tad familiar, come to think of it--guess I can tell the others to watch 'im, but I'd prefer if ya stopped dumpin' all your problems on us.>

Hitomi casts Magnet on Minnie while Azuma uses Aqua Whip to grab the crown.

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

He didn't plan on going into some incomplete heart having motherfucker anyways while Taiyo is still there as despite all Neon's talk about her and Euryale consummating, that ain't looking like it's happening.

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

While they hang around despite initially saying they can't just hang around as it's a bad idea, Xyukuse plants his Keyblade into the ground to not be washed away and he's probably going to go searching for Heartless to bring back to the place they're lingering around despite initially saying that's a bad idea.

*Monu summons his keyblade*

Monu:<We're very sorry about taking up your time. Please let us know if we can do something to repay you.>
---
Eve:<I'll use the data we've gathered to determine the order we should search worlds for both of them. It shouldn't take any time at all.>
---
*Artexi picks up her goblet too, then whispers to Aladdin and Nero*

Artexi:<(Sounds like your dad's just in it for the money. Do you think you could convince him to break the deal?>
---
*Safian disappears in the shadows, then reappears directly in front of Minnie, using Cat's Eye to paralyze her*

~Disney Town~

*Thiera casts Stop Flow again, apparently just to force Minnie to burn a barrier. While she's moving her other hand forward, her eyes meet Safian's, & she's paralyzed. Both of them begin to be pulled toward the Oathkeeper, while Azuma successfully manages to pull off the crown. Nearby, Donald manages to get the rocks off of a splayed out Goofy.*
===============================
~Dark Realm~

*There's no ground beneath his feet. He's 30 feet out. Whether Irritum is coming or not, the other 2 head off in the direction away from the Heartless they just escaped, toward another rock formation in the distance.*
================================
~Radiant Garden~

Cid<As a matter of fact, we didn't call yeh just to catch up. But we can wait 'til yer done here.>

*He turns next to Taiyurlevega.*

Cid<You 2 look about half dead. Tron'll keep an eye on yer guy, & we'll get the word to you faster than a bat outta Hell if anything goes wrong. Why don't you use this time to freshen up & take a nap?>

E"Thanks, Cid. Hey, I've been meaning to ask, what's with the plant?"

Cid<Ah, my godda--my goshdarn woman's been harpin' on me to quit smokin' & swearin' up a storm.>

E"Oh, you have a mate? Who is she?"

*Cid cocks his head & raises an eyebrow.*

Cid<You call 'em mates? Sure, whatever, her name is Mindy Urownbusiness.>

*As Euryale glares at Cid, Lilith opens the door to Roatha's heart, stepping through into a swirling dark void. She thus finds herself falling through the shadows, hacking away at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] as she goes.*
=================================
~The World That Never Was~

*Senthose nods, & Xigbar nods back, turning to Eve & jerking his thumb in the direction of the stairs.*

Xigbar<Sounds good. I can take you to the computers, show you what we got from them so far.>
==================================
~Agrabah~

Al<(It'll be tricky. First we need to get him away from these thieves & explain things to him.>

*Aladdin starts casually stepping back from the group as he talks, Nero & Jade following his lead.*

N"(Okay, but let's start small. Maybe instead of jumping right to 'I'm Prince Ali, Fabulous He, Aliababwa,' lead with how the Heartless are affecting him.)"

*Monu follows Lilith into Roatha's heart, but doesn't attack the bats unless they attack him first*
---
*Eve nods at Senthose, then looks at Xigbar*

Eve:<Thank you.>
---
*Artexi follows the others*

Artexi:<(Pull at his heart strings and use any guilt he has about leaving you.)>
---
*Safian stares at Minnie, hackles still raised but doesn't attack*

Safian:<...Queen Minnie?>

They stop doing what they're doing, Azuma casting Esuna on Minnie to clear up that paralysis as I assume Thiera doesn't have it in her arsenal as she is a horrible healer/support.

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

Taiyo: "A break sounds nice."

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

Irritum: "You won't succeed in ending them here."

Xyukuse: "What is your angle? Being a creep, lending me a Keyblade, still being a creep. You think you saved me? Why shouldn't I find a Heartless to sic on you too?"

Irritum: "I didn't save you, I obligated you. It'll be easier to defeat them two on two in the Realm of Light than here where only the Heartless can threaten them. Out there, they have not only the Heartless to fend off, but as well. And it's a Heartless they're pursuing as means to get out."

OOC: Quit Healshaming Thiera.

~Radiant Garden~

Cid<Hope you remember where everything is, 'cause I ain't givin' any tours.>

*Euryale sticks her tongue out at him & gives Vega a reassuring pat on the shoulder before taking Taiyo right there on the floor of the coma ward off in the direction of the guest bed/bath rooms, her arm around her waist, fingers drumming on the side of her stomach. Behind them, the floating magic door closes & vanishes.*
--------------------------------------------------------
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

*The bats seem to take this as an invitation to hang back & shoot razor winds at Lilith, while the other half spit sonic waves at Monu. The creatures become more numerous, dozens of pairs of red eyes appearing out of the clouds around them. However, the clouds below shift, revealing what looks like a town, so Lilith summons her Glider to take a few shallow gashes & casts Lotus on Monu before speeding up, apparently intent on pushing through & leaving the bats in the proverbial dust.*
===============================
~Agrabah~

*Aladdin nods & says he'll do what he can as Nero does what he does best & makes a loud, obnoxious ass of himself, banging on a gong with his Keyblade. Eventually, all of the thieves fall silent & stare at him.*

N"Glad I got your attention! I thought we could trade secrets about the palace, while the boss & his son iron out the main plan in peace."

Cassim<Splendid idea! Show our new friends the secret routes through the city.>

*With that, the thieves hold their hands out, opening up a Dark Corridor onto a building overlooking the palace. As Nero & Jade follow them through, a thief armed with a bandoleer full of throwing knives turns to them.*

<Don't know how you got into our secret base, but we've been using the Heartless to get in & out. They're a bit tricky, so we have other ways of getting to certain spots in the city.>

*He gestures around them, to a series of crumbling catwalks around the buildings, high above the palace gate below. Another thief, this one with a pair of axes strapped crisscross on his back, takes a running jump, grabs a pole with clothes drying on it, & handsprings to an awning, which he uses to vault up onto the top of the palace's outer wall. A portly guard is stationed below, but it never even occurs to him to look up this high.*
================================
~Dark Realm~

*I guess they're just shouting across the waves, Xyukuse in a continual struggle not to be pulled under, as the other figures get farther away along the beach. Irritum can see multitudes of yellow eyes opening under the distant waves.*
=================================
~The World That Never Was~

*As promised, Xigbar leads them to a massive hall with banks of computers manned by Moogles, leading up to a massive computer screen that flashes various images as it sits unused. When he clicks the "Enter" key, images of a batlike Heartless in a world logged as Traverse Town, a pair of rotund vizier-like fire & ice Heartless in the desert outside of Agrabah, & one of their own heart-storing tanks appear. Xigbar points at the last one.*

Xigbar<That'll be Xywhateverhisnamewas. Big S thought he was too much of a liability to be allowed back so easily.>
==================================
~Disney Town~

*Minnie shakes her head & looks around.*

<Oh dear--are you all okay? When did we get here, what happened after we left the Gummi Hangar?>

Th"You were possessed by a spell, it must've caused short term memory loss."

*She looks up at Azuma.*

Th"You should destroy that crown straightaway. Then we need to regroup & pursue the clown."

*Meanwhile, they can hear the echoing sound of many footsteps coming toward them on the marble above. Since a shitton of the castle has been torn away & they can see through the chasm, it isn't much of a secret: It's the people who took shelter in the aforementioned hangar. As most hang back to inspect the battle damage & the curious white dust overlaying much of it, the King jumps down, looking between them & where Donald is attempting to rouse Goofy.*

*Monu casts Hawk's Dive on Lilith, then summons his glider and follows her, doing his best to avoid the bats*
---
Safian:<Thiera, I think Goofy needs some help!>
---
Eve:<I must concur with his assessment.>

*She looks at the other two images on the screen*

Eve:<Are these the Heartless belonging to the others then?>
---
Artexi:<Wow, the palace defenses are pretty pathetic.>

Azuma brings the Keyblade down on the crown like the hammer of Thor.

Best healer Hitomi casts Curaja on Goofy although he probably won't wake up, but at least his brain will stop bleeding.

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

Taiyo squirms a bit as she follows Euryale, thinking of all the stomach things they're gonna do. Like that room best be soundproof or they're gonna hear so much.

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

The two follow after the Organization jerks, probably not formulating about how they're gonna waste them.

~The World That Never Was~

Xigbar<You got it.>
==========================
~Dive to the Heart~

*Monu takes some turbulence from the sound waves. They're individually pretty weak, but they add up & start to put some cracks in his armor while causing him to wobble a bit. The bats try to follow him, but he can see Lilith turn near the ground & fire lasers at them. As said ground comes into view, it seems to be a city with a strange mix of architecture. A district with sparse Gothic architecture will be next to a denser, more rustic one, which in turn is next to a district of high skyscrapers & neon signs, that sort of thing.*
=================================
~Disney Town~

*The crown throws off red sparks as it's broken, then quickly turns to ash. Meanwhile, Goofy sits up, rubbing his head.*

Goofy<Hey there, Donald. Uh, what'd I miss, a-hyuck? Yeeow! What'd ya do that for?>

*He holds his shin after the duck cracks it with his staff. Donald hops up & down a few times, waving his wing arm things in anger as his voice cracks slightly.*

Donald<Ohhh--don't ever worry me like that again, ya big palooka!>

Goofy<Gawrsh, Donald, I get hit in the head lotsa times....>

*Mickey breathes a sigh of relief, then runs up to check on Minnie, who accepts his help up.*

Minnie<I'm sure I'll be fine. A small part of my memory is hazy, that's all--really.>

Th"I wish we could stay to help, but Kefka has threatened much worse than this, & I fear the type of power he may have amassed, having absorbed both the Black Cauldron and the Cornerstone of Light. I suppose he technically has the Horned King's power as well, as he himself was taken by the Cauldron shortly beforehand."

Mickey<Darkness and light together...if he really did that, you'll need my Keyblade of Darkness! Using Keyblades from both Realms on him should mess with his powers, make it possible for you to hurt him.>
=================================
~Agrabah~

N"I could just do this."

*Nero lashes out with Collision Magnet, connecting to the top of the palace wall, then stabs the Keyblade into the ground at his feet. He then glides over the tightrope he's effectively created with his shadow feet.*

Knives<Sure, if you wanna be a show-off....>

*Jade promptly shows off by handspringing across after Nero.*
=================================
~Realm of Darkness~

*After much trekking across the empty sands, they eventually find a cave. Axel walks inside with a flame on his hand. Shining it to every nook & cranny, he notices a number of Dark Blobs growing along the walls. A group of Bit Snipers hangs from the ceiling, & opens their eyes at the disturbance.*
=================================
~Radiant Garden~

*Cid points to Vega.*

Cid<That goes for you too. And if you wanna creep around here all day, you'll be doin' it alone, 'cause I got places to be.>

*Artexi summons a keyblade, then uses vines to swing herself over to the other side*
---
*Monu lands on the ground, then dismisses his glider before summoning his key blade. He then sends diamond shards at the bats*
---
Eve:<Well, Artexi and Nero are already in Agrabah. We can send them a message and see if they can take care of the heartless there. I think we should capture the heart from the bat heartless and put it into storage as well.>

Azuma: "So he's turned grey. Bet he'll be more annoying now."

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

Not lingering around this depressing room, Vega goes off to elsewhere in the castle. Maybe see what has changed which probably wasn't a whole lot.

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

Xyukuse: "Great hiding spot. The Heartless will never find us here."

~Dark Realm~

*Of course the Bit Snipers all fly at them, Axel flaring his flames in a cone to incinerate them.*

Axel<Hey, it's better than nothing.>

*Meanwhile, Vexen sets to using his Keyblade to try to chip crystals from the walls.*

Vexen<As long as we maintain our distance, we should be fine, but we'll eventually have to move.>
==============================
~Agrabah~

*When her feet hit the wall, the guard below starts looking around. Nero summons his Keyblade back to himself, he & Jade frantically helping to reel Artexi up. On the opposite wall, the thieves crouch down.*
==============================
~Dive to the Heart~

*Lilith dismisses her Glider & pulls Monu toward an alley.*

L"Nevermind them, let's just get what we came for!"
===============================
~Radiant Garden~

*As he's wandering around, Vega hears echoing down the corridors girlish giggling, splashes, & a peculiar sound like something large & wet slapping against the wall. Eventually, he sees a girl with a pink dress & long brown hair done into a single braid come from a side hallway. Hearing his footsteps, she looks up from the papers she's inspecting with surprise. Her eyes narrow as they follow the swishing of his coat hem.*
================================
~The World That Never Was~

Xigbar<If that's what you wanna do.>
================================
~Disney Town~

Micky<Gosh, I'm afraid it's worse than that. The whole world's made up of light & darkness! That means-->

Th"He can disrupt any of our attacks. Don't worry, we'll use your Keyblade when the time is right. The rest of you should stay here, in case he tries to attack again."

*As they're speaking, Donald & Goofy wander over, the latter putting a finger to his chin in thought.*

Minnie<But where are you planning to go?>

*There is a great rumbling, & in the distance they can see a tower shooting up into the clouds, constructed of various bits of wreckage.*

Th"I believe that answers that question."

Goofy<Err, but what if he, uh, sees ya flyin' there?>

Donald<Grr--I guess you can tell Merlin to take you to my uncle'sh houshe. He should be able to help you get in. Jusht tell him I sentcha.>

Safian:<Maybe someone with two key blades should give Mikey one of them. So he’s not without one.>
———
*I guess Artexi is helped up by Jasmine and Nero*
———
*Eve nods. I guess they make preparations for their mission*

The two have a strange feeling about this ominous tower. Almost as if something similar had happened somewhere and somewhen else and it was a huge mistake.

Azuma: "Merlin and your uncle. Got it."

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

Vega is less concerned with Aeris as he's not there to start trouble. The sound of a fish beating its tail like OP beats his meat is more concerning, but less than subtle cues moments ago and the events in Niflheim indicate what it could possibly be, so rather than be concerned about that, he continues his stroll through the castle for the less residential halls and more towards the parts where unspeakable things were done when he once guarded these halls.

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

Xyukuse: "Right, because Heartless respect boundaries."

OOC: Thank you.

~Radiant Garden~

*Specks of purple light converge upon Vega, but abruptly vanish as a male voice shouts, "Relax, Aerith, he's not with them!" In front of Vega's eyes forms a hologram of Tron. For some reason, he advances to give Vega a hug. It's tingly.*

Tron<Greetings! I'm Tron, the main user interface. Any friend of the Order's is a friend of mine!>

("Alright, Angelfish, are you ready to try the next step?")

Aerith<But if he's one of the Order, why is he wearing the Organization's cloak?>

("I've never tried this with a human before...my scales aren't too rough, are they?")
===================================
~Dive to the Heart~

*Lilith runs through the alley, but comes to an abrupt stop & looks around at the pumpkin patch they've found themselves in.*

L"Where are we?"

*Her gaze is drawn to a misshapen house, flickering orange lights in the window suggesting it's on fire. The cause quickly becomes clear when a group of fucking owls descend from the clouds, flying around it & shooting the occasional fireball. When the door bursts open & weird porcupine things come stomping out at them, Lilith materializes the Divine Rose & steps forward, only to be stopped by another unexpected event.*

Small boy<We can't take them all, we gotta go get help!>

Other boy<Don't worry, we've got this!>

*Her gaze shifts over about 30 feet to the right, where the pitch black sky suddenly breaks into a daytime--albeit heavily overcast with storm clouds--scene of a beach. As the wind & lightning rage, kicking up the sea, they can just barely make out the a couple of small figures hemmed in by a ring of cat & dog monsters, swinging blue foam bats desperately to keep them at bay.*
=======================================
~Dark Realm~

Vexen<Their senses have a limited effective range, you simpleton!>

Axel<Ugh, you guys are making me wish I could blow myself up again...wait, CAN I do that...?>

*Axel tugs on a tuft of his hair, appearing lost in thought.*
=======================================
~The World That Never Was~

Xigbar<What a time to be so many heads short...I'll go tell Big S we're heading into the witch's lair. It'll probably be just us 2. Just go whenever you're ready, I'll meetcha there.>
=======================================
~Agrabah~

*Nero looks as if he's concentrating on something, & a second later, Artexi hears Xigbar tell her that they need to find & destroy a pair of giant Heartless with fire & ice powers. Around them, the other bandits pull various acrobatic maneuvers designed to scale the wall silently.*

Knives<You're not exactly stealthy, are you?>

N"Well, if you think you can do so much better, why don't you sneak us into the palace?"
=======================================
~Disney Town~

Th"He'll be fine, once we make the trade."

Mickey<Gosh, I wish I could come help ya in person.>

*Thiera turns to salute him.*

Th"It's a fair trade for your attempt to protect the Land of Departure. This time, we won't let the beasts win. Take care, Your Majesties."

Minnie<Please be careful!>

*Behind the royals, various other anthropomorphic animals cheer them on.*

Eve:<Thank you. I’ll just shower and grab a bite to eat, then I’ll meet you there.>

*She goes to do that*
———
*Artexi looks over at Nero, then back to the thieves*

Artexi:<So...how long is this going to take?>
———
*Monu sends diamond shards at the charging monsters, then grabs Lilith’s hand and runs over to get a better look at the boys*